Citadel Council:
The Citadel Council is a multi-species coalition who have united to form the most powerful government in the known galaxy. It takes it name from the impressive Citadel station, one of the few active (suspected) Protean relics besides the Mass Relays, located in the centre of Serpent Nebula in Citadel space. Its economic, cultural and military is unmatched by any political organization in known space resulting in it having a huge influence in galactic politics. Despite being the supreme authority in Citadel space the various member states do whoever enjoy a large degree of autonomy with the core principle that anything to explicitly decided by the Council is up to the member states themselves.
The membership of the Citadel is divided into two tiers, the full members who are part of the executive council consisting of the Asari, Turian and Salarians, and the associates members who don't have a seat on the council but maintain permanent embassies on the Citadel and are granted limited participation rights like for example the right to submit opinion pieces regarding new legislation, speak during council meetings etc. There also a exists a third, less.official, group made of a selected group of influential megacompanies and non-Citadel states who have been granted observer status on the Council and also maintain a presence on the Citadel.
While the Council generally doesn't openly interfere with people outside its borders there are two major policies it tries to enforce galaxy wide. Those are the Citadel Conventions regarding the use of weapon of mass destruction against Garden worlds and the unauthorized activation of new Mass Relays.
Asari Republics:
The Asari Republics are likely the most influential nation in space. Though its military is outmatched by the Turians and its intelligence agencies are no match for the Salarians the Asari Republics are the economic and cultural centre of the Citadel and thus the galaxy.
Unlike most other races they lack an central government besides their representation on the Citadel council and are instead organized around smaller "republics" following an extreme basic/e-democratic model. Policy debates take place at all hours of the day, in official chat rooms and forums moderated by specially-programmed virtual intelligences. All aspects of policy are open to plebiscite at any time. In any given debate, the Asari tend to lend the most credence to the opinions of any Matriarchs present, nearly always deferring to the experience of these millennia-old "wise women".
Culturally speaking the Asari are a very open and communal society that puts great value into cultural endeavours. They are also highly xenophile and interested in new discoveries, especially during their Maiden years, and are of the few nations known to regularly grant citizenship to other races.
The Asari possess one of the most powerful navies in the galaxy, favouring smaller units like frigates and corvettes but also fielding a significant number of dreadnoughts. Like their government the Asari military tends to be organized decentrally and lacks a powerful permanent central authority. It land based forces meanwhile are something of a mixed bag, the longevity and biotic nature of the Asari make them some of the finest infantry soldiers in the galaxy, exemplified by their nearly unmatched commando teams, but their decentral organization and lack of a heavy armour and machines put them at a distinct disadvantage on any modern battlefield.
The Asari Republics activities in the Terminus sector are mostly limited to diplomatic missions by the Citadel council.
Status: Great Power
Inspiration: Mass Effect, Greek City states
Turian Hierarchy:
The Turian Hierarchy is one of the three full members of the Citadel Council and is generally viewed as its guardian. Famous for its massive military and ruthless, pragmatic nature the Turians are one of the most feared races in the galaxy and the ultimate bogeyman for many in the Terminus sector.
The Turian government, known as the Turian Hierarchy, is a hierarchical meritocracy. While it has great potential for misuse, this is tempered by the civic duty and personal responsibility turians learn during their childhood. Their society is organized into 27 citizenship tiers, ranging from lowly civilian or client races to Primarch. There is a strong focus on doing one's duty and following orders though superiors are encouraged to take note of the subordinates concerns and criticisms.
Turians enjoy broad freedoms. So long as one completes their duties, and does not prevent others from completing theirs, nothing is forbidden. For example, there are no laws against recreational drug use, but if someone is unable to complete their duties due to drug use, their superiors step in. Judicial proceedings are 'interventions.' Peers express their concern, and try to convince the offender to change. If rehabilitation fails, turians have no qualms about sentencing dangerous individuals to life at hard labor for the state.
The Turian military is not only unmatched in size but also their discipline and morale that mean that Turian units almost never break, no matter how horrendous the losses are. Lacking the biotic powers of the Asari, the technical genius of the Salarians or the sheer strength of the Krogan the Turians follow a combined arms approach that is heavily depended on heavy armour and drones. Since almost every Turian serves at least 15 years in the military, with many deciding to stay on and become "lifers", the Turian military outnumbers its enemies often by several degrees. Turian planets and colonies are also notoriously difficult to conquer with the cities often designed as fortresses and extreme resistance by the general population that often requires extreme measures to break.
The Turian Hierarchy also possess several (alien) client states, originally conquered due a perceived superiority by the Hierarchy and wish the bring order to uncivilised barbarians. Nowadays however those clients races enjoy nearly the same opportunities as the Turian and can increase their social standing through service like any other Turian, though higher ranking aliens remain a rare sight. And while the Hierarchy reserves the right for further conquests the opposition of both the Asari and Salarian (as well as the associates members of the council) make it highly unlikely that the Hierarchy will return to its imperialist past anytime soon.
Due to its role as the peacekeeper of the Citadel the Turian navy is active in the border regions of the Terminus systems where it works with the Batarian Hegemony to secure the often porous border. The various Turian colonies present in the Terminus system are however not connected to the Hierarchy and are in fact often with viewed with distrust if not hostility by its.
Status: Great Power
Inspiration: Mass Effect, Starship Troopers
Salarian Union:
The second species to join the Citadel, the Salarians are warm-blooded amphibians native to the planet Sur'Kesh. Salarians possess a hyperactive metabolism; they think fast, talk fast, and move fast and they are known for their observational capability and non-linear thinking. This manifests as an aptitude for research and espionage.
The salarian government is a labyrinthine web of matrilineal bloodlines, with political alliances formed through interbreeding. In many ways, the salarian political network functions like the noble families of Earth's Medieval Europe. Structurally, the government consists of fiefdoms, baronies, duchies, planets, and marches (colonization clusters). These are human nicknames, as the original salarian is unpronounceable. Each area is ruled by a single Dalatrass (matriarchal head-of-household) and represents an increasing amount of territory and prestige within the salarian political web.
The Salarian culture is perhaps described as "knowledge is power" with information gathering and even spying being viewed as natural. Normally, the rare salarian females are cloistered on their worlds out of tradition and respect from where determine the political course of their respective regions through shrewd negotiation. Though male salarians rise to positions of great authority in business, academia, or the military, they rarely have any input on politics which has led to conflicts in the past. Due to their method of reproduction, salarians have no concept of romantic love, sexual attraction, or the biological impulses and social rituals that complicate other species' lives. Male-female relationships are rare (due to the scarcity of females) and more akin to human friendship. Sexuality is strictly for the purpose of reproduction. Ancient social codes determine who gets to fertilize eggs, which produces more daughters to continue the bloodline. Fertilization generally only occurs after months of negotiation between the parents' clans, and is done for purposes of political and dynastic alliance. No salarian would imagine defying this code.
The Salarian military is relatively small and volunteer based, focusing on maneuver warfare. What makes them special is their cutting edge equipment and focus on intelligence activities. Well before fighting breaks out, they possess complete knowledge of their enemy's positions, intentions, and timetable. In war Salarians always follow a first strike policy with the goal being to defeat the enemy before he has time react and organise itself.
Officially the Salarians are not active in the Terminus systems, but rumours suggest the Special Task Group (STG ), the top salarian intelligence agency, is very active in the area.
Status: Great Power
Inspiration: Mass Effect, Renaissance+Spies
Batarian Hegemony:
The Batarian Hegemony is a relatively newcomer to the galactic stage and despite a being a member of the Citadel has long be viewed as something of a rogue state. Especially during the early days of its membership clashes with the Council were common and with being still being locked in a heated dispute with the Council regarding the issue of slavery.
The Batarian Hegemony is organised according to a strict caste system led by an autocratic Hegemon that is based on the wealth of an individual, with it not being unusual that a Batarian "buys" himself a better position. Nation states still play an important role in internal politics of the Batarian core systems but over the last few decades the Hegemon has strengthened his position significantly and now reigns supreme. The Batarian Hegemony maintains a massive bureaucracy and is active and present in nearly every part of society, either directly or indirectly through state owned corporations.
Compared to the rest of the Citadel the Hegemony is considerable more restrictive when it comes to its citizens rights with a censorship and state propaganda relatively common and open criticism being rare. While violent oppression has thankfully become relatively rare the lower classes, who proportionally make up a large part of society, are still often ignored and social services are extremely limited. Economically speaking the Hegemony has long suffered from the fact that its techbase is and to some degree still is rather primitive compared to the other Citadel races, a fact Batarians blame on the fact that the Prothean ruins in their system were heavily damaged. However over the last few decades the Hegemony has managed to capitalise on its relatively cheap labour cost and has become the prefered location for the production of various "low-tech" consumer goods. This and the continued pressure/influence of the Asari has led to the creation of a more liberal middle class that is slowly growing in power.
The Batarian military is the fourth largest in the Citadel and is modelled after the Turian model though it struggles to reach its level of discipline and skill. Its leadership especially suffers from the negative impact of its caste system with many officers having their position due to their social rank and not their skill while its reliance on drafted lower, less educated caste members to fill the ranks can cause issues with discipline, especially when coupled with the Hegemony's tendency to accept extreme casualties to accomplish its strategic goals. The Batarian military however also possess several elite regiments, most notable the feared SIU, that have in the past competitions beaten even famed Turian and Asari formation. In regards to its navy the Batarian is currently cooperating with the Turian to modernize their aging fleet though its fleet remain top heavy, with the Batarian leadership pressing for ever more dreadnoughts due to political reasons despite them being not that useful when it comes to operations in the border regions or Terminus systems.
The Batarians Hegemony is also the only nation within the Citadel that still practices slavery , which has led to repeated diplomatic conflicts with the other members. Slavery plays an important role in the cultural makeup of the Batarian society (indeed its economic impact in negligible) and the Hegemony reacts quite aggressive when pressed on the issue. In recent years however the Hegemon, following immense political pressure, introduced several new laws intended to prevent the targeting of other Citadel members (and nations allied to it) as well as to provide some basic rights for the slaves, making it for example impossible for a slave owner to kill a slave without proper justification. The actual implementation of said laws is however still incomplete with several leading families and especially the border regions (where slave trade is a highly profitable business) doing their best to sabotage the process. The Batarian leadership however remains dedicated to its successful implementation, viewing it is a necessary step to fulfill their long held dream of getting made into a full member of the Citadel Council (and thus assume their rightful position as a leader of the galaxy).
The Batarians have always been active in the Terminus sector but their recent activities into the border regions have increased those activities considerably. And contrary to public opinion those activities do not only consist of slave raiders and other criminal groups, many of which are in fact also raiding proper Hegemony colonies, but also of extensive business activities with Batarian being famed for their cheap and somewhat reliable guns that can be found on pretty much every battlefield in Terminus. In recent years to Hegemony has also tried to establish proper diplomatic channels with the bigger states within the expanse though so far the negative image of the Batarians has prevented those efforts from bearing fruit.
Status: Major Power
Inspiration: Mass Effect, Ancient Rome/Modern China
Vol(us) Protectorate:
The bankers of the Citadel and something of an odd case due to their double status as an associate member of the Council while at same time being an client state of the Turian Hierarchy (interestingly enough not due to being conquered but due to petitioning for such a status themselves after the Krogan rebellion).
Despite being a client state of the Turian the Vol-Protectorates government, based on esoteric mix of meritocratic and oligarchical principles, enjoys comparatively wide-reaching autonomy rights, especially in regards to internal matters. It is however limited in it ability to conduct external diplomacy and only maintains diplomatic ties with the Council and other member states. It is also tightly connected to the finance sector of the Citadel and several of the regulatory agencies are located on Irune.
Volus culture is dominated by trade, whether it be of land, resources, or even other tribe members and they have a reputation as traders and merchants. Due to the volus not being physically adept, they tend not to be violent, and can even seem overly-pacifistic and cowardly to other, more militant species. The volus homeworld Irune is remarkable for having done away with warfare as an institution of the state, as the volus lack the romantic view of war found in the galaxy's more aggressive species. Physical skirmishes between groups rarely last long, and are almost always ended by social castigation, bargaining agreements, or harsh economic sanctions.
As a client state of the Turian the Volus military is tightly entwined with the Turin military. Volus troops serve as auxiliaries alongside their Turian masters where they make up for their small stature with highly advanced power armour and top of the line weaponry. Where possible the Volus prefer to focus on air-combat and the Protectorate maintains several flotillas of heavy-bomber frigates capable of warfare in any atmosphere.
The Vol-Protectorate is not active in the Terminus systems though several Volus led-companies have extensive operations in the area.
Status: Medium Power
Inspiration: Mass Effect, Venice
Illuminated Primacy (Hanar):
The only non-humanoid as well as the only (mostly) aquatic member of the Citadel the Illuminated Primacy of the Hanar is often looked by the casual observer. Their unique anatomy as well as spiritual nature means they are rarely seen outside their own territory and even rarer outside Citadel space.
Little is commonly known of government of Illuminated Primacy other than that it also serves as its high priesthood.
The Hanar homeworld, Kahje, has 90% ocean cover and orbits an energetic white star, resulting in a permanent blanket of clouds. Due to the presence of Prothean ruins on Kahje, the hanar have developed a religion centered on the ancient species, calling them the "Enkindlers". Hanar myths often speak of them as an elder race that uplifted and civilized them by teaching them language. Hanar value politeness and precise speech to the degree that Hanar expecting to communicate with outsiders tend to undergone special training to become more accepting of perceived insults. The Hanar economy is the smallest of all Council members and trade with other races is limited.
The Hanar military is small and its ships don't tend to follow traditional design philosophies making it hard to predict their effectiveness. Its military doesn't tend to leave its borders and has yet to be tested in a true galactic conflict but the Hanar have repeatedly stated their willingness to participate in Citadel operations if so requested by the Council. It is unclear if the Hanar maintain any land based army though it is suspected that they have significant naval forces, which coupled with the aquatic nature of their cities makes any invasion a daunting task. Dreel combat specialists are also part of the Hanar military and are known to exceptionally well trained and equipped though they are only very rarely deployed outside of Drell space.
The Hanar interactions with other races tend to be limited and are often connected to their worship of the Prothean. They are however are also known for their generosity and willingness to help others, being the major contributor to a number of relief agencies in citadel space and beyond.
There is no known Hanar activity in the Terminus sector.
Status: Minor Power
Inspiration: Mass Effect
Drell:
Two centuries ago, the Hanar helped 375,000 members of the Drell race migrate to the hanar homeworld, Kahje, to escape the environmental extermination that had claimed most of the remaining 11 billion drell.
Nearly all Drell demonstrate tremendous loyalty to their famously reclusive saviors. The intimacy of their relationship, expressed in a formal sociopolitical alliance called the Compact, also results in extremely close personal relations in which some drell actually learn hanar Soul names. While most drell reside on Kahje, some assist hanar off-world as envoys, researchers, co-investors, wayfarers, assassins or otherwise, eager to help their saviors. For a century, galactic wisdom has held that behind any high-ranking hanar hides a resourceful and fanatically devoted drell.
The few Drell active in the Terminus system are thought to be originating from the ruins of the Drell home-world of Rakhana and not connected to the Hanar
Courts of Dekuuna (Elcor):
Another of the associate members of the the Citadel the Elcor where only starting to expand into the wider galaxy when the Asari discovered them but have since than become a well respected member of the galaxy.
The Elcor venerate their Elders and their government consequently consists of a council of the oldest and wisest Elders of their race, who spend years poring over ancient records of jurisprudence to determine the precedent that should be followed in any given situation. The Elders record closely argued and minutely detailed instructions on what course to follow in any theoretical crisis. These are filed away in huge libraries of data discs and are consulted when needed. This makes elcor policies very predictable, provided one has done a great deal of research. The Elcor ability for long term planning is famous and perhaps only matched by the Asari.
Elcor usually prefer to stay on their colonies rather than travel in space, which may be why few elcor are seen on the Citadel or on other worlds. Possibly because of their size or evolution in the open air, the elcor find the necessary confines of space travel uncomfortable, and many modern elcor indeed prefer the open sky to the former. Evolving in a high-gravity environment where a fall could be lethal has made elcor psychology deeply cautious and conservative. Their culture is built on small, tight-knit groups, and their conservative nature means the elcor government is extremely stable. Despite this, they are always welcoming to outsiders.
Elcor are traditionally migratory in nature. This reflects on their choice of twin capitals on their homeworld, one for the wet season and one for the dry season. Modern technology has rendered the tradition obsolete, though elcor still observe it. The Elcor economy is no match for the industrial juggernauts that are the Asari or Turians but still compares favourably to similar sized nations. It is also famous for its near total self sufficiency with imports into Elcor spaces being extremely rare.
The Elcor military suffers from the Elcor dislike of space travel and is thus on the smaller side while their thoughtful and careful nature has led to a large degree of automatization as well as widespread use of VI's. The slow speed and immense size of the elcor makes them easy targets in ground combat. Fortunately, their durable hide allows them to shrug off most incoming fire, especially once augmented by sophisticated armour and defense systems. Elcor warriors don't carry small arms; their broad shoulders serve as a stable platform for the same size of weapons typically mounted on fighting vehicles leading to Elcor soldiers being called "living tanks" by their enemies.
Status: Medium Power
Inspiration: Mass Effect, Lawyers
The Krogan Imperium:
Once called the saviors of the galaxy the Krogans of today are but a pale shadow of their former glory and stand as a memorial for the dangers of uplifting a species before its time. Used to rebel the Rachni the Krogan were for several decades a well respected member remember of the Council till the Krogan Rebellion and the resulting genophage which destroyed the Krogan nation and culture, leaving behind an small and embittered populace of warriors without a cause.
Nowadays the Krogans are organised in small clans numbering at best several thousand individuals and lack any form of central government or authority.
The Krogan follow a warrior culture where the only way to gain attention is though martial deeds. This make them superb warriors but has prevented nearly all social, cultural or scientific development for several decades. This is not helped by the fact that the few Krogans who are interested in those topics tend to be ostracized by their brethren and thus tend to either get killed or immigrate. Since the genophage fertile females have become the most valuable commodity for Krogans and it is not unknown for wars to be fought over the possession of a young and fertile female.
There is no official Korgan military but theoretically every Krogan is a deadly soldier though the disunity of the clans makes it highly unlikely that they will ever again become a threat to the galaxy. The Krogan government, should it somehow come into existence, is also forbidden from owning anything bigger than a frigate for at least the next three hundred years and it is well known the the STG keeps an eye out for any Krogan would be warlord trying to change that,
While Krogans are a comparatively common sight in the Terminus Sector the lack of an government means those are nearly always independent actors or mercenaries.
Status: Minor Power
Inspiration: Mass Effect, Knights
The Migrant Fleet (Quarians):
Once a powerful member of the Citadel numbering in the billions the Quarians of today are a sad remnant of this once proud civilization and have become a nomadic people travelling all over the galaxy looking for a new home or a way to defeat the Geth.
The leadership of the Quarian people now consists of two parts. The democratically elected Conclave which can roughly be described as the legislative body and the Admiralty Board, the executive. However the various ship captains enjoy large degrees autonomy when it comes to handling issues on their own ships and thus rules and punishment for minor action can vary from ship to ship.
The Quarian culture is dominated by the fact that they are refugees and that their civilization is constantly teetering on the brink of collapse. Families and ship crews tends to be extremely close to each other and the common good is viewed as far more important than individual freedoms/wishes. Quarians can be highly emotional and hot tempered which at times clashes with the rather limited space. Due to the limited room and resources available to the Quarian people the Migrant Fleet maintains a zero population growth policy that is strictly enforced.
Officially the Quarian military is rather small consisting only of a few thousand marines and a few, mostly outdated, dedicated combat ships. In truth however nearly every ship of the Migrant Fleet is armed meaning that is it the biggest military force in the known galaxy, maybe even a match for the Turian fleet. Its marines are well trained but suffer from the same problem that every Quarian faces which is that their weak immune system makes every little injury potentially life threatening.
Young Quarians are expected to undergo a pilgrimage to become full adults (via being accepted into a new crew) which means leaving the fleet and traveling to galaxy in search of something of value to bring back to the fleet. While it is not unknown for somebody to return with little more than a few hundred credits and some new skills the true heroes are those who bring back something truly substantial and many young Quarian dreams of bringing back new technology or, the biggest prize of all, a new ship.
The relationship of the Migrant Fleet with the rest of the galaxy is complicated which is partly due to them being blamed for unleashing an AI on the galaxy, partly because a mostly undeserved reputation as thieves and scoundrels but also due to several Migrant Fleet practices like dumping its criminals on other worlds and their strip mining of the system the fleet is passing through.
The decision to abandon the Quarian during the initial Geth rebellion remains of the most controversial to date and is still debated by philosophers and lawmakers all over Citadel space.
Status: Medium Power
Inspiration: Mass Effect, Sinti and Roma/Refugees
Geth:
Swarm intelligence with a tendency to utilise human-like synthetic bodies/platforms. Defeated the Quarian state in a bloody rebellion and has since then not interacted with the rest of the galaxy, seemingly content to remain within the original Quarian borders beyond the Perseus Veil. The few explorers who have tried to make contact with them have never returned and the Citadel has declared a prohibited area, closed to any form of travel.
Status: ???
Inspiration: Mass Effect, Every AI book/movie ever
Prothean:
An alien species that disappeared around fifty thousand years ago and whose ruins seem to be the basis for most of the technology used by the races of the Milky Way. While the Prothean Empire/State is said to have covered most of the galaxy its centre seems to have been in the galactic south-east with Prothean ruins relatively rare in most of the Terminus sector.
Status: Extinct
Inspiration: Mass Effect
