The universe is in the throes of a protracted death, as stars collapse into black holes, leaving the cosmos increasingly shrouded in darkness. As each star dies, its planets are consumed in a nuclear cataclysm, reduced to mere ashes. The universe has entered its final stage of existence, known as the Age of Dark, and its inhabitants must adapt to survive. In the ages before the Age of Dark, countless civilizations rose and fell due to war, famine, disease, and natural disasters. The few who survived to the Age of Dark fought fiercely to secure the dwindling resources that remain. In this new era, the weak are doomed to perish, and survival depends on strength, cunning, and resilience.
That is the natural law of the universe.
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The humans are a cunning and bloodthirsty race. They have laid waste to countless intelligent life that they've deemed a threat to their existence with ruthless efficiency. The humans are among the first to reach for the stars and exploit the universe of its resource. The humans have ascended their existence by integrating themselves with AI, thus propelling themselves into a new era of Humanity. They had established colonies on numerous worlds and rapidly expanded their massive empire. However, the humans were nearly annihilated when they encountered the shals. In the Age of Dark, the humans now sail the universe in Automatons.
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The shals are a hive-minded race that considers itself the divine rulers of the universe, destined to tamper with the laws of physics and manipulate the fabric of reality. Their entire civilization is based around the worship of the Makhali, their god of creation and all things. They travel across the cosmos, enslaving and indoctrinating other beings in the name of the Makhali, forcing their beliefs upon the subjugated masses.
When they discovered humanity and its AI creations, the shals were horrified. They saw these artificial beings as a direct challenge to the Makhali's authority and vowed to eliminate all human life and their AI creations, to prevent any further affront to their deity's will. With their vast technology and zealous devotion, the shals pose a formidable threat to humanity's survival. Now in the Age of Dark, the few that remained pray in the Makhali-Oma, a temple the size of Jupiter, as they wait for the eventual end of the universe. They believe everything will be reborn all according to the Makhali.
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The yukshas, a fragile and delicate species, originated from a planet with remarkably low gravity. Their elongated and fragile bones made it difficult for them to survive in most other planetary environments. Upon discovering the presence of other intelligent life forms beyond their solar system, the yukshas promptly withdrew, ceasing all radio and communication transmissions that might give away their location. As their star and planet approached the end of their lives, the yukshas constructed a colossal space habitat that could orbit their newly formed black hole, extracting energy from it to sustain their species while shrouding themselves from potential predators.
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The Myrs are a minuscule parasitic species that relies on attaching themselves to the brains of other organisms for survival. Once they locate their prey, they meticulously observe their behavior and habits before gradually taking control of their host's body. Over time, the Myrs drain their host's energy, ultimately leading to their victim's demise. Their predatory behavior is particularly insidious as the Myrs will continue to feed until they have wiped out the entire population. However, In the Age of Dark, it is through one of their own that their reign of terror comes to an end.
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The immortals, a reclusive and advanced species, have achieved what they conceive as biological perfection through genetic engineering. They possess the ability to derive sustenance from their home star at a much higher rate than any other species in the known universe. Just like the plants on earth, they feed off the energy from their home star but at a much higher rate. Unlike most organisms, they do not require oxygen or other chemical compounds to survive as they have transformed their bodies to mimic a unique bacteria from their home world. The immortals have also developed the ability to revert to their juvenile form at will, but at a significant cost of energy harvested from their star. However, in the Age of Dark, the Immortals face an unlikely extinction as they struggle to find new ways to harness energy when there are but a few stars left in the universe.
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The Realm Breakers are a mysterious group that seeks to break free from the dying universe and escape to another one. Composed of various species united by a shared goal, they believe in the multiverse theory and seek to transport themselves to a new universe to avoid their impending demise. However, this feat requires an infinite amount of energy, which they are relentlessly searching for. The Realm Breakers' ultimate goal is to discover the means of crossing over into a new universe and achieve their dream of finding a new home beyond the limits of their own dying realm.