The journey was difficult, to say the least. Poor technology, overcrowding and accidents caused the loss of some thirty ships and over one million lives before the Purist Nation fleet colonized their first planet, named “Stewart” after their bold leader. Many elements of this “exodus” have been incorporated into the Purist Nation’s holy texts. The new planet gave the Purist Nation a home free of cultural influence from Earth.
From “Rise to Power: The Quyth Concordia 2752 to present,” written by Viler the Meek
It is often mentioned in galactic history texts that the Quyth Concordia’s rise to power is merely a fluke of biology. The Quyth, after all, are the only sentient species that can completely ignore latent radiation, even when that radiation reaches levels high enough to kill Humans, Ki, Sklorno, Harrah, Whitok, Leekee and Creterakians.
This innate ability allowed the Quyth to expand from one planet to a five-planet empire rich in mineral wealth. In the seminal year of 2573, the Quyth shocked the galaxy by establishing a permanent, flourishing colony on the planet Gritchlik, which the Sklorno irradiated during the Quyth-Sklorno war. By the end of 2573, the Quyth had also colonized three other irradiated worlds — Whitok, Ionath, and Chikchik. This marked the fastest expansion in the galaxy’s history, and instantly catapulted the Quyth from a galactic second-stringer to a major player on the political landscape.
Yet despite the Concordia’s continued success, and despite the fact that the Concordia is one of only six systems to remain independent from the Creterakian Empire, sociologists from other species continue to say that the Quyth’s success relies solely on resistance to radiation. These so-called “experts” like to point out that the Quyth’s expansion was largely unchallenged, because no government could justify fighting a war over a “dead” planet. An interesting stance, but how logical is it?
Humans, for example, target planets rich in oxygen with Earth-like gravity. The Tower Republic and Leekee Collective have cooperatively shared planets in the same system, with the Republic taking the land and the Collective claiming domain over the oceans. Is that not a perfect example of a “biological fluke” resulting in expansion of territory? The Republic and the Collective do not war over planets, because they each occupy non-competitive ecological niches.
The Harrah, as another example, are the only species in the galaxy that can live on gas-giant planets. And yet how many “experts” point out the “biological fluke” that has led the Harrah to become a five-planet empire of immense military and political power? And how many of these mostly-Human “experts” point out the obvious, that while all Human governments bend to the will of the Creterakian Empire, the Quyth Concordia remains independent?
From “Species Biology & Football,” written by Cho-Ah-Huity
It is well-known that the Ki are the best linemen in football. While many call me biased, as I am a proud subject of the Ki Empire, I support this claim with facts.
First of all, there is the size factor. A Ki lineman stands on average six feet high vertically, with another six feet reaching back from the vertical body. It is the six-foot-long “ground-body” that provides amazing stability. Six legs support the ground-body, giving the Ki lineman the lowest center of gravity of any species. Because of this, it is very difficult to knock a Ki lineman to the ground.
Then there is the strength factor. In the “bench press,” a Human test of strength that is uniquely suited to measuring football prowess, the average Human lineman benches 720 pounds while the average Ki lineman benches 1,130 pounds. Quyth Warriors, the only other species capable of playing on the line, bench around 600 pounds. Humans from heavy-G worlds are becoming more of a factor in the game, yet they average around 900 pounds in the bench press. Clearly, the Ki is the strongest species in the game.
It has been noted, repeatedly, that both Quyth Warriors and heavy-G Humans are faster than Ki, have better lateral movement, and faster reaction time due to their smaller size — mostly because they have less mass to move. These factors make both species excellent linebackers and defensive ends. However, those factors are usually not enough to offset the Ki’s advantage in size and strength. Depending on the offensive scheme, Quyth and heavy-G Humans can make good run-blockers, but if you want to throw the ball you need the pass-blocking prowess of the Ki species.
As for defense, the middle of the line might as well be sovereign territory of the Ki Empire. With massive strength and the low center of gravity, Ki nose guards and defensive tackles are specialists at shutting down the run. The Ki are also able to lay devastating hits due to their “gather” ability, where they can briefly compact their tubular body from twelve feet to eight feet, then suddenly expand with violent force. The “gather” lets them deliver crushing hits anywhere in a ten-foot radius. It is a common technique in tackling as well as in block-destruct.
From “Species Biology & Football,” written by Cho-Ah-Huity
Sklorno were once considered the bane of the galaxy. An aggressive, fast-growing species, Sklorno females reach reproductive maturity in seven years. They also can breed up to twice a year, with potential broods of ten to twelve children. This would create severe overpopulation, save for the fact that in Sklorno society cannibalism is not only socially acceptable, it is considered a normal part of life. When the population exceeds the food supply, the government simply selects the individuals that are to become food themselves.
This behavior is indicative of what makes the Sklorno so “alien” to the other sentient species. The Sklorno have little or no concern for individual life. What matters in their culture is the success of the entire species, the “macro-environmental” scale if you will. Because of this attitude, the Sklorno were a vicious warring race, and tried several times to exterminate other species and expand their territory via war. The Sklorno, in fact, started the First Intergalactic War when they conquered the planet Withrit, and exterminated all intelligent life (amounting to about 2.1 billion Whitokians). The Sklorno were also the first species to destroy a planet’s ability to sustain life when they saturation-bombed Ionath, which then belonging to the Prawatt Jihad.
So what does this history lesson have to do with Species Biology & Football? You must understand the culture of the Sklorno if you are to understand their strengths and weaknesses as football players. Individual life holds little meaning for the Sklorno, while the success of the overall species is all-important. This attitude translates literally to the gridiron. Sklorno do whatever it takes to put the team ahead.
On top of that, they’re the fastest and most agile species in the galaxy. With 40-yard dash speeds up to a blistering 3.0, and vertical leaps of up to fifteen feet, they seem almost genetically-engineered to play wide receiver and defensive back. A Sklorno receiver fully extended and at top jumping height can pull down a ball that’s thrown twenty feet over her head. Despite their speed, the Sklorno are the least strong of the playing races. Improvements in inertia-based protective equipment have greatly reduced Sklorno deaths, although during a given Upper Tier season one can still expect five to eight deaths.
Creterakian officials introduced football in Sklorno space just 23 years ago. It has become a massive cultural phenomenon. Football is the number-one spectator sport, surpassing the traditional sports of spot-racing and even soccer, which the Sklorno have dominated since Humans introduced it 62 years ago. With military expansion halted by Creterakian rule, young Sklorno females have few outlets for their aggressive tribal tendencies. Football has filled that gap.