Ōtsutsuki

DO...NOT...ADVANCE!...DO...NOT...ADVANCE!...DO...NOT...ADVANCE!
...NO...HOPE...NO...LIFE...NO...HOPE...NO...LIFE

— Message send to every ship nearing Ōtsutsuki space

Knowledge is power. A universal truth as far as the species of the Andromeda Galaxy are concerned. Knowing who you share space with enables you to make decisions in both war and peace. And any species intent on survival will try to gain as much information on their neighbours as possible, wherever they want it or not. As a result we have at least a basic understanding of even the most isolationist of races such as the cold Ska'Ani or enigmatic Colosians. There is one species out there that has eluded the searching fingers of curiosity, however. A species whose basic name is in doubt and yet manages to cause a feeling of foreboding dread. Out there, in the far reaches of the Xren Cluster are the Ōtsutsuki.

Omnious Signal

by Alexandra Reeves

In what is considered the galactic northeast lies a cluster of young stars shrouded in titanic clouds of gas, known as the Xren Cluster. The region close to the cluster is empty as far as spacefaring civilizations are concerned and so it was only in 2712 AD, when the first explorers moved into the region, that the Signal was detected. A message in a strange language, repeating over and over. No one was able to decipher it, and so the majority of the effort was put toward reaching the broadcast's origin. Any fleet trying to enter the cluster vanished without a trace and only too late did scientists manage to decipher the signal as a warning. In a rare show of galactic unity, all factions agreed to declare the regions around the Xren Cluster to be a Neutral Zone, ceasing any and all attempts to explore or colonize it.

Alien Among Aliens

It was only in early 2900 AD that the enigmatic rulers of Xren revealed themselves. In a message send to all factions of the galaxy, they claimed to be the ruler and sole inhabitant of the region and that the fleets send in, had all fallen victim to a wide range of anomalies. They also stated to want neither trade nor contact, the message being the only time they directly spoke to the wider galaxy.

Crystaline Entities

While not outright confirmed, a series of events linked to the Ōtsutsuki has given us a glimpse at what might lurk behind the Nebula of Xren. In 2907, a ship of unknown origin crashed on the planet Alekka. While it managed to escape before other ships arrived, it did leave behind some crystalline debris. A trader who claims to have seen it, speaks of "sharp lance of white light" that sped past him. The planet itself is home to a number of crystalline structures of unknown origin and purpose. The prospect of a crystalline race has led many to speculate, and pictures of what the Ōtsutsuki may look like are manyfold.

Eldritch Gods

In 2989, a single ship appeared near a military base of the Teutan Hierarchy. It soon turned out to be part of an exploration fleet the Hierarchy had sent over 150 years earlier and held a single passenger. Said man, who hadn't aged a day, was a rambling mess. Constantly rambling of "terrifying beings", "gods beyond the mind" and "abominable, unnatural existences" he was put in an asylum. There he began to draw a symbol on his room's walls. Drawn in his own blood a thousand times, this strange assortment of lines is now seen as potentially the Symbol of either the Ōtsutsuki or their gods.

Theories Abound

There exist a myriad of rumours and stories about the strange Ōtsutsuki, few of them good. It does not help that almost every event connected to them has resulted in either death or insanity. A popular theory states that the signal is, in fact, a warning. The last cry from a race that has fallen victim to the crystalline creatures in ancient time. The other extreme, seeing these enigmatic creatures as divine beings can also be found in the Hadmean Church. Fact is that we may never know what lurks behind the titanic clouds of gas. And some believe that it is better this way.

One painful lesson every spacefaring species learns sooner or later is that you should never leave something to chance. I won't have Humanity learn it once again. I want scout droids in every system bordering the Xren Cluster!

— Theodoric Armagis, Supreme Admiral of the teutan Hierarchy

by Alpha Eoh

Scientific Name

Enigmata Otsuka

Lifespan

Unkown

Average Height

Unkown

Average Weight

Unkown

Average Length

Unknown

by Abraham Katase

Relic of Ancient War
One less talked about event that involved or seemed to involve the Ōtsutsuki, is the discovery of strange crystalline structure. Said structure was found in the Colema System, in 2721 AD, almost 200 years before the rulers of Xren revealed themselves. The object, dubbed the Ōtsutsuki Dreadnought, is a lance-like structure about 15 kilometres long and completely made from dark grey crystal.
Although many attempts to examine the material has failed, the fact that the structure seems to have a distinct engine system and weapon emplacements have lead many scientists to believe that it is an ancient warship. An unsettling thought as the ship, if it indeed is one, would dwarf every ship in the known galaxy.

by Dirk Wachsmuth