Xsi-Shin

The proud Xsi-Shin, once ruling over entire sectors, now beggars and mercenaries and nomads. An entire race has fallen to the lowest. And the best part? It is our own fault. Our own thrice-damned hubris brought us here.

— Hashem Er'In, Leader of the Asakan Tribe

Fate has not been kind to the Xsi-Shin. No one remembers their once-great empire. No one looks back upon their sweeping conquests or invincible armies. No one marvels at their monuments and scientific advancements. All the other races of the Andromeda Galaxy see now is a broken people. A species that either tears itself apart in endless war or roams the wider galaxy as either trader, nomad, mercenary or beggar. Despite all of this, the Xsi-Shin push on, always in the hope that there may come a better day.

Gliding through the Void

by Jose Mikhail

One of four avian species in the known galaxy to have developed intelligence, the Xsi-Shin are easily the most physically imposing variant. Reaching heights of up to two meters and equipped with strong leg and arm muscles, they can hold their own against most species in a fight. Having evolved from a species of flightless birds, they never possessed wings, instead developing arms which end in a hybrid of claw and hand. Their beaks have remained largely unchanged, the horn-like material hard enough to pierce even metal. Feathers cover most of their body, colour varying from dark brown to ocher and red. Female Xsi-Shin tend to thinner than the males, but taller and faster. Most obvious difference is their smaller and thinner beak and their generally lighter plumage colour. Young Xsi-Shin hatch from eggs and reach adulthood after fifteen years.

Ancient Power

They emerged in the galactic east, on the planet Aletra located in the furthest reaches of the Outer Rim. Isolated from the wider galaxy, the Xsi were able to expand and grow undisturbed by cataclysmic conflicts such as the Krigan Rampage and the Age of the Burning Skies and in 2400 AD, the League of Xsinathro emerged onto the scene as a superpower. Seeing a weakened Krigan as the only obstacle to galactic dominion, the arrogant Xsi attacked...and were annihilated. Within a decade, the insectoid menace destroyed the League and scarred their core regions, burning nearly half a hundred worlds to the ground.

Modern Impotence

Even five centuries later, the Xsi-Shin have not recovered. Their society has broken up along the lines of ancient clans, cults and tribes. What remained of the military has been divided among warlords, constantly fighting over whatever scraps of their old wealth are still left. Too preoccupied with their own conflicts, the Xsi-Shin are unable to influence the wider galaxy in any larger way and rarely play a role in intergalactic affairs. The regions around what remains of Xsi space has been turned into a Neutral Zone, blocking both exploration and colonization. What remains of the once-proud species can be sorted into three broad categories:

Surrender

Those that have accepted the current situation. Long ago they gave up any dreams of past and future glory. The majority of the Warlords still fighting over the core regions belong to this group. Many of them have even begun to engorge themselves at the constant killing and suffering, various death and blood cults being the result.

Defiance

A large number of Xsi fled the carnage of the core regions and has since roamed the galaxy in search of a new life. It is these Xsi, one will find as either traders, pirates or mercenaries. Those living in the Xsi Migrant Fleets believe that there is a better future for their kind, working to establish a place where a new Xsi nation can thrive.

Supremacy

Smallest of the three groups, the Yucelik fight to keep the spirit of the old League alive. In the ruins of Aletra, they have built themselves a new state. An empire which will unite the Xsi once again, crush all those that abandoned the old cause, restore them to their rightful position and burn every last Krigan in existence.

Xsi society is divided along tribal and family lines. Once broken up by the unifying message of the League, they have reemerged stronger than ever. A Xsi's loyalty is to their clan, then their tribe and lastly their state. It is common to find a migrant fleet consisting of only a single clan as a result. Adding to the division is the fact that every clan follows a different deity. Over two thousand gods and/or spirits are known to be part of Xsi faith. Each can be either patron or hated enemy of a specific clan or tribe, making unification along religious lines impossible. Clans are either matriarchal or patriarchal in nature, egalitarian leadership being rarely observed outside of some warlords or the Yucelik.
With a society fractured on nearly every level, many outside observers see the Xsi as nothing more than a dying race, destined to vanish into the void. A sentiment that is not shared among the avian warriors. Be it in defiance, reverence or preservation of the old ways, the will to survive burns brightly in every Xsi-Shin.

I know that faith is no longer common among your people, but I know that the gods are watching over our actions. Somewhere out there is a new home waiting for us and in time our path will lead us there.

— Sukesh, Matriarch of the Kidakit Clan

by Christopher Anry

Scientific Name

Aves Domatea Xsisis

Lifespan

80

Average Height

1.8 meters

Average Weight

105 kg

by Logan Feliciano

Basic Data - 01.3000

• Systems: 37

• Presence in: 145 Systems

• Total Population: estm. 11.000.000

• Fleet Size: estm. 3.500 Warships

• Largest Fleet: 609 - Warlord Turan

• Core Region: Outer Rim

Planet Aletra
Orbiting around a Red Giant, Aletra is an Eden-sized planet. After intensive bombardment by Krigan warships, the planet has turned into a glassed desert, blackened impact craters still indicating where the main cities were located.
Centuries ago its dry climate had resulted in vast deserts and steppes covering most of its landmasses. However, records kept by Xsi migrants have shown that there were regions rich in water and rain, resulting in thick jungle and titanic trees. Old scriptures indicate that they were seen as the home of gods and spirits, remaining untouched even during the Xsi's industrial era.
Warrior Culture
Battle holds a special reverence for the Xsi-Shin. A test of ability, spirit, mind and body. This thinking has influenced the way they wage war on every level. No other species still utilize melee weapons to such a degree. Forged from Aletran Steel or made up of plasma, a Xsi-Shin warrior will know to use them with deadly efficiency.
Same goes for their ships. From small vessels made to ram into enemy ships to enable boarding to Battleships breaking through enemy ships, all Xsi-Shin ships are designed to enable close quarter combat in one way or another.

by Thibault Girard