Common Core:Ethereals
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Having been dragged kicking and screaming into the Bluespace Age by humankind and making 1500 years of technological progress in 50, the Ethereals now must adapt to a rapidly changing world and find their place in the galaxy.
Knights, Lords, and a Continent on Fire
The history of the Ethereals on the galactic stage begins with the discovery of their homeworld, Sprout, by human explorers in the 2400s. At the time, the Ethereals were in an epoch roughly comparable to our own early middle ages, as the institution of feudalism was hitting its apex and the very beginnings of nationhood were starting to bud. Scientists were thrilled by the opportunity to observe a society developing, and as such initiated a program of observation of the Ethereal world, via an observation post high above Sprout. The scientists were strictly forbidden from interacting with non-spacefaring races under the TerraGov Statute of First Contact at the time, and so the observation consisted exclusively of passive monitoring. That was, at least, until the day a disaster struck the station.
On July the 12th, 2465, a routine resupply at the observation post would go horribly wrong, as the resupply vessel's engines became stuck at full throttle on approach. Unable to halt the ship's advance, the crew made for life boats, as did the crew of the station. Uncontrolled, the resupply vessel crashed into the station, and pushed the wreckage into the planet's orbit. The resultant crash on the surface started a colossal wildfire throughout Sprout's extensive jungles, which would eventually burn 20,000 square kilometres of jungle before a monsoon halted its advance. Around 40 human crew were now stranded on Sprout, a planet which had, until a few moments beforehand, been entirely unaware of the existence of alien life. This (understandably) caused a huge panic on Earth, as the TerraGov senate argued over the correct way to proceed.
Following a fierce debate, the way forward was chosen- the crew must be rescued, and an incident of this scale was impossible to cover up. Therefore, it was decided that an unprecedented uplifting of the populace of Sprout was the only reasonable course of action, such that humanity could assist with rebuilding the destruction on the world. This decision was met with widespread disapproval from the rest of the galactic community, viewing the move as an assertion of human dominance over a helpless nation, giving them no chance for self-determination. But, it was too late to reverse now, and the uplifting would begin only a few weeks following the disaster. 24 of the stranded crew would be recovered, with the remaining 16 either dying of injuries related to the evacuation, or having been captured and executed by the Ethereals.
The process was far from clean, and was met with an understandable amount of pushback by the Ethereal populace at the start. As time went on, however, the Ethereals accepted their fate, and began their rapid ascension through the ages. After all was told, they received around 1500 years of technological advancement in 50 years.
Sprout, the Lush Home
Sprout is, to the casual observer, a typical jungle world, with an extensive hydrosphere and an incredibly rich biosphere. This, however, does not account for the true uniqueness of Sprout's ecosystem, as nearly the entire planet subsists on electrical energy. This process has baffled biologists, who have wound up describing the planet's biosphere as being closer to a colossal machine, with flora producing electrical energy and fauna consuming it. Each of the planet's fauna is also closer to a machine than a true biological construct, with the Ethereals being arguably the best example.
The planet's capital is located close to the impact site of the observation post, which was itself turned into the planet's first, and largest, spaceport. The new concrete jungle bears little resemblance to traditional Ethereal construction, instead having been brought by the humans- making the entire city a perfect microcosm of Sprout as a whole. The Ethereals are now essentially in vassalage to the human state, with their traditional cultures being eroded in favour of what the humans import. This process has led to efforts to maintain the Ethereals' traditions, some peaceful, such as those trying to keep religious holidays and traditional music alive, and some less peaceful, such as the reactionary militias made up of the traditional warrior and priest classes who seek to halt human expansion and drive the invaders from Sprout.