Merko Empire Upper Class Species. Species with secondary citizen status that are not related to the Merko. They are often highly intelligent species or other natural, arcane, or psionic wielders.  

The Quaalic, originating from the world of Quaal, are related to cephalopods and mock a humanoid form by supporting their long bodies with many tentacles. They have large black eyes on the front of their faces, giving them a wide peripheral view of the world, powerful facial tentacles for dragging prey into their vicious beak, and small barbs on their ‘arm’ tentacles for entwining prey. Males average seven feet in length when swimming, and females average a length of 6 six feet. 

Quaalic are amphibious, able to live under water in shallow depths, on coastlines, and can function in vacuums for short periods of time. They are highly intelligent and make up the core of the scientific foundations of the Merko Empire.  

Quaalic serves as an intellectual caste, secretaries, officers, and roles that require keen intelligence for optimal performance. They can exist in both shallow water and land but prefer aquatic dwellings. Quaalic are allowed their own vessels, which are flooded with liquid, making them more difficult to board.  

The Argor originate from the world Argath; they have pale white to grey skin, large black eyes, heads shaped like a football, and colorful horns atop their long heads. They have long necks and three digits on their hands and feet. They are rather tall, with males averaging 8 feet and females averaging 11 feet. Argor don’t grow hair but do have mammalian, humanoid features. 

The Argor are intelligent, capable, and dedicated to the Empire. They are very strong and durable, and can shift their soft tissues and body fat, allowing each to pursue their own ideal of beauty. Younger Argor can even alter their bone structure, making them more diverse in appearance than most species. Argor soldiers are known to devour their foes, using biokinesis to augment their bodies with superior muscle structure and steal their opponents’ muscle memory.  

The Argor are highly intelligent, durable, and strong, and serve the Quaalic in support and assistant roles, honor guard, and guards for important installations. They do not intimidate easily or well and will maliciously follow orders to spite those who think they’re better than them. Argor Females are far more common than males, who are kept deep in their fortress worlds, safe from harm, to maintain a healthy breeding population.  

The Memtok are short, scrawny humanoids rarely seen outside their heavy body wrappings, heavy psionic helmets, amplifier gauntlets, and large, feathery cloaks. Memtoks have bright colored skin, body spikes along the outsides of their legs and arms for self-protection, and grow crystalline spikes along their temples. Memtoks are believed to have originated as slugs genetically altered long ago. They have no bones and rely on their psionic exoskeletons, covered by full-body wrappings, to walk. 

Memtok are weak, fragile, and unable to care for themselves as they’re generally physically infirm. They, however, wield overwhelming psionic powers, with their wrappings serving as insulation; they emit enough passive psionic radiation to serve as power sources in Psionic Reactors that power much of the Merko Empire. They can expand their minds following routes through the Veil and tear apart most creatures with their thoughts, relying on their dampening helmets to stay passive. 

Memtok comes off as lazy, seeking to lie down whenever possible, but standing up causes physical strain to their bodies, which were not naturally meant to stand. Memtok bodies are generally in a state of decay, injury, or illness, and they spend much of their time sleeping; Merko set their chambers in Psionic reactors that use the immense radiation they emit to generate power. They serve as Navigators on spaceships as they can visualize the various paths through the Veil, massive swathes of the galaxy, and calculate the safest paths. Memtok enjoys warm, humid places. 

The Pierok originate from Merrel’s Moon. They are thin, easily mistaken for Fae, with long, fuzzy antennas with eye patterns at the ends of each. They have long, colorful eyelashes, bright freckles on pale green skin, and long black hair. They have tendrils that emerge from the back of their shoulders, resembling peacock feathers. They have clawed hands, powerful arms that can nearly tear a human head from its shoulders, and are capable of calling upon powerful Glamour.  

The Pierok are bound to strange, bloated trees which store their consciousness, and should their humanoid bodies die, will slowly grow a new body. They are believed to be half-fae and, as such, do not age. They dislike the touch of iron, but it does not seem to burn them. They are wielders of Fae Glamour.  

Pierok can choose their gender and reproduce via pollen exchanges between their trees. They serve as ambassadors for the Merko empire, filling social roles. They serve as shock troops who store their memories before missions and fight with reckless abandon. When the signal to reconstitute them is sent, it is only as fast as light. Some Warships have orchards of Pierok trees ready to restore their soldiers over the course of long campaigns.  

The Quass originate from the world Arctus, with smooth skin that seems tight, with an almost latex shine. They have colorful spots of natural chitin armor, horns on the sides of their heads, and long hair in various purples, golds, and reds. They have long prehensile tails and generally do not build visible muscles.  

The Quass are rare funneling magic inward; they build up great amounts of strength, they can fly, project raw energy, maintain kinetic fields, and survive in vacuums for extended periods of time. 

The Quass have a small but powerful society, strong enough to be near equals to the Merko. They live in small fortress cities that orbit Arctus. They are rare, with a population equal to roughly 0.01 Percent of the Merko themselves. Quass, while technically a mammal, lay eggs that only hatch after absorbing large amounts of magical energy.