The Collective
The founders of the new civilization sent an open invitation to all neighbouring species to join them in their newfound prosperity, and so the Collective has a wide, diverse range of member aliens. Some arrive as a few curious hopefuls in exploratory ships of a few thousand. Some come in massive influx waves, numbering in the billions, which radically reshape Collective society with each new arrival.
The Qokina
The Qokina were the original founders, the inhabitants of the Collective before it was the Collective. They are ludicrously prolific- Qokina families in the tens of thousands aren’t uncommon, and every one of their planets very quickly becomes overpopulated. They already had the largest collection of planets before the discovery of the ship- the ship only allowed them to link their already large species together. They are fanatics about recycling and reusing every possible scrap of supplies, even now that resources are practically infinite for them, and they form tight community bonds with each other - their families, their planets, their species. All Qokina are expected to contribute to their limit, and all Qokina are accepted in turn.
The discovery of the ship allowed them to solve all of their problems overnight - in their frenzy of celebration they invited all other species to join in their good fortune. They were in contact with many of their neighbours, but communication was fragmented and difficult - they did not realize that they are an atypical species in many ways.
The Qokina form their worlds into planet-sized metropolises, labyrinths of cityscapes stacked on top of each other like pancakes. They attempt to engineer their spaces for maximum satisfaction as well as maximum productivity; artificial gardens, forests, rivers and mountains are maintained, although actual natural environments are usually wiped out almost instantly as the planet is scraped bare and restructured.
The Rhogg
The first species to respond to the call, the Rhogg were enduring a millenia-long and increasingly intense civil war when they recieved the communication. Almost a third of the species decided to abandon the fight and take up the offer- billions relocating all at the same time. When they arrived among the Qokina they were an unpleasant surprise- the Qokina average about 3 feet tall and top out at 100lbs, while the typical Rhogg stands 8 feet and is built like a tank.
The Rhogg’s homeworld was lethal and brutal, and they have adapted to withstand any challenge. Their leathery skin is at least an inch thick all over, with no vulnerable spots at all. They are quick to violence and treat fighting as a casual game, which can lead to a trend of escalation to extremes when they truly want to hurt each other. Fortunately, they have a cultural taboo about harming the “tiny ones”, which allows them to coexist with others. Although of course, not every Rhogg agrees, and outlaw and pirate Rhogg have become a distressingly common threat.
The Rhogg are not stupid - in fact they are the opposite. Their cultural tendency to headbutt each other over disagreements does not prevent them from being exceptional mathematicians, engineers and scientists, and in the Collective they are commonly the brains and minds that keep society advancing, as well as often working in security and enforcement.
The Jombit
Hitching along with the Rhogg on their ships, the Jombit are a nearly fully sapient species. They blur the line between animal and individual - they are intelligent and capable of learning and understanding language, but refuse to use it for themselves - they seemingly cannot concieve of using it themselves to communicate their own desires. They are aloof and cat-like, often acting in baffling ways according to their own instincts and can be highly naive and easily tricked, but if wrangled into sitting still they can be taught subjects as complex as agriculture or chemistry.
Like the Rhogg, the Jombit have adapted to their original homeworld’s lethality. While the Rhogg are tough enough to weather whatever is thrown at them, the Jombit have enough redundancy to make it not matter. They have multiple copies of their limbs and most organs, and are capable of regrowing a missing piece over time. They are nimble and agile, able to squeeze through small vents, climb up smooth walls and run fast on two legs, but even faster on six.
The Saolu
While a huge portion of the Rhogg species relocated into Collective space, nearly the entire Saolu population came. The Saolu are a strange species - descended from a species somewhat similar to cleaner fish, the Saolu’s prehistoric animalistic ancestors would clean, feed, and take care of all other creatures on their planet. In exchange, their reefs were gathering spots for all creatures, safe zones where predator and prey would coexist peacefully while the Saolu’s ancestors cared for them. The Saolu’s ancestors themselves were able to freely feed on filter food, carrion and scraps with no aggression from even the apex predators, who still depended on their care.
They have retained an intense interest in other animals and creatures besides themselves. The Saolu is extremely fascinated by the other. They live a spiritual lifestyle revolving around a core of harmony, prioritising unity and cooperation above all other virtues. However, of course, the Saolu themselves are the most central among equals- it is their task, as the enlightened, to guide all others towards harmony along their own paths. The Saolu intensely reserve their own culture and their own religion for themselves, and take great offense at someone else wishing to become like Saolu - others must follow their own unique ways instead, coexisting in harmony. In all other respects, it is very difficult to upset a Saolu - they are natural diplomats, performers, artists and especially doctors. One of the few things they are competitive about, the Saolu only allow their best and brightest to represent their species for others, and fight internally to be chosen to be part of one of their many healthcare outreaches.
The Saolu are amphibious and are able to breathe air, but find water much more comfortable. Typically, they wear a partial or full wetsuit when outside of their own environments, to keep themselves bathed in clean filtered water most of the time. Rings are an important religious symbol for them, and every Saolu will wear at least one- often, the largest ornamental ring they can manage, mounted to their back due to the weight. Due to their generosity and eagerness to integrate with others, they are given special privileges in Collective society - they are given full autonomy of their own private Saolu enclaves, which are usually flooded and kept underwater for their own comfort. Guests are rarely, if ever allowed in their autonomous spaces - it is a space within the wider Collective for themselves to be Saolu, alone.
The Xathax
The Xathax are an apex predator species. They evolved as one, and they still retain the instincts - the Xathax have a natural inclination of intense personal superiority. A Xathax typically stands twice as tall as a Rhogg- a Qokina rarely comes up to their knee. Like the Rhogg, they are both physically powerful and intensely intelligent - unlike the Rhogg, they have no cultural taboo against violence towards outsiders.
The Xathax introduced themselves to Collective space by immediately launching an invasion of conquest, intending to take their technology and resources for the good of the Xathax species. Unfortunately for them, they arrived long after the Rhogg, Jombit and Saolu had been integrated - although they are individually stronger and smarter than almost anybody they meet, the Xathax were overwhelmed by the combined forces of the Collective in the end.
The Collective leadership were unwilling to send them back home - a death sentence for the currently living Xathax, as they were unwilling to risk the Omnirail to make a quick trip to a planet inhabited by a known violent species, meaning the Xathax would be forced to return home on the same generational ships they arrived in. Instead, the Xathax were integrated into Collective society - but at a cost. They are forcibly given disciplinary implants from birth, painful devices intended to control their thoughts and punish them for emotional impulses.
The Xathax, as they stand now, are typically stoic and reserved. They are very capable in nearly all fields, but due to intense anti-Xathax sentiment, they are usually kept as menial labourers or given other low status work. A rare few are able to make themselves so useful that they can’t not be hired, and thus force themselves, against the odds, into the highest positions of society - often against intense public backlash and scrutiny.
The Rest
After the Xathax invasion, the open invitation for others to join the Collective was cut short, leaving five species making up the huge majority of the Collective. However, slower-than-light travel takes time, and new aliens in small groups are always arriving, and accepted into the increasingly diverse Collective. New aliens are common enough, and the species so widespread, that most in the Collective will not blink twice or think anything of meeting a new creature they’ve never met before, and will never meet again.