Spectra

Spectra, a race of outsiders native to the newly discovered hyperspace plane of The Drift, are unique in The Great Beyond as a relatively recent addition to the multiverse, rising in prominence over the last 300 years alongside the proliferation of Drift technology. Concerned primarily with the protection and promulgation of the nascent plane, and of advanced technology in general, spectra are beings of paradox and dichotomy. Some metaphysicians believe that, just as the Drift grows by pulling in pieces of the multiverse each time a starship uses it to travel, so too are spectra created—amalgamations of raw, sometimes opposing energies born from the stolen pieces of other planes. Yet spectra are also undeniably of the Drift itself. They have inherent resistance to magic and can slip in and out of the Drift via innate esoteric—though purely technological—means. Some theorists posit that, like the beacons that enable travel through the Drift, spectra somehow exist simultaneously in multiple planes, manifesting in only one at any given time. Spectra rarely speak using their own voices, which are a mix of low-fidelity synthesized tones. They prefer to use their machine telepathy to temporarily harness nearby communication technology, speaking using a starship’s intercom or causing text to appear on a vidscreen, for instance. Iridias are one of the few spectra encountered outside the Drift, most often on the Material Plane. Averaging 6 feet tall with opalescent skin and a coil of glistening rainbow light for hair, iridias serve as messengers and ambassadors to species of all planes, evangelizing the benefits of advanced technology and enforcing the tripartite will of Triune. Iridias have been known to visit remote worlds in The Vast where Triune’s original signal containing the secrets of Drift travel were lost or suppressed, bringing with them instructions and a second chance to join the galactic community. They are also keen to see mortal technology continue to grow and advance—an interest that can put them at odds with societies that choose to limit technology’s influence, as well as others wary of sudden unfettered progress, such as the tekhoinos aeons. Aspecnas, powerful spectra paragons with fan-like tails and faces that resemble blooming flowers, rarely interact directly with the Material Plane. These formidable outsiders instead concern themselves with maintaining the precarious balance of power among extraplanar forces in the Drift, opposing any who would attempt to establish strongholds with the intent of laying their own claim to a substantial expanse of Triune’s realm. Aspecnas have on occasion appeared to correct the course of mortals who have become lost in the ever-shifting plane, and even intervened to protect weaker mortals from the predation of malevolent Drift-marooned outsiders. These rare but memorable acts have earned aspecnas the nickname “Drift angels” among those who regularly travel through the plane. Spectra are a race of outsiders native to the hyperspace plane of the Drift, concerned with technological growth and advancement, the protection of the Drift, and the spread of Drift technology across the galaxy. Encounters with the relatively new group of outsiders have occurred with greater frequency over the 300 years since they joined the Great Beyond. In recent decades, two new types of spectra have begun to appear: wyspirias and sondrias. It’s unknown whether these spectra existed in the Drift all along, simply unobserved by mortals, or if Triune newly created them to further some fresh purpose. Wyspirias, often compared to iridias as emissaries of the Drift, are dispatched across the galaxy, possibly on missions from Triune themself, or perhaps on behalf of the mysterious hierarchy of spectra. They stand 7 feet tall with chassis of multicolored glass, and a multitude of coiled, rootlike tentacles cascading from their waists. As a result of the resemblance they bear to floating trees, they are sometimes called trees of knowledge. Wyspirias use their tendrils to plug themselves into people and machines alike—a direct connection that allows them to quickly transfer huge quantities of data between connected people and devices. Whereas iridias come to the Prime Material Plane offering gifts of knowledge and technology to mortals, many believe wyspirias do the opposite, collecting libraries of secrets and information about the galaxy for the unseen purposes of spectra. Rarely, wyspirias are said to appear during the peace talks of warring civilizations, connecting the opposing delegates and enabling them to understand each other directly. Many believe these spectra intervene only when they deem the risk of losing technology or information from a conflict too great. Sondrias are a new variety of spectra primarily encountered inside the Drift. They are small and sharply featured, with six arms, razor talons, and round, flat, owlish faces. Sometimes called Drift pixies, their presence is always accompanied by a grainy, low-pitched hum or buzzing noise. Sondrias use their own voices more often than other types of spectra, and sequences of sondrias have a habit of speaking at the same time in overlapping sentences that are difficult to pick apart. Like the larger and more formidable aspecnas, sondrias patrol the Drift to help lost travelers and rescue marooned escape pods or starships whose Drift engines malfunction, latching onto the vessels and using their slip drives to boost them back to the Material Plane. It’s rumored sequences of sondria can also offer Triune’s blessing to those killed during Drift travel or in service of the All Code’s agenda—by reincarnating them as Android. One of the spectra—native inhabitants of the Drift—nacreas focus on the protection of Drift beacons and have been known to appear on ships with disabled Drift engines to perform repairs. With a hollow-faced head that seems to be filled with passing stars, a nacrea is surrounded by rings of solid light slowly spinning around a humanoid body made from what appears to be muscle-like clusters of wires and some kind of dull starmetal. Nacreas can rapidly travel through space and flit between beacons both within the Drift and without, yet they rarely linger for long, vanishing to a new location as soon as their targets are secured. As a result, despite being one of the most commonly found spectra on the Material Plane, they are also one of the most rarely seen, and were only recently confirmed to exist by planar scholars.