Council of Seven Information Services (C.o.S.I.S.) - A

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Ada-Lorana, Alpha Simians, Alo-Khan, Anne-Marie Helder MVP, Ardia Shi’lek (Negotiations), Asterians, Asterians, Asterian Black Talon, Asterian Cypher with Fission Beam, Asterian Kalyshi Team, Asterian Pulse Bombard Weapon Attachment, Asterian Weapon Drone with Energy Cannon/Shield Generator, Asylum - MVP, A’teo “The Savage” Adysi, Avaran Treebeast.

KEY - Deadzone, Dreadball, Dreadball Xtreme.

Ada-Lorana.

The Ada-Lorena are beings made of pure energy that can phase in and out of reality.

The Council of Seven makes itself out to be the ultimate arbiter of justice in the GCPS, whether directly or through its subordinates in the Enforcers, the CCM or ISO. However, beyond the fringes of Corporate space, another force is recognised as true peacekeepers: The Ada-Lorana. They are beings born of pure energy whose physical bodies are held together by thought alone, and who can use this to phase through solid matter; it is not possible to hide from their judgement. They are said to be entirely without emotion, capable of observing evidence and pronounce a verdict without bias or prejudice. Unlike the lawmen of the GCPS, their methods are infinitely variable; sometimes they will overtly make their presence known, but it is more likely that they will act in more subtle ways. Their motives are as abundant as their methods, and while many see them as a force for good, others recognise them as agents of balance, and understand that this requires as many abhorrent acts as just ones. They have generally avoided the GCPS, but under the leadership of a radical who has recently risen from among their number they are now expanding their jurisdiction. It seems that they are playing a long game, infiltrating the lowest ranks of society while they gather evidence. Their next move remains a mystery for now, but there is no doubt that they could present a serious threat to the Corporation if they decided that it was for the good of the galaxy.

The Ada-Lorena are the caretakers of Omnicron, a synthetic planetoid repository for the uploaded minds of those that seek transcendence beyond flesh, those that wish to live on eternally through the machine. Willing recipients of this gift are scanned and digitised, their consciousnesses added to the gestalt collective, their discarded flesh-forms fed into great bio-furnaces that power the world.

The Ada-Lorena themselves are phantoms that can seemingly pass through matter, beings born of pure energy whose physical bodies are held together by thought alone. They are judge and jury, peacekeepers playing the long game, infiltrating the lowest ranks of society while they gather evidence against the GCPS…

Alpha Simians.

Alpha Simians are large beasts from the jungle worlds of Inera, competitive aliens that enjoy the thrill that comes from a 200mph weapons-grade titanium being flung around a small enclosed arena. Alpha Simians are not the dumb brutes that they are often made out to be – the most famous among them is Toutanka, a maverick Corporation owner and star DreadBall player affectionately dumbed “Hank” – though there are those, like in every society, that simply prefer to keep things primitive and batter the opposition instead…

Alo-Khan.

Although most Asterian Cyphers are found on the battlefield, they also act as bodyguards for ambassadors and high-ranking commanders away from their command ships. Alo-khan, a Kalyshi radical who had vowed to kill the Grand Haidan, hijacked a projection rig and took control of one of these ceremonial warriors...

Alo-Khan can be found in New Haven where, stationed in the great desert of Llo, is the largest robot graveyard in the galaxy. The massive, rusted forms of bulk haulers line up against containers full of broken mechs and irreparable weapons systems, all baking under the heat of the twin suns. Xotek Industries, primary license-holders and founders of New Haven, makes serious credits here.

Their primary business is in re-purposing wrecked units, either salvaging their parts and melting down the rest or refitting them for new purposes. The more paranoid elements of the subnet are convinced that Xotek is building an army of weapons-enabled, cybernetic supersoldiers deep underground, but it’s much more likely that they've just found a very profitable niche. The organisers of the Challenge Cup care little for rumours, and are only interested in the brutal conditions and the possibility that some of the rusting hulks might react mid-game…

Anne-Marie Helder MVP.

You can’t miss Helder on the pitch – she’s the one with a trail of broken bodies in her wake. Despite insisting that she’s ready for the role of Striker (and the glory the role brings with it), whether it’s her uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time or her well-renowned right hook (as commentator Jake "the Jackhammer" Thunder found out during what was called an impromptu interview by the media), Coaches have continually pushed her towards playing the guard position – a position she excels herself in.

As a young player growing up she had an unhealthy obsession with the beast known as Buzzcut and Helder often tries to emulate him in her game. Whilst she lacks the physical presence to match him in pure brute strength, she is surprisingly quick (which her celebrity management company says supports her claims that she could rank up alongside the leading strikers of this decade if given the chance), and her "run-up-and-slams" often catch opposing players unawares.

Anne-Marie Helder is as much of a striking presence off the pitch as on it with her well-known strings of legal actions against the DGB for discrimination against larger players being trained as Strikers. She will play for any team that will at least pretend to offer the opportunity, and many teams are happy to at least consider it because when she decides to be a Guard then she is a force to be reckoned with. Her style is not elegant or even unusual it is simply effective. She Slams opponents just like other human Guards, they just stay slammed longer!

Outside of the sport, Helder has her own range of cookbooks and is known to bake a mean tri-cal Pie.

Ardia Shi’lek.

Ardia Shi’lek - Shi’lek is a hard and fast businesswoman – a woman whose steel will and eye for talent led her into the upper echelons of Council-backed ZhaoTek Industries. Shi’lek is concerned with all things image related, currently tasked by management to source a new elite collection of players for the company’s massive revenue-driving DreadBall team, and she has taken to the underground to secure them.

Negotiations.

Shi’lek is the toughest of negotiators and the opportunity she grants to the players hints at more than her trying to make a quick buck - she might just be the glimmer of hope that gets them into the big leagues.

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“My guys are all out of your price range,” stated Mesut flatly, putting his tankard down - the alien who had turned up at his bar requesting to see “the goods” was making him uneasy.

“I can assure you ZhaoTek can more than meet the asking price,” smiled Ardia.

Mesut chuckled. “Really? Hamat killed three of Plalt’s guys last week, Jimen broke that Hulk’s arm mid-week and Ceno is currently the top scorer in five different sectors. What makes you think I’d sell them to a bunch of suits?” He banged his hand down on the table.

Ardia didn’t need to turn around to know that the pair had just been joined by some other guests - Mesut had a reputation amongst the Brokkrs when it came to aliens of the female variety.

Removing Arcadon’s leash, she simply smiled again. “I’m sure we can come to an arrangement.”

Asterians.

To the outside universe, the Asterians are an enigma. Preferring to remain distant from the affairs of other races, they are often seen as aloof and arrogant, though the truth is altogether more complex. It is not that the Asterians necessarily see themselves as superior to other races, but simply that their own philosophies and beliefs are so far removed from those of others that they see little merit in mixing with them.

In appearance, Asterians are vaguely similar to a human, though generally taller and more slender with far richer and more vibrant colouring to their complexion. Their appearance tends to cause discomfort in humans, their features at once unsettlingly familiar and utterly alien. They move with a graceful fluidity, and their speech is gentle and melodic in its pitch, tone and construction. Like the Forge Fathers, they are long-lived and possessed of incredible technological expertise, though their own technology tends to be simpler and lacking the same ostentation displayed by that of the Star Realm.

As one of the oldest races within the galaxy, the Asterians traditionally held a long view of the order of existence bettered perhaps only by the Prax themselves. They saw life as an endless quest for the perfection of balance, and strive to attain this state in all aspects. To an Asterian, balance was the one true goal in life. Their philosophy, culture and social mores were all shaped by, and focussed on this one simple fact. They used their own technological expertise to utterly control every aspect of their existence, from their own personal routines to the very cities in which they lived to a degree unimaginable to a human mind.

Having successfully ordered the affairs of their own homeworld, Asteria Prime, the Asterians began to spread out organically to the surrounding planets and solar systems. Unlike other races, the Asterians never attempted to force a new planet to be suitable for inhabitation. Those which were suitable were settled in the same way as their homeworld. Those which were populated by intelligent species already were avoided, leaving them to develop at their own pace and perpetuate the cosmic balance uninterrupted. Where a planet was neither inhabitable nor inhabited, it would be surrounded by one of their greatest achievements – orbiting cities the size of continents, providing living space for their race and allowing access to whatever resources could be drawn from the planet without disturbing its own natural balance. In this way, the Asterian realm grew in a very irregular and almost haphazard fashion when compared to the empires of other, more aggressive races, and it was for this reason that the Asterians managed to avoid contact or conflict with the emergent GCPS for as long as it did.

Asterians.

Even before Man began its space age, there had been reports of mysterious beings and fey creatures appearing to a few individuals. Once dismissed as legend, dedicated research has finally proved the existence of the advanced alien race known as the Asterians.

Asterians are naturally inquisitive, and whilst the Corporation spin builds a mythology based on murder and abduction, there are those who leave the safety of their other-plane homes simply to sate their thirst for knowledge. It was these Asterian adventurers (or mercenaries as the Corporation documents them) that first discovered DreadBall for their race, and the allure of glory and physical challenge the game presented was simply too enticing to ignore.

The most famous Asterian team, The Starhawks see themselves as clearly superior to the average DreadBall team, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t above bending the rules – or just cheating! – to gain any advantage possible. Although the Asterians are relative newcomers to the world of DreadBall, they’re already taking the game by storm. The crowd just can’t get enough of their underhanded plays and melodramatic dives!

Asterian Black Talon.

Asterians employ a range of specially equipped Cypher-units on the battlefield, each controlled by an operator aboard a cloaked Starship. Lithe and dextrous, only the most capable Asterian pilots command a Black Talon unit, a nimble jet-pack equipped Cypher. Like vultures they circle the battlefield, committing to deadly strafing runs with their rapid-fire Flux Rifles at the call of their commander.

Asterian Cypher with Fission Beam.

Each Cypher is piloted manually from orbit during a mission, although they do have rudimentary artificial intelligence that can take control if the signal is lost for any reason. They are armed with a high-powered flux rifle that explosively destabilizes the target’s molecular structure. Some even carry Fission Beams that fire concentrated streams of blue, crackling energy.

Asterian Kalyshi Team.

"Real" Asterians or pretend wannabes? These ladies are quick, nimble and are sure to get hearts racing.

The Asterians are one of the most ancient races in the galaxy, a noble culture of great intricacy that has plied the stars since long before mankind had even taken its first steps away from the surface of Old Earth. Their ways are baffling to most humans, and they generally do what they can to stay away from direct contact with the realms of man, although this is becoming increasingly difficult for them as the ever-expanding GCPS encroaches into their territory.

The Asterians’ reluctance to make contact has led certain Corporations to develop something of an obsession with them. They do everything in their power to seek out these mysterious aliens, going to great lengths in their attempts to contact them - or even capture them. How successful they have actually been is a closely guarded secret, but the Asterians playing DreadBall under the DGB’s watchful eye are entirely the product of these Corporations. It is unclear whether they are clones, carefully disguised automatons or simply players who have undergone intensive prosthesis, but in any case they are almost certainly not true Asterians.

However, they are not the only ones playing DreadBall to lay claim to that name.....

There is an entirely separate group making a name for itself on the illegal circuits, and they seem to have nothing in common with the sanitised “Asterians” that treat the neodurium in the Core. These pale-skinned creatures, with their bestial tattoos and wild hair, are in fact part of a sub-set of Asterian society known as the Tu’var ho Kalysh, or simply “the Kalyshi”. They represent a growing wave of those that have chosen to return to what they see as the “natural” state of their people. Their belief is that the current path chosen by Asterians as a whole, one dominated by technology and the philosophical concept of Unity, is one that will lead to stagnation and eventually extinction. They are a wild people, bound less by ritual than their more “civilised” peers, with closer ties to the aggressive religious doctrine that threads throughout Asterian history. They also see less of a threat in the burgeoning human realm, seeing the rise of man as simply part of the great galactic plan.

As a group, the Kalyshi vary much more than the Asterian mainstream, and their ways can seem brutal to outsiders. Theirs is a martial culture, with members of all three genders learning to fight as soon as they can walk. Now, representatives from several of their clans have begun to make themselves known on the illicit DreadBall circuit, seeing it as a fitting challenge for their greatest warriors. It is not clear whether they know of the so-called Asterian teams that have been sanctioned by the DGB, but it is unlikely that they do not. Many have speculated that one of their motivations for entering the arena is to warn the Corporations that they are aware of the sham they are perpetrating, and that their mockery will not go unpunished.

Asterian Pulse Bombard Weapon Attachment.

Asterian Weapon Drone with Energy Cannon/Shield Generator.

The Asterians’ dependence on light units can lead to them being outclassed when coming up against heavily-armed opponents; the Support Drone is the standard response. They can be fitted with shield generators to protect those around them; Fission Beams, which mirror the flux rifle in tearing its target apart at a subatomic level, or the Force Cannon, which fires destructive blasts of concussive energy.

Asylum, MVP.

Blake Ludovic was once a famous player who trod the neodurium alongside the likes of Lucky Logan and Reek Rolat, but he struggled to handle the fame. The media began to talk about drug problems and abusive outbursts, and when he was accused of murdering his wife his fans turned on him. After a well-publicised trial he was detained in a secure facility and lobotomised. During his rehabilitation a new personality began to emerge, calling itself Asylum. Utterly, unquestioningly insane, Asylum took the credit for what Blake had done and promised to do it all over again. How he escaped from the secure facility remains a mystery, but he made a surprise reappearance in an illegal DreadBall game and hasn’t left the circuit since. Now he plays to crowds of degenerate scum who see him as one of their own and cheer him on for every depraved kill he makes.

A’teo “The Savage” Adysi.

A’teo was the first ever Yndij to play DreadBall.

The Yndij are a little-known race from the Outer Sphere, known to be hostile towards the GCPS, but every rule has an exception. A’teo "The Savage" Adysi’s story has inspired countless vidcast serials and documentaries – after all, who could resist the tale of a feral savage who arrived in the Core without a single credit, looking to seek his fortune, only to rise to superstardom in the world of DreadBall?

As the only player of his race to tread the neodurium, Adysi (carefully managed by his sponsors in Carver, Inc.) does not have a home team, instead providing his services to anyone willing to pay his substantial hiring fee. He plays with untamed ferocity, and has generated a legion of fans who are crying out for more Yndij to join the game…

Avaran Treebeast.

As the GCPS expands outwards, it has encountered intelligent life in just about every form imaginable, from the gaseous Irads of Grand Pluron to the Treebeasts of Avara. These bizarre plant-like creatures are wily hunters, easily capable of waiting motionless for days before ensnaring passing prey with their prehensile tongues.

Acknowledgements.

Gmorts Chaotica would like to thank James M Hewitt, Mantic Games, the Quirkworthy Blog, Titan Games and of course the Corporation for their invaluable assistance in the compiling of this encyclopaedia.