Reapers (Mass Effect)
The Reapers are an old and powerful race that feature in the game Mass Effect.
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History
The race known as the Reapers were an ancient species of cybernatic machines that had existed in the Milky Way galaxy for millions of years. Their origin and even their name was not truly known with the designation Reapers being given to them by one of the many species that suffered from their acts. According to one member of the race, they had no beginning and were not created by anyone; simply stating that they had existed for all of time. At some point in the distant past, they became the dominant species in the galaxy and embarked on a project that would create a self repetitive cycle through which they could function across the millennia. This began with the creation of the Mass Relay; an FTL system put into place throughout space whereupon the Reapers departed into dark space, the extragalactic void just outside the galaxy where the machines slumbered until life began to flourish in the galaxy. In addition, at the centre of their Mass Relay web was the Citadel. In time, these newly developed organic lifeforms entered into space where they simply found the Mass Relays and used them to spread throughout the galaxy and settled at the Citadel. Unknown to them, this was all done so according to the designs of the Reapers who made sure that the newly born intelligent species went into a pattern of dependence on the Mass Relay technology. Once they reached a suitable stage of development, one of the Reapers would give the activation signal and call forth their kin who would harvest the biological lifeforms and destroy them leaving the galaxy empty of life once more. After removing their handiwork, the Reapers would depart once more into their hibernative state and leave no evidence of prior civilizations thus allowing the cycle to repeat for countless generations of species.
At some point around 37 million years ago, one Reaper was killed or severely damaged leaving its body as a husk that remained above the dying star Mnemosyne. Despite being inactive, its system remained functional and it generated a mass effect field that kept it from falling into the star. The cause of this incapacity on the Reaper was unknown though it remained in this state for millions of years. The last time the Reapers were active was during the age of the Protheans which was over 50,000 years ago. This civilization followed a similar pattern as its predecessors in that they entered into space and formed a great empire with remarkable technology with their system of governance being based at the Citadel and their method of space travel being dependent on the Mass Relays. This remained in effect until the activation signal was given and the Reapers emerged. Just as they had done so previously, they disabled the Mass Relay network thus severing the Protheans from contacting one another and used their indoctrination as well as their superior abilities to kill as well as harvest organic life throughout the Milky Way galaxy. Not knowing who their foe, it was the Protheans who came the alien machines the term Reapers and though their civilization was extinguished; records of the name would remain in future years. After the completion of their task, the Reapers took a number of surviving Protheans and genetically manipulated them into a servitor species which they called the Collectors. Stationed at the galactic core with the only way in being the Omega 4 relay, these servants of the Reapers remained safe from discovery and would continue their masters purpose. Similar to their previous patterns, the Reapers departed from known space and left for the void outside the galaxy and left behind Sovereign to watch over the development of life once more.
Thousands of years later, evidence of the Reapers was discovered by the machine race known as the Geth leading to a schism amongst their ranks. The mechanical race became aware of the goals of the Reapers who they called the Old Machines. The core faction believed in forging their own future whilst the splinter group which were labelled as heretics believed that the Old Machines would provide them their future. The heretics became important tools for Sovereign and his agent, the Turian known as Saren Arterius. However, despite the belief of these rogue Geth, the Reapers were a threat to all species and were believed to ultimately annihilate the Geth once they served their goal.
Background
Little is known about the Reapers except that they are a cybernetic machine race that has existed for thousands of years. They are only known as a myth to the existing races for they are in hibernation in darkspace - in the void between galaxies. There they remain for 50,000 years whereupon they descend upon the races of the galaxy and harvest them all leaving nothing standing. Once this is complete, the Reapers once again return to their cycle of hibernation until the next moment they are awakened.
Typical examples of such specimens measure up to two kilometers in length thus making them larger than capital ships in the galaxy. Most examples of the race appeared to be large space flying squid-shaped vessels with powerful capabilities allowing them to destroy enemy vessels. A more disturbing aspect of the Reapers was their capacity to create larval forms of their species. This required the capture of tens of thousands of organic specimens who were liquified into organic matter which combined with inorganic components formed a superstructure that was a body of a Reaper. These forms apparently took the shape of the races that were being used to create it as was the case of the Human-Reaper at the Collector base. This led to the Reapers body giving both organic and inorganic signatures on sensors.
They believed that organic life was an abomination that needed to be purged and stated that they saved biological species by destroying them. Their belief that organic life was chaotic nature meant that the Reapers believed that they imposed order over the chaos of the universe.
Technology
This cybernetic race were technologically advanced and were capable genetically altering biologically races on a drastic level thus turning them into a divergent species. Such techniques were used to create the Collectors civilization. Furthermore, they bio-engineered the Keepers that operated on the Citadel station as well as implanted them with set directives namely to maintain the facility, activate the awakening signal when the time was right and finally to self destruct if any individual attempted to probe their origins. They also possessed the fearsome Dragon's Teeth; these mechanical devices extended into tall spikes that skewered biological beings on them from the chest. After sometime, the body of the deceased was transformed into a cybernetic undead construct called a Husk. By melding multiple husks together, the Reapers and their servants were able to create different types of constructs such as the inhuman and insect-like Praetorians.
In addition, they had advanced knowledge of FTL travel and were even able to construct powerful platforms for travelling interstellar distances by making the Mass Relays.
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