Sophont

A Sophont is an intelligent being; A term derived from the writings of the author Poul Anderson, it defines a being with a base reasoning capacity roughly equivalent to or greater than that of a human being. The word does not apply to machines unless they have true artificial intelligence, rather than mere processing capacity. The Directorate has adopted the term to refer to any beings between 0.7 and 1.7 on the Fariq-Allowah index of intelligence. It derives from the Greek (An ancient human language) word σοφός (sophós, “wise”) as it is, despite human origin a non humanocentric word portraying the ancient Fennish concept of Onis, which divides people based on four categories. Na Onis, or 'not sophonts', such as minerals, vegetables, or 'soulless beings', Tau Onis, or 'less than sophonts' such as animals, Onis, which are capable of true wisdom and Ssu-Onis, those things beyond understanding such as spirits, gods, or theoretical super-inteligences. Sophont is preferred in modern Directorate society for its lack of cultural and religious baggage.

The Sophonts of Known Space

It is important to note that no major polity in known space is the exclusive home of one species, nor does any advance the interests of one species exclusively. This list is categorized by historical ties, and not absolute.

Directorate-origin Sophonts

• Feni: The caniform native to the planet Fen, the founders of the Directorate, a catch-all for a handful of divergent species. Their civilization has been the quickest to scientifically advance in known space and their distinct clan-structure has informed the Directorate's design.
• Jesobans: Birdlike mammalian humanoids, who had a flourishing and peaceful, though competitive, society at the time of first contact.
• Humans: everyone knows what a human is. First contacted by the Directorate in 2063 in a state of planetary civil war, humans had already begun space colonization efforts using sublight travel. The Directorate offered relief in the form of transport and aid, whether the interested humans would join the Directorate or not. Although many did, many also took the aid in order to fuel their own personal or group-level colonization efforts. Earth has never unified, nor have its powers gained any ability to control the many rogue colonies of humans that operate independently, leading to a very wide variety of social and cultural models across the species.

United Families Sophonts

• Kemzali One of the early members of the Directorate, native to the planet Ornja, they are furry, serpentine sophonts. They are rare, but powerful, influential psionic creatures that rule their society.
• Kobari One of the early members of the Directorate, linked to their sister species, the kemzali, at a biological level. They are a colonial species that are separated by purpose-driven castes and exist to function for almost all non-leadership roles within their society.

Alganna Eternity Sophonts

• Kimmigani Hooved mammals, often carnivorous, their history is dominated by the near-millenium-long Foremarch in which their ancestors crossed the stars in crude sublight vessels. Upon their fleet's arrival on their new homeworld of New Alba, they declared the Alganna Eternity founded, and set out to make it an everlasting empire.
• Zylaari Actually four distinct and unrelated species, the Zylaari are naturally psionic aquatic humanoids. Though often stereotyped as brash and chaotic, their decisionmaking is often wiser than it first appears. First discovered by the Eternity during their bronze age in the Terran year 1825, they have spent the last four centuries largely in space, where their talents as pilots and navigators are highly sought by all.
• Civago Arthropods of WIDELY varied body plans. First discovered by the Kimmigan fleet during their Foremarch in the Terran year 1026, before FTL travel had been discovered by any of the modern powers. The species was unified in the intervening centuries, and when the Eternity appeared in 1692 the Civago world-government was integrated as one of the Great Houses. Their biological love of combat is contrasted with their culture of politeness, leading to them being stereotyped as being scheming, or shady.
• marsupials TODO

Unaffiliated Sophonts

A misnomer; these species can and very frequently do join with the great powers. This category is just for species that achieved FTL travel on their own and thus have no strong historical ties to the three great powers.

• Raetili Rodent-like mammalian humanoids, the Raetili hail from the planet Orae. They frequently live in clan-like fleets that make up the decentralized Raetili Flotilla, which is only unified by its universal recognition of the Orae Cartographer's Guild as a semi-religious authoritative body.
• lizards TODO