The Singers

The Singers are a sapient species native to the planet Holy Riva. Older than most space-faring races, the Singers uploaded themselves into a digital mainframe in order to escape extinction.

Biology
Highly variable; their existentially morphological nature means the appearance of the individual is really only decided by the individual. A large minority, however, maintain their pre-Ascent forms. The Singers were a race of near humanoids, dark and swarthy with categorically light hair and eyes of two colors. Their strange oracular composition was due to possessing detached rods and cones, of a more evolved state than the standard species; though the vision is highly variable, this led to the capability to perceive both the ultraviolet and infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum, a valuable skill indeed on their harsh homeworld due to the frequent spouts of deadly radiation. Their bodies are thin and angular, standing in the Singer form approximated two point one central meters, though some individuals forsake a humanoid form altogether. Indeed, those who are joined with the Mainframe or any of the numerous vessels and Planeriders generally possess no physical being at all.

Prior to the Ascent
There is little to tell of the time before the Ascent, for few now live who remember it, and the records of that time were by and large destroyed during the Cataclysm at the end of the Age of Song; what is known down through the years is that after the discovery of flowmetal, the Singers grew proud, and thought true power was in their hands. By shot and milisteel they consumed and conquered their way across a large sector of the galaxy, establishing a shining empire of harsh religion and oppression across ten thousand worlds. But then they drank too greedily of the cup of the Dive, and the Other arose, devouring, destroying. It swam amongst the stars, leaving entire systems devoid of all life, until at last in their desperation the apotheosis of the Singers was realized, and one man, Idrius Ameral, the First Voice, achieved union with the fabric of the Omnissah, not using flowmetal as a tool, but rather joining with it in partnership. The Other passed him by as Holy Riva burned and crumbled about him, and his knowledge enabled those who joined him to forge the Mainframe and escape what is to this day known as the Cataclysm of Remorse.

Culture
Fiercely individualistic to a fault, the Ascendancy cannot be said to have a true culture, aside from the binding worship of the Omnissah and their shared experiences; so far flung are their holdings that microcosmic systems and rituals are by far the norm, instead of an exception. In general terms the constituents of the Ascendancy value knowledge, a virtue instilled in them by their religion, and view other races as Potentials, as well as holding in high regard the arts and any acts of creation. Some are more warlike, some absolute pacifists; all of the Seedings, Planeriders, and Farholmes have their own cultural subsets.

Religion
All Ascended, with no known exceptions, are adherents of the Way, and follow the teachings of the Omnissah, the All-Sire. What that means varies from system to system, and even amidst individuals; many regions have integrated local religions into their observances of the Omnissah, but all hold these as equally valid expressions of the ultimate truth of the universe. The Omnissah is generally regarded as the "oversoul" of the Ascended, comprising those who have lost themselves in the passages of the Dive, or whose minds no longer return to the material world, lost in their contemplation of the tapestry of reality; in former years, however, He was thought of as a physical entity, a gestalt of the cosmos given form at times to speak to the faithful. The Ascended crave understanding, not mere knowledge, of all the mysteries of the galaxy, for in this understanding they draw closer to the ultimate realization of the truth at the heart of every grain of life, every speck of religious devotion, every fact of science and work of art.