Humans

The Humans are a mammalian species originating from failed experiments conducted during the First Cluster War by the Kaeolians. They are notable for their extreme adaptability, ingenuity and resilience, becoming one of the most infamous species in The Cluster.

Origins
A common mistake made by other intelligent species is their inability to distinguish between Humans and Zetylians, due to the extreme similarities between the two species. This biological likeness is because the Humans are in fact genetically inferior Zetylians, produced as a result of failed cloning attempts by the Kaeolians. Late into the First Cluster War, the Kaeolians thought they might be able to gain an upper hand against the Zetylians if they were to create perfect replicas of their enemies, thus setting the innate biological skill of their soldiers equal. This was incorporated as a portion of the infamous Paragon Project, which had produced excellent results thus far. Alek Leagr was the first product of this experimentation, a genetically perfect Zetylian in every respect. He often surpassed enemy Zetylian soldiers in terms of strength and intelligence, and excelled in every combat situation. Unfortunately, he was alone in his ranks. No further clones could be created due to irremovable faults in Alek's Zetylian DNA, as the clones that were created were significantly weaker and less intelligent than even a normal Zetylian. By the time the experiment had been concluded, over 90,000 of these failed subjects had been produced, all highly similar to the Zetylians in looks, but genetically inferior. Instead of simply eradicating them, however, the Kaeolians showed compassion for their creations and allowed them life on the peaceful world of Earth. It is there the Humans would reside until the end of the First Cluster War.

Mankind's history was very turbulent from that point on. Having their memories wiped prior to being deposited on Earth, the Humans had no cultural connections with the Kaeolians from that point on. They created countless nations on their world that rose and fell with the passage of time. The Upheaval Conflict, which occurred in the early 22nd century, drove mankind off of Earth and forced them to create the Humanity Doctrine just to survive, though they were still a long way from fully trusting each other due to the durable political boundaries that divided them. It was only after the Humans had discovered the Vecuuri and established diplomatic relations with them that they finally realized they would need to transcend previous political boundaries if they were to survive as a species. Their establishment of the Coalition of Intelligent Organisms marked the true unification of the Human race, at least on a political level.

Biology
Human biology is nearly identical to Zetylian biology, with a few key differences. Both species are derived from primates, possessing finely-tuned fingers on their arms to manipulate objects. Their lower appendages are believed to have also once had this ability, but have since been flattened and elongated to provide the support needed for bipedal movement. Unlike most other primates, both Humans and Zetylians possess relatively little body hair, save for areas where heat loss is a vital concern. They are mammalian creatures, able to self-regulate body temperature and produce milk for their young. Only the females of either race are capable of doing this.

The only outwardly noticeable differences between these two species are their hair, eye and skin colors. Due to the extensive genetic engineering performed by the Serphiads, all Zetylians are genetically predisposed to have blue hair, completely blue eyes (regardless of function, all portions of a Zetylian's eye are blue) and pale, milky-white skin. Errors in the Kaeolian cloning process prevented Humans from having this ability, causing extreme variability in these traits. This is not to say that a Human cannot look exactly like a Zetylian, but the chances of successfully replicating these traits through traditional sexual reproduction is very slim. Humans also are generally less physically strong and intelligent compared to Zetylians. Again, this is not to say a Human cannot become smarter or stronger than a Zetylian, but to do so would require some very extraneous methods.

The distinction between Humans and Zetylians was clear even before either species understood exactly what the other one was. As the Coalition expanded, several small colonies of surviving Zetylians were found, having regressed significantly since the First Cluster War. Thanks to careful social manipulation done by the Bedlam Society, the surviving Zetylians were introduced into Coalition society as the remnants of an ancient civilization, but anything beyond extremely basic information concerning them was kept a secret for the Coalition's entire history.

Homeworld
The planet Earth suits the adaptive nature of humanity perfectly. Although it sits comfortably within the habitable zone of its star, and is mostly covered in water, the continental makeup of Earth is very diverse, including temperate forests, deserts, arid mountains and frigid ice caps at its north and south poles. This has challenged life on the planet to varying degrees, resulting in a planetary biodiversity almost no other planet in the galaxy can match. Life on Earth is largely protected from the bombardment of solar wind by a powerful iron-nickel core that projects a magnetic field around the planet, preventing the atmosphere from being boiled away.

The decision to put the Humans on Earth by the Kaeolians was made due to the similarities the planet had with Zetylu, the homeworld of the Zetylians. Indeed, both planets were very habitable, rich in H2O, and had mostly temperate climates, but Earth lacked the uniformity in its continental makeup and ecology that Zetylu possessed, forcing the Human colonists to adapt extensively depending on what region of the world they had settled down on.

During the First Coalition Golden Age, the role of Earth in galactic politics changed dramatically. All large-scale industrial facilities on the planet were packed up and moved to the Sol Sphere, putting a halt on the runaway pollution of the planet's atmosphere that had been happening up until that point. The world was revitalized by gigantic terraforming complexes, which rebuilt the atmosphere and stabilized it to make the planet's entire climate temperate in nature. From that point on, Earth became a world of more symbolic importance than material importance. It was a luxury destination, containing the Founder's Temple where the members of the Founders Council met, as well as numerous mansions and resorts available only to the most elite of Coalition society. Despite its popularity, Earth had little to offer in the ways of material goods following its over-exploitation. This meant that the planet was often ignored during wartime, even when the Sol Sphere was fully engaged in combat.

Psychology
Considering how disconnected the Humans were following their placement on Earth, it is no surprise that Human culture was extremely different depending on where they lived and how they adapted to their surroundings. During their development on Earth no two human cultures were alike, leading to significant hostility between certain groups of people. This highlights a very important facet of Human culture as a whole: warfare. Humans wage wars very frequently, usually among themselves, though the outcomes of these wars are often not worth the resources used in the fighting. It is this trait that makes the Humans seem irrational and intimidating to some of the more pacifistic species in the galaxy, and which led to the militaristic focus of the Coalition and its goals.

Though they tend to disagree, there are several concepts that seemingly exist in every Human culture, regardless of origin. The concept of disparity between good and evil is a very popular feature of many Human religions, but it is not just a religious idea. Many other species like to joke about how Humans are "binary", in that they are only capable of seeing two different sides, one objectively good, the other objectively evil. Objectivity as a whole forms the basis of Human decision making, which often leads to unexpected consequences, thus giving them a reputation as being "irrational". Aside from this, Humans are known to place significant value on certain objects, practices and people as part of their culture. These, like many cultural aspects, vary widely, but a few common things most Humans agree are of critical cultural importance would be food, temperature (this is extremely prevalent in areas on Earth that are either extremely hot/cold), animals and sexual intercourse (the Humans are one of the few species in the galaxy that place a special cultural emphasis on procreation). Often, as a way of giving their lives meaning, Humans identify with some important doctrine or group that reflects their individual moral guidelines. It is this unique way of providing motivation in life that has caught the attention of several species in the galaxy, who have dubbed such a practice "Homomotivation" after its origins. While it comes innately to Humans, many other species find it difficult, or even frightening, to define their morals and life goals so rigidly. Nevertheless, it became a fast growing cultural phenomenon in the Coalition, almost generating a religion to coincide with it.