The Precursors

"The precursors. A modern enigma. Enigmatic, ancient civilisations that lived hundreds of thousands, if not millions or billions of years ago. These are the empires that ruled the stars when Sol was occupied by nothing more than primordial soup.

What we know of them is gleaned from ancient databases, derelict starships and the ruins of once mighty civilisations. That is, when we lowly monkeys can even begin to scrape together an understanding.

Take, for example, the "best known" of the precursor epochs. The Stygians. Their ruins are the most prominent across the galaxy. Intact and operational. The Stygians seemed to be synthetic artificers beyond compare. Crafting AI and nanites that makes the near ascendant warmind AIs of the Coalition look like a calculator. They are the only ancient race to have a living progeny. Depending on your definition of living.

That progeny? The Stygian Automata Ascendancy. An intractable, enigmatic synthetic hegemony that exists beyond the dark space between spiral arms. These ancient machines may not have been born with sentience... Or maybe they were? Either way this ancient race has menanced the borders of every empire that dares reach towards the void between the arms. Especially those who try to play with their masters' toys."

— Excerpt from 'On the ancient stars' by Dr Hayley Bishop, senior fellow, Solar Academy of Sciences , Circa 2411