Qire (spelt 'choir', colloquial misnomer)
Seraphim (by Ian)
Qekorat'kuho (Burning Ones, by the Hoku)
Ilrirra’tiik (Winged Ones, by the Raydee)
Aa'Urhrtar (Great Ones, by the Arrene)
Khu’y-Re El’tlekhune (The Great Expedition, by themselves)
Last updated: July 4th 2026
COLLECTIVE SUMMARY
Theorized domain of the Great Expedition (55% confidence)
Archaeological evidence along the Dominion's borders suggests the Qire's presence in the Milky Way to be at least 5 million years old. Logistical models for their modern rotational infrastructure suggest that their civilization must be on the order of 2-4x older than that - if true, that means they would be the oldest known active intelligence to the Dominion.
The Pankal chelok ponder the relative absence of the Qire in the Dominion's present day region prior to the Arrene's height - framing them on the very least, as transtellar interlopers (but we had no doubts about it, did we?)
Earliest known contact with the Arrene around ~14,000 CE (650 BdF), through the destruction of the Far Haven colony in the Forzai system - with a relativistic missile.
Joined the Dominion in 14,650 CE (0 AdF) as original signatary. Often credited in arrene history as the original proposers of the Treaty of Forzai - the model after which the Dominion is structured.
Origin
Somewhere in the Large Magellanic Cloud, ~100kly from Sol (inferred).
Reach may span the entire Local Group - technically possible at present day, conservative models place a 55% certainty of it being at least within 500,000ly from the LMC - the entire Large Magellanic Cloud (allegedly/inferred), the Carina and Sculptor dwarf galaxies (presumed), and an undisclosed large fraction of the Milky Way (alluded).
Liberal estimates suggest their reach may extend several million light-years beyond the Local Group, potentially into the outskirts of the Virgo Supercluster, though these models are highly speculative and contested - if true to any capacity, then their true origin point might be even harder to pinpoint.
Upon being questioned about their origin or purpose, the Qire's answers - be it a cultural imperative or ignorance - mostly seem to converge on the Large Magellanic Cloud (which they call the Sky Cloud galaxy), and 'serving the Great Expedition.'
The fact is, we do not know what The Great Expedition is. Scholars and enthusiasts alike have guesses just as good as each other. What we do know, is that the Qire (a common misnomer of their kind by outsiders) stationed within the Dominion identified themselves as The Great Expedition to a deeply cultural or opaqueness level - we do not know if there are other Expedition-like bodies across the Milky Way galaxy, or other nearby galaxies - mathematical models based on observed behaviors suggests that it must be the case.
Seem to prefer (at least within the Dominion's bounds) small, dark, high-pressure, hot-house carbonic worlds around red dwarfs, but are comfortable within a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Known advanced bioengineers and physicists.
Historical interactions with the Qire strongly indicate that certain classes of technological civilizations attract sustained Qire intervention, the specific criteria for which remains unknown. Observed Qire activity appears largely exploratory, with a particular interest in astrobiology.
Description
With six-sided radial symmetry, standing 9 to 15 feet tall and weighing 200 to 400kg (described as "heavy", estimate based on conventional animal-biomass), their body is a vertical barrel of dark, leathery hide, ridged like wet bark, capable of bending at a right angle to navigate small spaces.
The base consists of six strong tentacles for ambling locomotion, each ending in three webbed short claws, six pseudo-feet half the length of the tentacles are located in between the ‘legs’.
The midsection has posterior and anterior tentacles. The six posterior tentacles are thin compared to the leg tentacles, and firm like steel cable, each branching in six appendages, and each one branching into six 'fingers' — each tip being able to be twisted at will, its total length compounding to about 6 feet in range.
The anterior tentacles branch alike the posterior ones, but over 16 feet in length, and possessing a thin leathery webbing connecting each branching. The membrane seems serrated at the edges, covered in waxy-looking iridescent purple-orange scales, which carry swirly and blotchy moiré patterns unique per individual - this wing set is capable of both powered flight and retracting fully against the body. The wing scale patterns happen to strobe in mismatch with neural oscillation of most known species, causing intense visual and mental discomfort.
The apex ends in six tentacles with sharp scales around a radula, appearing as "rolls of small teeth". At the external base of each tentacle, a retractable eye-stalk positions each peach-sized compound-eye carefully. Bioluminescent tendrils at the base of the “head” pulse with yellow-red light for visual communication (hypothesized).
Diet remains unknown, although at least partial carnivory is considered highly probable. Several historical accounts describe Qire publicly consuming live Arrene officials as a form of capital punishment. Though whether this represented nutrition or intimidation, remains unresolved.
Individuals are capable of regulating their body temperature from ambient conditions to approximately the flash point of paper. Vocalizations consist primarily of organometallic buzzes, clicks, and hissing sounds.
Observed individuals exhibit absolute commitment to their appointed or self-imposed task, regardless of personal cost or external circumstance. Whether this reflects culture, biology, institutional conditioning, or some other phenomenon remains unknown.
It is yet unknown if the Qire possess any conventional sense of personhood, self, and culture thats identifiable to other races. They do seem to possess a certain sense of aesthetic and art (?), given the complexity and intricate pattern of what seems to be the flag or insignia of the Great Expedition - a tileable square pseudo-arabesque pattern in off-white, prussian blue, and orange - which comes to quite a surprise, since they seem to be completely blind to the color blue. Often regarded by explorers as an indicator that you've ventured way too far into the stellar wilderness.
Spacetravel
Rare in present era, or at least, rarely observed. Official Dominion vessels of hybrid origin use advanced A/M-AM drives for typical travel speeds of γ~10.
The technology used in their Elder Starships can only be speculated from their visible design choices. A central tube structure spanning the long axis, likely a magnetic funnel for interstellar medium ingestion - if so, then that would certainly explain the ludicrous gamma-factors ranging from 10² to 10³ (99.995%–99.9995% c) necessary to make the jump between the LMC and the Milky Way - and possibly other galaxies - within a reasonable subjective-time of 10³ years or less - by way of hydrogen fusion or antimatter production and annihilation. It is possible that at such regimes, their geometry of travel approaches near-brachistochrone trajectories at distances estimated up to 10,000 light-years (limited observations).
The pronounced arrow-like morphology of Elder Starships suggests that, at the relativistic regimes they routinely operate under, the interstellar and intergalactic medium must be treated like a thick, highly energetic and viscous plasma, demanding intensive magnetic shaping and shielding. A/M-AM drives are observed primarily during braking, suggesting they are reserved for rapid deceleration rather than sustained thrust. Speculative analysis suggests auxiliary systems might include micro-black hole evaporation thrusters or reactionless photon drives, though no direct evidence supports this.
Known to deploy relativistic kill vehicles at variable relativistic regimes to an unknown degree of precision (?). Preferred (or at least, in this instance) to fire from close-quarters up to a few hundred AU from planetary targets, likely as an intimidation tactic.
Relations
Largely neutral/hostile to foreign powers. Risk-averse (?), collectivist (?), curious (?). Seem to ignore technological civilizations below a certain threshold. Cautious on the edges of the Dominion.
Tried to annihilate the Arrene upon first contact, spared them (?).
Unknown fleet size. At least four Elder Starships stationed within the Dominion.
Unknown personnel size.
Unknown objectives and goals.
Unknown number of active friends or foes, at least one of each (?).
Uncertain civilization age and lifecycle (at least centuries, observed.)
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