Andromedans
The advanced cluster of species collectively known as the Andromedans are a powerful intergalactic civilization, so-named because they are known to have traveled to the Orion Arm of the Milky Way from the Andromeda Galaxy, although it is not known if they originated in that galaxy. They are known to have also colonized the Magellanic Clouds and other locations in the Local Group such as the Triangulum Galaxy. At its peak, the domain of the Andromedan Empire in the Orion Galactic Arm stretched all the way from the Central Periphery to the Outer Frontier, a tremendous swath of space almost four thousand light years across. The competing human settlers of these regions were first forced to accept Andromedan rule, but then rebelled under the leadership of the Peretians. The century of warfare between Humankind and the Andromedan Empire was termed the Xenagon.
Andromedans are a complex and poorly understood cluster of species interrelated in unclear ways. While some of their subspecies appear to have a collective consciousness, other subspecies have individual personalities and awareness. Andromedans have very advanced biotechnology, and are known to have previously incorporated other species into their own biologically composite metaspecies.
The large beings pictured here are members of one of their highest royal castes, termed Planetary Princes, together with their functionary attendants,. There are hundreds of castes of Andromedans, some of which are obviously incorporated species. Curiously, these species incorporations are not social but biological. Andromedans actually exchange genetic material among all castes in a bizarre form of extended sexual reproduction. Indeed, Andromedans regularly bred with humans to produce hybrid creatures variously called Andromen or Humandromedans. The Xenagon saw many other unexpected surprises as knowledge concerning the Andromedans was slowly acquired.
Andromedan culture is focused on concepts of loyalty to the greater good, and their society members are surprisingly devout believers in very similar kinds of Galactic philosophical beliefs concerning spiritual progression to which most of Humankind subscribes.