Prelude
The Progenitors evolved 10 billion years ago, arising on a planet near the outskirts of the galaxy. They were a large, squid-like race which prowled the oceans of their watery world. Armed with biorefinery organs and powerful psychic abilities they found themselves at the top of the evolutionary ladder with little difficulty, but further development was stymied by the very planet itself. Their world was poor in heavier elements. Due to this lack of minerals they came to the realization that they would be trapped on their world if they did not act quickly and decisively.
The Progenitors themselves were the primary repositories of mineral wealth on their world thanks to their ability to filter and store trace elements from the water. A cabal of ruthless and cunning members of their race devised a means to accumulate enough resources to leave their planet. It was a terrible plan involving the forced cannibalization of most of their own race leaving only the most indispensable and cruel as the survivors. The plan was executed and so it was this cabal and its followers ended up escaping their world and dispersing throughout the young galaxy.
Over millions of years they were able to successfully extract most of the mineral wealth from many of the available planets. Vast, alien machinery stripping them of almost all useful heavy metals and materials as they relentlessly expanded. They engineered their own hyperspace dimension used for travel and power. Eschewing ships for most transit they seemingly materialized at will appearing where they wanted at any time. With their vast psychic potential, they created the Construct. A galaxy sized psychic network which served them for communication, data storage and control. This powerful artifact insured their influence could be exerted on any world in the galaxy.
Eight billion years ago, they decided to depart the Milky Way to travel to an older galaxy. The resources there would be more plentiful, and they craved new conquest and expansion. However not wanting any competition to evolve while they were away, they created an artificial race to ensure that nothing would be waiting should they ever return.
The Niphal
The Niphal are a race of artificially intelligent Minds. Each one is the heart of a fleet of robotic craft. Drifting throughout the galaxy via inertialess drive they telescopically observe solar systems. Patiently analyzing for any signs of technological development. Their tireless sensors watch for abrupt atmospheric changes, the use of atomics, and listen for radio signals or quantum ansible transmissions. When detected they will travel to the point of origin to confirm the readings. If sentient life is confirmed the Mind will carry out its core tenet; the Directive.
Creating offshoots of itself called splinters these fragmentary copies begin to replicate and land on the surface of the targeted world. These forces set out to carry out the Directive which is the extermination of all sentient life. This terrible purge can take centuries but the Niphal are relentless and armed with ancient and powerful technology. They are more than capable of completing their task.
Once the Directive is completed the Niphal on the planet become passive and will act as sentinels to prevent the further evolution of sentient life from recurring. The Mind then departs to resume its ceaseless patrol, in its wake an endless string of murdered civilizations and once burgeoning worlds now forever quiet.
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