Phel

The Phel (Fell) are a race of aquatic creatures that have lived on Damieyne for as long as the Consortium has been around.

Genetically, the Phel exists of an evolved cousin of the Deniz race. Approximately thousands of cycles ago, according to Phel legend, an artifact known to them as the God Machine selectively bred a race of individuals that they would call the Ancestors. In order to facilitate differentiation through genetic diversity, the Deity placed two major groups of them on different planets relatively close to one another, so they could be monitored. This distinction resulted in two different species, one of them mostly land based, the Deniz, and mostly water based, the Phel.

The Phel uniquely populate the planet of Damieyne, and are very secretive race. Those who have seen the Phel, speak of their inherently aquatic characteristics, such as dark eyes with a fluctuating nictitating membrane, as well as syndactylytic appendages. The Phel also have two sets of gills that allow them to breathe in all depths of water. Additionally, the Phel have developed small lungs, allowing them to survive above water for short periods of time.

Society

Not much is known of the Phel, other than what they choose to share through official channels, or what outsiders see. Most of the Phel society lives behind large depth gates, massive planet wide structures that surround the entire planet of Damieyne. They have multiple guards stationed around the Depth Gates themselves, who tirelessly watch for those who attempt to breach these gates.

The only official channel is a Consortium diplomatic office known as 'Outreach', which includes official public appearances, tourism guidelines, and some legal authority. Outreach contains all individuals that the Phel legally allows to communicate to the outside galaxy. As such, the Phel have agreed to join the Consortium but only tangentially; all area above the Depth Gate is legally accessible by Consortium officials, but anything below it is strictly Phel territory, outside Consortium control. This agreement was put forth in an effort to bridge the gap between worlds, bringing more species into the fold.

Above the gate, the Phel have been labeled as a primitive species, holding basic electric principles and wireless communication. However, this clashes with the material of the Depth Gate, a Vibra-Steel mixture that consists of unknown properties that are far beyond Consortium knowledge.