Angara

The angara are the only known sapient race native to the Heleus Cluster of the Andromeda galaxy, and arose on the planet Havarl. By the time of the Andromeda Initiative's first contact with them, the angara had been waging a decades-long resistance against the invading kett.

Biology
The angara are warm-blooded mammals. They have a similar leg structure to a quarian or a salarian, along with relatively broad shoulders and narrow waists. They have two black eyes with blue irises, a single pair of nostrils, and folds of flesh on the sides of their heads that extend to their chests. Angara hands have the bone structure for five fingers, but the final three fingers on each hand are densely webbed together into a single digit. Angara are sexually dimorphic: male angara are taller than females, and females have wider hips and rounder faces. Skin colors feature various shades of blue or mauve, sometimes shading into green or tan. Their blood is deep blue in color.

They have different internal biology and taste buds to humans and other species. For example they are immune to the capsaicin used to spice most food, while finding the methyl anthranilate used in most candy cause a painful burning sensation.

Although all organisms produce a natural bioelectrical field, the angara produce an especially intense field and can exert fine control over it for purposes such as communication. Angara physiology is also dependent on sunlight, specifically the electromagnetic radiation that a sun emanates. Lack of real or artificial sunlight causes them to "go dark", which weakens their immune systems and bio-energy significantly. Prolonged lack of sunlight can lead to a coma and then death. To supplement their sunlight intake or provide a light source when natural light is not readily available, the angara make use of powerful ultraviolet lamps that give them both heat and light. The angara also seem to be resistant to cold, as some angara on Voeld prefer living there even more than Aya.

History
The angara are creations of the Jardaan, an advanced alien race native to Heleus that were also responsible for creating the Remnant machines. The Jardaan designed the first angarans centuries ago and seeded them on several planets within the Heleus Cluster. The reasoning behind the creation of the angara is unknown.

According to the angara, they were once a highly advanced species that originated on Havarl and spread to many worlds in the Heleus Cluster. An ancient site on Havarl known as the Forge holds the oldest pre-Scourge ruins known to the angara, and is regarded as the birthplace of their civilization. The appearance of the Scourge ruined the angara's worlds and sent their civilization into a pre-industrial dark age that lasted a century. The angara of five worlds, including Havarl and Voeld, eventually rediscovered spaceflight and reestablished communication with each other, finding that the centuries of isolation had created divergent cultures. The angara began to expand again, colonizing Kadara and Aya, and efforts were made to establish a new unified government for their species.

The kett invasion of the Heleus Cluster in 2744 disrupted the rebuilding of angaran civilization. No angaran records of first contact with the kett survive, and so the exact circumstances of how the angara were overwhelmed are muddled. The few details of the early years of the invasion indicate that the kett played the angara against each other, making overtures of peace and trade to one angara world, assassinating the leadership of another, and ignoring a third. This led a period of infighting among the angara, which the kett took advantage of to solidify their occupation. By the time the angara realized who the true enemy was, their military and space fleet had been destroyed. Multiple angaran resistance movements were established to battle the kett, but saw little success until 2814, when Evfra de Tershaav reorganized them into the Angaran Resistance, headquartered on Aya.

The arrival of the Andromeda Initiative, although welcomed by the Angaran Resistance, has provoked a faction of angara called the Roekaar. Founded by the charismatic Akksul out of resentment for the Resistance and hatred for the kett, the Roekaar are a xenophobic paramilitary force hostile to all non-angara. The Roekaar are officially disavowed by the Angaran Resistance.

Culture
The angara as a people are very free with their emotions, demonstrative and "larger than life". If they love you they hug you, if they hate you or if you make them mad, they punch you; this extends to their own family members. The angara are typically mistrustful of other races, which is understandable; the last outsiders they met were the kett and they have done nothing but attack and enslave the angara.

While they have only one true mother and father, the angara share their parents with the community. Their families are very large, consisting of multiple mothers and many siblings and cousins, and play an important role in their lives.

The angaran calendar uses a seven day week. The days are named Sabay, Tef, Vaa, Ema, Roa, Fev, and Bav.

Religion
While the angara have many different religions, all share the same basic tenet: that when an angaran dies, he or she is reincarnated and the reincarnated soul stays in the family, making their lineage stronger.

Language
Although the angara have between 200 and 300 languages, their most common language is Shelesh, a lingua franca developed in the early days of angaran spaceflight before the Scourge. Shelesh faded into obscurity when angaran civilization collapsed, but has recently been revived as separated angaran settlements have reestablished relations. Known Shelesh words and phrases are listed below.


 * angara - "civilized people", or "those who have put down roots"
 * anj - "anchor", the source of the word angara
 * daar - Literally, "rock" or "rock foundation", a village or small outpost between a city and a settlement in size. Plural form is daara.
 * Gestiir - "tranquil stone plane"
 * gosan - To cling or to grasp.
 * gosan yav daar - Being Stubborn, literally "clinging to a rock."
 * govataan - "welcome center"
 * Haranj - "the fisher's lure", refers to the Black Hole
 * Heskaarl - "special forces", an elite angaran military group, comparable to human N7s. Also refers to a singular member of that group.
 * Isharay: "Goodbye". It lends its name to an angaran weapon.
 * jarevaon - "galaxy"
 * Jarevaon Imasaf - "the Masaf Shell Galaxy", refers to the Milky Way
 * jave jarevaon - "our galaxy", refers to Andromeda
 * novoa - "day"
 * olaon - "younger sibling"
 * paara - to know or learn
 * Paavoa - "welcome", a common angaran greeting
 * raba garessen: Roughly, “sanctuary trips”.
 * Roekaar - fearsome soldiers from angaran mythology, the namesake of Akksul's faction.
 * rofjinn: A poncho-type garment.
 * shelesh - "to barter for the moon"
 * shena - the mouth
 * sholaon- "Adopted sibling" used for orphans and children with no immediate family
 * skkut - a general expletive, used in contexts similar to "fuck" and "shit"
 * Taerve Uni - "forward together", the name of the Andromeda Initiative's Voeld outpost.
 * tavetaan - referring to a person: a friend or trusted comrade; referring to a place: a place where you feel like home
 * tavum - a pleasant intoxicant added to hot water or fruit juice.
 * tehet - "kett"
 * Teroshe - a term meaning roughly "cruel joke"
 * ushior - "resonance", lends its name to a pistol model
 * Vesaal - "Time of Change", refers to the time-sharing system used to determine who lives on Aya
 * vesagara - "uprooted people", or "exiles", a derogatory term used by the Roekaar for individuals from the Milky Way.
 * vesoan - "explorer"
 * yalaon- "elder sibling"

Notable Angara

 * Akksul
 * Anjik Do Xeel
 * Avela Kjar
 * Evfra de Tershaav
 * Jaal Ama Darav
 * Moshae Sjefa
 * Paaran Shie
 * Taavos

Angaran Worlds

 * Havarl (homeworld)
 * Aya
 * Kadara
 * Voeld

Trivia

 * The singular and plural form are both "angara" while the adjectival form is "angaran."
 * According to Peebee, angaran food is in the form of paste and smells great but tastes bad.
 * According to Jaal, food from the Milky Way tastes bland.