sentients
IKARRANS

RELIGION
The Ikarrans share the same historical thread of the GreatMaker as the head deity with the Centauri.

HISTORY
Ikarra VII was once the home of a highly advanced space-faring society. They used organic technology (like the Vorlons); meaning that their tools and constructs were composed of living tissue that did not decay.

The Ikarrans were invaded over half a dozen times; each assault being more vicious than the first. The last invasion being overthrown, the Ikarrans began to hear rumors of a great force (the Shadows) burning through the galaxy. In response to this, they created twelve organic warriors with devastating powers. The Protectors were the perfect weapon; able to adapt to any situation and capable of independent thought. To speed up production (for it would take too long to develop and manufacture a working AI) they incorporated the brainwave patterns of Teh'Lahr, one of the project's research scientists, into the machines. These machines were hardwired to destroy everything but "pure Ikarrans" to prevent them from being fooled by the enemy. The command definition was given to them by a radical hard-line group in control of the Ikarran government, who based what a pure Ikaran was on ideology, not hard science.

The last invasion force arrived on Ikarra VII over one-thousand years ago. Eleven of the warriors were activated and they destroyed the invading forces. Then they turned on their creators, since no one is "pure" according to extremist ideology. The Ikarrans died by their own hands one-thousand years ago. The eleven activated Protectors ceased to function through centuries of neglect.

A human expedition on Ikarra VII funded by Interplanetary Expeditions uncovered the Twelfth Protector in 2258. It was activated on board the Earth Alliance station Babylon 5 and did tremendous amounts of damage before it shut itself down and released its host body.

GOVERNMENT
Before their civilization was destroyed, the Ikarran government was run by a radical group of religious fanatics and military extremists. These were the same people who ordered the encoding of the Protectors to be ideologically and ethnically judgemental.

HOMEWORLD
Ikarra VII

TECHNOLOGY
Organic; The Protector unit, while an entity itself, requires a body around which to form. This intelligent organic body-armor does not alter the underlying body, except for that body's neural system allowing it freedom to use the body. When not in use, the Protector unit reduces in size to a handheld block of organic matter.

NOTES
The artifacts uncovered by Interplanetary Expeditions were confiscated by the Earth Alliance BioWeapons Division shortly after the twelfth warrior shut itself down; thus placing important organic technology in human hands.