Since I know not everyone has played Mass Effect, here's some canonical information on the creatures and history of the Mass Effect world, from which Eliade's host Shiana T'Kora originates.
This is as spoiler-free as I can make it, though I can't promise that there aren't spoilers in the links.
- Shiana T'Kora is an
asari. Asari are an all-'female' race that live for a very long time, over a thousand years in some cases. Shiana herself is 145, fairly young and in the Maiden stage of her life.
- Menkoli, one of Shiana's companions, is an
elcor. Elcor are noted for their oddly monotone voices - they communicate emotion using very faint gestures, scent cues, and other methods too subtle for non-elcor to pick up on, so when they speak with other beings they clarify their emotional intent before each sentence. Menkoli is a botanist by trade. He is a kindly sort, difficult to anger and generally pleasant to everyone given that they don't a.) think he's stupid or b.) hurt his experiments.
- Arli'Khin nar Torray, another of Shiana's companions, is a
quarian. He is also a sarcastic son of a b***h. He's ostensibly on his
Pilgrimage, though he'll likely never choose to return to the
Migrant Fleet. He finds life on the flotilla to be stifling and unpleasant. Arli is a skilled engineer.
Other important canon terms:
Biotic - someone who can manipulate
mass effect fields using their nerve impulses. Humans require implants to do this; asari (like Shiana) do not, though they will use amplifying devices ('amps') to augment their abilities. Biotics are roughly equivalent to psionics, except that they specialize in manipulating mass.
FTL Drive - A means of traveling Faster-Than-Light, naturally! FTL drives in the Mass Effect universe build up a
drive charge that must be safely managed, lest Bad Things happen.
Mass Relays - A galaxy-wide system of massive teleportation devices (effectively), built by the Protheans. Their discovery has changed and shaped the galaxy.
Omni-Tool - A handy little device somewhat analogous to a Star Trek tricorder.
Protheans - A long-extinct alien race with a tremendously advanced civilization. They built the mass relays, among other things, and ruins of their civilization can be found scattered throughout the galaxy.
Reply
