Stranded: Prisoners' Tale (High casual Sci-fi/fantasy)
Plot:
The prison ship Alcatraz, designed by a council of multiple races and nations to house the worst criminals (and even a few of the lower offenders) in an effort to cut down on prisons. The ship had a self sustaining food supply, an around the clock staff of guards and civilian staff. Unfortunately, said staff wasn't informed of the ship's true intention. Once out of explored space, the ship's controls locked up and the engines shut down setting it adrift. Months later, the ship's intercom started playing some strange garbled message as the vessel was dragged into the gravity well of an odd Terran planet. The cell blocks separated from the ship and fell to the planet killing the majority of the innmates. The survivors now find themselves stranded on the strange planet inhabited by terrifying beasts and the remnants of a long gone civilization.
The only objective many of the survivors had when they landed was to find their way back to the wreckage of the main ship. That was the only place with guaranteed food and weapons.
ProstheTech Corporation:
Naturally, the abilities of the Attuned bred both fear and envy among the people not fortunate enough to recieve mana. As a result, technologies that were originally seen as tabuu saw an immediate spike. Body augmentations became commonplace, especially when it was found that the Attuned couldn't benefit from this technology. The original companies that developed this tech joined together to eliminate any competition. Eventually they even managed to create basic kinetic shielding and cloaking tech by condensing air and bending light around the user.
The only race that has developed better prosthetics is the Arraxi.
Magic origins:
A mysterious pulse that emnated from a colonized planet lightyears away from earth had unprecedented effects on lifeforms all around the galaxy. It seemed to attune them to energies that were naturally present and previously unobservable. These abilities, once realized, allow the user to manipulate the elements around them using a combination of the energy present in the air and their own "mana" reserves. Oddly enough, the powers granted to these "Attuned" as they have been designated manifest in different ways. Some seem to be able to heal the wounds of others and themselves, others can wield nature as a weapon. Unfortunately the Attuned are unable to recieve any type of technological augmentation. All attempts have ended in the death of both the Attuned and the one trying to conduct the procedure.
Types of Magic:
Fire: Those attuned to fire can ignite air with ease and even control flames with some training. For experienced Flame wielders this attunement also gives a near immunity to most heat based weaponry and hazards.
Air: Those attuned to the air can control wind and use it to blast opponents or even sharpen it to cut through dense objects. Experienced Wind wielders can launch themselves and glide, though this takes a fair bit of mana to pull off.
Water: Water attunement allows mages to wield almost any liquid as a weapon to defend themselves assuming there isn't anything solid between them and it. They can use the ability to move swiftly through water or even breathe while submerged.
Earth: Earth wielders can move through dirt and rocks as though they were liquid, of course this is a constant drain of mana and is rarely used for prolonged periods. They are also able to draw minerals to them as a defensive or offensive measure.
Life(healing): Being attuned to Life lets mages manipulate any living matter that they are in direct contact with. While this is normally used to mend wounds, some have used it to do...horrifying things.
Races:
Humans: Yeah, humans. They have a decent connection to magic, but fairly powerful internal mana reserves. As far as cybernetics go, they're quite advanced. (Probably about Deus Ex level give/take)
Homeworld: Earth
Tulak: A humanoid race with horns and a strong link to nature. They are naturally stronger magic users, but unfortunately don't have the same mana supply that humans do. Unlike humans, the Tulak are almost entirely composed of magic users, and most of those that can't use it are in positions of political power.
Arraxi: An advanced race of cybernetic bug people that lack any kind of link to nature. By the time the Pulse occured, they were already more machine than organic. Those that could have become "attuned" died in horrible agony as their bodies suddenly rejected the majority of their organs and limbs.
Sapishte: A race of people that seem to be able to shapeshift on some level. This is due to what seems to be a sentient goo attached to their flesh. This goo or "slime" is able to change in density and shape allowing the Sapishte to mimic the forms of other races. One other notable trait is the Sapishte's inability to cloak their emotions. Only a select few are able to hide their feelings, and those that can are almost immediately exiled upon discovery as they are seen as terrifying mutants.
Homeworld: Glonelia
A swampy world, home to the shape shifters of the Sapishte race. The planet is of a tropical, humid climate with swamps and jungles covering most of its landmasses, with warm oceans covering everything else. The Sapishte people aren't exactly the most advanced of the races, having only relatively recently become capable of spaceflight and most of the planet is comparatively low-tech compared to the rest of the races. The people themselves are often quite amicable and more or less an extremely honest people. Being unable to hide emotions well, make for poor liars and manipulators most of the time.
For the most part they are friendly, and have relatively good relations with the rest of the galaxy. Considering the high demand of people able to mostly take whatever form they want in certain less than reputable jobs, there is no shortage of demand for them in certain jobs.
Lan'Ye: The most recent race introduced to the galactic scene, the Lan'Ye are fairly primitive when compared to the others. For the most part their technology is simply reverse engineered from the gifts other races had given them. As far as biology goes, their scales and horns show their reptilian ancestry clearly. Despite expectations, they don't have tails aside from a small vestigial bone signifying that perhaps there was one long ago. As for unique abilities, they have a slight healing factor allowing them to regenerate limbs over the course of a few days.
The Alcatraz:
The Alcatraz was one of the biggest collaborative efforts between all three races. A ship capable of securely holding over ten million high priority prisoners without ever having to stop at a planet. Of course, anyone that was aboard the ship would wonder why a vessel with such a capacity only carried about twenty five thousand souls. In reality, the Alcatraz was much more sinister.
Because of the ship's anti-aggression field, a generated area in which affected people are mentally unable to attack guards and personnel, prisoners were even allowed to keep their weapons and other equipment. Most simply assume that this act was essentially a middle finger to the inmates, though such an act would be an enormous waste of resources.
The planet (Designated Derismas by the captain before planetfall): A planet covered mostly in lush jungle that straddles old technology. Some of the creatures seem to be mutated, perhaps by the radiation that said technology emnates? It's uncertain, for now the only goal is survival.
Dangerous On-planet species:
Varinyat: Strange creatures that stand on two legs. They are dangerous predators capable of imitatating speech to lure in prey. The spikes on their body are poisonous, and their tail is strong enough to restrain even most larger opponents while they inject and devour them.
Ashra: An apex predator through and through, the size of at least thirty humans and ten times as strong. Their tough hide can resist small arms fire, and their regenerative abilities make them almost impossible to put down. On the plus side, they aren't picky when it comes to prey...
Romper: A pack creature that harrasses prey by quickly striking with its tail before running off. Their tail is able to snap the average human's leg in one swing, and once multiple begin to circle even an experienced hunter is forced to pray.
