Za'alan

The Za'alan, known as "The Ancients", were a galaxy-spanning race millennia ago. Tall, beautiful, and yet ominous, nobody knows why they vanished. Obsessed with power and leadership, they ruled for aeons as they continually sought to improve themselves physically and mentally. Although imposing and agile, they rarely resorted to physical combat, instead using the power of their complex and multi-compartmented minds. While physical wealth meant little to them, they were unable to tolerate other races governing themselves in what the Za'alan considered to be erratic and ephemeral forms of government. To bring stability to the galaxy, they had to rule it. And they did. Tactically and strategically brilliant, and possessed of incredibly long lifespans, they could play the long game like no other. No race alive today was alive when the Za'alan ruled, and nobody knows why they vanished, although speculation runs rampant. Their disappearance coincided with a period of time known in myth and legend as The Great Dying when many races vanished from the galactic stage. All that is left are ruined settlements and enigmatic artifacts. None of the Za'alan homeworlds have ever been found, and it's speculated they may be hidden in the heart of the galaxy.