Short and sweet today, let’s look at some new art! These are the first pieces to show our other two alien races–the Aidleans and the Otakke.
Silvalinus Concordis, Cloak of Olaos Captain
Baseform Aidleans! 
Just imagine this guy on a 50mm base dropping next to poor Elizabeth… For the record, he totally ripped the gun off of the side of a spacecraft. 
Remember, he’s hunching. Towards you–or is that called running? 
Who knows, some of these might make it back around for the future~!
The Aidlean species originated from a planet covered in massive trees, huge cliffs, and naturally-forming crevices. Their larger forearms are used to navigate this vertical existence quickly, while the smaller hands developed for fine manipulation and tool-usage. This translated to their spacefaring vessels in a way inhospitable to any unprepared would-be boarders. They have no need for anti-gravity. Their ship flies with enough momentum to create an “up” and a “down.”
How does that work? Well. You see.
Inertial dampeners control the effect of their speed on the structural integrity of their ship, which also keeps the momentum from crushing anyone inside. Aidleans are also large and dense, making them perfect for such an environment. As a culture, the spacefarers rarely return home, so any permanent effects on their physiology are unapparent, at the moment.
It also means their cruisers basically go forward as fast as they can go on sublight engines, arcing around the combat zone if, somehow, they missed you with their initial ramming run.
Not that we’re working on a space game as well, or anything.
Fnippith Aluxi, Cloak of Olaos Specialist
I do love me some thumbnails. 
To draw comparisons to other universes, the Otakke are something of a cross between your stereotypical “tinkering gnome” and a goblinoid creature living in caves.
They are nomadic on an individual basis, only returning home to their world–wherever that is–once or twice a lifetime after leaving in order to bring back stories of the outside, new trinkets, art, fashions, and pretty much anything that they thought was interesting. So, yeah, basically goblins with more refined tastes in shinies.
Galactically, they are known as great inventors, innovators, and adapters of new alchemical processes and tech. Qhurothi research teams frequently include itinerant Otakke that happened to be an expert on the subject, or was carrying a volatile substance around from whoknowswhere that was the perfect test subject–their collective survival instincts are often overshadowed by their desire to debut something new. The Aidleans have a hard time comprehending how something so intelligent can come in a package so small, fragile, and incredibly irresponsible; as a result, the Otakke are rarely welcomed aboard an Aidlean vessel, but are a common-enough sight around Aidlean settlements.
In the sol system, the Terrans know them as the only race they’ve met that might, genuinely, just be hanging around because it’s fun. The Otakke integrate themselves within a matter of years, gradually arriving one at a time, and spreading themselves around a new culture. With Terrans more or less in one place, it happened very quickly on Earth. These days, you can’t go two blocks without finding an Otakke shop or home or visiting vagabond. Not everyone is happy about that, of course.
Wrapping Up
Next week–New Year! Woo!–we’re diving back into the mysticism surrounding alchemy and some of the stranger elements of the Terran-delve into the craft with Squad 2 of the Cinderfane Paths!
It’s exciting! See you all on the other side of the decade.
Metal Neko Games 