Mysterions

Of all the races encountered by Interstel since the rediscovery of superphotonic travel, none is so cloaked in secrecy as the Mysterions. Even their true name is unknown, as the name “Mysterions” is a nickname given to them by the few Interstel crews that have encountered them; no other race refers to them by this name, if they mention them at all. The only message ever received from the Mysterions came in the form of binary code, which they have repeated without variation in every recorded communication. In the intervening years, numerous efforts to break this code have resulted only in frustration for those making the attempt, and its meaning remains as unclear today as it did when first received.

''4/14/2011: The purpose of the Mysterions and their place in SF3 is in the process of being re-written; they may yet have an important part to play in SF3's part, and are going to have a role in SF4 which will require some setting up in SF3. Where changes are being made, notes in italics will appear. This page may change dramatically as time goes on.''

Basic Characteristics

 * Type: Plasmoid
 * Durability: 4
 * Learning Rate: 9
 * Science: Good
 * Navigation: Poor
 * Tactical: Poor
 * Engineering: Engineering
 * Communication: Average
 * Medicine: Average
 * Genders: 1
 * Life Stages: Adolescent at 64 years. Adult at 127 years. Middle age at 339 yrs. Old Age at 509 years. Venerable Age at 615 years.
 * Lifespan: 660+4d% years.
 * Diameter: 0.42 meters; 0.32 + (2d5 * 0.02) meters.
 * Mass: 8 kilograms; 6 + (2d5 * 0.4) kilograms.


 * Niche/Symmetry: Exotic Spherical Consumer
 * Speed/Transit: Floater, 3 m/rd (2 kph)
 * Volume: .04 m^3
 * HD: 48/45/53
 * HP: 40
 * Unarmed Damage: 30 HP
 * STV: 96 MU (2,400 MU/m^3)

Physical Description
Virtually all that is known about them is what can be gleaned from scans of their ship and what the view screen reveals: A race of multicolored, bubble-like creatures that travel the stars in immense, spherical ships made entirely of Rodnium and boasting incredibly powerful shields.

Ground Units
This species is a starborne, plasma-based lifeform; they have no ground units whatsoever.

Territory
The location of the Mysterion homeworld location is unknown, though it may be surmised that they reside near the Alpha Sector, since to date they have only been encountered in that area; no sightings of them have ever been recorded in the Delta Sector, in either the present day or in the past, nor does any race native to that sector mention them in their communications.


 * Patrol:
 * Alpha Sector: Sparse, but Present
 * Delta Sector: Sparse, but Present
 * Beta Sector: None
 * Space:
 * Alpha Sector: No Sphere of Influence
 * Delta Sector: centered around 205x250, 10 parsecs radius. Also present in Delta Sector Past
 * Beta Sector: No Sphere of Influence
 * Star:
 * Alpha Sector: None
 * Delta Sector: 205x250
 * Beta Sector: None
 * Worlds:
 * Alpha Sector: None
 * Delta Sector: TBD (205x250, primary)
 * Beta Sector: None

Status
The motivations of the Mysterions remain unknown, as real communications with them are not yet possible. They don't factor into the politics of any known species, and for the most part other races are willing to leave them alone. Those that do bother to attack them are oftentimes frustrated; to date, the destruction of a Mysterion ship by weapons fire has never been recorded, nor has any return fire ever taken place. They are about as neutral as they come.


 * Ally:
 * Initial: None
 * Final: None
 * Enemy:
 * Initial: None
 * Final: None

Economy

 * Economic Status Levels:
 * Not Applicable (No Known Homeworlds, Homeworld is a star, so no trading can take place in any event.)
 * Specialty Trade Goods Purchased:
 * None
 * Specialty Trade Goods Sold:
 * None

Supplemental Information
No further information on this species is currently available.

Importance
The Mysterions will serve the same purpose as they did in SF1, to give act mainly as an easter egg. They may also have their message changed to give away some information (as was done in the Sega Version), but in a completely non-obvious way. As the nature of the Mysterions use of Morse Code has been revealed at this point, a new cryptological algorithm may need to be employed; this will have to be done in such a manner as to appear binary, as was done in the original games. Their ships may be attacked and salvaged, although in exchange for making them vulnerable to attack, the Mysterion ships have been redesigned with heavy weaponry.

As previously stated, the role of the Mysterions in SF3 is being rewritten; this role, and their importance to SF3 in the revised plot, will be posted as soon as any information is available.

Communication Text
''This is the comm text from SF1. See the Notes section for ideas for messages in SF3.''

Neutral Statement:
 * 00001 01111 00000 100001 00011 00001 11100 100001 11000 11110 01111 11111