Pyrian

Pyrian torchship

A Pyrian

Overview

The Pyrians are a methane-breathing species and an imperialist power. While having very different needs and interests, Pyrians seek to pyroform worlds to meet their biological needs and occasionally fighting the old Systems Commonwealth for planets such as Brahman. It was only after suffering a major defeat at the hands of the old High Guard fleet led by Admiral Munro, one of the first human Commonwealth admirals, that a formal treaty was signed with the Commonwealth.

Post Fall

Unlike most known species, which suffered from the fall of the Systems Commonwealth, the Pyrians actually benefited from it. As the Commonwealth's destruction made the Pyrian Empire the dominant power of the known worlds, they considered the treaty void and continued expanding. Few post-Fall governments were able to withstand or resist their power. An example of the Pyrians' military might is that, even prior to the fall, a Pyrian Torchship was an even match for a single Glorious Heritage Class cruiser.

While the rest of the Known Worlds fell into a technological decline, the Pyrians advanced. A number of their people succumbed to an addiction to ammonium phosphate, a substance traded with the Inari. The Pyrian government politely asked the Inari to cease the trade, but corrupt elements within the Inari government refused. The Pyrians began to intercept all the trade vessels. The Inari attempted to trick the Andromeda Ascendant into stopping the Pyrians. Yet Dylan Hunt, learning about the true nature of the trades, refused to let them go on.

A year later, the Lambeth Kith Nebula representative Azazel, led the Pyrians to "pyroforming" the planet Samsarra. They just dropped off 24 generators and left. The Andromeda was able to destroy the generators and call in reinforcements, but, a fleet of Torchships arrived with new generators. The Andromeda's slipfighters kept the Pyrians at bay while the evacuation of Samsarra was underway. When a High Guard battlegroup and Home Guard fleets arrive to reinforce Hunt and his fleet, they attempted to destroy the generator carriers. a second fleet emerged from behind the sun, ambushing the battlegroup, forcing the Commonwealth to forfeit Samsarra. Things were getting worse with sightings of Pyrian fleets across Known Space, implying war. Hunt was unwilling to allow the Pyrians to win, nor let them combat the Magog in the place of the Commonwealth. He had the fleet destroy the planet, forcing the Pyrians to open negotiations.

Episodes

• Pitiless as the Sun
• Point of the Spear

Technology

Before the First Systems Commonwealth Civil War, a Glorious Heritage vessel was barely a match against a Pyrian Torchship. The Pyrians use atmosphere generators to pyroform other planets. The main weapons utilized by the Pyrians are plasma weapons, Artificial Gravity Mass Packets, and neutron packs.

Trivia

• The name derives from the Ancient Greek πυρ (pyr) meaning fire. The basis of the English words pyro and pyre.
• The name also derives from "empyrean" meaning "heavenly" and reflects the Pyrians' association with Trance's people, the "Lucifers", avatars of suns.