The Ascendants are a humanoid species native to the Gamma Quadrant. They are a race of religious zealots that are intrinsically linked with the Eav'oq, the Bajorans, and the Prophets of Bajor.

PhysiologyEdit

Ascendants are typically taller than the average humanoid, they have a cool exterior body temperature and an exoskeleton which covers their entire body. Veins run through the exoskeleton and when injured, the damaged parts become discolored. The armor itself is very fluid-looking, and is silver in color, matching the color of Ascendant skin, giving the illusion that it is made of expanding mercury.

The cloudy fluid seen in the Ascendants could be blood, or maybe some other biological fluid, potential some type of chitin regenerator fluid that is used to seal wounds in the exoskeleton.

Ascendants are surmised to have both male and female sexes, with mammary glands and more feminine features defining the female gender. Ascendants are also long lived. Raiq, the first Ascendant encountered by Opaka Sulan, was 112 and not nearly through half her life.

Ascendants usually wear a mask when piloting their spacecraft, one that is form-fitting and blends in with the rest of their exoskeleton, giving them an armored and menacing appearance. Their eyes are fluted and a brilliant gold color and seem to be similar to the eyes of an insect in that they have a fixed type of vision. They also have ears which have been described as small and delicate. (DS9 novel: Rising Son)

Society and CultureEdit

The Ascendants are best described as a race of religious zealots on a crusade to join with their gods called "The True". Ascendants roam the known galaxy seeking out false worshipers and eradicating them from existence.

Two other cultures that have similar beliefs to the Ascendants are the Eav'Oq and the Bajorans. There are many similarities which indicate that all three races worship the same aliens as gods, Though each interpretation is different. The Ascendants have very menacing and frightening descriptions of their religion, such as referring to the True as having "eyes of fire," residing in a Fortress, and those who were worthy of the True burning for all eternity in the afterlife as a god.

Ascendants used to be numerous, but their numbers have dwindled over the millennia and they now rely more on technology than sheer numbers to achieve their goals. They arrange meetings every 15 years to exchange new technologies and make arrangements for the propagation of the species, but seem to otherwise live in solitude.

Ascendants seem to hold themselves as the only race relevant in the entire universe, seeing themselves as the sole children of a set of gods. They have no quarrel with those who do not worship at all, but treat all other people and species as second class citizens. (DS9 novel: Rising Son)

HistoryEdit

The Ascendants at some point in history lost their homeworld and became a nomadic species, spending their lives roaming space in their quest to seek the Fortress and purge blasphemers.

Not much is known of the Ascendant race's past. They were first encountered by Opaka Sulan on the moon prison of the Ennis in the Gamma Quadrant. The Ascendant, Raiq, was injured and landed upon the derelict moon due to an illness. After being nursed back to health by Opaka and the Ennis, Raiq soldiered on to find the True and conquer the Fortress as her culture dictated.

Later, when Jake Sisko and Opaka Sulan found the hidden Eav'Oq planet, they found that the reason why the Eav'Oq were hiding on a different dimensional plane was to escape the Ascendants' persecution. (DS9 novel: Rising Son)

When a nova appeared in the Gamma Quadrant, it was heralded as a sign which the Founders had been waiting for indicating the return of their god, The Progenitor. Odo, Laas, Indurane, and two other Changelings found the star system the nova originated from, only to find that the nova had not only killed the Founder "god", but that it was also artificially ignited by the Ascendants. (DS9 novel: Worlds of Deep Space Nine: The Dominion: Olympus Descending)

During Captain Kira's visions, the Ascendants were shown as an army out to destroy those who worshipped the Bajoran Prophets. They threatened the Eav'Oq, calling them Unclean, and proceeded to destroy the fortress the Eav'oq occupied, thus (in allegorical fashion) fulfilling the prophecy that they will find the Fortress inhabited by The True and become one with their gods. (DS9 novel: Warpath)

Although this occurred in a dream, the historical facts of the Bajoran army were similar to past indications, so it can be assumed that the ancient Ascendants were outfitted in a historically accurate fashion when described in Warpath.

In 2377, Iliana Ghemor appeared before a gathering of Ascendants, becoming their leader. (DS9 novel: The Soul Key)

The situation with the Ascendants and Ghemor appeared to have been resolved by 2378. In 2381, Raiq was based at the Shikina Monastery. (ST - Typhon Pact novel: Rough Beasts of Empire)

Known individualsEdit

• Raiq