The Delphians are an ambitious race who raced into the stars early in their history. Overpopulation and crime led the Delphians to look for other planets to colonize. The Delphian Empire was born nearly five thousand yahren before human colonization of the twelve colonies.
Early in its history, the Delphian Empire attacked and conquered millions of species and achieved the greatest empire known in the quadrant. At the height of the empire the Delphians attacked a backward world called Cylon.
The original Cylons were a reptilian race who had barely achieved spaceflight when the Delphian Empire attacked and killed millions. Delphian occupational forces held the planet for nearly 60 yahren before the Cylons devised and built the first android warrior to help drive the Delphians from Cylon.
The android warriors proved successful in destroying Delphian power on the planet, but the androids turned on their masters and destroyed all but a few of the original Cylons. The Delphians kept a watchful eye on the androids, but matters elsewhere in the empire took attention away from Cylon.
That fatal mistake marked the end of the Delphians. The Empire had grown too large and individual kingdoms were being carved out of the empire... yet the Emporer could not regain control so instead began to pay tribute to the kingdoms for nominal protection of the Empire. The tribute was also used to keep the kingdoms under marginal Delphian control and allow tax collectors to collect the much needed taxes to keep the empire going.
The Cylon attack came early and swiftly. Two smaller kingdoms were overtaken brutally and the inhabitants slaughtered. The Cylons were merciless... and kept growing in power. Any new planet taken meant new resources for making more androids... more androids meant more attacks.... the process was endless.
Slowly over many yahren the Delphians were driven back from their colonies and homeworlds.... losing billions of inhabitants to the growing Cylon Alliance. Shortly before the human holocaust, the Delphian capital of Gommorey fell.
Today, only a small fragment of a once powerful empire remains. The Delphians have fled to the backwaters of the empire... only 4 planets remain of the once 300 planet empire. The Delphian population is only 2 billion... out of a population at one time of 500 billion. Many Delphians have opted to flee and seek asylum in the United Colonies, where they are welcomed and given citizenship status.
The Delphians now face near extinction with the onslaught of the Ovion/Delphian War. The Ovions have recently stolen 3 worlds from the Delphian Empire, leaving 4 planets to the Delphians. Intellegience believes that the Empire will fall within 2 yahren, ending a 6000 yahren old Empire.
A breakdown of the population statistics of the Delphian Empire:
Delphians 2 Billion
Erku 1 Billion
Humans .5 Billion
Tucanas .3 Billion