Much is known about the Retired, but little is understood. The Archive contains all the data ever collected on the Retired (with their gracious consent), but only the wisest of the Elders could hope to understand most of it. Over the aeons the Library has managed to learn a few things that can be understood by Main Sequence species.
The truth being obscure, rumour proliferates. The Library dutifully records these rumours, and tries to track them to their source. Though none of them can be confirmed, it is a duty of the Library to record all aspects of Galactic culture. Even this small branch contains several of the more common rumours. Many the rumours originate as parables, passed from Patron to Client, some originate as mistranslations during contact with the other Orders, some are started by outright fraud, and there are a few with no traceable source. (Compare with folklore or urban legend.) There are over 225 recorded stories of damaged ships being rescued by the retired, most of which only differ in the names of the ship and crew-species. They can be traced back to under 210 genuine incidents spread over 2 giga-years. In 791 cases the damaged ship had encountered secret activity by an O-2 species, there were 116 cases of fraud, 57 encounters with other Orders, 23 cases involving Elders, and 8 cases where the rescuer could not be identified.
On a larger scale there are accounts of the Retired aiding entire species. Typically, these events are said to have ocurred over one gigayear ago. In most cases the Library cannot confirm or deny the existence of the species involved. Other than the famous Tarseuh Alliance, the best substantiated account is the Almorel Incident, said to occured 229.8 (900 million) hab-years before the present. The official Library record states that the Almorel were a minor species without clients. They were mammaloid hexapods with four manipulatory cranial tentacles. They had good relations with Machine species, but were accused of excessive cyborging and were aparently exterminated by the Ngumal, leading members of the Inheritor alliance. A little over 213 years later, an Elder species appeared which called itself the Almorel. The origins of this Elder species are unclear, but the arguments are too complex to be summarised by this small branch. There is no unequivocal proof that they evolved from the previous Almorel species.
The Elder Almorel claimed that the Galaxies were corrupt, and said they would reform them at any cost. The Almorel declared the Inheritors an insult to the memory of the Progenitors, and vowed to systematically exterminate all adherents to the creed, beginning with the Ngumal. The Almorel would ultimately exterminate 100 per_128 of all Inheritor species known to the Galactic Library. Though the Inheritor alliance would grow dramatically to a third of its original strength in the 1024 hab-years after the Almorel Vendetta, it would never fully recover. (It is believed that many Inheritor species emerged from deep refuge to rejoin O-2 Civilization after the Vendetta.)
During the Inheritor crusade and subsequent conquest, 736 biospheres were destroyed and many more severely damaged. The senior patrons were unable to offer significant resistance to the Almorel jihad and were forced to appeal to the Elder species. Some of the other Elders did fight, but found themselves at a technological disadvantage and withdrew. (It is not entirely clear why the much larger Elder Alliance could not contain the Almorel. However, a popular theory is that the Elder alliance was not prepared for full-scale war with another Elder species. Elders are largely peaceful, and seldom war among themselves.) In the end, the Almorel gained control of all the Galactic institutes, including the Galactic Library. They treated even senior Patrons essentially as level four clients. The Almorel also engaged in rapid population expansion and colonisation, possibly to garison known space more effectively. It is unknown whether the expansion would have reached ecologically critical levels. As it was, a number of O-2 biospheres were severely damaged, and 16 per_128 of then existing pre-client races went extinct.
After the Almorel had been active for about 213 years, they vanished without a trace. All the damaged biospheres recovered full species diversity within 128 years, for reasons unknown.
It is widely believed that the original Almorel were not completely exterminated. The theory is that a Retired race rescued some of them from the Ngumal and helped uplift them to Elder status. The uplift seems to have partially failed for some things are beyond the wisdom of even the Retired. (An alternative theory is that a Retired species struck a bargain with the Almorel. The Almorel traded the chance to Retire for vengence.) The Elder Almorel had military technology bordering on that of the Retired, more sophisticated than that of any true Elder, but retained the mind set of young patrons. They took revenge on their persecutors and abused their power. (See uplift failure modes.) The Retired soon noticed and removed them from the Galaxies, then repaired the damaged biospheres. There is no proof of this theory, only circumstantial evidence, and there are rival theories, but it is the most widely believed. (The most popular alternative theory being that the Almorel indulged in a crash program of self-uplift while in hiding. While the Retired almost certainly involved themselves directly in the Lion Wars, many records are still sealed and readily accessible documentation is very ambiguous.)
In any case, the Almorel event is the best substantiated case of sustained interactions with the Retired by Main Sequence species. Many of the other cases share strong similarities with this one. The general pattern is a minor species recieves gifts from the Retired, or is uplifted to Retirement. It lacks the wisdom to use its gift well, and abuses its status, causing much damage. By seemingly miraculous means, the species is removed and all the damage cured. Even if these stories had no basis in truth, they would warn against seeking Retirement too hastily, discouraging patrons from being too innovative. Races not content with the Library may acquire technologies for which they are not ready. The stories do suggest reasons why the Retired are traditionally reclusive (since our societies are too fragile for contact with such potent beings), and why actively sponsored uplift stops at early Main Sequence maturity. The truth, however, is unknowable by mere patrons.
(by Robert Shaw)
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