Many races have stepped onto the galactic stage in the Mass Effect universe, with humanity (united under the Systems Alliance) being the newcomer. Meanwhile, the Asari people have been around the block more than a few times, and they had a head start given the state of Thessia. The Asari had all kinds of advantages before they even explored the space beyond their home system.

Commander Shepard, the Alliance hero, visited a number of alien homeworlds during their quest to save the galaxy, and that included Thessia. Unlike the radiation-soaked Palaven or the wasteland of Tuchanka, Thessia was once a true paradise.

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The Biotic World

liara t'soni mass effect

The Asari evolved on a mild, temperate planet abundant with forests, rivers, lakes, mountains and more, not unlike the distant Earth. It also has fairly similar gravity and atmospheric pressure as Earth, given the Commander's comfort while visiting. However, unlike the human homeworld, Thessia is positively buzzing with biotic power, like a second atmosphere.

Biotic energy isn't just common; it's everywhere, and it has seeped into the natural ecosystem. All plants and animals bathe in the presence of biotic energy on Thessia, so naturally, the Asari people have a strong affinity for biotics. To that end, all Asari can use biotics, setting them apart from the other races. This is something they take for granted. According to Liara T'Soni, basic biotic training is a core and mandatory part of public education on Thessia, where schoolchildren learn to harness their natural talents. No one even thinks twice about it on Thessia.

The galaxy may envy Thessia for other reasons too. On this world, tyranny and violence are uncommon; the Asari are community-oriented, working toward the common good and treating one another with basic dignity and respect at all times. They're not as rigid as the Turian Hierarchy, though; the Asari people have divided Thessia into a collection of city-states, which are all largely autonomous. The people enjoy democracy and strong representation, and alienation and exploitation are rare.

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In this peaceful, benevolent society, the Asari are free to enjoy long lives (1,000+ years), get an education at the planet's many schools and universities, and have a high standard of living. Thessia's rates of corruption, violent crime, poverty and disease are remarkably low, and these social ills are practically unknown to Thessia's elite. This contrasts sharply with the constant clan feuds and bomb-blasted landscape of Tuchanka or the oppressive, manipulative state of the Batarian Hegemony.

What's more, Thessia enjoys strong diplomatic ties with other capital worlds, given the Asari people's natural talents for diplomacy, statecraft and general wisdom. Unfortunately, this prosperity was shattered in 2186 when the Asari faced a true challenge: the Reaper fleets.

Thessia, Burned to the Ground

shepard on thessia

Thessia was largely a peaceful world, and the Asari had a relatively small military to defend it. Asari may train as elite commandos or enlist to serve in their race's small but well-trained fleet, and they prefer small-scale, covert operations where they take the initiative and strike at their enemies without warning. This makes them rather similar to the Salarian people -- that is, totally unprepared for a defensive battle on a large scale.

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Thessia was the heart of the galactic economy and a world rich in biotics, making it an obvious priority for the Reaper fleets. Asari High Command, the ultimate authority on Thessia, organized the planet's defenses and struck at the incoming Reapers with the full might of the Asari commandos and flotillas. But it wasn't enough. The Reapers make quick progress on Thessia, and its defenses were further weakened by the decentralized nature of the world. The republics may not be enemies, but they were unprepared to form a united front in time.

During this time, Asari High Command (and the Asari councilor Tevos) reluctantly revealed a world-shaking secret: Thessia was home to a working Prothean beacon. This relic from the ancient Prothean Empire had fueled Asari growth and development a great deal, and it was hidden within a massive statue of the goddess Athame inside a temple. In times past, the Protheans had noted the potential of the primitive Asari, cultivating and grooming them to fight off the Reapers in a future cycle. Hence, many ancient statues and art of Athame inside that temple depict what is clearly a Prothean -- Thessia's ultimate secret.

In 2186, Commander Shepard visited Thessia during its desperate last stand, and the Commander met a working Prothean VI inside the temple's beacon. This was the secret to finishing the Crucible weapon, and councilor Tevos hoped to get her hands on it. Unfortunately, Cerberus was on the scene, and Kai Leng the assassin swiped the Prothean VI and left Thessia to its fate. Reaper capital ships kept landing, and it became clear that the people of Thessia, for all their art and philosophy, could not prevail. Either the Crucible would work, or Thessia's golden age would be buried under ruin for all time.

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