The first thing you should note, are the different races of aliens appearing in the book:
Turian: "Turians typically stand over six feet tall, have two long,
proportionately thick fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand, each
tipped with talons, and a set of mandibles around their mouths. The most
distinguishing feature of Turians is their metallic carapace, which is a
result of their evolution. Turian features are avian, making them resemble humanoid birds or raptors, however unlike most Earth avian creatures, Turians are viviparous and give birth to live young. Turians are also recognizable by their voices, which have a distinctive flanging effect. The lifespan of a Turian is comparable to that of a human. Turians normally wear elaborate face paint marking their colony of
origin, though it is not known which markings distinguish which colony.
These markings are usually white — particularly on Turians with darker
carapaces — but can be of various colors. Turians exhibit the characteristics of predators rather than those of prey species.
Their forward-facing alert eyes give the impression that they possess
outstanding eyesight and their teeth and jaws mimic the structures
possessed by apex predators such as crocodiles or ancient, carnivorous
dinosaurs. Needless to say, their talons on both their feet and hands
seem capable of ripping flesh. Their slender bodies also seem to suggest
that they are also capable of moving at high speeds.
The Turian homeworld, Palaven, has a metal-poor core, generating a weak
magnetic field and allowing more solar radiation into the atmosphere. To
deal with this, most forms of life on Palaven evolved some form of
metallic "exoskeleton" to protect themselves. Their reflective
plate-like skin makes Turians less susceptible to long-term, low-level
radiation exposure, but they do not possess any sort of "natural armor".
A Turian's thick skin does not stop projectiles and directed energy
bolts. Turian blood has a dark blue coloration, possibly from the
presence of hemocyanin rather than hemoglobin, which would fit with the biology of a metallic exoskeleton.
Although life on Palaven is carbon-based and oxygen-breathing, it is
built on dextro-amino acids. This places the Turians in a distinct
minority on the galactic stage; the Quarians
are the only other sapient dextro-protein race. The food of humans, (who evolved in levo-amino acid-based biospheres),
will at best pass through Turian systems without providing any
nutrition. At worst, it will trigger an allergic reaction that can be
fatal if not immediately treated."
Drell: "Drell are omnivorous reptile-like humanoids with an average lifespan of
85 galactic standard years. Drell appearance is very similar to humans, but their muscle tissue is slightly denser, giving them a
wiry strength. Although many of their more reptilian features are
concealed, their hyoid bone, located in their throats, is particularly
developed. This allows them to inflate their throats and produce vocal
sounds outside of the human range. They also have two sets of eyelids,
akin to crocodiles. In addition, drell possess the ability to shed
tears.
Because the Drell ancestors emerged from arid, rocky deserts, the
humid, ocean-covered home-world of Kahje proved tolerable only when
the Drell stayed inside a climate-controlled dome city. The leading
cause of death for Drell on Kahje is Kepral's Syndrome, caused by
cumulative long-term exposure to a humid climate. This syndrome erodes
the ability of drell lungs to take in oxygen, and eventually spreads out
to other organs. It is noncommunicable, and there is currently no known
cure, though leading scientific authorities are working on
creating a genetic adaptation.
The Drell possess eidetic memory, an adaptation to a world where
they must remember the location of every necessary resource (vegetation,
drinkable water and prey migration paths) across vast distances. The
memories are so strong that an external stimulus can trigger a powerful
memory recall. These recalls are so vivid and detailed that some Drell
may mistake it for reality. This process can be involuntary.
Quarian "Quarians are generally shorter and of slighter build than humans.
Quarians have an endoskeleton, lips, teeth, and two eyes with eyelids
and tear ducts; they also have three thick fingers on both hands which
include a thumb, an index finger, and a long finger, similar to the
middle fingers for humans, as well as three toes on each foot. Quarian
facial structure and hair actually makes them the most similar to humans
in physical appearance. Their lower legs are bowed backwards
significantly, compared to humans. Aside from hands and legs, their general body shape and
sexual dimorphism is similar to humans. Their ears or ear analogues
differ in a noticeable fashion from those of humans. The most distinguishing feature of Quarian biology is their weak immune
system, compounded by centuries of living in sterile environments. As a
result, all Quarians by necessity dress in highly sophisticated
enviro-suits, to protect them from disease or infection if they are
injured. Their suits can be compartmentalized in the event of a tear or
similar breach to prevent the spread of contaminants (similar to a ship
sealing off bulkheads in the event of a hull breach). Along with their
suits Quarians also have extensive cybernetic augmentations integrated
into their bodies. A Quarian's lifespan is roughly equal to a human's,
but is prone to be less if infection breaks into the suit.
A Quarian who wishes to remove their suit must take antibiotics,
immuno-boosters, herbal supplements, or the like in order to do so
safely, and even then there are inherent risks. As a result, physical
acts of affection are difficult for Quarians. Like Turians,
the Quarians are a dextro-protein species of reverse chirality from
humans and asari. The food of levo-protein races such as humans
is at best inedible and at worst poisonous, most likely triggering a
dangerous allergic reaction. They created the Geth around 1900 CE to be used as laborers and tools of war. The Quarians kept their programming as limited as that of any VI, nothing close to an AI. But as the Quarians gradually modified the Geth to do more complex
tasks, developing a sophisticated neural network, these changes altered
the Geth to such an extent that they became sentient. One day, a Geth
unit began asking its overseer questions about the nature of its
existence. Panicked, the Quarian government ordered the immediate termination of
all Geth in the hopes of preventing a revolution. Many Quarians did not
want to oppose the Geth, but were forced to give up or terminate their Geth servants. The quarians severely underestimated the power and sophistication of the
geth's neural network. The Geth reacted to defend themselves, and the
resulting confrontation erupted into a planetwide war.
Billions of Quarians died, and the survivors were eventually driven
from their home-world. The only reason Quarians were able to escape was
because after they had fled to a certain distance, the Geth no longer
recognized them as a threat and ceased pursuit. The Quarians fled the system in what remained of their fleet. Ever since, the Quarians have drifted from system to system, searching
for resources to sustain the Migrant Fleet and also for a new world to
colonize."
Geth: "The Geth are a race of networked artificial intelligences. The Geth were created by the Quarians,
as laborers and tools of war. When the Geth became sentient and began
to question their masters, the Quarians attempted to exterminate them.
The Geth won the resulting war, and reduced the Quarians to a race of nomads.
The history of the Geth's creation and evolution serves as a warning
to the rest of the galaxy of the potential dangers of artificial
intelligence and to the legally enforced, systematic repression of
artificial intelligences throughout galactic society."
Krogan: "Due to the brutality of their surroundings, natural selection has played
a significant role in the evolution of the Krogan. Unlike most sentient
species, Krogan eyes are wide-set - on earth,
this is common among prey animals, and in this case it gives the Krogan
240-degree vision, giving them greater visual acuity and awareness of
approaching predators.
Their large shoulder humps store fluids and nutrients, enabling them
to survive extended periods without food or water. A bigger shoulder
hump is seen as a sign of high status, showing how successful an
individual Krogan is at hunting. Their thick hides are virtually
impervious to cuts, scrapes or contusions, and they are highly resistant
to environmental hazards,
including toxins, radiation, and extreme heat and cold. Consequently
their diets can include food and drink which would prove very dangerous
to other species—a fact reflected in the Krogan liquor of choice, ryncol,
which is said to "hit aliens like ground glass". Younger Krogan have
yellow or green markings on their hides. These markings darken to brown
or tan over time, showing their age.
Krogan typically stand over 7 feet and weigh roughly one ton in armor. The most amazing physiological feature of krogan biology is the multiple
instances of major organs. These secondary (and where applicable,
tertiary) systems are capable of serving as back-ups in the event of
damage to the primary biological structures. Krogan also have a secondary nervous system using a neuroconductive
fluid, meaning they are almost impossible to paralyze. Krogan bleed a
yellow or orange fluid when shot, which may be this fluid or actual
blood.
Having redundant systems makes Krogan difficult to kill or incapacitate
in normal combat scenarios. Sheer physical hardiness means an individual Krogan can expect to live for centuries. Krogan can live for well over a
thousand years."
The second thing you should note, is technology:
Technology:
Omnitools:
Omni-tools are handheld devices
that combine a computer microframe, sensor analysis pack, and
minifacturing fabricator. Versatile and reliable, an omni-tool can be
used to analyze and adjust the functionality of most standard equipment,
including weapons and armor, from a distance.
The fabrication module can rapidly assemble small
three-dimensional objects from common, reusable industrial plastics,
ceramics, and light alloys. This allows for field repairs and
modifications to most standard items, as well as the reuse of salvaged
equipment.
Omni-tools are standard issue for soldiers and first-in colonists.
The most common melee design is the "omni-blade," a disposable
silicon-carbide weapon flash-forged by the tool's mini-fabricator. The
transparent, nearly diamond-hard blade is created and suspended in a
mass effect field safely away from the user's skin. Warning lights
illuminate the field so the searing-hot blade only burns what it is
intended to: the opponent.
More technically adept soldiers frequently modify their
omni-tools to maximize stopping power through electrical, kinetic, or
thermal energy. Some troops integrate their weapon with their kinetic
barriers, transformering the omni-tool into a wrist-mounted bludgeon;
others fabricate flammable gases, held in place by a mass effect field
and ignited upon impact. All prove deadly surprises. Known functions are:
Flashlight
Scanner
Repairing items
Dispensing medical-gel
Programming and hacking
Camera
Video, audio and holographic communication
Downloading and playing video games
Converting items into omni-gel
Melee weapon attacks
Cryogenic and incendiary attacks
Applying upgrades to weapons"
All seen information was taken from the Mass Effect wikia. Credit goes to them.
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