Ancients

The Ancients were an advanced alien race that lived and thrived millions of years ago, and who were the first known species to invent starships and faster-than-light travel. Their exact origin is unknown, nobody even knows what they looked like as every Ancient ship recovered thus far has had its data logs purged, though it is commonly thought that they were humanoid based on the designs of such ships. About 7 million years ago the Ancients disappeared from the galaxy altogether, leaving behind their technology and their ruins. Over time almost all of this technology was lost, with the exception of their FTL drive, first rediscovered by the Trondytes in 458 BC. Eventually hundreds of other species discovered this Ancient FTL technology and reverse-engineered it for their own purposes. Ancient technology and starships are highly sought after artifacts both on the black market and in legitimate trades, and many people have dedicated their entire lives to discovering and selling these rare artifacts, they are known as 'Ancient Hunters'.