Gnosis

The Gnosis are an alien race in the Xenosaga series. They first appeared en masse in T.C. 4747 during the Miltian Conflict. Since their appearance, they've been threatening humanity for years.

Description
Gnosis come in variety in shapes and forms, with the largest on record being the Cathedral Ship. Gnosis are mostly in form, non-physical existence. They exist in a unique dimension separate from the physical plane. Only by the Hilbert Effect that they are drawn into the physical realm. If a human comes in contact with a Gnosis, the victim disintegrates into salt, a process known as the whitening, effectively killing the victim or in some extreme cases, become one themselves. Gnosis also have the ability to possess machinery, giving them the abilities the machine has. Most of the Gnosis' bodies are comprised of sodium chloride, when translucent, their bodies are made of water and sodium hydroxide.

History
Prior to the Miltian Conflict, Gnosis sightings were rare. It wasn't until when poorly-calibrated combat Realians killed the parents of a young Shion Uzuki, causing her abilities to resonate with the in despair, that the Gnosis started to appear en masse.