Tower of Babel: A Bronze Age Space Civ Quest

Hello everyone. This is a little, mostly narratively driven quest, where we will rule a magical space empire on a wide scale, and, I hope, commit unspeakable acts of hubris together!
Somewhat inspired by Unto the Heavens, Glory on Spacebattles and Dragon Kings in the 41st Millennia.
For those that already follow some of my quests, this one is a way to do a little writing without too much worry on mechanics,will I work to reconstruct what was lost with my recent hard drive crash !

It is said that a civilization must go far in its understanding of nature to reach the stars. Tame the fire of the suns, create minds of glass and lighting and smith alloys stronger than steel.
However, there are others, less narrow paths to the heavens. Places where mystic enlightenment can allow one to build bridges to the sky far before even learning the working of iron.
This is the story of such a civilization. A tale of glorious achievements, of arrogant star peoples vanquished by the "primitives" they see as lower than dirt. And of course, of crushing, towering hubris!

So, what alternate path was taken by the people of this saga?


[] Path of Philosophy


View: https://youtu.be/SPj61-K7MaM

The path of enlightenment triumphant. On a world divided amongst countless petty kings and warlords, the few that gazed upon the stars and pondered on the nature of existence were mocked by the powerful, obsessed by games of mortal power and mundane conquest.

But this world was filled with hints on higher understanding and connected to higher realms of existence, and when a long forgotten prophecy of doom what finally near fulfilled, and the world began to be ravaged by constant, unstoppable storms, it was not the kings, the lords, the warriors and the horseman that helped the people and saved the world, but the wises.
With constant work and study of the higher secrets, what began as an amalgam of philosophers, astronomers, mad hermits and idle nobles was transmuted into an order of master sorcerers, able to predict the storms in the movements of the stars and the flight of birds, and to counter and redirect through rituals, the burning of incense and the drawing of the sacred forms and seals on the soils.

For Philosophy is the universal lever, with which all can be done, and when the Doom finally came, through the sacrifices of countless herds, the burning of entire harvests and the reshaping of entire kingdoms according to the geometry of the heavenly spheres, the Doom was banished, and the storms ended.

Now the philosophers rule, and on their ivory towers they watch the stars, the lever of Philosophy in hands. They shall know all. They shall master all. They shall see that no Doom ever comes to any world.

Power : Philosophy is an arduous art, for even the smallest work needs the right tools, the right moment, the right places and the right rituals to be used, and an error in one calculation can easily spell doom.
But it can do anything. It can reshape the lands, move the heavens, birth stars, and create life. The only limit is one knowledge, ambitions, tools…and time to spend endlessly calculating every detail.
Also, what is tested cannot be undone. Be wary of what changes the philosophers inflict upon the world.

FTL method: Correspondence dictates that everything is connected, and resemblance means connection, for harming the son can harm the father, and extinguishing a fire can dim the light of the sun. And what is more identical than two empty void ? In an appropriately consecrated sanctum, where the necessities of life are preserved through rites, one can use these principles to bridge the emptiness between the stars and make two places one for one instant.

[] Path of Cultivation


View: https://youtu.be/wpsgc3m__zg

The path of power supreme. Upon a world where one can cultivate the power of Heavens and Earth, and through mastery of Qi and Dao reach immortality and power, a genius has been born.
This genius, like many before, crushed thousands of foes and reached the height of power with incredible speed. But there has been one difference with every other. The genius did not ascend beyond this world at the height of power, to seek further might in realms beyond mere mortals.
No, the genius used absolute power to conquer and unite the entire world, for their hunger for power and control go far beyond mere personal power. And this task finished, the genius turned their gaze to the stars.
When every star and every world bow to the genius as their Emperor, one with unequal might and absolute authority, and all are under one, incontestable law, no matter their might, the genius will ascend. Only then.

Power : Cultivation allows one to reach incomparable might by integrating the lifeforce of the world, its Qi into one self. It is the strongest path to personal power there is, even if it is one that is long, hard and can only be walked by a few.
Cultivations offer absolute power to some, and nothing to most.

FTL method: Cultivators strong enough can, at the helm of a massive stellar flying sword, provide thousands with protection and sustenance and cut the very space between there starting point and their destination.


[] Path of the Underworld


View: https://youtu.be/Pf8tVZYXcvE


The path of faith reanimated. There was once a world in peace, under the stewardship of countless gods and the rules of divines-blooded kings and priests, in the name of cosmic order over primordial chaos. All was well, as it always had been, an unchanging society living countless identical years.
Then the Devourer came, the beast of destruction, destined to bring the world back into the initial chaos. The gods fought mightily, striking countless blows and wounding the Devourer. But they lost and were slain.
The Sun disappeared from the midday sky, and the rivers turned to blood. The End had come, and most succumbed to darkest despair.
But not all. A few heroes decided to try the impossible and journeyed to the Underworld. There, with broken divine bodies, spilled blood, and scarred spirits, they reanimated some of our fallen gods from their immobile shades in the land of the Dead. With the help of the Dead Gods, the people were able to finally slay the wounded Devourer, and banish it beyond the light of the sun, at least for a time.
Now is a time of change for an unchanging society. The Dead Gods are undead, without freedom and unable to guide us. Our society has lost its immemorial stability. And somewhere beyond our sun, amongst the sea of stars, the Devourer slowly heals from death.

Power : From Their domain in the Underworld, the Dead Gods share three gifts. To the many, They give Blessings, global passive effects that shall work as long as the people follow the rites of the Gods.
To the priests, They give Rituals, powers and spells that can be invoked by those initiated into the mysteries of a God.
And, in place sacred to Them, They can Incarnate, sharing There Godly might, be it to guard an holy site, empower a temple ship, or, in the direst cases, annihilate the enemies of the faithful as walking colossus.

FTL method: With the blessings of the Dead Gods, sacred temple ships can travel upon the rivers of the Underworld and carry part of the land of the dead everywhere they go, banishing the cold of the void.


And what awaits our protagonists in the Sea of stars? What foreign empires will they meet?

[] A Spark amidst Steel

The universe beyond our protagonists holds miracles born only of mortal sciences. They are the one exception in a land ruled by logic and the wonders of steel and electricity.

[] Sacred Nuclear Fire

The universe holds wonders born of both the mundane and arcane. Our protagonists will meet empires of steels, faiths, spellcraft and more.

[] Faith and wisdom Supreme

This universe has no place for science, and holds no empire even learned in the mysteries of the steam engine. Faith and magic are supreme here.



PS: English is not my first language. If anyone sees anything weird, tell me.