avatar11792
Et Sic Incipit
- Location
- Planet Earth, North America
[X] Ginger Maniac
A Hive for The Galaxy (Sci-Fi CK2-style Quest)
- Thread starter The Laurent
- Start date
- Original
-
- Tags
- science fiction ck2 quest
- Pronouns
- They/He
[x] What's With Research?
[x] Tanks For Nothing
[x] Fair, Balanced, And Well-Funded
[x] Talk To Sol
[x] Colonial Holdings
[x] Study The Workers' Plight
[x] Sweep The Laws
[x] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
[x] Tanks For Nothing
[x] Fair, Balanced, And Well-Funded
[x] Talk To Sol
[x] Colonial Holdings
[x] Study The Workers' Plight
[x] Sweep The Laws
[x] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Indeed you will. It won't make her all the way better, because mental health isn't one of those Hollywood 'Eureka Moment' things, so her road to recovery will likely take a while if followed (complete with hard moments and relapses)*, but taking said action will have (consults notes) this effect.
Success will help her in other ways, but specially for hiring her there's a 70% chance (roll 30 or better) that the chance for her to successfully be hired-on will increase from 30 to 40%, and a 30% chance (roll 70 or better) that it'll increase to 50%. If you do the therapy but don't pick her then next turn that raised chance would still be there, of course. Besides any chance raised via investment of Personal Intervention.
* I hope my one portrayal of her directly hasn't given the impression that she's an amusing sort of mess, like, "Lol, she's quirky and a paranoid 'kill everyone' person." I don't want to stop the narrative to talk about it, but she has wild swings of emotions including vulnerability seemingly related to the past, she might have some manner of illness (and certainly has mental illness) that she's self-medicating with illegal drugs (and legal ones used rather too hardly) for.
Like, the Hazitean you knew was Just, Kind, a bit suspicious and stand-offish, a little bit flirtatious at times and not always the most rock-solid of persons in terms of 'keeping to her word'...but she wasn't even remotely like this. She's changed a lot.
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[x] What's With Research?
[x] Tanks For Nothing
[X] Fair, Balanced and Well Funded
[X] Talk to Sol
[X] Buy-out?
[X] Palace Fees
[X] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
[X] Open Up Avenues
Leaving the Iashec owning our land is bad juju.
[x] Tanks For Nothing
[X] Fair, Balanced and Well Funded
[X] Talk to Sol
[X] Buy-out?
[X] Palace Fees
[X] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
[X] Open Up Avenues
Leaving the Iashec owning our land is bad juju.
Makes sense, and I'd like to run her through therapy before trying to appoint her. She's just perfect except a few screws are loose.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Vote'll probably close tonight!
This. This, so freaking much. My guess is that she developed PTSD, didn't go through counselling for whatever reason, then fell into the trap of self-medication and things spiralled down from there. We need to help her out before we can take her on as a Martial advisor, not just dump the pressures of the job on her while she's still trying to pull herself together.
- Location
- Dreiländereck
[X]Crazy...and Brilliant:
[X]What's With Research?
It should help our martial advisor or at least give us an effective one.
And as Bug Bond I don't like the sound of unsupervised, secluded researchers who are not necessarily loyal to us.
[X] Talk to Sol
[X]Caste of Diplomats?
I would like a diplomacy advisor, a loyal diplomatic corps and I guess the earlier we talk with Sol the better.
[X]Unhelpful Taxes
[X]Judicial Activism
[X]Search for an Advisor
[X](Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
Again an advisor, better opinion of the plebs even if it cuts in our pocket, we continue with our reform of the judicacy and last but not least a visible case of us doing something for the betterment of the entire hive.
Soooo many options. It is glorious.
[X]What's With Research?
It should help our martial advisor or at least give us an effective one.
And as Bug Bond I don't like the sound of unsupervised, secluded researchers who are not necessarily loyal to us.
[X] Talk to Sol
[X]Caste of Diplomats?
I would like a diplomacy advisor, a loyal diplomatic corps and I guess the earlier we talk with Sol the better.
[X]Unhelpful Taxes
[X]Judicial Activism
[X]Search for an Advisor
[X](Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
Again an advisor, better opinion of the plebs even if it cuts in our pocket, we continue with our reform of the judicacy and last but not least a visible case of us doing something for the betterment of the entire hive.
Soooo many options. It is glorious.
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- Pronouns
- They/Them
Vote closes in a few hours!
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Anyone else voting? Also, someone do a tally.
Arkatekt
Harbinger of Shitluck
Vote tally:
##### 3.21
[X] Talk to the Soldier Caste
[X] With the Fleets
[X] Fair, Balanced and Well Funded
[X] Talk to Sol
[X] Buy-out?
[X] Palace Fees
[X] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
[X] Open Up Avenues
No. of votes: 2
veekie, Dark Ness
[X] Colonial Police
[X] With the Fleets
[div class="SpoilerTarget bbCodeSpoilerText"][X] No, seriously, what happened?
[X] Talk to Sol
[X] Colony Administration
[X] Colonial Holdings
[X] Study the Workers' Plight
[X] (Hive) Caste or No Caste[/div]
No. of votes: 1
Night_stalker
[x] What's With Research?
[x] Tanks For Nothing
[x] Fair, Balanced, And Well-Funded
[x] Talk To Sol
[x] Colonial Holdings
[x] Study The Workers' Plight
[x] Sweep The Laws
[x] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
No. of votes: 3
Ginger Maniac, avatar11792, Deathstorm50
[x] What's With Research?
[x] Tanks For Nothing
[X] Fair, Balanced and Well Funded
[X] Talk to Sol
[X] Buy-out?
[X] Palace Fees
[X] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
[X] Open Up Avenues
No. of votes: 1
wingstrike96
[X]Crazy...and Brilliant:
[X]What's With Research?
[X] Talk to Sol
[X]Caste of Diplomats?
[X]Unhelpful Taxes
[X]Judicial Activism
[X]Search for an Advisor
[X](Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
No. of votes: 1
Wellhello
[X]What's With Research?
[X] Talk to the Soldier Caste
[X] Fair, Balanced and Well Funded
[X] Talk to Sol
[X] Buy-out?
[X] Palace Fees
[X] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
[X] Open Up Avenues
No. of votes: 1
Eri
##### 3.21
[X] Talk to the Soldier Caste
[X] With the Fleets
[X] Fair, Balanced and Well Funded
[X] Talk to Sol
[X] Buy-out?
[X] Palace Fees
[X] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
[X] Open Up Avenues
No. of votes: 2
veekie, Dark Ness
[X] Colonial Police
[X] With the Fleets
[div class="SpoilerTarget bbCodeSpoilerText"][X] No, seriously, what happened?
[X] Talk to Sol
[X] Colony Administration
[X] Colonial Holdings
[X] Study the Workers' Plight
[X] (Hive) Caste or No Caste[/div]
No. of votes: 1
Night_stalker
[x] What's With Research?
[x] Tanks For Nothing
[x] Fair, Balanced, And Well-Funded
[x] Talk To Sol
[x] Colonial Holdings
[x] Study The Workers' Plight
[x] Sweep The Laws
[x] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
No. of votes: 3
Ginger Maniac, avatar11792, Deathstorm50
[x] What's With Research?
[x] Tanks For Nothing
[X] Fair, Balanced and Well Funded
[X] Talk to Sol
[X] Buy-out?
[X] Palace Fees
[X] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
[X] Open Up Avenues
No. of votes: 1
wingstrike96
[X]Crazy...and Brilliant:
[X]What's With Research?
[X] Talk to Sol
[X]Caste of Diplomats?
[X]Unhelpful Taxes
[X]Judicial Activism
[X]Search for an Advisor
[X](Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
No. of votes: 1
Wellhello
[X]What's With Research?
[X] Talk to the Soldier Caste
[X] Fair, Balanced and Well Funded
[X] Talk to Sol
[X] Buy-out?
[X] Palace Fees
[X] (Hive) Bad Worms, Bad Company
[X] Open Up Avenues
No. of votes: 1
Eri
Turn 2--Intrigue, Learning, Personal
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Intrigue: This is your arena, and now things are starting to come together in some ways. You have options, not as many as you'd wished, but things are picking up, and Yaziha is helping you out for the moment. Chance he'll do one of the more sedentary actions each turn (he's not an official advisor though). (Pick 3)
Learning: Kikkizit has a lot of ideas. They're almost apologetic here, well aware of the economic situation and how that might get in the way, but they've been bursting with them for quite a while. Still, there are things you can do, and you've started to get an understanding of the wide range of possibilities. (Pick 3)
Personal (Choose 2)
A/N: And there you go!
In The Black
Find the areas where the Iashec are donating money to your half-defunct spy-system and try to reduce it our even eliminate it. It might lead to budgetary squabbles, but it's the only way you can be sure that you're not bleeding more and more each turn.
Cost: 50 Wealth
Probability: 70%
Reward: Iashec investment reduced, -Wealth of some level.
The Dark Side of Reconciliation
There are enemies. They can be found, those that did the worst. Even though reconciliation was done, accidents could be arranged. Or more honestly, they could be found to be continuing bad behavior through basic monitoring and then be hauled off, to see what to do with them from there. It might turn out badly, it might be accepted, who knows.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 50%
Reward: Worst war-criminals still present taken in/dealt with, options.
Casino Royale
You are going to go yourself. Ignore that guffaws from some of your guards. You are trained for it, and with their support you can manage it. You'll infiltrate under the guise of a worker on the make, running from the new government, an identity you've carefully crafted, with changes of clothing and sprays and dyes to make it harder for you to be picked up on, though your head-wings are the one difficulty. Either way, with the right clothing even that can be minimized. You, alongside other agents, will infilitrate in, find Zaeswin, and hopefully extract him quietly to receive justice.
Cost: 200 Wealth
Probability: ???, Roll to see how well it starts, but…
Reward: Start of an 'Infiltration Turn', will make further decisions during that.
Grubs in the Muck
Criminal organizations have blossomed. Narfit, the Barabans, the Yissili Mission, the various street gangs, the city-wide groups and the large, corrupt groups that oversee the black market that has been shrinking, of course. You could use the bugs and information to begin targeting them, though there's a risk of them finding it out, and while some of it was corruption, even accounting for that, the previous government hadn't had much success in this. On the other hand, even the basic monitoring you've done shows increased activity, and there's this itching suspicion in the back of your head that they're planning something big.
Cost: 150 Wealth
Probability: 60%?
Reward: A few high-level busts, find some of the criminal gangs and start regulating them. Forcefully. ???
Patterns of Behavior
You can monitor the forums and online conversation in several heavily-trafficked areas, not to catch criminals but to notice patterns of thoughts and to better be able to predict just what's coming. Are people growing angrier, is dissent rising, is there a drop in activity that might mean they've found a way around the bugs?
Cost: 100 Wealth per turn.
Probability: 65%
Reward: Information, knowledge, potential options each turn.
The Infernal Archive
Records were kept, in theory. In reality it's a rat's nest, and it's hard to tell. Many are encrypted, speaking of dark deeds, or hidden from one part of the Black Budget. The thing is a tangle. But within all of it might lie secrets, or information on Zaeswin, your target. Either way, you need to learn more about just what the government was up to.'
In light of the new information, this has gone up some in priority, since the ties to the Iashec are...troubling to say the least.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 40%
Reward: +10% to all other Intrigue rolls this turn, opens up tons of new options. Information.
What are they saying?
The Ruler-Caste, the former Monarch and so on were immune to at least the bugs and programs you have access to, but you could find the codes for where they are monitored and work on setting up your own spy network. You need to know what they're saying and thinking, and whether they are planning anything against you. They gave up peacefully, but they certainly didn't *choose* to give up.
Cost: 350 Wealth
Probability: 50%
Reward: Monitor the former Monarch and her children and allies, open up options.
Colonial Eyes and Ears
The colonies are a big question mark. You could rectify this through viruses, agents, and other such forms of infiltration, but it's a long journey with forces you aren't entirely sure of. But considering the dangers the colonies pose, and are in, it might just be worth it. The operations would be delicate and complicated, but you just might be able to do it.
Cost: 400 Wealth
Probability: 30%/40% (with either Military or Diplomatic versions of dealing with the Colonies)/60% (with both)
Reward: Information. Options.
Redeeming the Aroane Special Group
The most famous special-forces group is the Aroane. There are many, but you have a friend or two who used to be in that group, and former friends still in there. Their reputation was marred by their actions, including a (peaceful) raid on the house of a protest-leader and scholar, but they are useful and the largest and (though the public might not believe it) least given to brutal and repressive acts, the true monsters hiding in the shadows, not so public that people spoke of the "ASG" in a very public way.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 40%
Reward: Aroane checked out and cleared of potential subversives, public opinion restored to 'neutral/those-scary-people', options opened up.
Open Government?
There have been calls to open the action of the government so all can see it. You could do so...at least for the non-classified stuff, setting up sites and document retrieval for the non-sensitive Diplomatic, Stewardship, Martial and Learning actions, while keeping the Intrigue carefully hidden. It'd increase public trust, at the very least, though also increase public scrutiny.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 70%
Reward: Open Government holo-casts and VR/web-sites, increased public opinion, increased public pressure.
Cyber-Agents
You need to improve agents, and just as importantly, make sure you know the access codes and shut-offs for the cybernetically enhanced agents so that you can grant more of them, deactivate them for those who are let go but...aren't let go of living, and otherwise get a handle on this most-vital security issue.
Cost: 200 Wealth
Probability: 40%
Reward: Any agents that escape a purge won't have military-grade cybertech available. Can track your own agents. Can train more and give them Intelligence-Grade cybernetics.
Find the areas where the Iashec are donating money to your half-defunct spy-system and try to reduce it our even eliminate it. It might lead to budgetary squabbles, but it's the only way you can be sure that you're not bleeding more and more each turn.
Cost: 50 Wealth
Probability: 70%
Reward: Iashec investment reduced, -Wealth of some level.
The Dark Side of Reconciliation
There are enemies. They can be found, those that did the worst. Even though reconciliation was done, accidents could be arranged. Or more honestly, they could be found to be continuing bad behavior through basic monitoring and then be hauled off, to see what to do with them from there. It might turn out badly, it might be accepted, who knows.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 50%
Reward: Worst war-criminals still present taken in/dealt with, options.
Casino Royale
You are going to go yourself. Ignore that guffaws from some of your guards. You are trained for it, and with their support you can manage it. You'll infiltrate under the guise of a worker on the make, running from the new government, an identity you've carefully crafted, with changes of clothing and sprays and dyes to make it harder for you to be picked up on, though your head-wings are the one difficulty. Either way, with the right clothing even that can be minimized. You, alongside other agents, will infilitrate in, find Zaeswin, and hopefully extract him quietly to receive justice.
Cost: 200 Wealth
Probability: ???, Roll to see how well it starts, but…
Reward: Start of an 'Infiltration Turn', will make further decisions during that.
Grubs in the Muck
Criminal organizations have blossomed. Narfit, the Barabans, the Yissili Mission, the various street gangs, the city-wide groups and the large, corrupt groups that oversee the black market that has been shrinking, of course. You could use the bugs and information to begin targeting them, though there's a risk of them finding it out, and while some of it was corruption, even accounting for that, the previous government hadn't had much success in this. On the other hand, even the basic monitoring you've done shows increased activity, and there's this itching suspicion in the back of your head that they're planning something big.
Cost: 150 Wealth
Probability: 60%?
Reward: A few high-level busts, find some of the criminal gangs and start regulating them. Forcefully. ???
Patterns of Behavior
You can monitor the forums and online conversation in several heavily-trafficked areas, not to catch criminals but to notice patterns of thoughts and to better be able to predict just what's coming. Are people growing angrier, is dissent rising, is there a drop in activity that might mean they've found a way around the bugs?
Cost: 100 Wealth per turn.
Probability: 65%
Reward: Information, knowledge, potential options each turn.
The Infernal Archive
Records were kept, in theory. In reality it's a rat's nest, and it's hard to tell. Many are encrypted, speaking of dark deeds, or hidden from one part of the Black Budget. The thing is a tangle. But within all of it might lie secrets, or information on Zaeswin, your target. Either way, you need to learn more about just what the government was up to.'
In light of the new information, this has gone up some in priority, since the ties to the Iashec are...troubling to say the least.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 40%
Reward: +10% to all other Intrigue rolls this turn, opens up tons of new options. Information.
What are they saying?
The Ruler-Caste, the former Monarch and so on were immune to at least the bugs and programs you have access to, but you could find the codes for where they are monitored and work on setting up your own spy network. You need to know what they're saying and thinking, and whether they are planning anything against you. They gave up peacefully, but they certainly didn't *choose* to give up.
Cost: 350 Wealth
Probability: 50%
Reward: Monitor the former Monarch and her children and allies, open up options.
Colonial Eyes and Ears
The colonies are a big question mark. You could rectify this through viruses, agents, and other such forms of infiltration, but it's a long journey with forces you aren't entirely sure of. But considering the dangers the colonies pose, and are in, it might just be worth it. The operations would be delicate and complicated, but you just might be able to do it.
Cost: 400 Wealth
Probability: 30%/40% (with either Military or Diplomatic versions of dealing with the Colonies)/60% (with both)
Reward: Information. Options.
Redeeming the Aroane Special Group
The most famous special-forces group is the Aroane. There are many, but you have a friend or two who used to be in that group, and former friends still in there. Their reputation was marred by their actions, including a (peaceful) raid on the house of a protest-leader and scholar, but they are useful and the largest and (though the public might not believe it) least given to brutal and repressive acts, the true monsters hiding in the shadows, not so public that people spoke of the "ASG" in a very public way.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 40%
Reward: Aroane checked out and cleared of potential subversives, public opinion restored to 'neutral/those-scary-people', options opened up.
Open Government?
There have been calls to open the action of the government so all can see it. You could do so...at least for the non-classified stuff, setting up sites and document retrieval for the non-sensitive Diplomatic, Stewardship, Martial and Learning actions, while keeping the Intrigue carefully hidden. It'd increase public trust, at the very least, though also increase public scrutiny.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 70%
Reward: Open Government holo-casts and VR/web-sites, increased public opinion, increased public pressure.
Cyber-Agents
You need to improve agents, and just as importantly, make sure you know the access codes and shut-offs for the cybernetically enhanced agents so that you can grant more of them, deactivate them for those who are let go but...aren't let go of living, and otherwise get a handle on this most-vital security issue.
Cost: 200 Wealth
Probability: 40%
Reward: Any agents that escape a purge won't have military-grade cybertech available. Can track your own agents. Can train more and give them Intelligence-Grade cybernetics.
We Don't Need No Education
Education reform is on the agenda and starting to be seriously discussed. Panels could be made, people could talk, suggestions could be proffered. It's unlikely to immediately change the curriculum, other than getting rid of the most obvious abuses and the propganda, but starting on it is a good thing.
Time: 3 Turns
Cost: 300 Wealth
Probability: 85%
Reward: Education system improved, curriculum changes, potential other advantages as it shakes out.
We don't need no thought control
Students lives are monitored every second. Security guards escort them from class to class. They live in fear that their sexual hangups will be punished and that any move out of line will destroy their lives. Not everywhere, some of the poorer schools are harder hit, while others are 'unlucky' enough not to have the kind of budget for that sort of thing, but the whole situation is one you still remember. Schooling wasn't as bad for you, but it certainly isn't something you'd wish on any children you had. You can move to remove the controls and loosen restrictions.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 80%
Reward: Less control over students, increased opinion by them, ???.
No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom
The standards for teachers could use some improvement too. Standards are low, and just as bad, many favorites are protected from any criticism at all. Including some that are spies for the state, or from a protected caste, shuffled off into makework funded partially by the government separately from its education fund. It's all a bit of a mess, and the knot could be cut by firing the worst of the bunch and hoping it helped the rest get into line, though it'd cost a little bit to get the new teachers in place, but it's not like there's a lack of them.
Cost: 150 Wealth
Probability: 60%
Reward: Teachers who are inadequate are let go and replaced, education changes in some ways, options may eventually open up.
Virtual Production
There have been suggestions to further study virtual-reality technology. Brain uploading's a no-go, but the technology of entering another reality temporarily is well-established, but there might be new technologies produced from it, not only important for education--such as better historical simulators and Virtual-Teachers--but potentially for training soldiers and producing for export.
Cost: 50 Wealth
Probability: 70%
Reward: Better Virtual Reality stuff, opens up more of the same sorts of research.
Cultural Programming
Funding for the arts has always been incidental, but in the new holocast programming and the station--despite its failure thus far--Kikkizit sees possibilities. They could set up funding in order to expand the station itself and to set up other stations towards poetry, artwork, songs and stories and otherwise preserving cultural legacies and the like.
Cost: 75 Wealth a turn
Probability: 70%
Reward: Cultural programming, might be a shot in the arm for your propaganda/news channel.
Caste-based Research
Currently, research into the history and sociology of caste-formation, its potential economic consequences, its validity both educationally and genetically, its social impacts, whether it's a good idea, or anything of the like is forbidden by law. Professor Kikkizit would like to change that, opening up and providing grants for research in order to prepare the ground for later reform. They urge a slow and cautious formation of policy, not giving away their hand before they are sure they have the data needed to act.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 60%
Reward: Caste-based research, historical, social and genetic is opened up for discussion, results might take a while to come in, might open up options.
Implement the Hive's Will
There are many ideas in Gazinitah. Many patents filed, or that would have been filed. You could give an opportunity for independent inventors to use your facilities, pursue their ideas, their dreams, and see what comes of it. Which could very well be nothing, a giant explosion or a ruined lab, or it could be something...spectacular.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: ???
Reward: Grab Bag of Mystery Shinies? Or nothing? Who knows!
Take A Pill
There are many illnesses that shouldn't exist, but do. Cured long ago, often simply and easily, their costs are yet beyond the average worker. You could tackle this problem any number of ways, but at the moment, you judge opening free clinics and the like is far, far beyond you, considering at the moment you aren't entirely sure how much your budget is, what you're spending, how you are going to pay month-by-month, let alone the state of medical care. However, you could have scientists and doctors work on trying to reduce the cost of medical equipment and find new ways to do the same things only cheaper.
Cost: 400 Wealth
Probability: 50%
Reward: New medical tech, health benefits start spreading slowly to the masses. Potential upswing in wealth over the next few years thanks to improved health.
Foreign Examples
There is a lot of technology from other places that your scientists could study. Other places often make things you cannot, and other species have their specialties and their skills. You could try to get them to gather and study some foreign technology, buying the patents or just the object, or otherwise trying to reverse engineer them. It's not entirely above-board, and what you'll get is a grab-bag as to whether it'll be useful, but it's certainly possible.
Cost: 200 Wealth
Probability: 30%
Reward: Grab bag of foreign tech advancements, potentially Wealth if any of them are marketable.
Education reform is on the agenda and starting to be seriously discussed. Panels could be made, people could talk, suggestions could be proffered. It's unlikely to immediately change the curriculum, other than getting rid of the most obvious abuses and the propganda, but starting on it is a good thing.
Time: 3 Turns
Cost: 300 Wealth
Probability: 85%
Reward: Education system improved, curriculum changes, potential other advantages as it shakes out.
We don't need no thought control
Students lives are monitored every second. Security guards escort them from class to class. They live in fear that their sexual hangups will be punished and that any move out of line will destroy their lives. Not everywhere, some of the poorer schools are harder hit, while others are 'unlucky' enough not to have the kind of budget for that sort of thing, but the whole situation is one you still remember. Schooling wasn't as bad for you, but it certainly isn't something you'd wish on any children you had. You can move to remove the controls and loosen restrictions.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 80%
Reward: Less control over students, increased opinion by them, ???.
No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom
The standards for teachers could use some improvement too. Standards are low, and just as bad, many favorites are protected from any criticism at all. Including some that are spies for the state, or from a protected caste, shuffled off into makework funded partially by the government separately from its education fund. It's all a bit of a mess, and the knot could be cut by firing the worst of the bunch and hoping it helped the rest get into line, though it'd cost a little bit to get the new teachers in place, but it's not like there's a lack of them.
Cost: 150 Wealth
Probability: 60%
Reward: Teachers who are inadequate are let go and replaced, education changes in some ways, options may eventually open up.
Virtual Production
There have been suggestions to further study virtual-reality technology. Brain uploading's a no-go, but the technology of entering another reality temporarily is well-established, but there might be new technologies produced from it, not only important for education--such as better historical simulators and Virtual-Teachers--but potentially for training soldiers and producing for export.
Cost: 50 Wealth
Probability: 70%
Reward: Better Virtual Reality stuff, opens up more of the same sorts of research.
Cultural Programming
Funding for the arts has always been incidental, but in the new holocast programming and the station--despite its failure thus far--Kikkizit sees possibilities. They could set up funding in order to expand the station itself and to set up other stations towards poetry, artwork, songs and stories and otherwise preserving cultural legacies and the like.
Cost: 75 Wealth a turn
Probability: 70%
Reward: Cultural programming, might be a shot in the arm for your propaganda/news channel.
Caste-based Research
Currently, research into the history and sociology of caste-formation, its potential economic consequences, its validity both educationally and genetically, its social impacts, whether it's a good idea, or anything of the like is forbidden by law. Professor Kikkizit would like to change that, opening up and providing grants for research in order to prepare the ground for later reform. They urge a slow and cautious formation of policy, not giving away their hand before they are sure they have the data needed to act.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: 60%
Reward: Caste-based research, historical, social and genetic is opened up for discussion, results might take a while to come in, might open up options.
Implement the Hive's Will
There are many ideas in Gazinitah. Many patents filed, or that would have been filed. You could give an opportunity for independent inventors to use your facilities, pursue their ideas, their dreams, and see what comes of it. Which could very well be nothing, a giant explosion or a ruined lab, or it could be something...spectacular.
Cost: 100 Wealth
Probability: ???
Reward: Grab Bag of Mystery Shinies? Or nothing? Who knows!
Take A Pill
There are many illnesses that shouldn't exist, but do. Cured long ago, often simply and easily, their costs are yet beyond the average worker. You could tackle this problem any number of ways, but at the moment, you judge opening free clinics and the like is far, far beyond you, considering at the moment you aren't entirely sure how much your budget is, what you're spending, how you are going to pay month-by-month, let alone the state of medical care. However, you could have scientists and doctors work on trying to reduce the cost of medical equipment and find new ways to do the same things only cheaper.
Cost: 400 Wealth
Probability: 50%
Reward: New medical tech, health benefits start spreading slowly to the masses. Potential upswing in wealth over the next few years thanks to improved health.
Foreign Examples
There is a lot of technology from other places that your scientists could study. Other places often make things you cannot, and other species have their specialties and their skills. You could try to get them to gather and study some foreign technology, buying the patents or just the object, or otherwise trying to reverse engineer them. It's not entirely above-board, and what you'll get is a grab-bag as to whether it'll be useful, but it's certainly possible.
Cost: 200 Wealth
Probability: 30%
Reward: Grab bag of foreign tech advancements, potentially Wealth if any of them are marketable.
Personal (Choose 2)
Personal Intervention
(will vote on what you Intervene on later.) Take a guiding hand in something, directing it, even more than you already are, spending a very large amount of your time and effort on it, free time as it were.
Cost: Free
Reward: Bonus equal to your stat on an action (+19% for Diplomacy, etc)
Activating Cybernetics
You were once a fully kitted-out cybernetically-enhanced soldier and spy. That's not going to happen again, but you could at least get a little bit of your old technology back, and just as important, the monitors so you don't have to feel someone else coming from the way it vibrates against your chitin, and can instead, you know, just be alerted. There are a number of minor things that can be done as well, without even getting into high-level military-grade stuff.
Cost: Negligible (a Wealth or two, I'll just call it free.)
Probability: 100% for +1/50% for +2/30% for +3
Reward: Cybernetics to enhnace your personal combat and Martial and Intrigue. The (+) represents how many points you'll have to spread about, as it were, and you can buy specific enhancements in a sort of 'Turn Results aftermath' thing.
What Are Friends For?
You are part of a Workers Association. These are friends, people who cared for you and whom you still care for. You could get the gang back together, talk, de-stress, maybe get their advice. What else are friends for?
Cost: Free
Probability: 75%
Reward: Get the gang back together. Relieve some stress. Potential other benefits.
Getting in Shape
Some laugh at the idea that you'd go and do the mission. Not because it's a risk, many in the intelligence business actually admire that attitude, but because you've clearly seen better days. Part of it is lack of the cybernetics, yes, but more importantly you haven't had as much time to exercise, and you might have packed on a little beneath the chitin. Either way, a little bit of work would be all it'd take for you to get more in shape.
Cost: Free
Probability: 70%/30%
Reward: 70% chance of +1 Martial, 30% chance of +2 Martial.
You Need Help, Friend
Hazitean is a mess. In so many ways it's hard to even begin to think about it. You need to help her, convince her to talk to psychologists about any problematic mental-structures and ideas she might have, and perhaps take drugs to help with the chemical addictions she maintains, and medical doctors for the reasons behind...there are a lot of people she needs to talk to, and while a few months of help and you making sure she stays involved won't solve everything, it might help some.
Cost: Free
Probability: 1d100+Diplomacy, better you roll, better you do.
Reward: Hazitean gets help and therapy, might get somewhat better, might get somewhat worse. It's not a magical cure either way, but it's the first step in a process. Above a 50 increases the chances of success for making Hazitean Military Advisor by 10%, above a 75 increases it by 20%. It carries over into next turn.
(will vote on what you Intervene on later.) Take a guiding hand in something, directing it, even more than you already are, spending a very large amount of your time and effort on it, free time as it were.
Cost: Free
Reward: Bonus equal to your stat on an action (+19% for Diplomacy, etc)
Activating Cybernetics
You were once a fully kitted-out cybernetically-enhanced soldier and spy. That's not going to happen again, but you could at least get a little bit of your old technology back, and just as important, the monitors so you don't have to feel someone else coming from the way it vibrates against your chitin, and can instead, you know, just be alerted. There are a number of minor things that can be done as well, without even getting into high-level military-grade stuff.
Cost: Negligible (a Wealth or two, I'll just call it free.)
Probability: 100% for +1/50% for +2/30% for +3
Reward: Cybernetics to enhnace your personal combat and Martial and Intrigue. The (+) represents how many points you'll have to spread about, as it were, and you can buy specific enhancements in a sort of 'Turn Results aftermath' thing.
What Are Friends For?
You are part of a Workers Association. These are friends, people who cared for you and whom you still care for. You could get the gang back together, talk, de-stress, maybe get their advice. What else are friends for?
Cost: Free
Probability: 75%
Reward: Get the gang back together. Relieve some stress. Potential other benefits.
Getting in Shape
Some laugh at the idea that you'd go and do the mission. Not because it's a risk, many in the intelligence business actually admire that attitude, but because you've clearly seen better days. Part of it is lack of the cybernetics, yes, but more importantly you haven't had as much time to exercise, and you might have packed on a little beneath the chitin. Either way, a little bit of work would be all it'd take for you to get more in shape.
Cost: Free
Probability: 70%/30%
Reward: 70% chance of +1 Martial, 30% chance of +2 Martial.
You Need Help, Friend
Hazitean is a mess. In so many ways it's hard to even begin to think about it. You need to help her, convince her to talk to psychologists about any problematic mental-structures and ideas she might have, and perhaps take drugs to help with the chemical addictions she maintains, and medical doctors for the reasons behind...there are a lot of people she needs to talk to, and while a few months of help and you making sure she stays involved won't solve everything, it might help some.
Cost: Free
Probability: 1d100+Diplomacy, better you roll, better you do.
Reward: Hazitean gets help and therapy, might get somewhat better, might get somewhat worse. It's not a magical cure either way, but it's the first step in a process. Above a 50 increases the chances of success for making Hazitean Military Advisor by 10%, above a 75 increases it by 20%. It carries over into next turn.
A/N: And there you go!
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Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] In The Black
[X] Grubs in the Muck
[X] Open Government?
Learning: Kikkizit has a lot of ideas. They're almost apologetic here, well aware of the economic situation and how that might get in the way, but they've been bursting with them for quite a while. Still, there are things you can do, and you've started to get an understanding of the wide range of possibilities. (Pick 3)
[X] We Don't Need No Education
[X] We don't need no thought control
[X] No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom
Personal (Choose 2)
[X] What Are Friends For?
[X] You Need Help, Friend
[X] Grubs in the Muck
[X] Open Government?
Learning: Kikkizit has a lot of ideas. They're almost apologetic here, well aware of the economic situation and how that might get in the way, but they've been bursting with them for quite a while. Still, there are things you can do, and you've started to get an understanding of the wide range of possibilities. (Pick 3)
[X] We Don't Need No Education
[X] We don't need no thought control
[X] No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom
Personal (Choose 2)
[X] What Are Friends For?
[X] You Need Help, Friend
[X] Grubs in the Muck
[X] Casino Royale
[X] The Infernal Archive
Sort out Zaeswin before he goes through with whatever scheme, or escapes(whatever he's doing on an Iashec world it's not something that would get better for ignoring it), head off the gangs before they act(given the warning that they're doing "something big"), and decrypt our records so we know what the hell our spies were doing.
Spies like Zaeswin.
[X] Cultural Programming
[X] We Don't Need No Education
[X] No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom
Cultural Programming should stack with our bug broadcasting.
And reform education from the top. Syllabus and teachers first.
[X] Activating Cybernetics
[X] You Need Help, Friend
Since we're going on a spy mission, we need to reactivate our cybergear and of course, get our friend under therapy
[X] Casino Royale
[X] The Infernal Archive
Sort out Zaeswin before he goes through with whatever scheme, or escapes(whatever he's doing on an Iashec world it's not something that would get better for ignoring it), head off the gangs before they act(given the warning that they're doing "something big"), and decrypt our records so we know what the hell our spies were doing.
Spies like Zaeswin.
[X] Cultural Programming
[X] We Don't Need No Education
[X] No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom
Cultural Programming should stack with our bug broadcasting.
And reform education from the top. Syllabus and teachers first.
[X] Activating Cybernetics
[X] You Need Help, Friend
Since we're going on a spy mission, we need to reactivate our cybergear and of course, get our friend under therapy
Dark Ness
Rises Where Silence Dies
- Location
- The Primordial Soup
- Pronouns
- They/Them
So many ooptions.
Oh, yeah! I was going to spoiler them. Will do so.
Edit: And done!
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- Pronouns
- They/He
[X] veekie
OOC: Minor Powers and Treaties/Etc
lkmcclenahan
That which doesn't kill me, only makes me stranger
- Location
- UK
New Info-Dump! This concludes the powers of known space. Next to come: Timeline of history so far.
MINOR POWERS OF KNOWN SPACE
THE UNITED KINGDOMS OF THALKAYR
The Tawasi are the newest race to emerge onto the galactic scene. Evolving on the frozen tundra of their home continent, beset from all sides by large land predators, the muscular, hunched, sharp-sensed Tawasi are one of the few species on the galactic stage with a purely carnivorous heredity. Their society developed along tribal lines that eventually developed into a system of a feudal monarchies that has survived even into the space age- the Conclave of Monarchs had been formed before first contact, purely as a meeting place for various rulers to hold discussions and maintain diplomatic contact, but in the wake of their meeting the Ilwari it became something more.
The Conclave became a formal system governing overall Tawasi foreign policy, controlled by whatever kingdom had currently managed to assemble a majority bloc- no one kingdom is large enough to dominate the conclave alone, so they must negotiate and horse-trade and form alliances. Thankfully for outsiders, the Conclave's rules and the mores of Tawasi nobility mean that a new bloc must adhere to the treaties signed by previous ones, unless there is a clear and demonstrable reason to do otherwise.
Currently, the Conclave's controlling bloc is led Queen Riala XIII- relatively moderate, by Tawasi standards, and a strong force for modernization. One of the new Conclave's first acts was to accept the Ilwari offer of protectorateship- as a result, the Tawasi receive generous technological and military aid from the Union, as well as the protection of having its sovereignty guaranteed by military force if need be. In return the Tawasi follow the Union's lead in foreign policy, although so far the Union has acted with a light hand on that front, talking its intentions over rather than just acting and expecting the Tawasi to follow without debate. So far though, the Tawasi have not had much of an impact on the course of galactic history, although during the Rast War various Tawasi ground forces deployed from Thalkayr to Rast upon the request of the Union, to supplement the Ilwari Army and put some forces on the ground who stood a better chance against the Barsa in close quarters.
Still, the United Kingdoms of Thalkayr are keenly aware that they have hitched their fortunes to one of the rising stars of the galaxy and, side by side with the Ilwari, they will yet be great.
THE HEXAMARI HERETICS
A particular Hexamari sect that, in the wake of the Hexamari Wars, broke with the old ways- instead of the path of cyber-enhancement that led the Theocracy into folly and ruin, they are advocates and pioneers of bio-manipulation. Seizing control of one of the few remaining Hexamari colonies, Naramashi, the Heretics broke away to form their own state, and have since survived several attempts by the Theocracy to forcibly return them to religious orthodoxy.
MINOR HUMAN POWERS
Humanity is more than just the Republic of Sol. The colony worlds that broke off and were allowed to go their way, as well as the worlds that have been colonized, terraformed or split off from the splitters have a long history of fighting, squabbling and competing all in the sun's shadow. Many are democracies of various levels of fairness, equality, wealth and decency, from the barely passable to the 'totally trying to imitate Sol on a budget.'- such as the Varalai Federation and, despite the names, the Incorporated Suns and the Technocrat Imperium.
The Varalai Federation is essentially Sol on a budget, controlling a mere three garden worlds- although the Federation is dogged by accusations of exploitation pertaining to a particular religious sect established on its third colony, Yarafaxi.
The Incorporated Suns, as the name might indicate, were once (and technically still are) a collection of four corporate worlds. The Stendar-Sol War, however, brought change for the better- the Incorporated Suns had not taken part in the war, although it had leant aid to Stendar. After the war, a popular uprising ended up seizing control, and the ruling corporations were turned into publically owned co-operatives. Although still technically a corporate state, the Incorporated Suns have, with aid and guidance from Sol, progressed to the point where they are essentially a federal democracy, although with a uniquely corporate twist- each company acts as a federal division, that company's shareholders make up the electorate, and every person employed by an IncSun company is a shareholder to some degree.
The Technocrat Imperium was founded on a vision- a small, independent state where some of the finest minds humanity had to offer could blossom, a state that would progress to stand at the forefront of the galaxy technologically. Or at least, that was the idea. In practise, although the Imperium can and does produce technological improvements and advancements… surpassing larger states with immense research budgets, like the Republic of Sol, is easier said than done. The Technocrat Imperium was, despite the name, consciously modelled along the lines of Republican Rome- it has a Senate, which functions as a 'house of lords', and members of which can stand for election to government offices, and to balance the senate (in theory at least) it has the Assembly of the People, which is (again, in theory) a vehicle for the peoples' will. Although the Imperium's elections are more free and fair than, say, Deiah's, there is nonetheless a certain amount of corruption and bribery surrounding the voting process.
Yet there are also dictatorships and less democratic states. The Republic of Deiah could be described as a broken democracy- once a passable attempt to imitate Sol on a budget, its political system fell victim to increasing corruption until, while it still maintains the trappings and appearance of democracy, the result of each election is decided upon ahead of time by the ruling oligarchy- though the oligarchy is hardly monolithic, and governments do change; just as a result of the latest plutocratic power struggle rather than by the decision of the people. Deiah's only claim to fame in wider galactic history is a dubious distinction at best- being at the center of the Deiah Incident. Wherein the Deian government's attempt to teach the ascendant Ilwari Union an object lesson in humility badly backfired on them, and led to Deiah in turn being made an example of by the Ilwari- this is what happens to a state when they arrest Ilwari citizens on fabricated charges, obtain confessions through torture, and then sentence them to death after an elaborate show trial. Deiah's navy was reduced to ruins during the incident, casually obliterated by the Ilwari, and while the oligarchy still stands, one hopes that they might have learned a lesson or two about deliberately provoking up and coming military superpowers.
The People's Republic of Tanara is more minor in terms of overall galactic history- part of the second wave of human colonial expansion, which produced most of humanity's less democratic states. Tanara and Stendar were allies when Stendar declared war on Sol, but, unlike Stendar, Sol succeeded in humbling Tanara in response. While the Republic's new policies of non-expansion, as well as the physical separation between the two, prevented it from absorbing Tanara, they imposed certain conditions, reducing Tanara to only a self-defense force militarily. In response, Tanara adopted a similar approach to the problem to that of the Iashec centuries before- it's dispersed military forces were formed into 'independent' mercenary groups and sent out to pursue contract work- earning credits and getting seasoned, ready to be recalled when Tanara eventually has need of them.
Stendar has an even more important history. A corporate dictatorship that has stood for centuries, it was once a valued trading partner of the Ilwari corporate state, and it is the Sol-Stendar War (in which they declared war on the Republic by surprise attack and yet, when the war inevitably turned against them, staved off conquest by threatening to annihilate their own people with buried nukes) that led to Sol's non-expansion policy. In one sense they 'won' those two hundred years ago, and have the continued right and privilege to be a backward minor human power with deep governmental control and an economy propped up by the Iashec as well as artificial protectionism and other such monetary tricks.
Human religious fundamentalism has sadly survived into the 25th century. With the Republic of Sol becoming increasingly secular, there was a strong movement in some quarters to go out among the stars- those stars that it is, by divine decree, mankind's manifest destiny to own- and found a land where there is no law but the law of God. And thus, the Holy Free State was born.
Their promised land, their 'New Eden', the place where the faithful are free to express their beliefs without fear of secularist persecution, is in fact a closed, repressive society stuck in the distant past, embodying all the worst extremes of religious fundamentalism- misogynist (a woman's role is to keep the home and raise the children, and be subordinate to her husband in all things), homophobic (homosexuality, in either gender, is a crime punishable by death), and deeply racist- their teaching hold that the other races of the galaxy number among the beasts God created to serve man, thus their rightful place is subservient to him. Almost all nonhumans in HFS space are slaves, and they do not bother maintaining diplomatic relations with those they see as beasts.
However, although the Holy Free State would certain like to think of itself as a monolithic force of faith, the reality falls rather short. Their focus is inward more than anything else, and internecine sectarian conflict between different branches of the Holy Church has consistently hamstrung them through their admittedly short history. This fact, however, has helped them survive- were the Holy Free State to solve its internal troubles and adopt an aggressive, outward focus, it is unlikely (given known space's track record with aggressive, militant theocracies) that it would be allowed to pursue such a course for long.
Perhaps the oddest 'human' state is the New Transpecies Harmony Republic. It stands as the single most multicultural state in known space- it's population being 45% Xvorzit, 35% Human, and 14-15% Barsa. By sheer happenstance, a human colony ship landed on the world at the same time as a Xvorzit colonization effort. Despite some initial tensions, a stable federal democracy has formed- each district of the Republic has an amount of individual autonomy. Within each district, a consensus system similar to the Xvorzit concept of 'will of the hive' operates, and representatives and senators for each district come together in the two houses of government to make decisions. Although some write the NTH Republic off as a bunch of hippy dipsticks, combining human ingenuity and innovation with the legendary Xvorzit work ethic has resulted in a state that, though small, punches above it's weight class economically. Certainly, being lucky enough to be sitting on a number of key trade routes doesn't hurt either.
OTHER BODIES
THE GALACTIC CONSENSUS
The Galactic Consensus is a name historians give to the web of treaties, economic controls and bodies for galactic discussion and negotiation set up in the wake of the Hexamari Wars. They provide methods for two states to discuss and deal with economic and political differences, as well as weakening the reasons for anything like the Hexamari Wars to happen again. It doesn't prevent warfare, but it's drastically reduced it since its implementation, and the bodies that were formed then, while not even close to any sort of "One galactic government", still exist today. This Consensus was strained by the emergence of the Republic of Sol and other powers over the last few centuries, founded as it was on Barsa dominance- the Confederacy being both unwilling and unable to use that dominance in a manner that would upset the new status quo. Despite some difficulties, it holds today and is a reason that most wars tend to be internal, between the same species and, when not, at least far less explosive and long-lasting, and why there have been no wars spanning the entirety of known space since the Hexamari Wars.
THE REPATRIATION TREATY
Signed in 2415 CE by the Ilwari Union, the Republic of Sol and the Barsamen Confederacy, in theory the treaty simply allows slaves and clone-slaves of each of the member races to be repatriated to the appropriate world- Ilwari to Ilwar, humans to Earth, etcetera. In practise, even from the start, it's purpose extended beyond that. In actual fact it stands as nothing short of a co-ordinated effort to suppress and stamp out slavery in the galaxy, turning what was initially a single-handed crusade started by the Ilwari into a multilateral effort- while both ardent opponents of slavery in their own right, not least among the reasons the Republic and the Confederacy got on board as quickly as they did was to prevent the Ilwari from repeating the events of the Deiah Incident. In any case other powers have signed up since, including the United Kingdoms of Thalkayr, the Rorrox Association, some minor human powers, and the majority of the Xvorzit Hives. In any case, the existence of the Repatriation Treaty swiftly proved to be a major thorn in the side of the Mercantile Republic and the various rogue states that it does business with, and ended up instigating the virtual state of cold war that now exists between the core Repatriation Treaty powers, and the Iashec and their allies and dependents.
MINOR POWERS OF KNOWN SPACE
THE UNITED KINGDOMS OF THALKAYR
The Tawasi are the newest race to emerge onto the galactic scene. Evolving on the frozen tundra of their home continent, beset from all sides by large land predators, the muscular, hunched, sharp-sensed Tawasi are one of the few species on the galactic stage with a purely carnivorous heredity. Their society developed along tribal lines that eventually developed into a system of a feudal monarchies that has survived even into the space age- the Conclave of Monarchs had been formed before first contact, purely as a meeting place for various rulers to hold discussions and maintain diplomatic contact, but in the wake of their meeting the Ilwari it became something more.
The Conclave became a formal system governing overall Tawasi foreign policy, controlled by whatever kingdom had currently managed to assemble a majority bloc- no one kingdom is large enough to dominate the conclave alone, so they must negotiate and horse-trade and form alliances. Thankfully for outsiders, the Conclave's rules and the mores of Tawasi nobility mean that a new bloc must adhere to the treaties signed by previous ones, unless there is a clear and demonstrable reason to do otherwise.
Currently, the Conclave's controlling bloc is led Queen Riala XIII- relatively moderate, by Tawasi standards, and a strong force for modernization. One of the new Conclave's first acts was to accept the Ilwari offer of protectorateship- as a result, the Tawasi receive generous technological and military aid from the Union, as well as the protection of having its sovereignty guaranteed by military force if need be. In return the Tawasi follow the Union's lead in foreign policy, although so far the Union has acted with a light hand on that front, talking its intentions over rather than just acting and expecting the Tawasi to follow without debate. So far though, the Tawasi have not had much of an impact on the course of galactic history, although during the Rast War various Tawasi ground forces deployed from Thalkayr to Rast upon the request of the Union, to supplement the Ilwari Army and put some forces on the ground who stood a better chance against the Barsa in close quarters.
Still, the United Kingdoms of Thalkayr are keenly aware that they have hitched their fortunes to one of the rising stars of the galaxy and, side by side with the Ilwari, they will yet be great.
THE HEXAMARI HERETICS
A particular Hexamari sect that, in the wake of the Hexamari Wars, broke with the old ways- instead of the path of cyber-enhancement that led the Theocracy into folly and ruin, they are advocates and pioneers of bio-manipulation. Seizing control of one of the few remaining Hexamari colonies, Naramashi, the Heretics broke away to form their own state, and have since survived several attempts by the Theocracy to forcibly return them to religious orthodoxy.
MINOR HUMAN POWERS
Humanity is more than just the Republic of Sol. The colony worlds that broke off and were allowed to go their way, as well as the worlds that have been colonized, terraformed or split off from the splitters have a long history of fighting, squabbling and competing all in the sun's shadow. Many are democracies of various levels of fairness, equality, wealth and decency, from the barely passable to the 'totally trying to imitate Sol on a budget.'- such as the Varalai Federation and, despite the names, the Incorporated Suns and the Technocrat Imperium.
The Varalai Federation is essentially Sol on a budget, controlling a mere three garden worlds- although the Federation is dogged by accusations of exploitation pertaining to a particular religious sect established on its third colony, Yarafaxi.
The Incorporated Suns, as the name might indicate, were once (and technically still are) a collection of four corporate worlds. The Stendar-Sol War, however, brought change for the better- the Incorporated Suns had not taken part in the war, although it had leant aid to Stendar. After the war, a popular uprising ended up seizing control, and the ruling corporations were turned into publically owned co-operatives. Although still technically a corporate state, the Incorporated Suns have, with aid and guidance from Sol, progressed to the point where they are essentially a federal democracy, although with a uniquely corporate twist- each company acts as a federal division, that company's shareholders make up the electorate, and every person employed by an IncSun company is a shareholder to some degree.
The Technocrat Imperium was founded on a vision- a small, independent state where some of the finest minds humanity had to offer could blossom, a state that would progress to stand at the forefront of the galaxy technologically. Or at least, that was the idea. In practise, although the Imperium can and does produce technological improvements and advancements… surpassing larger states with immense research budgets, like the Republic of Sol, is easier said than done. The Technocrat Imperium was, despite the name, consciously modelled along the lines of Republican Rome- it has a Senate, which functions as a 'house of lords', and members of which can stand for election to government offices, and to balance the senate (in theory at least) it has the Assembly of the People, which is (again, in theory) a vehicle for the peoples' will. Although the Imperium's elections are more free and fair than, say, Deiah's, there is nonetheless a certain amount of corruption and bribery surrounding the voting process.
Yet there are also dictatorships and less democratic states. The Republic of Deiah could be described as a broken democracy- once a passable attempt to imitate Sol on a budget, its political system fell victim to increasing corruption until, while it still maintains the trappings and appearance of democracy, the result of each election is decided upon ahead of time by the ruling oligarchy- though the oligarchy is hardly monolithic, and governments do change; just as a result of the latest plutocratic power struggle rather than by the decision of the people. Deiah's only claim to fame in wider galactic history is a dubious distinction at best- being at the center of the Deiah Incident. Wherein the Deian government's attempt to teach the ascendant Ilwari Union an object lesson in humility badly backfired on them, and led to Deiah in turn being made an example of by the Ilwari- this is what happens to a state when they arrest Ilwari citizens on fabricated charges, obtain confessions through torture, and then sentence them to death after an elaborate show trial. Deiah's navy was reduced to ruins during the incident, casually obliterated by the Ilwari, and while the oligarchy still stands, one hopes that they might have learned a lesson or two about deliberately provoking up and coming military superpowers.
The People's Republic of Tanara is more minor in terms of overall galactic history- part of the second wave of human colonial expansion, which produced most of humanity's less democratic states. Tanara and Stendar were allies when Stendar declared war on Sol, but, unlike Stendar, Sol succeeded in humbling Tanara in response. While the Republic's new policies of non-expansion, as well as the physical separation between the two, prevented it from absorbing Tanara, they imposed certain conditions, reducing Tanara to only a self-defense force militarily. In response, Tanara adopted a similar approach to the problem to that of the Iashec centuries before- it's dispersed military forces were formed into 'independent' mercenary groups and sent out to pursue contract work- earning credits and getting seasoned, ready to be recalled when Tanara eventually has need of them.
Stendar has an even more important history. A corporate dictatorship that has stood for centuries, it was once a valued trading partner of the Ilwari corporate state, and it is the Sol-Stendar War (in which they declared war on the Republic by surprise attack and yet, when the war inevitably turned against them, staved off conquest by threatening to annihilate their own people with buried nukes) that led to Sol's non-expansion policy. In one sense they 'won' those two hundred years ago, and have the continued right and privilege to be a backward minor human power with deep governmental control and an economy propped up by the Iashec as well as artificial protectionism and other such monetary tricks.
Human religious fundamentalism has sadly survived into the 25th century. With the Republic of Sol becoming increasingly secular, there was a strong movement in some quarters to go out among the stars- those stars that it is, by divine decree, mankind's manifest destiny to own- and found a land where there is no law but the law of God. And thus, the Holy Free State was born.
Their promised land, their 'New Eden', the place where the faithful are free to express their beliefs without fear of secularist persecution, is in fact a closed, repressive society stuck in the distant past, embodying all the worst extremes of religious fundamentalism- misogynist (a woman's role is to keep the home and raise the children, and be subordinate to her husband in all things), homophobic (homosexuality, in either gender, is a crime punishable by death), and deeply racist- their teaching hold that the other races of the galaxy number among the beasts God created to serve man, thus their rightful place is subservient to him. Almost all nonhumans in HFS space are slaves, and they do not bother maintaining diplomatic relations with those they see as beasts.
However, although the Holy Free State would certain like to think of itself as a monolithic force of faith, the reality falls rather short. Their focus is inward more than anything else, and internecine sectarian conflict between different branches of the Holy Church has consistently hamstrung them through their admittedly short history. This fact, however, has helped them survive- were the Holy Free State to solve its internal troubles and adopt an aggressive, outward focus, it is unlikely (given known space's track record with aggressive, militant theocracies) that it would be allowed to pursue such a course for long.
Perhaps the oddest 'human' state is the New Transpecies Harmony Republic. It stands as the single most multicultural state in known space- it's population being 45% Xvorzit, 35% Human, and 14-15% Barsa. By sheer happenstance, a human colony ship landed on the world at the same time as a Xvorzit colonization effort. Despite some initial tensions, a stable federal democracy has formed- each district of the Republic has an amount of individual autonomy. Within each district, a consensus system similar to the Xvorzit concept of 'will of the hive' operates, and representatives and senators for each district come together in the two houses of government to make decisions. Although some write the NTH Republic off as a bunch of hippy dipsticks, combining human ingenuity and innovation with the legendary Xvorzit work ethic has resulted in a state that, though small, punches above it's weight class economically. Certainly, being lucky enough to be sitting on a number of key trade routes doesn't hurt either.
OTHER BODIES
THE GALACTIC CONSENSUS
The Galactic Consensus is a name historians give to the web of treaties, economic controls and bodies for galactic discussion and negotiation set up in the wake of the Hexamari Wars. They provide methods for two states to discuss and deal with economic and political differences, as well as weakening the reasons for anything like the Hexamari Wars to happen again. It doesn't prevent warfare, but it's drastically reduced it since its implementation, and the bodies that were formed then, while not even close to any sort of "One galactic government", still exist today. This Consensus was strained by the emergence of the Republic of Sol and other powers over the last few centuries, founded as it was on Barsa dominance- the Confederacy being both unwilling and unable to use that dominance in a manner that would upset the new status quo. Despite some difficulties, it holds today and is a reason that most wars tend to be internal, between the same species and, when not, at least far less explosive and long-lasting, and why there have been no wars spanning the entirety of known space since the Hexamari Wars.
THE REPATRIATION TREATY
Signed in 2415 CE by the Ilwari Union, the Republic of Sol and the Barsamen Confederacy, in theory the treaty simply allows slaves and clone-slaves of each of the member races to be repatriated to the appropriate world- Ilwari to Ilwar, humans to Earth, etcetera. In practise, even from the start, it's purpose extended beyond that. In actual fact it stands as nothing short of a co-ordinated effort to suppress and stamp out slavery in the galaxy, turning what was initially a single-handed crusade started by the Ilwari into a multilateral effort- while both ardent opponents of slavery in their own right, not least among the reasons the Republic and the Confederacy got on board as quickly as they did was to prevent the Ilwari from repeating the events of the Deiah Incident. In any case other powers have signed up since, including the United Kingdoms of Thalkayr, the Rorrox Association, some minor human powers, and the majority of the Xvorzit Hives. In any case, the existence of the Repatriation Treaty swiftly proved to be a major thorn in the side of the Mercantile Republic and the various rogue states that it does business with, and ended up instigating the virtual state of cold war that now exists between the core Repatriation Treaty powers, and the Iashec and their allies and dependents.
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[X] Grubs in the Muck
[X] Casino Royale
[X] The Infernal Archive
[X] Cultural Programming
[X] We Don't Need No Education
[X] No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom
[X] Activating Cybernetics
[X] You Need Help, Friend
[X] Casino Royale
[X] The Infernal Archive
[X] Cultural Programming
[X] We Don't Need No Education
[X] No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom
[X] Activating Cybernetics
[X] You Need Help, Friend
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Alright, so...*prods*
Dark Ness
Rises Where Silence Dies
- Location
- The Primordial Soup
[X] Grubs in the Muck
[X] Casino Royale
[X] The Infernal Archive
[X] Cultural Programming
[X] We Don't Need No Education
[X] No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom
[X] Activating Cybernetics
[X] You Need Help, Friend
I have responded to your prod.
[X] Casino Royale
[X] The Infernal Archive
[X] Cultural Programming
[X] We Don't Need No Education
[X] No Dark Sarcasm In the Classroom
[X] Activating Cybernetics
[X] You Need Help, Friend
I have responded to your prod.