Through the Gates: a Space Opera GSRP IC

[Theaxofwar]

Through the Gates: a Space Opera GSRP

Thirty years ago, the gates opened. Since then, there has been a scramble throughout the galaxy to claim and colonize new systems. However, even as nations build research stations and colonies, even as they begin to develop diplomatic relations with the rest of the galaxy, no one has forgotten that the expansion is built on technology they do not control. Even with thirty years, the depths of the gates haven't been even close to fully explored, and no one has more than vague guesses on how they work. Even so, it has largely been accepted that the gates do work, and that they work consistently and predictably. Few expected them to do anything new, especially thirty years after their activation.

And then, one morning, everything changed once more. All throughout the galaxy, before the eyes of tired gateworkers at the ends of their shifts, businessmen starting their day, and ship captains just arriving with new cargo, the walls of the gates began to shift. At first, perhaps, people assumed they were just tired, their vision swimming from a lack of sleep. Yet soon, the shifting metal, which had proven impervious to damage up until this point, began to resolve into words. They were written in thousands, maybe even millions of languages, drawing from all across the known galaxy, but they all said the same thing:

Prove You are Worthy​

And thus, a new era of galactic civilization began.


Stats

Civilization Name
Government type: Type of government
Capital: Capital System (Location on Map)
Peripheral: Peripheral Systems (Locations on Map)
Political unity: Crumbling/Poor/Stable/Good/Unyielding
Economy Size: Pathetic-Tiny-Small-Medium-Large-Huge-Overwhelming-Galactic
Economic outlook: Collapsing/Major depression/Shrinking/Stagnating/Growing/Strong growth/Major boom
Economic notes:
Technology: Chaotic (0 Slots)/Weak (1)/Adequate (2)/Good (3)/Excellent (4)/Furious (5)
Space Forces Quality: X/5
Space Forces:
Ground Forces Quality: X/10
Ground Forces:
Military notes:
Espionage: Guileless (0 Slots)/Patchwork (1)/Established (2)/Institutional (3)/Expert (4)/Cold Warriors (5)
Special Thing:
Name of Special Thing: Description of Special Thing

The Confederated Accords of Avlentes
Government type: Semi-Elected Authoritarian Electronic Democracy
Systems:
Capital: Criq (8)
Peripheral: Port Pearl (3), Port Verte (4)
Political unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic outlook: Growing
Economic notes: Mixed Economy, History of nationalizing key industry
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 6/10
Ground Forces:
12 Army Groups
Military notes: Compulsory military service
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Tabeaus - Tabeaus are a specific social unit within Avlentes society, encompassing anywhere from two to dozens of families. While generally tight-knit, moving between tabeaus is a normal part of society, creating a population at once clannish and remarkably socially flexible. These work as a sort of training for the contradictions within the Avlentes government, preparing its citizens to navigate its structure. So long as tabeaus remain a building block of Avlentes society, it will find itself more resistance to stability loss from ideological division.
Player: @FantasticMsFox

The Decuan Stellar Republic
Government Type: Clan-based Federal Republic
Capital: Yanta (10)
Peripheral: Xasha (9), Xinja (15)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Joint Enterprise as main economic unit
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
8 Army Groups
Military Notes: Notably consultative and egalitarian
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Never Fall Short - The Vedren are a somewhat diminutive species, and perhaps as a result they have resolved to never fall behind the rest of the galaxy. As a result, they gain a bonus to researching technologies that other polities have already developed.
Player: @Etranger

The New Eden Confederation
Government Type: Aristocratic Confederal Republic
Capital: New Eden (34)
Peripheral: Organa (28), Spectra (33)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Free market regulated by the Confederation Trade Comission
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 6/10
Ground Forces:
10 Army Groups
Military Notes: Houses have independent militaries alongside the United Confederation Defense Force
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Origins Unknown - The New Eden Confederation did not originate on Eden Prime, or at least they do not believe they do. How they came to this planet is unknown, but not from lack of curiosity. The first step of solving a mystery is knowing there is one in the first place.
Player: @Skrevski

The Hyperion Congress
Government Type: Congress of socialist committees
Capital: Kadlob (20)
Peripheral: Gamma Alternus (14), Opaque Choir (24)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Autonomous worker's cooperatives overseen by the CRS
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
6 Army Groups
2 Militia Groups
Military Notes:
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
The Worth of a Life - The Hyperion Congress highly values the lives of its citizens, and is willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money rather than see even one more Inquirii life lost than necessary. Bonus to research on armor and safety features designed to save soldiers' lives.
Player: @DanBaque

The Vaerked Sarnokadat
Government Type: Union of Autonomous Colonies
Capital: Kordali (21)
Peripheral: Rhokadan (25), Drakoh (16)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Planned economy, robust social securities
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 6/10
Ground Forces:
2 Army Groups
6 Marine Groups
Military Notes: Army culturally diverged from civilian life, existence of major military lineages
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Home in the Stars - The Vaerked destroyed their homeworld long ago, rendering it uninhabitable. Instead, their entire civilization exists within scattered space colonies of varying types. The society naturally holds all the advantages and disadvantages of an extremely decentralized population with no population centers anywhere near the size of a planet.
Player: @Furrybacon

The Interplanetary Helvetica Confederation
Government Type: Semi-direct democratic confederation of cantons
Capital: Waldestatte (18)
Peripheral: - Länder (13), Städte (19)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: UBI, focus on sustainability
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
8 Defense Groups
Military Notes: Massive emphasis on defensive planning
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Armed Neutrality - The Helvetica Confederation is extremely focused on defensive actions militarily. As a result, is suffers from a malus in offensive wars, but a bonus to defensive conflicts.
Player: @Hyvelic

The Imperial Hives of Ku'Patk
Government Type: Autocratic Empire
Capital: Nactp (6)
Peripheral: Matck (5), Ikck (11)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Centrally planned
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 6/10
Ground Forces:
8 Army Groups
Military Notes: Mass mobilization built into doctrine, artillery focus
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Greedily and Deep - The Ilken build their cities underground, and this has instilled in them an expertise for underground construction. Not only are their planets much more resistant to orbital bombardment, but Ilken also prove to be extremely efficient miners, building mines that are both safer and more efficient than other polities.
Player: @Frostbyght

Jkalu
Government Type: Administrative Dictatorship
Capital: Kfriha (1)
Peripheral: Kfriu'lo (2), Kfraqu (7)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Centrally planned
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
8 Army Groups
Military Notes: Highly mechanized, elected officers
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Burning Heaven - Perhaps as a result of their reverance for heaven, there is a focus amongst the Yri on research of that most celestial of elements, plasma. As such they gain a bonus to research on plasma technology, both military and civilian.
Player: @RobespierreLives

The Nimrean League
Government Type: Federal Parliamentary Republic
Capital: Lagar (27)
Peripheral: Arkech (23), Sippo (32)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Functionally hypercapitalist, extreme income and wealth inequality
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
4 Army Groups
4 Megacorp Security Groups
Military Notes: Private armies of megacorporations better equipped and funded, recent reinvestment in government armed forces
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
The Rich get Richer - The hypercapitalist nature of society is heavily socially integrated, and protections for workers have been eroded massively in the pursuit of profit. The Nimrean League can exploit resources more efficiently and produce goods much cheaper than other polities as a result. However, this is only acheived at the cost of the happiness of the populace, and is muddied further by a backstabbing elite. Thus, in this new era the Nimrean League is much more prone to instability.
Player: @Oxford

The Cult of Shadow
Government Type: Theocratic Dictatorship
Capital: Thon (31)
Peripheral: Ethelwren (26), Perion (36)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Regulated market economy, large monopolies
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Force Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Force Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
8 Army Groups
Military Notes: High degree of fanaticism, Dark Justiciar officer class
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Sharran Subterfuge - The agents of the Nightsinger are trained from birth in the arts of espionage, interrogation, subterfuge, subversion, stealth, and coercion. The Dark Justiciars and other agents of the Cult of Shar are the greatest spies in the galaxy and specialize in the infiltration and subversion of other states, cults, and organizations. Thus, they gain a bonus to espionage actions used to infiltrate and subvert.
Player: @Fingon888

The Stivan Enclaves
Government Type: Federal Oligarchy
Capital: Keening (29)
Peripheral: Grimoire (30), Almanac (35)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Decentralized, Communal
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Force Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Force Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
8 Army Groups
Military Notes: No centralized fighting force, defensive focus
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
The Book of Hours - The Stivan Order holds within it The Book of Hours, which contains the secrets of a much more advanced civilization within its pages. While most of its secrets are carefully rationed to ensure stability, others remain undeciphered to this day. The secrets of the ancient Hondori are many, and perhaps may hold hints of yet greater truths, that even the ancients only barely scraped at. Studying the Book of Hours can unveil many great things indeed.
Player: @Weygand

The Supreme Dictat of the Temple of the Rhalas and the Rhalata National Order
Government Type: Fascist Stratocratic Republic
Capital: Temple Prime (17)
Peripheral: Sanctum (12), Sermon (22)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: State wellfare
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Force Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Force Quality: 6/10
Ground Forces:
12 Army Groups
Military Notes: Service guarantees citizenship
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Well Oiled Machine - The Supreme Dictat's reason for existence is war, and every aspect of its society is bent around that purpose. Where others may balk at senseless violence, Rhalata are raised from birth to fight and die. As a result, the Supreme Dictat is much less likely to suffer stability loss from aggressive wars.
Player: @Thiccroy

 

[DanBaque]

Seventh Turn​

Upheaval follows all change like lightning follows thunder. The Inquirii have their own forms of dealing with this: no longer are such terms as coups d'etat or elections used. Whenever a new faction achieves dominance on the political scene, this is termed a revolution. There have been six such from the Congress' founding sixty years ago, and the seventh is here. The ocean has swamped the fields, peace reigns o'er the world: all is well and just.

So the new line speaks, anyway. The era of peace sixty years old is not an easy thing to give up, no matter the crimes of foreign states to their own peoples. When the call to prove ones worthy came, the reaction was denial in security. The gates still hold, ominous as they may be, and therefore it remains impossible for war to be carried out. The victory of the 'ocean'- so named for their floods of peaceful ones that took the cities- has led to a new rise in care for progress. The future is what must be protected. There will be a focus on education, on research, on exploration. The shining lights of endless space will be learned.

Ocean rejects war with any, and seeks instead to offer boundless bounty and risk to all who dare to touch it. We are here to make good, not evil. How long will this era last is a different question, and what may come of this new population yet another.

 

[Frostbyght]

ASCENDANCE

He is old. His antennae are frail. His chitin is cracked and dull. His many eyes are slowly going gray. Yet he still carries himself with pride; his head held high and strong as he ascends the steps to the throne once more. He has sat upon it for nearly fifty years, since the death of his father. He remembers the day the crown was placed upon his head before an audience of thousands. Millions watching from across the planet as his reign began.

"Long Live The King", they cried! And oh, how long he has lived. Long for any Ilken. He has watched his people climb from the wreck of the Subjugation Wars and ascend to the stars. He has seen the gates open. He has met travelers from other worlds. Such strange people! Such wondrous creatures that can think and speak as well as any of his subjects. He once (And only once, for the strain upon his body was immense) visited one of the new colonies established in neighboring systems and met those who now called it home. Beautiful, that new world. A clear sky with winds that did not threaten to tear the flesh from your bones.

He is old, but he has seen so much.

He sits, carefully, on the Throne of Hives. Immense and intimidating, just as his father liked it. His eyes scan the room, the many courtiers and senators waiting for him to speak; to address the message of the Gates. How strange a thing it is, to be told to prove the worth of an entire civilization. Have his people not prospered? Have they not spread and grown and learned and fought and bled and loved? Is that not worthy enough?

Alas, perhaps it is not. Perhaps they have grown complacent since the end of the Wars. Perhaps the King does not rule with the strength he should. No matter. He will not be around for much longer. All he can do is set his people on the path, and pray they have the strength to see it through. His son, so much younger, so full of energy and vision, will take it from there. He will need to lead them. To help them learn and thrive.

Hive King Il'Kaden (Third of His Name, Emperor of All Hives, Master of the Stars, and Holder of the Imperial Scepter) raises his eyes to his people, and charts the path of the Billions he rules.

The Universe will know the worth of his Empire.​

 

[Fingon888]

Challenge to the Faith​

Temple-Monastery of Wintersgrasp, 12 Hours After Gate Message Appeared

Aredhel Drakken stood still as the floating platform descended past the titanic statue of Lady Shar to the meeting chamber of the Council of Shadow. Beside her were three of her faithful Dark Justiciars. Grim and serious were their countenances as the faithful around them looked away or stared in reverent awe. The platform arrived before the great circular doors of the council chambers.

"Wait here, except you Linarthen." She nodded to the two to remain as she walked through the opening door. Behind her the great stone slid back into place and was locked by a Justiciar standing guard. The other five members of the Council of Shadow were already sitting at the round table which was ringed with seven chairs. Six of them were plain onyx black while the seventh at the head of the table beneath the statue of Lady Shar was filigreed with purple and highbacked. This throne was reserved for Lady Shar and none could sit there nor touch it unless during the ritual cleaning which was performed by an old acolyte of the Order of the Dark Moon who after the completion of their task would be sacrificed during a Nightfall feast the same day of the cleaning.

Aredhel took her seat on the right hand of Lady Shar's throne. On the left hand sat Arvenius Storm, the head of the Order of the Dark Moon (the clergy of the Cult of Shar). Then from Storm around sat the rest of the Council. First, Laurelorn Darklight, the head of the Nightscribes (the bureaucracy). Second, Thindrillian Rennew, the head of the Engineer Guild. Third, Perrin Marrin, the head of the Shadow Bank. Fourth, Urmeryl Baenre, the head of the Nightsisters (nuns, doctors, and nurses).

"Good of you to join us at last Justiciar Drakken. Do you have any updates on the situation?" Brother Storm intoned in a gravelly voice.

"We have confirmed that every nearby Gate, all three of ours and every Gate in the Stivan Enclaves, has changed to include the message. We believe it is nearly certain from intercepted galactic communication that every known Gate in the galaxy changed to show the message at the exact same time. We have taken into custody anyone who saw the message before the arrival of Dark Justiciar forces and cut off all access to the Gates in all three systems we control. A 500 mile radius exclusion zone has been erected around each of the gates and a total shutdown on communication channels to outside polities has been completed to prevent the spreading of the message among the populace. It is possible however, that some messages have gotten through. We are currently investigating." Aredhel paused and drank from a glass of water. "The more pressing concern is that the message shows no sign of changing. It is the belief of our researchers that the message is now a permanent part of the Gate's structure."

Brother Storm nodded, while Thindrillian Rennew spoke up, "Justiciar Drakken, what are our options?"

"There are three options that have been presented by our researchers and case officers. First, we can destroy the Gates. Obviously there is some malign intelligence which controls the Gates. This has the disadvantage of cutting us off from our colonies however, and will prevent us from continuing our conversion efforts among the heretic polities. Second, we can cover up the messages. This is the most obvious option but we will not be able to prevent information from the other Gates being filtered into our population either by our own travelers or communication with other polities and their travelers and merchants. Finally, we can formulate an official response either condemning the message or declaring it a message from Lady Shar."

Aredhel was going to continue to speak but Brother Storm sputtered and slammed his fist on the table, "HERESY! Lady Shar would never ask for such a thing from her faithful. Only the Dark Justiciars must prove worth to be champions of the Lady of Loss, she comforts all who seek her Holy Oblivion. This is obviously the ploy of some evil deity, perhaps even the long forgotten sister."

Aredhel cleared her throat, "I concur Brother Storm, we cannot allow the faithful to be led astray by this wicked message."

Brother Storm grumbled, "I say we destroy the Gates. Leave the colonists to Lady Shar's charge and damn all the rest. Without the Gates we will be invulnerable to assault or influence by whatever evil power controls them."

Perrin Marrin spoke up quickly, "Such a drastic action will destroy the economic gains we have made over the past thirty years and consign all the sentient life we have now discovered damnation for not having heard the blessed word of our Lady. No, we must make our position against this message clear while still making use of these Gates."

"More to the point," Thindrillian Rennew interjected, "it is not clear we possess the weaponry or technology to destroy the Gates. All the research that we have conducted in the Engineer's Guild shows that the Gates are constructed of impossible materials."

The argument raged for two and a half hours punctuated every fifteen minutes by ritual prayers to Lady Shar. Finally a vote was called. Brother Storm and Sister Baenre voted to attempt to destroy the Gates. The rest voted to formulate an official response condemning the message.

Brother Storm nodded, "Very well. I am defeated then. It is the will of Lady Shar then that we confront the threat of the Light head on. Her Will shall be done sure as Night shall fall. I will consult with the Order of the Dark Moon and draft this address. In the meantime Justiciar Drakken, maintain the blockade on the Gates and a total shutdown on communication with outside polities. We must prevent any opinions being formed on this phenomenon until the Cult provides the true word of Lady Shar on this. Meeting adjourned, Walk in Shadow Brothers and Sisters."

 

[Thiccroy]

"The Path to victory begins with hatred."

TEMPLE I


​

TEMPLE, TEMPLE Prime
SOLITUDE, Sector ENIGMA-16 Police Office and Department of Regional Mega-city Investigations
Floor fifty, room 99
222231JOCT87
38.870804, -77.056031
​

"When's the meeting?" Asked Officer Brashok impatiently. Eyelashes had to hold back his annoyance at his colleague's insistence. The decorum of a Detective of the Regional Police Force was one of the same discipline as any man who has went through the Path. As a ready reserve and the regular people out in the Tokenist streets to quell riots and stop crimes in their footsteps, Policemen had to show that they had back bone- and not whine.

Especially not at a time like this. This meeting was important. The three other officers under Detective Eyeslasher were new. Fresh off the Blood Camps and while having proven themselves they did not give the Detective hope in their skills. But, nonetheless, he and the three Officers Darkranger, Feldeed and Bloodson were called up by one of the most powerful forces in the nation. The Six Marshals. Eyeslasher couldn't lie that despite his decorum at the end of the long table, opposite him being a currently idle holographic communicator, he felt himself wiping at his brow.

Just as he did, the talking between the Officers quieted down as a call was hailed on the holographic comm. Swallowing, Eyeslasher nodded and the closest officer, Feldeed, reached over and pressed the button to pick it up.

What appeared was the seven-pronged star of the Rhalatan National Order. Soon enough, before anyone could ask in the silence what was going on, the words tumbled out from the comm before any of them could say hello. "In Deepest Darkness..." A low, rumbling whisper of a voice could be heard. Many knew that voice just by instinct. It was the Bloodhound- the Minister of the Mind. They all quickly rose up, in unison, and spoke back.

"The Fiercest Of Spirits."

"Passcode received. You are hailed by the Minister of the Mind and, in representation of the Six Marshal Authority and the Supreme Didacts of the Temple, Section ENGIMA-16, we would like to congratulate you."

All of them sat down in silence and continued to look at each other in confusion. The others were fidgeting a lot more, and seeing their cowardice to ask the question on their minds, Eyeslasher took the plunge and softly coughed into his fist, before speaking. "Congratulate one what, sir?"

"Your department, Detective-Yefreitor, has successfully quelled an uprising that might have borne something much worse. Tell me, under duress of Article-05-NO, the events that have transpired concerning the Interplanetary Teleportation and Wormhole Transportation Rings, has it occured to you that, suddenly, the riots within Section ENIGMA-16 flared up just as secret National Security channels began to confer about the events?"

The Article was one encoded in everyone's minds. Whatever that the Detective or the Officers just heard, or will heard until the Minister says otherwise- was never said. Swallowing, the Detective, either way, shrugged. "Everyone in the Police Departments know about what happened, though the fact that within minutes of the... the Gates saying- apologies, sending their little message to our people the riot began is no coincidence, I agree."

"Hrm. This girl." In place of the star, a face appeared. From their integral documents, the Minister directly pulled the mugshot of a woman his men had captured three hours ago as the ringleader of the riots. Fidgeting, the Detective stared into those hollow-like eyes and those quirked lips. When his boys brought her in, the riots evaporated, almost instantly- and with her came a sort of... uncomfortable feeling.

It didn't help that she had radioactive... Everything. Most likely a cracked-up junkie whore from the Neo-Nubilist ranks that was good enough at using her mouth both ways to rile up the crowd, the Detective thought.

"In your report, this subject was identified as the root-resource-cause of the riot. After successful surgery and cauterization of the incident, your officers also reported feeling distant, correct?"

"Yes, sir. We believe its the excess radiation she is carrying."

"Perhaps." The Minister said, before the star reappeared. "Or perhaps it's more. Detective-Yefreitor?"

"Yes, sir?"

"When your men observed the woman leading the charge of the riot before successful cauterization, what exactly did she say?"

"It was... garbled Juvenile-Talk. You know, sir. Nothingness. But I could catch a few things. She was talking about doors, or rather--" One of the Officers, Bloodson, interrupted, being the youngest amongst the crowd.
"Gates. She was talking about a shining gate. Sir." He added at the end, bowing his head reverently to both Detective-Yefreitor and Minister.

"Y-yes. Well, think nothing of it, sir, I--..."

"Do not tell me what to think. Detective-Yefreitor! Welcome to the Minsitry of the Mind. You are now new Regional Department Chief of Internal Security and Thought-Control Operations within the Enigma-16 region. The officers with you will be your Under-Rank Chiefs. Give them blocs that you think would fit them best. I am sending with you various mentors and R&D help to further neutralize any kind of dents within the armor of your compound, and increase its security and the skills of your officers. Moreover, this is all non negotiable. You will now be designated as PROJECT PROPHET, and will personally aid me in tracking down more... radioactive Tokenists. Understood?"

...

"Understood."

The call closed without another word. Just like that, the men in that room, all now pale-blue faced and shivering, looked at each other. They had earned a promotion, though not the one any of them had expected.

Or ever wished for.

​

 

[Etranger]

Live Broadcast
Entity: Worldstar Entertainment Network
Origin: Yanta IV (Decua)
Language: Decuan Common (30+ simultaneous translations available)

Preliminary qualifiers for the 379th Cuvedas World Championship began today, as over 3,000 veteran players descended upon 64 different sites to make their mark on history. The tournament format, a mixture of point accumulation and multi-round elimination taking place over two weeks, favors those players with the stamina and focus to endure long, high-stakes contests. Whoever can retain their edge in the face of dozens of games will be anointed this year's World Champion and receive both the accolades of the entire Republic and a substantial cash prize.

Gambling markets are abuzz with speculation over whether one of the so-called Best Fifty, many of whom are former champions themselves, will take the prize, or whether one of the many upstarts will rise up the spire to snatch victory out of their hands. Clan loyalties, family ties, enterprise partnerships - all are set aside in pursuit of the Iridium Worldstar. Only skill and determination will secure that trophy, and the enduring fame that comes with it.

The top contender for the Star is Cu Zendoro, three-time World Champion, popularly known as the Tallest Tree. Towering over her competition at [5 feet 2 inches], Zendoro is a bold, aggressive player with an unconventional mind, to which she credits her Xeno Studies major at university. It was during her competition in the scholastic league that she was discovered and began her meteoric rise to the ultimate heights of the Great Game, nearly ten years ago.

As a brief reminder for our foreign watchers, cuvedas is a four-player game of utmost strategy in which contenders control an array of pieces and compete to reach the top of a lajansa tree, where they must then hold their position. Cuvedas is known for its cutthroat politicking and its multiplicity of required skills, particularly body language, as no verbal or written communication is allowed during the game. Alliances must therefore be formed through suggestive moves and implicit agreement, and frequently shift over time.

Now, let's go to Site 47, where one particular game seems to be heating up...

 

[Thiccroy]

"A suspicious mind is a healthy mind"


A nigh-ancient propganada poster of the Reclaimer's cause. Furnished over a century and a half ago.
Depicted are a Reclaimerist fighting a "Nubilist" police officer.

TEMPLE II
​

People swung their arms up and down close to their chests. Some hung them over their heads. They roared, whooped, kissed, grinded against each other, stepping and shaking and grinding and crying and laughing and swinging their heads with the beat. To be among Tokenists, Corporal Varik thought, was something else. They enjoyed the plentifulness of life. Working day-to-day jobs and suffering nothing but the workloads and pressures of the state, which were minimal.

It all grounded down to "behave, and everything will be fine". A perfect welfare state- a state where the Tokenists also used that welfare to not buy themselves better conditions, but to dither about in clubs, snort cracked zethaline in the restrooms and partake in Harukian Rum-Shake. It was both disgusting and awe-inspiring. In the end, the Corporal could not lie that, in truth, the reason why these young men and women didn't enter the forces, copulate, marry and raise new Didactic families was simple.

They were not Didacts. And one can die during the Path. They were young. Free. And they wanted to live life. Climbing the ladder wasn't importnat to them- not as important as it was to Varik. So, as he inhaled smoke through his electronic cigarette, the nicotine brushing sweetly against the back of his throat, the young Rhalatan turned back to the bar to poke it with two fingers. He was wearing his uniform, as was his right to. He had a few days off, and it wasn't restricted for servicemen to drink off duty, even in uniform. He had been instructing a few new volunteer recruits since the Propganada wave took the Tokenists bys torm.

As he ordered his cocktail, he didn't expect someone sliding in beside him. Fearing the worst, he settled his shoulders together, staring forward, not being able to see the person's face due to the artificial smoke and low, dim lights of the club, but knowing full well they were close. But all of his worries were driven away by her voice.

"You know I really like a man in uniform." Blinking, Vartik turned to the smirking woman, her azure skin almost palish tyan, smooth even to the eyes, and her red-within-red-eyes had a certain glint to them behind the pixie bob-cut. And she had glasses. Varik really, as the Tokenists say digged chicks with glasses. Of course, her line was lacking, and the Corporal, smirking back, scoffed.

"Really? That the best you can do? You're prettier than that." He shot back, and he could see that the Tokenist woman's face shined with surprise at that, not expecting that kind of response. She laughed back to him, yelling over the music.
"I just like police officers."
"Well, sorry to burst your hopes but I'm not police. I'm a pilot."
"Oh! Like, planes?" She asked, turning about, showing off her accentuated backside to him clearly and leaning onto the counter.
"No. Homonculi."
"The uuuh..." She made a gesture with her hand, as if having some sort of seizure.
"Yes, the big "mecha"." Varik grumbled, and she laughed. "Cool! Wooow! Okay, okay, I didn't expect to find an raska-boy down in the Hole." He could now clearly hear her Tokenist accent. Unrefined. Barbaric. Sweet to the ears. Sexy. Though she had a warble to her words. It was evident, after a moment, that she had flirted before- but never progressed far. A woman with needs and with no man willing to entertain a "four-eyes". Even among Tokenists, small deficiencies in the genome were mostly disregarded.

Luckily for her, Varik loved nerds. And so, smirking, he offered his hand. "Varik."
"Carska."

They were married two months later.

​

 

[Fingon888]

Report on the Status and Future of Infiltration, Subversion, and Conversion Efforts
Prepared in the name of Lady Shar, Our Lady of Loss, by Dark Justiciar Velatha Valthir, Head of Conversion Studies, for the Council of Shadow​

It is the sacred duty of all Dark Justiciars to spread the word of Lady Shar and to champion her cause. We are the blade in the shadow, we are the sword in the night, we are the warriors in the cause of oblivion. We have in the past 30 years of access to the wider galaxy begun the rudimentary beginnings of an effort to spread the Cult of Shar beyond our own species and polity. The Realm of Shadow is Lady Shar's will made manifest, but the Dark Lady does not operate only in open power. Nay, our Lady prefers the shadows of her eternal domain and it is in stealth, obfuscation, torture, and enlightenment that we are principally concerned. The conquest of the self and then the obliteration of the other.

The primary targets for infiltration, subversion, and conversion are determined by the nature of interstellar travel. The Gate network is linear and does not allow travel from one Gate to simply any other. Therefore, the two immediate neighbors of our Realm are the primary, though certainly not the only, targets. Let us begin with the most vulnerable, the Rhalatan State.

The Rhalatan State

The Society of Rhalata is one of binary division. The ruling caste is militaristic, driven, and indoctrinated in their heathen Truth. This class makes up the entire governing and military class of the state and there appears to be little social mobility between them and the other class which they term Tokenists, referring to the units by which this class accesses state welfare. Service in the state military appears to be the deciding factor whether one Rhalatan belongs to the ruling caste or to the Tokenist underclass. The Tokenists, which are according to the ideals of the Rhalatan state nearly exclusively the young or old, are in practice a very signficant portion of the total population of Rhalata, hovering around 40%.

This state of affairs is both highly advantageous and disadvantageous to our purposes. The Rhalatan ruling class in the process of military training are deeply indoctrinated into the faith of their heathen Truth and the principles of their religion and state which are deeply offensive to the Faith of Lady Shar. This religion is devoted to the Rhalatan state and to a perverse desire for glory and the glorification of state power. It is unlikely that we will be able to convert many within this ruling class and we will have to rely upon more traditional methods of espionage that we utilized in the Great Conquest.

However, the Tokenists represent a clear opportunity for the spreading of the Faith. They are by nature a listless and directionless people. The state provides them much of their basic needs but they are deeply depressed and alienated by a society which glorifies only martial virtue and servitude to state power. The promise of the Rhalatan State is one of collective glory, but the blessings of Our Lady is one of personal oblivion. She shall take away your pain, she shall give you dark purpose, she shall comfort you in the eternal embrace of Night. This Doctrine shall have many adherents among the Tokenists.

The Stivan Enclaves

The Stivan Enclaves are defined by religious text just as much as the Rhalatans but are not as rigid, militaristic, or binary in their social divisions. The Hours, as the Stivans call this collection of texts and proverbs, are less scripture than social commentary and knowledge. Dark Justiciar Tarrin Blacksword in his A Sharran Among the Hondori describes the particular sectarian disputes and monastic orders which police and mediate disputes over the meanings derived from this text. Justiciar Blacksword has attached a supplementary report on Stivan sociology and Enclave government.

The governing Stivan Order is a monastic order of religious adherents to the wisdom of the Hours and thus, much like our government, resistant to conversion and infiltration. The decentralized nature of Stivan society means that some conversion efforts may be possible but it does not appear to serve the interests of the Realm of Shadow in the short term. Instead it is concluded that traditional espionage efforts be the primary methods employed in the Stivan Enclaves, as well as to insert or recruit agents more familiar with the particulars of Stivan religion and belief so as to potentially intervene in doctrinal disputes (either to attain a particular objective or to generally sow chaos and disorder). Any efforts of conversion should likely be performed by more specialist clerics of the Order of the Dark Moon, in absolute secrecy of course, but it is unclear if such a cult would be discriminated against by either the general population or by the authorities in the Enclaves.

Distant Targets

While our principal concerns are our immediate neighbors it is the duty of the Dark Justiciars to carry Lady Shar's Will and Word to the farthest reaches of the Void, for all the Void is her Domain. Some comments and discussion is therefore necessary on particular characteristics, targets, goals, and methods relating to polities and species which are more distant to us. After all, travel has not yet been strictly regulated and it is possible for civilian and clandestine travel over great distances irrespective of political boundaries and zones of control.

Two states are primary candidates for conversion and subversion actions, the Nimrean League and the Vaerked Sarnokadat. The Nimrean League is susceptible in much the same way as the Rhalatan State. Their society is defined by extreme inequality and the domination of the state and economy by private megacorporations. With no regulation, righteous monopolies, or religious ethos as in our realm, this means that the leaders of these megacorporations are as a rule vicious and exploitative. Life for the commoner in the Nimrean League is one of constant work and distraction by means of entertainment and other useless and puerile endeavors. This existence of struggle and nihilism is a perfect breeding ground for Our Lady of Loss. Her power and teachings provide purpose and loss for those in grief and listless lives.

The Vaerked Sarnokadat is susceptible for a completely different reason. Their society exists entirely in constructed artificial habitats and space ships. It is unclear how or why their homeworld became a blasted waste but they have long become accustomed to such a state. Their faith in and veneration of the Void is but one step before the devotion of Lady Shar, for our Lady is but the Power within the Darkness. It is an easy thing for those in the darkest expanses of the eternal oblivion to, when given the truth and direction of the power and entity which guards and saves them, to become a most devoted of the Dark Lady. Furthermore, life among the many different habitats is often isolated for large periods of time and the captains of these vessels and stations hold intense power. The turning of a small vessel's captain would result in the creation of a ready made and fanatical cult. It is recommended that extraordinary effort (relative to the Sarnokadat's importance to the Realm) be expended to spread the worship of Our Lady among the Sarnokadat. If great effort is expended it is conceivable that we shall achieve a second Great Conquest and seize the governing power of another species and polity and so by achieve an alliance of great power. Even if such a total conquest in the name of Our Lady is not done it is still very possible for enough of the faithful to attain high position to secure favorable terms of alliance with this space dwelling race who are already natural allies of our people and Our Lady.

 

[Weygand]

Hours 200:5

THE SCRIBE-KING FARUK SAID:
​

"The Elders believe that Consultation and Consensus govern the Dictation of the Hours but Interpretation remains individual. Consultation and Consensus cannot influence Interpretation for the Text is fixed. Therefore there must be a single Interpretation which proliferates and from this singularity we may breed Consensus and from it we may seek Consultation. Therefore there must be a single Interpreter who divines the Hours and the meaning of the Book."

 

[Weygand]

Hours 200:5

AND THE COUNCIL CONVENED AND REPLIED:
​

"There is no singularity of Interpretation for the Interpreter is subject to the influence of Consensus and Consultation. If there were to be a single Interpreter the Text would reflect the Interpreter rather than the Interpreter reflect the Text, and the Interpreter in turn would be subject to the Consultation of their peers in the Dictation of the Hours. Therefore there must be a plurality of interpretation and Consensus must govern the divination of the Hours and the meaning of the Book."

 

[Weygand]

Hours 200:5

THE TEXT READS:

AND THE FARUKIAN HERESY WHICH HAD BEGUN NOW GAINED MANY FOLLOWERS
WHO DEPLORED THE GOVERNANCE OF THE COUNCIL AND CALLED FOR A NEW INTERPRETER
AND FARUK WAS RAISED UPON THE TRUNKS OF HIS FOLLOWERS
AND HE CAME TO KEENING WHERE HE HOPED THE PEOPLE WOULD RECEIVE HIM AS KING.

BUT THERE WERE ONLY GREAT LOCKED GATES
AND A PEOPLE TURNED IN HATRED BY WORDS AND TEXTS AGAINST HIM
AND BOUND SUCH BY THE PEACE OF KEENING,
THE SCRIBE-KING RELENTED, AND WENT TO GRIMOIRE

AND IN THIS WAY THE SCHISM WAS BEGUN.​

 

[Furrybacon]

Yotan [Gateway] Vitterkad Hylsianarch

"Fascinating" The Vitterkad Elected Officer, Engineering Department, said, tracing her hands over the writing. Sixth digit outstretched, the scratching noises that emanated from Gate Walls echoed from the room. "I have never seen anything like it."

The Kastellad Commander grunted. Vaerked were not fond of surprises, and that went double for the Military Caste. They hated surprises. Plans upon plans for any and every possibility. There were no plans for what simply was not possible. Such as.....this.

"If you say so, VEO Gynwyd." The Kastellad replied, instinctively extending and retracting his sixth digit as a method of calming. "If you say so."

"You can speak your mind, Kastkalad Veers." The VEO sighed, turning away from the millions of linguistic scrawlings across the gate. "Your silence doesn't do you justice."

"Prove your worth." The Kastellad said slowly. "Feels like a prelude to conflict."

The VEO breathed sharply as the pieces connected in her mind. Oft critical of the Military branches of Vaer society, the VEO conceded they possessed a purpose ironically alien to Vaer society. After so long in the void, after so long at peace following the Liberation, only the Kastellads would stop to consider that something as utterly fantastical as this could mean conflict, that bitter poison that could end their way of life. Void life could be a struggle, yes, but for the Vaer it was no more than Cradlebounds contending with the soul crushing weight of gravity. But the struggle to prosper in the void, to enjoy the totality of liberation and democracy and self expression and their National Union, their Sarnokadat, was a very different one than the Kastellads promised to protect from.

Tracing her hand over the tattoos that lined her forehead, the Vaerked VEO quietly returned to look at the pictographs. "We must confirm if we recognize all these writings. Off the top of my head I believe that's Stivan...and that one I've seen the Decua use. Hardly an expert on anything else."

"That would be prudent, VEO." The Kastellad said. "Was there an end your expecting?"

The VEO almost nodded, before taking a step back and pointing back in the direction they came. "No. Just a hunch." Passing the Kastellad, the Vitterked Officer smiled. "The Sarnokadat should be sending a group to take official study of these writings. And while they are fascinating, my daughter will he receiving her adult voidsuit in three quarter rotations. Your welcome to appear, Kastakalad Veers."

For all the cultural divergence betwixt the communal Vitterkads and the martial Kastellads, somethings transcended the divide. Hidden beneath Beth's voidsuits, a tapestry of tattoos revealed their life's story, their dreams, their loves, and their regrets. Both of their voidsuits, the armored hulk of the Kastellad and the functional trim of the Vitterkad, were adorned with personal accoutrements - conceded the military suit was more muted. And the day a child earned their adult voidsuit, and became an adult, was a ceremony that all could enjoy. "It would be calming, VEO."

 

[Hyvelic]

The Canton Wars: A Brutal Epoch of Pre-Modern Conflict

​

In the annals of history, the Canton Wars stand as a chilling testament to the brutality and unrelenting strife that characterized an era long past. This dark period, marked by territorial disputes and incessant power struggles among cantons, left an indelible scar on the pre-modern landscape. Here, we chronicle this violent epoch of Helvetican history.

Origins of Discord (Year 13XX-13XX)

​

The harrowing saga of the Canton Wars found its roots in the embers of centuries-old grievances and territorial disputes that smoldered between the cantons of the pre-modern era. This tumultuous period was marked by a profound scarcity of vital resources, which ignited the flames of competition among these autonomous regions. Moreover, the cantons harbored deep-seated grudges, the weight of which had been carried across generations like a festering wound.

The cantons of Uri and Schwyz, for instance, were locked in fierce competition for the fertile lands along the southern border. These territories were coveted for their agricultural richness, with both cantons viewing them as essential for their survival. The battles for control over these lands would become some of the bloodiest of the war.

Meanwhile, Bern and Zürich engaged in a bitter struggle over access to the vital trade routes running through the region of Länder. The Canton of Bern, historically a guardian of these trade routes, saw the growing power of Zürich as a direct threat to its interests. This rivalry over trade would serve as a catalyst for the escalation of hostilities.

Territorial disputes between the cantons of Geneva and Lucerne, which had festered for centuries, were a constant source of friction. The border region near Lake Constance was a particularly contentious point of contention. Both cantons laid historical claims to this land, and the disputes over its ownership acted as a constant source of tension.

In the case of Lucerne and Geneva, the roots of their animosity ran deep, with grievances stemming from a series of border skirmishes and trade disputes that dated back centuries. These unresolved issues cast a long shadow over their relations and fueled a sense of injustice.
The escalation from sporadic skirmishes to full-scale war was exemplified by the devastating conflict between the cantons of Uri and Schwyz. What began as disputes over grazing rights in the mountain valleys quickly escalated into fierce battles for control over key mountain passes. The relentlessness of their struggle left the region scarred and its people traumatized.

Similarly, the battles for control of the fertile lands in Länder escalated rapidly between Bern and Zürich. What started as border clashes turned into large-scale confrontations as both cantons sought to secure their interests. The toll on the region's populace was profound, as villages were besieged and civilian lives caught in the crossfire.
The Canton Wars, in their full-fledged fury, consumed not only the lands but also the very souls of the peoples caught within their grasp. The border region near Lake Constance, disputed between Geneva and Lucerne, became a no-man's-land of desolation, with villages razed and fields rendered barren. Innocent lives were lost, and the weight of collective suffering left scars that would endure for generations.

In this crucible of discord and devastation, the Canton Wars would etch their name into history as an era defined by the darkest aspects of human nature—competition, conflict, and the indomitable legacy of centuries-old grudges. The cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Bern, Zürich, Geneva, and Lucerne, among others, would forever bear the scars of this brutal chapter in their collective history.

 

[Weygand]

Hours 200:5

THE SCRIBE AMADAN SAID:
​

"The meaning of the Text cannot be fixed, for the author, as Interpreter, is also fallible: they are unable to enforce Consensus through the Text, as Interpretation is individual: therefore the failure of Faruk is to ascribe the duty of Interpretation to a single authority, and the failure of the Elders is to exclude any Consultation or Consensus besides that which is determined between themselves. If the role of Interpreter is indeed crucial to understanding the Text, then surely Interpretation would be enriched by the whole Order."

 

[Weygand]

Hours 200:6

AND THE FOLLOWERS OF AMADAN CAME FROM THE SHADOWS,
THEY WERE UNTOUCHABLE AND CASTELESS,
AND SOUGHT TO ENRICH THEMSELVES ON HIS IDEAS.
BUT AMADAN SHUNNED THE MATERIAL,
AND CALLED THEM ALL TO TOME.
THERE HE ROSE HIS FIRST LIBRARY,
AND THE AMADIAN HERESY WAS BEGUN.​

 

[Weygand]

Hours 400:15

AND THE HEAVENS DECREED,
'PROVE YOU ARE WORTHY',
WORDS POURING THROUGH THE GATES.

AND THE ELDERS CAME TO CONCLAVE IN KEENING,
AS TO DETERMINE WHAT THIS COULD TRULY MEAN.

AND THE HERESIARCHS WATCHED, JEALOUSLY,
AND SHARPENED THEIR KNIVES IN EXPECTATION.​

 

[RobespierreLives]

➤Connecting: Complete
➤Input Password: ******************
➤Decryption: Complete
➤Now Showing:

Delinquency Registry, Reformatory Facility 81-A2, Page 54 of 98​

Form Type: DRF-456-A [See form DRFT-231-B9 for reference, and legal justification]
Form Number: 7659-OX8 [See form DRAFT-567-L for reference, and legal justification]
Name: Frtyi Soj-Kafah
Delinquency Number: 923-45-6
Living Age: 35
Occupation: Communal Teacher
Living Quarters: Sasa Lkfai Sector 56 F-98
Transgression: Public Delirium Concerning Historical Records [See form EXEC-9-0L for reference, and legal justification]
State Retribution: 10 years in Reformatory Treatment

Form Type: DRF-456-A [See form DRFT-231-B9 for reference, and legal justification]
Form Number: 7689-OX8 [See form DRAFT-567-L for reference, and legal justification]
Name: Shriv Toi-Jhafi
Delinquency Number: 1230-65-0
Living Age: 56
Occupation: Communal Leader of [REDACTED]
Transgression: Calls for Public Disobedience, Treason to Jkalu [See form EXEC-00-00 for reference, and legal justification]
State Retribution: Deliquent deemed unsuitable for public rehabilitation, 10,000 years in Reformatory Treatment

Form Type: PRF-1-1 [See form [REDACTED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY] for reference, and legal justification]
Form Number: 12-10-A [See form [REDACTED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY] for reference, and legal justification]
Name: [PURGED FROM PUBLIC RECORDS]
Delinquency Number: 1040-01-6
Living Age: Unknown at date of recording
Occupation: Terror Agitator
Transgression: Terrorism [800 counts], Treason to Jkalu [10,000 counts], Murder [10,000,000 counts], [REDACTED, 30 counts] [See form EXECUTION-1 for reference, and legal justification]
State Retribution: Immediate Destruction on an Atomic Level

Form Type: DRF-456-A [See form DRFT-231-B9 for reference, and legal justification]
Form Number: 6481-OX8 [See form DRAFT-567-L for reference, and legal justification]
Name: Rhjiv Soj-Loka
Delinquency Number: 0964-45-01
Living Age: 21
Occupation: Courier
Transgression: Refusal to Comply with Communal Restrictions [See form JIL-25-98-A for reference, and legal justification]
State Retribution: 2 years in Reformatory Treatment

 

[Theaxofwar]

The Starting Shot
AG 30-32


An artistic rendering of the Battle for Almanac Gate. The artist was not present for the actual battle, leading to this stylized but fairly inaccurate portrayal.
​

The message of the Gates sent shockwaves throughout galactic society. It was a potent reminder of how much the myriad polities of the galaxy did not understand the very things they relied on for their colonial endeavors. For most, however, the initial shift in policy was muted. Perhaps leaders were simply confident that the thirty years of peace would continue unhindered by the strange message, or perhaps they simply did not believe that war or rash action would prove worthiness. Regardless of the reason, with some notable exceptions the governments making up galactic society continued on as normal. Yet, as the initial excitement of the message faded away, it soon became clear that this lack of immediate action underlied a deeper belief: that only through investment in science and learning could a people become worthy, or at the very least, that it was the only way to understand the Gates.

Of course, in the years to come, many a paper would be written about the connection between the Gates and the upsurge of scientific learning. For some, the ties were obvious. Notes from meetings within the Decuan Stellar Republic's National Cabinet showed a deep sense of insecurity regarding the message. Indeed, immediate government investment into various research enterprises showed a clear focus on subjects related to the Gates and their message, ranging from the black hole that was FTL research to translation technology inspired by the multi-lingual nature of the message. Investments into educational facilities similarly focused on a perceived need to measure up to the scientific heights of the Gates. While all this shed little light on the objects that had caused their feelings of inferiority, the Decuans could at least be content in knowing their society had effectively developed the infrastructure from which scientific knowledge could blossom.

The New Eden Confederation saw a similar shift in policy upon the message of the Gates, though the source of their technological anxieties came from a much deeper source. New Edenites had long held a belief in the fact that they had originated from elsewhere in the galaxy, being brought to New Eden by unknown actors for unknown reasons. While initially dismissed as just another strange religious belief by outside observers, it soon became clear to the wider galaxy that the Confederation had a remarkable amount of evidence backing up their claim. Thus, when the message of the Gates first appeared, the Confederation saw it as yet another act from whatever entity had relocated them over a thousand years ago. Perhaps sensing that any such foe would be militarily beyond anything they could manage, the New Eden Confederation instead put its stock into a number of education investments. While this did see a major expansion in their capacity for research, the increased investment in education of the populace was somewhat unusual for a society of nobility, who tended to jealously guard their access to better educational institutions. This did not cause more than a few arguments in the Senate, however, as it did not truly do any damage to the noble powerbase. After all, while there were plenty of scientists amongst the nobility, it was seen as far less prestigious compared to land ownership, governance, or military service. Even so, only time could tell what impact, if any, a more scientifically literate underclass would have on the New Eden Confederation.

Even more than the previous two polities, the developments of the Hyperion Congress drew from preexisting social developments, though the message still provided a spark for more dramatic events. The Ocean Revolution was inspired by a growing pacifistic sentiment in the Hyperion Congress, born out of sixty years of constant peace. While these beliefs had long underlined Inquirii society, there had been little revolutionary impetus, as there was no perceived threat of war. The message, however, seemed a dark specter of things to come, and the people wanted no part in it. An offensive war, after all, was impossible to win, and it would bring only pain to those who pursued it. In order to ensure the peace survived, the Ocean Revolution overthrew the currently dominant faction of politics. Any other polity would have seen a period of violence or at least significant transition following such a revolution, but for the Congress this was just how politics functioned. Thus, the revolutionaries easily slotted into power, and state systems obediently fell in line.

From there, the Hyperion Congress focused on improving the lot of its people through education. This was a comprehensive reform, stretching from primary all the way to quaternary education, focused on making access to education free for all who needed it. Simultaneously, the Committees of Revolutionary Security were encouraged to invest in their own science sectors. Notably, many of these Committees, especially those in peripheral systems with a lesser access to highly educated specialists, reached out to alien scientists, providing generous offers for work in prestigious positions. Intergalactic immigration was still somewhat rare in the galaxy, and the Hyperion Congress was the first nation to attempt such a program on a grand scale. While most scientists were highly valued enough in their own societies to risk traveling to an entirely new solar system far away from everything they knew, a few of the more adventurous did make the trip. The Hyperion Congress also saw an upsurge of individuals fleeing from violence in the Nimrean League. These programs, focused on the highly educated, were unable to offer positions to as many refugees as desired, or those who needed them most. Even so, information about the Nimrean League from those Shurians who did manage the trip quickly spread across Hyperion Congress systems, leading to a great outpouring of sympathy and the first serious challenge to the Ocean Revolution's pacifist ideals.

The Gate Pioneer Education Program, started by the Confederated Accords of Avlentes, would prove one of the more confusingly named research programs established in the last two years. Indeed, while some argued that, having Gate in its name, GPEP was clearly a response to the message of the Gates, it primarily sponsored research on ships and space stations, not the Gates themselves. Furthermore, while named an Education program, GPEP's funding was entirely directed towards research, though a great deal of that was student research. While this did allow the Confederated Accords a certain degree of control in the direction of scientific research, it became apparent that a larger pool of educated students and graduates was needed in order for this to make a large impact on research output.

Heavy investment was also dumped into Port Pearl. This was done with very few demands from the Confederated Accords, except a vague encouragement of basic manufacturing. This led to a few enterprising Levexanti growing quite wealthy, using the flood of government funds to foot the startup costs of factory complexes close to pre-existing mines, which were also expanded. Environmental protection laws were much less strict in Port Pearl, given the only settlement was on an ice planet and therefore there was no ecosystem to disrupt. This laxity of regulation, alongside government funds, allowed a few canny industrialists to compete with pre-established companies in the capital system of Criq. The biggest limitations on this wave of economic growth, however, were population and prospecting. Cheap, simple manufacturing still required a great deal of workers, and the sheer distance of Port Pearl from Avlentes made immigration unpopular. Furthermore, prospecting these systems was a difficult, manpower intensive, and expensive process. There would need to be more direct investment on exploring peripheral systems in order to see a true colonial boom.

The Vaerked Sarnokadat were an interesting polity, unique amongst galactic civilization for having destroyed their own home planet and been forced to live off-world. They too invested in research, but not with such a monofocus as some of the other powers. Indeed, the establishment of The Harokad Institute of Science was clearly as much a matter of propaganda as science, inspired not by the message of the Gates directly but instead from a desire to keep up with their "cradlebound" rivals. Yet, for all that the institute was a legitimately prestigious center of research, it could not alone compete with the massive society-wide investments in learning made by some other polities. More would need to be done to ensure the Sarnokadat did not fall behind its rivals technologically.
Beyond this, there was a clear focus by the Sarnokadat on expanding resource extraction in the peripheries. While they had not stumbled upon any new resources to exploit, which would require the funding of serious expeditions, they did see the development of new settlements, called Vitterkads, focused primarily on mining. In doing so, the Sarnokadat sped up the development of their peripheries compared to more hands-off polities, though it would take much more investment over a longer period of time to make truly significant absolute gains.

The final polity to invest in education was Jkalu. Like the Sarnokadat, the investments it made, spread out over a variety of new universities rather than concentrated in a single one, were clearly as much about political matters as a true desire for learning. Students were allowed into these universities via a process of peer selection within individual communes, and a great deal of focus was put into the curriculum of "Ideology Classes" that clearly amounted to state-supported propaganda. The goal, it seemed, was less to provide a new stock of scientists as to prepare a new generation of leaders. After all, entrance into these universities required a clear charisma and ability to gain the support of others, and success within them required a firm grasp of Jkalu's ideological underpinnings. Almost in spite of these roadblocks, the expansion did see an increased class of individuals educated in all manner of fields, however the prospects post-graduation had not grown to match. Jkalu would need to invest in research directly to get the full use out of its new crop of scholars.

Alongside the educational expansion, Jkalu launched a comprehensive exploration of the Kfakru system. Even with intensive exploration it was impossible to discover all of the system's secrets, but a number of useful mineral deposits were found for exploitation. Most significantly, after a series of very inadvisable departures from mission standard, one exploration team encountered a gas on one of Kfakru's planets that functioned as a potent stimulant. Inhalation caused the body to go into overdrive, massively enhancing the strength and speed of the user for about an hour before the effects wore off. This seemed to be done through somehow offsetting the normal safeties within the body, though this was in truth an incomplete explanation for a material that required further study to fully understand. Exertion while under its effects could cause serious damage to the user, but the rush of power while using the gas proved quite addictive. Information about this gas eventually filtered to the Keybearers, who would determine if and how it was to be put to use.

The Interplanetary Helvetica Confederation responded to the message of the Gates with an almost unprecedented display of central power. The Interstellar Council, intended to be a neutral body, ordered a massive investment into the peripheral colonies of the Confederation. Helvetican colonies were similarly small-time affairs to other polities at this point, but whereas most were constructed along a primarily resource extraction model, Helvetica's were designed to grow into new self-sustaining cantons. Thus, the four major Helvetican colonies, each on one of the habitable worlds within its periphery, spent their funds on a wide variety of projects designed not for immediate profitability but to encourage immigration and long term sustained growth. While some new mining facilities were constructed, more of the funds went to shaping the environment to allow for ease of food production, building more comfortable housing, and even investing into schooling institutions. All of this did not see an immediate return for the Confederation, and there was some grumbling about the communal funds being sunk so heavily into just a few small cantons, but the groundwork was there for a future flourishing.

Yet, while it was clear that the Helveticans saw the path to proving their worthiness in peaceful development, it was equally clear they did not trust their neighbors to feel the same way. Even as sprawling gardens grew across Helvetican peripheral worlds, anti-missile encampments began to sprout on their surface. These defensive fortifications were especially prevalent in the Gates however, with the already fortified structures seeing themselves even more heavily militarized. This got to the point that it actually began to slow down trade somewhat, as merchants and travelers had to pass through heavily fortified checkpoints just to reach the Gates' interiors from the docks. While very much in line with conventional Helvetican thinking regarding the importance of a good defense, many within the Interstellar Council called into question the validity of these new constructions. Why should they invest even further in defenses when conventional wisdom told them that the success of an attack was already impossible?

On the other side of the spectrum, it was clear that for the Imperial Hives of Ku'Patk worthiness could only mean one thing: war. The Hive King ordered a grand expansion of all shipyards throughout his empire, and the imperial foundries began to churn. It should be noted that Gen 0s were not mass-produced ships. Quite the opposite, each one was bespoke in its production, requiring both a large variety of expensive and technologically advanced parts and a great deal of time put into its construction. Just one could take years to build, and with a price tag to match. Over a period of two years a number of new imperial shipyards were constructed. These could each theoretically construct their own Gen 0s, alongside much cheaper and less advanced civilian ships. However, even with these new shipyards, there were serious bottlenecks on the construction of new Gen 0s, both in terms of acquiring materials and the physical time it took to put the massive ships together. Even with these limitations, it was a foreboding increase in the ability of the Imperial Hives to produce future warships.

Alongside these expansions, the Hive King ordered a series of exploratory ventures in all of his domains. This proved somewhat mystifying at first, as while exploration of the peripherals was sensible, the capital system was already extremely thoroughly explored. Splitting the attention between three different systems, one of which there was essentially no chance of finding anything worthwhile, proved to dampen the efficacy of these explorations. While some new minor resource veins were discovered in Matck, there was nothing that truly made the trips worth the cost. It quickly became clear, however, that these explorations were just a cover to investigate the various settlements for dissent. The High King had grown paranoid with the message from the Gates, and looked to viciously quash any open signs of dissent. However, while there was some murmuring in bars and the general disquiet that came from living under an absolutist dictatorial monarch, most were relatively loyal, and none willing to openly oppose the High King. Any stirrings of true rebelliousness were quickly crushed just from the sight of the warships of the High King's Space Navy.
The Realm of Shadow showed a strong reaction against the message of the Gates. Whereas most nations simply accepted the message, the Realm of Shadow almost immediately began a propaganda campaign against it. After all, their goddess Shar comforted all within her darkness, and she asked only her Dark Justiciars to prove their worthiness to her. The Gates, then, must have been the work of some sort of malevolent entity, perhaps even Shar's long forgotten sister. That did not mean that the Realm stopped using the Gates however. Faith aside, the Gates were simply too useful to ignore, and could not have been destroyed even if there was a desire to do so. This continued use was justified through more propaganda, which argued that using the Gates to further the faith was equivalent to conquest of whatever evil entity had created them in the name of Lady Shar. All of this was largely accepted by the populace. Individuals were either faithful enough to believe the words of the church or relatively unconcerned about the theological implications so long as the Gates remained in use. There was some theological debate within the Cult, but most everyone of any importance fell in line with the official position.

With their use of the Gates now built on a solid theological basis, the Council of Shadow sent out expeditions to explore their periphery. With the revelation that the Gates were the workings of the enemy, it was only reasonable to assume that the places they led to were also potentially full of evil. These expeditions were conducted with the utmost caution, but on Perion they found nothing out of sorts. In fact, the Perion expedition stumbled upon a series of uranium ore deposits that could serve as promising sites for new settlement.

On Ethelwren, however, the expedition found something deeply concerning. They were on a seemingly dead planet, but one with a functioning water cycle. Stopping to take samples from a lake, the expedition quickly discovered it was highly electrified, with one explorer being severely injured on contact. This literal shock was replaced moments later by a perhaps even greater metaphorical one, as before the explorers' eyes a mighty beast rose from the lake. It was some sort of serpentine creature, or perhaps a massive eel, easily dwarfing the explorers even without fully emerging. Even more remarkably, the entire beast glowed, as if made from solid light, and its entire body crackled with electricity. Whatever it was, the explorers were not equipped to confront it, quickly fleeing, though not before taking some pictures as proof. They knew not what exactly they had just encountered, but they were sure of one thing: it was the work of the enemy.

In the Supreme Dictat, war was seen as not just an inevitable fact of life, but a desirable one. It was only through military service that one could climb the Path, becoming a citizen and ensuring a better position for their family. It should be no surprise, then, that the response to the message of the Gates was one of military mobilization. At first, this went relatively smoothly, with the fires of industry being turned towards war once more, and propaganda encouraging enlistment being broadcast at every street corner in tokenist neighborhoods. All of this was par for the course. If anything, it was the years of relative peace that were seen as unnatural. Then, however, came the draft, and things began to get out of control.

The Supreme Dictat's society was built on the division between the didact caste, which had served in the military for a period of three years and was afforded the right to vote, and the tokenist class, which received state welfare services but had no political rights. In theory, everyone was born a tokenist, and anyone could gain political rights by serving three years in the military. In practice it was not so simple. Didacts heavily guarded their status, seeing it as something that elevated them above the tokenists, and hated having individuals from historically tokenist families join the service. Thus, while outwardly they derided tokenists for being lazy and unwilling to put their lives on the line, many recruitment agencies made actually joining the military extremely difficult for those who did not come from didact families, and training squads heavily hazed those that did make it through. In reaction, the tokenists had increasingly stopped seeing military service as a real option. While some swallowed this pill bitterly, many others had begun to define themselves in opposition to the didacts, increasingly embracing a tokenist identity removed from the military apparatus of the state.

All of this was not a destabilizing factor in the regime, but indeed a part of what gave it a relative degree of stability. The didact caste was large enough and militarized enough to suppress most tokenist uprisings, and they themselves accepted the repressive edges of their society as necessary to maintain their elevated position. The tokenists themselves were pushed via social and economic manipulation into immiseration, poverty, and drug use, but were essentially bought off by welfare and health benefits. All of this kept the didacts happy and on top, with the tokenists unable to effectively resist. The latest wave of tokenist riots had, after all, been easily suppressed. The draft threatened to upend this developing social order.

While the threat of removing tokenists who did not comply with the draft sent them into another wave of riots, the Supreme Dictat had no qualms with crushing these as brutally as they had the last wave. Indeed, some tokenists saw the drafts as a good thing, as they provided an undeniable route into joining the didact caste. The larger voice of dissent came from the didacts.

While unwilling to openly defy the Six Marshals, many didacts practiced resistance in other ways, such as tripling down on hazing of tokenist trainees or even blocking them from training. This inevitably led to the tokenist recruits being listed as deserters and having their welfare taken away with very little legal recourse. Furthermore, a growing conservative officer bloc began to take shape in politics, intent on fighting the perceived attempted reforms of Specialist Gunnery Sergeant Rorik Helmshaper. Ironically, Rorik had no part in the decision to implement the draft, but he was seen as the obvious one responsible due to his own tokenist past and reformist politics. The greatest irony was that the influx of troops who had been drafted and actually successfully made it past training were largely unneeded, with the extremely bloated military having plenty of reserves on hand even for the expansions to the number of active personnel.

Rather than complex caste divisions, in the Nimrean League simple greed shattered any illusions of stability the Shurians had possessed. Strangely, it all began with a moment of hope. Following the message of the Gates, a new motion began to make its way through the Nimrean parliament, one that would establish a Universal Basic Income. While decried by a portion of the population as government handouts to the lazy, to the majority of Nimreans it seemed like a blessing. Perhaps they hoped that the message of the Gates had caused some shift in the Nimrean elite, who had decided to prove their worthiness through helping the poor. That hope, however, was short lived. It quickly became clear that this UBI was not being established alongside the admittedly anemic pre-existing welfare programs, but as a replacement to them. Even then, it was mostly taken with a sort of resigned acceptance. The Shurians were not stupid, they understood that this was just another way to funnel tax money back into the pockets of the rich, but it was ultimately just another in a long line of revoked rights and broken promises. What were they going to do? At least most of them still had jobs.

Then, of course, the other shoe dropped. With the entire population now receiving a UBI, the Nimrean megacorporations began a sweeping implementation of automation technology in labor intensive industries, firing over a billion workers in the process. The move was staggering. Individuals who had accepted the UBI as a supplement to their income now found it as their only lifeline from starvation, once again relegated to living paycheck to paycheck. And of course, whatever money they did receive from the UBI they had to pay back at stores owned by the megacorporations, a final insult to a people seen as nothing but a convenient tool to funnel the funds of the state into the hands of the rich.

And then, in a perfect moment of karma, the automated machines began to break down. In their rush for profits the megacorporations had implemented automation technology that should have still been in development, and the results were catastrophic. Companies dipped deep into the red as they replaced effective Shurian workers with machines that could not handle the tasks at hand. For the first time in living memory, it was the megacorporations that turned desperately to their former workers, practically begging them to come back. But the workers did something the corporate elites hadn't expected: they began to unionize.

Traditional organized labor unions had long been thoroughly discredited in Nimrean society, and few considered it a viable avenue for social change. Even amongst the working class, the number of individuals who would have been willing to join a union were very low. What the Nimrean League didn't consider, however, was the impact the flow of ideas between different states could have on their society. While the Hyperion Congress did not share a connected Gate with the Nimrean League, information on the government of the Hyperion Congress had spread to the Shurians. Much of this was due to information flowing back from educated Shurians who had immigrated to the Hyperion Congress due to the prestigious positions on offer, at which point these economic and political ideas filtered to the masses. Inquiriism, as it was called in Shurian society, put a new name and face to unions, one without the stigma carefully cultivated by the Nimrean elites. And so a new and grand opposition to the framework of Shurian society was born.

These Inquiriist unions refused to go back to work until their demands were met, which included higher pay, better hours, paid sick leave and company healthcare, and perhaps most importantly, an end to research, development, and implementation of new automation technologies. While initially caught off guard by this, the megacorporations were more than prepared to crush unions, even if they had a foreign name. Strike busters were quickly deployed, but the scale of the strikes were unprecedented. While in some areas strikes were successfully broken up and individuals forced back to work, especially in the peripheral systems where these unions were much weaker and the people more reliant on the gates, in others they proved too large to quash without a serious military intervention. Of course, the corporations were happy to call in their PMCs when heavier firepower was necessary, but doing so could prove expensive for their coffers, already hurting from the strikes. An unwillingness to risk extremely angry mercenary mutinies in the event of a bankruptcy, the megacorporations employed their PMCs sparingly. Besides, the elites knew that time was not on the sides of the workers. By the end of the second year after the message from the Gates, automation had reached a point that it could at least somewhat make up for the lost workers, and the megacorporations largely abandoned any cursory negotiations with the unions. Still, the unions didn't dissolve. It was clear the political situation in the Nimrean League had shifted, and the people running the show did not like how it looked.

The Stivan Enclaves respond to the message of the Gates, which they call the Omen, by calling the 226th Conclave. This was meant to determine the meaning of the message and come to a unified response, however the Conclave was quickly taken over as an official platform from which the Farukian and Amadian sects could argue. Four main interpretations of the Omen eventually took prominence: that it was a declaration of war, that it was an indictment of Hondori society, that it was a condemnation of sectarianism, and that the only way to interpret the Omen was through a Divination of the Book of Hours. Ultimately, the Conclave just proved to be new ground on which to tread the same old argument. The Farukians wanted a single Interpreter appointed to lead the Stivan Order, acting as a strong centralizing force against the chaos of the galaxy. The Amadians wanted the Conclave to act as a permanent institution, allowing for more consistent unified policy without any suppression of voices. The Council of Elders simply wished to empower themselves and prevent either other faction from growing too powerful. Yet, this time disagreement grew beyond mere words, with violent results.

The Gates were the lifeblood of interstellar civilization. Control of a Gate brought a system access to the galaxy, and loss of that control could mean the total loss of contact with peripheral systems. Perhaps as a result, Gates were amongst the most well defended locations in the galaxy, greatly aided by their nature as natural chokepoints. A Gate had never been taken by an external force, and indeed many military thinkers thought doing so impossible. Attacks had only ever been tried after traveling through the Gates, however. No one had ever attacked a Gate from within the system it was situated. No one, that is, before the Farukians and the Amadians.

The Gates were in theory a neutral zone in the ideological conflicts within the Stivan Enclaves. This neutrality, however, was itself seen as a political statement. Having taken the position as the middle ground between the Farukians and the Amadians, the staffing of the Gates with neutral military orders was paradoxically seen as a power grab by the Council of Elders. This suspicion was confirmed when travel between the Gates was restricted pending investigation into the origins of the Omen. Of course, travel was not cut off completely, which would as good as starve the peripheral systems, but whether intended or not the restriction was seen as an open threat. Thus, in the peripheral systems of Grimoire and Almanac, the Farukian and Amadian sects launch assaults on their respective Gates.

These attacks are completely unexpected. While brawls had broken out in the past, serious space forces had never been used by the sects against each other, much less the Council. Furthermore, the idea of attacking a Gate seemed so ridiculous that no one occupying them seriously thought it was possible, much less two at roughly the same time. The nature of the conflict also meant that the defenders were ideologically divided, with some sympathetic to either attacking sect and being reluctant to fight, or even turning on the defenders. The defenders themselves came from various sects, and so had limited experience working together in combat situations.

None of it mattered.

The sects were some of the largest collections of military power in the Stivan Enclaves, and some of the few forces within the extremely decentralized society able to mobilize the manpower, industry, and scientific knowledge needed to construct Gen 0s. Their attacks involved infiltrators disrupting the defenses on the ground, followed by attempts to disembark larger military forces on the ground as quickly as possible. From there, these military forces were intended to overwhelm the defenders and disable the defenses, largely designed to combat ships rather than enemies on the ground. They were decent plans, one that made good use of the advantage in terms of ground forces possessed by the two sects, and further improved by their extremely tenuous cooperation, in only in the form of launching their attacks simultaneously.

In both cases, however, the number of infiltrators the sects were able to get onto the Gates were not sufficient to seriously disrupt defensive emplacements, and the Gen 0s chose to retreat after their initial approaches were met with heavy fire. No Gen 0s were lost, as their point defense systems prevented any knockout blows. Even so, the pilots decide that closing into the kill zone that were the Gates' ports would be too risky, with the potential for the sheer amount of fire overwhelming point defense and destroying the extremely expensive and hard to build Gen 0s.

The Council proved unwilling to risk their own force of Gen 0s in pursuing either assault, making the attacks essentially nothing more than light skirmishes with few casualties. Even so, the victories proved an effective propaganda tool, with the Council depicting themselves as the only reasonable faction surrounded by violent radicals, and the most militarily powerful of the three competing forces. This saw moderates from both sects drawing towards the Council faction, giving them a degree of dominance over the other players in the Conclave. This, however, was contrasted by the situation outside of Keening, where radicals grew even more fervently opposed to Council control. Regardless of ideology, however, peripheral colonies needed shipments from the capital to survive, and with their respective grand pushes failing the radicals in the peripheries returned to a sort of armed but relatively peaceful disapproval of the Council and more moderate members of their own sects.

To the wider galaxy, the twin Battles of the Grimoire and the Almanac Gates proved more interesting than internal Stivan politics. Some simply took them as evidence that assaulting a Gate was a hopeless prospect, but others learned a different lesson. The desperate attempts of the Farukian and Amadian sects to take the Gates via infiltration were born out of a distinct lack of military power, but stronger state entities could potentially apply such tactics on a greater scale. Across the galaxy, generals were starting to look at an assault on the Gates with new eyes. Perhaps the key to capturing the Gates, to proving their worthiness, lay not in strength of arms or powerful technologies, but in infiltration and espionage.

 

[Theaxofwar]

Stats

Civilization Name
Government type: Type of government
Capital: Capital System (Location on Map)
Peripheral: Peripheral Systems (Locations on Map)
Political unity: Crumbling/Poor/Stable/Good/Unyielding
Economy Size: Pathetic-Tiny-Small-Medium-Large-Huge-Overwhelming-Galactic
Economic outlook: Collapsing/Major depression/Shrinking/Stagnating/Growing/Strong growth/Major boom
Economic notes:
Technology: Chaotic (0 Slots)/Weak (1)/Adequate (2)/Good (3)/Excellent (4)/Furious (5)
Space Forces Quality: X/5
Space Forces:
Ground Forces Quality: X/10
Ground Forces:
Military notes:
Espionage: Guileless (0 Slots)/Patchwork (1)/Established (2)/Institutional (3)/Expert (4)/Cold Warriors (5)
Special Thing:
Name of Special Thing: Description of Special Thing

The Confederated Accords of Avlentes
Government type: Semi-Elected Authoritarian Electronic Democracy
Systems:
Capital: Criq (8)
Peripheral: Port Pearl (3), Port Verte (4)
Political unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic outlook: Growing
Economic notes: Mixed Economy, History of nationalizing key industry, subsidizing industry in Port Pearl
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 6/10
Ground Forces:
12 Army Groups
Military notes: Compulsory military service
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Tabeaus - Tabeaus are a specific social unit within Avlentes society, encompassing anywhere from two to dozens of families. While generally tight-knit, moving between tabeaus is a normal part of society, creating a population at once clannish and remarkably socially flexible. These work as a sort of training for the contradictions within the Avlentes government, preparing its citizens to navigate its structure. So long as tabeaus remain a building block of Avlentes society, it will find itself more resistance to stability loss from ideological division.
Player: @FantasticMsFox

The Decuan Stellar Republic
Government Type: Clan-based Federal Republic
Capital: Yanta (10)
Peripheral: Xasha (9), Xinja (15)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Joint Enterprise as main economic unit
Technology: Adequate (2)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
8 Army Groups
Military Notes: Notably consultative and egalitarian
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Never Fall Short - The Vedren are a somewhat diminutive species, and perhaps as a result they have resolved to never fall behind the rest of the galaxy. As a result, they gain a bonus to researching technologies that other polities have already developed.
Player: @Etranger

The New Eden Confederation
Government Type: Aristocratic Confederal Republic
Capital: New Eden (34)
Peripheral: Organa (28), Spectra (33)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Free market regulated by the Confederation Trade Comission
Technology: Adequate (2)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 6/10
Ground Forces:
10 Army Groups
Military Notes: Houses have independent militaries alongside the United Confederation Defense Force
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Origins Unknown - The New Eden Confederation did not originate on Eden Prime, or at least they do not believe they do. How they came to this planet is unknown, but not from lack of curiosity. The first step of solving a mystery is knowing there is one in the first place.
Player: @Skrevski

The Hyperion Congress
Government Type: Congress of socialist committees
Capital: Kadlob (20)
Peripheral: Gamma Alternus (14), Opaque Choir (24)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Autonomous worker's cooperatives overseen by the CRS
Technology: Adequate (2)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
6 Army Groups
2 Militia Groups
Military Notes:
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
The Worth of a Life - The Hyperion Congress highly values the lives of its citizens, and is willing to spend exorbitant amounts of money rather than see even one more Inquirii life lost than necessary. Bonus to research on armor and safety features designed to save soldiers' lives.
Player: @DanBaque

The Vaerked Sarnokadat
Government Type: Union of Autonomous Colonies
Capital: Kordali (21)
Peripheral: Rhokadan (25), Drakoh (16)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Planned economy, robust social securities, funding resource extraction in peripheries
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 6/10
Ground Forces:
2 Army Groups
6 Marine Groups
Military Notes: Army culturally diverged from civilian life, existence of major military lineages
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Home in the Stars - The Vaerked destroyed their homeworld long ago, rendering it uninhabitable. Instead, their entire civilization exists within scattered space colonies of varying types. The society naturally holds all the advantages and disadvantages of an extremely decentralized population with no population centers anywhere near the size of a planet.
Player: @Furrybacon

The Interplanetary Helvetica Confederation
Government Type: Semi-direct democratic confederation of cantons
Capital: Waldestatte (18)
Peripheral: - Länder (13), Städte (19)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: UBI, focus on sustainability, investing in new cantons in the periphery
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
8 Defense Groups
Military Notes: Massive emphasis on defensive planning, heavily fortified Gates and cantons
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Armed Neutrality - The Helvetica Confederation is extremely focused on defensive actions militarily. As a result, is suffers from a malus in offensive wars, but a bonus to defensive conflicts.
Player: @Hyvelic

The Imperial Hives of Ku'Patk
Government Type: Autocratic Empire
Capital: Nactp (6)
Peripheral: Matck (5), Ikck (11)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Centrally planned
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
20 Gen 0s (+10 Gen 0s)
Ground Forces Quality: 6/10
Ground Forces:
8 Army Groups
Military Notes: Mass mobilization built into doctrine, artillery focus
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Greedily and Deep - The Ilken build their cities underground, and this has instilled in them an expertise for underground construction. Not only are their planets much more resistant to orbital bombardment, but Ilken also prove to be extremely efficient miners, building mines that are both safer and more efficient than other polities.
Player: @Frostbyght

Jkalu
Government Type: Administrative Dictatorship
Capital: Kfriha (1)
Peripheral: Kfriu'lo (2), Kfraqu (7)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Centrally planned, Discovered physical enhancement drug in Kfraqu
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
8 Army Groups
Military Notes: Highly mechanized, elected officers
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Burning Heaven - Perhaps as a result of their reverance for heaven, there is a focus amongst the Yri on research of that most celestial of elements, plasma. As such they gain a bonus to research on plasma technology, both military and civilian.
Player: @RobespierreLives

The Nimrean League
Government Type: Federal Parliamentary Republic
Capital: Lagar (27)
Peripheral: Arkech (23), Sippo (32)
Political Unity: Poor
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Functionally hypercapitalist, extreme income and wealth inequality, heavily automized, large labor movement
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Forces Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Forces Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
4 Army Groups
4 Megacorp Security Groups
Military Notes: Private armies of megacorporations better equipped and funded, recent reinvestment in government armed forces
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
The Rich get Richer - The hypercapitalist nature of society is heavily socially integrated, and protections for workers have been eroded massively in the pursuit of profit. The Nimrean League can exploit resources more efficiently and produce goods much cheaper than other polities as a result. However, this is only acheived at the cost of the happiness of the populace, and is muddied further by a backstabbing elite. Thus, in this new era the Nimrean League is much more prone to instability.
Player: @Oxford

The Cult of Shadow
Government Type: Theocratic Dictatorship
Capital: Thon (31)
Peripheral: Ethelwren (26), Perion (36)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Regulated market economy, large monopolies, hard-light eels discovered in Ethelwren
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Force Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Force Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
8 Army Groups
Military Notes: High degree of fanaticism, Dark Justiciar officer class
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Sharran Subterfuge - The agents of the Nightsinger are trained from birth in the arts of espionage, interrogation, subterfuge, subversion, stealth, and coercion. The Dark Justiciars and other agents of the Cult of Shar are the greatest spies in the galaxy and specialize in the infiltration and subversion of other states, cults, and organizations. Thus, they gain a bonus to espionage actions used to infiltrate and subvert.
Player: @Fingon888

The Stivan Enclaves
Government Type: Federal Oligarchy
Capital: Keening (29)
Peripheral: Grimoire (30), Almanac (35)
Political Unity: Poor (Declining)
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: Decentralized, Communal
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Force Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Force Quality: 5/10
Ground Forces:
8 Army Groups
Military Notes: No centralized fighting force, defensive focus
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
The Book of Hours - The Stivan Order holds within it The Book of Hours, which contains the secrets of a much more advanced civilization within its pages. While most of its secrets are carefully rationed to ensure stability, others remain undeciphered to this day. The secrets of the ancient Hondori are many, and perhaps may hold hints of yet greater truths, that even the ancients only barely scraped at. Studying the Book of Hours can unveil many great things indeed.
Player: @Weygand

The Supreme Dictat of the Temple of the Rhalas and the Rhalata National Order
Government Type: Fascist Stratocratic Republic
Capital: Temple Prime (17)
Peripheral: Sanctum (12), Sermon (22)
Political Unity: Stable
Economy Size: Small
Economic Outlook: Growing
Economic Notes: State wellfare
Technology: Weak (1)
Space Force Quality: 3/5
Space Forces:
10 Gen 0s
Ground Force Quality: 6/10
Ground Forces:
18 Army Groups (+6 Army Groups)
Military Notes: Service guarantees citizenship, heavily mechanized
Espionage: Patchwork (1)
Special Thing:
Well Oiled Machine - The Supreme Dictat's reason for existence is war, and every aspect of its society is bent around that purpose. Where others may balk at senseless violence, Rhalata are raised from birth to fight and die. As a result, the Supreme Dictat is much less likely to suffer stability loss from aggressive wars.
Player: @Thiccroy

 

[Thiccroy]

BEGIN RECORDING​

RS: And you thought to tell us of this, when...?

CAT: Once more the Ministry neglects to do their bidding to the representatives of the Supreme Didacts.

[REDACTED]: It is not my purpose to tell you anything the Ministry does.

RS: Your purpose is to serve the state. We represent the state.

[R]: Representation is not existence. The State exists because we are a part of it. The Ministry makes sure it continues to exist.

CAT: That changes nothing. Semantics.

RS: Nonetheless, the matter at hand is the discovery and now secret manipulation of mutants within our society.

CAT: Something unheard of in any meeting between the Six of us before now.

[R]: Secrets of the state remain secrets of the state.

RS: And remember who put you in charge of those secrets? Us. I, more so. Remember that, Hound.

[R]: You overstep, Admiral. The Ministry is not elected. It exists.

CAT: The Reclaimer did not create you dullards to go behind the backs of us, either.

[R]: The results are here. The results are good. It is working. Soon, no secret will remains secret.

RS: You intend to...?

[R]: Within five years, the Minsitry will have 200 agents with these capabilities. With sufficient radioactive control, we may doctor more offspring from the Tokenist caste up to 2000 per year. These children, within 15 years of training, will be able to be sent on field missions.

CAT: The Rhalas is against child soldiers.

[R]: Child spies?

[...]

[R]: The state must know everything. Within and without. This is the future of the Rhalatan people.

RS: I hope you are right. Do not keep anything behind our backs again.

[R]: Noted.

END RECORDING​

 

[Weygand]

THE CONCLAVE RULED:
​

"There should be Consensus around the Council for an Interpretation which makes the Divination of the Hours for all. Schismatics must be tolerated for they lend to Consensus but where they are violent they must be disarmed. Therefore this we guarantee:

1.) Each lives according to his Caste
2.) All within the Order may be Consulted
3.) Only the Council of Elders may Interpret
4.) The Peace of Keening must become the Peace of the Enclave

We empower therefore our victorious Paladins and declare this Conclave adjourned."

 

[Frostbyght]

Crowning Glory​

The funeral had come to an end only a few days before. A full standard week of mourning across three solar systems. Billions wept. Flags and banners were replaced by black strips of cloth. The royal family sequestered themselves in solitude to prepare for what was to come. The son cloistered himself within the Royal Palace, speaking to no one but the walls of his room and the gods.

His father had been a King of peace. The end of the Subjugation wars had been a time of trial and tribulation, there was no doubt of that, but the conflict was over. Only the scattered embers of resistance remained. His father had seen them extinguished. The world rebuilt from the ashes under his watchful eyes. The people spread through the stars under his guiding hand. But they had not fought. They had not struggled. They had not clawed and crawled and killed to gain their place as their forebears had.

His father had been a King of peace. The son had hoped to be one too.

Then the Gates. And the Message.

Now there would be struggle. Now they would fight. He was sure of this. He would be ready for it.

The ceremony was broadcast across the entire system. All networks. All channels. Moments after it was completed, recordings would be sent through the Gates to the far-flung colonies. Screens in the center of every city would broadcast the parade through the central boulevard of the Capital at twilight. The wide streets saw dozens of divisions, thousands of armored vehicles, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, all marching in lockstep. Inter-Atmospheric Fighters and Bombers soared overhead in tight formations. Those with excellent eyesight (or telescopic equipment) could see nearly half of the Imperial Starfleet twinkle as their massive hulls gently scraped the upper atmosphere.

From the windows and balconies of the surrounding buildings, millions cheered and sang. Banners waved in the setting sun of a brilliantly cloudless day. Few could remember a day on the surface when it had been so clear. So peaceful. Many saw it as an omen of glory. The shouted the Son's name and held high the flags of the Empire. Confetti drifted from high above, streamers and balloons scattering in the wind. In the center of it all, the Son stood atop a great moving platform of gold and steel. He waved with practiced precision to the people watching from on high. His antenna were bright and firm, his chitin smooth and polished. He was the very image of Royal strength and dignity.

When the platform stopped, and the soldiers stood at attention in their ranks, and the cheering halted, the Son stepped down from the platform beneath the eyes of a silent city. The Throne of Empire had been relocated for the occasion, moved from the Imperial Palace below the surface to the great central Plaza of the Capital's above-ground district, beneath the slowly appearing stars. It was a statement that few missed.

The Coronation began with a rendition of the Anthem of the Empire, blasted from speakers atop every building in the city. Beneath the setting sun, as the stars emerged overhead, the Imperial Crown was lowered onto the head of Hive King Il'Nakmuan (Second of His Name, Emperor of All Hives, Master of the Stars, and Holder of the Imperial Scepter). The Senate, assembled below the rising throne, bowed in unison.

Then he spoke. He spoke to the Imperial Senate, to the Imperial Council, to the assembled soldiers, to the people of this city and the cities far away. He spoke to the ships in orbit and the stars beyond. He spoke of glories past and future. He spoke of victories yet to be won, and distant stars yet to be seen. He spoke of his father, and of his father before him. He spoke of friendships to be made and enemies to be challenged. He spoke of struggle. Of failure. Of success. Of the brilliance of his people and the heights they would attain.

And when he is done speaking, he raises his hands and thanks them. All of them. From the highest noble to the lowliest soldier. And he is swept away in a tide of courtiers and advisors. The city cheers. The world cheers. Three solar systems cheer.

"The King is dead! Long live the King!"

 

[Frostbyght]

Far below the clouded sky, below layers of rock and metal, below the grand Capital of Ithil-Paq that clung to the storm-rattled surface, sat the Imperial Palace. Were it above-ground, it would be unimpressive except for its scale. The external surface was reinforced, unadorned, metal. Designed to resist attempts to breach the security of the Royal family, they outer walls had remained untouched by the artists hand. The building itself spread unevenly through caverns both natural and artificial.

Inside was a much different view. Marble and gold. Statues and murals. The handiwork of a thousand artisans over a dozen generations. If Ithil-Paq was the shining face of the Empire, this was its beating heart. within the vast halls the Imperial Council met to decide the course that billions of lives would take. War and peace. Trade and treaty. All of it decided and directed under the purview of the Emperor himself. Traditionally, the Hive King did not attend meetings of the council, instead allowing his representatives to interpret his words and directives on their own.

Il'Nakmuan was not one for tradition.

He sat at the head of a marble table, and gave his desires directly to the Council. With rapt attention they hung on his every word. It was not everyday you heard the Emperor speak. His desires were many, but they all heralded the same thing: Expansion. Growth. Glory.

When at last he departed the Council moved with frenzied action. Messages were sent far and wide across Ilken space, to every city on every planet in the Empire. Memos directed to mines and shipyards, universities and labs, diplomats and generals. Like the words of the Emperor, they carried many different words to spread the same message: We shall grow, or we shall die.

---

A MESSAGE TO THE CONFEDERATED ACCORDS OF AVLENTES @FantasticMsFox
HAIL TO YOU,

Hive King Il'Nakmuan (Second of His Name, Emperor of All Hives, Master of the Stars, and Holder of the Imperial Scepter), greets you in the spirit of friendship and cooperation.

For many long years our peoples have been neighbors by merit of circumstance. The gates that make up our grand territories have seen fit to place us in close proximity. However, since the opening of the Gates our father, the former Hive King, made little effort to reach out to our neighbors due to preoccupation with internal matters. We intend to change this.

We issue a formal invitation. A delegation of ambassadors and officials from your people would be welcomed by our own in the Capital of Ithil-Paq upon the Homeworld. Our peoples shall discuss the matters of trade, security, and future relations.

We await your response.

SINCERELY,
Hive King Il'Nakmuan (Second of His Name, Emperor of All Hives, Master of the Stars, and Holder of the Imperial Scepter)

---

A MESSAGE TO THE SUPREME DICTAT OF THE TEMPLE OF THE RHALAS AND THE RHALATA NATIONAL ORDER @Thiccroy

HAIL TO YOU,

Hive King Il'Nakmuan (Second of His Name, Emperor of All Hives, Master of the Stars, and Holder of the Imperial Scepter), greets you in the spirit of friendship and respect.

For many years our peoples have been neighbors, brought to connection by the gates that link our worlds. We have long respected the strength you show and the order of your peoples. The Message of the gates, no doubt, has brought to your government as much discussion as it has brought to ours. Know that the Imperial Hives stand ready to grasp our place in the stars.

We issue a formal invitation. A delegation of ambassadors and officials from your people would be welcomed by our own in the Capital of Ithil-Paq upon the Homeworld. Our peoples shall discuss the matters of trade, security, and future relations.

We await your reponse.

SINCERELY,
Hive King Il'Nakmuan (Second of His Name, Emperor of All Hives, Master of the Stars, and Holder of the Imperial Scepter)

 

[Thiccroy]

TO THE IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT OF THE HIVE
And its HONORED MONARCH, Hive King Il'Nakmuan, II of His Name, etc., etc. [...]

The Six Marshals and Supreme Didact of the Temple greets you.
After much discussion, your offer of increased relations is considered well-versed, respectful and coming with good nature.

There are many who wish to tear down our walls and ways through subterfuge or conquest, and our people are only happy to find like-minded individuals.

A delegation of ambassadors and their aide-de-camps as well as security personnel and other needed individuals will be sent in full, with a list of commodities and subsequent personnel added to them, to immediately open and construct an Embassy within your territory.

We expect the same from you.

May the Path guide you.

Sincerely, THE SIX MARSHALS AND SUPREME DIDACT
OF THE TEMPLE AND RHALATA NATIONAL ORDER.​

 

[Thiccroy]

TEMPLE NEWS NETWORK​

---

The Marshals SKULLTAKER and BLOODHAVOC enjoying the celebrations.​

• RAITAN SKULLTAKER announces new trade and open diplomacy agreement with the Monarchy of the Hive Imperialists.
  
  - Shocking news today as MARSHAL SKULLTAKER, chief and Admiral of the Space Fleet of our glorious Nation and Temple, has announced a new program to open trade and relations, as well as future diplomatic talks (suggesting military) with the people of the so-called Hive past the SANCTUM SYSTEM. Already, parts of our fleet are moving toward the System, but not bared for war, rather, they are conducting annual military practice, as well as preparing to safeguard our new pathway to our trade-relations and diplomatic relationship with the Hive and with its pragmatic ruler, the Emperor Il'Nakmuan, Second of His Name. While the Rhalas warns us of the treachery of feudalism and nobility, as has been seen throughout our species' history, it, as Admiral Skulltaker has explained, is no reason to fear a species that has proven nothing but being cordial and trustworthy, for the time being. All loyal citizens of the Supreme Didact and National Order are to be expected to agree with the new constitutional changes- the first in twenty years (!)- with open minds and steely hearts! Together, the Admiral said, to the future.​

Did. Cit. Mister Ashdrowner, Klimakk.​

REMEMBER, CHILDREN!
THE STATE SEES ALL!​

• ARE YOU PSYCHICALLY ADEPT?
  - ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM SUDDEN STROKES? MILD NECK PAINS CONVULSING INTO THE FRONTAL LOBE? ARE YOU SEEING DREAMS THAT REPEAT IN REAL LIFE? ARE YOU ABLE TO HEAR VOICES, THAT ARE NOT THERE- BUT CERTAINLY BELONG TO SOMEONE THAT IS?
  
  - PERHAPS YOU ARE PSYCHICALLY GIFTED! ALL WILLING DIDACTS AND TOKENISTS OF THE CITIZENRY OF THIS GREAT NATION ARE INVITED TO APPLY TO THE MINISTRY OF THE MIND FOR IMEMDIATE EVALUATION OF PSYCHIC ABILITIES ON THE PLANET SANCTUM!
  
  - WILL YOU BE THE NEW MIND, THE NEW FUTURE, OF OUR RACE?

This message has been brought to you by
THE SUPREME DIDACT PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE.​

WE ARE ALWAYS RECRUITING! DO YOUR NATION PROUD!​

• Have you been seeing suspicious activity from your parents, school teachers or friends?
  
  - Do not worry, children! Simply use any public radio-communication-receiver provided by the State on each interval of 250 meters through all cities within our great nation to report any findings to this number: 60-900-60-DB!
  
  - Speak your name, address, and report what you have heard or seen, and we'll take care of the rest! YOU ARE THE FUTURE OF THE NATION!

This message has been brought by
THE MINISTRY OF THE MIND
​

---

@Frostbyght

THE SUPREME DICTAT AND RHALATAN NATIONAL ORDER
and it's SIX MARSHALS

Propose the signing of the following agreement between the TSDRNO and the POLITICAL ENTITYT KNOWN AS: [THE HIVE].

THE TREATY OF SANCTUM​

1. The opening of Embassies n both sides, with an Embassy on the Hive Homeworld ("NACTP") under the RHALATAN NATIONAL ORDER and a mirrored Embassy of a HIVE REPRESENTATIVE (AND SUBSEQUENT TEAM/SECURITY PERSONNEL) upon the Rhalatan Homeworld ("TEMPLE").
2. The opening of the 'Helmshaper-Sanctum' Zone within the SANCTUM System. This will be a regulated, check-point based export-import based market where both sovereignties' affiliated companies may trade goods to and from the Hive/Rhalatan Nation, creating a controlled trade network between our peoples.
3. The official proclamation of a Trade-and-Diplomatic Relationship between our nations.

[x] - Representative of the Rhalatan National Order, Raitan Skulltaker.
[x] - Representative of the Supreme Didact of the Temple, MINISTER OF THE MIND "TURINAS".
[ ] - Representative of the Imperial Authority of the Hive.

​