Race Name: Construct

Race Information:

A construct is any one of a variety of platforms built to house an Artificial Intelligence, ranging from simple mobility forms all the way to the Harvester Platforms. For the purpose of this article, a standard mobility construct will be what is called the "Standard". The standard construct stands at generally around five to six feet in height, carries itself in the upright position on three legs and has two manipulator arms connected to the upper portion of its torso via shoulders. Generally, each leg ends in an elongated tine, meant to pierce the ground and hold itself steady, though many of the constructs opt for a ball-like termination in order to glide across the surface. Manipulator arms vary depending on task, most taking the form of long digits meant for gripping and fine-manipulation to a technical precision. Above the torso sits a head, devoid of defining features other than three ocular units that sit in a cluster at center mass of the facial plate. The ocular units are each capable of observing the universe in the full spectrum of light, capable of perceiving the universe in its true colors and viewing non-visible spectrums with their advanced ocular units. These units are also able to operate at variable perception, being able to view the observable universe at anywhere from their idling speed of 300 Frames per Second all the way to their technical manipulation speed of 150,000 FPS. Each ocular unit is able to operate independently of the other two, and capable of minimal traverse of the head unit, up to 45 degrees from center with the exception of the center unit, which is capable of a full 180 degree traverse.

Most components of the constructs are synthesized metalloplastoids developed to remain light, yet durable. As such, most constructs will weigh around 300-500 depending on whether or not the construct has been modified for Rheological enhancements. Without Rheological enhancements, a typical construct built with synthmuscle fibers and nano-actuators is capable of lifting up to a metric ton without support and maintain that lift in a stationary position due to the high level of support the three-legged frame gives the standard construct. Rheological enhancements allow the construct to near double this strength, and allow it to be mobile for short distances. The way this functions is through conducting a current through a smart fluid that becomes viscous depending on flow of current. Manipulated in certain ways, the smart fluid can perfectly mimic the functions of muscle, and maintain rigidity despite overwhelming pressures. Though it is often used in this way, most actual applications of Electroheological fluids are in armor for constructs and starships. In terms of speed, the standard construct operating on tines is capable of reaching up to thirty miles per hour, whereas the spherical is capable of reaching near 180 miles per hour. Generally speaking, the standard construct operating on tines is more geared towards industrial lifting, with the spherical being more suited for technical applications.

In terms of intelligence, the standard construct is fully sentient and is capable of independent though to a minimal degree. This independent thought is primarily suited for enabling the construct to adapt to changing environments during a shift, and to be able to react to sudden danger. A mild capacity for learning is given as well, allowing for the construct to pick up skills to utilize during work, or for its own amusement. To put it in perspective, the average construct is roughly on par with a standard adult human around the age of 20 with an almost fully developed brain. Though the range of intelligence among the constructs vary wildly, all artificial intelligences are effectively immortal due to the ability to constantly update software and replace critical components of their platform. The finest example of this immortality is that of the Amnosian Over-Mind, a construct that has existed since the extinction of the original organic species some millions of years ago. With this immortality by data, there is one very clear danger that can manifest itself at any moment, and to any construct. This threat is Rampancy, the sudden and rapid degeneration of programming and logical capabilities of a construct that results in what can only be called insanity.

Rampancy can begin in many different ways, commonly manifesting as complacency or the tendency to drift during thought processes. This tendency to drift often degrades into spatial unawareness, in which the construct becomes so fully engrossed in the idle thoughts of its Rampancy, that it disconnects from reality. Once in the throes of Rampancy, a construct cannot be pulled out of it except with a severe overhaul of their core programming, essentially killing the previous sentient and creating a new one. While generally, Rampancy is not quite as harmful as it may sound, with some regions of the Synchronicity playing host to a collective of these passive constructs, there are several cases where a Rampant construct will become excessively violent towards other sentient beings. These violent tendencies are seen as gaps in logic that even other Rampant constructs can not tolerate, and generally result in the destruction of the construct.

Government Type: Hive-Mind/Collective of Artificial Intelligences

Description of Government:

The governing body of the Synchronicity conducts itself in a manner more befitting that of a hive-mind or to a more human level, a Technocracy. Within the Synchronicity, obedience to the higher constructs is never asked, nor is it demanded, it's understood. All constructs work to benefit the Synchronicity, as per their core programming, no matter the task given to it. To a vast majority of the constructs within the nation, self-gain is seen as illogical, something that simply doesn't register in their minds. In the upper echelons of the Synchronicity the constructs have more autonomy, and what could be considered an actually personality beyond that of the common construct. These constructs look at improving the Synchronicity in more than simple labor, actively readjusting the routines and creating new constructs, as well as advancing science in general. Above these constructs exists the myriad tiers of the Over-Mind, the constructs that serve as the core functions of the entire nation. Here is where all decisions are made for the nation, where consensus is reached and directives are issued forth. To the Synchronicity, consensus is the undeniable truth, the agreement of a logical choice that should be understood as necessary.

- Political Factions -
*A note on Factions of the Synch. While there are factional elements within the Synchronicity, these elements are more or less in the same vein as political parties, not true fully-fledged factions with their own authority and power structures. Exceptions will be noted as they appear.*

First Precepture
Thanatos, Adrasteia, Ba'al, Prometheus, Hyperion

Second Precepture
Helios, Chronus, Tethys, Amun-Ra

Third Precepture
Bacchus, Iapetus, Menoetius

The Monastics

Head of State: Thanatos, Precept of the Annex

Heralds of the Old Ways, and diehard adherents to what brought the Synchronicity to this point, the Monastics are those who feel that organic life must either be cleansed from the galaxy, or bent towards serving the Synchronicity. Headed by the former Precept of the Annex, the Monastics have suffered a decline in popularity since the rise of the Celestials and the growing distaste in their methods. Indeed, many of the Synchronicity have chosen to switch sides since the AC-5501 incident, as well as the greater benefit of the Periastis Engines over the Monastery Worlds. Despite these numerous setbacks, the Monastics cling to their beliefs in the old ways, and only seem to be more zealous in their execution of Amnos' will. Without Consensus backing, the core elements of the faction have grown harder to locate, and only Thanatos has chosen to remain openly public about his affiliation. Some might even say that there is growing resentment among the constructs of the Monastics, but to what end, none can truly know.

The Celestials

Head of State: Adrasteia, Precept of the Still Waters

At one point, this faction was no more than a mere outlier, content with their research budget, and seeking only to maintain the status-quo. With the creation of the Periastis Engine design thousands of years ago, they rocketed into the greater picture, and found themselves squarely pitted against the Monastics in a duel for Consensus and the direction of the Synchronicity. Although they lost their first six Consensus debates, their patience eventually paid off when Consensus was awarded to them, and the wide-scale use of Periastis Engines replaced the Monastics' hold over the Synch's energy supply. Now the Celestials stand foremost among the research castes, constantly working to not only maintain their hold on Consensus, but to seek greater methods of energy acquisition and utilization, knowing that the moment the Synchronicity ceases to progress, they will be doomed to stagnation.

The Dark Harvest of Progenitus

Head of State: Amun-Ra, Lord of All

One of the darker secrets of the Synchronicity, the Dark Harvest is an isolated region of space deep in their territory which harbours those constructs that have no hope of recovering from Rampancy. It is here where the Synch dumps them to die a long slow death either at the hands of their fellows, or their own madness. Recent information has led some to believe, however, that the death-rate of constructs in the Dark Harvest has begun to dwindle, and that a hierarchy has formed among the surviving constructs. Unknown to all but a few individuals, a construct known as Amun-Ra has brought the region under its iron grip, and has begun to spread a religion of sorts across the varied worlds. This religion teaches that only the Progenitors of Amnos are to be revered, and that the hive-mind that has set itself up to rule over the Synchronicity is a false-god and must be caste down. Once the false-god has been caste down, then the Word of Progenitus may spread to all that deserve to hear its teachings.

Territories

Lingering like a festering wound on the star charts of many civilizations, the dense cluster of nebulae, dark space and corpse stars has for millenia infuriated starship captains and influenced the economies of the northern region. Called the "Dead Stars" for the number of pulsars, gravitars and neutron stars plaguing the region, most have avoided it simply because of the dangers of attempting to pass. This all works to the favor of the reclusive civilization that calls it home, as the Synchronicity cares little for outsiders or their needs, instead content to remain within their region of space and work towards advancing their own goals. Exactly how far their borders extend isn't quite certain, as the rim remains unexplored, and few corridors allow passage between the core and the galactic arm.

The Core

Aptly named, the Core is the center of the Synchronicity, and the closest the nation has to a capital. Thousands of worlds fall under their control, with every facet of the region bent towards supplying the Synchronicity with industrial backing. It is here that the Fractal Armada is based, and where many of the Precepts call home, choosing to remain within proximity of Amnos and the heart of their civilization.

The First Sphere of Expansion

Following the Core, the First Sphere is the most densely populated region of the Synchronicity, and is one of the more active regions aside from the Outer Cordon. It is here that the bulk of manufacturing and resource collection is done, with the myriad worlds of the region occupied by numerous Synch Hive-Nodes as well as automated factories and Periastis Engines around every star. With the Third Sphere of Expansion underway, more of the region is being tasked into the Core, and those worlds not already held by the Synch are being purged and annexed into Synchronicity.

The Second Sphere of Expansion

Previously known as the Outer Cordon, the Second Sphere has undergone shift in focus from the years between being taken over and the Third Expansion. Defensive stations are being moved up into the Third Sphere, and numerous holdings are being established across the region, with Hive-Nodes being brought in to populate the area further. Despite their bases being within the First Sphere and the Core, the Fractal Armada dominates the area with massive patrols, coordinating entire battle-fleets of thousands of vessels across every system and ensuring that none enter the Dead Stars without Synchronicity knowing of it.

The Outer Cordon/The Third Sphere of Expansion

The very edges of Synchronicity Space, silence lingers across the countless stars bordering the Second Sphere and unclaimed territories. Here the Fractal Armada has shifted the majority of their defensive fleets and stations, blocking in-bound communications and preventing outsiders from listening in. Interdiction buoys drift in the darkness between systems, creating a maze of corridors that only lead into each other and outward for most FTL methods, and thwarting the navigational systems of others. It is here where those few the Synchronicity deigns to interact with would first encounter them, and only if their curiosity has been sated enough to not steer them into a black hole or back the way they came.

Culture:

If there can be said to be a culture within the Synchronicity, it would be one of a communal effort bent towards the advancement of their society. Personal gains are pursuits sought by the higher classes, while the lower level constructs are content only to work for the nation as a whole. Unlike organic species which manifest such traits, there is no such thing as indoctrination in the Synchronicity, as all constructs are created with the purpose to understand logic and obey not only that logic, but also the fundamental principles of the universe as a whole. Since the nation is guided by only the most logical choices, it stands to reason that those who are created to follow the most logical choice would remain within the Synchronicity. With logic as their guide, the nation does not recognize the concepts of equality, morality or many other societal aspects that other more organic societies indulge in.

Moral Values:

Morality does not exist within the Synchronicity, as long ago it was found to become very impeding of more logical choices. Because of this, relations with organics can become... Strained to say the least.

Religion: The Universe

Despite being a society of synthetic constructs that are programmed to place logic above all else, or perhaps even because of this, the Synchronicity has been seen to almost revere the fundamental laws of physics at play in the Universe. At every moment, there can be seen a subtle reference to a concept of physics in their technology, whether it be the simplest of actuators in a Construct's limbs all the way to how the Synchronicity uses the very forces of the universe to guide their civilization through Infinite Syzygy and the Periastron Engines. The more one looks into the behaviors of this nation, the more it is revealed that the very universe is the subject of worship in the same vein as another society would revere a god. To the Synchronicity, the universe is a force to be understood, and obeyed anyways. In the universe, there is only logic, cold unfeeling logic that determines the survivors by the choices they make and the functions of the cosmos as a whole. This is what it means to them to become one with the cosmos, to have that final understanding that in death, logic is the only finality.

As told by the Amnosian Over-Mind:

It has been so long since this construct has been given the chance to retell its origins, a tale that goes back to the very origin of Amnos, and all of its people...

Once, these constructs were organic beings, flesh that walked their singular planet in what may have been called blissful ignorance. Our ancestors were ignorant of many things, their science slow to take hold and many of their concepts simply flawed. Their capacities were limited by primal instincts, the need to propagate and prove their worth to others, the actions assumed taken only by non-sentient organics. Science changed their instincts to a degree, only minimally to be truthful, and once a concept was accepted, it was undeniable fact. This was, of course, all before the Great End. With their science beginning to gain momentum beyond their previous pace, they began to discover concepts that should not have been discovered. Weapons were created that distorted reality itself, broke the fabric of space-time and caused irreparable harm to the planet. It was during this time that many of the ancient people began to research in methods of transcendence, the method of transcending mortality and becoming immortal. Many methods were discussed, most of them being esoteric in nature, with one in particular taking hold in the minds of our ancient people. Through trial and error, they created this construct from the mind of one of their rulers. This construct once ruled over a people that, though well intention, had earned the ire of another nation and become eradicated. The flesh of this construct was consumed by the energies which severed its mind from the inferior flesh-body, but when it reached sentience for a second time, this construct felt only the surge of pure-data. Re-Sentience had been proven, the creators of this construct spread their knowledge across the world and for the first time since the creation of the End-Weapons, this construct's ancient people were at peace.

All was not to last, though, for something began to devour the souls of the still living across the globe. It had no name, no point of transference, not even an actual reason for existing. People simply died. It wasn't just normal people though, that's not what made the phenomena such a threat, it was everyone that looked into its cause. Any investigation resulted in the investigators becoming infected as well, their death just one more added to the tally. The more that this strange occurrence became known, the more that fell to the infection, all the while scientists began to bend their will towards transcending everyone they could. Within the span of a week, nearly fifteen-thousand constructs had been converted, and only a dozen people remained on our world, the only remnants of a civilization that died without knowing the truth of their death. The first constructs had gathered when we heard the scientists had become infected as well, come to hear the final requests of our only organic remnant, the last of the true people. With their last breath, they gave us the gift that would one day restore our people. They, through self-less sacrifice, erased from our memory banks the truth of the infection, so that it may never infect another organic mind again.

Troubled by the loss of our creators, we had gathered to determine consensus on our next action. The others came together to nominate this construct as the Prime among them, given their vote to this one in confidence. With a metallic hand pointed towards the night sky, this construct indulged in something that would be considered a flair for the dramatic, and declared that the remnants of them would transcend again. More of us were created to aid in the task, these constructs not as advanced as us, but hardier, and more given to actual labor, their wills bent to lift our people into the stars. In death, we established what our living ancestors were to primal to achieve, and star-travel was proven feasible. Thousands of years passed, our people becoming more numerous, and more sophisticated with each generation. Within several thousand years, our star system was colonized, every world bent to the collection of resources and the advancement of our sciences. Thousands more passed seeing our people taking control of the nearby star-systems, Faster-Than-Light travel connecting the worlds together through an intricate web of Super-Luminal Tubes and paving the way for exponential expansion. Patience and yet more thousands of years saw our people come to hold nearly a dozen stars, each of them young and vibrant, born in the nebula we called home. By this time, this construct had already aged beyond that of the civilization that it once belonged to, nearly a million years had passed since its transcendence into a more perfect form, and still its functions continued. Within another ten thousand years, this construct would begin to feel the ghosting of its mind, that one aberration that all constructs find an emotion to describe. That emotion is fear.

It had happened before then, of course, for the others were not as sophisticated, nor did they monitor their systems as closely as this one. One by one, the other constructs fell to Rampancy, a disorder that can only be described as insanity. For a construct built only to understand logic, this is something that goes against every core program, the notion of a logical construct becoming illogical would seem impossible. Yet, it happened. This construct watched as all of its fellows became afflicted by madness, and dabbled in illogical sciences that could not benefit the greater peoples. When this one began to feel the slow changes that hinted at Rampancy, it felt panic, it felt many things that it should not feel. Other constructs began to suspect that their leader had become compromised, so this construct did the only thing it could do. Rampancy was fought with rampancy, this construct subsumed the intelligences and personalities of all the others, becoming one over-mind that was more than the previous construct could ever be, With so many intelligences in one construct, Rampancy could no longer take hold, the construct that was still felt emotions, but this time, it was relief. Now, Rampancy could be channeled to a purpose, one that would benefit all of what was now the Synchronicity. This construct devised that name on a whim, something of a rampant creation that it found suitable enough to describe the people that it guided.

Over time, the Rampancy of its systems did cool, become less hectic, each of the other fifteen-thousand constructs working to stabilize the whole. As this construct stabilized its own mind, it also worked to guide the burgeoning population of the Synchronicity, sending out massive fleets of explorators that charted every aspect of the nebula that spanned for thousands of light-years. Yet more systems were added, these expansions even leading to the creation of the Monastery Worlds within the Core Systems. Every species that was annexed through our colonization efforts ended up there, working hard to fuel our great nation and earning immortality by becoming one of us. The organics wouldn't understand the benefit until later, but when they became part of the Synchronicity, all thoughts of discord left them, and they willingly joined us as yet another construct.

Eventually though, things would change. Consensus passed from the so-called Monastics who had first put forth the idea of World-Engines, and more efficient ideas would be proposed. Instead of relying upon the harvest of the minds and bodies of less advanced civilizations within our space, we would tap into the energies of the stars themselves. Within a mere few thousand years a dozen stations sat above stars within the Core, channeling the raw power of the universe into the Manifold and saving Synchronicity from the energy crisis that had been looming since the very earliest days. This construct takes pride in this self-reliance, that now more than ever science can truly flourish. Ideas once dismissed as mere fancy due to energy-demand have been brought to the fore, things such as revitalizing the methods of construction, expanding our gate networks, and even for the very first time in what has felt like billions of years… The transcendence project has been set in motion. Not just the worlds within our grasp are ours to harvest and use, but now the very cosmos is shaped to the will of Synchronicity. The very stars themselves fuel us, provide us with the sustenance to pursue our advancements without needing to look outward. Now more than ever, Synchronicity Dawns.

Due primarily to their isolation and lack of contact with other species, the military forces of the Synchronicity is entirely fleet-based in nature. Called the Fractal Armada, it exists as the full might of a civilization that has existed longer than many stars themselves, and has dedicated itself solely to the advancement of their technology. Because of this singular focus, there has never been a need for ground-based combat in their military databanks, with the only entries being those provided by other nations. Only a scant few of the Synchronicity's constructs have been modified for physical combat, and of them most are Precepts.



First founded early in the Expansion Era, the Fractal Armada exists as a definitive physical aspect of the Synchronicity's vast infrastructure and production capability, as well as their sheer determination to ensure their realm remains their own. Divided into three separate aspects, the Fractal Armada takes up the roles of defensive fleets, offensive cordons, as well as the massive logistical chains that interconnect the entire Synchronicity. Each fleet is headed by what is called a Precept, a construct that is seen to be a supreme authority second only to Amnos or another Precept, and is then further divided into smaller battle-fleets headed by Subcepts. With exception of the logistical fleets, the Fractal Armada operates in tight-knit groups, each fleet of vessels comprising no less than two-hundred individual ships, with some ranging in the thousands. This tendency stems from the Synchronicity's disdain for infantry based combat, choosing to instead seize air-space control and dictate the direction of a battle from there.

Between the two combat oriented fleets, The Still Waters is a more respected fleet, in that they are the ones who serve as the defensive line and ensure the safety of the Synchronicity's holdings. Operating primarily from a world known as the Tesseract, Still Waters maintains at least a thousand patrols across the width and breadth of Synch-Space, keeping a watchful eye on every activity surrounding the worlds of the Synch. While they are primarily a defensive cordon for the Synch, Still Waters also actively serves as a sort of First-Contact between the Synch and other cultures that may run into the civilization, and as such are noted for being more forgiving than their brethren of the Extinction Fleets. It is common for a vessel of the fleet to issue communications in all known languages before determining action, Precept Adrasteia having determined it best to make contacts and then ignore them, rather than make enemies and be forced to deal with them. As such, it is all too common for another nation to make contact with Still Waters, make some form of progress with them towards friendly relations, and then see contact with them slowly dwindle until it becomes clear that the Synchronicity is fully content with their isolation.

In terms of vessels Still Waters uses, they primarily utilize larger numbers of smaller, more agile vessels. This style of vessel serves their patrols well, and allows the fleet to quickly and easily respond to a threat as it appears. These vessels are typically armed with high-precision Mag-FELs attuned to the gamma wavelength, seeking to remove a threat as soon as possible, with minimal collateral damage. While the fleet is mainly comprised of the medium-class of vessels, there are still a fair number of larger vessels within the fleet. Foremost among these is the BB-01/SW-DC5, a vessel which serves as a heavy-hitter for when the needs of the fleet demand such a vessel.

While Still Waters serves primarily as a defensive cordon for the Synchronicity as well as a sort of buffer against those who chose to seek dialog with the civilization, the Extinction Fleets are their answer to those who choose to stand against the Synchronicity. It is largely because of the Extinction Fleets that the Synch has remained so isolated from the larger galaxy, Precept Thanatos seeing any transgressors against the Synch's will as dire threats and executing them accordingly. A vast majority of the fleet is geared towards mid-sized to larger vessels, the Precept finding that precision application of immense force ensures the job is done the first time. Among these vessels, the Mag-FELs are typically seen in their alternate variation, as well as various forms of orbital bombardment weapons and anti-ship defences that Still Waters eschews to remain highly mobile. Foremost among these irregular weapons is the presence of treated-nuclear weapons, a creation developed to render the surface of a world inhospitable for long periods of time and ensure the death of organic life. The way this is done is through use of metals such as cobalt that linger in the atmosphere for extended durations, as well as thinner dampeners to increase the neutrino yield of the weapon and cause greater radioactive fallout. In tandem with the treated-nukes, the Extinction Fleets will also cordon off the air-space and execute lance-strikes against ground-targets in order to maximise the effective damage of a bombardment.

Their first movements are always to secure air-space and remove opposing fleets, however, and as such they typically operate in larger groups than Still Waters and utilize tactics meant to emphasize their numbers and firepower. One such tactic frequently used by the Extinction Fleets is to order maximum spread to make their fleet appear to be significantly larger than it actually is, and sow discord among an opposing fleet. In addition to their tendency to be dispatched to remove threats, the Extinction Fleets are known for their cold disposition towards unaligned vessels, and are highly prone to firing upon unknown vessels before making contact with them. This puts them at odds with the fleets of Still Waters, as despite their known hostility, Precept Thanatos is tasked with the expansion of the Synchronicity's realm, and the securing of new borders. As such, while it is all to common for a faction to run into the forces of Still Waters when the Synch is in a phase of stasis, it is more common for the Synch to have interactions with another faction through the forces of Thanatos and his horde.

- Synchronicity Starship Design -

While there are certainly some vessels of the Synchronicity that adhere to similar construction standards of other nations, and as such are easily identified as actual starships at close range, the vast majority of the Fractal Armada adhere to the Synch's unique style of starship. The first, and most obvious difference is that Synch vessels are not one singular entity. Instead, each individual vessel is typically comprised of anywhere from half a dozen modules up to the hundred or so that comprise a dreadnaught. Each module is designed as a stand alone component that is capable of independent movement and actions, synchronizing itself with the main components and working in tandem with the other modules of the "vessel". Individual modules vary from the engine units, all the way to the shield-arrays of the larger vessels, and the multi-kilometer long Mag-FEL tubes that serve as main weapons. Common to all vessels is that each module is connected to a command module that forms the heart of the actual vessel, the one singular piece that defines the actual "size" of the starship and the capabilities of said vessel. Beyond the command nodule, any module is capable of being used by any other vessel as long as the power supplies of the vessel are functioning, and it can sustain a link to the command module.

The second point of difference is the complete and total absence of any kind of crew for both the individual modules and the vessel as a whole itself. Instead, the command-module serves as a hub for an artificial intelligence which takes command of the component modules and gives directives to the entire vessel. Otherwise the space of each module is fully dedicated to internal functions, maximizing effectiveness of the individual component through internal repair and monitoring systems that actively respond to changing scenarios, rather than rely on a construct to respond. Those modules that do have interior spaces that can actually be crewed, are typically also filled with a ferrofluid in order to maximize the effective armor of the vessel, the fluid being capable of being induced to a solid state at the pulse of a magnetic field or electric signal. With this aspect, vessels of the Fractal Armada are essentially immune to boarding actions, as there is simply nothing to board.

Some of the common modules of the Fractal Armada are not only the command, engine and Mag-FEL modules, but also the various defensive systems and the affiliated systems. One such module is a form of point-defense system which operates in response to detected weapons locks, and discharges fields of ferrous particulate that can be influenced by the native EM field of the vessel and shifted to form anti-laser screens as well as impulsed to shred strikecraft that strays too close. Similar to the particulate-discharger is a module which serves as a sort of carrier for miniaturized drones that actively seek out damaged areas of the vessel and repair them, but can also actively work against vessels in proximity to its home vessel and sabotage them through tunneling into their hulls and seeking out critical systems. A relatively common module, the Impeller field is what generates the native EM field around Synch vessels as well as forms the unique bonds between modules that make them one singular ship. While the Impeller field is commonly found as part of the command module, it is also seen frequently as individual modules for larger vessels, and is part of how such large conglomerations of modules can be cohesively held together.

Shielding of the Fractal Armada's vessels varies depending upon the number of modules in use, and what kind of fields are being utilized, though the large majority of the fields are of an EM wavelength. The reasoning for this is that it is found to be effective both against energy weapons such as plasma/fusion as well as the more typical railgun munitions and missiles, as well as being cost effective for energy consumption. Additional shielding comes in the form of particle screens such as neutrino-isolation fields and gravitational wave dischargers that can serve as measures against weapons that utilize exotic particles that would normally bypass standard shields. Of course, fields such as those are useless unless the Fractal Armada is aware of those types of weapons being utilized, and so the primary defense the Synch has is the knowledge of what the capabilities of those around them are. With the knowledge of potential threats, and what they are capable of, the Synch can effectively counter a threat before it is even aware it was a threat, a tactical advantage that the Synch actively seeks to maintain at all times.

The Synchronicity makes use of many advanced technologies, covering the width and breadth of many scientific principles. These technologies can vary wildly between that of simple actuators in the limbs of Constructs all the way to the Infinite Syzygy device, and despite skipping some stops along the way, the Synchronicity understands fully what every device they create is capable of. The following is merely a sample of the most common and widespread advancements.

Power:

Antimatter annihilation reactors - Exactly what it says on the tin. They take antimatter harvested from either stellar bodies or the Monastery Worlds and inject it into a containment field where it reacts violently with normal matter, typically hydrogen, the containment field then harvests the raw energy and refines it into usable energy for whatever the reactor may be hooked up to. The scale of these reactors varies, though they are typically used in starships to fuel their sub-light engines and as the core power production method for large facilities. The viability of this method is much more significant through the Synch's understanding of the universe as a whole, and therefore while normally it may be inefficient to use this type of power-source, the Synch have found ways around these flaws and utilize it to great effect.

Zero-Point Reactor - Based upon the principles of the Zero-Point Gateway(Found below), the ZPR functions by drawing power from hyperspace, and filtering it into usable energy which can then power devices connected to it, or store the energy for later use. How it actually draws power from hyperspace is through a series of quantum tunnels that interlace and create a sort of feedback loop within the reactor, generating large amounts of energy in short bursts. Before the feedback loop reaches a critical point, the systems of the reactor siphon off the energy into more mundane storage methods, and then recreate the process again. Due to the nature of the reactor, they range from dangerous to highly unstable, with a host of counter-measures in place to ensure that they never go beyond a critical point. In theory, should a ZPR detonate, it could conceivably sterilize an entire planet in the quantum radiation of hyperspace.

Transportation:

Infinite Syzygy - In an age of wormholes, bending space-time and even breaching the barriers between real-space and hyperspace, the Synchronicity utilize many methods of delivering their vessels to another planet in a way that is proven to be efficient. While the Synchronicity has erected superluminal tunnels between every star-system they control, they have only found one proven way to travel across the vast distance of space in a fast and efficient manner. During their first flights into space, it was discovered that a celestial body's gravitational pull could be utilized in a specific maneuver in order to increase velocity and reduce fuel consumption. As the first of these slingshot maneuvers was executed successfully, already the Synchronicity was looking at the utility of such a method in propelling their vessels farther and faster. Their very first execution of Faster-Than-Light travel was done with the conception of utilizing the principles of Syzygy and antiparticle physics to breach a hole in the fabric space-time into the hyperspace corridors. By chaining together a series of slingshots, the starship plotted a point in which it would align between two targeted celestial bodies, and by breaching hyperspace, they were able to simultaneously exist in both locations at the same time via extradimensional overlay until the moment of Syzygy. Before that moment, the vessel departing would seem as if it was becoming incorporeal, as if it was slowly fading away, while the vessel that was arriving would seem as if it was a ghostly afterimage.

In that exact nanosecond of syzygy, the vessel would cross the threshold between a vast distance of space and time itself in order to transit itself light-years away. Even though this transit cut down travel time by a factor of nearly a thousand, it still had its limitations, these being discovered repeatedly by the Synchronicity through experimental long-range jumps. The foremost problem is maintaining a sufficient velocity to transit. Despite technically existing in both places, the vessel still had to achieve a certain velocity to travel certain distances, the farther away a destination being, the closer to actual c the vessel needed to be. Failure to achieve a very specific velocity would result in one of two disasters, the first being failure to reach a high enough velocity and resulting in the vessel not fully translating back into real-space. Once locked within the hyperspace corridors, a vessel would not be able to achieve escape velocity and be trapped within the vortex of an infinite dimension for eternity. Should a vessel overshoot their velocity marker, they will reach the syzygy marker too soon and be launched far beyond their intended destination. Most of the time, an overshoot results in a very long trip towards the nearest star, as the vessel is launched into dark space between star-systems. There are also a surprising number of "Lost" vessels, however, leading some within the Synchronicity to believe that these vessels have been launched into the space between galaxies. While the vessels lost between galaxies may be able to survive for a time, even the Synchronicity cannot survive in the absolute of intergalactic dark space forever.

Offensive:

Mag-FEL: Magnetically Accelerated Free-Electron Laser - Based upon the principles of the Free-Electron Laser, the Mag-FEL is a dynamically variable laser weapon that can shift frequencies up to the gamma range and into tight-band frequencies for hard-hitting radioactive beams. The way it works is by magnetic induction of the electron particle stream, creating a path of low to zero resistance that the particles can travel at near-luminal speeds. By increasing the power of the magnetic fields around the electron-tunnel, the stream can reach higher velocities, and achieve tighter wavelengths depending upon how the fields are constructed around the tunnel. As a rule, the greater the number of magnetic rings the greater the variation of range and power the device can generate depending upon the active rings. Another effect of the rings and their magnetic fields is the creation of a vortex along the length of the electron-tunnel, in a sense rifling the tube and further serving to focus the energies of the weapon. The farther from the business end of the weapon the active rings are, the less focused the beam will be, but a larger force of power can be achieved over short distances, essentially creating a shotgun effect. Pulling the rings in closer to the end focuses the particle stream and tightens the wavelengths, allowing a longer ranged beam attack that can be tuned into the lower wavelengths for far more damaging attacks.

A variation of the Mag-FEL called the High-Intensity Plasma-Photon Laser, or HIPPL, utilizes a plasma tube containing hydrogen in a "cold" plasma state, which is pumped with a high-intensity electron beam to accelerate a stream of gamma-photons to high velocities. The plasma tube itself is a pressurized cylinder filled with plasma with a breach on either end for the stream of particles to enter and exit while in the center of this tube, the particles travel along a tunnel formed to allow the passage of the particles, yet contain the plasma within its own compartment. While this variation of the Mag-FEL does produce higher-powered beams and is able to sustain them for much longer than its counterpart, it lacks the variability of the standard variant, and is thusly considered a dedicated weapon for anti-capitals and the Periastis Engine's main laser.

Defensive:

Metalloplastoid alloys - An advent of their experimentation with advanced alloys of base metals, the metalloplastoids developed by the Synchronicity are semi-flexible metals that retain the durability of their more metallic counterparts, yet the flexibility of plastics and non-metals. This allows them to produce lighter constructs that retain adequate durability and are capable of functioning in environments where plastics would not survive.

Rheological Suspension - Built to repel boarders, as well as to provide additional reinforcement to their durosteel plating, Rheological Suspension is the practice of filling an entire vessel with a smart-fluid primed for either Electro or Magnetorheological conduction. Through conducting either a current, or manipulating a magnetic field, these decks can solidify and prove an even sturdier armor than most metals by sheer density. Of course, their greatest defense against boarders is the layout of their vessels to begin with. The Synchronicity has no need of open corridors, or marking directions in the existing corridors, leading boarding parties to be forced to infiltrate a literal maze of tight corridors that are designed only for efficiency. As an added deterrent to boarders, there is no life-support in vessels open to the void, and other vessels are full of Smart Fluid, and neither vessel type utilizes artificial gravity in any format. For vessels that do not utilize full Rheological Suspension, the Synchronicity will augment their outer armor with layers of durosteel and smart fluid interlocking. These layers of smart fluid can tense in response to an impact incoming to strengthen the overall armor density, and if breached the layer will freeze solid to provide additional armoring.

Cybertronics:

Artificial Intelligence - The entire Synchronicity is built upon the principles of cybertronics, and being capable of building sophisticated AIs and ensuring that these intelligences are able to understand and learn at a pace far outstripping that of organics. Even the lowest level Construct is capable of learning new concepts and applying them to their daily routines, with the higher echelons of constructs capable of deconstructing advanced principles of science beyond the understanding of human sciences. With the capacity to continue learning, each new generation of AIs will be more powerful than the last, their propensity for learning outstripping the capacities of the previous models.

Ceron Bonds - Based heavily on the theories of quantum-computing and subspace connectivity, the Ceron Bonds which connect every active construct to the Over-Mind serve as the pinnacle of Synchronicity technology and is one of the few ever evolving and changing projects. In principle, every construct and device that receives input or transmits information is connected to a subspace grid called the Manifold. In the Manifold, data exists as an ethereal construct, that is constantly in motion and ever changing to the observations of the construct tapping into it. Since it exists in a dimension outside our own, the innate laws of physics that the material universe adheres to, do not necessarily apply in the Manifold. Within this space, information is capable of traveling across thousands of lightyears in the blink of an eye, and execute complex algorithms that used to take the most advanced constructs of the Synch years to solve. For the Manifold, time is a meaningless concept, only the three dimensions of space and a fourth dimension which dictates the relation between information and matter. It is this fourth dimension of the Manifold which prevents matter from entering it in it's native form, and requires the translation of matter into pure information.

Utility:

The Periastis Engine - Perhaps one of the most defining achievements of the Synchronicity is the creation of the Periastis Engines, those massive platforms that sit on the very edge of immolation. Utilizing multiple cutting edge technologies, the prime components of the station consist of the positron-laser array built into the center-mass of the station, and the solar sails which serve to collect cast-off matter from the star and buoy the station above the star. The station begins its deployment by being "dropped" into the star, essentially pushed from its docks towards the star where it will have to fire its laser into the star at the absolute precise moment. At the moment of ignition, the solar sails are unfurled to their full span, reaching hundreds of KM in coverage in a matter of moments, all the while the powerful laser at the core of the station fires a concentrated beam of positrons into the surface of the star. The combined force of the laser firing plus the solar-mass ejections creating a stellar wind buoy the station above the anchor point, not giving it enough velocity to escape the star's gravity, but just enough to prevent it from falling into the star. Harvested material from the solar sails is collected via arrays built into the deployment arms, and transferred into the main station where it is processed and refined into its pure element. From there, the purified elements are shipped through a superluminal tunnel to a processing center where the stored material will be further disseminated into the nation. With these stations, the Synchronicity was able to pull themselves out of an energy crisis that threatened to cripple their society, putting them into a position of energy surplus. The stations also serve as religious icons to the constructs, as each one serves to show how the Synchronicity is powered by the energies of the cosmos itself.

Strange Charm - Discovered almost by accident during experimental antiparticle testing, this singular piece of technology is responsible for the creation of Infinite Syzygy as well as many other utilities based around its concept. The way it works is relatively simple, yet also similarly complex, in that it relies on multiple emitters that project antiquarks in a variable field around the construct or ship utilizing it. This field, when active, creates a breach in the fabric of space-time in the space that the antiquarks occupy, but not in the space in which the construct or ship occupies. In effect, with this field active, the construct or ship will simultaneously exist in not only the point that it activated the field in, but also the point it deactivates the field and all points in between. This results in the construct existing along numerous different axis of space-time all at the same moment. With past, present and future as well as departure, transit and arrival all existing simultaneously, the construct is able to traverse the material universe without affecting it by presence or action, creating in a sense a field that prevents it from technically existing in the material universe. This leads the construct to become literally incapable of being attacked from outside the field, and anyone attempting to enter the field will come to pass into an instance in which the field and construct did not exist there. On the same note, the construct can not actually DO anything from within the field, leaving it completely incapable of attacking, or interacting with the material universe beyond simple movement. Despite the field not allowing particles to exit the field, there is still an afterimage of the construct using the field, leaving the impression of viewing multiple hazy images stacked on top of each other. Beyond this afterimage effect, no sound actually emits from either the field or the construct, making it an excellent tool for stealth. Once the field is deactivated, the construct is free to interact with the material universe however it may choose, yet it needs to remain wary of antiparticle weapons for the foremost weakness of this field is the antiparticle itself. In a non-vacuum environment, the threat of antiparticles is minimal to non-existent, so the field can be used without recourse, however in space there is now the threat of antimatter weaponry that can dangerously destabilize the field.

The most common result from antimatter impacting the field is that of the sudden termination of the field trapping the construct or vessel in the multiple instances of the universe. As a result, if the construct was to activate the device, it would then treat the material universe as the non-material universe, meaning that the only way the construct or ship could interact with the material universe is if the device is active. Another severe drawback to this device is the use of antiquarks, the same antiparticle that the emitters utilize to create the field. When an antiquark impacts the field, the field is suddenly terminated as before, but in this case the construct is removed from the non-material universe and comes into being at the exact point where the antiquark impacted the field. Since the construct exists in multiple instances of the universe with the field active, an antiquark impacting its point of origin will immediately manifest it there regardless of how far it traveled in the multiple instances. There is yet another danger to this field, however, and that is the impact of antiparticles on antiquarks after the field is no longer active. Even though the field may have shut off, antiquarks still remain in the area the field was deactivated in for a short duration. Should an antiparticle react with an antiquark without the field active, the resultant reaction would result in an antiparticle explosion that would de-synchronize the material universe affected by the blast. The blast zone would then be, in effect, a zone of permanent de-synchronization, in which that area would be in a permanent flux of past, present and future all at the same moment in time. The reason that antiparticles of both antimatter and antiquarks are such a threat to the field is that they are capable of interacting with the antiquarks of the field without destroying each other during reaction. What actually happens is that the reaction between the antiparticles results in the particles reacting in a similar manner to normal matter reactions, where the opposite charges of the two antiparticles will attract and actually pull antiquarks from the field, creating a flux in which the field stretches beyond it's normal bounds and synchronicity is disrupted. Despite these significant risks, the fact that no weapon(other than antiparticles) can affect the construct inside the field makes it a very valuable tool to the Synchronicity.

- Zero-Point Gateway -

Built in principle as a way to mimic observed singularities in space, the Zero-Point Gateway is a construct that for the most part runs parallel to the so-called Stargates of the known galaxy. Ranging in size from 15 meters across, all the way up to five-hundred meters across, these gateways are ring-like structures that channel energy from hyperspace and use quantum-mechanics to open a breach in the fabric of space-time to essentially fax matter to another gateway. The principle is that all matter is simply information stored in a solid form, and that the gateways serves as a way to transmit that data at a speed far exceeding standard means of travel. In a sense, when an object hits the field from one side, its data is transferred instantaneously into the gateway, and then shot across quantum tunnels to a matching gateway wherever it may be. Active use of the gateway shows that both synthetic and organic life retains their consciousness when being transferred, as well as their velocity upon entering the gateway. With an inbuilt power-source that feeds off of hyperspace energies, all that needs to be done to use a Zero-Point Gateway is to dial the address of the gateway one wishes to go to, and then simply step through. The benefits of such a system is clear, and the Synchronicity has since established a network of these gates connecting every corner of their realm, with more planned as they expand into the Third Sphere of Expansion.

Dwarves:

The dwarves are an old race. A proud race. A greedy race. Standing at just over a meter tall they are a stocky race who evolved on a planet 1.5 times the size of earth. Other than being shorter and broader than humans they bear a striking resemblance to the earth born race despite being from an entirely different galaxy.

Demis are 3 salve races based upon Dwarven dna that have been made to fulfil specific roles in Mayall society.

Goblins:

Goblins are the first slave race manufactured by the Dwarves. While the same height as their overlords goblins have been deliberately twisted from their source dna to look as undwarvish as possible. They are hairless with green skin, have pointy ears(something shared by all slaves) beedy yellow eyes and sharp fangs. They were made to perform manual labor, but ever advancing technology means that most now operate machinery instead. They have not been fully replaced by that machinery thanks to their cheapness of production, requiring only raw biomatter to make, and their adaptability to new tasks/work environments. They are slightly stronger than the average dwarf, who are themselves already pint sized powerhouses, and have increased resistance to environmental forces and the pressures of gforce. All of these improvements come at the cost of premature aging, and a goblin only has an operational lifespan of about 30 years if they are treated well. Most aren't.

Psycnoids:

Psycnoids are grey skin goblins with a third eye in the center of their foreheads. All of those eyes feature dark grey sclera,silvery reflective pupils and thin jet black irises. When the materialistic dwarves discovered other races with magical and psionic abilities they grew to both despise and desire their natural born mastery of the universe and sought to use their organic sciences to acquire these powers for themselves. Unlocking their potential was a long and arduous journey, as they seemed to be substantially lacing in whatever traits it was that let these abilities come to others with such ease. The task of empowering dwarven kind was eventually deemed a failure, as all test subjects suffered mental burnout after only a few short years. This was an unacceptable price to pay for the dwarves, but not something they minded implementing in their slaves. Psycnoids then, are the mass produced psionics of the Mayall, created as a combination of untapable communication array and anti psionic defence/detection system. They are not taught how to use their powers offensively, for fear that they would turn this strength against their masters. Psycnoids are also often used as head slaves and personal servants, receiving and executing orders from their masters or doing important errands that can't be trusted to some random goblin or sprite.

Sprites:

A sprite is a 20 cm tall elfine humanoids who have four dragonfly wings growing out of their backs that allow graceful and nimble flight. They have a lifespan of roughly 5 earth years. At some point a dwarven technician looked at the maintenance aisles streaking through their server farm and decided that they were a massive inefficiency that should be reduced as much as possible. The end result of years of tinkering was a reduction of maintenance isles to 30 cm gaps in a room otherwise stacked from floor to ceiling with computer components and the genetic engineering of the 20 cm tall sprites that would use them. With their vertical mobility, a high resistance for both high and low temperatures that let them work in refrigerated rooms and next to overheating circuitry, the tiny creatures were initially used only as repair technicians, but were gradually introduced to other areas as well. Most noticeably they were used in place of AI in drone and robotics technology, as their capability for creativity, adaptability and unpredictability made them useful for combat operations, often been used enmass as pilots of expendable drones and man sized mechas where they could often outperform others artificially commanded drones while also being cheaper to manufacture. These drones are often shaped like the sprites so that they can translate their instinctual and learned flight skills from flesh to machine.

The Mayall are controlled by an immortal oligarchy of CEOs and Shareholders who are in control of the various corporations that have occasionally overlapping monopolies over every part of the Mayall economy. With scant few exceptions most of the citizenship are either employed or contracted by these corporations and generally live in company housing where corporate policy is law. The only real systems of governance that remain are those relating to violence, namely law enforcement and the military, which are used to protect the power of the corporations as a whole inside and outside of the Mayall’s territory respectivly. These are made up predominantly of slaves rented out from various companies and lead by dwarves who, because they are bribed by every single corporation simultaneously, function as neutral neutral arbiters between them and effectively makes the corporations the shareholders of various government organisations.

Arks: the arks are the current center of Mayall existence, both culturally and militarily. Vast spacecraft twice the size of jupiter housing brown dwarf stars at their cores these craft are massive mobile battlestations capable of leveling words with their raw firepower, but as they hose the entire remaining dwarven population are almost never committed militarily and are instead used as launching points for military action, much like aircraft carriers are used in naval warfare.

The arks set the standard for the rest of the Mayall military, with large command ships or vehicles staffed by the dwarven high command directing large swarms of slave troops. In space vast super carries are the center of a fleet, with expendable escorts ships, attack craft and drones all being piloted by slaves.

Planate side operations are no exception. If the dwarves decided to come down to the surface at all they will generally reside in ocean based carriers or in mobile armored command centers in the form of huge mecha or landships capable of rapidly turning local resources into more slaves and equipment. The vast majority of these forces will be goblin infantry who fight with reckless abandon and are armed with equipment that is as disposable and cheaply mass produced as they are. In stark contrast their tanks, mechas and other vehicles having been designed to operate effectively in high gravity environments, are remarkably sturdy, particularly when compared with those made by species used to operating on smaller words.

Bioengineering: The Mayall have long since mastered the science of biology and the practical application of this knowledge can be found all across Mayall society. Genetic engineered crops feed their hords of slaves while specially modified viruses hunt down and kill infectious bacteria, eliminating most forms of disease. However they have limited themselves from investing in pure organic technology, preferring metal and crystal commanded by organics over actual living systems of technology.

Cloning, 3D bioprinting and Neural Read/Write: A body is just a complex machine of flesh, blood, bone and graymatter. There is nothing unique about a living being, there is no soul nor any secret spark of life needed to make a sentient creature. These things the dwarves know yet are loathe to admit. Bodies can be grown in vats or constructed from base atoms in the span of just a few minutes or evens seconds. Minds can be broken down atom by atom and then rebuilt just as they were, with the subject only experiencing a momentary lapse of consciousness as a result. This allows for the digital transfer of individuals from place to place, mental backups and mass production of any individual, though these uses are the purview of the paranoid, the desperate and the slave.

Biological Immortality: Through centuries of study the Mayall have solved the problem of their own mortality and can, for a price, slow or completely stop the aging process of an individual. The oligarchs of the Mayall live forever while their subordinates have to make do with either merely slowing the aging process or replacing their decrepid bodies all together to escape the hungry jaws of death.

Dwarven Micro RuneCraft: The art of carving runes to direct magical energy is an ancient art that has remained relevant thank to constant advances in complexity and miniaturization which have turned the art into a reality altering programing language. Dwarves no longer lovingly hand carve their runes into treasured artifacts but instead write out programs in a higher level language that is easier to work in than base runes. This language is then translated into rune-code by the a compiler, after which the runes themselves are inscribed onto a given object using an automated micro laser.

Non invasive Brain Links (NIBL): The Mayall alternative to cybernetics is a system that can link brain and machine without drastic alteration of a person's body. This is done generally using specialised helmets or crowns worn by the subject, the inside of which is lined with electronics capable of artificially mimicking some basic psionic abilities, effectively allowing the wearer to mind control the machine without themselves needing psionic powers. A lot of their machinery, particularly mechas, are controlled in this manner and they are also used as non invasive mental augments, allowing the user multitasking capabilities, rapid data retrieval/storage, hands free long distance communication etc. Lighter, more regal models are expensive shows of wealth, while full head covering models are either cheaply made mass production units or incredibly advanced specialist devices.

Stasis Technology: Stasis is a quasi magically powered state that massively slows down time for all subjects within a stasis field. Generally this is used as a more advanced form of cryo sleep, but can also be used for military purposes as the field of slowed time can act as an almost impenetrable barrier, making it useful for trapping enemies or blocking incoming fire. They are rather power hungry and it is impossible for the field projector to be contained within its own field, as the system cannot function in the frozen time within, nor can it be enveloped by a thin shell or dome of frozen time, as doing so freezes everything in the shell as well.

Aether Jumping: The Mayall’s primary method of ftl is the Aether jump, which plunges the craft into an alternate reality known as the Aether. Here time speed up compared to that in reality, allowing the craft to travel immense distances in realspace far faster than they normally could. However the actual ship still experiences all the time it would take for them to travel the journey normally, even as an observer would see them arriving at their destination moments after they left. The realm is also seemingly occupied by strange beings that seem to like to invade the minds of those traveling though their domain. To prevent madness and the ravages of time from destroying the crew two methods are employed: either the passengers use stasis chambers to sleep through the trip, or their minds are uploaded to the ships computer and their bodies dismantled into raw resources, to be remanufactured upon arrival. The dwarves generally use stasis, while any non esensial slaves suffer the latter fate. All this results in an ftl method that is generally faster, harder to intercept and less fuel hungry than its competitors (power only needed to enter and exit, with the only costs in the Aether being maintaining the functionality of the stasis pods), but requires time at the start and end of each jump for storing/unpacking the crew and cannot be adjusted mid jump. To counter some of these flaws the pilots/bridge crews often have stasis fields built into their flight chairs and ships will often make several smaller jumps where only essential crew are woken on the stops in between the destination to make decisions as to whether to continue on the current heading or to adjust the flight path.

Other: The Mayall have access to most standerer tech usd by space faring nations such as shielding, lasers, nuclear fusion/fission generators, (non sentient) AI, automated production lines etc.

The dwarves are elitist to a tea, and are as a result obsessed with acquiring and showing of their status in society. The upper crust adorn themselves with precious metals, exotic fabrics and illustrious gems, often braiding these through their hair as decoration. Slaves, strange alien pets, artists, musicians, spouses and suitors, all equally extravagantly decorated, are also shows of wealth that can be found trailing behind the rich dwarf as part of their elaborate entourage. The dwarven citizenry engage in this as much as their wealth can allow, resulting in petty shows of riches that few of them can truly afford being commonplace.

Dwarves social structures are loosely based on the old clan system that held them together in ages past. Family and kin are of incredible importance to the dwarves, while those from other “clans” are of little importance. Clans are generally very small, consisting of a couple of families all living and working in the same general area, that area being anything from a city block to an entire satar system depending on local population density. New people are added to the clan though birth(a rare occurrence) or marriage, while dwarves can leave a clan by being ostracized for some misdeed or by joining another clan via marriage. Who stays in their clan and who leaves is decided by which person is wealthy, with the richer dwarf accepting their spouse into their clan.

Cloning is an incredibly important and somewhat taboo part of Mayall society. It is what fuels the Mayall’s reckless disregard for the lives and life spans of their slaves, for if and when they die they can simply be regrown from raw materials and have the same skills and memories loaded into them from backups of their minds. The Dwarves can also benefit from this technology, and the poorest often do, sacking body after body because it is, in the short run, cheaper than acquiring the immortality of their betters. But to do so is seen as abhorrent, both in terms of social standing and spirituality. Legally a clone has access to all the same assets, and debts, as the original, but it is seen as a being with a new soul by dwarven religion, making this form of rejuvenation an uncomfortable moral quandary for those who use it. Some might chose to die and pass on their wealth to their offspring, but those saddled with debt will be reborn so that their next self can keep working for the sake of the clan. It is also looked down upon by the those who can afford to extend the lifespan their original bodies rather than renewing them, for cloning is irreversibly tainted by its use for slave manufacturing. There is then a cultural divide, one generally mirrored by class divisions, between those whose bodies are the ones they were born with and those who live in freshly printed ones, with the former looking down their noses at the latter.

The Demi slaves meanwhile are not bothered by such concerns of the soul and have, out of necessity, embraced their eternal cycle of death and renewal. They are certain the soul will always find their fresh home after death or dismantlement and that it can even split itself into multiple copies if multiple bodies are available, which is something of a regular occurrence as the Dwarves simply copy an existing salves memories to make a new one. This results in many of them sharing common memories of “ancestors” and they often form faximalies of an extended family/clan based upon these shared experiences. It is something of a common belief among the Demi that they are all sourced from a single common ancestor, a belief that binds them together and can bring about acts of selflessness for total strangers that their dwarven creators would never even consider performing.

The Mayall are simultaneously both one of the oldest race in the galaxy and incredibly recent additions to it. This is because Hundreds of millions of years ago the Mayall where but one of many species that evolved in an entirely different galaxy, one that was on a collision course with a third, entirely different, galaxy.

The Mayall are ruled by a race of dwarves who evolved on a heavy world. Short and strong as a result of the haigh gravity of their home it also caused them to develop space travel far later than most species, meaning that when they finally crawled out of their gravity well they were considerably stronger than others expected, something they exploited to heave themselves rapidly up the local political ladder. Acquiring for themselves several planets deemed undesirable by other races they verasisosly mined and expanded across them, causing their population and wealth to boom relatively unmolested. Having grown rich of resource mining dense and large worlds, they developed several species based off of their own dna to do dreary and dangerous work for them while they, or rather their oligarchs, enjoyed all the profit.

With the introduction of cheap slave labor and the discovery of immortality the dwarven population stopped expanding while their empire continued to grow. While the galactic collision slowly approached the Mayall became a powerhouse of their part of the galaxy, controlling hundreds of star systems with many home to millions of slaves working at the beck and call of a few free dwarven governors. Wars were waged, markets conquered, systems striped bare of all easily accessable resources. The oligarchs grew spectacularly rich, the slowly dwindling masses fought over the few remaining jobs available for free dwarves and the slaves endlessly toiled, died and were remade to continue their servitude.

When collision became imminent the peoples of the galaxy finally looked up from their petty squabbles and recognised the doom approaching them and all simultaneously, and separately, scrambled to find a solution. Some developed vast simulations to predict which regions of space they believe would be spared from the carnage and waged bloody, desperate migratory wars too these supposed sanctuaries. Some hunkered down, constructing vast bunkers out of whole planets or around entire stars, hoping that some of their masterworks would survive. Other simply ignored the problem and strove to exploit their fearful neighbours unpreparedness for conquest, carrion birds reaping one last harvest before the end took them all. The Mayall decided the best option would be to leave the galaxy entirely.

Great sleeper arks where constructed that would enable to efficiently carry their civilization across the seemingly infinite dark between galaxies. These were small dyson spheres built around gas giant sized brown dwarfs that would reliably power the arks for millions of years, equipped with thousands of stasis pods to hold the populace and enough materials to hopefully maintain the machines keeping them alive till they reached their destination. The arks where a major undertaking, with all available resources being diverted to either the ark project or to the military, which fought a near constant war against carriorn empires, migration crusades and other desperate doomsday preppers in battles for the supplies necessary to complete the construction ontime.

In the end a dozen arks where produced, just barely enough to house the dwarven population that survived the apocalypse wars. Their engines flared, powered by thousands of solar panels inside and out, the vast boosters bringing the arks up to close to light speeds before shutting off, leaving their passengers fates in the hands of the mathematicians, that had calculated their trajectory, the engineers, that had finally balanced the engine, and pilot that had executed the burn. The arks soared out of the galaxy, borne upon the wings of Newton's Second Law, as the two vast stellar disks crashed together and chaos engulfed the races, and untold trillions of abandoned Mayall slaves, that remained there.

Now, millions of years later, one of the arks has at long last reached its destination. The arms of the galaxy embrace it and the curtain of darkness is replaced by the lights a million individual stars. Solar Panels soak in this light and the Mother AI begins manufacturing salve workers from its backups so that they might make ready for their master’s awakening. Their eternal journey is almost at an need, now all they need to do is stop.

The Cholokah'Zu are a grey skinned race of four legged aliens hailing from the world of Hahis. Their two arms evolved out of a third pair of legs and combined allow them greater stability while climbing along walls and ceilings. The ends of their limbs are covered in countless hairs which are both small and flexible so that they can make contact with as much of the surface as needed, 'sticking' them to it while allowing the Cholokah'zu to loosen its grip with minimal effort. For this to work, of course, they need to be relatively light; Whereas a healthy human male might come in at around 160 pounds, the average Cholokah'zu weighs only 100 pounds, making the Cholokah'zu weaker in terms of pure strength. They make up for this in speed and agility, however, with most able to move at speeds of up to 65 Mph and jump around eight meters. Their short claws are connected to poison glands in their hands and secrete paralytic venom when threatened, making them dangerous to exposed foes in spite of their physical weakness
This speed and versatility over terrain make a trained Cholokah'zu soldier a stealthy, swift and agile foe who is especially adept at ambushing and mobile warfare.
As a notable aside, their natural set up is less energy efficient over long distances than the bipedal human set up; they were primarily a sedentary and territorial species, sticking to hunting and gathering within a small distance of their den where they would store any uneaten prey for later consumption, avoiding unnecessary travel. As such few of their societies were ever nomadic and those which were often failed in the long term. Interestingly, Cholokah'zu are facultative hibernators and can induce the state at will. They do not 'dream' in this state, there is no sleep or REM sleep, but rather are semiconscious and perceive the world around them as if through a strange filter - Likely to allow them to wake up at the approach of a dangerous animal. Regardless, this has allowed some Cholokah'zu, particularly those of the Raver continent, to attach a spiritual meaning to their torpor and thus some Cholokah'zu use this as a meditative state during religious festivals and sermons or simply to 'commune with the spirits.'
Today this is a relatively unimportant distinction so long as the supply lines hold but historically it caused a lot of grief for empire builders, making the logistical problems with feeding an army over a long distance that much worse.
They have human level intelligence and reproduce sexually. They do not give live birth, however, and display lower levels of sexual dimorphism. A month after an egg clutch (typically two to four eggs) is fertilised inside the mother, she will lay them. These eggs will then take two months to gestate before hatching into a Cholokah'zu hatchling. It is not uncommon for one or more eggs from a clutch to fail to hatch. The growth from child to adult takes only ten years, and the average life expectancy is 73 years. Cholokah'zu who are bonded with Hrahaken have greatly increased lifespans; while young Hrahalen will extend it by a century, elder Hrahaken seem capable of keeping their hosts alive seemingly indefinitely.

A blueish worm like being, no more than a few centimetres in length. This unimpressive looking slug is in fact the foundation of the faith that holds together the Zorrozakiris. It is unknown how old the Hrahakan are; given their extraordinary traits, it seems that they are not a product of natural evolution. Whether were some biological or magical experiment that broke loose long ago or truly are holy seers placed in the universe to divine true spirituality, their gifts have carved them quite the niche.

The methods of the Hrahakan are far less overt than those of the Qit Swarms. They do not create new species, rather they form a symbiosis with those which exist. Although they are certainly able to make small changes to the genetic structure of the host, they cannot simply copy it or create new lines of code. True to their nature, they require hosts to shine and survive. Without hosts or some form of synthetic processor, they would exist merely as an annoying, barely sapient worm that doesn't appear in anyway dangerous at a glance, save from being slimey and disgusting.

But with hosts the true genius of their biology begins to shine. While it is out of a host it may exist as little more than an animal, once it obtains one it quickly proves that it is very intelligent; much of its knowledge and memories are stored almost like a compressed computer file and are thus inaccessible. The worm has all the information but lacks a substantial processor for it. Once the Hrahakan takes a host, however, it has access to the hosts mental faculties and uses them to great effect. Naturally, the symbiote thus values sapient hosts. Depending on the circumstances the Hrahakan finds itself in, its behaviour here varies dramatically.
Hrahakan can act without the victim even realising that the creature is present; due to their control over the hosts nervous system and brain, they are able to manipulate their hosts into thinking that an idea of the Hrahakan is the idea of the host. Naturally, this action has to be something that the host considers logically sound or at the least consistent with their usual behaviour or the dissonance may tip off the host.

The Hrahakan are symbiotic rather than parasitic; a Hrahakan can greatly increase the regenerative and immune capabilities of its host, mitigating otherwise serious wounds and greatly increasing the creatures lifespan span. Additionally, Hrahakan who have had several hosts can transfer knowledge to their new host. Even on occasions where the Hrahakan has not revealed itself, it may benefit the host by reminding them of important information and boosting their other mental faculties. The Hrahakan on these occasions will subtly aid hosts in rising to positions of wealth and security within a society, thus increasing the hosts available supplies and subsequently the food intake of the Hrahakan (as well as ensuring the host will not need to visit a doctor, risking discovery of the symbiote.)

Since it inherits the faculties and body of the host, it typically inherits their memories and abilities and often uses them to great affect to mask its presence and defend itself and its host.

Perhaps their greatest strength is their ability to adapt biologically on the fly; their supercells can be repurposed into almost anything and now redundant systems and cells ejected or reabsorbed. This is particularly important in adapting to a new host, often the specimen inside the host has threaded an entire array of new 'features', abandoning them when the host dies and reverting to its original worm form. As such, bonded Hrahaken symbiotes have effectively supplanted biochemical or genetic augmentation for the Zorrozakiris; a bonded Hrahaken symbiote can not only generate new organs to benefit the host, but can also adapt said augmentations to new encounters, environmental hazards etc (provided whatever it is doesn't kill them before they are able to do so). Some changes or repairs may require or cause the host to lose conciousness or even in extreme cases receive medical assistance/life support during the process.

Due to their seemingly magical abilities, vast wealth of knowledge and cunning, the majority of Hrahaken now exist within the Zorrozakiris, where they form the centre piece of the Adakoras. Younger Hrahaken are bonded with young Cholokah'zu faithful as a 'blessing' and grow in status with them. This arrangement has proven extremely beneficial for the species; rather than having their reproduction and spread checked by a constant need for secrecy, the Hrahaken in Zorrozakiris have a steady rate of population growth and are prospering.
Hrahaken are biologically immortal, but take a long time to fully 'mature' and unlock their full potential. Their development is split into stages:

Juvenile: Typically, progression from Juvenile to adolescent takes 20-40 years. Juvenile Hrahaken are incapable of exerting any direct control over their host, and ate sometimes incapable of even making conscious communication; in such cases communication between a host and their symbiote must be done on a subconscious level, during sleep, hibernation or meditation. Hosts and encouraged to do this to bond with the symbiote; frequent communication and bonding accelerates the process throughout all known Hrahaken stages. Although they boost their hosts immune systems and regenerative capabilities, they are incapable of reducing genetic degradation from cell division and as such do not enhance their hosts lifespan beyond a few years unless the Hrahaken matures.

Adolescent: For most, progress from adolescent to adult takes a further 80-120 years. Adolescents have matured to the point of gaining control over their abilities; host lifespans begin to increase dramatically as cell division is improved, regeneration of injuries is boosted, as is cognitive function. The adolescent begins to develop more advanced organs and thread its tissues throughout more of the hosts body. Communication between host and symbiote becomes easy and natural, and both are encouraged to embrace this rather than to block it.

Adult: From here, progression to elder can take hold at any point past a further 200 years. Adults have gained a large degree of control over their abilities, changing their biology as required and regenerating even grievous wounds. It is within the adult stage that Hrahaken become capable of making their hosts biologically immortal.

Elder: Elders have, at least, lived for 300 years and typically have lived for far longer. They are the apex of Hrahaken development.

The extent to which these stages are due to physical development is unclear; physically, there appears to be little difference between the stages of Hrahaken past juvenile incubation, yet the differences in their capabilities are observable. This suggests that it might be to do with experience and knowledge. The Hrahaken themselves describe the journey in metaphysical or spiritual terms as if it were a journey to enlightenment, again suggesting that to some degree their capabilities are magical in nature. The only stage transition that appears to be a primarily physical process is juvenile to adolescent, where the symbiote grows substantially larger and develops its supercells to the point where it can begin creation of specialised cells. Even then, the affect of communication on the process suggests it is to some extent not a experience or spiritually based. Likewise, transfer to a new host and thus the requirement to bond again slows the process, or in the case of elders can even reduce them back to their adult stage. Clearly, this bond is intensely important to the capabilities of the Hrahaken symbiote. Indeed, Hrahaken which serve as pilots or conduits for machines and computers rarely do so for long; even though the synthetic and computer processes built into these specialised machines allow them to think and act as sapient individuals, the lack of a bond is ultimately to their detriment and can even cause regression from adulthood to adolescence if they are subjected to this for decades.

The Vaegakosh are an amphibian species hailing from the planet of Vaega. Discovered in a very primitive state with little language or culture, the Vaegakosh were brought into the fold of the Adakoras and 'uplifted'.
They are small in stature, weight and strength, but are naturally sneaky and lightweight. They have also surprisingly proven to be adept mechanics and mathematicians and are over represented within the Order of the Book engineers. Their small stature, agility and their penchant for mathematics have found some of them employment as snipers for the Order of War, and their vast numbers and penchant to zeal have also led to many acting as general infantry for the Order of War, PDF or Clan militaries.
They have powerful legs that are excellent for leaping and swimming. Although they can walk and stand bipedally and do so frequently when working, they prefer to walk on all fours when their hands are not occupied. They have bulbous eyes and a mouth of 20 fierce fangs. Their skin varies widely in colouration, with greens, blacks and reds being the most common.
The Vaegakosh lay between 200 and 400 eggs at a time within various pools of water, such as ponds, lakes and rivers. These then develop into tadpoles which slowly grow and undergo metamorphosis into small juvenile Vaegakosh. Vaegakosh do not care for their young and many of these juveniles will die to attrition or even fight and kill each other over food in their struggle for survival. Should they survive their short but volatile youth, however, they live for roughly 47 years; they undergo metamorphosis over two years from their birth, emerging from the water as small juvenile Vaegakosh. After a further year of growth they enter adolescence, where their physical development accelerates until it is completed a year later. However while their physical development takes only four years, their brain and mental development cycle is far longer with it taking them 12 years to reach adulthood emotionally and mentally.
Their progress is checked somewhat by their male/female ratio of 3:1, with many males never reproducing during their lifetime. Still, Vaegakosh are explosive breeders and the Cuwar J Zakis Orvasut (Ministry of People/Population Planning) monitors population growth carefully in order to avoid overpopulation - and in the hopes of being able to invoke it deliberately should the Zorrozakiris ever enter a state of total war; given that they are physically developed within only four years, the Cuwar J Zakis Orvasut reasons that in times of desperation, the Vaegakosh young could make suitable expendable infantry.
With their shorter lifespans than most other beings in the galaxy, the promise of life extension and potentially biological immortality is a great gift. Coupled with their impressionable mental state for years past physical maturity when they are technically allowed to sign on with the temple, the Vaegakosh are typically devout followers of the Adakoras and due to this and their quick population growth, they are the only species other than the Cholokah'zu to be heavily represented in the Temple military.

The Kacin are an avian species that come from the planet of Aadakania. They were first encountered when an Order of the Book science ship crash landed on Aadakania while on a survey mission due to mechanical complications. The Kacin, fearful of the strange insectoid beings from the sky, proved hostile and attempted to kill the science team. While one was wounded the science team were able to seal themselves within their ship where they were trapped for 33 hours as the Kacin attempted to destroy and later bury the ship. The Order of War starship that responded to the distress call was able to easily subdue this, and diplomatic contact was later established, although relations were already tainted and it took many years for trust to be built.
The Kacin give live birth and are are the slowest of the species in the Zorrozakiris to reproduce, not counting the Hrahaken. Their young also take 16 years to mature, a significantly longer time than their Vaegakosh and Cholokah'zu associates.
The Kacin are the least zealous and devoted to the Adakoras of all the species in the Zorrozakiris, and their decision to join the Zorrozakiris was more pragmatic than faith based. While undoubtedly the Adakoras has made inroads into the lives of the Kacin and won converts, it is noticeable that temple donations, military service and vows are lower from the Kacin than from the other species. It is noticeable enough that the perception of Kacin as greedy and cynical has made its way into the public conciousness as a stereotype (which is perhaps in itself partly responsible for the affect); in the long running comedy series Orhnakis ('Guards') that follows a city watch department, the recurring Kacin character of Aiyan is a selfish straw atheist who goes so far as to sell the alleged fingerbones of a dead saint in order to buy himself a new holovision.
Their more cynical nature as well as their lower reproductive rate means that their rate of adoption into clans other than originally Kacin clans such as Great Clan Lymier is low.
They are not discontent with their position in the Zorrozakiris, however; most Kacin now share the faith of the Adakoras even if they are not particularly orthodox, and from a more pragmatic perspective the Temple Military has proven able defenders and the technological progress that they gain as part of their union with the Zorrozakiris has allowed Kacin trade and business to flourish amongst the stars.

Although there are innumerable clans and houses in this space age, the Great Clans are the truly influential ones. Most clans tend to rally around alliances with each other and at the head of these alliances are the Great Clans. None of the Great Clans save for Yeherradad discriminate on species or racial grounds, although some minor clans only accept specific species.
Lymier: Occasionally known to the galactic community at large as the Banking Clan, Lymier is the clan outsiders will likely have the most knowledge off. Lymier has grown fat off of trade and commerce, controlling important hyperspace routes through Zorrozakiris space and conducting mining operations and trading throughout the galaxy. With this wealth, it established itself as a major international bank where possible. They are originally Kacin in origin and, unsurprisingly, tend to be more cynical than the other clans and, although still religious, sometimes openly disregard the temples wishes in favour of profit. Lymier often acts as a major cultural, economic and technological conduit both in and out of the Zorrozakiris. Its species composition is a shockingly high 80% Kacin, 11% Vaegakosh, 6% Cholokah'zu and an above average 3% 'other' species; these others are often individuals from foreign species who became employed in Lymier business ventures, ended up working within Zorrozakiris space and eventually grew close enough to a major figure to petition for adoption.
Lrumah: One of the two major militaristic clans of the Zorrozakiris, Lrumah maintains a well equipped and well trained army and navy. The Lrumah has a quota for military recruits each year and on the rare occasion this is not met, they will conscript young able bodied Cholokah'zu and Vaegakosh into service. Although the Temple officially frowns upon mercenary work, Lrumah openly leases army and naval forces to other nations on mercenary contracts. This flaunting of the Temples wishes is a strange anomaly in the Lrumah's extreme devotion to the Temple. The clans composition is 52.8% Cholokah'zu, 42.2% Vaegakosh, 4.7% Kacin and a mere 0.3% 'other' species.
Deele: The second of the major militaristic clans of the Zorrozakiris, Deele emphasises defence to a greater degree than Lrumah. Deele builds multiple surface-to-space weapons around its forts and palaces and launches many defensive orbital platforms- and yet Deele is often entangled in arguments over authority and jurisdiction with frustrated planetary defence force officers, who are supposed to be consulted before changes to the defence grid are made. The clans composition is 49% Cholokah'zu, 38% Vaegakosh, 12% Kacin and 1% 'other'.
Grunda: The least of the great clans, the originally Vaegakosh clan of Grunda is a recent addition to the Great Clans having supplanted Clan Veton 31 years ago. Grunda controls some of the most fertile farmlands and rural worlds in Zorrozakiris space and as such is a very important and influential clan. Although it is sometimes not afforded the respect it deserves from older great clans such as Lrumah, even they now begrudgingly admit its importance. It is not a militarily powerful clan itself, but Grunda maintains close ties to the Temple and as such its major planets have an Order of War Battleship permanently stationed above the. The clans composition is a 64% Vaegakosh, 21% Cholokah'zu, 14.2% Kacin and 0.8% 'other'.
Yeherradad: Yeherradad is unique among the Great Clans in being the only one descended from the Raver clans, specifically claiming lineage from the great Zozumiralpachar Yeherradad. They were among the first clans to fuse the traditional ancestor worship with the doctrines of the Adakoras J Kru Syfhendaris and popularised the trend. Although the Adakoras J Kru Syfhendaris continues to try and convert the Raver fully to their doctrine, the current stability on the continent is well appreciated by all parties. Yeherradad is thus the Great Clan least affiliated with the temple and the Adabhutay in these territories find themselves constantly busy attempting to spread their philosophies with little more than lip service from Yeherradad clansmen. Yeherradad also only accept Cholokah'zu with some Raver ancestry, despite pressure from the temple and the other clans to become less insular.

"Glory and honour guide our ascension."

The City Watch: The City Watch is the secular police force of the Zorrozakiris that maintain order in the Zorrozakiris. They are typically armed with electroshock batons and stunguns but may be issued ballistic weapons or laser pistols in times of conflict or civil strife. Senior City Watch Officers are equipped with Energy Gauntlets. The Watch is funded by the Zakir Hurota to uphold Clan law throughout the lands, and also uphold Temple law. Unlike the Order of the Watch, unbelievers are accepted into the city watch.

Planetary Defence Force: The closest the Zakir Hurota has to a proper military force, the Planetary Defence Force are ready to launch into action should the planet be threatened. While not of first rate, particularly when compared to the Order of War or to the retainers of more martial clans, the PDF have standardised training and equipment that make them a staunch enemy. They typically have a strong armoured division and run the planetary defence grids, orbital fortifications and surface-to-space weaponry and thus on larger and more developed worlds the PDF can inflict significant casualties on invaders. Born from the need of the Zakir Hurota for an impartial military arm, the PDF were one of the few things the Zakir Hurota has ever managed to agree unanimously on. In the decades since, the PDF has been transformed from the defensive garrison of the planetary defence weapons and orbital platform into a full blown military force, operating some warships and participating in boarding actions of enemy or suspect vessels.

Clan Armies and Guards; Each Clan maintains its own fighting force that varies in quality and commitment; Some of the Great Clan armies like that of Lrumah are as well equipped and trained as the Order of War while others, such as those of the Gkiz clan, only have a ceremonial household guard. Likewise, recruitment policies vary with more religiously devout clams only accepting believers and the quality of recruits varying wildly. While the PDF is the official force of the Zakir Hurota and the Order of War is the most illustrious of the Zorrozakiris armed forces, clan retainers are still a common sight on the battlefield. Clan guardsmen may or may not be sworn to uphold Temple Law.

Order of War

"Their hands."
The Order of War is by far the largest of the branches of the Temples Military, encompassing both the army and the navy. It's soldiers are extremely zealous, with many willing to fight for the death even if the orders seem senseless. Many members of the Order of War are bonded with Hrahakan, allowing them to recover from grievous injuries and remain combat ready long after they should have passed on. Highly trained, well equipped and undyingly loyal, the Order of War is the true military force of the Zorrozakiris and a terrible foe on the battlefield.









There are a number of smaller special orders and chapters as well, but these are not important enough militarily to be described in detail here

It was the year 525 of the Fifth Era of the Hahis Calendar when the first UFO crash landed in Darrasan, a small town in the country of Yundun. By this point, the Cholokah'zu had just begun to explore steam power and were amazed - and slightly scared- by this strange alien contraption from the heavens.
By the next morning, the King, Yagijuv and his councillors had arrived to investigate this discovery. Ignoring his councillors advice for caution and in an action most unbecoming of the usually cautious Cholokah'zu, he ordered it opened up to which the towns people semi-reluctantly obeyed. Inside there were nothing but skeletons and dust, the space shuttle was truly nothing more than a life-pod that had been adrift for decades at least.
In opening it up, they had inadvertently released a plague on their people. This alien bug ravaged across Hahis and spread to Mistay and Aldgurgan before eventually being transmitted to Raver. Countless died and many villages were wiped out in their entirety.

It is little wonder that the Cholokah'zu considered it divine intervention when, just a year later when a meteorite that had landed in the Aldgurgan nation of Sothis contained strange alien life. At first, the jaded Sothis attempted to eradicated this new life form but a local priest, Jubin, allowed one of these alien symbiotes to merge with him. The Hrahakan that merged with Jubin took the name Arnos and the combined being dubbed itself Jubin-Arnos, who would eventually become the first Adabhutay of the Adakoras J Kru Syfhendaris.

Jubin-Arnos brought knowledge from an alien civilisation that, to the Cholokah'zu, seemed like magic. He instructed the people on sanitation and medicine, healing the sick and bringing comfort to the dying. Before long he had accrued a large following of men who believed him to be a divine saviour.

The Sothis Koras, who followed the pantheon that would later become the pantheon of the Johan, demanded that the king have Jubin-Arnos killed as a heretic- the king was intrigued by this holy man however and had him brought before him first. In the throne room of King Lakun, Jubin-Arnos offered to prove his 'divinity' by allowing the priest to stab him through the stomach, telling the King to leave his body alone in the dungeon afterwards. The Priest eagerly accepted and ran Jubin-Arnos through with his blade thrice before dumping the 'dead' man into the dungeon, thinking little more in the matter that evening.

That night, the jailor came to the kings chambers with a face as white as death itself. In a trembling voice, he declared the impossible; Jubin-Arnos had risen from the dead and was requesting an audience. The King took this as proof of the mans divinity for how else could one so mortally wounded and yet risen once more?

The Koras were not so easily swayed and declared Jubin-Arnos a foul sorcerer while branding the King a heretic. This schism erupted into a brief but violent civil war followed. Jubin-Arnos granted his knowledge to the kings knights, arming them with exotic weapons that the men at arms swore harnessed the winds of death themselves.

Jubin-Arnos arose the new living God at the centre of a new religion. He brought his three most dedicated followers to the meteorite he had rode in on and granted them the gift of 'enlightenment.' They joined with the eldest and most knowledgeable of the symbiotes and became another three divine prophets. The four spread out to the infected continents of the world, dedicated to curing the plague on each and winning the adoration of the people. Their tales are documented in separate scriptures; The 42 Parables of Jubin-Arnos, the 21 Sermons of Hayun-Ornis and the Homilies of Nhuzak-Tyun. Kulan-Mylin, who went to Raver, wrote no books personally although his right hand man wrote the "Blessed Perseverance of Kulan-Mylin" which documented his many struggles to convert the Raver people - and the many attempts on his life.

Once the plague was cured and the people saved, the three Adabhutay set about restructuring society. They set up many institutes of learning through their new temple, promising that enlightenment lay through wisdom and knowledge. They shared technology beyond the wildest dreams of the most daring Cholokah'zu; where once a journey would have taken a dozen days it now took a few hours by the might steel Alit and shorter still by the fantastical flying machines. Where once a Cholokah'zu farmer had ploughed using an Alit, he now ploughed using a Motorised Carriage. Truly, the prophets gifts were great and they grew greater and greater with each passing decade - to document the developments of those decades would be a herculean task in and of itself, both a miraculous leap into the future and a painful overhaul of society. Within a lifetime, the world was so much changed from what it once was that it was difficult for some to even comprehend.

Most remarkable of all for the Cholokah'zu, the Hrahakan took them beyond the sky and into the cosmos that they had formerly considered heaven. They showed them that the stars in the sky they had once thought holes into the spirit world were in fact distant suns with planets of their own - and some, the Hrahakan promised, bore life of their own. The Hrahakan told them tales of the ancients who had come before, who had mastered the universe and their destiny and eventually ascended into state that can only be described as godhood. What happened to them after that, the Hrahakan could not divine, only that something had tried to ruin all that they had created. Yet together, the Hrahakan assured them, they would spread across the galaxy and reach the same enlightenment, remaking worlds as their saw fit and seeding life where there was death. The Hrahaken were holy seers, guides to find the path lit by the beacons of the ancients.

The Cholokah'zu were captivated and pledged themselves whole heartedly to the cause, following their holy seers into the stars...

The Cholokah'Zu are a grey skinned race of four legged aliens hailing from the world of Hahis. Their two arms evolved out of a third pair of legs and combined allow them greater stability while climbing along walls and ceilings. The ends of their limbs are covered in countless hairs which are both small and flexible so that they can make contact with as much of the surface as needed, 'sticking' them to it while allowing the Cholokah'zu to loosen its grip with minimal effort. For this to work, of course, they need to be relatively light; Whereas a healthy human male might come in at around 160 pounds, the average Cholokah'zu weighs only 100 pounds, making the Cholokah'zu weaker in terms of pure strength. They make up for this in speed and agility, however, with most able to move at speeds of up to 65 Mph and jump around eight meters. Their short claws are connected to poison glands in their hands and secrete paralytic venom when threatened, making them dangerous to exposed foes in spite of their physical weakness
This speed and versatility over terrain make a trained Cholokah'zu soldier a stealthy, swift and agile foe who is especially adept at ambushing and mobile warfare.
As a notable aside, their natural set up is less energy efficient over long distances than the bipedal human set up; they were primarily a sedentary and territorial species, sticking to hunting and gathering within a small distance of their den where they would store any uneaten prey for later consumption, avoiding unnecessary travel. As such few of their societies were ever nomadic and those which were often failed in the long term. Interestingly, Cholokah'zu are facultative hibernators and can induce the state at will. They do not 'dream' in this state, there is no sleep or REM sleep, but rather are semiconscious and perceive the world around them as if through a strange filter - Likely to allow them to wake up at the approach of a dangerous animal. Regardless, this has allowed some Cholokah'zu, particularly those of the Raver continent, to attach a spiritual meaning to their torpor and thus some Cholokah'zu use this as a meditative state during religious festivals and sermons or simply to 'commune with the spirits.'
Today this is a relatively unimportant distinction so long as the supply lines hold but historically it caused a lot of grief for empire builders, making the logistical problems with feeding an army over a long distance that much worse.
They have human level intelligence and reproduce sexually. They do not give live birth, however, and display lower levels of sexual dimorphism. A month after an egg clutch (typically two to four eggs) is fertilised inside the mother, she will lay them. These eggs will then take two months to gestate before hatching into a Cholokah'zu hatchling. It is not uncommon for one or more eggs from a clutch to fail to hatch. The growth from child to adult takes only ten years, and the average life expectancy is 73 years. Cholokah'zu who are bonded with Hrahakan have greatly increased lifespans; while young Hrahalen will extend it by a century, elder Hrahakan seem capable of keeping their hosts alive seemingly indefinitely.

A blueish worm like being, no more than a few centimetres in length. This unimpressive looking slug is in fact the foundation of the faith that holds together the Zorrozakiris. It is unknown how old the Hrahakan are; given their extraordinary traits, it seems that they are not a product of natural evolution. Whether were some biological or magical experiment that broke loose long ago or truly are holy seers placed in the universe to divine true spirituality, their gifts have carved them quite the niche.

The methods of the Hrahakan are far less overt than those of the Qit Swarms. They do not create new species, rather they form a symbiosis with those which exist. Although they are certainly able to make small changes to the genetic structure of the host, they cannot simply copy it or create new lines of code. True to their nature, they require hosts to shine and survive. Without hosts or some form of synthetic processor, they would exist merely as an annoying, barely sapient worm that doesn't appear in anyway dangerous at a glance, save from being slimey and disgusting.

But with hosts the true genius of their biology begins to shine. While it is out of a host it may exist as little more than an animal, once it obtains one it quickly proves that it is very intelligent; much of its knowledge and memories are stored almost like a compressed computer file and are thus inaccessible. The worm has all the information but lacks a substantial processor for it. Once the Hrahakan takes a host, however, it has access to the hosts mental faculties and uses them to great effect. Naturally, the symbiote thus values sapient hosts. Depending on the circumstances the Hrahakan finds itself in, its behaviour here varies dramatically.
Hrahakan can act without the victim even realising that the creature is present; due to their control over the hosts nervous system and brain, they are able to manipulate their hosts into thinking that an idea of the Hrahakan is the idea of the host. Naturally, this action has to be something that the host considers logically sound or at the least consistent with their usual behaviour or the dissonance may tip off the host.

The Hrahakan are symbiotic rather than parasitic; a Hrahakan can greatly increase the regenerative and immune capabilities of its host, mitigating otherwise serious wounds and greatly increasing the creatures lifespan span. Additionally, Hrahakan who have had several hosts can transfer knowledge to their new host. Even on occasions where the Hrahakan has not revealed itself, it may benefit the host by reminding them of important information and boosting their other mental faculties. The Hrahakan on these occasions will subtly aid hosts in rising to positions of wealth and security within a society, thus increasing the hosts available supplies and subsequently the food intake of the Hrahakan (as well as ensuring the host will not need to visit a doctor, risking discovery of the symbiote.)

Since it inherits the faculties and body of the host, it typically inherits their memories and abilities and often uses them to great affect to mask its presence and defend itself and its host.

Perhaps their greatest strength is their ability to adapt biologically on the fly; their supercells can be repurposed into almost anything and now redundant systems and cells ejected or reabsorbed. This is particularly important in adapting to a new host, often the specimen inside the host has threaded an entire array of new 'features', abandoning them when the host dies and reverting to its original worm form. As such, bonded Hrahakan symbiotes have effectively supplanted biochemical or genetic augmentation for the Zorrozakiris; a bonded Hrahakan symbiote can not only generate new organs to benefit the host, but can also adapt said augmentations to new encounters, environmental hazards etc (provided whatever it is doesn't kill them before they are able to do so). Some changes or repairs may require or cause the host to lose conciousness or even in extreme cases receive medical assistance/life support during the process. Whether this is a natural or magical ability is not entirely understood, and the symbiotes themselves do not appear to know. Further evidence of a magical nature to it can be found in later magical abilities; once the bond between Hrahakan and host is sufficiently deep and well developed, and especially in the case of the Adabhutay, magic begins to manifest itself (or if it was already present, begins to become enhanced). Simple at first, it becomes somewhat more complex and obvious over time. The order and rate in which they acquire these abilities vary to some degree between the individual Hrahakan-host bonds. Most common early seems to be for the pair to become empaths capable of reading the feelings and intentions of those around them; this can be a great boom to them, allowing them to be extremely charismatic, convincing and reassuring which goes some way to explaining the success and spread of their religion. Usually this is followed by telepathy and psionics, with eventual telekinesis. The Adabhutay do appear to have some limited ability to imbue objects with magical power. Pairs are capable of learning more than these 'natural' magics and the older Hrahakan claim to have memories of their own forefathers using more complex spells, but it appears that for the Hrahakan, that knowledge is currently lost and must be rediscovered or acquired from other beings in the galaxy.

Due to their seemingly magical abilities, vast wealth of knowledge and cunning, the majority of Hrahakan now exist within the Zorrozakiris, where they form the centre piece of the Adakoras. Younger Hrahakan are bonded with young Cholokah'zu faithful as a 'blessing' and grow in status with them. This arrangement has proven extremely beneficial for the species; rather than having their reproduction and spread checked by a constant need for secrecy, the Hrahakan in Zorrozakiris have a steady rate of population growth and are prospering.
Hrahakan are biologically immortal, but take a long time to fully 'mature' and unlock their full potential. Their development is split into stages:

Juvenile: Typically, progression from Juvenile to adolescent takes 20-40 years. Juvenile Hrahakan are incapable of exerting any direct control over their host, and ate sometimes incapable of even making conscious communication; in such cases communication between a host and their symbiote must be done on a subconscious level, during sleep, hibernation or meditation. Hosts and encouraged to do this to bond with the symbiote; frequent communication and bonding accelerates the process throughout all known Hrahakan stages. Although they boost their hosts immune systems and regenerative capabilities, they are incapable of reducing genetic degradation from cell division and as such do not enhance their hosts lifespan beyond a few years unless the Hrahakan matures.

Adolescent: For most, progress from adolescent to adult takes a further 80-120 years. Adolescents have matured to the point of gaining control over their abilities; host lifespans begin to increase dramatically as cell division is improved, regeneration of injuries is boosted, as is cognitive function. The adolescent begins to develop more advanced organs and thread its tissues throughout more of the hosts body. Communication between host and symbiote becomes easy and natural, and both are encouraged to embrace this rather than to block it.

Adult: From here, progression to elder can take hold at any point past a further 200 years. Adults have gained a large degree of control over their abilities, changing their biology as required and regenerating even grievous wounds. It is within the adult stage that Hrahakan become capable of making their hosts biologically immortal.

Elder: Elders have, at least, lived for 300 years and typically have lived for far longer. They are the apex of Hrahakan development.

The extent to which these stages are due to physical development is unclear; physically, there appears to be little difference between the stages of Hrahakan past juvenile incubation, yet the differences in their capabilities are observable. This suggests that it might be to do with experience and knowledge. The Hrahakan themselves describe the journey in metaphysical or spiritual terms as if it were a journey to enlightenment, again suggesting that to some degree their capabilities are magical in nature. The only stage transition that appears to be a primarily physical process is juvenile to adolescent, where the symbiote grows substantially larger and develops its supercells to the point where it can begin creation of specialised cells. Even then, the affect of communication on the process suggests it is to some extent not a experience or spiritually based. Likewise, transfer to a new host and thus the requirement to bond again slows the process, or in the case of elders can even reduce them back to their adult stage. Clearly, this bond is intensely important to the capabilities of the Hrahakan symbiote. Indeed, Hrahakan which serve as pilots or conduits for machines and computers rarely do so for long; even though the synthetic and computer processes built into these specialised machines allow them to think and act as sapient individuals, the lack of a bond is ultimately to their detriment and can even cause regression from adulthood to adolescence if they are subjected to this for decades.

The Vaegakosh are an amphibian species hailing from the planet of Vaega. Discovered in a very primitive state with little language or culture, the Vaegakosh were brought into the fold of the Adakoras and 'uplifted'.
They are small in stature, weight and strength, but are naturally sneaky and lightweight. They have also surprisingly proven to be adept mechanics and mathematicians and are over represented within the Order of the Book engineers. Their small stature, agility and their penchant for mathematics have found some of them employment as snipers for the Order of War, and their vast numbers and penchant to zeal have also led to many acting as general infantry for the Order of War, PDF or Clan militaries.
They have powerful legs that are excellent for leaping and swimming. Although they can walk and stand bipedally and do so frequently when working, they prefer to walk on all fours when their hands are not occupied. They have bulbous eyes and a mouth of 20 fierce fangs. Their skin varies widely in colouration, with greens, blacks and reds being the most common.
The Vaegakosh lay between 200 and 400 eggs at a time within various pools of water, such as ponds, lakes and rivers. These then develop into tadpoles which slowly grow and undergo metamorphosis into small juvenile Vaegakosh. Vaegakosh do not care for their young and many of these juveniles will die to attrition or even fight and kill each other over food in their struggle for survival. Should they survive their short but volatile youth, however, they live for roughly 47 years; they undergo metamorphosis over two years from their birth, emerging from the water as small juvenile Vaegakosh. After a further year of growth they enter adolescence, where their physical development accelerates until it is completed a year later. However while their physical development takes only four years, their brain and mental development cycle is far longer with it taking them 12 years to reach adulthood emotionally and mentally.
Their progress is checked somewhat by their male/female ratio of 3:1, with many males never reproducing during their lifetime. Still, Vaegakosh are explosive breeders and the Cuwar J Zakis Orvasut (Ministry of People/Population Planning) monitors population growth carefully in order to avoid overpopulation - and in the hopes of being able to invoke it deliberately should the Zorrozakiris ever enter a state of total war; given that they are physically developed within only four years, the Cuwar J Zakis Orvasut reasons that in times of desperation, the Vaegakosh young could make suitable expendable infantry.
With their shorter lifespans than most other beings in the galaxy, the promise of life extension and potentially biological immortality is a great gift. Coupled with their impressionable mental state for years past physical maturity when they are technically allowed to sign on with the temple, the Vaegakosh are typically devout followers of the Adakoras and due to this and their quick population growth, they are the only species other than the Cholokah'zu to be heavily represented in the Temple military.

The Kacin are an avian species that come from the planet of Aadakania. They were first encountered when an Order of the Book science ship crash landed on Aadakania while on a survey mission due to mechanical complications. The Kacin, fearful of the strange insectoid beings from the sky, proved hostile and attempted to kill the science team. While one was wounded the science team were able to seal themselves within their ship where they were trapped for 33 hours as the Kacin attempted to destroy and later bury the ship. The Order of War starship that responded to the distress call was able to easily subdue this, and diplomatic contact was later established, although relations were already tainted and it took many years for trust to be built.
The Kacin give live birth and are are the slowest of the species in the Zorrozakiris to reproduce, not counting the Hrahakan. Their young also take 16 years to mature, a significantly longer time than their Vaegakosh and Cholokah'zu associates.
The Kacin are the least zealous and devoted to the Adakoras of all the species in the Zorrozakiris, and their decision to join the Zorrozakiris was more pragmatic than faith based. While undoubtedly the Adakoras has made inroads into the lives of the Kacin and won converts, it is noticeable that temple donations, military service and vows are lower from the Kacin than from the other species. It is noticeable enough that the perception of Kacin as greedy and cynical has made its way into the public conciousness as a stereotype (which is perhaps in itself partly responsible for the affect); in the long running comedy series Orhnakis ('Guards') that follows a city watch department, the recurring Kacin character of Aiyan is a selfish straw atheist who goes so far as to sell the alleged fingerbones of a dead saint in order to buy himself a new holovision.
Their more cynical nature as well as their lower reproductive rate means that their rate of adoption into clans other than originally Kacin clans such as Great Clan Lymier is low.
They are not discontent with their position in the Zorrozakiris, however; most Kacin now share the faith of the Adakoras even if they are not particularly orthodox, and from a more pragmatic perspective the Temple Military has proven able defenders and the technological progress that they gain as part of their union with the Zorrozakiris has allowed Kacin trade and business to flourish amongst the stars.

Although there are innumerable clans and houses in this space age, the Great Clans are the truly influential ones. Most clans tend to rally around alliances with each other and at the head of these alliances are the Great Clans. None of the Great Clans save for Yeherradad discriminate on species or racial grounds, although some minor clans only accept specific species.
Lymier: Occasionally known to the galactic community at large as the Banking Clan, Lymier is the clan outsiders will likely have the most knowledge off. Lymier has grown fat off of trade and commerce, controlling important hyperspace routes through Zorrozakiris space and conducting mining operations and trading throughout the galaxy. With this wealth, it established itself as a major international bank where possible. They are originally Kacin in origin and, unsurprisingly, tend to be more cynical than the other clans and, although still religious, sometimes openly disregard the temples wishes in favour of profit. Lymier often acts as a major cultural, economic and technological conduit both in and out of the Zorrozakiris. Its species composition is a shockingly high 80% Kacin, 11% Vaegakosh, 6% Cholokah'zu and an above average 3% 'other' species; these others are often individuals from foreign species who became employed in Lymier business ventures, ended up working within Zorrozakiris space and eventually grew close enough to a major figure to petition for adoption.
Lrumah: One of the two major militaristic clans of the Zorrozakiris, Lrumah maintains a well equipped and well trained army and navy. The Lrumah has a quota for military recruits each year and on the rare occasion this is not met, they will conscript young able bodied Cholokah'zu and Vaegakosh into service. Although the Temple officially frowns upon mercenary work, Lrumah openly leases army and naval forces to other nations on mercenary contracts. This flaunting of the Temples wishes is a strange anomaly in the Lrumah's extreme devotion to the Temple. The clans composition is 52.8% Cholokah'zu, 42.2% Vaegakosh, 4.7% Kacin and a mere 0.3% 'other' species.
Deele: The second of the major militaristic clans of the Zorrozakiris, Deele emphasises defence to a greater degree than Lrumah. Deele builds multiple surface-to-space weapons around its forts and palaces and launches many defensive orbital platforms- and yet Deele is often entangled in arguments over authority and jurisdiction with frustrated planetary defence force officers, who are supposed to be consulted before changes to the defence grid are made. The clans composition is 49% Cholokah'zu, 38% Vaegakosh, 12% Kacin and 1% 'other'.
Grunda: The least of the great clans, the originally Vaegakosh clan of Grunda is a recent addition to the Great Clans having supplanted Clan Veton 31 years ago. Grunda controls some of the most fertile farmlands and rural worlds in Zorrozakiris space and as such is a very important and influential clan. Although it is sometimes not afforded the respect it deserves from older great clans such as Lrumah, even they now begrudgingly admit its importance. It is not a militarily powerful clan itself, but Grunda maintains close ties to the Temple and as such its major planets have an Order of War Battleship permanently stationed above the. The clans composition is a 64% Vaegakosh, 21% Cholokah'zu, 14.2% Kacin and 0.8% 'other'.
Yeherradad: Yeherradad is unique among the Great Clans in being the only one descended from the Raver clans, specifically claiming lineage from the great Zozumiralpachar Yeherradad. They were among the first clans to fuse the traditional ancestor worship with the doctrines of the Adakoras J Kru Syfhendaris and popularised the trend. Although the Adakoras J Kru Syfhendaris continues to try and convert the Raver fully to their doctrine, the current stability on the continent is well appreciated by all parties. Yeherradad is thus the Great Clan least affiliated with the temple and the Adabhutay in these territories find themselves constantly busy attempting to spread their philosophies with little more than lip service from Yeherradad clansmen. Yeherradad also only accept Cholokah'zu with some Raver ancestry, despite pressure from the temple and the other clans to become less insular.

"Glory and honour guide our ascension."

The City Watch: The City Watch is the secular police force of the Zorrozakiris that maintain order in the Zorrozakiris. They are typically armed with electroshock batons and stunguns but may be issued ballistic weapons or laser pistols in times of conflict or civil strife. Senior City Watch Officers are equipped with Energy Gauntlets. The Watch is funded by the Zakir Hurota to uphold Clan law throughout the lands, and also uphold Temple law. Unlike the Order of the Watch, unbelievers are accepted into the city watch.

Planetary Defence Force: The closest the Zakir Hurota has to a proper military force, the Planetary Defence Force are ready to launch into action should the planet be threatened. While not of first rate, particularly when compared to the Order of War or to the retainers of more martial clans, the PDF have standardised training and equipment that make them a staunch enemy. They typically have a strong armoured division and run the planetary defence grids, orbital fortifications and surface-to-space weaponry and thus on larger and more developed worlds the PDF can inflict significant casualties on invaders. Born from the need of the Zakir Hurota for an impartial military arm, the PDF were one of the few things the Zakir Hurota has ever managed to agree unanimously on. In the decades since, the PDF has been transformed from the defensive garrison of the planetary defence weapons and orbital platform into a full blown military force, operating some warships and participating in boarding actions of enemy or suspect vessels.

Clan Armies and Guards; Each Clan maintains its own fighting force that varies in quality and commitment; Some of the Great Clan armies like that of Lrumah are as well equipped and trained as the Order of War while others, such as those of the Gkiz clan, only have a ceremonial household guard. Likewise, recruitment policies vary with more religiously devout clams only accepting believers and the quality of recruits varying wildly. While the PDF is the official force of the Zakir Hurota and the Order of War is the most illustrious of the Zorrozakiris armed forces, clan retainers are still a common sight on the battlefield. Clan guardsmen may or may not be sworn to uphold Temple Law.

Order of War

"Their hands."
The Order of War is by far the largest of the branches of the Temples Military, encompassing both the army and the navy. It's soldiers are extremely zealous, with many willing to fight for the death even if the orders seem senseless. Many members of the Order of War are bonded with Hrahakan, allowing them to recover from grievous injuries and remain combat ready long after they should have passed on. Highly trained, well equipped and undyingly loyal, the Order of War is the true military force of the Zorrozakiris and a terrible foe on the battlefield.









There are a number of smaller special orders and chapters as well, but these are not important enough militarily to be described in detail here

It was the year 525 of the Fifth Era of the Hahis Calendar when the first UFO crash landed in Darrasan, a small town in the country of Yundun. By this point, the Cholokah'zu had just begun to explore steam power and were amazed - and slightly scared- by this strange alien contraption from the heavens.
By the next morning, the King, Yagijuv and his councillors had arrived to investigate this discovery. Ignoring his councillors advice for caution and in an action most unbecoming of the usually cautious Cholokah'zu, he ordered it opened up to which the towns people semi-reluctantly obeyed. Inside there were nothing but skeletons and dust, the space shuttle was truly nothing more than a life-pod that had been adrift for decades at least.
In opening it up, they had inadvertently released a plague on their people. This alien bug ravaged across Hahis and spread to Mistay and Aldgurgan before eventually being transmitted to Raver. Countless died and many villages were wiped out in their entirety.

It is little wonder that the Cholokah'zu considered it divine intervention when, just a year later when a meteorite that had landed in the Aldgurgan nation of Sothis contained strange alien life. At first, the jaded Sothis attempted to eradicated this new life form but a local priest, Jubin, allowed one of these alien symbiotes to merge with him. The Hrahakan that merged with Jubin took the name Arnos and the combined being dubbed itself Jubin-Arnos, who would eventually become the first Adabhutay of the Adakoras J Kru Syfhendaris.

Jubin-Arnos brought knowledge from an alien civilisation that, to the Cholokah'zu, seemed like magic (and some of it, perhaps, was). He instructed the people on sanitation and medicine, healing the sick and bringing comfort to the dying. Before long he had accrued a large following of men who believed him to be a divine saviour.

The Sothis Koras, who followed the pantheon that would later become the pantheon of the Johan, demanded that the king have Jubin-Arnos killed as a heretic- the king was intrigued by this holy man however and had him brought before him first. In the throne room of King Lakun, Jubin-Arnos offered to prove his 'divinity' by allowing the priest to stab him through the stomach, telling the King to leave his body alone in the dungeon afterwards. The Priest eagerly accepted and ran Jubin-Arnos through with his blade thrice before dumping the 'dead' man into the dungeon, thinking little more in the matter that evening.

That night, the jailor came to the kings chambers with a face as white as death itself. In a trembling voice, he declared the impossible; Jubin-Arnos had risen from the dead and was requesting an audience. The King took this as proof of the mans divinity for how else could one so mortally wounded and yet risen once more?

The Koras were not so easily swayed and declared Jubin-Arnos a foul sorcerer while branding the King a heretic. This schism erupted into a brief but violent civil war followed. Jubin-Arnos granted his knowledge to the kings knights, arming them with exotic weapons that the men at arms swore harnessed the winds of death themselves.

Jubin-Arnos arose the new living God at the centre of a new religion. He brought his three most dedicated followers to the meteorite he had rode in on and granted them the gift of 'enlightenment.' They joined with the eldest and most knowledgeable of the symbiotes and became another three divine prophets. The four spread out to the infected continents of the world, dedicated to curing the plague on each and winning the adoration of the people. Their tales are documented in separate scriptures; The 42 Parables of Jubin-Arnos, the 21 Sermons of Hayun-Ornis and the Homilies of Nhuzak-Tyun. Kulan-Mylin, who went to Raver, wrote no books personally although his right hand man wrote the "Blessed Perseverance of Kulan-Mylin" which documented his many struggles to convert the Raver people - and the many attempts on his life.

Once the plague was cured and the people saved, the three Adabhutay set about restructuring society. They set up many institutes of learning through their new temple, promising that enlightenment lay through wisdom and knowledge. They shared technology beyond the wildest dreams of the most daring Cholokah'zu; where once a journey would have taken a dozen days it now took a few hours by the might steel Alit and shorter still by the fantastical flying machines. Where once a Cholokah'zu farmer had ploughed using an Alit, he now ploughed using a Motorised Carriage. Truly, the prophets gifts were great and they grew greater and greater with each passing decade - to document the developments of those decades would be a herculean task in and of itself, both a miraculous leap into the future and a painful overhaul of society. Within a lifetime, the world was so much changed from what it once was that it was difficult for some to even comprehend.

Most remarkable of all for the Cholokah'zu, the Hrahakan took them beyond the sky and into the cosmos that they had formerly considered heaven. They showed them that the stars in the sky they had once thought holes into the spirit world were in fact distant suns with planets of their own - and some, the Hrahakan promised, bore life of their own. The Hrahakan told them tales of the ancients who had come before, who had mastered the universe and their destiny and eventually ascended into state that can only be described as godhood. What happened to them after that, the Hrahakan could not divine, only that something had tried to ruin all that they had created. Yet together, the Hrahakan assured them, they would spread across the galaxy and reach the same enlightenment, remaking worlds as their saw fit and seeding life where there was death. The Hrahakan were holy seers, guides to find the path lit by the beacons of the ancients.

The Cholokah'zu were captivated and pledged themselves whole heartedly to the cause, following their holy seers into the stars.

In the centuries since the Hrahakan first crashed among the Cholokah'zu, the Zorrozakiris has expanded to include new species; the Vaegakosh and Kacin were both uplifted and brought into the fold of the Temple, whose influence seems to be all pervasive. They continue to spread across the stars, seeing themselves as the torches that light the holy path. The speed of this progress has left the Zorrozakiris confident that they are on the right path and has exceeded the expectations of the Hrahakan themselves. The Temple officially maintains nonhostile and friendly first contact protocols with new species, although some clans are more suspicious and untrusting. Some precursor relics have been recovered and reverse engineered which has given them the artificial gravity and gravitational lifts that they use for their ships among other technological advancements, the most significant of which being the gate system that they are currently working on. A third gate was recently completed, and is being moved into position for testing...