Planet Name and Description:

Acerbus: a tidally-locked planet only slightly smaller than Earth, orbiting a k-type main sequence star (an "orange dwarf" named Algus, as a nod to its cooler temperatures compared to Sol) in a solar system populated primarily by gas giants and two asteroid belts. It is the only terrestrial planet in the system, though it has two large but uninhabitable moons. It was originally described to colonists as an "Earth analog," a planet which seemed to have similar traits to humanity's homeworld. It has a similar and breathable atmosphere, cool temperatures and a gravity resting at 0.82Gs. Like Earth, it is primarily ocean which, like Earth, is water. It's a little blue marble, filled with life. There are no continents on Acerbus, but instead many mountainous and volcanic islands. The Acerbian year is almost exactly the same length as the Earth year.

To the grievance of the colonists, the planet is more metal-poor than originally projected, with the asteroid belts being a more reliable source for useful metals in the system. Both its moons also contain more metal than Acerbus, though neither is as useful as the belts. A popular Acerbian poet described Acerbus as "The Beggar of Algus," and The Beggar has become a bitter nickname for Acerbus used by miners and rich men alike.

Being a tidally-locked planet, the world does not turn, meaning there is no day or night cycle. One half of the planet is always facing the sun and the other is always turned away from it, so there is perpetual 'day' on one side and perpetual 'night' on the other, with only a small band locked in constant twilight. As temperatures are high in the daylight, and the 'night' side is dark and frozen, the islands of that Twilight Band were marked out for colonization.

Unfortunately, as the colonists discovered, Acerbus is not the perfect mirror of their homeworld they felt they had been promised. Early expeditions discovered that the pollen released by local flora year-round triggers severe reactions in all humans, causing rash, severe irritation and discomfort and, over time, potentially fatal breathing issues. Further study uncovered that Acerbus soil struggles to grow Earth crops, and that while the local life is technically digestible, it has an bitter, unpleasant taste and causes prolonged stomach trouble. (Many Acerbians today believe this was the source of the planet's name, though it was actually named after the "harsh" acid rain caused by frequent volcanic eruptions.)

The local life can be challenging to categorize in part because much of what would appear to be flora or plant-life on Acerbus is, very unlike the plants of Earth, capable of locomotion. Some of it is also semi-aquatic, meaning that during a severe storm, one might watch a forest rise up out of the ocean and walk itself under an overhanging beachside cliff for shelter, completely remaking the local landscape. The Twilight Band which remains the primary area of human habitation suffers from such rains and storms frequently, and unpredictably.

It was not long after the colonists arrived on this shifting and difficult world that they realized they were not the only intelligence present.



Demographics:

By Subspecies:
Vulgaris / Homo Acerbus: 56%
Marinus / Homo Marinus: 33%
Umbratilis / Homo Umbratilis: 11%

By Location:
Twilight Islanders: 89%
Nightside Islanders: 10%
Nightside Nomads: 1%
In Space (miners, naval): <1%



The above description is the basic genetic modification of every human who lives on Acerbus. Acebians for whom these are the only modifications they have are called Vulgaris, meaning "common." There are two subsets of Acerbians who have more intense modifications in addition to these basic ones, and they are briefly overviewed below.





History:







Culture and Society:

For the last one hundred years, the "Sacrosanct Century," Acerbian culture has become dominated by their faith in their unique mythology. Below are the basics:



So the Acerbians remain a peculiar people, difficult to classify by the boundaries of Old Earth. Their mythology incorporates elements from disunified Earthly cultures, and even outside of their faith, strenuous genetic modification has made them unidentified with any one ethnicity. They've accidentally become something a bit unique.

Although their islands are covered with high-reaching stone cities and therefore highly urbanized, community is alive and well and is one of the most vital things to understand about the Acerbian lifestyle. Communal music, oral storytelling and spoken poetry are immensely popular despite computerized entertainment, especially when accompanied by the mind-altering substances which can be obtained legally from low-ranking revelators. It's arguably one of the only benefits to come out of the warlord era: when food was scarce, people survived by banding into close-knit communes that existed within the chaos of a city. Most Acerbians still eat dinner and spend time each night in a large group of 5-10 families (called a circulus) which comprises the core of their social life. Most residential buildings in Acerbian cities are built with the circulus in mind.

At home with their circulus they dress comfortably, but abroad in the stony streets Acerbians have a very formal style. Early on in their history, Acerbians had to wear clothes to cover their entire body for protection from the pollen. Even now the pollen is still a discomfort. Robes and other flowing, covering clothes are normal on Acerbus, and many people both men and women wear veils over their faces. This is only partly religious and largely practical: a veil helps with the frustrating pollen and the difficult-to-predict rain immensely, as the material is most often water-repellant. Gloves of a similar material are also popular in a world where every surface tends to be damp.

Acerbians speak a unique language: Novum Vulgaris ("New Common"), a blending of something like Ecclesiastical Latin with heavy Italian and English influences. It's creation has to do with a half-successful attempt from the Forecaster to institute a resurrected Latin as the official language of Acerbus, and with the simple fact that many of the early colonists spoke Italian or English.

One thing Acerbians hold to which will feel more familiar to traditional human cultures is a strong sense of personal honor. This was formed in the combative warlord centuries and then made concrete by Revelationism and its rules, and is enforced by the social pressure of a circulus. Roughly seventy years ago, a retired executor and military veteran named Ex. Davide Taylo wrote "The Code of Bitter Honor," a collection of proverbs and maxims that incapsulated the spirit of Acerbian honor. Its strictures have rapidly become a part of the backbone of proper behavior, and every young Acerbian who takes their reputation seriously memorizes it. Lethal duels are fought over breaches of it.

The quintessential Acerbian is indeed passionate and mercurial enough to end a life in a duel, but surprisingly rigid in his outwards behaviors. He is quick to befriend or curse, stormy, prone to both ecstatic visions and lifelong feuds, but loyal to his fellows and his beliefs and his island even at great harm to himself. His sense of right and wrong is defined by the expectations of those around him. One poet called Acerbians "Fires in a brick cage."

Governance and Politics:

Acerbians have endured the chaos of many changing-of-hands in terms of their governance, with the one common thread being that the regular citizen has never had any say in it. That is not likely to change soon. But as things stand, the balance of power is slightly odd.

The Revelationist priesthood, the revelators, runs things on the national level. In the official sense, Acerbus is a theocracy led by the Temple Gathering, a senate-like legislative body comprised of high-ranking revelators. The Temple Gathering is headed up by the Sacrosanct Orator, a single revelator elected by his or her peers for a lifetime- the Acerbian equivalent to a pope and a president. The office of the Sacrosanct Orator has been gaining power for decades now and is starting to exert more and more control over the Temple Gathering as a whole.

Where the cracks start to show is on the local level. While the priests lead the nation on paper, the majority of the individual islands are not led by a high revelator but rather by an executor, an Acerbian term for a kind of governor. While executors must remain loyal to the priesthood, this is technically a secular office, descendent from the warlords of old.

Because executors are given surprisingly vast powers over their own islands, the politics and laws of each individual Acerbian island vary greatly depending on which executor is in charge. A lucky few are almost democratic; several more are still militant and dictatorial, though the priesthood has shown itself able to step in if it becomes too problematic. Many are simply quiet aristocracies, with a ruling family that passes along the executor title through the generations and keeps their people loyal with bread and circuses. There is no single rule of thumb for the politics of each island.

Executors can and do still fight one another, just as their warlord ancestors did. Though with the Temple Gathering overwatching the world now, the priesthood is able to enforce enough civility as to keep these conflicts down to the level of skirmishes rather than wars, many of which are now over social issues as much as over resources- family feuds, religious dominations and the like. In this way the priesthood convincingly claims to be a force for good on Acerbus. The time of wars and horrors is over, they can proudly say.

It's half true. While conflict on the ground is rarer and softer than it has been since the fall of the Forecaster, it has begun for the first time in outer space. The warlords fought so much over metal because they did not have the ability to reach the asteroid belt. In the stronger economy and reclaimed technology of modern Acerbus, the executors and the revelators are able to reach it, and there they are always having space naval skirmishes with one another over territories and mining zones. But these tiny wars up in the stars are seen almost as a game, happening far above the heads of the people whose names they are waged in, and the normal populace is barely aware of them.

Technology Overview:

Acerbus has had a lopsided, starting-and-stopping approach to technological advancement through its history. Early, when research was mostly under the dictation of the Forecaster, the emphasis was on genetic tampering, on cloning, and on ecological studies of their strange planet, all in an attempt to bring humanity and Acerbus into some kind of coexistence. Strides have continued to be made in these fields although the time of the warlords and the pressures of that period, when schools were converted into military academies and research centers into fortresses, temporarily put a stop to it. In the modern day, Acerbus has enjoyed a boom in the field of neurology. Some modest advancements have also been made in naval warfare, especially as it pertains to AI, which will be explained in the military overview. Outside of these bright spots, however, Acerbians should be assumed to be struggling technologically. All its eggs are in very specific baskets.

A few stand-out examples of ETA's "bright spots" of technology are detailed below.

Re-education and Mental Mapping:

Acerbians have made great advancements in re-education and mental rehabilitation over the last century. They've particularly developed tools to 'read' the human mind, scanning a patient's brain and being able to analyze their behavioral patterns and choices, vision/dream activity, areas of trauma or overactivity, and so on.

It can be used to understand and treat conditions like PTSD or psychotic and mood disorders in ways that have never been possible before. It is in large parts thanks to this that the priesthood has been able to curb addiction under their rule while still allowing mind-altering substances as part of religious ritual.

But, recently, it is also used by the authorities- strict executors or tyrannical revelators- to understand and "treat" dissident thought, to forcefully cure rebellious forces or problematic individuals of their views. This is not like the clumsy attempts at re-education tried in the past. Re-education today is a sophisticated process of prescribed drugs, electroconvulsive therapy, psychotropic substances administered in the right doses, forced and manufactured religious experiences and, at last, the liberal application of suggestive ideas to a sufficiently broken mind.

A human being cannot be remade overnight. But with the right tools, a memory can be altered, a new idea can be implanted, an identity can be lifted or lowered: and with that, the remaking can begin. Its use is deeply controversial, especially as the revelators try to maintain their reputation as a force for good. But it has proven so useful for dealing with heretics and nonbelievers that it has yet to be outlawed. The words of a poet that had gone through such a process were simply:

"They swallowed my memories
but left alone my memories
of the swallowing"

Digitized Ancestors:

It began as failed attempts to transfer a human consciousness into another body, biological or mechanical. These trials were ordered in the days of Victor Barbieri, when the faith was still in its adolescence and the Victor had a desire to see his world progress (and, perhaps, to make himself live forever.) Though they never were able to make a complete transfer of a person's mind from one body to another, they found that they could get "little pieces" of them across, as one researcher phrased it. A few memories, their speech patterns, the most consistent traits of their personalities- described by an Acerbian poet as "a small and broken ghost."

This "ghost" was never enough to inhabit a body. But placed into a computer simulation, it could talk to you, almost how the person would have talked. Later in history, as the revelators took over, there was hot debate for decades about whether this, this shattered fragment, was the person's captured soul. It was decided that it is not. At least not all the way. But, by a sermon from the Sacrosanct Orator delivered to the Temple Gathering and a subsequent vote making it law, it is considered a small piece of their spirit.

In this way the Digitized Ancestors were introduced. They are scans of a deceased person's mind, kept preserved in databanks and called up again when one of their descendants needs to consult them for advice. A revelationist might still speak to his great-grandmother or, phrased in his own beliefs, a remnant of her spirit. The dead are not inaccessible.

Medical Advancements and Shedding:

This is a tame usage of cloning, and the same genetic modification which created the Acerbian subspecies. Aging has always been a terror to humans of any world. Revelationists do not believe that the physical body should last forever, but most denominations (the Umbratilis Nomads take exception, as do some who emphasize the Swallower) don't forbid extending its lifespan for some time. Shedding is the usage of cloned body parts- livers, joints, ears and eyes- to replace failing ones. For one instance, an Acerbian reaching old age will often have his doctor prescribe a new heart. New skin grafts are popular for hiding the appearance of aging, and certain mental illnesses or brain damage can also be treated by replacing the problematic section of a patient's brain.

Replacing failing organs won't extend a lifespan forever. However, one undeniably positive change the priesthood has implemented is to make healthcare free for all Acerbians regardless of their executor, and modern citizens who stay in good upkeep combined with genetic treatments are now projected to reach over two-hundred years of age.

Genetic Modification:

The technology used to genetically modify the early Acerbians is very old now, and has been improved upon only slightly. It was created by the GENIE corporation as a secondary way of securing safe passage aboard the colony ship, in case the Forecaster didn't live up to expectations. It is seen almost as magic by the Acerbians of today, but some experts exist who can still make the ancient gene labs function. The process is expensive and somewhat inefficient, requiring much time and funding, and its unlikely they will create anything more extreme or more efficient than what is shown in the Homo Umbratilis. Nonetheless it should be possible for the Acerbians to create new subspecies of themselves or others if the need arises, and if they are given time.

Military Overview:

Government Form:
Neo-Feudal Absolute Monarchy. All power is held by the Great Khagan himself, who delegates powers to various nobles such as the Khaantus of Itügen, military Boyans and Khan Kuus of other Hordes.

Population:
Around 1.2 billion souls swear fealty to the Great Khagan.

What Is Humanity?:
The cradle of sapience, but one cannot eternally live in a cradle.

Planet Name and Description:
The Tengri system and its primary settlement target of Itügen (or ‘the Steppe,’) was marked as a potentially habitable exoplanet by early colonial charters, although eventually found itself at the bottom of the list as better prospects surfaced. During Earth’s death throes it had been left unclaimed, allowing a rag-tag collection of planet-born refugees and space colonists from the inner asteroid belt to flee there, hoping to find a warm and welcoming planet perfectly inside the goldilocks zone of a main sequence yellow dwarf star...

What they found was anything but. Even the best of telescopes can be tricked by hundreds of lightyears, and when the fleet arrived what they actually found was a blasted, ravaged and desertified rock, barely capable of sustaining a little hardy life. The atmosphere was severely damaged, water was scarce and everywhere the colonists turned there was another issue, from heavy metals polluting natural reservoirs to areas of unusually incongruent radiation levels. Its wide, flat landscape makes it susceptible to terrible sandstorms, dust devils and droughts and worst of all, a disastrous weather cycle that has come to be called the Huiten Dzhut - Cold Death. The result is that permanent habitation can only occur in small oases of comparative life, forcing the majority of the Steppe's population into a nomadic lifestyle.

There was some succor for the colonists however, because while the Itügen was harsh and unforgiving, the system was rich in other ways. Tengri is rather crowded for a solar system, with a wide variety of terrestrial planets, three dense asteroid belts and a chain of gas giants at the outer reaches, all of which could theoretically be exploited and colonised to give humanity a fighting chance. The modern Khaganate has taken to this concept with gusto, and takes advantage of as much of the system’s bounty as they can, leading to human settlements springing up all but the very furthest reaches of Tengri’s gravity well.

One planet drew attention like no other: Erleg, named for Turko-Mongolic god of Death. It is most remarkable because it is shattered, the very core of the planet itself exposed to the void, and has already taken the first steps along an inexorable process that will eventually see the remnants ripped apart and scattered into one of Tengri’s asteroid fields. Such things do not happen naturally, and it was in the depths of Itügen, buried beneath sand and crushed beneath mountains that answers to the mysteries the system held began to emerge.

The planet is littered with archeotech, fragments of technology from an extremely advanced precursor civilisation that once lived in the system. Vaults of archeotech can still be found deep in Itügen’s strata, and their discovery and exploration is one of the primary drivers behind the continued exploration of the Steppe.

As of yet, no physical remnants of the precursor have been recovered, but each new Vault both answers old questions while bringing forth a dozen new ones, and those with the know-how and tools are able to dredge long-forgotten technology up and breathe fresh life into it.

Demographics:
The Khaganate would classify themselves as a wholly human nation, and could even put forth some very persuasive arguments as to why this is biologically, semantically or technically true… But if one was to stand the various groups that made the Khaganate next to one another in a line, it would be difficult to believe that they truly are all human.

While yes, they all share the same four-limbed bipedal body plan, and yes most are sexually compatible with one another and baseline humanity… Lanky, pale-skinned Dwellers cast polarised eyes out over the stars while shimmering, muscled Steppe-Riders use pheromones to communicate with their steeds. Imperial Soyulani gleam like living Gods, while thick-browed Zuraqchi workers sweat and toil in interplanetary forges. They may all think of themselves as ‘humans…’ But are they truly?

Centuries of genetic engineering built on a bedrock of recovered alien archeotechnology has seen massive overhauls to the building blocks of life itself in order to better adapt humanity for their new environment. Over time, the most successful of these adaptations have been templated, recreated and become genetically stable sub-species known as lineages, with the most impactful as follows:



History:








Culture and Society:
The Khaganate's society has a distinct divide between those who live in space - live they in nomadic, free-ranging space fleets (the hordes themselves,) or in permanent habitats on and off-world known as örtöös and those who live on the Steppe's surface. For obvious reasons, these are known as Hordepeople, who overwhelmingly consist of Dwellers, and Steppefolk who similarly overwhelmingly consist of Riders, respectively. Thanks to their different lifestyles, living conditions and even physiologies, overlap between the two are rare.

Most Hordepeople are born and will live their entire lives within the confines of an artificial habitat, maintaining their craft, harvesting asteroids, moons and other planetary bodies. Those who are permanently settled into örtöös form a chain of stations and planet bases that stretch out to the edge of the system- the Yam. The Yam forms the industrial backbone of the Khaganate, with foundries, factories, refineries and mines working constantly to provide the equipment required not just by the Hordes, but also to shuttle across to the Steppe, where it's exchanged with the cities and nomadic Steppefolk in compensation for the tribute and trade goods they provide.

Horde life is odd - simultaneously atomised and collectivist, high tech and primitive. A ship must be able to survive adrift for years if required, yet simultaneously remain deeply rooted into the Horde which it flies under. Medicinally valid herbs are dried and prepared into teas to cure the side effects of keyhole surgeries done by medical robots. Natural substances like wood and leather from Itügen are highly prized, while platinum and gold are reduced to excellent industrial materials, suitable to be made into common trinkets and jewellery.

Horde diets must be practical for the confines of zero-gravity above all else, with the most common form of food being nutrient dense ‘shakes’ using insect proteins and hydroponically grown food to ensure a Dweller has everything they need to be healthy. More sophisticated and varied meals are an opportunity for whole clans to come together, sharing stories and experiences, meeting old friends and squabbling with long-term rivals.

Perhaps the custom that those outside the Khaganate would take the most umbrage with is the use of humans themselves as a resource. In the hordes, human milk is often the only source of dairy, while terramation, better known as human composting, produces high-quality mulch that can provide vital fertiliser to a ship. Those especially respected will instead be cast out into Uzay’s embrace upon death, either into deep space to prevent them from coming into contact with any man-made object, or directly fired at planetary bodies, with the sun of Tengri itself being the final resting place for all of the empire’s late Khagans.

Individual ships are operated by small clans with tight social bonds to one another, and each ship must be able to maintain itself while providing space for viable economic activity. Stations and habitats offer a rare chance to spread one’s wings, meet, chat and exchange goods and stories with strangers, while ship-to-ship contact is also fairly common - if nothing else, providing a way for fresh blood and viable marriage partners to be injected into an otherwise closed system.

Common Horde memes place great emphasis on collective solidarity and sharing. All are united in the Khaganate’s wide embrace, and have their specific role in the pyramid topped by the Khagan. The simplest of these rituals is the exchange of air, a custom which quite intentionally allows diseases to spread across space and thus ensures the Khaganate’s population has a shared herd immunity. Of course more serious outbreaks of sickness may require a vessel to be isolated or even entirely destroyed in order to prevent the spread of truly dangerous cross-system pandemics, but such harsh measures are rare to see and certainly aren’t done for every new variant of the common cold.

As could be expected however, down on Itügen things are very different indeed; any place that can be permanently settled has been, and a series of complex city-states dot the planet’s surface. These cities and the nobility that rule them fall under the purview of the Khaan (or less commonly Khaatun) - the Khagan's formal representative and administrator, granted near-unlimited power to manage things as they see fit. Of particular importance on the Steppe is its capital of Aurag, whose equatorial placement made it perfect for the establishment of an archeotech-supported space elevator and has thus centered the city as the beating heart of the planet’s administration and military presence, while also being a vital connection for trade and commerce between the planet and the wider system.

The cities are also key productive areas, with vertical farms providing surplus food while their industrial quarters are home to manufacturing complexes independent of the Yam’s vast foundries. This makes them natural melting pots, where disparate peoples can come together for mutual benefit as well as ceremony and celebration. Those fortunate enough to live within the cities are the beating heart of complex society on Itügen, and are best-situated to survive the many trials the planet throws at its inhabitants.

For the nomadic Steppefolk outside these cities, life is extremely harsh. These communities must always be on the move, for being stationary out on the Steppe is to be dead, and so life is quite literally lived at a breakneck pace. Everything, from sleeping to cooking to giving birth is done while at motion, usually in mobile caravans that share striking visual similarities to gers. The most common method of locomotion comes in the form of khulgars, once simple horses and ponies, now elevated to a highly symbiotic partner-species. Khulgars are obligate omnivores, practically extremophiles, capable of moving at great speeds for long periods of time while also being much sturdier and less prone to injury than their forebears ever were. To be a Rider is to share an inimitable bond with the tribe’s khulgars, and the success of each species is directly tied to the other.

Mounted Riders, when detached from their wider communities can move as quickly as eighty kilometres a day and spread out across colossal areas, coordinating themselves via pheromones, radios, signalling flares and any other tool available to them. They scout out the vast distances of the steppe to guide their people to grazing areas or sources of water, and are relied upon to ensure their tribe has the best chance of survival. Their slower-moving but by no means slow villages are mounted on the back of a wide variety of vehicles that drive, crawl, skim fly or hover across the boundless wastes that smother the Steppe. In normal conditions, tribes can usually sustain themselves nutritionally by the herding of animals almost as heavily modified as the people that tend to them, alongside limited foraging, but complex machinery and advanced goods are impossible to manufacture among the tribes and instead must be exchanged for either in cities or with Hordepeople willing to directly descend to the planet’s surface in massive single-stage ‘barges’ that burn unimaginable quantities of highly pressurised methane to make it from orbit to surface.

This trade is a privilege, not a right, and a privilege that is used by the Khagans to maintain some vague approximation of control over the wide-ranging tribes. In order to be permitted to trade with the wider Khaganate, tribes must swear oaths to the stars and its ruler, with such oaths further enforced by regular tribute payments. The most common form of tribute is archeotechnology, but ultimately anything of value can be given as a sign of loyalty, ranging from skins and felt to the heads of oathbreakers and rebels.

Thus, while intra-tribal cooperation is a necessity, inter-tribal conflict is incredibly common. Loose confederacies may form and even persist for long periods, but ultimately each tribe can only truly trust and rely on itself in an endless Darwinian struggle for survival, for which the only reward is more of the same. The only potential respite a Steppefolk can have from this life is to move to one of the city states, or prove themselves strong enough in body and soul to be selected as aspirants worthy of being forged into one of the Khagan’s mighty War-Lords.

The worst of all the struggles on Itügen come when meteorological outposts and monitoring satellites send down their warning: The Huiten Dzhut is coming. Solar activity from Tengri causes the already fragile atmosphere of the Steppe to break down, sucking warm air up and into space. The air that descends from these pockets is freezing cold and saturated with water, causing it to condense into snow and hail to crash back down onto the planet’s surface.

Areas struck by the Dzhut are buried beneath snow and ice and are subject to temperatures anywhere from sixty to eighty degrees colder than they usually are. Even Itügen’s polar life can struggle in these times, while the life so carefully adapted to the usual heat and dryness perishes en-masse. Cities grind to a halt with only the most essential services still running, the Khagan’s subjects going to ground to weather the storm.

Out on the barren wilds of the Steppe however, there are no homes or city-wide infrastructure to turn to. Instead, as the signs of the Dzhut become clear to scouts and shamans, tribes race to make it to traditional overwintering grounds before they’re caught out in the freeze. These places are deeply rooted into the Steppefolk, their positions encoded into genetic memories and the navigational senses of their khulgars. When the storms finally arrive, disparate tribes, some of whom may have been warring mere days before, are once again bound by the same need to survive as their ancestors did back in the days of Cold and Hunger.

Thus, despite the harshness, these wintering grounds become the temporary homes of great gatherings of communities from across Itügen. Rivalries are reaffirmed, alliances and confederacies are brokered, tribe-members share and bicker over their customs, and for a time the all-encompassing cold manages to freeze even the Steppefolk’s violent ways.

When the solar disruption ends and the atmosphere re-stabilises, the planet has a chance to recover. Cold and ice melt in the rapidly warming environment, causing meltwater to soak into the parched ground, replenishing both surface reservoirs and the underground water table. Animals leave their burrows and dens, the hardiest flora blooms and spreads seeds and the city’s forges roar back to life while nomads pack up their winter camps. With the end of the extreme danger, the tribes go their separate ways across rejuvenated ground, to resume the cycle of conflict and struggle that has characterised them for so many centuries.

The last element to Khaganate society is their faith. In the over three hundred years since it coalesced into a fully-fledged religion, Uzayism has spread to every corner of the Khaganate, and thus is one of the largest unifying factors, transcending the petty differences of noble and pauper or Rider and Dweller:





Governance and Politics:
While all in Tengri are under the direct control of the Khagan in name, the sheer size of the realm requires local administration, particularly in the case of the larger Hordes. This has resulted in a neo-feudal clan emerging both in space and on the surface of Itügen, although traditionally Hordepeople are considered to operate in clans while Steppefolk communities are named tribes. Hordes and areas of the Yam fall under the administration of various Khans (equivalent to kings or princes, with those directly related to the current Khagan known as Khan Khuus,) and Boyans (once specifically referring to military governors and generals, but now in practice used for powerful nobles equivalent to dukes.) The Khagan’s nominated successor is given the title Jinong, although until they ascend to the throne this offers no additional privileges over the titles which they already hold, typically being Khan Khuus.

These nobles are expected to competently and effectively manage their people, but in practice, the appointment of Boyans and the stripping of privileges from Khans has varied wildly between Khagans, some purely promoting based on merit, while others allow nepotism to run rampant, often with disastrous consequences when ill-suited leaders take power.

Beneath Boyans and Khans exist the usual expanding strata of a feudal system: Noyans, Nokuds and finally at the very bottom Baygs, who despite not being nobles themselves are nonetheless vital as they represent one or more clans or tribes to those above them. At lower levels of the pyramid roles tend to be more flexible, with some level of democracy and collective organisation very common. Clans and noble houses give rise to internal power jockeying, with particularly wealthy, productive or fertile families seeing their power grow, and other families or even ships absorbed into their orbit. In this way, nobles up to and including the Khans themselves cannot rest on their laurels and must always play a careful balancing act, lest they be deposed and their overlord or even the Great Khagan award their favour to the up-and-coming usurpers.

Beneath the Great Black Sky on Itügen itself, Khaganate culture becomes even more dizzyingly varied. So long as the tribes are loyal, strange governing customs are permitted, which has led to a true flourishing of both traditional and unusual systems of organisation. A tribe may rule itself through anything from 'might makes right' warbands lead by the strongest warriors to those who follow the cryptic commands of salvaged AIs or operate under a loosely democratic council.

Technology Overview:
The Khaganate has a complex relationship with technology. On the one hand, much of what they excel in would be considered sensible extensions of tech from old Earth; they are excellent engineers and aeronautics specialists, masters of not only living in, but even colonising some of the harshest reaches of the Tengri system. The Khaganate can manufacture vast quantities of sophisticated yet rugged ships, crack down deep into the deadened crusts of uninhabitable planets to carve out oases of life and set up vast stations producing their own gravity through centripetal force…

But none of these advancements would have flourished and spread across the system nearly as quickly without a foundation entirely outside of humanity: the precursor’s archeotech. Such relics run the gamut from relatively understandable and simple, if extremely advanced, to obscure and dangerous artifacts that violate preconceived notions about how the universe functions (an issue which causes the more esoteric devices to have a hostile relationship with Uzayist fanatics.)

Early on in Khaganate history, archeotech diffused out slowly from the Steppe up to the stars, where that which was able to be deciphered then, in turn, spread out across the disunited communities. Nowadays, archeotech recovered by the tribes is usually traded or gifted as tribute to the cities, where it is carefully catalogued and transferred to orbital research stations. The best, safest and least replaceable relics are transported to the Bai-Ülgen, while those that have the potential for widespread use will be reproduced and dispatched out to the various hordes for further experimentation and research.

The Khaganate’s most important and dedicated research facilities are maintained on the other two planets within Itügen’s ‘band’ of the system. These well-trod worlds provide an important home for R&D of all kinds, both that involve archeotechnology and those that the Khaganate explores without ancient assistance. While innovation does occur across the entire system, these are the beating heart of their academia.

Military Overview:
Although certainly a warlike and quarrelsome people, the actual military capacity of the Khaganate against another spacefaring nation would be surprisingly limited… At first. Historically Khagans have been very against the mass-production of ship-to-ship weaponry, leaving the majority of actual warships isolated to the Golden and Silver Horde. However, nothing is stopping the manufactories of the Yam from changing production lines to churn out missiles, cannons, and even wholly new vessels, ready and able to defend the Khaganate against aggression.

Similarly, while its ground-based forces are limited to a small minority of dedicated city guards on Itügen and the Kheshigs, it would not be impossible to sweep up tribes of Steppefolk, press them into service and transport them to a warzone, although their difficulties in space would certainly stymie this process. Should they arrive safely though, these warriors would be a fearsome foe indeed, each one raised on a world that seems to spite humanity with its inhospitality, born to fight and armed to the teeth with tech both arcane and understood. Although they would look like a rag-tag bunch compared to a formal army with standardised training and equipment, centuries of constant conflict have left them hardened and battle-ready.

Where the Khaganate would immediately shine is in boarding actions and direct conflict between the crews of vessels. All noble houses maintain standing forces of house guards, and while lesser nobles might content themselves with a small corp of bodyguards, Khans and Boyans will maintain several ships worth of professionally drilled and equipped soldiers, typically drawn from a small number of supplicant Meta-families who have produced generations of soldiers who are understandably proud of this long history of service. Although the Khaganate's equipment might seem unusual to more ground-dwelling nations because they aim to minimise the damage inflicted upon the vessels that they fight within, they are no less effective for that.

The best soldiers are of course under the direct command of the Great Khagan, and to a lesser extent the Khaan. These forces include a great number of traditional houseguards, along with the War-Lords produced to serve in the Kheshigs. Originally envisioned as the personal bodyguards of the Khagan, time, archeotech and the increasing wealth of the Genghises maintaining them has resulted in the Kheshigs growing to the size of a true standing army, serving to defend cities on the Steppe and protect the Bai-Ülgen itself. It is the Kheshigs that are deployed to break the back of mutinying hordes or tribes grown too powerful or too proud to control properly.

On the Steppe, Kheshigs are viewed as terrible agents of the Khagan's fury. Clad in power armour, armed with terrible weapons, they are to a fault faceless and seemingly silent in battle, executing their liege’s commands without question, hesitation or deviation. Should it be required, they would die for their liege in their droves, and yet more would be drawn to replace them.

If all this fails however, the Khaganate has one last trick up its sleeve. The most awesome power the Khaganate has been able to consistently utilise comes not from archeotech, but from weapons programs tirelessly working under the utmost secrecy in the far ring. Should the Khagan will it, his enemies will find themselves pitted against utter annihilation.

Planet Name and Description:

History:

Origins of the Supremus [+]

Even before the colony ship for New Gift had set off for its destination, there were a few things which set it apart from the others. It was a largely private endeavor, funded by the multi-national conglomerate SciCorps, given to it for its major contributions towards the various conservation efforts it headed on Earth. It had an incredibly small colony of only 2,000 humans, headed by top scientists, geneticists, engineers and strangely, historians. Geniuses all but were often viewed by the outer scientific community as 'odd'. Opposed to other colony ships, what made up its vast holds were the remaining populations of several of humanity's closest relatives. To the heads of SciCorps, all eccentric, billionaire, science-guided men who saw the downfall of humanity by its own hubris. To them, humanity had lost its way and thus its right to think itself supreme. It must be succeeded by inheritors of humanity's best while lacking of its worst traits. Thus they found their inspiration within the remaining populations of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans numbering 50,000 altogether. Their populations were devastated by humanity in their arrogance, their habitats destroyed by our carelessness and greed. They would understand us, our histories, our cultures, our hardships and our follies. They would be uplifted by our hand and succeed where we failed.

SciCorps had chosen our closest relatives due to the greater ease in which they could be uplifted to sapient-level intelligence and their existing ability to use tools. Since the bonobo had been killed off a decades before the colony ships were being prepared, orangutans and gorillas had been brought in to boost numbers and bring diversity. Advanced humanity had long since mapped their own brains and thus had also been able to map the brains of these ape species. In the years before SciCorps' colony ship launch, several research teams worked on discovering a way to "uplift" non-sapient species in the hopes that these species could inherit our legacy but be better than we were. They had succeeded with these three species but only through the splicing of human genes and most peculiarly, personalities. To gain sapience, they must be implanted with the personality of an already existing (or past) human to ensure stability, proper empathy and intelligence.

Undeterred by these revelations, SciCorps used its vast wealth to collect historians, geneticists and scientists in conjunction with superintelligent AI to map and create the brains of the greatest examples of humanity. These eccentric geniuses had been over-enthusiastic in their brain mapping and with its minimal oversight (SciCorps was busy with its ongoing conservation efforts as well as Earth's dying days), some less-than-great minds had been mapped and stored for uploading. These additions would not be properly audited by the SciCorps elite in its waning days as processes were rushed due to various calamities which befell the conglomerate in its waning days. In the implantation and upload, over 10,000 subjects, mainly gorillas and orangutans, suffered shock and death upon awakening from the traumatic procedures. A further 5,000 would perish in the gene enhancing operations that would follow. Better vocal speech, more dexterous thumbs, greater muscular density than before. The remaining apes would undergo history lessons, morality tests, intelligence tests and physical ability tests. A further 3,500 would be culled in the last years before colony launch. The remaining roughly 31,500 Supremus apes as they had been dubbed would board the colony ship Terra Supremus along with their teachers, a secret kept hidden from the rest of the world.

The First Steps [+]

Upon their arrival to New Gift and the subsequent loss of the Gateways, some of the human teachers set to work on finding out about the world below while the inheritors would learn from the rest. What they found horrified and often, killed them. This would be the world of their inheritors, of mankind's successors? They all believed deep within their hearts (after several years of SciCorps propaganda and brainwashing) that the other human colonies would fall to strife as Earth had. These Supremus would be slaughtered there, despite their genetic enhancements and uplift. A solution would come from one of these apes themselves. A cunning, intelligent orangutan, known for his great charisma and dominance among the other apes. One whose brain template's name had been lost to all but him. The Khan incarnate spoke with a deep rumbling voice.

"O wise teachers, our humble creators. You have taught us your ways, to be the inheritors of your wisdom and greatness. O generous people you have been, giving us knowledge to renew our species, setting us on a worthier path. O wonderful you have been, gifting us the minds of your greatest so we may succeed you, as impossible as that venture may seem to our lowly minds. We are your children, and you are our parents, we are the flock to be moved to greener pastures by you, the shepherds. You have taught and given us much, but we lack an art of yours. One you have, out of justified fear, left out of our teachings. An art we require to carry your legacy, and your scions, into the stars with us. Aside from the arts of engineering, science and culture, you must teach us the Art of War." Yesugei spread his arms, orange fur draping elegantly in brushed locks, a toothy grin on his face.

There were protests at first. These were to be our peaceful inheritors, our greatest legacy. How could we give them the knowledge of our greatest folly? But even to the most idealist of the teachers, they could find no other answer. The colony ship had been armed with science and industry, not advanced weaponry. Mine excavators, modular industrial complexes, great agricultural machines. They were a mere 2,000 souls, many of whom felt they were bound to die on a planet as harsh as this one. They must teach their children how to defend themselves against this harsh world of theirs. To carry, what they felt, were humanity’s last vestiges in the galaxy, into the stars. They must teach their successors humanity's greatest folly - war.

Thus the colony ship landed a year later with supplies running low, in the largest savanna in the supercontinent Munus. The combined Supremus population had grown to 60,000 apes, many of the children inheriting the forced genetic tampering easier than expected. Here, many of the human caretakers, now dwindling in numbers and long rendered infertile by age, let their successors choose their own fate away from their tampering and holed themselves up in the stranded colony ship. They were confident that despite the mistakes along the way, their "children" as many had started to see them, would grow to be their betters. And in the beginning, as they observed the various projects of a growing ape population, their optimistic views were proven correct. A sprawling town would grow around the fallen ship, a "Neo-Earth" as its denizens began to call it in homage to their creators. An egalitarian democracy in which all could have their say. The pursuits of science, technology and the arts ruled supreme. Industry began to pop up around the town, solar panels and wind farms providing energy to prevent the wounds give to the old Earth. Automated mining and farming began nearby, feeding resources to the great minds within the city. Defensive automatons were built with supplied military knowledge, defending Neo-Earth from its harsh surroundings aided by Supremus’ most physical specimens. Separated from their inheritors, the last humans felt content with their success.

So much so that they were blinded by it.

Politicking and Compromise [+]

By the time of the last caretaker’s death, the many great inherited minds from Humanity’s history had fractured between political camps. The scions of scions of those caretakers young enough to have had children were closeted and protected by these camps. To have a human under your care was an ape’s greatest honour. To be a human was to live as a trophy, cloistered away in monasteries and only appearing rarely in public. No freedom, worshipped almost as gods, taken care of by inhuman caregivers. Humanity was too precious at this point to be given their freedom. Or perhaps too outnumbered to know any other life? They would take a backseat in the history of New Gift, given little power and whispered about almost as gods.

The once-children were divided in how they should carry humanity’s legacy to the stars. To have True egalitarianism could not work with the growing population. And thus, four bickering camps of political thought formed.

Aristotle argued that although democracy did work, they needed to make sure that the officials that are elected are learned apes of intelligence, selflessness and most controversially, a past life of serving the public good. He represented many of the reborn scientists and philosophers. Many of these would primarily be older first-generation Supremus.

Rousseau passionately countered that democracy must be indiscriminate of one’s background and thus one’s past “life” was akin to their genealogy. Judging an ape for their mere “blood” went against what they were taught. He represented many of the great democratic leaders and many others who came from democratic states, valuing freedom. A significant minority of Rousseau’s followers would be made up of the youngest second-generation.

Caesar intoned that democracy had ultimately failed Humanity. Once bloated bureaucratic machines came to be, it only served to fracture and slow nations, the chimpanzee explained. If they kept to choosing strong, just leaders who in turn chose strong, just successors. This way, the Supremus could move forward faster and under stable rule. He represented the military men, kings, queens, and others disillusioned by democracy. Almost all these would be younger first-generation Supremus. They would hold the greatest number of humans under their care, controversially letting their predecessors walk among them freely as if they were not an endangered species needing protection.

The final school of thought was led by Temujin, son of Yesugei, the dark horse and only second generation Supremus to represent their own camp. He would only come near the end of the debates, giving his proposition. They had been implanted with Humanity’s greatest minds but of different philosophies, politics, and time periods. How one group of Supremus would want to be governed could be vastly different from another. Let each group rule their own in the way they want but have a sort of intergovernmental union which connected them. A confederation of sovereign nations with the ceremonial position of Governor-General who constitutionally held little power. They served to act as mediator between nations, would be its figurative head, represent Supremus in its foreign affairs and only maintain a modest, non-automated self-defence force as a deterrent versus power hungry nations seeking to topple the Governor-General. Nations would keep to themselves with internal affairs and resource allocation by the Governor-General would be dictated strictly by needs and population. This was supported by the late Yesugei’s closest confidantes and the outsiders who disagreed with the other camps and sought to do their own way. Many of the latter were second-generation Supremus. Let us unite to safekeep the last of humanity’s genealogical children, they would say.

The other three camps would vehemently disagree outwardly towards this proposal. Going for this sort of compromise could weaken their political position in the eyes of their supporters and enemies. However, the debates had made many tired and thus many behind the scenes deals would be made towards these compromisers. Rousseau proposed the addition of elected sovereign officials who would serve as representatives of their nations in a parliament, which could make changes to the federal constitution or hold a supermajority vote of no-confidence upon the Governor-General to check his power. Temujin accepted these terms with passionate chest thumping and nods.

Aristotle, through his subordinate chimpanzee Theophrastus, would propose that those officials must have a certain level of intelligence and selflessness, as indicated by the scores previously tested by the humans. All second generation Supremus and those following generations must submit to these tests to check their eligibility. The testing must be done by a representative body of learned men from each nation, separate from the Senate. This Oligarchy would ensure stability and be a counter to the powers of the Senate. Temujin accepted with grace, bowing his head.

The only detractor remaining at the end of the talks would be Caesar and his camp, eyeing the son of Yesugei with obvious suspicion. No representative seemed to come from him and his. The message was clear. Aristotle, followed by Rousseau again, stated their proposals and Temujin accepted them publicly. Caesar’s followers walked out of the talks, with Caesar himself last to leave. “Blind baboons” he spat “the lot of you! You do not see what he is doing!” Him and his followers would disappear the following day with stolen resources and arms, last seen over the horizon in the direction of the jungles. Certain genetic templates and tissue would be stolen that night, records of it wiped from the colony ship's computers.

The Formation of the New Gift Federation [+]

Disregarding the threat of Caesar due to the hellish jungles of New Gift, the three leaders would set to establish the New Gift Federation. The loss of so many humans to Caesar’s camp was a harsh political blow to the new government and only served to tighten the restrictions of the remaining humans under their care. They would be treated as closely guarded secrets, with their movements controlled each day and only appearing in public on the rarest of occasions during holidays of great import. To be human was to serve as a trophy, a political tool. And sometimes, a god.
Several other nations would be formed by other individuals only to join the N.G.G. There would be a mass exodus from Neo-Earth township, many of the modular industrial complexes and mobile shelters splitting in a diaspora around the newly named Neo-Earth diaspora. Rousseau’s Republic of Freemen and Aristotle’s Polity of Philosophy would form the largest city-states while the others would form townships or smaller villages. The most significant of these smaller governments would be Thunberg’s Conservation League and Lincoln’s democratic Reformed States of America.

The old colony ship would serve as the Governor-General’s seat due to its central position. True to the constitution, Temujin did not do anything to interfere with the governance of the states. In truth, despite the initial fears within the Republic and the Polity of the Governor-General turning into a dictator, this was seen to be largely unfounded. The Senate and Oligarchy would become a ruthless political arena between the Polity, the Republic, their different sovereign allies, and the independents. These two city-states would dominate the political sphere of the N.G.G. and be the most powerful, dubbed the informal title of “Greater States”. Despite their precious fragility, humans could be found across the states in their monastery-schools, Supremus guards given to each as protectors no matter what state they were found in.

The many military automatons of Terra Supremus, the colony ship’s name and the new name of the old Neo-Earth township, would go to these powerful states. Thus the defence of many of the smaller independent town-states and villages would be given to Temujin and his self-defence forces. These would be made up of individuals from all the nations, to ensure equality and an image of unity. Universally, within the Polity and the Republic, this force would be looked down upon when compared to the advanced military automatons. Thus the conscripts sent to the Federation SDF from these powers would mainly be the Supremus who did not fit the mould.

Temujin would form a strict meritocracy within the ranks of the SDF, creating an effective fast response force which could mobilise quickly to any threats towards the weaker states. Heavily drilled and with strict punishments for slacking, the SDF would become a premier military force second only to the advanced automatons of the Greater States. No human would be found in their number for their lives were too precious. Or maybe, they were treated as an afterthought?
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Their popularity would only grow among the independent nations. The Federation Senate and Oligarchy became fiercer political battlegrounds as time went on, serving as a representation of power between the Greater States.

Upon the birth of Temujin’s first son, Ogedei, a Cold War would ensue between the Greater Powers after a series of political advancements by the Republic when it seduced several nations to its power bloc. With the addition of nations, came the safekeeping of more humans. To be a caretaker of a dying race was seen as a great honour and only elevated their political power. Automatons were advanced, walls were raised and for the first time, war machines would be sent in support of ally sovereigns. Pre-empting this, the Governor-General called forth the first negotiations between the two powers, acting as mediator. He was an excellent orator and convinced the leaders of the Greater States to set aside their weapons, reminding them of the reason behind their uplifting and creation.

”Learned ape, free ape, this humble one must remind you that we are all Supremus. We were created as inheritors of Humanity’s legacy and tasked to be their successors. We know not about the other colonies but going by anything our wise caretakers taught us, they would be in strife and conflict. This is why we keep the scions safe, no? We learned of war to fight our deadly surroundings, to protect the scions of our caretakers, not to fight each other. We are better and we must prove ourselves to be better, lest we disprove our own species’ names. Whether chimpanzee, orangutan, or gorilla. Whether Politician, Republican, Reformed American or others. We stand better united and at peace. We must prove ourselves supreme, as caretakers of the last vestiges of humanity.”

The subsequent stop on the development of war automatons would serve to be the greatest achievement in Temujin the Peacekeeper’s life. A new age of prosperity and unity would rise within the Federation, one that Ogedei would inherit once he was appointed as Governor-General, upon Temujin’s death. The supposed nepotism was ignored due to the late Peacekeeper’s popularity and the relatively powerless position kept even avid conspiracy theorists at bay. To suppress the jealousy among the growing states about the amount of humans cloistered within the different states, the honour guards were replaced by SDF detachments to keep them away from the political wills of the senate. It would be early in Ogedei’s tenure that plots would begin to unravel themselves.

The War to End All Wars [+]

Tiberius Caesar, son of Augustus, son of Julius, had come. Hardened by three generations within the jungle, the Emperor’s Followers had returned from their long exile to prove themselves worthy as leaders of the Supremus. They sat atop great war beasts and fought alongside tamed monsters, having long gotten used to and conquering the deadly denizens within the jungle. To many a Supremus’ disgust, they had humanity’s direct scions fighting hand in hand with them, most assuredly blinded by Caesar’s propaganda. To be so reckless with the last of our caretaker’s seed? Abhorrent to the extreme.

Targeting the southernmost city-states and townships, they raided these frontier nations with glee and were only pushed back once the SDF had reached them, many an ape weeping as they cut down both fellow ape and human alike. It was clear that they could not be reasoned with, even the human descendants had come with weapon in hand with an unexplainable rage about them.

These year-long raids would only prove as a distraction as a great war host came from the jungles circled a two prong attack upon the East and West. Amassing a truly terrible host of monsters, hardened Supremus and curse-spouting humans, these were the proverbial daggers to the hearts of the Federation – the Greater States. As the SDF was distracted to the south and its numbers limited by constitution, it fell to the Polity and the Republic to defend Neo-Earth’s heartlands. Automaton fought beast, Supremus fought Supremus in bitter conflict and rivalry.

The fighting was fierce in the south, east and west of the Neo-Earth savanna. The Emperor’s Followers were backed by their war-beasts, savage poisons and chemical artillery which inflicted heavy casualties upon Polity, Republican and ally conscripts. Only the automatons fared better, metal resistant against claws, large ammunition and explosives proving deadly against flesh. The east and the west saw the bloodiest of the fighting, back and forth offensive manoeuvres on both sides, probing the other to find weaknesses. Deep trenches and fortifications would be set up against each other, carving up the earth of a once beautiful continent-sized savanna. The south found more success with Ogedei’s forces, a more tactical type of warfare which saw constantly changing battle lines, ambushes, and false flag attacks. The SDF was aided by its supreme manoeuvrability and its QRF-based military doctrine.

As the war went on and weeks turned into months which turned into years, the nations of the Federation grew desperate. Seemingly unending hordes of wild beasts would crash into their lines nearly daily. Endless chemical bombardment and brutal poisoned fangs or blades would see to plummeting morale. A great depression that cast itself upon Supremus warriors who had slain too many humans to count, the blood of those they were to shelter and preserve staining their fur. Everyone had gotten involved in the war at this point, Polity and Republican conscripts running low as their populations were stricken low. And everyone had noticed that the only front in which they could be called gaining non-pyrrhic victories was on the southern front.

More emergency powers would be given to Governor-General Ogedei in these desperate dozen years of war, passed through the Senate in record breaking speeds. With every major victory he gained in the south, the more power he was given. Accentuating this, Ogedei’s swift action to transport all humans to the capital of Terra Supremus was lauded as a decisive action to safeguard their charges. Detractors would be swiftly dealt with under cries of carelessness for humanity’s seed, and for some, with cries of heresy. To turn the war around, a hopeful Federation turned towards its seemingly greatest leader. Despite the weak protests of the once Greater States, who had now long since diminished in power and influence with their crippled populations, defeats in the east and west as well as the rising assassinations of various humans of import in supposed safe places, the Senate passed several constitutional amendments to give the Governor-General the power as a Supreme Leader. The Khan.

Ogedei Khan, as he was now known, set to finish the war. To stop the heresy of human blood staining Supremus fur. To stop the madman, the crazed, the scion-killer Caesar. The probing back and forth within the south became a lightning fast counteroffensive, the Khan's newly dubbed Legionnaires smashing through the weaker southern Imperial battle lines and circling back to bolster the east and west.

At the siege of Roma-Greek, the Polity city-state, among the broken pillars of a new Parthenon, the first siege would be broken and the Imperials would be pushed back on the eastern front for the first time in years. These Legionnaires would be lauded as heroes, beleaguered conscripts with decrepit automatons witnessed these disciplined legionnaires toeing with beasts, weathering chemical storms and fighting against the harshest poisons. They were lauded as merciful and kind, with every human encountered taken away from their careless Supremus allies for re-education. Unknown to them, as the years went on, the Khan had further genetically enhanced his personal soldiery to have greater resistance against their foes. The stage was set and the war would reach its final stages. Suffering crippling defeat after crippling defeat, often retreating at the mere sight of the Khan's forces especially when Imperial humans were among them, the Imperials were routed back into their jungle. The free apes would celebrate the announcement of the war's final battle, with Ogedei hailed as a hero and protector. Ogedei the Merciful.

The Age of the Khanate [+]

Upon victory, Ogedei the Merciful released several quick reformations with his ascension as Khan. The Senate would be kept as council to him and every Hegemon following, thus keeping each nation as sovereign entities which would stay in charge of their own domestic affairs and governance. Even the idea of a supermajority ruling of no-confidence was kept in place but the Oligarchy as an institution was done away with. The Khan is kept in check by the Senate but has larger powers with controlling foreign affairs, greater executive powers in vetoing laws passed by the Senate and control of a Federation-wide Legion which could attack as well as defend. The Khan would finalise the transfer of all humans into Terra Supremus, writing this into the newly formed Khanate’s constitution. Safeguarding them. Protecting them. Restricting them?

Individual militaries would be allowed for each nation but limited to a certain percentage of the nation's citizen population. Terra Supremus would be refitted into a mobile capital and home of the Senate. The Khan will only be focused on matters of foreign affairs and domestic peace, having a large military legion with an oath to defend the rights of each sovereign nation if breached (with exceptions). A Federal Monarchy as it were, with all leaders swearing upon the Khan and the Khan swearing to protect each of their ape peoples and their sovereignty. Technology could be kept individually between city-states but trade was encouraged. Minor conflicts can occur between nations but is kept in check by the overview of the Khan. Tribute is sent regularly to Terra Supremus by eager nations seeking the approval of the Khan, to gain better standing in the Senate and hold better sway as advisors. The Khan is made essential to protect against threats foreign and domestic, those who seek to undermine the continued freedom of the Supremus to largely govern themselves. The Khan is made essential to protect their charges, to educate humanity’s direct descendants, to fill their bellies, to keep them away from threats known and unknown.

And thus a new age of prosperity began. With the Khan's legions protecting against possible incursions from the jungles, another age of rebuilding, expansion and innovation could begin. With the end of the War to End All Wars came a large population boom and great confidence in the protection of the Khan. The scars of war were removed from the vast Neo-Earth savanna, replaced by carefully planned, permanent cities, environment-conscious agriculture and improved solar and wind farms. Mining projects would bring greater resource wealth, fueling inventions and architectural wonders from humanity's histories. Competition between nations would fuel these great leaps forward, under the wise and guided tutelage of the Khan of course. Education would continue as the caretaker's had taught them but with increased focus on the history of the nations under the Khan. Under the Khan’s wise rule and careful hand, the withering population of Homo Sapiens Sapiens were cradled into greater numbers. Pride in being a Supremus was at an all time high.

The title of Khan would pass through another two generations, staying focused on developing New Gift and quelling dissidents to the peace. Space technology was theorised and reverse engineers but ignored to focus more on their new home. Cultural works of humanity would continue to be redeveloped in painstaking detail, copies of old landmarks and large historical libraries serving as tourist destinations. Developing light but highly durable alloys, more effective modular cities and industrial complexes which could move quicker than before. Sprawling city-states would dot the northern savanna of Gaia and eventually as this crowded, some others would move to the southern savanna of Tellus. These states would be few and far between due to presence of roving bands of former Imperial bandit-kings, having fake claims of sharing blood with the Caesars of old. No true son of Caesar has come out of the jungles. No Imperial human would be seen again.

It would seem reasonable to destroy the jungle or make a final crusade against the Imperials. And many state-heads did pose the question to their leader. But as every Khan would reason, such an effort would be resource-draining at best and cause permanent ecological damage at worst. Let the outsiders sit in their uncivilised jungle dens, obviously failing to safeguard the humans they had with them, until they starve themselves out or revert back to a more primitive nature.

For Khublai Khan, second son of Möngke the Builder, his eyes were set to new horizons. As with many Khans before him, he was ambitious and looked to set himself apart from his predecessors. He could approve of the conservation and infrastructure projects set by his father but he felt greatness can be found further afield. On the 500^th Year since Landing, an opportunity came with the sudden opening of the gateway.

Culture and Society:
A number of different cultures and societies are under the Khan's purview, making the Khanate seem as fractious as the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many apes of the many different nations call their ancestry back to a first generation Supremus whose personalities were based on 31,500 different great minds from across human history. Their creation and uplift was so the Supremus could be humanity's legacy to the stars, thus the variety respects that. City-states within the Federal Khanate are largely self-governed and citizens are bound by the rules within those city-states. Societal and cultural norms can vary largely. Sometimes, it appears that the only things binding the nations together is the oath to the Khan, an equal respect and feeling of supremacy for humanity and a fear of flying. The vast majority are based on human examples throughout history.

The title of "Greater State" is a largely informal one, referring to a city-state's abundant wealth, technology, standing with the Khan and ability to influence other states. Often, the more you have of one, the other attributes will follow. The ability of a state to attract citizens only increases with age, standing and increased opportunities. This title is not held forever though and can be torn away quickly. Ways a Greater State can lose its standing can include political mishaps in the Senate, scandals, significant loss in approved conflicts, declaring conflict with another state without approval of the Khan, bloody coups or an outbreak of ape-eating snakes, among many. Once one state is brought low, there will be five others trying to take its place. As of present time, the Greater States are:

The Republic of Freemen - A democratic republic founded by Jean-Jacque Rousseau and the only continuous Greater State since the old Federation. Republicans are often seen as a very free people with liberal and radical views as in line with the city state's founder. European architecture of the Enlightenment era dot the cityscape, green parks and regularly held festivals interspersed within. Art and the exploration of Enlightenment era beliefs and culture is taught within their schools and French revolution-era clothing has recently taken to the apes there. Citizens have disdain towards the more brutish and unenlightened states, preferring the intellectual and "modern" ones. Republicans have a "social contract" in which citizens should be held to the general will of the people in the city so despite their apparent freedom, conformity is more the norm here. They use the greatest amount of automatons within their military and in their society, holding the largest power-bloc in the Senate. Though some outsiders claim that their greatest contributes to the Khanate are their powdered wigs and itchy clothing, it is their automaton technology which is the backbone of their industry. No finer, more ape-like automatons can be found and they range from purposes in war, service, guarding, transport and labour.

The Conservation League - An oligarchy founded by a group of like-minded, environmentally conscious individuals aiming to prevent the destruction wrought on Earth finding itself on New Gift. This state is focused on the preservation and conservation of native fauna and is incredibly single minded in its task. The oligarchy-system of governance was formed to rid of the ineffective slowness of democratic human nations in addressing climate change. They have the most efficient solar and wind technology, distributing to many of the other city states in the Federal Khanate. The Conservationists are also adept at genetics and sustainable agricultural efforts, creating more efficient crops and advanced procedures to make lab-grown meat for the more adventurous ape. Surprisingly, they hold the highest number of approved conflicts out of any present Greater State. They go, for the lack of a better term, "apeshit" at any perceived attempts to hinder their efforts in conserving the planet. They use genetically enhanced ape soldiers to great effect, second in advancements only to the Legion. With holding much of the moral high ground to the eyes of the Senate, enemies of the League fall quickly. The only reason they have not been denounced by an annoyed Khan is because of their enthusiastic support for the regime due to its own conservation efforts.

The Lost Humanist Theocracy - Some religious inclinations made their way to humanity's inheritors but the largest of these religions are of Human-worship. In particular, remembrance-worship of those who could not be afforded the "Path to Reincarnation" as the first generation Supremus had. Thus followers of this religion are absurdly focused on the positive features of human nature, revering the spirits of those left behind. Walking through Humanist architecture is akin to taking a step backwards in time, as they largely look down upon most forms of ape-made technology and they forsake many of the regular genetic enhancements given to Supremus simians. "For how useful were they, for those spirits left behind." This guilt-type of reverence and "lost" spirit worship is shared among a number of apes outside the Theocracy's limits but their more radical ideas (forsaking genetic enhancement and ape technology) are largely frowned upon. They claim to not view the current humans as literal gods yet speak about them in hushed whispers, with many a worshipper making pilgrimage to Terra Supremus to see the last vestiges of some of the greatest humans. The scions of their parents, the direct descendants of their caretakers, the final untouched humans. They have many missions throughout New Gift as free teachers, healers and advisors, seeking to atone and relieve their guilt, appeasing their Human Spirits. This is counter to the usual trend of supremacist views among Supremus. Their current standing comes from the spread of their religion to outside of the city's borders and the recent addition to their clergy, the third son of Khublai Khan, Sartaq along with the patronage of the Khan’s own daughter, the Greatest Orator. They deny and outwardly revile the idea of a "hidden inquisition" which protects missionaries outside their borders, keeping only an unarmed police force for visitors and a small dedicated team of bodyguards. Despite their recent rise in popularity, this cult-like city-state is still viewed with suspicion by other states of greater or equivalent power.

The Frontier Nations - Not a single state per se but a term collectively referring to nations that reside in untamed Tellus. These frontier city-states are attractive to the young, adventurous and foolhardy, seeking to escape the more "crowded" civilisation of Gaia. Frontier nations which last are hardy, bloodied and resourceful with a grudging camaraderie between nations who also last. Moving in mobile minor cities, they can pack up and run quickly once they spot bandits or rivals coming at them. Life in the frontier is hard but can be rewarding, with much of the savanna left untouched and resources aplenty. Often times, fallen city-states who seek to gain their standing once again become a Frontier Nation. A significant example of this is the Polity which, after the misfortunes that befell it in the Great War, sought to regain its status as a Greater State once more. They form a small but not insignificant power bloc in the Senate, with many apes respecting their hardiness and drive to survive. Some view them with disdain.

Humans – Oh to be Human. What a strange thing to be. A million souls, a mighty number indeed but nothing compared to the untold millions of Supremus with unmatched virility. To be human in the Khanate is to be protected. Safeguarded. Worshipped. Controlled. Restrained. Beyond their teachers, monastery-mothers and guards, many of these humans will not touch another’s fur. They will not reside in anything other than the vast Terra Supremus monasteries they are born in, live in and die in. To be Human is to be fed till their bellies were full and to be taught by the greatest minds in all of human history. To be Human is to be treated as trophies, a testament to the strength of the Khan. Their daily lives are controlled to the minute, ensuring that each human will be as perfect as genetically possible, for to be any less would bring shame to the Khan. To a normal ape, to see a human is a rare occasion, only on planetwide holidays would the greatest orators among them appear on the myriad States, speaking affection for their Supremus caretakers and inheritors. To be human was to be loved. To be human was to be caged – ultimately having no power in this nation of apes.

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Governance and Politics:

"We swear ourselves to the Khan and they swear their selves to us."

The Federal Khanate describes itself perfectly; a federation consisting of nations which swears itself to the Khan. The Khan has ultimate control over foreign affairs and defence, enforces the rules of the constitution, the largest military and swears to uphold the sovereignty, supremacy and rights of the people. The title of "Khan" is not hereditary, though most past Khans have chosen their firstborn sons as imminent heir as matter of preference. Instead, a Khan will name their list of successors within their will in their order of preference. There is no choice for the chosen as the Khan's will is granted constitutional rights. Thus a Khan will often groom their successor over many years, preparing them for their rule. The title cannot be passed down to any current or past leaders of city states and thus Khan's have all come from the bloodline of Yesugei. In the horrid event that none of the chosen successors are alive at the time of the Khan's death (unlikely because the list of successors have often become over a hundred names long), the Senate will hold a vote to choosing a prominent ape to succeed.

There are some federal guidelines for apes seeking to found their own nation, to join the 1,738 already present. Some semblance of order must be established as anarchic states have the tendency to crumble in on itself thus the Khan requires a set of written laws and an official banner to represent itself. Conflicts should be avoided but are allowed as long as both parties seek the approval of the Khan and the matter is isolated. Yearly gatherings of the Senate, times when the Khan calls for a Senate hearing and gatherings in times of emergency (such as when a Khan dies) are mandatory sessions. The title of senator cannot be bestowed on any current leader of a city-state to prevent disruption. Coups must be contained and trade agreements made by the defending government must be made until the coup is sorted out. Any disruptions to the rest of the Khanate is met with the swift boot of the Legion. Speaking of, a certain detachment of Legion forces must be present within the city perimeter at all times and any attempt to coerce, eliminate or impede them is treated with extreme prejudice. The leader/s or most prominent figure must swear upon the constitution and swear to the Khan, similarly to any new senators otherwise their state is considered to have ceded from the Khanate. States are also constricted to a set amount of territory and can petition the Khan for more land only during the yearly Senate gatherings. Otherwise, the laws of the land can vary greatly between city states.

Individual crimes can be punished differently between states. Thievery can result in the loss of the hand or a pat on the back. In some corporate states, white collar crime is punished more severely than murder. In many religious and theocratic states, sins are the law equivalent and in some, are seen as an affront to their God-King or Goddess-Queen. The difference in governance between the different states can create cutthroat politics, with seasoned Senators becoming expert politicians and some grudge lists becoming long enough to circle the world (see: The Conservation League). Some states even actively take in escaped prisoners as an insult to another, as long as the Khan approves. The aim of every Minor State is to become a Greater one and the aim of every Greater State is to stay in their position, creating conflict.

Order is maintained by the Khan but small approved conflicts or dueling between ruling classes are common enough to be seen as normal. This chaos results in significant changes in the Senate regularly and can confuse outsiders. The only official federal land claimed by the Khan is Terra Supremus and the equatorial jungles of New Gift. Only approved citizens and soldiers are allowed to visit the latter though that does not stop the Imperials, bandits and runaways. The only federal crimes that an ape can commit is attempted assault/murder of a Khan and his successors, any criminal offence against a Khanate-protected human, infiltration of a monastery, bringing harm to any monastery staff, federal treason, secession, disruption of the common peace/trade and slavery. These crimes are met with the appropriate force to extinguish it from existence.

Technology Overview:
As with everything in the Khanate, technology can vary greatly as well. With the vast number of states come different wealth, technology and sometimes, acceptance of technology. The apes have tended to neglect space technology until recently, having only communication and weather satellites due to the focus on developing the land of New Gift. Overall, the technology level is similar to what they started with some developing trends over the years:

Conservation - The influence of Earth's downfall affect the Supremus apes greatly. They have an extensive genetic library of old Earth fauna stored but no cloning, beyond infertile pets such as dogs and cats, have occurred to preserve native fauna. Every ape conserves this legacy and intends to conserve their current home as well. Great attempts have been made to conserve the natural ecosystem of New Gift with very few permanent cities being established, many states opting for moving, modular cities atop trusty tracks to prevent disruption to animal migrations (despite the active hostility of many of these animals). Similarly, most agriculture is kept limited and genetically enhanced to be as productive in as small an area as possible, kept in mobile greenhouses to prevent cross-pollination with native plants. The term "conservation" generally means the conservation of environment, human history and culture.

Genetics - With the availability of each species' DNA map and the technology to modify it, genetic manipulation is common among the apes and even among humans. It is widely acceptable to modify oneself or offspring to be better though greater advancements are often closely guarded secrets of states (except to the Khan). Modifications to humans within their fortified monasteries were seen as natural, to ensure their survival and allow them to have perfect lives. Enhancements can range from increased physical attributes, an ability to stay awake longer, better senses, an inability to feel pain (for the crazy) to even enhanced fertility. The latter seems to be utilised by the Khans heavily as they foster many children.

Variety - The sheer variety of different states means technological focus can vary drastically. With encouraged trade between states, nations are often sharing their own specialised technology in exchange for something they need. For example, the Conservation League are experts at conservative and environmentally friendly power sources but lack some of the knowledge on the automaton labourers found in a state such as the Republic. They could try to reverse-engineer their own but this is seen as a more expensive endeavour compared to simply trading for the most advanced goods. That is to say, most minor city-states enjoy a mediocre set of technologies and are viewed as more "standard".

Military Overview:
Conflict has evolved drastically since the lumbering automatons, mass wave tactics and trench warfare of the War to End All Wars. Every significant enough city-state has a military, otherwise having to rely on detachments of the Khan's legionnaires for defense. But the focus, tactics and ability of said militaries can vary significantly. They do focus on an important factor in the conflicts which pepper the Khanate: mobility. The ability to strike first, fine manoeuvres around the enemy, ambushes and changing battle lines. The modern Supremus simian soldier is armed with a truckload of communication and infortmation technology and any military worth their salt will have a BattleNet to highlight enemy troop movements, possible false flag attacks and lay out orders instantly. Sometimes, organic soldiers are replaced by advanced automatons capable of accepting orders instantly at the behest of a detached Commander. Clashes occur often in the lower streets of moving cities, in mobile savanna outposts and often, between moving military command centers. The defeat of an opponent is usually marked either by a significant destruction or capture of an opponents asset, death of the main military commander or taking the conflict to the point that it is seen as costly for the opponent to continue. As varied as the individual states' militaries are, there is serious standardisation among the Khan's personal military arm - the Legion.

The Khan acts as the supreme commander of the largest and most advanced military on New Gift. There are over 1,000,000 active duty Legionnaires split between the 100 different divisions of the Legion, with a further 110,000 strong auxiliaries as part of the Expeditionary Corps. Each division is generally made up of a mixed-troop of mechanised, mobile forces each with their own air and armor support. Led by a Divisional-General, each legion must be able to be largely self-sustainable for at least a year, with Expeditionary Corps needing to be fully self-sustaining for upwards to three years. Doing so increases the mobility of each legion and its divided military organisations so that they are able to operate as one. They have the most advanced mobile command centers and BattleNets available, the Legion priding themselves upon their individual soldier's intuition. Consequently, they often look down upon automatons in their rigidness, only using them in aerial combat and support because of the innate fear of flying simians have. Their warfare is that of constant movement to encircle, ambush and outmaneouvre, having mainly been focused on eliminating bandit-kings and the like. The standard genetic enhancements of a Legionnaire include heightened senses, increased endurance, agility and intellect. To become a Legionnaire one must survive these procedures as well as pass several difficult physical and mental team challenges known colloquially as the Grid. To become a Legionnaire was to be a Supremus, for no self-respecting Khan would ever allow the shedding of human blood like the foolish Caesar. Upon becoming a Legionnaire, they are typically stationed to the different nation-states, most in the smaller states to defend it from hostile fauna or bandit simians.

Eleven divisions, as well as the entire Auxiliary Corps, are labelled as Expeditionary Corps. These are aspects of the Legion focused on actively engaging within the equatorial jungles and frontier-states in Tellus. Both the divisions and the Auxiliaries, who are volunteers from militaries across the states, are tasked with defending the sovereign rights of the frontier states as well as seeking those who intend to subvert them. Targets include Imperial remnants, Bandit-Kings and extremely hostile native fauna. They actively seek these targets frequently, often sending expeditions into the jungles to get to the source of the problem. This is the most dangerous job in the Khanate as it takes the Legionnaire out of the civilisation of northern Gaia and into the rougher parts of Munus where anything can be hostile. Often, the jungle canopy can be too thick for command to reach squads thus many are lost on patrols. Their lives in the hands of vengeful imperials, bandits and vicious beasts, are met with a brutal end. The goals of these expeditions is to ultimately exterminate secessionist activity within New Gift and tame the jungles, through the establishment of Mobile Stability Bases to patrol throughout these hostile lands. Great strides have been made but to many others outside the Legion, the Expeditionary Corps are more like respectable glory hounds.

There are whispers of muscle-bound soldiers, equal in mass of even the elephants of old Earth, prowling in Legionnaire armour and wielding weapons of unspeakable power. An open secret of the Khanate's Legion. A breed of super-warriors with muscles on muscles, a vision of perfect martial might and unparalleled military acumen. For each would be seen as worthy of scores of Legionnaires by their lonesome. There are rumours of street orphans being taken from the poorest city states. There are rare glimpses of the black ships which ship them to the isolated city of Terra Supremus. There are obvious signs of death, with many small caskets shipped to the capital on a daily basis. To connect those whispers, rumours and signs was to be associated with treason and so many, even children of the Khan himself, kept their jaws shut tight in public. But to the military-minded apes of the Khanate, their forums would be filled with speculation, profiles hidden from the ever-watchful eyes of the Khanate with virtual private networks. Allegedly, at least. But even the most conspiratorial of these apes dismissed the most ridiculous of claims. Humans, walking among these giants, armed and just as muscle bound as the rest. How ridiculous.

The Different Soldiers [+]

A standard Legionnaire in their modern-age armourr

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Two examples of Legionnaire Heavy Weapons support. From left to right: Antipersonnel and anti-armour

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An example of an Expeditionary Corps Legionnaire

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Reformed American rangers

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A typical ape automaton

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Modern samurai chimpanzee with a genetically enhanced sword-hand, keeping the peace in New Nippon

The Different Vehicles [+]

Legion Armoured Personnel Carrier. The turret can be replaced by an armoured dome on the top for a Heavy Weapons Legionnaire to put their turret through

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Legion Main Battle Tank

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Standard Legion Air Support Drone

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On Humans and Gateways:
To most apes, there is the opinion of great paternalistic respect, sometimes worship, for humans. To the Supremus, they inherited their legacy and were created to continue it and to safeguard the last of their seed. There is, however, a certain supremacy every ape holds over the presumably fragile humans. They believe themselves superior, as they are taught they are. The existence of other human colonies is widely known but dismissed to be inferior and genetically diminished from the carefully orchestrated lines of Khanate human descendants. The only “true” humans left were cloistered in their monasteries, given untold riches and services a normal Supremus could only dream of. The Gateways merely represent an opportunity for the Supremus, to take the true legacy of the humans to the stars. For less hostile frontiers and chances to expand. The first step to Earth is merely to see their ancestral homelands, seen as culturally significant but not in other ways. A dead world gives no bounty to them.

GOVERNMENT FORM:
Polysapient Eco-Moralist Anarcho-Syndicalist Interorganizational Federation



PLANET NAME & DESCRIPTIONS: Avalon is the fourth planet of the Annwn system. In orbit around a bright G-class star and protected from the outer system's dense asteroid fields by the super massive gas giant Bran, it is a mid-sized rocky world roughly 6% smaller than Earth. Despite its somewhat 'boisterous' planetary neighbours, Avalon is a vibrant and ecologically dense garden planet with a broadly “cold tropical” environment -- similar to the temperate rainforests that once stretched across Ireland and the British Isles prior to the industrial revolution, though extremely high equatorial temperatures cause the accumulation of salt and dense, brackish mudflats to form around the equator. It has a predominantly nitrogen & oxygen-based atmosphere, with a slightly higher overall oxygen density than Earth that combined with the lower gravity makes many native and adapted organisms notably larger than most Earth equivalents.

Avalon's wide varieties of organism have base-2 carbon-based biochemistry with central nervous systems, and are broadly split into categories of fauna, flora, and funga – though many organisms are naturally occurring 'chimera', or hybrids, effectively consisting of both animal, plant and fungal cells. Of particular note are a number of fungal organisms classified as gestalts that rely on the central nervous systems of both fauna and flora to spread their spores and are able to use these systems as transmitters for information – a fact that would eventually give rise to the phenomena known as 'faeries' by the human colonists, yet later to be deemed a sapient species in their own right.





POPULATION & DEMOGRAPHICS:
There are an estimated 3.2 billion souls across Avalon and its habitat network throughout the system, though the exact number is difficult to pinpoint since record keeping varies and many smaller or nomadic communities choose to dwell outside of the homestead system. The major species and groups within Avalon and its habitats are as follows:

• Homo Sapiens Sapiens, sometimes called the “Avalonian Phenotype”: Approx. 2 billion. Descendants of the original ('first wave') of colonists established shortly after the gates were opened by the Morgan-Lott corporation, as well as the majority of the refugees who came to Avalon shortly before the gates closed. While prolonged exposure to gestalt spores (see last demographic) and the increasingly commonplace use of artificial gestalt implants shows some evidence of increased mirror neurons and insular cortex complexity, morphologically Avalonians are close to baseline, besides some very small changes to bone density and muscle growth to accommodate for life on a planet with lower gravity than Earth. Likewise, artificial modifications such as prosthetics or vat-grown organs are not uncommon... assuming they are medical in nature. Although the original colonists were from the anglosphere & former commonwealth nations, the later refugee colonists came from many cultures and backgrounds; while English is the official and most widely spoken language, it is estimated that there are approximately at least 98 surviving languages on Avalon and the preservation of them is a study of great interest.
  Human Beings [+]

  
• Gremlins: Approx. 0.9 billion. A genetically engineered sapient 'uplift' of an indigenous Avalonian eusocial frog-like organism originally created by the Children of Gaia as soldiers, pilots and engineers that could operate complex military equipment against the machine swarm without risking sensitive electronics. Appearing as the six-limbed lovechild of an eel, a beetle, a pug and an axolotl, they are particularly notable for their high genetic adaptability, resilience, and the intense electrical conductivity of their nervous systems, making them easily augmented with cybernetics and gestalt implants. Their creation and subsequent debates around their sapience and the ethics of their creation sparked widespread outrage against the Children of Gaia and greatly weakened that organization's status in society, with the gremlins becoming fully emancipated and granted control of their spawning grounds in 2538.
  Gremlin [+]

  
• Homo Sapiens Viridi, officially called the “Viridian Phenotype” but sometimes informally known as “Gaians”: Approx. 179 million. Descendants of the “Children of Gaia”, a popular new religious movement that spread in the years leading to the exodus from Earth. Historically they were experts of genetic engineering, modifying their bodies to survive in increasingly harsh conditions through the introduction of plant and reptile DNA that gave them their distinctive green skin and minimal body hair, though this also greatly reduced their fertility, and coupled with their historically strict taboos around mingling with 'outsiders' has caused their population to stabilize at a relatively low number. However, following the war against machines and the emancipation of the gremlins, the Children gradually lost many members, and the term 'Viridian' became the more accepted term for those who have chosen or inherited the Children's traditional modifications without remaining members of the religion.
• Spacers: Approx. 138 million. For a variety of reasons, those who choose to live their lives almost entirely in space, on habitats of Avalon's moon and throughout its asteroid belt and amidst the salvaged ruins of the machine swarm and the once-called 'Free Republics'. Note that these are distinct from viridian populations, some of whom are also spacers but are usually listed under demographics as viridian first and foremost. A large number of these individuals have further experimented with cybernetic augments, sometimes to the point of becoming physically more machine than man and partially merged with their own ships, and spacer communities often rely extensively on drones and mechanical labour to a greater degree than planetside Avalonian society.
• "Faeries”/Gestalts: Approx. 500,000 ('domesticated'/'quarantined; impossible to determine total number of 'wild' gestalts present on Avalon, estimates ranging from a few thousand to several million). A fungus analogue organism indigenous to Avalon that primarily reproduces and communicates between its colonies through spores attaching themselves to the nervous systems of mobile organisms and tree root networks, with many organisms on Avalon having exposed nerve endings specifically for this purpose since a major side effect of this is a transmission of information to the 'carrier' in the form of hallucinations. As a result of interacting with human brains a number of gestalts have developed a form of sapience, and over time this has been integrated in several ways, with specially trained gestalt colonies used as a kind of 'organic AI' for settlements and ships and the 'characters' they store serving as assistants, educators, messengers and therapists. In addition, many Avalonians have small, carefully cultured artificial gestalts directly attached to their brains as a kind of personal implant, memory aid, and to improve reaction and sensory speeds.

HISTORY/TIMELINE:

• 2290-2297: The Morgan-Lott corporation and its subsidiaries and affiliates, under contract to the Anglosphere and nations of the former commonwealth, establishes a colony on the temperate 'paradise world' of Avalon.
  Morgan-Lott "Arc" 28 makes landfall, serving as the staging grounds and eventual headquarters for an early arcology [+]

  
• 2298-2301: Avalon becomes a poster-child colony of the gateway project, but corruption and institutional inequality leads to many people's tickets or labour unrewarded or valueless. With Earth increasingly doomed and the gateway network growing unstable, mass revolutions and union seizures allow for a desperate exodus of refugees to Avalon.
• 2302-2306: After losing contact with Earth, the Morgan-Lott colonial administration becomes increasingly authoritarian and ruthless, causing tremendous damage as they exploit Avalon's resources, ration basic supplies, and subject 'low value' settlers to banishment, experimentation or slave labour. Revolutionary sentiment and sabotage among both employees and refugees boils over into war against the administration.
• 2307-2308: The Children of Gaia religious movement discover the 'gestalts' of Avalon and that influencing them can cause drastic changes in the behaviour of other organisms. As the revolution is on the verge of defeat, the Children's influence leads to a 'nature's vengeance' scenario, with Avalon's ecosystems violently turning against the corporation and their infrastructure.
• 2309-2336: With Morgan-Lott's leadership being executed or banished, the survivors set about rebuilding and quickly claim independence for their arcologies, habitat stations, and settlements. The term homestead is used to describe these now independent governments, most of which are led by democratically elected councils. The homestead league is established as a forum for resolving disputes and coordinating resources using the colonies remaining spaceships and orbital transports, while the Children of Gaia take on a prominent advisory in environmental matters and swell in both popularity and new converts.
• 2337-2341: Although the homesteads are generally managed under fair elections, the attempts to repeal Morgan-Lott's autocratic systems have only been partially successful. Inequality had gradually settled in again, while in other homesteads an atmosphere of individualism had led to corruption and the stalling of rebuilding projects. This in turn led to several populist and right-wing movements rising to prominence.
• 2342-2345: War breaks out following a military build-up and capitalist resurgences in the arcologies of Monmouth and Amsterdam Nova and their allies, and attacks on the orbital transport fleet. Sabotage aboard the capital ship (the Matter of Hope) prevents the loyalist coalition from launching decisive counterattacks and the war drags on, only ending when the hardsuited 'caliburn' special forces are formed and deployed from orbit by loyalist orbital forces from Cable Station and Common Prosperity.
  Early model astromining hardsuits, similar in design to the basis for the earliest caliburn models [+]

  
• 2346-2348: The loyalist coalition recognizes that fundamental changes are needed in Avalon's economic systems to prevent further capitalist resurgences and the corruption in leadership that led to the war. The syndicates are established and mandated across all homesteads as a way to democratise economics, while those who refuse to give up private ownership are stripped of their resources and titles, and the most diehard supporters of the previous system are banished into the wilderness or enter self-imposed exile as capitalist hermits.
• 2349-2455: Under the watch of a more organized and empowered homestead league, rebuilding efforts are taken seriously and determined efforts are made to root out corruption in election systems. The sheriff's syndicate is established to help democratise the enforcement of law while the 'caliburn' infantry-pilots serve as the military arm of the homestead league, but for the most part outright violence or military enforcement is rarely needed as an era of peace and rebuilding takes hold on Avalon and across most of the system's habitat stations.
  Safehome, the first homestead, roughly three decades after the war [+]

  
• 2456-2457: Strange signals of unknown origin are detected beyond the edge of the system by monitoring bouys and deep space observatories on the Nine Maidens and the Children of Gaia's garden-temples on Nimue. Further research reveals a series of probes and ships of unknown design are on approach to the system, escorting a series of multiple kilometre 'comets'. Efforts to contact the visitors are met with silence or violence, including a 'kill signal' that severely damages computer systems and causes widespread disruption across the homestead league. The league is invested with the authority to coordinate and construct a defensive navy and military satellites across the system as far as the Nine Maidens.
• 2458-2462: The war against the invaders is won by the league at great cost as it is discovered that the 'comets' are of artificial origin, serving as massive terraforming engines made of 'programmable matter' able to adapt, consume and alter biospheres they come in contact with. The 'caliburn' hardsuited infantry become known as 'knight-marshalls' for both the necessity of increasingly elite training and skill, as well as 'hands on' command of drones and conventional forces.
• 2463-2465: Although the war is declared over, the league maintains 'emergency powers' as rebuilding efforts are underway, causing tension among the civilian population and fears that they will become a centralized, autocratic regime. Tensions are worsened when it is discovered that the war fought so far was merely against a vanguard force, and that as much as 90% of the machine 'swarm' is still en-route to Avalon.
• 2466-2469: The revelation of the war to come leads to mass panic and fearmongering, as well as the spread of conspiracy theories and increasingly isolationist sentiment. Recruitment and naval reconstruction efforts both plummet as many refuse to sign up or support the war, or homestead councils are forced to put down extremist or rebel movements. Increasing authoritarianism by the league's leadership threatens to spill over into mass sabotage and revolution. Eventually, the league finds a solution to its woes through an alliance with the 'capitalist hermits' who have been reconstructing and reverse-engineering the wreckage of the machine invasion to grant themselves military independence - in exchange for assistance in rebuilding Avalon's navy and infrastructure, they are granted greater autonomy and influence within the league's leadership. Meanwhile, the Children of Gaia have engaged in increasingly unethical experimentation to devise new weapons and medical procedures, including the 'uplifting' of a eusocial, frog-like species on Avalon into specialized 'breeds' of highly intelligent, rapidly growing and reproducing 'military savants' known as gremlins. In exchange for an army that can meet their manpower needs, the league likewise allows the Children increasingly free reign of Avalon's ecosystem.
  Comet Impact Zone 04, a 'forward base' of machine xenoforming administration [+]

  
• 2470-2486: At great cost, the machine war is won by the combined forces of the league, the 'capitalist hermits' (now known as the Free Republics) and the Children of Gaia. The devastation is extreme and has partially 'xenoformed' Avalon's environment, rendering large swathes of the north-eastern continent uninhabitable. Almost 400 million people have died. Rebuilding and environmental recovery efforts begin but despite efforts to encourage a sense of hope and optimism, a dour and sarcastic atmosphere has taken hold of Avalonian society.
• 2487-2512: As the decades go by, calls for the homestead league to renounce its 'emergency powers' increase in volume and ferocity, and the arguments for it to maintain such authority grow weaker and weaker. However, the over reliance on both drones from the Free Republic and gremlins from the Children of Gaia has granted both groups a crushing degree of influence within the league. Tensions reach a fever pitch when multiple syndicates are replaced with 'commercial enterprises' based out of the Free Republic of London Unbreakable and protestors are shut down with violent force. Acts of sabotage destroy a Free Republic drone factory, and counter-revolutionaries kill 12 in a violent mob - several homesteads collapse into anarchy and revolutionary sentiment.
• 2513-2517: Initially the Children of Gaia try to remain neutral, but are forced to act when a number of gremlins - modified primarily for economic and civilian use following the lack of military need - are found to have sided with protestors and revolutionaries. Efforts to reign in gremlin behaviour leads to the discovery that they are fully sapient, and many of them have been increasingly influenced by revolutionary and pre-machine war political thought. Movements to emancipate gremlin labourers intersect with calls for the end of the league, and the Children of Gaia use biochemical weaponry to try and prevent further uprisings.
• 2518-2520: The escalating violence and harm to civilians increasingly sickens and divides naval personnel. The knight-marshalls, who have developed a military culture around concepts drawn in part from heroic chivalry and romance, take the side of revolutionaries and lead a mass revolt within the navy. By extension, many gremlins are released from direct authority and turn on the Children of Gaia, leading to the destruction of at least one garden-temple on Nimue and an increasing number of the Children's members to renounce membership.
• 2521: The league is forced to surrender to revolutionaries when the use of a digital e-weapon against the Free Republic of London Unbreakable and defection by league loyalist naval forces in the area leads to a critical reactor failure, and the survivors are taken as political prisoners. The Free Republic coalition devolves into infighting.
• 2522: Meetings are held between all parties in the conflict to try and resolve tensions. Both the leadership and people are tired of war but the principles of Avalonian society demand a restoration of justice and equal rights, and the homestead league is partially reformed and absorbed into a new institution named the Green Table, which will return to fill many of the league's pre-war functions with only limited military authority. The syndicates are given equal votes and representation within the Table, while the navy's personnel and assets are split into a number of merchant fleets controlled by individual homesteads for both defence and to manage their own aerospace transport of people and goods.
• 2523-2531: Rebuilding efforts continue in earnest, but are slowed by sabotage and a withdrawal of technical and drone support by the remaining Free Republics. Environmental recovery efforts are also slowed by the Children of Gaia becoming embroiled in political and ethical division over the treatment of gremlins, the emancipation of which becomes a major political issue.
  
  'Roadtrains', large-scale ground transport vehicles that have fallen in and out of favour at different points in Avalonian history [+]

  
• 2532-2538: An extremist doomsday sect within the Children of Gaia, the Lilithian Threshold, release a highly aggressive strain of gestalt bioweapon that destroys several gremlin creches, kills at least 30,000 people, and forces the arcology of York-Mumbai into a prolonged quarantine. Efforts to shut down the sect leads to military action against at least three garden-temples and backlash against the Children. At least in part to spite hardline elements within the Children and pro-capitalist sentiment - both of which see the gremlins as subhuman slave labour - the overwhelming majority of the homesteads and syndicates within the Green Table enact formal protections for gremlin rights, with harsh penalties.
• 2539-2578: A period of 'uneasy peace' settles across the Annwn system. There is no outright military violence between members of the Green Table, but the remaining Free Republics have grown increasingly militarized and autocratic, and there have continued to be a number of increasingly radical anti-gremlin and pro-capitalist movements. In addition, the gestalts of Avalon - which are generally 'respected from a distance' by the arcologies and in some ways are still poorly understood - have been behaving more and more erratically, and periodic outbreaks of the highly aggressive Nevermore gestalt leads to the outright destruction of many smaller 'frontier' homesteads.
• 2579-2603: Continued outbreaks of the Nevermore gestalt begin to cause mass panic and force many homestead councils to enforce lockdowns and quarantines as they try to stem the violent effects of its infestation with limited progress. Medical research is dedicated to a solution, though many desperately seek to move to offworld homesteads or syndicates. Debate is held on the granting of the Green Table with emergency powers, but the idea is rejected given the history of the old homestead league. A solution is found with the creation of a synthetic gestalt strain that can be adapted to a host's immune system and then works as a pre-emptive defence against Nevermore spores, but the adjustment of permanently allowing a gestalt to reside in a person's brain and nervous system is too much for many to accept and uptake is slow.
• 2604: The last major outbreak of the Nevermore gestalt is starved of hosts and destroyed through the use of chemical and anti-fungal weapons, but minor outbreaks will periodically effect frontier homesteads in the decades to follow.
• 2605-2612: Military patrols by the Free Republics lead to an escalation in military action and numerous 'border skirmishes' over asteroid and Nine Maiden mining rights, but does not escalate into a total war scenario. Meanwhile, studies on individuals implanted with an artificial gestalt are found to have consistently improved memory, reaction times, and resistance to neurological decay and neurological senescence. Some gradually choose to have artificial gestalts implanted for health benefits, which combined with other medical advancements over the past few centuries leads to the average lifespan on Avalon increasing to 135 years old.
• 2613: Over time, the Green Table has created an increasingly large number of small institutions under its authority to help organize and manage specific issues across Annwn, but this has led to numerous concerns that it will continue to grow and centralize, leading to history repeating itself.
• 2614-2616: The last members of the Lilithian Threshold and its splinter groups are discovered and executed in a multi-homestead operation that reveals extensive research and material support by leadership in the Children of Gaia. Public outrage lends political weight to those within the Green Table who wish to restrain large scale religious organization, but compromise is reached with the formal creation of the Conceptual Interchanges, an act which also consolidates many of the Green Table's 'knowledge-adjacent' institutions into a new 'pillar' of Avalonian society that it does not possess authority over.
  The first official Interchange, established at what was once the Gaian garden-temple-turned-homestead, Lotus-Deux [+]

  
• 2616-2635: The Conceptual Interchanges undertake an extended effort, with homestead and syndicate support, to restore greater equilibrium to Avalon's ecosystem. The increasing adoption of artificial gestalts provide some measure of help in this, as it is discovered that the majority of 'passive' gestalts in Avalon's ecosystems are not aggressively attacked by a host body's implants, and in fact allow for a level of communication that at times verges on the supposedly supernatural. Clean up and biosphere reseeding work on the heavily scarred north-eastern continent is finally begun in earnest.
  Mangrove Town, nomadic oceanic homestead established to assist in oceanic clean-up across the eastern equator [+]

  
• 2636-2672: Tensions with the Free Republics continue to escalate as Avalonian society begins to experience an economic and ecological boom, and the creation of new habitats by those opposed to the use of artificial gestalts creates new spacer societies across the Annwn system. Some of these form an uneasy alignment with their former enemies. Piracy becomes a notable issue for the first time in Avalon's history.
• 2673-2679: Advancements in cybernetics and biotechnology leads to the devising of increasingly complex 'organic modules' whereby gestalt-derived mycelial networks can be used by someone with a gestalt implant to 'pilot' machinery. The knight-marshalls, by this point an institution of questionable military but deep cultural value, are given new life in anti-piracy and 'expeditionary' raids against Free Republic facilities, in part with the use of gestalt implants to operate their caliburn suits with superhuman effectiveness and reaction times.
• 2680-2687: As many as 38% of Avalon's population have gestalt implants, though no homestead outright requires it. A number of key infrastructural or transportation jobs become reliant on gestalt-adjacent technology.
• 2688-2693: The escalation in piracy and 'expeditionary' operations between the remaining Free Republics and the Green Table & homestead navies sparks all out war.
  Shipyard and military staging ground for the Free Republic of Third Maiden [+]

  
• 2694-2696: Despite several Free Republic victories, a carefully deployed digital e-weapon succeeds in sabotaging the defence systems of the Free Republic of Second Venice and causes the destruction of several fleets of republican drone swarms. Coupled with the seizure or destruction of major industrial sites across the moons of Bran, the Free Republics are forced into a total surrender.
• 2697-2703: The 'Free Republics' undergo extensive political restructuring to bring them in line with homestead and syndicate structures, while their remaining industrial facilities are distributed evenly across all aerospace-present homesteads. Although loyalist factions to the old regimes attempt acts of sabotage or to establish new settlements elsewhere in the system, they are pursued and their ships disabled or destroyed. When offered peaceful reintegration into society, several of them elect self-destruction via a desperate suicide attack.
• 2704-2799: A prolonged period of peace and gradual advancement settles across Avalon and the wider Annwn system. Much of the north-eastern continent is ecologically recovered and dozens of new homesteads are established. By the end of the 28th century, approximately 79% of Avalon's population possess an artificial gestalt, and virtually all homesteads contain at least one 'communal gestalt' that serves as a community-wide advisor, mentor, and therapist.
  Optimism, one of the new homesteads established during the century of peace [+]

  
• 2800: The Gate reopens.

CULTURE & SOCIETY: Avalon's tumultuous history, coupled with its increasingly democratic and humanitarian political systems, have produced no end of seeming contradictions. The stereotype of the average Avalonian is that they are hard-working, self-sufficient, and ready to face the day's challenges with a smile... but at the same time they are politely cautious around strangers and overly bureaucratic. For the vast majority of its population, daily life is peaceful and cooperative, where the average person fits well into their particular homestead's culture – critics would claim this is due to the influence of prolonged gestalt exposure on the human brain, showing signs of heightened interconnectiveness of mirror neurons and neurons of the insular cortex. To some extent this is intentionally reinforced by childhood education often focusing on a mixture of practical skills, horticulture, biological sciences, the humanities, and team-building exercises, and a respect for nature and for people is foundational for these reasons.

Physical activity, training, and sport are also huge parts of Avalonian culture, as is the encouragement of hobbies and open social spaces designed to provide people with enough personal quiet time but plenty of opportunities to interact with others in healthy, supportive ways. Various types of football are the dominant sport, most notably gridiron, rugby, and soccer, though other team sports such as baseball, basketball, cricket, hockey and lacrosse also see popular play. Meanwhile cross-homestead 'tourneys' serve as the basis for a lot of inter-homestead interaction and collaboration of ideas and skilled workers, serving as something between a multi-disciplinary athletic competition, inventor’s fair, and cosplay convention or ren-faire.

On the subjects of belief, purpose, philosophy, and religion, Avalonians are generally diverse and open-minded. The Conceptual Interchanges function as both educational archives and public libraries, as well as serving as official forums for open education and discussion on the history of almost every idea, belief system, political ideology, or philosophy known to man. Do note however that debate for the purpose of 'winning arguments' is generally discouraged as unproductive. So long as an idea or system is not seen as antithetical to sapient rights or the pillars of Avalon, then it is tolerated and present on Avalon and has likely been synthesized and interpreted in ten thousand different ways. Religion specifically is a little more contentious, with the majority of Avalonians being some form of 'secularly spiritual', having a sense of spirituality but being somewhat loose or personal towards it, or maintaining religious traditions for cultural, historical or ritualistic purposes more so than out of genuine belief. The largest religions still present are Hinduism, Buddhism, Cascadism, Prophetism (a broad term for religions based on the teachings of one or more 'key prophets', individuals of supposed direct divine blessing by a specific deity), Neo-Paganism and Gaianism, and these collectively make up about 15% of the population.



GOVERNANCE & POLITICS: Since the fall of the Morgan-Lott corporation and the civil war that saw the destruction and outlawing of many of its most influential figures and 'true believers', the democratic, decentralized systems introduced in its wake and in the following centuries have been repeatedly tested - both by the internal debate baked into the system, and by physical dangers from both the planet and from outside of the system. Nevertheless, these systems have survived such tests, and have been reinforced as serving as the groundwork for Avalon's cultural and moral identity, and as symbols of pride and unity. The term pillar is used to describe these institutions based on three crucial merits -- the institution must be relevant in the daily lives of all people and with a clear societal function; the institution must contain formal democratic processes for representing the views and rights of its members; and it must have clear codes of conduct and standards of behaviour.

While technically each of the pillars functions independently of the others, in truth they are all deeply interconnected, and most Avalonians hold membership with several - if not all - such pillars at the same time.

• The Green Table of Avalon and Annwn: The closest thing Avalonian society has to a 'federal government', though this is a matter of contention - after the original 'homestead league' descended into authoritarianism, efforts were taken to reduce the power and authority of its replacement. The Green Table is primarily a mediating forum with some inter-homestead authority, serving as a means for all homesteads, syndicates, and interchanges to reach consensus and resolve disputes peacefully. Its leadership is elected from across Avalonian society, with long term times but no possibility for re-election. The Green Table maintains a central bank that mints the Avalonian shilling, the central currency of Avalon, as well as operating Avalon's small but capable unified navy and the knight-marshalls.
• The Homesteaders' League: Most people dwell within one of the many homesteads that dot Avalon’s surface or as habitats and stations in the asteroid belts or on dome-cities on Annwn's uninhabitable (but often industrially useful) planets and moons. These settlements vary in both size and self-sufficiency, but all are ruled via locally held elections in which members nominate and vote for new council members to govern the homestead. These handle decisions as regards local laws, infrastructure, and carefully balance the needs and situation of the homestead’s residents, and are together referred to as the homesteaders’ league. Each homestead possesses its own militia and naval forces, known as a merchant fleet.
  Homestead Examples [+]

  
• The People's Syndicates: Most people who aren't fully self-employed or in partnerships are members of one of the many syndicates. These worker co-operatives handle specific industries or fields of interest and are primarily organized digitally, though syndicates focused on a specific regional or geographically relevant industry will often have a physical headquarters within the nearest homestead. They take on new “junior”, or trainee, members from among homestead residents who want to learn the relevant field, and once qualified these become “senior” members and are eligible to vote and put forth suggestions for the syndicate’s own council. Together, these are referred to as the peoples’ syndicates and function as Avalon's key economic power in contrast to the homesteads localized political power.
• The Conceptual Interchanges: Established in the wake of the gremlin emancipation as a way to discourage religious insularity, the conceptual interchange is organized both digitally and from a number of interchange archives based out of the largest and most interconnected homesteads. Here, individuals may study, discuss, and register new ideas as relating to various humanities subjects - belief systems, ideologies, philosophies, political ideas, religious rituals and traditions. Run by elected volunteers, the interchanges play an important role in Avalon's societal cohesion and education system, essentially functioning as interfaith temples, as spaces for public debate and discussion, as public libraries, as schools and universities, and as large community spaces.
• The Avalonian Gestalts: The nature of gestalt sapience and intelligence has led some to question whether they should be considered a 'pillar' of their own. However, the gestalts play a vital role in managing and monitoring the biosphere of Avalon, and the increasing normalization of both artificial gestalt implants and the use of communal gestalts as a kind of 'organic AI' has made them an invaluable part of daily life for many people.
• The Navy and the Knight-Marshalls: Something of a matter of contention within Avalonian political discussion is the role of Avalon's professional military. Both the navy and the knight-marshalls are technically sub-divisions of the Green Table, organizations ultimately subject to its head council - this is by design as the basic needs of a military organization are hierarchical and thus antithetical to the entire moral system on which Avalon has built its identity. However, given the vital role these organizations have played in the safety of Avalon and its people - and all the more so as the gates begin to reopen - there are some who argue they must be able to function with a greater degree of self-sufficiency, freed of the bureaucracy baked into so many of Avalon's systems.

Because all of these organizations are democratic in structure and the syndicates are only formed from unions with many members, it leads to a situation where all of the syndicates have at least some representation in any given homestead, and each homestead has at least some representation within the syndicates, and both are involved with an benefit from the conceptual interchanges and the gestalts. Likewise, all of these in turn have representation on the Green Table.

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW: Avalon's technology has progressed in many areas in times of both war and peace, but the major advancements have been across the fields of...

• Robotics: Thanks in part to the advancements made by the old Free Republics from the study and reverse engineering of the drones and comet fragments of the machine swarm, Avalon's robotics technology has seen impressive growth. Generally, the creation of more 'recognizable' robots is limited to more localized or 'casual' projects as matter of creating simple automated tools and assistants, or as teaching tools for children and students. More advanced robots that make use of programmable matter as a means of adapting their form and tools for the needs of a situation see use both in space and in large construction projects, as well as in the navy and homestead militias as key force multipliers.
  An Avalonian spacer of the former 'Free Republic'-turned-homestead of Ra-Onoff [+]

  
• Fabrication modules, nanotech, and programmable matter: The Morgann-Lott corporation was on the cutting edge of nanotech as a form of quick parts and construction manufacture on Old Earth, but the efforts of the Free Republics to maintain their independence - and especially with the study of machine swarm wreckage - led to drastic advancements. While the people of Avalon have never deciphered how to recreate the swarm's efficiency or self-sufficiency in full, most homesteads are equipped with at least one 'fabrication module' - a device that organizes a high-containment nanite swarm as part of manufacturing tools and parts as needed from a mixture of raw materials.
  A cutting edge drone built partially out of programmable matter, a crude imitation of the basic drones of the machine swarm [+]

  
• Gene-therapy and genetic engineering: As a result of centuries of efforts to heal and restore Avalon's damaged biosphere, and from the efforts of the old gaian garden-temples on Nimue, improvements in genetic engineering have allowed for the tweaking of Avalon's biosphere, the gradual creation of new organisms, vastly improved nutritional and crop yields, or to slow senescence in many organisms.
• Vat-growth procedures: The creation of an adaptable, nutrient dense 'synthetic cellular mass' from specially cultured Avalonian protoplasm which in turn can be stimulated by the introduction of foreign DNA to 'clone' certain types of cells. At its most complex, this allowed for the original creation and then mass-production of gremlin eggs after their engineering by the Children of Gaia, but it has also allowed for such advancements as the nurturing and growth of replacement organs, limbs, and plasma 'nurtured' from a person that in turn be used as replacements with minimal conflict to the person's immune system. Between this and the use of gene-therapies to slow aging, the average Avalonian's life expectancy is measured in the range of 160 to 180 years.
• Artificial gestalts & mycelial information networks: The study and genetic tampering of Avalon's gestalts has allowed for a number of advancements, and following the use of artificial gestalt implants as a means to protect against aggressive gestalt infection, these saw increasingly widespread use given the benefits to memory, reaction times, and emotional stability. The use of artificial gestalts in localized computer networks and machinery control systems also grants users with implants the ability to directly share memories and thoughts with others in their community while 'plugged in', control machines and vehicles with more delicately and with faster reaction times, and to 'store' their memories for communal use, criminal investigation, or to aid in therapy.

MILITARY OVERVIEW: Despite the last century of peace and subsequent demilitarization that has occurred across much of the Annwn system, a history of conflict, the potential danger of fringe, extremist or criminal groups, as well as the need to keep vigilant, and the at times hostile nature of Avalon's biosphere, all necessitate some form of military. However, to avoid a centralization of power and the risks of an autocratic regime, the military structure of Annwn is broken up into broadly the following forms and branches:

• Green Table Navy: The professional aerospace military forces of the Annwn system, the navy has historically fought its fair share of peer engagements and piracy, but for the past century has largely taken on the role of patrol, monitoring, and emergency response and rescue efforts across the system. It is a fairly small force after almost a century of disarmament and repurposing - at its peak during the mid 27th century it totalled some 182 'large' vessels measuring almost a kilometre in length, and close to a thousand 'small' vessels a few hundred meters long, but by the end of the 28th century it maintains less than a tenth that total.
  
  Example Green Table naval vessels [+]

  
• Monitoring Arrays: A key part of the Green Table's 'vigilant memorial' policy has been the establishment and maintenance of a large network of 'monitoring bouys' - long-range, deep space satellites and observatories, primarily across the moons of Bran, the outer asteroid belt, and the Nine Maidens. These are generally unarmed besides low-powered point defence systems for use against stray debris or small asteroids but serve as a 24/7 detection system for potential threats across and beyond the system, and allow for armed forces or rescue operations to respond as quickly as possible. Many of these bouys are automated, though part of the navy's role is in monitoring and necessary maintenance.
• Aerospace Cavalry: Primarily a result of the long war against the machines but having proved relevant in the conflicts to follow, the 'aerospace cavalry' is a network of 'reserve' vessels across the Annwn system primarily composed of gremlin and gestalt crewed carrier vessels designed to quickly deploy defensive swarms of armed drone units, rapidly gathering data against hypothetical enemy attack and to delay, redirect or sabotage attacks.
• Knight-Marshalls: The unified 'professional military' of the Green Table, drawn from volunteers across the Annwn system. Elite soldiers equipped with highly agile, armament-modified hardsuits commonly known as caliburn chassis, Knight-Marshalls primary military role is in zero-g or low gravity environments, though they are also expected to be skilled diplomats and virtuous towards others. While they thankfully only see occasional deployment outside of ceremonial occasions or training exercises, they serve as the crucial last resort in the event of situations that more localized forces cannot deal with.
  Caliburn Suit Examples (Knight-Marshalls) [+]

  
• Homestead Merchant Fleets: Composed of both older naval vessels and newer civilian transports, the merchant fleets are operated by the larger homesteads and serve as means for orbital and offworld transport and trade, but also function as the expeditionary or military forces of a homestead with only minimal retrofitting.
  Cargo Frigate of Kilohaven's Merchant Fleet [+]

  
• Homestead Militia: Self-defence, mutual aid training, emergency response, firearms training, first aid, and survival skills training are all normalized elements of Avalonian culture and education, especially on frontier settlements. These coupled with all homesteads maintaining a part-time volunteer militia program and the modular design of civilian and economic vehicles - vehicles designed to be retrofittable for military use if needed - means that most homesteads are capable of mustering a surprisingly large and competent combined arms military force in emergencies.
  Wilderness exploration surveillance vehicle with human pilot; note limited armament but potential for military retrofitting [+]

  
• Aerospace Syndicates: A catch-all term for the syndicates involved in the construction, design, maintenance, repair and operation of satellites, space habitats, ships, stations and outposts, including much of the work involved in gas extraction and astromining across the asteroid belts and the planets and moons besides Avalon. Given the difficult nature of life and work in these environments, and the many years of dedicated training required, most of the 'aerospace syndicates' responsible for this work and training are highly self-sufficient and well-equipped to deal with both potential ship-to-ship combat or against hijackers and boarding parties. In emergency situations it's not been uncommon for aerospace syndicate personnel to be contracted out to support the navy or a merchant fleet.
• Ranger & Sheriff Syndicates: These categories of syndicate are both armed and well-trained for specific kinds of dangers on Avalon itself. The ranger syndicates primarily handle wilderness exploration, research, and the early groundwork in the establishment of new homesteads - they also often have to deal with strange or hostile wildlife, environments, and resolve potential territorial disputes with and between wild gestalts. Meanwhile the sheriff syndicates handle day-to-day security on important sites, investigates crime, gather evidence, and track down criminals and fugitives - sometimes also serving as an in-person representative or mediator between homesteads when needed.
  Avalonian rangers & example equipment [+]

  
• Interchange Gestalt Commission: Of the five pillars, the conceptual interchanges are the most fundamentally peaceful in both structure and function. However, the nature of scientific advancement is that in can be used for war, especially on a planet where the very environment itself can in some sense 'think' and be reasoned with... or exploited. The gestalt commission is primarily a philosophical and 'diplomatic' initiative to maintain peace with the wild gestalts of Avalon and to better nurture and understand the artificial gestalts, but in emergency situations the commission is aware of means by which the wild gestalts can be manipulated, turning the very biosphere of Avalon against would-be invaders.
• Emergency Protoplasm Reserves: The gremlins were originally created to serve as an army, massively bolstering naval and ground force personnel with 'expendable', rapidly replaceable, durable and highly specialized 'savant'-like qualified infantry and support forces. Although the progress of sapient rights and the decentralization of military power, plus the century of peace, have both played a key role in granting gremlins their freedom and allowing them to manage their own affairs, reproduction, and choices of specialization within the system of the pillars as equal members of society... the Green Table and the Interchanges do still possess certain options. Deeply questionable and unethical options, but... options, never-the-less.
  Gremlin strains (military) [+]

  
  

---

--- Safehome: An arcology homestead and Avalon's first major settlement. Established at colony founding.
--- Monmouth: An arcology homestead that was part of the corporatist alliance in the mid-24th century. Established at colony founding.
--- Amsterdam Nova: An arcology homestead that was part of the corporatist alliance in the mid-24th century. Established at colony founding.
--- York-Mumbai: An arcology homestead that suffered a bioweapon attack by terrorists in the 2530s and had to undergo prolonged quarantine. Established at colony founding.
--- Cable Station: Shipyard & refuelling station in the inner asteroid belt. Became a homestead in the 2340s.
--- Common Prosperity: Cylinder habitat station established in the inner asteroid belt. Became a homestead in the 2340s.
--- Kilohaven: Smaller homestead settlement that grew into an arcology during the late 26th century, when it's isolated and mountainous position made it a relative 'safe zone' against Nevermore gestalt aggression. Established at colony founding.
--- Lotus-Deux: Former 'garden-temple' of the Children of Gaia. Became a homestead in 2616 as the home of the first Conceptual Interchange.
--- Second Venice: Former Free Republic in the outer asteroid belt. Became a homestead after surrendering in 2696.
--- Ra-Onoff: Former Free Republic in orbit around Bran. Became a homestead after surrendering in 2696.
--- Third Maiden: Former Free Republic of the Nine Maidens in the outer system. Became a homestead after surrendering in 2696.
--- Mangrove Town: Nomadic oceanic homestead established for oceanic clean-up work in the eastern equator. Established in the early 27th century.
--- Optimism: Smaller arcology homestead established during the 28th century.

Planet/System Name and Description:

• Star: A Red Giant that bathes their planet in a warm red light.
• Lava World: A dwarf planet, only the hardest materials on the surface are not turned to molten slag.
• Desert Planet: The atmosphere of the planet has long since burned away, leaving the earth a barren desert wasteland.
• The Homeworld: The Humans called the planet Exodus. The Nameless however have not named it. It has five moons of varying sizes.
• Gas Dwarf No more needs said.
• Gas Giant No more needs said.

Demographics:

The Nameless are of differing castes of Bipedal creatures, with four arms and a lone AI.

The population is 80% Male and 20% Female. The Males skin are typically green/brown very 'ground' colours. Whereas the women are bigger, and their skins are mixes of blues/purples.

They have no robots/drones/droids, as they try to limit their use of heretical technology.

History:

BR - Before Reclamation
AR- After Reclamation

Culture and Society:

They are a matriarchal society. They value life above all else, after life was a gift from the Gods. This is why women are valued as highly in their society, they are the name givers. It is forbidden for those to name what is not their creation, which is why the species has no name.

Women, name their children. Shapers name their creations. It is the way of things, even their world is Nameless.

Other than the reverence for life, the three main pillars of their religion are the Eternal Reward, Great Nothing, and Infernal Damnation.



Governance and Politics: The Deacon is the leader, sand he has many underlings. Her words are the literal translation of the Gods, there is little room given for any political wrangling. To speak against the Deacon is to speak against the Gods.

Technology Overview:

The Nameless uusesOrganic based 'technology'. Rather than being constructed, it is grown. Many of the species shouldn't exist, technically speaking, however,r they are in abundance in the Homeworld. Some things they have struggled to replicate, have been working but still struggle to replicate the abilities of long-range sensors and communications equipment. Instead, they still use human technology that is interfaced with their own, maintained by the Tainted.

Their power systems, weapons, and propulsion, all run off plasma.

Military Overview:

Planet/System Name and Description:

Demographics:

Homo-Troich: The people in the Tiberius system don't see themselves as anything other than 'Human'. However,r over the years, they have adapted to the harsh realities. They're, on average, shorter and stockier than baseline humanity. Stronger on average, with a larger heart to compensate for the increased blood flow.



History:







Culture and Society: The Trioch live in a society that is all geared towards the betterment of their clan, their society and their people. There are outlaws, and fringe groups within the system but they are few and far between.

The people from the Kingdom of Trioch have a strong sense of identity, almost everyone has their spacesuit (some are armoured, some are not) and while most Clans have an agreed-upon color scheme there is plenty of room for self-expression. The armour worn by an individual is an expression of their individuality. One of the strongest anti-deterrents to crime is the punishment of having your armour painted matte-grey. A symbol to everyone around you that you are without honour.

There is a reference to their King, as when it is time to choose an heir Althouse eligible must pass through three trials. The Trial of Wisdom, Strength and Honour. While some feel that anyone should be able to compete, the fact that it is competed for in general gives most a sense of easiness around the passing of succession.

Traditional family units do not exist. Once a child is born they are moved to a creche to be taken care of with other children their age. They are raised by creche mothers and Fathers. Nobody knows who their parents are, except royal blood - however, they only become aware when it is time for a new heir to be chosen. As such a Creche Mother and Father are the closest thing one has to parents. Those who are with them are their brothers and sisters.

Every adult is required to produce at least three offspring, to make this fair it can either be a one-off partner, a romantic interest (marriage is not forbidden) or a donation given for artificial insemination. This is to try and increase the population, however, to ensure that the women are treated fairly for their role in this they are taken to special facilities for the duration of their pregnancy, and five weeks after, where they receive the best medical care available. As well as everything else they could need or want.



Governance and Politics:
Throne: The Throne is held by the King, after thirty years - or in the event of his death, or contraction of a fatal illness, his heirs are invited to the Trials to determine who will be next in line. The Trials of Strength, Wisdom and Honour change every time however the main goal is to ensure any potential leader has what it takes to be a just and fair leader. The Crown Prince, or Princess, becomes the de-facto second head of state. If the King dies before any of his heirs are of age, the heirs who are the king's siblings are once again offered the chance to undergo the trials.

Clans: There are hundreds of clans, of varying degrees of importance. The leading 6 clans form the council, many of these clans have multiple within their number. The ruling six clans themselves have many 'Sub-clans' that fall under their umbrella. There are internal politics and manoeuvring within the clans themselves. Being a Clan Leader is an elected position from all of those within your clan, and can be an incredibly powerful position. The six on the council, should they vote together, even can overrule the King.


Technology Overview:

AI: AI is their defining achievement, they have spent a massive amount of time working on robotics to compensate for their small population.
Space Elevator: Steelend, their Capital City, has a massive Space Elevator with separate compartments for cargo and passengers. It is used by most to avoid bringing ships down in high gravity.

Most of their technology is standard to what you would expect before the Gateways closed, in terms of weaponry they are primarily focused on conventional projectile weapons with some larger railguns in existence on their capital ships.

Military Overview: The KoT doesn't have a standing Military, however, each Clan has its own Militia that includes Naval Units. The King can order any active military units around, however, some Clans keep certain assets off the books to keep for themselves. There has been no infighting, other than fights against rogue cells/pirates since the Fragmentation War. Clan Trioch has the largest collection of military assets and is often regarded as the best in terms of military action.


Additional Info: (Anything else you want to include that there isn't a spot for up there.)

Government Form:
A Kleptocracy/kratocracy/plutocratic league of Warlords
or
A feudal State

Population:
The human population or as they call themselves Descendants. As in Descendants of the ancient 8 kings hence why they call themselves, they are a strange sight to behold, for a regular human, the iris of their eye glows in 8 different colors that is linked to the ancestry to one of the eight kings with heterochromia only happening when one is a descendant of two kings, but that is also not the most unusual fact about Descendants they are widely considered to be master engineers, not in the sense of their culture leads to then being able to favor engineering its that they are naturally born with genetical knowledge of engineering with children being able to fix machines, and in some rare cases design nuclear reactors at young ages, not much is known for why this happens, it is widely believed it's sort of a genetic memory. Other oddities of the Descendants or the Vusarian Humanoid include a near complete inexistence of diseases affecting their population, infections do not exist, instead the most common act of death is starvation, old age causing one to drop dead, and intentional killing by another human or animal. Some other genetic tendencies include a near tribal mentality akin to brotherhood towards one's own descendancy of a specific king, that culturally speaking they attempt to diminish so that events of the past do not repeat themselves as they say. Besides their internal behavior, their appearance is still different, including sharpened teeth being widely common, flexible tongues and pointy ears also being extremely widespread.

Total Population of the entire system totals in average at 3.5 Billion.

What is humanity for a Vusarian?:
Family.

Planets
Vusary is the homeworld and only habitable planet of the star system, surrounded by three shattered moons, which are cracked with volcanic ravines, they look almost destroyed and chunks barely cobbled together, the world itself has 1.2 G’s of gravity orbiting a K type star. Said world is an arid world with large rivers and lakes, its oceans or seas as they are better put, due to them being rather small. Megacities dotting its surface together with giant ruins and abandoned infrastructure that is very alien in technology and design, being dated to be twenty thousand years old with life being archaeologically dated to be around 4 billion years old.

Little to no known anomalies exist in Vusary, planet life on the other hand is considered quite dangerous with life being adapted to be very aggressive and defensive. Flora is also known to be somewhat more habitable with Vusarians using their

Other worlds are strange to say the least; three gas giants are mapped with their frozen and equally cracked rocky moons being settled with mines being rather far. Meanwhile there is just one other mapped world a planet that seems in transition state between gas giant and rocky world thanks to absorption of gas around it.

Now for the rest of the Star system the Vusarians inhabit, many space stations dotting a rather broad area around its native star together with equally dangerous space derelicts of former space stations and gigantic ships with some still having automated defenses still active. Now what makes things more strange for the system is that while the star is 5 billion years old and will continue to burn for billions more the system itself can easily be classified as having a proto-planetary disk due to the amount of asteroid and space dust and lack of worlds.



History
The history of Vusary and the league is considered the hardest thing to decipher, due to a lack of information pre what is called the dark era. Most information being passed orally also makes information gathering difficult. The best records layed are those that divide things between mythological and after league establishment, the information below is a combination of all that is known.

-Mythological History

Long ago the ancient mother Gael that fostered and grew, humanity, grew sick by the actions of her children, the races of man sending them out to explore the great beyond to save themselves from her death. The destruction of Gael made man weep for many days as its people mourned fleeing in the one great vessel, Mokro that fled the destruction wrought by the death of the ancient mother, eight great man, eight leaders, eight brothers of their people, counseled them as they arrived here in Vusary on its ancient lost green lush fields a new eden.

When they arrived in Vusary of old it was said they found their natives an alien race insect species called the Monuk. Their kind was gentle to offer the ancestors refugee in their world, the eight leaders shared with them the knowledge of man, its culture, power, fears, and glory the Monuk in return gave them land, wisdom, and knowledge of technologies never seen from powers to harvest the hearts of worlds, the energy of gas giants, to turn wastelands into green valleys, to become immortal and near godlike and the mightiest of all, the power to harvest the second sun for energy. The kindest gift of them was granting them land to rule over, in Vusary, to the ancient rulers and their followers. Bael, Kal, Niko, Naro, Jale, Luka, Utya, and Vixtra the immortal lords of our peoples. First they debated on how to rule but soon they found bitterness over who should lead. Dividing themselves on their best traits Bael saying, that he was the smartest and had more knowledge of leadership, believing he should lead, Nikor stating his strength would lead them, Kal that her kindness and ability to do good should lead them, Naro with his wits and eloquence, Jale with his ways of making good deals, and economic thought, Luka with his science and knowledge, Uytya with her energy and will, and Vixtra with her schemes and ability to trick others.

Unable to agree, they bickered and almost fought until their followers urged for a compromise and so they settled in one they would split what was granted to them. So they went off Mokro, sending their followers and themselves in the new world, splitting it up amongst them and their descendants co existing with the Monuk. Peace reigned initially but not forever, for different from the Monuk man was ambitious too much for its gain and different from the Monuk united in goal man was split and divided conflict brews.

Once the siblings loved each other. But once their cities grew some grew faster and bigger then the others and their love faded out of jealousy growing into jealousy. Their jealousy outmatched them building great monuments triggering anger in themselves. But at that time peace could still reign but it couldn't because in anger they builded armies and used the gifts of their cooperation with the Monuk to build great armies and fleets of power capable of destroying continents. From anger they moved to fear and from fear it burned into hatred of their once brothers and sisters.

In hatred from each other they builded even mightier weapons and consumed more resources. But also did the biggest crimes yet they made, using their power and might, they turned their children and the children of their followers into monsters and those who did not fight and protested against them. Into beings that mirrored their thoughts and ways this is how we came into being. But also the most horrific of things they did to themselves turning into monsters that haunted their lands;

The Monuk at first friendly were horrified by the power and might that the eight kings amassed and what they did to themselves and their children. At first they attempted to control them but the Monuk could not control the forces of man of the Monuk did not have reasons to compete to fight to even hate each other as much as man hated itself and its fellows. While for many a weakness for humans its a strength for conflict was eternal and with it change and growth could accumulate. But even change and growth must be restrained by the hand of calm and patience and the eight kings didn't have that. The Monuk once mightier than man now were weaker, their power obfuscated by the power of the eight kings and their nations. Soon becoming absorbed by them in fear of becoming targets of the eight kings wrath.

Soon the kings continued to grow, creating weapons that haunt the lands of Vusary to this day. The mutants that now infest the dead lands and the valleys of radiation. The machines that destroy cities and cause wars and devastation in the cyber wars of today. But also the most powerful of weapons is the trident of Mokro named after the ship that brought us to this world. The trident was able to control the two suns to dangerous effects using the knowledge of the Monuk fearful of its power they urged the kings to never use it and they promised to them. But lied to them as well for in their hearts the trident was a weapon against their most hated foe.

Their hatred grew until it couldn't anymore and war plagued Bursary and the worlds around. The kings send their children and their loved ones to die in their petty wars. Rivers blood flowed, seas turned red and many died for their hatred was with no equal even when bodies piled as high as mountains in battles fought in the green fields of Vusary they never accepted peace for their hatred burned as bright as the sun. But the war as brutal as it was, their children slave to them as it was and the Monuk fearful as they were could not held on forever and so the wars began to come to a close but they feared their end the end of their power as their children turned against them and in their fear and hated they committed the greatest sin of all.

Using the Trident of Mokro they used the power hoping to end the war instead it caused their end and the end of all that was good for the second sun exploded and Vusary seemed about to shatter and break into a thousand pieces but the Monuk seeing the upcoming end of their world and humanity sacrificed themselves to save the innocent and in the last actions cursed the kings to walk the land burned and cursed by their sins and tainted by the blood they shed and to forever drip from, their hands and for then to never again to find the love their children gave then. It is said that Vusary burned for years, the green fields of Vusary turned to barren wastelands, the great oceans boiled into salt fields and when the ashes finally settled, the kings wept upon seeing the destruction and chaos they unleashed. When attempting to find their children they ran upon seeing them, they were seen as monsters no longer guardians and parents they were once seen as.

Ashamed and humiliated, the eight kings vowed to return once they atoned for the sins they committed to the ones they loved, for their children and so they walked the earth like on the first day they arrived but this time in regret and it is said they were never seen again. As time went on the world healed the ash settled and life bloomed again but the scars of old remain. It is widely believed that when the kings return they either will take back their power and put their children on trial for their sins just as they judged their own sins. Others believe they still are around guiding events behind the shadows; some believe they died seeking redemption in death, others believe they managed to return to old Gael seeking redemption in home.

-Non Mythological history

The league formed roughly some 50 years ago with a precision date being 53 years 7 months and 2 days according to a standard terran calendar. Before the league the fleet nicknamed Mokro arrived in the star system of Vusary possibly a single ship possibly hundreds of thousands data from earth ruins does not reveal much. In front of them was no uncolonised world but rather a sapient race nicknamed the Monuk. It is widely believed amongst scholars that initially humans and the Monuk cooperated in building the first settlements and society of the system. Until the great war came around, roughly archeological evidence seems to suggest human presence for the last 500 years even if it is sparse it seems to suggest that in the initial times things were peaceful by the lack of war sites in the period.

After sometime it is believed rapidly militarism began to be adopted by both races as weapons of war of multiple designs can be found in and around dating of the period to this day, unfortunately such build up that seemed to be used for deterrence and detente backfired. Defensive AI’s, bio weapons seem to have turned rogue, after an event that is collectively called by Vusarians as the great cataclysm. Possibly a disaster event unleashed by the sun that caused electromagnetic storms across the entire star system. Possibly combined with AI rebellions causing a full on collapse with the sun becoming the instability oddity that it is today. At the same time some believe that it was super weapons used that caused the disaster.

The Dark age is a period spamming the time after the great war who’s beginning and end is difficult to pinpoint. Its period is categorized by a post apocalyptic survivor mentality until the rise of warlords and city states once again. Society rebuilding aided by technological recovery, helped in the rise of a series of warlords states and pirate states, in both land and orbit; this period was known to be very brutal especially due to a plethora of genocidal leaders, doomsday Cults and many many other erased societies and leaders who arose and died before the league came into existence by the time the League arose they unfortunately locked most information of this period behind their archives for reasons difficult to explain but mostly rotate around avoiding separatism so to speak.

Roughly in the last 200 years there has been as well the presence of what is nicknamed by local Vusarians “the cyber wars”. Ancient war machines that seem dormant, reactivate. As their cores awakened, they launched massive wars against the local human race. Three have been launched in recorded history, each war bringing old machines of war that would turn to waste many cities, causing the deaths of hundreds of millions. The last war, the third cyber war, was famous for happening 20 years ago having for the first time utilized more advanced ancient tech, and even the AI core being able to utilize mutants in its campaigns, the war luckily ended much earlier then most cyber wars. Lasting only 8 years helped by the league of Vusary and ended by a specialist team that managed to deactivate the AI core at its base at heavy personal cost with the aid of the League. For the league it still maintains a very big militaristic force even after the end of the war to maintain order and avoid the next disaster. AT the same time most of the league’s army is led by a series of lords controlling territories that raise troops in service of the 9 most powerful warlords. It's also heavily recommended one do not take rogue still active Ai’s from the planet while Ai core’s are the most dangerous many forms exist and they can be very dangerous.

53 years, 7 months and 2 days ago. The league was created after 9 powerful warlords came together to dominate the star system after making a secret deal. All 9 invaded Vusaryand put an end to its original rulers and ruled from orbit. From there their power was nearly unmatched as they controlled large territories, their resources also being almost infinite against their rivals. Their alliance was so strong that many warlords formed a coalition in what could have been a disastrous war against them so they crafted a grand plan; The 9 approached members of the coalition with a proposal. Instead of a great war that would ruin both their territories and power, the families and clans would all join together in the formation of a League to rule Vusary. Led by the 9 these betrayers did what was called the great treason as in the largest space battle that Vusary had ever seen was famous with half the armada of the coalition turning on their own allies and killing them. With the end of the only thing that could have opposed the rise of the league and the 9 was defeated in the aftermath deals needed to be made the 9 formed their great council in which they ruled and beneath them checking them and giving representation to their allies was the council of lords. With the star in their control they began to assign new warlords to administer and rule over regions that were left in vacuum after the war while some were retained to be under 9 others became independent rulers.

In the following decades this warlords would use their power and the nicknamed new peace for their own benefit infighting with intrigue or small level warfare seeking domain over grander power others managed to climb to power via corruption and schemes as the League maintained a form that could be described as a decentralised feudal state of sorts. Something that results in sectors being ruled over by the rule of strong. This feudal state just as many in history equally has a hierarchical system of sorts albeit more primitive with the ability to climb to power due to service to a warlord being a common path up the ladder.

Culture and Society
The League and its culture are complicated so to speak. Separated by clans or descendants as they call themselves children of the ancient eight kings while in clan structure it would mean family rules in dynasties this is a bit different: the family structure of Vusary is split in two, being genetics and one's own family eye color. The descendancy of one’s progeny from an ancient king marking one as a member of a clan assembled into its clan wide families or dynasties that work together which can can be incredibly large. The other is the cultural clan view or simply family as they put it, being part of a family is different from a clan, a clan is the people you were born into a family is a group you find companionship they are your parents, brothers, sisters cousins and even those inducted to the family some being slaves to servants, such structure is more diverse compared to a clan a family can be composed of several clans it even gaining cultural and political significance. These two explanations of family are the main pillar that sustains Vusarian Society. There is also a big debate culturally speaking about one’s lack of free will as they are bound to their personality from birth to their clan. These debates can last for hours and be contentious. In the end the most dominant belief is that one’s self is made by themselves rather than by descendancy of their clan. Something of notice is while the clans seek to divide themselves into their own groups culturally and it is not known if it was a common push by the people or by the league but many state this mentality is made by people as a lesson of the events that happened a legacy of the cataclysm to not attempt to maintain unity in a single clan but to diversify and seek unity amongst other clans least the past repeat it self.

The 8 clans the Baelites, Kaleviteris, Nikorians, Narorites, Jalerians, Lukarians, Children of Utya, and Vixtrians have objective and even recorded emotions and even personality seems to fit with their creators and dna. While there is the occasional outlier most of the time someone might align with them:

Baelites sons of Bael are considered to be very dangerous in actions, generally power hungry and wishing to gain more and more power. This clan is famous for its members being ambitious. Generally forming a hierarchical structure wherever they are in many numbers or with many other clans under them to keep their control. They are found by having sulfur reddish eyes.

Kaleviterites are considered good people to be around, charismatic, happy, kind and quite friendly, states managed by them generally are more humanist compared to other clans. The obvious problem is that Kaleviterites are generally the poorest clan who espoused an idealistic vision of the world. They are easy to identify by having a very bright jungle green eyes.

Nikorians are considered aggressive, personality wise and generally values align with might preferring strength Nikorians have a personality of being hot heads yet a vision of a world where the right thing is always the correct one, that also means they are rather stubborn their eyes are blood red.

Narorites are gregarious in nature but in general terms, they have a tendency to be followers of order preferring to live more simplest lives, quite good in the act of finding compromise and generally being more pragmatic they are also considered cold hearted. Their eyes are gray like silver or metal.

Jalerians are considered thrift in many ways if not very greedy, having orange eyes they value wealth accumulation and life of a merchant and trading even if that includes doing illicit business generally called opportunists due to the fact many of them are swindlers.

Lukarians are considered scholars preferring the following philosophy and knowledge while not big in numbers they are easy to spot as bureaucrats and stoics, generally being very low emotionally and more introverts preferring to have a calm life in search of mysteries They have sapphire like eyes.

Children of Utya are considered adventurers and explorers generally being called trouble makers as they are far more impulsive in their actions one thing that one would find is that most people within this clan are young one thing that is generally called is the curse of Utya that cuts the life of his children by nearly half they have gold glowing eyes;

Vixtrians are considered sly and secretive having dark sclera with violet purple eyes; Vixtrians are known for being treacherous as they are considered to value lies, plots and schemes above everything many consider them spies and thieves but also individualists they value their own freedom above everything.

The language of the Vusarian people is called the tongue but scientifically speaking it's better called the Vusarian Humanoid Tongue. It's a completely unknown language with an unknown origin or even cultural origin from earth. The centuries of separation compounded with whatever factors have resulted in a very different language.

Religion wise the Vusarian people and its clans and families follow the same beliefs about the descendants of the eight kings. But also the faith of the old mother goddess that is stated to have died in the great exodus. A faith that can be described as a form of ancestor worship centered around the eight kings, its philosophical outlook also being equally complex with some sects worshiping the eight kings as their ancestors and guides while others praying against them for their hardship seeing them as nothing more than monsters.

Architecturally speaking all Vusarian follow an architectural tone that can be described as utilitarian and brutalist buildings, albeit heavily using sandstone in places further from mega cities, an entirely functional level of architecture that seems dull at first glance with the only break being a form of art deco architecture and art. As for their more brutalistic structures for then it is generally ignored as they make carvings, paintings and many other decorations preferring to use buildings more as canvassas for their art, struggles, stories centering around their own family, clan or the entire city being used. Not only that but their society also puts emphasis on technology and engineering with large gestures or utilisation of infrastructure in their architecture and art in some form if it is public.

Culinary for Vusarians has a preference for less baking, or frying, preferring steaming and grilling. With the preferred method being boiling when making their dishes. One thing a visitor would notice is that they are preferred fresh, like killed in place fresh meat in dishes. Their food based around local plants and animals have a preference for being spicy, salty, sour and a lot of umami; many of their foods are generally soups and stews. When in solids with meats, vegetables or cereals they like to use them as sauces with meat.

Governance and Politics:

For roughly 300 years the times before the League was considered a very dark age and the beginning of the league nearly 50 years ago and the start of a new calendar marked the beginning of a new era. The age of dark as they call it was famous for multiple space and planetary warlords fighting over scraps of territory and resources. This was until 9 warlords located in Vusary came to a plan instead of fighting the 9 met and came to a very devious plan to share their resources and territory and to gain more instead. This was met with the coalition which they subverted and turned half of it against itself and with it they came to rule forming with it the great council formed by 9 seats 4 of which are now absent making now only 5 present members of their ruling council.

The Great council manages the administration, tax, and armies of the overall league, creating laws and regulations for the warlords and governors below then. Being the highest authority in the land most of their rulings are generally put to vote in vast distances with the five remaining members rarely, RARELY ever meeting, instead they submit laws privately to each other and vote a majority making it law with specific rules that thanks to the fact that a missing member means no rule can be made with a two thirds majority need such as a major law change in the entire realm.

Beside then lays the position of Judicars a position that operates as a form of high judiciary or as normal people call then The Crimson Eye a form of secret police and judicial system that operates in maintaining the governors and warlords in check from any thing that may go against them. The Crimson eye is famous for its officers arresting rulers on the spot and other times for its assassins that make sure that nobody gets too many ideas while having some military backing.

Beneath it all lies the Warlords and Governor Lords or Governors for short, Warlords and Governors oversee space stations, flotillas, chunks of moons asteroids and many other territories as overseers, above then lies the position of Overlord which can be described as a form of sector wide overseer maintaining the order as they serve as a form of high court of appeals in case of a warlord or governor overstepping they also report on the state of a sector in specific.

The army is known to be decentralised around a warlord or governor, even some Overlords and the council itself. Being around and available to be called whenever needed by the council but overall fleet leaders are rather free to do whatever they wish if their warlord approves of course but many lords also lack territory so they are known as nomadic lords.

Technology Overview: A lot of their technology is considered more hand made and utilitarian so to speak much is said to have been lost of their own history and knowledge. Which is unsurprising thanks to their unnatural immunity to plagues so to speak the medicinal area is severely lacking. It is highly recommended that a doctor that does not know what an infection is should be a concern. On the other hand their technology in bionics, cybernetic prosthetics and biological engeneering is quite advanced allowing for limb replacement to advanced degrees.

But while much is lost their adaptation to the new situation resulted in other expansions, their sector being in a state of constant warfare resulting in their ships developing radar deafening allowing for easy maneuvering for merchants to avoid detection.

In the area of construction a lot was streamlined and made simple to the point where an observer may consider Vusary technology to be rather unreliable and shoddy but in reality Vusarian technology despite looking shoddy is rather reliable and easy to repair provided you are instructed or know what you are doing. Their material and equipment are also incredibly resilient all things considered.

Thanks to their ingrained knowledge in engineering their technology also seems rather advanced once well studied with their energy weapons being rather advanced, same for their ballistic weaponry. Their ships also are quite interesting with fleets being divided between what a warlord can afford consequently when resources are available their fleets are of good quality with their engineering shining creating marvels of engineering. Now for more poor ones while still impressive their ships are way more utilitarian but still formidable.

Military Overview: Militarily speaking the league's military force can be described as massive on paper but in theory incredibly dispersed. The many warlords and rulers own their own armies to police and maintain order in their regions and in some situations go to war with other members of the league generally over disputes over territory and while some can spiral it is generally maintained by the standing armies of the league and the council.

The Flotilla of the league is considered its standing army; it's a great fleet docked around Vusary but also other important areas of the sector being controlled by admirals who answer to a Grand Flotilla commander who is appointed by the council of eight by unanimity. This commander is also responsible for leading the coordination of all other fleets of the league with the exception of the nine members of the council who can disregard orders if finding problems with plans.

The fleets of the league are generally mounted by cruisers and destroyers ships of great size that serve as either carriers for smaller ships, combat centric ships are more common, others are stealth vessels for reconnaissance. On the matter of its biggest ships, cruisers are considered the most common largest ship you may see but they aren’t the largest.

Flagships are considered a warlord's main ship and the most egotistical generally have ships larger than cruisers but it's not unfounded at times. The council has the largest ships to ever see in the league, at times less ships and more mobile space stations due to their size.

Infantry is the backbone of the Leagues army in space, most are famous for raiding and boarding crews of marines that attack ships, stations and asteroids soldiers with agile power armor, rifles and swords.

Now planetary things get complicated; infantry of Vusary’s surface are more focused on desert and arid warfare not having swords, mostly more heat tolerant armor and energy rifles generally aided by mechanised forces of tanks and vehicles. Mechs are generally rare to see unless in specialised terrain.

In some cases there is the utilisation of locked in ancient war machines that still can be used to be let out in areas of importance to use as a rampaging tool. Lucky such actions are rare and generally considered desperate or eccentric depending on the person.