MAIN FACTIONS
The current dominant hegemon in known space, the Unified Celestial League encompasses the largest number of worlds and systems. It began from first contact interactions between humanity and various smaller conglomerates and colonial associations of various alien powers in the early 2090’s as humanity’s expansive deep space mining operations began to encroach on large asteroid fields maintained by then unknown extraterrestrial forces. A shared interest in mutual prosperity and the eagerness of human nations to engage in technological and economic trade with their newfound neighbours would accelerate the formation of a united human council. In turn, the alien groups unified and transformed from essentially corporate colonies into proper planet-states. The League was born from this merger and quickly grew with a policy of “exporting prosperity” and achieving change, power, and growth through diplomatic relations with other nations. For many this was the beginning of an enlightened era of interplanetary relations emphasizing cooperation and mutual benefit.
The grim reality underlying these achievements however is not as straightforward as purely political channels or economic growth. With growth in resources, political capital, technology, and territory came the UCL becoming a powerful competitor on the galactic stage and one that viewed other hegemons not as enemies but as prey. Its soft power was backed up by powerful armadas and armies that benefitted from multiple generations of martial traditions. Policies that did cause growth and development in lesser worlds also caused notable adjustments to their structures of governance and activity often siphoning resources and manpower off-world. In the process of doing so they fermented conflict and divisiveness across many worlds in the Frontier Worlds whose developing status often made them unstable and rife for conflict. In turn this invited further intervention from the UCL and distrust from more skeptical nations untrusting of their message of progress and advancement.
Many regimes have been propped up by the UCL through subterfuge, cunning, and manipulation and others crushed by the iron might of they and their regional allies. The world they have carved for themselves to many is paradise but it is one guarded carefully against any kind of threat and in doing so, they had made themselves many enemies. The most notable is the Zrovreni Solar Revolutionary Pact whose formation happened a large part due to the perceived threat of UCL expansion. While the League is larger in terms of systems held, it has less influence on various smaller independent colonies, Nation Sectors (what we today know as countries as opposed to whole planets united under a sole government), and planet-states in spite of its various attempts at outreach. Some of these have resulted in it directly engaging the ZSRP in vicious though short lived conflicts often resulting in sanctions and militarized buffer zones being set up to contain their influence.
The UCL has been supporting what they call “Stabilizing Actor Forces” in the Chalgheol Civil War. These are armed groups whose views are seen as being in line with 41st century values of sentient rights and expression. The identity of many of these groups can vary but it is known that they are highly coordinated and oftentimes formed quite rapidly, answering few questions before news media. They had also moved military personnel near and possibly into the Caracosa region before the recent territorial negotiations were announced though their explanation was that they had consulted with newly formed independent governments before having done so.
Their stated goal is the installment of a new regime that will respect the multi-racial makeup and diverse cultures that comprise Chalgheol. That is something they are believed to be attempting to change in the current diplomatic talks with the ZSRP, their primary enemy, whom they perceive as supporting more tyrannical, renegade, or sentient rights’ violating groups. Both sides have engaged in conflict both hot and cold with covert subterfuge, deep space combat, and full scale planetary invasions against one another. They have fought the Dolsilvec Regime heavily during the early years of the conflict but both are moving towards negotiations albeit reluctantly for the Regime. It is only after the first few years of the war tat that they have begun truly clashing with the Carnazir though they have been managing to open them up to territorial negotiations as well.
The UCL is known for its distinctive silver, blue, and gold colours as well as their often chrome-like armour. Their weaponry is increasingly based on human designs with many of them utilizing electro-chemical and magnetic acceleration methods of launching projectiles. They are noted for low recoil, strong accuracy, and large magazine size. Solid rounds tend to be “jacketed” in a cocoon of energy or sometimes even ethereal power to increase range, piercing power, and destructive potential. They are joined by a growing range of direct energy weapons with a love of high rate of fire energy bolts and short sustained beams noted for their precision and amour piercing capability. In some armies, they have even replaced solid round based weapons due to their versatility of varying fire modes and how much they ease up logistics.
They have a number of melee weapons modelled after advanced combat knives, often able to vibrate at frequencies that grant extra armour-shredding or with a nano-sheath that increases durability, weight, and impact. They are well known for distinctive powered armour that networks with specialized under-suits (themselves a form of advanced Kevlar-like clothing) to enhance physical capabilities. The expenses of developing true powered armour has caused them to recently begin using new simpler suits that do not require as many augmentations or additional components (such as the under-suits or certain implants and biomods). In addition, their armour makes heavy usage of shield generators that can project themselves around the armour or “blanket” the armour.
The grim reality underlying these achievements however is not as straightforward as purely political channels or economic growth. With growth in resources, political capital, technology, and territory came the UCL becoming a powerful competitor on the galactic stage and one that viewed other hegemons not as enemies but as prey. Its soft power was backed up by powerful armadas and armies that benefitted from multiple generations of martial traditions. Policies that did cause growth and development in lesser worlds also caused notable adjustments to their structures of governance and activity often siphoning resources and manpower off-world. In the process of doing so they fermented conflict and divisiveness across many worlds in the Frontier Worlds whose developing status often made them unstable and rife for conflict. In turn this invited further intervention from the UCL and distrust from more skeptical nations untrusting of their message of progress and advancement.
Many regimes have been propped up by the UCL through subterfuge, cunning, and manipulation and others crushed by the iron might of they and their regional allies. The world they have carved for themselves to many is paradise but it is one guarded carefully against any kind of threat and in doing so, they had made themselves many enemies. The most notable is the Zrovreni Solar Revolutionary Pact whose formation happened a large part due to the perceived threat of UCL expansion. While the League is larger in terms of systems held, it has less influence on various smaller independent colonies, Nation Sectors (what we today know as countries as opposed to whole planets united under a sole government), and planet-states in spite of its various attempts at outreach. Some of these have resulted in it directly engaging the ZSRP in vicious though short lived conflicts often resulting in sanctions and militarized buffer zones being set up to contain their influence.
The UCL has been supporting what they call “Stabilizing Actor Forces” in the Chalgheol Civil War. These are armed groups whose views are seen as being in line with 41st century values of sentient rights and expression. The identity of many of these groups can vary but it is known that they are highly coordinated and oftentimes formed quite rapidly, answering few questions before news media. They had also moved military personnel near and possibly into the Caracosa region before the recent territorial negotiations were announced though their explanation was that they had consulted with newly formed independent governments before having done so.
Their stated goal is the installment of a new regime that will respect the multi-racial makeup and diverse cultures that comprise Chalgheol. That is something they are believed to be attempting to change in the current diplomatic talks with the ZSRP, their primary enemy, whom they perceive as supporting more tyrannical, renegade, or sentient rights’ violating groups. Both sides have engaged in conflict both hot and cold with covert subterfuge, deep space combat, and full scale planetary invasions against one another. They have fought the Dolsilvec Regime heavily during the early years of the conflict but both are moving towards negotiations albeit reluctantly for the Regime. It is only after the first few years of the war tat that they have begun truly clashing with the Carnazir though they have been managing to open them up to territorial negotiations as well.
The UCL is known for its distinctive silver, blue, and gold colours as well as their often chrome-like armour. Their weaponry is increasingly based on human designs with many of them utilizing electro-chemical and magnetic acceleration methods of launching projectiles. They are noted for low recoil, strong accuracy, and large magazine size. Solid rounds tend to be “jacketed” in a cocoon of energy or sometimes even ethereal power to increase range, piercing power, and destructive potential. They are joined by a growing range of direct energy weapons with a love of high rate of fire energy bolts and short sustained beams noted for their precision and amour piercing capability. In some armies, they have even replaced solid round based weapons due to their versatility of varying fire modes and how much they ease up logistics.
They have a number of melee weapons modelled after advanced combat knives, often able to vibrate at frequencies that grant extra armour-shredding or with a nano-sheath that increases durability, weight, and impact. They are well known for distinctive powered armour that networks with specialized under-suits (themselves a form of advanced Kevlar-like clothing) to enhance physical capabilities. The expenses of developing true powered armour has caused them to recently begin using new simpler suits that do not require as many augmentations or additional components (such as the under-suits or certain implants and biomods). In addition, their armour makes heavy usage of shield generators that can project themselves around the armour or “blanket” the armour.
An emerging superpower in inter-solar relations, the Zrovreni Solar Revolutionary Pact was born out of a variety of military alliances from like-minded nation-sectors and planetary states from within the Frontier Worlds to and far beyond the grasp of their main opposition, the Unified Celestial League. Yet even before the League had come to be, the ZSRP’s origins can be found in various independent colonies that in the mid 2020’s had broken away from the grasp of the alien empires that decades later would begin uniting with an expansionist humanity already making political inroads with these said empires.
Although there were few armed hostilities initially, rapid militarization movements and inter-species solidarity lead to a rapid sense of unity that began to form a buffer to the League even in its embryonic state. Regimes that were eyeing to join the powerful League found their world crumbling beneath their feet as their most downtrodden and disenfranchised rose up against them. The promise of a world not ruled by the interests of those most entrenched in structures of domination and greed pushed many to usurp the rule not just of worlds outside of these now conflicting spheres of influence but even those within the then barely formed UCL.
The unpleasant reality of such broad movements however is that it is difficult to vet and inspect who joins them. Generations of colonial expansion had resulted in deep seated grievances but many of the ruling powers who exploited them were no less power hungry than the League in spite of their revolutionary rhetoric. There is a saying that originated from some of these worlds that would become popular in years to come: “Standing up to empires with feet planted on peasant necks.” The UCL was quick to criticize the ZSRP, accusing them of letting tyrants stand in their rank. While some of this was based in purely strategic propaganda, it was difficult deny that the same iron hands that struck down League-friendly regimes also did not always mind doing the same to their own people. Some were even known to take material assistance from the League itself. It is said that in its bid for power to rival the League, the Pact trampled over the ideals of its initial revolution and betrayed its very raison d’etre. Some would say they are no different from the League.
The Solar Revolutionaries are difficult to gauge in terms of how much power it truly has. While it is often associated with being a massive horde of stone-cold defiance, it is a very loose alliance in many ways with varying levels of support and dedication from its internal factions. There are a smaller amount of core factions that comprise it compared to those of the Unified Celestial League. A large number of smaller benefactor groups sit below them and offer support whether material, political, or ideological but how much so varies wildly with little consistency. Quite a few of them are independent ex-colonial planet-states, others nation-sectors on worlds not even fully aligned with the Assembly, and a number are even roaming militant groups occasionally classified by the League as terrorist organizations.
While its support base is fairly spread out, the ZSRP has a wide range of followers on the Frontier Worlds and various smaller clusters of independent colonies while many revolutionary movements scattered throughout the stars tend to epouse similar messages and beliefs in spite of the distance they sometimes maintain with the Pact . If it needs to, it can often whip up a maelstrom of fervour and feverish revolutionary sentiment in times of upheaval. Most of the time however it is influencing and providing support to those it views as sympathetic to its goals, engaging in proxy power games with the League and its member states.
The ZSRP was known to have connections with the Dolsilvec Regime before the Chalgheol Civil War and still supports some of the remnants of its government. Strangely enough, they also have given weaponry to militias and breakaway armies whose existence would be antithetical to a return to the Dolsilvec Regime regaining its control over the region. The reasons for this are not very clear but it is believed that the primary members of the Assembly have conflicting goals on the future of the Nation-Sector and how it plays to their interests.
This has resulted in various controversies, the harshest of which involves allegations of supporting war crimes and weapons forbidden by extrasolar treaties and propping up violent warlords. Many of the armed groups received ZSRP support are small militias that grew large through raiding armouries and setting up shop in areas abandoned by any major power. These groups and many of their Revolutionary backers believe that it is best for Chalgheol to give up its illusion of unity and respect the will of its various constituents.
They are considerably the most hostile towards the League, having fought with them in open warfare across multiple worlds, but they have engaged in covert backstabbing and shadow warfare against the Carnazir as well. On occasion, both of them have worked together in the earlier days of the Carnazir but when certain leaders with the ZSRP began cosying up to the Dolsilvec Regime, this would go wouth. While they are often seen as having broad support for the Regime, it is known that more than a few of the Pact's constituents outright despised them due to perceiving them as reactionary opportunists, making it clear either through supporting splinter groups in the Regime or taking advantage of the planetary conflict to outright wipe out elements of their command chain.
The Pact's technology is a mishmash of older technology from various wars fought against the influence of the UCL and a number of newer designs and models. They are associated with black, red, and green colouration which gives them a severe foreboding appearance. While they are considered conceptually obtuse, their firearms are noted for their reliability, impressive kinetic impact, varied ammunitions (explosive, ether-negating, tracking, etc.), and their ability to be modified with unusual living biomatter to network with one’s body. Their energy weapons are not often as precise as the League or as intended for long range but have more destructive power and often are capable of charging up for devastating, explosive shots.
Their melee weaponry frequently comes from various tribes and nomadic groups enhanced with cutting edge composite metals. They use disruptor fields and energy sheaths to massively increase the damage they are capable of with some aliens capable of using these to combat armoured vehicles in ambushes. Their armour comes in a variety of forms and is often heavily customized. Much of it is based on older issue standard infantry armour made more modular and easier to replace but an increasingly large amount uses living and synthetic imitation biomass linked to next generation metal composites for a strange new kind of powered armour capable of performing limited “controlled mutations” on the fly. They are known for having sinister “eyes” and in more alien cases either an eerily smooth or jagged and sharp look to their armour.
Although there were few armed hostilities initially, rapid militarization movements and inter-species solidarity lead to a rapid sense of unity that began to form a buffer to the League even in its embryonic state. Regimes that were eyeing to join the powerful League found their world crumbling beneath their feet as their most downtrodden and disenfranchised rose up against them. The promise of a world not ruled by the interests of those most entrenched in structures of domination and greed pushed many to usurp the rule not just of worlds outside of these now conflicting spheres of influence but even those within the then barely formed UCL.
The unpleasant reality of such broad movements however is that it is difficult to vet and inspect who joins them. Generations of colonial expansion had resulted in deep seated grievances but many of the ruling powers who exploited them were no less power hungry than the League in spite of their revolutionary rhetoric. There is a saying that originated from some of these worlds that would become popular in years to come: “Standing up to empires with feet planted on peasant necks.” The UCL was quick to criticize the ZSRP, accusing them of letting tyrants stand in their rank. While some of this was based in purely strategic propaganda, it was difficult deny that the same iron hands that struck down League-friendly regimes also did not always mind doing the same to their own people. Some were even known to take material assistance from the League itself. It is said that in its bid for power to rival the League, the Pact trampled over the ideals of its initial revolution and betrayed its very raison d’etre. Some would say they are no different from the League.
The Solar Revolutionaries are difficult to gauge in terms of how much power it truly has. While it is often associated with being a massive horde of stone-cold defiance, it is a very loose alliance in many ways with varying levels of support and dedication from its internal factions. There are a smaller amount of core factions that comprise it compared to those of the Unified Celestial League. A large number of smaller benefactor groups sit below them and offer support whether material, political, or ideological but how much so varies wildly with little consistency. Quite a few of them are independent ex-colonial planet-states, others nation-sectors on worlds not even fully aligned with the Assembly, and a number are even roaming militant groups occasionally classified by the League as terrorist organizations.
While its support base is fairly spread out, the ZSRP has a wide range of followers on the Frontier Worlds and various smaller clusters of independent colonies while many revolutionary movements scattered throughout the stars tend to epouse similar messages and beliefs in spite of the distance they sometimes maintain with the Pact . If it needs to, it can often whip up a maelstrom of fervour and feverish revolutionary sentiment in times of upheaval. Most of the time however it is influencing and providing support to those it views as sympathetic to its goals, engaging in proxy power games with the League and its member states.
The ZSRP was known to have connections with the Dolsilvec Regime before the Chalgheol Civil War and still supports some of the remnants of its government. Strangely enough, they also have given weaponry to militias and breakaway armies whose existence would be antithetical to a return to the Dolsilvec Regime regaining its control over the region. The reasons for this are not very clear but it is believed that the primary members of the Assembly have conflicting goals on the future of the Nation-Sector and how it plays to their interests.
This has resulted in various controversies, the harshest of which involves allegations of supporting war crimes and weapons forbidden by extrasolar treaties and propping up violent warlords. Many of the armed groups received ZSRP support are small militias that grew large through raiding armouries and setting up shop in areas abandoned by any major power. These groups and many of their Revolutionary backers believe that it is best for Chalgheol to give up its illusion of unity and respect the will of its various constituents.
They are considerably the most hostile towards the League, having fought with them in open warfare across multiple worlds, but they have engaged in covert backstabbing and shadow warfare against the Carnazir as well. On occasion, both of them have worked together in the earlier days of the Carnazir but when certain leaders with the ZSRP began cosying up to the Dolsilvec Regime, this would go wouth. While they are often seen as having broad support for the Regime, it is known that more than a few of the Pact's constituents outright despised them due to perceiving them as reactionary opportunists, making it clear either through supporting splinter groups in the Regime or taking advantage of the planetary conflict to outright wipe out elements of their command chain.
The Pact's technology is a mishmash of older technology from various wars fought against the influence of the UCL and a number of newer designs and models. They are associated with black, red, and green colouration which gives them a severe foreboding appearance. While they are considered conceptually obtuse, their firearms are noted for their reliability, impressive kinetic impact, varied ammunitions (explosive, ether-negating, tracking, etc.), and their ability to be modified with unusual living biomatter to network with one’s body. Their energy weapons are not often as precise as the League or as intended for long range but have more destructive power and often are capable of charging up for devastating, explosive shots.
Their melee weaponry frequently comes from various tribes and nomadic groups enhanced with cutting edge composite metals. They use disruptor fields and energy sheaths to massively increase the damage they are capable of with some aliens capable of using these to combat armoured vehicles in ambushes. Their armour comes in a variety of forms and is often heavily customized. Much of it is based on older issue standard infantry armour made more modular and easier to replace but an increasingly large amount uses living and synthetic imitation biomass linked to next generation metal composites for a strange new kind of powered armour capable of performing limited “controlled mutations” on the fly. They are known for having sinister “eyes” and in more alien cases either an eerily smooth or jagged and sharp look to their armour.
An emergent regional power whose origins are on Chalgheol though they have long since spread to most of the Frontier Worlds. The Carnazir initially began as a an association between various independent colonial associations and the regional powers that had inhabited the Frontier when pre-League alien empires were beginning to first begin expanding into the region.
Initially, it was a mixture of economic and military cooperation, intended to help balance out regional power against the growing threat of what was then the League's proto-hegemonic power. Some elements of its early leadership were associated with both the Dolsilvec Regime which had quickly risen to prominence as the most vocal and active member of the "anticolonial" frontier and it even features a number of future Zrovreni leaders in its ranks. It had grown into the largest popular front in known history, so much so that even the roving pirate-raider gangs, exiled governments, and occultist sects had began joining and genuinely reforming themselves into its ranks.
When the UCL had officially formed with the entry of humanity into the galactic stage, the Carnazir was verging on critical mass. Amidst efforts both political and militaristic to hold back the League, internal divisions had reached a boiling point as many began to grow skeptical of how the Dolsilvec Regime had become the dominant force not only on Chalgheol but throughout most of the Frontier Worlds. Its justification for such was being the shield against the League but many of the original vanguard, concentrated in Carcosa, were highly critical of how they were taking not only material support from the emergent Zrovreni Solar Revolutionary Pact but even political and military advisors.
It was known that the ZSRP did not entirely trust the Carnazir and had helped fan the flames of revolution on many Frontier Worlds, not just against the UCL but even Carnazir allies, causing many to believe they were beginning to see the Carnazir as a threat rather than an ally. Divided and split from all sides, it did not take long for hostilities in the command chain to go from covert to open, resulting in a grand war of rapid purgation across the Frontier Worlds, fragmenting the Carnazir as many of its leaders were captured and executed by the Dolsilvec Regime.
The Carnazir were reduced at first to a fraction of their origianl power but they never truly defeated. As the Dolsilvec Regime filled the very vacuum in power it had created, revealing itself to have begun swinging its support towards the League, the Carnazir sought help elsewhere. Positioning themselves as unjustly excommunicated freedom fighters betrayed by the false prophets praising only power rather than independence, they began to reinvent themselves and amass their powers across the distant expanses of space, sometimes right beneath the noses of the League and the Pact. They ran a very aggressive media campaign but one that only strategically opposed both, frequently attempting to pit both against one another to make themselves look the nobler for it.
They subsequently were able to exert a degree of influence on what kind of information leaked out of the war, something that has become a ripe target for freelance investigative journalists as well as loyalists from the old regime to discredit them with. Most importantly however, they had managed to reestablish connections with their own sleeper cells right in Carcosa itself, and this time without the help of the treacherous Pact or the greedy League (the latter of which was attempting to absorb the Dolsilvec Regime unsuccessfully), sowed the seeds of a violent civil war. The Regime may have stabilized the Frontier but it had also completely polarized it as well; all that was needed was a few sparks to light the flames of another war of purgation.
The Caranazir maintains its own private armies but also has absorbed battalions that broke away from the regime, foreign militant groups attempting to set up shop, local self defence forces, and almost anybody else it can get its hand on including a large number of nomadic fleets looking for somewhere to call home. A number of them solely pay lip-service to the promises of their reign. They are frequently watched over by elite officer groups and nearby sub-factions more devoted to their cause but it is known that occasionally they will engage in combat. Certain League and Pact intelligence organizations have been known to feed them intel and supplies though ironically they have a tendency to fight with militant groups both are supporting.
It is believed this is part of the negotiations; they will wipe out aligned organizations that are potential political liabilities but other times they have straight up taken strongholds held by both for their own ends. They are not hesitant to clash with the far larger ZSRP and UCL. They also know that both of them realize they have to play carefully with the Carnazir or risk jeopardizing their geopolitical ambitions. Their main enemy however remains the Dolsilvec Regime which receives the majority of their attention (via gunfire) as they attempt to take back the heart of their homeworld. To add insult to injury, they frequently pit defector battallions from the DR against their old generals and will not hesitate to weaken them before waiting for the ZSRP and UCL to finish off Dolsilvec strongholds.
The Carnazir’s technology mixes and matches quite frequently, resulting in armour that often trades survivability and toughness for versatility in tactical capabilities. They are often associated with deep purple, mottled sepia or ochre brown, and faded orange. Their ethereal powers can also be used to enhance their gear very easily, giving them unusual upgrades such as enhanced regeneration or the ability to resist energy weaponry without using ablative plating. Much of their gear is a strange mixture of DIY and experimental technology from hundreds of different manufacturers and arms dealer. They typically prize reliability even more than the assembly and tend to have many interchangeable parts, compensating for their dated designs with high rate of fire, crudely void-touched construction, multiple barrels, and rounds with volatile effects.
This extends to many of their energy weapons that can often shoot around or above/under cover as well as frequently being capable of swamping targeted areas in debilitating unearthly power. Their melee weaponry tends to include a lot of modified industrial tools as well as ceremonial weapons, relying on ethereal enhancements more than advanced construction or energy fields in order to grant them some unusual abilities. This can include knives that increase in cutting power the more blood they taste or lances that can momentarily generate ethereal energy charges for small directed blasts of energy upon impact.
Initially, it was a mixture of economic and military cooperation, intended to help balance out regional power against the growing threat of what was then the League's proto-hegemonic power. Some elements of its early leadership were associated with both the Dolsilvec Regime which had quickly risen to prominence as the most vocal and active member of the "anticolonial" frontier and it even features a number of future Zrovreni leaders in its ranks. It had grown into the largest popular front in known history, so much so that even the roving pirate-raider gangs, exiled governments, and occultist sects had began joining and genuinely reforming themselves into its ranks.
When the UCL had officially formed with the entry of humanity into the galactic stage, the Carnazir was verging on critical mass. Amidst efforts both political and militaristic to hold back the League, internal divisions had reached a boiling point as many began to grow skeptical of how the Dolsilvec Regime had become the dominant force not only on Chalgheol but throughout most of the Frontier Worlds. Its justification for such was being the shield against the League but many of the original vanguard, concentrated in Carcosa, were highly critical of how they were taking not only material support from the emergent Zrovreni Solar Revolutionary Pact but even political and military advisors.
It was known that the ZSRP did not entirely trust the Carnazir and had helped fan the flames of revolution on many Frontier Worlds, not just against the UCL but even Carnazir allies, causing many to believe they were beginning to see the Carnazir as a threat rather than an ally. Divided and split from all sides, it did not take long for hostilities in the command chain to go from covert to open, resulting in a grand war of rapid purgation across the Frontier Worlds, fragmenting the Carnazir as many of its leaders were captured and executed by the Dolsilvec Regime.
The Carnazir were reduced at first to a fraction of their origianl power but they never truly defeated. As the Dolsilvec Regime filled the very vacuum in power it had created, revealing itself to have begun swinging its support towards the League, the Carnazir sought help elsewhere. Positioning themselves as unjustly excommunicated freedom fighters betrayed by the false prophets praising only power rather than independence, they began to reinvent themselves and amass their powers across the distant expanses of space, sometimes right beneath the noses of the League and the Pact. They ran a very aggressive media campaign but one that only strategically opposed both, frequently attempting to pit both against one another to make themselves look the nobler for it.
They subsequently were able to exert a degree of influence on what kind of information leaked out of the war, something that has become a ripe target for freelance investigative journalists as well as loyalists from the old regime to discredit them with. Most importantly however, they had managed to reestablish connections with their own sleeper cells right in Carcosa itself, and this time without the help of the treacherous Pact or the greedy League (the latter of which was attempting to absorb the Dolsilvec Regime unsuccessfully), sowed the seeds of a violent civil war. The Regime may have stabilized the Frontier but it had also completely polarized it as well; all that was needed was a few sparks to light the flames of another war of purgation.
The Caranazir maintains its own private armies but also has absorbed battalions that broke away from the regime, foreign militant groups attempting to set up shop, local self defence forces, and almost anybody else it can get its hand on including a large number of nomadic fleets looking for somewhere to call home. A number of them solely pay lip-service to the promises of their reign. They are frequently watched over by elite officer groups and nearby sub-factions more devoted to their cause but it is known that occasionally they will engage in combat. Certain League and Pact intelligence organizations have been known to feed them intel and supplies though ironically they have a tendency to fight with militant groups both are supporting.
It is believed this is part of the negotiations; they will wipe out aligned organizations that are potential political liabilities but other times they have straight up taken strongholds held by both for their own ends. They are not hesitant to clash with the far larger ZSRP and UCL. They also know that both of them realize they have to play carefully with the Carnazir or risk jeopardizing their geopolitical ambitions. Their main enemy however remains the Dolsilvec Regime which receives the majority of their attention (via gunfire) as they attempt to take back the heart of their homeworld. To add insult to injury, they frequently pit defector battallions from the DR against their old generals and will not hesitate to weaken them before waiting for the ZSRP and UCL to finish off Dolsilvec strongholds.
The Carnazir’s technology mixes and matches quite frequently, resulting in armour that often trades survivability and toughness for versatility in tactical capabilities. They are often associated with deep purple, mottled sepia or ochre brown, and faded orange. Their ethereal powers can also be used to enhance their gear very easily, giving them unusual upgrades such as enhanced regeneration or the ability to resist energy weaponry without using ablative plating. Much of their gear is a strange mixture of DIY and experimental technology from hundreds of different manufacturers and arms dealer. They typically prize reliability even more than the assembly and tend to have many interchangeable parts, compensating for their dated designs with high rate of fire, crudely void-touched construction, multiple barrels, and rounds with volatile effects.
This extends to many of their energy weapons that can often shoot around or above/under cover as well as frequently being capable of swamping targeted areas in debilitating unearthly power. Their melee weaponry tends to include a lot of modified industrial tools as well as ceremonial weapons, relying on ethereal enhancements more than advanced construction or energy fields in order to grant them some unusual abilities. This can include knives that increase in cutting power the more blood they taste or lances that can momentarily generate ethereal energy charges for small directed blasts of energy upon impact.
Once the dominant power of the Frontier Worlds, the Dolsilvec Regime now struggles to retain its foothold on all of its territories, not the least of which is its homeworld of Chalgheol amidst both a grander interstellar war and the resurgent schism-conflict between itself and its ex-allies in the Carnazir. Its origins however are older than not only them but also the League and the Pact. It is known that the planet of Chalgheol contains perhaps the oldest known civilization in entirety of the Frontier Worlds but one whose history are shrouded in mystery and strange phenomena from interference from unknown alien entities descending upon its cities then vanishing within days to eldritch occurences such as void-space overlapping into reality or normally extradimensional organisms migrating into its wastes.
This changed when the alien warlord Kirvan Dolsilvec organized the various city states into a proper nation roughly a decade and a half before the rise of both the League and the Pact. Kirvan expanded his regime beyond his planet's boundaries, forging alliances with the various other Frontier Worlds, most of which were around a then late 1980's to late 1990's level of tecnology, and began to open up diplomatic and economic relations with them. As a growing power in the Frontier Worlds, the regime avoided direct colonization but it did cause a somewhat accelerated level of technological and political growth within and without its atmospheric borders.
When the great foreign powers actually began making headway into to Frontier Worlds and then Chalgheol, they were forced to do so on his terms at first and if there was one thing Kirvan excelled at, it was getting the lion's share of the deal. His sharp eye for intersolar politics and maintaining a wide base of support had not diminished in spite of his age, kept fresh with experimental psycho-somatic technology allowing him to "mirror" his consciousness into multiple clone bodies. Subsequently, he was smart enough to know that the Frontier was starting to grow skeptical of how he had retained power for so long. When the first fragments of the Carnazir began to gather, he made sure Chalgheol had a spot at the table, immediately recognizing its potential beyond merely the "shield" of these outer worlds.
The Regime's reputation for stability and its hardiness flourished under his command, containing and often controlling the extent the far larger Pact and League could expand. At one point, Kirvan was elected by popular vote to head the Carnazir itself. This would later go on to be his mistake and where things begn to change for the worse. It was no secret that his regime arguably had shades of empire in its making; his rule's successes were defined by both the growing independence of the region and the size of the regime that had propped it up single handedly.
The ZSRP and the UCL were not getting any weaker however; their own animosity towards one another was beginning to go beyond what the Regime could control. More and more they were forced to compromise and make diplomacy with them, with the DR's upper hand beginning to fall shorter with each one. Skeptics turned rivals within the Carnazir began to spot what at first was seen as weakness and then as another grab for power; after all, the Pact and the League weren't just opposed to the Regime but the Carnazir that had been one of the major obstacles after all. As public opinion even outside of the Frontier began to cast doubt and distrust against the very name of Dolsilvec, it was impossible to tell if their fears had been justified or if it was impossible for Kirvan to resist the overwhelming power of the hegemonic sharks that had now entered the waters.
For the Carnazir, this was the deepest kind of betrayal as their brother and sisters arms turned their weapons against them, crippling them in a series of "decapitation strikes" that removed much of their command chain, leaving them vulnerable to the regional League and Pact allies, forcing them to retreat from the entire Frontier. For Kirvan, having amassed a small graveyard's worth of rejuvenating bodies, this was merely survival. Unfortunately for him, it turned out that removing the Carnazir from the picture created a vacuum for both the UCL, the ZSRP, and the many militant groups and governments they had sworn over to their side.
It turned out that the Carnazir had only been momentarily stalled and Kirvan had underestimated the amount of raw support and popularity it held outside of the Frontier. Already weakened from a power play that had not turned out exactly as was hoped, the Regime now in decline faced another threat this time from underneath its very feet. The growing civil unrest across all governments under their control, combined with how painfully stretched out the Regime was, became the perfect entry point for what was once their closest group of allies to return with a vengeance. Unrest boiled into rage, transformed into riots and small insurrections, then germinated into full scale revolts.
The flashpoint? The capital state of the entire Regime: Caracosa, where the war began with a mixture of mass defections, terror cell uprisisings, and planetary invasions from beleagured cargo ships secretly holding vengeful Carnazir veteran battallions all too eager to take back what was rightfully theirs. Sometime in this madness, Kirvan himself was believed to be killed, his substitute host bodies destroyed and desecrated, but whispers abound that some of them began to move on their own and supposedly escaped into hidden bunkers throughout Chalgheol. Not even the most elite intelligence gathering agencies have been able to discover if this is so in spite of at times even combined efforts.
As of now, the Dolsilvec Regime may be a shadow of its former power, increasingly reducing in its size as it is forced to concede to the encroaching tides of corporatist and collectivist might. It is not exactly out of the game however; there is a reason the Carnazir take extra caution when engaging them throughout Chalgheol even though the two despise and combat one another far more than they do the League and the Pact. While large chunks of its military have defected or gone rogue, those that remained have counted on a mixture of conscription and patriotic fervour from the oldest and most established of cities and even a few of their remaining stronghold worlds to maintain a sizeable army.
It is enough that they can dissuade the ZSRP and UCL as well as any militant groups associate dwith either from attempting to take some areas not because othey fear defeat but the cost of vicotry will be far too high. Their strategy has changed to preparing for the aftermath of the conflict when not only Caracosa but the rest of their domain will be carved up, going so far as to make quiet allegiances with certain intergalactic powers as to ensure they can preseve as much of their autonomy as possible.
The Dolsilvec Regime is considered to be more advanced than the Carnazir but not quite on the same level as the ZSRP or UCL in terms of technology or military might. It is not 100% up to date but neither is it ages behind the rest of the opposition. They were known to have a fairly promising experimental weaponry program, powered by eldritch technology, that never fully recovered from their conflicts against the Carnazir. In spite of their dire circumstances, more and more of this tech has been seen on the field next to older gear sometimes held up by patchwork repairs and cannibalized parts from their enemies. A substantial part of their arsenal is comprised of older gear from the League and the Pact, often modified partially to suit their particular operational needs.
Their more high end equipment appears capable of manipulating undercurrents of eldritch energy from the Abyssic Plain as opposed to the Abzu though the exact science behind which even they struggle to understand after losing many of their head researchers. This results in them having the ability to easily jam enemy electronics, effectively resist ethereal capabilities, and in some cases even "warp" large numbers of soldiers short distances among others albeit not too frequently.
This changed when the alien warlord Kirvan Dolsilvec organized the various city states into a proper nation roughly a decade and a half before the rise of both the League and the Pact. Kirvan expanded his regime beyond his planet's boundaries, forging alliances with the various other Frontier Worlds, most of which were around a then late 1980's to late 1990's level of tecnology, and began to open up diplomatic and economic relations with them. As a growing power in the Frontier Worlds, the regime avoided direct colonization but it did cause a somewhat accelerated level of technological and political growth within and without its atmospheric borders.
When the great foreign powers actually began making headway into to Frontier Worlds and then Chalgheol, they were forced to do so on his terms at first and if there was one thing Kirvan excelled at, it was getting the lion's share of the deal. His sharp eye for intersolar politics and maintaining a wide base of support had not diminished in spite of his age, kept fresh with experimental psycho-somatic technology allowing him to "mirror" his consciousness into multiple clone bodies. Subsequently, he was smart enough to know that the Frontier was starting to grow skeptical of how he had retained power for so long. When the first fragments of the Carnazir began to gather, he made sure Chalgheol had a spot at the table, immediately recognizing its potential beyond merely the "shield" of these outer worlds.
The Regime's reputation for stability and its hardiness flourished under his command, containing and often controlling the extent the far larger Pact and League could expand. At one point, Kirvan was elected by popular vote to head the Carnazir itself. This would later go on to be his mistake and where things begn to change for the worse. It was no secret that his regime arguably had shades of empire in its making; his rule's successes were defined by both the growing independence of the region and the size of the regime that had propped it up single handedly.
The ZSRP and the UCL were not getting any weaker however; their own animosity towards one another was beginning to go beyond what the Regime could control. More and more they were forced to compromise and make diplomacy with them, with the DR's upper hand beginning to fall shorter with each one. Skeptics turned rivals within the Carnazir began to spot what at first was seen as weakness and then as another grab for power; after all, the Pact and the League weren't just opposed to the Regime but the Carnazir that had been one of the major obstacles after all. As public opinion even outside of the Frontier began to cast doubt and distrust against the very name of Dolsilvec, it was impossible to tell if their fears had been justified or if it was impossible for Kirvan to resist the overwhelming power of the hegemonic sharks that had now entered the waters.
For the Carnazir, this was the deepest kind of betrayal as their brother and sisters arms turned their weapons against them, crippling them in a series of "decapitation strikes" that removed much of their command chain, leaving them vulnerable to the regional League and Pact allies, forcing them to retreat from the entire Frontier. For Kirvan, having amassed a small graveyard's worth of rejuvenating bodies, this was merely survival. Unfortunately for him, it turned out that removing the Carnazir from the picture created a vacuum for both the UCL, the ZSRP, and the many militant groups and governments they had sworn over to their side.
It turned out that the Carnazir had only been momentarily stalled and Kirvan had underestimated the amount of raw support and popularity it held outside of the Frontier. Already weakened from a power play that had not turned out exactly as was hoped, the Regime now in decline faced another threat this time from underneath its very feet. The growing civil unrest across all governments under their control, combined with how painfully stretched out the Regime was, became the perfect entry point for what was once their closest group of allies to return with a vengeance. Unrest boiled into rage, transformed into riots and small insurrections, then germinated into full scale revolts.
The flashpoint? The capital state of the entire Regime: Caracosa, where the war began with a mixture of mass defections, terror cell uprisisings, and planetary invasions from beleagured cargo ships secretly holding vengeful Carnazir veteran battallions all too eager to take back what was rightfully theirs. Sometime in this madness, Kirvan himself was believed to be killed, his substitute host bodies destroyed and desecrated, but whispers abound that some of them began to move on their own and supposedly escaped into hidden bunkers throughout Chalgheol. Not even the most elite intelligence gathering agencies have been able to discover if this is so in spite of at times even combined efforts.
As of now, the Dolsilvec Regime may be a shadow of its former power, increasingly reducing in its size as it is forced to concede to the encroaching tides of corporatist and collectivist might. It is not exactly out of the game however; there is a reason the Carnazir take extra caution when engaging them throughout Chalgheol even though the two despise and combat one another far more than they do the League and the Pact. While large chunks of its military have defected or gone rogue, those that remained have counted on a mixture of conscription and patriotic fervour from the oldest and most established of cities and even a few of their remaining stronghold worlds to maintain a sizeable army.
It is enough that they can dissuade the ZSRP and UCL as well as any militant groups associate dwith either from attempting to take some areas not because othey fear defeat but the cost of vicotry will be far too high. Their strategy has changed to preparing for the aftermath of the conflict when not only Caracosa but the rest of their domain will be carved up, going so far as to make quiet allegiances with certain intergalactic powers as to ensure they can preseve as much of their autonomy as possible.
The Dolsilvec Regime is considered to be more advanced than the Carnazir but not quite on the same level as the ZSRP or UCL in terms of technology or military might. It is not 100% up to date but neither is it ages behind the rest of the opposition. They were known to have a fairly promising experimental weaponry program, powered by eldritch technology, that never fully recovered from their conflicts against the Carnazir. In spite of their dire circumstances, more and more of this tech has been seen on the field next to older gear sometimes held up by patchwork repairs and cannibalized parts from their enemies. A substantial part of their arsenal is comprised of older gear from the League and the Pact, often modified partially to suit their particular operational needs.
Their more high end equipment appears capable of manipulating undercurrents of eldritch energy from the Abyssic Plain as opposed to the Abzu though the exact science behind which even they struggle to understand after losing many of their head researchers. This results in them having the ability to easily jam enemy electronics, effectively resist ethereal capabilities, and in some cases even "warp" large numbers of soldiers short distances among others albeit not too frequently.
Nobody knows how old the Gnosis Eater Sect really is. Their own origins are a mystery even to its membership. For as long as almost everyone can remember, they had been there albeit under various names. The Phoenix Foundation, the Chasm's Eye, the Spiral Architects - it was only recently that they settled on a name for longer than two decades. It is said that they began on some distant solar system far beyond known space but migrated here but other reports claim they were formed of various research groups from across multiple colonies working in tandem with shadowy alien figures. They are unable to deny or confirm these less so out of secrecy and moreso because of their own doubts and inability to verify any of these.
Regardless of the suspicion that surrounds them, the GES has grown quite large in the last century and even more impressively, it did so without too much in the way of open violence or shadowy politicking. In a galaxy this wide, the Sect has grown to be useful to far larger and more powerful organizations because they are in essence, researchers and archaelogists.
Neither of these things are in short supply but no other scientific organization, governmentally aligned or not, has the wealth of knowledge and skill in tracking down "archaeotech" that they possess. While the supposedly paradigm-shifting nature of much of it is frequently overblown by news media and yarn-spinning gossipers, much of it offers interesting insights into how prior civilizations overcame their own challenges.
In turn this tends to help open up new passageways into how to apply previously existing scientific theory in new ways as well as helping to flesh out the history of populations that have been displaced, disconnected from their roots, or simply do not have the resources to investigate the oftentimes dangerous areas where most of these secrets reside. When they do find powerful technology however, it is not often shared at least not fully, used to curry favour with the greater powers and often with specific restrictions enforced on its usage. Very rarely do they allow for much in the way of mass militarization given the already violent state of the universe at large.
That being said, the GES will not hesitate to employ force if need be and they do not discriminate against their aggressors. To protect both their hidden research and excavation sites and the smaller colonies aligned with them, they have a large army that draws from a wide recruitment pool. Reformed mercenaries, settled-down pirates, defectors from the previously established powers, colonial militias, and even their own in-house combatants allow for a wide variety of highly trained soldiers typically trained to the same degree as most commando units. They do not quite have a uniform or even associated appearance but a whole bundle of them, utilizing technologies as simple as conventional propellant-firearms all the way up to powerful direct energy weapons.
They have a reputation for being masters of infantry combat not just in urban and wilderness areas but also more otherworldly terrain, capable of operating even in abzu-swamped regions. What they lack in raw numbers or overwhelming force is compensated for in being on average the most surgically precise armed force. Thankfully, they very rarely initiate or search for conflict and have a reputation for protecting civilian and refugee groups.
While they had various outposts throughout the Frontier Worlds, the worsening situation and increasing intensity of conflict forced them to work more closely with each of the four warring factions. In exchange for joint-territorial control, select technological exchange, and high end personnel training, the Sect was able too secure additoinal personnel, materiel, and political support but at the same time, it meant that the knowledge they acquired had to be shared with people they knew would apply it for destructive purposes and in the process, even the playing field with them should they ever come into conflict.
They have been able to drip-feed them fairly minor amounts of technology but the territory and training unfortunately could not be minimized. This has caused many within the organization to begin doubting its own future and integrity; the question many ask and argue is if they are slowly becoming the lackeys of the warmongers rather than the universal bringers of progress.
In recent years, attacks on their hidden sites across the Frontier Worlds have increased but they have primarily been concentrated on Chalgheol, with the Carcosa region being the most heavily affected. At first it seemed to be freak accidents or pure dumb luck of the attackers but as time passed, intelligence groups from all four of their backers and their own in-house sources revealed that there was a pattern to the aggression. These were coordinated attacks from an unknown enemy, operating in much the same way as their own, but also utilizing forces recruited from a similar pool of candidates as the Sect. The GES, no matter how much its leadership disagreed and argued amongst themselves, had never *ever* splintered before so that was ruled out.
It was clear the attackers were after the secrets hidden there and were capable of taking it with a disturbing ease at first. The Sect was barely able to repel future attacks even with major backup. So who were these mysterious attackers? With no choice but to work with the elite black ops and intelligence divisions of the Dolsilvec Regime, the Carnazir, the Zrovrenian Solar Revolutionary Pact, and the Unified Celestial League, the Gnosis Eaters are currently waging a shadow war of their own amidst the still red hot embers of the civil war.
Regardless of the suspicion that surrounds them, the GES has grown quite large in the last century and even more impressively, it did so without too much in the way of open violence or shadowy politicking. In a galaxy this wide, the Sect has grown to be useful to far larger and more powerful organizations because they are in essence, researchers and archaelogists.
Neither of these things are in short supply but no other scientific organization, governmentally aligned or not, has the wealth of knowledge and skill in tracking down "archaeotech" that they possess. While the supposedly paradigm-shifting nature of much of it is frequently overblown by news media and yarn-spinning gossipers, much of it offers interesting insights into how prior civilizations overcame their own challenges.
In turn this tends to help open up new passageways into how to apply previously existing scientific theory in new ways as well as helping to flesh out the history of populations that have been displaced, disconnected from their roots, or simply do not have the resources to investigate the oftentimes dangerous areas where most of these secrets reside. When they do find powerful technology however, it is not often shared at least not fully, used to curry favour with the greater powers and often with specific restrictions enforced on its usage. Very rarely do they allow for much in the way of mass militarization given the already violent state of the universe at large.
That being said, the GES will not hesitate to employ force if need be and they do not discriminate against their aggressors. To protect both their hidden research and excavation sites and the smaller colonies aligned with them, they have a large army that draws from a wide recruitment pool. Reformed mercenaries, settled-down pirates, defectors from the previously established powers, colonial militias, and even their own in-house combatants allow for a wide variety of highly trained soldiers typically trained to the same degree as most commando units. They do not quite have a uniform or even associated appearance but a whole bundle of them, utilizing technologies as simple as conventional propellant-firearms all the way up to powerful direct energy weapons.
They have a reputation for being masters of infantry combat not just in urban and wilderness areas but also more otherworldly terrain, capable of operating even in abzu-swamped regions. What they lack in raw numbers or overwhelming force is compensated for in being on average the most surgically precise armed force. Thankfully, they very rarely initiate or search for conflict and have a reputation for protecting civilian and refugee groups.
While they had various outposts throughout the Frontier Worlds, the worsening situation and increasing intensity of conflict forced them to work more closely with each of the four warring factions. In exchange for joint-territorial control, select technological exchange, and high end personnel training, the Sect was able too secure additoinal personnel, materiel, and political support but at the same time, it meant that the knowledge they acquired had to be shared with people they knew would apply it for destructive purposes and in the process, even the playing field with them should they ever come into conflict.
They have been able to drip-feed them fairly minor amounts of technology but the territory and training unfortunately could not be minimized. This has caused many within the organization to begin doubting its own future and integrity; the question many ask and argue is if they are slowly becoming the lackeys of the warmongers rather than the universal bringers of progress.
In recent years, attacks on their hidden sites across the Frontier Worlds have increased but they have primarily been concentrated on Chalgheol, with the Carcosa region being the most heavily affected. At first it seemed to be freak accidents or pure dumb luck of the attackers but as time passed, intelligence groups from all four of their backers and their own in-house sources revealed that there was a pattern to the aggression. These were coordinated attacks from an unknown enemy, operating in much the same way as their own, but also utilizing forces recruited from a similar pool of candidates as the Sect. The GES, no matter how much its leadership disagreed and argued amongst themselves, had never *ever* splintered before so that was ruled out.
It was clear the attackers were after the secrets hidden there and were capable of taking it with a disturbing ease at first. The Sect was barely able to repel future attacks even with major backup. So who were these mysterious attackers? With no choice but to work with the elite black ops and intelligence divisions of the Dolsilvec Regime, the Carnazir, the Zrovrenian Solar Revolutionary Pact, and the Unified Celestial League, the Gnosis Eaters are currently waging a shadow war of their own amidst the still red hot embers of the civil war.
MINOR FACTIONS
Faction by OwO
Rather than a planetary faction, the Nova Stella Pura are more of a subversive existence within space. Instead of possessing political power in the form of warships, weapons, and resource caches, their power relies on ideology, sympathy, and connections. Perpetually in exodus, the Nova Stella Pura either live an ascetic life in roaming capital ships or in secret among other factions.
Membership of the Nova Stella Pura is varied. The most devout followers of the Nova Stella Pura drift across the galaxy in stealthed capital ships. Those affiliated with them, however, act as a liaison between the esoteric cult and the less spiritually inclined factions. These affiliates also aggressively spread some of the Nova Stella Pura's ideas. More specifically, they ensure that the current scientific consensus is that biological warfare is not worth pursuing due to its risk.
While hidden most of the time, they appear primarily where the infestation--a mindless creature that consumes any living being to replicate--appears.
However, their crusades are almost entirely hidden to the galaxy at large. To most factions, the Nova Stella Pura are simply mercenaries led by a space cult that is hired to clean up biohazards. While led by true followers of the Nova Stella Pura, they often are comprised of members from independent factions, colonies, and even criminal organizations. This group acts as the Nova Stella Pura's primary income. They hide their finances through shell corps, making even their cash flow hard to track. As their services are considered of value to each major power, they retain positive relations with each major power.
In the frontier worlds, the Nova Stella Pura play a larger role. There is a risk of stumbling upon a major biohazard on a planet. As such, the Nova Stella Pura retain many agreements with independent colonies and organizations to ensure that a new plague isn't unearthed.
Originally, the Stella Pura were a mystical organization of pacifists. They built temples across the systems that acted as refuge for anyone who had no place to call home. Exiles, pirates, criminals, and refugees were all welcome to stay. So long as they committed to a life of pacifism while within a temple, they were welcome. To some, the temples were hives of criminal cutthroats. To others, the Stella Pura were the guardians of those who were at the end of the line.
At its peak, the Stella Pura were likely the most widespread--not believed--scripture in the galaxy.
However, the temples soon became empty. This wasn't of lack of faith, nor was it of military invasion. No, the temples and everyone inside had vanished. Entire temples had been intentionally destroyed. Not a single sign of life could be found within those that survived. Only ash remained.
Generations had passed before their name reappeared. Calling themselves the Nova Stella Pura, they rose once more to spread their scripture. However, it was different from their previous incarnation. Rather than peace and pacifism, they called for protection by any means. They would ensure that no one else will experience what they had.
The equipment of the Nova Stella Pura is primarily designed to deal with biological threats. Their armaments primarily use fire and chemicals to destroy any sort of containment. Their armour is highly varied, depending which chapter of the cult the wearer is from. However, there's two commonalities. The first is an extreme resistance to heat. The second being that it would protect the user from any external contamination.
Rather than a planetary faction, the Nova Stella Pura are more of a subversive existence within space. Instead of possessing political power in the form of warships, weapons, and resource caches, their power relies on ideology, sympathy, and connections. Perpetually in exodus, the Nova Stella Pura either live an ascetic life in roaming capital ships or in secret among other factions.
Membership of the Nova Stella Pura is varied. The most devout followers of the Nova Stella Pura drift across the galaxy in stealthed capital ships. Those affiliated with them, however, act as a liaison between the esoteric cult and the less spiritually inclined factions. These affiliates also aggressively spread some of the Nova Stella Pura's ideas. More specifically, they ensure that the current scientific consensus is that biological warfare is not worth pursuing due to its risk.
While hidden most of the time, they appear primarily where the infestation--a mindless creature that consumes any living being to replicate--appears.
However, their crusades are almost entirely hidden to the galaxy at large. To most factions, the Nova Stella Pura are simply mercenaries led by a space cult that is hired to clean up biohazards. While led by true followers of the Nova Stella Pura, they often are comprised of members from independent factions, colonies, and even criminal organizations. This group acts as the Nova Stella Pura's primary income. They hide their finances through shell corps, making even their cash flow hard to track. As their services are considered of value to each major power, they retain positive relations with each major power.
In the frontier worlds, the Nova Stella Pura play a larger role. There is a risk of stumbling upon a major biohazard on a planet. As such, the Nova Stella Pura retain many agreements with independent colonies and organizations to ensure that a new plague isn't unearthed.
Originally, the Stella Pura were a mystical organization of pacifists. They built temples across the systems that acted as refuge for anyone who had no place to call home. Exiles, pirates, criminals, and refugees were all welcome to stay. So long as they committed to a life of pacifism while within a temple, they were welcome. To some, the temples were hives of criminal cutthroats. To others, the Stella Pura were the guardians of those who were at the end of the line.
At its peak, the Stella Pura were likely the most widespread--not believed--scripture in the galaxy.
However, the temples soon became empty. This wasn't of lack of faith, nor was it of military invasion. No, the temples and everyone inside had vanished. Entire temples had been intentionally destroyed. Not a single sign of life could be found within those that survived. Only ash remained.
Generations had passed before their name reappeared. Calling themselves the Nova Stella Pura, they rose once more to spread their scripture. However, it was different from their previous incarnation. Rather than peace and pacifism, they called for protection by any means. They would ensure that no one else will experience what they had.
The equipment of the Nova Stella Pura is primarily designed to deal with biological threats. Their armaments primarily use fire and chemicals to destroy any sort of containment. Their armour is highly varied, depending which chapter of the cult the wearer is from. However, there's two commonalities. The first is an extreme resistance to heat. The second being that it would protect the user from any external contamination.
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