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Those who play today.
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The Esoteric Temple of Acerbus - @Tortoise
The Great Khaganate of Tengri - @Enigmatik
GM
Esoteric Temple of Acerbus
"Passion is Power; Seeing is Knowing"
Government Form:
Theocracy and Fractured Oligarchies
Population:
1.5 Billion
What is humanity?:
The human soul
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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.
Ceti (singular: cetus) are the only sentient life discovered on Acerbus, an aquatic species native to the Low Dusk region, on the outskirts of the Twilight Band where the waters are becoming dark and cool. They are large enough that the first human colonists to spot one called them an "Acerbian Whale," though scholars believe the title was only a reference to their imposing size. Their morphology is too alien to make them cleanly analogous to one Earth species, but like much Acerbian life, they have the apparent traits of many different lifeforms familiar to humans. They are indeed whale-like in size, growing to be an average of 15 meters long and even in Acerbus' lighter gravity weighing up to 36 metric tons. A lightweight but strong crustacean shell covers their cetacean bulk, with four wide whale fins extending out from their sides and a fluke propelling them at the back. Varying numbers of tentacles extend down from their underbelly to grasp food or tools, but extend upwards into the shell when swimming.
They have a neck which stretches out from their main body for following prey into holes or getting into cracks in a shell, and a long narrow head which is protected by shell plates. They have three large, black and beady eyes jutting out on very short stalks. The lower portion of their face, around their mouth, sprouts with smaller sensory tentacles which are used for feeling, giving them a bearded appearance. They were also described by the first human colonists as "sea monsters."
Their sentience was discovered quickly, as they live in a kind of underwater stone age, with simple tools and a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Their level of technology was at first mistaken by the colonists as a sign of limited mental capacity, but the reality proved to be the opposite. Ceti are in fact considered "more intelligent" (in the sense of learning ability, problem-solving and creativity) than humans, and it's believed by most researchers that the only reason they have never developed a complex society or high technology is not because of a lack of intelligence but because of their lack of social instinct. They do not exist in groups. Therefore they can't cooperate with each other on the scale needed for technological progress.
Ceti are purely solitary predators, preying on the other large aquatic life of Low Dusk. Their tentacles are strong enough to crush the shells of the Mega-Nautilus which is their preferred prey, but they're known to let them live through the first few attempts. They often let their targets flee, catching them and scaring them and letting them go repeatedly, not at all unlike how a cat toys with its food. They sometimes rip a painful but non-vital body part off of their prey while it is still alive, and they don't mind doing this to humans that they find swimming in their waters. Based on observations of ceti body language, they seem to think our anatomy is fascinating. This seemingly sadistic behavior is mentioned here because it is an example of how ceti think and behave. They are curious and insightful, but rarely show empathy. They are incapable of any but one kind of social bond.
They reproduce asexually, and the one bond they form is with their newborn children, who they will care for at an early age. It is debated whether this maternal instinct is a one-off example of altruistic behavior or if it rises from a narcissistic desire to propagate a genetic "second self." They speak by vocalizations similar to whale song, called cetus-song, and teach their children the basics of survival. However, as soon as the child begins to grow to a threatening size, their mothers turn and run them off. If allowed to grow, they will eventually kill and consume their parent. The bond is apparently one-way.
This is the standard of life for ceti. So they don't share very much knowledge with each other or future generations, meaning that even if every individual ceti is a genius by human standards, any discovery they make stays only with them. It will die with them, if they die- but ceti do not die of age. Like the lobsters of Earth that their shell is so similar to, ceti do not weaken with age and continue to be healthy no matter how many years pass. There was one curious cetus who voluntarily helped human researchers translate their cetus-song into something comprehendible to humans, and among many other things claimed to be 2000 years old. Though it is uncertain how they could have measured years, without technology, in a world with no days and only subtle seasons. Most ceti are known to be liars.
Communication with ceti, when it happens, rarely is more fruitful than that. It perhaps should not be a surprise that they are untrusting and don't typically share information willingly, and are much more likely to find ways to learn from the humans they are speaking to. When introduced to a human idea or technology, they are capable of understanding it fairly quickly. Their personalities in conversation are sardonic and antagonistic- acerbic, you might say. They're prone to sarcasm.
The Temple currently limits contact with ceti, describing them as "monstrous and spiritless."
They have a neck which stretches out from their main body for following prey into holes or getting into cracks in a shell, and a long narrow head which is protected by shell plates. They have three large, black and beady eyes jutting out on very short stalks. The lower portion of their face, around their mouth, sprouts with smaller sensory tentacles which are used for feeling, giving them a bearded appearance. They were also described by the first human colonists as "sea monsters."
Their sentience was discovered quickly, as they live in a kind of underwater stone age, with simple tools and a hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Their level of technology was at first mistaken by the colonists as a sign of limited mental capacity, but the reality proved to be the opposite. Ceti are in fact considered "more intelligent" (in the sense of learning ability, problem-solving and creativity) than humans, and it's believed by most researchers that the only reason they have never developed a complex society or high technology is not because of a lack of intelligence but because of their lack of social instinct. They do not exist in groups. Therefore they can't cooperate with each other on the scale needed for technological progress.
Ceti are purely solitary predators, preying on the other large aquatic life of Low Dusk. Their tentacles are strong enough to crush the shells of the Mega-Nautilus which is their preferred prey, but they're known to let them live through the first few attempts. They often let their targets flee, catching them and scaring them and letting them go repeatedly, not at all unlike how a cat toys with its food. They sometimes rip a painful but non-vital body part off of their prey while it is still alive, and they don't mind doing this to humans that they find swimming in their waters. Based on observations of ceti body language, they seem to think our anatomy is fascinating. This seemingly sadistic behavior is mentioned here because it is an example of how ceti think and behave. They are curious and insightful, but rarely show empathy. They are incapable of any but one kind of social bond.
They reproduce asexually, and the one bond they form is with their newborn children, who they will care for at an early age. It is debated whether this maternal instinct is a one-off example of altruistic behavior or if it rises from a narcissistic desire to propagate a genetic "second self." They speak by vocalizations similar to whale song, called cetus-song, and teach their children the basics of survival. However, as soon as the child begins to grow to a threatening size, their mothers turn and run them off. If allowed to grow, they will eventually kill and consume their parent. The bond is apparently one-way.
This is the standard of life for ceti. So they don't share very much knowledge with each other or future generations, meaning that even if every individual ceti is a genius by human standards, any discovery they make stays only with them. It will die with them, if they die- but ceti do not die of age. Like the lobsters of Earth that their shell is so similar to, ceti do not weaken with age and continue to be healthy no matter how many years pass. There was one curious cetus who voluntarily helped human researchers translate their cetus-song into something comprehendible to humans, and among many other things claimed to be 2000 years old. Though it is uncertain how they could have measured years, without technology, in a world with no days and only subtle seasons. Most ceti are known to be liars.
Communication with ceti, when it happens, rarely is more fruitful than that. It perhaps should not be a surprise that they are untrusting and don't typically share information willingly, and are much more likely to find ways to learn from the humans they are speaking to. When introduced to a human idea or technology, they are capable of understanding it fairly quickly. Their personalities in conversation are sardonic and antagonistic- acerbic, you might say. They're prone to sarcasm.
The Temple currently limits contact with ceti, describing them as "monstrous and spiritless."
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%
All descendants of the original Acerbus colonists have been genetically modified for life on this challenging world, the resulting breed being called Homo Acerbus. The teaching of the Temple is that Acerbians are human, but the modification was intense enough that one would never mistake an Acerbian for a human of Earthly origins.
In order to move well in lower gravity, Acerbians are taller and thinner, frail-looking and towering compared to baseline humans. In order to bring their immune system in line with the deadly pollen and sickening food of Acerbus, some amount of alien DNA from Acerbian lifeforms has been incorporated into their genome. This did make the pollen tolerable (though it still itches) and the food edible (though most of it is still bitter to the palate), but an unintended impact of the modification was pale, dry and pallorous skin.
Playing with genes is of course not simple or even predictable, and aside from the papery skin, another side-effect of the process was the loss of hair: all Acerbians are bald. Flowing headdresses, especially for women, have filled the gap. More positively, all Acerbians are ambidextrous and have very quick, efficient motor skills, which is considered one of the few gene mods not to have had any unintended results.
But the same cannot be said for those alterations which dealt with the most complex organ in the human body. Acerbian genetic modification includes an arguably misguided attempt to improve on the human mind. The early goal was to increase intelligence, but the issue became that there is no one factor or one part of the brain that's responsible for what we call intelligence, just as there is no one thing clearly responsible for consciousness or self-awareness.
The geneticists only succeeded in enlarging and "speeding up" certain areas of the brain, which did indeed improve learning ability and problem-solving, but brought consequences. Although not necessarily better at academic work than baseliners, Acerbians are comparatively quick to pick up on new skills. They're also naturally insightful and perceptive and are, unfortunately, often mentally ill. Due to increased activity and pattern recognition, they are especially prone to mania, paranoia, obsessive personality disorders and something akin to moderately severe bipolar disorder. Regardless of diagnosis, most every Acerbian is unusually passionate by Earth standards and prone to extremes of emotion. The suicide rate among Acerbians is forty percent higher than it was among baseline humans.
The last change made to their mind is that Acerbians do not fully sleep. Instead, they enter a restful meditative state, in which half of their brain shuts down for one hour while the other half stays awake, and then they switch. The whales of Earth did something similar. Unlike the whales, during this meditation they still "dream," but these dreams present as lucid, vivid and powerful "visions"- sometimes they are beautiful, sometimes traumatic. Acerbians always remember them perfectly when their meditation is over. The Revelationist faith strongly encourages finding spiritual meaning in these visions.
In order to move well in lower gravity, Acerbians are taller and thinner, frail-looking and towering compared to baseline humans. In order to bring their immune system in line with the deadly pollen and sickening food of Acerbus, some amount of alien DNA from Acerbian lifeforms has been incorporated into their genome. This did make the pollen tolerable (though it still itches) and the food edible (though most of it is still bitter to the palate), but an unintended impact of the modification was pale, dry and pallorous skin.
Playing with genes is of course not simple or even predictable, and aside from the papery skin, another side-effect of the process was the loss of hair: all Acerbians are bald. Flowing headdresses, especially for women, have filled the gap. More positively, all Acerbians are ambidextrous and have very quick, efficient motor skills, which is considered one of the few gene mods not to have had any unintended results.
But the same cannot be said for those alterations which dealt with the most complex organ in the human body. Acerbian genetic modification includes an arguably misguided attempt to improve on the human mind. The early goal was to increase intelligence, but the issue became that there is no one factor or one part of the brain that's responsible for what we call intelligence, just as there is no one thing clearly responsible for consciousness or self-awareness.
The geneticists only succeeded in enlarging and "speeding up" certain areas of the brain, which did indeed improve learning ability and problem-solving, but brought consequences. Although not necessarily better at academic work than baseliners, Acerbians are comparatively quick to pick up on new skills. They're also naturally insightful and perceptive and are, unfortunately, often mentally ill. Due to increased activity and pattern recognition, they are especially prone to mania, paranoia, obsessive personality disorders and something akin to moderately severe bipolar disorder. Regardless of diagnosis, most every Acerbian is unusually passionate by Earth standards and prone to extremes of emotion. The suicide rate among Acerbians is forty percent higher than it was among baseline humans.
The last change made to their mind is that Acerbians do not fully sleep. Instead, they enter a restful meditative state, in which half of their brain shuts down for one hour while the other half stays awake, and then they switch. The whales of Earth did something similar. Unlike the whales, during this meditation they still "dream," but these dreams present as lucid, vivid and powerful "visions"- sometimes they are beautiful, sometimes traumatic. Acerbians always remember them perfectly when their meditation is over. The Revelationist faith strongly encourages finding spiritual meaning in these visions.
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.
Acerbus is a watery world, moreso even than Earth which was majority ocean itself. The dampness is a constant and the majority of edible food lies underwater. Late in the time of the Forecaster, when it was clear that the early colonial society was heading for a complete collapse, a push was made to further acclimate humanity to a semiaquatic lifestyle. The hope was in allowing these new humans to thrive on Acerbus "natively," without strong technological or social support.
It was a partial success. Although not fully semiaquatic, Homo Marinus is equipped with slick, water-repellent fish skin, and they're slightly thicker than Vulgaris Acerbians with subcutaneous fat that insulates from the cold. A vastly improved lung capacity and enlarged spleen (for holding oxygenated red blood cells) allows for up to two hours under water before coming up for air.
Their hands are enlarged, and their fingers are of course webbed and function as fins. Their feet are also lengthened, webbed and fin-like, and they have an instinct for "locking" their legs together and spreading their feet in opposite directions in such a way that allows them to propel themselves when swimming like the fluke of a whale. They likewise can "lock" their elbows to their sides, as human arms are a little long to function as fins. Their ankle and wrist muscles are very powerful. A Homo Marinus can see as well underwater as above it, with large black pupils. Their sense of balance and motion has been reoriented to function in the "low gravity" world of water.
A common slur for Marinus is "fish-nose," which is a bit of a misnomer as they don't have full noses at all. They have a slight bump where their nose would be that opens into two vertical slit nostrils, which shut closed when submerged.
A slightly disturbing modification designed late in the process allows them to digest raw meat safely, and their many teeth are sharp.
It was a partial success. Although not fully semiaquatic, Homo Marinus is equipped with slick, water-repellent fish skin, and they're slightly thicker than Vulgaris Acerbians with subcutaneous fat that insulates from the cold. A vastly improved lung capacity and enlarged spleen (for holding oxygenated red blood cells) allows for up to two hours under water before coming up for air.
Their hands are enlarged, and their fingers are of course webbed and function as fins. Their feet are also lengthened, webbed and fin-like, and they have an instinct for "locking" their legs together and spreading their feet in opposite directions in such a way that allows them to propel themselves when swimming like the fluke of a whale. They likewise can "lock" their elbows to their sides, as human arms are a little long to function as fins. Their ankle and wrist muscles are very powerful. A Homo Marinus can see as well underwater as above it, with large black pupils. Their sense of balance and motion has been reoriented to function in the "low gravity" world of water.
A common slur for Marinus is "fish-nose," which is a bit of a misnomer as they don't have full noses at all. They have a slight bump where their nose would be that opens into two vertical slit nostrils, which shut closed when submerged.
A slightly disturbing modification designed late in the process allows them to digest raw meat safely, and their many teeth are sharp.
Homo Umbratilis are a variant of Homo Marinus, which is itself a variant of Homo Acerbus, which is itself a variant of Homo Sapiens. Umbratilis is a modification of a modification of a modification of humanity. The four-armed, black-eyed Umbratilis are also the first Acerbian subspecies about whom the question "Are they still human?" has been seriously asked. Nobody has yet to provide a definitive answer, and for political reasons the Temple has refused to decide on it.
As Acerbus a tidally-locked world, most people live in the twilight zone where temperatures are most tolerable. The Umbratilis were created in an ambitious attempt less than a century ago to colonize the dark and cold "night" side of the planet. Homo Umbratilis is the only subspecies created after the fall of the Forecaster, in more modern times, so their alterations were made with a deeper understanding of Acerbus. In addition to everything done to the Vulgaris and Marinus strains, an Umbratilis is built especially for swimming in the cold and living in the dark.
Sensory modifications were a special focus here. Their eyes are twice the size of typical human eyes and completely black, specialized so much for seeing in the dark that daylight is intolerably blinding to them. Beneath their ears are two small holes that essentially function as another, more underwater-purposed ear. Though they can't breathe the water, they can take in some amount of seawater safely through their slit nostrils, which opens up the ability to smell underwater. This and the secondary ears were improved upon until Umbratilis could hear and smell far better when submerged than any human can on land.
They have a slowed metabolism which conserves heat and energy, but renders them not quite as quick as the other subspecies are known to be. Perhaps as a consolation, they are much larger, reaching 2.5 meters tall. This, combined with a layer of blubber to protect against the cold- making them the only Acerbian subspecies thicker than baseline humans- means they would weigh over four hundred pounds in Earth's old gravity. With muscles redesigned for pushing through the water, they are intensely strong.
Certain proteins help bodily fluids not to freeze, and increased blood flow to the extremities prevents frost bite. They have a second heart to facilitate this improved flow in light of their size. Redundant body parts were a theme on their creator's minds, since they have, infamously, a second set of arms. The idea behind these additional limbs, which also end in fin-like hands, was to allow them to alternate between propelling themselves forward underwater with each set.
Their appearance is considered frightening to other Acerbians, especially the Vulgaris Acerbians that are so noticeably closer to baseline humans. Umbratilis' unusual height, sharp teeth, four arms, wide and black eyes, fish skin, slit nostrils and physical bulk are used to villainize them in some Vulgaris-targeted Acerbian media. One insult aimed at them is "ogeres," a slur which originates from the French word "ogre." They primarily inhabit islands on the night side of Acerbus, though many live a nomadic life in fleets of aging industrial fishing vessels which serve as their homes.
As Acerbus a tidally-locked world, most people live in the twilight zone where temperatures are most tolerable. The Umbratilis were created in an ambitious attempt less than a century ago to colonize the dark and cold "night" side of the planet. Homo Umbratilis is the only subspecies created after the fall of the Forecaster, in more modern times, so their alterations were made with a deeper understanding of Acerbus. In addition to everything done to the Vulgaris and Marinus strains, an Umbratilis is built especially for swimming in the cold and living in the dark.
Sensory modifications were a special focus here. Their eyes are twice the size of typical human eyes and completely black, specialized so much for seeing in the dark that daylight is intolerably blinding to them. Beneath their ears are two small holes that essentially function as another, more underwater-purposed ear. Though they can't breathe the water, they can take in some amount of seawater safely through their slit nostrils, which opens up the ability to smell underwater. This and the secondary ears were improved upon until Umbratilis could hear and smell far better when submerged than any human can on land.
They have a slowed metabolism which conserves heat and energy, but renders them not quite as quick as the other subspecies are known to be. Perhaps as a consolation, they are much larger, reaching 2.5 meters tall. This, combined with a layer of blubber to protect against the cold- making them the only Acerbian subspecies thicker than baseline humans- means they would weigh over four hundred pounds in Earth's old gravity. With muscles redesigned for pushing through the water, they are intensely strong.
Certain proteins help bodily fluids not to freeze, and increased blood flow to the extremities prevents frost bite. They have a second heart to facilitate this improved flow in light of their size. Redundant body parts were a theme on their creator's minds, since they have, infamously, a second set of arms. The idea behind these additional limbs, which also end in fin-like hands, was to allow them to alternate between propelling themselves forward underwater with each set.
Their appearance is considered frightening to other Acerbians, especially the Vulgaris Acerbians that are so noticeably closer to baseline humans. Umbratilis' unusual height, sharp teeth, four arms, wide and black eyes, fish skin, slit nostrils and physical bulk are used to villainize them in some Vulgaris-targeted Acerbian media. One insult aimed at them is "ogeres," a slur which originates from the French word "ogre." They primarily inhabit islands on the night side of Acerbus, though many live a nomadic life in fleets of aging industrial fishing vessels which serve as their homes.
History:
Years: 0-70
The history of Acerbus begins like the history of most human colonies. They had shot in a panic through the Gateway like every other colony ship, and had landed on an unpleasant and challenging world like many of them. The Gateway had closed shut behind them soon after, leaving the blackness of space and no way home. They were alone, cut-off, and frightened. This experience was the experience of so many of humanity’s scattered seed.
In those early decades, as they first landed on the soil of this bitter, damp and uncomfortable world, what set those who would become the Acerbians apart was the presence of the Forecaster: a powerful, experimental, semi-organic AI created by a cutting-edge genetics company called GENIE, whose executives had furnished the Algus Colony Ship in exchange for safe passage aboard it. It was a blatantly illegal creation, with several neural nets created as much by human-derived neurons as traditional electronics. It was fortunate for the Algus Colony Ship that the world governments had bigger issues on their hands in those days than one illegal AI.
This partly human machine was sold as something able to juggle the many complex numbers and choices of a burgeoning colonial effort, making “decisions with the accuracy of a supercomputer but the sentiments of a human.” It worked for seventy years.
During that time, the Forecaster became in a sense the real leader of the colony. The AI shouldered first the number-crunching work, then resource management, then larger goal-setting, and by year thirty was the primary decision maker of the entire Acerbian effort.
At this time Acerbus was still a united nation. The shortage of metal was, naturally, an immense issue, and it was made worse by the discovery that Acerbian “trees” did not produce useful wood. But the Forecaster always found workarounds: the cities were built of stone and utilized low-gravity to great effect, tools were made from animal bone and shell and other alternative materials, and plastic could always be created from fossil fuels. Humanity itself was in the process of being genetically modified to survive on Acerbus without technological support. Many studies endeavored to discover if high technology could be maintained long-term with limited metal, and the Forecaster itself ran constant simulations of that exact scenario. But this was when the problem began to show.
It was discovered that the GENIE executives (all of them dead of natural causes by now) had deeply exaggerated the longevity of such a machine. Most of the Forecaster’s human-derived components were failing, literally aging, and its decisions were less and less reliable. This was an apocalyptic issue, because at this stage the colony’s entire system relied on it. There had been talk of diversifying, or of creating a back-up, but the work of either option was monumental- so it had always been delayed. Now it was too late.
The Forecaster fell to a fatal error one day, right as it was supposedly on the cusp of finding a solution to Acerbus’ resource problems. And in less than a year the world was burning.
The history of Acerbus begins like the history of most human colonies. They had shot in a panic through the Gateway like every other colony ship, and had landed on an unpleasant and challenging world like many of them. The Gateway had closed shut behind them soon after, leaving the blackness of space and no way home. They were alone, cut-off, and frightened. This experience was the experience of so many of humanity’s scattered seed.
In those early decades, as they first landed on the soil of this bitter, damp and uncomfortable world, what set those who would become the Acerbians apart was the presence of the Forecaster: a powerful, experimental, semi-organic AI created by a cutting-edge genetics company called GENIE, whose executives had furnished the Algus Colony Ship in exchange for safe passage aboard it. It was a blatantly illegal creation, with several neural nets created as much by human-derived neurons as traditional electronics. It was fortunate for the Algus Colony Ship that the world governments had bigger issues on their hands in those days than one illegal AI.
This partly human machine was sold as something able to juggle the many complex numbers and choices of a burgeoning colonial effort, making “decisions with the accuracy of a supercomputer but the sentiments of a human.” It worked for seventy years.
During that time, the Forecaster became in a sense the real leader of the colony. The AI shouldered first the number-crunching work, then resource management, then larger goal-setting, and by year thirty was the primary decision maker of the entire Acerbian effort.
At this time Acerbus was still a united nation. The shortage of metal was, naturally, an immense issue, and it was made worse by the discovery that Acerbian “trees” did not produce useful wood. But the Forecaster always found workarounds: the cities were built of stone and utilized low-gravity to great effect, tools were made from animal bone and shell and other alternative materials, and plastic could always be created from fossil fuels. Humanity itself was in the process of being genetically modified to survive on Acerbus without technological support. Many studies endeavored to discover if high technology could be maintained long-term with limited metal, and the Forecaster itself ran constant simulations of that exact scenario. But this was when the problem began to show.
It was discovered that the GENIE executives (all of them dead of natural causes by now) had deeply exaggerated the longevity of such a machine. Most of the Forecaster’s human-derived components were failing, literally aging, and its decisions were less and less reliable. This was an apocalyptic issue, because at this stage the colony’s entire system relied on it. There had been talk of diversifying, or of creating a back-up, but the work of either option was monumental- so it had always been delayed. Now it was too late.
The Forecaster fell to a fatal error one day, right as it was supposedly on the cusp of finding a solution to Acerbus’ resource problems. And in less than a year the world was burning.
Years: 70-400
It was a second apocalypse, as the entire political, informational and infrastructural system of Acerbus crumbled over months. Across the various colonized islands of the Twilight Band, the power vacuum was filled by local authorities stepping up to assert control. But as the metal shortage was felt in its full brunt for the first time, few of them had the resources they needed to govern. This is how the raiding started.
From this point forward, the history of Acerbus is largely a history of raids, skirmishes, in-fighting and warring primarily over metal, but also over land and (something very rare on Acerbus) tolerable-tasting food. Each island became a world unto itself, which was only concerned with the well-being of itself. Warlords arose out of this endless conflict and became the true authorities of Acerbus.
Times were rough. When a large haul of metal or a valuable mine was won from an opposing island, a feast might be held and everyone would celebrate, but soon it would become clear that the warlord intended to use it only to supply his own militia- in order to go on more raids and press the advantage. Rarely was it put towards the people. Basic necessities ran low on all but the most fortunate islands. As access to healthcare became limited, Acerbian folk medicine was born. With edible food hoarded by the local warlord and their armies, what was left became communal. As historical data-banks were stripped for wiring, the past was forgotten and fell into oral tradition. Acerbian culture became warlike when it was clear that joining the raiding parties was the only way to progress in life.
In over three centuries of chaos, it should be no surprise that many found solace in faith. Ever since genetic modifications during the time of the Forecaster had stripped Acerbians of true sleep, vision-like experiences had replaced dreams. Now many small religions formed around them, bolstered by local folklore and oral tradition. These Vision-Cults were often lead by a local prophet who claimed the power to interpret people’s visions. Often, the warlord had a personal prophet in his house that interpreted visions and signs for him, advising him before great battles and on all spiritual matters.
Among these prophetically advised warlords was one Barbieri, a brutal but ingenious man who supposedly won his army in a one-on-one duel with the previous warlord. Historians used to suspect this story of being apocryphal. Now evidence points towards the duel being a real event, but rediscovered writings from the period suggest that Barbieri cheated.
Regardless, he began as the possessor of a small island who strategically played his rivals against one another, attacking opportunistically when they were at their weakest. He promised positions to any enemy commanders who defected to his side, but cut off the right hands and gouged out the right eyes of any who did not. As his reputation grew, many aligned themselves to him, and he expanded his power over the Twilight Band steadily. In time it was obvious to everyone that Barbieri had become a power large enough to function as the leader of Acerbus. As the other warlords were forced to accept the way history was moving, they fell in line- though not always without a struggle. All warlords now swore their fealty to Barbieri, who was titled the Victor.
Victor Barbieri established his dynasty and ruled Acerbus for the rest of his life. He pushed projects to revitalize the economy and improve interisland trade, but his special focus was on unifying the now disparate Acerbian people. One part of this was a movement to bring all the Vision-Cults into one cohesive faith, a single global religion which answered to Barbieri’s personal prophet. The religion which Barbieri’s prophet taught was known as Revelationism, first created by a now dead preacher called Sister-Mother Aurora, and it was made the faith of the world.
It was a second apocalypse, as the entire political, informational and infrastructural system of Acerbus crumbled over months. Across the various colonized islands of the Twilight Band, the power vacuum was filled by local authorities stepping up to assert control. But as the metal shortage was felt in its full brunt for the first time, few of them had the resources they needed to govern. This is how the raiding started.
From this point forward, the history of Acerbus is largely a history of raids, skirmishes, in-fighting and warring primarily over metal, but also over land and (something very rare on Acerbus) tolerable-tasting food. Each island became a world unto itself, which was only concerned with the well-being of itself. Warlords arose out of this endless conflict and became the true authorities of Acerbus.
Times were rough. When a large haul of metal or a valuable mine was won from an opposing island, a feast might be held and everyone would celebrate, but soon it would become clear that the warlord intended to use it only to supply his own militia- in order to go on more raids and press the advantage. Rarely was it put towards the people. Basic necessities ran low on all but the most fortunate islands. As access to healthcare became limited, Acerbian folk medicine was born. With edible food hoarded by the local warlord and their armies, what was left became communal. As historical data-banks were stripped for wiring, the past was forgotten and fell into oral tradition. Acerbian culture became warlike when it was clear that joining the raiding parties was the only way to progress in life.
In over three centuries of chaos, it should be no surprise that many found solace in faith. Ever since genetic modifications during the time of the Forecaster had stripped Acerbians of true sleep, vision-like experiences had replaced dreams. Now many small religions formed around them, bolstered by local folklore and oral tradition. These Vision-Cults were often lead by a local prophet who claimed the power to interpret people’s visions. Often, the warlord had a personal prophet in his house that interpreted visions and signs for him, advising him before great battles and on all spiritual matters.
Among these prophetically advised warlords was one Barbieri, a brutal but ingenious man who supposedly won his army in a one-on-one duel with the previous warlord. Historians used to suspect this story of being apocryphal. Now evidence points towards the duel being a real event, but rediscovered writings from the period suggest that Barbieri cheated.
Regardless, he began as the possessor of a small island who strategically played his rivals against one another, attacking opportunistically when they were at their weakest. He promised positions to any enemy commanders who defected to his side, but cut off the right hands and gouged out the right eyes of any who did not. As his reputation grew, many aligned themselves to him, and he expanded his power over the Twilight Band steadily. In time it was obvious to everyone that Barbieri had become a power large enough to function as the leader of Acerbus. As the other warlords were forced to accept the way history was moving, they fell in line- though not always without a struggle. All warlords now swore their fealty to Barbieri, who was titled the Victor.
Victor Barbieri established his dynasty and ruled Acerbus for the rest of his life. He pushed projects to revitalize the economy and improve interisland trade, but his special focus was on unifying the now disparate Acerbian people. One part of this was a movement to bring all the Vision-Cults into one cohesive faith, a single global religion which answered to Barbieri’s personal prophet. The religion which Barbieri’s prophet taught was known as Revelationism, first created by a now dead preacher called Sister-Mother Aurora, and it was made the faith of the world.
Years: 400-Present
Of course, Barbieri eventually went the way of all humankind. Lying on his death bed, he passed his power to his only child, Alessia, who would succeed him as Victor. She was a little girl of only eight years old. At Barbieri’s funeral, the personal prophet whom he had made the religious leader of all Acerbus- a by now ancient man named Sergius Domino- promised to serve as the girl’s protector until she was of age to rule alone.
That time never came. Before she was ten, it was discovered that Alessia was horribly ill in some lifelong way. Acerbian medicine had not recovered enough to be capable of treating it. She would not reach adulthood.
Sergius Domino hid this. He temporized. While Alessia’s life faded, he cemented himself as a leader in every way he could, established connections with key warlords, and secretly prepared Revelationist ministers and faithful soldiers to rise up and make themselves an authority if ever the time came. And it did come, by Alessia’s twelfth birthday.
When it was heard the future Victor was dead, and there was no clear heir to replace her, local warlords who had previously been loyal to Barbieri threatened revolt. They saw this as a chance to regain their independence, and a return to the old ways before a Victor meddled with their affairs. Skirmishing and warring flared up again within only a few days. It was a promise of more bloodshed to come. A short, cynical senryu written by a poet from this time is titled "Acerbian History" and simply reads:
"First the world ended,
then the world ended and now-
the world is ending"
It was the Revelationist priesthood that prevented it.
Domino put himself forward as the new leader of Acerbus. It may not have worked, but he had established himself enough in the time of Alessia’s sickness, and had so prepared his loyal priests for this moment, that he at least had the ear of the warlords. He promised a return to stability if he was put in power, and for the warlord’s part he said he would make any who stayed loyal to him an “executor,” a governor with almost fully autonomous power over his own island. No more meddling. All they had to do was keep the peace, pay their tithes, and ensure the faithfulness of their populace. Almost gratefully, they agreed.
The ones who did not were conquered again by those who had. Their bodies were dismembered and dumped in the ocean to be eaten by ceti. Their islands are now ruled by Revelationist priests, officially called revelators.
That is the history of Acerbus, in short.
Since the Revelationist priesthood took authority, things have vastly improved. The revelators established a global order just capable enough to start rebuilding Acerbus after the many centuries of endless war. In an unexpected but fortunate turn of events, it's became clear that the priesthood tends to act in the better interest of the common people, which they depend upon even more than they do the support of the warlords-turned-executors. In this way healthcare has resumed, formal education has come back into existence, and a decent quality of life has been resurrected from the distant past. The priesthood is imperfect but, if nothing else, they’re kinder than the warlords.
For the first time, it looks like the sun may be about to rise in the Twilight Band.
Of course, Barbieri eventually went the way of all humankind. Lying on his death bed, he passed his power to his only child, Alessia, who would succeed him as Victor. She was a little girl of only eight years old. At Barbieri’s funeral, the personal prophet whom he had made the religious leader of all Acerbus- a by now ancient man named Sergius Domino- promised to serve as the girl’s protector until she was of age to rule alone.
That time never came. Before she was ten, it was discovered that Alessia was horribly ill in some lifelong way. Acerbian medicine had not recovered enough to be capable of treating it. She would not reach adulthood.
Sergius Domino hid this. He temporized. While Alessia’s life faded, he cemented himself as a leader in every way he could, established connections with key warlords, and secretly prepared Revelationist ministers and faithful soldiers to rise up and make themselves an authority if ever the time came. And it did come, by Alessia’s twelfth birthday.
When it was heard the future Victor was dead, and there was no clear heir to replace her, local warlords who had previously been loyal to Barbieri threatened revolt. They saw this as a chance to regain their independence, and a return to the old ways before a Victor meddled with their affairs. Skirmishing and warring flared up again within only a few days. It was a promise of more bloodshed to come. A short, cynical senryu written by a poet from this time is titled "Acerbian History" and simply reads:
"First the world ended,
then the world ended and now-
the world is ending"
It was the Revelationist priesthood that prevented it.
Domino put himself forward as the new leader of Acerbus. It may not have worked, but he had established himself enough in the time of Alessia’s sickness, and had so prepared his loyal priests for this moment, that he at least had the ear of the warlords. He promised a return to stability if he was put in power, and for the warlord’s part he said he would make any who stayed loyal to him an “executor,” a governor with almost fully autonomous power over his own island. No more meddling. All they had to do was keep the peace, pay their tithes, and ensure the faithfulness of their populace. Almost gratefully, they agreed.
The ones who did not were conquered again by those who had. Their bodies were dismembered and dumped in the ocean to be eaten by ceti. Their islands are now ruled by Revelationist priests, officially called revelators.
That is the history of Acerbus, in short.
Since the Revelationist priesthood took authority, things have vastly improved. The revelators established a global order just capable enough to start rebuilding Acerbus after the many centuries of endless war. In an unexpected but fortunate turn of events, it's became clear that the priesthood tends to act in the better interest of the common people, which they depend upon even more than they do the support of the warlords-turned-executors. In this way healthcare has resumed, formal education has come back into existence, and a decent quality of life has been resurrected from the distant past. The priesthood is imperfect but, if nothing else, they’re kinder than the warlords.
For the first time, it looks like the sun may be about to rise in the Twilight Band.
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:
Revelationism was created by combining ancient mythology with early Acerbian spiritualism and folklore, with a deep influence from visions. It is a religion built around its myths and the implications inferred from them, often laden with double-meaning and esotericism. Its founder and Highest Prophet, the one who birthed the faith, was Sister-Mother Aurora, a woman obsessed with mythological stories and plagued by visions even more vivid than the Acerbian norm. She experienced visions even while waking, so that her life was constantly interrupted by events she considered to be divine instruction.
Though sizeable fragments of humanity's history had been lost to the chaos of the warlord era, she somehow managed to find a library of mythological stories and religious texts from all the major faiths of Earth. This event, too, she considered to be divine. She read them all. And, though they contradicted, she tried to believe them all.
At last her visions did the work of bringing together the disparate sacred stories in her mind, creating a single unified idea. She taught much of these things publicly to the curious masses and privately to her few but devout followers, but she wrote down nothing herself. Multiple accounts of her teachings arose from the writings of her students, which were eventually edited into verse and combined together into the Sacrosanct Songbook, a long music-like poem that provides the entirety of Revelationist mythology and its foundational principles. It was in this tradition that Sergius Domino, the first theocratic ruler of Acerbus, was raised.
Sister-Mother Aurora did not live to see her religion truly bloom. But in the decades after her death, as her followers rose to the heights of power at the side of the Victor and scattered her vision across the world, it would become the faith of all Acerbus. It would also split and crack under its own newfound weight, as sects emerged and beliefs diverged. There are today many secondary books after the Sacrosanct Songbook, a large apocrypha of supposed sayings of the Sister-Mother, of mystical vision journeys, of teachings from other self-proclaimed prophets, of new interpretations created by both theologians and wandering wisemen. Which of these secondary texts a particular Revelationist accepts and which they reject largely defines their denomination, the sort of Revelationist that they are. It is not at all uniform.
But all accept the Sacrosanct Songbook.
It describes the gods of Revelationism in poetic terms but immense detail, and calls them "The Gods Behind The Gods." This term is used because a principle belief of Revelationism is that all other deities are reflections, echoes, or children of its own deities. It revolves around the idea that the gods of Earthly mythologies, like Thor or Ra, are representatives of the true gods. In this way all mythologies and religions are real, in a sense. But those who still believe in them must be brought to realize that their gods exist beneath that which is truly divine, the Gods Behind The Gods.
It was the belief of Sister-Mother Aurora that they never revealed themselves directly to humans before the Fall of Earth because mankind was not yet ready. Earth and all its religions were intended for humanity to grow and mature enough that we could one day meet the true gods. Our passing through the Gateways is likened in her language to our birth, our exiting out of the "womb" of Earth into the cosmos proper. Now that we have passed through the void and been touched by the starlight, humanity is finally born, and is at long last ready to learn the truth.
With all of this imagery related to birth and children, it may not surprising that the Gods Behind The Gods are also called the Cosmic Mothers.
That is how the mythology goes. But in a more practical sense, what the Revelationist faith most calls its followers to do is:
1.) Repeat rituals until the Swallower comes, for the healing of their souls and society.
2.) Accept the coming of the Swallower, which means accepting all things and reaching a state of inner peace.
3.) Obey the Whisperer but resist the Liar, which means behaving properly
4.) Work through their spiritual imperfections, which in most cases equates to a kind of religious therapy
5.) See beyond the veil between the material and spiritual world, whether it be by meditation or by highs of emotional experience or by mind-altering substance usage.
Those who walk the path and achieve a state of transcendence before their deaths, after they have passed away, are believed to become a transcendent spirit, an eternal part of the universe which will remain whole when the Swallower consumes it all. They will pass through her belly and into the next world both as themselves and as a foundational part of the cosmos.
Though sizeable fragments of humanity's history had been lost to the chaos of the warlord era, she somehow managed to find a library of mythological stories and religious texts from all the major faiths of Earth. This event, too, she considered to be divine. She read them all. And, though they contradicted, she tried to believe them all.
At last her visions did the work of bringing together the disparate sacred stories in her mind, creating a single unified idea. She taught much of these things publicly to the curious masses and privately to her few but devout followers, but she wrote down nothing herself. Multiple accounts of her teachings arose from the writings of her students, which were eventually edited into verse and combined together into the Sacrosanct Songbook, a long music-like poem that provides the entirety of Revelationist mythology and its foundational principles. It was in this tradition that Sergius Domino, the first theocratic ruler of Acerbus, was raised.
Sister-Mother Aurora did not live to see her religion truly bloom. But in the decades after her death, as her followers rose to the heights of power at the side of the Victor and scattered her vision across the world, it would become the faith of all Acerbus. It would also split and crack under its own newfound weight, as sects emerged and beliefs diverged. There are today many secondary books after the Sacrosanct Songbook, a large apocrypha of supposed sayings of the Sister-Mother, of mystical vision journeys, of teachings from other self-proclaimed prophets, of new interpretations created by both theologians and wandering wisemen. Which of these secondary texts a particular Revelationist accepts and which they reject largely defines their denomination, the sort of Revelationist that they are. It is not at all uniform.
But all accept the Sacrosanct Songbook.
It describes the gods of Revelationism in poetic terms but immense detail, and calls them "The Gods Behind The Gods." This term is used because a principle belief of Revelationism is that all other deities are reflections, echoes, or children of its own deities. It revolves around the idea that the gods of Earthly mythologies, like Thor or Ra, are representatives of the true gods. In this way all mythologies and religions are real, in a sense. But those who still believe in them must be brought to realize that their gods exist beneath that which is truly divine, the Gods Behind The Gods.
It was the belief of Sister-Mother Aurora that they never revealed themselves directly to humans before the Fall of Earth because mankind was not yet ready. Earth and all its religions were intended for humanity to grow and mature enough that we could one day meet the true gods. Our passing through the Gateways is likened in her language to our birth, our exiting out of the "womb" of Earth into the cosmos proper. Now that we have passed through the void and been touched by the starlight, humanity is finally born, and is at long last ready to learn the truth.
With all of this imagery related to birth and children, it may not surprising that the Gods Behind The Gods are also called the Cosmic Mothers.
Every citizen of Acerbus is required to profess and believe in the three Cosmic Mothers, who created the universe and will destroy it, as well as the six Cosmic Brothers who are their children.
Note: It is not considered blasphemous, and is in fact encouraged, to translate the names of Revelationism's gods into the language of the reader/listener. As a result, the names of the Cosmic Mothers and Cosmic Brothers are presented in English rather than Novum Vulgaris.
The Cosmic Mothers are as follows:
And the Cosmic Brothers, their children:
The gods of other mythologies are considered to simultaneously be the shadows, the reflections, the echoes, and the children of the Brothers. So, for example, Loki is a child of the Liar. Enki is a child of the Whisperer. And so on.
Note: It is not considered blasphemous, and is in fact encouraged, to translate the names of Revelationism's gods into the language of the reader/listener. As a result, the names of the Cosmic Mothers and Cosmic Brothers are presented in English rather than Novum Vulgaris.
The Cosmic Mothers are as follows:
The Bearer: The goddess that formed the cosmos in Her belly, and then birthed it into existence. She embodies creation, and that which was. She is the original, first Cosmic Mother; the other two come to existence in the universe which she births. She is portrayed in art as a woman with many eyes, often weeping.
The Sufferer: The goddess that embodies reality, and that which is. The Sufferer's body is the universe itself, the stars and every atom. She is everything that will happen between the creation of the universe and the end of it. She is portrayed in art as a woman with many faces.
The Swallower: The goddess that embodies uncreation, and that which will be. The Swallower's body is the void between stars and the space between atoms. She is the end of the universe and the destruction of all things. She is portrayed in art as a woman with many arms, whose entire face is a mouth, because she will one day swallow up the universe and all things will cease to exist within her stomach.
When the universe was first created, it was flawless. The spiritual world and the material world existed as one. But the Swallower, who is Nothing, became envious of the Sufferer, who is Everything, and- depending on the telling- either cut her with a poisoned dagger or bit her with venomous fangs. The venom seeped into the Sufferer, sickening her and "making her mind bitter." This drove her to madness. The Sufferer's Madness is the cause of everything wrong with reality, from disease to entropy, and it can never be cured until the universe is swallowed up again.
When the Bearer saw that the Sufferer has been driven mad, she said "Oh gods, oh sisters, what have you done?" She then split the spiritual world from the material world to protect it from the Sufferer's madness. There she has fled, awaiting the time when the Swallower ends creation.
After the Swallower consumes the universe, she will sit in an empty place and ponder. After eons which cannot be counted, she will come to regret that she consumed all there was, and the moment she feels this regret, a change will begin in her. The dead universe in her belly will boil with the heat of all the suns she swallowed, and in that heat and pressure will form a new universe. The Swallower will transform into The Bearer, and will birth the universe, restarting the cycle.
So the cosmos is in a constant cycle of creation and destruction, of being birthed by the Bearer, embodied by the Sufferer and swallowed by the Swallower, who then turns into the Bearer and starts it all over again.
And the Cosmic Brothers, their children:
Weeper: The first-born son of the Bearer, also described as her eyes. Ever since the Swallower poisoned the Sufferer, he looks upon the broken state of the universe and cries out day and night. He embodies perfection, and thereby cannot fully manifest himself in this now broken cosmos. He is portrayed as an older man with a scar across his face, and eyes red or swollen from crying.
Whisperer: The second-born son of the Bearer, also described as her mouth. He is the god who speaks into the hearts of humanity, telling us that we were made for a better world. He embodies all that is still good about the cosmos. All our sense of morality comes from the Whisperer, as he is the voice of conscience that tells us how we would act in a perfect world, and so how we must act for this world to be improved. He is portrayed as a young man with a single eye and an open mouth.
---
Seer: The first-born son of the Sufferer, also described as her eyes. He is the god who witnesses and records the passing of the ages from creation until destruction. He embodies time. He is portrayed as a very old man, weary and often leaning on a cane, for time is now very old and the end is close at hand.
Screecher: The second-born son of the Sufferer, also described as her mouth. The poison that drove his mother mad also entered him, and he screams out always in agony because of it. He embodies that which has become bad about the cosmos. He is portrayed as a sick or crippled man.
---
Eater: The first-born son of the Swallower, also described as her stomach. (The Swallower has no eyes, and is blind.) The Eater is the Swallower's favorite son, the purest representation of her soul. He embodies the end of time. He aids his mother in concluding all things, and is the being which takes a deceased human soul into his mother. He is portrayed as an executioner.
Liar: The second-born son of the Swallower, also described as her mouth. He embodies imperfection. He is named the Liar because he is a trickster and a deceiver who works to undo the cosmos by introducing falsehood into it, and must be resisted. He is the antitype of the Whisperer. He is never portrayed in any form.
The gods of other mythologies are considered to simultaneously be the shadows, the reflections, the echoes, and the children of the Brothers. So, for example, Loki is a child of the Liar. Enki is a child of the Whisperer. And so on.
That is how the mythology goes. But in a more practical sense, what the Revelationist faith most calls its followers to do is:
1.) Repeat rituals until the Swallower comes, for the healing of their souls and society.
2.) Accept the coming of the Swallower, which means accepting all things and reaching a state of inner peace.
3.) Obey the Whisperer but resist the Liar, which means behaving properly
4.) Work through their spiritual imperfections, which in most cases equates to a kind of religious therapy
5.) See beyond the veil between the material and spiritual world, whether it be by meditation or by highs of emotional experience or by mind-altering substance usage.
Those who walk the path and achieve a state of transcendence before their deaths, after they have passed away, are believed to become a transcendent spirit, an eternal part of the universe which will remain whole when the Swallower consumes it all. They will pass through her belly and into the next world both as themselves and as a foundational part of the cosmos.
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:
The newly begun space naval warfare in Algus is taking a shape not unlike the submarine-vs-submarine warfare of Earth's past, largely waged at great distances and concluded by the delivery of an explosive payload. In honor of that tradition, they call these payloads torpedoes, not missiles. Because space is infinitely large and yet the Algus system in particular is often "crowded" by asteroids and ships- and by gas giants whose massive gravitational pull throws off passing torpedoes- Acerbian torpedo guidance systems have become advanced and exacting. Really, the torpedoes of Acerbian forces are AI-controlled "smart torpedoes" that make decisions, guide themselves through complex maneuvers, and have an understanding of what they are doing. Usually they know the name and psychological profile of the enemy commander. They understand intrinsically how to maximize for the most efficient destruction of the target.
Due to the impressive results that Acerbian torpedo technology tends to achieve, EMP devices and point-defense have become critical, the first to disrupt their internal systems and the second to shoot them down. Like their targets, both are typically AI-controlled in modern battles. In order to get around these defenses, some vessels have begun to use long-distance railguns which shoot heavy, powerful bullets that cannot be targeted by point-defense and have no electronics for an EMP to confuse. But thankfully for those hit by them, these are not quite as powerful and devastating as a torpedo against the hull. Acerbian hulls in general are as thick as the metal economy will allow them to be.
Scanners are deeply important to victory in battles fought at such distances- as are the devices which confuse them. Many Acerbian vessels which seem obvious make themselves "invisible" by so disorienting the scanners of other vessels that their location, out in the vast void of space, cannot be ascertained. In more desperate situations, they have an emergency "silent mode" which kills non-vital systems on board the ship and slows venting heat out into space, reducing the footprint which other vessels are hoping to pick up on.
When it comes to conflict with other nations, Acerbus' vessels will seem stealthy, prone to attacking at a distance with brutal, AI-run explosives, trying to conclude the battle quickly before they can be pinned down. They will be found at last hidden behind a moon or a cluster of asteroids.
Due to the impressive results that Acerbian torpedo technology tends to achieve, EMP devices and point-defense have become critical, the first to disrupt their internal systems and the second to shoot them down. Like their targets, both are typically AI-controlled in modern battles. In order to get around these defenses, some vessels have begun to use long-distance railguns which shoot heavy, powerful bullets that cannot be targeted by point-defense and have no electronics for an EMP to confuse. But thankfully for those hit by them, these are not quite as powerful and devastating as a torpedo against the hull. Acerbian hulls in general are as thick as the metal economy will allow them to be.
Scanners are deeply important to victory in battles fought at such distances- as are the devices which confuse them. Many Acerbian vessels which seem obvious make themselves "invisible" by so disorienting the scanners of other vessels that their location, out in the vast void of space, cannot be ascertained. In more desperate situations, they have an emergency "silent mode" which kills non-vital systems on board the ship and slows venting heat out into space, reducing the footprint which other vessels are hoping to pick up on.
When it comes to conflict with other nations, Acerbus' vessels will seem stealthy, prone to attacking at a distance with brutal, AI-run explosives, trying to conclude the battle quickly before they can be pinned down. They will be found at last hidden behind a moon or a cluster of asteroids.
Infantry has been pivotal to Acerbian history, unlike the modern skirmishes of space naval combat, but it has changed only a little in that time. Because most islands on the Twilight Band are primarily covered by dense, towering cities, Acerbian forces excel at urban combat and vertical mobility. Jetpacks have been brought up to the point of actual effectiveness and ease-of-use, and every respectable Acerbian army has a few units carrying them. Jetpacks or no, Acerbians armies are usually organized into small and highly mobile units kept well-funded by their executor or by their high revelator, as the case may be. They are equipped with good guns, grenades, bulletproof vests, and the other expected tools of war, but also occasionally with short swords for the close-quarter scraps and spiraling duels that are so common on crowded Acerbian streets.
Like their space naval counterparts, during pressing times it's not uncommon for Acerbian soldiers to hide in their environment, in their case by wearing civilian clothes and carrying concealed weaponry. Many executors have started to press in on a neighbor's island only to find their genetically altered minds coming to paranoia at the uncertainty of who is a fighter and who is not. The only Acerbian soldiers are who really advertise themselves are those who wear corazza, a form of lightweight but versatile power armor- only commanders or the relatives of executors and revelators are ever equipped with corazza. Besides mobility and protection, it's used as a way of declaring the owner to be important enough to ransom instead of killing.
Like their space naval counterparts, during pressing times it's not uncommon for Acerbian soldiers to hide in their environment, in their case by wearing civilian clothes and carrying concealed weaponry. Many executors have started to press in on a neighbor's island only to find their genetically altered minds coming to paranoia at the uncertainty of who is a fighter and who is not. The only Acerbian soldiers are who really advertise themselves are those who wear corazza, a form of lightweight but versatile power armor- only commanders or the relatives of executors and revelators are ever equipped with corazza. Besides mobility and protection, it's used as a way of declaring the owner to be important enough to ransom instead of killing.
Because the majority of islands in the Twilight Band are mostly urban, and the wet navy is an important presence, Acerbian air forces have been developed greatly in two specific directions.
The first kind are light craft able to fly at low altitudes and maneuver quickly through tight urban spaces. In the warlord past such designs often carried bombs for sudden, explosive terror attacks that menaced the civilian population. The Temple has outlawed such practices in modern Acerbus. Now precise weaponry is a necessity to minimize accidental collateral damage, and prevent the waste of valuable metal ammunition. As technology has been reclaimed and improved, the modern crafts are often unmanned.
The other kind are ship-killers. Nearly as small and fast, and equipped with smart missiles.
The first kind are light craft able to fly at low altitudes and maneuver quickly through tight urban spaces. In the warlord past such designs often carried bombs for sudden, explosive terror attacks that menaced the civilian population. The Temple has outlawed such practices in modern Acerbus. Now precise weaponry is a necessity to minimize accidental collateral damage, and prevent the waste of valuable metal ammunition. As technology has been reclaimed and improved, the modern crafts are often unmanned.
The other kind are ship-killers. Nearly as small and fast, and equipped with smart missiles.
Living on an oceanic world with a violent past and a sometimes difficult present, the ETA has developed vessels such as warships and submarines to a high degree, even more than they have infantry or space naval techniques. However, because it is unlikely that another colony will ever have an aquatic naval battle with Acerbus, the Aquatic Navy has been left out of this overview.
Uh, imagine metal-efficient but well-built warships and powerful submarines, and more stuff about smart torpedoes. An Acerbian poet once said--
Uh, imagine metal-efficient but well-built warships and powerful submarines, and more stuff about smart torpedoes. An Acerbian poet once said--
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The Great Khaganate of Tengri
To Forge a Planet, First Forge Yourself
Various horse-hair banners wielded by Khaganate Representatives
(Note: The Khaganate uses a wide variety of different flags and symbols depending on location, primary allegiance, noble family and other factors. The closest to a single unifying 'flag' they have is the banner of the Golden Horde:)
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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:
"Baseline Human." Although Basers may look functionally unchanged from those that left Earth so long ago, and indeed are treated as the control group by which all other strands of humanity that live within the Tengri system are measured... They are not truly unmodified, as widespread genetic engineering is a foundational part of Khaganate culture and society.
Although lacking the extreme specialisation to either the void of space or Itügen’s danger, Basers remain the most versatile and adaptable of any lineage and find success in every part of Tengri. Basers form the majority of the population on planet-based örtöös, and their ability to easily move between environments makes them excellent administrators, officials and archeologists. Thus, they've become a common sight in the Steppe’s few permanent cities.
Although lacking the extreme specialisation to either the void of space or Itügen’s danger, Basers remain the most versatile and adaptable of any lineage and find success in every part of Tengri. Basers form the majority of the population on planet-based örtöös, and their ability to easily move between environments makes them excellent administrators, officials and archeologists. Thus, they've become a common sight in the Steppe’s few permanent cities.
"Void-Dwellers." Humans that have been specifically modified to sustain the rigours of spaceflight. Dwellers are obvious from their great height, lithe, flexible bodies and lack of much hair at all - no Dweller can ever grow a beard, although a few are blessed with something approximating a full head of hair.
Dwellers are extremely well adapted for their new ecological niche. They are better able to resist the effects of radiation and their bones, joints and muscles degrade much slower in microgravity. Their inner ear is unidentifiable to those of Basers in order to prevent motion sickness and allow for rapid movement about a vessel. Their overall quality of vision has degraded somewhat, as they overwhelmingly live under purely artificial lights, however in exchange do feature a secondary polarising eyelid able to filter out harsh light, be it originating from screens or stars, and are able to focus without the assistance of a horizon line.
Dwellers have also benefited from numerous 'auxiliary' modifications over time, including elongated, hyperflexible fingers better for working in cramped spaces and the isolated genetic code for familial natural short sleep meaning they require a mere 4 hours of sleep each cycle. No editing is without consequence however, and Dwellers are prone to hypomania, neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, communication disorders and other 'low scale' complications not regarded as meaningfully detrimental to Dweller life.
These modifications continue, and indeed are so extensive that forming an exhaustive list would likely drive one to insanity, however attention must be drawn to one last set of adaptations: Their so called 'spacing countermeasures.' While most humans would simply perish in the event of an environmental breach, Dwellers are specifically designed to maximise their odds of short-term survival and allow them to be rescued. When experiencing the sudden shock of spacing without sufficient survival equipment, the following protective instincts activate:
- The Dweller's barotrauma reflex kicks in and they instinctively exhale, preventing overpressure buildup while minimising air waste. Once the lungs have equalised, valves seal off airways and trap the remaining air inside a dweller's body. This barotrauma response also triggers a controlled release of high-stress hormones, heightening awareness and physical capabilities without triggering flight-or-fight instincts.
- Liquids boiling-off the skin cause bioluminescent proteins to activate, and distinctive glowing red patterns form across a Dweller’s body to highlight them to rescue teams. These patterns are as unique as a fingerprint, and it’s not uncommon for shamans to tattoo or scarify the areas surrounding them to highlight their presence even in-atmosphere.
- Internal reserves of myoglobins flood the body, maximising the amount of time the Dweller can hold their breath. Simultaneously, the body enters an emergency anaerobic state, breaking down bicarbonate stores to increase blood PH and counteract acidosis, while enzymes convert nitrogen in the blood to harmless compounds and thus negate the risk of 'the bends.'
- Finally, if applicable, the body will begin rapidly regenerating itself using a set of adaptations taken from reptiles, which aims to repair any critical damage caused by the spacing incident.
These adaptations provide a Dweller with a crucial 15-25 minute window of survival with which they can usually be recovered safely, although undergoing this process is extremely traumatic and will almost always result in the buildup of highly negative metabolic waste that must be safely purged. Because of this, Dwellers have highly specialised rescue and treatment protocols to maximise the chance of a full recovery.
All of these enhancements come at a cost: The greatest anathema to Dweller life is not being in the environment they've been carefully adapted to. Their limbs and joints struggle to maintain their own weight above 0.8Gs of force, requiring a g-suit should they ever descend to the Steppe's surface and its 1.3Gs. Their respiratory system, unused to dealing with unfiltered air, struggles with the sand, grit and pollution across Itügen causing asthma-like symptoms, while their short sleep schedule is filled with unexplainable nightmares and parasomnias that render them near-useless long-term when on the planet’s surface. Because of this, the overwhelming majority of Dwellers will never leave the confines of space habitats, rarely venturing into spin-gravity zones when necessary.
Dwellers are extremely well adapted for their new ecological niche. They are better able to resist the effects of radiation and their bones, joints and muscles degrade much slower in microgravity. Their inner ear is unidentifiable to those of Basers in order to prevent motion sickness and allow for rapid movement about a vessel. Their overall quality of vision has degraded somewhat, as they overwhelmingly live under purely artificial lights, however in exchange do feature a secondary polarising eyelid able to filter out harsh light, be it originating from screens or stars, and are able to focus without the assistance of a horizon line.
Dwellers have also benefited from numerous 'auxiliary' modifications over time, including elongated, hyperflexible fingers better for working in cramped spaces and the isolated genetic code for familial natural short sleep meaning they require a mere 4 hours of sleep each cycle. No editing is without consequence however, and Dwellers are prone to hypomania, neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, communication disorders and other 'low scale' complications not regarded as meaningfully detrimental to Dweller life.
These modifications continue, and indeed are so extensive that forming an exhaustive list would likely drive one to insanity, however attention must be drawn to one last set of adaptations: Their so called 'spacing countermeasures.' While most humans would simply perish in the event of an environmental breach, Dwellers are specifically designed to maximise their odds of short-term survival and allow them to be rescued. When experiencing the sudden shock of spacing without sufficient survival equipment, the following protective instincts activate:
- The Dweller's barotrauma reflex kicks in and they instinctively exhale, preventing overpressure buildup while minimising air waste. Once the lungs have equalised, valves seal off airways and trap the remaining air inside a dweller's body. This barotrauma response also triggers a controlled release of high-stress hormones, heightening awareness and physical capabilities without triggering flight-or-fight instincts.
- Liquids boiling-off the skin cause bioluminescent proteins to activate, and distinctive glowing red patterns form across a Dweller’s body to highlight them to rescue teams. These patterns are as unique as a fingerprint, and it’s not uncommon for shamans to tattoo or scarify the areas surrounding them to highlight their presence even in-atmosphere.
- Internal reserves of myoglobins flood the body, maximising the amount of time the Dweller can hold their breath. Simultaneously, the body enters an emergency anaerobic state, breaking down bicarbonate stores to increase blood PH and counteract acidosis, while enzymes convert nitrogen in the blood to harmless compounds and thus negate the risk of 'the bends.'
- Finally, if applicable, the body will begin rapidly regenerating itself using a set of adaptations taken from reptiles, which aims to repair any critical damage caused by the spacing incident.
These adaptations provide a Dweller with a crucial 15-25 minute window of survival with which they can usually be recovered safely, although undergoing this process is extremely traumatic and will almost always result in the buildup of highly negative metabolic waste that must be safely purged. Because of this, Dwellers have highly specialised rescue and treatment protocols to maximise the chance of a full recovery.
All of these enhancements come at a cost: The greatest anathema to Dweller life is not being in the environment they've been carefully adapted to. Their limbs and joints struggle to maintain their own weight above 0.8Gs of force, requiring a g-suit should they ever descend to the Steppe's surface and its 1.3Gs. Their respiratory system, unused to dealing with unfiltered air, struggles with the sand, grit and pollution across Itügen causing asthma-like symptoms, while their short sleep schedule is filled with unexplainable nightmares and parasomnias that render them near-useless long-term when on the planet’s surface. Because of this, the overwhelming majority of Dwellers will never leave the confines of space habitats, rarely venturing into spin-gravity zones when necessary.
"Steppe-Riders." Humans that have been modified to better withstand the dangerous and violent world of Itügen are perhaps the polar opposite of Dwellers, although they share a similar level of aggressive genetic engineering to better adapt them for their new environment.
Physically, Riders are sturdy and sinewy, with muscles much more densely packed with both slow and fast-twitch fibers to vastly improve athletic performance. Their skin is tougher, thicker, and filled with glossy melanins that provide a shimmering, near-metallic look. During peak UV exposure, Riders will exude a natural sunblock that quickly dries to provide a physical shield against harmful rays. Their respiratory system has been hardened, with many auxiliary air filters to neutralise and remove air contaminants, while a secondary, redundant heart and modifications taken from high-altitude Earth populations allow them to transport blood much more efficiently across their body. This is especially needed as Riders have super-coagulating blood in order to maximise their chance of traumatic injury survival.
Their digestive and renal systems have received significant overhauls in order to extract and retain much more water, while simultaneously reducing the risk of food poisoning despite contaminants. Riders also produce an excess of metallothioneins which bind to and neutralise the heavy metals that commonly pollute Itügen. Amusingly, a side effect of their specialised gut flora and digestive enzymes is the ability for Riders to safely metabolise and process methanol as if it was ethanol, a quirk that has proven extremely useful given that the majority of alcohol produced on the Steppe would be otherwise undrinkable by humans.
All of these modifications are but peanuts compared to the dramatic and widespread changes made to a Rider’s mind and endocrine system. Riders are able to produce and receive pheromones that can cover surprising distances on the Steppe. These pheromones have also been engineered into their khulgars, or steeds, allowing an unparalleled level of non-verbal communication both between Riders and between them and their horses. Key pheromones can broadcast a Rider’s presence over long distances, signal when a Rider is under threat, when a group should press the attack or fall back and retreat, and much more besides. Riders have learnt to produce and deploy pheromone traps to warn of dangerous locations, assert territorial control and even be used as biological weapons during tribal conflict.
Finally, Riders are born with survival skills already integrated into their minds, with a greater range of more deeply developed muscle memories. These are accompanied by prion-derived proteins that can effectively encode and reproduce sophisticated information - providing Riders with a well of ‘genetic memories’ designed to improve their survival instincts. Rider culture is heavily influenced by these genetic memories, and children recalling them form key developmental markers. Some Riders will also express a smaller range of highly specialised memories, making them prenaturally good at specific skills such as medical care, mechanical engineering and even storytelling.
Of course, just like Dwellers, Riders are hyper specialised for life on Itügen’s surface and suffer greatly when removed from their natural environment. Their dense, tough muscles and sturdy bones atrophy quickly and more deleteriously without gravity and their balance is completely thrown off by weightlessness, making them much more susceptible to space-sickness. They lack the same level of natural radiation resistance that Dwellers have, and their respiratory systems massively overperform in carefully controlled void-habitats, causing them unnecessary fatigue and strain. Dweller food is also both safer and simpler than what can be found on the Steppe, and a rapid dietary change can lead to significant gastrointestinal distress while their bodies try to adapt.
Pheromone-based communications are almost entirely neutralised by Dweller air filtration systems leading to a form of sensory deprivation colloquially known as ‘space silence,’ while Riders removed from their natural environment can miss out on important contextual prompts that would usually trigger genetic memory recall, severely stunting their development. Because of this, despite the obvious utility Riders would have in combat situations, they are rarely taken from Itügen’s surface, except for the most promising of candidates that are earmarked for transformation into…
Physically, Riders are sturdy and sinewy, with muscles much more densely packed with both slow and fast-twitch fibers to vastly improve athletic performance. Their skin is tougher, thicker, and filled with glossy melanins that provide a shimmering, near-metallic look. During peak UV exposure, Riders will exude a natural sunblock that quickly dries to provide a physical shield against harmful rays. Their respiratory system has been hardened, with many auxiliary air filters to neutralise and remove air contaminants, while a secondary, redundant heart and modifications taken from high-altitude Earth populations allow them to transport blood much more efficiently across their body. This is especially needed as Riders have super-coagulating blood in order to maximise their chance of traumatic injury survival.
Their digestive and renal systems have received significant overhauls in order to extract and retain much more water, while simultaneously reducing the risk of food poisoning despite contaminants. Riders also produce an excess of metallothioneins which bind to and neutralise the heavy metals that commonly pollute Itügen. Amusingly, a side effect of their specialised gut flora and digestive enzymes is the ability for Riders to safely metabolise and process methanol as if it was ethanol, a quirk that has proven extremely useful given that the majority of alcohol produced on the Steppe would be otherwise undrinkable by humans.
All of these modifications are but peanuts compared to the dramatic and widespread changes made to a Rider’s mind and endocrine system. Riders are able to produce and receive pheromones that can cover surprising distances on the Steppe. These pheromones have also been engineered into their khulgars, or steeds, allowing an unparalleled level of non-verbal communication both between Riders and between them and their horses. Key pheromones can broadcast a Rider’s presence over long distances, signal when a Rider is under threat, when a group should press the attack or fall back and retreat, and much more besides. Riders have learnt to produce and deploy pheromone traps to warn of dangerous locations, assert territorial control and even be used as biological weapons during tribal conflict.
Finally, Riders are born with survival skills already integrated into their minds, with a greater range of more deeply developed muscle memories. These are accompanied by prion-derived proteins that can effectively encode and reproduce sophisticated information - providing Riders with a well of ‘genetic memories’ designed to improve their survival instincts. Rider culture is heavily influenced by these genetic memories, and children recalling them form key developmental markers. Some Riders will also express a smaller range of highly specialised memories, making them prenaturally good at specific skills such as medical care, mechanical engineering and even storytelling.
Of course, just like Dwellers, Riders are hyper specialised for life on Itügen’s surface and suffer greatly when removed from their natural environment. Their dense, tough muscles and sturdy bones atrophy quickly and more deleteriously without gravity and their balance is completely thrown off by weightlessness, making them much more susceptible to space-sickness. They lack the same level of natural radiation resistance that Dwellers have, and their respiratory systems massively overperform in carefully controlled void-habitats, causing them unnecessary fatigue and strain. Dweller food is also both safer and simpler than what can be found on the Steppe, and a rapid dietary change can lead to significant gastrointestinal distress while their bodies try to adapt.
Pheromone-based communications are almost entirely neutralised by Dweller air filtration systems leading to a form of sensory deprivation colloquially known as ‘space silence,’ while Riders removed from their natural environment can miss out on important contextual prompts that would usually trigger genetic memory recall, severely stunting their development. Because of this, despite the obvious utility Riders would have in combat situations, they are rarely taken from Itügen’s surface, except for the most promising of candidates that are earmarked for transformation into…
"War-Lords." The ultimate synthesis of the best portions of both Rider and Dweller lineages, whose blending has been made possible and further augmented thanks to the inclusion of entirely alien xenogenetic material recovered from archeotechnology. Unlike other lineages, War-Lords are completely sterile and must be made, not born, using the best possible Riders as a baseline to further enhance. The city of Aurag hosts festivals and competitions designed to find those most suitable for implantation among Itügen’s inhabitants, and being selected as a War-Lord aspirant is considered a great honour among most Steppe tribes.
The War-Lord transformation process starts at the physical level, as Lords need to be able to efficiently function both in space and on planetary surfaces. Muscle and bone weave themselves into a mutually beneficial lattice that regenerates quickly and withstands microgravity well, while Dweller anaerobic adaptations combined with the stronger twitch-muscle fibers of Riders allow for terrifyingly quick and powerful movement in even the most confined of spaces. The vestibular system of Lords is highly adaptable, making them at home both when moving through microgravity environments and while tearing across the Steppe, while a fresh influx of memory-bearing proteins provides an instinctive understanding of both tactical and strategic decision making that others would have to rigorously learn in a military school. Although a Lord’s pheromone system is weakened by the transformation process, they remain sensitive enough to be able to pick up on signallers emitted by Riders, and some limited level of pheromonal communication still occurs between Lords, used primarily to enforce strict military hierarchy between each other.
Upon this chassis are built even more modifications to better develop them for war. The usually dormant regenerative abilities of Dwellers are permanently active in Lords, leading to aggressive cellular regeneration, with wounds repairing themselves in mere hours and even terrible amounts of tissue being mended in days, albeit with dramatic scarring accompanying the process. A War-Lord’s synaptic processes are vastly improved, and they feature a secondary neural cluster located in a protective organ attached to their spine, which both relieves the brain of the need to carry out many autonomous processes and allows a Lord to continue fighting through even severe brain damage.
It is within these brains that the best and worst parts of the extensive modifications a War-Lord undergoes come home to roost. War-Lords were initially engineered specifically to resist the sort of mental trauma and behavioural disorders that develop under repeated and intense periods of stress, with enhanced neuroplasticity, self-regulating sleep patterns, improved emotional regulation and even modifications to memory consolidation… But in doing so, the groundwork was laid for a condition known as Uzay’s Rage.
When a War-Lord is pushed enough, their greatly enhanced sympathetic nervous system triggers an acute stress response marked by repression of both the prefrontal cortex and short-to-long-term memory conversion, along with massive spikes in cortisol and overstimulation of the amygdala. Their overcharged pituitary system greatly increases the impact of this reaction, and emits a powerful rage pheromone that can trigger sympathetic reactions in nearby War-Lords, causing a domino effect throughout a squad. In other words, when finally pushed into a fight-or-flight situation a War-Lord will not only always choose ‘fight,’ but will do so in an extremely exaggerated way. This trance-like berserker rage is incredibly dangerous for anyone in the area not capable of emitting bonding pheromones - i.e other War-Lords and select members of nobility who have them specifically to protect against exactly this eventuality.
This is not the only significant downside to being a War-Lord however. Their overactive regenerative abilities put them at high risk of cancer, while misfolds in the prion-like genetic memory markers can turn them into actual prions, leading to TSEs similar to Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and fatal insomnia. Their hyperactive metabolism requires a vastly increased caloric intake to sustain itself, and hormonal issues like hyperthyroidism are also common.
Because of this, War-Lords have a greatly reduced natural life expectancy when compared to any other lineage and Meta gene-lines even when accounting for those fallen in battle. Combined with the already dangerous and invasive implantation procedure required to become one and the result is that without the constant production of fresh War-Lords the lineage would quickly become extinct. Thanks to their difficulty in production, maintenance and the extreme risk a War-Lord poses to other members of the Khaganate, their creation is only permitted on the Bai-Ülgen itself. Thus, this lineage is only seen among the elite Kheshigs charged with carrying out the Khagan’s will across Tengri.
The War-Lord transformation process starts at the physical level, as Lords need to be able to efficiently function both in space and on planetary surfaces. Muscle and bone weave themselves into a mutually beneficial lattice that regenerates quickly and withstands microgravity well, while Dweller anaerobic adaptations combined with the stronger twitch-muscle fibers of Riders allow for terrifyingly quick and powerful movement in even the most confined of spaces. The vestibular system of Lords is highly adaptable, making them at home both when moving through microgravity environments and while tearing across the Steppe, while a fresh influx of memory-bearing proteins provides an instinctive understanding of both tactical and strategic decision making that others would have to rigorously learn in a military school. Although a Lord’s pheromone system is weakened by the transformation process, they remain sensitive enough to be able to pick up on signallers emitted by Riders, and some limited level of pheromonal communication still occurs between Lords, used primarily to enforce strict military hierarchy between each other.
Upon this chassis are built even more modifications to better develop them for war. The usually dormant regenerative abilities of Dwellers are permanently active in Lords, leading to aggressive cellular regeneration, with wounds repairing themselves in mere hours and even terrible amounts of tissue being mended in days, albeit with dramatic scarring accompanying the process. A War-Lord’s synaptic processes are vastly improved, and they feature a secondary neural cluster located in a protective organ attached to their spine, which both relieves the brain of the need to carry out many autonomous processes and allows a Lord to continue fighting through even severe brain damage.
It is within these brains that the best and worst parts of the extensive modifications a War-Lord undergoes come home to roost. War-Lords were initially engineered specifically to resist the sort of mental trauma and behavioural disorders that develop under repeated and intense periods of stress, with enhanced neuroplasticity, self-regulating sleep patterns, improved emotional regulation and even modifications to memory consolidation… But in doing so, the groundwork was laid for a condition known as Uzay’s Rage.
When a War-Lord is pushed enough, their greatly enhanced sympathetic nervous system triggers an acute stress response marked by repression of both the prefrontal cortex and short-to-long-term memory conversion, along with massive spikes in cortisol and overstimulation of the amygdala. Their overcharged pituitary system greatly increases the impact of this reaction, and emits a powerful rage pheromone that can trigger sympathetic reactions in nearby War-Lords, causing a domino effect throughout a squad. In other words, when finally pushed into a fight-or-flight situation a War-Lord will not only always choose ‘fight,’ but will do so in an extremely exaggerated way. This trance-like berserker rage is incredibly dangerous for anyone in the area not capable of emitting bonding pheromones - i.e other War-Lords and select members of nobility who have them specifically to protect against exactly this eventuality.
This is not the only significant downside to being a War-Lord however. Their overactive regenerative abilities put them at high risk of cancer, while misfolds in the prion-like genetic memory markers can turn them into actual prions, leading to TSEs similar to Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and fatal insomnia. Their hyperactive metabolism requires a vastly increased caloric intake to sustain itself, and hormonal issues like hyperthyroidism are also common.
Because of this, War-Lords have a greatly reduced natural life expectancy when compared to any other lineage and Meta gene-lines even when accounting for those fallen in battle. Combined with the already dangerous and invasive implantation procedure required to become one and the result is that without the constant production of fresh War-Lords the lineage would quickly become extinct. Thanks to their difficulty in production, maintenance and the extreme risk a War-Lord poses to other members of the Khaganate, their creation is only permitted on the Bai-Ülgen itself. Thus, this lineage is only seen among the elite Kheshigs charged with carrying out the Khagan’s will across Tengri.
“Meta-Lines.” These three lineages of Dweller, Rider and Lord are the most common, well-understood and best established lineages within the Khaganate, but they are not the only ones. Because of how common genetic modification is, the extreme environments that the Khaganate routinely explores and colonises and the desire to create better and more adaptable people, many splinter lineages also exist.
Meta-lines run the gamut from stable sub-populations of the chief lineages to experimental procedures enacted on only a handful of individuals. In time, some Metas will become fully-fledged lineages of their own, while others may have their most beneficial traits isolated and merged into already existing ones. Some too will die out entirely, proving too troublesome, difficult to produce or dangerous without enough upside to counteract these disadvantages.
Some of the more well known Metas include the royal Soyunli line, the Baser-derived Zuraqchi, suited for manufactory work on planet-based örtöös, and the Dweller-derived Shinjar line, which forms the backbone of the Khaganate’s archeologists and archeo-tech specialists.
Meta-lines run the gamut from stable sub-populations of the chief lineages to experimental procedures enacted on only a handful of individuals. In time, some Metas will become fully-fledged lineages of their own, while others may have their most beneficial traits isolated and merged into already existing ones. Some too will die out entirely, proving too troublesome, difficult to produce or dangerous without enough upside to counteract these disadvantages.
Some of the more well known Metas include the royal Soyunli line, the Baser-derived Zuraqchi, suited for manufactory work on planet-based örtöös, and the Dweller-derived Shinjar line, which forms the backbone of the Khaganate’s archeologists and archeo-tech specialists.
History:
Much of the early days of the Khaganate's history has been lost to time and poor record keeping, but what few facts are known about the brave souls to foray out in hopes of settling the Steppe paint a bleak picture. The dregs of the Cataclysm - the desperate, the mad and the left-behind fled a dying world in the hopes that a distant star might be the key to their survival.
They were joined by flocks of ‘belters:’ exoplanetary colonists with established settlements in the main asteroid belt who saw no hope of life in Sol without Earth to support them. Perhaps a more formal colonisation effort would have seen these two groups come into conflict, but desperation makes compatriots out of even the oddest of strangers, and so together these groups stepped through the Gateway and out into the system of Tengri.
Although they quickly realised that the situation was far worse than initial reports could ever have expected, it was too late to turn back and secure another system. The loose flotilla had lost all cohesion, and before an attempt could be made to voyage back, the Gateway sealed shut. The rag-tag group of settlers were left to try and forge a path in a system almost more uninhabitable than the one they had just left.
Itügen’s biosphere was poor, its atmosphere breathable, yes, but insufficient protection against harsh UV rays and other stellar phenomena. Unimaginably powerful tornadoes, sandstorms and so-called ‘brightstorms’ tore across the planet's surface, making long-term stationary settlement unviable in all but the most protected of alcoves. Worst of all, the planet was captured in the vice of the Huiten Dzhut or Cold Death, - when the planet’s damaged atmosphere was further struck by one of Tengri’s solar storms, the result were brutal snap-freezes that killed off vast swathes of what hardy life was able to survive the perilous planet and quickly devastated any group unprepared for its fury. Once it passed however, the Cold Death offered some consolation- the massive snowstorms spreading much-needed meltwater across the planet’s surface for a brief but vital season of blooming.
Offworld settlement fared little better despite the knowledge and expertise of the Belters among them. Many of the ships that had formed the initial flotilla were already old, badly maintained or damaged in some way, and even those in good condition still required complex electronics and machinery they couldn’t hope to manufacture themselves. Despite their best efforts and surprisingly swift adaptation to the conditions they faced, the simple fact of the matter was that the refugees were not prepared for Tengri’s brutality, and one by one, vessels, habs, cities and fleets all began to fail, and for a time it seemed that all was lost.
But the night is darkest before the dawn, and the struggle and suffering of those early colonists laid a beachhead for the next generation to storm onwards from. Those born into Tengri had survival practically hard-coded into them, and in some ways the smaller population helped the survivors - there was, for the first time since the Gateway had winked out of existence, enough resources for those that were left.
One step at a time the societies of Tengri began to find their niches. Habs once fit only for survival grew into towns, then cities. In space, the fires of industry were relit and new vessels voyaged forth, greeting each other as fellow survivors. Trade routes meant more complex industries could be constructed and sustained more easily, and although it took nearly a century to do so, humanity began to become masters of their environment once more.
On Itügen itself, the people learned quickly to always stay on the move. The Steppe could provide, but its resources were quickly exhausted and had to be treated with great respect. The Dzhut still stalked nomadic communities, but more and more emerged from the snow each time one passed, as shelters became stronger and survival skills improved.
When the specter of extinction no longer loomed large over Tengri’s population though, mankind’s usual foibles crashed back into the picture. Without desperation to bind them together, communities were now free to pursue less enlightened methods of survival.
They were joined by flocks of ‘belters:’ exoplanetary colonists with established settlements in the main asteroid belt who saw no hope of life in Sol without Earth to support them. Perhaps a more formal colonisation effort would have seen these two groups come into conflict, but desperation makes compatriots out of even the oddest of strangers, and so together these groups stepped through the Gateway and out into the system of Tengri.
Although they quickly realised that the situation was far worse than initial reports could ever have expected, it was too late to turn back and secure another system. The loose flotilla had lost all cohesion, and before an attempt could be made to voyage back, the Gateway sealed shut. The rag-tag group of settlers were left to try and forge a path in a system almost more uninhabitable than the one they had just left.
Itügen’s biosphere was poor, its atmosphere breathable, yes, but insufficient protection against harsh UV rays and other stellar phenomena. Unimaginably powerful tornadoes, sandstorms and so-called ‘brightstorms’ tore across the planet's surface, making long-term stationary settlement unviable in all but the most protected of alcoves. Worst of all, the planet was captured in the vice of the Huiten Dzhut or Cold Death, - when the planet’s damaged atmosphere was further struck by one of Tengri’s solar storms, the result were brutal snap-freezes that killed off vast swathes of what hardy life was able to survive the perilous planet and quickly devastated any group unprepared for its fury. Once it passed however, the Cold Death offered some consolation- the massive snowstorms spreading much-needed meltwater across the planet’s surface for a brief but vital season of blooming.
Offworld settlement fared little better despite the knowledge and expertise of the Belters among them. Many of the ships that had formed the initial flotilla were already old, badly maintained or damaged in some way, and even those in good condition still required complex electronics and machinery they couldn’t hope to manufacture themselves. Despite their best efforts and surprisingly swift adaptation to the conditions they faced, the simple fact of the matter was that the refugees were not prepared for Tengri’s brutality, and one by one, vessels, habs, cities and fleets all began to fail, and for a time it seemed that all was lost.
But the night is darkest before the dawn, and the struggle and suffering of those early colonists laid a beachhead for the next generation to storm onwards from. Those born into Tengri had survival practically hard-coded into them, and in some ways the smaller population helped the survivors - there was, for the first time since the Gateway had winked out of existence, enough resources for those that were left.
One step at a time the societies of Tengri began to find their niches. Habs once fit only for survival grew into towns, then cities. In space, the fires of industry were relit and new vessels voyaged forth, greeting each other as fellow survivors. Trade routes meant more complex industries could be constructed and sustained more easily, and although it took nearly a century to do so, humanity began to become masters of their environment once more.
On Itügen itself, the people learned quickly to always stay on the move. The Steppe could provide, but its resources were quickly exhausted and had to be treated with great respect. The Dzhut still stalked nomadic communities, but more and more emerged from the snow each time one passed, as shelters became stronger and survival skills improved.
When the specter of extinction no longer loomed large over Tengri’s population though, mankind’s usual foibles crashed back into the picture. Without desperation to bind them together, communities were now free to pursue less enlightened methods of survival.
As civilisation bloomed once more, conflict quickly followed. The Steppe became home to constant skirmishes, as nomads jockeyed for more land, more power and more resources, while those lucky enough to have permanent homes soon found themselves needing soldiers and fortifications to keep what they had safe. Tengri’s void soon became home to violence too, as wannabe warlords and aspiring space raiders began plying their bloody trade.
Only some of this conflict could be attributed to Tengri itself though - the truth was that the game had been rigged from the start; the ad-hoc nature of the ‘colony’ left it without any central authority to attempt to force the disparate factions to play nice. Such a state of affairs could easily have become the eternal norm- further development of the system stagnated as effort was redirected towards an endless struggle for more, but two events came together to place society on a very different course.
The first was the revelation of Itügen’s archeotech. Although it had been known for some time that Tengri had been home to a precursor race (their incredible feats were writ on the very planets themselves,) firm evidence surrounding them was difficult to come by and stymied by the much more pressing needs of immediate survival. With this specter lifted from the Steppefolk, the first precursor vaults began to be discovered and plundered by treasure hunters and explorers.
This technology would slowly make its way from the hands of tribes into the cities, and from the cities to the proto-Hordes, where technological progress and intellectual advances had survived better than on the Steppe’s surface. Although cracking these ancient secrets was no easy feat, it soon became clear that the precursor technology could be deciphered and understood - at least to some small extent. The earliest technologies developed using archeotech allowed for genetic engineering techniques light years ahead of what even Earth was capable of, allowing for aggressive, precise and intentionally directed modifications to the human form.
The potential of this technology, along with others slowly filtering out of the newly-plundered vaults was quickly realised. Contained within the secrets of archeotech was the key to adapting humanity to their new home, and shifting from survival and slow growth to a true explosion across Tengri. The first Meta-lines sprung up almost immediately afterwards, proving their success and versatility and leading to further refinement of the process and the creation of very early proto Dwellers and Riders.
The second event to shake the system was the ascension of the self-titled warlord 'Chinggis Khan,' the son of a moderately successful war captain. Charismatic, intelligent and fiercely ambitious, when his father was ousted by mutineers he managed to flee his home-ship and find sanctuary among a different fleet, where he would rapidly ascend to captain of his own vessel.
Leading his forces back to his former home, he seized his father’s vessel by force and spaced those who had once exiled him so many years before. Two vessels then became three, and as his reputation and fleet grew, more and more disparate warriors, raiders and traders began to flock to him, enamoured by his meteoric rise. Assembling the greatest fleet that Tengri had ever seen, he cemented his rise to power with the capture of a series of manufactories in the second asteroid belt and the construction of a massive and imposing flagship: the Bai-Ülgen, designed to house absolutely everything this aspiring ‘ruler of the universe’ would require in his campaigns.
When the great vessel was complete, Chinggis summoned his armada and proclaimed the establishment of the Golden Horde, a system that he would refine and expand upon throughout his life before offering the other early spacer societies, fleets and confederacies a simple choice: Assimilate peacefully, or die.
Chinggis' persona was not chosen idly however. Having recognised the desperation of humanity’s situation in Tengri, and already seeing what the future might bring for a divided system, he had looked back into his species' past in the hopes of finding a key to unite the system and focus their energies on better pursuits than endless violence. The Mongol Empire was the largest single contiguous polity in Earth's history, swallowing up disunited foes before forging them, if only for a century, into a single, powerful polity. The First Khagan knew that attempting to walk the same path as Genghis would be a challenge, yet with each day that passed, each group that bowed to or was destroyed by him, it seemed more and more as if he just may be made of the right stuff to recreate this greatest of Empires in the harsh vacuum of space.
Unifying the central core of the system over the course of some 20 years, his greatest success was when his fleet sieged and capitulated the largest and best-developed stationary settlement on Itügen, a city he renamed Aurag in honour of the place his medieval namesake had once held court. From this base and with its new Khaan loyal to him, he was able to expand his influence across the surface of Itügen, although never lived to see the whole planet brought under the Khaganate’s rule.
Elsewhere, his burgeoning empire founded dozens of new örtöö across the system, forging and incorporating new fleets along the way. To better manage these new fleets, they were organised into their own Hordes and placed underneath the command of loyal lieutenants and the best suited of his children. He laid out the foundations for the Yam, and set forth a series of decrees to form the basis of a new Yassa,or code of law for his Khaganate.
When finally age came for him, as it does even the greatest of men, he lay back on his deathbed and smiled. His war-path had lasted more than fifty years and carved out an empire that stretched across vast swathes of Tengri, and despite the violence and brutality that it had taken to found, the people living within the Khaganate were united, prosperous, and increasingly more and more specialised to the system in which they lived in. When he gave his last breath and his body was cast into the sun of Tengri, it is said that for a moment even the Steppe quietened in remembrance.
Only some of this conflict could be attributed to Tengri itself though - the truth was that the game had been rigged from the start; the ad-hoc nature of the ‘colony’ left it without any central authority to attempt to force the disparate factions to play nice. Such a state of affairs could easily have become the eternal norm- further development of the system stagnated as effort was redirected towards an endless struggle for more, but two events came together to place society on a very different course.
The first was the revelation of Itügen’s archeotech. Although it had been known for some time that Tengri had been home to a precursor race (their incredible feats were writ on the very planets themselves,) firm evidence surrounding them was difficult to come by and stymied by the much more pressing needs of immediate survival. With this specter lifted from the Steppefolk, the first precursor vaults began to be discovered and plundered by treasure hunters and explorers.
This technology would slowly make its way from the hands of tribes into the cities, and from the cities to the proto-Hordes, where technological progress and intellectual advances had survived better than on the Steppe’s surface. Although cracking these ancient secrets was no easy feat, it soon became clear that the precursor technology could be deciphered and understood - at least to some small extent. The earliest technologies developed using archeotech allowed for genetic engineering techniques light years ahead of what even Earth was capable of, allowing for aggressive, precise and intentionally directed modifications to the human form.
The potential of this technology, along with others slowly filtering out of the newly-plundered vaults was quickly realised. Contained within the secrets of archeotech was the key to adapting humanity to their new home, and shifting from survival and slow growth to a true explosion across Tengri. The first Meta-lines sprung up almost immediately afterwards, proving their success and versatility and leading to further refinement of the process and the creation of very early proto Dwellers and Riders.
The second event to shake the system was the ascension of the self-titled warlord 'Chinggis Khan,' the son of a moderately successful war captain. Charismatic, intelligent and fiercely ambitious, when his father was ousted by mutineers he managed to flee his home-ship and find sanctuary among a different fleet, where he would rapidly ascend to captain of his own vessel.
Leading his forces back to his former home, he seized his father’s vessel by force and spaced those who had once exiled him so many years before. Two vessels then became three, and as his reputation and fleet grew, more and more disparate warriors, raiders and traders began to flock to him, enamoured by his meteoric rise. Assembling the greatest fleet that Tengri had ever seen, he cemented his rise to power with the capture of a series of manufactories in the second asteroid belt and the construction of a massive and imposing flagship: the Bai-Ülgen, designed to house absolutely everything this aspiring ‘ruler of the universe’ would require in his campaigns.
When the great vessel was complete, Chinggis summoned his armada and proclaimed the establishment of the Golden Horde, a system that he would refine and expand upon throughout his life before offering the other early spacer societies, fleets and confederacies a simple choice: Assimilate peacefully, or die.
Chinggis' persona was not chosen idly however. Having recognised the desperation of humanity’s situation in Tengri, and already seeing what the future might bring for a divided system, he had looked back into his species' past in the hopes of finding a key to unite the system and focus their energies on better pursuits than endless violence. The Mongol Empire was the largest single contiguous polity in Earth's history, swallowing up disunited foes before forging them, if only for a century, into a single, powerful polity. The First Khagan knew that attempting to walk the same path as Genghis would be a challenge, yet with each day that passed, each group that bowed to or was destroyed by him, it seemed more and more as if he just may be made of the right stuff to recreate this greatest of Empires in the harsh vacuum of space.
Unifying the central core of the system over the course of some 20 years, his greatest success was when his fleet sieged and capitulated the largest and best-developed stationary settlement on Itügen, a city he renamed Aurag in honour of the place his medieval namesake had once held court. From this base and with its new Khaan loyal to him, he was able to expand his influence across the surface of Itügen, although never lived to see the whole planet brought under the Khaganate’s rule.
Elsewhere, his burgeoning empire founded dozens of new örtöö across the system, forging and incorporating new fleets along the way. To better manage these new fleets, they were organised into their own Hordes and placed underneath the command of loyal lieutenants and the best suited of his children. He laid out the foundations for the Yam, and set forth a series of decrees to form the basis of a new Yassa,or code of law for his Khaganate.
When finally age came for him, as it does even the greatest of men, he lay back on his deathbed and smiled. His war-path had lasted more than fifty years and carved out an empire that stretched across vast swathes of Tengri, and despite the violence and brutality that it had taken to found, the people living within the Khaganate were united, prosperous, and increasingly more and more specialised to the system in which they lived in. When he gave his last breath and his body was cast into the sun of Tengri, it is said that for a moment even the Steppe quietened in remembrance.
Following the First Genghis’ passing, his second son - Möngke, ascended to the throne of the Bai-Ülgen. Where his father was a superlative admiral, general and unifying figure, Möngke was instead far less bombastic, his greatest skills lying in management, administration and diplomacy. Relying on his brothers and his father’s loyal boyans to expand the Khaganate’s reach, the new Khagan set about expanding upon and codifying the commandments of his father into proper laws and governmental structures. Already an early example of the Soyunli line, he encouraged further genetic modification, using the research and development facilities aboard his flagship to create ‘definitive’ templates for the Dweller and Rider lineages and began experiments that would eventually lead to the War-Lords.
Möngke restructured the Hordes and the Yam, set in place proper procedures for the succession of noble titles, including that of the Khagan itself, formalised the duties and privilages of the nobility and smoothed the many ruffled feathers left in the wake of his father’s great war-path. If Chinggis had won the Khaganate through war, it was Möngke who cemented its existence in peace. His final touch when it came to the new government was to take the regnal title of Genghis, after his father, a habit which all future Khagans have emulated him in.
Of course, even a successor like Möngke could not succeed in every field. Despite decades of attempted pacification efforts the disparate Steppefolk of Itügen proved impossible to tame. Even with the technological and military advantages of the Hordes, the hostile environment and nomadic lifestyle the planet enforced had created a society seemingly perfectly designed to resist top-down rule. Instead, he was forced to settle for mutual cooperation, with any tribe that wished to trade with and benefit from the Khaganate and its cities needing to swear oaths of fealty and provide tribute. In exchange, the Khagans have left the people of the Steppe mostly to their own devices, with only the boldest and most foolhardy of Khagans seeking to disrupt this equilibrium.
Finally, Chinggis’ grand empire had inadvertently laid the groundwork for something quite unexpected to emerge. The survivors of the collapse had been an eccentric bunch that included new religious movements along with Muslims, Tengriists and Buddhists. Having suffered the cultural trauma of the loss of Earth and the Days of Cold and Hunger, these beliefs began to shift and change, melding with the traditions and superstitions that Belters had brought in to produce a syncretic mess that came to be called Uzayism.
The unification of the Khaganate allowed for cultural and religious exchanges that had never before been seen in Tengri. While Chinggis had considered the matter of religion rather beneath him, content to let his subjects practice however they pleased, Möngke was somewhat more attentive to these sorts of things. He encouraged Uzayism's development through the organisation of debates and forums between shamans, mystics and other spiritual leaders, eventually accepting an Uzayist shaman as a permanent member of his court. Where the Khagan trailblazed his Khaganate followed, and soon Uzayism had established itself across all of Tengri as a ‘big tent’ faith in which almost anyone could find a part to believe in. With his empire secure and running smoothly, Möngke too could breathe his last, content and satisfied that he had been a worthy successor to his father in every way that mattered.
Möngke restructured the Hordes and the Yam, set in place proper procedures for the succession of noble titles, including that of the Khagan itself, formalised the duties and privilages of the nobility and smoothed the many ruffled feathers left in the wake of his father’s great war-path. If Chinggis had won the Khaganate through war, it was Möngke who cemented its existence in peace. His final touch when it came to the new government was to take the regnal title of Genghis, after his father, a habit which all future Khagans have emulated him in.
Of course, even a successor like Möngke could not succeed in every field. Despite decades of attempted pacification efforts the disparate Steppefolk of Itügen proved impossible to tame. Even with the technological and military advantages of the Hordes, the hostile environment and nomadic lifestyle the planet enforced had created a society seemingly perfectly designed to resist top-down rule. Instead, he was forced to settle for mutual cooperation, with any tribe that wished to trade with and benefit from the Khaganate and its cities needing to swear oaths of fealty and provide tribute. In exchange, the Khagans have left the people of the Steppe mostly to their own devices, with only the boldest and most foolhardy of Khagans seeking to disrupt this equilibrium.
Finally, Chinggis’ grand empire had inadvertently laid the groundwork for something quite unexpected to emerge. The survivors of the collapse had been an eccentric bunch that included new religious movements along with Muslims, Tengriists and Buddhists. Having suffered the cultural trauma of the loss of Earth and the Days of Cold and Hunger, these beliefs began to shift and change, melding with the traditions and superstitions that Belters had brought in to produce a syncretic mess that came to be called Uzayism.
The unification of the Khaganate allowed for cultural and religious exchanges that had never before been seen in Tengri. While Chinggis had considered the matter of religion rather beneath him, content to let his subjects practice however they pleased, Möngke was somewhat more attentive to these sorts of things. He encouraged Uzayism's development through the organisation of debates and forums between shamans, mystics and other spiritual leaders, eventually accepting an Uzayist shaman as a permanent member of his court. Where the Khagan trailblazed his Khaganate followed, and soon Uzayism had established itself across all of Tengri as a ‘big tent’ faith in which almost anyone could find a part to believe in. With his empire secure and running smoothly, Möngke too could breathe his last, content and satisfied that he had been a worthy successor to his father in every way that mattered.
Encompassing the great majority of the Khaganate’s history, the Days of Birth and Death are remarkable perhaps mostly for their unremarkableness. It has seen many different Khagans rise and fall in their attempts to maintain and expand the empire, although few have been as truly great as Chinggis and Möngke. Some of these rulers were successful - expanding the control of the empire to new asteroids, moons or reaches of the Steppe, others have failed, pulled down into a maelstrom of intrigue and infighting, but the Khaganate has persisted and thrived throughout it.
The Days of Birth and Death have seen wide advancements across the entirety of Tengri’s society - from Uzayism’s continuing spread and evolution to the recovery and understanding of new archeotech, including the means with which to build Aurag’s spectacular space elevator along with the perfection of Dwellers and Riders for the roles in which they now find themselves. Despite the waxing and waning fortunes of the Khaganate, the past two rulers - Temüjin III and Ögedei II, have proven themselves to be competent stewards of the realm, managing and maintaining the Khaganate at the height of its influence and expansion across the system.
Were no outside force to act upon the Khaganate, it is quite likely that the Days of Birth and Death would have continued for centuries more, but as the five hundredth anniversary of humanity’s arrival to Tengri came and went, all changed in the blink of an eye with the re-opening of old Earth’s greatest project - the Gateways.
Now is no longer the Days of Birth and Death. Now come the Days of Infinite Potential, and only time will tell what will come of the Khaganate.
The Days of Birth and Death have seen wide advancements across the entirety of Tengri’s society - from Uzayism’s continuing spread and evolution to the recovery and understanding of new archeotech, including the means with which to build Aurag’s spectacular space elevator along with the perfection of Dwellers and Riders for the roles in which they now find themselves. Despite the waxing and waning fortunes of the Khaganate, the past two rulers - Temüjin III and Ögedei II, have proven themselves to be competent stewards of the realm, managing and maintaining the Khaganate at the height of its influence and expansion across the system.
Were no outside force to act upon the Khaganate, it is quite likely that the Days of Birth and Death would have continued for centuries more, but as the five hundredth anniversary of humanity’s arrival to Tengri came and went, all changed in the blink of an eye with the re-opening of old Earth’s greatest project - the Gateways.
Now is no longer the Days of Birth and Death. Now come the Days of Infinite Potential, and only time will tell what will come of the Khaganate.
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:
Tengri is nothing if not a melting pot, and this extends out to its religion. Early colonists drew from a wide mixture of traditional and new faiths from Earth, which shared room among the initial fleet with the Belters and their own superstitions from decades living among the stars. After the founding of the Golden Horde and the unifying of much of Tengri under a single polity, cultural exchange flourished enough to allow for these disparate threads to weave themselves together, giving birth to early Uzayism.
Because of the inherently disparate nature of the Khaganate, maintaining a strict orthodoxy would be a losing battle and be likely to completely shatter the religion as every Horde and örtöö argued over which version of the faith should be considered the authoritative one. Uzayism thus lacks a single creed or religious dogma, and instead is more the tapestry upon which both common and varying experiences are woven onto, binding the Khaganate together with orthopraxis.
The true core of Uzayist belief is the all-encompassing deity named Uzay. Uzay is the universe - a pantheistic God that dwells in every atom, whose power is witnessed in the forces of light, gravity and magnetism, and who has granted intelligent life the rare opportunity to marvel at the universe that Uzay is responsible for. Uzay is creation and the created, and in turn both are a form of Uzay, the two impossible to separate from each other.
Beneath Uzay lie a truly endless parade of lesser gods, spirits and essences, that depending on which believer you ask may dwell within planets, people and even mechanical creations. Practically, this manifests as a form of mystic shamanism, where communion with Uzay and its lesser spiritual creations is not only possible but indeed highly encouraged, although in practical terms such explorations of the human psyche and the universe’s wonder tend to be limited to dedicated shamans able to dedicate their lives to such feats.
A consistent throughline through Uzayist belief is a special veneration of the void of space itself, whose emptiness provides the thinnest barrier between the transcendental nature of the God and its creations. Even just dwelling in space can portend great personal transformation (sometimes attributed merely to the overview effect,) while directly entering Uzay and ‘embracing the void,’ is to experience a minor form of transcendence. Hordepeople shamans are usually inducted into their role by being exposed to the vacuum of space with only a small rebreather and a tether to pull them back into their vessel. The experience - usually involving a mixture of copious quantities of entheogens, physical exertion and a weaker triggering of their hab-breach reflexes is guaranteed to cause a powerful altered state of consciousness and commonly results in a shaman’s first ego death.
Because of the inherently disparate nature of the Khaganate, maintaining a strict orthodoxy would be a losing battle and be likely to completely shatter the religion as every Horde and örtöö argued over which version of the faith should be considered the authoritative one. Uzayism thus lacks a single creed or religious dogma, and instead is more the tapestry upon which both common and varying experiences are woven onto, binding the Khaganate together with orthopraxis.
The true core of Uzayist belief is the all-encompassing deity named Uzay. Uzay is the universe - a pantheistic God that dwells in every atom, whose power is witnessed in the forces of light, gravity and magnetism, and who has granted intelligent life the rare opportunity to marvel at the universe that Uzay is responsible for. Uzay is creation and the created, and in turn both are a form of Uzay, the two impossible to separate from each other.
Beneath Uzay lie a truly endless parade of lesser gods, spirits and essences, that depending on which believer you ask may dwell within planets, people and even mechanical creations. Practically, this manifests as a form of mystic shamanism, where communion with Uzay and its lesser spiritual creations is not only possible but indeed highly encouraged, although in practical terms such explorations of the human psyche and the universe’s wonder tend to be limited to dedicated shamans able to dedicate their lives to such feats.
A consistent throughline through Uzayist belief is a special veneration of the void of space itself, whose emptiness provides the thinnest barrier between the transcendental nature of the God and its creations. Even just dwelling in space can portend great personal transformation (sometimes attributed merely to the overview effect,) while directly entering Uzay and ‘embracing the void,’ is to experience a minor form of transcendence. Hordepeople shamans are usually inducted into their role by being exposed to the vacuum of space with only a small rebreather and a tether to pull them back into their vessel. The experience - usually involving a mixture of copious quantities of entheogens, physical exertion and a weaker triggering of their hab-breach reflexes is guaranteed to cause a powerful altered state of consciousness and commonly results in a shaman’s first ego death.
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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.
Ögedei II Khagan, Ruler of the Universe:
The Genghis or High Khagan of the entire Khaganate, Ögedei is the (mostly) unquestioned ruler of the billion-and-some souls who live and die in the system the Khaganate has called home for centuries. Young for a Genghis at only 31, he has nonetheless secured the support of the Khan Khuus after his father's death and proven himself to be a competent and effective ruler in all the ways that are required for a feudal liege. With the Gateways opening, he and his Golden Horde have seized the opportunity to migrate to the Sol system, and his flagship of the Bai-Ülgen now looms large in Mars' orbit.
Orda Khan, Admiral of the White Horde:
Elder brother to Genghis and foremost of the Khan-Kuus, Orda Khan shares some traits with his brother, but diverges in just as many. Canny, cunning and power hungry, he seeks to, if not subvert the Genghis' rule over the Khaganate entirely, at least establish the White Horde as a truly semi-autonomous entity, over which he can reign in peace. Such a dream long seemed impossible... Until the Gateways opened, and a galaxy of potential with them.
Boraqchin Khaantus, Governor of the Steppe:
It is uncommon within the Hordes for women to reach the upper echelons, but not impossible, and none demonstrate this better than Boraqchin Khaantus, the current ruler of the Steppe in the Khagan's absence. Formerly the first wife of a Golden Horde Boyan, her unusually quick mind and excellent grasp of practical rule led to the previous Genghis taking notice of her, and when her husband passed away, she was appointed as Gonji of the Steppe, ascending to the position half a decade prior to Ögedei's ascension from Jinong to Great Khagan.
The Genghis or High Khagan of the entire Khaganate, Ögedei is the (mostly) unquestioned ruler of the billion-and-some souls who live and die in the system the Khaganate has called home for centuries. Young for a Genghis at only 31, he has nonetheless secured the support of the Khan Khuus after his father's death and proven himself to be a competent and effective ruler in all the ways that are required for a feudal liege. With the Gateways opening, he and his Golden Horde have seized the opportunity to migrate to the Sol system, and his flagship of the Bai-Ülgen now looms large in Mars' orbit.
Orda Khan, Admiral of the White Horde:
Elder brother to Genghis and foremost of the Khan-Kuus, Orda Khan shares some traits with his brother, but diverges in just as many. Canny, cunning and power hungry, he seeks to, if not subvert the Genghis' rule over the Khaganate entirely, at least establish the White Horde as a truly semi-autonomous entity, over which he can reign in peace. Such a dream long seemed impossible... Until the Gateways opened, and a galaxy of potential with them.
Boraqchin Khaantus, Governor of the Steppe:
It is uncommon within the Hordes for women to reach the upper echelons, but not impossible, and none demonstrate this better than Boraqchin Khaantus, the current ruler of the Steppe in the Khagan's absence. Formerly the first wife of a Golden Horde Boyan, her unusually quick mind and excellent grasp of practical rule led to the previous Genghis taking notice of her, and when her husband passed away, she was appointed as Gonji of the Steppe, ascending to the position half a decade prior to Ögedei's ascension from Jinong to Great Khagan.
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The Federal Khanate of the Supremus
We are the inheritors of Humanity, their eternal legacy in the stars.
Government Form:
Federal Monarchy
Demographics:
Pongo Pygmaeus Supremus 20.01%
Troglodytes Gorilla Supremus 32.33%
Pan Troglodytes Supremus 47.65%
Homo Sapiens Sapiens 0.01%
Population:
Over 1,000,000,000 individuals
What is humanity?:
Inferior to most. Worshipped by some. To be protected and shielded. Our predecessors and our fragile kin.
A rare picture inside the deadly jungles of New Gift
New Gift was named by long-dead, hopeful scientists. From the outside, it was a perfect Earth-like planet orbiting its Sol-like star in the Goldilocks Zone, perfect for life. It was slightly larger than Earth and had two moons. The New Gift system was not anything out of the ordinary, another terrestrial planet closer to its star and three gas giants on a larger orbit. If they had set foot on its supercontinent of Munus, they would have encountered thick equatorial jungles with savannas on either polar side. Deadly melon-sized bugs, large elephant constricting snakes and ill-tempered horse-like creatures. More shadowed and evil beasts would roam the jungles, sharp talons and wicked teeth. Trees as high as four stories tall and plants which could eat a fully-grown ape. A planet so hostile to life that it is a wonder the native species have not killed each other off yet. To regular humans, it was a death trap. To the superior ape? It became home.
History:
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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 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.
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?
\
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.
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?
\
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.
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.
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.
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 500th Year since Landing, an opportunity came with the sudden opening of the gateway.
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 500th 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.
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.
The banner of the Khan, as chosen by Ogedei the Old
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".
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.
A standard Legionnaire in their modern-age armourr
Two examples of Legionnaire Heavy Weapons support. From left to right: Antipersonnel and anti-armour
An example of an Expeditionary Corps Legionnaire
Reformed American rangers
A typical ape automaton
Modern samurai chimpanzee with a genetically enhanced sword-hand, keeping the peace in New Nippon
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
Legion Main Battle Tank
Standard Legion Air Support Drone
Terra Supremus on approach towards New Gift
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.
The Theocracy's city-state wandering Gaia
Conservation League on the move
The Monasteries, one of the few permanent structures on New Gift. Extensions of Terra Supremus itself. The beautiful abodes of the final true humans.
Beijing-class Legion Mobile Military Base
Cairo-class Legion Mobile Drone Carrier
Standard Legion Mobile Artillery
Standard Legion Gunship Drone
Revolution-class Heavy Support Automaton
Standard Legion Mobile Mechanised Support Ship
Nzinga Ndongo, the Greatest Orator, cherished as the Khan’s own daughter.
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