Nation Name: The BioMechanical Union of Forge Systems aka Bio-Mech Union
Map Location:
Government Type: Council of Forge World Governors with the Forge World Legion Generals. The Five Governors of the Five Forge Systems, and the Six Generals of the Forge Legions. The Council makes decisions on items created on the Forge Worlds for a given cycle of the Cluster Year.
In case of disputes a majority of seven on the council must be reached for the dispute to be cleared.
Governors are akin to something between a Manufactory Overseer and Planetary Manager. While the Forge Generals are men or women devoted to the defense of the people of Bio-Mech Union.
Demographics: Unknown numbers or origins. Members of the Bio-Mechanical Union can be found everywhere in the Cluster. Forge chapels can often be found on any Planet that will allow them access. Forge Chapels will be of any shape or size, and work day in and day out. Recent census and calculations say the Bio-Mech Union has atleast ten trillion members, all in varying states of Technological Integration.
Military: The Forge Legions, made up of a Flotilla of Ships, Ground Troop Legions, Bio-Mech Armor forces and the Missionary Vanguard. Six Legions, Five hailing from the Sacred Forge Worlds, while another, picks from all Five to create the Legion of the Grand Cog. Names of past Legions have been "Soul of the Sainted Piston", "Arm of the Grand Design" and "Wrath of the Great Machine", as examples.
History:
The Holy Cog
It was the first Tenet to come out of a young mechanic in the far past. Known now as Saint Harlo of the Holy Order of the Ten Toothed Cog. Harlo was an ace mechanic, who was said to be able to just talk to a machine and it would repair itself for him. A screw was badly threaded? A single twist of his driver would have it moving. The man was just that good. And the people in the run down town at the foot of a Arcology treated him almost like royalty. And he may have leaned into it abit. Teaching the people how to care for their machines and mechanical items.
From his teachings grew a union of men and women who revered machines and how to care for and make them. Mechanics and Builders and Makers and Shapers of Harlo's creed were the peak of their trades.
The Strength of Metal
The Second Tenet, that Metal and all types of it is strong and hardy. And only time and rust will break that claim. The People of the Harlo Creed would rever the machine and the strong flesh of the Cog. Steel, Iron, Copper, Bronze, Gold, whatever the metal maybe it would lend it's strength to your journey.
The Creed would grow, rising into the Arcology above. The Rich and the Poor heard of the unity and stability that the Creed offered, and adherents flocked to the Mechanics shop, to listen to his words and learn the skills needed to understand and work with the Machine and with Metal.
The Glory of the Mechanical
The Third Tenet. All things metal and mechanical bring glory to the name of the Creed! The Machine, the Hammer, the Wrench. No matter how small or how well used. It all bring Glory to the Cog.
As Saint Harlo reached the end of his life, he was able to see the moment that the Creed spanned the entirety of the first Forge World. Factories, and Garages. Grand Forges and Great Metal foundaries. Stretched across the planet. The Factory Lords now pulled the strings of the world. Forge World Alpha Primus pumped out Brutalist Goods for any to use, as long as they used it well and gave praise to the Cog!
The Flesh is Weak
The Fourth Tenet. And perhaps it's good that Harlo never lived to see the day that the first of Creed, would replace their flesh with metal.
The first was a simple lost finger. Then soon hands, arms, legs. Entire bodies. Organs. The Flesh is Weak, metal is strong.
And the Creed, grew to become a union, as first two, then three and finally five systems joined the Creed, Five Sacred Forge worlds, with numerous other minor Forge Worlds. Metal covering their surfaces. Glowing metal, blazing fires, goods and items churned out and pouring into the Cluster beyond.
No longer a simple Creed, but an immense clergy and innumerable men, women and children. Hail the Cog, Praising Metal, praying to the Mechanical, and Damning Flesh.
The Bio-Mechanical Union of Forge Worlds was born. Their Missionaries would go out among the stars. Great Forge Ships crawling admidst the black of space. Bringing the wonders of the Forge Worlds to any and all. Forge Chapels would spring up on any planet that would allow the Missionaries to stay.
And truly the Bio-Mech Union would become a mainstay.
Praise the Cog.
And Remember.
The Flesh is Weak.
Misc Info:
Technological Integration - A Main practice among the Union. nearly Ninety Nine Percent of the Unions members will replace their body parts and organs with mechanical and cybernetic replacements. Many will go so far as to appear as close to a mechanical being as they can get. Often the last biological thing left in them after full Integration, is their Brain. And even then some members of the Union will have powerful computers replace their brains.