Cath

Eye of the Needle (where Sci-fi & Fantasy collide)

Welcome through the Eye of the Needle

OOC is here: Link

Kanth-Aremek had been in turmoil for centuries. On the surface, its lands and seas were a veritable cornucopia. But for the intelligent beings that inhabited this continent, danger grew teeth and talons in the dark, and lived in the recesses of the mind. Stories around the fire told of demons crawling up from hell to wreak havoc with the living.

The proto empires which sprung up after the discovery of Magic eschewed these stories. The Margraves and holy men chose instead to focus on polarising different faiths, races and values. Meanwhile, the safe passages between settlements grew harder to control with each passing year. The guilds and monastic orders, once early engines of progress, retreated behind their walls to study in private. Many thought that a sign from the gods would signal the coming of their saviour - or the end of days.

It was through a telescope that a Guild apprentice thought they spotted that sign one night. The sky rent open in a dull flash of mauve, and a shower of shiny sparks of varying sizes poured out. They fluttered in the wind, falling from a great height. Some hit the shoulder of the Grearedar mountain range far in the distance; others seemed to slow and set the forests ablaze.

Despite what the apprentice stuttered to their master, this was no sign from the gods. At least not the gods of this land.

---

[Stavanger Interplanetary Spaceport, Norway, Earth - 2296]

Most of the crew of the Jotunheim slept aboard their vessel the night before its maiden voyage. They were exhausted from the events of the last few months, but there was a charge of excitement running through them as well. Their ship was the first of its kind; able to jump vast distances in an instant using a state of the art Tamerlane warp engine.

Their exact capabilities were a closely guarded secret outside of the company. But pressure was now well and truly on from shareholders to prove that the Jotunheim could indeed reach beyond the Solar System. The crew had been forced to drastically expedite their test jump programme, and their launch date had already been moved forward, so it was a mad rush to get everything ready. The crew were experienced, but hadn’t been working together long, so there was confusion when they woke to ear-shattering sirens from the hangar.

After a few attempts, they learned that the spaceport and adjacent shipyard had come under attack. Hostile soldiers, potentially disguised as Norwegian military police, were fighting through the complex, looking for something.

Chaos erupted in the hangars where flight-worthy ships were kept. Spaceport staff and other passengers swarmed them to get away from the fighting, as gunfire chattered in the distance and alarms blared. Little did the Jotunheim’s crew know that this would be the least of their worries. Turns out their new warp engine was not quite as stable as previously thought…

Introduction

That’s where our tale begins! A state of the art exploration vessel from the future accidentally tears through into a completely different dimension. They must survive this fantasy world and try to return home. I’m looking for 6-8 experienced roleplayers to come on this adventure with me.

Playable Species

Humans

Humans

• In the Humans’ dimension, it is the second half of the 23rd century. Humans have colonised their entire solar system but nothing beyond yet. They have trashed their homeworld but are now working to rehabilitate it, despite ongoing conflict and greed.
• Most weapons are still ballistic. Humans have begun to augment their bodies and faculties with cybernetics, with varying degrees of success.
• Humans recently made contact with the last of a race of aliens who had been all but destroyed by a plague. In exchange for help and sanctuary, these aliens traded the technology behind their own fledgling FTL drives among other things.
• An arms race ensued, with major unrest rippling across the Human diaspora as competing powers attempted to harness this technology for their own gain.
• The ship in our story is one of the first to complete a successful test jump with this warp drive. It was undergoing diagnostics and repairs in a European Space Agency shipyard when it came under attack, prompting an ill-fated emergency maneuver.

Tekeri

Tekeri

Tekeri - A flightless bird-like species. They are tall and lithe, and most often have deep black feathers. They have vicious, serrated beaks and two pairs of eyes, one just above and behind the other (similar to this) Being imposing and somewhat unsettling in appearance, other species have, at times, regarded them with suspicion or fear. Some cultures view them as demons, or at least inherently evil. Though, while they do have a harsh culture themselves, they are simply another of the world’s species with no natural mandate towards good nor evil.

For most of history, the Tekeri have not been a major power in Kanth-Aremek. Their homeland is a mountainous region, somewhat removed from other nations. They tended to have an independent mindset and were divided among separate clans that kept to themselves. When, on occasion, a clan would come into conflict with outsiders, few others would generally come to their aid. Some Tekeri traveled to other parts of the world, but they were rare, and with their frightening appearance, not always welcome. Individuals, and even entire clans, have been subjected to abuse by more powerful outsiders in the past.

Tekeri society would come to be revolutionized by the discovery of magic. Sometime after it came into use, a particularly talented archmagister from one of the smaller clans led a war of unification that brought together all of the former clans into a single empire known simply as the Ascendancy. The first century of its existence was fraught with strife, discontent, and internal struggles, but Archmagister Vyana was as shrewd as she was powerful. Though slow and bloody, the forces opposing her were brought to heel, and over generations, her society was shaped according to the philosophy she championed. The growing use of magic allowed them to more easily access the mineral wealth locked within the mountains of their homeland. While they did grow their military appropriately, the Ascendancy did not expand through conquest. Rather, they utilized their mineral wealth to grow in power and influence through expanding trade and growing wealth. Using that wealth, they attracted outside talent to help catch up to the capabilities of their neighbors.

In modern day, the Ascendancy has become an influential upstart on Kanth-Aremek. They are still not the largest nor most powerful of nations, but they have grown more quickly than any other. Their culture has been shaped into that of a meritocracy. Harsh and unforgiving, there are no safety nets, and little sympathy for those who fail. Capability is celebrated above all else, whether in strength, intelligence, cunning, or any other meaningful success. There is no longer a concept of noble bloodlines, and even inheritance itself was outlawed. To them, above all else, success must be earned, and it is most certainly a place where the successful can thrive. Compared to the pre-Ascendancy era, the Tekeri have become exceptionally more prosperous, leading to a general feeling of confidence in their shared “vision” for their people.

The Ascendency itself is still led by Archmagister Vyana, as the use of Life magic has expanded her natural lifespan. For many, it is hard to tell how much of what is known about her is legend or truth. Without a doubt, she is a shrewd leader and a powerful mage, as she has mastered multiple domains. She is a Force mage without peer, though it is difficult to estimate her power in other domains. She is rumored to be a Thought mage as well, but that has never been confirmed. By law, any citizen may challenge her for the right to rule. It has happened thirteen times through the centuries, and thirteen times those challengers have fell.

S'tor

The S’tor are a bipedal, reptilian species. To a Human, they would appear to have a rather dragon-like appearance, though without the capability of flight. They have tough, thick scales which serve as a kind of natural armor, and that can have a large variety of colors and patterns. They tend to be large, with an average height well over six feet. As well, they are physically the second most powerful of the continent’s species, behind the Lorok.

Given their natural physical prowess, the S’tor have produced some of the most war-like cultures in the continent’s history. Granted, for most of their history, their warlords have been just as likely to fight one another as anyone else. However, the success of one particular warlord changed that dynamic. Cedec Kolodon, the conqueror, brought all of the S’tor under his banner, and of course, proceeded to set his sights outside their borders. The S’tor’s campaign of conquest started with smaller, neighboring states, but quickly picked up steam as they gained more land, resources, and recruits. Through decades of war, they spread farther and farther south across the continent. Larger nations usually fought or allied together to resist, while some smaller nations simply capitulated. Although they were slowed at times, especially when they reached the lands of the Glen and Iriad, there was ultimately no one who could stop them from conquering the continent.

The Kolodon Empire, as it was known, ushered in an era of strict, orderly rule across the continent. The S’tor under the Kolodon had been a highly organized, stratified society. The role of every citizen was both well-defined, and non-negotiable. Especially among cultures that loathe such restrictions, unrest and sedition was frequent, and harshly dealt with. For as much as it is remembered as being hated, however, Imperial rule was not strictly detrimental to their subjects. Indeed, under the Kolodon clan’s watchful eye, the continent experienced widespread growth and economic expansion. The Empire invested in massive building projects, such as roads connecting every major city, and dedicated military support to patrolling them to keep them safe for trade and travel. They established a unified code of laws and mandated that it be available for all citizens to be able to study and understand. In places where law had once been informal, unevenly, or even capriciously enforced, it made life more predictable and secure for the average citizen. The Empire mandated their language as the official tongue for trade and matters of state, and required it to be taught in all corners of the empire. Even today, S’toric is the most commonly known language across the continent, and is generally considered the lingua franca for dealings across cultures.

The rule of the Kolodon Empire lasted centuries and served to strengthen connections between cultures that had previously never interacted. However, despite the increases in wealth, fractures still began to form over time. The cultures they had conquered had not been destroyed, and there were some who still longed for the freedom and self-determination they had once enjoyed. Resistance, rebellions, and small uprisings popped up periodically. Even when they were put down, they still steadily eroded the Empire’s hold over its territory. Coupled with a string of ineffective Emperors, corruption in their government, and the growing influence of some regional rulers, the famed order of the Empire became much less firm. Eventually, large provinces became bold enough to split into open rebellion, right around the time that magic was discovered by the people of Kanth-Aremek. There are many who think of magic as what broke apart the Kolodon Empire, but most historians agree that it had been falling apart for many years leading up to it. The chaos wrought by magic merely hastened its fall.

The modern S’tor have returned to being split among a collection of nations in the northern half of the continent, struggling with one another just as much as any outsiders. The Kolodon “Empire” still exists in their original homeland as just one of those nations, while other clans fight for dominance to prove themselves as the ones who will restore the S’tor to their former glory. Although, just as the S’tor spread their culture across the land, so too did other cultures leave their mark upon them. Not all of the new S’tor kingdoms have maintained the former tenets of Imperial law. Some have loosened their restrictions, and while they still defend themselves, no longer seek to project their military might outwards. Rather, they seek to adapt to this new world as it evolves.

The Glen

Originally the “glenfolk”, named for the lush natural valleys and forests of their homeland, they have since come to dominate many of the vast plains across the continent. They are a quadrupedal species, centaur-like, with an upper body resembling an elk (inspired by this sculpture: https://i.imgur.com/WsB4l70.jpg).

For much of their early history, the Glen were nomads, though they did not remain resistant to settling down for long as other nations began to emerge. As with many other species on the continent, their history is a long series of small nations rising and falling as if with the tides, slowly shaping cities and building their culture. When the S’tor united and the Kolodon Empire formed, their city-states, like many others, banded together to resist. The S’tor’s war with the Glen lasted longer than most, but like all others, they fell to the singular rule of the Empire.

Though remembered as a dark period in their history for the strict and sometimes tyrannical leadership of their overlords, the Glen did benefit to an extent from their time as Imperial subjects. The organization and requirements of the hierarchy had ended up expanding their cities and strengthening their connections to other subject nations. When the Empire finally fractured, the land traditionally held by the Glen was split into two nations, Acanata and Mythadia, still primarily ruled by Glen, though now with significant populations of other species.

In modern times, Acanata and Mythadia are allied nations, and both together form the strongest alliance on the continent. Influenced by their central position in the continent, they had become trading hubs in the Empire, which has continued to this day. Acanata covers the area of the Glen’s original homeland and is ruled by a monarchy, while Mythadia is ruled by a council of noble families, including both Glen and other species. The roads that cross the plains are well-patrolled, and are among the shrinking few that are still considered to be mostly “safe” as the world grows more chaotic and dangerous. As other nations are rising to power and influence in the wake of magic’s discovery, their alliance is still holding strong to keep them as Kanth-Aremek’s leading power, for now.

The culture of the modern Glen is not particularly rigid, considering the multicultural influence upon Acanata and Mythadia during the time of the Empire. They are organized and civilized, but do not have strict social hierarchies. Glen tend to be particularly agitated by restrictions, and their love of freedom and adventure tends to push them to want to travel and explore.

Iriad

Iriad - While they are bipedal and Humanoid in form, the Iriad are among the most exotic of the species on Kanth-Aremek. They are plants, rather than animals. Their outer “skin” is like hardened tree bark, with more flexible plant fibers underneath, and along the joints. Their faces are mostly featureless, apart from two openings in their outer bark for the equivalent of their eyes. Their heads , shoulders, and parts of their arms can possess branches that may resemble horns, antlers, or similar features. Though they do not have a mouth, they are able to effectively mimic speech through vibrations from what would be their throat. They have no leaves of their own, though they are capable of some degree of photosynthesis. However, it is not sufficient to provide for all of their energy needs. They are carnivorous plants and are capable producing a type of caustic sap, which they can use to liquefy their prey to absorb the nutrients through their “skin.”

The Iriad do not sleep, though they are capable of willingly entering a state of hibernation to conserve energy. An Iriad with normal activity levels can live for centuries, but one in hibernation slows their aging to a crawl and can sustain themselves purely with photosynthesis. An Iriad could hibernate for thousands, or even potentially tens of thousands of years.
The history of the Iriad is inseparably linked to the history of their homeland itself. They hail from what they call the “Myriad”, which is a massive forest that covers much of the southern quarter of the continent. It is a sacred place to them, and they accept only their own dominion over it in its entirety. For all of known history, they have lived within the Myriad, protected it with their lives, and never ventured beyond its borders. On the rest of the continent, even the most rugged mountains and inhospitable tundras ended up being explored by other species before the Myriad, for how fiercely they defended their home. Among other cultures, the Myriad was a place of mystery and danger, where the forest itself would come to take the lives of overconfident adventurers and lost travelers. Its mystique spawned countless myths and fables of monsters, rich treasures, doors to other worlds, and all other manners of fantastic improbabilities. The majority of outsiders simply avoided the forest, though there were some foolish enough to believe the stories and meet their ends within its borders.
It was only due to the Kolodon Empire that the Myriad ever came to be open to the outside. After Cedec had conquered all of his other foes across the land, he had not been content to stop at the Myriad’s border. The war for the Myriad lasted far longer than any other war Kolodon had fought, and through the years it lasted, they experienced more losses than all of their other wars combined. Like many other species, the Iriad were much smaller than the S’tor, and they lacked the sophisticated, forged metal weapons and armor of the S’tor. They were easily underestimated by the Empire, which was the direct cause of some of their most horrendous early losses. While the S’tor are still physically stronger, the Iriad are deceptively powerful for their size and can handle wounds much more easily. Though, much of the difficulty the Empire faced was due to the fact that they were fighting in the Iriad’s forests, in their own home which they were willing to defend with wholly unmatched ferocity. The Empire did make ground, but it was a slow and bloody slog through unfamiliar territory where every acre was paid for with a graveyard’s worth of bodies. By the end of the war, the S’tor were resorting to strategies as desperate as burning parts of the forest in the hopes of intimidating their foe into surrender, but it only caused them to be met with greater fury.
Ultimately, no matter how much resistance they put up, the Iriad would not have been able to stop a determined Kolodon Empire forever. However, their fight had earned them a surrender that was far from unconditional. When they capitulated, it was only under the signed agreement that the Myriad would be protected under the Iriad’s own supervision, by their own law. The Iriad were able to demand that the respect they desired for their forest would be codified into Imperial law, which all its citizens would be bound to follow. Even if they still lost in the end, out of all of the Empire’s conquests, the Iriad were the only ones who were ever able to dictate terms to Cedec.
During the reign of the Kolodon Empire, the Myriad became open to trade and settlement from other species, though it took almost half a century for enough people to overcome the fears of the past to create any meaningful outsider population within its borders. Slowly, some connections came to be formed between Iriad cities and others in neighboring lands. Guilds were able to start operating in their territory, though without exception, they all had to adhere strictly to Iriad laws and customs. Iriad too were able to travel to other parts of the world, though it was particularly rare for one to choose to do so outside of official assignments from the Iriad’s monarch. For most Iriad, they care for little beyond their homeland. Those that do leave willingly, without assignment, are often viewed with suspicion by their own kind.

Though some might have expected otherwise, the fall of the Kolodon Empire did not end up reversing the Iriad’s stance on outsiders. Other species continue to be…tolerated in the Myriad, though laws dictating proper respect to the forest remain as strict as ever. Trees and most plants may not be destroyed, damaged, or defaced in any way, outside of certain practices approved by the Iriad themselves. Plants may not be eaten, only meat. Glen are allowed certain exceptions for their largely herbivorous diet, but only to imported crops that may only be grown under Iriad supervision.
The discovery of magic is something that has been embraced with enthusiasm by Iriad society. In particular, Life magic has come to be seen as a divine gift. Their cities have become impressive sights to behold, as they are now able to grow and bend gargantuan trees into living palaces. With their magic to stimulate and sustain its growth, the forest itself is more vibrant and full of life than it has ever been in any place that the Iriad settle. While the Iriad can and do practice other domains of magic as well, it is without question that they possess the most talented Life mages on the continent.

Technology & Magic

The Ship

The Jotunheim

• Unnamed prototype ship, first of the Jotunheim exploration vessel class
• Accommodation for 8 crew sharing 4 rooms, and 1 Captain with their own room
• Accommodation for 4 VIP guests sharing 2 rooms, with the option to convert this space into accommodation for up to 6 crew using two of the beds from Medical.
• 14 cryopods for crew and passengers below deck

Jotunheim Floorplan

[image]

Jotunheim Floorplan zoomable version

https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/3939a2d5-7aef-4e2f-aa4d-abe3f50f4463.png

Native civilisations

Like on Earth, the civilisations of Kanth-Aremek are developing in different ways and at different speeds. To the eyes of our Human interlopers in this world, the societies closest to the crash site could be described as 'Pre-Renaissance'. Whether this is characterised by the bloody slaughter between England and Scotland or industrious Yuan dynasty China depends on where you look.

Two powerful counterweights across the land are the Monastic Orders and the Guildhalls. Both in possession of cloistered and usually fortified communities, the Monasteries commune with the pantheon of gods revered by Kanth-Amerek's population. The Guilds varied between trying to understand and harness the power of magic, and using it to slowly perfect technological advances to sell to the highest bidder.

Magic

Magic

Effects known as magic are produced by an exotic energy field that, as far as one can tell, permeates the universe. Or at the very least, the planet. This energy field usually does not interact with others, and especially not at random, but when it does, it can produce effects on local space that would defy any conventional understanding of physics in Humanity’s origin universe. Among the methods of interacting with this field is through very precise electrical impulses formed in the correct patterns to produce certain results. As it happens, these electrical patterns can be formed in the brains of intelligent creatures.

To the locals of the world, it is understood that one has to be “awoken” to magic to be able to feel and manipulate it. It is not entirely understood exactly how it happens. Some people can awaken themselves through meditation or guided practice with a master, while it seems to happen seemingly randomly with others. Talented teachers can have a decent success rate at guiding students to an awakening, but it does not always happen. To the outsiders, if they have the chance to study it, they may come to the understanding that a mind needs to be able to fire neurons in the right patterns to start the process of manipulating this energy field. Mental exercises can guide someone to be able to do this, though occasionally it might happen that someone manages to reach that state spontaneously.

Once a mind is awoken, it is able to interact with this energy field. Specific forms of “magic” are produced by creating electrical signals in just the right patterns to manipulate the energy field to produce the desired result. While the natives of this world do not yet have the scientific knowledge to recognize the mechanics behind this phenomena, they have come to have a deep understanding of the patterns associated with it. To them, they first open their minds to the power of the magic, then perform very precise motions to form that magic into the spells they cast. The motions could simply be specific hand movements, or more elaborate motions of the body.

In actuality, what gives these motions their power is the bio-electrical signals associated with them. Everything from the neurons in the brain to the nerves connecting to the limbs fire in certain patterns, which produces the results they see. The closer the movement is to the “ideal” pattern, the more powerful the magic. However, every body is different. Different species, and even different individuals in the same species, will have variation in how their nerves are arranged and how their minds think. That means that the exact same motion from two different people will produce electrical patterns that are a bit different. A master can teach a student the basic motions to cast a weak version of a spell, but every mage must practice and experiment to refine their motions to their own, specific body.

By Kanth-Aremek’s academic traditions, magic is divided into a number of domains. Each domain is associated with a specific style of patterns that can form related spells. Although, even the most accomplished archmages know that more domains may yet exist. The ability to use magic was discovered only several centuries ago. Ever eager, the people of Kanth-Aremek have made great strides in studying, defining, and mastering it, but new discoveries are still being made.

To use spells in a domain, one must first master the base patterns associated with it. These patterns are both mental, involving the ability to induce certain states of mind, as well as physical for the precise motions required. This is the greatest hurdle to learning a domain, and it can take many years before one can start to be able to cast any of a domain’s spells. While it is certainly possible to become proficient in multiple domains, the time and effort required to learn even the basics means that most mages will specialize in a single domain.

Heat Domain: The domain of heat has the power to manipulate thermal energy, both to increase and decrease it. This is the magic of fire and ice, and a skilled caster will be able to utilize both.

Lightning Domain: This domain involves mastery over electromagnetic forces, either by creating or controlling lightning, or by manipulating magnetism.

Force Domain: The people of Kanth-Aremek see this domain as control of telekinetic forces, though the true force it manipulates is that of gravity.

Life Domain: Mages of the Life Domain are able to manipulate the bodies of living beings. While a Life Domain mage is capable of causing direct harm with their magic, it is not often used in battle due to the limitation that one must be in physical contact with the subject while casting the spell. However, Life mages are often some of the most respected casters on Kanth-Aremek due to their miraculous healing capabilities. More useful in combat is their ability to shapeshift, either themselves, or another subject. It is possible, though difficult, for a Life mage to invent a living form. More common is for the mage to take an imprint of a known living being for use in shapeshifting.

Thought Domain: Thought is the domain of illusion and mental manipulation. While they are not capable of influencing the physical world, they can give the appearance of change to living beings around them. While they are able to use magical suggestion and influence others’ minds, actual mind control of an intelligent being is an exceptionally difficult ability. However, it is not impossible. Should one spend significant time around a Thought mage, they can develop a better understanding of the subject’s individual mind to be able to more easily, and drastically, influence them. For that reason, Thought mages who practice openly, or who are discovered, have a tendency to be outcasts. Aside from intelligent species, animals are more easily controlled by this domain. The simpler the mind, the more quickly the mage can establish dominance over its thoughts.

Geography of Kanth-Aremek

To be confirmed shortly. So far we know there are long, sweeping mountain ranges and ancient forests.

Things to bear in mind:

• Your character can be a member of the ship’s crew, an accidental passenger who found their way aboard during the chaos, or a person from Kanth-Aremek (KA)’s various species and groups.
• This story is a blend of science fiction and high fantasy, with a real emphasis on survival and resource management for the interloping crew to begin with. KA is a very dangerous place, particular in the wild spaces. They’ll need to work together to avoid a nasty fate.
• Myself or my co-GM will control the environment and some NPCs.
  
  • In general, I'm happy to give you a higher level of control on how actions pan out for your character. However, I will be keeping an eye out for ‘clutch’ outcomes and evaluating whether they align with your character’s strengths and weaknesses.
  • I will have the final say on what items the crew can gather or find in their new world, at least to begin with. I may even set up an inventory, if some responsible persons will help with its upkeep.
• While this RP interest check is in Casual, I’m classifying the skill level required for this roleplay as Low-Advanced. I’m not expecting an essay every time, but I also don’t want throwaway responses that don’t add real value. I'd say 250-300 words is a good benchmark.

Character sheets

Character sheet template

Name:
Species:
Appearance:
Augmentations: (If Human, optional)
Magical affiliation: (If Native, optional)
Occupation: (e.g. blacksmith or pilot)
Key skills: (max three)
Backstory:

Hi...

Hey there! I love your honesty; i think you'll fit right in. Welcome to the Guild!

The Cradle

The lines of ships blurred into a claustrophobic maelstrom of burnished metal, energy beams and explosions. Flights of fighters chased each other around the hulls of their parent ships as they grappled in close combat, and swarms of drones threw themselves as torpedoes.

The Outreman line held firm partly because of the mission parameters - they needed a quick victory in order to join back up and take out the key ship. But also because there wasn’t an easy way to disengage. They could either retreat back through the asteroid field, or push straight through the enemy which surrounded them and into open space. Both options required breaking their shield-sharing formation and limiting their ability to fire back.

The Tindrel signalled they were planning quite a sophisticated crash stop, whereby they’d spin the planetoid’s tail out to face the enemy. While less defended than the rock top, it would allow them to bring a dizzying array of weaponry to bear at once. There was no time to argue with them now, as they’d be danger close in a matter of seconds. If one listened closely to their comms channel, one might hear a rolling chorus of chirrups which loosely translated into a ‘yeehaw’ type sentiment.

In their desperation, Outreman commanders had also requested reinforcements from the support group stationed some distance away. It was possible that they could jump ships straight into close quarters, with a bit of good fortune.

---

All this activity was being closely watched by Earth - they had a couple of dozen light peacekeeping craft on station around Psi-Helios at any one time which were more than capable of intelligence gathering. Almost immediately after the exercise began, more (and heavier) craft began arriving. What had begun as a trickle became a torrent, until their entire 9th Mechanised Spaceborne Fleet was stationed on the other side of the planet. This intimidating mass of ships was usually parked in empty space, ready to jump at a moment’s notice to any of Earth’s interests.

The Earther fleet’s admiral sent a message to all commanders of the exercise, asking them to respect the system’s demilitarised status and move away from the planet towards the fringes. Strictly speaking, only the battle group comprising the Rothian Admiral’s vessel and the Barbarossa was anywhere near the real demilitarised zone.

---

“Ok, lets do this.”

Dr Lang came up behind Marae and gently placed both hands on her shoulders. Her AR glasses lit up with thousands of additional bits of data. Freyr used her implants to gland a chemical mix called Through The Looking Glass. Immediately, it worked to clear her mind of all prior assumptions, while forcing her to ‘relearn’ everything she witnessed from the scans again. It had proved useful in the past for stimulating the savant part of her brain into making connections which were previously blocked off.

“Earth has started getting skittish and ordering us back from the perimeter. We may need to consider our strategy here.” Masgard announced. He didn’t seem like a quiet lawyer anymore.

The Cradle

The Bertha didn’t waste any time once the target was marked. Shifting its field of fire, it fired a sharpened tungsten round toward the enemy cruiser’s engine and reactor core. The dead metal projectile had a better chance of disabling the target without provoking a large explosion and destroying the QV hitchhikers, but nothing was guaranteed. The QV were strongly encouraged to disengage, but either they were too badly damaged or too deeply attached to make a quick getaway.

The Tindrel planetoid was rapidly approaching for a third time. They had adjusted their course into more of a diagonal strafe of the entire line. The Admiral signalled that rather than maintaining their unstoppable momentum, they would be attempting a ‘crash stop’. After attempting to ram through as many high value targets as possible, they’d bring the full weight of their conventional weaponry to bear on the enemy ships.

By way of an opening salvo, the enormous asteroid launched hundreds of torpedoes. They divided up to target some of the smallest and most vulnerable ships, with the aim of drawing fire from supporting battleships that will in turn weaken their own defenses.

---

“It's an interesting lead…the previous inhabitants of Outremer built an entire city around the Cradle. Their structures suggest they actually had very similar physiology to the Morgrawalai, now I think about it…” Freyr trailed off, before eventually looking to Marae.

“There must be some kind of pattern - what could we be missing?”

The Cradle

“All units, form a line of defense in the asteroid field! I want to see overlapping fields of fire on my screen!” The Tindrel admiral commanded. He had taken a more sober tone as he examined a giant holo simulation of the situation on the planetoid’s map table. The Planetoid itself had cleared the asteroid field again and was arcing around the entire thing to strike the enemy from behind and below.

The QV were yelling to each other as their large combined surged back towards the relative safety of the asteroid belt. An enemy ship sailed in front of them and hit them with half a broadside. The QV vessel smashed into them and the gelatinous skin wrapped the whole way around the other ship. The ships inside began firing straight into the opposing hull and otherwise trying to prise it apart.

A blinding exchange of fire flitted to and from the Outreman vessels which had now presented their thin backsides. That was, except the battle group’s Bertha class rail cannon platform, which was hidden behind an asteroid. Though large, it was poorly armed and armoured except for a formidable rail gun which made up most of its mass. While this sort of armament had featured heavily in Humanity’s early spacefaring armoury, it had gradually been phased out as it became clear that the galaxy wasn’t empty. Whenever a ship fired a tungsten bolt at blistering speeds, it was going to ruin someone’s day - that may not be who they originally thought.

The Bertha latched onto the mammoth asteroid like a spider and fired straight through it, using small thrusters on either side to manoeuvre its field of fire from one ship to another.

---

“Possible anomaly detected.” A Rothian scientist raised their hand from a workstation on the opposite side of the general area from Dr Wetherall, closer to Marae. As Freyr and Vreta walked over, Dr Lang asked him: “Why am i getting a bad feeling about this again?”

The Cradle

Immediately after the enemy fleet jumped into close quarters combat, the battle group’s comms net lit up like a Christmas tree. Foremost the Tindrel screaming with anger, but urgent and stressed instructions from captains of individual ships as they allocated rally points.

The small number of Qalian-Vosh ships began grouping together and sharing their mobility bubble, becoming more than the sum of their parts all while under heavy fire. One of them didn’t make it and erupted into a goo-based fireball…then started heading out of the battle area to await the end of the simulation.

The Outreman portion of the battle group were caught on the broadside with open space cut off by the mass of enemy ships. They were also strung out in a line with only partially overlapping fields of fire. However, the OSC had trained to survive this sort of gambit before , and their ships immediately began turning so they were headed into the asteroid field. They redirected most of their shielding power to the stern, and used all their armaments on their sides to support the ships to either side. They then attempted to retreat into the relative safety of the asteroid field, leaving the QV vessels nearly surrounded.

---

“Negatory. They look like they’re on the move…aaand they’re bouncing off every satellite in the system. There aren’t that many signatures, but they could be bundled together. We aren’t experts in signals from known civilisations, we’re equipped to notice anomalies to known patterns. We’d need the military or, or… Naval Intelligence or something.”

The Cradle

“Admiral, recommend immediate abort. You’re vulnerable in the channel.” The most senior Outreman captain in the battle group sent over comms.

“Watch them run!” The Tindrel Admiral replied immediately - the rapid clicking of their species laughing could be heard.

“Press the attack!” The ramming ship had looped around now and was building up unstoppable momentum for a pass through the freight channel. In preparation for a mini-jump at short range, they weren’t charging up their secondary weapons to fire at full power during that moment of chaos when they made contact.

---

Masgard laughed. “Not quite bi-planes, but you already knew that. They are advanced in their own ways. Very different to us, in tune with nature. They have a symbiotic relationship with large worms that act as transport, food and fighting forces.”

“Human, Tindrel & QV signals on the planet.” Dr Wetherall announced.

Song Reference time

Weee look good together, alllways down whenever
We are weird and painful, just like Ross and Rachel
Let's take a shot at something wonderful

The Cradle

“Push them into the clear channel! We’re coming back around!” The Tindrel commander screeched. The capital ship sent a visualisation of a gap between two tight clusters of space debris. The factory complex was nearby - they had cleared this channel to allow large freighters to quickly move to and fro. Based on the relative positioning of the asteroid field and the system’s general gravitational alignment, the planetoid’s second pass would come from ‘above’.

Ordinarily, the Outreman fleet would have flushed the enemy fleet out from their hiding places with seismic charges. They could have smashed the asteroid belt into small and less dangerous pieces and lit hostile shields up. However, that sort of weaponry was incompatible with a simulation where they couldn’t actually go around wrecking the place. Especially when there was a real factory complex nearby that was already signalling for them to use caution on their property.

The Tindrel ships paid no mind to that, however. It was largely their own holding, after all.

“CHARGE!” Their captains screamed as one, forming a war cry. The full weight of their force swarmed into the depths of the slow-moving asteroid field, seeking to rapidly gain ground on the enemy and do battle. The formation they had from the beginning was totally ruined. The large Outreman vessels couldn’t navigate into the tightly-packed core, so they began skirting around the edges, firing at enemy elements which broke cover to assault the planetoid. Their smaller destroyers and frigates joined the Tindrel.

The Cradle

The channel was flooded with bloodthirsty cheering from the Tindrel camp as blinding explosions erupted from the two disabled battleships. They had waged war like this on their planet and in space ever since they reached it, so it must be nice to validate its continued effectiveness.

The planetoid ship came under fire from several directions. Its large shield generators absorbed most of the hits, though one torpedo found a gap in the front as energy was directed towards the more vulnerable spindle off the back. It burst through and crashed into the side of the rocky face, tearing a small simulated slab off into space.

Barely slowing down, the Tindrel capital ship narrowly missed a cluster of hefty asteroids and sheared off and away from the engagement. It would turn in a wide circle for another ramming run if possible. Point defence lasers on its stern fended off numerous munitions as it departed.

This left the comparatively weaker Tindrel vessels to fight without their carrier vessel alongside the Rothians and Humans. However, the imminent threat of another devastating charge on the flank by the planetoid had proved a powerful distraction in previous engagements. They made short work of the support vessels which hadn't retreated, then most of their ships attempted to get to cover afforded by the asteroid field. Their ships excelled in short range combat, but their shields wouldn’t hold up in a protracted long range engagement.

Despite a snarl-up between the helical Outreman formation and the chaotic and rapidly spreading Tindrel fleet, the closest remaining enemy battleship wasn’t able to take advantage of this troop confusion. The OSC heavy cruiser Valkyrie pulled up alongside the hostile ship while deploying a swarm of countermeasure drones between the ships. While still manoeuvring, the enemy battleship fired a massive broadside which would have likely disabled several small vessels behind. The Valkyrie’s counter measures intercepted roughly 40% of the munitions before they hit its shields, though the heavy cruiser still took a battering. The Valkyrie’s shipboard AI was able to simulate a violent shaking motion in some parts of the interior, for the purposes of realism.

Moments later, the Valkyrie returned the broadside, before re-engaging its thrusters and dropping down underneath the enemy battleship to avoid another salvo while its shields recovered. Two plucky frigates above the enemy also jostled to find a firing position for their main guns before releasing jets of energy through space towards the ship.

---

“The locals call that stuff the Morgrawal. Say it's all one entity.” Masgard pointed to the massive root system covering Psi-Helios. He hadn’t been far from Dr Lang since they’d boarded the Rothian vessel, though he kept a relatively low profile and seemed to be working on other things most of the time.

“How do you know that?” Freyr asked.

“We do our research. The natives are so entwined with it that they refer to themselves as the Morgrawalai.”

The sophisticated net of scans being unfurled by the Magnificent Horizon was gradually peeling back layers of the planet. Freyr observed that the obvious ‘Morgrawalai’ population centres were varied. There were some that appeared to be inside the large trunks of the tree, some underground and some in the circular clearings near lakes that the Morgrawal had left.