Ekreture

Beyond the Northern Wind (Now with Plot!)

Earth was doomed to die, but Humanity was not, for they set upon the stars. In the year 2100, the home planet of the Human Race was deemed uninhabitable, and so what remained of humanity shuffled into their varied spacecraft and took to the stars, most of which heading to the colonies already present on Mars, but over the next few centuries, the entirety of the region of Humania was colonized, and the following centuries were defined by statecraft, politics, war and corruption between the varied human factions. This drastically changed in the year 3000, six centuries before today, when, after much speculation, alien life was proven to exist.

A warlike alien empire, the Scorpines (named so by the humans), quickly conquered the disparate human states, and for the next hundred years, Humania was subject to Scorpine rule. This was until the rise of Orion, the great human hunter, who united all humans under his rifle and rebelled against the alien empire, turning Humania into an empire of his own, the region now known as Orion's Belt. Since then, his empire, now ruled by his descendants, have expanded their empire slowly, as they both push against the Scorpines, conquer small nations, and colonize new planets.

Around three hundred years ago, the Empire came upon Ventia, a star with four gas giants which made up its system, which they named Aquilo, Favonius, Auster, and Eurus. Of course, none of these were habitable, nor were their moons, except for one small moon of Aquilo, who's single continent was covered in forest and ice, and inhabited by a tribal race of aliens, a one eyed people the named the Cyclopes. They named this moon Hyperborea.

Largely covered by ocean, early Imperial scouts decided that the moon wouldn't be worth the investment, and instead claimed the star system and put it up to auction, only to be bought by a group of private investors, who named themselves the Astoria Bay Company (ABC), after the bay on Hyperborea which housed the current scouting camp. The camp was expanded into the capital settlement, first calling it Astoria Factory, then Astoria City. Settlements began to expand to elsewhere on the continent, and soon, the ABC turned Hyperborea into a time capsule; a glimpse to the empire into a nature that once was.

---

Hey guys! What you just read above is my attempt to start a character based prequel to my old Space NRP, Dark Matters.
roleplayerguild.com/topics/172422-dar…

Dark Matters was a lot of fun, but one of the problems was despite creating this fleshed out world, we didn't have much of a central plotline, so it sort of just petered off. So for this, I have one!

For the past few years, Hyperborea has seen an uptake in illegal activity due to the Xuhajann Bandit King, Kurxum Hef, who leads a private army of thieves, mercenaries, and Cyclopes in the largest smuggling operation that Hyperborea's ever seen. All previous attempts at ending his operation have proven futile due to the loyalty displayed by the Company Scouts, which he used to be a commanding officer in.

With the scouts proving useless in this operation, the ABC must turn to a more unconventional force, and is forced to put together a team of those who live outside of Company, or Imperial parameters, tasking another former scout, Fera Arella, who Hef helped to raise, in putting this team together. Whether you're Hyperborean through and through, a seasonal visitor, or a complete newcomer, your place on this team is well paying, but may be one of the most dangerous missions you will ever complete.

Below imma drop a bunch of lore about Hyperborea and the world. Ty

Regions of Hyperborea

-Astoria Bay: Astoria City and other towns around the bay, the economy of the Bay became driven by the Company's administration, although soon Imperial romantics (artists, artisans, writers) began pouring into the City and the bay as a whole, and Astoria City is famous for its coffee shops and breweries. It has also became a favorite Imperial tourist destination. Astoria City has a population of around 600,000, while the Bay has around a population of 1,000,000.
-Primasylva: A heavily forested region, Primasylva's economy is completely based around forestry; even in space, wood has to come from somewhere, and wood from a natural source is insanely expensive. To the north of the Bay, Primasylva (often just shortened to Prima) is populated in seasonal camps, miniscule towns, and forts, the capital of the region being Fort Bruno, with a peak seasonal population of 50,000. Outside of the Bay, bandits and Cyclopes become a problem, hence why much of the population of the planet resides in forts. The entirety of Prima has a max seasonal population of around a million.
-Suburbana: To the left of the Bay, Suburbana is much less forested than the rest of the continent, with a far more temperate climate. The economy of Suburbana is based largely around farming, both automated farms to suit the era, as well as more traditional agriculture, large run by the slug like aliens, the Cultors, as well as the Christian Redemptionists, who eschew as forms of automation and center themselves in the region of Suburbana known as revival. The capital of Suburbana is Fort Lodi, though the town of Lodi, built around the Fort itself, houses most of the towns permanent population of 100,000, which grows during the seasons when the foresters and miners from the other regions of the continent are off season and can't afford to go off planet. Suburbana has a population of around 2 million.
-Thule: This frozen northern region, to the north of Primasylva, is a combination between an archipelago and a peninsula, with an economy living off the fish, organic, wild caught fish being a luxury in the Empire, reflected in the capital of Thule, Salmon Factory, with a peak seasonal population of 10,000. The Cyclopes here are far more welcoming to Imperial presence. It is the smallest of all the regions in both landmass and poplutation. The peak seasonal population of Thule is 400,000.
-Ripathia: The heavily mountainous area to the west of Primasylvania and north of Suburbana, Ripathia's economy is largely built on mining and forestry, the Company maintaining a monopoly on the mines, and the mountains are dotted with mining towns, which are often heavily protected. Ripathia is often seen as the most dangerous of the regions. This is somewhat due to the aggressive nature of the Cyclopes here, but moreso is due to the presence of the infamous Kurxum Hef, the bandit king, who leads a massive smuggler operation somewhere in the peaks of the Ripathian mountains, sponsors raids and banditry around the continent, has sought alliances with many Cyclopes tribes, providing them with modern weapons and training, and extorts the mining towns of Ripathia for protection money. The capital of Ripathia is Fort Lapis, with a peak seasonal population of 20,000, and the region having a peak seasonal population of around a million, despite being the largest region by landmass.

Religion

After humanity's ascention into the stars, humans took their varied religions with them, as well as their atheism, though many syncretisms began to emerge. Upon the Orionic Unification, these syncretisms were clearly defined into a single religion; Kineticism, where energy was worshipped as a divine being known as Spiritus. Kineticism turned to two sects; Universal and Divine. Universal Kineticism, the smaller sect, teaches that Spiritus, often referred to as Ein-Sof, is vast and complex far beyond mortal comprehension, and much of their practice is through mysticism and meditation. Divine Kineticism, the larger sect, and the state sect of the Empire, teaches that Spiritus has a divine will, greatly cares about the affairs of mortals, and uses prophets to teach his will.

As Alien species began to become incorporated into the Empire, many kept their traditional religious practices, but, as they were assimilated, they were likewise 'encouraged' to convert, and many syncretic subsects of both Divine and Universal Kineticism emerged to accommodate the new alien converts. As for the old human religions, they started disappearing, many of those who refused to convert being exiled to the Empire's fringes, while others put themselves in parts of the empire where they may go unnoticed, actualized in Hyperborea as the Christian Redemptionists, residing in the region of Suburbana known as Revival.

What's Hyperborea like?

Good question! First of all, transportation between the settlements is dominated by Gryphons; big sort of hoverbuses which transport passengers and cargo around the continent. Because of this, there's very few paved roads, mostly existing in Suburbana, the Bay, and certain parts of Ripathia where people need to walk long distances. In the Bay and Thule, people also like to use the water to go around, and submarining is a common activity for vacationers. The dirt highways carved out for gryphons are also frequented by both other hovercraft as well as more...primal mounts used in Hyperborea. Horses and those of the alien variety, mostly.

Speaking of animals, while there were an infinite amount of indigenous life forms on Hyperborea, and many still remain, the Empire also introduced a lot of flora and fauna more familiar to them, hence why Hyperborea is famed for its pine trees and salmon. Demographically, the area is dominated by humans and cyclopes, but some areas, especially the Bay and Lodi, are much more mixed, predominately by Cultors, Aldzir, Xuhajann, and Scorpines.

Architecturally, Hyperborea looks like a combination between a classic space age aesthetic and Neo-Colonial, the two often clashing side by side. Typically, the capital settlements tend to look more space age, while the smaller settlements look a bit more rustic, the exception being Astoria City and other areas around The Bay.

Species

Humans

Originally from the planet Earth in the Sol System, Humans are the most populous species, and the masters of, the Orionic Empire.

Aldzir

The Aldzir are a semi-marine mammalian species native to Nasj, an Earth-like Moon that orbits a Gas Giant. The Aldzir are covered from head to toe in thick fur. Their Fur comes in several shades of color depending on the region of their homeworld, the most common colors being Brown, Gray, White and or stripped colors. The Aldzir have two sets of eyes, an adaptation of their semi-aquatic existence, their vision more sharper then the average human. The upper, smaller pair of eyes are made use to traverse underwater when scavenging for food, the bottom larger eyes are their primary ones for sight in the surface.

Aldzir eat and communicate via a trunk, although unimposing at first, inside a Aldzir trunk are tiny sharp teeth to aide them in consuming blood and meat. Aldzir speak with high-pitched chirps, buzzes, and grunts, it is physically impossible for Aldzir to speak any other languages and often are in need of special translation collars or other such devices, or that an alien speak in their tongue. Due to their marine nature, the Aldzir have a huge affinity for Thule, their coats protecting them from the extreme cold, and make up much of the permanent population there. Other Aldzir populations live in Ripathia and Primasylvania.

Cultors

When Orionic xenologists came upon Aquinas-4, they found that the sentient beings there, despite wearing no clothing, having no civilization, and bearing no forms of higher government aside from their village elders, had developed advanced agricultural techniques, and seemed to take intricate and tender care of their crops and gardens, living idyllic agrarian lifestyles. The planet was quickly depopulated, and these native slug-like people, named 'Cultors', were spread across the empire to work on various agricultural planets, as well as to work on the various Imperial Gardens and Botanical Gardens scattered around the empire. Today, Cultors understand other languages, but cannot speak them, often relying on foreign devices, and still tend to work almost entirely in agricultural fields across the empire. The vast majority of their population resides in Suburbana.

Scorpines

Once the masters and rulers of the Ancient Scorpine Empire, the conquest of the Human Planets at their hand caused the legendary Orionic Unification, and the subsequent formation of the Orionic Empire. During their rule over Humania, many Scorpine colonies were set up across the region, and their populations were taken over. Many were expelled, others fled, while others still either stayed and were enslaved, or moved to the colonial frontiers of the empire, in Hyperborea mostly living in the Bay, with smaller numbers in Ripathia, and make a decent proportion of Kurxum Hef's men.

The powered armor traditionally used by the Scorpine army greatly influenced Orionic warfare, and the Scorpines also introduced the use of lasers in war to the Humans. Despite what many Imperial Historians would say, conditions under the Scorpines would not have been that bad; species were granted great autonomy, slavery was illegal, and the purpose of the empire was largely economic, the mercantile Scorpines being known for a lack of corruption. That said, private land ownership was illegal for all non-Scorpines.

Scorpines live a bit longer than humans do, although not substantially longer, and have been historically mistreated under human rule even since their emancipation. They require a greater oxygen intake than humans, and like other species, often require devices to live in many planets, although the oxygen-rich environment of Hyperborea prevents this. The venom in their tails is meant for paralysis, although can be fatal with children, the elderly, and small creatures.

Xuhajann

Hailing from the desert planet Jex, the Xuhajann were a proud warrior people who had been conquered by the Scorpine Empire. During the Orionic Revolution against the Scorpines, the Xuhajann rebelled against their overlords, and afterward swore loyalty to the Orionic Empire, and from that point on were loyal Imperial Citizens, most every male proudly serving in the Imperial Army.

Before their conquest, the Xuhajann were traditionally archers and knife fighters, but now are skilled in many other weapons, as well as having more technologically advanced bows, and are famous for their skills as scouts and snipers. They were allowed a good deal of cultural autonomy under Imperial rule, and because of that have retained many of their traditional ceremonies and still perform many of their markings and piercings. In Hyperborea, they live proportionally practically everywhere, though tend to stay away from Astoria city, and love hunting while hating Cyclopes.

Cyclopes

The tribal natives of Hyperborea, the Cyclopes were completely unprepared for the shock of Imperial Conquest, and in most parts are largely hostile to the Company, although trading exists in Thule and Primasylva. They use a combination of modern and traditional weapons, the ones allied to Fervus Collins using the most modern weapons. I don't have an image for them yet, but if you have one, please share!

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

@Dinh AaronMk Good to hear he's feeling better. Any word on the discord? What with the multinational nature of my faction I'd like to communicate with some people before I continue posting

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

@Dinh AaronMk Sucks to hear that, hope he feels better soon

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

So...how's it hanging?

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

On an island small and remote, once the peak of a dead empire's smallest mountain and now barely more than a wind-swept sandbar, a knight sat nude eating a crab. But this was no ordinary knight, as you will see; he stood at the height of one-and-a-half men, and had the hair of several more, with a beard befitting a castaway of his tenure. The crab, on the other hand, was ordinary as it was raw, as the wild knight sat cross-legged, licking and biting at the cracks in the crustacean's shell, his longsword protected from the crab juice under his arm. As his yellowed teeth snipped away the morsels of flesh they gathered, the crab's red shells further cracked under his fingers, allowing the grease of the raw corpse to drip down his wrists before being caught by the nude man's ravenous tongue.

It was a day typical in the life of the castaway, one which he had grown accustomed to in his year of abandon. Behind the beast was his shelter of shipwreck and tree parts, as was his makeshift stone firepit, though he had forgotten the civilized custom of cooking with small meals such as the crab in his hand. In fact, the routine nature of his consumption, combined with his hunger, made it so only something far, far out of the ordinary would make him forget the slippery meal at hand. Today, it took the form of a caravel bearing the flag of Caetia's Order coming into the view of the clear, blue ocean.

---

Vilayet Harbor, Palamara

It is a proud moment for the sun when the people of a city are forced to notice the heat of his shine, and on this day, the sun would feel rather accomplished were it not for a young priestess on a lonely sailboat. This priestess, who's parents deemed it suitable to name her Fe, was far too occupied with a bucket of fish and the encroaching pod of dolphins to pay heed to the machinations of whichever deity was deemed to have the domain of the sun, for she knew which deity she served, and hers was Lady Caetia.

Of course, Fe had company on the sailboat, but none which captured her interest. There was Sir Ivan, a knight kept as a retainer to the Priestesses, as well as the closest thing the boat had to a captain, who at the moment was leaned against the mast, hat tipped so as to avoid the sunbeams. And there was Eta, an acolyte of the Temple who Fe was supposed to be teaching but both thought would be better if she learned in silence. As the dolphins gathered round, Fe tossed her fish to the sea, quietly reciting a prayer in the language of Caetia's faithful, a language thought to have it's origins before the rains. As this routine continued and the contents of the bucket grew lower, Eta grew impetuous while she squinted in the bright sunlight.

"Might I try and feed them?" she asked curiously. She was but a child, eleven years old but with the stature of a girl even younger. Fe, a girl of twenty, with the strength of the kink in her hair reflecting the faith in her heart, at first said nothing, and wished to continue the trend of silence but knew the girl would probably speak again.

"You do not know the proper orations. Think on the nature of order while you watch me." Eta was unsatisfied with the answer, but fell silent, with which Fe was content, and the feeding continued. Each dolphin clacked hungrily while they waited to be fed, but did not fight over the food, for they knew each of them would receive their share. Eta turned and looked at the land behind her, the citadel of Vilayet. The towers and walls of the knights loomed heroically above the white buildings and tight streets of the city below. Close to the harbor was Caetia's Temple and Fe and Etas' home. Today was market day in Vilayet, or as they knew it in Palamara, the 'Day of Feeding', when the families of the city would go into the marketplace and buy whatever food they would need for the week to come, as well as the only day of the week when the urban families of the island would typically pay for a meal rather than cook at home. It was a day that Eta sorely missed, as it was also the day when the dolphins of the harbor would be fed, and when the Temple's soup kitchen would be active, so the priestesses, including Eta since her family turned her over nearly a year ago, were always busy.

Feeding the dolphins was Fe's favorite part of the job, though she enjoyed it more when she could do it alone. She didn't quite mind Ivan's company, she guessed, since he was usually quiet and respectful, unlike the young acolyte at her side. The priestess smiled, as a new dolphin came upon the group gathered, one which she recognized by the slight scar on his snout, and she threw him a sardine, which he happily caught while the others clacked jealously. When she reached into the bucket again, she found it was empty.

"Alright," she said as she turned to the knight behind her, "take us around, Ivan," and Ivan nodded, shifting to take them to a different side of the island, where they would feet a different group of Caetia's servants. His muscles flexed as he unfurled the main sail, and Fe bit her lip, something which Eta picked up on but said nothing. Does Fe like Ivan? she pondered, but quickly dismissed the thought. While it was no longer forbidden for priestesses to marry, and marriage between knights and the clergy was rather common, a retainer could get into trouble for even looking at a priestess lewdly. When the boat began to move away from their spot, the dolphins followed after them for a bit before dissipating, and Ivan went to the rudder while Fe went to the bow. Eta was stuck in the middle, and decided to go back to the knight.

"Hi," she said, to which Ivan boredly nodded. She sat next to him, looking down as they cut the water beside them, before looking again to the man. "So," she began, "Why'd you start serving the Temple?"

He sighed. "Wasn't much of a choice." He paused before continuing. "But, the priestesses are nicer than the Knights." She nodded, pretending to understand what he meant, since every knight she's ever met has been extremely polite.

"Wouldn't you rather be off fighting pirates, though?" The usually stoic knight chuckled at that, while Vilayet began to disappear in the distance.

"Nah, leave the fighting to the men with a death wish." He looked over to Fe, who smiled back at him. "Some knights have something to live for." He looked back to Eta. "Besides, if the temple ever gets attacked, I'll have my share of fighting." The acolyte seemed to tense up at the words.

"Is that..something that happens?" She asked.

"Not recently, but used to happen all the time." He smirked, remembering why it was he went to join the knights from his far-off homeland. "When the knights came 'round, the attacks stopped."

"Oh," Eta replied meekly. She looked back to the water. Ever since she moved to the temple, it seemed all everybody could ever talk about aside from Caetia's justice was history. Fe approached the two, seeming both nervous and irritated, something which if you knew Fe wouldn't surprise you at all. She nervously tapped her fingers as she looked between the two. Somehow, this eleven year old girl had gotten Ivan to say more in the past couple of minutes than Fe had their entire time knowing each other.

"Is she bothering you?" She asked, referring to the acolyte, to which Ivan shook his head.

"No, no, just talking about the knights and such," he said, while Eta looked at Fe, smiling assuredly.

"Oh...of course," Fe replied, "I am...so, so grateful for the Knights..." She blushed, embarrassed, but the color in her cheeks flushed as they turned the corner.

---

The castaway knight was promptly washed and dressed in adequate clothing by the ship's crew before being deemed presentable to what the ship was transporting; a host of Caetian nuns, or, at least, future nuns, on their way to a convent on a small island owned by the Order. Throughout the entire ordeal, he remained silent, and seemed adamant that the sword remain by his side. Below deck, he sat at a wooden table while the young nuns gathered before him, and the group eyed him carefully while he eyed them back, neither sides speaking. The difference was that while they stood in fear, below his bushy eyebrows were two eyed stalwart, determined, and stoney. One nun was not afraid, however. She was far older than the rest, and was clearly experienced in her profession.

"Well, if you shall not speak," she began, "I will. I am Sister Gelena, of the Sisterhood of Duvara. And you are?" She paused to see if he would stop. He did not.

"I see," She continued, clearing her throat. "Well, if you choose to remain silent, so be it, but at the very least listen." She gestured to the young girls arranged behind her. "We are transporting our new sisters to our convent on Il Sulo. From the looks of it, you've been alone on that island for a long time, so I understand if you are cautious."

At that moment, a young sister approached the knight with a bowl of soup, which he snatched from her hands with a wooden spoon and hungrily began slurping. "Look at me," Gelena ordered sternly, and after a brief moment, the castaway reluctantly placed down his bowl and angrily looked up, before she continued. "I understand your...current behavior. But the moment you become a threat to my sisters, do not think I will hesitate to put you back on the island we found you on." His eyes squinted with annoyance. "Is that understood?" After a brief moment, he slowly began to nod.

"Good," said the old nun, and the sisters walked away.

---

The tide was washing away the blood which stained the Palamaran beach, as Fe and Ivan uplifted the victim who was the source of the redness; an old fisherman, who's son stood by idly with his face flushed. While the priestess and the knight lowered the body of the fainted old man onto the sailboat, Fe began to treat his wounds, and Ivan turned to the younger man, stepping off the boat towards him.

"You his son?" He asked, and the young man swallowed and collected his thoughts.

"Y-yes, this is my father, s-sir knight. We...we were out, fishing, alone of course. The rest of the fisherman are in the market, so my father thought this would be the best time to do it, when there was no competition." Ivan now stood close to him, and the son seemed to tense up, averting the knight's gaze.

"Relax, man, I am only a retainer of the Temple, but I am still a knight. You are safe now." The man took a deep breath, and suddenly a look of anger took hold of his face, and he looked Ivan square in the eyes.

"Well that's the thing, isn't it?" He began, "It were the knights who've done this."

---

A while later, the castaway stood on the deck of the ship, sword and sheathe still close at hand, though now leaned agains the ship's fence. He heard footsteps move behind him, but he said nothing, nor did he turn.

"I trust you've found your sleeping quarters up to your liking," Gelena said. "Much better than a desert island could offer." She was greeted by silence, save for the light crashing of waves against the side of the ship. "It was not my choice to take you on, you know. But the crew insisted, and once they saw that sword on you, the one or two knights among them refused to leave you ashore." She paused, thinking her next words carefully. "Of course, having the sword of a knight on you doesn't make you one." At this, the castaway turned around angrily, fist clenched.

"You don't like that?" the nun said in response. "Say something then." He thought for a moment before turning back to the water. She waited. "Fine then. If you refuse to say who you are, I will simply have to report you to the Order's authority. Perhaps they will have answers for me." She turned to leave, when she heard a voice, gruff, low, and scratched by sea wind.

"Wait," said the knight. "I am...I am Sir Anton, Captain of the Knight Guard."

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

@Dinh AaronMk I can go for that

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

@Dinh AaronMk Are we going to have a discord or some sort of chat?

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

@Duck Idk if you read through my sheet, but one of our main things is fighting pirates, also I kinda made my claims the way they are to act as a barrier against you.

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

@Dinh AaronMk Cool, I imagine a lot of them being drawn to the Order as a means of escape if they're outsiders in their native lands, although they'll probably find it isn't too different there either

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

Are elves a done deal or will they only exist when someone makes them a part of their faction? I'd like to have an elf character