Eldritch Puppy

Age of Broken Shackles(Soft Sci NRP)

The Lords of Antar

Nation Name: Lords of Antar

Map Location: Circled in red

Systems: Antar, Wyland, Megin, Daitan-Sa, Purileptos, Khargal, Khadjerun

Government

The Lords of Antar could be charitably described as a council of the rulers of the nations of Antar. In reality, the High Lords serve the interests of their own people first and foremost, while small scale internal wars and border skirmishes are not a rarity. Despite their differences and the near complete lack of a binding structure, the Antari still tend to stick together in the face of external forces because of their shared experiences, cultural similarities, and adherence to various feudal systems.

To deal with the Lords of Antar is to deal with each Antari nation individually. Four superpowers dominate the planet:

Flag of Arcadia

-The Kingdom of Arcadia; a strictly hierarchical, absolute monarchy. It is the most wealthy nation on Antar, in control of the richest deposits of mineral wealth.

Flag of Baran

-The Kingdom of Baran; a constitutional monarchy, fiercely traditionalist and an agricultural powerhouse as owners of the most fertile lands on the planet.

Flag of Chthonia

-The Chthonian League; a confederation of republics, city-states and smaller kingdoms united in common defence against the larger powers of Antar.

Flag of Katara

-The Empire of Katara; a ruthless police state relying on closely guarded technological expertise unmatched among their rivals to maintain its position.

Demographics:

99% humans, very small numbers of aliens

Antar system: 17.7 billion
Wyland system: 1.1 billion
Megin system: 2.2 billion
Daitan-Sa system: 1.6 billion
Purileptos system: 800 million
Khargal system: 230 million
Khadjerun system: 400 million

Military

Each Antari nation possesses its own military, complete with ground forces, spaceships and special forces. The Antari way of war is swift, brutal and overwhelming, emphasising the use of light and heavy elements while conventional units have a generally more static role. At the center of every Antari military is a hard core of professional soldiers and, most notably, the Knights. These elite warrior aristocracies supply pilots for the Ironclads; gigantic combat mechs of fearsome power.

Ships:

Antari spaceships use hyperspace as their means of FTL travel. This uses a huge amount of energy that requires time to charge; the larger the ship, the more energy is required and thus the longer it takes. When enough energy is accumulated and then discharged through a jump drive, the ship translates into the parallel dimension called “hyperspace”. Moving through hyperspace shortens distances immensely, with Antari ships able to reach distant systems in a matter of months or days. The downside of hyperspace travel is that any fleet in hyperspace is blind to what is outside of it: ships orient themselves using the signature of large gravity wells resonating from realspace to hyperspace, such as stars and planets; however, things such as spaceships and space stations are much too small to be detectable from hyperspace. As such, it is heavily recommended to exit hyperspace a good distance away from any populated world.

Below is a classification of Antari military spaceships ordered by size. Classes, variants and specialisations may vary considerably and are too numerous to list here.

Patrol craft:
The smallest ships that are capable of operating independently, although the majority are not hyperspace-capable. Their roles range from escort duty to interception and system patrol.

Destroyer:
Small escort vessels that use hit and run pack tactics against larger ships.

Destroyer leader:
Up-sized destroyers equipped with more powerful sensors and comms arrays, acting as group leaders for other destroyers without sacrificing manoeuvrability.

Frigate:
Light ships that defend the fleet against enemy destroyers and act as an additional point defence layer for larger friendly ships.

Heavy frigate:
More heavily armed and armoured than frigates, heavy frigates are capable of standing in the battle line, at least for a time.

Light cruiser:
Light cruisers fill a multitude of roles and are very commonly used both in routine patrol and in fleet engagements.

Cruiser:
These large vessels are the backbone of the Antari navies. Boasting abundant speed, armour and firepower, cruisers act as anchors for the fleet and are suited for trading blows with the main body of an enemy fleet. Smaller fleets often use a cruiser as their flagship.

Grand cruiser:
Rarely seen among the High Lords’ forces, grand cruisers carry armament that is second only to battleships, while retaining more speed at the cost of some protection.

Carrier:
Many Antari ships carry a small number of strike crafts. Dedicated carriers however can support a much greater number, but only have some defensive weapons for their protection in battle.

Battleship:
These massive vessels are cumbersome, very heavily protected and capable of terrible displays of destruction.

Battlecarrier:
The largest military ships in existence in the Antari navies, battlecarriers support more strike crafts than even dedicated carriers while being able to fight in the battle line with firepower comparable to a cruiser and armour equivalent to a battleship’s.

Antar Defense Command (ADC):

Flag (ADC)

Despite their attachment to their independence, the Lords of Antar recognize the benefits of unified military structures, and thus Antar Defense Command was created as a compromise. ADC is a global military organisation with a hierarchy separated from any individual nation’s military, yet subordinate to the High Lords. ADC is strictly meant to defend Antar against external threats; as such, it may not be used against any Antari faction or individual, in any circumstance. It is first and foremost a command structure; while it operates a number of space stations, orbital forts, anchorages and listening posts, it maintains only the bare minimum of personnel during peacetime, and relies on contributions from the High Lords for almost all of its combat troops in times of war, thus preventing ADC from ever being a potential threat to the Lords of Antar.

Nevertheless, ADC is a well-funded, well-oiled machine boasting excellent diplomats, the best intelligence and electronic warfare specialists that Antar has to offer, and an officer corps with a reputation as some of the brightest, toughest and most intensively trained men this side of the galaxy.

History

Little is known of the time before the rise of the Lords of Antar. The planet once belonged to the Yrrani, who built great automated manufacturing complexes across its surface with one goal: to mass-produce weapons and machines of war. Humans were brought to Antar by their Yrrani masters, to provide what labour could not be achieved by the artificial intelligences residing at the heart of the factories and their countless drones. And one day, the Yrrani returned to the stars.

The human population was left to its own devices, quickly organising into rudimentary civilisations and forming various cultures across Antar. But as this fragment of humanity slowly picked itself back up, a great danger was brewing in the bowels of the planet. The Yrrani factories malfunctioned, their complex algorithms becoming corrupted somehow. The already colossal industrial complexes expanded to several times their original size on the surface, while tunnelling to untold depths all the while growing higher and higher in grotesque amalgamations of buildings stacked on top of one another. And while the factories grew into malformed parodies of their previous forms, so did the machines that they produced. Most were utterly useless, and swiftly recycled by the automated factories to be spewed back out again in another form. Those that did function wandered out, roaming the country on their own and wreaking havoc as their hyper-aggressive and out of control combat intelligences engaged any and all forms of life on their path.

From the chaos and destruction emerged the Knights: latent psionics among the human populations of Antar whose innate gift allowed them to interface with the complex technology of machines dubbed Ironclads: gigantic war mechs secured from the very same automated factories that released endless horrors into the world. The Ironclads, though evidently tainted, did not bear as many defects and crucially did not have AI cores like the other war machines did. Over time, knightly orders and noble houses formed with the genetic inheritance of psionic ability being passed down from one generation to the next, along with the sacred duty to protect their people.

Five centuries later, pragmatism has become dogma, knowledge has become religion, and the still operating Yrrani factories are now known as Hell’s Gates, where Demons, Beasts and other horrors born from synthetic life dwell. Constant reminders of danger and duty, no matter the lofty heights that the Lords of Antar have attained since.

Age of Broken Shackles(Soft Sci NRP)

The Lords of Antar

Nation Name: Lords of Antar

Map Location: Circled in red

Systems: Antar, Wyland, Megin, Daitan-Sa, Purileptos, Khargal, Khadjerun

Government

The Lords of Antar could be charitably described as a council of the rulers of the nations of Antar. In reality, the High Lords serve the interests of their own people first and foremost, while small scale internal wars and border skirmishes are not a rarity. Despite their differences and the near complete lack of a binding structure, the Antari still tend to stick together in the face of external forces because of their shared experiences, cultural similarities, and adherence to various feudal systems.

To deal with the Lords of Antar is to deal with each Antari nation individually. Four superpowers dominate the planet:

Flag of Arcadia

-The Kingdom of Arcadia; a strictly hierarchical, absolute monarchy. It is the most wealthy nation on Antar, in control of the richest deposits of mineral wealth.

Flag of Baran

-The Kingdom of Baran; a constitutional monarchy, fiercely traditionalist and an agricultural powerhouse as owners of the most fertile lands on the planet.

Flag of Chthonia

-The Chthonian League; a confederation of republics, city-states and smaller kingdoms united in common defence against the larger powers of Antar.

Flag of Katara

-The Empire of Katara; a ruthless police state relying on closely guarded technological expertise unmatched among their rivals to maintain its position.

Demographics:

99% humans, very small numbers of aliens

Antar system: 17.7 billion
Wyland system: 1.1 billion
Megin system: 2.2 billion
Daitan-Sa system: 1.6 billion
Purileptos system: 800 million
Khargal system: 230 million
Khadjerun system: 400 million

Military

Each Antari nation possesses its own military, complete with ground forces, spaceships and special forces. The Antari way of war is swift, brutal and overwhelming, emphasising the use of light and heavy elements while conventional units have a generally more static role. At the center of every Antari military is a hard core of professional soldiers and, most notably, the Knights. These elite warrior aristocracies supply pilots for the Ironclads; gigantic combat mechs of fearsome power.

Ships:

Antari spaceships use hyperspace as their means of FTL travel. This uses a huge amount of energy that requires time to charge; the larger the ship, the more energy is required and thus the longer it takes. When enough energy is accumulated and then discharged through a jump drive, the ship translates into the parallel dimension called “hyperspace”. Moving through hyperspace shortens distances immensely, with Antari ships able to reach distant systems in a matter of months or days. The downside of hyperspace travel is that any fleet in hyperspace is blind to what is outside of it: ships orient themselves using the signature of large gravity wells resonating from realspace to hyperspace, such as stars and planets; however, things such as spaceships and space stations are much too small to be detectable from hyperspace. As such, it is heavily recommended to exit hyperspace a good distance away from any populated world.

Below is a classification of Antari military spaceships ordered by size. Classes, variants and specialisations may vary considerably and are too numerous to list here.

Patrol craft:
The smallest ships that are capable of operating independently, although the majority are not hyperspace-capable. Their roles range from escort duty to interception and system patrol.

Destroyer:
Small escort vessels that use hit and run pack tactics against larger ships.

Destroyer leader:
Up-sized destroyers equipped with more powerful sensors and comms arrays, acting as group leaders for other destroyers without sacrificing manoeuvrability.

Frigate:
Light ships that defend the fleet against enemy destroyers and act as an additional point defence layer for larger friendly ships.

Heavy frigate:
More heavily armed and armoured than frigates, heavy frigates are capable of standing in the battle line, at least for a time.

Light cruiser:
Light cruisers fill a multitude of roles and are very commonly used both in routine patrol and in fleet engagements.

Cruiser:
These large vessels are the backbone of the Antari navies. Boasting abundant speed, armour and firepower, cruisers act as anchors for the fleet and are suited for trading blows with the main body of an enemy fleet. Smaller fleets often use a cruiser as their flagship.

Grand cruiser:
Rarely seen among the High Lords’ forces, grand cruisers carry armament that is second only to battleships, while retaining more speed at the cost of some protection.

Carrier:
Many Antari ships carry a small number of strike crafts. Dedicated carriers however can support a much greater number, but only have some defensive weapons for their protection in battle.

Battleship:
These massive vessels are cumbersome, very heavily protected and capable of terrible displays of destruction.

Battlecarrier:
The largest military ships in existence in the Antari navies, battlecarriers support more strike crafts than even dedicated carriers while being able to fight in the battle line with firepower comparable to a cruiser and armour equivalent to a battleship’s.

Antar Defense Command (ADC):

Flag (ADC)

Despite their attachment to their independence, the Lords of Antar recognize the benefits of unified military structures, and thus Antar Defense Command was created as a compromise. ADC is a global military organisation with a hierarchy separated from any individual nation’s military, yet subordinate to the High Lords. ADC is strictly meant to defend Antar against external threats; as such, it may not be used against any Antari faction or individual, in any circumstance. It is first and foremost a command structure; while it operates a number of space stations, orbital forts, anchorages and listening posts, it maintains only the bare minimum of personnel during peacetime, and relies on contributions from the High Lords for almost all of its combat troops in times of war, thus preventing ADC from ever being a potential threat to the Lords of Antar.

Nevertheless, ADC is a well-funded, well-oiled machine boasting excellent diplomats, the best intelligence and electronic warfare specialists that Antar has to offer, and an officer corps with a reputation as some of the brightest, toughest and most intensively trained men this side of the galaxy.

History

Little is known of the time before the rise of the Lords of Antar. The planet once belonged to the Yrrani, who built great automated manufacturing complexes across its surface with one goal: to mass-produce weapons and machines of war. Humans were brought to Antar by their Yrrani masters, to provide what labour could not be achieved by the artificial intelligences residing at the heart of the factories and their countless drones. And one day, the Yrrani returned to the stars.

The human population was left to its own devices, quickly organising into rudimentary civilisations and forming various cultures across Antar. But as this fragment of humanity slowly picked itself back up, a great danger was brewing in the bowels of the planet. The Yrrani factories malfunctioned, their complex algorithms becoming corrupted somehow. The already colossal industrial complexes expanded to several times their original size on the surface, while tunnelling to untold depths all the while growing higher and higher in grotesque amalgamations of buildings stacked on top of one another. And while the factories grew into malformed parodies of their previous forms, so did the machines that they produced. Most were utterly useless, and swiftly recycled by the automated factories to be spewed back out again in another form. Those that did function wandered out, roaming the country on their own and wreaking havoc as their hyper-aggressive and out of control combat intelligences engaged any and all forms of life on their path.

From the chaos and destruction emerged the Knights: latent psionics among the human populations of Antar whose innate gift allowed them to interface with the complex technology of machines dubbed Ironclads: gigantic war mechs secured from the very same automated factories that released endless horrors into the world. The Ironclads, though evidently tainted, did not bear as many defects and crucially did not have AI cores like the other war machines did. Over time, knightly orders and noble houses formed with the genetic inheritance of psionic ability being passed down from one generation to the next, along with the sacred duty to protect their people.

Five centuries later, pragmatism has become dogma, knowledge has become religion, and the still operating Yrrani factories are now known as Hell’s Gates, where Demons, Beasts and other horrors born from synthetic life dwell. Constant reminders of danger and duty, no matter the lofty heights that the Lords of Antar have attained since.

From Ashes We Rise : The Imperium Is Born

Primarch of the XIVth

Legion: Legio XIV Storm Riders

Homeworld: Merendosa, Segmentum Tempestus

The temperate world of Merendosa was settled shortly before the events of Old Night. Its surface is covered with mountains for the most part, as well as seas and oceans. It is a harsh planet to live on, with little flat land and a climate of cold winters and searing summers. The most dangerous natural hazards, however, are the frequent and violent thunderstorms that sweep the valleys. Menderosa is by no means a hive world, its largest cities more akin to a collection of buildings entrenched into cliffsides and steep rocky slopes, with what little flat terrain there is entirely dedicated to agriculture. On average, the planet's population numbers some two billion souls. Merendosans are hardy and resourceful, two indispensable traits in order to survive on the jagged mountain peaks.

When the warp storms cut off the planet from the rest of humanity, fate cursed the planet’s inhabitants twofold as a fleet of alien nomads had to make an emergency re-entry into realspace in the Merendosan system. Now with nowhere else to go, the xenos invaded and subjugated Merendosa, taking it for themselves as overlords and enslaving the human population.

Appearance

With his long golden hair and bright, piercing blue eyes, Salazar is the very picture of refined beauty. Perfect to the point of being borderline unsettling, his smile can warm the heart of the most disillusioned war veteran, while the intensity of his glare could make the most vicious politician flinch. Standing 12 feet tall, the Primarch of the XIVth Legion, whether he is on the battlefield or not, looks akin to a god of beauty and war.

Skills and Abilities

Psyker Grade: Gamma

Skills/Abilities:

Fear of the Dark (Psyker ability) - Salazar can emit an aura of fear and terror, spreading panic and confusion in the immediate area. At its most potent, this ability further augments Salazar’s already immense skill to avoid being seen, as his psychic presence becomes too terrible for sentient minds to accept his existence.

Plans Within Plans - Salazar’s war plans are always intricate and complex, yet flexible and adaptable. His superhuman cognition allows him to keep track of every aspect of them and react to new developments in the blink of an eye, making him stand out even among his siblings as a general. This trait aids him greatly in combination with his extraordinary talent for stealth and infiltration.

Wings of Shadow (Psyker ability) - Salazar manifests literal wings made of a dark blue smoke-like substance to carry him at incredible speed with unparalleled agility. Flying comes naturally to him, as if he was always meant to have wings of his own.

Concept

Narcarro Salazar was intended to be the Emperor’s standard bearer, both ambassador and war leader. He was to be a visible manifestation of imperial law, order, and military might as well as a gracious and refined diplomat. But this destiny was altered when Salazar and his siblings were scattered across the galaxy and his damaged pod was exposed to the eldritch energies of the Warp. Due to his upbringing, he became a master of stealth and subversion, only revealing his hand when it is far too late for his unfortunate enemy to counteract.

Even so, his origins in the laboratories in the Himalayan mountains run deep. When it is finally time to strike, Salazar does so with a thunderclap, laying waste to his enemies with all the grace and panache of a mythical warrior-king, making sure that his banner is raised high above the corpses of his foes.

Legio XIV Storm Riders

Associated Primach: Narcarro Salazar

Concept:
The Storm Riders specialize in frontal assaults. Their preferred tactic is to charge straight at the enemy with maximum speed, counting on the sheer weight and swiftness of the attack to overwhelm the enemy and punch through their lines. Unfortunately, this also means that the Legion often takes unnecessary risks and suffers high casualties due to the critical lack of subtlety in their battle plans.

The Storm Riders themselves are a proud and boisterous bunch, lovers of fine arts and poetry, always marching into battles with flamboyant capes and shining steel and gold.

From Ashes We Rise : The Imperium Is Born

House Parthian

Faction Name: House Parthian

Faction Overview/Concept:

House Parthian is the dynasty that has been reigning supreme over the Hyrkanian Hegemony for two hundred years; a city-state sat on the triple border between Ursh, the Ethnarchy and the Kievan Russ Khaganate, composed of the hive city Hyrkan and the surrounding wastes harboring sparse settlements and hydroponic farmsteads.

Hyrkan is situated on a key merchant route and a sizeable portion of the trade flowing back and forth between the Mediterranean Dust Bowl and the glacial north transits through it. Its people has ever fought back against its three neighbors who covet its riches and strategic position, but ironically always managed to remain independent because it is so coveted. As much as the Kievan Russ Khaganate, the Ethnarchy or the Ursh wish to bring Hyrkan under their control, they cannot allow one of their rivals to control the city-state. And so, when the Ursh invade with a horde large enough to overcome the hive, the Kievan Russ and the Ethnarchy repel them. When the Ethnarchy’s war machines threaten to break the Hyrkanian defenses, the Kievan Russ and the Ursh counter-attack. And when the Kievan Russ marches its armies forth to siege the city, Ursh and the Ethnarchy break the siege with a pincer attack.

The Hyrkanian Hegemony’s domain teeters on the edge of a razor blade, steered by its monarchic leaders named Kazars. It must maintain a careful balance of relations with its bellicose neighbors, while having enough bite to make any invasion a slow and costly affair. The Hegemony does not have the manpower needed for an in-depth defense of their whole territory. Instead, it relies on vast numbers of aircraft churned out by the hive’s forges, along with a massively bloated airborne force capable of deploying quickly, striking hard with infantry and all manner of vehicles light enough to be airlifted, and then flying away before the enemy can bring its full force to bear.

Faction Assets: (Brief Overview of their Strengths/Capability)

- Large-scale aircraft factories.
- The Silver Hawks: the elite of the Kazar’s warriors who get first pickings for aircraft and wargear.
- Tremendous wealth acquired through trade.

Key Characters:

Kazar Solomon: The current monarch of the Hyrkanian Hegemony and head of House Parhtian.

Kazarin Kazaenen: Wife to Kazar Solomon, she rules Hyrkan alongside him.

First Prince Jakub: Eldest son of the royal couple, commander of the Silver Hawks and heir to the throne of Hyrkan.

Princess Thensyra: Younger daughter of the royal couple, honorary commander of Hyrkan’s Urban Guard.

From Ashes We Rise : The Imperium Is Born

House Parthian

Faction Name: House Parthian

Faction Overview/Concept:

House Parthian is the dynasty that has been reigning supreme over the Hyrkanian Hegemony for two hundred years; a city-state sat on the triple border between Ursh, the Ethnarchy and the Kievan Russ Khaganate, composed of the hive city Hyrkan and the surrounding wastes harboring sparse settlements and hydroponic farmsteads.

Hyrkan is situated on a key merchant route and a sizeable portion of the trade flowing back and forth between the Mediterranean Dust Bowl and the glacial north transits through it. Its people has ever fought back against its three neighbors who covet its riches and strategic position, but ironically always managed to remain independent because it is so coveted. As much as the Kievan Russ Khaganate, the Ethnarchy or the Ursh wish to bring Hyrkan under their control, they cannot allow one of their rivals to control the city-state. And so, when the Ursh invade with a horde large enough to overcome the hive, the Kievan Russ and the Ethnarchy repel them. When the Ethnarchy’s war machines threaten to break the Hyrkanian defenses, the Kievan Russ and the Ursh counter-attack. And when the Kievan Russ marches its armies forth to siege the city, Ursh and the Ethnarchy break the siege with a pincer attack.

The Hyrkanian Hegemony’s domain teeters on the edge of a razor blade, steered by its monarchic leaders named Kazars. It must maintain a careful balance of relations with its bellicose neighbors, while having enough bite to make any invasion a slow and costly affair. The Hegemony does not have the manpower needed for an in-depth defense of their whole territory. Instead, it relies on vast numbers of aircraft churned out by the hive’s forges, along with a massively bloated airborne force capable of deploying quickly, striking hard with infantry and all manner of vehicles light enough to be airlifted, and then flying away before the enemy can bring its full force to bear.

Faction Assets: (Brief Overview of their Strengths/Capability)

- Large-scale aircraft factories.
- The Silver Hawks: the elite of the Kazar’s warriors who get first pickings for aircraft and wargear.
- Tremendous wealth acquired through trade.

Key Characters:

Kazar Solomon: The current monarch of the Hyrkanian Hegemony and head of House Parhtian.

Kazarin Kazaenen: Wife to Kazar Solomon, she rules Hyrkan alongside him.

First Prince Jakub: Eldest son of the royal couple, commander of the Silver Hawks and heir to the throne of Hyrkan.

Princess Thensyra: Younger daughter of the royal couple, honorary commander of Hyrkan’s Urban Guard.

GATEWAYS: THE NEXT GENERATION [NEW PLAYERS WELCOME!]

The space surrounding the Gateway in the Kamenyan system was occupied by a cloud of dormant torpedoes, waiting to be activated by the Navy’s high command. Beyond this improvised minefield, a cordon of starships and patrol crafts constantly combed the area while small civilian crafts owned by news companies lurked just outside of the exclusion zone, their high-power cameras pointed at the Gate in the hope of catching a glimpse of anything that might be coming through.

When the foreign ship emerged, broadcasting its message into the void, it was swiftly relayed to Kamenymir where the media immediately interrupted their regular schedules to display the pixelated images of the Chosen ship, as they called themselves, along with the message. While news corporations made record viewer numbers, the Directorate sent a dry, professional reply. “Unknown ship, you are in Kamenyan space. Please maintain your current position, advancing further will be considered trespassing. A representative will come aboard soon.”

The Chosen’s crew stopped immediately as they passed through the Gateway. The ship’s sensors picked up unidentified starships and a planet that was very much inhabited. As soon as the message came through from the Kamenyans, William gave his own orders to his crew. No insignias, no threatening postures, the representative will be guided into a blank meeting room and no guard will be in said room.

In comparison to the crews of the other members of the Fist, William’s crew was the most different of them all. Theirs armor was black, heads covered by helmets with only the flag of the Chosen drawn on their shoulders. While the other members of the Fist would crew their ships with Templars and Clerics from their own branches, most of William’s crew was hand-picked by William himself from members of the Church from all branches of it making it a jack-of-all-trades type.

“Greetings Kamenyan people once more, please feel free to board us. We aren’t looking for trouble. If you wish to fight, we can schedule one later on but for now, let’s talk.” sent William to the closest Kamenyan ships, his tone friendly.

After a few minutes, a reply came through. “We are sending a shuttle with an envoy on board, it should reach your ship in 60 minutes.” Indeed, Anton Kroll just arrived on the orbital port above Novyras and embarked on a small skiff, determined to meet the intruders in person despite the misgivings of his advisors. Eventually, he exited the airlock and set foot on the Chosen ship. He wore his usual black suit with a red tie and white shirt, echoing the colors of the KDD on the pin he had on his jacket, bearing the triangular emblem. Kroll was short for a Kamenyan, standing at only 191 cm. He had grey hair and typical purple eyes along with the distinctive strong musculature innate to all Kamenyans. His posture and attitude were neutral and calculated, an image that he carefully maintained as befitting of his position.

Templars stood at full attention as Kroll got out of the airlock, with a quick salute at the short man in front of them they quickly guided him to the designated meeting room. It was a white room with nothing distinctive on the walls, a table and two chairs in the middle.

William was dressed in a full black suit covering every part of his body besides his face and hands, his back was turned towards the entrance and was pacing around the room running scenarios and lines to say when Kroll was led into the room.

He turned quickly towards him, his back straight letting his imposing physique and height that was around 2.4m show.

“Welcome to my ship. I am William James Grant, High Hierarch of the Chosen. “ said Willam, voice calm with a smile on his face as he extended a hand towards Kroll.

“Anton Kroll,” the Kamenyan replied as he took the extended hand with a firm shake. “Director-General of the Kamenyan Defense Directorate. We have been expecting a visit from other colonies for some time, please forgive the lack of welcoming decorum. We’re simply being careful.” As he spoke, he noted the height of the Hierarch, who stood taller than even the tallest people on Kamenymir. A kind of genetic manipulation, or physical enhancement perhaps? He tried to not pay it much mind, as disconcerting as it was.

“Director-General. An honor to meet you. If I am not mistaken, your title denotes a high position in your nation’s hierarchy. I’m glad we can meet on the same…level from that point of view.

I fully understand the lack of decorum, we too in the Chosen have mobilized our fleet and placed defenses in front of our Gateway. You never know who’s out there and what their intentions are. But, where are my manners? Please take a seat, someone will bring us refreshments that you shouldn’t die from.” as he said the last bit, William realized what he said and how it could be interpreted.

"Apologies, what I mean by that is that RADX-001, our home planet, is extremely hostile to humans. Toxic atmosphere, poisonous water and all sorts of unpleasant ways to die. My people will bring over some refreshments that were prepared specifically for humans.”

Soon after William finished talking, a priest came into the room, dressed in a long black robe. With a short nod to William and Kroll, the priest put on the table a tray with different types of meats and vegetables and two cups of liquid that resembled coffee.

Kroll nodded, taking one of the cups in hand. “I have the honor of representing the leadership of the Directorate. My duty is to oversee all Directorate decisions and arbitrate between the Departments that compose our government.” He took a sip of the steaming black liquid. The taste wasn’t offensive, at least.

“You said that you had these refreshments prepared for humans. As if you are not.” His bright purple eyes carefully studied William. “Is that the case?”

Multiple departments of the government would mean a democracy and by the number of ships and weapons they had in space, a well-protected democracy. William nodded silently to himself.

“I hope the drink is good. We don’t have coffee plants on our planet and we made those artificially to resemble it as much as possible. Now–” William took a deep breath and continued “--that’s debatable. The Chosen were human after Earthfall but our leader, the great geneticist Doctor Ashevelen changed our DNA to allow us to survive on our new planet. You could say we’re enhanced humans but the term that we use is Chosen. So, we are and we aren’t humans at the same time. For example…” he let the sentence drop as he lifted his right hand in the air. His fingers started to change, uniting themselves into a sharp tip akin to a knife then changed back to their normal form.

“Humans cannot do that, if I’m not mistaken but some of us do." William’s move was as calculated as it could be. It would either prompt Kroll to show his own enhancements, whatever kind they were or gross him out. At the same time, it showed that the Chosen weren't someone to be trifled with.

The Director-General stared at William’s hand, shock visible on his face for a few seconds of disbelief. “That is…” Eerie? Monstrous? Horrifying? “...remarkable.” Kroll did his best to regain his composure, setting the cup of coffee down on the table. Just how far did the other colonies fall from the proverbial tree?

Anton Kroll chastised and forced himself to calm down. Enough gawking. “Remarkable indeed. This Doctor Ashevelen must have been truly exceptional in her field…” Wait. What did this ‘Chosen’ say earlier? “You mentioned that this Doctor is your leader. After three hundred years?”

William studied Kroll’s face for a reaction to his parlor trick. “Pardon my transformation if it startled you. Most of the Chosen cannot do this, my body was enhanced when I joined the military to better suit my role at the time. We’ve cured most diseases known to humans and there aren’t many injuries we can’t heal.” William’s voice was friendly with a genuine smile on his face, even his eyes shined with it.

He nodded a few times at Kroll’s compliment to Ashevelen’s skill. It was true, herself and one or two more could count themselves in the same area as Einstein, Edison, Tesla and Hawkins for their skills. Even before Earthfall, Ashevelen received praise after praise and the only person that could match her in her field was her sister.

“Indeed. She’s still alive and well. While we haven’t found a way to fully stop the aging process, we did manage to slow it down considerably. For example, I am 112 years old myself but I don’t look a day older than 30. In about 100 years my body will start to degrade to the point where I could be called old from a medical point of view.

On that point, we are more than happy to share with your nation as a sign of goodwill something beneficial.”

As soon as William stopped talking, another priest came into the room holding a tray with three vials and put it on the table. Each of the vials was filled with a pleasantly looking blue liquid and if one would open and smell the liquid they’d find that it smelled like blueberries.

“This–” started William as he took one of the vials in his hand “--is medicine. It will cure mostly any disease as long as it ain’t fatal or genetic in nature. You can either drink it or administer it via an IV which will act faster. Got to be used fully otherwise it will not work.” as he finished the sentence, William put the vial back on the tray and pushed it towards Kroll.

“Feel free to take them, get them to your labs or try it on a volunteer. Up to you.”

A sign of goodwill, then? It seemed that the Chosen wished to appear friendly, at the very least. But this scarcely answered the Kamenyan’s questions. He leaned back on his chair, an indefinable expression on his face as he glanced down at the vials, then back at the man twice his age who looked half. Was that even the truth? The way he reshaped his fingers was real, anyway.

“Thank you for the gift.” A few seconds passed. “High Hierarch, you evidently hold a position of power with your people. I ask you frankly: what are your intentions? Your goal here certainly goes beyond giving us three bottles of medicine. Forgive me if I sound rude, but I must know what it is the ‘Chosen’ want with us.”

"You are most welcome. Just one more thing to add about it before I answer that. Don't try to tamper with it. The formula is in a delicate balance, any type of tampering will make it unstable. That and we've got our own ways to secure our technology from potential thieves. " As William said unstable, he mimicked with his hands an explosion, his face still having his very friendly smile.

"Don't worry about sounding rude. Pretty sure you weren't expecting your day to go about like this. The vials are a sign of goodwill from my nation to yours and nothing more. We don't wish for anything in exchange.

My coming here has four purposes–" he lifted a finger up as he enumerated them"--one: to determine if others survived Earthfall. Two: if others survived, if they pose a threat for the Chosen. Three: if they pose a threat, should they be pacified before they can attack us…and four: if they are peaceful, can we establish trade with them?

The Chosen care deeply about knowledge, as you might’ve noticed. Technological advances that the Chosen have made can be shared in exchange for different ones from other nations in the hopes that at the end of the deal, both parties leave smarter than they were before. "

Kroll’s eyes narrowed. “We are a peaceful people, but we are not harmless. I hope, for the sake of your people and mine, that the answer to your third purpose is negative. As for trade, we are willing to exchange goods and services. Technology, however, requires more thought and consideration.” He joined his hands on the table.

“After we learn more about each other and come to understand one another’s culture and motives better, technology exchanges may be on the table. But for now… Let’s say I do not trust you yet. And by extension, neither does the Kamenyan people. Meaning no offense.”

William clapped his hands and stood up, soon after a priest entered the room with a bottle of alcohol, putting in on the table two glasses were produced and filled with the alcohol that looked very much as old Earth wine.

"This, Director, is the finest alcohol that I've got on the ship. Please, have just a sip. " William then followed through and took a few sips of his own.

"I didn't mean to alarm or threaten you. If you would've been a threat, I would've simply poisoned the air in this room or any other number of ways to kill you and then I would've made my escape by the time your people would've figured out what happened. So, don't worry. You haven't attacked us and we aren't looking to fight with anyone that doesn't initiate it.

I understand the caution though. If your people allow it, when I get back home, we shall send our traders to negotiate deals. I'm sure your planet has a big number of plants, fauna, minerals and so on that we don't have. "

William paced around the room for a few seconds and nodded then turned around to Kroll.

"There is one more thing you should be aware of. The Chosen are…pelicular in our ways. Our leader, Doctor Ashevelen, is viewed by most as Goddess and revered as one. It's a view, herself and a few others, myself included…do not share. It was a necessary decision that was taken in the early days after Earthfall. A decision which if revoked now would cause the death of untold millions. Mostly all civilians.

We don't expect you to refer to herself as a Goddess but some of our people might be a bit more zealous. I only ask your people not to dissuade ours from their beliefs. A plan is in place for the dissolution of the Church of the Chosen and the return of true democracy. Bloodshed is something that Doctor Ashevelen wishes to avoid at any cost. "

William took a deep breath, studying Kroll’s reaction and then added "Will that be a problem? I fully understand that it isn't something…easy to accept."

This time, Anton Kroll could not hide a disgusted scowl as he processed the information. By what right does one masquerade as a god to rule over their peers? This revelation was anathema to the very being of the KDD and all human dignity! That this so-called Doctor had the gall to act in such a revolting way was too much for Kroll to maintain his neutral expression.

“Predatelskiy…” he uttered with a clenched jaw, practically growling with anger. “This… is unacceptable. We Directors live and die by the will of the Kamenyan people, as the Constitution commands thanks to the selflessness of the Founders. To think that this Ashevelen dares to trick her own people in such a shameful way, and what’s more, to remain in her position for three hundred years!” Kroll was raising his voice as he spoke, almost shouting and getting up from his chair with fury. “On Kamenymir, she would be condemned to death for such a crime, and rightfully so.”

He exhaled a few times, readjusting his red tie. He calmed down somewhat, but his face bore a hardness that it did not before. “You may send your traders, ‘Chosen’. But as long as Ashevelen remains in any position of power or influence over your people, that will be the extent of our relationship.”

William noticed Kroll’s anger and for a brief moment his eyes turned fully black and under his smile, razor-sharp teeth could be seen. With a strong, sharp voice, he uttered the words "Calm. Down. Doctor Ashevelen doesn't deceive her people because she wants that. The people chose it themselves and continued to choose her for the past 270 years. She never publicly admitted to being a Goddess. Not has she ever abused her power. She only played the cards that were given and led our nation to prosperity. I have no knowledge of your nation's struggles but understand this. Our planet was hell for humanity. She did what she had to and now…no one starves, no one dies of curable diseases. No one lives on the streets. We don't have the word poor in our language. There isn't such a thing as death to the elements lest someone decides to die on their own terms. Education for all. Houses. You name it and the Chosen have it." William took a deep breath and his eyes turned normal again, his sharp teeth as well.

"You are free to believe whatever you wish but do not disrespect the Doctor for she saw the death of thousands and she made it stop. For all she knew, humanity would've been extinct if she didn't sacrifice as much as she did and if you don't believe me, you're welcome to visit our planet. See for yourself the monuments of the dead. See for yourself the pain and suffering that the Chosen went through until she stepped up.

Our chosen leaders from before? They made harems for themselves. They had slaves . The Doctor ended them not because it brought her pleasure but because there was no other choice. It was either that or extinction. So, I ask again. Don't. Ever. Disrespect. Her. For she isn't a leader because she sought power but because there was no other choice. If she could leave the Chosen and live peacefully, she would but she's forced to stay. You shouldn't judge us by our leader but by our experiences." His voice calmed down and the smile from before came again.

"Do you understand now?"

“Oh, I do.” Kroll straightened up, looking the man half a meter taller than him in the eyes. “And I need you to understand that I have no patience for an impostor’s excuses while she keeps her people in a gilded cage. No amount of wealth or comfort is a substitute for freedom. This conversation is over.” The Director-General of the KDD stepped back. “Now, you can kill me for my blasphemy, perhaps bite my throat off with those teeth of yours, and in doing so sign your own death warrant. I am a soldier, another will take my place. That is how we endure on the World of Stone.” He turned around and added, “You should do well to understand that as well,” before walking away, leaving the medicine vials and a half-full cup of lukewarm coffee on the table.

GATEWAYS: THE NEXT GENERATION [NEW PLAYERS WELCOME!]

The sun was setting on Novyras, capital city of Kamenymir. The Kamenyan flag floated in the warm breeze in front of a tall building of steel and tinted glass: the headquarters of the KDD. In the Directorate’s meeting room, an extraordinary session was taking place, for a matter that could not wait until the morrow. On a wide display screen was plainly visible the space anomaly that warranted all the effervescence: the Gate.

Director-General Anton Kroll rubbed the bridge of his nose, eyebrows furrowed as he mulled over the news. “Still nothing in the press?”

“Nothing so far, sir,” an assistant answered, “but there are reports that several civilian ships could get well within scoping distance before the Navy put the area in lockdown. We can expect the news to reach the public within the hour, maximum.”

“Great.” Kroll sighed. “What about the Gate? Are we sure that it is what it looks like?”

Director Ava Dotsenko of the Department of Sciences pushed her glasses up her nose and looked at her notes. “Preliminary scans are consistent with data from the Nadezhda. The colony ship’s black box records also match probing data.” She looked up. “It is the Gate. And it’s active.”

Murmurs filled the meeting room. This was a historic event of an unprecedented magnitude in the history of the nation. Finally, the Director of the Department of Industry spoke up, looking around the assembly. “Then, we should assume that it is possible to send ships through. Or for someone else to send theirs. What then?”

A brief moment of silence followed.

“The active military is to switch to Alert Condition 3. Dotsenko, study of the Gate is your priority.” Kroll joined his hands on the table. “And if we are to meet foreigners… We will need a new Department.”

******************************************************************************************************************
Two weeks later

Admiral Damian Szpara glanced at the watch on his wrist. “All ships in the fleet, this is admiral Szpara. Five minutes until mission launch, prepare for the jump.” Each of the ships in the fleet acknowledged the order. Aside from the New Sun, a Zheoda-class battlecarrier and flagship of the detachment, the fleet was composed of one Almaz-class cruiser, eight Kobalt-class frigates and six Onyx-class heavy frigates. The KDDN was not looking for a fight, but it made ready for one.

Despite his displayed calm, Szpara was anything but. The probe that had been sent through the Gate made it to Sol and back in one piece, but the admiral had mixed feelings about the data it brought back regarding unknown ships in the system. There were a lot of them, and without the more powerful sensor arrays of a large ship, the probe could not reliably identify their tonnage or if they were civilian or military.

As the crew strapped themselves on their seats, Ambassador Vona Toman did the same. Grateful that he could be on the bridge of the New Sun instead of having to wait in his cabin, he could barely contain his excitement. Meeting other colonies, after three centuries of isolation? He wouldn’t trade his place for anything in the universe. Of course, the former history professor was well aware of his responsibilities as a member of the KDD's brand new Department of Diplomacy, but those could wait until he was actually required to do his job. Gripping his polished steel cane, the Ambassador braced himself as the fleet fired its engines and plunged into the swirling abyss of the Gate.

******************************************************************************************************************

Thousands of crew members and marines breathed sighs of relief when the fleet emerged out into the Sol system. On the bridge of the New Sun, as the cheers and celebration of the officers died down, the communications officer reported to the admiral.

“Sir, all ships are present and report no issues.” That was, at least, a good start. “We’re picking up unknown comms. Foreign languages, but… I’m pretty sure they’re all human.”

“Alright. All ships, this is the admiral. Assume defensive formation number two. Keep all weapons powered down, shields up. We’re moving towards the unknown ships to meet with them. Do not engage unless fired upon, but be ready for any surprises. Slava Kamenye!”

The Kamenyan ships began to move into the system, broadcasting a message in several Old Earth languages.

“To all entities, forces, and vessels in this system. We are representatives of the Kamenyan Defense Directorate, investigating the Sol system after the awakening of our Gate. We are peaceful and wish to establish contact with the rest of humanity. Be advised, these ships are armed and we will use force in the eventuality of any aggressive action towards our detachment.”

GATEWAYS: THE NEXT GENERATION [NEW PLAYERS WELCOME!]

The Kamenyan Defense Directorate

A fitting musical theme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEUBO8LvnwM&ab_channel=Conregulator

Nation Name: Kamenyan Defense Directorate.

Government Form: Constitutional Military Junta.

Demographics: 100% Human. The average Kamenyan stands at 6’ 7” tall, and all of them have a very developed musculature regardless of fitness. They also have no other eye color than purple or bright orange, with frequent heterochromia (around 10%).

Population: 1.6 billion

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Planet Name and Description:

Kamenymir is a harsh planet for humans to live on, for reasons that are not immediately obvious. It is not much unlike Earth before the nuclear war: a temperate habitable world with forests and plains, deserts and jungles, a single ocean of salt water, and two frozen poles. Upon closer inspection, however, it begins to look like a poisoned gift. A mineral unique to Kamenymir known as dotrium, present in low concentration in virtually the entirety of the planet's mineral mass, emits a very specific kind of radiation. Local wildlife is perfectly adapted to these radiations, but humans start developing serious medical conditions after a few years of exposure including cancerous tumors, blindness, and blood diseases. The planet's higher gravity also causes its own problems and makes long-term human survival even more difficult.

History:

Shortly after the colony ship landed on Kamenymir, the expedition found itself under attack by an alien lifeform that was not organic but made of crystalline mineral matter. It appeared that when the ship landed on the surface, it crushed several of these crystal outgrowths in doing so as the crew couldn’t possibly have imagined that they were, in fact, alive. The crystals were able to change shape, move and even fly, and obviously had some way to communicate with each other as the expedition’s security forces were soon engaged in vicious combat around the burgeoning colony’s perimeter.

All efforts to try and communicate with the crystals, nicknamed “Shards” by the colonial security personnel, failed. There were no discernable reactions other than aggression to speech, light signals, even radio communications and visual depictions. Furthermore, the Shards were able to interact with electronic systems in some way through direct contact, which almost led to total corruption and shutdown of the colony’s informatics systems. The conflict escalated over the course of four years with precious few periods of calm. Eventually, however, the attacks stopped as suddenly as they came after thousands of colonists were killed and countless Shards destroyed.

The Kamenyan Defense Directorate, which was the emergency military government in charge of the colony’s defense, was in the process of being disbanded as all Shard activity had stopped. Indeed, there was no sign of them at all, anywhere. But this triumph was short-lived; another disaster struck, one that could not be blasted apart with guns.

As if the world itself rejected the invaders, the effects of the omnipresent low-level radiation emitted by dotrium began to show. Contamination was unavoidable: every single resident of the colony suffered from some sort of radiation poisoning. Under the steely leadership of the KDD however, the Kamenyans showed incredible resilience and determination. Every effort was bent towards overcoming the will of the very planet. Scientists of all branches joined forces to find a solution, those who could still see assisting the blind in whatever way they could and working to provide cybernetic eye implants to vital personnel. Finally, after two long years during which thousands more died in terrible pain, a cure had been developed. A serum codenamed ‘Hekate’ that, once ingested, subtly worked to rewrite the subject’s DNA over several months, carried from cell to cell by nanomachines.

A second existential threat had been vanquished under the rule of the KDD, and now people weren’t keen on changing to another system of governance. A referendum was held; a Constitution written, and from past hardship emerged a unique type of government. A government that is both democracy and military dictatorship. A society in which the army is both the seat of political power and the servant of the Kamenyan people.

Peace and prosperity followed for two hundred years. Improving upon the Hekate serum, the scientists of the KDD added a second effect to it: the high gravity of Kamenymir had been a problem ever since the colony was founded, causing considerable health problems. Instead of relying on specialized suits or gravity modulation devices, the Kamenyans demonstrated once again their will to overcome an obstacle once and for all by elevating themselves above it. The additional gene therapy of the Hekate made bones stronger, permanent hormone change increased muscle mass and induced a rise in height, and the human heart was made bigger and stronger.

The planet’s population skyrocketed past a billion souls, the industry flourished and technological progress kept on improving the lives of all. In the meantime, an actual army had been founded, but with no clear present threat, its duties were only ones of general security. The KDD’s decision to maintain consequent armed forces, however, turned out to be very fortunate when the Shards returned.

The attack did not come from the ground. It was a science satellite in orbit that first detected large objects on a direct collision course with the planet below. What was thought to be meteors crashed into the surface of Kamenymir, only to reveal themselves to be Shards of prodigious size, quickly fragmenting into smaller ones. Millions of civilians and soldiers alike perished in the first month of chaos and confused fighting. The KDD was quick to react and reorganize, and its heavily armed forces along with militia groups led by police officers wiped out the invading force in a single year.

The astronomy branch of the KDD’s Department of Science was astonished to find out that the Shards did not come from the depths of interstellar space. They came from the planet’s own moon, and it was concluded that those initially present on Kamenymir were only a colony, that they must have sent a message asking for help to their homeworld, and that it took two hundred years for the Shards to grow large enough.

Consequently, the decision was made to begin a herculean project to build a space navy capable of taking the fight to the enemy. An orbital station was constructed, then a space elevator. A shipyard followed, and the first combat spaceships left their anchorages. No resistance was met all the way to the moon, and the Kamenyan fleet found itself in orbit over defenseless Shards. There was no attempt to communicate this time. The fleet was given the order to open fire, and so it did. The orbital bombardment lasted for hours, then days, then months. Every single square meter bearing a hint of Shard presence was devastated by nuclear weapons and tungsten rods that ruptured the crust of the moon. When the ships in orbit finally ceased fire, the celestial body beneath had been transformed into an inferno of radioactive wastelands and volcanic eruptions.

Kamenymir celebrated triumph and victory. One century passed. And then, the Gate awakened.

Culture and Society:

Kamenyan society is rather individualist, with strong family bonds and an emphasis on personal freedom. The KDD rarely intrudes into the life of regular citizens, keeping to its role as per the Constitution. The Kamenyans are a patriotic people, and the sense of duty is generally strong with them. As such, the army is never short on recruits. Every adult citizen of Kamenymir has the right to own and bear firearms, except those with a criminal record or diagnosed mental illness. Combined with a mandatory military service of three years, this results in a population that is largely made up of potential soldiers should the need arise.

The creation of businesses is encouraged to stimulate the economy, regulations are few, and trade between regions and cities is busy. Law enforcement is managed by local police forces under the supervision of the KDD’s Department of Security, which has its own investigators and security officers at its disposal.

The planet’s culture has retained some traits from Old Earth and has managed to preserve portions of its history as well, which shows as their language is an evolution of Slavic and Germanic languages blended together, but it has largely evolved into a new culture of its own. Chief among these differences is spiritual; the old religions have faded into a collection of cosmic superstitions involving natural and physical phenomenons. Those who truly believe in the divine nature of these phenomenons pray directly to them, without following any kind of rules like a typical organized religion. For example, some may pray to gravity that their damaged aircraft does not crash, others pray to radiation or genes for a healthy child.

The only thing that could resemble a religion by Old Earth’s standards is the literal adherence to the KDD’s Constitution. Nearly every citizen of Kamenymir considers the Constitution to be the most sacred and untouchable thing there is in their society, a guidance that is not to be tampered with.

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Governance and Politics:

The highest authorities in the KDD are the Directors, each of them in charge of their own Department. They are chosen at random among military officers who chose to be candidates for a specific office and fill that role until they’re either dead, deemed medically unable to fulfill their duty, or removed from office by Constitutional Referendum. In that latter case, a death sentence penalty follows the removal from office if the referendum ends in favor of eviction by an absolute majority. In consequence, only the officers with absolute confidence in their abilities do volunteer as candidates for Director. To serve as a head of state, the office of General Director functions as a “first among equals” in order to be able to make decisions that affect the whole of Kamenyan society.

Political parties do not exist in the traditional sense on Kamenymir, since the army at large and the Directors, in particular, are forbidden by the Constitution to participate in any organized political groups; they are only meant to be a vessel for the people they serve. It is a predictable consequence then that polls and referendums are frequent. There may be civilian groups who really are just an association of like-minded individuals, but since there is no way to elect a representative to a higher office than Burmistrz most Kamenyans see little sense in political lobbying by organized parties.

Burmistrz are the only elected officials in the entire nation. They are responsible for the administration of a single city and its surroundings, command the local police force, and generally have a lot of freedom granted to them to govern their locality. They are however unable to contradict the KDD’s instructions in any way without being given express permission.

Technology Overview:

Energy: Nuclear fission energy and fossil fuels are prevalent in everyday use, the former for its cost-effectiveness and the latter for convenience. Fusion reactors are used as the main power source for starships large enough to accommodate their size and represent the most advanced power production method available to the KDD, although experiments with antimatter are conducted, so far without any exploitable results.

Shields: The KDD’s Department of Science has managed to create so-called energy shields. They require massive amounts of energy and are typically only installed on starships or planetside installations. These devices can intercept incoming fire by projecting energy surges to counteract the energy of incoming projectiles, slowing solid projectiles to the point of ineffectiveness or stopping them outright. Particle beams such as laser weaponry can be similarly hobbled after a fraction of a second past the initial impact, once the ship’s systems are able to detect the attack. The more energy a shield has at its disposal, the more effective it will be.

Nanomachines: This is not as much an innovation as it is a technology preserved from Old Earth that is not fully comprehended by the KDD’s scientists, although it has been successfully repurposed for medical uses.

Military Overview:

“Brute force” may be reductive, but it is an accurate way to describe the KDD’s approach to military problems. Their weapons are rarely subtle, focusing instead on high power and volume of fire. The humble Armored Infantry footsoldier is a perfect example of the Kamenyan war philosophy:

He is, as all of his countrymen are, unnaturally tall and muscular. His suit of power armor further amplifies these traits: a massive, bulky frame of fully-enclosed armor plates, thick and without any thought given to aesthetics. It is angular, with sharp unpolished edges. This incredibly heavy set of personal protection has a layer of artificial muscle underneath the armor plates, allowing its wearer to move without hindrance from its weight and even enhancing his strength well and truly beyond any human limits.
Despite its unrefined appearance, this armor hides an integrated computer neuro-linked to the user’s brain, assisting with aim, limb coordination, general responsiveness, and providing a combat HUD in the helmet.

His weapon looks the part. It is an ugly piece of rectangular metal, large and bulky. Classified as an assault rifle, the STR-2 may be more accurately described as a high-caliber rapid-fire light machine gun. It includes a mini-rocket launcher under the barrel as well as a switchblade, turning it into an axe for close-quarters combat. The STR-2’s incredibly rugged design makes it more than able to withstand being used as a melee weapon by a power-armored warrior with superhuman strength.

The rest of the military generally follows the same principles, even though specialized and lighter gear is always available depending on current needs. Aside from more conventional forces, the KDD also fields armored mechs, perfectly suited for navigating ruins or uneven terrain and armed with a variety of autocannons, missile launchers, plasma drivers, and tactical lasers. A secret project to build a “super-mech” equipped with energy shields is in the works, but progress is slow due to inherent engineering problems.

As far as the navy is concerned, the KDD favors “packs” of several frigates acting together. Cruisers act as the centerpiece of these groups, ready to cover the pack’s retreat or deliver a hammer blow to a weakened foe. The lack of any hostile encounter in space has, so far, limited the KDD’s tactics to general doctrines and directives, relying on its navy’s captains to take the initiative in an initial engagement.

One feature of Kamenyan military doctrine warrants particular attention. Their war against the Shards has left a lasting impression, especially the ease with which informatic systems were compromised. As a result, the KDD has taken to the habit of making sure that their systems are as insulated from one another as possible. Power armor computers do not communicate with other suits; instead, comparatively primitive verbal radio communications are the norm with data packages transfer only possible after authorization by both the sender and the receiver, and even then this is supposed to be done only when absolutely necessary.

This philosophy is prevalent throughout the entire military, be it armored vehicles, fighter crafts, or even spaceships. Within a single ship, computers are locked out of communications with other sections by a manual switch. All of this is a conscious sacrifice of some measure of effectiveness, in exchange for the ability to more easily contain and combat electronic warfare and system infections.

Dramatis Personae

Anton Kroll:
Director-General of the KDD. Ruler of the Kamenyan nation, de facto and de jure.

Admiral Damian Szpara:
Commander of the Sol fleet of the Kamenyan Navy.

Vona Toman:
Ambassador of the Department of Diplomacy to the Sol system.

Notable military gear

Weapons:

STR-2 Assault Rifle: See description in the section above. It is the standard infantry rifle and serves as a template for most of the KDD’s infantry firearms.

Chimera Shotgun: A fully automatic 6 gauge shotgun most often loaded with either explosive HESH shells or so-called “Sunburn” rounds. A Sunburn shell contains, like conventional weapons, solid pellets. The difference is that inside each of those pellets is a small quantity of highly corrosive and toxic acid. Contact with this substance on organic tissues induces burns and necrosis in a matter of seconds.

Vehicles:

Huzar Scout Mech: This light and agile bipedal walker serves as lightly armored reconnaissance, armed with an autocannon fitted with three rotating barrels and a multipurpose missile launcher. Mounted on the Huzar’s back is a pair of powerful thrusters that allow it to jump over buildings and other obstacles.

Svarog Multirole Mech Frame: The Svarog is the result of a particularly eccentric arms manufacturer’s pet project. The four-legged frame is a “skeleton” on which an astounding amount of possible combinations of armament and armor can be added, from long-range missile artillery to high-power lasers, as little or as much armor as desired (within maximum weight limits) or even specialized equipment like lift claws and mine clearing devices.

Sleipnir Transport Gunship: This rather large gunship, suited for both atmospheric and spaceflight, is armed with autocannon turrets covering every angle as well as swarmer short range missile pods, both for defense against enemy aircraft and to suppress enemy ground units while the Sleipnir’s passengers disembark. The gunship’s large bulk allows it to transport a full squad of armored infantry, or a single light armored vehicle.

Ships:

Kobalt Frigate: Built to be the quintessential frigate, fast and versatile. Its main armament consists in laser batteries and long-range missiles.

Onyx Heavy Frigate: Onyx frigates are made to work in tandem so that they can be cycled in and out of combat to allow for their shield’s batteries to recharge, with the intent of delivering a non-stop bombardment from their main railguns.

Almaz Cruiser: The true backbone of the Kamenyan fleet. Almaz cruisers anchor battle formations, cover retreats, spearhead assaults and provide orbital support for planetside troops.

Zheoda Battlecarrier: The largest ship in the KDD’s navy, a Zheoda specializes in deploying much more fighter/bomber support than an Almaz can, while still being capable of fighting on the front line with impressive armor and firepower.

GATEWAYS: THE NEXT GENERATION [NEW PLAYERS WELCOME!]

Aurigan Confederation

Pick up that wrench, son.

Nation Name: Aurigan Confederation

Government Form: Federal republic.

Demographics:

Human: 100%

Population: 550 million

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Planet Name and Description: The planet that the Aurigan Confederation was supposed to call home is nothing more than a cloud of space gas and pulverized rock. Instead, the Aurigans have made their home of the whole system, which consists of two uninhabitable rocky planets, two gas giants, and concentric asteroid belts in the far reaches of the system.

History

The history of the Confederation takes its origin on Earth, then an organization funded by a multibillionaire named the American Colonial Foundation. Its purpose was to preserve American culture and society in a time of imminent apocalypse. Some of the best and brightest of the United States were picked to populate a massive colony ship, and when the time came they sailed through the Gate towards a new home.

The colonists couldn’t believe their misfortune when, instead of green pastures and blue oceans, they were greeted by the cold, dead void. The planet was gone. There was no way to turn back, nowhere to go. A desperate struggle for survival followed: food, water and air were rationed, shuttles were converted into mining ships, every bit of energy and resources focused towards a single goal: survival. At the price of herculean efforts and ruthless pragmatism, stability was achieved. The colonial fleet was self-sufficient thanks to hydroponics and the providential abundance of valuable minerals in the system.

Eden Station was founded: a capital city for a new nation, forged in hard labor for the sake of future generations. The population of the Colonial Foundation began to grow with available space. Already, more performant ships were being constructed to explore the Aurigan system and find what it had to offer. Unfortunately, the Colonial government had become authoritarian and tyrannical as was necessary to get through the initial hardships. Civil war brewed.

Years later, conflict was inevitable. The miners on the frontier demanded the right to own what they mined in the Rings, and the Colonial government answered with repression. A bloody period of terrorism, iron fisting and guerilla warfare followed. In the end, the Colonial government won a pyrrhic victory and was disbanded shortly afterwards due to untenable social pressure. In its stead, the Aurigan Confederation was born.

Culture and Society

Aurigans are proud and hardy, righteous traits for a people who made their homes among asteroids in the black void. Hard work is paramount in their culture, to an obsessional and sometimes even superstitious degree. An Aurigan who did not do his part to build a better life for future generations is shameful, a waste of a lifetime.

These peculiar ethics have meshed together with the predominantly Christian religions, work being elevated as the first and most important of virtues. Each individual station improves its living standards over time, from the cramped interior and algae farms of a new outpost to the fantastical open spaces and food variety of the venerable Eden Station. The older the station, the larger it grows and the better the living standards become.

Even in the capital, which is a place of luxury worthy of Old Earth’s touristic resorts, efforts are constantly made to improve. Everywhere in Aurigan space, all stations strive to be one day as grandiose as Eden.

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Governance and Politics

The Confederate Republic is formally the main governing body of the Confederation. It comprises a Senate, a Congress and has a President as its head of state; a heritage from the long gone United States of America. Even though the Republic rules the whole system in theory, two entities enjoy significant independence from the central government. Republican control is most focused in the oldest stations in the inner system, controlling the majority of the food production.

The Rings Defense League is the organization that battled against the Colonial Foundation during the civil war, then a conglomerate of pirates, mercenaries and freedom fighters. Now, it is the militia that guards the Rings against modern-day pirates and maintains a de facto semi-independence over the bountiful mineral riches of the frontier.

Where the Rings Defense League is spread out over the massive expanse of the Rings, the Theia-Hyperion Commonwealth is an industrial consortium that expands its sprawling factories on the planets of Theia and Hyperion. Even though the two rocky planets are thoroughly unsuited for colonization, the low gravity makes them choice locations for all sorts of activities. The Commonwealth, despite its wealth, remained neutral during the civil war and thus could expand in peace.

Technology Overview

Aurigan ships are of exceptional quality. They are the lifeblood of the nation, and have been the main focus of research and development for three hundred years.

A relatively new type of firearm has been developed for the Colonial Navy’s marines: Coilgun hybrids, firing a conventional explosive cartridge and using electromagnetic coils to accelerate the projectile further. This greatly increases the armor-piercing capabilities of handheld firearms, without adding much weight to the weapon.

Military Overview

The Aurigan armed forces are, unsurprisingly, almost entirely spacefaring except for very few station-based law enforcement garrisons. Though the League is allowed to maintain its militia alongside sheriffs and the Commonwealth has some security forces at its disposal, their combined forces cannot match the Colonial Navy’s numbers and quality of ships.

Aurigan ships are generally small, fast and agile. Armed with long-range missiles, railguns and point defense lasers and cannons, the larger vessels also embark small squadrons of interceptors to act as additional protection against enemy torpedoes.

Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

The Addacian Empire

Nation Name: Addacian Empire.
(Some appropriate music)



Government Form: Absolute monarchy.

Demographics:

Savrianoi (51%): The Addacian Empire’s hegemons, they are bipedal saurians with scales on much of their body and colors ranging from blue to green. Even though their hunched-over posture makes them only slightly taller than the average Human, Savrianoi are much larger, with a very developed musculature. Although omnivorous, they have a strong preference for meat.

Humans (12%): Like the Savrianoi, the Humans of Uboras are from Gaia. They primarily live in the Empire’s remote and wild areas as a multitude of nomadic tribes and are famed for being particularly sensitive to the seven Dharma, a fact seen as both a blessing and a curse.

Kentauroi (15%): A humanoid race that has what resembles a horse's body from the waist down. They are war-like and very competitive, which combined with their anatomy makes for a fearsome warrior/raider culture.

Lykonoi (22%): Bipedal wolf-like creatures. They have a strong pack instinct and thus live in extended friends and family cells known as clans, which can number a mere dozen individuals all the way up to hundreds of them. They have a very potent sense of smell and exceptional hearing.

Population: 9.5 million

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Plane Description

Uboras is a world of grassy plains, forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, deserts and marshes. At first sight, it could seem unremarkable, but nothing would be further from the truth.

Living beings are not the only entities present in Uboras. The emotions of sentient beings, past and present, linger in a very tangible way and affect the world as they are the source of the plane’s magic known as Dharma. If a specific emotion is present in too large amounts over a long enough period of time, it can create a zone of imbalance where reality is distorted in ways depending on the dominant Dharma; this affects the psyche of sentient beings inside the zone and produces visible changes on the environment. In some extreme cases, lava may surge to the surface from the depths of the earth, living things may experience extraordinary fertility and reproductive ardor, rocks and trees may be deformed into jagged and cruelly sharp spikes and blades, or other unnatural phenomena.

History

The Savrianoi’s arrival on Uboras was either never recorded, or the writings were lost to time. The earliest historical documents are about 430 years old, and at the time the Savrianoi were organized in a federation of tribes known as the Addacian League fighting to keep what land they managed to settle in the face of attacks from the neighboring Lykonoi and Kentauroi, the plane’s native inhabitants. Most of the Human slave population that the Savrianoi had brought along with them were freed during that time in exchange for assistance against the natives.

Humans brought with them an unprecedented understanding of the supernatural forces that govern Uboras, naming them Dharma and quickly proving that their mastery over these forces and the proportion of individuals capable of wielding them far exceeded that of their former masters and their enemies. Soon, several Lykonoi and Kentauroi tribes joined the Savrianoi and their human allies, either intimidated by the growing military might of the former or in awe of the arcane knowledge of the latter. More were brought to heel and subjugated by the Legions of the newly formed Addacian Empire.

The Empire continued to grow and expand through a tumultuous history of conquests and civil wars, enduring the test of time and establishing itself as the dominant power of the known world.

Culture and Society

Addacian society is divided into three classes: the nobility at the very top have exclusivity on many government offices and have more rights and duties than the pleb, which is the second class of society. Plebeians represent the vast majority of the population and are expected to work in times of peace, and serve in the army in times of war. Finally, the slaves are at the bottom of the hierarchy. As they are property, they have little rights and are either war prisoners or people forced to sell themselves into slavery to pay off debts. Slaves do benefit from the status of Addacian citizens in a limited way, however, as slaves may not be killed or maimed by their masters. If a slave suffers an accidental work injury, their owner must pay them a sum of money depending on the gravity of the injury.

Additionally, the highest echelons of both civilian and military hierarchies are closed to all non-Savrianoi individuals.

Savrianoi are instinctively driven to stick together, which has perhaps been the most important factor as to why the several civil wars that the Empire suffered didn’t shatter it. To many, separatism is wrong in a way that goes against nature. Notably, Savrianoi also have a strong respect for strength and martial might, giving them a natural mindset for conquest and a pronounced taste for gladiatorial fights.

Humans are dispersed all across the Empire into a multitude of tribes who developed their own unique cultures over the centuries. Except for those who decided to leave their tribes to go live in the large cities, they share two common traits despite cultural differences: a nomadic lifestyle, and following the tenets of the Dharma’s Balance. The latter is a philosophy that endeavors to bring inner peace by balancing one’s emotions, striving to never let one overwhelm the others.

Kentauroi are known to have a penchant for extreme violence only tempered by a very special kind of sense of honor. Even though this isn’t true of most of them, their society follows a mentality of survival of the fittest and considers that might makes right. Few virtues aside from strength, skill and honesty are considered worthwhile. Mercy and compassion for an enemy earn, at best, condescending mockery.

Lykonoi clans are too numerous to list, as a clan can be as small as a single family. These clans often encompass the local settlement, be it a farm, a village or a town, although several clans may coexist in the larger cities. Lykonoi society is a complex network of loyalties, grudges, debts, and favors. A clan’s prestige reputation is entirely based on the integrity and achievements of its members, past and present. Thus, a small clan of twenty individuals may be more prestigious than one that numbers several hundred and consequently will be more valued by their peers.

There is a final major component of Addacian society that must be mentioned: the Dragon Guild, an ancient religious organization that worships Kotzolr, the Dragon God. Guild temples can be found in every city, along with banks and laboratories. Indeed, the Dragon Guild is not only made of priests and religious followers but also bankers and alchemists. Over the centuries since its creation, the Guild has become immensely rich and powerful to the point of being allowed by Imperial law to maintain armed soldiers to protect its interests. Like the mythical dragons it represents in its aesthetics, the Guild watches over its possessions with vigilance and ferocity. The Dragon Guild is so powerful that the Emperor may call upon its warriors to serve alongside the Legions in times of war, and the Guild wisely answers the call every time.

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Governance and Politics

The day-to-day decision-making necessary for the Empire to function is made by the Senate on one hand, and the Tribunal on the other. The former, made up of each Addacian noble family’s head, proposes, discusses and votes on laws and motions, while the latter as elected plebeian officials may veto any senatorial decision if they judge that said decision would be damaging to the pleb’s interests.

Above the Senate and Tribunal rules the Emperor as an absolute monarch: his word is law, and his power is unrestricted by any assembly or legal instrument. Even though the role of the Senate and Tribunal is also to counsel the Emperor, in the end his decisions have absolute authority, although wise Emperors take care not to overrule the Senate and Tribunal too often.

Emperors designate their own heirs: often their own children, although this is not always the case even if the current Emperor has living children.

Technology and Magic

Addacian architecture is remarkable for the beauty and quality of its works: magnificent temples, palaces and magistratures, aqueducts, fountains, stone bridges, sewage tunnels, and of course imposing curtain walls, towers and fortresses. Addacian cities attract the best craftsmen and metalworkers, profiting from the busy trade routes and growing rich from the production of high-grade weapons and armor, exquisite jewelry and colorful fabrics.

The Dragon Guild is perhaps the highest concentration of talented artisans, and the alchemic brews and salves that they sell in their temples have healed many Addacian citizens from otherwise incurable ailments. The Guild’s most notorious achievement is the substance known as dragon fire: a thick, viscous and extremely flammable liquid that sticks to any surface and is almost impossible to extinguish.

Magic on Uboras comes from within one’s self: more precisely, one’s own emotions. They fall into seven broad groups named Dharma. Some people, Human for the most part, are capable of feeling the presence of the Dharma to a greater degree than others. These people, through lengthy training, may become Dharma wielders, capable of consciously producing more Dharma from their memories and transforming it through meditation into a reserve of usable magic that can then be employed for spells thanks to specific hand gestures and glyphs that one draws in the air.

The nature and effects of these spells depend heavily on which Dharma is used to produce them. Dharma wielders can only hold so much Dharma inside them, depending on their affinity with them and their experience. A Dharma wielder who spends all of his reserves may not use magic until he can take time to meditate in order to process more Dharma.

Harad: The Dharma of Anger. Its main attribute is Strength.
Kietsu: The Dharma of Joy. Its main attribute is Creativity.
Yûku: The Dharma of Suffering. Its main attribute is Time.
Inyo: The Dharma of Lust. Its main attribute is Vitality.
Nintai: The Dharma of Patience. Its main attribute is Preservation.
Aikô: The Dharma of Love. Its main attribute is Dedication.
Kyô: The Dharma of Insanity. Its main attribute is Luck.

Military Overview

The Addacian Empire maintains a standing army to control its vast territory and combat banditry, patrol its dangerous borders and garrison fortresses in tributary states to ensure their loyalty. A number of full-sized Legions are also maintained in order to be able to respond quickly to attacks by neighboring kingdoms and tribes.

The Legion is the largest Addacian military unit, which always possesses a hard core of Savrianoi regular troops. In addition, between one-third and half of every legion is comprised of auxiliary units from tributary states and vassals, providing flexibility and specialization to each Legion according to its needs.

Military units

(Only a few auxiliary units are listed below as examples, as there are too many to list them all.)

Savrianoi Legionarii: Heavy infantry serving as an army's main fighting force, wearing half-plate armor and armed with halberds, round shields strapped to their left arm, and swords. They do most of the fighting, taking advantage of their physiology and discipline to overpower their opponents.

Savrianoi Sagittarii: Using longbows and armored with chainmail hauberks, the archers provide ranged support for the army. They carry a sword for close-quarters defense.

Savrianoi Velites: Light infantry unarmored save for a helmet, they carry a shield and an axe along with javelins. Their speed makes them useful for screening, harassing the enemy, and attacking vulnerable units.

Savrianoi Equites Legionis: A cavalry unit equipped with Legionarius armor and shields, long spears, and swords. They guard the army’s flanks, intercept enemy cavalry and pursue fleeing foes.

Kentauroi Praedatores: Lightly armored, they use bows and spears to great effect in combination with their mobility. They are invariably the swiftest unit in an Addacian legion.

Kentauroi Custodes: These warriors are hand-picked to serve as the noble ruling class’ bodyguards. On the battlefield, they serve as an elite cavalry force, proficient both at range and in melee combat with better armor than the other warriors.

Lykonoi Venatores: Skilled bowmen, the hunters serve both as scouts thanks to their superior senses and as archers during the battle. They wear no armor, preferring to stay out of reach of the enemy.

Lykonoi Pedites: Wearing helmets and padded armor, the ferocious Lykonoi warriors use two-handed axes or hammers to tear the enemy apart as shock infantry. Their light armor and lack of shields make them vulnerable to projectiles.

Dragon Guild Spearmen: These soldiers are responsible for guarding the Dragon Guild’s property, watching over banks, laboratories, and temples. Equipped with spears, square shields, and bronze scale armor fashioned to resemble dragon scales along with a helm made to look like a dragon’s head, they can be a front-line formation in battle.

Dragon Guild Swordsmen: Armed with two-handed curved swords and the same dragon-like armor as the Spearmen, they are the elite warriors of the Guild, entrusted with small clay pots filled with dragon fire that they throw at the enemy before closing in.

Dragon Archers: On par with the Swordsmen as an elite force, the Dragon Archers wear an open version of the helm used by other Guild troops. The arrows they shoot have a small amount of dragon fire applied to them, which allows the Dragon Archers to deliver volleys of very effective fire arrows.