jorcool

Into the Rifts: The Reawakening

Usturgian Khanate

The Usturgian Khanate

Government:

The Usturgian Khanate is a type of tribal confederation, led by a Khan. It is highly statelike and autocratic in its foreign affairs and military, acting towards other nations as though it is one nation. In reality, however, it is federally structured internally, being composed of many different tribes as well as vassal states. The Khan, leader of the Khanate, is assisted by their Khurultai, a governing and advisory assembly made up of tribal chiefs, governors and vassal nobles. This Khurultai meets with the great Khan to discuss both domestic and foreign policy, with a focus on military affairs.

The Khanate has three different administrative layers. At the top are the Khan and their court, including their Khurultai. They decide the general direction of the Khanate, and are responsible for foreign and military affairs, negotiating with other nations for the rest of the Khanate as a whole. The second layer is made up of appointed governors, tasked with overseeing the component tribes and vassal states which are organized into various regions, as well as suppressing opposition and solving regional problems. The third, lowest layer is made up of the tribes themselves, led by tribal chieftains chosen by their own people in a variety of ways. While these tribes are not allowed to raid each other and lose their autonomy, being part of the Khanate ensures trading rights, government subsidies and a share of the spoils in case of war, benefits that they are unable to maintain on their own.

Demographics:

Humans

The largest fraction of Usturgia's population is made up of humans. Due to the huge diversity in time and place of origin, this is not one uniform group, but made up of various human subspecies, some of which are ancient while others evolved on distant worlds before the time of the rifts. Most humans tend to live in the steppes that make up the vast majority of the Khanate, with some preferring to live with the Elves and the Orcs.

Wood Elves

Living in the forests in the southwestern corner of the Khaganate, the Wood Elves are renowned for their keen senses, stealthiness and skill with bow and arrow. The Wood Elves are often slightly taller than humans, but much more graceful and elegant. While they prefer to live in the forest, they do not revere it and aren't bound to it like their ancestors were. Still, they are quite enigmatic, but do not shy away from cooperating with the other Usturgian races to defend their home from some of their more expansionist neighbours. Most Wood Elves generally see the other Usturgians as children that need to be guided through the Riftworld, ignoring the fact that they arrived at the same time as the others.

Orcs

The Usturgian Orcs are a martial and tough species. They're about as tall as humans, but are much stronger, and renowned for their incredibly resilient physiology. The Orcs of the Khanate live both on the steppe, and on the mountains in the north of Usturgia. The Orcs begrudgingly respect the other races living in the Khanate, having been beaten fairly in open battle by them, and now gladly fight with them.

Wrolvin

The Wrolvin are a race of intelligent, magical wolves. They look remarkably like the wolves of Earth, but are much larger and more ferocious. They live all throughout the steppes, and can even be seen in the southwestern forests, living together with the Elves. The Wrolvin are capable of limited magic (or psionics, if you prefer). They regard most other Usturgians with indifference, but do not hestitate to fight for the Khanate when called upon.

Society:

Because of all its component tribes, the society and culture of the Usturgian Khanate is impossible to describe in a few words, however, there are a few common trends. The majority of the Khanate's population lives a nomadic lifestyle, necessary due to the harsh conditions of the steppe. The Usturgians migrate between small, tribe-owned settlements, either on horseback or using a variety of vehicles. These settlements take care of most of the resource production and industry required to run a modern society, while the flocks and herds of the nomadic pastoralists feed the general population.

While the Khanate has a large number of small tribes, a few ancient clans have become well-established, and are often responsible for imporant roles within Khanate society and government. Almost all Khans since the founding of the modern Khanate have come from the Terzi Clan, and large numbers of governors and other higher-ups are from the Terzi Clan as well. The Anderson Clan has been associated with the Usturgian military for generations, and have always been able to carry out the most successful raids. Members from this clan have also been at the forefront of modernizing the Khanate's military. A newer, but equally important clan is the Herczeg Clan. These do not live the nomadic life that others on the steppe do, but have set up a number of productive settlements on the steppe that produce a large amount of Khanate military gear, mine Nokrium, and trade with the Mountain Orcs.

Each of these clans commands a fearsome Landship. Powered by Nokrium, a special fuel, these behemoths are far more than just simple military units. They are also command centres for entire armies, mobile small cities, and in a way, focal points for the entire Usturgian civilization. Due to their extreme age, originating from before the Rifts, and military strength, some even regard them as sacred. Only three of these Landships are left, each owned by a Clan. Beyond the existing, usable landships, the Khanate's landscape is littered with the remnants of ancient landships, spaceships and other battle wreckage. There are those who revere these as sacred sites, claiming that they were sent by or are even remnants of their gods, while others see an opportunity for scavenging.

Military:

Due to the harsh steppes, need to raid, and tribal warfare, Khanate society as a whole is more militarized than many other nations. Despite this, however, the Khanate still needs an army. The Usturgian Army, under the command of the Anderson Clan, fulfills this role. The Khanate's army consists of people recruited from the nomadic steppe tribes, as well as auxiliary units from Usturgian vassals.

The Usturgian military is highly flexible and adaptive. Its organizational structure is based on small units made up of ten soldiers. These Arbans as they are called consist of people recruited from different tribes, making sure not to add members of the same tribe together. These groups of ten form groups of hundred, and so forth, each combining to make even larger military units.

Equipment-wise, the Khanate prefers living off the land as much as possible. The majority of its soldiers are mounted on horses, usually taking multiple with them on campaign to use as fresh mounts and to cause chaos during battle. Khanate steppe warriors use low-maintenance, easily manufactured energy weapons that can be recharged from naturally occuring energy sources. The Khanate also uses tanks and other vehicles. In the air, Usturgia uses a combination of planes and massive airships.

The Usturgian Khanate prefers a highly mobile form of warfare, using hit-and-run attacks, feigned retreats and flanking. Usually they try to attack with overwhelming force, encircling enemy soldiers to try to destroy them. If the Usturgian military can't easily win a battle, they'll try to retreat not to waste their troops and modify their strategy based on the enemy they are fighting.

Shattered Stars - A Space Opera [Open for more players - Someone please join Karbana Kinnis... it's lonely there]

Knight's Council, Ogrion

The council room was so silent that you could have heard a pin drop. Eleven figures, all seated around a large round table, were staring at a hologram in the middle. Only one of the figures, that of Grandmaster Berko Hepburn, was physically present, while all the other ones were present through holograms. A few more minutes of silence passed before it was interrupted by the deep voice of Grandmaster Hepburn: "So they were Dominion ships? Are you absolutely sure?"

The hologram in the middle of the table turned towards him. It resembled a man in his thirties, dressed in the uniform of an Orosian trade captain. The hologram spoke: "Absolutely sure, my lord. They had Dominion peacekeeper emblems and everything. My vessel, the Hammerhead, was in Dominion space when we received the news of the sector lockdown. We had just offloaded our cargo, and picked up some Colvianian Trout from the local station. We were already heading back home, but the peacekeepers caught us off guard and fired at us. Several of our trade fleet's lightly armored ships had already been destroyed before we were able to jump away. It's a miracle some of us managed to get back in one piece."

"Hmm, thank you for this information." Berko shifted in his seat as turned off the trader's hologram. He looked around the room, as he addressed the March Knights around the table: "I did not know the situation was this bad. It seems that the amount of unrest in the outer Dominion is at its zenith. Our trade fleets are being attacked all across Dominion space, and I refuse to stand idly while our people are being murdered. This is the time to declare our independence from the Dominion, and remove its decrepit government from power. Who is with me?"

An 'aye!' went around the table, but three of the March Knights stayed silent. "Sister de Villeneuve, you look worried. What's on your mind?" Berko asked.

A young woman, probably only between 25 and 30 years old, Joan de Villeneuve, March Knight of the Mall-ta March, spoke: "As you know, Lord Hepburn, nearly half of Mall-ta's sphere of influence, what we consider Orosian territory, overlaps with that of the Dominion, including some of our richest, most prosperous and productive worlds and systems. Even the Mall-ta system itself is almost on the border. How do you plan on handling this?"

"That is a good question, but we've already prepared for this. The Wandering Knights Southern fleet's patrol area has been moved south, in order to protect that area when the time comes. They will be able to help with our main offensive as well, although the fleet will prioritize defending our own territory. Brother KMA, you were silent as well. Do you have any issues with the plan?"

Before the robot could reply however, another voice spoke up. This voice belonged to a Phupra, who towered over the rest of the knights with his 2.2 meters, and inability to sit in a chair. "With all due respect, Lord, wouldn't this leave our northern borders undefended? We've been having a lot of pirate problems lately, they're becoming so bold that they've started to attack frontier worlds and settlements, as Brother KMA can confirm. If we go south, they'll only start to become worse."

"That is a valid concern, Brother Xaazqu. In order to prevent these pirate attacks, the Wandering Knights Northern fleet, as well as the Marches of Oros and Newacre, will send fewer forces to the south, in order to guarantee the safety of our worlds. As soon as we are done with this conflict, we can focus all of our attention on these pirate attacks. Now, is everyone on board with the plan?"

Berko looked around the room. No one seemed to be having any objections. Good, he thought, With some luck we will be able to end this quickly, stop the Dominion's atrocities, and return to protect our home. He spoke again: "Now then, there is another matter. Although I know some of you dislike these kinds of methods, we've managed to place a spy, or rather several in the Dominion senate. Here they are."

Rather than turning on the hologram, however, instead the screen behind and above Berko activated, and displayed a very peculiar sight. The Knight's Council could see a very humanlike android, with three suspiciously mouse-like chambers or cavities on the outside. And before it stood three Truqiks, the small rodent aliens that make up part of the Union. Berko continued: "For the past few years, these three have been piloting an android representing Alexandra Mars, who you might know as the Dominion senator for our sector. Their names are Kwik, Kwek and Kwak. Don't worry about the original Alexandra, she's retired and working on a farm somewhere in Urusalim."

Most of the Knights were either shocked or amazed at this. They always thought that the slightly uncanny senator was working for the Dominion. "Now, my Truqik friends, we are planning an assault on the Dominion. I need you three to delay the response for as long as possible, and send back as much information about the Dominion's plans as you can, but make sure you don't get snuffed out. Is that understood?" The three furry aliens bowed in unison, before breaking the connection and deactivating the screen.

"Now then, I believe that's all for today. I want everyone to gather as many of our fleets and armies as you can. I will leave my deputy Avra in charge here. I shall announce our independence from the Dominion and have it publicly televised. We will rendezvouz at the Gate of Lucien. There we will wait for the Dominion's response, and hopefully make it out alive to continue south." With those words, Berko ended the meeting and exited the room.

Omiea, Orosian frontier world?

The ground was soft under Sandra's feet as she walked. It was night-time, and as she looked up at the night sky she could see Ravagua, Omiea's odd, purple moon. Major Robinson paused for a moment as she surveyed the land, looking for any signs of the great dust clouds that the pirates made as they traversed the steppes. Luckily, there were none, and she slung her sniper rifle over her shoulder as she kept walking. It took a few minutes, however, before she realized that she was totally alone. "Gábor, Murphy, where are you?" She yelled out, "This isn't funny guys!". Only then did she realize that shouting might not have been a good idea, because she could hear something
breathing and snarling behind her. Almost instantaneously, she bolted away, not bothering to look back, or call for reinforcements. Whatever the thing was, it gave chase, and she knew that she could not keep up. After about a minute of running, she felt a heavy weight knock into her back. As she saw the ground coming towards her, she braced for impact and closed her eyes...

And was greeted by her room. A nightmare, Sandra thought. Just then, her door opened, and the tall robot that had become her mentor poked his head in. "Squire Sandra Robinson, I was just looking for you. Wake up. Oros is going to war with the Dominion."

Shattered Stars - A Space Opera [Open for more players - Someone please join Karbana Kinnis... it's lonely there]

Uchade, Union of Oros

The sun stood high over the fields and meadows of Uchade. Much like many other Orosian planets, Uchade was rurally organized, its people living in isolated farmsteads and villages, protected by a group of Knights that ruled over the world. The world itself wasn't very noteworthy, being firmly inside Orosian territory, safe from attacks from outside, or so its inhabitants would think.

Munir Meeuwsen, a farmer belonging to the Charge class, looked out from the hilltop near his farm. He saw the golden fields of genetically modified crops that would be harvested to feed Orosian and Dominion citizens alike. He could see the government-provided agricultural robots lumber along, trying to identify any crops blighted by the disease that had spread around the system a few months prior. What he also saw, however, was a large cloud of dust, slowly moving over the road that led to his and other farms. Getting curious, he decided to climb down and see what was going on.

As he approached the road, he could see the source of all of the dust and commotion. A large group of Orosian soldiers was marching down the road, slowly approaching. As they got close enough, Munir recognized some of them. In particular, he identified one of them as Ulysses Bruhn, his childhood friend that had joined the Orosian military forces immediately after finishing his education and becoming old enough. And from what Munir could see, Ulysses was leading the group of soldiers marching before him. He yelled "Ulysses, my old friend! I knew you'd make it this far! What news from the Brave?"

"Aye," the other man replied, "I got promoted only a week ago, but I already have my hands full. Lady Sepp is mobilizing the troops. I think there's some trouble afoot."

"Trouble? With whom? Oros has lived in peace for nearly two centuries now!"

"Haven't you heard? The damn Saxonians have declared war! They're going to secede from the Dominion, so Grand Master Hepburn has issued an order to mobilize our army. Expect some heavier taxes coming soon as well, the Brave are gonna need to eat!" Munir let out a small laugh after hearing those words. "I'll do my best, Ulysses, at least we won't have to pay Dominion taxes anymore if we decide to help Saxony."

Ulysses chuckled and said: "Anyway, enough about me and the state of the galaxy at large. How have you been? Are the kids doing alright?"

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking. Brigita and my son and daughter are doing well too. Trishna's been getting high grades in school and Tarek says he wants to be a soldier when he grows up, just like you!"

"Very good, anyway, I've got to get going, don't wanna miss my transport" with those words, Ulysses and the group of soldiers behind him continued marching down the road. Munir watched them for some time, and then he climbed back up the hill, towards his home.

___

Many hours later, when it was already deep into the night, Munir was driving back down that same road he encountered the soldiers on. He had gone drinking with some of his friends in a small bar in the nearby town, and was now letting his car drive him back home. He could hold his liquor well enough, but it wasn't legal on many Orosian planets to drive after drinking. Of course, if he'd been in one of the Orosian inner systems, he'd just use one of those fancy 'influence purge pills' he'd heard so much about, which were supposed to remove any sort of effect on the mind from alcohol or drugs. Sadly though, it was not to be, and he was forced to just wait while his autonomous car brought him back home.

The night sky was cloudy, and banks of fog were starting to roll in over the verdant hills. The temperature was starting to drop, and it became clear that that side of Uchade was slowly approaching its winter season. Munir leaned against the car window and smiled, remembering the snowball fights he and his family had every time the snow fell. He thought he could smell ozone, which was odd, but he thought it could be because of the alcohol. The car drove on and rounded a corner close to his home. That was when he saw it: smoke.

As the car approached his farm Munir could smell it too. A great cloud of smoke emerged from somewhere behind the hills. Throwing caution to the wind, Munir grabbed the car's steering wheel and turned off its autodrive. He accelerated, driving home as quickly as he could. As he drove, he saw that his fields were set alight. The farming robots laid broken and mutilated in the fields, clearly destroyed and scavenged for components. He drove up the hill and stopped his car, running into his house. Too adrenaline-charged to even care about any potential danger, he searched the house. There was blood all over the floor, and much of the furniture had been broken into or destroyed to get to the contents within.

As Munir ran into the kitchen, he saw a scene that would stay with him for the rest of his life. His dog, an Orosian shepherd named Andromeda, was curled up on the tiled kitchen floor, clearly dead, and beyond her lay Munir's wife, Brigita. Munir crouched down and cradled her as she bled from multiple wounds. A bloody kitchen knife and a pitchfork lay beside her, clearly having been used to fend off some unknown assailant. Brigita clutched at Munir's arm as she spoke: "They... they took the kids, Munir. I couldn't stop them. I'm so sorry". Brigita started sobbing, prompting Munir to hold her. "It's gonna be okay," Munir replied, "I'll find them, I promise. I'll make that scum pay!"

It took ten more agonizing minutes for the authorities to arrive, but it was already too late at that point. And so, Brigita Meeuwsen died in her husband's arms. Ulysses stepped into the room, having been ordered to investigate the great clouds of smoke that were now high in the sky above the house. As firemen were putting out the fires, and local police forces were already searching the area, he spoke: "I am so sorry, Munir. We received word that a group of pirates were preparing to raid this planet, but we were too damn late. I never expected this would happen."

"It's okay," Munir replied, sobbing between the words as he crouched on the floor. "Well, it's not okay, but you know what I mean"

"So, what are you gonna do now?"

"I'm going to need an audience with our local Knight, I think. Yes, that would be good."

Shattered Stars - A Space Opera [Open for more players - Someone please join Karbana Kinnis... it's lonely there]

Omiea, Orosian frontier world

Great clouds of dust could be seen on the horizon. From what the Orosian soldiers could tell, they were getting closer as the clouds grew bigger and bigger. KMA-172 knew they were. For two months, he and his men had been there on Omiea, a frontier world far away from the main worlds of the Orosian Union. They had been sent there, or rather, went their own their own after the planet of Omiea was captured by a group of space pirates. Only recently incorporated into the Union, the defenses of Omiea were easily overrun by the massive , cobbled-together tanks and weapon platforms of the pirate forces. Omiea’s small population and a few soldiers that happened to be gathered there for a training exercise were forced to flee, becoming small groups of resistance fighters. If that major hadn't activated the radio beacon, KMA thought, they'd still be stuck here in this shithole.

He was interrupted in his thoughts by a radio communication: "Brother KMA, we have a visual on the enemy armor. Permission to engage?” “Hold,” KMA replied, “but fire the artillery and begin the stratocruiser bombardment” KMA looked up as moments later the fleet’s stratocruiser, the Orosian version of a transport craft, started firing. Hellfire rained down from the sky as railgun projectiles and explosives connected with the surface, throwing plumes of sand, dirt and smoke into the sky.

Then, the bombardment stopped, as the pirates got too close to the Orosian defensive lines. KMA’s mech turned around, he activated the speakers on its sides and said: “This is it! Today we’re liberating the planet of Omiea and bringing it back into the fold. Do not let them ruin what we’ve been working towards for the past months! For Oros!” The soldiers cheered as they braced themselves for the upcoming battle. Then, the pirates were upon them. Orosian cannons and tanks shot, shattering the weak armor of the enemy’s vehicles and immobilizing them. KMA’s mech rose, and twelve other mechs, piloted by the other Knights of the sixth Wandering Knight fleet, followed him. Each mech was unique, custom-made by the Knight it was piloted by, and all were equipped with different weapons. After that, it was quickly over, the pirates’ vehicles either retreating or simply being destroyed. Cowards! KMA thought, They’ll be hunted down soon enough

KMA was just finishing off one of the last enemy tanks when he saw something strange. Another stratocruiser, with a deep blue hull, had appeared over the battlefield. It looked as though small pieces of metal were flaking off it. Drop pods? Wait, are those strike teams? He’d know the answer to that question a few seconds later, as one of the drop pods landed on the ground right behind him, nearly knocking him over. He turned around to see a few soldiers, clad in heavier armor and armed with better weapons than was usually granted to Orosian soldiers.

One of them, presumably their sergeant, saluted him, and spoke: “Hail, master knight! Please, your work here is done, take your soldiers somewhere else.”

“A Brave giving orders to a Knight,” KMA replied, “what has this world come to? Why are you here, and who do you think you are that you can order me around?”

“I am Sergeant Wojda of the STG. We are here on an important mission, one that I cannot reveal the details of to anyone, not even a Knight. We need everyone to leave the area. I’m sorry sir, but this is extremely important.”

KMA, from his mech, had scanned the man and confirmed his identity, and had no energy left to argue. “Fine, I’ll get my men to leave. I want to be off this damn planet as much as you want me off it.” With that, he turned around and went back to the Orosian defensive lines, as he contacted the stratocruiser: “get me a transport. We’re leaving”.

The dropship had arrived at the Orosian base as soon as he had. KMA exited his mech and hopped in, preparing to leave when he heard a voice behind him: “Sir, may I ride with you?”

“Of course,” KMA replied, recognizing the voice as belonging to Sandra Robinson, leader of what became known as the ‘Omiean Rangers’, the resistance group that sprung up after the pirates took over Omiea. She was about half a meter shorter than him, but KMA was quite large for a robot, having been made to serve as an Orosian Knight.

As the dropship took off and flew over the wrecks of the battlefield, KMA could see the small figures of the strike team scavenging something from the wreck, but he wasn’t sure why or what they were doing exactly. “How was it down there, before we arrived?,” KMA asked the woman sitting opposite of him.

He saw her shrink as she replied: “It was horrible and I’d rather not talk about it.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” KMA was silent for a moment and then said “You know, you did a great job out there, escorting those refugees to safety, and harassing the enemy on the ground while we closed the trap.”

“Thank you, we weren’t sure we would make it at all.”

“You know, me and some of the other knights have been talking, and for your bravery and resourcefulness, we’ve decided to invite you to the Squire Program.”

“The Squire Program, sir?”

“You see, normally, Orosian Knights are selected and trained from a young age, but sometimes, adults like you prove their ability in combat, and we invite them to be squires, to train to become Knights. What do you say?”

“What will happen to my family? What about my friends?”
“As soon as you finish the training, you’ll have the full privileges of the Knights. You’ll be able to communicate with your friends, and your family can be moved to your planet of choice.”

“Uhh, I guess I’ll accept then. Thank you for the opportunity, sir”
KMA looked down on her and nodded, as the dropship approached the fleet’s flagship.

Meeting room, OSS Bedevere, flagship of the 6th Wandering Knights Fleet

KMA looked around the room. Around the massive ashen table there were a number of holograms seated or standing, some obviously working on something while listening. At the moment, though, all were silent, having just finished watching the emperor’s speech. One of the knights opened her mouth, but then closed it again, speechless. The man sitting at the head of the table, Grand Master Berko Hepburn, spoke: “As you can see, our ‘great’ emperor still has his way with words.” Several people around the table snickered.

“So we move on with the plan then?” another of the knights asked.

“Unless the emperor is willing to change the Dominion’s policies on their treatment of aliens, which, as you all know, are quite common in Oros, I do not see why we would. All we have to do is prepare and make sure that the time is right. We’ll make sure old grandpa there on Earth doesn’t notice us too quickly. I think that’s it for today’s meeting, unless anyone has any questions?”

KMA spoke up: “Actually sir, I was on the planet of Omiea today, and…” before he was interrupted by Berko saying: “We’ll talk about this after the meeting is over.”

A few minutes later, KMA was alone again, with the exception of the hologram of Berko. "Sir, I was asking about the strike team?", he said.

"Ah, yes, well, as you know, the Strike Team Group, or STG, is an elite branch of the Orosian military, responsible for dangerous assault missions, as well as a number of other things, including the investigation of strange or anomalous activities." Berko paused for a bit, and then continued: "We suspected something of that nature to be present on Omiea, although we don't exactly know what. Unfortunately, I am unable to explain it, but I'll try to keep you updated as the situation develops. I will hopefully see you tomorrow at the next council meeting." With that, the hologram of Berko dissapeared, leaving KMA alone in the meeting room, with the feeling that there was a lot more to the story than he was told.

Shattered Stars - A Space Opera [Open for more players - Someone please join Karbana Kinnis... it's lonely there]

Union of Oros

The Union of Oros

Overview:

The Union of Oros is a nation of worlds and systems protected by a class of Knights that is part of the Dominion. Its Knight's Council preaches tolerance and peace among different species. It has a state-enforced class system that separates people into different classes based upon their abilities. Most of its planets are rurally organized. The Knights of Oros often keep to their own borders, but are not afraid to fight when the need arises.

Society and Government:

The Union of Oros is a stratocracy, with its government entirely made up of people that serve in Oros' military. In Oros, the only people allowed to occupy the highest government positions and actually rule planets are the Knights of Oros, with lower-ranked positions filled in by the common soldiers known as the Brave class. The highest governing body of Oros is the Knight's council, which is a council made up of the highest-ranking and most well-regarded Knights in Oros. The Council is headed by the Grand Master of the Order, although they more often serve the role of 'face' of the Union, rather than actually making any decisions on their own.

Planets are allowed to join the Union freely if they want to be put under the protection fo the Knights. Upon doing so, their own state and government are dissolved and they are incorporated by the union. A census is taken to determine who is put in which class, and their local government is replaced by a group of Knights and other military personnel, with a preference for new Orosians from the same planet.

Orosian society is stratified according to what is known as the 'pillar system', a class system made up of 'pillars' that support the Union. Although these are named pillars, they are more like layers in a pyramid, where the higher classes get more privileges than the lower ones. The pillar of an individual is partly based on a family and partly based on a meritocratic basis, which makes social movement difficult, but not impossible. The four pillars that make up this class system are:

-The Knights of Oros: Officially known as 'The Order of the Knights of Ogrion and Oros', the Knights are both the Union's stalwart defenders and its ruling class. Only the Knights have the right to rule, and as a result they are required to not just be skilled in combat, but also good at administration and actually ruling a system. The Knights often live in fortresses built on or stations orbiting planets they rule, but many usually try to at least keep in contact with the rest of the system to be able to do their jobs better, and to not forget who and what they are fighting for.

-The Brave: The Brave are the common military of the Union. Unlike the Knights, which are trained from a very early age to fight for Oros and to lead it, the men and women of the Brave class join up voluntarily. This class has special privileges over the lower classes, such as the right to occupy lower government positions, as well as access to higher-quality housing and other benefits. Only once their actual military career (Which can take up to 10-20 years) is over are they allowed these benefits. Unlike the other classes, people are free to join, and due to the benefits, as well as the desire to help protect their families many join up, resulting in a large amount of available manpower for the Union's military.

-The Wise: The Wise are those with specialized training and education, who do many of the specialized work Oros needs. These are the scientists, doctors and engineers, and more, responsible for pushing the boundaries of science and technology, and maintaining many of the more advanced machines and weapons of Oros. Children that are identified at a young age to have great mental abilities are sent away to special educational programs that are different from the education the other classes receive in order to achieve their full potential.

-The Charges: The Charges are the lowest class in Orosian society. As the name suggests, the Charges are those placed under the protection of the Union. Their protection was the reason the Knights even started the Union in the first place. While they may seem unimportant, the Charges provide the foundation for the rest of Union society. It is them who farm the crops, build the universities and produce the ships and military gear the other classes need to function properly. It is also the largest class in Oros. Many of them prefer peaceful, settled lives which is why they came to (or were born into) the Union in the first place.

Overall, Orosian planets, especially the ones colonized by the Union, are rurally organized. The workers, belonging to the Charges class, live in small, spread-out towns and farmsteads that work the land around them, producing food, goods and mining ores and minerals. These towns are connected by large train networks and other infrastructure to ship the produced goods to where it is needed. Areas with larger population densities and cities are rare, but not nonexistent, as they are often clustered around places where specialized jobs are done, but even these are dispersed, and are for the majority occupied by members of the Wise class. This kind of rural organization is not mandatory however, and many planets, especially the ones that have been brought into the fold voluntarily, have their own unique ways of life.

Towards other nations, the Union of Oros usually maintains a peaceful attitude and sticks to its own borders, often trying to expand peacefully through recruitment and colonization. However, the Order of the Knights is always ready to defend its own principles, even going to war if necessary. If other powers commit atrocities, oppress alien species, or threaten galactic peace and order, the Orosians will fight. Oros begrudgingly supplies troops and resources to the Dominion, if only to keep up the farce of obedience while it's slowly working to break away.

Orosian Beliefs:

While the beliefs of the people of Oros greatly vary with the class they are in, there are a few universal beliefs spread throughout the Union.

One of these is the right to a peaceful life. The Orosians, and especially the Knight class, believe that every sentient being has a right to a peaceful and fulfilling life. It is why they fiercely defend the innocent inside the Union's borders, and why the stratified class system is carefully maintained.

Another important Orosian belief is that all species, whether human, alien or robotic, are equal. In contrast to the Dominion, aliens in Oros have the same rights as everyone else, and xenophobia is frowned upon. There is little to no distintion based on gender, racial or other lines either, with the only form of 'true', systemic discrimination being the Orosian class system.

Demographics:

-75% Human (Including human subspecies)

-7% Phuprae: The Phuprae are an insect-like species of alien. The Phuprae have evolved to walk on their two pairs of hind legs, using a pair of front legs that have gained claws for manipulation and the use of tools. Phupra adults range from 2-2.5 meters in length, being larger than most humans. The Phuprae are a nomadic species, living aboard massive ships that contain everything they need to survive in space. Because of this, they make excellent traders, often crossing Orosian borders to trade with other societies.

-3% Truqiks: The Truqiks are a small, mouse-like species of alien. Truqiks stand at around 0.6 meters tall. Evolving on a cold, tundra-like planet, the Truqiks are covered in fur and excellent burrowers. Truqik engineers are highly prized in the Union, and their small size, burrowing abilities and improvisation skills make them good scouts. Many Truqiks are part of the Wise and Brave classes, with some even able to make it to Knight, although their small size means they need to use modified power armour and mech suits.

-10% Other aliens: Beyond the two main alien species given here, there are a number of other species present in Oros, whether they were living on planets before the Dominion arrived or refugees that fled to Oros from other nations.

-5% Synthetics: Through science and technology, Orosian scientists have managed to create synthetic, sapient machines. The appearance of these 'synthetics', as they are called, varies greatly, depending on where they were made and by whom. While these Synthetics are often as smart, if not smarter than baseline humans, they are not ASI, and their intelligence doesn't surpass that of the brighest human minds.

Technology:

-Because Oros is technically part of the Dominion, and it was founded by Dominion soldiers, it uses many of the same technologies as the Dominion, as well as attempting to reverse-engineer and use other technology it can get its hands on.

-Gravity manipulation: Adopted from the Phupra, Orosian gravity manipulation tech allows for the generation and inversion of localized gravity fields. This means that a limited amount of mass can experience increased gravity or no gravity at all. Applications of this technology include tractor beams for space mining, artificial gravity generation on ships and more efficient industry, among other things.

-Rowntree Brain-Computer interfaces (BCI): Invented independently by the Orosian scientist named Kiara Rowntree several centuries after the establishment of the Union, Rowntree BCI tech provides a quick and efficient way for the human (or alien) brain to communicate with external devices. R-BCI has relatively limited uses in Oros, as it is a technology closely guarded by the Knight class. Such applications include Knight power armor and mechs. The only lower-class use of the technology allowed by the Knights is cybernetics, such as a prosthetic arm.

-Robotics (and Synthetics): Orosian robots were originally built to solve a crucial problem from the early history of Oros: How do you survive on and settle a world where everything wants to kill you? The Knights with their power armour and mechs could only get so far in protecting the settlements of the early colonists. Early Orosian scientists turned to robots for the answer, as those could do the labour outside, when it was dangerous. Only when those same robots slowly terraformed Ogrion into a more habitable planet could the colonists settle properly. The robots were improved and used for resource production. At some point, hundreds of years after they were first built, some of these robots were made to be sentient, creating the first Orosian Synthetics.

-Mech Technology: Much like other space-faring civilizations, Oros would eventually invent mechs. In particular, however, it actually took the mechs from the first Knights and improved, refined and transformed into the Knight mechs of today. These are the pinnacle of Orosian technology, combining all previously mentioned technology into a fearsome machine of war.

History:

The Union of Oros started with the colonization of the planet of Ogrion by the Dominion. Ogrion was a hostile, inhospitable world, crawling with dangerous beasts and filled with deadly plants. Soon, it was determined that in order for the colonization process to work, a division's worth of some of the most well-trained mechanized infantry the Dominion could muster would be sent to Ogrion. There, they remained for some time, as the original colonists of Ogrion got to work. Robots were soon built to develop the colony and terraform the planet.

Over the span of many years, technology improved, and the first Knight mechs were built. Slowly, as the planet Ogrion was tamed and modified to the needs of its inhabitants, the class system began to form, as the original military of Ogrion became the Knights, and the settlers were each put into whatever jobs they did best. As the Dominion's hold over its outer worlds started to wane, the Knights of Ogrion asserted their authority of their system, and became the Knights of Oros.

For some time, Oros prospered alone, under the rule of the Dominion. This started to change when the Knights got word that other systems and planets, some with alien species, needed their help. Slowly, a number of worlds started to coalesce into what is now known as the Union of Oros. Nowadays, Oros is still technically part of the Dominion. Its diplomats follow its customs and it sends men and material to the Inner Dominion in order to fly under the radar. But for how long this will last, no one can tell...

Shattered Stars - A Space Opera [Open for more players - Someone please join Karbana Kinnis... it's lonely there]

Done, but needs approval

Union of Oros

The Union of Oros

Overview:

The Union of Oros is a nation of worlds and systems protected by a class of Knights that is part of the Dominion. Its Knight's Council preaches tolerance and peace among different species. It has a state-enforced class system that separates people into different classes based upon their abilities. Most of its planets are rurally organized. The Knights of Oros often keep to their own borders, but are not afraid to fight when the need arises.

Society and Government:

The Union of Oros is a stratocracy, with its government entirely made up of people that serve in Oros' military. In Oros, the only people allowed to occupy the highest government positions and actually rule planets are the Knights of Oros, with lower-ranked positions filled in by the common soldiers known as the Brave class. The highest governing body of Oros is the Knight's council, which is a council made up of the highest-ranking and most well-regarded Knights in Oros. The Council is headed by the Grand Master of the Order, although they more often serve the role of 'face' of the Union, rather than actually making any decisions on their own.

Planets are allowed to join the Union freely if they want to be put under the protection fo the Knights. Upon doing so, their own state and government are dissolved and they are incorporated by the union. A census is taken to determine who is put in which class, and their local government is replaced by a group of Knights and other military personnel, with a preference for new Orosians from the same planet.

Orosian society is stratified according to what is known as the 'pillar system', a class system made up of 'pillars' that support the Union. Although these are named pillars, they are more like layers in a pyramid, where the higher classes get more privileges than the lower ones. The pillar of an individual is partly based on a family and partly based on a meritocratic basis, which makes social movement difficult, but not impossible. The four pillars that make up this class system are:

-The Knights of Oros: Officially known as 'The Order of the Knights of Ogrion and Oros', the Knights are both the Union's stalwart defenders and its ruling class. Only the Knights have the right to rule, and as a result they are required to not just be skilled in combat, but also good at administration and actually ruling a system. The Knights often live in fortresses built on or stations orbiting planets they rule, but many usually try to at least keep in contact with the rest of the system to be able to do their jobs better, and to not forget who and what they are fighting for.

-The Brave: The Brave are the common military of the Union. Unlike the Knights, which are trained from a very early age to fight for Oros and to lead it, the men and women of the Brave class join up voluntarily. This class has special privileges over the lower classes, such as the right to occupy lower government positions, as well as access to higher-quality housing and other benefits. Only once their actual military career (Which can take up to 10-20 years) is over are they allowed these benefits. Unlike the other classes, people are free to join, and due to the benefits, as well as the desire to help protect their families many join up, resulting in a large amount of available manpower for the Union's military.

-The Wise: The Wise are those with specialized training and education, who do many of the specialized work Oros needs. These are the scientists, doctors and engineers, and more, responsible for pushing the boundaries of science and technology, and maintaining many of the more advanced machines and weapons of Oros. Children that are identified at a young age to have great mental abilities are sent away to special educational programs that are different from the education the other classes receive in order to achieve their full potential.

-The Charges: The Charges are the lowest class in Orosian society. As the name suggests, the Charges are those placed under the protection of the Union. Their protection was the reason the Knights even started the Union in the first place. While they may seem unimportant, the Charges provide the foundation for the rest of Union society. It is them who farm the crops, build the universities and produce the ships and military gear the other classes need to function properly. It is also the largest class in Oros. Many of them prefer peaceful, settled lives which is why they came to (or were born into) the Union in the first place.

Overall, Orosian planets, especially the ones colonized by the Union, are rurally organized. The workers, belonging to the Charges class, live in small, spread-out towns and farmsteads that work the land around them, producing food, goods and mining ores and minerals. These towns are connected by large train networks and other infrastructure to ship the produced goods to where it is needed. Areas with larger population densities and cities are rare, but not nonexistent, as they are often clustered around places where specialized jobs are done, but even these are dispersed, and are for the majority occupied by members of the Wise class. This kind of rural organization is not mandatory however, and many planets, especially the ones that have been brought into the fold voluntarily, have their own unique ways of life.

Towards other nations, the Union of Oros usually maintains a peaceful attitude and sticks to its own borders, often trying to expand peacefully through recruitment and colonization. However, the Order of the Knights is always ready to defend its own principles, even going to war if necessary. If other powers commit atrocities, oppress alien species, or threaten galactic peace and order, the Orosians will fight. Oros begrudgingly supplies troops and resources to the Dominion, if only to keep up the farce of obedience while it's slowly working to break away.

Orosian Beliefs:

While the beliefs of the people of Oros greatly vary with the class they are in, there are a few universal beliefs spread throughout the Union.

One of these is the right to a peaceful life. The Orosians, and especially the Knight class, believe that every sentient being has a right to a peaceful and fulfilling life. It is why they fiercely defend the innocent inside the Union's borders, and why the stratified class system is carefully maintained.

Another important Orosian belief is that all species, whether human, alien or robotic, are equal. In contrast to the Dominion, aliens in Oros have the same rights as everyone else, and xenophobia is frowned upon. There is little to no distintion based on gender, racial or other lines either, with the only form of 'true', systemic discrimination being the Orosian class system.

Demographics:

-75% Human (Including human subspecies)

-7% Phuprae: The Phuprae are an insect-like species of alien. The Phuprae have evolved to walk on their two pairs of hind legs, using a pair of front legs that have gained claws for manipulation and the use of tools. Phupra adults range from 2-2.5 meters in length, being larger than most humans. The Phuprae are a nomadic species, living aboard massive ships that contain everything they need to survive in space. Because of this, they make excellent traders, often crossing Orosian borders to trade with other societies.

-3% Truqiks: The Truqiks are a small, mouse-like species of alien. Truqiks stand at around 0.6 meters tall. Evolving on a cold, tundra-like planet, the Truqiks are covered in fur and excellent burrowers. Truqik engineers are highly prized in the Union, and their small size, burrowing abilities and improvisation skills make them good scouts. Many Truqiks are part of the Wise and Brave classes, with some even able to make it to Knight, although their small size means they need to use modified power armour and mech suits.

-10% Other aliens: Beyond the two main alien species given here, there are a number of other species present in Oros, whether they were living on planets before the Dominion arrived or refugees that fled to Oros from other nations.

-5% Synthetics: Through science and technology, Orosian scientists have managed to create synthetic, sapient machines. The appearance of these 'synthetics', as they are called, varies greatly, depending on where they were made and by whom. While these Synthetics are often as smart, if not smarter than baseline humans, they are not ASI, and their intelligence doesn't surpass that of the brighest human minds.

Technology:

-Because Oros is technically part of the Dominion, and it was founded by Dominion soldiers, it uses many of the same technologies as the Dominion, as well as attempting to reverse-engineer and use other technology it can get its hands on.

-Gravity manipulation: Adopted from the Phupra, Orosian gravity manipulation tech allows for the generation and inversion of localized gravity fields. This means that a limited amount of mass can experience increased gravity or no gravity at all. Applications of this technology include tractor beams for space mining, artificial gravity generation on ships and more efficient industry, among other things.

-Rowntree Brain-Computer interfaces (BCI): Invented independently by the Orosian scientist named Kiara Rowntree several centuries after the establishment of the Union, Rowntree BCI tech provides a quick and efficient way for the human (or alien) brain to communicate with external devices. R-BCI has relatively limited uses in Oros, as it is a technology closely guarded by the Knight class. Such applications include Knight power armor and mechs. The only lower-class use of the technology allowed by the Knights is cybernetics, such as a prosthetic arm.

-Robotics (and Synthetics): Orosian robots were originally built to solve a crucial problem from the early history of Oros: How do you survive on and settle a world where everything wants to kill you? The Knights with their power armour and mechs could only get so far in protecting the settlements of the early colonists. Early Orosian scientists turned to robots for the answer, as those could do the labour outside, when it was dangerous. Only when those same robots slowly terraformed Ogrion into a more habitable planet could the colonists settle properly. The robots were improved and used for resource production. At some point, hundreds of years after they were first built, some of these robots were made to be sentient, creating the first Orosian Synthetics.

-Mech Technology: Much like other space-faring civilizations, Oros would eventually invent mechs. In particular, however, it actually took the mechs from the first Knights and improved, refined and transformed into the Knight mechs of today. These are the pinnacle of Orosian technology, combining all previously mentioned technology into a fearsome machine of war.

History:

The Union of Oros started with the colonization of the planet of Ogrion by the Dominion. Ogrion was a hostile, inhospitable world, crawling with dangerous beasts and filled with deadly plants. Soon, it was determined that in order for the colonization process to work, a division's worth of some of the most well-trained mechanized infantry the Dominion could muster would be sent to Ogrion. There, they remained for some time, as the original colonists of Ogrion got to work. Robots were soon built to develop the colony and terraform the planet.

Over the span of many years, technology improved, and the first Knight mechs were built. Slowly, as the planet Ogrion was tamed and modified to the needs of its inhabitants, the class system began to form, as the original military of Ogrion became the Knights, and the settlers were each put into whatever jobs they did best. As the Dominion's hold over its outer worlds started to wane, the Knights of Ogrion asserted their authority of their system, and became the Knights of Oros.

For some time, Oros prospered alone, under the rule of the Dominion. This started to change when the Knights got word that other systems and planets, some with alien species, needed their help. Slowly, a number of worlds started to coalesce into what is now known as the Union of Oros. Nowadays, Oros is still technically part of the Dominion. Its diplomats follow its customs and it sends men and material to the Inner Dominion in order to fly under the radar. But for how long this will last, no one can tell...

Eden(Small-scale Space NRP)

Here's my WIP nation:

Darkhan Khaganate

Government Type/Leadership:

The Darkhan Khaganate is an elective monarchy, much like the old Mongol Empire was. Led by its Khagan, currently a human man named Altanbaatar Khan. If the Khagan or Khatun (the female version of a Khagan) happens to pass away, the new Khagan is chosen by the people of the Darkhan Khaganate rather than by Kurultai, like in the ancient Mongol Empire. This effectively means that there's a form of democracy, even though it only happens whenever the old Khagan/Khatun dies, rather than every X number of years. The Kurultai has evolved to become an advisory council to the Khagan or Khatun. It is made up of powerful individuals, hand-picked by the Khagan or Khatun themselves to give advice as well as to help run the Khaganate.

The administrative hierarchy of the Khaganate consists of three separate layers, and is very similar to the steppe empires of old. The first and topmost layer consists of the Khagan or Khatun and their court. These determine the central policy of the Khaganate, control its military and represent the Khaganate. The second layer consists of the six Imperial Governors, one for each system under Khaganate control, who have been appointed by the Khagan (or Khatun) to oversee the third layer. The third layer is far larger than any of the other two, as it consists of local leaders of planets, stations, individual nations or even small tribes (in case of the less populated worlds) of people. The power of these local leaders is derived from the support of their people.

Demographics

The Khaganate, throughout its long existence, has slowly expanded to six very different worlds, Darkhan included, where it encountered many varied forms of life. This is a record of a recent Khaganate census detailing the composition of the Khaganate population:

42% Humans
Humans make up the majority of the Khaganate's population, although still less than 50%. The humans of the Khaganate first arrived into the Darkhan system by Arc, and spread to the six planets that the Khaganate consists of through colonization and conquest. Designated by the binomen Homo Sapiens, the humans of the Darkhan Khaganate are not much different from the baseline humans found in other nations. Unlike some other nations, the word 'Human' in the Khaganate designates both humans with or without augmentations (think genetic, bionics and other).

13% Qercu
The Qercu were first encountered by the Khaganate in the Orda system.

10% Arionar
The Arionar hail from the planet of Arion in the Anteus system. Arion is a world much like Old Earth was back in the 21st century, with many different nations, as well as about the same technology level. The Arionar themselves look like small, four-armed humanoids, with very broad faces and mouse-like eyes. The Arionar, even though it varies per individual, are generally very independent and self-reliant. This is possibly because Arion is the newest planet to be added to the Khaganate, only being added to the fold just before the Eden Accord was signed. Arion is only nominally part of the Khaganate, as local leaders hold great power over the Arionar nations, and resistance groups sometimes actively rebel against Khaganate rule.

6% Robots

9% Emphuth

5% Uzaks
The Uzaks are the aliens that the Khaganate encountered first on the planet of

15% Other species
Beyond the few listed here, the Khaganate is also home to a dazzling variety of other sentient life. Many of these groups are too small to be represented properly in the Khaganate as a whole, but they are there nonetheless. Many of these aliens got into the Khaganate through immigration. However, some lived on planets the Khaganate conquered and colonized. One species in particular, the Laidaite, silicon-based lifeforms that live in asteroid belts, were simply content with letting the Khaganate come into their system.

Economy

Military

The Khaganate military organization is primarily based on the decimal system of the old Mongol Empire. Ten 'units', whether they are simple infantrymen or tanks, are organized into squads of ten, known as an arban. Such an arban is then led by someone who's chosen by the rest to lead them. Ten of these squads then form a company, called a zagun. Just like with the arban, the leader of the zagun is chosen by the zagun. Ten of these companies then form a batallion, or a mingan, made up of a thousand. Ten batallions then make up one tumen, an army of ten thousand. Ten tumens combine to form a talbar. These talbars, made up of a hundred thousand troops, are then commanded by

History

When the people that would later make up the Darkhan Khaganate came to the cluster they came in the Arc Khövögch avdar. This arc was populated mostly by peoples from the Eurasian steppes, stretching from the east of Hungary all the way to Manchuria in China. When this Arc arrived in the cluster, they found a nearly utopian planet. The Arc's people however, decided that this was not to be their new home, and moved on, letting their AI decide where to go next. Whether through sheer dumb luck or something else, the Arc's people found what they were looking for.

A verdant green world, with steppes and plains as far as the eye can see. This world, which they named

Characters

None yet

Eden(Small-scale Space NRP)

@SigmaAlright, it'll probably take some time for me to work on a CS due to exams and all that, but I'm in!

Eden(Small-scale Space NRP)

Is there still room? I'm interested in joining but I have exams soon and I'm a bit rusty

jorcool's stash

Race Name: Autonomous Industrial Robots (AIR)

Nation Name: Khucht Khanate

Traits: Robotic, Tough, Reproductive, Mean, Industrial

Stats:
str: 4(+3)=8
int: -6(+6)=0
dip: -5(-5)=-10
rep: 3(+7)=10
hea: 4(+4)=8
wor: 6(+10)=16

History/Background: The Autonomous Industrial Robots were first developed and built by the Khucht Khanate for industrial purposes. They are all controlled by a central super-AI core situated on the south pole of Shoroo. Almost the entire population of Uildver is made up of the AIR, as they can handle the dangerous environment, high temperatures and toxic atmosphere, as well as do the work faster and more efficiently than any Khun can.

Appearance: