Keyguyperson — Roleplayer Guild

Faction Name:
Hoshijin Empire, Eight World's Empire (Archaic), Hoshijin Teikoku (Endonym), Stellar Kingdom (Archaic/Poetic)

Faction Type:
Feudal Empire

Species:
-Hoshijin: A humanoid species explicitly described as "Space Elves" in their first contact with humanity, they originate from a super Earth orbiting a mid-sequence star. On the outside, there are few differences from them and humans. Their ears are elf-like, and their hair takes on a wider range of colors, but besides that there is little obviously alien about them. What cannot be seen, however, is their immense strength. Having come from such a high gravity world, even their seemingly fragile appearance hides extremely dense muscles that allow them to function easily on even high-gravity planets. In essence, the Hoshijin are heavyworlders, making them a formidable foe in hand-to-hand combat. It is also notably rare to see an Hoshijin appearing overweight as a human would know it, as their metabolism is extremely high as a result of their planet's conditions.

-Cathleans: Human genetic creations that are only differentiated from humans using a few obvious physical differences, the most common of which are unusual ears and unnatural skin colors. Most are in some capacity cyborgs, being enhanced in order to perform jobs for the original human colonists and later the Hoshijin. This gives individuals wildly differing abilities, making it hard to pin down any one thing they can reliably do better than any other species. Their name simply comes from the world on which they appeared on during the initial colonization, as their existence is thought to predate the launches of the original ships.

-Aaradethvai: Blue-skinned, tall humanoids with large, feathery wings descended from primitive avians. Body feathers have long since been naturally cast away through evolution, but most individuals have feathers on their heads much like humans have hair. Despite their avian heritage, the Aradethvai have few glaring differences from humans aside from internal organs-even sharing live birth with them rather than having eggs like a human might expect. They are notable for having no bone marrow of any kind, instead producing new blood cells from a single specialized organ within their torso.

-Uchinaans: Grey-skinned aquatic mammals originating from Uchinaa that are capable of echolocation and of fairly equal intelligence to the Hoshijin. They are notable for having two pairs of arms (two arms near their face and two near their tail) that allow them to manipulate the environment around them as humanoids do. Over millions of years of evolution, they have developed a more robust internal structure that allows them to survive on land without their organs being crushed by their own weight (as would happen with dolphins on Earth). As a result, they actually managed to build a rudimentary civilization before the arrival of the Hoshijin by using resources from land to construct artificial shelters and even clothing for use underwater. They are considered a subject species of the Hoshijin Empire, but are free from Imperial law due to their massively different cultural norms. The three degrees of freedom provided in their natural habitat and their long history of fighting themselves and other animals within it, however, present the possibility of the introduction of unique views on space combat. As a result, the Empire has stated that they can be granted the title of Honorary Hoshijin as well as flag officer commissions should any individual integrate well enough. War games conducted by Daimyō Kipposhi resulted in the victory of a small force commanded by an Uchinaan Ensign (the rank of which was granted ceremonially, for obvious reasons) against a more powerful force led by Daimyō Kipposhi himself. Their endonym is unpronounceable by all other Imperial species, and can best be described as a whistle sandwiched in-between two clicks.

-Humans: Descended from early colonization efforts using STL vessels, resulting in fairly "young" civilizations springing up well after the collapse of the original human nation.

Scale & Territory:
The Hoshijin Empire isn't the largest nation in the stars, but is certainly not lacking in size. It lays solid claim to a healthy five star systems, two of which contain homeworlds (the Hoshijin and Aaradethvai homeworlds). The majority of those five systems have asteroid belts, which has given the Hoshijin nobles plenty of opportunities to feud over celestial bodies and keep their disagreements off of the homeworld. Only one of those five systems, however, has been colonized by the Hoshijin themselves rather than conquered. The expansion of the Hoshijin presence there is still in progress, as it was colonized with the goal of giving the Hoshijin more room to expand their own species in order to prevent the conquered races from taking up arms against them.

Important worlds:
Shōrino'ba: Homeworld of the Hoshijin, a super-Earth planet with about three times the gravitational pull of Earth and an escape velocity that makes it surprising that the Hoshijin even bothered to become spacefaring. It has extremely deep oceans that reach depths of sixteen kilometers, and eight continents separated by said oceans. It is these continents that give the Hoshijin Empire the archaic name of the "Eight World's Empire". This planet is, obviously, the seat of the Empire's power and heavily populated. Massive megacities dot its surface, and in recent years its devastated environment has been making a comeback due to the movement of industry to the subject worlds. Interestingly, artifacts that are clearly Hoshijin are found on all eight continents around the same time, suggesting an ancient origin of Hoshijin civilization before the breakup of the supercontinent.

Aaradeth: Homeworld of the Aaradethvai, it is a significantly smaller planet than Shōrino'ba or even Earth. Plant life grows tall on Aaradeth, and its leave come in countless different colors-including black-due to the red dwarf it orbits. As the world is tidally locked most inhabitants live in a thin strip of temperate land in a constant state of twilight near the "Solar equator". However, many natives can be found well outside this area in the Solward and Antisol lands on opposite sides of the planet. Most Imperial industry is actually kept on the frozen Antisol half, where the unusually powerful geothermal energy is harnessed to power factories kept well away from any terrorists who might attempt to undermine Hoshijin efforts. Aaradeth is often held high as an example of the success of Imperial rule, as its citizens live a fairly good life even in the industrial areas thanks to the planet's industry and power grid being entirely green. Aaradethvai are also eligible to become Honorary Hoshijin, as a result of the favor given to them by the Empire.

Cathlea: A human colony world, Cathlea is curiously the only planet on which Cathleans-the human geenetically modified servants-appeared during the initial colonization. It, like Aaradeth, is tidally locked with a thin strip of temparate land in the solar equator. However, a large ocean splits the entire strip in two and Cathleans only originally landed on one side. The constant wind from the Solward to the Antisol side of the planet caused the two to be largely separated until the reappearence of industrialized naval transport. It continues to be a heavily divided world, with the Antisol side of the strip being heavily industrialized while the Solward side is largely covered in farms that make use of Cathleans for most of their labor. Due to the loss of most of their original technology in the catastrophic landing of the twin ships that colonized the planet, the Antisol side is heavily polluted from the fossil fuel burning industry that the Hoshijin Empire chose to expand rather than replace.

Naharaim: Naharaim is a desert planet with a few oases around which most cities grew, with most of the water being shipped to towns and cities from the poles. During the initial human colonization, however, it was a lush jungle world. From what historians can piece together through myth, the original colonists retained their knowledge of technology from before their ship's launch and built a thriving society on Naharaim before burning it to the ground in nuclear war. The native inhabitants simply incorporated a similar apocalypse into their mythology, stating that the gods interfered in a war among men and their immense power resulted in the destruction of the paradise that Naharaim once was. Much like Aaradeth, the planet's desert is used to great effect through solar power generation with allows completely green industry. Despite this, the Empire regularly drills for the abundant fossil fuels on the planet to drive the industry of other human settlements that already had existing industry. As a result, the highly religious populace often openly speaks out against the government for "raping their planet".

Rodina/Zǔguó: The most populous of the human colonies, Rodina (or, in the other dominant language of the planet, Zǔguó) is often described by the Hoshijin as a "useful mess". It's immense population is often exploited for cheap labor on other planets and cannon fodder in the military. The original colonists of this planet, like those on Cathlea, lost most of their scientific knowledge. Their immense population stifled industrialization (there's no point in a machine that can do the work of ten men if you have ten thousand), resulting in it being one of the least industrialized planets in the Empire. The Hoshijin prefer it that way, as it provides them with vast agricultural outputs with which to feed the capital world. Some local lords, however, are attempting to harness its manpower for industry and are willing to pick fights with the royal family itself to do so.

Nova Terra: Nova Terra is despised by the humans and loved by the Hoshijin, as it is the only subject world that willingly entered the empire without any bloodshed and troops from it volunteered to subjugate the other human colonies. It is the most earth-like planet in the Empire, having a similar gravity and ecosystem. It's inhabitants are the only ones that fully retained their pre-launch computer archives and cultural identity, and explicitly identify themselves as French (though their language and culture has obviously mutated significantly over the years spent on the generation ship and on Nova Terra itself). They are the oldest human colony integrated by the Empire, and as a result actually had spacefaring capability and a fairly solid colonial exploitation of their asteroid field when the Hoshijin arrived. Lacking any weapons-a homogeneous civilization that doesn't expect sapient alien life doesn't need a military-they saw clearly that the Hoshijin demand of surrender wasn't worth fighting. In return for their bloodless and simple surrender, the Hoshijin have granted Nova Terra privileges that most human colonies do not have. Franks (as they call themselves thanks to slight linguistic drift) are eligible to become Honorary Hoshijin just as the Aaradethvai are. Their world is provided with fully non-polluting industry and given a high priority on civilian product imports. Franks also make up the highest percentage of non-Hoshijin military officers.

Uchinaa: Uchinaa is the only Imperial planet colonized by the Hoshijin rather than being conquered, and is more or less a replacement for the countryside that used to be common on the homeworld. It is a super-Earth like Shōrino'ba, but is mostly ocean (and what isn't is oddly low-density). This causes it to have a gravitational pull closer to that of Aaradethvai, making it a relaxing paradise for the Hoshijin. Only Hoshijin and Honorary Hoshijin are permitted to live on Uchinaa, though the emerging "middle class" of merchants that contain quite a few non-Hoshijin are known to visit the planet on vacations. It is the homeworld of the Uchinaan aquatics, which are welcoming towards the Hoshijin mainly because they pose no threat to their own "lands". The combination of an almost planet-wide tropical paradise, welcoming natives with an exotic culture, and government incentives for starting a family on the planet makes Uchinaa a fast-growing colony world popular with those working well-paying administrative/intellectual jobs and tourists alike.

Culture:
The Hoshijin are, obviously, the dominant species and culture in the Empire. Their society is feudal (progressively feudal, if you ask them), but allows families to move up and down in status depending on their respective successes and failures. For those without titles, there is even a path to nobility-though one that requires you to be exceptional in a dozen ways and lucky enough to not die while in military service. Commoners often hold significant power though economic ventures, and the interstellar merchant class is doing what it's terrestrial equivalent couldn't do and establishing itself as almost equal to the noble houses. Though nobles are not forced to serve, it is dishonorable to forgo military service and the fact that being a noble comes with an automatic officer's commission (the actual rank of which is based upon displayed ability before commissioning) leads almost all nobles to enter one of the military branches. Most, however, are also heavily involved in trading and industry.

The Imperial economy is in a period of transition from the "Peasants and serfs" system to a system closer to what we know of as capitalism. Merchants are rapidly gaining economic power with the advent of interstellar trade, and "peasant" now refers to anyone who isn't a noble and doesn't own an economic venture rather than essentially just a slave. Local Daimyō often take an active role on their fief's economy, but the Imperial government itself has no power over any economic matters beyond the vague and easily bypassed decree that a worker must be paid a wage on which they can live.

The Hoshijin value honor more than anything, especially the nobles. A strict honor code exists for everyone, with major influence from Hoshijin mythology. The Noble Honor Code is especially strict, and being a noble is considered more of a responsibility than a privilege. It is believed that if you follow your caste's honor code, then you will be rewarded in your current or next life. A famous legend tells the tale of a Noble who starved to death in order to feed a large group of travelers. His family is said to have become one of the twenty-seven houses with a claim on the throne, with the gods themselves choosing to give it good fortune in respect of his sacrifice. Nobles generally make a serious effort to follow this code, though the increasing social changes in Hoshijin culture have led the less devout nobles to view the honor codes as nothing more than a societal convention set in place by a false religion. Such "atheist" movements have so far been relatively harmless, however, as members of them generally take on a position of being good enough to not need a religion or honor code to guide their actions. The (highly abundant) opposition, of course, argues that the honor codes are necessary even if the Hoshijin religion is false.

Another major part of the honor code is honor in battle. If two generals made a deal to use specific tactics in a battle so as to make it fair, and one of them used other tactics to counter the methods agreed upon, it would not give the other general an excuse to break his end of the deal. Even if his entire army was annihilated, stepping down to the level of the enemy general would be considered unforgivably dishonorable. On the other hand, if the general honored in deal despite of the enemy's actions, he would be rewarded for it in his next life. The reward of honorable actions in the next life is obviously a major part of Hoshijin culture, and was formerly used to keep a strict caste system from falling apart. With the advent of individuals becoming (technically) mobile in the system, its practical usage began to fade and it simply became another part of Hoshijin culture.

The Hoshijin have always considered melee weapons to be a truer show of strength than ranged weapons. Tournaments of dismounted melee combat have been comment throughout Hoshijin history, and even today every member of the military carries a weapon similar to the human katana for ceremonial (and in some cases, actual combat) purposes. Many of the major houses keep ancient weapons preserved through nanorobotic restorations, an extremely expensive process. These weapons are always extremely important to the family, usually being a part of a famous battle or made by a legendary weapon smith who had long since passed away.

Hoshijin religion was unified over a slow process of integration and conversion brought about by the globalization of society, and is only unified now because of intense civilian and government efforts to create a "true" religion rather than do away with it entirely as can be seen during the globalization period of the human world of Nova Terra. It is a polytheistic religion, owing to its origins as a pseudo-fusion of all other Hoshijin religions. There are seven deities, with multiple demigods and mortal servants also factoring in throughout legend.
-Amatsu, god of war.
-Hama, goddess of the sea and sacrifice, sometimes associated with the Uchinaans due to the fact that the mythical creature it is said she took the form of when conversing with mortals bears a resemblance to them.
-Wakahiru, goddess of knowledge and learning.
-Depha, Goddess of luck and community.
-Hoshi, Patron Goddess of the Hoshijin, believed to have created the Hoshijin with her own body. Some say it is this act that gave the Hoshijin their name, while others believe that the name (which essentially means "Star-Kin") refers to the various legends that state that the Hoshijin originated in space and were brought to their homeworld-a common belief despite not quite matching up with the myth of Hoshi.
-Urani, Goddess of Curiosity, also believed to be the conduit between the Gods and the Mortals since all prayers are directed towards her. She is sometimes called "The One Who Watches", as it is believed that she will never interfere with Mortal affairs.
-Draka, Goddess of Evil, seen as the enemy of all other gods but Urani (who never interferes).

Finally, there is the so-called "God of Gods", Dagon. His name is given to the largest gas giant planet in the Hoshijin's home system. He is believed to be fair and kind to all things, punishing everyone (including himself) equally. However, it is said that in the past he tried to kill Wakahiru and Amatsu, Wakahiru dozens of times, but Amatsu only once. During his fights with Wakahiru, he is believed to have almost killed Hama, his sister. He never forgave himself for this, and it is said that even now he will bow in humility and ask for forgiveness when meeting another being, even if that being is a mortal. This legend gave rise to the Hoshijin custom of "True Kindness". To follow his example, Hoshijin bow to all that they meet-be they friend or foe-in respect of Dagon.

Hama is revered as much as Dagon, as she is believed to have sacrificed herself to save the Hoshijin. It is said that after her sacrifice, Dagon desperately tried to save her, putting her essence into an iron body that could not rust. Many Hoshijin sailors will swear that they have seen her while at sea, her mechanical body playfully leaping out of the water as if to say hello. These stories, much like those of the terran mermaid, have spawned numerous different interpretations-fictional and actual speculation-based upon what those sailors have actually seen and whether or not it is Hama herself.

In the legends, Wakahiru is said to be the older sister of Dagon and Amatsu, looking out for them until one day Ningen became fearful of Wakahiru's far superior intellect and tried to kill her. Wakahiru took Amatsu and fled the land of the gods, refusing to harm her beloved brother, but left behind a small part of her essence, hoping it could one day save Dagon. While Wakahiru hid from her brother in another world, Dagon tried to destroy the essence she left behind in a battle that lasted thousands of years. However, as Dagon tried to destroy the essence, another part of him still fed it. Whenever the essence of his sister was almost gone, Dagon would find that it would suddenly grow larger than ever before. Finally, he tried to destroy it using a device of his own creation that "Shook the ground as an earthquake and released into the air a plume of smoke like that of an ori tree". He utterly failed at this, as moments after he tried to destroy it, it grew to it's largest, and something changed in Dagon. He became regretful of his attempts to kill his brother, and accepted the essence into himself, becoming the God of Hope. He found Wakahiru and Amatsu, but at first did not recognize his brother. When he discovered Wakahiru and Amatsu's true identity, a joyful reunion took place as the three became a family once more. After his reunion with his siblings, Dagon focused all the energy that was once focused on killing Wakahiru on battling the evil Goddess, Draka. In his attempts to defeat her, he joined with the goddess Depha, created Hoshi as a warrior, and elevated Hama (Formerly a mortal fish) to godhood. The battle with Draka was won by the usage of Dagon's original weapon he had used in an attempt to destroy Wakahiru's essence, which was so powerful that it left nothing of Draka behind.

After this great battle, Hoshi began to grow in character, becoming more than a mere warrior for Dagon. Dagon, however, refused to give her the right to call herself a Goddess, believing that she was too bloodthirsty to be trusted with such a title. Afraid that she would try to kill him, Dagon gathered the other gods together in an attempt to oppose her. However, the day at which she tried to kill him never came, and she instead continued her protests. Pleased that she refrained from violence, Dagon elevated her to godhood, an action which gained him her completely loyalty.

However, it is said that the essence of a god is far more powerful than the god themselves. Draka's essence lived on, and that evil essence spread over the land of the gods ten thousand times over, engulfing all in darkness. Hoshi, hoping to keep the good essences of the gods alive, tore herself apart piece by piece. The pain was horrifying, but she kept doing it, hoping to save her essence. She shaped each and every piece of herself into one of the original Hoshijin, who, out of reverence of her, adopted her name (according to some sects). By the end, the Goddess Hoshi was gone, but her essence lived on in the Hoshijin species. She sent them to Shōrino'ba, a place that "would be safe from all evils" according to the holy texts. Therefore, all Hoshijin are said to have a tiny part of them that is the Goddess' essence, and every new Hoshijin born strengthens good. 

The Hoshijin religion holds that the forces of good are still engaged in an eternal battle with Draka and her forces of evil, and it is believed that all Hoshijin must assist the forces of good in this battle by doing "Good Works" (Helping others, fighting evil mortals, and having children). Because of this belief, those who choose not to have at least one child are frowned upon, though adoption has become increasingly recognized as a replacement for having a child due to it involving raising the child and helping them, thus being viewed as half of the last good work and all of the first. This had led the Hoshijin to see their Imperial expansion as a good work in itself, elevating "lesser species" to fight the forces of evil in the universe. Expansionism itself is, to the Hoshijin, a holy act in the name of their gods.

History:
The Hoshijin have always been warriors, almost fine-tuned to fighting. On their homeworld, there are eight large continents and multiple surrounding islands. Hoshijin artifacts appear on all of these continents at around the same time, suggesting that they were all connected into one supercontinent at some point. Hoshijin civilization formed relatively quickly, but a disaster of some sort in the ancient past destroyed this young civilization (Which is even referenced in Hoshijin religion). There was an extremely long dark period after this, with the Hoshijin living as uncivilized hunter-gatherers. Eventually, farming was rediscovered, and the Hoshijin incorporated it in an interesting way. While some groups lived in one area and farmed the land, most Hoshijin tribes continued to live a nomadic lifestyle, instead leaving crops to grow naturally in protected areas. After a certain amount of time, they would return to harvest and plant. 

Over time, the Hoshijin slowly began to transition into a stationary lifestyle. A few tribe members began to stay behind at these farms, tending to them like the few tribes that lived entirely off of agriculture. As time went on, the farming areas became villages, and the nomadic tribe members became trader/hunters. With the immense amounts of food reaped due to this lifestyle, the farming towns grew constantly, with wild animals keeping their distance from fear of Hoshijin hunters. With major advances such as the wheel and boat (as well as the domestication of pack animals), Hoshijin civilization grew in size exponentially. Formerly isolated nations (Which arose from the tribes due to the unity between farming villages) came into contact with one another.

Obviously, having been isolated for so long, these nations all spoke different languages. There were only two that they all had in common: trade and war. Certainly not mutually exclusive languages. Almost every war was caused by trade disputes and resource competition, causing a lively period of trade intertwined with war that lasted for thousands of years. Sea travel arose with the intent of finding other civilizations, the nations on every continent inventing it at a similar time due to their civilizations being somewhat the same age and provided with very similar resources. This began what a human would call the age of sail. For the Hoshijin, it was known as "The Age of Trade". Since an overseas invasion was futile, the continents began to trade with each other without any intercontinental war. Due to the Immense size of their homeworld, these wooden ships were immense creations with small crews, and took many months (sometimes more than a year) to cross the seas. Still, the Hoshijin greed drove them to trade, and so they did. 

With the massive profits from intercontinental trade, Hoshijin nations became more and more alike. The exchange of ideas caused most nations to adopt Feudalism, which was already the dominant form of government on most continents. This era was by far the most peaceful, with the nations focusing their resources on building their trade capabilities instead of destroying those of others. The ecosystems of the continent homogenized due to the transport of animals and plants between the continents, and creatures and plants from other continents slowly became a part of everyday life all over the planet.

As technology advanced, so did the trade. Steam power brought increased production capability and increased speed, allowing ships to carry less food and more cargo. The size of the ships went up as well, the increased propulsion and stronger hulls allowing larger and larger vessels. In contrast to our own development, this time is still a part of the Age of Trade, which ended fully only after airplanes were invented. The gravity of the homeworld forced these planes to have immense wingspans, which was only possible through the use of materials created recently on our own world. However, despite these setbacks, the plane proved to be by far the fastest vehicle at the time, and it allowed cargo to be transported further and faster than any ship. It also allowed the same to be true of troops, allowing full-scale intercontinental symmetrical warfare between nations and ending the (relatively) peaceful Age of Trade.

With the advent of intercontinental war, the peace collapsed. Every nation became locked in a battle for the resources of the planet, with no country able to escape it. Trade between the continents collapsed, with military vessels and planes preying on anyone that dared to transport trade goods across the oceans. The continents became economically isolated once more, with each one unifying into a loose alliance in order to make themselves dominant in the world theater. It was quickly realized once nuclear reactors were invented that they could be made into bombs carried by planes, and each alliance poured their efforts into creating such weapons.

Nuclear weapons were first used in the Fourth Great War (unsurprisingly the fourth war to involve a massive struggle between two power blocs encompassing the whole planet rather than multiple), and to great effect. A limited exchange took place that left thirty million dead in a single day, a number more fitting for the entire war. Still, the Hoshijin didn't cease their feuding and during the Sixth Great War another exchange took place that decimated half of a continent and killed two hundred million. Peace was signed by both sides instantly after the horror.

After the Sixth Great War, the world realized that their constant warring was slowly killing them. To prevent another such war from occurring, the Eight World's Council was formed. It was made up of representatives from the 27 nations of the planet (The low number a result of the early nations, which were giant compared to those of humanity). This council was amazingly effective, as the nations found that their beliefs were quite similar. It managed to keep international trade going swiftly and safely, allowing Hoshijin civilization to advance. This ended the so-called "Age of Terror" and began the Age of Globalization. New communications inventions connected the world better than ever before, with a massive internet system being formed that allowed access to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. Over a long period of time, Hoshijin culture homogenized. Eventually, a decision was made: the Hoshijin wanted to be under one flag.

A massive election was held by the council, between various different factions. It could have ended disastrously, but in the end the moderate policies of the Imperial Faction prevailed and managed to lay to rest the cries of progressives and traditionalists alike. Even though they had achieved peace between the continents, the Hoshijin still wanted more. Be it greed or something else, they turned their faces to the sky, with a universal dream to leave the atmosphere. Many attempts were made, but all of them failed. The gravity of their world was simply too high, and no plane or rocket could break its bonds. Despite the constant failures, the Hoshijin still reached for the stars. After years of attempts, one finally prevailed. The Na'brel and Kyūsei Imperial houses created a giant eight-stage rocket that was just barely strong enough to enter orbit. A single woman, Sceca Doryac, was launched into orbit aboard this rocket, and became the first Hoshijin to see their world from above.

The images she brought back did nothing but make the Hoshijin yearn more and more for space, and a shuttle system was quickly developed by the Eight World's Empire. It was a complicated rocket made up of three different airframes, the outer two acting as boosters while the middle went on to space. A 100% reusable system, yet still massively expensive. Each launch cost enough to feed thousands for months, but the Hoshijin still kept going. They refused to back down, smashing through every problem they came across like a railgun shot through a brick wall. Logically, the Hoshijin becoming a spacefaring species would have seemed impossible, the gravity of their homeworld was just too high for it to ever be practical. However, while they knew this, the Hoshijin ignored it almost unanimously. It was as if it was instinct, like the Hoshijin were created to reach for the stars (or so poets would keep saying for centuries until it stopped sounding like an actual concept anymore).

Centuries after the founding, in the year 231 A.F, the first mining ship came back from the second asteroid belt of the system. This marked the beginning of a new age: the Age of the Stars. Suddenly, Shōrino'ba was peaceful. The internal conflicts didn't matter anymore, as all the resources were in space. Now, the battles took place among the stars, with fleets engaging not over the ground below, but over the right to claim a new asteroid. Among all the fighting, private colony ships were launched towards the moons of Zenjyu, the closest planet to Shōrino'ba and a gas giant. Since the transport of a suitable amount of troops from one planet to another was simply impossible, these colonies were left alone by the military.

With space being developed and factories built on space stations and asteroids, the construction of new ships became easier than ever, with even bulky warships becoming easy and cheap to build and launch. Trade between the planets became common, with the notable exception of Shōrino'ba. Its gravity made bringing resources up to orbit impractical, and so it only received the resources of space, launching nothing but colony ships.

The colonies grew quickly, with everyone realizing just how valuable the surface of other worlds were. Completely untapped resources, with no risk of invasion. It seemed as though a new ship was being launched every day, sent to bring colonists to the other planets of the system. Then came a revolutionary invention: negative mass. Above the seventh planet of Dagon, an ancient ruin was found by the Na'brel House, floating among the clouds of the gas giant. An expedition was sent, and they returned carrying a small, red cylinder that fell up. The scientists sent explained that the ancient ruin had a device to create such an object within it, and that the entire building floated using such objects. They carried with them a map of the gas giant, showing the locations of countless other such buildings, which they had dubbed "Sūkaiisutshō" in reference to ancient religious texts.

With the ability to defy gravity, launching ships became effortless, as did the construction of things such as an industrial space elevator. Space industry boomed, with hundreds of space elevators popping up on every colonized body. Expanding towards the outer planets, they kept going and going, until they finally left their home system using FTL warp drives mad possible by the exotic matter from Dagon, coming across the Aaradethvai right next door. The Hoshijin once again went to war.

The conquering and annexation of Aaradeth was nearly effortless, thanks to the incredibly primitive nature of the native technology. The Empire began to explore other nearly systems in search of other worlds to invade rather than colonize, viewing the massive effort needed to transport colonists as unnecessary if their immediate area was as populated as it seemed. It didn't take them long to find the four worlds of humanity, distributed throughout two star systems.

The first human colony they contacted, Nova Terra, surrendered without firing a shot and with their surrender came an entire star system of wealth for the Empire. The Imperial fleet made its way into the other system marked by Nova Terran cartographers as the most likely location of some of the other human STL colony ships and contacted the other three worlds of humanity. One was a fairly "advanced" civilization compared to the Aaradethvai, populated by an industrial civilization with armies like those seen in the Hoshijin Third and Fourth Great Wars. The second was much more advanced, but had destroyed itself and only had the remnants of technology much like that the Hosijin had used by the end of the Sixth Great War. The third and final human colony in the system had nothing to resist the Empire with other than copious amounts of soldiers all armed with bows and spears. Needless to say, they all fell easily-with Naharaim surrendering shortly after the first few battles were fought and their realization that the Hoshijin would win anyways.

Recently, the Empire has begun the colonization of a planet restricted to Hoshijin and Honorary Hoshijin habitation so as to cement the position of their species rather than their Empire in the universe. However, the Hosijin remain the warrior species they have always been since the times of myth and legend. Driven by a lust for power and a (somewhat fabricated) holy right, the Hoshijin set out into the universe to serve their gods, the ultimate good, and their coffers. Which, in the minds of many a noble, might as well be the exact same thing.

Technology:
The Hoshijin use nuclear technology for power generation on spacecraft and the homeworld as well as on Uchinaa, but on conquered worlds they will simply use whatever is readily available or easy to use with existing infrastructure even if said "whatever" is just oil and coal. They have the capability to induce a fusion reaction, but said reaction requires significant infrastructure to support it and as such fusion power is only used on planets while fission plants are usually found on spacecraft. 

Hoshijin weaponry is widely varied, largely thanks to their annexation of Nova Terra. In general, their warships utilize a combination of electromagnetic and nuclear weapons in order to win the day. Railguns are a requirement for any armed Hoshijin vessel, and function much the same as the older, jam-prone traditional weapons did sans most moving parts that had to be oiled. Nuclear weaponry is widely used, from "nuclear howitzer" designs that focus a nuclear bast's energy to be used as an non-interceptable beam-like weapon to nuclear railgun shells to boring old missiles.

For defense, Hoshijin vessels utilize CIWS (close in weapons systems) based around the idea of intercepting incoming enemy projectiles. These include newer laser weapons that lock onto and precisely eliminate incoming shells and missles to the more traditional "if we fire ten thousand bullets then one of them is bound to hit" systems. The laser systems are understandably much more useful, as in space combat shells and sometimes missiles are far too fast to be intercepted by traditional CIWS designs. The downside is obvious: a laser can't lay down a flak field like a minigun can. Armor is completely ignored, with the idea being that in space velocities and piercing power are so high that any armor would be worthless. The Empire is looking into Directed Energy Weapons as a possible alternative to railguns as a vessel's main weapons system, as it would be impossible for any CIWS to stop. However, very little progress has been made on actually designing a heavy-hitting laser weapon. Weaponry (as well as defense) are almost the same for the seafaring navy of the Empire, though they don't use nuclear howitzers as they only function effectively (and without killing everyone in the area) in space.

On the ground, weapons can be far more primitive. Hoshijin soldiers don't even carry railguns, instead using simple rifles to get the job done. Railguns are present in infantry combat, but are used either by two-man anti tank teams or machine gun teams due to the fact that somebody has to lug around large battery packs or an ICE generator to power them for long periods of time. Vehicles, however, regularly make use of railguns both as main weapons and in secondary anti-infantry roles. Most vehicles contain some form of effective power generation such as an ICE, RTG, or hydrogen fuel cell which is capable of powering the energy-intensive railguns.

The Empire uses an FTL system based off of technology scavenged from ruins floating in the upper atmosphere of Dagon, which utilized exotic matter to bend space-time and "propel" a ship at faster than light speeds within a "warp bubble". The concept is simple enough and the actual equations for it as well as rudimentary plans for such a drive were created well before Hoshijin vessels even reached Dagon, but the actual generation of the exotic matter was a mystery and still is. The ruins of Dagon held within them plans for a device that generates it, and even the best Hoshijin scientists continue to be stumped by its operation (which requires immense power). However, the black box of a technology works and as such the Empire doesn't really question how.

This "warp drive" as it is called does have a major drawback in that the warp bubble it creates experiences a buildup of radiation and particles, which is released in a magnificent way to the aft of the ship (intentional in the design to avoid hitting any ships ahead with an intense blast of deadly radiation and relativistic particles). This makes it extremely obvious-even to the naked eye-whenever an Imperial vessel enters a system. Furthermore, if this buildup reaches uncontrollable levels, it will kill the crew of the ship through exposure and as a result Imperial vessels need to drop out of warp every so often to release the buildup. It is theorized that, using the space-time warping effect of the exotic matter, either "Krasnikov tubes" (lanes of warped space that allow any object within them to travel at FTL speeds theorized by a human scientist) or flat-out holes in space through which vessels without FTL drives could travel. Such ideas are still only in the theoretical stage, but they are far enough in that figures are given in much the same way they were for reliable fusion power (which weren't far off themselves).

Military Forces:
The Imperial Military is split up into four branches: The Imperial Spaceborne Navy (ISN), the Imperial Airborne Force (IAF), the Imperial Oceangoing Navy (ION), and the Imperial Army (IA). Honorary Hoshijin as well as simple subjects of the empire serve in the military alongside its Hoshijin core, both as officers and cannon fodder. Hoshijin military doctrine is based heavily around firepower and effective usage of the forces one has, a doctrine which is quickly becoming outdated with the expansion of the military and the capability of the Empire to deploy combat troops onto planetary surfaces without spending a massive amount of propellant. New officers are trained accordingly, and taught how to handle the large numbers of troops-and subject species leaders-they must keep in line to secure victory. Positioning, as always, is of major importance and defense is number one for the Empire as they know very well that it is not hard for a technologically superior faction to beat an inferior one with more sheer manpower.

When on the attack, Imperial ground forces prefer encirclement maneuvers and the creation of supply droughts using blockades of specific pockets. Mobility in the form of fast armored vehicles and air power is essential to Imperial forces, and the effective usage of both by Daimyō Kipposhi during the invasion of Cathlea is often said to be the only reason the Empire wasn't forced to retreat by their technologically inferior but vastly larger opponent.

In space, the Empire is still learning the ropes. Range is a well-known deciding factor, but beyond throwing shells and nuclear fire at the enemy there is little in the way of tactics. Some Daimyō and members of the royal family hope to change this by learning from the aquatic Uchinaans, whom evolved in an environment wherein the three degrees of freedom experienced in space were just a fact of everyday life. Already, trials are being conducted using Uchinaan hunting tactics in an attempt to find ways to actually win the battle in space through strength of mind rather than strength of numbers.

Imperial Spaceborn Navy Craft:

-Doraic-Class, a vessel built to transport ground and air forces, this class is also equipped with extensive scanning and electronic warfare equipment. It was named for Doraic Ssynec Ymer Spainaic, the lead scientist in the first Sūkaiisutshō Expedition. It is equipped mainly with CIWS for defense, which makes it excellent for point defense for the fleet as a whole. There are multiple variations, one of which (the Doraic-B) carries spaceborne fighters and can act as an escort carrier.

-Kaguya-Class Bombardment Vessel, a starship class designed for long-range bombardment of enemy forces and planets. Though it's primary use is bombardment, it is often seen taking point in a close-range battle due to it's extensive missile capabilities. The four large prongs are railguns, which can fire either tungsten slugs, dumb bombs, or guided missiles.

-Ryouta-Class Battleship, one of the more common vessels on the battlefield. As one might expect, this class is built for the sole purpose of causing as much damage to the enemy as possible. It has two heavy railguns, which are fully capable of providing bombardment support, but it truly shines in the middle of battle. Hidden within it's hull are multiple smaller railguns and CIWS. They are especially good at shredding though enemy armor. This class is named for a prehistoric myth.

-Guyoka-Class Destroyer, a ship class deployed in large numbers and used to swarm the enemy. They are armed with four high-power lasers as point defense (though they are somewhat effective as ship-to-ship weapons as well). Their main armament is their spinal railgun, which runs the length of the ship and has formidable power. To complement this, they are equipped with twelve nuclear howitzers (which are deployed on drones to avoid blowing up the ship itself) which makes them dangerous to even the largest of ships. They are named for a large insect found on Shōrino'ba, which have been known to kill adult Hoshijin in swarms when provoked.

-Teikkupuraim-Class Battlecruiser, a ship class built for all possible space combat situations. This class carries a small complement of spaceborne fighter-bombers, but that is far from it's only defense. It also carries extensive missile systems, which are utilized alongside many heavy railguns. When combined with the extensive electronic warfare and communications suites, this ship is by far the most formidable Hoshijin craft in space combat. For planetary sieges, it has a single, massive spinal railgun for bombardment uses. As it is the largest class in the entire navy, it is usually seen operating as a command vessel, often personalized by it's commander. It's name, when roughly translated, means "Honor of the Empire".

Imperial Air Force Craft:

-Kujiryū-Class Aerial Carrier, named for a mythical dragon-like creature, this class of ship is a traditional design taken from the seagoing carriers. It utilizes a turboprop engine for increased endurance, as it is in the air for extreme periods of time. It carries multiple Haisana-Class Aerial fighter/bombers (seen in the top left), which use turbofan engines as they are stationed on the carrier and thus do not require the extra endurance.

Hayabusa-Class Aerial Battleship: The Hayabusa is technically less of a "battleship" and more of a patrol vehicle used by the Imperial Air Force. It was designed in the wake of the invasion of Cathlea, as the natives had no such airship equivalents and instead relied upon more conventional fighters that (when they slipped through Imperial fighter covers) were easily able to take out the heavier aerial warships of the empire that existed to combat other heavy ships. The Hayabusa is the answer. It is bristling with CIWS and other AA weaponry, and even has a flight deck for fighters on the aft section. Slung underneath is its only heavy weapon, a large naval railgun that can be used in either the (now rare) ship to ship combat or in aerial bombardment as an artillery piece.

Imperial Seagoing Navy Craft:

-Hama-Class Carrier, this class of ship has the exact same purpose as the Kujiryū-Class Aerial Carrier, and carries the same Haisana-Class Aerial fighter/bombers as it does. The design has been in use for well over a century, every time a new breakthrough it made, it is simply incorporated into the design. As one might suspect, it inspired the design of the Kujiryū-Class Aerial Carrier. The name references, of course, Hoshijin myth.

-Teikokunken-Class Dreadnought, this class is extremely rare, with only a handful in use. They are built to be the ultimate in sea combat, armed with multiple railgun turrets, anti-air defenses, and missile tubes, these ships can take on a small enemy fleet without any backup. They also carry a light complement of Haisana-Class Aerial fighter/bombers, launched from electromagnetic catapults at the aft. 

-Chikyū-Class Battleship, named for a mythical land, this class has also been used for over a century thanks to the Hoshijin love of tradition. It is designed purely for ship-to-ship combat, with railgun turrets and missile tubes comprising it's entire armament. However, it does carry two mini-submarines that are used to deliver up to four torpedoes each, an extremely effective strategy.

Kamikaze-Class Frigate: These vessels carry only a single railgun each, but have a large number of missiles for their size. This reflects Hoshijin naval doctrine from before the perfection of the railgun, as missiles were the only real viable long-range weapon at that point, but these vessels still pack quite a punch with their armaments. They are designed for speed and mobility, as well as stealth. Though it is only one class, modifications are often made to individual vessels to turn them into cyberwarfare, transport, or a variety of other specialized vessels. Its railgun is often used in shore bombardment.

Imperial Army Equipment:

Type 87 Self-Propelled Gun: As it's name suggests, the Type 87 is designed for long-range artillery strikes rather than close combat. It is the largest land vehicle operated by the Empire and carries the largest weapon, a naval railgun of the same type as the Teikokunken-Class dreadnought's secondary armament. It is meant to set up before firing for stability, though in fast pushes it can fire while on the move at the loss of more or less any accuracy it could have had.

Leclerc Cruiser Tank: The Leclerc tank is actually a Frankish design incorporated into the Imperial military after their surrender as trials showed it to be a reliable and effective vehicle. It is essentially a scout tank that is flat-out unable to cope with the firepower of a main battle tank, however, it's own main gun can pierce even heavy armor and it can certainly stand up to small-arms fire. It is used as cavalry once was, to quickly break through enemy forces and exploit openings to complement the Imperial doctrine of offensive mobility.

Naharaim Multirole Combat Vehicle: Another design from the colonies, the Hakeim originated simply as dozens of different "designs" cobbled together by the inhabitants of Naharaim following their nuclear war. The Empire began development based upon these unique designs and created the NMCV, a hybrid tank destroyer, SPG, and APC built in a modular fashion. Depending on the configuration, it can carry four to twelve soldiers into battle plus its own crew. Main gun mounts can be quickly switched (or removed to allow the twelve passenger configuration) from a heavy anti-tank gun to flat out artillery. The gun is aimed both through limited independent movement and the usage of hydraulics to completely shift the orientation of the tank. What it gains in versatility it pays for in reliability, as NMCVs are prone to breakdowns and mechanical difficulties when not accompanied by a maintenance crew.

Type 10 Main Battle Tank: The Type 10 is the most recent design in the army, incorporating new advances in all fields to create a vehicle that, in the words of its chief designer, "has laid the groundwork for the obsolescence of all other tanks". The usage of exotic, negative mass matter like that used in Imperial FTL drives makes this tank extremely light and fast for its size. Its main gun is an entirely new railgun that is capable of firing smart shells that use small charges like those in infantry weapons to change trajectory mid flight so as to ensure higher accuracy. Using cutting-edge miniaturized laser systems based off of naval CIWS, it can intercept incoming projectiles with enough reliability to noticeably increase survivability. Driving the entire vehicle is a full-on fission reactor and steam turbine within the main body of the tank. Due to the shielding and size of this powerplant, the entire crew is actually kept in the turret.
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