SgtEasy

Through the Gateways: Inhumanity

Heavy WIP for the Nine Dragon Crescent

The Nine Dragon Crescent

The Commune of the Nine Dragon Crescent

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The great head of the Nine Dragon Syndicate, Luo Minh

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Government Form:
Socialist Authoritarian Criminal Syndicate

Population:
7,500,000,000~

What is humanity?:
Humanity is chaos. Teetering on the edge between heroism and villainy, between peace and war, between ascension and extinction. United, we are dragons who pierce the cosmos despite our enemies. Divided, we are rabble unfit to even gaze upon the stars.

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Planet/System Name and Description:

“We were promised a world and clean living. We were given rocks and the largest shithouse in the galaxy. Putang ina, mabaho naman dito.”
Unnamed Filipino worker lamenting his place in the galaxy.

It was supposed to be beautiful. They had toiled for years, across family generations for some. They were the gears in the machine that kept the complicated clockwork of the Gateways going. They were supposed to be rewarded for their efforts, given a world of unparalleled beauty.

Instead, they were given the CX0985 system. A barren, planet-less solar system made up of a dwarf star, a paltry rock which could not even be in the same league as Pluto and vast belts of resource-full but far-away asteroids. Along with the largest den of scum and villainy then known to man.

Crescent.

A once spherical space station which has been partly destroyed to give the permanent visage of a crescent moon. Built by an unknown precursor race and maintained by rusting, lifeless automatons which meandered about the station with no care for its inhabitants. Separating the living from choking in the void are thick metal walls made up of dense alloys. Strong, sturdy and much better than the makeshift metal repairs that the inhabitants of the station provided. Importantly, they were good conductors for heat and so efficient that the masses of the station needn’t worry about boiling to death in a metal cage.

Instead, they would have to deal with the decrepit hydroponics systems, oxygen support, the lack of extensive plumbing in converted living spaces, failing nuclear reactors dotted around the station, both radioactive and non-radioactive waste along with disease outbreaks. Indeed, Crescent was never designed to hold so many people.

Despite this, there is a dedicated population of robotic workers found within Crescent which are barely keeping up with the maintenance of the station. To interfere with them would mean death by the locals. There are the smaller “youkai”, orbs of glistening metal which seemingly sprout tools and materials needed from its own for, able to interface with anything and everything part of the station. Their animal-like intelligence and nanomachine-based technology has gathered the interest of many a scientist although studies have yielded nothing other than “this ball of metal is made out of something that makes no sense.” Other than these protected youkai, there are the large, lumbering “oni” which navigate the larger maintenance corridors. Big enough to loom over three story buildings, these more familiar boxy walking automatons check on the larger systems in the station such as the fusion reactors and the waste management systems. Unfortunately, there are only so many of these oni and such biological workers must be used to maintain those overworked systems.

The vast cavernous spaces which, if the records are true, are supposed to be “leisure” spaces became the site of built up shanty towns which extended to the ceiling. The actual “living quarters” are divided into so many living spaces for so many people that it is hard to distinguish where one room ended and another began. But at least you had a shared toilet. Maintenance areas such as the life support are kept clear when the larger “walker” automatons are present but are quickly filled up once their work was done, quickly built and deconstructed camps of people following in their wake. It is hard to walk through the hydroponics and water filtration areas without tripping on a sleeping body. The crematorium has more than just the dead and the cargo and shipyards are so overpopulated that people are often just press-ganged into working based on whether they are in the designated project zone. Even the reactor rooms are filled to the brim, RadAway aplenty to keep the mutations away (though these do not always work as the mutants display with pride).

The “cities” within the station are multi-layered, interconnected labyrinths with seemingly no rhyme or reason to its organisation. They are split between the nine wards or “dragons” of the station, sections split by large vault doors which are there to restrict large hull breaches to that section. The cities reminiscent to a combination of Chongqing and Kowloon though the pan-Asian and alien populace lend their own unique flavours in this cultural hotpot. Dark, dim lighting and networks of crisscrossing wires connect the city, with a unique cyberspace system connecting the whole station.

There is no zoning within the cities, a mish-mash of commercial, industrial and residential locations all coalescing together in one interconnected lump. Navigation is near impossible for newcomers as you often need to go through a kilometre of walking to get to a point which is seemingly right above you though the locals either get around this problem by plasma-cutting holes in the ceilings and floors or by navigating crevices which seem to lead to nowhere. Indeed, it is the locals who must lead you through the dark corridors lest you find yourself lost.

But beyond the dark atmosphere, the station still has a liveliness that only a densely populated space station can give. While one may listen to the chattering voices, smell the violently contrasting odours and feel the constant vibrations in fear, locals see it as a way of connection. There is no isolation here and everyone must work together as a community to keep their meagre lives going. Sharing food, water and other commodities are common as to turn away someone means your greater karma will suffer. Everyone lives with all kinds of people; segregation is impossible, and outright discrimination is frowned upon (although only a fool would allow a Daga into their home without securing their valuables). Petty crime is rampant but murder is rare, with other serious crimes mostly facilitated by the Nine Dragons themselves or the sneaky criminal gangs that live under their shadow. This is where this cramped, resource-limited system thrives. In the connections between its people, in the sense of community and hope that grew from such a dim and dark place.

Which makes what those Guizi are doing to sections of Crescent more horrendous.

Demographics:
Homo Sapiens Sapiens: ~64%

Hatanxing: ~10%

Thằn lằn: ~7%

Daga: ~4%

Kuo Yu: ~4%

Gaja Men: ~2%

Metall Odam: ~1%

Miscellaneous various other species: ~8%

History:

“Workers of the world, unite! Assist the masses escaping to the stars and you will be rewarded! A ticket to a new home, a new life, one where you are in control of your destiny!”
Early recruitment advertisement promoting the “Global Union of Workers” initiative

The history of Crescent extends far into the past with the robotic Metall Odam understanding such vast time scales. Not even these immortal inhabitants are aware of the true extent of Crescent’s history, only knowing from long-extinct species that the station used to be spherical before a “cleanse” grew out of control and a section of the space station was blown to kingdom come.

Culture and Society: (How do they live? Anything from ritual cannibals, to a surveillance state dystopia, to an integrated hivemind.)

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Governance and Politics: (Like the government form field, but more room for detail. If your Colony has changed in such a way that it doesn't even have a government or politics anymore, this is also a good place to talk about that.)

Technology Overview: (What have your people invented? Or have they forgotten anything?)

Military Overview: (This is the space to talk about any offensive capabilities you have. Given that most of these Colonies have been essentially stranded by themselves for five centuries, I don't imagine anyone has a large "conquer other planets" level fleet yet. But maybe your Colony has been in civil war for a hundred years, and has built up an impressive military in that time. Or maybe they even had to fend off a genuine alien invasion.)

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Additional Info: (Anything else you want to include that there isn't a spot for up there.)

Through the Gateways: Inhumanity

@Tortoise

Made further additions and the appropriate changes to the NS in the Characters tab

Through the Gateways: Inhumanity

Khanate of the Apes and Caretakers of Humanity

The Federal Khanate of the Supremus

We are the inheritors of Humanity, their eternal legacy in the stars.

Government Form:
Federal Monarchy

Demographics:
Pongo Pygmaeus Supremus 20.01%
Troglodytes Gorilla Supremus 32.33%
Pan Troglodytes Supremus 47.65%
Homo Sapiens Sapiens 0.01%

Population:
Over 1,000,000,000 individuals

What is humanity?:
Inferior to most. Worshipped by some. To be protected and shielded. Our predecessors and our fragile kin.

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^{A rare picture inside the deadly jungles of New Gift}

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Planet Name and Description:

New Gift was named by long-dead, hopeful scientists. From the outside, it was a perfect Earth-like planet orbiting its Sol-like star in the Goldilocks Zone, perfect for life. It was slightly larger than Earth and had two moons. The New Gift system was not anything out of the ordinary, another terrestrial planet closer to its star and three gas giants on a larger orbit. If they had set foot on its supercontinent of Munus, they would have encountered thick equatorial jungles with savannas on either polar side. Deadly melon-sized bugs, large elephant constricting snakes and ill-tempered horse-like creatures. More shadowed and evil beasts would roam the jungles, sharp talons and wicked teeth. Trees as high as four stories tall and plants which could eat a fully-grown ape. A planet so hostile to life that it is a wonder the native species have not killed each other off yet. To regular humans, it was a death trap. To the superior ape? It became home.

History:

Origins of the Supremus

Even before the colony ship for New Gift had set off for its destination, there were a few things which set it apart from the others. It was a largely private endeavor, funded by the multi-national conglomerate SciCorps, given to it for its major contributions towards the various conservation efforts it headed on Earth. It had an incredibly small colony of only 2,000 humans, headed by top scientists, geneticists, engineers and strangely, historians. Geniuses all but were often viewed by the outer scientific community as 'odd'. Opposed to other colony ships, what made up its vast holds were the remaining populations of several of humanity's closest relatives. To the heads of SciCorps, all eccentric, billionaire, science-guided men who saw the downfall of humanity by its own hubris. To them, humanity had lost its way and thus its right to think itself supreme. It must be succeeded by inheritors of humanity's best while lacking of its worst traits. Thus they found their inspiration within the remaining populations of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans numbering 50,000 altogether. Their populations were devastated by humanity in their arrogance, their habitats destroyed by our carelessness and greed. They would understand us, our histories, our cultures, our hardships and our follies. They would be uplifted by our hand and succeed where we failed.

SciCorps had chosen our closest relatives due to the greater ease in which they could be uplifted to sapient-level intelligence and their existing ability to use tools. Since the bonobo had been killed off a decades before the colony ships were being prepared, orangutans and gorillas had been brought in to boost numbers and bring diversity. Advanced humanity had long since mapped their own brains and thus had also been able to map the brains of these ape species. In the years before SciCorps' colony ship launch, several research teams worked on discovering a way to "uplift" non-sapient species in the hopes that these species could inherit our legacy but be better than we were. They had succeeded with these three species but only through the splicing of human genes and most peculiarly, personalities. To gain sapience, they must be implanted with the personality of an already existing (or past) human to ensure stability, proper empathy and intelligence.

Undeterred by these revelations, SciCorps used its vast wealth to collect historians, geneticists and scientists in conjunction with superintelligent AI to map and create the brains of the greatest examples of humanity. These eccentric geniuses had been over-enthusiastic in their brain mapping and with its minimal oversight (SciCorps was busy with its ongoing conservation efforts as well as Earth's dying days), some less-than-great minds had been mapped and stored for uploading. These additions would not be properly audited by the SciCorps elite in its waning days as processes were rushed due to various calamities which befell the conglomerate in its waning days. In the implantation and upload, over 10,000 subjects, mainly gorillas and orangutans, suffered shock and death upon awakening from the traumatic procedures. A further 5,000 would perish in the gene enhancing operations that would follow. Better vocal speech, more dexterous thumbs, greater muscular density than before. The remaining apes would undergo history lessons, morality tests, intelligence tests and physical ability tests. A further 3,500 would be culled in the last years before colony launch. The remaining roughly 31,500 Supremus apes as they had been dubbed would board the colony ship Terra Supremus along with their teachers, a secret kept hidden from the rest of the world.

The First Steps

Upon their arrival to New Gift and the subsequent loss of the Gateways, some of the human teachers set to work on finding out about the world below while the inheritors would learn from the rest. What they found horrified and often, killed them. This would be the world of their inheritors, of mankind's successors? They all believed deep within their hearts (after several years of SciCorps propaganda and brainwashing) that the other human colonies would fall to strife as Earth had. These Supremus would be slaughtered there, despite their genetic enhancements and uplift. A solution would come from one of these apes themselves. A cunning, intelligent orangutan, known for his great charisma and dominance among the other apes. One whose brain template's name had been lost to all but him. The Khan incarnate spoke with a deep rumbling voice.

"O wise teachers, our humble creators. You have taught us your ways, to be the inheritors of your wisdom and greatness. O generous people you have been, giving us knowledge to renew our species, setting us on a worthier path. O wonderful you have been, gifting us the minds of your greatest so we may succeed you, as impossible as that venture may seem to our lowly minds. We are your children, and you are our parents, we are the flock to be moved to greener pastures by you, the shepherds. You have taught and given us much, but we lack an art of yours. One you have, out of justified fear, left out of our teachings. An art we require to carry your legacy, and your scions, into the stars with us. Aside from the arts of engineering, science and culture, you must teach us the Art of War." Yesugei spread his arms, orange fur draping elegantly in brushed locks, a toothy grin on his face.

There were protests at first. These were to be our peaceful inheritors, our greatest legacy. How could we give them the knowledge of our greatest folly? But even to the most idealist of the teachers, they could find no other answer. The colony ship had been armed with science and industry, not advanced weaponry. Mine excavators, modular industrial complexes, great agricultural machines. They were a mere 2,000 souls, many of whom felt they were bound to die on a planet as harsh as this one. They must teach their children how to defend themselves against this harsh world of theirs. To carry, what they felt, were humanity’s last vestiges in the galaxy, into the stars. They must teach their successors humanity's greatest folly - war.

Thus the colony ship landed a year later with supplies running low, in the largest savanna in the supercontinent Munus. The combined Supremus population had grown to 60,000 apes, many of the children inheriting the forced genetic tampering easier than expected. Here, many of the human caretakers, now dwindling in numbers and long rendered infertile by age, let their successors choose their own fate away from their tampering and holed themselves up in the stranded colony ship. They were confident that despite the mistakes along the way, their "children" as many had started to see them, would grow to be their betters. And in the beginning, as they observed the various projects of a growing ape population, their optimistic views were proven correct. A sprawling town would grow around the fallen ship, a "Neo-Earth" as its denizens began to call it in homage to their creators. An egalitarian democracy in which all could have their say. The pursuits of science, technology and the arts ruled supreme. Industry began to pop up around the town, solar panels and wind farms providing energy to prevent the wounds give to the old Earth. Automated mining and farming began nearby, feeding resources to the great minds within the city. Defensive automatons were built with supplied military knowledge, defending Neo-Earth from its harsh surroundings aided by Supremus’ most physical specimens. Separated from their inheritors, the last humans felt content with their success.

So much so that they were blinded by it.

Politicking and Compromise

By the time of the last caretaker’s death, the many great inherited minds from Humanity’s history had fractured between political camps. The scions of scions of those caretakers young enough to have had children were closeted and protected by these camps. To have a human under your care was an ape’s greatest honour. To be a human was to live as a trophy, cloistered away in monasteries and only appearing rarely in public. No freedom, worshipped almost as gods, taken care of by inhuman caregivers. Humanity was too precious at this point to be given their freedom. Or perhaps too outnumbered to know any other life? They would take a backseat in the history of New Gift, given little power and whispered about almost as gods.

The once-children were divided in how they should carry humanity’s legacy to the stars. To have True egalitarianism could not work with the growing population. And thus, four bickering camps of political thought formed.

Aristotle argued that although democracy did work, they needed to make sure that the officials that are elected are learned apes of intelligence, selflessness and most controversially, a past life of serving the public good. He represented many of the reborn scientists and philosophers. Many of these would primarily be older first-generation Supremus.

Rousseau passionately countered that democracy must be indiscriminate of one’s background and thus one’s past “life” was akin to their genealogy. Judging an ape for their mere “blood” went against what they were taught. He represented many of the great democratic leaders and many others who came from democratic states, valuing freedom. A significant minority of Rousseau’s followers would be made up of the youngest second-generation.

Caesar intoned that democracy had ultimately failed Humanity. Once bloated bureaucratic machines came to be, it only served to fracture and slow nations, the chimpanzee explained. If they kept to choosing strong, just leaders who in turn chose strong, just successors. This way, the Supremus could move forward faster and under stable rule. He represented the military men, kings, queens, and others disillusioned by democracy. Almost all these would be younger first-generation Supremus. They would hold the greatest number of humans under their care, controversially letting their predecessors walk among them freely as if they were not an endangered species needing protection.

The final school of thought was led by Temujin, son of Yesugei, the dark horse and only second generation Supremus to represent their own camp. He would only come near the end of the debates, giving his proposition. They had been implanted with Humanity’s greatest minds but of different philosophies, politics, and time periods. How one group of Supremus would want to be governed could be vastly different from another. Let each group rule their own in the way they want but have a sort of intergovernmental union which connected them. A confederation of sovereign nations with the ceremonial position of Governor-General who constitutionally held little power. They served to act as mediator between nations, would be its figurative head, represent Supremus in its foreign affairs and only maintain a modest, non-automated self-defence force as a deterrent versus power hungry nations seeking to topple the Governor-General. Nations would keep to themselves with internal affairs and resource allocation by the Governor-General would be dictated strictly by needs and population. This was supported by the late Yesugei’s closest confidantes and the outsiders who disagreed with the other camps and sought to do their own way. Many of the latter were second-generation Supremus. Let us unite to safekeep the last of humanity’s genealogical children, they would say.

The other three camps would vehemently disagree outwardly towards this proposal. Going for this sort of compromise could weaken their political position in the eyes of their supporters and enemies. However, the debates had made many tired and thus many behind the scenes deals would be made towards these compromisers. Rousseau proposed the addition of elected sovereign officials who would serve as representatives of their nations in a parliament, which could make changes to the federal constitution or hold a supermajority vote of no-confidence upon the Governor-General to check his power. Temujin accepted these terms with passionate chest thumping and nods.

Aristotle, through his subordinate chimpanzee Theophrastus, would propose that those officials must have a certain level of intelligence and selflessness, as indicated by the scores previously tested by the humans. All second generation Supremus and those following generations must submit to these tests to check their eligibility. The testing must be done by a representative body of learned men from each nation, separate from the Senate. This Oligarchy would ensure stability and be a counter to the powers of the Senate. Temujin accepted with grace, bowing his head.

The only detractor remaining at the end of the talks would be Caesar and his camp, eyeing the son of Yesugei with obvious suspicion. No representative seemed to come from him and his. The message was clear. Aristotle, followed by Rousseau again, stated their proposals and Temujin accepted them publicly. Caesar’s followers walked out of the talks, with Caesar himself last to leave. “Blind baboons” he spat “the lot of you! You do not see what he is doing!” Him and his followers would disappear the following day with stolen resources and arms, last seen over the horizon in the direction of the jungles. Certain genetic templates and tissue would be stolen that night, records of it wiped from the colony ship's computers.

The Formation of the New Gift Federation

Disregarding the threat of Caesar due to the hellish jungles of New Gift, the three leaders would set to establish the New Gift Federation. The loss of so many humans to Caesar’s camp was a harsh political blow to the new government and only served to tighten the restrictions of the remaining humans under their care. They would be treated as closely guarded secrets, with their movements controlled each day and only appearing in public on the rarest of occasions during holidays of great import. To be human was to serve as a trophy, a political tool. And sometimes, a god.
Several other nations would be formed by other individuals only to join the N.G.G. There would be a mass exodus from Neo-Earth township, many of the modular industrial complexes and mobile shelters splitting in a diaspora around the newly named Neo-Earth diaspora. Rousseau’s Republic of Freemen and Aristotle’s Polity of Philosophy would form the largest city-states while the others would form townships or smaller villages. The most significant of these smaller governments would be Thunberg’s Conservation League and Lincoln’s democratic Reformed States of America.

The old colony ship would serve as the Governor-General’s seat due to its central position. True to the constitution, Temujin did not do anything to interfere with the governance of the states. In truth, despite the initial fears within the Republic and the Polity of the Governor-General turning into a dictator, this was seen to be largely unfounded. The Senate and Oligarchy would become a ruthless political arena between the Polity, the Republic, their different sovereign allies, and the independents. These two city-states would dominate the political sphere of the N.G.G. and be the most powerful, dubbed the informal title of “Greater States”. Despite their precious fragility, humans could be found across the states in their monastery-schools, Supremus guards given to each as protectors no matter what state they were found in.

The many military automatons of Terra Supremus, the colony ship’s name and the new name of the old Neo-Earth township, would go to these powerful states. Thus the defence of many of the smaller independent town-states and villages would be given to Temujin and his self-defence forces. These would be made up of individuals from all the nations, to ensure equality and an image of unity. Universally, within the Polity and the Republic, this force would be looked down upon when compared to the advanced military automatons. Thus the conscripts sent to the Federation SDF from these powers would mainly be the Supremus who did not fit the mould.

Temujin would form a strict meritocracy within the ranks of the SDF, creating an effective fast response force which could mobilise quickly to any threats towards the weaker states. Heavily drilled and with strict punishments for slacking, the SDF would become a premier military force second only to the advanced automatons of the Greater States. No human would be found in their number for their lives were too precious. Or maybe, they were treated as an afterthought?
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Their popularity would only grow among the independent nations. The Federation Senate and Oligarchy became fiercer political battlegrounds as time went on, serving as a representation of power between the Greater States.

Upon the birth of Temujin’s first son, Ogedei, a Cold War would ensue between the Greater Powers after a series of political advancements by the Republic when it seduced several nations to its power bloc. With the addition of nations, came the safekeeping of more humans. To be a caretaker of a dying race was seen as a great honour and only elevated their political power. Automatons were advanced, walls were raised and for the first time, war machines would be sent in support of ally sovereigns. Pre-empting this, the Governor-General called forth the first negotiations between the two powers, acting as mediator. He was an excellent orator and convinced the leaders of the Greater States to set aside their weapons, reminding them of the reason behind their uplifting and creation.

”Learned ape, free ape, this humble one must remind you that we are all Supremus. We were created as inheritors of Humanity’s legacy and tasked to be their successors. We know not about the other colonies but going by anything our wise caretakers taught us, they would be in strife and conflict. This is why we keep the scions safe, no? We learned of war to fight our deadly surroundings, to protect the scions of our caretakers, not to fight each other. We are better and we must prove ourselves to be better, lest we disprove our own species’ names. Whether chimpanzee, orangutan, or gorilla. Whether Politician, Republican, Reformed American or others. We stand better united and at peace. We must prove ourselves supreme, as caretakers of the last vestiges of humanity.”

The subsequent stop on the development of war automatons would serve to be the greatest achievement in Temujin the Peacekeeper’s life. A new age of prosperity and unity would rise within the Federation, one that Ogedei would inherit once he was appointed as Governor-General, upon Temujin’s death. The supposed nepotism was ignored due to the late Peacekeeper’s popularity and the relatively powerless position kept even avid conspiracy theorists at bay. To suppress the jealousy among the growing states about the amount of humans cloistered within the different states, the honour guards were replaced by SDF detachments to keep them away from the political wills of the senate. It would be early in Ogedei’s tenure that plots would begin to unravel themselves.

The War to End All Wars

Tiberius Caesar, son of Augustus, son of Julius, had come. Hardened by three generations within the jungle, the Emperor’s Followers had returned from their long exile to prove themselves worthy as leaders of the Supremus. They sat atop great war beasts and fought alongside tamed monsters, having long gotten used to and conquering the deadly denizens within the jungle. To many a Supremus’ disgust, they had humanity’s direct scions fighting hand in hand with them, most assuredly blinded by Caesar’s propaganda. To be so reckless with the last of our caretaker’s seed? Abhorrent to the extreme.

Targeting the southernmost city-states and townships, they raided these frontier nations with glee and were only pushed back once the SDF had reached them, many an ape weeping as they cut down both fellow ape and human alike. It was clear that they could not be reasoned with, even the human descendants had come with weapon in hand with an unexplainable rage about them.

These year-long raids would only prove as a distraction as a great war host came from the jungles circled a two prong attack upon the East and West. Amassing a truly terrible host of monsters, hardened Supremus and curse-spouting humans, these were the proverbial daggers to the hearts of the Federation – the Greater States. As the SDF was distracted to the south and its numbers limited by constitution, it fell to the Polity and the Republic to defend Neo-Earth’s heartlands. Automaton fought beast, Supremus fought Supremus in bitter conflict and rivalry.

The fighting was fierce in the south, east and west of the Neo-Earth savanna. The Emperor’s Followers were backed by their war-beasts, savage poisons and chemical artillery which inflicted heavy casualties upon Polity, Republican and ally conscripts. Only the automatons fared better, metal resistant against claws, large ammunition and explosives proving deadly against flesh. The east and the west saw the bloodiest of the fighting, back and forth offensive manoeuvres on both sides, probing the other to find weaknesses. Deep trenches and fortifications would be set up against each other, carving up the earth of a once beautiful continent-sized savanna. The south found more success with Ogedei’s forces, a more tactical type of warfare which saw constantly changing battle lines, ambushes, and false flag attacks. The SDF was aided by its supreme manoeuvrability and its QRF-based military doctrine.

As the war went on and weeks turned into months which turned into years, the nations of the Federation grew desperate. Seemingly unending hordes of wild beasts would crash into their lines nearly daily. Endless chemical bombardment and brutal poisoned fangs or blades would see to plummeting morale. A great depression that cast itself upon Supremus warriors who had slain too many humans to count, the blood of those they were to shelter and preserve staining their fur. Everyone had gotten involved in the war at this point, Polity and Republican conscripts running low as their populations were stricken low. And everyone had noticed that the only front in which they could be called gaining non-pyrrhic victories was on the southern front.

More emergency powers would be given to Governor-General Ogedei in these desperate dozen years of war, passed through the Senate in record breaking speeds. With every major victory he gained in the south, the more power he was given. Accentuating this, Ogedei’s swift action to transport all humans to the capital of Terra Supremus was lauded as a decisive action to safeguard their charges. Detractors would be swiftly dealt with under cries of carelessness for humanity’s seed, and for some, with cries of heresy. To turn the war around, a hopeful Federation turned towards its seemingly greatest leader. Despite the weak protests of the once Greater States, who had now long since diminished in power and influence with their crippled populations, defeats in the east and west as well as the rising assassinations of various humans of import in supposed safe places, the Senate passed several constitutional amendments to give the Governor-General the power as a Supreme Leader. The Khan.

Ogedei Khan, as he was now known, set to finish the war. To stop the heresy of human blood staining Supremus fur. To stop the madman, the crazed, the scion-killer Caesar. The probing back and forth within the south became a lightning fast counteroffensive, the Khan's newly dubbed Legionnaires smashing through the weaker southern Imperial battle lines and circling back to bolster the east and west.

At the siege of Roma-Greek, the Polity city-state, among the broken pillars of a new Parthenon, the first siege would be broken and the Imperials would be pushed back on the eastern front for the first time in years. These Legionnaires would be lauded as heroes, beleaguered conscripts with decrepit automatons witnessed these disciplined legionnaires toeing with beasts, weathering chemical storms and fighting against the harshest poisons. They were lauded as merciful and kind, with every human encountered taken away from their careless Supremus allies for re-education. Unknown to them, as the years went on, the Khan had further genetically enhanced his personal soldiery to have greater resistance against their foes. The stage was set and the war would reach its final stages. Suffering crippling defeat after crippling defeat, often retreating at the mere sight of the Khan's forces especially when Imperial humans were among them, the Imperials were routed back into their jungle. The free apes would celebrate the announcement of the war's final battle, with Ogedei hailed as a hero and protector. Ogedei the Merciful.

The Age of the Khanate

Upon victory, Ogedei the Merciful released several quick reformations with his ascension as Khan. The Senate would be kept as council to him and every Hegemon following, thus keeping each nation as sovereign entities which would stay in charge of their own domestic affairs and governance. Even the idea of a supermajority ruling of no-confidence was kept in place but the Oligarchy as an institution was done away with. The Khan is kept in check by the Senate but has larger powers with controlling foreign affairs, greater executive powers in vetoing laws passed by the Senate and control of a Federation-wide Legion which could attack as well as defend. The Khan would finalise the transfer of all humans into Terra Supremus, writing this into the newly formed Khanate’s constitution. Safeguarding them. Protecting them. Restricting them?

Individual militaries would be allowed for each nation but limited to a certain percentage of the nation's citizen population. Terra Supremus would be refitted into a mobile capital and home of the Senate. The Khan will only be focused on matters of foreign affairs and domestic peace, having a large military legion with an oath to defend the rights of each sovereign nation if breached (with exceptions). A Federal Monarchy as it were, with all leaders swearing upon the Khan and the Khan swearing to protect each of their ape peoples and their sovereignty. Technology could be kept individually between city-states but trade was encouraged. Minor conflicts can occur between nations but is kept in check by the overview of the Khan. Tribute is sent regularly to Terra Supremus by eager nations seeking the approval of the Khan, to gain better standing in the Senate and hold better sway as advisors. The Khan is made essential to protect against threats foreign and domestic, those who seek to undermine the continued freedom of the Supremus to largely govern themselves. The Khan is made essential to protect their charges, to educate humanity’s direct descendants, to fill their bellies, to keep them away from threats known and unknown.

And thus a new age of prosperity began. With the Khan's legions protecting against possible incursions from the jungles, another age of rebuilding, expansion and innovation could begin. With the end of the War to End All Wars came a large population boom and great confidence in the protection of the Khan. The scars of war were removed from the vast Neo-Earth savanna, replaced by carefully planned, permanent cities, environment-conscious agriculture and improved solar and wind farms. Mining projects would bring greater resource wealth, fueling inventions and architectural wonders from humanity's histories. Competition between nations would fuel these great leaps forward, under the wise and guided tutelage of the Khan of course. Education would continue as the caretaker's had taught them but with increased focus on the history of the nations under the Khan. Under the Khan’s wise rule and careful hand, the withering population of Homo Sapiens Sapiens were cradled into greater numbers. Pride in being a Supremus was at an all time high.

The title of Khan would pass through another two generations, staying focused on developing New Gift and quelling dissidents to the peace. Space technology was theorised and reverse engineers but ignored to focus more on their new home. Cultural works of humanity would continue to be redeveloped in painstaking detail, copies of old landmarks and large historical libraries serving as tourist destinations. Developing light but highly durable alloys, more effective modular cities and industrial complexes which could move quicker than before. Sprawling city-states would dot the northern savanna of Gaia and eventually as this crowded, some others would move to the southern savanna of Tellus. These states would be few and far between due to presence of roving bands of former Imperial bandit-kings, having fake claims of sharing blood with the Caesars of old. No true son of Caesar has come out of the jungles. No Imperial human would be seen again.

It would seem reasonable to destroy the jungle or make a final crusade against the Imperials. And many state-heads did pose the question to their leader. But as every Khan would reason, such an effort would be resource-draining at best and cause permanent ecological damage at worst. Let the outsiders sit in their uncivilised jungle dens, obviously failing to safeguard the humans they had with them, until they starve themselves out or revert back to a more primitive nature.

For Khublai Khan, second son of Möngke the Builder, his eyes were set to new horizons. As with many Khans before him, he was ambitious and looked to set himself apart from his predecessors. He could approve of the conservation and infrastructure projects set by his father but he felt greatness can be found further afield. On the 500^th Year since Landing, an opportunity came with the sudden opening of the gateway.

Culture and Society:
A number of different cultures and societies are under the Khan's purview, making the Khanate seem as fractious as the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many apes of the many different nations call their ancestry back to a first generation Supremus whose personalities were based on 31,500 different great minds from across human history. Their creation and uplift was so the Supremus could be humanity's legacy to the stars, thus the variety respects that. City-states within the Federal Khanate are largely self-governed and citizens are bound by the rules within those city-states. Societal and cultural norms can vary largely. Sometimes, it appears that the only things binding the nations together is the oath to the Khan, an equal respect and feeling of supremacy for humanity and a fear of flying. The vast majority are based on human examples throughout history.

The title of "Greater State" is a largely informal one, referring to a city-state's abundant wealth, technology, standing with the Khan and ability to influence other states. Often, the more you have of one, the other attributes will follow. The ability of a state to attract citizens only increases with age, standing and increased opportunities. This title is not held forever though and can be torn away quickly. Ways a Greater State can lose its standing can include political mishaps in the Senate, scandals, significant loss in approved conflicts, declaring conflict with another state without approval of the Khan, bloody coups or an outbreak of ape-eating snakes, among many. Once one state is brought low, there will be five others trying to take its place. As of present time, the Greater States are:

The Republic of Freemen - A democratic republic founded by Jean-Jacque Rousseau and the only continuous Greater State since the old Federation. Republicans are often seen as a very free people with liberal and radical views as in line with the city state's founder. European architecture of the Enlightenment era dot the cityscape, green parks and regularly held festivals interspersed within. Art and the exploration of Enlightenment era beliefs and culture is taught within their schools and French revolution-era clothing has recently taken to the apes there. Citizens have disdain towards the more brutish and unenlightened states, preferring the intellectual and "modern" ones. Republicans have a "social contract" in which citizens should be held to the general will of the people in the city so despite their apparent freedom, conformity is more the norm here. They use the greatest amount of automatons within their military and in their society, holding the largest power-bloc in the Senate. Though some outsiders claim that their greatest contributes to the Khanate are their powdered wigs and itchy clothing, it is their automaton technology which is the backbone of their industry. No finer, more ape-like automatons can be found and they range from purposes in war, service, guarding, transport and labour.

The Conservation League - An oligarchy founded by a group of like-minded, environmentally conscious individuals aiming to prevent the destruction wrought on Earth finding itself on New Gift. This state is focused on the preservation and conservation of native fauna and is incredibly single minded in its task. The oligarchy-system of governance was formed to rid of the ineffective slowness of democratic human nations in addressing climate change. They have the most efficient solar and wind technology, distributing to many of the other city states in the Federal Khanate. The Conservationists are also adept at genetics and sustainable agricultural efforts, creating more efficient crops and advanced procedures to make lab-grown meat for the more adventurous ape. Surprisingly, they hold the highest number of approved conflicts out of any present Greater State. They go, for the lack of a better term, "apeshit" at any perceived attempts to hinder their efforts in conserving the planet. They use genetically enhanced ape soldiers to great effect, second in advancements only to the Legion. With holding much of the moral high ground to the eyes of the Senate, enemies of the League fall quickly. The only reason they have not been denounced by an annoyed Khan is because of their enthusiastic support for the regime due to its own conservation efforts.

The Lost Humanist Theocracy - Some religious inclinations made their way to humanity's inheritors but the largest of these religions are of Human-worship. In particular, remembrance-worship of those who could not be afforded the "Path to Reincarnation" as the first generation Supremus had. Thus followers of this religion are absurdly focused on the positive features of human nature, revering the spirits of those left behind. Walking through Humanist architecture is akin to taking a step backwards in time, as they largely look down upon most forms of ape-made technology and they forsake many of the regular genetic enhancements given to Supremus simians. "For how useful were they, for those spirits left behind." This guilt-type of reverence and "lost" spirit worship is shared among a number of apes outside the Theocracy's limits but their more radical ideas (forsaking genetic enhancement and ape technology) are largely frowned upon. They claim to not view the current humans as literal gods yet speak about them in hushed whispers, with many a worshipper making pilgrimage to Terra Supremus to see the last vestiges of some of the greatest humans. The scions of their parents, the direct descendants of their caretakers, the final untouched humans. They have many missions throughout New Gift as free teachers, healers and advisors, seeking to atone and relieve their guilt, appeasing their Human Spirits. This is counter to the usual trend of supremacist views among Supremus. Their current standing comes from the spread of their religion to outside of the city's borders and the recent addition to their clergy, the third son of Khublai Khan, Sartaq along with the patronage of the Khan’s own daughter, the Greatest Orator. They deny and outwardly revile the idea of a "hidden inquisition" which protects missionaries outside their borders, keeping only an unarmed police force for visitors and a small dedicated team of bodyguards. Despite their recent rise in popularity, this cult-like city-state is still viewed with suspicion by other states of greater or equivalent power.

The Frontier Nations - Not a single state per se but a term collectively referring to nations that reside in untamed Tellus. These frontier city-states are attractive to the young, adventurous and foolhardy, seeking to escape the more "crowded" civilisation of Gaia. Frontier nations which last are hardy, bloodied and resourceful with a grudging camaraderie between nations who also last. Moving in mobile minor cities, they can pack up and run quickly once they spot bandits or rivals coming at them. Life in the frontier is hard but can be rewarding, with much of the savanna left untouched and resources aplenty. Often times, fallen city-states who seek to gain their standing once again become a Frontier Nation. A significant example of this is the Polity which, after the misfortunes that befell it in the Great War, sought to regain its status as a Greater State once more. They form a small but not insignificant power bloc in the Senate, with many apes respecting their hardiness and drive to survive. Some view them with disdain.

Humans – Oh to be Human. What a strange thing to be. A million souls, a mighty number indeed but nothing compared to the untold millions of Supremus with unmatched virility. To be human in the Khanate is to be protected. Safeguarded. Worshipped. Controlled. Restrained. Beyond their teachers, monastery-mothers and guards, many of these humans will not touch another’s fur. They will not reside in anything other than the vast Terra Supremus monasteries they are born in, live in and die in. To be Human is to be fed till their bellies were full and to be taught by the greatest minds in all of human history. To be Human is to be treated as trophies, a testament to the strength of the Khan. Their daily lives are controlled to the minute, ensuring that each human will be as perfect as genetically possible, for to be any less would bring shame to the Khan. To a normal ape, to see a human is a rare occasion, only on planetwide holidays would the greatest orators among them appear on the myriad States, speaking affection for their Supremus caretakers and inheritors. To be human was to be loved. To be human was to be caged – ultimately having no power in this nation of apes.

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^{The banner of the Khan, as chosen by Ogedei the Old}

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Governance and Politics:

"We swear ourselves to the Khan and they swear their selves to us."

The Federal Khanate describes itself perfectly; a federation consisting of nations which swears itself to the Khan. The Khan has ultimate control over foreign affairs and defence, enforces the rules of the constitution, the largest military and swears to uphold the sovereignty, supremacy and rights of the people. The title of "Khan" is not hereditary, though most past Khans have chosen their firstborn sons as imminent heir as matter of preference. Instead, a Khan will name their list of successors within their will in their order of preference. There is no choice for the chosen as the Khan's will is granted constitutional rights. Thus a Khan will often groom their successor over many years, preparing them for their rule. The title cannot be passed down to any current or past leaders of city states and thus Khan's have all come from the bloodline of Yesugei. In the horrid event that none of the chosen successors are alive at the time of the Khan's death (unlikely because the list of successors have often become over a hundred names long), the Senate will hold a vote to choosing a prominent ape to succeed.

There are some federal guidelines for apes seeking to found their own nation, to join the 1,738 already present. Some semblance of order must be established as anarchic states have the tendency to crumble in on itself thus the Khan requires a set of written laws and an official banner to represent itself. Conflicts should be avoided but are allowed as long as both parties seek the approval of the Khan and the matter is isolated. Yearly gatherings of the Senate, times when the Khan calls for a Senate hearing and gatherings in times of emergency (such as when a Khan dies) are mandatory sessions. The title of senator cannot be bestowed on any current leader of a city-state to prevent disruption. Coups must be contained and trade agreements made by the defending government must be made until the coup is sorted out. Any disruptions to the rest of the Khanate is met with the swift boot of the Legion. Speaking of, a certain detachment of Legion forces must be present within the city perimeter at all times and any attempt to coerce, eliminate or impede them is treated with extreme prejudice. The leader/s or most prominent figure must swear upon the constitution and swear to the Khan, similarly to any new senators otherwise their state is considered to have ceded from the Khanate. States are also constricted to a set amount of territory and can petition the Khan for more land only during the yearly Senate gatherings. Otherwise, the laws of the land can vary greatly between city states.

Individual crimes can be punished differently between states. Thievery can result in the loss of the hand or a pat on the back. In some corporate states, white collar crime is punished more severely than murder. In many religious and theocratic states, sins are the law equivalent and in some, are seen as an affront to their God-King or Goddess-Queen. The difference in governance between the different states can create cutthroat politics, with seasoned Senators becoming expert politicians and some grudge lists becoming long enough to circle the world (see: The Conservation League). Some states even actively take in escaped prisoners as an insult to another, as long as the Khan approves. The aim of every Minor State is to become a Greater one and the aim of every Greater State is to stay in their position, creating conflict.

Order is maintained by the Khan but small approved conflicts or dueling between ruling classes are common enough to be seen as normal. This chaos results in significant changes in the Senate regularly and can confuse outsiders. The only official federal land claimed by the Khan is Terra Supremus and the equatorial jungles of New Gift. Only approved citizens and soldiers are allowed to visit the latter though that does not stop the Imperials, bandits and runaways. The only federal crimes that an ape can commit is attempted assault/murder of a Khan and his successors, any criminal offence against a Khanate-protected human, infiltration of a monastery, bringing harm to any monastery staff, federal treason, secession, disruption of the common peace/trade and slavery. These crimes are met with the appropriate force to extinguish it from existence.

Technology Overview:
As with everything in the Khanate, technology can vary greatly as well. With the vast number of states come different wealth, technology and sometimes, acceptance of technology. The apes have tended to neglect space technology until recently, having only communication and weather satellites due to the focus on developing the land of New Gift. Overall, the technology level is similar to what they started with some developing trends over the years:

Conservation - The influence of Earth's downfall affect the Supremus apes greatly. They have an extensive genetic library of old Earth fauna stored but no cloning, beyond infertile pets such as dogs and cats, have occurred to preserve native fauna. Every ape conserves this legacy and intends to conserve their current home as well. Great attempts have been made to conserve the natural ecosystem of New Gift with very few permanent cities being established, many states opting for moving, modular cities atop trusty tracks to prevent disruption to animal migrations (despite the active hostility of many of these animals). Similarly, most agriculture is kept limited and genetically enhanced to be as productive in as small an area as possible, kept in mobile greenhouses to prevent cross-pollination with native plants. The term "conservation" generally means the conservation of environment, human history and culture.

Genetics - With the availability of each species' DNA map and the technology to modify it, genetic manipulation is common among the apes and even among humans. It is widely acceptable to modify oneself or offspring to be better though greater advancements are often closely guarded secrets of states (except to the Khan). Modifications to humans within their fortified monasteries were seen as natural, to ensure their survival and allow them to have perfect lives. Enhancements can range from increased physical attributes, an ability to stay awake longer, better senses, an inability to feel pain (for the crazy) to even enhanced fertility. The latter seems to be utilised by the Khans heavily as they foster many children.

Variety - The sheer variety of different states means technological focus can vary drastically. With encouraged trade between states, nations are often sharing their own specialised technology in exchange for something they need. For example, the Conservation League are experts at conservative and environmentally friendly power sources but lack some of the knowledge on the automaton labourers found in a state such as the Republic. They could try to reverse-engineer their own but this is seen as a more expensive endeavour compared to simply trading for the most advanced goods. That is to say, most minor city-states enjoy a mediocre set of technologies and are viewed as more "standard".

Military Overview:
Conflict has evolved drastically since the lumbering automatons, mass wave tactics and trench warfare of the War to End All Wars. Every significant enough city-state has a military, otherwise having to rely on detachments of the Khan's legionnaires for defense. But the focus, tactics and ability of said militaries can vary significantly. They do focus on an important factor in the conflicts which pepper the Khanate: mobility. The ability to strike first, fine manoeuvres around the enemy, ambushes and changing battle lines. The modern Supremus simian soldier is armed with a truckload of communication and infortmation technology and any military worth their salt will have a BattleNet to highlight enemy troop movements, possible false flag attacks and lay out orders instantly. Sometimes, organic soldiers are replaced by advanced automatons capable of accepting orders instantly at the behest of a detached Commander. Clashes occur often in the lower streets of moving cities, in mobile savanna outposts and often, between moving military command centers. The defeat of an opponent is usually marked either by a significant destruction or capture of an opponents asset, death of the main military commander or taking the conflict to the point that it is seen as costly for the opponent to continue. As varied as the individual states' militaries are, there is serious standardisation among the Khan's personal military arm - the Legion.

The Khan acts as the supreme commander of the largest and most advanced military on New Gift. There are over 1,000,000 active duty Legionnaires split between the 100 different divisions of the Legion, with a further 110,000 strong auxiliaries as part of the Expeditionary Corps. Each division is generally made up of a mixed-troop of mechanised, mobile forces each with their own air and armor support. Led by a Divisional-General, each legion must be able to be largely self-sustainable for at least a year, with Expeditionary Corps needing to be fully self-sustaining for upwards to three years. Doing so increases the mobility of each legion and its divided military organisations so that they are able to operate as one. They have the most advanced mobile command centers and BattleNets available, the Legion priding themselves upon their individual soldier's intuition. Consequently, they often look down upon automatons in their rigidness, only using them in aerial combat and support because of the innate fear of flying simians have. Their warfare is that of constant movement to encircle, ambush and outmaneouvre, having mainly been focused on eliminating bandit-kings and the like. The standard genetic enhancements of a Legionnaire include heightened senses, increased endurance, agility and intellect. To become a Legionnaire one must survive these procedures as well as pass several difficult physical and mental team challenges known colloquially as the Grid. To become a Legionnaire was to be a Supremus, for no self-respecting Khan would ever allow the shedding of human blood like the foolish Caesar. Upon becoming a Legionnaire, they are typically stationed to the different nation-states, most in the smaller states to defend it from hostile fauna or bandit simians.

Eleven divisions, as well as the entire Auxiliary Corps, are labelled as Expeditionary Corps. These are aspects of the Legion focused on actively engaging within the equatorial jungles and frontier-states in Tellus. Both the divisions and the Auxiliaries, who are volunteers from militaries across the states, are tasked with defending the sovereign rights of the frontier states as well as seeking those who intend to subvert them. Targets include Imperial remnants, Bandit-Kings and extremely hostile native fauna. They actively seek these targets frequently, often sending expeditions into the jungles to get to the source of the problem. This is the most dangerous job in the Khanate as it takes the Legionnaire out of the civilisation of northern Gaia and into the rougher parts of Munus where anything can be hostile. Often, the jungle canopy can be too thick for command to reach squads thus many are lost on patrols. Their lives in the hands of vengeful imperials, bandits and vicious beasts, are met with a brutal end. The goals of these expeditions is to ultimately exterminate secessionist activity within New Gift and tame the jungles, through the establishment of Mobile Stability Bases to patrol throughout these hostile lands. Great strides have been made but to many others outside the Legion, the Expeditionary Corps are more like respectable glory hounds.

There are whispers of muscle-bound soldiers, equal in mass of even the elephants of old Earth, prowling in Legionnaire armour and wielding weapons of unspeakable power. An open secret of the Khanate's Legion. A breed of super-warriors with muscles on muscles, a vision of perfect martial might and unparalleled military acumen. For each would be seen as worthy of scores of Legionnaires by their lonesome. There are rumours of street orphans being taken from the poorest city states. There are rare glimpses of the black ships which ship them to the isolated city of Terra Supremus. There are obvious signs of death, with many small caskets shipped to the capital on a daily basis. To connect those whispers, rumours and signs was to be associated with treason and so many, even children of the Khan himself, kept their jaws shut tight in public. But to the military-minded apes of the Khanate, their forums would be filled with speculation, profiles hidden from the ever-watchful eyes of the Khanate with virtual private networks. Allegedly, at least. But even the most conspiratorial of these apes dismissed the most ridiculous of claims. Humans, walking among these giants, armed and just as muscle bound as the rest. How ridiculous.

The Different Soldiers

A standard Legionnaire in their modern-age armourr

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Two examples of Legionnaire Heavy Weapons support. From left to right: Antipersonnel and anti-armour

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An example of an Expeditionary Corps Legionnaire

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Reformed American rangers

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A typical ape automaton

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Modern samurai chimpanzee with a genetically enhanced sword-hand, keeping the peace in New Nippon

The Different Vehicles

Legion Armoured Personnel Carrier. The turret can be replaced by an armoured dome on the top for a Heavy Weapons Legionnaire to put their turret through

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Legion Main Battle Tank

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Standard Legion Air Support Drone

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^{Terra Supremus on approach towards New Gift}

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On Humans and Gateways:
To most apes, there is the opinion of great paternalistic respect, sometimes worship, for humans. To the Supremus, they inherited their legacy and were created to continue it and to safeguard the last of their seed. There is, however, a certain supremacy every ape holds over the presumably fragile humans. They believe themselves superior, as they are taught they are. The existence of other human colonies is widely known but dismissed to be inferior and genetically diminished from the carefully orchestrated lines of Khanate human descendants. The only “true” humans left were cloistered in their monasteries, given untold riches and services a normal Supremus could only dream of. The Gateways merely represent an opportunity for the Supremus, to take the true legacy of the humans to the stars. For less hostile frontiers and chances to expand. The first step to Earth is merely to see their ancestral homelands, seen as culturally significant but not in other ways. A dead world gives no bounty to them.

Locations

The Theocracy's city-state wandering Gaia

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Conservation League on the move

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The Monasteries, one of the few permanent structures on New Gift. Extensions of Terra Supremus itself. The beautiful abodes of the final true humans.

Wider Khanate assets

Beijing-class Legion Mobile Military Base

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Cairo-class Legion Mobile Drone Carrier

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Standard Legion Mobile Artillery

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Standard Legion Gunship Drone

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Revolution-class Heavy Support Automaton

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Standard Legion Mobile Mechanised Support Ship

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Nzinga Ndongo, the Greatest Orator, cherished as the Khan’s own daughter.

Through the Gateways: Inhumanity

@Tortoise

Yessir, will edit and improve the sheet!

Through the Gateways: Inhumanity

I'm so in.

Edit: Khanapes are back with humans baby!!

Khanate of the Apes and Caretakers of Humanity

The Federal Khanate of the Supremus

We are the inheritors of Humanity, their eternal legacy in the stars.

Government Form:
Federal Monarchy

Demographics:
Pongo Pygmaeus Supremus 20.01%
Troglodytes Gorilla Supremus 32.33%
Pan Troglodytes Supremus 47.65%
Homo Sapiens Sapiens 0.01%

Population:
Over 1,000,000,000 individuals

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^{A rare picture inside the deadly jungles of New Gift}

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Planet Name and Description:

New Gift was named by long-dead, hopeful scientists. From the outside, it was a perfect Earth-like planet orbiting its Sol-like star in the Goldilocks Zone, perfect for life. It was slightly larger than Earth and had two moons. The New Gift system was not anything out of the ordinary, another terrestrial planet closer to its star and three gas giants on a larger orbit. If they had set foot on its supercontinent of Munus, they would have encountered thick equatorial jungles with savannas on either polar side. Deadly melon-sized bugs, large elephant constricting snakes and ill-tempered horse-like creatures. More shadowed and evil beasts would roam the jungles, sharp talons and wicked teeth. Trees as high as four stories tall and plants which could eat a fully-grown ape. A planet so hostile to life that it is a wonder the native species have not killed each other off yet. To regular humans, it was a death trap. To the superior ape? It became home.

History:

Origins of the Supremus

Even before the colony ship for New Gift had set off for its destination, there were a few things which set it apart from the others. It was a largely private endeavor, funded by the multi-national conglomerate SciCorps, given to it for its major contributions towards the various conservation efforts it headed on Earth. It had an incredibly small colony of only 2,000 humans, headed by top scientists, geneticists, engineers and strangely, historians. Geniuses all but were often viewed by the outer scientific community as 'odd'. Opposed to other colony ships, what made up its vast holds were the remaining populations of several of humanity's closest relatives. To the heads of SciCorps, all eccentric, billionaire, science-guided men who saw the downfall of humanity by its own hubris. To them, humanity had lost its way and thus its right to think itself supreme. It must be succeeded by inheritors of humanity's best while lacking of its worst traits. Thus they found their inspiration within the remaining populations of chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans numbering 50,000 altogether. Their populations were devastated by humanity in their arrogance, their habitats destroyed by our carelessness and greed. They would understand us, our histories, our cultures, our hardships and our follies. They would be uplifted by our hand and succeed where we failed.

SciCorps had chosen our closest relatives due to the greater ease in which they could be uplifted to sapient-level intelligence and their existing ability to use tools. Since the bonobo had been killed off a decades before the colony ships were being prepared, orangutans and gorillas had been brought in to boost numbers and bring diversity. Advanced humanity had long since mapped their own brains and thus had also been able to map the brains of these ape species. In the years before SciCorps' colony ship launch, several research teams worked on discovering a way to "uplift" non-sapient species in the hopes that these species could inherit our legacy but be better than we were. They had succeeded with these three species but only through the splicing of human genes and most peculiarly, personalities. To gain sapience, they must be implanted with the personality of an already existing (or past) human to ensure stability, proper empathy and intelligence.

Undeterred by these revelations, SciCorps used its vast wealth to collect historians, geneticists and scientists in conjunction with superintelligent AI to map and create the brains of the greatest examples of humanity. These eccentric geniuses had been over-enthusiastic in their brain mapping and with its minimal oversight (SciCorps was busy with its ongoing conservation efforts as well as Earth's dying days), some less-than-great minds had been mapped and stored for uploading. These additions would not be properly audited by the SciCorps elite in its waning days as processes were rushed due to various calamities which befell the conglomerate in its waning days. In the implantation and upload, over 10,000 subjects, mainly gorillas and orangutans, suffered shock and death upon awakening from the traumatic procedures. A further 5,000 would perish in the gene enhancing operations that would follow. Better vocal speech, more dexterous thumbs, greater muscular density than before. The remaining apes would undergo history lessons, morality tests, intelligence tests and physical ability tests. A further 3,500 would be culled in the last years before colony launch. The remaining roughly 31,500 Supremus apes as they had been dubbed would board the colony ship Terra Supremus along with their teachers, a secret kept hidden from the rest of the world.

The First Steps

Upon their arrival to New Gift and the subsequent loss of the Gateways, some of the human teachers set to work on finding out about the world below while the inheritors would learn from the rest. What they found horrified and often, killed them. This would be the world of their inheritors, of mankind's successors? They all believed deep within their hearts (after several years of SciCorps propaganda and brainwashing) that the other human colonies would fall to strife as Earth had. These Supremus would be slaughtered there, despite their genetic enhancements and uplift. A solution would come from one of these apes themselves. A cunning, intelligent orangutan, known for his great charisma and dominance among the other apes. One whose brain template's name had been lost to all but him. The Khan incarnate spoke with a deep rumbling voice.

"O wise teachers, our humble creators. You have taught us your ways, to be the inheritors of your wisdom and greatness. O generous people you have been, giving us knowledge to renew our species, setting us on a worthier path. O wonderful you have been, gifting us the minds of your greatest so we may succeed you, as impossible as that venture may seem to our lowly minds. We are your children, and you are our parents, we are the flock to be moved to greener pastures by you, the shepherds. You have taught and given us much, but we lack an art of yours. One you have, out of justified fear, left out of our teachings. An art we require to carry your legacy, and your scions, into the stars with us. Aside from the arts of engineering, science and culture, you must teach us the Art of War." Yesugei spread his arms, orange fur draping elegantly in brushed locks, a toothy grin on his face.

There were protests at first. These were to be our peaceful inheritors, our greatest legacy. How could we give them the knowledge of our greatest folly? But even to the most idealist of the teachers, they could find no other answer. The colony ship had been armed with science and industry, not advanced weaponry. Mine excavators, modular industrial complexes, great agricultural machines. They were a mere 2,000 souls, many of whom felt they were bound to die on a planet as harsh as this one. They must teach their children how to defend themselves against this harsh world of theirs. To carry, what they felt, were humanity’s last vestiges in the galaxy, into the stars. They must teach their successors humanity's greatest folly - war.

Thus the colony ship landed a year later with supplies running low, in the largest savanna in the supercontinent Munus. The combined Supremus population had grown to 60,000 apes, many of the children inheriting the forced genetic tampering easier than expected. Here, many of the human caretakers, now dwindling in numbers and long rendered infertile by age, let their successors choose their own fate away from their tampering and holed themselves up in the stranded colony ship. They were confident that despite the mistakes along the way, their "children" as many had started to see them, would grow to be their betters. And in the beginning, as they observed the various projects of a growing ape population, their optimistic views were proven correct. A sprawling town would grow around the fallen ship, a "Neo-Earth" as its denizens began to call it in homage to their creators. An egalitarian democracy in which all could have their say. The pursuits of science, technology and the arts ruled supreme. Industry began to pop up around the town, solar panels and wind farms providing energy to prevent the wounds give to the old Earth. Automated mining and farming began nearby, feeding resources to the great minds within the city. Defensive automatons were built with supplied military knowledge, defending Neo-Earth from its harsh surroundings aided by Supremus’ most physical specimens. Separated from their inheritors, the last humans felt content with their success.

So much so that they were blinded by it.

Politicking and Compromise

By the time of the last caretaker’s death, the many great inherited minds from Humanity’s history had fractured between political camps. The scions of scions of those caretakers young enough to have had children were closeted and protected by these camps. To have a human under your care was an ape’s greatest honour. To be a human was to live as a trophy, cloistered away in monasteries and only appearing rarely in public. No freedom, worshipped almost as gods, taken care of by inhuman caregivers. Humanity was too precious at this point to be given their freedom. Or perhaps too outnumbered to know any other life? They would take a backseat in the history of New Gift, given little power and whispered about almost as gods.

The once-children were divided in how they should carry humanity’s legacy to the stars. To have True egalitarianism could not work with the growing population. And thus, four bickering camps of political thought formed.

Aristotle argued that although democracy did work, they needed to make sure that the officials that are elected are learned apes of intelligence, selflessness and most controversially, a past life of serving the public good. He represented many of the reborn scientists and philosophers. Many of these would primarily be older first-generation Supremus.

Rousseau passionately countered that democracy must be indiscriminate of one’s background and thus one’s past “life” was akin to their genealogy. Judging an ape for their mere “blood” went against what they were taught. He represented many of the great democratic leaders and many others who came from democratic states, valuing freedom. A significant minority of Rousseau’s followers would be made up of the youngest second-generation.

Caesar intoned that democracy had ultimately failed Humanity. Once bloated bureaucratic machines came to be, it only served to fracture and slow nations, the chimpanzee explained. If they kept to choosing strong, just leaders who in turn chose strong, just successors. This way, the Supremus could move forward faster and under stable rule. He represented the military men, kings, queens, and others disillusioned by democracy. Almost all these would be younger first-generation Supremus. They would hold the greatest number of humans under their care, controversially letting their predecessors walk among them freely as if they were not an endangered species needing protection.

The final school of thought was led by Temujin, son of Yesugei, the dark horse and only second generation Supremus to represent their own camp. He would only come near the end of the debates, giving his proposition. They had been implanted with Humanity’s greatest minds but of different philosophies, politics, and time periods. How one group of Supremus would want to be governed could be vastly different from another. Let each group rule their own in the way they want but have a sort of intergovernmental union which connected them. A confederation of sovereign nations with the ceremonial position of Governor-General who constitutionally held little power. They served to act as mediator between nations, would be its figurative head, represent Supremus in its foreign affairs and only maintain a modest, non-automated self-defence force as a deterrent versus power hungry nations seeking to topple the Governor-General. Nations would keep to themselves with internal affairs and resource allocation by the Governor-General would be dictated strictly by needs and population. This was supported by the late Yesugei’s closest confidantes and the outsiders who disagreed with the other camps and sought to do their own way. Many of the latter were second-generation Supremus. Let us unite to safekeep the last of humanity’s genealogical children, they would say.

The other three camps would vehemently disagree outwardly towards this proposal. Going for this sort of compromise could weaken their political position in the eyes of their supporters and enemies. However, the debates had made many tired and thus many behind the scenes deals would be made towards these compromisers. Rousseau proposed the addition of elected sovereign officials who would serve as representatives of their nations in a parliament, which could make changes to the federal constitution or hold a supermajority vote of no-confidence upon the Governor-General to check his power. Temujin accepted these terms with passionate chest thumping and nods.

Aristotle, through his subordinate chimpanzee Theophrastus, would propose that those officials must have a certain level of intelligence and selflessness, as indicated by the scores previously tested by the humans. All second generation Supremus and those following generations must submit to these tests to check their eligibility. The testing must be done by a representative body of learned men from each nation, separate from the Senate. This Oligarchy would ensure stability and be a counter to the powers of the Senate. Temujin accepted with grace, bowing his head.

The only detractor remaining at the end of the talks would be Caesar and his camp, eyeing the son of Yesugei with obvious suspicion. No representative seemed to come from him and his. The message was clear. Aristotle, followed by Rousseau again, stated their proposals and Temujin accepted them publicly. Caesar’s followers walked out of the talks, with Caesar himself last to leave. “Blind baboons” he spat “the lot of you! You do not see what he is doing!” Him and his followers would disappear the following day with stolen resources and arms, last seen over the horizon in the direction of the jungles. Certain genetic templates and tissue would be stolen that night, records of it wiped from the colony ship's computers.

The Formation of the New Gift Federation

Disregarding the threat of Caesar due to the hellish jungles of New Gift, the three leaders would set to establish the New Gift Federation. The loss of so many humans to Caesar’s camp was a harsh political blow to the new government and only served to tighten the restrictions of the remaining humans under their care. They would be treated as closely guarded secrets, with their movements controlled each day and only appearing in public on the rarest of occasions during holidays of great import. To be human was to serve as a trophy, a political tool. And sometimes, a god.
Several other nations would be formed by other individuals only to join the N.G.G. There would be a mass exodus from Neo-Earth township, many of the modular industrial complexes and mobile shelters splitting in a diaspora around the newly named Neo-Earth diaspora. Rousseau’s Republic of Freemen and Aristotle’s Polity of Philosophy would form the largest city-states while the others would form townships or smaller villages. The most significant of these smaller governments would be Thunberg’s Conservation League and Lincoln’s democratic Reformed States of America.

The old colony ship would serve as the Governor-General’s seat due to its central position. True to the constitution, Temujin did not do anything to interfere with the governance of the states. In truth, despite the initial fears within the Republic and the Polity of the Governor-General turning into a dictator, this was seen to be largely unfounded. The Senate and Oligarchy would become a ruthless political arena between the Polity, the Republic, their different sovereign allies, and the independents. These two city-states would dominate the political sphere of the N.G.G. and be the most powerful, dubbed the informal title of “Greater States”. Despite their precious fragility, humans could be found across the states in their monastery-schools, Supremus guards given to each as protectors no matter what state they were found in.

The many military automatons of Terra Supremus, the colony ship’s name and the new name of the old Neo-Earth township, would go to these powerful states. Thus the defence of many of the smaller independent town-states and villages would be given to Temujin and his self-defence forces. These would be made up of individuals from all the nations, to ensure equality and an image of unity. Universally, within the Polity and the Republic, this force would be looked down upon when compared to the advanced military automatons. Thus the conscripts sent to the Federation SDF from these powers would mainly be the Supremus who did not fit the mould.

Temujin would form a strict meritocracy within the ranks of the SDF, creating an effective fast response force which could mobilise quickly to any threats towards the weaker states. Heavily drilled and with strict punishments for slacking, the SDF would become a premier military force second only to the advanced automatons of the Greater States. No human would be found in their number for their lives were too precious. Or maybe, they were treated as an afterthought?
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Their popularity would only grow among the independent nations. The Federation Senate and Oligarchy became fiercer political battlegrounds as time went on, serving as a representation of power between the Greater States.

Upon the birth of Temujin’s first son, Ogedei, a Cold War would ensue between the Greater Powers after a series of political advancements by the Republic when it seduced several nations to its power bloc. With the addition of nations, came the safekeeping of more humans. To be a caretaker of a dying race was seen as a great honour and only elevated their political power. Automatons were advanced, walls were raised and for the first time, war machines would be sent in support of ally sovereigns. Pre-empting this, the Governor-General called forth the first negotiations between the two powers, acting as mediator. He was an excellent orator and convinced the leaders of the Greater States to set aside their weapons, reminding them of the reason behind their uplifting and creation.

”Learned ape, free ape, this humble one must remind you that we are all Supremus. We were created as inheritors of Humanity’s legacy and tasked to be their successors. We know not about the other colonies but going by anything our wise caretakers taught us, they would be in strife and conflict. This is why we keep the scions safe, no? We learned of war to fight our deadly surroundings, to protect the scions of our caretakers, not to fight each other. We are better and we must prove ourselves to be better, lest we disprove our own species’ names. Whether chimpanzee, orangutan, or gorilla. Whether Politician, Republican, Reformed American or others. We stand better united and at peace. We must prove ourselves supreme, as caretakers of the last vestiges of humanity.”

The subsequent stop on the development of war automatons would serve to be the greatest achievement in Temujin the Peacekeeper’s life. A new age of prosperity and unity would rise within the Federation, one that Ogedei would inherit once he was appointed as Governor-General, upon Temujin’s death. The supposed nepotism was ignored due to the late Peacekeeper’s popularity and the relatively powerless position kept even avid conspiracy theorists at bay. To suppress the jealousy among the growing states about the amount of humans cloistered within the different states, the honour guards were replaced by SDF detachments to keep them away from the political wills of the senate. It would be early in Ogedei’s tenure that plots would begin to unravel themselves.

The War to End All Wars

Tiberius Caesar, son of Augustus, son of Julius, had come. Hardened by three generations within the jungle, the Emperor’s Followers had returned from their long exile to prove themselves worthy as leaders of the Supremus. They sat atop great war beasts and fought alongside tamed monsters, having long gotten used to and conquering the deadly denizens within the jungle. To many a Supremus’ disgust, they had humanity’s direct scions fighting hand in hand with them, most assuredly blinded by Caesar’s propaganda. To be so reckless with the last of our caretaker’s seed? Abhorrent to the extreme.

Targeting the southernmost city-states and townships, they raided these frontier nations with glee and were only pushed back once the SDF had reached them, many an ape weeping as they cut down both fellow ape and human alike. It was clear that they could not be reasoned with, even the human descendants had come with weapon in hand with an unexplainable rage about them.

These year-long raids would only prove as a distraction as a great war host came from the jungles circled a two prong attack upon the East and West. Amassing a truly terrible host of monsters, hardened Supremus and curse-spouting humans, these were the proverbial daggers to the hearts of the Federation – the Greater States. As the SDF was distracted to the south and its numbers limited by constitution, it fell to the Polity and the Republic to defend Neo-Earth’s heartlands. Automaton fought beast, Supremus fought Supremus in bitter conflict and rivalry.

The fighting was fierce in the south, east and west of the Neo-Earth savanna. The Emperor’s Followers were backed by their war-beasts, savage poisons and chemical artillery which inflicted heavy casualties upon Polity, Republican and ally conscripts. Only the automatons fared better, metal resistant against claws, large ammunition and explosives proving deadly against flesh. The east and the west saw the bloodiest of the fighting, back and forth offensive manoeuvres on both sides, probing the other to find weaknesses. Deep trenches and fortifications would be set up against each other, carving up the earth of a once beautiful continent-sized savanna. The south found more success with Ogedei’s forces, a more tactical type of warfare which saw constantly changing battle lines, ambushes, and false flag attacks. The SDF was aided by its supreme manoeuvrability and its QRF-based military doctrine.

As the war went on and weeks turned into months which turned into years, the nations of the Federation grew desperate. Seemingly unending hordes of wild beasts would crash into their lines nearly daily. Endless chemical bombardment and brutal poisoned fangs or blades would see to plummeting morale. A great depression that cast itself upon Supremus warriors who had slain too many humans to count, the blood of those they were to shelter and preserve staining their fur. Everyone had gotten involved in the war at this point, Polity and Republican conscripts running low as their populations were stricken low. And everyone had noticed that the only front in which they could be called gaining non-pyrrhic victories was on the southern front.

More emergency powers would be given to Governor-General Ogedei in these desperate dozen years of war, passed through the Senate in record breaking speeds. With every major victory he gained in the south, the more power he was given. Accentuating this, Ogedei’s swift action to transport all humans to the capital of Terra Supremus was lauded as a decisive action to safeguard their charges. Detractors would be swiftly dealt with under cries of carelessness for humanity’s seed, and for some, with cries of heresy. To turn the war around, a hopeful Federation turned towards its seemingly greatest leader. Despite the weak protests of the once Greater States, who had now long since diminished in power and influence with their crippled populations, defeats in the east and west as well as the rising assassinations of various humans of import in supposed safe places, the Senate passed several constitutional amendments to give the Governor-General the power as a Supreme Leader. The Khan.

Ogedei Khan, as he was now known, set to finish the war. To stop the heresy of human blood staining Supremus fur. To stop the madman, the crazed, the scion-killer Caesar. The probing back and forth within the south became a lightning fast counteroffensive, the Khan's newly dubbed Legionnaires smashing through the weaker southern Imperial battle lines and circling back to bolster the east and west.

At the siege of Roma-Greek, the Polity city-state, among the broken pillars of a new Parthenon, the first siege would be broken and the Imperials would be pushed back on the eastern front for the first time in years. These Legionnaires would be lauded as heroes, beleaguered conscripts with decrepit automatons witnessed these disciplined legionnaires toeing with beasts, weathering chemical storms and fighting against the harshest poisons. They were lauded as merciful and kind, with every human encountered taken away from their careless Supremus allies for re-education. Unknown to them, as the years went on, the Khan had further genetically enhanced his personal soldiery to have greater resistance against their foes. The stage was set and the war would reach its final stages. Suffering crippling defeat after crippling defeat, often retreating at the mere sight of the Khan's forces especially when Imperial humans were among them, the Imperials were routed back into their jungle. The free apes would celebrate the announcement of the war's final battle, with Ogedei hailed as a hero and protector. Ogedei the Merciful.

The Age of the Khanate

Upon victory, Ogedei the Merciful released several quick reformations with his ascension as Khan. The Senate would be kept as council to him and every Hegemon following, thus keeping each nation as sovereign entities which would stay in charge of their own domestic affairs and governance. Even the idea of a supermajority ruling of no-confidence was kept in place but the Oligarchy as an institution was done away with. The Khan is kept in check by the Senate but has larger powers with controlling foreign affairs, greater executive powers in vetoing laws passed by the Senate and control of a Federation-wide Legion which could attack as well as defend. The Khan would finalise the transfer of all humans into Terra Supremus, writing this into the newly formed Khanate’s constitution. Safeguarding them. Protecting them. Restricting them?

Individual militaries would be allowed for each nation but limited to a certain percentage of the nation's citizen population. Terra Supremus would be refitted into a mobile capital and home of the Senate. The Khan will only be focused on matters of foreign affairs and domestic peace, having a large military legion with an oath to defend the rights of each sovereign nation if breached (with exceptions). A Federal Monarchy as it were, with all leaders swearing upon the Khan and the Khan swearing to protect each of their ape peoples and their sovereignty. Technology could be kept individually between city-states but trade was encouraged. Minor conflicts can occur between nations but is kept in check by the overview of the Khan. Tribute is sent regularly to Terra Supremus by eager nations seeking the approval of the Khan, to gain better standing in the Senate and hold better sway as advisors. The Khan is made essential to protect against threats foreign and domestic, those who seek to undermine the continued freedom of the Supremus to largely govern themselves. The Khan is made essential to protect their charges, to educate humanity’s direct descendants, to fill their bellies, to keep them away from threats known and unknown.

And thus a new age of prosperity began. With the Khan's legions protecting against possible incursions from the jungles, another age of rebuilding, expansion and innovation could begin. With the end of the War to End All Wars came a large population boom and great confidence in the protection of the Khan. The scars of war were removed from the vast Neo-Earth savanna, replaced by carefully planned, permanent cities, environment-conscious agriculture and improved solar and wind farms. Mining projects would bring greater resource wealth, fueling inventions and architectural wonders from humanity's histories. Competition between nations would fuel these great leaps forward, under the wise and guided tutelage of the Khan of course. Education would continue as the caretaker's had taught them but with increased focus on the history of the nations under the Khan. Under the Khan’s wise rule and careful hand, the withering population of Homo Sapiens Sapiens were cradled into greater numbers. Pride in being a Supremus was at an all time high.

The title of Khan would pass through another two generations, staying focused on developing New Gift and quelling dissidents to the peace. Space technology was theorised and reverse engineers but ignored to focus more on their new home. Cultural works of humanity would continue to be redeveloped in painstaking detail, copies of old landmarks and large historical libraries serving as tourist destinations. Developing light but highly durable alloys, more effective modular cities and industrial complexes which could move quicker than before. Sprawling city-states would dot the northern savanna of Gaia and eventually as this crowded, some others would move to the southern savanna of Tellus. These states would be few and far between due to presence of roving bands of former Imperial bandit-kings, having fake claims of sharing blood with the Caesars of old. No true son of Caesar has come out of the jungles. No Imperial human would be seen again.

It would seem reasonable to destroy the jungle or make a final crusade against the Imperials. And many state-heads did pose the question to their leader. But as every Khan would reason, such an effort would be resource-draining at best and cause permanent ecological damage at worst. Let the outsiders sit in their uncivilised jungle dens, obviously failing to safeguard the humans they had with them, until they starve themselves out or revert back to a more primitive nature.

For Khublai Khan, second son of Möngke the Builder, his eyes were set to new horizons. As with many Khans before him, he was ambitious and looked to set himself apart from his predecessors. He could approve of the conservation and infrastructure projects set by his father but he felt greatness can be found further afield. On the 500^th Year since Landing, an opportunity came with the sudden opening of the gateway.

Culture and Society:
A number of different cultures and societies are under the Khan's purview, making the Khanate seem as fractious as the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many apes of the many different nations call their ancestry back to a first generation Supremus whose personalities were based on 31,500 different great minds from across human history. Their creation and uplift was so the Supremus could be humanity's legacy to the stars, thus the variety respects that. City-states within the Federal Khanate are largely self-governed and citizens are bound by the rules within those city-states. Societal and cultural norms can vary largely. Sometimes, it appears that the only things binding the nations together is the oath to the Khan, an equal respect and feeling of supremacy for humanity and a fear of flying. The vast majority are based on human examples throughout history.

The title of "Greater State" is a largely informal one, referring to a city-state's abundant wealth, technology, standing with the Khan and ability to influence other states. Often, the more you have of one, the other attributes will follow. The ability of a state to attract citizens only increases with age, standing and increased opportunities. This title is not held forever though and can be torn away quickly. Ways a Greater State can lose its standing can include political mishaps in the Senate, scandals, significant loss in approved conflicts, declaring conflict with another state without approval of the Khan, bloody coups or an outbreak of ape-eating snakes, among many. Once one state is brought low, there will be five others trying to take its place. As of present time, the Greater States are:

The Republic of Freemen - A democratic republic founded by Jean-Jacque Rousseau and the only continuous Greater State since the old Federation. Republicans are often seen as a very free people with liberal and radical views as in line with the city state's founder. European architecture of the Enlightenment era dot the cityscape, green parks and regularly held festivals interspersed within. Art and the exploration of Enlightenment era beliefs and culture is taught within their schools and French revolution-era clothing has recently taken to the apes there. Citizens have disdain towards the more brutish and unenlightened states, preferring the intellectual and "modern" ones. Republicans have a "social contract" in which citizens should be held to the general will of the people in the city so despite their apparent freedom, conformity is more the norm here. They use the greatest amount of automatons within their military and in their society, holding the largest power-bloc in the Senate. Though some outsiders claim that their greatest contributes to the Khanate are their powdered wigs and itchy clothing, it is their automaton technology which is the backbone of their industry. No finer, more ape-like automatons can be found and they range from purposes in war, service, guarding, transport and labour.

The Conservation League - An oligarchy founded by a group of like-minded, environmentally conscious individuals aiming to prevent the destruction wrought on Earth finding itself on New Gift. This state is focused on the preservation and conservation of native fauna and is incredibly single minded in its task. The oligarchy-system of governance was formed to rid of the ineffective slowness of democratic human nations in addressing climate change. They have the most efficient solar and wind technology, distributing to many of the other city states in the Federal Khanate. The Conservationists are also adept at genetics and sustainable agricultural efforts, creating more efficient crops and advanced procedures to make lab-grown meat for the more adventurous ape. Surprisingly, they hold the highest number of approved conflicts out of any present Greater State. They go, for the lack of a better term, "apeshit" at any perceived attempts to hinder their efforts in conserving the planet. They use genetically enhanced ape soldiers to great effect, second in advancements only to the Legion. With holding much of the moral high ground to the eyes of the Senate, enemies of the League fall quickly. The only reason they have not been denounced by an annoyed Khan is because of their enthusiastic support for the regime due to its own conservation efforts.

The Lost Humanist Theocracy - Some religious inclinations made their way to humanity's inheritors but the largest of these religions are of Human-worship. In particular, remembrance-worship of those who could not be afforded the "Path to Reincarnation" as the first generation Supremus had. Thus followers of this religion are absurdly focused on the positive features of human nature, revering the spirits of those left behind. Walking through Humanist architecture is akin to taking a step backwards in time, as they largely look down upon most forms of ape-made technology and they forsake many of the regular genetic enhancements given to Supremus simians. "For how useful were they, for those spirits left behind." This guilt-type of reverence and "lost" spirit worship is shared among a number of apes outside the Theocracy's limits but their more radical ideas (forsaking genetic enhancement and ape technology) are largely frowned upon. They claim to not view the current humans as literal gods yet speak about them in hushed whispers, with many a worshipper making pilgrimage to Terra Supremus to see the last vestiges of some of the greatest humans. The scions of their parents, the direct descendants of their caretakers, the final untouched humans. They have many missions throughout New Gift as free teachers, healers and advisors, seeking to atone and relieve their guilt, appeasing their Human Spirits. This is counter to the usual trend of supremacist views among Supremus. Their current standing comes from the spread of their religion to outside of the city's borders and the recent addition to their clergy, the third son of Khublai Khan, Sartaq. They deny and outwardly revile the idea of a "hidden inquisition" which protects missionaries outside their borders, keeping only an unarmed police force for visitors and a small dedicated team of bodyguards. Despite their recent rise in popularity, this cult-like city-state is still viewed with suspicion by other states of greater or equivalent power.

The Frontier Nations - Not a single state per se but a term collectively referring to nations that reside in untamed Tellus. These frontier city-states are attractive to the young, adventurous and foolhardy, seeking to escape the more "crowded" civilisation of Gaia. Frontier nations which last are hardy, bloodied and resourceful with a grudging camaraderie between nations who also last. Moving in mobile minor cities, they can pack up and run quickly once they spot bandits or rivals coming at them. Life in the frontier is hard but can be rewarding, with much of the savanna left untouched and resources aplenty. Often times, fallen city-states who seek to gain their standing once again become a Frontier Nation. A significant example of this is the Polity which, after the misfortunes that befell it in the Great War, sought to regain its status as a Greater State once more. They form a small but not insignificant power bloc in the Senate, with many apes respecting their hardiness and drive to survive. Some view them with disdain.

Humans – Oh to be Human. What a strange thing to be. A million souls, a mighty number indeed but nothing compared to the untold millions of Supremus with unmatched virility. To be human in the Khanate is to be protected. Safeguarded. Worshipped. Controlled. Restrained. Beyond their teachers, monastery-mothers and guards, many of these humans will not touch another’s fur. They will not reside in anything other than the vast Terra Supremus monasteries they are born in, live in and die in. To be Human is to be fed till their bellies were full and to be taught by the greatest minds in all of human history. To be Human is to be treated as trophies, a testament to the strength of the Khan. Their daily lives are controlled to the minute, ensuring that each human will be as perfect as genetically possible, for to be any less would bring shame to the Khan. To a normal ape, to see a human is a rare occasion, only on planetwide holidays would the greatest orators among them appear on the myriad States, speaking affection for their Supremus caretakers and inheritors. To be human was to be loved. To be human was to be caged – ultimately having no power in this nation of apes.

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^{The banner of the Khan, as chosen by Ogedei the Old}

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Governance and Politics:

"We swear ourselves to the Khan and they swear their selves to us."

The Federal Khanate describes itself perfectly; a federation consisting of nations which swears itself to the Khan. The Khan has ultimate control over foreign affairs and defence, enforces the rules of the constitution, the largest military and swears to uphold the sovereignty, supremacy and rights of the people. The title of "Khan" is not hereditary, though most past Khans have chosen their firstborn sons as imminent heir as matter of preference. Instead, a Khan will name their list of successors within their will in their order of preference. There is no choice for the chosen as the Khan's will is granted constitutional rights. Thus a Khan will often groom their successor over many years, preparing them for their rule. The title cannot be passed down to any current or past leaders of city states and thus Khan's have all come from the bloodline of Yesugei. In the horrid event that none of the chosen successors are alive at the time of the Khan's death (unlikely because the list of successors have often become over a hundred names long), the Senate will hold a vote to choosing a prominent ape to succeed.

There are some federal guidelines for apes seeking to found their own nation, to join the 1,738 already present. Some semblance of order must be established as anarchic states have the tendency to crumble in on itself thus the Khan requires a set of written laws and an official banner to represent itself. Conflicts should be avoided but are allowed as long as both parties seek the approval of the Khan and the matter is isolated. Yearly gatherings of the Senate, times when the Khan calls for a Senate hearing and gatherings in times of emergency (such as when a Khan dies) are mandatory sessions. The title of senator cannot be bestowed on any current leader of a city-state to prevent disruption. Coups must be contained and trade agreements made by the defending government must be made until the coup is sorted out. Any disruptions to the rest of the Khanate is met with the swift boot of the Legion. Speaking of, a certain detachment of Legion forces must be present within the city perimeter at all times and any attempt to coerce, eliminate or impede them is treated with extreme prejudice. The leader/s or most prominent figure must swear upon the constitution and swear to the Khan, similarly to any new senators otherwise their state is considered to have ceded from the Khanate. States are also constricted to a set amount of territory and can petition the Khan for more land only during the yearly Senate gatherings. Otherwise, the laws of the land can vary greatly between city states.

Individual crimes can be punished differently between states. Thievery can result in the loss of the hand or a pat on the back. In some corporate states, white collar crime is punished more severely than murder. In many religious and theocratic states, sins are the law equivalent and in some, are seen as an affront to their God-King or Goddess-Queen. The difference in governance between the different states can create cutthroat politics, with seasoned Senators becoming expert politicians and some grudge lists becoming long enough to circle the world (see: The Conservation League). Some states even actively take in escaped prisoners as an insult to another, as long as the Khan approves. The aim of every Minor State is to become a Greater one and the aim of every Greater State is to stay in their position, creating conflict.

Order is maintained by the Khan but small approved conflicts or dueling between ruling classes are common enough to be seen as normal. This chaos results in significant changes in the Senate regularly and can confuse outsiders. The only official federal land claimed by the Khan is Terra Supremus and the equatorial jungles of New Gift. Only approved citizens and soldiers are allowed to visit the latter though that does not stop the Imperials, bandits and runaways. The only federal crimes that an ape can commit is attempted assault/murder of a Khan and his successors, any criminal offence against a Khanate-protected human, infiltration of a monastery, bringing harm to any monastery staff, federal treason, secession, disruption of the common peace/trade and slavery. These crimes are met with the appropriate force to extinguish it from existence.

Technology Overview:
As with everything in the Khanate, technology can vary greatly as well. With the vast number of states come different wealth, technology and sometimes, acceptance of technology. The apes have tended to neglect space technology until recently, having only communication and weather satellites due to the focus on developing the land of New Gift. Overall, the technology level is similar to what they started with some developing trends over the years:

Conservation - The influence of Earth's downfall affect the Supremus apes greatly. They have an extensive genetic library of old Earth fauna stored but no cloning, beyond infertile pets such as dogs and cats, have occurred to preserve native fauna. Every ape conserves this legacy and intends to conserve their current home as well. Great attempts have been made to conserve the natural ecosystem of New Gift with very few permanent cities being established, many states opting for moving, modular cities atop trusty tracks to prevent disruption to animal migrations (despite the active hostility of many of these animals). Similarly, most agriculture is kept limited and genetically enhanced to be as productive in as small an area as possible, kept in mobile greenhouses to prevent cross-pollination with native plants. The term "conservation" generally means the conservation of environment, human history and culture.

Genetics - With the availability of each species' DNA map and the technology to modify it, genetic manipulation is common among the apes and even among humans. It is widely acceptable to modify oneself or offspring to be better though greater advancements are often closely guarded secrets of states (except to the Khan). Modifications to humans within their fortified monasteries were seen as natural, to ensure their survival and allow them to have perfect lives. Enhancements can range from increased physical attributes, an ability to stay awake longer, better senses, an inability to feel pain (for the crazy) to even enhanced fertility. The latter seems to be utilised by the Khans heavily as they foster many children.

Variety - The sheer variety of different states means technological focus can vary drastically. With encouraged trade between states, nations are often sharing their own specialised technology in exchange for something they need. For example, the Conservation League are experts at conservative and environmentally friendly power sources but lack some of the knowledge on the automaton labourers found in a state such as the Republic. They could try to reverse-engineer their own but this is seen as a more expensive endeavour compared to simply trading for the most advanced goods. That is to say, most minor city-states enjoy a mediocre set of technologies and are viewed as more "standard".

Military Overview:
Conflict has evolved drastically since the lumbering automatons, mass wave tactics and trench warfare of the War to End All Wars. Every significant enough city-state has a military, otherwise having to rely on detachments of the Khan's legionnaires for defense. But the focus, tactics and ability of said militaries can vary significantly. They do focus on an important factor in the conflicts which pepper the Khanate: mobility. The ability to strike first, fine manoeuvres around the enemy, ambushes and changing battle lines. The modern Supremus simian soldier is armed with a truckload of communication and infortmation technology and any military worth their salt will have a BattleNet to highlight enemy troop movements, possible false flag attacks and lay out orders instantly. Sometimes, organic soldiers are replaced by advanced automatons capable of accepting orders instantly at the behest of a detached Commander. Clashes occur often in the lower streets of moving cities, in mobile savanna outposts and often, between moving military command centers. The defeat of an opponent is usually marked either by a significant destruction or capture of an opponents asset, death of the main military commander or taking the conflict to the point that it is seen as costly for the opponent to continue. As varied as the individual states' militaries are, there is serious standardisation among the Khan's personal military arm - the Legion.

The Khan acts as the supreme commander of the largest and most advanced military on New Gift. There are over 1,000,000 active duty Legionnaires split between the 100 different divisions of the Legion, with a further 110,000 strong auxiliaries as part of the Expeditionary Corps. Each division is generally made up of a mixed-troop of mechanised, mobile forces each with their own air and armor support. Led by a Divisional-General, each legion must be able to be largely self-sustainable for at least a year, with Expeditionary Corps needing to be fully self-sustaining for upwards to three years. Doing so increases the mobility of each legion and its divided military organisations so that they are able to operate as one. They have the most advanced mobile command centers and BattleNets available, the Legion priding themselves upon their individual soldier's intuition. Consequently, they often look down upon automatons in their rigidness, only using them in aerial combat and support because of the innate fear of flying simians have. Their warfare is that of constant movement to encircle, ambush and outmaneouvre, having mainly been focused on eliminating bandit-kings and the like. The standard genetic enhancements of a Legionnaire include heightened senses, increased endurance, agility and intellect. To become a Legionnaire one must survive these procedures as well as pass several difficult physical and mental team challenges known colloquially as the Grid. To become a Legionnaire was to be a Supremus, for no self-respecting Khan would ever allow the shedding of human blood like the foolish Caesar. Upon becoming a Legionnaire, they are typically stationed to the different nation-states, most in the smaller states to defend it from hostile fauna or bandit simians.

Eleven divisions, as well as the entire Auxiliary Corps, are labelled as Expeditionary Corps. These are aspects of the Legion focused on actively engaging within the equatorial jungles and frontier-states in Tellus. Both the divisions and the Auxiliaries, who are volunteers from militaries across the states, are tasked with defending the sovereign rights of the frontier states as well as seeking those who intend to subvert them. Targets include Imperial remnants, Bandit-Kings and extremely hostile native fauna. They actively seek these targets frequently, often sending expeditions into the jungles to get to the source of the problem. This is the most dangerous job in the Khanate as it takes the Legionnaire out of the civilisation of northern Gaia and into the rougher parts of Munus where anything can be hostile. Often, the jungle canopy can be too thick for command to reach squads thus many are lost on patrols. Their lives in the hands of vengeful imperials, bandits and vicious beasts, are met with a brutal end. The goals of these expeditions is to ultimately exterminate secessionist activity within New Gift and tame the jungles, through the establishment of Mobile Stability Bases to patrol throughout these hostile lands. Great strides have been made but to many others outside the Legion, the Expeditionary Corps are more like respectable glory hounds.

There are whispers of muscle-bound soldiers, equal in mass of even the elephants of old Earth, prowling in Legionnaire armour and wielding weapons of unspeakable power. An open secret of the Khanate's Legion. A breed of super-warriors with muscles on muscles, a vision of perfect martial might and unparalleled military acumen. For each would be seen as worthy of scores of Legionnaires by their lonesome. There are rumours of street orphans being taken from the poorest city states. There are rare glimpses of the black ships which ship them to the isolated city of Terra Supremus. There are obvious signs of death, with many small caskets shipped to the capital on a daily basis. To connect those whispers, rumours and signs was to be associated with treason and so many, even children of the Khan himself, kept their jaws shut tight in public. But to the military-minded apes of the Khanate, their forums would be filled with speculation, profiles hidden from the ever-watchful eyes of the Khanate with virtual private networks. Allegedly, at least. But even the most conspiratorial of these apes dismissed the most ridiculous of claims. Humans, walking among these giants, armed and just as muscle bound as the rest. How ridiculous.

The Different Soldiers

A standard Legionnaire in their stark-white armour

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Two examples of Legionnaire Heavy Weapons support. From left to right: Antipersonnel and anti-armour

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An example of an Expeditionary Corps Legionnaire

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Reformed American military propaganda

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A typical ape automaton

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Modern samurai chimpanzee with a genetically enhanced sword-hand, keeping the peace in New Nippon

The Different Vehicles

Legion Armoured Personnel Carrier. The turret can be replaced by an armoured dome on the top for a Heavy Weapons Legionnaire to put their turret through

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Legion Main Battle Tank

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Standard Legion Air Support Drone

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^{Terra Supremus on approach towards New Gift}

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On Humans and Gateways:
To most apes, there is the opinion of great paternalistic respect, sometimes worship, for humans. To the Supremus, they inherited their legacy and were created to continue it and to safeguard the last of their seed. There is, however, a certain supremacy every ape holds over the presumably fragile humans. They believe themselves superior, as they are taught they are. The existence of other human colonies is widely known but dismissed to be inferior and genetically diminished from the carefully orchestrated lines of Khanate human descendants. The only “true” humans left were cloistered in their monasteries, given untold riches and services a normal Supremus could only dream of. The Gateways merely represent an opportunity for the Supremus, to take the true legacy of the humans to the stars. For less hostile frontiers and chances to expand. The first step to Earth is merely to see their ancestral homelands, seen as culturally significant but not in other ways. A dead world gives no bounty to them.

Locations

The Theocracy's city-state wandering Gaia

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Conservation League on the move

Wider Khanate military assets

Beijing-class Legion Mobile Military Base

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Standard Legion Mobile Artillery

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Standard Legion Gunship Drone

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Revolution-class Heavy Support Automaton

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Standard Legion Mobile Mechanised Support Ship

GATEWAYS: THE NEXT GENERATION [CLOSED AND CONCLUDED]

@Crusader Lord

So, funnily enough, in G1 Easy created a group of monkeys who joined in the pro-democracy side of a civil war, and they introduced the original song to the revolution.

@Enigmatik

Aw that plotline was so cool. The leftover remnants of mercenaries and Enforcers from the non-democratic side were then supposed to form a new mercenary group which could be hired by any of the nation states, based on Mars' Olympus Mons.

Planning to do something similar in the war with the Yulzan Ascendancy hehe

GATEWAYS: THE NEXT GENERATION [CLOSED AND CONCLUDED]

Kiritane

Nation Name:
Kiritane o Peha – Kingdom of Peace

Government Form:
Confederated Tribal Monarchy

Demographics:
94% Umana

Human

6% Hatan o Umana

Demon Humans

Population:
800 Million

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^{All we found in these forests was Peace.}

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Planet Name and Description:
Peha. An amalgamation of words for “Peace” created by the first landers, humans of many nations and many languages. This was a perfect Earth-like substitute for weary, war-stricken travellers. A name which not only embodied what these first colonists felt but also what they wished for. Strived for. And after many years of war, subjugation, strife, was what they deserved. A planet which can never replace the Mother but could play her surrogate for her lost children. A planet of many volcanic island archipelagos, each lined by white sandy beaches and centred by thick jungle. On Peha’s equator lay the only substantial landmass aside from the wintery poles, the Ope o Peha, Son of Peace. With its biomes of gently rolling plains mixed with thick, entangled jungles, winding rivers, and a dormant super-volcano at its centre, it was perfect for settlement. The soil was rich, the ore veins untouched, water clearer than most of the young ones had ever laid eyes on. It was beautiful.

That was then. This is now. Craters, irradiated for many thousands of years, where jade plains and farms once stood. Stab wounds puncturing deep to his body. Razed, charred ground where might tree cities once intermixed with jungles. Third degree burns on skin. The literal terrain cracked and torn asunder, like strings of welts on a whipped man’s back. The rivers which flowed so vibrantly now full of lava from the son’s last defiant shout. Ope o Peha was murdered and remains lifeless, a stark reminder of what the Hatan had done. Many, now Umana in their tongue, still weep for the lost son. No island was bereft of damage from their arrival, jungles cut down and some whole islands still on fire, yet none bore as much pain as the son, the tortured son, the murdered son.

Peha still quakes and cries at the loss of her son, tearing many islands asunder in earthquakes of imaginable magnitude. Irradiated hurricanes strike at the settlements on the islands, striking at massive sea walls with savagery. Screaming, howling, shouting ”why they would let her precious son die?”

History:
The people who sought for peace above all else were atypical. These were people who had seen what reckless industry, unbound scientific developments and a loss of connection to the land could do. They were Mother-born, the last of the humans born in her withering hands and they felt her loss deeply. These were like-minded people and despite their differences in blood and homeland, they convened in Mother’s dying breaths to create a united vision for the future. No longer would they scorn nature’s gifts, lay upon the land countless injuries which could not heal – these first would-be-settlers laid out both written guides and stories to tell their children. A language, born of the many languages their people spoke so that they would not forget their heritage yet be able to communicate with each other. A history of all the peoples which came before, legends of those who came before who struck against reckless capitalism and colonisation. And most importantly, a set of principles which could guide future generations to make sure Mother’s death would not be repeated.

Many would laugh at these “hippies” or “up-jumped natives” and claimed their stupidity in denying the gifts of capitalism and conquering. These gifts, they each knew, was poisoned. A poison which had spread so far and ingrained itself so deeply that it led to us fleeing Mother’s grasp. They were one of the last to leave, gently brushing her presence before they left her for what seemed like forever. And in those last days, the holds of the Yearning Tranquillity held not only those who lost their ancestral homelands but their anguish, tears, pain and most importantly, hope.

This hope found answers in Peha. How lucky they were! Here they were, a colony ship flung to parts unknown, with chances slim to none of finding a suitable new home, landing to a place of such vibrant nature it even made the most despondent leap in joy! With the advanced technology that they once scorned, they could make a home here while following their principles. They laid great settlements in the jungles and plains of Ope o Peha in accordance with nature, not against it. They found mines, dams and geothermal plants which did not scar the land but allow nature to take its course around them. More than any other advanced civilisation since the modern age, these first generations found bounds of peace and symbiosis relationships with the nature that surrounds them. So peaceful, so united were they that many spent time creating art, songs, large waka to travel the oceans and nurturing bountiful gardens rather than working the endless toil their predecessors had suffered under before. Soldiery and weapons were laid aside for building tools and even the advanced waka that had brought the there was laid to rest in shores as a proclamation that their new home, their surrogate mother was Peha.

They were Umana, communal, peaceful citizens of the land. One with the land and the land one with them. Any sole “leader” of the bright, happy population was more a figurehead administrator, one who was more focused on the continued prosperity than vying for individual greed. Truly, these were the best of us. Oh how many beautiful songs could have been created? How many cultures sprouted from the old, new stories and artwork created in respect to the past and future? How many more mothers would hold suckling, hopeful newborns? Fathers proud of their children drawing doodles, carving crude craft, singing soulful songs? Oh what could be and what should have been.

They came like lightning. They struck the communications between our peoples, declaring us weak, spineless and unworthy of our new home, our only worth found as prey before shutting it all down. They destroyed our symbiotic power generators, the farms and fields, what few military settlements we had. Nuclear bombs laid waste to our great cities, for how could we put up a fair fight against our superiors? So many millions died on Ope o Peha, joining their new adopted brother as victims of a culling, a massacre. Yet in their great cruelty, the Hatan let many more live and escape, boarding waka to flee to the islands.

Umana found their escape and reprieve short lived. Aliens who were faster and stronger than any person who had ever lived, landing at these islands with the intent to hunt. These forced many more migrations, even more fleeing and spreading themselves upon the many thousands of islands across Peha. Millions turned to thousands turned to hundreds in this great migration, communities splitting apart to prevent the mass genocide that came with concentrated numbers. The Hatan, those demons, could have easily bombed these fleets of waka and be done with it. Yet they enjoyed the game, enjoyed the chase of men, women and children as they slashed at their backs, loved the thrill of the hunt.

And as it was, in the turn of the first century since settling there, the once united, once peaceful people were found to be scattered, brought into war not of their choosing.

But these were not quitters. These were not crying savages begging on their knees for a quick death. History would not be repeated here, could not be repeated here. The Umana laid down their chisels, brushes and tools of creation for the tools of war.

Some were lucky to escape with hunting or building equipment which could be converted into deadly weaponry. Some were even able to escape with the original weapons of war of the dead soldiery, picked up in the great flight and used to great effect. But many had to make do with what they had. With their makeshift weapons of war, with wood, steel, rock and even barehanded, they fought back. They laid traps and ambushes within jungles so similar to what they used to have. Used crying, running children actors as bait for over-eager demons. Created mock villages instead filled with hardened warriors.

Still, many Umana died in droves, lined against ditches made of their own hands and shot. But many more died fighting, shooting, punching, stabbing, biting and tearing at the demons. No one was spared from fighting. Elderly women poured hot oil on hunting parties, young ones ran messages between ambush groups, disabled cripples using whatever limbs (and often teeth) to inflict as much pain as they could. The Hatan miscalculated, they had not found a native people which were so caught up in their own happiness that they could be ruthlessly ravaged. They had found a lost people, fleeing their Mother stricken by war who knew what total warfare meant, if not through experience, then through tales and through their blood.

Many alien hunting parties would leave after getting their fill of slaughter, deeming these upstarted apes too troublesome to bother fighting or simply bored, wanting to embark on another grand journey to try and find other prey ripe for hunting. Some, mostly out of respect and not mercy, would join hopeless Umana in fighting other Hatan to see what fun could be found there with the defenders too tired to put up much of a fight to such a ridiculous request. The few hunting parties that were left were either more murderous than their others or were looking for vengeance against the “lesser” savages, most settling in islands of their own to continue the fight.

It was in this age of strife, of poverty and of relentless war that those once peaceful would slaughter each other as well as the Hatan. This was simply over a matter of resources, mainly fighting for the few freshwater sources not poisoned by the radiation which carried itself in the wind. This was the start of a grand hundred and fifty years of constant fighting, bleeding, conquering among the Umana themselves. A descent into debauchery so grand that it brought tears to the remaining demons, many partaking in the carnage with unrelenting glee. Glee at their successful corruption, sheer joy at the blood which would cover their bodies and sink into their short fur. Not much can be said about this age of senseless violence aside from the fact that history seemed to always find a way to repeat itself. It was an unbreakable cycle.

The Kiri of the Emerald Isles thought differently. She held to the principles of the old way, the founding ideology which led to the peace of the before times. She knew, through stories and art and song, of better futures different from one of war and inevitable extinction. But she knew that with the reawakening of violence, there could be no quarter given, no mercy bestowed, no weapons thrown aside, not until the Umana were united under a stern leader who could keep what their knew planet was named for.

To show her intent to the various polities, petty empires and remaining hunting parties, she renamed her people the Kiritane o Peha. There was no other legitimate government aside from those who allied under her, no people that could live in Peha without bending the knee to her will. Ngawerawera ne Xhota was a woman of grand willpower, of sheer brilliance, of mana, great enough to move mountains. And here began a war of subjugation, violence for peace, slaughtering countless petty lords and their peoples till peace could once more reign over these islands.

Utilising fleets of armed, steel waka and captured Hatan prowlers, she conducted raids and swiftly conquered a great string of islands in few short years. Hopping from one to the next and ruthlessly giving the choice of a bent knee or death for both chieftain and followers. Adults, elderly, children, subjects of all ages were put to the blade for the sins of their leader so that the rotten legacy could not be continued through blood. But she did not conquer senselessly, without direction, as she carved her way through the oceans.

Arriving at Ope o Peha, standing side by side with both Umana and conquered Hatan, she felt her first bit of hopelessness. On glassed beaches, with great firestorms still raging further inshore, she cried. Ngawerawera weeped, a sight never seen before in a woman thought to be cut from stone. So moved were her followers that even the demons would stand in silence, even the most cold-hearted felt water in their eyes. She would weep on sandy knees till her wells ran dry, till her knees groaned against forced stillness, till her sharpened nails had scraped flesh from her folded legs. Then she stood, silently, and walked among the shores where her predecessors were slain so brutally, where they had fled so many years ago.

Here, Ngawerawera found her trump card. The Yearning Tranquillity was unwavering, over two centuries in the waters off the salty coast not enough to earn a single speck of rust on its body. A brave, or maybe foolish, Hatan follower, one who joined for the bloodshed the Kiri promised, loudly scoffed. They had been alive in their first landings and knew the strategy to cause the great migrations. It was specifically to render the Umana useless, to forget their previous knowledges. The fool’s throat had been torn by sharpened nails midway through monologue. The great, first Kiri knew how to wield their first waka. Only a fool would not realise the importance of tales and song which could carry information through generations. The specifics? Well she had shamans, keepers of stories, who could wield unknown technologies like seasoned experts due to their vast oral knowledge.

And so the first waka fired its engines and readied its unused guns. Fulfilling its namesake once more, under bloodier guise.

And so it was, history repeated itself. A conqueror turned king. With one great waka, Ngawerawera would unleash a systematic subjugation of all the rest. She kept her word, slaying those who refused and treating with kindness those who bent the knee, with future promises that their hard-fought sovereignty would not be destroyed by a tyrant king. Most often, Hatan would fall into the first group and Umana in the second, resulting in the disparate population figures found today. In the thousands of islands, she would gain millions of followers. She was tireless, even when the grey started overtaking her once vibrant raven hair, when the wrinkles tweaked her once perfect beauty. It was said, by all those present, that upon the last day of bent knees, she would die peacefully in her bed on the Yearning Tranquillity.

Her son, Natawhau e Ngawerawera, a warrior and leader in his own right, took the mantle and donned his mother’s flowing cape of dried flax and dyes. It was under him that the first meeting of allied leaders was held, a great conference to realise the future which his mother fought for. With a peace enforced by further conquering and slaughter of crying dissidents, Ngawerawera’s dream was set in stone. The millions of Umana and remaining Hatan o Umana, as they were now called, were united under one flag despite the distances between the islands they occupy. He would be known as a great, intelligent administrator and more merciful and patient than his mother ever was. He would attempt to tackle the problem of natural industrialisation, creating widespread, yet less grand tree-cities as was on Ope o Peha. His reign would mark the creation of a sort-of-constitution, of the Peha Mandatu which set his descendants as forever worthy of the title Kiri.

His daughter, Ngareia e Natawhau would gently take power after her father’s abdication. The populations boom as freshwater is purified by the first waka’s advanced technologies. Resources would be gained by the utilisation of former Hatan prowlers, as few as they were, reaching into space to gather for the people below. Jungles were restored and many war fleets repurposed into shipping and transport. Yet she still has much to contest with in her reign.

The remaining Hatan, most of whom are descendants of those who had first landed here, face discrimination daily, often on the receiving end of brutality. The warriors still itch for fighting, for while they could claim they fought for peace, generations of war did not lend itself easy to be laid aside. Much technology was still very much forgotten and was wildly varying between the island nations under her purview. Many Umana chiefs started to question the need for a Kiri and many more worried for another demon incursion. There festers a growing movement which calls for te puke o awa, the standing aside of outsiders. Chiefs wish to respectfully step out of the Kiritane and instead observe, give advice and probe the world entity from the outside. A step which undermines the authority of the Kiri yet stands with the promises of Ngarewarewa.

Yet she stands undaunted as her grandmother once was at the ruins of Ope o Peha. For how can one forget the tales and songs, carrying the wisdom of those who came before. Her answers would lie somewhere beyond the reach of Peha, in places where the isolationism and divisions of the Umana could be shed and true peace could be found again.

Culture and Society
Once divided, twice united. A dichotomy of cultures and thinking.

For the average subject under the Kiritane, life is akin to a mix of early agricultural society and hunter-gatherer tribes with some urbanised dwellings in the tree-cities. In a clashing of ways of life, technology levels and power, the many “allied” tribes are still very much divided against each other in ways. Many still wage small conflicts against the other, trying to get away with what they can before the Kiritane rears its head with authority. They are jealous and scheming, the century and a half of conflict making them bloodthirsty and seeking revenge despite the relative peace of the new age. So to live in these times is to be tense, wary and always looking for the knife aimed at your back.

This translates to the Umana and Hatan o Umana in how they behave with each other. There is much posturing between rivals which can often devolve into violence. They are indifferent or outright hostile to outsiders, most only grudgingly respecting the authority of the Kiri and her own warriors due to Ngarewarewa and the Mandate. Each people has a culture derived from many other, often indigenous, cultures that came from Mother. This fact, which was once embraced and given to unity, divides the island peoples. Some argue that their heritage to the “old ways” was stronger than others, convinced of their superiority. Others argue that their newness, modernity and fusion of old cultures was a sign of progression, convinced of other’s foolishness. The Hatan o Umana are largely lost in this battle of cultures, swaying to whatever side they were already allied to.

Religious beliefs have divided, some continuing some form of organised faith while many others approach more spiritualist ancestor or nature worship. Some detest technology, for what had it brought but ruin to the shores of Peha’s son? Some revel in it, forming shamans by the dozens as both lore keepers and to find new lore. Industry varies largely, typically the more powerful a tribe was prior to involvement in the Kiritane, the greater their industry and their technology.

Among their own, these island peoples are as carefree and peace-loving as they had been before, with newer generation demons adopting this attitude. It harkens to the early days on Peha, those wistful first landers dreaming of peace and different times. Communal work without wage is common, simply done for the bettering of the wider community. Bonds formed from the war and the mindless slaughter are strong, with neighbouring, friendly polities having connections as unbreakable as steel.

However, there are still some remnant unified forces between the people of Peha, adopted by the demons which had invaded them long ago. A love of nature and a fierce desire to preserve it. An idea of being one with the land and the land being one with them. A common language born from their predecessors. A love for song, dance, art, carvings and travel. A respect, sometimes grudging, of the overall leadership of the Kiri. A warrior culture which stems from the early days of massacre and bloodshed. And a uniquely oral-based knowledge system which allows for the preservation of all forms of knowledge and a drive to prevent history from repeating itself, despite many peoples having different views on how to prevent that.

An overarching aspect of Umana (and hence younger Umana o Hatan) is the respect for and fear of Ope o Peha. All fear the wrath of the mother and many regard that place cursed, only filled with the spirits of anguished dead, weeping trees and suffocating animals. There is serious debate over whether to utilise this large landmass to allow for industrialisation but there is too much fear for that place. The mother still grieves for her son.

Our Peoples

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^{Reconfigured Hatan prowlers on patrol.}

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Governance and Politics:
The Kiritane consists of nations which swears itself to the Kiri and more importantly, to the Peha Mandatu. This proclamation, more than the constitution nor the few written laws applied throughout the Kiritane, is the founding principle upon which this confederation is built. The Peha Mandatu, in short, states that due to the great undertakings of Ngarewarewa, the sheer will she built over long life and the dauntless sacrifices she had made, that this same spirit would have to be carried to all her firstborn descendants. That her blood resembles the ways of the old and the coming of the new more than any other, that with her lineage ferries new ages and improvements to all under the Kiritane as a whole. But, as to keep with her promises, the largely day-to-day goings of her various peoples would be bestowed upon their chiefs. The bloodline of Ngarewarewa serves as the admiral overseeing the many captains of the fleet.

Within their own domains, the chiefs of the various tribes rule largely without oversight. Unless serious crimes occur which offend the peoples, the Kiritane does not interfere with intra-tribal affairs. This causes wild variations in the laws between tribes, resulting in frequent inter-tribal insults. These laws are largely based on the bloodline and familial bonds within community, the gods they believe in and the lands which these tribes inhabit. Largely, this creates isolationism between the different islands or island archipelagos with most inter-tribal discussion occurring on the Emerald Isles where the Kiritane hold the most sway.

The largest forum for government is held in the spring, a time of general merriment for the crops are plentiful and the hunting is bountiful. The tuhana of leaders across Peha is held on the largest island of the Emerald Isles, where the Kiri holds council. Here, rather than individual chiefs airing out their grievances between each other or to the Kiri, it is a two week long banquet accompanied by lawmaking, deals being made and general discussion on what direction the Kiritane takes. The Kiri holds absolute power in this domain, as mandated by the Peha Mandatu and enforced by the power of conquest and their bloodline.

The Peha Mandatu is a mandate outlining the rights of the Kiri to hold overall sovereignty and governorship over Peha. It is an account of all the battles and treaties in which Ngarewarewa and her descendants partook in, to cement the weight of history into their rulership. It does not sit idle, it evolves as Kiri live and die, as they wage war, make knees bend and create tales. Great projects can often be seen here, such as Natawhau’s construction of his capital in the Emerald Isles, a large interconnecting super tree-city which showcases the power of the Kiri and exemplifies why they should rule.

The Kiritane is a loose confederation of island tribe-nations which respect the Kiri but only exists with constant enforcement that the rule of the Kiri is just and correct, as shown by the Peha Mandatu.

Technology Overview:
Much has been forgotten by the Umana of these lands. With the destruction of Ope o Peha and the subsequent flight of the people, much written knowledge was lost. Largely, any technological retention occur due to the shamans, lore-keepers who hold much knowledge from the stories, songs and forms of art they partake in and pass down. Codification and analysation of this knowledge is difficult even for the Kiritane as many shamans hold deep loyalty with the tribe and lands they inhabit. Only some developments from the Emerald Isle are publicly available in written or video form, hence why many tribes are not mired in disease and famine. Aside from this, advanced technology is an exemplar of the relationship between chieftain and Kiri, deep contention on where one’s authority starts and ends.

Overall, technology within the tribes vary largely. Some may have retained more than others, resulting in vast differences in technological level. Within a largely tribal society, advanced technology is most often seen in the tools and weapons they utilise. Plasma cutters, handheld weapons with mono-blades or heavy alloy shields, chain-tools and the like are common. Other, more industry-based technology such as agricultural, building, mining or manufacturing technologies are more closely guarded. Even the Kiri guard some of these resources to keep ahead of the other tribes to keep domain.

The Hatan who remain contribute with their painful weapons, torture devices and traps. But largely, as most of those who stayed behind on Peha were hunters who held little actual technical knowledge, warfare remains their domain. Conveniently, many Hatan technicians landed with the crashing of a prowler on the Emerald Isles, hence the ability for the Kiritane to enforce their might planetwide via the original prowlers which remained on Peha.

Islands, the vast tracts of ocean between them and the relatively small land area they have does not lend itself well to large industry and technological developments. Hence much of the Kiritane approach is focused towards the restoration of technology. If outside forces were to offer their own technological support, there would be much contention over accepting such an offer, with the isolationist tendencies of the chiefs.

Military Overview:
The military, much like the nation, is fragmented. The largest, and only, standing military on Peha is that of the Emerald Expeditionary Forces. A mixed navy (both water and space), army and air force combined forces group which harkens itself back to the conquering fleets of waka led by Ngarewarewa. An organisation which ultimately answers to the Kiri as their commanding officer, with an individual leader for each branch of Expeditionary Forces. As they are directly sworn to the Kiri through blood and land, they have ultimate loyalty with the Kiritane and the Peha Mandatu. While also acting as the armed limb of the Kiri, they also act as the policing force to ensure what few laws the Kiritane have are enforced planetwide. This includes the stamping of dissidents as well as forceful peace installed between warring tribes.

The other tribes also hold their own militaries but are made up of part-time soldiery, beholden to the Kiritane only when they are called upon, otherwise led by their respective chieftains. These local militias/militaries differ greatly between each other in make-up, numbers and armaments. However, the Umana way of war largely stays the same. Tinged with the cruelty of the early Hatan, many of whose descendants still occupy military roles, the Umana are excellent at guerilla tactics, small-scale conflict, jungle warfare and psychological weapons. In the free-for-all of planetwide wars, the speed at which one could conquer another’s territory was all-important. And for the defenders, the ability to slow down those attackers’ determined life or complete subjugation and massacre. When on the offensive, overwhelming force is used to rid of peripheral forces, often taking place after a successful naval engagement. The “hunters” are then used, to penetrate deep within deeper enemy territory, often being jungles, to scope out the remaining forces.

The attackers would then face possible death by a thousand cuts. Traumatic spike traps, laser guided mines, sporadic ambushes, suicide bombers, poisoned water sources and many more irregular warfare tactics are used to great effect for the defenders. War between Umana is determined by how staunch the defenders can be or how brutal the attackers can be. The Emerald Expeditionary Forces’ success originates in their spaceflight superiority, often making these irregular defences moot. And with most Umana soldiery finding greater satisfaction in handheld melee weapons (though the Expeditionary Forces are largely equipped with ballistics), the fighting is brutal. Ripping, tearing, bludgeoning and maiming are shows of warrior prowess for these jaded warriors.

This land-focused strategy is exemplified in the Yearning Tranquility and the old prowlers. Many of the latter rusting and dilapidated with poor maintenance, both have been adapted to more ground-focused support. Their guns are more focused on shooting down enemy ground emplacements and supporting troop/water naval movements rather than focusing on anti-ship warfare (for what other ships are there?).

And with the prominence of the oceans, the steel waka hold the greatest prestige within the Emerald Expeditionary Forces and the militia who are lucky enough to have the knowledge to make them (others make do with wood or other materials). Great trimaran hulls which slice through the water, both sail and battery powered (often by efficient solar panels held by the Emerald Isles), with the weaponry of said ships chosen by the captains who lead them. Some have great ballistic cannons to engage in long artillery duels, lucky ones have scavenged missiles taken from downed prowlers for pinpoint targeting while others instead cram their hulls with as many warriors as possible, reinforce their leading hull and act as rams.

Like the Kiritane itself, the military and militia of Peha are a hodgepodge of the old and new, tinged with a personal cruelty that only many years of close, brutal fighting can inflict.

Military Examples

^{Atamira Hoke Hoke standing in his formal dress as a leader of the water waka navy}

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^{Emerald Expeditionary Force warrior fully armoured, though many askew aside some parts to feel the blood of enemies touch their skin}

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^{Standard firearms found throughout the Kiritane, wood-based to save on steel production}

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^{Grainy image of old first settler trimarans which the navies make use of}

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^{A series of landing craft exiting a trimaran in order to execute landing operations}

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^{Yearning Tranquility}

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^{Modified cargo haulers turned close combat troop droppers}

Omake

#1

Several moons ago, in far off isles

---

After a week of rest forced unto them by their pack-leaders, they had been itching for some slaughter. Some had even taken to scarring themselves and other hunters to reduce the itch for blood yet nothing was as satisfying as the hunt. The adrenaline of chasing prey, watching their small circular eyes enlarge as their kin was struck down with knife, gun and powerful Hatanexhix hands. But the previous monxhei cowered like animals in their dens, wishing, praying and begging for salvation when they came. Blood was spilt, little ones drained of their lifeforce, elders drained of whatever blood they had left, impudent males and females struck down when they tried to fight. But there was no relief, no adrenaline filled their systems, muscles did not strain, lives were not at stake as with a proper chase.

But here, their hearts pounded in their ears, determined eyes scanning the surroundings as they revelled in a proper hunt. The primitives of these isles were of a cleverer sort than the last, fleeing their coastal huts at the first sign of their prowlers in the distance. They could have bombed them with their superior guns, killed them all without the slightest bit of effort. But what these monxhei seem to have realised was that us Hatanexhix did not enjoy such systematic, detached killings. They lived for the soft underbrush underneath their feet, bounding above entangled vines and tripping roots as they hunted for their prey. The primates found that they could survive longer when they hid in these jungles.

And how fun and satisfying to partake in the thrill of the predator and prey.

Nexhi, a hunter of many years, was broken out of his introspection as his hunting party paused for a small break. They had taken to taking the corpses of the little ones as cloaks, locking small hands around their necks through skin grafting, enjoying the smell of innocent death which followed them. This typically enraged the monxhei enough to attacking them recklessly but the primitives on this island had yet to take the bait.

Not a single ambush nor trap. No footprints in the underbrush, no fallen branches broken in a hurried flight. There was nothing to track with. A snarling voice broke the silence of the breaking hunters.

One of the younger hunters, frustrated with the lack of blood, carved a small cut along his furred forearm, the movement disturbing the swarm of insects which settled on the child corpse cloak. “Where are these monxhei? We have been looping around this Axtesh-damned jungle for a spin and a half!”

Another, burlier and older Hatanexhix snorted. “Maybe if you had not broken the silence with your complaining, we might have found some primates to kill.”

The younger one threw his arms in the air, tearing the withered arms off his neck and letting the body drop unceremoniously on to the ground. “If we did not have these heavy cloaks, we would have caught up to them by now.”

“Our skin-carver fell into a pit trap two islands ago, we do not have anyone skilled enough in the art of haxax to make leather out of skin. We must make do.”

“Why do we not place skulls upon our belts?! This is like carrying an oxox on your back when we run for this long.”

“You have become a cowardly complainer since you lost that fight against Xheti.”

“That ingrate cut off my finger! My blade would have struck true if it wasn’t for his cowardice.”

“You mean he was simpler smarter than you?”

“You Axteshi, decrepit, pile of bones-“

Nexhi spat in the younger one’s face, interrupting the conversation before it created a murderous altercation which could spread among the group. The bloodlust is addicting and fuelled their endless hunting but they could not afford disagreements this deep in monxhei lands.

“Enough complaining. They have simply ran longer and have become familiar with these lands. They can run but they cannot hide. We will find them soon.”

Astoundingly, the rabble rouser pinned his attentions on the pack-leader, pointing a finger at Nexhi’s chest. “If only you could track as well as you can breed with an oxox, we would have found them by now!”

Before the hunting leader could lay into the dissenter and rip his throat, the young complainer kicked the head of his discarded cloak. Rotting muscle and flesh careened into the air, striking a large tree at the opposite side of the clearing.

The sound of breaking bones and shattering wood was smothered by the ground collapsing underneath them. Nexhi, the elder and several others on the periphery of the clearing quickly jumped away from the opening earth. Some were not as lucky.

Silence shattering shrieks broke the relative peace of the jungle as Hatanexhix impaled themselves on 3-meter-long spikes. Most died instantly, hearts pulverised by the piercing wood, brains splattering the muddy pit. One unfortunate soul, the argumentative young one, had pierced his leg on a spike and dangled like a sack of flesh from the wooden appendage, pained screams making such an annoying racket. A quick nod from Nexhi across the clearing allowed the elder one to put the boy hunter out of his misery, a sliver of satisfaction flashing on the elder’s face.

As one, the hunters disregarded their now lifeless comrades and scanned the surrounding forests. A trap this well-timed as to kill most of the party had to have a triggering monxhei behind it. The pattering of light feet and laboured breathing was all Nexhi needed to start his chase. With a holler, he set off into the thick undergrowth with the whooping, grinning hunters quickly following behind them.

As infuriatingly endurance-oriented these monxhei were, they could not keep up with a Hatanexhix at their top speed. The hunter leader set upon the first straggler, a white-faced primate looking at death with terror. A swipe with his chain-blade and the primitive’s jaw flung onto the wide leaves, dropping lifelessly in the mud. Another swipe rent his splitting body in two to make sure there would be no peace for that cowardly ape. A few paces later, the next primate turned to face him, shouting in his- no, her- disgustingly guttural language in a pitiful challenge. She seemed to be protecting an even smaller monxhei, gripping a neon-edged blade of good make.

The older one charged at him, lunging with both arms outreaching, one bladed and deadly while the other seeking to grapple him. Nexhi simply sidestepped the girl and bisected her in two from head to pelvis, titanium-toothed blades splashing viscera on his light armour. Smiling in amusement, he turned to the other primitive nearby.

Shaking like a leaf, the younger girl had a jade club which he had seen handled proficiently by many a monxhei warrior, often used to scalp his brethren and leave them writhing in pain.

The girl was no warrior and was quickly rent into four pieces where she shook, revolving chain-blades singing bloody murder in the trees as others also set upon their targets. The leader laughed boisterously, thoughts flinging back to the young fool in the trap who had missed out in such delight and revelry.

Out of the foliage, a roaring young boy flung himself at the hunter, wooden pan-shaped club in hand, foaming at the mouth. Nexhi parried the club with the back of his chain-blade, shifting the boy’s momentum into a blood-soaked tree. Before he could set upon the primitive, the boy scrambled away from screaming hooked chains which embedded itself in tough wood.

The Hatanexhix laughed harder, discarding his chain blade and kicked the dead girl’s jade club up into his hands. He stalked his prey, hyperventilating with how hard he laughed at the boy’s narrowing eyes and his subsequent about turn into the shrubbery.

Quickly leaving his other fellows, Nexhi gave chase with murderous glee. He slowed his pace so he was just out of the wild backward swipes of this humiliation in front of him. What a pathetic specimen, running when the adrenaline left his body, evidently realising his doomed fate.

The hunter leader followed the boy up a small hill and unto a clearing of grass, edged by a cliff. The prey turned swiftly to face his opponent, determination in his eyes despite the clear soiling in his flax skirts. It was so humorous that Nexhi almost cried laughing at the site.

“Boy!” He shouted between laughter, twisting his serpentine tongue to occupy the tongue of these wretched primitives. “You turn tail with the first xlaughter. You are more pitiable than the girl I had just split in xuarters. Xhe wielded your mere with no skill but at least xhe did not run like a coward!”

The boy opened his mouth like a gaping fish, nearly sending the Hatanexhix into hysterics. “You speak the language of our ancestors.”

“Of course,” Nexhi boasted, a wide shit-eating grin threatening to split his face in half “xlaughtering a pig is more fun when you know what the animal is xaying.”

Little or not, the dark-skinned primitive set his mouth in a thin line, gripping the wooden pan-club tighter as he stalked forward in a deliciously proud way.

“You are not worthy of their tongue.”

“And you, monxhei are not worthy of the ground your corpse xhall fall on.”

“It will not be my corpse falling to the earth, Hatan. I am Xhota, son of Xhashi, and your death will bring glee to my ancestors.”

The hunter howled uproariously at the upstart, twirling the primitive club between dextrous fingers as he set upon his prey.

The two set launched themselves against each other, one howling with surprised glee, the other grim-faced and set with immovable will. This small, almost forgettable duel among many hundreds fought on this planet would have repercussions upon the future. The singing willpower, the cacophonous strength, the determination to move mountains which ran through Ngarewarewa’s blood would start here. On a small atoll, of no interest for many of the great leaders at the time, between a murderer and a child. A hunter and his prey.

---

#2

Setting sail

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Love of the ocean permeated Peha society. Being a sailor or fisherman was a well paid occupation, even among the poorer tribu witht their wooden waka. If not in gold and jade, then they were paid by bountiful food year round and the pick of the crop for wives or husbands. There was something freeing about living it out on the waves, a small drop in an ocean of trade. Bautista knew for him, the best part of living in the waves was the escape from the cramped islands.

The kapitan had a tight hold over his crew. A dichotomy of modernity and age, the trading cargo ship Santa Maria benefited from technology of centuries past and retrofitments from subsequent owners. The sensor suite could cover a thousand kilometer radius and half that distance in depth. The cargo hold was sheltered by a retractable copper mesh cage to prevent containers from toppling in rough seas. The hull was made of a composite steel unknown to many shamans, created by the advanced peoples of ages past. The hydrogen-powered turbines made for efficient long distance travel. The heated metal coverings meant crew members could sail comfortably with only a shirt on even in the fiercest winter ocean storms. Stabilisers and an automatically tilting deck meant that even the worst sea legs could sprint across the ship with nary a stumble. A venerable, old-yet-futuristic waka which cleaved its way through rough northern seas, seeking trade to alleviate the few settlements on the northern icy wastes.

A sharp beep interrupted his musings. A skeleton crew was working over the night shift, only a half-dozen officers at work, so the communications officer had to scoot over towards the sensor suite.

"What is it Officer Reyes? Sounded like an approaching ship in our radar."

An "aye" confirmed his guesswork. Bautista furrowed his brows. He had checked the radars himself only minutes ago and nothing had come up.

"How far are they?"

"Three hundred clicks southwest and approaching fast sir, on an interception course towards us. At their bearing and approximate speed, another thirty minutes and they'd be on top of us kapitan."

That's odd. Nothing should pop out of the thousand click radar like that, in such close proximity. "Well then hail them. Warn them of their collision course."

"Aye sir." Reyes scooted back to the communications desk and donned a headset, working his magic on the holographic inputs.

"Attention unknown ship, your current bearing interferes with our own. Please change bearing, the Santa Maria holds priority as per Kiritane Northern Naval code one-six-five. I repeat, your current bearing interferes with our own. Please change bearing to prevent collision."

Ten minutes passed in relative silence, with the message repeated but to no avail. Curiosity and some morbid worry rising, Bautista himself stepped to the sensor suite and put the radar on display. Nothing again. A quick look to his officer confirmed

The hairs on the back of his neck never felt so prominent. The sensors were never wrong on his ship, it was the oldest state-of-the-art sensors outside the Emerald Navy.

"Officer Xhaxhi, what is the diving speed of the Red Rising?"

"Xir?" The young blue informations officer tilted her head in confusion, ever unnerving Hatan orbs staring back in confusion.

"The diving speed of the Red Rising, if you would Xhaxhi."

"Tremendously fast xir, as an Emerald xubmarine always ix. But xir-"

"Wake Guzman and the rest of the security contractors. Time for him to prove he's worth that audacious salary of his."

"But xir-"

"Wake the rest of the crew, all hands on deck to secure the cargo. Sound the emergency klaxons, they need to arm themselves for boarding."

"Xir!-"

"Actually, scratch that. We're running a new roster, half the crew would be useless at repelling boarders. They need to secure the cargo then filter into the lower engine holds with the lights off. Current bridge crew do need to don their sidearms and prepare to defend the bridge. Reyes, be a dear will you and fetch my gun-"

"But xir, the Red Rising never goes this far north! And from current understandings of the maritime code, which even pirates adhere to, no one targets northern research cargo ships!" Almost like a hive mind, the bridge collectively winced. Officer Reyes sunk low into his seat, preparing for the scolding almost reflexively. No one shouts at the kapitan.

Their leader merely sighed, lifting his cap and running a calloused hand through silver hair.

"Xhaxhi, please remind Officer Reyes what the current interdiction efforts resulted in down south."

The young lady shook out of a minor stupor, reciting forth knowledge from the daily updates. "Interdiction effortx have been a great succexx. Piraxy hax reduced by eighty percent as both Emerald wet-naxy and space-navy have flexed their muxclex. A fifty percent increaxe in intervention efforts combined with regular armed excort of all trading fleet elements was a major succexx."

"Yes, and if you suddenly get rid of all the easy targets in the calm seas, where do you think some foolhardy, gloryhound pirates end up to get their blood up? Ignore whatever honour code pirates may have and bad weather conditions."

"North or xouth, xir."

Silence.

"But why the Red Rixing specifically xir?"

"All the black boxes from their sunken prey showed a ghost signature appearing then disappearing three hundred clicks away prior to their close proximity resurfacing. Prepare for boarding ladies and gentlemen. And fetch my weapon Reyes, don't make me repeat myself again."

TL;DR = isolationist confederate kingdom led by a Woman-King, just coming out of a genocidal war from aliens and between each other, initially a colony of hippies and conservationist indigenous peoples who formed a peaceful utopia (prior to alien invasion). Technology is hodgepodge, everyone likes boats and songs and killing each other with melee weapons (because up close and personal is the best way to kill people who want to kill you and yours).

GATEWAYS: THE NEXT GENERATION [CLOSED AND CONCLUDED]

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The Emerald Isles, Peha

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The creation of a new star in the night sky is an event much talked about by the amateur astrologists and recreational sailors of the world. To the average Umana, nothing had changed from the unusual, the merrymaking started by the annual tohunga of the chiefs well underway. If it were not for the space-worthy prowlers searching through the local solar system, perhaps nothing would be found amiss. Hardly worth of discussion.

Not here. Not in the great hall of the Kiri, of Ngarewarewa’s blood, of Ngareia the Woman-King. Fierce debates, often rising to shouting matches and physical altercations, filled the air and rebounded to make a cacophony of disunited noise. The only silence came from Emerald warriors along the walls, making sure that not too much blood would be spilled. And of course, from the increasingly impatient, strikingly beautiful young woman which oversaw this angry rabble which made up her “court.” Fist against cheek, elbow against fine wooden throne as a bored look was set on her face. She glanced to her left where a muscle-bound figure in traditional naval dress stood.

”How long have they been going at it?”

A deep vibrating chuckle, one which brought comfort to her young soul.

“I believe it has been over a quarter of a moon into the tohunga, my Kiri. The chambers have not been silent once in that time. Some have taken to sleeping here so that they can continue their debate as soon as they wake.” The Kenera gestured to the sleeping figures strewn among the many chieftains, slumbering undisturbed despite the fever pitched debate raging around them.

”Leave it to my people to partake in endurance debates.” Ngareia snorted as a pair of rowdy chiefs had started to hold each other by their ears, preparing to headbutt each other with wild eyes.

There was precedence for this sort of action from past tohunga. It was said that her father Natawhau held a conference so long during the debates over the Mandatu that some chiefs would return to find their once-pregnant wives holding a newborn. If he was to be believed, one woman chief even gave birth amidst debate! She was cleaned up, checked by healers, and continued right on with shouting after a short two hours, holding her newborn in her arms. A powerful woman she was, a shame she and her child were slain for dissidence only two years later.

Alas, that was enough reminiscing. There were actions to be taken and they needed to be quicker than whatever this was. Lines were forming across the room, many tira speaking out on who should carry the weight of responsibility for an envoy to the stars. What a trivial question, with only one clear answer.

The Woman-King sat straight and slammed her fist against the armrests, toughened wood shattering on impact to the future dismay of a distant carver.

Her warriors in turn, knocked their jade-tipped staves into the hardwood floor, a staccato rhythm which drowned out the withering debate. She waited, for silence to reign and for the sleeping to awaken, before standing. All in the room bent to one knee for Ngarewarewa’s blood was to address them. All could feel the will, the power, the intrinsic mana with which she spoke softly.

”Peace, my tira, my chiefs.” And that was that. No more debate could be had, not in these halls, not under the eyes of the Kiri. With increasing volume, Ngareia let her voice be carried into the masses, holding a tone similar to that of a mother scolding her children.

”Peace, peha, is bestowed upon us by the will of the gods and our predecessors. Through many moons of war, of blood spilt, of waka used to slaughter and pillage, we have come through and found peace once again. Despite our many sins, our many different familial lines, our bloods have intertwined with each other in the mud, the trees, the waters.”

The Woman-King paused, thinking back to easier times, her father cradling her in bed as he weaved tales and song. It was from visiting the past that they could gain strength and, perhaps, gain unity. ”All our peoples remember the bloodied shores. Umana slaughtering umana. Hatan murdering hatan. Them versus the other. We remember babes taken from weeping mothers. We remember the violations wrought upon the women of the lands. We remember the burning soil, the howling trees, the destruction we caused the land. Of Ope o Peha dying, of fleeing, of hunting.”

The few Hatan present shifted nervously, rippling fur indicating intense discomfort at the insult. The rest hummed in agreement; heads bowed in respect to the history of her words. Of their memories.

”But my forebearer, Ngarewarewa the strong, the wilful, the original tira of the lands we banquet in today, foresaw a future different from the then present. Of one united under one tira, of a Kiri worthy of the title, to unify our peoples together through sheer willpower. My father, Natewhau the intelligent, the cunning, set upon his mother’s work to weave the tribu together, to turn his mother’s legacy, her efforts into a functioning unification of these lands. Many countless moons spent toiling, both of them working with the wishes of our ancestors to find a peaceful future. And with this bickering, with such inaction, such disharmony, you tira only sing songs of failure.”

There was stillness, there was sadness, there was respect. And there was shame. Shame at past actions, plastered on the faces of many, joining the Hatan in discomfort. The loudest voices kneeled the quietest now.

A collection of breath before taking advantage of the tense hall. Soft words now, sailing through the shame in the room. ”You failed in unity. You failed in creating the harmonious Kiritane my father and his mother before sought and fought for. There has been no gentle discussion, no unanimous decision made. And because of what? The creation of a star in our sky? The opening of a door? The path to our Mother, to our past peoples, to the wrongdoers of the past, from which we had fled, is now open for us. And you bicker here, clamouring on top of each other for the position to greet possible cousins in the stars.”

“If you cannot find a quick decision, I will make one. As is my right as Kiri.” A chill settled in the air, many chiefs stiffening their necks in shock before bowing deeper. Direct intervention into tohunga was rare, as it was more common for the Kiri to agree what the council of chiefs had agreed to. But Ngareia had let the bickering go long enough, a decision needed to be made quicker than what a typical tohunga allows. She must gather the mana of Ngarewrewa’s blood, gather the shamans for prayers to the gods. The chiefs would not like such blatant strong-arming, despite many of them appearing to agree today.

But they will either go with the tides or be swept into the depths by struggling.

---

Half a moon later, aboard the Yearning Tranquility

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This great waka, once used for unbidden war, is now returning to its roots. Exploration of the unknown with a unified face. Though perhaps the word "unified" should be in quotation marks.

Even here, the politics of the Kiritane take place, even with one of Ngarewarewa's blood overseeing the envoy. Every tira made their case for sending envoys of their own on the Yearning Tranquility but as great as its halls were, space was important in this void. Hence the various political alliances sent forth their own representatives, great tira in their own right, to accompany Ngateia, third daughter of the current king and leader of the diplomatic envoy. She stood resolute within the bridge, a woman who has come into her own at the age of fifteen, taught by the Emerald Isle's best shamans. As all of those who come from her, Ngarewarewa's presence is strong even in one so young.

"Captain," she started, staring at the monitor which depicted the "Gateway" in its entirety "do we have the appropriate shamans to deduce the route towards the Mother?"

It was decided that if the Kiritane were to set sail in the void once more, they should go back to the lands where their ancestors walked. See for their own eyes the state of their Mother, remind themselves of unjustices wrought upon their lands. No Umana would forget their Mother's death but it would do wonders to unify ourselves to once again stare at her corpse.

"Aye my princess, should be through the Gateway in a wee moment. Your great mother only send tha' best afta' all." An odd choice, a Gaelic Hatan captain, prominent black and green chequered quilt clashing with the bare, blue-furred torso. Many of the tira who were also on the bridge eyed him suspiciously. Alas, with so much forgotten, the Hatan were still the most prominent spacefarers and captains within the Kiritane. Hence why the fleet of five ships, one human and four Hatan made, were all captained by a Hatan. Thoroughly vetted of course, to make sure no dissenters slipped through the gaps.

She nodded once before telling the rest of the envoy to stay in the assigned diplomatic quarters. It would not do for them to interfere with the crew's work. But she stayed, dorning a grand Kākahu of flax and bright white feathers. She stayed still in the final moments of entry through the Gateway, determined in thought and stance, refusing to let even a slight sign of discomfort. And later on, suppressing the great revulsion she felt at the sight of their murdered Mother and the unsightly thing which parked itself near it.

The reaction of the rest of the Umana will be that of sadness and great fury.

---

To all on the unsightly metal coffin

^{A hauntingly beautiful waiata plays first, capturing both hope and sorrow}

---

If we were to translate these words in the coloniser's [read: English] tongue, and expand upon the lyrics this waiata are based on, it would be this:

Peace to the Universe
Love to the Universe
Joy to the Universe
Truth to the Universe

Let the violet flame prevail,
the unfettered spirit
that upholds justice
and truth.

A gift of love this is
to the whole world
an acknowledgement to the
Earth Mother

That is our hope and sadness, in song, in waiata. To understand this is to understand our people.

We could speak upon the insult with which you place this metal coffin in the reach of a corpse but such a vitriolic discussion is best left to future. We reach you from Peha, as envoys of the Kiritane. Bestowed mana by the blood spilt of the great Ngarewarewa, we greet you resolutely and with fierce acknowledgement of our independence in the stars. To other children of the Mother, the Umana spit upon the crimes of old, upon the criminal actions which led to many young taken away from their families, upon the destruction of indigenous identity, upon genocides wrought upon peace-loving peoples, upon lands selfishly stolen by colonisation, upon the sins and unjustices of capitalism. We do not come here to bow, scrape or beg, we come as children of the Mother, of whose death could be explained by many of your predecessor's actions. We acknowledge your great mistakes.

We extend one hand of cooperation in the stars yet carry a club in the other. We have gifts, untouched resources, refreshing beaches to visit and welcoming embraces to be given to our friends. To our enemies, we have guns, ships and fierce mere with which we can cut your throat and crush your skulls.

We have the sufficient resources onboard our ships for a moon's worth of waiting. We will welcome ourselves to your metal coffin at your behest.

GATEWAYS: THE NEXT GENERATION [CLOSED AND CONCLUDED]

At the risk of double posting, here's a taste of what the fight against the Hatan was. Warning: Graphic violence ahead.

Omake 1

Several moons ago, in far off isles

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After a week of rest forced unto them by their pack-leaders, they had been itching for some slaughter. Some had even taken to scarring themselves and other hunters to reduce the itch for blood yet nothing was as satisfying as the hunt. The adrenaline of chasing prey, watching their small circular eyes enlarge as their kin was struck down with knife, gun and powerful Hatanexhix hands. But the previous monxhei cowered like animals in their dens, wishing, praying and begging for salvation when they came. Blood was spilt, little ones drained of their lifeforce, elders drained of whatever blood they had left, impudent males and females struck down when they tried to fight. But there was no relief, no adrenaline filled their systems, muscles did not strain, lives were not at stake as with a proper chase.

But here, their hearts pounded in their ears, determined eyes scanning the surroundings as they revelled in a proper hunt. The primitives of these isles were of a cleverer sort than the last, fleeing their coastal huts at the first sign of their prowlers in the distance. They could have bombed them with their superior guns, killed them all without the slightest bit of effort. But what these monxhei seem to have realised was that us Hatanexhix did not enjoy such systematic, detached killings. They lived for the soft underbrush underneath their feet, bounding above entangled vines and tripping roots as they hunted for their prey. The primates found that they could survive longer when they hid in these jungles.

And how fun and satisfying to partake in the thrill of the predator and prey.

Nexhi, a hunter of many years, was broken out of his introspection as his hunting party paused for a small break. They had taken to taking the corpses of the little ones as cloaks, locking small hands around their necks through skin grafting, enjoying the smell of innocent death which followed them. This typically enraged the monxhei enough to attacking them recklessly but the primitives on this island had yet to take the bait.

Not a single ambush nor trap. No footprints in the underbrush, no fallen branches broken in a hurried flight. There was nothing to track with. A snarling voice broke the silence of the breaking hunters.

One of the younger hunters, frustrated with the lack of blood, carved a small cut along his furred forearm, the movement disturbing the swarm of insects which settled on the child corpse cloak. “Where are these monxhei? We have been looping around this Axtesh-damned jungle for a spin and a half!”

Another, burlier and older Hatanexhix snorted. “Maybe if you had not broken the silence with your complaining, we might have found some primates to kill.”

The younger one threw his arms in the air, tearing the withered arms off his neck and letting the body drop unceremoniously on to the ground. “If we did not have these heavy cloaks, we would have caught up to them by now.”

“Our skin-carver fell into a pit trap two islands ago, we do not have anyone skilled enough in the art of haxax to make leather out of skin. We must make do.”

“Why do we not place skulls upon our belts?! This is like carrying an oxox on your back when we run for this long.”

“You have become a cowardly complainer since you lost that fight against Xheti.”

“That ingrate cut off my finger! My blade would have struck true if it wasn’t for his cowardice.”

“You mean he was simpler smarter than you?”

“You Axteshi, decrepit, pile of bones-“

Nexhi spat in the younger one’s face, interrupting the conversation before it created a murderous altercation which could spread among the group. The bloodlust is addicting and fuelled their endless hunting but they could not afford disagreements this deep in monxhei lands.

“Enough complaining. They have simply ran longer and have become familiar with these lands. They can run but they cannot hide. We will find them soon.”

Astoundingly, the rabble rouser pinned his attentions on the pack-leader, pointing a finger at Nexhi’s chest. “If only you could track as well as you can breed with an oxox, we would have found them by now!”

Before the hunting leader could lay into the dissenter and rip his throat, the young complainer kicked the head of his discarded cloak. Rotting muscle and flesh careened into the air, striking a large tree at the opposite side of the clearing.

The sound of breaking bones and shattering wood was smothered by the ground collapsing underneath them. Nexhi, the elder and several others on the periphery of the clearing quickly jumped away from the opening earth. Some were not as lucky.

Silence shattering shrieks broke the relative peace of the jungle as Hatanexhix impaled themselves on 3-meter-long spikes. Most died instantly, hearts pulverised by the piercing wood, brains splattering the muddy pit. One unfortunate soul, the argumentative young one, had pierced his leg on a spike and dangled like a sack of flesh from the wooden appendage, pained screams making such an annoying racket. A quick nod from Nexhi across the clearing allowed the elder one to put the boy hunter out of his misery, a sliver of satisfaction flashing on the elder’s face.

As one, the hunters disregarded their now lifeless comrades and scanned the surrounding forests. A trap this well-timed as to kill most of the party had to have a triggering monxhei behind it. The pattering of light feet and laboured breathing was all Nexhi needed to start his chase. With a holler, he set off into the thick undergrowth with the whooping, grinning hunters quickly following behind them.

As infuriatingly endurance-oriented these monxhei were, they could not keep up with a Hatanexhix at their top speed. The hunter leader set upon the first straggler, a white-faced primate looking at death with terror. A swipe with his chain-blade and the primitive’s jaw flung onto the wide leaves, dropping lifelessly in the mud. Another swipe rent his splitting body in two to make sure there would be no peace for that cowardly ape. A few paces later, the next primate turned to face him, shouting in his- no, her- disgustingly guttural language in a pitiful challenge. She seemed to be protecting an even smaller monxhei, gripping a neon-edged blade of good make.

The older one charged at him, lunging with both arms outreaching, one bladed and deadly while the other seeking to grapple him. Nexhi simply sidestepped the girl and bisected her in two from head to pelvis, titanium-toothed blades splashing viscera on his light armour. Smiling in amusement, he turned to the other primitive nearby.

Shaking like a leaf, the younger girl had a jade club which he had seen handled proficiently by many a monxhei warrior, often used to scalp his brethren and leave them writhing in pain.

The girl was no warrior and was quickly rent into four pieces where she shook, revolving chain-blades singing bloody murder in the trees as others also set upon their targets. The leader laughed boisterously, thoughts flinging back to the young fool in the trap who had missed out in such delight and revelry.

Out of the foliage, a roaring young boy flung himself at the hunter, wooden pan-shaped club in hand, foaming at the mouth. Nexhi parried the club with the back of his chain-blade, shifting the boy’s momentum into a blood-soaked tree. Before he could set upon the primitive, the boy scrambled away from screaming hooked chains which embedded itself in tough wood.

The Hatanexhix laughed harder, discarding his chain blade and kicked the dead girl’s jade club up into his hands. He stalked his prey, hyperventilating with how hard he laughed at the boy’s narrowing eyes and his subsequent about turn into the shrubbery.

Quickly leaving his other fellows, Nexhi gave chase with murderous glee. He slowed his pace so he was just out of the wild backward swipes of this humiliation in front of him. What a pathetic specimen, running when the adrenaline left his body, evidently realising his doomed fate.

The hunter leader followed the boy up a small hill and unto a clearing of grass, edged by a cliff. The prey turned swiftly to face his opponent, determination in his eyes despite the clear soiling in his flax skirts. It was so humorous that Nexhi almost cried laughing at the site.

“Boy!” He shouted between laughter, twisting his serpentine tongue to occupy the tongue of these wretched primitives. “You turn tail with the first xlaughter. You are more pitiable than the girl I had just split in xuarters. Xhe wielded your mere with no skill but at least xhe did not run like a coward!”

The boy opened his mouth like a gaping fish, nearly sending the Hatanexhix into hysterics. “You speak the language of our ancestors.”

“Of course,” Nexhi boasted, a wide shit-eating grin threatening to split his face in half “xlaughtering a pig is more fun when you know what the animal is xaying.”

Little or not, the dark-skinned primitive set his mouth in a thin line, gripping the wooden pan-club tighter as he stalked forward in a deliciously proud way.

“You are not worthy of their tongue.”

“And you, monxhei are not worthy of the ground your corpse xhall fall on.”

“It will not be my corpse falling to the earth, Hatan. I am Xhota, son of Xhashi, and your death will bring glee to my ancestors.”

The hunter howled uproariously at the upstart, twirling the primitive club between dextrous fingers as he set upon his prey.

The two set launched themselves against each other, one howling with surprised glee, the other grim-faced and set with immovable will. This small, almost forgettable duel among many hundreds fought on this planet would have repercussions upon the future. The singing willpower, the cacophonous strength, the determination to move mountains which ran through Ngarewarewa’s blood would start here. On a small atoll, of no interest for many of the great leaders at the time, between a murderer and a child. A hunter and his prey.

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GATEWAYS: THE NEXT GENERATION [CLOSED AND CONCLUDED]

Here is a new nation I was working on, subject to change with how you guys review it:) Feels a bit half-assed for some reason but I did put lotsa effort in it so maybe I'm just being too critical haha

Kiritane

Nation Name:
Kiritane o Peha – Kingdom of Peace

Government Form:
Confederated Tribal Monarchy

Demographics:
94% Umana

Human

6% Hatan o Umana

Demon Humans

Population:
800 Million

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^{All we found in these forests was Peace.}

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Planet Name and Description:
Peha. An amalgamation of words for “Peace” created by the first landers, humans of many nations and many languages. This was a perfect Earth-like substitute for weary, war-stricken travellers. A name which not only embodied what these first colonists felt but also what they wished for. Strived for. And after many years of war, subjugation, strife, was what they deserved. A planet which can never replace the Mother but could play her surrogate for her lost children. A planet of many volcanic island archipelagos, each lined by white sandy beaches and centred by thick jungle. On Peha’s equator lay the only substantial landmass aside from the wintery poles, the Ope o Peha, Son of Peace. With its biomes of gently rolling plains mixed with thick, entangled jungles, winding rivers, and a dormant super-volcano at its centre, it was perfect for settlement. The soil was rich, the ore veins untouched, water clearer than most of the young ones had ever laid eyes on. It was beautiful.

That was then. This is now. Craters, irradiated for many thousands of years, where jade plains and farms once stood. Stab wounds puncturing deep to his body. Razed, charred ground where might tree cities once intermixed with jungles. Third degree burns on skin. The literal terrain cracked and torn asunder, like strings of welts on a whipped man’s back. The rivers which flowed so vibrantly now full of lava from the son’s last defiant shout. Ope o Peha was murdered and remains lifeless, a stark reminder of what the Hatan had done. Many, now Umana in their tongue, still weep for the lost son. No island was bereft of damage from their arrival, jungles cut down and some whole islands still on fire, yet none bore as much pain as the son, the tortured son, the murdered son.

Peha still quakes and cries at the loss of her son, tearing many islands asunder in earthquakes of imaginable magnitude. Irradiated hurricanes strike at the settlements on the islands, striking at massive sea walls with savagery. Screaming, howling, shouting ”why they would let her precious son die?”

History:
The people who sought for peace above all else were atypical. These were people who had seen what reckless industry, unbound scientific developments and a loss of connection to the land could do. They were Mother-born, the last of the humans born in her withering hands and they felt her loss deeply. These were like-minded people and despite their differences in blood and homeland, they convened in Mother’s dying breaths to create a united vision for the future. No longer would they scorn nature’s gifts, lay upon the land countless injuries which could not heal – these first would-be-settlers laid out both written guides and stories to tell their children. A language, born of the many languages their people spoke so that they would not forget their heritage yet be able to communicate with each other. A history of all the peoples which came before, legends of those who came before who struck against reckless capitalism and colonisation. And most importantly, a set of principles which could guide future generations to make sure Mother’s death would not be repeated.

Many would laugh at these “hippies” or “up-jumped natives” and claimed their stupidity in denying the gifts of capitalism and conquering. These gifts, they each knew, was poisoned. A poison which had spread so far and ingrained itself so deeply that it led to us fleeing Mother’s grasp. They were one of the last to leave, gently brushing her presence before they left her for what seemed like forever. And in those last days, the holds of the Yearning Tranquillity held not only those who lost their ancestral homelands but their anguish, tears, pain and most importantly, hope.

This hope found answers in Peha. How lucky they were! Here they were, a colony ship flung to parts unknown, with chances slim to none of finding a suitable new home, landing to a place of such vibrant nature it even made the most despondent leap in joy! With the advanced technology that they once scorned, they could make a home here while following their principles. They laid great settlements in the jungles and plains of Ope o Peha in accordance with nature, not against it. They found mines, dams and geothermal plants which did not scar the land but allow nature to take its course around them. More than any other advanced civilisation since the modern age, these first generations found bounds of peace and symbiosis relationships with the nature that surrounds them. So peaceful, so united were they that many spent time creating art, songs, large waka to travel the oceans and nurturing bountiful gardens rather than working the endless toil their predecessors had suffered under before. Soldiery and weapons were laid aside for building tools and even the advanced waka that had brought the there was laid to rest in shores as a proclamation that their new home, their surrogate mother was Peha.

They were Umana, communal, peaceful citizens of the land. One with the land and the land one with them. Any sole “leader” of the bright, happy population was more a figurehead administrator, one who was more focused on the continued prosperity than vying for individual greed. Truly, these were the best of us. Oh how many beautiful songs could have been created? How many cultures sprouted from the old, new stories and artwork created in respect to the past and future? How many more mothers would hold suckling, hopeful newborns? Fathers proud of their children drawing doodles, carving crude craft, singing soulful songs? Oh what could be and what should have been.

They came like lightning. They struck the communications between our peoples, declaring us weak, spineless and unworthy of our new home, our only worth found as prey before shutting it all down. They destroyed our symbiotic power generators, the farms and fields, what few military settlements we had. Nuclear bombs laid waste to our great cities, for how could we put up a fair fight against our superiors? So many millions died on Ope o Peha, joining their new adopted brother as victims of a culling, a massacre. Yet in their great cruelty, the Hatan let many more live and escape, boarding waka to flee to the islands.

Umana found their escape and reprieve short lived. Aliens who were faster and stronger than any person who had ever lived, landing at these islands with the intent to hunt. These forced many more migrations, even more fleeing and spreading themselves upon the many thousands of islands across Peha. Millions turned to thousands turned to hundreds in this great migration, communities splitting apart to prevent the mass genocide that came with concentrated numbers. The Hatan, those demons, could have easily bombed these fleets of waka and be done with it. Yet they enjoyed the game, enjoyed the chase of men, women and children as they slashed at their backs, loved the thrill of the hunt.

And as it was, in the turn of the first century since settling there, the once united, once peaceful people were found to be scattered, brought into war not of their choosing.

But these were not quitters. These were not crying savages begging on their knees for a quick death. History would not be repeated here, could not be repeated here. The Umana laid down their chisels, brushes and tools of creation for the tools of war.

Some were lucky to escape with hunting or building equipment which could be converted into deadly weaponry. Some were even able to escape with the original weapons of war of the dead soldiery, picked up in the great flight and used to great effect. But many had to make do with what they had. With their makeshift weapons of war, with wood, steel, rock and even barehanded, they fought back. They laid traps and ambushes within jungles so similar to what they used to have. Used crying, running children actors as bait for over-eager demons. Created mock villages instead filled with hardened warriors.

Still, many Umana died in droves, lined against ditches made of their own hands and shot. But many more died fighting, shooting, punching, stabbing, biting and tearing at the demons. No one was spared from fighting. Elderly women poured hot oil on hunting parties, young ones ran messages between ambush groups, disabled cripples using whatever limbs (and often teeth) to inflict as much pain as they could. The Hatan miscalculated, they had not found a native people which were so caught up in their own happiness that they could be ruthlessly ravaged. They had found a lost people, fleeing their Mother stricken by war who knew what total warfare meant, if not through experience, then through tales and through their blood.

Many alien hunting parties would leave after getting their fill of slaughter, deeming these upstarted apes too troublesome to bother fighting or simply bored, wanting to embark on another grand journey to try and find other prey ripe for hunting. Some, mostly out of respect and not mercy, would join hopeless Umana in fighting other Hatan to see what fun could be found there with the defenders too tired to put up much of a fight to such a ridiculous request. The few hunting parties that were left were either more murderous than their others or were looking for vengeance against the “lesser” savages, most settling in islands of their own to continue the fight.

It was in this age of strife, of poverty and of relentless war that those once peaceful would slaughter each other as well as the Hatan. This was simply over a matter of resources, mainly fighting for the few freshwater sources not poisoned by the radiation which carried itself in the wind. This was the start of a grand hundred and fifty years of constant fighting, bleeding, conquering among the Umana themselves. A descent into debauchery so grand that it brought tears to the remaining demons, many partaking in the carnage with unrelenting glee. Glee at their successful corruption, sheer joy at the blood which would cover their bodies and sink into their short fur. Not much can be said about this age of senseless violence aside from the fact that history seemed to always find a way to repeat itself. It was an unbreakable cycle.

The Kiri of the Emerald Isles thought differently. She held to the principles of the old way, the founding ideology which led to the peace of the before times. She knew, through stories and art and song, of better futures different from one of war and inevitable extinction. But she knew that with the reawakening of violence, there could be no quarter given, no mercy bestowed, no weapons thrown aside, not until the Umana were united under a stern leader who could keep what their knew planet was named for.

To show her intent to the various polities, petty empires and remaining hunting parties, she renamed her people the Kiritane o Peha. There was no other legitimate government aside from those who allied under her, no people that could live in Peha without bending the knee to her will. Ngawerawera ne Xhota was a woman of grand willpower, of sheer brilliance, of mana, great enough to move mountains. And here began a war of subjugation, violence for peace, slaughtering countless petty lords and their peoples till peace could once more reign over these islands.

Utilising fleets of armed, steel waka and captured Hatan prowlers, she conducted raids and swiftly conquered a great string of islands in few short years. Hopping from one to the next and ruthlessly giving the choice of a bent knee or death for both chieftain and followers. Adults, elderly, children, subjects of all ages were put to the blade for the sins of their leader so that the rotten legacy could not be continued through blood. But she did not conquer senselessly, without direction, as she carved her way through the oceans.

Arriving at Ope o Peha, standing side by side with both Umana and conquered Hatan, she felt her first bit of hopelessness. On glassed beaches, with great firestorms still raging further inshore, she cried. Ngawerawera weeped, a sight never seen before in a woman thought to be cut from stone. So moved were her followers that even the demons would stand in silence, even the most cold-hearted felt water in their eyes. She would weep on sandy knees till her wells ran dry, till her knees groaned against forced stillness, till her sharpened nails had scraped flesh from her folded legs. Then she stood, silently, and walked among the shores where her predecessors were slain so brutally, where they had fled so many years ago.

Here, Ngawerawera found her trump card. The Yearning Tranquillity was unwavering, over two centuries in the waters off the salty coast not enough to earn a single speck of rust on its body. A brave, or maybe foolish, Hatan follower, one who joined for the bloodshed the Kiri promised, loudly scoffed. They had been alive in their first landings and knew the strategy to cause the great migrations. It was specifically to render the Umana useless, to forget their previous knowledges. The fool’s throat had been torn by sharpened nails midway through monologue. The great, first Kiri knew how to wield their first waka. Only a fool would not realise the importance of tales and song which could carry information through generations. The specifics? Well she had shamans, keepers of stories, who could wield unknown technologies like seasoned experts due to their vast oral knowledge.

And so the first waka fired its engines and readied its unused guns. Fulfilling its namesake once more, under bloodier guise.

And so it was, history repeated itself. A conqueror turned king. With one great waka, Ngawerawera would unleash a systematic subjugation of all the rest. She kept her word, slaying those who refused and treating with kindness those who bent the knee, with future promises that their hard-fought sovereignty would not be destroyed by a tyrant king. Most often, Hatan would fall into the first group and Umana in the second, resulting in the disparate population figures found today. In the thousands of islands, she would gain millions of followers. She was tireless, even when the grey started overtaking her once vibrant raven hair, when the wrinkles tweaked her once perfect beauty. It was said, by all those present, that upon the last day of bent knees, she would die peacefully in her bed on the Yearning Tranquillity.

Her son, Natawhau e Ngawerawera, a warrior and leader in his own right, took the mantle and donned his mother’s flowing cape of dried flax and dyes. It was under him that the first meeting of allied leaders was held, a great conference to realise the future which his mother fought for. With a peace enforced by further conquering and slaughter of crying dissidents, Ngawerawera’s dream was set in stone. The millions of Umana and remaining Hatan o Umana, as they were now called, were united under one flag despite the distances between the islands they occupy. He would be known as a great, intelligent administrator and more merciful and patient than his mother ever was. He would attempt to tackle the problem of natural industrialisation, creating widespread, yet less grand tree-cities as was on Ope o Peha. His reign would mark the creation of a sort-of-constitution, of the Peha Mandatu which set his descendants as forever worthy of the title Kiri.

His daughter, Ngareia e Natawhau would gently take power after her father’s abdication. The populations boom as freshwater is purified by the first waka’s advanced technologies. Resources would be gained by the utilisation of former Hatan prowlers, as few as they were, reaching into space to gather for the people below. Jungles were restored and many war fleets repurposed into shipping and transport. Yet she still has much to contest with in her reign.

The remaining Hatan, most of whom are descendants of those who had first landed here, face discrimination daily, often on the receiving end of brutality. The warriors still itch for fighting, for while they could claim they fought for peace, generations of war did not lend itself easy to be laid aside. Much technology was still very much forgotten and was wildly varying between the island nations under her purview. Many Umana chiefs started to question the need for a Kiri and many more worried for another demon incursion. There festers a growing movement which calls for te puke o awa, the standing aside of outsiders. Chiefs wish to respectfully step out of the Kiritane and instead observe, give advice and probe the world entity from the outside. A step which undermines the authority of the Kiri yet stands with the promises of Ngarewarewa.

Yet she stands undaunted as her grandmother once was at the ruins of Ope o Peha. For how can one forget the tales and songs, carrying the wisdom of those who came before. Her answers would lie somewhere beyond the reach of Peha, in places where the isolationism and divisions of the Umana could be shed and true peace could be found again.

Culture and Society
Once divided, twice united. A dichotomy of cultures and thinking.

For the average subject under the Kiritane, life is akin to a mix of early agricultural society and hunter-gatherer tribes with some urbanised dwellings in the tree-cities. In a clashing of ways of life, technology levels and power, the many “allied” tribes are still very much divided against each other in ways. Many still wage small conflicts against the other, trying to get away with what they can before the Kiritane rears its head with authority. They are jealous and scheming, the century and a half of conflict making them bloodthirsty and seeking revenge despite the relative peace of the new age. So to live in these times is to be tense, wary and always looking for the knife aimed at your back.

This translates to the Umana and Hatan o Umana in how they behave with each other. There is much posturing between rivals which can often devolve into violence. They are indifferent or outright hostile to outsiders, most only grudgingly respecting the authority of the Kiri and her own warriors due to Ngarewarewa and the Mandate. Each people has a culture derived from many other, often indigenous, cultures that came from Mother. This fact, which was once embraced and given to unity, divides the island peoples. Some argue that their heritage to the “old ways” was stronger than others, convinced of their superiority. Others argue that their newness, modernity and fusion of old cultures was a sign of progression, convinced of other’s foolishness. The Hatan o Umana are largely lost in this battle of cultures, swaying to whatever side they were already allied to.

Religious beliefs have divided, some continuing some form of organised faith while many others approach more spiritualist ancestor or nature worship. Some detest technology, for what had it brought but ruin to the shores of Peha’s son? Some revel in it, forming shamans by the dozens as both lore keepers and to find new lore. Industry varies largely, typically the more powerful a tribe was prior to involvement in the Kiritane, the greater their industry and their technology.

Among their own, these island peoples are as carefree and peace-loving as they had been before, with newer generation demons adopting this attitude. It harkens to the early days on Peha, those wistful first landers dreaming of peace and different times. Communal work without wage is common, simply done for the bettering of the wider community. Bonds formed from the war and the mindless slaughter are strong, with neighbouring, friendly polities having connections as unbreakable as steel.

However, there are still some remnant unified forces between the people of Peha, adopted by the demons which had invaded them long ago. A love of nature and a fierce desire to preserve it. An idea of being one with the land and the land being one with them. A common language born from their predecessors. A love for song, dance, art, carvings and travel. A respect, sometimes grudging, of the overall leadership of the Kiri. A warrior culture which stems from the early days of massacre and bloodshed. And a uniquely oral-based knowledge system which allows for the preservation of all forms of knowledge and a drive to prevent history from repeating itself, despite many peoples having different views on how to prevent that.

An overarching aspect of Umana (and hence younger Umana o Hatan) is the respect for and fear of Ope o Peha. All fear the wrath of the mother and many regard that place cursed, only filled with the spirits of anguished dead, weeping trees and suffocating animals. There is serious debate over whether to utilise this large landmass to allow for industrialisation but there is too much fear for that place. The mother still grieves for her son.

Our Peoples

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^{Reconfigured Hatan prowlers on patrol.}

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Governance and Politics:
The Kiritane consists of nations which swears itself to the Kiri and more importantly, to the Peha Mandatu. This proclamation, more than the constitution nor the few written laws applied throughout the Kiritane, is the founding principle upon which this confederation is built. The Peha Mandatu, in short, states that due to the great undertakings of Ngarewarewa, the sheer will she built over long life and the dauntless sacrifices she had made, that this same spirit would have to be carried to all her firstborn descendants. That her blood resembles the ways of the old and the coming of the new more than any other, that with her lineage ferries new ages and improvements to all under the Kiritane as a whole. But, as to keep with her promises, the largely day-to-day goings of her various peoples would be bestowed upon their chiefs. The bloodline of Ngarewarewa serves as the admiral overseeing the many captains of the fleet.

Within their own domains, the chiefs of the various tribes rule largely without oversight. Unless serious crimes occur which offend the peoples, the Kiritane does not interfere with intra-tribal affairs. This causes wild variations in the laws between tribes, resulting in frequent inter-tribal insults. These laws are largely based on the bloodline and familial bonds within community, the gods they believe in and the lands which these tribes inhabit. Largely, this creates isolationism between the different islands or island archipelagos with most inter-tribal discussion occurring on the Emerald Isles where the Kiritane hold the most sway.

The largest forum for government is held in the spring, a time of general merriment for the crops are plentiful and the hunting is bountiful. The tuhana of leaders across Peha is held on the largest island of the Emerald Isles, where the Kiri holds council. Here, rather than individual chiefs airing out their grievances between each other or to the Kiri, it is a two week long banquet accompanied by lawmaking, deals being made and general discussion on what direction the Kiritane takes. The Kiri holds absolute power in this domain, as mandated by the Peha Mandatu and enforced by the power of conquest and their bloodline.

The Peha Mandatu is a mandate outlining the rights of the Kiri to hold overall sovereignty and governorship over Peha. It is an account of all the battles and treaties in which Ngarewarewa and her descendants partook in, to cement the weight of history into their rulership. It does not sit idle, it evolves as Kiri live and die, as they wage war, make knees bend and create tales. Great projects can often be seen here, such as Natawhau’s construction of his capital in the Emerald Isles, a large interconnecting super tree-city which showcases the power of the Kiri and exemplifies why they should rule.

The Kiritane is a loose confederation of island tribe-nations which respect the Kiri but only exists with constant enforcement that the rule of the Kiri is just and correct, as shown by the Peha Mandatu.

Technology Overview:
Much has been forgotten by the Umana of these lands. With the destruction of Ope o Peha and the subsequent flight of the people, much written knowledge was lost. Largely, any technological retention occur due to the shamans, lore-keepers who hold much knowledge from the stories, songs and forms of art they partake in and pass down. Codification and analysation of this knowledge is difficult even for the Kiritane as many shamans hold deep loyalty with the tribe and lands they inhabit. Only some developments from the Emerald Isle are publicly available in written or video form, hence why many tribes are not mired in disease and famine. Aside from this, advanced technology is an exemplar of the relationship between chieftain and Kiri, deep contention on where one’s authority starts and ends.

Overall, technology within the tribes vary largely. Some may have retained more than others, resulting in vast differences in technological level. Within a largely tribal society, advanced technology is most often seen in the tools and weapons they utilise. Plasma cutters, handheld weapons with mono-blades or heavy alloy shields, chain-tools and the like are common. Other, more industry-based technology such as agricultural, building, mining or manufacturing technologies are more closely guarded. Even the Kiri guard some of these resources to keep ahead of the other tribes to keep domain.

The Hatan who remain contribute with their painful weapons, torture devices and traps. But largely, as most of those who stayed behind on Peha were hunters who held little actual technical knowledge, warfare remains their domain. Conveniently, many Hatan technicians landed with the crashing of a prowler on the Emerald Isles, hence the ability for the Kiritane to enforce their might planetwide via the original prowlers which remained on Peha.

Islands, the vast tracts of ocean between them and the relatively small land area they have does not lend itself well to large industry and technological developments. Hence much of the Kiritane approach is focused towards the restoration of technology. If outside forces were to offer their own technological support, there would be much contention over accepting such an offer, with the isolationist tendencies of the chiefs.

Military Overview:
The military, much like the nation, is fragmented. The largest, and only, standing military on Peha is that of the Emerald Expeditionary Forces. A mixed navy (both water and space), army and air force combined forces group which harkens itself back to the conquering fleets of waka led by Ngarewarewa. An organisation which ultimately answers to the Kiri as their commanding officer, with an individual leader for each branch of Expeditionary Forces. As they are directly sworn to the Kiri through blood and land, they have ultimate loyalty with the Kiritane and the Peha Mandatu. While also acting as the armed limb of the Kiri, they also act as the policing force to ensure what few laws the Kiritane have are enforced planetwide. This includes the stamping of dissidents as well as forceful peace installed between warring tribes.

The other tribes also hold their own militaries but are made up of part-time soldiery, beholden to the Kiritane only when they are called upon, otherwise led by their respective chieftains. These local militias/militaries differ greatly between each other in make-up, numbers and armaments. However, the Umana way of war largely stays the same. Tinged with the cruelty of the early Hatan, many of whose descendants still occupy military roles, the Umana are excellent at guerilla tactics, small-scale conflict, jungle warfare and psychological weapons. In the free-for-all of planetwide wars, the speed at which one could conquer another’s territory was all-important. And for the defenders, the ability to slow down those attackers’ determined life or complete subjugation and massacre. When on the offensive, overwhelming force is used to rid of peripheral forces, often taking place after a successful naval engagement. The “hunters” are then used, to penetrate deep within deeper enemy territory, often being jungles, to scope out the remaining forces.

The attackers would then face possible death by a thousand cuts. Traumatic spike traps, laser guided mines, sporadic ambushes, suicide bombers, poisoned water sources and many more irregular warfare tactics are used to great effect for the defenders. War between Umana is determined by how staunch the defenders can be or how brutal the attackers can be. The Emerald Expeditionary Forces’ success originates in their spaceflight superiority, often making these irregular defences moot. And with most Umana soldiery finding greater satisfaction in handheld melee weapons (though the Expeditionary Forces are largely equipped with ballistics), the fighting is brutal. Ripping, tearing, bludgeoning and maiming are shows of warrior prowess for these jaded warriors.

This land-focused strategy is exemplified in the Yearning Tranquility and the old prowlers. Many of the latter rusting and dilapidated with poor maintenance, both have been adapted to more ground-focused support. Their guns are more focused on shooting down enemy ground emplacements and supporting troop/water naval movements rather than focusing on anti-ship warfare (for what other ships are there?).

And with the prominence of the oceans, the steel waka hold the greatest prestige within the Emerald Expeditionary Forces and the militia who are lucky enough to have the knowledge to make them (others make do with wood or other materials). Great trimaran hulls which slice through the water, both sail and battery powered (often by efficient solar panels held by the Emerald Isles), with the weaponry of said ships chosen by the captains who lead them. Some have great ballistic cannons to engage in long artillery duels, lucky ones have scavenged missiles taken from downed prowlers for pinpoint targeting while others instead cram their hulls with as many warriors as possible, reinforce their leading hull and act as rams.

Like the Kiritane itself, the military and militia of Peha are a hodgepodge of the old and new, tinged with a personal cruelty that only many years of close, brutal fighting can inflict.

Military Examples

^{Atamira Hoke Hoke standing in his formal dress as a leader of the water waka navy}

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^{Emerald Expeditionary Force warrior fully armoured, though many askew aside some parts to feel the blood of enemies touch their skin}

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^{Standard firearms found throughout the Kiritane, wood-based to save on steel production}

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^{Grainy image of old first settler trimarans which the navies make use of}

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^{A series of landing craft exiting a trimaran in order to execute landing operations}

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^{Yearning Tranquility}

TL;DR = isolationist confederate kingdom led by a Woman-King, just coming out of a genocidal war from aliens and between each other, initially a colony of hippies and conservationist indigenous peoples who formed a peaceful utopia (prior to alien invasion). Technology is hodgepodge, everyone likes boats and songs and killing each other with melee weapons (because up close and personal is the best way to kill people who want to kill you and yours).