Terminal

The Envenomed

"Nice to know I can still make all the ladies swoon." King preened where he sat as Kleo was bodily hauled away, not even so much as flinching as the blood she spat all over his shirt dripped down his chest. Abruptly, his entire body seemed to ripple with undulating waves of scintillating, iridescent color - and the blood covering his shirt and boots were both violently flung away from him, some of it even splattering against the Invictoid Authority's own shield, causing it to shimmer once more as it deflected the bloody droplets.

"As for our erstwhile Commander - rest assured sir, protesting frequently and often is one of my most developed skills. I will be sure to forward all of that to you in the future." He flicked a lazy two-fingered salute Salvator's way. He did not otherwise make to move from his seated position, with his boots - or the seeming of them at any rate - still propped up on the meeting table. "Otherwise, I am something of a close-in fire-support specialist. Covering and suppression fire, wide-variety energy frequency munitions, aerial, amphibious, and space-capable environmental maneuvers. All of which will mostly be limited by how slow and inept the rest of you are, but I imagine somehow we will be able to muddle our way to realms of disheartening adequacy all the same."

The Envenomed

Everything he did not see was a waking nightmare to him.

The nonsensical paradox was quite literal. The sophisticated mechanism at the core of his body that measured the parameters of his phantasmagorical skin in order to provide him with sensation had a fully spherical field of view and never turned off. Before, when he had still been alive, he could simply constrain his field of view to something Human-adjacent for a more digestible experience.

Now though, dead and buried, if he closed his one third eye even slightly, in the writhing darkness beneath its synthetic eyelids he could instead - see the festering, putrescent, monstrous beings pupating inside what remained of his entombed corpse. He swore they moved. Every time he dared to try and examine them he swore their everting maws and pulsating, grime-lathered ventricular pores had pulsated in some edacious fashion that he could not quite commit to memory.

The alternative of a full field of view without end, warped and blown out of proportion by his limited Human experience, reigned as a seductive siren's call promising an end to the fitful night terrors. He knew, however, that is was but one of the many self-imposed facets and aspects of his new form that if he embraced too fully, all pretense of Humanity would abandon him. He would lose sight of what-was and drown in the metamorphic numen, reverse transubstantiation of the mind and soul to mirror the state of the body - the placid, inert fluid being reshaped and molding to the form of its new container. While that might not have necessarily been a bad thing, per se, there was always then the forlorn, insidious notion: If he adapted too well to his new form, he would never be able to return to what remained of his corpse.

Make a heaven of hell to find damnation in paradise, or endure an unending continuation of freakish misery for the distant promise of far-flung catharsis and absolution? The classic dilemma in a new, modernized experience embodied in an exploration of phantom sensation. In their magnanimity, his current hosts had even arranged his living conditions to neatly mirror his sleepless, daylight horror. The Tarrhaidim​ and Vrexul dominated aesthetics of the vessel he had been reassigned to charming him with its rancid, fungal aesthetic at every turn, as if the whole ship was a corpse with industrial-sleek and glittering mold covering every relevant surface. He was not certain whether the convergent aesthetics on display between the two alien species and his own personal torment were incidental or deliberate - all he knew for certain was that they almost certainly saw him in just a distasteful light as he saw them. The so-called bunking arrangements at general quarters aboard the ship, in particular, were insufferably claustrophobic and altogether too similar to the writhing torment that occupied his blind spot.

It was thus no surprise that he instead spent the majority of his time 'patrolling' his new host vessel for the purposes of finding the single least visually offensive vista where he could ineffectually bang his head against the metallic hydrogen facade of contemplative normalcy he tried to maintain if only for the sake of his own withering sanity. There was no salvation to be found - practically every squirming centimeter of the alien vessel churned and seethed with the rush of biomechanical life. The company he had to keep, of course, was even worse. It was as if every single asshole inside of twelve AU wanted to put their own mutagenic excess on display - that most of them were bent and twisted into rough approximations of Humanoid form almost seemed condescending.

Needless to say, after having run what passed for his mouth a few times, the majority of the crew and passengers had come to view him with precisely the same disgust he held for most of them. He had already been disciplined ^{(Ha! HA! AHAHAHA!!!)} multiple times for 'speciest proclivities and discriminatory sentiment.' He could clearly see how indulging in such base and distasteful behavior was hindering his ongoing efforts, but what else could he do? He did not even have the relative oasis of his own body to find respite in - or to find the rudiments of civility in. He needed something to ground his Humanity in, and if it won him no favors from his erstwhile 'allies,' they could go find a large mass of anti-neutronium to kick.

“King.”

Yes. That was him. The not-name for his body anyway. He shook off the passing, questionable entertainment of his reverie to continue arguing with the bay quartermaster. He glanced off to the side, behind where the Quartermaster stood, to look at the security-feed displaying the counter-side view of the desk and whoever happened to be on the receiving end of it. It was still him he saw. Approximately 1.78 meters in height and still looking a little too thin, even with the bulked-up ballistics suit he had projected over the display for his skin. His auburn-colored hair was presently being worn in a loose ponytail until he could be assed to devise something really eccentric. The expression on the angular features of his face was still one of vague disinterest however - only the deep-green coloration of his eyes really stood out at the moment. Conjuring up a bid of concentration, he managed to twist the external photon-curtain for his face to resemble an approximation of scornful expression.

"That's my name, don't chew on it too much before spitting it out." He retorted.

He was King.

"Your requisition request has - once more - been denied." The Quartermaster wheezed through the biomechanical equivalent of a respirator. Like everything else on the ship, they were a little too tall, spindly, and corpse-like for King's taste.

"What, all six thousand of them?" King asked plaintively as he leaned elbow-first on the commissary counter.

"It was impressive that you had the patience and commitment to press the 'Confirm and Send' button six thousand times. I can only imagine how much time that took you. However, all the duplicates were filtered and omitted by the governing system."

"So why was the one application that got through rejected?"

The Quartermaster leaned down from across the commissary window, practically butting head to head with King in the process before answering.

"I took such apoplectic offense to your attitude from before that I, in my rage, lost your form. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you personally."

"Nothing to it, scatterbrains, pretty sure they make a pill for that." King made a show of gritting the teeth he did not have while locking what currently passed for his eyes with the quartermaster's own beady, optical lens. "Look, I ask for so very, very little. I do not even eat. Is it so much to ask that you actually do your job and requisition the one, singular item that might make abiding your creepy, insufferable countenance otherwise tolerable, which I have been asking you to get for the last fourteen billion cycles?"

The quartermaster leaned back from across the counter again. "Without even having looked into it, you are asking for a form of physical media that could be perfectly viewed digitally. You could even look at it right now, if what I know about your apparatus is right. Obtaining a physical copy is redundant, risky, expensive - and unnecessary. Do not file a similar request again."

"So on top of being lazy, ugly, and dim-witted, we can now add 'inept' to the lengthy list of your many physical failings." King made a concerted effort to twist the photon-curtain of his face to approximate a contemptuous sneer. "I, for one, cannot wait to get to know you better so I can figure out what is also wrong with your personality. I'll resubmit the form another six-thousand times with unique modifications each time if that's what it takes. Just get it for me you complete waste of my time..." He banged on the commissary counter with the project for his right fist before turning around with a somewhat over-embellished sweeping gesture. Then he made to strut away, taking care to make sure his feet were actually touching the floor and to throw in some exaggerated nigh-drunken sway to really sell the picture of barely-contained indignant rage. He had no idea if the alien quartermaster could even read Human body-language, but it was not for his benefit regardless.

The quartermaster threw something wet and viscous at the back of King's head. It struck and splattered itself against the contours of the photon-curtain for King's hair, neck, and shoulders.

'Get mad. Get really mad. Hormonal, impulsive, completely reckless rage. You are incandescent with hate. Let's go. Get mad. Just imagine it as if it had happened to you for real. Get mad. Get mad. Get mad.'

King's form stood still and rigid for several moments, but he failed to properly approximately the still-but-livid shock that he remembered as coming with being struck by something filthy from an unseen angle. He couldn't quite bend the eyes projected by the photon-curtain to swell with visible hate. He couldn't quite get the photo-curtain's skin to ripple with reflexive shock. He couldn't quite get the set of his jaw to broaden and lower in animal ferocity.

Most damningly, though: He also couldn't quite bring himself to care.

King shrugged faintly, and the surface of his entire body shimmered with iridescent waves of scintillating light as his photon-curtain remodulated itself. He applied a faint burst of ablative-kinetic shock to the residue of whatever the Quartermaster had thrown at him and sent it scattering across the walls and floor. Utterly defeated, he then drifted off - literally. His feet did not even touch the ground as he pulled his host mechanism across the bay and to the nearest juncture, ignoring the alien curses the Quartermaster was flinging at his back.

Before he could ruminate for too long on his failings and contemplate jettisoning himself out the nearest airlock to scream in space for the rest of forever, he received a communique from the Invictoid Authority. The strike team was back. Time for mission debrief and introductions. Time to pretend to care about another mishmash of random assholes out here in the back end of nowhere, space, running aggrandized wetwork for the interstellar political equivalent of a howling infant. There was always the possibility some of them might be Human of course. Or at least look passably Human. He could have reviewed the strike team's profiles in advance but had elected to savor the disappointment in person.

As he made to enter the briefing room, resplendent with its insultingly mundane table and chairs, he was genuinely shocked for the first time in months when he heard a Human voice stained with the very indignant rage he had just attempted and failed to conjure up - and then he beheld the frazzled countenance of one Kleo Alves, attempting to chew out the Invictoid Authority as though she did not know it had been dealing with him for long enough that she would be unable to faze it even if she had spat in its face.

He frowned when she visibly coughed blood on the ground. Did she have internal bleeding? Had the medics not tended to her yet? Typical. Still, she was healthy enough to scream at an authority figure, that meant she was healthy enough to humor a little hazing.

"𝙱𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚍. 𝚆𝚊𝚒𝚝 '𝚗 𝚜𝚎𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚊𝚠𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎? 𝚂𝚑𝚎'𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜. 𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖.. 𝙲𝚑𝚎𝚌𝚔𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎."

Kleo Alves

"That..." He said, putting a bit of a spinning, exaggerated drawl in the intonation of his voice as he strutted into the room, "Would be me!"

He made directly for the seat nearest to where Kleo was standing, spun it around, and made a show of heaping himself in it before propping his boots up on the table directly in front of her.

"The name is King, don't forget it." He drew up a hand right beside the temple of his brow and snapped his fingers while twisting the photo-curtain of his face into a familiar, savage smirk. He could not quite manage to perfectly mimic the friction of flesh on flesh to approximate a snapping sound, so he instead emitted the faintest of laser-pulses to generate a plasma-mediated vacuum around the tips of his fingers that would simulate a snapping sound. "And you can checkmate me any day of the terrestrial week you like, Queen, but kindly refrain from coughing blood all over my boots."

Externally, everything about King would have screamed 'civie' to the others looking at him. He was wearing a flagrantly ineffective and eye-catching overcoat over a very light ballistic suit that would not have saved him from a single shot in an actual fight, and he had close to no muscle mass or definition to speak of. He seemed like some 20-somethings spoiled Human brat, for the most part - except...

There was something off about his appearance. An eerie stillness to him - as though he was not breathing. As if no part of him moved unless he wanted it to. More than that, he was a sensory dead patch in the room. Beyond infrared and thermal picking him up as a colder than cold Humanoid-shaped patch, everything else would return a scan of being either completely overloaded just from looking at him, or else make him out to simply not be there at all. To the Etheric sense particularly, it was as though he did not exist.

"Task failed successfully, team?" He laughed.

The Envenomed

• Name : [Redacted] (Answers to 'King')

• Asset Codename : Apocyan King

• DoB/Age : Born in 4210. Age 23 years at time of stasis, 27 subjective years presently.

• Species : Human/Exotic Artificial Construct

Physical Parameters:

Read-Only Access Granted

[Apocyan King] is spherical black construct approximately 20 centimeters wide with 26 optical emitters measuring 2 centimeters across studded across the surface. This mechanism is the end-product of the original [Apocyan King] project; an apparatus capable of projecting and maintaining a hard-light photon curtain.

The device is capable of adjusting the projected photon curtain to possess virtually any shape and appearance. Generally, this takes the form of the host process' original Human body: A Caucasian Human male, approximately 23 years old and being of East-Asian Ethno-regional descent. He stands approximately 1.78 meters in height and look like they might weigh approximately 65 kilograms. He has an overall light build with lanky features. He has long auburn-colored hair approximately 45 centimeters in length, worn in a number of different styles. He has somewhat angular facial features and prominent raised cheekbones along with deep-green eye coloration. He possesses a birth mark in the form of a skin impression, running down from the back of the neck and across his left shoulder, thought to be due to a natal cord entanglement in-situ.

Personal History:

Read-Only Access Granted

[Redacted] was one of many, and also one of relatively very few, to be born aboard a habitation satellite in orbit of Mother Earth. He lived a childhood of obscene privilege, permitted to regularly visit the planet across its few remaining stable ecological zones and preserves while always being able to return to the modern comforts and conveniences of the well-established satellite environment he had grown up in. With a thorough local government-subsidized education, [Redacted] could have chosen to become trained in nearly any field of his choice, to have become anything, and to have gone anywhere. Wanting for almost nothing, one of the few things [Redacted] ever held any genuine interest in was Etherealism and the secrets of the Oneiric Abyss - one of the few fields he was not given to study freely, or easily. In addition to being a subject of great personal and interpersonal power to those who dedicated themselves to it, it was one of the few topics [Redacted] ever experienced difficulty pursuing - the only thing they felt challenged them.

[Redacted] thus dedicated most of their adolescence to studying Etherealism, training and honing their personal capabilities with Ethereal power, and going out of their way to establish Rapport with prominent Ethereal researchers where possible. [Redacted] efforts bore fruit when the Reckoning of Empires began in 4229, and the UCL redoubled its various research ventures into Etherealism. Having become the informal pupil to the established Academician Austan Enlil Aienbek of the UCL's Earth-based Abyssal Research Consortium (ARC), [Redacted] was placed for Ethereal evaluation and placement within the organization.

Unfortunately for [Redacted], while their knowledge of the history of Etherealism and its practices was exemplary, as suited their obsession with it, their personal capacity for harnessing the power of the Abyssal plane proved midling at best. Still, as close associate of Academician Aienbek, [Redacted] was nonetheless flagged for qualification as a pilot candidate for an ongoing research venture investigating technological solutions to mediating the use of Ethereal powers. [Redacted] was entered into project [Apocyan King], an experiment testing one of several different theoretical methods for wielding Ethereal abilities without accreting Qillatu or otherwise suffering detrimental effects from interaction with the Abyss by transferring the mind of the wielder from their native body into a different one - in the case of [Apocyan King], an artificial construct that utilized an exotic hard-light projection system as additional Ethereal insulation. As a test subject along with twelve others, [Redacted] was the only one amongst them who could both survive the mind-transference procedure both ways and had sufficient practical knowledge of Etherealism despite their limited talent to successfully utilize it even while relegated to an artificial body with no organic components. Being the only test subject to produce reliable results - and promising results at that - [Redacted] was then elevated to become the primary subject and end-product of [Apocyan King]. For a few moments in time, it seemed as though [Redacted] had been placed on a fast-lane to lifelong success, fame, wealth, and admiration as an aspiring Ethereal researcher and pioneer of the next paradigm shift in Etherealism.

It was not to be - for the Oneiric Chasm is chaotic, unpredictable, and defies attempts to comprehend, shackle, or exploit it freely. Although [Redacted] proved capable of projecting Etherealism through the medium of the [Apocyan King] prototype, the Abyss seemingly traced a conduit of cause and effect between the construct and [Redacted] original body. The initial symptoms of this unseen connection remained hidden for a time, dismissed simply as the residual and ongoing effects of [Redacted] continued practice of Etherealism when still occupying their native body. The full consequences of the overlooked bond manifested all at once, during an experiment meant to stress-test the Ethereal capabilities of a mind within the [Apocyan King] construct over an extended period of time. Detecting the rapidly accumulating Qillatu around [Redacted] host body too late to abort the experiment safely - as the mind transference method itself required Etherealism in addition to a minimal safety threshold of Qillatu aggregation to function - [Redacted] mind became trapped in the [Apocyan King] construct as his native body's empty mind cocooned itself in inert Qillatu.

To make matters worse, it was then that the Reckoning of Empires drew to a close. The UCL began to step-down its immense wartime expenditures on research, and project [Apocyan King] was defunded as an 'embarrassing failed venture.' What little research had been conducted into safely returning [Redacted] to their body was halted, with all assets ordered to be placed in stasis for long-term storage. When [Redacted] objected to this and threatened to make a nuisance of themselves, they were labeled a 'subversive element,' and the [Apocyan King] construct was scheduled to be dismantled. Only Academician Aienbek's sympathy and close relationship with [Redacted] saved them. Making contact with fringe-world traders, Aienbek arranged for [Apocyan King] to be smuggled to frontier space, far away from where the Earth-based ARC would ever take notice of them, and then deleted all digital references and traces of [Redacted] and the project logs in order to protect [Redacted] host body from retaliatory destruction.

Academician Aienbek's ultimate fate remained and remains unknown to [Redacted] - awakening once again stranded in a distant port of far-off space, with no legal identity and all evidence of their existence back at home having been erased, was forced to accept and become the [Apocyan King] itself. Left only with a cryptic message from Aienbek warning them that their original body would potentially be placed 'at risk' if they ever returned, [Apocyan King] has been working ever since to establish funds, contacts, and a plan to try and recover their body without ever returning to the Solar System.

Barred the benefits and advantages of a UCL citizen, it was almost inevitable that [Apocyan King] would align themselves with their enemies - those who would not balk or scoff at the notion of intruding into distant UCL databases, and had the resources and talent needed to do it. Joining the Intransigence at the lowest levels as little more than a somewhat less-than-common thug, [Apocyan King] was quickly elevated as an important asset due to the unique resilience and capabilities of their hard-light body.

For a brief period of time, [Apocyan King] was utilized as an assassin, targeting prominent Ethereals known for their power and who were otherwise difficult to approach or kill. While [Apocyan King] had their successes due to their near-immunity to Ethereal powers and influence, they ultimately proved too indiscrete and messy of an operative to remain useful - and so [Apocyan King] was then relegated to a deniable black-ops group known as the Envenomed...

Psyche Assessment:

Read-Only Access Granted

[Apocyan King] has a perpetually calm, relaxed demeanor. He is known to remain steady under pressure, when surprised, and in combat conditions, though this often also results in a perceived lack of urgency on his part. He maintains an air of urbane wit in most social circumstances, but has a tendency to fade into the background or abandon most conversations due to a combination of a lack of social confidence and an ingrained, personal sensation of alienation. King harbors an intense inferiority complex borne of his complete lack of a body - not being known for his tactical experience or as an expert in any particular field, and only having psychologically impressed desires rather than true bodily needs, he views himself as having no inherent value beyond being an advanced, living weapon.

Although he suffers from difficulty in informal social situations, when engaged King is prone to getting into trouble over an absence of appropriate decorum, open disrespect, and unnecessary criticism of operational parameters - disciplinary action against a being with no true body proving to be all but impossible even when utilizing the Ethereal punitively. Even solitary confinement and temporarily disabling King's core mechanism have vanishingly little efficacy as disciplinary actions. King thus has a reputation as a troublemaker and as something of a masochist.

On the battlefield however, King is known to obey all orders without question, albeit at his own and somewhat lethargic pace. He has a tendency to take unnecessary risks for the purposes of shielding allies from incoming fire or as a distraction ploy, which has led some to believe his behavior is indicative of suicidal ideation.

Skillsets & Utility:

Read-Only Access Granted

• Limited infiltration & scouting capabilities, via optical mimicry and sizing down to access secure areas.

• Durable with effective active suppression capabilities, not reliant on ammunition.

• Highly mobile personal flight capabilities with stellar motion control, in and out of vacuum.

• Wide range of viable environmental theaters - has no issue operating in vacuum, oceanic, and hazardous atmospheric conditions of a broad number of chemical compositions.

• Highly effective anti-Ethereal combatant - virtually immune to Ethereal phenomenon.

• Limited, strategic-elimination capabilities with their Graser weapon.

• History with Ethereal study & research - mostly familiar with it academically, rather than practically. Personally aware of or otherwise familiar with several prominent Ethereal researchers and ongoing ventures.

Ethereal Capabilities:

Read-Only Access Granted

The [Apocyan King] project was originally intended as an experiment to discern whether transplanting a host mind capable of Etherealism into an artificial construct could allow for free, or at least less onerous use of Ethereal power with diminished risk to the host body. In theory, an EM-hardened core mechanism shielded by a hard-light photon curtain with extreme low-temperature operating conditions would be more or less impervious to exotic Ethereal attacks and the build-up of hazardous Qillatu.

The project was ultimately a failure, as the power drawn from the Abyssal Chasm, although successfully projected from the the [Apocyan King] construct, would then ground all attendant Qillatu through the original host body the construct's mind had been transplanted from. This resulted in the host body becoming cocooned in inert Qillatu, effectively rendering it Ethereally inert and preventing further use of Etherealism by the construct. The host body was then placed in stasis for unspecified future research purposes.

Presently, the [Apocyan King] construct is incapable of utilizing Etherealism of any sort. To its benefit however, the combination of its hard-light photon curtain and its host body being both Ethereally cloistered and kept in stasis renders the construct nearly impervious to unconventional Ethereal attacks and Abyssal energy.

Ethereal phenomenon that directly convert Abyssal energy into ordinary high-energy phenomenon such as electricity or plasma remain indirectly effective at inflicting damage to the construct's photon curtain.

Munitions & Armaments:

Read-Only Access Granted

• Hard-Light Lasing Medium:

The [Apocyan King] interior photon matrix is an ideal lasing environment due to its capability of guiding concentrated light along high-gain, super-cooled channels. [Apocyan King] can build-up and emit pulsed lasers, including Microwave and X-Ray lasers, from any point of its body. These can range from non-lethal thermo-electrical ablative-shock pulses capable of stunning unarmored combatants, to suppressive bloom-fire, to highly penetrating anti-shielding and anti-armor plasma-vacuum gradient bursts. Unfortunately, weapons of this nature are very well-documented, with effective armor and shielding for each being widespread and readily available to most polities. Moreover, as with most lase weapons, this capability suffers immensely in environments with thick atmospheres or heavy particulate content.

• Anti-Ballistic & Ethereal Photon Curtain:

[Apocyan King] is highly resistant, if not quite entirely immune, to conventional ballistic, explosives, and Ethereal mediums of attack. Standard ballistic impacts, thermal and kinetic shock, and various forms of exotic Etheralism or Qillatu radiation are generally incapable of deforming the [Apocyan King] external photon curtain. However, due to the nature of hard-light photons having low relative energy and actual mass, physical attacks are still capable of displacing the hard-light projection itself, meaning ballistics with particularly high stopping power or powerful explosions can still fling [Apocyan King] around. Additionally, the photon-curtain remains susceptible to energy-based munitions or phenomenon, including but not limited to particle-based weapons, plasma, electrical discharges, and so forth. Attacks of this nature are capable of disrupting the photon curtain and causing instantaneous reactive loss of coherence within the hard-light construct's internal super-cooled photon matrix.

• Regenerative Hard-light Matrix:

The [Apocyan King] interior photon matrix requires super-cool environmental parameters to maintain stability. When the construct's external photon-curtain is breached by an energy attack, this results in the surrounding area of the matrix decohering from the abrupt increase in temperature. The construct's photo-curtain can reactively reshape itself to seal off the exposed partition of the interior matrix, but some loss of overall mass is inevitable with every breach. To compensate for this, the central mechanism gradually manipulates and modulates photons within its core, super-cooling and eventually emitting and integrating them with the interior photon matrix in order to expand its volume. This process is slow, making it ineffective at replenishing lost mass during pitched combat encounters, though it allows [Apocyan King] to retain combat-effective levels of mass across more protracted campaigns.

• Photon-Curtain Mimicry:

When provided with an adequate sample reference, [Apocyan King] can alter the appearance of its photon curtain to become a perfect optical replica of a given individual or object. If provided with corresponding information, the photon-curtain can even mimic certain IFF transponder signals, allowing for a more convincing facsimile. Despite the fidelity of the mimicry, this is almost never useful for long-term or deep-cover infiltration due to the existence of sophisticated security scanning and the inability of [Apocyan King] to mimic voices or other personal identifiers. At best, this form of mimicry allows [Apocyan King] to approach or fall in-line with enemy combatants for the purposes of launching a close-range surprise attack.

• Modular Photon-Curtain Hardpoints:

Since [Apocyan King] can reshape its exterior photon-curtain at will, it can create modular hard-points capable of mounting virtually any infantry-grade weapon, regardless of shape or weight (for the most part). [Apocyan King] can even supplement weaponry by acting as a power-supply or by helping to channel energy.

• Defunct Infantry-Grade Graser Emitter Frame, 'Just a Kiss':

Originally envisioned as a next-generation alternative form of infantry-grade anti-armor and surface-to-air weapon to replace modern explosives, infantry-grade Graser Emitters just like this one were discontinued due to their tendency to kill their users and everybody around them. Many of the parts and integral components for these weapons are no longer produced anywhere, requiring partial mounting and integration with the [Apocyan King] photon-curtain in order to function. It uses a mass of isometric nuclear fuel to channel amplified light through an ideal hard-light, super-cooled matrix, allowing for efficient gain along with minimal loss of coherence and radiation. The resulting coherent Gamma Rays are then channeled back out of [Apocyan King] and through the emitter aperture as a sustained beam capable of obliterating heavy-armored vehicles, gunships, bunkers, citadel-class shield emplacements, and overwhelming the shielding and armor of corvette ships. The beam is typically coherent and energetic enough that no form of modern, conventional shielding or armor is wholly effective at deterring it, and it will completely atomize any heavy-particulate atmosphere it passes through without loss of coherence. As a side effect, the weapon heavily and lethally irradiates everything in proximity to the user, in proximity to the path of the beam, and around the contact area, penetrating through most known forms of shielding and insulation. While the [Apocyan King] construct can survive this exposure, thorough decontamination of the weapon is absolutely required prior to maintenance. Due to the immense expenditure of its solid-state nuclear fuel, the weapon can only fire either two short bursts, or one longer sustained pulse.

Stains & Infamy

Read-Only Access Granted

During their brief tenure as an Intransigence Assassin of prominent and powerful Ethereals, [Apocyan King]'s shortcomings in regards to the practicalities of living outside coreworld space and their lack of expertise in nearly any field other than Etherealism became apparent. These shortcomings, combined with immense personal dissatisfaction and frustration over their predicament and what they were being forced to do, resulted in a notably catastrophic incident during an operation where [EXPUNGED]

The Court of the Gods

@Zyx, just giving you a download since you are not on the discord - everybody is still presently preoccupied with Part 2 of the big Olympus meeting which is evidently lasting a few days, and also with a number of adjacent schemes and collabs going on around it in the meantime. If Isaac has anything else he would like to do, now would be the time to do it before the party at Olympus gets out (also because it may be some time before any of the gods are freed up to react to him).

Alternatively: Perhaps consider interaction with some of the lesser members of the cast not presently at Mt. Olympus? Abduction perhaps or something along those lines, I do not know.

The Court of the Gods

I have put together a quick roster of all the current approved characters who were original members of the ship's crew.

Typhon
Hermes
Hades
Demeter
Hephaestus

(Add Eros if they are approved)

Presumably, GULA will be requiring a majority vote to elect a new Acting Captain, so Zeus will need either three or four votes respectively to become the Acting Captain.

Isaac will be abstaining due to being absent, which means Zeus either needs 3/4 or 4/5 votes in order to secure the Captaincy.

Easy enough, one thinks.

Or is it...?

The Court of the Gods

@Zyx, as you are not available to corner on the Discord, I am letting you know that I have sent you a super secret conspiratorial private message here on the guild. Tell no-one, and ensure you are not followed!

The Court of the Gods

A work-in-progress character sheet just to get it cemented in place. I will have something more polished soon.

Terminal

Hermes

Herald & Messenger of the Gods
Former Ship Telecommunications & SIGINT Officer

Divine Artifacts:

• The Kerykeion

The official badge of Hermes' office as the Herald of the Gods, typically depicted as a Spear entwined with Serpents. Sufficiently important and ceremonial that Hermes is only observed to bear it during formal high ceremonies involving multiple deities. Iconography and depictions of Hermes almost universally depict him bearing the Kerykeion. Curiously, there are few myths or tales involving it, leaving its status as a divine artifact relatively obscure. So little is known of it beyond its appearance that even many priests of Hermes are prone to base speculation and rumor as to its supposed powers, if any.

Captain's Log

>IRIS Administrative Function Remote_

>I caught Alejas with his pants down during the mutiny. Hard to say whether or not he actually meant to side with the others or it was just a case of bad luck and timing. Either way, he came quietly and convinced his support staff to be cooperative. As much as I hate to admit it, his expertise would be difficult to replace.

>I think I am going to leave him mostly where he is, but I will be taking the Remote, and I will be reviewing the full capabilities of IRIS sooner rather than later. Nobody can match Alejas' technical knowledge when it comes to IRIS or telecomms, but he's no engineer. Breaking his toys and keeping the bits that make them dangerous will keep him useful without the threat of becoming dangerous.

• The Aenirdyas

Hermes' feather-patterned cloak, which doubles as a satchel. The cloak can separate at its hem, revealing a vast interior space within which Hermes may secrete numerous items for travel. It is the Aenirdyas which has enabled Hermes to personally hand-deliver vital parcels and items between the gods in various mythos and tales.

Exotic Folder Field Manuel

...a matrix of stabilized exotic matter crisscrosses the interior of the folder, causing a geodesic distortion that alters the bend of spacetime inside. A common misconception is that the folder can fit any object of any size inside itself; this is patently false. The spacetime distortion does not create more volume, but instead bends space to allow for various objects to be stored more efficiently. The folder is capable of storing approximately two meters cubed of solid matter, but may store objects taller or wider than this measurement by bending the space they occupy, allowing a three-meter long rod to be stored with room to spare. A Human passenger would find the interior incredibly cramped and distressing, all the moreso given that their anatomy would be spatially distorted, rendering them nearly flat across one side. The interior of the folder is also airtight and, due to safety reasons, kept filled with a diffuse atmosphere of cooled nitrogen. For this reason, living organisms should never be transported inside the folder except in their own secured containers with an intravenous supply of oxygen.

• The Dianmakos

Hermes' distinctive broad-brimmed helmet, rimmed with a solid band of luminous obsidian and wholly encompassing the god's head. A solid lump of polished, faceted diamond obscures his face. Said to grant Hermes his incredible travel capabilities, allowing him both to fly and move with such speed as to be invisible to the Human eye.

Ginsberg Suit Field Manuel

Although Subspace is regularly used as a transfer medium by information technology, it remains highly inimical to conventional matter. Subspace is completely barren of most physical laws, to the point where quantum fluctuations do not occur therein. Conventional matter that transitions into Subspace will rapidly disintegrate at the subatomic level, radiating all of its composite energy which then decays on increasingly minute levels until nothing observable remains. This is a full violation of the first law of thermodynamics, as the energy does not radiate according to principles of entropy but instead vanishes entirely.

Ginsberg field theory allows for the generation of volume where artificially induced quantum fluctuations allow conventional matter to temporarily exist in Subspace. The associated cost in exotic matter generation necessary to sustain Ginsberg fields is exorbitant enough to prevent their widespread use except on extremely small scales to protect infinitesimal measurements of quantifiable information - quite literally, in the case of information technology, where most of the [Data Expunged: Order 5.A.II, Ship Captain Authorization] and networking.

The use of [Data Expunged: Order 5.A.II, Ship Captain Authorization] on a scale sufficient to allow a person to transition in and out of subspace is exorbitant to the point where militarized Ginsberg suits are considered to be strategic-level assets, though increasingly Alpha-grade telecommunications and SIGINT operations are having Gamma-grade Ginsberg suits made available for counter-intelligence purposes.

Gamma-grade Ginsberg suits are capable of transitioning in and out of Subspace when allineated with a suitable subspace-capable telecommunications system (typically an I.R.I.S.). Within gravity wells, this allows for extremely rapid transit between any two coordinate points through Subspace almost instantaneously. Due to Subspace curvature this same principle renders Ginsberg suits ineffective in microgravity environments, though artificial gravity fields can be used to remedy this issue in station environs. . .

. . .despite being able to draw power directly from any compatible subspace-capable telecommunications system, a Gamma-grade Ginsberg suit can only generate a Ginsberg field for a fraction of a second at most. While this is typically more than enough time for a full transition across any planetary environment, [Data Redacted: Order 24.A.I, Ship Telecommunications Officer Authorization].

• The Iridyon Oikima

Hermes' mythical residence, mobile and aflight as necessitated by his occupation. His most revered followers are rumored to dwell therein as servants. The location of the Iridyon Oikima is unknown, being even more fabled in its seclusion than Olympus.

I.R.I.S. Operations Manuel

The I.R.I.S. (Instantaneous Remote Intercommunications System) manifold is a telecommunications platform with a wide array of server-mediated features for client-side users.

Safety Interlocks

I.R.I.S., as well as all supported handheld devices, cybernetics, and nanites, feature hard-coded safety interlocks intended to protect individual client-side users from deleterious effects, either accidental or malicious, occurring due either to malfunction or subversive use.

In the event safety interlocks fail or are disabled server-side or client-side, as long as one side's safety interlocks are functional the client is protected. Server-side safety interlocks cannot be disabled or fail without I.R.I.S. following suite due to them being hard-coded. Bypassing server-side safety interlocks by [Data Expunged: Order 5.A.II, Ship Captain Authorization] punishable by up to 15 years of penal correction.

The absence or failure of safety interlocks between the server and client triggers an automatic warning that is logged by both with each use.

In addition to standard safety interlocks, all supported client-side handheld devices, cybernetics, and nanites allow clients to personalize user settings and preferences to handle automatic and/or manual permissions of all I.R.I.S. features.

Signals received from supported or unsupported sources with absent or failing safety interlocks by an attached bus mainframe are [Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization]

Remote Communication

The I.R.I.S. can mediate point-to-point and group communication instantaneously within an effective range of [Data Expunged: Order 12.B.IV, Ship Captain Authorization], ignoring all intervening matter, signal interference, and shielding. All communication utilizing I.R.I.S. is subspace-contained and quantum encrypted, being impossible to detect, intercept, or decrypt without using the built-in design exception of [Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization]. Otherwise, all messages sent and received by I.R.I.S. are automatically logged in the manifold's archive and logged where possible and authorized by client-side mediums.

All signals sent by I.R.I.S. self-modulate in and out of subspace using only SSCP (source-signal-configuration-parameters). I.R.I.S. cannot send non-subspace mediated signals except through the use of an external bus mainframe and its ancillary or attached devices.

With the exception of [Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization], all signals sent by I.R.I.S. self-decrypt on valid receipt. All signals sent to I.R.I.S. using supported and registered mediums are encrypted client-side by a server-side provided encryption packet prior to transmission. Due to safety interlocks, I.R.I.S. will not transmit unencrypted signals either server or client-side.

Due to safety interlocks, I.R.I.S. will not receive signals from unsupported sources except through an external bus mainframe.

I.R.I.S. is capable of one-way server-to-client messaging only if the client does not possess any supported handheld devices, cybernetics, or nanites.

Client Tracking

I.R.I.S. is capable of tracking the exact coordinate positions of all registered clients utilizing supported cybernetics or nanites, in addition to monitoring biometric and system configuration data where allowed by client-side preferences and restrictions (some features may require biometric sharing in order to be used). In the case of supported hand-held devices tracking as well as biometric and system configuration data monitoring may be limited depending upon the device.

Due to safety interlocks, I.R.I.S. coordinate position and system configuration data cannot be tracked or monitored client-side except by [Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization]

I.R.I.S. is not capable of coordinate tracking or biometric and system configuration data if the client does not possess any supported handheld devices, cybernetics, or nanites. Coordinate tracking as well as biometric and system configuration data from unsupported sources may be processed for use by I.R.I.S. through an external bus mainframe.

Hosting Service

I.R.I.S. can host a complete network of standalone subspace sites, boards, and forums for various purposes. These can be freely configured and personalized for a vast number of purposes and functions. This network functionality features integration with all of I.R.I.S. standard features.

Holographic Projection

I.R.I.S. is capable of projecting holograms with up to 95% optical coherence and fidelity and up to 80% auditory coherence and fidelity in the Human-sensory-bandwidth. These limits cannot be exceeded due to safety interlocks.

In-Personam hologram projection where the hologram performs the movements and sounds of a linked client are possible. In-Personam hologram motion and sound are normally server-mediated, but can be client-mediated using supported handheld devices, cybernetics, or nanites.

Due to safety interlocks, server-mediated In-Personam hologram motion and sound cannot utilize immersive realtime sensory integration. Caution should be exhibited while employing client-mediated In-Personam holograms in order to avoid accidents and injury.

I.R.I.S. cannot mediate In-Personam holograms unless the client has supported handheld devices, cybernetics, or nanites.

Sensory Alteration

I.R.I.S. can induce perception of various sensations in clients with supported cybernetics or nanites (no supported handheld devices for this features are listed at this time). This feature includes but is not limited to: Scent, Sight, Sound, Taste, and Touch.

Safety interlocks prevent the nonstandard use of this feature in ways that would potentially harmfully disorient the client, such as inducing an illusory sensation of imbalance. However, safety interlocks will not prevent inducement of illusory blindness, deafness, or the illusory loss of any primary sensation due to well-established use.

This feature remains available for clients without supported cybernetics or nanites as long as their coordinate location is known, but sensory coherence and fidelity may suffer from degradation.

Sensory Time Dilation

When used by a client with supported cybernetics or nanites (no supported handheld devices for this features are listed at this time), I.R.I.S. can slow an individual's perception of time with stabilization effective to a full 60/1 second ratio. Safety interlocks prohibit steeper ratios. Exceeding this ratios by a significant margin can result in neural degradation and the occurrence of spongiform encephalitis exceeding the ability of most forms of medical intervention to prevent.

Standard Gamma-grade medical devices and systems are typically ineffective at treating these symptoms, leading to rapid onset of severe dementia and cognitive disassociation.

Alpha-grade medical devices and systems can treat all associated symptoms with the exception of permanent short and long-term memory loss due to destruction of genetic memory structures. The use of cybernetic or nanite-mediated memory storage and backups can mitigate these symptoms.

Safety interlocks prevent the use of this feature to speed up a client's perception of time.

I.R.I.S. can, in an emergency, slow a client's perception of time with an unstabilized 10/1 second ratio even if they do not possess supported cybernetics or nanites. Safety interlocks will fully suspend sensory time dilation that exceeds this ratio, which may result in erratic perception and disorientation.

Dreamscaping

When used by a client with supported cybernetics or nanites (no supported handheld devices for this features are listed at this time), I.R.I.S. can be used to direct and control the contents of dreams experienced by the client while asleep. Dreams may be unconscious or lucid based on client-side preferences and settings, and may also be either server-to-client or client-to-client mediated. Depending on client settings, all I.R.I.S. features including messaging and sensory time dilation may be utilized while dreaming.

This feature can be used even by clients without supported cybernetics or nanites, as long as their exact coordinate data is provided to I.R.I.S. via other means. Only server-mediated direction and control of dreams is available without supported cybernetics or nanites due to the absence of integrated biometric data monitoring.

I.R.I.S. can induce and prolong sleep and dream sessions in clients with supported cybernetics or nanites, depending on their client-side preferences and settings.

Due to safety interlocks, I.R.I.S. cannot induce or prolong sleep or dream sessions in clients without supported cybernetics or nanites. In the event of a medical emergency, please use [Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization].

Administrative Function Remote

[Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization]

>Captain's Note:

>In the event I die, no matter what else happens, ensure that whoever is in charge of Telecomms does not - repeat, emphasis - DOES NOT - wind up with the Remote. It should always be in the hands of another member of Command staff, ideally the Head of Security or the Head of Personnel._

Adding & Using Bus Mainframes

[Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization]

>Captain's Note:

>The bus mainframe was too much of an X-factor. I had it dismantled and its components recycled, which should keep IRIS effectively standalone. Combined with me having the Remote, this should make the whole system reliable and trustworthy no matter who is using it or for what - just so long as they do not forget that I am King._

Persona:

Hermes is typically characterized as dutiful and punctual, but with a mischievous streak. He has personally hand-delivered the mail and parcels of the gods for centuries with peerless speed and courtesy, but has been known to inconvenience those who are rude to him by dictating the contents of their mail aloud in an obnoxious manner. The patron god of travelers, he is known to occasionally provide lifts, although often only to amuse himself by stranding his passenger in unlikely locations such as atop stylite pillars, at the bottom of ravines, surrounded by lions, or within the covers of somebody else's bedding. Also the patron god of thieves, he is known to steal items and objects from people who do not present him with a token offering for his services, thus giving rise to the traditional custom of presenting all Heralds and footmen with ceremonial obols.

Also known as the God of prophecies and visions, Hermes is known to deliver warnings and omens, as well as to induce both inspiration and madness in others. He can visit dreams to instill either bliss or horrific nightmares, and can alter the senses similarly. His temperament in these ways, as before, is decidedly mischievous. Hermes is generally considered benign, but is not above punishing or humiliating those who make light of him or his prognostications.

Hermes is also one of the most wayward and informal of the gods, known to appear in public at mortal gatherings without warning or ceremony. He is infamously storied to have once appeared at a royal wedding just to tell the bride how utterly foolish she looked in her dress, amongst many other divine gaffes. He is also one of the gods most likely to intervene if prayed to - as long as whatever you want can be accomplished immediately. He is known to spirit thieves or victims away from pursuers and to prevent accidents before they transpire, though likewise he is known to guide lawmen directly to outlaw hideouts and to occasionally cause accidents.

All in all, Hermes is the embodiment of the overly-talented tradesman. He will perform miraculous and professional work - but is just as prone to dalliance when it suits him.

Relationships:

• Zeus:

One of the many claims as to Zeus' power and influence was thus: Even whimsical Hermes never once made light of him. The Herald of the Gods has been known to formally announce Zeus' arrival and to prepare the site for the countenance of the King of the Gods, and is even stated to have assisted Zeus in many of his more risque escapades. Tellingly, in many depictions of Zeus and Hermes, Zeus is depicted as presenting the Kerykeion to a kneeling Hermes - implicitly conveying that Hermes' station is granted and permitted only by the will of the King of the Gods. Those who have observed the two deities together have observed that Hermes almost seems almost rigidly formal in Zeus' presence.

The Court of the Gods

A work-in-progress character sheet just to get it cemented in place. I will have something more polished once the IC is posted.

Terminal

Hermes

Herald & Messenger of the Gods
Former Ship Telecommunications & SIGINT Officer

Divine Artifacts:

• The Kerykeion

The official badge of Hermes' office as the Herald of the Gods, typically depicted as a Spear entwined with Serpents. Sufficiently important and ceremonial that Hermes is only observed to bear it during formal high ceremonies involving multiple deities. Iconography and depictions of Hermes almost universally depict him bearing the Kerykeion. Curiously, there are few myths or tales involving it, leaving its status as a divine artifact relatively obscure. So little is known of it beyond its appearance that even many priests of Hermes are prone to base speculation and rumor as to its supposed powers, if any.

Captain's Log

>IRIS Administrative Function Remote_

>I caught Alejas with his pants down during the mutiny. Hard to say whether or not he actually meant to side with the others or it was just a case of bad luck and timing. Either way, he came quietly and convinced his support staff to be cooperative. As much as I hate to admit it, his expertise would be difficult to replace.

>I think I am going to leave him mostly where he is, but I will be taking the Remote, and I will be reviewing the full capabilities of IRIS sooner rather than later. Nobody can match Alejas' technical knowledge when it comes to IRIS or telecomms, but he's no engineer. Breaking his toys and keeping the bits that make them dangerous will keep him useful without the threat of becoming dangerous.

• The Aenirdyas

Hermes' feather-patterned cloak, which doubles as a satchel. The cloak can separate at its hem, revealing a vast interior space within which Hermes may secrete numerous items for travel. It is the Aenirdyas which has enabled Hermes to personally hand-deliver vital parcels and items between the gods in various mythos and tales.

Exotic Folder Field Manuel

...a matrix of stabilized exotic matter crisscrosses the interior of the folder, causing a geodesic distortion that alters the bend of spacetime inside. A common misconception is that the folder can fit any object of any size inside itself; this is patently false. The spacetime distortion does not create more volume, but instead bends space to allow for various objects to be stored more efficiently. The folder is capable of storing approximately two meters cubed of solid matter, but may store objects taller or wider than this measurement by bending the space they occupy, allowing a three-meter long rod to be stored with room to spare. A Human passenger would find the interior incredibly cramped and distressing, all the moreso given that their anatomy would be spatially distorted, rendering them nearly flat across one side. The interior of the folder is also airtight and, due to safety reasons, kept filled with a diffuse atmosphere of cooled nitrogen. For this reason, living organisms should never be transported inside the folder except in their own secured containers with an intravenous supply of oxygen.

• The Dianmakos

Hermes' distinctive broad-brimmed helmet, rimmed with a solid band of luminous obsidian and wholly encompassing the god's head. A solid lump of polished, faceted diamond obscures his face. Said to grant Hermes his incredible travel capabilities, allowing him both to fly and move with such speed as to be invisible to the Human eye.

Ginsberg Suit Field Manuel

Although Subspace is regularly used as a transfer medium by information technology, it remains highly inimical to conventional matter. Subspace is completely barren of most physical laws, to the point where quantum fluctuations do not occur therein. Conventional matter that transitions into Subspace will rapidly disintegrate at the subatomic level, radiating all of its composite energy which then decays on increasingly minute levels until nothing observable remains. This is a full violation of the first law of thermodynamics, as the energy does not radiate according to principles of entropy but instead vanishes entirely.

Ginsberg field theory allows for the generation of volume where artificially induced quantum fluctuations allow conventional matter to temporarily exist in Subspace. The associated cost in exotic matter generation necessary to sustain Ginsberg fields is exorbitant enough to prevent their widespread use except on extremely small scales to protect infinitesimal measurements of quantifiable information - quite literally, in the case of information technology, where most of the [Data Expunged: Order 5.A.II, Ship Captain Authorization] and networking.

The use of [Data Expunged: Order 5.A.II, Ship Captain Authorization] on a scale sufficient to allow a person to transition in and out of subspace is exorbitant to the point where militarized Ginsberg suits are considered to be strategic-level assets, though increasingly Alpha-grade telecommunications and SIGINT operations are having Gamma-grade Ginsberg suits made available for counter-intelligence purposes.

Gamma-grade Ginsberg suits are capable of transitioning in and out of Subspace when allineated with a suitable subspace-capable telecommunications system (typically an I.R.I.S.). Within gravity wells, this allows for extremely rapid transit between any two coordinate points through Subspace almost instantaneously. Due to Subspace curvature this same principle renders Ginsberg suits ineffective in microgravity environments, though artificial gravity fields can be used to remedy this issue in station environs. . .

. . .despite being able to draw power directly from any compatible subspace-capable telecommunications system, a Gamma-grade Ginsberg suit can only generate a Ginsberg field for a fraction of a second at most. While this is typically more than enough time for a full transition across any planetary environment, [Data Redacted: Order 24.A.I, Ship Telecommunications Officer Authorization].

• The Iridyon Oikima

Hermes' mythical residence, mobile and aflight as necessitated by his occupation. His most revered followers are rumored to dwell therein as servants. The location of the Iridyon Oikima is unknown, being even more fabled in its seclusion than Olympus.

I.R.I.S. Operations Manuel

The I.R.I.S. (Instantaneous Remote Intercommunications System) manifold is a telecommunications platform with a wide array of server-mediated features for client-side users.

Safety Interlocks

I.R.I.S., as well as all supported handheld devices, cybernetics, and nanites, feature hard-coded safety interlocks intended to protect individual client-side users from deleterious effects, either accidental or malicious, occurring due either to malfunction or subversive use.

In the event safety interlocks fail or are disabled server-side or client-side, as long as one side's safety interlocks are functional the client is protected. Server-side safety interlocks cannot be disabled or fail without I.R.I.S. following suite due to them being hard-coded. Bypassing server-side safety interlocks by [Data Expunged: Order 5.A.II, Ship Captain Authorization] punishable by up to 15 years of penal correction.

The absence or failure of safety interlocks between the server and client triggers an automatic warning that is logged by both with each use.

In addition to standard safety interlocks, all supported client-side handheld devices, cybernetics, and nanites allow clients to personalize user settings and preferences to handle automatic and/or manual permissions of all I.R.I.S. features.

Signals received from supported or unsupported sources with absent or failing safety interlocks by an attached bus mainframe are [Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization]

Remote Communication

The I.R.I.S. can mediate point-to-point and group communication instantaneously within an effective range of [Data Expunged: Order 12.B.IV, Ship Captain Authorization], ignoring all intervening matter, signal interference, and shielding. All communication utilizing I.R.I.S. is subspace-contained and quantum encrypted, being impossible to detect, intercept, or decrypt without using the built-in design exception of [Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization]. Otherwise, all messages sent and received by I.R.I.S. are automatically logged in the manifold's archive and logged where possible and authorized by client-side mediums.

All signals sent by I.R.I.S. self-modulate in and out of subspace using only SSCP (source-signal-configuration-parameters). I.R.I.S. cannot send non-subspace mediated signals except through the use of an external bus mainframe and its ancillary or attached devices.

With the exception of [Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization], all signals sent by I.R.I.S. self-decrypt on valid receipt. All signals sent to I.R.I.S. using supported and registered mediums are encrypted client-side by a server-side provided encryption packet prior to transmission. Due to safety interlocks, I.R.I.S. will not transmit unencrypted signals either server or client-side.

Due to safety interlocks, I.R.I.S. will not receive signals from unsupported sources except through an external bus mainframe.

I.R.I.S. is capable of one-way server-to-client messaging only if the client does not possess any supported handheld devices, cybernetics, or nanites.

Client Tracking

I.R.I.S. is capable of tracking the exact coordinate positions of all registered clients utilizing supported cybernetics or nanites, in addition to monitoring biometric and system configuration data where allowed by client-side preferences and restrictions (some features may require biometric sharing in order to be used). In the case of supported hand-held devices tracking as well as biometric and system configuration data monitoring may be limited depending upon the device.

Due to safety interlocks, I.R.I.S. coordinate position and system configuration data cannot be tracked or monitored client-side except by [Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization]

I.R.I.S. is not capable of coordinate tracking or biometric and system configuration data if the client does not possess any supported handheld devices, cybernetics, or nanites. Coordinate tracking as well as biometric and system configuration data from unsupported sources may be processed for use by I.R.I.S. through an external bus mainframe.

Hosting Service

I.R.I.S. can host a complete network of standalone subspace sites, boards, and forums for various purposes. These can be freely configured and personalized for a vast number of purposes and functions. This network functionality features integration with all of I.R.I.S. standard features.

Holographic Projection

I.R.I.S. is capable of projecting holograms with up to 95% optical coherence and fidelity and up to 80% auditory coherence and fidelity in the Human-sensory-bandwidth. These limits cannot be exceeded due to safety interlocks.

In-Personam hologram projection where the hologram performs the movements and sounds of a linked client are possible. In-Personam hologram motion and sound are normally server-mediated, but can be client-mediated using supported handheld devices, cybernetics, or nanites.

Due to safety interlocks, server-mediated In-Personam hologram motion and sound cannot utilize immersive realtime sensory integration. Caution should be exhibited while employing client-mediated In-Personam holograms in order to avoid accidents and injury.

I.R.I.S. cannot mediate In-Personam holograms unless the client has supported handheld devices, cybernetics, or nanites.

Sensory Alteration

I.R.I.S. can induce perception of various sensations in clients with supported cybernetics or nanites (no supported handheld devices for this features are listed at this time). This feature includes but is not limited to: Scent, Sight, Sound, Taste, and Touch.

Safety interlocks prevent the nonstandard use of this feature in ways that would potentially harmfully disorient the client, such as inducing an illusory sensation of imbalance. However, safety interlocks will not prevent inducement of illusory blindness, deafness, or the illusory loss of any primary sensation due to well-established use.

This feature remains available for clients without supported cybernetics or nanites as long as their coordinate location is known, but sensory coherence and fidelity may suffer from degradation.

Sensory Time Dilation

When used by a client with supported cybernetics or nanites (no supported handheld devices for this features are listed at this time), I.R.I.S. can slow an individual's perception of time with stabilization effective to a full 60/1 second ratio. Safety interlocks prohibit steeper ratios. Exceeding this ratios by a significant margin can result in neural degradation and the occurrence of spongiform encephalitis exceeding the ability of most forms of medical intervention to prevent.

Standard Gamma-grade medical devices and systems are typically ineffective at treating these symptoms, leading to rapid onset of severe dementia and cognitive disassociation.

Alpha-grade medical devices and systems can treat all associated symptoms with the exception of permanent short and long-term memory loss due to destruction of genetic memory structures. The use of cybernetic or nanite-mediated memory storage and backups can mitigate these symptoms.

Safety interlocks prevent the use of this feature to speed up a client's perception of time.

I.R.I.S. can, in an emergency, slow a client's perception of time with an unstabilized 10/1 second ratio even if they do not possess supported cybernetics or nanites. Safety interlocks will fully suspend sensory time dilation that exceeds this ratio, which may result in erratic perception and disorientation.

Dreamscaping

When used by a client with supported cybernetics or nanites (no supported handheld devices for this features are listed at this time), I.R.I.S. can be used to direct and control the contents of dreams experienced by the client while asleep. Dreams may be unconscious or lucid based on client-side preferences and settings, and may also be either server-to-client or client-to-client mediated. Depending on client settings, all I.R.I.S. features including messaging and sensory time dilation may be utilized while dreaming.

This feature can be used even by clients without supported cybernetics or nanites, as long as their exact coordinate data is provided to I.R.I.S. via other means. Only server-mediated direction and control of dreams is available without supported cybernetics or nanites due to the absence of integrated biometric data monitoring.

I.R.I.S. can induce and prolong sleep and dream sessions in clients with supported cybernetics or nanites, depending on their client-side preferences and settings.

Due to safety interlocks, I.R.I.S. cannot induce or prolong sleep or dream sessions in clients without supported cybernetics or nanites. In the event of a medical emergency, please use [Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization].

Administrative Function Remote

[Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization]

>Captain's Note:

>In the event I die, no matter what else happens, ensure that whoever is in charge of Telecomms does not - repeat, emphasis - DOES NOT - wind up with the Remote. It should always be in the hands of another member of Command staff, ideally the Head of Security or the Head of Personnel._

Adding & Using Bus Mainframes

[Data Expunged: Order 12.D.II, Ship Captain Authorization]

>Captain's Note:

>The bus mainframe was too much of an X-factor. I had it dismantled and its components recycled, which should keep IRIS effectively standalone. Combined with me having the Remote, this should make the whole system reliable and trustworthy no matter who is using it or for what - just so long as they do not forget that I am King._

Persona:

Hermes is typically characterized as dutiful and punctual, but with a mischievous streak. He has personally hand-delivered the mail and parcels of the gods for centuries with peerless speed and courtesy, but has been known to inconvenience those who are rude to him by dictating the contents of their mail aloud in an obnoxious manner. The patron god of travelers, he is known to occasionally provide lifts, although often only to amuse himself by stranding his passenger in unlikely locations such as atop stylite pillars, at the bottom of ravines, surrounded by lions, or within the covers of somebody else's bedding. Also the patron god of thieves, he is known to steal items and objects from people who do not present him with a token offering for his services, thus giving rise to the traditional custom of presenting all Heralds and footmen with ceremonial obols.

Also known as the God of prophecies and visions, Hermes is known to deliver warnings and omens, as well as to induce both inspiration and madness in others. He can visit dreams to instill either bliss or horrific nightmares, and can alter the senses similarly. His temperament in these ways, as before, is decidedly mischievous. Hermes is generally considered benign, but is not above punishing or humiliating those who make light of him or his prognostications.

Hermes is also one of the most wayward and informal of the gods, known to appear in public at mortal gatherings without warning or ceremony. He is infamously storied to have once appeared at a royal wedding just to tell the bride how utterly foolish she looked in her dress, amongst many other divine gaffes. He is also one of the gods most likely to intervene if prayed to - as long as whatever you want can be accomplished immediately. He is known to spirit thieves or victims away from pursuers and to prevent accidents before they transpire, though likewise he is known to guide lawmen directly to outlaw hideouts and to occasionally cause accidents.

All in all, Hermes is the embodiment of the overly-talented tradesman. He will perform miraculous and professional work - but is just as prone to dalliance when it suits him.

Relationships:

• Zeus:

One of the many claims as to Zeus' power and influence was thus: Even whimsical Hermes never once made light of him. The Herald of the Gods has been known to formally announce Zeus' arrival and to prepare the site for the countenance of the King of the Gods, and is even stated to have assisted Zeus in many of his more risque escapades. Tellingly, in many depictions of Zeus and Hermes, Zeus is depicted as presenting the Kerykeion to a kneeling Hermes - implicitly conveying that Hermes' station is granted and permitted only by the will of the King of the Gods. Those who have observed the two deities together have observed that Hermes almost seems almost rigidly formal in Zeus' presence.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

The Natives of the Iugulum System

- .... . / --. .-. . .- - . .-. / ..-. .-. . . / -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.--

Iugulum, Letona, and R3.D12

The Iugulum system is a dark and largesly featureless expanse of empty space located in a regional void, with low concentrations of interstellar plasma. The system comprises only a single celestial body, the Rogue Planet originally designated Letona.

Letona, otherwise known as Chantry by the native population, is a barren and rocky planet with an atmosphere with a >98% composition of cooled Nitrogen. It has an inactive core, stable mantle, and no volcanic activity to speak of. There are no oceans or lakes save for somewhat homogenous patches and chunks of frozen water and other compounds littered across the surface. Letona's surface is completely pitch black and frigid beyond measure. Letona's surface composition is noteworthy for containing regular concentrations of high-purity quartz and silicate minerals that occasionally extend from the surface as spires or monoliths.

Letona 'orbits' a compact celestial radio source codenamed Anomaly R3.D12. Originally mistaken for a gravitational singularity, Anomaly R3.D12 has no evident mass and nothing appears to occupy the physical space at its coordinate location except briefly during periods of manifestation. R3.D12 irregularly manifests and broadcasts a series of unidentified signals at Letona's surface. The nature of these signals and of the Anomaly itself were to be the subject of the scientific investigations of the colony ship The Stir of Dawn as well as the Science Vessel Mesektet. Letona's true orbital characteristics are thought to be due wholly to its relative angular momentum but generally remain a mystery.

History

The Iugulum system and the rogue planet Letona, although exceeding hostile to Human life and posing difficult challenges to any colonization effort, nonetheless were afforded a Colony Ship (The Stir of Dawn) with an accompanying Science Vessel (the Mesektet) during the last expansion efforts by Old Earth. Letona itself was originally declared to be a lifeless planet on initial survey, and thus held nominal value for a mining venture that would harvest its vast atmosphere of cooled Nitrogen and the rare, high-purity minerals from its crust. The true focus of the colonization effort was naturally the study and exploitation of Anomaly R3.D12. Having been the subject of an intensive primary analysis by the survey group that originally explored the system, the Anomaly was assigned a strategic priority grade of ALBU. The Stir of Dawn carried within one of its vast cargo decks (due to insufficient space aboard the Mesektet) a custom-designed device intended to stabilize and possibly even control the manifestations of Anomaly. The colony itself was intended to serve as the staging and support facility for a signal array that would interface with the Anomaly and beam resulting information from the colony and through the gateway network for unknown purposes that have since been lost to history due to the collapse of the gateway network and old Terra.

These designs would ultimately never come to fruition. Due to minor technical issues with its propulsion systems, The Stir of Dawn was delayed by two hours on its passage through the gateway. The Science Vessel Mesektet passed through on its own rather than simultaneously accompanying the colony ship. The Mesektet's passage into the system caused an irregular manifestation of the R3.D12 Anomaly, which then emitted a series of unknown signals directly at the Gateway. When The Stir of Dawn entered the gateway network two hours later, it mysteriously vanished and failed to reappear elsewhere. The Mesektet received the colony ship's departure signal confirming successful passage into the gateway network only moments before the Iugulum system gateway connection failed and closed, stranding the Mesektet.

Not all hope was lost for the Science Vessel however. Although not fully equipped and unsuited for long-term colonization, it nonetheless possessed a number of sophisticated industrial-grade printing manifolds as well as its own DNA vault which was rated to support a surrogacy scheme in spite of the Science Vessel's relatively small crew. With no other viable recourse, the crew of the Mesektet prepared for a roughshod colonization effort while resuming analysis and scientific study of the R3.D12 Anomaly.

The beginning of the Mesektet's efforts hit a snag when they discovered what the original survey team had overlooked: The Planet Letona bore life. It, in fact, bore a complex ecosystem of hybrid Silicon-Carbon based organisms the likes of which had never been documented before. Undeterred and reinvigorated by the prospect of now needing to tame an alien frontier, the crew of the Mesektet boldly set down upon the planet to begin their colonization efforts in earnest.

This proved to be a mistake.

Upon Letona was a single species of sentient organisms called the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . (it does not translate well outside of the native signage). Having dwelt upon -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.-- (it translates slightly better) for hundreds of thousands of years trapped in primitive stasis for the failing of dwelling in an atmosphere that could not support flame, the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . found themselves playing host to travelers unfortunate in circumstances. Compounding the natives' innate and somewhat hostile curiosity was the failure of the Mesektet's crew to realize the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . were sentient. Live specimens were procured and interred only for them to escape, followed by a series of assaults that for want of numbers eventually saw the crew of the Mesektet succumb, the survivors barricaded and trapped within the shipboard dormitories while the alien natives seized the ship. What followed was a slow surrender, paced out across decades as the captors and captives came to understand each other only for the hosts to decide they valued knowledge more than comradery.

By the time the last of the Mesektet's crew died, an ample number of the natives had determined how to use the ship's automated systems and had since become familiar with the steps necessary to keep the craft operational. In the next two centuries that would pass, this understanding would transform into mastery, replication, and proliferation, causing the equivalent of a renaissance period that would lead to the rise of technologically advanced culture upon Chantry.

Perhaps more valuable than the technological and industrial knowledge the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . gained from studying the Mesektet and its crew was the conceptual and practical application of altruistic behavior. The otherwise instinctively solitary and independent individuals who banded together to capture the Mesektet had to work in tandem, however unwillingly or coincidentally, in order to achieve victory. Interrogation of the surviving crew and analysis of the ship's systems likewise were not endeavors that any single individual could reliably undertake effectively. Moreover, the experience of fighting the Mesektet's crew had exposed the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . to the practical utility of Human altruism, ultimately resulting in the formulation of the first .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . warrior clades. From these clades would emerge the first widespread form of .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . cultural philosophy, known as -.. .-. --- ...- .. -. --. . In time, this martial philosophy would split into distinct schools of thought reflected across the different aspects of .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . life, leading to the eventual establishment of - .... . / --. .-. . .- - . .-. / ..-. .-. . . / -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.-- .

Over decades, the - .... . / --. .-. . .- - . .-. / ..-. .-. . . / -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.-- would itself split several times, resulting in the formulation of cooperative bodies such as the ... -.-. .. --- -. ... / --- ..-. / - .... . / -- .- -.-. ..- .-.. .- - . and the ...- . .-.. .-.. . .. - -.-- .

Modern-day Chantry exists within the confines of a limited number of sprawling, subterranean .- .-.. .-.. --- -.-- / .-. . . ..-. ... with populations in the hundreds of thousands, and attendant ..-. .-. .. -. --. . / .-. . . ..-. ... covering and surrounding them with populations in the millions. Specific reefs and fringe reefs are usually communally controlled by different cooperative bodies either vying for or exploiting control of industrial printing capabilities and refineries for raw elemental fuel or to establish rapport and to proselytize with third-parties wishing to make use of them.

Sentient Chantry Natives Morphological Profile

The planet Chantry is a rogue celestial body with 88% Earth gravity, no parent star, no volcanic activity to speak of, no oceans, an atmosphere with >98% composition of supercooled and inert Nitrogen, and little in the way of exposure to cosmic radiation. Completely dark and with no conventional energy gradients to speak of, in the unlikely circumstances that resulted in the emergence of life it was uniquely alien in nature.

Due to the planet being irregularly bombarded by signals from a compact celestial radio source and the abundance of high-purity quartz upon Chantry's surface, when simple biomolecular life first occurred it was Silicon-based and utilized simple piezoelectrical principles to convert radio-waves into mechanical and chemical energy for metabolic functions. Over the eons, these simple lifeforms would diverge and evolve into a complex ecosystem of hybrid Silicon and Carbon based organisms which harvest sound to produce low amounts of bioelectrical and biochemical energy, and which otherwise subsist by feeding or harvesting minerals and materials from the terrain. Life on Chantry is centralized around several niche reef-tending species that till and alter the terrain of the planet, creating high biodiversity zones.

The .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . are one of these reef-tending species. Their main body is a bulbous core somewhat wider than the Human torso, with a single orifice used for ingestion. From this core extends four long, prehensile appendages across the body's tetrahedral axis which act as hydraulic muscular chambers, each one tipped with ridges of calloused dermis and a spicule that give ways to the interior, fluid-filled hollow of each appendage. Contained in the hollow of each appendage are a series of muscles and silicon fibers woven into spine-like filaments that can extend from each appendage, each one laced with small high-traction barbs. These hairlike protrusions serve as dexterous manipulators good for digging through loose particulates and probing into narrow spots. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . ambulate on these four limbs, and most individual specimens are capable of balancing and moving on two or all four limbs. Stretched between each limb is a membrane with a band of muscle running down the middle, allowing for the membrane to extend and retract away from the main body. These membranes act as tympanic tissues with complex clusters of piezoelectrical structures that convert acoustic waves within a certain range of frequencies into electrical and chemical energy before redistributing it across the rest of the body. When these membranes are all extended, they form a concave, hollow space between the extended limbs and the core body, forming an optimal channel for acoustic reception. Depending on personal age, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . will range between the size of a closed Human fist and growing to be as large as three meters in diameter at three centuries in age.

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . do not breath, are completely blind, and have no olfactory sense. They do not have a true sense of hearing akin to what Humanoid species are accustomed to, but are highly sensitive to vibrations, tremors, and atmospheric shockwaves. This sense is so refined, that a .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . can 'hear' a conversation carried out between individuals who are behind windows, walls, below them through a floor, or above them through a ceiling (depending on density). Individuals lack vocal cords and do not speak, and communicate via whip-lash like, patterned motions with their manipulators often described as a form of dance, or else through direct physical contact between individuals and their manipulators.

The most prominent element in the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . physiology is Silicon. Carbon is the third most prominent. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . do not qualify as true Silicon-based lifeforms categorically due to having a hybrid morphology exploiting both Silicon and Carbon, but it would be misleading to label them as Carbon-based - illustrating their novel classification as a novel, Hybrid-Basis species. This odd biological profile has been borne out from the first days when simple molecular life first emerged upon Chantry, which were wholly Silicon based due in part to the proliferation of high-purity Quartz upon Chantry's surface.

The outer .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . dermis is primarily comprised of a durable and flexible bionmineralized Silicon fiber. This dermis is both surprisingly resilient and tolerant of a wide range of atmospheric conditions, in spite of also possessing remarkable durability. In practical layman's terms, it has often been described as 'if tortoise shells were like normal skin.'

The preferred temperature range for .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . is between -110° and -50° Celsius (their 'room temperature' is -80°). Due to the robust thermal tolerance of Silicon they have a theoretical upper livable temperature range between -130° and 30° Celsius. As temperature rises, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . will slow down and instinctively enter first a state of torpor, then a period of hibernation before eventually falling utterly comatose. During these states, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . biological processes grind to a halt in an effort by the body to prevent the build-up of insoluble metabolic toxins due to drastic changes in temperature rendering increasingly impure reaction products of their organic chemistry. With training and sufficient focus, a .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . can defer loss of consciousness at 20° (described as being akin to resisting the impulse to fall asleep when exhausted), but they will begin to die of chemical toxicity and massive organ failure within two hours on average. If a .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . enters a comatose state, returning them to their preferred livable range will eventually revive them. Depending on how much time was spent outside their livable range in a comatose state and the build-up of toxic insolubles in the body, a .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . may suffer from 'Exile Syndrome' and slowly die due to gradual organ failure regardless.

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . originate from a planet with an atmosphere similar in density to Old Earth's, comprised largely of cool elemental Nitrogen. Their Silicon-based morphology affords them a greater tolerance for pressure gradients and G-force and they are even capable of surviving for limited spans of time in hard vacuum (they will 'starve' to death from the absence of acoustic stimuli within two hours, long before the conditions of vacuum actually kill them). Likewise, they have a remarkable tolerance for acidic and basic chemical exposure. They can be safely submerged for short periods of time in hydrochloric acid as long as it is not ingested, though it will begin to erode through their dermis after several minutes. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . possess a similar tolerance for ionizing radiation as Humans, but suffer acute structural faults in their body as a result rather than the occurrence of chronic deterioration. Harmful doses of ionizing radiation are known to cause prominent shifts in coloration and hue in .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . ' Silicon-rich bodies, occasionally even producing low levels of phosphorescence, and sufficient cross-section exposure of a given body part or organ will cause it to grow brittle and crack apart like plaster.

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . do not possess a conventional XNA-patterned genetic template, storing physiological and nervous information in Silicate structures often compared to circuitry. While this affords them extreme resilience to conventional diseases and viruses, the process by which information is permanently transcribed and stored within their tissues is much slower than with Humans. Significant structural damage, particularly due to Ionizing radiation, can severely impact an individual's memory and sense of self as a result. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . are generally also characterized for having relatively idiosyncratic short-term memory. On average, individuals without training or experience can only retain memory of five to six discrete aspects of information at a time, and require half an hour or longer for ingrained information to transition to long-term memory. When placed under pressure and time constraints, this can lead to .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . forgetting important information.

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . have no known natural upper life span and do not suffer from traditional hereditary illness with the passage of time, and additionally never stop growing in size. However, beyond three centuries in age, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . begin to grow too large for their own physiology to support, resulting in gradual deterioration and death due to malnutrition and eventual organ failure. Hypothetically an individual can be kept alive on life support indefinitely, but the degree and extent of invasive methods necessary to do so would be galling to the extreme.

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . do not reproduce sexually, but instead 'bud' every few years, excreting a complex neonascent cluster of materials encased in a shell of mineral quartz when they reach physical maturity, usually around 75 Terran years of age. These buds are known to hatch and then opportunistically seek out and cannibalize other buds before then entering a state of chrysalis and developing into a physiologically distinct .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - .. Buds that cannot cannibalize another one effectively develop to become clones of the parent individual.

Due to numerous factors across their evolutionary history, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . are either devoid of or possess weakly intrinsic altruistic instincts. Natural resource competition on the individual level and the aggressive nature of reproduction divorced from reliance on a partner have, over the span of millions of years, weeded the instinct out of the species' behavioral profile. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . are capable of exhibiting altruistic behavior as a rationalized strategy but suffer from a severe disinclination to do so - individuals typically require extensive training and practice to rationally accept altruistic modes of thought and to work together reliable. Contrary to expectation, a lack of altruism does not render the species more aggressive on the individual level, as individuals are not inherently malign in disposition. It does, however, render them far more standoffish, brusque, and apathetic as to the circumstances of others. This has given rise to the stereotypical .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . mode of translated speech, which is characterized as being curt, terse, suspicious, and defensive.

Government: Charitable Distributive Commune

The planet of Chantry has no central or controlling government due to the inherently temperamental behavior of its natives. The .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . as a whole distrust each other on an individual level and barely tolerate each others' existence. The closest thing to a governing body that exists is the so-called --. .-. . .- - . .-. / ..-. .-. . . / -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.--, a loosely aligned but large clade of influential figures who advocate the adoption of altruistic thoughtform and who charitably distribute resources, technology, land, expertise, and public works to the remaining native population such as will accept such charity. There is very little contact between individuals relative to Human forms of governance, and what bureaucracy exists is highly informal, being rooted more in tradition than in regulation. There exists no true standing army, merely a militia of martially-inclined figures who train to fight and who are often compensated or otherwise motivated on the personal level by nonstandardized contracts. Most of the native population continue to live as primitives in undeveloped, rural regions.

Demographics & Population

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . Demographics are inordinately diverse to the point of the number of independent nation-states upon Chantry being undocumented in number. In undeveloped rural regions of the world, entire primitive civilizations are speculated to exist, either having rejected or remaining unaware of the convenience of modern technology. Travel by individuals between these states is unregulated beyond the unspoken threat of retaliation for trespass. Alongside these countless, ununified cultures exist nearly as many religions and traditions - all complicated by the fact that no reliable census is kept by the Greater Free Benefaction.

The native population of Chantry numbers a speculative four billion. The number of individuals with modern standards of living and advanced technological amenities likely only numbers in the hundreds of millions.

No Human lifesigns have been detected on Chantry. The entire crew of the Mesektet is considered lost.

Culture & Society

Traditionally, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . dwell in massive, partially subterranean reefs that are dug and arranged on an individual basis. Due to their native distrust of each other, individuals live alone and, by preference, as far away from each other as possible while staking out large territorial tracts to themselves. The emergence of alloy reefs has changed this trend however, as individuals desiring access and use of industrial printing facilities now often live in dormitories in relatively close proximity with each other. This in turn has given rise to a relatively primitive trade and barter economy, with artisans and technicians of different leanings dedicating themselves to their particular callings to procure the privilege to make use of printing mechanisms or else for raw materials necessary for smaller-scaled personal printers. There exists no widely accepted fiat currency or form of legal tender, trade occurs almost wholly on the individual level and via inscribed contracts enforced either by warrior clades more reliably by the cooperatives controlling the printing facilities themselves. The cooperatives tallying and tracking credi for hours of use with their printing facilities between individuals is the closet the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . come to conventional modern economic practices.

By Human standards, most individual .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . would be considered eccentric in temperament. Left to their own devices they focus on personal interests or subsistence, and even within the span of alloy reefs they trend towards solitary rather than confrontational, making each individual something of an island of insular culture all their own.

Having become more popularized, divergent sects of -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. and -.. .-. --- ...- .. -. --. philosophy have gained enough amateur practitioners that attempts at convergent behavior are becoming frequent, resulting in informal hobbyist clades and the occasional conspiratorial cult. These are typically prone to internal strife but serve as gateway clades to the larger more formalized warrior and religious clades, if not - .... . / --. .-. . .- - . .-. / ..-. .-. . . / -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.-- itself.

Religious clades upon Chantry are commonplace, and the ... -.-. .. --- -. ... / --- ..-. / - .... . / -- .- -.-. ..- .-.. .- - . in particular is one of the few philosophical bodies with inroads into the primitive, rural regions of Chantry due to their worship of the R3.D12 Anomaly, which has been informally worshipped for tens of thousands of years in Chantryst culture even before the emergence of -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -..

---

Technology

Most of the technology used by the Chantrysts falls into two categories: Letona and Chantry Format, so-named in unspoken acknowledgement for the Human designation of Chantry. As all of the technology on Chantry was developed and designed using Human knowledge taken from study of the Mesektet and its databases, the vast majority of all technology on Chantry is Letona Formatted, using conventional operational and engineering principles as utilized throughout Human space. Letona Format technology is distinct from pre-collapse Human hardware only in the occasional improvement or update that have been made to their designs using nonstandard methodology.

Chantry Format technology is an entirely different beast, made entirely from scratch almost for the sole purpose of proving that it could be done. Chantry Format devices include extensive biotechnical components and many piezoelectrical aspects, almost in imitation of .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . physiology. Intentionally, Chantry Format technology is designed to be compatible with Letona Format technology, but usually requires format mediation by specialized interface mechanisms and devices that translate between the different forms of programming and information storage formats. Tellingly, Letona Format technology uses binary machine language and executes base ten mathematical computation by default, whereas Chantry Format technology uses balanced ternary machine language and executes base four mathematical computation by default.

As the Meseket was a science vessel, most of the technology on Chantry reflects that original purpose. An immense number of Letona Format laboratory equipment has been mass produced and repurposed as common reefware dormitory appliances. Bulky and sometimes ineffective laboratory equipment repurposed for menial tasks and labor, often unsuited for more practical labor, are slowly but surely finding themselves replaced by Chantry Format domestic alternatives.

The Mesektet originally had onboard multiple industrial grade printing manifolds, capable of producing or replicating complex electronics and mechanical components. Also onboard were a series of specialized arc furnaces and stability-matrices for the isolation and safe processing, refinement, and storage of raw elemental fuel used by the printers for raw materials. One of the most important technological breakthroughs for the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . was simply the discovery of how to replicate the original printers and associated mechanisms, and thus printing itself as a precept has an almost romanticized cultural significance. The use of small domestic-grade printers is almost omnipresent amongst alloy reef populations.

Likewise, since the Mesektet was not a military vessel, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . military hardware and weaponry is somewhat roundabout and inefficient in design where they are not stolen wholesale from the parameters of the few self-defense weapons present aboard the vessel. By prevalence, single-shot explosive munitions and ordinance are by far the most common and popular weapons employed on Chantry due to the uncomplicated and straightforward chemical and mechanical aspects of their design. Pneumatic and Hydraulic melee weapons are more commonplace than other designs upon Chantry, often valued more for their reliability and quietly precise lethality in comparison.

In terms of shipboard weaponry, repurposed particle-accelerator technology and high-powered communications lasers have been reconfigured, improved, and redesigned to suit the preferences of the warrior clades who originally designed them. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . warships have more in common with intelligence satellites than they do with the battleships and carriers favored by Humanity, and are often distinguished by their characteristic fore-mounted rectenna dishes which pull triple-duty as weapons, sensors, and signaling equipment. Consequentially, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . warships are exceedingly specialized for signal-oriented and electronic warfare paradigms and are noted for being difficult to effectively precisely locate or target, as well as for their expansive capabilities to cripple the functionality of other ships and to interfere with target systems at extreme ranges.

The .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . have broken little ground into the foray of weapons of mass destructive. Knowledge of such instruments of war are relegated to only a comparatively small handful of individuals who have dismissed them as either meaningless or have failed to grasp the full ramifications of such weapons. As such, the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . possess no nuclear weapons, nor any significant explosive ordinance with a yield of more than five megatons. The only weapon of mass destruction the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . possess was developed by accident and is rarely employed as such in the form of the hallmark .- ... - .-. .- .-.. / .-.. .- -. -.-. . array. The array, derived from Human particle accelerator and signal technology, is restricted to a limited number of flagships and is mounted within the rectenna dish. It is typically employed for FTL signaling, scanning, and communications purposes. When sufficiently pressed, it may also be used as a weapon, capable of generating a high-energy FTL wavefront that aggregates charged particles in a 'crown' of supercharged plasma that then begins to undergo a stellar fusion reaction that grows in size and power the further its containment beam travels until impact. The weapon is limited in range by sensor accuracy and beam diffusion to approximately 12 AU, beyond which the containment beam either fails, terminating the FTL wavefront or else deviates too significantly to reliable hit its target. The upper threshold of damage the .- ... - .-. .- .-.. / .-.. .- -. -.-. . is capable of inflicting cannot be understated, perhaps being limited only by the mercy of weapons control and their decision to deliberately restrain the upper boundaries of the FTL wavefront.

Military Overview

The .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . possess a disorganized armada of under two-hundred vessels, operated in turn by the separate factions of the -.. .-. --- ...- .. -. --. warrior clades, the ... -.-. .. --- -. ... / --- ..-. / - .... . / -- .- -.-. ..- .-.. .- - . religious sect, the ...- . .-.. .-.. . .. - -.-- religious cult, and a smattering of privately operated vessels. On average, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . ships are smaller than the nearest Human equivalent, with few vessels amongst their number actually possessing offensive weaponry. There are no standardized ship templates amongst the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . fleets, nearly all of them being different sizes with different hull configurations, crew complements, technical specifications and roles.

The most common shared feature of .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . ships is that they resemble oddly roughshod communications satellites, possessing large and prominent fore-mounted signal rectenna that usually comprise upwards of 30% of each craft's entire mass. These dishes typically possess signaling, communication, sensor, weapons, and even shielding functionality all in one, making them powerful and versatile. The obvious drawback is that these fore-mounted dishes are often the most frequently and easily damaged segment of each vessel, and when destroyed completely cripple each craft. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . militia vessels are most dangerous when confronted head-on or within the expansive cone of their fore-mounted rectenna, but they are typically defenseless from all other angles.

Space ventures and craft in the Iugulum system have developed mainly in accordance with the agendas of the particular groups who have designed them. The -.. .-. --- ...- .. -. --. warrior clades possess a large number of warrior transports that also serve as space and atmosphere capable close-support gunships or artillery for the purposes of enforcing the will of the other factions, aggressive peacekeeping, or simply fighting for its own sake. The ... -.-. .. --- -. ... / --- ..-. / - .... . / -- .- -.-. ..- .-.. .- - . possess a smaller but still sizable fleet of comparatively massive and elegantly designed vessels with sophisticated analysis and communications systems used to aggressively hijack remote communications systems for the purposes of proselytizing. The ...- . .-.. .-.. . .. - -.-- possess the smallest fleet of organized vessels, which mainly consists of single-crew ships with a design emphasis on destructive weapons capabilities and suicide tactics. Finally, a sizable number of independently operated craft exist with no governing design principles, where in some cases even the standard fore-mounted rectenna dish may be entirely absent.

Through the Gateways: Humanity [Closed] [Soon to be Concluded]

The Natives of the Iugulum System

- .... . / --. .-. . .- - . .-. / ..-. .-. . . / -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.--

Iugulum, Letona, and R3.D12

The Iugulum system is a dark and largesly featureless expanse of empty space located in a regional void, with low concentrations of interstellar plasma. The system comprises only a single celestial body, the Rogue Planet originally designated Letona.

Letona, otherwise known as Chantry by the native population, is a barren and rocky planet with an atmosphere with a >98% composition of cooled Nitrogen. It has an inactive core, stable mantle, and no volcanic activity to speak of. There are no oceans or lakes save for somewhat homogenous patches and chunks of frozen water and other compounds littered across the surface. Letona's surface is completely pitch black and frigid beyond measure. Letona's surface composition is noteworthy for containing regular concentrations of high-purity quartz and silicate minerals that occasionally extend from the surface as spires or monoliths.

Letona 'orbits' a compact celestial radio source codenamed Anomaly R3.D12. Originally mistaken for a gravitational singularity, Anomaly R3.D12 has no evident mass and nothing appears to occupy the physical space at its coordinate location except briefly during periods of manifestation. R3.D12 irregularly manifests and broadcasts a series of unidentified signals at Letona's surface. The nature of these signals and of the Anomaly itself were to be the subject of the scientific investigations of the colony ship The Stir of Dawn as well as the Science Vessel Mesektet. Letona's true orbital characteristics are thought to be due wholly to its relative angular momentum but generally remain a mystery.

History

The Iugulum system and the rogue planet Letona, although exceeding hostile to Human life and posing difficult challenges to any colonization effort, nonetheless were afforded a Colony Ship (The Stir of Dawn) with an accompanying Science Vessel (the Mesektet) during the last expansion efforts by Old Earth. Letona itself was originally declared to be a lifeless planet on initial survey, and thus held nominal value for a mining venture that would harvest its vast atmosphere of cooled Nitrogen and the rare, high-purity minerals from its crust. The true focus of the colonization effort was naturally the study and exploitation of Anomaly R3.D12. Having been the subject of an intensive primary analysis by the survey group that originally explored the system, the Anomaly was assigned a strategic priority grade of ALBU. The Stir of Dawn carried within one of its vast cargo decks (due to insufficient space aboard the Mesektet) a custom-designed device intended to stabilize and possibly even control the manifestations of Anomaly. The colony itself was intended to serve as the staging and support facility for a signal array that would interface with the Anomaly and beam resulting information from the colony and through the gateway network for unknown purposes that have since been lost to history due to the collapse of the gateway network and old Terra.

These designs would ultimately never come to fruition. Due to minor technical issues with its propulsion systems, The Stir of Dawn was delayed by two hours on its passage through the gateway. The Science Vessel Mesektet passed through on its own rather than simultaneously accompanying the colony ship. The Mesektet's passage into the system caused an irregular manifestation of the R3.D12 Anomaly, which then emitted a series of unknown signals directly at the Gateway. When The Stir of Dawn entered the gateway network two hours later, it mysteriously vanished and failed to reappear elsewhere. The Mesektet received the colony ship's departure signal confirming successful passage into the gateway network only moments before the Iugulum system gateway connection failed and closed, stranding the Mesektet.

Not all hope was lost for the Science Vessel however. Although not fully equipped and unsuited for long-term colonization, it nonetheless possessed a number of sophisticated industrial-grade printing manifolds as well as its own DNA vault which was rated to support a surrogacy scheme in spite of the Science Vessel's relatively small crew. With no other viable recourse, the crew of the Mesektet prepared for a roughshod colonization effort while resuming analysis and scientific study of the R3.D12 Anomaly.

The beginning of the Mesektet's efforts hit a snag when they discovered what the original survey team had overlooked: The Planet Letona bore life. It, in fact, bore a complex ecosystem of hybrid Silicon-Carbon based organisms the likes of which had never been documented before. Undeterred and reinvigorated by the prospect of now needing to tame an alien frontier, the crew of the Mesektet boldly set down upon the planet to begin their colonization efforts in earnest.

This proved to be a mistake.

Upon Letona was a single species of sentient organisms called the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . (it does not translate well outside of the native signage). Having dwelt upon -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.-- (it translates slightly better) for hundreds of thousands of years trapped in primitive stasis for the failing of dwelling in an atmosphere that could not support flame, the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . found themselves playing host to travelers unfortunate in circumstances. Compounding the natives' innate and somewhat hostile curiosity was the failure of the Mesektet's crew to realize the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . were sentient. Live specimens were procured and interred only for them to escape, followed by a series of assaults that for want of numbers eventually saw the crew of the Mesektet succumb, the survivors barricaded and trapped within the shipboard dormitories while the alien natives seized the ship. What followed was a slow surrender, paced out across decades as the captors and captives came to understand each other only for the hosts to decide they valued knowledge more than comradery.

By the time the last of the Mesektet's crew died, an ample number of the natives had determined how to use the ship's automated systems and had since become familiar with the steps necessary to keep the craft operational. In the next two centuries that would pass, this understanding would transform into mastery, replication, and proliferation, causing the equivalent of a renaissance period that would lead to the rise of technologically advanced culture upon Chantry.

Perhaps more valuable than the technological and industrial knowledge the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . gained from studying the Mesektet and its crew was the conceptual and practical application of altruistic behavior. The otherwise instinctively solitary and independent individuals who banded together to capture the Mesektet had to work in tandem, however unwillingly or coincidentally, in order to achieve victory. Interrogation of the surviving crew and analysis of the ship's systems likewise were not endeavors that any single individual could reliably undertake effectively. Moreover, the experience of fighting the Mesektet's crew had exposed the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . to the practical utility of Human altruism, ultimately resulting in the formulation of the first .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . warrior clades. From these clades would emerge the first widespread form of .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . cultural philosophy, known as -.. .-. --- ...- .. -. --. . In time, this martial philosophy would split into distinct schools of thought reflected across the different aspects of .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . life, leading to the eventual establishment of - .... . / --. .-. . .- - . .-. / ..-. .-. . . / -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.-- .

Over decades, the - .... . / --. .-. . .- - . .-. / ..-. .-. . . / -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.-- would itself split several times, resulting in the formulation of cooperative bodies such as the ... -.-. .. --- -. ... / --- ..-. / - .... . / -- .- -.-. ..- .-.. .- - . and the ...- . .-.. .-.. . .. - -.-- .

Modern-day Chantry exists within the confines of a limited number of sprawling, subterranean .- .-.. .-.. --- -.-- / .-. . . ..-. ... with populations in the hundreds of thousands, and attendant ..-. .-. .. -. --. . / .-. . . ..-. ... covering and surrounding them with populations in the millions. Specific reefs and fringe reefs are usually communally controlled by different cooperative bodies either vying for or exploiting control of industrial printing capabilities and refineries for raw elemental fuel or to establish rapport and to proselytize with third-parties wishing to make use of them.

Sentient Chantry Natives Morphological Profile

The planet Chantry is a rogue celestial body with 88% Earth gravity, no parent star, no volcanic activity to speak of, no oceans, an atmosphere with >98% composition of supercooled and inert Nitrogen, and little in the way of exposure to cosmic radiation. Completely dark and with no conventional energy gradients to speak of, in the unlikely circumstances that resulted in the emergence of life it was uniquely alien in nature.

Due to the planet being irregularly bombarded by signals from a compact celestial radio source and the abundance of high-purity quartz upon Chantry's surface, when simple biomolecular life first occurred it was Silicon-based and utilized simple piezoelectrical principles to convert radio-waves into mechanical and chemical energy for metabolic functions. Over the eons, these simple lifeforms would diverge and evolve into a complex ecosystem of hybrid Silicon and Carbon based organisms which harvest sound to produce low amounts of bioelectrical and biochemical energy, and which otherwise subsist by feeding or harvesting minerals and materials from the terrain. Life on Chantry is centralized around several niche reef-tending species that till and alter the terrain of the planet, creating high biodiversity zones.

The .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . are one of these reef-tending species. Their main body is a bulbous core somewhat wider than the Human torso, with a single orifice used for ingestion. From this core extends four long, prehensile appendages across the body's tetrahedral axis which act as hydraulic muscular chambers, each one tipped with ridges of calloused dermis and a spicule that give ways to the interior, fluid-filled hollow of each appendage. Contained in the hollow of each appendage are a series of muscles and silicon fibers woven into spine-like filaments that can extend from each appendage, each one laced with small high-traction barbs. These hairlike protrusions serve as dexterous manipulators good for digging through loose particulates and probing into narrow spots. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . ambulate on these four limbs, and most individual specimens are capable of balancing and moving on two or all four limbs. Stretched between each limb is a membrane with a band of muscle running down the middle, allowing for the membrane to extend and retract away from the main body. These membranes act as tympanic tissues with complex clusters of piezoelectrical structures that convert acoustic waves within a certain range of frequencies into electrical and chemical energy before redistributing it across the rest of the body. When these membranes are all extended, they form a concave, hollow space between the extended limbs and the core body, forming an optimal channel for acoustic reception. Depending on personal age, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . will range between the size of a closed Human fist and growing to be as large as three meters in diameter at three centuries in age.

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . do not breath, are completely blind, and have no olfactory sense. They do not have a true sense of hearing akin to what Humanoid species are accustomed to, but are highly sensitive to vibrations, tremors, and atmospheric shockwaves. This sense is so refined, that a .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . can 'hear' a conversation carried out between individuals who are behind windows, walls, below them through a floor, or above them through a ceiling (depending on density). Individuals lack vocal cords and do not speak, and communicate via whip-lash like, patterned motions with their manipulators often described as a form of dance, or else through direct physical contact between individuals and their manipulators.

The most prominent element in the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . physiology is Silicon. Carbon is the third most prominent. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . do not qualify as true Silicon-based lifeforms categorically due to having a hybrid morphology exploiting both Silicon and Carbon, but it would be misleading to label them as Carbon-based - illustrating their novel classification as a novel, Hybrid-Basis species. This odd biological profile has been borne out from the first days when simple molecular life first emerged upon Chantry, which were wholly Silicon based due in part to the proliferation of high-purity Quartz upon Chantry's surface.

The outer .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . dermis is primarily comprised of a durable and flexible bionmineralized Silicon fiber. This dermis is both surprisingly resilient and tolerant of a wide range of atmospheric conditions, in spite of also possessing remarkable durability. In practical layman's terms, it has often been described as 'if tortoise shells were like normal skin.'

The preferred temperature range for .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . is between -110° and -50° Celsius (their 'room temperature' is -80°). Due to the robust thermal tolerance of Silicon they have a theoretical upper livable temperature range between -130° and 30° Celsius. As temperature rises, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . will slow down and instinctively enter first a state of torpor, then a period of hibernation before eventually falling utterly comatose. During these states, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . biological processes grind to a halt in an effort by the body to prevent the build-up of insoluble metabolic toxins due to drastic changes in temperature rendering increasingly impure reaction products of their organic chemistry. With training and sufficient focus, a .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . can defer loss of consciousness at 20° (described as being akin to resisting the impulse to fall asleep when exhausted), but they will begin to die of chemical toxicity and massive organ failure within two hours on average. If a .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . enters a comatose state, returning them to their preferred livable range will eventually revive them. Depending on how much time was spent outside their livable range in a comatose state and the build-up of toxic insolubles in the body, a .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . may suffer from 'Exile Syndrome' and slowly die due to gradual organ failure regardless.

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . originate from a planet with an atmosphere similar in density to Old Earth's, comprised largely of cool elemental Nitrogen. Their Silicon-based morphology affords them a greater tolerance for pressure gradients and G-force and they are even capable of surviving for limited spans of time in hard vacuum (they will 'starve' to death from the absence of acoustic stimuli within two hours, long before the conditions of vacuum actually kill them). Likewise, they have a remarkable tolerance for acidic and basic chemical exposure. They can be safely submerged for short periods of time in hydrochloric acid as long as it is not ingested, though it will begin to erode through their dermis after several minutes. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . possess a similar tolerance for ionizing radiation as Humans, but suffer acute structural faults in their body as a result rather than the occurrence of chronic deterioration. Harmful doses of ionizing radiation are known to cause prominent shifts in coloration and hue in .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . ' Silicon-rich bodies, occasionally even producing low levels of phosphorescence, and sufficient cross-section exposure of a given body part or organ will cause it to grow brittle and crack apart like plaster.

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . do not possess a conventional XNA-patterned genetic template, storing physiological and nervous information in Silicate structures often compared to circuitry. While this affords them extreme resilience to conventional diseases and viruses, the process by which information is permanently transcribed and stored within their tissues is much slower than with Humans. Significant structural damage, particularly due to Ionizing radiation, can severely impact an individual's memory and sense of self as a result. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . are generally also characterized for having relatively idiosyncratic short-term memory. On average, individuals without training or experience can only retain memory of five to six discrete aspects of information at a time, and require half an hour or longer for ingrained information to transition to long-term memory. When placed under pressure and time constraints, this can lead to .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . forgetting important information.

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . have no known natural upper life span and do not suffer from traditional hereditary illness with the passage of time, and additionally never stop growing in size. However, beyond three centuries in age, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . begin to grow too large for their own physiology to support, resulting in gradual deterioration and death due to malnutrition and eventual organ failure. Hypothetically an individual can be kept alive on life support indefinitely, but the degree and extent of invasive methods necessary to do so would be galling to the extreme.

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . do not reproduce sexually, but instead 'bud' every few years, excreting a complex neonascent cluster of materials encased in a shell of mineral quartz when they reach physical maturity, usually around 75 Terran years of age. These buds are known to hatch and then opportunistically seek out and cannibalize other buds before then entering a state of chrysalis and developing into a physiologically distinct .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - .. Buds that cannot cannibalize another one effectively develop to become clones of the parent individual.

Due to numerous factors across their evolutionary history, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . are either devoid of or possess weakly intrinsic altruistic instincts. Natural resource competition on the individual level and the aggressive nature of reproduction divorced from reliance on a partner have, over the span of millions of years, weeded the instinct out of the species' behavioral profile. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . are capable of exhibiting altruistic behavior as a rationalized strategy but suffer from a severe disinclination to do so - individuals typically require extensive training and practice to rationally accept altruistic modes of thought and to work together reliable. Contrary to expectation, a lack of altruism does not render the species more aggressive on the individual level, as individuals are not inherently malign in disposition. It does, however, render them far more standoffish, brusque, and apathetic as to the circumstances of others. This has given rise to the stereotypical .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . mode of translated speech, which is characterized as being curt, terse, suspicious, and defensive.

Government: Charitable Distributive Commune

The planet of Chantry has no central or controlling government due to the inherently temperamental behavior of its natives. The .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . as a whole distrust each other on an individual level and barely tolerate each others' existence. The closest thing to a governing body that exists is the so-called --. .-. . .- - . .-. / ..-. .-. . . / -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.--, a loosely aligned but large clade of influential figures who advocate the adoption of altruistic thoughtform and who charitably distribute resources, technology, land, expertise, and public works to the remaining native population such as will accept such charity. There is very little contact between individuals relative to Human forms of governance, and what bureaucracy exists is highly informal, being rooted more in tradition than in regulation. There exists no true standing army, merely a militia of martially-inclined figures who train to fight and who are often compensated or otherwise motivated on the personal level by nonstandardized contracts. Most of the native population continue to live as primitives in undeveloped, rural regions.

Demographics & Population

.- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . Demographics are inordinately diverse to the point of the number of independent nation-states upon Chantry being undocumented in number. In undeveloped rural regions of the world, entire primitive civilizations are speculated to exist, either having rejected or remaining unaware of the convenience of modern technology. Travel by individuals between these states is unregulated beyond the unspoken threat of retaliation for trespass. Alongside these countless, ununified cultures exist nearly as many religions and traditions - all complicated by the fact that no reliable census is kept by the Greater Free Benefaction.

The native population of Chantry numbers a speculative four billion. The number of individuals with modern standards of living and advanced technological amenities likely only numbers in the hundreds of millions.

No Human lifesigns have been detected on Chantry. The entire crew of the Mesektet is considered lost.

Culture & Society

Traditionally, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . dwell in massive, partially subterranean reefs that are dug and arranged on an individual basis. Due to their native distrust of each other, individuals live alone and, by preference, as far away from each other as possible while staking out large territorial tracts to themselves. The emergence of alloy reefs has changed this trend however, as individuals desiring access and use of industrial printing facilities now often live in dormitories in relatively close proximity with each other. This in turn has given rise to a relatively primitive trade and barter economy, with artisans and technicians of different leanings dedicating themselves to their particular callings to procure the privilege to make use of printing mechanisms or else for raw materials necessary for smaller-scaled personal printers. There exists no widely accepted fiat currency or form of legal tender, trade occurs almost wholly on the individual level and via inscribed contracts enforced either by warrior clades more reliably by the cooperatives controlling the printing facilities themselves. The cooperatives tallying and tracking credi for hours of use with their printing facilities between individuals is the closet the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . come to conventional modern economic practices.

By Human standards, most individual .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . would be considered eccentric in temperament. Left to their own devices they focus on personal interests or subsistence, and even within the span of alloy reefs they trend towards solitary rather than confrontational, making each individual something of an island of insular culture all their own.

Having become more popularized, divergent sects of -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. and -.. .-. --- ...- .. -. --. philosophy have gained enough amateur practitioners that attempts at convergent behavior are becoming frequent, resulting in informal hobbyist clades and the occasional conspiratorial cult. These are typically prone to internal strife but serve as gateway clades to the larger more formalized warrior and religious clades, if not - .... . / --. .-. . .- - . .-. / ..-. .-. . . / -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -. / --- ..-. / -.-. .... .- -. - .-. -.-- itself.

Religious clades upon Chantry are commonplace, and the ... -.-. .. --- -. ... / --- ..-. / - .... . / -- .- -.-. ..- .-.. .- - . in particular is one of the few philosophical bodies with inroads into the primitive, rural regions of Chantry due to their worship of the R3.D12 Anomaly, which has been informally worshipped for tens of thousands of years in Chantryst culture even before the emergence of -... . -. . ..-. .- -.-. - .. --- -..

---

Technology

Most of the technology used by the Chantrysts falls into two categories: Letona and Chantry Format, so-named in unspoken acknowledgement for the Human designation of Chantry. As all of the technology on Chantry was developed and designed using Human knowledge taken from study of the Mesektet and its databases, the vast majority of all technology on Chantry is Letona Formatted, using conventional operational and engineering principles as utilized throughout Human space. Letona Format technology is distinct from pre-collapse Human hardware only in the occasional improvement or update that have been made to their designs using nonstandard methodology.

Chantry Format technology is an entirely different beast, made entirely from scratch almost for the sole purpose of proving that it could be done. Chantry Format devices include extensive biotechnical components and many piezoelectrical aspects, almost in imitation of .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . physiology. Intentionally, Chantry Format technology is designed to be compatible with Letona Format technology, but usually requires format mediation by specialized interface mechanisms and devices that translate between the different forms of programming and information storage formats. Tellingly, Letona Format technology uses binary machine language and executes base ten mathematical computation by default, whereas Chantry Format technology uses balanced ternary machine language and executes base four mathematical computation by default.

As the Meseket was a science vessel, most of the technology on Chantry reflects that original purpose. An immense number of Letona Format laboratory equipment has been mass produced and repurposed as common reefware dormitory appliances. Bulky and sometimes ineffective laboratory equipment repurposed for menial tasks and labor, often unsuited for more practical labor, are slowly but surely finding themselves replaced by Chantry Format domestic alternatives.

The Mesektet originally had onboard multiple industrial grade printing manifolds, capable of producing or replicating complex electronics and mechanical components. Also onboard were a series of specialized arc furnaces and stability-matrices for the isolation and safe processing, refinement, and storage of raw elemental fuel used by the printers for raw materials. One of the most important technological breakthroughs for the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . was simply the discovery of how to replicate the original printers and associated mechanisms, and thus printing itself as a precept has an almost romanticized cultural significance. The use of small domestic-grade printers is almost omnipresent amongst alloy reef populations.

Likewise, since the Mesektet was not a military vessel, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . military hardware and weaponry is somewhat roundabout and inefficient in design where they are not stolen wholesale from the parameters of the few self-defense weapons present aboard the vessel. By prevalence, single-shot explosive munitions and ordinance are by far the most common and popular weapons employed on Chantry due to the uncomplicated and straightforward chemical and mechanical aspects of their design. Pneumatic and Hydraulic melee weapons are more commonplace than other designs upon Chantry, often valued more for their reliability and quietly precise lethality in comparison.

In terms of shipboard weaponry, repurposed particle-accelerator technology and high-powered communications lasers have been reconfigured, improved, and redesigned to suit the preferences of the warrior clades who originally designed them. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . warships have more in common with intelligence satellites than they do with the battleships and carriers favored by Humanity, and are often distinguished by their characteristic fore-mounted rectenna dishes which pull triple-duty as weapons, sensors, and signaling equipment. Consequentially, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . warships are exceedingly specialized for signal-oriented and electronic warfare paradigms and are noted for being difficult to effectively precisely locate or target, as well as for their expansive capabilities to cripple the functionality of other ships and to interfere with target systems at extreme ranges.

The .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . have broken little ground into the foray of weapons of mass destructive. Knowledge of such instruments of war are relegated to only a comparatively small handful of individuals who have dismissed them as either meaningless or have failed to grasp the full ramifications of such weapons. As such, the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . possess no nuclear weapons, nor any significant explosive ordinance with a yield of more than five megatons. The only weapon of mass destruction the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . possess was developed by accident and is rarely employed as such in the form of the hallmark .- ... - .-. .- .-.. / .-.. .- -. -.-. . array. The array, derived from Human particle accelerator and signal technology, is restricted to a limited number of flagships and is mounted within the rectenna dish. It is typically employed for FTL signaling, scanning, and communications purposes. When sufficiently pressed, it may also be used as a weapon, capable of generating a high-energy FTL wavefront that aggregates charged particles in a 'crown' of supercharged plasma that then begins to undergo a stellar fusion reaction that grows in size and power the further its containment beam travels until impact. The weapon is limited in range by sensor accuracy and beam diffusion to approximately 12 AU, beyond which the containment beam either fails, terminating the FTL wavefront or else deviates too significantly to reliable hit its target. The upper threshold of damage the .- ... - .-. .- .-.. / .-.. .- -. -.-. . is capable of inflicting cannot be understated, perhaps being limited only by the mercy of weapons control and their decision to deliberately restrain the upper boundaries of the FTL wavefront.

Military Overview

The .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . possess a disorganized armada of under two-hundred vessels, operated in turn by the separate factions of the -.. .-. --- ...- .. -. --. warrior clades, the ... -.-. .. --- -. ... / --- ..-. / - .... . / -- .- -.-. ..- .-.. .- - . religious sect, the ...- . .-.. .-.. . .. - -.-- religious cult, and a smattering of privately operated vessels. On average, .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . ships are smaller than the nearest Human equivalent, with few vessels amongst their number actually possessing offensive weaponry. There are no standardized ship templates amongst the .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . fleets, nearly all of them being different sizes with different hull configurations, crew complements, technical specifications and roles.

The most common shared feature of .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . ships is that they resemble oddly roughshod communications satellites, possessing large and prominent fore-mounted signal rectenna that usually comprise upwards of 30% of each craft's entire mass. These dishes typically possess signaling, communication, sensor, weapons, and even shielding functionality all in one, making them powerful and versatile. The obvious drawback is that these fore-mounted dishes are often the most frequently and easily damaged segment of each vessel, and when destroyed completely cripple each craft. .- .-.. .-.. .. -. . .- - . militia vessels are most dangerous when confronted head-on or within the expansive cone of their fore-mounted rectenna, but they are typically defenseless from all other angles.

Space ventures and craft in the Iugulum system have developed mainly in accordance with the agendas of the particular groups who have designed them. The -.. .-. --- ...- .. -. --. warrior clades possess a large number of warrior transports that also serve as space and atmosphere capable close-support gunships or artillery for the purposes of enforcing the will of the other factions, aggressive peacekeeping, or simply fighting for its own sake. The ... -.-. .. --- -. ... / --- ..-. / - .... . / -- .- -.-. ..- .-.. .- - . possess a smaller but still sizable fleet of comparatively massive and elegantly designed vessels with sophisticated analysis and communications systems used to aggressively hijack remote communications systems for the purposes of proselytizing. The ...- . .-.. .-.. . .. - -.-- possess the smallest fleet of organized vessels, which mainly consists of single-crew ships with a design emphasis on destructive weapons capabilities and suicide tactics. Finally, a sizable number of independently operated craft exist with no governing design principles, where in some cases even the standard fore-mounted rectenna dish may be entirely absent.