A Sci-fi Adventure and Politics RP Brainstrom

All that sounds fine except for the immortal part. I believe I had to ax that with someone else earlier for a variety of reasons.

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim

Aw.

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground

Well, biologically immortal could also mean that they do not die of old age. Diseases, organ failure and other external sources could kill them

This.

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground

Alright, I'll see the whole sign-up before I make make a decision regarding that aspect.

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim

THE CÁRHÉΔAQYO

The Cárhéδaqyo people are a race of avian pseudo-humanoids living on the planet Cyarheso in the Korro system. Cyarheso was the site of several major installations of a dead super-advanced race, and the technology left behind has shaped every aspect of the Cárhéδaqyo society. New players on the Galactic stage, the Cárhéδaqyo have only recently achieved FTL travel and seek to explore the new expanses beyond the edge of their home system.

PHYSIOLOGY

The Cárhéδaqyo resemble humanoids roughly five feet (1.5m) tall covered in feathers. Humanoid avians, they have very light, hollow bones, and longer than normal limbs. Their legs are divided into three segments, canting forward to the knee, backwards to the ankle, and forward to the foot. Their four toes are arranged in a pamprodactyl configuration; their footprint is normally X-shaped, but the two reversed toes can swing forward. Their arms are humanoid to the hands, where they have eight digits. The thumb and first three fingers are claw-like for grasping, with the next four fingers being supports for the primary flight feathers. The average Cárhéδaqyo wingspan is between eight and nine feet (2.5m). The wing-digits with their attached feathers can be folded against the back of the arm; folding the wing out of the way (The primary feathers thus stored reach back up to the shoulder).

Their heads are mostly humanoid except elongated, and with a beak. Males have a larger, broader, more hooked beak, while females have a narrower and less-hooked beak, but with a prominent ridge running down the middle from the tip of the upper beak to the forehead. Both genders have a protruding chest where the breastbone is, the breastbone protruding further forward on females where males have broader chests in general. Both genders have crest of feathers jutting from the back of their head down to the base of the skull. Feather coloration is usually black or a very dark shade of any color. The only bright markings are a band of color around the primary feathers, the specific color depending on lineage.

Cárhéδaqyo are very agile, their light skeletons and avian anatomy lending towards very quick movements and excellent endurance, though generally lacking in strength. Males tend to be stronger where females last longer and are more powerful fliers.

HISTORY

Cyarheso was once the site of several bases of a dead civilization. This civilization had problems with some of the planet’s megafauna, creating large mechanical vehicles of different forms to keep them away from their installations. The advanced culture had many fantastical technologies, allowing their massive machines dexterity and agility known only to far smaller organic creatures. The machines could regenerate on their own, and adapt to their environments and missions. They could teleport their immense bulk hundreds of miles with little effort, and a power supply that literally never extinguishes.

The aliens took a fondness to the emergent native race, and instructed their creations to extend their protection to them as they evolved to sentience. The extremely advanced technology ensured the installations and machines stayed operational long after they had been abandoned, and the Cárhéδaqyo matured in the shadows of these titans. Revered as gods, protecting the people while seemingly not even considering their presence, the same two-dozen machines protected the entire race for millennia.

Eventually the priests of the Cárhéδaqyo gained access to the old installations, now seen as great temples, and the shattered fragments of AI left in the systems did their best to accommodate those designated to inherit the world from its long-gone masters. For thousands of years more the Cárhéδaqyo consulted their oracles in the ancient temples for insight and direction regarding their place in the galaxy, destined to leave their holy home for even more divine locations amongst the stars, tracing the steps of their cultural parents, shaping their rudimentary society for the eventual goal of meeting their god’s creators face-to-face. Their own technological progress towards this goal was different than the technology used by the original race, but they took cues and ideas from them, their own far more primitive tech becoming something of an imitation of those that occupied their planet before. Eventually, when they made it to the stars, they discovered ancient bases and stations scattered throughout their system. Slowly occupying each one, they reactivated long-dormant systems and began the process of filling the void in their system left behind so many millennia before. They now look to other stars, for the next planets their star charts say was the home of their gods’ masters, and seek to expand. First they must learn of the many other people living in the space around them, to ascertain if they will need divine protection, or even force, to secure their destinies.

GOVERNMENT

The Cárhéδaqyo are ruled by a meritocratic theocracy, where those who prove themselves able to interpret, handle, and to a limited extent understand the technology left behind before are inducted into the overarching religion dedicated to worshipping and maintaining the machines that watched over the Cárhéδaqyo during their dawning sentience. Closely linked to the governing religion is the scientific assemblies that seek to emulate the technology demonstrated, while developing their own to aid the race in their ultimate goals. The Arrkízor, highest priest of the order, is also the leader of the Cárhéδaqyo people. The race is then divided into twenty-four clans, each worshipping one of the machines that guard each major geographical area their civilization extends to.

Beyond the aegis of the titans lie the Wild Lands, the remaining area of their mega-continent. No law exists in these areas, though a fair number of Cárhéδaqyo call it home. This anarchy is not something the Cárhéδaqyo feel they need to control; those who choose to live outside the protection of the gods can do so if they wish, but they do not benefit from those who work in the gods’ shadows and for the service of the gods’ masters; they are not seen as sharing the same destiny the Cárhéδaqyo people as a whole do and are sometimes referred to as Cyarzyegí, or ‘Homekeepers’, as if their destiny is not to follow the main group of Cárhéδaqyo to the stars they will be the keepers of the homeworld in the rest of the Cárhéδaqyo’s absence. Despite this cultural and religious divide, there is no animosity between either segments of the population, and there is a large amount of Cárhéδaqyo moving between the two halves of society constantly. Since the nation directed by the primary religion, guided by the advanced technology inside the remains of the ancient facilities, are by far the nexus of all advancement in the Cárhéδaqyo civilization, most of the brightest minds even in the Wild Lands are inevitably drawn to its fold. Forever intellectually impoverished in such a manner, the denizens of the Wild Lands exist mostly as traders and extracting natural resources, to trade for commodities with the Civilization proper.

The clans are where the majority of governmental authority lies, each led by an Arrkor. Those lucky enough to have a major installation within their loose geographic boundaries become sites of culture and technology, where those that don’t typically control larger tracts of land more rich in resources. These become economic and population centers, duty-bound to support the religious orders on their various tasks to prepare the race for their destiny. Each clan has a different task assigned to it, whether it is procurement of material, harvesting foodstuffs for the race, constructing and maintaining the different structures and devices the race needs, or developing new technology. Outside this framework of ordained roles, each Clan has their own culture and even currency, though they are not different enough to consider them politically distinct nations. At this level, the Cárhéδaqyo civilization is best described as a tight-knit confederation unified by a central religiously-derived scientific authority.

MILITARY

The Cárhéδaqyo military is minimal, knowing no real threat on their homeworld and always having been protected by the advanced technology tasked with keeping them safe. What military they have is comprised of two distinct sections: The Zíteketo are tasked with manning the defense installations left behind the Cárhéδaqyo have managed to gain access to, where the Zágyàrr are an elite shock force trained in the use of Cárhéδaqyo technology purposed for combat, trained against the very same monsters their gods protect the people from. A Zágyàrr is not just a soldier, they are also tasked as scouts for dangerous or foreign territory, and as escorts and bodyguards for important individuals. They would be the equivalent to elite special-forces in other nations. The Cárhéδaqyo lack conventional military of any kind, but the number of Zágyàrr far exceed their analogues in any other civilization. Even their interstellar navy is only just now forming.

By far the most common piece of equipment used by the Zágyàrr are the Kóγyukace battlesuits. These are structured like their mechanical gods but in miniature, roughly two and a half meters tall. They are capable of traveling through any terrain or medium, from mountains to the sea to space. Carrying only a couple weapons, all energy-based, they are powered by facsimiles of the power generation units in the ancient technology around them, giving extremely long life at any level of usage. A Zágyàrr is never without their suit unless absolutely necessary, and each one customizes the suit in a number of different ways aesthetic or functional until they are comfortable with it. Most suits are marked by a very contoured, streamlined appearance for a military weapon (except for the large mobility pack on the back and the modular weapon points on each arm), and usually heavily decorated.

INFRASTRUCTURE

A significant portion of modern Cárhéδaqyo infrastructure is somehow linked into the relics left before them. Ancient facility powerplants fuel entire Cárhéδaqyo cities leeching off their electrical systems. The oldest mineral extraction sites were built on the remains of mines already in-place. Food and residential infrastructure are the most original of the Cárhéδaqyo, and as omnivorous flight-capable avians, these problems have easy solutions. Cárhéδaqyo cities sprawl up, not out, leaving wide expanses of empty land between each population center, where each city is a massive network of sky-bridges, platforms, and towers merging together and splitting apart. Some races see architecture as a distinct work of art, where Cárhéδaqyo see a single architectural achievement as a building block upon which to create more. This approach to construction combined with the different ancient sites near which they build lead cities to be very distinct from each other

CULTURE

The Cárhéδaqyo culture is based heavily on the religion based around the abandoned technology surrounding them. Technological achievement is given a religious reverence, and intelligent autonomous machines are held on equal footing with sentient beings. All achievement in Cárhéδaqyo society is aimed at helping the race achieve their self-assigned destinies of meeting those who left behind the devices on their planet that helped them evolve and mature as sentient beings. Mechanical automatons fill many different roles in the culture, from pets to manufacturing roles to scientific assistants. The Cárhéδaqyo have not yet developed true AI, but have built sophisticated computer systems that are treated with a reverence and respect that not many other races would demonstrate. The rest of their society is still very tribal, the Clans operating as the lowest possible geopolitical division, for under them are loosely-bound familial groups usually called Houses, after which is simply the nuclear family. Houses occupying forested terrain, from which the Cárhéδaqyo originally evolved, might even trace ‘modern’ activities back to their hunter-gatherer roots.

The Cárhéδaqyo are a very superstitious race despite their reverence for products of science. Sufficiently advanced technology they encounter outside that left by those once present on their world might be treated as either divine or demonic depending on the outlook of the Clan from which the individual came from. Chance and coincidence don’t exist, merely being signs of deep and intricate patterns hidden from view, just as the technology they once thought impossible to understand was merely far advanced beyond their learning. Most Cárhéδaqyo are deeply curious about the true nature of things, asking many questions and being sidetracked by flights of fancy rooted in a desire to discover. Usually they are inordinately attracted to objects that appear to be out-of-place, most trying to find out why that should be.

TERRITORY

The Cárhéδaqyo only occupy one star system, with a major population presence on their homeworld. They’ve occupied each installation within the system that was placed there before them, but have only added a couple more. They are only now sending Zágyàrr out to feel out the space around them.

edited 12th Apr '14 11:50:45 PM by SOCR

How can you be in two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?

Accepted.

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim

This is still in the sign-up phase, right? It hasn't started yet? Because I think I'd like to join!

Not entirely dead.

It has already started, but I think we're still accepting applications.

You are reading this.

By the way, any stance on "powers" like Mass Effect 's Biotics?

Not entirely dead.

I'm not too thrilled with powers be they psychic, magic, tech-based or otherwise. Something of a limited scope that doesn't seem game-breaking I will consider though.

edited 16th Apr '14 9:19:27 PM by Parable

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim

Alright, just checking. I'm definitely interested, by the way. I'll hopefully be done my civilization's description some time soon.

Not entirely dead.

Looking forward to it!

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim

Finally finished!

• Name: The Interstellar Empire of Izera

• Appearance: Although Izera, as a nation, has a fairly cosmopolitan population, with several species from across the galaxy being visible minorities – with humans being the largest minority - native to the empire’s home-world, Akanda, are the Theran, a species of humanoid alien. Theran are classified as “reptomammals,” due to the fact that they share traits with both reptiles and mammals. They have grey skin and highly flexible, dexterous tails that are segmented and usually a shade of bronze. Theran have lizard-like eyes but also have hair on their heads and faces (with very little, if any, elsewhere).

History: Long ago, when the native Theran were still in the Stone Age, some humans of unknown origin decided to try and colonize the planet. Most of the records from Izera’s past were lost to various conflicts and circumstances, or else never existed in the first place, but somehow or other the natives came to possess and understand the human colonists’ advanced technology. As the Theran advanced rapidly, the human colony stagnated as, for reasons now lost to history, they received no aid from off-world.

As the natives discovered industrialization, multiple wars broke out over territory and resources, eventually escalating into one enormous global conflict, one which only ended after a particular faction conquered most of the planet, including the human colony, and wiped out the other factions. This one faction eventually founded a world-wide nation, uniting all Therans under a single, idealistic democratic government. Sadly, the residual tension from the war was still strong, even after several generations, and the fledgling democracy was plagued by sabotage and civil unrest. None of the would-be factions ever gained an advantage over the dominant one, however. Instead, they had merely doomed the young nation to a slow death, rotting away from the inside out due to corruption and rampant crime.

The slow death of Akanda’s first one-world government caused poverty and income disparity to explode, leading to a small class of wealthy elites that controlled everything and viciously exploited just about everyone else, all while vocally insisting that there was still democracy. Interestingly, it was during this period that the Therans achieved advanced space-flight, as well as numerous other technological advances, though they lacked the infrastructure or political will to mass produce any of it. Several off-world resource extraction-based colonies, eventually joined by a few colonies in near-by star systems, were set up; all while a new and subversive religion began to take root on the home-world.

Eventually, this gutted democracy, doomed practically from the start, came to an end. Inspired by the rebellious attitude of the new religion’s faithful, as well as revolutionary ideas from ancient human ideologies, one man – Nijar Szera - planted the seeds of revolt in the minds of the common people. Eager to overthrow their oppressors, exploited workers forged an alliance of convenience with the persecuted members of the new religion, and eventually teamed up with disgruntled military officers as well. Once that occurred, the old order stood no chance. The revolutionaries staged a bloody coup, promising to “throw off the shackles” of the previous regime and establish a “strong government” that would “rule for the common people.”

Together, leaders from the three groups – workers, a religious minority and military defectors – formed a kind of informal dictatorship, casting off all notions of “democracy,” which had since become associated with oppression. Nijar was placed at the head of this government, and with his allies, wasted no time in reforming the nation, seizing vast amounts of privately-held wealth and redistributing it according to his egalitarian ideas. Though, records show he also made sure a good amount of that redistributed wealth found its way to his allies, enacting a state religion before their new state even had a name, and ensuring that the new military was amply supplied.

Near the end of his life, Nijar began consolidating more of the government’s power within himself and his position, before handing his rank down to his son, a move that many of his fellow autocrats mimicked. Within fifty (standard) years, the Szera line had been declared royal, and before the turn of the century, the emperor was the only person who held absolute power over the nation. Izera was formally founded shortly after, solidifying the transition from a group of autocrats to an absolute monarchy. The descendants of Nijar’s collaborators, far from being booted from power, were appointed as governors of Izera’s colonies.

That was a few centuries ago. Since then, Izera has changed significantly. By the third generation of the Szera line, the nation’s rulers were much less ideologically polarized, and adopted considerably more moderate positions on wealth redistribution and whatnot. This trend of assuming more centrist positions continues into the current regime. Perhaps more significantly, Izera has long since shed its impoverished past and emerged into the galaxy as a veritable political powerhouse…

Government: Izera is an absolute monarchy, currently under Empress Tanis Szera. While she has no desire to radically change the status quo in any way, she is the first Izeran empress to allow for mayoral elections, and has also created a position on the Royal Advisory Board that is to be filled by a democratically elected, and sufficiently qualified, citizen. Both positions are life-long appointments, however, and the advisor must also be approved by the empress.

The trend among Izera’s royals of taking a “middle-of-the-road” approach to economics continues with Tanis, though she is less shy about occasionally invoking echoes of Nijar’s ideas than many of her predecessors.

Although not averse to trade and diplomacy, Izeran governments tend to be very cautious about who, among the other prominent nations of the galaxy, they are willing to trust, and very conservative about just how much trust they are willing to give. Izera values self-sufficiency, and so rarely decides to trade in anything that might create dependency. It also guards the details of its technology jealously, and keeps careful tabs on civilizations it believes might be more advanced in some area or another.

While technically a secular government, the Izeran monarchy is very close to its state religion. The emperor or empress serves as a figurehead within the religious hierarchy, and the religious leader serves on the Advisory Board.

Military: The military is of tremendous importance to Izera; all citizens are expected to have served at some point or other. There is no mandatory service, but most citizens believe that even a minimal term of service is an enormous boon to one’s career prospects. And more broadly, military service is widely believed to “build character” like nothing else can.

The Royal Izeran Armed Forces is a robust, well-funded and technologically advanced fighting force. Although recent governments have put more of an emphasis on space-based forces over other sectors, the overall preparedness of the nation’s military has not suffered to any particularly noticeable extent.

The Space Force’s large, powerful, well-armoured battleships serve as the backbone of the fleet and also serve as the space equivalent to aircraft carriers. Cruisers, a “jack of all trades” kind of ship, fill in the gaps alongside the S.F.’s rare few dreadnaughts, which are quite enormous and are as much of a psychological weapon as they are a conventional fighting ship. Izera’s space forces use plasma-based weapons almost exclusively.

Infrastructure: Most of Izera’s major cities require thinking on a three-dimensional level, as they tend to be designed around the notion that “upwards” is better than “outwards.” In the largest cities, enormous skyscrapers skim the bottom of their planet’s stratosphere, and their main entrances are often hundreds of feet above sea-level. Thus, citizens had to become comfortable with regularly changing altitudes by fairly drastic amounts for simple daily commutes. A complex web of mid-air plazas, elevators and bridges connect buildings for pedestrian traffic, and personal vehicles are all capable of free, in-atmosphere flight. These vehicles are all managed by sophisticated traffic A.I’s., and not actually driven by Izeran citizens, due to the increased risks posed by mid-air traffic accidents. For those without personal vehicles, and without the money for regular taxis, public transport does exist; a rough equivalent to a monorail system spans all major cities. This city design tends to leave the lower levels of Izeran cities in near-perpetual darkness, making them incredibly unattractive places for citizens and commercial entities alike. These levels are sparsely inhabited, and often thought of as a hotspot for grey-market dealings and other not-quite-legal activities.

Education in Izera happens quickly. Young children receive a microscopic brain implant within the first few months of their life, and at roughly 6 Standard Years they are hooked up to a brain-computer interface and receive about a month’s worth of textbook material in a matter of minutes. The system isn’t perfect, though; for the newly learned knowledge to take hold in students’ minds, they must practice using the newly-learned information regularly, and for several consecutive weeks. Even so, the system leaves children with a great deal more free time than more traditional means of education, and so they are usually left at state-funded daycares or religious temples to be babysat. Here they are introduced to and taught art (and possibly philosophy) in ways that an interface couldn’t easily replace. This style of education, the brain-computer interface, extends to older students as well, up to and including the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree. After that, education is done through more traditional means. Older students are, of course, free to do as they please after “school,” and some parents choose to leave their young children at home after a session, usually because they have a babysitter arranged or because they own a robot capable of caring for little children.

Law enforcement is almost as important to Izeran society as the military, and is quite pervasive as a result. Enforcement personnel are greatly respected, and they are given a great deal of leeway as a result, along with excellent equipment. Officers of the law, from patrolling policemen to federal agents, can apply for “quick warrants” whenever they feel they need to. When they do, an A.I. uses some of the equipment carried by the officer to gather as much information as it can and then instantaneously decides whether or not a warrant is deserved. Despite the prestige afforded to law enforcement, they receive no special immunity to the laws they are trusted with enforcing. They are allowed very little margin for error, and forgiveness is often hard to come by. Law enforcement is aided by an extensive closed-circuit monitoring system present in every city, as well as numerous drones.

Many citizens, especially those in law enforcement or the military, opt to have extra implants installed in various parts of their body in order to improve, sometimes dramatically, their reflexes, physical resilience, memory retention and etc.

Izera’s strongest industry is the manufacturing industry. More specifically, the manufacturing of high-technology items (usually consumer electronics) and materials (telecom equipment, semiconductors, etc.) is the largest source of revenue for the nation. Its weakest industry is its exportation of raw materials, with extraction companies having to grapple with environmental concerns when operating on inhabited planets.

Recent advances in nanotechnology are poised to revolutionize the Izeran economy - if not the nation as a whole - as newly-created nanomachines are capable of directly manipulating matter on the atomic scale, calling into question the necessity of more traditional methods of manufacturing things. The technology is not widespread, however, as it is still in the prototype stage.

Culture: Deeply ingrained into Theran culture, and harkening back to the Stone Age, is the notion that they must appear human while out in public. Once, this was done with face-paint, masks and wigs. Now it is done with advanced hologram technology. Being outside and in the company of strangers without such a disguise is seen as roughly equivalent to being in public while wearing nothing but underwear; embarrassing, frowned upon, but not necessarily illegal. In recent years, though, a growing social movement to cast off this this tradition has emerged and is quickly gaining popularity.

Arakism, the state religion, is named for its founder, Mila Arak, who helped found Izera alongside Nijar Szera. In her time, she was seen as a great prophetess, and although her influence has waned over the centuries, she remains a highly influential figure in contemporary Izera. Even so, the ideas she stood for, and indeed, the tenets of Arakism, have changed significantly since Izera’s founding. Once, when Arak was the leader of a small-but-growing cult, her followers were considered a highly subversive group. They presented ideas that ran contrary to almost everything the government of the time wanted people to believe, and actively encouraged others to trash voting stations and refuse to work. Instead, they preached a message of simple living, self-sufficiency and rebellion. Instead of selling their labour for money to buy things, early Arakists said that people should do as much as they can for themselves by themselves. What couldn’t be done by any one individual would be done by someone else, as they said that people should live in small, tightly-knit communities, wherein goods and services are exchanged freely and distributed in a way that ensured that everyone lived well enough. Early Arakists also claimed that the only truly legitimate ruler was the Goddess, and that any government that did not fully embrace the Goddess was, in fact, illegitimate and tyrannical.

As Mila Arak’s religion quickly grew, the ideas she had founded it upon became diluted just as quickly. By the time she met and led the revolution with Nijar Szera, Arakism had developed a number of distinct branches that were only united in a handful of fundamental concepts and their veneration of her as their prophetess. When the revolution was over and her religion was made the state religion, Mila felt that unity was absolutely necessary for the fledgling nation to succeed, and began a fairly radical overhaul of Arakism’s guiding philosophy. She downplayed any notion of rebellion dramatically and softened her definition of what the proper lifestyle should be. She tried to appeal to as many people as possible, so as to increase her following - and by extension, the stability of the nation - but also called out leaders of the distinct branches, saying that they were leading people astray and should reunite under her leadership. Reunification was a long and arduous process, one that was still a pressing issue when Mila eventually died of old age.

Mila’s successors were more pliable than she was, and although they swore to uphold the key tenets that she had preached, they were soon espousing very moderate positions and giving in to pressure from the government. Modern Arakism still emphasizes self-sufficiency and devotion to the Goddess, but the idea of living “simply” has all but faded from view. Any idea of rebellion or rebellious, anti-authority behaviour has been quashed almost completely, and indeed, has been largely replaced by the idea that followers are duty-bound to obey a pious, Arakist government. In a general sense, many of Arakism’s ideas tend promote a communitarian outlook. Primary practices include meditation, which also serves as a form of prayer or worship, maintaining a small, private garden, and keeping at least some basic level skill in Kashi, which is a Theran martial art. In recent years, Arakism has embraced several new concepts, including ethical consumerism, environmental conservation and cosmopolitanism.

Kashi is practised in temples across the nation, though most people are taught through slow movements and with an emphasis on its benefits as a spiritual endeavour and as exercise. Nevertheless, it is also taught as an effective fighting style for those who would seek out such lessons, and variants of it are taught to law enforcement and military personnel.

All form of Kashi teach swordplay, to some extent or another, and the importance of swords has spread into secular aspects of Izeran culture. Many religious citizens carry around metre-long blades that can retract and collapse into hilts that are usually around eight inches long. Most are not sharpened, however, and are treated as decoration, accessories or symbols. Although the prevalence of guns has rendered melee combat largely irrelevant, among Izeran VIP’s there are sharpened swords made of extremely strong and durable materials. Occasionally, these weapons are also outfitted with internal channels through which, with the aid of precise electromagnets, a small amount of plasma is conducted, superheating the blade. These are considered status symbols more than anything else, though they are still fully-functional weapons.

Arakism is, by an overwhelming margin, the dominant religion among Izerans. This is at least partially because other religions’ conversion efforts are restricted, and indeed, they are not allowed to practise openly or in public. Other religions are not forbidden, however, and citizens may practise whatever religion they wish within the privacy of their own homes.

• Territory: Izera’s territory consists of about seven star systems with one major colony in each. All systems are patrolled regularly by Izera’s Space Force.
  • The Din system contains the Izeran home-world, Akanda, as well as several military bases, lesser civilian colonies and some mining colonies. Akanda is the second most densely populated planet in Izera.
  • The Kal system contains Izera’s largest military base, Tauri, and a handful of prison colonies. The system is tightly guarded, with a number of fleets, smaller bases and defensive installations securing the area. It closed to the public.
  • The Mila system contains Elas, which is sparsely populated – relative to the other colonies – with only a few major cities and a generally rural feel to it. Its system has no other colonies in it, only a handful of defensive installations.
  • The Nijar system contains Remul, a large civilian colony renowned for excellent scenery, pleasant weather and prestigious universities. Remul’s planetary government invests heavily in science, and so has a number of research outposts dotting the other planets in its system. These are joined by a handful of defense installations and military bases.
  • The Iros system contains Tharr, which is an enormous, planet-wide city – an ecumenopolis. Tharr has become the financial and industrial heart of Izera, and is the most densely populated of all Izera’s colonies. Most of the other planets in Tharr’s system have extensive mining operations on them, though a few were reserved for defensive installations.
  • The Kuo system is listed as a W.M.D. testing ground, and is closed to the public. It contains no colonies or structures, but its planets are each surrounded by an orbital minefield. (Secretly, the system contains planet Xeo, which has been converted into an enormous fortress-world.)
  • The Eevar system was claimed fairly recently, relative to the other colonies, and has no permanent population. It was discovered to be rich in rare minerals and metals, and the Izeran government has begun extensive mining operations as a result. It has no defensive installations or military bases, but a small fleet is stationed there until some can be erected.

edited 21st Apr '14 6:48:22 PM by Blackfire667

Not entirely dead.

First of all, high five for a female ruler! We should totally start a Space!Petticoat League.

A few things to consider, self-sufficiency is swell and all but I strongly encourage you to have Izera be more open with other nations. It helps with the political end of the game as well as the adventure half down the road. We already have a recluse nation and one or two more planned, we really don't need another. Most of the other players have questionnaires in the Discussion thread that serve to help everyone understand their nations foreign outlook and build relationships.

Another thing I noticed was that at he beginning you mention several species living in the empire. You explained the humans but the others were never mentioned. What are they supposed to be?

And while I don't think it is your intention anyway, I need to get this out for everyone; fort worlds cannot leave their orbit.

Everything else looks good to me. We'll see about approval once these things have been addressed. If anyone else has questions or comments, go ahead and discuss them here.

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim

I'm sure Tanis would love a Petticoat League. lol

As for the self-sufficiency, I was thinking that, while they do value self-sufficiency, they haven't actually achieved it yet - at least not on a national level - and therefore still need to trade for things. Specifically, since their raw resource-extraction industry is weak, they'd rely on others for that. Izera has a bunch of mining operations going, but other raw materials, especially ones whose extraction that might pollute or otherwise damage inhabited planets, would be hard to come by, domestically.

Link to the questionnaire, please?

RE the other species: Izera doesn't have closed borders, so individuals from other nations can immigrate into Izera should they choose to do so. Not everyone will be accepted, obviously, and those who are would be expected to assimilate, but I imagined that there would be some little minority communities within the empire.

And yeah, I wasn't planning on having a mobile fort-planet zipping around the galaxy.

Not entirely dead.

Okay, we're all good then! Welcome to the Galaxy, Izera.

Here is the first relevant questionare.

Also, do you have Skype? PM me your info if you do. All the others are on it right now. It's why our Discussion thread hardly gets any use. >_>

edited 21st Apr '14 9:56:10 PM by Parable

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim

Great!

So, what's going on with the plot, currently? Where should my characters start out? Link to the character sheet, please?

Also, do I have to answer everyone's questions? Because that's a lot of questions!

And while I do have Skype, I'm basically never online... These forums are a bit more convenient for me... I'll send you my info if you really think it'll help, though.

Not entirely dead.

Currently the political group, the Galactic Nations, is meeting at their headquarters in a space colony around Earth called Tranquility. They were debating whether or not to initiate First Contact with a non-space capable intelligent species, but have take a break for the rest of the day. These characters are free to pursue their own purposes for now. You can just say you arrived late.

The adventurers are the crew of the Caroline, which has just escaped from an attack by terrorists around Titania. You'll have to hold off joining them for a while.

Here is the character sheet.

And you don't have to answer all the questions, but it's just to help you get a sense of what other nations are like. You can make one of your own to help others understand your guys better too.

Send me your info. Even being on for a bit will help.

Also, Here is a timeline of galactic events to help you detail when things happened in relation to the rest of the galaxy.

And here is a map◊ of the galaxy.

edited 22nd Apr '14 1:28:38 PM by Parable

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim

Sorry I put this off for so long. I've been ill, you see. I'm still sick, but I managed to write this anyway. My Adventure character will probably be written when I'm actually able to join that part.

---

• Name: Ambassador Mnhiri Alaura
• Age: 32 (Izera uses the Terran calender)
• Sex: Female
• Appearance: Medium-length brown hair, barely touching her shoulders, with short bangs. Her skin is naturally dark grey, but like most Theran, she looks human while in public. Light-brown skin, while in human form. Blue eyes. Reasonably athletic and of average height. Wears a terribly sensible slate-grey skirt-suit with dress shoes.

• History: Mnhiri was adopted and raised by a human family at a very young age, though the couple divorced not long after. Thus, she was raised by her single, human father. He made very little money, and indeed, Mnhiri spent much of her childhood on welfare. Izera's social safety net is robust, but the experience stayed with her, and she resented having to life such a bare-bones life.

Instead of pursuing a normal university degree, Mnhiri enrolled in a military academy. After attaining her degree, she spent several years as an officer in the Space Force, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander, before eventually cutting her promising military career short in order to pursue other things. Specifically, Mnhiri went on to become a lawyer, and soon found herself working as a prosecutor for the government. She gained a reputation among her colleagues as a fierce individual with a penchant for nailing down her cases, and was, after a quick evaluation, offered a prestigious new job as a diplomat.

Mnhiri can sometimes be abrasive and almost never shies away from conflict (of the verbal variety, at least), but prides herself on professional behaviour. She is a strong advocate for Izera's interests, but knows when a compromise might be needed. While she is enthusiastic and a quick learner, but she is also somewhat new at her job.

• Credentials:
  • Lt. Cmdr.; Izeran Space Force (8 years)
  • B.A. in Fine Arts
  • Law degree
  • Crown Prosecutor; Izeran Judiciary Dept. (5 years)
  • B.A. in International Relations Theory, with credits in Political Economy
  • Ambassador to the G.N. (the past 3-ish years)

Not entirely dead.

Acceptable. Welcome to the galaxy.

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim

Name: Fromathan Empire

Appearance: Bi-pedial, 4 fingered hands, Mouth protected by large mandible, 6'4 Normal height, 3 toe feet,

History: They originated from the moon, Fromatha, which orbits the planet Erona, the species stayed dormant on the surface, however eventually began to develop several forms of weaponry, similar to the first forms of humanity, though eventually (and much earlier than humans). Fromathans traveled to the neighboring body and eventually began establishing government (even though the Eronans didn't enjoy the land being taken, but were still overpowered by the higher sapience of their neighboring species) and began to reach farther into space, though sadly, through a rather ironic twist, Fromatha was destroyed when the large star (Hijenas) released a large burst off energy from its core and destroyed most small bodies within the small system, however more larger bodies such as Erona survived the catyclysm and claimed all other planets of system, such as Beradas, Sedarsa, Umbaliaas

Government: The Fromathan Empire runs on a dictatorship run by the current ruler "De'shara Gevallas" and gives most of its citizens and planets what they need in order to keep a prospering Empire, however if any planet is to revolt, the officials will use a large machine which orbits Hijenas to block out a portion of the sun which causes catastrophic results to the offending planet if needed.

Military: Most of its weaponry are based off of Genetic identification and Cerebral Information, which means that all of its weapons can be accessed by its own species, most is based off of laser and electronic weaponry and robotics.

Infrastructure: The Fromathan Empire seems to be a relatively well knit nation (this may be due to the fact of the iron rule and Solar Blockage methods that the government seems to use to keep all planets in check)

Culture: All Fromathans come from a single Fromathan and respect the original to be its leader, like a clan system, Fromathans worship Hija, a god believed to have been the original "egg bearer" and even celebrate the day when Fromatha was destroyed as a belief that Hija purged the moon in order to bring balance between both Eronans and Fromathans and begin the new Empire.

Territory: All of the Hijan System

(Erona, Beradas, Serdasa and Umbaliaas )

edited 2nd May '14 9:13:25 PM by Mr.Bigg

"That's what" ~She

@Mr. Bigg: So uh...

What do they look like?

edited 2nd May '14 8:09:33 PM by FirockFinion

You are reading this.

Mr. Bigg, much of your sign-up seems brief and vague. And I'm pretty sure all of the sections were filled out by one long run-on sentence.

"What a century this week has been." - Seung Min Kim

As per what I agreed with Parabable, here's what I have so far:

• Name: The Followers of Jomar, or Jomari. Derogatorily they're referred to as Aliens.
• History: The Jomari's ancestors came from another galaxy. Thousands of years ago, their galaxy burned due to a weapon of mass destruction Gone Horribly Right. Having but years before their homeworld burned, they pooled all of their resources into constructing asteroid-like worldships, under the leadership of a king called Jomar.
  They launched the ships at the nick of time, mere hours before their world burned. The Jomari travelled through the void between the galaxy with the aid of a large array left behind by an extinct race, most of them in suspended animation. They arrived at a part of the Milky Way that was populated by a race of fly-like humanoids, only a few years after discovering spaceflight.
  They never stood a chance. The Jomari, still organised for war and possessing superior technology, slaughtered every single one of them, then bioformed their worlds to suit their own needs.
  A long period of rebuilding followed, and the Jomari had little contact with anyone else, until a Sirian exploration vessel chanced upon their new homeworld. Relations, once established, remained persistently low-key, but served as a link to the Galactic Nations.
• Government: The Jomari are ruled by a council of elders, one from each colony ship. While elders usually get their seats in a hereditary way, it is possible to challenge them to single combat, with their seat at stake.
  The council decides on all issues, from the smallest to the most important; one of the reasons for the councillors' position being hereditary is that most people just don't want to deal with deciding. The current head councillor, Gahoole III, is a deft politician, having managed to prevent the more excitable councillors of foreign affairs and technology from doing overly risky things such as agitating their immediate neighbours.
• Military: The Jomari military did not advance much from its extragalactical roots. In some areas, it is deceptively primitive; artificial machines are nonexistent, for example.
  Its strengths lie in two areas. One is biological warfare; the Jomari are accomplished bioengineers and their army uses germ warfare both offensively and defensively. The second is bioweapons. Instead of tanks, they have giant, beetle-like creatures; instead of aircraft, vaguely dragon-like reptomammals; and instead of boats giant jellyfish.
• Infrastructure:

The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground