Roger that then, incoming... although since its kinda late here I'll post a WIP for now

• Name: Osnaria Hegemony
• Species: Osnaria's populace consists mostly out of the Rak-Girz, they are quadrupedal insectoids with a mantis-like appearance, the spikes on their forearms and 'hands' are a deadly natural weapon. Their wrists actually split into the traditional mantis like 'hand' and a clawlike hand that the Rak-Girz use as manipulator (although some count the former as a mere 4th digit). Their whole body is encased in a protective carapace, although warriors use additional armor made of special alloys made out of metal and the material their carapace is made of. They are about 2,50 meter ^Note That's about 8 feet and 2 inches tall. They can live to about 150 years give or take.
• History: Pact. The Rak-Girz at first were very hesitant to join the pact, as they didn't want to be involved in an offensive war which went against their nature. Although shortly after the League attacked their solar system alongside the Fernites. Although they were able to fend off the first attack in a battle known as the Slaughter in the Cauldron they knew they wouldn't be able to do this multiple times. As such they joined the pact, at its height supplying them with quite the amount of high quality body armor both for ground troops and boarding actions. As the Pact dissolved the Rak-Girz where amongst the first to leave it, after all they only joined in the first place to defend their territory.
• Government: The government is a mixture between a stratocracy and a monarchy. Each capital has one place in the Council of Generals, they will assign their highest military leader (usually the commander of the oldest local regiment) to it when there is a matter that would need attention, this council has the authority to vote the next king and new laws first need to pass through them. The members of the council are named Supreme Generals. While they will personally meet should a serious matter arise they for most of the time they leave an adjutant (usually named Sargent, regardless of rank) for less pressing matters, this position is considered to be quite the honor.
• Territory and Population: At the moment the Hegemony is still mostly on their home planet, although a few bases have been established in their home solar system and colonizing of the asteroid rings around the outermost planets has begun. All around they number about 12 billion, 10 of which are on their home planet.
• Military: The military doctrine is based on defense, building upon the nations vast knowledge of making superior armor. It is considered every soldiers utmost duty to protect civillians first and foremost, further strengthening the defensive doctrine. Rak-Girz spaceships are quite bulky and heafily armored. Compared to the average ship of their size they have much superior armor and somewhat above average weapons while having average agility, this comes at the price of dramatically reduced operational range compared to ships of similar size. That isn't too much of a concern though since the Rak-Girz fleet is not expected to operate outside their home star system and its immediate surroundings.
  • Current Ships:
    • OPSS Zar-Brak-To: Light Cruiser, Main Armament: 30x155mm Coil-Gun in 10 triple turrets in ABC XY placement on the 'top' and 'bottom' of the cruiser. 10 Torpedo Launchers. Hangarspace for one squadron fighter-bombers. Secondary Armament: 32x109mm Coil-Gun in 16 double turrets. Propulsion: 2 Zul-Prat Fusion Engines. Maximal acceleration: 2g
    • OPSS Zor-Tal-Prek: Destroyer Escort, Main Armament: 8x109mm Coil-Gun in 8 single turrets aligned in 2 'rings' on the ship, one at the bow one at the aft. 20 Torpedo Launchers. Secondary Armament: 16x67mm Coil-Gun in 8 double turrets, 16x39mm Coil-Gun in 4 quadrouple turrets. Propulsion: 2 Kar-Dak Fusion Engines. Maximal Acceleration: 3,5g
    • OPPS Zor-Xul-Plak: Destroyer Escort, see OPSS Zor-Tal-Prek
• Infrastructure: The day to day life is not all to exciting for most Rak-Girz. Most cities are build mostly with efficiency in mind, although that does not mean that there are no recreational facilities. At the moment most of the research goes into developing the first truly native built long range spacecrafts. Crime is either punished via Ga'Zrut (no real equivalent in Galactic Common, but it boils down to repay the victim in some form or another, that does not only include monetary payments though) for lesser crimes or serving in a penal legion. Most communication works over a form of worldwide network, not unlike the Internet of the Terrans. The Ga'Zrut have a rather good public transportation system, most of which is done by monorails where in most cases both passengers and cargo are transported in the same train if possible to heighten efficiency. Aside from the fortresses that house most of the populus there are special underground complexes for manufacturing, few factories are on the surface to ensure maximal safety. During its days in the Pact the Hegemony mostly manufactured body armor in exchange for the help with the construction of spaceships to colonize the rest of their system.
• Culture: Osnaria is a very proud nation, handiwork is valued quite a bit in there and the Hegemony rightfully takes pride in manufacturing superior armor. Most cities evolved into fortresses over the centuries. Most art is quite simple, some even would say crude. One particular art-style deviates from this though, Panonism is a very specific style in which a full 360° Panorama is compressed. Although despite their rather brutish looking exterior violence - while being prevalent - is not something Rak-Girz strive for, a tool like anything else. They mostly settle disputes by ritualistic fights, although those very rarely if ever result in death. Due to their rather defensive nature most buildings look like some sort of fortress no matter their actual purpose.
• Trivia: n/a

edited 2nd Jul '17 1:25:23 PM by Sergey_Smirnov

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"

That was fast. So far so good, mostly. I'd like to see some more elaboration on species, government, and culture. Also, for clarity's sake, that is 2 and half meters for their size, right?

I'd also like to see an approximate number for the population. And while your current territory is within the rules, you are going to be among the tiniest of player factions. It's up to you but you are certainly welcome to at least have the Hegonomy's home solar system be more colonized.

History and Infrastructure I know you'll fill out on your own. I would encourage you to talk to the other players here so that they could help you with the History section since it will naturally be shared among all of us.

Let us know if you have any questions or want to toss some ideas around!

edited 28th Jun '17 3:03:11 PM by Parable

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

Roger that, sorry, its after midnight here so my writing isn't the best atm, I'll correct that tomorrow ASAP.

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"

No hurry. We're not going anywhere. Take as long as you need.

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

How are the edits so far? Acceptable

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"

Yo, I'm just gonna drop a WIP in here for now, I got an idea here but also god damn this is exhausting.

• Name: The Shrikes
• Species: The Morcego are allegedly the native people of Escuridão; they are clearly rooted in batlike creatures but have adapted away from wings—now they just have stubby legs, large and powerful arms, and mouths full of sharp teeth like beartraps. They have furry torsos but naked heads and limbs, with fur ranging from black to a dull red and skin that goes across a wide variety of whites and grays. Lots of Shrikes are also human, but the Morcego outnumber them greatly.
• History: The Shrikes have a short history and possibly the smallest origins of all: originally, they were street gangers traceable back to a single planet: Escuridão, in the Casa Esplendorosa solar system, in the Novas Pessoas neighborhood. War broke out mere decades after Escuridão was settled and it quickly grew into a neon hive of industry feeding the Pact a steady dripfeed of electricity and metal. Enter the Shrikes, a gang of disaffected engineers and machinists who were finding themselves out of jobs the more and more the city developed. Better factories meant less need for maintenance and skilled labor, and even the dumb kids who didn't offer much more than a strong back were running out jobs because one kid could do the job of twelve now. Their skills went elsewhere, and took way the hell off. Kitbashed machine-pistols escalated quickly into tanks made by bolting twelve motorcycles together and grew further into truck cabs on legs packing custom-built mortars. It came to a crescendo when the Shrikes realized they had a full army bigger than the actual military basically ready to go once the Pact was supposed to take it down a notch or something (they weren't quite sure about the particulars here). There were the "East Lip Shrikes" that hung around the eastern side of Escuridão, or the "Upcurve Shrikes" that hung up on the border of habitable territory, but they were all Shrikes, ya dig, and that was powerful. The next time the remnant Pact ships came by for their tithes the Shrikes did what they used to do to their competition, before there were only Shrikes on Escuridão: they strung the bastards up on pikes. It wasn't exactly a revolt since there wasn't much to push against by that point and Escuridão was starting to get straight up depleted so they'd probably get dropped soon anyway, but in a single act of horrific violence the Shrikes stumbled ass-backwards into some kind of goddamn sovereign state that now had access to some colony ships and a lot of people suddenly feeling very claustrophobic. The expansion effort afterwards was essentially just turning mining stations into livable areas all throughout their home sector, staying defensive as hell and focusing on themselves for awhile. It was, if anything, business as usual for most people, the hideous coup going mostly unnoticed except for the letterheads changing and the people being a lot happier and better hydrated than normal.
• Government: Shrikes are anarcho-syndicalists; any workforce in the nation reports to a clerk that tabulates what they report needing, and the fruits of any given workers' labor gets tallied as well to be distributed to the people that need it. Laws are passed by representative votes from each workers' union and from there tabulated back on Escuridão. At the moment things are very laissez-faire, and original Shrike ideals of everyone doing their own thing under the banner of the Shrikes still holds true in many cases.
• Territory and Population:
  • Escuridão is the origin of the Shrikes and a very peculiar planet. It's rich in minerals, and it was a good stop to several intensive military campaigns the Pact launched into, so it became a sort of small lifeline to some battles. It got its name because the numerous planets, dust clouds, and asteroid belts flooding the system meant the planet barely got any sunlight—but again, the Pact craved those minerals. The planet was forcibly terraformed with artificial lichens that didn't need much light, and in place of solar or other clean power solutions the whole planet was nuclear-powered. The current population has definitely dropped since the revolt but the amount of commerce here is still enormous. They weren't exactly going to just stop using all the free Pact infrastructure there, so it is now primarily home to a lot of manufacture jobs. The population hovers around two billion most of the time.
  • Os Cumes is a small planet and its six moons which orbit one another tightly. They are all pitted, scarred, and torn, the result of numerous collisions millions of years ago, and their unstable crusts led to a great deal of volcanic activity for a time as well. This in turn led to that good good volcanic soil, turning these rocks into the Shrikes' unexpected breadbasket. Its population is barely at one billion, and sometimes even drops below that.
  • The numerous tiny mining stations turned into real towns all throughout the Casa Esplendorosa system are collectively called Ressurreições, and they can range in size from a couple thousand to millions of people. The density of the system means that people can "commute" to entire other planets to work from here, and so the Ressurreições are almost like an intrasolar suburb or something, with a population of two billion spread across numberless spacerocks.
  • Telas is the third planet the Shrikes have and its newest claim, a mountainous planet closer to the sun that looks a lot like the Badlands.◊ Lots of vast valleys with big mountains, creating 3 big industries: mining, livestock, and rocketships. Lots of space to launch ships, or raise cattle, and plenty of material to make the rockets. The loads and loads of mining gear also means that a majority of the Shrikes' military is actually on this planet, just not currently in service as such. Has a population of about 3 billion.
• Military: Shrike hardware is extremely versatile, and most of their infrastructure is about twenty-five minutes of refitting away from a serious militia. After all, their military was originally just a bunch of labor machines with guns strapped on the manipulators, and a lot of Shrike military gear has returned to that point now; they don't hold much of a standing army. What hardware they do have is adapted for the two kinds of planets they live on—mountains and cities. They primarily field "ambulatory tanks" by official designation and "mechs" by anyone with any fire in their heart, a broad category of weapons platforms walking on powerful and stable sets of legs. Their navy and spacy is very small for now, again primarily consisting of labor mechs with turrets on top, but the multi-limbed design is showing a remarkable amount of maneuverability in a zero-gravity environment where a limb flinging out to one side allows for precise pivots and spins as physics takes over. Shrike weapons are mostly high-grade laser weapons, because again repurposed construction weapons meant to shred mountains can now melt tanks from a hundred yards. Shrikes love a good explosion, but too many accidents with ricochets in the close quarters of tunnels, mountains, and cities make them leery of most kinetic weapons. The fear factor of a good melee weapon has led many CQB squads of Shrikes to start fielding melee weapons though, especially spears and pilebunkers. This same fear factor means a lot of Shrike military doctrine is... mean, at least. It depends on the squadron, but while Shrikes don't like directly destroying infrastructure they are great fans of desecrating their enemies. Stringing up the dead, defacing homes, and taking trophies are all fair game for them.
• Infrastructure: Shrike infrastructure is strong by merit of not needing to be worked on too much. Shrike mech technology means that their planets are easily traveresed in spite of rough terrain, and the many planets of Casa Esplenderosa come close so often that travel between those planets is just as easy. Communication between colonies aside from these commuters is almost nil, though. The density of Casa Esplenderosa means that communication with any planet aside from the ones dominating the sky at any given time is next to impossible, and Shrike culture has fostered an ultimate disinterest in it anyway—Shrikes care about them and theirs first, and assume that everyone else is fine, because of course they are, they're Shrikes. Law Enforcement is almost entirely local; the Shrikes have minimal federal law enforcement, and Shrike culture insists that people know what's best for them. The fact that labor units can double as fighting units so easily also means that even local law enforcement is pretty light, and in some places the justice system borders on vigilanteism. Scientific development is one of the few places the Shrikes stay connected on; the Shrikes started from an informal Engineers' Union and continue to have that structure in place to develop new technologies. Just not ones that might help smooth out those weaknesses, because the Union is ultimately still driven by Shrikes like everything else. The Pact used to provide a lot more direction, but technological development has fallen into a rut of just improving what the Shrikes already have right now.
• Culture: Shrikes are still very small right now, and you can trace almost everyone in the country back to someone born on Escuridão. While not all Shrikes are still urban, all Shrikes have the trappings of urbanity. They love neon and plastic and extremely bright lights; Shrikes see intensity and effort as a sign of respect for the other person, that your audience is smart and tough enough to take it. Shrikes are always trying to create things that are very complex and stressful to the senses. This is part of the reason they still field mechs—Shrikes believe you absolutely can quantify a feeling, and that something like a twenty foot tall walking tank strewn with trophies and battlescars proves it. It's a common turn of phrase to measure intensity of responses to fear or disgust in liters as a means of coyly joking about making someone puke. While Shrikes exhibit a great deal of aggression at the interpersonal level, most of them also think that they're in a sort of victory lap right now, and that having earned their liberty they have little reason to lean on many other people against them—clearly, everyone respects them anyway right now, because no other culture ever grew from like twelve dudes on a street corner with MAC-666's.

edited 1st Jul '17 11:20:32 AM by Taco

Hm, so only history is really lacking, so anyone be willing to have a history with me?

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"

I'd be willing to at least partially share a history. From what I've seen so far, your species is a heavily defensive insectoid species that used to work for the Pact. The Establishment of Fernes was a heavily aggressive species who worked for the League and enslaved an insectoid species. It's entirely possible they would have multiple clashes over time due to their contrast, and the Ornarians might take offense at a species similar to the Rak-Girz being held under slavery. It's also possible they knew each other before they were aligned with either factions, and they could share some technologies due to stealing from each other (I noticed we both use train-like public transport systems, for one). Just an offer; if you'd rather not, that's fine.

Heh, that actually sounds fine, I'd be willing to.

Edit: Also, what would you say is the average technology level here, like, are lasers common? Or only for Prototypes if at all, or do we have something better like Plasma already? What about targetted missiles?

edited 1st Jul '17 6:22:12 AM by Sergey_Smirnov

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"

I'd have to consult Parable for a full answer, but lasers are common (I think; I know Fernites specialize in lasers and hard-light weaponry). Plasma is also probably available, as are targeted missiles. Of course, I am nowhere near the authority on the subject, so...

Alright, I'm pretty sure I'm done now. Did I miss anything?

AFAIK weapons can get pretty exotic; the Njalryeth, Kellsarans, and Sirians use an electrical/particle cannon-type weapon for their starships, with the Njalryeth extending this use to ground combat.

1. With the body of a lion, paws that refreshes, a tail told by an idiot, and the head of a fox

So Gauss cannons should be alright, roger~ Then I'm mostly done I think, any more changes I should do?

edited 1st Jul '17 3:42:03 PM by Sergey_Smirnov

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"

Actually the njalryeth use various forms of sound-based weapons for ground combat, but otherwise Sere is correct. The weapons tech can get pretty exotic in this game.

The Danse Macabre Codex

Oh, interest. Got room for another?

So, I think I'm done by now, anything I should add?

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"

Is this still open?

“Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.” ― Frank Herbert, Chapterhouse: Dune

I'm pretty sure this is always open. Welcome, new guys.

Sergey and Taco are accepted. Everyone else, we're looking forward to seeing what you got!

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

Took my time writing this. I sincerely hope it makes it through the screening process.

(The Markup Help button isn't working for me, so if anyone could help me with the format, I would be incredibly grateful)

---

• Name:

Malakai Ascendancy

• Species:

The dominant species of the Malakai are the Zaffrit. Zaffrit biology is rather peculiar, as they lie on the uncomfortable intersection between fungal, animal and plant life.

They are humanoid in appearance - bipedal digitigrades with a very limber bodyframe and thin, elongated arms. Their most distinguishing feature is their famous blank face, lacking all sorts of facial features - nose, eyes, mouth, ears - that takes on a bark-like appearance as they age. As they grow older, a body structure known as "corona" begins to grow on the top of the head, giving the elders of the species a horned appearance. The horns or "corona" develop the same bark-like appearance as they age.

Zaffrit are saprotrophs, meaning they, like fungi, feed from dead organic matter. They do so through specialized organs located in a hollow cavity in their chest. When feeding, they release from those hollow cavities two elongated organs known as cords, which serve to transfer nutrients from the "meal" to the organism. They can survive weeks, and even months without feeding, but each feeding can take multiple days to complete. Zaffrit average lifespan is of 700 terran years. Their long lifespan is compensated by their low birth-rate, as they reproduce only once every 63 years (which means someone with an average lifespan will manage to reproduce 11 times in his/her lifetime). These massive reproduction events are known as blossomings. The periods of time between each blossoming sees no population growth.

They reproduce through a bizarre combination of sporulation and sexual reproduction; at the beggining of each blossoming, males grow on their backs huge fruiting bodies that burst, releasing a cloud of spores. If those spores touch the ovum that develops on the back of a female, it will develop into a hatchling in a period of three terran weeks. It will take the hatchling 62 years to reach sexual maturity, so they can partake in the next blossoming.

Zaffrit communicate through sounds. A hollow cavity in the neck creates whistling and crackling sounds by controlling the flow of air that passes through them. Scents are also important, they are able to release different chemical compounds into the air that can be noticed, either consciously or inconsciously, by other Zaffrit.

They lack eyes, nose or ears in the proper sense of the word, however, their blank, featureless "head" is actually a multipurpose sensorial organ; it functions as a chemical receptor, while also being incredibly sensible to vibrations, it also works as a photosensible organ, capable of giving vague outlines of shape, depth and certain particular lightwave frequencies.

• History:

The Malakai Ascendancy, as a political entity, is a rather new player in the game of galactic politics, even if the Zaffrit themselves are not. The Zaffrit evolved on the cold and humid planet of Unhai, where their peculiar anatomy placed them in weird position in the food chain of their planet: they were not hunters, they fed on dead or decaying organic tissue, but they were not precisely decomposers either, as they were subject to the predation of Unhai's other bigger and more dangerous species.

Society in Unhai developed out of a practical need of mutual protection. It became a survival mechanism to allow the individual to survive until the next blossoming. While groups rarely hunted for food, they were constantly protecting each other from other predators. It was until a bolt of lightning struck the bark of one the now-sacred Ziha trees, and the Original Elder discovered the creative and destructive power of the fire that progress kickstarted, and with it, the path to what became modern Zaffrit society.

The Zaffrit established first contact with one of the Nomad ships back in the early days of the League. They were the first truly alien species they had found up to that point, just as they were sending their first manned missions outside of their homeworld. When the rest of the Nomad fleet reached the atmosphere of Unhai and warned the Zaffrit with an ultimatum, the ruling Council of Elders had no choice but to join the League.

Joining the League turned out to have its benefits. In the following century, the Zaffrit and the Council of Elders had developed the terraforming technology to succesfully colonize their solar system, and even managed to place a few outposts on the outlying systems. Technology and industry boomed during the early years of the League, specially the fields of biotechnology. Unhai had become, by the end of the millenium, the top producer of pharmaceutics in the League worlds, and the terraformed colonies, lush and verdant, became the primary source of foodstuffs for a fourth of the League's worlds.

However, as the League decayed, so did the administration of the Council of Elders, which slowly became a reflection of the corruption that had taken grip among the Nomad overlords. When war broke with the Pact, the Council of Elders was called to bring forth their technical experience regarding all things living… the Nomads turned Unhai into a biological weapons facility.

The atrocities commited in Unhai against all sentient species were great, and far too many to count. When the nations of the Pact learned about Unhai's role in the conflict, the skies of the planet blackened with ships, and all the settlements of the planet were reduced to cinders. At the very least, they did not destroy the entire planet. The other colonies were plundered and sacked. Lives were lost in the billions.

Zaffrit society was one of the many that burned when the League came to its end. Their losses, for a species that can only reproduce once every 6 decades, were hard to restore. Even now, the population of the Malakai Ascendancy has only barely reached half the population the Council of Elders had at its peak.

The Malakai Ascendancy, named after the new capital city of Malakai, seeks to bring forth a prosperity even greater than the one they had during the best days of the League. A prosperity brought on by their own hands, unbounded and unleashed. A prosperity that will not be threatened by any menace, be it within or without.

• Government:

The Malakai Ascendancy is a meritocratic, semi-democratic oligarchy. The Council of Malakai is the ruling body of the state, a board of 7 individuals, presided by a Speaker, who hold almost absolute power, are elected from and by the Generational Board, an entitity comprised of one representative per generation born. Each generation chooses its representative, without direct input or involvement from the other generations.

Malakai policy focuses on inner growth, and could be considered isolationist to a certain extent of the word.

• Territory and Population:

Current Malakai territory comprises their homeworld of Unhai, whose cities were rebuilt after the devastation brought on by the war, its moon, Un-zot, and the terraformed planets of their home system; Qazt, Murai and Zafratai. Current population lies around 12 billion, of which a third is concentrated in the homeworld.

• Military:

War has never been the strong point of the Zaffrit. The original Council of Elders have always preferred subtler alternatives to direct conflict. The Council of Malakai still share a similar viewpoint, but the horrors of the Great War has left them taking preventive action against would-be invaders.

The Malakai military is relatively small, consisting of less than a million operatives, of which only half of them are active at any given moment. What they lack in size, however, is somewhat compensated by their training and equipment. Zaffrit soldiers are experts at psychological warfare. They employ genetically engineered war beasts in combat; hounds whose bite will tear through the flesh until they taste the marrow of the bone, insects whose sting will drive even the sanest person to a frenzy, fungus that grows on the flesh of dead corpses, releasing spores that irritate lungs and eyes alike... the Malakai make prove of creativity in their work. Coupled with this are also the employment of some rather exotic weaponry: acid spewers, grenades filled with metal-eating bacteria, blob guns...

While some may question the nature of these weapons, their efficiency remains unquestioned. And, somehow, they have managed to avoid any of these creations of dubious nature from backfiring.

• Infrastructure:

Malakai infrastructure is designed to be organic and streamlined, both aesthetically and practically. Self-repairing materials are commonplace, and Malakai engineers are taught to make the most out of their environment. The great cities of Unhai are built around the great Ziha trees, whose trunk grows as thick and tall as one of the Nomads. The cities of Unhai are a sight to behold; great metallic structures, some towering over the land, others shrinking within it, shaped in flowing, organic curves springing around the massive tree, whose shade covers the entirety of the metropole. The city of Malakai itself is built in and around the three biggest Ziha trees of the planet.

Planetary transport is realized through a network, or lattice, of rail tunnels that connect all densely populated areas.

Interplanetary transport is quick, cheap and relatively secure through the use of orbital rails; small beacons that outline the paths a shuttle may take between two planets at any given moment of their rotational and translational period. Whether they find themselves in perihelion or ahelion, the Zaffrit made their shuttles run on time!

Communication is done through an interconnected network, although there is also a working courrier system for high-priority messages that can't risk interception.

Malakai society runs partially on what some other species might call "slave labour". The Malakai have created simple-minded genetically engineered workers with a wide range of traits, depending on the role they take. These workers, know as the Cazi, are used for industrial, agricultural and menial labour. The Cazi themselves however share little physical and anatomical traits with the Zaffrit; whether they are based on an alien species they encountered or are the product of a lab that attempted to play god and succeeded is still a matter of debate

• Culture:

Malakai culture revolves around the Blossoming. Elder and ancestor worship, while no longer as commonplace as it was before the Great War, is still a tradition deeply rooted among many Zaffrit. Zaffrit have no concept of family; hatchlings are left to be raised in community after birth. The closest thing they have to a family bond is the connection made between members that come from the same blossoming that are raised together - generational partners. Distinction between generations is made, although discrimination is no longer an issue after the dissolution of the original Council.

Masks have a place of importance in Malakai culture. When the Zaffrit were introduced to the rest of the galactic community, following their induction into the League, they were faced with a serious communication issue. Lacking any organ to vocalize, and without any "face", so to speak, they had to find a way to let the members of the other species to distinguish each individual Zaffrit. The answer came in the form of masks, each individually crafted with artistic glee, each designed to be different from the others. The Zaffrit had no face, so they learned to make themselves new ones. Normally fashioned out of metal, plastic, or wood, Malakai masks are considered beautiful displays of individuality. Now, the masks are so deeply rooted in the Ascendancy that all who leave the core worlds are expected to craft their own, as a sort of coming-of-age ritual.

Visual arts are rare among the Zaffrit, due to their poor sight. Music, however, is where they excel at.

• Trivia:
  • Zaffrit anatomical differences are normally a source of tension in social encounters among members of other species.

  • Zaffrit have no innate concept of erotic love.

  • Malakai entrepreneurs have created companies dedicated to the production and distribution of foodstuffs adapted for the Zaffrit's peculiar feeding mechanism outside of the Malakai core worlds. This growing trend of products designed for Zaffrit anatomy are causing a surge of inmigrants towards the frontier and non-aligned planets.

  • Nowadays, the term Malakai and Zaffrit are interchangeable terms.

edited 4th Jul '17 1:52:05 PM by georgiano

“Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.” ― Frank Herbert, Chapterhouse: Dune

• Name: Ambassador Estanislao Leng—Insists on "Mr. Leng"
• Age: Approaching late middle age by Morcego reckoning, around 50.
• Sex: M
• Appearance: Estanislao is one of the batlike Morcego, with reddish fur and dark gray skin, but he intentionally keeps himself from being too well-kempt or coiffed or anything. He wears a poor man's fancy clothes—a sleeveless powder-blue vest and a bottom with a small bottom piece hugging closely to his upper legs with swishy strips of black fabric not unlike a dress going down to his ankles. He's unusually tall for a Morcego at 6'3 as he normally stands, and has much longer legs than most. His nose is pointed down, and his ears are only a few inches long.
• History: When Estanislao was a child the Pact was still a thing on Escuridao; he was for a while living the modern capitalist dream, working part time in a factory to pay for school, then getting his degree and returning to that factory to help design new hardware for them. It all went well, until he joined hundreds of other engineers designing the machines that then replaced them. Left out on the street, Estanislao joined the Shrikes at first just to make ends meet. He showed them how to save cash, and innovated their gear in ways that factories and law enforcement never would. He was on the back line when the Shrikes started spreading their influence, and he solidified their base of power when he bombed a meeting of strikebreakers about to use riot weapons on a materializing workers' union. He negotiated that the union instead join the Shrikes, and when they became a real-ass nation it was only logical that he be their diplomat and representative in the outside world.
  • Credentials:
    • A BS in Mechanical Mechanical Engineering from Novos Homens University and a Master's of Mechanized Logistics and Design from Escuridao University of Applied Sciences
    • He is an original founding Shrike. While he was never a frontline warrior, he was always there to handle logistics, resources, and tactics
    • Holds the patents on the closest things the Shrikes have to standardized mechanized infantry
    • Honorary member of the United Escuridao Energy Workers' Union and the Industrial Miners' Union of Escuridao

• Name: Abel Bruno
• Age: A little on the younger side, coming in at 24 in Morcego years.
• Sex: M
• Appearance: Abel is a shortish Morcego at around 5'8, with pale white skin and chocolatey brown fur. He wears a lot of faded but still sturdy and well-put-together bodysuits and jumpsuits, good workman's clothes without many dangling or stray parts.
• History: Abel has known mechs since he was a kid and he sort of centers his own life around them. His major memories include watching them grapple in the streets both within gang disputes and in the revolt against the Pact. While he never got his own in the military, his tour of duty did give him enough cash, eventually, to receive his own when he left to become a farmer on Os Cumes. After a couple bountiful seasons, though, Abel was even more excited to get on a ship headed for yet another part of the galaxy to settle a new planet for the Shrikes. That didn't pan out too well though: a meteor tore a hole in the shuttle, and it was only through sheer luck that he survived at all. See, the meteor managed to plug one of the holes well enough, and a mech haphazardly planted in the other hole kept them going long enough for a salvage ship to get them. So Abel still had that destination—a planet for now marked 45-97-99—but he got stuck on Ceres until he could get there. If he could though, he'd be golden! A new mech, a plot of land all his to work, everything would be okay.
  • Skills/Occupation:
    • Abel has no idea where his mech has gotten to, but he's talented at both maintaining and piloting the machines the Shrikes field.
    • By profession Abel is a farmer and he has the know-how to do his job well. Not just memorizing seasons and stuff, but he's a strong guy with a good head for hard numbers.
    • Like most every other Morcego on Escuridao, Abel was conscripted into the Shrike military for a few years. He knows how to run, jump, fight, and shoot, though he hasn't had to in a very long time.

edited 5th Jul '17 1:43:30 PM by Taco

Mr Leng and Abel Bruno are approved. Welcome to the Galaxy!

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

Georgiano, the Ascendency is approved.

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

Well, finally I got something

Ambassador

• Name: Emissary 1st Class Kuz-Plak-Tu, Kuztu (informal), Plak (very personal)
• Age: 37 Standard Years/9 Cycles
• Sex: F
• Appearance: Kuz-Plak-Tu is a bit short compared to other Rak-Girz, her body is mostly a dark blue with some orange lines. Her left anntenae is missing a part that was lost in an accident.
• History:
  • Born in Klet-Rarpar (Fortress City 2nd Class) to Rapad-Kuz-Klek and Praz-Tu-Kol
  • Started education in the local school 3rd Class (around the same as the standard elementary school)
  • Lost the upper hald of her left anntenae in an accident when one of the linear motors in the mag-lev train that rbought her to school exploded.
  • Enrolled in the school 2nd Class in the Fortress City 1st Class Ruku-Pokar
  • Enrolled in the school 1st Class after joining the armed forces
• Credentials:
  • 1930 AW: Joined the armed forces
  • 1930 AW: Aquired Officers Patent
  • 1931 AW: Voted Major of Fortress City 2nd Class Klet-Rarpar
  • 1932 AW: Appointment as Advisor to the King
  • 1934 AW: Appointment as Emissary 2nd Class
  • 1935 AW: Appointment as Emissary 1st Class, voted oficial emissary for the Rak-Girz in the Galactic Congress

Refugee

• Name: Krat-Zlak-Pol, Kratpol (informal), Zlak (very personal)
• Age: 14 Terran years/4 Cycles
• Sex: M
• Appearance: Krat-Zlak-Pol's exoskeleton is mostly brown and at 1,90 meters he's rather short for a Rak'Girz.
• History: Krat-Zlak-Pol grew up in the Fortress City 2nd Class Krasta-Korpo, one of the cities hit hardest in the 'Night of the Burning Heaven', the planetary bombardement from the forces of the league. He was under the few ones who survived and whose escape shuttle wasn't destroyed.
• Skills/Occupation: Student

edited 9th Jul '17 11:08:18 AM by Sergey_Smirnov

"One may feel fear in the face of danger so long as one banishes fear when danger actually arrives"

Approved. Welcome to the Galaxy!

edited 10th Jul '17 6:47:26 PM by Parable

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