Here is where we will discuss various things and stuff relating to my RP, "New Horizons": https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15096467790A97331700&page=1#1

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NPC Races, abridged.

• Anima: From planet Kyoko. Human-like, but with subtle lips, noses and ears, as opposed to their large, expressive eyes. Startlingly strong for their size, uncannily resilient. The only species considered citizens of the Yohzhu Empire, your former oppressors. Do they look like anime characters? Maybe.
• Tennosians: From planet Eent. The only inhabitants of the TAWN, your other former oppressors. Small avians, about 12 cm long, whose features include a plump body, short legs, a large, rounded head, and a long, straight prehensile bill. Do they look like American Woodcocks? That's just your opinion.
• Yaha: From planet Tatl. Some call them fairies. Diminutive, flight-capable humanoid beings, averaging about 10 inches (25 cm) in height. They have four small, delicate wings growing from their back, and have very pale skin, ranging from white to grey. Additionally, Yaha have four eyes, and ridges along the tops of their skulls.
• Mathis: From planet Mathus: A race of large, cat-dragon Gandalfs. A species of large repto-mammals, they often reach 50ft in length and 20ft in height. Their long, scaly, serpentine bodies are said to resemble “Chinese dragons”, though this image is thrown off somewhat by their large, fluffy paws and feline head (barring their long horns).
• Quenos are a short, stout, simian species with beefy, hairy arms that look like Lincoln's. From planet Mer'ka.
• Humans: The most mysterious species of all... Simians of a different sort. Decent all-rounders with pretty good brains. They live mainly on a planet called “Mars” after their home world, “Earth”, got messed up by Tennosians.
• Amalah: big-ish scorpion-crab arthropod-type beings. A civilization that's pretty old, but not as old as the Mathis, they resent the rest of the galaxy. From planet Eevlaak.
• Nomads: A tribe of a few large, sentient starships of unknown origin. Very shy, reclusive. Nomadic, as their name implies. From places unknown!
• Gashtor: large spiders. Intimidating to most, but they're actually very friendly. Have been known to wear shoes, despite this being difficult for them. From planet Vrool.
• Visst: Large, multi-headed, hyrda-like creatures. Eyeless, they rely on scents and echolocation. Warm-blooded, hardy, reptile-ish creatures. From planet Degg.
• Snailians: Charismatic, gelatinous blob-people with a fondness for hats. They come in a multitude of colours and can eat nearly anything (not that they would!). From planet Schoko.
• Therans: Repto-mammals of a different kind. Very humanoid, but possessing a segmented, bronze-coloured, spear-tipped tail, along with grey skin, lizardy eyes and “pits” like a pit viper. From planet Akanda.
• Seernef are a species of large, bipedal canids, covered in fur and possessing both teeth and claws. With little sexual dimorphism between males and females, most are around 8ft in height and weigh an average of 350 lbs. Uplifted from the medieval era by Sirians. From planet Hrizi 22-M.
• Jiptohr: They look like the velociraptors from the original Jurassic Park movies, except they wear clothes. Carnivorous reptilian creatures, they stand at an average of 5ft in height. Despite their culture, violence does not come more naturally to them than anyone else in the galaxy. From planet Karr.
• He-Tai: Large, muscular, quadrupedal reptiles. Sort of like crocodiles who do lots of pectoral exercises. Though usually only 2ft tall, they are an average of 10ft long. They can stand on their hind legs if they need to, which makes them seem about 6ft tall. From planet Saur.

edited 27th Dec '17 4:44:33 PM by Blackfire667

NPC Nations, abridged.

• Yohzhu Empire: Your former oppressors, part 1. They're like exceptionally well-armed, well-organized space pirates. A deeply individualistic bunch, how much they made you suffer under their occupation depended largely on the whims and disposition of the local commander, who was generally the captain of a Kirimashi-class battleship, a 2km mass of ass-kicking machinery. Just one carried everything necessary to occupy major planes and secure star systems. The Empire scarcely considers you sentient, but they do like your culture, in an "oh, how exotic!" kind of way. They demanded arts and artifacts as tribute, and a whole bunch of your people as slaves. Refuse or fail to meet demands, and something got blown up. Usually a city.
• Tennosian Allied Worlds Nation: They're the only known life-forms with "psionic" powers, and boy do they ever like to remind you of that. Not verbally, mind you, but through their actions. Specifically, conquering the heck out of you on their way to keep fighting the Yohzhu. They're not big on technology, and most of them live like their ancestors did; spending their days foraging in the underbrush for invertebrates. They still understand it, though, so don't mistake them for a less advanced civilization! They're a highly secretive bunch, and they rarely talk to any non-Tennosians. This is at least partially because they do all their talking through telepathy. Not much is known about their motivations, but they certainly don't seem to think much of you, given how they've used you as guinea pigs...
• Kingdom of Mars: Earth got all messed up by the TAWN during the Occupation, now humans live mostly on Mars, and they've done pretty well for themselves there. They're the permanent HQ of the Galactic Nations, and a major diplomatic force in the galaxy.
• Mighty Amalah Nation: A long, long time ago, the Amalah were the foremost power of the Known Galaxy. They were one of very few civilizations who discovered FTL technology relatively early, which gave them a huge advantage... one that they squandered. Younger races (like yours) caught up to them soon enough, and when the Occupation began, they suffered a great deal under the Yohzhu, who were still pissed off at them for threatening them a whole bunch a few centuries ago. Many Amalah fear they will never be "mighty" again.
• Grand Confederacy: The Yaha got majorly messed up by the Yohzhu, to the point where their civilization essentially collapsed. There are now dozens of would-be nations trying to be the legitimate successor-state, and all of them are at war with each other. This one just happens to be the biggest, with the most recognition.
• Mathis Tribes Coalition: Less of a formal nation-state and more of a cooperation agreement between several small, loosely-associating, wandering tribes of individuals who – as they'll happily tell you – really aren't all that committed to the whole “tribes” structure anyway. The MTC exists primarily to conduct foreign diplomacy and ensue that nobody tries to claim Mathus and it star systems as their own.
• World Web: The nation of the friendly spiders. They love protecting the weak and standing up for what's right; truth, justice and sucking up the liquefied insides of their home planet's prey animals. Although, even that has largely been replaced by synthetic solutions. The Gashtor are a peace-loving bunch and would prefer to avoid killing whenever possible. The TAWN did not share their world-view, however, and messed them up pretty bad during the Occupation. They've mostly recovered, though. Mostly.
• Interstellar Empire of Izera: A primarily Theran nation with a significant Human minority, Izera spent much of the war bisected in some way by the TAWN and the YE. Once freedom came, there was a big, ugly revolution/civil war. They've been at peace with their other half for a long while now, but tensions remain as high as ever.
• Dominion of Sakta: The result of the civil war in Izera, Sakta is also a primarily Theran nation with a significant Human minority, made distinct from its older counterpart through its enthusiasm for democracy and its rejection of the monarchy.
• Xenocon Conglomerate: A mega corporation that handles the Snailians' foreign affairs, and to which every Snailian is born a shareholder. They found the Yohzhu to be an opportunity for great profits - though not all Snailians were okay with this - and ingratiated themselves to the Empire, gaining quite a bit of leniency as a result. They suffered under the TAWN, however.
• Infinite Burrow: Visst live almost entirely underground in massive burrows that often span hundreds of square kilometers. Though they often connect, there are clear borders in these tunnels, established by scent-marking. These borders delineate the territories of the many different “brood masters”, exceptionally large and long-lived males that guard and care for the young Visst until they are able to join the colony properly. Thus, the Infinite Borrow is an alliance of all the different, sovereign brood masters and their respective burrows. The Visst achieved spaceflight much later than any other civilization in the Known Galaxy, as – without eyes and living underground for the vast majority of their lives – they could not grasp the notion of “outer space”.
• Free Colonies: An anomaly in the galaxy, the Free Colonies are not actually a civilization of their own, but rather, it is a nation populated by Anima outcasts from the Yohzhu Empire. Established fairly late in the Occuption Period, Yohzhu prisoners of all kinds were dumped on the barely-hospitable planet Ethe to either serve out their sentences or die. Instead, they managed to establish a largely successful colony.
• Nomads: True to their name, the Nomads wander the Known Galaxy (and sometimes beyond), mainly just minding their own business. For a fleet of 100-or-so sentient capital ships, complete with a full escort of remotely-controlled non-sentient ships, they are remarkably shy.
• Wassingtowne Union: There was once a myriad of small Quenos states, but now they are united. There are now many colonies, but they all originated on Mer'ka. You could say they're the united states of Mer'ka. They revere a hero named "Lincoln", who was a pretty darn cool guy.

Woglinde Systems:

Galyr System:

• Gurngand,
• Aejang
• Kiyoshimo
• Oorei

Loeryr System:

• Jixt Veras,
• Caemivu,

Soraenyl:

• Vihavu,
• Senenovu,
• Silla

TIMELINE (tentative) (work in progress)

• 3555: Present Day
• 3505: The Galactic Nations is founded; the Izeran Civil War ends with a ceasefire,
• 3495: Sakta is founded, declares independence; Izeran Civil War begins,
• 3479: Tlatlathui Imperium established.
• 3478: The United Stars of Woglinde is established.
• 3475: Occupation Period ends, Freedom is declared; The Eternal War ends,
• 3431: Sirian Union established.
• 3425: Occupation Period begins,
• 3325: Yohzhu-Amalah First Contact/Conflict
• 3305-3350: Most species in the Known Galaxy become spacefaring,
• 2925: The Eternal War begins,
• 2325-2305: Anima/Yohzhu, TAWN civilizations become spacefaring,
• 2205: Amalah civilization becomes spacefaring
• 1900: Mathis civilization becomes spacefaring

edited 4th Dec '17 11:40:31 AM by Blackfire667

The Knightly Orders (work in progress)

While the bulk of the Tlatlathui Imperium’s military is made up of commoners with basic, generalist training, the most recognizable elements of the military are the Knightly Orders, specialist warrior societies made up of nobles and distinguished commoners with exemplary service. Nobles are sorted into one of these Orders by default, while commoners who demonstrate remarkable skill on the battlefield can be inducted into their ranks, earning a place in the lower echelons of the nobility.

The Orders take their names from various animals native to Tototl, which reflect a given Order’s expected role in combat. The Order of the Ocelot, for instance, takes its name from a stealthy but powerful feline, and the Knights of this Order are expected to close in on their enemies quickly and quietly before ripping them apart in savage melee combat.

Common Equipment

Regardless of their Order, all Knights wear a body glove made of nanomesh fiber. While this mesh provides a slight degree of protection and passively augments the wearer’s strength and reflexes, its primary purpose is to act as an underlayer for each Order’s specialized armour, the components of which lock onto and interface with the mesh to form a suit of low-tier powered armour. Sensors within each piece of armour interface with the mesh and provide data on the armour’s systems and integrity to a heads-up display on the wearer’s helmet or eyepiece. In terms of weapons, many Knights wield electromagnetic atlatls, laser longbows, and chain-macahuitls. Individual orders may replace or supplement these weapons as necessary.

Order of the Ocelot

A Knightly Order that specializes in stealth, nocturnal operations and melee combat. Members of this Order wear matte black ceramic armour with various integrated stealth technologies, such as noise cancellers to deaden the sound of a warrior’s footfalls and temperature sensors that help a warrior avoid detection from thermal scans by matching their heat signature to that of the surrounding environment.

The order of the Ocelot is named after the tototlian ocelot, a six-legged feline with strong jaws, powerful limbs, and the peculiar ability to distort light in its immediate vicinity so that it appears to be several feet away from where it actually is. All Knights of the Order wear face-concealing helmets made in the likeness of an ocelot, and the most prestigious members are awarded capes with an iridescent lining meant to represent the ocelot’s peculiar abilities.

Order of the Cuauhtli

A Knightly Order that specializes in high mobility and close-quarters combat. They wear cream-coloured armour with sky-blue trimming, and the breastplate sports a jump pack consisting of a pair of wing-like impulse vanes mounted over the shoulder blades. When active and idling, this pack allows a Knight of the Order to hover up to a foot above the ground and skim across it towards their enemies; otherwise, the pack is used to cover great distances with vertical long jumps or come down in an enemy’s midst with arcing vertical leaps. The Order of the Cuauhtli could thus be considered the shock troopers of the Tlatlathui Imperium.

The order takes its name from the tototlian cuauhtli, a four-winged avian predator notable for diving out of the sky at incredible speed in order to seize its prey. All Knights of the Order wear face-concealing helmets in the likeness of a cuauhtli, and prestigious members are awarded special greaves with additional jump jets for improved hovering and greater precision on their jumps.

Order of the Ayotl

A Knightly Order that specializes in heavy weapons and direct assaults. Members of this Order wear cyan armour with magenta trimming, thicker than that of most other Knightly Orders, with a large backpack resembling the shell of a terrapin. This backpack acts as a multipurpose power source, providing energy for the Order’s distinctive laser cannons and, when necessary, surrounding the wearer with a spherical deflector shield. The laser cannon fires a continuous beam that can quickly burn through most forms of armour, but loses cohesion beyond a range of 30 meters. The shield encloses an area within a 4-metre radius of the wearer. The shield and the laser cannon cannot be used at the same time.

The order takes its name from the tototlian ayotl, an armoured reptile somewhat similar to the terrestrial turtle. Much like a turtle, the ayotl is known for its slow gait and its ability to defend itself by curling up into a ball. All Knights of the Order wear face-concealing helmets in the likeness of an ayotl, and prestigious members are awarded a large cylindrical headdress that acts as an additional power source, allowing the shield and laser cannon to be used simultaneously (albeit with reduced efficiency).

edited 6th Dec '17 7:32:45 PM by SullenFrog

The Civilian Space Ship (CSS) Horizon:

Some 80 meters long and 40 meters high, the Horizon was originally a mobile battle station/commander centre for the Yaha navy, lost during the Battle of Tatl, along with its original name. When Navina Tael, a young and down-on-her-luck scrapper, found it in the massive debris cloud that still orbits the Yaha homeworld, she could have sold it for parts and lived off the money for quite some time. Instead, she kept it a secret and, with the help of some close friends at the local shipyard, she repaired it. Or rather, they patched it up until it was barely functional and then got it to limp back to port.

Dreaming of captaining a ship of her own, she took out a number of large loans to fully repair the ship, then begged her friends and family to help her gut the ship of everything that wasn't bolted down. She paid off a few debts by selling the unneeded parts, but then went further into debt by having the interior completely remodelled, allowing people of all shapes and sizes to man the ship. Facing increasingly frustrated friends and family, not to mention looming debts, Navina was nonetheless excited to begin her career as an independent starship captain. Having slightly more business sense than many of her relatives gave her credit for, Navina had transformed the ship into a massive (relatively speaking) cargo hauler. Being inexperienced, however, she failed to account for the need to actually pay potential crew members.

Reluctant to go even further into debt, she struggled to man the ship by herself, occasionally pressing hitchhikers into service in exchange for a ride, or splitting the profits from the few jobs she could complete with some temporary workers. Serendipitously, while attempting to take a shortcut though poorly-charted space, she came upon a large debris field, whereupon she discovered and promptly salvaged a sophisticated AI core from an old wreck.

While unable to unlock the core's full potential, she integrated it into the ship-board computer, allowing her to automate many of the tasks she would otherwise have to do herself (for short trips, at least). This was a crucial development, as it allowed her to complete more jobs with greater speed and efficiency, enabling her to stabilize her financial situation and take on larger, longer, more lucrative jobs in the process. This, of course, led to a need for a proper crew. There was a lot to do, after all, and there was only so much a single Yaha and her trusty salvaged-AI could handle.

Originally intended as a mobile commander centre, the Horizon 's ship class was never intended for front-line combat. And once it came into her possession, Navina sold most of its military-grade equipment. Thus, the Horizon was left with only minimal armaments and shielding, sporting two basic laser cannons, one on each side, and a single missile launcher, which must be loaded manually. While it was never meant for any serious manoeuvring, its ability to do so is further restricted by the fact that much of its engine structure has been retooled with energy efficiency in mind, causing it to accelerate slowly but reach a high top speed at sublight levels. The ship's armour, however, has remained largely intact, save for a few spots that were destroyed either during the Battle of Tatl or during its many years floating around in the debris field. These sections have been repaired with basic materials, but relative to the total size of the ship, they are quite small. This means that, overall, and despite the age of the armour, the Horizon is quite a hardy ship, especially compared to most independent cargo haulers.

The Horizon can carry approximately 500 tons of cargo at its maximum, and its powerful engines enable it to attach a large “trailer”, of sorts, doubling its cargo capacity at the cost of an even slower rate of acceleration. To save on fuel costs, however, the ship often travels much lighter than this.

Horizon Crew:

• Navinadida Tael: (Yaha) (Captain) (25 Standard Years): It's rare for Yaha to own their own ship, rarer still for them to go into business, and even rarer than that is them actually succeeding. In this way, Navina Tael has defied a lot of odds. Born on a Yaha colony, far from the home-world, Navina lived out her childhood in poverty, as most Yaha do, barely getting through her basic education before setting off and looking for any work she could get. Picked up by a group of salvagers, she quickly learned a great deal about the inner workings of starships, dreaming of having one of her own all the while. After years of picking apart busted old wrecks, in 3550, she found the one wreck that would change her life.
• Yukiko Kirishima: (Anima) (Commander) (30 Standard Years): Yuki will tell you that she spent her youth as a fearsome space pirate, living a life full of adventure and excitement, raiding unsuspecting Yohzhu merchant vessels, pilfering their goods and assaulting the crews with her quick wits, roguish charm and plasma sabre. She'll tell you she had a torrid affair with the previous Yohzhu Commissar's daughter, that she almost eloped with this woman, but instead left her at the aisle, so to speak, to keep pursing her carefree life of adventure. She'll tell you that this did not go down well with her now-former lover, who was later elected as the new Commissar. She'll tell you she was declared the most wanted being in the galaxy, forcing her to lay low in the Free Colonies, until she could one day return to her life as a notorious pirate... The captain will tell you that this is all B.S., and that Yuki was only ever a poor farmer, born and raised in the Free Colonies, desperate to see the stars, even if she had to work for free for a while. Among the captain's oldest friends, Yuki was Navina's first official hire.
• Linda Kesyk: (Human, Izera) (Chief Engineer) (24 Standard Years): To hear Linda tell it, she woke up in a hotel room with a wicked hangover and with someone knocking incessantly at the door. That someone was an Anima named Yukiko Kirishima, who presented her with a signed napkin and cheerfully said “you work for us now!” As it turns out, Linda had gotten very drunk at a rest-stop bar and made fast friends with one Navina Tael, who was also quite drunk at the time. Linda agreed to work on the Horizon and even signed a “contact”, of sorts. Fortunately, while the napkin was likely not legally binding, Linda had been looking for work anyway, and so agreed to show up for work just as soon as she had slept off her hangover. And, as luck would have it, she was an exceptionally skilled engineer. The second-longest employed crew member of the Horizon, Linda is returning to the ship after an extended vacation.
• MACI: (Ship-board computer): The sophisticated AI core that Navina salvaged from a floating junk pile turned out to have a bit of a personality, and so the captain gave it a nickname, naming it after a cousin of hers, who is, allegedly, just as mischievous and sassy as the computer. She may also tell you that “MACI” stands for “Magnanimous, Autonomous & Cool Info-being”, but that's probably just a joke.
• “Doctor” Solaris Veila: (Human, Mars) (Medical Staff) (46 Standard Years): A figure with a somewhat enigmatic past, Solaris assures you that she is more than qualified enough to treat all your various wounds and illnesses, despite not technically being an actual doctor. She claims to have read every medical text available (that wasn't locked behind an unreasonable price) and put hundreds of hours into a wide variety of VR medical training simulations of all kinds. She also claims that she had a ship of her own, once upon a time, and that she was in the independent trading business too. She gave it up for reasons she's cagey about revealing, but whatever happened, it seems she couldn't resist life on the open road, so to speak.
• Artuur: (Mathis) (Layabout/Ship's Counsellor) (233 Standard Years): One of the first hitchhikers Navina ever picked up, he decided he'd rather not get off at his original destination and made himself at home in the cargo hold instead. Despite not actually doing much aboard the ship, the captain keeps him around because he's a good listener, and just generally tends to make for good company, two things she sorely needed at the stressful start of her new career. Mathis rarely leave their home-world and are revered by some as wise and spiritual beings, so transporting one around can sometimes incur favours from more spiritually-inclined spaceport authorities, or at least make the Horizon seem like it could be more important than it actually is. Plus, Artuur has occasionally been known to dispense invaluable wisdom, so there's that. Mostly, though, he just naps.
• Zorido Sounaiku: (Quenos) (Security Staff) (60): Zori claims he was once a part of the Union's most elite special forces group, forced into early retirement by a series of complex international and governmental conspiracies. He tried to live peacefully out in Mer'ka's coldest region, but as it turns out, his preferred hobby - mushing - was quite expensive, moreso than his pension could handle. So, he got a job. This job.
• Ammubtiyar “Scruffy” Yaamhuummar: (Gashtor) (Engineering Staff) (55): Ammubtiyar prefers to keep to himself, speaking rarely and preferring to eat alone, usually in silence, sometimes on the ceiling. He is a steadfast and hard-worker, however, and extremely handy for repairing things in hard-to-reach places. The nickname “scruffy” was given to him by Linda, and it suits him well.
• Ninu Nina: (Visst) (Security Staff) (17): Still quite young by just about anyone's standards, Ninu seems like an odd fit for the Horizon. She is timid, insecure, and it's difficult to believe that she's ever even been on a ship before. Nevertheless, her resume is impressive, and somehow or other, she has convinced the captain to hire her... Nina will be boarding alongside you!

GN Ambassadors

• Chairwoman Mnhiri Alaura: (Theran) (45): Recently reelected to her second 3-year term as Chairwoman of the Galactic Nations, she is tasked with maintaining order and decorum among the ambassadors, a job she has done well and without fear or favour. Raised by an single parent living off welfare, she went to a military college and was an officer in the Royal Izeran Space Corps for a number of years, before she left the military to pursue a career in law, quickly becoming a star prosecutor for the state. Later, she served as Izera's ambassador for a few years, before putting her name forward and being elected as Chairwoman. If somebody in the Izeran government thought they would get favourable treatment from her, though, they seriously underestimated her integrity.
• Ambassador Tebigon Smith: (Human, Mars) (68): Among the oldest and longest-serving ambassadors, his position is also among the most important, given that Mars is a major diplomatic power and, not coincidentally, the host of the GN.
• Ambassador Zentri Zera Awag: (Amalah, Mighty Amalah Nation) (59): Belligerent, rude, old-fashioned and easily underestimated, he is very much like the nation he represents.
• Ambassador Madeyladeyla Tincor: (Yaha, Grand Confederacy) (38): A humble man and a trusted friend of both the Grand Confederacy's leader and Ambassador Smith, who was largely responsible for the GC even being recognized as legitimate. The fact that he's allowed to vote like any other ambassador is somewhat controversial.
• Ambassador Lanzuur: (Mathis, Mathis Tribes Coalition) (435): Though he is often present at the GN's meetings, and undoubtedly a skilled mediator and diplomat, he rarely actually votes on the resolutions put before the ambassadors, preferring to “let the younger races forge their own path.”
• Ambassador Mammet Artetu: (Gashtor, World Web) (40): Having been the previous ambassador's assistant for just a few months before he retired, it's clear that she is still settling into her new role. While inexperienced, she is knowledgeable, and learning quickly. For the most part, anyway.
• Ambassador Chaeset D'Nera: (Theran, Izera) (54): Appointed as Mnhiri's successor after she was elected Chairwoman, he is everything she isn't. Born to a wealthy, noble family with deep ties to the Izeran monarchy, he has been groomed for life in the upper echelons of government practically since birth, and his appointment to the position seemed only natural, especially after serving as a planetary governor for a few years.
• Ambassador Arel T'Khianye: (Human, Sakta) (35): She has been an activist since her early teens, attending protests, starting petitions and becoming well-known to her elected representatives through her frequent calls and visits. Eventually, she sought out a seat in government herself, winning and successfully serving out her 4-year term. When the next election came around, however, her party appointed her to the position of Ambassador to the GN, preventing her from running again. Passionate, idealistic and still relatively fresh out of school, she is in many ways much like Sakta itself.
• Ambassador Proola Gutta: (Snailian, Xenocon) (46): A slick salesman and a strong advocate for free trade, more trade and all that good business-y stuff.
• Ambassador Melacaura Genisatia: (Visst, Infinite Burrow) (51): He would have been Brood Master, once, were it not for a series of hilarious mishaps and misunderstandings. Still, he is a respected member of his burrow back home, and worked his way up to this prestigious position.
• Representative Suki Takeshi: (Anima, Free Colonies) (40): The Free Colonies does not have much to its name, not even a vote at the GN, and frequently requires international aid for its citizens to maintain a decent standard of living. Suki does her best to curry favour with the international community and retain both her personal dignity and her country's while doing so, but it's a difficult job.
• T-050 Diplomacy Unit, or Representative Tio: (Nomad, The Nomads) (???): A 5' metal cylinder with an omnidirectional sensor on top and some little wheels on the bottom, it's easy to get the impression that Tio's body was hastily constructed, and that perhaps the Nomads were not really prepared to engage in prolonged diplomacy... Nevertheless, Tio's mind is as sharp as anyone's, and while he can not vote at the GN, his contributions to the debates are always insightful. He is a sapient AI, though curiously, he seems to have very little to say on the subject.
• Ambassador Gerey Robern: (Quenos, Wassingtowne Union) (49): A former general in the Wassingtowne Army, he has nonetheless done his fair share of diplomacy and negotiating. As per the Union's foreign policy, he tends to favour direct action and the intervention of military forces over subtler, slower means of conflict resolution. Purely for the sake of peace and stability, however. The union despises imperial conquests.
• Representative M'Kraka Cho'Ka: (Dotur, Taichii Legion) (50): A captain in the Legion's navy, the ship he'd been in command of was dismantled at the end of the war. He, like many other people in the Legion's armed forces, was promptly shuffled off to whatever other position was available. As the Legion is not afforded the privilege of a vote, his job usually has little pressure attached to it, enabling him to greatly downplay his inexperience as a diplomat.
• Ambassador Lagduf Orgol: (Seernef, Star Pact) (30): The middle son of one of the Pact's ruling oligarchs, he has been accustomed to rubbing shoulders with the elite for as long as he can remember. Seeking a bit of (relatively safe) adventure, he was sent off to be the Star Pact's ambassador to the GN. He was also sent to Mars as a kind of insurance, as the often dangerous internal politics of the Pact were threatening to end his life prematurely.
• Ambassador Bossak Kron: (Jiptohr, Ankara Principalities) (55): A former judge and an accomplished warrior, both in single-combat and in warfare, as well as an accomplished author, he is celebrated by many Jiptohr for his contributions to both civil society and for his contributions to Jiptohr philosophy and political thought in general. A true philosopher-soldier-scientist, some have even gone so far as to say he represent the ideal Jiptohr, a notion he eschews.
• Ambassador Dakess Thalcard: (He-Tai, Araseur Masters) (40): Little is known about her early years, but Dakess attended one of the Masters' most elite schools, pursuing an education in history and philosophy. A party hard-liner, so to speak, her admiration for the Masters who had united the He-Tai people was known to all, as was her ambitiousness and her knack for speechcraft. After years of dedication, she was eventually appointed to a government position – and one of some prestige, no less.

edited 29th Dec '17 2:02:15 PM by Blackfire667

The Tlatlathui-Woglinde Joint Anti-Piracy Task Force (made in collaboration with Parable)

For a number of years, the Tlatlathui Imperium and the United Stars of Woglinde have pooled their resources to combat the problem of piracy along their shared border. The origins of this cooperation are rooted in an incident which occurred 15 years prior to the current date, in which a merchant vessel was seized by pirates in the interstellar void between the Imperium and United Stars’ borders.

To prevent a possible diplomatic incident, both governments reached out to one another and concluded that a joint task force would be deployed to liberate the ship and rescue any hostages the pirates had taken. Despite some initial friction between zhur’ryan and Spaceborne operatives, the operation was ultimately a success and the vessel was liberated with minimal [if any] civilian casualties.

The zenith of the Joint Anti-Piracy Task Force was the Amini Campaign, in which Tlatlathui and Woglinde assembled a joint flotilla in response to rampant pirate raids on their colonies in the Amini Sector. The Campaign lasted for five months, culminating in the discovery and subsequent invasion of the asteroid fortress Kobolom. Despite heavy pirate resistance, the invasion was a success and pirate activities in the Amini Sector were crippled. Numerous slaves were liberated and hundreds of thousands of stolen goods were seized as evidence, eventually to be returned to their rightful owners if possible.

edited 11th Dec '17 12:35:21 PM by SullenFrog

Some Quick Notes:

• FTL
  • Faster-Than-Light movement is achieved through the use of "Jump Drive" technology, which creates a (semi-)stable wormhole between two points.
  • On average, Jump Drives require a 24 hour charge-up period and a 24 hour cool-down period.
  • Brand new, top-of-the-line, budget-in-the-billions-of-credits ships can reduce this to two 12 hour periods.
  • 6 Jumps to cross the Known Galaxy.
    • That's about 12 days of downtime.
  • Little to no travel time, arrival is near-instant; a few seconds to a few minutes, at most.
  • Sensitive to EM radiation, Jump Drives cannot activate too close to a star, necessitating sublight/light-speed travel to a system's edge; a 4 hour drive, on average.
  • Emergency jumps, bypassing charge-up and cool-down times, are possible but extremely dangerous; liable to cause power surges, reactor overloads, Jump Drive destruction, general explosions...
  • 255,000,000 ly per jump.
• The Galaxy
  • The Known Galaxy is 1,530,000,000 square light-years in area.
• FTL Communications are a complex and expensive affair, requiring large, dedicated power sources, numerous support systems and considerable resources, in terms of both materials and highly skilled personnel. Most capital cities have an FTL Comms array for sending and receiving messages at FTL speeds, even enabling real-time conversations between two arrays.
  • Only major cities of wealthy, stable nations could possibly afford to build an FTL array, though large space stations are generally able to support FTL relays, which enable them to receive signals and/or pass them between arrays.
  • Large capital ships are unlikely to be able to contain an FTL array, as this would severely strain their resources, both in terms of power and personnel. They can hold FTL relays, but this is also a considerable strain.
  • It is technically easier to communicate with one's neighbours than it is with one's own fleet.

Rulers of the Imperium

The founder and first Huey Tlatoani of the Tlatlathui Imperium was Popocatépetl (“Smoking Mountain”, or Volcano), who forged his empire from the ashes of the Occupation through a combination of guile, force, and simple good luck. Decades before, when the nations of Tototl gathered their armies on the Plains of Molcaxitl in order to test their might against the occupying Yohzhu forces, Popocatépetl’s father—a less impulsive sort than many of his peers—kept a third of his forces in reserve. This decision proved fortunate, as the Yohzhu “tested” the gathered armies with an orbital strike that annihilated Molcaxitl.

When the Occupation ended and Tototl found itself free, the forces that Popocatépetl’s father kept in reserve gave him an edge over the other nobles scrabbling for control of the planet. He also managed to garner popular support by appealing to the wounded pride of the zhur’ryan people. But it was his alliance with the Octezcatl, a secretive religious sect, which truly secured his rise to power. The Octezcatl had long believed that when the zhur’rya faced their darkest hour, the Supreme Being would incarnate itself in a mortal form and guide their people into a new golden age. They believed Popocatépetl to be this avatar of god, a notion which he was in no hurry to dispel, and with their support he managed to unify all other nations on Tototl under his banner. Popocatépetl gave his rivals and enemies a simple choice: join him and be a part of the glorious rebirth of the Zhur’ryan people, or die and be forgotten. Those who accepted his offer were allowed to keep their lands and retain their titles, while those who refused were assassinated by the Octezcatl and had their lineages purged from all commonly accessible historical records.

With his base of power established on Tototl, Popocatépetl turned his attentions to the stars. The zhur’rya had colonized planets within the nearby Cueyatl and Miztli systems, but these colonies had largely been cut off from Tototl since the occupation began. Assembling a small fleet of ramshackle spacecraft and an army of knights, Popocatépetl set out to reclaim these lost pockets of zhur’ryan civilization. He gave the reeling, disorganized nobles who ruled Amoxcalli and Mizton the same offer he’d given the homeworld nobles, and while some refused others proved more sensible. And so, a mere four years after the Occupation ended, the Tlatlathui Imperium was established.

Popocatépetl ruled the Imperium for 39 years, eventually dying of natural causes in the year 3518. He was succeeded as Huey Tlatoani by his eldest son, Tizoc, whose own reign was tragically cut short in 3526 when he suddenly fell ill and died.

Though Tizoc had several offspring, none of them were old enough to inherit the Imperium’s throne. He was instead succeeded by his cousin Atezcatl, who reigned from 3526 to 3544. Atezcatl was in turn succeeded by Zoltetl, the fourth and current Huey Tlatoani as of 3555. Each of the subsequent Emperors has been remembered for a particular accomplishment. Tizoc is remembered for expanding into the Amini Sector and claiming the Pitzotl system. Atezcatl is remembered building up and modernizing the Imperium’s star fleet, and for sponsoring the creation of the Coyolxauhqui -class Carrier; one such ship, Atezcatl’s Quiver, is named in his honour. Zoltetl, though not having performed any deeds matching those of his predecessors, is renowned for his temper.

Huey Tlatoani of the Tlatlathui Imperium:

• Popocatépetl: 3479-3518 (39 years)
• Tizoc: 3518-3526 (8 years)
• Atezcatl: 3526-3544 (18 years)
• Zoltetl: 3544— (11 years and counting)

Some beligerant NPC nations, the long versions:

• 55th Taichii Legion: (Hyu Ran system, planet Tai): Kyo Taichii, the older sister of the (in)famous Yohzhu overlord who came up with the Hazavin Accord, had experimented with other ways of keeping the sector well-behaved well before her sister had ever been assigned to the area. Among one of her earliest attempts were the Civil Control Groups, which quickly came to be more commonly known as “Taichii's Legions”. Kyo demanded slaves, and specifically, she wanted young people – and even children – from the poor and the underprivileged. These slaves were sent off the be trained, but not in the usual way. Kyo devised a special training program just for them which, through the use of psychological conditioning and propaganda, capitalized on any resentment they felt towards their homeworld and portrayed her as their only hope for a sense of structure. Those who could not meet her exacting standards, judged to either be too sympathetic to their people or not loyal to her, were variously returned, executed or retrained as regular slaves. Those who passed received combat training from Yohzhu personnel under Kyo's command, and eventually sent back to Kiyoshimo as a kind of paramilitary/police force.
  • Over the years, she trained up 60 such Legions, altering the training regimen in different ways every time. Taichii's Legions were a force of terror on Kiyoshimo, often abusing the vast powers afforded to them and wantonly killing those who stood in opposition to them or their overlord. They kept order, though, albeit through sheer brute force. Eventually, however, she shut the program down and disbanded all the Legions. The reported reasons for this vary; some say she gave in to pressure from her superiors, as Yohzhu High Command was reportedly unhappy with xenos receiving Yohzhu training, while some say she found the program to be “unnecessarily cruel” and “insufficient in its results relative to is costs.” Whatever her reasons, she ordered all of her Legions to gather in one place, allegedly so she could thank them all in person, and them promptly had them all destroyed from orbit.
  • One Legion remained, however, stranded on a remote world after a raid on a local resistance group went terribly wrong. The 55th remained forgotten for many years afterwards, becoming little more than a ghost story as history marched on without them. As the United Stars of Woglinde began to solidify, the 55th – having kept its numbers and supplies up with raids on passers-by – approached the nascent nation-state as a group of refugees; escaped slaves from a Yohzhu training facility, abandoned as Occupation came to an end. Mere months after being welcomed back, however, they staged a daring raid on a major military base and escaped with much of the base's inventory.
  • Some time later, they announced their existence to the galaxy, declared independence and declared the United Stars of Woglinde to be their enemy. This led to a cold war, of sorts, as the Legion avoided provoking Woglinde into an all-out war, but remained hostile enough to warrant constant attention from the military. As the years went by, the Legion antagonized several other nations, becoming a major threat to peace in the galaxy.
  • 10 years ago, alongside a coalition of other nations, Woglinde declared war on the Legion, intending to end the threat once and for all. Despite their smaller numbers and limited resources, the Legion was heavily entrenched in their home-system of Hyu Ran, and their unusual and innovative tactics ensured that almost every one of the coalition's victories were costly. Eventually, however, Woglinde and its allies were poised to close on the Legion's capital. Sensing a likely defeat, the Legion's leadership sued for peace, and one of the conditions imposed on it was that it had to join the GN (though it was not afforded the privilege of a vote). Additionally, the Legion was made to give up its holdings outside Hyu Ran – an easy concession, as these were few and scarcely developed – and its current fleet, what was left of it, had to be dismantled, though they were permitted to rebuild.
  • The coalition also demanded a regime change, and stuck the Legion with their expenses from the war. These were highly contentious points during the negotiations, which threatened to break down the peace between the parties. After 3 days of tense negotiations, however, the Legion reluctantly agreed to both, with a few conditions. In the decade that has passed since, the Legion has focused intensely on rebuilding its military, a move that has steadily increased tensions in the region, despite (some say halfhearted) attempts by Legion diplomats to smooth things over. Its leadership swears that it has changed its ways since the war, but many do not believe them.
  • The 55th Legion is a constitutional military dictatorship, with a Master-General serving as its highest authority while a parliament of elected officers represent the legislature. Only those with an officer rank may run for public office, and only senior legislators can be elected Master-General. The Legion's overall population is quite small, with much of it being employed – either directly or with one or two degrees of separation – by the military. As such, the military's importance is paramount in Legion society, and indeed, there is scarcely a civilian population to speak of. Relations with other nations are generally quite poor — especially with regards to Woglinde — with only a handful of exceptions.
• Star Pact: (Seernef, Hrizi 22 system, planet Hrizi 22-M): The Seernef were divided up among a myriad of walled villages and the occasional fiefdom, having only recently uncovered iron-working, when strangers descended from the skies. Initially, the uplifting of the Seernef, undertaken by the Sirians in 3525, went very smoothly. The natives took well to the guidance of their fellow canid-like beings, and seemed naturally inclined towards the militaristic world-view of their new guardians. For the first few years, the initiative was a resounding success, and under the guidance of the Sirians, Seenef technology advanced in leaps and bounds, and they formed their first planetary government, an oligarchy of local rulers, named the Star Pact.
  • Success was, unfortunately, short-lived, however. While the Seernef understanding of science advanced rapidly, their culture legged behind. Nowhere was their Medieval understanding of the world more evident than in their politics, as multiple ambitious power-plays were set off in quick succession, aided by new communications technology. Coups, revolutions and assassinations tore across the planet, replacing the Star Pact's original leaders almost entirely, and leading to numerous deaths, including a handful of Sirians envoys. In an effort to quell the planet-wide chaos, the Sirian Union deployed a considerable military force to the planet and imposed martial law, effectively annexing the Star Pact.
  • Stoked by the ambitious new leaders of the Star Pact, people began to see the Sirians as invaders rather than guardians, and over the next several years – even as they continued to guide the Star Pact's science – Sirians found themselves increasingly unwelcome. Tensions came to a head as an enormous riot broke out in the capital city, during which several Sirian diplomats and soldiers were severely injured. The riot was quashed relatively quickly, but it was the final straw for the uplifting initiative. Facing increasing pressure from both Uabarr and the galaxy at large, the Sirian Union was, reluctantly, forced to withdraw from the planet completely.
  • The Star Pact's leadership was quick to restore order, eager to show anyone who could be watching that they were more than capable of governing themselves. Calls for independence grew and grew, and by then the Seernef had a strong enough grasp of technology to start designing and producing it themselves. The Star Pact established it first out-of-system colony in 3550, and early in 3553 they began lobbying the GN for membership as an independent nation. After some negotiations with the Sirian Union, they became independent an a voting member of the GN early in 3555.
  • The Star Pact is an oligarchy ruled by the modern equivalent of feudal lords; wealthy, politically-powerful individuals who have divided all of the S.P.'s land among themselves. Every year, one of the oligarchs is afforded the title of “king” (regardless of sex). This is a largely ceremonial title, however, passed around on a rotational basis. The king acts as a figurehead, providing a central authority figure for the government.
  • While technologically average, Seernef society remains quite Medieval in nature, and nowhere is this more evident than in their politics. Even as they venture out among the stars, oligarchs are known to fight among themselves for tracts of land on the home-world, often pitting different divisions of the military against each other, which has led to a well-trained but ultimately quite divided force. Additionally, the Star Pact is constantly looking to expand, causing severe border friction, sometimes even colonizing systems that were claimed (but not yet populated by) by other nations.
• Ankara Principalities: (Karkan System, planet Karr): one of the older nations of the galaxy, the people of the Principalities tend to believe that it is their destiny to conquer the galaxy, and that such a conquest in inevitable. Thus, while they are a generally warlike people, they are also notable for their patience. Even before Occupation, the Principalities warred frequently with the Amalah, rogue internal factions, the Aranseur Masters, the original Yaha civilization and have even skirmished with the Nomads at times. The Principalities do this not out of hate and not for reasons of greed or glory, but because they feel they must. A guiding philosophy of the Principalities is that nations must constantly test themselves against one another, and that those that fail to survive did not deserve to survive. In keeping with this, Jiptohr tend to believe that war is the natural state of being, that peace is only ever a necessary period of recuperation, and that a nation must always have an enemy – preferably an external one, though even an internal enemy can suffice – lest it become complacent and slowly waste away.
  • One of the larger military power of the pre-Occupation galaxy, the Principalities initially fought back against the encroaching Yohzhu and Tennosian forces, but after witnessing the fate of the Yaha, the already-ill-fated campaign was deemed futile, and they surrendered while they still had any military at all. Once the Occupation was over, they were quick to rebuild their forces, relying on the stockpiles they had been subtly building up over the course of the Occupation and their cultural inclination towards combat – and thus, to military service – to rapidly inflate their numbers.
  • Despite their often hostile activity, the Principalities is not necessarily opposed to peaceful conduct and diplomacy, as shown by their willingness to join the GN in 3520, but it's clear that they do prefer more martial means of conflict resolution. Even so, however, the Principalities' peculiar view of war tempers their aggression; Jiptohr War Philosophy inclines them to seek out “worthy adversaries” against which they can test themselves, meaning they will only go to war against an enemy that they have judged to be adequately prepared and roughly their equal in strength, and prefer to test themselves against a variety of tactics and mindsets, rather than develop long-lasting animosity towards any single opponent.
  • The Jiptohr view of peace as a recuperation period also affords it considerable value, and thus the Jiptohr prefer brief wars, regardless of how intensely they are fought, thus enabling to recover more quickly and prepare for the next war, which would ideally be against an entirely different opponent. They are also quite strict about minimizing harm to non-combatants.
  • Reality does not always line up with the world-view of the Principalities, however, and the Jiptohr are well aware of this. Their War Philosophy is a series of ideals to strive for, rather than a series of unbreakable rules.
  • The Principalities are a kind of constitutional, federal oligarchy. As the name implies, the Principalities are a collection of previously-separate kingdoms that banded together, or else were forced together. From among themselves, a council of the 12 monarchs of Karr elect a “Prime King/Queen”, who then acts as the highest authority for 10 years, whereupon a new election is called. Both the council and the Prime King have their power limited and checked by a powerful court system, with judges being elected to their positions by “distinguished” Jiptohr, usually (but not exclusively) those of a high rank in the military.
• Kingdom of the Aranseur Masters: (Aran System, Planet Saur): Violence and domination have been hallmarks of He-Tai society for about as long as there have been He-Tai societies, at least according to official government records. The history of planet Saur is packed with instances of everything from massive world-wide wars to gang violence and tribal raids. Then, about a century ago, a time of great peace and order came, as the masters of Aranseur – a small but prosperous He-Tai nation, one among many – brought their righteous ways to the rest of the world, through both peace and war. By strictly adhering to the guidance and wisdom of these masters, He-Tai no longer fought each other, and were able to focus their efforts on greater things, like reaching out for the stars.
  • According to official records, the Aranseur Kingdom was never occupied. The brave and mighty military forces of the Kingdom successfully held off both the Empire and the Alliance, a triumph that clearly demonstrates the superiority of the Masters over the rest of the galaxy. Neighbouring nations contest this version of events, claiming that Aranseur was occupied by both sides, just like almost everyone else, but the Masters – and their wise citizens — reject this foreign propaganda.
  • No slaves were rounded up and sent off to the Empire; dissidents and criminals were captured and imprisoned. No works of art or valuable artifacts were given as tribute; forgeries were destroyed, and the the Masters, in their wisdom, stored artifacts away to focus the people on the future. No materials were given over to an occupying force; they were instead used for construction projects in new cities and space stations. And certainly, no mysterious diseases of the mind and/or body ever ravaged the population. This simply did not occur.
  • As should be obvious to any observer by now, the Kingdom of the Aranseur Masters is a totalitarian regime, and despite its name, is actually ruled by a single individual, known as the Grand Master, making it an absolute dictatorship as well. The government of the Kingdom of the Aranseur Masters exerts a great deal of control over how its citizens go about their daily lives, and especially over what kind of information they are allowed to encounter. In addition, it is a well known fact among intelligence agencies that the K.A.M. Is constantly attempting to destabilize its neighbours through a wide variety of covert means, the the governments denies these charges.
  • A figure of some controversy at the GN, many believe they do not deserve the privilege of a vote, given the numerous reports of rights violations that come out of the Kingdom nearly every year. Nevertheless, they do have a vote, and many others would argue that it is better that they be involved with the rest of the galaxy, as the alternative would be to let the people of the K.A.M. Be totally isolated by a rogue state accountable to no one and nothing.

edited 29th Dec '17 2:01:10 PM by Blackfire667

Best OP

Other best OP

A quick, non-comprehensive note on GN decorum:

• The Chair will recognize you before you speak. "The Chair recognizes the honourable ambassador from [your nation here]!" You don't have to do this, though. It can remain implied.
• It is customary to thank the Chairperson when you're done talking. It's very rude to not do this!
• The Chairperson will yell at you if you heckle anyone! 3 strikes, and you get escorted out for the day.
• At any point in the debate, you can motion to skip the debate and proceed to a vote. 2 other ambassadors must agree with you, and then there will be a vote on whether or not the Assembly wants to skip to the voting. Yay bureaucracy!

I should go ahead and mention here that I've been having continuing computer issues, and am going to be getting a new one soon; I have other ways to post, though they are somewhat of a hassle. Anyway, point is that until that's sorted out completely, I might be a bit more delayed on the responses than I have been.

I'll also go ahead mention here, since I can't guarantee that I'll actually be able to get on Skype, that when I get my new computer I intend to switch to using Discord instead.

Duly noted. Good luck with your computer issues!

Holy moly, after so many delays, I am finally on the new computer. I have Discord now; any of you feel like adding me on there if you have it too?

Wait, there is a Discord group? Would it be okay for me to join as well?

We do not have a Discord group for this game, as far as I know.

There's no Discord group, and I don't plan to make one any time soon. However, you can still PM me your details if you'd like, and I'll add you as a friend. It'll be handy for staying in contact.

Sorry to confuse, I meant add me in the general sense, like as a contact. I do think a Discord chat would be better than that skype chat, though I could be biased since I simply never want to use Skype ever again.

Sorry, keep meaning to get a response post up for this RP; it just didn't seem like the biggest priority since I couldn't think of anything actually moving stuff along, also I've had a lot of things going on lately that kept distracting me.

I am still in this, I have just been trying to decide what to have Maros do in particular. I have a good idea of what Koruuna is going to do.

Sorry for double posting, but I just can't seem to work up any muse to post for this. I'm so sorry. I might just have to drop out.

The fact that I no longer use Skype and there is no intention for the chat to switch to Discord doesn't help.

@Firock: It's fine if you're busy. Thanks for letting us know!

@Thrall: I'm sorry to hear that! Just let me know if ever you want to come back.

Ah nice, new post! Though I'm not sure if I really have anything to post in response, so, feel free to skip me if need be.

As if it isn't going to take another month for a new post anyway. =P