Featherscale

VOTES Snimt'Arkhive endorses both measures, the GCC government does not contradict him.

An elderly Worker on a slender wheeled prosthesis takes to a microphone. He wears no hat, indicating he speaks on his own authority under Glic sumptuary traditions. He wears white, a color none of the attendees have likely seen on a Glix. The color of mayoralty, an office disbanded outside living memory. "Welcome, friends, to the Hexenniel! I am Snimt'Arkhive, Elder Brother of the Glic colony that lives under Queen Constance's suzerainty and the Glic Hive City we are forming here. It is an experiment not tried in over a thousand years! Tonight I wish to talk about freedom. For too long, the Arkhive has lives under the control of outsiders, beholden to off-planet interests hostile to Coedd and, in all probability, the Arkhive itself. We live in a dangerous world, and, even besides sane greed leading to assault, we have seen the tragedy of fanatics and lunatics randomly attacking innocents for mad reasons all too often in recent years. The more the Arkhive associates with any one bloc, the more that bloc's enemies might begin to question out neutrality, and even feel justified in attacking us. The Combine and the Llort are very close these days, and both have had many dealings with the Jy'mar. Given the generous nature of these three policies, the Arkhive might become a catspaw of their alliance... So, as the former Prime Minister of the Combine and current Elder Brother of the Glic Colony on Aridyin, I ask for the following ammendment: No Elect, regardless of points earned in the race to become Patron, may become Patron if they were Patron in the current or previous cycle of selection. In effect, 12 years must pass before any one elect might be eligible after they pass the Patronage off. They may still submit to the Arkhive and be ranked accordingly."

Glim'Bosk convinced her sister and Dmitr'Hesk to come with her to Mageball to peddle her new technology. "It would be fun", she said. Her sister, a traditional Queen, did not deign speak, but her herald let it be known she had tentative interest, but was skeptical. Dmitr'Hesk, a very important member of the Outer Duma, thought this would be a great way to get his name out there, by associating with a famous freethinker and a traditional Queen, both representing the glory of the Combine. He was also an uncommonly powerful medium and guided the twins into a dyad, something normally only formed by Nymphs. They each took our their reverse theramins and started humming, practicing using the Lepkashramov devices to gain telekinetic power... ...after some practice, The Freeholding Queen decided she would enter, as only one of the three could participate and the other two were busy.

Combined Commonwealth of Glix (GCC) Prime Minister Chif'Blak, The Parrot's Voice, Head of the Outer Duma Region 84, Parrot's Perch Game years 19-21 11 years since the year of Jubilee Resources Embassies= White Pawns Trade Routes= Glorious Purifiers Wealth: 4->(4 spent) 0 Income= 1/round cultural specialization: buyouts Space Units: 2 Mega-Dreadnought 7 Macaw Basillica of War: The Anvil Ground Units: 3 Carrier Groups: Wrath, Exoddus, Soulstorm Reputation: BRG 3 EMP 0 PTW 0 Favors: BRG 1 EMP 1 PTW 0 Diplomacy 6 Mil 5 Eco 10 Faith 2 Int 2 1. Diplomacy- Attend Mage Ball! Sub action- donate 4 Treasure to the Imperial Extraordinary Research project. Sub-action- Give Tesseractic Storage and psuedogravity engineering to MSQ in exchange for their donations to the Empire Sub action- trade Tesseractic Storage to SEV for Translight receivers Sub-action- trade Tesseractic Storage to HOB for Thaumonuclear Cores Sub-action- Trade Tesseractic Storage to CAS for Android industrialization Sub-action- trade Tesseractic Storage to BCC for Hacking fields Sub-action Trade Tesseractic Storage to TEA for Shrewd Business Sub-action- Trade Tesseractic Storage to SCM for Lazer rifles Sub-action- Give Tesseractic Storage to TWI for the expectation of future payment. Sub-action- trade Tesseractic Storage to LSP for Space Suits Sub-action- Accept Shrewd Business and Thaumonuclear Cores from ARK Trade Tesseractic Storage to anyone else who gives me a tech and/or donates to the Empire's Extraordinary Research 2. Diplomacy- Attend the Hexenniel Trade Tesseractic Storage to ISH for Shield Generators(?) 3. Diplomacy- Raise WTU rep success!? 4. Economy 10- Invent Tech: Tesseractic Storage requires: magical material, psuedogravity engineering. effect: -1 to distance penalties for economy actions. Inspired by Queen Constance's purple beehive dress, Glim'Bosk figured out how to bend objects into 4D superstructures with Lepkashramov. This technique causes the mass and carrying capacity of an object to scale to a higher exponential degree than implied by volume 5.Economy buyout Lawyers 81.1 Sources of Circuits are scarce on the ground, but Chif'Blak has an in with some lawyers... Non-actions: Ask the BRG to convert the Coeddite minority in Parrot's Perch to the Imperial Cult Give WTP Tesseractic Storage via our Embassy. Accept Arkhive embassy Arkhive submissions: ARKHIVE: History: Fumomamcy, the lost art It is said, in the time before the Exoddus to Mekhala, the Glix had a second magical form, the use of smoke to foretell future events and send messages. Truly great fumomancers might have found other uses for the art. But it was abandoned because it was dangerous and impractical in microgravity. Now, on Aridyin and in the Arkhive, the art is being reinvented. The Bees... have mixed feelings. ARKHIVE: Philosophy: Intent versus results The Glix, as have been mentioned, lack a formal school of analytic philosophy. However, they do have certain threads in common in their beliefs. Chief among them is a disregard for intentions and thought-process in judging actions. This leads to many confusions with outsiders, such as the recent shock at the attack on the Basu-Ramen Group for "promotion of slavery" when analyzing the incident made it quickly apparent they did not, technically, succeed in trafficking Slaves, despite their apparent willingness to abett such a crime. This, to be clear, was not out of a disregard for the immoral nature of slaving, but a mental block regarding how actions are to be adjudicated. ARKHIVE: Culture: Glazz, the new synthesis Over a decade after the breakthrough in Glic Music following the exposition at Badal, a new genre of music is swamping the airwaves in The Glic. Glaze! This form combines traditional Glic Ballads with polyphonic and polyrhythmic common to the Coalition, creating long, extremely elaborate forms. Indeed, this rejection of sonic minimalism common to traditional Glic Forms has been likened to the Baroque schools of other Mekhalan polities, such as the Dwarves and Exiles. ARKHIVE Notes: The Coeddite Glix continue to return to Sansar, attempting to settle the Arkhive colony on Aridyin. Expected growth: +1 Economy, +1 Diplomacy New Leader: election bonus: +1 Econ, +1 Faith Heir Stats: Shadow Prime Minister Dmitr'Hesk Diplomacy 4 Economy 5 Military 2 Faith 5 Intrigue 2

Chif'Blak, at the urging of his lawyers, never actually makes it to Veerha... There are concerns a colony ship headed by the Prime Minister stealing things might send the wrong idea to the xenophobic natives.

'Wow! I hope this isn't some kind of omen! One more time! 305!" After the results: "I'm bad at gambling! Isn't that fun, dear?"

Glim was conspicuously avoiding the Coeddite contingent her daughter had been with moments before. She was daydreaming of hexes and grids overlaying woven waves... "Hmm... another, please. 305. 6 and 5 and 2 plus one. Beautiful..."

Glim sushes her daughter and bows to the Sansarite diplomats before leading the party away. She catches a glimpse of the arrival of the dashing Queen Constance. She has no opinion on the aesthetics of the human form, but is wowed by the artistry of her dress. She resolves to pay respects to the leader of the Biarbu while here. Such a forthright and simple people, whose leader has a day job, rather than being a fulltime lawyer! Such was the tradition in The Combine, and she was gratified these strangers didn't keep to the elaborate double-speak and fake faces that so impressed humans. But first, she should play a game. She determines the best odds are probably for the one called Path of Destiny. Using her reverse theremin, she manipulates 305 chits to the attendant... "Let's see my path, eh?" Her daughter cringes in embarrassment, as daughters are wont to do.

The Combined Commonwealth of Glix Chif'Blak was a temperate, moderate Glix. He was not a Slingidite extremist like Snimt, an iconoclast like Glim, a libertine like Rofl, or mighty like The Hammer. He was just an elderly Worker lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. And no one could fault him. He brought food for hatchlings and gravity for the poor. He was a point that the rule of law could coalesce around when Snimt had his breakdown. But... but... he wasn't exciting. He would show them. For once, in his long, dull life, he would shine. He carefully studied the rules, flaunting Slingidite traditions regarding intent versus meaning. He contracted one of the dire Battle Lawyers under the Suzereignty of The House of Fire, to ensure there was not some human misunderstanding on translation. He sought out an Etceteran clerk-lich to offer a second opinion. When they all came up the same, he submitted a point of clarification to Al-Miraya. The answer was unambiguous. A vessel needed to have one pilot and no crew. Scale and cargo were not addressed. The Raum team that entered previously were hyper-minimalist, not even offering a sealed cockpit. Chif'Blak decided to err in the other direction. He double checked with the Elder Brother of Blak, and selected a Barracks that was serving as an administrative hub. Then he carefully, with clear airgapping the controls, and a dedicated command module, built a spaceship around it. A serious bureaucrat like Chif couldn't harry off for half a year to be in a race. But... he could take his work with him. And so, the Blak Comet was wrought. The VIP dome A Herald, with the signature top hat and the typical rotary flying harness, floats, as though there were no gravity. It is a mark of the power of his psi that no one noticed him enter. "I speak for the Outer Duma and Chif'Blak, their head. I speak for a plurality of the Inner Duma, as well." "We Glix are concerned about Coedd and deeply interested in your project. We are willing to share with you that, after consulting with various Mekhalan governments, we have reached a compromise. Those of our population effected by the outreach of Coedd and backing their irredentist agenda will get their wish. They can go home. The rest of the universe belongs to Slingid, in his persona as The Emperor, or The Primarch, the Bard, the Progenitor, or whichever name we choose to identify the force which drives progress."

The Nymph nods at the Purifier as she spills her seemingly friendly stream of consciousness.... "Another card for the Nymph, please..." The strange brains of the Biarbu are utterly closed to Glic Telepathy, the Nymph realized. This dealer needed to be spoken to... ...just not by her. While her mother could do as she pleased, a proper Royal was above gross physical speech. Third card (9) At this point, Glim catches up with her daughter. "Oh, sweetheart, don't tell me you were gambling?" Sigh.

The Combined Commonwealth of Glix Glim'Bosk found herself, again, the goodwill ambassador of the Glix. It seemed, sometimes, no one else cared enough. Given the whole fiasco with that rogue Brother, this was very short-sighted. But... oh, well. At least a luxury vacation wasn't onerous. She was surrounded by a troop of armed Bosk Workers, and carried on her illustrious palanquin. Her daughter, grown to the size of a Worker at 8 years, waddled quickly behind her mother, but not quickly enough to escape the watch of her guards or the bevvy of drones she was betrothed to, nor the Klox the drones coordinated like a school of vicious fish. Her daughter, like almost all Nymphs, spoke rarely, and didn't like to have her name spoken. But she was at the center of the Comet of activity that surrounded the diplomats, even now, unfused, eclipsing the remedial psi of the great artist and engineer. That luminary was lost in visions of wings... Nymph'Bosk continued waddling... to the Blackbird table. She paused expectantly... And continued... ...and waited... After a pause, a Worker coughed. "One might deal in The Nymph. Her credit is good via the Combine. The Nymph also extends greetings to the Representative from our friends, The Purifiers."

Combined Commonwealth of Glix (GCC) Prime Minister Chif'Blak, The Parrot's Voice, Head of the Outer Duma Region 84, Parrot's Perch Game years 16-18 8 years since the year of Jubilee Resources Embassies= White Pawns Trade Routes= Glorious Purifiers Wealth: 5->(5 spent) 1 Income= 1/round cultural specialization: buyouts Space Units: 2 Mega-Dreadnought 7 Macaw Basillica of War: The Anvil Ground Units: 3 Carrier Groups: Wrath, Exoddus, Soulstorm Reputation: BRG 1 EMP 0 PTW 0 Favors: BRG 0 EMP 1 PTW 0 Diplomacy 6 Mil 5 Eco 8 Faith 2 Int 2 1. Diplomacy- Attend Casino Opening Sub action- bet 1 Treasure, and an additional treasure on behalf of the Arkhive Sub-action- transfer my general (The Hammer) and region 100 to the Arkhive. Betting isn't the Glic way, but the prize is too much to pass up. While there, the coalition government dumps toxic assets. 2. Buyout TP 36.3 (oil) (Success!) After the shocking events in Sansar, the Irridentists, always a minority, are shunned by the Duma. Project Homecoming is scrapped and the Glix look outward! To do this, ironically, they will need fuel from the Fiorids. 3. Economy Build RBG base 1/3 4.Economy Build RBG base 2/3 5.Economy Build RBG base 3/3 The Ministers of Slingid seek relevance... ...in the typical Glix way of making money talk. Non-actions: Arkhive submissions: ARKHIVE: History: On the Ur-Hive theory Some historians now believe the Glix once lived in Hive-cities on Chonkia before a series of devastating wars led to a massive die-off of Queens. The few survivors, it is now theorized, were betrayed or enticed into the captivity of a paleo-Kanite society living in what is now The Reserve. Though little more than speculation, this die-off is compared to the smaller mass-die-off of Nymphs several hundred years ago and believed to be the result of internal warfare rather than external pressures. Since it happened before the War of Eternal Bombardments, and thus long before any reliable records might still exist, this cannot be assumed as truth, but it would explain the strong ethic of resolving conflict by arbitration that led to the last major conflict between Glix to break out by psionic suborning of Queens, not direct warfare between those directly involved. ARKHIVE: Philosophy: Writing Much has been made of the Glix distrust of writing, but rarely is it discussed in terms of its rationalization. The Glix value sincerity and honesty above most everything else. It is said they will "forgive malice before doublespeak." Writing, being limited by its lack of tone, body language, and clear indication as to to the context and circumstances of the author speaking, is suspicious to them. Audio recordings, ir, better yet, telepathic impressions, are better able to keep this, so are less suspect. The idea Glix are stupid, unable to read by nature, or are individually ignorant or incurious, is a stereotype best discarded. Many Glix artists, scientists, and wizards exist, even if they rarely write down their notes. ARKHIVE: Culture: Cursing! Glix are rare among sophonts for being completely sexless. Queens are created by a Nymph fusing with drones, and Workers do not reproduce at all. As a note- All Glix are actually chimerae of 4 or more karyotypic individuals, Reproductives being octoploid and Worker's being tetraploid. This means Glic evolution is very slow compared to most other life forms, but each individual Glix is extremely hardy due to the complementary and redundant immune systems of each karyotype. Glix, compared to vertebrates, are able to regenerate, accept organ transplants more easily and do not develop allergies. They are also very resistant to viruses and bacteria. They are, however, more susceptible to fungal infection, parasites, and certain cancers. All of this means that insulting curses tend to be about unsymmetry or parasite load of an unpleasant individual, or comparing a Queen to a Worker, but never directly referring to specific actions, as no action exists in their experience to reference. A common insult is to liken an individual to a piece of editted prose. "STAT" "Proofrwritten" and "cited" are all variously used in insulting context by Glix. ARKHIVE Notes: The Hammer is put out of her own Basilica and sent to the Arkhive with 500 of her closest retainers (mostly her own sons and a few of her brothers) and one of her daughters and her retainers follow shortly. All formally denounce Slingid in favor of Coedd and The Arkhive. Other: Sign onto EAT Expected growth: +2 Economy New stats: Diplomacy 6 Mil 5 Eco 10 Faith 2 Int 2 Heir Stats: Shadow Minister Dmitr'Hesk Diplomacy 3 Economy 3 Military 2 Faith 4 Intrigue 2

GLIX COMBINED COMMONWEALTH Sansar's Glic population was, currently, Two Independent Queens, one Queen of Glek Teivosk, one Queen of Raum Teivosk, 5 Nymphs of no affiliation, 1993 Workers, and 20 drones. Each drone is protected by a pack of vicious klox it has charmed to its will. They are currently at residence in the Arkhive, though they maintain Embassies in Kan and the Moonsoul Mountains, and have sent researchers onto Aridyin. The Drone, in as much as it thought, thought this place smelled nice. One day, decades from now, it would fuse with a Nymph and a couple other Drones, and they would become a Queen. It did not know this, but it's Instinct told it to flock to the company of Sophont Glix who would guard and feed it. That elderly Worker was worried about something, but the Nymph seemed cheerful. The Drone entered the mind of its pet klox, and it sniffed better than the Drone could. None of the pack of klox the Drone lead, no the Alpha or its kloxies, sensed anything amiss... Snimt'Glek worried every day that this many female Glix in one place was an existential threat, for a target this rich, protected only by the Arkhive's nonexistent military, was too rich for their enemies. That such wasn't unusual historically speaking, or that neither the Glix nor the Arkhive had enemies, were not thoughts Snimt considered. The Raum Nymph, the first Royal in 23 Jubilees to be born in a Hive, didn't think about her safety or historical precedent, either. She was more interested in the future. Here, they were unlocking secrets even the ancients had never cracked. Above her, on Aridyin, they were laying the groundwork for the great project that would return the Glix to Sansar. Her Sons, and, one day, her daughter, would be born under a sky, in a proper land made to welcome her people.

Combined Commonwealth of Glix (GCC) Prime Minister Chif'Blak, The Parrot's Voice, Head of the Outer Duma Region 84, Parrot's Perch Game years 13-15 5 years since the year of Jubilee Resources Embassies= White Pawns Trade Routes= Glorious Purifiers Wealth: 5(none spent)-> 5 Income= 0/round ->(1/round?) Hide thil Space Units: 2 Mega-Dreadnought 7 Macaw Basillica of War: The Anvil Ground Units: 4 Carrier Groups: Wrath, Exoddus, Oddyssey, Soulstorm Reputation: BRG 1 EMP 0 PTW 0 Favors: BRG 0 EMP 1 PTW 0 Diplomacy 7 Mil 5 Eco 7 Faith 1 Int 2 1. Military- Invade Region 14 on behalf of the Bironian Bulwark. Commit 2 space and 4 land units. Rofl'hesk, now called Rofl'Biron, seeks to avenge Shi Lithium and become ArchKnight! The Hammer (General Mil 7) leads the Glix Fleet, with its ship-like APC's carrying slow moving, heavily armed troops and backed by giant Dreadnoughts. She is doing a favor for her Grandson on behalf of the Inner Duma. She chooses a conservative tactic of a Measured Advance. 2. Economy- Colonize 100 Success The Fiorids attempted to claim jump us, maybe? It isn't clear. We are proceeding as though there will be no obstruction. 3. Economy- Buyout TP 30.3 Success The economic scale of The Glix is expanding with the new Jubilee. A secondary food source is secured. 4. Faith- Seek Aid on TP buyout. 5. Faith- Seek Aid on colonizing The Reverends of Slingid raise power amid social unrest. They accomplish little. Non-actions: Arkhive: Philosophy: On Order The Glix believe strongly that debts should be paid. This is why they declined the loan from the Union and why they pay their taxes. The Union asked for terms the Glix would not meet, but the Empire paid upfront with their Engines. They believe in saving and thrift. The Glix, are, at heart, creatures of order, and things being wrong upsets them. So, when Rofl'Biron petitioned the Czarra to avenge Shi Lithium, he hinges his appeal on one thing- a thing the sagas pivot on: He was a loyal servant, bent into something that never existed before, and, in his judgement, this was what he thought needed doing. He was owed for the changes done to him by Snimt'Glek, but, more importantly, he was a psionic prodigy before he was turned into a Brother. The Brother program supercharged his psi, and the psi of Workers is based on perception. He felt this needed doing, and he was a finely-tuned instrument of feeling. There was only one response to that, for a Glix. Arkhive: Literature: The Ballad of Biron, part 1 A commodity That was traded as an egg So I became, Rofl Freedom isn't free All are Slaves to circumstance So I became, Hesk Born a prodigy Puissant like my grandmother Reborn a Brother Unlike the others Mooncalf, no longer a Worker Reborn a Soldier And Shi Lithium Accross the circle Well met, true hero And, too soon, away Fallen, never to return Farewell, true hero They seek now vengeance And I call, Mother's Mother Be theirs, oh Hammer I become Biron Brother, Soldier, Prodigy Bring peace, true hero Arkhive: Culture: The Czarra and the Inner Duma Generally speaking, most Glix Workers have two representatives in The Duma, their Outer Duma representative, appointed by the Elder Brother of their Teivosk, and their Line Mother, their eldest Female relative, who sits in the Inner Duma. According to legend, the leader of the Inner Duma is a transcendent being called the Czarra that was thr original creation of Slingid and lives in the minds of every Queen. The Queens do not speak in words, and, when they do communicate with Workers, it is almost always with one voice. Which is not to say Workers cannot communicate with them. In practice, a Worker can petition their Line Mother for an audience and it will be granted. In theory, this isn't necessary, they can just pray to The Czarra and it will be heard. But the Czarra replying directly is the stuff of legends. Some skeptics, most notoriously Glim'Bosk, doubted The Czarra was a real entity... Until Rofl'Biron asked the Combine Government to intervene in the Bironian Civil War. ARKHIVE note: The Migration or birth of 2003 Sophont Glix and a population of Drones makes the Arkhive the biggest Glix population besides The Blackcloud Coalition, and the presence of 4 Queens and 5 nymphs marks this as the only Glic Hive in existence. Expected growth +1 Economy, +1 Faith New leader: No New stats: Diplomacy 7 Mil 5 Eco 8 Faith 2 Int 2

Rofl'hesk knows he isn't going to win. That wasn't the job. Frankly, the prize, such as it was, was more headache than reward, given the Combine's careful neutrality in the various wars breaking out between the humans. But he was here, and he would try to make a good showing! [Failed bbcode entry] KDvPrisca:2d6+5 PVvPrisca:2d6+1 CSFvPrisca:2d6+6 KDvLithium:2d6+5 PBvLithium:2d6+1 CSFvLithium:2d6+6 KDVS.ADVISORHARPER:2d6+5 PBvsADVISORHARPER:2d6+1 CSfvSr.AdvisorHarper:2d6+6 KDvBCC:2d6+5 PBvBCC:2d6+1 CSfvBCC:26+6 KDvArtavasdes:2d6+5 PBvArtavasdes:2d6+1 CSfvArtasvasdes:2d6+6 KDvMoniteEbonne:2d6+5 PBvMoniteEbonne:2d6+1 CSFvMoniteEbonne:2d6+6 KDvEighbris:2d6+5 PBvEighbris:2d6+1 CSfvEighbris:2d6+6