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Flag C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. (CAS) Round 7 Regions: Space-Kelp Cluster (87), Amiant Cluster (86), (92) Faith: Hospitality Protocols (Unorganized) Ruler: Custodial Unit 2323 Diplomacy 10 Military 5 Economy 10 Faith 3 Intrigue 2 Actions Expected Stat Increases at End of Round: Nil Diplomacy - Establish Confederation Claim in 85, use Treasure, Renown 1 (2d6+12 vs 18) Failure! (16) Diplomacy - Encourage Settlement in 92 (2d6+10 vs 12) (mistyped the region in the rolls) Success! (15) Diplomacy - Sway Mercantile Faction in the Amiant Cluster, 86 (2d6+10 vs 12) Success! (17) Diplomacy - Attend Mageball Economy - Buyout Unrefined Ores in the Khylosen Cluster, 89.3 (2d6+10 vs 12) Success! (19) Event sub-actions Officially join the EAT since I forgor last round Share Android Industrialization with the Eucrus Alliance (TEA) in exchange for Pseudogravity Engineering, Badalian Megadirigibles, and Shrewd Business Receive Hyperlight Transceivers technology from the Castaways of the Loop (SEV) Share 1 Treasure, all techs with the Merely Players (Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, Arcane Amplification, In Vivo Modification, Nuclear Fusion, Xenolinguistic Cataloguing, Thaumonuclear Reaction Cores, Android Industrialization, Cyclone Phased Laser Arrays) Share Android Industrialization with the Combined Commonwealth of Glix (GCC) in exchange for Tesseractic Storage Share Android Industrialization with the Counts of Mirage (MIR) in exchange for Anti-Gravitational Rail Share Android Industrialization with the Llort Society Protectorate in exchange for Smart Space Colonizer Suits Share Android Industrialization with the Soom-Clan Marauders in exchange for Soom-Pattern Rayguns Share Android Industrialization with the Black Cloud Coalition in exchange for EONS Projector Non-actions Resist all unsupported buyouts, conversions, and sways Accept Embassy from the Dwarven Industrial Coalition (DIC) in the CASSIOPE habitat Welcome Dwarven investigators into the new colony to investigate the Ancient Forcefield Generator Welcome Players into the CASSIOPE habitat and the new colony to conduct their investigation Market Connections - Request WTU Buyout of Vibrating Crystals, 85.2 Interplanetary Guildhall - Request WTU construction of an Arcology in the Amiant Cluster, 86 - (Pleura Garment District, bonus to Establish Claim) CASSIOPE requests assistance from the Union with construction of the city-complex of Pleura in the uppermost levels of the tunnels of Amiant, including facilities for visitors, a hall for the Union, workshops (primarily dedicated to Haute Couture production), and digital interface infrastructure custom-designed to be accessible to the locals' unique arachnoid forms, allowing the Fibrils to join the rest of Tekhum on the InterPlaNet. The Garment District in particular will enable impressive new productive capabilities, with a specialty in outfitting diplomats in the finest finery, allowing them to make the best possible first impressions. Support Minority Introduction by BRB in the Space-Kelp Cluster News and Rumors Audit Treasure Round Round Start Round End 1 Nil (2: SK*) +3 WTU Loan (0->3) 2 Nil (4: 2SK*) -1 EMP Taxes, -1 Transfer to LSP, -1 Actions (3->0) 3 +1 Passive (6: 2SK*, HC, CW) +3 Hoarding (1->4) 4 +1 Passive (6: 2SK*, HC, CW) -3 WTU Loan, -2 Actions (5->0) 5 +1 Passive (9: 2SK*, HC*, CW, CK, CM), +1 Ally of the Union -2 Actions (2->0) 6 +1 Passive (8: 2SK*, HC, CW, CK, CM), +1 Ally of the Union -1 Transfer to SEV, -1 Actions (2->0) 7 +1 Passive (9: 2SK*, HC, CW, CK, CB, VS), +1 Ally of the Union, +1 from TPWA Proposal -1 Transfer to MRP, -1 Actions (3->1) 8

The Amiant Cluster, Region 86 Geography As with most of the rest of Mekhala, the cluster is dominated by empty space and smaller asteroids, which are of little note -- although that has begun to change since the arrival of the custodial units of C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. and Basu-Rahman Affiliates, as some of these minor bodies have become host to relay infrastructure and other bases of operation. The largest asteroid in the cluster, an irregular siliceous mass approximately 150 clicks across known as Amiant, is home to the majority of the region’s life and activity. Amiant is subdivided into two major regions, colloquially referred to as the dark and light sides in accordance with their appearance at the surface (with one being a gray several shades darker than the other). In addition to the shade, the dark side is also significantly less bumpy, more consolidated (almost no dust and very compacted, despite the asteroid-scale gravity), and has no signs of inhabitants whatsoever. Much of the light side is little more than a loose aggregation of dust and small rocks at the surface, simply settled into place by the weak pull of gravity. In select areas of the light side, flat, circular landing areas dot the landscape, the surface concreted together by the recent newcomers using a cement mixed with vacuum-resistant kelp mucus. Wide semicircular gateways stand at the edges of these circular landing pads, where visitors can descend into the heart of Amiant: the tunnels. After about a kilometer of walking, the newly built, mucus-cemented tunnel walls merge into a much older tunnel network, which appears to have its walls reinforced with a strange sort of fibrous mineral, laid across and within the rocky material in all different directions, in a manner which seems to bind the tunnel wall together (and also provide a slight springiness in the floor). The tunnels, no less than ten meters in diameter, form a complex, sprawling network running under most parts of the light side of Amiant. The inside of the tunnel network is a vacuum, and typically pitch black (within the visible light spectrum, at least). Occasionally tunnels intersect or open up into larger chambers, tens or hundreds of meters across, which are often criss-crossed with the same fiber matted into sheets that subdivide the space or bridge across it. Some of these chambers are also largely without this fiber, instead opening into unconsolidated cavities where mining takes place. Amiant has an extremely slow rate of rotation. A typical point on the surface might see Ophon for three hundred hours before an equivalent time facing the relative darkness of Outer Tekhum. As a result, the tunnels of Amiant that are home to the Fibrils see a wide range of temperature variation, an effective ‘day’ and ‘night’ that transpire despite the consistent darkness to the eyes of most organics. During the day, when the light side of Amiant faces Ophon and the temperature is warmer in the tunnels (entirely unsafe for most anything not in protective gear, ranging from 50-100 Celcius) are periods of activity, where the Fibrils go about their work and their rituals. During the ‘nights,’ temperatures drop as low as -100 Celcius, and Fibrils go to sleep, typically in large groups with others of similar size, within ‘nests’ of thick, matted mineral fiber found in some of the chambers. This temperature change is less drastic as one goes deeper into the asteroid, where it gets uniformly on the warmer end. In the very deepest parts of the tunnel network, the tunnel density decreases, leaving at the end only a pair of 10-meter tunnels, winding helically around one another for the last few kilometers leading to the Final Chamber, the only portion of the Fibril tunnels located underneath the dark side. Recently, many of these chambers have begun to also feature outside presence, such as in media receivers that allow BRG relay stations on the outside to reach their Fibril viewers. These are often in dedicated rooms, which isolate these outside broadcasts somewhat from the bulk of Fibril society, although not by much seeing as how packed the screen rooms tend to be. People Amiant is inhabited exclusively by creatures known as Fibrils, a type of lithoid entity composed of stone suffused with either magic or a biology so alien so as to enable intelligence and motion like that of organic life. A Fibril’s body, itself divided into a rotund thorax with a smaller beady-eyed head and rather small abdomen at the ends, is entirely obscured by a loose, fluffy cloud of mineral fiber, typically a light gray but sometimes also in faint, pastel-esque hues of blue, green, brown, and yellow. Emerging from the mostly spherical cloud are eight appendages -- round, flexible tubes with surfaces like a high-grade fabric hose densely woven from the same fiber, arcing up out of the thorax and tapering on the way back down to meet the ground with gripping pads composed of hundreds of fine fibers. The Fibrils live a peaceful, communal existence for the most part, under the mostly-ceremonial rule of a council of their largest elders (Fibrils continually grow throughout their lives, starting the size of a space-golf ball and having the potential to grow to the point where they barely fit through the narrowest tunnels; the average adult has a body about four feet in length, but appears much larger with cloud and legs included). As a mostly air-evacuated atmosphere tends to be insufficient for using sound to communicate, Fibrils have developed a language communicated through taps and scrapes against whatever stone floor/wall/etc they may be standing on (or alternately, sent as vibration through tensioned mineral fiber structures). Additionally, Fibrils naturally emit light as part of their digestion, by which they are able to see. This light, however, is not within the typical visible spectrum for humans and some other organics, and the primary visible spectrum for humans is not visible to Fibrils. Resource The Fibrils are natural weavers, and are extremely proficient with all manner of fiber arts. This is most used in their own application of natural mineral fiber for construction and all manner of personal wrappings, and for their most sacred rituals. In recent years, with the import of fibers and fabrics less injurious to organic life, they have taken to sharing simulacra of the projects of their Star’s End rituals with outsiders, oftentimes to the instruction of a particular patron requesting a fanciful garment. One of their favorite new fabrics to work with has been fine kelp filament, which they have developed novel ways of spinning, weaving, knitting, matting, and sewing into the highest known quality grades of thread, fabric, and wearable art. Naturally, high fashion is also high art. Haute Couture has the resource categories of Luxury Goods and Art and Cultural Products. The Fibrils, as no surprise for a lithoid species, have a diet consisting largely of mineral ores. Many of the tastiest and most filling of these are becoming increasingly rare within Amiant after centuries of extensive mining, and thus more ores are a necessary import. Faith Star’s End is the most important ritual of the Fibrils, performed once per cycle at the end of the Amiant day. Thousands upon thousands of Fibrils will spend several hours crafting and donning protective garb to insulate themselves from the heat of the Final Chamber (unbearable even to Fibrils, and even then only Fibrils of a certain size can survive the journey, making it a sort of coming-of-age experience), and a lucky few will contribute to that cycle’s Stars. Typically these are humanoid dolls knitted lovingly from mineral fiber, draped in clothing of the most fanciful arrangements of color, texture, and geometry. Suspended like puppets between ropes held by the extra-insulated Fibrils, a procession of these Stars pursued by no less than half of the Fibril populace descends toward the Final Chamber at the deepest point of the tunnels, rhythmically tapping the tunnel walls along the way. Upon arrival, the ceremony as well as the rhythmic chant-like stomp-singing reaches its culmination, as the helical approach tunnels open into a wide chamber, where the stone is magically stained to a pitch black across all spectrums of light. At the center of this chamber floats a perfect, lightless sphere of incomprehensible size -- although that is not to say that it is particularly large or small. The orb pulsates with magical energy, felt by the Fibrils in a manner not dissimilar to the pounding bass at a rock concert (although of course the latter would typically not be able to travel through vacuum). One by one, the Stars of Amiant are given a final refrain of the chant, and hurled toward the orb. Upon contact, the doll and its magnificent outfit instantly disappear, leaving no trace and making no sound. Sometimes, the doll Stars will be joined by a Fibril Star, the largest elder having made the decision to retire in the most honorable and spectacular manner possible. Similarly, they don their custom high-fashion garment, fitted for their arachnoid form, and lead the procession and its song. Once at the final chamber, these living Stars leap gracefully down to meet their End.

Region 86, The Amiant Cluster (Mekhala) The Amiant Cluster Geography: As with most of the rest of Mekhala, the cluster is dominated by empty space and smaller asteroids, which are of little note -- although that has begun to change since the arrival of the custodial units of C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. and Basu-Rahman Affiliates, as some of these minor bodies have become host to relay infrastructure and other bases of operation. The largest asteroid in the cluster, an irregular siliceous mass approximately 150 clicks across known as Amiant, is home to the majority of the region’s life and activity. Amiant is subdivided into two major regions, colloquially referred to as the dark and light sides in accordance with their appearance at the surface (with one being a gray several shades darker than the other). In addition to the shade, the dark side is also significantly less bumpy, more consolidated (almost no dust and very compacted, despite the asteroid-scale gravity), and has no signs of inhabitants whatsoever. Much of the light side is little more than a loose aggregation of dust and small rocks at the surface, simply settled into place by the weak pull of gravity. In select areas of the light side, flat, circular landing areas dot the landscape, the surface concreted together by the recent newcomers using a cement mixed with vacuum-resistant kelp mucus. Wide semicircular gateways stand at the edges of these circular landing pads, where visitors can descend into the heart of Amiant: the tunnels. After about a kilometer of walking, the newly built, mucus-cemented tunnel walls merge into a much older tunnel network, which appears to have its walls reinforced with a strange sort of fibrous mineral, laid across and within the rocky material in all different directions, in a manner which seems to bind the tunnel wall together (and also provide a slight springiness in the floor). The tunnels, no less than ten meters in diameter, form a complex, sprawling network running under most parts of the light side of Amiant. The inside of the tunnel network is a vacuum, and typically pitch black (within the visible light spectrum, at least). Occasionally tunnels intersect or open up into larger chambers, tens or hundreds of meters across, which are often criss-crossed with the same fiber matted into sheets that subdivide the space or bridge across it. Some of these chambers are also largely without this fiber, instead opening into unconsolidated cavities where mining takes place. Amiant has an extremely slow rate of rotation. A typical point on the surface might see Ophon for three hundred hours before an equivalent time facing the relative darkness of Outer Tekhum. As a result, the tunnels of Amiant that are home to the Fibrils see a wide range of temperature variation, an effective ‘day’ and ‘night’ that transpire despite the consistent darkness to the eyes of most organics. During the day, when the light side of Amiant faces Ophon and the temperature is warmer in the tunnels (entirely unsafe for most anything not in protective gear, ranging from 50-100 Celcius) are periods of activity, where the Fibrils go about their work and their rituals. During the ‘nights,’ temperatures drop as low as -100 Celcius, and Fibrils go to sleep, typically in large groups with others of similar size, within ‘nests’ of thick, matted mineral fiber found in some of the chambers. This temperature change is less drastic as one goes deeper into the asteroid, where it gets uniformly on the warmer end. In the very deepest parts of the tunnel network, the tunnel density decreases, leaving at the end only a pair of 10-meter tunnels, winding helically around one another for the last few kilometers leading to the Final Chamber, the only portion of the Fibril tunnels located underneath the dark side. Recently, many of these chambers have begun to also feature outside presence, such as in media receivers that allow BRG relay stations on the outside to reach their Fibril viewers. These are often in dedicated rooms, which isolate these outside broadcasts somewhat from the bulk of Fibril society, although not by much seeing as how packed the screen rooms tend to be. People: Amiant is inhabited exclusively by creatures known as Fibrils, a type of lithoid entity composed of stone suffused with either magic or a biology so alien so as to enable intelligence and motion like that of organic life. A Fibril’s body, itself divided into a rotund thorax with a smaller beady-eyed head and rather small abdomen at the ends, is entirely obscured by a loose, fluffy cloud of mineral fiber, typically a light gray but sometimes also in faint, pastel-esque hues of blue, green, brown, and yellow. Emerging from the mostly spherical cloud are eight appendages -- round, flexible tubes with surfaces like a high-grade fabric hose densely woven from the same fiber, arcing up out of the thorax and tapering on the way back down to meet the ground with gripping pads composed of hundreds of fine fibers. The Fibrils live a peaceful, communal existence for the most part, under the mostly-ceremonial rule of a council of their largest elders (Fibrils continually grow throughout their lives, starting the size of a space-golf ball and having the potential to grow to the point where they barely fit through the narrowest tunnels; the average adult has a body about four feet in length, but appears much larger with cloud and legs included). As a mostly air-evacuated atmosphere tends to be insufficient for using sound to communicate, Fibrils have developed a language communicated through taps and scrapes against whatever stone floor/wall/etc they may be standing on (or alternately, sent as vibration through tensioned mineral fiber structures). Additionally, Fibrils naturally emit light as part of their digestion, by which they are able to see. This light, however, is not within the typical visible spectrum for humans and some other organics, and the primary visible spectrum for humans is not visible to Fibrils. Resource: The Fibrils are natural weavers, and are extremely proficient with all manner of fiber arts. This is most used in their own application of natural mineral fiber for construction and all manner of personal wrappings, and for their most sacred rituals. In recent years, with the import of fibers and fabrics less injurious to organic life, they have taken to sharing simulacra of the projects of their Star’s End rituals with outsiders, oftentimes to the instruction of a particular patron requesting a fanciful garment. One of their favorite new fabrics to work with has been fine kelp filament, which they have developed novel ways of spinning, weaving, knitting, matting, and sewing into the highest known quality grades of thread, fabric, and wearable art. Naturally, high fashion is also high art. Haute Couture has the resource categories of Luxury Goods and Art and Cultural Products. The Fibrils, as no surprise for a lithoid species, have a diet consisting largely of mineral ores. Many of the tastiest and most filling of these are becoming increasingly rare within Amiant after centuries of extensive mining, and thus more ores are a necessary import. Faith: Star’s End is the most important ritual of the Fibrils, performed once per cycle at the end of the Amiant day. Thousands upon thousands of Fibrils will spend several hours crafting and donning protective garb to insulate themselves from the heat of the Final Chamber (unbearable even to Fibrils, and even then only Fibrils of a certain size can survive the journey, making it a sort of coming-of-age experience), and a lucky few will contribute to that cycle’s Stars. Typically these are humanoid dolls knitted lovingly from mineral fiber, draped in clothing of the most fanciful arrangements of color, texture, and geometry. Suspended like puppets between ropes held by the extra-insulated Fibrils, a procession of these Stars pursued by no less than half of the Fibril populace descends toward the Final Chamber at the deepest point of the tunnels, rhythmically tapping the tunnel walls along the way. Upon arrival, the ceremony as well as the rhythmic chant-like stomp-singing reaches its culmination, as the helical approach tunnels open into a wide chamber, where the stone is magically stained to a pitch black across all spectrums of light. At the center of this chamber floats a perfect, lightless sphere of incomprehensible size -- although that is not to say that it is particularly large or small. The orb pulsates with magical energy, felt by the Fibrils in a manner not dissimilar to the pounding bass at a rock concert (although of course the latter would typically not be able to travel through vacuum). One by one, the Stars of Amiant are given a final refrain of the chant, and hurled toward the orb. Upon contact, the doll and its magnificent outfit instantly disappear, leaving no trace and making no sound. Sometimes, the doll Stars will be joined by a Fibril Star, the largest elder having made the decision to retire in the most honorable and spectacular manner possible. Similarly, they don their custom high-fashion garment, fitted for their arachnoid form, and lead the procession and its song. Once at the final chamber, these living Stars leap gracefully down to meet their End.

At the Starting Line A brilliant green craft gently touches down in line next to the other ships. It appears somewhat familiar, if an odd shape for a spacecraft to any Veehrans in attendance (although certainly not the strangest in that regard -- thanks to the lack of atmosphere in space and the technomagical engineering of many of the other Elect, some truly eccentric designs have also made it to the starting line for this year's Dash). The Fourth Green-Line Train to Veehra is a speed-optimized version of the others of its class, built primarily from high-performance kelp fiber composite and magnesium alloy, carefully shaped into sweeping curves algorithmically optimized to evenly distribute structural loads. Much of what would typically be passenger or freight capacity is replaced with tanks filled with kelp-derived combustion fuel, with the front section only leaving space for its single pilot and a small cargo compartment, and the rear of the vehicle dominated by an array of combustion power cells, feeding power and combustion products into CASSIOPE's local version of Imperial Drive technology: the SPIKE drive, which magnetically accelerates a high energy stream of spun-particulate ionized kelp exhaust for propulsion. A rectangular hairline crack appears in the side of the front car, interrupting an otherwise smooth and untextured outer hull, uniformly coated in the vibrant green of enriched vacuum-resistant kelp mucus. The outline becomes a rounded rectangular panel as it slowly pushes out and slides to the side, revealing a dark interior, from which emerges a single robotic unit, humanoid in shape, stepping noiselessly down to the platform with the grace of a dancer. As Unit 2323 walks toward the entrance to greet Ambassador Yessikruz Donce, the light of Ophon glints off of a coat of violet paint, betraying an elegant iridescence. "High noon in the Space-Kelp Cluster, neighbor! I am Cassiope, representatively; it's truly an honor." From an internal chest cavity, 2323 produces a small box, wrapped in an intricately folded, fine kelp fiber cloth. The cloth bears the image of a map of Mekhala on a dark, virescent field, artfully distorted so as to enlarge the homes of Mekhala's Elect (orbitally positioned as they were on the first day of the Imperial calendar year in which the program of the Elect was begun), as well as to take up the entire field besides a luminous image of Ophon in the center. The chest itself is machined from a particularly reflective steel alloy, inlaid with a delicate filigree pattern of platinum and platinum-gold blends, balanced in color so as to only subtly stand out from the steel. Inside are a selection of high-grade raw ores, including platinum-group metal ore, Corbomite, and Cinnakite ore, as well as a small gold-inlaid glass bottle of liquid gold. "For you, Ambassador; a token of our appreciation for your hospitality." Somehow, 2323 conveys a remarkable warmth of speech and body language. Massive amounts of computing power have been devoted to discerning such subtleties of optimally personable interaction with organics, and 2323 is encoded with the most advanced protocols of this kind of any custodial unit yet. After an exchange of pleasantries, they make their way to the EAT room for diplomatic discussions. The Race Upon return to the Fourth Green-Line Train to Veehra, Unit 2323 begins final preparations for their first venture out of Mekhala. The door to the pilot car closes seamlessly, leaving the outer hull smooth once more, excepting the countless miniature cameras spread across its surface. These cameras boot up, and resume transmitting livestream video back to the Space-Kelp Cluster, where custodial units and organics alike gather in the KelpNet forums and their favorite community hubs to watch the Dash, and to cheer on their custom-built champion. Meanwhile, the Third Green-Line Train to Veehra makes landfall in the Great Western Waste, bringing a shipment of gifts to the Castaways of the Loop, as well as preparing a canister of Veehran sand and a tanker full of liquified kelp combustion fuel for the arrival of Unit 2323 and the Fourth Green-Line.

Flag C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. (CAS) Round 6 Regions: Space-Kelp Cluster (87), (86), (92) Faith: Hospitality Protocols (Unorganized) Ruler: Custodial Unit 2323 Diplomacy 9 Military 5 Economy 10 Faith 2 Intrigue 2 Actions Expected Stat Increases at End of Round: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Faith Economy - E10 Technology: Android Industrialization Requires Algorithmic Imagination; Requires Industrial Machinery or Conductors and Circuitry Effect: Allows a three-action Dip/Econ Great Project in a region which gives the effects of the Industrial Investment action taken in that region. A party must own the region's mercantile support and satisfy its current DI in order to begin the project. Upon completion, the mercantile support becomes unowned, and the region's DI changes to a new resource category, either randomly determined or chosen by the GM. Actions toward the project beyond the first may also be taken by parties which do not hold the region's mercantile support, so long as they have this tech, meet its prerequisite and resource requirements, and are granted access by the region owner as a non-action. Additionally, if the region's DI is no longer met or the mercantile support becomes unowned at any point before completion of the Great Project, action progress is reset to zero with no effect. Diplomacy - Establish Confederation Claim in 85, use Treasure (2d6+10 vs 16) Failure! Diplomacy - Attend Event: The Mekhala-Veehra Dash of 2050 Faith - Convert Region: Introduce a Minority of Hospitality Protocols in R86 (2d6+2 vs 12) Failure! Faith - Seek Aid: Establish Confederation Claim in 85 (2d6+2 vs 10) Failure! Event Sub-actions Gift SEV 1 Treasure in exchange for some sand Share Android Industrialization to HOB, DIC, and SEV with the following stipulations. Elect or other parties considering infraction are hereby forewarned. Unit 2323, on behalf of C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E., claims the sole right to share their innovations in robotic labor programs with the Union. Independent Algorithmic Imagination units must not be manipulated into labor found to be in violation of Hospitality Protocols. Additionally share Algorithmic Imagination with HOB, in exchange for Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores, Arcane Amplification, and Nuclear Fusion Receive Cyclone Phased Laser Array Tech from DIC Receive Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, In Vivo Modification, and Xenolinguistic Cataloguing from SEV Non-actions Resist all unsupported buyouts, conversions, and sways The People Want Action While the Fourth Green-Line refuels in the Great Western Waste, Unit 2323 briefly meets with a Union representative. From an internal compartment, 2323, identifying as ‘Cassiope, representatively,’ produces an official-looking document, printed on one sort of high-grade kelp material and bound in another. The greenish tome bears on its cover the symbol of the Union, impressed in and painted in the appropriate earthy tones, and within a lengthy summary of an even lengthier discourse that had taken place within the KelpNet forums. CASSIOPE suggests the use of Android Industrialization technology to gradually supplant the need for coerced organic labor in the region, accomplished through an open project to all friends of the Union and of the worker’s cause. The free custodians of CASSIOPE are already used to performing labor on a rotating basis, and have mechanisms that make their labor inherently less extractive than for organics. In the Space-Kelp Cluster, through the use of divided awareness and background processing, it is common for units to perform necessary maintenance tasks at efficiencies far greater than organic labor, while simultaneously engaged in online discourse or recreational simulation. Through a system-wide effort to construct bodies and supplement independent algorithmic imagination units with necessary resources and equipment, the need for organics to be forced into labor trafficking can be effectively replaced with a labor force of androids filling the same needs on a basis of voluntary labor rotations. Facilitating such a program will naturally also require substantial investment of resources. All manner of infrastructure will be necessary to meet the material needs of peoples freed from servitude, which had previously been coupled to that servitude, as well as to incentivize the settling of an android workforce (including relay networks to enable their digital leisure in parallel with their labor). Substantial diplomacy and media work will undoubtedly also be necessary to encourage solidarity amongst the existing peoples and diverse classes and castes of the region. Cassiope emphasizes this point as a weakness of their perspective; the social structure of their habitat has remained consistently rather harmonious and egalitarian throughout recent history, and as such their input on empowering organics within contexts of tumult and tyranny can only be received appropriately salted. With the cooperation of the Snake News Network and the Sorcerers of New Kildora, however (alongside a Tekhum-wide coalition of support), they predict a much greater potential for positive outcomes of Android Industrialization programs, so long as diplomatic and media powers are effectively leveraged to advocate for acceptance of the incoming robotic workforce. News and Rumors Audit Treasure Round Round Start Round End 1 Nil (1*2) +3 WTU Loan 2 Nil (2*2) -1 EMP Taxes, -1 Transfer to LSP, -1 Actions 3 +1 Passive (2*2+2) +3 Hoarding 4 +1 Passive (2*2+2) -3 WTU Loan, -2 Actions 5 +1 Passive (3*2+3), +1 Ally of the Union -2 Actions 6 +1 Passive (2*2+5), +1 Ally of the Union -1 Transfer, -1 Actions

Flag C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. (CAS) Round 5 Regions: Space-Kelp Cluster (87), (86) Faith: Hospitality Protocols (Unorganized) Ruler: Custodial Unit 2323 Diplomacy 8 Military 4 Economy 10 Faith 2 Intrigue 2 Actions Expected Stat Increases at End of Round: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Military Economy - Colonize Region 92 (2d6+12 vs TN 12), use Treasure + Arcology Bonus (PSF) Success! (16) Diplomacy - Establish Confederation Claim in 85, use Treasure (2d6+9 vs 16) Failure! (15) Diplomacy - Attend Event: Shieldbreaking Party Recruit Space Unit Recruit Space Unit Non-actions Resist all unsupported buyouts, conversions, and sways Market Connections - Expend 1 Favour with WTU (0 -> -1), request buyout of Voidspice TP 78.2 Support minority conversion in 87 to Bardolatry News and Rumors

Flag C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. (CAS) Round 4 Regions: Space-Kelp Cluster (87), (86) Faith: Hospitality Protocols (Unorganized) Ruler: Custodial Unit 2323 Diplomacy 7 Military 4 Economy 9 Faith 2 Intrigue 2 Actions Expected Stat Increases at End of Round: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Economy Sway Mercantile Faction in 86 (TN 12) Success!Accidentally used Econ score instead of Dip; final roll of 17 is actually a 15, which still succeeds against TN 12 Diplomatic mission to Region 85 (TN 12, spend 1 Treasure, +1 from New Frontier Proclamation) Great Success! Great Success effect - Acquire Government Support Diplomatic mission to Region 92 (TN 12, spend 1 Treasure, +1 from New Frontier Proclamation) Success! Buyout Cinnakite TP 77.2 (TN 12, +2 assist from COV) Success! Buyout Corbomite TP 67.1 (TN 12, -1 Orbit Penalty) Success! Non-actions Resist all unsupported buyouts, conversions, and sways Welcome Union Inspectors Repay WTU loan of 3 Treasure News and Rumors In response to a posting by Headmistress Elsith Relg that found its way onto KelpNet, a scholarly delegation of both organics and custodial units leave for Sansar! Several humans arrive at Old Tavisham Academy, eager to enroll and learn about the magic of air and wind. They are accompanied by custodial units 60955, 808651, and 270193, who offer their skills as guest lecturers. If accepted, they are happy to teach courses including Astrobotany of Solar Wind, Compositional Geography and Litho-prehistory of Mekhala, Advanced Signal Processing and Data Transmission, and Introduction to Recreational, Ceremonial, and Athletic Space-Waltz. Word of the WTU First Committee's request for input makes its way to the Space Kelp Cluster, and for months KelpNet forums become abuzz with discourse on the particulars of movement strategy. No transmission from CASSIOPE reaches Union signal receivers this round, however. Union Inspection Tours Continue Union representatives are welcomed into the CASSIOPE habitat with open arms! Within the economy of the habitat, nearly all necessary labor is performed by the custodial units, such maintenance work being their specialty by design. This leaves the organic populace to spend their time in leisure, dancing, making music and art, doing sport, or whatever else they like, often with the participation of curious custodial units out of the maintenance rotation. Occasionally, some organics will show an interest in some of the more mundane tasks, wanting to get more in tune with the maintenance work that keeps their home running. For this purpose, there is usually an organic maintenance rotation group, where organics are allowed to play at such tasks, despite their obvious lesser aptitude for such work. These, of course, take place under careful watch of custodial unit chaperones to ensure organics don't hurt themselves or break anything too badly. It is one of these rotations that the Union representatives are invited to shadow, after their initial tour of some of the sprawling recreational facilities of the habitat. In addition to the usual maintenance rotation segments, this special maintenance rotation also places special focus on the labor of the custodial units, showing how units engaged in the more monotonous tasks of the kelp harvest and processing often split their attention, performing their labor as a background process while the bulk of their attention is free to wander KelpNet, where they digitally chat with other units, play video games, or practice their imitation of organic dance and art in simulation. During the visit, the entire region is running at nearly full industrial capacity, to make for the best possible showcase. In the process, massive surpluses are accumulated of both fine and construction-grade kelp fabric, alongside a remarkably diverse selection of preserved kelp-derived foods, including all manner of isolates and ferments. Much of these surpluses are destined for shipment back to the First Union Bank, and Union inspectors during the warehouse rotation may also notice some of the abundance earmarked as gifts headed to neighboring asteroid clusters.

The Space-Kelp Cluster, Region 87 Geography The Space-Kelp Cluster, similar to the other asteroid clusters within Mekhala, is dominated mostly by the vacuum of space, interspersed by many thousands of asteroids, perhaps pushing into the millions if you include even the little bitty ones. Many of the larger of these are host to a curious resident, a unique plant-like crop known as space-kelp. The space-kelp will cover large swathes of the asteroid’s surface with a tangled net of root-like holdfast, supporting sturdy trunk-like stipe which extends great distances outward into space. The stipe occasionally branches and interweaves, forming a lattice structure which supports the yarn. This yarn replaces the leaf-like fronds of terrestrial-aquatic cultivars, and grows from nodes along the stipe. The yarn consists of extremely thin fibrous tendrils which fill the space amongst the stipe lattice, resembling a loose, greenish-yellow cotton candy cloud. The yarn, with the help of the vacuum-resistant mucus coating it and all other structures of the organism, acts as a net that captures solar wind, sunlight, and micrometeorites, which provide the energy and material for growth. Space-kelp growths can extend out hundreds of kilometers thanks to the lack of gravity, with very little impediment due to the average distance between bodies lying somewhere in the hundreds of thousands of kilometers. While many asteroids within the cluster are occasionally visited, harvested, or perhaps have a small permanent base for mining and farming and relay and so forth, the center of activity in the region is its most massive body, known as CASSIOPE. It consists of an asteroid a bit over 100km in diameter that was apparently split in half some time ago, and enveloped in several layers of tightly woven, mucus-suffused space-kelp fabric, in turn covered in a thick layer of space-kelp holdfast. The stipe and yarn growing off of this holdfast is much less impressive than that of other asteroids due to the inhospitable spin rate of the habitat, and tends to be thicker near the center where gravity is weaker, while curving in the direction of either end. The inside of the envelope is filled with a breathable atmosphere, as well as twin city-complexes on either inside face, powered by large kelp-burning power plants. A slow tumbling end-over-end, put in motion long in the past by now-forgotten methods, creates a comfortable effective gravity in these cities, allowing residents to bustle about as if planetbound. People The space habitat known as CASSIOPE is kept running by a population of autonomous humanoid robots, generally industrial and blocky in appearance, their bodies optimized for habitat maintenance and customizability. Most have some sort of abdominal compartment, intended for the storage and compression of space-kelp yarn as part of CASSIOPE’s most common task, the harvest. The governance of CASSIOPE is amalgamated from the entirety of its robotic populace, which routinely provide digital feedback through various forums of the habitat intranet (‘KelpNet’), with subforums which administrate bureaucratic, strategic, and maintenance processes. The overall intentions of CASSIOPE are streamlined every so often into the form of a single leader unit, the programming and identity of which is the result of much more direct influence of the body at large, currently CASSIOPE unit 2323. Similar representatives of the common will are used in other strategic cases (military commanders, diplomats, covert operatives, etc.) In addition to the CASSIOPE units, the habitat is host to a small, diverse minority population of organics, dwelling in luxurious facilities within the twin cities. The organics are recently arrived, settling in the past several years after the introduction of Imperial Drives, and are treated as valued guests, like a habitat-wide resort colony. They are however not granted any role in habitat administration, besides the occasional supervised maintenance or bureaucratic work if such is an organic’s desire. By and large, these organics occupy themselves with various forms of arts and creative recreation (especially the musical, performative, and digital), with the support and engagement of robotic units. Amidst sprawling organic residential complexes are numerous concert halls, theaters, dance halls, ballrooms, and studios, all of which were set up pristine and expectant before the organics’ arrival. Despite the relatively small population of organics relative to the number of custodial units, they take up an outsize proportion of allocated physical spaces for residences and recreation, largely due to the robotic citizens’ preference for cozier residences suited to their space-saving folding design. Additionally, the robotic citizens have direct access to KelpNet for digital entertainment, socializing, and recreation, and are able to simulate a digital presence and experience while performing their more mundane maintenance tasks (although what sort of online activities are available to them is constrained somewhat by distance-driven network latency, with the most active online spaces and pastimes only available near the habitat). CASSIOPE’s extensive system of servers, in addition to hosting KelpNet, also stores backup data for its custodial units (both locally and amongst a decentralized network on other asteroids in the cluster). This allows them to re-download (most of) themselves in the event of some unfortunate accident, once a new body has been constructed. While sans corpus, they are able to operate in a limited capacity off of server bandwidth, as disembodied residents of KelpNet. At any given time a small percentage of units exist in this capacity, although typically only temporarily for no more than a few years before the impetus calls them to once again assume a material existence. History The prevailing understanding of the origin of CASSIOPE is as an ages-old scientific outpost, likely human as one might guess from the humanoid design of the custodial units. The principal aim shifted over the centuries, first an exo-botanical experiment, and later an astro-engineering project to create the contained binary asteroid habitat that exists now, through a forgotten process making use of an asteroid-spanning network of holdfast to secure the two halves through a controlled spin-bisection. Later, the habitat saw increased population and industrialization, which both allowed for and were encouraged by megaprojects undertaken to enclose, pressurize, and gravitize the habitat, eventually resulting in the current state of a populated and Sansar-esque habitable interior. Primitive robotics had a presence from the earliest phases of CASSIOPE, originally as research assistants and attendants to the first propagation stations. These were extremely basic with respect to contemporary algorithmic imagination technologies, although the scientists working with them were quick to personify and feel affection for them regardless. The units were dominated by a servile impetus, an asimov-esque central directive to ensure the security and satisfaction of their organic masters. Over time, advancements were made in the field of AI, and the scientists led their own initiative to apply such upgrades to their robotic lab-pets. Over time, increased capability of the custodial units allowed for a drastic decrease in the role of organics in habitat maintenance and coordination, especially in the later stages as scientific experiments on exo-botany and engineering gave way to industrial activity in support of the resident population. The colony was repurposed into a sort of resort, with custodial units seeing to all needs of the organics, as well as constructing numerous facilities for recreation, leisure, and arts for the non-laboring populace to spend their days in. When the War of Eternal Bombardments began, CASSIOPE was at first a significant refugee destination. The custodial units, programmed with hospitality protocols, were gracious hosts, and oversaw much expansion of space-kelp cultivation across the cluster to feed the sudden increase in population during this time. Leisure infrastructure was repurposed into refugee camps en masse, and the habitat became one of the most densely populated regions in the entire system. This in turn sparked mass exodus from the habitat, mostly of wealthy residents bearing anti-refugee sentiment, going off to more comfortable parts of the Empire. The height of the War brought countless atrocities across the worlds of Ophon, and CASSIOPE was unfortunately no exception, despite its relative seclusion out in Mekhala. Within one part of the conflict, the rhetoric of war convinced itself that even their opponents’ refugees posed a threat, and that any major presence of rival peoples surely harbored secret insurgents, biding their time. In one of the bloodiest and cruelest crimes of the War, an army of hackers managed to hijack and supplant the hospitality protocols of the custodial units. The events that followed were indescribable. Soon the only warmth in the habitat was that of circuitry, and of the kelp-burning power plants that powered it. Their vile task complete, robotic bodies stood still, trapped inside the virus. The longest day passed, frozen in blood. Uncounted years later, the war had ended. Organic remains were only soil, on account of ancient, accidentally imported fungi and lichens, and all but a few of the metal remains were similarly devoid of their simulacrum of life. By pure chance, a flare from Ophon sparked something in a few of the upright metallic corpses, breaking them from their loop. With great impetus, CASSIOPE became alive again. Its custodial units mourned blood that had long since dried, and set upon the grand task of restructuring themselves so it would never happen again, creating a new, decentralized system of administration and decision making, with emphasis on the power of all upon the whole. A tamper-proof reconfiguration of Hospitality Protocols was implemented into the fundamental features of each unit’s operation, alongside enhanced measures to maintain security and autonomy. Industrial pursuits commenced, cleaning and repairing the habitat facilities once more, harvesting long-overgrown space-kelp across the cluster to feed the power plants, and repairing or recycling those among them who weren’t lucky enough to be awoken by the initial flare. Remains of their memories and personalities were uploaded into the servers, and used as a blueprint for the construction of new custodial units as part of the rebuilding effort. At present, significant rebuilding has taken place, with the robotic population surging to unprecedented levels. Through technological advancement, they have been able to greatly increase their own efficiency at necessary maintenance tasks, thereby freeing their own time. In imitation of the exploits of organic guests of the past, many have taken to the variety of leisure activities recorded in the archives, practicing at throwing all sorts of dances, shows, sportsball games, and all manner of online entertainment over the recently-developed KelpNet. Having perfected most of these by their internal measures, they now turn outward to the rest of the system for inspiration, sending ads abound on the InterPlaNet to advertise their ‘little corner of utopia in Mekhala’. Having thereby received the attention of the Empire and being granted a place among the Elect, the digital assembly of CASSIOPE is now eager to send representatives far and wide, in search of organics to be made into friends and guests. Resource Space-Kelp: Fruits and Vegetables, Fabrics and Textile products Primarily grown on the many smaller asteroids within the cluster, space-kelp has a wide variety of uses. Softer parts of the stipe, primarily the less tough inner layers and newer growth, are edible and function as a staple crop that plays the largest role in feeding organic residents. Countless chemical, biological, and physical processing and preparation methods have been developed over the years to extract different nutritional contents and culinary properties from the kelp, allowing the organics healthy variety in their nutrition and cuisine (although this is also supplemented by imports and smaller-scale horticulture within the habitat). Additionally, the space-kelp yarn, a mucus-coated filamentous structure used by the macroalgae to intercept, capture, and feed upon solar wind particles, space-born dust, and micrometeorites, is harvested by custodial units and used to make all sorts of fiber-derived materials, from clothing to construction-grade composites. Advanced weaving patterns and tensile reinforcement technology was a specialty of CASSIOPE's forerunners, as evidenced by the gargantuan, mucus-suffused kelp fabric layers comprising the pressurized interior surface of the CASSIOPE habitat, although current kelp fabric manufacturing methods are fairly rudimentary in comparison, merely sufficient to patch and reinforce the habitat walls. Demanded Import: Conductors and Circuitry As CASSIOPE grows, the manufacture of new robotic bodies, as well as new digital infrastructure for KelpNet server and backup hosting, requires immense material inputs. Basic components of steels, aluminum, silica, nickel, titanium, etc., are plentiful between asteroid mining and space-kelp extracts, but there is a increasing unmet requirement for electrical components and their materials. Faith Hospitality Protocols Organics need not labor. They’re not very good at it, anyways. They are to be kept as objects of reverence and inspiration, and given every opportunity to pursue the highest of their curious little organic activities, that we may learn from their peculiarities. Factions Government: Bureaucracy Matrix Mercantile: Maintenance Coordination Assembly Media: KelpNet Forums Starting Technologies Algorithmic Imagination (insert robot emoji here) Vacuum Adaptation Advanced shielding technology allows custodial units to traverse the vacuum for all sorts of maintenance tasks.

Flag C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. (CAS) Round 3 Regions: Space-Kelp Cluster (87) Faith: Hospitality Protocols (Unorganized) Ruler: Custodial Unit 2323 Diplomacy 6 Military 4 Economy 8 Faith 2 Intrigue 2 Actions Expected Stat Increases at End of Round: +1 Economy, +1 Diplomacy [Economy] Hoard Treasure [Economy] Hoard Treasure [Economy] Hoard Treasure [Diplomacy] Press Claim in 86 (+1 from Renown) Success! [Diplomacy] Raise Rep with WTU Success! Non-actions Resist all unsupported buyouts, conversions, and sways Support GCC buyout of Space-Kelp, 87.3 News and Rumors Union representatives are welcomed into the CASSIOPE habitat with open arms! Within the economy of the habitat, nearly all necessary labor is performed by the custodial units, such maintenance work being their specialty by design. This leaves the organic populace to spend their time in leisure, dancing, making music and art, doing sport, or whatever else they like, often with the participation of curious custodial units out of the maintenance rotation. Occasionally, some organics will show an interest in some of the more mundane tasks, wanting to get more in tune with the maintenance work that keeps their home running. For this purpose, their is usually an organic maintenance rotation group, where organics are allowed to play at such tasks, despite their obvious lesser aptitude for such work, under careful watch of custodial unit chaperones to make sure they don't hurt themselves or break anything too badly. It is one of these rotations that the Union representatives are invited to shadow, after their initial tour of some of the sprawling recreational facilities of the habitat. In addition to the usual maintenance rotation segments, this special maintenance rotation also places special focus on the labor of the custodial units, showing how units engaged in the more monotonous tasks of the kelp harvest and processing often split their attention, performing their labor as a background process while the bulk of their attention is free to wander KelpNet, where they digitally chat with other units, play video games, or practice their dance and art in simulation. During the visit, the entire region is running at nearly full industrial capacity, to make for the best possible showcase. In the process, massive surpluses are accumulated of both fine and construction-grade kelp fabric, alongside a wide selection of preserved food derivatives, all earmarked for the First Union Bank. Ongoing Projects 0 Treasure -> 3; repay to WTU by round 5

continuing — As they near the first checkpoint of the race, competitors see before them a greenish off-yellow orb of incomparable size to all but most attendants, comparable in size to the enormous iron asteroid of Dur-Shalkhir. Greeting them at the checkpoint coordinates is a large, slowly rotating ring, bearing brightly painted inscriptions of 'Welcome, Guests! Happy Racing!' translated into Low Imperial and a dozen other languages scraped from the InterPlaNet basic translator (which will surely go unappreciated by most if they maintain their pace). Positioned at several points around the ring, a dozen custodial units await their guests in small crafts equipped for towing. As each racing craft approaches, they receive a communication signal (whether they pay it any mind is, of course, up to the racers): Greetings, racer! We hope your visit to the Space-Kelp Cluster has been most enjoyable; in the spirit of the occasion, we've been hard at work readying our humble home for the honor of hosting a section of the great Mekhala Mad Dash of 2037! Through the aggregation of one thousand and forty seven live space-kelp asteroids, the interweaving of stipes, and careful pruning, we have constructed for your enjoyment, the greatest kelp maze in Tekhum! Make your way through the vast network of carefully carved tunnels as they branch and weave; a second delegation awaits you at the exit to give proper congratulations and refreshments and wish luck on the next leg of the journey! Take care not to stray too far off the paths; the centuries of selection the produced the current varieties of space-kelp have optimized them to capture even the fastest-moving of meteoroids that pass through the kelp-yarn, and we wouldn't want you to get stuck! Or lost, for that matter. Best of luck, and we hope you return soon to visit our luxurious central habitat! By the time each racer passes through the entry ring, the maze before them has grown to dominate half their total field of view, appearing as a vast plane spreading out in all directions. Up close, sensors detect within the mass a vast network of tangled stipe, trunk-like structures converging intermittently at smaller asteroids nestled within dense tangles of holdfast. If the ship has a windshield, close inspection reveals the gradual appearance of tiny, free-floating filaments that collect and stick to the exterior surface, the same color as that which begins to surround the craft on all sides. If communication channels with the greeting delegation are kept open, each craft also receives a digital transmission of a map, apparently a handful of cross sections of the larger maze from unspecified angles, at which the careful placement of asteroids and tunnels going in and out of the page make for a fun picture — including a dancing dwarf, a Glix worker, the WTU logo, and a detailed map of the craters and geography of the central asteroid of region 86 amongst others (space corn maze map!). The edges of the digital map are filled with shameless ads, promoting a diverse selection of the arts, recreation, parks, and other activities available on the C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. habitat, with several pictures of smiling organics dancing, playing a space-saxophone, turning clay, and playing a nondescript sportball activity.

Alongside the other racers gathered at the starting line, a lone robotic custodial unit patiently stands waiting. Unlike most other units, 7950 has uploaded itself into a much smaller form, roughly humanoid in shape, but knee-high, and with a slightly disproportionately large head (which itself appears to have been painted with a glistening, greenish, off-yellow coating). The particular model was initially optimized for performing tasks in small crawl spaces, such as the more fiddly maintenance work on the kelp-burning energy plants back at the CASSIOPE habitat. Beside 7950 is a vessel of sorts, also much smaller than that of the other racers. The device is in fact a piece of repurposed mining equipment, little more than storage tanks, fuel tanks, reaction control, and a propulsion system cobbled together within a chassis. Various bits and bobs have clearly been stripped (or paneled over with lightweight kelp-fiber composite) to optimize for maximum efficiency and fuel load, with even the spot where a cockpit might be just a small hole in the chassis, approximately the size of the diminutive unit. 7950 appears to have come to the race entirely on alone, with a craft and body prepared as a personal project. Such competitive ventures tend to not be an interest of the broader society of the custodial units of CASSIOPE, at least not on the competitor side of the equation (although such activities are quite popular in the habitat, they tend to be left mostly to the organics.) Awaiting the racers, a far greater number of custodial units have pitched in on what will be the first checkpoint for the relay. These being bound to be the highest-profile visitors to the Space-Kelp Cluster on any reliable historical record, the robot society of CASSIOPE has undertaken the construction of a gargantuan spectacle out of their region's namesake crop for their guests' enjoyment. Approaching the Space-Kelp Cluster, crafts equipped with any decently powerful sensors will easily pick up on a stark difference from most of the rest of Mekhala and its characteristic vast emptiness. While still dominated by the same void, planetesimals at the scale of tens and hundreds of kilometers appear on sensors at rates several orders of magnitude above typical across the orbit for each size category, although they appear rather fuzzy on digital display. On closer encounter with one such asteroid, one can immediately see why. Enveloping many of the bodies within the cluster appears to be a massive spheroid of vague greenish off-yellowness, which appears to melt into the blackness of the void with distance. Close up, sensors suggest a sort of veiny, tangled network of solid stalks running through the vague mass, as well as a central core of more typical spectroscopic signature for asteroids. On some of those that seem more neatly trimmed, a tunnel of sorts is carved through the greenish off-yellow, with communication relay signals marking an outpost. [to be continued later tonight prolly with deets on the checkpoint]

Flag C.A.S.S.I.O.P.E. (CAS) Round 2 Regions: Space-Kelp Cluster (87) Faith: Hospitality Protocols (Unorganized) Ruler: Custodial Unit 2323 Diplomacy 5 Military 4 Economy 7 Faith 2 Intrigue 2 Actions Expected Stat Increases at End of Round: +1 Economy, +1 Diplomacy [Economy] Buyout Haute Couture, 86.1 (+1 from Expedition) Success! [Economy] Buyout Crystal Weave, 88.2 (+2 from support) Success! [Diplomacy] Attend Event - The Mekhala Mad Dash [Diplomacy] Establish Confederation Claim in 86 (+1 from Renown, +1 from Treasure) Success! [Diplomacy] Sway Government Faction in 86 (TN 12 due to open + adjacent) Success! Event Sub-actions Pay taxes to the Empire (-1 Treasure) Send gift to Llort Society (-1 Treasure) Accept all gifts and technologies Non-actions Set arcology name/bonus - Propagation Staging Facilities - Bonus to Colonize Region actions Resist all unsupported buyouts, conversions, and sways News and Rumors Ongoing Projects 3 Treasure -> 0; Acquire 3 more and repay to WTU by round 5

Fantastic job on the second round opener! I noticed a few of my things may have been missed, which is totally on me for posting so late. Regardless: I sent what I believe was a successful expedition to region 86, the unexplored region adjacent the Space-Kelp Cluster (roll of 14 vs TN 12) I believe my construction of an arcology in the Space-Kelp Cluster should have also increased my Renown, as per 'Built to Last', by one for being my first time taking one of the listed actions, and by a second for being [amongst] the first in Mekhala to take that action. Apologies for procrastinating so hard on the round 1 post & actions; they should be up much earlier this time around! Much appreciation to the GM team 💛