ooc OOC Thread

[Tentreto]

On 3/24/2024 at 8:48 PM, Rolepgeek said:

I mentioned this in the tech-czar-feedback channel on discord, but I would like to see more emphasis on the broader applications of the technology (Anti-Gravity Rails rather than railways specifically) for a straight up buyout bonus to make sense in my estimation.

With the influx of new technologies, the Masklanders immediately begun experimenting with what they already have to find new outlooks for technology. What they found was that by applying some basic magical principals with vast amounts of power, one could create a very strong levitating effect, however an unbroken link is needed to achieve this. Therefore these new anti-gravity plates are set with a pair or rails on their bottom to help steady the load. This alone allows these plates to essentially be dragged along carrying heavy loads of all sorts, but has a compounding effect if two sets of rails are set against each other,

Some have called this 'magnetism,' however the sheer amount of mass this effect can lift is far beyond that alone. This will surely allow cargo to be hauled in vaster loads, and maybe more in the future

[bc_56]

 Region writeup for Region 95:

The Iron-Clan Halls

Geography

The primary mass of the Iron-Clan Halls consists of a large asteroid which has been honeycombed with numerous twisting mines, tunnels, and galleries. A veritable fortress, the Halls were designed with defense in mind, both from external and internal threats, and many passages are guarded by traps, murder holes, and other unsavory surprises. The structures are utilitarian in design, with few of the artistic flourishes that characterize Industrial Coalition worksdwarfship.

Outside the main Halls, numerous smaller asteroids exist. Most are uninhabited and strip-mined for materials, but a few host small colonies of Iron-Clan dwarves.

People

The Iron-Clan Halls are inhabited by dwarves, but of a very different demeanor. Rough and embittered by centuries of civil war, the Iron-Clan dwarves are a cold and uncaring people. Their forcible reassimilation into the Industrial Coalition has only worsened these feelings, and they often express spite towards their "soft" cousins. Their culture is incredibly utilitarian, focused around gaining any advantage possible in their ongoing wars, with little time for art or leisure.

Government

The Iron-Clan is divided into a number of feuding governments, each led by a Mountain King, a Champion, and a High Priest of War. The Mountain King is the head of secular government, managing infrastructure and economic matters, as well as the ever-important military recruitment. The Champion is the head of the military, expected to be a charismatic personality leading from the front. They have high turnover rates due to combat fatalities. The High Priest of War is the religious head, performing sacrifices and other rituals to the gods of battle in order to ensure victory for their armies.

The interference of the Industrial Coalition has led to an enforced peace among these rivals, but it is not clear how long it will last.

History

In the late days of the Dwarven exodus from Veehra to Mekhala, a splinter faction arose, wanting to preserve the old ways of the Dwarven kingdom on Veehra. Coming mostly from the military, these dwarves split away from the main fleet and colonized a large asteroid. They built their fortress-mine here and established a new Dwarven kingdom led by the descendants of the old Mountain Kings and War Priests. This did not last long. Pretenders and new claimants to the titles emerged, and the Iron-Clan descended into brutal civil war. Shortly thereafter, the Industrial Coalition lost contact with them, and after some decades of silence, the Iron-Clan was considered dead by their kin.

Quietly, however, they survived, continuing their war and digging ever more complex tunnels and traps throughout their domain.

Resources

Laser Rifles constructed by the Iron-Clan are not elegant devices. There are no artistic flourishes. These are hardy, durable weapons built to survive centuries of warfare.

On the other hand, the Iron-Clan has lost much of its ability to produce Computers. What few examples they have left are jealously guarded by the factions that possess them.

Religion

The Iron-Clan halls are home to two related, but separate faiths, both deriving from ancient dwarven war gods of times past.

The Endless Battle honors warriors who die gloriously in combat with an afterlife where they can continue to fight gloriously for eternity. Dwarves who follow this faith are vicious and aggressive warriors, employing suicidal tactics and mass rushes, as well as participating in bloodsport and honor duels.

The Warrior's Rest honors warriors in another way, with peaceful retirement and peaceful afterlife, a reward for their service on the battlefield. These Dwarves are more cautious and tactically oriented, they often wind up serving as commanders for legions of the Endless Battle and giving them the direction their uncontrolled violence needs to be effective.

[aerin13]

Apologies for submitting this so late in the round! It's simply flipping around the bonus for an already-approved TacDoc (Rapid Redeployment), so hopefully it's okay mechanically.

Tactical Doctrine: Forbid the Enemy Cast a Single Shadow (-2 to enemy's Orbital Superiority Bonus).
After nearly a decade spent in Agbada, Johanne returns to the Iron Masquerade a changed woman. Her unhealthy teenage fixation with the Savior is long gone, replaced by a respectful reverence of Avva and all that the sun-god beholds. Despite Johanne's lack of faith in the Iron Monarch's spiritual calling, the young woman is nonetheless content to pivot her Agbadan-instilled talent in wet naval management to use in protecting her homeland via dry navy command.

Admiral Faustine's stratagems revolve around denying her opponents the necessary orbital position to support troops on the ground. Foes of the Iron Masquerade find themselves constantly harassed by swarms of fighters specifically targeting weapons systems capable of reaching the planetary surface. Major engagements between fleets are manipulated to the best of the Admiral's ability to keep the brunt of the fighting away from optimal enemy troop landing positions. Naval officers serving under Admiral Faustine boast that their commander does not let so much as a single ship come between the light of Ophon and the region to be protected.

[Stygian]

 

Region 019: Taumaru

Geography

Unique among aerostats, the first thing any visitor notes about Taumaru is that it is constantly shrouded in a state of artificial nightfall—no matter what the Badalian horizon looks like. Artificial constellations dot the Taumaran sky, synced up to match the movement of the stars outside their shrouded world.
 

Taumaru features heavily stratified, vertical architecture that positions its population purely based on status and wealth—creating a distinct social hierarchy that ties one’s identity to altitude. Perhaps whomever had designed this place took the phrase “climbing the social ladder” too literally. When one takes in the sight of Taumaru’s main population center from afar, the sprawling clusters of skyscrapers, hab blocks, and guild halls resemble a synthetic mountain. Trains run at a near constant clip, connecting each layer of the aerostat in a fraction of the time it would take an outsider to navigate its labyrinthine architecture.
 

At the highest point rests the Veiled Palace—closest to their inscrutable deity and the cosmos at large. The king’s ministers live just below the palace in sprawling complexes, and so forth. One would think that the “lowest” would be those who live upon the flatlands. Unfortunately, they would be wrong. Subterranean levels exist—though they stretch far beyond where even the most desperate dare to dwell. Much of the industrial waste is deposited in the lowest parts of the aerostat for recycling—and only the Hand knows for sure everything that dwells within the deepest depths.

Creatures named vorax are known to roam some of the lower trenches. These gargantuan, spined reptiles are ravenous omnivores that will devour anything in their wake—organic, inorganic, alive, or dead. These creatures are indiscriminate—and do not seem to prefer live prey, which has become an oddly lucrative circumstance thanks to a strange side effect of their biology (see Resources, below).

There are some exceptions to the social hierarchy. Certain guilds have positioned themselves in more disadvantaged areas to be more accessible to the population—especially with many of the industrial complexes they have come to rely on being found in the flatlands.

People

Taumaru's population is primarily human, as most of Tekhum seems to be. The inhabitants of this shadowed habitat have ashen grey skin and typically seem to develop the lighter gamete of eye colors. This does not seem to cause any physical deficits thanks to the advances of modern science, but it does seem to be an almost aesthetic or ceremonial choice by the people who live there.

Taumaru's society follows something more akin to a guild structure. Trade work is highly valued, and promising apprentices spend several years under contract in guild halls—learning from masters of the craft. Most guild halls feature some level of exclusivity in their contracts—meaning that they are often barred from doing business outside of the guild for the duration of their training.

 

While these hallowed places allegedly accept talent from anywhere, most of the old wealth comes from those who once walked these halls—or those who know someone that has. Thus, there is a heavy element of favoritism and backroom dealings behind the scenes for many of the more lucrative professions that can act as a barrier to the unknowing or unworthy.

Despite this arrangement, there is not as heavy of a divide between the academic world and that of the labor pool as one might expect. Genetic engineers, industrial welders, aerostat technicians—Despite the difference in knowledge, they are considered artisans one and all. Indeed, the main prejudice in Taumaru seems to be against those who are actively leeching off of her riches without providing some sort of service in return.
 

Interestingly, the kanmarran population that resurfaced after six long years seems to have already shown some level of rudimentary adaptation to the sunless skies of Taumaru's aerostat. With the aid of some basic level of genetic tailoring, the kanmarra of Taumaru have developed slightly narrower builds, and lighter, near-white pigments in their shells. At times, they are known to communicate anger through a raspy, grating growl that emanates from the gastric mills in their stomach--a trait not found in their brethren in Anjahar. It is believed to have developed as a natural threat response--though none on Taumaru have exactly been forthcoming with what that could mean for the civilization there. 
 

Some among Anjahar's more traditional clans find their southern neighbors off-putting, even disturbing--but such prejudices are not spoken aloud, for they go against the very core of Soul's Expression and the Paradigm alike. Instead, they are treated with a strange mixture of awe and disquiet alike.

Government

The government in Taumaru had once been a tyrannical monarchy. The throne had once belonged to Puppetmaster Valix, a narcissistic despot who had largely retained control not by his own cunning--but by the checks, balances, and blackmail left to him by his queen mother. Whilst in power, he had maintained a small cabinet of ministers who would carry out his bidding and surveil the populace--keeping an eye on detractors and dissidents. Bureaucratic matters were largely divided between five ministries that preside over different parts of government and civil affairs.

 

Six years into the transition into an Alliance territory, Taumaru's power structures have proven hard to tear out from the roots. For the time being, Taumaru has been permitted to keep its monarchial structure--with a key addition. A chancellor has now been appointed to the king's circle of confidants as a two-way street. The chancellor will help to introduce certain reforms into Taumaru's constitution in order to bring them more in line with Alliance standards. In return, Taumaru will have a voice in the civilian assembly when meetings are called--just the same as any other annexed territory.

History

Taumaru’s current state is largely in thanks to a sinister and near total restructuring of government that took place over the course of sixty years.
 

These schemes came at the hands of a woman of many titles, Saphira—oft known in private, behind incredibly secured doors as Saphira the Manipulator, amidst other colorful epithets. Through a series of calculated gambits, underhanded tactics, and blackmail, Saphira had engineered a system of bureaucracy that gave near total power to the man—or woman behind the throne. So trusted was she that the current king had been persuaded to name her progeny as his heir.

Perhaps her only downfall was presuming that her son would inherit her wiles. The man who would be king had taken the throne right on the eve of adulthood—and those who knew him would likely say in private that he needed to bake a while longer.
 

Wholly glutted on the ideals of the Invisible Hand, Puppetmaster Valix was a man of many ideas—but very little foresight. Never did he dream that his position would be in true danger, for the Hand had placed him here.
 

Where Saphira had sought to centralize power and cement her son’s rule, Valix had thought to delegate through a small cabinet of confidants and co-conspirators. The result was largely stagnation and decline as these very men sought to improve their own standing—chipping away at Valix’s power until the Puppetmaster was nearly a puppet himself.
 

In the years since the Eucrus Alliance swept through Taumaru, there have been a few key revisions to the power structure—clawing back some measure of power to the monarchy, while introducing Taumaru’s people to some of the protections afforded to Alliance citizens.

Alliance officials have been largely wary with pushing too hard—recognizing that the elaborate web of corruption woven here will take quite some time to navigate.

Faith

The Invisible Hand (Majority)

The Invisible Hand is the (only) crowning achievement of Puppetmaster Valix during his time as monarch. Mostly owing again to nepotism, what began as a provincial cult soon became a fully-fledged religion and tool of the state.

Proponents of this faith believe in an unknowable force that guides all things in the universe toward their ultimate fate.

 

Followers of the Hand are taught to believe in a meritocracy that rewards ambition, hard work, and loyalty—while also encouraging its followers not to question their circumstances. One can always persevere to better their circumstances—but dissent against authority walks a razor’s edge. Go too far, and risk being seen as heretical—one who lacks faith in the grand design.
 

If one succeeds—particularly in an unforeseen way—it is because the Hand saw fit to elevate them. Those who fail were always meant to fail, for they lack these essential qualities—or worse, squander their potential and self-sabotage. There is almost a perverse delight ingrained in adherents when one seemingly destined for greatness suffers a meteoric fall.

Perhaps this is why, despite the success of the cult, there has been no overt rebellion in the wake of Puppetmaster Valix’s departure—both as head of the faith and as ruler of Taumaru.

Resource

Vernian Jewels - Luxury Goods / Art and Cultural Products

Few souls know the true, macabre origin of the Vernian Jewel.
 

These impressive gemstones are formed as a byproduct of the vorax that roam the lower trenches of Taumaru—devouring anything they can get their claws on, regardless of whether it provides actual nourishment to the vorax or not. Over time, rogue elements that survived the initial acid bath are compacted together into a bezoar during the vorax’s digestive process. Intense acids scour the bezoar again, filtering away pesky things like concrete, bone, and detritus. Peristalsis then creates intense pressure throughout the stomach and intestines, compacting the bezoar further until a precious gemstone is created.

These bezoars are often snatched by suppliers and taken to artisans so that remaining debris can be chiseled away. What often results due to the myriad of impurities are one of a kind gemstones that bear a myriad of colors throughout the different layers—often with a base pigment of red or purple. What ultimately survives the trek is what has become known as “Vernian Jewels” by the wider public. While the process is not wholly understood, it is heavily theorized that some manner of internalized magic helps to facilitate the transition. No supplier has ever been willing to get close enough to examine one via vivisection.

These jewels are seen as a luxury item for a few reasons. One is the relative scarcity of “authentic” gemstones on Badal—without true terra firma to guide the process naturally. The second reason is due to the skill of the artisans who work with them, setting them into jewelry and art pieces for the wealthy to admire.

Desired Import: Chemical Reagents

Due to Taumaru’s rampant overcrowding concerns, the Eucrus Alliance is looking into ways to add additional infrastructure into the aerostat. In the meantime, some vital—if basic—supplies would go a long way toward easing strain on existing critical points. Fertilizers for hydroponics, chemicals for sterilizing water supplies, and more.

 

[FriendlyHeadcrab]

 Craobhan Mòra (Approved)
Region: Firmament 110

 

History

The Era of Eternal Bombardments is a legend. A mythos that warns the modern day of the dangerous of technology, and the cost of all-out war. The Firmament was not spared these consequences. After the last bombs fell, The Firmament was left isolated. Its elevators closed, any remaining ships lost leaving whoever, and whatever, was up there isolated.

In the time of war, a new breed of soldiers was created. The Reserve provided a standard of soldier beyond that which could naturally occur. The Bàsclan. Genetically modified super-insects plagued battlefield with a ferocity, cunning, and capability unmatched by the common soldier.

When The Firmament became isolated, a new era of horror began. Three legions of Bàsclan were stationed on the Firmament, clicking for deployment. Combat ready peak genetic specimen primed for war. And then the war was over. The Bàsclan would not be contained.

It is unknown what the people of that day may have called region 110, they didn't survive the passing of time. Unlike they people of the Reserve, they were hunted to extinction. Until only the Bàsclan remained. Victorious, the Bàsclan gave themselves a name, the A' fuireach.

Geography

Called Craobhan Mòra by the A' fuireach, Region 110 of the Firmament is huge, a scale that can hardly be comprehended. A third of this gigantic ring has a surface area nearly matching that of Sansar as a whole.

Craobhan Mòra is home to giant verdant forests. Perhaps its most recognizable feature are the stage trees. These massive trees were clearly also the target of genetic modification. Rather than sporting a single overhead canopy, the Stage Trees sport many. The highest canopy still contains an overhead of thick fibrous leaves, but the lower canopies are a thick entanglement of branch and vine. These "stages" allow the trees to support each other, and form into flat surfaces that can be easily traversed or built upon by natives.

These many stages create an intense verticality to Craobhan Mòra. Any single stage feels like a ground to itself. The long-spanning branches create a floor and ceiling and floor so thick that vision cannot traverse. These sturdy branches do not bend even under the weight of hefty vehicles. Walking onto a stage feels like being transported into a different "ground" entirely. A new land where the world is held together by pillars of wood holding a brown sky aloft from the similarly wooden ground. Cutting your way into the ceiling allows access to yet another land of branches.

These trees cover the entirety of Craobhan Mòra. Ruins of ancient civilizations are built on the various stages of the trees themselves, and the trees have reclaimed them. Old housing, shipyards, and warehouses have been consumed by trees. Branches intertwining and cutting into the floor. Trees have grown around and into steel itself.

The trees provide cover and food for a numinous arboreal mammals. These creatures may have arrived here as pets, livestock, or simply stowaways. Now they serve as prey for the A' fuireach.

People

As time progressed, the A' fuireach matured as a species. Outgrowing their single nature as machines of war, the A' fuireach developed a language, culture, bonds. For the first time, the Bàsclan no longer lived in opposition to the sapient species that created them. They asked themselves, "Without war, what are we?" That single question expresses the uncertainty of purpose, fear, and freedom embodied by the A' fuireach people.

They found answers.

They are hunters. They are killers. They are parents. They are explorers. They are free. And they will fight for that freedom.

The Modern Day

The A' fuireach were none too pleased at the arrival of the STAR RATS. The war was fast and brutal. For all their natural prowess, the A' fuireach were unprepared for the impact of modern technology.

And yet, were they not created in a time with technologies far more terrible than this? Were they not warriors in an era where the weapons made these look like throwing sticks? There is only one answer, the A' fuireach have grown soft. The millennium of peace have softened their caprices and dulled their teeth.

And so two factions emerged.

Firstly, the A' fuireach that wanted to be more, that wanted to grow beyond the intent of their creation and grasp the fruits of technology into their hand. They wanted to be known and respected as a species. As a people.

Secondly, the A' fuireach that missed the old ways. They relished these new hardships, to bring back the grit in their claws, the sting of their teeth. They believed in the intent of the creator. They were created to be most terrifying monstrosity in existence. The was their purpose, and they would fulfill it.

For now, there is an uneasy truce between the elect, orgs, and the A' fuireach. 500 klicks in every direction from the elevator has been surrendered to outsider control, but all else belongs to the A' fuireach, and they will hunt all hunt trespass.

Religion - Minosians

The majority of A' fuireach worship their creators, the Minosians.  The arms-dealing bioartificers who breathed life into their bodies. It is ironic, considering how many of these same bioartificers were killed by the A' fuireach themselves.

These traditional A' fuireach believe that they were created as being of ultimate strength. And through the expression of that strength, they can connect with their heritage and purpose.
 

This belief system is opposed to a new belief system, that posits that the A' fuireach should grow beyond their original intention. But this belief remains the fringe.
 

And yet a third belief system exists. Fledgling and slowly growing, a belief beyond the A' fuireach. All around them, there is something greater, something powerful. Something not yet named. Something in the leaves, something in the trees, in the soil. An intelligence, a power growing in The Firmament. The great stage trees have been awakening, called to awareness and connection by a new force. Some unknown sapience. It is this force that the A' fuireach hear. It calls to them as it calls to the trees and calls to the mammals. All is called. But it is not the planet, it is above.

Resources

Export: Stage Trees - Flora
The Stage Trees are plentiful and have many uses in trade. The Trees were planted here by peoples of ages past.  When Chemically treated and compressed for long periods, they form a spaceworth building material. When left alone, they decay into fertile soil, which has led to the lushness of Craobhan Mòra.
Add Resource Category: Construction Materials along with flora.

Import: Specialists
The specialists aren't needed by the A' fuireach, but are needed to deal with them. Psychologists, negotiators, hunters, and warriors. People are needed to help forge closer bonds with the A' fuireach that wish to join modern society, and a very different sort of person is needed to put down A' fuireach that resent their new neighbors.

 

Edited Saturday at 06:45 AM by FriendlyHeadcrab (see edit history)

[FriendlyHeadcrab]

Sorry, I've been a mess this round.

 

TacDoc request for review: "Opportunist for profit: In a battle grants a free action attempt to buyout a TP on the effected region. If the admiral is providing air support, the action can be performed on a region if this admiral's country has ground units fighting there."

 

The Air support clause is because it can be unclear if air support effects a region. I don't think it's reasonable to say that fighting for the air gives access to a buyout anywhere under that air support (though I'd take it if you gave it to me). But it seems underpowered to say that it can't be used when air support is in play, because then it just means that this TacDoc is only good for generals and garbage for Admirals.

[Rocket Relm]

Alright, I rewrote the write up, added both clarity and some more details. Upon reread you were right, it did come off like I was up 24 hours and slammed the fluff in a frenzy of first draft writing. I've made it better now (I hope).



Region 8 - Fort Helios
 

History

Within their isolated bubbles and delusions of grandeur, these people have a significant difficulty dealing with the literal and figurative popping of their bubble for outsiders to stride inside. This resulted in their history being one in which they defensively kept to themselves. There were benefits to this, it meant that the other baldalan wars never seriously impacted them, and that the other noxious intoxicants never hampered them quite as much. This eventually evolved into them being a people isolated from the world, talking exclusively to them through cameras and tvs and the interplanet, prospering with a surprisingly high population count. Although socially they were barely functioning which left them open to being captured by invaders of a strong dedicated kind.

Exposure to the outside in such a violent manner has caused their insulated immune systems and culture to rapidly crash downwards. In the years since their region has been traded first to the Glorious Purifiers, and then to the Arkhive, their population has fallen to half its numbers a decade before. Right now the region is in relative prosperity for the half that survived, and is looking to stabilize at a more reasonable population level.
 

 

Geography

Bubbles and bubble like structures fill the air and the sky, being a high maintenance for scrubbing, but well worth it as a symbol of pride. In each one lives more people than you'd have expected out of a region, especially the more well off ones who can have 'high rise bubbles' and ones with exotic scenery. The groundwork is artificial with Cubic Masonry, and even further beyond that it is rounded out. Ships traverse and round out, it slightly circles but always remains in this specific sector of Badal. The usually filthy air is purified to an unreasonable degree on the inside, for non-natives unused to such measures the extra intoxicants and mild chemical elements added to the air through the process can make it a little painful to inhale. The natural denizens are used to it, of course, and even their physiology has adapted.

This has actually created problems as exposure to the outside has broken the purification systems, and then again much more deliberately by the Purifiers. In their efforts to allow outsiders to not be intoxicated by what some would reasonably call poison in the air, it caused the natives who had adapted to have trouble. Certain areas are still hyper purified in their air zones, and laborers who come in to these areas often wear air tanks or masks to stop from suffocating.

 

People

Lizzers and humies. In normal speak, humans and lizardfolk. The lizards are more elite, and the humans are lower class, but there's variety in both. It's a bit of a splash of society, insular, almost monarch like. There is a deliberate 'I'm the best' mythos presented here, and the humans play along and adopt characteristics of the shorter lizard folk. Famous lizards once upon a time even invented technologies, different things that reach out and splash everywhere, and their culture involves proving oneself through measures and metrics.

Self congratulatory natures of everything along with mandated religions make it shockingly easy to keep people compliant, one would be surprised how little rigor is applied. The natives do enjoy festivities and despite everything being silo'd, entertainment finds a way. Basic internet and television cement into a central part of the culture, Snaking Snews, Basu-Rahaman and even the Heliotrope Broadcast find their way into the lingo. Which results in sometimes words degenerating into weird pidgin languages, like is demonstrated at the start with "lizzer" and "humie" being cutsey and slip of tongue casual.

 

Government

Mimes. Mimes. All the mimes. So many mimes. Mimes makes up the government, ever since people learned how to communicate through symbols and tvs and automated things the religion of Homeostasis has taken over, making motion minimal. There is no specific reason it seems that things have turned into mimes, or why this is a central part of the government, but that's how it is. They sure like their black and white makeup, and that is a rare thing that breaks through the quarantine measures.

The rest of the governmental natives are the lizards, who insist that they are the best (the ones who aren't mimes, anyway). They're the ones who invented the sun, after all. The emperor is secretly one of them, but nobody bothers with proving that, they just take the propaganda as self evident. Their central locations are nuclear silos, old factories that made it the old fashioned way, which have been refurbished for people to live within. They're some of the biggest areas that don't have walls infesting their designs splitting things into subrooms, allowing many of them to gather and talk about how great their culture and media is.

Maybe the mimes have it right. Maybe they shouldn't be talking.

The two factions vie for control over the government as of current, while the Arkhive tries to maintain enough stability to stop things from being crushed down. The Mime faction has some religious passion, and doesn't quite like the fact that languages are being transformed into such hybrids that don't make sense. Honestly, many of the mimes that don't have a strict vow of silence will speak to governments like the Arkhive and the Purifiers, they just refuse to converse with the incredibly smug fellow denizens of the other population.

 

Religion

Universal Homeostasis

The religion of nullification. Pausing. Emptiness. The dominant force within the region, and part of the reason that things aren't as bad as they could be, but that they also aren't as good as they could be either. Freezing and inaction provide many different benefits, and with this religion it is an actual art form. Mimes are quite a good cultural thing here, and they even hold some positions of government.

Force fields and walls are the specialty, and Cubic Masonry is a technology that these people have developed quite early on. This has advanced into spacecraft too, although with said spacecraft they have remained insular. Durable like a nintendo gameboy, though, which is really the best way to describe most of their construction.

Universal Apootosis

The religion of cell death. Everything must progress towards implosion, which avoids the greatest evil known as 'cancer'. It's something to avoid, along with the outside intoxicants. Somewhat of a cult that causes people to die after a set period of time, and one that has seen an uptick in recent years due to the traumas. As well as a weird belief that because of more people coming in to help with labor shortages, the people must even out the population.

Of course, there are positives to this religion too, such as a focus on enjoying life as you have it and peace. An exceptional set of care for people at the end of life and ability to enjoy things in the time they have left. A lack of needing to pay for social security because of said lack of aging issues. A set of cells and minor bit of magic involving the literal splitting of 'atoms', which helps power things such as the scrubbers, making nuclear batteries quite a treat for these people.

There's also Paragonism, which is about being a good person and reaching your ideals or whatever. But they're such a minority so nobody cares about their little cult.

 

Resource

Resource: Atmospheric Scrubbers [Spacecraft / N/A]

Scrub scrub scrub the force fields near the edges of the colony. These planes are real good at that, and practically able to go into space themselves with the right measure. They have to constantly scrub around the bubbles of the area to let sufficient sunlight in to power some of the cells, and this has been done so much that there's a surplus of planes to go around, to sell, to give to whatever people. Which in large part is currently the literal Psycho Capitalists. It pays well and at least on an economic level has everything going squeaky clean.


Desired Import: Labor

The quarantines have always made it hard for people to go outside and do work, and the recent collapse and downturn of population have made it even more so. More than ever, people to do basic functions of society are necessary, the ins and outs of living and delivery. It's a mass thing, not quality but quantity, plus, somebody's gotta handle all of the filth and disease of everything.

 

[Rocket Relm]

I'll also be tacking in a writeup for region 37 specifically. Technically I'm pretty sure the GMs would give me leeway in writing up a region I just acquired. Practically, I think it'd be better if I had a first draft up at minimum. Also, if Moos wants to comment or suggest things for creative direction given the entire 'alfheim' project, feel more than free to.

(Some segments not done (geography, resources), I can feel my brain melting, and I'm putting this on pause before I mess it up by trying to force the rest. Honestly this itself might even be enough.)

(After some time to refresh and take a second touch up, might be worth taking a first pass. I'll also ping moos here for commentary, though not sure that works in an edit post. Ideas might change slightly or significantly based on further input. Resource still needs to be done, but currently too low on creative energy to do that and I don't want to force it.)

Region 37 - Gloria (aka Glorialfheim)
 

History/Government

In past times, the magic pouring over the mountains from the west has given some traits to the elves living here, as well as humans that have fled over to integrate, as well as mutating some of the elves that stayed too close to these hills. For a good long while there were fights and clashes over who could own what territories, many different pushes of this and that clan, most of which are now lost to memory. In the end, what remains is a relatively mixed bag of peoples that have a good amount of high quality lifestyle due to having been home to the Basu Rahaman Congolmerate Holdings and the uptick of overall quality brought by the rise of the Elect, but who have been mostly left to their own devices for the majority of their time. Despite their proximity to what is in short referred to as the BRG, they managed to only somewhat absorb media consumption culture into their lifestyles.

Then they saw invasion by the Jy'mar, and again from the Glorious Purifiers, and might yet again have an attempt to be brought into Greater Alfheim. The repeated wars and leveling of structures within the lands has left quite a lot in need of being rebuilt. It has, on the other hand, provided for fantastic stories, which has caused the people to be surprisingly more okay with it than they otherwise might be. Both because the sensationalism the Basu-Rahmans instill favors it and because their own methods of collecting and revering these epic events plays into it. They are living in a time of great change, one that if it causes sufficient change might get marked down as the biggest event in history since the Bombardments.

The denizens of the region once had different varying names for this place, although they have had occasional trade with 'those sorcerers up on the mountains to the west', in the general region called Gloria. The term Gloria has recently been expanded to cover the whole terrain as Zelfs and Moonmen pull in the vast fabrics of government into a cohesive organized whole. Elfen citizens often refer to the region as 'Glorialfheim', and are still forming a new identity. The governance of the Moonmen is quite a bit of live and let live, and aside from all the disappearances of the wars and increased magic shenanigans, as well as the increasing creep of magic slowly pouring over the region down like a river, things are surprisingly okay. Zelfs find themselves near the head of the societal positions, although never strictly at the head, sufficing to guide the current systems through culture rather than brute force.

 

Geography

Mountains sharpening the corners like the region being sandwiched between them, and a relatively low to the ground plains structure otherwise. Composed in good part of solar panels and cropland and wild claims, one might think this area is extremely underdeveoped. One would be correct, for the above ground is where a lot of the society lives and cherishes its life, but the underground is where the work is done. Tunnels honeycomb through the region, each building on the surface connecting to a far broader set of technology underneath. This is a comparatively new work, only happening within the last two hundred years, meaning some of the elves alive still remember before this process had become underway.

The plants of Sansar are encouraged by the new rulership of Glorious Purifiers to grow, and have synthesized into the solar batteries. There are specific roads cut out but abundance is clear in the above world, in contrast to the machinery down below where the gears turn. Titania has helped on the lower side, springing the machines to life and digging out an extra floor of basement to make room for all the new production and people imported. The almost living plant like gears and chains make the bottom a true mirror of what is up above, albeit cast into different colors and different lighting.

The buildings that were once home to the Basu-Rahman are utterly leveled, eaten from the inside out by hamster like termites with an alarming efficiency. They have since been reconstructed, but resemble their former selves in at most a few aestetic purposes. This location and a wide swath around is where Helios Hospice has set up shop. Taking in refugees from all around Tekhum and helping them find new homes as well as scavenging for food, especially those from the giant clash in Mraza in the same years of its founding.

 

People

Elvenkind has always held a significant presence on Sansar, though divided into numerous different ethnic groups. Compared to the average human, the average elf possesses more angular features and pointed ears; beyond this, the physical difference is minimal. Stereotypes about their long lifespans hold some degree of truth, for the average elf can stave off the ravages of aging for longer, but the end result is usually just an extra century of life. The ethnic group of elves making up the midpoint of Chonkia are deemed "Solalfr", and their skin tone varies from bone ivory (though never quite albino) to bronzed to bright orange, sometimes a deep red color. This is a genetic trait that can vary from elf to elf, some keep the same skin tone all their lives, some darken in tone in a similar way as some humans born with blonde hair have their hair shade to auburn, and some have their skin tone change when exposed to or withdrawn from intense sources of light in a similar way as one might expect from transition sunglasses.

Some measure of the elves here have been affected by the spillover of magic over the mountains from the west, and there is a mix of reverence and concern over the fallout. A splinter group that makes up an ethnic minority, probably about 2% of the population, Soltaurs, hold up in the western area near the mountains. When a human imagines a centaur they think of a man and a horse, but these are more like the union of an Elf and a Mountain Goat. Having weaker but more nimble bodies like deer, with quite strong muscles and balance capacities to traverse difficult terrain. Their skin is largely similar, although one can find at least a couple variants of Grigialfr, Lillalfr, and even Verdalfr, although the entire group is generally referred to as Soltaurs.

There is also within the strains of these elves some human blood floating around, from a time long before when a significant number of humans fled and immigrated over into the region right at the War Of Bombardments. Solalfir therefore tend to on average have less angular features and elf distinguishing traits than other elf kin, although the presence of purebred native humans has dwindled down to essentially nothing over the course of two thousand years of crossbreeding.

 

Religion

Centauriism itself is a religion that takes hold over the region in the belief that some aspects of magic are good and focuses a good chunk on astrology. Especially from the highest heights of the mountains to view the stars from, and especially proposed by Soltaur culture from those that have since spread throughout the region. Star gazing has made its way into the culture as a means to tell the future, as mild magic is part of most elves touched here for light diviniation. The religion itself is partly a proponent of warfare tales from long past, and has integrated with the tales from below and above to establish itself as a unique culture and part of the region that reinterprets those events through its own lens. The big legend of meteors and lasers that come crashing down as both a blessing and a curse packaged in one is related to the bombardment wars, and has in recent times proven to be a herald of huge things to come.

 

Their religion is tinted by the Basu-Rahamans, even after their influence itself has waned with the destruction of their base. A focus on sensationalism and wonder is present, although the Basu Rahmans have always been considerate to in the place of these people tint their advertising and integration into the culture with soft respect and mysticism.

 

Resource

Resource: Assembly Line Robots (Industrial Machinery) (something else?)
Desired Import: Arts and Cultural Products

 

 

Edited April 24 by Rocket Relm (see edit history)

[Zayuz]

Behold, the first Bironian conquest!

This region writeup comes with the formal request to change the resource name of region 14 from Yinasse Plants to Yinasse Flowers. It was interesting to write a flora species that filled that category yet no others, from valuables to food to textiles.

 

edit: Resource complete: Requesting Chemical Reagents as the secondary category for Kinella's Yinasse Plants.

 

Region - 14

Region Name: Kinella

 

Geography

The Kinella Aerostat is an aerostat of lush greenery, bearing the most consecutive forest and jungle of any Badali region. Originally designed as a place of harvest and sustenance for the planet, it has long since departed its role when a ban on harvesting natural resources came into effect with the arrival of the Imperial Court. Recognizing the inspirational beauty of an agricultural ecosystem on a man-made system, yet entirely distinct from the interference of sentient life, it was designated a protected zone on a bill so old as to be practically unreadable. Since then, the encroaching wilds have gone unabated until formal lines for civilization were drawn up in only the last two or three generations by necessity.

 

Due to the lack of interference and pooling of the solar system’s most beautiful and interesting plants in a single space, the Kinellan greenery is rather unlike any other. It is primarily a single immense platform that tends to be larger than most countries of the non-elect on other worlds, kept aloft by not-quite-blimps, but magical clouds that hover both above and below the land to shroud it in a sort of mist and keep it from descending into the depths. It has long been suspected that powerful generators lie at the core of Kinella, but mining operations have and shall always be entirely forbidden. Speaking of forbidden things, hunting and killing of wildlife under any circumstance violates the land’s purpose and the culture that’s developed. Not because all life is sacred, but because preserving this life is an imperial decree, and is more important than any others. As such, Kinellans are known to import all animal products.

 

The cities and towns on Kinella are in designated zones along the edges of the land, teetering on the edge and often leading to smaller aerostats that technically are not a part of the mainland to get around the strict regulations in the region. The Imperial Court is as such, as is much of the largest city of Araku on the southern tip of the aerostat. 

People

It is known that the Empire’s loyal are mainly humans, and Kinella reflects that with the presence of the Imperial Court. About 80% of the population according to census data confirms this to be the case, while the remaining fraction of native inhabitants identify themselves as Yinasse.

 

Yinasse are distinct from humans in that they tend to form a hybrid between plant and animal. Remaining humanoid in shape and build while their body is weaved of plant cells and the associated materials that compose them. Often, Yinasse find their physiology keeps them from participating in the world in the same way that humans do, and they live in separate societies because of this. Because they technically fall under the imperial edict of protection on Kinella, they are allowed to live among the wilds despite their sentience. Not all of them do, but many communities of druids and peoples free from the structure of the Empire thrive among the abundant wilds in clans that tend to keep to themselves. They still reproduce sexually, making them ‘compatible’ with other mammals despite being unable to create offspring with them.

 

For the Yinasse, fire is abhorred and feared. Their myths claim that a great spirit of nature created them to represent its will to humanity, and aid them against the God of flame and industry. This mission has been a highly successful one within the sphere of Kinella, creating a fascinating dualism that had long influenced the land's culture and traditions, which focus around the question of what the balance should be between artificial construction and wildlife. Where one ends, and where the other begins. Tradition states that this should be based on needs, where the industry is prevented from becoming too strong by taking only what is necessary. Were it not for the inter-aerostat trade and tourism the land receives, it might be very poor indeed.

 

Human culture on Kinella is based on honor and warfare, quite unlike the Yinasse. Following the will of the Emperor as sacred and above all else, they have shaped industrial civilizations on the edges of the aerostat and warred among themselves many a time. Further details about their traditions can be found in the faith section, but they have always been one of the prominent militaries upon Badal and quick to force the will of the emperor on their peers. It is a wonder among them that the Imperial Satrap was not chosen as a member of the elect when the call was made, but they trusted in him to keep the best interests of the solar system at heart - even when it lead to their conquest at the hands of the Bironian Bulwark and their Glix allies. 

 

Having a strong tourist presence, safaris and other sightseeing activities are some of what Kinella is known for as well. Good food comes with the lush atmosphere, as private farming is granted an exception to the edict for sustenance that goes into famous local cuisines of salads and pasta dishes. Due to the heavy military presence and the lack of turmoil in the world, it can be considered a safe destination to bring the family as long as recent history does not shake things up too strongly.

Religion

Imperial Traditions are the culturally significant faith of Kinella. Until recently, they were also the only faith, now overcome by trends of Paragonism and Soul’s Expression.

 

These traditions manifested in the strict adherence to imperial code and near-worship of the empire. Through trade with the empire were the needs of the people met, and the identity of the governments that vied for control over the aerostat all fashioned themselves in their own image of the emperor. Leaders were called Imperial Satraps, and cities functioned similarly to the empire’s relationship to the elect does currently. The emperor will create decrees, and the elect obey. The most loyal and powerful help decide the direction of the empire, and those that disobey lose their legitimacy and are conquered. These traditions followed through in ceremonies and priorities, making having an extensive standing army a first priority so that they may defend the empire. Not only that, but the would-be elect known as the Duchies of Kinella fought among themselves with blade and magic. This fostered strong martial traditions, most effective and repelling outsiders.
 

To love and trust the guidance of the real Emperor was implicit and expected of all, and even today with these traditions entering the background the people still feel a fierce loyalty to the father of the solar system. Most spectacularly are the grand balls held each half-decade, in the ‘Emperor’s Summer Palace’, though the emperor has never been there. 

Paragonism has appeared to have gripped several of the magically gifted across Kinella, especially among the Yinasse people who practice magic as their foremost method of war and art. A school of thought come to be known as the 'Great Blossom' arose as a mix of Soul's Expression and Paragonism, wherein a prophecy is born of a Yinassi who will bring the beautiful flora of Kinella to distant worlds and make them lush paradises through her devotion. It will elevate her above all people, a new Empress beyond the great gap. This belief is very taboo, but also seems to have ingrained itself deeply in the people...

Resource: Yinasse Plants

Due to harsh restrictions on farming and tampering with the abundant flora of Kinella, the potentially lucrative harvests of Kinella are forbidden to harvest. Potentially life saving medicines, beautiful fabrics, and exotic fruits all sealed away for the sake of tradition and environmentalism. What can be taken, however, are the flowers that fall from the Yinasse people throughout the region. As a willing gift or property to be sold by sentient flora, these flowers naturally grow, blossom, and fall every 2-3 weeks. They often happen to be multicolored blossoms, resembling lilies with greater ‘poof’ and grow from the heads in place of hair. Known as fine, seasonal decorations or edibles for salads, they cannot be regrown on other worlds and that makes them a valid export for the restrictive Kinellan economy. Fascinatingly, they happen to create significantly more oxygen than most other plants - making them a highly sought after aid for space travel and life support. Or better, just bring a Yinasse as crewman.

 

 

 

Edited April 26 by Zayuz (see edit history)

[TheDarkDM]

Submitting some region writeups.

 

Zimbir, The High Court of Mekhala (Region 81)

History

Before the War of Eternal Bombardments, the enormity of the Empire strained even the capabilities of InterPlaNet and the more esoteric technologies of Ophon. Centralization of power within the Emperor's court led to sometimes-costly delays in response to crisis, and fomented discontent among those vassal states who felt they lacked a voice in the golden halls of power. In response, and to free the High Lords of the tedious mundanity of day-to-day administration, the Emperor decreed the creation of a number of local divisions of the Imperial Bureaucracy to better administer their far-flung demesne. Among these were branches of the Imperial legal system, district courts that could litigate matters unworthy of the Supreme Imperial Court. Though their authority was limited, each served as a repository for the vast body of common law, noble lineages, and Imperial Decrees that combined to form the bedrock of law in Tekhum. Zimbir was one such repository, the least influential and least prestigious, presiding as it did over the sparsely-populated hinterlands of Mekhala.

The War changed everything. Most outposts of the bureaucracy that survived the initial wave of catastrophe found themselves cut off from the aegis of Imperial power, their highest officials evacuated to Ophon while armies of subordinates and functionaries were left to fend for themselves. The mechanisms of governance were repurposed into mechanisms of survival, the great machine of Imperial oversight smashed apart to build crude states and fleeting dictatorships that were everywhere undone by the convulsive aftershocks of universal war. Everywhere, that is, save for humble Zimbir. Isolated from the intrigues of great states and the heaving aftershocks of thaumonuclear detonations, Zimbir and its priceless archive of knowledge endured.

Cut off from Ophon's guidance, the legal apparatus of Zimbir attempted to function for a time. Tentative relations were established among the surviving powers spread across Mekhala, the Imperial Magistrates passing down decisions they believed would lead to compromise and recovery. Decisions that were too-frequently ignored in favor of mercurial ambition. Without the backing of Imperial power, it eventually became clear that Zimbir was little more than a relic of a more civilized age, and as their neighbors turned towards conflict and avarice the people of Zimbir turned in on themselves. The cybernetic implants designed to interface with the systems of Ophon became the mechanism by which they survived the growing privation of Mekhala, while the automated court systems at the heart of the habitat grew old and unreliable, legal algorithms and analytic subroutines catching in recursive loops and logic spirals in the absence of any true legal matters to occupy their energies.

Geography

While a number of substantial orbiting bodies occupy Zimbir's territory, life in the region is centered on a massive, pre-war habitat constructed by the Imperial Court. Its opulent exterior a monument to the prosperity of the pre-war period, High Court Zimbir contains living quarters for its magistrates, litigators, and support staff, their judicial chambers and legal offices, court rooms of enough size and spectacle to be worthy of the Emperor himself, and the labyrinthine warren of databanks, autoscribes, and evidence vaults that jurisdiction over an entire orbit demands. Over the centuries of abandonment and independence from Ophon many of the nearer asteroids were also colonized, serving as additional housing at first but eventually evolving into the feudal territory of the most renowned Litigator Clans. Now returned to the fold of something approaching Imperial authority, many of these far-flung fortresses and boltholes have been repurposed as additional storage for the business of the Court, and as holding cells in the event of a criminal trial.

People

While genetically human, the people of Zimbir bear the mark of their ancestors' cybernetic integration into Ophon's pre-war bureaucracy. With so many of the systems in the High Court reliant on these integrated machine interfaces, time and necessity only expanded the ubiquity of these implants, while isolation demanded the slow regression of their beauty and grace. Where once the magistrates of Zimbir enjoyed the regal simplicity of skin-sheer golden implants, the current generation makes do with utilitarian metal protrusions passed down from grandparent to grandchild, each one slowly accumulating a collection of minor flaws that is woven into a family history. While the average inhabitant of the habitat may only boast a few obvious prostheses, such as a mechanical limb or the ubiquitous bulge of a spinal neural port, the great Litigators and Magistrates are a biomechanical symphony, a strange beauty emerging from the grotesque asymmetry of their forms. The imposition of the House of Fire's authority over the region promises an influx of technology and resources beyond anything the region has previously enjoyed, and already some children have reached the age of majority with sleek black implants derived in the depths of Gunzir Massif, but it will take some time before the archaic living sculptures of Zimbir disappear completely.

Born into a society founded on the precepts of Ophons laws, the people of Zimbir gradually became a microcosm of those laws as decades turned to centuries. Titles that were once simple professions have evolved into ceremonial positions of growing power, the law offices that once balanced the work of representation factionalizing into Litigator Clans claiming rulership over different areas of the habitat. While the Imperial Magistrates (and their descendants) are the figureheads vested in traditional authority, in practice their judgements are tempered by the very real power of the Litigator Clans who rule in their name. Or at least, so it was before the House of Fire finally broke the power of the Litigators after a decade-long campaign.

Government

Following the conquest of the region by the House of Fire, the military might of the Litigator Clans was officially disbanded. While the domestic functions of the station were not meddled with by the Ducal Armada, the presence of qualified technicians as well as an influx of foreign materials and spare parts only further diluted the authority of the reigning warlords. This may have precipitated further bloodshed and uprising, had Litigator Prime Apil-Sin not emerged from Ducal custody as a voice to bridge the gap between the two cultures. Made fully aware of the terrible wrath the House of Fire was capable of as well as the deep charity they were prepared to offer Zimbir, Apil-Sin convinced many of the other Litigator Clans that prosperous submission was preferable to the brave futility of rebellion. For his efforts, he was named the first Governor, ruling in the name Esarhaddon III.

Meanwhile, the powers of the Imperial Magistrates has been reinvigorated. While Litigator Prime Apil-Sin attends to the domestic reorganization of the region and the Ducal Corps of Engineers carries out desperately-required maintenance, the Imperial Magistrates have new case loads to consider. Integration of Zimbir with Dur-Shalkhir's legal apparatus has resulted in the resolution of many age-old deadlocks in the archive systems and among the Magistrates themselves, and new precedent has begun to emerge at last from this surviving bastion of Imperial order.

Resources

Resource: Lawyers (Specialists, Information and Data)

Trained from birth, the chosen members of the Litigator Clans possess an encyclopedic knowledge (in many cases aided by their cybernetic implants) of Imperial Common Law and are trained in rhetorical techniques ranging from the high civility of Ophon's court to the lethal simplicity of trial by combat. Freed from the demands of internecine strife, these legal experts are now available to any Elect with the fortitude to embrace their legal code.

Desired Import: Arts and Cultural Products

As systemic shortfalls are reversed and the tensions of inter-clan rivalry dissipate, many inhabitants of Zimbir are free to pursue the higher callings of art and beauty for the first time. However, for all its apparent majesty the habitat is a poor place for free expression. Too much of Zimbir is dedicated to the dry work of case law and contract, and so the people look to the Empire at large to satisfy their souls.

 

Bīt Ereshkigal, The Hexacrypt Wilds (Region 22)

History

Located punishingly near to the site of the White Pawns' apocalyptic resistance to the Empire, much of what once stood atop the Hexacrypt Wilds has been irrevocably lost. The corpses of vast cities and staggering infrastructure projects endured no better than bone or sinew against the radiant fires of the War of Eternal Bombardments, and were abandoned as cursed earth by those who survived. While none were so foolish as to abandon technology as a whole in the wake of the war, none who scrabbled to survive the aftermath wished to return to the days of madness. A sleepy, forgotten culture grew up in the cracks of the apocalypse, and might have remained so were it not for the enterprising work of one young woman. Her name is lost, scrubbed from living memory and digital record, but she was an engineer in a land of farmers. Somehow, she rediscovered a means of interfacing with the infrastructure that had survived the war, burrowed under her peoples' feet like the work of a trillion ants. At first, she used her "powers" subtly, re-engaging water filtration systems or the uplinks to the few surviving weather satellites, but as the prosperity of her town and those near it grew so did suspicion. Too knowledgeable of her peoples' prejudices to risk the truth, the woman vanished into the wilderness, and the brewing scandal died. Until she began to appear in their dreams.

Taking refuge in a central hub of the old world, the first Baba was not content to leave her work half-done. She envisioned a brighter symbiosis between her people and the quiescent technology beneath their feet, and was dedicated, perhaps obsessed, with realizing that dream. Tapping into the water filtration system, she unleashed a flood of tailored nanobots into the region's water supply, and within a month enough of the microrobots had embedded in the brains of her people to establish contact. Drawing the from their dreams into the first datastream, she plucked recruits from among the exceptional and the disaffected of a hundred communities, training the first generation of data witches even as the wider populace slowly awakened to the shared reality of their new lucid dreams. Some, fearing some outside force, tried to resist, but they quietly disappeared into the mists of history. Whether the first Baba eventually died or became something more than human is not known, but from their first generation the data witches have watched over the people of the Wilds as unpredictable, sometimes capricious guardians.

The arrival of the outside world threw this balance of power into chaos. While some witches and their allies among the local councils welcomed the might and majesty of the Empire, others resisted it with bitter will. The ancient technologies that had connected the people to their digital reality were repurposed to create legions of cyborg warriors, and though their homunculi were defeated the witches remain. Now they wait and watch, hiding in plain sight, as a new domed palace rises from what was once old growth forest and sorcerers with fiery eyes turn their attentions to the datastream.

eography

Stretching along the eastern coastline of Zabava, Bīt Ereshkigal descends from a sinuous line of western mountains through towering deciduous forests into coastal lowlands that frequently give way to swamps. Once jagged and wild, the terrain has worn down under the weight of millennia, becoming a rolling tapestry of green, grey, and black. Not so the forests it embraces, however - the wilderness of what was once known as the Hexacrypt Wilds is the equal of any on Sansar, save perhaps the untamed nightmare of the Reserve to its south. The bright lights of sparsely-scattered civilization are almost swallowed by the arboreal gloom, and a complete catalogue of the mutated flora and fauna has not been attempted in the post-war period.

For all that hostility, civilization does thrive in Bīt Ereshkigal. Small towns and villages thrive in forest clearings and along lazy rivers, while rugged mountain camps draw wealth from the black earth. This wealth flows down to the coast, where a handful of small cities thrive on trade and the quiet indifference of more bellicose neighbors. To the naked eye, it might seem quaint, but the naked eye can only perceive half the truth of Bīt Ereshkigal. Hovering above the towns and cities in an invisible haze is the datumplume of its inhabitants, an augmented reality tended to and ruled by the unseen data witches that command fear and respect in every household. In this second sight, towns become glistening towers of light and shadow, and the humble cities are transformed into soaring digital metropolises. This digital reality stretches along the subterranean ley-lines of fiberoptic cable and circuit left behind after the War of Eternal Bombardments, the arcanodigital circuitry alive with digital ghosts.

People

The people of Bīt Ereshkigal exist, much like their civilization, in two worlds. In the real world, the largely human inhabitants nurture an insular culture of extended family ties and old grudges, though these rarely give rise to violence. Rather, the small communities dotting the Hexacrypt Wilds give little thought to the people living outside their immediate sphere, tending their own fences rather than peering through them. However, this provincial attitude is turned on its head in dataspace. Divorced of the reality of the physical world, the inhabitants of Bīt Ereshkigal manifest avatars reflecting their inmost selves (and those who seek to deceive or dissemble with their True Face are invariably punished by the Data Witches). Through a wireless connection that manifests as REM sleep in the outside world, the inhabitants of Bīt Ereshkigal skim the length and breadth of their digital paradise, indulging in revelry and debauch that does the High Lords of Ophon proud.

Government

The communities of Bīt Ereshkigal are organized around democratically organized municipal councils, a collection of reeves and mayors that only rarely come together to form anything resembling a centralized government. While this fractured jumble of authority would normally leave the region vulnerable to exploitation or attack, there is another power at play that acts to unite the scattered communities. The digital realm is also divided along more esoteric lines, each datastream overseen by the dictatorial will of one of the Data Babas. These elder data witches wield staggering power over the constructed reality overlaying Bīt Ereshkigal, to the extent of manifesting phenomena in the physical world if they are sufficiently angered. While they are insular and inscrutable, the Babas are aligned in a singular coven that protects their ambitions and their interests. Though their power waned in the days of occupation after the Eucrus Alliance defeated their warrior Mechadea, the House of Fire has made tentative overtures to bring the Babas more securely into the fold. Certainly, the ancient circuitry that fuels their powers is a miracle of the old world, and greatly of interest to the Imperial Cult. Meanwhile, the regional councils have bent the knee to a Ducal Governor installed in the quickly-growing new city of Irkalla.

Resources

Resource: Roleplaying Games (Art and Cultural Products, Magical Items)

While the reality of the datastream is ever-shifting, there exist rites and rituals to capture a facsimile of it in a set form. This form of protean code carries with it the echoed thoughts and desires of every inhabitant of Bīt Ereshkigal, and is capable of reacting to fulfill the fantasies of those who interface with it through the potency of those echoes.

Desired Import: Planetary Vehicles

While the people of Bīt Ereshkigal enjoy limitless mobility in the datastream, that freedom is far harder to find on the material plane. The dangers of the Hexacrypt Wilds are manifold, and if the region is to prosper beyond the digital phantoms of its inhabitants dreams then a reliable means of transport between mountain, forest, and coast will need to be established.

 

Edited April 21 by TheDarkDM (see edit history)

[BladeofOblivion]

Mraza (Region 55), Veehra

Body

 

Geography

Mraza is the eastern lowland of the Crater Lake, a place of rolling plains and crystal cities. Polished surfaces gleam in the sunlight, and during the night great assemblies of mirrors are used to bathe the places where people reside in light. The population is densely clustered in major cities for this reason, as it is considered deeply unlucky to walk in the darkness and concentrating the light is far easier in one place than many. The largest of these cities are Farkas and Mincir on the coast, followed by the Dome-City of Kazha in the east where it guards the pass across what desert-dwellers know as the Serpent's Spine. Much outside the cities is automated farms and preserved wilderness, so most travel is in special carriages with mirrors on the inside to keep them well-lit.

People

Long ago, the people of Mraza fell into a torpor after overthrowing a brutal sorcerer-king. Needing a strong, honorable protector and lawgiver, rather than appointing one, they built them instead. Though most of the common people of Mraza are human, it is the Mrazite Golems who rule and administer. Crystalline perfection and symmetric mirrored forms with complex magical circuits grant them unique magical abilities centered around imagery and represent a multitude of perspectives and informational processing. Though both intelligent and powerful, constructs like the Thotron have little in the way of ambition or material needs, and so corruption is uncommon. There is only the orderly acquisition and distribution of resources and needs by an enlightened tyranny of the illuminated.

The human population has known little of conflict until the emergence of the elect - insulated from everything, afraid of the dark. Mrazite culture is the pursuit of pleasure and ideals - philosophy, entertainment, sometimes excess.

Faith

Plurality: Anticlericalism

The people of Mraza have long held a collection of superstitions regarding light, darkness, and mirrors. Creatures of the light must remain in the light, and creatures of the darkness must remain in the darkness...normally. Mirrors are portals through which the light may touch the darkness, and an anti-self may emerge from the other side. Anti-Clericalism, despite the name, is an informal clergy of those who maintain and protect the sacred mirrors and safeguard the rituals for trading places with one's mirror self for a time, when the need is dire.

Resources

Resource: Mrazite Crystals (Magical Items/Precious Minerals). These local crystals are an unusual magical component highly useful for ritual magic involving projected images and other illusions. Basu-Rahman used them extensively for special effects and budget visuals.

Required: Information and Data.

 

 

[xanxosttheslaad]

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.

Edited April 21 by xanxosttheslaad (see edit history)

[GrimRanger]

READY FOR REVIEW!

 

Falfey (Region 13)

History

An old aerostat that had long been abandoned by its former inhabitants during the war, Falfey was a structure of some importance to imperial nobility, as it was once the source of luxurious Shadow Silk feeding the insatiable demand of Emperor's court for new fineries. The initial raids seeking to rob the production hub of its materials and forcibly recruit the inhabitants were all the incentine needed to provoke the departure of the former inhabitants, and after the success of initial raids died down, the fleets of Badal had targets of much higher importance than a textile production facility in their minds.

Left mostly unmolested as a result, the aerostat remained capable of limited operations in this reduced state, the few remaining families that had hid out the chaos used the massive trade and textile manufacturing hub as their home for a time, watching out the conflict that erupted across the system... but as the dust began to settle and managing the massive structure entirely by themselves grew ever more troublesome, most of the remaining survivors departed to find new lives in the aerostats with actual population, leaving only the automatic diagnostic and self-repair drones active to maintain the slowly drifting aerostat.

By the time the repair and scouting crews from Senkar arrived to assess the viability of Falfey for continued settlement, the old systems were beginning to fail, threatening to send the aerostat plummeting towards the planet below... and while timely arrive of Djinn-guided repair personnel prevented such an explosive end for the production hub, the arrival of criminal elements, competing business interests and somewhat self-aware repair bots meant the place was about to develop an atmosphere somewhat removed from its opulent origins.

Geography

While it has been damaged some by the passage of time and the burden of only the most rudimentary of maintenance being performed upon its structure for many years, Falfey is regardless a sight to behold. A manufacturing and trade hub with a spherical manufacturing center as its center, the rest of the aerostat is compromised of half a dozen floating districts orbiting the central structure, as well as a small fleet of floating platforms and small vessels moving about its innumerable loading docks. The style of the central structure is one of somewhat stripped-down opulence, the clear signs of archetectural style and furnishings of imperial court still visible through the renovations being made on it by the newly arrived colonists.

The surrounding floating districts and smaller craft create a peculiar sort of ever-shifting street network around the central manufacturing hub, districts often altering their position around the aerostat to allow deliveries and movement of people to occur most effectively. Due to the somewhat glitchy nature of some of the old systems and the whims of semi-sentient drones the travel around the floating streets can at times be somewhat frustrating or hazardous, with an accident happening every now and then to an unfortunate colonist too poor to afford traveling in style and safety of their very own craft.

As a distribution and trade hub, nature aboard Falfey tends to be limited to carefully maintained plants grown mostly for their aesthetic value, although there are often reports of odd pests inhabiting the deeper parts of old superstructures that repair crews avoid for fear of provoking a catastrophic malfunction. The drones have those handled for most part, right?

People

As the former inhabitants of Falfey abandoned their old homes and workplaces, the former population of the aerostat is supposedly entirely absent from it these days. Instead, colonists from Senkar have stepped up as the majority population, the tall ectomorph humans forming their society in Houses and Courts common on Senkar.

While they are by all means the majority population of Falfey, the inhabitants of Senkar are joined by majority population of traders from all across Badal, the manufacture of precious shadow silk having drawn attention from far and wide.

The most peculiar slice of the aerostat's inhabitants are the mechanical drones that have long upheld its vital systems, but the matter of their citizenship is a often debated thing. While they exhibit considerable signs of personhood, tests have yet to prove the matter of their sapience, although the population has mostly accepted their inclusion without much issue so far.

Government

The government of Falfey is ultimately under the rule of High Court aboard Senkar, with the enforcers of Lord Speaker assigned to the newly repaired aerostat to keep good order and rule of Senkar's laws in effect. Regardless, Falfey has its own political circles, ones that somewhat differ from the ones practiced by United Houses of Senkar at large.

While the Low Courts and Houses making up their number scheme and one-up each other much like they would at Senkar, their worst excesses are tempered by the need to deal with both emerging criminal syndicates that control multiple districts floating around the central manufacturing hub, as well as the ineffable will of the drone collective still managing several crucial aspects of the aerostat's manufacture. The day to day managing of the aerostat largely falls onto small council of representatives from each of these three major factions, with their supervisors at High Court caring little as to who sits among their number as long as they manage to maintain the aerostat's operations in satisfactory manner. While this arrangement is unlikely to last forever, it has proven an effective way to manage the new territory in the interim.

Resources

Resource: Shadow Silk (Fabrics and Textile Products)

The fine silk produced by the systems of Falfey allows for creation of all sorts of exotic finery, as well as more mundane yet durable textile products.

 

Desired Import: Precious Minerals

As the completion of many of the more expensive fashion choices favored by nobility and imperial dignitaries requires exotic embellishments, Falfey requires a constrant stream of precious minerals to refine into all sorts of buckles, adornments and accessories.

Edited 23 hours ago by GrimRanger (see edit history)

[Tentreto]

So a Potential TD for my New Commander:

Twin Rail tactics: +3 to Battle Roll if on a Rail Line

Or, if that is not to the taste:

 

The Bunker and the Needle: -10% to own casualties, +1 to battle roll

 

[Syntax Error]

Wikus Plains - Region 39

Geography

The southwestern corner of Chonkia is dominated by the Wikus Plains, getting cooler and wetter as the distance from the deserts of Davis Port increases. Most of the population is in cities along the coast, but smaller communities exist throughout the region. Aba, the capital city, is built around the ruins of a space elevator near the southwestern coast.  Large wildlife is in abundance in the interior of the Wikus Plains, with towns often being menaced by magical beasts. Off the coast lie two large islands, Lesser and Greater Sybellia; these are covered in treacherous jungle with cities along the coasts. Much of the interior of these islands are unexplored, but the parts that are have contained ancient buildings stretching far below the surface. It is prohibited for people outside the Adventurers' Guild to venture into the ruins, but criminals have occasionally made dens in their upper layers.

People

Outside of the islands, the majority (around seventy percent) of the population is composed of the native wikusians, winged draconic humanoids capable of breathing fire. Wikusians tend to be shorter and thinner than humans, averaging around 1.4 meters, with dull grey scales covering their bodies. The rest of the population is twenty percent human and ten percent other races. The coastal cities trend more diverse, with the interior being almost entirely wikusians. Island settlements are primarily human. The beasts in the area occasionally attack towns for unknown reasons; dealing with these threats is in the purview of adventurers. The Adventurers' Guild, based in Aba but with branches in other major cities, trains teams of adventurers to fight these threats, explore ruins, respond to emergencies, and generally deal with unexpected disasters.

Religion

The majority religion in the region is known as The Great Nail. Originally brought to the region by human settlers in the islands, it posits that metal is a divine gift, and that it should be used only in things intended to endure, not wasted on temporary things like metal cans. The Great Nail doesn't tend to congregate, but its followers put up metal statues and artistic pieces that one can say a prayer to. The Great Nail has been rising in prominence recently, especially along the coasts, as the fire-based tenets and rites of the native Magmatic Soul have proven difficult to reconcile with species other than wikusians.

Resources

Resource: Heroic Adventurers (Soldiers/Laborers). Desired Import: Weapons, Armor, and Munitions.

The Adventurers' Guild sponsors parties of skilled heroes going to foreign lands, collecting a portion of the rewards earned. It's common for these teams to take on side quests while out, doing assorted labor and filling temporary positions. The merchants in the area are always looking for more and better gear to outfit adventurers with, and such goods are in high demand.