The Dwarven Industrial Coalition

[bc_56]

The Dwarven Industrial Coalition
Region 97, the Central Claims

Geography

The Dwarves dwell in hollowed-out asteroids carved into warrens of cramped tunnels, and in space stations floating in the void near sites of interest and mining claims. The center of their society is the habitat of First Claim, which consists of a largish asteroid coupled to the remains of the original colony ship which brought the dwarves out to these distant shores. These asteroids, being so far from the sun, are often icy and desolate, but the sturdy dwarves have made them a home.
One would be forgiven for expecting the industrious, cave-adapted Dwarves to have dark, forbidding habitats, but Dwarven warrens are awash with light and noise. In many, especially the larger habitats, a festival air permeates the space as dwarves off their shifts gather to drink, dance, and make merry, to trade in marketplaces and play games of dice, cards, and athletic contests. But they [I]are[/I] cold.
There are a few notable habitats in the Central Claims.
First Claim: The original habitat of the Dwarven colonists and site of their old colony ship.
Frostbore: A very large asteroid which is the source of most of the Dwarves' ice and water, as well as a sizeable amount of metals.
The Iron Hall: One of the oldest free-floating space stations operated by the Dwarves, it orbits in the midst of a cluster of small but mineral-rich asteroids.

People

Dwarves are a diminutive race, compared to humans, standing around four feet tall. Their skin comes in shades of grey and brown, sometimes mottled or speckled. All dwarves, male or female, have thick "hair" and "beards," even from birth, however these are not composed of hair, as humans understand it, but of numerous small tendrils, sensitive to touch and air currents. These aid dwarves in navigating the tunnels of their homes and workplaces.
Dwarves are often considered boisterous, rowdy, and loutish. These are all more or less correct assumptions. Dwarves work hard and play hard. They are fond of music, alcohol, and sculpture, and many are adept stonecutters, metal crafters, and jewelers. Dwarves appreciate fine crafts, but their items are still made with utility and durability in mind, and so materials such as diamond are highly prized.
Most dwarves work as miners, hollowing out asteroids to extract minerals and create living space. This is a hazardous career, but generally considered respectable. Many miners double as soldiers, with the intent of keeping brigands and space monsters off of Dwarven claims. The upper class consists of master artisans, financiers, and military commanders, while the lower class primarily consists of those unfortunates unable or unwilling to hold down a job; it's one thing to have fun when you're off the clock, but not working at all is seen as an insult to the highly industrious Dwarves.
Dwarven ships are sturdy, resilient vessels, designed to survive impacts with asteroids, missiles, and other dwarven ships. These vessels show many scars of battle and accident, and Dwarves sometimes look with scorn upon pristine ships which haven't been used for any [I]real[/I] work. Their vessels are propelled by solid-fuel and liquid-fuel rockets, as well as ionic propulsion occasionally when available.

Government

The Dwarves are organized into a worker-owned corporation, with different industries split into smaller subsidiaries. The governing body is the Executive Council, made of the executive members of each subsidiary, and the workers elect one of their number to be the ruling Chief Executive upon the retirement, death, or demotion of their predecessor. The Chief Executive determines the direction of the Coalition.
The Dwarves maintain a cold distance from the Emperor. He is acknowledged by name, but they give him little reverence from their seats in the cold dark far from the warm light of the Imperial Sun.

History

In ancient times, long before the memories of any dwarves, a colony ship carrying the Dwarven people left their underground homes on Veehra and flew deep into the cold dark of Mekhala at the urging of their legendary Progenitor. After that came war. The Bug War.
The asteroids that would become the Dwarves' new home were infested with arachnoid creatures in vast numbers, simple-minded but ever-adapting things which would voraciously attack anything which entered their territory. The dwarves fought back, again under the direction of the Progenitor, and the bugs were, eventually, totally eradicated (although some may have escaped notice in isolated corners. It was then that the Progenitor hung up his arms and founded the Coalition, bringing the loose mining and crafting guilds together into an organized company that would be able to keep the lights on in such a hostile world. Since then, the Dwarves have thrived, many lifetimes after their founder's death.

Resource

[B]Ice:[/B] (Beverage, Fuel)
It seems like an odd thing to sell. But out here in the depths of space, water is hard to come by, and ice has many uses, and the frigid asteroids the dwarves call home are rich with the stuff. Even if you don't plan on drinking it, ice makes an excellent shield against radiation, a useful coolant, and a solid structure for expanding further into the void, in a pinch.
[B]Required: Booze[/B]
The dwarves make their own ales, of course, from hardy underground plants and fungi they brought with them on their exodus. But it's not enough to satisfy their need. Millions of dwarves must go to sleep sober each night because there isn't enough alcohol to go around. This is a state of affairs that cannot be tolerated.

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Majority: Cult of the Progenitor
The Progenitor is not the first dwarf, nor is he the father of all modern dwarves. He's not even a god in the strictest sense. But he is an object of admiration and worship to the dwarves of today, a legendary hero whose tomb hosts millions of pilgrims each year. The Progenitor was an industrialist, a visionary, and a warrior-king all rolled into one. It was under his direction that the dwarves left their onetime home and travelled into the depths of Mekhala. It was under his command that squads of miners eradicated the space bugs that lived within their new claim. And it was under his leadership that the Industrial Council was established to govern the new society.
He does have a name, but it is a secret known only to dwarves and spoken only in the most hallowed halls for fear of debasing it. At all other times they call him "the Progenitor," father of their entire civilization.
His spirit is said to aid miners in desperate situations. "Progenitor be with you" is a common blessing.

Holy Site: The Progenitor's Tomb
A large, ornate chamber at the heart of First Claim is dedicated to housing the earthly remains of the Progenitor. His corpse is encased in a carbide block, engraved with a record of his deeds for all dwarves to marvel at. 

Starting Technologies

Fusion Reactors:
One of the technologies the ancient Dwarves brought with them was the power to harness the fire of stars, the primary example being the heart of First Claim's old colony ship.
Vacuum Adaptation:
While it's rare for Dwarves to jump into the vacuum of space with reckless abandon (and not just fly a ship with reckless abandon), it is occasionally done, especially for stealth insertions where the heat signature of a large ship would be a dead giveaway.

 

[bc_56]

 Region writeup for Region 90:

Mel-Tori

Geography

Mel-Tori lies nestled in the midst of Mekhala, unremarkable except for its architecture and commerce. The aging space stations that make up the Meltorian Collective are designed in the shape of wheels. Once they would have spun to provide gravity for their inhabitants, but now they move in more erratic patterns, their station-keeping thrusters damaged or missing due to the ravages of time. There are a few dozen of these stations, and they tend to be in poor repair, as the Meltorian industrial base is relatively low. Living conditions are frequently less than ideal.

People

The Meltorians are humans. They are usually pallid, tall, and slender, and both sexes tend to go bald early in life due to mild exposure to toxins and radioactivity in their decaying habitats. Having hair later in life is seen as a status symbol.

The Meltorians have short lifespans and so take an attitude of living life to the fullest; even small events can trigger large celebrations including dancing and drinking. Combined with poor lighting supplemented by phosphorescent chemicals, this sometimes gives Meltorian stations a rave-like feel, and their cramped corridors are frequently bustling with activity.

Government

The Meltorian Collective is not much of a government per se, forming more of a loose confederation of the various stations which operate more or less as city-states. Each station is governed, at least nominally, by a Mayor, and although the methods for election vary from station to station, some form of democratic process is observed. In most, only the owners of habitat space are allowed to vote. The Mayors in some stations are powerful autocrats, while in others, they have little real power, with true control collecting in gangs and criminal organizations

History

Before the War of Eternal Bombardments, a group of humans constructed a series of toroidal habitats in the area that would become Mel-Tori. The war caused heavy damage to these settlements, destroying most of their infrastructure and capability to rebuild. As a result, the stations fell into decline and disrepair, with the knowledge of how to complete repairs eventually falling out of memory.
The continued existence of the Meltorian civilization is a testament to the perseverance and dedication of those early survivors, who did everything in their power to preserve the lives of those aboard.

Resources

Meltorian Ale is brewed from hydroponically grown algae and fungus, and serves a double purpose in Meltorian society. First of all, the ale serves as the premier recreational beverage for the many Meltorians; secondly, the brewing process removes many of the contaminants caused by faulty water reclamation systems, and is more potable than normal drinking water as a result. This causes a large amount of ale to be brewed in different potencies - and it's not always clearly labeled which is which.
The Meltorians require Conductors and Circuitry in order to work on maintenance and repair of their failing systems.

Religion

Olosom is a word that means, roughly, "It is what it is." This is a common philosophy among the Meltorians; that not every problem can be fixed, and some things just need to be accepted. Meltorians who espouse Olosom focus on celebrating and preserving the things they have, without longing for what they do not and especially what they cannot have.
The arrival of the Dwarves has fragmented the Meltorian community, as many things which were formerly unattainable are now possible due to investment in the region's breweries and infrastructure. Some Meltorians are abandoning Olosom for a more materialistic worldview.

[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.