The Omega

[Jadetarem]

The Omega

People

"Spawn new thread, manage and multiply."
- From the book of Null

With the advent of Moonfall, the Omega have changed dramatically. Their physical appearance has shifted - indeed, every elemental spontaneously disintegrated even as chunks of celestial bodies came crashing down. What arose to take their place were far more recognizably artificial and far more focused. Now more obviously mechanical, a few of the outlying tribes began calling them the Ring-Keepers, as the Omega continue to insist that their singular goal is the fruition of civilization around the Ring, regardless of what form it takes.

The Omega's forms certainly solidified. While they had previously inhabited a variety of animalistic or totemic forms, their new bodies were almost uniformly bipedal, though not necessarily fielding the correct number of limbs, and only rarely capable of other forms of travel beyond simple walking and climbing. Whether these servitor bodies were located or assembled on the fly is unknown, even to the Omega. The Ring-Keepers mostly retained their personal naming convention, taking on the moniker of the place of their 'birth.'

Their mission has not changed, though, nor has their central curiosity and willingness to confront the new and bizarre. Now possessed of greater awareness of their own nature, some reorganization has occurred, and a few things have been re-labeled, but the Omega endure as they always have - in search of a stable and prosperous future.

Pre-Moonfall

The Omega are an eclectic bunch, to say the least. No two look or act exactly alike, but in some ways they are all the same.

Biology comes to mind. An Omega isn't born so much as it coalesces. They believe themselves to be empowered by the Weave of Life, a "thread" that drives the Omega to act, an abundance of which causes an Omega to excel. But thread alone does not an Omega make. It infuses rocks, vegetation, the strange hard materials that make up the deep parts, the water in lakes and rivers and seas, the animals that prowl the forests and sweep the sky, even ongoing processes like the flame and the wind. These are crucial to an Omega's wellbeing, and if the body or the thread is interrupted severely enough, the Omega will die. Nonetheless, this unique physiology is why other species refer to them as the Elementals.

They share certain beliefs, mostly driven by their shared cultural memory: Technology must advance. Civilization must advance. Knowledge must be shared. Goods must be produced. It is a philosophy that is at once materialistic and sublime.

But within those constraints, given Omega may come to wildly different conclusions about what is to be done and how it is to be done. To combat chaos, the Omega practice Encapsulation. Omega of different talents and predilections form groups of related individuals in their craft, not entirely unlike the guilds or craft halls of old.

The most intriguing part of the culture, though, is how absorbent it is. Omega are found wearing clothing or heraldry, writing despite the near-perfect memory most of them possess, wielding tools even if their physical makeup is better suited for a task, and sometimes even consuming - or pretending to - meat or vegetation. Why they do this is unclear. Curiosity? Thoroughness? Insanity?

Leadership/Ruler

"Begin Priority Thread. Pass shared unique pointers from parent to the instantiation of the child."
- From the book of Null

With a newfound awareness of their status as machines rather than natural forces, the Omega were able to recognize the naming convention for their most important beings. It was deemed unnecessarily confusing for outsiders to continue in that fashion, so the Omega have renamed their central authority figure the Administrator in the wake of Moonfall.

The method by which the Ring-Keepers transfer rulership remains the same, however. A high-performing successor is chosen by the current one, who attempts to pass all extant knowledge to their protégé with limited success. Still Lake, once a curious fish-being and now a walking construct, was the first Administrator in the time of Moonfall. Adamant Rise took her place.

Adamant Rise has the following stats at the start of Round 13: Diplomacy 6 | Military 6 | Industry 8 | Faith 1 | Intrigue 1
 

Previous Rulers

Still Lake (Round 1-11) Retired with the following Stats: Diplomacy 10 | Military 10 | Industry 10 | Faith 1 | Intrigue 2

Realm Stats

Status: Great Kingdom
Regions (6): 200, 205, 206, 207, 210, 212
Trading Posts (11):

• 200 TP1 (Wind Rock)*
• 203 TP2 (Lyrisite)*
• 205 TP1 (Emerald Resin)
• 205 TPC (Emerald Resin)
• 206 TP1 (Whispering Wood)
• 207 TP1 (Cedar Wood)*
• 208 TP1 (Copper)*
• 208 TP2 (Copper)
• 216 TP2 (Lotus Silk)
• 219 TP1 (Colored Sandstone)
• 219 TP2 (Colored Sandstone)

*Notes that a resource is being used.

Trading Post Accounting

200 TP1 (Wind Rock) - Acquired in Round 12
203 TP2 (Lyrisite) - Acquired in Round 3
205 TP1 (Emerald Resin) - Acquired at Game Start
205 TPC (Emerald Resin) - City Created in Round 3
206 TP1 (Whispering Wood) - Acquired in Round 8
207 TP1 (Cedar Wood) - Acquired in Round 11
208 TP1 (Copper) - Acquired in Round 2
208 TP2 (Copper) - Acquired in Round 2
216 TP2 (Lotus Silk) - Acquired in Round 4
219 TP1 (Colored Sandstone) - Acquired in Round 10
219 TP2 (Colored Sandstone) - Acquired in Round 10

Military Units: 6/12 Land, 5/6 Sea
Heroes: Kor (10)
Relics: None
Cities: Emerald Root (Region 205) (Emerald Resin Resource+)
Fortresses: Fort Beta (Region 206)
Embassies: VOI, ZAV
Cultural Identities: Investigation (Temp)
Special Tactical Doctrines Available:

• Mechanical Advantage: On success, gain a +2 bonus to battle results.

Required Resource: While the Omega do not eat, they do have a need that has exceeded the supply in their home territory: silicates. Any silicate will do - sand, glass, even some ashes - but Root is sadly lacking in them.

The Omega's required resource needs are currently met by: 203 TP2 (Lyrisite)

Other Resources: Sunken Fragments

Organizations

Peoples of Myrkan (MYR): 2 Rep, 0 Favors (+1 to Establish Claims, -1 to Cross-Continental Penalties)
Disciples of Silicon (DOS): 1 Rep, 0 Favors (+1 to Raids and Sacks)
Seekers of the Spheres (SPH): 2 Rep, 1 Favors (+1 to Epic Quests, +2 to Investigations)

Heroes

Kor, the Elemental Fury

Kor began 'life' as a majestic firebird. Now, "he" moves about in a body of brassy ceramics with a concentration of Essence that causes parts of it to glow. While the manipulation of the classical elements is no longer a standard feature of the Omega, Kor remains able to wield the energies of the land to some extent. One thing he did lose is flight, and while he's quite sad about that, Kor nonetheless remains devoted to his duties of discovery and expansion into the unknown.

Lands of the Realm

See follow-up posts.

Tech

Civilian Tech

Animal Husbandry: +1 to Diplomacy and Industry Exploration (No Resource Requirement)
Irrigation: +1 to Region Stabilization (No Resource Requirement)
Masonry: +1 to resist Raids and Sacks (No Resource Requirement)
Tall Sails: Allows exploration/troop transport over Coastal Water Borders (No Resource Requirement)
Mech. Scaffolding: Allows exploration/troop transport over Mountain Borders (Requires Construction Material/Wood, met by 207 TP1)
Ballast Chambers: Allows exploration/troop transport over a single Ocean Border (Requires Wind Rock, met by 200 TP1)

Military Tech

[Special Materials]: None
[Armor]: None
[Melee Weaponry]: None
[Ranged Weaponry T1]: Spark-Flare Wands (+1 to Battle Rolls) (Requires Copper, met by 208 TP1)
[Cavalry]: None
[Scouts and Logistics]: None
[War Beasts]: None
[Fortifications]: None
[Combat Drugs and Medicine]: None
[Sappers and Siege Weapons]: None
[Subterfuge]: None

Tech Accounting

Animal Husbandry: Selected as starting technology.
Masonry: Acquired from the Peoples of Myrkan in exchange for two favors. (Round 1)
Tall Sails: Acquired from trade with the VOI. (Round 5)
Irrigation: Acquired from trade with the ZAV. (Round 6)
Mechanical Scaffolding: Invented by OMG with Industry 10 Special (Round 11)
Ballast Chambers: Acquired from trade with the ZAV. (Round 12)

Spark-Flare Wands: Acquired from favor spent on Seeker investigation of pirate wreckage. (Round 9)

Action Accounting

Turn 01: +2 Military
Turn 02: +1 Military, +1 Industry
Turn 03: +1 Military, +1 Industry
Turn 04: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Industry
Turn 05: +2 Diplomacy
Turn 06: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Industry
Turn 07: +2 Military
Turn 08: +1 Military, +1 Industry
Turn 09: +2 Diplomacy
Turn 10: +1 Industry
Turn 11: +2 Military, +1 Industry
Turn 12: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Military, +1 Industry

Book keeping may include projections about the end of the current round.

Edited December 2, 2023 by Jadetarem (see edit history)

[Jadetarem]

Lands of the Realm

The Null Foothills (Region 200)
Root (Region 205) (Capital) + Emerald Root (City)
Highwall (Region 206)
Apex (Region 207)
Sig Seg Vee (Region 210)
The Endian Mountains (Region 212)

Edited December 2, 2023 by Jadetarem (see edit history)

[Jadetarem]

Root (Region 205) (Capital Region)

Description: Root is a land of plenty. It has stone, vegetation, game if it was needed - which in the case of the Omega, it is not.

The locals are fascinated by it. But then, they are fascinated by everything, at least for now. Root in particular, though, marks the original boundary of what they consider their project zone, the place where they will pursue Reconstruction according to their deepest cultural doctrines.

It certainly doesn't lack for charms that other species might appreciate. Soaring trees with emerald spade-shaped leaves provide a thick canopy, opening up in clearings through which one can see the Ring and the Stars. A full terrestrial ecosystem thrives, with the "dark parts" of the forest lit by bio-luminescent insects, fungi, and flowering spores. Strange six-winged birds snake their way through the trees, preying on smaller things and fleeing from larger creatures. The entire thing seems suspiciously like a conspiracy to make the place seem as enchanted as possible.

People: See "People" under main post.

People: Pictures (Before Moonfall)

People: Pictures (After Moonfall)

 

 

Resource: Wood is available in many places, but the trees here produce a type of Resin that is abundant, easy to harvest, and has a myriad number of uses. This zone's resource is Emerald Resin.

Construction: The city of Emerald Root is established in this region.

Emerald Root: Details

 

Emerald Root is more than a construction project. Emerald Root is, in and of itself, one of the Omega. Beyond the visible architecture, the Essence flows connect the city to the land around it and vice versa as one massive Genius Loci. Prior to Moonfall, the city had a nearly enchanted look. Afterward, with the "Elementals" a thing of the past, more signs of clear artifice have erupted across the Emerald Forest. While not supplanting the natural beauty, gears, cogs, and other obvious constructs are now visible, interwoven through the trees and along the shores of its rivers and creeks.

Emerald Root: Pre-Moonfall

Other Notable Features: Root is the home and capital region of the Omega.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Jadetarem
Moonfall (see edit history)

[Jadetarem]

The Null Foothills (Region 200)

Description: The Null Foothills were not named for their features - the region is nowhere near barren enough to warrant such a moniker. Instead, the Omega named it upon learning the region's history, or rather how that history was largely eliminated by void cultists, leaving only a sad excuse for a warlord behind. From an ecological perspective, the region is almost insultingly normal, flanked as it is by the soaring mountains to the northeast and the enchanted forest of Root on the other side. Nonetheless, it serves as host to coniferous forests, scrublands, and plains, getting flatter as it moves farther away from what the Omega call the Pathway Mountains.

People: As mentioned, much of the culture from the Null Foothills is lost, including the region's original name. What remained were scattered hunter-gatherer tribes briefly united under Joseph the Breaker, which went back to being scattered tribes after his untimely demise. Still, a few traces do remain - various Moon-related shrines, ruins of temples once dedicated to the Vayuri, the occasional streak of metallic matter that could only have once been the Essence of many Omega. The machine people have been working to integrate the disparate groups into their own amorphous culture, resolving inconsistencies or rough edges where possible, as well as flooding the area with inquisitive constructs. As far as species go, the tribes included humans and a few Zoroans, though whether they were originally settlers or outcasts is hard to say.

Old Resource: The scrublands and forests are home to Highland Berries. The juices of these very dark berries stain well enough and lastingly enough to make a particular shade of violet dye, and are poisonous when eaten raw. As such, the animals of the region will not touch them save for the local Gold-Striped Oriole, which is biologically immune. These birds do not venture into the mountains where larger predatory raptors dwell, so the clusters of berries grow thicker and thicker as elevation increases (to a point), giving the berries their name. Ecology aside, the locals discovered that Highland Berries can be macerated or fermented to produce a kind of jam or berry wine, respectively, and this knowledge was not lost along with so much else.

Current Resource: The changing needs of the Omega prompted Adamant Rise to dig past the Highland Berry-supporting lands, into the hills, in search of Wind Rock.

Edited December 2, 2023 by Jadetarem (see edit history)

[Jadetarem]

Highwall (Region 206)

Description: Highwall is named not for a geographical feature or ancient maps, but for its civilization, carried to prominence in the area through the auspices of one man - Robert, now called the Builder. Robert the builder was proficient with the spear and even stronger with the hammer, and forward-thinking, physically powerful, and charismatic enough to become a leader among the scattered humans in the region. He taught them to hunt and build strong walls, and united the disparate groups.

Everything changed when the Vandal Nation attacked. Fog swept in, obliterating the region's economy and sorely pressing the defenders, only to immediately be set upon by the Omega. The mechanical nation had arrived with the intention of conquest, only to find their nascent imperialism blocked by piracy and the ecological catastrophe caused by the pirates' curious fog weapon. In the three way battle that emerged, the Omega were victorious, though not without the temporary loss of both Robert and Kor, the Omega's field leader and hero.

Both escaped and Robert returned to his people to find that his homeland was still cleaning up after the pirate raid. He aided with the effort long enough to see prosperity return before leaving for distant lands, leaving his nation as a protectorate of the Omega, and it remains so to this day.

People: The people of Highwall are primarily human, though the Utui form a solid and noticeable minority. Their reluctance to begin widespread agriculture has kept their population low and their forests of Whispering Woods unusually close to their numerous crude but solid fortifications. The coastline is a wild mix of unassailable cliffs and highly accessible inlets and fjords, and in the hands of a more populous people might have been impossible for the pirates to assault, but there simply was neither the time nor the manpower to cut off every point of entry.

Culturally, the Highwallers are as fond of constructions as the name implies. Indeed, it isn't considered a proper courtship without one partner building a home for the other, and marriage officially ends when said home is destroyed through malice or mischance - though a couple that is truly in love will simply build another (with the aid of the community if need be) and marry again in the latter case. "Burning the house down" is a common phrase for a relationship that has met its end there, even if it never reached the point of matrimony.

A longstanding Disciple presence in the area has led to the locals to assume advanced technology over magic in the presence of the unknown as well, with one exception: A great many superstitions surround the Whispering Woods as well, primarily due to their unique properties. Folkloric tales name everything from magic wolves to fair folk to ancient machines within the woods and more, and the dense and dark woods are seen as boon and bane with a frightful and capricious whimsy.

Resource: For all it was named after artifice, Highwall is home to the Whispering Wood. These woods are a truly strange specimen of flora, seeming to be a type of evergreen or pine, save that they are not evergreen, as the needles change color - yellowing at some times and reddening at others before turning green again, all with little to no evident explanation. There's no question the trees are hardwood, though, and they are useful construction materials for buildings, tools, and weapons. More esoteric uses include the bark for insulation and sap to form a kind of bittersweet syrup popular among the elderly and absolutely no one else. It is difficult to set Whispering Wood on fire, but once alight it can burn for a surprisingly long time, making it an efficient fuel source so long as extreme heat is not required.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Jadetarem (see edit history)

[Jadetarem]

Sig Seg Vee (Region 210)

Description: The history of Sig Seg Vee is a curious one. Portions of Ring-architecture show in the foothills of the mountains to the east, in particular a massive bluff known as the Seg Fault. Before that, though, the area boasts a massive amount of arable farmland.

People: The people of Sig Seg Vee - the Seggens - historically practiced a rigid caste system, much of it rooted in their local creation mythos, which holds that there was a time when all manner of predatory brigands would prey upon the many farmers of the land. One day, a village gathered warriors from across the land to make a stand against these raiders, and these warriors called themselves the samurai. The Seggen Samurai, or Magnificent Seggen - there are different versions of the story - made a stand and brought peace and prosperity to the land, though at great cost.

Little changes over the years, culturally. When the Omega arrived with a message of uplift and societal upheaval for the greater good, they were driven out by the enraged warrior caste. When they returned with gifts and three fewer moons in the sky, the Seggens were considerably more welcoming. Over the course of a decade, they consented to integrating the Omega and their ways with their own, through nothing less than stellar work on the part of Deep Gully, the Omega's diplomat and Still Lake's mouthpiece.

In addition to the warrior caste, there are laborers, merchants, criminals, and elders, who are the closest thing to local leaders. The people of Sig Seg Vee are generally incurious, though not completely uncreative, and the Omega are hoping to make a few more adjustments there before all is said and done.

Resource: In the legend, the bandits were after the Barley harvest of the Seggens, and if nothing else there is barley to be had.

Edited August 5, 2023 by Jadetarem (see edit history)