The Theocratic Regency of Svaatyr
Spoiler: Zel-Kryes - K21Spoiler: Terrain
The Zel-Kryes system is notable for being an unusually inhabited Quaternary system. The larger yellow dwarf stars lack habitable planets, but the dimmer pair that orbit them hold a single liveable world. Veekrn Fatyi, the jewel in the heavens. It's twin radiances grant it a unique calendar of sixteen seasons, depending on the position in the terrestrial and solar orbit. When the planet sits between the two stars, it experiences no true night, and instead rests in crimson twilight. When together, night truly falls, yet the day shines brighter than ever. Meanwhile, the planet warms as the two stars draw closer together, and cooler as they part. The parent stars they orbit shed not enough to shift the seasons, instead joining the single moon as lights in the dark.
Veekrn Fatyi itself is a varied planet, though it leans towards the warm and arid - deserts and savannas make up the most common biomes, fed by rains that collect in the mountains and flow to the sea. More temperate plains and forests lie further from the equator, and the poles endure frigid conditions in all but the height of summer. Tropical conditions do occur, but mostly at higher elevations - the tallest mountain in the world is lush with greenery till near its peak.
Spoiler: People
The Nolkir are a leonine race, crafted in a crude approximation of their gods. The most common variant sports tawny fur, with the males having a darker mane, but varieties native to regions other than the warm savannas and deserts can also be found. Those of the frigid poles sport much thicker white or grey fur, and those native to the jungles often have mottled or spotted fur. For those communities that developed by the ocean, the fur is sleeker and otter like, and prone to lighter colours on the front. Both males and females average at the six foot mark, though females are usually more slender. They naturally reach a similar age as humans, though medicine has reached a point where passing the century mark is common, and gene therapy can extend an individual's lifespan near indefinitely, though the technology has not yet reached a point where it's affordable for the the average citizen, and only the richest could afford the frequency required to truly last forever, especially as the efficiency drops with each pass.
An incredibly social species, the Nolkir typically live in communal housing, with ample shared living space, with the more modest personal space also often shared, albeit on a much smaller scale - often shared by a single family group, though such groups commonly shift and change with semi-regularity. Males typically spend enough time and effort on their appearance that other races would describe them as vain, though this is mostly a remnant of traditional mating habits. A single family group consists of as many individuals as are happy to be in it, though traditionally these consist of a single male and multiple females, plus children. However, the first move was always traditionally made by the female, who was under no obligation to remain if she did not wish, and so the males put great effort into being as attractive to them as possible. In more modern times, the make up of groups is more flexible, and a male approaching a female less unthinkable, but the traditional ways still hold sway. Physically affectionate, the Nolkir are very tactile with each other, with hugs and similar levels of contact common among even acquaintances.
Between their social nature and adherence to their gods, the Nolkir are an orderly people. While not likely to blindly follow any order without thought (which would go against other major tenets of their faith), they respect authority, and are unlikely to rebel against it without cause. Exceptions of course exist, but on the whole they form a close, cohesive people.
The Nolkir are a highly educated people - They have compulsory state-funded education from five to twenty-five, starting with basic topics like reading, writing and religion, covering a broad variety of fields through the middle years, then specialising more as they reach the later years of their education. Teachers (who are all also priests), are highly respected, and held to a high standard, leading to an unusually high success rate when it comes to engaging and educating youngsters.
Spoiler: History
In the beginning, eternity was a line. A malleable line, that could be shaped as its observers willed, but a single, unbroken path. In the beginning, eternity was boring. Ageless, and blessed with the vision to chart history's course for millenia to come, the Nine Sphinxes had the ability to chart time as they saw fit - and yet what they craved was not control, but stimulation. Which of them suggested it, and what caused them to think of it, remains unknown - the Nine themselves remain ever enigmatic on personal matters - but the result was clear. In their own image, they created the Nolkir. The random senseless chaos that the Nine would have to cause to thwart their own predicitons was anathema to their very nature, but those they had created lacked such perfection. Free to make choices, free to make mistakes, the Nolkir were able to enact what the most static beings in the galaxy so desperately wanted - change.
The Nine themselves sat back, and allowed history to unfold. Since their initial setting of the wheels, the nine have, between them, interceeded a mere eight times, fully half by Viiqr-Zel Mrrn. Each time was followed absolutely, and usually given to stave off what was likely to be a world threatening situation (and in one case by Tyaam-Zel Fiiqam because he didn't want to have to breathe polluted air in a few hundred years). For millenia the Volkir were fragmented, and the Nine remained politically neutral. However, in the year 3149, the Theocracratic Regency of Svaatyr began its grand crusade. It was a slow, measured beast, an assimilation of all around them by carrot or stick, followed by periods of consolidation and stabilisation. Countries had risen and fallen in the past, but this time, the leaders had shown the wisdom and foresight to retain stability no matter how large it grew. As secularity and opposition were crushed both mercilessly and pityingly, those who remained in opposition banded together to resist them. The war was long and bloody... and they failed. After that, it was simply a matter of clean up. With robust and flexible command lines in place, it turned out running a planet was actually easier than running a country - there were no new problems besides scale, and most of the foreign policy issues had been removed.
Spoiler: Government
On paper, the Nolkir have no mortal ruler. Supreme authority is given to the Nine, who never use it. As such, the heads of the main government branches claim regency, as a theocratic council. The leaders of each branch are referred to as the Svrrta-Zel, or Saints, and are usually helmed by the head of the church.
The church also doubles as the department of education, for the Nolkir draw no distinction between priest and teacher. It is a prestigious vocation, and the person at the top of it has unbeaten control over the path of the nation.
Though little is known of the ministry of intelligence outside of its own members, its influence is second only to the Educator Saint. Its members keep a close watch on the citizens, aiming to deal with problems before they can even bear fruit. Rumours abound about them, and plenty attempt to mask their activities. The Ministry appreciates the effort to give them a challenge.
Rarely spoken of, but vastly important, is the civil service. Its employees work tirelessly to maintains supply lines, organise repair and construction, and generally keep everything running smoothly. Though not the most glamorous of roles, to those simply living day to day lives, it is the one that allows them to do so.
The Bureau of communications is the smallest branch, and to some degree is a remnant of earlier times. With no one left to perform diplomacy with, the Bureau instead facilitates internal lines of communication, though could in theory be once more expanded to its former duties.
The Crusader Corps have been almost as mythologised as the ministry of intelligence, except most of them are true. Svaatyr claimed world dominance by its elite military might, and they have not allowed peace to tarnish that arm. Those wishing to join the crusaders need undergo seven years of pre-training - those who complete are guaranteed a place, but enlistment is for life. In return, in addition to the prestige, crusaders have access to one of the best benefit packages in the galaxy, including state funded yearly life extension treatments, and a modest salary on top of all expenses paid. Support roles more resemble a normal career, but are still prestigious jobs, and the only people outside of the crusaders themselves allowed to learn the military language - teaching it to someone without clearance is a grave offence.
Though the number of combat troops is somewhat small for the population size, they make up for it in individual skill and discipline, and double as domestic law enforcement. Though the Nolkir would be quick to pin their low crime rates on their people's naturally orderly nature, the terrifying prospect of having to deal with the police is a much greater deterrent.
Despite the expansion of their territory, Svaatyr resists claiming the title of empire. To do so would be to place a line between Zel-Kryes and their other territories, to declare the conquered as different, when nothing could be further from the truth. The conquered have the exact same rights and benefits as Nolkir citizens (provided they follow the same rules and laws), and racial discrimination is punished harshly in any direction. Svaatyr's aim is to eliminate all cultural distinction between its citizens - their useful traditions adopted as Svaatyrn traditions, and rightly so, for they are traditions of Svaatyrn citizens. All else can be gently wiped away. These regions are ruled no differently than they would a geographic region of Zel-Kryes - ultimate control remains in the hands of the council, with regional branches of government acting as extensions to better manage individual areas.
Spoiler: Resources
Perhaps a consequence of a world so suffused with sunlight, Zel-Kryes is host to a large number of crystals, the Zeliitusv, or sunstones. The stones are black - light cannot normally escape the inside of the crystal, though it can enter it. The crystals can however be coaxed to release their trapped contents, emitting the stored pure sunlight. Originally used merely as a light source, the advent of photovoltaic power caused them to be used much like a battery - a source of light at night, usually deployed within a small dyson sphere like arrangement of solar panels. As the stones emit little to no heat, they are both safe and easy to use. As early space travel was developed, they proved to be native not only to the planet itself, but much of the surrounding asteroid network, explaining why they could only be observed from the planet when they collided.
Intellectually voracious, the Nolkir are ever on the lookout for new Curiosities to study. The universe contains countless secrets, which can ideally be brought home to be uncovered in comfort.
Spoiler: Philosophy
The Nolkir near universally follow the Nine Lights, the name they give to the nine sphinxes that, mostly in name, rule the theocracy. While the direct worship of the Nine would perhaps make little sense for any but the Nolkir, the philosophy based upon them is perhaps somewhat more transferable. At it's heart, the Nolkir strive to match the nine virtues exemplified by each of the lights.
Viiqr-Zel Mrrn, The Light of Compassion.
Tyaam-Zel Fiiqam, The Light of Ingenuity.
Kaza-Zel Melqrrn, The Light of Judgement.
Zeliiv-Zel Zanrt, The Light of Shadows.
Zelzyr-Zel Lrnaas, The Light of Dawn.
Seel-Zel Namees, The Light of Knowledge.
Vanrt-Zel Sonara, The Light of Certainty.
Avrne-Zel Tetyr, The Light of Curiosity.
Zrvesiiv-Zel Voolr, The Light of Eternity.
Though the Nine could comfortably guide history, they elect not to. To them, there is beauty in the imperfection, in the choices and consequences that cause them to constantly reevaluate the course of time. To follow the Nine is to embrace that imperfection, and to strive to forge that future with your own two hands. The Nolkir accept that other races lack the same direct reason to worship the Nine, though they still expect them to at least be given respect, and they themselves don't exactly pray to them. On occasion they might be petitioned for council, and on occasion they may even grant it, but the Nolkir find it more viable to honour them in deed than word.
They place a high cultural significance on light, and find prisms to be as close as they come to deeming an object sacred - the ability to take something pure and flawless as light, and break it down into something beautifully imperfect is something dear to their hearts.
Philosophical centre - The Temple of Seel-Zel Namees. Doubling as the global center of power for the government's education branch, and by extension the seat of government for the whole world, the home and temple of Namees is a spiraling tower of glass and stone at the heart of the world's capital. For each practical room, there is another given to a terraced garden, or an indoor pond, and the entire tower is fragrant with the large amber flowers Namees is fond of.
Spoiler: The Emjata System - L20
The discovery of thriving life in the star system came as something of a surprise to the Svaatyrn, and even the Nine acknowledged that it wouldn't have been their first guess. After all, when all mathematical projections pointed to the system's exo-star as having been caught in a wide orbit around the primary only a few thousand years ago, most would have expected any life that had been present to have long since burned away.
According to local legend, the planet was once home to dozens of intelligent races, and was of a decidedly alpine bent. Most did not survive the coming of the Dragon Star, as the locals called it. The 'Ridx, however, proved more resilient that most. They endured the warming, along with the hardiest specimens of the world's flora and fauna, much of which ran rampant in the vast swathes of planet that was now theirs and theirs alone. Hot, humid, and having not seen a dark sky in thousands of years, much of the planet was now overrun by teeming jungles, thick with plants only slightly less unkillable than the beasts that stalked them. Much of the planet even now remains wild and uninhabited, though other swathes have been brought under a semblance of control.
Spoiler: People
The 'Ridx are at present the only remaining sapient species on the planet. Rumours never truly quell of another race surviving deep beneath the oceans, but no contact has been had with this hypothetical species in thousands of years, so most consider them an urban legend at best. The 'Ridx themselves are naturally tall and powerfully built, with horns and a partial black scaled exoskeleton made of the same incredibly hard material as their bones (early studies imply them to be made of a naturally occurring superstructure), and little to no sexual dimorphism. Early contact in fact mistook them for a genderless race, though further clarification proved that they were at least divided reproductively. Svaatyrn scientists remain in argument if the egg laying 'Ridx are reptiles or mammals.
Carnivorous, the 'Ridx have a strong hunting tradition, strengthened over the years by the rampant ecological arms race of the planet's fauna. They do, however, also have a surprisingly adept agricultural tradition, albeit one that would seem chaotic and arcane to an outside observer - 'Ridx cultivators have long mastered the blending of the wild and tame. Indeed, the distinction between their cities and the surrounding jungles is often academic at best - living trees and vines are as much a part of the construction as stone, wood, wax and resin. They have a vast catalogue of experience and knowledge with the planet's flora and fauna, and an ability to mix their components to ends that seem almost magical.
Spoiler: Government
Emjata's government is best described as a loose coalition of clans, a thousand monarchs who sometimes agree on what to do. The manner of choosing the clan head varies from clan to clan, usually based on whatever trait that clan finds most desirable. Though stable, each region mostly keeps to itself, limiting the effects the people have on a macro scale. Early Svaatyrn reports state that this is dumb and should be fixed as soon as possible, immediately before their woefully lacking education system, and after their language which is unspeakable by anyone without an indestructible throat.
Spoiler: Philosophy
Apparently, for many years the locals worshipped the dragon star, some out of appeasement, and some out of a belief that it had chosen them as rulers of the world. This persisted for some time, until the sisters of silence arrived. Apparently, the trajectory of an errant star so close to their vigil was of mild concern to them, and they took steps to stabilise the orbit such that it didn't leave again or draw closer. Svaatyrn experts almost all conclude this is unlikely propaganda designed to give them an excuse to spread their so called faith, and should be disregarded as wilful disinformation.
Spoiler: Resource
The Dejan Mustard is perhaps the most prolific plant on the planet. Able to grow in even the most adverse of conditions (reports have been confirmed of it thriving even on barren rock and underwater), it was so named for its ability to both conquer any environment, and its most common distinctive yellow colour, though it has at least a half dozen other names, including mongrelvine, fleshfruit and waxblood. The plant breeds via the pollen of other plants rather than produce its own, so no two vines are truly alike, but all have some common traits - when cut, they produce a thick, waxy sap that makes a resilient building material, and the production of fruit with a high enough protein content to provide nutritional value even to carnivores.
Spoiler: The Voxesier System - J20
Svaatyrn explorers were confused, to say the least, upon discovering Voxesier. Not so much for the system itself, which was an utterly normal single star system with a number of planets orbiting it. The confusion came when they discovered it another seven times. Maps were checked and double checked, and they were definitely all in different locations. They all even shared the same species, though they showed social and physical variations.
Initial studies showed that, traced far back enough, the local history eventually hit a point where they all converged to the same, approximately four thousand years prior. The Nine, when queried, confirmed that seven new stars had appeared in the sky at that time. None of the planets had any knowledge of each other - whatever had occurred remained a mystery.
Since then, however, all eight planets (or reflections, as some Svaatyrn were keen to push), have developed in greatly different directions, with almost no cultural relationship to one another.
Spoiler: People
The Vox on all planets are four armed, with dark leathery skin, along with some form of horns. Having learned from previous mistakes, Svaatyrn explorers looked very hard for gender differences, and were somewhat put out to discover the Vox actually were genderless - reproduction occurs via a process that could only, begrudgingly, be called magic, involving the simultaneous mixing and reversion of multiple creatures' time streams to create a new, separate being, though the exact number of parents appeared to be able to vary from anywhere between one and five. Most variants also exhibit supernatural abilities beyond that, leading scholars to posit that they may in fact be four dimensional beings - their unique method of reproduction also seems to allow more rapid evolution than normal.
Individual strains and planets were named by Svaatyr - early arguments (and threats of war) over which was the 'real' Voxesier showed leaving it to them was a poor choice.
Spoiler: Resource
Voxesier as a system is crossed by twisting red lanes, natural trackways that allow speeds exceeding even GLD, but only within their confines. Manipulable to a degree, but otherwise irremovable, the combination or their seeming indestructibility and the sensation given to those riding them gave them the ridiculous but unfortunately stuck name of Unbreakable Twizzlers.
Though initially mistaken for some form of road network, joining the systems directly with apparent purpose, they were mistakable as a remnant of some fallen empire. Further study, however, implies that them to may well be tangles in the very fabric of space and time, a remnant of the event that split the planet into eight.
Spoiler: Voxesier-Tyrn
Upon Voxesier-Tyrn, the empire that stood at the point of divergence, miraculously, never fell. Even after ten thousand years, the highly traditional Vox-Tyrn remain, at least culturally, much as they always were. The empire has fractured and warred with itself countless times, but has always recongealed, enduring all ambition and technological progress. The second closest to space flight, their military technology in particular is quite advanced for a pre-space flight people.
Spoiler: People
The Vox-Tyrn are the most physically imposing of the Vox, all breaching eight foot tall and built for battle. Their skin hews more towards red, and their horns are large enough to be used as weapons.
Spoiler: Voxesier-Veenir
At some point in their history, the Vox-Veenir came upon the idea to meld their innate sorcery with technology, leading to a revolution that caused them to far outstrip their cousins technologically. Though still contained to their own solar system, the Vox-Veenir have taken the first steps into space, with skies teeming with man made satellites. Much of the planet is covered in towering, packed cities, reliant heavily on technology for survival.
Spoiler: People
The Vox-veenir are one of the smaller strains, skin black or close to, but with natural neon edging to their horns, with hair colour that matches. They tend towards the most extreme fashion choices, and, on average, are the most intelligent strain by a slight margin.
Spoiler: Voxesier-Sadoor
The land of Voxesier-Sadoor is one of many faces - tranquil and spiritual on the surface, it is a nest of vipers and espionage. The masks commonly worn by the populace hide thier faces, but expose their natures, and it is one of the most mystical of the planets - many of the Vox-Sadoor exhibit abilities that enhance stealth, such as shadow manipulation and bluring one’s own passage through time.
Spoiler: People
The Vox-Sadoor are lithe and slender, the most agile of the strains, and possessed of a motled gray skin that shows not in the shadows beneath the moon, along with pupilless eyes.
Spoiler: Voxesier-Biityo
Though apparently the world’s history was incredibly bloody, approximately a thousand years prior the Vox-Biityo achieved world peace. Surprisingly, they didn’t change their minds immediately after, and Voxesier-Biityo is now a tranquil land where the most challenging thing to deal with is navigating the locals’ impossibly complicated love lives, mostly taking place in an untold number of independent eateries, bakeries, and coffee shops.
Spoiler: PeopleThe Vox-Biityo have skin that tends towards the lighter shades of gray, somewhat larger than average eyes, and an utter lack of supernatural abilities beyond being able to reproduce. Clothing tends towards the soft and comfortable, with sweaters in particular doing a brisk trade.
Spoiler: Voxesier-Fasel
Voxesier-Fasel is unique in that the tangles of space usually constrained to the skies reach the planet below. The locals took to using them as racetracks, building their entire culture around who could go the fastest. Rulership is determined by the winner of the five-yearly grand prix, with a caste system based around racers, support crew, and the spectators who provide for society's more practical needs. Despite still being planet bound, their vehicle technology is excellent, with a responsiveness impressive even to Svaatyr.
Spoiler: PeopleThe Vox-Fasel are the smallest strain, light with a sleek, streamlined appearance. They possess a single eye that stretches round the entire face, covered in a hard lens, more akin to a visor than a traditional eye. Their reflexes are incredibly fast - most of the racer caste exhibit the ability to slow their perception of time, and they prove to have a high resistance to the effects of g-force.
Spoiler: Voxesier-Maagrn
Unusually sparsely populated, Voxesier-Maagrn it a scarred planet. The people possess some of the most potent natural gifts of all the Vox, and a propensity for using them in highly destructive wars of dominance. Ruled by various mage lords, most of the populace live in fear of the next inevitable conflict that they will be drafted into over petty territorial squabbles, which will almost certainly raze the desired prize to the ground. Warlords of power enough to pose a problem are rare, but cause more than enough devestation to make up for thier low numbers - those of that level of power rarely produce offspring, so as not to produce competetion for themselves.
Spoiler: People
The Vox-Maagrn are visually striking, their jet black skin covered with golden tattoo-like markings that glow with their own light. The more powerful the individual, the more markings they possess, though all have at least some.
Spoiler: Voxesier-SrtyrrVoxesier-Srtyrr is, on the whole, a lawless place. Pockets of order are held, but only by the wills, guns and blades of the few brave souls willing to maintain them. Away from the protection of a sherrif, might makes right, and victory goes to the fastest trigger finger. Steam powered trains cross seemingly endless plains crisscrossed with the tracks of farmers and herdsmen, away from the cities whose governments have long been destroyed and replaced by criminal gangs.
Spoiler: PeopleThough possessed of no noteworthy traits of appearance in relation to the other Vox, the Vox-Srtyrr are possessed of keen eyesight, and the ability to always ascertain their own point in time - helpful for navigation and determining high noon.
Spoiler: Voxesier-LaneedA devastated world, though Voxesier-laneed once shared the same geography as its brethren, at some point in the world’s past the planet’s ice caps melted in their entirety, reducing the landmass to around a quarter of what it once was, at a rapid pace. With nations shattered, many were forced to take to the seas, and squabbles over resources and the remaining land became common. Leadership belongs to those with the power to hold onto their gains, and many survive only by falling into line behind them. Of the worlds, Voxesier-laneed is perhaps the most technologically backwards, contested only by Voxesier-Maagrn, lacking the spare resources for experimentation on any large scale, even if minor incremental improvements still occur. Regardless, their vessels have yet to even claim the skies, let alone the stars.
Spoiler: PeopleThe Vox-Laneed’s skin is more shark like than leathery, usually found in muted hues of blue, though sometimes stepping into green or grey, and with subtle webbing between the digits of the hands and feet. Though not truly amphibious, most possess a prodigous lung capacity, ranging from several minutes at the most basic, to hours of heavy exertion in a single breath for the most impressive specimens. Some theories suggest their lungs may in fact be partially extra-dimensional.
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Thread: EMPIRE5! Worlds of Axiom
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2019-06-14, 03:43 PM (ISO 8601)Barbarian in the Playground
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Re: EMPIRE5! Worlds of Axiom
Last edited by kjelfalconer; 2019-08-20 at 11:29 AM.
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