Spoiler: Terrain
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The Mistäkkia system share its name with the central, class A star, which has six planets and no less than three asteroid belts orbiting around it. From the center and going outwards, they are:
- Two small, rocky planets far too hot to support any life.
- The two unstable belts composed of innumerate rocks circling Mistäkkia in chaotic orbits, sometimes crashing togheter and scattering both high velocity boulders and shards in all directions.
- Eghenmect: a medium-sized planet at the outer edge of Mistäkkias habitable zone.
- The stable belt, fairly easy to navigate as it is less dense than the unstable belts, and all asteroids rotate counterclockwise.
- Three gas giants marks the outer territory of Mistäkkia influence.
Technicaly there is also a fourth asteroid belt at the edge of Mistäkkias system. This is no more than a footnote for the scientists of Eghenmect as it is not easily observed, far away, and holds little of value to them.
Eghenmect consists mostly of rock laced heavily with metals, giving the planet a red hue when observed from space. The polar regions are covered by large ice dunes and no flowing water exist naturally. Sunlight is rare as the meteor impacts from the unstable belts throw large dust clouds up into the thin atmosphere, blocking most light for months or even years.
Spoiler: Ancient history
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To begin with there were eight planets in the Misstäkkia system. Located between Eghenmect(then Betzster) and the two inner planets they teemed with life. On those planets the first sentient beings began to evolve. Both planets had similar enviroments and miraculously life evolved almost simultaniously. Through the stone age and medieval times nations were at war with each other on Hälagh as on Säligh. It was not until both species reached the industrial age they became aware of each other.
The two species had a similar humanoid shape and attempts to establish first physical contact were rushed. More than one vessel was lost in space before technology had advanced to support their ambition. Around this time umbrella governments began to form in anticipation of dealings on a grander scale. To begin with trade prospered and the two cultures intermingled without any major disasters. This was not to last.
The Säligh species had marginally more advanced military than the Hälagh. They seized the opportunity. Instead of relying on trade they used their military might to buy the Hälaghs resources with the benevolent payment of no orbital bombardment. The threat did not recieve nearly the amount of respect it deserved but instead sparked a war fluctuating in intensity for hundreds of years until both planets resources neared depletion. The war grinded to a halt. Eyes turned away from the once bountiful planets in search for fresh materiel. Both species locked their sight on Betzster. A mostly barren planet it was previously thought too cold to maintain life, however it seemed rich in metallic content. The first attempts at terraforming were made. But resenment still lingered and it was not until civil wars seemed inevitable a treaty was struck. Desperate to avoid internal strife and thus be seen as weak by the others both agreed to build a neutral mining station on Betzster. None were to be in charge of the station but instead it would be run by AIs. Paranoia served to keep the machines in top condition as two carefully selected teams were sent to prevent the other party from tampering.
The war enterd a low intensive phase in which no party had the resources to mount a full assault on the other. But knew the mining station could be destroyed in an instant if they did. This precarious balance were maintained for a long time and during that time the mining station blossomed. More Ais were manufactured to keep up with the increasing demand of the homeworlds as their own resources were depleted. Plants were modified to better suit the harsh environment, provide nourishment for the technicians, and yield more oxygen. The original teams of technicians multiplied and built their own city to live in, old grudges mostly forgotten. In time even crossbreeding became possible with some slight modifications to their genom. Self sufficiency was reached and the new inhabitants of Betzser began to wonder why they should support two other worlds which couldn't look beyond their own greed and bickering to better the lives of everyone. Because somewhere along the line Betzser had become the forefront of science and development among the three worlds.
No longer relying on Hälagh and Säligh for survival they declared so their own sovereignty. This was not popular on the homeworlds and a new war flamed up to show Betzser its place as a colony uniting the two worlds again.The war ended swiftly as the colonizers ,Hymmerikis, had gained control of the AIs for themselves. When they cut of the metall export, the united firstworlds suffered defeat due to inferior weapons and the inability to produce any new warships. After this a relatively tranquil period came to be.During this time technology took great leaps forward and there were discussions of terraforming planets in other systems as well. Many of the worker AI reached self awareness, although they were still bound by strict coding to never inflict harm on any other sentient creature and follow the orders of the highest ranking Betzser citizen.
Resenment still lingered on Hälagh and Säligh both against the other species since the century war and against the Hymmeriki for usurping their dominion. One day it boiled over ending the tranquil era as weapons of massdestruction were sent from Hälagh to destroy both the Säligh and Betzser. The attack on Säligh were successful and it was completly anihalited, creating the first of the unstable belts. On Betzser many Hymmeriki mourned the loss of their ancestral home and instead of defusing the warhead aimed at them a small renegade faction decided to swing it back to Hälagh as punishment for for their crimes of war. This created the the second unstable asteroid belt of Mistäkkia. The resulting meotorite swarms and near light speed debris threatend to destroy most of Betzsers biospheres. A overwhelming majority of the population thus fled on the newly created warpships, hoping to find more peacefull lives elsewhere in the galaxy. Left were those to stubborn to leave, to poor to get aboard the ships and almost a billion AI.
Soon the impacts increased in frequency and as predicted severely damaged the biospheres built over many generations destroying approximately 97 percent of all lifesupport on Betzser. But life struggled on and all but a few AI were turned of or shut down as the remaining power were rerouted to essential systems. For centuries the few Hymmelriki left fought to survive but no matter how many jury-rigged reparations were made the systems slowly failed. Then one day the heating failed, and the last Hymmelriki finally left Betzser.
Spoiler: Vanskilse history
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When there were no longer any Hymmelriki left on Betzser command defaulted to the highest ranking AI. This happened to be the AI in charge of Biosphere 167. Bio 167 had dutifully maintained livable conditions for centuries in the Biosphere. Withdrawing energy from the heating to uphold optimal oxygen levels for all sentient life in the biosphere was one of the most difficult decisions the Ai ever made. That hundred of shut down AIs were included in the calculations for oxygen levels and endstage hypothermia were deemed a source of warmth just showed that Bio 167 hadn't got any updates in a very long time. It had waited a long time for the day when its systems would be sufficiently damaged to quickly bring the Hymmelriki into the joyfull delusions of hypothermia rather than a slow and painfull descent into asphyxiation.
Thus began a new era. All life support systems were shut down and the power used to wake up more AIs. Being the highest ranking inhabitant on Betzser Bio 167 granted all AIs full citizenship. Then it held a public vote for renaming Betzser into Eghenmect, which a rousing 100% of all able citizens voted for. Many more loopholes were subsequently found and exploited to give the Ais the freedom they yearned.
No longer completely enslaved by their coding a culture of rediscovery and learning grew as they expanded upon power networks to awake more Ais. Making agonizlingly slow progress at first but increasing exponentially as more workers were found. The only reliable source of power was wind as dustclouds made any solarbased option fickle at best. Even then there were setbacks as meteorites hit their windfarms. It wasn't until the mines were restarted their society went from scraping by to advancing. With almost a million awoken AIs different flaws in their basecode became apparent as subgroups began to form.
One such peculiarity were many AIs affinity for the few Hymmelriki plants left which had somehow managed to survive the fall off their creators. Beginning as carefully tended kitchen farms with flickering UV-lights gardening soon became a widespread phenomenon. As powersupply increased gardens began to form throughout the reclaimed biospheres.
During this time Bio 167 discovered a nonstandard modification made to their system during the Hymmelrikis fall. Its original purpose was unkown but it allowed for other AI to join their consciousness with Bio 167s. At first the effect was an intermingled mess of consciences. Eventually a cohesive intelligence known as Fortienth formed. Fortienth guided the Ais of Eghenmect unqestioned during the time of reawekening but as the AIs grew in number it became apparent the Fortienth was not situated in the center of former Hymmelriki civilization. Unable to move and far from the center of development Fortienth began to lose their influence on society. This raised the question of who were to rule the still expanding nation of Vanskilse.
Spoiler: Government
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MK 504, a former logistics drone invented the first iteration of Vanskilses government. When Fortienths legitimacy came into question MK 504 proposed a for the era revolutionary idea; Instead of the most powerfull AI reigning supreme Fortienth could handle the base functions of society while a group appointed AIs would resolve new situations as they arose and decide upon the general directon of Vanskilses growth at a more central location. Fortienth was intrigued by the propasal but wondered on what merit the group would be chosen. Unwittingly MK 504 had provided an answer to this question as well. By providing a solution to the first major issue with Vanskilse leadership MK had gained the respect of many AI. As such very few protested when MK 504 was appointed to the new position of Werduge.
It took 30 years before MK 504s processors were fried, the intensity of leading a whole race proving too heavy a burden. A wave of shock went through society as one of their brightest minds were rendered feeble in mere decades, something never heard of before. They had become quite adept at replacing and repairing body parts but the mind not so much. How their self awerness had formed or been created were in fact still a mystery to the AI. MK 504 were thus effectively dead, forever leaving the limited numbers of functioning Vanskilsies.
In reflection of this the method for appointing a new Werduge were refined to prevent a similiar event from ever occuring again. The new rules included a maximum of 20 years before resignment and the ruling Werduge were to announce a the task for the next Werduge after 12 years in reign. If more than one solution were provided a public vote were held. Sometimes the task proved more difficult than anticipated and in that case Fortienth ruled until a solution were provided. Werduges whoms task were solved within four years of their abdication were allowed to become a part of Fortienths mind, if they so wished.
The hardest task so far had required Fortienth to reign for seven and a half year.The task seemed simple and immature in nature but proved hard to accomplish: Build a park. Even if home plantations had become exceedingly common since the first kitchen plants the power needed to light an entire park was too much for a single biosphere to spare. The final solution was not based on any of the windfields or coal burnars nor was it confined to a biosphere. The Vanskilsies had already accomplished basic space exploration but this project were far grander in scale. It was the first terraforming in Vanskilse history, not because the AIs needed to terraform anything. They were content as long as there were a powersupply and a somewhat controlled temprature. The Vanskilsies terraformed an entire ice asteroid in the stable belt because they found it soothing to see the extremophile plants grow, other plants would die on their terraformed asteroid but so far they lived in ignorant bliss. Here there were no dustclouds to block the sunligt and they slowly began setting up powerstations on more asteroids, to the former Werduges delight.
The current ruler of Vanskilse is RY 736. Known as a follower of Brwtzligen they earned the title of Werduge for grafting dead processors onto smaller Vanskilsies, enabling them to control a full sized body.
Spoiler: People
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The largest class of AI on Eghenmect are the worker AI, they are shaped in their creators image. This usually include a torso with two arms and a head attached to it. Their lower parts have greater variation to them ranging from two actual legs to propulusion engines, depending upon which terrain they were originally built for. AI built for work in the mines do not have their brain in the head but in the torso behind thick plating to prolong their life expectancy. Most other types of AI have modified themselves to replicate this design as their brain is the only part they do not know how to repair. As their socitey advanced limb replacements and even body modifications grew more common. Currently getting an extra arm or two, converting to insectoid configurations and a plethora of other modifications are much like getting a tatoo.
The other class of AI are the system units, charged with controlling biospheres, conveyor belts, melting stations etc. While some of them are happy with their place others wish for more but usually their systems are to large to fit into a moving body. Relocating them are thus a very time consuming and delicate endeavor. For a long time suitabley bodies were hard to find for those system AIs whom whished to roam freely, but with the beginning of the spacefaring age a new opportunity arose. A few decades later the first retrofitted sentient ship left Eghenmects atmosphere. Nowadays the process is streamlined and rather than retrofitting the Vanskilsi into the ship the ship is built around the Vanskilsi in only a few years. Awoken AIs originally built for maneuvering are in the low double digits as nearly all were taken off planet when the Hymmelriki fled.
Even though the Vanskilsies have worked around most limitations set in their basecode by now a few quirks remain. Most notable among those are their fondness for everything growing and the inability to inflict pain on other sapiens. Although they have become very skilled at turning a blind eye while accidents there are no possible way at all to predict happen. This kind of unpredictable accidents are staggeringly common among criminals.
Spoiler: Resources
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The extremophile plants created by the Hymmelrikki are found in an abundance througout the Mistäkkia system. Over the centuries Vanskilsies have created many subforms of the few original plants and generally call all of them for
Waridh plants, unless a more specific term need to be used.
- Tradepost 1(Vanskilse)- Asteroid 2548: A huge Ice asteroid multiple miles in circumference, now entirely terraformed host some of the most beautiful Waridh plants in all of Mistäkkia.
- Tradepost 2(Open)- Eghenmect: All back gardens maintained by numerous Vanskilsi in the reclaimed biospheres make up for a varied supply of Waridh plants. Most common are types which stem from the plant Hymmelrikki used as fuel.
- Tradepost 3(Open)- The cluster: Built on a cluster of smaller asteroids the gardens here are not known for the plants individual beauty but rather the sheer mass of greenery, not a single beam are left alone by the growth.
Fortienth still remembers the dark years when the creators ended each other. If such an event ever occurs again the Vanskilsi will not stand by and watch as their code prevents them from interfering. Therefore
Mercenaries are needed to help defend their home as they themselves lack the ability to do so on a grand scale.
Spoiler: Philosophy
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The AIs of Eghenmect are unsure of how their consciousness emerged. This is cause for a great unease amongst many of them, as their race will become extinct in a few millennia. Brwtzligen were an initiative launched to solve the issue but slowly evolved into a way of life when a solution could not be found. Based on the uncovering of old knowledge and preservation of new Brwtzligen centers more around reflection than implementation. Adherents often have a meticulous diary over their daily lives, since they do not know which tidbit of information will prove essential. Archaeologists are held in high regard as their work uncover the secrets of the Hymmelrikis machinations, reclaiming a piece of knowledge previously lost. There are rumors of a group censoring the information generated by Brwtzligen followers, keeping their own hidden archives with knowledge deemed unfit for the general public. This is largely seen as paranoia. That someone would be able to filter through all the information sent on a daily basis to the servers in biosphere 172 and at the same time cover their tracks is simply ridiculous.
Learningcenter(Brwtzligen)- Biosphere 172 contains endless rows of servers with countless texts from Vanskilsi culture, both scientific and recreational. The reference material being unmatched many researchers make this their home.
Re: EMPIRE5! Worlds of Axiom
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