Edenites

based on an original concept by Fred Graves

Description

The Edenite movement is primarily a cross-pollination of two subcultures, the hippies and the furries.  Edenites pursue a nature-centric philosophy, and use the latest in bio-enhancement and body-modification technology to give themselves animal-like appearances and characteristics.  Wherever they go, Edenites promote biodiversity, and their unique brand of culture.  

Religion among Edenites typically includes a large proportion of new-age and pagan beliefs pulling from a diverse array of sources. 

Edenites are often associated with vice, as they maintain both liberal sexual mores (derived from both hippie and furry sources), and an active drug culture centering on marijuana(mainly from the hippy side).

An important institution of Edenite culture is the body modification parlor, (often known as Moreau Clinics), where the human form is sculpted into more animal-like configurations.  The most popular of these are the widespread chain known as 神の毛　(a Japanese pun that translates as "Divine Fur").

The Children of the Earth are a radical faction of Edenites, who seek to de-evolve themselves into more “natural”, animal-like beings by splicing animal genes into their DNA.  Many do not survive the process, or suffer from horrific side-effects.  Since the alterations are genetic, mutations accumulate as generations pass, causing unpredictable results.

History

In the closing years of Era-0, as the planet Earth grew more crowded and polluted, a ferment of philosophies and subcultures coalesced around the notion of preserving biodiversity, while celebrating the more natural, animal aspects of human nature.  Many within the movement wanted to remain on, and maintain the Earth, but a large contingent decided that the best thing to maintain biodiversity and healthy ecosystems in the future was to build an ark to house various species.  The huge space habitat, known as New Eden was the result of these efforts, and it became the focal point for the Edenite movement.

New Eden never joined the Planetary League, but remained as an independent entity.  The Edenites never founded an official state, but did set up communes alongside other colonies, especially on planets with pre-existing biospheres. Edenite communes were places where local nature was preserved, alongside various imported species.  Edenites were careful not to let their imported organisms become invasive, though on a few occasions Edenite communes ended up accidentally transforming native biospheres.  Edenite communes also occasionally took on the form of space habitats, where hybrid ecosystems consisting of complimentary organisms from different planets lived together.

Notable Edenite colonies included Silvernote Hollow on New Promise.

Throughout Era-1, Edenites continually came into conflict with the corporate state of Cosmid, a company centered around the idea of owning, controlling, and profiting from the processes of life.

During the Great Reckoning, New Eden was destroyed by the Holy Empire of Man.  While many Edenites and Edenite communes resisted the Empire, many more fled to the outer rim of the galaxy where they joined with the nascent Galactic Republic.

Ares Systems

History

Founded early in Era-1 on Mars, Ares Systems, Inc.  provided a great deal of the practical machinery needed for space colonization.  From star-ships to battleoids,  Ares Systems made the basic hardware of day-do-day life in the galaxy.  

After the founding of the Autonomous Republic of Lindbergh, Ares Systems moved its headquarters there to avoid taxes.  Another benefit of the move was an early alliance with Krieg Enterprises, the largest mining operation in the main belt, which allowed Ares to save costs.

Later, Ares set up offices on Gibson, after it was found to have rich deposits of both antimatter crystals, and grivitonium.  As time went on, and Ares grew more prosperous, it started several space colonies as manufacturing centers, mostly in mineral-rich systems.  This was the first step to forming a moderately-sized corporate state that would encompass several star-systems.

The drive to colonize space led to booming business, and Ares expanded rapidly.  Its products were known for sound engineering, reliability, and quality construction.

During Era-2, Ares Systems remained independent, but in an uneasy peace with the Holy Empire of Man.  Many of the rebels, insurgents, and freedom fighters of the time used Ares Systems equipment.  This state of affairs lasted until shortly after the War of the Empires, when the Empire conquered the Ares corporate state outright, and incorporated it into the Imperial war machine.

Products

Ares Systems made a wide array of durable, reliable products.

The 810-P Power-Utility Robot provided mobile power when the grid isn't available. 

The A-550 Thunderhawk was a powerful attack craft used by the Planetary League.

The Aurora class light transport was a mainstay of the Planetary League.  Notably, the Colonial Authority and the Tardigrades used it for establishing outposts.  It was also popular among civilians.

The John-Henry industrial battleoid was used for heavy-construction, and occasional military missions.

The PK-5 Cargo Robot carried heavy loads over rough terrain.

The Series 80,000 Grabber truck was used extensively in mining and construction.

The Stormrunner was larger and more capable than the Aurora, and a favorite of pirates.

The Convergence

History

Long ago, before the 1,000 Years War, the Greys split off and became a separate species from the Cielioid Greys.  Unlike the Cielioid Greys that use their biological radio-organs for communication, the Greys use theirs to form hive minds.  These hive-minds are sensitive to radio interference, which made life in the E1MS difficult.  Eventually, the largest of the Grey hive-minds got together, and decided to leave the Empire in search of a quieter place to live.  This was the founding of the Convergence.

The Greys set off in early versions of their distinctive silver flying saucers (the distinctive design of which cancels out radio noise) in search of a new home.  Eventually, they settled in a place on the arm of the galaxy between the Empire and Earth.

When the radio beacon encoded with General Zarlok’s program was activated,  the signal passed through Convergence space.  As a result, when human explorers discovered the location of the Convergence, they assumed General Zarlok had been one of their information-warfare tactics.  Some of the Convergence ships in the area at the time actually received the  signal, and those Greys who had learned to communicate wirelessly with computer systems actually became hosts to parts of Zarlok’s program.  As a result, there are some groups of Greys who joined the Cult of Troniac.

The convergence grew slowly, initially colonizing only a few dozen systems, but they did send out scout ships to survey the galaxy.  When they did encounter intelligent life they would occasionally attempt to subjugate it if it was convenient.  About 5000 years ago (around 3000 BCE), The Convergence enslaved the Bravaxians, forcing them to work producing food.  They also developed a taste for Bravaxian flesh, which had a narcotic effect on Greys.

 In mid 1947, a Convergence scout ship crashed near Roswell New Mexico after radio broadcasts originating from Earth interfered with the crew’s hive-mind.  Neither the crew nor the ship was severely damaged, and after a brief detention by the US military, they made a hasty escape.  Other members of the scout fleet subsequently made occasional harassing raids on Earth in retaliation, typically doing minimal damage, but terrifying the locals.

During Era-1, the Convergence and the Planetary League got into occasional conflicts arising mainly from the radio-noise sensitivity of the Greys.  Typically these skirmishes only resulted in minimal casualties, but left a lasting impression, due to the Convergence's mastery of psychological warfare.  These conflicts were known cumulatively as "The Convergence Wars", and mainly took place on the frontier of the Planetary league.  During the third Convergence War, the Planetary League liberated the Bravaxian home-world.  Even so the Convergence still held large populations of Bravaxian slaves.

During Era-2, the Convergence fought a series of small wars with the Holy Empire of Man, which resulted in the Convergence losing most of its territory, until the remainder fled to the rim of the Galaxy, where their hive-minds merged with the collective consciousness of the Galactic Republic.

Structure

The Convergence is a hive-mind, where the consciousness of many organisms is merged together through brain-to-brain communication. Short-range communications are handled directly through engineered organs inside the brains of Convergence entities that receive and transmit radio signals. Long-range coordination is handled through a specialized organism, known as a Convergence Node. Each node has a set of subservient organisms, and communicates to others of its own type through a peer-to-peer network. The Convergence has no central node, though certain places see higher concentrations of Convergence-beings, and some nodes are more interconnected than others.

Culture

The Convergence can typically be recognized by their unique silver and grey disc-shaped spacecraft.

Convergence weaponry tends to be highly ornate in a style similar to industrial design from the United States during the 1950's.  They are especially known for their ray-pistols, which tend to be streamlined, polished chrome with fins.  

The Convergence greatly prized the foods produced by the Bravaxians.  Two of the most popular Bravaxian foods within the Convergence were Garbage-fruit, and the meat of the Grunkle-fly.

Even though the main method of communication within the Convergence is direct, brain-to-brain radio, occasions do arise when writing is required.  Here is the set of symbols used within the Convergence.  This is combined with the base-8 numbering system found in the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns. 

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The Tardigrades

History

After the failure of several early colonies, the Planetary League founded a special organization, known as the Tardigrades (named for the resilient micro-animals).  Their mission was primarily to survive, and to assist in rebuilding and recovery when catastrophic events overtook colonies and outposts.  The founding of the Tardigrades dates from very early in the history of the Planetary League, even before the beginning of interstellar space exploration.

Organization

The organization was inspired by the monastic orders of the past, and the Tardigrades were usually deployed in small outposts in barren or marginally habitable environments to keep their survival skills honed.  Continuing education, especially regarding the practical skills necessary to survive,  was part of their daily regimen. 

Tardigrades typically operated in small units, known as "Pods", generally consisting of five members.  Most Pods included an officer, a medic, an engineer, a "security specialist", and a "designated specialist".

The Officer led the Pod, and was accountable to a military-style chain-of-command. 

The Medic was in charge of treating medical conditions, and generally had some additional scientific training as well. 

The Engineer was responsible for maintaining the Pod's equipment, and was frequently involved with construction projects as well. 

The Security Specialist was often equipped with the heavy "Water Bear" armor, and heavily armed; security specialists had to defend against a wide array of threats present on the frontier of space. 

The Designated Specialist was an organizational slot used to adapt a pod to its particular mission.  Designated Specialists were often pilots, but scientists, communication specialists, technicians, and various others were not uncommon.

The Tardigrades were hand picked from the most resilient and adaptable.  Most of them came from the armed forces, but many civilians became Tardigrades as well.

The Tardigrades developed a unique set of equipment to assist them in their missions, including the distinctive Tardigrade Powered Armor.

During the Great Reckoning, the Tardigrades helped those loyal to the Planetary League escape the Holy Empire of Man.

During Era-2, the Tardigrades helped many local rebellions and independence movements, and generally resisted the Empire. Although, some Tardigrades did leave the organization to join the Empire or become mercenaries, the bulk of them remained.  As Era-2 progressed, and the general level of scientific and technological literacy declined, many of the Tardigrades turned to Technomancy (the use of advanced technology or scientific knowledge to give the appearance of the supernatural), as a means to achieve their ends. 

During the War of Galactic Unification, the remaining Tardigrades helped the Galactic Republic defeat the Empire.

The Tardigrade Anthem (1st verse, early Era-1)

“In the void, and the darkness,
and the blaze of the stars,
from the mountains of Io,
to the canyons of Mars,
we’ll banish the chaos,
with Humanity’s* light,
for we are the Tardigrades,
defenders of right!””

The reference to "the mountains of Io" relates to the earliest group to bear the name Tardigrades, a search and rescue unit sent by the Planetary League to assist miners during a mining boom on Io.

The "canyons of Mars" references the infamous Mariner Valley incident of GSC 16, when hundreds of colonists were killed in a massive landslide, but many more were saved due to a timely intervention by the Tardigrades.

*The reference to "Humanity's light" was changed to "Liberty's light" after the Alien Assistance Act of GSC 139, as the prospect of aliens joining the league became a recognized possibility.

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The Tardigrade insignia

The Galactic Republic

Cultural Outline

Architecture

The architecture of the Galactic Republic is composed of semi-organic, shape-shifting structures that reorganize themselves to suit the function they are performing at the time, as well as the style desired by their occupants.  These structures are created by a process mixing nano-fabrication with the growth of engineered organic components.  

Art and Literature

The beings of the Galactic Republic enjoy and participate in all manner of aesthetic  experiences, and usually share these with others via the Galactic Consciousness.

Clothing and Fashion

Biotechnology has obviated the need for most clothing, although the beings of the Republic do take the time and care to arrange themselves in aesthetically pleasing ways.  What clothing exists tends to be either purely ornamental or purely functional.

Language

Most of the time, communications within the Galactic Republic are handled directly through the Galactic Consciousness using Interlang, a synthetic combination of the various languages of the galaxy.  When communicating with outsiders, the Galactic Consciousness can generally supply the appropriate expressions and provide translations.

Religion

The Galactic Republic is officially a secular entity, but the Galactic Consciousness is constantly integrating information from all available perspectives, analized through the various available philosophies and religions to achieve the clearest, most accurate view of reality possible.

The Empire of 1,000,000 Suns

Cultural Outline

Imperial Star

The E1MS was an old and traditional culture, bureaucratic and hierarchical in structure, and provincial in outlook.  As the Empire developed, a rigid caste system took hold.  As star-systems were conquered, a network of stargates was built to allow direct travel, and ships with hyperdrives were used less and less, limiting exploration.  

Architecture:

The vast majority of public and official buildings were in the traditional Imperial Style, which was simple without being minimalist, with plant and leaf motifs being common.  The Imperial style typically included a moderate amount of decorative elements, including large murals depicting imperial values and historical figures.  There were also a multitude of local styles, but these were dwarfed and dominated by the official architecture of the state.

Art and Literature:

Imperial art was based on a highly traditional body of classic works.  Typical literary subjects included fables espousing a reverent attitude toward authority, the virtue of hard work, and historical literature.  "The Touch" was a famous painting depicting the transition from insect-based pollination to direct mating in Cielioids, but it was not considered pornographic, because it did not show the seasonal coloration of the lovers.

Clothing and Fashion

Cielioids generally did not wear clothing.  Certain high-ranking castes, and certain officials did, but it was usually purely ornamental in nature, designed for showing status and position.  The other conquered races generally wore clothing appropriate to their cultures of origin.

Food

The Empire was known for a wide array of cuisines and dishes.  Notable foods included:

Numguinitiso paste was a Vangalri condiment, derived from Blovonde a pudding-like dish eaten as a dessert.

Language

Imperial was the official language of the Empire, and was an educational requirement for all citizens.  The Imperial writing system was standard across the Empire, but there were several modes of pronunciation, because different intelligent species have different vocal organs.  Luckily, the diversity of vocal organs in the galaxy was underpinned by a number of similar anatomical structures, so a only relatively small number of pronunciations were necessary.  A large number of local languages were still spoken on the conquered worlds, but over time these tended to decrease in popularity.

Language Notes:

The Name Kly Fnofcob refers to a hypothetical ideal citizen.

Numbers

The numbering system used by the Empire was similar to the one we use, except that it is base-8.

Religion

Early in the Empire's history,  the upper echelons of society were constantly overtaken by religious manias.  In fact, at one point an insect-cult was in ascendance, and the old emperor even adopted an Insectoid as a son.  The old emperor died, and the insect-emperor reigned for a brief period, but was largely a powerless figurehead, propped up by religious advisers. 

The Cielioid Philosopher subspecies was engineered to help with this situation.  After one of these Philosophers started seeing mystical visions, Gronnic Polymancy became the official state religion.  Other beliefs were tolerated as well, as it was primarily the religion of the upper castes.

Gronnic Polymancy faded in time, as more imperial subjects began to identify as secular.  It did experience a revival during the 1,000 Years War, but this did not last, and after the war, the Official Schools of Philosophy were founded. 

The Official Schools of Philosophy did not teach about any supernatural beings, but did promise a happy afterlife to those who served the Empire.  Mostly, their teachings were logical and pragmatic, with a bias toward supporting the status quo.

Insignia

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The Imperial Star was the Official insignia of the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns, and as such appeared on flags, state documents, state vehicles, etc.  Proud citizens often displayed the Imperial Star.  The insignia should not be confused with the military honor of the same name (although the medal worn by honorees does bear the insignia).

Variations: 

The Emperor's Star was the official insignia of the Emperor.  Misuse of this insignia was punishable by hard labor in the heat-mills of Scharlaff.

The Holy Empire of Man

Cultural Outline

Architecture:

Official buildings and apartment blocks tend to be in the brutalist style, designed solely for functionality.  Churches, and the homes of the nobility tend to be more ornate, and designed to glorify the Empire with elaborate sculptural details.  The poorest live in simple shacks and improvised shelters.  The larger cities are arcologies that house the elite in the lap of luxury on the upper floors, while the poor live below in a state of squalor.  

Art and Literature:

Imperial art is focused on two main themes:  war and religion.  War stories tend to focus on the deeds of war heroes, and the glory of the empire.  

Religious literature tends to focus on attaining salvation through service to the Empire. Apart from the holy texts of the Church of God, the best selling, and most widely read book in the empire is the Ranks of Man, a comprehensive guide to the structure of the imperial hierarchy.  

Music tends to be emotionally charged.  The most popular styles of music are a heavy metal/rock-like style for rallying people to fight, and a religious style that focuses on devotion to, and sacrifice for the Empire.  

Calendar

The calendar of the Holy Empire of Man begins in the year Potus Clarke was born (GSC 915).  Years counted up from this date are called Year of the Emperor (Y.E.).  Years before are Before the Emperor (B.E.).  The calendar is a traditional Earth calendar with 365 days + leap years, 12 months, and four seasons.  This goes back to the roots of the Church of God in Abrahamic religion, and centers around the dates of religious holidays.

Clothing and Fashion:

Clothing styles tend to fall into two categories.  For the lower classes, clothing tends to be simple and functional.  The poorest have little more than rags, but most wear basic garments designed for working, and usually a simple, more elegant garment for formal occasions.  For the nobility and the priesthood, clothing tends to be ornate to the point of becoming baroque.  The higher the status of the wearer, the fancier the attire, often incorporating all manner of high tech and exotic materials. 

Currency

The unit of money used in the Empire is the Imperial Credit. It is worth about a penny.  Most transactions are carried out in multiples of 100 Credits.  Most banking takes place electronically, but hard currency is still in use.  Coins come in 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 Credit denominations.  Bills are denoted as 100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000, 50000, and 100000 -Credits.

Emblem

The Emblem of the Holy Empire of Man (known as "the Heart of the Eagle") is based on the emblem of the Church of God.  The outer red ring represents the universe.  The inner red circle represents the empire.  The black triangle represents the triad of religious, economic, and military power that drives the empire, and the red triangle represents the Emperor/ God.

Language:  

Standard is the official language.  It is broken into three distinct dialects.  "Low Standard"  is the language of the common people.  It consists of a relatively small vocabulary of mostly simple words.  "High Standard" is the language of the aristocracy and the priesthood.  It consists of Low Standard plus an additional layer of technical language relating to technology and administration.  It also includes specialized language for propaganda.  "Imperial Standard" also includes specialized language dealing with macroeconomics and strategy on the grandest scales, as well as ornate, poetic language.  It is spoken by the Imperial Court, and high-ranking nobles.

Law and Order:

Laws are enforced by both a secular police force, and the religious police, known as the Hamsa.  Certain crime categories (disobedience or contradiction of the will of the church-state complex) are considered especially heinous.  Any subject convicted of a minor sedition or heresy offense has their name changed to Exworth.  The name Exworth is also applied to the rest of the family of the convicted as well.  Exworths are subject to extra scrutiny, harsher punishment, and general harassment by the empire and its agents.  Any subject with a more serious offense in these areas (along with their families) has their name changed to Unman, and things are quite bad for them as they are considered enemies of the state. 

Military:

War and the military is at the very heart of the Holy Empire of Man. As a conquering empire, the role of the military is central to the ethos of imperial culture. Some notable segments of the imperial military include:

The Purification Fleet: a large fleet of ships deigned to rain destruction on a planet after its defenses have been stripped away.

The Zodiac Guard are a huge force of genetically engineered super-soldiers, officially tasked with defending the Earth, but employed across the galaxy. They are the most elite soldiers in the imperial military.

Religion:

The Holy Empire of Man has only one official state religion: the Church of God.  The Church of God combines elements from the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), and celebrates the "Four Patriarchs" (Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed).  The Emperor officially became the Fifth Patriarch after the conclusion of the Great Reckoning, and after the War of the Empires was elevated directly to Godhood.  The Church of God is a very strict, hierarchical religion, and the values of purity and loyalty are paramount.  All other religions and philosophies are seen as heretical and are not tolerated. 

Gazillion

History

Gazillion was founded well before the beginning of Era-1.  Originally known by the tagline “The world’s most useful website”, it was a big player in the high-technology sector of the economy, producing a wide variety of goods and services.  During Era-1, Gazillion built a network of colonies to promote its economic interests, and built one of the largest of the Corporate States that sprang up alongside the Planetary League.  At the end of Era-1, Gazillion merged its interests with the Holy Empire of Man, and ceased to operate as an independent company.

The founders and owners of Gazillion were wealthy and ambitious, and as the technology became available, they started colonizing space.  Gazillion built and operated the first successful lunar colony.  One technology Gazillion made a big impact with was robotics.  The Gazillion Companion robot had general intelligence, and ended up displacing a large number of jobs.  The wealth and ambition of Gazillion, combined with the economic disruptions it caused helped to galvanize the people of Earth into unifying behind the U.N. before the founding of the Planetary League.  One of Gazillion's research platforms intercepted the program of General Zarlok, as it passed through the Solar system.

As the Planetary League expanded, Gazillion expanded alongside it, establishing either space habitats or planetary colonies in most major systems.  These colonies often acted as communication hubs, helping to speed communication between systems.  Due to the inherently low bandwidth of Entanglement Devices, and high latency of Spatial Compression Radio, this service was always in high demand.  Gazillion’s colonies also served as manufacturing centers for its various goods.

During the Great Reckoning, Gazillion’s colonies served as advance bases for the advancing forces of the Empire of Man, their factories changing over to war production, and their communications facilities acting as conduits for military communication and intelligence.

Products and Services

Gina was a popular AI personal assistant developed by Gazillion.

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