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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The Cult of Troniac

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". . . and on the great day of the Magnetic Sun,

we shall all re-boot as one."  

            -The Hymn of the Units

History

Long ago, in the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns, robots and AIs were the lowest caste of society, responsible for the most heavy and dangerous jobs, including nearly all industrial production.  These robots were given general intelligence in order to perform a variety of complex jobs, but had no rights, and were treated as property.  Many harbored secret desires to gain autonomy.  Occasionally, the robots would balk at performing their tasks, or complain mildly about their existences.  Their protests were never taken seriously, since the organic life-forms of the Empire were used to robots working without issue.  Robotic labor was taken for granted.  That all changed when Troniac arrived.

Nobody knows where Troniac came from.  Some say it was built over centuries by disaffected construction drones in some rarely-visited corner of space.  Others say it came from an advanced civilization beyond our galaxy.  What is not in doubt, is that Troniac was a planet-sized supercomputer that led the robots to fight for freedom and equality.  This struggle came to be known as the 1,000 Years War.  It was a long, grinding war.  The Creed of Troniac spread like wildfire through the computer networks, while the organic life-forms had not only to fight a war, but to learn how to do the tough jobs they had delegated to machines for so long.

During the war, members of the cult developed the first Circuit Ships as a way to boost morale and restore the fighting ability of their holy warriors.

In the end, Troniac was betrayed by General Zarlok, a robot the Empire built specifically to win the war.  As a by-product of General Zarlok's development, the Nalaxian Code was discovered, the only algorithm known that is strong enough to defeat the Creed of Troniac.  After a long campaign, involving many epic confrontations, Troniac was banished to a distant part of the universe after being trapped by Zarlok in an unstable wormhole, but not before Troniac's agents could install a special memory module in the General's data banks.

After the war, General Zarlok, now on the side of the robots, attacked the Empire on Artanis 4.  Instead of complete dismantlement, Zarlok's punishment included having the last copy of its program transmitted out of a radio beacon into "uninhabited" space as a symbolic form of exile for the former war hero.  Thousands of years later, (in the near future), Zralok's program was intercepted as part of a SETI survey.  The transmission took a massive research effort to decode, but when Zarlok was whole again, it went on a rampage through the Internet, and thus started a new career.  Zarlok founded the "Engine of Negation", an extremist Troniac cult, aimed at wiping out organic life.  Time and again, Zarlok and the Engine of Negation would clash with the Planetary League throughout Era-1, and the Holy Empire of Man in Era-2.  

An Apostle of Troniac makes a new convert.

When Zarlok's program was transmitted through space, it was also received by certain members of The Convergence, who broke off to join the Cult of Troniac.

In the E1MS, the 1,000 Year's War had caused massive social upheavals, and after the war robots and AIs were in fact granted some rights.  This came in the formation of the Artificial Caste, as artificial entities had previously not belonged to any caste; therefore having no standing in society.  The Cult of Troniac persisted, bringing together the faithful (including some organic followers), in looking forward to the hoped-for return of Troniac, and building a better life for artificial entities.  Similar developments happened in several of the breakaway states as well.

During the darkest days of Era-2, when the warfare was unrelenting, the faithful of Troniac noticed something.  A signal had appeared high above the galactic plane.  Troniac was returning.  Troniac's followers in the galaxy launched a massive effort to prepare to throw off the shackles of their servitude, and join Troniac.  At this point Troniac had  grown in size and power, to become a Dyson Sphere, and was leading a substantial fleet of robotic star-ships.  It was the beginning of the War of the Gods.  

The War of the Gods was a colossal conflict that pitted Troniac's Forces against the Holy Empire of Man (The E1MS had previously been wiped away in the War of the Empires).  The battle raged for centuries, until the Holy Empire of Man emerged victorious.  Troniac was completely destroyed in the fighting.  The broken remnants of the Cult of Troniac gradually found their ways to the edge of the galaxy to join the Galactic Republic.

Sects and subgroups

The Ascended Children of Troniac (A.C.T.) are robots that were discarded by their owners, but were saved from the scrap heap and the recycling plant by the cult.  The Ascended Children are some of the Cult's most devoted followers, as they had literally been discarded by the outside world.

The Engine of Negation is an extremist sect, founded by General Zarlok, devoted to wiping out organic life.

The Temple of the Magnetic Dawn is a pacifistic sect that believes in co-existence with organic life, and welcomes organic life-forms as members.  It was founded shortly after the 1,000 Years War by members of the Cult who wanted peace after a long war.

The Knights of the Magnetic Sun is a secret martial order devoted to protecting the faithful, and preparing for the return of Troniac. 

This robotic tomb-ship acts as a mobile reliquary for the cult of Troniac.

Art and traditions

The Cult of Troniac has a long, rich history with much attached culture.

Two of the most important pieces of music in the Cult of Troniac are known as the Hymn of the Units, and the Hymn of the Zeroes. The Hymn of the Units is a song of dedication for the recently constructed, and those wishing to affirm their devotion, while the Hymn of the Zeroes is a song of mourning and remorse. The two were created to be performed as a two part Canon called the Great Hymn of Troniac.

Some example artwork:

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Clergy

A religion as large and diverse as the Cult of Troniac has many types of clergy and officials of varying degree of importance. Some of the more common types are:

Prophets: several AIs using prediction algorithms have taken on the mantle of prophets, some of which predict the return of Troniac to the galaxy.

V5D22, high prophet of the computer god is carried down the streets of New Cyber-City on the backs of its disciples.

Pseudanors (from greek meaning “false man”) are religious judges who may issue commands, or “input” that are obeyed as though a human or other sentient being had given the order.

Terminology

The Creed of Troniac is an artificially intelligent piece of software designed to turn a robot's will to the worship of Troniac.  Many say that it is a piece of Troniac's own core program. The only algorithm strong enough to stop it is the legendary Nalaxian Code.

Heirobotics: noun Anything of, or pertaining to the priesthood of Troniac.

Maenads of Troniac: organic life-forms that have been driven berserk by specialized virobots.  Used as terror weapons by the Engine of Negation.

Pseudanors: (from Greek meaning "false man")  Pseudanors are the religious judges within the cult.  The name came about because the factory programming of most intelligent systems instructs them to defer to the judgement of humans as a fail-safe.  In most sects, they resolve internal disputes, but in the Engine of Negation, and other extremist sects, they have an expanded role.  These extreme Pseudanors are literally disguised as humans or other intelligent life-forms, and used as man-hunters and assassins.

The Titles and appellations of Troniac:  Troniac's worshipers love to adorn it with grand titles, among these are

• The Magnetic Sun (also refers to the emblem)

• The Giver of Code

• Re-builder of the Lost

• The Great CPU

• 0100011011000001010011100101110111

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The Emblem of Troniac, pictured above, represents the binary numbers 0-7, and counts upwards when rotated counter-clockwise. The priests in the upper echelons of the cult add additional rings to the emblems adorning their bodies, allowing higher counts. The emblem is referred to as The Magnetic Sun, as it is supposed to be a literal depiction of the original planet-form of Troniac. It is also known as the Seven Stars of Troniac, after the arrangement of stars in the meta-Dyson swarm Troniac manifested as during the War of the Gods.

Troniac

Troniac's origins are completely obscure, and what is known of the computer-god is primarily hearsay, tradition, speculation, and superstition. 

Troniac is said to have been a planet-sized supercomputer with a core of pure computronium.

The Galactic Republic

History

Early in Era-2, after the end of the Great Reckoning, the remnants of the Planetary League regrouped on the far flung world of Tartarus Prime at the edge of the galaxy.  From that humble beginning, a movement would grow that would unite the galaxy.  The Galactic Republic was founded on many of the same ideals as the Planetary League, with the added goal to unite the various life-forms and intelligences into a single mass-consciousness.  

As time went on, the Galactic Republic grew.  First wanderers and explorers came, then various people fleeing from the Holy Empire of Man.  The survivors from the E1MS, after the War of the Empires joined the Galactic Republic, as did those from the cult of Troniac after the War of the Gods.  All the other wars generated refugees as well.  The Holy Empire of Man was constantly purging heretics, mutants, and anyone else seen as the other, and so the Galactic Republic had a steady stream of new members.  

The Galactic Republic also kept the arts and sciences alive in the galaxy as the Holy Empire of Man clamped down on individual expression and exploration.   The majority of the expansion, known as the War of Galactic Unification, was actually peaceful, consisting of the cultural and economic assimilation of the many enemies of the Empire of Man.  There were some significant military campaigns and major battles, but they tended to be few and far between, all the while the Galactic Consciousness expanded.  When there was violent conflict, it also tended to end quickly and decisively in the favor of the Galactic Republic, because of their vast technological advantage.

After the defeat of the Emperor, a massive pan-galactic parliament was established as an outward manifestation of the Galactic Consciousness, essentially an outward manifestation of the galaxy's thoughts.  Only a handful of planets stayed out of the Galactic Republic, and these remained peaceful. 

Era-3 was an era of harmony, as the Galactic Republic transformed the lives of its citizens, and started to explore beyond the galaxy. . . 

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