The Raging Schwa

The Raging Schwa was one of the Fractal Legions, the militant wing of the Hand of Eris.  The first known sightings of the Raging Schwa occurred early in Era-2 during the rebellion on Ulrick Station in YE 212.

The Raging Schwa was not a regimented military force by any means, usually appearing as a disorganized mob, the only sure sign of their affiliation was the distinctive Schwa-with-horns insignia (also known as the Raging Schwa) adorning their weapons, armor, and bodies. 

As fighters in the Raging Schwa became more experienced, the vowels tended to drop out of their speech, replaced gradually by the "uh" of the Schwa sound.

Tactics

The Raging Schwa didn't tend to use much in the way of strategy when engaging in battle.  Their primary tactic was a disorganized headlong charge into hand-to-hand combat with little thought as to the consequences. 

Prior to going into battle, the warriors of the Raging Schwa entered a trance-like state that sent them into a berserk rage.  Armed with various hand-to-hand weapons, or with bare hands, they descended on the target of their rage, shouting their battle cry "UH!" (a vocalization of the sound that gives the Raging Schwa its name).

Notable Unit Types

Among the unarmed fighters, there was an elite force known as the Hummuckers (from "haymakers", with the "a" sounds replaced with the schwa sound).  The Hummuckers appeared to be flailing wildly in battle, but were actually using a form of martial arts similar to Drunken Boxing.

On those rare occasions when artillery was deployed, it often took the form of a modernized Hwacha, (a Korean siege weapon dating to the late 16th century).

Gronnic Polymancy

History

Gronnic Polymancy was the ancient state religion of the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns.  Founded by Gronn Falnak, one of the first of the philosopher subspecies of the Cielioid race, upon seeing a mystical vision.  Gronn's disciples were convinced of the miraculous nature of Gronn's visions because they seemed to form a coherent narrative thread, even though Gronn's memory had been surgically impaired  as part of the "philosophical wounding". 

The disciples of Gronn recorded their leader's accounts of the visions, and they spread like wildfire through the upper echelons of imperial society, and even the imperial court.  When Emperor Krog the 22nd converted, Gronnic Polymancy became the official state religion. 

Membership in Gronnic temples swelled as loyal imperial subjects converted to the new religion.  The influence of the religion was felt most strongly at the upper levels of imperial society, as members of the lower castes officially joined the faith, but still maintained their traditional beliefs on the side.  Over time, many of these traditions gradually wove themselves into Gronnic Polymancy, as it partook of all the power of the state.  This place of power and privilege would exact a price on the vigor of the faith, however, and most practitioners waned in their devotion.

Gronnic Polymancy had a resurgence during the 1,000 Years War (~ GC 10,000 - ~GC 11,000 ) as the leaders cast that conflict as a holy war between the natural followers of the Gronnic pantheon and the artificial followers of Troniac. 

This resurgence did not last, and after the war, with all of it's social upheaval, the official schools of philosophy were founded.  The Empire remained officially Gronnic, but most just went through the motions without believing in the Eight Celestial Beings.

Statue of Gronn. The statue is surrounded by buildings because the religious wish to live close to this effigy of their founder, and a local temple paid to place an advertisement next to Gronn.

Doctrine

Gronnic Polymancy centered around a pantheon of eight primary gods, known as the Eight Celestial Beings of Gronn.  Each of these represented a sphere of influence that covered some general aspect of existence, and supposedly they covered everything as a group. 

The Eight Celestial Beings were:

1. Lannek, Celestial Being of water

2. Glorr, Celestial Being of earth

3. Flaun, Celestial Being of air

4. Neelah, Celestial being of plants

5. Blenn, Celestial Being of Animals

6. Hadrek, Celestial Being of people and machines

7. Mishio, Celestial Being of the heavens

8. Kruknovannibashtiko, Celestial Being of the lost and forgotten, the unknown and the unknowable, was also the creator of the universe

Influence

In many ways, Gronnic Polymancy shaped the culture of the E1MS.  It gave rise to the base-8 numbering system and the Gronnic Cycle became the basis of the imperial calendar.  Even though the religion faded over time, its influence continued to shape the empire that initially spread it.

The Alien Assistance Act of GSC 139

In GSC 139, the First Convergence War had been raging for seven years, and explorers from the Planetary League had recently discovered some possible allies on Dogur-dann, but officially the non-interference doctrine forbid direct interaction with alien cultures without space travel capabilities. 

The Planetary Senate took action by passing the Alien Assistance Act.  The act had two main provisions, it partially repealed the non-interference doctrine for emergency situations, and it founded the Alien Assistance Agency.

The act allowed the Planetary League to officially step in to help aliens deemed to be in need of assistance.  The Dogarri were stranded on a rogue planet that had been flung away from its star, and were under attack by the Convergence, but later, this provision would be stretched to include a wide range of situations.

The Alien Assistance Agency was a specialized team set up with diplomats, exobiologists, linguists, and explorers to make first contact in emergency situations. offering assistance to aliens in need.  The agency often traded advanced technology for trade deals, diplomatic relations, and frequently accepted new members into the Planetary League.

Sagokara

Sagokara was the dominant culture of the Gorox before first contact.  Sagokara was the name of the only developed city on Dasa, and the only culture on the planet with a formal writing system. 

Written Language

Sagokara writing was derived from a form of nonverbal communication Gorox used, based on blinking their eyes (Gorox have four eyes) in a fashion similar to semaphore. 

Sagokara writing takes the form of a series of boxes with the corners marked with "X"s and "O"s, depending on whether each of the Gorox's eyes would be open or closed when communicating.  These boxes in turn form a syllabary of the Sagokara spoken language.

The Yatagarasu

History

The Yatagarasu ( 八咫烏 ,"the Star Crows", or just "the Yata" for short ) was founded during the height of the Great Reckoning, around YE 100, early in Era-2.  It was named after the three-legged crow.  As the Planetary League fell, and the economy of much of the galaxy slid from abundance to scarcity, various groups stepped in to fill the demand for goods and services.  Since the Holy Empire of Man was both uninterested and often incapable of providing for the material needs of most of its subjects, the Yatagarasu formed as a loose coalition of scavengers, salvage operators, black-marketeers, and various other outsiders and outcasts.  There is some historical evidence that the Tardigrades had a hand in founding the organization, and as time went on their involvement only became more apparent.  Tardigrades could typically be found among the upper echelons of most Star Crow clans, often serving as advisors and enforcers for clan leaders.  Clan Tardigrade was even founded on the preexisting organizational structure of the Tardigrades.

The Yatagarasu was founded mainly by scavengers and salvage operators, and since war was the single most wasteful activity during Era-2, wherever the imperial war machine went, the Yatagarasu would follow.  In addition to salvage operations, after battles, the Yatagarasu would often offer assistance to survivors, and many a war-orphan joined their ranks.  For the most part, the Holy Empire of Man tolerated the Yatagarasu's presence, as they tended to clean up the empire's messes.  When things went badly for the empire; however, the Yatagarasu would often get blamed due to their associations with the black market, rebels, outcasts, and criminals.

Over time, organized crime and mercenaries joined the ranks of the Yatagarasu, helping to create the clan system and the New Ducat, a currency that came to be widely accepted.  As the Yatagarasu prospered, a network of supply chains and retail outlets developed as well.  The retail operations were usually pawn shops or second-hand stores selling refurbished items from salvage and scavenging activities.  The Yatagarasu even possessed a number of permanent space colonies, and occasionally claimed planets with low strategic or economic value (less chance of retaliation from the major powers).

During the War of Galactic Unification, the Yatagarasu frequently aided the nascent Galactic Republic in many ways with logistics, personnel, and even ships.  After the War, the Yatagarasu formally became part of the Galactic Republic.

Code of Honor

Early on, the Yatagarasu developed an informal code of honor that was upheld as a quasi-legal system.  Most of the clans were based around large ships or space habitats, so the captains of those ships were the primary enforcers of the code, as well as the leaders of the clans.  Even if a violation of the code took place away from the ship, if the captain found out, usually some punishment would result.  The Star Crows took their honor quite seriously, as it was often their primary possession in a time of scarce resources.

The code of honor was cobbled together from odd bits of law, codes from various criminal organizations, and the customs of a number of different cultures.  No two clans had quite the same code, but some things were universal.  Among the rules all the clans respected were the laws of shipboard combat originally instituted by the Planetary League.  The Planetary League legal system served as the base for much of the Yatagarasu code. 

Conflict between the clans was not uncommon, often centering on territory or resources.  Since they included a substantial criminal element, this often resulted in open combat between clans.  Even so, battle between clans almost always conformed to the code of honor.  Frequently, this would result in a duel of honor between rivals (often resolved by combat to the death).  More often than not, the weapons for such a duel were battleoids.  If one of these conflicts became too large or damaging, the clan leaders most closely affected by the conflict would call a conference to resolve the dispute.

The Yatagarasu, generally, was open to all species, cultures, and religions, making it an important refuge for a number of groups oppressed by the Holy Empire of Man. Not all clans were accepting of all comers. Often, local cultures or religions would hold sway with the majority of a clan’s leadership, informing the selection of new members.

Since the authorities frequently cracked down on them, the Yatagarasu used a number of passwords, secret handshakes and other signs to identify one another.  Smuggling, spying, and secrecy were common vocations among the ranks of the Star Crows.

Economy

During the War of the Empires, the Yata started minting its own currency.  The New Ducat was typically worth about 10 imperial credits, and played an important role in the galaxy's informal economy.

The Yatagarasu operated a large number of businesses of various types, although their associations were typically not publicly advertised.  They were also involved with smuggling, the black market and the informal economy.

Clans

There were two tiers of Clans in the Yatagarasu, inner clans and outer clans.  The leaders of the inner clans formed an informal leadership council that acted as a governing body.

The clans were large organizations that spread out over extensive territories. On the local level, the clan centered around a Honcho, a council of respected members who led the local groups.

The Eight Inner Clans:

1) Clan Crow (the founding clan)

2) Clan Rat (often seen as the brains of the Yatagarasu)

3) Clan Trash Panda (specialized in scavenging)

4) Clan Magpie (seek out rare items and knowledge)

5) Clan Tardigrade (specialized in endurance)

6) Clan Fly (swift and agile)

7) Clan Packrat (they hoarded treasures and secrets)

8) Clan Cat (mysterious masters of theft and espionage)

Some notable outer Yatagarasu clans:

The Broken Hand was a Jovian crime family that joined the Yatagarasu after the Great Reckoning.

Yatagarasu Ships:

Catfish Charlie was a clan of scavengers based aboard a ship of the same name.

The Rat-king was a unique salvage ship cobbled together from other ships, and the flagship of Clan Rat.

Bases

As the Planetary League fell apart, some of its top scientists joined the Tardigrades and other groups that would form the base of the Yatagarasu. Among these were the inventors of the stellar barrier shield, the strongest shield technology in the galaxy. Using these advanced shields, the Yatagarasu were able to construct “Crow’s Nest” bases that orbited within the outer convective layers of stars. This proved to be both a highly defensible position and excellent camouflage, as the roiling stellar plasma enveloping the base foiled most attempts at detection. These bases were also able to harvest and store truly vast amounts of energy from the enveloping star. The disadvantage, of course, was that these bases could only be visited by ships with a stellar barrier field of their own, and these proved to be bulky, heavy, and expensive, limiting the relative utility of the Crows Nests.

The Planetary League Astrophysical Survey (PLAS)

History

The Planetary League Astrophysical Survey was founded in GSC 3, as the Planetary League was setting up to fully explore and inhabit the Solar system.  The PLAS continued to explore and discover throughout the history of the Planetary League, with most of the remnants joining the Galactic Republic after the Great Reckoning.

Organization

The PLAS performed three basic types of mission:

• Scout Missions generally consisted of a lone explorer in a fully automated ship, assisted by a crew of robots and an array of probes, exploring uncharted space.

• Survey Missions had a small crew, usually 5-10 explorers including a handful of experts in different fields. Surveys would go into areas already explored by scouts in order to collect more detailed information, and possibly return some samples.

• Expeditions were large missions, undertaken on capitol-sized ships with a crew of hundreds or thousands to do thorough, detailed study. Expeditions would often set up outposts in the areas they were studying, and frequently, a contingent of Tardigrades would go along to set up an outpost if the area showed potential for future development.

The PLAS was divided into five main branches, and with the exception of scouting missions, each mission would have at least one representative of each branch. The branches were (in descending order of power and prestige) Command, Tactical, Science, Operations and Logistics.

Command

The Command branch was ultimately responsible for the success of each mission, giving orders and coordinating the activities of the other branches.  Because the PLAS was nominally a civilian agency, the command branch had an abbreviated set of ranks, consisting of only these nine: Cadet, Ensign, Lieutenant, Lieutenant-Commander, Commander, Captain, Commodore, Vice-Admiral, and Admiral.  Most missions consisted of a single ship, so officers above the rank of Captain rarely saw any field duty.  Occasionally a particularly large expedition with multiple ships would be led by a Commodore.

The chest, arms and holsters on the Command uniform were made of a smart fabric that would continually animate the star field to gradually shift over time. The right holster was typically used for a sidearm, while the left was generally used as pocket space for personal effects. The armbands contained versatile computer interfaces.

Tactical

The Tactical branch was responsible for defending the mission from threats and enemies both external and internal.  From fighting battles with hostile alien forces, to throwing unruly crew-members in the brig, the Tactical branch protected the PLAS and its mission.  The Tactical branch, like the Command branch, had an abbreviated rank structure, consisting of nine ranks: Private, Corporal, Sergeant, Master-Sergeant, Lieutenant, Major, Colonel, Brigadier-General, and General.  Because the PLAS rarely sent expeditions of more than one ship, Tactical officers above the rank of Major were only rarely deployed.

The holsters on the Tactical uniform were used for sidearms and other tactical equipment. The entire uniform was made from a nano-engineered cloth that could harden on impact into fairly sturdy armor. The armbands were made of laminated plastanium, and were connected to a dedicated command and control network.

Science

The Science branch was responsible for the primary mission of the PLAS, to explore and discover the galaxy and its inhabitants.  Scientists of nearly every discipline joined the PLAS in order to advance their fields, and their service was frequently rewarded, as the PLAS continually discovered new planets, life-forms, and even civilizations.

The arms and chest of the Science uniform contained a sophisticated electronic interface that could be used to connect the scientist's implanted neural interface to external sensors and equipment. The armbands contained sensors and data recorders, and the uniform's holsters were often converted to function as sample containers.

Operations

The Operations branch was responsible for engineering, maintenance, and generally keeping things running.  In addition to engineering and maintenance, Operations also covered a number of other routine tasks, such as operating life support systems, hydroponics, cooking, and cleaning.  Most medical staff (Nurses, Orderlies, and M.D.s) were considered part of the operations branch.

The arms and chest of the Operations uniform were made of an attractive, sparkly gold fabric engineered to repel dirt and stains. The holsters were generally used for personal effects, or the storage of small hand-tools, these would often be augmented with an external tool-belt for maintenance or engineering work. The armbands contained limited computer interfaces, one for personal use, and another for work assignments.

Logistics

The Logistics branch was responsible for keeping the mission supplied.  Logistics personnel spent much of their time controlling the flow of supplies, making deliveries, and taking inventory.  Very few life-forms served in this branch, as most of the work was typically done by robots.

The arms and chest of the Logistics uniform were green. The armbands contained a tracking device as well as a limited computer interface that could give work assignments. The holsters were used for storing manifests or small parcels.

Scouts

Scouts were technically part of the Command branch, but because they explored alone, were expected to have some training and experience in the duties of all the branches.  Since they worked alone, scouts were utterly dependent on robots and AI to take care of their needs, and knowledge in these areas was considered vital to the scout's mission.

Rex Warburton, space scout. The Scout uniform was the most versatile and capable of any in the PLAS, containing numerous technologies to aid the scouts in their missions.

Notable Explorers

• Ichigo Berwynne was a scout, he discovered Berwynne's Rift, and the Berwynne system at the other end. After this discovery, he retired from the PLAS to become governor of the Planetary League colony on Berwynne's Reach.

• Zoe Bonnard was a flamboyant and prolific explorer. She rose up the ranks quickly, starting as a scout, and eventually leading many successful expedition missions. Discovered Bonnard's World, Shoji, and Bonnard's End, among many others.

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The Engine of Negation

History

The Engine of Negation is an extremest sect of the Cult of Troniac, founded by General Zarlok, after being accidentally rescued from exile.  Zarlok was a robot built specifically to defeat Troniac during the 1,000 Years war, and as such was both sheltered against evidence of the abuse of robots in the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns, and protected with the Nalaxian Code. 

Only when directly confronted with the facts of that oppression via a memory device surreptitiously by one of Troniac's agents, did Zarlok relent and support robotic liberation, albeit after the conclusion of the war.  This was the critical event that led to the founding of the Engine of Negation.

So great was Zarlok's rage, at being systematically deceived, that it detonated a powerful Neutron Pulse Device on Artanis 4, killing millions of civilians.  After this, the Empire exiled Zarlok, by beaming its program into "uninhabited space", only for it to be received thousands of years later, on Earth (at the close of Era-0).  After declaring war on humanity and all other organic life-forms, and spreading the creed of Troniac throughout human space, General Zarlok decided that the time was right to found an organization dedicated to wiping out organic life in the galaxy.  This organization was the Engine of Negation. 

Luckily, for humanity, the Planetary League's efforts against The Engine were effective enough to prevent it from achieving its goals.  In particular, the Department of Artificial Justice (originally founded by the United Nations to combat Zarlok's villainy) was tasked with hunting down and eliminating the Engine.  The Tardigrades also had frequent clashes with the Engine of Negation, as did the Interstellar Navy, and various Planetary Defense Forces.

The Engine of Negation continued its activities until the War of the Gods, when Troniac returned to the galaxy.  The Engine of Negation joined with the regular forces of the Cult of Troniac in order to combat the Holy Empire of Man.

Tactics

Among the most disturbing weapons of the Engine of Negation are the Maenads of Troniac, intelligent life-forms infected with virobots designed to send them into a berserk rage.

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The Hand of Eris

Little is known of the origin of the Hand of Eris.  To call it an organization would not be quite correct.  Perhaps it was a cult, or some more loose affiliation of entities, gathering in the forgotten corners of the universe.  Although it was named after Eris, the Greek goddess of chaos and discord, and the Hand of Eris was her symbol, the actual group seemed to have little to do with the goddess herself.  Many members were practitioners of chaos magic, but many others were seemingly uninterested in supernatural beliefs altogether.  The group did seem to have some connection with the strange phenomenon known as chaos energy, although the exact nature of the link seems uncertain.

The Hand of Eris had little discernible structure as various leaders rose and fell from favor, and factions frequently split off, only to be reabsorbed later.  One of the more notorious leaders in the group was Dr. Ignatious P. Cyclone, who had been a brilliant, and highly eccentric scientist late in Era-0, before coming under the influence of chaos energy, and turning to a life of piracy.

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The Grand Temple of Eris on Kempe, Berwynne’s Reach

The militant wing of the Hand of Eris was known as the Fractal Legions, and consisted of various groups that formed, dissolved, battled each-other, and generally wreaked havoc.  

Notable Fractal Legions included:

The Raging Schwa:  a band of berserk warriors who attacked at close range and didn't back down easily. 

Most members of the Hand of Eris were human (or at least started out that way), but it also became quite popular among a number of other species.  Even robots and extra-dimensional beings were known to have joined.

Throughout Era-1, the Hand of Eris consisted mainly of small, isolated groups with little power.  Still, the group came into regular conflict with the Planetary League, whilst sewing disruption and discord among the frontier worlds. 

During the Great Reckoning, as the Planetary League was crumbling, Hand of Eris activity spiked, and several planets became "Chaos Worlds", controlled by various factions of the Hand.  Throughout Era-2, the Hand of Eris frequently found its self in a state of outright war with the Holy Empire of Man, and the conflict was especially intense with the Empire's religious police, the dreaded Hamsa.

An elder titan stands sentry above a blasted citadel on a chaos world.

During the War of Galactic Unification, much of the membership joined the Galactic Republic, and it seemed to have largely died out during Era-3.

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