The Campaign Builder's Guild

Vibrant

To Look Upon the Stars, and Home, From Beyond

(http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/5826/vibrantgalaxy2.th.jpg) (http://img188.imageshack.us/i/vibrantgalaxy2.jpg/)

Seattle, Year 3221

The light from the sun finally fades on the west coast, a reminder that some things never change. The city - or rather, the world - is testament to this, as despite all of the fears of the past, the world still exists, and for the most part things are as they were - at least on a basic level. To stand at the edge of Seattle now and look towards the heart is like looking up a great mountain of glass, steel, and plastic, as over the years the original city was built higher and higher upon until the world below was forgotten in favor of the "Tower"; a feature common in most cities. There at the top perch the most influential of people and businesses, their wings of political and economic power a reminder of how easily they could swoop out and drastically alter the landscape if only they wanted.

As once assumed, people still do not fly to all of their destinations; the wheel and hovercraft capability remain the primary means of transportation. This is simply because it is much easier to implement, teach - and control. Flight has however become more common, and more environmentally friendly and efficient fuels are used everywhere. To complement, the world has been fitted with the invention that may prove the most world-shaking of all: wholly renewable energy and waste disposal. Seem impossible? That's because it is - the government will just tell you otherwise. It goes somewhere and to some purpose, but nobody really seems to know. It doesn't matter though, because we got rid of it and it can't threaten our planet's well-being, right?

While delving into the dark pit of monsters known as science, perhaps it's good to know the things that are reality. Common and frequent space travel is an everyday thing, and already reaches a large portion of the galaxy - and of course, we've made contact. Bioengineering, biochemistry, and medicine have all developed to the point where diseases of the past are academic in discussion and even discarded as unimportant in many leading universities - the field of genetics has opened up to allow people to be bred for superior cellular strength. This, of course, is not without a price - the path to scientific salvation was paved with many test subjects that did not fare so well and continue to be experimented on, with unholy consequences. Most of these are discarded to the depths of Earthside, where the light is blocked out by the New City - but some find their way back, or never leave in the first place.

And finally, there is the evolution of man himself. Clarke stated that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, and Niven stated the opposite, but it was also necessary to state that any sufficiently evolved biological being was indistinguishable from both. This manifests most often as telepathy and psionics - ironic that concepts that were once so cliche would become reality - but humankind has a habit of getting exactly what it wants. Equally as ironic, although it basks in the light of incredible technological and evolutionary power, is that mankind is every bit as degenerate as it has ever been, and in some areas has failed to improve even the slightest. This is seen most easily in the perseverance of drug use, drug addicts, and the "primitive" means by which they are used. One would assume methods and substances would at least become more potent, but sometimes one hopes for too much.

While the decadence that exists deep within the cities and reclaimed wildernesses below the city heights is dangerous and acidic to society, one should always be looking up, towards the stars - that is where the real threat lies. The governments, their allies, and their enemies - all of which should at most times be considered hostile - all exercise power from there. It is in the Thousand-Year Frontier that has become no less of a no-man's land where one can find true solace, adventure, and most importantly, terror.

This has a very cyberpunk feel to it. The powerful ominous government, the decadent abuse of science and technology.

Is there a particular reason that in twelve hundred years humans have only advanced in certain specific fields of technology? (space travel) and not in others (urban planning, public transit)

Good writing, I was hooked by the end of the first paragraph and just had to read more :)

So if I've understood this correctly, the ground-level of a city is called "Earthside" and home to undesireables, failed genetic experiments? And the political/financial elite reside in the top layer. Do you imagine a more complex structure to the city, such as several layers corresponding to different social classes, not necessarily officially recognized but at least a de facto division? Perhaps "climbing the social ladder" could imply also a physical ascent of a citizen.

[blockquote=Llum]This has a very cyberpunk feel to it. The powerful ominous government, the decadent abuse of science and technology.

Is there a particular reason that in twelve hundred years humans have only advanced in certain specific fields of technology? (space travel) and not in others (urban planning, public transit)[/blockquote]

Most areas have advanced, as will be seen (heated roadways, supersonic transit and vehicular elevators, etc.), I just had to keep the first post fairly small. I'll take time to detail lots of it. :)

 [blockquote=Ghostman]Good writing, I was hooked by the end of the first paragraph and just had to read more

So if I've understood this correctly, the ground-level of a city is called "Earthside" and home to undesireables, failed genetic experiments? And the political/financial elite reside in the top layer. Do you imagine a more complex structure to the city, such as several layers corresponding to different social classes, not necessarily officially recognized but at least a de facto division? Perhaps "climbing the social ladder" could imply also a physical ascent of a citizen.
[/blockquote]

In some cases yes, and in some cases no. There will certainly be a lot of cities like this where the further from the top and the center you go the less pretty and safe things get, but there will be some as well that are the exact opposite. Having a headquarters or home in the "heart" of the city where little light reaches also has its uses for both recreation/entertainment and organizations' functions.

Thanks for the replies. :)

I will review more in depth later. For now I have only one question. Have they cured the rain problem, or is the city still under mother natures relentless faucet?

Personalities of Vibrant[/size]

Colonel Mezerous Volkov

Colonel Volkov is an enigmatic figure. No records, even in M.O.T.H.'s databases, show any details on his origins prior to service with the organization, although they do list several different qualifications, such as M.O.F. service. Little is known about him other than that he is a cunning, experienced military officer, a masterful scientist, and extremely close friends with Colonel Tesch Meissner, who is nearly as peculiar. Those around him, even his superiors, find Volkov unnerving because of his competence, all-encompassing knowledge, indifference, and ability to predict events around him on an almost supernatural level. Colonel Volkov is the head of Mental Diagnostics Division of M.O.T.H., and while not a psionic himself, Volkov pursues knowledge and advanced research into the discipline - particularly psionic manifestation in undead subjects - with a fervor that could as easily be called obsession.

Sexodonone

Sexodonone is a Praetor stalker-mistress involved in the War of Benosoor near the outer edge of the galaxy. She is wise and capable, and although she is aging and extremely xenophobic towards the Alliance races, it is her policies and understanding that the Praetor Guild needs allies that are slowly ensuring that the Alliance will soon welcome them as part of it. Sexodonone is easily recognized as a reluctant leader, as she is in a position of military and political leadership when she would much rather spend her time working on planetary infrastructures, which were her primary study interest before becoming a soldier on a stalker team. She has been seen leading troops into battle fearlessly and capably, although her mercy towards human and reptilian prisoners in particular is noticeably cruel.

Commander Alexad Rovichautt

A former Lieutenant-Colonel in the UDN Marines, Commander Rovichautt applied for an early transfer to the Navy hierarchy despite being on the fast-track (believed to have been less than five years from flag officer). Possessing only average individual ability but outstanding tactical and strategic insight, Rovichautt has served in three interplanetary conflicts over ten years. Commander Rovichautt graduated from the William Harken Military Academy with a degree in mechatronic engineering, and has been a notable participant in military studies in the field.

Alexad Rovichautt
Medium Human Noble 3/Soldier 4/Officer 3, CL 10
Destiny 0; Psi 11
Init +13 , Senses +14
Languages

Defenses Reflex 24, Fortitude 24, Will 28
HP 90 (Threshold 22)

Speed 6
Melee +11
Ranged +13 UDN22 Assault Rifle (3d8+5)
Base Atk +9, Grp +11
Atk Options Rapid Shot, Coordinated Attack
Special Actions
Inspire Confidence, Coordinate, Battle Analysis, Cover Fire, Assault Tactics, Deployment Tactics
Abilities Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 18, Cha 17
Talents Inspire Confidence, Coordinate, Battle Analysis, Cover Fire, Assault Tactics, Deployment Tactics
Feats Linguist, Armor Prof Light/Medium, Weapon Prof Simple/Pistols/Rifles, Weapon Focus (UDN22 Assault Rifle), Weapon Focus (UDN454 Light Pistol), Charging Fire, Coordinated Attack, Weapon Proficiency (Heavy Weapons), Rapid Shot, Skill Focus (Knowledge: Tactics)
Skills Endurance +12, Initiative +13, Knowledge (tactics) +18, Perception +14, Treat Injury +14,
Equipment UDN454 Light Pistol, UDN22 Assault Rifle, Officer's Uniform, Field Kit

The Unreality[/size]

For thousands of years there have been beliefs both in the form of great religions and in tiny, acid-induced philosophies, which have suggested a great many things about the universe. Where they were coherent, they often suggested that there was more to existence than could be seen - even if there was no way to currently interact with it. This is the reality - or rather, "The Unreality" - that has come to be. Somewhere in the nether between the most youthful stars and the most supermassive of black holes was born another plane of existence, and then another, and an infinite number more after that - or perhaps they were always there. Regardless, they became known to scientists who tested the boundaries, and what they saw horrified them, as cliche and movie-like as that may be. It was at this time they discovered the Limitation/Enhancement.

The Limitation/The Enhancement

This is where things get a little crazy. Imagine a 2D rendition of a character. Then imagine it in its 3D form. When the first scientists spoke of other possible dimensions, they unknowingly spoke it literally; for with each additional dimension one exists in, they are rendered, or drawn, upon another axis. The leaders in Dimensional Twisting call the transition "The Drawing", as one must (in a manner crossed between the drawing of a cartoon caricature and the bonding of infinite numbers of atoms) be "drawn" each time they cross. This makes beings and elements from greater dimensions possess seemingly strange powers and bizarre forms when appearing in the lesser planes. Likewise, a thing from a simpler dimension thrown into a much more complex one is found to be much more complex in a manner that often causes madness - or at least a lack of functionality.

The Perfection is the achievement of being Zero Dimensional. To progress away from 0D is to become imperfect; ironic since with each succeeding "tier" one becomes more complex and more defined. Mathematicians liken it to any curve that nears but never actually achieves a pure vertical. Regardless, traversing these dimensions and being 'drawn' in another dimensional level in either direction is perhaps the quickest path to madness; those who cross can rarely handle the alien realities (although heading 'left' towards 0D is less taxing on the mind). This is where the Infinite, also known as 'demons' come in.

The Infinite

The Infinite is a plural term for countless singular beings from realities with more dimensions than our own. Because they are from stranger realities their minds are at best bizarre and illogical; at worst unfathomable and damaging to even consider. Likewise their physical forms are twisted, surreal, and horrific. The Infinite are perhaps the greatest threat to any race, anywhere in the universe because of their power and twisted natures. Ironic, considering it is only the dimension separation that makes them monsters.

The Fiction - The Wormhole
However, other dimensions also bring to the table one of the two effective means of traveling great distances: by way of wormholes. Wormholes are more-or-less direct routes through other dimensions from one place in our dimension to another, which is drastically shorter than in our own reality. They exist for every dimension and travel across every other dimension, as awkward as that may sound. Wormholes are most commonly artificial in that they're held open by specially-made devices called Traub Gates (although rare natural wormholes do exist). Operating around a wormhole or traveling through one is damaging to the mind and sometimes to the body, hence the frequent use of special enhancements (read: glorified steroids) that lend clarity and adrenaline to the mind and body while in the presence of this danger.

The Other Side of the Gate

Wormholes permit the travel of great distances, if only so that the other side can madden its visitors...

Would you believe that there's a place where dreams are reality and that the inhabitants think about reality in their sleep? There, if you wanted to touch the stars, you could walk upon a hill and stretch out your hand - or you could travel to them, and look back at the gleaming hint of something one might call an endless field of melancholic worlds. Here, among what could be the beginning and the end of our universe, is where everything is possible but nothing has yet happened.

What the Other Side Is

The other side is an improper term, because there is not just one other side - there are an infinite number inside an infinite number. Because these sides are truly infinite in quantity, one can find within them infinite alternate realities based on what ifs both small and colossal, in addition to the alternate realms that do not match our own. By visiting these possibilities one can examine them, but tampering often causes unforeseen waves in a web of chaos theory. It is tempting but also irreversibly maddening to contemplate the effects one person can have on any of these realities in addition to their own.

The simplest explanation is: the universe is a mirror. That mirror that we call home resides in a fun house full of mirrors. And they all reflect each other.

The Other Side[/size]

The Redcoat looked puzzled at the stairway. It rose about nine feet, turned to the left, and ended at a platform that looked sturdy despite having no support. When he climbed them slowly, worried with each step they'd fall in, he realized it was an excellent vantage point - he could see the radio tower from its top - his destination. The only problem was what lay before it: five kilometres of chaotic excuses for graveyards, shopping malls, and car dealerships. The Twilight Eye beamed down on much of the landscape, leaving plenty of places for Them to hide...

He removed his hat to scratch his head, then put it back and shouldered his rifle. He'd served in Bucharest for two months with a battalion of Marines when the dead wizards laid siege to it, and been lost for days in dark castles that never seemed to end, but they were nothing compared to a single encounter with one of Them. He sat down almost unwillingly and wept for but a moment, before gathering courage from some unknown depth of his soul, and marched on.

Here in the vastness of the Other Side, the stars are always at one's fingertips, while logic is at a distance unattainable...

The playing card gives her the impression it wants to kill her. That's no surprise - the paper mills have been out of service for some time. In the distance, a televised Hitler spews forth fascism in the form of essential children's advertisements. No ghosts haunt the Castle, although the graveyard hidden miles beneath it is infested with the undead. Just over that hill is the salty air and the ocean, which is always bordered by some foreign shore overlooked by those that do not know of other destinations...

The guitar plays itself for want of someone to control it, for it is weak and submissive in the face of a moonlight drive...

A rebel with hate for the Soc drives his madman Cadillac across the glass, avoiding the hostile fingerprints and lipstick smears. Presley is in his radio speaking of the jailhouse, and in the back seat Athena waits patiently for her movie. A war rages on at the bottom of the glass between the gin and the tonic. Even here the government enforces its jurisdiction, on no grounds it owns and no souls it understands. The ringing caused by all the calamity causes the glass to begin to crack, spelling peril for all involved - including the drinker...

The Day That Never Comes

Born to push you around...

The sunshine never comes. Chains glisten in the darkness. Here it is emotion that provides the insignificant light - red is the reckless rage of the guards, blue is the sorrow and agony of the mutilated, and green is the color of the virus - it has a mind of its own. The worlds here look out upon other worlds more fortunate through barbed-wire fence and amidst the smell of burning bodies. On a distant hill is a spacecraft, whose open doors shine white, cold light that stands out like a beacon, but such light provides no comfort when it is accompanied by screams. The Grays are there, and the Angel of Death is here - which will you choose?

A Modern Babylon/An Ancient Chicago: Disconnect

Is it really impossible for this all to exist? For every point of interest there are a million of disinterest, although to someone else they might very well be vital. How many butcher's shops, banks, art studios, night clubs, recruiting depots, out-of-the-way apartments, restaurants, gift shops, and police stations do you never see? How many monsters wait in alleys you've never seen, and how many more in the ones you have? If They touched down tomorrow, would you even notice? Communication makes everything part of a greater metropolis. The phone lines link our thoughts but isolate our minds.

Ideals and Nightmares

The Unreality is more than just a realm of bizarre physics and twisted chemistry - it is what The Universe is not. It is the home of dreams and of terrors beyond comprehension; a place as influenced by the unknowing minds of mortal creatures as they are by it. Because of this, the Unreality is infinitely finite, where as the Universe is finitely infinite. The concept of spatial limits exists only within the boundaries, for outside of realms of existence, there is not even nothing - it is simply The Out.

The Great Unknown[/size]

Once, I sat out at night with my daughter comparing an ancient star chart with the starry expanse above us. She asked me questions that left me speechless and made me feel vulnerable, because I didn't know what to tell her. The maps we looked at were so much brighter. It was hard enough to explain all of the inconsistencies and false knowledge contained, but then she started to notice the dark regions - sections of our sky dark now that were once as brilliant as any other part. I felt proud, and at the same time, ready to choke knowing that those darker regions - perhaps part of a Dyson structure, or a KVR channel, a dim space region, or perhaps just a field of debris from some long-forgotten battle between pirates - were created by us. It was humanity and its allies that made the universe dark. I've never felt the same since.
-Lieutenant Vladinya Savaros

The Real World, The Real Universe

Although there are many more habitable and varied characteristic planets in the universe than thought by our ancestors, the reality of this is that they are not as fantastic as fiction has commonly proposed. The idea that life could exist on planets with multiple moons, rings, multiple suns, and similar traits was not disproven but was shown to be very rare and complicated. While they exist sparsely in "reality", they are commonplace on The Other Side. In certain realities there, one can experience them as the everyday, normal world, where "natural" qualities can exist alongside each other without ever affecting one another.

The Tragedy of Neptune

Leave the Earth for a moment and look around the Solar System, and what lies beyond; things are (on a basic level) much the way they were on our home planet. What is truly spectacular is the way the other seven planets have become resorts, testing grounds, colonies - or energy slaves. Perhaps the greatest sadness in all of Sun's reach is the tragedy of the furthest planet from it, Neptune - once a place of cold beauty and curious weather, it is now the Human Federation's premiere energy and fuel source - great orbital platforms are strung about it almost like its vague rings, harnessing the mighty frozen winds to power the factories of mass-produced fuel cores for the modern age. Neptune's original wonder is now overshadowed both literally and metaphorically by an industrial monstrosity that keeps it caged in favor of using it for profit and sustenance.

The Worlds of Steel

Of course, simply colonizing planets would never have been enough for our ancestors - that drive, that human urge to fill and populate meant that not even the vast emptiness of interstellar space would emerge unscathed. Developed by the leading scientists at the University of Kupier (primarily the New Dallas campus, where most of the astrophysics research takes place) and later purchased by HalovCorp, the SLIDE (Sustained-Life Interstellar Developed Environment) module was and continues to be one of the greatest achievements of mankind. Each a quarter of the size of Pluto and possessing most any feature, whether technology or entertainment that might be necessary to sustain a significant population indefinitely, can be found on these massive world-ships that drift through space. More often than not they are leased (in the very-long term) by corporations that use them as entire "nations" for happy, loyal employee citizens that rarely, if ever need to leave their SLIDE homes. Every SLIDE is fully operational with effective means of propulsion and the necessary provisions for multiple wormhole jumps (when required), needing only to come into one of the colonized Solar Systems every decade to refuel and restock the few things that don't keep (although they tend to visit populated planets every six months or so in most cases).

The Dyson Structure

Imagine a spider's web, within which hang spider webs whose webs have webs, and so on. This is the nature of the Outregions, or the boundaries of individual solar systems, local clusters, and local groups as they are known in astronomy. At each tiny particle point where a strand of web is woven is an intelligent Harvester - a space probe the size of a small nation that gathers energy from the surrounding stars, dark matter, and gravity itself. The trillions of these structures in the Earth local regions alone transmit the energy they absorb through wormhole technology to "Hot Storage" where it is conserved until transportation takes place. Never has a working man's life been more promising than with the introduction of the Dyson Modules, for production of such structures - which allow the civilized galaxy to achieve a Kardashev value of 2.5.

Lockdown Hunters

The largest spaceports are now always found just outside of a species' Heartland, and for a very particular reason. Throughout spacefaring history there have been incidents that have required a total cutoff of travel into another species' homeworld regions - an uncrossable border for foreigners - to protect the security of said worlds and their people. Knowing of the dangers inherent in allowing any craft without military designation past the blockades during biological or political crises, the alliance between the Wraz, Humans, and the Grays signed a pact creating the Lockdown Hunters. Lockdown Hunters are specially-trained crews of smaller, faster vessels with the authority to obliterate anyone violating said starspace without question.

Dim Space

A common sight - or lack thereof - today in the galaxy, dim space is the culmination of human technological advancement; the medium through which darkspeed is possible on vessels. Every vessel equipped with the engines possess their own dimming mechanisms, but it was not long after the development that the Shadow Stations were established all over common space. Providing additional darkening power, the Stations ensure that those who seek to wield the fastest method of space travel can do so in even the brightest regions of the void.

Factions: Military[/size]

 No futuristic reality would be complete without paramilitary terrorist organizations to combat and oppose the governments of the many populated worlds - which more often than not are just as untrustworthy and damaging to society. What once was termed a Private Defense Contractor is more aptly called a Private Military Division, as there are several larger stellar corporations and banking companies that at least possess specially-trained security guards, if not entire units designed to take the offensive.

The United Defense Network

Also called the United Earths Military, The UDN is the primary military body of Earth and its colonies - the "strong arm" of the government, as it were. The successor to countless agencies such as the CIA, FSB and the like in addition to traditional military forces. While in reality its main sphere of influence is Earth, it does have some sanction in more distant colonized regions and keeps countless outposts free-floating in dead space or orbit, and on planetary bodies themselves. The UDN is unique in that the last couple of hundred years have seen the abolishing of any division between state/regional/federal police institutions and the military, under the Unified Security Act. Its many branches continue to act with much independence through their advanced training, purchasing of equipment and contracting, and regional duties, but primary training and policy is now the same across the board.

The Combat Branch of the UDN consists of three departments: Planetary Defense, Navy, and Marines, all of which possess their own fully-independent support and intelligence divisions. Planetary Defense consists of human ground forces trained in anti-invasion warfare, aircraft ideally suited to function within a planet's atmosphere and low orbit, and electronic and nuclear systems and weaponry designed to cripple any assaulting force. The Navy is the backbone of the UDNCB, possessing the largest star fleet (in numbers, not power) of any stellar force, with ships both large and small and created for most any task, from the stealthy and fast Warhawk-18 to the massive Verehan-Class juggernauts, whose launch bays carry many smaller attack craft and guided/targeted weaponry. The Marines are the UDNCB's invader force, designed to infiltrate and neutralize any planetary defenses, and answer and function in most respects as a department of the Navy (Officer ranks in the Marines only go up to Colonel, and beyond that any officer must "transfer" to the Navy). The UDN's colors are yellow and blue, with the Marines also adding green.

M.O.T.H.

M.O.T.H. (Militaristic Operational Terror Harbinger) is the largest and most fearsome of all rogue forces in Known Space. Also known as Bio-Doom (their original name before being given the acronym and fancy term after their distinctive faction insignia), M.O.T.H. operates outside of all jurisdiction and regulation. Thought to be headquartered on one of the three-dozen or so human outposts that are lacking in strong governmental presences, they follow an agenda laid down by an unknown master with an unknown ultimate goal. Founded originally when LtCol Hans Huntington (a man decorated for his many combat accomplishments and head of special operations group S.P.E.C.T.R.) went AWOL and then reappeared in a small terrorist movement known as Hittite, M.O.T.H. accomplishes its goals primarily by deadly specially-trained operatives that can infiltrate various networks with impunity, and by biological warfare - the viruses engineered in their secret laboratories, if they engineer them at all - are the deadliest, some of which have required complete annihilation of affected populations.

M.O.T.H. is the subject of the majority of the UDN and MOF's budget, as countless dollars have gone into the training of operatives to combat this force and the intelligence and technology to gain the upper-hand against them. It is likely that M.O.T.H. masks many of its logistical exchanges under cover of small-time shipments and independent space pirate actions, as only one combat-capable spacecraft has been observed flying their flag: the Void-class Annihilator, a destroyer that was hijacked and disappeared for years only to resurface as a heavily-modified war machine. M.O.T.H.'s banners and accepted faction colors are "nightmare purple" and black.

Martian Orbital Force

The Martian Orbital Force, while not the largest military in known space, is the most powerful one - every allied society relies on the Martians for their innovative rocketry and physical science skill. Residing so close to Earth, the Martian military has - luckily - not come into any major conflicts with the UDN, although defense escalations and tensions akin to a historical period known as the "Cold War" have taken place. The MOF likes to present its policy and political appearance as being docile and friendly, which it is - if you leave it and its research colonies alone. Besides Mars itself (which looks happily upon its repeated reputation as an entity of war), the Martian Stellar Nation possesses one (albeit a very large) cluster of star systems that are colonized and used for various forms of research and development. Most of their projects involve weaponry and the advancing ways of war, bringing it full circle back to the MOF - but when technology is so far advanced, what else is there to do but prepare for destruction?

The MOF's colors are red and gray.

Halov Corp

The Halov Corporation is the largest mult-division company of the many that are "independent" machines. They manufacture small-arms, exoskeletons and power suits, and short-range communications and motion sensing technology in the Combat Research Division, while also possessing several other divisions of varying sizes for the development and construction of various important and innovative products (such as the infamous SLIDE). Halov is a "neutral" company, selling their products to most everyone, including M.O.T.H. as rumors tell (which the UDN, MOF, and Copriar Delta and their allies do not approve of), while keeping some of it for their own personal use (and leaving their customers to crudely imitate, in some cases). Their colors are black and white.

Halov Corp also happens to possess a sizeable private military - and although they have had few instances so far to prove themselves, the situations when their intervention has been required have shown their effectiveness. Their signature weaponry is the ECHELON (Electrically-Charged Hand Engagement Light Offensive Neutralizer), an electromagnetic breakthrough in the form of powered lightning blades and charged shields to match. The technology involved renders many common forms of ranged attack obsolete and requires appropriate melee to defeat it. The lightning halos are powerful enough to inflict severe burns in addition to the damage the sharpened super-alloy blades do themselves.

Copriar Expeditionary Force

Akin to a futuristic version of many Marines forces of ancient days, the Copriar Expeditionary Force is the military projection of Copriar Delta, The Berengis Field, and the Char System (all of which are located in the Copriar Sector). The CEF maintains a relatively small, diverse force that is capable despite being more than a little underfunded. Lacking significant interests in galactic politics, the Copriar military's primary purposes are to defend its home Region by unconventional (read: offensive) means and serve as the official escort and security for any exploration or expansion civilian groups may intend - making them at times little more than a government-funded mercenary force. Their faction colors are gray and turquoise.

The Sons of Sirius

The Sons of Sirius are a small and only moderately powerful force on a galactic scale, though they are a very dangerous foe in planetary war. The Sons or the Sirian Army are one of the foremost promoters of laser and energy warfare on the small scale as opposed to continued use of metals for ammunition. They wield CR-5 "Revolutionary" rifles, AMBER X44 Charge Guns and DeBrolat SUC-90 pistols - all of which fire plasma shots and use energy shells - instead of the countless metal shell-based weapons that continue to be used in advanced variants by almost every other force. This different base of arms has had only marginal effects on the Sirius Union's need to mine and import raw materials, but has advantages in prolonged combat that have been proven more than once. The Sons of Sirius' flag is orange and dark green. The Sirius Union itself is actually completely surrounded by the UDN, something which has dampened its war efforts significantly. Although the two have never seen significant war, there is some unrest and dislike towards the UDN, with various groups within the Union feeling that they should break out and control more territory.

Demeter V and Zextesselus

Two small, backwater colonies at the far edge of the Milky Way, Demeter V and Zextesselus were once Halov installments shortly after the widespread use of Darkspeed vessels, but increasing interest in other regions left them to fend for themselves. Possessing moderately state-of-the-art (in Galactic Edge terms; by standards of any of the Heartlands they are aged) research and industrial facilities, these two single systems support each other and scorn larger territories. The combined 17 planets and 338 moons of the systems (most of which are in Zextesselus and its outer asteroid belts) are havens for the lawless and dangerous mixing of many species. They maintain a single military presence, mostly a ragtag assembly of smaller spacefaring vessels and HMR (High-Mobility Response) forces, which has done surprisingly well against the rare raid launched on them by Halov, the UDF, or the MOF.

The Hagathon Group

Hagathon is a "special interests" organization like many others, meaning that it seeks wealth, power, and information by secret and often illegal means. Much like ancient groups such as the CIA, KGB, and MI6, or groups that rose for short periods in the 25th and 26th centuries such as the KLO, DMM, VARC, and Red Anvil. Running an extensive network with capabilities that give them access to nearly every small-to-moderate-sized resource. Unlike official military sections, Hagathon is part of a long list of groups that operate either small, stealthy utility vessels or none of their own at all, instead taking advantage of "public" services and infiltration of other agencies. Although their allegiances are questionable, it is believed they are at the center of a hub that links them to many other major factions.

Factions - Civilian[/size]

The many military parties of the Milky Way, however, are neither the most numerous nor the most controversial entities that affect regular life. Through various religious, social, political, and environmental movements countless organizations have risen to become justifications - but more often nuisances and excuses - for people to seek out their goals and desires.

Matadela

Matadela is a religious social movement that threatens many societies with its existence, but somehow continues to gain support and slowly make its way into small-time political offices. At its heart, the Matadela movement is a kind of escapism; it seeks the rights of those who choose to live their lives as different and/or digital people on The Network. Though social interaction, roleplaying, and exploration of other cultures through electronic representation are encouraged by all but the most backwards governments and religions, few condone the equivalent of a new welfare society - Matadelian heads of power lobby for an actual wage and/or salary given to those who become Netmen in exchange for "odd jobs" on the Network, from marketing to administration and policing. As such things are either handled directly by corporate representatives or governments themselves, the Charter of Network Native Rights is something met with much skepticism and one of the few things that interstellar enemies can readily agree on.

Superhumanism

Superhumanism is a variant of standard Humanism which seeks to spread the idea that humans (or at least humanoids) are the ultimate being, akin to gods in the biological world. Superhumanism has its origins in the Psionic Wars, or rather the aftermath; as it became clear that humans had achieved a peak of power not yet seen in recorded history, would-be Superhumanists began to move against the established equality of species. While considered a radical semi-cult, Superhumanism garners large amounts of support in the Martian regions and is believed to be supported by M.O.T.H., although with the latter it is not known whether they consider it a legitimate religion or just fuel it to spread social dissonance.

The main conflict that arises between Superhumanists and their opposition is their perfectionist ideals when it comes to fitness, health, and intelligence - Superhuman dogma requires its followers to be always looking for ways to improve, adapt, and reach new peaks of personal power. This extreme belief combined with other social and political tensions has more than once led Superhumanists to take up arms in drastic action and begin conflicts on planetary scales. The movement is ironically opposed to Transhumanism; Superhumanism rejects the use of genetic engineering and like technologies that enhance in any way (although it is not opposed to war machines and combat add-ons) - one of the core aspects of the religion/philosophy is that perfect human form can be achieved only through selective and ideal breeding.

HERA

The Heavy Energy Regulation Administration is the largest energy and resources organization, specifically focusing on "Heavy Energy", meaning energy that is harvested from planetary bodies and from stars themselves. It has an office in every capital city of each human colony allied with the UDN. Frequently contracted by the UDN, it has jurisdiction over all usage and licensing, an impressive and versatile fleet of specialized craft, and is able to quickly activate or deactivate any operation that does not pass requirements. HERA is one of the largest civilian employers of humans and also has a strong presence in Reptilian territories.

Kergild Engineering

Once a specifically Martian company, Kergild Engineering is now a "neutral" investment group whose headquarters is a SLIDE unit, which oversees various semi-independent offices and camps that are spread throughout the galaxy and are aligned with various individual factions and regions. Kergild's people specialize in civil and electrical engineering, specifically the design of Controlled Space Transit Systems in the former field and Wormhole Communication Transmitter Trajectories in the latter. The company has constructed and continues to develop and research in their chosen fields the most effective and efficient methods of transportation and communication. Kergild only recruits the brightest and best engineering minds, often fresh out of primary schooling to be specially trained to their needs and hierarchy.

Eluranism

An influential philosophy in the human existence, Eluranism is an extension of Humanism like many modern religions that suggests that above all of the political and economic hierarchies, there must be an elite or elites appointed to oversee the ultimate design of intelligent life. Eluranism embraces the idea that the universe will one day fail and seeks to find a method by which it can prevent this or at least find a purpose for people to prosper. The movement rejects democracy in favor of a form of oligarchy-meritocracy - a small elite is appointed based on their abilities and value to debate and determine direction. A necessary element of the philosophy requires the Eluranist faction to operate as a shadow government to anyone and everyone - Eluranism's institution is more popularly known as the Far Side.

Aveloranity

A cult that arose in the 26th century during the gradual fade of Christianity into a "private religion" along with most other non-life stance beliefs, Aveloranity mirrors the teachings of the Bible and of Christianity but rejects the idols and timeline that is traditionally accepted, stating that Christianity itself was meant to arise in the 13th century with more similarities to Islam. Aveloranity strongly endorses the development of science in honor of God and eliminates any conflict between evolution and creationism in its primary script.

The Second Search for Heaven

A religious movement similar to the First Search for Heaven mostly only in name, the Second Search (also known as Kenwickism) is a faith that follows in the footsteps of what was Christianity, taken mainly as a series of metaphors related to real events and theories, and also to an old astrobiological theory that maybe, just maybe, the proponents for life did not originate on Earth and other planets. Instead,, it was brought to them by meteors originating somewhere; the question asked, then, is "where?"

Thus begins the Search. Fleets of curious and faithful collectives from all across the galaxy (many not human; the Second Search has been quite popular with other humanoid species in particular) have acquired tools both advanced and crude to seek out this literal Heaven, which is said to be a great expanse of exotic, rare combinations of elements that are not "natural" in the galaxy's sense, and strange physics that spawn bizarre scenarios. Most believe that this "Heaven" is definitely beyond the Milky Way galaxy, and is probably not located in any one galaxy (although some variants propose that there could also be a theoretical "First Galaxy" located wherever the center of the universe is, at the exact point of the original Big Bang, that could be the Heaven they're looking for), but rather is beyond the universe all together. There are also those that suggest it is somewhere on The Other Side, through the infinite alternate realities and possibilities that permeate the place, but where these areas are poorly understood and not all-that-easily entered, explored, and interacted with, there is much less support for this avenue of thought.

Some updates. A map or two soon. And of course some statistics for things most likely, done through the Star Wars Saga system.

Chaos Theory[/size]

Did you think we would have control?

One cannot plan with absolute certainty anything for the long term - or can they? That may be what gives control. An unforeseen, overlooked event can shape things in ways unexpected and undesired in the long term - but that is the nature of the art of Chaos. The word, archaically tied to the idea of unpredictability, is better applied to the science of patterns, and of cause and effect. What once was a single class meant to introduce students in universities to a single specialty in the world of mathematics has become its own field. To plan for the long term, one must embrace the unpredictability and overwhelm the system with their own factors.

Psionics[/size]

But there are elements we have mastered...

Destiny, of course, manifests in many forms. It is no surprise that the dreams of our ancestors would be realized (mostly) as they had hoped and foretold through the power of the mind. Though the body is a vessel whose power has never been (and never will be) fully tapped and utilized, the mind is also a powerhouse that has finally come to the fore. Despite still being a rare power possessed by only those of specific genes, psionics are a real (if dangerous) force.

Most psionics manifest what powers they do have in the form of telepathy, light telekinesis, and precognition. Unusual (in the relatively small percentage of the population, about 0.08%, that actually have psionic powers) is the presence of all three, or more complex abilities, but the youthful part of human nature continues to surprise its scientists. This is also only what psionics are capable of upon early Realization; over time, one who is given the opportunity can hone and extend their capabilities.

The most prominent example of organized use of psionic power is - you guessed it - in the military. Every military and paramilitary outfit that operates on a large scale possesses training facilities and systems for harnessing this power - especially M.O.T.H. - and seeks to use them to achieve goals through the most unconventional methods known to unconventional warfare.

You really all that surprised that we pretended for such a long time? What would you have done, as a child, if one of your new friends showed you something they could do that you had no idea how to even begin to attempt? You'd probably have lied, told them you were an expert and knew some stuff they didn't but made a strong attempt at dodging any actual show of ability. Well, that's exactly what we did when we were knew on the galactic stage. Everyone else was throwing around all of these psionic powers and, well, we wanted them too - but the few people around that could do that shit willingly at the time were being dissected in labs, or were being persecuted for having a gift. So we pretended for a long time, and in the end some of our bullshit actually came true - we developed a branch that was all but myth to the rest of them. That's one of our defining mental differences, along with a couple other weirder breeds out there on the Milky Way, from the rest of our comrades - our first judgment is to hide our weakness instead of assessing our enemy's.
-Vickah Camprel, disgruntled construction forewoman

The Re-Emergence of Slavery[/size]

Why in all of the countless galaxies would anyone or anything be racist, when idiocy spans all races and things? It is a shame that it does exist, but we can be thankful that it is in small amounts and mainly between species. Now where it is seen is mostly between the Alliance Races and the Magellanites, most notably the Vorov, who have a habit of being equally hateful towards anything not of their own kind.
-Amelina Dolosanto, De Briga, Magnolia, Earth, UNR

Slavery was always bound to surface again in the history of humankind, but did it ever really disappear? It did not help that at the height of the supposed human rights movement, the first contact was made with the Grays, who enslaved various creatures of moderate intelligence prior to the development of their most advanced artificial intelligence, some 300 years ago. This is, however, how slavery continues to exist, through the utilization of AI to extreme lengths. One could argue that this is a flawed application of terms to functions, because many robotics were built specifically to do various kinds of work. This cheap and widely-available resource hasn't stopped various groups from subjugating natural intelligences, however. Some AIs cannot rightly be pegged as being slaves regardless, for they enjoy the work - they were programmed that way.

Systems of the Known Galaxy[/size]

The United Nations Region

The UNR is the largest and most populated region, for obvious reasons - home to both the homeworlds Earth and Mars, as well as significant outposts of several other major factions. Also known as the Earth Region, it spans a distance of about 99 light-years across. It is bordered towards the Galactic Center by the Reptilian-D Region Belt in a 92 degree radius, Halov Private Interstellar Territory in the opposite direction in a 33 degree arc, and neutral zones in the remaining radius. Although they possess many outlying colonies and jurisdictions, the UNR is primarily located here. And it is also here, in a region 20 light-years across, centered on Earth, where the Industrial Heartland can be found.

The Gray Void

Named for the Grays while at the same time for the sparse star population of the region, the Gray Void is the Gray equivalent of the United Nations Region and is located almost directly opposite it on the other side of the galaxy. Those passing through the area keep their distance in most cases not because of military presence but because of the inherent "creepiness" of it - the cold and distant method by which native traffic passes, the way even the most populated sections are quiet - one always has the feeling that the Grays are plotting something, that your disappearance is scheduled. Gray architecture is extremely apparent and imposing, with its circular and sprawling styles.

Reptilian-D

Merely the human classification for the area, Reptilian-D is actually the Wraz's second territorial acquisition and, while a poor zone of habitation, D consists of 451 systems, 90% of which are rich in vital chemical elements and planetary orbits ideal for defense and observation. Reptilian-D is one of the more frequent regions used for weapons testing and joint exercises between humans and the Wraz.

Technology of The Future-Modern Age[/size]

Nitrocameras

A development of Lockeon Technologies under military contract, Nitrocameras were originally inspired by the Reptilian Observation Modules (small, intelligent aerial vehicles that can be set to patrol or explore with a feed sent back to a terminal). They are incredibly micro-sized floating cameras that are found in the millions per cubic foot, named for the high percentage of Nitrogen in human atmospheres. Although expensive, such a technology allows unparalleled surveillance for federal agencies and private companies alike. Nitrocameras allow all-around total imaging in any environment once they've populated the area, and relay live feeds near-instantly to monitoring systems. Upon widespread use of this technology many kinds of criminal activity were stifled for months and years - but no system is unbeatable.

The Second Age of Chivalry: Plasma Weaponry

You're thinking blaster pistols and repeating rifles that shoot glowing energy, right? Unfortunately, the Dystopian Universe has developed such technologies only in small doses and most colonies have found them inefficient in favor of metal-based munitions. However, that is not to say that melee weaponry and defenses have not been more fortunate - quite the opposite. Through the emergence of increasingly small and stable electrical foci and channeling gates, the sword and shield has been reborn, and is ironically almost completely the same in function (except for the damage they cause). Although armor is incredibly difficult to realistically achieve and still provide mobility and diverse application, weaponry and shields, lightweight yet incredibly sturdy, have revolutionized warfare in a sort of "reverse forward".

Military training for almost all services now includes extensive melee training as well as methods at defending against ranged attacks - the technology does provide resistance against standard ranged weaponry to some degree, but is not completely capable of deflecting attacks on its own.

CCT-5 Goliath Headsets

The CCT-5 and its variants, a product of Terminalot Industries, is a common and extremely diverse form of utility gear. Possessed by all but the very poor and worn almost perpetually, it includes an earpiece, mouthpiece, and a half-visor (also available in double ear, double mouth, and full eye visior configurations) that extends or retracts as needed. The Goliath is a miniature, all-encompassing information, entertainment, and accessibility console - using voice, movement, and sensing variations in the skin, it can provide its wearer with all services that they have purchased and/or acquired. By default the service includes a near-limitless encyclopedia, news, weather, music streams, basic inter-headset communications, and navigation and travel data.

Planetary Engineering

Planetary engineering is the crown achievement of humanity and its allies, and often considered to be the ultimate destiny of intelligent races. It is not taught as an independent specialty in schools (in most cases) but is rather a great collaboration between countless individuals who are skilled and specialized in specific fields. Between the three Alliance races, over 600 planets have been terraformed successfully, with only an 8% failure rate. No statistics for non-Alliance members have ever been compiled.

One of the most notable effects of terraforming is the effects immediate colonization and exploitation have - cities and societies are unnaturally orderly and well-structured. A current project underway is the notoriously difficult Sol Venus Project, which after all of these years still struggles to make Earth's sister planet into a habitable locale.

Aliens[/size]

The Spacefarers[/u]

Not every species on the galactic stage was the designer of its own space travel technology. Those who have are called, for obvious reasons, the Spacefarers, and tend to be the most powerful species in terms of territory, wealth, and advancement, even if they are divided by hundreds of factions. Those in this category are listed here.

The Wraz

(With thanks to Llum)

More popularly known as reptilians, the Wraz are the most philosophically and socially similar species in comparison to humans - warlike, colonialist and, at heart, very tribal. It doesn't help that their species has a habit of occasionally producing a Scion - a Wraz child that sports an unusual, oversized crest that gradually grows larger atop its head - which always possesses heightened intelligence and very fluent psychokinetic powers, and these "elite" have at times been everything from divinely-appointed rulers to subjects of racial inequality wars. The Wraz, like humans and most other races, exist in a variety of philosophies and factions, but across the board they tend to be very sporadic and flamboyant. A Wrazk takes pride in possessions as much, if not more, than achievements.

A Wrazk appears roughly the size of a human, although the typical body frame hints that they should be much taller, being lanky but powerful. Its body is covered in a strange outer layer that's not quite scaly, but not quite the smooth, human-like epidermis. They are hairless, have large, lizard-like eyes and a mouth that somewhat resembles a beak, suggesting an avian evolutionary history. Wraz hands have four digits instead of five (something which has influenced their mathematics), possess superficial tails in the form of extending stubs, and have internal genitalia.

Vorovka

Vorovka are the terror of most known space - little known and barely understood by even the longer-spacing species, both their appearance and their agendas are cesspools of fear. Believed to have a long, bloody, and complex history filled with answers to questions that plague most other races of the galaxy, Vorovka do not attempt to communicate or respect interstellar borders. They possess a radical xenophobia that extends to everything that isn't vorov (but are no strangers to genocide, either). Their technology in the realm of physics has long ago reached a plateau that they seem to have no intentions or desires of surpassing, instead focusing on the drastic alteration of biological systems. Their creations are the subject of much horror and the cause for large portions of government spending.

If laid out flat, a vorov might vaguely resemble a cross. It has a thick, boneless, "muscular" body that has few defined segments and is a little over a meter long on average. It's bottom "half" consists of a slimy, bland kind of exotic flesh that is covered in millions of tiny follicles that serve as a natural propulsion. At its center is an equivalent of a chest that ripples occasionally, though the action's relation to breathing is unknown. A vorov features crude, hypersensitive limbs on either side of its body that, in most cases, serve little function. Above the limbs is a moderately long segment followed by a "head" that is really a gaping maw of rows of teeth, making the creature look much like a leech. Vorovka, however, are rarely seen in this state ("bare"), as the race are skilled in the creation of exoskeletons that stand tall and have arms and legs with manipulative features. A vorov's extremely sensitive "hands" combined with the strength of its brain allows it to indefinitely bond with an exoskeleton's receivers and control it with natural dexterity.

The Grays (Tetrobor)

"When a man witnesses a UFO, he is encountering a Gray. When a Gray witnesses a UFO, he is encountering a god."
-Unknown

The Grays are the classic stereotype for alien lifeforms in human history, and ironically now are (occasionally) some of their closest allies. Grays are, next to the Vorovka, the most advanced race in the realm of mechatronics and biological engineering. They seem to have a much less bloody history than other races of Known Space, although the Gray is as notorious for its secrets as it is for its scientific skill. Many in the technological community say that they are second-rate Vorovka copycats with the exception of their willingness to actually function in the presence of other races - their goals are malicious at best, murderous at worst, and in most cases focused almost solely on scientific advancement. The concept of an "un-dead" creature is an entirely new one to them, something that fascinates them about human history and human biochemical achievements (read: failures).

Contrary to the 20th and 21st centuries' popular opinion, a Gray stands well over seven feet tall, has a well-defined muscular system, and possesses few visible orifices. Their eyes are large, oval-shaped objects black or white. Their skin is hairless and a bland greenish color, changing around the joints to an almost brown; their flesh and organs also possess a superior regenerative quality. In place of ears on a very slightly inflated head are two nearly invisible, veined and dull depressions. They have two thin slits for a nose and only a vestigial mouth in the form of a depression similar to the ears. All Grays communicate entirely through gestures, expressions, and most importantly, telepathy. They are known to manifest some degree of psychokinesis, although psychokinetics in Grays are almost as rare as humans.

The reason for much of the original confusion over their traits prior to a defensive/scientific pact with the human race lies in their greatest achievement: the Moglin. A moglin is a masterful creation they've possessed for at least 1,500 years, and is the shorter "version" of the Gray once known to science fiction. Moglins are robots complete with artificial intelligence on the same levels as humans, reptilians, and grays, built out of exotic and rare metal alloys and designed for RC (Resource Colonization) and information collection. Although entirely mechanical, Moglins possess all of the wicked mental traits of their creators and are notorious for their cold machine stares that seem animated by pure evil.

The Wzzev

"Hope you don't mind spiders... or wasps... or any of the weird fuckers that swarm you on Chelsenda Quad... 'cause you'll never work outside of the Heartland with that kind of phobia. Not with the Wzzev creeping around."
-Sgt. Avier Ramirez, Interstellar Affairs SAGITTARIUS

A sinister cross between the most capable hunting spiders and the most deadly of wasps, the Wzzev have evolved to be even more perfect killing machines since the dawn of their evolution, and extend that now to their technologies. Extremely skilled and focused as a species, the Wzzev are driven by an ever-greater desire to know all things much like humans, but their lust for that knowledge has driven them into an almost exclusive obsession with astronomical engineering. Built to control, monitor, and document, the "slide lanes" of the Alchant (the Wzzev Heartland) are like an endless web or nest of travel lanes and markers - fitting considering their appearance. Wzzev architecture is very efficient and sturdy but at the same time features much excess - structures are frequently seen with many more supports than are necessary or support connectors between primaries that serve no practical purpose. It has both a kind of paranoia and an obsession with random symmetry built into it, as the addition of one feature often requires the addition of a matching one at a suitable distance to show "equality"; this tends to be done many times over before the image of such perfect design is achieved.

A wzzev is met with much uncertainty in the Primary Systems, as even though they've made significant contributions to the colonization of the Milky Way, they are fairly rare and for the most part have not made strong alliances with non-wzzach factions. Additionally, a wzzev's unusual anatomy, while not completely incompatible with humanoid design, makes things awkward for them on planets and in ships not of their own design.

The Praetor

Less popularly known by the name they gave their race, Dyen, the Praetor are one of the original spacefaring races, possibly the first (depending on the validity of various accounts in their public history). A very tight-knit, orderly, and warrior-like race, the Praetor, despite being a mainstay in galactic affairs for millenia, have had almost no comprehensive exploration or research efforts into other planetary systems (other than those deemed "necessary"). They've conveniently and intelligently developed the technology, which has been applied to infrastructure and social structure, to be capable of supporting a race of some 38 billion individuals all within two solar systems. Compared to most other home regions, this is an immense population, but its stellar crossways are surprisingly uncrowded. This also creates a large population of very patriotic, bored, and powerful military members of Praetorian breed in such a small area, guaranteeing anyone who is bold enough a boxing match at the very minimum - something that has helped concrete the humorous label given to Praetorian space by humans, "the Praetorian Arena". Praetorians in general are unsure whether to be flattered or insulted by the labels given to them along this line.

A praetorian stands about as tall as a Gray, but appears much more muscular and bulky. Their entire physiology seems to suggest that their evolutionary path favored fewer but stronger methods of environmental manipulation; instead of five digits they have two very thick fingers and a thumb that can at times stretch and shrink small amounts as needed. Likewise, their feet are more like a very large bird's, and their arms and legs are very large diametrically. All praetorians grow what has been coined an episkeleton - while it is not shed at any point in life, nor is it as hard in comparison to an insect's, it provides significant toughness to their epidermis. This includes their heads, which are almost entirely encased in this skin-shell. This is the primary means of identification between individual dyen along with voice - each episkeleton grows around the face in a very distinct pattern, while the rest of the body's episkeleton is mostly distinguished by coloring. Praetorian vocal capability is almost identical to that of humans (which has puzzled human scientists considering the difference in the structure of their breathing mechanisms as well as vocal chords), although when compared side-by-side with the latter, they sound much more "singular" - a human in comparison almost sounds as if there are two voices speaking simultaneously, one at a slightly higher pitch. This sound is made more distinct in the minds of others by the structure of their jaws, the lower half of which is split into two separate mandibles that mirror each other when moving.

Corax

Coraxen, like the amaskodi, are an aquatic species, and strangely they inhabit planets that are very near each other. Unlike them, however, coraxen inhabit a world covered by seas of ammonia, and their molecular structure is silicon- rather than carbon-based. As a result they have a strikingly different biochemistry, and equally striking physical characteristics. Their homeworld, Arkib-1, is a quiet, sparsely-inhabited place - compared to Earth the number of advanced lifeforms to evolve there is small - and while drifting in the ammonia oceans of their planet one is greeted by little else than eerie, dim lights and sounds that seem to completely ignore the liquid as a buffer. Coraxen thought process is fragmented and chaotic, and their technology is very limited - there is little they can't do with their natural telepathy and telekinesis, both of which are incredibly powerful in comparison with other races.

To a human, a corax might look like the crystalline form of a mad scientist's twisted attempt to turn a shark into a jellyfish. They are semisolid and transparent creatures that appear to glow faintly from within. Their outer layers, although only a marginally effective camouflage to other creatures used to their surroundings, makes them appear almost invisible to nonnative species because of the chaotic distribution of crystal growths and patterns that cover their bodies. A corax's "vocal" system is almost entirely vestigial and is completely separate from their digestive system. At the front of a typically 3 meter body shaped vaguely like an inverted L is the hub of sensory systems, although this consists of one of three brain-like structures that projects mentally to perceive the world around the creature; the only non-telepathic primary sense they possess is tactile, although they have almost all senses common to fish and birds that most humanoid species are incapable of using, such as electroception, magnetoception, and current detection. A corax possesses a total of three separate organs akin to brains, divided roughly equally about the body - the one at the "head" is sensory, the one near the tail end controls motor skills, and the central one at the midsection handles all other functions. It also appears as though this central brain is slowly losing its purpose as well, as it is clear that various systems within it are slowly being migrated through evolution to the outer brains, and the arousal system involved with sleep is of little use all together - coraxen have limited distinction between waking and sleeping periods.

Perhaps the most puzzling (and interesting) trait of the coraxen species is their agelessness - for reasons still unknown they do not age after maturing. This among other factors has led relations between coraxen factions and the factions of other races, regardless of ideology, to be very strained. Their warfare technology is very singular in design and tactics, but frighteningly effective, with a not-surprising natural affinity for the use of basic substances in chemical warfare. The only elements they maintain and progress to great levels are their warp-speed technologies, knowledge of chemical systems, and through that, their medical prowess. Much speculation is given towards their origins and the things they might know about the past - in particular, there is much evidence from the limited communications between them and other species, as well as artifacts left behind from great battles, that suggest they've had a very long, complicated and bloody series of relations with the vorovka.

The Enlightened Species[/u]

The enlightened are the product of the Spacefaring Species' drive to explore, catalog, and in rarer cases lend a hand. These species are either creatures that could not become players on the galactic stage without outside assistance, or were simply too early on in their cultural and technological progressions to do so when they were first interacted with.

Amaskodi

The amaskodi are one of many spacefaring races that became such by the hand of others - in this case, the grays - and did it with a great deal of difficulty. While other races had to deal with a variety of issues with venturing into space, including radiation and weightlessness, the amaskodi are an intelligent race of octopus-like aquatic creatures, presenting an additional issue with the construction of vessels. Fortunately (and very suspicious by would-be conspiracy theorists that support the faith of the Second Search for Heaven), the fact that they can breathe and dwell within perfluorocarbons makes it easy for their allies to interact with them. Their ships are filled with water and most also carry small breather-converters for other species that wish to board. Everything of amaskodi make that is not submerged in a body of water itself is wholly filled with such fluids, and has complicated filtering systems to ensure the fluid is clean at all times.

Coming from a planetary system that includes not one, but two planets that are covered in global oceans (one of water - their home planet - and one of hydrogen peroxide), it is not surprising that an amaskod quick to make ventures into aquatic worlds before others, even when the "aquatic" environment in question is a global ocean of molten lava. Their exploration of alien worlds is a polar opposite of that of other races - an aquatic environment is the more easily hospitable one, while terrestrial ones are explored with the kind of caution that humans and their allies once practiced when exploring the depths of the seas on their own worlds.

An amaskod appears almost exactly like an octopus that has evolved to grow more vertically than horizontally. Some variations of them possess coats of fine hairs instead of suction cups, and their bodies are significantly larger to support both a much larger brain and as means of defense and control. Lacking any significant skeletal structure (although there is suggestion by the persisting composition of their insides that at one time they did possess one), amaskodi are extremely nimble and can avoid many problems present in the locomotion of other races. This also, however, requires them to build sufficient environmental exoskeletons to support them in non-aquatic excursions. The design of their nervous system as well as the capabilities of their brains makes their arms even more independent than those of Earth-based octopi; something that disturbs even those that have never seen the Earth versions of the creatures. They, like the Earth creatures they resemble, have very short lifespans, which are overcome by a passing of general knowledge through generations that has developed over long periods of evolution. Amaskodi communicate through an extensive telepathy that has been a normal trait of their species for as long as they can remember, but are otherwise as average as the Alliance races when it comes to psionic ability. Unlike most telepathic projections, however, which when heard in the head almost seems to echo as if there were multiple voices speaking the same words as they manifest, amaskodi telepathy is a pounding, singular assault on the head that feels almost painful - something that does deal some damage to galactic relations.

Annihilation of Competition[/size]

Did you think all of these bountiful, habitable planets would be taken en masse by each race without consequence, and without the destruction of their natives? The great spacefaring races may have had countless wars over regions of space, but those were actual wars - what they speak little of are the exterminations of what are now called the Dead Races.

Uvelle

A bizarre race of avian quadrupeds, Uvelle inhabited the planet Chomorse, which orbits star L674-15. Upon discovering the planet, which resembled Earth's supercontinent past in almost every way, the UDF was quick to send a MEADE team to the surface. Most of the flora and fauna was harmless and proved to be quite ideal for resource harvesting, but the Uvelle, despite being very primitive, were extremely intelligent - and therefore dangerous. The first few were killed using the standard automatic charge rifles found in the military, but after a few weeks of examination, scientists engineered a deadly virus that targeted the Uvelle genetic structure specifically, and within another month they were all dead save the few thousand that were kept for experimentation and entertainment.

Hleeb

An extermination widely publicized as propaganda against M.O.T.H., the hleeb were an oversized amoebic species of intelligent, psionic beings with an unusual biochemical makeup found in a very hospitable homeworld environment - a planetoid called Auv-14 which had another planetoid locked in decaying orbit around it, and had at the point of the hleeb's discovery come very near to Auv. Both environments were very forbidding places; where they were not molten mountains and seas, they were jagged, rocky, towering ranges of stone and dust particles that could be mistaken for pollen at a distance. But here, among the nothing, the hleeb flourished. When M.O.T.H. found them, the Division of Mental Adaptation was a fledgling thing, and their capabilities limited. But they captured many of them, hiding them away in some secret stronghold in a secluded star system, and they annihilated the rest. Undoubtedly the sudden explosion of psionic knowledge in their organization was owed to extensive study and testing on the hleeb. To date no extensive knowledge on them exists, for all that the UDN found upon reaching Auv-14 afterwards were the remnants of the slain species and a mocking M.O.T.H. signal flag planted near the equator.

Science Gone Wrong: The Undead[/size]

The Grays are absolutely fascinated by funerals. As strange as it may sound, never in their history has the concept of mourning for a fallen comrade occurred to them. A Gray feels a sense of loss and sorrow like pretty much any other naturally-breeding race, but actually having a ceremony and elaborate mythology associated with death, well, that just drives them insane. I remember reading Dr. Rocha's journal on the first few post-mortem examinations of humans in M.O.T.H.'s early days - the Grays present couldn't understand why they didn't have the body harvested on the spot.
-Colonel Volkov

The concept of the undead has always fascinated the human mind. In the realm of the Grays, it has been a means to an end - since time unrecorded they have had their most fluent psychics animate the dead, and later create them through means of grafting body parts together with the proper influx of energy (something we humans also did, albeit secretly, since the 1800s). The most common form of undead now comes from genetic experiments gone awry and viruses that infect and warp the mind and body. Instead of trying to catalogue the forms that the undead may take, instead listed here are a number of incidents involving the creation of, and/or the destruction caused by, undead.

The Brinsley Drive Incident

Occuring in 2201 C.E., the Brinsley Drive incident was the first major outbreak of a Meissner Virus. In a remote area of Austria, within a gothic structure not unlike those depicted in horror epics, an experiment by the legendary Dr. Lothar Boll on the properties of regenerative tissue went horribly wrong. Boll turned himself into an infectious, enhanced monster that proceeded to hunt other humans, infect those it did not devour, and cause a total of 772 casualties and 303 infected individuals. Some of the infected specimens were never neutralized or recovered, and all but a few of those given the antidote returned to normal. Many still suffered side-effects following the cure. Interestingly, after three months of eluding capture, those that were still infected no longer spread the disease, and later on they would be found one-by-one atop towering structures in cities and in remote areas, from skyscrapers to windmills.

Operation TOTAL HOLOCAUST

Also the name for the development (and now common use) of the weaponry involved in the incident, Operation Total Holocaust was an experiment in the effects of nuclear bombardment on an entire planet and the survival of life in the fallout. Not an appropriate entry for the books of the morally righteous, TH was done intentionally without warning any of the inhabitants of the planet - and although a backwater, ghost world - the place was not without a significant population. Many of those who were within blast radii were killed instantly, while others grew horribly sick. It was, however, in the generations that followed those first few decades of nuclear winter and strange biochemical changes that became the fruit of the experiment...


The Xu Complex

A modern day Area 51, Xu was a former Halov research facility that stretched over two miles into the crust of Amar-Robilov. Although sabotage was suspected - the introduction of a virus into the facility's infrastructure - no proofs were ever uncovered. Following the contamination and subsequent quarantine by the military, an entire regiment entered the facility, and a six-month lockdown ensued. Constant battle took place for control of the massive structure, and victory seemed almost in the military's grasp - but a sudden, mysterious turn of events cut off and isolated the soldiers. Despite strong and effective leadership the operation fell apart and within a week all contact with operatives on the inside was lost. The Xu Complex, Amar-Robilov, and its moons are all restricted space and are watched from 1 AU by a detachment of the Marines.

Russia III

Once a dumping ground for the Vorovka's failed experiments, Russia III was colonized by the Grays and the Wraz in a joint communications/harvesting project. However, during the final stages of development of the semi-hospitable planet into an industrial superworks, a rogue organization (not M.O.T.H. but perhaps the Amerite League or the Tetrarmy) introduced the VT-4 psionic strain, not only annihilating any hopes of turning the planet into a permanent habitat and resource ground with the now-poisonous atmosphere, but also turning all present into mindless yet sadistic undead creatures.

The Depths of Venice

The classic, romantic, gentle Venice, Italy retains its beauty well into the 33rd century, now taking on the traits of the standard Earth Tower-City. Its oldest levels have long since been submerged along with several of the newer levels built over the years, leaving water around the city hundreds of feet deep with long-forgotten structures as the city's foundation. Although the city no longer sinks, there are no plans to raise Venice, as the lower levels, some of which possess air bubbles and can be reached only through specific and hidden entrances, are the dumping grounds for countless things not meant to be seen. Be they the experiments of the government or private and individual designs, the depths of Venice are infested with them...

Some updates to Factions. As can be seen, more material is coming up soon. Still having trouble with a map - sketching the nearest stars in the galaxy can be a pain. I keep discussing things in the chat... but it's complicated. Hopefully I can work out a 3-D map of important regions.

Science Gone Questionable: Genetic Engineering[/size]

Biological Immortality

"It is only at the bottom, when one has realized that they let go of and lost everything they held dear, that they can rise again - like the phoenix from the ashes - to become something greater, something superior; something immortal."
-Unknown

It is never simple possession of ideal characteristics that chooses us. It is those that have the ability to truly withstand the eternity of time who are chosen, and then molded to become the elite and ultimate. To be able to resist the madness that presses harder upon your mind the longer you live is a feat few can attain, and even the most hardy and unattached before their transformation are not guaranteed to control their mental health for such extended periods. However, for anyone who desires knowledge with the right thirst... it is the perfect program. And they will find you, you can guarantee that.
-Colonel Mezerous Volkov

The idea of immortality is something that has plagued the minds of all sentient races almost since their beginnings. However, it is not something that has been attainable widespread - at least not until the 23rd century, in the case of humans. The ARCHAEA program was launched in secret in the early 20th century with the intent of extending its test subjects' life expectancies, and it did so in small intervals. Gradually, funding and research increased, leading to the first successful modification of cells into "smart replicators" - cells that reproduced without failing, malfunctioning, or losing strength. Although infection by many diseases can still cause death with significant environmental interference, minor, common viruses and diseases, as well as natural aging, are nonexistent in the subjects. The commercial nature of this development is that it is still very much a secret; through very clandestine channels the executives of the top companies, the militaries, and other notables purchase the treatment, with mixed results.

It is no secret at this point, however, that it does exist - although mainly in the form of a modern government conspiracy theory. Also, psychiatric treatment facilities (or rather, the ones that don't incinerate the insane) do report small numbers of cases of individuals who appear as if they've entirely lost their ability to sleep and demonstrate significant knowledge that spans multiple centuries, as if they had lived for that long. Through many precautions, those who possess the knowledge to perform this "treatment" (some of whom are themselves Eternals) keep any inquiries into the truths of the psychobabble from leading back to them.

A Glossary of All Things Glossarific[/size]

Path: When capitalized, refers to wormhole gates; "paths" to specific regions and checkpoints. A Pathfinder is a title given to a crew, and/or a vessel, created with the intent to discover and construct new Paths.

Planetary, stellar, galactic, colonial: Used as the same way "national" or "global" may be used to refer to an effect or event, i.e. "The technological blackout was felt on a stellar level. Note that "planetary" in this case refers to both populations on the ground and in the upper atmosphere/orbit, while "global" refers simply to the ground on a planet.

LAZARUS/New Nazareth: LAZARUS is a failed MOF supersoldier project that resulted in mass infection and death (actually took place in orbit on a military supercarrier). Shortly after victims' apparent "death", they would come back to life with heightened reflexes, strength, and speed, and a murderous streak driven by need for living flesh. Said undead creatures crashed in the supercarrier on Demetra-2 in the Voranox system, resulting in the enactment of OPERATION TOTAL HOLOCAUST. New Nazareth is the Martian city where LAZARUS was originally developed; infected subjects there were eradicated before severe contamination.

Operation TOTAL HOLOCAUST: The development and use of Carrier-Bombers on planets infected with one of various LAZARUS strains, raider strongholds, and enemy outposts.

OIG: The OIG (Over-sized Incineration Gun) is the largest and most powerful (but most costly) weapon in the human arsenal, and is mounted exclusively on Tartarus-class Bombardment Carriers.

Operation RAISE CHICAGO: The major "modernization" event on all Earth, Martian, and Halov planets - the evolution of all major cities into giant tower-metropolises, some of the largest of which tower over mountain ranges and can be seen from great distances. The vertical move of most city districts leaves the lowermost levels and outskirts of cities often in a state of extreme poverty, dissonance, and lawlessness.

Operation BLACK MANHATTAN: The complete out-migrating of all of New York City's metropolitan area (originally just Manhattan) and Long Island's inhabitants and businesses to be replaced by the Jackson Military Base, the largest military base in known space (not including testing ranges). Operation CRATERED SPHERE follows as the construction of the largest military testing range in Earth's colonial space, using up nearly 1/7th of Luna's surface area (and a lot of its underground) as firing ranges and equipment testing sites. Evacuees of NYC are relocated to the New York Orbital Platform.

The Division: The buzzword for Halov Corporation's Biotechnology Research Division, notorious for the biological warfare agents (and madness-causing viruses) that they've developed.

Silver Space: The void at the edge of the galaxy, which seems to have a dull silver glow to it (when actually observed; most vehicles in these regions have to have extensive shielding and analog monitoring systems). Only a few Silver Spaces have ever been documented, and these are found between the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds.

Grunhulk: The "class" of Reptilian hybrid ships, which are made out of a dead greenish skin-carapace. The strange slurp, squish, and especially the hiss that the ship interiors are renowned for making have led them to be popularly called Dragons.

Logger: A known M.O.T.H. euphemism for enlisted and commissioned recruits who are "all talk"; who lack the conviction and stomach to take part in the organization's more unsavory tasks and functions, i.e. assassination, starport raids, and torture/experimentation. Originated from the now-abandoned Cronus installation orbiting Terrier E, a refueling station that also served as a warehouse for prisoners. Weak-willed recruits there were labeled "loggers" for the paperwork jobs they were quickly transferred to.

TDS (Time Dilation Sickness): The term for a space pilot who frequently flies vessels near, at, or exceeding the speed of light. Also called Starlash and Pulse Lag, said pilots frequently present withdrawal symptoms characteristic of drug addictions following slow-down, and are very noticeably hampered in motor skills for up to forty-eight hours following "the Wall". Common remedy is simply to sedate said individuals, and even the most powerful steroids prior to flight cannot prevent the sickness. Pilots can become addicted to moving and acting at such high speeds.

The Kroner Gap: The "short" (in geological and galactic terms) period of time in a life-supporting planet's lifespan where intelligent civilizations have the capability to communicate with and travel great distances of the universe.

Psionics

[spoiler=Power]

Wizard: Term for an individual who presents psychic power in the form of precognition. The mind of specific individuals has reached a point where perception allows the calculation of any outcomes as things change and are done. An example is knowing what another creature will say or do based on what has been said or done to it - if speaking, perhaps knowing the content of an entire sentence by the first two or three words. Wizards tend to possess minor precognition (three to ten seconds into the future; although they may get "jolts" of events hours, days, weeks, months, or even years later, however accurate they are), and heightened reflexes.

Sorcerer: Individual who possesses telepathy and "emotion energy"; the ability to influence and alter the intensity of a creature's emotional output.

Warlock/Witch: Individual who manifests psychic power in the form of any psychokinesis, most commonly telekinesis, cryokinesis, pyrokinesis, and hydrokinesis.

Weird: The term for any psychic individual who possesses more than one of the kinds of psychic abilities (i.e. being both a "wizard" and having cryokinesis and aerokinesis).
[/spoiler]

Undead: Term for a creature that, following infection by an exotic virus that alters its biochemistry, adopts radical and unusual characteristics compared to its species' typical behavior. May also refer to an unnatural creation given life by guarded and unconventional means.

Black Factory: An invention of the Greys, a Black Factory is essentially a larger version of the SETI program's microscopic observation probe factories. A black factory is a completely autonomous probe that impacts on a lifeless planet or moon that contains sufficient resources. Said probe, which possesses advanced AI and construction tools, will build duplicates of itself multiple times over, then proceeding to construct a self-sufficient "factory" that pumps out Moglins, the Greys' primary robotic servants, messengers, and first-strike warriors, which were commonly mistaken as the Greys themselves for hundreds of years. Said moglins operate with a kind of strange automated program, replicating themselves rapidly and creating vessels to traverse the stars, while the original Black Probes proceed to move on to other areas to seed other lifeless bodies.

Night Harbor: The name for any major space ports that can dock and supply Darkspeed ships. A Night Harbor requires special Darkweb engineering to function, as a Shadowjump-equipped vessel cannot move without the appropriate light screening.

So how do factions inter-relate?  Superhumanism seems to be more of a religion or belief, so it obviously is not mutually exclusive to some of the other groups.

Quote from: Vreeg's BaroloSo how do factions inter-relate?  Superhumanism seems to be more of a religion or belief, so it obviously is not mutually exclusive to some of the other groups.

I'll probably have to end up clarifying them more a little later on, yeah. Superhumanism is intended as a religion/belief, but something I'm also trying to do (with not much in the way of results yet) is to blur the lines between political and religious/philosophical factions, despite the increasing separation of church and state in The Oddity.

The most important relations between factions will be found in the militant ones , but there will definitely be a fair amount of coverage on the civilian groups.

Slowly updating the Glossary - I may make that the primary method by which the setting gets fleshed out. It is seeming that, the more I research designing the map for the Earth region, the harder it becomes to actually do it...

New Strain

Meissner took a good, long look at Colonel Volkov. The man had always scared him with the way he looked at the corpses. None of them were ever people to him; they were just mysteries; problems to be solved however simple they may be. The scientist always wanted to know the answer, and that was what creeped him out. Volkov never needed a scalpel - his eyes made all of the incisions and detached all of the organs.

"Boot the monitor," he said to Meissner. The observers in the room, all aspiring M.O.T.H. officers, looked rather pale. It might have been Volkov's presence, or maybe they were just commissioned loggers heading straight for a distant outpost's office because they were too damn cowardly to do the dirty work. Either way, they were getting basic autopsy training with the best. Meissner tapped the glistening liquid screen as Volkov pinged the end of the needle.

"Fuck, I hate this part," said one of the would-be students, who despite having a to-the-skin-thin haircut looked like he belonged in a fashion advertisement, not the graduating class of the largest and most feared terrorist organization in the Milky Way. Meissner glared at him, and then saw Volkov's smirk. He really didn't blame the recruit; he could hear the nanocreeps in the injections hiss and giggle faintly every time a needle was used.

Meissner adjusted the screen so everyone could see it. Volkov removed the needle and tossed it in the hazard bin, then ran his finger across the screen. Meissner knew he was probably putting on a show for the new recruits; the now-dead Halov special agent was all kinds of mangled and what was left of him looked infected with the T-7 strain of LAZARUS - but it was textbook. A haze on the screen was the focus of the Colonel's index finger.

Volkov looked back to the body, this time with a hideously large and sharp sickle-like blade. "Masks. Now," he said, plunging the device into the stomach of the body as the ensigns scrambled for their hazard gear. The incision began from what was left of the agent's left hip and extended about three inches above the navel, tearing apart the strangely-fused flesh at the waist, and immediately caused the stomach, which had bloated severely, to empty its gas contents, which were a pale yellow. The dead patient's insides were black with the occasional bruised-looking purple blotch on the organs. The only students that didn't gag were the Grays. Those two were going straight to psy ops.

There was nothing to see. The flesh, like everything else, was dead. The chipped and charred skeleton might make a good lab ornament. Meissner turned to turn on the auto-sterilizer, glancing at the complete, all-inclusive internal view that the injection had done, and nobody had bothered to pay attention to, while wishing they'd get a few more wilder specimens to spook the new guys with. Then he felt Volkov's grasp on his shoulder. He turned around.

The fucking organs were pulsing. Not only that, but with his other hand, Volkov had hold of the corpse's right wrist, which was attempting - not with much effort yet, but trying - to reach out towards Volkov's throat. What made this peculiar was that the body had simply been arranged that way - the right arm was severed from four inches above the wrist up to just below the shoulder. "Psionic agents infected with LAZARUS?" Meissner said, surprised.

"Seems Halov was in over their heads this time," Colonel Volkov said, looking at his 2IC, "And Intel was off on their report. New strain." He looked at one of the Grays, whose dark eyes showed worlds of enthusiasm. Volkov brought it close and handed it the scalpels, showing where to cut and signaled a human recruit to take notes. It had been known to M.O.T.H. for some time that some strains could affect psychic individuals - and with terrifying results - but Intel had given no indication that it had reached the Civil Regions.

Meissner knew this was going to be good. "Cadet, get down to Delta and escort some Intelligence Ops up here ASAP," he said. The recruit replied with a half-sick "Yes, Colonel" to which Meissner paid little attention, immediately turning on the third back-up for the video footage. "We're going to need them covering everything Halov does on the Fringe for the next galactic cycle."

Volkov looked at his colleague. "It would seem that we've got some field work to do."

A change to the setting name. Constantly working on the setting, bit by bit, and there are some big things in store here once I get the time to post them all. If you're wondering why the name change, look at  this (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Palace_of_Soviets_-_perspectice.jpg). Don't know what it is? Take a good look, because this is the future. At least, in The Oddity. And if you do, well, expect to see some particularly grand city plans posted, probably before the galaxy map... damn star plots...

Darkspeed[/size]

Imagine for a moment that the universe turns black and white.

The spaces in between the stars, and the bodies of galactic debris they illuminate are all dark. The light is in its sources, distant or near, and around them is nothing. There is a gray gloom that surrounds the brightest stars and the most brilliant of planetary systems, but for the most part, in black and white the universe is simple and lonely. Here where the light is scarce is where those with the power can harness darkspeed.

The Technology

Darkspeed is the ultimate method of single-universe travel, a force and technology that (under the right circumstances) provides near-instantaneous movement from one point to the next, regardless of actual distance. It consists of the utilization of "clouds" of darkness that form a sort of galactic web.

Light Isn't Everywhere

The technology of traveling at darkspeed involves the suppression of light's presence, through a special kind of gravitational lensing and through the irritation of dark energy. All vessels that can travel at darkspeed have a LUSUV (LUminence SUppression Value; this value must be at least 1 in order to travel at darkspeed).

Functioning in True Darkness

The outcome of trying to illuminate any part of a vessel while enveloping it in a Night Blanket would appear similar to the effects of a black hole on a still-struggling object, only less orderly. Rather, different species have developed different methods - humans use use sonic readers combined with neural implants that rearrange the data to function; while alien species such as the arachnoid Wzzev are not naturally dependent on visual senses regardless.

Approaching a System

The more powerful and better designed the ship, the better its LUSUV will be, and therefore the more easily it can enter systems where stars and planets are more radiant. More expensive and powerful ships have the ability to move at sub-dark speeds when appropriate, but most function through Night Harbors that are typically located in distant orbit near the outer reaches of any particular system. The more intense the LUSUV, the better a ship can do at suppressing any light to travel further, but even the ships with the highest LUSUVs cannot wholly blind a star, dimming it but leaving their range significantly distant from the system center.

what type of trade/barter/money defines a more expensive dhip?  What kind of money are we talking here?

Quote from: BiohazardFunctioning in True Darkness

The outcome of trying to illuminate any part of a vessel while enveloping it in a Night Blanket would appear similar to the effects of a black hole on a still-struggling object, only less orderly. Rather, different species have developed different methods - humans use use sonic readers combined with neural implants that rearrange the data to function; while alien species such as the arachnoid Wzzev are not naturally dependent on visual senses regardless.

Could you explain this part?

Quote from: Nomadic

Quote from: BiohazardFunctioning in True Darkness

The outcome of trying to illuminate any part of a vessel while enveloping it in a Night Blanket would appear similar to the effects of a black hole on a still-struggling object, only less orderly. Rather, different species have developed different methods - humans use use sonic readers combined with neural implants that rearrange the data to function; while alien species such as the arachnoid Wzzev are not naturally dependent on visual senses regardless.

Part of the mechanism I'm working on is that the entire vessel, inside and out, has to be devoid of light in order to function properly - this means that crews of said vessels have to equip themselves with special gear when using them if they don't have the ability to function well without visual senses. Think of it like that part in The Core where they let that part of the ship go and it crumples up and just fades away because of all of the pressure and it not having its life support systems (or whatever it was)... that's what happens if you're trying to travel at darkspeed and part of the ship is illuminated. Of course, they have all kinds of monitors to determine which areas may or may not be safe if their LUSUV can't handle the brightness, etc.

Quote from: Vreeg's Bordeauxwhat type of trade/barter/money defines a more expensive dhip?  What kind of money are we talking here?

It's more or less like the way you would see the US Navy's carriers compared to most other equipment's cost... in Dystopian Universe, however, something with that price ratio is usually traded for with satellite systems, moons, or even entire planets. Currencies are generally meant for smaller-scale goods and to possess such a powerful vessel is very resource intensive, not only for the upkeep, but for the purchase. You can imagine that only large forces such as the UDF, Halov, and the most wealthy research companies would have the means to possess them, as they'd be the only ones that would control enough resource-rich planets and moons to trade them off.

Quote from: Biohazard

Quote from: Vreeg's Bordeauxwhat type of trade/barter/money defines a more expensive dhip?  What kind of money are we talking here?

It's more or less like the way you would see the US Navy's carriers compared to most other equipment's cost... in Dystopian Universe, however, something with that price ratio is usually traded for with satellite systems, moons, or even entire planets. Currencies are generally meant for smaller-scale goods and to possess such a powerful vessel is very resource intensive, not only for the upkeep, but for the purchase. You can imagine that only large forces such as the UDF, Halov, and the most wealthy research companies would have the means to possess them, as they'd be the only ones that would control enough resource-rich planets and moons to trade them off.

Ok, that helps me with the monetary scale we are talking off.  SO they level we are speaking of is the high end of the high end.
Have you thought about the currencies you want to use?

Quote from: Vreeg's Bordeaux

Quote from: Biohazard

Quote from: Vreeg's Bordeauxwhat type of trade/barter/money defines a more expensive dhip?  What kind of money are we talking here?

It's more or less like the way you would see the US Navy's carriers compared to most other equipment's cost... in Dystopian Universe, however, something with that price ratio is usually traded for with satellite systems, moons, or even entire planets. Currencies are generally meant for smaller-scale goods and to possess such a powerful vessel is very resource intensive, not only for the upkeep, but for the purchase. You can imagine that only large forces such as the UDF, Halov, and the most wealthy research companies would have the means to possess them, as they'd be the only ones that would control enough resource-rich planets and moons to trade them off.

Ok, that helps me with the monetary scale we are talking off.  SO they level we are speaking of is the high end of the high end.
Have you thought about the currencies you want to use?

So far the only other economic elements I've been thinking about are the unification of ID and debit/credit cards, which is something that will probably happen someday anyway. Although I don't know if I want to do it in the form of a card or similar medium, I want to make it so a person is directly tied to their assets. There will, of course, be a way around this (aliases and false IDs with various possessions are a must have even this far into the future), but that is part of the growing theme of the power of the law - in this case by "cataloging" - that I want to weave into Dystopian Universe.

I've been reading this more and more recently.  I think I'll reserve questions for the upcoming Q&A.  I like it a lot, though - and Darkspeed is an awesome idea.

Quote from: SteerpikeI've been reading this more and more recently.  I think I'll reserve questions for the upcoming Q&A.  I like it a lot, though - and Darkspeed is an awesome idea.

I'm delighted to answer them. Also, I may have asked already, but is that a Terran Marine in your display pic?

His display pic is a picture of Steerpike (from Gormenghast I believe). I could swear I've seen it there. That or something from Dune (which i doubt)

It's Steerpike from Gormenghast.   But it does look remarkably like a Terran Marine, now that you mention it...

Two alien races and an edit to The Unreality. The Grays should be up soon.

Additions here and there, most notably the Grays and "The Xu Complex" under Science Gone Wrong. Map is hopefully coming soon, and will probably feature two versions: one for the local Earth region and one for all of Known Space, color-coded or at least labeled to show territories. Unlikely that non-human races will have their Heartlands mapped out in detail unless it's some time from now, or in the future. Individual systems might very well get mapped out.

Considering adding some OOC boxes to things I add to explain them from a current day perspective, mostly with technologies and territorial expansions. Any thoughts on this?

Do whatever looks best to your consideration.

Notes might look better than OOC tags; or you could put the information in spoilers.

Some minor additions hurr and thurr, more specifically the technology section and the Science Gone Wrong section. Once I get the maps up and describe the remaining races, I have a feeling this setting is going to be mostly complete, as after that it's just going to be a sort of "catalog" of locations, technologies, psionic powers, and events.

Another name change, which should roll off the tongue/keyboard easier. More additions, including the Praetorians (Dyen) to Races, and a bunch of other stuff that I can't even remember. Also have found a new map that suits me a lot better than the one I'm slowly working on, so I should finally get off my ass and have one posted soon.

Added the Second Search for Heaven under Factions and the Hleeb under Annihilation of Competition. Definitely going to do some history soon - human first, then probably the Grays, followed by Wraz and Praetor.

Quote from: FREAKIN' AWESOME HORSEConsidering adding some OOC boxes to things I add to explain them from a current day perspective, mostly with technologies and territorial expansions. Any thoughts on this?

  I've just started looking at this thread, but I read ALOT of stuff and was hooked from the first page, so here I am.

 Explaining advances in technology between species would definatly be helpful. When you stated that some aliens made advances in space travel, was that before their contact with humans? If not, then how do multiple species have the same technology and space traveling capabilaties when they are light years apart? (For example, you mentioned that UFO's are from the grays, and UFO's have been sighted since the 1940's, so did they already have space travel? And isn't it strange that two different species would develop such similiar technology, such as lights and other things?)

  I would like to know much more about other species technologies. The Reptiles ships (Dragons), how do they work? Is it some kind of grown biotechnology? Explaining other things would also help.

    This is a great setting, very original, and I love all these ideas of a futuristic earth and everything. (That reminds me: what is earth like? Is it a huge city planet supported by powerplants that pump oxygen into the atmosphere? What are climates, flora, and fauna like on other planets? Do they resemble earth or are they completely alien?)

Quote from: Survivorman

Quote from: FREAKIN' AWESOME HORSEConsidering adding some OOC boxes to things I add to explain them from a current day perspective, mostly with technologies and territorial expansions. Any thoughts on this?

  I've just started looking at this thread, but I read ALOT of stuff and was hooked from the first page, so here I am.

 Explaining advances in technology between species would definatly be helpful. When you stated that some aliens made advances in space travel, was that before their contact with humans? If not, then how do multiple species have the same technology and space traveling capabilaties when they are light years apart? (For example, you mentioned that UFO's are from the grays, and UFO's have been sighted since the 1940's, so did they already have space travel? And isn't it strange that two different species would develop such similiar technology, such as lights and other things?)

First of all, thanks for the reply. Regarding the aliens and space travel, some have been around for much, much longer than humans on the galactic stage, but after reaching a certain point in certain technological fields they just failed to advance further whether from a lack of interest, resources, or some catalyst/discovery that would push them to the next level. These species that you see right now are the majority of those in the setting that actually developed it on their own, though - I'll be posting more races soon, most of which will be either taught the knowledge by species such as the Grays, Humans, or Praetor, or will be incapable of traditional space travel and will be pretty much isolated to one or two worlds. They also do tend to develop fairly different technology; while humans and their closest allies (the Wraz and the Grays) tend to use a mishmash of the more well-developed methods for both STL- and FTL-travel, other species may use one kind exclusively or may be researching a new kind of travel based in theory. This'll be reflected, if I ever get to that level of detail, in the way spaceports are positioned in systems and the way their exit channels function.

The Grays are one of the more veteran space travelers, developing wormhole-capable technology around the mid-1700s in our history. They were located on the other side of the galaxy, however, and while they've had some of the proponents of darkspeed tech for a while, they've been unable to come up with any stable tech for it until their "younger" buddies helped out. In the age of UFOs, their mechanical creations the Moglins were actually the instigators in most close encounter scenarios; not surprising considering robots is their thing.

The somewhat strange coincidence that species would even reach anywhere near the same technology in a span of about five-thousand years tops is a bit curious, so that question is definitely justified. That's something I'm leaving open to interpretation; it goes well with elements such as the Second Search for Heaven and various scientific theories that pop up, however well based in evidence. There's a lot going on in the galaxy that's trying to figure out the origins of life so it can be perfectly replicated - no one, not even the vorovka are at a point where they can really create natural, biological life using artificial systems - they can only alter and destroy. More specifically they're looking for the point, if it does arise this way, where microbial life does arise from the lifeless elements.

QuoteI would like to know much more about other species technologies. The Reptiles ships (Dragons), how do they work? Is it some kind of grown biotechnology? Explaining other things would also help.

Dragons are created first by building a large skeletal hull for the ship out of a very tough, conductive metal alloy. A fungus from the Wraz homeworld famous for being electrically charged is then tended and grown on the hull, and it proceeds to grow outward and create several webs from section to section that gradually fill in. When it's thick enough the outer layers are made to die, and once they've begun to "rot" they can be altered so that they're extremely resistant and capable of supporting the vessel in space. The major operations consoles, chambers and decks, and moving parts such as doors that are required by regulation to be solid instead of the charged mucus the fungus secretes are all installed beforehand; the only things that are required to be brought on afterward are fuel for the engines and supplies for the crew and the "living" ship itself, which will require a conductive fluid to be pumped throughout the hull to be maintained.

QuoteThis is a great setting, very original, and I love all these ideas of a futuristic earth and everything. (That reminds me: what is earth like? Is it a huge city planet supported by powerplants that pump oxygen into the atmosphere? What are climates, flora, and fauna like on other planets? Do they resemble earth or are they completely alien?)

I haven't decided for sure on Earth, but at this point it's actually a pretty dark world unlike the images you can see nowadays of Earth at night - following remedy of overpopulation issues once it had begun to establish permanently habitable colonies and the custodianship of the mess left behind, it was largely left to grow on its own again. The largest cities remain as towering super-metropolises that instead of sprawling outward further (most had reached almost double the sprawl size of current levels by the 2500s), they kept being built higher. Everything in between places such as Chicago, Moscow, Munich, Magnolia City, Vancouver, Hong Kong, etc. has returned mostly to wilderness, with the occasional farm (these look almost nothing like what our "modern" farm does) dotting the landscape. So looking down from space at night, you'll see various large blotches of city lights marking the population centers, and quick flashes of strands of light moving between the cities that are public transit moving from one city to another. And in the 600 or so years since the cleanup efforts have finished, the abandoned areas have become much like what one would imagine them to have been long before humanity ever hit the industrial revolution.

Luna (the moon) is not the same - it's a sphere of dancing, flashing lights of all colors and frequencies. It was quickly turned into a low-gravity proving ground for military forces, and what isn't serving as that is either "planetary parks" or private research facilities. There was an undead virus outbreak in one in the early days of space exploration that is still closed down, and there are only a few actual cities present.

Flora and fauna on other planets will follow some trends of Earth, but there will definitely be exceptions. One of the big themes I'm toying with is that maybe the humanoid shape is ideal for various reasons, some of which may be yet unforeseen. I'm also taking some inspiration from Mass Effect with the worlds with larger oxygen percentages in the atmospheres or are permeated with this kind of moss that gets everywhere and is hazardous to normal breathing. I hope to at some point catalog actual creatures instead of just species that have made it big on the galactic stage and are cruising around firing lasers at each other and conquering planets. Again, the current list of species seen consists of the most humanoid of them (except the vorovka); soon I'll be posting ones that don't follow regular sensory methods or regular biochemistry. I'm definitely doing at least one silicon-based lifeform, and I want it to be right along the lines of all of the theories for that that I've seen - something akin to a walking/slithering crystal.

And now, for the moment someone has possibly been waiting for for a long, long time... THERE'S A FREAKIN' MAP! WHEEEW! Just click the thumbnail on the first post and hit "full size" again when Imageshack loads.

The Other Side gives the entire setting a melancholic Romance feel similar to George Martin's old sci-fi epics.

The concept of 0D as equivalent to Enlightenment is tempting to ponder. But what in-world evidence suggest Perfection lies there? Or does anyone even believe that?

The Tragedy of Neptune isn't very tragic. Before ripping away the beauty, proove it to me.

SLIDE manages to be sinister enough to prevent me from overdosing on the WALL*E vibe, but only just barely. I'd love to see you elaborate on it.

What inherent dangers created the Lockdown Hunters? Are they a faction that any Wraz, Human or Gray can join or are they are species created through their joint efforts?

I like pseudoscience, tell me more about darkspace.

What is the purpose of the UDN in the narrative?

When I hit ECHELON & SPECTR the acronyms began seemed to be stretching.

Zextesselus rolls well of the tongue.

Tell me about the red Anvil.

Would you be comfortable tell us more about the rise of Aveloranity and perhaps how widespread it is?

I stop there tonight.

The Lockdown Hunters seem to need a combined government or combined military that they might have come from.  They seem like they would be expensive to maintain and equip, not to mention where the command structure or housing comes from.  Right now, this looks like a 'writer throw-in' idea.  Can we make it work?  

[blockquote=Jaerc]The Other Side gives the entire setting a melancholic Romance feel similar to George Martin's old sci-fi epics.[/blockquote]

;D

QuoteThe concept of 0D as equivalent to Enlightenment is tempting to ponder. But what in-world evidence suggest Perfection lies there? Or does anyone even believe that?

The main proponents of reality that suggest it are really just everyday images. Some people basically say that a 2D caricature has a lot less to worry about than a 3D one, a 3D one less than a 4D one, etc. That tied with how the closer you get to 0D the less work there is to describe something put the theory together - and it's definitely believed. There are things from The Other Side that exist in lower dimensions only that have made them believe, in some cases.

QuoteThe Tragedy of Neptune isn't very tragic. Before ripping away the beauty, proove it to me.

Fair enough, I should elaborate more. Neptune was at one time the pride of the Industrial Heartland, and more of a stellar park than a resource ground. Between its appearance and scientific importance (at least during the 23rd-26th centuries), it became something of a planet celebrity compared to the other planets. Then governments and their contracted corporations decided that they could harvest the planet for power and resources, and all of a sudden no one cares - a few years go by and the whole orbit of the planet is swamped with various space platforms. Now all you can see of Neptune unless you're right there in orbit looking down on it (and even here it's kind of dark now) is a silvery glow.

QuoteSLIDE manages to be sinister enough to prevent me from overdosing on the WALL*E vibe, but only just barely. I'd love to see you elaborate on it.

Will do. I might draw up an example schematic.

QuoteWhat inherent dangers created the Lockdown Hunters? Are they a faction that any Wraz, Human or Gray can join or are they are species created through their joint efforts?

They're a joint special force created by the three races that receives applications left and right, but they're very selective on their chosen members. The Lockdown Hunters were created during a quick succession of multiple civil wars in each races' homeworld region. Because of current technology, someone who wants to sabotage a region's infrastructure needs only a fast ship (darkspeed does wonders where it can be used) and a clever crew. After any initial attack, a hardcore lockdown and communications blackout will begin if it's clear there's a serious issue. The Lockdown Hunters are the only individuals with authority to act and move in and out of primary systems during a lockdown period - even major political figures such as a president, king, governor, high-ranking general, etc. can and will be obliterated under the regulations of the Protocol if they so much as power up a cruiser's engines.

QuoteI like pseudoscience, tell me more about darkspace.

There's actually not a whole lot more to tell. The technology was discovered (read: pieced together by a human-Gray research project from bits and pieces discovered by various races sometimes centuries and millenia earlier) when a few scientists decided to invert equations for the development of lightspeed travel. While it's incredibly fast, it has received mixed reviews on the galactic stage - many species favor wormhole travel, standard hyperspace/warp speed FTL travel, etc. over it, mostly because of how incredibly expensive it is. The energy and additions required to make a ship darkspeed capable are tremendous, and in most cases engineering firms will want to place dimming devices at chosen intervals to allow ships with a weaker LUSUV to travel to more areas (and this is most darkspeed ships, only the most colossal warships and city-ships possess LUSUV values of greater than 5. Some labs now are working on improving darkspeed capabilities, mostly by making it more efficient, but in some cases they're trying to abandon it entirely in favor of other more efficient methods (and it's only been around for about a century).

QuoteWhat is the purpose of the UDN in the narrative?

The UDN and other military/paramilitary forces are arguably the biggest movers and shakers in Vibrant. It doesn't matter which species' military is being mentioned, they all are significant. There was a revolution of sorts on Earth and Mars shortly after first contact with the Reptilians that adopted a lot of their governmental structure, and despite various opposition it's been the standard for the last 800 years. It basically unified all government agencies (and a lot of civilian ones) into a single command structure - so even desk clerks at the driving examiner's office, or park rangers will have a military rank and some degree of military training. Instead of actual separate departments as are found today, everything is just a different Office or Division - regardless if even the term "department" is used in a branch's title, it's still under the same structure. And a political leader is almost always someone who's had prior UDN experience.

Military forces are also one of the primary sources for characters to come from when playing.

(I don't know how I managed to ramble on about the government structure when it was only half-relevant :P)

QuoteWhen I hit ECHELON & SPECTR the acronyms began seemed to be stretching.

Fair enough, but I didn't really want to leave any acronyms out just because they'd been done before several times. That's actually an element I wanted to toy with in Vibrant - how some acronyms have been used so many times over by so many different entities that when you type one into a database, a few hundred entries come up.

QuoteZextesselus rolls well of the tongue.

The first of many. :D

QuoteTell me about the Red Anvil.

Red Anvil was a short-lived Illuminati-type group that rose to limited power in the Sirius Union. They did well in that region, taking hold of significant offices and positions with the clever placement of operatives. However, lacking the large-scale resources to expand their control, they were actually sabotaged first by another similar group, and then their presence revealed to Martian Orbital Force (which was at the time looking for an excuse to blast the shit out of anything Sirian), who went to war and in the process purged most of the Red Anvil members. Those who weren't were still caught and tried, while a few escaped to other regions.

QuoteWould you be comfortable tell us more about the rise of Aveloranity and perhaps how widespread it is?

Will do. I'll try and do a spotlight on it along with some other stuff fairly soon.

Thanks for the response.

[blockquote=Vreeg's Coachwhip]The Lockdown Hunters seem to need a combined government or combined military that they might have come from. They seem like they would be expensive to maintain and equip, not to mention where the command structure or housing comes from. Right now, this looks like a 'writer throw-in' idea. Can we make it work?[/blockquote]

They are very expensive and difficult to maintain. Generally they're high-ranking military officers or decorated non-coms that serve in a standard military position, but are always on light duties, so they can be deployed at a moment's notice. They tend to also serve on the same joint installation or base, which is moved every decade or so. It was very much a throw-in, but something I wanted to include as an interesting option for both allies and antagonists for players. I might eventually have to remove them but right now they don't seem to be conflicting too much.

Added the Coraxen to the Aliens section, and a couple of personalities to that section near the top of the thread. Going to do some histories, architecture across the species, and some spotlight on all of the weird artifacts lying around that no one seems to know the origins of, soon...

I was going to send you a private message, but you said you'd gone back to your old account, and I couldn't find WitchHunt, Joker, or Wicked Troll in the PM list. So.

I've been over your first post and Unreality post pretty thoroughly. You told me you no longer felt the intro reflects the setting you're going for, so I don't know how helpful this will be, be I'll give it a go.

Your first post has a strong voice that draws you in, with a kind of wry humor at Seattle's situation. But...The fact that no speaker is clear makes that feel out of place. It's like the speaker is conscious that the readers are 21st century citizens, knows all about that, but is explaining his home century.

Your blurb and our IRC talk indicated that you expect the heroes/PCs to be agents basically at the FBI, doing the Mulder thing. Have you considered that the setting should be presented to the reader as it would have been presented to them in training? They presumably attended some kind of academy that would have covered everything from the latest technologies to the general social structure of the planet/galaxy, known alien races, and so forth.

I think the second post, about the Unreality and so forth, goes much further in capturing what I believe the feel of your setting is supposed to be. It explains a little, and leaves a lot more mysterious. This tells me you may be better off leading with something like.

As to the specifics:

Intro
The speaker mentions making contact. I assume you mean first contact with aliens, but I think you might clarify. There is a mention of science as a monster, but it felt like an empty metaphor for most of the first post, since it seemed like the good of science vastly exceeded its risks.

The Tower and Earthside sound like interesting concepts that I hope you develop more further down your posts. The drug use adds a grit to the otherwise neat society, which I like. You might even make it more rampant, perhaps so epidemic the government washes its hands of it.

What's the Niven quote you mention?

In theory evolution is continual, although some say it is liable to be most noticeable in sudden leaps. It is possible that humans might develop psionic abilities in the next thousand years, but this is definitely not hard science. And it's unlikely, for different reasons, that evolution would so change the entire species as to be unrecognizable (or indistinguishable from magic, anyway) in the next thousand years, when it hasn't made very large changes in the last million.

Please don't mistake me, I think psionics can be a very fun aspect of the setting. But your purposes may be better served by not presenting it as a given, and not as an automatically accepted change in the entire species.


The Unreality
If you haven't read it already, I strongly recommend Stephen Hawking's "Brief History of Time" and maybe "The Universe in a Nutshell." Some bookstores (B&N?) sell omnibuses containing both. He talks a lot about dimensions and wormholes.

I felt like you tried to use the word dimension in two ways: one as a physical dimension in the scientific sense, and one as an alternate reality/parallel universe, or possible alternate plane of existence. While this is not uncommon in science fiction, it is sometimes seen as slightly sloppy science. The idea is usually that one passes to an alternate universe via a connecting non-spatial or extra-spatial dimension (basically the idea behind a wormhole). In either case, there would be a fixed and comparatively small number of dimensions, while there could be a theoretically infinite number of planes or alternate realities.

In speaking of creatures from other realities, another reality, plane, or universe is liable to make more sense than another dimension.

However, your mention of zero dimensionality is very much in line with traditional dharmic and especially gnostic ideas that each successive plane is more physical than the last, and consequently less real (I use this exact idea in Eschaton).

And the idea that each creature is drawn in each dimension, while complex and possibly in need of refinement from a better scientist than myself, is very intriguing. And this does seem more line with the idea of dimensions.

The Infinite is awesome.

Your wormholes appear to connect only to other universes, not to other space within this one? In which case, how is FTL possible within this universe?

I think the short fiction excerpts were intended to be confusing, so I don't know that that is a criticism against them. However, at the very least, I might consider IC tags for them. You might consider unifying them into a single story. Either way, I feel you need someway to set them aside from the rest of the text. A new heading wasn't enough for me--I was jarred to find myself in a surreal story after so many pseudo-scientific entries.

(I think that they can help convey the mood your going for better than a complex explanation, though.)

The last few entries in this post kind of lost me, but maybe it was information overload.

Edit: The "universe is a mirror" idea is really interesting. You can go far with that.