Y
Ythania
Guest
Stars.
Since the dawn of time, many races looked up to the night sky of their home-planets and stared at the infinite pin-pricks of light, white-hot balls of energy that existed long before their birth, and will continue to exist long after their death. Eager to unravel the mysteries of the galaxy, these races reached out into the sparkling depths of space for eons, perfecting their technology and coming into contact with new beings, until they spread their grasping hands to the edge of a star and grasped it.
The stars are sources of energy and wealth, constantly created and re-created in ways to which even the brightest of minds cannot comprehend. They power our engines, fund our projects and warm our hearts with their glittering light. They are the lifeblood of our diverse society, and even the objects of worship for some devoted few. We harness their power, we keep them safe.
But when the stars start to go out, and the endless expanse of space begins to darken, society darkens with it - the stars become even more powerful than before. People fight over their light, hoard them to themselves, search for newer and stronger sources of energy in the inky blackness; whereupon they discover the antimatter, and the Sickness of Space begins to spread.
For every light must cast a shadow, and the stars' polar opposite lives in coalesced darkness, which spreads throughout the body like a wild infection, driving the host into a frenzy. These beings are collectively labelled "Lost Ones", for they will never see the light again. Brought beyond the reaches of all hope, they plague our skies and attack ships with wild abandon, having no need for food, air or rest.
A small, motley crew of space-travellers venture out on a simple mission to retrieve more stars for a cargo company and are thrown into an adventure that exceeds their expectations, as they encounter a new form of energy, and become the vessels of power once locked away in myth and legend. Linked by fate and the inseparable ties of this new-found energy, the crew of "Ad Astra 9" find themselves in more danger than they could ever imagine.
Quick introduction - I'm RainyDays, I'm pretty well-versed in RP so far and I want to try my hand at starting one up that really caught my attention. This one was inspired by Guardians of the Galaxy and the game Starbound, along with Treasure Planet...lots of inspiration, really. This is just the interest check right now, I plan to get the OOC up and running by Monday if everything's going swimmingly.
Essentially, you play as a crew member on Ad Astra 9, a simple space vessel which deals in star-fishing - you go out there with nets on the side of your ship and try to fish up some of the diminishing stars to sell off to other companies. These types of ship usually get attacked by space-pirates, so there's moderate defence and you'll probably know some combat methods. During one of these simple star-hunting endeavours, the ship is forced to make an emergency landing on some abandoned planet, where they discover something truly brilliant...
...which then proceeds to latch onto the crew members like a parasite, and grant them supernatural abilities.
Since you're all the holding vessel for something much more powerful than a bunch of stars, and there are a lot of greedy people out there, the crew have to try and keep their power hidden whilst trying to either remove it, use it to their own advantage, or find out the mysteries behind it and the civilization that it came from.
(Plural: Telmyra)
Image references: Sylvari, Dryad, Woodland Nymph, Faerie...
Homeworld: Eden X25 (Locally known as "Myrran" - the Verdant Planet)
Physiology: The Telmyra aren't too difficult to maintain, they work in similar ways to that of a common house-plant in terms of physiology. Photosynthesis tends to be their main income of energy, but since space travel finds it hard-pressed to be near a sun these beings take nutrient and glucose supplements in liquid form - not too dissimilar from a protein shake. They are omnivorous, but the digestion process is slower due to the breakdown of plant and animal tissues to find the nutrients in the first place. Water is their favourite beverage; alcohol and other narcotics do not work on them.
In terms of bodily upkeep, rot, fungus and mould are generally unattractive and detrimental to health in the same way a rash or fungal infection would affect a human. They absorb water through their fingers and toes, as well as their mouths. Just like any other plant, cold and warmth affect their ability to function, so they have to wear clothes; most prefer to strip once indoors, their own leaves acting as garments and allowing them to photosynthesise if the conditions allow it. The Telmyra do not reproduce; their seeding trees are only fertile in the soil of their homeworld, and every ten years the pods mature into fully-grown adults. They live for approximately 300-350 years, but will eventually wither and die.
Telmyra are sometimes bio-luminescent, but this is an uncommon genetic mutation. There are no sexes in the Telmyra, but they can choose to identify by whichever pronoun they wish - usually those who are spawned to resemble a female will take "she/her", and those who seem more masculine edge towards "he/him", but "they/them" is equally an accepted term.
AGE CHART: 1-150 Adult || 150-300 Elderly
History:
Nobody knows how or when the Telmyra originated. They worship the Tel - the original tree, the life-tree which spawned the first few Telmyra onto the world. According to legend, the Tel is a living, sentient being which created the Telmyra in order to guard it - this tree's roots span the entirety of the planet, branching into smaller forests and plants, to which the animals are able to feed on and survive. Knowledge was passed down genetically to Telmyra where the Tel saw fit - along with an unflinching devotion to the tree itself, and whatever demands it asks of its people.
Since the entire race is a network of relatives working under the orders of a single entity, the Telmyra lived in peace and harmony for centuries. Once the Tel learnt of the stars and the power they possess, it commanded its people to bring them back to replenish the energy stores within the Tel and continue to generate more Telmyra. In order to do this, the Tel relinquished some of its control over the race so that their independence and imagination could create solutions and ideas in order to achieve this goal. This was called "The Enlightenment", and the start of the Telmyra's cultures and traditions. It remains an annual holiday to this day.
The Telmyra spread across all directions of knowledge, finding ingenious ways to grow buildings and vehicles in order to facilitate life on Myrran. With the Enlightenment in full swing, the Telmyra continued to expand their empire across the planet, soon developing villages and different 'districts' devoted to agriculture, medicine, defence, and Technology. Interwoven in these districts were the arts - painting, singing, music and parties became popular with the Telmyra. Space travel was possible around 1500 years ago.
With the advancement into space, the Telmyra found themselves in a situation for the first time in their lives in which the Tel's influence waned further than the Tel had originally planned for. For some, the introduction to the free spirits of different races compared to the omnipresent influence of the Tel turned them away from their origins in scorn, believing themselves manipulated by the Tel. These rogue Telmyra called themselves "Freebloom".
The Freebloom war lasted around 4 years. In an attempt to 'liberate' the Telmyra from the Tel, the Freebloom attacked Myrran, torching forests and slaughtering their own whilst trying to reach the Tel. They never made it past the central city of Rylen, forced into a retreat and banishment from their homeplanet. Several smaller skirmishes erupted over the coming decades - the Telmyra hardened to war and violence, the Tel learning from its previous mistakes and providing more liberty in exchange for its own personal safety - never before did it imagine that its own children would turn against it and attempt to override their very function.
The Telmyra did not actively ally themselves to any other races or factions, retaining their independence from the wars and the quarrels of the other races.
Culture: The Telmyra are akin to elves - very graceful beings, they worship the Tel with zeal and produce some of the best crops in the universe. Due to their agricultural prominence, the Galactic Alliance protect Myrran from invasions in exchange for a large share of the crop yield. Consequently, their traditions have been kept fairly shrouded in mystery.
Each year, the Telmyra celebrate The Enlightenment by having a 24 hour long party. All work is ceased, save for the planetary defence district, who have to continue watching over the Tel and Myrran. It is considered lucky to remain awake from 00.01 to 24.00. The Telmyra do not celebrate birthdays since they were spawned from the Tel fully developed. During the autumn months, it is traditional to wear glittering tree-sap jewellery (be you male or female) to show appreciation for the harvest, and to thank Tel for the continued production of their species.
Their style of music is akin to your typical, fantasy elven music. They prefer string and woodwind instruments, usually flutes or harps. Singing does not take that much of a prominence in their music, save for simple notes instead of actual lyrics.
Telmyra find it rude to consume a plant or animal using cutlery - it distances themselves from the soul of the flora or fauna that they are busy eating. Similarly, footwear is avoided when traversing planets.
If a Telmyra gives one of their flowers to another, it is considered a declaration of love. Since they are asexual, all forms of romance are equally as accepted.
Image references: Sylvari, Dryad, Woodland Nymph, Faerie...
Physiology: The Telmyra aren't too difficult to maintain, they work in similar ways to that of a common house-plant in terms of physiology. Photosynthesis tends to be their main income of energy, but since space travel finds it hard-pressed to be near a sun these beings take nutrient and glucose supplements in liquid form - not too dissimilar from a protein shake. They are omnivorous, but the digestion process is slower due to the breakdown of plant and animal tissues to find the nutrients in the first place. Water is their favourite beverage; alcohol and other narcotics do not work on them.
In terms of bodily upkeep, rot, fungus and mould are generally unattractive and detrimental to health in the same way a rash or fungal infection would affect a human. They absorb water through their fingers and toes, as well as their mouths. Just like any other plant, cold and warmth affect their ability to function, so they have to wear clothes; most prefer to strip once indoors, their own leaves acting as garments and allowing them to photosynthesise if the conditions allow it. The Telmyra do not reproduce; their seeding trees are only fertile in the soil of their homeworld, and every ten years the pods mature into fully-grown adults. They live for approximately 300-350 years, but will eventually wither and die.
Telmyra are sometimes bio-luminescent, but this is an uncommon genetic mutation. There are no sexes in the Telmyra, but they can choose to identify by whichever pronoun they wish - usually those who are spawned to resemble a female will take "she/her", and those who seem more masculine edge towards "he/him", but "they/them" is equally an accepted term.
AGE CHART: 1-150 Adult || 150-300 Elderly
History:
Nobody knows how or when the Telmyra originated. They worship the Tel - the original tree, the life-tree which spawned the first few Telmyra onto the world. According to legend, the Tel is a living, sentient being which created the Telmyra in order to guard it - this tree's roots span the entirety of the planet, branching into smaller forests and plants, to which the animals are able to feed on and survive. Knowledge was passed down genetically to Telmyra where the Tel saw fit - along with an unflinching devotion to the tree itself, and whatever demands it asks of its people.
Since the entire race is a network of relatives working under the orders of a single entity, the Telmyra lived in peace and harmony for centuries. Once the Tel learnt of the stars and the power they possess, it commanded its people to bring them back to replenish the energy stores within the Tel and continue to generate more Telmyra. In order to do this, the Tel relinquished some of its control over the race so that their independence and imagination could create solutions and ideas in order to achieve this goal. This was called "The Enlightenment", and the start of the Telmyra's cultures and traditions. It remains an annual holiday to this day.
The Telmyra spread across all directions of knowledge, finding ingenious ways to grow buildings and vehicles in order to facilitate life on Myrran. With the Enlightenment in full swing, the Telmyra continued to expand their empire across the planet, soon developing villages and different 'districts' devoted to agriculture, medicine, defence, and Technology. Interwoven in these districts were the arts - painting, singing, music and parties became popular with the Telmyra. Space travel was possible around 1500 years ago.
With the advancement into space, the Telmyra found themselves in a situation for the first time in their lives in which the Tel's influence waned further than the Tel had originally planned for. For some, the introduction to the free spirits of different races compared to the omnipresent influence of the Tel turned them away from their origins in scorn, believing themselves manipulated by the Tel. These rogue Telmyra called themselves "Freebloom".
The Freebloom war lasted around 4 years. In an attempt to 'liberate' the Telmyra from the Tel, the Freebloom attacked Myrran, torching forests and slaughtering their own whilst trying to reach the Tel. They never made it past the central city of Rylen, forced into a retreat and banishment from their homeplanet. Several smaller skirmishes erupted over the coming decades - the Telmyra hardened to war and violence, the Tel learning from its previous mistakes and providing more liberty in exchange for its own personal safety - never before did it imagine that its own children would turn against it and attempt to override their very function.
The Telmyra did not actively ally themselves to any other races or factions, retaining their independence from the wars and the quarrels of the other races.
Culture: The Telmyra are akin to elves - very graceful beings, they worship the Tel with zeal and produce some of the best crops in the universe. Due to their agricultural prominence, the Galactic Alliance protect Myrran from invasions in exchange for a large share of the crop yield. Consequently, their traditions have been kept fairly shrouded in mystery.
Each year, the Telmyra celebrate The Enlightenment by having a 24 hour long party. All work is ceased, save for the planetary defence district, who have to continue watching over the Tel and Myrran. It is considered lucky to remain awake from 00.01 to 24.00. The Telmyra do not celebrate birthdays since they were spawned from the Tel fully developed. During the autumn months, it is traditional to wear glittering tree-sap jewellery (be you male or female) to show appreciation for the harvest, and to thank Tel for the continued production of their species.
Their style of music is akin to your typical, fantasy elven music. They prefer string and woodwind instruments, usually flutes or harps. Singing does not take that much of a prominence in their music, save for simple notes instead of actual lyrics.
Telmyra find it rude to consume a plant or animal using cutlery - it distances themselves from the soul of the flora or fauna that they are busy eating. Similarly, footwear is avoided when traversing planets.
If a Telmyra gives one of their flowers to another, it is considered a declaration of love. Since they are asexual, all forms of romance are equally as accepted.
(Plural: Glitoks)
Image References: Orc, Ork, Troll, Ogre...
Physiology: The Giltoks are tall, hardy creatures with differing shades of green flesh, usually surrounded by thick packs of muscle or fat depending on their social status. both species have little to no body hair save for that on their head and sometimes eyebrows, which tends to grow in shades of dark brown or black. They have reproductive organs, but the fertility rate is somewhat low.
Giltoks are renowned for their physical prowess, withstanding above-human strength and stamina. Unfortunately, their bulky figure makes agility and speed a difficult process to master. Their eyes tend to have tinted whites of all shades, followed by dark pupils. Contrary to popular belief, whilst the Giltoks are inherently brutish and violent, a mutation has caused them to be very adaptable to setting, constantly inventing new objects.
AGE CHART: 1-10 Child || 10 - 15 Teenager || 15 - 45 Adult || 45 - 60 Elderly
History:
Homeworld: Uzkrok (E-D Mesa 25)
Giltoks are a fairly new race in comparison to their predecessors, the native Emrilin of E-D Mesa 25. Completely hairless, green savages - a mutation caused by a solar flare spread like wildfire throughout the population, wiping out the Emrilin many millennia ago. Since then, the Giltoks used their violence to assert order on the barren wasteland of a planet, scattering into tribal Clans and constantly trying to rip strangers into shreds. It was a frantic race for survival; as the intelligent ones amongst their kin procured more ways to facilitate life on Uzkrok, the other clans scrabbled to catch up with a bigger and better invention or become wiped out by their neighbours.
One of the biggest assumptions to make is to assume that these barbarians weren't at all intelligent. In actuality, with the threat of imminent slaughter hanging over each and every Glitok's head, technological advances spread like wildfire amongst the turbulent shifts in power caused by tribal squabbling. Three clans stood out amongst the hundreds - the Stonesplitters, the Bristlechew and the Gorefangs.
Each of these 3 legendary clans started through the natural means of utterly destroying and overpowering their neighbours with fierce warriors, medieval weapons and odd contraptions carved from stone and wood. The Stonesplitters become famous around their home planet for utilizing fire and shrapnel, discovering a vague prototype of guns and then beginning to perfect them into siege weapons and cannons from the deep and dangerous mine shafts beneath their feet.
The Bristlechew aimed even higher than most, the clan who hypothesised how much power is attainable in space. Whilst their population momentarily halted as a large portion of them attempted space travel, they almost became wiped out by the Gorefangs until a few years later, when they returned with a handful of stars.
It riled the Glitoks into a frenzy unlike no other. Soon, everyone was trying to reach space in order to keep up with the Bristlechew, who were tinkering with the idea of star-powered cannons. However, most of these prototype ships failed and crashed back into the ground, causing an overall drop in population several thousand years ago. It was around this time that the Glitok's first deity was spawned - the Bloodmother, a response to the unbearable rush for new knowledge. It was woven up as a tale from a long-forgotten clan to deter their kin from blasting off into space, instilling the bloodlust for raiding clans once more. The tale was lost in translation across the plains of Uzkrok, and many clans began to worship the Bloodmother by ignoring space and going back to what they used to do - mindlessly kill each other.
The third legendary Clan took on the Bloodmother's words more than her presence; being one of the few who turned away from the Bloodmother in scorn, they were held back by no limitations and simultaneously delved into space and killed their enemies. Their star-powered weaponry was considered violent, even for Glitok standards. They wiped through the surrounding clans and have the largest territory on Uzkrok, giving them plenty of space to adapt and survive, even creating a feared fleet of spaceships for hire out in the galaxy.
Culture: The culture of Giltoks is a delicate process, far betraying their usual violent and blunt demeanour. There are many different clans scattered around Uzkrok; these clans tend to keep to themselves, but some of the major clans band together to raid the smaller ones. The three biggest clans are the Stonesplitters, the Bristlechew and the Gorefangs. The Stonesplitters are renowned for their craftmanship of weaponry, the Bristlechew were deemed famous for discovering space travel, and the Gorefangs were ruthless, malicious slaughterers.
Within each Clan is a wiseman, or wisewoman, who gains as much respect as the chieftain himself. These shamanistic soothsayers are the right hand of every clan, advising on war plans and trading routes whenever possible. If their ideas went wrong and resulted in failure, it was tradition to sacrifice their wiseman and hold a set of trials for their clan to discover the next one. In terms of the chieftain, he - or she - has to have some measure of wits about themselves too and is the final say in each matter, be it a simple squabble for supplies between a baker and a blacksmith or a raid on a nearby clan. They pick their successor, but cannot pick their sons or daughters.
Raiding neighbouring clans is their way of life. Oddly enough, the Giltoks revere a spirit of War, which they call the Bloodmother - using this mysterious deity, who is usually depicted as a buxom, topless Giltok woman wearing the pelt of a wolf around her waist, the Giltoks feel the impulse to go to their kin and slaughter the fighters, taking the women and children and supplies for themselves. If the clan itself is raided and lose, then it means the Bloodmother abandoned their clan, and they need to find another one - which usually explains the willingness of the survivors to band under their invaders. The Bloodmother keeps them safe and fed. It's because of this reason that many Giltoks become space pirates, or hired guns.
Space travel is considered a risky move in and of itself - whilst the technology of the Giltoks exceeds their barbaric and tribal nature, reaching out to space to find stars is still considered testing the Bloodmother's patience - coming back empty-handed holds severe consequences. Nevertheless, some Giltoks are overcome with the notion that their life on Uzkrok is not meant to be the way it is, and leave their home planet forever to find a new way of living. The only other exception to the rule are the Gorefangs, who are large enough to have a space fleet that is usually bought out for hire under the condition that any salvageable materials is theirs to keep.
Image References: Orc, Ork, Troll, Ogre...
Giltoks are renowned for their physical prowess, withstanding above-human strength and stamina. Unfortunately, their bulky figure makes agility and speed a difficult process to master. Their eyes tend to have tinted whites of all shades, followed by dark pupils. Contrary to popular belief, whilst the Giltoks are inherently brutish and violent, a mutation has caused them to be very adaptable to setting, constantly inventing new objects.
AGE CHART: 1-10 Child || 10 - 15 Teenager || 15 - 45 Adult || 45 - 60 Elderly
History:
Homeworld: Uzkrok (E-D Mesa 25)
Giltoks are a fairly new race in comparison to their predecessors, the native Emrilin of E-D Mesa 25. Completely hairless, green savages - a mutation caused by a solar flare spread like wildfire throughout the population, wiping out the Emrilin many millennia ago. Since then, the Giltoks used their violence to assert order on the barren wasteland of a planet, scattering into tribal Clans and constantly trying to rip strangers into shreds. It was a frantic race for survival; as the intelligent ones amongst their kin procured more ways to facilitate life on Uzkrok, the other clans scrabbled to catch up with a bigger and better invention or become wiped out by their neighbours.
One of the biggest assumptions to make is to assume that these barbarians weren't at all intelligent. In actuality, with the threat of imminent slaughter hanging over each and every Glitok's head, technological advances spread like wildfire amongst the turbulent shifts in power caused by tribal squabbling. Three clans stood out amongst the hundreds - the Stonesplitters, the Bristlechew and the Gorefangs.
Each of these 3 legendary clans started through the natural means of utterly destroying and overpowering their neighbours with fierce warriors, medieval weapons and odd contraptions carved from stone and wood. The Stonesplitters become famous around their home planet for utilizing fire and shrapnel, discovering a vague prototype of guns and then beginning to perfect them into siege weapons and cannons from the deep and dangerous mine shafts beneath their feet.
The Bristlechew aimed even higher than most, the clan who hypothesised how much power is attainable in space. Whilst their population momentarily halted as a large portion of them attempted space travel, they almost became wiped out by the Gorefangs until a few years later, when they returned with a handful of stars.
It riled the Glitoks into a frenzy unlike no other. Soon, everyone was trying to reach space in order to keep up with the Bristlechew, who were tinkering with the idea of star-powered cannons. However, most of these prototype ships failed and crashed back into the ground, causing an overall drop in population several thousand years ago. It was around this time that the Glitok's first deity was spawned - the Bloodmother, a response to the unbearable rush for new knowledge. It was woven up as a tale from a long-forgotten clan to deter their kin from blasting off into space, instilling the bloodlust for raiding clans once more. The tale was lost in translation across the plains of Uzkrok, and many clans began to worship the Bloodmother by ignoring space and going back to what they used to do - mindlessly kill each other.
The third legendary Clan took on the Bloodmother's words more than her presence; being one of the few who turned away from the Bloodmother in scorn, they were held back by no limitations and simultaneously delved into space and killed their enemies. Their star-powered weaponry was considered violent, even for Glitok standards. They wiped through the surrounding clans and have the largest territory on Uzkrok, giving them plenty of space to adapt and survive, even creating a feared fleet of spaceships for hire out in the galaxy.
Culture: The culture of Giltoks is a delicate process, far betraying their usual violent and blunt demeanour. There are many different clans scattered around Uzkrok; these clans tend to keep to themselves, but some of the major clans band together to raid the smaller ones. The three biggest clans are the Stonesplitters, the Bristlechew and the Gorefangs. The Stonesplitters are renowned for their craftmanship of weaponry, the Bristlechew were deemed famous for discovering space travel, and the Gorefangs were ruthless, malicious slaughterers.
Within each Clan is a wiseman, or wisewoman, who gains as much respect as the chieftain himself. These shamanistic soothsayers are the right hand of every clan, advising on war plans and trading routes whenever possible. If their ideas went wrong and resulted in failure, it was tradition to sacrifice their wiseman and hold a set of trials for their clan to discover the next one. In terms of the chieftain, he - or she - has to have some measure of wits about themselves too and is the final say in each matter, be it a simple squabble for supplies between a baker and a blacksmith or a raid on a nearby clan. They pick their successor, but cannot pick their sons or daughters.
Raiding neighbouring clans is their way of life. Oddly enough, the Giltoks revere a spirit of War, which they call the Bloodmother - using this mysterious deity, who is usually depicted as a buxom, topless Giltok woman wearing the pelt of a wolf around her waist, the Giltoks feel the impulse to go to their kin and slaughter the fighters, taking the women and children and supplies for themselves. If the clan itself is raided and lose, then it means the Bloodmother abandoned their clan, and they need to find another one - which usually explains the willingness of the survivors to band under their invaders. The Bloodmother keeps them safe and fed. It's because of this reason that many Giltoks become space pirates, or hired guns.
Space travel is considered a risky move in and of itself - whilst the technology of the Giltoks exceeds their barbaric and tribal nature, reaching out to space to find stars is still considered testing the Bloodmother's patience - coming back empty-handed holds severe consequences. Nevertheless, some Giltoks are overcome with the notion that their life on Uzkrok is not meant to be the way it is, and leave their home planet forever to find a new way of living. The only other exception to the rule are the Gorefangs, who are large enough to have a space fleet that is usually bought out for hire under the condition that any salvageable materials is theirs to keep.
Plural: Humans, Humanity
Image References: Should be easy enough?
Physiology: Generally standing at around 5-6', humans vary in shape and size depending on their genetic traits. They have varying tones of beige to dark brown skin depending on the concentration of skin pigment, and tend to have eyes that are brown, green, grey or blue. Body hair is sparse and short, with some exceptions such as long scalp hair, prominent eyebrows, armpits, and near the reproductive organs.
AGE CHART: 1 - 10 Child || 10 - 18 Teenager || 18 - 50 Adult || 50 - 90 Elderly
History:
Home planet: Earth (Terra 16), Space Station Elizabeth, Space Station Sophia.
The earliest known documents of human life are on smallish data drives, which depict large spaces and powerful liquid and fuel - something like stars - dug from the Earth's crust. The resulting fumes from burning this fuel thickened the ozone layer, causing a global warming effect; this coupled with the heaving overpopulation made Earth nigh-uninhabitable. The discovery of star power was more than reason to leave Earth behind and start making space stations.
The original space stations were small and simple in design, only allowing the higher echelons of society to live there in luxury whilst the poor became resentful. The Terrestrial wars followed around a decade afterwards; the uprisings and the complete overhaul of social order after centuries of class struggle and poverty. Back then, the rich could own large acres of land completely to themselves, whilst the poor were crammed into the streets, trampling each other in an effort to get food, constantly falling ill from diseases due to the close proximity of everyone else. In a stampede and a wild frenzy, these lower-status beings lashed out with ferocity, completely decimating a lot of the technology that had been supplied for space travel and a fair portion of their own kin.
It took several decades to rebuild Earth. A new order rose from the ashes of the old government, calling itself TEA - or, The Equality Alliance. With the introduction of representatives from all social status and background, this ruling government harboured less corruption than the original - but decision-making was notably slower with debates taking up more time than productivity. Large-scale space stations were being created with the purpose of mass transportation to new planets, in order to reduce the overcrowding situation. The group GMHumanity was created too in response to growing violence against a sub-species of human created a few years ago, the GMHs, which tested their prototype space-stations on Yaedon with very positive results.
However, the cruelty of man resurfaced at the end of their project - only 5 million of the overall 11 billion were randomly selected to reach into space. Approximately 30,000 were killed when the resulting riots took down one of the space-station engines in take-off, causing one of the worst genocides to date, the SS Maria being remembered in current human tradition. In protest, the terrestrial remnants of Earth cut off all communication and supply routes to the space-stations.
The current state of Earth is unknown, but the anti-aircraft barriers present around the atmosphere prevent scouting parties from landing on the planet or hacking into communications.
The Galactic Alliance was formed after humanity's decision to reach the stars; it now spans across multiple galaxies and a whole host of smaller sentient space-travellers, dealing mostly in trade of produce in exchange for manpower or defence.
Culture:
Life on the Space Stations isn't easy. After 10 years of "post-birth free education" - childhood - one must take several aptitude tests to suggest the most suitable line of work for training out of the following:
Technology and Maintenance: These people are interchangeable between looking after the space station as engineers or working in a lab to produce synthetic products and further facilitate life on the space station. There are two subclasses, the Researchers and the "Upkeeps" - both are paid equal amounts to avoid bias, and in choosing a subclass, one must undergo 5 years of work experience in the other. This means that any of the researchers will understand the value in the Upkeep's idea for furthering progress on the space station, and the Upkeeps can comprehend how synthetic materials help their day-to-day life; it reduces hostility within the sector and allows co-operation.
Agricultural Development: With the help of a few very brave Telmyra, a small portion of the space station was transformed into a biological wonderland - star power harnessed to create UV rays in order to grow food that was once found on Earth. Since then, huge amounts of genetic modification has changed these fruits and plants into supersized food machines - one apple, for example, would feed a family of four for a week, and keep for a fortnight after being cut open. It is up to the Agricultural Development to continue increasing shelf-life of food products and find alternate sources than star energy to develop them, as well as tending to the crop almost daily.
Defence and Diplomacy: Rather ironically, the military force and the political sector were merged in the Galactic Alliance. All soldiers are given regular examinations to "ensure the correct moral balance" - after being trained in the ways of peaceful negotiation and military force, the members of this sector have to react to new life forms in a pre-trained manner to avoid any conflict wherever possible. As of yet, there is one race that remained neutral - the Telmyra. The Glitok refused all contact with the Galactic Alliance, and became known as hostile after their dreaded Gorefang fleet destroyed a shipping route in one of the many asteroid belts.
Entertainment: One of the smallest sectors on the space station, their jobs are very much in danger currently due to questions as to whether or not the Entertainment Sector is exactly needed on the space station at all. They are multi-cultural, learning the traditions of multiple races and providing comfort and a bit of home to the aliens onboard the space station. This includes organising festivities that take place on specific days, making authentic costumes and clothes, cooking traditional food and encouraging the other sectors to, as they put it, "join in the fun". (To sate curiosity, there is an otherwise craftily hidden and politely ignored sector that dabbles in...the oldest profession, but one must undergo rigorous training to qualify.)
Image References: Should be easy enough?
Physiology: Generally standing at around 5-6', humans vary in shape and size depending on their genetic traits. They have varying tones of beige to dark brown skin depending on the concentration of skin pigment, and tend to have eyes that are brown, green, grey or blue. Body hair is sparse and short, with some exceptions such as long scalp hair, prominent eyebrows, armpits, and near the reproductive organs.
AGE CHART: 1 - 10 Child || 10 - 18 Teenager || 18 - 50 Adult || 50 - 90 Elderly
History:
Home planet: Earth (Terra 16), Space Station Elizabeth, Space Station Sophia.
The earliest known documents of human life are on smallish data drives, which depict large spaces and powerful liquid and fuel - something like stars - dug from the Earth's crust. The resulting fumes from burning this fuel thickened the ozone layer, causing a global warming effect; this coupled with the heaving overpopulation made Earth nigh-uninhabitable. The discovery of star power was more than reason to leave Earth behind and start making space stations.
The original space stations were small and simple in design, only allowing the higher echelons of society to live there in luxury whilst the poor became resentful. The Terrestrial wars followed around a decade afterwards; the uprisings and the complete overhaul of social order after centuries of class struggle and poverty. Back then, the rich could own large acres of land completely to themselves, whilst the poor were crammed into the streets, trampling each other in an effort to get food, constantly falling ill from diseases due to the close proximity of everyone else. In a stampede and a wild frenzy, these lower-status beings lashed out with ferocity, completely decimating a lot of the technology that had been supplied for space travel and a fair portion of their own kin.
It took several decades to rebuild Earth. A new order rose from the ashes of the old government, calling itself TEA - or, The Equality Alliance. With the introduction of representatives from all social status and background, this ruling government harboured less corruption than the original - but decision-making was notably slower with debates taking up more time than productivity. Large-scale space stations were being created with the purpose of mass transportation to new planets, in order to reduce the overcrowding situation. The group GMHumanity was created too in response to growing violence against a sub-species of human created a few years ago, the GMHs, which tested their prototype space-stations on Yaedon with very positive results.
However, the cruelty of man resurfaced at the end of their project - only 5 million of the overall 11 billion were randomly selected to reach into space. Approximately 30,000 were killed when the resulting riots took down one of the space-station engines in take-off, causing one of the worst genocides to date, the SS Maria being remembered in current human tradition. In protest, the terrestrial remnants of Earth cut off all communication and supply routes to the space-stations.
The current state of Earth is unknown, but the anti-aircraft barriers present around the atmosphere prevent scouting parties from landing on the planet or hacking into communications.
The Galactic Alliance was formed after humanity's decision to reach the stars; it now spans across multiple galaxies and a whole host of smaller sentient space-travellers, dealing mostly in trade of produce in exchange for manpower or defence.
Culture:
Life on the Space Stations isn't easy. After 10 years of "post-birth free education" - childhood - one must take several aptitude tests to suggest the most suitable line of work for training out of the following:
Technology and Maintenance: These people are interchangeable between looking after the space station as engineers or working in a lab to produce synthetic products and further facilitate life on the space station. There are two subclasses, the Researchers and the "Upkeeps" - both are paid equal amounts to avoid bias, and in choosing a subclass, one must undergo 5 years of work experience in the other. This means that any of the researchers will understand the value in the Upkeep's idea for furthering progress on the space station, and the Upkeeps can comprehend how synthetic materials help their day-to-day life; it reduces hostility within the sector and allows co-operation.
Agricultural Development: With the help of a few very brave Telmyra, a small portion of the space station was transformed into a biological wonderland - star power harnessed to create UV rays in order to grow food that was once found on Earth. Since then, huge amounts of genetic modification has changed these fruits and plants into supersized food machines - one apple, for example, would feed a family of four for a week, and keep for a fortnight after being cut open. It is up to the Agricultural Development to continue increasing shelf-life of food products and find alternate sources than star energy to develop them, as well as tending to the crop almost daily.
Defence and Diplomacy: Rather ironically, the military force and the political sector were merged in the Galactic Alliance. All soldiers are given regular examinations to "ensure the correct moral balance" - after being trained in the ways of peaceful negotiation and military force, the members of this sector have to react to new life forms in a pre-trained manner to avoid any conflict wherever possible. As of yet, there is one race that remained neutral - the Telmyra. The Glitok refused all contact with the Galactic Alliance, and became known as hostile after their dreaded Gorefang fleet destroyed a shipping route in one of the many asteroid belts.
Entertainment: One of the smallest sectors on the space station, their jobs are very much in danger currently due to questions as to whether or not the Entertainment Sector is exactly needed on the space station at all. They are multi-cultural, learning the traditions of multiple races and providing comfort and a bit of home to the aliens onboard the space station. This includes organising festivities that take place on specific days, making authentic costumes and clothes, cooking traditional food and encouraging the other sectors to, as they put it, "join in the fun". (To sate curiosity, there is an otherwise craftily hidden and politely ignored sector that dabbles in...the oldest profession, but one must undergo rigorous training to qualify.)
(Plural: Lerrin)
Image References: Gnome, Hobbit, Dwarf
Physiology: Short, hairy creatures who tend to lack muscle mass. They tend to grow hair in the same way as a human, but this hair can be of any colour, length and style. They have the same bodily functions and reproductive organs as a human does, which usually causes human-Lerrin half-breeds, known as Humins.
They usually have large heads and a very complex brain; even to this day, the Lerrin hardly understand the workings of their own mind, despite their vast intellect. Lerrin are known to have a high fertility rate, usually giving birth to multiple children. Their small size allows them to harness great speeds and agility.
AGE CHART: 1 - 18 Child || 18 - 30 Teenager || 30 - 90 Adult || 90 - 120 Elderly
History:
Home-planet: Tinkertak (Irictus 897)
The Lerrin destroyed all documents concerning their history before the radiation poisoning. Their origins unknown, the original Lerrin agreed that their past shall remain a secret and completely eradicated all trace of their former culture and traditions, before rebuilding their society anew.
After a sudden radiation flare across Tinkertak mutated the Lerrin's DNA, their brain mass increased along with their IQ. This new influx of knowledge came with a hefty price, as they became unpredictable, eccentric and in some cases downright dangerous, tinkering away in creating factories to produce materials and using said materials to produce buildings, vehicles, robots, weapons...inventing all kinds of new technology, most of it pointless, and excelling in their own personal survival.
A group of Lerrin outshone the rest - the Tinkering Court of Seven became the ruling power on Tinkertak, bringing some order into the chaotic development of their species. Soon they managed to develop some form of law, and relative peace and unity settled upon the planet. There was only one, unspeakable taboo among their kind - nuclear energy was never again to be experimented with.
Naturally, a small group of Lerrin became malignant and created an order of 10, known as the Unspeakables. They believed that the secret to overcoming their limits and further aiding society lay in the unknown powers of the nuclear core resting in the centre of the planet, and began to dabble in nuclear technology with little to no regard for safety. The result was another radiation flare, which threatened to wipe out the entire race. Were it not for the now-legendary Tinkertak Cogspin (to whom they named their planet after the Second Flare, removing the original name of Irictus 897) who jettisoned his entire supply of stars from his large-scale star harvester in order to collect as many Lerrin as possible into orbit, the population of Lerrin would've likely suffered a severe genetic bottleneck and harbour various numbers of genetic defects.
With the Second Flare's radiation due to settle into habitable levels in approximately 60 years from present day, the Lerrin currently reside on the space stations of the Galactic Alliance. They mainly help in the agricultural development and technology and Maintenance areas.
Culture: Lerrin are pesky, unpredictable, energetic messes who were somehow given the ability to solve problems very quickly. They tend to have boundless amounts of optimism, a love for parties and festivities, a short attention span and large familial structures. They live in villages, towns and cities and their technology does a lot of their work for them, making manual labour a difficult and disliked process.
To be able to narrow down a Lerrin's specific likes and dislikes would be practically impossible; their villages, should they be called that, are generally a mesh of different themes and cultures, different themes and beliefs that either clash or work together; because of this, the Lerrin have a high tolerance for all kinds of different opinions and, whilst passionate about their own enjoyments, they tend to be highly considerate of others.
A Lerrin's loyalty is not to be underestimated, either. Once you have given them a considerably significant act of kindness, they remain stalwart and helpful until the very end; there are some documents that suggest these mannerisms stem from their genetically mutated brains.
Lerrin are very against the idea of pollution; most of their inventions are created with renewable energy sources and carbon neutrality in mind, since they understand the detrimental effects of pollution on the planets' native wildlife.
Image References: Gnome, Hobbit, Dwarf
Physiology: Short, hairy creatures who tend to lack muscle mass. They tend to grow hair in the same way as a human, but this hair can be of any colour, length and style. They have the same bodily functions and reproductive organs as a human does, which usually causes human-Lerrin half-breeds, known as Humins.
They usually have large heads and a very complex brain; even to this day, the Lerrin hardly understand the workings of their own mind, despite their vast intellect. Lerrin are known to have a high fertility rate, usually giving birth to multiple children. Their small size allows them to harness great speeds and agility.
AGE CHART: 1 - 18 Child || 18 - 30 Teenager || 30 - 90 Adult || 90 - 120 Elderly
History:
Home-planet: Tinkertak (Irictus 897)
The Lerrin destroyed all documents concerning their history before the radiation poisoning. Their origins unknown, the original Lerrin agreed that their past shall remain a secret and completely eradicated all trace of their former culture and traditions, before rebuilding their society anew.
After a sudden radiation flare across Tinkertak mutated the Lerrin's DNA, their brain mass increased along with their IQ. This new influx of knowledge came with a hefty price, as they became unpredictable, eccentric and in some cases downright dangerous, tinkering away in creating factories to produce materials and using said materials to produce buildings, vehicles, robots, weapons...inventing all kinds of new technology, most of it pointless, and excelling in their own personal survival.
A group of Lerrin outshone the rest - the Tinkering Court of Seven became the ruling power on Tinkertak, bringing some order into the chaotic development of their species. Soon they managed to develop some form of law, and relative peace and unity settled upon the planet. There was only one, unspeakable taboo among their kind - nuclear energy was never again to be experimented with.
Naturally, a small group of Lerrin became malignant and created an order of 10, known as the Unspeakables. They believed that the secret to overcoming their limits and further aiding society lay in the unknown powers of the nuclear core resting in the centre of the planet, and began to dabble in nuclear technology with little to no regard for safety. The result was another radiation flare, which threatened to wipe out the entire race. Were it not for the now-legendary Tinkertak Cogspin (to whom they named their planet after the Second Flare, removing the original name of Irictus 897) who jettisoned his entire supply of stars from his large-scale star harvester in order to collect as many Lerrin as possible into orbit, the population of Lerrin would've likely suffered a severe genetic bottleneck and harbour various numbers of genetic defects.
With the Second Flare's radiation due to settle into habitable levels in approximately 60 years from present day, the Lerrin currently reside on the space stations of the Galactic Alliance. They mainly help in the agricultural development and technology and Maintenance areas.
Culture: Lerrin are pesky, unpredictable, energetic messes who were somehow given the ability to solve problems very quickly. They tend to have boundless amounts of optimism, a love for parties and festivities, a short attention span and large familial structures. They live in villages, towns and cities and their technology does a lot of their work for them, making manual labour a difficult and disliked process.
To be able to narrow down a Lerrin's specific likes and dislikes would be practically impossible; their villages, should they be called that, are generally a mesh of different themes and cultures, different themes and beliefs that either clash or work together; because of this, the Lerrin have a high tolerance for all kinds of different opinions and, whilst passionate about their own enjoyments, they tend to be highly considerate of others.
A Lerrin's loyalty is not to be underestimated, either. Once you have given them a considerably significant act of kindness, they remain stalwart and helpful until the very end; there are some documents that suggest these mannerisms stem from their genetically mutated brains.
Lerrin are very against the idea of pollution; most of their inventions are created with renewable energy sources and carbon neutrality in mind, since they understand the detrimental effects of pollution on the planets' native wildlife.
(Plural: GMHs)
Homeworld: Although they are originally humans or other humanoids, people of this race were moved to Yaedon.
Physiology: Being and GMH comes with lots of health issues - crossbreeding with other ones can be difficult, and often lead to tragic children, many of whom die or develop motor neurotic issues - having trouble moving their limbs. Therefore reproduction is limited to those of the same animal family to avoid any tragedies.
As they get older, again, motor neurotic issues may occur - though the chances are much lower should it be a pure-bred.
Their diet is specific to the animal they are bound with, so an animal with a mainly carnivorous diet, would eat mostly meat, raw or cooked, it depends on the upbringing.
Grooming is also specific to the animal, with products to style and clean fur, scales, and skin and decorations for horns or antlers, it's almost entirely up to you how you customise it, most have a tendency to keep themselves well looked after due to the health issues animals can get should they not look after themselves.
History: A selection of healthy human subjects were paid to be tested on in order to splice animals and humans, at first the tests seemed inhumane and the group was shut down - but after extensive research, and hiring medical professionals, they released an appeal to the public to resume the experimentations. They claimed it would further the understanding of animals, however it did not do that at all.
The scientists firmly believed that should they splice a human and animal, and connect the human brain with the animal bodies, that they could create a race that would build a bridge between the gap between animals and human - they did it first by enlarging animals and attempting to connect consciousness with human subjects. This prepared animals for the transfusion. Eventually they managed to get a subject who could control an animal body, despite still being in their own.
They then began fusing the human and animal genes in experimental births, for many years, there was no success, however the first born GMH was a pig-human, who had trotters, pink skin and a pig head, with a little curled tail. They found out that the GMH could not yet talk but had decided to name it Gerald. Gerald was a breakthrough in the scientific experimentations - they had found a successful way to create the GMHs and had started to create more with paid subjects.
After it was assessed by a board of health, it was deemed a safe procedure and only the richest couples would offer up their children in order to become a GMH, this made GMHs a prestigious, rich race, full of snobs and higher class. All GMH children had to stay within the labs for a year in order to monitor them for motor neurotic illnesses, or other health issues, so in order to form a healthy bond with their parents, the parents were given a year leave from any work they may have in order to spend time with the child. Some did not accept the offer and so GMH nurses, or G-Mothers were hired in order to look after them for their initial year.
Human Extremists were outraged at the "Animans" and started petitions for mass genocide and rioted hate against them, they were "freaks of nature" and were reserved only for the richest. GMHs were forced to live in hiding or else they would receive physical and verbal abuse on the streets, riots broke out in major cities and many services refused to serve them, banned from shops and theatres and other places of the such. Then a mass movement called "GMHumanity" blossomed, it fought against the Extremist groups and offered the idea of moving - the empty planet: Yaedon was not exactly fit for life, however there had been many living stations in which conditions were good, pods with clean air and a way to filter it so that they would not run out. The current government thought it the best plan of action, especially given the damage that the riots were causing, and so mansions and luxury houses were build in massive air-domes on Yaedon where the GMHs could live in peace.
They, with the assistance of charity funds and the group "GMHumanity" and with the money of the rich, they were able to create mansions where they could live and agriculture and product manufacturing supplied jobs. They lived mostly in peace and under close watch of the scientist group that caused it all to the present.
Culture: The GMHs like all things luxury - the finest clothes made from a native material soft as silk and warm as wool, suits, dresses, gowns. Several balls were thrown in celebration of their new found peace and this has lead GMHs to a life of socialite parties, luxury living and prestigious lifestyle. Kept grounded only by the hard-working jobs that they had to do in order to keep the luxurious life, during the day and working hours, they worked hard, and during the night, they partied and relaxed in their cushy life styles.
The native fruit of Yaedon which was named suitably: Animans is used in many many recipes because of its anti-oxidant properties and was supposed to promote healthy living, it has a bitter skin, which is thick and must be cut, which is often very fragrant, a sweet smell. Animan peel scent is the main scent of the GMHs, their trademark. It's in soaps and perfumes and airsprays, countless combinations made from it. The flesh of the Animan itself is very sweet and contains a lot of sugar and is used in many sweet recipes like cakes and pies, it's most famously known for the Animan meringue tart, a very sweet dish, bittered by lemon meringue and lemon curd layer. Beneath that is a thick purée mixed with cream and gelatine so it can set and all in a pastry tart case.
The preferred music is classical and high standards, very much like the Romantic era, featuring mostly a harpsichord and an arranged accompaniment.
Courtship is rather specific - first they're mostly attracted to those within the same animal family, like Canines would be attracted to other canines. This is mostly due to the tragedy of cross-bred births. Good ballroom dancing was very attractive and it is very easy to show off skills due to the constant balls and parties. What's also very attractive is how rich they are, which is often linked to how hard they work, a good business life suggests financial stability which is the core trait found attractive.
Physiology: Being and GMH comes with lots of health issues - crossbreeding with other ones can be difficult, and often lead to tragic children, many of whom die or develop motor neurotic issues - having trouble moving their limbs. Therefore reproduction is limited to those of the same animal family to avoid any tragedies.
As they get older, again, motor neurotic issues may occur - though the chances are much lower should it be a pure-bred.
Their diet is specific to the animal they are bound with, so an animal with a mainly carnivorous diet, would eat mostly meat, raw or cooked, it depends on the upbringing.
Grooming is also specific to the animal, with products to style and clean fur, scales, and skin and decorations for horns or antlers, it's almost entirely up to you how you customise it, most have a tendency to keep themselves well looked after due to the health issues animals can get should they not look after themselves.
History: A selection of healthy human subjects were paid to be tested on in order to splice animals and humans, at first the tests seemed inhumane and the group was shut down - but after extensive research, and hiring medical professionals, they released an appeal to the public to resume the experimentations. They claimed it would further the understanding of animals, however it did not do that at all.
The scientists firmly believed that should they splice a human and animal, and connect the human brain with the animal bodies, that they could create a race that would build a bridge between the gap between animals and human - they did it first by enlarging animals and attempting to connect consciousness with human subjects. This prepared animals for the transfusion. Eventually they managed to get a subject who could control an animal body, despite still being in their own.
They then began fusing the human and animal genes in experimental births, for many years, there was no success, however the first born GMH was a pig-human, who had trotters, pink skin and a pig head, with a little curled tail. They found out that the GMH could not yet talk but had decided to name it Gerald. Gerald was a breakthrough in the scientific experimentations - they had found a successful way to create the GMHs and had started to create more with paid subjects.
After it was assessed by a board of health, it was deemed a safe procedure and only the richest couples would offer up their children in order to become a GMH, this made GMHs a prestigious, rich race, full of snobs and higher class. All GMH children had to stay within the labs for a year in order to monitor them for motor neurotic illnesses, or other health issues, so in order to form a healthy bond with their parents, the parents were given a year leave from any work they may have in order to spend time with the child. Some did not accept the offer and so GMH nurses, or G-Mothers were hired in order to look after them for their initial year.
Human Extremists were outraged at the "Animans" and started petitions for mass genocide and rioted hate against them, they were "freaks of nature" and were reserved only for the richest. GMHs were forced to live in hiding or else they would receive physical and verbal abuse on the streets, riots broke out in major cities and many services refused to serve them, banned from shops and theatres and other places of the such. Then a mass movement called "GMHumanity" blossomed, it fought against the Extremist groups and offered the idea of moving - the empty planet: Yaedon was not exactly fit for life, however there had been many living stations in which conditions were good, pods with clean air and a way to filter it so that they would not run out. The current government thought it the best plan of action, especially given the damage that the riots were causing, and so mansions and luxury houses were build in massive air-domes on Yaedon where the GMHs could live in peace.
They, with the assistance of charity funds and the group "GMHumanity" and with the money of the rich, they were able to create mansions where they could live and agriculture and product manufacturing supplied jobs. They lived mostly in peace and under close watch of the scientist group that caused it all to the present.
Culture: The GMHs like all things luxury - the finest clothes made from a native material soft as silk and warm as wool, suits, dresses, gowns. Several balls were thrown in celebration of their new found peace and this has lead GMHs to a life of socialite parties, luxury living and prestigious lifestyle. Kept grounded only by the hard-working jobs that they had to do in order to keep the luxurious life, during the day and working hours, they worked hard, and during the night, they partied and relaxed in their cushy life styles.
The native fruit of Yaedon which was named suitably: Animans is used in many many recipes because of its anti-oxidant properties and was supposed to promote healthy living, it has a bitter skin, which is thick and must be cut, which is often very fragrant, a sweet smell. Animan peel scent is the main scent of the GMHs, their trademark. It's in soaps and perfumes and airsprays, countless combinations made from it. The flesh of the Animan itself is very sweet and contains a lot of sugar and is used in many sweet recipes like cakes and pies, it's most famously known for the Animan meringue tart, a very sweet dish, bittered by lemon meringue and lemon curd layer. Beneath that is a thick purée mixed with cream and gelatine so it can set and all in a pastry tart case.
The preferred music is classical and high standards, very much like the Romantic era, featuring mostly a harpsichord and an arranged accompaniment.
Courtship is rather specific - first they're mostly attracted to those within the same animal family, like Canines would be attracted to other canines. This is mostly due to the tragedy of cross-bred births. Good ballroom dancing was very attractive and it is very easy to show off skills due to the constant balls and parties. What's also very attractive is how rich they are, which is often linked to how hard they work, a good business life suggests financial stability which is the core trait found attractive.
The Galactic Alliance
Base of Operations: Space Station Elizabeth
The Galactic Alliance was founded shortly after the humans left space in their stations. It started as an all-human organisation between the three great space stations: Maria (NB: this space station was destroyed before it managed to leave Earth, see Human History for more details), Elizabeth and Sophia. The Alliance separates itself into four sectors: Technology and Maintenance, Agricultural Development, Defence and Diplomacy and Entertainment. (For more details, see the Human Culture section in Races.)
Since then, the organisation also allows Lerrin and Telmyra; but is not allied to the Glitok, who actively attack the Galactic Alliance's supply shipments. The Galactic Alliance also handles star trading between races and supplies genetically modified food to the other space stations. They pay a high price for star delivery and cargo shipment, since manpower is restricted to the Space Stations in order to maintain them.
The Gorefang Fleet
Base of Operations: Orbits around Uzkrok
A smaller independent group from the Glitok clan, raiding supply routes and being a plague to all star-harvesters. They are the largest gun-for-hire group in the galaxy, despite the fact they only allow Gorefang Glitok in their ranks. Anyone with enough money can buy one or two of their ships, so long as they are able to take what they like from the wreckage.
The Black Nebula
Base of Operations: Unknown
One of the most notorious pirate groups sailing the skies. The Black Nebula started as a simple raiding vessel, known for its legendary feat of looting technology from the fiercely protective Glitok. The pirate organisation takes on the ship's name in honour, and paint black swirls onto the hulls of their hijacked ships instead of using a flag. Their base of operations is unknown, hidden on some abandoned planet - the Galactic Alliance pay very much to whomever manages to find their elusive hideout where they hide their treasures, but no-one has ever managed.
(more to be added as they are discovered!)
Space travel is quite different from what you'd usually expect. The flying machines use star-engine power, which powers the propellers. These blades are a necessary evil - they move the ship but have to be kept out in the open in order to function, making them easy targets. Shields and protection are usually used, but completely covering the propellers and removing them from the vacuum of space stops movement. The stars are essential to functioning on the ship, providing a small, breathable atmosphere. Stars are strategically placed around the ship in order to retain this atmosphere - the bigger the ship, the more stars required. (See stars for more info)
Moving from planet to planet may take a few weeks to a few months, depending on the strength of the engine and the number of propellers. Small, light ships can move from place to place quickly - star harvesters move at a moderate speed, whereas the battleships move slowly.
Water is also a very precious resource. It's the most common liquid to be found on planets, but must be stockpiled and used in weaponry against the Antimatter and the Lost Ones, being the only way to destroy it entirely. As such, most ship cannons can fire explosives and have a 'water mode'. The boilers usually hold the main supply of water, but water guns and smaller water capsules in the living quarters assure protection no matter where you are.
Ad Astra 9
(original design by Natal-ee-a)
This ship is a simple star harvester, built with speed in mind. It moves quickly and collects up to 10 stars before having to make a trip back to the Space Stations. The large "Wing Sails" are not actually sails (there isn't any air in space!) but are instead massive nets, which collect the stars out of the sky. These nets are drawn down and the crew, wearing protective gear, place the stars into the lowest chamber in the hull. The "Tail Canvas" is actually a safety net, put in place in case some stars escape the net. Ad Astra 9 is manned with simple explosive/water cannons, meaning the crew may have to fire with their own weapons.
The living quarters are below the ship, and include:
- One Washroom
- One mess hall (and kitchen)
- One Cargo Bay
- Several small living spaces
- A navigation room (at the second level on the deck, under the safety net)
- An Engine Room (complete with a boiler for central heating and hot water)
- Weapons room
- Meeting room (and lounge!)
- Surgery, complete with quarantine area and patient beds
The main propeller is hidden by the base of the ship, with two small nets beside it - should Ad Astra 9 skim past a few stars that manage to get caught in the net, it provides a secondary fuel source to the main propeller and an incentive to avoid firing at it (see stars for more information).
A 10-litre water capsule remains in every room, kept separate from the main boiler. It has to be full at all times in case of an anti-matter attack. Smaller water capsules are also mandatory - plastic shells with water inside - so that if a Lost One appears they can be thrown to deal maximum damage (See Antimatter and Lost Ones for more detail).
Ad Astra 9 has a plain blue flag, the uniform and protective gear being the same shade of blue. The hull, however, is unpainted and remains a shining dark brown.
Crew Members
It should be noted that whilst the positions are very clear-cut, the crew members on Ad Astra 9 tend to help out in all areas but specialise in the one you have chosen. The crew of Ad Astra 9 has been the same in the past 10 years - the members know quite a lot about each other, and are practically family. Please keep this in mind when making your character.
Captain/Helmsman - Tingwink Spannerfizz (@RainyDays)
Navigator/Advisor/First Mate - Xago Largakh (@girlabot)
Chef - WIP UNDERWAY (@Bakugou)
Engineer - WIP UNDERWAY (@Crow)
Engineer - RESERVED (@IceChateau777)
Engineer - RESERVED (@Linnie)
Doctor - Al'terra Wispen (@Jessikka)
Doctor - Raine Blackburn (@Valentyne)
Weapons Master - Sterren Maurakarau (@Dipper)
Deckhands (Always open) - Mitra Ravinder Glaisyer (@adabotcon)
Guards - OPEN
The stars in this universe are nothing like the ones we find in our own space. These stars are tangible spheres of white-hot light, constantly emitting gas from their cores and shuddering so fast they can rip a man's arm off if he went to hold them without the correct gear and equipment. Most stars are quite small - around the size of a tennis ball - but vary in size between that of a ping pong ball and that of your average football (or, soccer ball, depending on which definition of 'football' you use.)
By placing the stars into a star engine, the constant flow of gas can be used to run propellers that will push the ship in the right direction. Star gas has the right components - oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen - to create a breathable atmosphere. The pull of gravity keeps this atmosphere from straying too far from the star, but engineers always place two or more propellers in strategic locations (usually the main propellers) coupled with smaller, expendable stars scattered in additional propellers around the spaceships to provide a ventilation system of gas throughout the inside and on deck, so the gas from one star is pushed out far enough to enter the gravity field of another, which produces gas which is pushed out to the gravity field of the next (ect ect) - this should emphasise the importance of these propellers on a ship - if a propeller is lost, the chances of asphyxiation increase. The propellers have to be guarded more closely than the stars themselves.
Stars also provide a suitable amount of heat, which pushes the gas away from itself. It isn't uncommon for a boiler or a cooker to be close to a star engine. Stars can also run turbines (On smaller ships, these turbines are generally the support propellers) which generate electricity, used in the navigation systems, controlling doors, lights, wifi...you name it.
The only downside about a star is their delicate nature. If struck too hard, the star will explode like a small bomb - this explosion worsens depending on how large the star is - the strategic positions of the engines can even cause a chain reaction, which is what happened to Space Station Maria.
It's not surprising, therefore, that when the stars stopped regenerating in the sky space life began to turn sour very quickly. Star harvesters became more important than ever and were raided quite frequently - the Glitok and the Black Nebula in particular began making star containment rooms, hoarding the stars they find and stealing stars from other ships. The Galactic Alliance turned their researchers towards finding a new source of power - experimentations with synthetic stars have thus far been unsuccessful, and using biofuel works but is slower and less efficient; not to mention that volatile gas chambers must be fitted into the ships in order to make up for the lack of breathable air. Now, star harvesters work in one of two ways - 2 year trips (called Long Hauls) in which a battleship kitted out with star harvesting nets travels the least amount of distance for some stars and destroys anyone in its path, or 6 month trips (Speed Runs) using small, agile ships to collect small amounts of stars from further into the star fields, scooping them up and flying back.
It's said that during one of these "Long Haul" trips the discovery of Anti-matter occurred, and the Space Sickness began - creating the monsters that now add further danger onto pirates, mercenary and harvesters alike.
Anti-Matter
After the stars started to go out, shadows of stars formed in the sky - dark, swirling orbs of immense power, emitting a tell-tale thrum of energy in the blackness of space. However, the protective gear that is currently on the market cannot withstand this power; it latches onto matter and corrupts it, a dark slimy growth covering spaceships and mutating the crew into mindless monsters, intent on devouring stars and converting more people into Lost Ones.
Hardly anything is known about this volatile, parasitic material - the only way to eradicate it is to douse it in liquid, which is difficult to find in space and precious to look after. Many star harvesting crews speak of how they used all of their boiler's water to stop the infestation growing on their ship, only to nearly die from dehydration trying to find a nearby planet with enough water to refill.
Ruthless, mindless monsters spawned from the use of Anti-matter, which latched onto the host and mutated them horribly. They travel in groups, using antimatter-powered hive ships to swarm towards star energy and convert it into anti-matter. No matter what you were before - Lerrin, Human, Glitok...the Antimatter latches onto your body and within the space of a week you transform into one of the 4 "species" of Lost Ones. They don't need sleep, air, or sustenance - powered by Anti-matter themselves, they exist to take down defences and infest new hosts. Once infected, a liquid can remove the corruption, but leaves portions of flesh and bone missing as the anti-matter evaporates, leaving gaps where healthy tissue used to be.
The most common type of Lost One. Intermingled with space debris, they stand at around 6 feet and shuffle aimlessly, pieces of dark sticky sludge breaking off of their feet and infecting their surroundings, making groaning, clicking noises as they move. They're slow and practically blind - a sharp movement, a bright light or a noise will attract them. Easy to destroy on their own, harder to kill in groups. Bullets or lasers can slow them down, as well as blasting off the limbs, which will disintegrate into slime, but the only real way to get rid of them is using some form of liquid on the chest, neck, or face.
One of the most heavily mutated types of Lost one. They aren't too good at passive infection (parts of their flesh sticking to surfaces and converting them into anti-matter) because their skin is tougher to make shooting at them or cutting them considerably harder. They've specifically evolved to be either mounts for the Walkers, or to chase down the people - a runner bite is one of the most common forms of infection. Their claws don't infect, but can leave you with a nasty wound.
Steam works especially well on these types, for reasons unknown - they cannot survive in fog. Still, the standard way to destroy them is using water, any form of liquid, to the mouth, chest or upper back.
Rarer, and much more dangerous than a Walker or a Runner. A Climber leaps from ship to ship with its powerful legs, the talons piercing the hull as it scuttles with the sole intent of flushing the crew out by infecting the ship. They cannot bite, but they can slash - the mask protects their face and head, but by pouncing on their foes, they expose their chest. One of the best ways to defeat a Climber would be to lure it to pounce you and then blast it with water at the last second. Or, if possible, attack from behind and soak it until it's really, really dead.
Less than 20 documented sightings of this beast. On the larger battleships, if the conditions are right, the Lost Ones will merge to form this 9 foot monstrosity. Because it's so thick and large, the bare chest is open for all to see - but a lot of water is needed to break right the way through the flesh. Only water cannons on spaceships can bring this beast down, and when it does fall, it splashes antimatter all over the place, infecting much more material. Hits like a truck, gets angry easily, and once it's singled you out to kill there's not much that you can do.
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