The Pinelands Testing Grounds

[JustAFed]

Taking place on a rural backwater planet belonging to one of two space faring civilizations that are at war with each other.

The planet is used mainly for mining and agriculture and has a population hovering just below one billion. They rely somewhat on supply ships from far off industrial/developed worlds to operate normally in day to day life.
One day, a supply ship fails to arrive, causing quite the buzz on the planet. Two weeks pass and ships do eventually arrive in orbit, but they are those of the enemy. A scout fleet has arrived, likely heralding the coming of more, and the battle for Aphogia is about to begin.

The story follows a group of young individuals (18-35) that are drafted to fight for the undermanned and ill-equipped military garrison on the planet with the objective to hold out until help hopefully arrives.
This follows a group of people who should have no business being around weapons of war, much less operate them. But they've been thrust into the middle of a bloody period of a long war and will come out of it, if they do come out of it, for better or worse.

Info Rules

• 
  The year is 2101 P.U. (Post-Unification)
  War has torn a galaxy much like our own asunder as two titanic factions wage war against each other in a conflict nearly fifteen-hundred years in the making. For the last eighteen years men and women from The Cartenian Empire and The Republic of Centor have died either in the darkness of space or met their fate on the bloody dirt of terrestrial battlefields. Tens of millions have died, and millions more will follow as the two factions, rivals for as long as anyone can remember, are stuck in a form of trench warfare that has left more than twenty planets on the front lines nothing more but a smoldering wreck. Everyday thousands die, and thousands more are drafted from either side to replace those who fell before. For honor, for the Empire. For assured safety, for the Republic. For family, for the continued survival of your society. Whatever the case may be the horrors of war rage in the inferno that is The Intergalactic War.
  But that's all a distant thought. Just another spiel on the Empire's state-run news channels. That didn't matter way in the outer rim of Cartenian Space. On the backwater planet of Aphogia, the only thing that mattered was when the next shipment from the industrial worlds would come in. And the last fleet of transport ships were already late by nearly two weeks. Nobody expected an enemy attack. Stealth strike groups could never penetrate so deep into the Empire's defense system. And besides, what could the Republic possibly want with an agricultural planet? There planet's garrison and fortifications were laughable at best and it would have been a terrible springboard for an attack on other planets. Their star port wasn't even entirely finished yet. And still, nothing.
  Finally, on the fifteenth day, April 20th, 2101, contacts popped up on long range scanners. The planet's governor Justin Novatus, had a rant and a half ready for the transport captain about lack of supplies and rationing for the planet's inhabitants, but his anger soon turned to stone cold fear. The contacts bore the symbol for enemy ships. A fleet of about twenty ships, and many smaller symbols were beginning to flow from them. He didn't want to believe it, but the commander of the planet's garrison was much more quick to begin making orders and instituting martial law. He had seen this before, having served on the front lines just five years ago. A scouting fleet, and that usually meant a full compliment of assault ships would be coming not very long afterwards. The planet had to be defended, and he was short men, but the reserve arsenal placed on the planet meant one thing. The citizens would play their part and a draft would be initiated effectively immediately. The eligible candidates? Anyone.
  
• 
  1. Abide by all RpNation rules while posting in this roleplay
  2. As the GM I have the final say in any argument, plot point and anything else regarding the RP and its associated threads.
  3. Respect your fellow roleplayers and the GM.
  4. This is a detailed RP. Keep post length at minimum 2 healthy paragraphs and little to no grammatical errors.
  5. Do not control anyone else's character without their permission.
  6. Have fun
  

 

[JustAFed]

Character Information
- We will be following the story of individuals within the Caretnian Empire only, Republic forces will be NPCs controlled by me.


- Please keep in mind that this is still a war zone and a number of the group may see their demise before the roleplay ends.

- Applications can be posted in this thread, accepted profiles will get a like and an edited comment to let you know that you've been accepted. Otherwise I'll send you a PM to clear up any discrepancies.

CS

FULL NAME HERE
PICTURE HERE

About

• 
  Name:
  Gender:
  Race: (Humand or Gnorian)
  Age:
  Occupation: (Prior to being drafter into the Imperial Armed Forces)
  Appearance: (Worded description for height,eye/hair color, scars, etc.)
  
  
  BACKGROUND:
  
  MISC.:
  
  

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[JustAFed]

The troubled history of an empire, a republic, and a race that was once free. Weapons of War The Gnorians Aphogia

• 
  The Cartenian Empire. Formed nearly two thousand years ago on the human home-world of Argus. After centuries of conflicts the tribes there were united under one banner, that of Grand Emperor Cartenus Omenian. With his rise to power came a golden age of advancement for a struggling near-modern civilization. By the year 121 P.U. humans were exploring the star systems around them and setting up colonies in their own. The next two centuries would see rapid expansion and economic growth for the empire as it secured its foothold in the stars.
  In 331 P.U. the Empire came across the other lone space-faring civilization in their galaxy, the Gnorians, humanoid beings who's feature resemble those of elves as we know them. Almost immediately a war of conquest was launched by the Empire and by 404 P.U. The Gnorian race was subjugated by the empire and put to work, treated as slaves and second-class citizens. As time went on, the empire grew more and more authoritarian until a uprising from both Gnorians and humans dissatisfied with the tyrannical rule of the emperor of the time threw the galaxy into civil war in 554 P.U.
  This would be known as the War of Broken Chains and would see the founding of The Republic of Centor in 574 P.U. The end of the war outlawed what was effectively slavery in both nations, though now the universe was quite clearly split in half. The war had devastated the Galaxy and left both sides limping and close to collapsing further in on themselves.
  For the next fifteen hundred years there would be shaky peace between the two civilizations. Every now and then there would be a border clash, but tensions were always high and not even economic cooperation could bring to two closer together. Despite their changes over the years the two remain at harsh cultural odds. The empire remains an aristocratic society with non nobles acquiring rank and prestige through military and academic service, there is a strong line still between the rich and the poor.
  The republic has not fared much better since its foundation long ago. It has become authoritarian in its own way under the guise of a large socialistic government which has a high amount of control over the paths of life people can pursue. Military device is compulsory and stipends and penalties are assigned for those who go into relevant and not relevant fields between the sciences and the arts, respectively.
  Of course it was only a matter of time before a match struck and the powder keg blew. A hijacking of a Republic pleasure liner gone wrong led to international negotiations where one side claims the other set up a trap and the first shots of the Intergalactic War were fired. That was 2083, and the two sides are still embroiled in what is now effectively trench warfare, gains on one front are lost on another and after several failed peace treaty attempts, both sides will not back down till the other has been nearly annihilated.
  
• 
  The Viper II is hardly what one would call the mainstays of the Empire's wide arsenal of mobile battle armor. It is an older model, usually predating the pilots that are trained in them. They are usually treated as just that as well, trainers. Very few Viper IIs have seen active combat since they were effectively replaced with the larger and more efficient Kobra series of MBA. They were deathtraps in the beginning of the war, and were easy picking during the mid-rim uprisings in the years prior. Still, the Empire's elite military officials have been reluctant to scrap what Viper IIs remain and have instead kept them on backwater planets to free up valuable assets usually reserved to guard them. There are also rumors of a proposed upgrade program meant to repurpose the Vipers as a stealth/force recon unit.
  --- Basic ---
  Crew: 1 (with enough cockpit space for one extra in the back)
  Height: 20 Feet.
  Width: 8 Feet.
  Weight: 31 Tons Empty, 40 Tons Full Load
  --- Performance ---
  Powerplant: 1x Kayaki-Orlen Fusion Generator
  Propulsion: 1x Kayaki-Orlen YE-140 Booster System
  Max Speed: 150 Mph
  Armament
  Shoulder mount weapons/equipment
  1x Guided/Unguided missile launcher w/ 3x missiles.
  4x Smoke/Flare Launchers (2 Smoke/2Flare)
  1x Infrared camera
  Right arm weapon.
  1x 20mm integrated gun pod
  Left arm options.
  Multipurpose arm w/ 1x 13mm machine gun
  Misc.
  Chaff/flares
  Eagleye targeting/tracking and ecm system.
  
• 
  The Gnorians are the only other sentient race in the galaxy, and they just so happen to be humanoid. Despite this they have a number of differences from regular humans. Their ears are longer and pointed, their eyes eyes are usually grey, green or red, their hair comes naturally in a variety of colors, and the majority of them are on average 6 feet tall. They can also mate with humans and as of today there is a substantial number of human-gnorians in both nations. While Gnorians are not bred for war the way the humans are, as most are usually described as being weak or meek, this should not discredit them entirely. What they lack in physical strength, they make up for mentally. They make great leaders and a number of Gnorians secured key victories in The War of Broken Chains for the Republic.
  Now, Gnorians fight for both sides having been fully assimilated into their respective nations. The notion of their race being inferior has disappeared. Now, like their human counterparts, they are just another number and another causality. Most have taken a leadership role on either side, though with mounting casualties, many have been drafted among those who haven't already volunteered.
  
• 
  Aphogia is an agricultural planet located in the outer-rim section of Empire controlled space. In comparison to the frontlines of the war, Aphogia is about as far away as one can get. The majority of the planet are fields of crops that are tended to mostly by giant robotic combine machines with farmers as their overseers. The majority of the planet's population that numbers in the tens of millions is made up of migrants from other planets looking for a quieter lifestyle or many who were simply born there and lack the money to get off planet. The majority of people live within the capital city of Athenos or the numerous suburban settlements that are settled into the mountainous regions surrounding the city. While there are other cities on the planet, this one is the most prominent due to it housing the only spaceport on planet.
  The military garrison of the planet is a meek shell of those of others closer to the fighting. Most members of the military there are either injured veterans or green recruits that got lucky on assignment, though most are from the planet itself. Aphogia also serves as a depot for surplus military equipment, mostly older models of military goods kept around for worst case situations.
  

 

[JustAFed]

⎒ basic ⎒

---

NAME: Gwen Parser || LOCATION: mainframe || FORMAT: sprite || DESIGNATION: 'guardian' || KEY TOOL: fritz
WEAPON: dart pistol || SECONDARY: hallucinogenic lipstick ||​

⎒ appearance ⎒​

---

"I'M NOT A BAD GIRL. I'M JUST PROGRAMMED THIS WAY."

Gwen stands at 6'1" and weighs in at 186lbs. She's built to hurt and looks the part as well. She has light blue skin with green accents, equally green eyes and short, hot-pink hair. Her wardrobe consists mostly of sterile white body suits given to her since creation. She finds her clothing efficient and more than enough to fit her needs while many would argue that her dearth of a fashion sense made her a dull individual.

⎒ personality ⎒

---

"RULES ARE NOT MY STRONG SUIT."​

Erat lacus nec purus congue ut penatibus, volutpat ut eleifend sollicitudin donec. Scelerisque est quis, et nulla ut enim ultrices, nulla suspendisse ut id pellentesque, turpis sem justo. Libero eu pellentesque mauris euismod odio neque. Sed et non curabitur vestibulum quis, sed eu sed sed ornare faucibus, pellentesque elit morbi. Molestie quis sed neque, consectetuer ab pede nec convallis, in lacus, mollis risus eu nunc. Metus vehicula purus, praesent eu, eu est faucibus ut aliquet vivamus. Mauris metus odio dolor laoreet in, odio lacus tempor nullam ante, id consequatur convallis morbi posuere. Viverra cursus, consectetuer sem et, ac fermentum massa est. Lobortis lectus odio eget, volutpat aliquam elit ornare wisi turpis, placerat mi vivamus sollicitudin ultricies sit fermentum, ac eu bibendum. Mi eu, sed consectetuer, eleifend pellentesque, est risus. Magna semper fusce commodo est sodales. In rutrum, ut ultrices elit, leo nulla, et pharetra dui morbi purus justo imperdiet, mauris porttitor.

⎒ biography ⎒​

---

"...AT LEAST I'M NOT BORING."

Euismod duis eu urna, quis volutpat eu, id vitae turpis amet ligula rutrum. Suspendisse purus nunc nullam in purus eleifend. Interdum cras. Ac consequat vitae tellus bibendum suspendisse arcu. Pede maecenas quis et, sed magna mauris leo tempor blandit et, enim sed mattis, eu mauris urna placerat morbi volutpat. Pellentesque dolor dui pulvinar donec faucibus, purus leo ante, viverra velit auctor. Nisl tempor nibh duis quam mauris, ac amet suspendisse non libero sodales, parturient mus nonummy sed torquent, nam hendrerit arcu et. Massa iaculis elit sit est rhoncus. Massa hendrerit porttitor a omnis, consectetuer ultricies vitae pede vivamus amet, arcu quisque tellus consequat ut vel, mauris potenti pede pulvinar ipsum ornare orci. Urna dis, sit mi sed aliquam sem cum condimentum, cursus nunc cras do neque, cras velit purus lobortis metus, aliquam sit sed aliquet. Nec mauris. Tempor ultrices duis nulla blandit at, lacus porta ut nec.

Vivamus felis vestibulum dis phasellus vel, vestibulum tempor, morbi cubilia ac pellentesque, magnis velit sed tellus, augue enim ac sit non accumsan sodales. Lacus dolor, risus vestibulum, turpis amet ac integer nec, vestibulum in, aenean eros mus fusce suscipit inceptos. Sit massa nullam eu mi mauris et, feugiat at phasellus auctor rutrum, praesent volutpat, et pellentesque aliquam sagittis. Suscipit aliquam non feugiat ut. Ante est magna quis. Ornare at massa fusce lorem praesent nam, turpis pretium pharetra turpis quam, maecenas urna urna amet, nibh justo.

 

[JustAFed]

Main CS Lore

• 
  
  The End of the Ascended
  
  
  
  
  
  
  - 5th expedition to the Tomb of the Ascended King, c. 45 PA
  The year is 645 P.A. or Post Ascendance. Over six hundred years ago on our homeworld of Vandana, during the time of the old empire, a well renowned explorer and warrior by the name of Heuli Lykkersson discovered the Tomb of the Ascended King. Within this tomb lay a treasure trove of knowledge that would bring forth immense technological change, as well as Lor, the Ascended King himself. Lor was the giant being that had sat dormant on his throne, his features were similar to that of a human but was at the least fifty feet tall. During his exploration of the tomb, Heuli had managed to awaken Lor and in a bright flash of light was transformed into the first Ascended Human, an enhanced being that averages eight feet in height, has wings like that of an angel and is nigh immortal.
  From that point, the old empire would begin its decline with the rise of the Aesinur, the technology formed around it, as well as the religion that worshiped Lor and the growing number of Ascended individuals. In 112 P.A., the old empire finally collapsed and was replaced with the Holy Empire of the Ascended. In this government, the nobility were done away with and replaced with the Order of Heuli, a group of Ascended who would elect the Holy Emperor among themselves. For another five centuries there was no real upheaval or disturbances within the empire, save for the occasional scuffle with The Collective. Though now, things have changed. More and more Ascended are being created and put into positions of power and have begun to wrest major control from humans and have begun to treat them as second class citizens. The current Holy Emperor, Kristoff Asmund is highly xenophobic against ordinary humans and has begun to create a system where regular humans are made to serve the needs of the Ascended, breed more candidate to make into Ascended, and ultimately phase them out for the perfection that is the Ascended Human.
  While the majority of the Ascended fell behind this idea, this did not sit well with the humans as well as some Ascended and has prompted many parts of the Empire to ignite in rebellion and revolt. The Holy Emperor has dispatched his armies led by his Ascended to put down these displays of insurrection. This unrest has now come to our remote corner of the Empire, and while its is inappropriate to call it a revolution, it is certainly beginning to head that way.
  - A Short History of the Holy Empire and Current Events vol. 12 by Scholar Edgar Jokkarsson
  
• 
  
  
  - Holy Emperor Hakon Wikstrom, 8th Emperor of the Holy Empire of the Ascended
  
  For the time being there will at most twenty players with ten on each side. There will initially be two Ascended on the rebel side and four on the empire side. If you are applying for an Ascended I'd ask that you also PM me a sample of any combat writing you've done on site to avoid any god-modding of player characters. Character slots are open until a user posts a character sheet for that slot. Slots can be reserved for up to 48 hours. Please note that a written reservation takes precedence over informal agreements for slots so be sure to tag me when wanting to reserve a spot.
  
  Positions Available
  Rebels
  
  Leader - Pietr Lindholm - SpaceCowboyEin
  Second-in-command - OPEN
  Ascended Sympathizer - OPEN
  Ascended Sympathizer - OPEN
  Irregular - OPEN
  Irregular - OPEN
  Irregular - OPEN
  Irregular - OPEN
  Irregular - OPEN
  Irregular - OPEN
  Holy Empire Members
  Ascended Commander - OPEN
  Ascended Second-in-Command - Loki Almstedt - Doctor Jax
  Ascended Loyalist - OPEN
  Ascended Loyalist - OPEN
  Human soldier - Celia Aran - Charmaine
  Human soldier - OPEN
  Human soldier - OPEN
  Human soldier - OPEN
  Human soldier - OPEN
  Human soldier - OPEN
  
  
  
  
  
  
  FULL NAME HERE
  PICTURE HERE
  

  About Equipment and Specialization Relations

  • 
    NAME:
    GENDER:
    RACE:
    AGE:
    ROLE:
    APPEARANCE: (Worded description for height,eye/hair color, scars, etc.)
    
    
    BACKGROUND:
    
    
  • 
    SPECIALIZATION:
    
    ARMOR: (If different from character picture)
    
    
    WEAPON OF CHOICE:
    
    OTHER:
    
    
  • 
    Reserved for later discussion.
    
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  - Sigred Kolbeck, 14th Gatekeeper of the Tomb of the Ascended King
  
  Background Rules events Factions Things to Know The Ascended

  • 
    The year is 645 PA (Post Ascendance) in a universe slightly different from our own. The homeworld of the humans, Vandana, is roughly similar to our own, though is somewhat smaller and colder than Earth as it lies around the edge of the habitable zone of it's sun, Ikni. Before the Ascendance, the humans of Vandana lived a rough life, with the majority of the planet's surface experiencing long winters with only a few months of spring-like weather. Civilization toiled in its early years with most groups of humans operating as nomadic tribes that fought among each other. It wasn't until the final five centuries before the Ascendance that society had begun to pick up, tribes organized themselves into warring kingdoms until the Vandanian Empire rose from the ashes of war, uniting the world under one government. From there, a renaissance took place and areas once thought unlivable were explored and soon populated.
    The pinnacle of this period saw vast cities grow above and below ground. Technology was advancing into the age of steamwork. And while this was considered a golden age at the time, it was soon ended by the discovery of the Tomb of the Ascended King lying deep below the surface of a frozen lake some distance from the planet's capital. The Tomb was more reminiscent of a great hall similar to those built by the kings of old, but on a much larger scale. The throne room of the facility was dominated by a robed skeletal figure sitting on a throne. The figure was much larger than any human, proposed to stand at nearly ninety feet tall. Found with the figure were ancient texts written in a language similar to that of the Vandanians and believed to be its precursor. The leader of the first expedition to the Tomb was Heuli Lykkersson, a great warrior and scholar of the time. After several days of study, he read from the largest of these texts, resting on a pedestal at the foot of the giant figure and upon reaching a certain line, stirred awake the sleeping giant.
    In an instant, the giant's eyes were ablaze in a mesmerizing blue light and spoke booming words that would shake the very walls of the Tomb.
    "Take this gift, reclaim the glory of you ancestors!"
    And with those words came a beam of bright blue light that shot towards Heuli, engulfing him entirely and upon striking him caused great pain. During this period, his body had undergone inhuman changes, his body growing larger and magnificent wings made of light sprouted from his back. At the end of his transformation, a large blast of energy emanated from the site of the Tomb, engulfing the planet then promptly dissipating. It caused no harm but would later be discerned to be the cause of the discovery of the Aesinur Crystals, objects of immense magical power. When the rest of the expedition recovered from the blast, they found that Heuli was no longer human, but had taken a form similar to the giant, though at his tallest he stood at eight feet instead of the dizzying heights of the giant. This is how the first of the Ascended was created.
    From there, the seemingly endless treasure trove of information that resided within the tomb helped to spur a second renaissance for the people of Vandana. Within fifty years the whole of the Vandanian empire had reached the age of modernity, and were soon reaching out to the stars for colonization and conquest. Magic and technology advanced hand in hand with a religion based around the Ascended King and Heuli, the first of the Ascended. Around the year 112 P.A. , the empire was officially renamed the Holy Empire of the Ascended, and is ruled by the Order of Heuli, an institution comprised mostly of Ascended individuals meant to replace the nobility and elects an Emperor among themselves.
    The people of the Empire are not alone in the universe either. Many of the planets and moons and large sections of space are controlled by an ancient race of machines that had wiped out a number of spacefaring civilizations before them known simply as The Collective. They do not move far into the defined territory of the Empire unless drawn into open conflict by explorers, military expeditions and planetary colonization efforts.
    Despite this external quasi-threat, the internal politics of the Holy Empire are always in flux, and the rule of the Order of Heuli has become more and more harsh over the years and has begun to drive dissent as normal humans have begun to be treated as second rate citizens against the growing number of Ascended. The current emperor has since declared that humans are to eventually be turned to Ascended whether they like it or not and that many will be assigned to breeding duties to create strong humans to be made into Ascended as well. This has driven a wedge into the empire and has seen humans and Ascended alike take positions on either side of the issue as dissent threatens to turn into full blown rebellion.
    
  • 
    1. Abide by all RpNation rules while posting in this roleplay
    2. As the GM I have the final say in any argument, plot point and anything else regarding the RP and its associated threads.
    3. Respect your peers, fellow roleplayers and the GM.
    4. This is a detailed RP. Keep post length at minimum 2 healthy paragraphs and little to no grammatical errors.
    5. Do not control anyone else's character without their permission.
    6. Have fun.
    7. I'm in no particular rush as it may take a bit to fill character slots as things stand so please take the time to read through the tabs and ask questions if you are unsure about anything.
    
  • 
    
    On the edge of Empire space, a small group of insurrectionists are planning to overthrow the local government of the planet Stangsaar. The planet is large and is home to mostly autonomous factories and agriculture. For that reason, the planet has been largely left unmonitored by the Empire and has left only a small garrison in the capital, Volkiir. Many believe that this planet would be the most reasonable place for the loosely connected rebellion to consolidate itself and make a formal declaration of war against the empire.
    
  • 
    
    Founded in 112 PA, the Holy Empire rose to power rather smoothly after replacing the Vandanian Empre, considering the amount of influence that the Ascended were already wielding beforehand. The beliefs of the Holy Empire are heavily reliant on the texts found in the Tomb and from revelations by Heuli Lykkersson himself. Strength in body and mind are valued among all else as these are the prerequisites required for anyone wishing to become an Ascended. This is followed by piety for the Ascended King, Lor, and Heuli, the first of the Ascended human. For a time, the Holy Empire was extremely progressive and kind towards humans as the Ascended were taught to be shining examples for regular humans to strive to eventually become like through Ascendance. But over the last century or so, as more and more Ascended were created, the thought process of the relationship between Ascended and humans shifted to the more traditional roles of feudal lord and serfs, respectively.
    Nowadays, it is more common for humans to be looked down upon and shamed for their frailty. Pride in being human is also fading as the meaning of ones humanity is reduced simply to a test of worthiness in becoming Ascended. Most humans that side with the Holy Empire are either tied by blood to a number of Ascended in power while others believe strongly that adhering to the rule of their masters will bring them Ascension as well.
    
    This is one of the many rebel groups that have popped up within the reaches of the Holy Empire. This group in particular calls the fringe planet of Stangsaar home. Their leader, Pietr Lindholm, has gathered a number of individuals to take the planet for themselves and hopefully draw other rebel groups nearby to their banner due to the importance of Stangsaar. Pietr has yet to clearly define his group's beliefs yet, with their sole focus to first kick the garrison of Holy Empire-loyal troops off planet.
    
    The Collective is the group of semi-dormant machines that patrol the majority of unexplored space around the Holy Empire. Their existence has been noted in a number of texts found in the Tomb of the Ascended King. They seem to have been the cause of downfall for a number of previous space-faring civilizations, likely including Lor's people. They aren't explicitly aggressive towards the Holy Empire unless they explore too far into their space or attack any of their own scouting parties. This events are normally followed by an incursion of Collective Ships attacking a colony planet, inflicting heavy losses before leaving. Attempts to communicate with the Collective have been ignored but it is clear by many that they would rather not be bothered. The issue of how to deal with them has been shelved in favor of quelling unrest within the empire.
    
  • 
    
    Rebels
    Pietr Lindholm - Leader of the rebel cell on Stangsaar.
    Holy Empire
    Lor - The Ascended King. His corpse remains in his tomb on Vandana and is used to make humans into Ascended.
    Heuli Lykkersson - The first of the Ascended. Founder of the Holy Empire of the Ascended and considered a God alongside Lor.
    Hakon Wikstrom - 8th Emperor of the Holy Empire, currently set on slowly turning as many humans as possible into Ascended.
    
    Aesinure Crystals - These crystals are an indispensable resource discovered using information gained from the Tomb of the Ascended King. The largest deposits of the crystals are on Vandana but can be found on numerous planets with similarly icy conditions. They are extremely useful and power almost everything within the Empire, from phones to cars, spaceships to warp gates, and powered weapons and armor. The crystals give off a bright blue glow and are extremely powerful, with a chunk the size of a car being able to power a large warp gate for over a hundred years.
    Powered Weapons and Armor - Powered armor was developed mainly for use by humans to help them keep up with Ascended while fighting The Collective. They increase the strength and speed of the individual as well as their endurance by coating them in a shield made by the energy of the suit's Aesinur crystal. It is effective at minimizing most damage thrown at it but is weak against bladed power weapons. These power weapons operate Aesinur crystals as well and draw their power either from being connected to the power armor or has its own small crystal stored within the weapon. All power weapons are versions of traditional melee weapons with conductors along their blade edges that allows energy from the crystals to pulse through them, increasing their deadliness. The energy of the crystal is so powerful that it is possible for a powered sword to cut through the hull armor of a warship.
    Additionally, powered armor for humans has a number of features absent in the models made for Ascended. The first of which is a multi-direction movement system comprised of a number of thrusters placed on the back and at different joints to act as a jetpack. Paired with a set of skids that deploy at the feet, this systems allows for rapid movement when in a combat situation and the ability to fly for short periods of time to jump long distances. The shields on the armor are also improved to dampen any fall damage taken from up to a hundred feet but is just as unlikely as any other shield to be pierced by bladed power weapons. As of now, these suits are also rather bulky and don't allow for too much movement. This is issue is currently being worked out by a number of loyalist tech design companies on rebelling worlds, including Stangsaar. It should also be noted that powered armor for Ascended is much more form-fitting as adding any more armor than is necessary is dishonorable and makes them more like the humans.
    
    
    
    
    Vandana - Capital of the Holy Empire of the Ascended, home world of the humans and Ascended. An unforgiving ice world made livable by the masses with domed and underground settlements.
    Stangsaar - A fringe terran planet specialized in autonomous production from both factories and agriculture.Current hotpoint in the, hopeful capital for rebels.
    Volkiir- Capital of Stangsaar, home to the local Empire garrison and is where the controls to the planet's autonomous industries are.
    Grjota - A small ice moon that serves as the HQ for The Order of Heuli.
    
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    The Ascended are considered by many to be the next step in human evolution and abominations by others. Whatever the case may be, their rule over the human race has grown tighter and tighter as the centuries have come and gone. While their outlook on their fellow members of the Empire are rather bleak, the one thing that has not changed about the Ascended from day one is their general physiology has stayed the same. The process of becoming an Ascended makes a person larger, with most individuals standing to an average of eight feet. Ascended are also much more resilient than their human counterparts and are able to take heavy blunt hits comparable to being hit with a full dumpster or falling from a multi-story building and still be able to fight. This resiliency is increased when donning powered armor. That being said, Ascended are not invulnerable, if you manage to land a direct hit on them with a bladed power weapon, they will bleed and they will die. The final and most distinguishing feature of the Ascended is their ability to sprout wings from their backs made of energy that resembles that of an Aesinur crystal.
    Ascended society has hardly changed from regular human society, but instead had clung to the pillar of belief that only the strongest survive in the end. Prestige is garnered by being the best combatant around. Many Ascended can be very confrontational and challenging but know to respect the authority wielded by their superiors not by rank but by combat skill as well. It is by this system that the hierarchy of the Empire is set up. Therefore it has been determined that the 9 High Council members of the Order of Heuli and the Holy Emperor himself are the strongest individuals in the empire.
    Also, while it is possible for the Ascended to procreate, the chances of a impregnation are extremely low and the idea of mating with humans is unofficially banned and considered taboo as the resulting child is always human. This the main reason behind the push to subjugate humans and breed them for individuals to become Ascended and is meant to be kept in place until geneticists can increase fertility rates in the Ascended.