“The growth of power and the fear it inspired made war all but inevitable” H.H Secundus
“The War of Ascension”
From: Preliminaries of the Farsees
The account at the beginning…
Having suppressed expansion of the Zi’anian Empire the alliance between the Ri’cilian Coalition and the Ced’a-meon League were destined to dissolve.
However, the Zi’anian defeat left E’ricle’s fleet unmatched and with extraordinary control over interplanetary commerce and E’ricle wielded it’s power as head of the Coalition to extend its hegemony over the Phateon system. Ced’a-meon’s army unsurpassed in size, fighting skill and ferocity face diminishing influence as does The League.
Fearing the unchecked imperial ambitions of E’ricle through the Ri’cilian Coalition the Ced’a-meon League, made up of determinedly independent oligarchies, prepare to once more check empire’s reach.
Phateon States
Zi’an: Inhabited planet closest to Phateon. History of the first age, The Technocratic (Automocratic) Age, has been mostly lost but Zi’an is thought to be the first planet to give rise to sentient life in the Phateon system. Zi’an’s achieved space travel and later with the help of Artificial Intelligence colonized the other inner planets and their natural satellites. The Technocratic Age ended centuries ago with the Fall of the Corpacracies and the Technocratic War. Historical and scientific knowledge was lost during The Purge that concluded the war. Following the “Tech War”, Zi’an was the first to reunite under a common though tyrannical government. Free from planetary war Zi’an built an inter-planetary fleet and invaded E’ricle. This invasion led to the forming of The Alliance between The Coalition and The League. The Alliance defeated Zi’an and destroyed their fleet, so ending the Zi’anian War. No longer unified, civil war soon returned to Zi’an.
E’ricle: The only planet in the system to be ruled by a fully democratic planetary government. E’ricle is a planet of mostly water and this has influenced strongly the Ri’cilian culture a culture which places prominence on commerce and naval strength. With the rise of interplanetary commerce E’ricle invested heavily in a mercantile and combative space fleet. During The Zi’anian War The Alliance relied heavily on E’ricle’s fleet to transport and deploy Ced’a-meon fighters against Zi’an. Following the war E’ricle investments in its fleet accelerated to include new ships, a space dock and several space elevators. Ri’cilian society values culture and education, it’s elite are prone to excess.
Ced’a-meon: A planet wide oligarchy controlled by a handful of strong royal families. Ced’-a-meon culture is one of war and hero worship. Every male citizen of age is expected to be a warrior in the service of their regent family. Every female is expected to give birth to an established quota, per her caste, of males. From birth coming of age training and rituals serve only to weed out the weak and give rise to strong citizen soldiers of the state. Planetary conditions are harsh further ensuring physical strength. Since forming the oligarchy, during time of peace armies are kept at the ready by arranged battles between armies of the royal families. These events are broadcast planet-wide and are used by the royals to settle disputes or establish position in the government and its councils. Ced’a-meon law is harsh and unforgiving and luxuries even among the ruling classes are virtually unheard of.
Other Influential States:
Metamorphia: Smallest of the inhabited natural satellites of Ced’a-meon. Metamorphia is a neutral state and the first natural satellite to be unified, it is also the only theocratic state in the system. Metamorphic beliefs include the coming of the Paragon (sometimes called the Supreme Intellect). The church keeps detailed historic and genealogical records of all the Phateon humanoid races in the belief that they will be able to decipher the Paragon’s arrival. There are several Metamorphian sects each led by an Oversee, growing in influence the Vidians believe the supreme intellect can only be an AI and they view The Technocratic War as a travesty of history.
Arc’ania: A natural satellite to Ced’a-men. The two independent states of Arc’ania are both members of The League. The civilized inhabitants of Arc’ania live in large enclosed cities cut off from the natural surroundings of the planet. The forests of Arc’ania are home to a large but unknown number of primitive humanoids who are continually in a state of undeclared war against the city dwellers of Arc’ania. Larger and stronger than the city dwellers of Arc’ania these so called primitives are masters of guerilla warfare. Besides the primitives, Arc’ania is home to several large predatory species. Any city dweller found outside their city walls are considered all but dead.
Other Non-united planets:
Lis’inth: A natural satellite to Ced’a-meon and covered largely by water with two continents. Each continent is an independent state. Like E’ricle, Elean and Peleios have strong nautical traditions and are said to have planetary navigation skills only surpassed by the Ri’cilians.
Lis’inth (Elean) : Elean missile and torpedo designs are without equal. Elean is memeber of The League
Lis’inth (Peleios): Until recently independent. At war with it’s co-inhabitants of Lis’inth, Elean, Peleios has asked for help from the Coalition. Tough Elean is in the League, until recently the League has refrained from involvement as it believes that planetary unification is inevitable but it must come from the actions of the inhabitants without outside aid.
Carnas: A natural satellite to Er’icle. The three independent states of Carnas are all members of The Coalition. Rich in industrial elements including rare metals Carnas is highly industrialized. Manufacturing and mining have made Carna the most polluted planet in the Phateon System. Most Carnian companies are subsidiries to Ric’illian conglomerates.
Planetary Law:
As agreed to by the charters of the Alliance and retained in The Dissolution Treaty:
Except for terrestrial territories and corresponding airspace, a unified planet can claim sovereignty over spherical space extending up to the furthest reaching Lagrangian Point of any of its natural satellites.
Natural satellites can claim sovereignty extending up until the lowest extent required for short-term stable orbit of their planetoid.
Metamorphia can claim sovereignty over spherical space extending up to it’s first and second Lagrangian Points in the Ce’dameon-Metamorphia System.
Main Industries:
Zi’an: Renowned for their textiles they export finished garments ranging from fashion to combat space suits
E’ricle: Primarily exports commodities that pertain to aquaculture. Primary exported services: Shipwrights. Export of non-renewable natural resources is banned.
Ced’a-meon: Primarily export commodities pertain to agriculture. Primary exported services: Mercenary. Export of military technology is banned.
Metamorphia: Self sustaining. Primary exported services pertain to medicine and education. With few exceptions it is illegal to physically take data storage devices including books off planet.
Ced’a-meon caste (bottom-up)
1. Citizen Soldiers :
a. . Reserve: Any Citizen Soldier male aged 3-16.
b. Guard: Labor force and part-time soldier
c. Soldier of rank
2. Citizen Mother (Citizens Mothers are born into the caste of their father and inherit assets not title. Titles go to next surviving male heir)
3. Respectables
4. Lords
5. Royal Family
Ced’a-meon culture
Ced’a-meon reserve units are banned from grooming their hair including their beards. Upon graduating from the Reserves candidates are shaved bare.
Soldiers of rank can grow their hair to shoulder length at most until granted squad command and rank of Sergeant. Upon reaching Sergeant, Soldiers of Rank continue to grow their hair until defeated in combat at which point they join the ranks of the Guard. Soldiers of Rank are allowed to wear their beards as they please and often become associated with their beard style.
Reserves that graduate but fail to qualify for Soldier of Rank become Guards. Guards can grow their hair no longer than shoulder length. With the exception of Reserves- when in combat garb, hair must be tightly bound regardless of rank.
The highest rank attainable is that of Strategos of which there are three levels (Strategos, Strategos Superior, Strategos Prime – there is only one Prime ). Strategos of renown are often offered lordship but many decline preferring the ranks of Citizen Soldier.
Citizen Soldiers can claim for a period of twelve months any Citizen Mother (up to alloted by rank) of or below his caste and must prove pregnancy within three months or relinquish his claim. Citizen Soldiers must cede their claim to higher rank.
Citizen Mother’s are raised to be consorts and are trained in the art of seduction and carnal pleasures. If a Citizen Mother goes unclaimed for a period defined by her caste or is relinquished three times for failure to bear she will fall into the next lowest caste.
Upon achieving certain milestones established for their highest attained caste a Citizen Soldier and Citizen mother can retire into their castes’ “Respectables” class with pension. A Respectable Citizen Mother cannot be claimed without her consent.
Though virtually unheard off, both Citizen Soldiers and Citizen Mothers can at anytime forfeit their caste rank downward until Guard.
Breeding of Lords and the Royal Family is strictly regulated by the Royal Family and Resident Elder. Male Lords and Royals must also join in the Reserve until the age of ten at which point they become Rangers. Rangers must survive alone in the wild until 15.
In battle a Lord can trump the commands of his Army’s highest Citizen Soldier regardless of his rank. A Royal can always trump a Lord. Though permissible it is rare that the orders of a Strategos are trumped by the ruling class. The few historical instances where a Strategos had been trumped ended in catastrophic military defeat.
Metamorphic organization (top-down)
The ArchOversee
Overseers (such as The Vidian Order Oversee)
Elders:
The Ascetics:
The Assembly
Metamorphic culture:
The ArchOversee is an Elder elected for life by the Order of Overseers. Elevation of an Elder to ArchOversee takes many years. The ArchOversee is the only one who has complete insight into the governance of all sects. Sects are run by an Oversee. In the past sects have undermined each other but only at the discretion of the ArchOversee as all means justify the coming of the Paragon.
According to Metamorphic beliefs The Paragon sometimes called the first supreme intellect will unify the Phateon races and usher in a new age of everlasting life and interstellar space travel bringing into the fold yet to be discovered but prophesied alien races from distant star systems.
The varied governments seek council from Metamorphic Elders. In exchange for this valued council each government must pay an annual tribute as well as provide an annual quota of young untainted minds for joining into The Assembly.
The Assembly are the Metamorphic masses. They are trained in the accepted arts and sciences from an early age and expected to become unsurpassed medics or educators. These services are exported on a rotation basis in exchange for more young converts.
Every year during The Choosing, select pubescent members of The Assembly are separated and drafted into an Ascetic order. The Sisterhood will draft select born males into their order, converting them into an androgyne as part of a secret ritual known only as The Mysteries, thereby accepting them into the order. One can never leave an order except in death. An Ascetic is considered a specialized Elder.
There are five Ascetic sects each governed by an Oversee there is also an Oversee to The Assembly.
The Elders are purveyors of the sacrament and perform the sacred rituals. Each is charged with a congregation from The Assembly. Off world Elders serving as counsel for a fixed period of time are charged with the congregation on the planet of their residence for the duration of their appointment.
Sects of the Ascetics
The Vidians: Believe that the Paragon can be nothing other than an AI. Advocates of technology and secretly study computer sciences in the hopes of constructing an AI
The Sisters: Believe in reincarnation and that the vessel of the Paragon is always among us but must be found and filled. They are suspected of child abductions.
The Izlar: Trained killers that believe the will of the higher order necessitates subtle intervention in human affairs. As tools of this will, they believe, their actions will set in order the conditions needed for the Paragon’s arrival. Specialist in espionage and assassination.
The Aristos: Believe that the Paragon is hereditary title and that he will be born of royal blood to a house unknown. Because of this Royal Houses prefer their planet’s Elders come from this sect.
The Farsees: Guardians of the Oracles, the Farsees are respected for the prophetic abilities. They never leave Metamorphia and rarely leave the Oracles
E’ricle culture
Though its Army is much smaller E’ricle warriors are second only to Ced’a-meon’s. Their space fleet and surface Navy however are without peers. Made up of merchant ships of various classes capable of trading goods between E’ricle and all the inhabited planets within the system. E’rcile merchant fleet also facilitates trade between the Phateon states for a percentage of the transaction both ways.
Along with it’s planetary merchant fleet, E’ricle maintains two planetary battle groups which alternate between deep orbit on the ready for deployment and space dock for replenishment, repairs and crew swap out.
Crews alternate between the space fleets and the very powerful surface fleets. Time of rotation is 1 to 3 in favor of surface fleet assignment in order to keep crews from succombing to the adverse effects of living for extended periods of time in zero gravity.
Built in space the ships of the planetary battle groups are not designed and cannot survive atmospheric entry and must stay in orbit though they carry craft capable of planetary landing and troop deployment. Along with it’s planetary battle group E’ricle maintains a numerous launch vehicles ranging from one-time rockets to reusable spaceplanes.
E’ricle’s shipwrights are highly coveted by other states and are allowed to consult but are not allowed to divulge current technology.
Though a democracy both the Admiralty and Defense Industries of E’ricle command enormous political clout.