Interstellar Winds Application Thread [FT]

[IW Admin]

A Region and Roleplay of the Cosmos

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News Thread (WIP)|Map|Our Discord

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The Interstellar Winds

We're striving to be a self-contained Future Tech RP region, focused on a combination of political science, character-driven, military and generally world-defying concepts in the beautiful setting and medium of space. As a result of the mixed nature of the RPs we want members to participate in, there will be a central 'News Thread', which will allow people to write one-off stories and pieces about their nation in whatever format they desire -- space twitter, transcripts of video broadcasts, or even news that seems shockingly similar in style to that produced by the Solar Commune..... There will also be a number of individual RPs that will cover specific arcs or nations depending on members' preference, which will be more transient but no less important. Please feel free to talk to an OP if you have questions about setting up a RP or writing a post for one, and we'll be happy to assist you!

The region aims to form a vibrant community of lore within iiWiki -- and its use is strongly recommended. The Discord is also a useful place for building lore and quickly discussing items with relevant individuals, but it should not be the only place where that occurs.

The Map linked above contains both the borders of the various nations and polities that are present in canon currently, as well as the extent of the currently-mapped/known node system of the ethereal Interstellar Winds.

Please consult the FAQ section below for answers to many of your questions, broken out by various categories. Feel free to ask follow-up questions, or a question that hasn't yet been answered!

One Small Step

As a yet to be newly founded region, we're in this just from the beginning as you are. Those of you likely to be here first will have been heavily active in our Discord over the recent days. We're not quite open to the entirety of you galactic citizens just yet, but we might be soon enough. If you are interested, or you've been in the discord but living under a rock, you'll definitely need to give this a read!

FAQ

• • What are psionics?
    To put it simply, psionics are a realization of a cosmic connection to energies that are pretty much unknowable. There is no consistent pattern or system to how or why psionics emerge, and only a few fundamental truths that hold true for each psion. What a psion is will depend heavily on what it can do, and how your species behaves in relation to it.
    
    Some species are entirely psionic. Some species only have a few psions. Some will punish psions, others will revere them. The amount of power and influence a psion can wield will vary based on the circumstances of their life and your race.
    
    Many have tried to invent explanations for why psions exist, arguing that there must be some sort of cosmic destiny or fate for these individuals. Others have tried to come up with reliable predictors for psionic behavior, in an effort to reliably call upon the powers available to these gifted individuals. Some have succeeded in predicting psionic powers or identifying their source within specific species, but most researchers remain mired amidst confounding variables and a dizzying array of uncontrollable factors. All systems have failed when attempting to extrapolate to another species.
    

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  • Am I a Jedi?
    
    These are not the answers you're looking for, because no, you're not. Psions are, at their base level, able to wield powers of telekinesis and telepathy in realspace. Beyond that, their power levels fluctuate wildly from species to species or individual to individual. History is littered with individuals claiming vast powers - the ability to fire psionic charges from their fingertips, or manipulate people's minds. We have dismissed most of these as myths.
    
    Their fundamental abilities are what set them apart from most individuals, as well as their innate connection to the Winds, the ethereal energies that rage within the nodes. Psions feel the Winds in their mind, but each psion reacts differently. Most view the experience positively, giving them a lasting sensation of heady euphoria, leading many to compare it to drugs or an addiction. Some psions and species claim to feel a deep connection to specific aspects of the Winds, claiming that that they can feel their ancestors or gods or various supernatural entitites within. There is no confirmation of this, however.
    
    As a psion, you wield powers beyond that of an average individual within your society, but you are not immortal or unkillable. You cannot propel yourself, or move entire planets, or -- generally speaking -- do much more than the basic tele-powers on a small, local scale.
    
    If you happen to manifest powers beyond that described within the above paragraphs, please contact your local representative of the Elder Council for further questioning.
    

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  • How do I get psionics?
    
    Generally speaking, if you weren't born with it, you're out of luck. The vast majority of species gain psionic connections at birth, although it may take some time to realize it, especially if one has not traveled through the Winds.
    
    Some very few species have mechanisms or methods to grant psionic powers, but these are generally steeped in great ritual, are concealed from outsiders, and usually don't work on outsiders anyway. They're often not consistent nor well-understood by the culture in question, according to the few researchers who have witnessed such things.
    

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  • What do they do?
    
    Telekinesis and telepathy, really. You can move things you can see, and you can sense people's strong thoughts and emotions. You can't control their thoughts, nor dominate their mind, or anything else so insidious or evil. Why would you want to do that, anyway?
    
    Again, some individuals claim to have greater powers beyond this. Consult the archives of the Elder Council for further information.
    
    The primary purpose for psions is in navigating the Winds. As they are innately connected to the psionic energies within the node system, psionic navigators find their ships responding more adroitly to stray currents, and the Winds propelling them seem to move a smidgen faster than nearby ships. The more psions on a ship, the stronger the response from the Winds, and the faster the ship is propelled. Most psions receive lucrative offers of employment from trade companies and businesses. Some unfortunate fellows find themselves compelled to serve their species as a navigator on a warship, however.
    

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  • Are there downsides?
    
    Yes. Psions are more prone to various mental psychoses and issues, syndromes, etc. This is not immediate, but a larger trend within the community of psions over time. Species with a higher proportion of psions (or entirely psionic) face this limitation overall. Something about exerting unknown forces in realspace has a toll on the mind. This is not true for all individuals, however, and many psions live long and happy lives -- it's simply a general note for that group overall.
    
    Similarly, their connection to that unknowable power leads to unusual responses from their community, sometimes. Some species revere psionic individuals, others drive them out. Some cultures enslave their psions on ships, while others let them live freely as they'd like. This will vary from state to state, depending on the needs of the species in question.
    

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  • Can they be identified?
    
    They can, but it can be difficult from time to time. If they're a member of a majority or all-psionic species, then of course they're likely to be psionic. If they're not, however, then many species have invented tests to determine psionic tendencies. For some species, in-vitro checks are sufficient. For others, psionic tendencies don't manifest until much later in life.
    
    For some, psionic powers will or cannot emerge until they are exposed to the Winds or another traumatic event. They may have simply been a normal or very empathetic person prior to that point, after which they will be likely transformed -- if not from their powers, then from the experience of the trauma that triggered it. For many species, exposure to the Winds is the most reliable method of detecting psions: all psions have a reaction to the Winds, and only a few are capable of concealing it, especially if it's their first time experiencing it. This reaction can vary from full psychotic breakdown to heavy euphoric bliss.
    

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  • Can AI use psionics?
    
    No. For whatever reason, psionic powers have never been found in any AI's subroutines or processes. Similarly, psionic powers tend to be lost when a mind is uploaded to a digital processing unit. Many suspect that sufficiently advanced models of a sentient brain - capable of replicating and predicting thoughts and emotions and other such things with exact fidelity to the original person - could demonstrate this. For now, it remains in the realm of theory. Others theorize that psionic powers are a property of an innate spiritual nature, and argue that AI do not demonstrate the properties of an ensouled being, and therefore cannot ever become psions. That remains in the realm of philosophy.
    

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  • Can a psionic community become a groupmind or a hive mind?
    
    Yes and no, respectively. Communities of psions have been shown to link together in groupminds, sharing thoughts and emotions throughout the community. Psionic races, such as the Xyn, demonstrate this to great effect.
    
    Groupminds can only occasionally cross psionic barriers between species. Each time, it is an immense struggle, with the groupmind feeling the psionic connection only during times of great trauma and stress - such as the Xyn at the Destruction of Ravnikor. Most psions are able to connect with each other one-on-one via telepathy; maintaining a connection between various groupminds is far more difficult.
    
    Groupminds are often mistakenly equated to hiveminds. This is not accurate. Within groupminds, each individual is very distinct and separate, sharing their thoughts, emotions, or experience with the community. They maintain their sense of self throughout. Hiveminds have no sense of individuality within each drone, instead forming a collective, gestalt, consciousness. For some reason, the sense of individuality and free will -- no matter how subdued on a cultural level -- remain an obstacle to groupminds becoming a hivemind. Similarly, hiveminds cannot degenerate into groupminds or individual entities within singular bodies. The schisming of a hivemind is possible, but the new mind becomes its own entity, separated from the original mind and occupying its own set of bodies.

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• • How does FTL work in this?
    
    The FTL system is known as 'the Winds', and is a fixed network of nodes that connect a few thousand solar systems together.
    

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  • Is FTL psionic-related? Do I have to be psionic to travel?
    
    Yes, it is, but you don't need to be. The Winds are related to psionic energy in some way that is unknown - but currently studied throughout the galaxy - but it is indisputable that psionic individuals feel a deep connection to a larger energy when entering the Winds network. When it comes to day-to-day operations and travel, though, you don't need any psionic connection to travel through - it's just a teensy bit easier for psions to navigate.
    

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  • Are nodes one way? Are they fixed? Can I create nodes?
    
    Nodes are not one-way. You can travel between two nodes in either direction, provided they're connected to each other. You cannot travel from one node to an unconnected node.
    
    So far, no one knows how to create a node, and many have tried. The number of nodes is fixed - no one has seen a node be created or destroyed. Some systems only have one node in or out -- these are known as 'End Nodes' or 'Terminal Nodes'. Some have upwards of three or four nodes, commonly referred to as 'Hub Nodes'.
    
    Nodes are not required to travel through the Winds, but they make entry far easier and far safer.
    

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  • How exactly do I travel through a Node?
    
    Glad you asked. Entering and exiting through a node requires a lot of energy, since you're tearing a rift through space into another plane of existence (or so people speculate). Your ships provide the initial 'spark' of energy via their drive engines or other apparatus, and that initial input resonates with the energies on the other side of the Node, tearing it open and allowing your ship to pass through.
    
    Once inside, your ship does the same thing, activating its engine at a precise point to 'exit' the Node, tearing open a rift at its destination and exiting.
    
    Most polities have established the technology of Gates, which stabilise the nodes and reduce the energy and time needed to use them. They keep the nodes open permanently, while preventing the mingling of Realspace and Windpace.
    

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  • What if I didn't do that?
    
    Then your ship stays in the Winds indefinitely. The Winds are full of early probes people launched through to explore the space when they didn't know how to exit it. Most people discover the exit point by leaving their drives on throughout the Winds, discovering exit nodes by accident.
    

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  • Are all nodes within a system linked? Or do I have to travel across the system to another node?
    
    In many cases, there is one node per system, offering a 'branch' in the Winds. Ships rely on energy impulses from the gates at that node to determine how to navigate, allowing for rudimentary tracking and navigation.
    
    Many systems have multiple nodes, though (especially 'Hub Nodes'), requiring ships to exit the Winds and cross the system to enter the next node on their route.
    

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  • Can you interact with other ships within the Winds?
    
    Yes, and no.
    
    For some reason, speed is limited within the Winds, relative to the speed at which all things are traveling within the system. So even though you yourself are traveling FTL relative to the galaxy, you're unable to travel more than a minute fraction of FTL within the Winds. The Winds themselves are what transport ships to and from the exit nodes based on entry point and other factors.
    
    Similarly, the Winds don't seem to react well to high-energy emissions that they're exposed to. Such things often lead to an explosive response and severe damage to the ship in question. This combination of factors makes FTL battles within the Winds almost impossible - kinetic weaponry will not function well at all, and laser weaponry has the potential to damage the attacking ship more than the target.
    
    Most people use low-energy communications lasers to talk within the Winds and receive trade information and such, allowing them to identify ships traveling nearby, but not of sufficient power to attack.
    
    Similarly, it is technically possible to board nearby ships, but it's very difficult to do - pirates that accomplish such goals immediately achieve near-mythical status for their skill, derring-do, and luck.
    

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  • What are gates?
    
    Gates are large deep-space structures that accompany most known nodes. They're built by the species that owns the system in question (and thus technology level, style, etc, vary quite a bit), and they're intended to stabilize the Node.
    
    Travel in and out of a Node is very energetic, and sometimes there's a chance the ship in question can explode or be heavily damaged by the energies being released. The gates act as stabilizers, absorbing excess energy and allowing for much safer, more reliable transport in and out of the Node.
    
    Most species also turn the gate into their equivalent of a border checkpoint, customs office, immigration office, and other things, allowing them to monitor, track, tax, and assess all ships coming in and out of the system.
    
    

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  • Do gates know when a ship is about to emerge from a node?
    
    Yes. The energies being built up give the station a few seconds of advance notice. Psionic individuals get a tiny bit more time given their deeper connection to the Winds.
    
    However, the gate cannot know what type of ship is coming through. At most, it's able to approximately guess how much mass is about to emerge.
    

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  • Can a species shut off the gate mid-transit, no longer stabilizing the node for the exiting ships?
    
    Probably. It'd damage your gate, likely, given that you'd be interrupting massive energy transfers. If the emerging ship ends up exploding, that may also damage your gate extensively too.
    
    More importantly, though, it's also a hideous war crime, and banned by almost every known species as part of a general series of treaties governing interstellar travel. Don't do it.
    

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  • How long does it take to travel from one node to another?
    
    For some reason, probably due to the unknowable and mysterious nature of the Winds, it takes approximately 45 standard hours to travel, regardless of the distances being crossed in 'realspace'. This is consistent across all nodes - two nodes that are 4 LY apart take approximately 45 hours to transit between, and two nodes that are 400 LY apart also take approximately 45 hours.
    
    For interstellar travel, the route you take matters more than the distance you travel. There are several factors that modify this slightly.
    
    The first is the nature of your crew and navigators. Psions respond intuitively to the currents within the Winds, and the Winds seemingly respond in kind. Psionic navigators offer a slight boost to transit, shaving an hour or two off of each transit period (approximately 0.97x transit time). Psionic crews offer larger benefits, their collective psionic energy speeding them along a bit faster (approximately 0.9x transit time).
    
    The second is the administrative nature of the bureaucracy each gate has. Since most species monitor, track, inspect, and tax ships as they come through, that adds time to the transit process. This will vary and depend on the species and government in question.
    
    The last is the technology of the gate -- how efficient they are at processing and stabilizing the energies necessary to pull ships through the nodes. Most gates will be at the same approximate level, but some backwaters will have inefficient gates. Please reference the Misc. Info table.
    
    Some homeworld/core worlds with incredibly high levels of traffic might have more cutting edge stuff that shaves a tiny bit of time off the transit, but these will be few and far between.
    

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  • Can you travel or communicate FTL outside of the Winds?
    
    Yes. Most species have methods of traveling at or just above FTL within their systems. No one has developed methods of traveling at FTL speeds sufficient to replace the Winds network as a reliable method of travel. All FTL systems thus developed rely heavily on the unique gravitational wells that form around stellar (or supermassive) objects, diminishing heavily in efficacy as they leave the gravitational well. It's theorized that one could create a truly interstellar drive based on this system, but the energy and material demands would be incredibly taxing for any empire.
    
    Similarly, you can communicate with people within your systems at FTL speeds, but not to or from neighboring systems with any reliability. Communication directly through the Winds is not possible. You need to send a courier drone with your message on board. Treat interstellar communications like snail mail, really -- a day or two of delay for your messages to arrive.

Misc. Info

Galactic Polities

Application

Obviously you want to fill out an application for the region to join! Please consider the application below the standard 'guidelines' for what information we want. Do not feel limited by the application, however -- if you have a nonstandard or truly alien system planned for your species, then absolutely feel free to submit an application that contains sufficient information for the OPs to judge your concept. In this application, we're looking for a combination of things - something that demonstrates your species/polity as something other than reskinned humans; an ability to participate in and cause conflict, whether indirectly or not; a well thought out system of governance or otherwise unique concept; dedication to your idea.

We may change the guidelines as needed, depending on input from our members.

Code: Select all

[b][u][size=125]Government Info[/size][/u][/b]
[b]Polity Name:[/b] (English | Native Script ꡕꡣꡛ | Native Language 1 | Native language 2 etc.)
[b]Capital World(s):[/b] (If you have several make sure to note down the differences
[b]Government Type:[/b] (Monarchy, republic, federation, oligarchy, theocracy etc.)
[b]Government Details:[/b] (For further information on your government)
[b]Polity Rank:[/b] (Aleph Minus to Zain)
[b]Leader(s):[/b]
[b]Population:[/b]

[b][u][size=125]Major Racial Info[/size][/u][/b]
([i]Please copy and paste the below for each major race you have[/i])
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Physiology:[/b] (More akin to strengths and weaknesses, but also elaborate on any quirks that set apart from the ‘norm’ i.e. dextro- or levo-amino acids, methane breathing, lifespans, connection to psionics, etc)
[b]Role:[/b] (Do they play a specialised role within your nation, and is it by choice / determined by skill?)
[b]Ethics/Values:[/b] (A catch-all term for the generalised values espoused by your people: militarism, religion, culture, etc)
[b]Population:[/b] (Can be a percentage of your total pop or rough estimate)

[b][u][size=125]Minor Racial Info[/size][/u][/b]
([i]A minor race should be no more than 5% of your total pop, and should play a background role[/i])
[b]Number:[/b] (How many minor races are a part of your polity)
[b]Brief Descriptions[/b] (Name - A brief one to four line description of them, do this for as many as you have)

[b][u][size=125]Territorial Info[/size][/u][/b]
[b]Home System:[/b]
[b]Systems Claimed:[/b] (Many systems may be uninhabited, but used for other purposes)
[b]Core Planets:[/b] (These are very well-developed planets)
[b]Colonial Planets:[/b] ( These planets are not developed enough to be considered core, though they may range in age)
[b]Significant Satellites:[/b] (Habitats, (Significant) Battlestations, Research worlds etc)

[b][u][size=125]Military Info[/size][/u][/b]
[b]Fleet Size:[/b] (Doesn't have to be exact numbers, this is soft sci-fi)
[b]Ground Forces:[/b] (Even now amidst the stars, boots on the ground are boots on the ground. Again doesn't have to be exact numbers, just a rough idea of size and aesthetic)
[b]Preferred Tech for Weapons:[/b] (Do your people prefer lasers, weapons, ballistics, plasma?)


[Lilitou]

WIP

Government Info
Polity Name: Justicial State (Halephit: Meshor’ephem, Charian: Chaidal Yosdarga)
Capital World(s): Meshor'nesphy [Station]
Government Type: Unitary kritocratic constitutional republic
Government Details: The government of the Justiciary is best described as a kritocratic republic. The judicial branch of government has supremacy, with members of the executive and legislative branches drawn from the ranks of the judiciary. The judicial branch is vast, known simply as the Justiciary. The bureaucracy and most officials are members of the judiciary. The empire is divided into 55 circuits, with a judge responsible for each. The circuits are subdivided into courts of varying stature. The executive is comprised of the eponymous Justiciars, joint heads of state elected from and among former members of the judiciary, and the bicameral Legislative Courts. The lower house of the courts is elected through sortition and could be said to resemble a jury, while the upper house is composed of the judges of each circuit.
Polity Rank: Aleph Plus
Leader(s): Justiciars X and Y; Chief Tribune Z; Chief Juror ZZ
Population: "Hundreds of billions"; second largest galactic polity.

Major Racial Info
Name: Halephem (singular: Haleph)
Appearance: TES Dwemer
Physiology: The Halephem are proud, scholarly warrior-judges with strong psionic ability. They have skin tones ranging across bronze, grey, blue-grey and snow white. They are tall, ranging from 6 to 8 feet tall, but with generally slender builds. They tend to have dark black head- and facial hair, often braided with intricate jewellery. Halephem are known to reach 300 solar years, but a more common lifespan is about 250 solar years.
Role: It was on their homeworlds that the Meshorite philosophy emerged, and the Halephem are one of the two founding races of the Justiciary, occupying a leading role. They have a privileged position within the Justiciary, with their culture and language being essentially dominant. In the military, they are found in leadership roles and the psionic corps.
Ethics/Values: Their philosophy and culture pride adherence to the letter of the law, like a judge, but the less pious among them are known to bend the rules closer to a lawyer.
Population: 45.7%

Name: Charians (singular: Charian)
Appearance: WOW Tauren
Physiology: A horned, bipedal, ungulate bovine species. Below average levels of psionics; those who are psionic are considered shamans.
Role: With the arrival of the Halephem, the reforming shaman Charlid launched a great crusade which bound the Charians to a new doctrine of honourable combat. It was following this that Charlid petitioned for unification with the Halephem Judiciate, creating the modern Justiciary. They were not spacefaring prior to their first contact with the Justiciary, but have now - with Halephem technology - proliferated far and wide across known space. They are commonly found in the Justiciary’s heavy infantry and armour divisions.
Ethics/Values: The Charians are a pseudo-tribal society who value honour highly. They were not always this way; prior to their first contact with the Halephem, the Charians were a brutish and savage people, who engaged in needless, wanton violence with little care for the rule of law. Their faith is now syncretised with the Meshorite philosophy.
Population: 21.2%

Name: Sildarii (singular: Sildari)
Appearance: GW2 Sylvari & AOS Sylvaneth
Physiology: The Sildarii are a single-sexed, genderless plantoid species which spend their life in five distinct stages, hailing from the lush world of Sildar. Extremely longlived, their life cycle means that the Sildarii commonly live for thousands of years.
Role: The Sildarii are uniquely exempt from military service within the Justiciary, more commonly found in the diplomatic corps. Sildarii who do serve are usually found in non-combat roles such as the engineers.
Ethics/Values: The Sildarii are a peaceful, carefree people by nature, prone to pacifism. Their ascension to the Justiciary was controversial; with the state gaining control over Sildarii seedpods, purportedly as recompense for saving Sildar from ecological collapse. This has created animosity, and Sildarii integration has been fraught, with them retaining a unique culture that refuses to fully integrate.
Population: 13.5%

Name: Golems (singular: Golem)
Appearance: D&D Constructs
Physiology: Golems are constructs held together by psionic force, imbued in them by their Halephem creators. Crafted from stone and metal, Golems have no psionic ability of their own, and must draw on the energy of their creators. They possess what could be considered an artificial intelligence, but are believed to have limited processing capacity and no self-awareness, as they were created for simple menial labour.
Role: They lack personhood under Justicial law, as such personhood requires a mortal soul, which they are not believed to possess. Tend to perform menial labour.
Ethics/Values: Despite their perceived lack of intelligence, Golems have shown excellent lateral thinking skills, and possess what some might even describe as a unique culture and language of their own, based on binary programming and other mechanical ideals.
Population: 9.2%

Minor Racial Info
Number: Probably thousands; I've only worldbuilt one so far.
Brief Descriptions The C'libin (singular: C'libin) are an aquatic molluscoid species native to the ocean world of C'lib, the C'libin are a largely docile species, who were considered close to livestock prior to their uplifting by the Halephem. The exact reasoning for this uplifting is unknown to the general public. C'libin culture - if it existed at all prior to their uplifting - has been almost entirely supplanted by the wider Justicial culture, with even the C'libin language having been largely replaced by Halephit. The C'libin are considered psionically dead, with absolutely no latent psionic ability. Their service in the Justicial military is most common as pilots, with their aquatic mindset seemingly giving them an edge in aerial combat.

Territorial Info
Home System: Kedur'shebeh
Systems Claimed: Tens of Thousands
Core Planets: Hundreds
Colonial Planets: Thousands
Significant Satellites: Hundreds. The most prominent is Meshor'nesphy.

Military Info
Fleet Size: Big'un
Ground Forces: Big'un
Preferred Tech for Weapons: Lasers

[Tir Hael]

Government Info
Polity Name: Lotus Reclamation Initiative (Commonly referred to as the Lotus Directorate)
Capital World(s): Lotus [Station]
Government Type: Direct Democracy. De facto, it has plutocratic elements.
Government Details: On paper, Lotus is a vibrant cyberdemocracy, where every citizen is part of its lower house and franchises upper house representatives on run time. However, the same system that enabled unprecedented levels of representativity also gave corporations unbalanced power. A combination of surveillance capitalism and full corporate control of means of information diffusion results in a system where power is far from the individual.

Lotus is a member of the human federation, often acting as a mediating force and gateway for alien nations to human space due to its strategic position and infrastructure.

For more information, particularly regarding the station and its details, see here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C1Rp7TiZx3fZpjj7RQQR8cp11jqj1ANnQVkGLbhPpgg/edit?usp=sharing.

Polity Rank: Vav/Daled (Due to the concentration of wealth, influence and technology in Lotus, it ends up punching upwards despite its small population)
Leader(s): The Directorate is comprised of five members, of which one is appointed Director. Current Director is Nyneve Karimi.
Population: ~15 billion

Major Racial Info
Name: Humans
Appearance: Biologically humans. Body modification has caused larger deviations in Lotus, but they are still essentially human. The majority of peoples in Lotus are East Asian, Semitic, south american and eastern european in origin, with some exceptions. This has influenced the general phenotype.
Physiology: Human physiology. Though due to advances in technology, the rich especially have much longer lifespans.
Role: They aren’t stratified in society, with humans being the lowest and highest in the hierarchy, being quite generalistic.
Ethics/Values: There’s a lot of individual variation, but the culture in Lotus harbored an environment where individualistic values tend to thrive.
Population: ~80% of the population is human.

Minor Racial Info
(There are going to be multiple alien minorities in Lotus, due to its nature as a melting pot. Though this is yet )
Number: 3+
Brief Descriptions This depends on other applicants, but the idea is that Lotus and company sponsored colonies are quite open to immigration efforts, be it within Lotus itself or small planetary colonial efforts.

Territorial Info
Home System: Tiamat
Systems Claimed: The directorate directly controls ~100 star systems, of which 13 are inhabited by over 5 million sentients.
Core Planets: Lotus is the Primate settlement in Initiative space. No planet is remotely close to its level of wealth, population or influence.
Colonial Planets: ( These planets are not developed enough to be considered core, though they may range in age)
Significant Satellites: Lotus is a station and is the most significant. Other than lotus, the initiative administers and hosts thousands of space habitats, stations and outposts. These range in size and relevance, acting as habitational hubs, luxury resorts, mining stations and spaceports.

Military Info
Depends on the scale of the setting, but the military sizes is generally going to be quite fluid. The military is comprised not only of state controlled forces, which will be of relatively small size and inherently defensive, but also of paramilitary groups. These private military companies are quite large and powerful, utilized for conflicts beyond lotus’ borders for the right price.
Fleet Size: Official self defence force probably has the space equivalent of a “green water” navy. That said, the station itself has its own self protection mechanisms, but those are not under control of the directorate and are a force of their own.

Ground Forces: When it comes to official numbers, there is a core self-defence force responsible for continuing the reclamation effort of unexplored areas in Lotus and protecting the station. This is a highly advanced force composed of volunteers and synthetic combat units, bolstered by ancient technology found in the station. They aren’t numerous and Lotus does not employ them beyond their borders.

Complementary to those is a large number of PMCs hosted in Lotus, whose size varies drastically, as well as its technology level. They operate beyond Lotus’ borders and see use by many countries, with PMC units from different companies acting in other nations with their own domestic Headquarters.

Preferred Tech for Weapons: The PMCs will probably have a more kinetic vibe. More advanced stuff will likely be plasma based.

[Beladiyah]

Government Info
Polity Name: English: Qalam-Kaldor (dated: Refuge), native names will follow soon once it gets an iiwiki page)
Capital World(s): Zemur (there is no proper government for Qalam-Kaldor, but Zemur generally is seen as the de facto socioeconomic and politial centre due to its large population and economic power)
Government Type: oligarchy, with local chiefdoms, warlords and city states
Government Details: Qalam-Kaldor’s ruling elites are the descendants of the higher-ups of the company that first colonised it centuries ago (more below). They control several industries, the transport to and from Qalam-Kaldor as well as inbetween its planets. Furthermore, they own mines on Ysor and sell mining rights to moons and planets in Qalam-Kaldor. Inofficially, they tolerate the production and trafficking of drugs as well as human trafficking.
Polity Rank: Vav
Leader(s): Council of High Families (cooler name pending)
Population: ca. 500,000,000–600,000,000 (ca. 450,000,000 on Zemur, 65,000,000 on Yatur, 1,500,000 in remaining Qalam System; 15,000,000 on Kaldor, <10,000 in remaining Kaldor System)

Qalam-Kaldor, or Refuge, as some still call it, consists of two solar systems: Qalam, and Kaldor.

Qalam has two planets well within its sun’s habitable zone (Yatur and Zemur), with a third planet (Ysor) at the outer edge of the habitable zone. Zemur is the most earthlike of the bunch, while Yatur is closer to the sun and has much less surface water, being known for its hot days and cold nights, with Ysor being a mix of snow and ice, with some grassy plains during the summer months. Ysor during its long winter is essentially unsurvivable, and the planet only hosts mining and penal colonies as well as the odd research station and rebel outpost. Some believe there may be some Waka who survived their species’ decimation left on the planet, although there is little evidence at present. With Yatur being rather sparsely inhabited and underdeveloped, Zemur is the demographical and economical centre of the Qalam system, although even here living standards are far below-average for the Human Federation. Several more planets exist in the Qalam system, although none house more than a mining colony or two.

Kaldor is a smaller system with only one inhabited planet, Kaldor. It was uninhabited prior to its colonisation by [Galactic Megacorp], which started the terraforming process, though never completed it, as it was deemed unprofitable. Researchers, workers and refugees alike ended up stranded on a barely hospitable planet, as [Galactic Megacorp] ceased to send ships its way or maintain Kaldor’s Gate, leading to the Kaldor and Qalam systems being isolated from the rest of the galaxy for a long time. In the present day, Kaldor has some mining, although its economy primarily relies on being the Gate to and from the Qalam system, for both legal and illegal trade. Although nominally independent and sometimes considered its own, Zain-tier system, the history, logistics, economy and politics of Kaldor is too heavily intertwined with that of Qalam for them to be considered truly distinct.

Minor Racial Info
The population of Qalam-Kaldor is made up almost exclusively of humans. The planets of the Kaldor System were uninhabited prior to the arrival of humans, while the planets of the Qalam System were inhabited by an intelligent alien species known as Waka. The Waka saw their population decimated after the arrival of humans, being extinct on the planet of Zemur within one century (all current Waka on the planet are originally from Yatur), with their population on Yatur never recovering. It is unknown whether there are any remaining Waka populations on Ysor. Since they are somewhat significant historically, I chose to use the description categories for major races.

Name: Waka
Appearance: small humanoids who hide behind textiles most of the time due to fragile skin
Physiology: bipedal humanoids, generally between 1m and 1.5m in size, lifespan could reach up to around 100 years under the right conditions, though the average lifespan now is 30–50 standard years, physically much weaker than humans; A weak psionic connection has been observed in some individuals.
Role: Since the decimation of their population, Waka live primarily in small nomadic communities in rural areas. They scavenge ruins and wreckages to sell to humans, sometimes robbing wayfaring humans to have goods to sell. The number of Waka living in human settlements on Yatur, Kaldor or Zemur is insignificant.
Ethics/Values: (A catch-all term for the generalised values espoused by your people: militarism, religion, culture, etc)
Population: low hundred-thousands (primarily on Yatur)

Territorial Info
Home System: Qalam
Systems Claimed: 2 (Qalam System, Kaldor System)
Core Planets: 2 (Zemur, Yatur)
Colonial Planets: n/a
Significant Satellites: 2 (Ysor (planet with a significant mining presence, penal colony), Kaldor (only notable planet outside the Zemur-Yatur-Ysor solar system to be grouped into Qalam, notable as a trade and mining outpost, as well as for its strategic location by the gate to the Lane; as such, virtually all transportation to and from Qalam goes via Kaldor)) + ca. seven uninhabited planets which are, alongside their moons, used primarily by mining colonies (if used at all)

Military Info
Fleet Size: In the past, the Qalam-Kaldor system had a decently-sized fleet. However, a large part of it is no longer fully operational, with ships and equipment generally being dated and having experienced poor maintenance. It is used mostly for the protection of high-profile oligarchs and their economic transports.
Ground Forces: As above, mostly dated equipment and used primarily around the oligarchs, although ground forces are generally better than the fleet. Larger concentrations are found on Zemur, parts of Yatur as well as on the mining/penal colonies throughout the system, though any sort of law enforcement is are outside of these specific locations.
Preferred Tech for Weapons: Generally, lasers are preferred, especially for smaller-scale operations, though Qalamans are known to go ballistic to destroy settlements, especially on Yatur. Rebels generally take whatever they can get their hands on.

[The Kingdom of Eldmark]

Government Info
Polity Name: The Council of Tel'Avre | Tel'Avre Ar'Mikiri |
Capital World(s): Ar'Tikaz
Government Type: Oligarchy
Government Details: The Tel'Avre Council sees itself as a coalition of corporate enterprises and its employees, rather than a civilian government elected by the people. Therefore, the Ar'Mikiri functions as a representative body of the Top 500 Corporations in the Tel'Avre Nebula - from which a Head Councilor is elected from the Top 100 by the rest of the body. This body, using special subcouncils, mediates disputes between corporations, regulates interplanetary commerce, and coordinates between planetary or system-wide militias and private military contractors in defense of the borders and windlanes. The Councilors can be chosen through a variety of means, as it is left up to each corporation as to how they are chosen. More democratic corporations may allow employees to vote on representatives, while others are hand-picked by the CEO. In any case, the level of power your average person has in Tel'Avre to choose their government is limited to their more local polities. In some cases, workers can form an association, somewhat akin to a union, but corporations often take matters into their own hands to suppress this. That said, this concentration of power makes Tel'Avre a very profitable place to call home, and its location in relative proximity to the Justicial State, the Consortium and the Human Federation (see the claim map in #map-making for that) makes it an important rest stop on the way between places. Think of Tel'Avre like that one gas station you see on the state border with all the lottery tickets and cheap booze.

For an informational dossier on the Council, click here.

Polity Rank: Gamal, probably
Leader(s): Head Councilor Yekuna Tai
Population: 50-60 Billion, though that can obviously change.

Major Racial Info

Name: Avreki
Appearance: ME Turians
Physiology: The Avreki are a dextro-based avian race native to Tel'Avre, the Ar'Tikal system in particular. They are known for being tall and slender (6 feet average) on average, bipedal, with three taloned digits per hand (one being opposable like a thumb), and a set of mandibles along their jaws. They are equipped with a metallo-chitinous carapace that varies in color. Male-bodied Avreki tend to also have a crest of swept back "horns" atop their heads, while female-bodied Avreki do not. It is not unheard of, however, for this to deviate.
Role: Avreki are the by-and-large plurality of the native races to Tel'Avre, and represent large swathes of an otherwise multicultural government and society. Within the nebula, their soft cultural power extends much beyond their initial population, with most transactions, placenames, and media outlets using the Avreki language. The capital is their homeworld. Despite this, Avreki society is more welcoming of others as they used to, and economic and cultural opportunities have opened up for others. However, it is clear they still hold a majority of the staying soft power of Tel'Avre, as well as controlling a sizable portion of the armed forces and the varying defense contractors who supplant it.
Ethics/Values: Avreki by and large love two things - family and wealth. It is this combination that has created some of the most commonly known businesses in the galaxy, family businesses that have been going strong for millennia. Naturally, the power dynamic of Avreki society rests around the family, often greatly extended ones, clans even. It is this that powers Avreki society and values.
Population: 42%

Name: Inishi
Appearance: Doctor Who Silurians (the new ones)
Physiology: The Inishi, also known as the Inishilaliti, are reptilian in appearance yet nurse their young. They raise their young in a communal setting. They have a slightly more attuned connection to psionics. They are cold blooded.
Role:
The Inishi are historically an antagonistic species to the Avreki, slavers and pillagers, though centuries of conflict changed that. They are still a quite martial species, often working in transportation and territorial defense. They also make up a sizable portion of the Council's Naval Fleets.
Ethics/Values:
The Inishi are best described as "Lawful Neutral." Their loyalty is to their community (nests) and to its laws, whatever that may be, as these nests ultimately raised them. These nests hold great sway over the Inishi, and punishments for leaving the nest without prior approval from the nestelders range from kidnapping to death.
Population: 30%

Name: Kamveri
Appearance: D&D Tieflings
Physiology: The Kamveri are the most human-like in the nebula, though certain physical differences occur. Kamveri often sport horns and in some cases tails.
Role:
The Avreki and Inishi both exploited the Kamveri for centuries as a slave labor pool, but their equally-long period of resistance and reprisal carved their independence. Now, the Kamveri are known as pioneers, pilots, scholars, entertainers, scientists, the like. They still suffer monetarily due to the specieal discrimination and capital denial they faced under the oppression of both the Avreki and the Kamveri.
Ethics/Values:
The Kamveri are wary of outsiders due to their history with the other two races in the nebula. They are strong willed and independent. They inhabit a diaspora across the galaxy, with a large portion now in other portions of the galaxy altogether, though the largest concentrations are in the New Triumvirate system where they work on reclaiming their homeland. Those in the diasporic community are known to be more independent and freedom-loving than others.
Population: 22%

Minor Racial Info

Number: 1 that I know of, but there could be more.
Brief Descriptions Roughly 6% of the population of Tel'Avre are "Other" being neither of the big three. About 2-3% of them are Humans, but the other is a mixed bag from offworlders and perhaps a sapient race I haven't thought of yet.

Territorial Info
Home System: Ar'Tikal
Systems Claimed: ~700-1000 (The catch is that this being a nebula, most of these systems are planetless and uninhabitable)
Core Planets: 20-30, these being Ar'Tikal, The Junction Worlds, and some lucky colonies that expanded quite rapidly.
Colonial Planets: 100-200
Significant Satellites: Thousands, probably.

Military Info
Fleet Size: Depends on who they can hire to bolster the territorial defenses. I'd say decent size to enforce their borders, little more.
Ground Forces: Army units likely follow a similar line of thinking, and is a largely volunteer sized territorial defense force bolstered by private military contractors and such.
Preferred Tech for Weapons: I'd say that lasers are used by the more prolific territorial defense forces and PMCs, while kinetics (coil, rail, etc) are more or less confined to less-fortunate defense contractors and criminals.

[Nationalist Northumbria]

Government Info
Polity Name: Space Northumbria
Capital World(s): New Bamburgh
Government Type: (Monarchy, republic, federation, oligarchy, theocracy etc.)
Government Details: Northumbrian nationalist
Polity Rank: Bet
Leader(s): Alvin Ashleigh
Population: 10 billion

Major Racial Info
(Please copy and paste the below for each major race you have)
Name: Humans
Appearance: Human
Physiology: Human
Role: Human
Ethics/Values: Human
Population: 100%

Minor Racial Info
(A minor race should be no more than 5% of your total pop, and should play a background role)
Number: (How many minor races are a part of your polity)
Brief Descriptions (Name - A brief one to four line description of them, do this for as many as you have)

Territorial Info
Home System: New Bamburghshire
Systems Claimed: 600
Core Planets: New Bamburgh, New York, New Jarrow, New Sunderland, New Washington, New Cramlington, New Newcastle
Colonial Planets: 100
Significant Satellites: 1,000

Military Info
Fleet Size: Large
Ground Forces: Powerful
Preferred Tech for Weapons: Sci-fi

[Kabbaia]

Government Info
Polity Name: The Kabbaite Bond of Providence.
[b]Capital World(s): Eden, Eve, Lilith, and Judas.
[b]Government Type: Esoteric A.I. Collective Dictatorship.
[b]Government Details: The Ergegore A.I. runs all aspects of organic life across all Kabbaite planets with an extremely complex and powerful system of communicators.
[b]Polity Rank: Gamal.
[b]Leader(s): The Egregore.
[b]Population: 50 Billion (Living) 70 Billion (Robotic)

[b]Major Racial Info
Name: Human, Kabbaite.
[b]Appearance: They are human.
[b]Physiology: Human.
[b]Role: To be cared for.
[b]Ethics/Values: Hedonism, praising the Egregore, repopulating.
[b]Population: 50 Billion

[b]Major Racial Info
Name: Angels
[b]Appearance: Vary wildly in shape and size but generally share a robotic/sleek appearance although there is some exceptions.
[b]Physiology: Vary wildly but all are stronger than a normal human, don't need sleep, don't eat, and don't need oxygen to operate.
[b]Role: To act out the will of Egregore.
[b]Ethics/Values: Service to Egregore.
[b]Population: 70 Billion.

[b]Territorial Info
Home System: The Abba System.
[b]Systems Claimed: 100-700.
[b]Core Planets: Eden, Eve, Lilith, and Judas.
Colonial Planets: None.
Significant Satellites: Battle Station Michael, Battle Station Raphael, Communicator Station Gabriel, Battle Station Uriel, Battle Station Saraqael, Battle Station Raguel, and Battle Station Remiel.

Military Info
[b]Fleet Size: 5,000,000
[b]Ground Forces: 2,000,000
[b]Preferred Tech for Weapons: Ion Tech (Anti Shields)

[Nationalist Northumbria]

I do not recommend applying to join this region. I was banned from the Discord instantly after saying hello and expressing my wishes that my application would be accepted. I didn't even tag the entire server.

[Lilitou]

I do not recommend applying to join this region. I was banned from the Discord instantly after saying hello and expressing my wishes that my application would be accepted. I didn't even tag the entire server.

Apologies, but we do indeed ban known trolls on sight, as is listed in our server rules. You are a known troll. You were banned on sight.

[Teglea]

I am a troll as well.

[Elvatoes]

I am a troll as well.

i know

[Burnisia]

Government Info
Polity Name: Yaltoran Association of Systems | Ü'rrltzza'ottahxa liüztad
Capital World(s): Yaltora [Ü'rrltzza]
Government Type: Federal Aristocratic Republic
Government Details: Neither Yaltora nor any of its Colonies have one single Government authority. Instead basically all planet dwelling Yaltorans live in moving farm and mining cities which either roam the endless swamps and shallow seas of Yaltora or act as oasis and mining stations on the colonies. Those Cities are Governed by Councils which consist of the Chief Engineers and other Senior Officers responsible for keeping the City Running smoothly. While not officially being hereditary Positions most Official Families will just raise their own children to become their successors, leading to most Cities becoming de facto Monarchies. Those City Councils then vote on representatives to represent them in the Board of Directors for the planetary Space Harbours and Spacedocks, to which they also bring the mined/farmed minerals. Those Councils then build and Administer Spaceships and system internal Space travel. The planetary Councils then decide on one representative per Planet who represents said Planet in the Executive Council of Yaltorian Operations, the highest Level of Yaltoran Government. This is responsible for Military Affairs, Foreign Relations, and to administer research and Economic growth.
Polity Rank: Gamal
Leader(s): Executive Council of Yaltoran Operations [Ü'rrltzza huiut'tzaah jolkeet]
Population: 45 Billion

Major Racial Info
Name: Yaltorans
Appearance: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/ ... 0b4d74.jpg
Physiology: The average Yaltoran is between 1 and 1.5 metres tall, although basically nobody of any race that isn’t Yaltoran will ever see their true appearance and height. This is due to their Aquarius nature which forces them to wear special mechanical suits that allow them to live outside of their native habitat. They naturally communicate by touching each other and sending electromagnetic waves through the area touched by all parties involved, although through technological means, especially outside of Yaltora, more and more of their language turned into the synthetic voice of their mechs. Yaltorans have incredible eyesight and basically a 360° view radius, another feature often lost by mech usage. The main food of Yaltorans consists of miniscule lifeforms living in the mud and water of their homeworld, which has to be exported to all other worlds for continued survival on those. But in especially dire times they can adapt to eating some of the native Plant species of Yaltoria, for this they use their mandibles to make cuts in those plants and then suck out the juices from them. Mostly Yaltorans live around 150 years old but some can age up to 200 years.
Role: As basically the sole race allowed in Yaltoran society Yaltorans are responsible for all duties in society. The only exception are extreme hazardous jobs that are done by Robots.
Ethics/Values: Yaltoran society is very egalitarian, not knowing concepts such as gender or ethnicity, and having enough resources to feed and care for everyone. Generally there’s a strong sense of community and camaraderie between Yaltorans and Individualism is looked down upon. Still hard work and diligence are seen as desirable traits in a Yaltoran.
Most Yaltorans will be very sceptical if not openly hostile towards alien life, especially if it exists in a not as highly developed society as themselves, mostly only factoring those populations into colonisation plans if they could pose a threat. Alien Races on similar Technological Levels as themselves are mostly treated with respect and friendliness, although they are still mostly seen as competitors for the resources of the galaxy and therefore as enemies.

Population: 45 Billion ~99% Yaltoran >1% other Races, mostly of too small a population for the Yaltoran Authorities to even recognize them as existent, many of those people also are citizens of other polities.

Territorial Info
Home System: Yaltoria [Ü'rrltzza]
Systems Claimed: Around 50 although only around one dozen of them are classified as inhabited by yaltoran authorities.
Core Planets: Yaltoria [Ü'rrltzza], Soktrii [Stzzre], Mado [M’rrttzzo]
Colonial Planets: Around 20, mostly mining colonies with "no relevant life forms"
Significant Satellites: around 30 Battlestations and 20 Science-Stations spread along trade routes and the periphery of the Association

Military Info
Fleet Size: Around 5500 Escort Vessels, 1500 Heavy Attack Craft, 750 Troop Transports (all carrying around 50-100 landing craft) and countless small attack craft
Ground Forces: around 500.000-750.000 per Planet as planetary defence forces and a Central Army of around 20.000.000. All soldiers are equipped with mechs that carry a wide array of armaments and many are heavily specialised in a certain combat role.
Preferred Tech for Weapons: Most weapons used by Yaltorans are Coil or Railguns, Coilguns for lighter weapons and Railguns for heavy Hitters. Grenade and Missile Launchers as well as Mortars are a pretty common sight too, although most artillery support is done through planetary bombardments. Some ships and even certain ground units might still field Laser Weapons but usually they aren’t preferred, this is also the case for all energy weapons. Usage of Poisonous Gases is also a common tactic in the Yaltoran Military, since they don’t need to worry about their own Armies suffering from its effects. A lot of infantry also use Melee Weapons as secondary weapons, some special forces even as primary weapons.

[Eothasia]

Government Info
Polity Name: Unified Etherian Stellar Commonwealth [native language name still WiP]
Capital World(s): Aetherius (homeworld)
Government Type: Digital direct democracy (republican)
Government Details: Please view Galactic Informational Codex
Polity Rank: Bet (ב)
Leader(s): First Speaker Chelsea Yang-Hi; Deputy Speaker Aema T’Eal; Deputy Speaker Jeremy Hudson
Population: 149,220,976,115 (411 inhabited systems)

Major Racial Info
Name: Etherian
Appearance: Similar to ancient humans from the Halo franchise. Tall, averaging at about 6'10". Very strong and physically durable, but not as nimble as other, smaller species. However, although Etherians have great environmental resistance due to genetic engineering and cybernetic implants, it is uncommon for them to be seen outside of 'body-suits' except on the most garden-like of planets (such as Aetherius herself). They wear different body-suits depending on their position, ranging from armour only a few centimetres thick for civilians to larger, more advanced combat suits for military personnel.
Physiology: They are physically strong and extremely resistant, but are also lacking in flexibility. They have great stamina, allowing them to go great distances and timespans without sleep or rest. The species, on its more 'elite' worlds, has become significantly more 'techno-organic', often uploading consciousnesses to biosynthetic bodies at birth and growing the organic parts gradually (as well as replacing the synthetic parts periodically). This, however, is not extended to a majority of the colonies of the UESC and is only present in the Inner Core (roughly 17 colonies).
Role: Although the UESC is very xenophilic in allowing other species to reside on its colonies and become citizens, all UESC colonies (understanding these as colonies founded and supported by the Administration for Colonial Development) are governed by Etherians. They are by far the main species member of the UESC, with only seven or so billion members of other species spread out throughout the stellar empire.
Ethics/Values: Egalitarian, rational, xenophilic. Slight militarism and spiritualism (not zealous or particularly organised since the departure from the homeworld).
Population: Roughly 95% of the population of UESC colonies

Territorial Info
Home System: Aurielis System
Systems Claimed: 1642
Core Planets: 17
Colonial Planets: 302
Significant Satellites: 196 (excludes space elevator stations, but includes extremely important orbital stations, such as Pearly Gates Orbital or Oasis Orbital).

Military Info
Fleet Size: Roughly six thousand combat-oriented ships (excluding ships smaller than corvettes or frigates), plus cargo vessels and other craft.
Ground Forces: Roughly about nine hundred million soldiers spread out in military installations, garrisons, academies and fleets.
Preferred Tech for Weapons: Kinetic weapons, missiles and plasma weaponry are the most used at the moment. Ground weapons are almost exclusively kinetic, using thick munitions blocks from which the weapon slices extremely thin slugs (roughly 400,000 atoms thick) and accelerates them to 0.002% of light speed (roughly 7000 metres per second).