Mass Effect Factions :: Emergence ((OOC/Sign-ups))

[Nuxipal]

This is why I wanted to try and be the Vorcha, no problems and just simple aggressiveness and conquest. If anything, I was planning to actually to have the Hegemon talk to the Alliance in the first time since the Blitz to try and draw maps of colonization for Batarians in exchange for reeling in the gangs as they focus on reverse-engineering the Leviathan of Dis since that's their best bet for a powerful Hegemony. They won't ever bow to the Council.

Isn't the entire Batarian High Command indoctrinated at this point?

Shhhh not yet.

We will get to Indoctrination some other day.

[Lunas Legion]

>Batarians talking peacefully with Humanity

[Cerberus Screaming Noises Intensify]

[Nuxipal]

>Batarians talking peacefully with Humanity

[Cerberus Screaming Noises Intensify]

*Giggles in Corruption in the background*

[Ralnis]

>Batarians talking peacefully with Humanity

[Cerberus Screaming Noises Intensify]

*Giggles in Corruption in the background*

Sweats profusely because of the Leviathan of Dis

[North America Inc]

*Giggles in Corruption in the background*

Sweats profusely because of the Leviathan of Dis

I look forward to the next batch of thralls.

[Ralnis]

Sweats profusely because of the Leviathan of Dis

I look forward to the next batch of thralls.

Good thing the rule of cool applies.

[Greater Istanistan]

Faction: Free Republic of Ilium

Leader: Jai'mia H'kari, Responsible Director for Administrative Affairs

Citadel Council member Y/N or N/A: N

Brief description of diplomatic relations: Cash in and find out

Military state of readiness: The Free Republic deliberately retains a small military. Its founding Colonial Charter forbids the Republic from maintaining an offensive army, and its forces are mainly used for anti-piracy and deterring the bolder Terminus factions. Otherwise it maintains a studious neutrality and acts as a disarmed buffer between the Terminus and Citadel Space.

History:

The end of the Krogan Rebellions marked a conclusion to almost 800 years of constant warfare which had changed Citadel Space. The economic, social, and political mobilization required to sustain the conflict had been immense and resulted in not only economic shifts – the rise of the state-integrated monopoly corporation, the increasing union of the public and private sectors, the dramatic expansion in government security forces and militarization, and the increasing authoritarianism of the Council itself in its social interventions – but cultural shifts as well, most notably in Asari society. Although in many ways the Republics maintained their free-wheeling and democratic character, the long periods of war led to increased cultural conservatism, overt religiosity, focus on social consensus, and reverence for an old aristocracy which exerted profound social influence and framed debates around the direct democracy. These values were the result of, and necessary for, the centuries-long war effort.

Nevertheless, the peace afterwards made them harder to uphold. The end of the Krogan Wars led to an inevitable economic collapse as war production dried up, leading to mass unemployment. Attempts to carry out reconstruction led to huge contracts for corporate giants which garnered accusations of insiderism and cronyism, even as they kicked off debilitating rounds of inflation. With nowhere else to absorb their skills, demobilizing troops often turned to crime and the black market. Increased security measures garnered accusations of undue authoritarianism, and the traditional cries to restore virtue and social harmony rang increasingly hollow for a new generation of dissenters. This new wave was driven by a perception of social restrictiveness, hypocrisy, and the emptiness of old collective values and prejudices. It increasingly threatened the established system with existential crisis, until a solution was hit upon.

The Citadel governments simply opened up emigration procedures. Citizens would be free to leave the increasingly powerful embrace of Citadel Space and its social conservatism and seek a new future in the untamed Terminus. Sufficiently serious dissidents found themselves on the wrong side of SPECTREs, which only accelerated the process. Some Asari Republics even sponsored political emigration and cheered on the flight of “problematic” elements to the new frontier. Emigration would simultaneously solve social and employment pressures and, by opening new markets and finding new resources, provide new economic stimulus. In some ways, it worked too well.

Ilium was the crowning jewel in this movement. It was founded by an Independent Chamber of Commerce, mostly made up of corporate interests which had felt excluded from the wartime and post-war bonanza of state contracts. The Independent Chamber hoped to use Ilium as a gateway between Citadel Space and the increasingly profitable opportunities of the ungoverned “Terminus Systems”. To accomplish this, Ilium would need colonists. To incentivize this, they first established a Charter of Liberties which established individual freedom as the first principle of the planet and ensconced fully-informed and freely-offered consent as the foundational principle of government. Anyone, without discrimination or favoritism, would be welcomed to Illium and subjected to only the level of social regulation required to establish fully-informed and free choice. Beyond that religious and moral principle, association, the pursuit of profit in the market, and the status of the individual were entirely up to the individual to decide. Society would remain permanently unstable, but innovative and free from constraint.

Almost 1500 years later, that dream lives on in a different form. Illium’s 1000 years of history spans a little over three Asari generations, which were mostly defined by the expansion of economic prosperity, the growth in Terminus trade, and the expansion of the government of Illium.

Economic growth, first and foremost, made Illium great. The laissez-faire economic policies, low taxes, and absence of traditionalism or a cultural establishment all made Illium an attractive investment location. Offworld capital poured onto the planet, rapidly bringing new industries, technologies, and opportunities. The unrestrained immigration flows – both of Terminus refugees and opportunity-seeking Citadel races – offered endless labour and kept wages and prices low. Illium’s foundation as the repudiation of wartime restraint and austerity meant that as the planet’s wealth grew, so too did its status as an endlessly inventive producer and consumer of commodities. Today, Illium ranks among one of the galaxy’s richest worlds.

Much of this growth was also fuelled by trade with the Terminus systems. This is aided by several factors, not in the least its curious business ethics. Although Illium scrupulously cracks down on chattel slavery within its borders – this is seen as a great violation of individual freedom – it maintains a posture of total equanimity about dealing with powers who use it. So long as the products of slave labour are labelled and treated as such and the individual is fully aware of their origin, it is not the state’s right to choose whether or not they should be sold. Similarly, so long as mercenary groups and criminal outfits keep their operations on Illium aboveboard and do not interfere with the rights of the uninvolved, they are permitted to sell and ship almost anything short of slaves. Of course, the state charges hefty customs duties on dangerous goods as an offset to their social costs and brutally punishes those who knowingly deceive it. Beyond that, however, all the Terminus’ finest and worst products pass through Illium. Finally, Illium’s government often employs a degree of creative accounting. It is difficult, for example, to sell Omega-origin goods in Citadel Space because of a variety of regulatory hangups. Illium has long helped evade this by shipping in incomplete Omegan goods, assembling them on Illium and qualifying them for a “made in Illium” label, and then shipping them into Citadel Space. Illium also notably has no extradition treaties with Citadel Space and allows private security forces a great deal of latitude, meaning that it is an extremely attractive place for the Terminus’ most dubious citizens to carry out their dealings on neutral ground.

Finally, the state has dramatically expanded. While the initial ideal for Illium was to create a wholly voluntarist system based on a sort of unregulated individualist anarchism, the ensuing millennium has had enough disasters and abuses to fuel a gradual expansion of the government. The Illium Colonial Authority exists to enforce a fairly simple, but comprehensive, regulatory structure. Its main purposes are to promote truthfulness and honesty in business dealings, protect the rights of uninvolved parties in disputes, uphold the letter of contracts, and generally preserve order. While some political factions long for a return to the days of mutual-consent courts, privatized law enforcement, and the interpretation of the Colonial Charter as an agreement of citizens rather than a de facto constitution, the general attitude is support for the state. The Illium Colonial Authority is a completely undemocratic apparatus of public servants hired based on merit, funded via a variety of taxes posed as “offset fees” which individuals and corporations pay to “cover for externalities”, and kept honest and impartial through an exacting Code of Ethics and salaries competitive with the best corporate jobs. A public-sector job is rare, harshly moralist, and leaves one set for life. The government’s honesty, together with a sort of mutual social recognition of its necessity, leave it as a neutral arbiter of peace and fairness between the great powers of Illium. It is widely known to intervene only to enforce fair play and uphold the principles of voluntarism. When it does move, it does so with great force.

Illium’s culture today is a less idealistic, but recognizable, evolution of its original radical individualism. Disputes exist about the rights of a corporation versus those of an individual, but in general the principle is that people should be at liberty to fully explore and express their own potential and ideals either alone or in the group of their choice. Art, music, philosophy, and literature have blossomed on Illium. Despite the planet’s famed crass materialism, it is home to a dizzying variety of religious, spiritual, and cultural fragments seeking an alternative to the established order. While the development of industrial productive capacities and the building of a business empire from nothing are seen as great and glorious, experimentality and self-expression are the worthiest pursuits.

Of course, money dominates society, but the popular theory of economics is rather odd. Much of its early development was guided by the respected philosopher and pacifist veteran Alyna Ennesi, who railed against the wartime culture of nationalism and sacrifice and the dominance of the postwar cultural elites. She hypothesized that sentient organisms lived meaningless lives on their own in constant fear of death. To attain purpose and certainty, they attached themselves to “irreplaceable things” – the nation, the people, family, culture, and race – and could be induced to die for them by the real masters of society. She held that money, however, was unique in its status as a medium of exchange. In the modern system, money was necessary for and fundamental to the accomplishment of any great deed or cause. However, it was also totally replaceable. No one Citadel Credit was worth any more or any less than any other, and each was interchangeable with the other. Money was a gate to the irreplaceable, but was itself infinitely capable of being replaced. The pursuit of money, therefore, was the ultimate road to peace and happiness. Many of Ennesi’s texts are still required reading for the University of Nos Astra.

With this attitude in mind, Illium’s often bizarre constellation of dissidents and spiritual seekers begins to make more sense. The free market ceases to be an end in and of itself – it is completely unimportant by design, and is intended to produce a judgement-free and absolutely liberated society where people are free to pursue important, but not life-dominating, activities. Participation in the market creates an authentic representation of the people’s real social values, and replaces the old evils of compulsion, monopoly, hegemony, and coercion with liberty and self-determination.

Of course, the voluntarist experiment has had some odd side-effects. One of these is in currency. Unlike in Citadel Space, Illium is against central banking, financial monopoly, and the control of either a single state actor or a single private-sector monopolist over the medium of financial exchange. Instead, Illium values absolute economic freedom. The government therefore refuses to enforce any kind of fiat currency and instead allows contracts to be written and enforced in any form which the people see fit to accept. Almost all transactions – including the state’s – are done in Citadel Credits, but beyond that tens of thousands of currencies are issued and circulated, with the only restraint being the willingness to accept them. Some of these are highly experimental – an anarcho-syndicalist federation, for example, has taken to using labour vouchers, while several religious communities have created a “respect economy” based on social credit awarded for virtuous deeds.

Despite the obvious and flashy dominance of several corporate actors and the comparatively lax attitudes towards “indentured labour”, Illium’s voluntarism extends to labour organizing. All groups are equally free to band together in defence of their interests. While neither corporations nor unions have strict legal status, the latter are completely free to organize, picket, campaign, work-to-rule, stalk and harass their employers, or muscle up when a dispute gets ugly. There exists an infamous Labourer’s Benevolent Inhumation Trust run by several of the bigger federations as cooperative assassination fund for employers who mistreat their workers or deal in bad faith. The cooperative movement is also strong, with democratic workplace management a popular concept. Some groups even form communes based around equality of outcomes or a post-work lifestyle based around automated production.

The slavery issue continues to be a mess. Illium forbids lifelong slavery and the passage of the condition onto children. Indentured workers are also subject to the same (minimal) labour laws as all other workers, and beyond the restrictions of their contract they have the same legal status as anyone else. This is often recognized as being abusive or suboptimal, but preventing it would represent a profound violation of individual choice. As long as the indentured worker consented freely, no intervention can be justified. Notably, indentured servitude is sometimes posed as a moral positive. The United Abolitionists are a famous group of former Terminus slaves who buy out the contracts of slaves – mostly from the Batarians – and have the slave work as an indentured labourer to cover the costs of their purchase and medical treatment, generate funds for further emancipations, and set the worker up for life after slavery.

Organized politics as a phenomenon on Illium is unusual. The planet serves as a haven for the dissident, the persecuted, the political exile, and the fanatic in pursuit of their own visions. It therefore plays host to a near-infinite array of fringe ideas and groups. However, the marketplace is seen as the proper place to measure out values and ideals, rather than violent contest over state power. In general, political groups are expected to pursue their own ideals without interfering in the pursuits of others, and mass politics are avoided. However, several major currents can be identified:

> Pan-Asari – cultural nationalists who believe that Illium has something to offer to the Republics, just as the Republics have much to offer to Illium. They argue that voluntarism, rather than being a new idea, is an evolution of ancient Asari traditions which the home Republics would learn much from. Pan-Asari ideologues generally point to economic integration with the Republics and Citadel Space as being a potential engine for growth. They lean more towards cultural conservatism – while they still defend free choice, they deny the clear value-pluralism of voluntarism and paint self-development as a journey towards the Goddess. Many of these groups are covertly funded by offworld corporations.

>Insurrectionaries – even consent, according to this current, is little more than a socially-conditioned illusion. Insurrectionaries generally adhere to a kind of radical self-expression through pursuit of hedonism, ultraviolence, and political terror. They deliberately seek out Illium’s underlying cultural assumptions and ideals and violate them in increasingly inventive and often suicidal ways. Their revolution has no endpoint – if it did, they would have to construct a future instead of living freely in the present.

> Programmists – a broad movement named after common adherence to a “21-point Program” promulgated by the largest labour groups. Programmists generally believe in the demolition of the state and capitalism, and their replacement with a society managed through organized labour. Programmists generally tend to defend collective bargaining, worker’s rights, the state’s democratic accountability, and an end to indentured servitude as a “minimum program”. Their “maximum program” envisions a new society in which unions manage the economy democratically, workers govern themselves, and Illium serves as the launching point for galactic revolution. Programmist organizations tend to create voluntary-membership systems to provide union workers with health insurance, education, retirement funds, recreation, disability compensation, and other social benefits on a voluntary basis.

> Originalists – According to the Originalists, the Colonial Charter was a document which each individual voluntarily and freely agrees to abide by as a set of common standards. It is permissible to refuse to acknowledge the Charter and the state, as well as all other moral and legal structures in place. In the Originalist utopia, states are entirely replaced with voluntary associations whose values and ideals play out in a literal and metaphysical marketplace.

> Neo-Fundamentalists – The “neofundies” are an odd fit for Illium, but influential nonetheless. Most of this group is drawn from the elite students of the Nos Astra University who see little hope for the future in rootless consumerism, cosmopolitan hyperliberalism, or marketized expression. They reject the basis of Illium’s society as well as that of the Asari Republics. They demand the replacement of both markets and direct democracy with a totalitarian spiritual community of perfect common values and understanding achieved through the mind-meld. Neo-fundamentalists are also racial supremacists and despise the “fleeting” lesser races, along with Asari who they see as “race traitors” for treating their “inferiors” as equals. Their eventual vision of the galaxy would be a racial caste system with the Asari at the top. While “neofundies” nominally defend the rights of workers put out of their jobs by foreign goods, their main concerns continue to be cultural and spiritual and therefore cannot attract significant support from the masses. “Neofundies” tend to dress in deliberately archaic clothing, frown upon most “hedonistic” activities, and live collectively. They are known to stir up fights and protests, but until now have yet to become a serious social threat.

> New Charter Adherents – those who consider altruism to be the first virtue and support the refoundation of Illium to move past its individualist roots. They consider the present-day selfishness, arrogance, narcissism, and social decay with the voluntarist experiment, and urge the people to wrap it up. To do so, they urge popular consultations on a new Colonial Charter to govern society. Their method of breaking the people’s purported self-obsession is to, through the involvement of the masses in the governance of their own future, enact spiritual reform. While many New Chaterists advocate a participatory democracy and a cooperative economy, the end result is less important than the process of consultation and debate itself. If the masses debate the issues sincerely and come to the same individualist conclusions, the New Charterists will have fulfilled their mission.

One notable factor of Illium’s culture is a hypercharged culture of celebrity. The planet has one of the most overheated printing sectors in the galaxy – beyond manifestoes, experimental literature, self-published poetry, new religious texts, and banned texts, Illium is home to at least ten thousand separate tabloid publications. The public’s greatest pleasures and distractions from their grinding daily jobs come through the overblown lifestyles of the rich and famous. Those who act to excess are lionized as heroes, and the more absurd the story the better. Many see this particular culture as a reaction to the spiritualized and traditionalistic nature of Asari society – even the Consort, as the line goes, passes it off as meditation. Illium prides itself above else on candour – drugs are drugs, prostitutes are prostitutes, burnout celebrities are burnout celebrities, and the absurdities of the powerful are the absurdities of the powerful. There is no room, or desire, to make excuses.

Candor is commonly recognized as one of the few primary virtues on Illium. While there is a certain pleasure that some find in legalist one-upmanship, it is widely considered more honorable to avoid dissembling, speak one's mind, and deal fairly and honestly. Hiding one's true feelings and intentions behind a series of falsehoods is hiding the self, and many more enmeshed in radical individualism would consider a lie to be a kind of spiritual suicide. The most important contracts are encouraged to be written in plain language, and despite the slipperiness of Illium's reputation the willingness to tell truth is considered the highest form of honor. Of course, a thousand years of history has left Illium cynical - nobody expects anyone else to ever deal fairly, so at this point it is considered more a heroic moral effort thana necessity.

Infrastructure and Claimed Worlds (Claimed worlds =/= Owned Worlds):

Crescent Nebula

[spoiler=Tasale]

Illium:

4 Urban Areas = 180 *1.2 (Asari bank) = 216
2 Fuel Depots = 10
1 Shipyard = 15
5 Mining Complex = 35
2 Major Mining Complex = 30
1 Research = -10
1 Intel
3 Industrial Compex = 15
1 Major Industrial Complex = 15
2 Gambling Centre = 60
1 Planetary Guns
1 Major Spaceport = 23*15 = 345*1.1 = 380

Total Buildings = 766

Planet = 100

Total = 866

Illium Planetary Defence Forces:

3 Infantry Divisions + Biotics
1 Elite Specialist
2 Special Forces

1 Heavy Cruiser
5 Destroyers

Tarith

3 Urban Areas = 135 *1.2 = 162
4 Mining Complex = 28
2 Gambling Dens = 50
1 Fuel Depot = 5
2 Industrial Complex = 10
1 Major Mining Complex = 15
1 Spaceport = 104*1.1= 123

Total Buildings = 374

Planet = 80

Total – 454

Tarith Planetary Defence Force

1 Infantry Division + Biotics

2 Destroyers

Helyme

3 Urban Areas = 135 *1.2 = 162
4 Mining Complex = 28
2 Gambling Dens = 50
1 Fuel Depot = 5
2 Industrial Complex = 10
1 Major Mining Complex = 15
1 Research = -10
1 Spaceport = 112*1.1= 123

Total Buildings = 383

Planet = 80

Total – 463

Helyme Planetary Defence Force

1 Infantry Division + Biotics

2 Destroyers

Ismar Frontier

Zorya

4 Urban Areas – 180
5 Mining Complexes – 35
1 Fuel Depot – 5
2 Gambling Dens – 60
1 Major Mining Complex – 15
1 Spaceport – 52*1.1 = 57

Total Buildings = 409.2

Planet = 100

Total - 509

Zorya Planetary Defence Force

1 Infantry Division + Biotics

2 Light Cruisers
6 Destroyers

4 banks – ASARI REPUBLICS – Yield 4*40+4*10 = 200

Total Planetary Income = 2292

Banking = 200

Base = 65

Total = 2557

RP Example: It's me, the Known Quantity

Questions and Suggestions: I did my accounting on Excel and can't be arsed to port it over at 2:15. Ask again later.

S13

[Turkducken]

Faction: The Salarian Union
Leader (No party members):
As the Union is a joint government between numerous large Matrilineal Clans, there is no one leader. However, as politics exist, and the de facto negotiation of power exists. The current most powerful and influential Clan is Clan Bazore, headed by the Illustrious and Wise Dalatrass Raestann. Also as a founding member of the Citadel Council, the Salarians naturally have a seat on said Council. The Illustrious and Wise Councilor Bopip represents the Salarians at the Citadel.

Dalatrass Raestann/Clan Bazore
Councilor Bopip Bazore

Citadel Council member Y/N or N/A: Y
Brief description of diplomatic relations:
The Asari Republics: The Salarians and Asari are founding members of the Citadel Council, and have enjoyed friendly and amicable relations for the last few hundred years.
The Turian Hierarchy: As fellow members of the Citadel Council the Turians and Salarians get along fine, on paper. In reality the Salarians and Turians are rather cold towards each other. The great accident of the Rachni Wars is still fresh in the collective minds of their leaders. Although the two groups maintain public friendliness, there's still a long ways to go in settling old disputes.
The Human Systems Alliance: The Humans are viewed with great suspicion by the Clans of Sur'Kesh. They represent a great unknown, and have so far proven to be resistant to the probings of the STG and other Salarian Intelligence Groups.
The Quarian Flotilla: The Union pays a form of tribute to the Flotilla, however, this is not an endorsement. The Union is highly vocal in their resistance to Quarians sharing their spaces, and were a firm and loud voice in expelling the Quarians from most of Council Space/Society. The tribute is payed to ensure that the Flotilla stays far, far away from Sur'Kesh.
The Geth/"Geth" Collective: Mistakes born of hubris, unshackled AI post a threat to galactic order and should be destroyed.
Omega: Pirate Scum
Illium: Defer to Asari relationship, although they're less likely to take the individual planet/system as seriously as the governing body of the Republics.
Heshtok Vorcha: It's a shame we didn't uplift them before they crawled into sentience themselves.
Hanar Illuminated Primacy: The Hanar are mysterious to the Union, their Drell "helpers" have proven to be very effective in disrupting intelligence operations. Worrying.
Cerberus: Terrorist Scum.
Batarian Hegemony: The Union officially recognized the Old Batarian Government as a Rogue Nation, of sorts, and this is thought to still apply to the current government. In unofficial back channels however, the new government is largely seen as an unknown, Intelligence networks have to be reestablished to confirm suspicions of a rehabilitated Batarian state.
Military state of readiness: To quote the System Alliance's Codex, "The Salarians' only prefer to wage war when they are certain of the outcome. No decision made by Salarian High Command is ever taken with a shred of uncertainty." The Union maintains a strong and Byzantine Web of contacts, intelligence networks, and double agents inside every government. While their Navy may not be as large as the Turians, or as experienced as the Asari, they'll always land crippling blows to Infrastructure, Stability, and Communications.

The Salarians are warm-blooded amphibian humanoids native to the tropical jungle world of Sur'Kesh. In their Industrial Age they destroyed much of the natural environment, whole swaths of land were contaminated and polluted by the non-renewable energy being expended. This short sighted action caused a global climate disaster, and approxiamtely 20% of biological life was lost in a global extinction event. After nearly experiencing a planet wide extinction, the Salarian Union formed, dedicated to never approaching that level of extinction again. No matter the cost.

Years after, the Salarians set out into the stars. The first three Salarian colonies were established, Nasurn, Jaeto, and Mannovai, they remain at the heart of Salarian colonization. After the Salarian discovery of the Mass Relays, and subsequent discovery of how to use them, the Salarians encountered the Asari. The Asari had only years before discovered the ancient space station of the Citadel, a massive structure built by the ancient Protheans, and the initial first contact was rocky. However, after the Asari quelled the suspicions of the Salarians, the Salarian Union preformed an act of trust it never in its' long history preformed. The Union opened up the vaults of Intelligence gathered since its' inception, and shared them willingly with the Asari Republic. While the information was essentially meaningless to the aliens, the immense sign of trust and cooperation it represented could not be understated. The Salarians and Asari became the founders of the newly proclaimed Citadel Alliance, and a Council was formed to ensure cooperation between them.

In the centuries that followed, the Salarians became the backbone of stability in the Citadel Council. When the Turians were first discovered probing the stars in their makeshift Empire. The Salarians were there, thousands of recorded hours of speech patterns, behavior, cultural norms, etc. and the first contact between Turians and the rest of Galactic Society was a smooth transition. This repeated over numerous encounters, and the Salarians were regaled as "Noble Explorers" in their time. This would come to an end with the discovery and activation of the Rachni Relay. The Rachni were a hive-mind bug-like species, bent on exterminating all "alien" life. Salarian researchers/explorers activated the Mass Relay that connected their systems to the rest of the Galaxy, and hundreds of worlds burned in what would become known as the Rachni Wars. The combined fleets of the Council, Turian, Asari, and Salarian, could not stop their onslaught. It was only when the Salarians made the drastic decision to uplift the Krogan, a violent and war-like species who had previously sent their planet into nuclear winter, that the Rachni were defeated. This, and the subsequent Krogan Rebellions, has tainted the Salarian and Turian relationship ever since. Brilliant Salarian scientists created the Genophage in secret, a sterilization disease inflicted on the Krogan to reduce their numbers. Officially the Salarians deny all involvement, but its' widely accepted that while the Turians may have unleashed it, the Salarians definitely made it.

Humanities' hostile and confusing entry into Galactic Society, called the First Contact War by Humans or the Relay 314 Incident by the Turians, set off alarms throughout the Union. Not only were the Humans a previously undiscovered sentient life, but they were powerful enough by their own to challenge the Turians. Even while the normalization of relations between Humans and Galactic society persists, the Salarians remain deeply insecure and intimidated by the Human Alliance.

Infrastructure and Claimed Worlds (Claimed worlds =/= Owned Worlds):
Annos Basin Cluster

Saradril (Barren): x1 Orbital Mining Station
Sur'Kesh (Garden): x3 Urban Areas, x2 Fuel Depot, x1 Small Spaceport, x1 Major Industrial Complex, x1 Citadel Embassy, x1 Intelligence Center
Gambling Den, Planetary Sensors lvl 2, Planetary Defense Guns lvl 3, Ground Fortifications lvl 2
Dragel (Barren): x1 Orbital Mining Station
Halegeuse (Gas Giant): x1 Aerostadt, x1 Orbital Mining Station
Asteroid Belt:

Mannovai (Garden): x1 Major Industrial Complex, x2 Minor Industrial Complex, x2 Minor Mining Complex, x2 Urban Area, x1 Fuel Depot, x1 Research Station, x1 (Free Shipyard, Paid 500 for Upgrade) Military Shipyard
Asteroid Belt:
Urut - Gas Giant:

Easnos - (Hostile Terran):
Jaëto (Near-Garden): x1 Urban Area, x1 Fuel Depot, x2 Minor Mining Complex
Asteroid Belt:
Alepaj - (Gas Giant):
Alepaj A - (Barren):
Alepaj B - (Barren):

Cadav - Gas Giant
Asteroid Belt
Nasurn (Garden): x1 Urban Area, x1 Fuel Depot
Alud - Non-Hostile Terrestrial
Sitek - Garden
Sitek A - Barren
Sitek B - Barren
Asteroid Belt

Utanapish Sea

Anthur - Barren
Kubru - Hostile Terrestrial
Lissu - Dextro-Amino Garden
Milra - Non-Hostile Terrestrial
Tazab - Gas Giant
Garot - Gas Giant: x1 Orbital Mining Station
Garot I - Barren Moon
Garot II - Garden Moon: x1 Urban Area, x1 Fuel Depot, x5 Minor Mining Complex, x1 Major Mining Complex, x1 Minor Industrial Complex

Olor - Non-Hostile Terrestrial:
Asteroid Belt
Rannandril - Near-Garden: x1 Urban Area, x1 Fuel Depot
Hanum - Gas Giant

Gilgame - Non-hostile Terrestrial
Senoquol - Garden
Zarken - Barren
Isht - Barren
Kuru - Gas Giant
Enki - Gas Giant

Military:
a) On Planet Forces(Ground Battalions and Docked Ships):
Intelligence Network (STG and Otherwise)
x1 SPECTRE (Jondom Bau)
-Elite
-High Quality
-Stealth
-Electronic Warfare
-Advanced Armor
-Close Combat
x1 Elite Specialist (Mordin Solus)
-Elite
-High Quality
-Advanced Armor
-Stealth
x1 Spec Ops (Captain Kirrahe)- Assigned to Intelligence Center on Sur'Kesh
-Elite
x1 Spec Ops- Stationed on Sur'Kesh
-Elite
x1 Spec Ops- Stationed on Mannovai
-Elite
x1 Spec Ops- Stationed on Jaeto
-Elite
x1 Spec Ops- Stationed on Nasurn
-Elite
Ground Forces

x2 YMIR Mech Battalions (Sur'Kesh)
x8 LOKI Mech (Sur'Kesh)
x3 Artillery (Sur'Kesh)
x3 Anti-Orbital (Sur'Kesh)
x2 Engineers (Sur'Kesh)
x3 Gunships (Sur'Kesh)
x2 Infantry (Sur'Kesh)

x6 LOKI Mech (Mannovai)
x1 Artillery (Mannovai)
x1 Anti-Orbital (Mannovai)
x2 Engineers (Mannovai)
x8 Gunships (Mannovai)
x2 Infantry (Mannovai)

x6 LOKI Mech (Jaeto)
x1 Artillery (Jaeto)
x1 Anti-Orbital (Jaeto)
x1 Engineers (Jaeto)
x4 Gunships (Jaeto)
x3 Infantry (Jaeto)

b) Space Fleets (If orbiting a Planet state: 'Orbit of ____". Stationed Ground Battalions go in Transport.):

x6 Dreadnoughts
x4 Battlecruisers
x2 Heavy Cruisers
x6 Destroyers
x3 Frigates

x5 Dreadnoughts
x1 Battlecruisers
x3 Heavy Cruisers
x5 Destroyers
x3 Frigates

x1 Dreadnoughts
x1 Battlecruisers
x3 Heavy Cruisers
x4 Destroyers
x4 Frigates

Misc.
x5 Light Transports (Orbit of Sur'Kesh)
RP Example: Times Are'A Changing,

Lance Faraday

Inseldorf Dockyards

A small stand had been prepared in front of the cargo ramps of the dock, a meager crowd had assembled comprised of dockhands and shipwrights. Lance was standing just aside the platform as the tubby union boss tried halfheartedly to get the crowd anticipated for his speech, he was nervous, sweating carefully contained under his suit he was roused from his thoughts when the union boss clasped him roughly on the shoulder, "Your on." he said as he passed by. Lance took large steps to the podium, wiped his brow, cleared his throat and began to speak. "H-H-Hello, as you know my name is Lance Faraday and I've been elected to serve you." He paused, the crowd silently stared at him, "I-um-I may not be the bold new ideas and so grand a scheme as my colleagues have, but I can promise you this, I will always be with the people. This means I support a healthy industrial environment, the blue collars are the backbone of our economy, so our are farmers, as well as our service based friends including government employees. This is why I support the formation of unions and the right of workers to strike, it is unreasonable to me that you would have to work hours and hours everyday only to take less pay from the owner, or to work overtime without compensation, just as the boss is the provider of jobs you the workers provide him with his." the crowd had warmed up a bit to this and seemed to like where this was heading.

"However, it is important that we not abuse our island without temperament, Mother Nature is kind to all of us but not if we abuse her. I believe it is possible to continue to have an industrial base as well as pursue environmentally friendly policies, this includes ending our dependency on oil and natural gas, I recognize the loss of jobs in the short term, but the amount of jobs from the construction of wind farms, solar plants, and nuclear fission will far outnumber the ones lost, and all save the last one require similar construction skills as building another derrick." Some in the crowd were paying full attention, others were at least being polite.

"I've gone over my time here, but if you would let me finish my last two or three points. As an island nation I think it would be prudent to maximize the efficiency of our Navy and Airforce, maybe some expansion of bases and dockyards, but we should primarily focus on having our troops at the smallest point with the largest rate of success. Secondly, much of the developed world suffers from a crisis of mental illness we need to invest in both pharmaceuticals and psychologists that can lessen the impact of these terrible diseases that effect many of us and our families, disproportionately so does it effect the lower class, inmates, and juveniles. The fight to treat this illnesses and to keep treatment affordable is one that we can fight in the capitol. Lastly, while some developed countries struggle with substance abuse, we should not let this scare us away from the largely 'harmless' cannabis plant, while every drug has negative side effects this includes tobacco and alcohol, but with no-one calling for an end to the use of those why should we continue to enforce penalties for such a similar drug? It would also be my hope to expand the agricultural base in the country, both for cannabis and other crops, to return to our more sustainable roots. To clarify allowing or passing a law that allows limited agricultural practices to be preformed both in urban and rural properties, people can save a dime or two by growing their own garden or by being an entrepreneur and starting a locally grown food place in the middle of downtown wherever."

The crowd clapped for the end of the speech, whether genuinely impressed or just trying to be courteous was unknown. "Thank you all for being here, and have a good day." he stepped off the stage smile growing upon his face, "That went rather well I think."

Questions and Suggestions:
Total Credits: 92 (Post Faction Creation)
S13

[Nuxipal]

Faction: The Salarian Union

I like it, though I don't have a few of those systems/planets listed on my OP. Its almost 3 am, but we'll discuss it/I'll work something out so those Salarian Colonies appear somewhere within the canonical universe. Assuming the numbers check out when I am conscious, consider this a 2/3rds acceptance.

Faction: Free Republic of Ilium

Just as above, assuming the accounting pans out correctly, you will be accepted. So again, a 2/3rds acceptance.


I look forward to counting all morning long.

[Turkducken]

Re: Nuxipal
Mannovai, Nasurn, and Jaeto aren’t canon systems. I went researching through various stated canon Salarian worlds and discovered that they’re never really established as a location or system in the games. So I took some of the stated planets, and just generated a few systems with their names. Mannovai, Nasurn, and Jaeto are supposed to be the first three colonies established by the Salarians

And a few general questions,

1. Are the Events of ME1 going to play out as designed? What I mean to ask, are we going to have a set story line we're gonna follow? Obviously we're going to be making our own, but are Saren and Sovereign going to do the things they do?

2. The Krogan aren't playable, so are they out of the story or just in the background? Can we recruit Krogan? (Same for the Volus too I guess)

3. I'm assuming we're going to be getting random events?

[Nuxipal]

Re: Nuxipal
Mannovai, Nasurn, and Jaeto aren’t canon systems. I went researching through various stated canon Salarian worlds and discovered that they’re never really established as a location or system in the games. So I took some of the stated planets, and just generated a few systems with their names. Mannovai, Nasurn, and Jaeto are supposed to be the first three colonies established by the Salarians

Alright, I was tasked (maybe five or six months ago) with making an expansion for the Annos Basin and another cluster for the Salarians to expand into. I probably forgot to add the correctly named planets. I've adjusted the clusters and added a system to accommodate the Canon planets.

From my brief research most of those planets were meant to be garden or near garden so here is where they moved to.

Senoquol was moved to the Byblos System in the Utanapish Sea as a Garden world.
Garot II seems to have been a salarian world with eggs on it. So I made it a Garden moon in the Ashan System of the Utanapish Sea.
Olor and Rannadril are in the Olor System, a new system of the Utanapish Sea. Olor I made into a non-hostile Terrestrial world and Rannadril is a Near Garden.
Mannoval is in the Zonok System of the Annos Basin. It's a Garden World.
Jaeto is now in the Rokum System of the Annos Basin. It's a near-garden
Nasurn is in the Cerop System in the Annos Basin as a Garden World with two barren moons.

So in the end we only added one system, and incorporated the others into the existing systems either replacing its non-canon garden world or being inserted as its own garden world. Sorry for the mess there. Mass Effect Canon have left the Salarians out of sight for the most part. This should remedy that.

And from what I can tell, you did fine on your expenses. So you're accepted.

Illium is accepted as well.

[The Empire of Tau]

Hhm, what happened to the Krogans? Are they not in some form of heavy decline after they failed to take over ze galaxy?

[Nuxipal]

Hhm, what happened to the Krogans? Are they not in some form of heavy decline after they failed to take over ze galaxy?

Scattered to the winds/Stuck on Tuchanka is what it seems to be at this point.

While we could have a Krogan Player, the faction typically just creates friction within Council space and is relatively crippled as a player faction. As an NPC they can serve the same purpose for the story without a player being pressured into choosing between sitting still like the punished race they are and attacking everything that moves with lesser forces.

[The Empire of Tau]

1. Are the Events of ME1 going to play out as designed? What I mean to ask, are we going to have a set story line we're gonna follow? Obviously we're going to be making our own, but are Saren and Sovereign going to do the things they do?

I'm planning to have Shepherd do the whole trilogy as the game follows.

[Nuxipal]

1. Are the Events of ME1 going to play out as designed? What I mean to ask, are we going to have a set story line we're gonna follow? Obviously we're going to be making our own, but are Saren and Sovereign going to do the things they do?

I'm planning to have Shepherd do the whole trilogy as the game follows.

Re: Nuxipal


And a few general questions,

1. Are the Events of ME1 going to play out as designed? What I mean to ask, are we going to have a set story line we're gonna follow? Obviously we're going to be making our own, but are Saren and Sovereign going to do the things they do?

2. The Krogan aren't playable, so are they out of the story or just in the background? Can we recruit Krogan? (Same for the Volus too I guess)

3. I'm assuming we're going to be getting random events?

I must have missed the questions.

1. Saren is with the Turians right now, so that's a change. Omega has a new regime in place with Aria seeking revenge for an apparent Citadel hit squad headed up by a SPECTRE. Sovereign is out there somewhere. He and the Geth Heretics are still doing what they do.

2. Volus are rolled into the Turians as we could never keep enough players to make two factions viable there and this way the Turian Faction has a nice economy boost to make them a real major player. The Krogan have just been a crippled player faction and I do plan on having them recruitable to an extent. Though probably not by Turians, Asari, or Salarians. The Krogan don't care much for them. Except as appetizers.

3. Some random, some not so random. It all depends on how players interact and how the corruption spreads around the galaxy. They aren't written down per se, but there are areas in the Galaxy that should trigger events. Like the Asari, or someone else, crossing into range of Turvess and the Raloi telescope spotting them.

[The Empire of Tau]

The Krogan have just been a crippled player faction and I do plan on having them recruitable to an extent. Though probably not by Turians, Asari, or Salarians. The Krogan don't care much for them. Except as appetizers.

Alliance Krogan Mercs. HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. (Also may be good for xeno-studies.)

[Turkducken]

I ask because I'm personally interested in seeing the Rachni survive into the foreseeable future. That's not an official Salarian position, but just a personal one I wish to see. Along with a general happy and healthy Krogan populace. Also I was going to have SPECTRE Bau maybe sort of assist Shepherd in their duties. That would've been strictly off the record and through back channels only.

[The Empire of Tau]

I ask because I'm personally interested in seeing the Rachni survive into the foreseeable future. That's not an official Salarian position, but just a personal one I wish to see. Along with a general happy and healthy Krogan populace. Also I was going to have SPECTRE Bau maybe sort of assist Shepherd in their duties. That would've been strictly off the record and through back channels only.

Salarians wanting a happy and healthy Krogan? Big Thonk

[Ralnis]

The Batarians will be looking into getting some Vorcha, Rachni and Thorian DNA. For no reason what so ever.

[Nuxipal]

Sometime soon, I'll open the IC. I know that a couple of players will not be terribly available in the next couple of days and this will give them time to post before that time and let our other players finish up their applications and have somewhere to start on month 1 immediately after they are accepted.

[Turkducken]

I ask because I'm personally interested in seeing the Rachni survive into the foreseeable future. That's not an official Salarian position, but just a personal one I wish to see. Along with a general happy and healthy Krogan populace. Also I was going to have SPECTRE Bau maybe sort of assist Shepherd in their duties. That would've been strictly off the record and through back channels only.

Salarians wanting a happy and healthy Krogan? Big Thonk

Again not an official Salarian position, that's just me.

Although I imagine there are Clans within the Union that would be more open, clearly Salarians have different opinions about things.

(It's also hard to deny genocide and warcrimes when you actually meet the people you did those things against, and how desperate it makes them. See Captain/Major Kirrahe after Virmire and Wrex.)

The Batarians will be looking into getting some Vorcha, Rachni and Thorian DNA. For no reason what so ever.

Inb4 the Batarians become the biggest sponsor of Cerberus

[The Empire of Tau]

Again not an official Salarian position, that's just me.

Although I imagine there are Clans within the Union that would be more open, clearly Salarians have different opinions about things.

(It's also hard to deny genocide and warcrimes when you actually meet the people you did those things against, and how desperate it makes them. See Captain/Major Kirrahe after Virmire and Wrex.)

Well, I got plans to do some xeno-studies on the Krogans.

The Batarians will be looking into getting some Vorcha, Rachni and Thorian DNA. For no reason what so ever.

Rachni War Electric Boogaloo 2

[Paddy O Fernature]

THE TURIAN HIERARCHY
"Recalibrating..."

The Primarch

Primarch Nelus Lorictus


Little is publicly known about the current Primarch of the Turians past his early childhood on the Turian homeworld of Palaven. Public records concerning his public service through the military have either been sealed away or outright destroyed quietly, with only rumors of Spectre involvement left in his wake. What is known, is that Nelus quickly rose through the numerous tiers of the hierarchy quickly and with seemingly great skill, having quickly been appointed by those around and above him without question for rapid advancement.

As a public political figure, Nelus has been noted for being a cold and calculating man, even for a Turian. Under his current reign, several previous stances against other races have been reset back to a neutral setting, as Nelus wishes to reevaluate diplomatic relations on an individual level with other races. As such, he is an approachable man, that will give a fair shake with anyone willing to swallow their pride and extend a diplomatic olive branch towards him and his administration. However, those that wish ill upon him or his people should not mistake his kindness for weakness.

History

Everything relevant to the Turian's history can be found here in one hand, easy to read collection of information. Up to Pre-ME1 Cannon

Diplomatic Relations
(Council Member Species)

At the current time, the Hierarchy enjoys peaceful relations with all established citadel council races and species. However, with the events of the Relay 314 Incident still fresh in many Turian minds, humanity is generally viewed as a young and aggressive upstart species that's expanding faster then it should in a unchecked race for power. In recent years however, though antagonism remains between them, relations have improved slightly. The two races are now trade partners, and the construction of the SSV Normandy, which was designed and built by engineers of both races, have began to mend the divide between them.

Relations outside council space with races within the Terminus Systems currently is neutral at best, with eyes focused on Omega and the recent shift in power within.

Infrastructure
(Current as of Start)
Items in Blue were purchased current month. Items in Green were completed this month.
Total Income: 1,887.5c

Garden World - +100c, 700pc
4x Urban Structure 180c
2x Fuel Depot 10c
1x Shipyard 15c
3x Minor Industrial Complex 15c
1x Major Industrial Complex 15c
5x Mining Complex 35c
2x Major Mining Complex 30c
1x Gambling Den 10c +20c = 30c
1x Major Spaceport 315c
1x Intelligence Center
1x Citadel Embassy 25c
100c Base + 670c income = 770c

Garden World - +100c, 700pc, +50% total credits
5x Mining Complex 35c
2x Major Mining Complex 30c
3x Industrial Complex 15c
1x Major Industrial Complex 15c
1x Shipyard 15c
2x Fuel Depot 10c
1x Gambling Den 10c +20c = 30c
4x Urban Structure 180c
x1 Major Spaceport 315c
1x Intelligence Center
100c Base + 645 Income = 745c + 372c bonus = 1,117.5c

Military
(Current as of Start)
Items in Blue were purchased current month. Items in Green were completed this month.

{First Turian Fleet- Palavan Orbit}
10 Dreadnoughts
5 Battlegroup Carrier
-15 Fighter Wings
-5 Interceptor Wings
4 Battlecruisers
5 Light Cruisers

{Second Turian Fleet- Irune Orbit}
10 Dreadnoughts
5 Battlegroup Carrier
-15 Fighter Wings
-5 Interceptor Wings
4 Battlecruisers
5 Light Cruisers

{Third Turian Fleet - Patrolling Turian Space}
10 Dreadnoughts
5 Battlegroup Carrier
-15 Fighter Wings
-5 Interceptor Wings
4 Battlecruisers
5 Light Cruisers

Spectre Status: Confirmed
Saren Arterius- High Quality Armaments, Advanced Armor, Electronic Warfare Capabilities, Combat Biotics, Stealth Training, (Elite)
Nihlus Kryik- High Quality Armaments, Advanced Armor, stealth Training, Electronic Warfare Capabilities, Close Combat Specialization, (Elite)

Claimed Worlds
Turian Worlds

Faction Pro's and Cons

Pros: Volus Bankers - Having the Volus as a Client State, the Turians are able to focus on military matters while the Volus deal with the economies. Because of this, the Turians can reliably depend on economic support from Irune. Irune produces +50% credits for the Turian economy and Galactic Banks built by the Turians produce an additional 10 Credits for the turians and an extra 5% to the client nation.

Military Society - While many Factions host an army, the Turian military is something else all together. The Hierarchy is one large military structure with 27 tiers with citizenship awarded upon rank 3. With mandatory enlistment from ages 15 to 30, the Turians do not lack for soldiers. All Ground Forces take 25% less time to train.

Cons:
Economic Disinterest - Despite having the Volus as bankers, the Turians themselves are not very business savvy. They simply are disinterested in allocating funds to anything except military assets. Infrastructure aside from Industrial, Mining, and Shipyards cost 5% more.

Volus Clientele - Having an economic powerhouse like the Volus as a client state is quite helpful, however, it comes at a cost. Turians must maintain their military position as the strongest force in Citadel Space. If they fall behind someone else in Dreadnought Strength or they lose their council seat the Volus will seek to end their client status and seek a new protector removing the Volus Bankers Pro.

RP Example: You know me.
Questions and Suggestions: N/A
S13

[Skarten]

So, uh, i'm kinda confused. Are we allowed to make custom factions or do we have to stick to the canon ones?

[G-Tech Corporation]

So, uh, i'm kinda confused. Are we allowed to make custom factions or do we have to stick to the canon ones?

Customs are being considered now that almost all of the majors are full, but we're trying to keep them rather plausible - so not brain-uploaded genocidal humans, yes breakaway Asari republics.