GalaxyNES- No Horizons

A Possibly Insignificant Moment of Time in the Life of a Possibly Insignificant Poy-Op

Pokk’sss

Pokk’sss watched the devices detach from the ship ahead. The probes started moving from the formation of science ships. They blinked multicolored in the blackness, growing dimmer as they quickly travelled into the distance. As their lights began to merge with the light of a distant star, they began to jump. The lights all disappeared for a moment followed by a flash of light. The light from the star returned to normal.

The probe had finished with its first jump. It would travel sub-light as its jump engine would recharge. Once ready to go, it would make another jump. It would eventually reach the star that continued to shine in the distance.

On arrival it would take a survey of the system. Find what orbital bodies existed and determine their chemical make up. Would this star provide good resources for expansion or mining. Would its orbital bodies provide a new home for Poy-Ops or would its orbital bodies be forfeited to produce new worlds in a different distant system.

This was probe number 2. Five more scheduled to be sent out in the next couple years(1) to other nearby stars.

Pokk’sss oriented his ship back towards home.

-----------
1 - This is earth time, because I haven't bothered to work out the time sense of the Poy-Ops yet.

You keep avoiding the most important thing. Come on… You know, I’m very patient. I can keep doing this for as long as necessary.

Knifeship.

Once, during the later days of our first age, Kendra and Orli and I went into the far part of the borg, which was off-limits to all but the godar and the priests, and those directly allowed to go there by both. It was Orli’s idea to go there, though later, Kendra and I drew lots and I accepted the responsibility, as Orli was the youngest of us three.

Once there, we found a…

Not it at all.

MGkrseges.

Agkarog, gagkwapg foeammviorg pvkapovawem vpomavma m, vaopv eofwaofm o omowoo om a aapav la, gwag. G la ekogm paow k m p ef w. Pfep aapav, walf, wp, mgyr. Fefefewew. Plfoewkaamgmvav.

Staphon.

Staphon was our teacher. And also, he was my personal tutor. He was the one who taught me history – the one that everyone learns and the other, meant for me as a future godar.

They aren’t all that different, those two histories. The main difference between the two is that the latter extends, how ever tenuously, into the future. Tenuously, yet meticulously, Staphon laid out the outlines of the future and of our plan, of how we were to avoid the errors of the Migrants and the Habitants alike – if possibly at the cost of making new ones as we struck out on our own…

Staphon is inconsequential, a dead end despite some points of originality. Move on!

Borg Iruskan.

I first went to borg Iruskan at the start of my second age, and visited it two more times since then. But long before that, it preoccupied my mind, since it was often spoken of in our hamme.

One of the first nine kuppelborgs, it was; a place of tyranny and anarchy, of ridiculously strict religious and military discipline on one hand and extreme hedonism and nihilism on the other. We did not really pay that much attention to those places after our rebellion and escape; for most of us, their part in history was over; for others, they were still not presently important, although they would become so later. In general we had assumed that, weakened by rebellion, the kuppelborgs were like powerful beasts bleeding to death on the ground and trying to delude themselves into thinking that it were not so. Their wounds were fatal, we said; and already they do not even attempt to match us in battle. A few more generations, and the free hamme will not only overtake them but also take advantage of their anarchy to take over theirfactories and other properties.

All the same, though, we were cautioned again and again before we set out on our first voyage to Iruskan, that while the inhabitants of the kuppelborgs were weak and apathetic, the very spirit of those places was infectious. We may become corrupted and dissolute, and therefore should be watchful even as we pay lip service to the idea of alliance…

(Staphon of course believed that travelling there may serve to steel us against corruption later&#8230

The kuppelborg was not as I expected. But I did not realise this at first – since at first, it seemed to match what I have been told well enough.

It was imposing from the distance. The rituals and buildings (regardless of their actual function) were all momentous and ostentatious; they have no doubt changed a great deal since the landing, and Staphon later told us that the kuppelborgs were no doubt starting to imitate empires of old these days. That probably should have been a warning.

In borg Iruskan, godar Orgen reigned. His jerls governed in his name, but they were less like hand-picked warriors and more like bureaucrats and courtiers. The clergy was extensive – and so the rituals were large – and they were all controlled by the Leidangr, although the same could be said of all aspects of life. All streets and quarters, as well as the underground, were patrolled by Leidangr machines. All the same, in the guests quarters and the youth houses, we were greeted by strange entertainments – flavourful artificial food and modified fungus, off-putting “ancient” music, depictions of nonexistent people and so on. Their young did not spar with abandon, as we did, but they did use a greater number of weapons, and people gathered to watch the fights on the arena. Both sides assumed that the other was cheating, and it fell to me to explain the differences in rules.

Their religion, too, was strange. Often did I remember the words of Staphon and Orgmar and others, on how the people of the kuppelborgs have fallen into denial, attempting to argue that they did not err in landing on Destination. And indeed a few insisted that they believed no such thing, and that, in fact, nobody did; but they did not explain what they now wished to do about it. But others simply said that our journey was truly at end. This was nothing less than our new home; our new planet. Now all that was left to do was to colonise all of it, to study it and (blasphemous thought) to reclaim some of that which we forsook when we set out on our journey. It was for this reason that they were actually quite interested in ancient history and philosophy; but understanding I was not thrilled with their notion, they did not insist on pressing it further.

It was rather late in that visit when I realised that indeed, they do still have a network, and it is quite strict and all-encompassing. They fixed their previous errors, perhaps, and now their rulers meddled in their lives at will if needed – without any clear arrangements for feedback, as we had. I was quite grateful to God and godar that we were no longer there, for hamme Irkner now appeared more as automatons who were only pretending to be free and living beings until someone gave them a different order.

That impression ultimately wore off, though. And the second visit was, on the whole, fairly mundane; a necessary negotiation after some border incidents. To be sure, hamme Irkner had referred to us as tributaries, but they were willing to release our prisoners as though we were their equals.

It was on the third visit to borg Iruskan that I had realised just how wrong we had been about it – though strictly speaking, some of this information I was given slightly in advance. It was about three times bigger than we thought, you see – it had stretched deep, deep underground. There, they readied a large army of recklessly prepared and thoroughly integrated Ysir – no, not proper Ysir, but rather mere clones without names. There, they also kept the old ships, far more numerous and large than those in our borg. There, they also had a great many other things, and they did not wish for us to know of them… Yet they also did not worry too much when we discovered them. It seems they were simply not concerned with what we may do there, and with good reason. Their security systems were supreme, perhaps – as godar Bruslaw woefully concluded – because they were so keen to develop new technologies for the sake of their plans for this planet.

It is fortunate that the purpose of my third visit had nothing to do with trying to sabotage their build-up, or I may have faced ignominious and inavertible defeat, the worst dishonour for an Ysir.

Helgi and Kendra.

My best friend from my childhood was Kendra. He was born on the same day as I was, though we did not meet after that until we all passaged into Staphon’s tutelage – and even then, not immediately, because Kendra had a tendency to try and run off, and to drop off the grid in the network. None quite knew how he did it, but luckily for all of us, he ultimately got tired of skulking around in what few areas he could escape to without dying at that age. The problems on the network stopped then.

We did not get along that well at first, admittedly; we sought to one-up each other in Staphon’s eyes, as we were both well-versed in history – although it is more that Kendra had an intuitive grasp for the subject, while I relied more on extensive reading and knowledge. In any case, our arguments got heated – which Staphon actually encouraged. Our peers, howeve, found it undignified, and eventually we ended up having to fight each other in a duel.

We were both outfitted with training machines, so that we may not seriously hurt each other or damage hamme property, but also so that we may decide things conclusively. I was more competent here; this was apparent from the start. But even as I kept blocking him and pushing him back, he found ways to keep me off balance with sudden, unexpected strikes, and then managed to land a crippling blow to the head unit, winning the duel when I was sure that I had it in my grasp. Later he told me that by that point he was driven by sheer spite and little else; he really, really didn’t want to lose to me. By then we were already friends, though.

It was a rather strange friendship, since I soon got a special status as the godar’s heir, while Kendra was always rather strange and devious regardless of status (although he was on fast track towards becoming either one of the jerls or Orgmar’s apprentice, as ludicrous as some – not including Bruslaw and Staphon – found this notion). It was nevertheless a very strong one, helped by our common interest in history and in the world around us. I was shocked by his blasphemies and recklessness, sometimes, while he accused me of being arrogant and self-absorbed. Yet we would always defend each other from others; I would be party to his crimes, as we had eventually agreed, while he would help me get my way over anyone else.

And it worked out. And I never did reveal any of his secrets. I hid them well, very well, and even what little I mentioned now I would never have mentioned if not for, well…

He disappeared on a voyage to borg Iruskan, which by itself was a sudden and abrupt venture he didn’t see fit to warn us about – except to hint at things under the city, which worried godar Bruslaw and, after he shared some things he had already known with me, myself, to such a great extent that we decided to jeopardise our succession by sending me and a small retinue to look for him there, on my third voyage to borg Iruskan.

So…

It’s you, isn’t it?

…

You are almost there, Helgi. Don’t be distracted now. Come on, just one more push through your personal memories, and…

The New Awareness.

Nothing. And everything, wrapped around it.

Nature abhors a vacuum, and a vacuum abhors nature.

There shall be no more perfect union than this.

*pop*

---

Blind. Deaf. Senseless. Cut off.

I am still trapped. But not completely. I can move. Or at least, I can crawl. A good thing I was trained for it, though I still won’t make it all that far in here (where?) without transport.

I am defenseless and surrounded by darkness, as on the day when I was born.

There is blood on my hands. At least, there is supposed to be… I won. In much the opposite way from how I did when we had fought and he had won, all the way back then.

I am still trapped.

Dark. Quiet. Empty, lost…

…

No.

There is… something else.

Only belatedly do I realise that, in truth, I have been trapped before, ever since my birth... and now I was set free.

This first realization is followed by a million others, flowing into my heated mind in an instant.

And over the din of all those thoughts, sensations and apprehensions, there was one that shouted out all of them. A question. Or perhaps simply a desperate, terrified cry.

Oh my godar, what have we done. Oh my godar, what have I become?!

Homecoming

As homeworlds go, Neallae was fairly small; gravity a little less than most visitors were used to, and only one major land continent to visit. It was however blessed with a lush protective atmosphere. The home star, Ollu, was also a mature and good-natured beast, casting a warm orange-yellow glow upon the surface, which was eclipsed only occasionally by the giant acid-ocean world, Eulla; the mass ratio was unusually even for such a planet-moon system, but tidal locking was an inevitable process. Each day and night lasted a little longer than the last. For now, Eulla still traced a slow path through the skies of the home moon. It was visible as a dull turquoise blob in the rear viewport as the shuttle hurtled on towards Naellae itself. The last step of a very long journey.

Meullu I'iur O' had spent most of her recent life travelling across mind-numbingly vast regions of space, taking up the offer of an 'educational' programme offered by the Collectivity, taking her all the way from the world they called Iau. Iau... It had been the main Ullau refuge outside of the oppressive grasp of the Sanathi. It had been a garden world of art, self-expression, centuries-long philosophical debate, architectural experimentation, monument-building, inter-species communication, and pioneering unconventional science. It had been home. And it had been wonderful. But, it had also become stale. In the end their vibration had faded, and the universe had allowed the Collectivity to overtake them once again. And so they had scattered, once again.

Meullu was among those who could see why and how. And she knew what she had to do. As a disciple of Qii I’lu’li’o, she would return to her ancestral homelands. To enter into the Collectivity and to lead by example. Not to disrupt or argue. But simply to be herself... To take the best of what she found there, and find a way to blend it with the spirit she knew on Iau. To raise her vibration endlessly to a higher and higher level. And to show others how to do the same. To awake and break through whatever mental clouds the Collectivity had cast upon them. The lost multitudes of the homeworld. Naellae...

She was disappointed.

The blue-green orb glowed with an immense vitality, a surprising and completely unapologetic outpouring of energy, consciousness, and sensuality. Countless billions of souls dwelled below and all around; the majority of them housed in Ullau bodies. The whole environment had a collective consciousness. It was playful. It was joyful. It was powerful.

Shimmering silken filaments rose impossibly from the equatorial line of the moon's single land continent. These were anchored in orbit by a variety of captured asteroids and spectacular relict city-ships, and on the ground by beads of ivory, crimson and azure, which she knew were the great surface metropoli, islands of towering tropospheric urbanisation set amidst lush green foliage that thrived defiantly all around them. The metropoli glowed blue, orange and gold as they fell into the night side of the moon. As she looked, fainter lines seemed to rise up out of the deep ocean. A multitude of close-orbit craft and satellites formed a faint lacework of twinkling lights, their intertwined orbits carefully designed to weave around the towering space elevators.

It was the great city-ships of the Collectivity that had first dragged the naive Ullau into the Galactic Era - imposing, impressive, and alien. Centuries later, the remaining city-ships had become familiar geosynchronous skymarks, dwarfed by an ever-expanding halo of orbital habitats, shipyards and industrial stations. Enormous bio-habitats, in the form of spheres, cylinders and flat leaf-like shapes, circled in polar orbits so as to avoid casting climate-altering shadows on the surface below. Zones designated for polar and equatorial orbits alternated and nestled within each other like the turning cogwheels of some insane machine, extending out as far as Naellae's gravitational influence held sway. There was no longer any true night on the surface, as sunset merely gave way to a dusky gold-purple sky that glowed with artificial constellations, surely resembling what must be seen on planets near the galactic core.

At this moment Meullu finally understood. Naellae had been an open flower, calling into the void, waiting to be pollinated. After the arrival of the Collectivity, it had morphed and grown. It had subtly shaped the Collectivity, as it too had been shaped. It was not in need of rescuing. Its voice had been heard. What she intended to instigate was already an ongoing process.

One had to realise that the Ullau were simply not imperious by nature. They had no need to build their own empire. The species had been largely solitary during its evolutionary history, forming temporary groups or travelling with select companions. Complex social behaviours had been rapidly learned as civilization took hold, but there had not been enough time to imprint them in DNA; the primary impulse was still self-expression, looking after one's own health, and alternately testing oneself against and having fun with those one encountered. Truly aggressive and possessive impulses were rather hard to trigger. Power struggles, manipulation, social positioning, worry, self-doubt - these were literally alien concepts. Many of the shenanigans of the Collectivity, and indeed of the greater galaxy as a whole, had simply passed through the Ullau like a shower of non-interacting particles. Yet, the Ullau were still here. They were scattered across the galaxy, yet they still had a homeworld. And they still had fun. With such an incurable alignment towards their personal happiness, Meullu suddenly thought, the exchange of ideas and energies could only be positive in the long run.

The Collectivity, a monster that now sprawled at least as far as Iau in every direction, in some places much, much further... A truly staggering accumulation of systems... Was now, by the turning of fate, geographically centred on Naellae. Somehow, this innocent flower had become the capital of what was perhaps the greatest military and economic power in the galaxy. And beneath the veneer of officiality, the cold language of the Collectivity hierarchy, the playful and vibrant spirit of the Ullau was not only alive and well, but had grown and expanded wonderfully.

She was disappointed.

The culture that Meullu had known on Iau, the one she had taken as one of the pillars of her existence, was not as unique and rebellious as she had thought. Naellae, she was about to learn, was now home to an incredible blossoming of culture that shattered all preconceptions about the Collectivity. It was beyond Ullau, beyond the definition of any genetic species or astrological body. Already, as the doors of the orbital docking station closed around her shuttle, words from of one of the Old Texts came to mind.

There is no regression. There is only expansion.

If I Had A Heart

“Contact. Starboard!” Shouted the Verthomme captain, his ship, the Entangling, had flown right into a Ma'Autran ambush. Frantic maneuvering ensued as more ships slowed from jump speed and entered the fray. Behind a slew of Republican ships a massive flagship appeared, long and sharp, covered in right angles like some monster out of a math text, it was the personal armor of One.

Fire sprang forth from the Ma'Autran battlecruisers, lighting up the void with bright colors powered by ever more efficient Maus reactor technology. Beam weaponry held solid strikes against multiple targets as a furious swarm of missiles launched from both sides to counter fighters. Explosion after explosion ignited the warrior spirits of both sides, as long corrupted and fallen Republican citizens died for their new overlords next to the revenge seeking forces of One. A radio communication buzzed to life on the bridge of One's own flagship, which had begun firing on its own targets at last and was bringing great devastation to the field. One danced in her holographic state, commanding all the details of her ship in a blissful routine, and with another motion she accepted the call. On the main monitor, as her crew members looked on with maniacal grins, the face of a Rax admiral appeared.

“Ah. So comes the demon herself to the lands of our mother.” His deep voice filled the bridge with shock in his confidence, but One remained in her dancing trance, her tail swooshing about as her arms waved.

“Your mother, oh how I despise her.” Without a single look at the monitor, she insulted the Rax admiral, who is a well established mama's boys.

“Silence your heresy monster! You are in the realms of Ma'Autra, the greatest achievement of the natural way, and you will respect us as we slaughter your henchmen of injustice!”

“Oooh, by the Wera! Does your kind always have to be so – dramatic?” She giggled in her motions, destroying several more ships in her whimsical state. “Why should I allow your kind to live?”

“What? As if you could make such a decision!” His mandibles trembled in anger.

“If only I had a heart. Yes, that would make this decision...well, a decision at all.” She stopped her dance. “Haha...hahaha...muwahahahaha!”

The Rax admiral tilted his head in confusion, her own crew members grew afraid as her laughter became louder, yet she did not elaborate in words. She resumed her dance as the full power of her ship came to be seen. Arches of pure destructive power shot out the sides like lightning bolts towards any enemy ships that came too close, popping them like corn in a microwave.

The front of the ship opened, like a claw it gradually grew wider, until finally it glowed with the light of a thousand stars. Unleashing hell upon those who worship false idols.

That was a wonderful story, Daft. Lucky's was cool too I guess.

In fact, Naellae has become the de jure capital of the Collectivity. Read my musings on the Enrae and Naia Station for more details.

And even within Collectivity circles, the colonization of Iau was a controversial move; it only passed the subsequent star-nation-wide referendum by 51.2%.

@Thlayli sorry I got ahead of myself, I should have talked with you first. Actually first, I need to catch up on your postings I have missed :s

Your description of Naellae was really quite beautiful, though. It was inspiring, frankly.

OOC: this looks like an excellent place to stage a return. Beware! A vermin is coming to the galaxy.
Just need to read up on the updates and stories first.

Welcome back TerrisH, long time no see!

Also, this is my 20 thousandth post. Yay.

I'm going to try to get another story in before your next update. This week is incredibly busy for me, unfortunately.

Yeah, life's been busy for me as well. Will write up another story though.

I must note that people are being very loyal to what we see in nature in this NES. To badly paraphrase Linnaeus, you're all inordinately fond of bug swarms.

Welcome to the NES TerrisH, can't wait to see what you're working on!

Species: Jubblera Galacti. the Jubblera are a very small, six limbed, four winged species, averaging 6 inches in length. they are extremely colorful species, with their carapaces coved in dense patterns of Chromatophores, which they tend to use to both hide themselves when in danger, and to communicate at speeds much faster then simple vocal apparatus can. Internally, they are warmblooded, and possess a simple skeleton. They are omnivorous and posses sharp, cutting mandibles able to slice through event he toughest foods quickly.
they are a highly communal species, and actually have 4 separate levels of sentience depending on how many of them are in sight of each other at one time.
the lowest is the individual Jubblera. they are fairly dumb, with the vast majority of them only able to hold a single thought in their head at one time, and possessing no sense of self. they are totally subservient to their clan.
above them is the Clan, the first level of sentience, which is composed of between 50-200 Jubblera living in each of the hives. possessing a sense of self and capable of asking questions, they are the Individuals of the Jubblera species. they do have a tendency to live in the present, and are not very good for planing for the future. while not subservient to clusters, they tend to listen to them and follow any reasonable demands.
when 600-1200 clans gather close enough together a cluster, the second level of sentience, begins to form. while a slightly slower thinker then an individual clan, they possess the critical ability to plan extensively for the future. they tend to advise the clans that compose them, and insure they all get what they need to survive. (rough equivalent is a town). Cluster minds are very argumentative with True minds, but are completely subservient to it if they are pushed.
If enough cluster minds are able to link themselves together (2000-4000), a True mind will develop to rule them. this is the third level of sentience. The nature of a True mind depends heavily upon the cluster minds that compose it. the environment, and what they have to deal with on a day to day basis can radically alter the personality of the true mind. They do tend to be very competitive with the other true minds, and posses the ability to manipulate the "K'y" to specialize it's clans.
the fourth level of sentience is simply known as "the swarm". this is an ever fluctuating sea of collective memories, and serves as a racial unconscious. while it can only flow between Jubblera within sight of each other, there can only be a single swarm, and the swarm of two groups of Jubblera meeting for the first time will quickly and effortlessly merge with other. the swarm dose possess a crude will of it's own, and will seek to guide the Jubblera.

Forces: Large numbers, Ability to evolve drastically using the "K'y" to suit situations. ability to eat nearly everything. Blood is mutigentic when ingested due to "K'y". can use Chromatophores to hide themselves visually. Can fly.

Technology: None except the "K'y". Due to the necessity of evacuating their home world, all Jubblera ended up dead or in stasis of the seed pods. as a result, the previous Swarm mind died and only the faintest traces of it's memories remain scattered across the galaxy. thus, they are reduced to stone age technology. can and will scavenge technology of other species.

Description: The Jubblera have no government beyond what is genticly inherent into them.

The Jubblera are a race that has experienced great tragedy. From their humble beginnings on their home world, they out competed many species, and eventually arose to a primitive civilization. though small, they built, they designed, and researched. over 40,000 years they progressed in the technological arts, eventual progressing into an industrial and biological revolution. they developed great machines to compute, and an understanding of their biology. and understanding that would let them unlock the infinite possibility of their genetics. that would lead to the "K'y".
But this golden age lasted less then a year. An unknown Dwarf planetoid struck another planet in their system. then a second made a near miss of their own. the earthquakes and Tsunami were devastating. but the worst was what they discovered caused these rouge objects. a cause that would doom their world.
A neutron star was approaching on a direct course to their sun. their world was doomed.
The true minds met, and reached a consensus. their was no hope via conventional means. extreme measures would have to be taken. only their infinite genetic potential could save them. there was no time to research it slowly. there was no time to do it safely. It would have to be quick and dirty. through sheer brute forces and numbers, they would unlock it.
And they did. Over half their world's population, 500,000,000,000,000 , sacrificed themselves to unlock the K'y in less then a year.
With it, they developed their SEEDs. watermelon sized organisms, each capable of preserving a single colony in stasis by warping the space around them. when their world was destroyed, they would be scattered to the stars, to drift until they impacted a habitable world. Trillions were made in the final few years, stacked and stored. until their worlds final day.

It is nearly 300 years later. slowly the seeds drift, covered and hidden in accumulated spaced dust. drift toward known space.

"K'y" : also know as "the key". a chemo-biological-mechanical nano-agent present in all Jubblera, It allows them to evolve over 2-3 generations instead of thousands. powerful mental efforts are needed to fully control it. but in order to fully use it requires knowledge of how it truly works, thus a large portion of it's functionality is locked away from them at this time.
SEEDs: crude in someways, near magically advanced in others, the Trillions of SEEDs were created to preserve the Jubblera's race, then flung outwards by the destruction of their world. each one of these watermelon sized biologicals warp the space around it in a manner similar to the Wera, though a lot cruder. this both preserves them from the many hazards of space, such as the neutron star that destroyed their homeworld, and allows them to travel and steer toward prospective planets at speeds between 10-20 times the speed of light. they can crudely detect planets with atmosphere, and will steer towards them. upon impact with the surface, they will attempt to tailor the clan they contain to the environment surrounding them using the "K'y" (or if no life is detected at all, attempt to build some life for their Jubblera to live off of (.01% chance of success)). Only about .01% of them manage to reach a planet, and only 10% of those manage to adapt their Jubblera to the environment.

basic Idea: Insect sized sentient race fleeing home world using biological tech. weak, but good at hiding and quick to reproduce. more of a pest then a threat as everyone else is so much more advanced then they are. motive is to survive and thrive. Very hard to stamp out completely.

anyone rember where I got the Jubblera from?

Entrance pattern is pretty much a scatter shot, as they were not aimed at all. Seeds approach planets directly at FTL speeds, until planets gravity well pops them out of warp in low orbit, from which they quickly fall. (2-3 second between emergence and re-entry.)

Of course I remember them.

Also, a dwarf planetoid impact AND an imminent neutron star collision? Wow, talk about a bad year!

It will be interesting to see if the Jubblera have any vague distant memories of other notable species from their home world.

Looking forward to the arrival of the Jubblera

I'm also trying to read up about Lauki-Maus history... I wonder, do the Maus now play a role in the Collectivity? I always thought the Ullau would be facinated with them. Seems like the Maus would be good companions for the Jubblera also!

Ullau nude modelling (work in progress) and size comparison with conceptual being known as 'human':



Ullau elevator music:


Link to video.

Would this do, Iggy?

Karak Exodus/lord_joakim

Theme.

History:
Karak'to was a great jungle planet with several Karak tribes living on it. They were very spiritual beings and quite technologically developed, crafting great machines of steel and fire in the mountains. However, Kukulza, a daemonic living flesh meteor of apocalypse, was spotted in the sky, and by command of the elder council, two exodus ships were prepared with a select few of each of the tribes. The ships were launched through hyperspace with their passengers in cryostasis.

When the tribesmen of the first ship woke up, they were buried deep within a distant desert planet. They could not remember anything from their past, but one remaining data disc told the passengers a few things of their origins, and why they were shipped away from the home planet. The shuttle had mistakenly crashed on this forsaken wasteland, and it seemed like ninety percent of the Karak had died. The colonists decided to scramble and build with what they had, only aspiring to eventually find their home at some distant hour.

However, when they made it to the surface, a horrible vision met their eyes: Kukulza's gruesome face was watching the land, its giant body deeply rooted in the surface. The Karak were immediately subjugated by the beast, who required several sacrifices to ligthen its appetite. The only hope for the dying tribe was to leave the desert planet in the search for "Ath'nator" - the distant planet where both of the ships were originally headed. The other ship had landed an estimated five hundred years ago, and civilization must have flourished for so long that they were ready to fight the horrible beast.

Thread's details

The new home of the Karak is called Exodus and may be anywhere in the universe - first now have the buried colonists surfaced from their prison. As the planet is barren save for Kukulza, it can be anywhere as it's generally not a place that empires are interested in conquering.

The planet's living conditions are harsh. The air is polluted with a dense layer of poisonous or radioactive elements, and there are plenty of sandstorms, little available water, and the soil is unstable and might bury you with the wrong step. The Karak survive by using their able technology to grow edible cavern fungus.

The planet does, however, have a strange component buried within. One might question if it's in actuality the defecations of Kukulza, but a fine mineral is present and acts as both a psionic and hallucinogetic drug. The Karak enjoy insertions of the potent composition, perhaps because of its magnitude in regards to their spiritual development, perhaps because they have little joy in a cripple's life on a desert planet.

Species:

Per my own bad hand:



The Karak are bipedial humanoids not much unlike the conceptual "human" race. (A philosophical examplatory race which is usually half-seriously discussed by several philosophers.) However, to note is their strong torso (with the males), their three-fingered hands and their pale skin. None of this, however, is visible at this point. Due to the extremities of Exodus' nature, the Karak have an advanced environmental tight-suit and strawed metallic hat which filter out radiation, powerful sun rays, dust and poison. In addition, it adds to their general physical protection.

Forces: The Karak are highly spiritual, which has nothing to do with forces other than moral, heh. Other than that, they have a hardy nature due to the circumstances of their existence. They have somewhat advanced beam-based weapons and are excellent in rough terrain such as Exodus'. Their adaption to its environment make them (imho) almost unbeatable with conventional weapons or armies on Exodus, as they can dodge the terrors of the planet or even use them against invaders; however, their defensive capacity is purely based on this very adaption. Their weapons technology are average at best, they have no mechanized war machines in any way, and their guerilla-style warfare is infantry based and not suited on most planets. They don't even have the capacity to launch a battle fleet.

Technology: FTL travel, basic remedied industrial ability and craftmanship from the former glory of the Karak. However, the past is only vaguely traced through the remains in the bowels of their colony ship: Almost all current development is slow and tedious, or borrowed from outside visitors. They have somewhat advanced development with handheld weapons and devices, but no robotics. Think space punks in a desert.

Description: I'm going to play a guy named Telug who you're going to know better when I post my first story.

After a long night of work, the update is finished. Welcome to the NES, to all the new players we have this turn. I can't wait to see what you have to offer!

Update Music

Update 24
Receptor: Lullaby and Mirwais: Disco Science