Beyond the Bridges of Light

Decamper · Jun 26, 2018

The Systems’ Assembly has only been in place for thirty years, and is already at risk of completely falling apart as members come to see it as weak, obstructionist, or as a continuation of Sol’s imperial ambitions, even after its defeat in the Second Galactic Civil War. The factions of the Settled Network eye one another across the Bridges, wary of territorial and ideological ambitions, and with Sol reduced to a shadow of its former self, there is no hegemonic power to keep provincial skirmishes in check. Some welcome this period of fractured peace, while others see a vacuum eager to be filled.

Introduction
Beyond the Bridge of Light is a game of war, politicking and resource management taking place in the early years of the 3rd millennium. Players control factions in the Settled Systems, a collection of 50 some systems connected by a web of Bridges, focusing on developing their systems to supply the demands of their population, and to build and maintain a military to either defend their possessions or wrestle away systems from their neighbours.

Signup
Faction Name: Whatever your faction name is. You can do whatever you want, but try to keep in the spirit of the backstory (see below).
Faction Traits: Choose 2: Plutocratic, Revolutionary, Mercantile, Patriotic Fervour, Labour Control, Population Control, Industry Control, Fortress Cities, Terraformers, Universal Military Logistics, Market Controllers, Predatory Industrialists, Civil Defense, Produced Population, Industrial Greenhouses
System Claims: Claim and name up to 4 systems, in descending order of importance. The first system will have high population, development and resources, and second lesser so, and the third and fourth will have less than half that of the first. If you choose less than 4, you’ll get improved systems, but you will still be at an overall disadvantage. State the primary resource and development of each system. There will be some additional randomisation and tweaking to make you sustainable at game start. Resources - Luxuries, Minerals, Fertility. Development - Industry, Agriculture, Administration.
Military: Create one fleet and one army, and indicate in which systems they are stationed. You have three points to put into Cohesion (1 point = 2 cohesion), Attack, Defense, or Mobility. See military rules below for more information.
Commanders: Choose a name and two traits for a rank 2 commander, and a name and one trait for a rank 1 commander, and indicate which unit they are commanding. Traits can be taken multiple time. Traits: Aggressive, Protective, Marcher, Loyal, Rallier, Coordinator, Lone Wolf, Precision Sieger, Scavenger, Pillager.
Faction Description: History or any other background information you want to give your faction, commanders, systems or planets. You can be as creative as you want, but try to fit into the setting. See the below timeline, but in short, try to avoid being Space Italy or Space Japan. Earth has been dead for 500 years, and extrasolar space has been colonised for almost a millennium. While ethno states may exist, today’s ethnicities likely play little part in them. You're free to describe planets in your system's, but try to keep in mind most systems have one 'goldilocks' planet, and that your lesser population systems likely lost over half of that population to the war thirty-ish years ago. Alien life doesn't seem to exist, so all life, from microscopic to plants and animals, is Earth based, though you can be creative with genetic engineering.

Signup Example:
Faction Name: League of the Grand Herbs
Faction Traits: Mercantile, Plutocratic
System Claims:
51 (Basil) - Fertility - Agriculture
53 (Cilantro) - Minerals - Industry
54 (Dill) - Luxuries - Industry
55 (Rosemary) - Fertility - Administration
Military: Fleet - 13th Fleet - 1 Cohesion, 1 Defense, 1 Mobility, Dill
Army - Rosen Ritter - 2 Attack, 1 Mobility, Basil
Commanders: Rank 2 Yang Wen-li, Marcher, Coordinator, 13th Fleet. Rank 1 Reinhard von Lohengramm, Aggressive, Rosen Ritter
Description: The galaxy has had enough hardship, and not enough flavour.

Spoiler Faction and Commander Traits :

I'm open to new faction and commander traits. Shoot me a PM on cfc or Discord to brainstorm.

Spoiler Map :

Rules

Stats

Faction Stats
Faction Traits
Each faction starts with two traits that denote some essential part of its culture or government. These traits can be changed with great political effort (100 influence), and new traits can be gained through even larger campaigns (200 influence for 3rd trait, 400 influence for 4th trait). See faction signup for a list of traits.

Resources
Resources are what you will use to develop your systems and build and maintain your military units. There are five main resources
Capital - Gained from population taxation, trade routes, and market trading. Used to build, upgrade and maintain military units, and to buy resources from the market.
Goods - Gained from industry. Consumed by population, .25 goods per pop. If negative, population on systems without enough local goods production will rebel.
Supplies - Gained from industry. Used to build, upgrade, maintain and repair military units, and to increase system development.
Food - Gained from agriculture. Consumed by population, 1 food per pop. If negative, population on systems without enough local food production will starve and die.
Influence - Gained from administration, or having only 1 system. Consumed by population and systems, 1 per pop, 5 per systems over 2 systems. Used to create and pacify rebels, relocate population, exchange and adopt traits, and to train or flip commanders. Can be exchange for currency at a 1-1 rate.

System Stats
Population limit
The population limit of a system is the total of the system’s resources. If pop reaches this limit, pop will cease to grow.

Population
Population generate capital through tax, and set the limit to a system’s development. You can never have a higher total development in a system than the population of that system. 1 pop roughly equals 1 billion people. A pop can be transferred between any connected systems for 10 influence.

Rebels
Rebels represent population who do not support or obey your regime. A rebelling pop will not pay taxes, and will reduce all production in a system by whatever percent of the total population the rebels are (ex 3 rebels in a 15 pop system will reduce all production by 20%). Rebels can be pacified with (20-Admin and Defense development) influence (minimum 5), or by sending an army to suppress them, though this risks damaging development and killing population. Rebels are created by not supplying the required goods and influence for a pop, or by being supported by a neighbouring foreign power. If more than half a system’s population are rebels, new rebels may begin rising up automatically. If a system’s pop is fully rebelling, the system will secede, either becoming independent, or joining a neighbouring faction. Rebels can be created in neighbouring systems for 20 influence divided by the power of the trade route (see trade routes below for more information). This means a blocked trade route blocks the supporting of rebels.

Trade Value
The trade value of a system is determined by its population and goods and food production, with goods production being the most important. See the stats for exact formula, and the trade section below for more information.

Goods/Supplies %
Both goods and supplies production is based off of industry development. You can set what % of your industry is set to producing goods or supplies, with 0 being fully goods, and 1 being fully supplies. Per turn, you can change the value by 0.1 for free, and every additional 0.1 for 10 influence.

System Development
Industry, agriculture and administration produce goods/supplies, food, and influence respectively. To increase a development score, you must pay the current level in supplies. You can increase development as much as you want, paying the next level each time. Ex, to increase agriculture from 4 to 7, you would need to pay 15 (4+5+6) supplies. The total development cannot exceed the population of the system. If population drops low the total development, the required levels of development will be automatically removed with no refund.

While industry and agriculture produce goods/supplies and food multiplied by system resources, one level of administration always produces 5 influence. Administration also reduces the cost of pacifying rebels by 1 influence for every level of admin.

Defense
Defense protects against invading armies, with 1 Defense equalling 1d6 of attack/defense. It must be destroyed before the system can be captured. It also decreases the cost of pacifying rebels by 1 influence for each level of defense.

System Resources
System resources represent the natural resources of the system. The total resources set the population limit of a system. Development * Resources equals the production of goods, supplies and food.

Trade
Trade Routes
Every Bridge (line on the map between two systems) has a trade route, which can produce capital for whoever owns the systems. This could mean one faction gains capital from both ends of a trade route, or two factions evenly share the capital from a trade route. The total value of trade route is the trade value of the two systems * the trade power of the route. The power of a route is by default at 1, and its upper limit is usually 2. It can be increased if both controlling factions consent, or can be decreased unilaterally. Increasing costs 1 influence per 0.02 power, and decreasing costs 1 influence per 0.1 power. Factions can pay for power together if they desire. Conflict in a system will result in the power of all connected trade routes automatically decreasing.

Galactic Market
The Galactic Market is used to sell or buy resources via independent trading companies. Selling prices are 75% that of buying prices, reflecting the large cut trading companies take to cover shipping and storage costs. Prices change depending on how much of a resource players buy or sell.

Bilateral Trade
Factions can directly trade any resource besides influence. To do so, they must either share direct border, or have permission to ship through any intermediary systems.

Military
Units
There are two types of units - Fleets and Armies. They share the same stat blocks, but are used differently. Fleets can engage other fleets, as well as bombard armies and systems’ defenses, but are unable to capture systems. Armies are unable to engage fleets, but can invade and capture systems, engaging garrisoned armies and systems’ defenses. Fleets and armies’ have the following stats:

Damage - how much damage the unit has incurred. If damage is equal to cohesion, the unit is destroyed. Damage reduces the stats of the unit by damage/cohesion.
Cohesion - the size and total strength of a unit. Can represent number of ships/troops, hull strength and system redundancy. If damage is equal to cohesion, the unit is destroyed.
Attack - how effective the unit is at hitting enemy units. Represents targeting systems and overall fire power, and can be interpreted as amount of guns or quality of guns.
Defenses - how effective the unit is at avoiding and deflecting the attacks of enemy units. Represents such things as shields, armour, or point defense.
Mobility - how far a unit can move, and its ability to disengage. Represents engines and logistical support. A unit can move its mobility score in systems per turn.

The combat process is: units attack by order of mobility score. Each unit makes an attack roll (2d6+attack) opposing its target defense roll (2d6+defense), with any attack score over the defense score resulting in damage to the target unit. If a unit suffers more than half its cohesion in damage, it will begin making mobility attempts on its turn (2d6+mobility vs. attack stats of enemy units) which give it a -2 on its attack rolls.

Building, maintaining, upgrading, and repairing a unit
A unit has default costs 10 capital and 10 supplies, and has stats of 2 cohesion, and 1 attack, defense and mobility. Each additional 2 points of cohesion, and 1 point of attack, defense or mobility cost 2 capital and 2 supplies.

Units cost 5+Attack+Defense+Mobility+(Cohesion/2) capital and supplies each turn to maintain. If you can’ meet this payment, your fleets will start taking damage, with one damage per 2 resources it does not receive.

Upgrading a unit costs 2 capital and 2 supplies per 2 cohesion, or 1 attack, defense or mobility.
Repairing damage costs 1 supplies per point of damage.

Commanders
Commanders can be attached to armies and fleets to provide substantial bonuses to their stats and abilities. Commanders are ranked from 1 to 5, and gain ranks by fighting battles. Each rank increases the commander’s effect on its unit, as well as allowing the player to choose a new trait for it. A rank 1 commander with one trait costs 50 influence to hire. Commanders can also be ‘flipped’ by other neighbouring players. By paying the flip cost of a commander in a faction you share an open trade route with, you will acquire that commander. Higher ranked commanders have higher flip costs. Commanders can be transferred between any two units that are within your own or friendly territory at the start of a turn. If a unit is destroyed with a commander leading it, they have a chance of escaping based on their rank.

Sieging and Capturing Systems
To capture an enemy system, it will first need to be cleared of enemy fleets. Once that is accomplished, the system must be cleared of armies and its defense stat must be reduced to zero, after which it can be captured with an army. Fleets can bombard enemy armies and defenses, but risk doing extensive damage to the system’s population and development. Armies will still do damage to population and development, depending on how fierce the fighting is, but much less so than a fleet bombardment. Once a system is captured, a large portion of the population will usually become rebels, but the system will otherwise be fully in the invader’s control.

Split Factions
Due to the length of time communication takes, even with a direct Bridge between systems, splitting a faction by conquering a middle system is fatal to governance and supply lines. If split, a faction will immediately break up into multiple independent factions, with the player taking control of the largest successor faction. In general, the NPC successor’s will immediately attempt to reconnect, but if enough time passes, or if enough rebels are built up in one of the splinter factions, it may be content with its independence. It is always safe to have backup system loops to connect your faction, rather than a single long snake of systems.

Decamper · Jun 26, 2018

Setting Bible
Timeline:
21st - 22nd Centuries - Earth nations and corporations expand throughout the solar system. The Moon, Mars, and the Saturnian and Jovian systems are split in a complicated web of national and corporate territories. The existence of a wormhole-like anomaly is discovered near the termination shock at the end of the 22nd century.
2199 Pop: 20~ billion

23rd Century - As Earth nations and corporations explore through the wormhole, new wormholes are discovered in the Sol system. Systems discovered through the wormholes all have planets in the goldilocks zone, but none have alien life. Colonisation and continued exploration discover further wormholes, now coming to be called Bridges. Attempts to keep colonisation of extra-solar space controlled by the UN fails, and the new systems are a confusing mix of Earth nations, international/interstellar corporations, and increasingly independent entities. Population growth rate explodes on new planets. Tensions on Earth over dwindling resources and space territories results in the breakdown of the UN, and threatens to boil over from regional and proxy conflicts into full scale warfare.
2299 Pop: 60~ billion

24th Century - War breaks out on Mars, with Martian independence movements and transstellar corporations defeating earth-national forces. Seeing the risk of losing control of their space assets to corporations or independence movements, the major powers of Earth band together to form the Earth Alliance and move to take direct control of independent non-Earth entities and transstellar corporations. Anti-Earth forces look to Mars to lead the defense, but are dismayed when Mars capitulates before hostilities break out in exchange for self-governance. A brief period of ‘pacification’ operations across the settled systems follows as Alliance forces stamp out independent entities and non-compliant corporations. Tens of billions die.
2399 Pop: 70~ billion

25th Century - The Earth Alliance solidifies its presence in the settled systems while continuing to search for new Bridges and colonise the resulting systems. By the mid 26th century, no new Bridges had been discovered, and the Alliance declared successful human occupation of the Settled Network. The stability of the Alliances rule leads to rapid advances in nearly all tech fields, and new medical and terraforming methods have made humanity’s population explode. But the distance between stars is no less extreme. Travel across Bridges has always been nearly instantaneous, but traversing through a system to another Bridge could still take months. Secessionist movements once again arise in the outer systems.
2499 Pop: 500~ billion

26th Century - Rebellions in the fringe systems over extends the Alliance’s fleets and armies, allowing for rebels to arise in more central systems. Meanwhile, the environmental degradation of Earth continued despite technological advances, and while Alliance nations on Earth are fueled by goods from off world, a large portion of Earth’s population still lived in non-Alliance polities. Clandestine coordination between Mars, the non-Alliance Earth nations, and Anti-Alliance movements in nearby core systems led to a united strike on Alliance positions in Sol and the core worlds, seizing control of the Gates and most population centres. The battle for Earth was short, vicious, and nuclear. By the time the surviving Alliance fleets could peel away from their engagements and retreat back to Sol, the birthplace of humanity was dying. A truce was drawn between the Alliance navy and Mars, and together the fleets evacuated Earth’s survivors. The war came to a stuttering close, and while many of the systems of the Settled Network suffered horrendous devastation, the death of Earth once again put the outer worlds’ fate in Sol’s shadow. Mars and its Saturnian and Jovian partners led peace negotiations between former Alliance establishments and rebels across the Settled Network, and by the end of the century the Galactic Civil War was officially over. Over two hundred billion lives were lost.
2599 Pop: 400~ billion

27th Century - Through clever politicking, Mars established itself as the leading figure in the reconstruction period of 10s and 20s. Most of the ex-Alliance fleets fell into Mars’ hands, and as piracy and minor skirmishes continued between minor factions, Mars’ offers to assist in peacekeeping, rebuilding, and especially Gate security led to its expertise, resources, and forces being present throughout the Settled Network. Mars, supported by its Sol and core systems partners, officially constructed the Systems Peace Corps. Nominally an extra-governmental force made up of personnel from, and controlled by, all systems willing to be members, the SPC was undeniably controlled by Sol and the core systems. Factions that contributed to the SPC were supported, and by the 50s most systems were controlled by puppets of the SPC in a semi-feudal system. Disrupted supply lines and continued inter-system conflicts in the aftermath of the Galactic Civil War, mostly in the first half of the century, resulted in an additional hundred billion deaths.
2699 Pop: 450~ billion

28th - 29th Centuries - The SPC feudal system proved better suited to the vastness of space than the Alliance’s, with Mars’ imperial hand being less heavy than Earth’s. For two centuries the outer systems rebuilt and developed, and the Settled Network’s population soared. Though Sol once again held dominion over human space, Mars itself wasn’t the same wealthy and powerful centre that Earth was. Terraforming had lead to a blue Mars, but it never reached the same levels of fertility as Earth, even in its last days before the bombs dropped. The SPC gradually grew out of Mars’ hands, becoming its own transstellar polity existing outside of, yet controlling, the systems’ governments. As the systems grew ever more powerful, the restrictions placed on them by the SPC, and its nearly unilateral control of the Bridges, and therefore travel, trade and communication, wears away the goodwill the SPC once held.
2899 Pop: 2~ trillion

30th Century - Calls on Mars to reign back the SPC go nowhere, sometimes literally, as SPC Bridge controllers block communication couriers. By the early 20s Mars had little no to control over the SPC, but the growing resentment against the SPC didn’t fall on deaf ears. Mars knew the benefit of moving with the wind, and began once again positioning itself for the future. When the rebellions began in the 40s, Sol quickly regained control of its Bridges with the assistance of the core systems and some sympathetic SPC commanders. With the core of the Settled Network secured, revolutionary fervour began exploding across the systems as propaganda was smuggled through the Bridges by Martian agents in SPC units. Outnumbered and outgunned by the size of the revolution, the SPC began exploiting its main advantage - control of the Bridges. It destroyed Bridge marker stations and satellites and mined the entrances to block them off. It ambushed transports with stealth ships to terrorise traders and cut off food and supplies to starve planets and armies. It even used experimental methods to try to destroy Bridges themselves, detonating massive explosives in the split second they entered a Bridge. While they never succeeded in destroying a Bridge, and the vast majority of attempts were failures, a number of times the explosions did destabilise a Bridge, knocking it out of commission for months at a time. While there was less planetary warfare than in the First Galactic Civil War, this new war saw far more terroristic tactics used by the SPC, including indiscriminate nuclear and asteroid bombardment on planetary targets in addition to the Bridge attacks. The brutality and lack of a clear objective of the Peace Corps campaign led to exponential desertion, and the war was largely over by the early 50s, not by any major offensive by the revolutionary forces, but by the SPC simply disintegrating by itself. The next decade saw continued warfare though, as revolutionary factions and former SCP-puppets fought for control. Sol escaped most of the conflict unscathed, but its core system allies broke away as soon as the SCP ceased to be a threat. Working with what good will it still had in the core systems and among some of the revolutionaries and puppet states, Mars managed to piece together an assembly of systems to work out a galactic truce. The Systems’ Assembly was formed in 2971, and drew most of the borders across the Settled Systems that remained in place today. While bushwars, insurrections and Bridge skirmishes flared up in the decades before the turn of the millenium, the Assembly largely worked in keeping tensions in check during the reconstruction period. While the Second Galactic Civil War was much shorter than its predecessor, it was far deadlier, killing three in every four humans. The war itself and the resulting instability took over a trillion and a half lives.
2999 Pop: <500 billion

31st Century - Faith in the Systems’ Assembly was never high to begin with. It had no formal independent structure, no security forces, and no physical authority. Mars’ hand in the forming of SCP has not been forgotten, and whatever help it gave in tearing the Corps down has been overshadowed by a trillion bodies. A tenuous peace may reign now, but history has shown power vacuums don’t last long, and the Assembly is most certainly not filling that void.

Concepts

Bridges and Interstellar Travel
The key to humanity’s conquering of the stars is the Bridges, wormholes connecting the 55 star systems of the Settled Network. Travel through Bridges is essentially instantaneous, meaning interstellar travel time is entirely made up of travel out to the far reaches of star systems to reach them. The Bridges are almost universally spread around the termination shock of their stars, which means it can take even the fastest ships months (if just travelling between two systems) or even years (if travelling through multiple systems) to reach their destinations. Direct communication through Bridges is not possible, meaning that all communication is done through courier drones that load up information, then travel through the Bridge to beam out the information to nearby satellite installations. This also means that interstellar communication can be painfully slow, especially between systems that have multiple Bridges between them, and is in constant danger of interruption should factions decide to block, censor or tamper with communication drones. This sluggish communication is one of the main reasons for both the Earth and Mars empires falling apart.

The Systems’ Assembly
The Systems’ Assembly is a forum for all the factions of the Settled Network. While Mars and its Sol partners give the Assembly credit for ending the post-Second Galactic Civil War chaos, many see it has having just been a convenient excuse for the systems to take a breather to rally and repair. The Assembly nominally has the backing of almost every faction, the Assembly itself has no power. Any treaties or charters drawn up by the Assembly are only voluntarily abided by. Some would see more power given to the Assembly, allowing it to more forcibly settle disputes and keep the peace, while others vehemently oppose anything that could make the Assembly resemble the Systems’ Peace Corp, or the old space forces of the Earth Alliance.

Religion
The religions of old Earth can still be found throughout the Settled Network, though they’ve adapted to this new age. When the first Bridges were discovered, there was a ripple of concern through the religions of Earth. What if life was found? What if humanity could no longer consider itself the centre of the universe? But as Bridge after Bridge was discovered, and every system turned up barren, religious convictions strengthened. The nature of the Bridges and the systems they linked also spurred religious interpretations. Each system had a planet nearly perfectly suited for human life, but without any life of its own. New branches of religions formed, some similar enough to their parent denominations to be easily accepted by the mainstream, while others took on more extreme, cult like tendencies, with some going so far as to divorce themselves from Earth religions entirely. While most religions accepted the Bridges as being divinely placed, some started worshipping the Bridges directly. The death of Earth further shook the old religions, seeing holy places and any chance of pilgrimage utterly destroyed. The massive loss of life in both Galactic Civil Wars and the loss of humanity’s home has given many old Earth religions a particularly cynical tone, while many newer offshoot faiths deemphasize the importance of Earth.

Decamper · Jun 26, 2018

reserved 3/4

Decamper · Jun 26, 2018

reserved 4/4
post away

thomas.berubeg · Jun 26, 2018

I'd like to claim 18,19,20,22 while I write my stuff.

NinjaCow64 · Jun 26, 2018

Interest post.

Immaculate · Jun 26, 2018

House Decados- the Mantis banner

House Decados are a culturally, linguistically, and religiously united people governed by 'noble families' under a modified version of the feudal system. Officially the Decados are themselves vassals to Emperor Dain Klorin (thomas's faction) though nominally their vassalage is distant and 'hands-off'.
Amongst the feudal houses of local space the Decados are known for their love of intrigue, the reputation of their intelligence agencies, and their love (and dependency) on bio-based technologies.

FACTION LEADER:

Varvara Vladislav- matriarch of the Vladislav line. Extremely cunning and ruthless, Lady Vladislav rose to power after out-maneuvering the Romanov patriarch and assuming control of the Mantis banner. She is beautiful as only those with nearly unlimited funds and the best flesh-crafters available can be and preternaturally serene, as only those with the most advanced biocortex systems can be. Beyond this she is decadent without concern for morality or the value of human lives.

FACTION TRAITS:
Revolutionary - Decados intelligence apparatus operating on foreign soil.
Patriotic Fervour - Decados intelligence apparatus operating on domestic soil.

MILITARY:
Romany Lancers (mobility x1, attack x2)
Severus Rangers (mobility x2, attack x1)

COMMANDERS:

Iakov Romany (marcher x2); Eldest son of the Romany line. Excellent relations with both the Vladislav and Romanov. Educated at the Romany naval academy on Cadavaus.

Konstantin Czerny (marcher x1); Brother to the Czerny-line's patriarch and proven Severus ranger-commander. Religious man with strong ties to the Zen-serotonin monks of Severus.

SYSTEMS
12 Stigmata- mineral, industry
Stigmata is a grand shallow ocean who's depths are filled with urban ruins. It's massive moon looms at the edge of the Roche limit. Great circumnavigating tidal waves plague the equator. Away from the equator, floating man-made islands of gene-hacked plant-hybrids house great factory-cities grown from living coral.
Before the second great galactic war Stigmata was an old planet, wind-shorn to low prairie and numerous lakes. Hills were low and softly rounded. With little axial tilt, the poles had very extensive ice cover. Stigmata was heavily populated, a local capital of the powerful Romanav house and an industrial workhorse for the local systems with extensive mines and factories making use of extensive ore deposits. Then the second galactic war came and the Romanav led the local resistance from Stigmata. The SCP's Northern Command, General Ng, ordered its complete destruction and the planet suffered extensive thermonuclear bombardment. The bombardment was so extensive as to shift the rotation of the planet's sole moon, moving it into an orbit dangerously approaching the Roche limit. It also melted the polar ice caps and flooded the entire planet.
Today the planet has been rebuilt on floating islands of plant and gene-hacked synthetic life. These great floating biological factories are fed from suboceanic mines that continue to exploit Stigmata's rich mineral resources. Beyond the suboceanic mines, the seas provide biological biosynthetic precursors for the factories as well as food. Energy is primarily derived from tidal harness.
At the center of the House Decados trade routes, its noble families, and Romanav in particular grow rich on trade as freemen come from far and wide to ply their trade.
11 Cadiz- luxury, industry
Cadiz is an ice planet orbiting a thin bluish sun and in turn orbited by twelve small moons of its own. It is fractured by a globe-wide network of fissures and crevices that make the Grand Canyon appear like a dimple in comparison. The canyons are home to complex ecosystems characterized by lava pits, great waterfalls, steam updrafts, and a unique plant and animal ecology based partially on chemotrophs from earth's undersea geothermal vents.
Humanity has long colonized the fissures, mining the unique gems and resources from the unique geo/biological system. More recently, living settlements have been grown on the surface, synthetic plant-hybrid life that makes efficient use of the distant sun's rays to both provide food and energy but to grow their buildings and factories.
Cadiz's moons are also inhabited to various degrees though none have a breathable atmosphere.
13 Severus- fertile, administrative
Severus is capital fief of the Vladislav house and political capital of the Mantis banner.
It consists of many small continents and archipelagoes strewn across an oceanic planet. The capital is warm, wet and its continents are filled with jungle and marsh. Geologically young, it is also a land of ragged snow-capped mountains rising to soaring heights. The atmosphere is thick most of the plants gene-hacked long-ago to survive the thick atmosphere. The human popiulation is relatively thin, with most settlements and colonies historically unable to make effective headway against the aggressive growth of the jungle.
Historically a frontier backwater, Severus was long home to the Vladislav clan and when they came to power in the wake of the Emperor war, the planet became a political capital. Its population has grown to match its bureaucratic importance but the jungle, while fruitful and fertile remains an obstacle to development.
21 Cadavaus fertile, agricultural
Another planet badly damaged by the war with the SCP, it was further damaged by the civil conflict between House Decados and the Emperor. Once a fertile breadbasket of the region, much of its lands have been devastated by weaponized plant-life or nuclear bombardment. Today it is recovering slowly, gene-hacked living colony-systems pushing back against the wastes and recovering the planet's once famed fertility.

NOBLE HOUSES:
- Vladislav: The royal family. Usurped control from the Romanov in an internal plot that resulted in an alliance with the emperor (thomas's faction). (Crown on Severus, fiefs on all planets)
- Romanov: One of the founding families of the house. Has held the crown many times in the past. Rules Stigmata from the city of Vilna (Lords of Romanov, fiefs on all planets)
- Sharn: Utterly calculating, almost robotic. Up-and-coming, and regarded with suspicion by Vladislavs and Romanovs. (Lordship of Cadavaus, fiefs on Stigmata, Severus)
- Petrovna: Decadent, extremely wealthy and high-technology. (Lords of Cadiz)
- Malevik: Aggressive if not completely subtle, the hot-tempered Maleviks have considerable enmity with the Romanovs and the Vladislavs. Accordingly, they are somewhat exiles right now (fiefs on Stigmata, fiefs on Cadiz, Cadavaus)
- Ivanovich: Mercantile. One of the more powerful families at court (fiefs on Stigmata, Severus)
- Gurov: Cultured and subtle. The Gurov line tries to maintain good relations with non-Decados. (fiefs on Cadiz, Severus, Stigmata)
- Slava: Underdog rivals with Romanov family for control of Stigmata. Preach loudly about reform and overtures to Empire. (fief on Stigmata)
- Durneyev: Cultured and witty, often engaged in feuds and vendettas. (fief on Stigmata)
- Innokenti: Highly religious, but not amazingly honorable. (fiefs on Cadiz, Stigmata)
- Bratislav: Excellent with biotechnology, chemicals, and genetic engineering. High incidence of biohack fetishism (fief on Severus)
- Gagarin: The most cultured and artistic of the house. The Gagarin line has long been plagued by troubling visions and portents. Once rebellious, then crushed and bound by oath to the Vladislavs. (fiefs on Cadiz, Severus, Stigmata)
- Aleksandrov: Once the crown family, deposed and largely crushed in beginning of Emperor Wars. Now they try to insinuate themselves into the politics of the backwaters they find themselves exiled into. (fief on Cadavaus)
- Krusczek: Courtly family, excellent rumormongers. (fief on Severus)
- Chomolny: Highly mercenary, known to work for the highest bidder. Somewhat outcast. (fief on Cadiz)
- Czerny: Highly disciplined and extremely insular. Excellent rangers and warriors. Serves the Vladislav family (fief on Severus)
- Turian: Strictly neutral information brokers. Still distrusted by many. (fief on Stigmata)
- Mikoyan: Ardent supporters of the cartels. Often come into conflict with the Merchant League. (fief on Stigmata)
- Valushnya: Home to many scholars and intellectuals. (fiefs on Stigmata, Cadiz)
- Romany: Naval family, fond of life in space. . (fief on Stigmata, Cadavaus)
- Tatarin: Religious patrons of the aesthetic orders (fief on Cadiz)
- Tchaikof: The most decadent of the house, considered to be degenerates and failures by all, but still tolerated because they are the family of Antonin and Jakob. (fiefs on Cadiz and Stigmata)

RELIGION:
Traditionally House Decados have practice Zen-Serotonin. In the last 100 years the faith of the emperor, the Church of Universal Light, has made significant inroads into the Decados fiefdoms. The mixing of the two faiths has not always been peaceful.

thomas.berubeg · Jun 26, 2018

Here is a preliminary signup that is subject to change as I coordinate with Immac. However, the basics will not change.

Faction Name: The Great Empire

Faction Traits:

Patriotic Favor

Civil Defense

System Claims:

19: Holy Bastion: The Heart of the onetime empire, where the Imperial senate still meets (at least those that still cleave to the Holy Word: The schismatic families meet somewhere else.) It is an Ecumenopolis, with billions of serfs toiling to feed the Holy Church and the Noble Families. Luxuries - Administration

18: Aurora: Aurora is a planet of beautiful arboreal forests and long cold winters with plenty of snow. Despite this, its inhabitants do fairly well. Farming is concentrated around the equator but produces significant amounts of food for its more densely populated centers here. Away from the equator farming gives way to hunting and trapping and the population density drops considerably. Nevertheless, it is by far the most pleasantly habitable planet in the Empire, and many luxury resorts for the nobility exist. Fertility - Agriculture

18b: Whitehouse: Whitehouse is a land of harsh mountains with little vegetation and even harsher weather. It is also a land of immense mineral wealth. Its seas, filled with iron from the ferrous shores are home to cyanobacterium and little else. Crops and livestock were originally imported from Earth as there is little in the way of indigenous flora or fauna suitable for agriculture. Because of the terrible conditions and poor soil, some species periodically fail on this planet and have to repopulated.

20: Ur: Ur is a planet of cold rocky islands in the midst of constantly stormy seas. Remarkably the seas are extremely low in saline content and would largely freeze over around many of the islands if the storms did not prevent it. Despite this bleak landscape, it is a land of remarkable resources. The seas are very suitable for major aquafarming and fisheries and the seas often hide significant ore deposits and oil fields. A number of ascetic sects make the planet their home, believing that the harshness and privation of the planet brings them closer to purity. Minerals - Industry

22: Karak: Karak is an old planet, dry and sandy, but with rich oil reserves. Life in the wastes is tough, almost impossible, though some do manage. Most of the great estates, however, are in the fertile banks of the Planet’s great river network, where agriculture is possible. Aside for the Fiefs of the Empire, a certain number of Barbarian Empires exist in the waste, warring against each other over the limited resources. Most agree that these Barbarian groups are inconsequential to the greater workings of the Empire, as most are barely function at a higher level than the Iron Age, but they do provide some limited trade to the fiefs on Karak. Minerals - Industry

22b: Botany: Botany, unlike the other planets in the Empire, is a moon orbiting a gas giant. It’s native ecosystem was one of the hardiest, rivaling even earth’s, as a giant jungle covered the moon. This means that in addition to the normal day-light cycle of the rotating moon, Botany is plunged into darkness for 120 days of every 513 days by the eclipse of the great gas giant it rotates. This, and other factors, have made introduction of earth plants and fauna much more difficult.

Botany is famous for its extensive jungles and rainforests teeming with strange alien life. Plant-life extends, often, for a thousand to two thousand feet into the air. Entire communities of strange monkey-like and lizard-like creatures live their whole lives in the heights without ever seeing the ground. Rainfall is frequent and plentiful as humidity rises into the atmosphere from the jungles and falls again upon the extensive foliage. Waterfalls flow over branches and vines and fish-like species live in the height of the jungles, never seeing lakes or oceans and yet living their entire lives in the ponds of the rainforest canopy. Early colonization efforts were stymied by the toxins in the atmosphere, a side effect of the biological cold war the organisms on Botany had been waging against each other’s predation for millennia. However, the Megacorporations were not willing to let a rich planet like this one go to waste, and established it as a penal colony, where prisoners could go to work for their freedom, slowly terraforming the planet. The Colonists worked the great terraforming engines, and, now, hundreds of years after colonization, the planet is barely livable, with inhabitants regularly killed by the jungle and its fauna. Still, it is one of the greatest agricultural producers in the Empire.

Military:

Bright Lance Fleet: 1 Cohesion, 1 Defense - Aurora

Knights Defendant: 1 Cohesion, 1 Defense - Holy Bastion

Commanders:

Emperor Dain Klorin: Protective, Rallier - Holy Bastion

Anakhet Massoul: Coordinator - Aurora

Faction Description:

Society:

The Nobility: The nobility is the highest level of Imperial society, ruling over vast domains on many worlds. Even within the nobility, there is complex system of social rules, including clan and age, that determine an individual’s relative positions. There are countless small noble families that rule over fiefs of a few hundred acres, beholden to families that rule ever larger demesnes. All of humanity is ultimately beholden to the Collegiate Families, the noble families who are members of the Imperial College (Though, even among these families there is a hierarchy, with the Great Families holding more influence in the Imperial Senate.) The Families themselves are overarching groups of clans held together by blood ties and a shared history (fictional or otherwise.) Intermarriage within the family traditionally is done to ensure that the various clans are held together. There is, however, usually a dominant clan, of whom the eldest member is the Patriarch or Matriarch, depending on the laws of the family. The education of noble children is often carried out by members of the Guild of Tutors, usually in the form of governesses or personal tutors. This guild, catering their services to the education of youth, has its members entering into long-term contracts with specific noble houses, often remaining on the House’s estate for decades. They teach a variety of disciplines to the noble children in their charge. These disciplines are all taught with a heavily Church-based focus, so as to not incur the wrath of the Inquisitorial Order or the Faceless Heralds, the latter of which is responsible for - among other things - monitoring education to ensure that no heretical knowledge is passed on. The primary goal of House education, for the Church, is to create devout and rule-abiding citizen

Serfs: While being a serf may, on the surface, seem like a worse fate than being a freeman, in reality serfdom does provide a number of advantages, including food, shelter, and protection, as well as regular work and guaranteed time off for festivals. Serfs themselves are divided into a number of classes. The most common, laborers, are Serfs who work on the large farms and factories of the nobility. Generally speaking, these serfs are the ones who are conscripted into the armies of their patron nobility or church sect. Some families, however, have a particular caste of serfs who are trained from birth to be soldiers (These tend to have some genetic modification from the olden days that make them more suited to be soldiers, whether it be increased strength, intelligence, or other changes.) The luckiest of serfs are those born into families of “House Serfs,” serfs who are servants of the noble families. As with every caste, House Serfs are divided into a meritocratic hierarchy, though one with a great deal of social mobility: It is not uncommon, for example, for a serf born from janitor serfs to end up as a trust Butler, or for a son of a steward to end up working in the kitchens. The education of serfs is also heavily class-based. Children born to a trusted House Serf are, if lucky, allowed to sit in on their noble peers’ tutoring sessions. The most common caste of serf, however – the peasantry – are rarely introduced to any kind of formal education, and the majority of adult labourers are often illiterate, knowing only the “passions plays” put on by their local priest.

Freemen: Freemen are perhaps the most diverse group of humanity, united only in that they fall outside of the standard system of rule of the empire, a fact in which they take a perverse pride, even unto death. The general quality of life of a freeman depends entirely on the planet they inhabit: the life of a Holy Bastion Freeman is a harsh and short one, plagued by disease and starvation. Similarly, the life of freeman on Kark is brutal, as most are subject to a number of warring Iron Age nomadic empires, fighting for the water supplies and oases not controlled by the Estates of the Church and the Nobility. Auroran freemen, on the other hand, live easier lives in small agricultural villages, content to trade with serfs of the Nobility. None of the other planets are truly suitable for life outside of the protection of the Empire, though fanciful rumors persist of colonies of prosperous freemen living deep in the jungles of Botany, or on remote islands on Ur, or in caves on Whitehouse. The last group of freemen are Free Traders, individuals who live their entire life on spaceships or in colonies in asteroid belts, carrying goods from one planet to the next.

The legal system of the Empire exists as a loosely linked agglomeration of various processes and traditions, some ancient and some modern. Though confusing to some, they are easily navigated by the members of the Magistrate guild, who oversee most of the legal issues within the Empire. The majority of the laws and justice system is however determined by the Church and the Imperial Senate, who construct codes based on devotion to the former and obedience to the latter. Freedom of assembly, speech and press is limited, with strict guidelines governing what is consumed by the masses. Church control is extensive, and anything anti-Church is considered both treasonous and heretical.

House Law/Inter-House Legal System:

In each of the Houses there exists “House Law”, a system of rules, codes and traditions that often extends back for centuries. These systems are not to be taken lightly: though they may seem trivial, each House often considers their House Law to be sacred, and will react violently towards those that go against it.

When it comes to Inter-House relations, members of the Magistrate Guild are often called to oversee transactions and resolve conflicts, if necessary. Working closely with the church, the Magistrates guild deals primarily in monetary and legal issues, and their decisions hold a lot of weight, almost never subject to disputation. Since the currencies of the houses often vary wildly, most transactions take place in the form of barter. The role of the Magistrates in these situations is thus to ensure that the predetermined exchange is followed through with, and to only intervene if a House has reneged on its contract.

The Church:

The Church of the Undying Light is the authority on all matters spiritual and holds a disproportionate influence over the serfs (and the nobles) of the Empire (and, from that, a significant voice in Imperial Politics, even having a vote in the College for the next Emperor. The Church is wisely overseen by the Undying Patriarch St. Shephard, a being of great wisdom who administers from within the depths of the Great Temple on Holy Bastion. Despite his authority, the church is by no means homogenous. Numerous sects and orders exist both within the borders of the Empire and in foreign polities, though the vast majority at least pay lip service to fealty to the Patriarch.

The Church touches the lives of every inhabitant of the Empire: Even pagans and heretics define themselves in their distance from the church. While perceptions of the church do vary, most people look to the church for guidance, both spiritually and temporally. People are devout, none more so than the serfs and freemen that form the vast majority of the population, and many are more likely to follow the direction of a priest than their own Noble masters. This then is the source of the Church's enduring power: Nobles who fall afoul of the Church often find their serfs running away and freemen refusing to work for them.

The Church believes that a single great entity, the Bridge Builder, built the Bridges and seeded the Universe with life for its will. The church argues that Humanity is the chosen race of the Bridge Builder, and that the other species (if ever any are found) exist as tests for humanity.

The Church also believe in a pantheon of saints, great people who were ascended by the Gate Builder to do his bidding.

The Supremacy of the Bridge Builder:

The Bridge Builder is the highest entity in all universes and worlds, both known and unknown. The Bridge Builder has infinite wisdom and limitless power. There is no force capable of destroying the Bridge Builder. It is heresy to defy the Bridge Builder, whether directly or indirectly. To deny the Bridge Builder’s existence, or to participate in any activities that degrade the Bridge Builder in any way, is an act punishable by death. This includes practising false religions or promoting any variety of atheism or agnosticism.

The pantheon of saints, both living and dead, are the chosen emissaries of the Bridge Builder. Living saints are still tempted by human sin, other saints are allowed to gently guide saints who have fallen into temptation and bring them back to the light. However, all other members of the Church should not question a saint. To question a saint is to question the infinite wisdom of the Bridge Builder, another heretical act punishable by death. To harm a saint, or to participate in any plot to do so, is the gravest offence a human can commit. If one receives knowledge of such a crime and does not report it to a Church, they are just as guilty as the person who commits the crime, and are subject to the same punishment. Even suspecting a crime and failing to report it is a sin.

Furthermore, any plot or even desire to compromise the Bridge Builder’s Church, including attempting to seize assets that rightfully belong to it, is a vile offence. Any crime committed against the Church and any lie told to its officials is a crime committed against the Bridge Builder, born out of a human’s arrogant heart.

Any act, word, or thought against the Three Pillars, the Saints or the Church is a denial of the Bridge Builder’s supremacy. Heretics will be punished by death. However, with heavy bribes, Church officials may grant some mercy, out of respect for the second pillar.

Some of these sects include:

The Orthodoxy: The largest sect, it is the Orthodoxy that most people associate with the Church. Its priests can be found on all worlds, from the ostentatious bishops of the capital cities to the more humble parish priests in the most poverty-stricken fiefs. While the Orthodoxy has gained a reputation for their cunning political manoeuvres, most priests know little of such things, being entirely too busy protecting the souls of the simple faithful in their parishes. When tragedy strikes, it is to the Orthodoxy that most of the faithful turn for consolation.

When people refer to ‘the church’, they are referring to the Orthodoxy, which is led by the immortal Saint Shephard.

The Inquisitorial Order: These officials of the church, appointed by Patriarch Shepherd himself, have near-absolute power in their tireless quest to hunt down heresy. Able to commandeer any forces necessary, they are feared by all, even by other members of the church. No Noble is allowed to lead the Inquisition, as it is feared that they would have too many loyalties outside the church. They are currently lead by Saint Rozman Ghoul. A man known best for his fierce temper and ambition, Rozman desires nothing less then a return to some imaginary perfect time before sin had stained the hearts of men. He is constantly at the side of Patriarch Shephard, who appears to find something admirable in his anger and single-minded intensity. Despite his faults, or perhaps because of them, Rozman is an excellent diplomat and administrator. Though Ghoul uses the title of High Inquisitor, within the Universal Church he is recognized as a Cardinal and a living saint.

The Faceless Heralds: The Grey order are a sect of the Church directly subservient to the Inquisition and the Orthodoxy. Responsible for disseminating news throughout Imperial Space, they carefully monitor everything to ensure that no heretical knowledge is spread. The Heralds never show any skin in public, opting instead for a shapeless grey cloak, a tradition meant to symbolize that they represent humanity and the church as a whole, and not any particular individual. Though it is believed that there is a hierarchy within the Heralds, it is not known by any outsider aside for the high officials of the Orthodoxy and the Inquisition.

Blossoms of Mercy: The Blossoms believe that the road to paradise lies in their unwavering self-sacrifice. They establish hospitals, missions, and clinics where any can come for healthcare. While officially supported by the Church, most of the Blossom’s clinics are funded through private donations, and there are rarely enough to provide basic healthcare for most serfs. They are led by Cardinal Glory Gupta. Quiet, very old and known for understanding wisdom, Glory does little to live up to her name while quietly administering to thousands of hospitals and hospices throughout the Empire.

The Zen-Serotonin: An order of Ascetic Monks closely tied to the Zen-Serotonin

Shadowbound · Jun 26, 2018

Faction Name: Antarean Republic
Faction Traits: Universal Military Logistics, Terraformers
System Claims:
7 (Antares) - Minerals - Industry
5 (Graffias) - Fertility - Agriculture
6 (Lesath) - Minerals - Administration
4 (Shaula) - Luxuries - Industry
Military: Fleet - Antarean Star Navy - 3 Attack
Army - Republican Guard - 2 Attack 1 Mobility
Commanders: Rank 2 Camorran Singh (Aggressive, Marcher). Rank 1 Mazen Malhadir (Coordinator)
Description:
I watched the red star rising in the East,
And while his fellows of the flaming sign
From prisoning daylight more and more released,
Lift their pale lamps, and, climbing higher, higher,
Out of their locks the waters of the Line
Shaking in clouds of phosphorescent fire,
Rose in the splendor of their curving flight,
Their dolphin leap across the austral night.

Colonized in the late 24th century, Antares has had a long and troubled history with terraforming. Primarily covered in ocean, the iron-rich seas were incredibly hostile to all but the most extremely genetically engineered life. In the end the resulting fauna remained toxic to humans. Antarean development was stunted by its toxic biosphere, but it began to flourish in the 29th century through the sale of heavy metals and materials to the SPC, as technological trends made the exploitation of the planet's massive mineral wealth possible. It was an important supplier to the Peace Corps' fleets until the Second Galactic Civil War and avoided widespread damage from the conflict, leading the relatively unpopulated world to become a regional power. Only in the end of the war, when the SPC was collapsing, did rebel fleets from Graffias threaten the Antarean home habitats, being repulsed with losses.

The majority of the Antarean population and society don't live on the planet's surface, where long-term exposure to the atmosphere without breathing apparatus is still toxic, but in orbital habitats. Each orbital habitat, with populations between thousands and tens of millions, possesses strong regional pride, and the chief Antarean pastime is a highly competitive, and violent, zero gravity sport known as Spaceball.

Antarean government rests on three pillars: an elected legislature under the Prime Minister, representing the the bulk of the population; a hereditary presidency representing the Old Families, the original settlers who possess significant shares in many corporate organizations, and the military, who appoint their own "civilian" Minister of Defense. These three groups dominate the political and economic system of the Republic: they practice not rule of law, but rule by law over the citizenry. Antarean society's current level of wealth and prosperity is relatively recent and civil institutions remain undeveloped. Corporations don't hire employees: Antareans are contracted for life during their education, and these contracts are purchased and traded between corporations. Political and economic freedom exist only for those with power. Antares structured its own defense fleet after the Peace Corps, inheriting a great deal of material and doctrine along with a sense of superiority over the "civilian government". This has led to it being a political power in its own right, effectively governing Lesath as a military dictatorship.

Marcher Jovian · Jun 26, 2018

29
28
30
27

Ailedhoo · Jun 27, 2018

1, 2, 3, 23

tobiisagoodboy · Jun 27, 2018

Faction Name: Federal Republic of Haven
Faction Traits: Patriotic Fervour, Industrial Greenhouses
System Claims:
17: Haven : A floruishing world settled several hundred years ago. Beatiful, progressive and open Haven and its citiziens see themself as the true heirs to Earths golden age.
Luxuries, Administration

16:Bolthole : The industrial heart of the Republic, Bolthole is both a planet and system rich in mineral. Minerals,Industry

15: Seaford: The central defense hub of the Republic. Fertility ,Agriculture

14 :San Martin: A small agri-colony. Fertility, Agriculture

Military:
Seaford Defense Fleet: 2 Cohesion, 1 Attack, 1 Defense, 0 Mobility (A force of smaller ships defending the system and the path towards Bolthole and haven. Seaford)

Haven Republic 1st Marine Corps: 2 Cohesion, 1 Attack, 1 Defense, 0 Mobility (The Republic Mobile Ground forces. San Martin)

Commanders:
Thomas Theisman: Loyal Coordinator (Admiral Thomas Theisman, the "Shield of the Republic" is a famous and beloved Admiral of the Republic. Beloved by the people and unconditionally loyal to the Republic Theisman is the sharpest sword and strongest shield the Republic has.) In Seaford commanding the fleet.

Javier Giscard: Protective (General Javier Giscard, General of the Republican Marine Corps is the Commander in Chief of the Republican Marine Corps) Commanding the Marines on San Martin

Faction Description: History or any other background information you want to give your faction, commanders, systems or planets. You can be as creative as you want, but try to fit into the setting. See the below timeline, but in short, try to avoid being Space Italy or Space Japan. Earth has been dead for 500 years, and extrasolar space has been colonised for almost a millennium. While ethno states may exist, today’s ethnicities likely play little part in them. You're free to describe planets in your system's, but try to keep in mind most systems have one 'goldilocks' planet, and that your lesser population systems likely lost over half of that population to the war thirty-ish years ago. Alien life doesn't seem to exist, so all life, from microscopic to plants and animals, is Earth based, though you can be creative with genetic engineering.

NinjaCow64 · Jun 27, 2018

Claiming: 39, 40 [Capital], 41, 48

I've made a super low effort map of claims to help the GM and various players.

Spoiler :

Pink is me, I forgot to label that part. Oh well.

@tobiisagoodboy @thomas.berubeg You have a conflict. Thomas claimed 18 first.

@SouthernKing I assume you wanted 46 as opposed to 45 as 45 is on the other side of the map to your other claims. Apologies if I was wrong.

Decamper · Jun 27, 2018

Forgot one bit - please indicate which systems your military units are in, and which units your commanders are commanding.

Robert Can't · Jun 27, 2018

The Coalition of Roses
Faction Traits: Civil Defense, Industrial Greenhouses
System Claims:
51 Rose - First colonised in the 28th Century Rose was found its identity in its fertile soils and the emerging farming community. As the population rapidly expanded Rose became an important local hub and cities began to arise among the verdant valleys. All was did not remain rosy though - during the second civil war Rose was frequently cut off from the rest of humanity by SPC attacks.
Fertility, Agriculture

54 Bradshaw's World - Once upon a time Bradshaw's World and its capital of Port Charlotte was the most important settlement in this area. One of the first colonised worlds here it was a jump off point for many different other colonies and it had a booming industry based around colonial supplies. During the war though it was a major target in various terror attacks. Over four fifths of the population perished and most of the industrial base was destroyed.
Fertility, Industry

53 Homeward - Homeward was only colonised a few years before the war broke out. It was an attempt to take control of the local resources as the planet was thought to be rich in precious minerals. This was somewhat right and a artistic presence grew up on the planet. It manged to escape the most violent attention of the SPC and suffered little in the way of losses during the war.
Luxuries, Industry

55 Sirian's World (Capital) - Once a small colony on a tiny near uninhabitable rock Sirian's World gained significance for its important role in the Second Civil War when a bunch of ships fleeing the attacks of the SPC congregated there. It was from here that Admiral Joice gave the Proclamation of Roses. Now it has become the heart of the military structure of the Coalition of Roses, it is maintained as a sizeable military base and the administrative centre of the Coalition.
Minerals, Administration

Military:
The Fleet of Roses - 2 Cohesion, 1 attack, 1 mobility
The Port Charlotte Rifles - 4 Cohesion, 1 mobility
Commanders:
Admiral Bernadette Maiteeq - Loyal and Aggressive (FoR)
General Jan Landry - Coordinator (PCR)

Faction Description: Await further description

Seon · Jun 27, 2018

26, 24, 31, 38

NinjaCow64 · Jul 1, 2018

Faction Name: Near-Southern Systems Federation
Faction Traits: Universal Military Logistics and Mercantile
System Claims:

New Thuria (40) – Luxury, Administration
Pjellori (41) – Fertility, Agriculture
Akmenys (39) – Minerals, Industry
Quizil (48) – Luxury, Industry

Starting Fleet:
Name: 1st Fleet (“The Apostates”)
Stationed in: New Thuria (40)
Points: 3 into Cohesion

Starting Army:

Name: 1st Marine Corps (“President’s Own”)
Stationed in: New Thruia (40)
Points: 3 into Cohesion

Commanders:
High Admiral Arjun Singh, Level 2, Rallier II
Admiral Edda Nielsen, Level 1, Rallier I

History: The Near-Southern Systems Federation consists of four systems that are considered “Near-Southern”. While the concepts of cardinal directions are completely irrelevant for interstellar politics, it became standard practice to place certain systems in certain locations on maps. For whatever arbitrary reason, the systems of the Near-Southern were placed in the Southern section of maps. These systems are very close to Sol, only Quizil is more than two jumps away from Sol.

The Near-Southern Systems were truly the punching bags of the galaxy. The Near-Southern Systems were caught between the outer systems and the central systems, meaning that whenever there was a conflict between the two (and there were many, even outside of the major Galactic Civil Wars), the Near-Southern Systems would suffer. Whenever a culture developed in the Near-Southern Systems, it would inevitably be blown to smithereens then completely trampled upon by a wave of colonists from the victorious side.

In 2948, a detachment of the Systems Peace Corps Fleet was fed up with the brutality of the war and especially the destruction of the Near-Southern Systems. They believed if these pointless wars continued, there was a real risk that humanity would destroy all habitable planets through nuclear war and cause human extinction. This detachment, later known as “The Apostates”, pledged the four systems in exchange for material support. The governments of the four systems agreed, this agreement would form the basis of the Near-Southern Systems Federation. After the Civil War ended, the NSSF Fleet would remain very powerful as they believe that the best way to ensure that nuclear devastation is not levelled upon their planets is to ensure that no enemy fleet can touch their planets.

The Near-Southern Systems Federation is a major supporter of the Systems Assembly. While they do not want the Systems Assembly to become the new SPC, the NSSF believes that it could be used as a vehicle to promote galactic peace and prevent a Third Galactic Civil War.

Government: The NSSF was once a military dictatorship. However, over the years and due to the death of the original High Admiral Ada Akal ten years ago, the NSSF had democratised. The President used to be a weak puppet position that a maximum term limit of one five-year term, however after the death of High Admiral Ada Akal the position has become more powerful and the term limit abolished. The President is elected by direct vote by all citizens of the NSSF (all elections in the NSSF are done through the score method). The High-Admiral theoretically serves at the pleasure of the President, however in reality it would be political suicide for the President to remove the High-Admiral in most circumstances as they usually have the support of the people and the military. In reality, the President and the High-Admiral shares executive power between them and they determine the nation’s foreign policy. Generally, the foreign policy of the NSSF is primarily pacifistic – war is to be avoided unless necessary.

The executive function of the government is administered through the Federal Parliament. The Federal Parliament has 800 seats, with 200 being elected by each planet through voting districts of roughly equal population size. Each planet also has its own democratically elected local government.

Current President: Londisizwe Khumalo (female)

Decamper · Jul 2, 2018

@Immaculate @Danwar @Marcher Jovian @Ailedhoo @Seon
I'd like applications finished by Friday, July 6th.

New claims and applications are also welcome until then. While you'll have a disadvantage due to less trade routes if you can't claim four systems, your systems will have higher stats in general compared to larger factions' systems.

Marcher Jovian · Jul 6, 2018

Faction Name: The Iron Union
Faction Traits: Revolutionary, Fortress Cities
System Claims:

29 - Tialogo - Minerals - Industry
28 - Elissay - Fertility - Agriculture
30 - Rictose - Luxuries - Industry
27 - Vestiva - Minerals - Administration

Military:

The Iron Navy - Fleet - Tialogo - 2 Cohesion, 1 Attack, 1 Defense
The Vanguard - Army - Tialogo - 2 Cohesion, 2 Defense

Commanders:

Kattalin Spada - Iron Navy - Protective x2
Cyrille Kariuk i- Iron Guard - Marcher

Description:

The systems of the Union were among the first to join Mars in rebelling against the SPC. They were also among the most radical. After successfully throwing out the SPC, the revolutionaries continued to attack any force deemed “oppressive,” purging the elites before turning on each other. The chaotic bloodshed peaked in 2957, when one faction detonated a dirty bomb on Vestiva in an attempt to wipe out their rivals. While they succeeded, the terrible act proved a turning point in the period of chaos, as public opinion grew weary of the internecine conflict. Shattered factions began to slowly stabilise, convening with each other and signing ceasefires. In 2966, the Grand Conference officially proclaimed the foundation of the Iron Union. With the end of the Great Anarchy and the newly founded Systems Assembly, peace came to the Iron Union. While time has tempered the Unionists’ zeal, the embers of rebellion still smolder, with the most radical voices calling for a renewed attack against the elites of the network.

Decamper · Jul 6, 2018

I’ve started putting together update 0 and the stats. I’ll still accept signups up until I post the update or say otherwise.

Beyond the Bridges of Light

..!

..!

..!

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Wandering the World

Thought Bubble Thinker

unerring

Wandering the World

Incorrugible

Emperor

wonderer

Prince

Thought Bubble Thinker

..!

Éponine

Not An Evil Liar

Thought Bubble Thinker

..!

Emperor

..!

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