Winged Cat
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Heaven's Reach planet where everyone uses Essence, for non-Empire DB campaigns
Aetherium was settled by and for Dragon-Blooded. Genetic augmentation (relative to baseline humanity) is the norm, to the point that homo aetherium is no longer naturally cross-fertile with homo sapiens, though this has little practical impact save to prevent dilution of their genetic engineering. Even those who do not ignite the Dragon's blood are at least trained in basic Essence manipulation (a process that is harder but non-optional for baseline human immigrants, whose seed is tweaked so their children will be homo aetherium), for the planet is a giant - and so far largely successful - experiment in sustained jade growth, and as such hazardous for non-Essence-users. Aetherium officially considers "humanity" to include all of its descendant races, and the only noticeable differences without a close look are cosmetic, most notably hair colored a distinctive shade of silver.
Long lives are the norm: natives reach about 30 years old then cease aging, though violence, disease, and other such things take their toll. When possible, the dead have their memories and personalities uploaded through manses to the Grand Celestial Mountain, there to forge new bodies and return, though these new bodies must relearn their connections to Essence - and worse, not everyone succeeds. The greatest culler is that this path is based on the four Virtues: those who are cowardly, sociopathic, unfocused, or simply unsure of themselves tend to discorporate. Still, the very oldest remember the start of the Malfean War - dimly, barely, through the haze of multiple incarnations and centuries of memories. For their part in the cycle, Sidereals tend to be deferred to in polite company (with lesser but noticeable courtesy given to Solars and Lunars), but only Aetherium natives may attain the highest government offices regardless of Exaltation.
Aetherium used to be an Imperial world, but the Empire shrank away from it some centuries before Heaven's Son came to power. Seeing that they were on their own, Aetherium's government reorganized to be the local center of civilization; genetic upgrading of the entire population was phased in as part of this. They are close enough to the Empire to be a trading partner (the trading clans sponsor much of their genetic research), but the question of reabsorbtion waits until several minor powers between Aetherium and the Empire are no longer independent. Worse, a Tomb-Star threatens this region of space, lying but a single canal from Aetherium itself and certain other worlds in the area. Constantly fending off Death Avatar attacks has made longevity more popular than it would be on its own: many have said they reincarnated just so their very existence would continue to be a rude gesture in the Tomb-Star's face. (They seem to be especially interested in Aetherium for some reason, but for want of intel on what is going on in Terminus, most people assume Aetherium has merely become a favored enemy.)
Aetherium essentially runs a few dozen surrounding worlds, but collectively they have less population than Aetherium itself. (Seed upgrade is encouraged and government-funded, but not mandatory. Aetherium considers this part of the decades-long process of assimilation that each new protectorate goes through, side by side with cultural assimilation.) They focus on largely automated primary resource production such as farming, mining, and Essence harvesting (most of the manses dotting their surfaces relay their power to Aetherium's). Their first line of defense is the InterStellar Cannon, which can fire at invaders from any of the manses that make up its network, of which there is at least one on each of Aetherium's client planets; it can wipe out minor threats, and against serious force, it is intended to buy time for the legions to rally. The ISC has yet to defend more than one planet at at time.
Aetherium's goverment divides the planet into five provinces, each dominated by a certain aspect of Dragon-Blooded:
Aetherium was settled by and for Dragon-Blooded. Genetic augmentation (relative to baseline humanity) is the norm, to the point that homo aetherium is no longer naturally cross-fertile with homo sapiens, though this has little practical impact save to prevent dilution of their genetic engineering. Even those who do not ignite the Dragon's blood are at least trained in basic Essence manipulation (a process that is harder but non-optional for baseline human immigrants, whose seed is tweaked so their children will be homo aetherium), for the planet is a giant - and so far largely successful - experiment in sustained jade growth, and as such hazardous for non-Essence-users. Aetherium officially considers "humanity" to include all of its descendant races, and the only noticeable differences without a close look are cosmetic, most notably hair colored a distinctive shade of silver.
Long lives are the norm: natives reach about 30 years old then cease aging, though violence, disease, and other such things take their toll. When possible, the dead have their memories and personalities uploaded through manses to the Grand Celestial Mountain, there to forge new bodies and return, though these new bodies must relearn their connections to Essence - and worse, not everyone succeeds. The greatest culler is that this path is based on the four Virtues: those who are cowardly, sociopathic, unfocused, or simply unsure of themselves tend to discorporate. Still, the very oldest remember the start of the Malfean War - dimly, barely, through the haze of multiple incarnations and centuries of memories. For their part in the cycle, Sidereals tend to be deferred to in polite company (with lesser but noticeable courtesy given to Solars and Lunars), but only Aetherium natives may attain the highest government offices regardless of Exaltation.
Aetherium used to be an Imperial world, but the Empire shrank away from it some centuries before Heaven's Son came to power. Seeing that they were on their own, Aetherium's government reorganized to be the local center of civilization; genetic upgrading of the entire population was phased in as part of this. They are close enough to the Empire to be a trading partner (the trading clans sponsor much of their genetic research), but the question of reabsorbtion waits until several minor powers between Aetherium and the Empire are no longer independent. Worse, a Tomb-Star threatens this region of space, lying but a single canal from Aetherium itself and certain other worlds in the area. Constantly fending off Death Avatar attacks has made longevity more popular than it would be on its own: many have said they reincarnated just so their very existence would continue to be a rude gesture in the Tomb-Star's face. (They seem to be especially interested in Aetherium for some reason, but for want of intel on what is going on in Terminus, most people assume Aetherium has merely become a favored enemy.)
Aetherium essentially runs a few dozen surrounding worlds, but collectively they have less population than Aetherium itself. (Seed upgrade is encouraged and government-funded, but not mandatory. Aetherium considers this part of the decades-long process of assimilation that each new protectorate goes through, side by side with cultural assimilation.) They focus on largely automated primary resource production such as farming, mining, and Essence harvesting (most of the manses dotting their surfaces relay their power to Aetherium's). Their first line of defense is the InterStellar Cannon, which can fire at invaders from any of the manses that make up its network, of which there is at least one on each of Aetherium's client planets; it can wipe out minor threats, and against serious force, it is intended to buy time for the legions to rally. The ISC has yet to defend more than one planet at at time.
Aetherium's goverment divides the planet into five provinces, each dominated by a certain aspect of Dragon-Blooded:
- Arcadia, defined as everything above 1 kilometer. This includes the giant floating city also named Arcadia that drifts above the planet's lines of Essence, tapping and regulating them, and the orbital installations. This also includes the top of what few mountains that extend this high (most of them in Char), which forms Arcadia's ground-side installations. "High and mighty" the Air aspects may be, but they dominate the planet more due to their stranglehold on interplanetary trade than to being able to fly anywhere.
- The Blue, all ocean at least 1 kilometer from a shore at low tide. Generally known for having Arcadia's back: almost anywhere Arcadia floats, the Blue has a support fleet underneath, shooting people and supplies up and catching what comes down. There is extensive underwater habitation, too, concentrated in Linear City - essentially a giant, built-up bridge between Char and Druidia, through which one can drive without getting wet. (Any seafaring traffic wishing to cross must either dive, fly, or go around. This is rarely a problem.)
- Char, smaller and southern of the two continents. Dominated by volcanic flows or the hardened remnants thereof, this is where industry happens. Fire aspects extract jade and other minerals from magma pushed up from Excavement, and factories of all sorts forge the still-hot products into Aetherium's manufactured goods. Ironically, life support - in the form of air purification - can be as much of a concern as it is in The Blue, at least close to the magma vents where most people are. Out in the rocky badlands - as much color as Char sees - it is not so bad. The edges of Char are eroded by the sea; currents carry the nutrient-rich soil north to Druidia.
- Druidia, larger and northern of the two continents. The geology is carefully sculpted into a mild bowl, with water filters around the coast trickling into a central lake, surrounding Druidia's only true mountain. The primary agricultural area of the planet, of course - almost every square inch is agriculture in some sense, be it traditional farmland, forest, or the occasional giant swamp-like colonies of various organisms. Larger biological organisms - famously and most commonly, living spaceships - are sometimes grown here as well, but there is rarely demand for true mass manufacturing; instead, prototypes are made in runs of one to a few hundred, then those involved move on to other projects.
- Excavement, everything at least 1 kilometer underground. Here do the Earth aspects tinker with the planet's core processes, enhancing jade growth, pulling heavy metals from the core, and pushing it all into magma tubes for transport to the surface. (Some of this is mined directly, but it is more convenient for the surface factories if the materials are still hot upon arrival.) Bidding for the magma is a daily intrigue among financiers, resulting in a cultural icon of Fire being an appreciative receiver to Earth's provider. This inspired Aetherium's most popular media export, Strong Boulder & Secret Flame, a long running series that has recently been handed over to a fourth generation of authors.
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