Fantasy Starborne - Lore

[SilverFlight]

• The World
• Races
• Magic
• Job Classes
• Locations
• Imperial History

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  This is a world that can be described at solar punk with a Victorian twist. It is not unlike Disney’s Treasure Planet, where the space-traveling vessels are massive sailing ships with solar energy-collecting sails. There are alien races and a special branch of magically-changed humans called biomen. There are also sentient automatons, created by the master automateurs, usually in the service of nobles or kings. Most of the galaxies in the known universe are under Imperial control, and subject to Imperial law. Many previously-inhabited planets were colonized and their native populations assimilated into Imperial culture, though there is a weak attempt to preserve the original cultures and languages, and most of the effort is made by the native peoples themselves. The capital is the best example, outside the central ring of the city there is a quiltwork of different building styles, decorations and peoples. There are galaxies outside Imperial influence, those are within “Out Space” and it is strongly discouraged for any Imperial citizen to go…they usually do not return.
  
  Space is vast and the trade routes between galaxies and planets are patrolled frequently by pirates. Merchant ships and Imperial vessels are often weaponized with energy canons, and a fighting force employed on board armed with beam sabers and blasters that draw similarities with Victorian weaponry. The Imperial capital is on a planet called Centralis, in the central most galaxy of Imperial space, Imperialis. The city was given the name St Celeste, by the first emperor.
  In this world you may make up your own planets, with unique cultures, politics, histories etc. however I must approve them before they are posted.
  
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  Humans: The most common race within the empire, human settlements can be found throughout it. They are not the only ones who can use thaumaturgy, though they are selectively preferred by the academy. They are known throughout the universe as resourceful, innovative and creative, yet they are also characteristically prideful and oftentimes greedy. Their minds are deemed their strongest asset, as physically, they are on the weaker side of galactic species.
  
  
  
  Aliens: The variation on these species are as vast as the universe itself. They can be biologically-based, or elemental or energy-based, though most sapient races are close to human-sized. Some races have the innate ability to use magic, while others lack it almost entirely. Some have unique skills or strengths, heightened dexterity, power, senses etc. One skill, magic in nature, that is absent in all races however is the ability of future sight. This legendary skill is said to be possessed by only one being in the entire universe at a given time. Each alien race is registered in the Imperial watchkeepers records, and in imperial space, they all abide by imperial law. The specifics of each race, their history and culture can be written by the player, but must be reviewed and approved by a gm to be added to the lore. Each race must have a weakness, as described in the other races. Most alien races in Imperial space are under the empire's rule, however it is possible to sneak into the empire undetected, and some members of pirate crews are certainly not Imperial races.
  
  
  
  Automatons: Can look like anything, but generally have size restrictions to that of an average human. They are often sapient, capable of speech and free willed-thought. Effectively they are robots and as such, made of metal, though they can have synthetic skin coverings, and are very susceptible to electrical current and or water, depending on the sealants used. They can be in possession of super-human strength, though this skill often means they are more obvious as automatons and cannot pass for a normal human. Automatons have very few rights and are generally seen as expensive servants, even though many have independent minds and free will. Automatons are generally stronger than your average human, and can have enhancements built in that many humans cannot. They are however incredibly susceptible to electric attacks, and can be rendered paralyzed by an electricity elementalist.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Biomen: It is illegal to magically experiment on sapient lifeforms, though with so many planets, the Imperial forces cannot regulate every inch of space, and there are both adult augmentations and fetal genetic mutations that have occurred unchecked. Generally, these biomen are enhanced with the abilities of pre-existing species. Any attempt to graft magical ability onto an untalented host has always ended in horrible failure. Most often these biomen have very little that betrays their biological manipulations to the eye, though some retain the physical qualities of the animal they have been grafted with almost completely. Due to the incomplete understanding of life and how it is put together, biomen frequently suffer from genetic defects, this could be in the form of diseases or ill-formed or missing body parts. It is very rare for a bioman to be free of some sort of defect associated with the partial transmutation.
  
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  Called “Wonderworking” by common folk and “Thaumaturgy” by nobles, there are four main branches of magic, and though it is possible for a student to show minor ability in more than one, they will be schooled and therefore excel in only one. These abilities are by no means godly, they are in truth, fairly weak; their usefulness then, lies purely in the creativity with which they are employed. Though gifted people of all classes are admitted, there has always been an elitist mentality within the academy, with lowborn thaumaturgy students having a tougher time.
  
  Elemental manipulation: This is the creating and control of elemental forces and generally elementalists develop a mastery of only one. The elements that have developed methods are: fire, ice, air, earth, electricity, light and gravity. Generally, effects are small, example: the impacts of fire, electricity and ice are limited to severe burns, but not a human fatality, unless the magics are used creatively to attack known weaknesses. An earth thaumaturge might be able to destabilize the foundation of a one-story house, gravity and air users might be able to lift someone of their own weight and throw them a few feet. Light thaumaturges could power a small skiff from activating the solar sails for about an hour, or create a convincing illusion about the size of a house.
  
  Biological transmutation: This is the art of transforming one biological form into another, and can be used on the self, or on others. People who use this skill are called “Transmuters”. Generally, the form can only be at largest, four times the size of the original body, or at smallest, a quarter of the size. A human could then become a cat, or a gryphon, but nothing smaller or larger respectively. This skill works much better on willing targets, outside of self-transmutation, the effect has a time limit which is directly related to the willingness of the individual. Willing participants can maintain the shape for about 3 hours, while unwilling subjects may not transform at all, though if successful the effect usually lasts only for minutes. Non-sentient lifeforms like plants can be transformed indefinitely. It is dangerous to transmute only part of one’s body, and the methods of this are taught only using animals and never with humans or other sapient races. The methods are used to create chimeras and these changes are often permanent, this is the same method used to create biomen, though this practice is illegal within the empire.
  
  Alchemy: This, simply put, is the ability to change one physical element into another. Every alchemist is trained very strictly in physical chemistry, and if used with this knowledge, this is the most powerful of the thaumaturgical arts. With it one can sabotage mechanics, create valuable materials, explosives or even certain gasses or water. Again, the quantities of material one can transmute are limited, and generally equates to one’s own body mass. It is strictly prohibited to turn lead into gold, though that doesn’t stop some…just don’t get caught.
  
  Healing: One of the most valuable arts, healers are highly coveted by the Imperial army and few escape that life if they are raised in the empire. Those that do usually have their abilities hidden, by themselves or family members, to be developed outside of the academy with varying success. A fully-trained healer is capable of sealing a mortal blast wound, or re-attaching a limb, though the effort would most often have them collapse and unable to heal further until they have rested. Anything other than a fully-academy-trained healer would likely kill themselves in the attempt. These magicians are also trained in the herbal healing arts and can work with biological transmuters to help create the plants they need.
  
  Clairvoyance*: There is a fifth discipline of magic, though it is not considered a true form of thaumaturgy, and the academy itself will not recognize its existence. The ability to see the future is possessed by a very rare few and there is no school within the Empire that can develop it. The ability can come upon the user suddenly, in the form of a vision, or in sleep, as dreams. It is uncontrollable and unpredictable, though there have been legends throughout Imperial history that speak of heroes or saints that used it to save towns or win the empire glorious victories.
  
  *This skill is not an optional skill to choose for your characters, this is for plot reasons. It only exists in the world.
  
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  The professions you are permitted into are very much dictated by class, nobles are expected to go become academics or politicians or artists, very few have had the mechanical skill to become automateurs, creators of very detailed robotic life-forms called automatons. If they are possessed of magical abilities they are immediately admitted to train at the academy in St Celeste for Thaumaturgy and can specialize in one of four main fields. It is rare for a noble family not to send their magically-gifted child to the academy, as it is seen as a great honour, and a fast-track to important circles.
  
  The lower classes are generally labourers, in fields, factories or at the docks. The even less fortunate turn to scrapping, scrounging junkpiles for usable material or thievery and other crimes. Despite the utopian atmosphere of the cities, there is a thriving underground with many different niches for talented street rats. Lowborns skilled in mechanics are trained as ship engineers or automateurs, and those with magical abilities are forced to attend the Thaumaturge academy and must be registered. Lowborns also have the option of joining the military for formal training in combat or solar ship professions like engineering, piloting and navigation. Only nobles generally become captains of their own vessels, but a few commoners showing exceptional bravery or promise may become captains. Otherwise, one can steal a ship and proclaim themselves captain of it, if this happens, you are branded a pirate.
  
  The empire's strength is incomparable, but it is not above hiring mercenaries and bounty hunters to deal with problems just out of their reach. These professions are fairly lucrative when employed by the empire, but very few are foolish enough to take bounties that fight against the empire, or get in their way.
  
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  Imperialis:
  
  
  
  The planet at the center of the empire, it is a single continent of vast grasslands and high mountains. Most of the grasslands have been converted into farmland to provide for the massive city on the coast. The mountains are still fairly wild however and they are used to breed several species of animal, native and alien used for transport or food. The climate is usually on the cool side, with moderate rainfall.
  
  
  
  St Celeste:
  
  Named after the most notable saint in Imperial history, St. Celeste is the thriving capital of imperial space; the beating heart of the empire. It is a massive city made of layers of stacked buildings, set onto the edge of the planet’s only continent, the highest tiers are for the elite and at the very top of the mountain that serves as the city’s foundation, sits the imperial palace, surrounded by a fantastic garden and headed by a courtyard large enough to fit most of the city’s five million inside of it. Lower down are the businesses, shops squeezed together in every inch of available space as tram tracks snake their way about the ensemble. The spaceport is also on this level, a massive curving dock that houses the Imperial fleet as well as births for every manner of solar ship, from dreadnought to dingy. There are tree-lined alleys and gardens and a large glass greenhouse and menagerie, providing shelter to exotic species from across many galaxies. The main square is just by the port, and ruled by a massive astrological globe clock, floating above its pedestal, rings encircling it, held up and kept in motion by gravity magic. Lower still and close to the spray of the ocean are the slums, the lowest tier for the poorest people. Most of the houses are made of wood, worn and barnacle-encrusted. Tiny one room apartments are stacked on top of one another and the pathways to get around are as much ladders as rotting boardwalks. It is dangerous here, and anyone of obvious wealth might find themselves stripped of it very quickly if they decided to take a stroll.
  
  Deep space:
  
  
  
  The atmosphere is breathable, and most often a decent temperature, though it does tend to get a little chilly far away from any stars. The general atmosphere is life-sustaining for all creatures. It is also beautiful, with billions of twinkling stars, rainbow gas clouds of distant nebulas, spiraling galaxies and a plethora of very interesting rock or ice formations that no one seems to know much about. That being said there are also many dangers in space, black holes, supernovas, collapsing stars, asteroids, savage, space-roaming monsters. Plenty to keep the intrepid spacer on their toes.
  
  Port Resolve:
  
  A bustling port town, nestled at the base of a giant purple lake on the Broken Moon of Azimov. This port town is a haven for mechanikers and automatons. Though under Imperial rule, a lot of illegal trade gets by, and it is one of the best places to launder goods or re-register stolen ships.
  The port consists of an upper and lower level. The upper level gets the most sun. It is clean and elegant with glistening brass fixtures that are polished daily.
  The lower level is far more seedy and greasy, with crumbling masonry and rusted ship hulls serving as land upon which more houses and shops have bee built. You want to watch your purse down here, as there are always opportunists waiting to strike at the unsuspecting or naive...
  
  More locations to be added as the rp progresses
  
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  The empire itself is about 600 years old, though its control over systems was not as wide-spread and iron-fisted 10 years ago. Back then the empire relied on close-knit political ties with its strongest allies, kings and queens of small portions of space, but with valuable resources. When the new empress came into power she lead a crusade to recruit or conquer a vast part of space, subjugating planets and peoples, often without mercy. Most of the empire’s powerful allies were invited to join the Imperial Alliance, but most knew that they had no choice. The empire had effectively placed spies and saboteurs into every allied kingdom, and positioned them expertly to topple those in power should they refuse.
  
  Now, Imperial rule is absolute, though the movement still chafes at pride. There are a great many people whose lives were destroyed by the empire’s violent takeover, and many species who resent its rule. The empire has cleverly kept its enemies divided however and so far, no one has come forward to stand against them.
  
  There is an old prophecy, a rumour beginning to spread amongst the lowborn people of the empire, whispered among those who still harbour anger: one day a clairvoyant will appear, and predict the fall of the empire. Most scholars dismiss the rumour as only that, still, one has to wonder if there is some truth to it…
  

 

[SilverFlight]

Planets and Alien Races

This is a section where I will put up the lore players have written about their own species and planets or areas in the galaxy. All lore written by other players must be approved by a gm before it is posted here and must be posted by a gm. Please pm the written lore for approval.

 

[Hazmat44]

SPECIES

Orcumyn are split into two genders, male and female. The males are bipedal, with gray flesh and a variety of carapace coloring. Carapace covers their arms, legs, back, chest, and neck, with a helmet-like shell with a horn on their skull. They are often quite dense and strong, topping out around a maximum of seven feet tall. The sharpness of a male's horn is a representation of their willingness to fight; a blunt horn implies a more pacifistic nature. The males tend to avoid any articles of clothing that aren't pants, for... no visible reason, really.

The females are much thinner and taller, with mantis-like limbs. Their four-fingered hands have extraordinarily sharp retractable claws, and their long legs are capabale of meting out extreme force. They lack the carapace and horn of their male counterparts, with a triangular head and a small mouth and eyes. They often wear flowing styles of clothing, along with beads and bangles to identify with the faction or male of their choice. They can get up to a staggering nine feet tall.

Orcumyn marriage panders to neither gender; in a world of war, cooperation in all regards is necessary. Therefore, both male and female accept all responsibilites and carry the burden together. Raising a child (or rarely, two children) is a monumental effort requiring both parents' work and attention, although the word 'love' quite literally has no translation in the Orcyrian language.

HISTORY

Orcys began civilization with war, starting with the first Orcymyn who figured out how to punch. Due to the constant state of warfare, three factions arose, all of them hating each other. Rhud Tahlal, the technological elites; Des Werki, who developed the art of large-scale warfare tactics; and lastly Bul Deif, who pretty much did whatever they wanted.

The moment the Imperium landed on Orcys, however, all of the factions fused into one; Taug Kriph. All of Orcys waged war on the Imperium... Or at least, most of it.

A fourth (or second, depending on how you look at it) faction arose in the background of the interplanetary war. Thug Duluv, a band of Orcumyn who saw the advatages and oppurtunities to be had in the reaches of interplanetary space. They expanded, leaving Orcys and beginning one of the largest organized crime syndicates in the known universe.

A martial art was founded, Oyr Bek-fei. Although it has no translation into Imperial Common, a close approximation would be "Punch and Puncture". For males, it involves using their horn, feet, and fists to mete incredible damage in a frontal fight. For females, it means dodging and slicing or stabbing with their claws. Used in conjunction, a male and female Orcumyn skilled in Oyr Bek-fei is a nearly unstoppable force.

LANGUAGE (will be added on to)

The Orcyrian dialect was developed during aforementioned war: as such, it is blunt and to the point. It doesn’t have very many words at all, and all of them are designed to get the point across as quickly as possible. Context is crucial to the meaning of a word, along with tonal inflections.

Primary syllables are used at every part of a word except the end.

Ki- "kee", Ro- "row", Im- "eem", Es- "ess", Be- "beh", Al- "all", Vu- "voo"
Primary syllables are always pronounced the same way, with no exceptions; e.g. “vubeim” would be pronounced VOO-beh-eem instead of voo-BEIM.

(Note 1): in the rare event of a repeating vowel, a hyphen is used, e.g. ki-im; usually, another primary syllable is placed between them, e.g. kiroim.
(Note 2): Orcyrian names are not consistent with the primary syllables; rather, the parent simply gives the child a name that they like the sound of.

Nouns

In context of sentences, nouns are more or less used in the same way as Imperial Common, with little to no exceptions. Few object-specific nouns exist; gestures and indications are used instead. Names are rarely used.

Ro = me/I, referencing oneself
Kiro = him/her/it, referencing objects/people, literally “not me”
Bekiro = client/inferior partner/employer

Verbs

Verbs are used prior to nouns as opposed to after them, e.g. (Kibe ro kiro’i) which would mean “I’m going to kill them”, or literally translated as “Kill them I am going to do”. The Orcyrian dialect has a shockingly small number of verbs, as their usual method of communication between each other consists of gestures and implications, along with pheremonal communications. Even when words are optional, most Orcumyn choose to simply point at things or people to get their meaning across.

Kibe = Kill
Vube = Help
Robeki = Fix
Albeim = Move (pointing or location names are used, rather than words specified to directions such as west or east, or even simple words like ‘there’.)

Suffixes/Conjunctions/Additional words

Additions to pre-existing words are actually the most varied part of the Orcyrian language, far exceeding the few verbs in place. Possessive suffixes are never used with names; instead, “ro” or “kiro” are appropriately used.

-i "ee" = attached at the end of nouns to make plural, e.g. Kiro'i for them/they
-be "bay" = attached at the end of adjectives/adverbs for emphasis
-v as in “liv” = possessive personal, e.g. Kiro’v for my/mine
-ro "row" = possessive e.g. Kiro'ud for his/her/its
-ki "kee" = possessive plural, e.g. Kiro’ki for their/theirs
-u "oo" = singular violent noun, e.g. Kiro'u for violent male/female
-uup "oop" = plural violent noun e.g. Kiro’uup for violent people
Es "ess" = is/are, singular and plural, e.g. "kiro'uup es bekiro"(those/these violent people are clients) or "kiro'i es bekiro'uup" (these people are violent clients. This is usually used when a person is hiring specifically for murder or assault.)
Be "bay" = and; a conjunction.

(Note 3): Suffixes are always used with an apostrophe after the affected noun, e.g. "kiro'u".
(Note 4): possessive terms used before a noun to indicate ownership by the noun, and after a noun to indicate ownership of the noun.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Added more!

 

[Hazmat44]

Zilian is a singular centipede of immeasurable age and indeterminable length. Perpetually asleep, his black carapace is miles thick on the outside and noticeably thinner further down into the coils. The location of his head is unknown, and the total circumference of the ‘planet’ has been approximated at 23,000~ miles. The width of the exterior segments have been measured at approximately five hundred miles, with large spaces between the primary sections. If aimed correctly, it is theoretically possible to fly straight through Zilian’s coils.

He has never woken up in recorded history, and even the oldest shedlings on record have no recollection of his ever not being asleep. Very rarely, he comes out of deeper sleep and just barely achieves consciousness, but still never wakes. During this period, all shedlings within a ten-thousand light-year radius are potentially subject to immediate ‘hijack’ by Zilian, which often renders them comatose for a period of up to but not exceeding thirty days. During the aforementioned ‘hijack’, Zilian employs whatever abilities, knowledge, and memories the shedling has. The shedling retains no memory of the incident.

Shedlings come in an enormous variety of shapes, sizes and abilities. Some are a few feet long; others can measure miles. How exactly they are produced is unclear as of yet, and no Imperium scientist has been willing to descend deep enough into Zilian’s coils to find out. Common sense would indicate that the shedlings are cast-off pieces of Zilian itself, but whether or not the process can be deliberately initiated is unknown. The few consistencies in shedling abilities are human intelligence at minimum, proportionate telekinesis (approximately one fifth of the shedling’s body weight in their younger days, and increasing to a maximum of one and a half times their body weight by the age of five years), species-specific telepathy, and rapid regeneration.* Even lost limbs can be recovered, albeit very slowly. IMPORTANT NOTE: THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF REPRODUCTION. Zilian is the exclusive source of shedlings.

Zilian (the culture, not the centipede) adopted the Imperial method of counting time. Zilian doesn't orbit a sun and has no moon, which means that the sheddings have no traditional way to see what time it is. They use digital clocks if at all, and while they measure age in years, they assign little to no significance to the passing of time as it relates to their own species. They appear to be capable of attaining theoretically indefinite age. They are assuredly not immortal, as gigantic hollowed husks of shedlings have been observed littering the surface of Zilian.

The planet lacks an atmosphere and therefore lacks air; prior to Imperium annexation, the shedlings communicated exclusively with a species-specific form of extremely long-range telepathy. After dismantling and replicating the ship that had crash-landed on the surface of the planet (a Duluvian corvette), the shedling race learned an enormous amount of the common Imperium language and began implementing it in their telepathic communications. Upon Imperium annexation, they promptly expanded and learned more of the language.

The shedlings can be split into four castes; Architects, Engineers, Scouts, and Warriors.

Architects have the highest overall intelligence out of any of the castes and by far the most powerful telekinesis, but tend to be significantly smaller and weaker. They are capable of distinctly projecting their concepts into their brethrens’ minds, and tend to cooperate with other Architects more than the other castes.

Engineers are also extremely intelligent, but are more durable and adaptive; they often have a field in which they excel more than any other. Their abilities are more focused on understanding foreign technology and implementing/adapting it into their own, or even improving their own based upon it.

Scouts are made to be quick-witted, dealing with situations on the fly and understanding crises. They are extremely good with numbers, getting a count on large groups with staggering precision, which allows them to report to their companions with high accuracy. They also have a much longer telepathic range than the other castes.

Warriors are the dumbest caste, but more than make up for it in enormous size and unequaled strength and speed among the seedlings, although they possess no telekinesis at all. Their carapace can measure several feet in thickness, and has been noted to withstand traditionally lethal attacks with little to no ill effects. They are nearly incapable of making tactical decisions, and will always save each other and other shedlings whenever possible, often attempting to sacrifice their own lives in the process. This can result in ‘dogpiling’, an occurrence where a number of Warriors attempt to save each others’ lives and cover each other. While an evidently unintentional tactic, it is a nearly impenetrable defense, as the frontline is continuously replaced by a fresh shedling.

In summary, the shedling race as a whole is an incomparably invasive species, one capable of adapting to extremely hostile environments while remaining largely neutral to native life. Setting unbreakable defenses, building unconquerable bases, stretching their influence far into the stars, shedlings have already proven themselves a formidable threat. Imperium higher-ups highly recommend dealing with the situation, but the primary issue is that any aggressive move would be met a thousandfold. Any military action would have to fully and entirely annihilate Zilian in an instant, or several billions shedlings would immediately retaliate.

*They are also capable of surviving in a zero-atmosphere environment, although they are possibly susceptible to toxins.