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Overview: |
The Hegemony is a small, one-system empire located within Sector G. Its inhabitants have striven and continue to strive to establish a utopian society. They have largely succeeded and the Hegemony space is both safe and stable. The homeplanet of Daera is clean, quiet, and prosperous, a perfect resort world. The Eternal Library on Daera offers generous rewards to bringers of verified information, especially technical data. Visitors are welcome though they are advised that no exceptions are made in the harsh Daeran legal code and the penalty for serious crimes is often death. |
Navigation:CoLC Index |
Index:Q-dex / Technology / Magic
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Q-dex: |
T 887.4256/710.495A M 567.3535/235.11 |
Technology: |
The Hegemony is located within a Quantum Zone where Matter and Energy were produced simultaneously. As such, both can be converted from one to the other given sufficient technology. Space is permeated by an enormous mixture of different invisible energy flows, much like currents in an ocean. The different flows interact differently with each other, some repulsing others attracting. When two flows join and sufficient energy accumulates at a single point, matter forms. Similarly, matter when stimulated by sufficiently powerful energy flows of the right type changes back into energy (usually giving off the energy in a massive explosion). Otherwise, Matter behaves much like the so-called “atomic” zones, existing in discrete units which build up everything else. Each of the different energy types has its own characteristics which may be mixed and focused using Chakmar crystals. These unique crystals come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They were formed during the creation of the Quantum Zone and are the only type of Matter that cannot be converted to Energy. When the energies, which normally act as intangible invisible fluids, are trapped or focussed through a Chakmar crystal they become visible to instruments if not necessarily to the naked eye. The more focussed and powerful the energy is the more easily it can be seen.
Chakmar’s importance to both Daeran technology and Daeran psionics cannot be stated enough. The Hegemony is highly advanced technologically and continues to promote research into new fields. Daerans rely mostly on technology with psionics as an augmentor and backup. The chief source of power for the Daerans are matter conversion reactors. These convert matter to their component energy forms. The light gases from gas giants have proven to be the most useful fuel as their energies are easily channeled, and of minimal destructive power in the event of an accident. Though advanced technology is available, the Hegemony is still relatively lightly industrialized. Most of the heavy industries are located on the moon of Farastei and the orbiting station Tylos. Only light industries are permitted on Daera, save for select military industries and those are under the tightest pollution controls. |
Magic: |
The Daerans have come to classify Mana as another form of energy flow, one that cannot be detected or manipulated by inanimate objects. It takes a sentient mind to sense and control these currents. When enough Mana accumulates, Essence forms. Essence by itself is very volatile and quickly disperses again into Mana without a sentient mind to hold it together. Solids if correctly formed and of the right proportions and shapes can preserve Essence for a limited period of time. No natural solid save the Chakmar crystals can hold more than an infinitesimally small amount of Essence. Crafted items capable of storing a measurable amount of Essence usable for psionic manipulation have only been available for the past hundred years and to this day remain the province of the government. These objects themselves include tiny fragments of Chakmar to augment their capabilities.
Most Daeran institutes of higher education offer courses to develop the Daeran’s innate psionic potential. The College of the Mind, which has institutes on both Farastei and Daera, though is undoubtedly the greatest such institution. Devoted solely to psionics, its graduates are the only ones that are permitted to serve in the military and government, and they are in high demand as well in the private sector. The College is also the pioneer in psionics research and has been responsible for the latest advances in the field. |
Size: |
The Daeran Hegemony consists currently of three planets, all located within the system of Daera. The homeworld of Daera from which the system takes its name is a pristine world. Its surface is 40% covered by water and the rest of the land mass consists mostly of grasslands, light forests, and low mountains. The polar ice caps are small. Industries located on the planet are under the tightest pollution controls and are located away from major population centers or natural attractions. The climate is warm in most inhabited locations and temperate in the rest. The large orbiting station of Tylos lies in geosynchronous orbit almost directly over the capital of Selesteron.
The second world in the Hegemony is Daera’s moon of Farastei. A desert moon, Farastei is the main industrial center for the Hegemony. Large factory complexes linked to each other with monorails dot the Great Dust Plain. Most of the population live in domed cities located near the factories. Currently, plans for terraforming Farastei are being discussed in the Council of Lords. Vorst is a frozen moon of the gas giant Rhe which lies in the next orbit out from Daera. The small population lives in underground sealed cities due to the extremely cold surface temperatures and the thin atmosphere. It is currently an outpost for and jumping off point for further exploration and expansion of the Hegemony. Its secondary function is the harvesting of fuels from Rhe for matter conversion reactors. Contact with the first Omnet ship was established at Vorst. |
Population: |
The population of the Hegemony is small and is carefully regulated after the Rebirth (see history). The latest census places the population at 5 billion. |
Climate and Geography: |
See Size above. |
Flora and Fauna: |
Daera teems with plant and animal life. The seas are filled with schools of fish and the great coral reefs near Selesteron are one of the most popular tourist attractions. During the time of the Rebuilding after the Rebirth, all large Daeran threatening predators were almost completely exterminated and now exist only in zoos. Genetic modification of plant life has rendered all of them harmless and safe to eat. Those predators necessary for controlling the herbivore population are carefully monitored and all have been similarly modified so that their toxins are harmless to humans. A dedicated Wildlife Department is in charge of maintaining this delicate balance and guaranteeing the safety of all Daerans and offworld visitors. Visitors are prohibited from bringing any offworld animals or plants to Daera unless special permission is provided by the Wildlife Department.
Farastei has very few animals and most of those that do exist are herbivores. The large herds of Grotigors form a valuable food source for the population. Grotigors are large docile creatures two trimars (roughly two meters) in length and one trimar high. They are perfectly adapted to their desert environment, having large amounts of water stored in their tissues. Most of the flora of Farastei is inedible for humans. The O’sti and Vre plants both contain toxins in their thick brown-green leaves that while not fatal can incapacitate a human for weeks. The only edible native plant is the large Simfas, whose pulpy leaves contain large supplies of water and nutrients assuming one can get past its spines. There is no native life on Vorst and all the flora and fauna found there is of Daeran origin. |
History: |
Daeran history stretches back more than six thousand years. A great civilization arose in the depths of time. Great advances were made in all sciences but the wisdom of the people did not keep pace. Mighty nations grew and as they grew their competition for Daera’s resources grew more intense. Wars began breaking out with increasing regularity and grew fiercer as more and more terrible weapons were brought to bear. This was the Age of the Unenlightened.
There was one among them though who saw what terrible fruit their actions would bear if they continued on their course. He spoke out against every nation and condemned them all for their greed and immorality but none heeded his words. Having failed to sway the leaders of the world, he went among the people and began talking of a new society, a better society. Again few heeded his words but a few, a very few listened. This man, his family, and his followers went into the wilderness and built for themselves a community founded on the principles of his Shining Path. Their community grew with time into a small town then a city, extending deep into the earth. Their leader saw that a time of incomparable horror was coming and nothing could be done to avert it. When a global war broke out between all the nations, the community sealed itself off from the rest of the world and withdrew underground where they continued to prosper. The war above ground was unparalleled in its barbarity and ferocity. It lasted two centuries as the mighty nations pummeled each other into oblivion. One by one each nation collapsed under the strain of the war. Civilians were slaughtered by the thousands and whole cities were leveled in a single day. Only by a hair’s breadth did the leaders of the warring nations agree not to use nuclear weapons. That sanity did not hower extend to biological weapons and thousands, nay millions died under nerve gases and mutated animals and fiends bred for war and terror tactics. The Daeran race appeared headed towards extinction. After two centuries the nations had mutually destroyed each other and all of civilization had totally collapsed. The few survivors huddled in small villages, wary of the genetically tailored horrors that still stalked the world after their masters had died. Their lives were of indescribable misery as they struggled to survive in the aftermath of the Apocalypse. At this time, the underground community emerged and began reclaiming the world. The leader of this reclamation effort was a direct descendant of the original leader, who was now called The First by his followers. This was the time of the Rebirth. Slowly over four hundred years, the remaining war creatures were hunted down and the villages united. The desperate survivors eargerly embraced the Shining Path. The arduous task of rebuilding the cities and reclaiming knowledge lost during the war took another five centuries. The followers of the Shining Path knew well the merits and virtues of patience and slowly but surely nearly all that was lost was recovered. Nine hundred years later Daera stood united for the first time in its history under the leadership of the followers of the Shining Path. It is now five hundred years after the end of the Rebirth (500 AR). The scars of the Apocalypse have healed and Daerans have reached out and claimed their moon. It is the time of the fulfillment of their destiny as foretold by The First. |
Government: |
The ruler of the Hegemony is the First Lord, who is a descendant of the First. The family of the First is great so no problems of succession have so far occurred. The First Lord is chosen by a popular vote and a High Council vote, with each round of voting being given equal weight. A candidate is eligible to be First Lord only upon having proven himself or herself in the role of a High Lord.
The First Lord rules by decree for maximum efficiency though the public is well aware they obey because they wish to. Abuse of power is guarded by the Ethereal Legion, whose members swear loyalty only to the Hegemony itself, instead of any one individual. The Legionnaires are indoctrinated from birth and their loyalty to the Hegemony is beyond doubt. To this date, only two First Lords have needed to be removed from power, due to insanity. In both cases the Ethereal Legion accomplished the feat swiftly. Their motto: Order must prevail. The rest of Daeran government is divided into the Inner and Outer Council, together known as the Council of Lords. Both are filled by Lords, descendants of the original families that followed the First. Before allowed to hold the title of Lord, each individual must have prove their mettle in a lower governmental post. Promotion to Lord upon the vacation of a seat is based on sponsorship and a public vote. The Inner Council is made up of the High Lords. There are three principal High Lords: the High Lord of State, the High Lord of the Daeran Armed Forces, and the High Lord of Science. These individuals are responsible for their respective spheres of influence and report to the First Lord. Essentially they are the First Lord’s cabinet and advisors. They are appointed to the Inner Council by the First Lord subject to Outer Council approval. The Outer Council is made up of all the remaining Lords. They are responsible for running the day to day affairs of Daeran government. Foreign Policy:The Daeran Hegemony is cooperative with the Omnet though it still holds reservations. The official Hegemony position towards other Empires is neutral. The lessons of Daeran history have inclined the Council of Lords to keep interstellar engagements to a minimum wherever possible. The Omnet’s one permitted citadel within the Hegemony is located on Vorst. Immigration is possible though incredibly difficult. To become a citizen one must convert to the Shining Path and prove oneself to the Hegemony by becoming a productive member of society of Farastei for ten years. Until then, the would-be citizen has curtailed access to certain areas and no voting rights. Tourism is encouraged though Daerans show little interest in adopting anything from outside cultures. The Daerans are friendly enough but are worried about their culture surviving contact with the greater galaxy intact. Various sites on Farastei and Daera are open to tourists but no outsiders are permitted outside these sanctioned areas without express permission from the Council of Lords. Most trade is conducted within the great spaceports of Farastei or the orbital station of Tylos. No interstellar trade goods are permitted on Daera. All such transactions must be conducted on Tylos. The Hegemony does promote research exchanges with nearby Empires. The Eternal Library on Daera has been known to give generous rewards to people providing valuable and verified information. Domestic Policy:Taxes are very high though in return the Daeran government provides certain services and guarantees. All citizens are guanranteed a minimum standard of living. The quality of such a life is not very high but it is never low, equal to about low middle class for most other societies. All medical facilities are government run, providing free services to citizens. Public transportation is likewise free. The government also sponsors various cultural and recreational events for the populace. Education remains one of the government’s largest expenditures and one of its proudest achievements. The average Daeran is well educated in all the liberal arts and is capable of conversing intelligently on a wide variety of subjects. Thus, though Daerans may not make very much money, they enjoy a high standard of living. Few laws restrict the freedom of the average Daeran. No restrictions on possession of any goods apply except for offworld lifeforms and firearms, no Daeran outside of the military, the Families, or the Ethereal Legion may carry a firearm without special permission from the Outer Council. Narcotics and other such substances are technically allowed, but they are so anathematic to followers of the Shining Path (i.e. nearly everyone) that they are for all purposes nonexistent on the Daeran market or black market, which itself is nonexistent. |
Society: |
Daeran society is strongly family oriented. Solidarity and unity are stressed and society as a whole presents a united front. Otherwise, each individual is free to pursue their own interests. The actual Families are responsible for running the government though they are so large that members can be found in nearly all facets of society. No special privileges are given to Family members though they are generally given more respect, but also they are held to a higher standard. More is expected of them and they are under pressure to excel.
Since the ascension of a new First Lord is chosen through the High Council and the public vote, political intrigues are very rare. The populace is well informed so they almost always make a wise decision. What political maneuvering there is consists of mostly of jockeying for candidate position by trying to have the greatest list of accomplishments to one’s name. Behind everything else though is the Ethereal Legion who would be utterly ruthless in purging any conspiracies or other irregularities in the political system. Daeran citizens are open and trusting, at least towards each other. With peaceful order maintained everywhere and crime practically nonexistent, there is little need for mistrust and secrecy. However towards the rest of the galaxy, Daerans present a united front of wariness. Outsiders are considered potentially disruptive unless converted to the Shining Path, and Daerans are in general on their guard until they have proven themselves trustworthy. Languages:The official language of the Hegemony is Union, which is a conglomeration and blending of all the languages that existed prior to the Apocalypse. A few dialects of the original languages still exist in culturally unique areas but all Daerans speak Union. Religion:The Daerans have no religion as such. Nearly all the adherents of other religions perished in the Apocalypse and those few that survived quickly made the conversion to the Shining Path. Today no details of any other religion exist in any of the histories so complete was the devastation wrought by the Apocalypse. The Way of the Shining Path is more a philosophy than a religion. There are no deities and no afterlife promised. After death, it teaches that each sentient returns to the universe and from that new life arises in an endless cycle. The oneness and kinship of all life is stressed. Yet it also celebrates the power of the individual as it encourages each and every sentient to strive towards perfection. The seeking of knowledge is one of its prime tenets. Followers hone both body and mind through exercise and study. Daerans are taught to learn as much as possible from every experience. All Daerans are encouraged to develop their psionic potential as this is seen as a crucial step towards perfection. The First is called such because he is considered by Daerans today to be the first true Daeran, the first to open up the Shining Path and the first to walk it. According to the Ways, he was the first to break the bounds of the old society and in doing so he preserved the Daeran race. By the time he died, he was a psionic of the most consummate power and the depths of his knowledge and memories were unmatched by any other living being. His original name is known now only by the First Lords who are directly descended from him. All Daerans follow the Shining Path though they hardly ever call it such anymore. It is now simply the Daeran way of life. Daerans see themselves as an enlightened race and tend to act condescendingly to others who do not pursue the Shining Path. They take a dim view of blatantly religious behavior and see followers of other religions as well meaning yet misguided wanderers in the dark who should be gently led to see the error of their ways. Castes:No information currently available. |
Economy: |
The standard unit of Daeran currency is the krys, originally based on Chakmar crystals of a standard purity and type. Today, all money is electronic. Citizens carry all their personal information and accounts on a pair of coded cards, one of which is “frozen” until the primary is lost or destroyed. All Daerans are part of the workforce if they so wish, with no bias against any sex. Children may enter light service industries of their own free will though they are very strongly encouraged to continue their education. Money is regarded as a necessary evil and pure monetary or material acquisition is strongly frowned upon. |
Military: |
First and foremost among the Daeran Armed Forces is the Ethereal Legion. It functions as both a praetorian unit for the First Lord and the main security force of the Hegemony. The Legion is equipped with small sea, air, and space units to enable it to operate in all conditions. In emergencies regular Daeran military units can be attached to the Legion to assist, most likely for any counterinsurgency or suppression operations.
The rest of the military is organized into Planetary Command and Fleet Command. Planetary command has under its authority the land, sea, and airborne forces of the Hegemony. Fleet Command is responsible for deep space operations including the fleet, and space/air interceptor fighters. Most Daerans spend some time of their life in the military commands if not in actual front line combat units. The Daeran fleet is currently small. Daeran ship design philosophy emphasizes survivability, redundant systems, and use of the highest technology and psionics available. As such, ship construction is slow and expensive. Current regular weapons of the Hegemony include fleet prismatic cannons, psionics, and matter-energy conversion torpedoes. Prismatic cannons utilize a Chakmar crystal to trap and focus a multitude of energies. The crystal glows with swirling patterns of light as the correct proportion of energies is gathered. When unleashed, the prism flares white and a blinding multi-colored beam, visible to the naked eye, is released. The interaction of the energies in the beam tears matter apart in massive explosions. Psionic weaponry utilizes the ships psionics working in conjunction through finely tuned neural enhancement helmets. The actual effect varies depending on the situation but most commonly a telekinetic blow is delivered against the enemy’s hull, cracking it open, or more rarely, converting part of the enemy ship’s structure to volatile gas which then blasts away into space. Matter-energy conversion torpedoes are the most powerful Hegemony space borne weapons to date. The torpedo converts the matter of the impact area into its constituent energy forms, which then go on to ravage the rest of the ship before dissipating. Torpedoes have yet to be fitted to any current Hegemony ship as continued research is underway into improving its slow firing rate and miniaturizing the entire system. Defensive measures consist of two types of shielding. A standard energy shield, consisting of various inert energies, is maintained just above the surface of the hull to dissipate energy and projectile weapons. A psionic shield is projected slightly further beyond the energy shield to create a null zone around the ship, causing hostile psionic manipulations to fail at the edge of the zone or slide around it harmlessly. |
Sports and Leisure: |
The government sponsors a wide variety of musical performances, dances, and festivals throughout the year. The most famous is the Festival of Tears, commerating the Apocalypse, which is held by the First Lord himself at the Palace of Crystals. All the Families are invited to the First Lord’s personal party while the rest of the populace celebrates within the confines of the city. The Festival is the largest social event in the Hegemony yet it remains a meaningful and refined celebration each year. Every Daeran understands the gravity of the Festival and its importance.
Daeran musical tastes run towards natural wind instruments. To Daerans, only wind instruments can convey the depth and subtlety of the emotions. Numerous concerts are held in the various auditoriums of both Farastei and Daera. The inhabitants of Vorst unfortunately have to make do with broadcasts. Modern Daeran art consists of crystal sculpting and realistic holograms. The crystals used are sculpted through psionics as well as more conventional tools. The more skilled artists imbue their crystals with programs, such as producing specific light patterns or chimes under certain conditions. Hologram creations have almost completely taken the place of two dimensional painting, and are the mainstream medium. Most Daerans have a few original holograms within their homes and many have homemade ones. The cultural education of the young is seen as an important responsibility of both the government and parents so a large number of museums are available to the public and large sculptures or holograms are commonly seen at large street intersections and plazas. |
Major Population Centers: |
The capital city of Selesteron is held up as a model of the ideal Daeran city. The city sprawls over many square stimar (roughly one square km each) along a peninsula and the population density is kept low. Large and well-planned tree-lined boulevards and plazas keep traffic congestion to a minimum and grav cars are kept to restricted flight paths. Numerous public parks, auditoriums, museums are available for the public’s enjoyment. The skyline is low due to strict building regulations and all buildings are designed to complement its neighbors. The sparkling waters of the harbor are perfectly clean and many tourists as well as local Daerans can be found swimming there. A fleet of pleasure craft can be found moored at the piers every day.
The most spectacular feature of the city is undoubtedly the Palace of Crystals. Shaped from entirely from crystal, the Palace is situated on an island out from the rest of the city and connected to it by a bridge. The Palace towers above the rest of the city and is an awe-inspiring sight when the sunlight catches the different facets of the crystals. Within the Council of Lords and the First Lord reside. Limited tours are available but tourists are advised to place a reservation a year in advance. The Palace of Crystals is the governmental, cultural, and spiritual heart of the Hegemony. It symbolizes both the First Lord’s power, his ancestor the First, and the Daeran people as a unified whole. Within a few hours of grav car travel is the original site of the Rebirth where the survivors emerged from their long exile underground. The site itself is located by a series of enormous waterfalls, the Walls of Mist. This site is preserved and is visited by numerous Daerans daily as it is regarded as the birthplace of the modern Daeran race. Tourists are only permitted to view the Walls of Mist through binoculars and are forbidden from approaching the site. On Farastei, the largest and most notable city is Marada. Except for a few mining facilities and the spaceport, the entire city is built underground, or along the sides of the huge Orus Canyon. The canyon walls are covered with precariously perching buildings. In reality though, every structure is meticulously designed to maximize stability and space. Marada was and still is a mining city and its mines extend far below the city proper. Marada is lit almost entirely artificially as the edges of the canyon receive little light from the sun, especially at the lower levels. Most manufactured goods in the Hegemony pass through Marada. Yet, Marada tries to emulate Selesteron as best it can with large underground parks lit by artificial suns. The tunnel passageways are wide and well ventilated to simulate the broad streets of Selesteron. Though Marada’s, and Farastei’s, principle source of income is through mining and manufacturing the population is skilled and well-educated. There is only one major city on Vorst, with the Omnet citadel at its outskirts. Veris is a domed city that extends partially underground as well. Overhead is the enormous bulk of the gas giant Rhe from which fuel is harvested for the rest of the Hegemony. The citizens of Veris try constantly to improve their city, to make the conditions more bearable. Currently the population density is high as resources have not yet been available to expand the dome. The population is isolated in general, having to depend on broadcasts from Farastei or Daera for important news and entertainment. As partial compensation though, the citizens of Veris are among the most highly paid Daerans in the Hegemony and are regular importers of manufactured goods from Farastei and luxury items from Daera. The average age of the inhabitants is quite young. Veris is often seen as a proving ground before moving back to Daera or Farastei and younger Daerans tend to see Veris as a stepping stone on to greater things. As such, though conditions on Veris may be less comfortable than elsewhere in the Hegemony, morale remains high. |
Chronic Problems: |
The Hegemony has no significant internal problems though the Council of Lords and the population at large is concerned about the effect of contact with the Greater Galaxy. There have been more calls for rapid expansion, industrialization, and military construction in the Council of Lords though more moderate voices promote a slower pace so that the Daeran society can integrate the new changes. The size of the Hegemony military has been a cause of concern and the First Lord is currently sending envoys to nearby Empires to ascertain their intentions. |
Submission Information: |
Submitter's Name: Justin Ho
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