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Overview: |
The Home Space empire is not really an empire,
so to speak, but an area of space populated by a spacegoing species known
as Kraken. The Kraken are actually a sentient life form evolved and living
solely in space. A Kraken, when seen, will look like a sort of giant squid,
but with three tentacles covered in branching fins, and with one giant
fin at the rear. Their appearance is how they got their name. One major
difference, however, between Kraken and the squid they were named after
is the Kraken's size. The baby Kraken is between two to ten miles long,
from the blunt snout that the tentacles branch from to the tip of the posterior
fin, with a fully adult Kraken as much as fifty times this. A Kraken actually
has no head, mouth or eyes, just a rounding off of the body in front the
three tentacles. However, this does not seriously hamper a Kraken because
Kraken's survive by absorbing energy from stellar objects, and sense objects
through use of Mystical energy. For this reason, it is difficult to physically
hurt a Kraken because energy weapons simply feed a Kraken, and it is extremely
difficult to damage something physically when it is at least as large as
most major metropolises.
The Kraken empire, such as it is, is called the Home Space simply because this is the area of space where the Kraken evolved, and where the majority of them live today. It is not really classified as an empire because Kraken have no real use for physical possessions or land, and want to do nothing more than to travel space and learn more about the galaxy. Most of the time, the Kraken, when encountering other ships, will simply stop and converse with the ship, and then travel on, content with knowledge gained and shared. (Because of the Kraken's immense size, they have trouble recognizing that ships might contain multiple intelligences and/or minds and will speak telepathically to every person on board at once.) |
Navigation:CoLC Index |
Index:Q-dex / Technology /
Magic
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Q-dex: |
T 660.2423/362.607A M 759.1364/526.91 |
Technology: |
Despite the Home Space's reasonable Handling and Advancement Ratios, the Kraken themselves use no technology, due to their size and lack of manipulation digits. This hampers them little, as they get along fine using Magic. |
Magic: |
For the Kraken, Magic is life. In the Enchanted Life Linear zone in which they live, all living things produce Mana, and Kraken, as extremely large living things, produce a lot of Mana. Most of this Mana is used for simple tasks, however. For example, Kraken move through space by use of Mana, and use the Mana to sense objects and living things. They also use Mana to communicate telepathically, both with other Kraken, or with the other space-going residents of the galaxy. In short, almost everything that Kraken do is accomplished with Mana. |
Size: |
The Home Space stretches over anywhere from ten to twelve star systems. However, the Kraken historically take little note of planets, except as gravitational anomalies, and then only because of their proximity to their stars, which the Kraken consider excellent sources of energy. |
Population: |
An exact count of the population is impossible, what with Kraken constantly moving and such a vast area of space to lose themselves in. However, estimates range from 500 million to several billion. The Kraken themselves do not know an exact number. |
Climate and Geography: |
Again, Kraken take no note of planets, and concern themselves very little with quantum storms, the only significant variation that they notice, because of the storms gentle nature and the leveling effect that Kraken have, being living creatures. Occasionally, Kraken that have crossed over into another Quantum Region have been bothered, usually by a drop in the amount of Mana available. Kraken that cross into areas where not enough Mana is present will generally die, similar to dehydration in humans, with gradual weakness and impairment of function setting in before death. Return to a Mana-rich zone will revive them quickly, usually within four to five hours. |
Flora and Fauna: |
There is no significant flora or fauna, other than the Kraken, in the Home Space. (This excludes anything on planet surfaces, or other gravity-wells, as the Kraken do not consider this part of Home Space.) |
History: |
The Kraken have no recorded history, as they have no way of recording this. Instead Kraken keep a verbal (not really verbal, as they have no mouth) history that is passed on when a new Kraken is born. The Kraken do not really remember how their society came to be, but insist that it has always been this way. The best guess is that as the Kraken evolved, they adopted this loose system of government and have kept it ever since. Most of the historical events remembered by the Kraken are phenomena effecting the space they live in. The most significant happening that is remembered is one of the stars in Home Space going nova and drawing Kraken from all around to feed off of this rich source of energy. |
Government: |
The Kraken have a very informal style of government. The leader of the Kraken is simply called the "One who Knows", and his only duties are being a central figure who stores information and advises Kraken as a whole. If you need to find something out from the Kraken, if he can't tell you it, he can tell you who can. All Kraken have a responsibility to report anything they find to him, though the time between the finding of information and the reporting of it may be as long as two years. When the current "One who Knows" dies, another is selected from the rest of the Kraken. Usually this is the Kraken who has seen and knows the most, though this is not always true.Other than that, the only thing Kraken are bound by, is that they can not make decisions for their entire race. If something must be done that affects the entire race, all the Kraken will meet to discuss what to do. These meetings may take years to gather, but once they do, results can be gotten within days. Usually the only time the Kraken meet is to select a new "One who Knows"Foreign Policy:Kraken, as a rule, are very friendly and talkative with everyone they meet. They will greet and share information with everyone. Trade is mostly in information, though occasionally Kraken have traded for items useful to them, and once, an entire planet was given to another empire. This, however, was only decided after a meeting of all the Kraken was called, and what the Kraken received for this is unknown, though speculated at. (The Kraken are unusually un-talkative about this.)Domestic Policy:The Kraken extremely free of any sort of government. Almost all decisions are made by the Kraken it effects, and the rest of the Kraken care only that they know what has happened. Taxes are nonexistent, because there is nothing that needs paying for. Basically, the individual Kraken make their own decisions. |
Society: |
Society within the Kraken is generally very stable. Most Kraken will travel in a group, or clan of anywhere from five to ten individuals of similar age that stay reasonably close together for life. These Kraken will associate with other clans, and occasionally exchange members, but rarely will two separate clans be found traveling together, except at meetings. Kraken have no other real organization.Languages:The Kraken actually have no language, as they communicate telepathically. Kraken, when they 'speak', sound as if they are speaking the listener's native tongue in a monotone. Evidently Kraken are not bothered by languages when being spoken to, either, and simply read the speakers mind to understand what they are saying. They can also handle at least five separate people 'talking' to them at once, but tend to only one at a time. This can be confusing, because most travelers they encounter are on ships with several others, and the Kraken will select who they talk to seemingly at random, not discriminating between captains or passengers. For this reason, most conversation is conducted between a Kraken and a smaller, one-man vessel released from the spacecraft. Religion:There is no organized religion practiced by the Kraken. The Kraken have little concept of a god, or supreme being, and have trouble understanding what this means. Most of the time, Kraken interpret this to mean a leader that the people follow. Castes:There are no castes existing between the Kraken. All Kraken believe themselves to be equal, including the "One who Knows" as simply a Kraken whom all the others report to. |
Economy: |
Without any sort of money, the Kraken as a whole live in a sort of barter economy, mostly made up of the flow of information. |
Military: |
The Kraken have no organized military, though if attacked, can use a form of telekinesis as a weapon. Ships can be easily shredded by the forces necessary to move a Kraken through space, or simply hurled far, far away. |
Sports and Leisure: |
Most of the leisure activity of the Kraken consists of either sharing and speculating about information, or racing. Kraken move extremely fast for biological life-forms, most of the time moving at about 0.01% of the speed of light if there are no obstacles, such as ships or asteroids, nearby. (In Home Space, the speed of light is 186282 miles per second) However, Kraken are able to move as fast as 1% of light-speed for brief periods of time. If a Kraken is seen, it is often involved in a long, drawn-out marathon between several other Kraken. These races generally cover several solar systems, and many last up to a year. A Kraken will feel no problem with stopping to talk to anyone it meets, or for an interesting sight. |
Major Population Centers: |
The one major population center in Home Space is the Home Sun, where meetings are held, and the "One who Knows" can generally be found. This system is found near the center of Home space, and is the place where Kraken are thought to have evolved. At any one time, you can usually find two or three clans at the Home Sun. |
Chronic Problems: |
The Kraken have few problems facing them, mostly because not much bothers them. |
Submission Information: |
Submitter's Name: Ben T-Moore
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