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(aka The Advocacy, or the Kalar Advocacy)
Overview: |
The Kalar Advocacy is the proud remnant of an ancient and powerful Alien civilisation which collapsed in the distant past. The Kalar race is inhuman in appearance though they are bipedal with two manipulator appendages. Their bodies are slightly pear-shaped with thick green wrinkly skin. Their arms are long and spindly with three long quadrajointed fingers in a two-one pincer arrangement. Accurate data is sketchy a best since Kalar are rarely seen by outsiders in their natural form, rather they use their technology to alter their form to adapt to outside environments (a process they call xenoforming).
Xenoforms and pure forms alike are linked in network of mental energy which the Kalar call the mind web. While this is several steps down from a hive mind or even a direct telepathic link, it provides many functions to the Kalar, including a Race memory. This Race memory allows Kalar children (which hatch from eggs) to mature with incredible rapidity, progressing from hatching to mature adult within one year. The mind web also produces a tremendous sense of racial loyalty and cohesion -- friction between different racial subgroups (including pureform and xenoform) is so low as to be non-existent. The Kalar are ruled by a God Entity which the Kalar believe to be the Avatar of their race (possibly a side effect of the mind web). The Government is simply the implement of the Avatar's will (hence the title of the supreme Kalar leader, The Implementor). |
Navigation:CoLC Index |
Index:Q-dex / Technology / Magic
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Q-dex: |
T 767.1536/122.594O M536.3444.151.71The Kalar zone springs from an energy layer known as Underspace which is similar to the hyperspace of other Q-zones. Both energy and essence emit from this layer, the energy leaks into the physical plane comes as lattice like eddies and energy packets called fundamental particle both dissolve back to Underspace on their own but if they interact they form matter of various types, there are maybe a few hundred stable lattices but these can form hundred of greeter lattices by interacting. These lattices emit fields of energy and manna which are stable enough not to sink in to underspace, the interaction of these fields and their effects is the basis of the physics of the zone. these are referred to as Psychoenergnic Energy Fields (P.E.F) by the Kalar who base a lot of their technology on their manipulation, interestingly enough there is a third layer in Kalar Q zone which they call Overspace which is were Life force of creatures living creatures has a presence, sort of like a shadow from the physical plane, it seems life needs a bridge between Underspace and Overspace to exist, which is the physical form of living creatures, While life can arise directly from manna, it still needs a bridge to underspace and will create a non corporeal, but visible energy form. Even disembodied minds from other zone will have such a shadow, it is believed the Kalar mindweb exists in Overspace, and their God Entity while often appearing in energy form can withdraw entirely to Overspace maintaining an underspace connection via its own links to the mindweb and the Kalar minds it connects to. |
Technology: |
Kalar technology appears a melding of crystal and organic/plant, it is dependent on a form of energy crystal found in the Kalar Q- Zone this crystal absorbs various frequencies of psychoenergenic Energy emission emitted by matter and even some energy direct from underspace. in the Kalar zone storing them and using the energy to grow, early Kalar used it purely as a source of heat energy in a similar way to the way earth humans used coal . as a source of heat and light but also to use it to produce pulse of energy as a weapon (the Kalar are probably unique as having developed crude energy weapons, before discovering the wheel or the local equivalent). The to great break through in Kalar technology were first the discovery of methods to accelerate crystal growth, using certain organic material that emitted catalytic P.E.F fields which allowed the creation of sustainable recourses crystal farms, a second and more fundamental break through was the discover crystals could be used produce an almost infinite variety of .P.E.F fields including altering the P.E.F fields of other objects essential matter alteration! This was extremely hard and the Kalar used it to create secondary tools out of organic materiel which is the easiest to alter via P.E.F modern Kalar technology uses crystals/organic but also lots of crystal organic systems. An example of this is the Kalar slower than light drive which utilizes a large crystal core to induce vector field P.E.F changes and simultaneously accelerate all mass on the ship, it is extremely fast and manoeuvrable but extremely expensive in terms of energy crystal (The Advocacy had to engage in whole sale strip mining to obtain enough high grade crystal to build it current crop of drive cores). The Kalar Q-dexs restriction on synthetic minds means that the Kalar developed a different system for computers based on their cysto-organic technology. These computers utilize the brain of their user, via a synaptic link to achieve there function, the computer accelerates thought speed, and provides raw processing power, data , etc. while the user provides the power of the sentient mind. These are incredibly efficient, Kalar Starships and large industrial complexes are run by computers that are used simultaneously by all the crew/personnel which form a quasi-gestalt brain to run the facility, often these larger machines have animal level intelligence. While rumours from the old Kalar empire indicate that this form of computer can evolve to a stable sentient AI. The current crop of Kalar vessels have not been active long enough for this sort of thing to happen. |
Magic: |
Early in history Kalar magic users were those who managed to utilize power crystals (primarily to produce heat, light and the occasional smiting) The closest thing to magic in modern Kalar society is the mind web which could be classified as psionic and the God entity as the urgic. |
Size: |
The Kalar home planet is a medium sized moon orbiting a gas giant. |
Population: |
The Kalar population was incredibly low in the years following the great reawakening but has slowly recovered thanks to their rapid growth rate a full census is not available at this time. |
Climate and Geography: |
The Kalar Home world (if it has a true name the Kalar are not saying) has an environment inimicable to Humans, while temperature fall with in the acceptable tolerances for humans and oxygen is present so to are what atomic zone humans would refer to as dioxins, halogens and monoxides in levels extremely toxic to humanity and other chemical which would turn an atomic zone human world into a polluted hell hole, are a natural and necessary part of the environment. |
Flora and Fauna: |
The cHadark bird is a one of the most interesting animals on the plane it is actually a bulbous discoid with several trailing tendrils, it flies by knocking chips of surface crystal deposits eating them and then by exotic alchemy of its digestive track producing a motive force similar to that use in Kalar space drives. The Advocacy's recent recourse acquisition has severely curtailed its natural habitat but efforts have been taken to ensure the species has sufficient territory in which to thrive. The Kalar's staple food crop is a fast growing organism whose Kalar name translates as food pods it is a vine whose colour ranges from Red to green, along its lengths are large numbers of seed pods, these pods contain the plant's seeds suspended in a thick viscose gel like clear fluid. This fluid is extremely nutritious to Kalar, each colour and shade of vine produces different flavour gel, the flavour of the gel also varies with temperature much of Kalar cooking revolves round the mixing of different quantity and temperatures of gel. Though many Kalar also enjoy eating it fresh from the pod. With regards to outsiders one or two Kalar gel types are edible if cooked probably most are varying degrees of poisons. The plant known of Kalarian Tea, consists of a small bulbous lump top with clusters of green and red stalks when places in hot water the stalks create thick rich drink which is a popular relaxant among the Kalar, surprisingly enough the tea is not toxic to humans and in fact is an equally relaxing , Kalarian tea is shaping up to be one of the Kalar's major export cash crops. |
History: |
The Kalar Advocacy is the proud remnant of an ancient and powerful Alien civilization which collapsed in the distant past. The events surrounding the fall are a mystery of the Kalar do not speak what is known is that only the home system is believed to have survived intact, it is conjectured that the Elder Kalar actually moved their entire home star system in order to survive and not even they know its original location. They have endured at least one massive period of racial suspended animation which makes accurate chronology difficult. Especially since the trauma involved has created large amnesiac blanks in the Kalar race memory. The Kalar were rebuilding their civilization in their home system when they were discovered by free traders while the Kalar were aware of the zone nature of reality and event had the theoretical capability for FTL travel they had not expected to expand out of their home system for years, the arrival of the Traders and their subsequent rapid departure (they did not want to initiate contact with a potentially hostile alien race). It was decided by the Advocates to initiate a crash space fleet program soon the kalars small group of insystem miners and explorers were replace with a fleet of large and powerful interstellar ships based on designs from the fist empire (which had survived thanks primarily to the mind web race memory. The massive resources extraction that took place to support this sudden growth may have unforeseen consequences the Kalar (see chronic problems). |
Government: |
Technically the God entity is the supreme ruler of the Kalar and all will obey it dictates with out question, in reality it makes very few direct commands, usually setting general goals or making the occasional pronouncement, The Day to day governing is done by the implementors andthe council of advocates, it is the implementor job to translate the will of the God into policy, and set policy for those areas were the God designs to comment. The Advocates job is to both relay the will of the group they represent to the council but more importantly relay the will of the council to the people, the advocates are or most a priesthood and they are treated with great deference by the people. Large towns, cites, governments departments major factories all have their own Advocate on the council, there are also Adepts, the rank of adept give an individual the right to sit in on the council and address directly certain other advocates but they can not address the council as a whole nor have a voice directly in a decisions adepts tend to be senior figures in government departments fleet commanders and the like although the rank can theoretically be conveyed on anybody. The Adepts do nearly have as much religious respect as the advocates. Both are classed by circle which is how close they sit to the God entity's podium (which it rarely uses) The first circle (practically on the podium) is were the implementor and a few select advisors sit or stand.
Foreign Policy:The Kalar are extremely curious about the galaxy, they considered joining OMNET simply to get access to information, a wide variety of IGNM broadcasts are intercepted and analyzed before being passed along to the population the Kalar do not seem to censor or alter these broadcasts they simply study them. Kalar vessels seem to turn up any were such as Thras Divas during the incident. Kalar Tourists (usually xenoformed to human for inconspicuousness) have turned up on many words that permit such things (and possibly some that don't) the purpose is a mystery they don't do any thing illegal (at least none have been caught) and their objectives are unclear, weather or not they have a secret a gender is unknown to any one. The Kalar have pursued a policy of peace and accord with as many of its interstellar neighbors as possible (which seen curiously exempt form Kalar tourists) they have constructed (with assistance of others) a large Trade and Diplomatic centre at the edge of their Q-Zone and have invited other races to send delegations. One of their most strictest polices is that forbidding alien vessels to approach their home world. Vessels that try are given one warning and are then attacked, and usually boarded or destroyed if they persist. There have been some allegations that groups within the Advocacy have been discreetly funding alien rights organization not all of them peaceful but there is no proof. Domestic Policy:Most Kalar live peaceful lives and there is little need for harsh measures. There is a high tax, high spend policy with a strong welfare state and military force. There have been few voices raised against this, as the community orientated Kalar approve. There is a State Run Police Force to order society, with mainly crimes of passion, the Kalar are an emotional detached and cool headed species, but can occasionally be driven to emotional extremes if pushed to far. There is a small criminal element whose members are usually made up of those suffering from diagnosable mental disorders, Kalar justice system is geared heavily towards rehabilitation ( which is feasible given the lack of hard-core criminals) There is freedom of speech and other rights but they are rarely used since the government is believed to represent the will of The God Entity, occasional popular opinion will turn against a particularly incompetent or ineffective Adept (or rarely advocate) and he or she will be removed from office. Individuals are attacked in this way but very rarely the institutions they represent. |
Society: |
The concepts of love and marriage are one of the few things that seem to be paralleled in certain human and Kalar societies, Kalar Bond Pairs (as they call married couples) are extremely strong and stable relationships. Marital infidelity and the like is a concept foreign to the Kalar mind and is extremely rare (but has been known to happen). Any eggs from the relationship are brought to maturity in communal Broodchambers, the Kalar firmly believe this is for the best, though parents occasionally look up their children four or five years after hatching, (when they are mature adults). The Advocacy is the closest thing to a political/religious group in Kalar society, and are treated with great deference, there is very little factionalism in Kalar society as they are very community orientated beings, what groups do form are based around three, such alliances are known as Triad's and are a common and expected form of relationship, most government departments for instance are run by a triad of an advocate and two adepts, most Kalar have two really good close friends. Children are hatched and raised communally, which in its self helps promote the racial unity of which the Kalar are so proud . The Race memory of the Kalar ensures that they all get an equal start in life and a combination of aptitude and desire determine what they end up doing as a career . It is possible for a Kalar to function as a near adult much sooner than the one GST uselessly allotted most of the time is spent learning stuff that has not seeped fully into the racememory and encourage individualization because they all start off with the same memories all children seem almost identical (especially to a non Kalar who has difficulty noticing what to the Kalar are obvious physical differences) Even after this process the younger Kalar will seem to outsiders as almost drone like and identical though to other Kalar personnel difference will seem much more obvious. This is not helped by the fact that large groups of Kalar who work together or small groups who work together for a long time tend to homogenize character traits, though it is unsure weather this is a cultural, biological or mindweb phenomena, only those Kalar who do singular jobs, or experience wildly different environments will seen largely different to outsiders though I must stress that the Kalar can tell themselves apart with ease. Languages:There is one language in common use in the Advocacy the prosaically named Kalar, the race memory has made it resistant to lingual shifts during the passage of time, though it does evolve slowly. There is at least some xenophobia buried in the Kalar psyche possibly due to the events surrounding the collapse. They are slow to trust outsiders with out least a period of observation. Religion:Their religion is a fundamental part of the Kalar race their worship of the God Entity is the primary basis of their whole society it is so deeply ingrained in them (impact of generations of worship on the mind web) that those who cast of its tenets are extremely rare and often emotionally disturbed. Though reinterpreting the Will of the God entity into a form more fitting to personal desires is more common, but only once has it been recorded of a Kalar acting in direct defiance of the God for their own benefit. Castes:Kalar society is very much a meritocracy you rise as far and as fast as your abilities can take you as one advocate put it you all start equal on the crèche floor. While some patronage and favouritism does occur there has yet and probably will not be the creation of separate social groups as independent self perpetuating entity's. Outsiders may perceive class based on misconceptions of certain Kalar's similar behaviour perceiving breeds and classes where none exist. |
Economy: |
The Kalar while technically a capitalist economy their sense of community and group allegiance has prevented the excesses of rampant consumerist commercialism. And there is an excellent welfare system and a minimum wage. Money is stored as charges on an organo/crystal devices and rarely has physical form. Every able bodied Kalar is able to work, regardless of gender. The more menial jobs are filled with young Kalar fresh from the cretch, who kill time while decided what sort of career to pursue most become happy with the job they get ( Kalar tend not to fixate on job or wealth as a measure of worth, and there are no public or private class boundaries a factory worker can court a wealthy industrialist with the lightest tilt of the head ( a Kalar gesture similar to raised eye brows) and a world famous poet and artist can go drinking with his friends from the government sanitation department (Road sweepers) Note Kalar can still be admired for doing a difficult or important job, they just are not likely o win friends based on that alone, and conversely no job is so awful as to be looked down upon. |
Military: |
Space command is the most prestigious military service, the Kalar have always been enamoured of space travel, and the might warships of the Kalar fleet are their first line of defence. Physically the Kalar are not suited to ground combat unaugmented, and tend to rely on heavy warmachines rather than grunt troops. The Kalar have an attitude of all's fair in war and tend to like to strike hard and first in any conflict. |
Sports and Leisure: |
The primary Kalar art form is sculpture, nearly all Kalar enjoy the creation of three dimensional abstract art. And even a low paid Bond Group can expect to have tools and resources to engage in this passion, sculpture tend to be ululating organic forms coloured in shade Green, brown yellow which are the colours Kalar find the most appealing. They also enjoy playing with a wide variety of puzzle boxes and logic toys which seem very bizarre to non-Kalar. |
Major Population Centers: |
The Kalar's capital is known as Tharsis within it bounds is the huge Chamber of Advocates which is the political and religious centre of the Advocacy, it is were the Implementor conveys the will of the God-Entity to the advocates and adepts and were the God its self can most often be found. It is also a major industrial centre. The G'Kesh mountains were the great chambers of sleep were constructed is an important region in the history of the Kalar though the region is largely deserted now. |
Chronic Problems: |
The Advocacy's crash space program led to a 100 fold increase of crystal strip mining while industry is now moving back to sustainable use of farmed crystal there is evidence that the massive and rapid depletion of natural crystal reserves has introduced instability into the Kalar's Home moon while weather control has abrogated most of the obvious effects around populated or utilized areas there is evidence that planetary conditions will deteriorate unless reestablished by artificially replacing crystal deposits. The long term effects of this are unknown it may be that a new equilibrium will be reached or the planet could eventually rip its self apart! |
Submission Information: |
Submitter's Name: Joseph Arnaud
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