|
|
Overview: |
The Children of Vadek have a culture in which the religion, created from teachings of the ancient prophet Vadek, guides all areas of life. Vadek taught that all things begin, and must end, in nothingness. This, he said, should be accepted and celebrated rather than resisted. >From this belief has stemmed a very divided and at times violent religion, the details of which are constantly fought over by opposing sects. Vadek’s teachings caught on widely, because he proved his words with chillingly accurate visions of the future, and exhibited his incredible aptitude at magic. His life was spent recording his predictions, and the information contained in them is guarded by the Prime Inheritor, most powerful of Vadek’s descendants. His words generally foretell times of death and destruction, but following Vadek’s principles, these are not regarded as times of horror, but celebration.
The Children of Vadek are a very aggressive and divided race, with much confusion and battle over the meaning and interpretation of Vadek’s words. Death is believed honorable and joyous, sending a life back into the nothingness. Battles, too, are practically encouraged. There are exceptions, however: The Children of Vadek also believe in the “natural course” of life, which they are all a part of. They believe that they should not tamper with their destiny. |
Navigation:CoLC Index |
Index:Q-dex / Technology / Magic
|
Q-dex: |
T 322.4226/321.232X M 988.6236/332.11 |
Technology: |
A strange and rather surprising side effect of the teachings of Vadek, is that technology is almost entirely shunned among the people. Vadek’s principles teach that to create technology is to create something not found in nature. This goes against the natural order of life, and Vadek’s words warn of terrible consequences. There are some exceptions, of course, because there are so many religious sects. In general, technology could be acceptable as long as nothing is created. The shaping of materials, or fitting together to make moving parts is all right. Actual creation of a new material however, such as even plastic, would be forbidden. This slowly progresses, and new things become accepted over great periods of time (usually through “loopholes” of sorts) but in general, those found using complicated technology are killed.
There is a very underground sect that consists of people who want to promote the acceptance and use of technology in the future, as the quantum zone does support it, though weakly. The sect is composed of a wide variety of people, from those who simply want to introduce technology, or cannot use magic, (although there are few non-magic users that escape death), and even to those who do not believe in Vadek’s ideas at all. The sect claims technology once thrived on their world, and could again; They theorize it’s decline was possibly due to a quantum storm, but this is impossible to determine. The constant battles that sweep the planet make archaeology of any sort impossible, and hope doubtful, what with the weak technological ability in the zone. The sect is very small, and poses no real threat against the high powered magic of the rest of the race. |
Magic: |
Magic is everything to the Children of Vadek. It represents their link to Vadek, who they believe was the first mage, and shows their place in society. The strongest in magic use is seen as the closest in heritage to Vadek, a direct descendant, so to speak. This person is given the position of Prime Inheritor. All other people have a class of sorts depending on their power, but usually join factions or sects, and take rank within each sect’s unique system. Magic also has religious implications, and deep study and meditation are a way of life for the truly devout.
The Children of Vadek are extremely skilled and efficient in magic use, able to do a large amount with, even, very small amounts of mana. Their magic is powerful, but extremely chaotic. Generally with the Children of Vadek, the strength, or capacity of a person’s magic (and thus their place in society) remains exactly the same from birth, but study allows them to sharpen their skills, and to better direct and control the power. Strength and ability also generally follow family lines, (i.e. a family of traditionally powerful mages is likely to continue having children with great power, and a family of weaker magic users is likely to have weaker children) but there are always exceptions. In the rare case that a child is born with no magical ability, that child is killed. There is little or no chance of any escaping, because magical ability can be readily detected by any other magic user. |
Size: |
The empire includes 7 star systems; three with two inhabited planets each; four with one inhabited planet each. The home system has one inhabitable planet, the homeworld of the Children. Exact names and descriptions of the planets and systems will be forthcoming. |
Population: |
Each world of the Children of Vadek is very crowded, (the homeworld being immensely so,) and their population is larger than usual for the amount of space they have. Exact details on planetary and total populations will be forthcoming along with star system data. |
Climate and Geography: |
The planets all have wide ranges of climates; some vary depending upon time and location, while others maintain extreme heat or cold. The homeworld itself has grown slightly cold and is becoming a frozen desert because of the devastation caused to it over time. |
Flora and Fauna: |
The flora and fauna is extremely varied because of the number of worlds, but the rampant wars and stockpiling of resources has laid many natural areas to waste. Most of the worlds in the Children’s control have little uninhabited space left, as many Children refuse to live outside the home quantum zone, or far from the homeworld. The worlds still have resources and life, but some of the older worlds of the Children are very limited in both. The homeworld itself has been inhabited far, far longer than the other planets, and thus has been nearly reduced to a barren dust plain. There are areas of splendor, sustained by magic, but the natural surface is cold and wind-swept. The planet’s resources were already low, and the flora and fauna in danger of dying out, when Vadek himself was alive; thus it is speculated the planet had already been subject to much mining and harvesting before Vadek’s time, in the so called “dark ages”. Now, the Children of Vadek are the only thing that lives naturally on the homeworld’s surface. |
History: |
Nothing is known of the world before the arrival of Vadek, for great destruction swept over the homeworld at the time of his coming, and the records of any prior times were lost. According to the religious texts, before Vadek came there was a “time of darkness,” without reason or enlightenment. The people did not understand the way of things, and were not given magic to protect and enrich themselves.
The texts begin with the birth of Vadek, the first mage, created to carry out the will of the universe, and teach the natural way of things. He was given magic as a sign of his importance and power, and with it he and his followers cleansed the world and the non-believers. Vadek wrote down his words in a series of chronicles, made as a guide for the future, and for his children. This was the beginning of the Children of Vadek. Over time, society evolved and gained strength in the magic arts, Vadek’s descendants being granted the same powers as a sign of their important destiny. The office of the Prime Inheritor was created to always keep the people pointed in the right direction. An increasing number of sects were founded as time went on, trying to understand the full meaning of the wise words of Vadek, and creating conflict and battles, which kept the world strong and pure. The conflicts formed a harmony to the Children, allowing them to understand and practice their ancestor’s ways, through finding joy in nothingness and destruction. Believing death to be a celebrated event, crusades among the Vadekites were quite common, and many tech-based empires within their area of space saw the banner of the Children as a symbol of fear. The Children of Vadek fought with an unrelenting fervor that startled even the most well trained and disciplined armies. However, even the fanatical hordes of Vadekites were unprepared for the unrelenting onslaught of the Shadakar Imperium. The Shadakar Imperium -- a powerful expansionist empire -- had begun an all out assault against the Children of Vadek, the Elessar Republic, and a host of other peaceful races. This Great War, as it came to be called, was perhaps the most destructive that area of space had ever seen. Ships from the various Minion Races of the Shadakar spilled into Vadekite space, wave after wave. The Children were dealing with kindred spirits, for many of the Minion Races had come to see the enigmatic Shadakar as gods; this was their jihyad. And so when the Elessar Republic proposed the Alliance of Light, the Children of Vadek grudgingly accepted, joining many other races that had been equally harmed by the Shadakar. Through the combined efforts of the Alliance forces, the Shadakar were finally driven back at the Battle of Elessar Prime, ten years after the war began. Since then, there has been virtual silence along the Shadakar and Alliance borders ... except within the Children of Vadek. For within the prophecies of Vadek, it was foretold that “Beings of Darkness” would bring fire and death down upon the Children, if they ever strayed from their grand purpose, and that their civilization would be rent in blood and fire. Believing the Shadakar to be these beings, and unwilling to see such an outcome occur, the Vadekites have kept their crusade against the Shadakar at a steady pace, with skirmishes, attacks, and counter attacks constantly occurring on the Shadakar/Vadekite border. The Children still belong to the Alliance of Light, despite their feelings about some of its members, as a matter of necessity. The only power within the Alliance that the Children tolerate are the Elessar, and that is mainly due to the fact that they feel a strong respect and kinship with the Elessarian Sorcerers. For now, the Children of Vadek continue their war with the Imperium, and continuing to earn their reputation as one of the more volatile powers within the G Sector. |
Government: |
There is a main government of sorts, despite the many factions that exist, which consists of the Prime Inheritor and his aides. It’s supremacy is mainly held by the power of the Prime Inheritor himself, and only the most capable and trusted are chosen to join him. This government is fairly small, but is always well protected due to the position’s religious importance. Even if a sect were to challenge or attack the Prime Inheritor’s government, many others would come to the Inheritor’s aid. The Inheritor has the ability to issue religious proclamations, which can be anything from military orders, to domestic reform of sorts. This generally depends on the individual Inheritor; some can be progressive and thoughtful, others power hungry war-mongers. The Prime Inheritor also has sole access to the scrolls of Vadek, the written record of Vadek’s predictions.
While no one other than a Prime Inheritor has ever seen them, occasionally their words are referred to by the Inheritor, or revealed after the events take place. They are supposed to be extremely accurate, and are the reason Vadek’s teachings were so strongly believed. If true, this gives the Prime Inheritor a great deal of power; but no genuine proof exists, and few outside the children believe them to be genuine. Aside from the main government, there are also countless religious sects, who all take slightly different interpretations of the teachings of Vadek. Generally, the sects are constantly involved in intense and grueling battles, which flare up constantly and seemingly at random. The prime inheritor does have control, and can usually calm the fighting by giving the sects a unified objective or opponent, but in general, little is done to prevent the battles, because “they bring honor and strength,” according to Vadek. Foreign Policy:The Children of Vadek view their religion as supreme, and all others as a direct insult to Vadek’s teachings. If a race in any way ridicules the religion of the Children, or engages in unacceptable practices, (such as technology), the Children of Vadek will turn their attention towards exterminating that race, to the very last man. The only exceptions are when such a race aids the children in other religious matters, (in other words, in the extermination of an even more threatening or insulting race). Though the practices of that race would still be loathed by The Children, they would allow a sort of “debt of honor,” at least for some amount of time. With their chaotic system of sects, however, it is always possible the opinions of those in control could shift radically, even overnight. The Children hold a general contempt for all other races, but feel that the races most unlike them must be dealt with first, before others can be converted. (Or destroyed.) Thus, races similar to the Children are left alone, while they concentrate on fighting only those who commit travesties in the eyes of their religion. Destruction is viewed as a blessing, sending something back to the nothingness, so destroying these unworthy races is seen by the children as an act of charity, and purification. Domestic Policy:The domestic policy is handled mainly by the sects, with the exception of proclamations the Prime Inheritor might issue, which could be absolutely anything, depending on the individual. In general, the sects are totalitarian and rigidly structured, with clear leaders and subordinates. Many of the sects are ordered in such a way that a few powerful mages act as aristocrats, with others performing tasks beneath them, and some are organized in an even more strict military fashion. The lower ranks or classes within the sects are greatly taken advantage of, and live in a state of poverty. There is nothing they can do about this, because they are no match for the much more powerful mages above them. Currency exists, but due to the wars and the emphasis on magic, the upper class really seeks only certain resources -- material goods and, of course, land. Because of their possessions and want for comforts, it also tends to be the upper class that is more in favor of making slight advancements in technology. |
Society: |
Most of society is dominated by sect structures and interactions. Sects organize social groups within themselves, and residents of particular sects tend to stay grouped together on it’s territory for defensive reasons. Some sects are fairly friendly towards each other, and often the higher classes in such sects will put on great feasts or displays in order to impress the others. Hostile sects will disagree at almost every opportunity, (even on an individual scale,) and war is always a possibility.
Families are usually contained within the sects; in other words, marriages will be kept strictly within the sect, and children will be born belonging to it -- the exceptions being when a marriage is planned as a gesture or contract between clans, or the occasional case of a couple married against the will of each clan. In the latter case, the child would either be sought by both sides if powerful, or outcast if weak. Families tend to be fairly unstable in any case, with parents constantly involved in the many wars, and children going off to do the same when they are old enough. Other groups, such as political or economic, are all covered by the sects. Each takes a slightly different view on some aspect of society, from the place of currency in some cases, to reform of sects or the main government in others. Because of this, change can at times be frequent and overwhelming, or slow and stagnating. It all depends upon the sects presently in power. Some things never change, for instance, very little has been done to the structure of the main government or the sect system itself. For money, in general, trading and bartering is the safest and most secure method; as war or shortage does not hamper their proper functioning. The basics of Vadek’s religion are also considered unbreakable law. Moral standards, again, change slightly from sect to sect, (as does the specific code of laws,) but there are some things direct from Vadek’s teaching that all the population adheres to. For instance, the celebration of ‘nothingness,’ as is Vadek’s major point, is known and accepted by all Children of Vadek. This can be interpreted differently by the clans, but mostly involves celebrating destruction and war as times of cleansing and passage. Killing too can be done without regret, for the victim has been sent to the nothingness. The only moral reason a Vadekite will refrain from destruction or murder, is if they believe the intended target still has some greater purpose to carry out, that serves Vadek’s teachings. Most Children believe that their race as a whole has a great purpose, so they will only war over religious (sect-related) disputes. The other universal moral is Vadek’s idea of not interfering with the natural course of things, but depending on the sect -- this can be taken against simply technology, or more broadly, against change in general. One sect even takes this to an extreme view, adopting a strict environmentalist view to avoid causing any harm. The moral standards are extremely varied, but the codes of the Children’s religion as each person views them are adhered to, because of their extreme importance. Languages:There is only one main language, which is unnamed just like the race and religion to the Children, because it is the only language; the language Vadek spoke. While it has inevitably undergone change since Vadek’s time, it is still considered the same language, and the only major changes are in the slightly different dialects spoken in certain areas, particularly in more lower class sections or communities. Outsiders call the language everything from Vadish, to Vadic, and usually end up using completely original words to prevent confusion. Religion:Religion is everything to the Children -- being the basis for the economy, society, government, and all other facets of life. The religion of the Children is all based around the teachings of a man named Vadek, who lived over 1500 years ago. According to the religion, the world was a dark and ignorant place before Vadek came. Vadek was the first mage, and taught his followers his way of truth and enlightenment. His teachings state that the natural order is for things to be created from nothing, live their lives, and then progress back to nothing. He taught that it was impossible to escape this fate, and that it should be accepted. Returning to the nothingness is bliss, “becoming one with it in a calm emptiness,” so he said. The closest they have to a supreme being is what they call the “natural order,” or simply the will of the universe itself. Vadek proved the truth of his beliefs by the power of his magic; which he said the natural order gave him to carry out it’s will. According to Vadek, the actions of people are insignificant and insulting, unless they strive to forward the goals of the natural order. The ways in which the children have historically done this is by bringing or forcing other cultures to their way of life, and by following Vadek’s words to the very letter, however they interpret them. According to Vadek, all his descendants would be gifted with his power as a reward for following in his words. Finally, Vadek gave out a long series of predictions, hidden from the eyes of all but the most powerful mage. These predictions and their accuracy were the final proof of his words, and told of how the children would serve their great purpose, then too return to the nothingness, as their reward. There are no other religions, only slightly differing sects. In many ways Vadek’s words are extremely vague, so fighting is very common. This, however, is encouraged under Vadek’s teachings. Any other religions encountered, or any people who do not believe in the children’s religion, are attacked and destroyed if possible. (There are exceptions, explained under foreign policy.) The religion has no name, because it is simply the one and only religion as far as The Children are concerned. Outsiders refer to it most commonly as Vadekism, or something along those lines ... The race, also, has no name outside of “The Children of Vadek,” because that is what they consider themselves. All others, including non believers among them, are simply “outsiders”. Castes:Within the various sects, there is a strong class system, comprised of the more powerful having advantage over the less powerful. The less powerful tend to be farmers, or workers, taking low and menial tasks. There is no slavery, as they believe that to do so tampers with the “natural order,” but those extremely poor or in debt are effectively slaves of those above them. The middle class on up are almost strictly fighters, as they are proud to do Vadek’s will in battle -- whether against other empires or within sects. The extremely powerful are also sometimes fighters, but some choose to use their power to gain comfort and wealth; most notably the Prime Inheritor, who characteristically is shielded from all danger, and lives in enormous wealth. |
Economy: |
The economy has a loosely used currency system, based on precious materials. Even with a strong magic base, certain things are still prized and wanted, especially by the upper class. In general however, most of the economy is a barter system, to gain wealth, power, and resources. Everything can be traded, and the most valuable item is land. The planets, especially the homeworld, are very overcrowded, in part because most of the children remain by choice within their quantum zone, and in part because the homeworld and other planets contain things of religious significance, and crowds flock there from all over. Thus land is also fought over and prized by the leaders of the sects, with the most sacred of cities and places of significance to Vadek’s life controlled by the Prime Inheritor.
The workers are those with little magic power, and also control the least wealth. Power is the sole determinant for wealth and status, and is set at birth. There is a slight bias against women in some of the sects, because Vadek was a man -- but the bottom line is that the highest positions go to the mages with the most power, regardless of gender. As far as age is concerned, to take a relatively important seat or rank a child must be at least 20, for that is the minimum age that a Child of Vadek can complete the required religious study. |
Military: |
The military is largely controlled by the individual sects. Each sect has its own force and guards, comprised of specially trained military, and even, ordinary citizens -- if they are needed and powerful in the magic arts. The middle and upper class usually enter into combat for the sake of the sect or The Children as a whole, with the very upper class taking lucrative positions as generals and leaders -- sometimes in the fray, sometimes behind the scenes. The very low class are simply not skilled enough to participate.
The Prime Inheritor’s government has a military of it’s own, which is relatively small, but made of extremely elite and powerful mages. Only the very best mages in the entire race are chosen for this spot, and they are usually also the most seasoned fighters. Sometimes the Prime Inheritor can also organize the military of the sects, to work together and eliminate a foreign enemy, or new rebellious sect of some kind. During these times, violence between sects still exists, but is momentarily put aside, to overcome the greater threat. |
Sports and Leisure: |
The most popular type of leisure, understandably, is celebration involved with religious events or festivals. As in every working culture, there are holidays in which work stops for a period of time, and for The Children, fighting ceases momentarily as well -- except for essential defense. Some examples of religious holidays are the Anniversary of Vadek’s Death, or important moments in his life, and lesser festivals are also held in memory of other important religious figure’s deaths as well. Death being the joyous passage to the nothingness beyond, it is celebrated rather than birth, and in fact funerals are usually extravagant and celebratory affairs. The only birth which is actually noted and enjoyed is that of Vadek himself.
To many, especially the more powerful, battles are an honor and even a leisure in their own way -- but only inter sect fights, which are all contained within the honor and culture of the race. Battles against external foes are taken much more seriously, as a matter of duty. Along the same lines as battles, fairly rough athletic events are also tremendous sources of enjoyment, for both participants and spectators; these sports are very brutal and physical, and almost all involve the unrestricted use of magic. There is one sport which disallows any magic whatsoever, and is supposedly a carryover from the darker times before Vadek. This may seem out of place, but no technology is used, only the ability of the player’s themselves. It is important to remember the body is not considered a machine to them -- it too is given by the natural order of things. However, the magical sports are vastly more popular. |
Major Population Centers: |
The positions of power and cities of the sects shift around as war pushed them back and forth. Often they will remain in place for decades, but can still be razed overnight, and rebuild somewhere distant and protected. The only major city of significance and power that always remains unscathed is the sacred city, Daelrane. The name is unusual to The Children, and it’s meaning unknown, and most believe it was the name held over from before Vadek’s coming. The city is where Vadek gained his followers, and where he led the people from during the time of the cleansing. The city, his home, was left untouched, and is the only remnant of the world prior to Vadek’s coming. Now it is the place of the Prime Inheritor’s Palace, and millions upon millions flock to the crowded city to live there or pay respects. |
Chronic Problems: |
There is chronic instability, but combined with the religion of Vadek this serves more to strengthen the empire and it’s people, more than harm it. The only real weaknesses of the Children of Vadek are perhaps their aggressive and self-righteous nature for one, which often involves them in wars larger than they can handle. This sometimes severely hurts them, or forces them to seek aid. Their other weakness is the slow return of technology. While currently it is nowhere near the power of magic -- and is avoided and despised by The Children -- if it were to catch on, it would shake the foundations of their religion. Doing so would cause chaos. This however, is unlikely, due to the properties of the quantum zone. |
Submission Information: |
Submitter's Name: Jeff McDowell
|