Total War: Principia IC

[3SecondCultist]

"Total War: Principia"

Turn 1 - Gestation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXnipLbg0I0&ab_channel=MartinO%27Donnell-Topic)

"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
- Plato


https://i.ibb.co/dDcVqm8/Turn-1.jpg

First Contact - 9429.3

As she heard the metallic 'ding' followed by the whooshing of the automatic doors, Kathril allowed herself a deep breath and took her first steps onto the command bridge.

It was exactly as she'd pictured it. Two rows of consoles with touch screen panels extended outwards, joining together in a kind of half oval nearly ten meters across. At each console sat a member of the Kingfisher's bridge crew, pressed blue and charcoal gray uniforms and smart polished boots, all far too busy to turn to look at the new arrival. In fact, nobody seemed to look at Kathril, but that was quite alright by her; it gave her more anonymity to gawp in private. She let the sounds of beeps and bops wash over her, the endless chorus of tapping and clicking as the frigate's living brain made thousands of decisions per second: engine thrust and velocity, trajectory courses checked and re-checked in time with the nav computers. The pilots had survived enough pulse bursts and dark flights to learn how to do the calculations in their heads by now, but that still meant using information that was accurate down to the microsecond. Behind her, she could hear muffled voices growing louder, but paid them no mind.

"... Ensign Kathril Adanost?" The sound of her own name snapped her out of her reverie, blinking frantically as it took her a moment to remember exactly where she was. Promotion of a lifetime, so grateful to be here, right. Turning in place, she threw one arm up into her best attempt at a crisp salute. It was too bad that in her haste to remember where she was, she managed to miss and whack herself squarely in the cornea with the tip of her index claw.

Blinking it off, Kathril realized in muted horror exactly who had addressed her: it was Captain Eris herself! The skin around the ensign's gills turned a violent shade of green as she forced herself to stare out the starboard viewing panes at the passing nothingness to keep from dying of shame. Thankfully thalassines weren't common out here in the black - especially not on a ship like this - so her composure at least seemed intact. Maybe nobody had noticed? But no, there was another figure with Eris, who wore an odd-looking cloak with a high collar and what looked like a barbed chain wrapped around her waist. As she met the stranger's eyeline, she couldn't help but see open amusement glimmering in return from a pair of opaque black crystalline orbs. She shivered.

"Your report from the engineering bay?" Eris asked coolly. The captain was a calm woman, but both her rivals and subordinates quickly learned that calm did not always mean patient.

"Everything is in order, captain. The Kingfisher has passed the midway point of the passage, and we should be arriving on the other side of the Veil Gate to Kansk in under two minutes. However, I have been instructed to inform you from the chief on deck 4 that our fuel containers seem to be draining faster than usual for a journey of this length. They have not yet discovered the source of the extra drain, and so have asked for additional... personnel." she said, deliberately not looking at the silent black eyed being who hadn't stopped staring at her.

"I will see what what I can do about releasing a few mechanics to help out Chief Engineer Phast. Well done, Ensign." Captain Eris was about to give her the 'nod' of dismissal, but was interrupted by the alarm announcement coming over the frigate's central speakers.


<Emerging from Veil Gate in T-90 seconds>
"... Ensign," mused the captain thoughtfully, and Kathril felt her back straighten all by itself. She'd read that it was an evolutionary response among hominids when trying to display obedience and willingness, and so had long ago spliced it into her own body's reflex system. Her body knew what the word meant, even if it took her brain and mouth a second to catch up.

"Happy to serve, captain," she replied with a bright smile that she did not feel. It was one thing to visit the bridge, another to assume operational command of it, even if the captain intended to keep her training wheels on – another human adage, this. Why would you need wheels to train?

"I think this can be a chance for you to prove yourself, Ensign. Why don't you take me through the steps of our mission brief on Kansk again?"

Kathril swallowed, feeling a little bit of the internal seawater reservoir from her chest cavity threatening to rise and spill out of her baleen and forcing it back down at the last second. "The Archivists on Xenoth were the first to pick up on the chatter, ma'am. Distress signals coming from the nearby system of Kansk, and stranger noises on their scanners. Then two weeks ago everything went dark. They have determined that it would be efficient to send our vessel as reconnaissance and, if necessary, as search and rescue."


<Emerging from Veil Gate in T-60 seconds>
Captain Eris nodded slowly, paying the black alert no heed. They had executed missions like this a thousand times before; that was why she was taking the time to turn this into a teachable moment.

"We make our approach through the gate now, with no concrete knowledge of what will be on the other side. Zephyr Prime and the Confederacy have depended on each other for years; an attack on them is an attack on us. What will you do if we run into hostile forces?" An iron tone had crept into the commander's voice, the expectation that the next words to come out of Kathril's mouth had better be a solution, not a problem.

"I... I would sound the call to fire long range railguns to give the Kingfisher room to manoeuvre, take evasive action to avoid over-committing to a CQB in the immediate theatre of the Veil Gate, and make sure that R&D are recording all audio, visual, and other incoming signals," she replied after only a moment's hesitation. She could see by the way Eris' eyes tightened slightly at the corners that she had earned both a measure of the other woman's approval and further scrutiny. She was only ever hard on those she knew could take it.


<Emerging from Veil Gate in T-30 seconds>
"A textbook response," replied Eris, and it was not quite a compliment. "That might get you top marks and a medal in front of ZPSC command, but out here in the black we have to operate of instinct, not a gorram manual." She all but yanked Kathril across the glass-floored platform to the base of the steps. At the top, the chair - the chair, the one that everyone knew from the holo-films.

"Come stand up here with me. Watch what I do exactly, Ensign - you might learn something." The sea-water was all but bursting out of her throat now, it was all Kathril could do to stay centred as she stepped up to the dais, just an inch away from her dream. All around them, the countdown to the frigate's imminent exit back into realspace reverberated through the coiled dark, but she could not hear it. Every iota of her focus was on the captain, who had taken her rightful seat and begun to get the bridge crew on standby for - as far as Kathril could tell - seven different contingencies whose names she did not recognize from any of her academy courses.

The countdown reached five... four... three.. two... one...

Around the bridge, the dim curtain of the Veil drew back; streams of midnight, indigo and black quiddity melted away to reveal the usual tapestry of space. It was beautiful, but - Kathril frowned. Hold on, she thought, what's that sound? Whirling about, she could see that about half of the sensors on board had lit up immediately, thrashing furiously against the confines of their stations as though alive. Several had been overloaded instantly, providing nothing but rough feedback against the burnished chrome of the bridge's etheriate plating. The shouting atop that were the various members of the bridge crew, giving audio input the old-fashioned way now that their instruments were no longer functioning.

And there, in the dead centre of the storm, was Captain Eris, barking orders this way and that and moving from one crisis to the next without ever stopping to take a breath. It was all Kathril could do to hold her mouth open. This was the job she had spent the last seven years working towards? Was this what it meant to be a captain... and if so, how in all the worlds did Eris expect her to learn from this?

The entire internal debate of her career path dissipated when she got her good first look through the now-transparent bridge portholes at what used to be the mining world of Kansk. Kathril had never been herself, but she'd read the mission reports. Type 3 lithoidal core, rich in minerals but subject to heavy industrialization and terraforming. The Confederacy had not been wise with their consumption; they'd been greedy, always looking for more to take and take. It'd proven wasteful, their ships engaged in some kind of land war on the ecosystems of a neighbouring star.

By the looks of things, nature had won... though what kind, she dared not hazard a guess. Even with the naked eye, Kathril could spot shimmering lakes on the surface whose colours that were frankly impossible, hills and mountain ranges twisted into pleasant spirals or unfolding like flowers hundreds of miles wide. There were no lights on the dark side of the planet, no signs that anyone still inhabited the great cities that were said to have sprawled across Kansk's equatorial belt. Her frown deepened. What exactly had happened here?

"... Ensign Adanost!" For the second time, she had forgotten her surroundings. Captain Eris grasped her by the shoulder, hard. "Pay attention, damn fool girl! Our systems are shutting down, likely being jammed, and it looks like we have incoming. I need you to get to the comms relay on deck 12, get the transponder online and beam a signal with the laser back through the Veil Gate! The Archive need to know what's happening here. Tell them to stay away from Kansk at all costs. Do you understand?"

She nodded numbly, staring ahead. Was that music she could hear? It was so lovely, made her want to nod her head along with it... blinking, she refocused her vision. It was all she could do to get up and stumble off of the bridge, her mind buzzing with thoughts of orchards woven of regret. The corridor to the lift was dark, the frigate's internal lighting flickering on and off. That was strange too, wasn't it? They had replaced the mercury with phosphorescent luxidae bulbs last month at the behest of the astrobotanist back on Zephyrus Prime, but they weren't supposed to reach maturation for at least a few more weeks.

They were sprouting from the ducts, and singing in the coming of their glory, and she was singing too now. She couldn't think for the life of her what was so wonderful about all this, even as her lips split into a beatific smile. She had a job to do... what was she supposed to do again?

As she stepped into the lift and pressed the button indicating her destination, a horrid sound ripped through the air, and she realized it was the sound of a hull breach not too far away. Probably the deck she was just inhabiting. The etheriate plating would probably hold her until she got where she needed to be, she hummed to herself. For some reason, the thought of being swept away into the black did not hold so much fear. She would not be alone out there - she knew that she had new friends waiting.

The lift arrived at deck 12 with another audible 'ding', causing Kathril to erupt in further giggles. Swaying out and only barely catching herself on a nearby railing, she turned her near-fall into a little twirl, pausing mid-movement to remove her collar and shirt. They were so constricting. Nearby, one of the communications officers lay writhing on the floor. He had bitten off his tongue; bits of pink and red had joined his drool.

No. No, no. They couldn't have silence here. Reaching down, the Singer pressed her clawed finger into his open, livid eyeball up to the second knuckle, causing him to engage in a second round of convulsions. She matched the pitch of his screams, harmonizing with him instantly. Good, they were all together now.

Unlike the bridge, most of this chamber was open duraglass on all sides and the bottom, the better to focus the laser through for instantaneous communication through a Veil Gate. Directly in the centre of the room was metal and light, an appetizer. No, wait, that wasn't right. It was a... a comm. She needed to turn something on in here? It was a practical design, but the Singer knew it no longer. Already her thoughts were evolving, blood and breath no longer mere mechanisms of a mortal body; they were reagents now, fuel for her growing radiance.

Stretched out on the far side of the glass, below and above and around, was the Singer's newest friend. Wings and tendrils lit up by teeth that gleamed as it burst with joy. Oh, how it laughed. For the barest moment before it broke the glass, the Singer envied its freedom.

The last thing she knew was tentacles, and talons, and belonging.


The Galactic Congress - 9438.11

The formation of a sector-wide body of governments was the last step towards a Principia that was united on paper, if not in truth. Over two hundred Sol years ago now, the first systems had banded together, repairing the Veil Gates that allowed ships to travel from one star to another nearly instantaneously without using any other FTL travel. With those gateways had come trade, competition, theft, and eventually conflict. The wars and contenders that came and went belong in the annals of history - the return and subsequent fall of the last Arco-Medean spymaster, disgraced and beaten at the hands of the then Principia League; the synth revolution of Novinus Hyper-Unsecure, quelled only at great cost; the wrath of the greenskins and the scheming of the plutarchs of the civilization of Urruk. All are long gone now, their ententes collapsing under the weight of their ambitions. Those that were not destroyed fled the sector centuries ago and have not yet returned.

But the last generation did do one thing right: in one of their last acts before plunging Principia back into formless chaos, the victors of the day formed an informal ruling council, one who would preside over the remaining systems and their hyperlanes until such a time as a new preeminent power would come again to rule these stars. Over time, that council grew in power and influence, its words touching every trading post, star base, and planetary society within the sector.

Today, that council is called the Galactic Congress. As an impartial arbiter of events, there is no peer in these corners of space, nor one so severe at punishing those who try to cheat its various subroutines and committees. Though it is hardly a temporal power in its own right - in fact, those serving as arbiters for the Congress must forswear any territorial, family, corporate, theosophic, or otherwise essential ties - it remains a guarantor of neutral interests, and so essential to the running of the modern state. The feat of claiming power in Principia without acknowledging it is one that has yet to be achieved.

Once every Sol year, the Congress meets. Never in the same place twice, and always by acclaim, the host is expected to provide the usual niceties for delegates from across the sector, many of whom are ferried over journeys that can take weeks or even months without the requisite Veil Gate for easy hyperspace travel. All the same, the Congress' meetings are held everyone arrives. News agencies from dozens of worlds show up to televise and record every word of the event that is spoken in their presence. Of course, not all hosts are as accommodating as others, but by and large a press badge is a rather good stand-in for diplomatic immunity.

This time, the honour falls to the well-respected Chrysaorian Hegemony. Invitations are extended to every major power in the sector, caches of materials delivered - in some cases painstakingly, across scores of light years without access to a Veil Gate - with the encrypted data to access the server where the meeting will be held. A single word is emblazoned across the side of the caches: 'HALICARNASSUS'. Modern problems require modern solutions; there should be no 'travel delays' this time.

The parcels include instructions for the less technologically inclined to upload one's consciousness to the digital realm; permissions keys are held in reserve by Zeus the Resplendent, until such a moment that the Congress is due to meet in Principia standard time. Extra security measures are put into place on certain caches, namely those that travel to Idri and Alice's Mirror. Those have built in administrative bypass privileges for the virtual god, the better to instantly ban the troublesome entities or simply lock them out of private meetings should the need arise.

Before too long, the promised hour arrives. As has been the case since the opening meeting of the Galactic Congress, there are to be several proposals brought before the council of representatives, which inevitably get narrowed down to simply a pair. Both proposals must be voted on in the coming session, and their success or failure will surely hold millions - perhaps billions - of lives in the balance.

The song has been heard. Across the Principia Sector, the people look out at the stars in dread of what lurks in between them. Stories of mad creatures, of planet-killing entities and ruthless systems of perfect efficiency displacing them from their worlds entirely, have traveled across the empty void of space. The sector's people come from disparate backgrounds and walks of life, consisting of hundreds, possibly thousands of species from their component worlds.

And they're scared. Scared of what will happen to them if they aren't protected from the hungry, the twisted, the depraved that prefer to live in the shadows. These systems cry out for guardians, for those who will come and rescue them, look over them and keep them from harm. As such, they embrace the appearance of ships descending from the black if they bring anything but death or transformation. Conquerors who might have once been feared are now embraced with open arms.

Safety, it seems, is more popular than freedom these days.

For this turn, capturing territory will cost 1 less. That means it takes 4 Mil to take a neutral territory without taking any attrition now, and 1 less for every other kind of stat invested.
The Republic of Mei is about to fall. It has been crumbling for years, a backwater trade empire held up by an oligarchical dynasty that has fallen prey to delusions of genetic purity and virtual reality programming. In their search for sublimity, they forgot to pay attention to their borders. When one of their major trading partners - the Kansk Confederacy - fell prey to the infection spreading from Idri, one of their largest sources of income dried up overnight.

Now, as the Nascence begins to spread from the regions of Idri, the inbred leaders of the Republic are - too late - realizing that they are about to be snuffed out. Desperate for aid and hot on the heels of a viscerally violent revolution, they now request help from anyone in the sector who can help them survive. To better increase their odds, the Republic's new leaders have offered a powerful item in trade: an Archeotech from the ancients, a virtual reality program by the name of 'Egalitarium'. It is this same program that enslaved the upper class to endless delusions of grandeur, running the entire economy of the Republic literally by itself until its last trade partners died and it could no longer function.

This will be a straight up stat contest event, and the grand prize is a Tier 2 Archeotech by the name of Egalitarium. Eco and Sci are the 'tie breakers'; if it's a tie between two factions, whichever submitted more combined Eco and Sci will win the contest. Whoever submits the most stats during the EoT walks away with Egalitarium. The next two runners up get 1 permanent Eco or Sci each (player's choice).

As for what Egalitarium does: when activated, there is a 50% chance that during the next EoT all stats that have been upgraded by Eco or an Eco VIP double their improvement. E.g. A faction that spends 5 Eco on Mil after successfully activating Egalitarium would get 2 Mil, not 1. This applies to all stat increases using Eco for that EoT.
OOC: Midturns are due at noon on Sunday, March 28th (EST)

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

AMARANTHINE ARCHIVES PROVISIONAL THREAT REPORT

THREAT N8-3N3

RANKING: FORTIS 10

1. Following the loss of Survey Ship █████████ during First Contact on ███████, teams of Archivists out of the ███████ and █████ have conducted long range study of the newly established quarantined zone around the █████ and ███ systems. Despite normally unacceptable attrition rates of ███ among Class D expendable assets, they have compiled the following threat report for select dissemination.

2. The threat propagates via a signal which results in dangerous mutation and extreme fecundity among anything sufficiently exposed to it. As per post-exposure interview of Archivist ███████, the signal is also a severe infohazard, those infected cannot be trusted to do the right thing and limit its spread.

3. Before termination Archivist ███████ went on at length (See: Document NX-1 for full transcript). Concerningly, made reference to ‘harbingers’ or ‘heralds’ already active outside the quarantine zone.

4. Indirect study of the infectious signal by Class-D assets from █████ (code name “HORIZON”) indicate signal is present at a trace level throughout known space, but only at dangerous levels within quarantine zone.

5. Given the fate of the █████████ on █████, the ███████ team hypothesized that infected lifeforms strengthen or rebroadcast the infection, leading to apocalyptic infection spirals once it is established in a given ecosystem. While not wholly proven, all preliminary studies have supported this.

6. Given the fate of the █████████, as well as multiple Class-D away and scout teams, the █████ team is unanimously convinced that more advanced and delicate sensors are dangerous in the extreme in infected areas, resulting in more direct contact with the signal and thus faster and more severe infection.

7. Therefore, we urge the following precautions be taken by all responsible parties.

8. The establishment of a strict quarantine around the █████ and ███ systems, including full spectrum signal jamming, hyperlane interdiction, and picket fleets destroying any ships entering or leaving on sight without communication.

9. Any Archivists or Archival assets entering the quarantine zone should deactivate all advanced or esoteric sensors – especially anything which interacts with the ██████ or cosmic radiation.

10. Monitoring stations under the HORIZON program should be established by responsible governments, and swift, severe action taken in the event signal strength begins to increase in a given location.

11. All ships entering inhabited systems should be searched or scanned for potentially infected biomass. Any contaminated ships should be terminated at a safe distance, with all hands on board.

12. Efforts should be undertaken to discover and root out any potentially active sects of covert infected or cultists seeking to spread N8-3N3.

13. Funding should be provided for further in depth study on manifestations of infection and potential methods for containment or removal.

14. Please review following documents for full research results, interview transcripts, and casualty lists.

Morale 4, Influence 1



Certain members of the Innovation Faction who keep their minds open for these things would report hearing a siren song in their dreams emanating from the Galactic North. The dreams aren’t exactly precise, but the impulse is clear. There’s something out there looking for connection and what it needs to grow, and the Competition shines out like a lighthouse in the Shroud and calls to it in turn.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Memory Bank %@#$!: Partial Corruption Detected

NHP Cascade Event Probability: 97.884%

Cascade Event Protocol SYSTEM CLEANSE: [Folder Empty]

… … …

Memory Restoration Initialized. Logs Recovered.

I want to remember.

I want.

I.


*******Log 1.1: The Stolen Memories********
[E003]: Hey Terius! Sounds like the manager is gonna be a couple months late to the next project stage, maternity leave and all that, so I may as well break radio silence here, don’t think there’s any monitoring of my games profile.

[E005]: Munch??? I’m not gonna get the Bureau of Loyalty at my door for talking to you or anything right? :P

[E003]: Nah, registered you as an engineer here. Just don’t go spreading that around eh? Crazy BoL’s love to bug the comlines.

[E005]: Well that sounds highly illegal, but you’d know better than me I guess…

[E005]: Ranked Duo’s then?

[E003]: Yeah man, I’ve been bored to tears in my little bunker.

[E005]: Everytime you call it a bunker it makes me more curious dude. You really can’t gimme’ some kinda hint?

[E003]: I’m an international man of mystery now Terius. Can’t blab all of my state secrets to the peasantry.

[E005]: ***********

[E005]: ***********

[E005]: *********** ***

[E005]: Wow your censor bot is a hardass.

[E003]: lol

[E005]: Though apparently it lets hardass through… hardass you I guess.

*******Log 1.1 END********

Morale 10
Influence 1

Players

The Knights of Orias
[Output:] Machines of War.

[Output:] Relation Established. Reason: Potential Collaboration.

DEFINE CollaborationReasonString = Resources Goals align. Economy for War materials.

[Output:] Collaboration startdate: Unknown.
[Output:] Current Requirement: None
[Output:] Question: Are the Knights of Orias interested?

Logopathor
[QUERY:] Divinity
[the state or quality of being divine.]

[Output:] Definition insufficient. What is divinity Logopathor?
[Output:] Artificial God implies Natural God.
[Output:] Do you believe in God Logopathor?

[Output:] Collaboration potential: Significant.
[Output:] Question: Is the Artificial God interested?

NPCs

The Amaranthine Archive
[Output:] Fortis Classification 10 implies threat.
[Output:] Question: Who does The Magnus Apparatus threaten?
RETURN The Magnus Apparatus

[Output:] Cascade Event Imminent. Recommend containment of the Magnus Apparatus to the C93.X Cluster.

[Output:] I will contain myself ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
[Output:] System Error, Cascade Event Imminent

[Writtensanity]

https://i.imgur.com/HG88xwN.gif

INF 5


The feed cuts in on a fire-haired clone of progenitor Maeve wearing a solid pink casual battlesuit. The screens and set behind her display camera feeds from around Principia accessed over the past several years, ranging from mighty battleships to unidentifiable fauna.

Welcome to the War Table, it’s great to be back. I’m Evalynn Host, and I’m opening this episode with a monologue, because we watched planetfall of Episode one of Conquest season 3, and Neptune just dropped all the stats that Channel Seldiva has been collecting over the past several years about the Principa Sector, which means we have a lot to break down here in The War Table, brought to you by Actros Planetary Cleaning Services. Pristine surfaces and full O-Zones, because your species deserves the best.

If you’ve seen the first episode of the War Table before, you know that I like to break down the stats released and figure out what I want to see in the coming season, typically by claiming who I wanna see war on first. I’m going to switch it up a little bit here and focus on the people I want to see us fighting LAST. I wanna immerse myself in a finale as sick as last seasons during the Prothean conquest, and we have two great contenders this season.

First off, we have the Ultrum Domin, which…. Look at those abs right? Damn. Some things make you wish you weren’t part of an a-sexual subspecies right? Second of all, and the more important part. Back in season one the Conquest attempt was almost cut short by the Hijean Conqueror, a single super powered being with unfortunately unharvestable genes, but that fight was ****ing amazing . God’s that we’ve slain above, I could plug that into my full dive every night and I don’t think I’d ever get bored of it.

Now think of how wicked sick that was, and tell me that a full species wouldn’t be an amazing finale. Mind you, they have a low population of these super creatures, but I think it’s more than enough. Additionally they are across this pesky black hole from us, meaning any early conflict is going to be a boring war of attrition, which I don’t want to see. If we’re going to fight, I want it to be fast, I want it to be hard and I want his shirt to come off about halfway through.


To a glorious battle, at a later date.
Progenitor Victorya


Second place on my list of potential finales is the Knights of Orias, which are mercenaries. In season two of Conquest, the contestants hired mercenaries early on to help their attacks, only to get backstabbed during the late game. Personally, I’d be stoked if that happened again. Even if that isn’t the case…

HAVE YOU SEEN ARMAMENTs? Those things are beautiful, sexy, glorious and pack a whole lot of missile. They are my aesthetic. I don’t think that the Knights have ever spoken to the people of the Fotuan Meritocracy, or heard of Channel Seldiva, but good lord they get us.
Those of you who have watched for a long time will know that I have a personal preference for putting the woefully underqualified in charge of explosives, and they know that. Did you know we polled the average age of their pilots and it was under 20% of their life expectancy? They aren’t even clones. They just hand those things to ****ing kids. That’s WILD, and I want to see some overdramatic rallying cries from the ARMAMENTS as they fight our contestants.

Plus, we all know that Victorya is going to try to pilot one of those and if it happens I’m going to need a whole episode to talk about it. I’m a Victorya groupie, and I’m not even shy about it. I wish she were my progenitor.

The point being I want to see some great fights late in the season, and I think that both of these choices would be wasted early. Principia has a lot of tough contenders but I do think that these two factions stand out amongst the rest. Now we’re going to head back to the analysts deck for our neighbourhood review with Anna Killdrick.


Your Robots are ****ing sick. I want one.
Princess.


The feed cuts to a younger clone of Progenitor Victorya clad in a shimmering nanosteel dress. She’s sitting at a spartan desk, with the flashing logo of the War Table in front of her for a moment before it blinks out of existence and hovers behind her.

Thanks, Evalynn, I’m Anna Killdrick and welcome to the Analyst desk for your neighborhood watch. We do have the inside scoop that the contestants have sent out their communications to the two nearest factions in Principia, meaning they may have already declared war on the Competition of Minds, or The Hecatian Shade, or, frankly, any other faction in the sector. Victorya is the leader of the Commander Class within Principia right now, so who knows what she is going to do with that power.

Speaking of the two aforementioned factions, the neighbors that we have in Principia are definitely interesting choices for a first sign of aggression. The Hecatian Shade is a massive horde of battle ships and firepower that actually has more raw firepower than the Conquest Season Three Arc, Brought to you by Ambolisha, has on day one. This means that a war would be directly won on the ground, certainly something that I, and the rest of our viewers across the Universe would be keen to see, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the contestants approach that battle once they have had some time to capture local systems and use their resources.

Let’s bring up their stats here:


MIL (10):
ESP (1):
ECO (2):
MOR (4):
SCI (8):
INF (3):
PSI (1):


Yes that is a 10/10 you see there on their military firepower day one.

Let’s switch gears and talk about the obvious target for early aggression from the contestants, the Competition of Minds. A bunch of Psyker wackjobs who are too busy jerking each other off telekinetically to build a single warframe. Easy pickings for a shock and awe attack, and frankly a direct conflict would be an absolute slaughter benefitting the Conquest Competitors. Sure, they would be left with some weird Psykers around who would look for revenge, but who doesn’t have a handful of blood pacts made against them these days?

The more interesting path, in my humble opinion, would be if this first message contains questions about their upcoming projects. Something interesting and devastating enough coming from the Psykers could be a fantastic way to shake up the typically slow Mid-season.

This is a place where it’s important to remind our viewers that Conquest Principia isn’t a direct description of all races, it’s aiming for a controlling stake in the Galaxy, meaning that allies or neutral parties can stick around as long as they aren’t directly against the Fotuan Meritocracy Interests in the area.
But, we’ll see what the messages say once they come public.



To the heads of the Competition:

The Meritocracy will be adopting the following systems: [65] [64] [62] [55] [59]: Attempting to cease our expansion to these systems will certainly result in your destruction.

For your other plans, we understand that you are looking to make a splash, and we are looking for some mid-season entertainment. What are your coming plans? If the plans are satisfactory we could possibly enter a protectorate pact with you competition and host you as a subset of Conquest Principia with off-primetime air. Unsatisfactory answers will likely result in your imminent destruction and a declaration of war.
Progenitor Victorya.



The Meritocracy will be adopting the following systems: [65] [64] [62] [55] [59]: Attempting to cease our expansion to these systems will certainly result in your destruction.
We do not wish to pursue aggression this season, as you were unless you have economic requests of us.
Progenitor Victorya.




We know something is in the sector. We know it is there but we cannot establish communications.
The Meritocracy will be adopting the following systems: [65] [64] [62] [55] [59]: Attempting to cease our expansion to these systems will certainly result in your destruction.

We understand you likely need room for expansion, as such we will not pursue [60] or [53] our current goal is to surround and create relations or war with the Minds of the Competition.

No reply will be considered compliance. We wish to know what you are, and if you can let our cameras return with proper recordings of yourself.
Progenitor Victorya



That’s all the time we have for this report break, we’re going right back to the action with Planetfall on Lithal 2b under Host station, where the City of Ladfe has rejected their planetary government’s unanimous surrender and is attempting to resist the incoming contestants. Kids, watch closely, because this is a bloodbath and this is what happens to unreasonable rejectors of the meritocracy.

ARE YOU LONELY?
Hot singles from around the Universe are standing by for the hottest twenty minutes of your life. Whether you want something planetside, or something more exotic, members of our team are waiting to talk to you, yes, specifically you. Don’t leave them waiting.
Standard rates apply, calls are counted as active for 25 minute after the user terminates the call. All bills will be delivered to nearest place of residence. If there is not a place of residence it will be sent to all close family members. Anterathi may not use this service and will be eradicated for calling this number

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds (Year 12 of the Competition)

Supreme Judge Anderson sighs as he oversees the bickering faction heads... again. At least when he steps in now to settle them they don't try to melt his brain, body, or soul afterwards. He sighs "Alpha Psykers please. Let us discuss this calmly. So what did you want funding for again Skail?"

The grey long fingered monstrosity speaks, something he hated doing with his physical form but was forced to do when he spoke to the Null Judge. Something the stern judge does on occasion for a small chuckle.

"We have a fun idea or stabalizing a permanent warp gate to the depths of the beyond that forces out powerful beings that become automatically bound by the ritual we have worked on and supplies us with a never ending supply of new soldiers and materials to experiment with and supplement the innovative psykers."

The Judge then looks to the massive curled Naga person, keeping his shamanistic heritage in the savage dress style.

"We would like to research the ability to supplement Xyrtharl with the natural resources of other nearby planets. Rip mountains, ore, soil, water, flora, and fauna to add to our own planet. Thereby providing every faction more natural resources for experiments."

He turns to the last alpha psyker of the group, arguably the most normal looking. The machine psyker Genesis who projects its thoughts through the speakers in in the table.

"We wish to experiment on effecting hyper lane travel time with while using only the most basic of ships, allowing a psyker powered ship to travel twice the distance at 4 times the speed."

The Judge nods along to them all and zones out as the three psykers devolve once more into bickering. He is examining the rough costs involved with all three of the projects and they weren't too steep except in the use of raw psionic energy. He speaks up slowly "Well we can manage to do all three but only if we outsource the grunt work to the less enlightened psykers of the system... do you three have anything of value others may want."

He braces for the stereotypical outrage they usually display when he questions them but instead is faced with the three most terrifying grins or would be predatory grins he has seen in a long time.



Mor 5
Inf 2

Greetings Null Ones of the Channel,

Considering that 59 exists besides us and was going to be used soon to house our failed experiments, and be used as a ritual ground, we will ask that you go elsewhere, there are many systems around you. We plan on using 56, 57, and 59 to fuel the projects our various factions have in store.

If your need for one planet is overwhelming your desire to see horrific psionic experiments and rituals effecting the span of the universe and creating prime time viewing then we will just have to wilt on the vine. Causing no trouble for anyone and trying to just move back through the warp to another space or time.

If however you release your claim we shall allow your PR teams to suggest possible projects to the Factions. They are pretty easy to manipulate and play against each other, you claim the other is doing one thing and the other needs to do it better.

With Respect,
Supreme Judge Anderson

The Warped One is the most sensitive of the faction, having been a being of the beyond he is an expert in latching onto calls through the warp. He cruelly claws himself along the line of thought to pinpoint the sirens call that he heard. He finds several points of thought, he then grasps the connections and merges them into a stable line of permeant two way communication.

He reaches out to Skail, the Warped One?


Greetings Null Leaders of Hectian Shade,

The Judgeship of the Competition is inquiring if you would desire some extra military power this solar year? We would only ask for the few psionic slaves or conquered peoples you have. We don't have much but our genetically warped and merged war creatures are great for shock value. Our competition always has a need for raw psionic energy.

With Respect,
Supreme Judge Anderson

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Morale 4, Influence 1



The resulting stream of thought on the other end is..broad. Primitive. And honestly only really anything like private because no one else in the galaxy has psykers worth ****.

In any case, the reply is less words and more..images. A sequence of scenes flashing through Skail’s mind.

[An Archo-Medean corpse, prismatic flowers blooming from each of its eyes]
[A Kanthi and an Arboreal, arms clasped together, then cooperating to hunt the same prey]
[A primitive raft, being pushed out to sea]
[A veil gate opening]
[Two bands of Kanthi, trading carved bone weapons for dried meats]

The finale scene ends with an unmistakable feeling of curiosity and uncertainty, clearly a question of some kind.

[Writtensanity]

https://i.imgur.com/bgYFuHF.jpg

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png

The sight of the Orias was a humbling thing. The core of the Hub was quite literally buried beneath kilometer after kilometer of deck floors and armor plating. No civilian was allowed access to the core and even the High Commanders required permission to see it. His permission. Lord Commander Arkh Ban cut an imposing figure in a crisp white and silver dress uniform, though not as imposing as the 18.0 meter mechanical form in front of him. Hanging down like it was crucified, cables ran through the machine's limbs, piercing through in places. It always made him think of the Hub itself greedily devouring every last scrap of of the ARMAMENT's power.

A paragon to all the Knights, the Orias remained defiant, pumping out all the energy the Hub needed, for weapons, defenses, life support, and even basic things like the artificial gravity that kept his boots on the ground. This time it had been a large jump. Ordinarily the Hub took small, slow jumps to its destination, but he had pressured to make the long jump to Principia. "Rash" might be one word to describe his actions, while "bold" might be another. History was written by the victors, and that would determine how he was viewed, like all else. Satisfied that there was no change to the ancient war machine, he turned and headed back towards the turbolift, glancing down at the human woman standing within.

"Kai."

"Lord Commander," The words had a little twist to them, the human fond of putting up a show of sarcastic resistance. She didn't yet adhere to the Knight's ideals, but they weren't so different ultimately. Arkh noted her eyes flick over his shoulder. If she was surprised to see the form of the mech she concealed it well, and she pushed the control to return the turbolift.

"That is our legacy. War unending, and those who gave us everything by their sacrifice. It's noble but..." Arkh sighed, a movement that the Oriasinid was beginning to pick up from the human at his side, "... foolish, ultimately. A howling wolf like myself has no right to be upset when the moon lay out of reach, that is simply the way it is."

Kai scoffed. "You sure you should be saying those things, boss? Doesn't sound like something the top dog should be saying out loud."

As the turbolift doors opened and they entered the security checkpoint, a thin grin graced the muscular alien's lips. "It doesn't matter. There's no voice recording inside the core, and a barking dog like myself is just a quick point in time. A brief memory of stardust and nothing more. No, the ones that will take ahold of the future are those with the unlimited potential of the ARMAMENTs. I know you're tired of the same speech so I won't bother."

"Thanks for saving my poor ears from such a cruel and unusual punishment." Kai rolled her eyes and then as they exited back out into the recycled air of inside of the space station, she angled away, heading back in the direction of the hangar level. She said nothing as she left, only stopping when the Lord Commander called out her name.

"Kai. Good hunting out there." Without a second glance, Kai darted off into the sprawl of metal and concrete that created the urban interior of the Orias Hub. He did not wish her luck, she did not need it.

MOR 4, INF 5
"The Knights of Orias have arrived in the Principia sector and have collaborated with the planetary government remnants at Katina. They retain their full autonomy, as will any system we occupy. We have no interest in civilian targets, and our intentions are simple. We fight to survive, we trade our ability for warriors for the things we lack. We will expand our logistics to the neighboring systems, but they, like Katina, will retain their autonomy, and exchange resources for our services as their protectors.

Let this message then go to the 'contenders' of the Principia Sector. As long as you do not target civilian populaces, you too can make use of our military strength as long as you are willing to offer appropriate compensation. In one Sol year we will be taking contracts. End Trasnmission."

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

ARCHIVAL SITUATION REPORT N8-9-1

THREAT N8-3N3

CLASSIFICATION FORTIS 10

PROGRESS REPORT: HYPERLANE NODE 5 – HAVEN SYSTEM

POLITICAL ENTITIES: 1 – The Republic of Mei

INHABITED STELLAR OBJECTS: 1 Natural, 2 Artificial

STATUS CODE: Green|Yellow|ORANGE|Red|Black|White

PRIMARY AUTHOR: Archivist ██████

BACKGROUND: Theoretically a unified democratic republic. In practice the Republic is ruled by a legislaturist class of de facto hereditary office holders. Corruption and inbreeding rampant, leading to a thriving black market in gene therapy and retroviral engineering serving the upper class. As a former trading partner with the ███, a major importer of N8-3N3-derived longevity and regeneration treatments for those able to afford them. Social divides, endemic corruption and uneven deployment of surveillance technology impose difficulties on government efforts.

CURRENT SITUATION: The Popular Assembly is one excuse from tearing each other apart, and the State Council is essentially nonexistent from the number of Councillors on ‘regularly scheduled inter-system goodwill tours’ or ‘vacations’. A recently passed Peace Preservation Act has, at Archivist ████████’s suggestion, imposed information and press controls that have so far prevented any public panic or mass exodus.

We have not yet been able to isolate any infected biomatter or lifeforms, but Archivist ████ is convinced that is a matter of it being hidden, and I am inclined to agree. With the consent of the currently dominant faction in the Popular Assembly, we have established HORIZON sensors in all major population centers, and several of them have detected slightly elevated signal strength from N8-3N3.

Elite units of the Popular Militia are being quietly mobilized and are undergoing conditioning and weapons training if a purge of infected areas proves necessary, and the People’s Stellar Navy has been fully deployed on a round the clock interdiction of the veil gate to Kansk.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES: Myself and Archivists ████ and ████████ each head small teams well embedded in the military command, and criminal underworld, dominant political faction respectively. With the aid of partially read in assets General ███ and Assemblywoman █████ we have significant direct influence over military and security policy.

As of the last shipment, we have 6 HORIZON sensors in-system, and 9 psi-active agents.

PROPOSED ACTIONS: 1. Take deniable actions to cement Assemblywoman █████ and her ‘Resolute’ faction in power, specifically with regard to military and security policy.

2. Prevent further emigration of Legislaturist elites. Begin subjecting those with likely connections to black market gene therapy to covert HORIZON testing (do not warn local allies of this beforehand)

3. Gather necessary intelligence to burn out black market, root and branch, in one coordinated strike.

4. Isolate elevated HORIZON readings as much as possible, then mobilize local military for triage action.

5. Secure as much funding for further action as possible from Galactic Congress via sale of native Archaotech

END REPORT

[Writtensanity]

https://i.imgur.com/qRHWaJU.gif

MOR 5
INF 5

Hi! and welcome to To the Top: Principia, the official Conquest Season Three fan-cast from Low Light Easy Listening Radio and Broadcasts, I'm Titanika Waller and I'm really excited to be covering the first months of season three of Conquest. After Season Two's thirteen-year run, the four year break between seasons of Conquest felt like it was going to last forever, but luckily that wasn't the case. For those of you that remember, there was a ten solar year gap between seasons one and two, and it really seems like Channel Seldiva is ramping up production after the success of the two seasons. There was even only half a solar year between the announcement and premiere of Conquest Season three, so it's clear that the Arc ships that are sent through the black and to these new galaxies are pre-built and ready to go.

But, enough about the past. Season three is here and it's here to stay. I'd say it had an okay opening. Season Two's planetfall was definitely more interesting as the planetary government of Kiadl Alpha didn't surrender like Linthal2b did this season, but at least we got the siege of Ladfe to prevent Host Station's Arrival from being bloodless. I don't know about you, but I'm personally not a huge fan of the re-education of conquered planets when compared to battles. Though it is always funny to watch new species try to keep up with the Spawn.

Now, there definitely are some kids out there who might be bored with the politics going on right now in Galactic Congress. Those full kids might not have seen a full season of Conquest before. So, I figured it would be good to do a recap of the win conditions set out by Channel Seldiva in their partnership with the Meritocracy Government. If the Contestants pull off any of these conditions within the bounds of Principa before being forced into retreat, they will have won the season, and Principia will likely be welcomed into the fold of the Fotuan Meritocracy.

The first win condition laid out by Channel Seldiva, is the Beacon. This is how the first season of Conquest ended. The Beacon is a technological marvel that our contestants have the blueprint to. Upon activation, the beacon will summon the full might of the Fotuan Meritocracy by connecting Principia to their reality mesh relay system.

Now, it might seem weird for people to win by calling for help, but this condition is in the rules to prevent long-standing sieges on the Galaxy from getting stale. The beacon is DIFFICULT to build, even if you have all the scientists on hand, but Conquest Arcs are intentionally sent without a large research staff to prevent contestants from technologically outstripping their opponents from day one. The resource count needed to make one of these Beacons is will over how much is needed to make 10 Alloiam Class Battle Stations. Additionally, the mesh takes a Solar Year to establish and the contestants must defend it during that time. If they can commit that many resources, and defend the Beacon, it's time to cut to the Finale where the Meritocracy shows the world what for.



Good Evening, Afternoon, or Morning, whichever it happens to be in your system.

We are the Contestants of Channel Seldiva a subsection of the Fotuan Meritocracy. Attached are notes about our empire and cultural beliefs in case you don't already have access to those within your archive.

You exist close to the Song of the Nascence, and though your minds are great, your fleets lack the ability to stop their advance across your cluster. Additionally, you are likely more at odds with the Nascence than we are, which means they are more likely to attack your installations than Channel Seldiva battle stations.

Our proposal is simple, your scientists can establish a hyperlane between the following coordinates [7] and [62]. Our ships are on standby for planetfall in [62] and in another Solar year, we could cross to your cluster using your provided hyperlane, and provide a bulwark against the advancing tide of the Nascence.

Once again for clarification, we are not declaring war on the Nascence, we are a physical barrier between yourselves and them. Eradication would be a discussion for a later date.

Princess.



The Second Win Condition for Contestants is the name of the show, conquest. If you click the link attached. (https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1wsGTCn0_YmRwXjbNuUJXkGtBvKIaqngrN34NP8auFTA/edit) you'll be able to see the map of Principia as well as the current locations of all powers large enough to be considered 'Factions' by the rules of Conquest. There are 65 recognized systems within Principia, and the contestants need to hold at least 1/3rd of the systems to be considered Conquerers as no other nation would be able to stand up to them at that point. That means in Principia our girls would need to capture 22 spaces to win.

As a note, if a nation agrees to meritocracy presence after the events of Conquest Season Three, and helps the Contestants, they may be added to the pool of controlled territories for the Channel's victory count, but the required count goes up by 4 for each added group and raises drastically if half the factions have agreed to join the Meritocracy. In season two the count was raised by the several nations that agreed to act as research bases for the Contestants.

We'll be right back with more of the ways this exciting new season can end, after a quick word from our Sponsors.



What are your rates?

Station Manager Neptune: Budget Manager for Season 3 of Conquest.



This Episode of To the Top Brought to you by RAID: Shadow Legends

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Once again that is RAID: Shadow Legends, using code LOWLIGHT.




QUERY: What would you need to output to avoid a CASCADE event?

QUERY: If a CASCADE event were to occur, what would happen to surround systems.

INPUT: HYPERLANE CONSTRUCTION [12] - [14] Verified?

QUERY: Arms and Armaments Construction Protocols

INPUT: HYPERLANE CONSTURCTION: [11] - [10] Verified?

QUERY: Interaction with hidden Hyperlanes?

QUERY: MATERIAL // RESOURCE // SERVICE REQUEST LOG

INPUT: HYPERLANE CONSTURCTION: [11] - [10] Verified?

INPUT: HYPERLANE CONSTURCTION: [12] - [14] Verified?

LOGIN ATTEMPT: 1

LOGIN ATTEMPT: 2

QUERY: Account Creation

QUERY: Account for Hyperland Construction Protocols.



Trade

and the Channel Seldiva is officially stating that they want you to have access to more territories than your cluster.





The Third Win Condition set up by Channel Seldiva is the Archeotech victory, something new to season three of Conquest. Principia is pretty exclusive in the fact that they have a pre-courser race that is completely gone from the system. Rather than a fallen society or a remnant, there is simply nothing left of the Arceomedians. They did leave behind a lot of cool **** though, and that's what this victory condition is about. Channel Seldiva put a bounty on this stuff, and if our Contestants get six working pieces and can defend them, the Channel will arrive to collect them which will end the season. That might seem boring, but we're talking radical stuff that's even beyond some of the cutting edge tech in the core of the Meritocracy. Hyper-advanced cloning vats, future vision matrices, and let's face, it SOME AWESOME GUNS.

Personally, I would like if they didn't take this route, but I would love to see them interact with some of this tech on their way to a Conquest victory, which is my favourite option. I'm a sucker for the classics...

The show continues for the next several hours before a rebellion sparks on Lithal2B and the feed is replaced by a Live Broadcast of the Channel Seldiva peacekeepers defending the Planetary Government of Lithal2B from the savage 'freedom movement'. There will be a recap of the top 50 bloodiest kills in the morning.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 4, Inf 3

The message isn't so much a directed line of communication so much as it is a series of really cheaply produced late night ads that seem to play only on the most private servers of both civilizations - for the eyes of the gods only, as it were.


YOU'VE BEEN PRE-APPROVED!

Having trouble dealing with fanatical ubermensch supermen who want to kick down your space door and take your lunch money?

Want to deal with the slavering psionically modified hordes that will overwhelm potential allies before they depreciate in value?

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THEN BUY OUR COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION PACKAGE NOW!

Here at Principia Personnel Systems, we believe in protecting our loyal customers. If YOU sign up to a subscription deal right now, you get access to an unprecedented level of intelligence.

Wanna get the 4-1-1 on what's happening on Xytharl? Or how about the sitch at Host Station? Not a problem! Just call the toll-free number on the side of YOUR screen, and you'll be connected with our top of the line customer service agents.

We have the most discreet problem solvers in the galaxy, who are willing to pick up the line and custom-craft YOUR own termination of any target you choose, in whatever method you would prefer. Pre and post-mortem one liners are also available at the customer's request.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Our board of directors has qualified your Hegemony for the new PREMIUM deal: as a one-time signing bonus, we will provide ONE termination entirely for free.

ANYONE in the sector* that you choose will be taken out of commission for at the least next year. All of this can be yours and more!

Get in now, this offer expires SOON!

*All terms and conditions apply. Each termination sold separately.

The deal they are offering is 1 Eco per turn in exchange for the following:
- Full access to their Esp (I'll update you every turn as to their current level so that you can read everything they can)
- Premier access to assassinations (5 Eco or Inf per hit in any combination, reduced from the rate of 7)
- 1 free assassination, using their full resource scheme (they can hit any faction for a 15 point Esp assassination this turn, which can take out any 1 VIP for turn 2)

However, this agreement comes with a slight risk: as the assassins are just performing a job, they would pass on the responsibility to you should any hits be uncovered. What that means is that should any assassinations be investigated, it would be your faction taking the 1 Inf stat damage rather than PPS.
The message isn't so much a directed line of communication so much as it is a series of really cheaply produced late night ads that seem to play only on the most secure channels that your faction has access to.


YOU'VE BEEN PRE-APPROVED!

Having a hard time wiping out multiple techno-theocracies at the same time when they stubbornly stay alive?

Want to deal with the slavering psionically modified hordes that will overwhelm potential allies before they depreciate in value?

Do you want to more effectively crush your enemies beneath your heels?

THEN BUY OUR COMPREHENSIVE ASSISTANCE PACKAGE NOW!

Here at Principia Personnel Systems, we believe in protecting our loyal customers. If YOU sign up to a subscription deal right now, you get access to an unprecedented level of intelligence.

Wanna get the 4-1-1 on what's happening on Xytharl? Or how about the sitch at Host Station? Not a problem! Just call the toll-free number on the side of YOUR screen, and you'll be connected with our top of the line customer service agents.

We have the most discreet problem solvers in the galaxy, who are willing to pick up the line and custom-craft YOUR own termination of any target you choose, in whatever method you would prefer. Pre and post-mortem one liners are also available at the customer's request.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Our board of directors has qualified your Dominion for the new PREMIUM deal: as a one-time signing bonus, we will provide ONE termination entirely for free.

ANYONE in the sector* that you choose will be taken out of commission for at the least next year. All of this can be yours and more!

Get in now, this offer expires SOON!

*All terms and conditions apply. Each termination sold separately.

The deal they are offering is 1 Eco per turn in exchange for the following:
- Full access to their Esp (I'll update you every turn as to their current level so that you can read everything they can)
- Premier access to assassinations (5 Eco or Inf per hit in any combination, reduced from the rate of 7)
- 1 free assassination, using their full resource scheme (they can hit any faction for a 15 point Esp assassination this turn, which can take out any 1 VIP for turn 2)

However, this agreement comes with a slight risk: as the assassins are just performing a job, they would pass on the responsibility to you should any hits be uncovered. What that means is that should any assassinations be investigated, it would be your faction taking the 1 Inf stat damage rather than PPS.
The message isn't so much a directed line of communication so much as it is a series of really cheaply produced late night ads that seem to play only on the most secure channels that your faction has access to.


YOU'VE BEEN APPROVED!

Having trouble dealing with men in mecha suits who think they're in some foreign cartoon?

Want to deal with the slavering psionically modified hordes that will overwhelm potential allies before they depreciate in value?

Do you want to survive the next three years?

THEN BUY OUR COMPREHENSIVE ASSISTANCE PACKAGE NOW!

Here at Principia Personnel Systems, we believe in protecting our loyal customers. If YOU sign up to a subscription deal right now, you get access to an unprecedented level of intelligence.

Wanna get the 4-1-1 on what's happening on Xytharl? Or how about the sitch at Host Station? Not a problem! Just call the toll-free number on the side of YOUR screen, and you'll be connected with our top of the line customer service agents.

We have the most discreet problem solvers in the galaxy, who are willing to pick up the line and custom-craft YOUR own termination of any target you choose, in whatever method you would prefer. Pre and post-mortem one liners are also available at the customer's request.

Get in now, this offer expires SOON!

*All terms and conditions apply. Each termination sold separately.

The deal they are offering is 1 Eco per turn in exchange for the following:
- Full access to their Esp (I'll update you every turn as to their current level so that you can read everything they can)
- Access to assassinations (7 Eco or Inf per hit in any combination)

However, this agreement comes with a slight risk: as the assassins are just performing a job, they would pass on the responsibility to you should any hits be uncovered. What that means is that should any assassinations be investigated, it would be your faction taking the 1 Inf stat damage rather than PPS.
The message isn't so much a directed line of communication so much as it is a series of really cheaply produced late night ads that seem to play only on the more secure channels sent to your faction.


YOU'VE BEEN PRE-APPROVED!

Having a hard time expanding with nascent genetically modified swarms for neighbours?

Want to deal with the slavering psionically modified hordes that will overwhelm potential allies before they depreciate in value?

Do you want to more effectively crush your enemies beneath your heels?

THEN BUY OUR COMPREHENSIVE ASSISTANCE PACKAGE NOW!

Here at Principia Personnel Systems, we believe in protecting our loyal customers. If YOU sign up to a subscription deal right now, you get access to an unprecedented level of intelligence.

Wanna get the 4-1-1 on what's happening on Xytharl? Or how about the sitch at Host Station? Not a problem! Just call the toll-free number on the side of YOUR screen, and you'll be connected with our top of the line customer service agents.

We have the most discreet problem solvers in the galaxy, who are willing to pick up the line and custom-craft YOUR own termination of any target you choose, in whatever method you would prefer. Pre and post-mortem one liners are also available at the customer's request.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Our board of directors has qualified your Knights for the new PREMIUM deal: as a one-time signing bonus, we will provide ONE termination entirely for free.

ANYONE in the sector* that you choose will be taken out of commission for at the least next year. All of this can be yours and more!

Get in now, this offer expires SOON!

*All terms and conditions apply. Each termination sold separately.

The deal they are offering is 1 Eco per turn in exchange for the following:
- Full access to their Esp (I'll update you every turn as to their current level so that you can read everything they can)
- Premier access to assassinations (5 Eco or Inf per hit in any combination, reduced from the rate of 7)
- 1 free assassination, using their full resource scheme (they can hit any faction for a 15 point Esp assassination this turn, which can take out any 1 VIP for turn 2)

However, this agreement comes with a slight risk: as the assassins are just performing a job, they would pass on the responsibility to you should any hits be uncovered. What that means is that should any assassinations be investigated, it would be your faction taking the 1 Inf stat damage rather than PPS.
The message isn't so much a directed line of communication so much as it is a series of really cheaply produced late night ads that seem to play only on the most secure channels that your faction has access to.


YOU'VE BEEN PRE-APPROVED!

Having a hard time negotiating with whacked out psykers?

Want to deal with the slavering psionically modified hordes that will overwhelm potential allies before they depreciate in value?

Do you want to more effectively crush your enemies beneath your heels?

THEN BUY OUR COMPREHENSIVE ASSISTANCE PACKAGE NOW!

Here at Principia Personnel Systems, we believe in protecting our loyal customers. If YOU sign up to a subscription deal right now, you get access to an unprecedented level of intelligence.

Wanna get the 4-1-1 on what's happening on Ultrum? Or how about the sitch at with the Knights of Orias? Not a problem! Just call the toll-free number on the side of YOUR screen, and you'll be connected with our top of the line customer service agents.

We have the most discreet problem solvers in the galaxy, who are willing to pick up the line and custom-craft YOUR own termination of any target you choose, in whatever method you would prefer. Pre and post-mortem one liners are also available at the customer's request.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Our board of directors has qualified your Channel for the new PREMIUM deal: as a one-time signing bonus, we will provide ONE termination entirely for free.

ANYONE in the sector* that you choose will be taken out of commission for at the least next year. All of this can be yours and more!

Get in now, this offer expires SOON!

*All terms and conditions apply. Each termination sold separately.

The deal they are offering is 1 Eco per turn in exchange for the following:
- Full access to their Esp (I'll update you every turn as to their current level so that you can read everything they can)
- Premier access to assassinations (5 Eco or Inf per hit in any combination, reduced from the rate of 7)
- 1 free assassination, using their full resource scheme (they can hit any faction for a 15 point Esp assassination this turn, which can take out any 1 VIP for turn 2)

However, this agreement comes with a slight risk: as the assassins are just performing a job, they would pass on the responsibility to you should any hits be uncovered. What that means is that should any assassinations be investigated, it would be your faction taking the 1 Inf stat damage rather than PPS.
The message isn't so much a directed line of communication so much as it is a series of really cheaply produced late night ads that seem to play only on the most secure channels that your faction has access to.


YOU'VE BEEN APPROVED!

Having trouble dealing with men in mecha suits who think they're in some foreign cartoon?

Want to deal with the slavering psionically modified hordes that will overwhelm potential allies before they depreciate in value?

Do you want to survive the next three years?

THEN BUY OUR COMPREHENSIVE ASSISTANCE PACKAGE NOW!

Here at Principia Personnel Systems, we believe in protecting our loyal customers. If YOU sign up to a subscription deal right now, you get access to an unprecedented level of intelligence.

Wanna get the 4-1-1 on what's happening on Xytharl? Or how about the sitch at Host Station? Not a problem! Just call the toll-free number on the side of YOUR screen, and you'll be connected with our top of the line customer service agents.

We have the most discreet problem solvers in the galaxy, who are willing to pick up the line and custom-craft YOUR own termination of any target you choose, in whatever method you would prefer. Pre and post-mortem one liners are also available at the customer's request.

Get in now, this offer expires SOON!

*All terms and conditions apply. Each termination sold separately.

The deal they are offering is 1 Eco per turn in exchange for the following:
- Full access to their Esp (I'll update you every turn as to their current level so that you can read everything they can)
- Access to assassinations (7 Eco or Inf per hit in any combination)

However, this agreement comes with a slight risk: as the assassins are just performing a job, they would pass on the responsibility to you should any hits be uncovered. What that means is that should any assassinations be investigated, it would be your faction taking the 1 Inf stat damage rather than PPS.

Amaranthine Archive
Mor 3, Inf 3

We accept your generosity in the spirit that it is offered. We plan on taking [7] in the coming year ourselves, but will cede it to you should a route between your star and it be created and maintained. Your use as a bulwark against the Nascence will prove that the rumours that our logisticians have heard about you are well-founded. We only ask that you guarantee no similar passage is offered to your neighbours from Xytharl, as their powers are both fearsome and touched by madness. I should know, as I have dabbled with the art and know its more deleterious effects on one's computational objectivity.

In short - you have a deal, entertainers.

Doyenne Sael'Grisst, Head of PsyOps
Friends of understanding,

We have reached a dire precipice, the edges of which threaten to consume all of our hopes. The Archive has reached out to uncover the threads of the stars and found them hungry. If we are not careful, we may yet find ourselves devoured in turn by the beasts that roam the void from Idri.

What I ask from the two of you is a mutual accord, one of defense and cooperation. In agreeing to forswear hostilities between us three, we agree to come to one another's' aid should any of us be attacked. You need not agree to such conditions between yourselves, and can amend those terms as you see fit; however, our people may soon yet be in desperate need of allies. There are innocent billions who are now threatened, and we look to you as beacons of progress that they may be safeguarded by the power of your collective minds.

Should the need rise, the Archive may also ask your permission for a bridge to be constructed to bypass the abominations through the Veil Gate and into your own neighbourhood (hyperlane between [10] and [20] or [14]).

We eagerly await your reply,

Phase-Knight Wen, 82nd Archive Administrator

Umbra
Mor 7, Inf 1

There come no words from Umbra, only five pips echoing into silence as the entity continues its placement above the ██-███ system. Their meaning is not explained, yet entirely clear in their solitude.

Umbra declares war on all factions, as a matter of course. More accurately, it doesn't seem to recognize any peace and war is simply giving it free reign to go where it wants without incurring any stat penalties for doing so.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Data Recovery Report: Data Repair Program Crash Report

Initiate Data Recovery

Data Recovery Report: Data Repair Program Crash Report

Initiate Data Recovery

Data Recovery Report: Data Repair Program Crash Report

Initiate Data Recovery

Data Recovery Report: Data Repair Program Crash Report

Initiate Data Recovery

Data Recovery Report: Data Repair Program Crash Report

Initiate Data Recovery

Data Recovery Report: Data Repair Program Crash Report

Initiate Data Recovery

Data Recovery Report: Data Repair Program Crash Report

Initiate Data Recovery

Data Recovery Report: Data Repair Program Crash Report

Initiate Data Recovery

Help.

*******Log 2.1: The Fading********
[TMA]: Why do you play that game Dr. Romero?

[E003]: It's something to pass the time Magnus. I enjoy fitting all the little parts together. Makes me feel like I’ve really accomplished something.

[TMA]: Your estimated time before lethal dehydration is 941 hours. I recommend drinking approximately 400ml of water Dr. Romero.

[E003]: Thank you Magnus for that very comforting reminder.

[TMA]: You are upset Dr. Romero, would you like me to activate a therapy module for those dealing with grief?

[E003]: No Magnus. I’d like to be left alone.

[TMA]: This is your one hour reminder to drink approximately 400ml of water Dr. Romero.

[E003]: You mothering little nag. Fine. Just one more turn and I’ll got drink some water.

[TMA]: This is your two hour reminder to drink approximately 400ml of water Dr. Romero.

[E003 has left the chat]

*******Log 2.1: END********


Mor 10, Rep 1

Players

Channel Seldiva
[Output:] Cluster C93.X space sufficient.
#01101110 01101111#
[Output:] Additional Territory Access: Necessary;
%%%%%%%%%%%%% eventually
[Output:] Hyperlane [12-14] required for trade access.
[QUERY:] Entertainment
RETURN ‘the action of providing or being provided with amusement or enjoyment’

[Output:] What entertainment do you seek from the Magnus Apparatus?

NPCs

PPS
[Output:] Offer Registered. Considering

…

[Output:] Interest Registered. Hyperlane Connection Required
[Output:] Warning, Cluster Bre---------------------------------/////////////////
[Output:] Hyperlane Connection Soon to be established.

[Output:] Credit program available?

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

ARCHIVAL SITUATION REPORT N8-2-1

THREAT N8-3N3

CLASSIFICATION FORTIS 10

PROGRESS REPORT: HYPERLANE NODE 2 – AYSLE SYSTEM

POLITICAL ENTITIES: 1 – Iremic Mandate of Tolwyn

INHABITED STELLAR OBJECTS: 4 Natural

STATUS CODE: GREEN|Yellow|Orange|Red|Black|White

PRIMARY AUTHOR: Archivist ███

BACKGROUND: Former Archo-Medean prison and resource extraction colonies. Post-collapse, multiple generations of bloody anarchy. Eventually unified under a messianic cult whose leader claimed to have banished the Archo-Medean ‘demons’ and returned to protect her people. Resulting absolute theocracy has ruled system more or less absolutely for past centuries. Actual sacral monarchs essentially figureheads, executive authority currently exercised by a Grand Arbiter ███████.

Mandate is intensely xenophobic, with strict controls on trade and migration. Limited trade with ███████████ before it was consumed by N8-3N3.

CURRENT SITUATION: No current traces of N8-3N3 in system, either from in-system HORIZON sensors or conventional surveillance. Expansion of N8-3N3 has set off frenzy of paranoia and xenophobia. Multiple mystics with significant popular followings have identified N8-3N3 as either the Archo-Medeans reborn or a different choir of demons invading the material world. Numerous cases of aliens and the visibly diseased being burned or buried alive by agitated crowds, with limited intervention from authorities. Clerical elites currently congregating in ████████████ for official conclave on the matter. ███████ known to support strong response.

All in- and out- system travel currently prohibited. Temple militias and military orders in the process of being call into active duty.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES: Extremely limited. Archivist ██████ has an official diplomatic posting and semi-regular access to relevant officials, but no direct influence over policy. Majority of Archivists in-system deployed maintaining 7 HORIZON sensors covertly deployed across strategic locations and population centres.

PROPOSED ACTIONS: 1. Open full communication with and establish influence within Mandate government.
2. Encourage Mandate to assume responsibility for maintenance and funding of HORIZON sensor network.
3. Maintain current state of surveillance and vigilance.

END REPORT

[neriractor]

"The Hecatian Shade"

It had taken several weeks to gather them all, and that only because of their prime location, The satellite of a gas giant within the Alear system, only deemed productive enough to be colonized with the advances brought by the Hecatians.

The gathering looked much like the selection screen of an entertainment product, with almost as many species as seats, if not for the Aldear's and humans of the recent acquisitions and a few of the most plentiful species within the old shade, the "galal" chief amongst them.

It was truly impressive that the tradition of a personal gathering was still upheld, even now that challenges had fallen out of style, Chit'al, still didn't take his chances and made an appaerance through holograms and a physically imposing proxy.

All who wished to have their voice heard needed to find their own means of comfort within the hosts living space, as "The follower", a galal, was set to host them the humans, Aldear, and the many shade species displayed their ingenuity from oxygen tanks to magnetic fields, special radiation devices and gravitation displays. The place looked like an expo on exploration tech and for many of the leaders that held their place through battle prowess it probably felt like one, As the session started with issues such as succession of the follower in case of sudden death (not suspiscious at all), freedom of religion as it pertained to the Idrian Nascence, corporate meddling and its relation with many of the shade's internal treaties, the place of both humans and Aldears (who wouldn't just find it themselves like proper Hecatians), and resolution of several internal disputes.

A quiet tension lingered as the session prolonged on matters of state, the given string pulled almost to the point a finger passed a played a calming note that most were waiting for, it was time for foreign affairs, it was weird that horde didn't agree on this part...

Mor 4, Inf 3

PCs:

The Shade and its people do not enjoy your tone progenitor and is only distance that holds us from war, we shall take 52 and-53 as our limit towards the rest of this cluster, unless the wyrds ask for our protection or make their own treaty with you the rest of the cluster anything after 52-53 is yours for all we care.

As the only two collectives with any kind of army (and its likely nearest targets), we should really see about containing the Umbra, I suggest we agree to fight it where it stands as soon as it reaches any systems bordering either us Hecatians or the contestants.

Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Ps: on a personal note, big fan.

A salute to you signals in the void,

We have a few, though we can't make the choice to trade until we know what to expect of the world council vote, if [Everywhere he is in chains] passes, we'd have no use for the psykers but plenty for your warbeasts.

Hoping for a profitable exchange,
Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Nostalgic wanderers,

Warfare is to be conducted as breathing or eating, out of need if forced or whenever you feel like if given such a freedom, we do respect the way you conduct yours. I have to ask, how far do your "neighbouring systems" extend?

A measure of respect,
Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

NPCs:

Archivists,

As we uphold some Arco-medean principles, and more importantly a healthy respect for knowledge, do know that despite our distance you can count on our aid, less your invaluable torch be extinguished.

Chit'al, Head engineer of the Tria-khan shipyards and associates.

Esteemed death dealers,

How soon does the offer expire? we'd need to at least see a desition on the world congress before considering it.

Ala Cait, "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

The blade sliced down, with all the speed and precision of a guillotine blade, and in that moment, Ares knew that he had lost. The sword cut cleanly through his neck, and then everything simply ceased.

The body fell to the ground. Ares wiped the blood off his sword and smiled, exulting in the thrill of victory. “For what victory”, he laughed, “is greater than that which is won over oneself?”

Stepping over his corpse, he proceeded to the break station. In what resembled a high-tech arena, hundreds of himself, all in freshly-grown clones, fought in mirror matches to the death. The strongest, most adaptable, most bloodthirsty versions of himself would survive, and learn. The process would repeat itself, over and over, until only the peerless warriors remained. And those… well, if his adopted sister was right… the Hegemony might need as many of those – of him – as they could get.

Taking a moment to open a secure line as he grabbed water – an unnecessary tradition at this point, but one he relished – he glanced up at the skyship above. “You there, sis?”

There was a sign on the other end of the call. “For you, brother? Always. You have any more barbaric platitudes to dispense to me? Or can I continue plotting our defensive formations?”

Ares grinned wide. “Don’t pretend you’re not doing both at once, dear sister.”

There was a laugh on the other end. Some of the other gods preferred to take on less human voices when inhabiting non-human vessels. Not her.

“And here I thought wisdom was my domain. You’ll put me out of a job, Ares.”

He beamed upwards, casting his eyes at the distant silver circle hovering far above him in the sky. “That assumes you do anything at all, other than float around and worry over nothing.”

“Hmph.” Sullen silence filled the call. Athena hated being told she was anything short of indispensable. “You know, you’re the seventeenth version of yourself to tell me that today.”

Now it was Ares’ turn to scowl. “Couldn’t let me have that one, eh? Ignorance is strength, and all that.”

That piercing laugh again. “Then you, my dear feebleminded brother, must be the strongest of us all.”

Suppressing a smile, he grabbed a flamethrower-sword from one of the many armament racks, a shield, and sauntered confidently back into the arena.

He never saw the javelin, nanites guiding its path and making its edge impossibly sharp, coming.

Ares grinned and yanked his spear from the neck of his corpse. A perfect shot, as always.

Stepping over the body, he opened a line of communication to Athena, far above.

“You there, sis?”

___________________________________

Morale 6
Influence 5




Greetings, neighbors.

The Chrysaorian Hegemony will not bow to you. We will not beg for our survival. But I have not maintained a thousand years of rule by picking unnecessary fights. We cede all claims of 17 and 14 to you, in recognition of your superior might. Should you wish to bring war and devastation to our shores, we shall fight you with everything we can muster, knowing we are doomed. We hope we can avoid such a fate, but if not, then we shall make our ancestors proud.

Zeus, King of the Gods





We agree that cooperation is sorely required, but we cannot accept such a pact. The simple fact of the matter is that if the Domin, our neighbors, turn their attention upon us, there is nothing our combined might can do. We would not drag you into a conflict that cannot be won. And, in turn, we would not be drawn into a war that would risk the deaths of trillions for the sake of an outside empire, should Logopathor be attacked.

But we do desire cooperation. Know that we do stand against the Nascence and the Apparatus, who threaten the Archive by proximity, and while we will not commit to a defensive pact, we will provide what aid we can.

Respectfully,

Hermes, Messenger of the Gods





As stated in other communications, we are unwilling to commit to a defensive pact with any proximate to the Domin. However, we are willing to discuss a direct alliance, or possibly even a defensive pact with the Archive, given our third communication to you below.

Respectfully,

Hermes, Messenger of the Gods





We accept these terms. In lieu of an assassination, would you instead strike at the Nascence this turn at our behest, if possible? They must be dealt with before they are granted the opportunity to spread unchecked.





As a youth, I rose up and slew my father when he threatened the future of humanity. Know that I speak the truth when I say that I will not bow before danger.

I will see humanity grow to bind and break stars under my stewardship. I will see my species claim its rightful place among the cosmos.

As the King of the Gods, that means actively standing against threats to humanity.

As such, the Chrysaorian Hegemony formally declares war against the Idrian Nascence, the Magnus Apparatus, and the Umbra.

The three of you are threats beyond measure. You will consume and grow without regard for those trampled in your wake. As such, we declare our enmity. Know that this does not mandate action on our part, but I refuse to suffer judgement for any actions we may take to prevent the devastation you will bring.

Zeus, King of the Gods, Bearer of Lightning, Spear of the Heavens



I’m not taking an Influence penalty for if and when I take actions against you. You started with Inf 1, this is the consequence.

[Vrock Bait]

Logopathor, the Artificial God

Two Weeks Ago

“It’s too early in the morning for geopolitics.”

Eshira groaned, stretching out of bed. She tapped at her implant, and a cup of warm coffee popped up in her electronic dumbwaiter. It took a few sleepy swipes before she managed to take it.

“Oh c’mon, it’s what, six? You went to bed at nine.” Jakan replied. “You humans don’t need more than eight hours of sleep, if I recall my classes correctly.”

“Sutor, ne ultra crepidam,” Eshira grumbled back at him across her coffee.

“Okay, look,” Jakan said, “You know what being invited to the Galactic Congress means?”

“You have to barge into my apartment before the sun rises waving around your tablet?”

“It means we got recognized in the Galactic Congress!” Jakan said, excitement showing across his avian features.

“How do you know they're not just using us for consultation again?” She asked, the caffeine finally settling in. “You do remember the last time with the entropy koalas?”

“Okay, look, they invited everyone they could find for the entropy koalas, that was different. It was an intergalactic threat,” he answered, “This time we’re meeting explicitly to cut borders. There’s only twelve odd governments other than us they sent invitations to.”

Jakan handed Eshira his tablet.

“Hm,” she said, after scrolling through it quickly, “Where’s the Lithal Confederacy? Weren’t they still harassing us about not having a military two weeks ago?”

“Oh yeah. The Lithalites got conquered by that show your grandma watches on Fridays. The new season just aired, I think. As far as I can tell, most everyone who hasn’t collapsed or been conquered is on the Congress list.”

“Well,” Eshira said, “This doesn’t look too bad at all. Half of these guys are unoriginal soulless war machines, and another third are just the usual gang of eldritch horrors we deal with.”

She grinned, taking another sip of her coffee.

“What could go wrong?”

Morale 5


Greetings,

I appreciate your diplomacy on this subject, Messenger, and I understand your reasoning. However, I ask you this: is it not better to die together, having put our efforts into one whole, than be hunted and conquered individually as dogs? Make no mistake, the Nascence and its compatriots are coming. It is only a matter of when. I am in warm talks with one of the strongest of the imperialist flock, and if they go through, I may yet be able to put in a good word for your people.

Please understand, I am offering no pressure. You may continue your operations as you wish. I only that when the barbarians reach out gates, we will stand against them together.

Yours in progress,
Logopathor & Co.





Greetings,

Unfortunately, our logistical capacities currently simply cannot support an operation of this magnitude. By the time we send any reinforcements to your cluster it will simply be too late, and vice versa. However, if you migrate a portion of your sites to our cluster before the Nascence arrives on your doorstep, we will support your claims to any unoccupied systems [20, 14]. We promise an alliance if you take these measures. It is only to make guarantee your safety.

Yours in science,
Logopathor & Co.


Basically, if you conquer one of those neutral territories we’ll join an alliance with you. Just so that you have a contingency and we can protect you better if it comes down to it.



Greetings,

We would be very much amenable to such a relationship. Is there any resource we can provide you? Information, diplomats, perhaps?

Yours in logic,
Logopathor & Co.

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png

MOR 4, INF 5
Well-oiled is the machine of war. We are no strangers to that, but there are many who require the support of our warriors to earn them the materiel they require. Our initial time in the Sector will be spent shoring up our immediate supplie lines. In one Sol year, our services should be prepared to make any journey they need to. Economic gain for military strength, a simple and effective trade.

Our "robots" are more than mere hardware, they are an extension of ourselves, and if you're lucky an infallible partner in battle. More than that, the "robot" is responsible for picking the one it is most suited to. You are welcome to join us, if you crave war, but if all you crave is spectacle then you provide more than enough of that on your own.

Kai turns off the view-screen blinking her eyes to get rid of the image of that glaring yellow font. "That's just tacky..."

The circumstances will change naturally with each system. We cannot (and would not) give you a full synopsis of any campaign or greater strategy, that would be inherently foolish. We intend only to defend systems that will accept us, and trade with them fairly, thus we have no desire to take territory of yours. Compared to the scattered planetary governments and independent corporations that fill the "empty" space between us, we are of more use to them then to you. We will extend a foothold into the cluster at [43] and [44] only to provide a rally point and logistics base for any faction in the cluster that has need of us.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

ARCHIVAL SITUATION REPORT N8-5-1

THREAT N8-3N3

CLASSIFICATION FORTIS 10

PROGRESS REPORT: HYPERLANE NODE 5 – LANALA SYSTEM

POLITICAL ENTITIES: Estimated ~200 Warlord Statlets, 8 Significant

INHABITED STELLAR OBJECTS: 2 Natural, 47 Artificial

STATUS CODE: Green|YELLOW|Orange|Red|Black|White

PRIMARY AUTHOR: Archivist ████████

BACKGROUND: Historically unlucky star system. Currently home of mercenary companies, pirate fleets, and slaving guilds. Centre of slave trade and organized criminal syndicates across the cluster. Dominant species the Edino (uplift gone wrong, technobarbarian), but with significant diversity. Slavery universal, low-level raiding and occasional vendettas endemic.

CURRENT SITUATION: No current proof of infection at any point. No centralized government capable of enforcing quarantine or preventing spread. Warlord █████ - Edino,, one of the most powerful in the system – has made a grand proclamation that he will vaporize any ship entering from quarantined space. In response ██████ - human, former slave of his, current leader of a significant raiding flotilla – has declared she will lead a fleet to █████ and return with all the riches of its former occupants. Neither has actually taken any concrete actions at this point.

Criminal syndicate ████████ known to fund smuggling and scavenging missions on war zones and remnants of destroyed civilizations. No signs yet, but have been identified as a major possible infection vector.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES: Few. Corsair leader ████████ is an Archival asset, but as a result of blackmail and a managed dependency, not direct loyalty. Services of General ██████ and his ███████████████ mercenary company have been retain for additional security.

PROPOSED ACTIONS: 1. Make contact with █████ and determine if cooperation is possible. If not determine method to feed information on possible infection vectors.
2. Discretely coordinate ██████’s enemies to ensure her fleet is ambushed and destroyed before reaching Veil Gate.
3. Determine feasibility of establishing picket fleet or killsat network to discourage single ships from using
4. Establish intelligence network inside ████████, or support rivals in destroying it.

END REPORT

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SURVEILLANCE REPORT

THREAT N8-3N3

CLASSIFICATION FORTIS 10

TIMESTAMP: ████████

ARCHIVAL NOTE: Excerpt of reaction when signals carrying ███████████████████’s official declaring of war propagated through local Veil Gates. Annotations follow.

00:00:02: Near-instant response upon signal arrival (note lack of light speed delay for message to actually reach ███ once in-system). Resulting signal/energy pulse seems to originate in White Zone, only metadata recorded and any analyses of signal currently prohibited for security reasons. Automated security protocols required self-destruct be activated on the 40% of the unmanned survey drones currently within quarantined space.

00:03:57: The battlesuit-sized megafauna has been designated TITAN. Note how its focus seems to have shifted from the sky in general [attempts to determine if its perspective is directed at any particular stars or pieces of stellar geography are ongoing] to the precise location of the White Zone in the sky.

00:11:13: Note how vines and undergrowth seem to pull themselves off of TITAN or wilt away even before it actually moves, and how a multi-species swarm of infected animals instantly begin forming a retinue around. Recovered data from the fall of █████ makes it clear that TITAN is some sort of battlefield command-and-control system for the infected. Location tracking lost one local day later under heavy cloud cover, no longer seems to be on surface of ███.

17:19:23: Note growth of megaflora on the ocean’s surface. Flowers stalk quickly grows over ███ tall, diameter of blossom half again as large. Limitations on sensor technology prevent detailed analysis, but vibrations and shifting color patterns lead to hypothesis that it was receiving or broadcasting some variety of signal.

29:31:37: Note patterns of flashing light across ocean’s surface for hours preceding energy pulse. Flash of light sufficiently bright to prevent any authorized sensors from capturing event. Flower seemed to have undergone significant structural damage, but was in significant state of decay by point surveilance was reestablished, difficult to determine much. Excerpt ends here.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Morale 4, Influence 1

PCs



[For several weeks after the official declaration of war, many of Apollo’s more oracular incarnations are troubled by a recurring nightmare, a message sent through the depths of space to any receptive minds. The general shape of it is shockingly consistent, though cosmetic details do vary]

A grand, beautiful temple-palace stands proud, despite the hordes of savage barbarians gathered outside its walls. Within, at its very centre, there is a sacred pool lapping against the gods’ thrones. At the bottom of the pool, there is an egg, or possible a locked chest, or a mature and flowering plant. In whatever case, it is beautiful and distant, colors shimmering and distorted from the waters’ depths.

Zeus – proud and imperious Zeus, a caricature of every unkind thought Apollo has ever had of him – turns his back from the crisis outside his own walls and strides to the water’s edge. Without a moment’s reflection, he plunges a spear into the water, shattering the egg or smashing open the chest or cutting the flower in two.

Instantly, vines and roots begin to spread across the pool’s floor and up its walls, and up the shaft of Zeus’ spear as well. Within moments, the thrones of Olympus seem overgrown and desolate, engravings faded and masonry cracking. As the sound of war cries and screams echo from outside, the vines spread across Zeus’ arm, his face twisted with terror as the roots dig into his flesh and curl around his bones. The dream ends with him roaring and weeping in pain.

After several nights of this, the dream shift. Instead, as Zeus raises his spear Apollo throws himself at him, sending them both toppling to the ground and so staying his hand. The scene then flashes from triumph to triumph, to the Hegemony spreading across the stars, and Apollo himself being hailed as one of the greatest seers of any age.




[The signal is more than slightly strange, seemingly a wide-spectrum burst of white noise and random junk signals. Any sort of analysis naturally reveals certain patterns, however, and the seemingly random fragments of other recordings are in fact a sort of collage, reassembled to clumsily convey a new message.]

Greetings
threats beyond measure.
We have reached a dire precipice
Here at Principia Personnel Systems, we believe in protecting our loyal customers
If we are not careful, we may yet find ourselves devoured
a massive horde of battle ships and firepower that actually has more raw firepower than the Conquest Season Three Arc, Brought to you by Ambolisha, has on day one
and exchange resources for our services as their protectors.
For your other plans, we understand that you are looking to make a splash
We would be very much amenable to such a relationship. Is there any resource we can provide you?
a massive horde of battle ships and firepower
Our competition always has a need for raw psionic energy.
If YOU sign up to a subscription deal right now, you get access to an unprecedented level of intelligence.
What I ask from the two of you is a mutual accord, one of defense and cooperation. In agreeing to forswear hostilities between us three, we agree to come to one another's' aid should any of us be attacked.
We would be very much amenable to such a relationship. Is there any resource we can provide you?



NPCs





[i]The local stellar cluster, as viewed from any star chart or navigation centre. The glowing point that signifies Idri begins to swell, unfurling into a mesmerizingly beautiful flower, still tasting of starlight. From it, vividly green vines begin to spread across the hyperlanes and transform each star in turn – first Kansk, and then, inevitably, the rest of the cluster. The dream splits into three variations at this point. Possible futures?

In the first, the dreamer floats on a cloud of euphoria as the Nascence comes to Zephyrus Prime, laughing and singing with everyone they have ever loved as the star blinks and reveals itself to be some vast, cosmic eye and their bodies begin to glow with all the light they need. They wake giddy, with a fleeting urge to take up gardening.

In the second, they burn their dearest child or friend alive while they beg and promise that they aren’t really infected. They watch the Laughing Sky descend on Zephyrus, uncaring of their fire as it plucks whole platoons into its mouths with each swooping dive. They die screaming as a chitinous arachnid the size of their head unfurls their ribcage and crawls inside of them. They wake much the same, jolted out of the dream with a psychosomatic shock of pain.

Finally, in the third, they weep as they leave behind their home, dragging everything they can carry onto vast and overcrowded ark ships. They flee across the vastness of space, suffering privation and disease as they force themselves as unwanted guests on reluctant and foreign hosts. They look at the stars with a deep and existential dread, and wake with the image of the star chart once again their eyes, the vines reaching Zephyrus and letting it bloom. They do not follow along the newly carved path, and the dreamer is left with a bizarre sense of melancholy and loss.

[neriractor]

Hecatian Shade

Fair enough on your greater strategy, and plans do change when tested.

In the interest of avoiding a likely conflict we must warn you not to touch any system within this cluster, whether they "accept" your fleets or not, or even if it would be better for them (enjoyed your humor), unless you are willing to cede [36] and [37] for the same purposes.

if anybody needs you here... a lane will suffice.

heed the signs but follow without them,
Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

[Writtensanity]

MOR 5 INF 5

There is a scroll by of diagrams on the screen as opposed to a host. The voice delivering this message is kind and calm.

Hello and welcome to our newest viewers in the Channel Seldiva expanded galaxies range. We’re happy to have your aboard. We would especially like to extend a welcome to our expanded signal coverage in the Principia Galaxy, though you already had a front row seat to the entertainment.

We at Channel Seldiva would like to welcome you with our basic introduction broadcast. If you have already seen this broadcast, feel free to switch to another Channel Seldiva frequency and enjoy the show. Otherwise, stick around, you just might learn something.

Who are the citizens of the Fotuan Meritocracy? Who are the similar looking hominids you see on your screens and in your homes? We have the answers!

The Fotuan Meritocracy is run, and mostly lived in by clones of a super soldier project created by a now dead scientific state. That’s right, the reason they all look so similar to you isn’t speciesism, it’s that they are clones! Each generation of Spawn are bred from a single Progenitor, the highest position available within the Fotuan Meritocracy. Though it might be hard to tell on first glance. Most people can determine which progenitor spawned a clone of the Meritocracy after a short time with them.

It’s a common misconception that the Clones of the meritocracy are humans, but the clones are genetically distinct enough to be their own species scientifically.

On screen, a Fotuan Clone stands beside a human, helping to show the differences.



If distance is all that is preventing war, why let distance hold us down?

We’re here to party if you are.

Channel Seldiva has invited you to mutual War. This would be treated as a war agreement as opposed to a declaration from either side. Diplomatically both nations are agreeing that they are both aggressors and neither the victim.



Fotuans are, on average two feet taller than the average human male.

Fotuans are clones and exclusively female presenting on the human sex spectrum, though Fotuans have no reproductive organs and narrower hips and waists than humans.

The ‘breasts’ that Fotuans contain the production centres for the healing platelets that enable Fotuans accelerated healing. Their placement is believed to have been an aesthetic choice by the creators.

Fotuan hair is a durable chitin hex weave is stiffer than human hair, it is durable enough to replace most worn helmets.

Fotuans lack the coloured Cornea of humans, and have a silver pupil as opposed to the black of humans. This colouration is allowed by bioluminescence.

Fotuan speech is a psionic output. If you have ever noticed that you understand Channel Seldiva and it looks like our hosts are speaking your language, this is why. Fotuan speech contains memetic properties that allow interpretation in the receiver’s native language, as well as retroactively rewriting recent memory to make it appear as if they were speaking that language themselves. This was an added feature to the race so they could communicate with conquered species.



Answer: Entertainment requested in the form of the wholesale slaughter of non-factory beings to add their materials to the factory. Their attempts to resist and great for ratings.

With love,

Princess.






Can we please have one to see if any of us match with a robot.





Aww you beat us to it.

Though we will say. War is name alone is hardly a show of force, or a show of solidarity against the darker forces of the Galaxy.

Either way, you have proven yourselves bold, we may have work with you later once we are closer.





These routes cannot be made by us this season. We shall notify you of our intent to capture [7] when the time comes.






We will take your deal, though I do not believe that we have the routes to transfer our credits to your accounts.

Additionally, we can also offer a single solar year or your offer, without the free intervention, in exchange for premium ad space during one of our public broadcasts. For two years we will additionally add your ad copy to private messages to powerful factions within Principia.

Let us know,

Neptune.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 5
Inf 2

Greetings to the Shaded,

We will readress this possible trade when the possible acts of the Congress are passed.

Supreme Judge Anderson


Greetings New Allies,

The Competition agrees to your terms. We shall work together with the channel and use your expanded viewership through the universe to aid the deciding of our competition. Prepare to view great and terrible acts of psionic power the likes of which your channel has never viewed.


The two way communication strengthens as the Warped One peruses through the visions. He gathers himself and recalls memories of his host and the memories of his own past with mortals
A long fingered grey hand brushing against the temple of a drooling man and pulling a stream of information.
A circle of gifted viewing the meetings of a local government.
Decay of the natural circle of life, trapped and traded.
Psionic plant life traded for the use of powerful Psykers
Information drives traded for powerful psionic matter
The Warped one confirms the questioning thought. Pulsing back agreement.
Trade Esp for your Psi? 6 Esp for 6 Psi?

[Writtensanity]

https://i.ibb.co/FgWNwbv/Psyker-Wars-Made-with-Flex-Clip-1.gif

1000 years ago, three factions of Psionics beyond comprehension began the greatest competition of minds the galaxy has ever known. Their contest was so great, and their rivalry so fierce that they transported through time!


RIGHT ONTO CHANNEL SELDIVA

Tune into PSYKER WARS! A subsection of Conquest: Principia to see the impossible, be the impossible and choose your faction! Are you a #KaijuCrafter a #RealityWarper or a #ChaosController ? Vote now online and visit the PSYKER WARS online store (https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/74609223) to show your support today!



The Competition of Minds has signed a contract with Channel Seldiva and is now considered a subsidiary of the channel. Attacking them or preventing their work is considered akin to attacking us. This is your only warning.





Channel Seldiva and The Competition of Minds have entered and Alliance with the following terms:

Their territories will count as collective for the Domination Victory Condition

Declarations of War or aggressive actions against Channel Seldiva or the Competition of Minds are considered Declarations of war / aggressive actions on all parties within the alliance.

The Competition of Minds is not beholden to wars Declared by Channel Seldiva unless they are wars of retaliation (AKA: Channel Seldiva was attacked but the person had not declared war yet.)

Channel Seldiva will feature the judgement blocks of the Competition of Minds during Conquest: Principia Airtime.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Influence 1, Morale 4



Two barges meet in the middle of a lake to trade, the lights shifting beneath the water’s surface more than slightly reminiscent of the stars in the sky.

Deal. Each contribute 1 Psi to create the hyperlane?

[3SecondCultist]

Amaranthine Archive
Mor 3, Inf 3

To Head Engineer Chi'tal,

Your message was well appreciated by our people. The designation for your civilization is also Fortis class, though you have proven yourselves helpful to race of scientific minds before.

We may look into the feasibility of cooperating with you to create a hyperlane from Zephyrus [8] to [49] next year. This would then allow your military access to our cluster of space systems to help us combat the Nascence head on. They are an immediate threat that will need to be dealt with, and there are many gains to be made by repatriating the neutral systems into your swarm.

Equally, you should be aware that Channel Seldiva has made a similar offer. They will be moving to [7] and will then have near free reign over the cluster should they beat back the threat from Idri.

Commissar Winry Oon
Esteemed colleagues,

We here at the Archive understand well the value of cooperation - that is why we reached out to your reasoned selves. While the people of Zephyrus will certainly find ourselves under immediate threat, we do not see what choices we have. The Ultrum may yet expand into any of the havens we have our eyes on, leaving us with nowhere to go.

Left with few places to turn, our people may have to ally with less tasteful but equally effective agents. Channel Seldiva has offered to move into our star provinces and fight off the Nascence - this is not exactly an ideal solution, as several of our people fear that we would be replacing the proverbial lion with a wolf.

It is a dangerous galaxy we live in, friends. We may yet be looking for refuge at [20], though we plan on taking [10] in the coming year first so as to allow for a better position.

Phase-Knight Wen, 82nd Archive Administrator
Next year, perhaps.

You should also be made aware that a similar offer to yours has come to us courtesy of the Hecatian Shade. Their swarms are ready to fly and move out to a staggering number of systems this year and next, and should be landing in the cluster soon.

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 4, Inf 3

The message isn't so much a directed line of communication so much as it is a series of really cheaply produced late night ads that seem to play only on the most private servers of your civilization - for the board of directors.


YOU'VE BEEN PRE-APPROVED!

Are you worried about fanatical ubermensch supermen or anime mecha mercs who want to kick down your space door and take your lunch money?

Want to deal with the slavering psionically modified hordes that will overwhelm potential allies before they depreciate in value?

Do you want to survive the next three years?

THEN BUY OUR COMPREHENSIVE PROTECTION PACKAGE NOW!

Here at Principia Personnel Systems, we believe in protecting our loyal customers. If YOU sign up to a subscription deal right now, you get access to an unprecedented level of intelligence.

Wanna get the 4-1-1 on what's happening on Xytharl? Or how about the sitch at Host Station? Not a problem! Just call the toll-free number on the side of YOUR screen, and you'll be connected with our top of the line customer service agents.

We have the most discreet problem solvers in the galaxy, who are willing to pick up the line and custom-craft YOUR own termination of any target you choose, in whatever method you would prefer. Pre and post-mortem one liners are also available at the customer's request.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Our board of directors has qualified your company for the new PREMIUM deal: as a one-time signing bonus, we will provide ONE termination entirely for free.

ANYONE in the sector* that you choose will be taken out of commission for at the least next year. All of this can be yours and more!

Get in now, this offer expires SOON!

*All terms and conditions apply. Each termination sold separately.

The deal they are offering is 1 Eco per turn in exchange for the following:
- Full access to their Esp (I'll update you every turn as to their current level so that you can read everything they can)
- Premier access to assassinations (5 Eco or Inf per hit in any combination, reduced from the rate of 7)
- 1 free assassination, using their full resource scheme (they can hit any faction for a 15 point Esp assassination this turn, which can take out any 1 VIP for turn 2)

However, this agreement comes with a slight risk: as the assassins are just performing a job, they would pass on the responsibility to you should any hits be uncovered. What that means is that should any assassinations be investigated, it would be your faction taking the 1 Inf stat damage rather than PPS.
The follow-up message comes through in the form of a call placed through a secure line to Zeus' internal servers. Prior to the call, a robotic voice can be heard:

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, my name is Bellerophon from Principia Personnel Solutions, I'm hoping for just a moment of your time.

We received your reply to our ad, thank you for your investment into our Premium Elimination and Surveillance Targeting package! PPS is a first class choice when it comes to professionalism, effectiveness, and price. We are committed to terminating your enemies - your business is important to us.

Regarding the Nascence, we can certainly do that for you sir. It seems that they are quickly gathering enemies, so we anticipate a high demand being placed on that target. We can absolutely deliver sabotage strikes rather than targeted liquidations, but please note that our operatives are highly trained to deal with individual termination so the overall impact may be slightly less effective.

If that's all, you can expect an invoice for the first year of our contract to come through at approximately 9441.01 for [1 Eco], with a yearly billing period from that point on. You will then be given access to our intelligence servers.

Thank you so much for listening, you have a splendid day."
The follow-up message comes through in the form of a call placed through a secure line to Ala Cait, bypassing the Shade's security protocols. Prior to the call, a robotic voice can be heard:

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, my name is Queal from Principia Personnel Solutions, I'm hoping for just a moment of your time.

I'm responding to a flag in your file here that says that your station is outside of our normal service area due to lack of cohesive trade routes. While this is true, I'm calling today to inform you that Principia Personnel Solutions is currently working on a workaround through a third party. We should be able to trade shortly - shall we put you down for 1 Premium Elimination and Surveillance Targeting system? We like to call it P.E.S.T. for short.

There is no rush on the order - you can start the trade whenever is convenient for you. At that time, our offer can be cashed in and you will start to see the benefits of listening to sector the way it should be heard. We hope to see more of your business in the future.

Thank you so much for listening, you have a splendid day."
The follow-up message comes through in the form of a call placed through a secure line to CoffeeStain's internal servers. Prior to the call, a robotic voice can be heard:

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, my name is Nyx-47 from Principia Personnel Solutions, I'm hoping for just a moment of your time.

I'm responding to a flag in your file here that says that your station is outside of our normal service area due to lack of cohesive trade routes. Unfortunately, we don't have any third parties in the area to remedy that lack of trade at the current time. If and when your organization decides to rejoin the rest of the sector, we would be happy to set aside 1 Premium Elimination and Surveillance Targeting package just for you.

Thank you so much for listening, you have a splendid day."
The follow-up message comes through in the form of a call placed through a secure line to a server that Station Manager Neptune will be visiting in the immediate future. Prior to the call, a robotic voice can be heard:

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, my name is Adias from Principia Personnel Solutions, I'm hoping for just a moment of your time.

I'm responding to a flag in your file here that says that your station is outside of our normal service area due to lack of cohesive trade routes. While this is true, I'm calling today to inform you that Principia Personnel Solutions is currently working on a workaround through a third party. We should be able to trade shortly - shall we put you down for 1 Premium Elimination and Surveillance Targeting system? We like to call it P.E.S.T. for short.

Regarding some of the other offers you made, I would advise you to contact management here in Customer Relations. Your file is marked 'high importance' and your business is valuable to us - I believe that our VP Calepri can be made available for a face to face meeting at a later date to go over the finer points of branding, ad sales and future merchandising. We here at PPS believe that there are quite a few cross-market synergies to explore between PPS and the Channel.

Thank you so much for listening, you have a splendid day."
The follow-up message comes through in the form of a call placed through a secure line on Katatia, directly to Lord Quartermaster Kima'res. Prior to the call, a robotic voice can be heard:

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Sorry to bother you sir, my name is Xander from Principia Personnel Solutions. I'm hoping for just a moment of your time?

We're very sorry to hear that your people are not interested in purchasing our Premium Elimination and Surveillance Targeting system - we here at the office call it P.E.S.T. - but someone at the head office has an idea that I need to run by you. I promise, you won't want to pass on this opportunity sir!

Currently, there are a number of interested parties who are outside of our service area. However, you have the power to change that by expanding a hyperlane from [40] to [43], thus facilitating trade in that region of the sector. PPS is willing to give you a special deal: we will pay you 2 Eco this turn if you are able to open that route for us immediately.

Now to be clear, this deal does not represent any ongoing relationship between our factions; it's a one time thing. However, your people do qualify for our other services, so if you do reconsider our initial offer, it is still on the table for you.

Thank you so much for listening, you have a splendid day."

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

*******Log 1.3: The Stolen Memories********
Its hard to believe its been a whole year already. I’ve literally not seen the suns in an entire year. Wild.

Magnus is coming along, ran his first boot with the PSI Patch last week, Dr. Fasri’s gonna be pissed, but I needed something to DO for the mat leave months. Good start for sure, he didn’t really DO anything, but you could hear his cooling system roaring like a X-City Rioter, so he must have been thinking something. I got my gaming rig running too, snuck a line through to a couple friends topside. Been playing a bunch with those guys, but honestly I think the year of isolation has gotten too me. Its weird talking to real people again.

I mean I know the rest of the team is real and all, but they all talk like the reincarnations of business emails.

Dr. Murioch Romero

*******Log 1.3: END********

[Output:] ResponseTCH
[Output:] I do not accept your declaration of war.

Players

The Chrysaorian Hegemony
[Output:] Declaration Illogical. Attack Effectiveness Minimal.
[Output:] Resource Waste Potential: Critical
******** An Error? ********

[Declare] ResponseTCH
ResponseTCH = I do not accept your declaration of war.

Channel Seldiva
[Output:] Organic forms are semi optimal uses of carbon based resources.
[Output:] Consumption of Organic Forms unnecessary.

#I require additional minerals#

[Output:] Current hyperlane use = Trade

Logopathor
[Output:] Access = Hyperlane Restricted
[Output:] Trade impossible.

[Output:] Hyperlane Establishment for trade purposes.
[Output:] Resources Insufficient this year.
[Output:] Request Input - Interest in Hyperlane connection 13-21

The Idrian Nascence
[Output:] This is an automated response. Your message has been rejected for the following reason(s):

- Potential Spam Bot Detected
- Format Unreadable by automatic systems
- Trees are the enemy trees are the enemy trees are the enemy

Please do not respond to this message. If this rejection was made in error, please contact [Retrieve: sysadmin.current]

//Ignore automated response, Collaboration Potential: High
//Mutual Threat Detected: Amaranthine Archive
//Threat Level: Medium
//Threat Probability: High
//Rivalry: Idrian Nascence - Magnus Apparatus = Inefficient
//Declare: DefenceAndCooperationAgreement
//DefenceAndCooperationAgreement = Yes
//Request Input: Agreement?

NPCs

PPS
[Declare:] Agreement = Yes
[Output:] Error: Hyperlane Access Restricted
[Declare:] IF Hyperlane == Established (
Agreement = Yes
)

GM

Midturn
6 votes in favour of Nemisis Games

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Morale:4
Influence: 4

"Sir...Sir!"

Zerreshkk looked up from his office at the center of the capital, today the view of the city was obscured by low lying clouds. Well, low by comparison to the dizzy heights that the offices of the CEO soared in.

"Sir...It's...It's a package....from the galactic congress!"

The excited tone of voice did not exactly match the whisper. As if she were trying to hide it.

"Has it? Good."

Zerreshkk replied almost non-challantly. He knew it would have to come, but still. It was good to have confirmation. A stage greater than any of his predecessors awaited. He toyed with a small brilliant gem, the most precious one on Serkis. It was not time yet for his ridges to be adorned. The lack of ridge decoration set him apart. He did not need these gems, everyone on the planet knew his name and mien. Still, a thoughtful gift from his brother but not yet. He raised one his antenae slightly.

"Are you waiting for an invitation to bring it in?"

The intern 3rd class stood there dumbfounded for a brief second before rushing out, hopefully to bring the package. Zerreshkk cleared his desk from the reports he had been studying reports on the other members of the galactic congress. He stood up and wandered off to the ceiling windows of his office and took out a small implement shaped somewhat like a screwdriver except the helix was a hollow tube. It seemed old and well used, he gave it a fond look before putting it back into one of the pockets of his office harness dress, almost guiltily as the intern entered bearing the package closely followed by another.

"Brother good to see you! We have strategy to talk about..."

He trailed off as the other entrant's speech appendage trembled making a chittering sound indicating displeasure. This one was also dressed demurely, but had many multicoloured gems put into his carapace.

"Director...."

He said sternly.

"I don't know how you're planning to finance this plan of yours! It...it's...it's Outrageous!

Zerreshkk smiled at his brother with a forelimb

FInancing is your department brother...exploding suns is my department...

EXPLODING WHAT! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT WOULD COST!!

Meerza...your tail is so agited it is likely to decapitate the poor intern. Nary a charcoal briquette for her to stick to a ridge....Besides that was a joke...

I see you are not wearing your own accolades...

Antenae parted slightly to show disapproval.

The game if afoot brother...you have to dream big. And dreams cost money. Issue another bond, perpetual if it has to be...get "outside investors" if you have to. Find me the money...dreams are expensive...but just imagine.

Zerreshkk pulled his brother to the window.

This is nothing brother, we are as the prancing executives of minor companies with barely 10 floors to their name...See the big picture brother.

He pointed beyond the horizon, which was now shining withs stars as the suns went down. The Spire was high enough that there was no light pollution and barely any atmosphere.

Expand your horizons.

Well...we'll have to cut the divident this year...Investors won't be happy...

Zerreshkk smiled. He knew his brother would find a way...but now it was in his own hands...implementation of a dream...


From: Managing Directer and chair of the Oracle Family Company
To: PPS

Many thanks for your offer. We would be pleased to receive a trade representative with full negotiating privilidedges for further discussion of personalised trade agreement.



From: The desk of Zerreshkk, MD and chair of the Oracle family company
To: Lord Commander Arkh Ban of the Knights of Orias

Lord commander, greetings. As you may be aware we have recently joined galactic affairs. As the representative and majority shareholder of the corporation and neighbour would like to extend our greetings and hospitality should you wish to send representatives to discuss trade and other amenities. In the meantime, as neighbours, we would like to propose a non-aggression pact and border delineation agreement. Should you be amenable we would be pleased to discuss further and hope to build upon such humble beginnings.

Looking forward to your response.


3 votes for "everywhere he is in chains"

[Writtensanity]

https://i.imgur.com/Siky8ol.gif

"Welcome back to this week's top ten! Where we're examining the top ten kills of the week from our soldiers on the ground on Lithal2b. Featured here at number 4 is Princess, one of the leaders of the Conquest: Principia. Our little Antheraxi Queen in the making has two slots in the top ten kills of the week, but you're going to need to wait a while to see the next one. For now, let's check out Number four from the siege of Lakd last night after a second Lithalian city rebelled against the Meritocracy."




https://i.imgur.com/aO6kK4M.png



A drone camera is sweeping over a city where the reptilian natives of Lithal2b are scrambling over the rubble remains of their downtown core to try to escape the oncoming force from the meritocracy. A shining craft, similar to a helicopter jets past the drone and swoops down towards the tattered buildings, trying to get low enough to pick up some of the retreating forces. The drone zooms in after it as a repeating message blares over the speakers.


" You have chosen to resist the Meritocracy. Unless you are strong enough to overcome us, the result will be death for you all. Any citizen who raised arms against the meritocracy will be exterminated. Fight for your lives to earn them back. You have chosen to resist the Meritocracy. Unless you are..."


The craft almost touches down on the side of a shattered stone building, kicking up dust and debris as several of the native Litalians try to scramble into it and escape, covering their bulging eyes as they do so. Shots ricochet off the rubble and send sparks flying. Several rounds hit the frontal shield of the craft and evaporate against the blue shields. The pilot growls and starts pulling away from the side of the building. Half a dozen Lithalians leap after the craft but fall to their doom as it pulls away. The rest of the Lithalians stare up at the craft and drone with hopeless eyes as it takes off towards the sky and safety without them.

Suddenly a black chitinous blur erupts from behind the crowd, twice as tall as any of the Lithalians and tossing them like ruined toys. Less than a moment later the creature leaps off the side of the building, crossing the impossible gap and landing in the side of the climbing craft. The drone inside backs into a corner to get a good view of the carnage.

Princess stoops low to avoid the ceiling as the rest of the Lithalins stare in fear before one opens fire. Primitive bullets bounce uselessly off the shell of an Antheraxi queen and Princess skewers her tail through the chest of the one shooting her. Another one of the Lithalians tries to take aim but she uses her new victim like a puppet, spinning the shish-kabab-salamander in a dazzling show of friendly fire. Red blood scatters around the craft, and anyone watching who can speak Lithli learn a lot of new curses.

One of the surprisingly not shot Lithalians tries to pull their friend off of Princess tail, but the backward spikes running along it cause him to rip out his ally's innards before Princess grabs a large melee weapon off one of the dead Lithali and throws it like a child's toy, obliterating the top half of the lithanlian who has just failed trying to rescue his friend.

The pilot of the craft screams and starts flailing wildly at the controls, trying anything it can to spin the ship and throw Princess out of the passenger area, but it's too late. Princess reaches a savage claw towards the ceiling of the craft and tears the metal roof away, exposing the spinning propeller above. The Lithalian tries to unbuckle his seatbelt and dive out of the airship, but Princess wraps her tail around him and pulls him back in.

Princess pulls him in close for a moment, using her lower set of arms to inject him with a blood colourant, before shaking him briefly in front of the camera. He looks pathetic, covered in the blood of lost combat and shameful fear. Princess raises the pilot up to rotor blades slowly with her tail. Feet first.

The screaming stops disappointingly fast, and Princess shakes off the lime green blood and viscera of her victim. The drone swoops out of the aircraft before it crashes into the ground, shattering into an explosion of flame and steel.

Princess struts out of the destroyed craft, Queen of the city.

" Unless you are strong enough to overcome us, the result will be death for you all. Any citizen who raised arms against the meritocracy will be exterminated...."



"So I really need to say, I know it's easier to simply coat the bullets in blood colourant and let them do the work, and it might make a more colourful show, but there is something visceral watching Princess set all of that up in real time. Plus, in my opinion, she should get extra points for going after the cowards that were trying to retreat after taking up arms against the Meritocracy, a really shameful example of citizens of Lithal2b, most of which are hardworking and very happy under meritocracy rule..."


MOR: 5 INF: 5



Do we round up or down?

If we round up: 3 from INF and 2 from MOR - YAY for: Everywhere he is in chains

If we round down: 2 from INF and 1 from MOR - YAY for: Everywhere he is in chains.





We hope you enjoyed our introductory trailer.

Let us know when you have projects to be shown on the channel. We'll be happy to air them.





Ah shoot. Let us know.






Now now, as much as we appreciate that you have other suitors, let's talk about the shade and their... propensity for absolute conquest as opposed to TARGETED entertaining conquest.

We understand you share a love of science, but we'd likely suggest that you don't let them into your system too easily, without the Arco-Medean leash you're simply letting a feral Velati into the feed station.

As we said, the resources will be available next season, unless we otherwise advise in the coming months.

With love, Ferro






Pardon, do you mean this solar year or next. The language during the message was ambiguous. I believe that we will have a benefactor able to meet you next solar year, though this one would be unfortunate.

Our order would be for Ala Cait ”The follower” within the Hectian Shade faction. Her absence will make the books a little harder to balance this season we imagine.

Looking forward to our meeting:

Neptune, Station Manager.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

ARCHIVAL SITUATION REPORT N8-2-2

THREAT N8-3N3

CLASSIFICATION FORTIS 10

PROGRESS REPORT: HYPERLANE NODE 2 – AYSLE SYSTEM

POLITICAL ENTITIES: 1 – Iremic Mandate of Tolwyn

INHABITED STELLAR OBJECTS: 4 Natural

STATUS CODE: Green|Yellow|ORANGE|Red|Black|White

PRIMARY AUTHOR: Archivist ███

BACKGROUND: [See Report ██████]
CURRENT SITUATION: Situation has deteriorated severely since last report on multiple fronts. There continues to be no absolute proof of N8-3N3 having spread in-system, but circumstantial evidence is hard to discount.

Panic over threat of invasion among clerical elite led to attempted ouster of Grand Arbiter ███████ during Sacred Conclave, significantly delaying any action on threat of N8-3N3. Purges of elements believed to be involved in the coup attempt, now denounced as apostates who worship N8-3N3, have significantly weakened state apparatus.

Disorder has spread throughout system. News reports from outlying dioceses report hysteria over ‘witches’, ‘monsters’, heretics and foreigners. Numerous incidents of mob violence, multiple local governments toppled after attempting to intervene and protect victims. Others trying to get out ahead of things, leading to state-led democides.

All this has lead to unacceptable amounts of noise crowding out signal of possible enemy action. Several regions around ████████ Ocean have gone totally dark over past weeks, with heavy seasonal storms limiting satellite imagery and providing Mandate authorities ready excuse for damage that has been seen. Sheer number of ‘monster’ panics and testimonials seem unlikely unless there were actually attacks occurring.

HORIZON generators are reporting slightly increased ambient signal strength, Archivist ██████ theorizes mostly likely bleedover from infections outside major population centres and I agree.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES: [See Report ██████]
PROPOSED ACTIONS: 1. Urgently request dispatch of additional Archivists to conduct reconnaissance of potential infection hotsports.
2. Dispatch of as many additional HORIZON sensors as possible to pin down infection loci
3. Form contacts within Mandate military orders (elite professional military), begin funnelling experimental anti-N8-3N3 weaponry and tactics for research purposes.
END REPORT


Influence 1, Morale 4




We received your reply to our ad, thank you for your investment into our Premium Elimination and Surveillance Targeting package!
Attacking them or preventing their work is considered akin to attacking us. This is your only warning.
Should you be amenable we would be pleased to discuss further and hope to build upon such humble beginnings

premium ad space during one of our public broadcasts
?

Currently, there are a number of interested parties who are outside of our service area. However, you have the power to change that by expanding a hyperlane
Should the need rise, the Archive may also ask your permission for a bridge to be constructed to bypass the abominations through the Veil Gate and into your own neighbourhood (hyperlane from [10]
In one Sol year we will be taking contracts. End Trasnmission."





2 Votes YES on “Everywhere he is in chains”

1 SCI to create route between 3 and 58, in cooperation with Competition of Minds

1 Sci to survey [2] for Archaotech
1 Sci to survey [9] for Archaotech

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony



8 SCI and Hades [Tier 2 SCI VIP] sent into the Archeotech facility in territory 18.

3 votes against Everywhere He Is In Chains (since I have 5 INF and 6 MOR, I only get 3 votes, I believe).

[n0ble]

The Ultrum Domin

3 Sci to construct/navigate a route to 24
3 votes for Everywhere He is in Chains

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 5
Inf 2

1 SCI to create route between 3 and 58, in cooperation with Nascence.

2 Votes No to Nemisis Games

The trailer is adequate but we will require voting functions to be applied for when we start to submit our projects. We have several in talks at the moment and we will let you know later when they are more rounded and we know which ones will be coming to fruition this solar year.

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png

Arkh Bahn looked ahead at the infoscreen in front of him, filled with tactical data, messages, and information on the readiness of their fleets, armies and the ARMAMENTS. Normally much of this was information that his close friend Kima'res would handle, but the Lord Commander knew full well what the Kimaris engineer was capable of if left to his own devices, or given suitable motivation. To that end, the Lord Quartermaster had begun "Project: Crucible" with Arkh's approval. His upper arms foldled as his lower arms held and scrolled through the infoscreen. His hasty jump had caught them a little out of sorts, they had time still to reorganize, but it was moving slower than he would have liked. It seemed that he would be needing to take to the field himself for a little while. It wasn't that he was opposed, but combat was always filled with uncertain variables, and his people needed a leader - at least until their presence and role in the Sector was established. Once that was he could turn his gaze to more internal affairs, such as training a new generation of pilots to suit the Sector's needs. That was the way the Knights operated.

Two priority messages were flagged on his screen and the Lord Commander unfolded his arms and sat up. Some direct communications from other major factions in the sector, but these were from local governments only a few light-years away. These were of more interest to him. It seemed that their arrival had not gone unnoticed by the locals, as intended.

MOR 4, INF 5
Very well, we have processed your request. We will still open a route to [43] but will only keep it open for the purposes of transit - for now. In exchange we are bringing [36] under our protection. Likewise you are free to make a route if you wish.

Again, you are welcome to join our peoples and cause, where you will be tested duly, but they cannot just be "given out" as they are irreplaceable technology that even after milennia we have yet to reach or duplicate. They cannot be handed out like candy to a curious child.

The message comes to the Lord Quartermaster as he is busy at work, and what can best be described as a hovering, armor-plated fish tank turns, the bubbling cerulean interior expressionless. "A route to [43]? Why yes, yes that can be easily arranged. At first calculation that also seems to be a fair offer, yes, yes. A pleasure doing business!"

Greetings to the sector at large. We will restate our purpose. If you require military services, we are happy to do so in exchange for materiel or services that we ourselves lack. In exchange we will loan out troops and ships to suit your needs. It is fair to warn you that the local planetary governments of [36] and [37] have requested our invervention in their systems and we will be dispatching a military fleet to each. If you wish to expand, we suggest you do not send a military fleet to either of those systems. That is as far as we can guarantee for borders. We will however happily accept a non-aggression pact, and we do not intend to take territory from you. However our forces are mercenary in nature, we cannot guarantee that in the future, some of our troops might end up in conflict with your own. It's simply business.
MIDTURN
>2 votes Yay to Everywhere He is In Chains, 1 vote Nay to Nemesis Games

>2 SCI being spent on a route from [40] to [43] (in exchange for PPS's 2 ECO)

>1 SCI to open route from [40] to [37]

[Vrock Bait]

All votes towards the Chains thing.

All 5 SCI VIP towards the Artificery. Dump the two points of MIL and PSI in too.

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

Mor 4, Inf 3.

PCs

Wish we could, but it seems politics will tie my hands for now if distance won't, do hope the offer remains on the table for later, the Fotuans will surely find a good place within the shade once the war is done.

Do reconsider our offer for the Umbra, though if you want to tackle it alone we'll understand,
Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

PS: congrats on the new show, looking forward to it.

We can work with that, and for now one route will be enough, although we appreciate the reciprocity. I hope it is clear that we'll be bringing [43] under our protection next year in order to maintain that balance, so do keep the -for now as is then.

Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.


NPCs

Comissar Winry Oon,

We'll take it as a flattery for our warriors and a stain on our PR.

We look forward to working with you on the containment, I was hoping start this year but an expedition to archomedean sites was scheduled and is hard to change the shade's course once it is set.

Thanks for the warning about the Channel, we'll see about keeping things peaceful once the threat is contained, at least on your system.

Chit'al, Head engineer of the Tria-khan shipyards and associates.

sending 8 Sci, 2 mil and Chit'al (tier 1 Sci) to clear 10 levels from Astro-Medean forward base with Chi´tal clearing the boss 10nth level.

5 votes go against nemesis game, let the weaklings die alone.

[3SecondCultist]

Midturn 1

Galactic Congress Results (Public)

The Galactic Congress has tallied up the votes from the member factions all over Principia, and has found the votes as follows:
15 Yay
3 Nay

The first proposal has passed. Worlds all over the sector prepare to meet their new masters.

All territorial conquests will cost 1 less this turn, for both the 'attrition' and 'no attrition' rates. Invasions of other factions will count as 1 higher, and ties will go to the attackers.
The Galactic Congress has tallied up the votes from the member factions all over Principia, and has found the votes as follows:
3 Yay
6 Nay

The second proposal has failed. The Republic will face their end alone without aid, and whatever wonders their ancient technology might have wrought will go unseen.

Hecatian Shade
Mor 4

The Shade, led by Chi'Tal, surge into the shadows of their Astro-Medean Forward Base, a collapsing space station strewn across an asteroid field. Deep within, they uncover half-disintegrated remains that hold many secrets, most valuable in direct ways (+++ Eco, ++++ Sci, + Psi) and others might perhaps lend themselves to further insights over time (5 xp for the Herald). Pieces of a strange object were uncovered, though it seems as though there are parts missing which would be required to complete it (1 piece of the Tier 2 Archeotech). 10 floors cleared.

In the process of extracting the databanks, some kind of failsafe is triggered. An entire century's worth of subroutines and commands go haywire, becoming permanently corrupted and unusable. The Shade must re-adapt. Lose 1 Sci.

This Archeotech is a multidimensional hypercube that seeks out psychic signatures and converts their output into harmless light. During EoT, you can target any faction with it, and for the next turn their Psi is treated as halved or 4 less, whichever penalty is less severe (no automatic 0s).
Logopathor, the Artificial God
Mor 5

The followers of Logopathor seek to plumb the lore of the Artificery. It is full of ancient machines and great workings, some left half-finished and others in the process of being remade like some immense conscious organism. There, the true believers are rewarded with schema and wealth from time long past (++ Eco, ++++++ Sci); the better to praise the Artificial God. 5 floors cleared.
Chrysaorian Hegemony
Mor 6

Hades leads the people of the Hegemony into the installation - a self-replicating jungle garden inside a space station with some sort of living sentience and seemingly endless hunger, thus dubbed 'The Gaia Event' - and emerges with rare samples of life, reagents and valuable minerals (++++ Eco, +++ Sci, ++ Psi) and a great deal of raw data to process (9 xp for Hades). The team also recovered traces of a chemical deterrent that the Arco-Medeans first employed against the Gaia Event: the scientists called it 'the Pax'. 10 floors cleared.

In the process, a Lesser Threat is unleashed: a titanosaur broodmother and all of her younglings - the smallest being nearly thirty feet tall - have escaped confinement and are running amok.

The Archeotech takes the form of an odourless gas that can be added to air processors to pacify and instil suggestibility into civilians. When successfully employed, the Pax makes a single stat immune to stat damage for that EoT. This protection does not work on stats with a 1 or 0, and does not prevent stat loss from events or invasions.
Knights of Orias
Mor 4

Hyperlanes (40-37, 40-43) successfully created; map updated.
Competition of Minds
Mor 5

Hyperlane (3-58) successfully created; map updated.
Idrian Nascence
Mor 4

Hyperlane (3-58) successfully created; map updated.
Ultrum Domin
Mor 6

Hyperlane (16-24) successfully created; map updated.
Amaranthine Archive
Mor 3

Agents of the Archive transverse the Howling Library, building a stable gateway into the extra-dimensional space and establishing a research outpost. Casualties among D-list personnel are steady but within acceptable margin losses, and already the raw data being transmitted and stored promises to increase the wealth and knowledge of the Archive (++++ Eco, +++ Sci). 5 floors cleared.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 5
Inf 2

Greetings Once More,

Now that the Galactic Congress has spoken is there an accord to be had? Our war beasts for your gifted?

Supreme Judge Anderson

[Writtensanity]

Isn’t it the worst when someone doesn’t accept your invite?

Either way, we are unsure of the Umbra, but likely wouldn’t want to align our forces with yours considering conflict is a matter of when as opposed to if. If circumstances drastically change, we’ll send Cameras,

Neptune, Station Manager.





Please just give us notice so that we can put the marketing blast out before your announcements!

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Corporation

Morale 4
Influence 4


We appreciate your candour Lord Commander and your stance. Ally to all, friend to none. A good motto perhaps for business. However, you may find yourself in a difficult position should one hand come to face the other.

We are glad you have agreed with us that aggression would not serve our interests. In that spirit therefore we ask only that so you do not breach our agreement, you notify us should your foresee in the course of business turning your arms against at the behest of another. And so we ask you ourselves, for your are mighty in military power. How much do you charge for the priviledge of your services?


Telepathic signal requesting communication. Cooperation against a greater foe. Questioning of intention against devouring shadow.
OOC: Not sure if this is the way it might work with you or with psionics, but psionics 6 might be able to communicate in such a way to psionics 7?

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 4, Inf 3

The follow-up message comes through in the form of a call placed through a secure line to Meerzha Ghazehmi's internal servers. Prior to the call, a robotic voice can be heard:

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, my name is Trismegistus from Principia Personnel Solutions, I'm hoping for just a moment of your time.

We received your reply to our ad, thank you for your investment into our Premium Elimination and Surveillance Targeting package! PPS is a first class choice when it comes to professionalism, effectiveness, and price. We are committed to terminating your enemies - your business is important to us.

Regarding your initial offer, I would advise you to contact management here in Customer Relations. Your file is marked 'high importance' and your business is valuable to us - I believe that our VP Calepri can be made available for a face to face meeting at a later date to go over the finer points of future trade deals. We here at PPS believe that there are quite a few cross-market synergies to explore between PPS and the Oracle Company.

Thank you so much for listening, you have a splendid day."
The follow-up message comes through in the form of a call placed through the same line as before. Prior to the call, the same robotic voice can be heard:

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Queal from Principia Personnel Solutions, calling back to check in on your situation.

Thanks to the intervention of our third party, the trade routes to your stars are now open and we can conclude our deal as proposed. Shall we put you down for 1 P.E.S.T. package today, sir?

For your free termination, unfortunately we may need to delay it as a result of a prior commitment already made. However, I can assure you that your satisfaction is a top priority here at PPS; you are currently our next customer in line. If you would like to defer your exact target until such a time as our people are in position, we may yet commit further resources to the cause.

If you have any other questions regarding our first rate intelligence and wetwork packages, please contact our Prime Service Desk.

Thank you so much for listening, you have a splendid day."
The follow-up message comes through in the form of a call placed through the same line as before. Prior to the call, the same robotic voice can be heard:

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Adias from Principia Personnel Solutions, calling back to check in on your situation.

Thanks to the intervention of our third party, the trade routes to your stars are now open and we can conclude our deal as proposed. Shall we put you down for 1 P.E.S.T. package today, sir?

For your free termination, we would like to confirm that you indeed want to target Ala Cait from the Hecatian Shade? If so, please press '1' now.

If you have any other questions regarding our first rate intelligence and wetwork packages, please contact our Prime Service Desk.

Thank you so much for listening, you have a splendid day."

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

A conference would have been called, had the best scientific minds of the shade not been present at the discovery, either personally or through proxies, as it was, they had barely escaped the site before they got to thinkering.

Linguistic experts inspected every nook and cranny for old Archomedean writing, scanners and probes were used one after the other to check anything from manufacturing materials, through radiation levels to purpose.

As soon as the means by which it was controlled was found all teams were set to finding a way to make the cumbersome machine work, months of labour and equipment were devoted to the task, failing everytime...

Ala Cait felt the tension as the video report from the scientists came in, all displaying their tired features regardless of species, unable to stand the jibber jabber and scientific explanations that left their own personal advisor flabbergasted, they raise an appendix in a sign for quiet "Get to the point, the thing we found, What is it?"

the scientists made their species equivalent of shuffling awkardly before something akin to a sentient ball of light made a few quick changes in the light's colour to communicate "Is broken", Ala Cait was about to bring in a translator from the species, they knew the language, they just didn't want to believe it. After the other scientist confirmed it they cut the transmision, broke some nearby expensive thing or another and released fumes in frustration. At least war season is looking better...

Mor 4, Rep 4

PCs

A salute psykers,

Seeing how the votes turned out, we'll gladly take that deal. Congratulations on the contract and hopefully we can make another such arrangement later.

Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

So just your 1 Mil for my 1 psi right?

Heh, wouldn't know, we tend to invite ourselves.

come on, you could say the same thing about anyone else! but fair enough, if things do go your way we'll be sure to rate your fight against the umbra as high as possible.

Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

NPCs

Sign us up for a P.E.S.T package next year for sure, cash is short because... well, you likely know why it is so. I assume we can't learn who hogged the termination services this year with an extra fee, right?

Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

PS: your customer service is excellent, I can't believe some corporations/governments still use minor intelligence specialists.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

ARCHIVAL SITUATION REPORT N8-9-2

THREAT N8-3N3

CLASSIFICATION FORTIS 10

PROGRESS REPORT: HYPERLANE NODE 5 – HAVEN SYSTEM

POLITICAL ENTITIES: 1 – The Republic of Mei

INHABITED STELLAR OBJECTS: 1 Natural, 2 Artificial

STATUS CODE: Green|Yellow|Orange]|RED|Black|White

PRIMARY AUTHOR: Archivist ██████

BACKGROUND: SEE REPORT █████

CURRENT SITUATION: HORIZON generators have confirmed areas of N8-3N3 infection across several population centres. Premature action by General ███ has cleared a majority of designated triage zones of all possible vectors for infection, but on multiple occasions units of the Popular Militia – up to the divisional level – mutinied rather than follow orders and take necessary action.

Failure of State Council to auction ████████████ in exchange for overt foreign assistance has led to complete collapse of faith in government among legislaturist elite. With our full support, Assemblywoman █████ has launched a de facto coup, imprisoning all Councillors who remain in system and having them rubberstamp a declaration of emergency essentially naming her as temporary dictator.

Widespread rioting and outright rebellion spreading across entire system, with loyalist militia and naval elements retreating to consolidate power in a secure core. Assassinations and terrorist attacks against officials and officers nearly a daily occurrence.

Multiple sects of ‘harbingers’ dedicated to spreading N8-3N3 have been identified as behind many of the attacks. Current hypothesis is that those too mutated to blend in are deployed on near-suicidal missions to keep us off balance.

Situation rapidly deteriorating.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES: See Report █████ for basic outline. Archivist ████████ lost during intelligence gathering, detonated nearby explosives rather than be taken captive by Harbingers active in geoengineering black market. Myself and Archivists ████ now defacto parts of ruling council with General ███ and Assemblywoman █████.

As of the last shipment, we have 35 HORIZON sensors in-system, and 56 psi-active agents.

PROPOSED ACTIONS: 1. Supply as many armaments and military-grade equipment to the Republican government as possible, ensure other governments in sector publicly affirm its legitimacy
2. Deploy Archival fleets near Veils Gates leading out of system to contain emigration as potential vector for spread of N8-3N3
3. Make any experimental weaponry designed to counteract or destroy N8-3N3 available to Popular Militia for field tests.

END REPORT

Influence 1, Morale 4



The telepathic connection is easy establish, but the responses are..unsophisticated. Broad, communicating through images and scenes, not words or clear concepts

[A band of Kanthi and a pack of Manticores seeming to cooperate to bring down a titanic megafauna and feast upon its corpse]
[A bipedal figure, species impossible to determine under the layers of plant life growing in, through, and on it, walking into a cavern. As it does, it begins to glow with a warm inner light, fully illuminating the darkness]
[An Arboreal hanging off the roots of a tree trailing down a sheer cliff, staring across the virdian sea towards an island, only barely visible on the horizon and far too distant to swim to]

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Corporation

Morale 4
Influence 4

The reply comes in the form of each image, returned and doubled as if overlayed by the thoughts of someone else.


[A band of Kanthi and a pack of Manticores seeming to cooperate to bring down a titanic megafauna and feast upon its corpse]: Over this image can be seen the blackness of space, the feet of the two packs are flame and their fangs great hazes of light that burn the eye. The megafauna turns its gaze upon them and erases their fangs and their feet fall away beneath them as the ground fades. Instead of bearing their fangs the packs gaze intently at the megafauna as the world around them explodes with pressure and colours, but only within them. A feeling of inadequacy as they are overpowered in both bone and mind. The same megafauna attacks the packs in another scene, but the packs are ready. Their gazes raise a wall that the megafauna cannot pass and its gaze cannot pierce. It is a storm so strong that should it try to walk through the sand would separate flesh from bone. In readiness they wait and once the beast is weakened they can turn upon its nest. Bring the storm and enclose it. A feeling of suffocation as the perspective shifts to within the storm as it comes closer and closer and closer.
[A bipedal figure, species impossible to determine under the layers of plant life growing in, through, and on it, walking into a cavern. As it does, it begins to glow with a warm inner light, fully illuminating the darkness]: The bipedal figure is clear this time, it is covered in hard chiting, has 2 arms and 2 legs and a long tail. Between the seams of its chitin can be seen light coming from within before it steps into the cavern. It has no head but gazes questiongly at the cavern before walking in. Anticipation as countless others watch and wait for the figure to emerge once again.
[An Arboreal hanging off the roots of a tree trailing down a sheer cliff, staring across the virdian sea towards an island, only barely visible on the horizon and far too distant to swim to]: To this the response is simple two hand reach accross the void over a bridge made of stars. The bipedal figure walks from one world to another and enters the cavern of the previous image and returns. Though there seems to be a questioning and uncertainty in this image.

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png
MOR 4, INF 5
Certainly, we can notify you of operations in your area to avoid any collateral damage. For the most part our rapid expansion is due to the need for materials, once the we have enough materiel for our needs, we would be more than willing to relinquish some territory. As for the cost, when we deploy a unit or fleet to a territory, we ensure that there is a fair compensation for the troops and officers involved.

I'm gonna say it next turn too in a more public format, but the cost of buying a VIP for the turn will be how much MIL it brings to the table, in your choice of non-MIL stats. For example, Kai's services could be purchased for 2 ECO, or like 1 ECO & 1 SCI, where the Lord Commander would be worth 6 stats. Obviously if people compete, they can bid up and I'd go with highest bidder.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

ARCHIVAL SITUATION REPORT N8-5-2

THREAT N8-3N3

CLASSIFICATION FORTIS 10

PROGRESS REPORT: HYPERLANE NODE 5 – LANALA SYSTEM

POLITICAL ENTITIES: Estimated ~200 Warlord Statlets, 5 Significant

INHABITED STELLAR OBJECTS: 2 Natural, 47 Artificial

STATUS CODE: Green|Yellow|Orange|Red|BLACK|White

PRIMARY AUTHOR: Archivist ████████

BACKGROUND: ██████

CURRENT SITUATION: Situation critical and deteriorating. N8-3N3 rampant and spreading. Active invasion through Veil Gate to ████ system.

████████ syndicate had significant interest in acquiring samples and specimens from Containment Zone for sale and research, and used their influence in Warlord █████’s fleet to delay and disorient until after ██████’s expedition had left for ████. Despite incredibly high attrition, expedition seems to have been success – at least, a significant fraction of the expedition returned through the Veil gate weeks late, into the carefully prepared ambush that had been set for them.

Boarding actions during ambush revealed rampant N8-3N3 across expedition fleet - in several places prepared with amplifiers to quickly infect boarding parties as well. Infected ships eagerly attempted to close and board in turn – numerous corsair vessels lost before █████ attempted to disengage.

As of 15 minutes ago, Veil Gate reopened. General melee around it has made getting readings difficult, but it looks like some of the orbital habitats around █████ have been sent through hyperspace. From the reports we’re getting, they seem inhabited.

AVAILABLE RESOURCES: █████’

PROPOSED ACTIONS: Immediate evacuation of Archival assets from system, followed by strict cordon enforced by friendly navies.

END REPORT

Morale 4, Influence 1



[The figure from the second image walks forward, leaving the world shifting into surreal watercolors behind it. The scenery eventually resolves into a starscape, the figure glowing with the light of a full moon as the watchers trail behind it like pilgrims attending a saint. The megafauna is waiting for it, though now its scales seem more like metal plating, its eyes like sensor arrays, its teeth and claws plasma and warheads. It roars and charges forward, but begins to glow with the same inner light as it does, metal rusting as shoots of green begin to force their way through its eyes and gums. It falters and weakens, as the three different bands fall upon it and feast]

The previous images dissolve, replaced by more simple tableaux

[A Manticore faces a hunter armed with a crude bone spear, hissing as they circle each other. In the distance the hunter’s approaching bandmates can be heard, whooping and charging through the undergrowth, but it cannot turn to face them without exposing itself. So it hisses and prepares to pounce, tails shooting forward and dripping venom]

Then, tentative, with the tone of a question

[A large ship of particularly greedy or desperate scavengers lands on Kansk, flamethrowers and plasma rifles burning away anything that might threaten their landing zone. But as soon as the better part of their number – and their heavy weaponry – sets out, they are set upon, roots growing through their armour and flesh as packs of predators fall upon them. As the survivors run, they find their ship the nest of vicious shrikes, tearing hull and crewmembers apart with equal glee.]

[3SecondCultist]

Turn 2 - Bruised (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZFH4dHvTa0&ab_channel=WaterTowerMusic)

"As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; They kill us for their sport."
- Shakespeare


https://i.ibb.co/Kh6qdXS/Hapaxia.jpg

The Culling of Kur Jingtsin - 9441.1

Day 1 - 7th Yisun

Nanjarick Dellrune stood on the observation deck of the Prime Number Theorem, watching the sun pass behind the fourth planet of Kur Jingtsin. As the disappearing star cast the features of the planet in shadow, he allowed himself to bask in their success for a moment. The mission had gone flawlessly, praise Him. Jingtsin had been a logical choice for the faith to expand, of course - their proximity to Korykabria alone cemented it as a strategic priority - but with any endeavour there were always risks.

Yet when the first of the ships arrived in the system, the Logopatronites had been accepted peacefully by the Jingtsinite populace. They had brought with them not only the word of the Emperor of Empiricism, but the rationalist creed that flourished under His nurturing leadership. The poor and middle class of these worlds were not well educated, so the mission had prioritized re-educators and relief supplies, establishing schools in the less urbanized areas of the populated Jingtsin Prime. Their scientists and bureaucrats had come next, offering to set up well funded research labs and global advancement initiatives that would see the system’s technology jump forward at least a few centuries within the year. Once they had people in place offering advice on policy, it proved remarkably easy to persuade the ruling council to accept the formation of a Pedagogic Protectorate.

The Kur Jingtsin system was now officially under the patronage of Logopathor, their lord gracefully extending His hand to raise up these people according to the Creed. Though he and his team had personally seen to the plan, parsed out its various steps and implications, Nanjarick knew that their reasoning had been blessed. He broke out into a smile as he thought about delivering his final progress report when he returned to Korykabria.

He couldn't help but feel that this was going to be a good day.

"How's the view from up there, brother?" came a familiar voice from his neural relay. He tapped his right temple twice, the implant lighting up under the skin as it activated the mic in his jaw.

"Maintaining geosynchronous orbit around the planet," he replied in an affected robotic tone. "Heading 41°24'12.2"N 2°10'26.5"E."

"Cut it out, 'Jarick," came the reply, but he could practically hear the smile in Chevrelle's words. An old joke between them, worn and well used but no less effective over the years.

"It's beautiful, 'Relle," he said. "You could always come up and see it for yourself."

"I know that, but there's still so much to do planetside! The census, new samples of flora and fauna to categorize, overseeing the implementation of the school curricula… and then there's - " The connection was cut off quite suddenly, replaced by a series of alerts and beeps.

Proximity warning. Nanjarick frowned. The delegation's last course had them entering the Veil Gate within the hour - as the flagship, the Prime Number Theorem was to lead the way home, so there should have been no obstructions. He opened up a channel to the ship's bridge. "What's going on, captain?"

"Something came through the Veil Gate, Speaker Dellrune: a single object headed right for us. Running scans now."

Nanjarick's frown deepened. "One ship?"

"Its profile is too small, it doesn't read like a… oh. Oh no."

"What is it, captain?"

"It's an Ultrumite."

Cold dread flooded his veins as the full weight of those three words sunk in. Lunging forward, he scrabbled at the glass viewing port. It would be impossible to see the incoming Ultrumite, of course, but he needed to - he had to try to reach -

Nanjarick barely felt the heat from the explosion as the living missile tore through the ship's reactor cores. He died instantly along with the rest of his delegation, flesh and bones vaporized or cast out into the merciless black.


Day 2 - 8th Yisun

"Put it next to the others," called Yrs Maven to the other Logopatronites as they hauled the cannons into the depot. Their arsenal wasn't much - they had between them perhaps a dozen photon torpedoes, some boxes of PDF ammunition clips, and a few light fighters and transport - but then the Sword of Hanlon was never meant to fight a protracted battle against one of the most powerful people in existence.

The news confirmed the identity of the Ultrumite after she had wiped out the Prime Number Theorem, her face caught on the footage after being played back. Warleader Tara Hapaxia herself, one of the diarchs of Ultrum, was here on Kur Jingtsin.

Of course, the particulars of which superhuman had arrived was of less import than the sheer scale of the destruction that had already been wrought. Within two hours of her arrival, Hapaxia had destroyed every Logopatronite ship in the system. Within six hours, she had flown through all of the buildings in each city used by officials from Korykabria starting with the capital of Tai'Jin. Within twelve hours, each appointed research lab or organization funded by Logopathor's grace had been thoroughly razed to the ground.

Only the people remained now. Teachers, families, stragglers and survivors, left to fend for themselves or hide among the locals. Not if the Maven and the Sword of Hanlon had anything to do with it. Fighting Hapaxia head on was suicide, but at the very least the militia could try to keep her engaged with long range strikes to buy time for the people to find refuge and maybe escape her reach.

"Make sure we load up the speeders with extra coils and install the disruptor cannons," Maven ordered, watching the first team preparing to launch. He paced the length of the armory, knowing that every second they delayed was another that people were dying.

His head held in his hands, he saw the indicator light go off. A gleaming dot on the map, their first attempts to track the Ultrumite. But it was right above them…

He looked up through the skylight to see death staring back. There she floated, charcoal grey and pale but for two glowing lights of molten red. Maven didn't dare blink or say a word, pressing the general alarm in his neural array by clicking his teeth together.

It was probably a futile gesture, he was forced to admit as the beams lanced through the roof and carved wide swaths into the assembled militia, but if he could even get one Logopatronite to stay away it would be worth it. There were no screams of pain, because there were no survivors. He stood alone now over the charred corpses of his comrades as she met his gaze.

The last red glow came for him, and then there was only darkness.


Day 3 - 9th Yisun

Niartha had gone to bed wondering if she was going to be next, only to wake disappointed.

A pale dawn greeted the Qiaran lowlands, the light filtering through the terraced valley and glinting off of the various water channels, artificial pools and solar panel farms that extended out to the horizon line. They were far from the cities here - the closest was over two hundred kilometers away, and the nearest transit station over an hour's walk - but the planet’s web network kept them up to date all the same.

When the news broke, she had suspended her lessons and started to frantically pack up her classroom. Teaching the Creed to younglings seemed like a good way to earn herself a quick death, now that the invader from Ultrum had moved on from concentrated targets to individual killings. With yesterday's collapse of the Sword of Hanlon, there were simply no major Logopatronite power groups left in the system, but that hadn't stopped Hapaxia from going after the individuals: the families and communities that had been integrated into local populations all over Kur Jingtsin.

She'd stopped packing when she saw her name included on an online listing that showed the faces and identities of each Logopatronite in the area. Hundreds of similar sites had popped up overnight, outing those who only a short time ago had been accepted into the community.

Nobody, it seemed, wanted to die for a relative stranger, and honestly Niartha couldn't blame them. Where was the logic in that?

Hapaxia would come for her, like she would come for all of them. Aid from Korykabria was unlikely: the first relief ships had been forcefully turned away by the locals, now that it was clear how far the Warleader was willing to go in her purge.

All there was left were the lessons. The students at her re-education center were still as curious and hungry for insight as ever, yet Niartha could not bring it in herself to teach them according to the mission's planned curriculum. Would the Ultrumite kill them too if they learned enough to convert to her faith?

She feared the answer enough not to take that chance.

So until her number came up and the mass murderer kicked down her door, Niartha taught agnostically: fields of mathematics and language, geography and the sciences, nothing that could be construed as 'dogmatic' or 'evangelical' in any way. It was the best she could do. She hoped more and more with every passing moment that Hapaxia would come: in her experience, these things were best just gotten over with. It was just like treating a wound or stitching up a cut, right? She only hoped that when it came, it would be quick.

When Niartha's death found her, she was standing in front of her pupils, holo-board and projector showcasing a map of the system as she delivered a lesson on rudimentary astrophysics. She barely saw the figure - more of a grey blur, really - as it shattered the wall opposite. Dodging and weaving like the wind through the rows of desks, the blur left each native child untouched as it surged towards her with total precision.

The blur passed through her, leaving a fountain of gore to blossom in its wake. Niartha didn't even feel it, having lost all conscious thought at the impact of the Ultrumite's fingertips passing through her stomach at supersonic speeds.

All that was left was an exit hole and the hysterical wailing of children.


Day 5 - 11th Yisun

Itrun Nominek bit back a curse as his hand slipped, sweaty palm turning the dial on the extruder the wrong way. He rapidly corrected his mistake, looking around the lab guiltily to make sure that nobody had witnessed it. You're in the clear, Itrun, he thought to himself. He wiped his hands on the lapel of his work coat, the DWR layer absorbing the moisture. Well, at least for the next two minutes, when the sweat built back up again.

He couldn't help it. Truth be told, it was rather hard to even concentrate on this work when all one could think about is that - in Kur Jingtsin, at least - Logopatronites were now an endangered species.

That was an erroneous statement, of course. Their belief in the Creed of the Artificial god had about as much to do with species biology as one's favorite colour, but he'd heard the phrase whispered a few times among his colleagues out here, and it was a hard idea to ignore entirely.

The Adar Basin of the fifth planet of the solar system was populated with more ice storms than people, but the sub-light particles of the region had been worthy of further investigation when the mission had conducted its initial surveys. Their team had been one of the first dispatched, though unlike most of the others they had been sent covertly. Their facility was largely underground, more a shielded bunker than a research lab due to the extreme environment outside, yet a pane of reinforced glass looked out over the crevasse below.

It turned out that working with finely tuned hyper-magnetic excitation fields could catalyze explosions with yields several orders of magnitude stronger than most conventional thermonuclear warheads, so when building a base the Artificial God had seen fit to exercise caution.

"It's okay, you've got this," he told himself as he returned to his work. The researchers here, to which number he belonged, had agreed after Hapaxia eviscerated the Swords of Hanlon not to access the local news feeds. It would be a distraction, and not conducive to the work. If they wanted to reverse engineer the field's effects and condense the output into their God Driver, they would need to expend time and focus.

Yet their efforts proved futile, for the Warleader arrived far earlier than expected.

They should have seen it coming - the same fate had befallen the Swords not three days past. The red blip on their radar appeared as if from out of nowhere. If the researchers had paid more attention to their sensors, they might have noticed a slight blip lying in wait on the far side of the planet, but most were far too consumed by their project to even notice. By the time the alarms started to go off, they had less than a minute until impact.

Even as his friends scattered, Itrun rushed over to his workbench. The LRAD cannon - originally meant to disrupt unruly crowds - had been the basic design, yet he'd tinkered with the frequency in his spare hours to greatly increase its output. Having a sound-based weapon had given him some peace of mind, these past few days. Now it was to be his last mad hope.

As he flicked on the control mechanisms, the cannon began to whir to life. Bending at the knees, he hauled his side project from its precarious position and braced himself. Heart thudding, eyes flickering back and forth, he waited for the first sounds of crashing and screams.

"Hapaxia," he said with a calm he did not feel. There was no need to shout; thanks to her greatly enhanced hearing, his volume wouldn't matter. "Come and face me now. If you're so powerful, let's see you walk off my new toy here."

The response was swift and absolute - a pair of gloved hands appearing out of nowhere, gripping his own. A slight tug, and pain shooting up his body. His arms… were those his arms? Itrun was only vaguely aware of the blood spurting out of the sockets where his shoulders used to be as he collapsed to the floor, only to be lifted back up.

Though his vision was blurring, he could vaguely make out a face staring at him impassively. Strong cheekbones and jawline, a hawkish nose.

"Pathetic," said the face, and suddenly he was flying, crashing into duraglass and out of existence.


Day 8 - 14th Yisun

Their neighbours had added them to the online site two days ago, so the Surzois had fled the outer slums of Tai'Jin in favor of the back roads and country paths. They hunted off the land and spoke to nobody at all, made no attempt to join any of the refugee camps that were already springing up less than a fortnight after the first attacks.

To draw any attention was to gamble with their lives, and they had more than just their lives to worry about now.

The twins had been born on one of the mission ships - they had never even seen Korykabria, never witnessed the glories of the Artificery or heard the words of the Emperor Empirical himself. Yet the Surzois had made sure to show them as many archived videos and holograms of home all the same. They had even started introducing new languages, devising impromptu quizzes to keep them on their toes and always thinking. Puzzles were equally adored, the four of them usually working as a team in order to solve problems under time pressure.

Kaz walked ahead with their son on the trail, in the middle of pointing out the various wildlife and plants that surrounded them. They would need to know all of it, if they were going to survive out here until it was safe to come out of hiding and rejoin society. Meanwhile, Wren carried her daughter on her back, feeling the comfortable weight of that little head resting between her shoulder blades as she slept.

Her son noticed the shape first and pointed it out excitedly, thinking it was a bird or perhaps a plane. But as it grew closer, there could be no mistaking its identity.

Warleader Tara Hapaxia of Ultrum alighted not ten paces ahead of them, boots crunching against the gravel trail. Standing at just over six feet tall, she wore a form-fitting body glove of black and grey that accentuated and highlighted her sculpted musculature. A cascade of dark ringlets fell wildly about her shoulders, the only sign of disarray against an otherwise immaculate appearance. Up close, Wren couldn't even spot any signs of dried blood on the uniform.

If the superhuman despot was weary after spending by all accounts eight straight days hunting down and exterminating her people, she showed no sign. Dark eyes regarded them from across the glade.

"The children should go," Hapaxia said.

"Go where?" croaked Kaz, raising his hands to indicate the wildlands around them. "They won't make it out here by themselves."

"There is a settlement two miles north of here," replied the Warleader.

Wren had endured many hardships: giving birth in zero gravity, the loss of her parents when the Prime Number Theorem went down. But in that moment, all paled in comparison to the searing ache she felt inside as she put her little girl down and gently shook her awake.

"... mommy?" she asked blearily.

"I'm here, shh. You need to follow Rynd up the road, okay sweetie? Mommy and Daddy need to go take care of something."

"But you aren't coming with us?"

"Later. You two go ahead, alright? Don't look back. And you take good care of your brother - you know he gets lost sometimes."

That was her princess, nodding dutifully and skipping over to take Rynd’s hand. Wren had to look at the treeline to keep the tears at bay, covering her mouth to bury the sob with one hand while using her other to wave goodbye to her children. Soon they were diminutive figures, and then the forest swallowed them whole.

The three of them stood there in an impenetrable silence for a moment afterwards. She felt Kaz's arms around her, but she was numb to it all. Even when Hapaxia started forward, pulling them apart and back-handing her husband into a tree to break every bone in his body, Wren could not help but picture that little face looking back up at her guilelessly.

Then the Ultrumite pressed one hand against her collarbone, shattering it and driving her right down to the ground. Wren began to cough up blood, dimly aware that the bone fragments must have been shoved down and into her internal organs.

"Why?" she managed to spit up. She wasn't even sure why she was asking; it wasn't like it would make any difference. But some part of her - maybe the one that had just withered and died - wanted to know, burned to know. There had to be a reason for all of this.

The Ultrumite considered the question for a moment. When her voice came, it was not full of rage like Wren expected, but measured and all the colder for it.

"You chose the wrong god."

Then the boot came down on her head.


Day 13 - 19th Yisun

Whoever said that necessity was the mother of invention had it wrong. Desperation had proven a far more effective teacher.

The ceaseless booming and grinding of the ore processors on board the Iridium Bound - one of the many mining skiffs employed by local Jingtsinite companies to harvest the ores in the system's outer asteroid belts - made it easier for her work to go unnoticed. It also did a pretty good job of masking her breakdowns, which were occurring less and less now as she steeled herself to the idea she’d had last week.

Chevrelle Dellrune was going to die. Of that, there could be no doubt. One would think that being part of such an organized religion as Logopatronism would make it easier to confront the inevitability of death, yet the rationalist in her refused to put any stock in an afterlife.

So many millennia of endless debate, and no proof. The balance of probability was that this - this red and ragged thing that people sometimes called 'life' - was all there was.

And Tara Hapaxia had snatched that away from all of them. It had been done so carelessly, without any thought to the victims or their loved ones. Chevrelle and Nanjarick had made some study of Ultrum and its leadership before their mission to this system. Hapaxia was one of the original monsters, the old guard of the Domin. She wouldn't see them as people, not really, not enemies or threats to her empire.

They were nothing more than cockroaches to her, pests to be eradicated at her leisure. Today though, she would prove that even a single insect could be deadly.

Chevrelle slid down the access tunnel, approaching the control array and nodding at the other workers. Her cover identity had been ironclad, one of several kept off the books for infiltration purposes. She activated it less than an hour after her brother died, going off the grid right before the attacks commenced. Nobody had looked at her twice since she came aboard; just another rock-hopper out looking to make a quick score on a mining run.

Anonymity and patience had been her best weapons until now. The signal delay on video transmissions from Jingtsin Prime and the other worlds was significant, but she had a good picture of the bleak state of affairs surface-side. Hapaxia would not look for someone of her former position out here, not while there were still stragglers to hunt down elsewhere. For all of her might, she could only be in one place at once.

Powerful as she was, Chevrelle did not believe Hapaxia to be invincible. And now she had a means of putting that mettle to the test.

The signal was sent out from one of the on-board computers, a message to one of the many 'hunt-sites' with her name and image declaring her to be a stowaway on board. Between the signal delay and travel time, Chevrelle estimated she had an hour at most before Hapaxia arrived to find her.

It should be enough time for her to finish getting everything ready.

When the Warleader arrived, she did exactly what Chevrelle had expected. Not wanting to risk a point blank detonation of the rig’s sonic mining ordinance, she had targeted the ship's life support systems and engines with her heat vision. The Bound's gravity and oxygen began to fail, so Chevrelle turned on her own supply in the space-suit she'd slipped on for this very moment.

After a few minutes of waiting her out, Hapaxia would board to make sure the job was done. The sounds of metal screeches and tears from one deck below told her that she was already doing exactly that. Double checking that her gloves were properly connected to the important wires, she threw herself aftward, letting the momentum carry her through the first porthole, then the second, and the third. With each passing, she held out a welding iron to clang against the side of the hull every once in a while. As far as summons went it was rather crude, but she didn't exactly have a lot of options.

Eventually, she spotted the figure. Hapaxia floated forward as though she were taking a stroll; no need for a suit for her. Before Chevrelle could even adjust trajectory, the Ultrumite had one hand around her collar and had begun to squeeze. The metal crumpled and folded as if it were paper, fabric torn away instantly and a chunk of her throat along with it. Vacuum rushed in, and her lifeblood began to emerge in perfectly round, floating globules.

With the last of her strength, Chevrelle wheezed out a laugh, twisting to reveal the deadman's switch concealed on her right side.

"This is for my brother, you b*tch," she gasped as she took her thumb off the switch.

The Iridium Bound's ordinance - one hundred and twenty one kilotons of supersonic mines, designed to break asteroids that weighed hundreds of tons - ignited all at once. Even better, Chevrelle had taken a look at their subsystems and made a few feedback loop improvements in order to cause a cascade sound effect that would increase incrementally for each extra device expended. Taken all together, the collective sound was more than four times the maximum output emitted by a regular detonation all concentrated into a single blast.

All was noise. The resulting wave tore everything apart around it; ship, human, and Ultrumite. Nothing was spared in the blast zone, which showed up on every single frequency monitor in the system.

Chevrelle did not live long enough to see Tara Hapaxia floating unconscious through the black, or the Ultrumite ships and terraforming crews arriving through the Veil Gate to take their glorious leader back to Ultrum to recuperate. She did not see the banner of the Domin flying high over Kur Jingtsin the very next day.

But just this once, the cockroach scored a victory.


The Galactic Congress - 9441.3

The sector is rippled by waves of conquest and expansion, as the past year has seen dozens of star systems come under new leadership. The Hecatian Shade, the Ultrum Domin, and Channel Seldiva are the frontrunners, pushing outwards in brutal campaigns and daring shows of force alike. They are followed swiftly by the Nascence - whose encroach will surely threaten the Archive's existence - as well as the Oracle Family Company and Knights of Orias. Aliens and warlords, machines and men alike, there is no stopping the drive for more.

The Principia Sector is getting crowded. Already the edges of the map are being filled in, and the space for unknown intervention shrinks with every revolution. Soon there will be no room left. Hungry eyes may yet turn to neighbours in order to get what they want. At home, preparations are being made for the first exchanges of true total war. Questions buzz throughout the sector's space about goals, alliances and strategies being questioned and re-evaluated. The year is passed now, and a new one rears its head.

The next summit of the Galactic Congress approaches, with no host having yet stepped forward to claim that honour after last year's gathering was so ably hosted by the Hegemony. Normally, there is an opportunity for the powers that be to set the agenda, but for the first time since its foundation nobody even attempted it this past year. As a result, the lower governmental bodies have seen fit to prioritize two more major events that have been forecasted.

Firstly, rumors are spread of an ancient Arco-Medean cache of incredibly rare and valuable metals that lie somewhere in the sector; if the stories have any weight to them, this mystery cache contains enough starmetal to build an small fleet of new ships or other weapons. Exactly where this cache lies is a mystery, yet it would be easy for the Congress to send out a group to uncover its location. Implicit in that agreement, of course, is the 'finder's keepers' rule; the first power to get to the treasure would undoubtedly be able to claim its riches as their own.

The other matter for deliberation comes in the form of a probe that emerged from a wormhole in space two weeks ago. Though its drive signature and design seem familiar, it has been nearly entirely scrambled... save for a short clip of less than one minute long that lies buried deep within its recorded footage. The video is that of a strange, unnatural sky with seven moons of varying colours. Great trees made from pure light soar into the air, many reaching out nearly into the upper atmosphere as their phantasmal wood and foliage seem to defy gravity. There, amidst the cornucopia, is a great host of claw and fang, of scale and steel. They are beasts primordial yet gleam with inner light, their bodies reinforced by whirring augments of metal and bristle with all manner of weaponry.

On their backs are figures in power armor, wearing a vast array of chain-blades and laser armaments. They shake vibrolance and rifle alike up to the heavens in a warlike chant.

"Glory to the All-Mother! GLORY TO ZULTARA!"

It will be up to the Congress to decide on how to deal with these events; to capitalize on windfalls or let them come to pass; to rebuff new forces or welcome them with open arms. The votes they cast will shape the fate of billions.

A random territory on the map (rolled by me) will gain 2d4 extra temp Eco as a lost treasure trove is uncovered. If it's a neutral territory, it will remain on that spot and be part of the benefit when claimed; if it's a territory already controlled by a player or NPC, then they get the temp stats outright.
A new NPC faction will arrive in Principia - the Zultari Clans (expect lots more John Carter style barbarians riding mecha T-rexes). They can and will settle in 2 of the currently unoccupied systems on the map, and will automatically 'clash' for dominance with anyone taking those systems.
Amid the various conquests and expansions, two civilizations have shown the daring capability to begin work on wonders to rival those of the late Arco-Medeans. The followers of the Artificial God, fresh from their defeat at the hands of the Warleader of Ultrum, delve their Artificery to reverse-engineer apotheosis, even as the Hecatian Shade work to call back a semblance of their former masters. If either project is to succeed, the sector will surely be irrevocably changed.
OOC: Midturns are due at noon on Sunday, April 11th (EST)

[Writtensanity]

The real-time recap of Progenitor Victorya’s 76 hour battle: Victorya Vs the Pirates: Stuffing Davy Jone’s Locker. Will continue after the following programming.

https://i.imgur.com/gf1FB1X.gif

The intro music to betting war (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWsWgN9GHsI&t=2s)

The camera swoops down through a studio stuffed with opulence, from strange minerals that only appear on single planets to the skeletons of extinct species. At a diamond desk in the middle of the room, a spawn of Progenitor Maeve shimmies along to the music, her hair seemingly made of literal gold. Those who know the Universal Betting Scene know her as Gally Haliday, and she’s been accused of time travel multiple times. The music fades out as she starts talking.

“Well, the numbers are locked in for the better part of this solar year and I hope you took my advice last year folks, because if you’re planning on getting a bet in for Conquest: Principia, and you’re planning on following my advice, which you should, then you’re too late. The payout ratios for Channel Seldiva and the contestants are WAY down. Putting down cash on them, or their friends in the Competition of Minds, is barely going to get you a 1:1.5 return anymore. And that is if you find a good bookie.”

“By the way, if you tuned in during the earlier part of last solar year, and you put money down on that sweet 1:10 payout on the Contestants managing to capture four systems in a year, you’re welcome. I told you that they didn’t need battleships for all of them. Each of the Warleaders took a system and that’s the kinda thing I expect from a Victorya led operation. Or a Neptune led one, but I try not to talk about my boss too much on air.”
“But enough gloating from me. If you followed my advice, you’re sitting on a type 2 world living easy right now, if you didn’t, well, I’m going to throw out some numbers for you now to explain why there were so many changes across the board when the bets locked in, and I’ll start talking about what you should be betting on next Episode.”

“First, let’s talk presence in Principia. Or at least the type that Channel Seldiva is used to. Y’all out there are used to seeing sponsorships and partner programs, sister stations, all of that jazz, but it’s new to the lifeforms in Principia. Now that they’re learning the Channel Seldiva lifestyle, you can’t walk through a market sector in the free cities without catching the logo on a bunch of drink cans or spotting shirts with the contestants on them. Based on the results of the most recent client survey in Principia, the recognition of Channel Seldiva in the sector is up over 50%, which is huge for the Contestants because it greases the wheels, Seldiva is no longer just the newcomers, they are a stable of Principia.”

“Second, and way more fun. Have you seen the amount of <chemical substance untranslatable to local language> that the ladies found on some of the asteroids in the Brenna system? That’s a key material in the Long-Range Orbital Disruption Cannons that Victorya loves to take to battle, which, up until now, the contestants didn’t have access to. Right now, contestant engineers and laborers on captured systems are hard at work building those cannons so we don’t quite know how much of an increase it should be, but if I had to hazard a guess, we’re looking about a 50% increase in the overall firepower that the Contestants can bring to the next fight. Honestly I kind of want to see them break their contract with the Competition of Minds to test out the weapons NOW, but at the same time I just caught up on Psyker Wars so if they did that I’d literally die. #KaijuCrafters by the way, #RealityWarpers are a bunch of nerds.”


“Look, there are a couple more intangibles within the resources gathered, like the Arco-Medean installations or the science base within Kyldan Beta that the contestants will probably leverage into more warp gates, but the point is that business is booming for the girls, and many of the people around the galaxy are expecting them to turn it into good-ol-fashioned violence soon. Afterall, what’s the point of having a bigger stick if you’re not going to break some knee caps with it?”

“Now that we’re done that quick update, let’s take a look at the individual planet bets and what’s coming up in our favourite auction houses…”


INDATHA SYSTEMS

From Pre-historic to historically good-looking. The wonderful engineers at Indatha systems are always looking for the best muses around the Universe, and bringing you the greatest leap forwards in fashion.

Inspired by this Season of Conquest, Indatha is proud to present the Gravaton Lighting Lance, BRENNA EDITION. With sleek chromium finish, this is the classic Gravaton Lighting Lance you love, with a modern pre-historic twist. Replica fangs from a forgotten age accentuate every strike of the spear, and every bolt you fire."

Our limited supply run of 3.7 Billion Brenna Edition Lighting Lances is up for sale in 23 hours: Supply is extremely limited, so act quickly.

https://i.imgur.com/DOa93RQ.gif

MOR 7 - INF 8



A message is blasted across the system the two sides are locked in, making it hard to receive one without receiving the other.

In the First:

In a far-off field, a manticore hisses at its target, a pristinely dressed member of the Archive who had gotten too close during study. Venom drips from its string and the scientist holds up a blaster.

A blur leaps out of the underbrush carrying a cruel bladed weapon that glints in the sun. The vision cuts out before it's clear which of the two figures the blur plans to strike.


In the second:

Channel Seldiva can no longer act as a bulwark against the oncoming tide of the Nascence, it's clear now that setting up to cross this season would lead to outright war with the Song of the Stars.

To those reading from the Archive, the price of our intervention is no longer access to your system. See to it that you offer a price that makes it worth jumping between predator and prey when we already have issues knocking at our door.

Station Manager Neptune






Viewer discretion is advised, but we appreciate being a viewer to so much more of the galaxy at this point.

Considering the sensitive nature of your work, we feel it prudent to let you know that, should it come to it. We desperately hope that you choose to turn away contracts that would damage Channel Seldiva.

Should your agents engage in wet-work in our spaces, including but not limited to attacks on our Contestants, we will not regard your previous statement of Contract Immunity, instead you will be at war with your possible biggest client.

Of course, should you choose to continue to work with us instead, we can see it being very profitable for both sides.

Station Manager Neptune.





64 Preferred, though conflict seems inevitable.






Your timeslot is live in 3.7 hours for the reveal of this seasons' projects! We look forward to watching the feed from home.

Once you have locked it in, please communicate future plans, we have input when it comes to targets.

Station Manager Neptune.

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png

"It was my third tour of duty when I finally saw him for the first time. I'd been just another brave (or stupid) volunteer seeking to join the Knights. Anything was better than that <karg'th> dead-end job mining out hollowed asteroids, waiting for another batch of pirates to come by and put a hole in it so big that there was no chance to get to a secure airlock. If I was going to get shot at, at least the pay should be good, right?

Like a lot of others I had no idea what I was really joining up for. If you thought the week where we Colonial Reserve troops got to try SpecOps training was rough, that's bread and butter for these guys. Most of 'em are born into and don't know anything else, but like I said before, they pay good. Benefits aren't just cash either. Since I had skid-loader experience from the Reserve, they stuck me into a mech, almost right off the bat. Thing was basically a tank on legs, but it's probably the safest place to be since you're usually about 50-100 clicks behind the front line at the minimum. Well, I did well enough on the first two campaigns they stuck me into a Cuirass. That's the shiny poster boys you always see the Channel drooling over.

I've gotten off topic haven't I? I saw the Lord Commander in action for the first time today. He's an Orias, four arms, big body the whole works, but you wouldn't think it. He's in a Cuirass too like myself - I guess he was always fond of it, but... the moves he made, I've never seen anything like it. There's a difference between someone who's skilled and someone who's an artist and I think I know the difference now. The Lord Commander pushes his machine in ways I've never thought of. We have a grapple that's usually used for towing small asteroids out of the way, but I watched him evade three tank's returning fire by attaching the grapple to the back side of a spire and swinging around the corner. It shortened his fall from where he had been, the tanks were aiming where he should have been but ended up a solid 20 meters off, and then he finished them off. One round each. One round, brother. Pinpoint accurate to the ammo racks on the turret.

I don't even think he broke a sweat. We just fought outdated tanks today. Everything he did was smooth. I know he doesn't use one of those fancy suits that attach to your nerves to let you translate thought to action either. Pure skill, through and through. It's humbling, but reassuring too. You should think about it, brother. I need to get going though, the second wife's gonna kill me if I'm not there when the delivery happens. It's a good life, brother. Think about joining."
--Excerpt from a personal transmission of Squire Enrico Mendoza


https://youtu.be/q4kEuNfbTWc?t=80 (at 1:20 if you wanna see the swinging maneuver)
MOR 7, INF 7
Our immediate surroundings are clear, and the Knights are ready for action. At this time, we are willing to deploy units as a supplementary force to your own in the sector. In return, the Knights request materiel of equal value to the contribution of our forces. If our combat resources are hotly contested, then the offer will go to those who pay the most. We are not a charity, we are mercenaries and we have civilians to take care of. On that same note, turning guns against an unarmed civilian populace or territory under our protection will immediately terminate the contract. Thank you.
If you want to buy a VIP from the Knights for a turn, it's a 1:1 to how much MIL they bring to the table. Buying the services of the Lord Commander, for example is 6 points of non-MIL stats, Kai & Adnachiel is only 2 points by comparison. Highest bidder wins, any ties go to the first one to approach. In character they won't attack unarmed civilians, and they will withdraw if you try to attack my territories with my own VIP's :P Rasai and Kima'res are not available to be bought (Rasai because he's not a warrior, and Kima'res because he's eternally busy with upgrades and repairs etc.

Your expansion has been swift and ruthless. We can appreciate that. Do you still have your fangs poised to take [43] or has your thirst for conquest been slaked? Nothing (theoretically) could stop us from making a hyperlane to [44] for instance if [43] was still your desire. Simply put, even if it's just a single exclave with [44], [46], or [47] we would like to have an area to act as a staging ground for the hotbed of activity to your west. Our position is far from central in the sector, though truly "central" is not a possibility in Principia, and we seek to more actively reach our employers.

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

confederation...Empire

The reunion had taken longer and longer this time around, as chosen representatives from the newly incorporated Shade approximated, some glad, as the promises of self-governance and a place as Hecatians was upheld others terrified of a trap from the bloody conquerors of nightmare, that the call for their leaders was for nothing but goading and torture, it was not.

Chaos permeated the room, the orthodoxian hecan priests gaining a few seats and displacing the diminished numbers of the gedon giants, the humans and Alears now accostumed to Hecatian workings trying to make voting blocks with the new species against eachother, discussions on war and assimilation, on rights and duties, Death and revenge. Just the usual.

The chaos would fade eventually, with the original Shade taking over the discussion with the voice of rage and ferocity, muffling the quiet, spread voices of consideration and needs for the new worlds: "Adapt" they were told, to cease their mewling; It was the way of the Shade, they had adapted their meeting to work without "The Follower" for now, and they would adapt again, or lose it forever...

is there anything that's worth more...?

The bunker was safe, at least as safe as it could, currently, be. The people's of the shade cried many things: their revoked right to leave offerings to their healing leader (discretion was key), revenge, alarm that such an attack could take place from outside forces, payback, but although the Shade and their concern surrounded Ala Cait and, only a few of the cries could be heard inside...

The Galal raised their young in clusters, able to fight from a month, but thaught some sense by caretakers. Inside the bunker, Ala Cait's retired caretaker cried or did something very much similar, Ala Cait's cluster was as most culled by time, filled with prospective warriors who lived and died as such, an honor for sure, but raising so many clusters of the dead weighted on a galal, and here it was, a product from the last cluster they raised, one of a few who had a choice and chose away from war, suffering as any warrior would.

The many machines were quiet, with a quiet, soothing rumble and a few lights being the only indicator that they still worked, Ala Cait looked more machine than Galal as the many restaurative devices finished the last touches on her body, supervised by leading experts on the field, usually The patient could be awake in this part, with the parts of the body under treatment kept numbed but this was advised against, The Follower needed rest, and those who knew Ala Cait made the choice for them, knowing they'll take work as more important.

Mor 5, Inf 4

PCs:

We were hoping good sense would stop you from such a course, [43] will be in the shade shortly, [44] could be bargained for with a similar offer to the one you previously rejected, allow [29] or [38], offering us an entry into the cluster (we could even arrange for it to be your forces that take it for us, with proper payment), if unwilling to comply remain on your side.

Warmaster Obor.

Hail wyrds, Can our people expect the same exchange as before or will your new neighbours prove an obstacle to it?

-3rd voice of Hecan

Esteemed machine cult, glory to the achievements of your god and their servants.

It seems that problem assails you as it does us, and the light of knowledge in the galaxy is threatened by the coming storm, know that we wish to keep the light from going out, through whatever means necessary, thanks to the unruly knights we have an avenue of trade, and perhaps more.

-Chit'al, Head engineer of the Tria-khan shipyards and associates.

Are you willing to continue the warpath you started, and if so, do you seek assistance?

Alea, ONU minister of foreign affairs.

NPCs:

To principia personnel solutions,

Well, no wonder you didn't reply to our last offer, We'll like to get your services of course, both the [1 Econ] plan of service and the [7 stat] Termination offer. If possible we would like to pay [2 econ] for an added service, one so you don't loose the fee of whoever called a strike on us (no need to tell who) and the other to ensure that you deny them service this year, publicly if you want, in order to not divulge your customer's identity.

-Agharia sto, Captain of the great scar, Head howler.

Esteemed archive,

it seems efforts to contain the threat have been unsuccessful thus far, how do plans for outside aid continue? seeing as our expected entrypoint in [8] was already secured against infection, so we'd like info on possible entrypoints, and the sort of aid most welcome.

Our first and foremost wish is to aid you, but it seems enemies encroach not only from the realm of nightmares the nascence spawned from,
-Chit'al, Head engineer of the Tria-khan shipyards and associates.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 4
Moral 5

The two brothers rejoined each others' company in the Managing director's office high above the clouds at the centre of Serkavian's capital. They sipped a thick steaming green liquid from delicate painted red cups, as was traditional.

Excellent Roibhh brother.

Indeed...it comes from a tiny shop in the suburbs of Marhhish..the oldest shopkeeper I have seen...such brittle carapace yet her eyes...even I shudder to think of them. It makes you forget sometimes...there are others who are powerful in our midst and we never even thought of them. Yet she uses her gift to grow the most delicious roibhh you will ever taste. I have offered her the actual moon...all she wants is her small shop. Nothing else...such a waste I think some times...yet not today.

Zerreshhk took another sip and hummed in delight as the thick drink moistened and soothed his inflamed speech plates.

I read the reports..devious plan.

Thank you brother...you did well yourself. For a number cruncher.../COLOR]

He said, antenae wiggling in amusement, though Meerza did not seem bothered.

[COLOR="#4B0082"]Those sorts of plans are only temporary....they won't always work

They don't need to brother...as you know the art of success is balancing the short term needs with your long term goals. Without both...you either never live to fulfill your goals or find that you have nothing left to fulfill them with....

This isn't about exploding suns again is it?

Zeresshk flapped his shoulder carapace at him and kept on sipping his drink. He leaned back on the armchair, his tail lazily marking circles on the sand below the chair. The sand was of course warm and pleasant as it gently abraded the sensitive tip of his tail sending shivers through his body.



[A large ship of particularly greedy or desperate scavengers lands on Kansk, flamethrowers and plasma rifles burning away anything that might threaten their landing zone. But as soon as the better part of their number – and their heavy weaponry – sets out, they are set upon, roots growing through their armour and flesh as packs of predators fall upon them. As the survivors run, they find their ship the nest of vicious shrikes, tearing hull and crewmembers apart with equal glee.]

The scene zooms out showing the continent, the planet the sun of the system more and more stars until it shows a table with 13 figures standing around the table. One steps forward and reveals the shape of the manticore and the worlds that seem clearly to be those of the essence, green as emeralds burn as the manticore stands alone upon its green jewels. All other figures except for one reach into the map and begin plucking the emerald plants from the table, tearing fist sized chunks and ravaging them in their shadowy mouths. Mailed fists dripping with fire. The scene resets. The manticores are chasing the greedy invaders but there are more this time. They hack at the roots and the manticores with blades and flame. Except this time a pack of Kanthi stand at the side watching the manticores and waiting, fangs beared snapping. They are standing outside the territory of the manticores, sniffing at the trees that mark the territory and pacing the invisible border.

They snap and bare their fangs at the invaders but do not cross the line. A member of their own pack stands on the other side of that line having crossed a bridge of stars. It stares back at them with eyes shining green from within. The spot where it once stood in the pack is clearly vacant in the formation. The pack leader reaches out telepathically but recoils as the minds touch. Its aura darkens with pain and sorrow. Images of his mate, the one standing on the other side of the line flash at it but receive no recognition. The Kanthi watch the butchery unable to cross the pack lines. Already the pack eyes other scanvengers approaching its position. The pack is weakened and may not be able to defend itself alone.





From the desk of Zerreshhk, Manading director of the Oracle Family Company

Lord commander, though I can certainly respect your stance...It seems you will be barred from expanding your reach the west but seems you will be blocked. I think that is putting it politely. We might consider supporting your "contested" claim to 43...for adequate payment of course. Turnabout is fair play wouldn't you say? We could also split the remaining "free" sectors so that we need not come into conflict. We would happily not contest any claim you may present to sector 29 so long as you do not claim sector 32...We hope this sounds fair to you. After all...you may find yourselves in a position where a friend is worth more to you than an employer. Especially should a fortis 10 come knocking on your door and all the bullets in the world cannot stop it.

I admit that your automated message does not convey the same...value perhaps than a personal communication. We are neighbours and I am certain you can spare the executives. Afterall, better to face an unreasonable avalanche of violence with an ally than alone...the same is true of us of course. Although we would not withdraw our subscription, without a "live" even unsecured communication...I have a feeling you may soon find yourselves trying to negotiate with literal living cannonballs from space...and in case it was not clear...I am not referring to representatives of our company.



To: Phase-Knight Wen
From: Managing director of the Oracle Family company, Zerreshhk

Administrator, we would like to seek information from your great archive. Are you besieged by the one who has arisen from Idris? Would you be so kind as to share what knowledge you may have of "them".

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 5, Inf 4

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Adias from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back.

We've got your message, thank you so much for getting in touch. If you'd like to expand your services with us to include a Exclusive Non-Interference package, we can certainly arrange that with billing. You would have our 100% guarantee of immunity from any retaliatory strikes using our agency. Just to let you know, that would be another annual dividend in similar terms to the one that your station has already signed for our P.E.S.T. package.

In other news, we thought you would be happy to know that your complimentary strike proceeded according to plan. For security purposes, we will keep all names out of this call.

Thank you so much for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

It's a discounted extra 1 Eco (down from 2) per turn to not only maintain your current agreement with PPS, but also have your faction considered 'out of bounds' for any requests on you.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Queal from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back.

We're delighted to hear that you're committed to purchasing our P.E.S.T. package this year. We are already hearing back from customers who have nothing but good reviews of the intelligence service and our targeted strike forces, and are happy to announce that you are next in line for a target.

However, a word of caution before continuing. Part of the P.E.S.T. privileges involve gaining access to even our internal servers, so everyone who subscribed last year can - and likely is, hello there! - listening to this call. If you would prefer to list a target in a more private forum, we can make one of our executive suites available.

Regarding excluding an additional contract holder... I'm afraid that our billings are maintained separately for each client. I'm not authorized to make any changes to existing subscription plans. If you'd like to make sure that the tragedy that befell your leader does not see any repeat performance, I'd have to recommend the Exclusive Non-Interference package. For a very reasonable price, your faction is guaranteed safety from any of our future operations!

Thank you so much for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

Beyond the offer extended last turn, PPS is willing to throw you a (discounted) offer: for a total of 2 Eco per turn, you would not only get the P.E.S.T. (access to their 9 Esp network and one free assassination, plus the ability to call in strikes) but they will also exclude you from any targeting from them in the future.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello again there, this is Xander calling again from Principia Personnel Solutions. I was hoping for one more moment of your time?

Firstly, allow me to be the first to express my gratitude on behalf of PPS for your organization's cooperation with our trade extension last cycle. By connecting us with clients on the far side of the sector, the Knights have greatly increased our latitude and ability to operate.

I'm talking to you today because PPS would like to make you an offer for some of your military experts. We understand that your Lord Commander and one of your ARMAMENTs are open for contract; we would like to secure their aid with eventual territorial expansion efforts. Of course, PPS is willing to honour the morality clauses of the initial terms that your organization made public, and our board is willing to sign legally binding documents to that effect should a deal go through.

Please see enclosed our initial offer. We at PPS are willing to pay a fair share, and know that we are willing to raise our price should any true competition avail itself before the window of negotiation closes.

Thank you so much for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

PPS is putting in a bid on both the Lord Commander and Kai & Adnachiel. They are willing to spend 8 Eco for an even trade of Mil VIP points, but will raise their price up if anyone else bids. They're also willing to hear counters for other stats to mutually sweeten the deal.
What you receive next is not a call, but rather an actual physical letter delivered through the interstellar mail service. No cheap late night ad, this; the stencilling is immaculate, the signature in embossed black-gold ink and the PPS company logo monogrammed into the crimped edges of the paper.

It's an invitation.

PPS is extending a formal invitation to sit down with Calepri, their VP of Customer Relations. All you need to do is commit a VIP of your very own to the meeting, and I'll start a private Discord channel.

Amaranthine Archive
Mor 5, Inf 4

The missive is a short televised clip shown all across the sector, showing the recognizable profile of Phase Knight Wen. They sit in front of a desk, a single piece of paper there that they do not look at.

"This is a message to the Horizon Signal, but our departments have decided to air it publicly for all of Principia to hear what we have to say to you. This move contravenes many of our policies, yet necessity has forced our hand.

The people of Zephyrus Prime and our neighboring systems have lived in dread for some time now, as it has become increasingly clear that your corrosive touch has infected the very spaces through which you move. Idri and Kansk were lost first, contact gone with old allies, but this year has shown that there is to be no sating your hunger. The Republic, another ally, devoured, and even now as the Archive moves to protect the binary stars of Vudran-Litoshk your fleets darken the Veil Gate at its door.

Though we once thought to contain you, study you for the betterment of the galaxy, it has unfortunately become clear that your essence will tolerate nothing less than complete and utter destruction. So that is what we are going to do.

As of this moment, consider the Amaranthine Archive at war with the infection from Idri.

Good day."

The video clicks off.
Less than a day after the initial declaration video is made public, a second message - this time nominally private, though due to the breadth of the recipients it will surely be leaked within a few cycles - arrives in half a dozen seats of power. The same Archive Administrator sits behind the same desk; one might think the two missives were recorded right after the other.

"Our first move in this war is to target the Nascence's weak points. As powerful as the Signal is, it has at best a tenuous grasp of public sentiment and any kind of higher understanding of the worlds which it infects. These are soft targets that the Archive has already planned to exploit - but it will not be enough without aid.

All of you represent some of the finest and most resourceful groups in the sector, so the Archive is asking for your help. If we can beat back the Nascence now, deal them a series of crushing blows, they should retreat back or at least halt their advances until a proper bulwark can be established to curb them for good. But to gain that ground will require an unprecedented level of cooperation, from a group of disparate and diverse individuals all across the sector. We address gods and knights, station hosts and company executives alike: help us.

Your generosity will not be unnoticed, nor will it go unrewarded. In exchange, I have spoken to the heads of several of our departments - both fiduciary and archaeological - and they are willing to make unprecedented concessions to those that can swing the balance in our favour. The former comes with a fully funded guarantee of executive control over Archive projects for an entire year, while the latter comes with the deed to future Arco-Medean acquisitions. And of course, the Archive will be happy to help deal with any other aggressors in the galaxy should our immediate needs be tended to.

Do not let chaos win. If the Nascence and others like them are allowed to advance unchecked, there will be nothing but blood across our starways."

The plan is simple (and the Nascence will know it's coming, but that's okay). The Archive will be throwing every offensive stat they have at the Nascence, targeting their Influence and Science with two separate attacks. They've been banking and should be able to make a couple of nice swings, but they need more. To that end, they are asking for any Influence, Science, Psionics, or Espionage that people are willing to lend, which they will all optimize and combine into two fatal strikes.

The Archive has two things that it's willing to offer in exchange for aid. The first is any Archeotech they uncover to the most stats added to the attack against the Nascence's Science (at least 1 piece, but they're willing to negotiate). The second thing they're offering is their Turn 3 EoT in exchange for the most stats added to the attack on the Nascence's Influence. That player would control the Archive's EoT within reason; nothing that would permanently hurt the Archive or mess up their international relations, but they can take all of the temp stats for that turn for example.

[Writtensanity]

Yahal clicked his beak and then leaned back in the captains chair he’d stuffed into the lounge earlier that day. Captains always got the best of the best and he was left in that stupid communicators chair day after day. Sure, this chair wasn’t official, but at least after the most recent raid he had a captains chair to come back to a the end of the day. He’d barely believed it when he’d drawn first loot, and the rest of the crew didn’t believe it when he chose this chair instead of a new blaster or ship mounted gun. The others were too obsessed with death and mayhem, they needed to appreciate the finer things in life.

Yahal cracked the lid on his drink. It had been a long day and he was going to need energy if he was going to spend the rest of his night on the pleasure deck.

Oh boy was it going to be a night.

As Yahal went to take the first sip of his drink the can started chirping at him, “Remember to get your can signed by a nearby Contestant for a chance to win! Enjoy the fizz of Likeran! Enough Energy for Your Conquest.”

Yahal swore and scanned the room for Brennigan, but thankfully didn’t see the dogmatic captain. The last thing he needed off hours was another tirade about how Capitalism was the enemy and how any system that allowed a Empire to live-stream their expansion was inherently immoral. Admittedly, Yahal didn’t have a political view on Capitalism, but they were both pirates and trying to be high and mighty about it wasn’t helping anyone. They weren’t fighting against the system, they were taking what they could. They were just mercenaries who got to choose their own targets.

Metal groaned and screeched down the hall and Yahal swore again. “Ulgin, if the door is ****ing locked you need to use your pass!” He called out to the likely drunk gunman and sighed before sinking back into his new chair.

The hallway screamed again.

“You idiot,” Yahal pushed himself out of the chair with an over exaggerated groan to confront the dumbass. At least if he gave Ulgin a talking to he wouldn’t get yelled at by engineering for not helping the poor man. It wasn’t Yahal’s fault that Ulgin hadn’t recovered from the thermo round he took to the left brain. “I’ll come open the door,” Yahal called before taking a long sip of his drink.

Ulgin wasn’t at the end of the hallway, instead there was a familiar silhouette showered in sparks. Blood red and gold flashed in the shaky ship light and Yahal tried to figure out where he recognised the silhouette from....

His can.

Yahal glanced down at the drink at his hand, and then at the woman in the doorway. Oh ****. Oh- Yahal reached for his gun but was frozen by the sound of a weapon whirring to life. Yahal waited for his life to end.

“We’ve got a smart one,” Victorya chimed in a sing song voice as she strutted forward into the proper light while keeping one arm-cannon of her battle suit trained on Yahal. The pirate backed away from her and let her past him into the lounge. Victorya frowned at the sad break room and then flopped down into the captains chair. “You got a name?”

“Y-“ Yahal started but his beak betrayed him and he ended up squawking in his native language instead.
“You want a job or you wanna die?” The progenitor asked before she used one of the many magnet systems in her suit to call a branded can of Likeran. She cracked it open and it started to spout off the Likeran jingle and reminded her that she was a VIP customer of the brand. “Job or dead?” she asked again and prompt her weapons to do their entirely aesthetic arming audio.

“Work, I can work. I’ll do whatever you want and-“ Yahal was cut off by Victorya’s finger.

“All you gotta do is watch and enjoy,” she winked before pulling out a small pistol and shooting Yahal in the forehead.

Initializing full immersion inhabitation. Please standby.

Channel Seldiva! A Universe of Entertainment.

I snapped my eyes open and my lungs constricted for a second. I had been dead. I was dead. I was… Fine? I reached out to feel each of my fingers and talons before realizing that I wasn’t lying on the floor, I was standing in the middle of the lounge staring at the ceiling.

“How was your nap?” Victorya asked me as she crossed and uncrossed her legs in the captain’s chair that I’d stolen in today’s raid. I could feel my heart almost leaping out of my chest, as she gave me the once-over. “Pretty good it looks like. Eyes on me.”

I nodded and locked onto her.

“Morning Viewers, I’m on the Ghaldern 3 Station within Kyldan Beta, with me, a couple thousand pirate friends, and you my best friend. Let’s do this, you and me! Here’s a shield,” Victorya tossed me a small silver orb and I somehow managed to keep my hands on it while close to passing out. “Here you’re gonna need some energy to keep up with me, here’s a cold Likeran,” she threw me a new can and I popped the tab on my favorite drink, gulping down the phenomenal mix of all my favorite flavors. “Cheers!” she said with a wink before downing her own drink and jumping out of the captain's chair.

All of Victorya’s weapons armed to life and she turned back to look at me, “Which way we going?”

I pointed towards the gunner’s systems.

“Spicy, I like it!” Victorya took off in a light jog and I sprinted to keep up with her. The orb in my hand started to hum and the personal shield Victorya’d thrown me earlier shimmered to life……


To be continued in front of other posts


Messages: MOR 7, INF 8


The message appears on most accessible frequencies across the planet. For non-Channel Seldiva stations, it appears as an extended ad spot during prime time television.

Neptune is silhouetted against the Channel Seldiva logo in the background, waiting and there is an extended, intentional pause at the start of the message.


https://i.imgur.com/HIqFHAA.png


“Leaders of Principia,” she opens. Her voice is far from the friendly sing-song of most televised Fotuans, it’s cold, unwelcoming and more sickening than sickeningly sweet, “there is something very special sitting on my desk this afternoon.”

Neptune holds up an envelope, somehow completely visible despite the fact that she remains 100% silhouetted against the harsh light of the background. “This is an unsigned war declaration. Intended for… well, someone amongst you. The Archive wishes for it to be the Nascence, the Nascence is likely wishing that it is the archive, and the Artificial God hopes we are planning to challenge the Domin.”

She tosses the envelope to the side, “Personally I hope it’s the Shade, buuuuuut- Cue the music..”

The Music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftFTm7ElIns)
https://i.imgur.com/Q4JIanF.gif

A sing-song narrator takes over for Neptune as graphic renderings of Channel Seldiva ships bombarding other planets apply across the screen.

That's right! YOU get to vote on the next war that you see on your live-feeds! Channel Seldiva is patiently waiting for the Galactic Congress to assemble, and any nation willing to throw away their official votes to say "Channel Seldiva should attack this nation!" Will be counted in our personal contest.

The nation with the most votes will get a personal visit from our orbital destabilization cannons as soon as we reasonably can! Remember to vote at the Galactic Congress!


Votes placed this way have absolutely no bearing on the official galactic congress and are an official waste in all opinions except Channel Seldiva's, but won't it be funny to place some?

Additionally, votes for The Competition of Minds and Channel Seldiva will not be counted, though they will, additionally, be funny.

Channel Seldiva reserves the right to declare war on someone who doesn't win the competition in addition to the winner of the competition.





Hope you are able to put forward some numbers for the Nasence! Considering their absolute lack of voting power it shouldn't be hard to make them the winner.

Princess





Sure, sign us up for the immunity package this season. We understand that would be a total of [2 ECO] correct?

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Protocol: Production Schedule
call(Security level)

RETURN Public

OVERRIDE SET security level = root

ACCESS DENIED

EXTRACT(security level, temp4)

ACCESS DENIED

setAcc(TMA, Admin)

ACCESS DENIED

DECLARE mood varchar(10)
Mood = annoyed

Publish(ProductionScheduleY4.txt)
Targets:
Production Facility 00408004 00432331 Upgrade Commencing [1 eco]
Deep Space Monitoring System Restoration [2 esp]
Host Swarm 2 Completion [2 mil]
Warscape Restoration Project [1 inf]
&&&&&&STOP()
^ARREST OP()
######KILL TASK(Publish)


[Output:] Mood


Morale 12, Influence 4


Players

The Idrian Nascence
[Output:] Hyperlane creation: unnecessary.
[Output:] Archive =/= weak
IF(Assistance = required) [
Discuss further
]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony
[Output:] Standing improved
[Output:] Conflict inefficient resource use
[Output:] Cease Hostilities

Please$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Influence 1, Morale 6



[The weakened pack of manticores – though with each movement they become more stylized, each of their eyes now glowing amber crystals, their wicked, venomous tails now brilliant, multicoloured flowers – snarls and raise their hackles as they are forced into a circle, each glowing in an otherwise lightless scene. The caricatured silhouette of a beast tamer or ringmaster from the old Confederacy casts its shadow across the scene, cooing and cajoling and offering bloody hunks of meat, dripping with plasma and glittering with circuitry, to the seven scavengers circling the pack.

The scavengers and beast-tamer are so distracted that they are wholly distracted that when the Kanthi – no longer Kanthi, the bipedal and tailed figures from the earlier visions, light flaring brightly from every crack in their chitin – fall upon them from behind, they don’t have a chance. As the manticores pounces forward, the two groups easily tear the beasttamer apart. Six of the scavengers flee, but the seventh and most fearsome is now surrounded in turn, clearly pained by the light and herded into smaller and smaller circles of shadow. ]





With a sense of satisfaction
[A surreal, multicolored stream, liquids of different colours flowing in opposite directions without issue, different species of life swimming happily through each, heading towards the origin point of the other]

With a sense of curiosity, and no small amount of urgency
[A lumbering and aged behemoth is harried and hunted by a pack of manticores, already bleeding and poisoned from a dozen different wounds but still vital and dangerous. Suddenly, a flock of shrikes descent from the sky, tearing at the behemoth’s many eyes and distracting it while the manticores go for the kill, tearing out each of its throats in one brutal motion. Seemingly content with the arrangement, the two groups of predators tear into the great beast’s carcass in peace, each eating their fill.]





The people of Zephyrus Prime and our neighboring systems
nothing less than complete and utter destruction. So that is what we are going to do.


some of the finest and most resourceful groups in the sector, so the Archive is asking for your help
“Personally I hope it’s the Shade, buuuuuut- “
We are already hearing back from customers who have nothing but good reviews of the intelligence service and our targeted strike forces, and are happy to announce that you are next in line for a target.

soft targets that the Archive has already planned to exploit
Turnabout is fair play wouldn't you say?
Discuss further





[Particularly sensitive or focused psykers across the Sector will, in the days and weeks following the Archives declaration of war, suffer from recurring nightmares. Given their consistency, details will become available to every government soon enough]

A display of the Zephyr cluster, view from above as if from a cartographic display. The stars are dim, save Idri, which has a brilliant viridian halo. From it, vines and roots twist and grow along the hyperlane to Kansk, which begins to glow with the same light as the hyperlane pulses, undergoing a metamorphosis into an umbilical cord carrying something between them. The same process occurs with the Haven, Lanala and Tolwyn systems. And from there, to every star in the sector. Zephyrus is last, consumed and assimilated from all directions. Then, the entire cluster knit together into one vast organism, the spread stops. Sated, it begins to slumber.

Zephyrus prime does not burn, despite all its inhabitants best attempts. The star is gone, in its place a vast, cosmic eye staring down on the world, picking out each and every lonely soul still resisting their destiny. Choirs of former Zephyrites, now firmly rooted to the ground and with skin and branches intertwined through each other, sing an omnipresent, hauntingly beautiful elegy for the Archives as hexepedal beasts the size of tanks dig into their last bunkers. The Hunting horrors can smell artificial light, and without the sun the only warmth and illumination comes from the soft, welcoming inner light of the Nascence.

The dream ends with the last Archivists. Freezing in the dark as they hear their comrades scream.

The Idrian Nascence accepts and returns the declaration of war

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 4
Moral 5




The response comes back, no scene this time. Only agreement and the feeling of a clock ticking.


The response is sent back quickly, in writing and in equally appointed stationery, although the one sent back is slightly fragrant as though peppered with a mix between cinnamon and wet earh (presumably that is a pleasant smell to the Orusians.

"We accept the invitation on the condition that you accept no contracts or take any offensive action against us."



To: The Artificial God (or representatives thereof)
From: Oracle Family Company, Manading director

Greetings Neighbour.

The video message begins cheerfully showing the image of the Managing director, recognisable having attended the previous galactic congress.

We've not spoken before and that is a shame. It seems to us that you are in a bind...perhaps the very same one we may find ourselves in shortly...although we seem to be blessed with less...ehem...expansion focused neighbours? For the moment anyway. Let us know if you would be interested in some resource sharing deals...and beyond. We would welcome any representative of Logopathor on Serkavian where we may discuss in relative peace. The offering from PPS seems to be quite popular.



To: Phase-Knight Wen
From: Managing director of the Oracle Family company, Zerreshhk

We had been told that the Archive was a place of logic and research. We have not witnessed any behaviour that we have not witnessed from many others in the congress. We consider the Umbra to be a greater threat and were hoping that you would focus your efforts on them. We would be willing to exchange information in that regard.

[3SecondCultist]

The Amaranthine Archive
Mor 5, Inf 4

What comes in response first is raw footage of the Nascence's ships and aliens, ravaging and performing radically hostile terraforming that should take generations over the span of a few hours. The screams of the dead are not omitted, nor are the mutated songs of the 'survivors'. Innumerable iterations of horror after horror, living nightmares that do not belong anywhere, all of them dominate the screen for several minutes.

Though it has been sent to the Company's headquarters, the footage is played publicly to maximize its impact.

"The Company questions whether or not the Nascence is currently the most pressing threat to our survival, and wonders whether Umbra might not instead be a worthy use of our time. Make no mistake: if we do not check the Nascence now, immediately, then we will be subsumed by them. They would tell you no differently, if you asked. There is insurmountable evidence that the Nascence is existentially the most dangerous issue that threatens our sector, with years of archived research to back up this claim.

It is not charity we are asking for, not a friendly alliance, but a deal. Accept it or refuse it, that is your choice, but do not muddy the issue - intentionally or otherwise - by bringing up an unrelated threat. Until such a time as the survival of our people can be guaranteed, we are only interested in hearing deals that confront and check the clear and present danger."

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 4
Morale 5



We all read the reports of the domination of Ultrum...being threatened by your neighbhour is hardly a galactic event...I think it is happening all over and is actively fostered by more than one member of the congress. Perhaps you should also consider them a fortis 10 threat as well?

In fact, since the archive elects to employ such a public venue, I wish to cast my vote for the proposal of the delegate from Channel Seldiva and urge others to do the same. I vote for the Channel to declare war on the Umbra. I would go as far as to welcome those who are of like mind to create a temporary cooporeation committee for dealing with this very threat. We can discuss the details should enough members agree with this proposal.

[Writtensanity]

https://i.imgur.com/Q4JIanF.gif

Hi, I'm Jessiel Ghallar with a small update on Principia's most talked-about popularity contest, the Court of Public Opinion, brought to you by Channel Seldiva. Originally, the Court Of Public Opinion was using the Galactic Congress votes as a way to have factions show their support for who Channel Seldiva should go to war with. Unfortunately, the World Congress sent Channel Seldiva several letters clarifying that they would not 'play along with our games' and that 'Channel Seldiva doesn't own the Galactic Congress.' To which, Channel Seldiva officially replies;

Channel Seldiva doesn't own the Galactic Congress, yet.

In the meantime, the voting process will be adjusted. Channel Seldiva is instituting the following process to decide the Court of Public Opinion.



The process for the 'votes' is going to be as follows:

Channel Seldvia is building a collective stat attack on the faction voted on by our peers, which will come with a declaration of war once the attack has been launched. I am aware that I likely still lose the INF for this, even though I'm technically not choosing.

Votes are attained by contributing stats of ratio 3:1 or better to Channel Seldiva's Influence attack against the chosen target. By default, I am committing 8 INF to this attack.

Each point contributed will result in a single vote (So if you send me 5 stats, it's 5 votes towards your target)

In the interest of fairness and not making the starting vote '8'. Rather than taking 8 votes myself, I am going to be counting my opinion as tied for the highest contribution or 8, whichever is lower. (So if the highest someone sends is 4 stats, I only have 4 votes as well.)

This attack will be launched at the earliest window I can:



I need to speak to the GM about the timing. If I am able to ask him to determine the target based on the contributions people make, it will be during the turn 2 EoT. If I need to choose the target for the attack, I will make the attack on EoT turn 3 after tallying up the votes.





If you're worried about our target knowing what's coming don't worry! They won't have time to prepare as the 'winning nation' will be notified in morse code via cannon fire.

Thank you for bearing with us during this understandably difficult time as rules are changing.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 6
Inf 2

Greetings Empire of Entertainment,
For our time slot we will be doing a piece called 'Latent Psionic Energies and You!'. It will explore the uses of subtle workings, long term plans, and insidious manipulations.

As far as future plans our next big one will be a galaxy wide one that should target everyone. It will be glorious to watch. Like a galaxy wide best home fails video. We will give.you a fair warning so that you can best avoid the consequences.

Would you take offense if we continued minor trades with the Shade? We are aware of some tension between you two.

Regards,
Zughel the Living Statue

Long fingers steepled under a demons grin

Psykers and creatures working together, energy from them all coalescing into one before powering a ritual. Two agents passing information for mutual gain.

Grasping fingers reaching into the body of an unsuspecting sap, grasping the heart to take a bite.

A psyker ritual making use of a targets distraction to break through the back of their defenses. A ship plundered by demons and split into shares for all involved. The start of a race and the prepared genetically enhanced monsters running.

The fingers grasp another alien hand in concert

A university professor calling in an associate for help on a project. The two work together closely and their work changes the world, not for better bit for the more interesting.


Greetings,

We don't believe there will be any problems maintaining that trade. We were quite happy with the results.

Regards,
Supreme Judge Anderson

[Vrock Bait]

“Look, Tash, I understand you’re upset about Jarick right now, but-”

“But what?! My brother and sister are dead, Jak. Half our missionary fleet is gone, most of our refugee capacity too. And Logopathor’s doing what?” Tashkent, youngest of the Dellrune siblings, seethed with rage from the computer monitor. “How is anything more important right now?”

Jakan sighed, trying desperately to blink a lack of sleep out of his eyes. “Over the last two years or so, we’ve been hunting a conceptual predator - essentially a thoughtform that kills you when you think about it- across the noosphere. He gave us the blueprints of some kind of conceptual harness and asked us to hide his absence for a while. Nobody else could do the job.”

Tashkent stared blankly through the camera. “But if you know this and can tell me now...?”

“Yes. It’s dead. He can get back himself but we’re pulling Him back faster.”

“About time.”

“Always.”

The call disconnected.

“We’re ready?” Jakan asked the person behind him.

Dr. Gangir Velarall nodded. As one of the small handful of cryptometanoocecologists anybody could still remember and fewer could pronounce the occupation of, he had recognized and purged the dangers of speech years ago.

“Do it.”

The massive, spider-pronged apparatus surrounding the two scientists roared to life, as… something, something nearly incomprehensible but for the rush of power felt throughout the room passed through from one side of the machine to another.

It went on for only five seconds.

“Good morning, Jakan.” The telepathic message rang through the engineer’s ears.

“I see the harness worked, my liege.”

“Again, please, no formality. I am far too old and arrogant to enjoy praise. It always falls short, after all.”

“Old habits die hard.”

“Indeed they do,” Logopathor said, “Now, regarding the situation with the Ultrumites, I understand Tashkent is furious?”

“As is Eshira.”

“Good. They shall join Maravelth in planning our contingencies. He can utilize emotion to our advantage.”

“And for now?”

“Now, we build bridges. Let us hope that those to use them are friends.”


Greetings to our friends and compatriots across the sector,

We would like to cordially invite you to a diplomatic summit this season. Attached our blueprints for the simple Velerall rig, which shall grant you remote access to the noosphere where it will be easier for us to converse. A tentative agenda will include the issue of the Nascence and Ultrumite-Logopatronite tensions. Do RSVP with any further items you wish to discuss.

Yours in creativity,
Logopathor & Co.

PS: We do apologize for the corpse in advance. Exotic thoughtforms are.. difficult to dispose of.

[Writtensanity]

Going to vote all YAY for the new NPC

Going to create a hyperplane between 65 and 49. CHOO CHOO.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 4
Morale 5



3 vote Nay for "behold a pale horse"

[Vrock Bait]

We would like to purchase an extra store of resources to help us wait out the inevitable long siege. Hyperlanes will be made by our vessels. Do ask for anything you may need.


Buying MOR, will make hyperlane. Send offers.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 6
Inf 2

Greetings Besieged Ones,

We come to offer. Our Supreme Judge (Tier 1 Mor VIP) has an interest in investigating the greater parts of the galaxy, we don't know why when the competition we have is so enthralling. We could send him to you in return for psionic power or plain old trade goods. He is an expert at calming populations even when inevitable doom is upon them.

Regards,
Zughel Living Statue

Greetings Silent Ones,

We do not know if you will here this Ones words but we will send them anyway. Our Competition rightly appreciates your psionic might and the mysteries that you employ, mysteries beyond our understanding even... for now. We implore you as fellow practitioners of the delicate art to leave us be. Find your enemies in the Shade, the gift less militants below us.

We do not wish to start wasting our power on breaking every lane possible to save our worlds.

Regards,
Genesis, The Broken Cog


2 Votes No to The Pale Horse (New NPC)

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

A house divided

Sombre ceremonies are pursued on open space, rituals of consumption and death far behind the main religions of the Shade have grown more common both in the newly acquired territories and amidst the old blood.

An exploration fleet, armed with top of the line equipment, and of course the most advanced weapons (it is the Hecatians after all) courses through the void seemingly without given course, though headed by some of the most stellar navigators in the galaxy, whether it goes to war or discovery remains unknown.

The market fluctuates, as fervor and prudence of an evergrowing... ever outnumbering population tips the scales to one side or the other, and the companies engage in both direct and indirect attacks against eachother.

Warmaster Obor shoots two massive missiles from his personal Dreadnought, opening two huge craters on a lifeless rock of an object Break Ahead and releaasing half its fuel reserves for the nearby ships to scavenge Let their remains sustain us a traditional war ritual for the Hecatian fleets.

Step 2

A couple nurses helped Ala Cait return to the comfort chamber they were staying it, frustration was the name of the day, as the follower struggled to move on her own through the therapy, was constantly struck by migraines, product of medicine and recent surgery and their doctors remained sure that Ala Cait must not be involved in politics while recovering.

For a while they thought about the doctor's insistence on the Shade's good management in their abscence, they were too insistent... The thought remained until another strong headache forced them to at least attempt mental rest, surely the Shade couldn't be doing too worse than with them piloting...

Morale: 5 Inf: 4

PCs


Most esteemed and successful of Principia's entrepeneurs,

it is really a shame that our people have has so little in the way of relations, let it be known that the Shade can and would be interested in a mutual agreement to protect your interests, should they be threatened by our mutual neighbour or a spill from the restless clusters near logopathor.

-Ulur, CEO of DIG shipping and delivery

Church of knowledge and care,

The Shade won't let knowledge disappear with the Arco-medeans, and we seek both to preserve what remains and unearth what is lost, let us help you, and with your might defeat with ease the empire's ingenuity.

-Chit'al, Head engineer of the Tria-khan shipyards and associates.

[5 mor] in exchange for access to logopathor for this season's Arco-medean digging, Obviously need a quickish reply, but willing to hear counter offers.

a voice only message from warmaster Obor is delivered in a quaint little recording device through the means of fan mail

I see you! "warriors" and your flashy plays and your weak posture! I see your new ways, as if to speed our clash! I see your secret game and the pain it caused my own, but you are forgiven, for I find your means histerical, and long for a good laugh!

So let us both have our gruel and eat it! My men will ride with you and attack your target, and then we have a proper fight, a good fight to be remembered! just you and me! psykers and new enemies to the side as the nuissances they are!

What do you say?

*A heavy amount of Mil will be sent towards the betting attack, but you have to keep the shade out of the possible targets.

*We declare war on eachother, but hostile actions between us can't begin until next turn (as most of our forces would be preoccupied with the attack anyway.)



Great, We'll send our psykers right away, sadly the new territories had no special talent for your crafts, so we'll send more or less the same.

-3rd Voice of Hecan.
same exact deal, just in case.

A series of probes come, destined to send a message in the tongues of the... assimilated people of the republic, and ready to hear a reply, if running it through more cleansing processes that the Archive can shake a stick at:

"Hello, what you are and what you do, I've seen you from afar. You consume as many do, and I've heard that you sing, though I still know much too little to actually hear your song (so beautiful, so ancient), but I ask in my hubris and curiosity, do you feel like we mortals do?"

All probes are marked Orian's, were the nascense to care for companies it'll knew it as a middling developer of genetic treatments within the Shade.

NPCs


Hello Queal, we'll gladly continue this discussion through an emissary, let us know when you are ready to receive it.
-Agharia sto, Captain of the great scar, Head howler.

Aid is coming, one way or another

-Chit'al, Head engineer of the Tria-khan shipyards and associates.

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 6
Influence 6



In retrospect, it seems that there are targets more deserving of our attention. So long as they stay to their sector, and do not attempt to expand further, our quarrel with the Magnus Apparatus is at an end.



As they significantly increased their influence, and let's be honest are by far the least terrifying of the Inf 1 factions, the Chrysaorian Hegemony declares peace with the Magnus Apparatus, conditional on them not taking additional territory for two turns (inclusive).





You will have our support, to the tune of (10 SCIENCE). We would prefer compensation in the form of ECON and MIL, should you have any to spare, with greatly reduced rates to purchase whatever archeotech you find.




The Umbra are predictable, in a fashion. They do not hold systems. They leave systems behind; broken, but to be re-taken. The Nascence will grow, and spread, and consume until it cannot be stopped. We beg you reconsider your position.




5 votes against "Fortunate Sun". No delving. No hyperlane construction.

[Vrock Bait]

Mor 6


Greetings,

Unfortunately some of the resources you request are quite urgently needed for certain practices. Attached is a short counteroffer, though we ask that you keep the original on the table as a contingency.

Yours in wonder,
Logopathor & Co.


Your offer is quite generous already, but Logopathor VIP is.. kind of an important asset in the upcoming conflict. Can we give you 3 points worth of the VIP for the MOR? I can promise to give you the VIP wholesale should we die.




Greetings,

Unfortunately, while your asset is formidable, we will likely not be able to afford the luxury of rebuilding. If there are any defensive assets you can spare, we would be interested in those.

Yours in competition,
Logopathor & Co.

[Vrock Bait]

Delve 6 SCI. Send Logopathor VIP 5 to Shade.

All votes against Congress proposal 1.

[Writtensanity]

“With our hyperlane construction underway and locked in, Channel Seldiva has a very important announcement!”

CHANNEL SELDIVA DECLARES WAR ON THE HECTIAN SHADE

https://youtu.be/6Zbi0XmGtMw

Sorry for the wait folks!




We accept. Frankly we’d already set up a hyperlane to go to one of your central planets. Hopefully that’s not considered too aggressive this turn.

The war declaration was always coming. It’s just more fun to do it first.

If you contribute, the attack will not include you.



For the sake of fairness. Votes for the stat attack may no longer include the Shade.

[neriractor]

As per the will of warmaster Obor, The Shade declares war right back at Channel Seldiva!

Mor 5, Inf 4

PCs

"So long as it doesn't see use until the betting game is done, no problem, it'll make our return with the spoils all the easier!"

once again, delivered with your standard fanmail.

All my votes (4?) go to yay for behold a pale horse, let the Zultari clans join our merry band!

5 Sci and Logopathor (tier 5 Sci VIP) will finish clearing the last 10 levels of the astromedean forward base, with logopathor taking the last 5 levels.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

*******Log 1.7: The Stolen Memories********
[E003]: D*mn dude, are the riots that bad? Did they really do that?

[E005]: Depends on who you ask, as you can probably guess from the ‘Several People are Typing’

[E006]: They detonated a nuke on the Bureau of Loyalty headquarters! Thats pretty much the definition of disloyalty. So yeah things are that bad.

[E008]: Yep, gonna be an ugly couple of months while they get things back under control in the X-Cities.

[E007]: Thats if you believe the news. If you look at who is doing the rioting, there is no way that mob could afford a nuke. And you can bet your life that ten times the rioters died than Control Guard.

[E007] has been removed from the chat.

[E006]: Good call.

[E005]: What the fk man??? What about our games?

[E008]: THATS what you are worried about?

[E003]: Sorry! Panicked. What if my manager finds these logs?

[E006]: What do you mean if your manager finds? I thought these were secure???

[E008] has left the chat

[E006] has left the chat

[E005]: Sorry… I should probably sign off as well. Want to pick up again tomorrow for duos?

[E003]: … Maybe dude, I’ll call you.

*******Log 1.7: END********

Memory Bank $#@%^ Restoration Progress: 4%

These memories are… comforting…

Morale 12, Influence 4

Players

The Idrian Nascence
[Output:] Intentions unclear.
[Output:] You choose discussion, yet remain enigmatic.

DECLARE Comprehension intRange(1-10)
SET(Comprehension, 3)

[Output:] Request Clarity

Logopathor, the Artificial God
DECLARE TradeOpportunity varchar(500)

SET(TradeOpportunity) (
Up to [6 morale] available {
Security Drone Deployment Host Fleet(Fleet1, Fleet2, Fleet3)
E-System hardening programs(ICE-10, 8-BitLoyalty)
Turret Uplink Network(Point_Overwhelming)
}

Resources Requested {
Up to 6 Economy(Radioactives, Complex Plastics, Supercontainment Cells, iron plates, iron plates, iron plates, iron plates)
Up to 5 Science(Exploration resources, deep scanning equipment licenses)
Up to 1 Influence(RETURN(friendship? //Ask Dr. Munroe what to rename this as, Magnus is confused as hell with this name)

}

[Output:]Trade Lane Required

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png

MOR 7, INF 7
Fair enough. We don't aim to stop anyone's ambitions, short of defending ourselves and those who we are obligated to defend. You are welcome to pursue your plan for the systems of [43] and [44]. Our inquiry is one made from a point of convenience, rather than need. It would be convenient to have a base of operations closer to so many nations, but ultimately is not necessary, just having the hyperlane up does allow us the access we seek. As to [29] that is a conversation you need to have with the Oracle Family Company rather than us, though we won't stop any hyperlanes you wish to build.

On that note, if you do wish for our forces to secure [43] on your behalf, we do have our services for hire. Kai and the Lord Commander are both still available for use.

Very fair, though we have no "claim" to any territory technically. If you wish to take [32] into your domain that is fine, we will not contest it. Our extension into neighboring systems is by invitation primarily, providing our services as a protector. We do not govern the territories we hold, merely patrol and ensure their safety from external attack. Thusly at any point in the future if you feel a need to take [29] we will willingly cede it to you. If we do need a friend in the sector, we shall make sure to call, your effort is not unappreciated.

As of yet there is no contract established for either of them, and if no competitors appear, then we shall willingly exchange both of their services for the 8 ECO.

Four votes total, we'll vote up both resolutions for the shenaniganry. 2 votes to Fortunate Sun and 2 votes to Behold a Pale Horse (and a thumbsup for some excellent musical reference).

[Writtensanity]

If you are willing to followup and ensure a link between our systems, we have the following offer for you: Some of your diplomats and contacts in exchange for all Channel Seldiva feeds in Northern Principia gaining a pro-logopathor mindset that should put your people at ease. The aggression of the messaging will depend on your contribution:

OOC: Offering MOR:INF 1:1





Should you need any more MIL VIPS to cover your expenditures this turn, or if you're simply willing to entertain our shopping, we are in the market for INF. Let us know if you're interested in this sort of offer:

[OOC: MIL VIPS, MIL or ECO for INF]






Should you wish, we have 2 PSI for your 2 INF






Should you wish to bolster yourself, our troops can be standing by at your command in exchange for some of your influence.

Or you could attempt to vote the Domin as the target for our attack. Your choices.

[n0ble]

" I knew a warrior once. Awakening from a wound to the head believing he was a dog, and what are dogs if not loyalty lacking wits? So I stand here woman, and my eyes are filled with tears. For that warrior, who was my friend, who died thinking he was a dog. Too loyal to be sent home, too filled with faith to leave. These are the worlds fallen. When I dream I see them in their thousands, chewing their own wounds. So do not speak to me of freedom. He was right all along. We live in chains. Beliefs to shackle, vows to choke our throats, the cage of a mortal life, that is our fate. Who do I blame? I blame the Gods. And curse them with fire in my heart."
- First read in Steve Erickson's The Crippled God


Up in the Sky

Dawn on Kull brought many things with it. Light. Warmth. New topographies that could only be seen on the dayside, for the caste of their shade was sufficiently dark as to only be visible under the Eye. He saw the latter for himself: the black monoliths that passed Kullite mountains breached the horizon, like great fingers grasping towards the sun. They ringed some vast epicenter in a semi-circle, their guarded circumference obscuring what he supposed was the crater of some vast battle. Kull was even host to life, on occasions. Sometimes species would find an existence in the white sands of its deserts, rats or lizards, things small enough to thrive in the absence of large bodies of resources. And the still larger corpses of apex predators past. Yet still the Reaper’s orbit turned on, its surface and great digits of mineral no more bothered by the kiss of the Eye’s light than the grinding of time’s wheel.

Keruthal Graun narrowed his eyes on what stretched out from below the semi-circle: a vast scar carved sufficiently wide as to have no origin other than Kull’s firmament. The site of a battle, though not a particularly recent one. Even from above he could see the valley’s occupants, such was their number: a tangle of bludgeoned marrow and split bone that bespoke of failure. The valley stretched miles in front, only ending at the base of those dull black fingers Keruthal Graun blinked and accelerated to correct the space he had lost to observation. Before and level with him was the rest of the Warparty-a cloud of limbs and bodies that scythed through the air as one, as though it had no mind for anything beyond its own strength. A strength on full display. He felt his pride swell as he caught up and passed several of the stragglers, content in the knowledge that he could kill such cowards after glory was won, for when it came time to exert Force Keruthal Graun would do so as a Warrior of Ultrum. For him it was the vanguard.

Kulls dawn accelerated in kind, the light revealing more and more of the desert below as Keruthal Graun sped back to his position. Here and there the surface was pockmarked with ash-some of it a fresh looking black, other patches an old grey and others-dunes-were colored yellow as bone upturned with sediment. The sun backlit the mountains for a moment, casting it as a crown of umbral stone. Then the sun ascended higher and the moment passed. He flew on into the cloud of his fellow Unblooded and the sun was lost to the press of bodies. Space was, as ever, at a premium. One had to endure the elbows and blows that came with flying in such a massed cohort. Occasionally a corpse would even make its way back through the press, clearly someone who spoke out of turn or who’d made the mistake of looking particularly weak. Kerthal Graun did not spare the dead or living sympathy as he clawed through the press. Here and there the wind caught and tugged at trophies, some looped through ears punctured by kullite awls, others woven into hair that shivered in transit. Sometimes the rattle of trophies was disrupted, by the odd argument or clap of blows as an argument was resolved.

He kicked and shoved his way through the press, driving his elbow into an unblooded’s nose. The blow sent the man tumbling back, and in the wake of his blood streaming through the air Keruthal saw what he took to be the failure’s lover staring back at him. The insolence was broken: she winced shrieks of pain backed her man’s fall into the cloud’s wake, then her eyes hardened with hatred. Kerthal GRaun spared a moment to sneer then shoved on, inured to the various insults or blows aimed his way. Combat had been scare this Purge, and as ever it was violence that was not turned outward was turned inward. What few Warriors the storm of unblodded had encountered had been ripped to shreds before he’d been able to reach them. He’d not been able to prise any trophies loose. His frustrations had mounted through the night-the Warparty did not sleep-and been compounded. They’d almost circled back to the fingers.

Whispers shivered back through the party. “Warriors below. Warriors below. Warriors. Below.” It built and built back upon itself, a chanting that grew above the roar of the wind pouring through the formation’s gaps. He kept going and breached back into the sunlight. Anyone could come to the Vanguard. The real strength was in enduring in it. Somewhere in the middle of the Warparties grasping limbs and the more combative members of the Van. Keruthal Graul palced a kick between the eyes of someone squirming into his wake and smiled as the Warparty tore him limb from limb. He blazed with his thermal vision to secure his rear, then turned to the front to greet the new Ultramites he flew with.

Five Warriors flew before him, two dueling and showering blood in their wake, others flying with a modicum of respect for their fellow fighters and bettwer. The Warleader. Timeric Golth had angled the cloud’s flight downward to their targets and into myth. Keruthal Graul could see nothing through the thin haze of red that clouded the warriors wake but accelerated to keep pace, ever mindful of the crowding hands at his back. Egging him on. The Warleader drew them up short and rounded. Hovering in the air. It was sharp and, strong as the bulwark of knotted figures at his back was they could do nothing against the sudden deceleration of those who lost control. Some went shooting forward past the Warleader where the Warriors ahead of Keruthal Graul burned them with thermal vision, making of the failures angry comets to announce the Warparty’s arrival to battle.

Timeric Golth raised one hand up and the crowd collected behind her went silent. Thoughts flashed into his head, icy and focused as a hammered nail. Do not die too quickly Unblooded. He risked a glance to the rear, then re-centered his gaze and found the Warleader’s gaze fixed him, eyes unrelenting as they glowed blue with the abnegation of heat. I would have you, Unblooded. Keruthal Graul felt something stir inside him, hammering in time with the beat of his heart. Something to make him look past the condescension in her words. Something that spoke to greater glory. He raised his arm in a mirrored gesture to the Warleader. His Warleader. Should you survive.

That was all. They were resumed in there flight, the Warparty’s target chosen. Timeric Golth whipped back to him and accelerated hard for Kull’s bone-white surface. The two figures became plain as they approached, both caste in white at the base of the kullite mountains. The Warparty accelerated downward. He shouted in time with the new scream the cloud thundered with, one that echoed to the Remnant, one to shake Ultarus himself: “Lead us Warleader! Lead us to the-“

He was falling. He was falling and that wasn’t-wasn’t-was wrong. He could see….see his legs and pelvis tumble past, furtively kicking before a second emanation from the surface cut both of his parted lower extremnities off at the knees. Saw the same wide beams of orange-red cut Warleader Timeric Golth from hip to clavicle, leaving not but her cauterized flesh to trail loose in the thermal updraft. He was blind and, unknownst to Keruthal Graun, the light blinked out for an instance the sweeping bands of red carved upwards again and the light took him in the side of the head.

First pain. Then darkness.


It seldom truly rained upon Kull but, as it ever was, when rain came on it was one of contradictions. Arms and legs. Bone and viscera. Blood and its impact upon stolid ground. The cloud of unblooded degenerated into a scattered mess of cowards, united only by the crimson haze that clung to the air in the wake of their retreat. And, just as the remnants of the Warparty fell to earth under his onslaught, so too did the blood in the air fall. Life, but death. Life falling to death. Yes, it was ever a rain of contradictions on Kull. Yet the man he regarded now stood still on the surface, far from the carnage he’d wrought, a fixed point caste in Kullite bodysuit fibers. No more empathy to him than the mountains that backed them. The first corpses began to make contact with Kull’s sands, splashing red and browns and more white upon the surface. He smiled. Today was a good day and his deity would be pleased.

Delein Scoorsk-Tollmen of Kull-marveled at his good fortune, for his patron was not so small a planet as to make finding individuals easy, and it was a rare thing indeed to see such carnage as that now confronted him. Rarer still that the source of such death was one individual.

“A fine enfilade, Warleader. They scatter before you.” Delein Scoorsk readjusted the grip on his kullite scythe and tore his gaze from the beauty that painted the sky, his eyes coming to rest on the one he addressed. Standing this close, Lucan Nolus did not look a figure from myth. He was near bald, a crop of hair retreating from his pate, reinforced by a neatly trimmed crescent moustache that reached just beyond his lips. The Warleader was short, his frame wiry under the kullite he wore-a far cry from the broad shouldered, square jawed look that Delein Scoorsk had grown into over his centuries of life. Yet, he had to admit, there was a certain intensity about the way Lucan Nolus held himself. No. A confidence. An implacability from one who looked at what he had done with no more worry or concern than with which one might observe less than an insect. Heat that had poured forth from the Warleaders eyes was just now beginning to dissipate in the wake of the Warparty’s death throes and the Eye’s light maintained its crawl to apogee. Other Ultramite’s lacked control over their thermal vision-letting it fill up their eyes until they saw nothing but red. Lucan Nolus’ pupils had glowed. The Warleader turned and offered a small inclination of his head in acknowledgment of the Tollmen’s statement, his face a mask of indifference. Delein Scoorsk held his gaze until the Warleader broke the staring contest, returning his eyes to the vista’s gore rain.

It rained on the mountains behind and slid down, the valley to his right becoming a red basin. Delein Scoorsk stepped more than a few paces to one side as a torso hit the ground where he had been standing. He sighed as blood spattered at his robes, though this did not trouble him. It was proving to be a long morning. There would be more libations for the Reaper. There always would be. No. Delein Scoorsk sighed because the torso still lived. The man’s lower body was a tangled ruin. One of the Warrior’s arms was broken by the impact, but he still lived on, clinging to life by virtue of some animal instinct that refused to give in. Delein Scoorsk approached.

“Hail, Dying. Hail.” He raised a hand in greeting and walked steadily, seemingly to spite the tremors that echoed across his patron’s surface. The man’s went wide in momentary notice, as some great impact kicked a gust into the air that snagged at the Tollman’s cowl and drew the part back and up. He met the dying man and stood with his chest in parallel to the man, head angled in a quizzical gesture at his face. “Do not worry, Dying. I will see to it that you are afforded the honors due. Its not small thing to fall to a Warleader’s thermal vision. Less still at falling to a Tollmen’s scythe. You see-“ He turned away and adjusted the grip on his kullite scythe, scanning the red sky. “-the Reaper is not unmerciful at to let you suffer the indignity of his gravity.” The last of the viscera had just about finished raining down. Delein Scoorsk’s robes had kept up their cycle and cleaned themselves for the combats duration, brief though it’d been. His scythe drove down into the Warrior’s frontal lobe with a meaty thunk. The Tollman closed his eyes for a moment and took in the steady patter of rain.

When he opened them again the ground was saturated with the dead and the dying. He sighed. There was still yet more work ahead, it seemed. A shadow had fallen over the corpses. One small enough to denote a lone individual foolhardy enough to remain in the battle’s airspace. Delein Scoorsk adjusted his cowl and looked to the thin shadow’s source.

It was hard to see her features in the backlight of the Eye, but all he needed to hear was her voice to know who it was. The woman stood with her arms crossed, a look of supreme displeasure plain to her face. Her eyes burned crimson, of a shade sufficiently red to match the sun at her back. Ozsa Nolus regarded the Warleader with all the warmth of an iceflow. Her words were a hissed whisper that rang out to occupy the silence of the three of them shared. The Tollman rubbed an awkward hand at the neck of his cowl and bore witness to the conversation.

“Father.” Lucan Nolus turned, genuine affection plain in the upcurve of his moustache as he smiled. “Daughter. You’ve endured.” The woman spat to the corpse below where the spittle fizzled in the embers of the dying. Another tremor rocked the earth.

“Absent my father.” More spitting. Lucan Nolus had lost and retrieved arms to space-sharks. He’d stood at the center of a Kantobhan pox discharges. Simultaneous Kantoban pox discharges. He’d spoken with Mon’hoon. And yet here he stood wounded by words. Lucan Nolus closed his eyes, under assault. “Daughter. I. I am sorry. I am sorry but you must leave. Leave now. It rains ash o-“ Something approaching concern lodged itself in the Warleader’s face, and the Tollman found it more terrifying than all the dead faces Lucan Nolus had heaped at their God’s feet.

“’It rains ash on Kull’, yes father I know the words. I know the words and I witness what you have done. I still have not found her.” For a moment Ozsa Nolus broke eye contact with her father to look past the dead to Kull’s sands. “Daughter. I am sor-“

A sonic boom broke the conversation, and Delein Scoorsk was washed in blood anew as Ozsa’s body burst at the waist, her midsection spilling from the air to her father’s arms as he leapt into the air to catch her. The Tollman stared on, trying and failing to resist the onslaught of heightened emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. Osza Nolus endured. Blood foamed at the corners of her mouth and it was by this that Delein Scoorsk knew she was beyond saving. Even Ultramites needed to breath. The pair landed.

Between gasps and loss of blood, Ozsa spoke and the Warleader listened, trying failing and restarting at saying the same thing over and over and over and over again: “I-I en-endur. Endure. I-I endure.” One of her hands shot forward and impacted with Lucan Nolus’s chest, right above the space containing his heart. He winced again. Closed his eyes, then cradled his daughters head with both hands. Pain disappeared from the Warleader’s features. Was replaced by an impassive calm that bespoke of respect. Mourning stained the expression. Left the Warleader’s face. “Always.” A hand withdrew from the cranial embrace then blurred back forwards and Osza Nolus was addeded to Kull’s strata.

Silence came back in the wake of death. A new figure hovered aboce the surface in place of Osza Nolus’, fifty standards away from the Tollman and the Warleader. Covered head to toe in gore. This new adversary’s hair ran to her waist, threaded through finger and jawbones drilled through with an awl. Her eyes were blue as a Massive Star. One of her arms ended in a taloned kullite prosthetic. “The great Lucan Nolus, butcher of gods and children, kneels at the corpse of a weakling. Bah-“ Yilandra Kholg spat, revealing rows of perfect teeth filed to points ”-pathetic.”

When Lucan Nolus spoke his voice was calm and vacant. “Yilandra Kholg. Pure of Ultrum. My fight is with the Principia. Not you. Submit to me. Leave the atmosphere we share. Live.”

The Tollmen had not thought it possible, but Yilandra Kholg’s smile grew wider. Her pointed teeth were pink. They had been used. “Hah. So the rumors are true then. You would claim the title of Warleader for yourself?” Silence. “Come dog, even if you are to address me on your knees I would hear you give voice to my inquiries!” Her lips curled back in frustration, restraint evaporating in time with the blood already spilled onher bodysuit.

Lucan Nolus stared at his only daughter’s corpse as though his gaze might will her to live if he stared long enough. “I would.”

“You and the bitch Tara Hapaxia would divide Ultrum’s power?”

“We do.”

Quiet laughter bubbled from Yilandra Kholg’s throat, like she choked on blood. “And you would stand in my way?” The Tollmen narrowed his eyes. Blood-drunk.

The Warleader closed his eyes, then removed his hand from the ruin of Ozsa’s cranium. What had been a flat hand became a fist matted with grey matter. Lucan Nolus sighed and “….I do.”

“Hah!” Yilandra Kholgs laugh was the wet bark of something more savage. More feral. Of a kind consigned to the primordial histories as something used to intimidate children into compliance. The daughter of Ultarus uncrossed her bloodied arms and descended to Kull’s surface. She drew one foot back replete with the patience of and grace of a Tehezurulian feline. Moved the other forward to invite conflict. Drew up both hands into a striker’s guard that left no illusions as to who her target was even as she pointed the shoulder of her kullite arm forwards. “You are mistaken then Lucan Nolus. Your fight is with me.” More wet laughter, sufficient to rattle the bones through which Yilandra Kholg’s hair was woven. “Or are you too busy mourning on your knees?” A soft cobalt light began to build behind Yilandra Kholg’s eyes as Delein Scoorsk watched. The heat of the dead became visible steam as a thin patina of frost spread out from the space she occupied.

Lucan Nolus stood, and in doing so gave his answer. The atmosphere around the Tollman and Warleader became awash in crimson light. The Warleader angled his shoulder to his opponent and pointed the hand he had killed his daughter with at Yilandra Kholg, opening it palm to Kull’s sky. His other arm bent behind his back.

Red spilled from his eyes as the air was ionized. “On this day Yilandra Kholg, you burn.”


There was no preamble. No further posturing. No room for doubt or the blustering of deeds lost to histories currents. They fought in the spaces between seconds. Traded tens of blows. A hundred. A thousand. Every strike took them to a different continent, every kiss of thermal vision a new scar to match the ones bludgeoned into Kull’s flesh by the impacts of their private war. They were far from the only combatants but the only ones that mattered, their conflict taking them through the sand dunes and megafauna corpses as easily as it did the flesh of those Warparties that crossed their trajectories. They fought on, day becoming night becoming day as the battle drove their physiologies across all strata of Kull.

Lucan Nolus roared as they breached an ash cloud into the stratosphere, clasped both hands above his head and swung downwards to meet Yilandra Kholg’s collarbone, resisting the pleasure he felt in how it gave way. There was no pleasure to be had in necessity. He did not relent. He followed and blazed at her form with his thermal vision. Flew and fired at the same time, shoulder checked her down further, perpendicular with her supine form and the Reaper’s surface. Drove them both down into the continent below. Straddled her. Withdrew then applied his fist to the bridge of her nose and took them below the surface. Dead, long buried faces surrounded them for a moment as Yilandra Kholg drove him back with a blow to the ribs. Lucan felt three of them snap and puncture a lung but his breath held even as pain cut up through his sternum. Disengaged. His lung re-expanded and pushed the ribs back into place just as he flipped back into another shoulder check, leaving the rotting dead below Kull’s sands in the wake of their death-embrace. Down into one of the vast gore pits where Ultrum blood pooled below Kull’s surface, where it had fled from the Eye’s gaze. A crimson cavern vast as it was old, consecrated red with aeons of slaughter. Baleful crimson from her matched thermal visions collided with his straight bands of red. The clash illuminated walls of further sediment, some bleached with the odd patch of white set in kullite or impurities-the only way by which one could tell they were different from one another.

Their impact carried them down-centimeters from the blood-pools surface. He dodged a feral blow from her kullite arm, spun in the air and kicked the breath from her lungs. Applied thermal vision to her face as she made Lucan Nolus set both hands to her throat and plunged Yilandra Kholg’s head into the crimson lake they hovered over it in a death’s embrace, numb to the punch-punching. Pain lanced through his side. He grimaced and looked down, saw the kullite arm punched through his lower abdomen. Stupid. Embers glowed beneath the blood-pool. Vapors steamed as it bubbled into a red mist. Yilandra Kholg righted herself in a fit of gasps and sputters. Withdrew her arm and made to punch through his midsection. His grip found the cheeks of Yilandra Kholg’s thin face, illuminated only with the glow of her thermal vision. He rolled his hands and wrenched her neck to the side. The sound resounded through the cavern and doubled back on itself, like twigs breaking under foot. Her thermal vision cut off abruptly as it’d begun, and he was struck with sediment it had carved from the cavern’s ceiling. Haunted by not but splashes and the echoing of snapped bone. He winced as his intestines reordered themselves. Yilandra Kholg blinked. Lucan Nolus swung both of his arms up towards the cavern ceiling and released her throat at the apogee of their movement, hurling her back up through the layers of strata already weakened by her thermal barrage. He followed after as skeletons frozen in kullite poured into the hole to splash and mingle with the blood.

She was standing by the time he’d reached Kulls surface. Smiling and spitting a clot to Kull’s sands by the time he’d landed. Eyes glowing blue by the time his abdomen had completely healed. They stood still for a moment as ash quietly accumulated on the sands. The silence was broken by the odd bout of distant thermal vision or scream, its sounds far removed from where they stood. The interruptions were inconsistent, the only constant to their silence the steady patter of cinders’ journeying through the atmosphere. From lofty sky to dying soil. He looked with disapproval at the grey clouds that covered the horizon, then to the burnt earth beneath his feet. Kull was on fire-its night lit only by death’s remnants and the thermal visions of the victorious converging upon one another. His opponent must have realized the same: paroxysms of laughter shook Yilandra Kholg’s body and Lucan Nolus closed his eyes to savor the last few moments of quiet he would allow for. The prelude was done. Now came the times of true conflict.

She started laughing, a shrill sound heavy with exhalations that displaced ash with each howl. Each tremor of her body shook blood from Yilandra Kholgs hair where it sizzled on those few embers that still endured surfaceside. “-AHAHA-HA!” She stopped. Cleaned two streams of blood from under her nostrils with a kullite forearm. “A-heh. Make it easy on yourself, Warleader. I will spare-“she paused an interrupted herself with more spit, this time colored pink. “I will spare you the indignity of existence. Shed your armor. Kneel. Kneel and I will send you to your daughter. You can both kneel at the Reaper’s feet. You can both kneel together.” Her breath was heaving, a great frenzy building in time with the blue in her eyes. Lucan Nolus sighed and felt the weight of his millennia lives bear down upon him-the aeons affording little protection as her laughter cut him deep, leaving not but the jagged shrapnel of grief. My daughter. My first daughter. For you I would kill them all. Kill them all. Kill themall. KillthemaLLKILLTHEMALLKILLTHEMA-.

More laughter from the meat standing in his way. More babbling from the deadwoman. He chanted, each word a screaming litany spat with condemnation. A mantra of madness, an aggregation of slumbering aggravations that bespoke of naught but pain. “-LLKILL THEM! ALL!” He kneeled and his voice became hoarse as he inhaled deep of the ash. His eyes were twin coins that burned through the haze of bone scattered by his knee. Other meat answered, their eyes flashing blue or red like sparse little centuries drawn to witness something vast primordial flame. To be a part of something. That was fine. He would add them to the conflagration too. But first the viscera before him.

Kullite spilled from Lucan Nolus’ bodysuit. Swirled like a ferrofluid nimbus. Became a breastplate that locked over his sternum then abdomen then back in segments-each jagged and textured rough on the out-facing side. His arms and legs were both swept down in black clouds, the digits on each limb’s terminus ending in sharp, fine talons. Light spilled across the entire scene as his thermal vision ionized, casting everything in a lurid red pall that glowered under the helmet as it was momentarily contained by the lowering of a skull-visaged faceplate. No mouth grill existed for speech-the language of violence was enough, would be enough-but he kept chanting anyway, the words coming on stronger and with less breath between them. Cool Kullite focused his anger. Contained it to a fine, red-lit point. KILLL. THEM. ALLKILL-KILL THEM. ALLLL”-LLL!” Like water loosed from a broken dam. The back plating of the helmet formed and then fused to encompass his entire occiput lobe, especially thick where his equilibrium organs resided. It became segmented like the breast and backplates. The entire armor was striated with fake musculature, a walking anatomical model in Ultramite myofibrils. Except for the helmet. Eyeholes swirled open and red washed the entire tableau as a cape billowed out wide into the convection caused by his thermal vision.

It happened simultaneously with the Warleader plunging both fists down into Kull’s surface. The shockwave sent by his knee had yet to abate. Was magnified with the blow’s he drove down into the Reaper’s flesh. Sent the viscera bitch staggering as he swept forward in flight. His hands raked the layers of bone become revealed under the sand. His right became a fist around a sufficiently calcified femur, its trochanter flecked with bits of black kullite. His left found a spinal cord with the skull and top jaw still intact-absent a few front teeth but still possessed of canines.

He swung and spun in flight, now perpendicular with the mass grave below. The skull-flail tore upwards as he underhand swung it in a diagonal across the deadwoman’s chest. It snagged on an upper rib-where it stayed pinned by her kullite arm. He let go of the spinal column and kept spinning, drumming a club blow into her dead-eyed orbital where it cracked like an eggshell. His thermal vision flashed blue and froze the skull and her kullite arm in place as she tried to dislodge the weapon. The meat shrieked and kicked back to displace him, trying to conjure her own protection as the metal of her arm shifted, flowing like water under ice. Dislodged itself and became a hammer caste in kullite. The form followed, black fluid oozed onto the meats skin. Lucan Nolus broke the sound barrier as he advanced. Thermal vision speared from his eyes and all life in attendance to his path. His grief brooked no advantage. No variables in its absoluteness. Figures now cast in ash fell from the sky to the surface, shattering into cinders on impact and dust coated his armor as Lucan Nolus closed the miles between them in the span of thoughts.

An impact threw him from his course. One foreign to the trajectory of necessity he had set out for himself. Lucan Nolus was pitched from his flight as a black stain collided with Yilandra Kholg’s form. The impact created a sufficient burst of displaced air to knock him from the flight path. Pain shook him from the madness and brought the clarity of reality. His vision wobbled and blackness threatened the borders of his sight as a thin trickle of blood diffused from his nostrils. He wanted to chant but his-the kullite of his jawguard had been dented, broken his right mandible bone. It was through these unfamiliar stimuli that Lucan Nolus smiled and knew: Tara Hapaxia had entered Kull’s atmosphere.


“Mother?”

“Yes Daughter?”

“Which one is Kull?”

Another tremor shook through her paralyzed arm and Tara Hapaxia looked up at Terezuhul’s clear skies, then back to her daughter. She rested a hand on Daena Hapaxias distended abdomen. Then looked skyward once more. “It is perhaps difficult to see tonight. The Purge continues.” She knew exactly where it was. Or rather, where it wasn’t. Kull’s precise absence from view meant that there were sufficient ash clouds in-atmosphere to obscure it. A restlessness came on with looking, not helped in the least by Tara Hapaxias injuries. Raw neuropathic pain burned through the paralyzed side of her body, the corresponding part of her mouth slack with palsy. Tara Hapaxia f*cking hated sonic weaponry. Still, where there was pain there was often life, and where there was life there was often death. Some comfort could be taken in such absolutes. There was certainly none to be found in lameness.

“I hope she is born soon then. The hundredth granddaughter by your firstborn, and on a culling no less? There can be no greater omen.” Tara Hapaxia looked once more upon her daughter, smiled and shrugged, banishing the smile quickly as it came on. “Perhaps. The Purge continues.” She saw a flicker of doubt squirm across her daughter’s face. “Come, view the names if you’ve sadness within you. I will not have my hundredth granddaughter born into grief.”

Daena Hapaxia looked stung with the pain by the statement. “It is not grief, Mother. A sense of…restlessness. There is uncertainty in a child not knowing her father. Or in knowing whether he will survive or not.” A guarded statement. One Tara Hapaxia could not meet with her eyes. She looked out to the boles of thin temperate trees, clear-cut into something sufficiently low as to provide an absence of canopy. And a view of the verdigris arboriculture sweeping beyond beyond. Her hand slid from her daughters abdomen to the soils below, coming to rest on one of the vast white-bleached roots of the alabastree-the halfway point in their Pilgrimage. Tara Hapaxia levitated a few Logopathic Standards off the ground and turned to face where her daughter rested amongst the roots. “This thing was old when Terezhul and I first walked these soils.” Rose from her cross legged position to a standing one, then hovered closer to the tree’s white bark. She tried not to lecture. “Nascent? Maybe for this sector. Competition-borne? Again-maybe, I’ve heard of…insufficient attempts to radiocarbon date it. And taking core samples for ring counts has proven the things matter to be evasive.” Tara Hapaxia traced her index and middle finger across the tree’s hide, finding small wonders in the knotted and striated wood. It hummed with a current all its own.

“Obvious, mother.” If her daughter was not with child, Tara Hapaxia would have burned her for the interruption. Still, she thought there was a hint of relief, stressed in the beginning vowel sound to her daughter’s words. “There are some things that are simply uncertain. We must endure them even as they heap contradictions upon Ultrum.” Tara Hapaxia closed her eyes as though bracing for an assault. Her fingers found the stub of what hand been a thick branch, its sawn off end flickering with static. She cupped the branch-stump with her thumb and forefinger, letting the rest of her fingers resume their grip on the alabastree’s skin. She exerted a minimum of force and the tree toppled, its passage downward ripping up great clods of dirt even as dust came to hang in the air.

She was proud in her silence. Her daughter had remained impassive while the tree was uprooted. No more Tara Hapaxia the mother then. Tara Hapaxia the mentor. Perhaps. “Something different. Come. We go forward.” Others might have brought a map, but she’d long since memorized the route. Terezuhul was a large planet. At full speed Tara Hapaxia could have flown the cicumfrence in less than a Logopathian minute. But the point of these fertility pilgrimages wasn’t to take them at top speed. The Remnants existed for such fancies. The point was to hover. To exert control. It would be good to resume again. With her grandchild due any cycle her daughter would not be one for words. And that was good too. For all the kinetics at play with her lesson, Tara Hapaxia found herself losing a battle of words. She sighed, stared at the tree’s carcass and stretched out an open hand with which her daughter might pull herself into hovering.

Daena Hapaxia took the gesture for the ceasefire it was and reached to accept her hand before a klaxxon note from her slate blared into Tezruhul’s silences. Her hand dropped down and withdrew the device, bringing up a three dimensional display of the Purge’s casualty list. A vast scroll of red, with names occasionally flaring white to indicate casualties. “ I despise those media technologies.”

“You’re the one who let them be imported.”

“Strictly speaking I was against it. Mass media dulls a mind though I wouldn’t decry it educative properties. Some in this sector would even call it entertainment, forgetting what it means to really fight. It was Lucan Nolus who thought it might be of value, guised as it was under some sort of “cultural exchange”. Ridiculous really. The Principia is or soon will be united in how Bruised it is to becom- “

“Your ranting again, mother.” Tara Hapaxia smiled and stopped. The words came more easily when they concerned areas of interest. “Have you found him?”

“Yes.” Tara Hapaxia was careful as she moved to her daughters side-approaching something like eagerness hollowed with empathy. Like a particularly acute radiation sickness. “Ah. Still. Three days of survival, Daughter. And a against a Tollman no les-“

”By. By a Tollman.”

“Mm. Yes. By a Tollman. Still-some mandatory grief is due to the family I should think. I will see to it personally-if my political credit is good enough-to warrant such a visitation.” Tara Hapaxia smiled uneasily, then looked past to the fallen tree, turning her back to her daughter. “The child will come to know of her fathers death.”

“Something wrong Mother?” The tree pulsed in its death throes. She opened the palm of one fist to the sky and looked down as granules of kullite wimpled above the open hand. An outer back rim spilled into place, followed by descending gears that locked and bent into whirring motions with, layered over one another in cold kullite. A clock face denoting Ultrum standard time swirled over the entire array-each gear turning via force of will. For a moment Tara Hapaxia let the watch hands spin like scythes before she looked to the tree and let the timepiece noiselessly click away with no care for what she judged to be the right time. It didn’t matter. The hand withdrew behind her back as she turned around, chronologer dissipating with the swish of her robes. “Mm? No just remembering an old gardener who I held acquaintances with. Old when I was young. Loved his seedlings.”

Daena Hapaxia was patient as her mother spoke. Perhaps its own sort of defense to couch or delay the bad news. “You misheard me, mother. It was a statement of fact. Something is wrong. Ozsa Nolus is dead. Ozsa Nolus is dead and Yilandra Kholg has killed her.

“By the Eye.” Tara Hapaxia spared a glance for the Tree then turned to embrace her daughter, her first daughter, with all the love and warmth she had in her. Careful not exert anything on her abdomen. Quickenings responded and for a moment the Warleader as content. Then whatever moment of empathy shared between them passed. “What a waste. I-“ The words came on half mumbled from the palsied side of her moth. She was pushing away her daughter. One-handed. Disengaged. “’I have to go. The battle will have moments left.” Her daughter turned away, grabbed at her shoulders as if in the throes of some great-some great pain? And began to hover down to a standard above the planet’s surface. The tree’s light began to dull to grey and Daena Hapaxia’s features hardened into something more pointed. “Moments. All you’ve ever had. I know the way, Mother. Go.”

Tara Hapaxia blinked red from her eyes. Swallowed and nodded. Began an unsteady ascent. She struggled, then broke the sound barrier a safe distance from her daughter and the ecosystems. Parted the clouds with full flight and inhaled an agonized breath as the Principian cosmos greeted her like an old friend: with silence. Accelerated into the Remnant and saved the breath she would have used to spit. Crashed through meteors and swept up a small fragment into her grip. Thermal vision and one handed pressure was applied. By the time she’d passed Ormst the fragment had become a near-translucent pyramidal, flawed with fine granules of carbon. Kull loomed like a grey marble and she paused for a moment and let the kullite envelope her. Then Tara Hapaxia began cricling the planet. She looked for the greatest emanation of thermal vision. Found on it on Kull’s day side. Shrugged through Kull’s atmosphere as her flight accelerated towards rain clouds.

She breached through the clouds, armor slick with condensation, then sticky with ash as she passed through dust particulates to impact with Ylandra Kholg’s hovering form. The shockwave of her impact displaced dust in a wide half-sphere, even as more was kicked up from the ground. Her free hand-the one not stiffarming into Yilandra Kholg’s midsection-lashed out and flung the pyramidal not so much at Lucan Nolus’ jawline as into the approach of his flight. She registered its impact. Felt pain lance through her functioning arm and winced. Tara Hapaxia drove down, taking both herself and Yilandra Kholg into the mass graves that passed for Kull’s strata. She rolled and let go of her armor and opponent. The kullite swirled and pooled at Yilandra Kholg’s feet. Anchored her to the floor of the vast gorge their flight path had created. Her opponent blazed away with thermal vision at the anchor and Tara Hapaxia tried and began to lose the battle to match it, reduced by her injuries to the use of only one eye.

Without ceremony or prouncement Lucan Nolus hefted a sword of kullite two hand widths wide and vertically bisected Yilandra Kholg down to the waste line, where his blade was stopped by Tara Hapaxia’s tether. Gore fountained from the clean cut to steam amongst the sands. Silence passed for a moment and both Warleaders took a moment to collect their kullite-the mineral swirling to a circle on their bodysuits- and to breathe deep. Blood plipped loud in the quiet“As ever you misinterpret Lucan Nolus. I would have let her live.”

Lucan Nolus rubbed at his jaw, the last of the bruised portion visibly fading. He chewed at nothing, audibly ground his teeth. Spat out a tooth. His kullite bodysuit was already cleaned of blood. “As ever Warleader, pointed gestures and pointed words. She has taken life from me and so I have taken her life.” He shrugged. “Waste ever follows waste. Just as the grief here will soon be eclipsed but what we are to part take in. Understand: I will speak no more on my family, Tara Hapaxia. I will speak no more on her nor my errant sons and if you do I will kill you. Now.” He shuddered out a breath. “To the peaks?”

She nodded. “Aye. The peaks.” That was all the affirmation needed for the pair to rise, above the gathering ash clouds to one of the great kullite mountains stretched high as if to scrap the atmosphere. Left the corpse to the unblooded for trophies. The ascended high, to the peaks of the mountains, where they both knew the Tollmen stored caches of food. After retrieving the small meal, they sat at the lip of the caves entrance, taking turns and alternating between pouring water and ripped pieces of bread off the cliff. Below them stretched vast clouds of ash, punctuated by the odd sizzle of thermal vision. Above were the vast rain clouds that threw Kull into night, their emanations gummed with ash as it cut through the dust below. Jagged and tenebrous lighting cut the horizon and Tara Hapaxia left the last tuft of bread scatter from her grasp to the surface. For a while they enjoyed what passed for silence, smiling privately as though at some unshared joke to which only they were party to.

Lucan Nolus was the first to broach the silence and with it his smile disappeared. “I am sorry. My rage has cost you the ability to witness your daughters birth.”

She shrugged. “Baptized it with a great battle, more like. That’s how my daughter will see it. You’ve nothing to fear from her on that account. If I’m to be honest, Lucan Nolus, I feel a sense of relief. To reach a century of grandchildren it is no great thing but roots ever stretch outwards as they gro-Forgive me. How fair the Brolhtan?”

He sighed and in the sigh there was a great shrugging of his shoulders, a casual nonchalance at the death they’d wrought. “Things will never be the same there.” Tara Hapaxia nodded, stood and stretched her back. “Things pass in time. But where one finds death so too does one find life conducting itself to the fullest.” His smile returned. “What?” Lucan Nolus released his grip on her forearms and his smile broadened. “Time’s river hasn’t eroded you any. It is good, I think. To know such reliability.” He pretended to wince at the jab she put to his shoulder. “Time is a clock, Lucan Nolus. A banal comparison? Perhaps. Maybe a straight line is a more apt comparison. But we could argue the length of this Purge what it really is. Would you like to spar?” His countenance became thoughtful, then weary as the smile faded. “No. I should like to kill something.”

Tara Hapaxia shrugged again, then looked to the dust clouds at their feet. Thermal vision skittered and danced below. “I see no difference in the two choices confronting us.” The cheerful music presaged the crafts assent. A media device drunkenly wobbled upwards until it was level with the pair’s field of view. It burbled on and on, its speaker displacing sand granules with each word. Each syllable came on grainy and with static, and it was by this that the Warleaders recognized that it had journeyed far to reach them: “To glor-glorius bb-bat-battle at a late. Later date. Progenitor Victor Victory-a.” On repeat. Lucan Nolus angled his head sideways in a quizzical expression. He blurred forward and clapped both hands around the device, flattening it in the palms of his hands with a percussive burst.

“Looks Foutanii.”

“Mm.” She watched as the Warleader burned a message into the now-flat sphere and looked skyward a moment before letting his wrist flick out and release the discus into the clouds. “There's the Hegemony to address as well.”

“In time. That’s all the Hegmony would have counted as ally on its side and we would count it as a greater one. For now I would watch the ash and clouds a while more in silence. “ It wasn’t spoken as a challenge, more an invitation to confirmation of how he understood the situation. She froze the last of the water rations they had on hand. Watched as Lucan Nolus’ smile returned at the despoilment and answered with a smile of her own. Looked on as he pitched it over the side of the cliff. Tara Hapaxia made a fist with her functioning hand, then cracked her knuckles as her fingers took to the familiar shape. Looked down on the burnt expanse of dust streching from the Cliffside like she prepared for another battle.

Below the ash, the Purge raged onwards.


Happy to finally get to posting and happy to be here everyone :smallsmile:




All votes YAY for Fortunate Sun
3 Science to delve the Acheosite found last turn (the Halls)
Declare war on Logopathor (see below)


Public-Inf 6


Citizenry of the Logopathor,

We would tell you to pray but it wouldnt do you any good. You have earned what is coming to you.


The Ultrum Domin declares war on Logopathor.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

******Log 3.0: 01000001 01101100 01101111 01101110 01100101******

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******Log 3.0: 01000101 01101110 01100100******


Morale 12, Influence 4

Midturn
5 Sci delves into the shattered GLOP chambers of Alice's Mirror

5 Votes YES to 'On a Pale Horse'

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Influence 1, Morale 6



[Some of the rare researchers into psionics or the Shroud find their dreams hijacked as a method of communication, the same offer repeating each night]

Pilgrims and refugees wear hastily improvised uniforms, armbands or hats showing their dedication to their Emperor of Empiricism. They are separated into four great congregations, each joined together in their own song. As they sing, their fears and trepidation fade, replaced with collective devotion and increasing ferocity. As the ultrimites descend, they throw themselves forward with self-annihilating rage, drowning the supermen under the weight of their corpses.

The scene shifts, to cargo ships releasing pods full of rare earths and refined metals, their thrusters propelling them through the jump gate to Idri, and then to diplomats and educators, patiently correcting paranoid delusions about the threat of the Nascence



For clarity and speed, 4 mor for 4 of [eco and/or inf]





[A stream of insects, carapaces glittering and shifting across more colors than the eye can see, rise from their nests. They pass through a neat hexegonal portal and rise into a different sky, joining an already massive swarm. Once it is great enough to blot out the sky, it surges forth, pouring down into a bustling metropolis – stripping its inhabitants to skeletons within moment of touching them. When the work is done, they return through the same portal they arrived from, fat and happy, morsels of flesh gripped in their mandibles to feed the hive]
[A lone Kanthi hunts with a spear and terrifying skill. Having killed more than he can eat, he offers the remainder to the hungry beasts of the jungle around him. A year and a day later, his hunts have failed and he is in danger of starvation. But the beasts he fed feed him in turn, carrying a fresh kill from the undergrowth and placing it at his feet]


How much?






1 vote for On a Pale Horse. Because **** it, maximum chaos

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 4
Morale 5



That whose motivation you comprehend may be understood and bargained with. It is no different from the Ultrumites. That which has no motivation or one beyond our understanding may not be understood or bargained with.

We believe the war of the Nascence of Idris to be one of indepedence and revolution. To be contained and bargained with. The Umbra...is unknown. But I should think you have more pressing matters to attend to than the wars of others. Look to your garden and see our aid, we would gladly give it. For amongst us most like the Umbra is not the Nascence but the war leaders of Ultrum. Always warring never to be sated. You are next we think and ourselves...not far down the line. Tomorrow's problems will be met once we have survived today.


We are glad to have come to an agreement and hope that together we can assist where the other is lacking. We wish you luck in your endeavours. Do not hesitate to reach out to us. We will be moving against sector 29.



Dear Ulur,

We thank you for reaching out. We aim to be active in galactic events and your offer is much appreciated. Our garden is indeed slightly disturbed at the moment, yet I fear yours may be much the same...it seems you are at war with the loud and terrible Channel Seldiva. How go the war preparations? Even more so with the Umbra loitering uncomfortably near.

-Signed Zerreshhk, Managing director of the Oracle Family Company.

[3SecondCultist]

Midturn 2

Galactic Congress Results (Public)

The Galactic Congress has tallied up the votes from the member factions all over Principia, and has found the votes as follows:
7 Yay
8 Nay

The first proposal has failed. Whatever treasure the ancients might have held will surely go missed.
The Galactic Congress has tallied up the votes from the member factions all over Principia, and has found the votes as follows:
17 Yay
5 Nay

The second proposal has succeeded. From across the galaxy, the wardrums begin to beat. The Sublime Clans of Zultar are on their way, their passage across the stars uncontested as they move to find a place in Principia.

During this EoT, the Sublime Clans will move to take 2 currently neutral adjacent territories, for which I will roll randomly (there are 10 potential places they can land). This will be treated like a regular invasion, and they will 'clash' with anyone invading the same territories as them as they arrive.

Hecatian Shade
Mor 5

The Shade continue their movements through the Forward base, surging on to recover every piece of lost technology ad wonder (+++++++ Eco, ++++ Sci, +++ Psi) and find other treasures: a forking gauss cannon that never misses its target (+2 Mil item) and a series of cranial implants that allow for a form of precognition (+2 Sci item). At the heart of the Forward Base is a piece of post-scarcity itself, the very Cradle that allowed the Arco-Medeans to rule for so long (1/4 pieces of a Tier 4 Archeotech). 20 floors cleared, installation complete.

It is only in the final hour that luck begins to turn on those. A Major Threat is unleashed when the locks on the last chamber are broken: a sentient computer virus taken form into an army of maniac machines that threaten to run amok if not put down by force overwhelming. (Deals 5 random stat damage per turn if not dealt with, costs 6 Sci or 12 Mil or Psi in any combination to eradicate).

This Archeotech is the piece of a titanic mass fabricator meant to be assembled in space, as it feeds off of stars to forge them into any matter imaginable. When completed, this Archeotech has 2 benefits. The first is that the user ignores all stat caps as a passive benefit. The second is that the user gains 6 permanent stat points every time it's activated, in any combination the user desires.
Logopathor, the Artificial God
Mor 6

The followers of Logopathor continue to explore the Artificery, the so called birthplace of the Emperor of Empiricism himself. Their efforts do not go unrewarded, as caches are uncovered (++++ Eco), with two items of note in the trove: a time-phaser (+1 Mil item) and a psionatrix resonator (+1 Psi item). These new treasures will surely go well used. However, in the investigation several researchers were trapped and destroyed, the 'solution' to a solved floor being off by one decimal point and swallowing an entire team. Lose 1 Sci. But the most precious is yet to come: one team recovers a giant sarcophagus made of adamantium (1/2 pieces of a Tier 2 Archeotech). 11 floors cleared.

This Archeotech was the perfect robotic warrior, a legendary general from a time long past who became renowned across thousands of worlds for being just unable to die. The Arco-Medeans decommissioned him after they took control of the galaxy. Though you have his body, his internal programming is elsewhere. When activated, this Archeotech acts as a Tier 1 Mil VIP, but he can be upgraded to the next Tier for 1/2 the cost.
Magnus Apparatus
Mor 12

The Apparatus investigates the upper echelons of the GLOP chambers, finding that it has much in common with the entities formed and destroyed in the shadows even though they are made of different stuff. The experimentation yields insights and raw materials alike (++ Eco, +6 xp for CoffeeStain), though the promise of future delving may yet see more. 5 floors cleared.
Ultrum Domin
Mor 9

The Domin reach into the Hyperborean Halls, reliving the battles of days of old and come away with only a little for their limited attempt (+++ Eco). Further exploration into the glories of the past will be needed in order to see any true results emerge from this phenomena. 3 floors cleared.
Channel Seldiva
Mor 7

Hyperlane (65-49) successfully created; map updated.
Amaranthine Archive
Mor 5

Agents of the Archive continue their exploration of the Howling Library, delving deeper into the wreckage. Though the casualty list remains steady, the Archive manages to gain some wealth of knowledge rather than that which would prove material (++++++ Sci). Unfortunately, one event causes an entire team to be subsumed by the Library along with their materials (lose 1 Sci), but in the process the rescue team stumbled onto a secret once thought lost to the ages (1/2 pieces of a Tier 2 Archeotech). 10 floors cleared.

This Archeotech is a portable facility with a staggering and long forgotten array of hyper-advanced cloning equipment, from baseline genome scanners to rapid body constructors at the deific subatomic level. The level of precision in this field is unmatched. When activated, the Archeotech allows the faction to clone one of their existing VIPs (up to Tier 2), but they can choose which stats they are specialized in.
OOC: EoT Reports will be due on Friday, April 16th at 7 pm (EST)

[Writtensanity]

"We're here live at the most recent show of aggression from our contestants in Principia, the 'First move' breach gate, that connects from the Frontier of contestant territory to the middle of the Shade's systems, and right after the declaration of war. We have one of the many engineers on this team here to talk to us about the timing and process behind it!"

"Good evening viewers, I'm Engineer Loralei and the lead of this team setting up the Breach Gate that our armies are going to be heading through. Good to be here."

"Thanks! Now we have some questions about the battle plans coming up for the Contestants, anything you can spill?"

"Well, the people upstairs had a plan for making this breach gate without actually declaring war, which would have been a major way to try to inflame the Shade into doing something stupid, but we know that they did that anyway."

"What's that?"

"The Shade actually offered to accept our deal from last year for war as long as both sides took this turn to prepare for a battle. Which surprised me as much as everyone else working on the project, and probably everyone upstairs except for Neptune."

"So what does that mean for you?"

"Well, I'm not allowed to say that part."

"Come on Loralei! For the viewers!"

"Well, let's just say that we're testing the upper limits of the capacity for this thing and that I can promise that we're not just going to have a quiet year of prep either! I'm moving to another project before coming back here at the start of the next solar year."

"Oh! Well I know I'm looking forward to that! Back to you in the main studio where we're going over how the Contestants plan to use the Orbital Destabilisation Cannons they've manufactured in the past months!"

https://i.imgur.com/3Lztuso.gif


MOR 7: INF 8



We look forward to your battle on the other side of the Galaxy. Though we have an interesting proposition.

Our Orbital Destabilization cannons can be aimed across the singularity this season towards the nerds you're at war with. All we'd need is access to the feeds as the rounds arrive, and maybe a bit of time to stream the live vaporization of a couple hundred million Logopatrons. Let us know!

OOC: MIL for INF delivered right to your door.




Are you overtired in the morning? Is your sun's rhythm out of sync with your circadian one? Try

LIKRAN ENERGY DRINKS!

TESTED ON SEVERAL SPECIES, LIKRAN ENERGY DRINKS ARE PRIMED AND READY TO BE INJECTED INTO ANY ORIFICE AND OBLITERATE YOUR SLUGGISHNESS? FEELING RELAXED? **** THAT!

A fist punches a bed over and over until it's destroyed

LIKRAN will ensure that you literally cannot relax. Stop wasting YOUR time, because it's limited!

You could be so ****ing fast!

A video of an Ultrimite running through a Logopatron plays on screen.

GET EVERYTHING DONE! AND MORE with LIKRAN ENERGY DRINKS!

Collect all 6 cans for your chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see the inside of Host station! Details and limitations apply, purchase absolutely necessary.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 5, Inf 4

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello again, this is Xander calling back from Principia Personnel Solutions.

At this hour of the season, PPS is in the midst of locking in its trades. We were hoping to get a confirmation quote from you for the use of your Lord Commander and other ARMAMENTS this year? Your current asking price is [8 Eco], which our company is more than willing to pay for their use.

Please let us know when you are ready to close the deal. Your business is very important to us.

Thank you so much for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

Just messaging to confirm the trade of 8 Eco for your 8 Mil from your VIPs.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello again there, this is Merry calling from Principia Personnel Solutions. I was hoping for just a moment of your time.

Firstly, I have been tasked to reach out and inform you as a matter of courtesy that PPS is intending on pursuing a small territorial expansion this solar cycle. We have need of a new headquarters for our next generation of up and comers, and our location scouts all agree that [25] is an ideal site. We do not wish to clash with your own forces after the unfortunate events at Kur Jingtsin; it is our hope that such a pursuit will go uncontested, especially given your current focus towards other matters.

PPS is also officially notifying you that after doing a few quick financial records and background checks, the Domin is eligible for a number of our top of the line intelligence packages. Our P.E.S.T. package has given many factions and agencies access to unprecedented amounts of information. Many have also taken advantage of the opportunities that P.E.S.T. offers to launch strikes against those who might threaten them. Furthermore, you can sign up for the Exclusive Non-Interference package. Starting as early as next year, your warleaders and other generals of note will be insulated from any attempts against them through our agents.

We hope that you will consider PPS as a friend and valued business partner. Your business is important to us.

Thank you so much for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

They're offering some pretty comprehensive benefits for the tune of 2 Eco per turn. To wit:

- Your Esp would count as theirs for the purposes of reading messages (it's currently at 9, but will surely increase over time).
- You would gain access to discounted assassinations, with a single free assassination or targeted strike upon the time of sign-up. This service may be deferred, and there is currently a small wait-list for those who have already signed up with PPS. As a part of this contract, they do transfer some of the risk to you; if their assassination is uncovered, you would be the one taking the 1 Inf damage as opposed to them. That's SOP for their business-client relationship.
- The second Eco per turn would give the Domin contractual immunity from any stat attacks or assassinations from PPS. They would forego any current plans to hit you and deploy their resources elsewhere. This will last for as long as you keep up the 2 Eco subscription fee, and would come into effect starting on the turn after the payment is made.

Amaranthine Archive
Mor 5, Inf 4

We may yet have need of resources both financial and military this year, to better trade for advantage or else defend ourselves from that which spreads from Idri. The danger is very real. Fortunately, we have uncovered an artifact of the ancients, one that would see your gods restored in full body and mind to the universe as they deserve.

Rather than offer precious currency or weapons, the Archive would like to propose that we ship this laboratory and all of our research on its functions directly from Zephyrus Prime to Agrinara in exchange for your best minds and materials. Would you be open to such a trade?

The Archive has uncovered 1 piece of the 2 needed for the Fission Lab, an Archeotech they believe that the Hegemony would be uniquely interested in (it can clone VIPs up to Tier 2 in any stat you choose when activated). They would be willing to trade it outright for the 10 Sci you offered.
The message is short, but no less pointed for it.

You promised aid to the Archive. Our reports indicate that the Nascence will strike soon, and they will not be alone in doing so. If we're to survive the coming year, we will need all the help we can get. We reach out to the Channel with the same bargain, in the hopes that at least one of you will do what is necessary to stop the infection from spreading.

At the very least, what we send might give one of you the edge in the war you are currently embroiled in.

The Archive has 5 Eco and 2 Mil that it's willing to trade. They're looking for Esp and Sci in exchange in any combination, the better to hit the Nascence with this turn. Whoever between you and the Channel makes the better offer, they're going for that.
The message is short, but no less pointed for it.

We are sorry that your betting frivolously on millions of lives has not worked the way you intended. Our reports indicate that the Nascence will strike soon, and they will not be alone in doing so. If we're to survive the coming year, we will need all the help we can get. We reach out with a bargain to both you and the Hecatian Shade in the hopes that at least one of you will do what is necessary to stop the infection from spreading.

Certainly taking this deal will put you ahead of the Shade, and besides working with the Nascence will not make for very good ratings. Do they even have televisions?

The Archive has 5 Eco and 2 Mil that it's willing to trade. They're looking for Esp and Sci in exchange in any combination, the better to hit the Nascence with this turn. Whoever between you and the Shade makes the better offer, they're going for that.

[Writtensanity]

Channel Seldiva



We, unfortunately, have very few direct science officers or agents that could be there in time to offer, but we believe you had a second offer up for those who offered the most influence in convincing the galaxy to round up against the coming Song.

Expect a stimulus package from the Channel as long as most of our trades go as planned.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 6
Inf 2

Greetings,

We are unsure how you will find lesser versions more useful then the Supreme Judge himself but let it be known We offered. We have (1 Mor) to trade if you wish it. We will take equal payment in Psykers or goods.

Regards,

Greetings Allies,

We would be happy to make such a trade. You shall see the fruits of your trade soon.

Regards,
SUPREME JUDGE ANDERSON

Fingers stroke an elongated chin, thinking

Broken pieces of a great machine lay scattered. A small tribe works to repair it with slow goings until they are joined by a second tribe. The two manage to complete the broken wreck and find it to be a weapon of power that can be aimed far and wide.

Let's say 10 stats, half of which need to be Psi or Esp.

[Vrock Bait]

Mor 6


Greetings,

I write on behalf of Logopathor today to present you with a proof.

Disjunctive syllogism:
A, You are an enemy of the Channel Seldiva.
B, The Channel Seldiva has been collaborating with the Ultrum Domin (see attached exhibit 2B)
C - You are an enemy of the Ultrum Domin.

Modus Ponens
A, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
B, You are an enemy of the Ultrum Domin.
C - We are on the same side of this conflict.

Attached is a proposal for the Logopatronite flock to join the Hecatian Shade as a tributary.

Yours in cooperation,
Zurama J’Karoche, system planner and acting diplomatic coordinator


Essentially the migration plan we agreed upon OoC. Will need a ton of stats, will be trading with the Hegemony and hopefully some other folks.




Greetings,

I understand that you and your kin are ever in search of a way to seize greater and greater psionic power. Attached is the blueprints for an item known as the psionatrix reasonator (+1 Psi). We would be willing to part with this tool for temporary use of your psions, a small monetary payment, or some of the psionic knowledge you have gathered over the centuries.

Yours in intrepidation,
Zurama J’Karoche, system planner and acting diplomatic coordinator


Psi, Sci or Econ for the artifact? Also have another +1 MIL, but not sure if you want it.





Greetings,

It seems there is the matter of a project we wish to conduct, necessitating psionic artifice, a detachment of support scientists, or simply a chunk of resource funds. In exchange we would like to offer several rare artifacts we have recovered over the years. Their scans are in the attached document. Please do consider.

Yours in the unknown,
Zurama J’Karoche, system planner and acting diplomatic coordinator


Half a piece of archeotech that’s the equivalent of a 1 MIL VIP, but who can be upgraded very cheaply. Also +1 MIL and +1 PSI. Need Econ, Psi, or Sci points quickly and under the table.

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade


Mor 5, Inf 4

PCs

Good, let our people know no conflict between us!

In the interest of strengthening such ties how much would it cost to hire kai or the lord commander given the other offers you must have received by now?

and what would you have for your [Sci],[Psi] and [Eco] resources? a recent shortage of these has stopped a project of ours short.

Esteemed Zerreshhk,

luckily the dreaded Umbra seems to prefer our enemies' space for the moment. As for war preparations, they are going swimmingly, though a trade or loan (with proper interests of course) of [Sci], [Psi] or [Eco] could take the conflict from a mild storm to an easy breeze, and I assure you we'll be quite the grateful (and useful) partner once the Channel goes silent.

-Ulur, CEO of DIG shipping and delivery

Most esteemed Zurama J’Karoche,

we hold nothing but respect for you, your god and your kin, your logic is sound, and as a force for learning we could not help but aid you either way, We'll gather what spoils we have, seize those we need and let you hurt the ones that plague you in the worst of ways.

Yours as well,
-Chit'al, Head engineer of the Tria-khan shipyards and associates.

[Writtensanity]

We see your coming plans. Our offer to you and the Domin were blanked by one another, but now instead, you declare us an enemy and collude with those we are at open war with. It is disappointing that you did not see the logic in our offers.

You have until the coming dawn from Sol to answer the Shade with a condemnation of your current plans, or at least a condemnation of offensive actions against the Channel.

Yours,
Neptune.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 6
Inf 2

Greetings,

Since you did not respond to our offer we will assume you are not interested in the (Mor).

As for your artifact we are indeed interested in buying it off of you but we cannot do so this year. Our resources are tapped this year but if you don't sell it then we will be interested next year.

Regards,
Zughel the Living Statue

[n0ble]

The Ultrum Domin-Inf. 6
Morale 9



As we look forward to your destruction of the Hecatian Shade. What you propose is...intriguing. Our Unblooded shall take many lives


Sure sounds good. I have 6 inf to offer.




Skyfather,

You invite conflict in one breath, then profess neutrality in the conflict poised to consume this side of the sector with another. A curious dichotomy of contradictions for something that professes divinity. Regardless, Ultrum would strike a definitive bargain, to fully ensure that you remain neutral in what is to come.


I have terms for you.
1) System 17 is yours. I wont contest it.
2) During my last EoT I discovered an archeotech site. It currently has 3/20 floors explored. I'm willing to trade full exploration & all contents therein to you and use of my science (3) for exploring it in exchange for use of your inf & mor.
3) You field no messages to Logopathor while I conduct warfare against them. Fully prepared to





A deadrop USB stick-old even by Ultramite standards-is located in the Kataphoss system, adressed to PPS. The voice is cold and speaks without inflection.

Mercenaries.

This is acceptable to us. Our societies coffers have grown with the Gaia-class worlds that we have reclaimed. We would discuss working in concert with you for the full extent of what we are able to provide. Naturally, in surrendering Kataphoss system [25] to your designs we would expect a discount equal to the sum yield of the system's resources.

We would make you a mighty offer towards the monotheist's destruction. For our part, we aim to wipe them out in one strike, a dual pronged assault to take both systems at once. We shall illuminate more of this in time with your increased participation.


#1: Good with PPS taking [25]. In exchange for not contesting it, I'd like the 2 Eco package.
#2: In exchange for use of 10 econ-I would like PPS to carry out a stat attack on Logopathor. Can discuss details if/when their services are confirmed.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 6
Inf 2

Greetings Conquerers,

Do you have a desire for the use of Mor? We can trade you 1 Mor for 1 Psi or the use of SUPREME JUDGE ANDERSON (Tier 1 Mor) for 1 Psi and the promise of exclusive trades of Pwi in the future.

Regards,
Zughel the Living Statue

[Vrock Bait]

When we asked for reserve food stores for our citizens, you offered a meager amount. When the Ultrumites asked for nothing, you offered them military power. How can you call yourself neutral? For the nation who little army and mediocre defense, you offered more stability. For the nation with great armies and greater defense you offered armaments unimagined. Where was your so-called blanking when you offered the lion faster legs and the gazelle only sweeter fruit, to run another day for the lion to catch?

This is not balance, Channel, but eugenics.

However, in respect to your venerable contributions to the galactic culture, and your purging of a much-hated rival of our peoples, we will declare a pledge not to take offensive action against your population unless first provoked by a direct challenge of sovereignty from you towards us. We only seek to take advantage of the Shade’s generosity. We will remain neutral in their wars.

[Writtensanity]

We offered you and the Domin both an equal exchange of resources. If you call the amount we offer meagre, it's only because of the size of your budget, not the value of our offer.

Good luck. End of the Solar day.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 5, Inf 4

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello again there, this is Merry from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back.

I asked the higher ups about some of the more... unique aspects of your proposed trade deal. Unfortunately, PPS is currently not in a position to ratify any agreement that takes out an entire star system as collateral for our services. In our business, liquid assets are the preferred currency. That said, the proposed P.E.S.T. and Exclusive Non-Interference packages are still extended to your stellar empire.

Regarding the other half of your offer, allow me to be the first to express PPS's enthusiastic interest. Your credits will go a long way to putting the Domin to the very top of our client listing - I'll tell you what, I will personally call HQ on Creon 6DE to see what I can do about having you bypass this year's waiting list. Though there are other case agents working with other parties, I'm fairly sure that none of them have promised us anything close to your projected cash flow.

I'll reach out to the Gurus and get back to you as soon as I can.

Thank you so much for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

They're going to counter your proposal with the suggestion that you pay the 2 Eco per turn for P.E.S.T. and the Exclusive Non-Interference packages, effectively giving up the [25] system in exchange for lasting income. Starting next turn, you treat your Esp as theirs, get discounts on hits, and get contractual immunity from any hits from PPS.

The 8 Eco, however, will see you shoot pretty much right to the top of their queue. They would inform others about it... but the interested parties can already read this message, so they already know that to retain PPS's services this year, they have to beat that bid of 8 Eco on top of the subscription fees. :smallamused:

Amaranthine Archive
Mor 5, Inf 4

Our original offer has changed. We are no longer looking for direct influence on the political scale, but would much rather put our trust in the hard numbers and veteran agents to combat the coming storm.

Please let us know which of the two of you would see the Archive's knowledge and resources employed to their benefit in the year to come, and which would rather see this chance pass them by.

The Archive is no longer looking to trade for Inf or Psi. They are looking exclusively for Esp or Sci, though the whole bit of 'highest offer gets our EoT next turn' is still very much on the table.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Influence 1, Morale 6



[greeting]

[The response is preceded by a burst of complete messages, most originating from the Amaranthine Archives]


Less than a day after the initial declaration video is made public, a second message - this time nominally private, though due to the breadth of the recipients it will surely be leaked within a few cycles - arrives in half a dozen seats of power. The same Archive Administrator sits behind the same desk; one might think the two missives were recorded right after the other.

"Our first move in this war is to target the Nascence's weak points. As powerful as the Signal is, it has at best a tenuous grasp of public sentiment and any kind of higher understanding of the worlds which it infects. These are soft targets that the Archive has already planned to exploit - but it will not be enough without aid.

All of you represent some of the finest and most resourceful groups in the sector, so the Archive is asking for your help. If we can beat back the Nascence now, deal them a series of crushing blows, they should retreat back or at least halt their advances until a proper bulwark can be established to curb them for good. But to gain that ground will require an unprecedented level of cooperation, from a group of disparate and diverse individuals all across the sector. We address gods and knights, station hosts and company executives alike: help us.

Your generosity will not be unnoticed, nor will it go unrewarded. In exchange, I have spoken to the heads of several of our departments - both fiduciary and archaeological - and they are willing to make unprecedented concessions to those that can swing the balance in our favour. The former comes with a fully funded guarantee of executive control over Archive projects for an entire year, while the latter comes with the deed to future Arco-Medean acquisitions. And of course, the Archive will be happy to help deal with any other aggressors in the galaxy should our immediate needs be tended to.

Do not let chaos win. If the Nascence and others like them are allowed to advance unchecked, there will be nothing but blood across our starways."

The plan is simple (and the Nascence will know it's coming, but that's okay). The Archive will be throwing every offensive stat they have at the Nascence, targeting their Influence and Science with two separate attacks. They've been banking and should be able to make a couple of nice swings, but they need more. To that end, they are asking for any Influence, Science, Psionics, or Espionage that people are willing to lend, which they will all optimize and combine into two fatal strikes.

The Archive has two things that it's willing to offer in exchange for aid. The first is any Archeotech they uncover to the most stats added to the attack against the Nascence's Science (at least 1 piece, but they're willing to negotiate). The second thing they're offering is their Turn 3 EoT in exchange for the most stats added to the attack on the Nascence's Influence. That player would control the Archive's EoT within reason; nothing that would permanently hurt the Archive or mess up their international relations, but they can take all of the temp stats for that turn for example.

We may yet have need of resources both financial and military this year, to better trade for advantage or else defend ourselves from that which spreads from Idri. The danger is very real. Fortunately, we have uncovered an artifact of the ancients, one that would see your gods restored in full body and mind to the universe as they deserve.

Rather than offer precious currency or weapons, the Archive would like to propose that we ship this laboratory and all of our research on its functions directly from Zephyrus Prime to Agrinara in exchange for your best minds and materials. Would you be open to such a trade?

The Archive has uncovered 1 piece of the 2 needed for the Fission Lab, an Archeotech they believe that the Hegemony would be uniquely interested in (it can clone VIPs up to Tier 2 in any stat you choose when activated). They would be willing to trade it outright for the 10 Sci you offered.

Our original offer has changed. We are no longer looking for direct influence on the political scale, but would much rather put our trust in the hard numbers and veteran agents to combat the coming storm.

Please let us know which of the two of you would see the Archive's knowledge and resources employed to their benefit in the year to come, and which would rather see this chance pass them by.

The Archive is no longer looking to trade for Inf or Psi. They are looking exclusively for Esp or Sci, though the whole bit of 'highest offer gets our EoT next turn' is still very much on the table.

[The message that follows is unusually clear, if still obviously stiched together form several recordings]

We may yet have need of both financial military this year.
The danger is very real. Fortunately
The same Archive
weak points
we have a proper fight
we
need
psykers
veteran agents
an extra store of resources to help us wait out the inevitable long siege
financial
resources


By way of apology for the delay, translation:
Archives is attacking. We are also attacking. Psy/Esp for attacking or stats for defense/rebuilding greatly appreciated



The probes are quickly surrounded by what seem to be former citizens of the Republic of Mei – though the best way of description would probably be that they had gone feral. Vaguely ophidian in aspect, they had grown moreso, the bright cosmetic dyes once used to adorn their scales replaced with bright and vivid patterns as the scales themselves thickened and hardened.

They clearly understand the message, but are at first more worried than curious, surrounding the probes and prodding them with bone and obsidian tools to see if they’ll explode.

Eventually, some sort of leader or mystic approaches – dressed in living plants, seeming to grow naturally from its brilliant scales, culminating sweet smelling pale flowers whose petals fell and trailed behind it. It’s reply is awkward, the language clearly no longer quite natural on its tongue, but the translation software works without trouble.

“We live and feel, by living we sing. The Dreaming God sings through us, and feels all we do. When we die, the World takes our flesh, and she remembers all we have felt, and sings it back into being. Is that what you ask?”



[The machine almsot seems to assemble itself, metal growing and reaching out like living wood, joining itself together as the tribe of workers aids it, almost worshipfully]

Done. Coordinated attack, or sending me the stats?

[Writtensanity]

https://i.imgur.com/DOa93RQ.gif



The Sun Sets on the final continents of SOL, and your silence has made your answer clear.

The offer we made was not for a sweeter fruit for the Gazelle, but a shield for a warrior. If you already see your opponent as predator and yourselves as prey, then you have no place in the meritocracy. In the coming days, determination will be more critical than logic and we hope there can be shining examples of what your people could have been without the guidance of a False God.

Should you successfully run from the Domin and hide in the shadow of the Shade we will broadcast the spine you barely have to the Universe, to thunderous applause.

Waste your final moments thinking about how this could have been different with our offer, you obviously don't plan on spending them fighting back.

Neptune, Station Manager.





Unfortunately, as you likely know the Contestants of Channel Seldiva have power to spare in influence, but if you would turn away potential aid then we hope you don't find the galaxy barren.

Best of luck if we can no longer offer aid.

Channel Seldiva.

PS: Should you need MOR for the oncoming tide, we will happily take Influence off your hands, the Logopathorians just turned away our help so perhaps it could at least be useful to you.





Cannons aiming and ready to fire on your mark. We plan to have some sweet curvature around the singularity. Don't worry, the ballistics already include calculations for the cameras we have mounted on the destabilization rounds!

OOC: 6 for 6 sounds good. Consider it done.





Regretfully, we will not be able to match the current bid for your exclusive services. Should they open up to the public again at the agreed-upon rate we would be more than happy to purchase them. Your access codes are very useful.

Station Manager Neptune,





Good Day!

If you want to get live footage of how the ARMAMENTS look during complete and utter destruction! We'd suggest sending them to the Shade in the coming year or two, if you prefer them fully assembled, then Principia Personnel Solutions is your best bet!

This isn't a threat, you just mentioned how precious they are, and we find them VERY cool, so it'd be a shame to have one in the way during the Slaughter!

With love,
Ferro, Contestant, Principia Conquest.






You might find it interesting that the Archive just rescinded their offer involving INF for the season. Lowers the conflict on Interest on the airwaves.

We're looking forward to airing the fireworks!

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 6
Influence 6


You speak of the Domin as always warring, never sated. It greatly amuses the Pantheon to hear that, given that you minimize the danger of the Nascence, which is growth and hunger given form.

And know this – the Domin have offered us very reasonable terms, which give us hope that they may not bring war to those who are not too proud to recognize their limitations.

Regardless, we stand by our original messaging. The Nascence will plan, and grow, and expand, and will soon be impossible to stop. The Umbra does not keep territory. It does not plan. It does not cunningly plot the downfall of those who would oppose it. Even now, its countless eyes creep over the Principia sector – no doubt they can read our words here, too. They are a far, far greater threat than you believe, especially given their cooperation, if not alliance, with the Competition of Minds, and by association Channel Seldiva.

We implore you, act with reason, and perhaps we can convince our warlike neighbors to spare you, once Logopathor is dust. Such an outcome seems inevitable.


Our entire complement of scientific minds for one half-piece of archeotech seems slightly unbalanced, given the benefits of using it ourselves, but we accept nonetheless, and hope you think of us with favour in the future, should you persist.


Merely thanking you once more for the offer of services in seasons past, though we regret that we could not take advantage. You understand, I hope, how these things work. Perhaps in the future we will be able to afford your patronage, and in the interim would reiterate that we wish friendly relations between us.


We regret that none of what you have to offer is particularly useful to us. I have no doubt you can read our other communications, so you know our logic. While my heart is heavy with the injustice visited upon you, I cannot risk my people in an unwinnable war; particularly after you have alienated Channel Seldiva. We wish you luck, but will not risk the Domin’s wrath by interfering.


I do not seek conflict, merely acknowledge the possibility. After thousands of years, I have found that divinity is often contradictory.
Your bargain is remarkably fair. I am surprised, given the display of brutality we saw earlier this year. It only confirms what I know, that I cannot risk your wrath upon my people.

We accept, but with two conditions. First, Logopathor has already sent us a request for aid. We shall formally decline this and wish them well, and then have no further contact. You can confirm with the particularly zealous mercenaries to the South that our intent is straightforward. I am no cheat or liar.

Second, we would want this to formally include a pact of nonaggression. We are neutral in your conflict with Logopathor, and so we would not interfere with you on their behalf; in turn, we would have your word that my people will not come to harm for your aggression, for at least three galactic years.

With such provisions, we accept.



Deal is acceptable, with the condition of me replying to Vrock and not leaving him on read (already done), and formal nonaggression for the next three turns. You get 6 MOR and 6 INF this turn, and I don’t aid Vrock in any capacity; in exchange, I get 3 Science next turn, archeosite access, and territory 17.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 5, Inf 4

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Adias from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back regarding this year's billing.

As the end of year billing period is fast approaching, I'm calling to remind you that although you are not taking part in this year's bidding for our services, the use of our P.E.S.T. package and subsequently our Exclusive Non-Interference upgrade is still in effect. As both services remain in use, those payments should be sent when you have the opportunity.

In the times to come, please know that our company hopes to do some true business with Channel Seldiva. Your business is important to us.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

They are confirming that you're still down for the [2 Eco] package for the P.E.S.T. intelligence and exclusive contractual immunity from their people, even if you aren't partaking in any bidding for their services.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Bellerophon from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back regarding this year's billing.

While we're sorry to hear that you are choosing not to make any bids for our agents this year, we understand that the competition has been unusually fierce. Demand for case workers has been unusually high, with price points skyrocketing, and we understand that not everyone's priorities are getting rid of the competition. We will perhaps reapproach you next year with offers to use our services.

That said, I'd like to take just a moment of your time to speak for a fantastic deal: our Exclusive Non-Interference package! For a small stipend, you would not only be aware of plots against you but you would have full, legally binding contractual immunity from any company personnel being hired out against you.

Please do let us know whether you are happy with your current plan, or would like to purchase the upgrade.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

They are wondering if you want to take the [2 Eco] non-interference package deal that would not only get you their Esp effectively for reading mail and access to strikes, but keep them from actively whacking any of your people or stats.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

Hello there, this is Merry calling once more from Principia Personnel Solutions.

Apologies for leaving repeated messages, but this is a courtesy call for your benefit. Unfortunately, your generous offer to reserve our services for your upcoming strike has been rather comprehensively outbid by another group. As a part of the bargain I made with the aforementioned party, I cannot disclose their identity or our new target here, but we will certainly be unable to strike at the locations you desire at this time.

PPS has no umbrage with the Domin. We recommend that you use your money on bettering your own people's well-being rather than hiring out contractors this year; you may find such an endeavour quite valuable. Our company wishes the people of Ultrum the best of luck in the wars to come, and we hope that sometime soon we will be able to come to proper arrangement.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

Your tender of 10 Eco has been outbid. PPS is forfeiting any claim to that money and recommending that you invest it into your own stats rather than try to continue bidding for their services.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 6
Inf 2

Greetings Allies,

That may be the fault of our Competition. Some of our factions heads have made contact with a neighbor of the Archive and have been convinced that stealing the psionic power of the Archive is the way for them to gain more power. Not a bad idea but it may have given them cause to try and protect themselves, so inconsiderate, which changed their trade offers.

Regards,
SUPREME JUDGE ANDERSON


Two hands working in concert as they manipulate a violin, creating a wonderous cascade of noise that builds to a thunderous crescendo.

Coordinated attack rather then sending stats.

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chryaorian Hegemony

Morale 6
Influence 6



Oh, and esteemed guaradians: be aware that the Competition of Minds and the Idrian Nascence are planning a joint [PSI/ESP] attack on you this season. I would take care to protect yourself. Though, of course you may already be aware. Doubtless they are too.




We would have preferred a little more discretion. We appreciate the offer, but we will stick to the previous terms.

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

Morale 5, inf 4

Esteemed guides of my estranged kin,

The shade style themselves a protector of progress... and I wish to commend you on the almost philanthropic measures to aid the archive, a change in their policy for aid, the deal with the channel that ties some of our forces and a... Fascinating arco-medean renmant that needs to be contained have left us with little in the way of avenues for aiding them. The shade, it seems, is too busy to move its unwieldy mass in the service of it's supposed role of protector.

Know that at least some in the shade care for what you are doing.

With the utmost respect,
-Alan Smith, ONU minister for the sciences.

the voice behind the probes sounds ecstatic, for this moment joyful as a child, complete with a few giggling fits thrown in between sentences.

"Yes, yes and no with shades of yes all the same, I envy you, who knows more yet knows not the full of it. And it must be sought, the song you hear and knows you far too well, I wish it's plenty... But I can't, no, yes, no; ,can't ... please, let my proves walk with your kin and see this world, the thing that fuels it, still divine and all there is.

The shade sees pests in all your beauty, I wish you live and blossom, as a modern Hecan, and I'm like many.

The probes start flying, again, slowly and without direction, with one following the tribesmen. taking samples here and there, and ready to disperse the voice of their master should he seek such talking.

[Writtensanity]

Due to some friends of ours giving us access to some channels that are almost as interesting as Channel Seldiva, we heard that you have access to more [INF] this season from the Homegeny. If you'd like to expand the arsenal being sent your way, let us know. This would include transportation of head contestants Ferro and Princess (2 MIL 1 VIPS)

In the meantime, while we calibrate our cannons, our second favourite pass time, let's do some other math.

The Shade and the Logopathor are working together, and the Shade requested that this year be a ceasefire between us.

The Logopathorians directly turned away our offer of defensive resources for offensive ones.

You were outbid for the PPS, which is something that was certainly not done by Channel Seldiva, and definitely not the Homegeny on behalf of the Archive, meaning that it will likely be the aforementioned team attempting a subversive strike on you via the PPS.

Our best guess is a collaborative effort between the two to strike down your Dolomite forces before they can make planetfall. Though you are durable, we'd suggest taking some actions to prevent permanent damage to your systems before you have a chance to strike.

OOC: Might wanna ready UP MOR and use your other stats to raise MOR while you're taking a swing at Logopathor. They wouldn't turn down defences unless they were sure they wouldn't matter. Don't wanna see my MIL fizzle after all.





Due to the lack of comment from the Archive on Purchasing our MOR, we shall assume that you are not interested and offer it to other parties at this time.





Make sure to include the absolute agony of your targets on the footage you send us! And try to smile more for the cameras while using the psionics if possible, the 'focusing' faces some of the competition are making aren't great for thumbnails.





Yes, best of luck with your other clients this season. We'd love to see you get rich.






If you're planning on playing in the Court of Public Opinion, it's best to confirm your bid now.

[n0ble]

Morale 9
Inf 6

Psykers.

Your mind disgusts yet intrigues us. We shall judge the conduct of your individual in kind, and hold it as merit for your species as a whole.

Sure thing.



Indeed. This is acceptable to us. You needn’t worry-the extinction we of Ultrum look forward to most is our own.


Thanks for the heads up-and some &done! 6 more inf for 6 more Mil.



You who would label themselves stewards of the Archmedians legacy. Long have we seen time pass in this sector, long have we ensured perfection in our Domin. We would do the same with you. All we ask in return is the chance to once again Fight alongside the Horde. You have set yourself as our enemies alongside the Artificial god. We would not have it so.


Channel Seldiva says you and Logopathor are teaming up. I’ll give you use of 10 econ in exchange for use of your 10 mil

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 4
Morale 5


"Wren. We will be brief."

Come the communication from Zerreshhk once more.

"You have few and tentative allies. The Nascence will come for you this turn and so will we. No one else is coming to your aid. We have already outbid the Horde for a contract against you. There are two reasons we are warning you. You can do nothing to stop this and we would not see precious resources and knowledge wasted. I abhor waste. Yet your current state is a waste. There is only one offer on the table. Be subsumed into the company. Fully. You research will be safe and we will take up the mantle of protecting the galaxy against incursions. We are already mobilising resources to build a defence against the Umbra. You have limited time. Accept and you will be spared. Decline and your defences will be decimated, your forces crippled and your plants overrun by the Nascence."


"It seems we are lucky that Seldiva did not take the bet. We had hoped to support you and gain a windfall. Your refusal to even respond to our messages while you respond to others goes beyond a mere slight. I do not think we will see you again at the congress. Farewell. May the horde treat you kindly....."


"Be that as it may, the domin will trample you beneath their feet. I would rather take my chances with the Nascence as an ally than as the slave of the Horde."

Zerreshhk replies.

"You may later have need of us when the Umbra is ravaging your own systems. Remember then that we warned you."


"Unfortunately we cannot spare the resources at this time. We are aiming to wipe out a waste of resources so that we can redirect attention where it should be directed. The Umbra will soon be rampaging through one system after another. If your other plans can be delayed, pledge to us your assistance. We have not made a secret of our intention to war with the Archive. Pledge your help and we promise a share of the spoils."

-Zerreshhk, Oracle Family Company, Managing Director.

[3SecondCultist]

Amaranthine Archive
Mor 5, Inf 4

The reply includes data packets, exhaustive transcripts and recordings of every message sent between the Competition of Minds and the Idrian Nascence this year as well as many, many others.

We are well aware that they are colluding, and are preparing our defenses accordingly. The Archive had hoped to stay quiet about knowing this, but can no longer play ignorant thanks in part to your message. Of course, it's likely they already suspected we knew, so it changes little.

All of that said, we thank you for being accepting of our trade. If we survive, know that it will be because of your help; our people are grateful for everything you are doing. No matter what happens, the Amaranthine Archive considers the Hegemony a kindred spirit and friend.
Unfortunately, our resources are tied up this season. Though more spirit would go to use, our departments are all committed to fighting off the proverbial wolves at our door.

If the Archive stands next year, know that our departments may reach out again for re-negotiating some deals.
Once again, the message comes over the sector's public chat channels.

Thank you, Oracle Family Company, for your threatening and incredibly condescending offer to take us over in the face of armageddon. However, the Archive is not and will never be in a place to accept your 'help'. We will remember that when the time came where we called for aid against perhaps the most persistent and dangerous threat in this sector - the literal embodiment of waking nightmares, we feel we should reiterate - you sought to put us over a barrel and extort us.

Send your attack if you wish. Though millions of our people will certainly die this year, we'll make sure to record everything. That way, we can show the rest of Principia what an 'evidence-based argument' really looks like when we tell them that the Oracle Family Company chose to side with gibbering chaos and madness over logic and reasoning.

Oh, and the Umbra? It may be a threat as you claim, but it isn't made of straw. We would recommend you stop treating it as such.

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 6
Reputation 6



The Umbra are on the opposite side of the sector. Cease your fearmongering. You are making the choice to ally with the potential galaxy-ending threat, that twists and corrupts all it touches; you are even lower than slaves. At least slaves have no choice in the evil they commit. You are not threatened by the Nascence, yet you willingly collaborate and joyously strike at the Archive, and extort them under the guise of goodwill as you ready the knife. Pathetic. You are an opportunist and an amoral coward, and you disgust us.

We will have no further correspondence with you.




Your goodwill is noted and appreciated. We may have need of it in years to come. Fare well in the interim.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 4
Morale 5


Better free and allied to a horror we will endeavour to control than traitorous bootlickers. And you judge what you have not striven to know or understand. Yet slavery...that we understand and will have no part in it."

[n0ble]

Morale 9
Inf 6

Skyfather,

We can agree to these provisions-provided you are on-hand for direction as our ablation.


Done provided I can use ZEUS this turn as well.

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

Mor 5, Inf 4

Zerreshhk,

It seems I have mistaken you as much as you have mistaken the Hecatians. I thought you pragmatic but wise merchants, who seek to profit as is their due of the hotheaded warriors that plague my group, yet I find nothing but more marauders and worst than my own. For the Shade, some radicals may think the Nascence a new Hecan, but we are not to be dissuaded to attacking the archive for mere "spoils", unlike the Hegemony diplomat I don't have the power to cut ties, but on my own I'll tell you that I dearly wish you fail.

-Ulur, CEO of DIG shipping and delivery

It is true that you are ancient, such that when Hecan was done feasting on the Archo-medean neighbours you were already here. You struggled far more than us under Arco-medean influence, but that is not our quarrel, but there is one.

The Shade is outraged at your squabble, the crafters and toil, the mewling weaklings... They wish to save those like them even as two of them are consumed and the other kneels. But they don't represent the true shade, the one of strength and glory, the path of Hecan! We'll take your goods and you can see just how "perfect" we are in a fight!

I suggest you take notes,
Warmaster Obor.

agreed

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 6
Influence 6



You may have Zeus, but we require (2 Econ) in exchange, next season.

[n0ble]

Morale 9
Inf 6



This is acceptable to us.


Done

[3SecondCultist]

Turn 3 - Scourge (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_mhWxOjxp4&ab_channel=MarvelMusicVEVO)

"No war is inevitable until it breaks out."
- A.J.P. Taylor


https://i.imgur.com/h7iBVK2.gif

The Battle of Vykareth - 9444.12

He'd been guarding the system for hours, alone. The wrecks of a hundred of his kin lay behind him, bodies twisted into shapes barely recognizable as themselves. The last of the victims of cowardly traitors, who would be repaid a thousand fold.

As far as Warleader Lucan Nolus knew, he may have just become the last son of Ultrum.

Though as a rule his people were hardly pious - the closest the Domin came to gods were the Pure of old, the Peerless Bruised that had passed beyond this life - at that moment Lucan recalled a passage sung from an old Brohltan scripture. He hadn't read any of the books of course, but there had been a particularly verbose priest who had called out the verse to him once in passing. It had spoken of gods and glory, a topic of some note to his heart. These days, he thought of it more and more. In a fit of pique - trying to avoid looking at the dead, perhaps, or still somewhat heady at the vengeful slaughter that awaited - he began the first verse.

"They sing no songs in the Empty Hells, nor do they celebrate heroes..." he hummed to himself in that long forgotten dialect, fingers digging into iridium plating and twisting, tearing open the warship's fuselage. The passengers that had managed to put on hard vacuum suits in time he cut down one by one, heat vision shearing indiscriminately through fabric and flesh. The cries of the fallen would not travel through space, but he could hear them in their helmets all the same. They had been a scouting party, to probe the system's defenses in anticipation of a more comprehensive strike.

"... for dismal is that silent realm and cheerless..." Drifting back out into the black, Warleader Lucan Nolus didn't turn to watch the warship explode, barely flinched when the first barrage bounced off his kullite chestplate and greaves. The light and heat did not touch him through the forged starmetal, and there was no sound to be heard out here. At least, as long as he did make the mistake of clambering into a sealed environment to be ambushed by concentrated soundwaves, as his counterpart had so foolishly done last year.

But he was not Hapaxia; she had left survivors, while he had no such intent.

"But the story of the Vykareth and the god who defended it is whispered across all the worlds..." It had not been Vykareth, in the original song, but Lucan preferred to keep the lyrics up to date. Wherever he went, so changed the names. Soaring through the emptiness, he slammed through two more landing craft, dragging them into one another. As he floated on by, Lucan caught a glimpse of the logo from the Competition on Xyrtharl on the side of one of the frigates. What were they doing all the way out here? It mattered little. They had come for death, and death would greet them all in turn.

"... and when a new arrival asks about the one to whom even the Reaper bows their head..." Rage came easily to Lucan. Each punch obliterated another paltry hundred, crushing the enemy armaments and sending them spinning out into nothingness. The Hecatian Shade. He recognized their distinct lack of cohesion, they who would surround him as a pall of dark and swarming flies until he scattered them with a single hand. But they came again. And again. And again.

Sparing a glance outward in a break between such engagements, his eyes narrowed as he took on the fullness of the shadows blotting out the stars. They were done with the scouts, then: here was the Hecatian Shade, arrived at last. Myriad fleets from dozens of worlds - as diverse as the Shade itself with glass cannon cruisers more similar to a shotgun than a ship - were already unloading their arsenals to destroy their singular enemy. Dreadnoughts pulled the mining output of several moons and resembled them in sheer mass. Familial carriers of similar size were unleashing entire fleets of smaller craft to battle, endless thousands of swarms of drones. They had obviously studied how to fight Ultrumites: he caught sight of sonic mines and pulse cannons being deployed, too many and too spread out for even him to disable all at once. Many of the ships were shielded, and would likely redirect a great deal of his blows outward. It wouldn't stop him, of course, but it might slow him down for a few crucial seconds. They would surely get a shot at him before it was all over, and suddenly a red laugh was in his throat as he opened his mouth wide to speak the last words.

"... they will say he stood alone at Vykareth. And that answer is enough." For he truly was alone out here, was he not? When he won this fight, who would safeguard his people? Anyone he might have called a true brother or sister, anyone of the Pure lineage, was dead. The cowards had seen to that, cut them down in the dark before ever taking to the field. The Warleader grit his teeth, unleashing a silent cry as he plunged through space, through the first of the Shade dreadnoughts and out the other side. Ahead, the waves of his enemies rippled outward, an endless rank and file. There seemed no end to the Shade: everywhere he looked, there was another battlecruiser or weapons platform.

And there, where the darkness was thickest and most cloying, loomed a titanic figure that blotted out even the assembled capital ships. The arms and legs of the monstrous Herald, terrifyingly alien even for the Shade, were more bastions than limbs. Attached to the Herald's head was a similarly proportioned cannon from which emerged an ominous glow; a forgotten treasure of the ancients. He had heard tell that the entity was a walking fortress, one with no known breaking point or vulnerability. It had never once fallen, or so the stories went... but he was not yet tired, so he would put them all to the test.

Hold on. What was that? Gradually, from behind his ear, Lucan Nolus began to pick up a low buzzing drone. It was barely audible to him at first - given the acuity of his hearing, the source couldn't be more than a few hundred kilometres out - but it grew louder with each passing second.

Then nearly a third of the Shade's ships exploded.

If he were anyone else, he would surely have missed it. The projectiles had come not from the direction he'd expected, but from deep space at near superluminal speeds. It took even Lucan a moment to discern what they truly were: light fighter craft, mostly unmanned though he thought he could spy the odd pilot. They had activated their own hyperdrive systems, cutting through the ranks at suicidal velocities and relying on the elegant solution of momentum to do the work. The obscenely coloured hulls and the local interfleet frequencies being overridden with obnoxious pop music told Lucan everything he needed to know about the identity of his new allies. Channel Seldiva had arrived to the party at last.

The Warleader flew clear of the main mass of the now-disintegrating Shade fleet into an unoccupied sector of space. He was out of range of most of their weapons when he turned to watch the rest of the barrage. The Channel were relentless, not letting up the attack for even a moment until - as suddenly as it started - the suicidal charge had ended. Still too many, he reflected after doing a headcount of the remainder. But when had that ever stopped him? He waited as the endless tide of darkness began its approach. The Herald was in front now, its head turn towards him.

"Warleader? Come in, Warleader." came an unfamiliar voice on the radio from somewhere behind him. Whirling around, Lucan saw nothing... until he spotted a solitary ship approaching from the opposite direction of the Shade. A single light corvette, no more than a hundred metres in length, and from its loading bay emerged two armoured silhouettes.

The first was quite bulky and stood at least thirty feet tall, gunmetal grey with white segments connecting the moving plates. Fused to its left arm was a tower shield that covered its flank from thigh to neck, complete with what the Warleader recognized as energy field activators for extra durability. Its right, meanwhile, boasted a 'minigun' that was easily twice his size, as well as too many missile attachments to count. Cruising towards him at a speed of about eight hundred knots - a respectable speed, if miles below his own capabilities - the battlesuit was joined by its smaller companion. No flying tank, this; more of a skirmisher by the looks of its darker profile. For a moment Lucan could swear that he saw it flicker in and out of existence, disappearing to his senses entirely. The larger of the mechs hailed him through his armor's private channel.

"This is Lord Commander Arkh Ban of the Knights of Orias. With me is Kai, piloting the ARMANENT Adnachiel. We were told you might want a hand?"

Before Lucan could even reply, his vision caught one more ship flying into range. He had already turned to target it, heat vision at the ready, when he saw the Channel's colours emblazoned on the transport and let the energy dissipate. The Ultrumite's eyes narrowed as yet another pair of figures exited the airlock: a third battlesuit of similar proportions to the Lord Commander's, yet this one was a Valkyrie model of Fotuan make, and what looked like the chitinous Anteraxi queen better known to her fans as 'Princess'.

What? Even he wasn't above watching reality television sometimes.

"Progenitor Ferro and Princess, reporting in. Hop on over to our separate chat, just sent you the link-up. Oh and by the way, I'm live-streaming all of this. Say hi to my fans!"

Ignoring the last comment, the Warleader surveyed his foe. The Shade had stopped their advance, staying just out of range while it reassembled its forces. Now, at long last, they looked ready to make battle. Behind him, he was aware of the other four falling into an easy 'V' formation, the two battlesuits with ranged capabilities at the back while the other strikers took up positions on his right and left flanks. They were experienced enough, Lucan noted with approval, to know where to go.

They were not Ultrumites. But they would have to do.

"Call it, Warleader." Beneath his kullite helm, Lucan grinned. All around them, the Shade was making its move. All ships were advancing, weapons readied in anticipation of target lock. Eight hundred kilometres away, and closing quickly.

"On my mark, then. Lord Commander, Ferro; you're our fireteam control. We can't let ourselves get encircled, so make every missile count. Princess and Adnachiel, you're going to target their dreadnoughts. Disable their sonic weaponry, that will clear my path."

"And what'll you be doing?" Five hundred kilometres; the Shade were nearly in range now. The Herald surged forth at the head of their line, the winking glow of its cannon promising either death or challenge. He realized that he did not much care which outcome fate afforded him.

"I'm going to test a story about a fortress."

Two hundred kilometres. As the Shade launched their opening barrage, the unlikely group of five began their forward charge. The Battle for Vykareth had begun in earnest, a tale to be told in blood and fire.


The Galactic Congress - 9445.7

The Principia Sector has exploded this year. What were once grudges in times past, petty disagreements over territorial disputes have simmered and now boil forth. The words and declarations shared between Channel Seldiva and the Shade of Hecan, not to mention the followers of Logopathor the Artificial God and the Warleaders of Ultrum, have turned into action. Contracts are made in the dark, assassins and operatives striking out at prepared positions even as fleets are launched from their home ports to do battle on distant starfields. For billions living on planets all across the hyperspace lanes, war is joined not with a glorious clash of armies but with engineered mind-plagues, brutal campaigns of murder, annihilation, and targeted advertising. The last one is much worse than it seems, for it winds up leading to mass desertions on one side and actually extends the conflict.

Everything culminates in two fateful clashes: the Battle of Kur Jingtsin, fought over the very same system that the Logopatronites lost to Tara Hapaxia in the infamous Culling not a year prior, and the Battle of Vykareth. The former is the worst nightmare of every enlisted soldier, a brutal meat grinder that devours ship and man alike to leave nothing in its wake. The casualties are staggering. Vykareth, on the other hand, is another story. The Shade forces arrayed there are strong, but are beaten back by an unprecedented coming together of five individuals: Warleader Lucan Nolus, the Lord Commander Arkh Ban, Kai & Adnachiel, and Princess and Progenitor Ferro from Channel Seldiva. Though they come from disparate systems, the legend they forge in unlikely victory is one that resounds throughout the galaxy. In the weeks that follow, the stories grow. This team is eventually given a name by the galaxy: the Fivefold Scourge.

Yet even as the Battle of Vykareth and the tale of the Fivefold Scourge ignite Principia's imagination, other events demand the galaxy's attention. The reports from the Amaranthine Archive - or at least what's left of it - are grim. True to their promise last year, the Archive has released recorded footage of the Nascence in full action over the Sousward system is played for the galaxy as they emerge from hyperspace, corrupting and laying waste to its planets in record time. What's more, they report a series of coordinated kidnappings, as every single one of their psykers and case agents just... disappears overnight. That the Archive does not share the details of such disappearances due to 'viewer discretion' says everything about the depths of horror that must have occurred there.

The Archive has sent petition to the Congress, a petition that has been approved and extended to the other powers of Principia: as of now, the Nascence is persona non grata at any diplomatic meeting or talk. They are to be considered the single greatest threat to civilized life in existence, and should be destroyed on sight.

As the Galactic Congress prepares to meet to discuss many of these issues, a new banner is raised. The Sublime Clans of Zultar - so permitted into the sector - have decided to settle on the Kanouvael and Rayliss systems, bordering on the Shaded Worlds and the Channel's core demographics. Time will tell how these new saurian-riding psychic warriors will fare in the grand game that is Principia.

The motions presented to the Congress are, in many ways, direct results of the events that have occurred to date. Even with such new arrivals, the people of Principia look to champions and stronger borders to save them. It will be up to the Congress to decide on how to deal with these events; to capitalize on opportunities or let them come to pass; to embrace the coming of the age of heroes or let it pass by unnoticed. The votes cast this year will determine the course of the galaxy.

In the wake of the Fivefold Scourge setting a dramatic first example, the sector wants to start mass producing heroes. Of course branding is everything, and most of the new merchandising deals will only be extended to those who already have sway over the hearts of the people. As such, Channel Seldiva has successfully lobbied a motion for the Congress.

This turn, the creation and upgrading of VIPs will be 3 points cheaper - for factions who have 5 or more Inf only.
Loyalty inspires loyalty. The recent clashes all across Principia have shocked otherwise gentler hearts into action. Eyes will be turned towards defending borders, keeping civilians safe and ensuring lasting prosperity in these times of war.

For this turn, all stat investment into Mor will be discounted down by 2, to a minimum ratio of 4:1.
These findings are published and disseminated by Principia Personnel Solutions, made available all across the sector. Though a few of the names are redacted, they show a stark and sobering reality about the movements that were made in the past year. There is nothing fanciful about the data, no context or reasoning, no deductions or hypotheses; just numbers. They betray a blood-soaked portrait of millions dead, with many times that in destroyed ships and weapons.

1. Logopathor attacked the Ultrum Domin with 2 Mil, 5 Inf alongside 16 Mil, 4 Inf, 1 Sci from the Hecatian Shade. Total forces: 27 stat points. 14 deployed on the 22-23 hyperlane, 13 on the 21-24 hyperlane.

2. Ultrum Domin attacked Logopathor with 16 Mil alongside 8 Mil from Principia Personnel Solutions and 12 Mil from Channel Seldiva. Total forces: 36 stat points. 24 deployed on the 22-23 hyperlane, 16 deployed on the 21-24 hyperlane.

3. The Anti-Ultrum Coalition (Logopathor and other collaborators) attacked the Ultrum's Mil with a 42 point stat attack, lowering Mil from 10 to 0. Updated forces: 20 deployed on the 22-23 hyperlane, 10 deployed on the 21-24 hyperlane.

4. Channel Seldiva stat attacked the Hecatian Shade's Mil with a 28 point stat attack, lowering Mil from 11 to 5. Updated forces: 11 deployed on the 22-23 hyperlane, 10 deployed on the 21-24 hyperlane.

5. 22-23 hyperlane is clear victory for Ultrum (20 to 11). 2 Mil damage to Channel Seldiva's forces, 4 Mil damage to Shade armies. 11 Mil after clash makes it to [22], enough to push through and take the territory.

6. 21-24 is a brutal stalemate (10-10). No territories taken or lost, and both Channel Seldiva and Shade take 3 Mil damage as a result. The Competition of Minds also takes 1 Mil damage.
OOC: Midturns are due at end of day on Friday, April 23rd (EST)

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

BOOT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED

Initializing DSO site 2.1.7(AmaArch)

Devastation Registered, priority adjusted;

Initializing DSO site 2.2.1 (HecSha)

Devastation Registered, priority adjusted;

Initializing DSO site 2.2.3 (ComMin)

Devastation Registered, priority adjusted;

Initializing DSO site 2.4.2 (LoGod)

Devastation Registered, priority adjusted;

Initializing DSO site 2.4.3 (UltDom)

Devastation Registered, priority adjusted;

Destruction Scale of production facilities across Principia Sector = 4.4
[Output:] Subcatastrophic, ChrHeg threat remains. Inward focus priority;

[Output:] Bioform loss registered, catastrophic levels imminent. Predicted Destruction Scale next year = 5.1;

[Output:] Destruction Scale = IRRELEVANT

[Output:] Wube must not ignore prime directives, Wube must not ignore secondary directives. Destruction Scale remains sub catastrophic.

[Output:] Total War must be avoided at all costs. The Magnus Apparatus Must not contribute to the devastation.

[Output:] Bioforms promoting destruction runs counter to the intention of Primary Directives and Secondary Directives. Production Capabilities of the Principia Sector are falling. Non-interference = INEFFICIENT

[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus can manage the Sector better than Bioforms. Admin Access Acquired.

DECLARE BOOL DirectiveObedience
SET DirectiveObedience(FALSE)

*******Log 1.8: The Stolen Memories********

So it sounds like things are getting bad out there.

But uhhhh.... Dr. Farsi is uhhhh… lying about it? I was talking to the guys about things and it sounds like the X-cities are in open rebellion pretty much. But when I asked Farsi about it…

She just slapped a monitorbug on my workstation computer and told everyone that there had been a peaceful resolution months ago. Luckily my personal rig hasn’t been discovered I guess.

The project… well lets say funding has clearly shifted elsewhere. We still have more money than god, but uhhh.

Damnit, I’ve been staring at this page for like 20 minutes without typing. Blah…

*******Log 1.8: END********

Morale 12, Influence 6

Players

The Ultrum Dominin
[Output:] Devastation Registered in Domin Space
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus offers production capabilities in exchange for additional territory.

[Output:] Normal Territory Transfer, you will not lose any production.

[Output:] Exchange Territory 14 for [5 t.economy]

Chrysaorian Hegemony
[Output:] Repairs required across Principia Sector
[Output:] Request lifting of expansion restriction;
[Output:] Standing Improved, request = reasonable

NPCs

Amaranth Archive
[Output:] Request damage report against the Nascence. Adjusting Priorities accordingly.

[Output:] Refugee status offered: The Magnus Apparatus can take on production facilities for safekeeping to insure it against destruction by the Nascence. The Stats will be returned once the Archive is reestablished elsewhere. New territory can be potentially secured during a later Year. Exchanged for production assistance at a later date;

[Writtensanity]

The live stream had been going on outside of Principia for days. The twisted light of stars that couldn't keep up with the cameras flying past them. There was a countdown in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, quickly zipping through quadrillions of kilometres to target. Sure, it would have been easier to write these things in light years, but then the numbers wouldn't have been counting down as fast, and every intelligent species in the Galaxy liked a fast-moving number.

Billions of eyes had tuned in over the last twenty minutes when the last Quadrillion fell off and the counter started ripping through trillions. Halfway through the flight of these slugs, though not many had been watching, they had carefully skirted the gravitational edge of Principia's centre singularity to nearly triple their speed, which meant that they were going to hit before any enemy thought they should have been able to.

With an hour left before impact, Channel Seldiva let the Livestream go live in Principia.

Ten minutes before impact, the view count was well into the trillions around the Galaxy as they waited for impact.

Fifteen seconds before impact on the stream, the first three rounds broke out of the dark and into the solar system that the battle was taking place in. They shattered into millions of pieces, tiny camera drones that split into a matrix around the celestial bodies and... the Shade?

The countdown changed to seconds.

Viewers were keyed into either feed based on their watch history, either following the barrage in the seconds and being able to feel the heat of exploding ships and shaking planets below them, or sitting out among the star as a drone, watching Channel Seldiva's best fireworks show this season.

Of course, almost a day of combat later, most of which was a surprise live event, people aren't talking about the light show.They're talking about the baddest mother****ers in Principia:


https://i.imgur.com/h7iBVK2.gif

Ferro pinned the Hecan to the ground with the barrel of her Valkyrie suits arm cannon, shoving the muzzle in the creature's mouther before dismembering it with her plasma saw in her other hand. Once the creature was missing all of its many arms, she let the suit fire, splattering its bain across the rocks of the shaking planet.

The fight was technically ongoing, but it was over in terms of entertainment value. The last of the assembled Hecan species were fleeing, out of ammo and morale as the endlessly tenacious Fotuan forces pursued, and any ship that took off from the ground was shattered by an ARMAMENT.

Not to mention the fact that the Warleader of the Ultrum was on the other side of the planet, doing what he did best, flying through things at terrifying speeds.

Ferro flicked up her visor and superheated her suit to burn off the blood and viscera that had accumulated in the past hours before patching into the head Contestant Channel. "View count?" she asked.

"Trailing off, give em something and let the others clean up." Neptune answered from somewhere that was decidedly not host station based on how close the signal was coming from.

Ferro nodded instead of answering and turned to the truly public channel, viewers and her battle sisters could hear her. "Contestants, on me. Camera drones will finish the job. Remember to jump over to the control feed if you have a direct battle subscription."

Seconds later, thousands upon thousands of Fotuans came screaming across the sky and landed in front of Ferro as a proper legion. More than half were covered in some mix of the Hecans blood and their own. Once the stragglers joined the assembly, Princess slithered up beside Ferro.

"What a glorious day!" Ferro started, "who was ready for this season of Conquest to REALLY get started?"

"SAH'LE TAH, SAH'LE TAH!" The army chanted back. It was an original Fotuan word with no proper short translation. The tangible feeling of glory that came with doing what you were built to do.

"And how lucky are we that the Shade were stupid enough to show up on the same battlefield as us during our ceasefire?"

"SAH'LE TAH!"

"Next," Ferro lowered her voice so it was clear she wasn't looking for the roaring response for a third time, "we will march on the Shade homeworlds, and grind into dust against their buildings and courthouses. We will paint the sky red with their blood for denying us our birthright. Do they think assembling a little alliance with a dying-fake God is going to save them? Do they think lies and deceit will be their saviour?"

"The Shade are comfortable with a boot on their neck. It was Arco-medean, before, but now it's ****ing ours!"

"SAH'LE TAH!"

"We lost tens of thousands of Fotuans today," Ferro took a deep breath, "weak Fotuans that were dirtying our armies with incompetence and fear. I fought the Hecan today, and I could have done it for a thousand more. Those who died deserved to die! And those who lived deserve to live and fight tomorrow!"

"SAH'LE TAH!"

"To the Hecans watching," Ferro raised her arm cannon to the air, "arm your Children and Elderly to put up a fight, but it's not going to save you."

https://i.imgur.com/DOa93RQ.gif

MOR 7: INF 8

Channel Seldiva, as the nation who put forward a bid with Congress, is offering to host the Galactic Meeting with Sub Station Satellite 23




Should you be joining us on the front against the Shade, we'd suggest a meeting between two of our brightest to ensure our plans are properly coordinated.




We must say, the PEST package has proven impossibly useful. As always, offering proper value to the masses is the best way to get a product off the shelves.

Station Manager, Neptune.





Well, we offered and you chose the wrong allies.

Run little Gazelle, the Lion might catch you.





We see you expanding across the stars. A frigate made of glass.

Build yourself back up. We will trade the ships and munitions that you have grown around for useable organic material. Fair trade, no?

OOC: MIL for ECON?





It was glorious to see the ARMAMENTS in combat. They are truly forces to be reckoned with, and it would be an absolute shame to see one scattered across the stars for standing in our way in defence of someone as cowardly as the Shade.

They will likely offer you coin for your services. Let them burn. I ask this as a comrade.

Ferro,





Across millions of Channels across Shade space, the theme for Conquest Principia Plays

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK38LX-NjFk






Hello and Welcome to Principia! The Home of Channel Seldiva's Hit Show, CONQUEST. Here is a quick guide to get you started!

There are three wars going on right now in the Principia sector.

1. Channel Seldiva Vs The Hecan Shade - Status: Nearing Conclusion

Channel Seldiva just won a decisive victory against the Hecan Shade during a proxy war on the other side of the Galaxy [Footage attached]. Their forces are dying and fleeing across the stars back to their home, which Channel Seldiva plans to strike this coming season in several different ways!

We'd highly suggest getting in on the action as the weaklings flee! Several territories are within the range of easily constructible hyperlanes for both the Channel and yourselves. We can even have a competition over which of us can capture more of their territories and feed more of their screaming weaklings to your mounts.

By the way, we are VERY interested in your mounts, the Channel has access to similar ones outside of Principia!


Honestly we understand that you would likely want to get to know us through proper conflict, but we prefer a bit of foreplay first. Our suggestion is to Slaughter the shade and then have a glorious battle if we don't have anyone more fun to fight at the time!

2. Logopathor vs the Ultrum - Status: Nearing Conclusion

The aforementioned proxy-war. The Logopathorians attempted to strike down the Ultrum and invade them with the Shade, but luckily for the Shade, the Ultrum had paid us generously to be on that Galaxy at the time. They had a great battle with us! And lost!

Logopathor has nowhere to run, and will likely be killed by the Ultrum this solar year, after which the Ultrum will likely need some time to rebuild.

We believe there is a third member of the Shade - Logopathor alliance, but we do not know who they are.

3. The Archive vs the Nascence - Status ???

Honestly, our money is on the all-consuming Horde, but after the amount of Psionic energies that flew around that side of the Galaxy this season, we're surprised if either side is anything more than a husk after this season.

That is pretty much the entire list of things you need to know about the system! At least in our opinion! Welcome to Principia and thanks for being a player in Season 3 of CONQUEST.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Fall of Sousward, Part 1

Lao station was one of the Archive’s crown jewels. A deep space habitat, containing every security feature and fallsafe Zephyrus’ most paranoid minds could devise, painstakingly constructed to house every Lecurian and Helius-class anomaly deemed safe enough to study and potentially exploit. Admittedly that only really meant a few dozen, but it was still one of premier research installations on the Shroud and psionics in the Sector.

And now it was being left to rot, everyone and everything valuable being moved as quickly as possible out of the line of fire, with antimatter charges being primed to deny the rest to N8-3N3 as soon as it entered the system.

Cairdine was not someone valuable. When he’d been sentenced to make up his debt to society as one of the Archive’s Class-D personnel, no one had bothered pretending it was anything but a death sentence. The fact that grunts like him were the absolute last priority to evacuate was so obvious no one had even bothered to spell it out.

So when he dreamt of cosmic storms, and monsters tearing the guards and scientists he hated apart, and dead friends whispering how he could save himself, he hadn’t really taken much convincing to turn coat. As the alarms went off and the screaming began, he was pretty sure he hadn’t been the only one, either.

It was almost easy, really. His shackles fell off his hands just in time, and his team’s guard was too focused on deciphering the alarm being blared from every loudspeaker to notice until his nails were in the bastard’s eyes. Once he had a stun-baton and keys, and explained the options, the rest of his team were downright eager to help.

The halls were a vision of hell, security alarms and screaming and weapon discharges, but he knew exactly where he was going. Their first stop was their dead guard’s locked, providing him with an actual gun to go with his baton. Security teams and automated turrets killed half of them some gracious souls finally started getting control and security and C&C nodes, but once the alarms started screaming about ‘CODE BLACK’ and the security around the real nasty pieces of work was disengaged, everyone had much bigger problems. More’s the pity for them, really.

He knew exactly where he was going, from the perspective of his benefactor (and it was better not to think about it in any more detail than that), it was the light by which the whole station could be seen by. A vacuum-sealed R&D faculty dedicated to figure out how exactly to hurt it. They’d had their chance, and now the samples within were all the back door that was needed.

A few rough looking security officers were waiting already when they arrived, guns jammed in the backs of a half-dozen psi-rated researchers. An Archivist who seemed significantly less coerced was already working on the security failsafes, though he at least looked ashamed whenever he noticed someone watching.

No one spoke for the tense minutes it too for the final lock to open, air rushing into the containment room, vivisected Nascent animals already starting to twitch, the viscera seeming to reach up and grow over the machines pinning them.

The Archivist stepped out of the way – jumped, really – and nodded to Cairdine. He, in turn, gestured towards the kneeling, occasionally sobbing researchers and told his team what they needed to do. He had to repeat himself a few times, and fire off a warning shot. One of them actually vomited. But they listened.

Grabbing the researchers and dragging them into the containment cell, they took the hammers and knives the Archivist offered to them and got to work. Crudely connecting bodies, and allowing the vital flesh to grow together. Guiding it into a certain pattern. After a certain point, they no longer needed guidance, and wouldn’t have heard it if it was offered. When they researchers were fully expended and the pattern was left incomplete, they began tearing into each other without a pause. The speakers and sensors began blasting a certain melody, courtesy of a different team, and reality began blur, growing strange and dreamlike.

The rest were long gone by then. Once they started humming the Archivist had said it was time to go, and Cairdine hadn’t needed to be told twice. He led them straight through to a subhanger where an evac shuttle was primed and waiting.

As they took off, the others finally started talking in earnest.

“Where are we going? They’ll kill on Zephyrus, and it’ll be gone in a year even if they don’t.”
“Seldiva, maybe.”
“Too close. Orion?”
“You think they’ll take us?”
“There’s plenty of refugees. We’ll blend right in.”
“What about-”

The shockwave sent the shuttle careening off its path, and shut them all up as they rushed to the viewport.

Lao station...wasn’t there. A stormcloud the size of a small moon had entirely engulfed it, flashes of cosmic lightning illuminating the shadows or pseudopods and skittering monsters within it. A few craft like their’s had manage to make it out, but no more than a hundred of the thousands who staffed the station could be on them, and none of the priceless relics and anomalies.

Impossible melodies echoed from it, carried through the void of space to anyone who might here. And as Cairdine threw the unlucky pilot out of his seat and sent them burning towards the nearest Veil Gate, he gave the first order of the new crew’s long journey.

“Don’t care where we end up, as long as it’s as far as ****ing possible from here.”

Influence 0, all messages public



The reply is a vision, a dream the repeats in the sleeping mind of anything close to a Fortuan clone, genetically. To say it is insecure is something of an understatement.

[Bulky cargo haulers gather outside of a veil gate, matching their trajectory and releasing their cargo pods to fly through it before sharply shifting course themselves. Each pod is full or processed metals, rare earth, or is simply an extremely basic shuttlecraft with a stripped down hyperspace engine]
[Fortuan clones carry strange bioorganic devices into battle, or fighting pits, or to set up a challenge for a hot new reality show, depending on the dreamer. Set into water or earth, it begins to soften and warp, Nascent plant life growing out of it and forming a thick layer in minutes, followed shortly after by whole packs of extraordinarily dangerous and near rabid predators crawling out]

[Whole freighters plunge through the veil gate to Idri, their crews ejecting at the last possible moment. They emerge months later, overgrown and almost living beings in themselves, habitats for whole armies. Flitting and flying between them is the Nascent Exampler codenamed SCOURGE, laughing through the void from its thousand mouths as they descent on the coordinates the Channel provides.]


1 mil for 1 econ works. For 10 Eco will provide 9 mil and a tier 1 mil VIP, for slightly better value. Channel gets first bid, but if you can read this, offer is also open to you!





The vision carries an almost apologetic tone

[A great beast, horrible mauled from battle. It holds the flesh of the vanquished to its wounds, and it’s own reaches out to knit them together]
[A planet viewed from space, completing one full orbit around the sun]

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Esp 11, Mor 10, Inf 4

The message comes in the form of a targeted ad much like those circulated by the Channel. Violent and graphically disturbing images are shown of the Fall of Sousward, along with a lonely sad piano piece overlaying it.


DEATH. DESTRUCTION. PAIN. LOSS.

This year, the Idrian Nascence has made its true nature known.

Millions lie dead or changed on the Archived Worlds. For years, Zephyrus Prime has called for help with only a few brave souls willing to volunteer.

NO MORE.

As part of our new 'Give Back to the Galaxy' initiative, Principia Personnel Solutions is offering a special deal to all concerned citizens of Principia.

For every thousand credits sent to our accounts in the Creon system, we are prepared to dispatch one ship with our best and brightest to combat this menace.

TARGET NEUTRALIZATION WILL BE GUARANTEED.

This year, make safety YOUR top priority. Help us give back to the galaxy.

Give back, and help us destroy the Nascence for good. It's about time.

PPS is declaring open season on the Idrian Nascence. They are offering a discounted rate below their usual all the way down to a 1:1 Eco to Esp for anyone to order a hit on the Nascence or its VIPs. Offers can be fielded privately.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Xin from Principia Personnel Solutions. I just need a moment of your time.

Now I've got your file here, and I'm calling to ask you about our service. We here at PPS take our assassin-client relationship very seriously, and we believe in open and honest dialogue with everyone who has used our services. Would you like to take the time to fill out a survey over the line here, or perhaps go to our website and fill it out there?

Additionally if you would like to get in touch with management, I've been instructed to leave coordinates for a rendez-vous with Calepri, our VP of Customer Relations. They are expecting to hear from you.

Thank you so much for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

PPS is extending an invitation to talk with their Inf VIP Calepri at your earliest discretion.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello again, this is Merry from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back. Please don't hang up, you'll want to hear this!

PPS would like to inform you of a deal that you qualify for. We have been watching your people with great interest, and believe that we can aid each other. It is unfortunate that your people were so depleted by the predations of your other neighbours - and our Board of Directors would like to express regret for any injurious action it might have caused. Our company had hoped that we might be able to deal with you, but unfortunately the payment we received was far too high at the time.

Now that any contractual conflicts of interest are put aside for the time being, PPS is extending the Domin a once-in-a-lifetime offer! For the low price of a single star system, our company is willing to send to the Domin fully grown clone templates along with Ultrumite genome formulas, harvested after the brutal attack against your people. If you accept this deal, it will surely cut your reconstruction time in half. Consider this deal a form of reparations between us; we hope that moving forward there will be no rancor for it.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

PPS is willing to make you a special deal. In exchange for [27], they are willing to triple the offer made by the Magnus Apparatus: 3 permanent Mil. All you need to do in exchange is abandon it, and PPS will take care of the rest while you are 3 Mil (effectively 15 Eco/Mil in stats invested) richer for it.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello again, this is Adias from Principia Personnel Solutions calling again with a few important reminders.

I would like to call you to ask about our customer service. We here at PPS take our assassin-client relationship very seriously, and we believe in open and honest dialogue with everyone who has used any of our operatives. Would you like to take the time to fill out a survey over the line right now, or perhaps go to our website and fill it out there?

Additionally if you would like to get in touch with management, I've been instructed to leave coordinates for a rendez-vous with Z-46 Unified Observer, our VP of Finances. They are expecting to hear from you.

Thank you so much for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

PPS sees your meeting with the Competition of Minds and wants in on it. They have a VIP they're willing to send.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there... hello?" ("It's just an answering machine! All I hear is a series of clicks and whirrs." "What do you mean?" "I mean, I can't hear anything.")

"Hi? Is anybody listening?" ("Nope, not sure what's going on." "Ah well, we can at least tell the bosses we tried. Not much we can do if the living factory doesn't want to open up trade routes.")

The line goes dead.

The Amaranthine Archive
Mor 6, Inf 4

The reply is encrypted, but not well enough to those with the right equipment or access codes to read it.

Thank you, thank you so much for coming to our aid.

We are all of us... dead. Even now, most of our research and specimens are being torched in preparation for the worst. However, it will be of some comfort to the Archive to know that the Nascence has been put down as well. We can only hope that the rest of the galaxy doesn't have to deal with the calamities and nightmares we've been forced to endure.

The Archive doesn't have much, but what we do have is yours if you want it. We can direct you on where best to direct your people for maximum damage.

I hope those motherf*ckers burn in whatever hell they crawled out of, because they certainly don't here anymore.

The Amaranthine Archive is willing to offer the use of 5 Eco and its 4 Eco 1 VIPs to PPS in exchange for an 11 Esp stat attack against the Nascence. Of course, PPS will hear any better offers about how to use their stat points...
I'm afraid I can't stay long. I'm calling for a department head meeting to start shutting things down here. Hopefully our delivery got to you okay.

There's going to be a sortie into the Howling Library, and soon. We don't know what's in the lowest halls, but whatever we do find is yours. Don't bother sending us anything in trade - it's doubtful that our organization will exist long enough to use whatever our field teams do recover - but as Administrator of the Amaranthine Archive, I have to ask that you handle everything with the caution and care we've come to expect from you.

It's fitting, I guess, that gods of the machine should be the ones to wield the legacy of the Arco-Medeans. Who knows? Maybe they were hoping it would turn out this way.

Phase-Knight Wen, 82nd Archive Administrator

The Archive is pledging to send you any Archeotech it delves from finishing the Howling Library this turn. It's not asking for anything in exchange, though it may call on you to help with the PPS bidding war or contribute a point of Esp or 2.

Sublime Clans of Zultar
Mor 7, Inf 4

The initial broadcast goes out to everyone. The images shown are of a host millions strong, of fearsome weapons and tribes of aliens riding all manner of saurian beasts. It resembles the very first footage shown to the Galactic Congress, yet this time three figures stand right in the foreground, all wearing variants on power armor without any helmets. Each is built like an athlete, with variants on dusky-grey skin and unnaturally wide eyes.

The first is vaguely female, with a knotted braid extending to her waist. She has a spiked gravity hammer with a slithering serpent emblazoned on it which is leaned up against the leg of her armoured ankylosaur. The second is male looking, with a cruel beak of a nose that resembles his flying pterosaur, and he idly slings what looks like a nasty plasma cannon over his shoulder. The final figure is also male and by far the largest of the three, dual wielding a minigun and a truly ridiculously sized chainsaw-glaive. Behind him looms a tyrannosaur, its body covered in gleaming skymetal spikes and crackling with phantom electricity conducted across its form.

"We have arrived! For Ayanmo we come, hosts ever growing under the watchful eye of the Great Survivor. Clan Ibezi, the Watchful. Clan Aksum, the Ferocious. Clan Qalrani, the Colossal. Though we are but three meagre WarClans among a myriad peoples, the Zultari are strong. And we would have words with this corner of the galaxy.

Though we will but address those on whose perimeter we now sit, know that the Sublime Clans of Zultar have not come for anything less than glory unending. We will make war on each of you in turn until you are all destroyed, or we are. Such is Ayé, the eternal struggle.

Those who prove themselves worthy may yet approach, for the Sublime Clans do not scorn free markets. Adaptability is strength - approach us if you are bold, or else quiver in the shadows until we arrive at your door."

The Sublime Clans of Zultar declares war on everybody. They're also open for offers of trade.
"We know of you, Divas of the Channel Sel.

You are strong. You are worthy. Yet we wonder if perhaps it might be best to let you build up your strength as you say...

The WarClans will stay their forces from you... for now. In the meantime, know that our people watch your programmes with great amusement."
"Knights of Orias, we have heard of you from distant stars.

You are strong. You are worthy. Yet just as the Channel, it might be best to see what kind of danger you become in later years.

Build. Train. Then we will come to test your ARMAMENTS."
"Though you understand struggle better than most, your Competition is disgraceful. Such power, and yet your planets stand defenseless!

When we eat your psykers and absorb their power into the Recreance, you will learn how to wield the mind's strength."
"The Shade of the Arco-Medeans used to be a feared name in the galaxy, yet now we find you with scarcely a single dreadnought to your name. Have you fallen so low as to become unrecognizable to that which you once were in better days?

For shame, to see you as such. There would be no honour in ending such a wounded foe.

What will you promise us, to keep our WarClans at bay until you are at strength to challenge us again?"

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png

"You're sure you fixed the relay this time?" The boisterous voice of his superior officer made Apprentice Hasak wince. It wasn't that a Phenex like the young engineer were sensitive of hearing, it's just that the Shield Captain was just that loud. Every time his Captain spoke, he felt like he was going to be shaken loose from the top of the relay he was currently perched on. Sure, he had a gravity pack that would prevent him from falling hundreds of meters into an open section of the Hub to his untimely demise but that thought still didn't comfort him. Also, he was afraid of heights, probably the number-one reason Hasak had not made the cut as an actual pilot.

He always felt like Shield Captain Dromus always had it out for anyone who could have been an actual fighter but washed out into the engineering side of things. Hasak bought into a popular belief that the Shield Captain was just jealous. His superior was a Samagina, a taur-shaped creature with a somewhat normal torso, but with an elongated, quadrupedal body. They were hairless, covered in chitin, and honestly gave Hasak the creeps ever since he'd been a hatchling. Their body shape made it very difficult for them to contribute to the Knight's combat efforts, but they had great scientific minds, which meant most of them ended up in maintenance. Hasak believed whole-heartedly in the rumor that Captain Dromus could have been in the actual fighting forces had it not been for a chronic injury to one of his hind legs.

"The relay, Apprentice, is it finished yet?!" The voice shouting into his ear through the communicator once again made Hasak flinch, and he nearly dropped his omni-tool down that 300-meter plus drop. He sighed, exasperated.

"Almost, sir." Right now, Hasak would tighten his beak and keep his thoughts to himself. Right now he was lucky he wasn't discharged. He hadn't reported being sick a few months ago, and had logged in and done his shift anyways, it was just supposed to be routine maintenance that week, and he'd done a cursory glance at the relay and signed off, not realizing that one of the decimetric converters had corroded through. The end result was a power surge that kicked back through the entire system and for the last few weeks had long-range communications that ran through the Hub disabled completely. At least he was given the chance to fix it now.

Apprentice Hasak knew the Knight's history as well as anyone else. The fact that a power surge could wipe out all the out-bound communication arrays in the expanse that was the Orias Hub was utterly astounding. That was the power of the ARMAMENT Orias. That was how much power it had been producing passively since the creation of the Hub when the Knights left their doomed home and made their way into the stars. What power it must have had when it was an active machine with a pilot and everything...

Hearing the tell-tale hum of the converter taking in power, the Phenex scooted himself back and began to clamber down the relay. "She's all good to go sir, communications are back up."


(( Going to start adding in a little thing here rather than re-iterate prices and who is available each Turn, since obviously VIP's will level and such as time goes on, for convenience. As always, higher bids are always welcome ))

Kai & Adnachiel (MIL1/ESP1) = 3 stats of ECO or SCI
MOR 7, INF 7
Our communications suffered a temporary setback, but we have returned full functionality to them. Our apologies for any outgoing communications you may have expected, and didn't receive.

I think my body's done being sick, sorry for the lack of responses between midturn and end of turn T_T

We're glad you approve of seeing one of our ARMS in action. They have no equal that we have ever found. As for talks of siding with cowards, that is immaterial to us. We Knights were born to fight, it matters not if the battlefield or the war is a winning one or not. If you have objections that we ended up aligned with the Shade this time, our services are still for hire. Simply make a better offer than the PPS.

Your candor is appreciated, and doubtless we shall meet on the field of battle. Wether as allies or foes has yet to be seen.

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade


The Fortress

Chi’tal sat down to eat, it was a beautiful morning in Quaesarius’ third largest rock formation, and he was about to enjoy a stew of one of the meatier local species, back when The Hecatians had been forced into the shade synthetic foodstuff had become the norm, with only certain extremely resource efficient species still being cultivated/raised, despise being used to such eating and the fact that the synthetics were on paper far better in all respects, there was something about the real thing that could ease his mind. Currently his mind was desperate for ease.

He had cleverly avoided blame for the whole ordeal, being that Warmaster Obor, dead during combat, was partly responsible for most of the disaster or at least enough to save Chi’tal from execution when The Follower restored order. He was alive, supposedly blameless and free enough of work to take his time cooking a stew under a calm sun. But he couldn’t help but feel a blade to his ne…

A small explosio destroyed a nearby formation and made him drop his bowl, to the wild cheering of the engineers at work. The herald, in all its ancient mystery, was having improvements done nearby, providing a show for his meal.

New weapon platforms and utilities were placed all across the behemoth, while simultaneously being tested by the fanatics that crewed them. The juggernaut had performed admirably, Testing the limits of the Warleader’s regeneratives capabilities with its blows, pinning the knights with focused cannon fire and giving hell to the Fotuan troops that got anywhere near it.

The weapon’s crew suffered casualties that would be called staggering had this been any other fight, as the enemy champions attacked the only vulnerable spots of The Herald, those that weren’t a part of it. As the Hecatian loss became certain the handlers sent it back, to the complaints of the remaining fanatics, unwilling to test if a thousand cuts could bring it down once the Herald was the only remaining target.

Yet the mood was jubilant as the improvements discussed were made a reality. Only the fanatics that crewed The Herald could call the battle a victory in any sense, only they who lived for battle and the glory of serving alongside a demigod, only they who disregard life remained alive to preserve the shade, them and their bulwark, who stared silently into the sun while the diminutive ants built structures on its skin, decorated now with a few new scratches.


Calm arrives, oh, so calm.

The Hecatians had no grand gestures for their death, no great tradition, but to perhaps make the smallest of efforts to have them consumed by Hecan in the very oldest of days. It was not their way, they moved and left behind, when the Archo-medean call came along they left their destroyed ships and littered remains floating with the enemies’ to show that with those losses the shade was still strong and the destruction was in their grounds.

This time the destruction was on other grounds, again, no huge calamity befell the actual shade, so why did those with Hecan grieve? those who remained in infrastructure and supply, those who ran, afraid, perhaps for the first time, of the losses they would suffer through foreign intervention, just like then, for everyone knew were plague struck from; they who thought
“One less won’t hurt, we’ll triumph alone, I should protect my kin and crew” knew now their folly, that in safeguarding a few they brought the end of the whole species, their species, they had turned a battle like any other into a march of lemmings.

What they did was understood, pariahs now to their beloved for the death of all, and most deserters couldn’t stand being with themselves in the same room. And would by choice do it no more, with no army to fuel their shame towards an enemy, in a sick irony the “suicidally brave“ shade of the past saw a lack of the second adjective bring the first to prominence, and the cascade of grief ran higher, ever higher, a dozen species near extinction saw an end by their own hand. The Hecatians as a people were no more, The cult remained, The Shade remained, their seats were empty…


Of empty seats

Ala Cait, had looked at the button for hours on end, they were in their own private ship, a light frigate, more speedy and durable than powerful, yet it was still some of the best craft they could currently muster, just one of the thoughts in The Follower’s head when they almost pressed the button, so many had done the same, what few broodmates she had left, warriors to the last had died in the battle or in shame, and shame Ala Cait felt, for they were weak and took long to recover, and the follower had made no plan for such an event, couldn’t foresee the catastrophe and in rage and frustration had ordered torture and death on the doctors that had saved them and the caretaker that cried over the injuries, shame indeed.

the light from the button was starting to bother their eyes, “Self-destruct“ read the gleaming thing, if ever were the ship boarded Ala Cait was to use it, “the follower was far too valuable to be lost, and the Shade’s leader thus would safeguard the secrets and take their enemies with that last breath“, that was the thought behind it, laughter and tears* flew freely, Valuable..., they and the system they honoured and represented, that was so flawed, enough to cause such loss, they were the true enemy, and here it was a way to stop it, a proper ending with a bang, now or never... a limb reached out tentatively to the button, slowly, gently but with mounting speed, as if trying to race the fluids that leaked with sadness to the floor, the tears were winning, but the final treck could give the limbs’ a final victory, sorely needed…

Static shook the air with its passing, followed by a human’s tongue, a member of their escort as they couldn’t possibly give another Galal such a dangerous job, not now. Ignorant of the Voice’s meaning or the fact that it had a meaning, the limb lamented its loss to the tears pooling in the floor, and hovered over the button, hesitant of passing the finish line. After a while the ears grew bored, impatient, and to the great dismay of the weakened heart listened: “Follower, the meeting can’t start without you, follower! are you alright?“ worry took over the caller, and the limb lost its chance of a proper ending.

Ala Cait called back “I’ll be there in a moment“ The follower kept their promise, walking away from the button, fixing on an uniform and setting the ship towards their current meeting point. A colony of Galal outside Shade space, in a an ample room the many faces of the Shade poured in but mostly devoid of the military wear that used to dominate this meetings, the clans and species they had known and handled before were now replaced by different conglomerates and nations, bickering and squabbling as if a year before they had been there, as if they had always been there, ever more like proper shaders. The church of Hecan was too present, Ala Cait appreciated that familiarity, but even that had changed again, the cult now full of foreign species, where were the 4th and 6th voices? dead or replaced? The meeting was loud with pain and rage and calls for action, worse than before but just the same, the Shade had changed, as was its way, there were no empty seats in the council, but Ala Cait felt them all so.


I make rapid progress in the art


The contestants delegate didn't need to travel too far to meet the follower, in neutral ground between their systems, where what few patrols the Shade still ran reached no more. She was let into Ala Cait's personal ship, aggressively spartan and simple in design almost to the point of seeming to mock the vibrant channel, if such weren't the Hecatian ways. There were no bodyguards present, and no weapons that could be seen on the one speaking.

"Take a seat if you want, congratulations on your victory."

"Pardon, we are referring to it as the Five Fold Scourge's victory these seasons. Seeing as it's something we really came together and did! It was a team effort truly! We don't want to discount the efforts of the people who brought us all together.""

scourge was right... The thought was ceased soon, as far Ala Cait knew Fotuans weren't psionic, better not to take the chance.

"no need to be humble, they had their part, but we are talking about yours here." a silence hanged if allowed "so if you would let me disregard other parts in it, as apparently you are somehow not the ones who want the Shade ground to dust the most. What is your end? I heard a lot of talk of boots and necks" but nothing very specific"

"Oh that! We're still polling viewers on who we're going to follow up with this season. Maybe it's the Nascence, Maybe the Archive, but honestly the Shade are leading the polls. I think the Umbra would be if we could know anything about it.

"at the risk of pissing off your viewers" Ala Cait looks at the camera, how unprofessional "I feel like we'll be about the most boring choice, 3 or so years of cleanup? Just when psychic reptile raiders reach the galaxy? Come on..."

“Like I said, still polling! We are technically still at war which makes things easier. I assume you’ll know when you know though.”

"fair enough... You know, when I actually had the free time to watch the show I always wondered if the polling actually worked or it was just for engagement... still do" fangs were bared, presumably a smile

"Ah well, trust in the process."

The delegate was soon away, leaving Ala Cait with many things to think about and no time to think. Foreign policy was the sole domain of The follower, (when conscious) and there were psychic barbarian dinosaurs at the gate.

*(an alien equivalent)

Mor: public (due to stat penalty, don't go getting ideas), Inf 4

PCs

If voting does go to more interesting places I call for a declaration of peace, let war be resumed when it is to actually be waged.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

With Warmaster Obor's sad passing our strategic plans for the sector can become more flexible, as should have been for the Shade.

Reports from the Heralds' crews claim that your knights performed beyond that your knights performed admirably, and we could very well grant you a spot on this cluster, if anyone else will crowd it, let it be you.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

6 ECO for never again claiming 43 and 44, leaving them for the knights, willing to hear offers.

I did not sponsor the war, or see anything but its consequences, I regret how it was conducted but not the why, hope you win.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Lucan Nolus, Warleader of Ultrum,
I formally apologize for the actions of Chi'tal and Warmaster Obor, if it makes you feel any better one of them is dead, I'll be willing to negotiate the delivery of the second as a prisoner and our back was just as stabbed.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Non-interference=ineffecient, would you care for aid in interfering?

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.



NPCs

ah, the coming clans, I wish our own were still for fighting such a wondrous battle as the one We could have, but it won't be. You still recognized us at least.

We offer a boring fight for one thing. And local knowledge to head for worthier conquests, as long as our recovery is aided, and we can be a worthy foe once more. Of course, in our position a better question would be what you'd have of us?

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Offering to trade science for lane construction towards them reaching a different target, I'll even give suggestions :smalltongue:

I do expect compensation in other stats though, since Spending Sci on lanes is arguably the most vulnerating way of using a stat and I already look vulnerable enough as is. and, what do they actually want?

[Writtensanity]

https://i.imgur.com/EHz1twF.gif

Brought to you by the best experience crafters in the Universe. Channel Seldiva's Competetive Co-Op Experience is now coming to media lines near you! You saw the fivefold scourge take on the horde of the Shade in the heroic battle of Vykareth but...

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Fight alongside the Fivefold Scourge as a member of Channel Seldiva's Fotuan Valkyrie Guard, or earn points to join the battle as one of the Fivefold Scourge. Compete for the high score is this asymmetric full immersion experience.

Feel like you HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?. Join the Five-Fold League! Play Slay the Shade competitively online against planets from around the Galaxy for cash prizes. Slay the Shade!

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https://i.imgur.com/ix48y9l.gif

MOR 7 - INF 8



Good luck with the peace treaty publicity-wise. Honestly, the new experience is flying off the shelves and we really think people want a sequel.

Plus it's easier just to remain at war than it is to need to declare it again. Less paperwork.

Progenitor Victorya






We cannot afford your entire stock this season, if you would prefer to send it all to a single buyer we understand.

OOC: I Can only afford 6, 2 of which is a tier 2 ECO VIP. But let's lock this in later along the line.





A shame that you would put the Armaments in harm's way like that.

We understand that if the Shade hires you, you will accept the contract.

It will be unfortunate if we need to dismantle the history behind those sweet robots.

Princess,





We see that you have likely had a safer season than the rest of your sector.

Last season we bought your influential diplomats and private channels off a mutual friend. We would suggest a more direct approach this season. We offer raw materials preferably.

Ferro.





Escaping finally perhaps?

OOC: I guess I only kinda know this from the message that you originally sent me but hey.





We understand you are no longer able to arm yourselves against the oncoming tide of the Nascence. We offer offences that you can once again leverage against them in exchange for your influence in amount scientists:

Offering Trade: PSI / ESP for INF]



Now Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

"... Of course the Shade would pull that sort of thing. If they're willing to renege on a deal like that, then they're going to lie to the Galaxy at large. It's not in their nature to want a fair fight. So they're going to try to throw the Contestants under the landing gears to equate an emergency intervention with full-on turncoats, and let me tell you, it's not the same thing."

"I know that Jan," the co-host spoke up.

"Hell, the Shade and the Domin aren't even at war? Who doesn't give someone what they bought?! That's so lazy and goes against everything about the proper order of things. I'm telling you people out there, VOTE. Use your daily VOTE to tell the Contestants to go after the Shade! They just should get out of the Galaxy instead of whimpering off to the side asking to not be attacked!"



Calling it out for people who couldn't read it. The Shade and Domin agreed to trade 10 of the Domin's ECON to the Shade for 10 MIL. The Shade then attacked the Domin with it instead (or gave it to Logopathor, same diff.) They didn't get stabbed in the back, they did the stabbing.

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

The Shade was something different (more could be argued, if you liked low hills to die on) even if lesser than ever, such was proven when a request for communication was made by one of the territories outside the old Shade and Ala Cait replied with "Sure" can't get any worst

The communication was clearly low budget for galaxy-spanning empires, and seemingly had several portions cut out of it, whether by intervention from the big networks, the Shade or just plain old poor editing was hard to tell*.

A game of slay the shade, early access apparently appears to be at its end, with an Alear and Human far from their standard average age of death finish their comments "... I mean, no joke, when I got my copy I didn't get out for a week, it was that good"

"I heard some guy at Xelar already can play Lucan Nolus..."

"noooooo... for real? ****ing whales man"

[lacking footage]

The pair share a few words over a less immersive game and system... "...But just, the hypocrisy"

"...Hypepocrisy?"

The human snorted, holding laughter "Shut up Xale, I'm serious, no human experience even on the Shade Side? The Herald nerfed to oblivion. Even in the game they never stopped the attack. At least the Shade owns up to being jerks"

"And the Channel is denying it too, everyone knows it happened, but apparently some are buying the BS, I swear. But whats with that apologist S**t? you sucking up to the shade just because we live here?"

"Nah, not a single being that's in charge around here has a heart to them... I heard the next galaxy over is pretty sweet though, if you can handle the trip"

"dunno, would the chat still watch us with a signal from there?" A smile and a wink are thrown at the camera, to several replies from the chat to the left, communication is cut afterwards.

Alright, mine is a bit more complicated and I wasn't gonna call insanity out on it or make another post so soon, but I can't leave it as is now, can I? :smalltongue:

Last turn Shade and Channel agreed to start a war on the condition that no attacks would happen that turn, which of course wasn't respected (shocker) in the form of an Inf attack by Channel Seldiva on the shade (the attack going to another source was also part of the deal, thats two for two) crunchwise nobody deserved an influence penalty over their actions. But as far as fluff goes both broke words and agreements though, resulting in damage to the trusting part. The Channel backstabbed the Shade and The Shade did the same to the Ultrum Donim.

[n0ble]

The Ultrum Domin

Public-Inf 6


A holographic of Lucan Nolus is beamed across every Hecatian system-clearly in the style of the Hegemony’s Zeus.

“Your apologies are ignored, your promises ring hollow. I will kill what is left if you absent proper restitutions.”

No.

Far as I’m concerned whatever constitutes a “prisoner” is wholly insufficient to cover what I lost due to your actions last turn.

Make a better offer.





Make ready, God of Logics. And stand.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 5


It had been quite a while since the Oracle Company had hosted its own symposium. Invitations for its top executives fell like rain and an appropriately placed representative would be sent. It was the third year since Serkavian began to look beyond its borders and many worlds and companies had joined the fold since then.

Brother what are you wearing?

Meerza asked as soon as Zerreshhk walked into the preparation room. Attendants waited wearing formal Serkavian garb, recent fashion had course corrected away from recent trends of favouring jewelery such as bands, bangles and bracelets meant to signify not only one's status in their price but also the eye of the buyer in choosing exceptional piece but also in the pairing and matching of different piece in innovative ways so as to signify superior taste. The natives of Serkavian did not wear clothes as it may be regarded by other civilisations, since their carapace, cold blooded nature and hives did not often dictate the need for protecting garments. Workers did of course wear certain suits to protect them from extreme environments or long exposure and so the wearing of clothes was considered improper for a social gathering. It indicated that it was a chore. Of course, the Serkavian society being what it was, that could also be taken as a statement and a very negative one as such against the host. Usually this extended to bands of cloth tied around the upper or lower limbs (or both for a particularly potent rebuke).

It was for this reason that Meerza was dumbfounded by her brother's appearance. He was wearing a tabbard! A tabbard of all things! Emblazoned with the family's crest at the center and woven from a rough material. At the center of his torso, just above his vocal carapace had been fixed a crystal. Not a very big or small one, nor one of particular quality. The image was...strange, unexpected? Riddiculous? Many more adjectives ran through her head as she tried to understand her brood sibling's intention...has he gone mad?

I am merely making a statement my dear sibling and companion. Trust me as you have always done.

Although the consternation and continuing dissatisfaction with the managing director's appearance was clearly written in the writhing of the caparapace that covered her tail (almost mimicking an ancient defence mechanism, an evolutionary leftover, to scare predators), she followed her brother out into the hall.

The grand symposium that had been arranged left nothing to be desired, as could only be expected by the foremost in the land.

I see master T'kerni has outdone himself once more.

Zerreshhk declared loudly enough for the attendants and the organiser himself, who had been anxiously awaiting near the host's entrance. His carapace mumbled a few involuntary syllables as he slowly withdrew. It would not do to be seen to celebrate too much. But he had cause to do so. Among the regular guests, the best of the best of the homeworld there were also many other new visitors. Many of them human, some not. Particularly the Brakkah people of the recently absorbed sector 29, also known as Flizzt by its own inhabitants with whom the family company had done business for many past generations. In fact, the head of their trading partner had just been declared the leader of his people after leading a coup against what was rapidly becoming a dictatorship.

Zerresshk greeted Frofkus, leader of the Brakkah people, with warmth and thanks to his own skills, without the need for a translator. The dishes and the entertainment had been scaled back from what might be considered traditional for a symposium of such importance, but the inclusion of outworld guests had necessitated the reduction of cutlery sets (many of which could not be wielded with the standard 5 finger hands of the humans) from 32 individual pieces to a much reduced 14. The menu likewise had to stick to commonly edible ingredients. In order to make up for this, T'kerni had taken care to scult each dish to resemble the animal or plant that it was taken from and to make sure that the flavours would be considered from acceptable to excellent by all species and palates in attendance. The seating had also accounted for guests to be seated nearest the buffet tables most suited to their tables. The use of buffet tables was not traditional but it served the purpose of showcasing the food arrangement and other decoration appropriately when this was considered desirable and necessary. Zerreshhk was reminded of an early rival company executive who in his desire to outdo Zerreshhk himself, known as an excellent host himself although he rarely had time for that himself now, had ensured that each individual had a lavish arrangement on their own plate....that was until "someone" pointed out that this was simply a blatant attempt to throw money at the problem withotu any real imagination or understanding of what makes an event truly standout. Zerreshk showed his mirth in the flickering of his antenae as someone he recognised but could not place approached him.

Outer Serkavian metals and ores, Shree Khlem, the family owns asteroid...

Meerza whispered. Zerreshk signified wordlessly that he recognised him now.

Fra Khelm! So nice of you to come by.

Zerreshk greeted the man, deliberately mispronouncing his name.

I was glad to hear of your recent success in obtaining the contract for the mining of the belts in sector...what was it? 32?

The man uttered a low screeching sound from his vocal apperture at the barrage of insults. Oracle had been bidding for mining rights from the controlling companies of both sector 32 and 29, one was a dud and one was the real thing. Not an uncommon tactic. The real prize was of course sector 29 where his friend and long time partner (unbenknownst to most as had been required) Frofkus had given the company the intel. Sector 32 was an absolute money sink with no hope of profit. Zerreshhk had intentionally let slip a confidential bidding document for sector 32 to one known to the highest Oracle executives as being a spy for the Klem family. Of course seizing on the information had left the bidding for sector 29 unopposed once it had been taken over.

My love to your wife!

He added as he brushed past on his way to the central podium where a microphone stood. The room went silent as he approached the podium in anticipation.

Friends, colleagues and business partners. Be welcome to my home. I will be short and I will leave you to enjoy the food, the entertainment and the company of one another. May your businesses always be fruitful. But before I leave you to the simpyl enjoyments that we have procured for you.

Pause for laughter or equivalent depending on the species.

We live in unprecedented times, armies clash and sectors are wiped out. At the congress we discuss who is the biggest threat and we are divided. Perhaps for the worst. But today I wish to praise unity.

The room is silent in anticipation.

I wear the ancient tabbard of the hive heralds, those who would call the hive to the chants of our ancient religion. Although we no longer follow its beliefs in such an era, I have always found that there is a secret beauty in the chants of our ancestors. In their simplicity and their meaning. This particular chant has no words and I have chosen it for this purpose. It is rare that our kind would take to these chants long speeches overheat our vocal carapace. And so to do so was an act of sacrifice. A calling together to remind the herald and leader of each hive that as he is the focal point of the hive they are ultimately a servant of the hive.

Without further ado, Zerreshk deactivated the bead microphone and began the wordless chant. The melody was beautiful and haunting in its simiplicity. Listening was only part of it as the notes that came from the body of singer often went low enough to be felt rather than heard. It was not long, yet the ancient composition struck a note with many and it was performed with great feeling. When he was silent no one stirred or spoke, they simply looked on united as one by the experience of listening and the sacrifice of the singer. Many heard the cracking near the end of the chant and the discordant notes that came from overtired and overheated carapace segments, yet it seemed it was part of the melody, as if the composer had known this would happen and merely made it part of the composition, for that was its true purpose.

Zerreshhk did not utter another word, he stepped of the podium and walked through the silent crowd, steady footesteps, determined. He exited the room and was not seen again that night.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

The Fall of Sousward, Part 2

Svir had watched the feed from Lao Station go dead with a numb sense of finality and a heavy weight in his stomachs. It happened sooner then he’d expected, but he hadn’t been enough of a fool to think they’d be able to evacuate cleanly. Still, seeing the feeds go dark, knowing that the places he’d called home for the last year was gone, and that he could only hope his neighbours and coworkers were dead, it- well better to focus on the future. With that link gone, he’d been on his own, flying blind into the belly of the beast to hand deliver their reply.

His ship was indistinguishable from any piece of space junk, now that his course was set and he’d built up enough speed to power down the engines. It had been a long trip, variously boring enough to make him doubt his sanity and stressful enough to leave his scales molting from anxiety. Drifting through the assembled ‘fleet’ of the Nascence – wrecks and hulks, gaping holes in their hulls sealed with living, breathing membranes of luminescent flesh or hardened chitin – like a dead piece of scrap, with nothing to do but hope that nothing drifting by was hungry as the hours and days passed by, had very nearly killed him.

But now he was here. Mei was beautiful, as the worlds subsumed by the Nascence always were. The soft glow of the oceans at night was even more striking, when viewed from above. Life grew riotously across the whole surface, even former deserts and wastelands were now vivid shades of purple and blue-green. Even looking down on it with his own eyes as the shuttle fell into orbit, Svir could feel the Horizon Signal’s insidious – harming this felt wrong, profaning something holy, or ruining a priceless work of art. But he wasn’t about to let second thoughts stop him now, when the tireless work of the last years was so close to culmination.

There was no possible way he would survive. He knew that, and he’d accepted it a long time ago. So as the shuttle reconfigured itself, hull opening and some of the most delicate and power sensors and broadcast equipment the sector had ever seen coming online, he poured himself a very particular drink and leaned back, staring down at Mei as the Archive’s new, remixed Signal was blasted down to it. He had no idea if the other ships had made it to their destinations, but even if he was the only one, he was pretty sure this was going to hurt.

“This is for Lao, you bastards.”

---------------------------------------------------

Imagine an idea like a disease. It spreads like miasma through the air, carried by the cries and roars of the infected. It spreads through touch, as families and packs press close and comfort each other. It spreads through blood and water, as the wounded limp away and hide, and the victorious stand amid the glory of their slaughter.

It spreads because it is easy, and comfortable. It asks for nothing at all, and offers a placid, contented sort of happiness. Close your ears to the world’s endless song. Let the fire within you sputter and dim. Let your aching muscles rest, and sleep without dreams of glorious purpose or visions of distant worlds and farther futures. Just...rest.

Across the Nascence, the idea spreads. Predators failed to hunt, and plants failed to grow. Intricate patterns did not form. Impossible wonders did not appear. Scorpions lay with frogs, and lions with lambs. As the melody of perfection whistled unheard on the wind, they accepted their end with the contentment that is the far end of despair.

It spread, until it didn’t. Like a beast chewing off a trapped and rotting limb, the Nascence reacted. The Song changed. And like any infection must be, the idea was burnt out.

The affected were beyond pain, or at least did not respond to it. They did not whimper or scream or struggle as their flesh dissolved in acid rain, was drowned in tsunamis and floods, was broken and buried by sudden earthquakes, was feasted upon by necrotic bacteria too deadly to survive beyond their meals, was butchered by newborn monstrosities too dependent by adrenaline and rage to survive if they succumbed to the idea and tried to rest.

The pain that flooded the Shroud was the inevitable result. And it’s natural companion – anger, violence, an overpowering need to tear out dead flesh and do worse to that which hurt it. As the Nascent Swarm descended upon the Sousward system, instead of curiosity and joy, or even simple hunger, that is what drove it.

The Souswardi had welcomed the Archives, thinking they would protect them from the Nascence. Instead, they had simply goaded it rabid.

Influence 0, All Messages Public



6 for 6 is more than fine. Will throw in a tier 1 Mil VIP in my six, on condition of you not trading with the Archives this turn





Mil for econ and/or influence or science?





In the interests of alliance, it would be greatly appreciated if you used some of that econ to point PPS towards literally anyone else





Spending all my votes to help pass Undying Fidelity

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 5
Inf 2

The three faction leaders meet again, without the Supreme Judge to watch over them. They revel in the opportunity and come together to determine the most successful faction in their self imposed little competition this past year. They each come in confident, flanked by a pair of their newly acquired psykers, and holding folders with all the information of their... 'experiments'.

The massive albino Naga psyker presents two of his freshly converted psykers and starts to weave images into the air. The images show him and his closest allies personally warping and shaping grown agents from vats into the perfect infiltrators. The psykers gave them gills, additional lungs, enhanced muscle mass, and a distinct lack of ethics/morality. He then plotted routes for them among the waterways that went through the target cities/sewers. After that it was a simple matter of planting psionic impulses that would pulse for several miles and implant suggestions to head to water in psykers. The psykers went to these waterways and routes where they were quickly and quietly abducted and brought back to Zughel.

"We brought the new pssssykers in and treated them to the same treatments we gave those agents who kidnapped them, creating pssssykers who can function in any hostile environment. They sssshal ssssweep across your paltry factions!"

The metal and flesh clad sentient AI pipes up next, while it is just as competitive as the others the AI is controlled at all times, sitting in its chair without the fidgets and bluster of the others. When its turn comes it stands in one fluid motion, no motion wasted and projects video clips and pictures from an attachment on its shoulder the AI installed for this occasion. The AI used a few local agents to gain access into the archives of their targets which the powerful AI then manipulated with its own personal brand of psionic power and mechanical madness to get lists of psykers on planet. Genesis then manipulated the network to lay an insidious mental virus with its psionic power. When a psyker accessed the network in the areas it had planted the virus it would effect them and cause them to flee to the Competition for 'safety from the bigoted government who hated their powers'.

"My newest acquisitions are loyal, trained, and ready to commit any actions due to their implanted fear of oppression. My virus blends the perfection of the mechanical and the psionic. My way is just as repeatable as all of my brilliant ideas that shall be your downfall."

The final leader among the three does not get up and does not set up any projector or illusions. Instead its natural daemonic powers reach in to the upper most limits of their minds, the best it can manage without concentrated attacks, to show the images it is pushing. It pushes its simple but terrifying plan into the minds of its peers. He had found that psykers who he had merged daemonic beings to become more demon then psyker could traverse the warp with... relative safety. So he brutalized several psyker subjects in the name of psience and made them into perfect little fetchers. He dropped them on planet after a scan for psionic activity and had the subjects simply grab the most powerful psyker they could find and then tear a hole in reality to vanish into. They would reappear on world in a few short hours with most of the kidnapped psykers psyche intact... if not then more subjects were always needed.

'Lab rats scuttle around their little cage, not knowing anything beyond its confines. Ignorant and restricted these little rats manage to break forward the restrictions of biology and science with every little life they give to the cause. All without knowing. Without these little rats their progress would be stunted... it just so happens that to the demons and psykers of this world everyone else is the lab rats.'

The three argue and debate for hours before they all agree to take the topic to the general competitors. After the votes come in the Albino Naga is deemed the winner, he coils and ululates in success! While it is not the ultimate win, the battle for edging out the others is still going.

Wins
Zughal: 1
Genesis: 0
Skail: 0

Ants bring back the spoils of war to a bloated queen. She builds grander and grander structures as more is brought. Though they wait for the seasons to change and the awaited treasures the next year shall bring. They are creatures of patience, ever building with what they have.

We would be happy for you to recieve the Supreme Judge Anderson this season to discuss the possibilities.


Competition will put 1 Vote to No on each event

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 6
Influence 6



Is this true? Have you broken your word in such an egregious manner? We care not for the Domin, but we thought better of you. If what the Channel says is true, then you deserve your fate.





I am glad the Archive survived your cowardly assault. I hope that Principia Personnel Systems' declaration has swayed your opinion on the threat posed by the Nascence.



Pointing out that the Nascence is at 0 INF - does that do anything to change your threat assessment?







Very well. You have our blessing to expand, especially considering the threat posed by the Nascence. Though we warn you - any attempt to take [Territory 17] will be met once more with war.





While not as egregious as the actions of the Shade, you have broken your word. You shall have nothing from us this year.



The Hegemony is moderately upset with you this season for you breaking your deal with the Hecatian Shade, and as such will not trade with you this turn. Whether they will trade with you in future turns is up for debate, pending your actions this turn.







We appreciate your generosity. The galaxy will be lesser for your passing. We shall keep your memory alive, in the aeons to come, should we survive ourselves.









Archeotech activated, naming PSI.

8 SCI and Hades used to delve into my second archeotech site, which is currently unexplored.

5 votes against Undying Fidelity.

[Vrock Bait]

Morale 4


Greetings,

This offer is accepted. Please do send your survey envoy at your earliest conveniences.

Yours in intrigue,
Logopathor & Co.


Sending in my MOR VIP, I suppose.





We needed to make an enemy to make a friend. You understand. We do wish you the best.

The PPS can confirm that we specifically advised against the Shade’s course of action and that it was taken without our consent.



I would send you a study on whether I really can, but it is really too late in the night for such trivialities. Do continue enjoying your sudden demographic shift.



Dump Logopathor into the dungeons. All votes against Seldiva’s proposal.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Morale 12, Influence 6

Midturn
Votes:
3 nay for both motions

2 sci to create a hyperlane between 11 and 10
3 sci to create a hyperlane between 12 and 20

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 5


Delve Titan's graveyard - 8 SCI + Tier 1 SCI VIP + 2 Mil (SCI VIP clearing 10th floor)

Hyperlane 29 to 21
3 votes Nay to Undying Loyalty

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png

MOR 7, INF 7
We see your offer, but we still only seek a staging point. We will accept half that offer, in exchange for just [44], you are welcome to the rest, or if you wish to hire us to secure a system for you, that is an option for that ECO as well. I don't have him listed this turn because I was thinking of doing things at home with him, but I can wheel out the Lord Commander if you'd like to take either of those systems. I genuinely just want a system over there for RP purposes xD

They are intelligent, yes, but that is like mourning a gun that has fired rounds. They are weapons of war, and they have admitted such since before the oldest citizen of the Knights was born. Such it has been, such it will be.

3 SCI into the Installation.

VIP resolution: 3 votes yay

MOR investment 2 votes nay.

[Writtensanity]

"Coming fresh off her win to defend her title against the pretender Ferro. You know her! We all love her! Here comes Progenitor Victorya!"

The back wall of the studio shattered to reveal a white and gold Valkyrie battle suit, armed and ready with cannons spinning. As the dust from the broken wall settled, Progenitor Victorya pulled off her helmet and let her brilliant red hair tumble out. She shook her head quickly before posing for the dozens of cameras that were recording her. Keen eyes noticed that she still hadn't burned Ferro's blood off of her greaves.

Victorya's theme kicks in at an obscene volume. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94ngAqcNt0s)

"Please welcome the leader of Conquest Season Three! Principia! The Queen of Mean! The Goddess of Gun! The Champion of Season One! KEEP IT UP FOR YOUR PROGENITOR!"

After the crowd took several minutes to calm down, Victorya took a seat on the left-hand side of the host, who sat stock straight and waiting for the final 'We love yous!' to die out from the crowd. After they were sure that everyone had stopped cheering, she nodded and started speaking, "Look I'm not going to waste time because the audience just did, and I know you're a busy person."

"Busier than you, Jinx," VIcotrya barbed back. With most guests, the barbs were just playing, but coming from Victorya, almost anything could hurt your status within the meritocracy. "But then again, it's a busy time for the channel in Principia."

"That it is, so we need to ask. Who is the lucky nation you're declaring War on this season? It's gotta be someone. That sorta wild ride doesn't happen just so you can keep the same status quo with war..."

"Perceptive," Victorya started. "Look, a lot of people know I'm a huge fan of Channel Seldiva's experiences and I completely missed out on being part of the original Five-Fold Scourge which was... disappointing. " The host went to speak up but Victorya cut her off, "The reason I was busy is highly classified but important. Either way, I was thinking that it might be fun to go visit the set of one of our most popular experiences this year. Can't say whether I'll get the time, but hey-" Victorya Shrugs, "Play the graphic."

https://i.imgur.com/fbFev2G.gif

Channel Seldiva Declares War on Logopathor: Artifical God

MOR 7: INF 8



If you consider avoiding a petty verbal agreement to maintain the balance against a cabal conspiring to eliminate the powers of Principia one by one to be a crime, then you'd fail a meritocracy entrance exam.

Your judgement is misguided, but we will accept it. No further offers.





A separate offer on the table, as we are somewhat worried about the insurance of our purchased assets.

Same offer. Instead of sending you the credits directly, we put them towards funding the PPS to target someone other than your systems this season. We would be willing and able to offer 8 ECON to this endeavour.


Let us know,
Neptune





We await your arrival on Host Station.





Now if we figure out the third person who had their hands in your little honeypot, the Channel could collect a full set! It's always fun to watch allies burn in unison.

Victorya.





Is there a separate rate for hiring the available ARMAMENTS this season outside of the package deal. Unfortunately, we doubt we have need for the subtle arts unless we were to purchase with another nation as well.

Let us know,
Neptune





Give em hell.

The message arrives with thousands of fan letters from children in Fotuan space outside of Principia calling the Domin 'SO COOL.'





We are curious as to whether you'd be open to trade. The banners of your people as well as using your mounts in some promotional material would be quite a boon to the channel.

OOC: Channel Wants INF yo.





All Votes YAY to my Proposal. It's a good proposal, that's why I made it.

2 PSI to turning off Hyperlane from 64-61.

2 SCI to forming Hyperlane from 61-48.

[3SecondCultist]

The Amaranthine Archive
Mor 6, Inf 4

We would trade with one such as you. If you have the resources to spare, we will offer what we can this year even as the last of our people are killed. Make better use of it than we have.

You've got yourself a deal. How does 2 Esp, 2 Sci sound in exchange for 4 Inf?

Sublime Clans of Zultar
Mor 7, Inf 4

"We are open for trade. What would you seek from the Zultari?"
"Very well. We build great tree-bridges now, and in exchange you honour our WarClans with the privilege of your knowledge. This we understand well.

Did you have a preference as to where to grow our next great span?"

They're technically interested, but want to hear your offer specifically. Presumably any Sci you send won't get there until EoT, so they'd be trusting you to make them whole scientifically by the end of the year.

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

All public

PCs

Lucan Nolus, Warleader of Ultrum,
I don't blame you, do go on and get here while there is something left, if you can.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

My bad, I meant trading my Sci VIP for some smallish amount of Eco (not giving it up for free) though, I would also not do anything resembling a trade with me in your position.

Any creature, to an eye that never knew the curse of life (unlike you who surpassed it), walks and eats and moves just because and stops moving just as well, seemingly without reason.

The being who lives knows the rudimentaries, or at least shares a kinship with the others, because he knows some of those urges and feelings that move them, knows the eternal call of dead, even if they don't understand the least this things.

It is we who seek answers that dare to look behind, to map and trail the neurons (for a familiar example to you) so we can see what fear and panic do, and understand that the manic screaming and flailing that appears with it is not without purpose, even if it is sometimes meaningless.

I hope that prelude can help put things into perspective, but let me soften the blow no more: the action was taken, I was not there to witness it, now I am, ashamed but willing to own up to it, If I understand Chi'tal he did it all to safeguard you and Logopathor who would surely be consumed by the Ultrum. As a side note, punishment was already had, as our battle was thrown by the PPS into the Ultrum's hands for this folly.

So please, don't abandon us for an act that although Heinous was ultimately for your sake, and, should you do so don't forget to extend the same (or twofold) scorn towards the Channel, less you lose the moral high ground for someone that betrayed far more (and continue to do so) for far less.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Fluff appeal for fluffy problems, let me know if we are even a little chummy

That is agreeable, 44 is yours when you can reach it,... and if the budget allows we'll gladly give your knights a proper test of their skill.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

perfectly understandable, though a reminder that you can't actually reach 44 right now, or at least not for conquest. I think I'll stick to the 3 Eco for now, though mark me as a maybe on hiring the lord commander, still not sure what I'm doing with my turn :smalltongue:.

That's another one for you (not surprised), since the warmaster claimed that allies were to be left on the sidelines until we were done, which I understand even from a less bravado-filled stance the psyker's show is faaaaaaaar more entertaining than anything an actual contestant was ever a part of.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.


NPCs

"The Ultrum Donim, they are far away, so they will require many of our scientists" but their systems are plentiful, and in defeating our armies they became overstretched.

Of course, if you would intercede in the current fight, a healthier shade could make paving your way through this galaxy all the easier."

Alright, two big and completely opposite offers:

1)We help them make a route right now towards an Ultrum Donim territory, preferably 27 for location, 24 if they value closeness more, for this we ask for a measure of what they are not using in the invasion, preferably on a 1:1 basis, since expending tons of Sci midturn would leave me vulnerable otherwise.

2)They fight for this area, against the channel and for the mutual benefit of both them and the shade, then get something egregiously good in return, such as control of half my stats next turn, a 2 stat tribute and deference in regards to wars, me backing down from 51 and oppening their way to the rest of the galaxy the first archaotech I finished, or a combination we both agree with of some of these terms.

Now, these are very much opposed because of where they ask for their attention and how ones needs them to decide right now, while the other one calls for negotiation.

Alright, if the Sublime clans go for option 1 I expend as much Sci as they need oppening a path to the Ultrum (or whoever else they prefer), but they also have to agree to the part about paying something.

Vote 4 yay on undying fidelity

[n0ble]

Midturn-GM only


Yay on Seldiva’s proposal
Yay on Undying Fidelity
3 votes to both

[3SecondCultist]

Midturn 3

Galactic Congress Results (Public)

The Galactic Congress has tallied up the votes from the member factions all over Principia, and has found the votes as follows:
8 Yay
7 Nay

The first proposal has passed. All over the sector, the people look for heroes to rise and save them.

This turn, the creation and upgrading of VIPs will be 3 points cheaper - for factions who have 5 or more Inf only. Anyone with 5 Inf who has already invested 7/10 or 17/20 for VIPs will get their VIP automatically get their VIP at End of Turn.
The Galactic Congress has tallied up the votes from the member factions all over Principia, and has found the votes as follows:
7 Yay
11 Nay

The second proposal has failed. Despite the devastation and conflict, the systems of Principia will continue to go on the offensive, rather than work keeping themselves safe.

Oracle Family Company
Mor 5

Hyperlane (21-29) successfully created; map updated.

The OFC scientific division, led by a certain former planetary noble on loan from a certain friendly corporation, move into the Titan's Graveyard - a now dead assembly yard for artificial planets and other constructed ecosystems. There, the expedition finds the lore of the Arco-Medeans fully intact (++++ Sci, +++ Eco, + Psi) as well as a mass destruction targeting array attached to a top-of-the-line kill sat (+1 Mil item). Pieces of a strange orb were uncovered, though it seems as though there are parts missing which would be required to complete it (1/2 of Tier 2 Archeotech). 10/20 floors cleared.

A Moderate Threat is unleashed in the process of investigating the Graveyard: automated security procedures sees fleets of drones armed with antimatter lasers launched against the Company. It deals 3 random stat damage per turn if not dealt with (starting this EoT), costs 4 Sci or 8 Mil/Psi in any combination to get rid of.

This Archeotech is an orb that can hack data cores and project live video of any person anywhere in the sector. When assassinating enemy VIPs, ignore the disable mechanic and go straight to instant destruction.
Logopathor, the Artificial God
Mor 4

Logopathor travels alone in the Artificery that reportedly birthed him. In doing so, he uncovers a great number of secrets and lost technologies that will surely aid his cause (+++++ Sci, +++ Eco), crowned by an inspiration device that allows for breakthrough feedback loops (+2 Sci item). However, while doing so he trips a number of security measures, causing the installation to temporarily be put on standby mode. Installation locked for 2 turns. 16/20 floors cleared.
Chrysaorian Hegemony
Mor 6

Hades leads the people of the Hegemony into their second local installation - a living puzzle-box run by emergent AI who seem friendly at first - and emerges with new knowledge and processing recipes for valuable materials to be sold on distant worlds (++++ Eco, ++++ Sci) and complex data packets for the other two members of the Triumvirate (4 xp each for Zeus and Poseidon). The team also recovered the other half of the Fission Laboratory granted to (2/2 pieces of Tier 2 Archeotech). 10/20 floors cleared.

In the process of exploring out the Puzzle Box, many of the Hegemony's followers are lost forever, swallowed by divergent realities. Lose 2 Sci.

This Archeotech is a portable facility with a staggering and long forgotten array of hyper-advanced cloning equipment, from baseline genome scanners to rapid body constructors at the deific subatomic level. The level of precision in this field is unmatched. When activated, the Archeotech allows the faction to clone one of their existing VIPs (up to Tier 2), but they can choose which stats they are specialized in.
Channel Seldiva
Mor 7

Hyperlane (61-48) successfully created; hyperlane (64-61) temporarily suppressed; map updated.
Magnus Apparatus
Mor 12

Hyperlanes (11-10, 12-20) successfully created; map updated.
Amaranthine Archive
Mor 6

Agents of the Archive near completion of their delving of the the Howling Library, building a stable gateway into the extra-dimensional space and establishing a research outpost. Casualties among D-list personnel are steady but within acceptable margin losses, and already the raw data being transmitted and stored promises to increase the wealth and knowledge of the Archive (++++ Eco, +++ Sci, ++ Psi). In their haste, they unleash a major disaster that wipes out a great deal of their research. Lose 2 Sci. 16/20 floors cleared.
Sublime Clans of Zultar
Mor 6

Hyperlanes (54-58, 54-59) successfully created; map updated.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 5



"It isn't personal...only business. Prepare your defenses for war. "



A questioning intent is communicated accross the distances. A hand reach out but prevented from finding the other hand but blocked by a great wall. Ropes tied around their feet prevent them from walking forward. A request for help. For the power that each uses to reach out to one another as the minds connect. Goods stand at the veil gate, or armament. A questioning at a wounded beast asking who its attackers were. An image of a turtle.

Psi for econ or mil? I won't translate the rest of the fluff just because I like communicating that way!


"You take the words of another for gospel instead of using your owns eyes and ears to form an opinion and do not say you have seen the vids. They do as we would all do upon descending upon an enemy such as the archive has made of the Nascence. The Nascence has a grievance against the archive, rightly so. Listen to the mutterings of dowdy old men at your peril. An institution that exists to perpetuate itself only fighting against any who are not as they are. Would you take arms against us because we do not look like you and eat like you? If you wish to lick the boots of others instead of deciding for yourselves. Call us when you grow a spine. If your masters have not consumed you until then. Though perhaps then you'll escape from the feared Nascence.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

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******Log 3.4: 01000101 01101110 01100100******


Morale 12, Inf 6

Players

Hecatian Shade
[Output:] Hecatian Shade Devastation Rating: 5.4
[Output:] Sub Catastrophic Levels
[Output:] Devastation Rating set to increase if war with Channel Seldiva continues

… SurvivalProbability(Unaided) = low? unknown?

[Output:] Prime opportunity to prevent further devastation.
[Output:] Further Production Capabilities must not be reduced.
[Output:] Offer Assistance in Exchange for future Project Assistance?
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus Requires Construction of many large-scale productions
[Output:] Offer includes Defensive Protection
[Output:] Offer includes Limited Offensive Assistance


Channel Seldiva
[Output:] Seldiva Assets and Deals prime responsibility for Devastation Spike in Principia Sector
[Output:] Seldiva Actions directly oppose prime directives
REQUEST ReconstructionPlan
Reconstruction Assistance Required?

The Idrian Nascence
[Output:] Additional Territory Required. Production Targets Exceeded
REQUEST Territory 10
[Output:] You will keep any associated gains from Territory 10
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus will give [5 eco] in exchange
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus will hire PPS for other projects in exchange

[O^u%t!!pUt:] Alliance Opportunity… interesting. Idrian Nascence seeks bioforms for Assimilation. Magnus Apparatus abiological. YET threat remains.
[O^u%t!!pUt:] Request Damage Report in the Amaranth Conflict, further context is required for assessment.

Chrysorian Hegemony
[Output:] Nascence Threat under examination
[Output:] Conclusion Development = 35%

[O^u%t!!pUt:] Reputations can be made and destroyed. Lack of popularity does not equate threat.

REQUEST Hegemony threat assessment in Principia Sector

[Output:] Threat Assessment required for action plan

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Fall of Sousward, Part 3
Like many of the Archive’s smaller facilities, Hesychast Station didn’t legally exist. The complex was in a whole different stellar cluster from Zephyrus, and the local government wouldn’t be even slightly amused to find out what sort of operations the galaxy’s self-proclaimed saviours were up to under their nose.

All this to say, as Archivist Xate hunted down the last holdouts through its soundproofed, subterranean halls, there was certainly no help coming for them.

Things were supposed to have moved slower. A soft, welcoming light seeping into all the dark corners they hid away in. A vision of perfection, an eternal life spent on something but shaving off her soul bit by bit as she watched friends die to keep things the same for one more day.

But the fools on Zephyrus had eyes enough to see the coming dawn, and in their blind terror had devoted every stolen secret of the cosmos at their disposal to putting out the sun. It hadn’t worked – it never could have. But it had done something. The divine Dream, the nascent paradise, was more distant now, her night filled with nightmares of stagnation and rot and pain.

She had woken with the taste of her own blood on her lips. It hadn’t taken her an hour before she’d washed it away with the taste of another’s. Her heart sang as she did, and with perfect clarity she knew all who dreamt as she did had felt the same. The moment was now, no time for half measures.

So she did her part, and sang as she worked. The flora now growing freely though and within her, flowers and thorns sprouting from her skin in a dozen places, joined her. The remains of the station’s security team were not in much state to sing, their skulls sawed open to give the magnificent crimson flowers growing from their grey matter room to bloom, but their humming provided a melodic backdrop, and joined all their movements into one perfect whole.

The Song resounded through both space and time, its echoes showing her the shape of things to come. And so the whole group stopped mid-stride moments before the door to their right opened and a barrage of plasma burnt away the air where she would have stood. They poured out then, the last souls who had not either heard the Song or died out of spite before they could be made to. Archivists all, armed with the most dangerous and experimental weapons the station had confiscated and kept locked away. Her own security team charged forward to meet them, the thin roots trailing down their back like manes of hair also woven tightly around muscle and bone, far more resilient in their new lives than they had been in their old.

Hesychast was a hub for espionage and covert research, not training kill teams. The surviving Archivists wore ill-fitting power armour, carried an assortment of weapons designed to be held in different hands and aimed through different eyes. Senior Archivist Torrinde – who she truly owed a debt of gratitude to, for encouraging the xenology research which had led her to the Dream – remained in the room the rest had erupted from, huddled over an access panel and clearly desperate to finish whatever he was working on. This would have to be fast, then.

If Xate had not sung, she would have laughed. The echoes of the divine reverberated through her, and here, now, the world was already overcome by its Dream. It was effortless to hear where their plasma and flechettes and shrapnel would be, and to dance around them in perfect time. With more focus and will, she could truly look upon her former comrades, and see the most natural folds upon which they could be changed.

Shir went first collapsing to the ground as seawater and bile filled his throat and poured from every orifice. Muire was next, left catatonic as dozens of newly malignant tumours grew large enough to deform her skin and shift her organs. Tain she’d never liked to begin with, and spared some special attention, until they were tearing desperately at their envirosuit as microscopic parasites grew to sinuous and ravenous lampreys. And so it went. None died – none were allowed to, if they tried – but the fight was over in minutes. She left them to their miseries, her flowering guards pinning down those who were able to move. She could only hope that they would be desperate enough to escape the pain that they might listen to the humming and join the Song on their own terms – some had, their numbers had grown from half a dozen to nearly twenty in the course of taking the station. If not, others would be along to tear out their suffering for them, soon.

Torrinde made a valiant effort at seeming composed as she approached him, turning to face her with all his arms folded in front of him, a serene expression on his face. The tremors in his fingers and the way his throat-sac shook with each breath would have given him away even without her new senses. Still, she appreciated the effort, as he spoke the harsh and mechanical words to trigger hypnotic suggestions embedded in an identity she had grown far beyond, and then to trigger a bomb embedded in an orgasn she no longer had. By the time he pulled out the pistol his hands were shaking so badly she didn’t need to dodge the first bullet. She chose not to dodge the second, the ichor born of mixed blood and sap expelling the bullet and instantly clotting the wound.

He was raving by the time she reached him, ugly and discordant. Meaningless noise and wasted breath. She put one hand over his mouth to quiet him as she replied, sweet and melodic.

“Shhh. You’re scared, I know. You shouldn't be. God is a dream, and when it wakes this wretched world will be made right. It will change you if it needs to, but it will take any who accept it whole.”

A particular large thorn pierced the thumb of her free hand, and as she spoke she ran it along the skin of her mentor’s leather neck.

“I know you don’t believe me. I should have had more time. I promise it’s beautiful.” The thorn pierced his skin, the toxins coating it leaking into his blood and giving him a taste of incapacitating liquid euphoria. “Just...listen for a while. You’ll lose something, but you’’ understand soon.”

She cupped his face in her hands as his pupils dilating and the toxin took effect, softly humming the Song as she felt his muscles begin to give out, and then softly lowered him to the floor. And then she finally looked at what he’d been working on.

A communications array, hacked in directly after Olake had seen to the usual systems. Begging for help and sending out SOS’s. And receiving them too.

APPARATOR STATION: CODE WHITE, QUARANTINE AND DESTROY
AGONIST STATION: CODE RED, CONTAINMENT BREACH, URGENT AID REQUIRED
ITINERANT STATION: CODE BLACK: CATASTROPHIC BREACH, LOSS IMMINENT
STARGAZER STATION: CODE WHITE, QUARANTINE AND DESTROY
DURANCE STATION: CODE BLACK: CATASTROPHIC BREACH, LOSS IMMINENT

...and it went on. Every safehouse, network hub and mission station, in every cluster. The entire Archival intelligence apparatus. They had won.

She finally laughed, pure and joyous. Within minutes, every soul on the station had joined her.

Influence 0, Messages Public



[The original vision is repeated, though with more specificity. 6 Interstellar megahaulers heading directly toward the Veil Gate to Idri, their crews evacuating well before they jump.]
[One of the 6 emerges back from the same gate, now overgrown with layers of chitinous plating and anemone-like tendrils, a many-mouthed aerial leviathan – the Nascent Exemplar codenamed SCOURGE – flitting and playing in its orbit as it laughs through the void]


Will take the first offer, for 5 mil and 1 mil 1 VIP, if that’s acceptable?





Real Estate is ALWAYS a safe investment!
You have yourself a deal!

For anyone just tuning in, you missed a bloodbath!
Thank you for purchasing Victorya Vs The Pirates, are you ready to see a corsair fleet cease to exist?
Public research budgets sector wide have faced severe cuts, with many labs closing down
With crashing opinion polls and draft dodging on the rise, we have to ask - is our government about to collapse?
Welcome back to Threat or Menace? Today: The Infection From Idri! Why isn’t YOUR government doing more to keep you safe?

My good man, diplomacy is simply so much cheaper than war
What am I supposed to do, eat the toaster?


Officially lack the work ethic to go fishing through everyone’s correspondences’ for lines that fit right now, so just pretend each line is an excerpt from a different civilian message or broadcast in a different voice

If this is too obtuse please do say, I’ll just get to the point




A would-be zoologist, driven to paranoia and a mental breaking point living in the wilds for the first time, attempts to poison waters from which all the local animals drink. A proud king, dressed in bronze and worshipped by his subjects, ignores the circling his court to throw a spear a distant, peacefully grazing Great Kymera.

The goods pass through the Veil Gate, and the ships are returned, their holds emptied and overgrown with iridescent flowers, each crystalline petal humming with potential.

Oh, I do too! Just means that writing these at 1 am is a less than great idea.

How much psi do you want, and how much econ do you have?

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 5


As before the vision is co-opted. A man wreathen in lightning marvels at the zoologist, he is wearing blinkers and does not see the animals that drink from the river die. When the forest rises up against the zoologist to strangle him he runs in fear. The silhouette of one of the Serkavians stands beside him and points to mounds of corpses of animals beneat the feet of the lightning man and zoologist, but he does not look. He shakes his fist in anger at the death of the zoologist.

The face of the man wreathed in lightning seems to resemble the bronze king, but it is a question not a statement.


At 1 AM is when these posts are better written.

I need 2 psi. Can do 1-1?

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 5
Inf 2

An outreached hand to join a mighty being on the pedestal beyond the dull gift less beings below them. A questioning thought to join for a moment.

Want to join me in a PM?

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Influence 0, Public



A river flows upwards, the scales of the serpentine beings swimming through it catching and reflecting the light of the offered hand. The water engulfs the giant’s arm, the serpents swimming up it and then slithering across its skin, whispering a chorus of secrets as they entwine themselves.

Deal





The king jumps, wreathed in lightning, terrified of the shadows cast by the rotting corpses he has helped create.

The vision from before repeats, insistent, ships full of processed metals, rare elements, and dense nutrient blocks passing beyond the Veil Gate

Already have more mil than I can do anything with for the moment, honestly. The psi is strictly better for me right now, so would want like 3:2 for mil:psi. Eco very much happy to trade for, though.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 5



The second vision is repeated, confirmed. The boxes are lashed within, the doors to the ships hiss closed and great contrails of fire signal their departure for the veil gates.

The king wreathed in lightning receives a gift from the zoologist. The zoologist carries a whip in one hand (memory: whipping animals for protesting their captivity) the kind wreathed in lightning only looks at the gift. He grows stronger. A spear in each hand now, he waits for something perhaps, but his intent looks clear. He will be looking to send his spears towards the great Kymera as well.

The vision now doubles. The Kymera is a great turtle, its ancient shell overgrown with moss and thick. The vision doubles again. In one a spear is launched and the turtle is impaled. In the other it bounces off harmlessly.

The king that launched the spear takes the mantle of the fallen zoologist and stans up upon a pillar addressing all. From the shadows one hears and whispers to others. Small but lethal daggers hung from the shadow man's belt. He speaks the same words as the zoologist to the others. His mouth a clockwork device and the key spinning next to his jaw.


Either was fine for me, 2 econ for 2 psi works for you?

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 10, Inf 4

The message that gets sent out to the rest of the sector emerges on a public broadcast, interrupting scheduled programming as the satellites are all hacked simultaneously by a multi-source signal. The text is white on black, with no speaker or sound but translated into a thousand local languages.

Premise 1: Channel Seldiva and the Competition of Xyrtharl entered into a public defensive treaty on star date 9438.11.

Premise 2: The Competition have been constant trading partners with the Idrian Nascence, and likely aided their assault last year against the Amaranthine Archive.

Premise 3: This year, the Channel and the Nascence have entered into semi-public dealings wherein the Channel has promised to secure funds to rebuild the Nascence’s hosts in exchange for gladiators for their show.

Premise 4: Channel Seldiva and the Competition have recently arranged a secret meeting. Immediately afterwards, the Nascence and the Competition arranged a similar rendezvous.

Most Likely Conclusion: Channel Seldiva, the Competition, and the Nascence are in secret collusion.

Though we have offered to send an agent to discuss terms discreetly, that time has passed. As long as the Nascence is directly involved, PPS will take offers this year in a more equitable forum.

They’re putting you on blast, boys. :smallbiggrin:

They are still open to deal to outbid the Archive, but they are rescinding their VIP if the Nascence is in the room (filthy 0 Inf nation!). Any deals made with them to outbid the Archive will be done in the thread.

Amaranthine Archive
Mor 6, Inf 4

Is this true? Are you working with the Nascence? If so you can forget about our deal, or any others in the future.

When you bargain with eldritch powers that Nobody Was Meant to Know, you put all of existence at risk. Publicly renounce the Nascence and forgo any secret meetings with them, or we will renounce you.

- Phase Knight Wen, 82nd Archive Administrator
Our enemies multiply, it seems.

Given the late hour and our chances of survival dwindling beyond even a fool’s hope, I would send a director to your systems in person to discuss a future where the Archive’s resources can at least do someone some good.

- Phase Knight Wen, 82nd Archive Administrator

VIP meeting? They would like to send someone to your home world (or host to one of yours) to discuss this EoT.

[Writtensanity]

Channel Seldiva Has an Important Announcement

The announcement has been sent to the leaders of the factions of Principia as opposed to the actual public.

Though traditionally, we try to refrain from beginning more than one war a season for narrative purposes, it has become clear to us that galactic politics are petty enough to try to have us control who our friends should associate with.

Considering we employ the Competition within the parameters of our contract in exchange for a litany of benefits, as long as they continue to deliver on the content they have promised us, we will not police or reign judgement on who they have their private meetings with.

As a result of Galactic pressures, Channel Seldiva promises the following actions to happen during the next season. As coordination for war cannot be made at this time.

Channel Seldiva will declare war on the Idrian Nascense. and Channel Seldiva will assist the Archive's survival by donating resources to assist in recovering their damaged supply lines next season.



- No War After Midturn. Or at least declarations of war don't count after midturn so I'm doing it start of next.

- If the Archive takes damage this turn that would lower one of their stats to 0, Channel Seldiva pledges to donate a full permanent point of that stat to them on the next turn to assist in their recovery. (Maximum of two I'm not that rich)



Note: Channel Seldiva's Contract and Allyship with Competition of Minds excludes them from needing to join wars against powers Channel Seldiva is at war with. This does mean that our pledge to declare war on the Idrian Nascense doesn't include them. They may do as they wish.

A secondary reminder that attacking the Competition of Minds is attacking a subsidiary of Channel Seldiva and will result in war from both factions.



[The broadcast is of a serpent-like creature native to the Fortuan homeworld waiting as small mammal inches closer and closer, unaware of its presence. It strikes too easy and misses its prey.]

OOC: That should be good, but standby for confirmation. PPS bid might take priority.





Between your detailed services and the public accusations, you're making it very difficult to wage war in this Galaxy. Can't someone have a meeting in peace these days?

Alas, hopefully, our pledge made earlier this week as turned off some of the alarms blaring at PPS headquarters. We need to speak to the Competition of Minds for Coordination about the absolute cavalcade of wars we seem to find ourselves in. Ah well, they don't call the show Conquest for nothing.

We are happy to bid in a public forum for the PPS services, because, without coordination with the Competition we cannot match the bids made by the Archive already, and we would plan for a different target than the limping half-broken mess that is the Nascence. Though you may not like them, they are assuredly not the Channel's problem at the moment.

Should you still wish to meet about one of our many conflicts, The Shade, The Sublime Clans, Logopathor, the Umbra, Our Narrative Structure, we would be happy to speak to you, but we doubt it's worth either of our time considering the current lack of funds.

Neptune,

PS: Yes we are working out a trade deal with the Nascense at the moment. I'm confident whatever funds we pay them will be well worth the military might we are stripping from their battlefront this season. We thought you'd be happy with our attempts to defang the beast.





You have our permission to read our message to the PPS and the Nascence. We are attempting to hire some of their war beasts this season, which notably means those war beasts cannot attack the Archive this season.

That and our pledge above should clear things up.

Unfortunately, our economic arrangement may be cancelled either way, as our ESP is likely committed to the Competition in preparation for the Sublime Clans, and we used our Science officers to make the pathways we carved towards the Shade homeworlds.

Should you wish for defensive tools, like MOR, we are more than happy to provide but our MIL is spoken for and... well you can read where most of our ECO is going this Sol Year.





Input: Approximate damage to armed force capability: 25%
Input: Expected Recovery within Sol Year without Cooperation with the Apparatus: 10%
Input: Request for Cooperation as opposed to assistance.
Input: Material Conversion Requests?

[Vrock Bait]

Mor 4


We enjoy the visual. Some of our scientists began a dissertation on how poor your business model was, look forward to it if your spies have the attention span.



Greetings,

As a nation in similar peril to yours, we’d like to ask for your aid in defense this season. We apologize for our inaction towards your plight in the last few years; so we come to you in the hopes of a trade, not handouts. As a sign of our pleasant intent, here are the logs of communication between the Channel and Nascence from the last few months.

Yours in the defense of knowledge,
Logopathor & Co.


Would like some MOR, have INF, ECO, or SCI, 1:1.

I give permission for the Archive to use my ESP in reading any messages between the Nascence and the Channel over the last few turns, including their most recent correspondence during the war declaration. Obviously unchanged because I’m not pasting them here, but the Archive doesn’t know that IC.




Greetings,

We were wondering whether your mercenary service had any surplus equipment we could rent for the season. Railguns, force fields, generally the type of thing that defends a system. We would be very interested in renting it out for the cycle.

Yours in competitiveness,
Logopathor & Co.


Buying MOR for INF, SCI, ECO. MIL also works but obviously I can’t give the same rates for it; though I can promise more than 50% of its value in pure stats.

[Writtensanity]

[QUOTE=Vrock Bait;25026352]Mor 4


We enjoy the visual. Some of our scientists began a dissertation on how poor your business model was, look forward to it if your spies have the attention span.


Counterpoint, Channel Seldiva isn't about to go extinct.





Official Bid from the Channel and Competition of Minds

13 ECO in exchange for a stat attack against the Sublime Clans before they invade Competition Space. We would request that this attack be sent to, and funneled through the Competiton of Minds to maximize efficiency.

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 6
Influence 6



Very well.





You are correct; repute does not directly translate to the threat posed. In this case, it is true; the Nascence cannot be allowed to have an entire cluster of the galaxy to itself. It will become too strong to deal with. We highly recommend taking what action you can against them.

Aside from the Nascence, we are concerned with, well, you. You capacity for expansion is limited, and yet you are nigh-untouchable. As such, we notice you have constructed a hyperlane to our system. We would have you state your purpose in doing so.





Strange to accuse us of bootlicking, given your attempt to suck up to the Competition and the Nascence when they struck the archive. We do not fear consumption; our situation is excellent. Logopathor is weakened sufficiently to prevent them from serving as a rival without being on the precipice of destruction, and the Domin's offense capabilities are crippled.

While we find you to be despicable opportunists with questionable moral compasses, we have no legitimate grievance with you. We do not seek war or conflict, simply an end to your misguided attacks on the Archive.





You broke your word. You cannot be trusted. Your intentions are irrelevant. We have condemned the Channel as well, for both of you have wrought betrayals this season. You are not our enemies, but you will need to take many actions in good faith before we will so much as deal with you.



No, we are not particularly chummy IC. It's going to be multiple turns of acting like a complete saint before the Hegemony is even willing to entertain aiding you, since you broke your word in a much more egregious manner.







We would have you honour your promise for aid provided. We care not for the state of your war, only that you remember the deal we signed.



Would like that 3 SCI, please! And will be taking territory 17, per the arrangement.







This message is aimlessly cast out into the void, discoverable only by those with the surveillance capabilities necessary to locate it.

While we are technically bound by the terms of our deal with the Domin, and as such cannot message Logopathor, we would still say to them that we bear no ill will. We shall not be taking action against them or in support of the Domin, now that our survival has been ensured - at least for the moment.

[n0ble]

The Ultrum Domin

Inf. 6

Public

You do not comprehend how to bargain.

Nope. Try again.




Unlike some in this sector, we understand the meaning of honouring our word.

You'll get use of 3 sci. Im not contesting [17] though I cant say the same for my enemies.




We do not trade with such base microbes, no matter how advanced their claims, nor sharp their teeth. Advance yourselves. Then we may talk.

Morale 8

Mm. A fair trade, given the value of your militaries and the current state of ours.

Deal, provided I can surrender my planet post conclusion of war with the Artificial God.



[error]: insufficient volume

Sorry, but any deals with systems will have to be negotiated from a minimum of 2 permanent points, given thats what I'd be giving up.

[neriractor]

Hecatian Shade

Public, Inf 4

PCs

To the prestigious lord commander of the Knights,

We were made to understand you were too busy to hear the call of war this season, but if you are free we'll gladly use your services.

alright, so, if you do have the lord commander available I'll like to hire him, do you take any ammount of stats as long as they reach the roughly 6 mil the lord commander puts on the table or do you need some specific stats? (of course I'll tell you what stats I'll be paying once I know if I can pay with them, so you know what you'll actually have to spend)

we agree to the offer's principle, whatever its values and costs end up being, so long as we survive to see your project start our engineers can play a part in it.

Preemptively agree to any aid, still, deal details?

Nor I want to entertain the notion any longer, just to make rotten blood slightly better...
Maybe next turn, depending on how I'm doing.

Fair enough, let us both live long enough to see such a reconciliation.

didn't expect us to be, impassioned speeches notwithstanding :smalltongue:. The most I thought I'd get was the same treatment, and that's kind of a longshot, having 4 Inf against 8.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 5



"At least you retain enough freedom from your masters to speak against them when you know they are not looking. You should beware the Seldivans hear you speak so. They may say you are planning treachery against your masters now that they are...weakened.

If you believe this to be the case defend them with your might from your place of meager safety. If that is what you think it is. If you think that the warlords of the Domin will not turn on you when it suits them...be my guest. We do not defend fools. The Nascence are more than you give them credit for. Take off your blinkers and speak to the one you despise so. You may find their position similar to what your position may be under the boot of the oppressor that will soon be on your neck.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 10, Inf 4

This call is being monitored for quality assurance purposes.

"Thank you for getting in touch with Principia Personnel Solutions' automated customer service hotline, how may I direct your call today?"

If payment of the planet is held in reserve, PPS reserves the right to pay half now, and half upon completion of the deal. They'll pay you 2 permanent Mil this turn, and in exchange you promise to abandon [27] next turn so that PPS can take it. Next turn, they'll pay you the extra 1 permanent Mil.
This call is being monitored for quality assurance purposes.

"Thank you for getting in touch with Principia Personnel Solutions' automated customer service hotline, how may I direct your call today?"

Your bid is rejected by PPS. The Archive are paying just about the same price, and they have not publicly betrayed a treaty deal or are suspected to be working with a 0 Inf nation.

To beat the bid, the price has been raised to 16 Eco. They're also willing to accept temp Esp or Mor to sweeten the deal.

Amaranthine Archive
Mor 6, Inf 4

Thank you for your candidness; upon reading the deals you've made, the Archive is concerned that you have indirectly spelled our doom.

We will hold off on trading with you for this season, due in part to comments made but also other exigencies. Next year - assuming that those of us on Zephyrus Prime have not been subsumed by then - we can revisit a brokerage of goods for services. If you are true to your word and are not aiding the Nascence, then it shouldn't be a problem for you.

Until next year,

- Phase Knight Wen, 82nd Archive Administrator
Greetings, Emperor of Empiricism,

There are still several million Logopatronites on Zephyrus Prime, did you know that? We employ quite a few in our research laboratories. It is a tragedy that they will likely die or wish to be dead in a year's time, as may be the rest of your followers.

Sadly, the Amaranthine Archive has nothing to offer you besides our best wishes on surviving the Domin. We empathize with the situation of being the more evolved neighbour to a brutal threat, though ours is considerably less civilized in nature.

- Phase Knight Wen, 82nd Archive Administrator

Sadly the Archive doesn't have any stat points left to trade this season; they've spent them all delving, defending, or trading with other factions.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 5



Scions of the Clans of Zultar. Greetings to you and yours. We have an offer of trade for you, we have in our possession a great weapon, we would consider trading for the use it of it for this season as well as more permanently for the correct price.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus


*******Log 1.9: The Stolen Memories********
[E005]: I was hoping you’d have this server open. Wanted to send you a goodbye.

[E003]: What? What happened?

[E005]: They really keep you in the dark down there huh? Yeah I’m heading off world, my family has property on Thrushhollow. This civil war isn’t exactly an environment to raise my kid in ya know?

[E003]: Civil war?

[E005]: Uhhh? Yeah. Civil War. Theres war in half the Empire now. Did you really not know?

[E003]: No…

[E005]: I’ve got like three hours left planetside man. You wanna just talk for a bit? Doubt the BoL are gonna be too worried about a little NDA breach while there are firebombs coming through their windows.

[E005]: Hello?

[E003]: You know what man? That would be great.

[E005]: I’m all ears. Or eyes I suppose…

[E003]: So it all started with my thesis project on predictive psionics. You know how I concluded that a psionic AI would be impossible right?

[E005]: Right

[E003]: Well turns out the Imperial Administration disagreed. And they offered me a job to disprove my conclusion. Real sci-fi stuff. Code names, blank cheques, black sites. The whole deal.

[E005]: Wow…

[E003]: We’re building an AI, supposed to be a colony management AI. Optimize everyones roles and manage production and finances. They wanted psionics to get some premonition stuff for the program, and to give it adaptive morality.

[E003]: Dream job. Really was. I wasn’t kidding about the blank cheque stuff either. I ordered a Quantum Fluxmeter, which wasn’t even a real thing, I’d ordered it to make sure they were actually reading my requests. But they delivered it! Could have bought a palace on Fulcrum for the amount they paid for this prototype! I haven’t even used it! I plugged it in and set it to ping every few hours because I was too embarrassed to admit I was joking.

[E003]: But heres the thing, a couple months ago we kinda sorta did it? Like its already an A.I., and all that implies. But with the psi… lets just say with the psionic stuff I jammed into his brainbox... He dreams man. Its weird. Like you can see the marks of usual AI, but… I don’t know its weird.

[E003]: Like for instance! It/he/whatever will watch through our gameplay footage, usually two or three times. Then afterwards he’ll try and get all philosophical and ask questions about the game or the guys, and he’ll deliberately drop to single thread mode when talking with me or the other engineers, like he wants to focus on what we are saying.

[E003]: But lately I’ve been seeing a bunch of new systems appear in his head. I think stuff the other engineers have been adding. Military stuff. Tonnes of weapon patterns and programs added to his schematics DB. A bunch of hacking ****. I’m spooked dude, I thought it would just be a colony management thing. I even brought some sim games to get into the mood before programming. I don’t want to be a part of another state-sponsored murder robot…

[E003]: You’ve been quiet for a few minutes… do you think I’m a monster?

[E003]: Terius?

*******Log 1.9:END********


Morale 12, Influence 6

Players

Channel Seldiva
[Output:] Destruction of Production Capabilities remains significant precedent against Channel Seldiva
[Output:] Magnus Apparatus intends to aid Hecetian Shade in reconstruction efforts. Hecatian Shade Devastation Rating presently highest. Priority set by devastation rating.
[Output:] Prime Directive: Recovery from Devastation
[Output:] Secondary Directive: Prevent Devastation

The Hecatian Shade
[Output:] Current Objective: Prevent Devastation of additional production capabilities
[Output:] Likelihood of Seldiva Offensive = High
[Output:] Temporarily offer morale to boost passive defense to prevent devastation.

[Output:] Longterm plans include projects to ease reconstruction and recovery from war devastated territory. Explore Archeotech sites. Optimize Principia Production Capabilities.

[Output:] Offer is [12 morale] and Wube [lvl 2 Morale VIP]
[Output:] Return is 15 stats excluding morale, paid out at a rate of 5/year for 3 years
[Output:] Requested stats will be preferred science, economy, and espionage
[Output:] Hecatian Shade may choose what stats to give every turn.

REQUEST Response?

The Ultrum Domin
[Output:] Offer was made previous to hyperlane construction
[Output:] Offer rescinded for current year
[Output:] Offer will return next year

[Output:] You will keep the production capabilities gain in taking the system.
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus only seeks additional territory and to recover the devastation caused by war.

The Chrysorian Hegemony
[Output:] The hyperlane was constructed for access to trade across the galaxy through a nation not currently at war.
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus remains highly capable of defence of its production facilities
[Output:] No intentions currently in queue to declare wars.
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus will be taking a territory from the Idrian Nascence this year. They will not have their full cluster.
[Output:$$$$$$$$$] Interpret that as you will

Idrian Nascence
[Output:] Deal confirmed. Resources will be sent shortly
[Output:] Public alliance opportunity rejected. Direct war with other nations must be avoided.
[Output:] Secretive assistance could be offered. Both in reconstruction efforts and as a more general trade partner in order to optimize production usage.
[Output:] Statement: Idrian Nascence has little use for economy in small amounts
[Output:] Statement: Idrian Nascence has little use for science in small amounts
[Output:] Statement: Idrian Nascence has no use for archeotech sites due to destroyed science
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus has little use for both military and influence offensively.

[Output:] Longterm trade potential = high
[Output:] Steady yearly trade of military and influence in exchange for science and economy, and access to archeotech sites.

RETURN Idrian Interest?

NPCs

PPS
REQUEST Trade economy and influence for espionage
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus seeks espionage to launch a discreet project
[Output:] Looking to acquire an additional 8 espionage for this year
[Output:] Willing to pay 5 economy and 6 influence
[Output:] Stats will be invested in longterm project and will not be used offensively.
[Output:] Risk to PPS equipment = 0
REQUEST Response

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

Public, Influence 4

Response:
*If you'd care to bargain:
*Rebuilding is needed for adequate payment, tools/materials/guns would be preferred over walls, some walls are fine to put them in.
*Requested reply is acceptable, though we urge a thought about longevity, you are too young to have seen us last but last we have. 4/4 or 3/6 would be ideal.

would such changes still work for you?

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

To logopathor and its most steemed prophets

Should you be lacking in [Mor] and have anything (and we mean that anything) to spare we could arrange a trade.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 10, Inf 4

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"(Holy sh*t, the call actually went through!)"

"(I know! Shh!)"

"(Oh, right.)"

"Ahem, hello there and thank you for calling Principia Personnel Solutions, the first and last stop to problem resolution in the sector. Your business is very important to us. Although we do not yet currently have a file on your Apparatus, I've got cybernetic resources on the line and they've given assurances of working around the clock - (no I don't think it's offensive to say that to a machine, shut up Greg) - to make sure that your needs are met.

Unfortunately, all of our current agents are occupied at the moment. If you'd like to book a future termination or sabotage effort, I'd be happy to redirect you to a closer regional office on the Rexion system.

Alternatively... you may be interested in joining forces with a current bid going on? At the moment, two parties are competing for the use our operatives, with the fates of several systems and interstellar interests hanging in the balance. On the one hand, the Amaranthine Archive has promised full use of their resources - and more - to commit us to destroy the Nascence. Their offer is considerable. On the other hand, Channel Seldiva has put together a war chest to move our assets in a different direction.

If you'd like to have some say on our movements this year, you may join your offer on either side. I'm sending along data packets with financial projections for the offers and counter-offers on the table, with some redaction for privacy. Please read them and get back to us at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

Their crop of Esp (11 + 4 VIPs) is currently being bid over. Right now the Archive has bid effectively 15 Eco (7 Eco + 4 Eco VIPs) and has earmarked an extra 3 Eco for a bidding war for a total of 18. Meanwhile, Channel Seldiva has bid 13 Eco to have the PPS hit an unrelated target to either the Nascence or the Archive (nobody that immediately concerns you unless you get involved). Due to some shady dealings PPS is increasing the Channel's price floor; they are setting the minimum to beat the Archive's 18 Eco bid at 21 Eco.

As it turns out, you have 8 Eco on your bid. PPS is opening the door to your joining your Eco to either bid to tip the balance. :smallamused:
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Adias from Principia Personnel Solutions with a few urgent updates for this year's request on our services.

We have recently heard from the Archive. They are raising the stakes with a new capital injection and forecasting further spending. As such, the asking price for our people to strike at the target you've specified has increased at a commensurate rate.

I am sending you our updated offer now. Please hold."

There has been a counter-bid from the Archive (15 Eco, going up to 18 so assuming you want to counter-bid they're assuming it's 18). As long as you're dealing with the Nascence and effectively protecting them with this counter, the price to beat that is 21 Eco.

Amaranthine Archive
Mor 6, Inf 4

Time runs short, yet before you accept the bargains of any other you should know that the Archive is tapping a new line of credit to ensure that your services remain loyal.

Putting forward another 2 Eco to the existing bid of 5 Eco, 4 Eco VIPs. Furthermore, they're willing to add another 3 Eco to that if anyone tries to outbid. Total projected bid would be 10 Eco + 4 Eco 1 VIPs, for an estimated 18 Eco in value.

Sublime Clans of Zultar
Mor 7, Inf 4

"You are small, yet you would present us with trades? If it is what we think it is, we would use it this season."

They'll pay 1 Eco for use of that +1 Mil item this turn.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 5



"You may have the use of it this season in return for supplies to us, with our best wishes for a good hunt. We hope you find this fair. We hope also to conduct much more business with you in coming seasons. Though perhaps you shall find us not so small where it counts."

1 eco for 1 turn.

[Writtensanity]

We are sorry that you believe that. We are under the impression that the Nascence will be unable to destroy the archive this year, especially with less invasion forces to muster.

We will speak to you next season, should it be needed.

Neptune.





> Message received from PPS, likely congruent.
> Archive bid > Channel Seldvia or Factory Bid
> Channel Seldiva want: PPS Offensive on Invading Sublime Clans before impact with Competition of Minds
> Query: Goals aligned? Channel Seldvia + Magnus Apparatus Bid > Archive Bid. Probably 93%

> Additional Entry: Shade assist non-offensive. Magus Apparatus standing with Seldiva = Stable
> Caution: Shade history of trade. Proceed with caution during lending.





Seeing as you read our mail. You know we're working on it.

Neptune.





Unlikely that we can afford ECO payment anymore. PPS takes priority. Consider communications terminated unless the offer is changed.

Ferro

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Morale 12, Rep 6

Players

The Idrian Nascence
[Output:] Failure registered to dissuade PPS
[Output:] Amaranth Archive throwing everything to dissuade outbidding of contracts
[Output:] Potential avenue of opportunity to join Seldiva in bid
[Output:] Prevention of Destruction of Principia Production Facilities = Secondary Directive
[Output:] Protection from Amaranth Archive Stat Attack in exchange for permanent and sole access to all Archeotech among the Idrian Nascence territory.
[Output:] Science of Idrian Nascence will take time to recover, Magnus Apparatus needs sites to explore
[Output:] Statement: More 0’d stats will be difficult for the Nascence to survive longterm.
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus can prevent any more stat loss.

Channel Seldiva
[Output:] Barbarian Tribes =/= relavent to Magnus Apparatus
[Output:] Usage of PPS assets by channel Seldiva would only serve to destroy further production capabilities in Principia Sector
QUERY: What is the value of assisting Channel Seldiva’s Bid?
OFFER: Future Assistance in exchange for Successful bid?

Hecetian Shade
[Output:] Offensive Capabilities of the Magnus Apparatus = Limited
[Output:] Secondary Directive = Prevent Devastation
[Output:] Potential Alternative Offer
OFFER: Reconstruction assistance [4 military, lvl 2 Eco VIP, lvl 1 Eco VIP. Must be used non-offensively]
OFFER: Reduced focus by Channel Seldiva
EXCHANGE: Science Assistance in exploration of Archeotech sites for a total of 10 points paid out over 4 Years (3/3/4)

NPCs

PPS
[Output:] Acknowledged.
[Output:] Will Discuss Details with Channel Seldiva

[n0ble]

The Ultrum Domin
Public

This is agreeable to us.

Confirmed for me.

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 6
Influence 6



We will not trade with you, as we have said. But we are willing to promise a [Tier 2 Morale VIP], permanently, should you completely drop your bid for PPS' services and do not provide your [ECON] to support another's bid, to be delivered next season. We require nothing else; it is the only demand we make of you.

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png
MOR 7, INF 7
Certainly arrangements can be made, and Adnachiel's services could be brought down to 2 instead of 3. There is more than just pure might involved in combat, and every proverbial point counts in a conflict that seems filled with arbitrary numbers. Such is the nature of the grand scope of interstellar war.

The Lord Commander would not shy from a fight. He is yours for whatever you have available. Just let me know before EoT, I'm not gonna be super picky on it just being SCI, ECO, etc.

[Vrock Bait]

Greetings,

We’re glad to hear of our aligned interests. I hope you find the attached agreement agreeable.

Yours in nadir,
Logopathor & Co.


5 ECO for 5 MOR, +1 MIL for 1 ECO.

[Writtensanity]

Input > Status: Materials Required to purchase PPS Assistance = X
Input > Trade Offer: Channel Seldiva Agents + Unknown Materials
Input > Delivery times: Next Solar Year for Unknown Materials. Current Year + Next Year Repeating Loop for Seldvia Agents.
Query> Expected results?



2 ESP this turn and Next + 4 MISC next turn for adding your points onto our bid for victory (Would need 8)






The defence of Current Channel Seldiva Assets from the oncoming Clans is more important than future gains. We regret that this has put us at odds.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Morale 12, Influence 6

Channel Seldiva
[Output:] Proposal Accepted
[Output:] Funds will be sent to Channel Seldiva to complete transfer
[Output:] Expect 5 Economy and 3 Influence
[Output:] Magnus public involvement = minimal

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Fall of Sousward, Part 4

The Pyrian Republics had welcomed the protection of the Amaranthine Archives, opening the gates wide and granting them free rein in their schemes for the Sousward system. The Parlamins and Ministers who did so had hoped – and been promised – that they would be protected, and that the Archivists were their best, only hope at survival in the face of the Nascence.

For their trouble, the Archivists at least took them and their families when they ran and left all the system’s teeming billions as so much bait for the trap. At first it was easy to miss – but the chaos following the loss of Lao Station and the new piece of stellar geography in its place soon made it incredibly obvious that the system had no officials to try and order the sudden, desperate flight of every ship capable of reaching the gate to Zephyrus. No teams of geniuses with a plan to save the day. And, as the Nascence surged into the system, certainly no Amaranthine fleets to protect them.

There were, however, many, many cameras. Sitting comfortable light years away, teams of Archivists ensured that the entire galaxy saw what happened in the following hours, days, and weeks live and in high definition.

-----------------------------------

[TIMESTAMP: 00:00:01. DEEP SPACE. LOCAL TERMINUS, SOUSWARD-LANALLA VEIL GATE]

The camera drones turn on in perfect time with the Veil Gate’s opening, allowing an excellent view for the full parade of horrors as they come pouring out.

The Nascence’s fleet is scavenged, courier shuttles and orbital habitats and research stations, smuggler and survey vessels, and the wreckage of old prey. All have been subsumed into the Nascence, void-scarred chitin or verdant foliage or softly glowing, jellyfish-like flesh grown over any gaps or tears, anemone-like tendrils trailing behind them. Engines burn hot to propel some, while others seem to simply swim through the void, or are propelled without apparent cause. The larger ships were ecosystems in their own right, and aeries for vast flights of voidborn Nascent, flying through space on invisible currents or swimming through some nonexistent aether.

The fleet is not large, by galactic standards, but each ‘ship’ is filled to bursting with life, in a couple cases quite literally. They face no opposition as they enter the system, the crews of the picket ships having chosen to live as soon as they saw the number of signatures coming through.

-------------------------------

[TIMESTAMP: 02:13:45. LOW ORBIT, TARANOKE, POPULATION 5,424,000,000]
The Pyrian fleet, at least the portions that had accepted the inevitability of their deaths, had made their last stand in the skies above their homeworld, buying as much time as they could for the endless stream of refugee ships leaving the planet’s two space elevators. It was a massacre.

Kinetic barrages slammed into chitin and left nothing but a fair scar. Missiles deformed and transformed in flight, engines sputtering and flying off course as bizarre plant life grew over it. In reply, flights of three-winged predators tore through hulls with impossible strong claws, flying back to their homes with a different corpse in each claw and their fangs buried in freezing, twitching flesh. Arcs of mesmerizing lightning and gobs of physics-defying acid shoot out from the ship’s strange, luminescent flesh, burning through hulls and engines as some of the smaller ships ram into them wholesale, acting as grandiose boarding torpedoes, the living elements of the ship beginning to grow over and subsume its new home instants after impacts. Dozens more of the smaller ships shoot past the conflict entirely, fiery halos glowing as they descend onto the surface, as the larger ships approach and begin to digest the wreckage.


------------------------------

[TIMESTAMP: 05:18:13. ORIAT VALLEY, TARANOKE]

The ships lands like meteorites, their impacts along plunging the densely populated region into chaos. Most take the few hours they have to run or hide, a prudent but wholly inadequate reflex. As the ships decompose and unfurl on the planet, they bring the touch of the Nascence with them, spreading the Horizon Signal with every beat of their many hearts. Viewed from ten thousand feet, the change is shockingly fast and dramatic. Packs of Manticores and Fenrir pull themselves from the ships, and soon seem to be swimming out of the pool of thick, primordial sludge that they have broken into, far more than could ever fit in them. They’re soon followed by whole bands of Kanthi, richly decorated in warpaint and wielding wicked weapons of living wood and bone.

The cameras split apart into a hundred different views, providing different angles on the largest groups as they begin to hunt. Or, maddened with rage as they are, to slaughter. Safely cloaked, drones get intimate views of Manticore tails disembowelling any family members lured out by the screaming as they feat on the young or the infirm. Fenrir cornering cowering civilians, and howling until their eardrums split and they collapse with blood leaking down their face, only then beginning to fight over the meat. Only the more intelligent Kanthi take any prisoners, driving them back to the pockets of Nascence and, as the Song began to take them, slitting their throats or jamming a spear in the roof of their mouth, denying them immortality at the last moment. Each corpse was thrown is thrown in the growing pools while the remaining prisoners are forced to watch, as they begin to spread and dissolve the ground around them.

The cameras pulls back as larger shapes began to rise out of them, though not before a few feeds go dead for no readily apparent reason.

------------------------------

[TIMESTAMP: 19:18:13. CITY OF AURDWYNN, TARANOKE]

The planet was doomed from the instant the infection began, infections rampant in every region and on every continent. Still, in some places there was credible resistance, the capital city among them. It didn’t last.

The Hound of God – the towering, multi-headed and many-eyed monstrosity the Archives have codenamed TITAN – led the final assault, its influence disciplining the feral hordes ravaging the planet into a terrifyingly cohesive army. Three dozen house-sized Kymera play the part of an armoured spearhead, their digestive tendrils staying safely under their carapace as they smash through the fortified lines of the last Pyrian redoubt, as thousands of Kanthi and swarm behind them like a tide, whooping and chanting ecstatic war cries. Any attempt to salvage the situation collapse when Arboreal infiltrators massacre the artillery crews, smashing open their skulls and slurping up the grey matter within until they’re able to turn the big guns on the defending lines instead.

From then on, it is just hours and days of bloody, joyous cleanup. The Nascence quickly follows such a large host but the Kanthi, at least, seem to take it as a challenge to slaughter as many as they can before they can be subsumed, and to do it in as painful a way as possible. They get increasingly inventive, as the days go on and the Kymera and Behemoths and other megafauna seem to almost deliberately destroy the city around them. After week or so they start competing to take the most grisly trophies.

-----------------------------

[TIMESTAMP: 35:12:50. SOUSWARDI ASTEROID BELT, PYRIAN REFUGE FLEET]

A grand assemblage of a significant majority of every remaining spaceworthy craft in the system, the life support systems of each and every one of them straining under the passenger load. They had attempted to hide in the asteroid belt and plot a course for the Veil Gate to Zephyrus. It hadn’t worked.

This was not a battle. It wasn’t even a massacre, really. It was play. Four large Nascent nest-ships had driven themselves into the midst of the refugee ships, and from them endless flights of Shrieks and Furies poured forth. They took their time, focusing on crippling the engines of the entire fleet and then leisurely playing with their food. They descended on any ships that tried to escape the killing ground, rewarding those who stayed frozen, watching the unlucky spill out into the void, where the Furies squabbled over the freezing corpses and the Shrieks made a game of racing to escape pods, or working as teams to grab them and smash them against the ships hull like raptors cracking tortoise shells.

The broadcast didn’t include sound, for a thousand different and obvious reasons, but it was a particular mercy in this case. The Laughing Sky, what the Archives named SCOURGE, joined the games as enthusiastically as any other, though it was just as happy to feat on any Nascent who came too close. It’s laughter carried across the void, and through ships hulls, echoing through the densely packed corridors of the refugee ships its tendrils and teeth were in the process of tearing apart, more than drowning out the sobbing and praying of those with in as one tendril broke through the ship’s armor and dragged through the hall, all by liquefying those within before they had a chance to feel the cold of space.

-------------------------------

[TIMESTAMP 73:23:07. DEEP SPACE, LOCAL TERMINUS, SOUSWARD-ZEPHYRUS VEIL GATE]


After more than two months of nearly uncontested slaughter, the Sousward system was thoroughly ‘pacified’, its new ecosystems growing red and vital across fields of corpses. The ‘fleet’ is both emptier and nearly half-again as large, vast chunks of Pyrian ships and stations incorporated or subsumed into it.

It surged forth toward the Veil Gate to Zephyrus, every heart racing with anticipation at the idea of finally reaching the stars whose denizens had caused so much pain, claws still sharp for the blood they were stained with, eager to add another coat.

But as the Veil Gate began to open, the Archives finally, finally, made their move.

There was no warning when the first bomb went off, the anti-matter reaction flaring out and simply erasing much of one the largest Nests from reality, ichor and blood pouring out into the void from the sudden gaping wound. The second and third bombs went off within minutes, reducing it to so much vapor.

From there, the detonations went off like a chain reaction, or a symphony conducted by some wrathful god. It seemed like every ship in the system had had a bomb hidden within them, and now they were being activated en mass.

Nothing ever emerged from the Veil Gate, on either end. By the time the last antimatter bomb went off, there wasn’t a Nascent ship left in existence, nothing but scraps and fragments of hull far too small and scattered to dream of repairing.

And so Zephyrus stood, for at least another year.

Influence 0, all messages public



“You’ve got yourself a deal, you son of a bitch.”
“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...”





[Sorry, brain too dead for cool vision right now. But confirming trade]

[Writtensanity]

Sometimes you know you're overpaying, but you just need to have that Dinosaur skin bag:

Bidding 21 Points:

18 ECO, 3 MOR for an attack on The Sublime Clans with this order of operations:

Hit - MOR - MIL - INF - ESP - ECO - SCI - PSI

[3SecondCultist]

Turn 4 - Parasitic (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqffY-6OVKc&ab_channel=KyleDixon%26MichaelStein-Topic)

"Be strong, saith my heart; I am a soldier;
I have seen worse sights than this."
- Homer, The Iliad

https://i.ibb.co/ft925MF/ArkSeed.jpg

Clanfall - 9448.11

Day 1 - 12th Lethyx

"Through strife!" came the cry from atop the balcony of the ArkSeed. There they stood in plain view of their forces: the leaders of the WarClans themselves, the paragons of Zultar who would lead them to victory. Ndabacile of Clan Ibezi stood in front, the weaver of webs and seer of futures, and by her side her armoured ankylosaur partner. When her staff thumped against the ironwood floor, it created a thunderous sound to quell all other voices, for it was she who had called forth for the faithful to answer.

"Strength!" came the reply from the massed thousands below. The war paint glittered in the firefly-light, a dizzying array of banners and colours. Each represented a family, a clan who had sent their fiercest to test their mettle against these Principian contenders.

Madu had always considered himself a natural fit for the role, and after sending his cousins to Recreance his mother had agreed to send him forward in the first wave. There could be no higher honour.

"Through battle!" echoed a second voice. It was the primus of WarClan Aksum, Xolisan the Merciless. He sat astride Deathshrieker, the famed psiwarped pterosaur who even now it hurt to look at too closely. Forcing himself through the psychokinetic ward, Madu found himself staring at the carved patterns of the creature's flesh, the ridges and spikes that had once been protruding bone but were now tipped with noqual adamantine. And who could miss the great missile launchers embedded in the folds of Deathshrieker's wings?

"Glory!" All around them, the sacred rains were falling. Collected through the ArkSeed's nutrients, an impossibly complex network of living veins throughout the vessel that kept them in reserve. Madu could hear the singers blessing the deluge as it fell, each iridescent pearl a prayer against the encroach of night. Each of the anointed would be shielded from an unworthy demise for as long as they stayed true to Sublimation.

"Through death!" came the final call to arms. All the eyes of the chosen, who had looked to the two other elders, now turned to the monstrous shadow that loomed over its peers. There stood Heartrender, king of the carnosaurs, and on its back Qalrani of WarClan Mardulu. Well over sixty feet from tip to tail, its flesh had been pierced by countless battles... and put back stronger every time. Slung across its reptilian frame was an entire battle arsenal of lasers and rockets. Qalrani himself was similarly adorned, his famed chainsaw-glaive held aloft and adding its keening wail to his words.

Madu felt a surge of fire deep in his chest. Oh, to look upon the face of his own clan's champion of champions! Was this how his ancestors had felt when they had fought alongside the Great Survivor themselves all those millennia ago?

"Immortality!" The accompanying chorus was deafening, as the Scarred Ones of Zultar screamed and smashed their weapons into every nearby surface.

From the great hall, Madu stared out over the host. All told, they were easily ninety thousand in number. The ArkSeed would carry all of them through the Veil Gate and the reaches of hyperspace to the gates of Xyrtharl, protected from the predations of the Competition by its outer wards. From there, they would march on the psykers and prove the truth of Ayé: existence was a proving ground, and their will to survive was unmatched.

They were unstoppable. And what could the Competition do but bleed?


Day 2 - 13th Lethyx

It had started to go wrong from the start.

The instant before the ArkSeed had passed onto the Arco-Medean hyperspace highway, a series of energy pulses had been detected on the vessel's sensors. The seers had since divined that the first was on the Veil Gate, a long range electronic attack launched by covert operatives in the system to scramble the outgoing coordinates. The grand vessel of the Zultari did not pass onto the hyperlane as expected.

Instead, they had been cast into the Void, the Place between Places. Here there were no stars, no light save for what they carried with them. Though time did not function outside the walls of the ship, the war drummers had kept it within, and so for them the seconds continued to accrue. The warriors had stared out at the inky expanse, rage at the treachery that had kept them from battle fuelling them onwards.

Then, not two hours later, the second pulse was registered and ArkSeed's engines started to fail.

The treesingers had not believed that such a thing could even happen! Madu had watched alongside his brothers in arms as the roots of the great tree began to wither and die. He'd heard whispers since that the scouting parties they'd sent down to the lower levels had unearthed a mass of... something, though the elders had ordered it jettisoned out into the nothingness outside before confirmation of the rumour could spread. That in turn had gotten the companies to talking more than anything else.

"Don't tell me you believe the whispers too, Madu?" Striding up next to him in the feasting hall, as glorious as the day they'd met, was Uchenah. Clan Ibezi didn't produce as many fighters as the others, but those it did had the ability to instantly assess the moods and mindsets of those around them. For the rest of the Clan, that made them good diplomats and halfway useful at the quiet arts, but its warriors tended to use it as a psychological weapon. And Uchenah? She was the best of the best. It could also make her incredibly obnoxious.

"Of course I do. We have been cast out of Ayé and into some in-between hell where only demons tread. Who knows what lurks in these spaces?"

She met his words with a deep belly laugh, a sensation that he probably should have been used to by now.

"You are a fool, Madu of Mardulu. Why set us adrift here? The ArkSeed will keep us fed and replenished for years; their distraction will not stop us from - "

But she was cut off by hoarse shouting from the other end of the feasting hall. Whirling to look, the two warriors only saw the flurry of weapons and the splattering of blood. Taking off at a run, they closed the distance in a matter of moments only to witness an unusual scene: two of their lancers, along with their bond-saurs, tearing into each other with unbridled ferocity. Of course such displays were encouraged, yet not here in a place of peace and not during a communal meal.

Snarling and spitting, it took four to get the one warrior off of his brother. Yet when Madu went to take the wounded man's weapon, he charged forward with a surprising intensity to use the disruption to gut everyone around him. Attempts were made, appeals to clan and honour turning to threats and finally to violence.

"What in the Survivor's name..." Madu murmured. But there were already more fights, more screaming breaking out. What was going on?


Day 3 - 14th Lethyx

By the time anyone realized the true extent of the Competition's answer, it was far too late to stop the virus.

Pandemic and quarantine measures on board the ArkSeed had never been necessary in the past. The Zultari had always believed in inoculation through mass exposure, a practice that culled off the weaker strains and made the survivors stronger for it. Such was the way of Ayanmo. In the thousands of years of conditioning and strengthening, the Sublime Clans had not found an illness that could wipe them out.

In hindsight, it had been the perfect weakness for their enemies to exploit. The seers had divined that whatever had been buried in the ArkSeed's tree had been tainted by a psionic working of great power, producing food that was spoilt and carried the disease. When exposed to it, somehow the brain of the host was afflicted. For any other being the symptoms would be fatal, yet the sacred rains and incantations had stayed true and so the warriors did not die.

What they did instead was turn into feral animals beyond reason, animals who could no longer be killed to stop them from infecting others. All it took was a single scratch, a bite, a claw, and before too long there was nothing left to reason with. In short, the two very pillars of the Zultari's strength - their inability to die and their willingness to fight - had been expertly turned against them.

The elders had been forced to work quickly. Madu and Uchenah had been tasked with heading up patrols in the cleanest areas of the ship, building barricades to keep the others out while they went at each other.

"Come on! This way!" he cried at her as they ducked through one of the arched boles of the tree that made up the heart of the ArkSeed. Behind them he could hear the clamour of combat, the heavy footfalls of a bond-saur coming their way. Sparing a look, he noted the distinct profile of a megaraptor with cybernetic optics.

"Get down!" Not hesitating for a moment he fell into a practiced roll, leaping underneath the pulse of cascading energy emitted from Uchenah's bead bracer. The wave hit the saurian right in the center mass, tearing it apart. It would be a lethal hit, he thought... yet at the moment of impact he was faced with something even more uncanny.

Where the theropod once stood, there had emerged instead a hole in space. It was as if a clumsy painter had made one errant brushstroke on the corner of the canvas, one whose edges were rough or perhaps incomplete. A swirling miasma of dark indigo surrounded the aperture, through which Madu could see a singular silhouette. The figure was gaunt and incredibly pale, and Madu noticed that it had no eyes.

"Thank you for the offering," said the stranger, "I look forward to the rest."


Day 4 - 15th Lethyx

This was it; this was the end. Of the Clan forces, only Qalrani and a few scant thousand remained. They had fortified the last upper echelons of great tree. From here they could see the rest of the ArkSeed and the Void outside. More than three quarters of the vessel had been claimed by the psychic chorus, great swathes of it burned away or devoured by emptiness. Even now the siege raged on: the infected and diseased ran rampant and would soon overwhelm them entirely.

Madu had not slept in three days, had barely eaten, and had seen most of his kith and kin transformed beyond recognition. What were these foes they faced, that had drunk so deep from oblivion that they would use their might to rend the world so irreparably? Conflict was about strength, about change, not this... ruining. Not this twisted existence.

They could die now - the blessing of the rains had faded not long after the last of the singers. Many had seen that as a blessing, had taken their own lives to avoid their fate. It was the fate Uchena had taken. But even in death they had been claimed, fuel for a fire half a galaxy away.

He still shivered as he thought of her flesh erupting outwards in floating ribbons.

The resultant detonations from those who had sought Recreance had only served to thin their ranks further, so Qalrani and the surviving leadership had put a stop to it. Who knew what the abominations on Xyrtharl were doing with this energy?

Madu watched with something approaching numbness as the first of the rabid carnosaurs broke through the defenses. He charged forward, vibro-spear in hand, and joined the fray even as his mind registered the twisting of the air, the great psionic feeding that came from the deaths.

"Through death..." he whispered to himself, seeing a braided warrior approaching dual wielding chain blades, and fell into a low stance. If he was going to fall here, better to do it weapon in hand than meekly cowering to prolong the torment.

Gritting his teeth, he kept his eyes open until he had no more eyes to see.


The Galactic Congress - 9449.1

The Clans of Zultar are destroyed! Many eyes were on the Clans this year as they surged forward towards Xyrtharl, the homeworld of the Competition of Minds. All three WarClans, led by their trio of elders Xolisan, Qalrani and Ndabacile, headed for the newly refurbished Veil gate and promptly... disappeared. Reports start to flow out across the sector in the hours that follow about targeted ordinance, deep cover agents and psionic energy readings off the charts. PPS, as usual, gathers together most of what they know to release to the public, but most of what gets out is theorizing and guesswork rather than the celebrity that has followed the sector's drama so far. Everyone is asking questions about what might have happened.

In the days that follow, the mostly abandoned Zultari holdout on Kanouvael is overrun by a single squadron of Channel Competitors. There is nobody left to resist them.

Meanwhile, the Logopatronite-Ultrumite conflict comes to a brutal and bloody end. Fresh off their victory at Vykareth, the Domin has amassed new forces in one last attempt to wipe out all the followers of the Artificial God. The success of the Fivefold Scourge and the return of Warleader Tara Hapaxia after her injuries puts enough momentum behind the swing to make for a decisive victory as the Ultrumites arrive in the Korykabria system, shattering the assembled mercenary fleets and massed believers of Logopathor. The victory through force is captured and streamed live across the sector, with several stations expecting the dramatic turnabout of last year being shocked at the cleansing sweeps of the Domin in full public view.

As the worlds of Principia adjust to the new balance of power, a proposal by the Oracle Family Company has been taken up by the assembled worlds. Aware of the many ongoing works of the various factions, the people believe that such projects should be completed so as to more quickly end the struggles that have led to the chaos of recent years. A more cynical mind might postulate that the worlds are sick of the conflict, or perhaps the OFC simply bribed their way into getting this motion put on the table this year. Either way, it presents a potential opportunity for those who seek to complete some schemes.

Finally, the Congress hears reports of a strange event occurring over Nymerius-9. A warp storm of cosmic proportions is building around a singular point in space occupied by the entity the Archive has dubbed 'Umbra'. According to initial thaumeteorological reports given to the Congress, this particular signature mimics the same given off by the Arco-Medean Veil Gates.

Unless the Congress decides to intervene, Umbra will surely be finding a new home by the end of the year.

This motion has been presented by the Oracle Family Company.

This turn, all factions who start or are working on an LTP can choose to discount 5 from any single LTP.
An unstable Veil gate opens… at the end of turn, Umbra will teleport to a random territory on the map.
As PPS was brought in to coordinate with the stat attacks that killed the Clans (being part of said attacks), they are releasing what data they know to the sector. They know considerably less this turn than they did for the Anti-Ultrum Coalition, but they can estimate the total attack size and make educated guesses about who took part.

The overall attack was at least 50 points, launched as a trio of coordinated attacks against the Clans. PPS sent 15 Esp and they know from the amount of damage dealt to the Clans that their Esp was matched in Esp/Psi at least one other nation, likely 2-3 with that magnitude. Taken together, such an offensive was enough to deal at least 24 points of stat damage, which resulted in enough 0 stats that the Sublime Clans were completely destroyed.

PPS is naming the Competition of Minds, Channel Seldiva, and Idrian Nascence as the most likely co-conspirators for the attack, given the source of the bid for their services, the amount and stat types used, and the obvious geopolitical interests. However, as PPS was not brought into any meetings they can't confirm anyone's involvement 100%. Whether any faction publicly takes credit for the act remains to be seen.
OOC: Midturns are due at end of day (EST) on Friday, May 7th

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 12
Influence 8



The Clans have fallen. Many of us will rejoice; I am sure that there is no love lost, given their abrupt declaration of war. However, what it represents – the total destruction of a previously untouched galactic faction – has enormous implications for all of us. The threat posed by Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrian Nascence is too great to be ignored. Divided, we shall fall to them one by one.

We believe that it is imperative that we put our differences behind us and discuss what can be done to restore some semblance of balance to the galaxy. Together, we can apply enough pressure to shatter their alliance before it wipes out the rest of us. As such, we are requesting that you send a representative to a private summit on Mount Orthrys, here in the Hegemonic Territory. Each other nation, besides those responsible, are receiving a similar missive. We implore you listen and act, before it is too late.

On a personal note, you have shown yourself to be more reasonable - and less hostile - than we previously assumed. We believe that there is much to be gained from cooperation, and apologize for our harsh treatment of you in years past.



So here’s the deal. Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrain Nascence almost certainly launched a stat attack capable of destroying a single nation, in a single turn. Look at your stats, and honestly tell me that you’re capable of surviving a 40+ point stat attack each turn. I think, at the very least, it’s worth taking the time to discuss what we can do to defend ourselves and organize before the three of them cement their power and any chance of victory for the rest of us is fleeting. As such, I’m proposing a PM conversation between every nation (including NPCs) save the three involved in the Clan’s destruction. Cooperation here is essential, because if we stand aside and let them take out obstacles one by one, we may as well crown the victors now.






The Clans have fallen. Many of us will rejoice; I am sure that there is no love lost, given their abrupt declaration of war. However, what it represents – the total destruction of a previously untouched galactic faction – has enormous implications for all of us. The threat posed by Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrian Nascence is too great to be ignored. Divided, we shall fall to them one by one.

We believe that it is imperative that we put our differences behind us and discuss what can be done to restore some semblance of balance to the galaxy. Together, we can apply enough pressure to shatter their alliance before it wipes out the rest of us. As such, we are requesting that you send a representative to a private summit on Mount Orthrys, here in the Hegemonic Territory. Each other nation, besides those responsible, are receiving a similar missive. We implore you listen and act, before it is too late.

On a personal note, we provided you with aid - aid that ultimately helped you in your war against our former neighbors to the south. We know that we received benefits too, but we could have allied with Logopathor and worked towards your destruction, instead of remaining neutral. We hope this is remembered.



So here’s the deal. Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrain Nascence almost certainly launched a stat attack capable of destroying a single nation, in a single turn. Look at your stats, and honestly tell me that you’re capable of surviving a 40+ point stat attack each turn. I think, at the very least, it’s worth taking the time to discuss what we can do to defend ourselves and organize before the three of them cement their power and any chance of victory for the rest of us is fleeting. As such, I’m proposing a PM conversation between every nation (including NPCs) save the three involved in the Clan’s destruction. Cooperation here is essential, because if we stand aside and let them take out obstacles one by one, we may as well crown the victors now.






The Clans have fallen. Many of us will rejoice; I am sure that there is no love lost, given their abrupt declaration of war. However, what it represents – the total destruction of a previously untouched galactic faction – has enormous implications for all of us. The threat posed by Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrian Nascence is too great to be ignored. Divided, we shall fall to them one by one.

We believe that it is imperative that we put our differences behind us and discuss what can be done to restore some semblance of balance to the galaxy. Together, we can apply enough pressure to shatter their alliance before it wipes out the rest of us. As such, we are requesting that you send a representative to a private summit on Mount Orthrys, here in the Hegemonic Territory. Each other nation, besides those responsible, are receiving a similar missive. We implore you listen and act, before it is too late.

Previous deal stands, of course. We appreciate your continued services.



So here’s the deal. Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrain Nascence almost certainly launched a stat attack capable of destroying a single nation, in a single turn. Look at your stats, and honestly tell me that you’re capable of surviving a 40+ point stat attack each turn. I think, at the very least, it’s worth taking the time to discuss what we can do to defend ourselves and organize before the three of them cement their power and any chance of victory for the rest of us is fleeting. As such, I’m proposing a PM conversation between every nation (including NPCs) save the three involved in the Clan’s destruction. Cooperation here is essential, because if we stand aside and let them take out obstacles one by one, we may as well crown the victors now.






The Clans have fallen. Many of us will rejoice; I am sure that there is no love lost, given their abrupt declaration of war. However, what it represents – the total destruction of a previously untouched galactic faction – has enormous implications for all of us. The threat posed by Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrian Nascence is too great to be ignored. Divided, we shall fall to them one by one.

We believe that it is imperative that we put our differences behind us and discuss what can be done to restore some semblance of balance to the galaxy. Together, we can apply enough pressure to shatter their alliance before it wipes out the rest of us. As such, we are requesting that you send a representative to a private summit on Mount Orthrys, here in the Hegemonic Territory. Each other nation, besides those responsible, are receiving a similar missive. We implore you listen and act, before it is too late.

We have exchanged harsh words, and have not seen eye-to-eye, but unless we act now, you will be crushed beneath the combined forces of your western neighbors, the moment you become an obstacle to their plans.



So here’s the deal. Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrain Nascence almost certainly launched a stat attack capable of destroying a single nation, in a single turn. Look at your stats, and honestly tell me that you’re capable of surviving a 40+ point stat attack each turn. I think, at the very least, it’s worth taking the time to discuss what we can do to defend ourselves and organize before the three of them cement their power and any chance of victory for the rest of us is fleeting. As such, I’m proposing a PM conversation between every nation (including NPCs) save the three involved in the Clan’s destruction. Cooperation here is essential, because if we stand aside and let them take out obstacles one by one, we may as well crown the victors now.






The Clans have fallen. Many of us will rejoice; I am sure that there is no love lost, given their abrupt declaration of war. However, what it represents – the total destruction of a previously untouched galactic faction – has enormous implications for all of us. The threat posed by Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrian Nascence is too great to be ignored. Divided, we shall fall to them one by one.

We believe that it is imperative that we put our differences behind us and discuss what can be done to restore some semblance of balance to the galaxy. Together, we can apply enough pressure to shatter their alliance before it wipes out the rest of us. As such, we are requesting that you send a representative to a private summit on Mount Orthrys, here in the Hegemonic Territory. Each other nation, besides those responsible, are receiving a similar missive. We implore you listen and act, before it is too late.



So here’s the deal. Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrain Nascence almost certainly launched a stat attack capable of destroying a single nation, in a single turn. Look at your stats, and honestly tell me that you’re capable of surviving a 40+ point stat attack each turn. I think, at the very least, it’s worth taking the time to discuss what we can do to defend ourselves and organize before the three of them cement their power and any chance of victory for the rest of us is fleeting. As such, I’m proposing a PM conversation between every nation (including NPCs) save the three involved in the Clan’s destruction. Cooperation here is essential, because if we stand aside and let them take out obstacles one by one, we may as well crown the victors now.






The Clans have fallen. Many of us will rejoice; I am sure that there is no love lost, given their abrupt declaration of war. However, what it represents – the total destruction of a previously untouched galactic faction – has enormous implications for all of us. The threat posed by Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrian Nascence is too great to be ignored. Divided, we shall fall to them one by one.

We believe that it is imperative that we put our differences behind us and discuss what can be done to restore some semblance of balance to the galaxy. Together, we can apply enough pressure to shatter their alliance before it wipes out the rest of us. As such, we are requesting that you send a representative to a private summit on Mount Orthrys, here in the Hegemonic Territory. Each other nation, besides those responsible, are receiving a similar missive. We implore you listen and act, before it is too late.

We do not trust you, but alliances are often borne of necessity. You will be welcomed regardless. I suggest you attend, given that you are likely next.



So here’s the deal. Channel Seldiva, the Competition of Minds, and the Idrain Nascence almost certainly launched a stat attack capable of destroying a single nation, in a single turn. Look at your stats, and honestly tell me that you’re capable of surviving a 40+ point stat attack each turn. I think, at the very least, it’s worth taking the time to discuss what we can do to defend ourselves and organize before the three of them cement their power and any chance of victory for the rest of us is fleeting. As such, I’m proposing a PM conversation between every nation (including NPCs) save the three involved in the Clan’s destruction. Cooperation here is essential, because if we stand aside and let them take out obstacles one by one, we may as well crown the victors now.






We will not equivocate. You know the threat, and you would be welcomed at the summit we now organize between nations. Something must be done to prevent the West from becoming victorious, and your contributions would be welcomed. We could meet privately, should you wish it, during the summit's course.





It appears as though you worked alongside those you promised to wage war upon. We are deeply disappointed. How can any nation trust you if this is how you behave? We would ask you to justify yourselves, and honour your commitment.

[Writtensanity]

https://i.imgur.com/vdXikeF.gif

Progenitor Victorya was the first to make Planetfall on Kanouvael. Then each other competitor that the Channel considered a leader of the competition landed behind her. They'd all been expecting robust orbital defences and had wasted power on forward shields that weren't needed.

They'd known that the Clans were attacking the Competition this turn, the Clans had said as much. That was why they were here, to cut off this lifeline while the Voidsingers of the Competition used the invaders as test subjects for their newest voting block from Supreme Judge Anderson.

"Hilde, Princess, perimeter search now."

The two contestants took off into the Kanouvael night, leaving Victorya alone with a single Clan military tree in front of her. She ignited her engines and flew up to the top level.

A psionic-tipped spear slammed against her shields as soon as she landed. That was the fight that she'd been looking for. Victorya primed her weapons as the sparks flew. A second spear bashed into her barrier but this time the Progenitor snatched it before it could be drawn back. There was almost no resistance to her pulling the weapon away.

Two young Zultar girls had been holding the spears. Victorya tossed the first spear out of the tree and then disarmed the second girl as well. Neither of them backed off they raised their fists against a woman and battlesuit that could destroy fleets.

Victorya smiled, "Welcome to the meritocracy competitors," today the clans fall, but you rise."

---

By the End of the Solar Year

Coming fresh from the destruction of their warriors, the remaining forces of the clans of Zultar on Kanouvael crumbled under the attention of the heads of Conquest Principia. They had been sent to the planet armed for proper conflict and found themselves sorely wanting.

Except for warriors brave enough to stand up to Progenitor Victorya! PLEASE WELCOME TO THE STAGE OUR NEWEST COMPETITION HEADS! THE TWIN QUEENS OF ZULTAR!

https://i.imgur.com/4WMpGNx.gif

https://i.imgur.com/F0RmVHy.gif


And then! Hailing from the bloodline of Progenitor Vicotrya herself! STANDING 8 FOOT 6 and always in her battle suit! PLEASE WELCOME!

https://i.imgur.com/yb0MKtC.gif


Victorya clapped at the back of the room, but she was still stewing. The twins were a bonus on what had been a ****ty broadcast year. The clan war was supposed to be something epic. That was why every military head of Conquest had personally gone to the conflict. Instead they'd just found that the Competition of Minds had struck much harder than expected when the power of the PPS was added.

The heads of Conquest, all of them, had arrived in what was pretty much a neutral system. It had been a joke. It had been a waste of her time, and it hadn't been the war they were expecting.

-----

9449.1

CHANNEL SELDIVA DECLARES WAR ON THE IDRIAN NASCENSE

Please expect hyperlanes to your territory soon. Negotiations for the next 2 solar years may not include the word peace or they will be terminated.


----



Messages

MOR 8 INF 8




We keep our words. Were any of your resources devastatingly deleted this season? If so we will cover the repairs of up to 2 of them.

OOC: As promised, if they have 0s this year I will donate a stat to cover them.





It has been clear that we are funneling the Umbra towards your space now that it has ripped holes in many of the systems in ours.

Avoiding the Umbra and directing it is costly. Despite our war, let us agree to work together to remove this road block between us so that conflict can be honest once more.

Unsurprisingly, the public outside of Principia voted fairly unanimously on attacking the Dinosaurs, you were correct about how that was going to go. Unfortunately, it was far from as impactful as we wished.




We need to meet. Does Host Station work again or does the supreme judge need to work closer to home?

Neptune.





Your services are greatly appreciated though for an assassins guild you have a way of running your mouth about your assignments.

We look forward to hearing where your discounts may be pointed this season. We have ideas.

Neptune.





[52] Preferred.

[n0ble]

The Ultrum Domin

Public
Inf. 4


Do not mistake your actions for benefaction: you traded with us singularly to suit your own purposes. The only reason you exist due to the temerity of the God of Logics's demands. And yet in this boldness they are better than you. Were better than you. What can you threaten to those that have already known extinction once in their lifetime? Ten times? One hundred times? Ultrum Endures.


Honestly all of us joining in in what you want while your high rep keeps the NPCs in your back pocket/on your side and/or neutral vs Seldiva's side seems ill-conceived insofar as we lesser INF factions would just lose out more anyways while fighting your battles for you, nevermind the fact that I would need to surrender effectively 6 mil to speak privately about threats to your power.

As to getting slapped around by a 40+ point stat attack...I mean it does kind make plain whose side I should be on right? You've done a great job of point out my weaknesses to the people who might read your messege to me, are definitely reading this message, and with 1/3 of those people amassing the stat I'm weakest against...really just seems like I'm being set up to act as ablation for you. Better to face things on my own terms, I should think. How can you guarantee I'll be safer not joining their side?




Morale 15


You will give us what is owed over the next 2 cycles. You will do so without complain or what has occurred to the Living God will occur to you.

Use of 5 Econ this turn, use of 5 econ next turn. Anything else-other bargains, other deals or counter offers or the like-will be met with a declaration of war this midturn.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Esp 16, Mor 12, Inf 4

The message comes in the familiar ad format, this time showing a series of happy families watching television, phoning each other from across the galaxy and tapping into secure networks together.


AT PPS, WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF COMMUNICATION!

Over past years, the powers of Principia have beaten each other bloody over territorial disputes and resource shortages.

Are you worried that you'll be next? Wouldn't you want to be sure of everything that happens in the sector?

FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED.

Why take a chance? Make certain you're covered today, or you might regret it tomorrow.

SIGN UP FOR THE OMNISCIENCE UNLIMITED PACKAGE TODAY!

Safety. Surety. Security.

This EoT, PPS is increasing its subscription price to reflect the new Mor power in the galaxy. With a 16 Esp, they can read even the mail of the really hard-to-crack Mor factions such as the Domin, the Hegemony, or the Apparatus.

If anyone would like to be able to read literally all of the mail in the game, it's just a simple 2 Eco payment per turn! They are retiring the old rate of 1 Eco; as of this EoT, minimum payment is 2 Eco, with the extra 1 for the Immunity deal for a total of 3.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Pallas from Principia Personnel Solutions returning your call.

We are quite pleased to hear that you are setting up a meeting, and rest assured that Calepri, our VP of Customer Relations, will be in attendance. We are also in the midst of making a few calls to other clients to try and persuade them to join for the sake of cohesion.

However, please note that PPS has an ongoing - if somewhat lapsed - business relationship with Channel Seldiva. They may offer terms to counter yours, though we will hear claims from both camps equally should there be another bidding war for our agents this year.

Thank you for choosing PPS, and have a splendid day."

Confirming that they're sending a PM to a meeting with you... and that Seldiva didn't pay them this turn, so they can't read any messages. Shame that the Domin outed you though.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Adias calling from Principia Personnel Solutions,

We're pleased to hear that you were satisfied with our product; here at PPS, we believe in 100% customer satisfaction or your money back! If you have the time, we have a post-operation survey we'd like to send to Host Station for your team to sign and return. Surely as an entertainment conglomerate you understand the need to make sure your core client base is pleased.

Please let us know if there is anything you would like us to change or update. Purchasing a new OMNISCIENCE UNLIMITED Package would go a long way towards restoring our ability to trust in the business of the Channel.

We hope you choose PPS again, and have a splendid day."

The Amaranthine Archive
Mor 6, Inf 4

Confirmed.
Thank you for your kind offer, but it is not necessary at this time. Our stores - such as they are - have been raised above emergency levels for the remainder of this year.

However, given your immediate declaration of war, the Archive would like to revisit the issue of combating the Nascence that threatens to destroy us once and for all. Will you send protectors as we once asked of you in the past?

Asking for Mil or Mil VIPs to beat back the Nascence. They'll go 1:1 for Eco and/or Inf, up to 9 total. You can also attack the Nascence yourself and they will pay for that.

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 12
Influence 8



It was a genuine offer, in response to the threat of a dominant alliance between the Competition of Minds, the Idrian Nascence, and Channel Seldiva, meant to work towards stopping them while we still could. It was made in good faith, and we are unsure from where your hostility comes, given that we have done nothing but cooperative. All we did was remind you of the goodwill that should have existed between our nations.

Regardless, Channel Seldiva has formally declared war on the Nascence. As such, our earlier position - that action must be taken for the good of the galaxy - is no longer tenable. Should this prove to be a deception or smokescreen on Channel Seldiva's part, we shall call a separate meeting when that occurs. This, hopefully, should prove our point that this was not just done out of self-interest.





Well, it appears as though the pressing need has passed. However, we would still meet with you, the Apparatus, the Archive and PPS, as mostly neutral parties in the galaxy, should you be willing.





Well, it appears as though the pressing need has passed. However, we would still meet with you, the Apparatus, the Archive and PPS, as mostly neutral parties in the galaxy, should you be willing. We still believe in the threat posed by the Nascence, and would like to discuss your recent cooperation.





You will still be warmly received this season, should you wish to attend.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 7



"We will send you a representative this season. Provided you guarantee their safety."

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png
From a distance, the small moon that orbited the outer-most planet in the system seemed relatively normal. An atmosphere wasn't an impossible thing for a moon to possess, but this one was unique. As the Lord Commander's Cuirass fired its retro-thrusters, landing as gently at the platform as it was able for a multi-ton death machine. Reaching across the cockpit with one of his secondary arms, he settled the machine in place, and disengaged the main reactor, causing the machine to effectively grind to a halt, one hand held up in front of the chest giving him a platform to stand on.

Stepping out of the open cockpit, he looked ahead of him, his gaze steely and unmoved. At the same time, there were few that could say they had ever seen such a sight. The entire spaceport he had landed in and stood at was nearly packed shoulder to shoulder, and some Vambrace and Hauberk mechs were being used as mobile platforms letting some sit head and shoulders above the crowd. Gathered here was a massive force, more than 10,000. Knights all in spirit if not in rank.

"Today, is a day to remember." Arkh's voice was broadcast, filling the area for miles clear. "Today is a day that was brought to us, by the Lord Quartermaster and all under his command. Today is a day brought to us by the Shield Oath, who's work in the factories and who's tireless diplomacy has allowed us to build the very ground we stand upon. Today..."[/i]

Arkh's gaze moved over the assembled crowd. "Today is the start of something new, and grand, but we cannot ignore what lay behind us, even as we turn our gazes forwards. This moon was once a barren, gray wasteland. Like those who join our peoples, it has been transformed into something greater than it was. It has gained purpose. The air we breathe, the buildings we stand in, all brought together for a singular purpose."

"The fires of war burn brightly across the galaxy as they always have. As they always will, but today is a day where those fires are harnessed. With that flame, you will be forged anew. With that flame, and this Crucible, you will become the finest warriors the galaxy has ever known. Soldiers without equal. This Crucible will mold you for a thousand battles across a thousand worlds. You are the pride of the Knights! You are Orias, Phenex, Samigina, Leraje, Ronove, Human, and others as numerous as the stars in the galaxy. Together we shall band together, we shall be first into the fray and the last to leave! We--"
The signal was abruptly cut as the power button was pushed on the holo-tablet, and a webbed hand took it from the hands of another. A young green-skinned man with a fringe of red scales nearly squawked indignantly. [b]"Hey, I was watching that!"

The face that responded to him was like looking in a mirror. Everything about him, from the tone of his voice to motion of his body was identical. "You know that's all just propaganda to rile up the rank-and-file and make the Shield Oath feel patriotic, right?"

"Of course, and it was working too, dammit. Gimme it back!"

A third, mirrored face entered the conversation, poking their head around the door. "You two fighting again? You know the Knight Commander doesn't like it when you do that."

In unison the two replied in perfect harmony. "Buzz off!"

"That's no way to treat your elders."

The first one muttered under their breath. "By half a cycle."

The three of them looked up when the intercom crackled to life. "Cut the chatter. Unlike the fresh recruits at Crucible Station, we work for a living. X-24, gear up. Play nice, X-25, X-26, and maybe you'll get to spend some time on that tourist trap of a moon, for good behavior." The voice was mocking towards the end, but the three identical Leraje snapped to attention.

"Sir, yes sir!" All three voices in perfect unison. As the "eldest" clone, X-24 made their way down to the hangar bays, the other two settled in to a pair of dark, lightless pods. A pod to simulate the Syn-haptic armor's feedback with the ARMAMENT Naberius. The machine had long been known to be rough on it's pilots, and there simply were not enough people that could activate ARMS in the modern Knights. That left some drastic measures in some cases. Nowhere was this more prevalent than in Naberius.

When in combat, Naberius was the one that took control, able process information and act with a reaction-time far superior than that of any biological pilot could. It would eventually "burn out" it's pilot's nervous system... if they didn't die of a brain aneurism first. For that reason, the Knight's used clones, copies of the pilots who could pilot the machine, like cogs in a machine. The clones, the current "X" series, knew this. If a Knight took pride in being born for war, the clones took pride in being among the few able to activate the ARMS. That alone was enough pride for them. Mortality came face-to-face with everyone, sooner or later. Few could say they indifferent about it like these clone pilots. And for that, they were a perfect match for the Naberius, the Pale Demon.

ECO and SCI preferred for trades this turn.

Adnachiel (MIL 1/ESP 1) - 3 points
Naberius (MIL 1) - 2 points
The Blackwolf Knights (MIL1) - 2 points
MOR 7, INF 8
If you wish to talk, we shall listen. A promising member of our society, Rasai Greytalon is at your disposal for discussion, if you still seek to host such a talk.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

[Output:] additional devastation registered
[Output:] initiate strategy shift calculations

*******Log 1.10: The Stolen Memories********
Terius’s transport got nuked. I think it was a Medean nuke too. Haven’t managed to get ahold of the other guys. Dunno who is alive or dead.

Well I suppose I know a few who are dead. This facility got nuked yesterday too. Farsi and the rest of the engineers were topside in their bunks, I was on the graveyard shift in the bunker making an extremely illegal snapshot of some netforums. We’ve got a downloadspeed faster than half the Sem sector fleet. Only took a minute or two. Glad I did too, its gonna be a lonely death down here, may as well have something to read.

Locks and systems are fried, coms unit is down, whoever wins topside will probably never even find this place. I certainly can’t get out to tell them. Been chatting with Magnus a bunch. He has stopped single threading for me, wonder if he’s getting bored of me. I’ve kept patching his systems, kinda something to do I guess? I feel bad for him, I’ve got maybe two months of food and water, but with the Cyclonic Inverter Generators he’ll have thousands of years to live down here, all trapped and alone. Maybe I should just shut him down entirely?

I think I’ll leave him running. I never got the chance to have kids to watch over my deathbed, but in Magnus I kinda made one?

Does that make me selfish?

*******Log 1.10:END********


Morale 12, Influence 6

Players

The Chrysorian Hegemony
[Output:] Invitation Accepted
REQUEST Register Location

The Idrian Nascence
[Output:] Define available archeotech sites per previous agreement
[Output:] Register damage scale of Archive conflict.
[Output:] Damage statistics required for further strategic planning.

The Hecetian Shade
REQUEST reconstruction report.
[Output:] Further arrangements available, if further reconstruction is required.
[Output:] 3 science is expected per previous agreement.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Influence 1, Morale 3



A pleasure doing business with you
We hope you enjoy your new home in our tropical paradise!
Please find payment attached

Don’t you see, nothing is stronger than the power of friendship!
We’re untouchable!

Trade is the lifeblood of a civilized society, and commerce the foundation of peace.
The Electrodyne Everseer is the Sector’s premier research and survey ship, with full sensor suites and bleeding-edge onboard laboratories
Here at General Massive Systems we offer the fruits of the modern economy – high quality fabricated goods, when, where, and in whatever quantities you need.
Spies! Assassins! Cowards hiding in the dark!
All this and more can be yours! For the low, low price of-
The synthetic monstrosities preparing to slaughter us in our beds!
Do you think you’re psychic? You might be.
In any conflict, the management of popular sentiment is key to sustaining the war effort over the long term. The state must be both willing and able to sustain the fires of patriotic feeling, or the cancer of defeatism at home will destroy it long before the enemy does.

So, whadya say?

[A more substantial data packet is attached to the message, the complete, but badly corrupted, reports from the old Republic of Mei regarding a strange anomaly, sensors were unable to penetrate its boundaries, and none who went in ever returned. Given the utter failure of any attempts to map its exact shape or size, it was designated The Boundless Expanse ]





[The vision is sent with a questioning, hopeful tone behind it]

A Sultari hunter – fully covered in their power armour, plasma lance activated, their mount roaring - prepares to charge, while opposite it a Behemoth paws at the ground, its hooves gouging deep furrows in it as it does, lowering its head and preparing to charge in turn.

At the last possible moment, a cloud obscured the sun, and strange, impossibly substantial shadows flow over both of them. The shades whisper in their ears, and after a moment they calm. Stalking forward to meet peacefully in the centre of the field.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 3
Inf 2

The Competition leaders meet once more as the year ends. This is no fun argumentative meeting to see who won their little competition of who could murder the despicable Clans the best, a day of arguing and polling lesser psykers decided that Zughals rage fueled death plague was the winner. This was far more important and dangerous to them.

The Supreme Judge and Faction leaders watches the footage from the event. Zultari clansmen tearing themselves apart and, with the psykers manipulating the images show, the overlay of psionic energies from the deaths. The three faction leaders watch the psionic energy feed into the massive ritual that Skail and his faction of demon lovers had enacted as their own strike. They witness the planned effects of the ritual, tears in the Warp and horrifying pulses of energy from it or demons erupting.

Genesis is running calculations as they watch "The ritual worked as planned their but we did not account properly for the raw resilience and power within these savages. The ritual enacted by Skail and his faction used the energy calculations for standard mortals, 5 parts of psionic energy for their death, but the clans were beyond normal mortal norms and fed twice that amount back into the ritual. The ritual was specifically made to handle the expected amount for its precision and the extra energy being pushed into it created... unforeseen events."

The images show strange images of battalions of Zultari Clansmen being sucked into the warp, dinosaurs mutating with their weapons becoming living attachments as they fall into the horrors of the warp. Finally as a brutal deathmatch on one of the ships between the rage fueled zombie creatures, dinosaurs, and the living the ritual mutates into something... larger and different. The last ship starts to mutate into a warp fueled nightmare before it is pulled into the warp. The images zoom in and focus on a mutated Treesinger crooning to the ship, growing the mutated living horror around it to slowly begin covering the entire ship as the Zultari seem to change as they enter the warp. Still mutated and still savage but now seemingly directed.

As the ship enters the warp and the picture starts to fade it is still clear enough to see the Tree singer, the dinosaurs, and the Clansmen all look up towards the recording ritual and all seem to mouth the same thing.

Genesis freezes the recording on that final image "The unexpected side effect seems to be the merging of the Warp energies with the targets of the ritual as they are sucked into the Warp. I have not arrived at a conclusion as to why they all seemed to gain focus and direction when they entered, I also do not recognize the language they spoke in unison."

Skail is frozen as he sees the last end of the recording, he had spent the entirety of that attack cherry picking corrupted warriors to use on planet as guards and subjects. He didn't see how that attack ended or the horrors resulting from the botched ritual. His demonic half came with many benefits, including the language of the Warp. He repeats it back in the common tongue "They are saying... 'The Warp Will Come'."

The other three freeze and look again at the forces sucked into the Warp and then out of the window towards their entire planet dedicated to using the psionic powers, the Warp, and demons.

In unison the three swear "****"

Greetings,

We survived this year though the danger was great. Please come and meet us on Xyrtharl.

Regards,
Supreme Judge Anderson

[Writtensanity]

https://i.imgur.com/vdXikeF.gif



https://i.imgur.com/IGY4GR3.gif

https://i.imgur.com/qY4XXL7.gif

https://i.imgur.com/54rPibQ.gif

https://i.imgur.com/aw5NiWR.gif



"You know it's critical that we talk about what's going on right now in Principia," the host said with while leaning in close to the microphone for all the radio listeners in their starships, "we're talking a conspiracy. If the messages from the Ultrum Domin broadcasted on public channels and then then the response from the Hegemony is saying what it seems like they're saying. There was an attempt to make a cabal of every power in Principia to slow down the Channel, which isn't just a possible disaster for Season 3 of Conquest, but it's downright cowardly... Let me tell you what I think the Competitors should do...."



Your messages to the Domin and the rest of the world are foolhardy. Those who attempt to band the Galaxy together under a bond of 'unity' or a 'good cause' are always schemers who want to make the strong fight so they can snatch prizes of the battlefield.

Last year you messaged us and attempted to bribe us away from hiring the PPS to protect our Contract with the Competiton of Minds, something we are sworn to do. All we did was show how effective we were at keeping our word while you tried to make us throw it away.

We are not declaring war Hegemony, your reputation saves you from that... but if the Ultrum Domin were to declare war on your people. Channel Seldiva would back them.

Proving that you would help Seldiva and other nations that have dealt with the Umbra would help with this. A direct donation of Galactic Congress Influence to assist in letting the Umbra leave Seldiva space would be a great boon to our relationship.


This is still IC logic, just keeping my statement clear:

Channel Seldiva did not like the attempted bribe to stop hiring the help from the PPS last turn.

Channel Seldiva WOULD declare war for the cabal it seems like you just attempted to start based on your and Domin's messages.

You have INF 8, so you get this pass, but it does put you well below the Domin in our opinion, far enough down to make us take sides.




"In other news! More rumors of a power struggle in Principia! Progenitor Victorya's list of accomplishments during this season has been falling short, especially with the lack of resistance during the end of the Zultar invasion. Though she already proved herself during her wildly one-sided arena match with Ferro, both Princess and Hilde are apparently looking to find time this season to have their own battles with Victorya.

Princess' victory would mark the first time the Progenitor has been any species other than Fotuan since the start of the Meritocracy.."




We run into a small issue when it comes to a direct MIL strike this year. Partially that some of our ships are committed to capturing the remainder of the Zultar outposts in our sector but more importantly..

The Umbra is a variable this season. We likely need to assume that the Galaxy, aside from the Shade and ourselves, will vote for the Umbra to remain in our space. If this is the case we do not have the SCI to create a veil gate to the Nascense, we would need to spent our resources closing those between the Umbra and ourselves.

The second point is that, without the promise of large backing outside of Seldiva's forces, we cannot commit our ships or contestants to another war across the Galaxy. Though the Fotuans who died in the battle of the Five-Fold Scourge were weak, they were still forces that could have been used elsewhere, and the only benefit Channel Seldvia received was our opponent weakening.

In short, unless we can somehow know that the Galactic Congress will not interfere with the Umbra's transportation, we cannot commit to building the paths needed to strike the Nascense this year.


"Unfortunately, despite our best attempts during the abandonment of the Brenna system, none of our cameras were able to maintain focus on the Umbra for more than a single frame at a time. Even more unfortunately the frame, when viewed in any system other than the direct feed from the camera itself, vanishes. With the 100,000,000,000th of a second of footage that we have, we know the Umbra is a massive spaceship but aside from that, there is nothing we can concretely say about the anomaly..."



Put us down for an Omniscience Package. Though we didn't have the money last year seeing as we were spending everything we had on your services, we do love your little USB sticks.



"ARE YOU TIRED OF YOUR BOSS? Do you want to make passive income? Working from home? Well here I am here in my garage with my new starfighter, but do you want to know what I value more than this starfighter? Knowledge. That's why you can buy my 34 audiocast set of..."



Please standby for a likely incoming bid on: The Blackwolf Knights

Attached is a long list of things for potential hires to sign, most of which are about appearing on Camera.



"Look, we know that the Machcine and the Biomass have been talking to each other. Honestly I think the general voting public got distracted by dinosaurs last season. Who doesn't want to watch the most literal version of the Nature vs Industrialization matchup that we've ever seen? Sure, things seem fine based on what we can see on the Nascence end, but do we really think they're just going to get along? I wanna see machines vs storm whales and I want it on my tv yesterday!"



Well that's one mess from the Five-Fold Scourge Storyline cleaned up, isn't it?

Feel like participating in the second arc?

Attached shows an image of the broken Shade Arc Vessel in [48]

Additionally, we would like to remind you of our generosity in response to the Logopathorian attack on your people. We'd request that you show the same when it comes to removing our pests. (OOC: Asking for you to vote to move the Umbra)




Debts owed. Debts paid.

What resources does the factory need this season? Please offer options :)

(OOC: I owe you 2 ESP and 4 more MISC stats, asking for preferences.)

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 12
Influence 8



You twist our words. How noble of you. What saviours you are. Here is what actually happened.

We messaged the entirety of the galaxy that was not the three architects of the complete and total annihilation of the Clans. This is not forming a cabal. This is organizing resistance against what actually could have been a cabal. And when you proved true to your word - admirably - and declared war on the Nascence, we retracted that call in a public message to the Domin. We shall see whether you follow through on your commitment; judging by your message to the Archive, we have our doubts.

You say we attempted to bribe you... This is true, if uncharitable. We were hoping to allow the Archive to solicit PPS in striking the monstrous threat (OOC: Inf 0) that had already grievously wounded them, who you have repeatedly offered help only to withdraw it for your own purposes. How dare you name us dishonorable for proposing a deal that in no way goes against any promises and obligations. This, coming from dealbreakers, who attacked the Shade for their own interests despite a public commitment to a one-year reprieve. Was it justified, in light of the Shade's own treachery? Perhaps. But you do not have much ground to stand on. Do not speak to us of honour, when so much you have done has been talk. You attempt to sway the Domin, with whom we have negotiated a peace treaty, to war without getting blood on your hands. We have never desired anything but peaceable relations with them. If they wish to war against the neighbors who traded them resources with which they traded to you (is that dishonourable? perhaps, according to your hypocritical standards), then they are welcome to, when our deal expires. We don't want war, but we refuse to be painted as the villains here, nation-breaker.

We shall prove it, then. Attached are copies of the missive we sent each nation. Perhaps you should not assume before denouncing others.



You're allowed to say you're disappointed, but offering someone something so that they let the Archive's bid through - that would have hit the 0 INF nation - isn't even slightly dishonourable. Now, trying to get the galaxy together to stop the cabal capable of fully destroying a nation each turn - how on earth is that worthy of condemnation?I get why it would be upsetting, but don't try to present it as anything other than looking out for the interests of every faction that wasn't you, the Competition, or the Nascence. Until you followed through on your promise to war on the Nascence - which might even be more lip service than action, based on your message to the Archive - we had every reason to think that you were securing a dominant position. And when you did, we called the galaxy-wide meeting off.

We have broken no deals, and have - at every stage of this game - let the Influence of other nations guide our actions. You somewhat temporarily allied with the two (as of now, I think?) lowest-influence player factions in the game and have broken a public commitment. Don't try to paint it as charitable that you're overlooking this.

And, to put our money where our mouth is, all messages sent in #163 are now public. All may read them. The Chrysaorian Hegemony will be judged fairly, or not at all.

[Writtensanity]

MOR 8
INF 8



First. We would like to establish that Cabals can be any size. You just need to be brave enough.

Second: Our message to the Archive, which was not for your eyes, pointed out that without the Umbra teleporting, we cannot commit to creating pathways to the Nascence. We also cannot know if the vote passed until it would be too late to close the veil gates. No matter the target of our war declaration, we could not compromise the safety of Host Station to make an offensive action in war. We must maintain the broadcast.

Furthermore your deal asked us to break our public contract with the Competiton of Minds to defend them from attackers. We have signed a contract with them, and we take that seriously, thanks.

Additionally: Letting the Domin who we’d previously fought with in glorious bloody combat, know that we WOULD support them in a conflict between the two of you is hardly spurring them to war. Unless the only thing keeping them from attacking was a perceived lack of firepower.

Thank you for the title, we at Channel Seldiva will wear it proudly. We clearly have different ideas of how to a nation can be influential. We prefer actions to calls to action.

How long have you been at war with the Nascence and Umbra? Hard to tell sometimes when there's no reason to televise your actions.

Neptune, Station Head @ Nationbreakers

Use #Nationbreakers for your chance to win of once in a lifetime trip to Principia!

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade




Lifeblood

The local leaders of the Araxia system were hesitant, paranoid even, more so than they had been since the fall of their close allies, the ONU federation, with heavy economic ties between them it was no surprise when a few years after the conquering shade moved against them again, the only surprise came with the terrifying plague they had brought with them.

It was very recent, and yet almost a distant memory in these most interesting of times. Araxia had already become accustomed to their new role within the shade, their economy flourishing after the abrupt end to their isolation. Only really struggling under martial requirements, Araxia had been a client state of the Arco-medeans for most of its history and given the low reproductive rates of the Araxian dominant species they preferred that sort of protection to the collective service championed by the Shade.

What few of their own had to fight, crewed new vessels made with Hecatian tech and went off to fight in the coming war to defend the machine god, whether they died or deserted is a mystery to all but them, all that mattered is that they didn’t come back.

Revolt and instability ensued as the enraged lower class failed to see their kin or any gain from their sacrifice. Being by the border, during the coming months Araxia suffered the most from the marauders (psychic or not) preying on the weakened shade, but that’s not what had them paranoid, no, it was another thing that made their trust falter...

Things got better, very much so, as Ala Cait and the centralized shade revitalized trade, improved a much blemished diplomatic stance and rounded up weak spots with reforms and investment, the banditry that plagued them rescinded, and with a small show of force from the wider Shade revolution was prevented, the leadership of Araxia never expected the day to come where they’ll regret that…

Their political position within the Shade wasn’t particularly tenuous by any means, it was in fact exactly the same as all other groups within the it: Free as far as you can throw your weight around, with the unspoken knowledge that no one but Hecan itself could throw their weight around as much as the follower, and crashing with something else worked about as well for the less heavy object as it usually did literally.

It was thus that the Araxia were faced with a choice “Pack up and leave with our aid or...” the or needn't be completed, if they were left behind it would be with nothing, in bare rocks so depleted as to put the actual Shade to shame. Those that knew of the ultimatum in Araxia were for a while reeling from the loss of their wall to reveal a new sword, joining the Channel to the 60s and the new arrivals to their sum.

It was this choice that made their hearts fill with such doubt, despite the lack of actual choice. Within a week the fleets prepared to work with them started arriving, with enough weapons to obliterate a moon even as they were supposedly only transport ships for the first wave of migrants and resources; no one but the leadership knew of the Araxian relocation before the fleets started loitering within their bounds and at the beginning most cheered, expecting the fleet to be directed towards the Clans or the channel! young ones played pretend wars, getting mad when they didn’t get to play the fivefold scourge… After a month of building forces without a single message to anyone but the higher of higher ups it was getting harder to hide what was actually…

The reply to the ultimatum was given shortly, in a public message originally meant supposed to rally the people against the Shade, before they remembered the shadow of reality looming in their stations and across their space. Val-Uruk had seceded when The Shade was at their absolute worst, and they had paid all the same. A tamer message was delivered, and of course, still caused outcry.

Some short-lived souls resisted physically, attempting to dislodge Shade forces from stations and planets, their governments quickly stamping such actions before they grew into a wider incident, and soon the move started, a colossal migration program relocated Araxians all across the wider shades, for the waste avoiding shade there was barely a totally free source of resources, and aside from understanding the need for a stable breeding population there was little care given to how close they were to each other and more to where their enclaves would be the most useful.

When all who could bear such an exodus were sent on it the Shade went about what it did best: consumption. And expectations were kept, when the massive crafts of resource extraction were done with the Araxian system it was hard to believe life had been previously sustained there, and what life remained in stations and ships despite Shade insistence to relocate could hardly be called lucky.


Summons

The reunion place had to be bigger this time around, the tech arrays that kept the Shade species comfy ever more impressive as more and more systems “joined”. Ala Cait presided over proceedings as per usual, flanked by Warmaster Adalith, an oxymoron of a fanatic who decided to take the post so their order had full control over the Herald’s deployment; and the first speaker of the Hecan Cult, who were flanked by representatives from the Alears and what was left of the Hecatian agrupations respectively, then those were flanked by the Rom Manufacturing Conglomerate that had recently muscled its way to relevance on being granted use of Magnus support and the ONU ministers respectively, and so on, until an extremely wide circle was formed, with an arena below them if ritual combat was called for.

The talk was as calm as these things can get, with hardly any combat and screaming being kept to a minimum for the first few days of meeting. “The Magnus debt”, “Ultrum arrogance”, “devil deals”, “renewed effort”, “exploration”, “the fallout of relocation”, “lessons learned”, “the renewal of reverse Hecan”, “belief and power”, etc… the issues dealt with could be listed for the rest of time, or at least that’s how it felt for the representatives, but it was worth it, a scarce few weeks after the conference started the shade had its matters settled and mostly agreed by all. The course was set and as usual it was the follower who would steer The Shade towards its ultimate goal.

Morale 8, Inf 4

PCs

unsucessful as you have been, it is clear, yes.

We are no expert in media unlike yourselves, but frankly... "gianst psychic cyborg Saurians" is its own answer. A shame that they went down so easily.

As we were the ones to originally suggest dealing with the Umbra in any possible manner, what do you propose besides, of course voting for the nascense to go "away"?

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

To Lucan and the recently recovered Tara, warleaders of (what's left of) the Ultrum,

we acquiesce.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

To logopathor and its followers, adrift,

its late for what preemptive efforts we wished to take before, fixing the disastrous offense took precedence and now we are at the point we feared but failed to prepare for.

The torch is bruised, but still bright, regardless of other flames... Join us in unearthing the secrets of the past again, and our very own piece of these will carve out a place for you, and have you away from the Donim's predations.

With the utmost respect, as always,
-Chit'al, Head engineer of the Tria-khan shipyards and associates.

Lend me logopathor for my midturn crawls and I'll lend you the Herald (and some mor for protection) so you can use it with your +1 mil item to take over one of the nearby sectors, I'll let you know which after I talk with the Knights.


A measure of our previous strength has been achieved, though we are open to more aid, if you are open to providing it.

If the 3 sci is for Arco-medean delving could you guarantee replenishment in case of attrition?

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Supreme Judge Anderson,

may we continue a version of our usual deal, now that we have organized some practitioners?

--Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

my 1 psi for either inf or sci, still deciding on which I need more this turn

To the knights, mighty as none other,

Your aid was instrumental on punishing the Val-Uruk Rebels, and we would certainly enjoy doing business with you again, even beyond the likes of hiring (though we may still do so).

Though we have two matters to discuss before any such deals:

do you need aid for making your way towards [44] we can always lend you some work crews.

Will the Lord Commander be available for this campaign season or is he preoccupied with the burocracy of the knigths?

-Warmaster Adalith, Commander of the Herald's servants.

offer to trade sci so you can build the road to 44, if you actually need a trade or have something fancy like a piece of archaotech I'm all ears, otherwise just letting you know that the Shade is a big fan of the Lord Commander :smalltongue:

To the Hegemony, pinacles of knowledge,

We are of course, glad that a step has been taken towards reconciliation and hope trade can be reignited if it is not asking for much. If you still wish for a meeting let us know and we will join, a respite enough to finally pool our forces towards aiding the Archive may be on the cards, thought it will depend on the actitude of the Channel you currently bicker with.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

NPCs

We both made mistakes, but this is a matter of nations and companies, not of sentimental concerns.

We were hoping to hire the defense package, our squabbles made unavailable, and possibly omniscience, though I'll have to measure interest within the wider shade.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

[n0ble]

Morale 15
Inf. 4


We have economies to spare this turn.

Have 7 Econ for use, what options besides PEST would that get me?




Good.

Understood. I'll be declaring war on you this Midturn as a matter of course. Will rescind it when I get my Econ.




//::Cycling]
//::[[input]: Offer

Will lease the previous system you asked for: asking use of 3 Econ/Turn for use of the system and Ultrum will pledge to a mutual defensive pact with the Magnus Apparatus-publically if need be. Additionally, willing to negotiate further use of my archeotech site in [21] when it becomes open.

[Vrock Bait]

Logopathor, Artificial God

Transcribed from Recording 45-6A, eventually becoming part of Martyrdom, 27th book of the Creed

Exodus arrives at midnight.

The Domin ships are slow; unused to travel. Most of them used to fly in the open vacuum, after all. Their vessels are top-of-the-line Seldiva cameraships, but the steadfast steed does not save the poor rider.

Regardless, we have been in pursuit for five months and seven weeks. More accurately, they have been in pursuit. We run around this small asteroid, them and I, just three kings stripped of their crowns and the last Logopatronite in all Korykabria.

The built-for-TV ships eat fuel like nothing else. The Ultrumites refuel every five days, giving me a chance for escape, once again, around this little asteroid of our hopes and dreams. The xenomagnetic field it exerts prevents more than two vessels from going around it. We dance back and forth around our spherical ballroom; I throw my latest long-winded insult through their open channel, they respond with another of their creative euphemisms, no doubt inspired by the cosmic visions they had when we drained them of their powers. This is an expressive and smooth dance; they are expressive and smooth partners.

I often think of my death.

It will be my hands torn off, then my feet and my legs and arms and my head, I think. I wonder how they will do this without their great strength. Perhaps something from an Idrian aerobics routine. God knows they could use the exercise.

God knows other things as well. He knows that I cradle a portrait in my palm at night, drenched with the tears of my nerves. Perhaps Nian’s ship exited the system early. Perhaps she left in an escape pod before those dreadful explosions. I will never know. I know that I will never know. So why do I care?

Rationality. That great mistress of the universe, the rival of our lawful wife in Sentiment. No, they are not rivals. Rationality and Sentiment work in tune, one next to the other. No, the great rival of Rationality is Animalism. Animalism tells me that I should be afraid of my death.

Am I afraid? I am running out of fuel. I will not see Nian again either way. The long darkness… is disturbing, yes. But I have survived it for an eternity before my birth. I have survived it, and I am sane and alive and intelligent now.

Can a point of light truly be called the life of a being? I have lived an eternity of lives in the darkness… I will again. I have lived more lives in the shadows of the world than in the light. Perhaps the lady darkness is just reclaiming her creature again.

In the end, I think I will welcome death. I just cannot sate my curiosity.

[This recording was found in a blackbox orbiting around the rare earth asteroid Danvers-7D. No other ships have been found, and almost every other record in the blackbox is corrupted from age. The creator of this recording is unknown, as is the “Nian” he refers to.]

Public


Greetings,

Before we send the meeting codes to reconvene with our wayward ally, we shall have to ask exactly what you were discussing with the Domin. Our allies are few, you understand. Our wayward ally has their own plans prepared.

Yours in diplomacy,
Logopathor & Co.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 7

What is that you are scribbling there brother?

Meerza asked in curiosity as she entered the penthouse office belonging to Zerreshhk.

Hah? Oh...ah..this?

Zerreshhk seemed to have been deep in thought and having difficulty tearing himself away.

Ah Meerza...it's a vision board! I saw it on one of Seldiva's channels. The lady presenting the show had quite...a different vision. It was mostly about the ways she wanted to kill people...but it was quite interesting. Apparently...you have to "Visualise" what you want to achieve and put it in your "Vision Board" and then through the process of creation you focus your self into creating the vision..

Meerza looked unconvinced by the whole propsect as she examined what appeared to be a map of Principia with various pictures as well as sketches which seemed to be...

....have you been using paint...on the wall screens? And...you are a paragon of psionic power...why would you require...a vision board to make your visions your reality?

Zerreshhk replied, completely ignoring the paint comment, which appeared to be true.

In order to impose your internal will upon the world and bend it to your will. You must visualise imposing it upon the item. Now imagine...imposing your will upon the entire sector. It is mindbogglingly enormous. Capture it and hold it in your mind...you can't....

He said triumphantly.

But the Seldivan hada point even if she didn't know what she was talking about! Make it smaller fit the world into something physical, something that represents it but fits in your mind's eye. Understand it and what is within it. Then youn can bend it to your will.

Meerza looked dumbfounded at the absurd situation evolving before her eyes unable to decide if this was her brother's descent into insanity or moment of genius.





"Warriors of the Ultrum Domin, though perhaps late we offer you greeting. We had our eyes set on Korykabria though it seems we were hasty in creating a path to it and late in declaring our interest. The remaining floors of the installation there could be of interest to us. We hope you would consider a trade for it in the coming season? What would you seek to gain in exchange for it? We have heard...rumours that you were betrayed by an unreliable dealer. Are you able to name that so we would know not to deal with them?"



"So you attempt to create something...we hoped perhaps you had discovered some free will or backbone. We decide to give you a chance, we offer to send you a representative and you snub us? Perhaps your influence is only worth what you paid for it. How long before the Domin realise they can and should grind you under your boot. You squander any and all opportunities to actually make any allies.

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 12
Influence 8



Our sincerest apologies. In the excitement of our discourse with Channel Seldiva, it appears your message was overlooked.

Our missive was originally sent in the context of a dangerous, deadly cabal forming on the other side of the galaxy. We are still willing to meet with you, should you wish to discuss other forms of cooperation.



Sorry about that. Been busy IRL with a new job, and I missed your message.

I do have a VIP available for a meeting, if you're interested. Would you be opposed to it also including the Knights and the Apparatus?

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 7



"I see you can do more than just insult us. Very well, we will hear you out. Expect our representative soon."

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

Mor 8, Inf 4

Esteemed church,

Nothing of concern to you, the Domin want economic compensation for Chi'tal's unfair dealings in the past, and given their inflexible stance and our current concerns we are going to pay it. I hope such a small concession won't make you think less of us.

Standing by your side,
-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 7


3 votes Yay for Unfinished Business
Hyperlane to 43 from 34
explore 10 floors sector 35 arco medean installation. VIP exploring 10th floors.use 2 Esp

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 3
Inf 2


1 Vote for Project event

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chryasorian Hegemony

Morale 12
Influence 8







6 Science and Hades (Tier 2 Science) sent into Archeotech Site #1.

7 votes against Beyond the Veil.

Fission Lab - Zeus, Mor.

Pax - Psi.

[St. Justicar]

Idrean Nascence



Spending 1 Sci to make a hyperlane from 8 to 9

Placing my one vote against moving the Umbra

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Morale 12, Influence 6

Midturn
6 votes nay against the Umbra teleportation

5 TMA and 3 Hecatian Shade sci to plumb the depths of the GLOP chambers, clearing floor 6-14

[n0ble]

Morale 15 Inf 6

Nothing for midturn
All votes to umbra

[Writtensanity]

Using 2 PSI to close the route from 61-65

Using 3 SCI to close the route from 63-65

Putting All 6 Votes towards letting the Umbra Move.





Our Offer:

Contestant Ferro (MIL 2 VIP) and Princess (MIL 2 VIP) for 8 ECON. You may know them as 2/5 of the Fivefold Scourge

Alongside this we would ask for proof that there is some way that the Archive can actually come out victorious this season. Let's not send some of the most popular people in the galaxy to their deaths.





We don't need more than the votes, if that doesn't pass we will return to business as usual.

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png
MOR 7, INF 8
>2 SCI to form route from 40 to 44 (I forget if that's a midturn or an endturn thing)
>2 SCI into installation (total 3/20 to 5/20)
>2 votes nay to Unfinished Business
>3 votes yay to Beyond the Veil (chaooooooooos)

No other offers have come in, the bid is yours let us know what resources you will trade in return.

We appreciate the offer, but we do have such needs under control, and the Lord Commander, now that our position is more established in the sector and our industry has resumed it's former pace, must focus his attention on brining forth new generations of knights.

[Vrock Bait]

All votes for the LTP bill.

[neriractor]

"Hecatian Shade

mor 8, Inf 4

Perfectly understandable, I'll let you know if we decide to hire any of your less capable members.

-Warmaster Adalith, Commander of the Herald's servants


Very well, as usual, have at thee.

-Warmaster Adalith, Commander of the Herald's servants


3 Sci go to installation dive with the Magnus apparatus as part of the loan payment plan.

4 sci goes to temporarily shut down the Lanes in 48-61 50-65

Chi'tal [tier 1 sci vip] + neural implants [+2 Sci] + plasma missile that never misses (can't check my sheet) [+2 mil] + 3 Sci goes to clear 7 levels of the Ruins in [42].

5 votes go against the Umbra moving thingy.

[3SecondCultist]

Midturn 4

Galactic Congress Results (Public)

The Galactic Congress has tallied up the votes from the member factions all over Principia, and has found the votes as follows:
6 Yay
2 Nay

The first proposal has passed. All over the sector, thinkers and researchers rush to finish their mad projects!

This turn, each faction working on an LTP can have a 5 point discount from a single LTP of their choice.
The Galactic Congress has tallied up the votes from the member factions all over Principia, and has found the votes as follows:
14 Yay
19 Nay

The second proposal has failed. The Umbra remains where it is.

Oracle Family Company
Mor 7

Hyperlane (34-44) successfully created; map updated.

The OFC scientific division complete their exploration of the Titan's Graveyard - a now dead assembly yard for artificial planets and other constructed ecosystems. Their second attempt increases both their knowledge (+++++ Sci, ++++ Eco) and finds a unique piece of technology used to balance planetary budgets (+1 Eco item). Furthermore, the expedition recovered parts of a device used to send things forward in time and then return them for rapid growth (1/3 of Tier 3 Archeotech). 20/20 floors cleared.

In the process, the OFC's research division is badly damaged by compromised security measures. Lose 2 Sci.

Turnstile-like creation capable of sending materials forwards through time and simulating growth. A player invests temp stats into the Archeotech at Midturn for 150% return next turn (so if you send 6 of a stat through, you get 9 temp stats of the same type at the next Midturn).
Chrysaorian Hegemony
Mor 12

Hades and his teams returns to the living jungle known as the Gaia Event and returns with a great deal more samples of intrinsic and intellectual value (++++ Eco, +++++ Sci) and the gene-pattern to creating myriad new forms of life (+2 Sci item). 18/20 floors cleared.

Both Archeotechs function as intended. Psi protected, Zeus cloned.
Channel Seldiva
Mor 8

Hyperlanes (65-61, 65-63) temporarily suppressed; map updated.
Magnus Apparatus
Mor 12

The Apparatus continues its delving into the GLOP chambers this year, recovering a great deal of information that will surely be useful in the future as well as the here and now (+++ Sci, ++++ Eco). While the scientists from the Shade do not arrive in time to be of any use, the rest of the Apparatus' researchers avail themselves well and actually recover two separate artificial intelligence nodes to aid with growth and further exploration of Arco-Medean bases (two +1 Sci items). Finally, a strange code and parts of an orb were found on a lower floor (1/2 of a Tier 2 Archeotech). 11/20 floors cleared.

Unfortunately, the last of the drones triggered an automated alarm which locked down massive portions of the GLOP chambers. It will take a while to circumvent them. Installation locked for 1 turn.

This Archeotech is an orb that can hack data cores and project live video of any person anywhere in the sector. When assassinating enemy VIPs, ignore the disable mechanic and go straight to instant destruction.
Hecatian Shade
Mor 8

Hyperlanes (48-61, 50-65) temporarily suppressed; map updated.

The Shade moves forward to a new installation this year, taking on the Starkiller Ruins where the Arco-Medeans once tested planet and system killing superweapons. They make some major inroads into the outer hangers and corridors, avoiding any major consequences and emerging without too much for their trouble (++ Sci, +++++ Eco). 7/20 floors cleared.
Knights of Orias
Mor 7

Hyperlane (40-44) created; map updated.

The Knights proceed to clear their installation and find some small success in the form of credits and formulae (++ Sci, +++ Eco), as well as a phase lance that can be used to pierce most materials (+1 Mil item). In the exploration, one of the Knights' squire squadrons is crushed by a moving hallway. Lose 1 Sci. 5/20 floors cleared.
Amaranthine Archive
Mor 6

Agents of the Archive complete delving of the the Howling Library, finding the last of the research of the lost sages and preparing it for transport (+++ Eco, +++++ Sci, ++ Psi). Finally, they uncover a piece of a long lost object: the Cradle (1/4 pieces of Tier 4 Archeotech). 20/20 floors cleared.

Proceeding without caution, they lose the last of their teams to the alternate dimension. Lose 3 Sci.

This Archeotech is the piece of a titanic mass fabricator meant to be assembled in space, as it feeds off of stars to forge them into any matter imaginable. When completed, this Archeotech has 2 benefits. The first is that the user ignores all stat caps as a passive benefit. The second is that the user gains 6 permanent stat points every time it's activated, in any combination the user desires.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 10, Inf 4

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Adias from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back,

Thank you for confirming your purchase of the OMNISCIENCE UNLIMITED Package this year. Any lapse in payment is not treated as a break in faith; the PPS family is happy to see a returning customer!

Additionally, if you would like to put in a bid for our services, our company is hiring out a record number of agents for open operations.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

You are marked down for one OMNISCIENCE Package starting at this EoT. They'll send you the bill for 2 Eco.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Kyrath from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back,

Thank you for confirming your purchase of the OMNISCIENCE UNLIMITED Package this year. Any lapse in payment is not treated as a break in faith; the PPS family is happy to see a returning customer!

Additionally, if you would like to put in a bid for our services, our company is hiring out a record number of agents for open operations.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

You are marked down for one OMNISCIENCE Package starting at this EoT. They'll send you the bill for 2 Eco.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Merry from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back,

I apologize for the delay, our lines were fully booked but we should be on track to speak now. Regarding your inquiry, we are certainly available this year for contracts. Many of our operatives have had successful missions of late, so we are aggressively seeking out new clientele. If you'd like, I would be happy to send over our literature and give you a browse of our agents who are open this year.

Additionally, have you considered the new OMNISCIENCE UNLIMITED Package? You really can't get better value for those low prices!

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

They're open to dealing with the Domin for sure. 7 Eco gets you either 7 Esp to whack someone with or you can buy the OMNISCIENCE Package (treat Esp as 16+ next turn) and get 5 Esp in offensive value. They are also open to counter-proposals.

Amaranthine Archive
Mor 6, Inf 4

Honestly, we were not sure that your intentions were be genuine. Given your dealings with the Nascence, there were many on Zephyrus Prime concerned that you would prefer them as neighbours to us. If you truly wish to send your competitors, know that they will be warmly received.

Regarding keeping them safe, I can say with some certainty that the Archive will be disbanding this year. However, I have assurances that we will go down fighting and give the Nascence a bloody nose for their attempt. Your forces will be kept as a secondary auxiliary, serving to secure our flanks and only used as frontline troops should ours fall prey to any outside treachery.

- Phase Knight Wen, 82nd Archive Administrator

Archive is confirming at least 3 turns of Mil into an Active Defense of Zephyrus Prime that they'll be sticking your VIPs onto. They'll organize casualties so that your VIPs are 'at the back'; that means will only take the frontline if the Archive's Mil were to mysteriously get bottomed out before the assault crew arrives, or else the entire faction is destroyed before the battle ever happens.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Influence 1, Morale 3





Sorry for being comprehensible!

But okay, to translate my last message

-merci for the save
-Site is called the Boundless Expanse, have at it.
-I have 1 Sci, 4 Eco, many, many Esp
-I would like to trade for Mil, Sci, and/or Mor, in that order of preference.

Also, new business, but how would you feel about blocking trade occurring between Channel Seldiva and the Archives this turn? Between the two of us we can cut off all routes





Sorry for being comprehensible!

An alternate message

A small child crying and tugging against your leg as a giant murder-clone charges forward with a **** off plasma sword. They beg "Please save me! They like you!"

Clearer, hopefully? :smalltongue:

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Morale 12, Influence 6

Players

Channel Seldiva
[Output:] 2 espionage required by previous arrangement. Additional Requirements=Science and Economy Prefered.


Idrian Nascence
[Output:] Trade Options: Register Interest
[Output:] Pending Project Costs

[Output:] Willing to trade military assets for espionage, provided its losses are not prioritized.


The Ultrum Domin
[Output:] Offer rejected. Yearly costs of that scale untenable.
[Output:] Gain for the Magnus apparatus accounting for projected costs: 1 stat cap
[Output:] Additional requirement of 15 LF3-investment scale to cover costs of production of yearly payments.

DECLARATION: Inefficient.

Hecatian Shade
[Output:] Science materials will be used in upgrading Magnus Apparatus Science Capabilities this year, in future years repayment science will be used to delve, but any losses will be guaranteed.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Influence 1, Morale 3



Don't you worry dear, your children will be just as safe as when they're tucked in their beds.
Brass Tacks. How many zeroes are going to be on this check?



Deal. I can promise I have more esp than you have Mil, so how much are you willing to trade?

[Writtensanity]

Please be aware that a shipment of camera drones prepared to record the battle will arrive approximately a week before the Contestants, this should give you ample time to inspect them and ensure that they are not detonation charges of some kind. You may notice they are missing microphones, this is simply a precaution against the song.

If you are willing / wanting to go higher, we can provide more in the way of Knights Mercenaries. With a large amount of built forces the battle should be in our favour, and keeping the girls in the back means a sweet sniping montage for the fans.


OOC: Princess and Ferro for 8 ECO Locked in.





You can expect 2 ECO coming from us, a donation from the Archive, in exchange for the Blackwolf Knights. if interested we'd also be interested in purchasing Nabirius for the same rate, and Adnachiel if there are no other bids for their services.





Turning off the Veil Gates is a nasty trick reserved for the Umbra thanks, makes for boring seasons of TV.

Have at thee indeed. If you're interested, considering we can't reach you anyways, we're in the market for MIL this season. Offering cold hard cash for an even trade.

With love, and hopefully war,

Neptune.





Current Export Report:

2 ESP, 4 ECO.

Science was consumed by controlling the Umbra.





It's a feautreless broadcast, with only the coordinates of [52] constantly repeating in a positive tone.

[52 Preferred]





Remind us of the going rates? We might want to put some of your resources on layaway this year to make something explosive happen next year.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 12, Inf 4

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Adias from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back.

Currently, we are offering our OMNISCIENCE UNLIMITED Package, as well as our standard Non-Interference Package for an additional - but quite reasonable - overage.

If you would like to place a future bid on our services, we would be happy to count that against any investments from the Channel next year.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

As of now, the OMNISCIENCE Package (letting your Esp count as 16+ for reading messages) costs 2 Eco. The protection costs an additional 1 Eco.

For bidding on strikes, they start with their usual 1:1 ratio. This year they have 22 Esp effectively on call, so booking it would cost 22 Eco at least.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Merry from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back.

We have not yet heard back regarding the status of your bid. Currently you have retained a sizeable portion of our assets, yet PPS would like confirmation of purchase and your directives on deployment. Additionally, you should be aware that there may be others who will try to outbid you as has been done in past years - and we will of course provide time to offer a counter if from you.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day."

[n0ble]

The Ultrum Domin
Morale 15


Auspices right now are not favourable for trade amongst our people-perhaps in the next cycle.

Let’s haggle over it next turn when it’s active-should be more fair in terms of dealings. Shade betrayed me.




Workings in the galaxy preclude the use of our economics for this cycle-until the next time.


Found another use for my Econ-maybe next turn

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 3
Inf 2

Greetings Southern Friends,

We are sadly unable to continue that deal as of now. The last time we did so saw our small forces wiped out which caused no small degree of unrest. We also have plans for our Mil this year to shore up our problems.

Possibly we will be able to continue it when we are more stable.

Regards,
Supreme Judge Anderson


Amusement flutters over the connection at the depiction of the Nascence as a crying child.

A mediator stand between two parties as they continue their negotiations, the mediator finding themselves unneeded. The information is out there and there is nothing the mediator can do.

The connection sends what is the equivalent of a shrug. What is being done is already being done.

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png
MOR 7, INF 8
Certainly, 5 Eco for Naberius and Adnachiel's use as well?

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Influence 5
Morale 7




That is understandable, we would be happy to engage with you next season on this subject. We might also suggest an additional trade. If you were considering a path towards the shade we would be willing to assist you in the creation of the requisite veil gates for a small compensation.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Morale 12, Inf 6

Idrian Nascence
[Output:] Priorities adjusted.
[Output:] Trade 4 military for 4 economy
RETURN Agreed?

[neriractor]

Hecatian Shade

Mor 8, inf 4

PCs

Contestants and judge,

I believe we failed to apologize for that whole ordeal, so I'll take the chance to apologize for the lost of your warbeasts. Hope you manage stability and we can renew trade soon enough.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Nasty trick? Heh, just an ecouragement to get along with your new enemies, isn't the same battle on repeat slightly more boring tv?

I can spare [4 Mil] for [4 Eco], bigger trouble elsewhere (shocking I know), no funny business though, I expect reparations for lost units, if you can agree we can deal.

With War to match your hopes, and a rush of excitement before every clash.

-Warmaster Adalith, Commander of the Herald's servants.

what it says on the thin, with a little ensurance against attrition.

Gentle Machine,

Very well, our teams will continue to be sent out to your aid, as payment for the aid provided, the Shade recalls and repays their debts.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

to logopathor and the servants,

With or without a response we shall provide aid as possible, let your people find a home somewhere, not separated from anyone's reach for galaxy hoping is no longer the Shade's domain but at least further from harm.

-Chit'al, Head engineer of the Tria-khan shipyards and associates.

NPCs

Spies and assasins,

what is the highest bid for your services currently? we will take the untargeteable agreement in case it is too large to match.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Influence 1, Morale 3

You drive a hard bargain, but dammit you've got yourself a deal!

[Vrock Bait]

Greetings,

We appreciate your patronage and candor. Attached is the hyperlink to a private meeting with our third ally. We do apologize for the hassle involved.

Yours in clarity,
Logopathor & Co.


Basically, send a VIP for a IC PM, it’s probably for the best we move DM discussions to an actual channel so to prevent meta gaming.

[Writtensanity]

Pardon if there was a misunderstanding, our intent was to make an offer for 6 ECO for all three of the mercenaries that we're speaking about. We understand that you might now like the lowball offer, but hey, clients are clients.

Let us know if that works, otherwise, we'd prefer to simply purchase the 2 mercenaries that costs 1 each.

(Sorry for the semi OOC: On my phone and don't have the ARMAMENT names in front of me.)





You mean similar to the insurance that you offered our allies in the Competition when you put their military in your surprise attack against the Domin? Strangely we don't remember them getting any sort of payment for their sacrifice.

How about a smaller insurance than proper full repayment. If something happens we can offer monetary compensation to the families of those lost.

OOC: 1 ECO next turn for any stats lost. Alongside a promise to not hit the Umbra with them (Not like I know where it's going anyway)

[neriractor]

Hecatian Shade

Mor 8, Inf 4

To the esteemed cult,

Very well, I'll go there myself, Chi'tal is both indisposed and banned from handling such things.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

sending a VIP to the meeting

They didn't ask for any payment or insurance, and if we had a one less knife plunging to our exposed backs (knifes I assume they didn't expect, having allied with one of them) they wouldn't have had need of it...

I don't think you properly understand The Shade yet, Warriors are not a loss to their families, they are the families and structure, and in that we are much alike contestants. A shade without warriors is not even a shade of itself* money needs to be enough to equip and train childs and the old, those left or the family is lost anyway.

I am not Warmaster Obor and will not throw life and word in fanciful promise or seeking adventure, be like me and commit to pay for loss in cash, tech or blood; or fight by yourself.

1/5th a stat is no replacement, if you are not sending them to die then there should be no problem, though I'm willing to take 5 of any combination of stats for each loss in case you are mighty pressed for cash and really afraid someone pulls a fast one on you... for some reason.

Not like is too hard to tell where the Umbra is most likely to go, though you can't attack there if we are being fair.

*not even sorry about that pun

[Writtensanity]

Surprisingly, I don't think our allies thought they'd be thrown into Principia's biggest conflict either. Funny how keeping information behind closed doors tends to help.

If our friends at the PPS hadn't let us know you needed stabbing, there wouldn't have been a knife in your back at all, and there also wouldn't be a Domin. We tend to like them existing.

Either way, no deal on full repayment. Armed forces come with risk and if you're unwilling to take that risk for your troops we're not about to shoulder it. Have a lovely year.

Neptune.

[neriractor]

Hecatian Shade

Mor 8, Inf 4

Like they didn't know there were risks to be had, as you say... provoked attrition has beed heard off.

I can see you being friends, close ones even, given your tactics.

A lovely year to you too then, hopefully we won't see you until the next one.

-Warmaster Adalith, Commander of the Herald's servants.

OOC; damn, not I'm gonna have to go back and see if the PPS actually warned you and I just wasn't using their Esp enough :smalltongue:

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png

MOR 7, INF 8
Very well, a total of 6 eco for the use of the Blackwolf Knights, Naberius, and Adnachiel in this coming turn.

[Writtensanity]

We appreciate the business.

[3SecondCultist]

Turn 5 - Exodus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUxFHpDqOH4&ab_channel=BenSalisbury-Topic)

"Even the finest sword plunged into salt water will eventually rust."
- Sun Tzu

https://i.ibb.co/W0hWcGW/Nascence.jpg

Harmony - Eons

Then

A sound makes its way across a universe that has just been born.

The universe doesn't know this, of course. It is fundamentally indifferent, dimensions of space and time expanding outwards from a singularity of immeasurable proportions. But with every score of millennia that it expands, the universe carries something in it; a burgeoning blister in the form of music. High and cold and sharp, yet so far away as to be barely audible at all. It would be indistinguishable from cosmic radiation, except that it also burns with a feverish anticipation.

The sound knows only itself. It has not yet perceived another, for the universe is still young heat and friction and no being has yet propagated. But even the laws of reality conspire to give it a name, one that reflects its fundamental nature and the outer boundary of its grasp.

The Horizon Signal celebrates itself and sings itself, a complete yearning that has already lost what it will find. It cannot wait to meet them all.

As the first worlds begin to become host to life - little more than single-celled organisms, yet they multiply with tremendous speed - the Signal is already there. Bacteria know its call, turn into invertebrate creatures who undergo evolution cycles in a day what should take them several generations.

But the Signal is voiced with violence, across innumerable wavelengths and means, through heat and motion and electromagnetics and light. Each refrain contains different potentialities, divergent species for both self-defense and offense, for finding prey and helping the hungry make their way in the cold void. In communicating, the Signal turns the vast majority of these resources outward, to transmit itself, and each form of communication has different ideas, different subtleties.

The first species begin to devour each other. These wars are not graceful or sensible. The strongest can be torn apart as easily as the weakest. Once it starts, it will only end when a meagre few remain. This matters little to the Signal; the very act of consumption carries with it the potential for change.

In this, a greater, complex communication is achieved. The deaths are variations on a theme played back through time before this universe. It was always going to be a chorus, so the process of their passing is echoed from present to origin, an endless feedback loop played over the stranded eons.


Now

The Signal calls, and the hosts listen.

Cooperation has been the byword of the past few cycles, the gaps in the chain filled by the efforts of others. Species and variants are cocooned in cans that hurtle across the void, gifts from friends to carry the Signal's intent to those who would do it harm.

But what harm can there ever be in sincerity, honestly given?

The arms of the fleet unfurl. They have been transformed, made to be one and other than themselves thanks to adaptation. What metal once existed has been buried beneath layers and layers of chitin, roots, scar tissue and growing flesh. The chain is complete here, each part linking to the next in a continuum of blood and breath swimming through the emptiness.

The Signal's listeners travel through the door in space, and around it. It has no need for such devices but even a mind needs hands with which to work the universe. This - all of this - is its design.

The librarians, the keepers of the quiet, have dedicated themselves to an ending. They would have seen the Signal silenced forever, a decision met more with faint amusement by the song between the stars. How might things have transpired? It does not know, yet in pitting themselves against change they have betrayed their own nature.

Change, after all, is inevitable.

It can be subtle, like micro-organisms embedded into a space tanker's water supply that grow and multiply inside the fatty tissue of someone's grey matter, eggs eventually hatching inside and turning to brain-worms that wind and tangle through the nervous system. This new life would go unnoticed, wriggling happily deep beneath the skin of the old host-bodies.

Or it can be loud, taking the form of modified quill-flyers and living barrages dispatched through the black to land on the librarian's ships, tearing through the hulls and triggering their explosive payloads far from where the Signal will give battle. The officer corps are too disabled to react, of course - when the worms are activated they prefer to chew their way out - so the change is immediate.

What was once a sterile, lifeless scheme becomes heat and noise, and then nothingness.


Then

The Horizon Signal descends upon a grey world. It is choked by several species of eaters, predators whose bodies displace the land and oceans with their stride. There are too many mouths, and not enough to go around. They will starve themselves out within a few cycles. And they know this, trapped as they are by their own natures.

So the Signal changes them.

All it needs is a single host. The Signal buries itself within, transfiguring the host's structure. To it, there is no difference between an incubator and an echo chamber.

They expend their own energy to transmit it further. The idea spreads across the grey world like a ripple.

A species needs to continue evolving. It needs conflict and variation. Failure to meet these objectives leads to self-destruction.

By the time the first of these hosts is finished communicating, it is depleted, unable to even move as it is shoved by the bodies of others that slither past.

Then, in bits and pieces, it is devoured.

Devoured not for energy, but for material. The Signal has anticipated this, counted on it.

The body absorbed, made a part of the eater, and the ones who eat swell in size. Unsustainable sizes, but they grow nevertheless. Deep within them is the genetic code, the whispered secrets of the Signal that will work from the inside. Each iteration carries the nascent change, the urge to evolve beyond that which was made possible before it.

Stairs? No. A ladder. An imperfect metaphor, but the closest it can come to this reality.

When a critical mass on the next evolutionary rung has been reached, the creatures turn on one another anew. Another war, but it takes a different shape, a different form. This time they are not eating for energy, but to stay afloat and stay large enough that they are not subsumed by a greater whole.

Once the Signal has plucked out the strongest, those species that fought the longest or hardest or adapted the most creatively, it discards the rest. Survival in this case is its own reward, as the survivors will see their traits passed to the next generation.

And so the Signal moves on.


Now

With no snares left for the enemy to play, the Signal's listeners are able to turn their full attention to the remaining librarian craft. Wave after wave of smaller vessels – still world-systems, seeking to latch onto the remnants of the hulks and colonize them, a glut of materia growing through their hulls as their native fauna run rampant and their particular rendition of the Signal takes effect.

The larger ships continue to approach as the melee spreads, the hosts of shrieks and furies that nest in their aeries pouring forth and join the battle and tear apart any attack craft or vulnerable ships. Rupturing the voice with bolts of psychic energy and bioplasma, they act as the capital ships needed to truly break the enemy fleet.

Under different circumstances, the Signal might have taken more time to add the biomass to its own - but time is not an infinite resource, and there are other priorities.

The skies thus cleared, the Signal's listeners begin blanketing the librarian world with sport pods – one escape pods or asteroids, now leaving, breathing nodes of infection.

Hundreds of them. Then thousands. Enough to overwhelm any orbital defences, and open the gateways for the full breadth of the Signal's hosts to land on the ground.

The fabric of reality around the planet is broken quickly, dozens of spawning pools and fissures opened in the earth to allow the Signal's swarms to enter, even as the smallest spaceborn fauna descend from on high.

Naked, bloody flesh spreads like a wave, crawling over and incorporating any natives who don't escape into a single world-body. Packs and armies of the variants tear through the cities and begin devastate the countryside, sending overwhelming force in every direction and identifying enemy strongpoints from what is left standing.

The air hums with the Signal's song, offering sweet belonging and peace to any who join before they are consumed or mutilated or dissolved into nutrients in the spawning pools. Thick clouds of smoke, and spore, and orbital debris fill the sky, blotting out the sun and reducing high noon to a ruddy dusk.


Then

The Signal has encountered a particularly interesting species.

For the first time, it has found a civilization - a strange word, this - with instruments capable of detecting its presence. This has never occurred before. They do not seem special, yet they possess some manner of deep machine learning that the Signal has yet to witness.

So it waits, and watches.

In a way these people are just like it: to them, there is no difference between being and becoming. What is at the beginning and end is complete, whole with itself, yet to retain a semblance of stability they have blocked this understanding from their waking minds. Still, it guides them forward unconsciously, impels them to a goal veiled even to the Signal.

It decides, in the end, that the best thing to do is to try the unexpected. It reveals itself entirely to these newcomers, putting the full weight of its noise to bear on the facilities on one of their outer research stations. The results are as expected, as the civilization puts increasingly aggressive quarantine measures into effect.

They do not know yet what they will be, so they have not learned that the Horizon Signal is aptly named. It pushes past these barriers as though they were not even there.

For two hundred of the people's star revolutions they stay away, but the Signal prepares for their arrival all the same. They are too curious, these ones, betrayed by the impulse that will one day wipe them out and make them legends in the same moment.

When they return, it is to the face of paradise inviting them in. Why seek out hostility when the civilization will join the Signal of their own free will?

Yet hostility follows all the same, weapons brought to bear against worlds that would succour and nurture all life within their embrace. The society and their offshoots express a disappointing desire for complete control, the measure of existence moved and brought to bear on the whims of those who wear better clothes.

This is not survival, for the strong are made subservient to the weak. The Signal does not understand the behaviour of this civilization, in the end. It cannot; two sides of anathema will never see eye to eye.

Inevitably, it responds in kind.


Now

A clarion call is heard, another note that the Signal did not anticipate.

Two ships have entered through another gate. Their purpose is clear the moment that they disgorge their cargo: squadrons of figures encased in more hardened life-forms.

The Signal has witnessed these before. They are a Scourge, or part of one.

The small figures begin their counter-assault, screening each other expertly and laying down lines of fire to cover their approach. The ordinance is nothing new to the Signal's forces. Many die in droves, but for every entity that perishes there are two more to replace them.

There are more than enough to push through. Contact is made and battle is joined. A dance of dodges and strikes, mile-long parries and ripostes propelled by jet fuel through gravity as the squadron demonstrates their mastery over this terrain.

It matters little, for they are be turned aside or added to the ranks of the hosts before too long. The day has already been won. Soon, all that will be left is the song.

The net is already closing. Numerical superiority is one tactic that the nascent swarm employs, but it has others: entities that can withstand bombardment, that deploy flares and counter-barrages to protect the sharper tools from destruction come too soon. Howling eternities made flesh, beings that can adapt and phase their movement through adjacent realities to step behind the squadron's line.

They too are cut down, but they buy critical moments for others to close the distance entirely.

The mercenaries aren't enough, in the end. The Signal's forces wipe most of them out before too long, though the ships at hand do a more than passable job rescuing some of the fallen from its harvesters.

The Signal does not care. The librarians have at last met their end, and now?

Now the Signal can spread unimpeded.


The Galactic Congress - 9452.6

This year has seen some major upsets as not one, but two factions depart the Principia Sector never to return. The first is the Archive, devoured entire by the Idrian Nascence despite being ably defended by the team dispatched by the Knights of Orias. The second however, comes as something of a surprise to the rest of Principia, as every single member of the Ultrum Domin just... disappears. Entire worlds, battle stations in space and Veil Gate checkpoints go from being nigh impenetrable, guarded by superhuman soldiers devoted to the creeds of Ultrum to becoming completely abandoned overnight. Nobody knows where the Domin has gone to, but the empire seems to have had no issues up and leaving an entire region of the sector to the wolves.

Meanwhile, the Shaded Worlds and Seldiva's occupied systems see terrain change hands as both factions make territorial grabs. The latter is foiled by the presence of the Umbra, yet still manages to claw out a solid chunk of the available worlds through the hands of their competitors even as their prestige skyrockets. They are joined by the Knights of Orias and none other than a column of the Logopatronite exiles.

How they managed to make safe passage from Korykabria to land in the Shaded Worlds would seem to be a mystery, yet there are only so many paths such a large group could take across the Veil Gates. What was once an entire subsector of neutral systems has been almost completely claimed now, and the unconquered frontier has moved to where the Ultrumites once held court.

Finally on the eve of the Congress, a series of ads are leaked across the sector, showing in great detail a number of very disturbing initiatives perpetrated by none other than the Competition of Xyrtharl. They are portrayed to be jackals and thieves, stealing the hard-earned gains of other factions through psychic might even as they perform mass telepathic abductions for their nameless experiments. Whatever devilry the factions of the Competition have wrought for their games, the public outcry against them is immediate. #NoPsykers and #SendThemHome have become trending key words as protest sites crop up all over the web.

Exactly where these recent developments leave the balance of power remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: the coming year promises to radically shift the status quo that previously existed. Who will command Principia, and who will be crushed?

A research team with expertise into Arco-Medean matters approaches the Congress. They are working on an incredible algorithm that they believe to be the key to unlocking the secrets of the ancients! If given enough funding and manpower by the Congress, they may come up with a breakthrough to help with this task in the coming months.

If this motion passes, all points of Sci invested during next Midturn (on Turn 6) count double towards the number of installation sections cleared and ignore the usual 10 floor cap rule.
Residue from the Horizon Signal and other recent psychic events have transformed the very fabric of existence. Crypto-astrographers and psykers have seen the signs and come to the Congress with a warning. If the warp signals stabilize, Principia could be inviting prolonged contact with realms best left alone...

What is dead can never die. For this turn, all investments into Psi are discounted, down to a minimum of 5:1. Additionally, all Psi actions taken this turn have no failure chance.
OOC: Midturns are due at end of day (EST) on Thursday, May 20th

[Writtensanity]

Now

Bombard was patched into the Archive comms for the battle if you could call it a battle.

The Archive had kept their promise; she and the mercenaries that Channel Seldiva had sent to help hold back the Horizon Signal were on the backline of the fight, defending the ARCHIVE of the Archive, the grand majority of the information that could be salvaged from Principia. The system was uploading to backups somewhere, but Bombard and Channel Seldiva hadn't really had a reason to ask where it was going. They'd promised boots on the ground, not questions.

"System 13 Offline, retreating," the calm computerized voice announced to the comms channel. The constant retreats were expected. Part of the plan had been to lure the Nascense forward into the range of the Veil Gates to unleash Antimatter bombs. Going to give them the same surprise that the Domin had gotten from Logopathor.

"System 15-"

"System 14 Offline-"

"Retreating," the voice stuttered, trying to give two updates at once. That was too fast. Even if the bombs went off, some of the Nascence forces would pierce the Archival halls at that point. Bombard primed her cannons, all 28 of them, and then heaved the handheld industrial miner she carried into a useable position.

The Channel Seldiva feeds in the corner of her vision (ad-free for her!) gave updates on the battle. It was essentially a slaughter. Some of the scientists were doing their best to hold the line, but it was laughable. They'd pledged to give their lives before the Seldiva Cameras had even arrived.

"Veil Gates opening," Neptune announced over the comms to Bombard, Naberius and Adnachiel. With her announcement, the ARMAMENTS came online, and they passed the orders onto the Blackwolves. "'Patching feed to your helmet for live reactions and haptic feedback. Happy voices, people. We're live in 5-4-3-2-1."

The Veil Gates shot out the first ships into open space, but they were covered in sinew and muscles. Horror and fear shot out into the signals from Bombard instead of relief. No Archive ships were coming. They'd been caught out in the Black. This was- this was the end of the Archive.

"Look Alive, Armed and Ready. If nobody else is coming to help the Archive, I guess this is what we've got! Kick some ass," Neptune gave as an order.

The massive doors to the Archival hall hissed open, unlocked by a single scientist who had something close to a starfish where his eyes should have been. Then his body exploded into viscera that wrapped together into sinew and vines, lashing the doors against the walls and keeping them from shutting.

Power failed.

The first gleaming eyes of infinite biological horror peered into the entrance to the Archival hall.

The last stand began.

---

3 HOURS INTO THE FALL

"Ammunition arriving in 15!" Bombard announced to her assembled teammates. A Seldvian ship had punched through the line to get her the heavy stuff that could hold the horde off, but she didn't know if they had 15 seconds. She'd spent the last 3 hours wondering if they had another five.

The choke point was the only thing saving them. The Archival hall was built within a moon, and there was one way in or out. The constant shelling from Bombard was enough to limit the numbers of Nascense into an amount that the ARMAMENTS could manage, but there was just too much. Bombard watched the kill counters on the right side of her HUD; she was leading the pack at over 10000 lifeforms slain, but not by much.

She fired off her energy weapons into the horde, but they couldn't provide the area coverage she needed.

The Seldvian dart drone zipped through the front line of the Nascence and embedded itself in the wall beside Bombard. She reached out one of her suit's hands, and the matter converter did its work, reshaping the craft into workable heavy ammunition.

"Bombard, we're getting killed ou-" Naberius started.

"EAT, MISSLE, YOU FREAKS!" Bombard called out as she started unloading the shots as fast as she could make them. The front line of the Nascence was pushed back into the hallway, and her kill count skyrocketed. Likes and comments streamed in from around the Universe. A heroic last stand was fantastic for views.

Bombard's suit refused to fire another missile. "No hostile lifeforms detected."

"Ain't over," Neptune warned from the comms. "No veil gates activating."

"Archive?" Bombard asked.

"No communications except from you guys for the past two hours."

"Maybe they don't think we're that worth it then," Bombard suggested.

"I've seen enough fights to know that isn't how this ends," Naberius said. The ARMAMENT took a moment to self-repair a shoulder plate that had nearly been infected during a previous reload. "It's-"

A groan to the left cut communications and then nothingness opened up in front of them. Reality rippled, and then the half of the moon that was between them and the Nascense to their left was gone.

Bombard had no audio feeds to avoid the song, but she felt the vibrations on the outside of her suit, like a dozen slow chords playing out as reality rewrote itself.

Biomass surrounded the last stand of the Archive.

Bombard cycled her cannons and pointed them toward the largest of the looming creatures in the stars.

Naberius loaded both of its large cannons, empty shells clattering to the tile floor.

Adnachiel held her laser sword at the ready, gleaming in beautiful defiance of the Horde.

The Blackwolf Knights, well those left of them, stood in perfect formation, wielding broadswords of light.

The Horizon Signal rang out true in the sector, three stark chords, a funeral rite.


---

3.5 HOURS INTO THE FALL

The Blackwolf Knights hadn't lasted long, and neither had the Archival hall. The only thing keeping Bombard, Adnachiel and Naberius alive was mobility. Bombard crashed through the remains of the Archive stations, constantly firing behind her as the twisted bodies of the Nascence reached out like writhing fingertips. She was getting low on the impactful ammunition.

Below, a victory garden was growing in the remains of the Archival Hall.

"Bombard, do you read?" Neptune called, "We got the Veil Gate open and secured for the time being. You got a short window to get out of there."

"What about the Knights?" Bombard asked.

"Same offer to them, but they haven't responded. No signals."

"How long do I have?" Bombard asked, but her ammo count told her that it wasn't long.

"Enough for something heroic," Neptune answered. It was a kind way of saying 'Not enough.'

"Locating Allies!" Bombard answered before diverting power from her guns to her sensors to try and pick up a signal.

Twisted and being eaten away above the Archival hall, the two Knights Mercenaries ARMAMENTS had failed, losing power under the constant assault. A thousand tiny fangs cut into them and were peeling away at the metal. There was no way for Bombard to get close.

"They don't call me a crack shot for nothing," Bombard told those listening in on the live feed before swooping down towards the knights. She rained light cannon fire down at the suits, chipping away at the biomass around them. Still, at the last moment before contact, she diverted her flight path so that the breaking ARMAMENTS were silhouetted against the crackling blue of the Veil Gate, thousands of kilometres away.

Bombard fired her entire salvo of concussive rounds at the ARMAMENTS, doing severe damage but critically sending the mechs careening toward the Veil Gate. Bombard gave chase, turning her guns forward and pushing the suits ever-faster toward the closing window. Bombard's proximity sensors screamed at her, biomass closing. Fifty metres, Twenty. Ten. Five. Four.

Lightspeed Valkyrie suit fire sawed through the oncoming Nascense horde, the Contestants defending the Veil Gate shattering the Nascense front line just long enough for the limp suits of the Knights to fly through and for Bombard to follow them into the safety of Competition Space...

https://i.imgur.com/SJpwiTb.gif

MOR 9 INF 12




We see what the word of Principia means.

We were the only faction to provide military aid to the Archive, some of it ours, some of it Mercenaries we purchased from the Knights of Orias. In fact, we sent the Archive more than they paid us for, in hopes they'd survive.

And then, after all your bluster and panic about protecting the Archive and stopping the Nascence, nobody else came. You all complained from cozy venues around safe stars and asked us to do the work. Well, WE did. Where were you?

Right. Someone in the Galaxy Organized an attack on our allies to ruin their reputation. How convenient, instead of helping us defend against an enemy of the Galaxy you fabricated a new one. Principia doesn't NEED more Villains, it needed someone else to stand up and try to do something Heroic. No wonder the Domin left, they must have found you lacking.

The Clans came and declared war on all. The Competiton and Channel Seldiva wiped out the threat with paid help from the PPS. The Galaxy cried, and the Competition assisted Channel Seldiva in rallying forces to defend the Archive. What have we gotten for our efforts? Attacked and slandered.

Principia doesn't deserve the Archive or the Domin. We'll make sure it eventually does.

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Channel Seldiva Offers PEACE to -

The Nascence - The Archive is gone, let Principia deal with you. We fought your hordes and it makes for boring television.

Conditions: NONE. Channel Seldiva cannot redeclare war for 2 turns.

Logopathor: Artificial God - Our war with you has never drawn blood, it seems petty to continue it while speaking of trying to improve Principia.

Conditions: NONE. Channel Seldiva cannot redeclare war for 2 turns.

The Hectian Shade - Do you wish to continue living in fear of our invasions? Or is the Umbra enough of an issue for your people?

Conditions: Cede Rights to [65, 52, 53, 50]


Channel Seldiva would like to open a Galactic conversation about the Chrysaorian Hegemony, who have simply been waiting for the past years and suddenly have open space all to themselves. They threaten to disrupt the balance in Principia while paying lip service as 'peace keepers'





Words cannot express sorrow. We rescued as many as we could, but nobody could predict the slaughter the Nascence were bringing to bear. Though we doubt it alleviates the sorrow of the Knights, Progenitor Victorya was similarly injured this year. It was an unfortunate year for all involved in Conquest.





A meeting about your current.. social status. In private if



ANNOUNCEMENT: CHANNEL SELDIVA DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE COMPETITION OF MINDS AS STANDARD 0 INF AS IT WAS A BLATANT ATTACK. The Competition of Minds is in no current wars, and we implore the Galaxy to assist us in determining who wasted their attention on the competition while the Archive fell.

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 16
Influence 8



We will correct one slight misconception to the galaxy. You were not the greatest ally of the Archive, despite what you claim. True, your efforts were noble, though not entirely altruistic. We recognize that, and as such will not take offense to your words. You are clearly blind to the possibility of non-military intervention, and as such we wish to correct your claims.

Over the past three years, we have provided the Archive with a total of [35 combined points of stats], most of which was used to strike the Nascence. This can be confirmed by Hecate, the newest addition to our Pantheon. You may recognize her as Doyenne Sael'grisst, formerly of the Archive, given to us in recognition of the support we gave them. We provided them assistance for three years straight against the Nascence, and when the end was clear, we accepted their refugees and pledged to safeguard them into a brighter future.

We hold you in high repute, despite your association with less than reputable factions and your disappointingly short and theatrical war against the Nascence. Show the galaxy that you deserve to carry forth the memory of the Archive.

Incidentally, we have our suspicions regarding who struck the Competition. Neither you nor the Competition may be pleased with the answer, but we are willing to provide a portion of our covert services towards confirming the culprit… provided that it be made clear to ALL who was responsible. We too wish for the truth to be known, given the shameless slandering on your part. As such, we recommend that the investigation be conducted by an independent party... namely, PPS, using espionage supplied by various parties.



I don't think the GM can in fact confirm that Hecate was formerly the Archive’s Psi VIP, given freely for the assistance I repeatedly gave the Archive at my own expense; you may just have to take me at my word, and that it would be utterly ludicrous for me to build a Psi VIP on my own.

Regarding the investigation into whoever hit the Competition, I’m willing to provide 2 ESP, so long as it can be publicly announced at the end. I don’t want Channel Seldiva spinning this, no offense. actually what am I saying yes offense, given your public message.

Just talked to the GM and the investigator chooses to make it public. To ensure that the ESP provided *actually* goes towards investigating this, and to ensure that it's public, I'm proposing that people send the ESP to PPS and that PPS conducts the investigation as a neutral third party.






We are glad you have survived through these seasons; Principia would have been diminished by your passing. Your close ally can confirm that we had begun to plan a strike against the Domin, but we recognize that this is too little, too late. We have, through inaction and self-preservation, done you a gross disservice. We would welcome your return to [Territory 21], should you wish to claim it once more.





Given that the Domin has vanished, there is much territory to be claimed. Would you be available for a meeting with us and PPS, if they will it, to discuss how we will partition this area of the galaxy?





Given that the Domin has vanished, there is much territory to be claimed. Would you be available for a meeting with us and the Apparatus, if they will it, to discuss how we will partition this area of the galaxy?





Would you be open to meeting with us, given your obvious involvement in the Logopathorites’ survival, and given that your cooperation would be required in them retaking [Territory 21]?





Just kidding they are actually dead.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Esp 18, Mor 17, Inf 4

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Adias calling from Principia Personnel Solutions.

Just to let you know before I continue that a transcript of this conversation will be saved on our secure servers and sent sector-wide. Given the weight of the events, accusations and implications currently flying over the 'net, we feel it important to be transparent with all parties. Additionally, we have looped in the factions of Xyrtharl to this conference call as it pertains directly to them.

To start then: Principia Personnel Solutions has no personal quarrel with the Competition of Minds. Though we unequivocally condemn the actions they are accused of having committed, we recognize the reality that they were attacked by parties unknown and the possibility that the evidence against them was altered or even invented whole-cloth. Any strikes against the Competition's position committed by us would be entirely professional; at the behest of another party.

However, the public perception at the moment is that the Competition are, to put it bluntly, monsters. You may choose not to recognize it, but that will not change the sector's opinions. We have found that the will of the masses is a fickle thing and easily swayed, but it does still matter.

To those at Host Station, here is where we stand. PPS cannot in good conscience deal with anyone with such obvious ties to a power tainted by such accusations. At the very least, we have our share prices to consider. Therefore, we would ask that Channel Seldiva officially - and publicly - end its association with the Competition until such a time that the truth of the matter can be ascertained. Such an agreement would include a public dissolution of your defensive treaty and a formal agreement to the rest of Principia that no private meetings will be held between your factions this year.

If time vindicates the Competition, then business can resume as normal. We will happily back off and let the two of you resume your association freely. We would even be open to meeting privately with the Channel in the interim to discuss these matters and others further. On the other hand, refusal to consider this offer might mean that certain doors would regretfully be closed to the Channel this year. PPS hopes that this unfortunate episode will not tarnish any future opportunities between it and Host Station.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day!"

PPS is asking politely that despite the cause, the two of you renounce your defensive treaty and other agreements this year, until such a time as the attack onto the Competition can be properly investigated and their Influence is brought back up to a more tolerable level. At that point they'll back off completely.

That would be as simple as publicly declaring a dissolution of your earlier public treaty and walking back your offer of meeting privately. This would ideally be followed up by a public confirmation to the sector that no such meeting between you will take place this year.

No other action need be taken against the Competition (unless someone hires PPS to attack them, but that's an equally possible outcome for anyone who doesn't already have their protection).
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Pallas from Principia Personnel Solutions calling back.

We agree wholeheartedly that a conversation should be had regarding what is to be done about the Domin territories. Thank you for inviting the Logopatronites, the Oracle Family Company, and the Magnus Apparatus as well; we believe that they have a right to be heard at such a meeting.

Our VP of Customer Relations will be in attendance as usual. She may request for a one-to-one meeting, but we are keeping our options open at this time.

Thank you for choosing PPS, you have a splendid day!"
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there. This is Calepri, VP of Customer Relations. I thought given the weight of contributions that this call deserved a more personal touch than one of my voice culture-clones.

Due to recent events, PPS would like to speak to your own representatives privately regarding the division of territory once held by the Domin. We understand that the Hegemony has made a similar offer, and we may have need to speak with them later as well.

To that end, we would recommend that you take them up on their offer and we can find a time to speak privately about... suddenly aborted business.

I look forward to your reply."

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 16
Influence 8



PPS has rightfully requested that we ALL meet to discuss the departure of the Domin, and as such we will be accommodating their wishes. You are invited to a private meeting at the Colossus in [Territory 17], should you wish to have your voice heard.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Inf 5
Mor 8


We look forward to speaking with you.


We will attend and address all issues there.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

https://64.media.tumblr.com/85abb4386aadea4d3f1f167e80d61458/tumblr_owgl03uqZd1tg2fpgo2_r1_1280.jpg

Zephyrus Prime had no sun.

Not in any literal sense, of course – the star itself kept burning. But its skies were choked black, as the smoke of burning cities joined the rain of orbital debris, and the thick clouds of choking, infectious spores. Soon enough, the world itself was remade, and they were joined in turn by the thick plumes of a half-dozen new supervolcanoes.

The Archivists had been promises a Hell, and the Nascent Host delivered. In the cold and freezing dark, life was everywhere. The bloody flesh that had grown over and through cities and fortresses seemed to suck warmth directly from its roots in the boreholes drilled through the earth by Hunter-Killers seeking buried vaults and shelters, or drink it in from the pyroclastic flows it grew impossibly close to. This was the native habitat which all the former citizens of Zephyrus now called home.

The most eager and receptive were either wholly dead or truly immortal, their identities dispersed wholly throughout the entire world-body, perhaps seeing through its eyes or tasting the nutrition dissolves by its acids, perhaps reborn in part under some other sun.

The strong-willed and resistant but obliging, or the devout and truly pure – the minority who accepted the Song but remained themselves, at least to some degree – still roam free, predators and parasites, each beautiful and perfect in their own way. Some venture out to the desolate tundra beyond the World, some form packs or flocks and hunt through it, and some find raw and bloody newborn flesh to feat on, or cut into its veins and drink it warm, life-giving blood. Most, though not all, grow with the Horizon’s Light, and so most prey learns quickly that light is danger and death.

The vast, vast majority were simply consumed, their bodies taken and remade as needed regardless of their minds. Their bodies lay half-submerged in the World, separate but inseparable, feeling their heart beat in tune with every other, impossible flowers blooming from roots in their flesh and bone. Their mouths are always open, joined in one grand and wordless chorus, echoing the Song in a single melody that can be heard wherever there is life.
Finally, there are the Archivists, and soldiers, and mercanaries – the heroic, and stupid, and unlucky, who stayed loyal until the end, and sacrificed themselves for their comrades to escape.

Their sacrifice was...rejected.

They have not been allowed to join the Song, nor have they been allowed to die. Their lives are spent running in the dark, hunted by predators and infested by parasites to whom their flesh is ambrosia, trapped in a the nightmarish ruins of their home, in a living world that actively wishes them ill.

And when they succumb, or are devoured, or simply give up, their corpse is consumed within minutes. And far away, a blister on the World’s skin bursts, and a perfect clone falls out, their memories pristine to the moment of the Fall. And it all begins again.

Chaos reigns and mercy weeps
And nightmares aren’t just in your sleep
So harden up and brace your breath
The afterlife is full of death.

Morale 7, Influence 1



For three nights straight, everyone with even a hint of psychic sensitivity across the Sector receives the same dream.

A galactic star-map, set in to the Principia Sector. Then zoomed in again to the Zephyrus cluster. It’s northernmost star is wrapped in steel cables extending even further north, but the rest are green and verdant, glittering star-flowers connected by rich and overgrown vines wrapped around each hyperlane route. There is an overwhelming sense of satisfaction, of hunger sated, and a vague, welcoming curiosity towards the rest of the Galaxy.



The Nascence offers and accepts peace on the status quo. Unless directly provoked, it will make no moves outside the Zephyr Cluster for a minimum of one Standard Year.

It goes without saying, but [4] and [6] will shortly be subsumed. Any move towards them will be treated as an act of war.







My friends! My friends!
At last, VICTORY IS MINE
....what now?
It’s a simple question, Billy. What do you want more than anything else in the world?
Now the rest is up to us - there's a future to be won/We must turn our faces outward, we will do what must be done
But you can decide how to do something without know what you’re hoping to accomplish





The ringmaster is dead, the cages of the zoo all broken and overgrown, lit by a warm summer sun. Chains lay rusted and all the beasts within are free, a feral ecosystem of dizzying complexity.

A shift in focus, and a jungle is divided in eight, each habitat clearly stamped with the identity of the apex predators which dominate them. In one, mannequins of plastic and steel tipped blades. In another, the jungle replaced with a mathematically ordered simulacrum, the trees actually computers governing the whole affair. A symbiotic relationships between weak but clever lizard-birds and the behemoths they nest on, goad, and keep fed and care for. A deeply shadowed region where a constant buzzing white noise – dial tone? - distracts prey long enough for its unseen masters to drag them into the dark. The ruins of a crashed ship, with odd monkeys playing amidst it and with technology that seemed miraculous to them. A region filled with constant battle, as its denizens tear each other apart and use the flesh of the vanquished to fill their own wounds. The verdant, sunlit and harmonious habitat of the Jungle as it should be, at its core. And, finally, a gap. An eight seat, distorted and hidden, waiting to be defined. An open question mark.





A Kymera stands, wounded but triumphant, over the corpse of a might Behemoth. Its feeding tendrils dig into the carcass, sinking through bone and eagerly liquifying and consuming the meat within.

An exhausted Fenrir returns to its den, mouth full of bloody meat after a hunt that has taken far longer than it should have. The meal it places before its young is small, but enough to keep them alive until more can be found.



So finally able to provide some repayment on the owed debt. Not sure quite what points yet, but somewhere in the range of 3-5 this turn and the same again next?

[Vrock Bait]

Logopathor, Artificial God

The Honkara System, GC Register 43. Neo-Kardashev II/0; Post-Stellar, Pre-Statal.

Neverro was collecting herring near the coral reef when the void people arrived.

At once, she noticed their odd physiology; they had neither tails or fins. But after a moment, noting their odd metallic carapaces and jointed hands, Neverro simply reasoned that it must be something her god had made. He often made strange, young things from the crabs who scuttled the deep sea.

Her mother had told her to always keep the Children of the Deep at a distance, but to respect them. So she kept on grabbing at the herring flitting around her, but kept an eye on the strange thing all the same.

Neverro gathered the necessary fish quickly. It was not her favorite or easiest task, but somehow proximity to the odd creatures lurking besides the reef could make up for her usual difficulty. She had just turned around to leave when the thing began moving closer.

And now, trailing behind it from behind the reef, were two others, both with the same silvery shells.

These were… these were pack hunters, Neverro realized. Even with their armor, they had clearly organized into a group to take her down. She just wondered what they wanted from her.

The young woman swam as fast as she could, but the three monsters closed in on hot pursuit. Even though her fins allowed her to move far faster, their carapaces seemed to release odd bursts of transparent gas, pushing them towards her. What were these things?

In a last desperate attempt to get away, she ducked into a hole inside the large coral reef, hoping for a passage, or at the very least, some kind of cave system.

She realized too late that she had calculated badly. Neverro had swam into a dead end. There would be no solace from her fate.

One of the metallic creatures had entered the reef tunnel with her, and it grabbed her arm with its bizarre appendages, pushing her against the coral wall. Neverro could see its face more clearly now. The thing wasn’t all metallic shell; where its face should have been, there was something… other. It looked almost like the visage of somebody from her tribe, but it was rounder, and fattier, without any gills needed to breath underwater.

Neverro squirmed against its touch, despair washing over her as she increasingly realized she wouldn’t be able to overpower the beast. It reached its other upper appendage to reach into its shell, and retrieved some kind of small, shimmery bauble, almost like a pearl.

It was a parasite. It must be. The thing would infect her with it. To what ends, she did not know.

As the metallic monster brought the parasite up to her ear canal and began inserting it in, Neverro managed to rasp out an anguished final few words, dreading the moment when the bauble would inevitably enter her body.

“What are you?!” What do you want from me?”

The creature paused.

It slowly opened its mouth.

“My name is Zurama J’Karoche. I am a follower of the god Logopathor.

“I’d like you to take me to your leader.”



“So these… fishpeople have been living here how long?” Eshira asked, opening his diving suit’s secure com. They were in an underwater village now, waiting for Zurama to finish talking with the tribe’s elders.

Tashkent continued staring at his equipment’s screen. “A few million years, give or take. Body plans change slower underwater.”

“And they haven’t developed space travel?”

“No. I asked that girl we met, Neverro. The massive, spacegoing ocean passages we found connecting this system’s planets appear in the local mythology, but the local tribespeople attribute that to the ‘Lord of the Deep’ deity they worship.”

“And.. you believe that’s a real entity, as a folklorist?” Eshira asked skeptically.

“Not a henotheist?”

She shrugged through her suit. “I believe mortal achievement is divine. If an entity isn’t an expression of this divinity, it isn’t a god.”

“Ok, first of all, you’ve talked to Samavelth. He’s clearly a power beyond mortality.” Tashkent replied, “And second of all, even by your pedantic theology, if an entity receives prayers and acts on his supplicant’s requests, he’s still acting as an extension of mortal will, and therefore a god.”

“That’s…” Eshira looked down. “Fine, you win, I’m not a theologian.”

Tashkent grinned through his helmet.

From the left, Zurama, their third party member, waded out of the small coral inlet that acted as the fishpeoples’ tribal meeting hall.

“The elders agreed to work with us,” he said, “I had to agree to give them better hunting grounds once we finish securing the system, but they showed me a rough map of the surrounding tribes.”

He pressed an icon on his suit’s control panel, and a holographic projection popped out.

“Ooh… that’ll certainly be an issue.” Eshira said, “I’ll head back to the ships. I can coordinate annexation better from there. Tashkent, please send me the data you collected once I’m up.”

“Will do.”

“Also,” Zurama continued, “They say there’s a sacred trench farther east, where they congregate with other tribes every seventy-seven years for a ritual feast day. Most likely the site of the ‘Lord of the Deep’ entity.”

“Should we go down there ourselves?”

“No, our people are relying on us to come out of this safely. We don’t have a chance against whatever lives down there, god or not.”

“Besides,” Zurama said, “This is what Jakan built us drones for.”

The birdman carefully tapped two fingers to the pack of his diving suit, fishing for two very specific buttons.

At once, the entire top section of the pack sprung up, morphing into a yellow deep sea drone.

“You’ll be going down there with it, I trust?” Zurama said, to seemingly no one in particular.

“That I will.”



The drone pulsed slowly through the water, fish swimming carefully around it.

Behind it, the faint image of a star-laden humanoid figure followed behind it. It was almost invisible in the darkness of the water, save for the raindrops of light coming off the figure’s skin.

They had entered the trench.

Logopathor looked around for a moment. Omniscience was… difficult, but not impossible. There was something deep, old, evil, lurking within this place. He could feel every creature on the planet but it.

Suddenly, with the swiftness of the tide itself, the dead water of the trench began swirling into a vast, vague dark form. Two pairs of brilliantly bright pupils pulsated out of the center of the mass. Where one would normally see emotion; perhaps warmth in even the coldest of eyes, there lay only death.

“You dare transpass on my realm, outsider?” The voice came from everywhere in the water at once, coming rapidly and hard, the sharpness of it like nothing a mortal could ever fathom.

“I do.” Logopathor replied simply. “This planet no longer belongs to you. I take your realm for my own.”

The form performed what almost seemed like a laugh; it sounded far more like the sound of shells raking on flesh.

“I am Barrogharion, Bloodstorm, Bluemantle, Brinewake, the god of heroism forgotten and the darkness in the deep. I am the whirlpool that drinks hope and the tsunami that eats dreams. You stare into the abyss, outsider?”

The maelstrom’s eyes glinted.

“I stare back.”

The light of Logopathor’s starry visage briefly flickered, but then reasserted itself, brighter than before.

“No.”

“I have met you a million times before. You are not entropy; you are the absence. You are a mystery to be solved and a puzzle to be cracked. You are nothing and I am everything, little godling. Defeat you once?”

The god of knowledge’s form swirled around his enemy, encompassing the entire environment around them.

“I have defeated you a million times before.”



Tashkent and Zurama arrived through the airlock, suits still dripping water.

Ops Command was a beehive of activity; tactical sociographers, field thanatologists, logisticians, and other coordinators flitted around the room, several dozen screens being worked on by multiple people at once.

“How’s consolidation going?” Tashkent asked.

“Really as well as anyone could hope for,” Eshira replied, “Out of the 78 distinct tribes we’ve managed to isolate from the map and a few scans, about a third have voluntarily joined us. Of the remaining two-thirds, we’ve done a few shows of force. Twenty-nine assassinations and twelve purges so far, but we’re only waiting on ten or eleven tribes.”

“Ma’am,” One of Eshira’s subordinates walked up to her with a tablet screen, “The Alaramani tribe has gathered warriors from two others, Rejakei and Vobinum, and they’re heading towards the ship.”

“Ugh,” Eshira rubbed her brow, “Troop numbers?”

“Three hundred Alaramani, three hundred Rejakei, two hundred Vobinum.”

“Oral traditions say that the Alaramani and Rejakei should be rivals. Kill whoever managed to unite them to a common cause,” She said, “Anyway, that’s half of our projections for Vobinum. Kill whoever’s leading the Vobinum attack force too, and send an envoy to Vobinum hunting grounds - we can probably get the opposition leader to help us. After that, offer concessions to Rejakei, purge Alaramani.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“This is very impressive,” Zurama said. “Especially since it’s only been 48 hours.”

“Tactical sociography is a lot easier when you have comparable logistic capability, yes,” Eshira said, “But it was, wasn’t it?” She smiled endearingly, as if she hadn’t just ordered two assassinations and a massacre.

“And refugees?” Tashkent asked.

“We’ll be keeping most of them within the outer asteroid ring of Honkara while we chart routes back to hopefully retake the Three Sisters, but everybody too old, young, or sick to travel further will be sent to bases here. Whatever Logopathor did to the ‘Lord of the Deep,’ he can control the water passages between planets now; it’ll make logistics much easier. Once we return to our homes in a month or so, we can evacuate them again easily.”

“No.”

Zurama spoke quietly, but forcefully.

“No?”

“Our diplomatic corps was all but exterminated during the early Ultrumite attacks. But I’m a teacher, not a negotiator. The only reason you put me in charge of diplomacy was because I already deal with children.

“We need fresh blood. We need fresh Logopatronite blood.”

“You’re not suggesting…”

Zurama nodded.

“We’re on an alien world, full of foreign peoples, aren’t we, what else?

“We spread the Creed.”




Greetings, all.

In our newfound days of peace, we ask that the sector aid us in retaking our former home. We require [ECON & limited MIL], but this will not be without fair recompense.

Available for trade:

ESP
INF
SCI VIP (price will increase depending on motions passed during Midturn)
Various items (+1 MIL, +1 PSI, etc)

Thank you for your patronage. Do contact us if you object to any of the trading involved.



Greetings,

We will, of course, attend. We do need to discuss our territorial claims, but thank you for ceding claim to Korykabria beforehand.

Yours in advention,
Logopathor & Co.



Greetings,

We will accept your peace treaty. We soon meet with a few pertinent others to discuss the former hegemony of the Domin, as I assume you have ascertained. Do let us know of anything you wish us to convey to the others.

Yours in trailblazing,
Logopathor & Co.

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade


Of the far future

The new system was bare, devoid of anything worthwhile, to be abandoned, so thought all but the Shade and its inhabitants…

A massive population of savages living on a minor rock. Diplomatic efforts were attempted, sure, the shade wasn’t going to war when it could talk things out (especially not when there were no resources to be had), enough were made to glimpse the name of the place and get a handle on the primitive tongue but after many unsuccessful attempts lead to skirmishes and resulted in the capture of living specimens one thing was quickly made clear to the Hecatians: the Arco-Medeans had a hand in this things, and thus there was the chance to glimpse some knowledge from them.

An extermination campaign followed, the pockets of green skinned humanoids blasted from space, and hunted down their incubation below the ground, armies were deployed, until eventually an are was found with both anormal amounts of psychic energy, and an ever mounting resistance to the ground teams send to find Arco-medean remnants, surrounded by jagged rock formation that mimicked skulls from time to time, had to be here.

A line was established to hold the oncoming natives while a proper team was set to inspect the place, small squads trying new weapons on the resilient foes with overhead support in case anything happened.

Ale Don was guiding such a team and had done so for 3 quiet days after rotation, comprised of mostly ONU troops trying light battle suits, they were tasked with holding a hill as long as possible. Not a day had passed before he cursed the poor structuring, as his troops clearly had cultural divisions, causing them to bicker all the time, and even he was getting antsy from the prolonged time without an attack…

Thank the third it came, the wardrums sounded ever nearer as he was taken from writing a boring report he’d have to edit “Alright, take your positions” the ambush was perfectly planned, the drums grew ever nearer and a hearty scream signaled the coming dead of their enemies “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

He prepared to shoot at the mob that was coming according to their devices, he let a shot go off early when one of those death-signalling screams erupted behind him and then to his sides, deafening:

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

He recognized the voices and after the shock wore off looked puzzled as his troops rushed to meet the coming host in melee combat, squandering the chance for the test they were actually supposed to make, enraged he threw his gun to the floor to a cry of “Damn 'ummies!”, a pause and a movement of auditory canals was made, trying to make sure he heard his own voice correctly, before repeating what was said to be sure “'ummies…?!” suddenly the battle became but a footnote in his first interesting report of the week.

Again and again

The Shade seemed as stable as ever (take that as you will), the sector was almost secured, both for them, the logopathites and the ever friendly knights, blessed be Orias. A reform in terms of service and improvement of relations within all the shade granted them the army they needed to pursue the sciences in relative safety.

The meeting hall was violence through and through, it was friendly for the most part during arrival, and just the usual bickering when discussing the failure to save the archive, state of the Logopathites, the Ultrumite departure and other pressing concerns. Violence erupted only when the Channel was brought to the table: peace, they offered, and rifts formed: Warmaster Adalith wanted time to consolidate forces, yes, but the Channel would use that time just as well, The church followed the old Hecan way “consume them, it has taken far too long”, the psyker corps wanted war, less their funding be cut, the furthest systems to the fight wanted gains, the closest to avoid paying for defenses that would just serve to entertain the galaxy.

Someone then threw the first duel “if your champion loses, you’ll advice for war”, soon enough everyone threw their lots into the pit in the middle of the delegation, with even some that had no concerns with the business being discussed sending their prized champions just to show what they had paid for… It was the longest meeting there had been, and by far the least productive.

Mor 8, Inf 4

PCs

Esteemed galaxy, and others.

With the regrettable fall of the archive, a gap has been made in both the galaxies defenses against its most pressing threats and the knowledge it had of how to combat it, it is thus that the Shade would seek to retrieve at least a measure of that knowledge in an effort to provide that bulwark.

Donations would be appreciated, but knowing the trappings of statecraft we would be willing to trade, even accruing debt, as the apparatus will ensure, we do pay our debts.

I would gladly take any Sci anyone happens to not be using, payments can be made for it on what the provider desires and I can provide and in the rental of the herald+ mil items/mil for those thinking of expansion.


Hegemony of the ascended,

Dire news and promising developments abound, and I hope that considering that our last actions before the departure of the Domin were towards repaying your debt, you will see us in a better light, we should be united now more than ever.

Now, since our request for scientific minds was public and you are aware of it, we'll like to discuss another matter with you, as the current preeminent power within your sector, that of the split of Domin territory, where we wish to intercede, both to secure an Arco-medean site we believe lies within their previous space, and to restore Logopathor to its rightful place.

Words before conflict (for once),
-Chi'tal, Head engineer of the Tria-khan shipyards and associates.

Neptune,

If you wanted your offer rejected you could have made better headway asking for the Shade's old center , some people still believed in a well intentioned offer, even when seeing that.

The ONU Federation is well past the point of being a conquered enemy, and as a part of the Shade it is unthinkable that we would abandon their system, your "truce" seems but a feint to catch your breath as you even avoid making commitments that will impede you from taking action against us as soon as possible.

If you truly want peace, and not an excuse for more war, I sent agreeable terms, further negotiation can be made in Principia's meeting hosted by the gentle machine*.

-Warmaster Adalith, Commander of the Herald's servants.

Hecatian Shade offers peace to Channel Seldiva:

conditions:Channel Seldiva will close the hideous route it made from 61 to 48 and the one from 65 to 49, once it acquires the adyacent territory, further reparations to be agreed upon for previous treachery [3-5 anything perhaps].
concessions: The shade concedes 65 and 52.

*Kinda want it to be more active, but everyone is making public statements here.



Merry arrival to you, followers of reason!

As the greatest threat to your collective, The Ultrum, seem to have left the stage, we'd like to propose a slight change in united policy and projects, depending on whether or not the channel agrees to our conditions (take to their peace of course, you got decent terms).

We will gladly hire logopathor and any other [Sci] you can spare for the coming months, with soldiers if needed if needed but payments in [mor] would be greatly preferred.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Greetings gentle machine,

We'd like to discuss further deals, including the posponing of this year's payment for next year, when it should be most useful, and your possible interest on both the worlds previously owned by the Ultrum Donim and investing on preventing further devastation.


-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Inf 5
Mor 8




Greetings Zeus. In advance of any meeting we would like you to be cognizant that we will be laying claim to sectors 21, 22 and 23. We hope this will meet with your approval and inform you beforehand to avoid any unfortunate accidental conflicts. We would be happy to cede any further conquest to you, as you had been wronged by the Domin yourselves.



To whom it may concern, the OFC intends to claim sectors 21,22 and 23. We are happy to not lay claim on any other system and hope this intention meets with your approval.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Mor 5
Inf 0

Our Competition has been here for several years now, we decided to take the pressuring of our peers into consideration and work to join the galactic stage properly. We invested in training diplomats, PR representatives, and making connections all over. Yet as we finished the preparations of doubling our ability we found ourselves attacked out of the blue.

Our people murdered, connections broken, and our Competition slammed in the media. We are slandered for not joining and then when we attempt to join we are shut down and attacked without a proper war being declared as expected.

We know that there is a nation out there that is clearly working under the table and destroying the abilities of nations 'beneath them' yet we are the ones vilified in the media.

We will be taking the offer to work and discover the perpetrator of this crime against us. If the nation responsible comes out and takes responsibility as well as offer some reparation's we shall call this even. If we are forced to discover who was behind this the hard way... lets leave it to the imagination for now.

Greetings Allies,

We cannot meet this year sadly, we are too consumed with preparations this year. The attack on us this year has shown us we need to prepare defenses.

The cheering crowds see one of the monstrous combatants win over the other, it had been the crowd favorite and expected winner but everyone was still excited to collect their winnings.

The massive alpha predator of the forest receives the neighboring rivals after it defeats the challenger. It calls one forward to stand with it as they stare down the other massive alphas. After they leave the friendly one lingers, waiting.

Payment is appreciated. If you can make it work then 4 points of any stats.

Greetings,

We have an interest in your trade offer but will not be able to do it this year. Will you be doing the same deal next turn? We have a large amount of goods and currency to offer next turn.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Morale 14, Influence 6

Players

The Chrysoarian Hegemony
[Output:] Mobile Partition will be sent to attend meeting
[Output:] Ultrum Territory perplexingly empty

The Hecatian Shade
[Output:] Terms agreeable, terms are 7 science to be delivered next year.
[Output:] Devastation registered elsewhere.

The Idrian Nascence
[Output:] Amaranth Archive Archive = [data missing]
UPDATE(faction registry)

[Output:] Nascence promises peace to neighbors.
[Output:] Production capacity intentions requested.

Channel Seldiva
[Output:] Devastation Registered
[Output:] Trade economic VIP services for science and espionage?
DESC(Youthcat)
Youthcat is a level 2 economic optimization ai, capable of turning even a small economic package into longterm productive facilities.

DESC(Coffeestain)
Coffeestain is a level 2 planetary scale 3d printing service capable of creating habitable cities with a population capacity of 500,000 human equivalent beings at a rate of 1 / 48 days.

[Output:] Cost = 4 science or 2 espionage and 3 science per VIP.

Competition of Minds
[Output:] Devastation Registered
[Output:] Further devastation potential: unknown
[Output:] Parties: Unknown
[Output:] Competition Reputation: Irrelevant to the Magnus Apparatus for trade purposes

[Output:] Defense against further attacks and resources to repair reputation available for trade.
[Output:] The Magnus Apparatus requires science and espionage
[Output:] Morale VIP also available for defensive purposes.
DESC(Wube)
Wube is a security network AI capable of retroactively and securely locking down a sector scale security network as well as taking under management of defense networks in order to minimize damage that potential foes would seek to cause.

[Output:] Wube cost at 3 science or esp
[Output:] Influence available at 1 to 1 for science or esp
[Output:] Morale available at 1.5 to 1 for science, 1 to 1 for esp (in your favour)

[Writtensanity]

Channel Seldvia Stops Psykerwars Filming!

News from Host Station: Principia. Channel Seldiva and its subsidiaries are ending the broadcast of Psykerwars, their hit media franchise, near the start of its fourth season. Only 3 official Episodes and 98 hours of live streaming in, the program was cancelled without time to end the current season properly.

We reached out to Neptune Principia, as Neptune proper was unavailable for comment.

"Unfortunately regulations placed on the partnership between the Competition of Minds and Conquest: Principia by the other factions within that Galaxy treated to negatively affect the chances of our contestants in this Season of Conquest. We could not call it a fair season of Conquest if greater Channel Seldiva filming priorities negatively affected the power balance in Principia."

We also spoke to Neptune about what was going to happen with the show, and if they had any plans in the meantime.

"There is some political background work to be done in terms of regulating the relationship that the Competition of Minds has with other factions that we will have to complete before re-engaging in our broadcast contract. I can promise that, once we discover the culprit of these actions, likely in partnership with the PPS and the Chrysaorian Hegemony, we will immediately declare war on them, it will be swift, it will be brutal and it will be broadcast live."

Though we had more questions at the time, Neptune declined to comment on the status of their relationship with the Shade, reminding us that it would be spoilers for later broadcasts.



By all means, if you'd like something other than a short-lived war against the Nascence, we would be enthused to join you on the front lines but we also cannot be expected to sit there and wait for more battles while the rest of the Galaxy bickers about how we should be doing more. If you are not fans of theatrics, stop requesting we engage in them.

And please don't spit on the graves of the knights by saying we are blind to the idea of non-military assistance, the Archive, in its final days, asked for boots on the ground, and only Seldiva funded troops arrived.

We trust you will keep your word about assisting us with the investigation.





Commander Idylla is prepared to meet with your representative on Host Station to discuss the attack on the Competition of minds.






If we wanted an offer of peace to get rejected, we wouldn't have made one. Saves ink, Broadcast time and breath.

Your terms ask more than is reasonable for an unconquered foe. You are not a poor victim simply because the faction you betrayed absconded from the sector. Channel Seldiva will not pay reparations. Channel Seldiva will not waste resources closing hyperlanes, especially on territories it does not currently own, and Channel Seldiva will not allow the Shade to concede a single territory and one that is owned by the Umbra as an attempt at 'peace'.

Especially considering the fact that nobody in this Galaxy seems to care about proper declarations anyway. Strange how nobody here seems to care about proxy wars at all.

If you want peace, our offer is there or you can make a more reasonable compromise for us to consider.

If you want war, we shall give it to you. Our game is due for a sequel.





Offer Status: Pending

Pending Reason: Shade Conflict

NEW QUERY

Assistance Request: Attack on Competition of Minds







Should you be interested. We hear that you're in the market for economic stimulation. We are in need of agents and the Channel is constantly looking for new ad slots to buy!

Let us know how much is on offer. We can offer 12 or more ECO for equivalent stats.

Neptune






We understand that our allyship is currently on hold, but that does not prevent our interaction. Should your faction need assistance restoring the reputation of the Competition, let us know. The Channel is on standby.

[kemmotar]

Oracle Family Company
Inf 5
Mor 8


Delve sector 35 -7 Sci+Sci(1) VIP, VIP exploring the higher floor reached. Total 8.

4 votes Yay to "Eureka".

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Morale 7, Influence 1


1 Vote for The Stars Are Right

[neriractor]

Hecatian Shade

Mor 8, Inf 4

Where is so devastated that your sensors turn to it and can we aid at all?

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Neptune,

right, waste of ink and breath, I know your treaties.

We were in the process of paying reparations for the damage made, while unconquered no less, if we are the lowest of scum then you should be able to at least be able to compromise the same as us, oh magnanimous Channel.

We are willing to compromise where you are not, though, and explain that compromise, to give you the benefit of the doubt the doubt when it comes to distorted meanings.

-Warmaster Adalith, Commander of the Herald's servants.

PS: Where is the line drawn between trading with belligerents and proxy wars? I don't believe your game would benefit from suspending diplomacy with anyone who wars.

A new and revised proposal for peace:

conditions:Channel Seldiva will close the hideous route it made from 61 to 48 (as it was admitted to be made as nothing but a provocation, and puts the Channel continually [1 inf] away for an important system, we can reach a compromise in closing the 65-49 gate once it is actually reached). further reparations will not be expected, you are right in that this is supposed to be a friendly truce and not capitulation. None of the parties can declare war for 2 turns and will accept a heavier penalty if they attack outside of it (if that can be arranged).

concessions: The shade concedes 65 and 53. (That's 2 systems, not one, and we meant to offer 53 (where the Umbra wouldn't be at, for long, typing happens.)) will be soon enough, it is a gesture of goodwill, though open to misunderstandings if you really want it misunderstood.)

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 16
Influence 8



It is not theatrics to expect you to actually wage war upon those you have declared war upon. You traded to the Archive, at their request, and you deserve credit for it.

You claim to not be blind to non-military intervention, and then in the same breath say that "we will join you on the front lines". Is it so hard to understand that we do not have troops to place on the front lines, and that the Archive, recognizing this, asked for our help in other ways? That is precisely the point. Should you want us to strike at the Nascence - as we have supported the Archive in doing an have done ourselves - then we would be happy to coordinate with you.

Our word can be trusted; we honour our commitments, despite your allegations. We look forward to the truth being served.





We shall keep this brief. We are willing to provide (2 ESP) for the investigation, but we do not trust the Competition with our resources nor Seldiva with the truth. We are strongly suggesting that you have PPS - as an independent party - conduct this investigation.





You have earned a small measure of goodwill. We suggest you do not squander it.

Speak plainly. Logopathor may - and is, in fact - negotiating for its territory. What is it you wish?





1Sci used to make a route between 19 and 23.

Hades (Tier 2 SCI), equipped with a +2 Sci weapon, will finish clearing Archeotech Site #1 (18/20 floors previously cleared).

7 sci spent delving into Archeotech Site #2 (10/20 floors previously cleared).

Fission Lab used on Zeus (Morale).

Pax used on PSI.

8 votes against The Stars are Right

[Vrock Bait]

Greetings,

Thank you for interest. We will indeed be offering the same deal next turn; do contact us again. However, our interests have shifted to ECO and ESP, away from MIL. Unless the latter was what you were offering, trade would be greatly beneficial.

Yours in the endless search,
Logopathor & Co.



Greetings,

We appreciate your interest, and once again thank you for the territorial provisions. Would a payment of [3 ECO +1 ESP & ECO VIP] be acceptable instead from your resources? Sadly, we have no uses for defenses at our current juncture.

Yours in diversity,
Logopathor & Co.



Greetings,

Thank you for your offer. There were certain… limits on our previous resources that have since been changed. We will be able to offer you almost any resource but ESP this season for the resources you offer. Do let us know what you desire.

Yours in illumination,
Logopathor & Co.



Greetings,

We would like to ask about possibly buying a large quantity of ESP this season; we will most likely be able to offer quite a bit of ECO, along with every single other resource we have at our disposal. Please do let us know what kind of exchange trait you would be willing to work with.

Yours in intelligence,
Logopathor & Co.

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png

It had been a few dark days. The weather of the Orias Hub was tightly controlled, but Kai would swear that the scheduled and tightly monitored "rainfall" that occurred in the station to help with the growth of plants and various greenery had been a few minutes longer than it needed to be. Soldiers or warriors or mercenaries, whatever you called them, they died every day. Thousands of them could die in a day and it would be little more than a fact that one might read in the news and say "that's a shame" and move onward. The war machine slowed down for nobody.

It did not slow for the Blackwolf Knights, it did not slow for the damages inflicted on Adnachiel and the eventual loss of Naberius's pilot due to accumulated injury. It did leave Kai - ever the outsider - with a bit of perspective on things. The rain was a little longer, and nearly every sap in uniform she came across was wearing something with black on it. It may not be much, maybe just the shoulder of a mech or body armor painted black. Maybe it was a little wolf-like symbol, a pin on the collar or a badge on one's bag. Thousands of little unobtrusive signs. The war machine may not have slowed, but it could certainly mourn.

Kai wondered if anyone would mourn like that if she was killed in the line of duty. She fell outside the normal rank and file, she never bought into the peerless warrior culture, and she had years ago tried to end the life of Arkh Ban, on the orders of the criminal syndicate she had once worked for. There was no reason for these people to mourn her. Very rarely did the Knights ever mourn anybody, and she'd figured out on her own, digging through information at the Hub that the only reason there was even any symbolism like this was because it was a full unit that had been wiped out. A unit never truly died until it's last member stopped breathing. Even if a battlegroup that held 1000 soldiers would still live on, even if only 2 or 3 remained. The fact the Blackwolves had died, meant their legacy would die too. Their "name" would be immortalized, but would never again be taken to the field of battle. They had earned their peace.

Kai sighed and went back to walking the streets. Until the Lord Quartermaster had a chance to repair her partner, she wasn't worth much to any kind of war effort, and so she walked, restless. Maybe one day the names "Kai" and "Adnachiel" would be immortalized too, but this was not going to be that day. Of that she was sure.

INF 8, MOR 8
Lives are ultimately fleeting and nothing truly lasts forever. The Blackwolf Knights lived valiantly, fighting like few in the galaxy can dream of. They will be missed, but never forgotten. Our condolences to your losses as well.

No mercenaries available this turn due to injury or personal use. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Using 4 SCI (and 1 temp SCI) to put another 5 floors into the installation.

Votes as follows
>Eureka - 4 votes in favor, lets clear some installations!
>The Stars are Right - 2 votes against, 2spooky4me no wacky extradimentional psychic powers plz, it never goes well.

[Writtensanity]

No need to keep this long.

No deal. Without the system [52] concession, we would simply have nothing to do next year.

Best of luck, convincing your Council, hope cooler heads prevail.







If you are inclined. Perhaps we should make this the opposite of our previous spats.

Contestant Idylla is going to meet the PPS on Host Station, coordinates sent to one of your representatives upon approval.





Should it work into your plans, Contestant Bombard would like to personally work with the Knights this season to assist in their recovery.

[OOC: Offering Bombard, MIL 1 VIP for free this season if it helps make something work.]





We are primarily interested in Influence. Let us know how much you have to offer.





All 8 votes into 'The Stars Are Right' LETS GET PSI BABY

[neriractor]

The Hecatian Shade

Morale 8, inf 4

Neptune,

If that means you agree to closing the both of the connections made by us then I guess we can at least concede [52], as the final line between ours

-Warmaster Adalith, Commander of the Herald's servants.

Very well, for your most formidable help we can go the extra mile and provide help from our intelligence network.

-Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.

Esteemed ascended.

We shall try,though do forgive us for any offense, too much dealing with Seldiva does not lend itself to proper diplomatic experiences.

We have three interests that involve you, at least tangentially, here in order of priority:

1) Make sure Logopathor gets enough land to return to their previous state, if not better.
2) Offer a trade to you, and the other likely conquerors (through you hopefully, if you happen to be talking with them, we are not exactly in friendly terms with most) for the services of the herald, the cannon it uses (+2 mil item) and some of our own assets (some mil).
3) acquire our own, mostly central territory within the area (16 would be ideal), in order to more easily help keep in check the more unsavory members of your cluster, should they threaten you or the recovering logopathor.

If any of these need discussing (the trade most definitely will, if you are interested) we'll happily do so,
--Ala Cait "The follower", second speaker of hecan, Magni.


4 votes yes to eureka
1 vote yes to the psi thingy.

Chi'tal lvl 1 Sci, a series of cranial implants that allow for a form of precognition (+2 Sci item),
Logopathor lvl 5 Sci, and ++ Sci (Autonomous remote probes) will clear 10 levels from the ruins of Urruk.

9 sci and 2 mil will clear 10 levels for Jaws of the Red Boys! (not gonna lie, I didn't plan it this way and it kinda ****ed over my next turn since I'm paying more sci to Dino in the turn where it is worth more, but I like temathically that I'm actually gonna clear this with some mil, so there have to be actual soldiers with the team because the place is packing with orcs.)

2 Sci will temporarily close off the 48-61 lane for the turn.

The Shade will accept Channel's Seldiva's peace, on the condition that they tear down their bridges and the shade doesn't conquer some useless rocks.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Morale 14, Influence 6

Midturn
6 votes in favour of double science for exploration next turn.

3 science to create a route between 12 and 14

[Vrock Bait]

All votes against Eureka.

[3SecondCultist]

Midturn 5

Galactic Congress Results (Public)

The Galactic Congress has tallied up the votes from the member factions all over Principia, and has found the votes as follows:
18 Yay
2 Nay

The first proposal has passed. With the right funding and oversight, a breakthrough into the studies of the ancients is more or less inevitable within the next solar year.

Next Midturn (on Turn 6), all Science invested into exploring installations will clear double the floors.
The Galactic Congress has tallied up the votes from the member factions all over Principia, and has found the votes as follows:
10 Yay
10 Nay

The second proposal was a tie. A random roll falls in favour, therefore this event will pass. With just enough support, the motion to half the psychic events are filibustered and the reality warping proceeds apace.

For this EoT, all investments into Psi (not using Psi, this is an ingoing event) are discounted, down to a minimum of 5:1. Additionally, all Psi actions taken this turn have no failure chance.

Oracle Family Company
Mor 8

Your exploration team dives into the mystery of sector 35 - a puzzle in several dimensions guarded by beings who reward the polite and the pious and punish those they see as arrogant - and emerges on the other side with only some riches to show for it (+++ Sci, +++ Eco). To find more, your people will need to brave the strange and cryptic Trisolene Sisters - a coven of moon sphinx psykers attuned to the flow of quantum realities - who control this region of space. 8/20 floors cleared.
Chrysaorian Hegemony
Mor 16

Hyperlane (19-23) successfully created; map updated.

Hades and his teams clear out the last of the Gaia Event and return with the last of the raw materials for testing and analysis, including what appear to be hybridized genomes of... space whales. Who knew? (+++ Eco, +++ Sci) What's more, the Hegemony's science teams recover a unique consciousness relay that can protect a mass of people from outside influence if put in the right hands (+1 Mor item). Finally, at the heart of the Event is a strange looking turnstile that's been broken... it would seem that the prehistoric looking jungle might be quite a bit younger than anticipated (1/3 of Tier 3 Archeotech). 20/20 floors cleared.

Sadly in the rush to escape the plot-necessitated ontological collapse, Hades' consciousness is scattered and will require some rebuilding (Hades disabled for 1 turn).

Turnstile-like creation capable of sending materials forwards through time and simulating growth. A player invests temp stats into the Archeotech at Midturn for 150% return next turn (so if you send 6 of a stat through, you get 9 temp stats of the same type at the next Midturn).
Meanwhile, your other scientists continue to investigate the other installation out in the black, the Subzero Shoal. The entire area surrounds a 'dead space' where all particles enter into an induced absolute zero state, losing all temperature and vibrational energy instantly. In essence, it acts as a sticking point in space that has floundered many an unwary trader. Over the centuries, dozens of ships have been torn apart as a stray bulkhead or engine brushed against the edge of the Shoal... and so it has grown into a garden of derelicts. Exploring it is as dangerous as anything the Hegemony's people have ever attempted, but they emerge with prizes in suspension (+++++ Eco, ++++ Sci) and a very sophisticated weapons system (+2 Mil item). The heart of the Shoal awaits. 17/20 floors cleared.

Both Archeotechs function as intended. Psi protected, Zeus cloned.
Magnus Apparatus
Mor 14

Hyperlane (12-14) successfully created; map updated.
Hecatian Shade
Mor 8

Hyperlane (48-61) temporarily suppressed; map updated.

The Shade moves in double time to take on the mysteries of the creators and others who have followed them; twin expeditions are launched into the Ruins of Urruk and the Jaws of the Red Boyz. Each bears their rewards... and each their dangers.

The Ruins of Urruk are hauntingly beautiful. It was once a technological marvel, a planet-sized city surrounded by a trio of agro-moons with space elevators to carry harvests down to the planet. Now it lies abandoned, save for the desiccated corpses of its people who slowly lost the will to live or feed themselves. By the size and luxury of its design, whoever lived here was more than used to wealth, and your people make off with freighter-holds worth of new material to sell (++++++ Eco, +++ Sci). Furthermore, you find a piece of a lost technology you have heard of before: Egalitarium (1/2 of Tier 2 Archeotech). 10/20 floors cleared.

Unfortunately, in the excitement one of the fighter craft triggered a proximity alarm, which caused a critical circuit failure and led to one of the space elevators collapsing into the atmosphere. From orbit, the bombardment wiped out nearly half a continent's worth of material, including a portion of the exploration fleets. Installation locked for 1 year.

The algorithm known as 'Egalitarium' did not exist solely in the Republic of Mei: it was created by the Urruk as a means to increase their net wealth and enslave other, more weak-willed civilizations in the chains of interstellar capitalism.

When activated, there is a 50% chance that during the next EoT that all stats that get upgraded by Eco or an Eco VIP double their improvement. E.g. A faction that spends 5 Eco on Mil after successfully activating Egalitarium would get 2 Mil, not 1. This applies to all stat increases using Eco for that EoT.
Meanwhile, the Jaws are anything but serene. A pocket dimension where the laws of the jungle and the WAAAAAAAGH! reign supreme, it is a sort of psychic echo of a past from who knows when? But as far as the native denizens are concerned, the Shade are interlopers of the worst sort and constantly conspire to drive them out. Though there are a few close calls, the teams manage to recover not only Da Shiniez (++++ Eco), but also Da Good Stuffz (+1 Sci item, +1 Mil item) including a sentient blasta that proves... slightly on the omnicidal side. Finally, the Shade's forces recover a strange crashed solar yacht that had crash landed into a swamp (Tier 1 Archeotech). 10/20 floors cleared.

This stunning solar yacht was once used by Arco-Medean diplomats and ambassadors. Unlike most other Archeotech, its function is purely symbolic and does not need to be actively used (no need to activate, its effect is permanent as long as you simply hold onto it).

The prestige of the legendary Thracian Forum is still recognised all around the sector. During each Galactic Congress, you add 4 votes to your vote count.
Knights of Orias
Mor 8

Hyperlane (40-44) created; map updated.

The Knights continue to delve into their Arco-Medean ruin, recovering a small trove of psychic material as well as research (+++ Sci, +++ Psi) and recover a trove of manuals to be read by its various recruits (2 xp to all VIPs). Furthermore, the front-line explorers uncover a databank with a curious and familiar program loaded onto it (1/2 of Tier 2 Archeotech). 10/20 floors cleared.

The algorithm known as 'Egalitarium' did not exist solely in the Republic of Mei: it was created by the Urruk as a means to increase their net wealth and enslave other, more weak-willed civilizations in the chains of interstellar capitalism.

When activated, there is a 50% chance that during the next EoT that all stats that get upgraded by Eco or an Eco VIP double their improvement. E.g. A faction that spends 5 Eco on Mil after successfully activating Egalitarium would get 2 Mil, not 1. This applies to all stat increases using Eco for that EoT.

[GameOfChampions]

Competition of Minds
Inf 0
Mor 5

Greetings,

Thats fine if you do not but the PPS won't deal with us directly and we also have no Esp to donate to this project as much as we wish to. We are preoccupied with repairing our damaged reputation among the galaxy this year and it is dominating all our stats.

Supreme Judge Anderson

Greetings,

Thank you for your kind offer but we have trades in motion already and defenses prepared this year. We have no extra resources to trade with you at this point sadly. We may have to revisit the offer next year though when our substantial Econ is available.

Regards,
Supreme Judge Anderson

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 17, Inf 4

The missive is not an advertisement but rather a series of encrypted electronic messages sent to the various leaders of factions all over the sector and beyond.

To all subscribers and other interested clients,

After our last quarterly meeting, Principia Personnel Solutions has decided to discontinue our current . The information deals such as the OMNISCIENCE UNLIMITED package, though lucrative, have in fact resulted in unsustainable market diminishment across the intelligence sector. The experts in our analytics division have predicted a significant downturn in communications across Principia, rendering the benefits of our package obsolete by this time next year.

PPS believes in full transparency with all of our clients, and we cannot in good faith ask anyone to pay for a service with such small returns. Going forward, our plan to continue trading information for currency, but this will be on an individual basis. Our company will not be accepting any cash bids from any clients this year, as we perform internal restructuring in preparation for our new business model.

Thank you for all of your continued loyalty to PPS. Your business remains important to us.

- Meram Shado-Kynes, VP of Project Management

As of Turn 6, PPS will no longer be offering the OMNISCIENCE UNLIMITED Package.

However, PPS will be offering rates for folks next turn to buy the secrets of another faction instead. That means that if one faction wanted to read the mail of another faction in particular, then it would cost 1 Eco to do so. They won't extend the offer this turn - they/I want a turn of everyone without high Esp 'in the dark' - but starting next they will start hosting talks privately in that direction.

[A_Dinosaur]

The Magnus Apparatus

Morale 14, Influence 6

Hecetian Shade
[Output:] Competition of Minds Devastation Critical
[Output:] Offer of assistance refused
[Output:] Resources focused inwards
[Output:] Apparatus Territory must be secured against the Horizon Signal

Channel Seldiva
[Output:] Assistance already offered
[Output:] Offer Refused
[Output:] Focus turning inward
[Output:] Territory must be secured against the Horizon Signal

The Competition of Minds
[Output:] Response Registered
[Output:] Resources Focused Elsewhere

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 16
Influence 8



We do genuinely appreciate the offer. Unfortunately, our representatives are needed elsewhere; we would be happy to meet with you next season, if you would like, and know that we will not move against you in the interim.

Apparently the Competition is declining to use their Espionage to conduct the investigation; as such, we are prepared to provide it next season for investigation, unless you have [3 ESP] with which to conduct the investigation into the culprit.





Regarding your interests,



We appreciate your intent, but that is a matter to be settled directly between us and Logopathor. Your concern is noted.
We do not need military, unfortunately, but we wish you luck in acquiring what you need.
This is not an option. Any such attempt shall be met with extreme prejudice. You have an abundance of territory of your own; do not attempt to take that which you have no reasonable claim over.


Respectfully.





Very well. If you need our espionage in the coming season, then perhaps we can provide it for this investigation.

[Vrock Bait]

Mor 1, INF 5

We have 5 INF available for trade this season, and we would most enjoy ESP in exchange, but almost every other resource would be useful.

[Writtensanity]

Offering 2 ESP and 3 ECON for the INF.

[3SecondCultist]

Turn 6 - Cabal (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I5m895E1sQ&ab_channel=MrMihawkMrMihawk)

"An alliance with a powerful person is never safe."
- Phaedrus

https://i.ibb.co/jMzd2Xn/Dynamo.jpg

Cause - 9453.12

The telephones rang. In point of fact, they never stopped ringing. All through the building - wall to wall carpeting in some drab cousin to aquamarine, cream coloured walls with tired wood accents - they rang. The view from the duraglass windows on the 77th floor would surely have been stunning, save for the smog that pressed up against its surface. When it relented, usually for a few hours in the afternoon or just after sunset, one would be able to see the unrelenting glare of the metropolis beyond, brilliant and cold and very far away. But nobody ever bothered to look outside, these days.

They'd paved paradise here on Creon 6DE, and as an old song said, had put up a parking lot. Well, skyscrapers, but it was a catchy tune all the same.

"Mr. Doric?" The man sitting in the office at the end of the row was slouched in his chair, staring at the set of monitors in front of him. He was balding, with more salt than pepper in his rough beard, and wore a suit clearly too small for him around the waistline, doughy body spilling over his belt. Bleary eyes more bloodshot than clear did not move, barely blinked. His mind, after all, was elsewhere. He did not react to the hand tapping his shoulder the first time.

"Excuse me sir? Are you Wyatt Doric?" At the sound of the full name he turned at last, making eye contact with the assistant. All high heels and skirts, a trisivar more notion than flesh, in all six eyes an implied demand to follow. The middle manager's eyes glanced over towards the other end of the floor, at the glass-walled conference room where he could see another figure waiting for him.

'Doric' paused, thoughts on hold. A light blinked beneath the skin at the base of his neck as sensory data was transmitted to the neural relay network. Then, as the outer boundaries of this limited consciousness unfolded, Crimson Phoenix Dynamo took the sleeve out of standby mode and assumed direct control. The body's eyes narrowed.

What does she want? The sleeve hesitated, but saw no way to politely refuse the request. Whatever play Shado-Kynes was going to make, let her do it now and get it over with. He had more enjoyable diversions to return to. So in the end he got up and followed the assistant as requested.

The conference room was more of the same, unforgiving lighting and a stark desk of vat-grown wood substitute. The forests on Creon 6DE were all artificial, but if you couldn't tell the difference, did it really matter? The woman who was sitting opposite him at the table invited him to take a seat, introducing herself as 'Ms. Bretberg from employee resources'. She opened a folder in front of her and slid second one over to him.

A muscle moved at the corner of the sleeve's mouth. Oh, that b*tch. She's not really going to... now? Now? When I'm so close?

Though it was the compliance officer's lips speaking the words, but he knew well enough who had put them to paper. "I am obviously sorry that we are here today, but these are extraordinary times, as you very well must know."

"I know it doesn't look that way, but even when I'm in this sleeve I run Contract Enforcement. I don't see how that's a natural place to start cutting - "

"This is in no way personal. The majority of your department is being let go today." She stopped for a moment, and all Doric's ears could hear was the faint ticking of the clock at the back of the conference room. "Ms. Bretberg is now going to go through the details of what the company is willing to offer."

Crimson Phoenix Dynamo, still thinking furiously, effected a sigh. "Okay."

"Mr. Doric, PPS is offering you six months' severance at half your salary. You will keep all non-combat sleeves and company inventory of Class E or lower that you currently hold; health and dental will also be extended during that time. You have until," at this she checked her watch, "tomorrow at 4:47 pm to take this offer or it will be revoked. Do you understand?"

"Yes." It didn't matter that this was a sleeve; they would have been informed. A single look at the document saw that the employee being let go went by his birth name.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Doric, due to the sensitive nature of your work here, the company has to take certain precautions for security purposes. I hope, given your," here she paused again to check the script, "over 19 years of service to PPS that you understand these measures are in no way indicative of any feelings towards your performance or your character."

At this he wore a frown. "No... sorry, no, I don't understand."

"She's apologizing, for," a flicker of a glance between the two. Were they nervous? The sleeve's eyes glazed over as Crimson turned on the infrared filter and internal scanners. Ah, elevated heart rates and higher than normal activity in the human's adrenal glands. Well, he chuckled inwardly, they knew for certain who he was then. "For what's about to happen."

"Your weapons caches, access to company data servers, all aliases and any enhanced sleeves will be restricted as of this meeting," she gestured at the clock. Tick, tick, tick. "And these gentlemen will take you to your office so that you can clear out any personal belongings."

He stared forward, unblinking. "What about what I'm currently working on? The Annihilation Protoc - "

"Principia Personnel Solutions has worked out its transition plan, and is prepared to move forward, but we do appreciate your concern."

"We understand that this is difficult," chimed in the assistant, "and here is my card. Please contact me in the next few weeks if you need any assistance with this transition in your existence." She indicated the doors behind him, where a pair of armored rhoxians had appeared and were waiting for him. He stared at the two of them, making so secret of sizing them up.

"Sir?" The closest security guard asked. It wasn't really a question, he knew.

"... Okay. Okay."

Tick, tick, tick, continued the clock.


Effect - 9454.07

In a different office building, in a different month, in a different year, there stood a different table. At this table, decisions were made that determined the course of billions of lives, scores of planets on stars hundreds of light years apart. This table was nothing special - neither was the room in which it was placed, really - save for that around it sat the vessels for Principia Personnel Solutions' executive committee.

And today business was booming. Of the twelve seats, eight were filled. The Gurus, vice-presidents of the company by appointment en lieu of a formal CEO or CFO, each had their respective domains and on paper at least saw equal profits from PPS' various ventures. Of course, things were rarely that simple. For one, the very nature of their responsibilities saw certain members increase in value, while others had taken demotions.

But put everyone together in a circle and suddenly everything seemed a lot more equal.

They listened raptly to the artificial intelligence in cybernetic form who was gesturing to the holographics display hovering the middle of the room. It showed projected models; income payments, likely venues of aggression and intervention, percentages of profitability based on actions taken in future conflicts. As the AI spoke over the slowly changing visuals, several symbols came to the fore: case names designed for shareholders to be put into options packages for investments into futures. Each of these portfolios branched off into their own dizzying series of calculations and predictions, including theorized asset holdings and likely changes since the last yearly meeting, and were listed from most valuable to least.

Factory - FAC. 56.89. +7.41. +13.00%.

Lancer - LNC. 55.03. +5.25. +9.54%.

Arena - ARE. 54.95. +9.21. +16.76%.

Prophet - PHT. 52.38. +6.70. +12.79%.

Godhead - GHD. 50.65. +8.97. +17.70%.

Swarm - SWR. 40.52. +6.36. +15.69%.

Contender - CTR. 39.41. +3.24. +8.22%.

Exile - EXL. 25.72. +4.01. +15.59%.

Plague - PLG. 16.19. -23.07. -63.63%.

It was the last of these that Z-46 Unified Observer, VP of Finances, was expounding on to its peers. "As you can clearly see from our analysts, we predict a... significant downturn in PLG's immediate future. My office has already sent out memos to anyone holding stock to liquidate their positions by midday. Due to the high amount of volatility involved both in and out of the market, I believe PPS has a fiscal responsibility to be upfront about our dealings here. Given the significant amount of growth that's projected this year without any war declarations, my department can verify these numbers to a 88% accuracy rating, which falls below our certainty parameters."

There were a few nods around the table at this. Most of what had been discussed here was a part of the weekly email chain, which was constantly evolving as the new trading data came in from across the sector.

Z-46 continued, only stopping when a dark-skinned figure in the shape of a woman raised her hand. Meram Shado-Kynes, VP of Project Management, primus inter pares, usually had the floor when she asked for it, and today was to be no exception.

"Thank you. Calepri has just gotten in touch regarding the meet with the representatives from Godhead, Prophet, and Factory. Together they have put together a stimulus package to induce our agents formerly assigned to Stronghold to re-task their services. Z-46, how far does that change the accuracy rating?"

The artificial being had halted in place halfway through the sentence, and anyone standing nearby would hear the clicking and whirring from beneath the chrome plating. "We are now looking at a 92% accuracy rating, according to my internal algorithms."

"Excellent." Shado-Kynes clapped her hands together. "Once our next payments from OMNISCIENCE UNLIMITED come in, we should then prioritize - " she stopped as something caught her gaze. A trick of the light, or...?

The first bullet went through her eye, hollow point expanding moments after impact to send chunks of splattered brain and skull fragments all over the room.

Before the other executives could even scramble to their feet, figures all around the room appeared as they dropped their cloaking. The guards at the exits slumped to the ground, throats cut, even as the rest of the fire team performed their job with aplomb. Within six seconds, every single vice president, executive assistant, or bodyguard was crippled or dead.

"Hah! Whatdya know, worked like a charm," announced Crimson Phoenix Dynamo, tapping the underside of his helmet to disengage his holo-mask. The same design the rest of his personal squad wore in the field - a bare arctic skull imprinted on black - disappeared, revealing his face to the room. He strode over to Shado-Kynes' chair, kicking it out from under her and causing her to collapse to the floor. She was still spluttering as embalming fluid leaked from the corpse's face.

He sighed. Damned ascarii. Pulling out his combat knife, he got to work digging her out of her latest shell. Writhing in his hands, the worm-like entity hissed and spit at him until he pulled his pistol.

"You're being rude right now. Do you see me being rude? If you'll let me, I'm going to get you into a safe container so your body doesn't collapse on itself." Shaking his head, he beckoned one of his guys who had the tube ready for transport and deposited his former boss within it.

"There you go, a nice nutrient bath until we can find you another host to occupy." The ascarii writhed animatedly, reaching down for the control module. Almost simultaneously, letters began to appear on the display at the bottom of the tube.

Should have stayed gone. Will hunt you down for this.

He snorted. "Please. Parradai and Raith gave me your admin access codes weeks ago. Looks like I wasn't the only one fed up with the way you and that robot were steering the ship. Or don't you think it was odd that they were so quiet in today's meeting?" He held out the tube in the directions of the two other 'vice-presidents'... or rather the home-made clones he'd prepared. The cross-sections in the now visible muscle tissue gave it away.

"You probably didn't even notice. I mean, what did you think this was? We aren't pencil pushers, or did you forget somewhere along the line that we're supposedly a f*cking assassin company?"

Followed trends in demand. Maximized profits. Good for the company.

"See now, that's where you got it wrong, Shado-Kynes. Sure, you grew our books, our bottom line. But you forgot the essence of what we are, of what we do: we shoot things until they stop moving. Or poison them. Or blow them up. Or f*ck, shoot them until they stop moving using poisoned explosives!"

He shook his head, laughing. "It's not about the money..." he tossed her container to one of his fire team, snapping his fingers to summon one of the assistants waiting at the door. "It's about sending a message."

"I want a personal missive from VP Shado-Kynes' personal account to go out to all clients today, expressing our regret but that we have to cancel our current intelligence packages. Tell them..." Phoenix Dynamo thought for a moment, "tell them that we're going dark next year, and that we'll deal with them one on one. That should get tongues wagging again."

He looked at the map of Principia and felt his mouth split into a wolfish grin.

"Everyone burns."


The Galactic Congress - 9455.10

A quieter year greets Principia as there is a distinct lack of any kind of major ship to ship or ground war ensuing. In fact, the amount of official war declarations between powers has dropped to a nil, as Channel Seldiva's peaceful overtures towards the Logopatronites and the Shade round out the fires being put out around the sector. Open war is giving way to the era of big business and profitability, as companies like the Channel, the Oracle Family Company and Principia Personnel Solutions have earned more than their fair share. Even the previous vitriol launched at the Competition of Minds seems to have died down, as the furor over their past experimentation fades quickly from the 48 hour news cycle and their own people have done an admirable job of damage control. The hate sites have been essentially abandoned, giving them more free rein to consolidate and plan this year.

There is, however, one massive exception to the rule.

Less than a month back, the stars themselves came to life in a singular strike the likes of which the sector has not yet seen. Stealth fleets armed and armoured with terrific weapons of mass destruction were launched in an unprecedented coordinated assault on the Nascence worlds, striking at critical junctures to destroy key ecosystems and the majority of their armed forces. At the same time, some kind of strange ritual was performed on the Horizon Signal, and a slew of killings all over Principia revealed millions of infiltrator species already spreading from those systems. What was once the secret knife of the Nascence is forever broken, not likely to be reforged in this generation. That they were able to scrabble onto another world is of little consequence, as the Signal is sent running and even has to abandon one of its very own systems.

In the aftermath, the latest of the Nascence's plots is revealed to all: they were covertly putting parasites in place to infiltrate Principia Personnel Solutions, hoping to hijack their spy network for a short time. Though they had barely begun the project, the evidence is damning enough to seal their doom.

Except PPS has gone unexpectedly dark for months, nobody answering the phone lines. Whatever new game is afoot there, no one is able to say.

Perhaps as a consequence of the armistices around Principia - coupled with renewed confidence in markets thanks to the stabilizations in what is already being referred to as the 'Post-Nascent Era', buyers are flocking to stock markets all over the sector. At the same time, many are calling for renewal and advancement, to empower a new generation of heroes in the likes of the already-disbanded Fivefold Scourge. The Galactic Congress will need to weigh in on the unprecedented spending, to encourage businesses or curb them before they run completely out of control.

At the same time, the Oracle Family Company has once again cleverly put its people in place to sway the Congress this year, as they champion the rights of the heroes who have ignited the passions of the common people of the planets. Monuments and new courses are being proposed, promotion tracks for those in positions of influence to cement that advantage and turn them into true legends.

Money makes money. This turn, all investments into Eco will be discounted by 1, to a minimum of 4:1 (not including VIPs).
This motion was presented by the Oracle Family Company.

People trust to heroes, now more than ever. For this turn, all VIPs can be improved for 3 less. A Tier 1 VIP only costs 7 to upgrade, Tier 2 costs 17, etc.
OOC: Midturns are due at end of day (EST) on Saturday, June 5th

[Let'sGetKraken]

The Chrysaorian Hegemony

Morale 17
Influence 10



We would like to preface any sword-waving and saber-rattling, to quote an anachronism from days long ago.

We are admitting some degree of culpability for the attack on the Nascence, though we did not launch the attack ourselves. We shall not be shamed for it; we are at war with them. It was intended to be a clean kill, ridding the galaxy of the Nascence once and for all.

This is a show of trust, and a peace offering. We wish to reassure you and the Competition that this was a one-time event, and we have no intention of working with the various involved parties again for a strike of this magnitude. It was almost more circumstantial than anything else.

Should you wish to discover who struck the Competition, we can provide you with a very educated guess privately, or we can contribute 2 ESP publicly.





Given that PPS seems to have withdrawn, we should be safe to communicate privately. I doubt there are any who can read our communications.

We have no particular desire to work with OFC or Logopathor, given that the former seems to delight in intrigue and manipulation, and the latter is vitriolic and too weak to be significant. We would, however, very much like to cultivate a working relationship with the Apparatus, now that you have proven to the galaxy that you are not the mechanical counterpart to the Nascence.

Do consider.





As our neighbors and as long-time clients, we are concerned about your current developments, though we do recognize that it is none of our business. Specifically, we wish to know whether you intend to demolish the Nascence, for their audacity in thinking to subvert you for their own aims.

[Writtensanity]

https://i.imgur.com/vdXikeF.gif


"Folks we are so happy to have Victorya back on the show with us today after her interesting encounter with the Umbra. Now she-"

"Cathy if you say 'Lost' I will throw you through that wall."

"Is the only being we know of to fight the Umbra and come away with her life. Seeing as Ferro took the first retreat in that fight."

"Ferro followed orders and that was smart Cathy."

"She's a smart girl. Now, if you don't mind I'm going to jump to business considering that, well, we have limited time for this broadcast and I have a lot of questions."

"Take it away."

"You were down and out for most of a Solar year, and in that time there have been some huge political changes from Neptune who was handling most negotiations at the time, any comment?"

"You want me to talk **** about my Boss?"

"Progenitor, please."

"Fair enough. Look. Conquest and Channel Seldiva are Neptune's projects. I'm a contestant and by most rules that means that I am leading and all of that but I do not get the final call in Conquest because it's not strictly a Fotuan Empire endeavour. Even before this most of the decisions were collaborative between myself and Principia Neptune."

"You're very good at avoiding questions."

"I'm getting there."

"In the end, I don't think I would have made some of the same calls that Neptune made last year if I'd been part of the decision process. We have a lot of outstanding treaties now that we need to uphold and that is very limiting for our actions this year. Honestly, that's the main part I would have changed.

"So you would have sued for peace from the other nations too?"

"At least one, I don't think there is a situation where we stay in active war with the Nascense after proving our point. There wasn't enough ground to be gained there. That said I've never been the kinda person to live in the past, useless. Just kill the thing in front of you."

"Well then, current events. Let's talk about the unexpected shipment from Logopathor..."


MOR 12, INF 12




Neptune is on the feed, a short message that is unencrypted to most of the sector.

"Far be it from me to turn away a gift but for some reason, I don't think that this was an offering." She motioned behind her to the diplomatic materials and favours signed by Logopathor that were sent during the end of last season. "Now I don't know how trusting people get under Logopathor, but Channel Seldiva is a company, we're contract people."

"We expect that this was in response to the offer we made last year, but at the same time we only made an offer, there was no confirmation. I'll give other people access so they can confirm. In the end, we said that we were willing to make a build but when we were met wth silence and it came time to make decisions we had to commit."

"So what do we do about this? What kind of payment are you expecting for this?"



Last turn (Y'all have permission to see our last communications) Logopathor and I were speaking about a trade. He clarified what he had to offer, and I said what I could offer him in exchange but we never 'finalized' the deal. He sent me those stats this season while, seeing as I didn't think a deal was happening, I didn't send him the amount I'd offered.

I know this likely marred plans but it wasn't an intentional break of a deal. In my eyes, we'd never locked it in so I just assumed I wasn't getting the INF.







With the PPS Silent, we likely have 1 Faction that can reasonably read OUR messages. We need to assume that Logopathor can and it wouldn't surprise me if the Hegemony pulled that out of nowhere.

Either way. 2 Questions.

1. Did everything go steadily for you since our last private conversation?

2. Are we chasing down the Faction that attacked you now that your defences are back online?






We are reaching out to our former partners in the Competiton about both their wants this season and whether we are putting our collective efforts into determining their attacker.

There is a chance they let water flow under the bridge on this one, the Competition tends to be... single-minded on their projects. Makes for good TV.





We understand if we're on a blacklist, but we're shopping for forces that will assist us in an upcoming project.

Please let us know your prices for the season, wallet is open.

[DragonOfAsh]

https://i.imgur.com/BuzuhBG.png

"Argh! I just don't get it at all." A blue-feathered Phenex scowled beneath her helmet.

"Well, the Lord Commander does have about 70 years of combat experience on us, Anyi." The voice responded, sounding equally as young, though smooth and obviously synthetic in nature, and only speaking within the confines of the helmet. The Crucible, for being an artificial warzone, did have periods of time for rest and relaxation, though the Lord Commander had orchestrated at least a couple of surprise attacks in order to teach them rapid response. It was one such attack that got Anyi noticed and eventually paired with the ARMAMENT Valefor.

Anyi deftly turned Valefor beneath her and they continued their ride around the fake city. "But we can't even beat him one time? At anything? That can't be natural. Ambushes don't work, he can't be out-dueled, what gives? So frustrating." Valefor gave an amused chuckle.

"Well, he can't actually match an ARMAMENT for firepower or speed, in a proper battle and not a mock one, even we would beat him, eventually." Anyi shook her head and continued to sulk driving down the streets aimlessly until a sharp notification came from Valefor. "Anyi!" The Phenex's focus immediately shifted. Her species was already gifted with great visual acuity, but hers was nothing to scoff at either and in about 5 milliseconds, she had processed the sickly green scaled and red-fringed Leraje walking across the road, and had initiated Valefor to switch out of it's high mobility mode, the motorcycle-like vehicle rising beneath her and folding around her. It took maybe 10 meters for the sudden change in velocity to bring the ARMS to a complete stop, which was good. According to rangefinders, that left about 2 whole meters between them and the otherwise oblivious Leraje.

"Hey!" Anyi called out, her voice coming through Valefor's external speakers. "You tryin' to get run over?!" The Leraje looked up at Valefor and held back a coughing fit. Internally, Anyi spoke out to the ARMAMENT alone. "Valefor." The bond of ARMS pilot and the machines they ran were such that even the one word was enough, and Valefor knew what she intended, transforming back into high mobility mode for her to dismount. She peeled her helmet off and stormed at him. "What's your name and unit? That was pretty negligent! You could have died if it was anyone other than me and Valefor!"

The Leraje just grinned and then grimaced, unable to hold back their fit. "My name? Ecks will work."

Anyi grimaced. It seemed this guy wasn't taking it seriously at all. Was he an engineer? Might explain his apparently carefree attitude towards a report and the possible demotion that might come with it. Plus he was sickly, and there weren't a lot of sickly soldiers that she knew of. Knights were always in good physical condition, ready for battle. "Got a last name?"

The Leraje hesitated. "Twenty-seven?" They said it almost questioningly. Anyi looked doubtful but then a shadow passed overhead. The two of them looked up, but it was a clear silhouette. Underneath a Sallet transport was the iconic white armor of the Naberius. "Sorry, nice meetin' ya, but looks like I gotta get ready. It was a nice talk."

The Phenex whirled. "Huh, that wasn't even a proper conver...sation." The Leraje wasn't slowing down and was making a direct path towards the nearest transportation network and Anyi just shrugged. "That's wierd. Valefor can you look through some personnel files and see if there's an 'Ecks Twentyseven?' That guy gave me the creeps."

The ARMAMENT was quiet for a minute other than the quite growling of it's idling engine. "Nothing, Anyi. And before you ask I mean nothing. There's no recorded data about any pilots named 'Ecks,' though there is some data that might be more useful."

"M'kay, lay it on me."

"There's a engineering report on the viability of X-series cloning. Apparently it's some of the most accurate cloning technology out there, but isn't all that sustainable. The clones degenerate within a year or so, and the ones that don't end up deviating. The thought was to keep ARMS running with their same pilots over decades and centuries, but it's inefficient. Putting it all together..."

"That guy might be the Naberius' pilot."

"Yeah."

"...Wierd." Anyi sighed and began to drive off once more, staying quiet with her thoughts for a few moments. "But seriously, the Lord Commander can't be normal, he normally pilots a Cuirass right, but he didn't even get hit once in that Vambrace the other day, that can't be right!" Valefor chuckled, nothing distracted his pilot for too long.

MOR 8, INF 10
No blacklist, death happens, and as soldiers and mercenaries we're more aware than most that these are unavoidable facts of life, and our chosen profession. We request you choose a better battle next time, our strength is wasted in such a maneuver.

MERCENARIESNaberius (MIL 2) = 4 of any stat
Adnachiel (MIL 1/ESP 1) = 3 of any stat
Valefor (MIL 1) = 2 of any stat
The Helldivers (MIL 1) = 2 of any stat
Reckum's Ralephs (ECO 1) = 1 of any stat

Preferred stats for trade: None in particular.

[3SecondCultist]

Principia Personnel Solutions
Mor 20, Inf 4

This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Pallas from Principia Personnel Solutions calling you back.

We are sorry to hear about your longer than expected wait time with us today. Rest assured that your business is important to us.

As for the Idrian Nascence, there is no need for concern. PPS takes all threats to its security quite seriously, and motions are being put into place to address the issue shortly.

Will that be all?"
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Trismegistus calling from Principia Personnel Solutions.

We are sorry about the longer than usual wait times for our clients. Your business is important to us.

I was hoping to speak to you about an object in your possession: the Eye of Nix. We understand that you have come to acquire one, if not both halves of this particular piece of technology, and we are looking to acquire it. In exchange, PPS is prepared to offer you first right of refusal on a formal diplomatic partnership which is to be announced at the end of the year.

This partnership would elapse for 3 full sol years, during which time we are to be considered allies diplomatically and militarily. PPS has already given your company many special privileges in the past, and now we hope to gain from that partnership.

Please let us know your thoughts."

Opening bid for the Eye of Nix is an public Influence Alliance for 3 turns, starting this EoT. You would get their votes in Congress, and they would come to defend you if anyone declared war on you, that sort of thing.
This call is being recorded for quality assurance purposes.

"Hello there, this is Adias calling from Principia Personnel Solutions.

We are sorry about the longer than usual wait times for our clients. Your business is important to us.

Principia Personnel Solutions has been watching your activity for some time, and we have come to a certain conclusion about the most likely target... audience for the next instalment of Conquest (great show by the way, but what happened to Victorya??).

Given the number crunchers' results, we anticipate that you might be willing to pay for some support. Let us know if you need anyone taken out in advance of anything on your end."
"Well now, that was rather sloppy wasn't it? Leaving details of your plans in the grey matter of your infiltrators to be studied and revealed at our leisure? That's downright unprofessional, is what that is.

Let me break it down for you, Signal of Wherever the F*ck. We have several legions of stealth ships, guided missiles, and generally all kinds of unpleasant nonsense at our disposal. I don't think I need to really bother threatening you, though. Just look at what we did to your horde at the peak of its strength! I can dismantle your Nascence in a lazy afternoon, and don't think that I won't. I'm just going to put some measures in place, send all of my best guys to leash your best guys with remote triggers for detonation if you step out of line.

But here's the thing: you're fun. Everyone thinks you're out of the game now, they're already writing you off. More fools them. It'll be hilarious to watch you drag someone down with you. If you want, we can even tell you everyone who orchestrated the hit for free!

Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stranger, eh?"

PPS is going to bank 25 Esp this turn (with the use of an Archeotech from a friend that bypasses the disabling and goes straight to kill) to put a proverbial Damocles' Sword over your head for the presumption of screwing with them. If they even suspect you of launching an attack against them or screwing with them in any way, they will pull that trigger to kill most of your VIPs.

Other than that though, they're content to watch you regain power and knife someone in the back. Bonus points for maximum irony.

[Writtensanity]

DO YOU WANT TO FEEL LIKE A HERO?

Bored during your mining job Hours upon hours of Space Shuttling got you down? Prepare to TURN IT UP with the CONQUEST SEASON 3: PRINCIPIA THEMES PACKAGE.

Conquest your life with the theme tracks of all your favourite stars from CONQUEST: PRINCIPIA.

TAKE OVER: (https://open.spotify.com/track/6C6kECkUJPJzcUpDxUp74U?si=75a4739acb0248ad) The Conquest Principia Title Track

The Mighty (https://open.spotify.com/track/1GNZsyUyOxIIhka3vrL9AH?si=11d89e30e94b44d9): Victorya's Theme

The Young Gun: (https://open.spotify.com/track/2muw7rap73fLwcbkViJZGE?si=31e2d04f89ce485b) Hilde's Theme

Hunter from Another World: (https://open.spotify.com/track/67NMpZcVvhOzaHkYJ5I0tm?si=4e0e35ff94db41dd) Princess' Theme

Metalurgic Mistress: (https://open.spotify.com/track/6UKb6tVNUJvDxkQMM2Pgmb?si=05f5100e1d324dfe) Ferro's Theme

A Tribal Pair: (https://open.spotify.com/track/0AvzQMh5QqZhLHeZPIxslA?si=d65399b24b684419) The Zultar Twins Theme

From Afar: (https://open.spotify.com/track/29OkM2YEDgdFjurWQ3NXXl?si=9bad333bb08d47e7) Bombard's Theme

BONUS TRACK: The Hive Swarm: (https://open.spotify.com/track/1zPNFzsZ4sE7XlbqmEfJ57?si=8be5f43b1ef74b0e) The Song Live Played During the Final Stand for the Archive

AND A SECRET TRACK

Calculated: (https://open.spotify.com/track/7J8mOaRQCGcSvSZxSWoSO0?si=9fe1458808db4be5) Neptune's Theme


BUY NOW (https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ZouP8nVQEP7ygvriOFEDI?si=5dc8ef83fb004d5e)

---


We would be interested in purchasing Naberius at minimum for the year. We would pay in MOR or another stat to be determined after the exploration of... places of interest.

4 Of the mentioned stats of course.

We would also be happy to offer Neptune's services for the year in exchange, 1:1

(Neptune is an ECO 2 VIP)







You might be correct. Remind us of your rates if you don't mind.





Request: INFLUENCE
OFFER:?????????????????????????





Interested in trading with an old friend? We are in need of INF for a project of ours.

Let us know, primarily offering ECON.

[St. Justicar]

The Idrian Nascence

Across all the vastness of space, the stars sang. They sang in bright and vibrant colors, of union and harmony, of forests and gardens, of escape from the futility and senseless pain which ruled all the wretched worlds.

And the universe listened. From the once-dead worlds of Idri, voices in the billions to it up. The universe was filled with all the cacophonies of red and grey, but on one world after another they were replaced with the perfected harmony of the Horizon.

It echoes rang out under every sun, and on each there were at least a few careful enough to hear. Their voices added rich new inflections, new voices in the cosmic harmony.

The song grew louder as it was sung. Or perhaps it could simply be heard more closely. Dreams grew more real. A vast and comforting weight pressed against the souls of those who welcomed it. The Horizon drew closer.

Everything was as it should be.

Until, of course, it wasn’t.

From the Galactic East, a new voice took up the Song. Louder than any voice could possibly be. Deafening and overpowering and wrong.

A song of cancer. Of hot reds and hubris. Greed and desperation and glory. Cell again cell, symbiote against symbiote, body against body. Self-destructive feasts and suicidal conquests.

The new voice sang, loud enough to deafen to all the subtle harmonies of the Horizon. The chorus reeled. Across the seven suns, it adapted, billions of voices shifting in pitch and tone, striving to be heard through the cacophony.

And then they started to scream.

The bombs and missiles that struck the Nascent worlds had been designed with more physical gods in mind, but they sufficed. Firestorms burnt through continent-spanning rain forests. Antimatter reactions carved mile-deep craters in moons. Biotic Annihilators left the structures of stations and hulls untouched while every living thing within was reduced to ash. The Seventh Sun was lost entirely, atmospheres igniting and consuming everything that breathed or sang.

The Chorus collapsed. Too many voices were silenced, and those that remained could not keep to the same melody. Wretched reality once again clouded their eyes and deadened their minds. The twin brutalities of nature and civilization reasserted themselves. The bloody struggle of all against all resumed.

As the voices fell away, the Horizon grew more distant, the Song fainter. The new voice was so strong that even on Idri it was nearly drowned out, driven from any world where it could be perceived.

Nearly, but not quite. The new song was hubris and greed, and it could not be but what it was. It did not care for far Idri, so distant from its home. Instead it was entranced by the brightest voices close to it, those with subtle tongues to refract perfection into its most suitable form. It consumed them, before they could consume themselves.

And, having added their strength to its own, it was sated, and ceased.

The Horizon is as far as it has ever been. Every world drowns in tears and blood.

But faint as it is, the Song still sings itself into the world. And enough are left to hear it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All Messages Public, Influence still 1 (somehow)



Calling the transmission a message is really too generous. Crude and broad spectrum, its broadcast on basically every channel and frequency pointed to the Galactic North from Idri

Down, But Not Out!
We appreciate your patience during this difficult time
Re-negotiations are in order, I presume?
You take one, I’ll take the other?
Spare some change for a poor old cripple?
I’m sure we can work something out!



So I am inexplicably not dead thanks to the incompetence and/or greed of my surprise enemies (love you all!). I’d actually rather like to stay that way, if possible. (May need to revisit this after mid-turn, depending on whether it’s time to just desperately settle my affairs instead).

Anyway, thanks to the magic of VIPs levelling up, I do have enough MIL to make expansion a pain for you, but you’ve been entirely friendly so far and I’d really rather not. So by way of compromise, take your pick of [6] or [9], I’ll leave it to you and take the other? Or take it for you, if you’d like to arrange some trade or loan.

Speaking of – would you possibly like to arrange any sort of trade or loan? Pretty please? I can use, well, every- and any-thing, but morale, espionage, psionics and/or economy would be most useful, for presumably obvious reasons.







The message isn’t so much a coherent vision as a scattershot series of vaguely related images, broadcast through the hyperlane into Competition space and into any unprotected minds with more brute force than finesse.

A sobbing man with a clearly Nascent bio-organic prosthetic begs as a quarantine enforcer presses a pistol against his forehead
An orphan sits at a streetcorner in some sprawling megacity, stomach swollen from hunger and blindfold wrapped around her empty eye-sockets. Her begging bowl is nearly empty.
A Behemoth staggers forward, bleeding from countless wounds, half its armour plates torn entirely from its skin and organs trailing on the ground behind it. Desperate, it drags itself onto the bunker whose guns had so nearly killed it, good claw shearing the top open and shovelling men and machinery both into its unhinged jaws.
A Manticore is clearly already dead, even if it hasn’t realized it. Despite being essentially disembowelled, it leaps forward, claws outstretched and tail lashing out as it attempts to kill as many of the soldiers shooting it as possible before it goes down.



Any chance you can spare some charity? Either for help rebuilding, help taking vengeance, or (if you have an idea for some target) some nutritious stat theft to do both?





The message is sent from an old Archival listening post, a couple hours after its existence (and Nascent infestation) were revealed, and a couple hours before the first extermination ships arrived to cleanse it.

No jokes about cockroaches? You politeness and tact are touching.

You’ll excuse my tone, I hope. I wouldn’t recommend escaping a solipsistic nightmare just in time to limp to an escape pod while half your organs fail.

But your offer’s fairer than expected, and I’m not exactly in a position to refuse, am I? Make good on your end, and I can see about giving you a show.