[hr] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/T1tv0pG.png[/img][/center] [hr] [h2]Shall we begin?[/h2] Your story does not unfold on a simple planet, nor a solar system. You are far too important for that. The decisions you make will echo across the galaxy for eons to come. Your journey begins on the planet Faren V, a prosperous world located in the Habira System. Whatever your reasons for being on such a world were, you all have arrived at the same fate. Awoken within an escape pod hurtling through an unfamiliar solar system with no memory of what came before, you have mere minutes to examine the planets before you and choose where your journey truly begins. Will you survive and search for answers? Or was this all the perfect opportunity to start life anew? [h2]Life[/h2] [hider=Azaali] [center][h2]Azaali (A-zoo-Lee)[/h2][/center] [hr] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/fb/a4/25/fba42558604c63d0309ed85840481516.jpg[/img][/center] [hr] [center][h2]Homeworld: Shae[/h2][/center] [center][hider=Homeworld] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a1/7d/03/a17d03da001e2b3997ecc22fb9e3a146.jpg[/img][/center] [center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/91/cd/07/91cd07215919e26e3f3f62a583097874.jpg[/img][/center] Shae is a Twilight Planet, or more accurately a Twilight Super-Moon, located in the farthest habitable exstension of the Milky-Way's Norma Arm, just breaching the beginning of the Outer Arm. In the farthest stretch of this habitable zone there is a solar system with a unique planet, a garguntuan planet with a particular moon. The Moon stays suspended rotating around the planet in a way that causes the moon to only ever get a low-light filtration of the sun's rays through the atmosphere of the planet. It causes this moon to almost glow a dull pastel purple. As well as allows for life to be sustained, but in very unique ways. The large moon flourished for eons it seemed, water, life, plants, etc. It all thrived on this Moon, and it eventually gave rise to a species of sentient beings referred to as the Azaali. The planet is teeing with life, yet has rather minimal biome divesity. It has a couple of decent mountain ranges, but the moon primarily contains rolling sarengedes and plains. A few oceans cover a section of the moon, roughly composing a little less than half the moon.The water on the Moon glows, but only due to the single-cell and micro-organisms in it that have a natural bioluminescence. The poles of the Moon have frigid series of glacial tundras, that are mostly made up of perma-frost, dirt, and deep blue ice that is illuminated by the water underneath. The plains are populated by quite the array of life, ranging from an oddly translucent grass-type that filters even the smallest amoung of light through their form, to behemoth trees slightly similar to earthen sarengede trees. The grass is also what produces the oxygen supply for the Moon, along with the unique trees. The trees are tall, roughly ten meters tall and scattered across the sarengedes and plains. These towering trees are like giant canopies that shade the land even further, however they too have somewhat translucent leaves, not entirely so though. The leaves of these trees are a bright, almost icy blue shade that seems to reflect the light additively for the grass and other lifeforms of the moon. These trees, because of this, glow and are symbols of great power and sanctity to the Azaali. Various other forms of Flora live on this moon, but they will be noted in a coming Index, as will the Fauna. [/hider][/center] [center][h2]Appearance[/h2][/center] The appearance of the Azaali is extremely unique, as they are diverse and marvelous physically. They all appear with extremely black or extremely dark blue skin, to the point where it will always seem black. They range from four foot to easily eight foot tall, depending on Caste. Azaali have personal bioluminescent sections across their body, which are unique to each inidividual. These do come with a bit of similarity to their Father and Mother, but it is minimal and usually only in way of where bioluinescence is located on them. Outside of their bioluinesence, the Azaali always appear as if they were sculpted and polished out of a black marble. The eye perceives them as flush, solid, smooth, and almost peerless like the night sky. They do still have muscle definition and strength of course, it just seems less noticable due to their form. The Azaali rarely let it grow out, but they do, in fact, grow hair. This hair is specifically localized to the head. It is usually kept short, and is seemingly always black. They have mouths, which are located in the same place it is for humans, and it is a rather standard mouth. They also yeild a nose, ears, and eyes, all in the same places. The only difference is that the ears seem a slight bit more pointed than the humans, and their eyes always seem extremely focused, however they are both of average size over-all. [center][h2]Physiology[/h2][/center] [center][h3]General Physiology[/h3][/center] The physiology of the Azaali is both similar and different compared to that of the humans and the Qari. They retain the standard humanoid shape, but vary in their ways of staying alive rather heavily. The most prominent being the fact that their biolumiscence, which is a series of cells and muscles inbued with cellular structure that create intense bioluminescent patterns and markings. This series of cells and muscles are also what produce the Azaali "Mask" which is an extremely powerful projection of intense cells along the face and head. The cells emit their light in a way so stong it shines and fades in all the right ways to create a "mask" over the head of the Azaali. The masks are defined by a type of Caste, which takes the shape of an animal, and then as they age up to the age of Sixty, the mask slowly forms unique variations, however this stops once they do reach Sixty. These variations help define the personality, or rather these variations appear based on the nature of the Azaali. For example, a Stag Azaali of greater intelligence than others might have his mask form feathers hanging from the antlers. An Owl might have slash marks across his "Mask" if he happens to be more inherently capable in combat than Owls are naturally. One of the other most prominent physiological developments of the Azaali is their eyes. Many have wondered how a race such as the Azaali are not blind, when they constantly emit a powerful Bioluminescense across their face and head at almost all times. This is due to the eyes of an Azaali having sub-pupils. Sub-pupils are essentially secondary pupils within the eye that expand and tighten at different intensities to help control and maintain proper balance of the light they take into their eyes. This is aided as well by a powerful reflective coating along the insides which can be shown or hidden within a layer of sub-pupil, which would systematically direct the light out of the eye, or let more in, based on which layers expanded or tightened. It is this process that allows the Azaali to see almost perfectly in all intensities of light. Another major difference to that of the other races is the fact that the Azaali require only a fraction of Oxygen that the other races do to survive. This is often a great thing to the Azaali, but does come with some small hurdles of it's own. Azaali are adaptive, and are highly capable of being comfortable in low oxygen envoirnments, but to be in a normal oxygen envoirnment, or even a high oxygen envoirnment, it would take them a few moments of self-regulation to adjust. Adjusting would allow their bodies to properly use the oxygen being brought in, which in fact adds another bonus to the Azaali. When they are on worlds with a higher oxygen level then their homeworld, they can put the extra oxygen to good use in their body. This comes as a relevant spike in body function, cognitive and physical prowess grow and are elevated due to the oxygen. The Azaali are also noted to be fairly insulated, due to the twilight nature of their Homeworld, and offers what is considered the most minimal benefit of their physiological differences over-all. Aside from the major notes, the rest of the Azaali physiology is pretty simple. They have one unique organ, the "Clormia" which is used to regulate the oxygen levels in their body for their transitioning between levels. The Clormia is a rather descrete lung-like organ located just under and slightly behind the heart, filling in a space right behind their lungs, and this lung-like organ helps draw in all the extra oxygen and slowly filters it out through the body at a rate that allows the Azaali to adjust to a higher level with efficency and a good pace. Outside of that they don't vary much, and in fact are astoundingly similar to human physiology. They retain a single heart, two lungs, a liver, a pair of kidneys, a stomach, a digestive track, a galbladder, a pancreas, thyroid, a spleen, all the other minor organs and bodily workings, and obviously a brain. Finally, the key to the Azaali, is that their genetic code is bound to a string of adaptive genetic code. Each birth, each individual is born with this trait that molds and forms one of millions of extremely unique genetic codes. This is what creates the Castes, or the "Masks" the Azaali wear, and it is what makes the Azaali so different. The Azaali due tend to have one other factor that differentiates them from the other races, and that is the fact that the Azaali live to be twon-hundred years old at average. They have the longest life-span of the sentient species in the galaxy. Due to this, an Azaali isn't considered Mature, or at the age of Maturity until the age of Sixty. (Azaali can commit sexual acts with other races, but no matter the gender pairing, the Azaali cannot conceive off-spring with the other races.) [center][h3]Caste Physiology[/h3][/center] The Azaali have Castes, which are defined by their masks, this on a physiological level is impactful, as each Caste varies in a way. Several examples include the Bear, Stag, Wolf, Hare, and Owl. These are among the most well known and common of the Castes. Bears are large, easily the largest of all, standing on average seven foot and a half to eight foot tall. The Bears are also easily the most well adapted for raw strength and power. Their muscles are naturally more dense, tighten more powerfully, and their over-all bulk is greater. The Bear Caste is known for their strength and size, as well as their seemingly innatecombat muscle memory, despite their races beliefs. Stags aren't the tallest and are actually a sort of middle ground. Stags stand on average between six foot and seven foot tall, and their builds are usually athletic. They aren't as strong as a Bear, but are stronger than Hares and Owls, and are usually considered physically more powerful than wolves. They are faster than Bear, but are slower than the rest as well, but what makes the stag unique, their caste physiological trait, is there stamina and pain threshold. Stag's are revered as Guardians, and as such they seem to have inexhuastable amount of stamina behind them, as well as an undying will. They can withstand more punishment than most castes, and barely ever show it. Wolves are among the more speedy castes, however not as quick as Hares or Owls. They are weaker than Stags and Bears when it comes to out-right power, but they are flexible and agile. The Wolves take a portion of a Hare's speed and combine it with a Portion of the Bear's power and wield it in unison to be an acrobatic fighter and survivalist. Their most defining trait however is that the wolf often finds it's instinct more powerful, it's senses sharper, this is due to their inherently more observational subconscious. Their body quite literally percieves and translates things for the conscious, before it does so willingly. However, the reflexes of the Wolf aren't neccesarily capable of keeping up with this process, so it is noted as an observational trait, or a scouting trait. Hare's are by far the quickest of the Castes listed, being that of the most acrobatic as well, and are usually of a slim atheltic build. Their legs are powerful and so are their arms, but only in the way a gymnist's body is powerful. Hares are usually four foot to four foot and a half foot tall on average. They do also have a defining trait that puts their physiology to the test as a Caste. While it is similar to the Wolves, the Hares feature a sensory physiology that seem to let them percieve things all around, almost as if they had eyes in the back of their heads. This combined with their speed makes them impossible to catch, and even more so to get the drop on. Owl's are considered the least physical of all the Castes, and their physiological diversity is their mind. They actually make you rethink the stereotype a bit as the Owls, despite being physically the weakest, or among the tallest. It is said some may even be taller than bears on some occasions, reaching upwards of eight and a half feet tall. Owl's are easily the smartest of all the Azaali Castes, boasting greater intelligence than any other Caste, the margin of this intelligence of course varies, but it certainly isn't omnipotence. Why the Castes have Earth-based animal masks is unknown to everyone, save for the Elder's of the Azaali race. They seem to keep the reason a closely guarded Secret, one that some have died never having shared. [center][h2]History[/h2][/center] Several Eons ago Shae was just a docile super-moon of it's gargantuan planet. It revolved around the planet in a way perputually causing twilight. However, there was still life, filtered and unique, a marvel of nature and science in one. It was this Moon that the Ancients found to be a wonderous type of Planet. The Ancients decided to place outposts on this super-moon. They constructed portals, and then ancient outposts, within the main hub of their Shae work, they built what is now know as the "Registry." The Registry is a giant genetic codex, connected to all the outposts on Shae. This was used to catalogue DNA and all the given names of the species on Shae that the Ancients observed. However, the Ancients were gone long before the Azaali were ever concieved by nature. Upon the eclipse of their evolution, and the Azaali sentience rose to the point of truth, they settled the planet in a way thought long forgotten.. Peacefully. The Azaali evolved from the circle of life, and still believe in such, settled the planet and began to explore it's every crack and crevase. It was this exploration that led the earliest Azaali to discover the Acient Hub, the Registry, and an abundant knowledge for the Elders to discern and teach to their people. This was how the Azaali became advanced, this is how they managed to understand technology on the level that they do today. This was also how they entered the public eye of the galaxy, as they managed to operate the Registry, as well as the ruins of the Ancients, including FTL technology, and the undertanding of space travel. The evolution of the Azaali and the progression to the advancment of FTL and using the Ancient's Technology took roughly half a galactic year, or one-hundred-fifty million Earth years. As for now, it has been nearly fifty years since the discovery of FTL travel and their exspanse into the Galaxy. This occasion was marked by their encountering the Humans and the Qari, and the beginning of their involvment in the open Galactic peace talks. Now the Azaali have treaties with the races, and they have the freedom to travel in their territories without consequence. Their are rules, but the Azaali are good people, and they merely wish to experience all of their Spacial Home. [center][h2]Religion[/h2][/center] The Religion in which the Azaali give faith and belief involves three major parts; There own Holy Trinitiy, if you will. These three major parts are: The Spacial Home, the Heralding Spirit, and the power of Free-Will. [center][h3]The Spacial Home[/h3][/center] The belief of the Spacial Home is both a concept and a true belief. It is the ideal and the faith in the universe altogether being a home, and upon death, one is reunited with the Spacial Home as a fabric of it's being. Azaali find that death is enlightening when it comes, but this doesn't mean they seek to die early. They find that a life lived long means a more powerful addition to the Spacial Home. They live their lives as long as possible so that they might strengthen the home for those still living within it after their death. [center][h3]The heralding Spirit[/h3][/center] The Heralding Spirit is the belief that the souls of other Azaali, after their death, seek out and aid other Azaali as they live. These Heralding Spirits give guidance unto those who seek it, and those who deserve it. The Heralding Spirits have never been seen by another species, but the Azaali account for them, claiming their existence and their power, their wisdom and their intelligence. [center][h3]The Power of Free-Will[/h3][/center] The Azaali consider the Free-Will of sentient species as a powerful religious factor. They believe that they were given Free-Will so that they ight explore, learn, and experience everything the Spacial Home has to offer, from every physical corner, to every meta-physical corner. It is the free-will that the Azaali believe gives them power, and their will to believe that which is so spiritually connected to them. -- The combination of these three parts, creates the Azaali religion, which is highly spiritual and intense to them. You won't find an Azaali that doesn't believe in their religion, and a converted Azaali is something of myth, and has never happened. [center][h2]Culture[/h2][/center] The Culture of the Azaali is extremely unique, and is defined both by the species as a whole, but also the individual. Their base culture is one of peace, as they seek no war, or violence with other races. This isn't to say they are eternal pacifists, but rather they seek to strive for peace. They hunt, they eat, they live. The circle of life does not interfere with what they believe should be Sentient Peace. All Sentient beings deserve the chance to gain and offer peace in their eyes, but should one deny the offer or refuse to give their own peace, the Azaali will not lay down and die. They will fight for their right to live, and their right to spread happiness and peace across the galaxy. This is accented by their wind-riding nature as a species. They all wish to travel, see the sights of the galaxy and someday the whole universe if ever possible. They wish to enjoy their Spacial Home to it's greatest level, they want to smell every smell, hear every sound, touch every object, feel every sensation. They know there is danger in the universe, and they feel the rush of adrenaline and fear and it only pushes them out the door quicker. They are however still ruly, and kept in some ways. They use the Registry to keep a census of every Azaali born, so by cultural law when one is born, it's DNA must be uploaded to the Registry on the Homeworld. This is often done in person, as the Azaali are all about their traditions. It is actually quite a ceremony for an Azaali to be registered. When it comes to tradition and culture, the Azaali are often considered more peculiar than others, as they have very interesting rituals compared to other species. When two humans show affection, it is ost often kissing and hugging. However when two Azaali show affection, they dance with one another, and more so all forms of love and even the act of coitus is done through a form of dancing. The Azaali have had this tradition since even before their full sentience, which is what makes it so hard for them to see other species dance without the same meaning, and why they often find it hard to convey themselves affectionately to a non-Azaali. The way an Azaali dances, portrays much of how they are feeling and how they wish the other to feel as well. The Azaali can have an entire conversation by dancing, even more so Azaali can experience a life-time with a person by dancing with them. This ritual, this cultural aesthetic, is a powerful entity to them, and little more than a fun time to the other races. Because of the Azaali's Caste Physiology, it has been made apparent that certain Castes seek out more obvious routes in life, but this isn't a binding factor, as each and evey one is capable of their own path. Owls have been known to become some of the strongest fighters, Bears some of the smartest minds, and it is these stereotypes that the other races seem to make, while the Azaali seek to prove they can do all, be all, and achieve all. [center][h2]Government[/h2][/center] [center]"It is for the elder man to lead and for the younger to listen."[/center] The Azaali have a Gerontocracy. This means that the Elders of the Species lead it politically, spiritually, and wholy. The Elders control the matters of Racial Ceremonies, Political Communications with the other Races, and guidance of their race in the Galaxy. While their are separate Elder Gerousia across the Galaxy in Azaali held planets, the Prime Elders are always on the Homeworld. They number six and are the current guiding power for the Azaali race. They are all at least two earth centuries old and they seek to continuing heralding peace and harmony for their species across the galaxy. [/hider] [hider=Qari] [h2]The Qari[/h2] [hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/cz9GXyF.jpg[/img][/center] [center][i]Current Imperial Flag[/i][/center] [hr] [h2]Homeworld: Nalroka[/h2] [hider=Homeworld] [list] [*][b][u]Location:[/u][/b] Remeris System/Euryditus Sector/Norma Arm [*][b][u]Climate:[/u][/b] Average Daytime Surface Temperature is 48.8°C/120°F. Average Nighttime Temperature is 5.5°C/42°F. [*][b][u]Biomes:[/u][/b] Hot and Dry desert which features sand dunes, rocky badlands, canyons, mesas, plateaus, and oases scattered throughout. [*][b][u]Wildlife[/u][/b] [hider=Notable Fauna] [list] [*][hider=My Hider] [img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cc/1e/b9/cc1eb91cabb5683caff2e991d85ee560.jpg[/img] [hr] [b][u]Cyrolid[/u][/b] At a length of 6.17m/20ft 3in, the Cyrolid is a fearsome creature. Living most of its life underwater this amphibious predator was once found in almost every oasis and body of water on the planet. As time went on, it's numbers dwindled due to Qari hunting. Now they inhabit the only ocean on the planet and are currently on the Imperial Environmental Preservation Agency's endangered species list. The Cyrolid uses it's blue skin as camouflage to approach any prey who come near the water's edge. Once in range, the creature will burst out from under the water with its teeth ready to puncture flesh. Once it manages to bit onto it's prey, the Cyrolid uses it's strong jaw muscles to bit down hard and latch onto it's prey while it's venomous fangs inject the body with a lethal toxin that causes paralysis long enough for the Cyrolid to drag it's victim underwater in order to drown it. Once it's prey is dead, the venom begins to digest the body, making it easier for the Cyrolid to ingest. [/hider] [*][hider=My Hider] [img]http://conceptartworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Ken_Barthelmey_Concept_Art_Design_09.jpg[/img] [hr] [b][u]Kyloth[/u][/b] Early in Qari history, the Kyloth were the main form of transportation as well as a means to wage war. Much like earth horses, the Kyvossi were given armor in battle and made to pull carts and plows. They were a vital part to the development of Qari society. The Kyloth riders under King Ageron were such formidable warriors they were given the name Kyvossi, mounted fighters believed to have shared a single mind with their Kyloth, allowing for precise movements and mounted combat no other no other kingdom could rival. Today the Kyloth is viewed as a national treasure and anyone accused of killing or harming a Kyloth faces serious charges. [/hider] [/list] [/hider] [/list] [/hider] [h2]Appearance[/h2] At an average height of 2.7m/9ft the Qari are an impressive species. Despite their close resemblance to humans, Qari are a vastly different species to mankind. Prior to the use of the Icarus Virus on their species by the humans, the Qari were originally able to grow to about 3.3m/11ft with a more muscular body frame. Now in the aftermath of the war they remain at their current height with very rare cases seeing 3.0m/10ft with a slender body frame. Their hair is always ashen with some mutations causing shades of grey with the rarest being black. Unlike humans, there isn't as much variation in iris color as all Qari have either yellow or orange iris pigmentation. [h2]Physiology[/h2] Due to the strong gravitational pull of their homeworld, Qari possess high bone and muscle density, thus granting them impressive amounts of strength and durability. After the Human-Qari War, their bulky figures were transformed into more slender body frames however their strength was reduced only by a small amount. Their biggest weakness is their body frame, bullets can penetrate the body easily and do more damage to their bodies. Most organisms native to Nalroka have thick plates over their bodies, the Qari are among the few who possessing soft skin. To compensate for this the Dilirkos, a venom producing organ located above the roof of the mouth, funnels the venom into their sharpened canine teeth. The venom causes tissue necrosis starting around the area of the bite before spreading until treated. Convulsions occur at random and can remain with the victim long after being treated. Respiratory difficulty comes shortly after being bitten as well. While there is an anti-venom for Qari bites, the recovery period is not pleasant. Tissue necrosis is inevitable and can range in severity due to time between the initial bite and treatment. Respiratory difficulty remains for a few days as well as vomiting and fever. These symptoms last for about three to five days before finally subsiding. Early on in Qari evolution, this venom had a much higher lethality as it's was capable to delivering symptoms like the Cyrolid. Over time as it's use on other Qari became more common, the venom began to lose it's potency. That being said, the modern counterpart can still lead to death if left untreated long enough. [h2]History[/h2] [hider=Rise of an Empire] Nalroka is a hostile world, only recently has it been tamed by it's children, the Qari. For much of their history, the Qari lived alongside another species known as the Nmiir. Not much is known about them save that they fought against the Qari since the beginning of their species. At some point in history, the Nmiir were driven to extinction by the Qari who then went on to inhabit the planet unopposed. With no enemy other than the elements, they began to fight amongst eachother over the scarce resources that the planet offered. The period of time where Qari civilization was merely scattered tribes fighting over land is known as The Age of Dishonor, as the species advanced slowly with their only incentive being the management of endless tribal warfare. Eventually after several millennia, the Qari started to form more complex civilizations. While still divided, their minds and way of thinking became more complex while still holding onto ancient customs. Over time, the divided states of the Qari began to merge together during The Age of Solidarity. The pinnacle of this time was when the Qari were forced to set aside past grievances and unite under one banner against a new enemy. First Contact for the Qari was not with the humans, but with something far more sinister. An extraterrestrial ship landed on Nalroka, in the midst of a planet wide war. The ship spewed forth an army of otherworldly beings, connected by a hive mind with the intent to exterminate the opposition, use the survivors for genetic augmentation and assimilation, and harvest what little resources the harsh planet had left. In this moment the Qari United against their common enemy. What was a collection of kingdoms became the first official Empire of Nalroka under Emperor Rythalus. Upon driving the Malov from Nalroka, The Age of Expansion began as the Qari used reverse engineered Malov technology to ascend themselves to a spacefaring species. With their reach being extended to the stars, the Rytharian Empire began terraforming planets they deemed void of life, shaping them into worlds suitable for their people. Worlds they discovered to be inhabited by an intelligent species were given the choice to either join the Empire or be annexed by force. For many it was their first contact with a species far superior in weaponry, many joined willingly, some fought back to no avail. As time went on, new emperors took the throne, continuing to expand the Empire with their technology becoming ever more advanced with each new world conquered. For a time it seemed as though no force in the galaxy could stop the prosperity of the Qari. But such a dream was shattered with the arrival of mankind on the galactic stage. After losing the war with the humans, The Age of Rebirth began, where the Empire would seek to reinforce it's borders, lick it's wounds and ready itself to one day retake it's rightful place as ruler of the galaxy.[/hider] [h2]Religion[/h2] [hider=The Code] The Age of Solidarity, a time in Qari history when the ancient tribes banded together, was facilitated by the teachings of a powerful warrior king and queen. King Ageron and Queen Nakaria, believed to be the founders of the first Qari kingdom, Nalroka. Their teachings of honor, duty, and loyalty to the Empire brought about a time of unparalleled prosperity as Qari ceased fighting amongst eachother and instead against the harsh world they called home. Ancient texts quote their rule as firm but fair, with each citizen living our their lives to improve the status of the state as well as their own lives. It is unclear at what point the teachings of the first king and queen became interpreted as religious text but many conservative Qari believe the first rulers to have been their living gods. The modern interpretation is that they were simply the first to unify the people and modernize them at a rate unseen prior to such point in their history. The entirety of their teachings was collected and written down years after their deaths in what is known as The Nalrokaria or more commonly referred to as Sifdai. The Sifdai describes the Qari code of conduct amongst themselves and outsiders (Qari first contact with other intelligent species came after their time, it is believed that these segments refer to non members of the Empire but in modern day such teachings are applied to the other species), how to wage war properly and honorably, how to rule the empire as well as how the government should be structured, and so on. Being such an extensive tome, the key points of Sifdaism are that all Qari are family and are to be treated as such, war is not meant to be waged amongst one another but those who would seek the destruction of the people, honor the people but one should not seek out conflict for their own glory. Over time, the teachings of Sifdaism has evolved, especially with the rules of certain emperors. Some prefer a more modern interpretation of the holy book, while there have been others with borderline fundamentalist ideals. With each ruler the political and social system of the Empire has changed and now that it has a presence outside of the homeworld, it's interpretation is ever more impactful. [/hider] [h2]Culture[/h2] Qari society varies depending on where you are. Qari communities on worlds such as Faren V are more altruistic than their homeworld counterparts which are very xenophobic and follow the Sifdai very closely. As for the Empire, the culture changes with the emperor as their rule affects the lives of all his citizens. That being said, those living on the border of imperial space show to have more elements of outsider culture than core worlds. As of now The Kalosian Empire, under Emperor Kalos, focuses less on following the Sifdai but rather rebuilding the weakened Empire. The honor of the people has been injured, hatred for humans is found across Qari space, and a desire to rebuilt and save the empire is valued above all else. Military enlistment is at an all time high, efforts to colonize planets within Qari space receives praise, and while there is peace in the galaxy, it will not be for long. [h2]Government[/h2] The Empire is constantly changing in terms of administration focuses but the core infrastructure stays true to the teachings of Sifdaism. There is The Emperor and Empress, whose word is final and commands the entire imperial military along with the aid of their generals. While the role is not hereditary, the throne has been passed down to the oldest son from time to time. Below the emperor are his advisors and ministers. Each one manages key aspects of the empire which are military, economy, agriculture, foreign affairs, internal government affairs, and defense. These ministers make up the high council who oversee their respective branches of government as well as address any concerns large enough to reach them or bring issues that require the emperors judgement to his attention. Below the high council are the sector overseers(managers of entire regions of Qari space, system overseers(managers of solar systems), planetary governors, regional governors, and so on and so forth. [/hider] [hider=Humans] [h2]Humans[/h2] [hr] [img]https://i.imgur.com/PnZKGJt.jpg[/img] [hr] [h2]Homeworld: Earth[/h2] [h2]History[/h2] Mankind discovered alien life in the year 2127 when colonists excavated ruins beneath the surface of Mars. Upon accidentally activating a portal within the ruins, unknown lifeforms stepped through and began to attack those at the excavation site. A combat team was deployed and dispatched the creatures before a research team was deployed to investigate. Upon examining what was decided as the main control panel, they uncovered a set of coordinates which after 10 years of careful experimentation, they discovered the homeworld of the Qari. First Contact was uneasy but communications were established and soon after the sharing of information began. At the time, the Qari were under the rule of Emperor Garricus, an unorthodox ruler who sought out peaceful coexistence in contrast to the Qari history of conquest. For about 100 years the two species lived in peace as humanity used it's new technology to expand its territory across the galaxy. Unfortunately, conspirators within the Garrician Empire carried out the assassination of their ruler and placed a conservative emperor on the throne. The new Wrealen Empire, under rule of Emperor Wrealen, sought to expand his dominion and so after 100 years of peace the Human-Qari War began. At first it seemed as though the Qari would win as their technology was vastly superior to mankind's despite their sharing of tech prior to the war. However as the war went on mankind began to reverse engineer Qari tech that was captured on the battlefield, improving their ability to wage war. For half a century the galaxy saw bloody war as the superpowers battled across the stars, it wasn't until humans became so desperate they used a weapon never before seen in the galaxy. To understand the weapon you must understand the Qari. Raised with a militaristic ideology, they do not accept defeat. Their devotion to the Empire is to the death. Couple that with an average height of 9ft, a physiology designed to endure extreme environments, and an average birth rate of 6-8 offspring in one lifetime they were not an easy enemy. The weapon that would win them the war would make 6 out of the 8 children stillborn and those that survived would lose their species high muscle density in favor of a more slender bodyframe. With a steady population decrease, the Qari would soon do something their species had never done in the history of its existence. Surrender. After a grueling battle on the Qari homeworld of Nalroka, the Emperor was killed by his advisors and the key members of government declared a surrender. The result of this war was a death count unheard of on both sides, the use of a weapon that to this day is still active in the Qari gene and continues to steadily decrease their population. And the Qari Empire losing a large chunk of its territory in the galaxy. Today, mankind enjoys a time of prosperity and peace. With the Qari working to reinforce what territory they still control, the Intersystems Federation of Earth is experiencing unchallenged expansion in neighboring regions of their native space. [h2]Government[/h2] Each planet in the IFE, either human controlled or annexed alien planet, is free to govern itself with a few laws being enforced throughout the IFE's territory. Each solar system elects a representative for the Sector Council, from each sector council there is a Regional Representative who has a place on the Federation Council. [/hider] [hider=Timeline] [h2]Timeline[/h2] [b]2127[/b]-Humans discover Ancient Ruins on Mars [b]2137[/b]-First Contact is made with the Qari [b]2237[/b]-The War between Humans and Qari begins [b]2287[/b]-The War ends, Azaali enter the galactic spotlight [b]2337[/b]-current day [/hider] [hr] [hider=CS Skeleton] [h2]Name[/h2] [hr] [img]Character portrait here[/img] [hr] [h2]Age[/h2] [h2]Species[/h2](can be human, Qari, Azaal, or a species of your own making. If its your own creation then I will work with you to ensure it is balanced) [h2]Profession[/h2] [h2]Personality[/h2] [h2]Biography[/h2](the basics like homeworld, family if any, career, how did you end up on Faren V) [h2]Equipment[/h2](1 primary weapon, 1 gadget or tool relating to your profession) [h2]Relationships[/h2](both parties must agree to this) [h2]Other[/h2](Theme song, personal items, etc) [/hider] [hider=Species CS Skeleton] [h2]Species Name[/h2] [hr] Species banner or example of species here [hr] [h2]Homeworld: (here)[/h2] [hider=Homeworld] Homeworld description goes here, climate, biomes, wildlife, location in galaxy, etc [/hider] [h2]Appearance[/h2] [h2]Physiology[/h2] [h2]History[/h2] [h2]Religion[/h2] [h2]Culture[/h2] [h2]Government[/h2] [/hider] [hr] [h2]Rules[/h2] 1.Fighting is allowed in IC not OOC. 2.While 18+ elements are in this rp, overly sexual or violent content should be kept to a minimum. If you want to, take it to the PMs. 3.Your main character shouldn't be the ruler of a long thought extinct super race. If you want your character to have a leadership role over a present balanced race it can be discussed with me or my CO-GM. 4.Your characters can die, with that in mind don't godmod your way out of every situation. While you will face challenges, I will not be throwing insta-kills at you all the time. 5.If you have an idea for a story arc PM either me or my CO-GM. Don't set the story up to the point where we can't say no then bring it up to us. 6.While you can have more than one character, I ask that you do not have more than two active at one time. You may create multiple to stay in reserve until a character dies but other than that two is the maximum amount of active characters. 7.When making a new species, try to balance their natural abilities. While having a species be able to go completely invisible is not advised, a species that can change skin color pigmentation and texture to better camouflage themselves is allowed. 8.Lastly, have fun. This is a free roam RP, you can go wherever you want. Want to build a criminal enterprise, you can do that. Want to join the military, by all means. Whatever you want to do is up to you but be aware there are steps to achieving what you desire.