[hider=The Yrrkeltharl Coalition] [hr][center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/660a48a9-e1ff-4650-80ee-908d31257fe4.png[/img] [b][h1]Yrrkeltharl Coalition[/h1][/b][/center] [hr] [h2][b]General Information[/b][/h2] [h3][b]Overview[/b][/h3] As it is made obvious even by its name (in the Ekhrlithur language, used as an official lingua franca, “Yrrkeltharl” is a locative meaning “of [the sector/region of] Yrrkelthar), the Coalition is best defined as not so much a nation as a loose confederation of the inhabitants of the section of space it occupies. While there once existed a central government which presided over what was then a super-state formed by the fusion of the three local powers, its planets and systems are now the laboratories and playgrounds of its most outstanding scientific minds, who, aside from a few general guidelines and an obligation to support the collective military forces with tributes, enjoy access to vast resources and free rein in working with them. With such a system in place, it should not be surprising that Coalition space should be a chaotic and almost frighteningly surreal place. The husks of consumed worlds can be found orbiting stars encased in energy absorption frameworks, near planets blighted by experimental weapons or razed by the formidable drone armies stationed there. Worse yet, whoever finds themselves dealing with it will have to endure the eccentric nature and usually poor coordination of its inhabitants, which might lead to strange situations involving guarantees of non-aggression being immediately followed by planetary invasion. [hider=Info Sheet Guide] [b]Official Name:[/b] Sovereign Coalition of the Yrrkeltharl Systems and Fleets. [b]Common Name:[/b] Coalition, Yrrkelthar, Yrrkeltharl Coalition. [b]Government:[/b] Decentralised Feudal Technocracy. [b]Dominant Species:[/b] Ekhrilthur, though not significantly so. [b]Capital:[/b] Erelvath, Ulvarith System (de jure; de facto, there is no single effective capital). [b]Systems Owned:[/b] Numerous. [b]Planets Owned:[/b] Uncertain. There is an official register somewhere, but the number often fluctuates anyway. [b]Population:[/b] Uncertain. The unified census records have not been checked by anyone besides automated systems in decades. [/hider] [h3][b]History[/b][/h3] [hider=Unacceptably Long History] Centuries ago, what would become known as the Yrrkelthar region only knew a single spacefaring species. The Ekhrilthur fungoids, having, after a period of internecine conflicts inevitable in creatures so inclined to individualism, consolidated into a single planetary state known as the Erelvath Conglomerate, began to expand outwards from their homeworld, taking advantage of the recently discovered slipspace drive. Their native Ulvarith system was the first to feel their thirst for energy and resources, with virtually all its noteworthy celestial bodies being mined dry and its star being surrounded with a network of collector panels, laying the foundation of more ambitious constructions yet to come. As faster-than-light travel technologies improved, the Conglomerate reached to absorb more and more systems. Worlds were colonised, and more yet were consumed. It is to that time that the first records of the Ekhrilthur encountering other sapient life forms can be dated. According to those chronicles, one of the planets approached during their conquest was inhabited by a comparatively primitive civilisation, still fragmented and not yet having reached the space age, which, upon the arrival of the Conglomerate, proved hostile and put up a violent, if futile resistance, and was fully eliminated by the invaders’ robotic forces. It was not much later that the second of such encounters occurred, though its resolution was by no means as fast as that of the first. On a world whose conditions, favourable to the development of life, had given rise to the formation and evolution of an enormous number of bizarre creatures, the Ekhrilthur vanguard came upon a remarkably developed invertebrate species. The Skirol, as they named themselves, were extremely proficient in the manipulation of genes and biomatter, having built their Global Union upon these arts, but had until then been unable to master space travel. Upon being informed of the Conglomerate’s intention to subjugate the planet and reduce them to second-class citizens at best on their own world (though nowadays many suppose that Skirol aggression also played its part), they rapidly, much to the Ekhrilthur’s surprise, beat back the occupying armies and seized their vessels. Angered at this successful defense, the Conglomerate sent the bulk of its military fleet to devastate Skereth, as the offending species called their homeworld. Yet once again the crafty invertebrates proved themselves capable of exceptional feats: in an incredibly brief time they reverse-engineered the Ekhrilthur craft designs and began to produce monstrous semi-biological ships to rival those of their foes. After some years of pitched battles around Skereth, the Global Union fielded the first Leviathans, scoring a string of decisive victories and breaking the siege once and for all. Much to the Conglomerate’s horror, the Skirol spilled outwards from their planet like a black plague, infesting system after system. For decades afterwards the two nations warred with each other over Yrrkelthar, leaving more systems ravaged in the wake of their clashes than the expansion of the Ekhrilthur could have ever accounted for. As hostilities progressively escalated, the two sides continued to build newer and more destructive weapons, yet neither could gain a lasting advantage over the other. It is worth noting, however, that the death toll was surprisingly low for a conflict of this magnitude, since both sides favoured indirect confrontations and the employment of mechanical or biological constructs in battle. A temporary truce was reached between the Conglomerate and the Global Union only when, out of unfathomable distant reaches of the galaxy, a third force appeared to lay claim to the region. The N’vall, a cryptic and vastly technologically advanced species of semi-artificial beings that had been wandering the galaxy as nomads for an unknown time, forcefully entered Yrrkelthar with their fleets and armies of enslaved soldiers, seeking to establish their complete dominion over it. Due to the significant superiority of the newcomers’ weaponry over their own, Ekhrilthur and Skirol were forced to set aside their differences and form an uneasy alliance to resist their advance. However, even this necessary union proved unstable, and eventually fragmented, with the region descending into such chaos that the invaders were unable to fully commit their forces to securing a complete victory. At length, as the war ran its course, the strength of the three species was depleted. The constant effort and resource drain that were battles and armament races had left the economies of the Conglomerate and Global Union in shambles, and even the seemingly all-powerful N’vall had seen their already low population dwindle dangerously. A peace treaty was drawn, ensuring a more or less equitable division of intact and devastated territories alike between the Ekhrilthur and Skirol, and relative freedom of action for the N’vall. Upon this foundation were successively built numerous trade deals, then large-scale partnerships, then state accords, until, over the centuries, international organisations sprang up that all but engulfed the respective governments’ authorities. Former tensions were forgotten, and eventually Yrrkelthar’s inhabitants were subsumed into one vast super-entity, directed by an enormously influential Nucleus. Under the guidance of the Nucleus and its subsidiaries, the Coalition, as the new state had been named, expanded further outwards. The increase in the number of territories to manage put an increasing strain over the centralised system, which found itself constrained to set up more and more local authorities with more and more sweeping powers. Finally, the influence of these minor organs eclipsed that of the Nucleus itself, which, lost amid the network it had itself created, retained little more than vestigial status. While these events took place, the Coalition’s wide and diverse scientific community, which had been becoming more important as the demand for new technologies grew over time, had, abetted by the military controllers, been edging its way into the administrative organs, conveniently rendering several functions dependent on advanced technical knowledge. Since the local nodes were most accessible, it was there that it held greater sway; and thus the spontaneous decentralisation helped bring about the new technocratic order, which has since then remained in place to this day. It was not long after the new system had consolidated itself - and reaped its first share of planetary victims - that the Coalition had its first contact with an outside force since the time of the coming of the N’vall. Scouts from the nearby Empire of Astrana penetrated the dead space between it and the Yrrkelthar core, reaching the inhabited zone. Curious at the sight of the unknown human species, the locals promptly performed a series of forceful experiments upon them, often with lethal results. The tales of those few that returned to the Empire triggered a retaliatory strike, whereupon the Coalition, seeing its neighbour’s military power, did not further meddle in its affairs. About a century later, the population of Yrrkelthar was further surprised by a third intrusion, this one far less benign than the previous one. The armies of the Daisan Order descended upon its rimward-facing border, destroying and plundering all in their way. At first, the Coalition, unaccustomed to defensive warfare, attempted to turn its normally aggressive scorched earth tactics against the invaders; however, this only led to further losses, as the mechanical hordes marched on, undeterred. Thereupon, it mustered its war fleets and met the Daisans head-on, successfully halting, or at least slowing, their advance. Yet their victories were costly and by no means final, and the threat from the mysterious distant rim looms still over Coalition space. [/hider] [h2][b]Starmap Information[/b][/h2] [h3][b]Galactic Location[/b][/h3] [hider=Map] [img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/356185595485224962/358080975537963008/spacemap_final2.gif[/img] [/hider] [h3][b]Major Holdings[/b][/h3] [b]- The Ulvarith System:[/b] Home system of the Ekhrilthur, and the official capital of the Coalition. While once it was the seat of the highest power in the region, nowadays it maintains its former superiority only in one field - that of industrial production. Ever since the Ekhrilthur first crossed space, they began laying the foundations for the great Ulvarith machine. It grew bit by bit, component by component, secondary megastructure by megastructure, until it reached its current condition: almost a single, immeasurably vast complex, uniting the function of material gathering, elaboration and construction. Ulvarith is the heart and pride of the Coalition, and the primary source of its vast drone armies. [b]- Skereth:[/b] Homeworld of the Skirol and, to this day, holder of the record for the greatest natural biodiversity in Yrrkeltharl space. Skirol Cycle-Weavers are to this day uncertain of whether they have encountered and catalogued every single species living on the planet, and there is scarce an inch of its surface that is not teeming with pluricellular as well as simple creatures, to say nothing of the lakes and oceans. Something all the seekers of Equilibrium agree on is that Skereth is virtually sacred, and thus none but a select few Trezklin, formed of the most illustrious Skirol to be found in the Coalition, are allowed to reside on its surface. Any who so much as visit it, drawn by the fame of its bio-pod laboratories and spawning pits, must undergo preemptive sterilization procedures, and, of course, never stray from the designated paths, lest they be seized by one of the planet’s many strange predators. [b]- Iurthelath:[/b] While typical Plasmators never remain in office for more than, at the very utmost, fifty standard years, not in the least because of lifespan limitations, the rulers of Iurthelath are a very notable exception. It is the only recorded case in Coalition history in which the title of Plasmator has been officially claimed not by an individual, but a group of researchers. The Iurthelathl Combine, as they are known, have remained in their position almost since it first appeared, and some suspect they simply found a loophole in the newly established rules. However this may stand, the Combine is an exceptionally diverse group, even including some N’vall, and its ever-evolving military designs are highly prized by Nodule controllers and fabricators alike. Less so by the inhabitants of the system, who, despite the official rules, constantly fear lest they be accidentally obliterated by the latest prototype. [b]- Nodule Nl-03:[/b] While political and military power alike is mostly more or less evenly distributed among the Nodules, with some variations due to the population and resource yield of given sectors, Nl-03 greatly outclasses it fellows. The reason for this is that it is perhaps the closest the modern Coalition has to a true Nucleus; a staging point for the forces of several outer sectors, and a few of the core ones as well. This degree of centralisation, previously unheard of in Yrrkelthar, has been forced upon it by the onslaught of the Daisan, and the speed with which it was put into practice is laudable by any standards. In less than three years, the previously scattered armies of the northern systems have been assembled here, ready to be deployed wherever the invaders might show themselves - though the strategic closeness of Nl-03 to the Imperial border has been a source of some perplexity. [b]- Mlan’entel E’thuur (lit. “The Fleet Lastborn”):[/b] N’vall wandering fleets are an impressive sight, hundreds, if not thousands, of large vessels of alien design glimmering through the void with the manifold eyes of their incomprehensible lights. Few of them, however, can rival the Mlan’entel E’thuur, “last” (which, in N’vall culture, is the most honourable position) of all. Its size is such that, were it not for the distinctly green light it radiates, it would often be mistaken for a nebula, and the power wielded by its outlandish armaments is such to have given pause even to the united fleet that stopped the Daisan advance. It is said that the mightiest of the I’nler reside on it, and that it occasionally seeks out the other N’vall congregations to conduct unnamed transactions; and none may guess where it is at any given moment. [b]- Vollnetlleayrrkeltharl (lit. “Dead space of Yrrkelthar”):[/b] While any starmap will make the Coalition appear rather impressive in terms of controlled territory, the truth is that very little of it beyond the core regions is inhabited. Most of it is [i]vollnetlle[/i] - empty and lifeless. Graveyards of desolate planets float dimly between uncharted nebulae, and nameless stars burn out their course without having ever been perceived by living organs. Yet this does not mean that this space is quiet, and, worst of all, not put to use. Fleets of drone ships patrol it without cease, and uncountable myriads of machines restlessly work to strip the uninhabited worlds of as many resources as possible. The fate that befalls others is worse yet: failed experiments are left on them and left to rot, or, which is worse, multiply; they are transformed into vile, infernal “death worlds” by the destructive mechanical armies stationed there; or, most fearsome of all, are used as testing targets for new methods of planetary destruction and hostile terraforming. The expanses within and between systems are clogged by debris or exhausted weapons, and so much as venturing into these regions is a deadly risk. [h2][b]Social Information[/b][/h2] [h3][b]Species and Demographics[/b][/h3] [center]Ekhrilthur - 31% Skirol - 46% N’vall - 23%[/center] [b]Ekhrilthur:[/b] [hider=Appearance] [img]http://i1.2photo.ru/4/z/347296.jpg[/img] [/hider] These fungal creatures, hailing from a largely barren and inhospitable, but mineral-rich planet, have a long history of struggling with hostile environments, which, combined with their lengthy gestation period, frequently threatened to thin their numbers almost to the point of extinction. Consequently, there remains in them an atavistic aversion to being exposed to physical danger, and a proportional willingness to decrease the chance of such an occurrence as far as possible. As their soft, malleable pseudopods, which can, in various circumstances, exert a firm grip or perform fine manipulations, render them naturally suited for occupations wherein such flexibility can be vital, Ekhrilthur industry is the Coalition’s finest in terms of mechanical implements and technological advancement, its wares widely available on any inhabited world. Despite this, the Ekhrilthur themselves are seldom seen outside the core regions, preferring to remain in the safety of their territories, despite the latter often amounting to little more than planet-spanning factories and mining facilities. Their homeworld is especially notable for the vast, continent-spanning subterranean cavernous formations, wherein most of its life-form population evolved. As a consequence of developing in an atypically dark and humid environment, the Ekhrilthur are particularly susceptible to light and dry climates, causing them to be seldom seen in the open, or indeed at all, on worlds close to a their orbital star; conversely, they appear to thrive on those near a system's rim. These beings appear as rough spheroids composed of grey gelatinous matter, moving and manipulating objects by the means of a variable number of malleable pseudopods which can, when necessary, exude a viscous substance. [b]Skirol:[/b] [hider=Appearance] [img]http://orig14.deviantart.net/cb80/f/2013/224/f/8/big_alien_tick_by_michaeljaecks-d6hv830.jpg[/img] [/hider] The inquisitive Skirol developed in a rich and complex ecosystem, the entirety of which they still suspect they have not yet quite understood. Such a wealth of life never ceased to fascinate a great many of them, and, ever since the dawn of their civilisation, lead them to wonder how marvellous the world of organic forms might be if it were guided by a wise, calculating intellect - such as their own. Since the Skirol seldom hesitate before passing from words to action, there scarce can be found a life-form in Coalition space which they have not experimented upon, and the products of their biological engineering are slowly yet steadily making their way toward wholesale employment in the civilian sector as well as the military. Skirol are a rather common sight throughout the Coalition, especially about the fringe, where exploration expeditions are occasionally undertaken. The Skirol are odd creatures exhibiting both arthropodal and molluscoid physiological traits, as well as certain others whose analogues have not been encountered in any other known animal. They visually resemble some form of arachnid or crustacean, encased in black segmented exoskeletons and possessing tentacular appendages extending from the frontal section of their heads. [b]N’vall:[/b] [hider=Appearance] [img]https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/817/278/large/adrian-rio-moure-sombras-krynea.jpg?1433758848[/img] [/hider] Cryptic beings that appeared from unknown recesses of the galaxy during the Yrrkeltharl War, and have since become a constituent member of the Coalition, despite refusing to settle on any planet or stationary superstructure and living exclusively on their ships. Comparatively little is known about the N’vall, but something that is certain is that they are members, perhaps the last, of a species that sought to attain physical perfection. Having long abandoned natural procreation in favour of the precisely controlled artificial procedures enabled by their significant level of technological advancement, N’vall are “born” from a genetic fusion encoded into biomass growing around a metallic endoskeleton. Some of them possess strong psionic abilities, but it has not yet been determined what factors cause their development. If seen in their customary garments, the N’vall might appear to a casual observer to be almost humanoid. However, their true anatomy is neither such nor even bipedal. They possess four arms, two of which usually remain folded under their cloaks, and lack any sort of hind limbs, instead relying on magnetic propulsors and somewhat arthropod-like mechanical prosthetics, and, should those fail, their own robust muscles, to move in a hovering or crawling fashion. N’vall hands have four digits, one of which appear opposable, but can be bent or rotated sideways with ease to provide a grip upon objects. [h3][b]Society[/b][/h3] Despite centuries of cohabitation, the three species of the Coalition have, over time, remained rather distinct in their social and cultural domains. Mingling has, to this day, remained limited to a macroscopic scale, since even when Ekhrilthur and Skirol share a planet, their environmental requirements and preferences drive them to settle separate locations. Nonetheless, time and regular trade have smoothed out any hostilities between them (a factor contributing to a comparatively rapid construction of peaceful relations was that, due to their biology and consequent social structures, none of the Yrrkeltharl inhabitants are familiar with the concept of trans-generational guilt). Overall, the Coalition’s society is, though as diverse as its geography, rather firmly unified, even though a casual observer might not see any immediate traces of unity proper in it. The Ekhrilthur, being strongly inclined towards individualistic and materialistic attitudes, as well as possessing almost irrationally strong latent self-preservation instincts, mostly live in utilitarian, unsightly yet functional urban centers, large parts of which reach deep underground. Roads, streetways and passages between buildings take on the form of enclosed tunnels, making the cities fully self-contained pockets of space with only a scarce few entryways and aeration openings connecting them to the outside. Personal dwellings are typically small, narrow insulated capsules, with little, if any, decorations - indeed, in contemporary times ornaments are considered distasteful, and how pristine a home is is a clear sign of the owner’s status - and few visible furnishings. Common pastimes include electronic sensory stimulation, with chemical or biological drugs being rare, and mechanical design aided by small personal assembling devices. Ekhrilthur society is the basis for the Coalition’s own technocratic system. With the all-pervasiveness of safety system in everyday life, technicians and engineers are the ones who hold the effectively greatest responsibilities, and consequently authority, among them, their influence rivalled only by that of the military (which, being entirely automated, is controlled by technicians itself). Ranks and standing are determined by skill and merit, with examinations and probation periods being required to pass from one of the standardised “levels” to the other. Egoism is not only sanctioned, but indirectly encouraged in these meritocratic communities. While small-scale corruption is not uncommon, nepotism is not practiced by the Ekhrilthur, as they reproduce by sporogenesis and do not entertain family ties. It might be odd to hear that the notoriously materialistic Ekhrilthur are not only open to religion, but have even produced a faith of their own. In fact, the Creed of the Ultimate Truth is not so much a religious confession as a philosophical stance. In simple terms, those who subscribe to it believe that there is, concealed somewhere in the cosmos, a notion that, if discovered, would explain all uncertainties there exist on the nature and origin of the universe. The innumerable interpretations of this basic axiom have birthed almost as many schools of thought within the Creed, which incessantly contend themselves through discussions and debates. Skirol, on the other hand, are strongly communal. They congregate in groups known as Trezklin, which can be loosely translated as “Swarm” or “Blight”, numbering anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand individuals, and only a rare few eccentrics are known to live in comparative isolation. The Trezklin is the foundation of the average Skirol’s life, providing at once a family, working environment and circle of friends, or “hunting-mates”. The internal hierarchy of these communities is, while mostly similar across the general Coalition-wide population, so bizarre and intricate as to be largely incomprehensible to outsiders. As far as anyone can tell, one’s authority is accrued proportionally with age, but even then it is in no way uncommon to have younger members significantly outrank older ones. Trezklin are, as a rule, stationed in the wild, be it flatlands countryside, forests and jungles, swamps, mountain ranges, archipelagos or even shallow bodies of water if their members are augmented to survive in it. Some are nomadic, but the majority remain in the territories where they were originally founded. Skirol habitations, commonly named bio-pods, are semi-organic constructions incorporating one or more non-sentient living membranes draped over a synthetic structure, providing the advantage of a heat-preserving barrier that can be regulated in its various aspects. The standard bio-pod is a large, if sleek, edifice, either housing numerous inhabitants or containing some facility or the other; individual ones are uncommon and reserved for notable persons. Similarly to the Ekhrilthur, Skirol do not have true religions, but rather philosophical ideologies. The overwhelmingly prevalent one is that of the Cyclic Equilibrium, whose broadly-worded mandate is to find and spread balance to all life. The interrogative of what exactly this balance is has perhaps as many answers as there are planets inhabited by Skirol. Some believe that this means all life-forms should be equal, and modify themselves in entire Trezklin to fit an “universal” biological template; others, on the contrary, see it as an exhortation to increase diversity, and surround themselves with all sorts of strange creatures; others yet think that only some select life-forms should be allowed to exist, and the others be either altered or eliminated. Whatever interpretation they may follow, the Skirol are usually drawn to active experimentation, and do not waste time before putting their views into practice. Of the N’vall, not much is known. Without exception, they keep to their ships, never setting foot (even figuratively, given their ability to move by hovering above the ground) on any planet or structure not built by themselves and refusing entry aboard their vessels to all but high-standing Coalition officials and scientists. Communications with them are usually carried out by transmitter, or through their slave proxies. What little has filtered down indicates that the entirety of their fleets is ruled by a hierarchy of the psionically endowed, known as I’nler’attul, or I’nler (roughly translatable as “they who dominate/shape” and “dominating/shaping [ones]”), and that they have not relinquished their forebears’ quest of attaining perfection. Though they themselves acknowledge they have not yet reached that stage, they nonetheless see themselves as superior to other beings, and make no effort to conceal it. [h3][b]Government[/b][/h3] With the decline of the power of the Nucleus, two main influences swiftly rose to replace the mighty central authority, as they had been preparing to do for a rather long time - the scientific community network and the military controllers, which is little more than a formal subsection of the former. With defense and ease of force deployment being one of the local authorities’ main tasks, the military immediately established a strong hold on them, eventually growing to fill them altogether. While the Nucleus still participates in the administration of the core regions, it is now quite clearly of secondary importance. That said, despite controlling the highly strategically important local centers of governance, known as Nodules, the armed forces to not take active part in the governance of systems and sectors. Instead, they limit themselves to enforcing peace, watching the borders and appointing planetary or system governors, called Plasmators. Tying back to the original extremity of the influence shift, Plasmators are chosen from noteworthy scientists and researchers. Their administrative duties are purely nominal, as planets have their own organs of government, the selection and maintenance of which, while vaguely following a standard structure (designed prevalently with the objective of making them as unobtrusive into the Plasmators’ work as possible) is mostly left to the populace. Rather, what their appointment means is that they and their supporting staff have free rein to employ their territory’s space and resources as their work and experiments require it. There are but a few major rules they must abide by lest the Nodules intervene, and the period of allotment is flexible enough. While the N’vall are technically subject to the global laws of the Coalition, the fact that the latter are so few and loose leaves them significant freedom of action. Their fleets are free to wander about as they please, any empty system, as long as it is not hosting some Plasmator’s experiments, is open for them to exploit as necessary, and the Nodules do not interfere with the rule of the I’nler. Nonetheless, in times of war with an external enemy, they, as well as the rest of the Coalition, are bound to contribute a share of their forces for the common effort - something which they have thus far never disagreed with. [h2][b]Technological Information[/b][/h2] [h3][b]Technology Overview[/b][/h3] It might at first appear that, much like its society, the Coalition’s work and accomplishments in the technological field are divided following the species of those who work on them - after all, many practices are to this day still exclusive to their respective inventors. However, upon a somewhat closer examination, it becomes clear that technology has intermingled far more than its creators. Hybrid designs are perfectly commonplace, and Skirol and N’vall energy sources have long since supplanted anything else in use. An explanation for this can be found in the nature of the contact between the Coalition’s members: while trade and commerce are slow in conducting cultural exchanges, scientific and technological ones flow much faster. Nevertheless, a noticeable degree of historical specialisation does remain. Ekhrilthur technology is chiefly oriented towards mechanics and engineering, and about two hundred years ago has begun foraying into nanotechnology. It is notable, though, that virtual programming has never been their strong point: while they have been able to create some highly complex virtual constructs, the latter are mostly linear in their concept and functioning and lack much potential beyond the minimal necessary versatility. Ekhrilthur components are widely used in Skirol semi-organic constructs, and are occasionally sought after as mechanical prosthetics. The Skirol are best known for their biological and genetic manipulations. Over the centuries, the number of species created by them through selection, hybridisation, genetic fusion or simply direct grafting has likely grown to exceed that of life-forms naturally found in Yrrkelthar. Ghastly though their amalgams might appear, it is undisputed that they are immensely useful in sectors ranging from medicine and agriculture to spacefaring and, of course, the armed forces. Among other things, the Skirol are responsible for the invention of two of the tools most famed within the Coalition and infamous without - bacterial tubes and engineered plagues. Body augmentations, practical or merely cosmetic, are likewise a common application of their arts. Most arcane and relatively advanced of all, N’vall technology could appear to hail from another galaxy altogether. The principles it operates upon are either new but irrefutable, or known but having long been deemed unsuited for practical application. Theirs are the traction-core system, used either for highly efficient energy production or the construction of such fearsome weapons as vacuum rippers or gravity mauls, the secrets of neural melding, which subjugates those subjected to it to the will of the I’nler, magnetic levitation and the cloning of vat-grown biomass. The N’vall are likewise responsible for introducing the hyperspace drive into Yrrkelthar. [h3][b]Major Techs[/b][/h3] [hider=Traction-Core Generators] First brought into Yrrkeltharl space by the N’vall fleets, the vacuum-core principle has been a fundamental pillar of Coalition energy production for centuries. Its main application consists in the generators, large apparati from which obstruents are removed in order to create a partial vacuum. At the center of these structures, usually shaped like cylindrical vats, although spherical variants exist, there is placed a compressed cluster of superheavy matter, typically of the heftier metals, which is then made to spin and generate centripetal traction. The latter is collected by a system of pistons in the form of kinetic energy, which is then converted, through secondary additions to the generators, into the required forms. While the production of traction-core generators is significant, they are physically large and bulky, and are thus typically only used in industrial complexes, urban energy plants and aboard large ships. [/hider] [hider=Vacuum Rippers] A weaponised application of the traction-core principle, vacuum rippers are among the most redoubtable armaments wielded by Coalition fleets. They operate by releasing powerful radiation discharges at their center, then modulating the resulting fallout in such a manner that it initiates something akin to a sub-molecular chain reaction. Particles congregate in aberrant pseudo-nuclei which grow to monstrous proportions, the motion of displaced space propelling some of them forwards, where they will form other conglomerations, and so on. When the chain reaches a dense object - such as an enemy ship - the combined force of uncountable trillions of pseudo-nuclei triggers the formation of an unstable “core”, causing a tremendous implosion which, depending on the size of the vessel struck, can easily engulf a good part of a fleet. Since the radiation itself is only necessary in the first phase of the process, shields and protective fields will not defend against vacuum rippers, but highly robust or insulated ship armour can limit the size of the implosion. Furthermore, their significant size and weight mean they can only be mounted on tremendously large ships. [/hider] [hider=Bacterial Tubes] While traction-core generators are employed for heavy-duty purposes, the more versatile bacterial tubes provide accessible energy at virtually any scale. Developed by Skirol gene-weavers in conjunction with Ekhrilthur nanoengineers, the tubes, as they are known due to their cylindrical form, contain a liquid solution of highly conductive chemicals, in which there swim myriads of genetically modified bacteria. The microorganisms ceaselessly multiply, feed on each other, multiply and so forth, their activity producing energy which, greatly magnified by their environment, is gathered by outwards-reaching nanite networks. Available in a variety of sizes, tube sockets can be found on virtually any Coalition-made device, and every household, be it locule or bio-pod, has a cryogenic drawer with a supply of the batteries, though they seldom have to be changed. [/hider] [hider=Bio-Lasers] As many an implement in Yrrkelthar space, bacterial tubes have found a specialised role of employment in warfare. Aside from powering the vast mechanical armies of the Coalition, military-issue tubes serve themselves as weapons, thanks to certain modifications. The bacteria contained in these models produce toxic waste as a side effect of their activity; while this has the disadvantage of requiring them to be changed somewhat more frequently, it also allows the devices containing them to eject the waste outwards, usually in a pulverised form, creating the tell-tale sickly yellow-green clouds that cover Coalition forces as they advance. The name “bio-laser” comes from the fact that, originally, it was chiefly energy beam weapons that used such a system; nowadays, though its practice has extended to particle and plasma weapons, as well as the drones themselves, the term remains as a broad catch-all term for Coalition planetary invasion weapons. It is little wonder that after the passage of such an army the ground should remain barren and infertile for decades on end. [/hider] [hider=Planetary Harvest] While some may see the [i]vollnetlle[/i] as wasted potential for so many thriving worlds and colonies, not to mention a dangerous regions that ought better to be cleared, the Coalition is perfectly satisfied with how things are there, and, if anything, would even wish for more of it were there any scarcity. The abundance of barren planets has enabled its engineers to design an efficient, rapid process of stripping a world of all resources with but a few practiced motions. The exact method slightly varies according to the composition of the planet, but the basic process is always the same: swarms of harvester craft descend upon it like hungry [i]rahkal[/i], bombarding the crust with burrowing charges, vaporising any liquid bodies and releasing fumes and radiation that leave any atmosphere there might be in shreds. Hordes of drones are then disgorged upon the battered surface, and collector modules descend upon it to devour and process the ores laid bare by the ravaging volleys. Finally, the planetary core, laid bare by continuous hammering, is solidified through exposure to the vacuum, and absorbed by the machines. The presence of organic life on the surface of a planet does but add an additional stage to the harvest, though to many it might appear to be the most gruesome one. [/hider] [hider=Hostile Terraforming] Somewhat akin to planetary harvesting, albeit by far less thorough, the Coalition’s hostile terraforming techniques are nonetheless much more varied. These invasive planetary alteration methods are deployed upon enemy worlds in support of invading armies, which, though they might be at a disadvantage on unfamiliar ground, are entirely optimised for combat in the pestilential conditions brought about by terraformation attacks. The latter may involve anything from engineered plagues designed to wipe out native life, through saturating the soil, air and water with toxins, mutagenic substances or corrosive acid, to seeding the surface with genetically modified parasitic organisms or deploying swarms of devouring self-replicating nanites. While any of these, used alone or in conjunction with others, is devastating to most life-forms in known space, the process is gradual and, though incredibly fast by terraforming standards, leaves defenders enough time to react should they be able to. Hostile terraforming is conducted through ground and orbital emplacements assembled by Coalition armies and fleets, and eliminating them, as well as any Ruinator ships stationed over the planet, is the key to stopping it while it is reversible. [/hider] [hider=Unmaker] Prior to the integration of N’vall technology into Yrrkeltharl designs, the most common form of plasma weapon were the stream projectors used by the Ekhrilthur. However, once the expertise in magnetic fields of the vat-born species had been assimilated into the technical knowledge of what had by then become the Coalition, its applications in the bellic employment of plasma, already known to the N’vall but new for the rest of the region, were greatly acclaimed. The final result of numerous trials and experiments was the unmaker, a weapon of variable size used nowadays by warships and heavy drones alike. These devices fire a double-layered sphere of plasma maintained compact by a magnetic field, resulting in a double shockwave, outward and inward, which weakens struck matter before drawing it into a destructive implosion. [/hider] [h3][b]Industry[/b][/h3] The power of the Coalition, scientific and military alike, is entirely founded on the strength of its industry. Planets and asteroids are torn open every day to feed the insatiable metallic monster, and many thousands of varyingly automated factories regurgitate tools, wares, instruments, equipment, but most of all ships, drones and frames for semi-organic constructs. The [i]vollnetlle[/i] is littered with their hideous forms, but they likewise abound in the core regions, and Ekhrilthur space in particular. Indeed, the Ulvarith system-complex, a mass of interconnected megastructures fully dedicated to pounding metal into uniform shapes, is the species’s pride, and many worlds inhabited by the fungi show signs of efforts to emulate this great work on great and small scales alike. [h2][b]Military Information[/b][/h2] [h3][b]Military Overview[/b][/h3] The most notable feature of the Coalition military is that no member of the three constituent species ever takes to the field in person. All of its forces are composed of remotely controlled constructs, with the sole exception of Skirol and N’vall ships, which, however, are rather rare. No creature, be it living or mechanical, in its ranks is fully autonomous, since the Yrrkeltharl species are as distrustful of anything they cannot directly command as they are unwilling to descend into battle. This reliance on its creations rather than its population itself, and thus industry rather than reproduction, often grants the Coalition an immense numerical advantage. While its troops might be unwieldy and slow on the move, they are so many that enemy armies, whatever they might be, may easily find themselves dwarfed, and the foul contamination they spread as they advance further tips the scales of attrition in their favour. [h3][b]Space Forces[/b][/h3] [b]Navy Doctrine:[/b] Sometimes called “pillar drill” after an ancient Ekhrilthur siege engine, the Coalition war fleets’ typical approach to battle seeks to make best use of the strengths of each of its vessel types. The innumerable lesser and medium Ekhrilthur drone craft seek to pin enemy fleets in place by surrounding them from all sides, hurling themselves forward with weapons blazing regardless of any damage or losses they might suffer. Once the foe is thus encircled, the “drill” proper, formed by heavy drone ships alongside the titanic Skirol semi-organic vessels and the powerful N’vall auxiliaries, advance upon it, releasing new waves of strikecraft and firing fearsome weapons such as vacuum rippers, giant unmakers and spinal beam projectors. With nowhere to turn, the enemy would ideally be at the mercy of this unstoppable force. [h3][b]Ground Forces[/b][/h3] [b]Ground Doctrine:[/b] While fleet tactics, distinctive though they might be of the Coalition, do not bear much of a mark in the way of its, so to say, flavour, the doctrine followed by its Planetary Invasion Forces appears to take pride in displaying the worst of its destructive and corrupting tendencies. Officially named “Transformative Assimilation”, it consists in radically altering the terrain and environment around its immense armies of metal and biomass via the use of hostile terraforming. In addition to being necessary for the troops to operate at full effectiveness, as they are expressly built to do battle in such hellish conditions, it corrodes and weakens any resistance the enemy might offer, so that it might easily be swept away by the unwavering advance of the soulless tide. [/hider]