[hider=Moons of Salome] [center] [color=00aeef][h2]The Four Moons of Salome[/h2][/color] [img]https://i.imgur.com/bi93TBi.jpg[/img] [i][sub]While not an official flag of the Assembly or any of the moons, astrological charts such as these are common symbols associated with Salome.[/sub][/i] [/center] [color=00aeef]Government[/color]: The four moons which orbit the Gas Giant Salome exist in a tedious state of peace and cooperation, only recently recoiling from chaos. There is no one executive government which administers all four Moons of the Alliance, but rather, each moon governs themselves independently and cooperate as members of the Salome Assembly. Further details on the government of each moon is found in the Governance and Politics section. [color=00aeef]Demographics[/color]: While the vast majority of the population of the moons is human, around 5-10% of the population is alien, the population being largely transient and varying wildly year to year. Religiously, the religions of the Mission and the Teaching are both present, with the Mission having particular strength in Shem and the Teaching having particular strength in Da'lu, and while they both compete, most people don't associate with just one, so it's hard to put them into percentages. Robots are a large presence, but they are counted as property in census records. [color=00aeef]Population[/color]: [b]Adama:[/b] 2 billion [b]Shem:[/b] 1 billion [b]Nereid:[/b] 400 million [b]Da'lu:[/b] 100 million [b]Total:[/b] 3.5 Billion [hider=Note] A negligible, transitory population lives in the various military, research, and resource extraction bases around the whole of the Tifarah System. The individuals of these bases live there seasonally and are counted towards the population of their home moon. [/hider] [color=39b54a]Planet Name and Description[/color]: When the Ark first arrived in the Tifarah system, they miraculously found [color=7F00FF]Salome[/color], a massive, purple Gas Giant with four habitable moons. These four moons are [color=228B22]Adama[/color], [color=FF0000]Shem[/color], [color=006994]Nereid[/color], and [color=d4af37]Da'lu[/color]. [hider=Adama] [img]https://i.imgur.com/PP5Y0oz.jpg[/img] [i][sub]Uram, capital city of Adama[/sub][/i] The most populated moon of Salome, Adama is highly urbanized and extremely earthlike in atmosphere, albeit much smaller in scale, with oceans, continents, and varying ecosystems. Most of the population live in its many metropolises, such as its largest, Uram, pictured above. In between these urban centers are vast stretches of farmland and nature reserves. Adama has a very large alien population, and much of its economy is based around the trade fleets which come in every decade or so. Religiously, both the Mission and the Teaching are present, and most humans participate in ceremonies from both tradition. For most Adamin, these religions behave syncretically, and most of the population is largely secular. The other moons tend to view Adama as excessively materialistic and amoral. [/hider] [hider=Shem] [img]https://i.imgur.com/alWxJbG.jpg[/img] [i][sub]A typical military outpost on Shem[/sub][/i] The second largest in population but largest in size, 450 million of Shem's 1 billion population live in the megacity of Ursalome, built on, powered by, and controlling the supervolcano, Mt. Eish. The city was supposedly designed by The Alchemist himself, and much of the rest of the moon's economy is feeding and supplying the city. The vast majority of the planet, which has no ocean, is a sprawling desert. Outside of the Mt. Eish region, the main exception to this rule is the Great Lakes region, a savannah surrounding the great lakes of Shem which act as the breadbasket which feeds Ursalome. Various military bases, mining stations, and civilian and government colonies dot the desert landscape, replete with warlords and banditry. Shem, at least from the government perspective, is extremely devoted to The Mission, and aliens make up a very small presence here. Robots, however, persist to a large degree, the main robotics factory located in Ursalome. Despite its apparant conservativism, Shem is highly socialistic, largely due to its citizenship-through-service policy of conscription, and even in Ursalome the Missionary value of community is highly lauded. Still, the lower reaches of Ursalome live in urban squalor, and the ineffectivity of Shem's civilian government is unlikely to do much about it. [/hider] [hider=Nereid] [img]https://i.imgur.com/JK8T8TJ.jpg[/img] [i][sub]The town of Dagyam. Most of the population of Nereid live in rural towns such as these.[/sub][/i] The climate of Nereid shifts between tropical and Mediterranean, most of the moon being archipelagos separated by vast swathes of sea. There are, of course, exceptions to this, primarily the subcontinent of Aress which is dominated by a rural idyll, and contains the capital of Ur'daat, metropolitan population 8 million. Nereid, sometimes referred to as the 'enlightened moon', has the highest standard of living of all Salome, and education is extremely valued, with citizens of all the moons clamoring to make into the Great Academy of Ur'daat. Despite its academic pretensions, the average Nereidi still values hard labor, and more often than not makes their living through it. The amount of cheesy jokes in Salome about the Nereidi love of fishing is remarkable yet true, and the local love of artisanal and local goods means that it's still easy to find a handmade flatbread in many parts of Nereid. Religiously, Nereid is hardly secular, yet they often take a rationalistic approach to both the Teaching and the Mission, and two religions are often seen as living in harmony on Nereid, the average Nereidi actively seeking to reconcile the two traditions. Most aliens who live on Nereid do so temporarily, with only a couple true alien villages, and robots remain a presence, though the Nereidi love of labor often procludes their necessity. [/hider] [hider=Da'lu] [img]https://i.imgur.com/F2UTsHM.jpg[/img] [i][sub]A Pono village on Da'lu. Like many alien villages, the old buildings have been refitted with human technology.[/sub][/i] The only moon to retain its Alien name (meaning 'Fruit Tree'), Da'lu is by far the smallest of the four moons in both population and size, and yet upon the Ark's arrival, it had the largest and most deeply ingrained alien settlements. Da'lu is dotted by villages of various alien species, primarily that of the Pono, as well as new human villages, ancient monestaries, and its one urban center, Urrukh. There is a single sea on Da'lu, and most of the moon is forest and mountain. The Teaching is deeply, deeply, ingrained into the daily lives of the people there, which is evidenced by the ruins of its ancient temples, and the only robots who do live here do so by choice, seeking to find the meaning of their conciousness through the ways of The Teacher. [/hider] [hider=Capital Fleet] [img]https://i.imgur.com/Uj3xGJp.jpg[/img] [i][sub]One of the many stations which make up the Capital Fleet.[/sub][/i] Primarily made up of the Ark, the colony ship which brought humanity to the Tifara System, the Capital Fleet is the location of the Assembly which allows the four moons to cooperate, as well as the primary docking stations for Salome's moons' joint navy. As designed, the Ark has the facilities to both power and feed itself and its adjoining fleet, though food is brought in from the other moons as a luxury. [/hider] [hider=Salome] [img]https://i.imgur.com/UFPfbyD.jpg[/img] [i][sub]Shamayim Base[/sub][/i] While other bases and colonies may also exist floating around Salome, the only known research and mining colony floating through Salome's supper stratosphere is the Samayim Base, operated by the Assembly and administered by the Capital Fleet. [/hider] [color=39b54a]History[/color]: When the Ark which carried humanity to the Tifara system first arrived, the moons of Salome were a stopping point in a great, albeit slow-moving, galactic trade route. With a trade fleet arriving every few decades, the population of the moons had only population and religious centers on Da'lu, small towns and trade hubs on Adama and Nereid, and sparse, nomadic desert tribes on Shem. While the population of Da'lu, followers of an ancient alien religion known as the Teaching, were welcome to human settlers, the populations of the other three moons feared human encroachment, especially when it became obvious that the humans sought control over the trade routes and whatever natural resources existed on the moons. What followed was a short-lived war between the militarily advanced humans and the aliens, which saw the near extermination of sentient alien life on Shem and Nereid. On Adama, the merchant-based alien governments accept human rule, and the coming and going of trade ships became secluded almost entirely to Adama, creating a sort of interstellar, cosmopolitan culture on that moon which persists to today. The settlers who moved to Da'lu, meanwhile, largely embraced the Teaching, and settled nicely into the forested moon. The reclusivity and stubbornness of Shem's alien "barbarians", as well as the harshness of the environment, caused Shem's settlers to become extremely militarized, and even before planetary unification, which was a bit of a bloodbath on Shem, the idea of mandatory military service to your state became ingrained into Shem's cultural fabric. Human settlement largely collected by the Great Lakes and in the region of Mt. Eish, though some human adventurers and enterprisers began to push out into the desert, collecting around oases and mineral deposits. Nereid found itself in a sort of utopia, with its alien population decimated after the war, an abundance of natural resources, and a perfect climate. Out of the Nereidi idyll was birthed the first United Moon about 200 years ago, with all of Nereid very quickly united under its democracy. The Great Academy was built, and very quickly, the idea of all the moons becoming unified was a recurring concept which floated around in her intellectual circles. [hider=The Great Academy of Ur'daat] [img]https://i.imgur.com/DS3Dh3C.jpg[/img] [/hider] Nobody's entirely certain when or how the religion of The Mission began to form, its more orthodox members believing it was divine prophecy, whereas academics and moderate members believing it came about as descendent from multiple older human religions. Either way, by the time of Nereid's unification and the settlement of the other planets, the concept of a Divine Human Mission began to heavily inform the daily decisions of Salome's leadership, which almost immediately began to clash with the universalist tendencies of The Teaching. The debates between these conflicting philosophies which took place around the various moons, Nereid in particular, birthed a form of Interstellar Mysticism. The mystical tendencies of The Mission would give way to its own form of Alchemy, wherein scientific advancement was seen as a spiritual practice. The next moon to unify would be Adama. Both influenced by the Nereidi Unity, and pushed forward by its mercantalist/capitalist economy, The Adami State was formed as a means to drive economic prosperity, as well as safeguard the interests of those who profited from the Interstellar Trade Route. After a prolonged civil war, Shem would soon follow suit, and, by Mission Year 180, 3 of the 4 moons of Salome would be unified. Da'lu would never unify by choice, with its many villages content to mind their own business, although the city of Urrukh had been founded high in her mountains. Now is when we must talk about the mysterious figure of the Alchemist. Nobody knows too much about the personal details of this man's history, but almost every important event in Salome's timeline-the founding of Urrukh and the Great Academy, the writing of the Mission Statement, the invention of sentient robots, and the invention of SLS (Salome Linear Script), has been credited to this man, who appears to be part prophet, part scientist, and part philosopher. His history seems to go back to Salome's founding, and yet he would never surface publicly until after Shem's unification, with a plan for a magnificent city. Life for the average person of Shem was difficult-the constant threat of bandit and barbarian, the extreme heat, a backwater infrastructure, and now, for the people of Mt. Eish, the looming threat of Volcanic Eruption. So, in Mission Year 200, the Alchemist approached the heads of the Shem State with a plan-build a machine that could not only control the flow of Mt. Eish, but that could draw power from it as well. And using this machine, build the greatest city any of the Moons had ever seen, the Great City of Salome-Ursalome. And so, his will was done. He meticulously planned every detail of the building of the city, and th population center of Mt. Eish was transformed into the Megacity of Ursalome. People from every moon came to settle in the great city, and he built his Robotics Factory there to help stimulate the economy. The spirits of the people of Shem were high...perhaps too high. The Aluf of Shem, Amalak Hopiyal, declared himself Commander and Aluf of all Salome. To put it into context, as previously stated, the idea of Salome unifying under a single government had been floated around in intellectual circles since the time of the Nereidi Unification. That said, their idea was far more utopian-an uncorrupted democracy of the people just like in Nereid, for all the inhabitants of Salome's moons. The various texts supporting unification were then edited and propagated by the Adami Corporations, who simply wanted to increase the scope of their economic activities-the fuel and minerals of Shem and the pristine beaches of Nereid were at that point untouched by their hands. That is, until funds for this new fancy megacity on Shem were needed. And so most everybody outside Da'lu was in favor of unification. The question was then who would lead it. Nobody quite had the guts to do much in the way of unifying, and even though Aluf Amalak declared his intention to unite the Four Moons, he didn't do too much to actually enforce it. The Alchemist publicly advised against any military action, but despite his massive popularity among the more mystical elements of Missionary society, another, far more militarized vision of the Mission began shouting far too loud to be ignored. They claimed that humanity's Mission was lost yet again, and that like Babel before it, Salome would be destroyed. And what caused Salome to far so off course? Well, corporate greed for one, materialism, the general excesses of Adami society. But they had guns. Who didn't? The followers of the Teaching, more specifically, Da'lu. So thirty ago, with an independent industrial sphere thanks to Ursalome, Shem invaded Da'lu, the Adami corporations were thrown out of Shem, and the Salome Alliance between Nereid and Adama banded together to take Aluf Hopiyal, and Shem as a whole, down. The Alchemist disappeared from public life, and the war was fought to a standstill for years, until an alien trade fleet, containing a plethora of mercenaries, arrived. The Alliance threw money at the mercs, the mercs invaded Shem, and the war was over. Following the War of the Alliance was the forming of the Assembly; officially, the moons have never been unified, and the Assembly exists to promote cooperation and prevent another war. The Capital Fleet was formed to provide a defense against alien invasion, which Shem deemed necessary. But unofficially, Adama and her corporations are by far the most powerful force in all the moons, and their power grows ever stronger. Many in Shem resent the outcome of the war, specifically the fact that the alien mercenaries, better known as the Askari, have never left, despite their decimation of many parts of Shem. Much of Da'lu, meanwhile, was devastated by the Shemi occupation, and many of her glorious temples now lie in ruins. Nereid, as usual, is doing pretty well. A tedious peace persists among the moons, but any external force could quickly change that. [color=39b54a]The Religions[/color]: Two religions dominate the four moons; The Teaching and The Mission. The Teaching is said to be a religion older than time, and its students proclaim that in fact, the Teaching exists outside of time. According to them, there is one Teacher, who reincarnates in infinite forms across infinite dimensions. We call this teacher by many names, but the Teaching remains the same. These, [b]The 7 Fundamental Truths[/b], are as follows. [color=#FF0000]1. All existence is temporary.[/color] [color=#FFA500]2. All life clings to existence.[/color] [color=#FFFF00]3. All suffering is born by clinging.[/color] [color=#00FF00]4. Suffering ends when clinging ceases.[/color] [color=#0000FF]5. Clinging ceases when life ceases.[/color] [color=#4B0082]6. Life ceases when existence ceases.[/color] [color=#8F00FF]7. All existence is temporary.[/color] The idea of the same truth existing in many colors is a constant theme in the Teaching, being seen as a mirror of the many incarnations of the Teacher. Because of this, while the Red Truth and the Violet Truth are the same statement, they are still separate truths, as the Violet truth can only be found through the previous six Fundamentals. In practice, Students of the Teacher see life as a constant cycle of death and reincarnation across infinite dimensions. The goal of following the Teacher is to cease all incarnation. While they are many laypeople who follow The Teaching as a guide to living a fulfilling life, in order to cease incarnation, one must abstain from the material world and practice a lifestyle and meditation and compassion. The monestaries of Da'lu have existed for milennia, and followers of The Teaching build statues in honor of The Teachers' many incarnations. For many in Salome, this is The Alchemist, who many Students view as an incarnation of The Teacher. At the bottom of this section is a Teaching Death Chant. While The Teaching is most visible on Da'lu, it is present on every one of the moons, especially Adama. In both Adama and Nereid it blends with The Mission, and people are known for having a Missionary Wedding and a Teachist funeral. The Mission is not quite as old, although many believe it is inspired by previous human religions. The Mission is a Monotheistic religion, who refer to God as "The Ascendent One who Remains Imminent." While the actual theology differs from sect to sec, The Mission believes that their God is the creator of the universe, and is both entirely separate from that creation and fully embodies it. In the beginning of creation, all was perfect and unified. Either as an act of divine providence or as evil was inserted into Creation, depending on personal interpretation, that perfection was broken, and the universe today exists in a perpetual state of Brokenness. To remedy this, their God created Man, or Am. Man exists as a perfect microcosm of Creation, created with divine purpose imbued into its being. That purpose was to use humanity's greatest ability-repair itself, and through repairing itself, repair the Brokenness of reality. Humanity was created on Earth, known to Missionaries as Bavel, but when Earth fell astray from The Mission, humanity was "Spilled Across the Stars", with those who arrived in Salome being referred to as "Shekhehan", or "Those Who May Forget", to keep those in Salome always aware of the Divine Mission. To repair the Brokenness, humanity must bring the Divine Substances into reality; Peace, Love, and Truth, through the Tools of Repair, listed as follows. [b]1. Avad:[/b] Labor, devotion, acts of kindness, community building. [b]2. Salat:[/b] Prayer, song, meditation, praise. [b]3. Darash:[/b] Study, repentance (as in learning from mistakes), apology, listening. [b]4. Asah:[/b] Literally, Creation. Often the most debated. Most often means Children, but what about Art? Technology? A united and glorious Salome? Could mean many things. Much of Avad has to do with either abstaining for certain immoral acts or performing certain moral acts, known as Path-Walking. What these acts actually are is taken from the Mission's holy texts, which continue to be written and studied by The Masters, or Baalim. Baalim are known for their passionate debates, but one act which they all agree upon is Zakryiah; the daily reading of The Statement of Mission, which is inscribed on the Roof of the Ark, which many believe was done by The Alchemist, often seen as a central prophet in The Mission. The actual text of the Statement of Mission, or Zakar, is found below. [hider=Statement of Mission] [b]THOSE WHO MAY FORGET, LISTEN AND REMEMBER[/b] You are not the tree who stands alone, nor a single leaf in the unseen forest. You are not the spark of flame, nor the fuel which it burns. You are not the sea the river feeds, nor the spring that feeds the river. You are not the moon which circles planets, nor the star which planets circle. You are MAN. Death of stars, and birth of stardust. From heaven, you bring fire. From creation, you bring peace. You are MAN. Your body is substance eternal, Your mind, the glue of the bindings of time. Your spirit, the shape of GOD. Build peace upon the bridges you cross; It is from there galaxies form. Where there is hate, find love, Where there is evil, find righteousness, For this is the way of GOD. GOD forms life from death, And hope from despair. Be thankful for your dirt, For tomorrow it brings fruit. When MAN wanders, MAN is found. When MAN is lost, the road is clear. Stay true to your mission, Son of MAN, For when you stray, your fruits shall become like the vapors of BABEL, The joys of your labor shall melt with sorrow, And stars shall darken in Eternal Night. Son of MAN, Stay true to your mission, With this you are charged; Love GOD, love MAN, and love your Mission. In all your days embodied in stardust, To this you shall stay TRUE. What has gone is still with you. What is lost will soon be found. Peace, peace, peace, peace. [/hider] [hider=Death Chant of the Teacher] [center] [color=d4af37]Pilgrim[/color] Find comfort, for the time of become [color=C0C0C0]death[/color] is imminent. Do not run, for in running you shall stay. Do not fear, for in fearing you shall run. Rather, know [color=C0C0C0]death[/color] as friend, and stay close, As [color=d4af37]light[/color] stays to [color=c0c0c0]dark[/color]. You have become [color=d4af37]Nebula[/color]. Now become [color=C0C0C0]Supernova[/color], As your walking-days were not yours, And your breathing-days were always. [color=d4af37]Pilgrim[/color] Find emptiness, for the time of become [color=C0C0C0]death[/color] is imminent. Star sets, and darkness breathes. Your business is done. [color=d4af37]Eternal[/color] One, Become [color=C0C0C0]Eternal[/color]. Eternal One, cease to become. [/center] [/hider] [center] --- [/center] [color=f7941d]Governance and Politics[/color]: [hider=Capital Fleet] The Capital Fleet contains the headquarters of the Assembly, through which the four moons communicate with each other. As for the administration of the Capital Fleet itself, the Citizens of the Fleet elect a Mayor every year, though the Fleet's Admiral has much sway and influence as well. Interestingly enough, the Capital Fleet is by far the least corrupt of all the polities in Salome. Sama-yam Base on Salome is also, for administrative purposes, considered part of the Fleet. [/hider] [hider=Da'lu] The smallest moon in both size and population, Da'lu is 'governed' in the loosest terms by the monks, who steward the people of Da'lu. Unlike the other moons, the leadership of Da'lu is highly varied between humans, aliens, and even robots. The head of these monks is known as the Great Teacher, currently an Alien named Qubon. [hider=Qubon] [img]https://i.imgur.com/5fYaVoL.jpg[/img] [/hider] While the monks are officially the governors of Da'lu, they do very little to intervene in the daily lives of the people who live there, outside of the monestaries and the main city of Kaka-anadi. The moons mostly rual population is quite content to live their lives without government intervention. [/hider] [hider=Nereid] The second smallest of the moons, Nereid, operates through an uncorrupted direct democracy, assisted by an artificial intelligence which micromanages the moons details such as tax rates and details of spending allocations through analyzing the past voting patterns and socio-economic preferences of its citizens. Nereid does elect a council of judges to act as a governing board, headed by a president who acts as representative of Nereid in the Assembly. The current president of Nereid is Onkelos Maidan. [/hider] [hider=Shem] Largest is size but second in population, Shem is roughly a representative democracy, where voting rights are won through military service. That said, Shem's megacity, Ursalome, has an extremely powerful political system in its own right, and the Mayor of Ursalome is often seen as a fifth head of state in the Assembly. In the hinterlands, especially in the deserts of Shem, power is extremely decentralized, and warlords and strongmen often take charge, who from there will propel themselves onto the national stage through the usual strongman tactics of nationalism, religious fervor, and demagoguery. The head of state of Shem is known as the Aluf, who acts more as a commander than administrator, currently being Aria Misr. [/hider] [hider=Adama] The most populated moon by far, Adama operates as a parliamentary republic, its parliament known as the Asifah. Watchdog groups, primarily based in Nereid, regularly criticize the legitimacy of Shem and Adama's elections, and the latter is regularly criticized for the participation of corporations in the election process, with corporations blacklisting customers and firing employees who don't vote for who they support being legal in many sectors of the moon. That said, Adama is so shiny and beautiful that most of its people don't care to notice. [/hider] [color=f7941d]Technology Overview[/color]: A better name for this category would be Alchemy, the mystical practice instrinsically tied to science and technology in the Four Moons. Alchemy has its origins in the early days of Nereid, and is often seen as a synthesis of Missionary and Teachist philosophies. Like the Teachists, Alchemy often stresses the removal of self from reality, but like the Mission, there is a heavy emphasis placed on the divine importance of Creation and the Natural World. To Missionary Alchemists, they are actively participating in the processes of discovery and creation which God intends, and to Teachist Alchemists, they utilize technology to find oneness and tranquility. That said, the Missionary tendencies in Alchemy far outweigh the Teachist. A plethora of Alchemical texts exist, with many focusing on practical Alchemy, as in technology and science, and others focusing on philosophical Alchemy. Many blend the two, and those texts attributed to The Alchemist often do so. One concept Alchemists have always been fascinated with is Robotics. According to Alchemical philosophy, sentience and consciousness can only come through the soul. Therefore, for a robot to become sentient and "forge their own pathways", a soul must be given to them. One invention credited to The Alchemist is the encoding of the soul. It is also thought that The Alchemist invented SLS, Salome Linear Script, which often is believed to carry sacred connotations, especially in Missionary circles. One common practice is Mitzav Asah-a system of meditation and prayer which allows the Alchemist to achieve a state in which perfet creation is possible. [color=f7941d]Military Overview[/color]: While a united fleet command does certainly exist in the form of the Capital Fleet, the militaries of the four moons are still largely separate. The two superpowers, obviously, are Shem and Adama, with Adama having a slightly larger military but Shem's military being far better trained. Nereid is not listed below, as the military is not a primary concern of theirs, however, for the small military they have agreed to keep for the sake of the Assembly, they use equipment purchased from Adama. [hider=Shem] [hider=Shemi Defensive Artillery] [img]https://i.imgur.com/apJP8rr.jpg[/img] Shem has always been paranoid of alien invasion, and these defense systems dot their landscape. Ironically, the only invasion they've staved off was from the Alliance. [/hider] [hider=Rukh Hamasir Fighter] [img]https://i.imgur.com/07qtytB.jpg[/img] Providing both offensive capabilities in the air and ground support, Shem's navy is well known for their dogfighters, who became legendary in the War of the Alliance. Today, Shem provides plenty of these fighters to the Capital Fleet, and are often seen as the fleet's first line of defense in case of attack. [/hider] [hider=Shemi Mercenaries] [img]https://i.imgur.com/HUl1sKg.jpg[/img] After their military service, many Shemi soldiers who aren't quite ready to go back to civilian life will leave for the desert to live as a mercenary. Some find work for local warlords, some will act as security for mining companies, and some, in a rare act of cooperation between the two moons, will find work in the Adami military, contracted into the Corporate security forces. [/hider] [hider=Goliad Tanks] [img]https://i.imgur.com/EEoKYp5.jpg[/img] Infamous in their use on Da'lu, these tanks also provide excellent defense for Shemi ground supply lines. [/hider] [hider=Infantry] [img]https://i.imgur.com/epof8TD.jpg[/img] As every able-bodied human is conscripted into Shem's military, a large bulk wind up in the Infantry. The Infantry often act as a policing force, in both the wild outlands of Shem's deserts, as well as in their past military operations. [/hider] [hider=Troop Transport] [img]https://i.imgur.com/Yog5USQ.jpg[/img] While wheeled vehicles are often used by civilians and small scouting parties to cross the great deserts of Shem, typically hovercraft such as these are used to transport troops. [/hider] [hider=Robots] [img]https://i.imgur.com/T9dqhyO.jpg[/img] While Shem is capable of mass producing robots, they have to use The Alchemist's designs, none of which are designed for military usage. Because of this, Shem does not use robotic soldiers, however, robots are used for support roles in their military, such as the medic pictured. [/hider] [/hider] [hider=Adama] Adama has no national conscription like Shem, nor does it utilize a professional military to the same extent as Nereid. Rather, Adama contracts its military with various defense contracters around its moon, as well as with the Askari, the mysterious Alien mercenaries who flew in at the end of the War of the Alliance. [hider=Gaml-Pe Tank] [img]https://i.imgur.com/px8hrxL.jpg[/img] The finest in Corporate Technology, Hazak Weapons make a pretty penny selling these tanks to both the Nereidi, Adami, and Assembly militaries, as well as to the alien trade fleets. [/hider] [hider=Ayn-Yad Interceptor] [img]https://i.imgur.com/zYiCq1g.jpg[/img] The Ayn-Yad is the primary interceptor used by all the Moons' navies. [/hider] [hider=Adami Infantry] [img]https://i.imgur.com/2Qx0FiY.jpg[/img] Adama's human soldiery come from a wide variety of backgrounds, primarily Adami citizens and Shemi mercenaries. The defense contractors who the Adami government employs has looked into offering mercenaries as trade goods to the trade fleets, but in a rare act of civic duty the Adami government stepped in. [/hider] [hider=Askari] [hider=Askari Soldier] [img]https://i.imgur.com/ydUpVlp.jpg[/img] [/hider] [hider=Askari Warchief] [img]https://i.imgur.com/oKffvEu.jpg[/img] [/hider] [hider=Askari Berserker] [img]https://i.imgur.com/AnVsJne.jpg[/img] [/hider] [hider=Askari Berserker Mech Suit] [img]https://i.imgur.com/AHMlrqF.jpg[/img] [/hider] The reptilian Askari flew in towards the end of the War of the Alliance and were hired by The Alliance to put an end to the Shemi aggression. They swiftly did so, being highly adapted to the Shemi desert, but they also devastated much of Shem including swathes of the great city of Ursalome, the ruined parts of which now act as slums. After the war was over, Shem expected the Askari to depart, but instead, Adama and the newly formed Assembly continued to pay them. The Askari are split into three separate species who collectively formed their society; the large, powerful Warchiefs, who act as leaders and elite troops, soldiers, who act as well...soldiers, and berserkers, the Askaris' shock troops.. The Askari have their own transport vehicles and other military infrastructure, but are meant to act primarily as an infantry force. Askari warriors have been known to cause problems, many of them finding their way deep into the Shemi desert, and one of their Warchiefs has become a feared warlord, Hamagdal. [/hider] [/hider] [hider=Da'lu] [hider=Teachist Monks] [img]https://i.imgur.com/Slyja19.jpg[/img] While Da'lu has no standing army, during the Shemi occupation, most local resistance came from the monks. Since they are obligated to contribute to joint military efforts as part of the Assembly, Da'lu sends monks to train soldiers from other moons. [/hider] [/hider] [hider=Ships] The four moons, especially since the creation of the Assembly and the Capital Fleet, all share similar ship designs. Certainly the largest navy in Salome is the Capital Fleet, followed by Adama, then Shem, then Nereid. Ship designs go as follows. [hider=Askari Mothership (Independent)] [img]https://i.imgur.com/34P7aEs.jpg[/img] The Askari Mothership is not a part of any of the Askari Contracts, and therefore no political group in all Salome can give it orders, despite it by far having the greatest military capabilities of any ship known to the Moons. In is docked with the Capital Fleet. [/hider] [hider=Cruiser] [img]https://i.imgur.com/MBIJbEk.jpg[/img] [/hider] [hider=Battleship] [img]https://i.imgur.com/iEWb28L.jpg[/img] [/hider] [hider=Carrier] [img]https://i.imgur.com/GTJRXby.jpg[/img] [/hider] [hider=Destroyer] [img]https://i.imgur.com/KkGZHUA.jpg[/img] [/hider] [hider=Scout Ship] [img]https://i.imgur.com/rXD21Hg.jpg[/img] [/hider] [/hider] [/hider]