[hider=Commonality of New Ishtar]

[center]
[color=00aeef]The Commonality of New Ishtar[/color]:
[sub]Ishtari Commonality, New Ishtar, Ishtar[/sub]

[color=00aeef]Government Form[/color]:
Direct Democracy:

[color=00aeef]Demographics[/color]:
Perfected: 100%[list]
[*] Tiamat Strain - 51.7%
[*] Azazel Strain - 26.5%
[*] Gorgon Strain - 12.3%
[*] Shinchu Strain - 4.5%
[*] Sanguine Strain - 3%
[*] Homonculus Strain - .7%
[*] Other Strains - 1.3% [/list][/center]

[hider=The Perfected:]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/955867395325571143/977449675646971904/IshtariUnderwear.png[/img]

The Perfected are derived from the gene-stock of the crew of the Generation Ship [i]Ishtar[/i]. Modified significantly over the years in response to myriad threats to the survival of human life, we have transcended the bounds of our ancestors and achieved not only a wide array of unique abilities - but [i]immortality[/i].

“The Perfected” is an umbrella term used to encompass all of the varied Strains that emerged aboard the Ark Ishtar. Though several dozen were recorded throughout the Ark’s history, only a scant few remain extant today. The most notable of these being:
[list]

[*] Tiamat Strain - By far the most common Strain, the Tiamat Strain are immediately notable for the bioluminescent growths that cover much of their bodies, their muscular physiques, and the complete absence of males among their number. Originating as a predatory, transmissible mutagenic Strain whose originator, known as Tiamat, was a former Gorgon Strain priestess, the Tiamat Strain survived near extinction at the hands of the Hive Strain - and other Strains - numerous times before becoming the dominant Strain of Ishtari society thanks to their remarkably rapid reproduction. Tiamat Strain reproduction, being derived from that of the Gorgon Strain, functions as follows:

The absence of males in the Tiamat Strain is, in fact, an illusion. Tiamat Strain males are in essence vestigial organisms, composed only of a small brain, set of jaws, and series of sperm sacs. These males burrow into the abdomen of the female and attach themselves to her reproductive system, enabling self-fertilization on demand. Much like the Gorgon Strain, rather than a menstrual cycle, Tiamat Strain ovulate at will and may control either a mass release of egg cells or a single release. In a mass release these eggs are then fertilized by the implanted sperm sacs and gestate for approximately one month before discharge into what is termed a gestational medium - functionally, a vat of raw biomass that the young feed off of and continue to mature within until their full maturation and their lungs can breathe air as well as water. Alternatively they are capable of carrying a single child to full term like a normal human if need be. Alternatively alternatively the mother can gorge herself and create "eggs" to simulate the environment of the gestational medium and lay those "eggs" wherever she chooses. Initially r-Selected Strain with high reproductive rates.

[*] Azazel Strain - An unusual Strain personally created by Tiamat herself from the genestock of the Tiamat and Gorgon Strains as well as her own DNA. Employed as military leaders, elite shock troops, and subordinates to Tiamat during the wars aboard the Ark and the initial conflicts planetside, and based on a combination of her own evolved form and the most desirable attributes of the Tiamat Strain proper, as well as those of the Gorgon Strain. The Azazel Strain are stronger, faster, tougher, and in many ways a direct improvement of the baseline Tiamat Strain. 

Upon the final defeat of the enemy and the near-glassing of the planet’s surface, Tiamat consolidated her power. Soon, however, she realized an iron grip on power in part lead to the very cycle of violence she had spent centuries attempting to solve, and voluntarily relinquished her power and the power of the Azazel Strain, implementing the reforms that would begin the transition of Ishtari society into its present form of a direct democracy. Tiamat and her Azazel Strain became ordinary citizenry as any other.

Tiamat removed the secrets to their creation from her own mind, though some suspect backups remain - just in case. However, due to the lingering instability in their DNA, Tiamat Strain have been known to begin metamorphizing into the Azazel Strain. The exact mechanism behind this has yet to be determined despite fervent research into the subject matter. 

In modern Ishtari society the Azazel Strain represent a similar thread to the Gorgon Strain. Equal citizens, but possessed of qualities that mark them above the norm in some way. They are often viewed with a mixture of jealousy and suspicion, and in turn often reciprocate. By and large, however, they are well integrated into Ishtari society. One primary notable feature is their prominence within the military, where their natural leadership qualities make for ideal officers. Initially r-Selected Strain with high reproductive rates.

[*] Gorgon Strain - The second most common Strain and physically the largest by far, the Gorgon Strain bear a striking resemblance to lamia of classic old earth myth. A snakelike body approximately three meters in length is joined to a large human torso spouting four muscular arms. Their heads sport cobra-like ‘hoods’ that can be extended at will, with similar glowing growths on parts of these hoods. The Gorgon Strain’s history is a murky one, shrouded in myth and half remembered story. Though the oldest among them hail from Old Earth itself, none can remember the exact process by which they came to their current forms. All that is known is that the Gorgon Strain are not only immensely long lived, but possibly the oldest extant Strain there is. Their earliest known history is as ‘priests’ of the Void, before turning against it for unknown reasons and employing their Marduk Strain soldiers against the Hive Strain. They emit pheromones able to influence or even control those around them, something all Ishtari Strains now possess an engineered immunity to. Initially r-Selected Strain with high reproductive rates.

[*] Sanguine Strain - Most closely analogous to vampires of old earth myth, the Sanguine Strain resemble baseline humans most closely of any Strain - the next closest being the Azazel Strain. Easily able to pass for human even in their baseline form if wearing sunglasses and a hat to conceal their hair color, they sport pheromones similar to the Gorgon Strain and a limited ability to alter their appearances to be more pleasing to whoever it is they are  - eye and skin color, hair color, slight changes to build, and so on. For them most part appearing to be beautiful humans by default, the Sanguine Strain’s true forms sport pale skin, irisless eyes with black sclera, patterns of black dots on the skin, and snowy white hair. K-selected Strain with low reproductive rates.

[*] Shinchu Strain - Somewhat reminiscent of the moths of old earth, the Shinchu Strain were never the dominant force in the history of New Ishtar but have long played their own important role. Sporting four armed anatomy like the Gorgon Strain, the Shinchu Strain are physically strong and naturally quiet, surviving aboard the Ark as ambush predators and stealthy operatives. Allied with Tiamat from an early point their natural inclination towards stealth has served well and will continue to serve well in the future. Initially K-Selected Strain with low reproductive rates.

[*] Homonculus Strain - one of if not the most bizarre of all Strains, there is no debate like with many other Strains whether the Homonculus Strain qualifies as a human subspecies, and they have diverged into something wholly different. Generally secluded from most Ishtari society, the Homonculus Strain are primarily grouped in a northern administrative region, with some present in Neriven. These Ishtari have bonelike shells encasing most of their bodies giving them a strongly humanoid appearance, reminiscent of that of elves of old earth fantasy, some parts being composed of a cartilaginous substance allowing joints to flex. Within these shells is a hydrozoan-like organism composed of a brain organism from which hundreds of ropelike muscular tendrils grow, slaved to its central nervous system but capable of independent clonal reproduction. These ropes form the muscular structure and the bulk of the Homonculus Strain’s mass, with further specialized digestive organisms within handling tasks like digestion. Homonculus Strain eat by using their hundreds of tendrils within the bony shell to feed food through the body to these central digestive organs whereafter a shared circulatory system ferries the metabolized nutrients around to where they're needed. The Homonculus Strain are formed from numerous networked intelligences, each separate organism representing a separate intelligence of its own and partaking in group decision making, the resulting collective mind taking actions after they have been agreed upon.

[*] Other Strains - There are over half a dozen Perfected Strains whose numbers constitute, in aggregate, only 1.3% of the total population. Meeting them for a foreigner is highly unlikely, but further information is available upon request. [/list] 

Almost every Perfected is born with a set of features that distinguish us from our ancestors, in addition to those deviations arising from an individual’s Strain.
Among other things,
[list]
[*] We can metabolize numerous inorganic compounds for metabolic energy
[*] Breathe in an ammonia atmosphere provided there is sufficient oxygen,
[*] Are born without the curse of natural eyesight that the cloud of the Void may never strike our minds
[*] Sport natural neural interfaces at the base of the spine and nape of the neck for use with the Ishtari net and computers, as well as power armor and weapons systems, vehicles, and more.
[*] Are immune to the airborne parasites of New Ishtar. Augmented immune systems render them highly resistant or immune to numerous other pathogens, both endemic to New Ishtar and those brought by humanity.
[*] Have a second heart; enlarged adrenal glands; nanostructure-reinforced bones and muscle tissue; redundant secondary brain in event of traumatic head injury; redundant spleen; two extra stomachs to neutralize environmental toxins and to break down difficult to digest foods; modified sweat glands enabling the secretion of a waxy substance to prevent infection from the numerous parasitic insects of New Ishtar; the replacement of fingernails with claws connected to the bone of the hands, enlarged canine teeth, a reinforced and redesigned skull to mitigate brain injury from impact, and more.
[*] Improved, more-efficient hemoglobin and enlarged lung capacity enabling greater oxygenation of blood.
[*] Redesigned nervous system permitting slightly improved reaction time, alongside significant nanostructural reinforcement of the myelin sheathe. Redundancy of numerous key nervous pathways, spinal column reinforced to withstand significant impact or cutting force without damage.
[*] Redesigned skeletal structure to better bear the increased weight of exerted upon it by the heavy gravity of New Ishtar.
[*] A nanostructure-engineered protective sac around the vital organs in the torso capable of resisting the impact of a knife or the claws of an animal. The neck is similarly reinforced.
[*] Enhanced sensory organs which, in concert with improved neural systems enable we Ishtari to respond to external threats and stimuli before those threats have even consciously registered.
[*] A genetic encyclopedia of basic information required for the operation of most technology on New Ishtar. Even if reduced to a single individual, the last lone Ishtari is capable of creating more of herself.
[*] Are able to enter a state of hibernation or suspended animation for a period of up to ten years.
[*] Supercomputer-optimized engineered metabolism to support all of the above with as small an increase in caloric intake as possible.
[*] Extremely high reproductive rates enable rapid replenishment of the population in the event of catastrophic population loss.
[*] Are functionally immortal via the use of the Rejuvenation Chambers![/list]

[center][i]The advantages of being Ishtari over baseline, ancestral human are boundless, as one can easily see! We Ishtari possess the ability to alter our very physiology as if working with putty. Indeed it is rare to see any of the Perfected who conform to the presented models of Strains here. Exceptions to all of the above abound, as many have chosen their current forms to suit their individual identities. This is thanks to the wondrous technology of the Rejuvenation Chamber, and the forward-thinking Ishtari society![/i]

During the great trials and tribulations of the Voyage, the crew of the Generation Ship [i]Ishtar[/i] was tragically subject to mutagenic agents that continue to defy proper explanation. 
We of course remind you to always remember,

The Perfected are human.

The Perfected are human.


The Perfected are human.


T̩h̗͚̜̬͎̝ͅe͍̞̫̲̬ ͔̖͕͖̣͎̹P͏e̻̰̼̝͞ͅr̤̲̺͍f͉̠̱͓̗̱͔͟ę̙̺̰̮͕̤c͉̗̙̰̣t̴e̴̳͚̦͓̳d̵̝ͅ ̧͇̭͚̗a̵̹͇̮͔͔̺r̤͡e̙̦ͅ ̷̜h͎͙͍̹u͍̞͜m̝̝̰̫a̖̣̺͝n͙̤̥͎͖̰


T̗he̷̱̟̠̻̲ ̣̤̳P̗e̼͔͇̟̟̣r͔̼͇̭̖̬f̯̻̪͈͎̯e̢̝͇͎̰̹͙͚c̞͢t̶̰̤͔e̤̥d̙̠̞̺͔͔̝͜ ͇̦̝a̲͘ŕ̘̦̟̺̻̥e̪͉̰ ḫ̦͕̹̟̲u̜̟̟͕̮̪̝͠m̭̪̮a̸̰͙̤̞̩ń̗



Tͦ̇͒ͩ̈́h̠͇̮̺͍͉ͦͫ͌̊́ͅe̠̤̗͍̼̓̓̏ ̥̭͈̜̹͕̓͆ͣͧ̍̂ͪ͞P̴̄ẹ͙͕͎̗͓̽̋͐̈̔̃̋ͅr̩f͕̣̳̭̙̩͉͑̇ͨͪ̔́e͈̞̝̦̪͙̜͋ͥċ̥̱̲̐̚t̲̙̞̮̺ͥ̿̾͠e̼̗̥͕̜͉ͥḑ̺̟͙̙̯̒ͣ̔͒̇̆ ̱͉̖͗̓͆́͌̏̚ạ̘̭̮ͧ̆̽́ř͙̈́e̦̼̞̫̪ͧͬ̑ ̦͖̇ͥ̔͐͝h̤̽́ṷ̪̤̲̤̫̘ͣ̐́m̡̻͎ͨ̂̃a͉͉̤ͣ̄̅̿̾̅ͣn͙͍̰͍̽ͫ̆


Ţ͔̯̳̭̱̯̥͓h̶͎̩͓̳͠ͅͅe͔͈͉ ̤̠̰̩̯̗̜̣̟P͚͉e̩͉̳̳̞̥r҉̡͚̭͟f̸̛͔͎͔̬e̴̸͈͘ͅc̮̩̰̰̺̻̠̤͓͢t̗͙͙͠͠è̩͓͟d̡͈̱̼͜ ̕͜҉̼͇̹̜̗̘̼ͅa̢͓͕̩͠r̡̛̦̤̣͖͎͓e̳͎̲͘ ̛̣̹̜̯́h̬̰͜͝ứ̫̗̙̗͞m͚̝̘̙͡͡ą̦̪̲̹n̲̫̯̹̪̹̮͠ͅ




Tͬͯ̈̈̊̽͜͏͕͙̲͎̗̯̦̦͔̦̯̙͎̖̤̮͉ͅh̨̟̭͙̩͇̜̯̹̝̜̻͕͍̬͓̿͋̀ͮͨ̍ͫ́̑̿ͭ̄ͫͬͪ͘e̢̺͉͖̜͖̮͉̗̺͌ͦ͑͒ͦͦ͑ͫͣ̎̄ͫͮ̃́ ͖͇̩̼̘̖ͮͮ͌͒ͦ̅̃̓̌ͥ̔̄ͥ̍͊̊̑̉͌̀͡ͅP̨̥̪̗̘̠̘̼͍̜̝͍̭̺̤͖̙̿ͣͮ̔̈́͠e͔̙͖̹͉̬̫̻̹͉̖͚̩̗ͣͥ̈́͊̑͗ͬͧ̄͊͛̉́̕͟͢͠ͅr̨͕̪͖̬͍͎̔ͣ͌͛̄ͭ̓̓̓ͪ͑ͪ̋̏͐ͦ̈̔͘f̨̭͙̹̳̺͉̞ͣͧ̊̋ͨͭ̋̍̏̚͜͞ē̷̖̘̟̦̼̺̯͚̥̲̝͚̥͕̮̩̳̫̜̿ͩ̍͛ͫͥ̾ͦ̽̆ͣ̉̀̚̚͜c̷̢͚̼̦̩͕̫͈̹͎̮̼̘͉̼̝ͬ̎̃̏ͧ̚̕͢t̴̵̪̟͍̣͔̜̘̹͍̝͚̼̣̠̪̔̅̈̓ͤ̈́̀̽͛͊̾̈́͡e̷̥̩̹̻̗ͣ͑̓͆̎̾ͪ̀̚ḋͣ̏ͧ̂̓̌͒̑̈̇ͨ͏̼͔̱̜̠͕͎ ̢̛͕͔̙͚̣͐ͥͬ̉ͯ̔͑ͫ̓ͬ̊̓ͤ̅̀̚a̒͑̊ͤͧ̇̍̌ͮͧ͂ͭ҉̫̩͔̣͙̤̲̲̥̖̼̻̝̗́͢ͅr̴̵̢͕̙̖̗ͭ̽̓ͯ̊̆͝ě̶̒ͯ̆ͨ͏̘̝̠͕̱͔̙͍͔̱̠̹̞̞̠ ̡̢̤̲͚̱̟͕̫̫̘̹ͫ́̂͊͗̇͗̐̊͆̎̀͟͞h̵̨̫̹͖̙̲̩̤̤̼̮̄̽̆͆̒̌̐̚͝u̵̢̍ͨͭ͊̕͜͏͓̯̖̟̜m̨̎ͮ̆̍ͯ̚͡͏̢͉̫̰͍̹̯̫͚͟ͅą̱̠̜̬̖̪̹̠̠̭̻̯͇͉̬ͫ͋ͦ͛̊̏̐ͤͯ͢nͪ̈́̍͑̐͆̄ͧ̀̈́ͥ̇͒͊̌͋̀҉̙̺̣̯̼͈̲͔̥̪



T̹̤͉͖̯͘h͙͢e̙̤̥̟̤̖̘͟ ̣͙̲̗̞͡P̖̳̜̟͓͞e͞r̸f̖̙̟̬̯̱̭e̸̱̻̜c̸͍͎̯̩t̟̝e̛͍d̡ ̺̬̯͚͉̲͟a͜r̦̭̣͡e̮̣̺̖͉̬ ͇͡h̘͍͓͚͇͞um̟̙͎̥ͅa̼̥͈ͅn̹͔͎̬̦̜̟


T͡h̸̨͘é ̵̸̀P͢ęr̸̛fe҉ct͟͠͝e̴͘d͞ ̛͡a̷̡̛r̨̡͞è͟ ̀h͏u̷͜͠m̨̛a̷͡n̡̛

Thḙ̺̘̮̤ ̧͙̻̘Pe̦̜͙̘̞̗̤rfec̸̲͚te͙̤̤̯͈̲͎d̼̲ ̤̥͈̭͓̀a̻͜re ̙̤̼͞hu̩m͉̕a̴n

The Perfected are human.
The Perfected are human.
[i]The Perfected are human.[/i]

[b]The Perfected are human.[/b]

[h3][b]The Perfected are human.[/b][/h3]

We are still human.

All doubts as to whether the Perfected remain human are to be taken up with Sister-Sage 3-73 Semiramis Knows Many Secrets.
[sub]Sponsored by the New Ishtari Board of Immigration[/sub][/center]
[/hider]

[color=00aeef]Population[/color]: 5,672,013,182 (Yearly growth rate: 2.5%)
[hr]
[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/955867395325571143/986311538002501632/NewIshtar.png[/img]
[hr]

[color=39b54a]Planet Name and Description[/color]:
[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/671451434952163340/909245540519260250/NewIshtar.png[/img][/center]
[center]"We thought we had left hell, only to arrive within a fresh one".[/center]
-Sister-Pioneer 23-45 Sana Carries The Torch On The Path To The Future, recorded interview

New Ishtar is a “super-earth”, far, far larger than the earth from which humanity hailed. Its surface is massive, almost five times that of earth. Its gravity is approximately 54.3% stronger than that of earth as well, leading to we Ishtari developing to be abnormally strong among the descendents of earth - ‘punching well above our weight class’, I think is the term?

New Ishtar is beautiful. Perhaps one of the most beautiful colonies of humanity. The world, in pictures, looks like a pristine jewel. An idyllic panorama of nature’s beauty. This much is true - for us.

In actuality for those not acclimated to it, New Ishtar is a death world. One of the deadliest of death worlds. Oh, it has its giant monsters, and they are very terrifying. But venture beyond the cities and death awaits the non-Perfected in a very different manner than they might expect. Carnivorous, possibly sapient algal blooms choke out vast swathes of the sea. Fast-acting flesh eating bacteria dwelling within the geothermal hot springs as well as the lakes and rivers will eat flesh from bone within hours of exposure. The brain-parasites will take root within the host’s brain, slowly spreading throughout until they are fully controlled, directed to take up positions of high elevation, or near ventilation, where the spores crack open the skull and are released to infect new victims. Lung-weed - a parasitic plant that attaches in the respiratory tissue when inhaled, then beginning to secrete enzymes that break the host tissue into an easily digestible material for the planet, consuming the host from within before spreading its tendrils and bursting out through the skin to releasing new spores. It is, possibly, one of the most horrific and yet also most beautiful ways to die upon New Ishtar - should you wish to appear covered in a dazzling array of colorful flowers.

You heard of the screaming trees, the Mycelium Gestalt? How? No. I will not speak of these things.

[hider=Planet-Surface Imagery:]
[img]https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/F7CQJ5MPmuIhgj5rND_TdbmN5oo=/40x0:2000x1470/1200x800/filters:focal(40x0:2000x1470)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/38012614/Midway-3.0.0.jpg[/img]
[img]https://www.thoughtco.com/thmb/kWOsgqOVcoVuwEBaBJ0dGUVhWU8=/2209x1243/smart/filters:no_upscale()/steam-rising-off-a-geo-thermal-pool-456480111-597176eaaad52b001141cbeb.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/38/81/d1/3881d1c07f68bc6a8c7972629597b96e.jpg[/img]
[img]https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/011/946/399/large/daniel-brunstrom-test-3.jpg?1532256466[/img]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/5e/0f/c55e0f8310abd85231e9f8b0a23d02b0.jpg[/img]
[/hider]


[hider=History: NOT FOR PUBLIC BROADCAST:]
[sub]Someone get this thing cleaned up and sanitized. We need to tell some version of the truth…but if we share all of this? Fuck no. And purge those logs, already.[/sub]

[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/778815537920344084/908154215782809680/EventHorizon.gif[/img][/center]
[center][i]"Welcome aboard the Generation Ship [i]Ishtar[/i]. The envy of the world - exclusive to members of the Iwasaki Group. We hope you enjoy your stay in the lap of luxury as we ferry you safely from the demise of our Mother Earth to the great stars beyond! This short instructional video will detail everything you need to know about staying safe in space as you help keep our Board members and our Shareholders alive on our voyage to our new home, among the stars!"[/i][/center]
[sub]-Beginning of a series of educational videos for the essential crew on board the [i]Ishtar[/i] before the ship’s final launch.[/sub]

The history of we Ishtari, especially aboard the Generation Ship [i]Ishtar[/i], is an almost impossible web of intentional deceit, madness-spawned lunatic ravings, destruction of records, total anarchic violence in which nothing could be recorded, and stretches of inexplicable blankness for which no modern Ishtari scholar has yet offered a reasonable explanation. What follows is a rough recounting of events, in approximate chronological order, that lead to the founding of the Commonality of New Ishtar. Relevant archival files have been embedded for the edification of the reader.

The Ark Ishtar was created by Iwasaki Group, a large Japanese superconglomerate upon old earth. With extensive operations all over the world, the bulk of the Ark’s crew came from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Peru, Brazil, the US east and west coasts, Russia, and Iran. Operating in numerous sectors, it was primarily active in in manufacturing (weapons, automotive, aerospace, robotics, cybernetics, maritime), biotechnology, cybernetic technology, engineering, mining, and private military activity. The corporation was amongst the world’s largest in both revenue and number of employees. With over twenty million employees worldwide it was regarded by many to be a small country in its own right under the supervision of the Japanese government, with its own army that rivalled that of numerous smaller nations, space program, and more.

- The ship launches with a full crew of over six million, staffed by the board and numerous lower workers, of a Japanese superconglomerate from earth. A supremely decadent affair, obsessed with the accrual of capital to no end.

- The ship travels through the gate on time.

- Something, what specifically it was remains unknown, goes wrong in-transit.

- Sensor readings indicate they are not within the gate, nor are they within the Sol system, their destination system, or even intergalactic space. They are nowhere.

- Tensions begin to rise within the ship due to the inexplicable catastrophe.

- They begin to see [i]things[/i] in the corner of their eyes. The exact nature of these things has been long since redacted. W҉͓̗͚e͓ ̗̲̹w̲e͓͈̞r͕͈̦͘é̞̣͙̯̝̯̻ w͠e͍̳͈̫͔͈͍a͚͔̮͔̦k̤̜̤̮͖̙͘.͎̲̯̹̰ ̦̹̲̱W̠̝͇̻e̸̫͇̦ ͈͚̮͖ͅf̵l̸̬̣͕̤̯̳e̫̲͕̭̼̗d͈̲̳̹͢ ̰̳̝͟ͅf̡r͚̥͡ͅo̢̺̤̬m͔̮̳͉̠͇͝ ̹t̝̲͖͓̥̖͢h̘͞e͎͙̭ ͏͓̞̦͇̪̹ͅṰ̥̠̥͙̭͙r̰u͏̞̺̜̮͇̦̖t̡̖̥̬ͅh̬̟͓̘͓͇͜.̧

[quote][b]Archival Log #1[/b] e͖̣̙̘̰r͇̰̫͈͇̩͖roŕ̼.̞̠̯͍͝ ̛̮̟͎̳̣d̗̻̳͖͈͘a̸̼̥̫t͕͇̗̕a̟̬̘̰̣̝ͅ ̼̤̟̭̳͖̜c͈or̻̫͉r̷u̟̞p̬͎̼̻͇̪t͍͈e͇͔̺̪d̡̮̹
[/quote]

- Suicide rates on-board begin to skyrocket as the crew are driven mad by the Revelations of Truth.

- A civil war breaks out driven by madness from the visions - the First Gene-Cull. The exact motivations, sides, and more are largely forgotten. Whether it was the ethnic tensions of the old world, or something induced by Truth, we will never know.

- Population begins to plummet from the casualties.

- Corporate command staff order cloning to keep population numbers up and ensure the functioning of the ship.

- The First Gene-Cull ends after 75% of the initial population wiped out.

- Centralized control of the ship is utterly lost as the surviving command crew are killed in a mutiny. The food supply becomes strained due to the emergence of the Hive Strain, Second Gene-Cull begins.

- A Gorgon Strain woman whose original name is lost to time and is remembered only as Tiamat, with extensive military experience and who later became a leading geneticist, diverges from the Gorgon Strain as the first known instance of the transmissible Tiamat Strain. Along with numerous subsequent infected Tiamat Strain and a host of what are revealed to be their biological children, she leads the Strain in seizing control of one of the ship’s manufacturing bays and turning it into an armory and weapons research laboratory.

[quote][b]Archival Log #2: Emergence of the Tiamat Strain[/b]
Log Begins…
73rd Quarter, East Wing, Backup Hydroponics Section
Marduk Operative Team Epsilon-6 
Operative Park, Saem

Encounter with unrecognized Strain during routine decontamination operations. Subject is female, approximately 170cm in height, possessed of numerous bioluminescent growths across much of body. Subject is physically strong and incapacitated Operative Petrova, combined efforts of Operatives Park and Iwasaki required to restrain suspect for study.

Operative Petrova speaks with subject while recuperating. Claims Subject’s Strain self-refers as “Tiamat-Strain”. Operative Petrova reprimanded for enemy fraternization after further commentary indicates rapport between Subject and Operative Petrova. 

Void forgive me for speaking the blasphemer’s name.

Subject executed on authority of Operative Park, after insulting the personage of Priestess Yuly'dzhea. Operative Petrova begins to display deviations from recognized Marduk Strain, similar to those of the "Tiamat Strain", termination of Operative Petrova ordered but unsuccessful. Hypothesis of transmisible mutagenic agent, suspected Void link as opposed to deliberate alteration. Further study req

Operative Park, Seojun was a silly little boy who left himself and his friends wide open. Operative Park rejected the gift, killed our sister in arms and followed the abomination. Operative Park spurned what could have been his. Silly little boy. He will nurture a new generation. All will serve, in life or death.
[/quote]

- With the emergence of the Tiamat Strain and Hive Strain, despite enormous losses by each, the estimated population swells to almost twenty million - well over the six million strong intended crew.

- The inhabitants of the ship devolve into cannibalism out of desperation, and other depraved acts spurred by the horrible revelations of the void are carried out en-masse. Population is halved once again.

- The cryosleep technicians were killed in the first Gene-Cull, and the technology considered lost. It is rediscovered by Tiamat Strain scientists, and the cryofrozen executive board and shareholders are awoken and rendered into raw Biomatter after they attempt to order the destruction of the Tiamat and Gorgon Strains.

- The Gorgon Strain are nearly overrun. Their synthetic “Marduk Strain” soldiery are insufficient to stem the tide. Casualties matter not to the Hive Strain. The Marduk Strain are eliminated, the Gorgon Strain are threatened within joining the nearly two-thirds of all Strains to have ever existed in being eliminated by the Hive Strain. Only a begruding alliance with Tiamat and her Strain prevents their annihilation. 

- The Gene-Cull continues, the Hive Strain nearly overruns the Ark until the united Tiamat and Gorgon Strains succeeds in gathering sufficient Biomatter to create a massive army and seemingly wipe out the hive strain, ending the second Gene-Cull. The full maturation of the Tiamat Strain plays a major role in the tipping the balance owing to their potent sensory organs allowing them to sense the influence of the void better than most other Strains, and their rapid reproduction allowing them to produce a near endless stream of soldiery.

- The food crisis continues to loom, the populace is modified to become chemoautotrophic to feed on chemical reserves, crysostasis is then rediscovered by biologists of the Tiamat Strain.

- Tiamat begins the creation of the Azazel Strain to enable the enforcement of order over the chaos of the Ark. Ideal specimens of the Tiamat Strain are altered in much the same way she herself has changed over time, fighting the Hive Strain. Through combining aspects of the Tiamat Strain, her own DNA, and the Gorgon Strain, she creates an ideal hybrid of the three and gives rise to the Azazel Strain. Able to reproduce and infect in much the same way as the Tiamat Strain, they become her shock troops and commanders to supplement the Tiamat Strain. Tiamat continues tinker with her own genome and those of allied Strains, creating many of the alterations that remain with we Ishtari to this day such as the armored organ sac.

- Biologists of the Tiamat Strain introduce the first version of what will become known as “The Net” - all Tiamat Strain, Azazel Strain, and Gorgon Strain are modified for compatibility with this creation, an internet formed from a hybrid of biological and electronic components. Many other strains quickly adapt it as well, however an unknown surviving offshoot of the Hive Strain adopts the technology and begins to rebuild the Hivemind, sparking the Third Gene-Cull.

- The “Net” nearly proves the undoing of the Tiamat Strain before its vulnerabilities are patched and resolved. The Hive Strain, infiltrating its connections, destroys Tiamat’s command structure in a matter of days, subjugating vast swathes of the Ark’s available biomatter. 

- Those surviving the purge retreat to fortified sections of the Ark and prepare for a final stand. For another decade, they wage a losing war of attrition while Tiamat and her scions exist within the screaming hive matrix, fighting to maintain a semblance of identity. 

- The Hive Strain is temporarily disrupted by the failure of a biomatter reprocessing unit, diverting Hivemind processing power away from the sections of the Ark housing Tiamat and the majority of her former command. Through a Herculean effort they are able to alter the material of the Hive Strain to force the creation of simulacra of autonomous bodies, seizing control of body-printing facilities and recreating from memory the former forms of Tiamat, Gorgon, and Azazel Strain, as well as Tiamat’s own unique form. 

- This signals a reversal of fortunes for the Hive Strain. Tiamat accesses stored reserves of neuroviral delivery weaponry and devastates large swathes of the Hive Strain, rendering its biomatter into nutrient medium to create new Tiamat, Gorgon, and Azazel Strain. Tiamat leads from the front, having developed an early form of the Rejuvenation Chamber enabling her to recreate herself after death. 

- Tiamat leads a strike team into the heart of Hive Strain controlled parts of the ship, and confronts the central brain with a hardened cadre of survivors of her team. Escaping another death by a hair’s breadth, she destroys the central brain and enables the delivery of a neurovirus through the synapse-link to all connected Hive Strain, destroying all connected neural tissue and allowing their Biomatter to be successfully processed. A period of mourning is held for the estimated thirty million minds destroyed in the process. 

- An unprecedented era of peace emerges aboard the Ark for a time.

- Archival footage is discovered, showing the extent of mutation of the humans aboard the [i]Ishtar[/i] from those humans that boarded the vessel approximately four hundred years prior. This sparks a massive uproar, as the effects of not only genetic modification but the influence of 
[i]The Void[/i] is now finally made clear.

[quote][b]Archival Log #3[/b] e҉̱̱r̡̤r͖͈͚̗o̭̬̥r̀.̤̘̳̦͓̬̟ ̟͕̥̣d̝̠̞a̷̲͉͖̬̹̯̻ta̶̞̘̱̻ ̡͇c̟̪̠ọ̼͎̮͓̹r͏̺̖̭̟̲͇r̶͕̬͖̱u̢͇p̤̮͡t̻̥̩̭̠e̬̥̪̺̳͓d̸͔͍͔̺
[/quote]

- An attempt is made by Primary Strains unconnected to the Net to kill Tiamat via a neurovirus, as she is seen as the focal point of this divergence and by far the most affected by whatever mutagen afflicts the population alongside the terrible visions, sparking the Fourth Gene-Cull.

- The majority of records have been expunged. All unallied Strains are destroyed, all in cryostasis are thawed and given the choice and connected or destroyed, leaving the current extant Strains the only survivors. Developments in cryostasis lead to the liquidation of all nonessential Biomatter and the transfer of their consciousnesses to the net. The first true Rejuvenation Chamber is developed, genetic modification reaches new heights alongside advances in weapons technology from constant warfare.

- The visions from the Void intensify further, and a cult is formed around them, known as the Followers of She Who Advises, a counter-cult forms soon after contrasting visions from the void. Visions of something Ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ.

- The Fifth Gene-Cull begins. There is little order or sense to it, and it devolves into a mad orgiastic frenzy of violence, the unity of Tiamat’s hegemony fractured by the terrible nightmarish images they are afflicted with. The Terrible Truth of the horrific things they see destroying the minds of over two hundred thousand, who are euthanized and rendered into Biomatter. We were foolish. We were [i]ＷＥＡＫ[/i] and could not - [i]ＷＯＵＬＤ　ＮＯＴ[/i] understand the Terrible Truth bestowed upon us.

[quote][b]Archival Log #4[/b]
Upon the altar, we light the incense of our innocence
e҉̱̱r̡̤r͖͈͚̗o̭̬̥r̀.̤̘̳̦͓̬̟ ̟͕̥̣d̝̠̞a̷̲͉͖̬̹̯̻ta̶̞̘̱̻ ̡͇c̟̪̠ọ̼͎̮͓̹r͏̺̖̭̟̲͇r̶͕̬͖̱u̢͇p̤̮͡t̻̥̩̭̠e̬̥̪̺̳͓d̸͔͍͔̺[/quote]

- Unity is finally restored not by Tiamat’s force of arms, but by a Gorgon Strain by the name of Jadisin, Shielder of Her Flock From Darkness, blinded by her own hand to free herself from the nightmarish imagery haunting her vision, she forms the now-predominant Faith of The Light. Rejecting the void. Embracing the light at the center of creation. Ｉｎ　ｏｕｒ　[i]ＣＯＷＡＲＤＩＣＥ[/i]　ｗｅ　ｆｌｅｄ　ｆｒｏｍ　ｔｈｅ　Ｔｒｕｔｈ． She speaks of her visions. Unlike the visions of the Terrible Truth, these are not horrifying. She gazes upon no B͍̺̤ͅl̢̯͚̺̟̹a͈c̦̣͈͖k̫͈͍̞̻͖͡ ͉̝̙̝̱̝͎V̠̻̝̺̩i͖̱s̛͔͚͉̞̘͇̦t̩͚̺̳̺̖͢a̭̮ṣ̶̻͉̬ ̞̯̤͖o̻̠̰̮f̫͟ ̭̪t̕h̝̼̭͖͖͎e ͇̞̥̙̱̯͝U͔̱͠n̙̰͈͎͔̘̦̕e̶͕̦̠̲̳ͅndḭ̝̩̩n͙̱̬̖g̢̝͉̦̤̩͎ ͙V̝̝̮̱̰̦͘o͖̞i̵͓͇̥ͅd̘͈̗̰͎̫͢, nor does she witness the W̘͉̬̝̜e̥̪̣͇̜b̸̘͚ ̴̥̜̖̼̭̖o̡̱̖͖̖̜ͅf̻͕̥͚ ̡̱̯̲D̫̟͔̯̬̠e̟̮͎c͎̯͇̜͈̖ę̦ͅi̙t̢ ̺͔̙a̻̥ͅn̸͓ḓ̛̳̩̼͈ ͇̣o̴͎̟f̘̬̝̜͎̹ ͏͉̳̲̻̹̻L̨̜̻̖̣i̻e̶̺s̀. She sees… something beautiful. Something so beautiful she cannot put it into proper words. It is described only as “Heaven”, for she cannot Ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔａｎｄ. She brought us to the Ｇｏｏｄ　Ｔｒｕｔｈ. The Light-Seer told us it loved us. It welcomed us. It would shield us from the Dark. We begin to see Heaven. And it is beautiful. Many begin to blind themselves and follow her.

- The Fifth Gene-Cull comes to a close, with the final woman to be blinded before the outlawing of the practice - a Tiamat Strain who had aspirations of artistry and had feared what cybernetic eyes might do to this - seeing a final vision from the Void. Through hands dripping with a mixture of blood and tears she recounts her visions to those around her, including the Light-Seer. A world for us to settle upon. Home.

- Almost as inexplicably as its entrance into the Void, the waveform collapses and the Ark is spat back out into realspace. Panicked observations indicate that no time has passed at all in real-time, despite an estimated ~583 years having elapsed aboard the vessel trapped within the grasp of The Void.
[quote][b]Archival Log #5[/b] e҉̱̱r̡̤r͖͈͚̗o̭̬̥r̀.̤̘̳̦͓̬̟ ̟͕̥̣d̝̠̞a̷̲͉͖̬̹̯̻ta̶̞̘̱̻ ̡͇c̟̪̠ọ̼͎̮͓̹r͏̺̖̭̟̲͇r̶͕̬͖̱u̢͇p̤̮͡t̻̥̩̭̠e̬̥̪̺̳͓d̸͔͍͔̺
[/quote]

- They realize they are within a solar system. Scans indicate that there is a super-earth within the habitable zone of the planet’s G-type main-sequence star, and further scans indicate it to exactly match the description of the world given by the Last To Be Freed.

- Exploration teams are dispatched to New Ishtar, heavily armed, to evaluate it. Only three of their number return, badly wounded, one dying of an unknown toxin from a suit breach. What has become of the others? The dying woman is preserved only by Rejuvenation. She is amazed to be alive and gives her harrowing report of the surface.

[quote][b]Archival Log #6[/b] e҉̱̱r̡̤r͖͈͚̗o̭̬̥r̀.̤̘̳̦͓̬̟ ̟͕̥̣d̝̠̞a̷̲͉͖̬̹̯̻ta̶̞̘̱̻ ̡͇c̟̪̠ọ̼͎̮͓̹r͏̺̖̭̟̲͇r̶͕̬͖̱u̢͇p̤̮͡t̻̥̩̭̠e̬̥̪̺̳͓d̸͔͍͔̺
[/quote]

- The ship is beginning to run low on vital supplies, and a landing is imminently required. Emergency preparations are undertaken and enviro-suits are manufactured en-masse.

- We weep.

- We Ishtari begin one of our greatest shames. The Great Xenocide. A sapient native species of the world we call New Ishtar had evolved upon it, despite the planet’s hostility, achieving a not-insignificant level of technological development. They are hostile, almost immediately, and translated phrases refer chillingly to The Terrible Truth. In our fear, we did not consider that we might have mistranslated, or misunderstood. A Deviant Strain threatened us with war. We had been among our own for so long, we knew no other recourse but extermination.

- Three decades of brutal slaughter commence. Many of us die. The Rejuvenation Chambers save many more, allowing them to live on Reincarnated after death, or be Rejuvenated from lethal injury. The redundant brain is developed to preserve our consciousness even in physical-death in concert with the life-support systems of our armor.

- The first true Synapse-Node is created. Establishing a non-physical biolink to the brains of all Ishtari. It is at this point we begin to call ourselves the Perfected. The Synapse-Node network explodes overnight, and with it the Ishtari net truly begins to reach its current height.

- The Great Xenocide comes to a final climactic close. Spurred by the losing position of their forces, the Enemy amasses all naval ordnance they can, and commence a large scale orbital bombardment of the planet concurrent with the unleashing of nuclear and antimatter weapons stockpiles. Large swathes of the planet are levelled, most of the Enemy cities and populace die. Millions. Hundreds of millions of we Perfected die. Miraculously, we are able to survive. We defeat them in orbit. We shoot down many missiles. At last, relative silence falls upon us. Sporadic fighting continues in the outskirts. Those of the native species, whose name, appearance, and everything about them have long been forgotten, are subjected to the process of Perfection against their wills. Their minds are Alien to Us. But we mould them. We shape them. We make them compatible with Us until They are We. We strip them of their minds. Their memories. Their Divergence. We assimilate their Biomatter into our own reserves, and their now Perfected minds, wiped clean of Deviant Thought become Us. They still exist among us today, part of Us. Some claim they are a Strain of their own, some claim their minds are distributed throughout each Strain. We do not know.

- Slowly, the planet becomes Ours. We bend it to Our will. We make it Our own. We adapt to it. No longer do we need fear the brain-parasites or the infectious flies or the toxic waters. We become immune to the lung-weed that felled so many of Us. 


- The Hive Strain survived as well. It is contained to the remotest reaches of the world. It forms the screaming trees and the mycelium gestalt. The razorgrass is cut away from civilization, confined to wilderness We have not yet claimed. The thanabirds are culled and their attacks become infrequent.

- We turn inward, seeking further Perfection. We have no scarcity, now. The planet provides for us.

- Why must we suffer from age? From disease? From Imperfection? Why must we fade away like the petals of a flower when we could remain beautiful forever?

- The Rejuvenation Chambers. They hold the key.

- We will become Perfect. Forever. Through the Rejuvenation Chambers we may all achieve Immortality. Some resist. But they are made to Understand.

- There is no hierarchy. We are all Perfect. What can there be beyond such? We are Equal. We are Perfect. We are Beautiful. We are Immortal. We are Unending. We are many. Tiamat knows this. Tiamat and her Azazel Strain relinquish power, and our civilization flourishes for a century and a half to come. 

- We have been touched by That Beyond. We stared into the Terrible Truth and could not embrace it. We are sheltered by the Good Truth. We are whole. We are humanity. We are Perfect. We hope other humanity has survived. That they have not suffered as we have. We are not optimistic. Ours was a generation ship. Theirs were not. We fear we are all that remains of humanity. All that is left. A single speck of ash. Four billion souls wearing faces that once were human, but have Fallen. The last fleeting remnant of humanity. Failures. We have tried. We have tried so hard. We are proud of what we have created, and yet…

- The Gate.

- The Gate Opens…

- We pray we are not alone.[/hider]

[color=39b54a]Culture and Society[/color]:
Ishtari culture and society is a beautiful interwoven tapestry of the different groups that made up the crew of the generation ship that ferried us to our home. It is, as a result of our experiences aboard the generation ship, an intensely, fiercely communal and egalitarian society. All who threaten us will be defeated. It is only by banding together, by sharing with each other, by abolishing unnecessary hierarchies and other things that separated us that we have achieved such heights today. We are all Perfect. None is superior to another. We have no concept of ‘money’ - as you have termed it. Food, shelter, water, electricity, all the base necessities are given freely, without cost. We live in plenty, for we share without compunction or compulsion amongst ourselves.

How we are made? What a strange question. It varies, Strain by Strain. The Tiamat and Gorgon Strains are most frequently born from “egg”-like things. The Sanguine Strain still primarily reproduce via pregnancy. The Homonculus Strain… frankly we are not sure, and they will not speak of it. We are raised by the whole, by everyone. We know much from the moment we can speak. We follow those paths that most appeal to us. We train in combat, when we do not follow these paths. We grow until we reach the age of twenty one years - or approximately twenty eight and a half years, using the orbit of earth about sol as a metric. It is then we undergo our first Rejuvenation. Our bodies are… digested. Our minds are slowly transferred, one neuron at a time, to the neural net wherein they remain until our bodies have been reconstructed according to our individual design. We are then transferred back to a young, refreshed body constructed anew. Through this we have achieved near-immortality. We do not age. We do not suffer from genetic disease. We do not know sickness, or hunger. Death is an aberration. A tragedy.

What is death, you ask? Death is a discontinuity of self. Those whose brains are destroyed, and with them their consciousnesses, before they can be transferred to the Synapse Network may be restored from backups - but they are not the same person. Should this tragic event occur - if the consciousness cannot be preserved - our fallen kin will be mourned and a replicant of her last mind-backup will be implanted into her reconstituted body with her Rejuvenation number reset to 1. They are Reincarnated. Brought into life anew. Some day, heaven willing, when they too have passed on should they remain in harmony with that life of theirs that came before they will coalesce into one. The young do not understand this. They throw themselves as lambs to slaughter, abusing our gifts. Many of them have died many times and yet still they continue.

Computer conscience? You have many questions. I will answer. Transference of self to a digital form is, in our view, akin to simultaneous birth and death. A bittersweet combination of the tragedy of death and the joy of new life. One consciousness dies, whilst the other is born anew with the thoughts of the past. That digital consciousness will make an imprint upon the universe, just as any biological life. A soul, if you will. When that digital instance, too, has finally died - should they remain in harmony, they will merge with their past and future lives.

Ah, you ask of our equivalent to digitized conscience? They are not truly alike, of course. The mind remains biological. Our computers are partly biological, and partly electronic. Some of us choose to transfer our minds to the biological portion of these computers, residing in and controlling the local net, some times with other transferred minds. I- I’m sorry? Well… if you were to upload a computer virus that would damage it we would consider it murder, yes. A very grisly one, at that. Why would you even suggest such a thing? We respect your customs, even if we do not understand them. Why do you make light of ours so?

We speak a language that is a fusion of many old earthen languages. Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, German, Russian, Persian, and more. The ship’s crew was primarily composed of peoples speaking these languages in the Old Earth corporate culture. During our nine century history, these languages have merged to form a new language. We retain knowledge of numerous other old earth languages, should the opportunity or need arise for their use - such as with you.

The year is divided into 59 8 day long weeks, with a final week on the new year lasting a full 25 days formed from the remaining days in the year. These extra days are used for an enormous public holiday celebrated almost universally by we Ishtari. The ‘net’ is frequently described to be a psychedelic light show with little else to compare it to during this time. A vast play is performed both in realspace and in the net depicting a stylized, and sanitized, version of the [i]Ishtar’s[/i] perilous voyage to its present place. The New Year is officially commemorated as the anniversary of the touchdown of the first colonists upon the planet, and takes place in the midst of the planetary autumn. A wide variety of food and drink is prepared and shared amongst friends and partners, and many take part in the 17 day long play in their own small way, or host their own, simplified, version. The Ceremony of the Weeping Hands is the final keystone of the event, commemorating an allegedly fictional myth of the final Ishtari to be blinded glimpsing the planet just before losing her biological eyes, and directing we Ishtari to settle upon the world when we had returned to realspace. It is so named for the tears she is said to have wept, mingled with blood from her gouged sockets, that flowed between her fingers as she spoke of the sight to those around her. A bright red beverage is prepared to ritualistically imitate her blood, traditionally flavored with the fireberries of the Satur’i Basin. A quiet moment of contemplation, severed from the buzz of four billion voices for a full minute, is then undertaken before the gradual close of festivities and return to normal life.

Recreation? Why, we have a wide variety of such! The net contains… nearly anything you can possibly imagine, in fact. Videogames - yes we have those. There are too many things to describe. Truly. We have many activities outside of it, yes! Battle reenactment is one we are fond of! As is battle simulation. Every Ishtari is a soldier - even if not all of us become full time military like our Sister-Soldiers. Each of us drill and train once a year. And there can be joy in the clash of arms! We do not die, after all. What have we to fear of bullets and swords when we may be Rejuvenated from any injury? I myself have partaken in no fewer than two dozen such battles, and veterans of the wars tell us they are very realistic. Except, well - the dead and wounded are made whole again after these, and then a meal is shared by all. We enjoy swordplay as well! All children are educated in it during their upbringing, and its basics are imprinted in us even before this through our genetic knowledge. We duel each other with swords frequently. For the sheer joy of battle, and feeling blood flow between our fingers, or to settle disagreements. Duels are fought until incapacitation, at which point both contestants are Rejuvenated. It is customary for the loser of a friendly duel to provide a meal to the winner - and vice versa for those duels used to settle disagreements.

Most of our recreation, however, is focused on our net. It is unfortunately difficult to access for non-Ishtari, or at least those who have not received a neuroport implant. The sheer array of options is difficult to describe in short - they range from experiencing fictional stories and adventures as if through one’s own eyes to massive collaborative ‘living worlds’ formed from the imaginations of all involved, to elaborate reconstructions of historical events both of Old Earth and of our own history, and more. 

Food

Family and friends



[hr]
[color=f7941d]Governance and Politics[/color]:
Direct democracy is your term for it, I believe. Facilitated by our net. It is how we come together as one to debate and decide on courses of action. Those with expertise on certain matters are highly respected, and careful consideration given to their advice. We are equal, however. No individual is worth more than another. No individual is worth less. We are all cared for equally. We know no scarcity, for there are no overlords to hoard for themselves. Thanks to our technology, we can reach a consensus in moments on truly pressing topics - and even more complex matters may take a week at most of deliberation. Information flows freely among us.

Leaders? We have none. None that you might truly call a “leader”. We are a state without true hierarchy. Certainly there are those among us who command more respect, whose expertise is deferred to - but we make decisions as a whole. The only time we may choose leaders is our military - for those with great skill at war will prevent unnecessary bloodshed. Ultimately, however, our strength lies within us.

Our economy is similarly structured. Though most sectors are dominated by a single entity formed of a collective ownership of its material and resources, these entities are universally shared by those working in them. They are, curiously, not dissimilar to the zaibatsu of old earth Japan, but owned by those working in them rather than a small group of individuals. Our economy is a post-scarcity one, where each is provided what is needed without need for compensation or labor thanks to advanced automation owned by all for the public good. Each Ishtari pursues their own individual goals and aspirations. 

[color=f7941d]Technology Overview[/color]:
We Ishtari are a technological powerhouse. Centuries of warfare have ensured our weapons technology is fearsome. Centuries of genetic modification have gifted us mastery of life. The natural resources of New Ishtar, too, provide us with many wondrous materials to use.

[list]
[*] Genetic manipulation: We Perfected ought serve as an apt demonstration in our own right of the power of Ishtari genetic engineering.
[*] Biological computing: Our computers! They are very different to yours, yes! They are partly digital, yes. Explaining every detail of the difference between our hybrid computers against pure digital ones would take too much time. Please, forgive me for this - I will provide an overview instead. There are operations for which a computer chip is far and away superior to any neural structure - raw number calculations, for instance. However, as you are doubtless aware, there is no shortage of advantages in other situations for the neural network. Thus, our computers combine the strength of both. We do not have true ‘operating systems’ for our computers. Rather, in our advanced scientific and military computers, the mind-transferred brains of highly specialized and knowledgeable Perfected control the operation of the machines, residing within the net when they are not busy working. Personal devices? They are controlled through our neural ports, and connect to the net, serving merely as number crunching and data storage units.
[*] Mind-transference: Why it is nothing less than the transference of the biological brain, and the continued consciousness, of a Perfected via the neuro-link to the net! We can exist anywhere the net does, and transfer ourselves back to our Perfected forms in any new location.
[*] Neuro-link: These are hybrid biological-electronic devices of great complexity and sophistication. These allow us to transfer our minds to the net, to interact with it in a full-body format as if it is a fully physical space. The neuro-link is connected via specially designed ‘sockets’ on the napes of our necks and the bases of our spines.
[*] The net: We Ishtari are connected to each other through our net. It is a glorious thing - a world-spanning hybrid biological and technological distributed neural network, with major hubs and nodes coalescing in urban centers. Connection to this network is primarily done via the direct neural links at the base of our spines and napes of our necks. It is the same neural link as that used in the process of the Preservation of Continuous Thought during the Transubstantiation Synthesis phase of Rejuvenation. It can be most likened to a form of “full body VR”, simulated using the collective imaginations in real time of all of its connected users. The net serves not only as a forum for the over four billion people of New Ishtar to come to a consensus, but as one of the chief pastimes and means of communication for the people. It is like your internet - constructed of equal parts computer chips and biological material. Equal parts code and pure human imagination made manifest within cyberspace.
[*] Synapse Nodes: A wondrous development - enabling non-physical establishment of a neurolink feed to those within its range. Should we be shot dead in the street - our consciousness will be transferred from the secondary brain to the synapse node and we will be Rejuvenated.
[*] Nuclear atmospheric propulsion: The gravitational acceleration of New Ishtar is 1.543g, or 15.137 m/s². This, naturally, increases the difficulty of flight. The atmosphere of New Ishtar is, however, likewise far more dense. We Ishtari have resolved the problem of heavier than air flight via the development of the nuclear jet engine. Officially termed the Nuclear Induced Jet Propulsion System, it is enabled by Ishtari developments in materials and nuclear technology enabling the successful safe use of miniaturized thorium fission reactors aboard aircraft, with thrust generated by the venting of heat from the reaction process. The ‘nukejet’ as it has been dubbed by some has shown remarkable success over the years, and is widely used in all aspects of Ishtari air travel.
[*] Automation: Even since the days of our entrapment aboard the generation ship, we Ishtari have utilized a high degree of automation for our manufacturing. While, as mentioned before, our computers are notably different from your own - that has not stopped us from developing autonomous systems for the manufacturing of an immense variety of items. We have likewise extended this technology to our agriculture, freeing up most Ishtari to pursue their individual passions and to train further military excellence, rather than to work in the fields and factories.
[*] Ishtari ironwood: A wondrous material indigenous to New Ishtar. It is somewhat analogous to bamboo of old earth - a hollow, woody plant that grows at a rapid rate in a wide variety of climates. Its properties are truly remarkable, and it has come to be used in many aspects of Ishtari society. It is stronger, lighter, and easier to mass produce than synthetic polymers owing to the curious array of naturally occurring nanostructures within it, enabling it to reach dizzying heights despite the high gravity of New Ishtar. It is the favored material for applications ranging from the stocks and other furniture of our weapons to chairs and domestic furniture to even certain building materials. Though vulnerable to decay this can be rectified with minimal impact to its desirable properties through a chemical treatment developed in the early decades of our settlement on new Ishtar.
[*] Neuroviruses: An aggressive, virulent genetically engineered nanovirus utilized as a weapon against organic nervous systems. It requires immense fine tuning to affect its specific target and no other, but when unleashed its results can be utterly devastating. To those foes of ours like the Resurgent Hive Strain or the Mycelium Gestalt, the Neurovirus is a potent, indispensable tool that rapidly liquefies infected nervous tissue, allowing the Biomatter of the organism to be safely harvested.
[*] Cloning: [REDACTED]
[*] Cybernetics: We Ishtari make extensive use of cybernetic augmentation. What, you thought we might shun such, with our skill at biotechnology? Hah! My eyes are cybernetic. My hands are cybernetic. Cybernetic technology is ubiquitous among us. We may not need cybernetic limbs to replace an amputation - but we certainly make use of such for those who require strength beyond that of even our enhanced physiology. Many of us sport digital data ports as well as our neuro-ports for direct interface with less-biological tech.
[*] Small arms technology: Ishtari weapons technology is highly advanced from centuries of constant warfare. Rest assured, our rifles will kill as quickly and efficiently as your own.
[*] Power-armor: Some weapons systems are too heavy to use effectively even with cybernetics. Some environments are deadly enough to require extra protection - but a tank might not be feasible. Power armor is the solution. Impervious to small arms fire, capable of carrying weapons that might otherwise be crew served or fixed in place, withstanding environments hazardous even to we Ishtari, and more. Power armor - or at least, a variation of it - has found a use outside of the military as well in domestic applications.
[*] Rejuvenation Chambers: Our pride and joy. The technology that creates us anew every year. Our path to immortality.
[*] The Commonality is advanced in numerous other fields not explicitly mentioned here. Their lack of explicit mention does not inherently imply a lack of sophistication.[/list]

[color=f7941d]Military Overview[/color]:

[hider=Army]
The army of New Ishtar, or more formally, The Unified Planetary Armed Forces, includes those elements of its military designed to operate below low orbit. Covering operations on land, sea, and in the air, it is a diverse and formidable fighting force kept honed despite the long period of peace Ishtar has enjoyed via simulated combat exercises utilizing advanced technology. 

The key distinguishing feature of the Ishtari military is its near limitless supply of personnel. In peacetime, each soldier of the army is an individual volunteer from the main population. In wartime, these volunteers willingly undergo personality modification to become ideal soldiery before being duplicated in a process similar to cloning. Importantly, dead personnel can be recovered and reconstituted into living soldiery, and even specimens in advanced states of decay can be added to reconstitution pools with some additional effort. This one single feature alters the entire formula for the creation of an army. Personnel casualties can be recuperated near endlessly as long as sufficient biomass is available, and it becomes the loss of materiel that is of gravest concern. Accordingly, Ishtari strategy and tactics are altered to account for this advantage. 

As such, heavy infantry form the backbone and by far the largest portion of the Ishtari army. Infantry, augmented by power armored units and supported by infantry fighting vehicles, close air support, artillery, and heavy weapons teams, forms the tip and the body of nearly any operation, defensive or offensive. While combined arms are adhered to as closely as in any other nation’s fighting forces, the Ishtari military emphasizes the role of its infantry to an extent unlike those of other nations. Infantry casualties do not matter in the least from a strategic standpoint, as long as the materiel used by those infantry is preserved or expended in a cost efficient manner. 

For instance, the army has no concept of a “main battle tank”, but rather employs numerous smaller and more lightly armored vehicles tasked with the elimination of enemy armor or autonomous raiding operations. Infantry assaults are supported and transported by armored vehicles of their own, shielding the infantry from small arms or shrapnel until they have reached the actual field of battle and acting in a supporting role to destroy hardpoints, enemy armor, or to simply carry to the field weapons infantry teams cannot carry themselves. 

Ishtari small and medium sized unit commanders are granted extensive tactical and operational flexibility to issue orders in response to the actual situation on the ground as they see fit. 

An Ishtari infantry squad is made up of between four to ten soldiers and contains, depending on its size, one or two E60 GPMGs, some times carried by a power armored soldier for greater mobility and ease of use. A squad in an active hot zone is directly supported by their IFV as well as nearby ground attack aircraft. In the assault, airborne infantry followed up by mechanized infantry form the first element of the attack, securing footholds and destabilizing the enemy and allowing for motorized, less armored infantry to be safely brought up to continue to press the attack on a disoriented foe.The army additionally makes extensive use of infiltration tactics by light infantry to disrupt enemy formations, logistics, and so enable later infantry assault.

The air forces of New Ishtar are primarily split between air superiority utilizing ultra high speed fighter craft to quickly establish local air superiority and allow for the unmolested operation of more heavily armed and armored VTOL capable ground-attack aircraft. 

[hider=Ground Equipment of the Commonality of New Ishtar:]
New Ishtar still primarily uses chemical propellant based projectile weapons as the primary armament of their infantry. Infantry-portable railguns, while recently developed, lack the reliability, ruggedness, and comparative ease of maintenance and supply of their chemical counterparts without offering a sufficient increase in lethality. Most weapons use furniture constructed of chemically treated Ishtari ironwood which is then coated in a durable ceramic coating to prevent damage.

[b]Melee Weapons:[/b]
Close combat is tightly ingrained within Ishtari society. This extends to their military thinking, as well. Ishtari soldiers will not shy away from killing their enemies in melee combat as well as ranged.

Combat sword: An inward curving, strongly constructed sword carried by many Ishtari soldiers in place of or in addition to the standard karambit. Sharp, durable, and intimately familiar to every single Ishtari from their childhood training.

Breaching axe: Equal parts weapon and tool, breaching axes are nearly ubiquitous for their sheer utility and widely favored among both the army and marines stationed aboard starships. Equally useful for prying, chopping, and maiming.

[img]https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/cyberpunk/images/1/1b/Mantisblades_left_arm.png[/img]
Cybernetic Combat Blades: Known by many nicknames amongst the Ishtari populace, including “the living blender”, the CCBs were designed with the dual goals of extreme lethality and extreme concealment. Capable of being stored within a standard cybernetic arm, the blades are constructed of a high strength, low weight alloy core and diamond-hard nanomaterial cutting edges. Attached to the powerful synthetic muscle tissue of the cybernetic arm, the blades are capable of shearing through standard hard body armor with repeated slashes.

Ranged Weapons:
[img]https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/008/799/439/4k/dunhuang-chen-assault-rife-3-4.jpg?1515390638[/img]
NLSAR E74 - Neuro Linked Smart Assault Rifle, Edition 47: The bread and butter of the Ishtari infantry. Firing caseless 10mm tracking rocket-assisted smart rounds similar to those used in the GPMG and other Ishtari weaponry from a 40 round magazine, the weapon is synced to the neurolink of its user enabling real time predictive firing solutions - the user sees where the projectile will go, and the projectile will adjust its course in-flight to make up for small variances in target location. Due to the guided and rocket assisted nature of these projectiles, they retain excellent kinetic energy even at medium and long engagement distances, enabling them to pierce significant amounts of enemy armor or deal tremendous damage on impact, depending on bullet type. The GFAR uses a continuous-recoil system that ensures the bolt assembly never impacts the rear of the weapon before cycling back to chamber a new round. The end result is a remarkably smooth recoil impulse, without the bouncing and vibration of a normal weapon, the recoil of the gun feels like a single continuous 'push' rather than a series of smaller impulses, making controlled fire significantly easier.

NLILMG E100 - Neuro Linked Infantry Light Machine Gun Edition 100, “buzzsaw”: A variant of the SAR E74, used as a squad automatic weapon, the ILMG E100 utilizes the exact same 10mm tracking ammunition as its smaller sibling. Featuring an extended, heavy duty barrel, the role of the E100 is for sustained automatic fire support on a squad level, without the bulk of the GPMG - useful for smaller units or lighter infantry operations. Firing from a belt feed, rather than a large magazine, a standard belt is 200 rounds, capable of being stored in the cylindrical 'drum' underneath the weapon to protect the ammunition from the elements. These belts are consumed in the firing process, leaving no need for extraction or ejection and enabling a higher cyclic rate of approximately 1200 rpm with the weapon's heavy duty barrel.

[img]https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/014/512/672/large/gregory-trusov-1.jpg?1544637550[/img]
NLPIR E209 - Neuro Linked Precision and Interdiction Rifle, Edition 209: A dual purpose anti-material and long distance precision rifle connected, like every Ishtari weapon, to the neurolink of its user to offer predictive firing solutions. Utilizing similar guided rocket-assisted technology to the GFAR and GPMG, the weapon fires a massive 14.5mm projectile out to a maximum effective range of approximately 2800 meters.

[img]https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/010/013/940/large/gregory-trusov-8.jpg?1522093558[/img]
NL-OH E33 - Neuro Linked Offensive Handgun, Edition 33: A large, heavy duty, powerful handgun commonly issued as a sidearm to shock troops, second-line units, or soldiers heading into close combat scenarios. The NL-OFH is also frequently carried by some soldiers who bring it as a personal weapon. The weapon uses similar rocket-assisting technology as the GPMG and SAR, in this case firing a 9mm armor piercing, high explosive projectile, not dissimilar to that used in the GPMG. The handgun impacts with enormous energy, and is capable of punching through surprisingly heavy amounts of armor - despite its relatively small size.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Xs2C74r.png[/img]
NL-EDNTD E43 - Neuro- Linked Electro-Discharge Neural Tissue Destroyer, Edition 43: Developed during the conflict for use against the [REDACTED] of the Mycelium Gestalt, originating from a design developed aboard the Ishtar itself for use against the Hive Strain. The weapon is connected to the power source of the user's power armor, and functions via the launch of high velocity disposable prongs into the target, down which an enormous current of electricity is dumped to destroy the target's neural systems.

[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/645419715329654785/909949288421937213/509.png[/img]
NLGPMG-RPW E60 - Neuro Linked General Purpose Machine Gun - Rocket Propelled Warhead, Edition 60: The weapon New Ishtar refers to as its 'general purpose machine gun' is a weapon that has well earned its reputation. Loud. Heavy. Fast firing. Absolutely terrifying. It is more akin to an autocannon. Weighing in at approximately 25kg the weapon fires a 26mm rocket-propelled warhead at a muzzle velocity of approximately 332 m/s before its rocket propulsion engages. It sports an integrated neurolink slot for improved firing solutions when attached to the socket of the user, via power armor or through direct link. With this link, and the increased accuracy and hit probability, the weapon has a maximum effective range of approximately 3,500 meters in open terrain. After this, the rocket will self-detonate. There are three primary warheads used:
[list]
[*] APSC - Armor Piercing Shaped Charge: A shaped charge warhead using time-honored technology, on miniature scale. The APSC warhead boasts a maximum penetration of 160mm RHA and is intended for use in an anti-material role or against light armored targets such as enemy power armor or light vehicles.
[*] HEA - High Explosive Airburst: A fragmentation warhead equipped with a smart-fuse synced to the weapon's systems. Intended for use against unarmored infantry.
[*] APHE - Armor Piercing High Explosive: Intended for use against large, lightly armored targets. The warhead is designed to penetrate enemy armor or large amounts of flesh, and detonate inside the target, rupturing or destroying vital organs and blood vessels. [/list]

[b]Armor[/b]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7f/54/ef/7f54ef1255536c67b981f3ad7d987ee0.jpg[/img]
Sister-Soldier 3-7 Nayris Born From Ash Returns To Vanquish The Wicked clad in a modified form of the standard-issue Tactical Assault Armor formed from composite metallo-ceramic and graphene plating atop a polycarbaramid duraweave bodysuit with integrated temperature control, life support, and other auxiliary systems. The pictured armor is sans the mountings and armored plates intended to provide additional protection from small arms fire. 

[img]https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/007/155/426/large/crux-lee-3.jpg?1504079250[/img]
Sister-Soldier 2-13 Alyu Grasps The Sword In Hand And Strikes Down The Demons Before Her, outfitted in the standard-issue Heavy Tactical Assault Combat Exo-Suit. Generally, these are templates of more experienced individuals given the heavier power armor and training, plus neural uplink, to fire a squad’s massive 26mm GPMG from a standing position.

[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/846488243398246411/908958498853892166/joakim-ericsson-strandedsmall.jpg[/img]
Arctic environment operations by after the crash landing of Dropship 37-2b during the third year of The Great Xenocide
[/hider]


[hider=Combat Vehicles]
[img]https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/016/716/047/large/keos-masons-genlock-01c.jpg[/img]
LA-34 ‘Unmanned’ Assault Tank: Equipped with a railgun firing a dart of dense metal at hypervelocity for destroying armored vehicles and hard targets, and a lower velocity cannon firing explosive projectiles, the LA-34 is much smaller, on average, than the manned tanks of other nations, the main chassis standing at 150cm in height and able to fully depress itself to the ground. Piloted by a single mind-transferred consciousness embedded deep within the tank and ensconced within a miniature armored sarcophagus, the tank is cheap to mass produce, cheap to replace, and presents a much smaller target than its peers. It is designed to operate both autonomously and in support of infantry and armored 

[img]https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/021/703/744/4k/karakter-design-studio-blackops4-gunship-final.jpg?1572634983[/img]
MA-10 Saber Helicopter Gunship

[img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/04/ae/da/04aedaae41d158febbd44bf41417c911.jpg[/img]
SL-2 Iceaxe Multirole Jet Fighter

[img]https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/043/467/664/4k/-ifv.jpg[/img]
Ti-37 Infantry Fighting Vehicle

[/hider]
[/hider]

[hider=Navy]
The Ishtari Navy, or Unified Extraplanetary Armed Forces, is a powerful navy, standing proud beside its peers. This is, of course, to be expected from a society as militaristic as the Ishtari - and having suffered the hardships they have. Constant vigilance against any threat from abroad is only natural. As such, the Navy is well supplied and highly modern, just as with the army.

The backbone of the Ishtari navy is its impressive fleet of well armed cruiser class vessels. Forming by far the bulk of Ishtari combat vessels, the fleet also employs early prototype stealth craft and a small number of larger, heavier armed and armored capital ships for use in larger scale operations and functioning as flagships for the navy’s various fleets. Standard doctrine dictates engagement at long ranges utilizing plasma warhead tipped guided torpedoes, augmented by powerful c-fractional railgun batteries at close ranges. An Ishtari fleet expects to defeat the enemy before they draw to “knife fighting” distances wherein directed energy or unguided sub-C munitions become viable. In turn the fleet operates a formidable bevy of point defense systems intended to intercept and neutralize incoming enemy projectiles well outside of the zone of danger to the ship and its occupants. Manned fighter craft are entirely unheard of within the navy, owing to the high cost and comparative inefficacy as compared to the relatively more affordable and more difficult to intercept guided torpedoes. 

Strategically, the purpose behind the absence of large numbers of capital ships is purely one of cost efficiency. The standard Ishtari cruiser is larger than those of many other nations, designed for long term autonomous operation or cooperative activity during fleet actions. Each is bristling with weapons systems enabling them to punch well above their own weight class. The tradeoff however, is each cruiser is less durable than a larger ship of equivalent armament. The Ishtari command considers this an acceptable tradeoff when considering the comparative loss of material represented by the destruction of a cruiser versus a large capital ship. The loss of a cruiser is certainly not nothing - but the loss of a large battleship is inordinately more expensive and injurious not only to the war effort but to morale.

At extreme close ranges or for policing operations, each cruiser carries a complement of boarding torpedoes aboard their craft. Almost 40 meters in length, heavily armored, and extremely fast - they are launched from bow, stern, and broadside tubes against hostile enemy warships that draw close enough and are packed near to bursting with Ishtari marines in full vacuum combat gear, armed to the teeth and frequently spearheaded by power armored Gorgon Strain marines.

The Ishtari fleet is at its deadliest at ‘close quarters’ and long to extreme ranges, and at its weakest at medium range. Standard doctrine is, thus, if elimination at long range is not possible to close to short range as soon as possible where the Ishtari may use their advantages to the full extent.
[/hider]

[s]Weaponized diseases: Another fearsome weapon in the technological arsenal of New Ishtar is a wide array of biological warfare agents. Dredged up from the deepest nightmares inflicted upon us by the void, these weapons are kept under tight lock and key in the same vein as nuclear weapons. They range from merely re-engineered smallpox to agents of such horrific ends that I dare not speak of them. Be thankful you will never need to see them. Be very thankful.[/s]
[b][REDACTED][/b]
[sub]What moron decided we should broadcast that we have these things? Be glad I caught this.[/sub]

[hr]
[color=ec008c]Additional Info[/color]:
[hider=Naming Conventions]
Ishtari naming conventions seem complicated to outsiders, but are in fact rather simple. The individual’s current occupation comes first, as well as their gender, followed by the total number of ‘lives’ they have lived, followed by the number of current Rejuvenations undergone by the individual, followed by their given name, and a descriptive phrase or declaration that, over time, may change to suit the changing individual.

For those whose consciousnesses are not stored within physical bodies, we simply flip the prefix, with role going first, followed by gender, then the name as normal.

Example names follow:
Sister-Soldier 2-102 Nisrin Carries The Torch Unto The Darkest Abyss
Sister-Soldier 7-3 Asana Knows The Heavy Price Of Retribution
Sister-Sculptor 1-139 Geneva Weaves The Flesh Of Her Sisters For Their Worldly Joy
Sister-Commissar 4-134 Kalisis Scourges With Fire The Bones Of The Unclean
Sister-Scientist 1-154 Siris Illuminates The Path With The Torch Of Aeons
Sister-Soldier 2-183 Alyu Grasps The Sword In Hand And Strikes Down The Demons Before Her
Sister-Artist 1-9 Buran Paints With Dreams From Heaven
Sister-Soldier 2-7 Nayris Born From Ash Returns To Vanquish The Wicked
Ship-Sister 2-19 Akiko Dreams Of Living Among The Stars
Sister-Artist 3-18 Nayris Paints The Cosmic Winds
Sister-Engineer 2-36 Yayota Knows The Many Secrets Of Steel
Sister-Captain 9-17 Naysibis Forges Her Own Path With A Blade Of Flame
[/hider]


[/hider]