I guess it's time to bring up an oldie in new clothes. [hider=The Morte Imperium] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/1F7Rhsal.jpg[/img] [h1][color=9e0b0f][b]The Morte Imperium[/b][/color][/h1][/center] [color=9e0b0f][h2][b]GENERAL INFORMATION[hr][/b][/h2][/color][color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Faction Overview[/b][/h3][/color][color=9e0b0f][b]Official Name:[/b][/color] Das Grösses Mortereich aller Todestern (Gothic), Imperium Magni Morte (archaic Mortean), The Morte Empire [color=9e0b0f][b]Common Name:[/b][/color] Morte Imperium, Mortereich, Morte Empire [color=9e0b0f][b]Government:[/b][/color] Elective Centralized Totalitarian Monarchy (actually closer to a benign dictatorship) [color=9e0b0f][b]Dominant Species:[/b][/color] Morte (100%) [color=9e0b0f][b]Capital:[/b][/color] Silberdorf [color=9e0b0f][b]Systems Owned:[/b][/color] 3 (Toderstern, Erzricht, Heissessen) [color=9e0b0f][b]Planets Owned:[/b][/color] 2 (Mortis and Lichtfel with the rest being completely uninhabitable) [color=9e0b0f][b]Population:[/b][/color] 15,569,242,144 (according to last year's census) [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Territory Overview[/b][/h3][/color]The Morte Imperium currently controls the central portion of the Stromlosweg Sector, a harsh irradiated nebula zone. The region used to host multiple intelligent species but due to the Cataclysm and the ensuring series of desperate wars for survival reduced this to only a few. By now Morteans are the most dominant among them. Aside from the 2 semi-habitable planets they own Morte established 16 major colony clusters of space habitats which provides home for nearly 75% of their men. Their homeworld is Mortis of the Toderstern star system. Yet the capital is moved to Silberdorf, a colony cluster found within the interstellar void and a special section of space free of radioactive hazards. Silberdorf is the rich region within the Imperium, housing less than a percentage of the entire population. That being said Toderstern is still their most populous region and remains the keystone piece of their industry. [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]History[/b][/h3][/color]TBA [color=9e0b0f][h2][b]SOCIETY INFORMATION[hr][/b][/h2][/color][color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Demographics[/b][/h3][/color]Until just recently the Morte Imperium was an isolated civilization within the Stromlosweg Sector. As such it is unsurprising that the one and only sapient species within the Empire are the Morteans. Morteans are humanoid creatures with blueish skin, red eyes that might glow in the dark, sharp teeth and slightly pointed ears. They are at average shorter in stature (~ 150 cm) due to malnutrition but at times they can grow above 2m in height. Due to the effects of radiation they have an alarmingly high percentage of mutations which sometimes can be very visible. Unlike humans the Mortean blood is colored cyan. Morteans have human-like body structure but there are considerable differences in their chemical makeup. Mortean bones are made of various bio-steels, enhancing their durability and tolerance to radiation. Though the not so amazing side effect is that Morteans can get stuck to sufficiently strong magnets. Their sharp teeth are capable of chewing through many things and it isn't impossible for a Morteans to chew on rocks and ores (though not the most nutritious choice for sure). Mortean stomachs are versatile and work by different reactions and this generally applies to their entire system. Toxins that could be lethal to humans may be even considered nutrients. In reverse the Morteans have a number of harmful and deadly toxins specific to their physiology. Biologically the Morteans can live for 200 years but in effect the mutations and awful living conditions reduce the average life expectancy to 40 years. Due to their relatively well-adopted physiology to their environment there's a popular theory that the Morteans were actually engineered this way. Due to the effect of radiation, birth defects and mutations are relatively common and according to statistics 27.4% of the children die at (or before) birth. For every Mortean death is a common experience which swayed their society into an unique direction. Morteans neither fear death nor welcome it. They accept death as a natural element of their lives and strive to serve their community during the short time they're given. In the eyes of others Morteans themselves do appear almost machine-like, having little in the way of personal goals and instead striving to complete their duties to the community as a whole. They have little in the ways of compassion or complex emotions and instead approach everything with cold logic. [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Cultural Overview[/b][/h3][/color]Morteans are struggling to survive in a sector inhospitable for all life. This obviously shaped their thinking to extremes, becoming pragmatic and almost machine like in their behavior. They lack empathy and so long it can be logically justified Morte is capable of any cruelty. Mortean society is all about order and hierarchy. The lines of leadership are clearly defined and Morteans work together like cogs in a well-oiled machine. Questioning the authority of your superiors is unheard of and everyone is under constant supervision of their peers to act like a respectable Morte. On the other hand incompetence is not tolerated and subordinates can and will file reports about any of their boss' misdeeds. Advancing through the leadership is possible but difficult and at times certain social groups could be outright class-like. Mortean citizens know and use money with their official currency being the Reichsmark. At the same time a lot of commodities are rationed which means each person only entitled to a limited amount during shortages. Thankfully many of these rations are leased during the recent decade of peace but people are aware the system can be reinstated on a moment's notice. The official language of the Mortereich is the Gothic. This effectively splits into two distinct languages. High Gothic is a borderline forgotten language used for ceremonial purposes. It strangely resembles Latin from ancient human civilization but how and when the Morteans are connected to the Federation remains a mystery. Low Gothic is the common language of Mortean, which distantly resembles German. There are also 4 other major dialects and even more minority dialects within the population which can range from slight mutation to something that doesn't even sound like the same language. [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Government Overview[/b][/h3][/color]The Mortean government is imperial, formed under necessity during the early centuries to fend off the Luxans and other crazy invaders. Initially it was a typical monarchic government with the rule of Karl von Metzel and his descendants. However this soon changed and for 400 years now the Kaiser is an elected title which currently only assumed for the length of 2 years. It's possible to get re-elected but no more than 4 times in a row (so a total of 10 years of rule). Since the title is elected technically anyone can become a Kaiser, provided they pass the rigorous selection process for the candidates. There are a few days of promotion and campaign followed by a quick election. There are no solid political parties, albeit siding with certain companies, organizations and social groups may provide benefits at the election. After appointed as the Kaiser he or she has absolute power to do anything for the good of the Imperium. Yet the Kaiser is tightly monitored and after 2 years pass he or she is thoroughly evaluated and potentially punished for any misconduct (sometimes even executed). The Empire also have ministers and other political leaders with their own powers and responsibilities. Their conditions are similar to that of the Kaiser but to a lesser extend. In Morte everyone watches the other and ready to report wrongs straight back to the authorities. This complex relation of hierarchy and keen supervision what defines Morte social structure the most. In terms of foreign politics since every new civilization they've encountered in the Stromlosweg Sector became hostile, it's practically non-existent. That being said while the government is paranoiac they don't reject the idea of coexisting with other species. As such the first ever Mortean expedition outside the Stromlosweg Sector is watched with great anticipation. [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Tech Overview[/b][/h3][/color] After experiencing their paradise rapidly turning into a radioactive hell the Morteans doubled their efforts toward technology. Their first priorities were shielded homes and developing means to grow food in their changed environment. Over the centuries as Mortean society transformed their affinity towards technology only grew. Advanced medicine, gene engineering for special plants that grow in radioactive environments, robotics, self-improving computers and so on. The achievements of the Morteans were impressive yet at the same time they constantly struggled for survival. As such their technology developed in odd ways to support this. At times they also learned from analyzing the enemy. The genocidal DRVQ (spelt as Dorvec) had advanced material and plasma technology which eventually became basis for almost everything for Morte. They also developed primitive means to detect psychic powers and ward against the subversive telepathic Ix. Their metallic bones also made electro-gravity systems more attractive over developing artificial gravity. Even now they primarily use gravity manipulation for hyperdrives and related technologies. Mortean hyperdrives are primitive copies of already inferior copies of the Federation's drives. As a lateral development though they created FTL jammers that helped to prevent Luxan raids into the hearts of Morte. Their creation and maintenance is expensive and not without faults. Yet they managed to curtail dangers of Luxan incursions considerably and ultimately freed up resources to conquer their homeworld. Having centuries of history on space faring Morte long began exploiting their system. While only a few planets could sustain any life Morte makes good use of every resource under their control. Rock planets and asteroids are strip mined by extensive automated installations, nebula gases gathered, solar collectors are commonplace and gas giants serve as powerful industrial bases. The dense nebula also provides convenient fuel for their atomic reactors that are essential to power their huge nanosinter systems. First invented hundreds of years ago the nanosinter sprays tiny particles on shaped electromagnetic fields, allowing both fast and precise construction. Nanolsinter are also versatile, capable of manufacturing a whole different product after adjusting their programs. Regardless their energy requirements limit them to places with plentiful power generation to be economical on the industrial scale. More conventional methods of construction are still frequently employed. [color=9e0b0f][h2][b]MILITARY INFORMATION[hr][/b][/h2][/color][color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Military Overview[/b][/h3][/color]With almost a thousand years of constant warfare with outside aggressors Morte became a militaristic nation where soldiering is part of every citizen's duty. Just prior to reaching adulthood all Morteans regardless of gender receive combat training and discipline. The best of the trainees are offered to become part of the Reichswehrmacht which, given the overall better living conditions of soldiers, is an offer not many refuses. Even after the training adult Morteans are obliged to periodically refresh their soldiering skills and accept to be drafted in a moment of notice. This kind of social structure aided Morte to eventually triumph over their superior enemy, very much drowning them in numbers. On the other hand their recent triumphs caused an unexpected crisis the military is unfit to deal with: peace and prosperous growth. Mortean military technology is cheap and mass produced. They want reliability and numbers above almost everything. As such they seem to use advanced tech in very odd ways. For example while hover technology is mature its cost and reliability makes it rarely used with combat vehicles. Similarly in favor of having more weapon systems for relatively low cost Mortean doctrines like to use manpower wherever it isn't a detriment. While many other civilizations would find means to keep soldiers away from dangerous missions the Morte side has volunteers and given their overpopulation issues there's no incentive to stop this anytime soon.[hider=Notably Military Techs] [b]K-Gun:[/b] Also referred as kinetic guns. They are using old projectile-throwing technology of various type, predominantly electromagnetic. K-guns are still used as small arms as backup. They are also commonly used by heavy artillery which shoots warheads over extreme ranges. Tank weapons also used to rely on kinetics but since then plasma cannons took over. [b]PASE Gun:[/b] Alternatively referred as the "Plasma Gun" its official name is [b]P[/b]lasm[b]a[/b]ktiviert[b]s[/b]taub [b]E[/b]ntlader (plasma activated powder discharger). Uniquely enough they excite solid state particles into self-contained projectiles of plasma and accelerate them towards the target. Mortean plasma weapons rely on explosive shock more than the heat energy to defeat targets and the field can be adjusted to achieve various effects. Focusing the field makes anti-armor performance better while shaping the blast towards the front makes the plasma less dangerous in close combat. This versatility and overall power means plasma guns are the norm for most Mortean weapons. [b]Macro Particle Gun:[/b] Makropartikelngeschütz also called Massenlanz (Mass Lance) is a technology which generates a special hyperdense particle stream focused to an extremely thin beam for destructive effects. The said particle stream is unstable and would violently explode but only after penetrating the enemy's defenses. This makes them ideal anti-armor weapons and the mainstay armaments of starships. Over the time these became more widespread, allowing them to be scaled down to man portable weapons or even warheads alongside upgrades that made it become far more versatile. Regardless they are still mainly a spaceborne weapon. While technically meaning the same in effect there's a distinction between Macro Particle Guns and Mass Lances. The latter is meant for extreme performance at reduced range and versatility while macro particle guns are fully functional guns with less dense beams but increased stability and full range of functions. [b]Duracomposite:[/b] While Durasteel variants are often fine enough to protect against simple weapons more nuanced armor designs require a new approach. Duracomposites as their name imply are not one material but a precise arrangement of various duramaterials to provide the best protection. This consequently also makes them more expensive. More advanced duracomposites are engineered to work with structural integrity fields and used mostly for starships. [b]G-Screen:[/b] Mortean shielding technology which focuses energy into a specific surface to block incoming attacks. Personal shields are rare and very limited in function. Most shields are either used by starships or as stationary defenses. Heavy artillery for example almost always fires from behind these screens as protection. [/hider] [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Army Overview[/b][/h3][/color]Irdishstreitkrafte der Mortereich (Surface Armed Forces of the Morte Imperium) is a virtual term describing three different military branches: Reichsheer (Imperial Army), Reichsgrenadierkrafte (Imperial Grenadier Force) and Volkswehr (People's Defense AKA Militia). Reichsheer is the main army of the Empire with roughly 300 million troops (mandated by the PAX Accords from IR521). This is their bare minimum and any loses are to be recovered within a week. As per the Morte attitude to recruitment, every Morte who passes the physical tests are considered "reserves" to the Heer thus in times of crisis this number can increase considerably. In the current "peacetime" days their purpose is defensive but they also form the numbers for every major invasion. Reichsgrenadierkrafte is effectively the "marines" of the Morte, they are elite highly mobile force constantly traveling aboard starships. They are the primary response of the Morte during peacetime and the spearhead of major assaults. Volkswehr is an institution rather than an outright military branch, used during crisis when the regular military isn't present or requires backup. By its nature the Volkswehr is poorly equipped if not forced to use improvised weapons but they can somewhat compensate this by their sheer numbers and fanaticism. Morte ground combat doctrine focuses on massed infantry formations supported with a great deal of artillery. Morte likes fortifications and defensive combat as their wars frequently involved the other side as the primary aggressor. Armor is generally only what each army corps has assigned to them. It often provides fire support but there are pure armored forces for breakthrough and maneuvering combat. Air force is a bit of a maligned child in Mortean warfare. Both Reichsheer and Reichsgrenadierkrafte has aerial detachments that can be linked with any large force for support but usually their numbers alone are insufficient. This is often reinforced by space fighters from the Reichskriegsflotte but the different chain of command is a source of other issues. For a ruthless military Morte has a surprising lack of chemical weapons for two reasons. One, they love streamlining their logistics thus special shells are rare. Two, their chief opponents are the semi-robotic Dorvec and the mutant biotechnological Luxans which means chemical weapons are of little utility. In contrast their enemies loved to employ chemical and biological weapons and thus before anything else the most essential equipment for Mortean soldiers are their gasmasks and environmental suits. [color=9e0b0f][h3][b]Navy Overview[/b][/h3][/color] The Reichskriegsflotte (Imperial Fleet) is the Reichswehr's special branch dealing with starships and generally the region of space. Like for any interstellar civilization an absurd majority of their territory is space thus the Imperial Fleet has a prominent role of securing it. Since the Mortean triumph in Lux the Imperium haven't faced any existential threats and enjoys a relative peace. Of course there are always Xi'kar pirates, Dorvec remnants or rouge Luxan raiders to worry about yet at their current strength the navy is way prepared to deal with them. In order to reduce maintenance problems the PAX Accords were signed which currently limits the Mortean navy to 250 warships. Consequently many old warships were phased out and mothballed over the time. Decommissioned ships are preserved and kept at various bases thus they could be reactivated fast upon a new crisis. Of course this doesn't account for the numerous support and escort ships that could accompany them, nor ships built for only local defense. Mortean warships are built for endurance, relying on heavy armor and constant cannon fire. The typical Mortean war vessel is shaped like a slightly conical cylinder with the main engine cluster at the back and most firepower concentrated to several turrets of usually the macro particle cannon variety. In Mortean dictionary a warship is an independent combat starcraft capable of acting on their own. Starships in the smaller range are escorts that accompany the larger vessel for screening purposes as well as to satisfy special roles. Support ships are non-combat vessels that follow the fleets and perform anything from maintenance, transport, mining, manufacturing war materials or even provide hospital services. By the standards of most civilizations the Mortean ships tend to be on the smaller side with battleships often considered the size of other civilizations' cruisers if not destroyers. On the other hand Mortean warships classes are less diverse when it comes to sizes. Escorts are more fluctuating in scale and in rare cases it's difficult to distinguish the smallest escort ships from the largest starfighter classes. [/hider] I'll work on the history, map claim and other details later.