Cygaxia

[White-Jet]

(I figured I'd start sticking up a galaxy of my own for the new RP. I'll update more once I get a better grasp of the new storyline)

Cygaxia is a scavenging galaxy made up of primitive and advanced computer technology scattered throughout nearly more than 100 different races and species, particularly those of the human race. Little is known about its existence other than the fact that it passes through other galaxies every 50 years, collecting more space debris to use for their own purposes.

Makeup

While it may seem like Cygaxia is one giant planet surrounded by glowing entrails of its collection of human and alien machines, the planet itself is the size of Pluto, with the only known population being a large Island made up of satellite particles from many different galaxies; strong enough to form a sphere full of strange concoctions of intergalactic lead and mercury. The optical illusion of seeing a giant planet is said to have been caused by interference between several floating debris, resulting in constant, yet soundless electrical storms; which is why the galaxy has been seldom explored or detected on even the most advanced radar system.

History

Sometime during the process of expanding their colonies, the scientists of the Federation Star Alliance developed a small microchip, able to store an entire history of Earth's existence as far back as the Big Bang, and was designed to adapt to the history and culture of other existing alien species, expanding as the years go by. Unfortunately, a flaw was discovered during the experimental stage of the chip's design, draining the facility of its' data and power, and causing an immediate shut down that lasted a week before engineers were able to restore all data and power.

The Star Alliance labeled the chip a defect and ordered it to be launched in space before information is leaked to the public. On that very day, the chip is tossed into a shuttlecraft with other defected experiments and shot off into space to become part of the broken down satellites floating around it starry abyss. During its time spent in space, it began emitting electromagnetic energy; first drawing in wires, chips, and small pieces of metal. Like dropping a snowball down a steep incline, the pile began to grow in size, allowing the electromagnets to draw in larger debris such as old, broken down satellites and space shuttles. Once it grew to the size of Pluto, it left the solar system to look for other metallic space debris to absorb.

As years passed and more galaxies are cleaned of their metallic wastes, the small pile of junk began to evolve into a more civilized galaxy, gaining new knowledge from the galaxies it passes and updating itself to become a more inhabitable planet. A city began to form among the robots that were brought back to life once jolted to activation by the constant electrical storms surrounding the Pluto-like planet. They, too, have evolved into more emotional and independent beings, developing the name Cygaxia and dabbling in their own culture and tradition.

Half a century passes, and civilization on Cygaxia has already rivaled that of nearly every known species in the universe. Many Cygaxians have developed a fondness for several species they have encountered over the course of their travels through different quadrants. Some have even tried to redesign themselves to look like their favorite races, but with few resources to fully resemble the looks of such race, they could only manage to mimic a poor resemblance. Then, one day, a probe intercepts and crashes into Cygaxia, cutting off communication from its sender. The Cygaxians dissected the probe for information and realized that it came from earth, the starting point of human life before Mars.

While distracted by their new findings, the galaxy wanders into a travel path between Earth and Mars, and accidentally collides with a transportation craft housing a handful of humans and animals. Taking the blame for the accident, the Cygaxians offered the stranded travelers shelter from the electrical storm while their shuttle undergoes repairs. During the process, the humans with knowledge and fascination of robotics offered to rebuild some of the Cygaxians to resemble more realistic appearances. In return, they offered cybernetic parts and implants derived from many different alien species to help increase their chances of survival.

By the end of the week, both sides have exchanged knowledge and parts. A few of the humans who underwent cybernetic treatment chose to stay behind and help manage Cygaxia's longevity, recycling unneeded parts of the galaxy to travelers, or expanding the planet to make other areas more habitable to themselves and travelers who have managed to survive the harsh electrical storms. They were given the codename "Cyber Cleric", and were re-modified for faster performance in repair and construction.

Over the course of the coming years, Cygaxia has managed to absorb over 100 species of technology and history, becoming somewhat of an oracle for archeologists looking for a fast way to understand their history. Cyber Clerics have evolved into a minority of other races striving to pass technology and knowledge to whoever seeks the teachings or materials of the wandering galaxy.

[Zaku]

Seems interesting.

[White-Jet]

Race

Cygaxian: A race of highly advanced robots all capable of understanding and mimicking the common emotions of many species. Their appearances range from stick figure-like piles of junk, to actual humanoid appearances. With the interaction of many wandering species, the Cygaxian have all but lost their clunky and loosely jointed appearances.

Cyber Cleric: A minority group of non-Cygaxian races who specialize in the repair and modification of whatever machines they find or receive, as well as constructing machines for use in the protection and reconstruction of homelands and nations. They are treated as normal as the rest of the Cygaxians, making them less of a target for those who see the wandering galaxy as a danger to their future. Cyber Clerics wear a black unitard made of unbreakable, heat resistant silk from an unknown race in the far reaches of the galaxy that covers their entire body from the chin down, allowing them to fabricate an outfit of their own imagination. The most common appearance is a long, white robe with silver silk scarves surrounded by gold boarders, and platinum silk sleeves with bronze cuffs, as well as a long cape draped a few inches above their ankles, bearing the color and symbol of whoever they represent. Cyber Clerics are also given the ability to warp to anywhere that's accessible, using little to no energy.

Bioroid: The codename of mammal-type species who have received cybernetic treatment from Cygaxia. Through years of studying and understanding the makeup of humans, Cygaxians have found a way to preserve organic skin that can fit around the implants without causing too much damage aside from some scars; but because of a lack of technology in keeping the skin moist without causing harm to the implant, the operation is done with little anesthesia, waking the patient up after each joint placement to run a series of tests to make sure they function properly. Because of the grotesqueness and immense pain of the procedure, the plan was seldom used among the humans, leaving them to choose a primitive operation and forced to wear unitards to protect their implants from atmospheric particles.

Animal-type species, such as Kitiana, are often hard to treat with Cygaxian implants due to their "Fight-or-Flight"instincts. Not having enough awareness to remain calm, half-conscious Kitianas often scream and fight to get off the table, resulting in permanent injuries or death. Cygaxians are often forced to resort to primitive operations to avoid such scenarios from discrediting their friendly nature.

Drakoid: The codename for reptilian species operated by the Cygaxian. Most reptilian species have strong nervous systems, allowing for easier insertions into the scales to help further cover up the notion that they have lost their limbs during battle.

Dragon-type species, in particular, only use Cygaxian technology to create replacements for the limbs that were lost during battle. They hardly take advantage of alien technology to strengthen their already tough bodies as it would strip away their pride and reduce them to weaklings who "hide behind machines for help".

Support Beasts: The codename for beasts who have been domesticated by the homeland they evolved from. The Cygaxians call all pets and wild creatures "beasts"out of observation of what other races fear the most (Example: while most humans revere carnivorous reptiles as strong and dangerous monsters, Dragonairs treat and raise them like pets; in contrast, Kitianas fear the domestic dog, calling it a monster that only listens to humans). Specifications to support beasts depend on the decisions of the owner. They could even have their pets modified to understand and speak several different languages, making obedience training and trust easier to maintain.

Culture

Cygaxians seldom get involved in heavy religions, only understanding the forms and following them when visiting the homelands of other alien species. They seldom worship humans or other living creatures, or even the microchip that gave life to them, as they fear it would showcase their weakness and inviting protesters who want to commit genocide just to prevent enemy nations from becoming Cyber Clerics.

While religion isn't a high priority, tradition among Cyber Clerics is strictly justified. At any time when a cleric sees damaged machinery, they must change into their robes as a form of identification to show where they hail from. To ensure that Cyber Clerics don't fight among themselves when representing their nation, newcomers undergoing Cygaxian treatment are subjected to a simulative "dream" where they learn the truth of nations, including their own, and learn to understand that no matter how conflicting they are, Cyber Clerics are to respect themselves and others who set their differences aside in order to help the distressed. The remaining first generation Cyber Clerics and other Cygaxians call this stating facts rather than brainwashing newcomers before training can begin.

To be a Cyber Cleric, four rules have been created to ensure they maintain their loyalty to their homeland, nation, or those they find in distress.

Rule 1: Clerics are to never complain when badgered by the distressed. They must remain calm and continually reassure them that they are working as fast as they can to repair the damage.
Rule 2: Clerics are to never force rejecters to accept their help, even if they are from an allied nation or homeland. To force rejecters to change their minds will further tarnish their good name and the reliability of those represented on their capes.
Rule 3: Clerics are to ask questions first before proceeding with repairs or construction. Acceptance is not always immediate, as the distressed is more likely to have the tools necessary to fix the damage. Be sure to question thoroughly before taking action. If a distressed refuses, or is hesitant, to answer when asked why the clericsEassistance is needed, he or she may be trying to swindle their help against the protection and will of their representatives, and should be avoided before extreme persuasion takes effect.
Rule 4: Clerics are limited to only creating weapons for themselves. They must never accept an offer, or join a group geared towards making weapons to whomever asks for them, even if it's for their represented nation or homeland.
[Update as of 3755 by tactical incident in which a rogue squadron "borrowed" a powerful weapon from a Cyber Cleric in order to defend against Vessh K'ul swarm]: Clerics are not held responsible if their brandished weapon is borrowed or stolen by allied or enemy nations, but are encouraged to take better care of their belongings in the future.

Disregards to any of these rules will result in the removal of cleric rights, removal of immortality and teleportation implants, and banishment from Cygaxia.

Longevity

Because Cygaxians are robots, they have eternal life and only use medical knowledge for races who fall victim to biological diseases. Species modified by Cygaxians are given the option of having immortality, eternal youth, or continuing with their life as normal, and can add implants that will prevent them from falling victim to several known types of diseases. Having the ability to grant a flesh being immortality often puts them at danger of being targeted by those who want to use this ability to their selfish needs. They purposely set flaws to their cybernetic implants, allowing [roids] to physically "die" after taking a considerable amount of damage, then revive in a vegetative state, able to see and breathe (Albeit gaspingly), but never move. Recovery is often random, ranging from a day to nearly a millennium; almost plenty of time for Cyber Clerics to step in and remove their ability to regenerate in the future. Eating natural foods is the best way of speeding up recovery, though vegetables will have to be force fed in order to regain enough strength to eat on their own.

Most Cygaxians can't live more than twelve hours without a strong electrical current. Straying too far from Cygaxia will cause their functionality to fatigue, every hour making them slower and less responsive. They are warned by red flags when they have reach the eleventh hour, telling them that they must return home before their life span runs out, causing them to shut down or, for primitive Cygaxians, crumble into a heap of parts.

[Roids] on the other hand can survive without the use of a charger and, given the chance, have been known to enter nearly every inhospitable atmosphere without having a negative effect on their body or any internal organs they choose to keep, particularly the heart, lungs and brain. They are, however, unable to enter acidic environments as the chemicals can corrode, and sometimes even melt away, their skin and implants.

Military

Cygaxians never go to war; they prefer to avoid conflicts at all costs. But despite their pacifistic behavior, Cygaxia has grown too used to rotation to backtrack, so measures are taken to protect themselves from getting caught in the crossfire. They use turrets and sentinel only to protect themselves and whoever gets stranded in their galaxy.

The galaxy itself is neutral due to the Cyber Clerics bearing the symbols and loyalty of their nations and homelands. They help whoever wanders into Cygaxia, and even offer to train them to be Cyber Clerics regardless of the history of their nation. The reason no one has waged war within the galaxy itself is because advanced scanners can detect preachers coming to Cygaxia, for the sole purpose of coaxing them into fighting a hated nation, and warping them back to their own nation before they could start a riot within the minority. How the scanners were able to advance this far was rumored to be the result of one Holy Lunarian who tried to convince the Cygaxians to destroy all Cyber Clerics and visitors not bearing their crest, resulting in the historical codename "The Holy Lunarian Riot" which lasted a few days before officials managed to bludgeon the leader, half the converted population of humans, and a Cyber Cleric, recently convicted of creating and shipping weapons to the Holy Lunarian Empire, into an escape pod and shot into space to be pick up by the Empire.

The only known race in Cygaxia to actually get involved in imperial wars are the Cyber Clerics, both out of loyalty for their nation and because most have families that need to be protected. The Cygaxians can't stop them from getting involved in wars; only remind them that they are never to look at each other as murderers, but a unity who only disband to maintain their honor and loyalty. This word of conscious, however, has an obviously large loophole as clerics from enemy nations are often left behind to suffer a slow, agonizing recovery. While the aftermath ends with Cyber Clerics engaging in brief and pointless verbal wars that finish once their steam runs dry, on rare occasions, some abandoned clerics will go so far as damning Cygaxia and working with their respected empire to overthrow them and other enemy nations, or consider the entire universe unfit to live and brandish a weapon that will blow the entire space into extinction. To this day, none have sunk more than holding eternal grudges towards their enemies.

[White-Jet]

Generation Ranking

Generation doesn't apply to how many races were the first to join Cygaxia. It is merely falls in line with common military rankings.

Gen.I Clerics are hailed as leaders, having more freedom to do what they please as long as it doesn't tarnish the reputation of their respected nation. Gen.II have almost the same freedom as the first, but are restricted to exploration when travelling alone, only involving themselves when forced by other nations or races, and must report to Gen.I when called. Later Generations have less exploration freedom, often reduced to spotter duties unless given permission by Gen.I or II to join them in the field.

The four empires treat the rankings in different ways. The FSA and Black Wind are very loose in how a hierarchy is assembled. Many Generations consist of families or friends who feel content with their status in a group. Gen.I are reserved for parents, eldest sibling, or person with high trust within themself and/or the group that forms around them.

The Holy Lunaria and Illitheri Confederation take their Generation a little more seriously in order to maintain strict hierarchy within the empire. Gen.I is strictly reserved for Nobles while commoners are stuck following behind them; Holy Lunaria enforcing a stronger restriction to exploration to avoid commoners bashing atheists when they refuse to acccept the teachings of Lunara.

Disassociation with their nation was not a tradition issued by Cygaxia or the Cleric council. It first started in Holy Lunaria and spread into the minds of the other empires like poison.

Banishment from a nation is often dealt in a hostile manner. If ordered, subjects will vandalize the Cyber Cleric, tearing their robes and beating them until they become too traumatized to even think of associating themselves with the nation. Later Generation FSA and Black Wind Clerics are immediately moved up one Gen. Holy Lunarian or Dark Elf Clerics are reassigned to another Generation and retrained to follow their lead.

Banished Cyber Clerics cannot join another nation or empire, as their reputation with their birth nation has left imprints that can never be corrected. They often spend their life drifting through space until they're either captured by space pirates, rogue travellers, or start their own group where they can make their own rules and not have to worry about whether their actions will upset the nation they once served.

Banishment often has it consequences within the council. Clerics are immediately evicted from Cleric Mansion, only allowed to visit their family and friends still serving under their respected nation. Banished Clerics are also banned from meetings and activities involving the welfare of the nations they once served. In order to figure out what's going on, they either have to consult family and friends still serving the nation, or find other ways of uncovering information that could be important to them.