Fiction:Ragorast Cluster

The Ragorast Cluster is a region in Quadrant 82 under the banner of the. It is located on the edge of the Cyrannian colonies and is the location of a Wormhole between the Quadrant and the Milky Way.

Ancient History
During the Golden Age of Atlantica rule over the Quadrants, the Ragorast Cluster was initially an outer region of no significance. This change when the wormhole opened up between the Quadrant and the Milky Way, bored open by the mental powers of the, who attempted to use the area as a staging area for galactic invasions. The Atlantica, along with their allies took over the region and purged it of the invaders. They made the area into a fortification against further Sts-Kehat incursions, though occassional raiding parties were still able to make their way through. These fortifications were later disbanded after the Sts-Kehat destroyed themselves.

The wormhole lay abandoned and undiscovered for millenia until the rise of the modern Quadrantia Civilisations.

New Civilisations
After the disappearance of the Atlantica, the Ragorast Cluster was left relatively undisturbed by the rising civilisations across the Quadrant. The former Atlantica fortifications made the Cluster tempting for explorers, but the presence of Sts-Kehat wreckage afflicted the region as well, leading many to suspect the region was cursed.

Life developed on several planets in the cluster, and of them six bore civilisations. They rose into space only recently, long after the major civilisations of the Rambo and Hutter. These civilisations had only limited warp capabilities, taking months to travel between stars. Though they were vaguely aware of the greater civilisations of the Quadrant, contacting them was technological infeasible, and they stuck to meagre expansion throughout their Cluster.

First contact between each other were initially an experience of wonder and fascination for them, but it soon degraded as they took closer looks at each other’s societies. They were divided between religion, some worshipping the Atlantica and others worshipping the Sts-Kehat. Tensions rose until holy war broke out between them.

Contact with the Outside World
The Ragorast Wormhole was rediscovered, from its Milky Way end, by DSB survey teams exploring the former Dead Zone in the. They relayed their discovered to the. They also discovered the warring civilisations, and made note to send diplomats to attempt to help foster peace, but those plans were interrupted by the rise of the. The Iron Bloc made use of the wormhole to gather support from among the Quadrants, and generally found little use for the Ragorast civilisations. The wormhole was later used by the Seven Starr Alliance to intervene in the, bringing the Quadrantia nations into contact with the Ragorasti.

After the Iron Bloc’s demise, the Seven Starr Alliance made formal contact with the peoples of the Ragorast Cluster, and attempted to help find an end to the war. The peace talks failed consistently, and one mediator went so far as to describe the Ragorast nations as interested in nothing but bloodshed. Regardless of the talks failure, the war came to a sudden halt within the month anyway: the people, tired of having their children marched off to die, revolted en masse against the government. New governments were formed that refused to fight one another any further. A few tensions still lingered, and the Seven Starr Alliance was able to smooth those out. They sorted the problems out so well the new governments were willing to set aside their difference and form a confederation, and interact with the Quadrants and Milky Way as a united entity.

Bloc Membership
The Ragorast Confederation became a member of the Seven Starr Alliance, and was further welcomed with invitations from neighbouring powers to join them. They were offered a place in the senates of both the and the. The Confederation was uninteresting in either polity. After the rise of the the Ragorasti were pressured to fall in with the new power. They were still disinterested, and considered taking up the offers of the Rambo or URC. This was discomforting, as they knew all these powers were going to be drawn into the growing conflict, and frankly failed to see what distinguished them anyway.

They did not wish to stand alone, but did not wish to stand in the midst of the coming war. They cast their eyes not towards the Cyrandia Cluster, but through the wormhole to the Milky Way. The wormhole was now attached to the Gravitas station that facilitated transit between multiple galaxies, under the partial administration of the. The confederal nature of the DSB appealed to the Ragorast Confederation; they could be its member and lose minimal autonomy. Furthermore, the DSB had declared intentions to remain neutral in the Cyrandia Conflict.

A membership application was sent and quickly accepted, and the Ragorast Cluster became a region under the banner of the Defensive System’s Bloc. Ironically, this act almost triggered a war in and of itself. The Milky Way end of the wormhole was in neutral territory between the DSB and the. Having the Quadrantia end of the wormhole be DSB territory was consider by the Zarni an attempt to block their access to the Quadrants. The DSB quickly arranged a new treaty to allow the Zarni access through the Ragorast Cluster, on the condition that their business in the Cluster be purely that of transit.

Second Great Cyrannus War
The Defensive System’s Bloc became an active participant in the on the side of the  against the, and the Quadrant Galaxies were set to become a major theatre in the war. The Ragorasti were willing to participate, since they saw the fight against the Empire as a meaningful fight, unlike the first war. Unfortunately, the Galactic Empire quickly took over the Gravitas Station, cutting the Cluster off from the rest of the Defensive System’s Bloc.

The Quadrantia DSB had to rely on the Rambo Nation and the Cyrannian Republic for protection. However, the Republic Civil War had broken out. The Ragorasti chose not to get involved, seeing the entire conflict as a meaningless distraction from the true threat of the Empire.

Imperial forces began moving through the wormhole from Gravitas Station and after a short bloody campaign occupied the Cluster, and used it as a staging area for their conquest of Republic territory.

Society and Culture
The people of the Ragorast Cluster are diverse in their customs, but they do have a few commonalities amongst them. They were, originally, all very religious peoples, divided between the worship of the Atlantica and the Sts-Kehat. Being the cause of the war made organised religion very unpopular, and more secular study of the has become mainstream. Most notably, the decades of the war has given them an aversion to mass conflict except in cases they deem just and unavoidable.

Species
Drendoth= The Drendoth have a long history of being a nationalistic warrior culture, which still defines much of the species’ culture today. It is impossible to move around a Drendoth colony without their national colours spread across nearly every building and object. They don’t have an explanation for their immense self-love other than it feeling right. It’s suspected that it may be compensation either for them being the last of the Ragorasti to achieve space-travel, or for the existential horror over the scale of the universe.
 * Homeworld: Otrigle

The Drendoth provided many troops to the War, and while eager were not particularly effective. What truly distinguished the Drendoth in the conflict was their capacity for ship building. Though not technologically advanced on their own, the Drendoth were able to build functional and robust ships quickly and efficiently, better than even their technological superiors. This “second calling” defined where the Drendoth culture would move after it had sickened itself of war; they remade themselves as a people of builders and engineers. Elements of their warrior past still remain, and more Drendoth join the DSB military than any other Ragorasti species.

Another feature of the Drendoth is their fondness for drink. In the past, the government had alcoholic beverages plentiful for the populace to drink their problems away. Military tactics were also largely composed of drinking their troops into a violent frenzy and pointing them the right direction. Since democratisation, the Drendoth have shifted their priorities on alcohol away from mindless drinking to a more refined industry dedicated to good taste than dulling the no-longer-present pains of life. Their beverages have become one of the Ragorast Cluster’s most famous exports, which the Drendoth are most proud of. Khamon= The Khamon are a species known for their immense technological prowess, and for applying their technology to their living forms. Most of the species have accepted some sort of mechanical enhancement, half of them are straight-up cyborgs, and a few have completely uploaded their minds into machines. During the War, their use of technology was the linchpin of the Sts-Kehat-worshipper’s war effort, compensating for their disadvantage in manpower.
 * Homeworld: Gyron

Most, but not all, of the Khamon have a bizarre distaste for nature and open spaces. It’s not fully understood if this is a cultural trait or an acquired biological imperative, but the bulk of their population prefers dense and heavily packed cities. Agriculture was a nightmare for them until they managed to automate it. Their fondness for cyborgisation is an effort to divorce themselves from even needing the biosphere to support them. Their homeplanet suffered from their disregard, until a strong movement (unrelated but composed of much the same membership as the anti-war movement) convinced the bulk of the populous to take better care of their homeworld’s biosphere. The Khamon abandoned their homeworld and made it into a nature preserve, and settled on the next most liveable planet in their system.

The Khamon continue to distinguish themselves through their technological marvels. Despite how recently they became a spacefaring power, the Khamon have already transformed their new homeworld into a (‘’vastly’’ underpopulated) ecumenopolis, and have constructed several dyson swarms that generator the majority of the Cluster’s power needs. Shoile= The Shoile are a courageous and nature loving species. They are adapted for climbing, and a majorty of their settlements incorporate great vertical heights and precarious bridges. They prefer simple and natural lives, often giving an impression of being a pre-industrial people, but the evidence of their technological abilities is obvious to anyone that looks closely enough. They have the smallest territory of all the Ragorasti peoples.
 * Homeworld: Kazaddel

During the War, the Shoile were on the side of the Sts-Kehat-worshippers, and made up the bulk of their soldiers. They took advantage of their species’ natural physical endurance, being a great struggle to permanently killed with mere guns. They were also masters of guerilla warfare, and the use of booby traps such as landmines. Post-war, the Shoile dedicate themselves to finding and dismantling the many traps left over by their soldiers. Slikiti= The Slikiti are a species of survivors. Their homeworld underwent runaway overheating after an asteroid collision and the Slikiti were able to endure, and this trait has defined the species in the eyes of most outsiders. They are noted for their use of genetic engineering and cybernetics to enhance themselves as they adapt to new worlds and new situations.
 * Homeworld: Soleniso

Slikiti soldiers were noted as the most effective on the Atlantica-worshippers side during the war. Their control of the cluster was also the second most expansive, though over the course of the war their territory declined significantly as their numbers were too spread out. The core worlds held under intense bombardment until the war ended. From their worlds they produced much of their faction’s raw material, and shared many designs of warship. They were also notorious for taking prisoners of war for blood sacrifice. This practise died off after the anti-war revolt. The Slikiti are still major producers of raw material for the cluster’s economy, and many of the most famous designers and engineers come from their ranks. Tuaidu= The Tuaidu are a eusocial blattodean species. They were initially heavily isolationist, only interacting with the other species when pressured to, and not allowing outsiders onto their planets. They’ve become much more open ever since the war, considering isolationism to be the province of an outdated warlike government. They’re still noted to very rarely instigate social interaction, and remain an introverted culture.
 * Homeworld: Shsroll

The Tuaidu territory is the second smallest in the cluster, and tends to be very densely populated. Their society has made great bounds in robotics technology, automating most facets of life. During the war, in addition to contributing live troops they also supplied robotic drone soldiers. They were the most technologically advanced species on the side of the Atlantica-worshippers, but not the most advanced overall. They were also master strategists and leaders. The Tuaidu continue to work on robotics and have helped their fellow Ragorasti to automate their societies and alleviate the need for live labour.

The most staggering aspect of the Tuaidu, in the eyes of most outsiders, is how being eusocial does not make them that different from any other culture. They have as much a sense of individuality as non-eusocial species; they just have a centralised method of reproduction. Sex has much less presence in their culture as a result; relegated to a few castes dedicated to it. Ucrurite= The Ucrurites are a near-human species, suggesting a similar ancestry to the Quadrantia Humanoids. Although worshippers of the Atlantica, their religion and culture took a decidedly occultic turn compared to the rest of the Ragorasti. Ucrurites traditionally adorn their architecture with bones and paintings of their gods that seem to resemble the ’s spawn more than the Atlantica. Cannibalism is also a facet of Ucrurite culture, and is treated as an unremarkable day to day fact.
 * Homeworld: Ucrury

During and prior to the War, the Ucrurites were notorious for their strict adherence to eugenics and the desecration of enemy dead. After the revolt and peace treaty, this facet of their culture was willingly stamped out. Cannibalism and skeletal decoration remains part of their lives, however. The DSB and other SSA observers investigated this; they found that there was no murder involved, and that all the cannibalism effectively operated on a consensual post-mortem basis, like donating organs after death but for food purposes. Though disturbed, since nobody was getting hurt the DSB concluded that the Ucrurites were within their rights to continue. Although eugenics is gone, the Ucrurites still use genetic engineering on occasion, to fix genetic diseases.

Ucrury is the closest of the six homeworlds to the wormhole, and its proximity makes the planet quite a hub for ships moving between the galaxies via that route. This makes the Ucrurites the “face” of the Ragorast Cluster to outsiders, and creates a false perception that Ucrury is the capital. The Ucrurites are appreciative of the sentiment but not boastful. The other races are mildly jealous, but since the Ucrurites hold no actual political power over them it causes no issues.

Trivia

 * The DSB has been mentioned to have colonies in Quadrant 82 for several years, but they were only fleshed out as of late 2018.