Fiction:Cognatus Empire

"May the gods forgive us for straying from the one, true path."

- Hierarch Ther'Crolunee

The Cognatus Empire is a theocratic alliance ruled by the aggressive and fervently religious and populated by a great deal of less powerful species such as the Vevilog. The Cognatus are infamous to instigating the massive, which to this day ranks among the most devastating wars in universal history.

In the aftermath of the war, the Cognatus lost a great deal of military might when at least 65% of their population was consumed by the mysterious Purity virus. Those who survived remained with the, which attempted to reconcile with their former enemies, even becoming a member of the in the process.

However, during the, many Cogsangui reverted back to their old ways and created the Cognatus Empire, which continued to destroy in the name of their gods. It is the goal of these zealots to begin a Second Intergalactic War, thus raining glorious destruction upon their enemies.

Formation
After the supposed assassination of by the  Bounty Hunter, Garnossk, the three Cogsangui hierarchs, Ther'Crolunee, Rha'Chonchiyo and The'namanee outlined their visions for the future of the Cognatus people. However, the time they lived in was one of crisis, the hateful Nequam had left the Cognatus fold, and the was breathing down their neck due to their former membership in the traitorous.

Nevertheless, the new Theocracy was accepted by the Cognatus people, who desired an end to the hardship that their alliance with the had caused, now solely seeking methods in which to communicate with the gods themselves, and ultimately join them in transcendence. However, secretly in the celebrations that followed the formation of the Theocracy, a lone named, an acolyte of  managed to kill and assume the form of the Hierarch The'Namanee, bringing the Theocracy under the Empire's watch.

Invasion of Borealis
In an attempt to escape the, the Cognatus began to expand into other galaxies, such as the , where they founded the colony of Glorious Pinnacle. Their arrival was soon noted by the galaxy's inhabitants, such as the, who decided to peacefully convert the outsiders. However, when they landed and began preaching about Spode, the Cogsangui governor, Thel'Helmanee took offence, pledging to cleanse the Zealot Commando from existence, as an affront to the gods.

After a short, but brutal war, the fleetmaster Vos'Adama managed to completely overwhelm the Eaglartin capital of Fanaticus, killing it's leader and indoctrinating the Eaglartin to obey their customs and religion. In the midst of the chaos of the, few other empires even noticed this. However, the crusade soon managed to gain attention as the war went on. Ultimately, when the allies of Borealis began to prepare for their final assault against the ancient, they sought the aid of the Zealot Commando only to be surprised by the presence of the Cognatus. Through the promise of expansion, the Cognatus agreed to aid the allies against this ancient threat.

Licent
Meanwhile in Cyrannus, the hierarchy of the Cognatus decided to send back to Cyrannus in order to search for a sacred artifact that was said to be at the heart of the. Vos quickly assembled a fleet and made his way to the Neraida Core. On the way, the Cognatus came across the, and decided to ally with them against their mutual enemies. The resulting battle lasted three days and abruptly ended when the ancient AI known as the Licent awoke and translocated aboard 'Adama's vessel. The Licent quickly took over the Cognatus flagship and demanded to be taken back to Cognatus space. Vos 'Adama, viewing the Licent as a living god agreed to it's reasons.
 * Year Two

Eventually, the Licent ousted Moranonúngur and gained control over the entire Cognatus Empire.

Months later, the Licent ordered 'Adama to find a lost Oikoumene God who was exiled long ago. After several long weeks of endless searching, 'Adama's fleet eventually discovered an unknown planet deep in the Unknown Regions, which was home to the Pact, a powerful alliance of two species, the Draiocht and the Hadran-Ari. The Pact launched a desperate attack against the Cognatus invasion force, but failed to cause any substantial damage. After the brief battle, the Cognatus accepted the Pact's unconditional surrender, with the Draiocht and the Hadran-Ari becoming the newest members of the Theocracy, with the Draiocht being placed in administrative roles and the Hadran-Ari in militant roles.
 * Year Three

Society and Culture
The Cognatus Empire demands that it's citizens hold a strict and unwavering belief in the Gods, failure to comply with these beliefs often incur the wrath of the hierarchy, who have no qualms in executing heretics, though re-education problems are much more common. Turning it's back on the more liberal policies of the, the Theocracy in many ways serves as a true successor to the Cognatus Alliance, albeit slightly less xenophobic.

However, there is a clear hierarchy in the Cognatus, with the holding themselves higher than the other races, who have varying degrees of power. Nevertheless, the Cogsangui still greatly respect their subordinates.

Species
Ata'maan=

"The grace of the Thirteen shall protect us."


 * Name - Ata'maan
 * Homeworld - Monataci
 * Affiliation - Cognatus Empire

A member of the Cognatus Theocracy, the Ata'maan have long been worshippers of the Atlantica and the Oikoumene and have joined their likeminded brotherhood in the hope of feeling closer to the gods. They form the diplomatic section of the Cognatus and work to ensure an alliance with a suitable empire lasts.

Native to the Unknown Regions of Cyrannus, the joining of the Ata'maan with the Cognatus Remnant marked its first major expansion since the Cognatus' disappearance at the end of the.

Under the newly militaristic Theocracy, the Ata'maan often use subterfuge to better the Cognatus hegemony.

Bugahoulger=

"We hunger for more knowledge about the Thirteen Divines."

The Bugaholger are a race of three-headed creatures who have a fascination with the legends of Atlantica and the. This fascination would lead them into becoming members of the Cognatus Remnant. Despite their intimidating appearence, they are actually quite friendly and welcoming.
 * Name - Bugahoulger
 * Homeworld - Houlga

Bugaholger are very intelligent, this intelligence being tripled for their three heads. They compose the technical section of the Remnant, where they study new technologies to be used by them and their allies.

Cogsangui= "We must wade through the blood of our enemies to reach salvation"


 * Name -
 * Homeworld - Cognalorilos

The Cogsangui are a saurian race that served as the military and religious leaders of the Cognatus, the and now, the

They are known to be deeply committed to the Gods of the Cognatus and have never delved from this worship. The Cogsangui are very intelligent and their adeptness in combat has lead to the extinction (or indoctrination) of thousands of species.

The Cogsangui see themselves as the greatest lifeforms in the galaxy and generally look upon other races as being inferior in terms of intellect and strength. They have a military centric culture and place great credence in their religion, worshipping the ancient structures left behind by their gods, the.

Draiocht=

"We serve our new empire with loyalty."


 * Name - Draiocht
 * Homeworld - Róssa

The Draiocht are a race of humanoids native to the planet Róssa who were once the leaders of a dual-species civilisation known only as the "Pact", which held over 100 colonies in the Unknown Regions of the Cyrannus Galaxy. During the third year of the Dark Times, he Draiocht homeworld of Róssa was attacked by the Cognatus, who sought the location of a god claimed to exist by the Licent.

Along with their warriors, the Hadran-Ari, the Draiocht surrendered to the overwhelming Cognatus fleet, eventually becoming its newest members. Upon their entry into the Cognatus, they were given leadership roles due to their history of precise organisation.

Eaglartin=

"It's only going downhill for us..."


 * Name - Eaglartin
 * Homeworld - Fanaticus

The Eaglartin are a race of large fish-like creatures natives of the who once controlled an empire known as Zealot Commando. They were aggressive and employed a very violent worship of Spode, exterminating species who were deemed as heretics. During the Second Borealis War, however, the Eaglartin were conquered by the Cognatus, being forced to discard their old culture and worship the Oikoumene in enchange of survival.

Scavenger=

"Khhhraack..."


 * Name - Scavenger
 * Homeworld - None

Scavengers are still, like their Vevilog rivals very low ranked and mistreated.They are naturally without emotion and have sworn their already large space forces to the Cognatus army. They originally opposed Cognatus rule, however they were tamed by the more powerful Cogsangui armada, which destroyed their homeworld and their culture. The result of this was a broken species, without remorse or mercy.

Vevilog=

"Join the Cognatus they said. Live in happiness they said."


 * Name - Defiler
 * Homeworld - Vevil

The Vevilog, more commonly known as simply Defiler were the smallest and lowest of the Cognatus races, before their kind being split between the brainwashed fodder of the Catharsis and those who remained in Cyrannus, under the protection of the.

While generally not a threat in combat due to their weakness, during the, the Cogsangui often sent hordes of them charging relentlessly toward an enemy, commonly on a suicide mission. Despite their fear of the other Cognatus races, they were often seen fleeing from a fight.

As members of the Cognatus Remnant and the Cognatus Empire, the living standards of the Vevilog are much higher, with the Cogsangui showing them more respect than their peers did during the Intergalactic War.



Individuals
Rha'Chonchiyo=


 * Name - Rha'Chonchiyo
 * Age - 76
 * Species -

The youngest of the three hierarchs and arguably the most influential. Like many of his kind, the, Rha'Chonchiyo is honourable, and yet he is more than willing to stoop to low levels such as assassination if the situation demands it. Nevertheless, he is the most passionate of the triumvirate, and the one who suggested the formation of the Theocracy, eventually seeing it's creation through to the end.

The'namanee=


 * Name - The'namanee
 * Age - 92, deceased
 * Species -

The'namanee was one of the leaders of the newborn theocracy and was considered the most militant, something frowned upon by his peers. Nevertheless, he remained popular among the Cogsangui, who remained ignorant of his part in the planning of the assassination of. However, soon after the creation of the Theocracy, the Apocalyptan acolyte known as ambushed and killed Namanee, taking his form, bringing the Empire into Cognatus affairs.

Ther'Crolunee=


 * Name - Ther'Crolunee
 * Age - 120
 * Species -

The oldest and wisest hierarch among the triumvirate. Ther'Crolunee was one of the few original hierarchs to survive the end of the, when the Cognatus Alliance was swallowed into. Since that time, Crolunee served as an advisor to, but eventually grew annoyed with Voro's more liberal stance on the , and when the time came to assassinate him, Crolunee agreed.



Astrography
Despite being hampered by internal struggles and border conflicts with the, the Cognatus have managed to conquer much of their old territory, now numbering eight sectors in the Unknown Regions, about five thousand light years from the nearest Imperial outpost. However, their location also often brings them into conflict with empires such as the and the. However, with the separation of the Nequam from the Cognatus, the Theocracy is planning it's first major territorial grab, the forceful annexation of Nequam space.

Starships
CCS-class Battlecruiser=


 * Name - CCS-class Battlecruiser
 * Length - 2.5 kilometres long
 * Weaponry - Unknown Cognatus weaponry and shields

The CCS Class Battlecruiser is the most common vessel present in the Cognatus Navy. At two kilometers long, the CCS is a large ship and is often considered to be an equal to the, however, this has yet to be tested in combat. It is highly effective at what it does best, glassing planets, ship to ship combat and destroying simply all it sees.

During the, it was instrumental in destroying many , and  colonies, simply due to its highly advanced shields and ferocious weaponry. Nowadays however, they are seen as beacons of hope for the citizens that the Cognatus have saved during the.

CAC-class Assault Carrier=

The Cognatus Assault Carrier is the most common flagship used by the Cognatus, measuring over fifteen kilometres in length, making it a threat even to Imperial ships. During the, only five of these massive vessels were destroyed, though several more were damaged.
 * Name - CAC-class Assault Carrier
 * Length - 15 kilometres long
 * Weaponry - Unknown Cognatus weaponry and shields

Allies
"May the gods shine on you, friend."


 *  - We will slay the machines along side you.

Neutral
- "Hmph."


 *  - Joining you was a mistake. One we shall not make again!
 *  - Bah!

Enemies
"Face the wrath of the gods!"


 *  - Your power is nothing compared to the ancients.
 *  - Their very existence is blasphemy!
 *  - Heretical currs!

Quotes
"Hahahahaha...."

"Oh dear..."

"Bah! My brothers have chosen dishonour over honour. Shame on them!"

"You are pawns, no matter what name you choose for your nation!"

"Your insolence will not be tolerated."

Trivia

 * The Theocracy is the third Cognatus faction to exist, after the original Cognatus Alliance, followed by the.