Leauge of Varstec Tribal Fleets
Galatic Intellegence Agency
Office of Esoterica and Xenotech
Cyrptic Division
Study Group: Leauge of Varstec Tribal Fleets
NOTE BY Agent KRAKEN: READ? --------------------------->
Someone or something is out there watching us. At the start of the Second Concourse war I received this encrypted document in a secure datamite whose sender could only be identified by the only text in the entire datamite, "from DOGFRIEND". As of yet no one any clue who this DOGFRIEND might be but whoever or whatever they are they have access to an in-depth understanding of the UPD as to posse a potential security risk. Questioning of other powers native to aoshtai turned up no leads. It is possible we are dealing with a domestic actor in all this.
Seriously though, what the fuck is this!?
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“A dead man once said that hidden beneath our facade of civilization and nicety is a Dominatus - that the angry rage of unrestrained ambition, the uncontrollable desire to dominate, the addiction to the feeling of being feared is solely what drives a species. Perhaps some of us thought this was true, though our fears subsided when we thought of the Persan. Beneath those calm, understanding eyes lay the all-consuming fire that had driven the Dominatus, and in their hands lay the capacity to visit unfathomable agony and terror upon those they judged worthy of their interest. But they had civilized such urges, binding this unfettered, destructive chaos into restorative order. This was not the order of megalomaniac hegemony, but of shepherding, nurturing, and growing - seeking to cooperate with the rest of the Gigaquadrant to advance all life itself to enlightenment. However, it is an unwise species that confuses this kindness for weakness, for as much as they deny it, the Persan merely seek an excuse to shed the veil of civility and order to make their opponents wish for a fate as sweet as death”
- - 'Unknown'
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SPECIES
Vanara are the primary species of the Varstec civilization. They are a serpentine race with a long think tail and an upper trunk with four limbs. The first pair of limbs (the forelimbs) are two arms with sickle claws on the ends of opposable thumbs, the hindlimbs, on the other hand, are two bat-like wings that can be used to fly but also can be braced on the ground when the Vanara rears up. Their heads are dominated by long jaws with conical teeth that are ornamented with four eyes, long cat-like ears, colorful frills, and whisker-like tendrils. They are covered in protofeathers that can come in a variety of colors, being green, gold, red, and blue.
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ACCEL SPACE
Accel Space is an essence domain that was created after the manifestation of Spirits and has since been utilized by the Varstec for a number of tasks. The primary use is the creation of the MetaNet, a telepathic data storage and sharing network that all Varstec are connected to. Varstec use the MetaNet to store and recall information, communicate with one another at FTL speeds, play games, and other various online tasks. Far more interesting though is that Accel Space acts as a storage space for the Varstec's own form of unique AI known as Spirits and Varstec's ability to draw psionic power from it.
Spirits are AIs created from the souls of dead Varstec who are transferred into the MetaNet upon death. Spirits can manifest in the physical universe through fractal biomechanical computer cores. Spirits tend to stick with the fleets that they were part of in life acting as the central AIs for ships, stations, mechs, and even guns, often commanding various lesser AIs.
Access to Accel Space has given all Varstec the ability to drawn upon essence power through the MetaNet They can draw upon the powers of Liminal Energy to bind flesh and machine to the point that one cannot truly be distinguished from the other. They use this to create the biomechanical ships, vehicles, structures, and devices, as well as the ability to merge the flesh of others with cybernetic implants and augments to the point that where the cybernetics begins and flesh ends cannot be distinguished. This also blurs the line between mind and body allowing the Varstec to neurally interface with their technology, allowing then to control it without the need for physical interface.
SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT
Varslan is a nomadic tribal federation and liberal democracy that is in fact one giant fleet divided up into the Dark and Exodus Fleets. The Dark Fleet is the military arm of the Varstec while the Exodus Fleet is the civilian arm. This fleet is broken up into several divisions/flotillas commanded by a House. These houses are broken up into clans that each command a squadron and these clans are broken up into families that command a ship. While all of the Varstec Houses are highly independent, all owe allegiance to the capital sector of Exodus in taxes, levies, and adherence to certain laws. Exodus for its part prefers to exercise largely soft power via shared social, political, and religious values without exercising military hegemony, acting instead as the dominant pilgrimage and commercial center in Varslan.
The governing body of Exodus a bicameral legislature divided up into the Hall of Guardians and the House of Seers, and headed twin elected executives called the Warden and the Oracle. These two executives fulfill different roles with the Warden managing external matter of state such as diplomacy and war acting as the executive of the Dark Fleet, while the Oracle handles internal matters of state acting as the executive of the Exodus Fleet. The Hall of Seers is the lower house composed of the elected representatives of the Houses, while the Hall of Guardians is the upper house composed of a multiparty political advisory board.
The economic model followed by the Varstec is one that follows would be best referred to as a mixed economy having elemental of both planned and market economies. The Varslan economy is effectively a market economy but with strong government oversight and intervention, and all public utilities and services being provided for by the local government. Production within Varslan has been significantly altered with the invention of technologies such as nanoforges and printers which allows single individuals or sizable collectives to make many high-quality goods as long as they have the raw materials. Thus the Varstec economy is largely built around cottage industries and craftsmen over massive assembly lines. Assembly line forms of manufacturing do exist for larger and more complex undertakings such as building ships, entirely automated and composed of thousands of nanoforges, printers, swarms, and drones working to assemble the final product. Much of the mining, manufacturing, and assembly is controlled via automated systems, often with minimal organic oversight.
CULTURE AND RELIGION
The defining ideals of Varstec are universally rather liberal and existential with easy access to recreational drugs and casual sex being seen as fairly normal (though most see it as a way to find someone they want to have a monogamous relationship with), as well as a strong tradition of promotion of free speech. This highly liberal attitude is tempered though, by a fundamental ideology of balance, morality to the Varstec is finding the path to living a balanced life in an ever-changing ephemeral world in which all men will eventually die. Morality in Varstec belief is fundamentally connected to balance with the Varstec seeing evil, not as an opposite or absence of good, but rather the result of a good falling out of balance with its opposing good. Duality and cyclicality feature heavily in Varstec philosophy which sees life and death as intrinsically connected and reliant upon one another to exist and perpetuate. Core to all of these beliefs is the Varstec trinity of man, machine, and nature, all of which need to exist in balance and harmony in order to create a moral and righteous society.
Drakenism is the state religion of Varslan specifically the branch of Asism which worships Asa Miki as its central goddess. Beyond Asa Miki the Varstec hold machines to have spiritual powers and worship the AI Spirits. AI worship was not always the dominant religion of the Vastec who their long-dead Persacron progenitors and various nature spirits. The rise of AI worship and the old beliefs have been syncretized with the Vastec having come to believe that the Prersacron have become reincarnated as the greatest of Spirits through their advent. While all Vastec worship Asa Miki as their primary goddess many of the Vastec houses have a reincarnated Persacron as their own patron deity and actively worship their deceased ancestors who to have been reincarnated as Spirits.
This strong focus on liberty and spirituality also comes with a strong focus on highly military lifestyle. Before building a nation based on mutual bonds of trade and religion the Varstec were marauders and pirates that often pillaged and raid their neighbors and each other for resources. And before they had even settled into the territory that would become known as Varslan they made their living as mercenaries. This militarism has carried over with all Vastec being taught to fight and expected to give battle should their tribe, clan, or family ever fall under attack. Many Varstec still maintain a life of mercenary work and piracy but often times working either in null-sec space or through more legitimate channels as professional PMCs and privateers.
MILITARY
The Vastlan military is primarily fleet based and holds a total fleet power of around fifty-seven capital ships. Vastlan divides its soldiery up into three major services. First is the Regular Service of professionally trained soldiers, second is the Auxillary Service composed of levies drawn from the fleets in wartime, and third is the Shorn Service composed of psions piloting massive biomechanical mechs. These services are usually grouped into expeditionary forces usually composed of a 50/30/20 blend of auxiliary, regular, and shorn servicemen respectively.
Vastec military gear, vehicles, and ships are generally distinguished by being fusions of machines and flesh with noticeable asymmetry and various spikes and blade edges about its form. Their weapons are usually kinetic in nature but are well known for their impressive accuracy. Some Vastec carry hardlight blades known for their fiery red color and jagged blades. Their vehicles and ships are generally designed to be fast and maneuverable if not always the most well-armored.
The Vastlan military is well known for its capacity for power projection facilitating an offensive doctrine of maneuver warfare. However, it has little capacity to hold or defend territory facilitating a fabian defensive strategy and the use of vassalization and enforced hegemony as the means to any future expansion. However, Vastlan has little desire for further expansion and most employees its considerable military might as a proactive means of security and peacekeeping.
FACTBOOK
Currently being compiled.
