Go to gitea

Factions/Dragons.md

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+---
+title: Dragons
+description: Serpentine demigods of the material plane
+---
+Dragons inspire awe and fear in all spheres in the cosmos. They are known across the planes. They seem to be ubiquitous in every corner of existence.
+
+Dragon-kin call themselves The Children of Oshumare (pronounced oh-shoo-MAH-ray). Their history and mythology state that Oshumare is a higher and more ancient being than Bahamut and Tiamat, and that all dragon-kind are descended from a clutch of Oshumare's eggs. Their songs tell of Oshumare being born from the song, becoming the world, and giving birth to all living creatures within.
+
+Dragons claim that they are the first creatures to exist in the material plane. No evidence has been found to contradict this assertion. Indeed, dragons can be found in the records of every civilization, including the Arcane.
+
+Dragons are also effectively immortal. A wyrmling, left on its own with adequate sustenance, will not die of natural causes. Instead, it will grow in size and magical power until it becomes a demigod. Most often, however, a dragon will become so bored with existence that it will fall asleep and never bother to wake up
+
+Dragonkind is not a monoculture. Some dragons remain aloof from the affairs of lesser beings, and some are actively involved in the affairs of others. Dragons establish cults dedicated to their individual worship, but even greatwyrms pay reverence Oshumare. The most ancient of the greatwyrms, especially those that live in space, maintain a loose alliance. The inner workings of this group are kept closely guarded, with only the most trusted high priests and devotees being granted knowledge of their discussions. 
+
+When the Disconcordance occurred, dragons made an alliance with the high elves who came from the Feywild the cosmos to defeat a great evil. As a reward for their assistance, the dragons granted the elves the use of spelljamming ships and showed them a few hyperlane routes through the phlogiston. The elves promised to be good stewards of the spaceways by eliminating slavery within their protectorate and by hunting and destroying aberrations.
+
+Dragons do not readily reveal knowledge about the cosmos. Even when discussing prosaic matters, dragons will often speak in poetry or riddles. They claim that such unclear language is a better approximation of their own speech, and thereby conveys a greater truth, but that lesser beings are unable to fathom their message. Many think that they are just being coy.
+
+Dragons do not like it when explorers or travelers trespass in their territory. Whether it be a horde under a mountain, a quasar, or a reserved hyperlane route. Most significantly, dragons have never allowed anyone--including the Emerald Armada--to enter the region surrounding the core of the Greater Sphere. No quarter is given to those who do not turn away at the first warning.
+
+Draconic speech is the oldest language in the galaxy and probably the most difficult to learn. Although accurate pronunciation can only be achieved by dragons, dragonborn, and other reptilian and saurian peoples, any creature can speak it. Draconic is a tonal language where the grammar follows musical rules. You cannot merely speak draconic, you must sing it. Additionally, draconic is a highly metaphorical language, where the exact metaphors being used vary by region and culture. 
+
+Speaking in direct terms, to dragons, is considered rude. Directness signals a rudimentary grasp of the language, but no appreciation of their culture, and is similar to how a young wyrmling speaks. 
+
+But dragons do not use metaphor to avoid uncomfortable topics. They consider metaphor to be a richer form of communication. A dragon will tell you an inscrutable riddle that it claims reveals a deeper truth than a mortal could comprehend, and the dragon may be right about it.

Factions/Dumathoins Prospectors.md

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+title: Dumathoin's Prospectors
+description: The miners and refiners of the stars
+---
+Dumathoin's Prospectors are a conglomeration Dwarvish explorers and miners who prospect, harvest, and refine rare mineral resources from planets and asteroids. Dumathoin's prospectors were formed less than one thousand years after the Disconcordance. They worship the Dwarven god of mining Dumathoin, and view the extraction of mineral resources of the galaxy as a religious imperative.
+
+![[DumathoinsProspectorsIcon.png]]
+
+Dwarven warriors who joined the elves and dragons against Vecna became an adjunct fighting force in the Armada. However, they could not resist the call of the beautiful stones and metals that they saw among the spheres. The leader of the battalion, Milagros Mineshadow, agreed to provide the Armada with refined metals and rare crystals in exchange for a small fleet of ships. The Armada agreed, and thus the Prospectors were born.
+
+The Prospectors today operate from a huge terrestrial world they have completely filled with caverns and tunnels. From their headquarters, they send giant colony ships sculpted to look like the busts of revered ancestors. They are called Face Stations. Dumathoin's Prospectors land their Face Stations on promising worlds and go forth to extract treasures from their target planet.
+
+The Prospectors control a region of spheres near Vaardspace, opposite the Neogi Hegemony. They operate both inside and outside the borders of Vaardspace borders. They are the primary supplier of mineral and metal products to most of the explored galaxy.

Factions/Emerald Armada.md

@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+title: Emerald Armada
+description: The defenders of the spaceways
+---
+The Emerald Armada was founded by elves approximately 26,000 years ago. Elves are not native to the material plane. They are from the Feywild, like gnomes and fairies. Elves first entered the material realm at least one hundred thousand years before the Disconcordance. However, the distinct group of elves who eventually founded the Emerald Armada migrated to the material plane only two generations before the Disconcordance.
+
+They sought a home, not in the forests, not in gardens, nor on mountaintops, but in the spheres. They wanted to live among the stars and become stewards to others who explore the cosmos. Love for the clear emptiness of space, the beauty and power of the stars, and the graceful motion of the spheres filled them with vibrancy and sustenance. These elves befriended (and endeared themselves to) cosmic dragons, and they delighted in exploring the spheres together. 
+
+The dragons who ushered the elves into the cosmos became aware of Vecna's threat shortly prior to the Disconcordance. Dragons warned the elves that a great evil sought to fracture and consume the very cosmos they so adored, but the elves were so entranced by the beauty of the cosmos that they did not realize how dangerous Vecna was until he had begun the Disconcordance. Once they realized he planned to break, pervert, and eradicate the very universe they so loved, they became utterly devoted to his defeat. They pledged to dragon-kind that they would end Vecna's destructive machinations and preserve the fabric of reality.
+
+After Vecna's defeat, the dragons rewarded the elves with a collection of refurbished spelljamming ships left by a long-faded intersphereal civilization known as the Arcane. The elves began to explore other spheres and learn about the peoples who lived there.
+
+As they explored, the elves learned of an organization formed by their far-removed kin who sought the preservation of nature, who called themselves the Emerald Enclave. The elves' hearts opened to members of the Enclave, as they saw the beauty of nature in the structure of the spheres. Thus, the elves invited the defenders of nature into the cosmos and in turn adopted their moniker. The Emerald Armada was born.
+
+The great wyrms of the galaxy approved of this fusion and aided the Armada in finding new routes through the phlogiston to other spheres. In return, the elves pledged to unite a federation of planets, end slavery within their borders, and exterminate aberrations.

Factions/Illithid.md

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+---
+title: Illithid
+description: The infection that consumes the mind
+---
+Illithid. Mind Flayers. Brain worms. Intellect devourers. Parasitic consciousness made form in flesh. The illithid are  well known throughout the galaxy. If there is one thing any two wildspacers can agree on, it's that illithid are horrifying, terrifying, and dangerous. Many truces have been formed to exterminate an illithid hive.
+
+Illithid have been recorded in history since the time of the Arcane. It is unknown whether the illithid were present in the galaxy prior to the time of the Arcane, but the Arcane had the earliest records of the illithid. 
+
+Their forms vary, but the behavior they follow is unmistakable. Insert a parasite into the brain of a sentient (or fairly large brained) feature, metamorphose that creature into a Mind Flayer, accumulate a critical mass of parasitized brain matter, and form an Elder Brain.
+
+Illithid are hated by dragons. Any creature capable of eliciting more than a cool, detached response from a dragon must be worthy of notice. Cosmic dragons who are well familiar with them view them as unholy and perverse, and will eliminate them by the most extreme measures.
+
+The illithid control a large region of side of the galaxy opposite from Vaardspace, but, individual mind flayers and small colonies are found throughout the Greater Sphere. Very little is known about this region. All stellar civilizations avoid the colony's systems. Merchants would rather take their chances with Neoji than Illithid.
+
+Illithid are capable of individuality. Some are even charming. Most will betray you and try to eat your brain.
+
+The illithid are unlike any other aberrations in that they do not have a singular morphology. Illithid take on the characteristics of their host. But they all evolve in a similar direction--towards an Elder Brain. It seems as though each individual illithid and each Elder Brain are all directed towards a singular evolutionary goal. What that may be, we only fear to guess.

Factions/Itch.VD.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Itch.VD is not an empire, corporation, or religion. It is an entertainment network created by a beholder named Grubnegrab. Watching adventures on Itch.VD is a popular pass time throughout the Greater Sphere. 
+
+Decades ago, Grubnegrab visited a tavern named The Laughing Beholder on The Rock of Bral. Grub quickly befriended Large Luigi, the owner and also beholder, and left behind a gazer-like aberration with a single large eye that clings to the wall of the bar with an arm like a stalk. When patrons looked into the eye, they would see in their minds scenes from adventures from somewhere else in the Greater Sphere.
+
+Since that time, Itch.VD has spread through all regions of the galaxy. Eyestalks like the one in The Laughing Beholder are found in many pubs and homes. Adventurers and regular folk alike will try to get their own gazer companion to follow them and broadcast their adventures and lives.
+
+Some patrons go so far as to agree to host a parasitic aberration that will attach to their heads and give them perpetual access to the host of adventure streams available. And some adventurers allow themselves to host a different parasite that observes and transmits their escapades throughout the spheres.
+
+Grubnegrab is not interested in empires or treasure. They are only interested in entertainment. While their reach is far, they do not seek conquest and do not actively interfere in politics or trade. They might, however, make you famous.

Factions/Neoji Hegemony.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+title: Neoji Hegemony
+description: The dominating swarm
+---
+The Neoji Hegemony is a hive-mind species of vicious aberrations who abduct any vessels they perceive as weak and subject them to mind-control. Their fleet controls a large area of spheres adjacent to Vaardspace. They are committing the majority of their ships, troops, and resources to the invasion and subjugation of Vaardspace.
+
+Neoji have been documented in historical records since the time of the Arcane. The entire species is a single hive-mind controlled by a locus of several individuals called Imperial Grand Masters. Neoji society is extremely hierarchical and stratified with many layers. Neoji have no concept of their own individuality outside of their position in the hive.
+
+Individual Neoji instinctively use their psychic power to control other beings. If you can convince a Neoji you are willful or that you are a credible threat them, they may forego attempting to control you and be willing to trade. Some beings favor trading with the Neoji for the rare materials and weapons they stockpile. But the Neoji are also known for trading in prisoners. Neoji have no moral qualms against enslaving others, whether by psychic means, as prisoners, through financial obligations, or via psychochemical manipulation.

Factions/Nephil.md

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+Nephil is a stellar empire ruled by giants. It was founded during the later period of he Juna empire. At its peak, the Nephilim ruled nearly a quarter of the Greater Sagittarian Sphere. The Nephilim sought to annex systems near the core of the Greater Sphere in the Temple of the Choir in a clear declaration of war and conquest. The Nephilim were decimated by the Children of Oshumare, although not completely wiped out. The Nephilim governors, duchy, and warlords were eaten and their territories left ot their own devices, for better or worse. Dragonkind pressed back their borders into a small region of the galaxy, the same region as the early borders of their empire, where they remain today.
+
+The Nephilim are giants and giant kin who form the ruling class of their society. All other creatures are considered a lower caste and are ruled by regional governors, who are giants. These governors report up ranks of beurocracu to he emperor Nephil, a great and ancient giant.
+
+Since the war, the Nephilim and the Children of Oshumare have mostly ignored each other. Some individual dragons and giants carry out personal vendettas, but neither side wants further war.
+
+The Nephilim now are focused on maintaining strict control of their borders. Immigration is encouraged, but few are allowed to leave. The Nephilim forge amazing weapons using ore they obtain from Dumathoins Prospectors. These weapons are highly coveted and very powerful.
+

Factions/Regulators.md

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+title: Regulators
+description: The merc crew colder than heat-death
+---
+> We’re Regulators.
+> We regulate any problem our clients need us to. We’re damn good too. But you can’t be any geek off the street, gotta be handy with the steel, if you know what I mean. Earn your keep.
+
+The Regulators are a mercenary group founded in approximately 26,303 by Nathan Canis and Warren Gith.
+
+They are brutal, efficient, and professional. No incidental casualties. Never taken a contract from Mind Flayers or Neogi. No kids.
+
+The Regulators prefer to operate outside of Vaardspace and Nephil. The Emerald Armada does not consider The Regulators criminals or enemies, but they enforce hyperlanes trespassing, and under the pretense of preventing enslavement and trafficking, generally interfere in the business of known Regulators. When they do need to work inside Vaard borders, they ensure that their operations are either ignored by the Armada, or they get out before they’re noticed.
+
+If you have a problem, if you have the money, and if you can find them…maybe you can hire The Regulators.

Factions/Star Cogs.md

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+---
+title: Star Cogs
+description: The religion of arcane engineering
+---
+The Star Cogs are a group of inventors and artificers who worship Gond. The Star Cogs were founded by gnomes who found their way into the material realm later than the elves who formed the Emerald Armada, but also before the Disconcordance. Star Cogs are the most prodigious, ambitious, and advanced inventors in the galaxy.
+
+![[StarCog.png]]
+
+The early origins of the Star Cogs are shrouded by mystery, no historical accounts of them exist outside of their own. According to their mythos, the first Star Cogs were gnomes who lived in the feywild and worshiped the god of artificery, Gond. As a reward for their devotion, Gond opened their way to the material plane and showed them the secrets of of using technology to channel magic. They were thus "born among the stars." When the Armada made contact with them, they were living in a network of space stations among a debris nebula around a bright yellow star. The Cogs were thrilled to meet the elves of the Armada, and immediately began a mutually beneficial relationship.
+
+The Star Cogs were fascinated by the spelljamming technology used by the Armada. They j huh and reverse-engineered a spelljammer helm and a phlogistonal phasic engine that allowed ships to enter hyperspace.
+
+They immediately grasped the principle of the devices. In fact, they had been experimenting with similar, smaller machines that used various form of magic to channel energy into, or out of, the Phlogiston. Usually with explosive results. They have since invented spelljammer variants including the KiJammer and MindJammer.
+
+The Star Cogs enthusiastically welcome the construct refugees of the Emerald-Neogi war. Many Warforged have found a home among the Star Cogs, who are delighted to learn of sentient constructs.
+
+Star Cogs have several outposts in and around Vaardspace. Star Cogs can be found throughout the galaxy, although not in large communities.
+## Belters
+A common fashion trend and hobby among the gnomes who were the first Star Cogs was collecting, wearing, and trading ornate belts. Members of this subculture called themselves Belters.
+
+The culture of Belters continues to the modern day. Many members of the Star Cogs, despite their ancestry, are Belters. They gather for regular conventions of varying size to trade belts and celebrate their craft., The schedul1qing of these events, like most Cog schedules, is a complex algorithm.
+### The OPA
+A more radical subset of Belters are those who push their belts to the extreme. These Belters are known as the Ornate Pelvis Alliance, or OPA.

Factions/Yapa Clan Shipping.md

@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+title: Yapa Clan Shipping
+description: The premiere shipping, coordination, and operational corporation
+---
+Yapa Clan Shipping and Logistics was founded by Mani Yapa in the year 26,326 FD, about 20 years ago. At it's inception, the company was known as Yapa Clan Shipping. Consisting of only a dozen freight ships donated by Mani's family, a fabulously wealthy loxodon dynasty, Yapa Clan Shipping was a scrappy newcomer on the scene. Although Mani's connections helped the company land it's early contracts, Yapa Clan Shipping established itself as the most reliable shipping service within Emerald Armada borders.
+
+Five years after its founding, Yapa Clan  Shipping received a major boon that fueled the company's  growth into the mammoth it is today. Mani Yapa, an adventurer in his own right, aided the Emerald Armada in dismantling a drug slavery ring near Remote Station Tango, and in slaying an evil wizard. As a reward for his assistance, Yapa Clan Shipping became the only private transportation and delivery service that has free use of Emerald Armada hyperlane routes.
+
+These routes are faster than routes typically used for intersphereal travel and have the benefit of being regularly patrolled by Armada pickets. With the ability to deliver goods faster than the competition, and with practically zero risk of piracy, Mani grew the business into the premiere company for moving people and goods throughout Vaardspace and regions surrounding.
+
+Although he eschews the limelight, Mani still remains very active in the direction and operations of the company from his family home on Akamara. His employees say they enjoy working for him and that he is generous in both compensation and beneficence. He is known to visit shipping and transportation hubs to personally meet and recognize employees. He is so personable with his drivers that a common joke is that Mani actually runs the business from a roadside diner and not the Yapa Clan palace.