Dorian Empire

The Dorian Empire:

OOC Statement: The Dorian Empire is a space faring empire with economic, scinetific and territorial expansion at its forefront. The natural resources of Sanctum having peaked their collective interest they now flock to make a presence on the poor planet. Outside of the main planets setting, they have set up multiple hubs of trade and commerce. Both technologically advanced and mystically adept, the Dorian Empire now seeks to recruit newcomers to both Sanctum and their own lands. If being part of a larger collective, for the betterment and protection of all sounds like your cup of tea please read on. If you have any questions please feel free to ask them of Arcerion (on The Keep and Sanctum) or -Dorian Empire- on the forums. I'm always happy to help.

Overview: The Dorian Empire consists of the Heralds Spear section of space, ruled by a single family The Shuinsai with multiple branch families that are either barely related or adopted into the family paradigm to secure loyalty. The Dorian Empire is a fledgling in comparison to other empires of the same size, however their progressive ideals and rapid evolution and focus upon the betterment of the population make them easily relatable. This hides a dark underbelly, as law breakers are dealt with in extremes instead of moderation. As a fledgling empire though, they understand that every person, saint and sinner alike has their place.

Political Structure: Dorian political structure can be divided into three separate but linked hierarchies which all play a part in the bigger Imperial machine as a whole. The Monarchy, The Meritocracy, and the Democracy. Being a member of the ruling families will give people the silver spoon of rule from birth, however if they do not contribute to the whole, they may well lose their right to rule and any benefits that gave them. As well not listening to the will of their people can easily be seen as a sin in the eye's of the elder's as keeping the population happy is among a noble's first responsibility. Even a low class farmer may rise above their own station should their ideas prove fruitful for the people around them, even going so far as to allow people of high worth to be adopted into the noble families. Democratic leaders elected by their people who prove their worth by having heavy influence over small nation-states have even risen to stations of high value, including some adopted right into the core family. It is a place where ALL can achieve almost anything if they're willing to put the good of the empire and its people above all else.

Cultural Beliefs: Since Dorian controls a large amount of land, it is to be expected to have many different cultures. The Noble Families have done much to make sure that these cultures coexist in relative peace. These can be classified into three major categories, with smaller subsets. The Path of the Highlord, The Path of Logic, The Path of Blood and Honor.

Path of the Highlord: The path of the Highlords, is a path most nobles and indeed most Dorians of the empire walk. It is a set of beliefs ingrained deeply into them as a culture. While older Orthodox Highlords Men, regard this as the twelve righteous roads to exemplifying a God known as Eaa. The reformation which took place a few hundred years ago, now exemplifies their tennants as the twelve kingly virtues. The last true high ranking practitioner of the Orthodoxy, has not been heard from in decades. The once crown prince Thargor. The Twelve Kingly Virtues are as follows.
Greed: A king must be able to take what should be his, and have enough money to keep the empire running in times of economic downturn.
Loneliness: A King shall forever be alone, for only then can they possibly appreciate the company their people offer him. In loneliness a king may act for the good of his people.
Sadness: A king must embrace sadness, for he must grieve for every soldier lost, and every one of his people harmed by the actions of others. Only then can he truly act in the best interest of his people, knowing full well the sadness he may have to embrace.
Hatred: A king must know nothing but malicious purpose for those who would stand against his rule. Only then may the king lead his people in righteous fury against his enemies.
Jealousy: A king must embrace his jealousy fully. Taking from other empires what he desires more. Be it land, people, technology. A king must have the capability to recognize when someone has something which is better than his own. To strive for something to make others jealous.
Fear: A king must know fear, paranoia is never unwarranted in the plots and tricks of nobles. Keeping an eye both in front and behind him. Knowing fear, means that the king may also move past it, and display courage for his people even in the face of his own fear.
Silence: A king must know silence, so that he does not blurt out his own mind, or lay for all to see his plans. A king knows when to hold his tounge when dealing with diplomats, even if they offend him to goad him into a needless war.
Shadow: A king must be able to act in secret, from the shadows. Plans laid within plans to keep his homestead safe, and to attack his enemies where they are most vulnerable. This also applies to being able to peer into the shadows, to see the plans others make and ruin them.
Void: A king must accept that he inherently has nothing, He is the will of the people made manifest. He is their voice, their fist, their mind. He is nothing without them, and everything because of them.
Harmony: A king must know harmony within himself, and with his people. A king who cannot make his people happy, is a king destined to die in a shallow grave.
Judgement: A king must have the ability to pass judgement upon crimes. Proper laws in place to weed out those who would depose him, as well as keeping his people safe.
Balance: A king must understand that he is still only a man. Thus they must know balance between their kingly duties and their personal life. A king who absorbs himself in his vices is no king at all, while a king who absorbs himself in his duties, may quickly lose touch with his people.

The Path of Blood and Honor: The Path of Blood is currently mostly used by Starbodies, or Humans. Due to its squad mentality, a high standing in the Dorian Military, it is not unheard of for a Dorian to follow this path. However it is rare for an Exercion to follow this path, and unheard of for a Bale. The path of Blood is a throwback to the old Starbody code of ethics. At its basis, it is a meritocracy, one who does well and fights well is given more status than those who do not, even going so far as to place nobles who follow it, in squads as the lowest rank to give them opportunity to prove themselves. Though nobles who do prove themselves are given a bit more leniency (Though usually only if they are not of Starbody Blood). A general has obviously proven themselves in combat if they follow this path, and thus any others who follow the general, know well their exploits and follow them, so long as what they ask isn't stupid. It is looked upon favorably for a member of this path to think for themselves. If they believe their path is better than a generals, they are free to challenge him to a duel. If they win, they were obviously right. Though sometimes this leads to disasters on the military front, as the chain of command is broken, it more often than not will come at a crucial time, where a very tactical mind will rise, and give the empire a come from behind victory in combat. The current leaders of the Path of Blood and Honor are the Starbody King and Queen, with only the Emperor and Empress above them.

The Path of Logic: As the name suggests the Path of Logic exalts all rational thought above any other esoteric lore. Everything is quantifiable, and no mysteries exist that science cannot explain. Many scientists and Noble houses with unique purviews are followers of the Path of Logic. There are many forms in which this path exists, some simply asking that followers try to lead their lives in the most logical way. While the more extreme sects expouse that emotion is a sin against existence and that the more chaos is inserted into the world the more the very fabric of reality degrades.

Scientific Advancement: The Dorian Empire is a space faring empire with many solar systems under their control. Having access to two separate sources of power. The first is Spore Tech. By Harvesting a psionically potent and naturally occurring spore, they are able to power most of their fleets using psionic energy alone. This is easily the most common form of technology, as reactors are common and able to power things from defensive shielding around planets to simple things like lights and batteries for mobile devices. Spores batteries and reactors when not constructed safely however become a major biological hazard. Warriors who utilize spore technology are able to program Macros into their gear which give them access to near magical feats. The second major scientific advancement is the construction of Lord's Holds, which harness elemental energy from dimensional rifts that are strangely common in the Dorian Run territories. While Hold Mages are much more rare in comparison to Spore Tech users, they are not so rare as to be treated with distrust by the populace. Hold Mages are used for a variety of purposes, from advanced commanders on the battle field, to simple heads of farms depending on the nature of their Hold. Most major settlements contain a Lord's Hold, both for access to a secondary power source, but also for quick movement of troops.

Laws: With so many different cultures united under a single banner, it makes sense that Laws are as diverse as their people. Some planets and even settlements have varying laws among one another. However the Emperor has decreed a set of laws that are not to be broken by any planet.

Aricle One: Traitorous and Seditious activity has a zero tolerance policy. If a Dorian Citizen is found conspiring to leave the empire, or willfully harboring rebelious factions they face Capital imprisonment.

Article Two: Guest Rights. If someone comes to Dorian controlled land, who is not a known enemy, they are given the option to be treated as guests. This protects them to the full extent of the law so long as they do not break any laws. If they are unsure of the law, they are fully within their rights to ask, and may be given one warning if they are caught breaking the local laws.

Article Three: Servitude. The act of using the criminal population as indentured servants is a common practice among the Dorian people. However indentured servants are still given basic sentient rights. The person they serve is expected to provide them with food, shelter, clothing and the basic neccesities to complete their assigned job. When the indentured time is completed, the servant may choose to leave. If they do not the master is expected to provide them with a wage which will allow them to live comfortably while still completeing their tasks. A Master who takes advantage of his servant will soon find themselves facing the law. Indentured Servitude can take a wide variety of forms, from physical labor, plying the growing pleasure trade, or even military service in specific branches. However the servant is given the right to choose which field they go into.

Article Four: Fair Trial. All Dorian Citizens and even accepted guests who break a law are given a fair trial, except for Article One. Punishment can range from banishment, to indentured servitude. Crimes such as murder and thievery are commonly punished with Capital Imprisonment, as well as crimes that infringe upon basic sentient rights.

Article Five: Family. All Dorian citizens are expected to respect their family. In fact the education system instills a healthy respect for the family unit. As Dorian uses a large amount of noble houses, and solidifies relations through pre-arranged marriages this keeps most noble houses in check.

What is Capital Imprisonment? Capital Imprisonment would place the offending party on a prison planet. When their time is up, the offender will be executed. There are few ways to get out of capital imprisonment. Only a member of the Vileur-Shuinsai Family may pardon someone whose sentence is Capital Imprisonment.

Military: The Dorian Military is divided into twelve seperate branches which focus upon either a single task, or multiple tasks. The twelve names of these squads are derived from the twelve high lords tennents. While some are more specific than others, like Judgement who specialize in out of Dorian space infiltration and information gathering, they are used to keep trade ports not officially part of Dorian under protection of the Empire. Shadow specialized in information gathering and infiltration, a kind of black ops. Some of the other branches are not as specialized, having multiple divisions devoted to interstellar and ground combat.

Most companies are given multiple commanders, though there are always three ranks neccesary to complete a company. The Sword, The Priest, and the Shield. The sword is in charge of all commanding the company with information they have. Rarely do they take the field, but when they do they are typically armies all of their own. The Priest is usually a high ranking Spore-Tech user or even a Hold Mage. The priest is in charge of matters of morality and keeping the spirits of the troops high. The shield is the defensive coordinator as well as long range specialist typically. Each of these three commanders are neccesary to keep the military machine moving. Other ranks and honors are more formality to keep soldiers in line and keep the chain of command working.

Examples of Dorian Titles and their meaning/Current holders of titles:
Emperor: The male Leader of Dorian. Currently Arcerion Vileur-Shuinsai
Empress: The Female Leader of Dorain. Currently Kanatal Vileur-Shuinsai
Prince: A Male Heir of the ruling family (Though this can be used to denote a lesser noble houses male heir.) Currently Rykavet Shuinsai (Deceased), Kazumo Shunsai (Missing) Lucian Vileur-Shuinsai, Aven Shuinsai (Son of Cainston brother of the emperor. Missing) Daisetsu Shuinsai (Son of Sigurd brother of the emperor, unknown alleigance.)
Princess: The Female Heir of the ruling family (Though thsi can be used to denote a lesser noble houses female heir.) Currently Ailshyia Shuinsai (Banished, Traitor. Kill on Sight) Emarra Vileur-Shuinsai. Jophiel Shuinsai (Daughter of Thargor, brother of the Emperor) Juryoku Shuinsai (Daughter of Kitsuko, Mother of the Emperor.)
First Sword: The highest rank in the military, capable of commanding all companies at once. Sergei Deker (Former First Sword) Currently no replacement has been announced.
High Priest: The leader of all magical development, and judge of moral matters. (Haludren Shuinsai)
High Lord: The leader of one of the twelve Dorian military branches. Aleksander Sanders, (Hatred) Arderili Obertus, (Fear, Formerly Elsydion) Jacob Writhe, (Shadow, Formerly Thargor Shuinsai) Clarion Shuinsai (Jealousy)
Fist: A general which falls under the command of a High Lord.
Sword: The martial commander of a company.
Priest: The spiritual and mystical commander of a company. Keldon Garadon (86th Judgement Company)
Shield: The defender of troops and coordinator of a company. Annaleska Deker (86th Judgement Company)

Races: Dorian is comprised of many races, with many different cultures and customs. The current playable races in Dorian include but are in now way limited to the following.

Humans/Utopians: Humans were once the most populous species in all of Dorian space, founding the now defunct United Planets Federation, they once controlled the majority of the galaxy. Now the UPF is in shambles and on the fringe of the galaxy attempting to retake lost planets. However they are fighting a losing war. MOst Utopians who wished to survive threw their lot in with the Dorian Empire. Keldon Garadon is a Utopian as is Aleksander Sanders, Jacob Writhe, and Arderili Obertus. James Arvis and Jackson Reed the leaders of the Rebelion are also Utopians, though questions of Reed's genetic purity are in question due to his unique skill set.

Starbodies: Starbodies are actually divided into two races based off their gender, Rykreans are males while Zeldrians are females. They resemble avian humanoids with two legs, arms and wings from their back. No ears and angular features which help with flight. They once held the second largest empire at the time of the UPF, and are a war-like people. When the Dorian empire began its rapid expansion, the Starbodies were the first to strike and subsequently fall. Finding something that was unquestionably more powerful than they were, they threw in their lot with the Dorian empire and now lend their millitary expertise to furthering the Emperors goals. Starbodies still retain their racial pride, despite being subjugated. While they still govern most of their planets the tension between Rykrean and Zeldrian has only increased as time passes. The current Baron and Baroness of the Starbodies still retain seperate armies from one another, and are known to skirmish with each other in times of peace. Sergei Deker was once a Rykrean, his Daughter Analeska Deker is a Zeldrian.

Viceling: Leathery skinned humanoids, with small horns protruding from their heads. Their resistance to poison is legendary, however they have little structure as a people, only looking out for themselves. They are legendary mercenaries, among the people and their love of vices is only matched by their survival instincts. It is considered bad luck for a house of pleasure be it bar or brothel not to serve a single viceling in a night.

Zephyran: Lost descendants of the legendary race of Heralds. Their skill in reality manipulation is second to none. Zephyrans posses an affinity for air magics, to the point that as they age they are able to become more and more incoporeal. Upon deatha zephyran simply becomes one with the air. A religious life style is something that is drilled into their minds at an early age. Zephyrans honor the stars and local planetary bodies as gods. Their belief is that every star and planet ever made once began as a humble Zephyran.

Bale: The secular people of Borokai Kingdom. A large sector of the Heralds Spear was carved out by the Bales in ages past. A typically matriarchal society of long lived beings. They subsist on the blood and flesh of weaker races. Incapable of most emotions they are typically seen as cold and logical. Typical bale traits include six digits upon each hand and foot, as well as corrosive blood. The Empress Kanatal is Bale, and her children typically share many traits.

Dorian: The Dorian people were once a small race, which inhabited only a single planet in the entirety of the Heralds Spear. Like the other two ruling races of the Dorian empire, they are extremely long lived. Genetically they are shapeshifters, with a rigid caste system. They are divided into the twelve ruling clans, with subclans within those. Each clan is tailored to embody a single tennent of the High Lords Path. It is said Thargor Shuinsai was once a Dorian.

Exercion: Exercions are a rarity among the Dorian empire, with their total number ranging only in the low hundreds. Little is known about their origin or physiology, with only a few being public figures. Many are considered to be part of the emperor's secret police, and are experts at hiding their true origin. The Emperor and his direct children are known to be Exercions, as is the former First Sword Sergei.

For Extended information on any of the races please contact a member of the Dorian Empire. We're always happy to help new players. If you plan on bringing a species into the empire as a large group please okay it with a moderator first.

Spindle Spore Technology

Overview: This document will cover the basics of spindle spore technology as well as some of its combative uses both offensively and defensively. It will also give a basic overview of the importance of spores in Dorian society as well as some of the problems this causes in their society.

What are Spindle Spores? Spindle spores are microscopic spores which as a single entity give off a negligible psionic field. However the larger a spore colony becomes the more powerful the psionic field becomes. Spores entire purpose is to find a biological host and propagate themselves. Sentient life infected by the spores gain the ability to become naturally psionic, however the breeding ground for the spores is always the brain of the host, which is eaten away, destroying all that person once was. Once the brain becomes overburdened with newborn spores the older spores begin to infest the rest of the host. This changes the body and warps it in obscene ways that make them walking spore delivery systems. The spores only desire is to procreate even at the cost of their host.

Is there a cure? Simple answer, No. There are medicines which can make the breeding dormant, there are strategies to halt an infection depending on where initial contact was made(Usually involving the severing of the limb and cauterizing said wound quickly). Once someone is infected though they are infected for life. Once infected and on medication the subject will now have low powered latent psionic powers. However missing a single dose of the medicine which inhibits the spores could be fatal. It is rumored that one of the Rebel factions in Dorian has in fact found a way to cure the spores, but these rumors are for now only hearsay.

How do you destroy spores? With fire, a lot of fire. Spores are notoriously resilient, their latent psionic field and survival instincts naturally will try to prevent their own destruction. Thus the amount of fire needed to burn spores, is completely dependant on the size of the spore colony. A relatively small amount of spores can be stopped with a blowtorch, while something the size of Martyr (an entire planet infested with spores) would require planetary incineration, the power and heat of which would be the equivalent to applying a star to the planet to roast them alive.

How are they used? Spores are stored in two states, inert and active. Inert spores are effectively dead, but still give off a weak psionic field. This energy is then converted into various forms. Inert spore batteries are used in all manner of quality of life devices, from flashlights, to civilian vehicles. Active spores however are used in two major categories. The power plants and high powered energy generators for starships. Smaller packs are also stored in weapons systems and defensive systems. Most cities and planets are fueled by an array of Spore power plants. Almost all starships are fueled by smaller versions of these. Spores psionic field exists and can be manipulated using a complex set of software. Essentially by programming the spores psionic field, a user may manipulate reality within the spore field to their liking. This is completely dependant on the user's skill with the programming language and other potential implants. Most soldiers are equipped with a static set of Spore Macros, which execute code upon the psionic field, thus causing an effect. More intelligent people have in fact modified their own body with internal computers, giving them lightning fast programming skills. This allows for them to create custom macros on the fly. So long as they make no mistakes, many things are possible when manipulating a spore field. Inert spores are also used as a biological stimulant which can cause temporary mutations in the body of the user. These are typically injected or smoked depending on the culture. The cost is a withdraw of immense proportions and the eventual deterioration of most motor and cognitive functions when not under the spores effects.

Safety concerns: Obviously with the nature of spores, the mishandling of them has and will continue to cause problems in population centers. A single active battery leaking a few spores near a single person could cause a whole city or even continent to become infected in a relatively short amount of time. This is why inert spore batteries are so much more common than active spore batteries. The safety measures in active spore packs include incendiary devices, and on a larger scales, contained singularity generators. This last one is especially common among starships and power plants, or heavy mobile artillery.

Military Applications: Many military applications include the firing of elementally attuned shots, or the creation of shielding which can help protect the user. More advanced weaponry can make beams of hard-light and plasma to cut through metal and flesh. They can also be used to create stationary points with the target. Essentially causing a tether. This is not limited simply to projectile weaponry but also can be applied to melee weaponry. Energy blades strong enough to slice through starship hulls, and blades which appear to guide themselves to their enemy. By augmenting the armor they can also be used to enhance the strength of the wielder. A soldier who once had trouble walking due to being paralyzed, may now use the augmented armor to run and leap as if he were in peak physical condition.

Conclusion: Spore Tech while technically a biological hazard to the whole of existence, is a critical part of the Dorian technological structure. Without it the whole of Dorian may collapse under the sudden need for new technologies. Thus why they have sought Sanctum, to find a way to remove this curse from their people as a whole.

Lord's Holds

Where do they come from? A Lord's Hold is constructed around the tears in reality. This is caused by the Chariot Engine ripping small tears in the fabric of reality to help fuel its necessary functions. These tears lead to different realms, from simple elemental realms to the realms of high thought which are created by large amounts of faith. The artificial construct that is the Lord's Hold typically resembles some form of house, which gains a form of sentiency. Self-Building as is necessary a new Hold may resemble a small shack, while the older or more powerful holds can resemble a mansions.

What are they? Simply put a Lord's Hold is a way to contain and harness the power of these rifts. Simultaneously keeping the rift open but also containing the power within itself. Lord's Holds put out low level psionic suggestion encouraging those nearby to create settlements around them for protection, as well as to siphon off some of the excess power from their rifts. People who are knowledgeable may in fact attune themselves to these Holds giving them access to whatever aspect is contained within the rift.

Where are they? Holds sometimes appear randomly, as the need for more fuel by the Chariot Engine is made manifest. However some rifts are made intentionally in places of strategic value. The act of forming a rift requires someone to have intimate knowledge of the workings of the Chariot Engine. Currently many holds exist some obvious and others not so much. It is public knowledge that two of the largest holds in Dorian space are Borokai (Death Aspected) and SydoKai (Darkness Aspected).

What gifts does Attunement gift a Hold Mage? Becoming a Hold Mage is completely reliant on the willingness of the hold in question to cooperate. After all they are semi-sentient and have agenda's all their own. Assuming one can become a Hold Mage they gain a few passive benefits. Longer life span, hardened physical constitution, and the ability to travel long distances between holds. Along with this, Hold Mages bring a piece of their hold with them. Able to mentally open a door that co-locates the Hold to the Mage's position. When opening the holds door, a mage may trickle out power of their aspected realm in ways that they choose. More power requires the door to be opened more, and a wide open door may risk the mage's life as they are effectively becoming conduits for power much too large for the mortal frame to handle.

What Lord's Holds Exist? Currently there are many Lord's Holds that are known, but many more remain undiscovered or unknown through Dorian Space. Few have even manifested outside of the borders, including Sydoite the Hold of Shadow which can be found in on Sanctum in the blossoming town of Korel. Major Elemental realms all have similarly aspected Holds which govern them. There are even Holds which aspect to less physical aspects such as Forgiveness, Healing, Trickery, Destruction and even Strength. Some Lords Holds may even make a sort of offspring, such as Phelltose (Ice) Which is the Minor Lord of Zeddrowe(Water)

How many Holds can a single Mage attune to? There is no limit save for the limit which a Mage pplaces upon their mental and physical fortitude. However opposing Holds may cause problems with the Mages internal workings if they are not prepared for it. Generally speaking a form of balance must be achieved between Hold Mages if they wish to harness opposing elements. A simple example would be fire and water. A Hold mage who wishes to harness both hold’s should temper with a secondary element before taking that third in opposition element. A good example would be to aspect to Sakul (Fire) Followed by Feng Rex (Air) or Kaobu (Earth) followed by Zeddrowe (Water)