User:Triogenix/Sandbox 3

Starting in 2015, the lore team started the living lore project with a goal of making the lore feel alive and dynamic. The status quo of species were changed or reinforced through many story arcs presented through news articles. These storylines played out over many days and several had a direct impact on player characters. However, due to continous development, several of these arcs are no longer relevant in the current day. These articles will be kept in collapsible boxes, and are only here for those who may wish to read them or otherwise use them. Relevant articles are kept outside of these boxes.

A brief summary of the storyline for the Unathi is here.

Unathi Enter The Bluespace Age (2457)

Technically spacefaring, the Hegemony never had time to build a fleet before the Contact War caused Izweski attention to collapse inwards. But in June of 2457, all of that changed.

On June 2nd the S’kresti Izweski announced amnesty for all Unathi raiders in the galaxy if they came to Moghes and swore fealty. Several ships accepted the call, and overnight the Unathi had a small, rag-tag fleet that began to grow in size.

One of the first vessels to answer the call, the HMV Cataclysm became a namesame for the later class of super-dreadnaught.

On June 3rd the frigate NMV Daedalus was attacked and destroyed by an Izweski vessel, which rammed it and boarded it to seize the ship and crew before scuttling the ship. In retaliation NanoTrasen completely shut down their infrastructure in Uueoa-Esa space. Within hours Uueoa-Esa had lost the majority of satellites, shuttleports on the surface shut down as the human staff left, and the bluespace gate for the system itself was shut off.

On June 4th the Sol Alliance the Prime Minister Michael Douglas held a speech condemning NanoTrasen's response to the Unathi crisis. Immediately after the speech there was a vote of no-confidence, ousting the Prime Minister, his cabinet, paralyzing SolGov and making it hard to respond to the seizure of a NanoTrasen telecommunications satellite in orbit of Moghes.

On June 23rd Hegemon S’kresti Izweski used a seized NanoTrasen t-comm satellite to broadcast his agenda of expansion for the Hegemony, as well as demanding the return of the Ouerean colony back to Unathi officials. Ouera was jointly administered by the Jargon Federation and Sol Alliance at the time, who originally ignored the demands. Jargon even warped four extra frigates in orbit of Ouerea to ensure the safety of its citizens on and around the planet.

On July 5th Unathi launched a surprise attack on a Skrell flotilla in orbit of Ouerea. With the element of suprise a Unathi ship managed to ram a Skrell cruiser before they returned fire. After a brief skirmish the Skrell retreated while the Unathi lost 12 ships and captured a Skrellian vessel. The Skrell assembled for crisis talks, but a response was slow to form due to a Dionae leading the response.

On July 7th newly elected Alliance Prime Minister Chater announced he was ceding Ouerea to the Izweski, deeming the planet not worth the loss of lives in an actual conflict. This lead the Hegemon to name Tarkart Yiztek as Overlord (King) of the planet.

On July 12th Jargon ceded the planet in exchange for all Skrell prisoners being returned, also not wanting to lose valuable lives and resources to defend Ouerea. The Jargon Federation also cut all ties with the Unathi, taking on a dismissive and cold stance to the Hegemony that would not be repaired until the eventual ascension of Not'Zar Izweski.

Hephaestus Industries was quick to swoop in and fill in the void left by a withdrawn NanoTrasen. On the 19th of July they announced a partnership with the Hegemony, and laid the groundwork for a tightly woven relationship between the Hegemony and the mega-corporation.

The Cataclysm (2458)

The construction and sabotage of the first Dreadnaught, the HMV cataclysm.

On February 13th, the galaxy's first Super-Dreadnaught was launched by the Hegemony thanks to a partnership by Hephaestus Industries. Hephaestus had helped kickstart the orbital industry around Moghes needed for the project. It was a warship of then-unrivalled size, and used the Hegemony's unorthodox naval strategy of close quarters naval combat and shock tactics, bristling with heavy weapons and a reinforced frontal ram. Lord-Admiral Trazarial Yizarus, an older establishment nobleman, was granted the vessel as his flagship for a new future fleet.

That same day, the launch of the HMV Cataclysm was mired by an act of sabotage of the ship's second Supermatter core. The attack killed just over a hundred Unathi and the ship was critically damaged before its maiden launch. The Chief Engineer of the superdreadnaught, Yiazar Tsaera, was murdered in his office by a human infiltrator that had been on the vessel as a janitor. The infiltrator then used the Chief Engineer's ID to conduct his sabotage.

On Febuary 14th the culprit was captured and interrogated, he revealed that he was an agent of the human Coalition of Colonies. This sparked a punitive expedition into the smaller Coalition systems. Later in that February, the Hegemony's assembled privateer navy attacked the small Coalition star system of Youngstown. The old ways of Unathi warfare were unleashed on the small frontier colony, with its Governor Davidson being given a trial by Lord-Admiral Yizarus and then being beheaded after it was proven he was financing the attack on the Cataclysm. A replacement was appointed from the locals. The punitive expedition attacks a handful of other lightly defended star systems.

On Febuary 18th, scattered Amnesty fleets attacked the Republic of Elyra after alleged antagonization by the star nation. By March 3rd the border skirmishes had nearly escalated to a full scale war, drawing out the scope of the Hegemony's punitive expedition. But by March 23rd the amnesty forces withdrew after a combination of the fleets being overstretched and the Hegemon wrangling control back over them, unwilling to have the expedition spiral into a wider, formal conflict.

On Febuary 29th, the turning point of the expedition came. Raiders who had joined the Hegemony's 'amnesty navy' conducted a massacre against the small Māo Republic. The massacre occurred after a member of the Māo Self-Defense Force militia opened fire from a crowd during the forces' initial disembarking from their landing ships, killing a Hegemon marine before the militiaman was engaged and killed in melee combat. In retaliation, former raider Captain Sitraz ordered his men to kill everyone present in the biodome, while treating the other biodomes with harsh mistreatment. The death toll came to 582 dead.

By March 15th, having lost his justification for the war, the Hegemon withdrew from the expedition completely. The expedition was declared a success despite there being no real objective beyond retaliating against a vague threat of 'terrorist sponsors'. No systems were annexed and the Hegemon antagonized his human neighbors in the region for the indefinite future.

By March 19th the repairs to the HMV Cataclysm were completed, and the ship was re-launched to much fanfare. It joined the 1st Fleet, commanded by Lord-Admiral Azikyui Yizarus, and the 2nd Fleet, commanded by Lord-Admiral Yiszlin Uai, who were still operating in smaller operations throughout the Frontier. They were under the command of Ouerean Overlord Tarkart Yiztek in a much more feudal model of army command, before future reforms would centralize naval authority more directly under the Hegemon.

The Succession Crisis (2458)

Death of Heir Yakt: Rise of S'linzar

May 6th, 2458 will forever mark a turning point in the Hegemony's history. Hegemon Heir Yakt Izweski along with his wife Asalizathi and 4 other passengers were killed when a private shuttle crashed in the mountains just north of To'ha'dat. According to sources within the Moghean Shuttle Service Authority they received a distress signal from the shuttle's pilot. The pilot had declared an emergency after its engines failed at 45,000 feet from an unknown malfunction. His death decapitated the Izweski's succession plans. The prince was the epitome of Unathi ideals, being a warrior-poet who strengthed the Izweski clan through a powerful marriage alliance with the Ackza clan through his wife. His death left as heir the undesirable Prince Not'zar Izweski, 20 years old at the time and second oldest child to the Hegemon and his First Wife. The physically handicapped and unassuming Unathi was never expected to achieve anything, and most people skipped over him to focus on his younger brother Prince Z'krazki Izweski who was 16 at the time. Z'krazki was seen as the same sort of robust, strong-headed Unathi that his eldest brother and father were. It also left in a powerful position Lord S'linzar Ickza', 25 at the time. He was brother-in-law of the late Heir and Son-in-Law of the Hegemon after marrying the 19 year old Rzasul Izweski. He personally commanded the Ickza Levee forces, which fought extensively alongside Izweski forces under his late father in the Contact War. Many of their forces were tragically lost, including Slin'zar's father, in the nuclear exchange but the Ickza continued to be a dominant force in the Hegemon military as its leading officers and a sizable portion of the Moghean levies.

On May 8th, S'linzar saw his chance after the sudden loss of the Hegemon. During the funeral of his lost son, Hegemon S'kresti, already having experienced the trauma of living through a nuclear apocalypse that saw him lose friends, family, and almost his entire civilization, became inconsolable upon seeing his son buried. Following the burial the Hegemon cut off all contact and resigned himself to his quarters in the Izweski Citadel, not leaving his bed. His doctors soon found the grief and major depressive episode had caused the Hegemon to fall into a coma. After losing their heir and then immediately losing their Hegemon, a power vacuum was ripped wide open in the Hegemony. Immediately power players made moves to seize the ultimate prize. Faster and savvier than the others, S'linzar Ickza unilaterally declared himself Regent and immediately gained support of powerful vassals.

By May 11th S'linzar attempted to purge his enemies and uplift his loyalists, but hit a roadblock in the form of Lord-Admiral Yizarus. After purging and sidelining large elements of the upper nobility in government, Lord-Admiral Trazarial Yizarus was also given a letter of retirement ordering him to cede authority of the 1st Fleet which is still withdrawing from operations in the Frontier. Lord-Admiral Yizarus announced that he would refuse to abide by the letter, and that he would continue to operate the fleet, which accounts for almost half of the orbital navy of the Hegemony. The Yizarus clan and its direct vassals remained the majority of officers in the young Hegemon Space Command, whereas the Ickza and their vassals dominated the politics and manpower of the army of Moghes and Ouerea. Lord-Regent Ickza responded by threatening to brand Lord-Admiral Yizarus a traitor, forcefully stripping him of his titles and lands. Complicating the matter, Lord-Admiral Azikyui Yizarus, Trazarial's brother, commanded the 2nd Fleet which had just returned to the orbit of Moghes. Azikyui did not give any statements on his position and the 2nd fleet went silent, refusing hails from both the Moghean Space Command or the 1st Fleet's hails. Lord-Admiral Yizarus demanded his brother defy the Lord-Regent while Lord-Regent Ickza has sent demands for Azikyui to detain his brother and seize control of the 1st Fleet.

Following this on May 19th, S'linzar doubled down on his attacks against Not'zar Izweski and his immediate family. Not'zar had just went to diplomatic summit in Tau Ceti to meet emissaries from the Jargon Federation, seeking recognition for his own claim from the Jargon Federation. Ickza visciously mocked and attacked the young Prince for this move, trying to discredit him by painting him as a pawn of xeno powers in words that quoted the famous 'false smiles and unknowable minds' line from King Don'zai Azarak and his Firebrand Summit of 2437. Following this maneuver, the Overlord of Ouerea declared his support for Ickza. This also caused Azikyui to break his fleets silence and declare himself for Ickza. It seemed evident to all that Not'zar's only choice was to either formally abdicate to Ickza or rally his existing forces and seize his claim by force, plunging the Hegemony into a brutal war of succession that would forever prevent them from reversing the spread of the Wasteland, and potentially ending Unathi's chance for civilization entirely.

Defeat of S'linzar: Rise of Not'Zar

On May 27th, Not'zar Izweski showed his grasp of intrigue and political acumen by taking a third choice. Having been secretly shuttled to the Cataclysm, Not'zar Izweski broadcast a speech in which he challenged S'linzar to a duel of personal combat. He antagonized Ickza's pride by declaring he'd spare his in-law upon his defeat. Publically challenging Ickza before all Unathi and having such self-confidence in his own victory manipulated Ickza into immediately accepting at risk of losing face. The key in Ickza's response was that Not'zar, who was known to be physically handicapped, could "choose whatever weapons and armor he can walk to the field with."

On June 16th, the duel of personal combat marked a stunning reversal in Ickza's trajectory. The duel was conducted that morning with Lord Regent S'linzar arriving outside the Izweski Citadel, the capital of the Hegemony and personal castle of the Izweski family, in a Mk II Class Breacher Suit taken from the Izweski personal armory. The duel was taking place in the courtyard of the Izweski Citadel with the ramparts filled with various members of the Hegemony nobility. Many were encouraged by the self-assured Slin'zar to take the victor as the legitimate and legal heir to the Hegemony. Not'zar was allowed by the terms of the duel to arrive with whatever weapons and armor he could personally carry, and it's believed that this loophole was exploited as a reason for his dramatic entry in a large skrell-made mech. The mech's use in the duel was not known until it departed from a shuttle that had landed just outside the citadel walls. The shuttle itself had embarked from the HMV Cataclysm, which had jumped in orbit above the capital city despite protests from Moghean Space Command and threats of retaliation from the nearby 2nd Fleet. The duel continued despite the surprise of Lord-Regent S'linzar but was quickly ended when Not'Zar fired a series of ion bursts that disabled S'linzar's Breacher Suit and depleted its charge. Lord-Regent S'linzar was them asked to surrender and keep his life and nominal titles, and the offer was accepted.

On July 2nd 2458, Not'zar Izweski ascended to Lord-Regent and the formal heir of the Hegemony during an official coronation ceremony in which he laid out his vision for the Hegemony's future. Not'Zar Izweski gave an extremely controversial speech to the assembly. Following this speech thirty-eight of the assembled delegations staged a walk out. The fifty-three remaining Lords and Ouerean Overlord Tarkart Yiztek reportedly had extremely mixed reactions to the speech, with several instances of fighting and heated arguments between the assembly. This fierce disagreement would be the norm for the next years of Not'zar's reign as the young prince tried to steer the Hegemony into a new future.

The Rise Of the Iron Masks (2458)

On September 24th news came out about a feudal Lord on Ouerea that had been arrested by his Watchmen, the Unathi version of police, on accusations of black magic. Originally elected as the city mayor before Ouerea was returned to the Hegemony, he had been serving as its feudal Lord since only 2457. This incident was originally thought to be a minor incident that was embarrassing for the landed nobility for twin reasons: the fact there was a revolt against a landed Lord at all, and that it made the Unathi look incredibly superstitious and backwards to the galaxy. However this soon became known as the first incident in the coming occultist panic that would see the rise of a powerful new political player in the Hegemony: High Priest Unzi.

September 20th gave another warning sign when Ouerea officially banned conducting seances without a license. But November 11th is often considered the true birth of the panic and the origin of the Iron Masks. Yizra Unzi, a Sk'akh priest with a prestigious but ceremonial title as the Izweski's formal chaplain and priest, reveale alleged evidence of unprecedented infiltration of Hegemony society by what he called "Occultist influences". The investigation sparked immense alarm across Uueoa-Esa as mass panic gripped nearly every major city. Not'zar Izweski tried to appeal for calm and to caution against superstition, but this was futile as powerful elements of the nobility, the general public, and even extended members of the Izweski clan itself had already called for a broad and unprecedented growth of the power of the Sk'akh church.

By November 14th this broad coalition allowed Unzi to unilaterally name himself the head of the Sk'akh Church. This same day he created an armed inquisition called the Maraziites, or the Iron Masks recruited from the pools of Warrior Priests or hired from the ranks of civilian Watchmen. This religious police was unilaterally granted unrestricted jurisdiction across Hegemonic space and supremacy over civilian courts. The Order was granted authority to put accused cultists before trial in the new High Court of Tranquility, which would punish Unathi with exile or even death. Despite these reforms being extremely illegal, Not'zar Izweski did not have the power base necessary to resist without his attempts blowing up in his face.

Going into the rest of November, the Maraziites ruthlessly targeted enemies of the Church. Consolidating power incredibly quickly, Unzi began targeting Unathi outside the original documents. In an ever-expanding web of "occultists" and "daemonic influences" the High Priest began to see enemies everywhere, until his eyes settled on the biggest threat of them all.

Defending From the Cult Menace and the Failed Coup

November 23rd was the climax of the Maraziites rise. It saw the Orders sudden siege of the Izweski Citadel. The Order accused Clanmother Rak'ta of the Izweski Clan of practicing black magic on the comatose Hegemon. Iron Masks attempted to breach the citadel but were repelled, and a 5-day stand-off ensued. The Lord that ruled Skalamar, Trikzara Sirax, attempted to attack the Maraziites using his forces in the city but was deterred by Not'zar Izweski who wanted to avoid the situation escalating.

On November 28th, At the end of the 5th day there was a dramatic battle that saw the Maraziites try to actively break down the walls of the Citadel but they were unsuccessful. Following the defeat, High Priest Unzi agreed to meet with Not'zar Izweski. The two of them crafted an agreement that would compromise power between the Sk'akh Church and the Izweski Clan. While this avoided bloodshed, the agreement is also seen as a formal acknowledgement of High Priest Unzi's legitimacy in his new role.

Not'zar's rule is tested(2459)

Arrival Of The Vaurca

March 9th, 2459 saw the arrival of one of the major Vaurca Hives. The object was colossal, with long range scans showing it to be almost 28 kilometers in length where the Cataclysm was just under a single kilometer in length.

March 13th revealed that after originally being incredibly alarmed and fearing conflict after an error in translation], which saw the mobilization of the Hegemony's armed forces, the Vaurca were soon revealed to be seeking refuge.

On March 17th Not'zar Izweski allowed them to settle on the small world of Tret within the Uueoa-Esa system. He named their Queen Overlord of the planet and vassalized the K'la

The Hegemonic Assembly (2459)

A assembly called by Not'zar in the city of New Skamander, it primarily decided that the Hegemony would undertake a massive terraforming effort on Moghes, in an attempt to fix the wasteland. Secondarily, it was also used by Not'zar to limit the power of clans.

On July 8th, 2459 Not'zar Izweski called an assembly to determine the future of Moghes and the Hegemony. With limited resources, the three choices were to either invest in terraforming Moghes, invest in expanded territory and resources through conquest, or abandon Moghes and relocate the Sinta people to Ouerea. The K'lax Queen was also in attendence as a delgate. In the end, despite a heavily militarist bent, the Assembly decided to invest in repairing the environment of Moghes. Heavy industries and a massive investment in terraforming equipment was made. But at the same time, Unathi who had for decades made a home in the Wasteland were now being evicted by the Izweski Hegemony and their lands seized. It was a bitter reminder to those who still remembered how the Izweski had done this all before, but this time there was no unified force to resist them.

On August 28th, four weeks later, Not'zar Izweski announced a decree that provided token protection against the practice of Clans branding someone as a Guwan. The new law required an imperial court to brand someone a Guwan, and not a Clan Leader. This antagonized traditional elements of Unathi society, with Not'zar facing intense criticism at what many Lords and Clan Leaders called an arbitrary seizure of power.

On September 26th Not'zar faced a reprieve. The Wasteland experienced its first rainfall for 20 years. The moment marked a tremendous moment of jubilation within the Hegemony as a sign that the investments in terraforming were already bearing fruit. The day was so celebrated that September 26th became known as Restoration Day.

October 21st saw strange news that foreshadowed either the arrival of the Aut'akh or the long history of occultist powers. The Hegemony Guild Of Xenoarchaeology announced a startling find: an ancient temple pre-dating Sinta'Unathi civilization. Master K'arzl, a prestigious xeno-archaeologist, conducted an expedition into the deep cave system that housed the temple. The Iron Masks, antagonized by the spiritual threat they claimed the temple possessed, had a scuffle with the Master and then sealed the caves leading to the temple.

The Return of Clan Ickza

On November 3rd The second Superdreadnought HMV Catastrophe was launched from an orbital dockyard. An elaborate ceremony in Skalamar, Lord-Regent Not'zar officially named Oyuti Gour'zai Admiral of the 2nd Fleet and Captain of the Castastrophe, taking the place of the retiring Lord-Admiral Azikyui Yizarus. Following Azikyui's public support for a pretender and rival to Not'zar Izweski, none were surprised by his being replaced. But many were shocked to see Lords passed over in favor of someone they saw as a peasant. He was the first one of the officers that graduated from Not'zar Izweski's Imperial Academy that was training officers exclusively loyal to the Izweski rather than the many feudal Lords.

On November 7th this immediately saw a retaliation from the many Lords, they announced that they would be refusing their Levy services to the Hegemon entirely. Just over half the army deployed across Moghes disappeared over a single day. The move caused incredible antagonism between Oyuti and the nobility, with Oyuti boldly echoing Yizarus' statement during the Succession Crisis that any attempt to take his fleet would have to be done via force. Bizarrely to many, rather than wade into the middle of the dispute Not'zar Izweski left on a shuttle to the K'lax planet of Tret. The reason for this soon became clear.

On November 13th Not'zar Izweski landed four miles north of the Ickza's ancestral estate with over 10,000 Vaurca warriors. Taking his new K'lax levy on the march, Ickza soldiers abandoned their posts and even villages fled rather than face these strange aliens. The Vaurca played up their strange customs, moving in complete silence and with a discipline unknown to any major galactic species, and partaking in no violence. They ended up taking up positions near the Ickza's ancestral castle.

On November 19th the bizarre stand off around the Ickza's ancestral home came to an end. The Ickza requested their own vassals answer a summons to rally an army of their own but many of the Ickza's lower vassals refused the summons. The Ickza ended up with a force of 2,500 Sinta surrounded by the tens of thousands of Vaurca. The Vaurca remained completely silent and unmoving for hours and hours on end during the stand-off as Not'zar negotiated with the Clan-Leader Czia Ickza nearby. By nightfall on the 17th the Unathi forces, wearing full combat gear and holding melee weapons or rifles, were becoming exhausted after standing in place for 13 hours. The commanders refused to let anyone move until the sun began to set on the next day. By this time the Ickza's levy-men had gone nearly 40 hours standing in place with no food or water and many collapsed in place from exhaustion. Ickza commanders then finally signaled all the formations to break up and return to their camp. It was then that the Vaurca's entire force, suddenly took two steps forward, startling the Ickza forces. The sudden short advanced the entire Ickza army routed from the field. In the end Czia Ickza agreed to return to the Izweski Citadel as a hostage while Not'zar took direct control of all the Ickza's lower vassals. With the leaders of the short rebellion defeated, the general strike dissolved and by December Not'zar now enjoyed a much greater control over the military than before.

The Arrival of Diona

On December 3rd it was discovered that a Dionae Gestalt had somehow found its way into a Wasteland community. It had given itself the name The Silent Friend Embracing The Weeping Souls In A Blanket Of Purity And Love.. Over the time it had been there it developed a relationship with the local community. Using its natural ability to absorb radiation, the Gestalt brought radiation sickness and cancer down dramatically. The shaman of the local village had declared the dionae a blessing from the Ancestors intended to protect them and had persuaded the villagers to bring it regular tribute of food and water. However Hegemonic scientists swarmed to the small town to conduct invasive studies on the Gestalt. Objecting to this, Th'akh shamans helped the dionae escape the scientists. After retaliating with arrests and an extensive manhunt the Sk'akh Church came to meet with the shamans. The two faiths found a common respect for the gestalt. In a rare moment of cooperation, the Church and the shamans both pressured the Izweski to call away the scientists and allow the dionae to live with the village in peace. This incident marked the first of the growing relationship between Unathi and the Dionae.

On January 15th this would evolve into Dionae being declared sacred.

On December 22nd news came out that Wastelanders had created a ritual where they merge dionae nymphs with their body, forming entire new limbs. Originally it was believed it was a parasitic relationship and was immediately condemned by many religious and civil authorities.

By December 28th, discussions with the Unathi in question with religious leaders had the Sk'akh Church and many shamans reconsider it a symbiotic relationship. The Sk'akh Church went so far as to condone the practice. Despite this, the public's views on the matter would continue to be dominated by revulsion.

The Year of Chaos(2460)

Rumbles on Ouerea

February 6th saw record growth for the food guilds of Moghes.

Only a month later Ouerea would explode into unrest once again. The protests originally began in New Skalamar, focused against Hephaestus Industries' treatment of Ouerean workers. The original protests grew into an organized rebellion that almost immediately overwhelmed five major cities. The original demands of this rebellion was the abolishment of feudalism on Ouerea, the banishment of Hephaestus Industries, the end of taxation to Moghes, and the return of a democratic government. Overlord Yiztek responded with a brutal crack-down that failed spectacularly in containing the violence.

On April 10th, in response to his retaliation, large portions of the Ouerean levymen abandoned the Overlord and joined the rebels. They seized government buildings across several major cities in a coordinated surprise attack. Feudal Lords were forced to flee or be captured, and in only a handful of cities were the aristocracy able to maintain control. This rebellion would continue to rage on Ouerea for some time, being a festering problem with no solution in sight.

On June 2nd, 2460 the rebel movement on Ouerea that became known as the Ouerean Confederation managed to flip all the major cities of the planet except for the capital of New Skalamar. The rebellion's violence was mostly focused on the property of the nobility. Many estates and castles were ransacked by rebel forces. Many high profile noble Clan elders were arrested by the rebel army while dozens of Sinta in general had perished. In lands that the Confederation controlled the Maraziite Order was also expelled by force. The planet was majority Th'akh and did not appreciate the presence of the Order that had burnt their sacred temples to the ground. The Confederation's main army, commanded by General Zik'San then besieged the capital.

On June 3rd Not'zar Izweski himself arrived on Ouerea. The Lord-Regent's arrival came after Overlord Yiztek expressed frustration with the handling of the crisis, at one point directly attacking Not'zar's honor by saying that it was easy for the Lord-Regent to give orders far away from the front lines. After these reports reached Moghes, Not'zar Izweski is said to have immediately left his Citadel for a shuttle to Ouerea.There he flew into the encircled city and took a direct part in directing its defense.

On June 20th Not'zar left the city to directly speak to the rebel General Zik'san. Initially being at the walls directing reinforcement of the western gate and discussing how to best distribute food supplies being shuttled in from orbit to residents of the city, Not’zar suddenly signaled his Guwan Guards and informed the assembled defenders that he would be ‘seeking a better alternative’ to the crisis. Not’zar Izweski began by asking Zik’san his terms for a peaceful end of the conflict. General Zik’san reiterated the terms sent to Overlord Yiztek. Zik'san was originally reluctant to engage in negotiation with someone he saw as unable to keep their word, having dealt with only the dishonorable Overlord. Not'zar requested a radio in response and ordered the expulsion of all Maraziites from New Skalamar. Impressed by this overture Zik'san and Not'zar were able to engage in earnest negotiations.

On June 22nd negotiations were halted when Overlord Yiztek locked the Lord-Regent outside the city during the latter's return from a negotiation. The Overlord had hoped that the rebels would seize the Lord-Regent as a prisoner and give him the justification to engage in a violent reprisal. Not'zar Izweski went back to General Zik'san, who felt honor-bound to ensure Not'zar's safe return. The general offered the Lord-Regent a shuttle to fly over the city walls and Not'zar was able to return to the city. After meeting with Yiztek for several hours in private, the Overlord apologized publicly for the accident. In addition future negotiations were to take place in the Overlord's castle inside the city.

On July 6th Yiztek had the rebel emissaries assassinated in his own castle. Overlord Yiztek is defending his action by claiming that they were spies attempting to get information. Zik'san swore retaliation and gave the city 3 days to surrender before he assaulted it.

On the 3rd day an assault came in the form of Not'zar's personal Guwan Guard storming Yiztek's castle. The castle garrison was taken by surprise and quickly overwhelmed. Several dozen of Yiztek’s Clan and followers were arrested. Refusing to become a Guwandi Yiztek was branded a Guwan and exiled, sent back to Moghes to be released into the Wasteland. The Ouerean Confederation accepted peace and soon Ouerea was reformed to become a democratic colony of the Hegemony.

On September 28th, 2460, at a formal dinner to celebrate a local Ouerean holiday and to commemorate the peace, Not'zar Izweski was nearly assassinated by surviving elements of Yiztek's family. The assault failed thanks to the efforts of Lady Hizoni Razi, a mysterious azure who was close to Not'zar at the time. In the fallout the entire Yiztek clan were branded Guwans and exiled into the Wasteland, and Lady Razi grew closer to Not'zar Izweski.

Our Brother, Dominia

A joint anti-pirate operation between the Hegemonic and Dominian Navies. All the objectives of the operation were accomplished, however after the fighting ended the alliance fell apart, causing Hegemonic and Dominian forces to begin to engage each other. Eventually, the situation was calmed, but this has been the primary driving force behind animosity between the Hegemony and the Empire.

On May 6th, 2460 an emissary from the Empire of Dominia named Keanu Markarus was abducted by pirates based in the Youthstone star system. The incident was taken as a grievous insult that dishonored both the Hegemony and Dominia. Normally having cold relations, Not'zar Izweski immediately offered a joint counter-piracy expedition that was accepted by the Empire. Both Admiral Oyuti and his HMV Castastrophe as well as Lord-Admiral Yizarus and his HMV Cataclysm were deployed with their respective fleets.

On May 8th things started smoothly with a summit onboard the HMV Catastrophe when the Domion Fleets met with Hegemonic fleets. The ceremonial meeting took place as initial fighting took place in the Youthstone system.

The day after saw the invasion take place proper. The Youthstone system was a major hub of pirate and raider activity and so boasted a robust defense. Despite their best efforts the coalition was able to break through and land forces on the pirate's planet's surface.

May 11th, 2460, the coalition fell apart very suddenly. Admiral Oyuti was hosting the victory celebrations in the feast hall of his flagship, the HMV Catastrophe. Admiral Han'san was preparing to give a victory speech. His wife, Lady Rikara, was also present and constantly by his side. Once free during Han'san's speech she broke into a run to the nearby Admiral Oyuti. She threw herself into his arms and pleaded with him to give her sanctuary. Lady Riskira claimed Han'san was a man of unusually cruel and brutal disposition who abducted her from her Clan on Ignotum Balteum due to her being an azure. She claimed that she feared for her life and requested asylum. Immediately throwing the speech into disarray, an angry Han'san demanded that Oyuti return his wife. Oytui refused and declared that Rikara would be under his protection. Han'san threatened a war to reclaim his wife but Oyuti held firm.

May 11th also saw the Battle of Youthstone between the Hegemony and Dominia. This battle saw serious stress placed on both of the Hegemony's super-dreadnaughts, with Oyuti and his Castarophe suffering serious damage until it was saved by Yizarus and the Cataclysm. In orbit the Hegemony's fleets were nearly overwhelmed but thanks to the skill of Lord-Admiral Yizarus both were able to conduct a fighting retreat. On the planet's surface the Hegemony enjoyed a victory before withdrawing, bringing the war to a draw.

The war ended on May 18th. Admiral Oyuti was summoned to Not'zar Izweski himself to explain his actions. Oyuti defended his actions during the audience, doubling down on his decision to give sanctuary to Lady Riskira. Oyuti repeatedly cited his code of honor for his actions, agitating the Lord-Regent. Not'zar declared that Oyuti would be barred from Lordship for his actions, but that he would retain his command to the fleet. Oyuti then asked if he could marry Lady Riskara. Not'zar Izweski granted the marriage. The Empire of Dominia agreed to cede claims on Youthstone, and drop their claim on Lady Riskira. This brought a small star system far from Moghes into the fold of the Izweski Hegemony.

The Iron Crusades and Religious Tensions(2460-2461)

On April 1st The Wasteland also saw great unrest. Akhanzi Order shaman Elder Vuthix Akhandi entered Bo'ha'dat and gave a public speech; a very rare sight from the reclusive Elders. In it he warned the people there of the Sk'akh Church and the Iron Masks, speaking out against their persecutions.

By the next day the Maraziites were targeting Akhanzi Order. Using helicopters and off-road vehicles Iron Masks reached many secluded mountain temples and their surrounding villages, attacking them and harassing's the villagers. This prompted uprisings from Th'akh Unathi were angered at the attacks. On April 12th there was prison-break by Akhanzi shamans out of Iron Mask custody, prompting a dark warning of retaliation by High Priest Unzi.

On April 22nd the Maraziite Order launched the Iron Crusade. A coordinated attack on the secluded Akhanzi Order temples saw their complete destruction, including the oldest standing structure on Moghes at the time: Durahi Monastery. Over the Crusade's duration the entirety of the ancient order of shamans was ended. The survivors and refugees, dispossessed, relocated to Ouerea and as far as Tau Ceti in the largest religious diaspora in the history of Moghes. The Iron Masks appeared unstoppable due to the reluctance of Lords to intervene against them, fearing High Priest Unzi. The most successful resistance came from The Prophet Si'akh. On May 4th the prophet Si'akh rescued several Elders from the Order, aiding them in escaping to Tau Ceti.

On January 6th, The Aut'akh formally announced themselves in a huge shock to Moghes. The High Church, under Unzi, and conservative Lords immediately moved to destroy the heretics that are the Aut'akh.

On January 9th, an expedition made by the Church, with volunteer levys, were soundly defeated in a decisive battle dominated by geurilla warfare by the Aut'akhs against the inexperienced Iron Masks. Not'zar Izweski exploited this to maneuver to decree that the Aut'akh may live. Many express confusion as to why Not'zar is siding with the Aut'akh instead of the Church. But Not'zar Izweski understood that if High Priest Unzi were to secure prestige and power from a second successful Iron Crusade, he would effectively dwarf the power of the Izweski dynasty. Not'zar Izweski, attempting to avoid the mistake of the Iron Crusade, is undermining the Church and showing that he still has power over it.

On July 11th Not'zar Izweski a grand convention in New Skalamar on the colony of Ouerea which was meant to establish a formal dialogue between the Unathi Religions. Delegates came from Th'akh, Aut'akh, Sk'akh, and even Si'akh.

On July 17th the Convention came into full swing. The Sk'akh and Th'akh delegates immediately addressed the first Iron Crusade that all but scoured Moghes of the Akhandi Order. Their arguments continued for so long that Not'zar intervened and asked the Th'akh to address the Aut'akh. During that exchange the Th'akh were extremely critical, but the Aut'akh persisted. In the end, Clan-Mother Mortenga conceded that souls can manifest in inorganic material ‘in certain circumstances’. This was rejected by nearly all the Sk’akh delegates as well as the lone Si’akh delegate, who insisted a soul can only reside in organic material. A turning point came when two Sk'akh delegates signaled they were interested in the Aut'akh's arguments. This caused the head of the Sk'akh delegation to interrupt the convention with loud condemnations, throwing the affair into disarray. It ended in a show-down between Not'zar and the Sk'akh delegate in which Not'zar dared High Priest Unzi himself to come and speak for the church he claimed. The convention then dissolved.

On July 27th the convention started up again. This time High Priest Unzi was in attendance. To everyone's surprise the doomsday prophet Si'akh, who had been disguised, revealed himself and entered into a fierce tirade against the High Priest. The convention concluded without any concrete peace being made, but it did plant the seeds of small scale reconciliation between individuals of the differing faith. The open and honest dialogue and theological discussion broadcast on galactic media gave many Unathi words and arguments to explore other faiths.

The Hegemon Wakes!(2461-2462)

On December 30th the Hegemony was radically altered in the course of a single day. Hegemon Sk'resti woke from his coma and immediately Lord-Regent Not'zar Izweski's authority dissolved. The Hegemon, filled with the same resolve and militarism as before, made bombastic speeches in which he openly declared his intention for a great conquest of the Hegemony's foes. This fired up the bellicose members of the nobility and many began to prepare for a new age of war and conquest.

On January 2nd of the new year 2462, the Hegemon went on a tour over several Wastelander territories. During this he vowed to persecute, run out, and even slay the Wastelanders. The Hegemon swore that all lands reclaimed by the terraforming efforts would be settled exclusively by loyal Sinta, and that in this new era there would be no room for Wastelanders.

On January 5th the Hegemon was holding court in the city of Res’karum, Moghes, to meet with Wasteland representatives to hear their cases for their own existence. During this a robed figure entered the room and presented the Hegemon with a scarred Wastelander child. The robed figure was revealed to be the Prophet of Flame Si'akh. The Prophet declared the child was the reincarnation of Yakt Izweski. Initially outraged, the Hegemon paused when attempting to strike down the child and the prophet. As the Prophet escaped in the resultant riot and chaos, the Hegemon, who never fully processed his grief, seemed to accept the child as his own.

On January 11th the Hegemon adopted the child, declaring him Yakt Izweski and his true heir. The Hegemon's open adoption of Si'akh's belief in reincarnation immediately blew up the tenuous peace between Church and State. Reprisals against Si'akh communities across Moghes took place, and High Priest Unzi condemned the Hegemon for heresy.

On January 14th a mundane article on water treatment reports that seemed to show corruption was found by sleuths to be embedded with documents exposing the Hegemon's mental state. In the documents, which consist of audio and video, the Hegemon is suffering from hallucinations, episodes of explosive violence, and irrational anger. In the logs its made clear that the Hegemon is still suffering from severe 'Post Trauma Disorder', but is both unwilling to seek help while his retainers and courtiers are too afraid to convince him to get help, believing it would be humiliating for the Hegemon.

On January 17th Z’krazki Izweski, now 20 years old as the youngest of the Hegmon's children, is named a Kataphract. During the ceremony he was continuously asked about his thoughts on his father's actions but became agitated and left.

The Burning of the Scept

On January 19th the grand temple of the Sk'akh faithful in Skalamar. Moghes, was surrounded by the City Watch by orders of the City's Lord Trikzara Sirax. The Watch initially respected the Scept, meeting with delegations from inside on the steps. They accused members of the Church of kidnapping Yakt Izweski, adopted child of the Hegemon. In defense of the Scept Maraziites began clandestinely rearming themselves and moving to the area, actions explicitly banned by the law. High Priest Unzi himself cancelled his trips and returned to the city to the seat of his power.

Violence broke out on January 21st throughout Skalamar. In a public speech the Hegemon accused Unzi of kidnapping Prince Yakt and made his intentions for violence known if Yakt was not returned. The Izweski's personal soldiers fought their way to the Scepts entrance as the priests barricaded the doors and windows. In retaliation the Iron Masks violently assaulted the Watch, attempting to reinforce their holy site. The Watch itself was divided, with many deserting to join the defense of the Scept. The brutal and confusing three-way conflict Lords across Moghes responded by summoning their own forces.

By the morning of January 22nd the Izweski bannermen were repelled by the Watch and by the Iron Masks. In response the Hegemon, personally wearing a Breacher Suit, led a large contingent of his personal Guwan Guard to the Scept. A loose coalition of Watchmen, Iron Masks, and armed commoners were viscously and decisively defeated and scattered as their clubs and ballistic rifles were useless against the heavy armor of several Breacher Suits and the advanced laser weapons. Other groups surrendered immediately. The Guwan Guard and the Hegemon made their way to the Scept where they were confronted by Lord Trikzara Sirax himself. After a brief argument Sirax stood down and refused to participate in the assault. As a consequence the Third Scept was sacked by the Hegemon and the Guwan Guard. High Priest Unzi himself was critically wounded in the attack that saw the destruction of countless priceless religious and historical artifacts. The building itself suffered heavy structural damage. By the end of the day several Lords swore to avenge the sacking and declared themselves to be in open revolt. By nightfall the Hegemony was once again teetering on the brink of a full scale civil war.

On January 23rd the Hegemon was meeting with loyalist Lords to discuss their strategy, with his sons Not'zar Izweski and Kataphract Z'krazk with him. During the war council the Hegemon began demanding increasingly harsh responses, at one point even calling upon Captain Xirac, present in the meeting holographically from the HMV Annihilation, to commence orbital bombardment of all cities with Lords that declared themselves against the Izweski. After a fierce argument and escalating tensions, Kataphract Z'krazk drew his sword and killed his father before all those present. Not'zar Izweski was then unceremoniously thrust back into his role as leader of the Hegemon as his brother was clad in irons. Even with the death of the Hegemon, the rebelling Lords refused to end the conflict and announced that they would only follow Not'zar once again if he defeated the rebellion in open battle.

Not'zar's Civil War(2462)

On January 25th Not'zar found that even within his own loyalist forces, patience for his radical ideas was strained. Lords rejected his attempts to centralize their forces and appoint officers from his Cadet Schools into the army. Due to mass defections by lower-nobility to the rebel side, this left Not'zar's army with critical shortages in officers. Another option was implemented, allowing even the lowest members of nobility to become officers. This saw many Unathi from as far as Tau Ceti come to Moghes to fight on the side of Not'zar, while others returned to fight on the side of the rapidly growing rebellion. Several battles broke out in these initial stages, with victories and defeats on either side. But the primary upcoming battle was at a site known as the Four Hills, which if lost by the loyalists would throw open the gates of To'ha'dat and Skalamar itself to the rebellion.

January 25th saw ceremonial preparation for the Battle of Four Hills. Here Not'zar, oversaw his assembly of Unathi and Vaurca warriors while across Moghes smaller scale battles were taking place.

On January 27th the Battle of the Four Hills decided the civil war. After the intense struggle nearly saw the loyalist forces rout, and even after the near-death of Not'zar in personal combat, the loyalists prevailed and routed the rebellion forces. The battle is historically significant for the large number of foreign-born Unathi who came to Moghes for the fighting. A large number of Unathi from Tau Ceti came, fought, and then retuned to their home Star System.

By January 28th Not'zar Izweski, met with the three leaders of the Rebellion: High Kataphract Zakeai, Lord Orezali, and Maraziite Chapter-Master Nu'ghai. During the peace conference he skillfully divided the rebellion by tapping into the animosity between their leaders. He secured a separate peace with Lord Orezali, which reduced the rebellion's forces so significantly that they had no choice but to comply in turn. The consequences of the brief civil war were intense on historical, political, and sociological scales. It saw the consolidation of Not'zar Izweski's power, growing acceptance for dionae augments and the becoming of Kizitaa - or "bonded ones", or even Aut'akh augments by maimed warriors, the deposition of High Priest Unzi and the dissolution of the Maraziite Order, the eventual loss of Gakal'zaal by the Hegemony to the Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai, and a wider belief that the Lords were losing their ability to dislodge the Izweski from their position.

The Reign of Hegemon Not'zar(2462-Present Day)

On February 10th Not'zar oversaw the trial of his brother. During the trial Not'zar demanded that Z'krazki justify his crime, and his obstinate younger brother refused to speak until mid-way through the trial. Z'krazki's legal defendant, Advocate Miziak, was unable to persuade the emotional Not'zar. The young Hegemon demanded that Z'krazki take on the title of Guwandi and enter exile. This offer was accepted and Z'krazki was escorted deep into the Wasteland.

On February 16th High Priest Unzi faced trial. During the trial the same questions were brought up on the relationship between the church and the state, and where each had authority over one another. Unwilling to concede, Unzi trapped himself into sharing culpability with the Iron Masks. In the end he was found guilty on all counts and exiled to the Wasteland. In addition Not'zar was seen speaking to the azure Hizoni Razi, who only a year ago saved his life. Unknown at the time, the young noblewoman at that moment was being given broad power over the Hegemon Shadow Service as spymaster for the young Hegemon.

On March 31st, Not'zar Izweski made a speech for reconciliation and to repair the Izweski's image as honorable leaders, and emphasizing that he would be taking a more traditional kind of rule to placate the Lords. Hizoni Razi also spoke, herself announcing the formal coronation of Not'zar Izweski as Hegemon in the next seven days.

On April 7th Not'zar Izweski was officially coronated as the 68th Hegemon, and the 19th Izweski to have the title. The experience was exhausting for the physically handicapped nobleman as he had to wear heavy clothes and a lot of jewelry, but the image portrayed as a strong, calming presence to his citizens in the first publicly broadcast coronation further increased his approval with the public.

On June 20th the colony of Gakal'zaal was finally pushed over the edge. Overlord Yizarus' continued floundering and brutal treatment of the natives had worn out the patience of of the local Tajara population, the Guilds he was exploiting, and even Not'zar Izweski.

By June 30th the corruption and mismanagement prompted a more serious rebellion. Using guerilla warfare the Tajara rebels imposed significant casualties on the forces of Overlord Yizarus, who engaged in even more draconian punishments in an attempt to quash the movement.

On July 15th Overlord Yizarus was discovered to have been the mastermind of an elaborate ruse that saw the execution of a prominent pro-Hegemony Tajara family. In addition the Overlord had used a holographic projection claiming to be a moderately well known and honorable nobleman Shiassta to protect his own honor. Disgusted, Hegemon Not'zar Izweski stripped Overlord Yizarus of his titles and all but granted Gakal'zaal both autonomy and the right to do with Yizarus as they pleased if they caught him. Writing off the colony, Gakal'zaal became an embarrassing stain on Not'zar's proclaimed ability to integrate anyone within the Hegemonic system.

On August 25th Spymaster Hizoni Razi announced the conclusion of the investigation into the kidnapping of Yakt Izweski. It was revealed that an Izweski Citadel maid abducted the child and handed it over to the Maraziite Order. While the investigation did not settle the question on Unzi's involvement, it nevertheless proved to be the final blow in the Iron Masks's legitimacy, all but ending the Order entirely. At the same time the fate of Yakt Izweski was still undetermined, with the childs whereabouts still unknown.

On November 22nd Not'zar Izweski announced that the Hegemony would be intervening in the conflict between the Republic of Biesel and the attacking Solarian forces. Summoning Kataphracts and levys, forces were assembled an dispatched to protect the fledgling star nation.

By December 4th the crisis had been resolved, but due to elaborate demands on how the Hegemonic forces should return to Tau Ceti, the withdrawl took a considerable length of time that resulted in hundreds of warriors being stranded in the star system.