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Izweski Hegemony

For the new Izweski Hegemony page.

Overview

The Izweski Hegemony is a feudal-like society dominated yet marred by stubborn traditions in a quickly modernizing landscape. Lead by Clan Leader Not'zar Izweski, a Unathi who has ruled the Hegemony since his father S'kresti Izweski was killed, he attempts to move the most powerful Unathite nation forward in an era after a devastating nuclear war killed off nearly one-fourth of the Unathi population. The conflict has officially been declared as over, but the various enemies of the Hegemony conspire their revenge. Discrimination runs rampant among Unathi society, whether against those of a lower standing, Unathi seen as not conforming to their role in the empire, the members of other religions, or even the criminal underclass of Guwan. Despite these challenges, the Izweski Hegemony is seen as the most profitable and budding economy among Unathi thanks to imperial mercantilist policy, and even Unathi that oppose Not'zar's rule flock to their walls in an attempt to carve out and seek a better life.

Thankfully, Not'zar does not take after his father. Favoring shrewd and savvy politics, the Hegemon of Izweski has worked on undoing the political damage his father, S'kresti Izweski, had created by partaking in numerous wars with neighboring countries. The reformation back to a truly honorable state is a slow one, though no change worth going through is ever done quickly.

General

Through an indirect imperialistic approach, the Hegemony pushes acts and legislation favorable to the various Unathite guilds that dominate the economy. Most of if not all Izweski Unathi are a part of Unathi Guilds: the Unathite equivalent of corporations and unions. Anyone in the Hegemony looking to run a business, work skilled labor, or even commit to the arts must be registered with the appropriate guild before able to do so.

The Contact War led to the creation of the Wasteland, a sprawling desert landscape created by nuclear detonations and teeming with crime and poverty. Recent years have seen the expansion of these radioactive wastes and the terraforming efforts to push it back come to a standstill, with raiders destroying terraforming equipment to avoid being put under the Hegemon's expansion and rule.

Feudalism and Society

Feudalism

All Unathi in the Izweski Hegemony live under a strict feudal society. It divides most of the species into six distinct castes, each of which usually prevent upward mobility in this society. Men and women often have different roles and responsibilities depending on which caste they are in, and a man or woman jumping into a role that is typically meant for the opposite sex can lead to becoming a social pariah.

A visual representation of Unathite feudalism.

The nobility can include Lords, Clan Lords, and even distinguished Clan Leaders. These are the landed elite of the Sinta'Unathi and typically own a castle and surrounding land. They have many special laws protecting their status and privileges. You become a Nobleman when you are granted a tract of land by the Izweski to rent in their name. While noblemen often have the duty of leading, a noblewoman's job is to keep up appearances and help support her spouse through social means, generally through the Matriarch's Code.

Shaman is the general term for any Unathite clergy; priests however are exclusively members of the established Sk'akh Church. Priests tend to own the land of their church which owes its fealty to the local Lord, making them a form of pseudo-nobility. They are granted many special protections that protect them from violence or land seizures. Priests own their respective churches and Lords are forbidden from collecting tax from them, pressing them into armed service, or seizing their lands. Their influence rivals that of secular Lords, and many priests are active participants in local politics and intrigue. Some shamans have a portion of the protections that priests do because of recent rulings by the Hegemony, and while shamans retain their rank in the caste system, they often do not have the direct power or wealth that priests have. Shamans often spend the better part of a decade studying, training, and gaining clout to get to their position and become independent from their teacher.

Healers are, as their name implies, doctors. It is the highest position any woman can come to hold as, like shamans, it takes many years studying and learning to become an official healer. A well-studied healer often comes up to have their own practice or "medicine tent" (a traditional term that is holdover from many centuries of use in Sinta'Unathi), and Lords lacking a healer pay really well to gain some in their respective territories. They are also granted special protections and their protections are perhaps the widest and most powerful for a Unathi, barring the most influential Overlords or even the Hegemon himself. Unprovoked violence against a healer can result in a Unathi becoming a Guwan, as well as heavy fines, service to the respective Lord, or, most often, all of the above.

Healers are a growing commodity after the Contact War, as a vast majority of those who participated in the conflict need medical care. Radiation sickness, treating festered wounds, and helping the physically disabled means that more healers are required of this society. The Izweski Hegemony pays to send prospective healers to either the Republic of Biesel and learn under NanoTrasen, or the Skalamar University of Medicine.

Warriors are soldiers that distinguish themselves in battle under the banners of their Lords. They are seen as an ideal for male Unathi to strive for. They are expected to provide martial service to their Lord, and in turn are expected to be paid regularly. They are exempt from menial labor, as their Lord is expected to provide for them. Kataphracts, and even most Hopefuls, are at the top of this caste.

Kataphracts, or Saa’Izweski in Sinta’Unathi, are an ancient class of warriors that has recently been revived by Not’zar Izweski. A kataphract is the epitome of a warrior’s ideals and the best of the best of the species. They are sworn to serve and defend the Hegemony and strictly follow the Warrior's Code of Honor. When they are not summoned to do battle for the Izweski, Kataphracts seek to maintain their status as brave and honorable warriors by participating in martial games or going on adventures throughout the galaxy. Kataphracts are appointed by the Hegemon, an Overlord, or another Kataphract if they prove themselves in battle to be especially brave and worthy. Women cannot become Kataphracts; only those that claim the soul of a warrior may become one. They are referred to as Saa when referring to their rank, or Saa’Izweski when formally referred to. Kataphracts are only paid by the Hegemony when they are summoned for war. Kataphracts as a result take to adventuring across the galaxy to earn credits and make their name, and some even seek employment within Tau Ceti, waiting until the day they are summoned to do proper battle.

Kataphract-Hopefuls, or Zo’saa in Sinta’Unathi, are Unathi that have pledged themselves to the life of a Kataphract, yet are not appointed. They typically attach themselves to an existing Kataphracts and shadow them on their adventures, attending to them and learning all that the Kataphract can teach. Other Hopefuls, after making their intentions known, are sent out across the galaxy to be tested in various ways. Many Kataphract-Hopefuls come to Tau Ceti for the challenge of holding true to their ideals and the goal of "Kataphract-hood", tested against the well known trend of the star system to break down conservative Unathite beliefs. Kataphract-Hopefuls that spend a few years in Tau Ceti and still hold true to their commitments of honor and bravery, or who engage in incredibly brave deeds and do the same, can easily find themselves anointed a Kataphract.

Spies, or Zo'kaa in Sinta'Unathi, occupy the same rank as the warriors for Unathi, being the female counterpart to the warrior caste. Similarly, while male Unathi look up to warriors as an ideal, women look up to spies with an equal amount of reverence. Spies, however, are in an often unique position - a majority often serve their Lords for whatever intelligence they are looking to collect, but can also be reached out to by spymasters should they be looking for dangerous elements, especially in outlying territories. Generally speaking, spies are often what humans consider to be detectives of sorts, and lower rank and file spies work as investigators. Some spies specialize in gathering information through subtle questioning and incentivizing cooperation, while others are masters in infiltration and blending in.

Spymasters, or Kaa in Sinta'Unathi, are a relatively new class, also generated by Not'zar Izweski (with rumors speculating heavy influence from his interest, spymaster Hizoni Razi, in their development). Spymasters are those that gain a reputation by word of mouth between those that would seek their employment - namely, powerful Lords, merchants, priests, and other figures of influential clans. Such spymasters become operators themselves of other spies, using their experience to give potential leads, offer guidance to newer spies, and take up larger work from the Izweski Hegemony.

Guildsmen are merchants, businessmen, and entrepreneurs striving to make a name for themselves and earn a nice profit while doing so. This social class includes both Guildmasters and independent salesmen. You are required to purchase the title of Guildsman from a local Lord or Guildmaster before being considered as such, and are legally barred from conducting business without one. Guildsmen are only required to pay rent to their Lord and are exempt from taxation, so this group forms the closest thing Moghes has to a middle class. Guildsmen can be either men or women; men often become the skilled laborers (as they are most notable for being blunt), while women usually are the outward face of any aspects regarding external business. There are a few exceptions, but those that stray from these norms within Unathite culture are shunned and face a more difficult uphill battle in gaining recognition and becoming successful.

Peasants are the bottom rung of society, and are by far the largest. This group comprises of traditional tenants on the land of a Lord working aquaculture farms or in the mines, to urban Unathi living a more modern and regimented life in a big city. While Unathi have the freedom to move if their Lord displeases them, they have barely any resemblance of legal protections. Strong social norms and tradition are what keep Lords from outright abusing their peasants en-masse. They work for the Guilds and provide the Guilds the fruit of all their labor, keeping meager earnings of which they must surrender half to their Lord for the privilege of living on his land.

Guwans are the absolute bottom caste of Unathite society. They are Untouchables and are given absolutely zero protections, and are actively subjugated, persecuted, and barred from all aspects of public life and hopes of ever advancing upwards. Aut'akh usually end up in this caste as well, as most of them are denounced by their clan or Lord.

Ouerea has a different social system, which has more depth on the Notable Unathi Colonies page.

Gender Roles

Women and men have different expectations in Hegemony society, with men being expected to follow a semblance of the Warrior's Code and women following the Matriarch's Code - the difference between the two allowing variety in lifestyles. The cultural impact of these ideals have made men and women seem at odds in society, where you have to prove how your ideals are beneficial to the task you're born into.

Relationships and Marriage

Clan alliances are formed when two Clan Leaders mutually decide upon two Unathi to marry and, depending on who is chosen, certain gifts are expected to be bestowed on the allied clans by Sk'akh.

Relationships for Unathi hinge on responsibility for both involved as most marriages before the Contact War relying on clan leaders arranging marriages to secure alliances. 'Dating' has only recently been available to young Unathi and is a foreign concept to most above their late-20's in age. A Unathi trying to ignore the ritual of arranged marriage is a great insult to both clans involved, which at worst could lead to a blood feud or war. Divorces in the Izweski Hegemony must be requested through the Sk'akh Church where a member of the clergy will decide how property and titles will be split. Typically, if a man is known to abuse or neglect their spouse, it is seen as a deep insult to the spouses' clan - a woman is often seen as being 'unable' to do something so violent against another soul.

Social Behavior and Mannerisms

When speaking to superiors, it is considered formal and respectful to refer to them by the extended name of their command. A clan elder or leader would be referred to by the name of their clan, a squad leader by the name of their squad, and so forth. It is extremely rude to not look at someone addressing you.

Language

History of Sinta'Unathi

Modern Sinta'Unathi began in the 1990s Galactic Standard Time as the primary language of the Izweski Nation, and spread across the globe for merchants seeking to do business in foreign Kingdoms. It became the main language of global trade and eventually began to trickle its way upwards to become the primary language of the upper classes. By the late 2100s, the Izweski Hegemony passed several laws attempting to increase imperial nationalism in its extremely diverse population. All Hegemonic citizens were required to be fluent in the language, and speaking foreign languages in public carried threats of imprisonment. Imperial authorities also carried out mass-kidnappings of ethnic Unathi, raising the young in boarding schools that instilled in them proper Hegemony values and Sinta'Unathi language lessons. Children were often beaten if they were discovered speaking their native language.

The earliest forms of Sinta writing come in the form of hieroglyphs that scribes literally scratched onto wooden tablets with their talons, with the earliest dated around 600 CE. These early tablets were predominately inventory records, consisting of nouns and tally marks. As society grew more interconnected and complex, scribes and impatient merchants decided they had better things to do than spend hours making thousands of tally marks, so writing continued to evolve until taking its modern form.

One of the first things to go was scratching wooden tablets with scribes eventually dipping their talons into pulped Peizi Berries, which left stubborn, persistent stains on almost anything it touched. Scribes and writers could be identified by having stained talons, a trend that became more style than practical after the printing press came into use. Even in modern times, Unathi that want to appear intellectual often paint their talons.

Technology

Civilian

Rural

There are two different kinds of major lifestyles in Izweski. There is the city, which is typically run by a Clan Lord (or even a Lord, should the city be large enough) and a small council of lesser Clan Leaders (or Clan Lords, in the case of a ruling Lord). City life is less harsh than life in the country due to access to modern equipment, medicine, and trade, especially with opportunities provided by shuttle services to the rest of the galaxy.

Urban

Life in the rural areas is harsher, with cities being rare and life mostly determined by the size of a Clan's village and how well they can hunt, fish, or in desperate times, raid their neighbors. It's the traditional Unathi life, made harsher by the growing Wasteland encroaching on once-fertile lands.

Government

The Izweski Hegemony is an autocratic collective leadership where the Hegemon holds the most power, but delegates portions of it to others. In turn, these officials under the Hegemon delegate to others beneath them and so forth, working down to local towns and individual clans. The Hegemon is the supreme leader, with the power granted by Sk'akh in divine right to rule. Currently, Not'zar is the Clan Leader of Izweski and Hegemon of the Izweski Hegemony. Despite his severe physical handicap forcing him to walk with a cane, most noblemen have made him an ally, especially including the Guilds who enjoy his globalist attitude. Not'zar lives in the Izweski Citadel in Skalamar, and under him are the vassalized Lords who rule their own subjugated states. They live in a feudal system, with the Lords usually being clan leaders or important clan members themselves who pledge themselves to Izweski in exchange for land and protection.

The immediate members of the royal family.

Under the Hegemon are Overlords. They generally control large swathes of territory or bureaucratic functions in the name of the Izweski Hegemony, acting as a portion of the Hegemon's advisors; for example, there are currently five Overlords: two managing sections of the Hegemony itself, an Ouerean Overlord, the K'laxan ruler of Tret, and one for the various smaller colonies and territories. Overlords oversee their own Lords, rulers of different provinces. Unlike the Overlords, the Lords act more as vassals of regions under the Hegemon and the Overlords. A province may be an entire planet's development or one sprawling city metropolis depending on the population and settlement sizes of the province. Lords then appoint Clan Lords for different city districts, towns, and swathes of sparse rural lands. At the bottom are the clan leaders. Clan leaders are a mostly ceremonial title and make up usually the eldest male ruler of a specific family clan, though the larger and influential clans often hold more sway with Clan Lords.

The Izweski Hegemony is based on vassal obligations to their liege lord.

Consular Officers

The various diplomatic consuls from the Izweski Hegemony are either clan leaders or prominent members of their clan or are notable priests from the Sk'akh Church. They are chosen from a pool of candidates consisting of Unathi picked by Lords. The role is dominated by men due to them being the preferred sex for clan leaders and the only sex allowed for Sk'akh priests; however, popular healers and spymasters of clans occasionally are chosen by the Hegemony to promote their respective fields and occupations.

A consul's job in foreign space is to ultimately to represent the Hegemony and assist in legal matters regarding Unathi dealing with both the Hegemony and another government or group. However, a consul's own secondary objective depends on their role back in the Hegemony. For instance, a Sk'akh priest's interest outside of navigating legal channels would be promoting the Sk'akh faith in a positive light, making sure Sk'akh believers are not causing trouble, ensuring proper tithes are paid, and similar activities. A guildsman promotes their guild membership and benefits for joining; former healers endorse nearby Houses of Medicine and perhaps make sure a Unathi's working conditions are safe and healthy, especially in human space.

To play as a diplomatic consul for the Izweski Hegemony, you must have a Command whitelist, change 'Nanotrasen Liason' to 'Consular', and select 'Izweski Hegemony' as your citizenship. You would be the face of the Nobles and Lords of Moghes.

Kopesk Th'akh

For the religion page.

Kopesk Th'akh

The Torn Cities were once the magnificent States of Kopesk, a theocracy governed by a sect of Th'akh worshipers now known today as Kopesk Th'akh. The former opulent states made their renown as fishermen of remarkable talent, with well-developed techniques in aquaculture that were highly guarded by the Guild-clan families and passed down over many generations. Many citizens of the Kopesk followed a practice of Th'akh that claimed the sea as being an integral part of life, for both unathi and spirits.

The Sacred Seas

The oceans are sacred and to be protected in the eyes of the Kopesk. Thus, routine prayers are observed before meals, especially those including the ocean's holy bounties. Any time guildsmen were to reap profit from the sea, it would only be done after a proper prayer to appease the spirits of the ocean for taking from it. Nothing was to be wasted from the sea, and thus bones were ground and used as compost for plants in aquaculture, or even turned into divining items; scales were often stripped and incorporated into trinkets after a proper blessing was laid on them; the organs of fish were prepared and eaten alongside the meat, unless they were poisonous. Knowing these practices was required for any guildsman working with aquaculture, the ocean, or even just preparing food; not knowing and reciting them could result in licensing for these jobs being revoked.

After the destruction of the Coalition (which the Kopesk States joined), the religion was thought to become a sparse minority. Bitter resentment for the fractured Storm Heralds caused former Kopesk to become agnostic or simply atheistic, though the rise of the Marine Messiah has brought prominence and credence to the faction once more.

The Storm Heralds

Quite literally the "Harbingers of Tsunamis" in Sinta'Azaziba, the common shamans or Storm Heralds of this religion were usually chosen as children. Children that had unnatural birthmarks or discolored or rare azure scales were indoctrinated and trained from a young age to know the faith inside and out. By the time most are 14, these children seen as being "blessed by the sea" had matured enough to a point to become Kopesk shamans, despite not being legal adults among most of Moghes.

On top of their normal duties as shamans, Storm Heralds had many other auxiliary duties. Shamans of this variety were often consulted by rural farmers when weather reports seemed unsure of their outcome. The blessing of a shaman was an unspoken requirement before someone took to the seas by boat. Storm Heralds were also consulted and sought out whenever large quantities of products are gathered from the sea, for an extra blessing over the harvest and to prevent spirits from becoming misaligned for these actions. These priests got their name from olden days; Storm Heralds used to play a vital role in predicting or even subverting the "Ocean's Wrath," which were usually seen through the three forces or outlets of energy from the seas: air, lightning, and water. Natural events such as lightning storms, hurricanes, tsunamis, and flooding were all under a Storm Herald's purview to try and prevent. The role of predicting these storms became exceedingly uncommon for them before the Contact War as modern technology largely helped predict whenever storms would pass. However, Storm Heralds in the Torn Cities try to predict whenever these events might occur through divining means, or trying to fend them off through daily, strenuous rituals. It has even been claimed recently Storm Heralds have protected Wasteland settlements from lightning storms and tornadoes, though no recorded proof outside witness testimony is found, especially in the Izweski Hegemony.

In the Kopesk States, most citizens were not allowed to vote. It fell under the role and responsibility of nearby Storm Heralds to vote in their stead towards the High Tranquility: the head of the Kopesk Church. The Church appointed people to govern cities, organizations, and bureaucratic functions as they themselves kept their rule to a broader scale, like a federal government ruling over individual states.

The Marine Messiah

Born as Nzra Vindek in 2437, the Marine Messiah was a frail child that had been blessed with azure scales. The Vindek clan of Sai, a small rural clan continued the old ways of aquaculture, living life as a quiet clan. They became rustboys of a different variety after the war: the sea shores were privy to scrap metal, which was reclaimed by the Vindek as they cleared out their fish dens, that they sold to the Hegemony for profit.

An outing of three siblings, Nzra, his brother and his sister, made their way out to sea on a smaller boat to collect scrap floating in. However, the vessel was accosted by powerful spirits, or so the story goes. After thought to be long dead, Nzra washed up on the shore two days later, the rowboat intact. Barely alive, it was seen to already be a miracle of the spirits above. The recovery having finished though, Nzra started to speak strangely, claiming the sea had spared him to spread its message. He spoke vastly of former Kopesk Th'akh beliefs, such that the family and neighbors never exposed him to. It was said that this knowledge was instilled in him by the spirits, to help revive the rightful religion.

At just the age of 11, Nzra took on the last name of Dramos'krutii, or "Storm Calmer." Due to the lack of proper Storm Heralds, the Marine Messiah has taken to traveling the Torn Cities to find disciples and train them as a new generation of Kopesk shamans. He has retained a following of seven though that he trusts as his closest that journey with him through the Wasteland.

Only recently in the Hegemony has his existence come into the limelight, though, as previously his time in the Torn Cities made him isolated and far off. The influx of trading with the Hegemony, in addition to word of the miracles he has performed, helped carry his message beyond the Izweski walls.

Doctrines of Note

Most of Kopesk Th'akh follows the doctrines of the Th'akh religion, with some notable deviations.

The Kopesk believe prosthetics do not inherently maim the soul. They still retain the notion that Aut'akh are heretical due to claiming the flesh should be replaced. Generally, however, Dramos'krutii advocates that prosthetics should incorporate reclaimed metal from the seas of Moghes as it is blessed by the ocean's power.

They also believe religion should be directly paired with government. A lack of morals from traditionalists and Izweski alike is what caused the Contact War to become so dishonorable; they maintain the fact that their nation's bidding in the war and before was as perfect as it could get for unathi.

Nature should be heavily preserved in the eyes of these unathi. Those that follow this religion often have negative opinions of corporations like Hephaestus Industries for destroying Ouerea, or the former Coalition for dropping the first nuclear weapons and sparking the catalyst for destroying most native life on Moghes.

Burial rites are largely replaced by aquatic burials. As all things have come from the sea, all things should find their way back to it. This can be any ocean or sea, not just the ones on Moghes, however. The rest of the burial rites remain similar to Th'akh.

The creation myth for Kopesk Th'akh is a tale of the universe being a vast sea, devoid of life and light. The spirits constantly squabbled and bickered to pass the time. The first acts of creation came when spirits mingled with one another, the best of the lot turning into stars to shine light in the void. Then, more congregated to form other things in the cosmos, populating it with planets, each with water and land. The rumor goes that even in their new physical forms, the spirits still bicker; natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and lightning storms are attributed to the fact that the spirits inhabiting the world are fighting. These primordial ghosts eventually evolved back into a semblance of life, and their squabbling began anew as these animals hunted one another, the plants grew and competed, and the first unathi grew and were shaped in the image of the spirits.

Rituals and Prayers

The Kopesk have rituals they consider and observe that distinguish them notably from other Th'akh worshipers.

The prayer of bounty is observed and done before and after a meal, which is usually a quick verse to thank them for the spirits giving up form to put food before a unathi. This is almost entirely universal among this religion. It is seen as extremely insulting to a unathi if someone does not do this prayer before that unathi eats. As a result, unathi often mutter this prayer quickly for meals served to those who do not share the faith, much to the confusion of other species or even other religions.

The renowned ocean's chant gained a lot of fame for being a commonly muttered word by the Marine Messiah and his closest followers. In a now dead dialect of Sinta'Azaziba, Storm Heralds often use this prayer before they or someone they are blessing goes into battle or a duel. Some witnesses report a "tempest wind kicking up" with storms not too far behind them, others say. Translated, it is usually spoken like so:

         The water gives me fortitude,
         The wind gives me swiftness,
         The lightning gives me strength,
         And the life in the depths drives my blade.