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{{Navbox Lore}}
== Th'akh on Ouerea ==
{{Navbox Unathi Lore}}
Most of the followers of [[Th'akh]] on Ouerea arrived in the post-contact wave of colonists, with settlers from across the Hegemony recruited to settle the new world. As such, Ouerea is home to nearly every variation of Th’akh found on Moghes, though with those practiced in the regions of the former Traditionalist Coalition being less common. Shrines can be found across the planet dedicated to the Court of Stars, the Stone Lords of the [[Zazalai Mountains]], the River Court of the [[Southlands]] and a thousand other variations of the faith. While many keep to the traditions and rituals of their ancestors, the cosmopolitan and independent culture of Ouerea has shaped the practice of Th’akh on the planet.


==Pre-Hegemonic Unathi==
There is much less of a focus on particular holy sites and ancestral spirits in Ouerean Th’akh - the Unathi on this world are the first and second generation of colonists. There are no honored ancestors who have walked before them on this world, and most believe that, while they watch Ouerea from the spirit world, their ancestors remain on Moghes. For better or for worse, Ouerean Th’akhists know that they will be the ancestors whose spirits are invoked by future generations, the founders of a new civilisation and a new world. This has led to the rise of what is known as Ouerean Syncretism by theological scholars, and simply ‘Ouerean Th’akh’ by others.


===The Nomadic Era===
Ouerean Th’akh is a synthesis of a thousand variations on the faith - while the colonists all have their own spirit-gods and sacred rituals, their own clans and honored ancestors, they are all equally outsiders now, facing new spirits of a strange new world. The spirits of Ouerea are viewed as wilder and more primal forces than those of Moghes, solely forces of the elemental nature of the planet uninfluenced by the Sinta’Unathi. As such, many Th’akh shamans on Ouerea are equal parts teacher, preacher and survivalist - exemplifying the pioneering spirit of the first Ouereans in learning to work with the spirits of the new world, naming them and seeking to shape a harmonious relationship. Some of the more prominent among these shamans have been vocal in opposition to Hephaestus Industries’ expansion onto the planet, believing that their exploitation of Ouerea will lead to great spiritual misfortune across the planet.
The ancient Unathi were believed to be primarily organised into nomadic hunter-gatherer societies, largely consisting of small clans following large herds of threshbeasts across the savannahs of [[Moghes]]. The earliest signs of permanent settlement date back to around 12500 BCE, as larger clans began to migrate towards the shores of the Moghresian Sea - developing primitive forms of aquaculture and animal husbandry to sustain their settlements. This is around where the earliest signs of faith resembling modern [[Unathi_Religion#Th'akh|Th’akh]] begin to emerge, with ancient shrines believed to be dedicated to various spirits having been unearthed by Izweski archaeologists.


===The Warring Cities Era===
Respect for both the old spirits of Moghes and the new spirits of Ouerea is the duality that shapes Ouerean Th’akh - its shamans teach that the colonists have brought their spirits with them in part, and that only through achieving a peace between the old and the new can one reach true harmony. Those who abandon their old ways and traditions completely may be dishonorable and bring shame to their ancestors - but those who cling to them and refuse to adapt will surely invite the wrath of the Ouerean spirits upon themselves. Widespread exposure to human and Skrell culture has also shaped Ouerean Th’akh in a way that most other variations of the faith have not yet seen. Humans and Skrell are recognized as having their own spirits that they carry with them, both ancestral and reflected in the Th’akh understanding of the alien religions. While there are no known alien converts to Th’akh, the shamans of the faith often seek to work closely with alien religious figures in furthering mutual understanding of both each other, and the world they must share.
The transition from nomadic to settled life was a slow one - as many of the ancient proto-clans would frequently wage wars over the bountiful food supplies of the early settlements. Eventually, however, the populations of these early settlements would swell faster than their rival clans could dream of, leading to rapid growth and progress - development of writing, metalwork and more advanced shipbuilding techniques drove the settlements around the Moghresian Sea into some of the first cities of Moghes. The earliest currencies began to develop during this period, with dried and salted fish forming the backbone of these ancient economies.


Other Unathi civilisations would arise during this period, known as the Warring Cities Era by modern historians. The ancient city of Darakath, in what is now the [[Broken Coalition]], is believed to have been first settled around this time, and some of the oldest historical sites in the [[Tza Prairie]] are believed to have been built by exiles from the city-states of the Moghresian Sea.
Due to the nature of Th’akh, human and Skrell faiths are generally acknowledged as being equally real to Unathi ones - the Qebalak ‘spirits of the stars’ and the deities of the various human faiths are considered to be alien spirits brought here by their followers. They are not venerated by Ouerean Th’akhists, but offerings are sometimes given to them by Unathi who wish to gain their favor for dealing with Skrell and humans.


For centuries, the regions now known as the [[Southlands]] and [[Izweski Heartland]] were ruled over by collections of city-states, each ruled by a single clan. As these states clashed with each other for territory and resources, the Unathi martial culture began to develop. Though there would be periods where one city-state dominated the rest, none of these ancient attempts at empire lasted long. While some historical documents refer to “The League of Nine Cities”, as a persistent presence in the region, archaeological evidence indicates that this was more of a temporary alliance, designed to deal with invading forces crossing the [[Zazalai Mountains]].
===Spirits of Ouerea===
==== Azsaei Zis Azua (Crimson-Toothed Liberty) ====
''“Red the blades and red the fires,''<br>
''Let our struggle only grow,''<br>
''Aid us ‘gainst the tyrant’s ire,''<br>
''Red your teeth that find his throat.”''<br>
-A common prayer to Azsaei Zis Azua from the days of the Revolution.


The Warring Cities Era is generally considered to have ended around 920 CE, with the rise of the First Hegemony.
A new spirit that emerged during the years of feudal oppression, Azsaei Zis Azua (Sinta'Unathi: Crimson-Toothed Liberty) is believed to have been born on Ouerea, formed from the spirits of those who died at the hands of the tyrant Yiztek. It is a spirit of freedom, justice, change, and revolutionary violence. It is usually depicted as a young, androgynous Unathi, holding a flaming spear in one hand - though occasionally as a human or Skrell, as their souls are believed to have become part of Azsaei Zis Azua as they perished in the struggle against oppression.


===The Sinta'Mador===
Shrines to this Zyola are often built upon battlefields or sites of import to the Ouerean Revolution. It is often invoked in remembrance of the Ouerean people’s struggle for freedom, and Ouerean Unathi who feel they have been wronged in some way will often call upon it to grant them justice or vengeance. A statue of Azsaei Zis Azua, in its Unathi form, marks the entrance to the Synod of Scales - a solemn reminder to the new government that the freedom Ouerea prizes was not given, but won by blood. Shamans dedicating themselves to Crimson-Toothed Liberty are often political radicals, striving for further liberation of the Ouerean people whether by word or by blade. The spirit is often venerated by members of the Warriors of Liberty, and the party's official symbol is a stylized depiction of Azsaei Zis Azua's burning spear.
There is one culture of particular note among the pre-Hegemonic civilisations of Moghes - the fabled Sinta’Mador. While much of their history is steeped in superstition and mysticism, modern scientists have made a study of the ancient culture of the Moghresian North Pole - though this has been frequently undermined by the efforts of [[Aut'akh|Aut’akh]] cultists, who often steal Mador relics and artefacts for religious purposes.


Factually, the Sinta’Mador are known to have been a culture that dwelled in the north polar region of Moghes, between the early Warring Cities Era and the rise of the First Hegemony. While it is unclear if the Sinta’Mador were a genetically distinct species to the Sinta’Unathi, or simply a name for a different culture, they were at the very least close relatives of the wider Unathi species. Very little reference can be found to the Mador in contemporary records, though some scraps of ancient poetry from the Tza Prairie do refer to “the children of Travakh”, and “corpse-scaled devils" - referred to as a somewhat mythical race of beings in the uninhabitable north, who brought cold and death in their wake. Whether this referred to some long-forgotten war with the ancient Sinta’Mador, or is simply a mythologised retelling of a particularly deadly cold season, remains unclear.
==== The Izoaei ====
A collective name for many of the zo’zyola of Ouerea, the Izoaei (Sinta-Unathi: Primordial) are considered to be formless and wild spirits, manifestations of the raw and elemental forces of the world - spirits of stone and wind and water, free from names or bonds that the spirits of Moghes hold. The shamans of Ouerea believe that it is their responsibility to shape the Izoaei, to keep them appeased and guide them into a new state of being. Shrines are rarely built to these nameless spirits, but offerings are commonplace - with shamans believing that it is important to allow the Izoaei to grow accustomed to the presence of life on their world, lest their wrath spell doom for the colony.


The Mador settlements were largely built around volcanic hot springs, which are believed to have been used as a primitive heat source. While the reason for the extinction of the Mador remains uncertain, the common theory is a period of global cooling on Moghes rendered the land beyond their cities uninhabitable, leading to a slow death for their inhabitants. Many of the ancient Mador cities which have been explored showed signs of impressive technological advancement for the time - some of the oldest steel tools and weapons in Sinta history have been found in the polar region, and some of the largest settlements seemed to have developed elaborate heating systems using the local hot springs. The Mador treatment of the dead is also noteworthy - corpses would seemingly have a piece of volcanic glass inserted in a primitive surgery, placed behind the eyes prior to their burial. This is believed to have been a way of preventing a restless spirit from possessing their old body, though due to the lack of translated Mador writing it is impossible to be sure.
Shamans of the Izoaei are an odd blend of scientist, survivalist, and exorcist. Research and understanding of alien worlds is believed to be a method of both honoring and shaping the Izoaei - as Sinta come to better know their new world, so do the spirits of that world come to better understand Sinta. Many of these shamans will take extensive journeys into the Ouerean wilderness, in the hopes of coming to better know the Izoaei and to shape their presence into one that welcomes alien settlement. Shamans of the Izoaei will also often gather in preparation for or in the wake of natural disasters, providing aid in an attempt to bind or banish hostile Izoaei and to shield Ouerea against their harm. Veneration of the Izoaei has spread from Ouerea, with colonists on various [[Notable Unathi Colonies|other Hegemony worlds]] practicing similar rituals in order to overcome hostile environments.


The Mador have taken on a somewhat mythical status among followers of the Aut’akh faith, with the researcher [[Notable_Unathi#Emzal_Paossini,_Creator_of_Paradigms|Emzal Paossini]] having attributed many of the foundational principles of Aut’akh to ancient Mador rituals. This has led to stories spreading across the Spur, treating the Mador as everything from ancient and mystical sages to a race of cybernetically-enhanced demigods possessing technology beyond that of the modern Spur. While some Aut’akh, most notably Paossini themself, have actually made a study of the Mador, to most followers of the faith this ancient culture is little more than a distorted myth.
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==== The Founders ====
The five Unathi who first set foot on Ouerea are viewed with immense respect by Ouerean civilization, often venerated as particularly revered ancestors - though they bear no blood relation to most modern Ouerean Unathi, they are ancestors in spirit to the modern-day colony. Historical sites often hold shrines to the Founders, and even non-Th’akh or even non-Unathi Ouereans will often leave offerings there in honor of the planet’s history.
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'''Zuakza Izoki, Speaker of Thunder'''


==The First Hegemony==
Born to a prominent Heartland noble clan, Zuakza Izoki was a graduate of the Skalamar Academy of Natural Sciences and one of the foremost astronauts of the Izweski Space Program, having been part of one of the first crews on Izweski Station. When the Ouerean mission was planned, he was reportedly hand-picked by the Hegemon to command it as captain of the IHV Venture. Captain Izoki oversaw the initial establishment of what would become New Skalamar, and lived long enough to see humans and Skrell arrive on the planet. He was one of the founders of the New Skalamar Pioneers’ Seminary, and a statue of him adorns its gates in the modern day. He died of old age in late 2429, with a planetary day of mourning declared in his honor shortly afterwards.
''“You ask of me, o mighty, who comes hence?''<br>
''Know, and tremble, for I am''<br>
''Hegemon Eternal,''<br>
''Master of all beneath the Mother’s eye.”''<br>
''-Spear-Shattering King, an ancient [[Torn Cities|Kopesk]] poem describing the rise of the First Hegemony''


The First Hegemony, also known as the Kres’ha’nor Hegemony, arose around 920 CE. While records are sparse from this time period, the Kres’ha’nor are believed to have been a minor noble dynasty originating in what is modern-day Baandr, who rose to power and conquered several of their rival city-states. The War of the First Hegemony, as modern historians have named it, lasted nearly a century, as the once-independent city-states of the Moghresian Sea were absorbed under the banner of the Kres’ha’nor.  
His title as a spirit is “Speaker of Thunder” - either in honor of his commanding presence or as a joke from his surviving crewmates about how his way of speaking was extremely irritating over several months in a confined space together, depending on who one asks. He is venerated as a symbol of leadership, courage, and the pioneering spirit of Ouerea. His symbol is a stylized Unathi claw, reaching upwards to grasp at a distant star.


Around 1014 CE, the reigning King [[Notable_Unathi#Tryazali_Kres'ha'nor|Tryazali Kres’ha’nor]] addressed a group known as “The High Twelve of Sskel”. Sskel was known to be a powerful nation of the time, though its location is unknown as all recovered literature from the period seems to assume knowledge of its location as something that would be obvious to any reader. As such, who the High Twelve were or where this conversation took place is entirely unknown to modern historians.
'''Kiuhi Ahuos, Watcher of the Dark'''


Kres’ha’nor is believed to have proclaimed the First Hegemony at this time, though accounts of this event are limited and often dating several centuries after the fact. The most well-preserved source, a Kopesk poem called Spear-Shattering King, quotes Tryazali  Kres’ha’nor as proclaiming himself “Hegemon Eternal, master of all lands beneath the Mother’s eye”. Under his reign, the precursor to modern feudalism would come about, with many of the current titles of Unathi nobility dating back to the Kres’ha’nor Hegemony.
The pilot of the IHV Venture, Kiuhi Ahuos was a distinguished warrior from an Izweski air regiment stationed in the Southlands. As the Izweski Space Program grew, Ahuos found himself working as a test pilot on several of the program’s early missions. He was severely injured during a failed re-entry in the 2460s, which reportedly left him walking with a cane for the remainder of his life. Following the establishment of the Ouerean colony and first contact, he returned to Moghes with honor, continuing to work with the space program on various missions. His final mission was one that would go down in Unathi history, serving as a navigator on the IHRV Uezwik’s Hope - the Hegemony’s first attempt at creating a warp-capable spacecraft. When the warp calculations proved incorrect, Ahuos was killed along with the rest of the ship’s crew.


The Kres’ha’nor came to rule a vast empire, controlling the modern Izweski Heartland, Southlands and much of what has now become the Northern Wasteland. With a population of around twelve million and mass production of steel armor and weaponry, the Kres’ha’nor were the undisputed power of the ancient world.
As a spirit, his title is “Watcher of the Dark”, in reference to his status as one of the Hegemony’s first space pilots. Ouereans working offworld, particularly on spaceships or as pilots, will often make offerings to him to protect them, as his spirit is believed to watch over all Unathi abroad in the vastness of space. His symbol is a black Unathi eye, filled with a field of stars.


This dynasty would last for nearly five hundred years, until the reign of Hegemon Kresshi Kres’ha’nor. Hegemon Kresshi was known as a brilliant military commander, who waged highly successful wars against nations now lost to time. Mention is made in historical sources of “the conquest of the black-eyed Jazir” and “the raiders of the western shore”, but the specific nature of these peoples has been lost to time. He is recorded to have ruled from Kres’ha, a city that is frequently mentioned as the capital of the First Hegemony. The location of Kres’ha is unknown, with several claims to have found its ruins all having been disproven.
'''Skiaei Sazs - Bearer of Flame'''


Kresshi also sired many children, who fought against one another almost immediately upon his death. The empire was shattered into warring factions, each supporting one of the many claimants to the throne. Kres’ha is believed to have been burned during this period, which would last for decades, and outlive all of the original claimants. Some apocryphal sources refer to this time as “The War of Eight Tyrants” - though this number is frequently disputed among modern historians.
The ship’s engineer aboard the Venture, Skiaei Sazs was a guildsman of the Construction Coalition and one of the space program’s most talented engineers. The Venture itself was a Sazs design, and they were handpicked by Captain Izoki for the mission. Following planetfall, Sazs was responsible for the assembly of the initial colony site, and is believed by some to be the patron spirit of modern New Skalamar itself. Though well into their old age, Sazs was one of the founders of Hegeranzi Starworks, and reportedly turned down the position of guildmaster there several times before their death. Sazs was known to work closely with Hephaestus Industries, and was reportedly an influential mentor of Yukal T’zakal during his early days working with Hephaestus. They perished from old age in 2452, in their office aboard Hegeranzi Starworks.


By the time the war ended, the First Hegemony was irreparably broken, fractured into dozens of smaller kingdoms. Several of these kings would call themselves Hegemons, but the title quickly fell out of use, as it spoke of ambitions of conquest. Moghes would remain divided, with no one daring to claim rulership of the world, for centuries. This period of divided kingdoms is when the modern [[Unathi_Religion#Sk'akh|Sk’akh Church]] was formed, though the religion had existed in various forms for an uncertain amount of time prior. Fragments of ancient church records indicate that at one point, the Church ruled much of the Heartland directly, prior to an event only referred to as “The Apostate’s War”.
As a spirit, their title is “Bearer of Flame”, in reference to their contributions to interstellar engineering. A shrine to Sazs adorns Hegeranzi Starworks today, and Ouerean engineers will frequently make offerings to their spirit to bless the success of a project. Their symbol is a trail of fire, stretching towards a field of stars.


===Growth of Guilds===
'''Kseok Ssu, Witness of Life'''
[[Unathi Guilds|The guild system]] began to emerge after the fall of the Kres’ha’nor, among merchants who saw the need for mutually beneficial relationships among the fractured and frequently warring kingdoms. Guilds formed for bakers, butchers, grocers, millers, smiths, carpenters, weavers, mason, shoemakers - nearly every trade had its own guild. Standards such as just weights and measures evolved from the guilds, and guild inspectors would inspect shops to ensure rules were being followed. Guilds would help members that were sick or otherwise endangered, and would sometimes take care of families after the member died.


Apprenticeship was how most started in a particular trade, which they would follow the rest of their lives. After completing an apprenticeship, the appropriate guild would examine his work and see if he could be elevated to a Craftsman. A Craftsman was required to create a "masterpiece" in the presence of judges to be elevated to Master status, which would allow him to join the leadership of his guild.
Originally from a minor noble clan of S’th, Dr. Kseok Ssu was an accomplished biologist from the Skalamar University of Medicine long before she was chosen for the Ouerean mission. After her arrival on Ouerea, Dr. Ssu was responsible for cataloging thousands of new species native to the planet, as well as for the successful introduction of Moghresian plants and animals to the Ouerean biosphere. She is remembered as one of history’s greatest xenobiologists by Unathi even beyond Ouerea, and was granted the position of planetary chapter-master by the House of Medicine for her contributions to the sciences. She traveled extensively following first contact, studying human and Skrell advances in xenobiology for nearly thirty years and giving several guest lectures at human universities - acquiring a reputation as something of a daredevil researcher in interstellar academic circles. Kseok Ssu disappeared in 2438, only a year before the beginning of the Contact War, departing on an expedition to catalog the alien fauna of the Arusha sector. Her title as a spirit is “Witness of Life”, and she is frequently venerated by healers, academics, and explorers on Ouerea - particularly those seeking to study the planet’s ecosystem. Shrines to her can be found in most Ouerean universities, and it is a common practice among students to leave offerings there to improve their academic performance.


Guilds also built and ran the first universities on Moghes, the first known being the University of Ma'ha'rem which opened in 1602. Originally trade schools, they slowly expanded to become centers of learning for apprentices of every field. A doctor would have to first become a "Master" through a university to be allowed to practice his trade within towns or cities controlled by a guild of doctors, and the same for any other brand of skilled work. A Master's certificate also distinguished someone as a professional with few peers, giving their holders immense prestige and trust. A fully accredited and certified doctor on Moghes would be (and are still) known as a Master Doctor. Typically they are known as [Rank] [Craft], so you can also be a Master Weaponsmith or Master Engineer.
'''Olzahi Ekzur - Eye of Stone'''


Eventually these guilds managed to form powerful monopolies and they spread their trade and influence across Moghes. Most of the landed elite feared the growth of the guilds, who were creating a new middle class of urban workers. That a peasant could rise to gain prestige and vast wealth with no land, titles, or martial victories under their belt was an idea bewildering and frustrating. The late 1600s and the beginning of the 1700s saw many kingdoms across Moghes cracking down on the power of guilds, stripping them of privileges or banning craftsmen from meeting in groups. Other nations ruthlessly suppressed private enterprise. Many laws were passed that strictly limited how many members a guild could possess, as well as requiring all craftsmen to register with their local lords before being allowed to sell any goods or services.
The ship’s surveyor, Olzahi Ekzur was responsible for much of the initial exploration and surveying of Ouerea following planetfall. During her time as a researcher for the space program, she was responsible for the launch of several probes to Ouerea, and selected the initial landing site personally. Following planetfall, she engaged in extensive study of the area surrounding the landing site, and much of the layout of New Skalamar today is based on her initial blueprints. Ekzur spearheaded much of the initial exploration of Ouerea, and spent a large amount of her time at the Sahhat Geographical Research Complex with visiting Skrell scientists, reportedly fascinated by their culture and advancements. Ekzur’s methodologies for planetary colonization were rapidly adopted, and have since become standard practice by Hegemony colonists throughout the Spur. In 2441, Ekzur was killed in a storm on the Azareazi Sea as part of an ongoing polar expedition. Survivors of the wreck reported that she refused to leave her research or her crew, and returned to the sinking ship several times in order to recover more.


Guilds also developed another innovation: minting and issuing coinage. Because it was rather difficult to do large transactions with giant piles of dehydrated fish, the first guilds in the 1600s began minting coins made of steel that would be backed by that amount of fish, similar to bank notes. They could be turned in, theoretically, at any time for an equivalent amount of salted fish. This saw Moghes begin to gravitate away from measuring wealth by fish stocks, and towards a more familiar economy, though the Fish Standard remained for quite some time.
As a spirit, her title is “Eye of Stone”, in reference to her blunt and unemotional demeanor, as well as her contributions to the field of geology. She is viewed as the patron spirit of explorers, scientists, and all those who seek to wander beyond the horizons of the known. Ouerean exploration and research programs often consecrate their missions in her name. Her symbol is a silhouetted Unathi figure, walking towards a stylized horizon.
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==The Second Hegemony==
== Humans on Ouerea ==
''“It is such a wretched thing, this business of empire.”''<br>
=== History ===
''-Ayzi Sarakus, immediately following the Siege of Skalamar''
Shortly after first contact in 2403, human settlement of Ouerea began. The humans of Ouerea came in two waves - the first were largely Sol Alliance military personnel, who were permitted to construct several bases and refueling stations on the planet in exchange for Solarian assistance in furthering the Izweski space program. The second and far larger wave was driven by the human megacorporations, with many of them acquiring generous contracts for development of the Ouerean colony. Hephaestus and NanoTrasen were the two largest investors in Ouerean development, though Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals had several research facilities to study the myriad of new organisms found on both Moghes and Ouerea, and Einstein Engines were contracted to assist in the development of warp technology by the Izweski. The vast majority of these workers came from Solarian space, particularly from planets with limited economic opportunity. Ouerea was advertised to Hephaestus and NanoTrasen employees in particular as a land of opportunity and discovery, with many being shipped directly to the planet to assist in its settlement.


The 1800s marked a period of rapid technological development on Moghes, as the Ras’iks clan of S’th began producing steam engines. This advancement was rapidly adopted by some of the guilds, though many saw it as a useless curiosity or a threat to their established market. However, it would be the beginning of an industrial revolution for the Unathi people - the consequences of which would lead to the rise of the Second Hegemony.
Due to the megacorporate contracts, humans had more contact with Unathi than the initial Skrell settlers, with corporate habitation buildings often being constructed near existing settlements for ease of work. The two groups were far from integrated, however, with distrust of aliens still being heavily present among the Unathi of Ouerea. Sentiment was common in the early days that the human presence on Ouerea was just an alien attempt to take control of an Unathi achievement, especially given the Solarian military bases built on the planet. Humans in this time often found themselves forming their own insular communities rather than integrating with the Unathi ones present.


The cities of the Heartland rapidly industrialised, as the ruling clans of the region began to grasp the possibility of this new age of invention. The Heartland’s skies were choked black with the smoke of factories and forges, but the divided kingdoms of the region meant that technological advancement was slow to spread. Each of the region’s monarchs wished for the benefits of new technology, but none wished to allow their rivals to gain an advantage from it. Several wars marred the region in the 1800s, as mass production had made gunpowder weapons more than a noble’s amusing curiosity. Early firearms, cannons and explosives are all reported to have been developed around this time.  
With the outbreak of the Contact War, the Izweski were unable to govern the colony. The Sol Alliance, alongside the Nralakk Federation, drafted legislation for a temporary provisional government to administrate the colony due to the large human and Skrell populations. After negotiation with local Unathi, the democratic structure of Ouerean society was created, modeled extensively on human society. Largely, the Alliance was hands-off with regards to the administration of Ouerea compared to the Federation, content to observe and to intervene if the situation ever required it. Over this period, human, Skrell, and Unathi communities grew closer as settlements grew larger, with the unique cosmopolitan culture of Ouerea beginning to take root.


Rapid industrialisation also led to another war - this one, among the guilds. To many of the existing guilds, industrialisation was a threat to their power - skilled craftsmen would find themselves displaced and out of work, thanks to the introduction of factories and growth of unskilled labour. Others thought to embrace this new upheaval, changing nearly their entire business models to ride the industrial revolution to riches. Conflict between guilds is mentioned in records from the period, with some cities having devolved to guild members actively fighting in the streets. Several modern guilds have their roots in this period, including the Fishing League and Junzi Electric.  
Most of the humans settling on Ouerea had had little contact with alien life prior to their settlement, but began to see the benefits of cross-species cooperation. Under the provisional government, the humans of Ouerea came to work closer with their Skrell and Unathi partners, with many of them having come to see Ouerea as their new home since the initial human arrival on the planet. At this point, the human community of Ouerea had been living on the planet for decades, and the idea of an independent Ouerean nation had begun to take root among them - particularly upon witnessing the successful secession of the Republic of Biesel. This idea would be crushed in 2457, when Hegemon S’kresti demanded that Sol and Nralakk return Ouerea to the Hegemony, and the feudal system was imposed on the colonists.


The industrial revolution was well and truly underway by the time the Second Hegemony rose. In 1916, the Sarakus Clan rose to power, following a brutal war among the industrialised nations. Seizing control of the wealthy Southlands and Heartland regions, the Sarakus rapidly launched a campaign of bloody conquest against their neighbours. In 1922, this war finally came to an end as the reigning Queen of Skalamar surrendered to the Sarakus forces. Following his victory, King Azyi Sarakus did what no other had done in centuries, proclaiming himself Hegemon of Moghes. The Sarakus took rapid advantage of industrialisation, using technological advances across the nation to enrich themselves and their loyal vassals. Private guilds were outlawed, and their resources brought under Hegemonic control - though in practice, many of the guilds continued to operate as before, just reporting to a state official instead of a Guildmaster. The Sarakus leased out titles to factories, mines and other enterprises, transforming many of the former leaders among guilds into lords of the realm - allowing the nobility to keep control over unskilled labour, just as they had prior to industrialisation.  
Many humans departed with the Alliance ships, including almost all of the active Solarian government and military personnel on the planet. Those who remained found themselves thrust into an alien model of society, with many of the rights and freedoms they had taken for granted stripped from them by foreign lords. The humans of Ouerea chafed under the Hegemony’s yoke from the beginning, and were near-universally supporters of throwing these foreign overlords from the world which had become their home. When the Revolution finally came, the human population was instrumental in its organization, taking inspiration from hundreds of similar revolutionary movements throughout their own history.


===The Great Endeavor===
With the Revolution’s victory, the troubles of the Ouerean human community did not end - though the Synod was reestablished, only Unathi were permitted by the Hegemon to hold seats on it, with Skrell being granted observer status due to fear of angering the Nralakk Federation. The human population, however, was largely ignored by the Izweski, which has fueled lingering resentment, and demands for representation have grown louder and louder as the expansion of Hephaestus Industries has driven a wedge between Ouerea and Moghes.
''“Progress is a wild hegeranzi. You ride it to glory, or you are trampled beneath its hooves.”''<br>
''-Apocryphal quote, often attributed to Azyi Sarakus''


In 1931, Ayzi Sarakus proclaimed the ‘Great Endeavour’ - a massive effort to modernise the entirety of the Hegemony. As part of the Endeavour, electricity would become widespread throughout Sarakus territory, road and railroad networks would connect every city in the empire, and radio coverage would expand across nearly the entire world.
=== Life & Culture ===


The Great Endeavour took twenty years, and Ayzi Sarakus would not live to see its conclusion. The project was finished with a grand opening of the Sarakus Castle in Skalamar, having been outfitted with modern plumbing, electricity, and every luxury the new age could afford. By the time the project was done, Moghes had been transformed, with even lands outside the Hegemony having begun to adopt the advances of the Sarakus - though to a much lesser degree.  
The human population of Ouerea came from a wide range of origins within the Sol Alliance, with the vast majority of them being shipped in by megacorporations as workers. Many of those who signed up for long-term work on Ouerea came from the Middle Colonies or particularly disadvantaged Inner Ring worlds, seeking new opportunities on an untouched and alien world. Though it has been over sixty years since the first humans arrived on Ouerea, many of the modern population retain strong ties to their homes in whatever way they can, with human communities often tending to be enclaves of a specific culture.


The Sarakus were ruthless in this project, however - with much of traditional Unathi society having been uprooted as advancements in factories meant that skilled labour became less and less valuable. While they had brought the Hegemony into a new age, many whispered that it had come at the price of the nation’s soul. To others, however, it was a golden age - a time of opportunity and advancement. Many of the great scientific institutions of Moghes were established following the Great Endeavour, and Unathi understanding of the world around them progressed immensely. But, like many golden ages, it would come to a sudden and violent end.
Despite their strong ties to their home cultures, Ouerean humans tend to feel more strongly that Ouerea is their home than their Skrell countrymen - while sixty years is not a short time, it is far longer for humans than for Skrell, with the humans who have lived on the planet for decades often viewing Ouerea as the project that they have given much of their life to. This attitude is even stronger among the generation of humans actually born on Ouerea, most of whom have never known another homeworld.


==The Third Hegemony==
Humans on Ouerea are often ignored by the Hegemony - while the Skrell have the looming shadow of the Nralakk Federation granting them a measure of political influence, the planet’s human community has little in the way of leverage to gain more representation within the Synod - despite several protests in human communities since the revolution. Since the withdrawal of most megacorporations from Ouerea, humans often had difficulty finding work as the Hegemony’s guilds moved in - with many of them exclusively hiring Unathi, or only hiring humans into underpaid and difficult positions. Though this practice stopped with the Hephaestus acquisition of the guilds, most humans on Ouerea still prefer to patronize Ouerean-run or specifically human-run businesses where possible.
''“You ask by what right I call myself Hegemon? The only right that matters. Come and challenge it, if you can.”''<br>
''-Lord Neeziah Izweski, marking the beginning of the War of the Honored Alliance.''


In 1994, a group referred to by contemporary sources as the Traitor Lords seized Sarakus Castle, wiping out nearly the entire clan in a single night. Surviving Sarakus across Moghes were killed, many of them before news of the coup even spread beyond Skalamar. Before the blood was even cleaned from the throne, the Traitor Lords crowned Lord Neeziah Izweski as the new Hegemon, and proclaimed the birth of the [[Izweski Nation|Third Hegemony]].  
One thing that the diverse human population of Ouerea tends to have in common is an independent attitude, often perceived as being to the point of stubbornness by other humans. The initial human arrivals on Ouerea viewed themselves as pioneers, an attitude which many of the Unathi colonists shared, and the ideals of self-reliance and independence from foreign authority remain a cultural touchstone of Ouerean humanity. In addition to the common Ouerean distaste for the Hegemony, Ouerean humans tend to have a negative opinion of other human governments - particularly those with roots on planets which had a rocky relationship with the Alliance.


Here is where records differ enormously. The modern Izweski account of history refers to the reigning Hegemon Sarakus as a bloody-clawed tyrant, who was driving the nation to ruin. Historical pro-Izweski accounts refer similarly to Sarakus as a cruel and sadistic tyrant, with some claiming that he performed unnatural rituals to summon dark spirits upon his enemies. Though the Sk’akh Church claims that their High Priest at the time could tell the Izweski were the rightful rulers of Moghes, fragmented records claim that a brutal and secret civil war was fought among the Archpriests, with the pro-Izweski faction eventually achieving victory.


Regardless, many Sarakus vassals refused to accept this, rising in rebellion against the Izweski. These lords called themselves the Honoured Alliance, and immediately began a brutal civil war. The War of the Honoured Alliance would last for nearly a hundred years, and would see the birth of modern Unathi warfare - widespread use of ballistic weaponry and early armoured vehicles marked the battlefield, and the first Unathi aircraft were developed and deployed to rain death upon the battlefields. It was, for centuries, regarded as the most devastating war in Unathi history.
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==== Notable Human Enclaves ====
Ouerea is home to many humans from a wide range of planets across the Orion Spur. Many of the human immigrants to Ouerea, particularly among the initial arrivals, found themselves living primarily among other humans from similar backgrounds, forming cultural enclaves on the planet. Thousands of these enclaves are dotted across Ouerea, from hundreds of worlds across Solarian space - but a few of them are particularly large, well-known, or influential. Mostly, these enclaves were founded by megacorporate workers in the initial arrival of humanity on Ouerea, with some of them having stood for decades.


Eventually, in 2079, the Izweski and the Honoured Alliance signed a cease-fire - neither side was capable of effectively waging war any longer. Nearly all the lands east of the Zazalai Mountains were aligned with the Honoured Alliance, while the Izweski secured their grip on the regions surrounding the Moghresian Sea. The Honoured Alliance would eventually divide into its own kingdoms, as both the Hegemony and the Alliance rebuilt their sacked and ruined lands. Millions had died in the war, and the planet would not recover for decades.  
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'''New Olympia, Tr’ha’rem:''' Initially built around Hephaestus Industries employee housing, the district of Tr’ha’rem known as New Olympia was home to a large number of Martian workers employed by the megacorporation, and housed in Tr’ha’rem due to its more moderate climate for humans. Many of these humans worked on the Tr’ha’rem docks, and helped to cement the city’s status as a major port on Ouerea’s seas. The people of New Olympia tend to view Hephaestus favorably and have bitter feelings towards the Solarian Alliance, which were only amplified by the Violet Dawn disaster of 2462. Though many of them have not seen Mars in decades, if at all, they still consider themselves as Martian as they are Ouerean, and many of the locals have donated extensively to relief efforts following the disaster. During the early days of the Ouerean Revolution, New Olympia was home to some of the fiercest human opposition to the Hegemony, with many of its population using their positions in the shipping industry to smuggle arms and supplies to their fellow revolutionaries.


With the war over, the Izweski began to reverse many of the policies of the Sarakus. Their strict control of the economy was abolished, leading to a rebirth of guilds in the Hegemony. In the 22nd century, many of these guilds would evolve into trade unions, which would come into conflict with the nobility as more and more of their control over the economy vanished. This is reported to have led to several rebellions, though most of the details of these have been excised from the Izweski historical record. The move towards free trade greatly destabilised the nation at first, but it would eventually prove beneficial to the nation’s economy, leading to a rapidly growing middle class.
New Olympia is one of the largest human enclaves on Ouerea, and is often viewed as a center of human politics on the planet. Several protests demanding greater human representation in the Synod have been held in the streets of Tr’ha’rem, and the Martian population is known to be a significant voting bloc in local politics. New Olympia is also known to play a key role in Ouerean smuggling rings - an issue which local law enforcement seems content to ignore, with many residents both human and Unathi preferring the status quo. The humans of New Olympia are largely supporters of either Revolution’s Heirs or the Warriors of Liberty, with the ideals of the Ouerean Revolution being firmly held among the locals. Due to the general distaste for the Sol Alliance, support for the Restorationists is almost nonexistent here.


===The New Economy===
'''Giai Phong, Um’a’yid:''' The district of Giai Phong in Um’a’yid is home to a large number of New Hai Phongese immigrants, initially brought in to aid in the city’s construction by Hephaestus Industries. As the Unathi-dominated Fishing League gained more power in the city, many of the local humans found themselves working tedious and underpaid jobs in the city’s fishing industry, as Hephaestus’s presence in the city diminished. Though Hephaestus’s acquisition of the Fishing League led to the corporation’s return, the corporation’s actions both on Ouerea and on New Hai Phong had done little to win friends among the people of Giai Phong. The district in the modern day is a hotbed of anti-corporate politics on Ouerea, with many of the locals seeing Hephaestus’s growing presence on the planet as a path leading to the rampant corruption and environmental devastation of their homeworld.
''“Steel won this nation, but silver built it.”''<br>
''-Gukha Rozalt, guildmaster of the Merchants’ Guild (2195)''


Despite the turmoil that the new policies had brought to the Hegemony, the process continued. By the year 2200, the Izweski had presided over the growth of mass media, leading to an increasingly globalised society. The growing middle class within the Hegemony had become a sizable economic and political force, largely channelled through the guild system. Though much of the guilds’ leadership was made up of commoners, by the turn of the century the major guilds had vastly more power within Hegemonic society than most of the nobility.
Rumored connections between local Giai Phong activists and more radical anti-corporate groups such as the Aut’akh or even the Champions of Moghes is often raised by pro-corporate politicians - but so far, these accusations remain baseless. Many Giai Phong locals fought during the Revolution, most notably being responsible for capturing the ruling lord of Um’a’yid during the initial period of fighting. The humans of Giai Phong are divided between support for the Warriors of Liberty and Restorationists, with the latter forming a small yet noteworthy minority.


Major cities across Moghes were filled with clunky cars navigating traffic as stoplights replaced traffic cops, and most homes had access to televisions, radios, and other modern amenities. Guilds owned monopolies over specific goods and services. Powerful merchant families owned hospital chains, pharmaceutical companies, car companies, television networks; a dynastic control of private enterprise had developed. An urban, middle-class Unathi found themselves with all the modern luxuries and basic goods that were available to the average human in the 21st century.
'''Meonbada, New Skalamar: '''The district of Meonbada in New Skalamar is home to a large number of Konyanger expatriates, initially established as housing for Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals employees. Meonbada served as Zeng-Hu’s planetary headquarters prior to the megacorporation’s withdrawal from the Hegemony, and was home to several xenobiological research laboratories which coordinated most of the planet’s study of the countless new species found in Ouerea’s environment. When Zeng-Hu withdrew from the Hegemony, Meonbada was harshly impacted, with many of the skilled professionals in the district suddenly losing their jobs with the corporation. Some turned to criminal activities, with several now-abandoned facilities turned into drug labs, while others departed the increasingly worsening district for better opportunities elsewhere. Meonbada served as a hotbed of revolutionary activity during the uprising, with Yiztek troops attempting to storm the district in search of rebel leaders and being repelled by locals.


However, this system was held up by a vast underclass in urban Unathi society. Nearly every major city had sprawling slums that surrounded the industrial districts, filled with underpaid factory workers who ironically found their rights curtailed by the powerful trade unions. Guwan specifically were ruthlessly exploited, forced to work as street sweepers or maintain the sewers as payment for their crimes in a situation that critics of the Izweski described as little better than slave labour.. Orphans found themselves cared for in boardhouses owned by a Guild until they turned 16, when they were forced to work for the Guild to pay back the debt they incurred caring for them. The Izweski are recorded to have made little effort to alleviate the abject poverty many Unathi were suffering from the rampant abuse of the major guilds, believing that the consequences were necessary to maintain a modern, functioning empire.
After the Revolution concluded, and the Ouerean Confederation was re-established, the new planetary government began to resume the exploration and research of Ouerea which had stalled under feudal rule. Many of the former Zeng-Hu employees who had stayed in Meonbada suddenly found themselves offered new positions in similar fields to their previous ones. In 2463, the Synod began to invest heavily in cleaning up Meonbada - driving out the criminal activity in the district and repurposing it into a center of scientific research on the planet. The former Zeng-Hu administrative center was reopened, and rapidly became the beating heart of the government’s studies of their homeworld. In the modern day, Meonbada is an odd slice of Konyang transplanted, a district which would not look out of place in Suwon or New Hong Kong. The district remains majority human, though the research industry there has led to growing Unathi and Skrell populations. The humans of Meonbada are largely Revolution’s Heirs voters, with a small bloc of support for the Ouerean Independence Movement - the current status quo has improved the lot of the locals enormously, and most would prefer to preserve it.


The one change that the Izweski made to curtail guild power was the centralisation of currency - since the origins of the guild system, individual banking guilds had minted and issued their own currencies, in a massively decentralised system. In 2212, the Izweski outlawed guilds producing their own currency, nationalising all resources for such under the Hegemonic Reserve Bank.
</div></div>
 
This bank became the only institution that could mint coins, called Zikis. The bank also began issuing paper money, called Zakas. Both the steel coins and paper notes were backed by salted fish until 2251, when the currency was taken off the Fish Standard. The Zaka became the reserve currency of Moghes by 2290, and continued to be so until it was replaced by the Biesel Standard Credit.
 
===The Nuclear Age===
''“With this, we have brought an end to war.”''<br>
''-Apocryphal quote, often attributed to an Izweski nuclear scientist''
 
The first Unathi nuclear test took place in 2345, funded by the Izweski Hegemony and carried out by scientists of the [[Unathi_Educational_Institutions#Skalamar_Academy_of_the_Natural_Sciences|Skalamar Academy of the Natural Sciences]]. The bomb was detonated in the freezing climate of Moghes’ north pole, at a research installation far to the north of the city of Guzari. Though the project was highly classified, word eventually spread - that the Izweski had a weapon unparalleled by any other nation of Moghes. The Izweski began constructing more nuclear weapons - first to be dropped from aircraft, and later to be launched via missile, with advances in rocketry making both the usage of ICBMs and the newly-formed [[Unathi Spaceflight|Izweski Space Program]] viable.
 
The Izweski nuclear arsenal became a point of pride - no foe could threaten the Hegemony without risking total annihilation. Following the confirmation of nuclear weapons’ plausibility, some rival kingdoms began their own nuclear projects - though without the wealth and resources of the Izweski, only a few had any successes. The most notable of these was the Azarak Kingdom, in the region now called the [[Broken Coalition]] - who invested much of their nation’s wealth and power in their own nuclear program. While not as advanced or widespread as the Izweski’s nuclear weapons, the scientists of the Azarak were able to field a significant number nonetheless. While other kingdoms engaged in nuclear research, there was no report of anything beyond the smallest of successes among them.
 
For a time, however, the presence of nuclear weapons enforced a kind of uneasy peace over Moghes - the Izweski would not dare to attack the few kingdoms capable of rivalling them with the prospect of mutual nuclear devastation, and no one on Moghes would even think of war with the Hegemony when they wielded such terrible power. It was a delicate peace, but it was a peace - and would remain that way for nearly a century.
 
===The Beginnings of Space Travel===
''“The stars themselves will belong to the Hegemon - and he needs your help!”''<br>
''-Recruitment slogan for Ouerean colonists, 2386''
 
The Unathi took their first steps into the stars in the year 2339, with the formal establishment of the Izweski Space Program. Largely, this came in the form of unmanned communication and observation satellites, many of which have been refurbished for the modern day. The first manned Unathi missions came in 2343, when an Unathi named Kseok Hizra made history - becoming the first Unathi in space. Manned missions continued, with Unathi setting foot on Chanterel in 2361. The Hegemony space program received drastic upgrades in 2372, when [[Ouerea]] was discovered to be inhabitable. The Izweski poured money and resources into the colonization of Ouerea, establishing a population of a few thousand on the planet, as well as establishing orbital installations for resupply of their crude and slow shuttles. This led to the creation of what was at the time designated Izweski Station - the first space station put into the orbit of Moghes.
 
The colonisation of Ouerea was viewed as a massive victory for the Hegemony, with propaganda from the late 2300s claiming that “The Hegemon’s rule extends to the very stars”. To rival kingdoms, however, it was a great concern - if the Izweski Hegemony could become a truly spacefaring power, they would have an insurmountable advantage over the other nations of Moghes. Many feared that with the first colonists setting foot on Ouerea, a second global war had become inevitable.
 
==First Contact==
In 2403, a Solarian exploration vessel entered the Uueoa-Esa sector, marking first contact between humans and Unathi. This marked a rapid period of debate among humanity, as to the ethics of making contact with a species that had yet to develop faster-than-light travel. Eventually, the [[Sol Alliance]] and [[Nralakk Federation]] sent a diplomatic mission to make contact with the Izweski, who had been identified as the rulers of Moghes - in order to welcome the newly-discovered Unathi into the wider Spur.
 
Naturally, the discovery caused shock among the Unathi population - priests and scholars secluded themselves in intense theological debate as to the spiritual nature of the aliens, nobles schemed to gain advantages from this historic event, and some called for war to prevent these mysterious visitors from invading Moghes.  On the human side of things, meanwhile, the megacorporations of the Orion Spur saw an opportunity for an entirely untouched market, and rapidly began working to expand their business into Uueoa-Esa.
 
The Hegemony worked carefully to keep alien contact controlled at first, only allowing visiting humans and Skrell in highly-restricted areas under heavy guard. Eventually, this was relaxed, as [[NanoTrasen]] was contracted to build the first spaceport on Moghes, in the city of Skalamar. Access to more advanced space travel allowed the fledgling colony on Ouerea to undergo a rapid boom, with humans, [[Skrell]] and Unathi mingling freely on the planet's surface.
 
Trade with humanity proved a great boon for the Hegemony, granting access to advanced technology beyond the wildest dreams of even the greatest scientists of Moghes. But with this opportunity came upheaval, as many Unathi saw a chance to break free of the highly stratified society that existed prior to contact. The first [[Unathi Piracy|Unathi space pirates]] emerged in 2417, leading to the earliest beginnings of the Izweski Navy - though it was a ramshackle force, largely dealing with decades-old Hephaestus designs purchased cheaply.
 
Outside the Hegemony, however, first contact was a sign of all the worst fears that the other nations of Moghes had harboured. The aliens had treated the Izweski as if they were the rulers of Moghes in truth, and the technological superiority the Hegemony possessed would now only grow further beyond their rivals. Various meetings among the rulers outside of Izweski territory were held, in the hopes of forming some grand coalition to stand against the Izweski and their dreams of empire. Though it would not break out for decades to come, the Contact War was already set in motion.
 
==The Contact War==
In 2439, Moghes would be plunged into global warfare, the consequences of which would see the planet sundered and bleeding for generations to come. More information about the Contact War can be found [[Contact War|here]].
 
===Prelude To War===
''“They come with arms outstretched in friendship, but their intention is to reach out and snap our necks!'”''<br>
''-King [[Notable_Unathi#Don'zai_Azarak|Don’zai Azarak]], during his infamous address to the Firebrand Summit.''
 
As the colony on Ouerea grew, and alien trade further enriched the Hegemony, the Izweski sought to secure themselves as the first and only interstellar power among the Unathi. Under the reign of Hegemon S’kresti Izweski, the Hegemony’s best and brightest scientists worked with human and Skrell researchers to create the first Unathi-manufactured warp-capable ship. Named after the lead scientist on the project, the IHRV ''Uezwik’s Hope'' was launched in 2437, a bright beacon that would lead the Sinta’Unathi people to glory among the stars.
 
However, when the time came to spool up the warp engines, a catastrophic malfunction led to the ship being crushed under its own warp bubble.. The failure sent shockwaves through all of Moghes, with massive public outcry about how this experiment had led to the loss of dozens of Unathi lives - some of the brightest and most respected Moghes had, no less. On the 3rd of February 2438, a second attempt at Warp travel would prove to be successful, but the damages had been done, and tensions between the Hegemony and many increasingly hostile nations of Moghes rose drastically. The fact that the Hegemony had now access to not only Ouerea but also faster-than-light travel, while the rest of Moghes was attempting to catch up, only aggravated fears of an absolute supremacy of the Hegemony.
 
Many of the independent nations of Moghes were horrified by this turn of events, seeing the entire Unathi way of life being turned upside down so quickly. Whether out of fear of an age of unstoppable Izweski imperialism, or out of suspicion that the humans and Skrell had deliberately sabotaged the development of the ''Uezwik’s Hope'', a grand meeting of the rulers of Moghes was called. This would become known as the Firebrand Summit, which would lead to the formation of the Traditionalist Coalition - a loose alliance of independent nations, united solely in their desire to destroy the Izweski before they came to dominate all of Moghes.
 
===The Contact War(2438-2449)===
''“Weep for us, who have no more tears left,''<br>
''Pray for us, we who are damned alive.”''<br>
''-Yzteka Khanak, celebrated Mudki poet''
 
The Uezwik Incident was the final catalyst for the Contact War, which began with the sudden assault of Izweski cities in the Zazalai Mountains by the Traditionalist Coalition. The assault was launched three days after the first Unathi crew successfully left Uueoa-Esa with a Moghean ship, while the Hegemony was still celebrating. Conventional warfare lasted a year, from February 6th 2438 to September 5th 2439. After vicious fighting, primarily in the Zazalai Mountains and the borders of Traditionalist kingdoms, the Coalition realised they lacked the ability to breach the Hegemony’s borders in conventional battle. On September 6th 2439, a Traditionalist atomic bomb was dropped on the Izweski city of Da’ha’den, nearly completely obliterating the city.
 
The Traditionalist Coalition’s use of nuclear weapons came as a surprise - though the Azarak and a few other kingdoms did possess nuclear weapons, the Coalition used them in enormous numbers, almost comparable to the Izweski’s. To this day, the question is often raised when discussing the Contact War - how did they get so many nuclear weapons, and how did the Izweski not know about it? Theories range wildly, with some suspecting a decades-long plan for a global war from the Azarak - discreetly arming their fellow independent kingdoms for when the time came to strike the Izweski. This is a fringe theory, however, with the more commonly accepted belief being that the kingdoms of the Coalition received aid from Izweski scientists and rapidly began the production of nuclear weapons in the hopes of providing a deterrent against Izweski power when it became clear that the Traditionalists would not be able to win the Contact War conventionally. When the first nuclear weapons were fired, however, the idea of mutually assured destruction vanished - and all of Moghes would pay the price for it.
 
Though some of the wealthier and more powerful kingdoms of the Coalition possessed atomic weapons, the Izweski were unprepared for their use in such numbers, with both sides beginning a continued nuclear exchange - launching hundreds of nuclear weapons. It is reported that observing alien vessels had their viewing shutters lowered constantly to prevent eye damage to the crew, as Moghes burned below them. The nuclear exchange lasted for one week. By its conclusion, nearly two billion Unathi were dead, and over sixty percent of the planet’s surface was rendered uninhabitable wasteland.
 
The War continued on after the nuclear exchange, but it became a desperate war of attrition and survival. The war's formal conclusion is widely accepted to be when exhausted Izweski forces captured the Coalition capital city of Darakath ten years after the bombs fell, on December 4th, 2449, signalling the defeat of the last organised force left to oppose the Izweski, ending the eleven year long conflict.
 
===Aftermath===
''“Another such victory, and I will rule an empire of ghosts.”''<br>
''-Hegemon S’kresti Izweski, upon being informed of the victory at Darakath.''
 
With the capture of Darakath, the Contact War came to an end. For the devastation wrought upon Moghes, the entire Azarak clan was sentenced to death by the victorious Izweski - though it was a hollow victory, that had seen billions of Unathi perish and over half the planet turned into irradiated desert.
 
The Contact War has had a lasting effect on Unathi society and culture - notably, in the near species-wide disgust felt towards nuclear weapons. The Hegemony has invested significant resources into finding and dismantling every nuclear weapons stockpile they can reach, having finished disposing of the last of their own nuclear weapons in 2460.
 
==Unathi Today==
''“And to survive, one must adapt, for change is the only assurance of life.”''<br>
- Lord Tuscacun, Commander of Izweski Military Forces at the beginning of the Contact War.''
 
As of 2465, Moghes is still a sundered and bleeding world. The Wasteland has expanded steadily, leading to more and more refugees fleeing into the Untouched Lands as the fallout renders more of the world uninhabitable day by day. The best projections of Izweski scientists indicate that, should nothing be done to mitigate or reverse the damage caused, Moghes will be unable to support life by 2500.
 
In addition, the Hegemony has been rife with political and economic instability in recent years. The fall of Hegemon S’kresti and rise of his successor Not’zar was marked by power struggles, civil war and bitter conflict. The old religions of Moghes struggle against one another, and new subversive cults have arisen that seek to tear the Hegemony down in its entirety. As the Spur’s phoron scarcity worsened, famine gripped Moghes as the economy threatened to collapse entirely, only to be saved by the last-minute intervention of [[Hephaestus Industries]] - a move which has infuriated many.
 
The Hegemony today occupies a precarious position of hard-won stability. Though the arrival of the [[Vaurca_Hives#K'lax|K’lax Hive]] has granted the Unathi access to advanced technology, it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to save Moghes from the slow death that currently grips it. The nobles plot and scheme for greater power, the other megacorporations seek to disrupt Hephaestus’s key position in the nation’s economy, and unrest seems to grip the nation more and more with each passing day. The future of the Unathi race remains uncertain, and opinions differ on the events of recent years - whether they are the last gasps of a dying Hegemony, or a period of adversity that will precede an unparalleled golden age.
 
More information on major events in Unathi society following the end of the Contact War can be found [[Unathi Recent Events|here]].

Latest revision as of 06:36, 1 May 2024

Th'akh on Ouerea

Most of the followers of Th'akh on Ouerea arrived in the post-contact wave of colonists, with settlers from across the Hegemony recruited to settle the new world. As such, Ouerea is home to nearly every variation of Th’akh found on Moghes, though with those practiced in the regions of the former Traditionalist Coalition being less common. Shrines can be found across the planet dedicated to the Court of Stars, the Stone Lords of the Zazalai Mountains, the River Court of the Southlands and a thousand other variations of the faith. While many keep to the traditions and rituals of their ancestors, the cosmopolitan and independent culture of Ouerea has shaped the practice of Th’akh on the planet.

There is much less of a focus on particular holy sites and ancestral spirits in Ouerean Th’akh - the Unathi on this world are the first and second generation of colonists. There are no honored ancestors who have walked before them on this world, and most believe that, while they watch Ouerea from the spirit world, their ancestors remain on Moghes. For better or for worse, Ouerean Th’akhists know that they will be the ancestors whose spirits are invoked by future generations, the founders of a new civilisation and a new world. This has led to the rise of what is known as Ouerean Syncretism by theological scholars, and simply ‘Ouerean Th’akh’ by others.

Ouerean Th’akh is a synthesis of a thousand variations on the faith - while the colonists all have their own spirit-gods and sacred rituals, their own clans and honored ancestors, they are all equally outsiders now, facing new spirits of a strange new world. The spirits of Ouerea are viewed as wilder and more primal forces than those of Moghes, solely forces of the elemental nature of the planet uninfluenced by the Sinta’Unathi. As such, many Th’akh shamans on Ouerea are equal parts teacher, preacher and survivalist - exemplifying the pioneering spirit of the first Ouereans in learning to work with the spirits of the new world, naming them and seeking to shape a harmonious relationship. Some of the more prominent among these shamans have been vocal in opposition to Hephaestus Industries’ expansion onto the planet, believing that their exploitation of Ouerea will lead to great spiritual misfortune across the planet.

Respect for both the old spirits of Moghes and the new spirits of Ouerea is the duality that shapes Ouerean Th’akh - its shamans teach that the colonists have brought their spirits with them in part, and that only through achieving a peace between the old and the new can one reach true harmony. Those who abandon their old ways and traditions completely may be dishonorable and bring shame to their ancestors - but those who cling to them and refuse to adapt will surely invite the wrath of the Ouerean spirits upon themselves. Widespread exposure to human and Skrell culture has also shaped Ouerean Th’akh in a way that most other variations of the faith have not yet seen. Humans and Skrell are recognized as having their own spirits that they carry with them, both ancestral and reflected in the Th’akh understanding of the alien religions. While there are no known alien converts to Th’akh, the shamans of the faith often seek to work closely with alien religious figures in furthering mutual understanding of both each other, and the world they must share.

Due to the nature of Th’akh, human and Skrell faiths are generally acknowledged as being equally real to Unathi ones - the Qebalak ‘spirits of the stars’ and the deities of the various human faiths are considered to be alien spirits brought here by their followers. They are not venerated by Ouerean Th’akhists, but offerings are sometimes given to them by Unathi who wish to gain their favor for dealing with Skrell and humans.

Spirits of Ouerea

Azsaei Zis Azua (Crimson-Toothed Liberty)

“Red the blades and red the fires,
Let our struggle only grow,
Aid us ‘gainst the tyrant’s ire,
Red your teeth that find his throat.”
-A common prayer to Azsaei Zis Azua from the days of the Revolution.

A new spirit that emerged during the years of feudal oppression, Azsaei Zis Azua (Sinta'Unathi: Crimson-Toothed Liberty) is believed to have been born on Ouerea, formed from the spirits of those who died at the hands of the tyrant Yiztek. It is a spirit of freedom, justice, change, and revolutionary violence. It is usually depicted as a young, androgynous Unathi, holding a flaming spear in one hand - though occasionally as a human or Skrell, as their souls are believed to have become part of Azsaei Zis Azua as they perished in the struggle against oppression.

Shrines to this Zyola are often built upon battlefields or sites of import to the Ouerean Revolution. It is often invoked in remembrance of the Ouerean people’s struggle for freedom, and Ouerean Unathi who feel they have been wronged in some way will often call upon it to grant them justice or vengeance. A statue of Azsaei Zis Azua, in its Unathi form, marks the entrance to the Synod of Scales - a solemn reminder to the new government that the freedom Ouerea prizes was not given, but won by blood. Shamans dedicating themselves to Crimson-Toothed Liberty are often political radicals, striving for further liberation of the Ouerean people whether by word or by blade. The spirit is often venerated by members of the Warriors of Liberty, and the party's official symbol is a stylized depiction of Azsaei Zis Azua's burning spear.

The Izoaei

A collective name for many of the zo’zyola of Ouerea, the Izoaei (Sinta-Unathi: Primordial) are considered to be formless and wild spirits, manifestations of the raw and elemental forces of the world - spirits of stone and wind and water, free from names or bonds that the spirits of Moghes hold. The shamans of Ouerea believe that it is their responsibility to shape the Izoaei, to keep them appeased and guide them into a new state of being. Shrines are rarely built to these nameless spirits, but offerings are commonplace - with shamans believing that it is important to allow the Izoaei to grow accustomed to the presence of life on their world, lest their wrath spell doom for the colony.

Shamans of the Izoaei are an odd blend of scientist, survivalist, and exorcist. Research and understanding of alien worlds is believed to be a method of both honoring and shaping the Izoaei - as Sinta come to better know their new world, so do the spirits of that world come to better understand Sinta. Many of these shamans will take extensive journeys into the Ouerean wilderness, in the hopes of coming to better know the Izoaei and to shape their presence into one that welcomes alien settlement. Shamans of the Izoaei will also often gather in preparation for or in the wake of natural disasters, providing aid in an attempt to bind or banish hostile Izoaei and to shield Ouerea against their harm. Veneration of the Izoaei has spread from Ouerea, with colonists on various other Hegemony worlds practicing similar rituals in order to overcome hostile environments.

The Founders

The five Unathi who first set foot on Ouerea are viewed with immense respect by Ouerean civilization, often venerated as particularly revered ancestors - though they bear no blood relation to most modern Ouerean Unathi, they are ancestors in spirit to the modern-day colony. Historical sites often hold shrines to the Founders, and even non-Th’akh or even non-Unathi Ouereans will often leave offerings there in honor of the planet’s history.

Zuakza Izoki, Speaker of Thunder

Born to a prominent Heartland noble clan, Zuakza Izoki was a graduate of the Skalamar Academy of Natural Sciences and one of the foremost astronauts of the Izweski Space Program, having been part of one of the first crews on Izweski Station. When the Ouerean mission was planned, he was reportedly hand-picked by the Hegemon to command it as captain of the IHV Venture. Captain Izoki oversaw the initial establishment of what would become New Skalamar, and lived long enough to see humans and Skrell arrive on the planet. He was one of the founders of the New Skalamar Pioneers’ Seminary, and a statue of him adorns its gates in the modern day. He died of old age in late 2429, with a planetary day of mourning declared in his honor shortly afterwards.

His title as a spirit is “Speaker of Thunder” - either in honor of his commanding presence or as a joke from his surviving crewmates about how his way of speaking was extremely irritating over several months in a confined space together, depending on who one asks. He is venerated as a symbol of leadership, courage, and the pioneering spirit of Ouerea. His symbol is a stylized Unathi claw, reaching upwards to grasp at a distant star.

Kiuhi Ahuos, Watcher of the Dark

The pilot of the IHV Venture, Kiuhi Ahuos was a distinguished warrior from an Izweski air regiment stationed in the Southlands. As the Izweski Space Program grew, Ahuos found himself working as a test pilot on several of the program’s early missions. He was severely injured during a failed re-entry in the 2460s, which reportedly left him walking with a cane for the remainder of his life. Following the establishment of the Ouerean colony and first contact, he returned to Moghes with honor, continuing to work with the space program on various missions. His final mission was one that would go down in Unathi history, serving as a navigator on the IHRV Uezwik’s Hope - the Hegemony’s first attempt at creating a warp-capable spacecraft. When the warp calculations proved incorrect, Ahuos was killed along with the rest of the ship’s crew.

As a spirit, his title is “Watcher of the Dark”, in reference to his status as one of the Hegemony’s first space pilots. Ouereans working offworld, particularly on spaceships or as pilots, will often make offerings to him to protect them, as his spirit is believed to watch over all Unathi abroad in the vastness of space. His symbol is a black Unathi eye, filled with a field of stars.

Skiaei Sazs - Bearer of Flame

The ship’s engineer aboard the Venture, Skiaei Sazs was a guildsman of the Construction Coalition and one of the space program’s most talented engineers. The Venture itself was a Sazs design, and they were handpicked by Captain Izoki for the mission. Following planetfall, Sazs was responsible for the assembly of the initial colony site, and is believed by some to be the patron spirit of modern New Skalamar itself. Though well into their old age, Sazs was one of the founders of Hegeranzi Starworks, and reportedly turned down the position of guildmaster there several times before their death. Sazs was known to work closely with Hephaestus Industries, and was reportedly an influential mentor of Yukal T’zakal during his early days working with Hephaestus. They perished from old age in 2452, in their office aboard Hegeranzi Starworks.

As a spirit, their title is “Bearer of Flame”, in reference to their contributions to interstellar engineering. A shrine to Sazs adorns Hegeranzi Starworks today, and Ouerean engineers will frequently make offerings to their spirit to bless the success of a project. Their symbol is a trail of fire, stretching towards a field of stars.

Kseok Ssu, Witness of Life

Originally from a minor noble clan of S’th, Dr. Kseok Ssu was an accomplished biologist from the Skalamar University of Medicine long before she was chosen for the Ouerean mission. After her arrival on Ouerea, Dr. Ssu was responsible for cataloging thousands of new species native to the planet, as well as for the successful introduction of Moghresian plants and animals to the Ouerean biosphere. She is remembered as one of history’s greatest xenobiologists by Unathi even beyond Ouerea, and was granted the position of planetary chapter-master by the House of Medicine for her contributions to the sciences. She traveled extensively following first contact, studying human and Skrell advances in xenobiology for nearly thirty years and giving several guest lectures at human universities - acquiring a reputation as something of a daredevil researcher in interstellar academic circles. Kseok Ssu disappeared in 2438, only a year before the beginning of the Contact War, departing on an expedition to catalog the alien fauna of the Arusha sector. Her title as a spirit is “Witness of Life”, and she is frequently venerated by healers, academics, and explorers on Ouerea - particularly those seeking to study the planet’s ecosystem. Shrines to her can be found in most Ouerean universities, and it is a common practice among students to leave offerings there to improve their academic performance.

Olzahi Ekzur - Eye of Stone

The ship’s surveyor, Olzahi Ekzur was responsible for much of the initial exploration and surveying of Ouerea following planetfall. During her time as a researcher for the space program, she was responsible for the launch of several probes to Ouerea, and selected the initial landing site personally. Following planetfall, she engaged in extensive study of the area surrounding the landing site, and much of the layout of New Skalamar today is based on her initial blueprints. Ekzur spearheaded much of the initial exploration of Ouerea, and spent a large amount of her time at the Sahhat Geographical Research Complex with visiting Skrell scientists, reportedly fascinated by their culture and advancements. Ekzur’s methodologies for planetary colonization were rapidly adopted, and have since become standard practice by Hegemony colonists throughout the Spur. In 2441, Ekzur was killed in a storm on the Azareazi Sea as part of an ongoing polar expedition. Survivors of the wreck reported that she refused to leave her research or her crew, and returned to the sinking ship several times in order to recover more.

As a spirit, her title is “Eye of Stone”, in reference to her blunt and unemotional demeanor, as well as her contributions to the field of geology. She is viewed as the patron spirit of explorers, scientists, and all those who seek to wander beyond the horizons of the known. Ouerean exploration and research programs often consecrate their missions in her name. Her symbol is a silhouetted Unathi figure, walking towards a stylized horizon.

Humans on Ouerea

History

Shortly after first contact in 2403, human settlement of Ouerea began. The humans of Ouerea came in two waves - the first were largely Sol Alliance military personnel, who were permitted to construct several bases and refueling stations on the planet in exchange for Solarian assistance in furthering the Izweski space program. The second and far larger wave was driven by the human megacorporations, with many of them acquiring generous contracts for development of the Ouerean colony. Hephaestus and NanoTrasen were the two largest investors in Ouerean development, though Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals had several research facilities to study the myriad of new organisms found on both Moghes and Ouerea, and Einstein Engines were contracted to assist in the development of warp technology by the Izweski. The vast majority of these workers came from Solarian space, particularly from planets with limited economic opportunity. Ouerea was advertised to Hephaestus and NanoTrasen employees in particular as a land of opportunity and discovery, with many being shipped directly to the planet to assist in its settlement.

Due to the megacorporate contracts, humans had more contact with Unathi than the initial Skrell settlers, with corporate habitation buildings often being constructed near existing settlements for ease of work. The two groups were far from integrated, however, with distrust of aliens still being heavily present among the Unathi of Ouerea. Sentiment was common in the early days that the human presence on Ouerea was just an alien attempt to take control of an Unathi achievement, especially given the Solarian military bases built on the planet. Humans in this time often found themselves forming their own insular communities rather than integrating with the Unathi ones present.

With the outbreak of the Contact War, the Izweski were unable to govern the colony. The Sol Alliance, alongside the Nralakk Federation, drafted legislation for a temporary provisional government to administrate the colony due to the large human and Skrell populations. After negotiation with local Unathi, the democratic structure of Ouerean society was created, modeled extensively on human society. Largely, the Alliance was hands-off with regards to the administration of Ouerea compared to the Federation, content to observe and to intervene if the situation ever required it. Over this period, human, Skrell, and Unathi communities grew closer as settlements grew larger, with the unique cosmopolitan culture of Ouerea beginning to take root.

Most of the humans settling on Ouerea had had little contact with alien life prior to their settlement, but began to see the benefits of cross-species cooperation. Under the provisional government, the humans of Ouerea came to work closer with their Skrell and Unathi partners, with many of them having come to see Ouerea as their new home since the initial human arrival on the planet. At this point, the human community of Ouerea had been living on the planet for decades, and the idea of an independent Ouerean nation had begun to take root among them - particularly upon witnessing the successful secession of the Republic of Biesel. This idea would be crushed in 2457, when Hegemon S’kresti demanded that Sol and Nralakk return Ouerea to the Hegemony, and the feudal system was imposed on the colonists.

Many humans departed with the Alliance ships, including almost all of the active Solarian government and military personnel on the planet. Those who remained found themselves thrust into an alien model of society, with many of the rights and freedoms they had taken for granted stripped from them by foreign lords. The humans of Ouerea chafed under the Hegemony’s yoke from the beginning, and were near-universally supporters of throwing these foreign overlords from the world which had become their home. When the Revolution finally came, the human population was instrumental in its organization, taking inspiration from hundreds of similar revolutionary movements throughout their own history.

With the Revolution’s victory, the troubles of the Ouerean human community did not end - though the Synod was reestablished, only Unathi were permitted by the Hegemon to hold seats on it, with Skrell being granted observer status due to fear of angering the Nralakk Federation. The human population, however, was largely ignored by the Izweski, which has fueled lingering resentment, and demands for representation have grown louder and louder as the expansion of Hephaestus Industries has driven a wedge between Ouerea and Moghes.

Life & Culture

The human population of Ouerea came from a wide range of origins within the Sol Alliance, with the vast majority of them being shipped in by megacorporations as workers. Many of those who signed up for long-term work on Ouerea came from the Middle Colonies or particularly disadvantaged Inner Ring worlds, seeking new opportunities on an untouched and alien world. Though it has been over sixty years since the first humans arrived on Ouerea, many of the modern population retain strong ties to their homes in whatever way they can, with human communities often tending to be enclaves of a specific culture.

Despite their strong ties to their home cultures, Ouerean humans tend to feel more strongly that Ouerea is their home than their Skrell countrymen - while sixty years is not a short time, it is far longer for humans than for Skrell, with the humans who have lived on the planet for decades often viewing Ouerea as the project that they have given much of their life to. This attitude is even stronger among the generation of humans actually born on Ouerea, most of whom have never known another homeworld.

Humans on Ouerea are often ignored by the Hegemony - while the Skrell have the looming shadow of the Nralakk Federation granting them a measure of political influence, the planet’s human community has little in the way of leverage to gain more representation within the Synod - despite several protests in human communities since the revolution. Since the withdrawal of most megacorporations from Ouerea, humans often had difficulty finding work as the Hegemony’s guilds moved in - with many of them exclusively hiring Unathi, or only hiring humans into underpaid and difficult positions. Though this practice stopped with the Hephaestus acquisition of the guilds, most humans on Ouerea still prefer to patronize Ouerean-run or specifically human-run businesses where possible.

One thing that the diverse human population of Ouerea tends to have in common is an independent attitude, often perceived as being to the point of stubbornness by other humans. The initial human arrivals on Ouerea viewed themselves as pioneers, an attitude which many of the Unathi colonists shared, and the ideals of self-reliance and independence from foreign authority remain a cultural touchstone of Ouerean humanity. In addition to the common Ouerean distaste for the Hegemony, Ouerean humans tend to have a negative opinion of other human governments - particularly those with roots on planets which had a rocky relationship with the Alliance.


Notable Human Enclaves

Ouerea is home to many humans from a wide range of planets across the Orion Spur. Many of the human immigrants to Ouerea, particularly among the initial arrivals, found themselves living primarily among other humans from similar backgrounds, forming cultural enclaves on the planet. Thousands of these enclaves are dotted across Ouerea, from hundreds of worlds across Solarian space - but a few of them are particularly large, well-known, or influential. Mostly, these enclaves were founded by megacorporate workers in the initial arrival of humanity on Ouerea, with some of them having stood for decades.

New Olympia, Tr’ha’rem: Initially built around Hephaestus Industries employee housing, the district of Tr’ha’rem known as New Olympia was home to a large number of Martian workers employed by the megacorporation, and housed in Tr’ha’rem due to its more moderate climate for humans. Many of these humans worked on the Tr’ha’rem docks, and helped to cement the city’s status as a major port on Ouerea’s seas. The people of New Olympia tend to view Hephaestus favorably and have bitter feelings towards the Solarian Alliance, which were only amplified by the Violet Dawn disaster of 2462. Though many of them have not seen Mars in decades, if at all, they still consider themselves as Martian as they are Ouerean, and many of the locals have donated extensively to relief efforts following the disaster. During the early days of the Ouerean Revolution, New Olympia was home to some of the fiercest human opposition to the Hegemony, with many of its population using their positions in the shipping industry to smuggle arms and supplies to their fellow revolutionaries.

New Olympia is one of the largest human enclaves on Ouerea, and is often viewed as a center of human politics on the planet. Several protests demanding greater human representation in the Synod have been held in the streets of Tr’ha’rem, and the Martian population is known to be a significant voting bloc in local politics. New Olympia is also known to play a key role in Ouerean smuggling rings - an issue which local law enforcement seems content to ignore, with many residents both human and Unathi preferring the status quo. The humans of New Olympia are largely supporters of either Revolution’s Heirs or the Warriors of Liberty, with the ideals of the Ouerean Revolution being firmly held among the locals. Due to the general distaste for the Sol Alliance, support for the Restorationists is almost nonexistent here.

Giai Phong, Um’a’yid: The district of Giai Phong in Um’a’yid is home to a large number of New Hai Phongese immigrants, initially brought in to aid in the city’s construction by Hephaestus Industries. As the Unathi-dominated Fishing League gained more power in the city, many of the local humans found themselves working tedious and underpaid jobs in the city’s fishing industry, as Hephaestus’s presence in the city diminished. Though Hephaestus’s acquisition of the Fishing League led to the corporation’s return, the corporation’s actions both on Ouerea and on New Hai Phong had done little to win friends among the people of Giai Phong. The district in the modern day is a hotbed of anti-corporate politics on Ouerea, with many of the locals seeing Hephaestus’s growing presence on the planet as a path leading to the rampant corruption and environmental devastation of their homeworld.

Rumored connections between local Giai Phong activists and more radical anti-corporate groups such as the Aut’akh or even the Champions of Moghes is often raised by pro-corporate politicians - but so far, these accusations remain baseless. Many Giai Phong locals fought during the Revolution, most notably being responsible for capturing the ruling lord of Um’a’yid during the initial period of fighting. The humans of Giai Phong are divided between support for the Warriors of Liberty and Restorationists, with the latter forming a small yet noteworthy minority.

Meonbada, New Skalamar: The district of Meonbada in New Skalamar is home to a large number of Konyanger expatriates, initially established as housing for Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals employees. Meonbada served as Zeng-Hu’s planetary headquarters prior to the megacorporation’s withdrawal from the Hegemony, and was home to several xenobiological research laboratories which coordinated most of the planet’s study of the countless new species found in Ouerea’s environment. When Zeng-Hu withdrew from the Hegemony, Meonbada was harshly impacted, with many of the skilled professionals in the district suddenly losing their jobs with the corporation. Some turned to criminal activities, with several now-abandoned facilities turned into drug labs, while others departed the increasingly worsening district for better opportunities elsewhere. Meonbada served as a hotbed of revolutionary activity during the uprising, with Yiztek troops attempting to storm the district in search of rebel leaders and being repelled by locals.

After the Revolution concluded, and the Ouerean Confederation was re-established, the new planetary government began to resume the exploration and research of Ouerea which had stalled under feudal rule. Many of the former Zeng-Hu employees who had stayed in Meonbada suddenly found themselves offered new positions in similar fields to their previous ones. In 2463, the Synod began to invest heavily in cleaning up Meonbada - driving out the criminal activity in the district and repurposing it into a center of scientific research on the planet. The former Zeng-Hu administrative center was reopened, and rapidly became the beating heart of the government’s studies of their homeworld. In the modern day, Meonbada is an odd slice of Konyang transplanted, a district which would not look out of place in Suwon or New Hong Kong. The district remains majority human, though the research industry there has led to growing Unathi and Skrell populations. The humans of Meonbada are largely Revolution’s Heirs voters, with a small bloc of support for the Ouerean Independence Movement - the current status quo has improved the lot of the locals enormously, and most would prefer to preserve it.

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