Category: Event

#Lore 24 – Entry #107 – Sci-Fi Month II #16 – UEF-04, Maharani Morgiana, Launching!

Special Announcement!  For Immediate Release!

From the observation deck of the Maharani Morgiana, Seiko Kajira reporting.

Today marks an important moment for the United Expeditionary Force as we announce the official launch of the Fourth Demon Sector Expeditionary Fleet, led by its mothership, the mega-carrier Maharani Morgiana, herself captained by the venerable Durgen Silvercask.  Spearheaded by the joint efforts of the Veylani-Varmyrl Transport Corporation, Aurum Associates Amalgamated, Fizzlesprocket Microelectronics, and the many other members of the Aphelion Station Council, this mission has become the single largest expedition into the Demon Sector to date.  Bound for the distant Marchosias system, the journey is expected to take some five years at least, likely longer depending on what amazing discoveries are made along the way.

The Morgiana herself has been expanded to over 7500 meters in length and is capable of transporting an unbelievable amount of personnel and material within her many modular compartments and has all the manufacturing and production ability to create practically anything they could need while on their journey; certainly handy when the nearest support will be many lightyears away!  Not venturing into the deep dark alone, she is accompanied by multiple support vessels and a fleet of smaller research ships drawn from across known space, a mix of private and corporate-owned vessels representing the best of the best.  Supporting her already formidable defenses are no less than six starfighter squadrons, half a dozen battlecruisers, two heavy cruisers, and multiple smaller military vessels, including the venerable and decorated battlecruiser Obstinate Phoenix.  Remarkably, the Morgiana herself can carry ALL of these capital-class vessels through hyperspace, docked to an outer framework in a first of its kind advance that will surely become a standard of long-range space travel in years to come.

Countless groups are represented aboard the Morgiana in a combined effort to provide a diverse and varied wealth of experience, skills, and magical talents that will see that this journey is the most successful to date.  Their goals will be to learn all that can be learned about the Marchosias system, trailblazing routes through space on their way there, while opening the possibilities for countess resource mining operations, long-range colonies, and the spread of faiths to regions once believed unreachable.  Truly this will be a new historic milestone as we expand deeper and deeper into the Demon Sector.

May fortune favor the bold, and may the gods bless and protect our brave explorers in this momentous endeavor!

For further information on this incredible expedition and the many companies and groups sponsoring it, refer to the links below.  Be sure to keep an eye on our continuing coverage for the latest and greatest news and stories from the voyage, from the edge of the frontier itself with the Most Trusted Name in Galactic News from your favorite reporter, Seiko Kajira!  Until next time!

#Lore 24 – Entry #99 – Sci-Fi Month II #8 – First Contact

 

From the Personal Journal of Primula Tallfoot, Arcane Support Division Head, assigned UEF-04 Maharani Morgiana

On the one hand, I can’t stand Mizutani; he picked up all the worst qualities of the little rich twats at that fancy Academy he went to on Andyllion and is just shy of being a complete airhead; maybe he should’ve gone through the reversion process to regain his manhood, or at least a little of it?  He’s been late every day so far, can’t seem to get himself familiar with the ship at all, and apparently hasn’t figured out he could just create a homing ward in his office to follow.  On the other hand, though…at least he’s easy on the eyes, and he is so much fun to bully; I’m starting to think he does things on purpose to hear me dress him down.  Might have to see just how far I can push him; wonder if he’d do better wearing another cock-cage to improve his focus? Maybe he’d like to go back to playing the maid?  I like the idea of a personal assistant, actually, especially one that gets off on me treating him like dirt.  These boots of mine could use some spit-shine, after all.  Oh yeah, he’s totally into it, no question.  Well, I can work with that.

Anyway, at least he’s not a complete idiot, and actually started a halfway interesting conversation today when the Knowledge Seekers of Goldeneyes showed up to introduce themselves.  We’ll be working with them quite a bit during this expedition, especially when we discover any sort of ruins or relics to study.  “First Contact” isn’t something I’ve cared to think about much on this trip.  I can count on one hand and have fingers left over how many “alien” species we’ve encountered thus far, and it comes back slimy; never could stomach those shokushu-juu.  It’s not going to be aliens we come across, it’s going to be other societies that have either advanced on par with our own, have advanced beyond ours, or are lagging behind, maybe only to a pre-industrial level, maybe even a primitive level. 

It’s no question that multiple worlds we’ve discovered thus far have followed this pattern, indicating that societal transference between worlds happened long ago.  Architectural styles, cultural behaviors, magical processes, deities, pretty much everything has spread in one way or another, and can be traced back to other worlds.  Andyllion would seem to be one of the major hubs of this expansion, likely stemming from the Great Cataclysm that occurred there several thousand years ago; the societies weren’t consumed by the upheaval, they just got the hell out of there.  Planar travel was a lot more common in those days, when magic was vastly more powerful, and a few historical records still exist indicating that certain peoples came from other worlds, through the interconnecting planes.

Then there’s the Draconic Migration theory.  All those ancient ruins, from those on the Dragon Isles of Andyllion to the ones discovered in the Valefar system last year, may as well have been created by the exact same society.  Hundreds of examples across explored space support this.  Maybe the big lizards were hiding out in the Demon Sector all along?  There are some indications from extreme long-range scans that a greatly advanced society still exists in the central area of the region, in the sectors in and around the system that has been named Bael, but as unreliable as sensor data is on this side of the Barrier, I’ll believe it when I see it.  Given the distance, I’ll probably never see it unless we find a portal or teleportation circle that still functions and links into that region, but stranger things have happened.

But what if we encounter an actual alien race, the conversation persisted.  I don’t see why there was even a debate; it’s going one of two ways.  Either they’re peaceful and strike up a conversation with us and join our little excursion, or they’re hostile, see us as a threat, and attack, in which case we attack right back with overwhelming force.  Now, sure, maybe they’re just so advanced that our tech and magic won’t have any effect at all, in which case we’re probably fucked, but it won’t be for lack of trying.  They wouldn’t have sent us out packing this much firepower if they weren’t expecting trouble, would they?

I called a halt to the conversation when it got ridiculous and started drifting off into the existence of elder beings and creatures too alien for our puny little minds to comprehend.  Mizutani was getting all worked up and imagining nameless horrors from beyond the stars, and I can’t have that kind of silliness in my department.  Definitely going to have to have another discussion with him in the morning; maybe I’ll make a quick visit to the Yurisayans about that dick cage after all, add a little magical enhancements for my own amusement…

 

 

#Lore24 – Entry #86 – Fantasy Month #26 – The Wolf Princess of Kenbakku Wood

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

I wonder if Mother has been considering attending this year’s celebration, perhaps?  While I wouldn’t mind the opportunity to see the festivities, I certainly won’t be the one volunteering (or volunteered!) to be the titular princess.  Fortunately, the position is chosen long before the celebration begins, as I understand, due to the extremely physical nature of the honored position.

The story of the Wolf Princess of Kenbakku Wood is rather ancient, dating to a period in which the region of Agreacian, in which the titular woods lie, was not yet part of the Empire.  The tale revolves around the guardians of the Kenbakku Wood, a mixture of druids and rangers, human, elven, and otherwise, who have seen their sacred woods encroached upon by order of the Princess Lupania, who had been given authority to develop part of the region as she saw fit.  Though efforts to stop this desecration were initially peaceful, when Lupania proved that she would not be convinced to stop her plans to level a section of the woods, more drastic steps were taken.

In a bold maneuver, the Protectors of the Wood kidnapped Princess Lupania and brought her into the very heart of Kenbakku, where their sacred stone circle lay amongst the massive trees, and enacted their revenge upon the Princess, sealing her within a special wolf-hide costume that would grant her a more lupine nature, though still possessed of her own identity and (mostly) human form, albeit with some severe restrictions to her movements, at least initially as she struggled to adapt to her new situation.  She was then given a head start, after which the Protectors would begin hunting her; all she had to do to escape her trapped and animalistic state was to escape the wood on the edge of her realm, after which all pursuit would end and she would be free to do as she would, likely leading to a war against the people of the Wood. 

What followed was a frantic rush through the strange and unfamiliar forest, in which Princess Lupania struggled to come to terms with the strange suit which trapped her while trying to evade the seasoned hunters.  She would soon learn that she had an additional ability, specifically to understand the speech of the animals of the forest.  Though in the form of a predator, many of the woodland creatures sensed something different about her, and she was able to convince them to aid her in her flight.  Though many dangers lay ahead and the hunters were all around, Lupania, with the aid of newfound friends of the wood, managed to escape, and as promised, the wolf suit fell away, returning her to her normal state, though with a drastically changed perspective.  She would no longer seek to ravage the woods for expanding her kingdom, rather, having learned more of the nature of the forest than she could previously have imagined, she instead came to terms with the Protectors, and aided them with their task of protecting the sacred land.  She would even return to the woods frequently, even learning the druidic ways of changing her shape to that of a wolf when she did so, becoming as one with the flora and fauna.  It is said that her spirit still roams the Kenbakku Wood to this day, still in the form of a majestic wolf, encountered rarely by those traversing the forest, aiding those who respect the Wood, and hunting those who would seek to harm it.

The annual celebration commemorating this story, while mostly a local festival, has garnered some attention from the outside world, growing in popularity.  In the centuries since the original story supposedly took place, the festival has evolved and now centers around the Flight of the Wolf Princess, in which the chosen woman is sealed inside a suit similar to the one Lupania wore, and the escape through the is reenacted, the story retold through a much shorter section of the woods.  Once the ceremonial Princess has escaped, the festivities begin in earnest, lasting through the three nights in which both of Andyllion’s moons are at their fullest.  The Wolf Princess returns to wearing her lupine guise each night following the initial retelling of the story, ever present throughout the festivities, and supposedly the spirit of the original Wolf Princess appears on occasion, perhaps even possessing the ceremonial princess on even more rare occasions. 

#Lore24 – Entry #67 – Fantasy Month #7 – The Res’Taringal Rebellion

 

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos:

 

A broad topic, conspiracy, but I suppose I should give my thoughts on the most recent, most prominent example of such a thing.  I’m hardly an investigator, and I’m certainly not one for gossip, but there have been dozens passing through town and the library who have spoken of this, and when the Emperor’s officials are putting out decrees about the official version of events that run counter to what has come through whispered tales, then it certainly seems that a conspiracy is afoot.  Or perhaps, was, in this case.

Though the Emperor has decreed that none shall utter the name, for the entirety of the offending house has been…dissolved…and the matter settled, never to be spoken of again, the Library has already recorded many statements on what could be called the “Res’Taringal Rebellion”, several by my own hand.  All is not well within the Empire, it seems, and the fact that a powerful house was able to garner enough support to actually launch a serious rebellion speaks volumes unto itself. 

Though the truest nature of the Res’Taringal Rebellion has already become distorted through Imperial propaganda and faulty memories of those who heard the story second hand (at best), some details can be safely assumed to be true, based on historical precedent:

  • Located within the province of Hadria Augustus (which, due to its geography and available resources, made an excellent place to launch such a rebellion), House Res’Taringal had the clout to offer some opposition to the Emperor.  Well respected within the Senate, established through centuries of dedication to the Empire, trained in both military operations and political intrigues, and keenly aware of the rumblings of discontent, Victor and Vanessa Res’Taringal were perhaps the most suited to such a task.
  • In spite of the various groups supporting them, the Rebellion as a whole remained mostly an underground movement, as none would dare to oppose the Emperor openly, at least not in a way such as this. Disagreements over policy and debate on various topics are expected, but nothing on this scale.  One could rather safely assume that this Rebellion, though well planned, struck before the proper foundations had settled.  Were the Res’Taringals too ambitious, or did other factors force them to move too soon?
  • Fought in the name of Kerryn independence, and with great ambitions for a renewed and stronger, more compassionate Empire, the Rebellion, in my opinion, was doomed to fail from the start. The Emperor and his line have not maintained their grip on power for so long without good reason.  His resources are basically impossible tot match, and he has a firm grip on not only the general populace, but also several outlying powers, most prominently the orcs of the Badaxe clan.  Furthermore, the Res’Taringals failed to stir up the kerryns themselves; though they may have perhaps meant well, the kerryns must want to be free, and until that desire is sparked within them, it simply will not happen.  What would the point be, and how would the kerryns possibly understand how to even live with freedom when they have not done so for over two millennia now?  It will take a unifying figure, I think, from within the kerryn population itself, strong of will and personality, with great power, to break the chains binding their spirits. 

I imagine that it will be some time before another rebellion of this scale is tried, perhaps centuries.  The Res’Taringal name has been stricken from all records, their holdings dissolved amongst the loyal followers of the Emperor, and their line removed from existence, the leaders executed within the capital prisons.  Perhaps Felaria will live to see it, but I suspect I’ll have long been gone by then, the gods willing I live to see a ripe old age.

 

 

LORE24 ENTRY #28 – 1st Annual Aphelion Station Grand Ball

Category – Event

A year after the massively successful creation of Aphelion Station on the far side of the Demon Barrier, the alliance of corporations that funded and created the ever-expanding station, led by Veylani Transport, held a massive gala event to celebrate the occasion, showing that they were not worried in the least about the rumors of poor planning, dangerous working conditions, and sabotage that swirled about the entire operation.  Veylani Transport’s head, Releana Veylani, was widely known to be attending the event herself to further bolster confidence in the operation that she had so vehemently pursued.

The Grand Ball itself was open by invitation only, and these were extended mostly to representatives of corporations, governments, and other powerful groups, with a healthy mix of celebrities and entertainers.  Perhaps in honor of the wild frontier that had been opened, the event was a costume party with an animal theme, and as one might expect of the rich and powerful, there was plenty of alcohol-fueled debauchery to be found, with many of the attendees showing up in racy, fetish-heavy costume designs with plenty of leather and latex to be seen amidst this highly BDSM-themed event, which supposedly had the blessing of Yurisaya herself.

The event did not go off without unplanned excitement, though.  The famous orc artist, known only as Rhoghor, and known for his appropriately kinky masterpiece paintings, had been brought in to reveal his most recent collection that he had created, known as the “Visages of the Starway Maiden”.  According to him, he had been inspired the moment Lila Darius had penetrated the Demon Barrier and laid open the Demon Sector, and had spent the previous year working on his masterpieces.  When the paintings were revealed, they showed a beautiful blond human woman, either nude or scantly clad, in various states of restraint, but always with her back visible, for upon her back was a brilliant tattoo of a copper-scaled dragon, its eyes seemingly glowing with an unnatural intensity as they followed the viewer, the dragon’s body seeming to move of its own accord.  The reaction of the crowd was immediately positive, though for whatever reason, the representative from DSM, one Saida Entoris of the Arcane Research and Development group, caused a stir following the reveal as she and her bodyguard attempted to detain Rhoghor, though further chaos seemed to erupt at this very moment, leading to a wild finish for the event.

Still, by all accounts, the ball was mostly a success, and those involved are looking forward to the next one, already making plans for something that will be even more memorable. 

 

LORE24 ENTRY #18 – The UCSD-0001 Incident

Category – Event

A demonstration of power by the megacorp DSM, the UCSD-0001 incident, more commonly known as the Ruvale Blockade outside the official channels, was a show of force by the company, proving that they had the resources and manpower to quickly and efficiently blockade an entire planet in order to secure stolen corporate resources and capture those responsible.  Officially, this demonstration/training exercise went off with only minor issues, the largest of which being a chemical spill aboard one of DSM’s cruisers that resulted in significant damage to the ship’s hangar, and the actual blockade was was fully enforced, tested, and released within 72-hours.  The response of the local populace was stated to be “negative and vocal, but overall insignificant” regarding the inconvenience.

Unofficially, there was much more to the blockade, all of it revolving around the discovery of a relic of unknown origin by a mining company working upon one of more distant planets in the Ruvale system, their corporate headquarters based on Ruvale itself.  The object, listed as “Unknown Crystalline Storage Device – 0001” in company records, was roughly spherical in shape, and only about an inch in diameter.  Within the red-colored gemstone, which was as hard as diamond, were microscopic symbols that were determined to be of an ancient Draconic language; the object itself radiated magic energy.  All attempts at reading the data within the device were unsuccessful, and the mining company reached out to other groups for assistance in deciphering the data contained within the object.

This search for an arcanist put the compnay, and UCSD-0001 on DSM’s radar.  Once DSM had attained knowledge of this relic, their CEO, Rivalle Volcari, immediately initiated hostile takeover procedure of the mining company.  Within two weeks, the company was part of DSM, but its former CEO had gone missing, along with UCSD-0001, just before the final steps were completed.  Moving with remarkable swiftness, having confirmed that the object had yet to leave Ruvale, DSM initiated further measures to fully blockade the planet and secure the object.  The relic had been confirmed to have been taken by the former CEO, and had then been stolen by a third party.  A fast-response security team was dispatched to Ruvale to secure the relic, but the thieves managed to fight their way through the security team and subsequently disappeared.

Initially, a massive manhunt was started locally, with the capitol city, Radermere, being locked down by local law enforcement, working with DSM’s operatives.  Within forty-eight hours, having yielded no results, DSM green-lit the planetary blockade to secure the relic, and their nearest ships were pulled off their assignments and redirected to Ruvale, with others following within a handful of hours.  Hackers intercepted encoded corporate transmissions, however, and word was able to spread on Ruvale of the coming blockade.  Those in the know began preparations to leave the system immediately and spread the word to everyone who would listen.  As it would turn out, the thieves responsible for stealing UCSD-0001 were more resourceful than DSM could have imagined, and were able to smuggle themselves and the relic off-world during the mass exodus of ships that were leaving the planet as the first of DSM’s fleet arrived.

 

LORE24 ENTRY #8 – The Pteravilla Stalker Incident

Category – Event

In the months following the latest border dispute, after the hostilities had died down and peace had been restored, the scout ship Pteravilla Stalker was on a run of the mill patrol through the restricted area between the formerly feuding sectors, when their sensors picked up an unidentified ship, though the sensor readings were not conclusive, indicating some form of active jamming.  As the small scout ship approached the vessel, the bogey answered none of their communications, nor did it react at all to their approach.  The sensor readings were still not revealing much in the way of details of the ship, only that it resembled a stock DSM cargo ship, one of their “flying skyscraper” designs that showed all the hallmarks of the corporation’s lack of interesting design features.

According to the official report, filed by Captain Maerril following the incident, visual inspection confirmed that the ship showed no signs of damage, and power readings were still inconclusive due to what appeared to be a sensor dampening coating over the ship’s hull.  The vessel’s ID code was obtained and a search ran through the available databases, but no matches were found, and the search inquiry with DSM for registration information was lost in the midst of their vast bureaucracy.  Per the Captain (and with corroborating accounts from other surviving crewmembers), the Stalker‘s first officer, Shi Sukimori, insisted upon leading a small team into the mystery ship to determine the nature of the vessel.  Against the Captain’s better judgement, he was convinced by the commander to allow the mission.  With Sukimori in command, the boarding party consisted of the Stalker‘s co-pilot Kaylee Serra, technical officer Hilde Fireforge, medical officer Briar Azalvia, and the scout Murissa Fer’Ragnarra.

Communications were spotty once the team had boarded, and it is the Captain’s opinion that a properly thorough search was not performed.  Soon, and against Captain Maerril’s orders, Sukimori initiated the startup sequence for the mystery vessel, which resulted in a sudden power surge through the ship’s main power core which resulted in a catastrophic failure and subsequent explosion that heavily damaged the Pteravilla Stalker and resulted in the death of multiple crew members.  The crewmembers who managed to reach the escape pods and who survived the explosion were eventually picked up by another military vessel that had been dispatched to assist with the investigation.  Captain Maerill has admitted to bad judgement in this matter and has since resigned his commission, and is now employed in the private sector, as are the other survivors.  The members of the boarding party have been listed amongst the lost crew, but have been posthumously dishonorably discharged.  

The truth of the matter, however, is something else entirely.