The Universe

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WHEN HOPE IS THE ONLY THING LEF T.

THE UNIVERSE OF FAITH

In all places where life can exist, it will exist.
The known Universe consists of a few hundred habitable
planets where six species intelligent enough to develop civilizations have met. There are thousands of other species
with some level of self awareness or even metacognition,
and the total number of known species is innumerable, as
species evolve and become extinct constantly.
While about 80% of the discovered animal species
breathe oxygen and 99.9% have an organic carbon-based
chemistry, scientists do not dare set limits to the life forms
that could exist. One of the main reasons why more different life forms have not been discovered is that most of the
research and exploration is limited to planets where the
intelligent species can survive. However, some exploratory
missions on deep gas giants have yielded the discovery of
virus-like forms that are not composed of carbon.

The fine line between the living and the lifeless is perhaps
an arbitrary concept. It has been completely redefined with
the invention of extremely capable artificial intelligences
and the discovery of the strange new viruses. Every expedition through an unexplored wormhole is a new experience,
leaving exploration teams wondering what they will find
or who they will meet. It is a certainty that there are more
species to be discovered, but no one knows if they will be
friend or foe.
The Universe is still a thing of wonder: a place of which
very little is known, and the capacity to traverse it is
very limited. But the existence of the Labyrinth, a natural
network of wormholes connecting thousands of star
systems, makes it possible for the species of the Universe
to traverse it within their lifetimes.
Many theorise about the relation between the Labyrinth

Already on the ship, Sandra read the pamphlet again. It

promised a new beginning.

They could feel the solidity of the air between them

wherever they would go. When they had lunch together, in
the distance between her sofa and his armchair, between his
desk and hers. Even at night, they would only enter their bed
through opposite sides.

But she wasnt so sure. Sandra saw the wormhole through

the monitor. She felt as though the same pressure that
crushed the dust specks that came to realise the whole of
the Universe now took hold of her own heart. The promise
of an unexplored wormhole could take her to a place so far
away that it was possible that the light of her native star had
not yet reached it.

Sandra could feel on her skin the icy touch of the mass
that separated them.
Their voices entered through it, but they arrived distorted
and empty. They became like the sound of voices of long lost
friends in distant memories, but so distant that they became
unrecognisable and like figments of imagination. Sandra
always answered gently, but she could never remember
what they actually said.
She was waiting. Routine would drag out each little task
and make distant the memories of the past. It was only when
a colony ship arrived at their planet did she realise that ten
whole years had gone by - and that she didnt know what she
had been waiting for. It certainly wasnt that ship, but she
decided to get on it anyway.
He cried, for two reasons: to make her feel something
about leaving him, and to remind her that there was once
something between them that had been worth it. They didnt
blame anything on the other. It would have been easier if she
could hate him, but he didnt deserve to be hated.

The man that was sitting next to her encouraged her: they
were going to make history. Perhaps they would discover
worlds where other creatures shared their vision of life. Or
maybe planets where the soil was so fertile that there was
no need to cultivate.
Sandra smiled at the enthusiasm of the stranger that
shared with her his conviction.
But in an instant, the wormhole swallowed them whole.
Their ship never made it back. And the ship sent after them
never returned either. It was determined that the wormholes
exit was unsafe and any rescue was abandoned. A committee determined that it probably exited too close to a sun, but
in reality, they had no idea.
Jack never married again. He lived the rest of his life in the
house he had shared with her. And at times, he could still feel
the space between the two.

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The empty space between the two seemed to have the

consistency of stone.

The Universe

As the newest models of spaceships extend the range

and speed of space travel, and increased energy needs necessitate more exploration, contact with strange life forms

and new worlds will undoubtedly become more common.

There are well-founded interests in exploring and harvesting resources from such fascinating places.

and the Gods. Some say the Gods live inside it, others
that Gods are space-time itself and wormholes are the
tool they use to bring their believers together. Nothing is
yet proven, and while scientists disregard most of these
popular theories, no one can explain why the Labyrinth
leads to so many star systems with habitable planets and
sentient species, despite the majority of the Universe being
so vastly empty.

The Universe

LIFE IN SPACE

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Vacuum causes the lungs to remove all gases from the

bloodstream, which results in loss of consciousness within
9 to 12 seconds due to lack of oxygen in the brain. Death by
hypoxia (lack of oxygen irrigation in tissues) follows after a
couple of minutes. Exposed body fluids like saliva and tears
instantly boil at body temperature, and the steam from
other body fluids bloats the body to twice its normal size.
Spacesuits often include compression bands that prevent
these symptoms even in an event of suit decompression, but then the body has to deal with other issues like
embolism and decompression sickness, which can cause
crippling pain and even death.
Congelation is not a pressing danger due to the low rate
of heat loss in space, although harmless frost may appear
around the mouth, eyes and other areas with exposed
fluids. On the other hand, radiation does present a real
threat, with symptoms ranging from severe sunburn in a
few seconds of exposure and temporary damages to the
immune system to all sorts of cancer after long term
exposure, unless using proper electromagnetic shielding or
taking appropriate drugs.
Solar flare events may even prove fatal within minutes,
and even when it is not so, the reappearance of older
diseases already present in the body may prove equally
lethal in the long term unless treated accordingly.
Weightlessness has many different effects on a living
body. The most severe, long lasting effects are bone and
muscle mass loss; and short term effects include disorientation, nausea, and a wide array of distorted sensorial
perception including smell, taste and vision.

few seats in front of an empty wall, with each seat having

a cortex connection at the height of the neck. It is here that
the pilots are able to connect themselves to the ship, and
become part of the ship itself.
Spacecraft pilots do not need to read or see pertinent
information, in the normal sense. They innately know and
learn the information, like memories, as it uploads to their
minds in real time. As events occur, the pilots are made
aware and, within milliseconds, the semi-AI of the ship
uploads relevant data from its memory banks directly to
their minds, such as situational solutions for the pilots to
process. In this heightened state of mind, pilots are able
to process and make decisions reflexively. The spacecraft
becomes an extension of their body.

WORMHOLES

SPACECRAFTS

Wormholes are massive distortions in the space-time

continuum, resembling giant spheres. They bend spacetime in strange ways that allow matter to go through them
and travel to another corner of the Universe. The duration
of travel could be shorter (or longer) than the time it would
take an object to travel between the two points via standard
methods, even if it could reach the speed of light. Consequently, a wormhole has a weak anti-gravitational field,
pushing away matter rather than pulling it in.

The control rooms of spaceships are not visually impressive. There are not thousands of bleeping lights and
buttons. There are not countless screens and dozens of
workspaces for each specialist. Generally, there are only a

The theory of general relativity states that nothing can

exceed the speed of light, and so far this remains true for
all the known species. Wormholes allow spaceships to circumvent this rule by forming a path between two locations

There are ways to reduce the impact of most effects associated to living in space thanks to the development of 0-G
pills, but a comprehensive list of all their side effects is yet
to be made available to the general public and some groups
have raised their concerns about the safety of such drugs.

that is shorter than the path outside of the wormhole. It

was once believed that they could not be found naturally,
but this has since been proved wrong.
While wormholes have been proven extremely useful for
space travel (in fact they are the only known form of travel
between star systems within the lifespan of a traveller),
they can be very dangerous environments. The twisted
space-time and the echo effect can cause an inexperienced
traveller to become lost, or end up in unexpected places.
In addition, and perhaps more importantly, a wormhole
is not constant in space. Its size can expand and shrink, its
length can vary, and its mouths (entrance and exit) can
move in space. A wormhole may close upon itself unexpectedly if not kept stable, crushing anything caught too
close to it in the same way a black hole would. In fact, an
unstable wormhole can turn into a black hole.

MOVEMENT

Still, this method isnt perfect. When a signal does not

come back after waiting for very long, travellers cannot
know if it is because it is still travelling through a large loop
or if it left the Labyrinth through one of the exits.

WORMHOLE COMBAT
Crafty pirates are able to use the characteristics of
wormholes against their victims, such as when facing a
spaceship with shielding on its front. When engaged by an
enemy from the front, the obvious action to take is to shoot
straight-on, hoping to cause damage. However, an experienced captain could use the space loop to his advantage,
shooting backwards and have the missiles hit the enemy
spaceship in its rear. Similar strategies can be used to
attack an enemy by surprise, striking from an angle they
did not expect.

Laws of physics apply as normal inside the wormhole they just have to bend to the curvature of space and time.
Consequently, the propagation of electromagnetic waves
(communication, light, lasers) must follow the curved
space. As such, various effects may occur: observers
inside the wormhole may see duplicates of themselves
when looking in the direction of a loop, and any communication signal would also be duplicated resulting in an echo

Sir, we have found the cure.

And its a hundred years too late.
I know.
If AT-01 were human, it might have asked why MK-41
continued its search, nearly a century later. But AT-01
understood the compulsion of another robot to finalise its work.
What is left for you to do?
Nothing, my code is empty.
If MK-41 were human, it would have been happy to
achieve its life goal. But MK-41 had no feelings. It just
stood there.
AT-01 moved on, its code always had something for
it to do. And that made it neither happy or unhappy.
Alhalam is a planet whose inhabitants died tens of
thousands of years ago. Their species went extinct,
exterminated by a devastating disease. Their functional
(but now pointless) robots continue to work and keep
the cities tidy and full of resources. These ghost cities
maintain their robots through their Self Conservation
Robotic System, that fi xes any robots that might be
broken, corrupted, or that would otherwise act outside
of normal duties. Sometimes, a robot might have a
problem that was not programmed to be fi xed by the
system, leaving it to roam on its own with its unusual
new behaviours.
Alhalam is under the control of the Izkal, and they
have chosen to not interfere or establish any colonies
on it to honour the memory of the old species that
once lived there (and the strange microcosms that its
peaceful robot inhabitants have achieved).
A team of izkal researchers have established themselves on the planet and continue to observe and learn
from what is left by the extinct race and from the inorganic tecnosystem left by them.

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The bigger problem is that there are no points of reference or any sign of the correct direction to actually move
somewhere. Spaceships will navigate a wormhole by
sending signals in all directions and waiting for them to
circle back - the direction in which the signal does not return
is the correct direction of the wormhole. This is a very good
system in the smaller parts of the Labyrinth, where it takes
only seconds for the signals to return, but some areas of
the Labyrinth are so large that the process takes hours or
even days.

COMMUNICATIONS

The Universe

The first concept to understand is that a wormhole is

closed space loop. The wormhole is a tunnel without walls,
yet if a traveller does not move following the direction of
the wormhole, that traveller will be moving in circles - even
if his ship is in fact trying to move in a straight line. Essentially, aiming in the wrong direction and shooting a missile
could lead to shooting oneself.

As the loop affects light, it is possible for one to see

several copies of themself in all directions when in a small
tunnel. While this can be used to navigate the loop, it can
also be used in battle to scare attackers, making it more
difficult for them to identify ones position or the number
of allied ships.

The Universe

effect. An experienced navigator, however, can find the

right angle to send a signal and bounce it off the curves
of the wormhole to make it reach otherwise unreachable
spots. This same technique can be used to foil the interception of messages and other forms of communication. This
is especially useful when attempting to communicate in
secret between close-by ships, but the distance between
colonies is so large that messages sent this way often end
up corrupted, distorted, or lost in space loops. It is not rare
for a travelling ship to receive signals than have been there
for years.
These facts imply that communication between two
exits of a wormhole is hard and intermittent at best: the
only reliable method is sending a spaceship through with
the information in their systems to be downloaded on
arrival. This is very taxing and only done when necessary. However, between two important systems, there is
always a spaceship or a fleet full of servers that crosses
the wormhole daily or weekly, bringing all the necessary
information to the other system. These server ships are
highly desired targets of pirates and hackers, and are thus
strongly defended or are disguised as civilian ships. But in
the most remote systems, like some mining colonies, news
can take weeks or even months to arrive, until a spaceship
brings them new tools or an empty cargo ship returns from
a shipment.

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Tall and impossibly beautiful, the gates towered above

the small party. They were covered in exquisite carvings
depicting a beautiful city that was no more. The grand doors,
inducing mixed feelings of awe and tranquility, guarded the
entrance to the Chamber of Reminiscence, a sacred place in
which the Izkal stored their history in resonance stones.
At first, Keler had been reluctant. Entering the chambers
was considered a serious offense - let alone stealing the
Greatstone - but after the last meeting he had come to
realize that the Council would never support his request
unless he had a way of forcing their hand. Finally, he sought
out Fassir and agreed to work with him. The plan was simple
enough: they would enter the Chamber of Reminiscence on
the night of the Reckoning (the anniversary of the night the
Korian were annihilated) when no one was guarding it. That
was where Fassirs help would be invaluable. As counselor
and guardian of the memories, he was in charge of the keys
to the chamber.
Keler could sense the unease of his companions as if it
was his own, or maybe it was his own uneasiness that tinted
all of their thoughts through the hyperlink. He wasnt sure,
but at this point it didnt matter. Each and every one of them
was committed to the plan. Each and every one was aware
of the consequences should something go wrong. And they
knew that this was what had to be done if they wanted to be
heard.

SPACE EXPLORATION
The discovery of the Labyrinth completely changed the
landscape of space exploration. The Corvo, who had made
rigorous but primitive strides towards wormhole technology, put their research on hold as they did not need to create
their own wormholes anymore. The Labyrinth, a gigantic
web of naturally occurring, interconnected wormholes - a
web with more exits than can be counted - is very treacherous to navigate. Some tunnels are so narrow that only the
tiniest of robot probes can navigate them without colliding
into themselves, while others contain entire star systems.
Many teams have been sent to explore its tunnels but very
few have returned; as communication inside the wormhole
is extremely complicated, one can only wait.
The Corvo and the Izkal started to explore the Labyrinth
as soon as they were capable, unaware of the other as
they mapped, conquered, and exploited the resources of
dozens of star systems. Since they found the Labyrinth, the
growth of the Corvo had been exponential - at least until
their first encounter with an izkal colony. For the first time
in their age of exploration, they had met another species as
advanced and as powerful as themselves.
The first contact was tense and all attempts at a diplomatic and friendly relationship had failed. Their civilisations
were too different, their moral codes disparate. To each,

Just outside the chamber, Keler took out the crystal key.
The size of a clenched fist, the key shone with a pale blue light
that casted gloomy shadows around them. He approached
the keyhole and inserted the crystal into the square opening.
Light radiated from the stone, along the carvings in the doors
like rivers flowing through twisted paths. Suddenly, the light
vanished and the doors opened in total silence.
They stood at the edge of a large circular pit that extended
downwards as far as the eye could see. A thin metal
walkway led from the doorway to a spiral staircase situated
in the center of the opening, which descended to the bottom
of the pit. Additional walkways radiated from the staircase
towards the walls at every level. The walls were lined with
resonance stones that were the size of skulls. And they were
shaped like skulls too, glowing with a tenuous red light, like
embers on a dark night.
Every step along the walkway was announced by a
metallic clang that echoed down the pit, a bright sound that
invaded the absolute silence that reigned over the place. As
they reached the staircase and began their long trip down,
they felt exposed, as though they were being watched by the
thousands of stones lining the walls, staring at them with
accusatory but vacant eyes.
After a time that felt like an eternity, they reached
the bottom of the pit and found themselves facing a low

the other represented decay and evil. One wanted freedom,

and the other wanted community. They tried to stop communications, to keep the other away, but both species
were too involved with the Labyrinth. They had grown
into it, and their colonies and their interests lied within it.
In each species quest for expansion, interaction would be
inevitable: often one would spend enormous amounts of
resources to explore a system, only to find that the other
had arrived first. There were two choices: start a war or
go somewhere else. Open war was not an option on the
table: the destructive power of both civilisations ensured
the complete annihilation of both sides, with no one left
to enjoy the spoils. And both sides were not ready for a
full scale space war, especially in a place as strange as in
the Labyrinth - where things can go south at the smallest
miscalculation.

The space race began. Each species wanted the best

planets, either to colonize them or to mine them. They
set up their fl ags everywhere they went, whether it was a

Keler stretched his hand towards the stone but froze

midway. Fear, primal and savage, flooded his thoughts, so
intense that for a moment he thought he might faint. As soon
as he recovered, he turned around looking for the source of
the commotion. His eyes focused on a lone figure standing
in the opening of the corridor they had just crossed. Despite
its relaxed stance, it was impossible to ignore the threat it
posed, and its eyes were unmistakably filled with contempt
and the promise of death. Kelers mind raced as he tried to
find a way out of their situation.
Even if voidwalkers were as powerful as the stories told,
this one was still alone against nine high sevans, powerful
and capable casters. His thoughts were quickly echoed by
those around him as they prepared to fight their uninvited
guest. Keler would have been amazed by the speed with
which the figure moved towards his companions, if
only he had been alive when it happened.

The Corvo and the Izkal now coexist in a state of cold

war, as direct confrontation is nearly impossible. They
compete for resources and try to collapse their opponents
economic systems through fierce commerce. They fight
black-op wars on remote planets, while incredible duels
between hackers take place on a daily basis, fuelled by
the information that intelligence and counterintelligence
agents provide them. Missionaries and inquisitors convert
their rivals populations to their own Gods, and agitators
stir the native species of planets under their enemies
domain into rebellion.
However, each species has its own internal confl icts, as
many religions coexist and their greedy Gods are always
hungry for expansion. Prophets, politicians, and businessmen all struggle for control. The universe holds its breath,
waiting to see who will fall first and what will be the fate of
the known species.

A second figure gently held his lifeless body as it fell,

before joining the first in a terrible dance of death.

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tunnel, a bright white light visible at the other end. Slightly

bent so as to avoid the ceiling of the corridor, they walked
the short distance that separated them from their objective,
their fear and anxiety conquered by a much stronger feeling
of reverence. They reached the Chamber of Ascension, the
only thing visible in it a prism-shaped crystal that irradiated
a bright white light, in spite the rest of the room which was
covered in absolute darkness.

Expedition teams into new territory would disappear

regularly, followed by the discovery that the other species
had already claimed that territory for themselves. The governments took advantage of the fact that communication
was difficult, and that it was hard to find proof of foul play.
The war was slow, silent, and deadly.

The Universe

The relationship between the Corvo and the Izkal had to

continue. They met, they discussed, they fought, and they
hated. An agreement was created, and the rules of intergalactic exploration and conquest were drawn. It was very
simple: there could be no attacks between the two civilisations and whomever landed first on a planet had all rights
to it.

habitable paradise or a desolated rock. And while the rules

were fair, the space race resulted in plenty of dirty tactics.

THE GODS
While there is no reason for the existence of life, life
itself does not care. The problem arose when it gained consciousness and came to realise that its own existence was
an accident. In its realisation of itself, a voice spoke from
within. It told a truth - the only truth: life ought to create its
own reason to be, lest it be consumed.

The Gods

Some say there are as many Gods as there are minds,

each God matching the being to whom they are connected.
However, most people believe that there are only five Gods
that take on many forms. Believers do not choose their God,
nor do the Gods choose their believers. Instead, believers
are linked to their Gods through their personalities. In FAITH,
the Gods are not creators or allfathers. They are entities
that surged from the collective conscience of beings that
have found a similar reason to exist. The Gods came into
existence at the very same time as their believers. Now,
every new being that finds a reason to exist finds a similar
God within him.

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The Gods are powerful, but intangible; they exist only

inside the minds of their believers, yet somehow they exist
as a single entity in all of them. Gods have no body nor voice,
or do they have the capacity to affect the Universe directly.
They can only do so through their believers, bestowing their
gifts of power upon them, or taking those gifts away.
When two species meet in the vastness of space they
know they will have at least one thing in common: They all
have the same Gods.
Those who stays true to the path laid out before them by
their God can expect great powers in exchange: abilities of
a supernatural essence that defy reasoning or explanation.
Throughout the centuries, different people from all species
have studied the signs sent by the Gods and have written
the commandments of each God accordingly.

COMMANDMENTS:
REWARDS & PUNISHMENTS
The Gods of FAITH are fickle beings. However, it is not
rare for them to pay attention to their believers, who are
the source of their power and their only way to mould the
Universe to their desires. Gods can grant powers to their
believers if they like their behaviour, or withdraw their
support if their believers betray them.
Each God has a set of commandments that instruct followers on their Gods desires. While their specific interpretation may vary, it is commonly agreed that the Gods agree
with many versions of the same concepts.

The wishes of the Gods are open to interpretation; as

they lack a voice to speak, their desires are very much a
matter of faith. Believers follow what they believe is just
and it is proven that there are several correct interpretations of the commandments of each God.
Differences in beliefs are common between believers
of the same God. Some differences are amicable, while
others have driven different cults to war. Some religious
wars have been fought by soulbenders empowered by the
same God on both sides. The common belief that explains
this fact is that the Gods do not care much about the
trifling differences their followers might have. They only
care about making the world right in their own eyes, and in
these wars they appreciate and support the righteousness
of both sides.

It is up to the GM and the players to interpret the

Gods commandments and apply them correctly.
The extension and severity of each commandment
should be based on the characters Faith attribute
and the amount of Divine Upgrades he has.
Vexal asks of his believers that they
help others without giving up their personal
freedom in the process. For a follower with Faith
1 and one Divine Upgrade, this can mean that the
character should try to help others when he can
and share with others when he is able, but for a
follower with Faith 3 and several Divine Upgrades,
this can very well demand a whole new level of intensity. Perhaps he should actively try to find ways
to benefit the people around him and to share as
much as possible, all while following his own path
and without taking orders, in true Vexal fashion.
For the concept of the Gods to properly work it
is essential for the GM to be strict when judging the
behaviour of the players according to their Gods respective commandments. The GM should promise
them future rewards whenever they follow those
commandments, and warn them about the consequences of acting against the rules of the Gods. If
they do not follow the commandments, or they
break them, the GM must not hesitate to call onto
the players the wrath of their God and tell them
they have lost their powers for the rest of the
session. If they continue to behave that way, she
must remove a Divine Upgrade from their character
board without the chance of recovering any experience points spent to acquire it. Players will need to
make amends with their God and gain more experience to regain that Upgrade.

CULTS
In the universe of FAITH, most believers see their beliefs
as philosophies to live by and ways to live their lives. Faith
and religion are not often followed through organizations
or structured worship.
Some believers use mantras, stories, poetry, or song
to remind themselves of their Gods commandments, but
these are often personal or passed down by relatives.
There are no great institutions or organized religions that
speak for their Gods.

The Gods of FAITH favour the most extreme kinds of

people. Most others have a little bit of every God inside
them, and they do not follow any God exclusively. While the
relationships between the Gods themselves are adversarial,
the vast majority of the population of the Universe treats
them more like a pantheon, where each God represents a
different aspect of life and offers a unique perspective to
learn from. In general, most people do lean towards one
God, but they are unlikely to become fanatical followers.
A character who wishes to be rewarded by his God must
be very vocal and consistent with his beliefs. He must not
allow anyone or anything to prevent him from following
and practising those beliefs.

AVATARS OF GOD
The Avatar of a God has an indestructible faith and disregards all other ways and beliefs. He is usually considered
a prophet by the followers of the same God and his words
are listened to, learned, and studied as sacrosanct.
Some Avatars are so powerful, and their willpower is so
strong, that they are capable of powers never seen before.
Most are named from this special power: the most famous
izkal Ergonaut prophet is known as the Necromancer, as it
is thought that he can bring the dead back to life. The leader
of the infamous Firebirds pirate organisation is called the
Seer. Not only is he always where he is never expected, but
the Mocking Jay, his vessel, has never been caught, in spite
of the combined efforts of all the megacorps and the many
well prepared ambushes it has suffered. It is thought that
Hexia has rewarded him with the power of clairvoyance.
There are many other prophets. Some remain mysterious and their powers unknown, with the only things ever
said about them is that their every desire seems possible.

Characters must follow the commandments of their God if they want to be able to gain and use their powers.
These Divine Upgrades are gained by spending experience points and their acquisition requires the approval of the
GM, who will be the ultimate judge of the characters behaviour according to his God.
If a character continuously role-plays in a way that puts him against his God, the GM should consider
what other God fits him better and offer him to pledge allegiance to that God instead. He will lose all the Divine
Upgrades he has now, but he will be able to gain new ones from this new God. If he were to change his God in an
epic manner, the GM can give him any number of Divine Upgrades of his new God, up to the same number he had
before. It is recommended to keep it at one -after all, the character must still prove himself worthy to his new God
in the long run.

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GODLY FAVOURS

Witnessing the use of such powers is a thing of wonder. It

will often be the talk of the town for those that see it.

The Gods

However, there are some cults that do follow these

practices, where one or more members lead. These cults
remain a minority, but they grow in strength as they are led
by believers with great divine power. Kalivan and Vexal cults
are usually found in izkal society as an organised form of
rebellion against the status quo, while Ergonaut and Hexian
followings are more often found in corvo cities, also as a
form of protest. Ledger has no cults and they very rarely
work together and when they do, like their God, they do it
randomly. These cults prosper among those rejected by
society, as they give answers to the echoing questions in
the minds of those that do not fit. The cults, regardless of
their faith, attract some of the most radical believers of all
and many unethical choices have been made in the name of
these organisations.

Following a God is a difficult decision that requires the

follower to live by a strict moral code without moments
of weakness. Conquerors, activists, and movement leaders
are examples of the kind of people who are more likely to
follow a God and who are devout enough to be rewarded
with mighty powers. This is why only a very small minority
of the population has divine powers; those who have won
the favour of a God are often respected for their strong
will, and feared even more for their radicalism.

ERGON
It has been proven time and again that collaboration beats competition. Those that believe
otherwise are not necessarily mistaken, but it is clear that they are following an agenda for
personal gain, costing society a great deal more than they can offer.
When will they see that power and money are merely a means to an end? Dont they realise
that those things are pointless in themselves? We are social beings and we can only be our
true selves with others, and when freed from social stratification and differentiation. The only
true, lasting happiness must be shared, hopefully by all.

The Gods

ERGONS COMMANDMENTS

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All are equal

Thou shalt not hinder thy people

Thou shalt bend thy will to the needs of the many

Thou shalt help others be their greatest selves

Ergon is interested in selfless people who see beyond

their own needs and realise that true fulfilment can only be
achieved through a shared experience with everyone else.
Ergonauts have found a very simple truth: happiness
must be shared. We are social beings, our lives are intermingled, and we have to learn to work together.
They believe that they must put themselves forward and
sacrifice for others, sometimes even for those that do not
think the same way. True altruism does not expect anything
in return and Ergonauts like it this way. They only hope that
they can help others find a way to see things in the same
manner.
They know that power and economical differences
are the root of all evil. Corruption, greed, fear, and envy
all come from these differences among people. Creating
equality is the only way to banish these aspects of social
alienation.
Ergonauts believe that there are extraordinary possibilities within ordinary people. The foundations of a great
society are built by equal opportunity and equal respect;
equality grants people the opportunity to become their
greatest possible selves. Ergonauts believe that people
will reach beyond their current limitations only when given
the right conditions, and that it is important for everyone to
strive to be a part of and to create those conditions.

Many cynics ridicule Ergonauts for being naive and for

being afraid to make their own choices. They miss the
point: bending ones will to the will of the many requires
more courage than just following ones basic instincts and
desires.
If one should doubt Ergon, they only need to see how
Ergonaut societies are the happiest and healthiest of all,
while places of inequality run rampant with crime and
hatred.
Ergonauts do not believe that they are more worthy
than others, but that others are as worthy as them. It is
important for them to remind themselves that they are not
working to increase their worth, but to help others see their
own worth in the eyes of Ergon.
They do not see themselves as above anyone else and are
willing to put up with whatever is needed to reach a social
agreement that benefi ts everyone as much as possible.
There is no I for an Ergonaut, there is only us. It is not that
they think they can speak for others, but that they wish to
include everyone in their ways.
Personal needs, liberties, and desires are not that important when one shares everything with like minded people. A
true Ergonaut will go to sleep happy if he helped everyone
else get some food, even if he is hungry. True freedom,
from others and from oneself, is to be able to give everything for a cause that one knows to be true.

To truly have you must give. If you cannot give something away, it is that thing that
owns you and not the other way around. - Hamid Al-Razim, izkal philosopher

KALIVA
Nature isnt as pure as one might think. Nature is ruthless and cares not for those who
fall behind. The strong prey on the weak and the weak on the weakest. Why can Nature be
cruel and not be judged? Why do we force ourselves to suffer this double standard? Have we
forgotten that we are just a small part of a whole?
An animal will do what it must to survive, and it will do it without hesitation. To survive is
the most important thing Nature asks from us. I am just another tiger making my way in this
jungle.

KALIVAS COMMANDMENTS
Thou shalt be above all

Thou shalt not bear a master

Thou shalt not succumb to weakness

Each to their own

Everyone deserves a chance and Kaliva will grant it to

them regardless of the prospects of failure. Failure is just
a part of the learning process, no matter how many times
it happens. For Kaliva, true failure is giving up, feeling satisfied with less, or being a parasite who lives off of the hard
work of others.
Taking things for granted and not working hard are
symptoms of a sick society that preys on the goodwill of
hard workers.

Followers of the other Gods defame Kalivans by calling

them out as evil, as if they actively tried to harm others.
Such a notion is ridiculous to a Kalivan. All a Kalivan looks
out for is his own well being. This sometimes benefi ts other
people and sometimes it hurts them. It is the harsh necessity of life.
Kalivans are those that create themselves from nothing.
Those who fight every step of the way. Those that let other
people deal with their own affairs and instead put their
energies towards their own. Most of the Universe is led by
Kalivans, a fact of which they are proud (and rightly so). But
they are not proud for other Kalivans who have achieved
their dream, as they are mere competitors; they are proud
because this fact reinforces the belief they hold as the
ultimate truth. While the followers of other Gods want their
futures to be handed over to them, Kalivans create their
own and shape the futures of those around them as they
rise towards the top.

Feed a man everyday of his life and you are left not with
a productive citizen but a pet. To allow someone to rely on
another persons hard work is disrespectful, as it reduces
that someone to the bearable minimum of a person. For
a person to be truly able to express all of his potential,
and therefore feel empowered and as important as he

Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestous sea

of Liberty. - Thomas Jefferson, human politician

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Compassion and charity are fl awed in the eyes of a

Kalivan. They show weakness and allow others to become
lethargic and dependent. Each person must become their
own man or woman, and competition can only promote
self-improvement. Only those that truly deserve it will
make it.

deserves, he must work for it.

The Gods

Kaliva respects only one thing in mortals and that is the

will to improve oneself. Kaliva only accepts those who work
hard to achieve their goals and who are never satisfied with
being in second place. For Kaliva, there is always a way, and
those that do not find it are not good enough.

VEXAL
Trying to understand an animals true nature by studying one in captivity will provide you
with the wrong answers. The animals habits, behaviour, and mood are completely changed
from what they would be in liberty. Unsurprisingly, it is the same with people. When you hear
someone speak about our true nature as people, the dangers of it, and how we need rules and
laws to control it for our own safety, stop for a moment and think about this: the people behind
those propositions have never seen the true nature of our species. They are simply basing
their studies on specimens born into submission, fear, preconceptions, and rules.
We need to be free and we need to be equal to even start scratching the surface of our true
nature and all its possibilities. I think we will be impressed and humbled by them. I think we will
see that all the evil we suffer today is not in the roots of our nature, but instead yet another
tax of an oppressive, unjust, and controlling society.

The Gods

VEXALS COMMANDMENTS

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Thou shalt not bear a master

Thou shalt not restrict others

Thou shalt think for thyself

Thou shalt benefi t others

Vexal wants his believers to understand that there is no

particularly correct view on things. Everyone must search
for their own truth, as each individual may live in different
circumstances, and even then each person will probably
change his own views with the passing of time. This is why
imposing a way of life and indoctrinating people has such
terrible consequences.
People who believe in Vexal are those who do not like to
follow any rules, but they have a deep respect for others
and are always willing to give a helping hand. They do not
take orders very well and dislike societies that pretend that
everyone has to live by the same rules; they believe that
each person should be treated differently but respectfully.
They believe there will never be peace for as long as
there is any type of hierarchy; there must be an absolute
dissolution of the principle and practice of authority. This
is why, while they will not sacrifice their own freedom for
anyone, they might be willing to sacrifice their own life for
a good cause.
While they have a reputation of being poor team players,
many Vexales have proven that they are extremely hard
working people. Understandably, they want to choose their
occupation and they will not be happy when told what to

do, but when they do choose to work on something they

are very productive. After all, they are usually caring
and curious people, who live to get involved in things that
matter to them.
Being an individualist does not mean that they wont work
in teams, and they will do so for as long as the group has
no hierarchy and every voice is taken into consideration.
Usually these groups are formed around a shared need for
collaboration and only carry on for as long as everyone
considers it to be their path. However, if rules are imposed
and someone tries to make decisions for everyone else, the
Vexales will soon disappear in the wind.
Vexales are usually adventurers, hackers, outlaws, or
any other kind of free people. While they generally disapprove of vigilantism, which is seen as proud and egotistic,
they are not above carrying out their own forms of justice.
Vexales enjoy exposing the wrongdoings of corporations,
states, and any form of imposing power. Their social criticism has shaped the perceptions of many societies, and has
caused the rise or decline of many corporations and politicians. Everyone must be an activist for real change to occur.

Very few people are smart enough to understand their own real needs, and even fewer are
smart enough to understand the needs of others. People with power are more likely to do
more bad than good, even if they have good intentions. - OIDIA, [Unknown species] hacker

HEXIA
At their core, people are simply a combination of complex, ongoing chemical reactions
that are constantly responding to their environment. The illusion of choice is powerful and
deeply rooted in our rational minds, because there is a tendency to separate the self from
the chemistry that runs our bodies and minds. The truth is that we are the chemistry, and
chemistry works by following rules, not choices.
When you are in a laboratory and a chemical reaction goes wrong, you do not yell at the
test tube, and you do not blame it on the evilness or laziness of the compounds - they have no
choice in how they react. People are like chemical compounds: they react as such, and they
should be treated as such. And sometimes, one compound needs to be removed to save the
whole reaction.

HEXIAS COMMANDMENTS
Thou shalt pursue knowledge and expertise

Thou shalt show others the way

Thou shalt set the greater good above all else

Thou shalt not bend your will

Democracy is a beautiful and necessary concept, but

in an unequal society it is destined to fail. In a democracy
there are different powers, lobbies, groups, associations,
industries, and many other kinds of pressure groups.
Choices are made based on what is possible and allowed by
those powers. As they are not constant nor in agreement,
changes proposed by many different and confl icted powers
can take place. However, the general trend is obvious and
logical: in the long run most changes lean towards the

Hexians want a society for everyone but it is clear that

letting everyone decide has the grave danger of ending
up following the decisions of the most powerful. Hexians
are tired of trying to convince people of complex ideas to
improve society, and of being defeated by charmers selling
short term happiness and easy ways out.
Their ways are sometimes unethical, sometimes
criminal and most of the times so grey that they are really
hard to explain on their own. But Hexians look at the bigger
picture: they understand that some steps will be harsh
when creating the path to a new way of living.
It is the duty of a good Hexian to find ways to improve
society, regardless of what people might think. What
is truly important is that their grandchildren will live in a
better place. History will recognise the efforts of the just.

In chemistry, when you want a specific reaction to occur, you do not throw in the mix your favourite compounds. You study it and use the elements that, under the conditions given, will most likely
produce the desired reaction. In politics you should do the same. - Xiang Yi Lee, corvo politician

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Hexians want the best for all people, but they understand
that most people are brainwashed or unfi t to decide what is
best by themselves. Hexians have come to terms with this
sad reality, and they will follow their ideas and try to make
them a reality for everyone else, even those that do not acknowledge those ideas as true and good yet. Hexians know
that once their ideas are established, people will be capable
of collaborating and forming a true community in which
everyone will learn to overcome their personal desires
and to see through lies and manipulation. Mediocrity will be
raised to greatness.

strongest power, because those that have the most resources have the best chances of winning and securing even
more resources. Power is thus accumulated in one end of
society, which in turn enables said end to gain ever more
power in a never ending cycle. The final picture is something
very different from democracy and way less pretty.

The Gods

Hexia looks for people willing to use their genius and

power for the common good. Instead of forcing them
to submit to the ideas of others, Hexia encourages free
thought and for people to spread their own ways.

LEDGER
He has a voice that is like fire. Whenever he speaks worlds burn in the pyres of passion.
They think he is a visionary, and follow him by the millions. But he is just a primal being of
unleashed desires.

LEDGERS COMMANDMENTS
Follow your impulses

Do not obey others

Do not sow

Confuse

The Gods

Ledger is the God of those who want to see the world

burn, or who think that life is a joke that should be pushed
to the limit. There is very little sense in what a follower of
Ledger does, because they do not benefi t anyone, not even
themselves.

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People believe in Ledger for all kinds of reasons. Some

think that the sentient species bring evil to the Universe
and should be extinct, some desire revenge for the pain
they have suffered, and some do things that do not benefi t
anyone, for reasons not understood. Many simply find
joy in causing chaos, from compulsive internet trolls and
pranksters, to mad terrorists with no clear ideology behind
their actions. Ledger gives these people an outlet for their
madness and a purpose where there is none.
Ledger believers are usually considered dysfunctional
members of society, and a danger to others and themselves.
When confronted with these accusations, Ledger followers
have responded with these answers: No answer; sets fire
to his hair; you are the sick ones, sugar coating life with
biased ideology and social constructs based on miscommunicated knowledge and values from older generations
whose ways of living were meant to satisfy different needs
than those of yourself, which causes you to live in a broken
society of lost people incapable of adapting to a system
that has lost sight of the true nature of its citizens; how
would I know?; you are simply a fragment of my subconscious being, dont bother me with stupid questions.

Ledger, which makes everything very confusing for police

forces, who are forced to adopt code names for each one.
This makes Ledger giggle. All of them.
Ledger is the only God without an organised cult. Most
Ledger believers are unstable enough to be too dangerous
for each other. They are surely unstable enough to be a
danger to themselves. But it is in the nature of Ledgers to
not care for themselves, and sometimes misfortune brings
a few together and horrible things happen. They never
last very long, as even Ledger himself, in all his might, has
trouble keeping his followers alive. It is not known if he even
cares.
In order to bring even more chaos to the Universe, Ledger
grants powers to his believers that allows them to pretend
to believe in other Gods, so many of them have been found
in other Gods cults. It is every Ledgers dream to become
a prophet of another God. They enjoy long and elaborate ongoing jokes, so it is possible that this has already
happened. A Ledger can take a joke so far that he might
even increase the reach of the God he is falsely following,
taking his joke to the grave - or he might blow up a cathedral
and cause a war between two cults instead. Who knows.

Those who believe in Ledger are unorganised and are

loose in their moral behaviour. Their actions bring confusion, disorder, and chaos.
The most devoted believers give up their previous lives
and become ghosts by abandoning or killing those they
knew, burning their fingerprints, and ingesting drug cocktails that mutate their DNA, so that any traces of who they
were are destroyed. Every single ghost calls themselves

The whole point of having an opinion is to piss people off. - Ledger

The Gods

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BRING THE TRUE FAITH TO THEM .

THE CORVO
The Corvo are an independent and capable people. They
are smaller in size than humans, averaging 1.6 metres in
height and 54 kilograms in weight, and they have adapted to
life in space. Their capital Tiantang is a sector of the Dyson
ring that circles their dwarf star.

The Corvo

Male and female corvo have very few physical differences other than their reproductive organs. The females
have wider hips and abdomens, and have lighter colours,
but they are equally big and strong. The Corvo reproduce
sexually. A few days after being fertilised, the female corvo
lay their eggs, which hatch a few weeks later after being
cared for by both parents.

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Thanks to their slow metabolism, their natural life expectancy is very high at around 110-120 Earth years, but
lower class corvo can expect to live to only 80 years, due to
malnutrition, illnesses, stress, and the conditions of living
in space. On the other hand, the richest and most fortunate
corvo have access to state of the art biotechnology and artificial organs that can extend their lifespan to around 200
years. Some of the most eccentric billionaires are said to
have even given up their physical bodies and have had their
brains and nervous systems installed into machines. It is
currently unknown how effective this treatment is, as the
oldest known corvo who has undergone such a procedure
is only 230 years old. Still, the technology is young and the
possibilities are endless. The Corvo may very well be the
first known species to reach immortality. Only time will
tell.
Originally from Quanjie, a planet with a day/night cycle
of 30 Earth hours, a corvo would normally sleep for 8 of
those 30 hours. However, each corvo colony has their own
unique sleep cycle, and those that live in them have adapted
accordingly. They are omnivorous, but their diet depends
greatly on the planet they inhabit and the resources
available.

CORVOSPHERE
The Corvosphere is the amalgamation of everything
corvo related, from the planets they inhabit, their spacecrafts, and their mines, to their art, culture, and technology.
It is considered to be every single thing that is related to and
sometimes affected by the influence of corvo society.
Rebel fleets, pirates, anarchists, and any other groups
who do not accept the ways of common corvo society are
not considered part of the Corvosphere.

SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
The Corvo do not show their feelings openly, and they
show their respect or love for others by making them proud
or giving them gifts, rather than with words or physical
affection. Most corvo have a hard time asking for help as
they know that they should be able to achieve anything by
themselves, but the consumer society to which they belong
keeps them longing for new material things. While most of
the middle class are in huge debt, they remain optimistic
due to the ever growing corvo economy.
The Corvo are at the same time monogamous and promiscuous. They marry and share their lives with a single
partner in a very similar fashion to ancient humans, but
sex is seen as a token of power for both sexes, something
to be scored and bragged about among friends. It is not
uncommon for corvo spouses to be aware and proud of the
love achievements of their partners.
Female and male corvo are considered equal in their
culture and they do not have predefined roles. Same sex
relationships are common and they are not treated any
differently.

Corvo strive to show off their own uniqueness, and most

differentiate themselves using tattoos and prosthetics.
Their fashion is continuously reinventing itself, absorbing
elements from the various species they come across and
from their own history. It is common for males and females
to dress differently, and to the untrained eye that is the only
noticeable difference between the two.

CORVO SOCIETY

Corvo couples have a lot of children (averaging 3.4

children per couple), which means that the population
nearly doubles every generation. Governments have tried
to establish some control over natality, but the Corvo do
not allow their personal freedoms to be compromised.
Corvo civilisation has a huge need for expansion, and those
that cannot afford to move to a new colony see themselves
impoverished in an endless cycle of generations incapable
of moving forward. As a result, crime rates are extremely
high in the Corvosphere.

They enjoy a highly technological lifestyle, in which they

spend most of their time connected to the net. Thousands
of different virtual worlds are hosted on their networks,
readily available to those with a cortex connection. Most
travel agencies offer special cortex-connected vacations
to wonderful virtual worlds, as real travelling is extremely
expensive and the Corvo are very dependent on their jobs.
They normally do not like to leave them for more than a
week at a time, as they feel they are damaging their possibilities to ascend.

LIFEMODS
The most renowned type of art in the Corvosphere is
the creation of lifemods for AR helmets and implants.
Lifemods completely recreate the appearance of reality
for the user, allowing for a personal and interesting way
of experiencing life. This allows for fans of certain games,
books, films, etc., to see life around them as if they were
living in their favourite piece of fiction, making the urban
environment of Tiantang look like an underwater city or a
jungle - with buildings as trees or mountains. Most people
use lifemods of some kind, and some very powerful ones
can even change the looks of people, not only things.
Using lifemods has its risks: lifemods that are in beta
or that have not passed all required safety tests can
disrupt the users experience of reality in a harmful way.
For example, when someone crosses a road and a certain
model of car is not recognised by the AR, the lifemod could

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Complete immersion in the net-worlds is delicate, as

bodily functions decrease when the mind becomes absent
this way. Thus, corvo normally do not stay connected for
more than 15 to 18 hours per day. There have been cases
of people that have died by neglecting their physical
bodies. Only the richest people can afford to be installed
into high-end machines that keep their bodies healthy and
nurtured while their minds spend their whole lives in all
kinds of net-worlds.

The Corvo

Corvo find a lot of pride in family and both spouses will

raise their children together. A corvo family often revolves
around their family business, and it is common for children
to work for and eventually join this business. New generations are judged by how effectively they are able to manage
and benefi t their family business. . While the Corvo are a
self-made people, they have no problem riding the wave
of their families success for as long as their contribution
enhances it.

Corvo consumerism is legendary. They are extremely

engaged with new technologies and fashion. Being able to
afford luxury goods from remote planets is intrinsically
related to popularity and pride. Their industries are always
coming up with new models of their products with new and
fascinating functionalities and capabilities, in an effort to
keep the attention of a public that is never satisfied. Corvo
companies have devised all kinds of creative methods to
attract consumers, from standard billboard advertisements to 3-D sensorial feeds in the streets of virtual
worlds. People that enter certain areas with sensorial
feeds salivate with hunger as they can smell and taste the
restaurants menu just by walking nearby.

glitch and make the car appear to be immobile. It is recommended to keep lifemods up to date and only use those sold
by recognised companies, as hackers can very well affect
how others see reality. And there are plenty of lifemods
created by coders or pirates, as their way to express
themselves and their view of the world. Some might
change street advertisements into anti-system messages,
while others list the horrors that take place to create such
products (such as child labour, slavery, abuse, and the pollution of alien planets).
Lifemods are fantastic ways for workers to escape their
routine. Some days their work place will look like a tranquil
forest and other days like an epic volcano. It has by far
become one of the most used and sold types of softwares.

The Corvo

CORBALL

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Corball is the most extreme sport there is and it is by far

the most popular one in the Corvosphere. It started as a
training exercise for EVA operators during the early stages
of the construction of the Dyson Ring, but an investor saw
lots of promise in revisiting the exercise as a competitive
sport. It soon became the favourite of the workers in the
stations and started to be broadcasted in the home planet
of the Corvo, Quanjie, as well. Today it is seen and played all
around the Universe, but the playing fields in Tiantang are

Luck is only the factors not taken into consideration in the original plan. - Old corvo saying

still the biggest, and it is there where the Universal Championships are held.
Corball consists of two or more teams of 5 members
each. Players wear deployment suits and are fired at incredible speeds using railguns that put them in orbit around
a moon or asteroid without atmosphere. They remain in
orbit at high speeds until they are somehow stopped. There
are several railgun rings distributed around the moon as
well, which players can use to increase or decrease their
speed, while they control their fl ight with their deployment
suits.
Teams must compete for the control of a ball. The
matches have a duration of 20 minutes and a team scores
a point for every full minute that the ball is under their
control, without interruptions. The team with the most
points at the end of the match wins. No weapons are
allowed, but it is a full contact game in which players physically assault each other for control of the ball, to defend
their carrier (the player in control of the ball), or to send
someone to their death against a pillar or one of the many
asteroids in the way. It is not uncommon for some of the
players to die during the match.
Hacking other players deployment suits is allowed,
although it is a rather dangerous strategy as flying at thousands of kilometres per hour in an asteroid field requires all
of the players attention to make it out alive.
If a player moves too far from the ball, their suit will shut
down and they are forced to leave the game until the players
pass by an area in which they can rejoin along with reserve
players. Additionally, players can spend points gained in
the match to launch orbital attacks against certain areas
of the moon field, dropping dozens of explosive projectiles
and often incapacitating or killing the majority of players
caught in the blast. This established the corball motto,
the safest place is under your opponent, and forces all
players to stick together, as those that overtake or stay
behind the pack are the ones likely to be targeted. Spending
points is a risky move, however, and more than one match
has been lost by a team targeting opponents who had been
left behind and then losing the ball to the opponents who
were nearby.
The violent and frantic gameplay and the stunning looks
of the players make corball matches mesmerizing events
that shut down the entire Corvosphere for their duration.
Many people spend all their time and money following their
favourite team. Corball players are among the most famous
people in the Universe, their daily lives a reality show that
can be seen by anyone willing to pay. The richest fans can
afford access to the sensorial feed that is recorded by the
players cortex connectors, allowing them to feel every-

thing the player feels, and some corvo have spent entire
fortunes living the lives of their favourite players.

FREE MARKET
The difficulty of an effective communications network
through the Labyrinth does not allow for a centralised
corvo government. Thus, each colony has its own distinct
government, much to the satisfaction of the corvo citizens
who prefer their politicians close. They are united under the
Economic Equality Pact (EEP) which allows them to conduct
commerce and other businesses freely and which keeps
trade taxless between countries. It is also a good defence
against an economical takeover by the Izkal.
While government systems, laws, and power are not
equal between any of the corvo colonies, they all share one
thing: their love for the free market economy.

Economic differences are extreme among corvo: some

live in the most rotten misery at the bottom of retired
0-G space-freighters or in lunar habitats, while others are
richer than the districts or colonies they live in. However, no
one stops the poor from becoming wealthy and powerful if
they work for it. It is not easy, but the Corvo understand this
fact better than any other species in the universe.
Those that really deserve it and fight for it can become
owners of more land than any man can imagine; some own
even entire planets, having riches beyond what they can
spend in their life spans, which stands true for even the

Thats libertarians for you anarchists who

want police protection from their slaves.
- Kim Stanley Robinson, human writer
corvo whose life span extends for centuries. There is no
limit to what one can achieve in the corvo system.

The Avoidance of an
AI-Caused Recession
Capitalisms endless struggle to reduce costs can have
a costly effect upon itself, as one extremely effective way
of reducing costs is by replacing labour with machines. This
has the downside of reducing employment and therefore
reducing the acquisitive power of workers, who are also the

Kalivans have a very narrow view of crime,

they see it as an unconnected factor that arises
from personal choice, instead of seeing it as a side
effect of inequality and lack of opportunity as most
studies have proven. Blaming individuals and putting
faces to problems makes good press and allows
you to blow justified anger upon someone. The idea
of a broken state (and not a particular person) that
condemns the most defenceless to a criminal life
cannot leave the sweet taste of revenge. Sadly, life
is bitter. Lee Yin, corvo philosopher and supporter
of the Izkal State.

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When mandatory, taxes are extremely low and only used

to pay for the most basic services of the government. Most
other service departments are in the hands of private companies and free from the monopolistic power of the state to
interfere between free transactions among people. Corvo
are very protective of their freedoms, and all attempts of
creating more powerful governments have been stopped
by angry mobs of outraged citizens from all social classes.

The Corvo

Corvo civilisation is built around freedom of choice and

private property. They are very wary of government
institutions and other organisations that could hinder the
expression of their freedom, and they understand that
these institutions are forms of social domination and create
injustice. While there is no consensus around the issue of
how much power the government should wield, all colonies
have found a common ground by limiting the government
to the control of the police, and the administration and enforcement of laws. The most laissez-faire colonies - among
them Tiantang - even allow taxation to be voluntary. They
see it as another form of insurance policy; those that do not
pay taxes are not assisted in security and justice affairs.

consumers of the products. This problem is responsible for

many long economical crises and depressions (and perhaps
a few revolts and coup attempts) throughout corvo history.
As a result, there is a huge taboo on AI in corvo society.
There are no machines running machines in the Corvosphere, and it is a corvos duty to supervise production lines,
etc.
Machines are run by code that allows them to do fast repetitive jobs. They do not require adaptability and all other
jobs rely on the hands of corvo labour, either directly, or by
remotely controlling a machine.
This artificial limitation upon productivity (accepted by all
megacorps) allows the Corvo to maintain billions of jobs in
a time where machines could replace people in most areas
and leave them without the means to support themselves.

The Corvo

If you were to ask Xiang if machines could talk, she

would say yes: even those that have no voice have a
way of making themselves understood by those who
listen.

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Machines were simpler and purer than people.

They had no evil or good in them. They functioned and
that was it. No ulterior motives, no secret agendas.
Xiang wished that she was a cyborg. Her body had
all the technological upgrades she had been able
to afford. Most people wait until their natural body
parts give out to factory accidents or disease, but
not Xiang. She replaced her own arm for a bionic one
that could turn into all the tools she needed to build
drones. At least if she were to lose it now, it wouldnt
hurt, she thought happily.
She wished for people to be more like machines:
happy little beings that worked hard to do their
best and who never went out of their way to make
other peoples lives miserable. And when machines
failed, it was because they were broken rather than
because of something they could be at fault for. She
believed that machines were like people, in that if you
never stopped to listen to what they had to say, they
ended up broken.
Like her brother. If he had been a machine, Xiang
could have repaired him. Or even better, she could
have listened to him, and helped him before he broke.

LAW
Judges are paid by the government, but lawyers and attorneys are not. No prosecution will be made, regardless of
the crime, if the appropriate fees are not paid.

Killing and murdering is completely illegal but not

uncommon, especially in the poorest districts, where
crooks and other lowlifes too weak to make a living for
themselves try to take what others have earned through
their hard work. Not much is done about it, however. Police
services must be hired by citizens and only sometimes will a
corporate businessman pay for a raid in the deepest favela
hell, and only when they fear that their interests might be in
danger or when civil order starts to disappear.
On the other hand, those who can afford the fees will
have the best lawyers in the Universe, and will find their
justice.

Fear those whose shadow is bigger than

themselves. - Old pre-space age corvo saying

MIGRATION
While some corvo have the most fantastic and opulent
lifestyles imaginable, there is a great majority that live in
a very precarious situation. Many of them are forced to
move away from their homes to try to make a living, leaving
behind families and friends. As lovers of freedom, the
corvo colonies put very few restrictions on immigrants, but
most do require that they have a job secured at their destination or that they have enough money in their accounts to
support themselves while looking for one. This very simple
rule is a must as a colony can see its crime rates increase
when inundated with people who cannot find a job and who
must do what they can to survive.
Those that are not allowed to travel must turn to the
mafias, who are the only ones capable of getting them to
places where they are not wanted. Everyday, hundreds of
corvo put on low quality spacesuits and are fired into the
Labyrinth by these mafias. While some are intercepted by
the emigration police set around the exits of the labyrinth,
the majority pass by and are then picked up by a spacecraft
inside the Labyrinth, which takes them to their destination
and fires them through the Labyrinth exits to pass the
emigration control that is there as well. Finally, they are
picked up by a ship that takes them to the colonys surface.
This is an extremely risky way of travelling and many die
in the process. Sometimes the transport ships dont show
up, other times the pilots are lazy and do not pick up all the
emigrants. The most unfortunate are picked up by slavers
to be sold off at distant planets.

MILITARY CONTRACTORS
AND PRIVATE POLICE
Although there are exceptions, police services are
usually unrelated to the government and belong to private

companies. That means that their services will only be

available to those areas and neighbourhoods that pay for
their services. As a result, private police forces compete
for the business of the best neighbourhoods. It is common
to see advertisements about different private police and
their superior training methods. Certain areas can become
very complicated when the neighbours do not agree on contracting the same service and each house is under protection from a different company. Some conspiracy theorists
talk about how some police forces move bodies to areas
of other companies to avoid having to resolve complex or
undesired crimes.
It is not uncommon for corvo to own personal weapons
for extra safety. Some even disregard the services of
police forces and prefer to rely on their own abilities to
defend themselves.

Cybercrime is the most extensive type of crime, due to

the fact that everyone is connected to the net and new
ways to exploit software weaknesses are constantly being
discovered. It is also a very safe type of crime as it can be
performed from home, and is difficult to trace without
the aid of a private security company. Therefore, most
criminals target lower or middle class citizens, aiming for
large numbers of easy victims instead of the more enticing,
but difficult, upper class. That said, there are some fantastic hackers known for being capable of penetrating the
strongest of digital defences and for discovering the most

The Corvo have created a new civilisation for a new millennium. They have taken their cities to
space, where they can feed from what is virtually an eternal source of energy. No longer coerced
by the weather, the availability of land, the changes in tectonic plates, the atmosphere or any
other planetary problems. They expand without restraint through the Labyrinth, from where
they can obtain any amount of resources whenever needed.
The Izkal accuse them of having unsustainable exponential growth, but with the discovery of
the Labyrinth, growth is no longer a liability - it is a necessity. Who knows who else is out there? What species and
what powers might one day come out of an unexplored region of the Labyrinth. The Corvo are doing what they must
for their survival. Holding hands and rainbows are all fine until you are conquered by a stronger foe, after which the
only thing your hands will hold will be a pick and a shovel, and you will be forced to terraform your lovely planet to
some strange creatures climate, hoping that once you are done you might be able to at least breathe what they
breathe.
The Izkal have to stop working with dated concepts from single-planet economies. The Labyrinth is the most dangerous thing to ever occur to our species, but it is also an opportunity. History will prove who is right. The Izkal should
work harder if they want to write a few pages of it. - excerpt from A Free Society, Abbas al Din, izkal dissident and
statistician at The Union.

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Military contractors are also believed to be responsible

for many black operations against the Izkal, rebel groups
within the Corvosphere and the Labyrinth, and even against
other corporations.

CYBERCRIME

The Corvo

On the other hand megacorps use military contractors

for their expansion enterprises, protecting spacecrafts and
colonies. These contractors hire and train their own personnel, using the most advanced weaponry in the universe, and
they are the closest thing to an army in the Corvosphere.
There are plenty of these companies, with most of them
belonging to The Union Megacorp, and there are millions
of mercenaries working for them. Some mercenaries are
renowned for their incredible feats, such as single handedly
taking out entire pirate outposts or surviving for years on
desolated planets, and as a result have become famous
stars in the Corvosphere. Some of them are really popular,
and they are used by military agencies as role models for
young corvo to try and attract new recruits.

The Corvo
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71

closely guarded secrets of the megacorps. These hackers

must live in complete anonymity as they not only risk their
freedom, but sometimes their lives.

by bigger fish. In all the corvo colonies all the companies

belong, one degree or another, to one of the megacorps,
even if they are not aware of it.

Oops, I did it again or OIDIA is one of the most notorious

and wanted hackers in the entire Corvosphere. He is named
after the signature he leaves behind and is known for his
peculiar way of looking at data as a living organism - as
another form of life that can be tamed like an animal. Some
think that he is code itself; that he is the first real AI. Others
might believe that he was killed during his latest job. But
from time to time some astonishing hacking attack turns
corvo society upside down with the signature Oops, I did it
again to prove that he is very much alive.

While all megacorps have diverse branches and attempt

to cover all potential sources of profit, they specialise in
one or two main areas of goods and services.

Killing is not innately bad. Our contempt for

killing comes from the reasoning that a society
cannot prosper if killing exists. Organic creatures
have evolved to be efficient and to be able to get
what they need when they want it. The most
animalistic call is to try to obtain what you want
without planning for future consequences, and
killing sometimes is a good and easy way of achieving things. Even less intelligent animals understand
this problem, and they have strict codes of behaviour. A wolf that kills another will be abandoned by
the pack. So, not killing is mostly something we do
in the hope that others will do the same and wont
kill us back. - Xue Lin, corvo comedian and political
activist

MEGACORPS
Small governments are incapable of achieving great
things and therefore the conquest of the stars was left
in the hands of private interests. The largest ventures
required such amounts of wealth and resources that small
companies chose to merge into larger companies, which
allied and grew into massive corporate holdings that assimilated all lesser businesses, who did not want to be left
behind. When these economic giants merged to achieve
greater things such as opening wormholes or mining entire
solar systems, the mega corporations were born.
The bigger the megacorp, the more powerful the owners
of all the companies that fall under their umbrella become.
Megacorps are owned by so many businessmen from so
many industries that they operate as de facto countries
with their own interests.
Competition is relentless and uncompromising. While
there are millions of businesses and owners, most of them
form part of one of the three existing mega corporations.
Being part of one gives them the power to fight off competitors and those that resist assimilation are soon bought out

NATIONS SOLUTION
Nations Solution is the megacorp that oversees the
corvo industries of nanotechnology and genetic modification. They also provide the main private medical system for
the corvo people. Nations Solution has most of the control
over the food production chains, the medical centres and
the bio-enhancement centres within the Corvosphere.
Their investment interests lay within those areas and
they are always interested in expanding their biological
understanding, including the uses of new species and biospheres. They are highly interested in the exploration and
discovery of new biomes and lifeforms, and they invest the
most out of any company into these types of projects.
As a result, Nations Solution is forced to rely on other
megacorps to aid their expeditions. They are looking for
ways to not depend on Wang Corp for their devices, fearing
corporate espionage and sabotage. They also depend on
The Union to defend their interests in the colonies and in
mining areas, but are always wary of the convenient failure
of an agreement. Nations Solution generally dislikes the
need for violence, but they will use any method available to
keep their shareholders happy.

He found a way to win the war for us. We had to kill him in his sleep. Imagine the
horror, how many businesses would have been destroyed? How many people would
have lost their jobs? Madness. - Xue Lin, corvo comedian and political activist

WANG CORPORATION
Wang Corporation bases its business in the creation of
software & hardware for all devices in the Corvosphere.
They hold the rights to X OS, the largest operating system
in the Corvosphere.

The Corvo

Wang Corporation is entirely dedicated to innovation.

They recognize the importance of technological progression and seek to be at the forefront of all development.
They heavily invest into mining rare materials, often from
gas giants, in order to fuel their research and they are able
to create thousands of tech patents every year. They are
always growing and investing in great ideas and innovations
in an effort to avoid losing clients to alien competitors.
Wang Corporation recognizes the importance of cyber
security, and they boast the strongest cyber defense
systems in the Corvosphere, ensuring that their great ideas
remain theirs.
They are looking for alternatives to the Nations Solution
health and food systems for their workers, fearing that a
monopoly could heavily affect their workers productivity.

THE UNION
The Union Megacorp creates all weaponry and hires and
trains most of the military in the Corvosphere. They also
invest the most in mining and space exploration.
The Union is deeply interested in weapon and spacecraft
developments. They have the best technicians for their

mining facilities and they seek to recruit lesser species to

their military and their workforce, utilising their diversified
capabilities and their cheap labour. Most of the humans in
the Corvosphere work for The Union.
They are not happy to deeply depend upon Nations
Solution to satisfy their workers needs for basic resources.
The Union fears being left with no health care system and
no food in a moment of war or critical expansion.
The Union would love to find an alternative to Wang Corp
for their software and hardware needs; they hope to be
able to produce everything in-house in the future. They
are studying if Wang Corp might have left back doors in
their systems for future use, perhaps in a hostile takeover
attempt.

The economy of the Corvosphere is run by people competing against each other to the death. Imagine a government
in which each minister is trying to overthrow the other ministries by reducing their worth, creating bad press about them,
and so on. Yeah, that sounds like a good system to run a country by. What could go wrong? [...] Only a small percentage
of the population can be CEOs, famous people, or leaders. They are inherently limited in their membership, yet we have
a society based on the desire to become one of them. How healthy can it be to live in a society where most dreams are
condemned to be broken ones? [...] The concept of the state is not the problem, but the very solution if applied correctly.
Anarchist ideologies will only slow down the process, as at some point organised groups will grow, as it is an easy way to
gain power, and they will soon impose their ways. Anarchism is condemned to live in a vicious circle with dictatorship. Only
a state of the people for the people is a system capable of sustaining itself. - From The shameful Sphere Lee Yin, corvo
philosopher and supporter of the Izkal State.

faith rulebook

They also depend on The Union for most of their sales,

and so their success is intrinsically tied to a rival megacorp.
They would like to extend their businesses into other
species economies. They have found success with the
Raag, but have failed in the uberprotectionist markets of
the Izkal.

72

Corruption is the use of the tools of the state to the benefi t of the individual in a capitalist system. They claim it
is the fault of the tools that the system is corrupted, yet they understand that people kill people, and not weapons.
Weapons are just tools, arent they? - Aklaq Neil, raag enginseer.

Never shoot a gun cocked by

someone else. - Kalivan saying

CORVO HISTORY

The Corvo

Modern corvo are the only extant members of the Corvacius Clade, a branch of great corvides characterised by
erect posture and bipedal locomotion, manual dexterity,
and increased tool use, and a general trend towards larger,
more complex brains and societies.

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73

The oldest specimen known in the corvo ancestry is about

120,000 years old. The Corvo began to exhibit evidence of
behavioural modernity around 30,000 years ago, after
which they soon occupied most of their planet. The spread
of the Corvo had a profound impact on every environment
they urbanised.
The general growth of the Corvosphere has always been
exceptionally fast. This is because the Corvo are adept at
finding new solutions to new problems: the exploitation of
their planets resources was well underway when they set
their eyes on asteroid mining and energies more efficient
than fossil fuels. The corvo CEOs keep sight of the long
term plans of their businesses - perhaps it was their long
life expectancy that gave them the necessary perspective.
This is why they understood the value of investing in R&D,
and it was space that proved to be the bottomless mine that
their economies needed.

SPACE AGE
The Corvo began their space age 2,000 years ago when
Liu Liwei became the first corvo to enter outer space. Five
corporations of three different countries with a common
vision signed a deal for long term collaboration. They were
looking for what they thought would make them indispensable to the future of their species: an endless energy
source. At least for the next billion years, which seemed like
enough. Their plan was to establish a ring of solar powered
satellites around the sun (a Dyson ring in human jargon)
and send the energy back to their planet with a system of
microwaves. These satellites would receive solar energy
every single second they were operative, with none of it
being lost to the atmosphere nor to other celestial bodies
that could stand in the way. Thousands of corvo workers
and technicians moved to space bases that became part of
the Dyson ring.

This new system was extremely costly, but it had transformed the corvo economy well before it was even completed. The fi ve corporations merged into a single entity
which eventually became the first corvo megacorp: it was
known as Jiaoyang and it took over more than 60% of all
businesses.
There was a complication. Each satellite could only
provide so much energy, and the subsequent rapid expansion of the Corvo required more energy than what the
Dyson ring could provide. Thus was the beginning of a great
recession, known as Sundown. The public accused Jiaoyang
of creating a monopoly over the Dyson rings energy
production, which ultimately lead to the crisis. These accusations damaged their reputation and caused their stock
prices to fall hard.
Jiaoyang could not continue to expand the Dyson ring.
There was a shortage of materials which could only be
provided by the two corporations that had taken over the
real estate of the remaining rocky planets in the system.
Jiaoyang had to agree to open the Dyson ring to other businesses, and the free commerce treaty that was signed
set the basis for a truly free and competitive economy. On
the other hand, the two corporations that had unilaterally
claimed the land of two whole planets were found guilty of
not operating within the free market, and they were sold
for parts by their shareholders. Jiaoyang split into two
companies: one that focused on the maintenance of the sat-

ellites and the workers bases, and another one in charge

of providing services to new companies and workers that
needed astronaut training and transportation to the Dyson
ring.
Both the planets and the Dyson ring became places of
investment and growth, resulting in the erasure of the
previous patronage system. Thousands of companies
started to work on the Dyson ring to produce energy, to
perform maintenance work for the satellites, and to provide
services to the ever-growing population of workers. Others
worked on the mining sites of the neighbour planets, which
were otherwise mere rocks where life could not exist.

TIANTANG,
A SPACE BASED ECONOMY

The need for material things, for new software, entertainment, energy, and resources, was ever growing. The
CEOs of the largest companies were well aware of what
would happen to their economy if they could not keep up
with their growth.

THE ARTIFICIAL WORMHOLE

When it seemed like the corvo expansion had reached its
limit, exhausting most of the resources available in their
solar system, the great mind of Mehdi Ben and his team of
scientists found a solution: they claimed that with enough
energy output they could create a wormhole. Creating a
wormhole is the summit of all technological advances in
space travel engineering. No form of energy has ever been
able to push the speed of a manned spaceship even close
to of the speed of light, and thus wormholes were the only
theoretical way to travel between star systems within the
lifespan of any of the recognised sentient species.

Mehdi Ben convinced several megacorps to invest heavily

into his concept. If it worked, they could create a door to a
whole new star system, full of the resources and job opportunities they needed.
What Mehdi Ben did not tell his investors was that it was
impossible for him to choose where the wormhole would
lead to. The only conclusion they could reach based on their
experimental data was that the other end of the wormhole
would open at a nearby N-Region. While they are scarce,
most star systems have one of these regions within a week
of subluminal travel. N-regions become more scarce the
further you are from a star, though the reason for this
relation has not been discovered yet.
This was enough assurance for Mehdi that the wormhole
would take them close enough to another star system and
its resources. He knew the risks of telling this to the shareholders, who would appreciate money more than a leap of
faith, so he kept it a secret from everyone.

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The creation of a wormhole is the most complex task

known today and can be highly dangerous. It requires the
presence of matter with negative mass, which can be either
created or found in regions of space known as N-regions, in
which mass arbitrarily changes from positive to negative.
Creating this form of matter is extremely expensive, and
thus a relatively close N-region is normally sought when
planning the creation of a new wormhole. It also needs an
enormous amount of energy to be continuously fed into it in
order to stay stable and not collapse upon itself.

The Corvo

With enough material to keep up with the expansion of

the Dyson ring, its growth was almost exponential. The ring
was finally completed, and its capital sector was named
Tiantang. The Corvo had mined two planets to their core,
and with a condensed ring of space stations and satellites
at 1AU of their star, almost half the corvo population had
chosen to move to live and work in Tiantang or nearby
mining bases. Not only had the majority of the industry
and services moved to space, but also their entire financial
system. In a genius move by several megacorps, they had
the stock and currency markets moved to Tiantang, which
resulted in a delay of 3 light minutes as information travelled from Tiantang to Quanjie, and forced all planetary
corporations to be unable to compete in the big leagues.

All the important and well paid jobs were in Tiantang,

and many service companies moved to space stations
in the ring. Quanjie was slowly but surely depleted of its
most capable citizens and industries, as well as most of its
resources.

When the wormhole was created, something completely

unexpected happened. Instead of taking them to an uncharted N-region, it took them to a natural wormhole that was
connected to thousands of points throughout the Universe,
thus creating an artificial connection between their location
and countless others. This was a success beyond what their
wildest theories had predicted. The corvo businesses and
people now had an open door to the Universe, which they
called the Labyrinth.

The Corvo

NOW

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75

The Corvo now use the Labyrinth to create new colonies

wherever they find habitable planets, and mine dozens of
planets and asteroid rings for Tiantang, their ever growing
Dyson ring. Some dream of creating a solid sphere around
the star, which would allow them to collect virtually all of
its energy output without any loss. Although this would
require creating a surface area several billion times that of
the surface of a planet, something scientists see as impossible now and highly unlikely in the future, the Corvo are not
a people who take a no for an answer and the Dyson ring
keeps growing every year.
The Corvo have expanded to other worlds in other star
systems and have built new homes for their people. Millions
of corvo inhabit hostile worlds where they spend their lives
mining vital minerals. It is also believed that wonderful
planets have been discovered, that are now inhabited by
only the richest corvo.

CORVO HABITATS
The Corvo have expanded to other worlds in other star
systems and have built new homes for their people. Millions
of corvo inhabit hostile worlds where they spend their lives
mining vital minerals. It is also believed that wonderful
planets have been discovered and are now inhabited by only
the richest corvo.

QUANJIE
Quanjie is the home planet of the Corvo. It is the place
where they evolved and where the majority of corvo lived
for nearly a millennium since the beginning of their space
age. Deforestation and heavy mining has made Quanjie a
poor place to live, with barren land and a weak atmosphere.
The population has been greatly reduced and there has
been a business exodus to Tiantang.
The only industries left on Quanjie are the exploitation of
rare woods and raising large animals for meat that cannot
be kept in Tiantang. Both trades are highly sought after in
the Dyson ring. However, the population of Quanjie is far
too large for its poor ecosystem and life is harsh for all

but the richest of the inhabitants. Those who have enough

money will often try to move to the Dyson ring to look for
opportunities.

TIANTANG
The Dyson ring of Tiantang is composed of thousands
of space habitats and millions of solar satellites. Hosting
billions of corvo and a few million inhabitants from other
species, it is ever growing, and even more ships and bases
are constantly being built with materials brought in from
distant worlds.
With unchecked growth in all directions, the sprawling
Tiantang has become huge and chaotic. New freighters
are attached to old ones by tunnels, which carry transport ships and everyday commuters. These improvised
space habitats form communities called districts, of
which Tiantang has thousands. Each district is completely
detached from the others as it isnt safe to create larger
structures. Rich districts are often also isolated from the
poorer ones.
While in the Corvosphere, you cannot forbid someone
from moving and establishing in unowned space. However,
empty areas between districts are completely owned by
aggregations of citizens or corporations, making them
private property and therefore allowing the owners to
decide who can or cannot land there.
Transportation between districts is run by transportation
companies, which have large fleets of spacecrafts. Middle
and high class corvos own personal space cars that fill the
vacuum between the districts like locusts.

Private habitats
The most rare and exotic habitats are owned by exceedingly wealthy or highly reputable
individuals. Most are small planets, moons, or asteroids turned into luxurious paradises. The
number of private habitats in existence is unknown, but many famous people talk about their
visits and how the experience was like a dream far beyond their sensorial capacities to fully
enjoy it. These places are, of course, protected by the best security contractors and their
location is keep a secret from the common people.

The richest of corvo society live aboard their own

personal spaceships with all the commodities and servants
their capabilities deserve. These spaceships are the summit
of the corvo engineering, large and beautiful as palaces,
powerful like war machines, revered like cathedrals, and
probably the most expensive things to ever exist in the
Corvosphere.

Izkal geniuses disenchanted by their conservative and

not-merit based society move to Tiantang to try to earn the
patronage of a megacorp for their inventions and theories.
The corvo have the resources and open mind to make
anything possible happen, for as long it makes them back
their investment and then some, of course.
Several thousand corvo live in each of these stations, but
most of the population live in space freighters, which are
better known as space favelas.
While the demand for workers is huge, there are now
so many workers that the companies can offer low wages
knowing that there will always be someone desperate
enough to take the job. This has drastically reduced the

Many resort to crime. The worst districts are controlled

by mafias who decide who gets to work when, and on what.
While there is almost no crime whatsoever in the richer
districts, the majority of the lower class corvos are unable
or unwilling to pay for police protection. Therefore, there
are millions of corvo that live in the favelas without even
the most basic of services.
Some with even worse luck live in the same factory ships
they work on every hour they are awake, building new ships
or satellites, fabricating weapons, anti-matter batteries,
or operating food processing chains, pharmaceutical processes, etc.
In Tiantang, the upper class can eat and enjoy anything
they can imagine. The middle class usually travels once or
twice per year to a tourist colony and enjoys the entertainments available in Tiantang the rest of the time: they can
eat out several times per year, but mostly eat algae and
other food products that can grow in space. Gyro-zhans
have tanks of algae used both as food and energy source.
The algae is fed with organic waste, imported minerals and
sunlight. The lower classes are usually restricted to virtual
entertainment and a diet based on fodder, insects rich in
proteins, and compressed algae.

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People in the gyro-zhans work all types of jobs: information technology, internet, transportation, debris collection,
brokerage, law, entertainment, resource management,
services, health care, etc. These stations are beautiful and
magnificent. They are where people have the space and
time to grow and learn all the information ever recorded
from the largest privately owned libraries. In these libraries, the most powerful minds of the Universe of all the
species meet to discuss all kinds of matters.

Immigrant corvos arrive by the thousands every day

and are sucked into the space favelas: old space freighters the size of islands, now too old to be operational, have
been transformed into slums where layer over layer of
containers extend as far as the eye can see, each housing
one or more families, and all of them living in 0-G in the
worst possible conditions. Most families live and die in one
of these containers, without ever experiencing gravity.
Their bodies are kept alive thanks to the intake of G-pills
that minimise the effects of the lack of gravity on their
organs. Their only chance of a better life is being seen as a
capable worker by their foremen, and getting a proper job
in a gyro-zhan.

The Corvo

Middle class citizens live in comfortable, safe and beautiful districts, composed of a single spacecraft called a
gyro-zhan. Gyro-zhans are round spacecrafts that spin
continuously to recreate a sense of gravity through centrifugal force. Thus, inhabitants of a gyro-zhan live on the
outermost section of the space station, with their ceiling
being in the direction of the center section of the space
station. Like an onion, there are several floors from the
outermost section going into the centre, each of them a
ring in the station. Since gravity diminishes the closer you
are to the centre, most core services, gardens, and storage
are located in the central areas. The main hangar of a gyrozhan is located at its core, with an airlock in the exact centre
of the station. This is the only point of the gyro-zhan that is
easily accessible to transport spaceships.

quality of life of corvo workers in Tiantang. Veteran

workers see how their well paid jobs are being taken by
inexperienced immigrants from Quanjie or from some
other colony, who agree to a tenth of the salary. This has
created large scale problems of xenophobia, and groups of
Hexia and Ergon believers have teamed up to ask for a more
protectionist state and stronger immigration laws. Still,
the lobby groups of the megacorps and the vast majority
of the population are completely against such ideas, and
therefore the situation isnt likely to improve.

YING
Ying was wise. He knew this, regardless of what others
told him or how they laughed when he didnt seem to
know the obvious. He knew he didnt have an education or
a well-positioned family. In his job, he was the street kid
that somehow made it. That made him proud. Let others
talk about his strange mannerisms, his uncouth behaviour,
or his lack of understanding of celebrity culture. When he
was born, he was meant to die at the bottom of a 0-G space
freighter, and now he was working as an specialist collecting
space debris.

The Corvo

His friends in the favela called him the trash collector which he kind of was. His job allowed spaceships to travel
around Tiantang. Collecting debris in the middle of space was
not for the faint of heart and only a few had the skills needed
to operate the specialized equipment.

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He breathed in the last oxygen remaining in his O24U

machine, some stupid thing he bought when it was on sale
last week. It was built so that you couldnt recharge the
oxygen with anything but a special tank sold by Living Solutions. What a rip off. There were much better options when
buying good clean O2 for indoors, but none of that matters
now. Ying was leaving Tiantang for good and he would not
need such things anymore.

where he had to show his ID, which allowed him to get into
the morning ship to the Commuters Spacecraft. The CS was
a large ship, in the shape of a honeycomb, where thousands
of transport ships arrived and went in a somehow organised
chaos that connected dozens of districts. Ying got out of the
ship and jumped into an elevator, which moved at 100 kilometres per hour and took him to a new waiting area. Here he
had to pass another ID check that allowed him into a corridor
with dozens of entrances on each side. He pushed himself
to float a couple hundred meters in a straight line towards
entrance A291 without the need of redirecting himself at all.
There he stared at the clock, which told him the ship would
be there shortly, but he was really looking at the teaser
of a new space opera to be released in a couple of weeks
about a spaceship that gets lost in the Labyrinth after being
chased by some envious izkal for some unclear reason. This
was being fed directly into his cortex through his implanted
computer, and he was choosing to see it in its VR format, so
he was completely surrounded by images, and the sounds,
smells, and touch sensations made him feel as if he was one
of the crew members. He gave the thought command of
turning it off. He was bored to death of bloody space operas
and stupid problems in the Labyrinth. With only wishing it,
he tuned in to the nature channel and chose to see - for the
thousandth time - the documentary about Karriam.
The VR took him there instantly, he could feel the humidity

He had done well for himself and today he was about to do

a lot better. He pushed himself upwards and exited his aluminium house from a hole on the roof - or the floor (in the old
0-G space-freighter it didnt really matter). His house was at
the top (or the bottom) of a column of houses as tall as the
ship. He couldnt think of a thing there that he would miss.
Thousands of corvo floated in all directions. They used
handrails to push themselves in whatever direction they
needed to go, when they were not launching themselves by
kicking some wall that could barely withstand their weight.
They had lived like that for their whole lives. For most,
gravity was something they had never felt. Ying still hated it.
He kicked the wall behind him and entered the vegetable
market like a rocket. His timing was perfect and he passed
between two elder men that were yelling at each other about
some fake meat. Without needing to readjust his trajectory, Ying grabbed a bag of vegetable pills without anyone
realising.
When Ying moved in 0-G he felt like he could fly. Everything was so natural to him that he did not even realise when
he used walls to propel or redirect himself. His movement
was graceful and fluid. And he was like a ghost. He had to be,
as favelas were not the safest place to live in.
It was a long bullet train commute to the docks. He had
to cross four spacecrafts to reach the docks of his district,

YOU

ARE BUT A
MORTAL BODY. I

and hear the sound of the jungle, a place of blue trees so

beautiful and fresh that it was almost unreal. He could also
hear the calling of some animal that sounded like the
sound of the transport ship arriving.
Ying turned off the VR and he was back in the corridor,
holding himself with his feet to the security bar. The whole
place was now full of other corvo that pushed through each
other to try to get onto the transport ship. Ying didnt move
and contemplated the chaos of those floating bodies, some
rightside up some upside down, and others sideways - all
yelling and swearing. He felt above that. Soon he would be in
Karriam. Soon he would have so much space around him that
he would probably need one of those neural treatments for
agoraphobia that he kept seeing in the commercials on the
Move to a Colony website.
He got in last, with all the eyes on him, as he was delaying
the door. He moved slowly and deliberately, and he enjoyed
the hatred in the atmosphere.

He felt the ship dock and turned off his VR feed. He saw the
rest of the commuters coming back from their own VRs to
reality and blinking to adapt themselves to the light.
They began to float out. They were in the Space Made
Straight headquarters. From here, a dozen ships launched to
cross the Universe to new worlds everyday. From here, his
ship to Karriam was leaving today.
Soon everyone had left, except for Ying who was the only
one left in the transport. He noticed the amazing size of the
building, the neon screen with images of dozen of worlds and
the ships that could take him to them. Here, thousands of
people went about their business in all directions. It looked
like the bees nest in the documentary about Karriam. Ying
did not move. Finally he looked down at his feet.
The transport ship closed its doors and took Ying back to
the Commuters ship.

A New Opportunity, The New World, Fly today with

PUPPE T STRUNG TO THE FATE OF YOUR

SHALL FREE YOU . - LEDGER , CHAOREN

The Corvo

Maybe he didnt know who was the new hit in hologram

pop music or who was trending in eSports. But he somehow
knew that none of that really mattered. It wasnt making any
of his friends happy, and it definitely never made him happy.
But Karriam was the real deal. A paradise.

Space Made Straight, Ying reviewed his feed. The images

were haunting, out of this world, something Ying, who had
lived all his life inside a metal frame, could barely understand.

78

THE IZKAL
The Izkal are a gregarious and proud people. Slightly
smaller in stature and more slender than humans, they live
in large cities on the surface of the planets they colonise.
Izkal are mammals with an average height of 1.8 metres
for males and 1.73 for females. The average mass of an
adult izkal is 70 kilograms for males and 65 kilograms
for females, but this is highly dependent on the gravity of
the planet they grow up in and many other factors such as
exposure to sunlight and nutrition.

The Izkal

Their life expectancy is quite high at 70 Earth years, but

with genetic manipulation, an urbanite izkal with access to
the free care system of the State can live up to 180 years.

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Izkal are completely hairless and have a tougher skin

than humans, but their skin has a tendency to dry up. This
is why they live in swamplands and along coasts whenever
possible. They are adept swimmers and they have a very
large lung capacity.
Before genetic manipulation, the Izkal had no vocal
cords and had evolved to communicate through hyperlink.
After the Uprising, in which the Izkal wiped out the Korian,
they developed an advanced civilisation and modified
themselves genetically to develop vocal cords to be able
to communicate in a universe that they shared with many
other species.
They have a tail, reminiscent of their time as marine creatures, which they used for swimming. They can still control
its movement, but they cannot grab anything with it. They
have a head appendage that contains an organ connected to
the brain called the iz, which allows them to enter hyperlink.
Although it has been studied in depth, there is still much to
learn about it. When an izkal loses his iz, he can no longer
engage in hyperlink, which usually leads to depression and
suicide. Very few izkal can live without the hyperlink, and
those who do so become voidwalkers, suffering heavy
changes on their organs and even at a genetic level.
Izkal modify themselves genetically to adapt to the
star cycle and environmental conditions of the planet
they inhabit, allowing them to eat whatever is available.
However, they tend to have vegetarian diets.

THE STATE
The State is the concept that incorporates everything
that is izkal related, from the planets they inhabit, to their
spacecrafts and their mines, and even their districts in
shared planets with other species.

Rebel fleets, pirates, anarchists and any other type

of groups who do not accept the ways of their common
society are not considered part of their society or the State
itself.

HYPERLINK
Izkal can form neural networks with other members of
their species. While connected, individual thoughts merge,
creating a large single mind influenced by every individual.
This connection is known as a hyperlink.
While in hyperlink, izkal get a pretty good picture of the
feelings and reasonings of all the other members. Witnessing the internal processes of another person creates a
strong bond and makes everyone very empathetic. This is
one of the reasons the levels of violence and discrimination
are so low within their society.

A hyperlink can only be achieved by reaching out to

others close by, and as the network increases in size, the
mind processing capability of the joint mind grows stronger.
Any number of izkal can join the same hyperlink if they are
close enough to any of the members already in it. In urban
areas, izkal tend to form large networks, allowing them to
share their thoughts, discuss the latest news and engage
in small talk with their fellow citizens, while also enjoying
a shared mental map of the city. Even when visiting a new
city, an izkal will find his way around very easily and will
always feel like a small but essential part of a whole.
In their houses, izkal share a more personal hyperlink
with their home community, but they can transition to the
main city hyperlink very quickly. In rare cases, hyperlinks
are formed between the society as a whole to tackle
matters that pertain them all. Such large hyperlinks are
tiresome to the individual and some fear what it might do to
an izkals individuality.

Izkal learn to control the emotions they share at an early

age, since their feelings can easily influence those around
them. Individual sentiments of anger, fear, sadness, or hate
are usually suppressed, but when they are too intense to
keep inside, they usually exile themselves from the hyperlink to avoid affecting others psyches with their personal
problems. The hyperlink exile takes as long as the individual
needs to come to terms with whatever affected him; some
izkal are so damaged that they never join a hyperlink again,
and they become voidwalkers.

THE VOIDWALKERS
When an izkal spends a great amount of time disconnected from hyperlink, he becomes anxious and has a feeling of
loneliness that can easily turn into a deep depression.
If the separation from hyperlink is long enough or
produced by a shocking event of great magnitude, some
individuals might never be able to connect with others
through hyperlink ever again. In times previous to the
addition of the vocal cords to the Izkal, this meant that a
voidwalker could never talk with another person again.

The voidwalkers are treated with a mixture of respect,

fear, and sadness, for losing the ability to communicate
through hyperlink is seen by all izkal as a great loss, and
the events that lead to that loss are usually just as terrible.
They tend to be lonely and quiet, trying to stay away from
other izkal and keeping mostly to themselves. Their mental
strength and determination make them extremely valuable
to the State, and many voidwalkers enter the ranks of the
Savak, the elite force in charge of state protection.
The Izkal State has seen value in this trait and their elite
military group, known as Savak, is composed solely of
voidwalkers. That most of them are people who have lost
everything makes them even better soldiers, as they are
given a new reason to live and die for.

For your own good is a persuasive argument

that will eventually make a man agree to his
own destruction. - Janet Frame, human writer

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The change affects the iz organ, which develops a new

function for itself that increases the mental strength of the
Izkal (it is thought to be an evolved trait to reduce the risk
of suicide) and makes the voidwalkers excellent soulbenders, allowing them to wield the powers of their Gods at a
whole new level. Some radicals put themselves through
this ordeal on purpose in order to obtain this ability, but
they are forever changed.

The Izkal

An izkal can choose to disconnect from a hyperlink at

any time, but to be able to join or create one with another
individual, all its members must be willing to accept him.
Most izkal have no trouble connecting with any other

members of society and share their interests and motivations. In fact, most of the relevant decisions in the personal
life of an izkal are made while in hyperlink.

as when a group of colonists is sent to a new planet, are

they modified so as to restore their natural reproductive
physiology.

The Izkal

Bringing a new child to the Universe requires governmental approval to keep the population levels low enough
to maintain the extremely high quality of life the Izkal are
known for. When a majmoa wishes to have a new child,
they can apply to the State, and if they meet all the requirements, they will be granted permission. It is up to the
majmoa to choose which among the willing female will be
impregnated with the baby. This is one of the few instances
where individual choices are allowed and not frowned upon.

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The baby himself is genetically designed in a laboratory,

following the highest standards to ensure that the new
specimen is as healthy as possible and extends the genetic
diversity of the izkal species in case of epidemics or other
similar threats. This can very well mean that the baby
might not share any relation to any of the members of the
majmoa he will be born into. While this might seem strange,
izkal see no problem whatsoever with this and everyone in
the majmoa will behave as caring fathers and mothers to
this new child.

It is dangerous to be right when the

government is wrong. - Voltaire, human
writer, philosopher and historian

SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS
In their personal lives, izkal engage in majmoas, which
are usually group relationships of three to ten members
of both genders, but they stay faithful to that particular
majmoa. Monogamous relationships are rare and seen
as restrictive. Although not all members of the majmoa
engage in sexual activity with all the others, they are all
very close to each other, sharing all their experiences and
emotions through hyperlink and devoting themselves to
each other. Each majmoa shares a house and any child born
is considered the child of the whole group.
The Izkal are mammals and, while female and male
members have different physiologies, their social structure
does not enforce differences between them. Reproduction
is controlled by the government. New citizens are genetically engineered during conception and pregnancy cannot
occur without medical intervention. Only in rare cases, such

All izkal societies that have been studied throughout

history have had group relationships of this kind, even
before genetic manipulation and the Korian.

ENTERTAINMENT AND ART

The Izkal did not have natural vocal cords, and thus they
were always fascinated with the singing of other species,
especially of humans. Good singers are always welcomed
in an izkal community, where they will be hosted by a different majmoa every day. In small towns, the arrival of a
singer is a celebrated event and most people will attend
their performances. In the big cities there are stadiums
where thousands of izkal watch concerts by human or
corvo singers.
Having an excellent voice is one of the easiest ways for an
alien to be accepted in the State as a citizen, and many do so.
Some alien communities are aware of it and in the poorest
neighbourhoods the children train their voices in the hope
that they will be brought to a place where all their needs
are taken care of. Many spend their savings on a one way
trip to an izkal colony, where they hope to be welcomed.
Izkal are considered to be excellent dancers and are

When an izkal is born, he or she has around a dozen parents. When she goes on to study, the choices of subject,
location, and ways are already made for her. When she begins to work, she will face hundreds of experts parenting
her. When she goes to choose the colours of her home, she has experts making the choice for her. The State treats its
citizens like children for their whole life. The Izkal have yet to reach the maturity of their society. - Feng Wang, corvo
politician and businessman.

You are the only one qualified to decide how to live your life. Take a step, raise your
arm in the air, and claim your freedom. You are an individual, not a gear of the State.
Stand up. It is the time of change. - Karim El-Amin, izkal political activist
very kin to learn and practice all the arts imaginable. So
much so, that some instrumental and dancing groups
known as ghaziwas are lured into the Corvosphere, with
the promise of richness, to play in galas and parties of the
highest level. There is a trend of corvo infatuated with the
izkal costumes and their fashion, a new age confrontation
resembling the political realities of their species. The trend
is believed to originate from corvo who believe that they
are above political conflict. For this very reason, the State
has hardened its emigration and movement laws - making it
very hard for an izkal to move to the Corvosphere.

Throughout his years, he proved that he had what

was needed to be a great warrior, but he was a
disobedient student and his ideas often clashed with
those of his masters. While he loved his art and his
fellow Furusiyya students, he did not agree with the
methods and the values of his school. It was during a
verbal confrontation that Zahid had taken a masters
gesture as an attack, and promptly took him down,
resulting in his permanent expulsion from Furusiyya.
Zahid became an outcast, wandering from one
place to the next, longing for a purpose. He decided
he would travel to learn from other martial arts, and
come back to Erthum to create his own school - one
where new ideas would be heard.
He now travels from world to world through the
Labyrinth, learning the techniques of other species.
He will show his old masters their own arrogance
and how there is so much more to learn and improve.

The State works as a moneyless and ownerless organisation. Instead, it uses a fluid system that takes into consideration the labour force, the production capacity, and the
reserves of resources of the colony, and manages these
parameters to figure out how to run the colony with basic
sustainability principles and technical capacities in mind,
obtaining the most efficient lasting results.
Izkal people spend their whole lives working at the job
that best suits them, regardless of their personal interest
in it, although personal interest usually implies better
results and the izkal are generally very satisfied with their
roles. After all, they see themselves as an extension of the
society as a whole and are willing to sacrifice their personal
agendas for the good of all.
On the other hand, the majority of izkal only work in the
scientific, technological, sociological, or entertainment
fields, as most of the physical labour is performed by
machines. Most izkal are therefore poets, writers, scientists, musicians, engineers, dancers, actors, philosophers,
etc. All of their work is shared freely, to be used, manipulated, improved, and elevated by all others.
There are no boss-employee relationships, nor leader
and follower, as everything is collaborative. Despite that,
social pressure is strong and if the majority within ones
department asks them to perform a certain task, they are
obligated to perform it, putting aside their personal needs.
Of course, strong laws defending personal dignity and life
are in place to avoid abuse of individuals by the group, which
seems to be the largest problem in izkal society.
The State is based on public interaction and collaborative
design, facilitated by open-access systems, open feedback
programs, a high mobile labour force, and primary and
secondary sectors based almost entirely on automated
machinery.
Technocrats can put forward new motions to resolve
existing problems or improve old systems. To do so, they
must follow the scientific method approach. The proposals
are presented anonymously and are reviewed by groups of

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Zahid was selected by the school of Furusiyya at

the age of six. He had been genetically manipulated
before birth and he had showed aptitude. He was told
he would become a warrior: a martial artist born to
defend his nation. He would not understand what this
meant until much later in his life.

The izkal are organised around a concept called the

State. The State is the organisational structure and system
of governance of the izkal society in which all citizens,
called technocrats, take part as the administrators of the
State based on their expertise and hard data.

The Izkal

Science and philosophy are the other two main forms

of entertainment for the izkal, who are encouraged to be
curious from early ages, continuously engaged with the
Idealab and the hyper-schools where learning is the main
focus. They are fascinated by metaphysics and the whole
process of understanding the Universe, life, the Gods, and
themselves. Many izkal are granted special permissions to
travel the Universe as groups of explorers looking for new
places through the Labyrinth, or as missionaries trying to
bring the izkal ways to other species.

RESOURCE-BASED
ECONOMY

The Izkal
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83

The Izkal are not governed by tyrants, yet they

are not free. They oppress their fellow man and
woman, and in the same way they feel oppressed
themselves. It is the government of the behavioural coercion of the peers. An izkal city feels like
Alhalam, still running, but not even itself knows
why or what for. It just cant stop [...] They live long
and healthy lives, yet they do not own them. They
are more spectators than participants. They know
not of pain, yet they barely understand pleasure.
They do not know of the grey scale in things, nor
of black and white - they have only seen white and
their stares are just that: blank, white, and bored
looks of the walking dead. - Xeon Magno, CEO of
The Union, after his visit to Erthum.

All motions are at all times open source and accessible

through the States main system, Idealab. This means that
any other technocrat can build his own motion upon it or
perhaps request that the team already working on it takes
into consideration some variable or idea the technocrat has
come up with.

experts. When these proposals have been deemed viable at

the technical level, they are distributed among the departments that might be affected by the changes proposed.
The technocrats of these fields take into consideration how
it would affect their work, and how their own field could
improve the motion. These critiques or offers for collaboration are again distributed. The team that originated the
idea takes them into consideration and works upon them.
They are usually joined by teams of other departments to
create a multidisciplinary motion.

Planets have limited resources and the izkal have

managed to make the best of the environments of their
colonies, building smart cities efficiently managed by highly
specialised teams.

Once these improved motions have taken into consideration their implications at all levels, and the availability of
the resources and labour needed to implement them, they
are compared with other alternatives and the most effective one is applied.

As there is a direct link between the citizens and the

production of goods without an exchange in between (as
in monetary systems) or possible personal gain, all new
policy considerations are based on their utility and there is
no market resistance to new products that might put old
products out of business, nor planned obsolescence.

ZAKI-WAAHA CITIES

Although very expensive to build, these zaki-waaha cities

have proven to be the most cost-efficient way to live for
big communities in the long term. The buildings recycle all
the waste their occupants generate and the industrial parks
generate an almost organic symbiosis between factories,
bringing the usage of raw materials to a minimum. Public
transport is constantly evolving to better suit the needs of
the citizens, and while it might be confusing for a recently
visitor, the neural webs formed through hyperlink by izkal
allow them to manage the apparent chaos with ease.
Water is stored in centralised deposits, and energy is
usually generated with a well balanced mix of solar and
geothermal energy, coupled with nuclear fusion during
periods of low light. The water tanks are used as batteries,
pumping the water up when there is an excess of energy
generation and allowing it to flow down again when there
are energy shortages.
Everything in a zaki-waaha serves a purpose, and the
constant monitoring of resources, citizens, and the environment allows the automated systems to take care of almost
every problem without any assistance. Most routine tasks
are performed by robots and the only non-robotic workers
are police officers and archivists that constantly study the
workflow of the machines, seeking ways to improve them.
After many years, the systems have been almost perfected
in most colonies, but izkal do not like to leave any stone
unturned in their quest for efficiency.

Reader, suppose you were a slave.

And suppose you were an izkal. But
I repeat myself. - Bill Mordok, human
comedian, paraphrasing Mark Twain

ECONOMIES OF THE MAJMOA

AND THE INDIVIDUAL
The Izkal have no currency and, for them, it is a difficult
concept to grasp. Although it is known that izkal societies
previous to the Korian did use it, after the Uprising they
created a system of living without private property.
How individuals obtain the usage rights of something
depends on a system of waiting lists. While some items are
consumables (such as food), and therefore cannot be given
back, all others are acquired for a period of time depending
on the utility of the item.

Each izkal is given a unique ID which is imprinted onto their

genome during conception. Through this ID, all relevant
information about a citizen, such as his place of birth, job,
hobbies, relationships, and the complete list of items and
services he has ever used or requested, can be accessed.
All this information is taken into account when an izkal
citizen wants to obtain something and complex algorithms
are used to place him on the waiting list for that object or
service.
How fast the waiting list moves depends on how fast
the item is produced, which in turn depends on that items
relevance and the current needs of the society. Necessary
items, such as food, are usually acquired at the moment of
the request, and the citizen is then pushed back a reasonable amount of time on the waiting list before being able to
request it again.

The Izkal are a very eco-friendly and minimalistic species

with a deep interest in preserving their natural resources.
They strive to create items meant to last and that are able
to be upgraded instead of replaced when possible. So, while
it is possible for an izkal to request a copy of every existing
item, the central service of resources will take this into
account and the delivery of items deemed unnecessary by
the system could be postponed for as long as his entire life
span.
Asking for an update or a repair for an existing item is
usually faster than requesting a new one, and while there
is also waiting list for this, it is favoured by the system as it
saves resources.
Izkal frown upon excessive waste and material needs,
sometimes avoiding hyperlinks with those interested in
such things. There is a strong social pressure to behave in a
respectful and conservative manner towards the resources of all, and it is rare for an izkal to request something he

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Some items are produced on request and delivered following the waiting list. 3D printing technologies and malleable polymers allow each technocrat to build what he
personally needs, accessing the best designs in the Idealab
or creating his own. Each technocrat receives a given
amount of raw materials for these uses depending on the
availability of resources, and must make do until more is
available, reusing what they have if they desire to create
something new or giving it to someone else when they dont
have use for it anymore.

The Izkal

Public transport is by far the most common form of

transportation, but spaceships can be requested when
time is of the essence or when traveling to rare locations.
When in need of a vehicle, a request will be submitted to
the system, which will determine whether it is a reasonable
request and if so, which vehicle is the most adequate for
the journey. Once the journey is finished, the vehicle will be
returned and made available for someone else. Things are
always being used by someone. As soon as one stops using
them, they are handed over to the next person who needs
them. Some items are only available at specific locations,
and anyone wanting to use them will have to go to those
locations. Other items, such as house appliances or clothes
can be acquired for as long as one lives, as it would be inefficient to transport them between houses while they are
not being used. The majmoas also improve the usage ratio
of most appliances and other household goods.

Whenever an izkal wants to acquire a product, he places

a request on the system and is put on the waiting list for
that item. This can be done through the internet or in person
by using ones ID. His place on the waiting list is based on
how much the person requesting the item needs it when
compared to others. If the system decides that someone
doesnt need an item, they wont be able to get it even if
they are the only one on the waiting list.

The story of every criminal previous to his crime is the story of a victim of somebody elses crimes.
The story of every criminal after his crime is the story of a victim of his own crimes. - Aliyah Saab,
izkal sociologist
doesnt actually need. The absence of any kind of marketing in the entire State also contributes to this behaviour,
since there is no reason for an izkal to desire something he
doesnt need. This keeps the waiting list processes streamlined and fairly fast.

The Izkal

In rare times of a scarcity of resources, such as droughts

and wars, first necessity items are rationed and given sparingly to extend their availability. Priority will be given to
those most valuable to the preservation of the species as
determined by the system.

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Izkal streets have almost no stores and most items are

purchased from the Central of Resources website or built
at home. In contrast to corvo, for whom shopping is one
of the most pleasant activities and a sign of social status,
izkal consider it an undesirable necessity and will only do
so when necessary.
The national drink of the Izkal, the lial, is often sold in
lial shops that line the streets. Lial is consumed in all social
situations, when engaging in hobbies, in parks, theatres
and sports centres, and in hyper schools. Hyper schools
are places where respected individuals in different areas
engage in hyperlink with visitors to share their knowledge
and recent discoveries. They are not meant to replace traditional learning systems, which also exist, but are fantastic
places to find out about what is new in the fields of ones
interests.
The streets are almost silent even when busy, as izkal do
not talk among them, but join each other in hyperlink. To the
other species this is an eerie experience, seeing thousands
of people walking in all directions without a single word
being spoken, the only noise the sound of the friction of the
clothes and their steps.

POLICE AND THE SAVAK

For many years there has not been a police force in izkal
society. Crime is extremely rare, and is even uncommon
in izkal fiction. In a society as empathically connected as
the Izkal, people are always aware of the feelings of those
around them and most problems can be tended to before
they affect society. Still, there is no such thing as a perfect
society and certain individuals do perform minor crimes,
such as people taking things outside of their usage rights.
These crimes are reported by other technocrats as soon
as they become aware of the crime. The criminal must
appear before a commission whose job is to figure out the
cause of his behaviour. Criminals are treated as mental
patients who require re-education and there are many

social workers whose job is to figure out a way to improve

the criminals life (socially rather than economically) to the
usual levels of other technocrats, ultimately restoring that
person to society. This is usually done by psychoanalysing
the criminals, and having them enter hyperlink with people
that can connect with them and help them improve.
More serious crimes are usually due to strong mental
illnesses that cannot be treated by social workers. Neuroscience is making big advancements in these areas, and
most of the patients affected by mental illnesses can now
be treated and restored to a normal brain function. Those
so out of touch with society that they are irrecoverable are
eventually turned into voidwalkers, and many of them end
up joining the Savak.
The Savak is composed of voidwalkers, izkal who have
lost their ability to enter hyperlink and who have undergone
an important physical and mental transformation. Those
that so choose are trained under one of the most rigid and
demanding military systems in the Universe. They are given
a single purpose in life: to defend the State. Although many
fear their rigid moral code and lack of empathy, most izkal
accept and agree that this is the best life for those that have
lost their purpose. The risk of these soldiers abusing their
power is there, but no one else is willing to fight the wars
that the State must fight for the survival of all.

MIGRATION
It is quite hard for an izkal to move from one colony to
another, as each colony is built to work with an specific
number of citizens. As a result, the State asks that one
provides them with a proper reason for the emigration,
which should be somehow beneficial for the society
(taking into consideration the work he can accomplish in
the new colony and the work he will stop doing in the old
one). Things like moving houses, or moving to a new city or
planet are also organised with waiting lists. This can take
several years, but is free and available to the totality of the
society so the izkal endure as they understand it is needed
to maintain their privileged lifestyle.

economically inferior to the Corvo - two centuries.

If nothing changed in two centuries, the Corvo would
have grown so large that it would not matter that the Corvosphere was not an united front. Each of the megacorps
would be as large as the Izkal State and hungry to expand
their market. At that point, there would be nothing the State
could do to stop them from expanding into the izkal society
the same way they did with the humans and the Raag.
The Izkal would not go down easy, but in the end it
wouldnt matter. The Corvo have proven over and again
that they are proficient at destroying native economies and
becoming the new and better source of goods, soon after
imposing their terms by monopolising the options.

It is also very hard for a member of another species to

come into izkal society. While some colonies are more
open to visitors and are prepared to receive them, most
are completely closed, as changes in the demographic of
the State could put the efficiency of the system at risk.
These colonies are called conversion camps by the corvo. In
general, the Izkal havent had such good experiences with
other species and are reluctant to welcome them in.

We disagree on everything, but do you

know the difference between us? While you
would like to suppress my right to express
my ideas, I would give my life to protect
your right to express yours. - Lee Bao,
corvo diplomat, to his izkal counterpart

Members of other species have many problems adapting

to izkal ways. They are usually unhappy with working at
whatever the State assigns them at the time, living only
where given the right to, having holding rights (as the
corvo call it) over items or services, etc. They also have
problems communicating with the izkal as they cannot join
them in hyperlink and miss out on most things relevant to
society that are communicated this way.

THE HEXIAN MOVEMENT

When the Izkal met the Corvo, everything changed. It did
not take them long to understand that they were incompatible and that they had to share a universe that technology
was rendering progressively smaller (in spite of its continual expansion).
The Izkal are aware that the Corvosphere grows very
fast, discovers new planets and exploits them to the core,
and is always investigating new ways to be more effective
at expansion regardless of the cost in lives and happiness
of their people as a whole. It did not take long for many sociologists to project how long the State had until it would be

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As soon as the State became aware of this fact, it started

taking the necessary steps to protect itself. After centuries
of hardship and sacrifices under the dominion of the Korian,
the Izkal are forced to endure hardships once more. Principles will need to be put aside, and sadly personal rights
need to be sacrificed. The Hexian movement claims that the
Izkal need to grow as fast as the Corvo or they will lose
everything.

The Izkal

When the State needs to populate a new colony or city,

or create any other migration movement, they will do so as
fast as it is needed. People can sign up for such things, and
if the vacancies are not filled voluntarily, they will be filled
by drafting. How likely a citizen is of being drafted depends
on many factors, such as the role he currently fills, how
useful his skills are at the destination, or how much he will
suffer by being moved. Most drafts entitle entire majmoas
to avoid breaking such bonds.

THE KORIAN AND

THE IZKAL UPRISING

The Izkal

A thousand years ago, when the Izkal were a primitive

preliterate species still in the dawn of civilisation, newly
arisen to walk the land from their aquatic origins, they were
attacked by the Korian, a powerful and brutal species that
came to their planet from outer space. They were easily
subjugated and enslaved. They solemnly endured every
punishment and hardship their masters put them through.
They waited and learned from their new masters while
serving them meekly, finding solace in the secret connection they shared with each other, burying their hatred and
preparing for the moment when they could retaliate.

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The Korian were a strong species of conquerors that travelled through the Labyrinth taking whatever they desired
from wherever they landed, with little to no regard for the
biosphere of those places. They had a monarchist system
based on very rigid and backwards laws that disregarded
the rights of their own people and of course considered all
other species nothing more than insects in their soup.
The Korian used izkal as servants and pets, finding them
harmless as they lacked, to their eyes, the gift of talking
as they called it. The Korian tended to feel threatened by
species that could talk and, if the stories told by izkal are
to be believed, they killed off several species they found
during their travels for this very reason. Back then, izkal
could only communicate through hyperlink. They had no
evolutionary need for vocal cords and this made them mere
animals to the Korian. It was only after the Izkal regained
their freedom and built their State that they genetically manipulated their genome to develop vocal cords, supposedly
to communicate better with alien species, but some think
that they wanted to overcome the feeling of inferiority that
the Korian had imposed upon them.
The Izkal were the submissive slaves of the Korian for
two centuries, during which they went through all kinds
of vexations and tortures without having a single izkal go
rogue and revealing their secret language and intelligence.
Some historians do not believe in this romanticised idea.
They agree that it had to be rare for an izkal to betray their
species looking for a position of favor from the Korian.
However, some theorize that the hyperlink was made mandatory so that each individual izkal was at all times part
of the common izkal mind, making the individual needs of
each izkal seem insignificant. Those that tried to turn on

their own would then have to leave the linkmind and would
be assassinated by the others.
Twenty generations of izkal lived and died as slaves,
hoping that their sacrifice would increase the chances of
survival of the species in the long run. For them, a species
in the bronze age, the machinery of the Korian was nothing
short of magic. They studied it nonetheless, understanding
that in it laid the power of their masters. The Korian had no
interest in understanding technology, only in using it, and
they saw the izkal interest in it as an animalistic and inferior
curiosity. It did not take the Izkal long to know more about
the technology than their masters.
Once they knew enough about the technology and they
outnumbered the Korian, the moment came for them to
strike back. All the anger and hatred that had been suppressed, pulsating like a living being deep within their shared
mind, urging them to fight, finally surfaced. It erupted with
the silent scream of millions of voiceless souls, a wail that
froze the blood of the Korian - a promise of retribution and
death. That moment is now known as the Uprising.
When the Korian finally surrendered, no mercy was
shown to them. The Izkal lusted for vengeance, their anger
feeding those around them, unquenchable and too loud to
be ignored. The Korian were brutally massacred down to
the very last of them. Those who tried to hide were hunted
and those who tried to run were chased down.
Despite the sudden rebellion that caught the Korian
unaware, the Izkal paid a high price for their freedom.
Almost half of their population died and the vast majority
of the technology was destroyed. Cities were levelled to
the ground, space stations shattered, and many colonies
starved to death before the Izkal could put themselves
back together and use the few korian spaceships left to go
save them.
It would take three hundred years for the Izkal to
properly understand the complex technology left by the
Korian. In half a millennium, they went from the bronze
age to being an intergalactic empire. It was only because
they were such a united and selfless society that they were
able to not fall to internal battles that could have left them
divided and broken across the galaxy.
Today the Izkal stand tall and proud upon the civilisation
of their old oppressors, a bloody reminder of the fate of
any species that might try to take their sovereignty from
them.

They are a species whose only achievement has been to kill off the hand that fed them. It appears
that killing off enemies and those that think differently is a characteristic of all governments, regardless of the species. - Sun Qingzhou, CEO of Nations Solution

THE KORIAN CIVILISATION

The Korian are thought to have been a post-literate
species. While it is unknown if they ever were literate, it is
agreed by all the experts that if the Korian did develop their
own technology they must have been.
They are thought to also be post-industrial and posttechnological. As learned from archaeological evidence
and as told by izkal witnesses that survived their yoke, the
Korian did not understand their own technology nor did they
know how to create new ones or even replace the existing
ones. Their technology worked through voice commands
and they had powerful self repairing systems so that their
tech did not age.
The Korian were very comfortable with their ways and
had no real interest in developing further (only a few rare
cases of individual korian are thought to have been interested in such matters). It allowed them to enjoy all the
pleasures of life as they saw it: eating, sleeping, fornicating,
and warring.

The Korian had no entertainment apart from fighting,

Their claims of injustice among us are completely
unfounded. In the Corvosphere, anyone with skill will
thrive, and the lack of resources (and in some cases
laziness) is the reason why not all of us do. They say
that their people live better and happier, but they have
not seen what a corvo can become if he works hard - the
riches he can achieve are immeasurable. Our population
is also a million times larger than theirs. They claim all
their people live well, yet in the Corvosphere, there are
more billionaires than they have people. - Fang Wang,
CEO of Wang Corp

The true origin of the Korian is completely unknown.

Korian that lived in the times of the Izkal probably had no
idea as well. There are several theories about this and it
is a favourite subject in izkal historian circles. The often
recognised theory (but not the most supported one), is
that the Korian lost interest and didnt see the necessity of
further developing their technology, and in time left all of
its use in the hands of their primitive AIs. After that, they
ended up focusing on violence and conquest, as no one
really believes that those traits could have been present
prior to their technological peak. Such violent tendencies
would have been their doom, or at least would have kept
them within their home planet.
Recent and more supported theories based on comparative studies of korian technology make experts believe that
the Korian did not actually develop it themselves; they
had to either steal it or receive it from another species, or
another korian civilisation now extinct. All of the machines
left (and the remains from the Uprising that were available

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The Korian only cultivated two arts. The culinary arts,

of which they were very proud of, consisted of recipes
that used spices from dozens of planets. Their martial art,
called Meriam, was practised every day of their lives. They
became intoxicated by the dancing rituals of the Izkal and
would spend their long and copious meals watching their
slaves dance, which (according to some records) were requested to end with copulation between the dancers, with
their masters sometimes joining them.

Although modern technology allows the reconstruction

of the korian likeness from bones (with proper cloning as
a possibility), the Izkal are still in mourning and bringing
them back to life is out of the picture. Many corvo from
anti-izkal groups would love to get their hands on some
korian remains to do so.

The Izkal

They did not keep records, data, recordings, or any other

kind of archives, nor did their machines or computers,
which had only kept the code they ran on. Therefore, there
is no history to be studied by historians, all that is known is
what the izkal survivors left behind in the shape of stories
- stories clearly tainted with hate. The Izkal at that moment
were a preliterate species and it took a long time after the
Uprising for the Izkal to reach literacy. In that time most of
the korian and izkal history had died.

watching the izkal dances, and having the Raag fight one
another in combats to the death. They had no television or
music - nothing. There are no pictures or drawings of the
Korian either, as they did not allow any of the species they
had enslaved to develop their own arts.

With the tips of his fingers, Akram caressed his

wrinkly face. A weathered face returned his stare in
the mirror. But he did not feel old. He felt endless and
powerful, like his body could not contain him and he
could live on after it turned to ashes.
This was a common feeling among those that
spend most of their lives in hyperlink. They lose their
individuality; they become the hive mind: something
much greater than oneself, a more complete being
without the pettiness of personal needs and differences. They were not just part of the larger mind,
but they became the larger mind itself.

The Izkal

When not in hyperlink, Akram felt orphaned, like

a shattered piece of a whole. Akram was a true
ergonaut, a man who always sacrificed for others and the beauty of it made him happy. He was a truly
happy man for as long as he was not alone.

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But he was alone. Everyone else was dead. The

colony was broken, the food processors had stopped
working, the atmosphere machine had burned down.
He did not know how many days he had left, but in
whatever time he had, he was going to make them
pay.
The corvo ship had landed in the park in front of
him, its crew already drunkenly celebrating their
victory. They had taken the small colony by surprise.
It was easy for them: before an izkal ship could come
and see what had happened, they would be gone. Not
a single evidence of their wrong doings would be left
in the wake of their routine bombings before leaving.
But they had not taken into consideration the
power of a true believer of Ergon, a man who lived
for a community that was no more.
He could feel the anger running through his veins,
like rivers of lava burning from within. He could still
hear the voices of the others in his head, as if parts
of him had died and left behind a simpler and poorer
self. He was not a part of anything anymore - the
corvo had taken that from him.
He opened the door and the killing began.

to be studied) use the exact same type of hardware and

software, which is unusual for a civilisation as large as the
Korian, who would likely own some updated systems. It
seems like all of their technology came out of the factory
on the same day.
There is also no archaeological evidence of previous technology or the factories needed to build the existing tech on
any of the korian planets. While factories could have been

lost during their post-industrial age, some archaeological

remains would have emerged by now. Some counter this by
saying that the Korian come from an unknown planet from
which they built all of their technology (or that they perhaps
created it in space similar to the Corvo). This is supported
by the lack of archaeological evidence of korian presence
on any planet for more than a few hundreds years.

IZKAL HABITATS
The Izkal inhabit many different planets, and although
they built it upon the remains left by the Korian, their civilisation is eminently different from their former masters.

ALAMEEN
The original planet of the Izkal is mostly fl at and
composed of dozens of small continents along its equator.
The continents are filled with swamplands that also
connect the two large oceans of the planet, one in each
pole. Alameen has two main seasons: the dry season, in
which the swamps dry up and another, in which the swamps
grow large and convert most of the land to mangroves for
several months. This was the environment in which the
izkal evolved to be semi-aquatic creatures.
Alameen is a rich planet in natural resources and it is a
paradise for the Izkal, who keep most of it as wild land, with
very few ecofriendly cities on its surface. The population
is limited to a few hundred million izkal and immigration

laws do not allow other species to move in permanently.

A handful are accepted every year as visitors for a short
period of time. Many rich corvo enjoy visiting Alameen and
return home to tell their friends all about the strange habits
of its people.
Even fewer are allowed to visit Alhena, a network of
caves in the heart of Alameen, illuminated by gigantic and
luminescent fungi. This magical place survived the korian
conquest as it was never discovered by them. Izkal all
around the Universe make a pilgrimage to this place. When
in Alhena, all the izkal join in a single hyperlink with all their
fellow pilgrims so that they may share their minds freely.
Here, izkal from all colonies share their experiences with
each other and together are able to learn things that they
were not even capable of imagining alone - about ways of
life on strange planets, about ideas they had never heard of,
and about personal life experiences and the thoughts behind
them, which give them an incredible insight on the reasons
people have for their behaviour. This is, for many izkal, the
most intoxicating and beautiful experience possible. Some
are addicted to it and travel to Alhena once a year, even if
they live in the other side of the Universe.

THE COLONIES
The Izkal keep their colonies few in number and creating
one is an organised process after a long period of study.
Many times has the State invested time, equipment, and
personnel to research the viability of a planet as a colony,
only to discover that it would not be worth it in the long run.
Perhaps the planet would run out of some vital resources
within a couple hundred years. The State has no need for
expansion, as izkal population growth is carefully controlled, and sometimes even halted.
Therefore, they only build colonies on planets where
they know that, within a few generations, they will be able
to create a society as egalitarian and with a quality of life
as high as in Alameen, where all the izkal standards can
be achieved. This means that by principle, the State will not
colonise a place that cannot become self-sufficient after a
period of adaptation. However, the growth of Hexian ideologies, which are concerned with the possibility of being
overpowered by the Corvo, is forcing the State to reconsider these policies - at the cost of personal liberties and
the preservation of new planets biospheres.
Unlike the Corvo, the Izkal do not have mining colonies
or other places only used for their resources, as these
colonies are not self-sufficient. The Izkal have suffered the
horrors that can come from this, such as after the Uprising
when the korian colonies could not communicate or share
resources for years, and whole populations of izkal died of
starvation, cold, heat, or asphyxiation.
They do create scientific and military outposts, however.
Scientific outposts are created wherever they think they
can make new discoveries that will further their understanding of the Universe and perhaps themselves. Military
outposts are formed between colonies set far apart to
protect convoys between them, or in strategic places to
hinder the growth of the Corvo and to protect the State
from any attempt at war.

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For the most part, Erthum is a desert, and a dangerous

one at that, as sandstorms are abundant and can last days,
pinning down populations or travellers for long periods
of time. In the poles, the temperatures are very low and
almost lifeless, while the land in between the ice poles
and the central deserts is a steppe containing no civilised

Cities in Erthum are built to be efficient and to maximise

their productivity. The environment is so harsh that it
requires them to be extra careful with their natural equilibrium. They are heavily investing in terraforming the planet
to create diversity and to improve its atmosphere. This is a
slow process as they must take all the different variables
into consideration. Roothounds have been imported from
Sulivar to regrow the wildwood, and they are now one of
the most common animals found in the planet. They are
very territorial, and only specialised personnel is allowed
into the new forest areas to avoid incidents.

The Izkal

ERTHUM

population at all.

FOOD FIGHTS
He had scouted the battlefield thrice and only dust and a
sickly greenish mist were moving. He was the only survivor.
The skinny Izkal soldier felt proud for a moment, but soon
enough an overwhelming stream of dread flooded his body
again; there was no one else.

The Izkal

There has to be someone else, please let there be someone

else, he thought to himself. The Izkal continued walking, ignoring as best he could the pain of his shattered foot and the
feeling that half of his face was missing.

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Then he heard a gobble nearby. It repeated persistently, as

if it were trying to attract his attention. As one of the few interpreters of his battalion, he knew what the sound was immediately. He spotted a milky lump not far from him, half buried
in the sand, covered by similar bodies. He carefully removed
them, uncovering his dying enemy, and offered her what she
was asking for. Did etiquette and procedural guidelines matter
anymore? he asked himself. He unsheathed a flask from his
belt and gave the stranger a sip of Heros Mana, also known
as Captains Cum in the human barracks. When he observed
the Corvo more closely, he realised she was not buried at all
but had lost the lower half of her body in combat. He hoped
she had enough stomach remaining to hold the Mana inside
her damaged body.
I thank you, Izkal. The liquid dripped from the Corvos
mouth, giving new life to the dried blood on her chin. He knew
some Corvo where snow white when they were not wearing
all the technological gibberish they were known for, but this
ones swollen face was so pale it hurt to look at it.

at the wordplay, while his father asked for respect to those

who perished for an honourable cause. At least father will be
proud. He doubted so. If you thought about it, it was undeniable that these encounters had a reason to be. Someone had
to try out the newest weapons, or the ones that had expired
long ago. Even the defective ones had to be tried, those that
exploded in your hands before throwing them at the enemy.
Someone has to see what works when everything else fails.
Do you see that green haze? Of course you do, youve still
got one eye left on that mangled face, laughed the Corvo.
That was our secret weapon. Laser radiation. Point and
zzzzt! Custom post-nuclear treatment straight into the heart
of those you hate the most. What could go wrong? When we
opened the container, the four soldiers that guarded it were
already dead. We assumed it was a leak, and we realised
where we were at that point. It was too late.
It didnt matter
Exactly. At least we were going to have fun for a while. How
grand would it be to leave this world winning your last battle,
right?
The Izkal looked at her. She seemed so frail, as if she would
crumble like ash were he to touch her.
Laughing and singing, we prepared to engage. And then
Half our forces blew up in the air, and with them our dreams
of being remembered as heroes. We wanted to be the first to
survive such a battle.

I think it is only you and me. The Izkal said. First I give
her a drink, and then I start chatting with her. This must be
treason somewhere. Well, it is of little importance now, he
thought.
The last standing. We should be named heroes. The Corvo
stated, then laughed raucously. It is a shame no one is ever
going to find out.
What do you mean? Why wouldnt they?
Dont play the fool with me, boy. You already know what I
mean. He did know, but he didnt want to hear it.
I I have no idea what
You know what kind of battle this was. You know this
wasnt a fight for land or money, for we fought on a tiny moon
covered in dust. You know it wasnt for honour; for only the
traitors, the worthless, and the damned were sent here to
fight. Tell me boy, which group do you belong to?
Shut up! Stop talking!
Food Fight was the nickname given to these offensive
strikes, to honour the fact that both armies threw their scraps
and leftovers into one anothers faces. His mother had laughed

WITHOUT

THE

Dont speak as if it were over! Were alive! Im alive!

Thats right, we keep breathing. That increases our likelihood of dying.
Silence!
That green shit is in the air, and the more you breathe in
the quicker it kills you. In a few hours you will be rattling on
the floor, begging for mercy, but I wont be here to help you
anymore.
I dont need your solace! I cant stand this anymore! The
Izkals hands were shaking, but there was enough strength
left in him to point his handgun at the Corvo.
The dying Corvo looked away. What I am saying is if you
think a rescue team is going to arrive before well You surely must know how it works. They will send a science team,
covered head to toe with those protective suits, and theyll
just collect weaponry remnants to study them. But you you
wont be here by then. Accept the truth, its easier that way.

He pointed the gun to his head, put it in his mouth, and

closed his eyes. His hands were shaking. He bit the barrel until
it hurt. He caressed the trigger and then opened his eyes.
I cant do it. I want everything to end, but I just cant, he
stammered. And then he wept.
I can.
How? asked the IzKal.
We could help each other. We are the last ones standing
in this stupid quarrel. We are the heroes of this shit. I will fall
soon, but you you shared Mana with me.
The Izkal looked into the red, misty eyes of the Corvo for
a long time, and nodded. He handed her the gun. The Corvo
took it in her shaking hand and, with great effort, pointed at
the Izkal.
Thank you. said the interpreter. He closed his eyes.
No, thank you. - Why? - Because now, Ive won.

The Izkal

Nobody knew they were in a Food Fight until it had started.

It dawned on you once you disembarked, once you saw the
rest of the lowlifes that were going to fight with you, once you
were given a weapon that made you fear for your life. Then
you reflected on your foolish acts, the things that brought
you there. You were sentenced to death without knowing why.

Who did you wrong? What did you miss? He couldnt bear it
anymore. He just wanted the pain and suffering to end. Now.

She pulled the trigger.

92

STATE THERE IS NOTHING .

JAL AN

&

SHEKH

THE HUMANS
Due to their exponential exploitation of Earths resources,
humanity had driven itself to the point of near extinction.
Mighty nations fell under the weight of their own pride and
corruption. The only hope for humanity was to somehow
develop their technology far further than it currently was.
They could not.

The Humans

War was the terrible answer, and soon after, all that was
left of humanity were those who stood aside and who no
one cared to kill. With no internet, no fuel, and no social
systems, humanity grew in small villages so far from
each other that they could have been on different planets.
Warlords, tyrants, prophets, and all kinds of leaders led
the tribes. Humans became tough and heartless.

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Then the Corvo came through a wormhole, and it was

easy for them to take over. They first established a base
on no mans land in the old continent of Africa and initiated
economic and military negotiations with the locals. Their
economic capacities, supported by a universal economy,
made them the strongest faction on the planet. Eventually, most humans were working for the Corvo and fighting
wars against their enemies, which were often fellow human
factions that did not want to work for the Corvo or owe
them anything. Earth became a colony of the Corvosphere.
Shortly after the occupation, humans started gaining
a reputation as very capable mercenaries. They were
far more prepared for physical tasks than their corvo
counterparts. The corporations specializing in military
contracting, defense, and security started hiring humans
in great numbers. Entire bands of warriors joined military
contractors.
Earth became a breeding and training ground for human
mercenaries. A planet controlled by dozens of factions in
constant war with each other and with limited resources is
the perfect place to secure an endless supply of soldiers,
and the Corvo made sure that Earth stayed that way by
supplying them with weapons whenever they requested it.
The harsh conditions on Earth mean that there are always
humans willing to leave their lives behind to work, and many
human lords pay their debts to the corvo corporations with
the labour of their young people.
The humans started to visit space in large numbers to
work for the corvo. They became leaders in many blackops against pirates, rebels, other corporations and, of
course, the Izkal State.
The fear of humans running out of control in the Corvosphere, or even moving to work for the State, gave way
to the first clause of every human space labour contract:
that they must agree to genetic sterilization, a process that
attacks their reproductive capacities on such a level that is

beyond any sort of repair. The process does not have major
effects on the person, but it is known to stop female menstruation. Reverting this process is impossible, although
some izkal claim that they could perform such a task if
they had access to the DNA of a non-sterilized human. The
corvo corporations have a very strict methodology when
interacting with Earth to avoid the possibility of that DNA
reaching the State.
Earths location is unknown to most, and it is one of the
best kept secrets of the Corvosphere - not even the CEOs
of the megacorps know the totality of the route. This
is achieved by a complex set of routines that only highly
loyal - and well paid - corvo pilots have partial knowledge
of. Someone who would want to figure it out would need to
bribe, torture, or somehow make ten different people talk,
and even this is no easy task, as their identities are kept
secret as well.
Regardless, humans became valuable and wanted, and
the Corvo were unable to keep them all on their side. Many
humans changed sides to the State for a better offer, as
loyalty was something they did not have for their new

bosses. The Izkal State, understanding the menace of

strong aliens species working for the Corvo, work hard to
recruit humans to their side. They offer them citizenships in
exchange for several years of work defending their borders
and interests. Many humans, tired of being exploited by
corvo, find ways to move to the State, but most of them do
not find the idea of being a citizen of the State appealing at
all. The Corvo do promise and do deliver riches to those that
are good enough to gain them. The most capable humans
work in million credit contracts as personal bodyguards of
CEOs and other important corvo.

they die. These contracts have completely broken up the

human society in the Corvosphere, as the perception of
time is different for each human depending in the contracts
he has undertaken. Many humans meet up with childhood
friends to discover there is now 20 or 30 years of difference between them.
There is a human legend in the Corvosphere. It talks of a
human colony somewhere in the Labyrinth, established by
a rebel group that escaped with a terraforming spacecraft.
They talk about a place in the Labyrinth where a ship awaits
any humans that might want to join them, to guide them
to their free colony. This mythological colony is known as
the Terra Nova. Some shady humans and corvo claim they
can take people there for over a hundred thousand credits.
Some humans spend their Iifes savings to go with them,
and they never come back. It is hard to say what fate befalls
them, whether they find their paradise or become subject
to some terrible reality, in the form of slavery or worse.

A few human groups have taken arms against the megacorps, stealing the ships they were supposed to protect,
and now live within the Labyrinth or in some unexplored
space. They are nomads, pirates, or warlords who sell their
work to the highest bidder. The strongest faction of this
kind is the Human Front.

HUMAN FRONT
The Human Front is a faction of humans obsessed with
the idea of creating a new beginning for the human species,
on a healthy planet far away from the economic control
of the Corvosphere or the manipulation of the State. They
are human rebels who once joined the Corvo and have since
taken arms against them. They are trying to discover their
way back to Earth to help their brothers and sisters escape
the circle of violence. The Human Front is classified as a
dangerous terrorist group that attacks important corvo
enclaves and has been accused of committing terrible
attacks against corvo civilians - the Human Front remains
silent in this regard.
The Human Front is characterized by not accepting
members of other species, but they are willing to hire them

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It has been 300 years since the arrival of the Corvo to

Earth, and free humans have spread throughout the known
Universe as bounty hunters, mercenaries, and killers.
There are not many of them, making their hiring prices high,
and their fortunes uncertain.

The Humans

Most corvo spaceships carry a few human guards

who are kept in stasis for the duration of their travel, or
a number of years as established in the contract. While in
stasis, the human is in a comatose state and does not age
perceptibly. This allows the contractor to keep the salary
low, as the humans are not paid extra for the time they are
in stasis. Humans agree to this as they have few economical choices and they have no needs while in stasis. Most
of the times, nothing happens and they spend a couple
of decades in stasis and wake up to a roll of bills - a few
more decades in stasis and they might be able to afford a
home and support a family. Other times, they are awakened
when the ship is under attack and must fight to the death to
defend the property of their contractors. At the least, the
fl at fee of their contract is paid to their next of kin when

It is a strange feeling when you know that

there is more of your species history that
has already happened than history that will
happen. I can feel the coming extinction in
my guts. - Remko Vugac, human explorer

for contractor jobs if needed. After all, there are still places
that only a corvo or an izkal can reach.
Being a large organization persecuted by all, they must
keep on the run and are dispersed throughout the Labyrinth. As a result, the Human Front does not always follow
a single consistent line of thought. When some segments
of the organization are trying to establish truces with the
Corvo, other segments might be blowing up their mining
colonies. This means that the Human Front has not made
big advancements for the liberation of their people - many
humans do not agree with them openly, as their behaviour
has increased the levels of xenophobia in the Corvosphere
against humans, who are seen as terrorists (or at least,
troublemakers) by the media, and most of the population.

FULCRUM

The Humans

Fulcrums are humans recycled by the Corvo, into semiautonomous machines. Robots can be hacked and turned
against their owners, and designing an AI is taboo (while
semi-AI are extremely expensive). The solution found by
the Corvo is to install a deceased human with an intact brain
to operate the machine. Their personality and other traits
are turned off and everything else is wired into the machine.

In principle, what is left of the human is only the

hardware - so it is basically like donating a body to science.
Still, there have been stories about how some fulcrums
speak the names of people they should have forgotten
about.
Humans are not forced into this, as corvo despise slavery
and value free will - though they think anything is acceptable if everyone involved agrees to it.
Security companies offer big pay cheques to living
humans so that they can use their bodies when they die
to create a fulcrum. Some shady companies offer quite
gruesome deals to very desperate human immigrants in
exchange for their bodies, such as 10 years of housing and
care in exchange for a prompt euthanization afterwards.
At this moment, there are only human fulcrums due to
limited and specified research. However, as more and more
poor corvo request to be part of these programs out of
desperation, research is being made to allow them to take
on those kinds of deals.

95

WAS BLIND , BUT NOW I SEE . I WAS LOST,

FOUND . FOLLOW ME , FOR I AM THE CHOSEN

NIGHT OF THE TITANS

Sergeant Sullivan was happy. He was working for the Corvo, and he missed his times as a hired gun for the Izkal a little
less every day. He did not like the izkal ways. It was damning enough to bear day after day of gunshot hell, from trenches
unknown, fighting an unseen enemy, but the thing that Sullivan found most deplorable about the Izkal was the fact that, for
them, fighting was not enough: they wanted to convince you that you were doing the right thing. As if a piece of bread to eat
was not enough! Droning mass speeches about the cause, and how they were on the right. Banners and anthems dotted the
base, displaying answers to dilemmas he never had. So many that, more often than not, he was glad to be unlearned. He
despised living with the continuous feeling that he was being brainwashed. He struggled to understand why the Izkal were
trying so hard. He was, after all, one of thousands of brothers and sisters who would kill their own mothers if that meant not
having to return to their former, miserable life.
Life at the Plinth 03 space station with the Corvo was much more pleasant. Being left alone, undisturbed, after weeks of
fighting and sweating and killing and swearing. It was exactly what he wanted. Drinking with his brothers and lying with his
sisters; betting his lunch on a card game. They could live, even if it was for only a small while, before the Commander-in-Chief
reappeared and sent them on yet another mission. He particularly enjoyed the kino nights, when the corvo set up one of the
four spherical rooms of the Plinth and showed them one of their old films. The rest of the time, those rooms were used to
prepare battles in huge 360-degree virtual environments, but during The Night of the Titans, it was a place where the legends
of Serxos, Qadinkral the Die-Hard, and other corvo heroes came back to life all around them.

At one time in the world, there were

woods that no one owned. - Cormac
McCarthy, human writer

BUT NOW I M
ONE . - ART YOM

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But that night, Sergeant Sullivan did not think about such
things. He was deeply engrossed in reliving one of the most
intense missions of Qadinkral. It was a story about a human
- a rare occurrence. A noble brother who had lost his life
between the arms of Qadinkral, sacrificing himself for the
greater good. How glorious it must be to become immortalized in corvo culture. A brother was raised as a Titan, on
The Night of the Titans. Maybe, one day, he could be like that
brother. He could become immortal. Sergeant Sullivan was
happy.

The Humans

The truth was that he was not going to let the Corvo brainwash him any time soon. He knew that hundreds of humans
had perished behind each of the heroes triumphs. He was aware that they were vacuous stories, filled with half-truths and
double lies, manufactured to make the Corvos wars the stuff of legend. He did not buy it, but in spite of everything, they
were fun. They were bloody entertaining, even. And certainly more effective than alcohol! Reality mattered little when, for
a couple of hours, monsters fought monsters in space, and made him forget the crude reality where a projectile shot from
nowhere could blow away his head, and nobody would give a
damn, except for the three drunkards singing an old song in
an armoury far away.

THE RAAG
The Raag are a species of large, strong, and aggressive
beings. They are native to Heimis, a planet covered in a thick
layer of ice with a liquid ocean underneath. Below the ice
crust lies the Crystal Abyss, huge caves connected by a
network of tunnels, where the Raag evolved and live. While
the surface of the planet reaches temperatures of -200C,
the temperatures inside the caves are a cozy -40C.

The Raag

Many raag now live in gigantic space fortresses, constantly waging wars on each other. They use comets and
asteroids as the foundation for their fortresses and equip
them with weapons, hangars, and propulsion systems
that they gathered from the Korian during the previous
centuries.

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Renowned for their strength and endurance, they place

great importance on tradition and honor. Most of them see
technology as something that is unnatural and mysterious,
something to be feared and revered. Only the enginseers,
trained by the Cult, have the knowledge and understanding
necessary to use it.

THE SOCIETY
Raag have short lifespans. They reach maturity at the
age of 10 and those that dont die of violent causes will die
of muscular hypertrophy before they turn 60. Their lives
are divided into four stages.
For the first 10 years, they will be looked after by the
keepers, a group mostly composed of elder females.
During this time, they grow fast and become progressively more violent.
At the age of 10, most of them have become so aggressive that they are forced to leave the underworld. For the following 5 to 10 years, they will
live alone or in small tribes on the surface of
the planet, hunting for food and fighting other
tribes over territory. As they grow older, they
become stronger, but they also learn to manage
their aggressiveness and eventually return to underworld,
where they will join the Surani for a few years. It is here
that they will train and prepare for the Culling, the great
selection during which they will be assigned to one of the
great clans, to which they will belong for the rest of their
lives.
Raag have been found to only be able to procreate in
Heimis, which has prevented them from colonizing other
planets. They have short pregnancies that last 5 months,
during which the female will usually stay at the Surani,
being taken care of by other females. Once the child is born,
they will look after them for a few months before leaving

them in the hands of the Surani and returning to their clan.

Social Structure
Heimis is divided into two main areas, the Surani, and
the many clans Kuraima. The Surani, ruled by the High
Council, is a sacred territory in which no fighting is allowed.
Members of the different clans meet here to barter and
negotiate. This is where children are raised and where they
live until they take part in the Culling, a trial of adulthood
that allows them to demonstrate their worth and earn their
place in one of the great clans. The Surani is located in the
heart of the Crystal Abyss, deep within the frozen crust of
Heimis, and extends over a vast area upon which several
settlements can be found.
Composed solely of elder females, who are more capable
of restraining their violent nature than their male counterparts, the High Council is the highest form of government in
raag society and it is in charge of ensuring the survival of
the species. The members of the High Council are revered
by the other raag as only the most powerful and capable
females, those that have proven their worth as clan leaders

or enginseers, are chosen by the High Council to join their

ranks. Those females that enter the High Council will leave
behind their families and their clans, and pledge their lives
to the protection of their society. The rulings of the High
Council are followed by every clan, and a clan that refuses
to do so will be cast out and exterminated by the other
clans. In spite of this, the High Council does not usually
issue commands to the entire society, and their daily tasks
revolve around the administration and organization of the
Surani, the education of young raag, and the raising of the
children.
The rest of the population will live in their clans Kuraima
(the territory which they control and on which they can hunt
and build), or aboard one of the space fortresses assigned
to them. Most clans are ruled by a War Council composed
of their strongest and most honorable warriors, although
a few of them are ruled by other types of councils. Regardless of which council is the ultimate ruler of a clan, the High
Council has veto power over them.

As members of the Surani, the Cult is tasked with the training of new enginseers. Only young raag that show the intellect needed to understand technology, and who have a
strong connection with their God, will be chosen for this
training (which lasts until they enter the Culling). Afterwards, they will be chosen by one of the clans, although
they can leave when they wish to, or the Cult calls them
back. While many of them will sever their bonds with the
Cult and join their new clan as full members, others will go
back to the Cult after serving their clan for a few years.
This creates mistrust towards new members trained by the
Cult, since their loyalty is unknown, and sometimes leads to
violent encounters that must be solved by the War Council.
On the other hand, those that pledge their loyalty to their
new clan are given honorable positions within it, since their
knowledge and counsel are extremely valuable.

The Culling
The Culling is the most important event in the life of
most raag. They usually spend years preparing for it as
the outcome of this ceremony will determine their future.
During this time, they will attempt to draw the attention of
some clan or earn a reputation at their trade.

Economy
The Raag lack an established form of currency and all
their economy is based on bartering. Some of the most
valuable goods are food and tools, but the value of the
different goods and services will vary greatly among different clans and at different times.
The ice fortresses come back to Heimis every few years,
bringing all kinds of resources and tools collected from different places around the universe. They will give out close
to half of their goods to the Surani and the other half will be
used by their clan.

Dealings with Other Species

After the Uprising, the Izkal attempted to establish an

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It takes places once a year, during the longest night of

the year, and any raag that has never participated can
take part. During the Culling, the different clans will
approach the individuals they are
interested in. Those approached
by more than one clan can choose
which of those clans they want to
join, but this does not happen often as the
most powerful clans tend to approach first,
scaring off lesser clans from attempting to
compete for the same candidate. Those raag that
are not chosen by any clan will usually remain in the
Surani for the rest of their lives.

The Raag

The Cult is a secretive organization that holds the secrets

to korian technology. They are ruled by the Shadow Council,
which is made up of the most powerful and ambitious
enginseers, who are feared and respected by all the other
raag, although they are distrusted by many. Other councils
seek their advice and guidance in most matters, and their

suggestions carry weight even within the most distrusting

War Councils.

alliance with the Raag, but it quickly became apparent that

they were too different from each other and they began
to keep their distance. While commerce between them is
not uncommon, and there have been instances when they
have collaborated and helped each other, they will keep to
themselves most of the time.
Ever since they came across the Raag, the Corvo have
tried to impose their market system on them. Despite their
best efforts, the Raag have shown little interest in most of
what the Corvo had to offer, and only The Union has been
able to secure a stable business relationship with them, by
trading old and heavy weaponry for strange korian artifacts and raag mercenaries. Even so, the High Council, wary
of the intentions of the Corvo, imposed severe restrictions
to the kinds of dealings that the different clans could make,
and the Cult, overprotective of their secrets, has refused
any dealings with any other species, afraid of losing their
power and influence.

The Raag

THE AGE OF
THE GLADIATORS

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The Raag lived under the rule of the Korian for a hundred
years before the Izkal were enslaved. Although they were
spread all over the korian empire, many of them still lived
on their home planet, the only place where they could
breed. Korian hunting parties would often go there and
hunt them down like wild animals for fun or to sell them as
slaves. They served as labourers and as entertainment, and
the most violent were traded among the different warlords
and trained as gladiators for the Blood Games. Owning a
strong gladiator was seen as a sign of power among korian.
It didnt take long for korian to start breeding the strongest and most violent raag among themselves in an attempt
to preserve and enhance those traits for future generations. Reproduction fields were established on the surface
of Heimis which later turned into training fields. Warlords
from all across the empire would travel to these places,
seeking new gladiators for their games.
Over the years, many of these gladiators managed to
escape and hid in the deepest area of the Crystal Abyss,
which would later become the Surani. They started training
other raag in the ways of battle that they had been taught
by their masters, slowly creating an army of mighty
warriors that lusted for korian blood.
As their numbers grew, more and more korian hunting
parties started to go missing, the hunters becoming the
prey. Eventually the most powerful gladiators started
attacking the training fields and other korian outposts on
the surface, timing them with the fierce snow storms that
sometimes lashed the surface of the planet to leave no
traces of their attack. The battered remains of the korian
spaceships and weapons became hidden in the depths of the

Crystal Abyss, and would eventually be studied by those

raag who attempted to understand them. This marked the
origin of the Cult of Eternia and the first enginseers.

The Cult of Eternia

During the age of gladiators, those raag that were unable
to fight were despised for their weakness and remained in
the Crystal Abyss while the gladiators and their followers
went out to fight the Korian. Some of these raag quickly
realized the potential that the captured korian devices could
have and started studying them in an attempt to prove their
worth to the other raag.
Among the ships that the Raag managed to capture, one
stood out from the others, and it was called Eternia. Even
to the Raag, whose knowledge of technology was rudimentary at best, there was something undeniably alluring
about Eternia, and it wasnt long before the cultists started
treating it with reverence. It took them almost 2 years to
be able to open it, and once they did, their reverence turned
to devotion. The ship was able to speak their language
fluently, had answers to all of their questions, and displayed unmistakable intelligence. With the help of Eternia,
the Cults influence increased to the point where it matched
that of the gladiators. The ability to control the technology at their disposal and the endless source of knowledge
that was Eternia helped them secure a status that would
have been unthinkable otherwise. The Cult progressively
became more secretive and protective of Eternia, and even
kept its existence hidden from most of their own members.
The gladiators felt threatened by the rise of the Cult and
distrusted their ways and newly found magic, but they
could not deny their usefulness, and so they endured their
arrogant attitude.

A Fight for Supremacy

The raag originally lived in small tribes that were
governed through strength. There was no unity among the
tribes and no raag society to speak of. All of that changed
after the arrival of the gladiators, under the korian occupation. They travelled all over Heimis, rallying the different
tribes under their banners. Under their leadership, the raag
became organized for the first time. It was during this time
that the Surani was created, first as the place for civilians
and children to live in and later as the administrative center
of the society.
However, as the society grew, the violent nature of the
Raag started resurfacing. The different leaders began
fighting each other over power, which younger raag saw
as an opportunity to prove their worth. A civil war threatened to collapse the frail society that they had managed to
build, until some of the oldest and most powerful females
decided to join forces and put a stop to the fighting. One by
one they dealt with each of the leaders, using either brute
force or common sense as needed. It was agreed that the

Surani would become a sacred territory in which no fighting

was allowed, a place where young raag could be raised and
protected. The different leaders agreed to take their followers away from the Surani and settle somewhere else,
which marked the origin of the first clans.
The High Council was given veto power on all decisions
taken by the clans as a way to ensure the survival of the
species. Besides that, they were tasked with the administration and well-being of the Surani and all the raag living
within it.

THE ICE FORTRESSES

THE CLANS

The members of the Kimora clan are known for their

physical strength, honor, and courage, and for despising
treachery, cowardice, and mindless violence. They are
the oldest and most respected clan; their influence and
authority is second only to the High Council. Even so, their
honorable ways and their concern for the well-being of the
Surani has secured them the support of the High Council in
most matters.
While not the most numerous clan, they possess the
strongest army and their warriors are renowned for their
prowess in battle. Even the workers and other civilians are
given military training. They will sometimes work as mercenaries for the Corvo in exchange for vehicles, weapons,
and food, although they will always do so under their own
terms.
Ever since the Cult started gaining power, the Kimora
have disregarded them and attempted to limit their influence and status. The distrust the Kimora feel towards the
Cult and their dislike for technology are only enhanced by
the knowledge that they need both to survive. For years,
the Kimora have tried to find an alternative to the Cult, but
the Cults culture of fear within the High Council has caused
them to prohibit the sharing of knowledge and technology
with other species. The Kimora are extremely careful when

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Raag males are extremely territorial, and the strongest

among them dont bend to the will of others easily. It was inevitable that, when so many of them were forced to live so
close, fights would arise for leadership. When the females
put a stop to the inner fighting, many of the alpha males
decided to split off from the community and establish their
own clan, and each took with him a large number of eager
followers. Thus, the different clans were born. In the beginning, the clans were composed solely of warriors and each
was led by a gladiator. However, the growing influence and
power of the Cult saw that they were also included among
the clans ranks. As time passed, the strongest clans grew
from small camps to small cities. Workers became a necessity to maintain and expand the cities and so the clans
turned from small armies into small communities. The
weaker clans were eventually consumed by the others until
only five clans remained in control of most of the land on
Heimis. While there are still many minor clans, most of
them have nomadic lives, living on the surface of the planet
as hunters and following the movements of wild animals.
Many of these clans are composed of raag that never went
back to the Surani after their childhood.

The Raag

After the Uprising, most of the surviving raag came back

to Heimis. The population became too large for such a
barren planet and starvation became a real threat. For the
first time, the High Council, the different War Councils, and
the Shadow Council came together to determine a solution
to the problem. After a long discussion, it was decided that
they would attempt to turn the asteroid belt around Heimis
into floating citadels that would then roam the galaxy in
search of food and other goods that were needed at Heimis.
For the next few years, all able hands were employed for
the task, and every large spaceship left by the Korian was
dismantled for parts that would later be installed on the asteroids. The result was a fleet of giant spaceships the size
of cities, each capable of harboring hundreds of thousands
of raag. Every clan was given command over a few of the
fortresses and sent into the unknown. They would come
back every few years, their stores full of supplies essential
for the survival of the inhabitants of the planet.

The ice fortresses have allowed the Raag to survive and

prosper, despite the harsh conditions of their home planet.
Each clan is responsible for the maintenance of their own
ice fortresses, which explains why the enginseers, who are
the only ones capable of repairing them, are held in such
high esteem.

choosing enginseers during the Culling, approaching only

those that have proven their worth, and even then, they
must pledge their loyalty to the clan as soon as they enter
it. Being chosen by the Kimora is a great honor and they
never lack enginseers among their ranks.
The Eferi clan is both mysterious and powerful. It was
funded by members of the Shadow Council and, with the
support of the Cult, it quickly rose to become one of the
most prominent and feared clans.
The members of the Eferi are ambitious and shrewd, and
many raag who are invited to join the Eferi during the Culling
are trained by the Cult. The warriors in their midst are
usually smaller than those of other clans, but they make
up in cunning and technology what they lack in brute force.

The Raag

Despite being the least numerous clan, their advanced

technology, mysterious ways, and their alliance with the
Cult have secured them a privileged status. They are led by
a War Council composed mainly of enginseers, although the
number of warriors in it keeps rising.

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It was through the Eferi that the Cult found a way to

grow and become something more than simple counselors,
advisors, and technicians. The Eferi became the means for
the Cult to fulfil their ambitions and achieve their goals. It
allowed them to expand by separating themselves from
their dependence on the Surani, and by allowing them
to recruit new members during the Culling, eventually
allowing them to command their own army and ice fortresses. But as the Eferi grew and became more complex,
differences between them and the Cult arose, and they
were no longer comfortable being lackeys of the Cult. The
resulting power struggle hurt both of them, and they were
forced to acknowledge that they needed each other. An
alliance ensued in which both were considered equals.

the Noteri are savage, ruthless, and fearless. They respect

nothing and they will stop at nothing to survive.
The Noteri dont have any establishments on Heimis.
Most of them live aboard their spaceships and those that
remain on Heimis will never stay in the same place for long,
to avoid being found by those in other clans. Their lack of
ice fortresses and land means their survival depends solely
on the success of their raids. As their numbers grow, they
become more aggressive and their hunger for power and
lust for battle leads them to more reckless raids, some of
them against planets of other species.
They have frequent dealings with the Corvo, who find
their lack of morals very convenient. While they are not as
powerful as the Kimora, they are much more willing to do
dirty work in exchange for new ships and weapons and a
sizeable part of the loot.
The Velada is the most populous clan, and almost one
third of the raag population belongs to it. The members
of the Velada are hard working and non-violent for raag
standards and most of them work as builders, artisans, or
farmers. Despite having a sizeable army, they show little
interest in warfare and use it only to protect their cities - especially from Noteri raids (although being the largest clan
means that they will be the target of most other clans at
one point or another). This has led them to have frequent

Ever since the Eferi was founded, they have been in

conflict with the Kimora, who look down on them and their
ways, and believe them to be nothing but pawns of the
Cult. The Eferi wish to take out the Kimora, the only clan
whose opinions carry more weight than those of the Cult
in the High Council, but they are aware of the risks of an
open battle with them and for now, only small skirmishes
between ice fortresses have taken place.
The Noteri is composed of outcasts. Those who are not
approached by other clans during the Culling are given the
choice of joining the Noteri. Those who join understand the
implications and the price they are paying for being part of
the clan. They will be scorned by other clans for the rest
of their lives, but they will also be feared. The Noteri favor
smaller spaceships over the large ice fortresses, since they
are more suitable for their savage raids. They will attack
isolated colonies and ice fortresses of other clans, leaving
no survivors and nothing to implicate them, ensuring that
no retaliation can be taken against them. The members of

MALIINA

SMASH .

dealings with the Kimora, who will offer additional protection to their fleets and cities in exchange for the services of
their builders and artisans.
They are the only clan to have established colonies on
other planets, where they produce large amounts of food
and have access to resources that cannot be found on
Heimis. Unlike the other clans, they are capable of producing everything they need and, since they dont need to
roam the galaxy seeking resources, they can use their ice
fortresses solely to move resources between the colonies
and Heimis.
The Velada have started to show a keen interest in the
enginseers during the Culling, as they have realized that
they can enhance the productivity of their colonies and
probably even improve the work of their builders and
artisans with their help. The Cult has seen this as an attack
against them that might risk their monopoly over technology, but they have been unable to do anything to stop it as it
has the full support of the High Council.

Most of their population lives aboard small ice fortresses, and those that remain on Heimis live in small towns near
the Surani. Their ice fortresses will be gone for years at
a time, traveling deeper into the Labyrinth than any other
species has ever traveled. They are the only clan that has a
close and friendly relation with the Izkal, with whom they
trade knowledge of the Labyrinth in exchange for advanced
navigation technology and spaceships. Sometimes, they
will take groups of izkal explorers and scientists on their
travels, and some of their members have spent short
periods of time living in the State.
The Jino are the only clan that doesnt have an army and
also the only clan not led by a War Council. The captains
of each ice fortress are the closest thing to a leader in the
clan and they are in charge of the administration of food
and resources for the entire clan. Still, most proposals and
decisions are submitted to a referendum in which every
member affected by it can vote. Since the different ice
fortresses are filled with like-minded raag who share the
same curiosities, the outcome of the referendums tends
to be pretty unanimous and those who voted otherwise
behave in a civil manner.

MALIINA KILL . YOU DIE .

MALIINA

The Raag

The
is a small clan of explorers. Its members are
adventurous, curious, and so peaceful that during their
childhood, when most raag are forced to leave the Surani
due to their violent behaviour, they were allowed to remain
there. Despite that, most of those who join the Jino choose
to leave the Surani of their own will to venture into the

depths of the Crystal Abyss, their curiosity driving them to

explore the world around them. Bright and curious, many
of those who are chosen to be Jino have been trained by
the Cult.

102

THE RAVAGER
<HUD log 5027.3. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton outpost/Torin
Prime sector/1st contact event> <audio playback on [transcription enabled]>

The Ravager

<00:00> We dont know where the Ravager originated

since, by the time we first encountered them, they had
mutated to the point where it was impossible to tell what
remained of the original creatures, if anything at all. <video
playback error [feed disabled/corrupted]> <01:24 feed continues> Most of our current knowledge about them comes
from the few specimens that have been recovered from the
battle of Parsaius and from the clues that can be found on
the ravaged worlds they leave in their wake.

faith rulebook

103

For a long time, they were no more than a myth; they

were mere stories from space sailors and tradesmen,
who spoke of colonies and spaceships that had been found
abandoned, with no signs of life and with entire sections
that looked like they had been devoured whole.
Of course, it was the Corvo who blamed the Izkal for the
disappearance of their colonies, and the Izkal retaliated by
blaming the Corvo when it happened to their own. Open war
became a real threat.
Then came the onslaught. Creatures out of a nightmare,
in numbers that darkened the sky, fell upon Izuan Tai, the
economic center of the Corvo. The defenses of the planet
were overrun in a matter of minutes and those who tried to
escape the slaughter were hunted down. Only the fastest
spaceships managed to find their way into the Labyrinth to
carry word of the attack back to the Corvosphere.
One month later, a large corvo fleet arrived
at Izuan Tais system. The reports of what they
found stills sends chills down my spine. The
planet had been engulfed by a strange looking
substance, and a closer look revealed that the
inhabitants of the planet were inside that substance, trapped alive and being slowly digested.
Tendrils emerged from a large pool-like structure on the surface of the planet, like roots
extending out of a tree, and they stretched
out as far as the eye could see into the
substance, pulsating as they carried the
digested matter of the corvo people back to
the processing pool, which was bubbling with activity.
Despite their technological and military superiority, the fleet was vastly outnumbered and
it quickly became clear that it was a battle
they couldnt win. In a last act of courage
and desperation, the fleet fought its way to the surface
of the planet and blew it up, annihilating both sides and
releasing the prisoners of their terrible fate.

It wasnt long before another ravager fleet was detected

approaching Parsaius, a large izkal colony. For the first
time in history, the Izkal and the Corvo joined forces to
face a common threat, one that they both understood
could very well bring about the end of the known universe.
Despite the time they had to prepare for the attack and
the knowledge that they had gathered about their enemy
during the battle at Izuan Tai, the assault took a high toll in
lives. <video paused>
<07:06> We had gained essential knowledge about our
common enemy, but the price we paid for it was far too
high. <end of line>

THE SWARM
<HUD log 5031.9. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton outpost/Torin
Prime sector/3th contact event> <audio playback on [transcription enabled]>
<00:00> The Ravager live and die for their swarm,
which is the name given to each of their colonies.
Every swarm is ruled by a single queen, who
controls the actions of every other ravager in
the swarm. A swarm is as powerful as her
queen, and its sole purpose is to protect the
queen and help her evolve.

Although the initial wave of attacks made it clear that different swarms will sometimes collaborate, we have been
able to witness a fight between two swarms that ended up
in the victorious queen devouring the defeated one and the
losing swarm being completely annihilated.

DEVOURERS OF WORLDS

THE HIVEMIND

<1:03> Once the swarm arrives at a planet, the queen

releases bacteria that quickly spread over its surface and
starts digesting its inorganic matter, turning it into a strange
substance that the ravager can feed on. Living organisms
are entombed within the substance, which keeps them
alive for as long as needed, until the tendrils that will carry
their DNA back to processing pools have had time to
reach them. It is at this moment
that the substance digests the
entombed creatures to extract
their DNA. The substance even-

<HUD log 5032.0. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton outpost/

Torin Prime sector/4th contact event> <audio playback on
[transcription enabled]>

Different ravager emit waves of different intensity and complexity. The most simple ravager emit
weak waves on a single frequency, whereas those
emitted by the queen are extremely complex. It
is through this mechanism that the hierarchy of
the ravager is established. Those that emit more
complex signals will be able to control those
that emit simpler signals, creating a clear power
structure in which the weaker links will follow
every command given to them, thus avoiding rogue
elements in the system. On the other hand, it also
means it is possible to detect the commanders of the
swarms by simply locating the source of the most
complex waves.

ORGANIZATION
OF THE SWARM
<00:41> The discovery of the hivemind
has allowed us to differentiate the different

104
faith rulebook

<00:00> It is clear to me now that the queen controls

the actions of every other ravager in the swarm. We first
noticed this during the battle of Parsaius, when we started
detecting strange and complex radio signals coming from
the ravager fleet. We now know that every ravager is
capable of emitting and receiving radio signals through
which they communicate with each other over long distances. Although this ability allows them to coordinate their
efforts and act as a single mind, it is also a weakness we
have been able to exploit, since distorting this signal seems
to confuse them for a short while. Even so, jamming these
signals is a complex task as they continuously change their
wavelength spectrum and quickly react when any interferences affect them.

The Ravager

The swarms wander across the galaxy, consuming every

life form they come across and gathering their genetic
material, which is used by the queen to evolve and enhance
her capabilities, and, by extension, those of her progeny.
We have been enlightened as to how this genetic material is
obtained thanks to the reports from Izuan Tai. Despite my
unquenchable thirst for knowledge, this is one thing I wish I
never had to learn.

tually covers the entire planet, and as it expands, new

processing pools are created to keep up with the increasing
amount of genomes that need to be processed. The areas
that have been processed turn into spawning pools; the
nutrients of the deceased dwellers of the planet are used
to create new ravager. Once the entire planet has been processed, the swarm leaves it to look for a new planet. The
substance will continue to erode the surface of the planet,
so that a swarm that has taken heavy losses can go back to
one of these planets to quickly repopulate. We have been
able to use some of these planets to follow the trail of the
swarms, hoping to find something that might help us stop
them, although we havent had much success so far. <end
of line>

ravager according to their role and importance. While the

queen is ultimately in control of everything that happens,
she will usually do so through other ravager, who act as
the link between her and the rest of the swarm. This has
led us to classify the different ravager into four levels,
the highest one being the queen and the lowest being the
spawns. The other two levels correspond to the heralds,
second to the queen, and the alterants.

The Ravager

The Ravager Queen

105

<01:03> The queen lives aboard the mothership, or rather,

she is the mothership, as her body is so deeply fused with
the ships structure that it is impossible to tell where one
ends and the other begins. We couldnt find any traces of
a conventional body on the mothership we recovered from
the debris of Parsaius. The entire ship was made of different resins, some of which we havent been able to identify
yet. But what made us think of it as a living being was the
presence of nerve endings within the resin itself, along
with a circulatory system and some other traces of organs
embedded deeply within the structure of the ship. They all
seemed to originate from the core of the ship, where we
imagine the brain of the queen would be, but the core of
the mothership we recovered was too damaged to draw
any conclusions. <video playback error [feed disabled/corrupted]> < 2:14 feed continues>
Our current theory is that the queens are heralds that
have undergone a metamorphosis, shedding their previous

SOME

body and covering themselves in a biopolymer matrix that

eventually becomes the mothership. As the queens age,
their bodies grow and the motherships become larger,
which allows them to carry more ravager aboard them. At
the same time, their brains mature, increasing their power
as a hivemind and allowing them to keep more heralds
under control. That means that the age of the queen is
directly related to the size of the swarm and its power.
Older queens will try to eliminate the younger, weaker ones
to secure their long term survival, whereas young queens,
aware of their vulnerability, will collaborate in order to stay
alive. There is no available knowledge on the approximate
lifespan of a ravager queen.

The Heralds of Extinction

<02:48> The heralds are by and far the most dangerous
creatures in a ravager swarm. Known as the Heralds of
Extinction, they are impossibly fast and strong; their bodies
can alter their structure almost instantly, allowing them to
adapt to most situations and threats in a matter of seconds.
We believe they act as the link between the queen and her
proxies and spawns, thus allowing her to control the entire
swarm. The more heralds the queen can keep under her
control, the larger the swarm can become, but the queens
must be careful when spawning too many heralds, as they
will sometimes try to oppose the hivemind. When a queen
dies or is unable to keep the heralds under control, the
heralds will escape to start their own swarm or kill each
other and the queen so that they may take her place.

FOOD IS NOISIER THAN OTHER .

They are extremely intelligent and deceitful, and we

have encountered several ravager fleets led by heralds
(without any queen) that proved to be as difficult to deal
with as those that were led by a queen, although they were
considerably smaller in size. In spite of their great value to a
fleet, the heralds can often be found in the vanguard of the
ravager fleets, controlling everything and assisting where
needed. While easy to spot, they have proven extremely
hard to kill. When they enter battle, death follows.

The Alterants
<03:25> The alterants are in charge of the DNA harvest,
and of the spawning pools. They analyze the DNA samples
that are gathered, integrating those that prove valuable to
the genome of the queen, and they perform experiments
on some of the prisoners. They are rarely found on the
front lines and will usually remain near the queen until the
fighting is over and the first samples have been collected, a
time at which they will travel to the spawning pools to begin
working on the new specimens.

Alterants were initially known as proxies, since we

believed them to act as the link between the heralds and
the rest of the swarm, but it has become quite clear that
this is not a role they usually perform.
Our initial assessment of their role as proxies came from
the analysis of their wave emission pattern, which is quite
complex, indicating they are probably able to control most
of the other members of the swarm. Even so, they seem to
have little interaction with them, focusing solely on their
research and experiments. Despite their frail appearance,
we know them to be resourceful and dangerous enemies
perfectly capable of handling themselves in combat.

The Spawns

<HUD log 5034.7. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton outpost/Torin

Prime sector/7th contact event> <audio playback on [transcription enabled]>
<00:03> I fear this might be my last entry. They seem to
be onto us. None of our spy drones is operative anymore.
<video playback error [feed disabled/corrupted]> <0:21
feed continues> ...illed. He asked me not to bring him with
me to this expedition. I told him I needed him. It is my fault.
Not theirs, not his, but mine. They do not understand what
they do, They are but mere mindless predators.
They also got Chao and Kiata a few hours ago. I have
not seen their helmet feeds, but Lee has confirmed they
are down. I hope their sacrifice was for something, I hope
people will understand the danger we are facing as a
species. These creatures stop for nothing.

UNKOWN HER ALD

I have got to go now. Our ship is not responding, We have

to EVA and figure out what is wrong with it. I will connect
again as soon as I get back. <end of line><last diary entry
[press OK to create a new entry].>

106
faith rulebook

<14:51> The spawns refer to a broad variety of creatures,

each with unique characteristics and abilities. We have
included in this group all the remaining ravager, since,
although the different creatures in the group dont have
anything in common and their wave emission patterns
are quite different from each other, they all have a highly
specific role within the swarm and display a rather basic
intellect. Although the appearance and traits of the spawns
can vary from one swarm to the next (and even within the
same swarm depending on the environment they were
designed for), the essential attributes of each kind of spawn
will remain the same. This tells us that they either all originated from the same queen not too long ago or that the
different swarms collaborate more than we had originally
believed, sharing with each other useful genomes that they
have come across. <end of line>

The Ravager

The alterants are the best protected members of the

swarm. Most of them can be found near the core of the
mothership, working in what I can only describe as laboratories filled with tanks, where specimens belonging to
different species can be found. Despite the poor state of
the specimens aboard the mothership we found, it was
evident that they had been subjected to terrible experiments and their bodies showed mutations so horrible that

it was hard to recognize even those that belonged to known

species.<video playback error [feed disabled/corrupted]>
<14:24 feed continues>