Welcome to Angels Fear to Tread, a tale of epic heroics; vast, sweeping vistas of space and exotic worlds; Gods ancient and new. The stars beckon to those with hearts pure and true; the deep reaches of space are the realm of evils unspeakable. Angels Fear to Tread takes place over a large expanse of space, and commences 250 CE (current epoch)
- THE GREAT RACES -
HUMANS
Humans are the most ubiquitous residents of the universe, populating countless worlds, displaying a myriad cultures and factions. Headed most notably by the High Vatican, a vast monastery city built on the near side of the moon, humanity’s reach into the stars is as tenacious and bold as any human endeavour over the millennia.
Humanities Primary Factions are The Order of New Christians of the High Vatican, The Doussek Republic, and the Veritas Consensus.
Humanities primary traits are Determination, Economic Power and Strength in Numbers.
STARSTRIDERS (ELVES)
Starstrider is the name given to a species of fair, slender humanoids that closely resemble the elves of ancient human folklore. Starstriders are the only race that are united; the few outlier members of the species fled to the dark corners of the galaxy and are rarely seen. Starstriders possess some level of telepathic ability, able to communicate using their minds. To humans, this comes across as a kind of mental barrage of emotion, as opposed to a specific articulation, but evidence suggests that mental communication between Starstriders is levels above human verbal interaction. Starstiders have incredible arkships that ferry them between worlds, entire cities that traverse the vast expanses of space.
Starstriders are united as a race, and as such have no factions to note.
Starstider primary traits are Intellect, Grace and Longevity.
SHARDFOLK (DWARVES)
The Shardfolk are a race of stout, strong limbed people, who inhabit vast fortress cities on their homeworld of Galin. The Shardfolk are the sole providers of Shard, the substance that provides most of the civilised galaxy with power. Only after humans met the Shardfolk were they able to develop the energy refinement systems that allowed them to build the High Vatican. The Shardfolk are a defensive but diplomatic race, rarely involving themselves in the wars of other races. They control a monopoly on Shard, and as such trade in vast quantities of goods from other races.
Shardfolk factions are clan based, with three main clans presiding over the Shard industry. The Bahu clan, the Vostok clan and the Maig Clan.
Shardfolk primary traits are Diplomatic, Astute and Hardy.
- THE LESSER RACES -
ULASTAI (ORC/GOBLIN MEN)
DESHNOKE (RATMEN)
SCALESKIN (LIZARDMEN)
- FACTIONS -
The Order of New Christians of the High Vatican
Physical Traits: Dark complexion and hair; medium build; men tend to grow beards, women tend to braid their hair elaborately.
Christians of the High Vatican are descendants, loosely, of the Persian dynasty. Their culture is arabesque, with focus on family and the home, faith, community and spirit as founded through the trinity. Their culture is centrist and reactionary.
Militarily, the High Vatican commands a field army of around 2 million, with armoured elements of 10 thousand; warships of 5 and a half thousand. High Vatican soldiers wear repulsor units as standard, over which is often worn lamellar ablative plating and silk robes, scarves, veils, capes and the like. Sabres and shields are in common use, as are pikes and long, accuracy focused shard-lasers, used in loose, small formations to try to snipe opponents.
The High Vatican is the Capital of the Order of New Christians of the High Vatican, and the High Vatican also has territories on Earth.
The Doussek Republic
Physical Traits: Strong limbed, fair and tall. Men wear their hair short and spiked, and rarely grow beards; women favour short hair styles due to compulsory military service.
The Doussek Republic is a Germanic-centric nation state that holds territories on earth and most of Mars. Their culture is dominated by industry and military endeavours, with emphasis placed on personal strength, determination, skill and expertise in one’s field. Their culture is primarily conservative and jingoistic.
Militarily, the Doussek Republic commands a field army of over 5 million, with armoured elements of 100 thousand, and warships of 7 and a half thousand. Doussek footsoldiers wear ornate full plate suit armour over repulsor units, and favour mounted charges against opposing infantry formations, riding scaly emu-like birds as mounts. Lances and polehammers are mainstays of their armouries alongside arquebus style shard-lasers used in block formations.
Veritas Consensus
Physical Traits: smaller than average build; dark complexion. Men favour beards and long hair tied into knots; women wear their hair long and often adorn it with ribbons and beads.
The Veritas Consensus is a latin style culture holding territories in dome cities on Neptune and placeholder territories on Mars. The Veritas culture is liberal, open and free, with emphasis on arts and relationships. Economically the Veritas Consensus produces vast amounts of high art, culinary artefacts and their culture is the most exported to the smaller human factions. Their culture is primarily Diplomatic and Liberal.
Militarily, the Veritas Consensus commands a field army of 2 and a half million, primarily made up of levies and militias. Armoured elements of only 3 thousand and Warships, 1 thousand; however, in times of war many civilian ships are converted to military use. Vertias soldiers favour light armour over repulsor units, and over that silk shirts, stockings, plumed headgear, frilled doublets and the like. Weapons favoured include longswords, hangars and polearms alongside mixed units of shard-laser rifle wielders.
Addendum
Generally speaking, most formal soldiers wear repulsor units; these nullify conventional ballistic weapons through the use of shard-repellor fields. As such, most fighters use melee weapons with negative-aspect repellor fields along their edges, allowing them to cut through the fields put out by repulsor units. As such, slug throwers are relegated to the realm of civilian weapons and bandits. Because slug throwers aren’t any use against opponents with repulsor units, shard-lasers are employed. However, shard is both expensive and heavy, meaning most all shard-lasers are single shot affairs, with a new shard needing to be loaded after each shot, slowing the process down considerably. Shard-lasers have reasonably short range, too, meaning melee combat is an entirely viable and oft used solution. Combat has reverted to something resembling renaissance Europe circa 1650 – melee combat is fought whilst blocks of riflemen try to outmanoeuvre opposing forces of a similar nature to better neutralise opposing formations of a dissimilar nature. Similarly, naval (or stellar) combat has reverted to something resembling Napoleonic warfare, with warships delivering broadsides of shard-laser fire before closing and exchanging boarding parties.
- THE GREAT RACES -
HUMANS
Humans are the most ubiquitous residents of the universe, populating countless worlds, displaying a myriad cultures and factions. Headed most notably by the High Vatican, a vast monastery city built on the near side of the moon, humanity’s reach into the stars is as tenacious and bold as any human endeavour over the millennia.
Humanities Primary Factions are The Order of New Christians of the High Vatican, The Doussek Republic, and the Veritas Consensus.
Humanities primary traits are Determination, Economic Power and Strength in Numbers.
STARSTRIDERS (ELVES)
Starstrider is the name given to a species of fair, slender humanoids that closely resemble the elves of ancient human folklore. Starstriders are the only race that are united; the few outlier members of the species fled to the dark corners of the galaxy and are rarely seen. Starstriders possess some level of telepathic ability, able to communicate using their minds. To humans, this comes across as a kind of mental barrage of emotion, as opposed to a specific articulation, but evidence suggests that mental communication between Starstriders is levels above human verbal interaction. Starstiders have incredible arkships that ferry them between worlds, entire cities that traverse the vast expanses of space.
Starstriders are united as a race, and as such have no factions to note.
Starstider primary traits are Intellect, Grace and Longevity.
SHARDFOLK (DWARVES)
The Shardfolk are a race of stout, strong limbed people, who inhabit vast fortress cities on their homeworld of Galin. The Shardfolk are the sole providers of Shard, the substance that provides most of the civilised galaxy with power. Only after humans met the Shardfolk were they able to develop the energy refinement systems that allowed them to build the High Vatican. The Shardfolk are a defensive but diplomatic race, rarely involving themselves in the wars of other races. They control a monopoly on Shard, and as such trade in vast quantities of goods from other races.
Shardfolk factions are clan based, with three main clans presiding over the Shard industry. The Bahu clan, the Vostok clan and the Maig Clan.
Shardfolk primary traits are Diplomatic, Astute and Hardy.
- THE LESSER RACES -
ULASTAI (ORC/GOBLIN MEN)
DESHNOKE (RATMEN)
SCALESKIN (LIZARDMEN)
- FACTIONS -
The Order of New Christians of the High Vatican
Physical Traits: Dark complexion and hair; medium build; men tend to grow beards, women tend to braid their hair elaborately.
Christians of the High Vatican are descendants, loosely, of the Persian dynasty. Their culture is arabesque, with focus on family and the home, faith, community and spirit as founded through the trinity. Their culture is centrist and reactionary.
Militarily, the High Vatican commands a field army of around 2 million, with armoured elements of 10 thousand; warships of 5 and a half thousand. High Vatican soldiers wear repulsor units as standard, over which is often worn lamellar ablative plating and silk robes, scarves, veils, capes and the like. Sabres and shields are in common use, as are pikes and long, accuracy focused shard-lasers, used in loose, small formations to try to snipe opponents.
The High Vatican is the Capital of the Order of New Christians of the High Vatican, and the High Vatican also has territories on Earth.
The Doussek Republic
Physical Traits: Strong limbed, fair and tall. Men wear their hair short and spiked, and rarely grow beards; women favour short hair styles due to compulsory military service.
The Doussek Republic is a Germanic-centric nation state that holds territories on earth and most of Mars. Their culture is dominated by industry and military endeavours, with emphasis placed on personal strength, determination, skill and expertise in one’s field. Their culture is primarily conservative and jingoistic.
Militarily, the Doussek Republic commands a field army of over 5 million, with armoured elements of 100 thousand, and warships of 7 and a half thousand. Doussek footsoldiers wear ornate full plate suit armour over repulsor units, and favour mounted charges against opposing infantry formations, riding scaly emu-like birds as mounts. Lances and polehammers are mainstays of their armouries alongside arquebus style shard-lasers used in block formations.
Veritas Consensus
Physical Traits: smaller than average build; dark complexion. Men favour beards and long hair tied into knots; women wear their hair long and often adorn it with ribbons and beads.
The Veritas Consensus is a latin style culture holding territories in dome cities on Neptune and placeholder territories on Mars. The Veritas culture is liberal, open and free, with emphasis on arts and relationships. Economically the Veritas Consensus produces vast amounts of high art, culinary artefacts and their culture is the most exported to the smaller human factions. Their culture is primarily Diplomatic and Liberal.
Militarily, the Veritas Consensus commands a field army of 2 and a half million, primarily made up of levies and militias. Armoured elements of only 3 thousand and Warships, 1 thousand; however, in times of war many civilian ships are converted to military use. Vertias soldiers favour light armour over repulsor units, and over that silk shirts, stockings, plumed headgear, frilled doublets and the like. Weapons favoured include longswords, hangars and polearms alongside mixed units of shard-laser rifle wielders.
Addendum
Generally speaking, most formal soldiers wear repulsor units; these nullify conventional ballistic weapons through the use of shard-repellor fields. As such, most fighters use melee weapons with negative-aspect repellor fields along their edges, allowing them to cut through the fields put out by repulsor units. As such, slug throwers are relegated to the realm of civilian weapons and bandits. Because slug throwers aren’t any use against opponents with repulsor units, shard-lasers are employed. However, shard is both expensive and heavy, meaning most all shard-lasers are single shot affairs, with a new shard needing to be loaded after each shot, slowing the process down considerably. Shard-lasers have reasonably short range, too, meaning melee combat is an entirely viable and oft used solution. Combat has reverted to something resembling renaissance Europe circa 1650 – melee combat is fought whilst blocks of riflemen try to outmanoeuvre opposing forces of a similar nature to better neutralise opposing formations of a dissimilar nature. Similarly, naval (or stellar) combat has reverted to something resembling Napoleonic warfare, with warships delivering broadsides of shard-laser fire before closing and exchanging boarding parties.
Last edited by Claymore on Tue Feb 14, 2017 2:00 pm; edited 2 times in total