The Lumen are a species which evolved in darkness that now seek to spread The Light of Dust through the universe to bring harmony to all life.

Gameplay Mechanics

·         Lighthouse: A faction-specific system improvement which can also be constructed by an allied empire. It grants a FIDSI bonus to both the system and to the Lumen’s empire, based on how much dust that system is producing. Once built, they cannot be deactivated by the Lumen

·         True Sight: The Lumen were in the process of evolving away sight on their cooling planet and as such have poor vision. All of their planets and ships have much less vision than other factions. However, their exposure to dust has granted them a different type of sight. The Lumen have every source of dust on the map revealed at the beginning of the game, whether they be temples, the marketplace or other major faction’s homeworlds. However, these are only visible as bright spots on the map and the Lumen do not know what they are specifically. In addition, any large spending of dust (to rush construction, for example) will create a flare on the map.

·         The Light: All Lighthouses generate Light around them. Any major faction-owned systems around them will go through stages, depending on their time exposed to the light. Initially, systems will gain a small approval bonus which is larger the closer the Light source is. After this first turn, however, the approval bonus will decay and eventually become negative, again being stronger the closer the Light source is. If a Lighthouse is constructed in the system, however, the negative approval goes away, and is replaced by the Lighthouse’s FIDSI bonuses. If the Light source is destroyed, then the major faction will suffer a large approval loss for a few turns.

Gameplay: 

The Lumen revolve around spreading the Light to all sentient beings. Their Light mechanic encourages other factions to ally with the Lumen to build Lighthouses in their systems for FIDSI and approval bonuses, and any destruction of the Lumen’s systems and Lighthouses severely reduces approval. Through this, the Lumen can spread their influence across the galaxy without necessarily colonising widely. Diplomatic factions typically revolve around forcing others to ally with them (eg. the Drakken’s "force alliance"), while the Lumen are more about heavily encouraging others to ally with them, and heavily punishing those who break alliances.

Biography:

What are now known as the Lumen evolved on a planet orbiting a cooling Dwarf star. They lived in cold darkness, warring over the rapidly draining resources until an Endless wreck filled with Dust crashed on their planet. In their darkness of their star, Dust illuminated their planet and forever changed the Lumen as they gained sentience and an uncanny sense for Dust’s presence. To them, this mysterious substance became their new God.

For the Lumen, Dust is a shining light in a world of grey, and they spent centuries refining it, attempting to fill their world with its light, led by the Torchbearer, whose sense for Dust is revered even among the Lumen. She carries a part of the first Endless wreck, and while her light shines, the Lumen know they cannot fail.

Their efforts reached a peak with the creation of the first Lighthouse, powered by a Dyson Sphere around their dying star, which shone rays of dust upon their homeworld. Now, they look to the sky and see countless other stars, and know that they must spread The Light of Dust throughout the universe to enlighten all life, and bring the peace of Dust to all.

I like the idea, maybe hard to do but nice.

Poetic. Possibly doable through the Scan view.