There are also a number of reasons that made the republic eager to poke their nose such as:



The anti-empire affiliation by the local governments

Corporate interest

And a leader of an influential sect of the cult (who is also anti-empire affiliated)



In short they all hated the empire

Plus it was one of the three that suggested the idea to the council (guess which one)



Now I should start writing



Still open for suggestions and ideas (as always)

Now we're on a roll. I like where this is going...



So we have the cult of Zend, a group of religious associates started by someone (I'll give him a name, say Anamorro, the Holy Voice) has infiltrated the Republic's infrastructure around the Republic planet of Zend. After the impact, the planetary destruction required over 10 years of reconstruction and blockading around the "Ruins". With Zend's body recovered back to the Republic homeworld, the only remaining loose end was the dust Zend had manipulated itself. Scientists were ever eager to get their hands on the wreckage, with probes and search parties being deployed almost constantly.



Among these was one headed by a taskmaster by the name of Anamorro. After an equipment failure left him stranded in the MAC's hulk for three days, he was thought to have suffered tremendous psychological trauma and released from duty. However, Anomorro was never the same after his ordeal, and soon returned to the site leading a group of likeminded zealots proclaiming that Zend was their glorious and holy saviour, the first prophet to proclaim the New Age of Humanity. While Republic officials were unimpressed, the flock of believers from other systems began to produce a good deal of revenue, so they allowed the Cult to continue, provided they did no harm to Republic citizens.



While everyone seemed happy enough within the system, problems soon arose. The rather radical defending of the MAC ruins had led the Republic's tentative Sophon allies to abandon research there, a severe blow to interspecies relations. Soon enough the Council had authorized a conduct inquiry, to the shocking discovery that almost the entire colony had been converted to the cult's belief, now calling itself the Followers of Zend.



The Republic decided that it couldn't stand for such a religious conversion to occur in other systems, as its scramble for allies included good terms with The Pilgrims, and so outlawed the religion immediately. The sect went underground, but continues to operate in the shadows, spreading through Republic and Empire space. The conversion is far from universal however, as many still hold the Endless as the pinnacle of scientific study and rational thought, or even as gods themselves. To most of the known universe, this belief in Zend is seen as sacriligeous in the extreme. The Emperor himself has pronounced that anyone caught worshipping the heathen was to be reported, the punishment being execution.

I don't think the Republic would be vehemently anti-religion though. Everything else seems pretty good

Maybe. I don't know, I tried explaining it as the other non-human races have more of an affinity for the Endless and the Republic is trying to win as many of them over as they can. You're right though, maybe the Republic just advertises to other systems that they're devil worshippers or something.

Well, hope you don't mind, but I would like to add this twist in. As a UE fan, I must admit, I want to make things harder for that traitorous "Republic."



As years passed, the situation on Zend worsened. While the United Empire ruthlessely crushed suspected cultists at every chance, the Republic made the crucial mistake of taking a more humane approach. As a result, the cult continued to fester in the shadows of the Republic, and the cultists became bolder and more militant. Bombings and terrorist attacks began to sprinkle the map, and cult leaders started to speak of "revolution," and a "cleansing" of the Republic. The covert agitators employed by the Empire significantly worsened the situation. (Given the choice between torture/death and radical preaching, Sheredyn-arrested cultists almost universally chose the latter option.)



Eventually, a full scale rebellion broke out. The rebels, with their widespread infiltration, quickly seized control of Zend. The violence was great, with atrocities committed in the name of purity. However, the massacre of Sophon residents proved to be the far most damaging event.



--------------



Zelevas knew the risk of secretly shipping (using ships captured from other factions) in a large number of agitators: it would be a simple matter for the Zend rebellion to spill into the Empire and cause severe disruptions, but countermeasures had already been prepared for such an issue.



Besides, this uprising was a distraction. The real focus for Zelevas was a delightful array of experimental bioweapons and nanoplagues. While extremely rudimentary compared to disease-causing nanobots of the Virtual Endless, these genetically modified bacteria and viruses could - in theory - still be deployed, controlled, and terminated in with devastating effects. With the cures and vaccines locked away in secure bunkers on Earth itself, these bioweapons would - in theory - be just as effective as a MAC, but significantly cheaper and less image-damaging should an attack fail.



The Zend rebellion, the high command concluded, would sooner or later die at the hands of the Republic, but it may provide a gap in the Republic's defenses - a window of opportunity - large enough to test the new bioweapons...

Troodon wrote:
Well, hope you don't mind, but I would like to add this twist in. As a UE fan, I must admit, I want to make things harder for that traitorous "Republic."



As years passed, the situation on Zend worsened. While the United Empire ruthlessely crushed suspected cultists at every chance, the Republic made the crucial mistake of taking a more humane approach. As a result, the cult continued to fester in the shadows of the Republic, and the cultists became bolder and more militant. Bombings and terrorist attacks began to sprinkle the map, and cult leaders started to speak of "revolution," and a "cleansing" of the Republic. The covert agitators employed by the Empire significantly worsened the situation. (Given the choice between torture/death and radical preaching, Sheredyn-arrested cultists almost universally chose the latter option.)



Eventually, a full scale rebellion broke out. The rebels, with their widespread infiltration, quickly seized control of Zend. The violence was great, with atrocities committed in the name of purity. However, the massacre of Sophon residents proved to be the far most damaging event.



--------------



Zelevas knew the risk of secretly shipping (using ships captured from other factions) in a large number of agitators: it would be a simple matter for the Zend rebellion to spill into the Empire and cause severe disruptions, but countermeasures had already been prepared for such an issue.



Besides, this uprising was a distraction. The real focus for Zelevas was a delightful array of experimental bioweapons and nanoplagues. While extremely rudimentary compared to disease-causing nanobots of the Virtual Endless, these genetically modified bacteria and viruses could - in theory - still be deployed, controlled, and terminated in with devastating effects. With the cures and vaccines locked away in secure bunkers on Earth itself, these bioweapons would - in theory - be just as effective as a MAC, but significantly cheaper and less image-damaging should an attack fail.



The Zend rebellion, the high command concluded, would sooner or later die at the hands of the Republic, but it may provide a gap in the Republic's defenses - a window of opportunity - large enough to test the new bioweapons...

You give me chills. I like it.

Oh how it is that the Empire is ruthless to the face of the enemy, now you made them more monstrous

I'm going to try and establish a timeline here, I'm just adding a few things here for later effect. Correct me if I'm wrong:



3715: Destruction of Madrigal



3718: Miracle at Zend



3719: Work begins on terraforming the Zend system



3721: Battle of Perius: MAC invasion fleet on route to colonized Universal Republic system is intercepted and ambushed by a smaller Republic fleet. The Republic advantage leads to the destruction of several cruisers. While the Republic and Empire fleets became almost equal in strength, the Empire fleet was forced to retreat or else risk the destruction of the MAC in the battle. Victory for the Republic.



3722: Sophons and Republic scientists discover no strange anomolies from the body of Zend, theory calls for unconventional brainwave patterns.



3723: Amoeba discover Virtual Endless supercomputer, share the find with Republic allies.



3725: Zelevas begins bioweapons experimentation.



3727: Supercomputer reverse engineered to create advanced FIDS monitoring machines and the GUARDIAN prototype.



3730: Zend system hospitable once more



3731: Anamorro has his visions

Zelevas' project is complete, put on hold



3733: Followers of Zend church rises in power

Sophons abandon research on MAC ruins, take dust samples back with them.



3734: Republic begins Zend inquiry, bans the religion.



3735: Militant operations by radical Zend preachers begins. Church head calls for restraint from his brothers and sisters, but attacks continue.

Heyrea founds her Republic Shadow group, employs GUARDIAN for undercover operations.



3736: First testing of Zelevas' bioweapons occurs on Republican backwater planet, Durian IV. Population is completely decimated, nano-virus is successfully controlled. Republic officials baffled by the planet's destruction, formal investigation begins but no evidence is discovered. Operations blamed on Zend rebels, fighting intensifies. First testing an Empire success.



As far as I've gotten right now. I had a larger thing about the Shadow group but it seems my files have been lost . What do you think, post revisions and if you can think of more to add go ahead.

Things can happen in the same year you know 21 years is quite a great deal of time, just saying of course.

Yeah I think the whole Zend situation would be more of a 1-3 year thing. 21 years is quite long.



Otherwise, I'm adding the story to the wiki now.





I made the rebellion last from 3720-3721. Do you think that's an appropriate time frame?

Alsojames wrote:
Yeah I think the whole Zend situation would be more of a 1-3 year thing. 21 years is quite long.



Otherwise, I'm adding the story to the wiki now.





I made the rebellion last from 3720-3721. Do you think that's an appropriate time frame?

Sounds good. I just tried to include the fact that the system itself wasn't colonizable for about 12 years, but the rebellion can definitely be shortened. Several things that I expanded to years could have taken place in months or weeks if need be, but the development of many techs I think would take longer.

Space faring civilizations care little for atomic winter!



Don't worry, it will look like the borderlands for a good 5-10 years, but thats just as cool.

Well Hi,

is there room for more contributors in this?

I have a few ideas spitballing to get other races involved somehow

I've written role play extended settings and stories before and wanna help

praetor101 wrote:
Well Hi,

is there room for more contributors in this?

I have a few ideas spitballing to get other races involved somehow

I've written role play extended settings and stories before and wanna help

Of course there's room. Anyone's welcome!

Great!

Can anyone break down for me, the Way the leadership in cravers actually functions

atm its a little ambiguous I've always thought of it more One autocratic Hive leader which rules the whole swarm and then smaller smarter organisms broken up to lead different parts to give the whole autonomy, so it can adapt. By one hive leader I mean only one is allowed at a time, if it dies then the queens(maybe a royal queen somewhere?) register the death and birth another one (or pre-emptively birth a new one if its becoming close to death in old age, hyper accelerated growth if its replacing one lost to battle maybe?)

I'm trying to draw a clear picture because I have a kind of framework story that could be used to thrust sophons and cravers into more direct intereference with the UE/Rebels war

That is if its not intruding on others ideas

The Cravers are a hive mind, but thats not a physic organic hive mind, but more likely a mechanical one.



Craver 'Hives' have the range to get into orbit, and a little beyond, but over that they can only hear the void, meaning a space based Craver empire has to be managed more like a proper empire, then by some kind of FTL hive intelligence like the Borg.



So Craver leaders are more likely individuals selected by the hive mind to be their spokes person, or can even be Dust enhanced individuals, who have independent sentience.



So how would Craver war with one another once they got into range of each others hive mind? Jamming technology, built into Craver queens gives each little hive the ability to chose weather they will merge with one another, meaning that when it comes down to it, Cravers are super organisms, with each drone being a component peace of the greater whole, but like most sentients, have feelings and emotions, live to have hobbies and live their lives.



They just really like nuking civilian populations......so could be considered to be mentally insane.....as they were intended to by by the endless who created them. But is ok! because its good to be bad......3





Craver hacking however is a weapon no one wants to use against them, why?



If they brake the jamming technology on the queens, the Cravers will be forcibly united, and will kill everyone in the galaxy.



If the Queens can't link with one another anymore, then suddenly the Craver empires brake down, and Craver fleets go berserk for a few years, killing everything in sight (Like the other races) and eventually form a new hierarchy based on strength, and slaughter the idiots who killed all those cravers by hacking them.



So yeah.....best to leave them alone.....unless your suggesting that the cravers might have a reason to get involved in the human civil war....then they will do what they are designed to do.....commit genocide, on anyone who is in their sights.

Guys, how about putting it on the wikia, and editting from the comments? I find that a bit easier to read. Too much white for me haha.

He he, but I will say, that as I am not the leader of this community project, I am paranoid about editing the wiki without permission.

So I changed a lot of the timeline.....hope I didn't over step.

Pretty good so far. The problem I have is that the leader probably won't be on all the time, and my patience varies , so it will take some time to get feedback on ideas and... stuff. We need addition admins to shorten the gap. Or allow full freedom to add as we go, and receive comments/suggestions from the leader, and if its completely off topic, a removal of post. Good? Bad? Feel free to yell at me if its stupid