The Apple of Hedonism
Sculpted from debauchery and desire, honed by passion and persistence. The Apple of Hedonism, Hedon for short, rose during the final stage of the
The Bannercasting. They have only one law: the Law of Consent. Follow the Law of Consent, and you can do whatever your soul, mind, or heart craves.
Hedon is the cultural powerhouse of Ethnis. No matter where you find yourself a Hedonist is always close by, waiting to convert minds yearning for pleasure. Parties, ranging from lewd heart-thumping raves to chaste and tantalizing banquets, are hosted on any world on every night. Morals and regulations are cast aside in a place where the best and worst of Sophontic life is on display.
They are led by the mysterious Desire, her
seven Leisures, and a cabal of Dukes operating in every corner of known space.
The Church of The Somnolent
Do you take part in the worship?
The Church of the Somnolent was formed from a oppressed humanity. For generations they were ruled over by the nations which became the
The ValuSelu Pact, and in the end they did not take their home back, they were
given it back—they were discarded when they were no longer any use.
A phoenix arose from the ashes of a world ruled by another planet. It was a creature of vegeant flame, not just on a warpath but defiant on all fronts. It had something to prove, a point to make. Humanity would not be so easily forgotten. No, humanity would come to rule the stars.
There is a fire burning in the heart of all
Dreamers, some more fierce than others. They pray to their Sovereign, who brought Humanity Projection. They use these unique powers and their pride as a race to tear across the stars, claiming it all for the glory of Humanity.
The Jupiter Syndicate
Would you care to join this Venture?
The abandonment of the Pact and the Church of the Somnolent’s unification of Eden was divisive for those who profited on the status quo. Companies built on the relationship between Sophonts were placed on notice: change their dealings or face the Somnolent’s wrath. Not ready to surrender what made them operate, companies uprooted en-masse in mere weeks, relocating temporarily to the Moons of Jupiter.
These companies banded together under the name of the Jupiter Syndicate and, with the help of their trade partners from the Pact and Haimarchy, managed to acquire the index for the Wayhall. It was at the other end of the wayhall that they found their new home, Victoriana. Companies claimed entire planets; government and business became a singular entity.
Life is your Job, and your Job is your life.
They are lead by
The Directoriate, a collective of company elite. They embody the Syndicate’s epitome of efficiency, always seeking the newest innovations and better profits.
The ValuSelu Pact
Do you serve for the good of all?
The ValuSelu Pact is the outcome of millenia of turmoil. The various Sazashi
Kinds were engineered by the Verin with a purpose in their mind, this genetic difference led to each Kind necessitating different governments with different ideals and systems to support their unique physiological and psychological programming, their
Akjhe.
The ValuSelu Pact grew from the fear that, divided, the nations within would surely fall. This new Banner empowered its citizens to fulfill their Akjhe by assigning them roles based on it. Points of contention between the nations and Kinds instead became points of assignment. Like a puzzle coming together, the Sazashi each fit into their place and created a single powerful force.
They expanded like wildfire from their homeworld of Jhoutai; settling new planets with the comfort that the Pact protects the Pact. It was an age of fresh purpose for them, a brighter future than ever.
The Verin Haimarchy
Do you belong in a supreme order?
The first and foremost, at least by its own word. Even ignoring a history spanning back thousands of years to the
Ancient Haimarchy, the Haimarchy of today is the eldest Banner. Their steps have always been carefully measured, and their explosion into the intergalactic age was no exception.
The modern Haimarchy rose from the ashes of a fallen empire. After the Sazashi revolution that toppled their government, their economy, and their identity they receded to their home continent to lick their wounds, and there fell into repeated wars with themselves and failed gambits to take back the mainland.
After discovering the
Index to the second side of the
Jhoutai WayPoint, the Haimarchy slowly built itself towards a common goal once more, uniting the heads of the Houses into a single force with a single goal. With careful motions and measures they gathered their forces and resources, and when the moment was right, revealed themselves.
The rest of the world had been expecting the Verin to be building up for an attack. Instead they were left scrabbling in their wake to keep up.
The Haimarchy might be slow, but it knows how to set a trend. Thus is how it always goes with them. Their grace is unmatched, their foresight incredible. They've made every mistake to come this far, and so are ahead of the curve of their contemporaries.
House of Sorrows
Will you stand against tyranny?
The House of Sorrows never had a heydey, they fell before they could even get to their feet. Time and time again they have been beaten down, punished severely for their actions and twice-so for actions blamed on them. They grew from the followers of
The Harrowing when it failed in its attempt to assassinate the Pantheons of the
The ValuSelu Pact and the
The Verin Haimarchy.
The Harrowing fell, and the Sorrows rose shortly after. One half cult, one half the clandestine operations of the loyal servants and guard of the Harrowing, the Sorrows carried on their lips the word of
Brood Blood-Kyn, the head of the Harrowing. They formed Families—sects who carried the spirit and the goal of the The Harrowing: to topple the influence of those Gods and kings who put themselves before the people.
They rose in the shadows, unaware of snakes in their midst—
The Apple of Hedonism had converted some of their number and were using their channels to organize. When at last Hedon launched its great heist the Sorrows caught the brunt of the blame, and the organization was beheaded.
The House of Sorrows has risen and fallen many times. There is a clear and vested interest from the other banners in keeping them down, but they refuse to be trampled.
The Free Planet Federation
Are you ready to stand for your freedom?
The Lacuna broke uncountable bridges, metaphorically and literally. Planets were left to fend for themselves, separated from their Banners for centuries. Many sank, but a few lucky, determined planets survived. They became their own entities.
When the Lacuna came to an end the Banners came to claim their holdings back. A select few planets decided that they were doing a better job at leading their planet than any Banner could. These planets;
Perduro,
Distra, and
Nouvelle Planete Bordeaux, knew they had to stick together to fend for themselves. With freedom on the line, and the recently defected Archive at their back, they established the Federation of Free Planets.
They stand for individual freedoms and laissez-faire governance. They welcome all planets to the fold, holding firm through their shared ideals. They have a powerful message: live how you want and support others who do. The message works well, and this new player has taken its place amongst the Banners.
The Bannercasting
The Bannercasting is the name for the period of years in which the majority of the Banners were formed. Though each has its ancestry and existed in some form or another before this point, this is considered the time of inception for their modern states.
The Bannercasting happened at a time of relative, if strained, peace and prosperity, where the nations of Ethnis were beginning to look to the stars in earnest.
It began with the determination that the Jhoutai WayHall must have two sides. One side lead to Via Lactea's Sol WayHall, but the other was a dark pool of void. On the lit side, at the top of the ring, a shining chromatic sphere floated behind some arcane shielding, but the same slot on the other side was empty.
The Bannercasting began in the year X by Calendar Standards, which is Y in the reader's standards.
The Last Step of the Procession
The Final Sovereign of the Procession dies in a fight with Cannibal.
The Harrowing
Brood leads an attack on Aempis.
Republication of Aempis
Aempis becomes a republic
Formation of The ValuSelu Pact
Discovery of the Index
Formation of the Vanthric Haimarchy
The Haimarchy Leaves
On their way to Ava
Lacuna Begins
Formation of the Federation
Reclamation Begins
Modern Times
Hi it’s me again with a first pass of proofreading. I’ll go through again later when it’s more finished. Once again it’s a combination of grammar and just things that I think sound nice so feel free to disregard if you don’t agree. “Each Banner holds a series of Valuesthat they abide by.” Middle of paragraph under “What are the banners?” No space between “values” and “that”. Also these first two paragraphs are very large, maybe break them down into 2-3 smaller paragraphs so people aren’t put off by text wall? “Most are headed by select individuals or an individual.” Same paragraph, near the end. Seems unnecessary, if an organization exists then one or more people are at the head of it, feels redundant to point that out? “All of them hold…” Same paragraph, last sentence, “Each of them hold…” might sound better? “All of the Banners have a different story for how they were formed, but all but one came from the century-long Bannercasting.” First sentence under “How did they form?”. Again “Each” may sound better than “All”, and first “but” is unnecessary, can simply be “...were formed, all but one came…” “Do you stay take part in the worship?” Final line of “The Church of Somnolent” section, take out “stay”. That was everything I could find. Keep up the good work, guys!