Introduction to The Banners
Since the dawn of Kyzan many millennia ago, Ethnis has always had its major players. Over time, these groups have grown. Tribes have merged and became nations, which in turn merged into global unions, and then into Banners.
Each Banner holds a series of Values that they abide by. They also harbor dark secrets which protect them from their enemies. Most are headed by select individuals or an individual. All of them hold dozens of planets, trillions of citizens, and enough military power to send all of Ethnis back to square one.
How did they form?
All of the Banners have a different story for how they were formed, but all but one came from the century-long Bannercasting. The Verin Haimarchy came first, discovering the secrets of the Wayhall and sending themselves off to discover more worlds. Other factions formed to follow suit. The Sazashi of Jhoutai, long at eachother’s throats, banded together to form the ValuSelu Pact.
In joining together, the Pact abandoned Eden, leaving humanity to be splintered into the Church of the Somnolent and the Jupiter syndicate. Hedon picked apart the other fledging Banners, taking resources from all to carve out their own section of space. The Sorrows formed from rebellion against the Pact, they are but a ghost amongst the rest, holding their followers close until they see their chance to rise. With five new powers vying for control, the Bannercasting ended.
No new Banners came to be until the end of the Lacuna, an event that left thousands of planets stranded. The Federation of Free Planets rose from the ashes of planets seeking their own freedom. They flaunt their optimism to the world in a message contagious enough to solidify themselves as the final Banner.
The Banners
The Vanthric Haimarchy
(Empowered by the knowledge of the Leviathans.) The Death of Sovereign Charade The founding of the Council of Kyvadakendanic Elders was cause for alarm for the other world powers of Jhoutai, who unified into the ValuSelu Pact.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.
The ValuSelu Pact
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 Andromeda Syndicate
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 Hypnagogic Order of Sol
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 Free Planet Federation
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.
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!