The LGM War

Named for the shrill, cackling hyena laughter that composes the syllabary of their language: Manics, are a species of humanoid extra-terrestrials evolved from large reptilian bat-creatures. Their massive pointed ears sit on top of their heads, while their massive pointed teeth sit beneath flat, slit noses, in mouths affixed to permanent lipless grins. While predominantly covered in a thick scaly flesh, Manics grow a thick, nappy fur in the same areas most humans grow hair. Manics maintain vestigial wing shapes beneath their arms, mainly for mating purposes as they have long lost the ability to fly possessed by their genetic ancestors. Manic scales range from inky black to paper in coloring, with most possessing a stormy grey complexion. Manics are matriarchal in both familial units and governing bodies. Female Manics grow twice as large and live three times as long as their male counterparts on average. Manian culture places an immense level of societal importance in a shared sense of aesthetic beauty that extends into all aspects of life, business, love, and war. As such, early Manian War Matrons would proclaim ultimate victory over their opponents by absorbing their artistic traditions into their own clan's ceremonial stylings. The final, predominant planetary artform is described as: Neo-Art-Deco. All artistic flourishes possessing a sleek, industrial finish, while all industrial items are mass produced with geometric flair and a fluidity of form. It is beyond rare for any piece of Manian technology to be crafted without precious metals, or engraved with poetic retellings of battles past. And all throughout, the motif of batwings it utilized in all forms of flourish and function. After centuries of armed conflict and diplomacy united the last tribes into the First Empire of Mania. Under the Rule of Empress Esmeralda the Unifier, several male independence movements and rebellions were successfully quashed, and efforts to develop interstellar travel began in earnest at her behest. However, it would not be until under the rule of her daughter: Empress Ophelia the Expansionist, that Manics left their homeworld in search of new land and resources. For the majority of her reign, Ophelia oversaw the colonization of many worlds, uninhabited by sapient lifeforms (or any that could oppose the Manics at the least) and established several settlements that would become footholds of the Manian Empire. Dyzzantine became famous its precious ores and gem deposits (and infamous for its working conditions and purported mortality rates). While the Oasis of Bhoode was identified as a veritable paradise, and became the Empresses new seat of power before even the slimiest of her subordinates had caught on. It was not until encountering the Emorae, and all that they stood for that the Manics' colonization efforts encountered any true resistance. Emorae are not a species unto themselves but a general term used to encapsulate three different aquatic species, each hailing from a different solar system. The eldest of the three species; The Canths, inhabit a precious and delicate biome of liquid Neon. Small, iridescent, and docile shapeshifters, they have specially evolved sensory organs which have allowed them to develop a form of telepathic language. It is in this psychic syllabary that the Canths have meticulously interwoven their collective cultures and histories. Each individual contributing their own thread to the Great Tapestry of the Canths. From the moment they are fully sentient to the hour of their death, Canths strive to maintain their connection to the World Weave, so that the others made accurately add their thread upon passing. And through the centuries, they became more and more aware of how precarious the future was for that ever sacred telepathic text. Liquid Neon, while vibrantly beautiful, can only exist within a rather small temperature span. It was by an immensely improbable coalescence of anomalies that their world could exist, let alone their species. With this knowledge came a great sense of dread over the Canths, but this was soon replaced by an immense gratitude for the chaotic ramdomness of nature. That, by uncalcuably rare circemstance, their world and civilization was allowed to exist for thousands of generations was more than cause for joy, even if its end seemed assured. It was in these deep psychic meditations on gratitude that the Canths touched the minds of their soon-to-be comrades from beyond the stars. After eons spent seconds away from their world freezing or evaporating at any moment, the Canths were fished with great machines unforgeable in their icy depths, but built to withstand them all the same. These mechanical marvels came courtesy of advanced species from a neighboring solar system, who were able intercept and interperate the Canths weave of sorrows and joys. After years of collaborating using a combination of telepathy and technology, the Canths were given containment suits, to free themselves from a precarious fate, and spread their history throughout the galaxy. The liberation of the Canths was but the first act of kinship and solidarity demonstrated by their eternal allies, the Tropikae. Not as ancient as the Canths, but far older than the Manics: the Tropikae are a diverse species of composed of many aquatic races; some more beastial and accustomed to life underwater, while others posses a more humanoid appearance better suited to an amphibious culture. The shimmering shallows and luscious jungle islands that the Tropikae call home have endowed them with a vast variety of beautiful scaling patterns, often displaying bright, vibrant colors, and elaborate fins and fans throughout their bodies which aid in both locamotion and as mating display. The nature of their scale coloring and fin orientation (largly influenced by regionality) deliniate the different racial groups of the Tropikae, which there a great many. Races who share similar values or physicalities will often form joint communities and share a culture together. These groups are referred to as "Clans". Early in their history, the disperate Tropikae Clans discovered an immense sensitivity within themselves to the various pollutants created as by-product of their first attempts to industrialize. To protect themselves and their pristine homeworld, the Tropikae adapted and strictly maintain a relgious dedication to environmental protection. Consequently, they developed various green technologies and The many racial clans of Tropikae maintained a relative balance, often coming into conflict but just as easily forming bonds with one another. The prayers of the Canths however, was a matter upon which all of the clans were unanimous in answering. The meditations of the Canths also seemed to posses a general psychological calming effect amoung the Tropikae, and even the most warful clans laid down their ambitions to aid in the rescue of their distant neighbors. Once freed, many Kanths were welcomed and found kinship with the various clans of Tropikae, while others set out in group efforts to explore the stars. It was on supply journeys to assist the Kanths in stabilizing their planet's atmosphere that they discovered the final species of the Emorae Systems. The Carapacians, the youngest of the Emorae species, are crustacious humanoids . Varying in coloration and exoskeletal stucture, they grow as they age; less than palm-sized at birth, but capable of out-sizing Manic Matriarchs in later stages of life. Carapacians are incapable of dying from age alone, and are always taken through sickness or violence. Their civilization was barely exiting the stoneage when the well intentioned Tropikae decided to interviene and integrate the Carapacians into their intersolar community. This process has yeilded mixed redults. Many of the hard-shelled beings quickly took to the philosophies and technologies of their advanced interlopers, while others reject Tropikae and Canth outreach as little more than colonization in the guise of cooperation. Together, the Kanths, Topikae, and the Carapacians formed a relatively stable body of governance and power known as the United Aquatic Emorae Systems to beaurocrats and dignitaries. The rest of the Persius Galaxy would come to know this Alliance as The Trident Triarchy. The united councils of the Trident Triarchy strove tirelessly for generations to resolve both Tropikae Clan disputes and conflicts of Carapacian Independence. Both theatres of battle would come to an abrupt halt when the Emorae peoples were happened upon by the Manian Empire The intervening conflicts were confused, tragic, and rather violent. But, the united forces of the Trident Triarchy possessed a spirit of will that ultimately proved unmatchable by their largely indentured opponent forces. Full-scale war was also avoided in no small part due to a third party species which involved themselves in these disputes. Cometspawn, is general parlance for a collective of four subspecies of what the verses' most esteemed xenobiologists can only guess to be some form of fungal humanoid covered in plates of a crystalline exoskeletal armor. The exact nature of their anatomy is unknown, because all Cometspawn dead, be they Soldier, Assassin, Seer, or Sentinal, is decreed by divine law to be delivered unto the Order of Ajirine upon their death. The Order then sees that each and every fallen Cometspawn is swiftly, securely, and secretively sent to Ajirine to buried in the same soil which birthed them. For Ajirine is not only the name given to their sacred and hidden holy homeworld, but is itself their fabled Creator God. The Order beleive that the sacred task and underlying purpose of all Cometspawn is to affect rigid order, establish effecient organization, and spread lasting peace throughout the galaxy and greater universe without coercing, co-opting, or enslaving the wills of their fellow Sapients. Rather, their mission is to teach, guide, and inspire other civilizations by acting as exemplars and arbiters of well ordered society, from the collective down to the individual. It is this ethos which compelled the Order of Ajirine's ruling theocrats, the so called "Saints", to sue for peace amoung two factions whom the Cometspawn had no prior ties or investment. Empress Ophelia the Expansionist was reaching the end of her days when the first Cometspawn envoys appeared. Sueing for peace on behalf of the Emorae (and on behalf of peace itself), the Cometspawn offered their services and resources to the Empress if she agreed to cease her efforts to colonize the systems. If Ophelia continued her present campaign, and sought domination over the Emorae peoples, the Cometspawn would be compelled by Ajirine, their creator god and the Arbiter of All Order, to wage holy war upon the Manics until not just their invading forces, but entire empire had been completely destroyed. Ophelia was tired, and though the choice was easy to make for herself, it was easier to make for her daughter Ursela, whom she refused to saddle with the miserable headache of waging such an undignified war. And so integration began under her rule to prosperous effect. The Cometspawn derive their nutrition and are sustained through the kinetic energy (or "Kenergy" for short) that they absorb from the world around them. Combined with their culturally instilled desire to sew peace and order, the Cometspawn's low recourse consumption made their presence highly desirable by the various governors, and chieftains heading Manic and Emorae Settlements. Ironically, by entering these communities in the interest of aid and unity, they often became the source of conflict, as many working class sapients found themselves replaced by Cometspawn laborers and organizers. Tensions had already been high since increased interspecies cooperation and innovation lead to the development of various forms of advanced automation, putting larger and larger swaths of biologicals out of work. Nonetheless, from the perspective of Royals and Hierarchs such as Empress Ophelia The Expansionist, the civilizations of the Perseus Galaxy had entered an unprecedent age of wealth and exploration. Her daughter would inherit a comfortable throne atop an empire fast pushing the boundries of its scope and splendor. Shortly after the passing of Ophelia, and the coronation of Ursela, a fourth species made themselves known. They wished to wage unconditional war. From and unknown and un-wanting abyss, the Nam-Yu lunged forth upon peoples of the Perseus Galaxy. These diminutive, verdant, invaders possessed a shared pursuit for material conquest which they waged as holy war, and held true to the belief that their greed and their bloodlust were blessings from their depraved god, Nekri Maz. Their force so overwhelming in number that they singularly matched the military mights of the United Aquaric Emorae Systems, the Cometspawn Order of Ajirine, and the Manian Interplanetary Empire combined. The technology with which they waged war was far beyond anything their opponenets were prepared to encounter. The Manics, while having warred amoungest themselves for ages, had long considered combat a sacred art, and for eons Manian conflict was resolved by blade alone. The few firearms which did come exist in Manic society were either elegant dueling pistols held by Manian women of high standing, often forged of precious metals and encrusted with jewels and gemstones, or unweildy bolt-action rifles reserved for the hunting and slaying of megafauna. Neither well suited for large scale war, and both traditionally illegal and taboo for Manian men to posses and train with. Subsequently Ursela would be forced to both break centuries of tradition by advancing the technology and training males in the ways of projectile weaponry. The Emorae peoples were even less along in their development of combat tech. Many of the Tribes of Tropikae had proudly relied on their many distinctive biological defence and attack systems when battling one another, and only became more cooperative and peaceful after exposure to the Kanths influence. Ironically enough, the Cometspawn, champions of peace and order, were the most heavily armed amoungst the Free Peoples of Persius. While their bladecraft met and even excelled the Manics (in no small part due to the rarity of minerals which they had access to) the two death-dealers that helped bring the Manics to heal and would in turn come to the Manics' aid; were the Lever-Action Dual Cylinder Core-Cracker Carbine and the Underhand Pump-Action Shard-Shatter Shotgun. The former functioned by shining a rudimentary beam of light through a serious of specialized crystals that focus and project the particles at lethal heat and velocity. The latter, utilizes large hunks of a brittle, quartz-like ammunition, which is squeezed against the guns interior muzzle until the pressure shatters the mineral in a barrage of stone shrapnel. These two simple firearms both allowed time, and engineering advantages to the Manics and Emorae as they feverantly toiled to meet the strength of their adversary. The Cometspawn's guns, and the LGM's greed. For the Namyu were well within their ability to bombard each and every opposing army with atomics from half the galaxy away without deploying a single soldier. But this would have robbed them of their glory, their bloodshed, their conquest, their stuff. And so attriciously they went about with endless numbers supplied by cloning and callusness, each sporting a standard issue Repeating Ray Rifle. A laser gun of almost insultingly simple design, and yet the most advanced infantry weapon to plague the LGM war for nearly a century. While little more than a highly advanced laser pointer, heavily charged and intensely magnified to bore through steal like a power drill to paper. It it also bore a surprisingly sleek, and appealing design. From all appearances the Triple R should have been easy to reverse engineer by the Free Armies of Perseus, but the intricacies of its internal technology were so advanced that not even the most learned of Cometspawn Seers, experienced of Tropikae Tinkerers, and craftiest Manic Gunsmiths could decipher it in concert. More vexing still, when subjected to psychic probes from Kanth Telepathy, the LGM's themselves seemed unaware of how their technology functioned. Captured Namyu soldiers who underwent psychic interrogation revealed that the technology behind the Ray Rifle, as well as their saucer-like warships, desiccation beams, zero-gravity suits, tripod walker tanks, and disintegrater technology wielded by the LGM's was of an origin unknown to even the highest ranking Namyu Generals. The knowledge of how to craft many of these technological marvels was either lost to the ages, or itself alien to the invaders who weilded it. Their only means of producing new weaponry, armor, ships, etc. was using advanced fabrication devices, the origin of which was also a mystery to the Namyu People. This in some small part fueled the Namyu's avaracious culture, as without the knowledge of how to repair the fabricators which sustained their way of life, their species would perish should they cease working. However, it was their shared beleif system that largely compelled them to conquest. For every Namyu knows that all Namyu are chosen by Nekri Maz, The Hand that Chokes Creation as the sole sentients who understand the value of plunder and pillage. What they could lay claim to was theirs by divine right and nothing would stand between them and their holy war, for it was not the cause, but the war itself that was sacred to the Namyu. Naturally, while the challenge was unexpected, the threat they initially presented was not wholly unwelcomed by the young Empress. While Empress Ophelia had hoped her daughter reign an era of peace, Ursela longed for a worthy challenge to prove herself worthy of the Title of Empress. The first of many challenges she would face was presented by her family's own royal decrees. While the men of Manian society has long held the role of infantry in wars of unification and colonization, they were forbidden from wielding what few projectile and bladed weapons their people had developed. With little more than glorified bats and hammers to fight their technologically superior foes, the Manics found themselves loosing battle after battle despite coordinated campaigns with both of their perceived inferiors: The Emorae and Cometspawn. The first solution that Empress Ursela and her War Council brought into being was the mass repurposing of Robots, traditionally reserved for construction and labor tasks, for combat. The Combat Robots or "Combots" were retrofitted with gass-powered drum-guns, and reprogramed to slay LGM's on sight. For a time, the Combots succeeded in preventing the needless endangerment of Manian Women without arming their male counterparts. This advantage was not to last however, for an unexplainable turn