Human Defense League

A darker spot in the history of the Space Defense Legion's generally protective nature, the Human Defense League rose to power as a violent military force in defense of the Golding Library during The War for Enlightenment. The organization used every option available, including terrorism, first to defend the Library and then to mitigate the effects of its loss, until finally rebranding into the more defensive SDL faction known today.

Public Agenda

The Human Defense League openly stood against the rampant use of Magic in Fillimet, although the specific reasonings behind this stance varied from member to member. Humans have always been the weakest magic users of all sophonts, genetically speaking. Many humans therefore sought to limit the uses of magic, claiming the technology as a threat to humanity. Others merely wished for better-defined laws, or special provisions for humans in magic-dominated fields. Regardless of the reason, those who joined the Human Defense League remained loud and proud of their opinions.

History

The organization was founded in 9 EFT as a direct result of the protests demanding full access to the Golding Library, encouraging humans to band together and prevent access by any means necessary. The thick subtext beneath their messaging leaned heavily on implications that violence would be the only answer. Originally dismissed as a heavy handed excuse for bloodshed, the organization claimed vindication when The War for Enlightenment broke out a mere two years later, sending a multitude of humans flocking to join their ranks. The Oramathea remained wary of the HDL's violent and uncontrollable members, but were soon forced to openly accept the assistance, as their opponents threatened to overwhelm their forces as well as those of their more thoughtful allies. Alas, the effort was in vain. After the fall of the Library in 1 EVT, the League entered a new, even more volatile phase of existence. Plans to destroy Library records, thwarted by the Librarians during the war, recaptured the organization's attention. Membership dropped as disheartened humans, unwilling or unable to continue the fight after such heavy losses, moved to discover their own small planes of existence or join other organizations in the hope of protection from the fallout of their failures. To combat their waning forces, the League opened its membership to the other sophonts, tailoring its messaging to the more violent of those who opposed the Library's magic and its release into the world. This is where the HDL gained its well-earned reputation as a terrorist organization. The group's many assaults did succeed in slowing the dissemination of knowledge from the raided Library, but also served to turn the tide of public opinion solidly against them, especially once the stability of magic itself began to fluctuate in 3 EVT. The League protested the rumors of their involvement, but by this point tales of their havoc had grown so commonplace even natural disasters were regularly blamed on their members. Leadership reluctantly reigned in their membership as best they could, preaching adaptation in a changing world. By 35 EVT, they'd finally calmed the majority of their members, the rest splintering off to continue bloody efforts to disrupt Fillimet's budding space program. The League's priorities turned toward more peaceful forms of protest, such as sabotage. Their opposition, Space Research, Expansion, and Learning, finally left Fillimet by 103 EVT, instead settling on their own planet which they christened Sparnell. But what could have become an era of peace instead turned to a new opportunity for war. As the SREL's population settled, their newest generation revealed a growing greed toward their neighboring planets, sending fleets to expand their own holdings. The HDL was once again forced to confront their own weaknesses against the Library's former secrets.

Disbandment

In 237 EVT, facing yet another failing fight against the rapidly expanding use of magic, the Human Defense League pivoted once again. Rebranding to the Space Defense Legion, they shifted their attention inward instead, in an attempt to protect from the rising violence from the rapidly arming planet of Sparnell. The rename was intended to not only distance the organization from its terrorist past, but also provide a more inclusive environment for the swelling ranks of like-minded non-humans. The SDL's new mission? Defend their citizens from the hostile intentions of others. No matter the cost.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED