Federation of Xah
The largest and most powerful of human civilisations, the Federation of Xah follows a unique philosophy known as The Sevenfold Path and is on a crusade to bring enlightenment to all humanity, whether they want it or not.
Structure
The Federation of Xah is divided into seven distinct castes, each responsible for a given aspect of Xahian society. The castes are kept genetically pure, as it is a core belief of the Sevenfold Path that competence arises through genetic ability, that nature beats nurture. Reproduction is done entirely ex vitro, with the Mother caste being used to gestate the artificially selected embryos, and a series of tests performed at an early age used to determine if the child is suitable for its caste. If so, then further training and testing is undertaken, if not, or if the child fails testing at a later point, then they are rejected from their birth caste and assigned to the Worker caste.
The seven castes are as follows:
Leader Caste: Responsible for political leadership, management, logistics, military command, administration and other such tasks. They are considered to be in charge of the Federation of Xah, and whilst each of the other castes has its own leadership structure, Leaders are present at every level and provide guidance and are the ultimate arbitrator in decision making.
Each Caste has a strict regime of progression, with a member's abilities constantly tested and if considered skilled enough, being advanced onto the next rank. The rank scale has 10 categories, based on the numbers 0 to 9, with 0 being allocated to the young who have yet to qualify for their caste. Each of these categories is further divided into four sub-sections of lower, normal, upper and superior; not all groups within Castes use all the sub-sections, but the titles are standard across Xah. Holders of the highest possible rank (the 'Jink Mebi', or Superior Ninths) form the Federation Council, and are responsible for the guidance of Xah as a whole.
Warrior Caste: More genetically distinct than other castes, Warriors are larger, stronger and tougher than the average human. They are responsible for military actions, policing, protection of important people and places, and other similar tasks. Due to their high level of genetic selection, Warriors face the lowest level of rejection at childhood and are very distinct in any situation. It is the superlative combat nature of Warriors that has resulted in the Federation of Xah being the prime human culture in known space, despite the Warrior caste being the smallest of all the castes.
Technical Caste : More so than any other, the Technical caste believes that good genetic lineage results in high ability. It is the Technical Caste that develops Xahian science and keeps it at the forefront of all human progress, as well as testing the next generation of genes for suitability. Doctors, medical staff, researchers and analysts are all a part of the caste. Considered the hardest to both remain in, and progress within, Technical Caste members are driven and highly motivated to see the Federation succeed.
Engineer Caste: Where the Technical Caste discovers, it is the Engineer caste that builds and maintains. The Engineer caste is, aside from the ubiquitous nature of the Leader caste, the one most integrated into other castes, with every caste's equipment requiring Engineers to maintain and repair them. Mechanics, architects, builders, and so on, Engineers are only outnumbered by Workers and Farmers.
Farmer Caste: Second only to the Worker caste in terms of numbers, the Farmer caste is responsible for the production of the food and natural resources required to keep the Federation of Xah moving. Working closely with the Engineer and Technical caste, Farmers develop advanced hydroponic farming, artificial meat vats, and food printing technologies, as well other processes involving the harvesting of raw materials such as mining.
Mother Caste : The Mother Caste is the most specialised of all the castes, and the one given the greatest respect, and offered the best that the Federation of Xah can produce. It is the role of the Mother Caste to gestate and give birth to future generations, growing the seed inside of them. Whilst artificial wombs were created many years ago, the Federation is distrustful of such devices and instead dedicates an entire sub-section of its society to birthing.
Worker Caste: The only caste not developed specially as a result of genetic testing, the Worker caste is produced from the rejects of the other castes and is responsible for all of the menial tasks that properly educated and genetically superior members of other castes do not wish to do. The populous nature of the Worker caste, making up just over fifty percent of the population of Xah, has allowed the Federation of Xah to be less reliant on robotic technologies, although such things are commonplace. Of all the Castes, the Workers are considered highly expendable, with little to no change of contribution to future generations. Whilst this would typically produce feelings of resentment amongst the population, a lot of effort is put into convincing Workers that they are valued members of society.
Each Caste has a strict regime of progression, with a member's abilities constantly tested and if considered skilled enough, being advanced onto the next rank. The rank scale has 10 categories, based on the numbers 0 to 9, with 0 being allocated to the young who have yet to qualify for their caste. Each of these categories is further divided into four sub-sections of lower, normal, upper and superior; not all groups within Castes use all the sub-sections, but the titles are standard across Xah. Holders of the highest possible rank (the 'Jink Mebi', or Superior Ninths) form the Federation Council, and are responsible for the guidance of Xah as a whole.
Culture
For nearly all Xahians, life is about work. Xahians are not paid for their work in the classical sense, neither are they employed in the way other civilisations might do so. Born into a caste, defined by their genes, a Xahian is assigned a role upon graduation into adulthood based on aptitude and skills tests through their adolescence. Within this role, a Xahian may apply for a transfer to another aspect of that role, or another team or location, but movement outside that, a Xahian must remain. All Xahians start on the bottom rung of that role ladder and only through hard work and achievement can one rise up. Whilst not receiving any pay, all Xahians are entitled to all the accommodation, food, leisure resources, entertainment and personal affects that their role allows them, with higher ranks being afforded more choice. A small 'allowance' is given for the purchase of extras, again with higher ranks being given more. The working day is typically between eight and ten hours long, dependent on caste and role, but a lot of high achieving Xahians work much longer; dedication to the job being perceived as key to progression. Most of the castes and roles work shifts as well, so Xahian settlements are a constant buzz of activity. Every ten days is a mandatory rest day, the Xahian Leaders recognising that constant work was not a good thing. Whilst technically not allowed to work at their role on this day, a truly dedicated Xahian will quite often find a way around this. The ultimate goal for most Xahians is to reach the peak of their caste and be a candidate for contribution of their genetic material for future generations. Being honoured in this way brings many rewards, both material and culturally, knowing that your legacy will be passed on.
Within a caste, Xahians face no restrictions with whom they see, Xah being a very liberal society in that regard. Long term relationships are rare, with most Xahians having several close friends instead. All Xahians are sterile, procreation is considered far too important to be left to chance, so sexual relationships are consequence free in that regard and often considered a social activity and without taboo. When Xahians wish to enter into formal relationships, it must be sanctioned by Leaders to ensure that if it fails in the future, teams and roles are not affected. All parties (as such things are not restricted to just two) must accept the Leader's guidelines and the assigned consequences, should it end in bad terms. Inter-caste relationships are banned; whilst working arrangements are common, and friendships do develop, fraternisation outside of working hours is frowned upon, as is overly personal communications. Suffice to say, sexual relations between castes is one of Xah's greatest taboos. Integrity of the castes is one of the Leaders most important tasks, and breakers of this order are punished severely.
The Federation of Xah is an isolated society and the Leader Caste believes that too much exposure of other civilisations would encourage dissent, Xahian culture is entirely created internally, or if sourced from outside of Xah, carefully monitored and examined to ensure it fits with Xahian ideals. Entertainment for Xahians consists of all the usual outlets; live bands, social eating and drinking, films, television, video games, sports; it's all there, just produced and managed in accordance with Xahian principles and ideology. There does exist a black market in exotic media, but possession of such material is an offence and outside broadcasts are jammed as much as possible. Within these strictures however, Xahians are encouraged to spend their leisure time in their own way, partaking in anything and everything on offer. Some export of Xahian media takes place, but only that which the Leaders consider portrays Xahian culture in a positive light.
Public Agenda
As both a sovereign nation state and as a cultural force, the Federation of Xah is committed to spreading its philosophy of The Sevenfold Path. Every citizen of Xah believes that this is the only way of life that allows for humanity's fullest expression of potential and it must be expanded so that all of humanity can take its benefits. To this end, the Federation of Xah is on a constant crusade to bring human worlds under its banner, either through diplomatic negotiation or military force, depending on the resistance to its arrival.
History
The planet of Xah was originally settled by corporately funded mining colonists, seeking to extract the abundant sources of heavy metals such as uranium and thorium, with the colony being an immediate success, due to the rapidly increasing need for fissile materials to fuel the expansion boom of humanity. The unique nature of the Xahian biome was not overlooked, and within 20 years of the mining colony's foundation, there was an equally important scientific focus on the planet, studying both the biological ecosystem, and the unusual planetary geology and climate. The population grew steadily over the years, and before long, the planet was no longer considered truly specialist, although mining and scientific research continued to dominate its economy.
When the Amnesiac Virus swept through the computer networks of known space, the planet of Xah was affected as much as any other in that all networked computers ceased to function, and it was only the existence of unnetworked redundancy systems that enabled Xah to avoid the catastrophic loss of life seen on many other worlds. The harsh nature of the location of Xah's main cities meant that such redundancies were considered essential, and it was only blind luck (later assigned to providence) that meant that the majority of said systems were offline at the time of the attack. Additionally, Xahian researchers typically uploaded their data to isolated servers for transport between the hive cities, as it was considered quicker than relying on the planet's notoriously unstable communication network.
The largely self-sufficient nature of the hive cities allowed the population of Xah to weather the initial disruption well, but there were two factors that changed Xah forever. The first was the loss of exports that inevitably led to the threat of collapse for the Xahian economy. Faced with far more miners and scientists than it was capable of sustaining, the leaders of Xah's main hive decided to test each person for aptitude in their role, and reassign where necessary. Dissent towards this process led to the formation of the first soldiers, and the ruling body consolidated its hold substantially when the gene labs, which had previously been analysing Xah's lifeforms, were adapted to enhance the already well-equipped armed forces. Bringing all of Xah's hives under one rule, and allocating roles according to ability and need, took the better part of twenty years, but by the end the roots of what would become The Sevenfold Path were well in place. The second factor was that the farms in the hive cities, without access to specialist materials from off-world, could not sustain the current demographic spread. Mandatory sterilisation was brought in, first via chemical means in the water supplies, but later by more permanent methods in infancy. The genetic testing that had brought about the creation of the enhanced soldiers was used to ensure only the best possible progeny were birthed, and large numbers of volunteers were sourced to bring the embryos to term; well treated, these 'mothers' began to jealously guard their privileges, and the Mother Caste was one of the first to be formally founded.
Over the next seventy years, the Sevenfold Path philosophy took strong hold in the hives of Xah; ones position in society became more fixed than ever and the philosophy soon dominated Xahian culture, with dissent almost unheard of. With Xah and the other colonies in its system firmly under the grip of the Federation, it began to look outwards. The issue of getting the inoperable FourDrive vessels that the Xahians had access to was now of prime importance. Eventually, the Ninyo Network was created, and the Federation could begin its expansion in ernest; the The Xahian Crusade was now beginning.
The first system attacked was GJ 1054 B, a lightly inhabited system that had survived the Amnesiac Virus, although the population, confined to an orbital orbiting the main star, had suffered somewhat. Whilst they had managed to keep the life support systems operational, all of their space-going vessels had been rendered inoperable, and their technical base had degenerated due to losses, so they were unable to repair them. A technocratic religion had evolved to ensure maintenance of the vital system, and careful negotiation by members of Xah's Leader caste meant takeover of the orbital was quick, and largely non-violent. It was discovered soon after that a primary focus of the colony was clandestine weapon research. The testing facility was located on a secondary structure that sat distinct from the main colony and was not only intact, but unpopulated and had not been touched by the Amnesiac Virus. The wealth of technologies found on the site led to massive increase in capability for the young Federation of Xah, leading them to build their first specialised combat vessels.
Demography and Population
Gender split
Due to the nature of reproduction in Xah, there is a slight prevalence of females in the general population. The Mother caste is entire female however. Male/Female ratio: 42:58 Life expectancy
Life expectancy is relatively varied between the castes, with Mothers living the longest and Workers the least. However, all Xahians have access to adequate nutrition and healthcare, so premature deaths are nearly always due to accident. Life expectancy at birth: 102 years Infant mortality: 1 death / 1000 live births Age structure
Careful management of birth rates and gestation ensures that there is a good age spread. Infant and child mortality is almost unheard of so population numbers remain constant until about age 90, when there is a slow but significant reduction. Caste distribution
(as % of population) Warrior: 0.66
Technical: 7.83
Engineer: 10.77
Farmer: 24.49
Mother: 0.73
Leader: 2.95
Worker: 52.57
Due to the nature of reproduction in Xah, there is a slight prevalence of females in the general population. The Mother caste is entire female however. Male/Female ratio: 42:58 Life expectancy
Life expectancy is relatively varied between the castes, with Mothers living the longest and Workers the least. However, all Xahians have access to adequate nutrition and healthcare, so premature deaths are nearly always due to accident. Life expectancy at birth: 102 years Infant mortality: 1 death / 1000 live births Age structure
Careful management of birth rates and gestation ensures that there is a good age spread. Infant and child mortality is almost unheard of so population numbers remain constant until about age 90, when there is a slow but significant reduction. Caste distribution
(as % of population) Warrior: 0.66
Technical: 7.83
Engineer: 10.77
Farmer: 24.49
Mother: 0.73
Leader: 2.95
Worker: 52.57
Foreign Relations
The Federation of Xah, officially, does not recognise the right of existence of any other nation state in human known space. The Sevenfold Path dictates that only by unifying humanity under one banner, and ensuring that all genetic potential is accessed, can the end goal be reached. Practically, however, the Federation knows that it has a better chance of success if it is careful not to rush headlong into war, particularly against strong opponents.
Its only major rival in known space is the Northup Alliance, a confederation of planets that was formed directly to oppose Xahian expansion. Whilst much smaller than the Federation of Xah, and lacking in technological progress, the Alliance has managed to remain independent by retaining a significant military force. The two factions have never officially declared war on each other, but neither have they signed any peace deal or formal recognition of the other. Propaganda about the Alliance within the Federation portrays them as hypocritical hedonists, allowing all kinds of atrocities to occur on their own worlds whilst claiming democratic ideals. On a military level, the Federation knows that whilst it would win a war against the Alliance, it would be a protracted affair that would divert resources from other critical endeavours, and so for the time being, is content to wait.
Education
After birth, all Xahians are placed in 'sibling creches' consisting of all members of that Caste born at the same time and location. This group live, attend classes and grow up together, being tested regularly for aptitude, until they are ten years old. By this time, they will have completed their basic education and their tutors will have a firm grasp of each member's skills and potential. Each child is tested, with those failing to meet the required standard being moved from their Caste group and into a larger, mixed caste Worker group. Those who pass this first test are then assigned to a more specialist education, based on the aptitudes shown previously. At age 16, they are tested again, this time far more rigorously, and those who fail are shifted into a mixed caste Worker group, although these are typically considered higher potential Workers and given more responsibilities. The successful, now typically less than half of the original number, continue with their specialist education until the age of 21, where they face a final test to ensure they are fit for progression into their Caste fully. If successful, they are assigned to their caste with full rights, if they fail, they are, like with previous failures, assigned to the Worker caste. The failure rate at this stage is relatively low compared to the other stages, and those who are put into the Worker caste then are often fast-tracked into more specialist roles that enable some use of their advanced education.
Failure rates vary considerably between castes, based on the demands of the caste and the opportunities for those less able than their peers to find a place. The process is supposed to meritocratic, but accusations of favouritism are common, particularly if the individual has notable gene-ancestors. Appeals to a failing grade are possible, but have a low success rate. The caste with the highest success rate is the Mother caste, as the only way to fail is to be incapable of gestating a baby. Next are the Farmer and Warrior castes, with a success rate of over 90%; the Farmer caste has many roles for those less suited to academic endeavours, but requiring more responsibility than that given to Workers, and the Warrior castes expects little from some of its roles than a physically competent person who is able to follow orders. Additionally, the genetic resources given to the Warrior caste are more than other castes, and there is an unwillingness to 'waste' such potential.
The caste with the highest failure rate is the Technical caste; competition between members of a sibling creche is intense, and encouraged, and the workload expected of potential caste members is substantial, causing some individuals to 'burn out', even before official testing. Because of this, higher numbers of Technical caste batches are created, and they represent a substantial proportion of the Worker caste. About 75% of potential Technical caste members fail before age 21. The Leader caste also has a failure rate of above 50%, as the expectations of a Leader are high, and the Federation recognises that effective and competent leadership is essential for survival. Personal traits, as well as academic achievements are important, and so far the Technical caste has yet to find the genes responsible for that expression.
-60 XC - Extant
Type
Geopolitical, State
Alternative Names
Xahian Federation
Demonym
Xahian
Government System
Technocracy
Power Structure
Federation
Economic System
Command/Planned economy
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Related Traditions
Related Ranks & Titles
Related Items
Organization Vehicles
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
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I like the flag of the different castes, they has good symbolism and they form a good harmony.
Creator of the world Special Agent
Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!