Starbound: Meridian Sector RP Lore

Started by KazMartell, 01-07-2014

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KazMartell

Welcome to the lore page for Starbound: Meridian Sector. Here will be described all of the background information you might need to get your character a foothold in the galaxy at large.
Each race will have its own section of Lore, broken down into several distinct parts;
- A brief racial synopsis
- Racial Background (Pulled directly from Starbound's Lore)
- Meridian Sector Background (Pertaining to the race's goings-on in the Meridian sector.

The Apex are mammalian creatures that are in many ways almost indistinguishable from Humans, albeit while being distinctly hairier and generally having voices of deeper octave. They are also highly intelligent, and have a close bond with other Apex.
For millenia the Apex were close to human in appearance until breakthrough research into accelerated evolution lead to the creation of the "Vestigi-Evo Process". The VEP allowed the Apex to trade physical devolution for intellectual evolution. The Apex operate under a collectivist regime controlled by the Miniknog (The Ministry of Scientific Progression). Each Apex dedicates his life to the survival and progression of the Apex as a whole. The nature of this regime allowed the VEP to be administered species wide in less than 10 years. The most honored members of Apex society are those chosen by the MiniKnog to donate their bodies to furthering the VEP. Those chosen for the experimentation process are rarely seen again, but their names are said to be inscribed on the wall of the chosen which sits deep within the Ministry. For a time the MiniKnog received criticism from several prominent Apex for what appeared to be a bias towards selecting only the poorest in society to be members of the chosen. This criticism was silenced however when the critics themselves were selected. There are whispers of a rebel group ready to denounce the MiniKnog and lead the Apex into revolution. But in Apex society discussion of dissension is punishable by death. Glory to the chosen!
The Apex presence in Meridian is split into two distinct factions. There are the servants of the Miniknog, and those who resist them. While far from home, the Miniknog desire to enhance the VEP (and by extent the Apex as a whole) by experimenting on the effects it has on other races, as well as certain specific genotypes...
The Resistance is mostly dedicated towards stopping the Miniknog from sending the Apex society into a spiraling descent into madness and destruction.
Most Apex, no matter which side they are on, have little to no true knowledge of Apex society dating back farther than 100 years; due in large part to the destruction of all archives ever, through various accidents.

Avians are, as their name would suggest, a bird-like species that is incapable of flight, but intelligent and blessed with the comforts of most mammalian creatures, namely opposable thumbs and the ability to walk upright with ease. Like many species of bird, the variation from one Avian to another can be extreme.
Avian culture revolves around the worship of Kluex, the winged god of the Aether. Avians believe they were stripped of their wings as punishment for entering the mortal world and will only regain their wings in the afterlife should they achieve absolution through worship.Throughout their history Avians have always been a primitive race, making little scientific progress. Avian numbers were beginning to dwindle when a superior race took pity and bestowed the gift of advanced technology upon them. This new found tech allowed the Avians to flourish and spread across the universe, building temples of worship as they go. Avian soldiers are trained from birth to be fierce warriors and will protect their temples at any cost. Avian weaponry may look primitive at first glance, but the incorporation of advanced technology makes them particularly formidable. Avian generals forge wings for themselves that function much like jetpacks. Though rare, Avians have been known to stray from their religious culture. Dubbed the Grounded, these Avians become outcasts and find solace amongst other races.
Avians in the Meridian sector are very different from those in other parts of space; being far from the Avian homeworld of Avos, many of the more recent changes in Avian society have simply not arrived yet. The Avians most recent spread through the stars was to stop the spread of Florans, but their devotion to Kluex lives on; most Avians will leave a shrine, if not

Florans are a somewhat unique species that is comprised of sentient humanoid plants. Their evolution has led to them having all of the standard comforts of a humanoid species, but they are incredibly varied in their appearances while still being very simple to identify.
One would expect a race of sentient humanoid plants to be peaceful, nature-loving environmentalists – that presumption is what allows this hyper-aggressive tribal civilisation to thrive. Unwitting explorers are prey of choice to the carnivorous Florans, who frequently salvage or reverse engineer the technology they bring to enable their colonization of the stars. Introducing space travel to the primitive Florans had the undesired effect of Floran colonies spanning across star systems, each with their own customs and levels of aggression. Despite this, individual Florans have been known to split apart from their society to lead their own lives in isolation or in the solace of other races, at the cost of being cut off from the collective and considered enemies of all flora for good. Though a unisex race, Floran culture values survival through reproduction and expansion over environmentalism or any perceived bond to Mother Nature. Cannibalism during funeral rituals and wars with rival factions are commonplace, though it remains unclear whether it's out of conservation or simple tradition. Their aggressive nature appears to be borne from a lack of a concept of non-plant life as opposed to outright contempt. Owing to their relatively young age as a species, this tenet dominates their culture and justifies their treatment of visiting races, though there are signs of some beginning to question this, implying that Floran individuals might not be inherently "evil" as previously thought.
Florans in the Meridian Sector are practically the same as Florans everywhere; of course, they are newer to the Meridian Sector than some other places, but they are still Florans. Fresh into FTL travel, many Florans have a simple desire to explore, expand, and consume. Their expansion is usually limited to lush or wet worlds, as Florans have a much higher reliance on water than many other species. It is worth noting that they tend to be at odds with both Avians and Hylotl, while having a modest friendship with many Glitch, and being neutral at best towards other races.

The Glitch are a race of machines that have been programmed to have all of the basic needs of a living creature. Failing to uphold those needs ends in their shutting down, as it would normally kill a legitimately living being. As far as how they look, most Glitch have a distinctly robotic but humanoid appearance.
The Glitch were part of a program invented by an unknown race of enormous intelligence, they were built as a means of simulating the social and technological progress of a civilization. These experiments took place in a vast number of regions across the Universe, despite changing a plethora of variables each civilization eventually destroyed itself when its technological progression began to overtake its social progression. All but the Glitch. For reasons unknown a fault caused the Glitch to become stuck early in the simulation, where they now remain. The experiment long abandoned, the Glitch are unable to shake their Medieval values and beliefs. They're entirely unaware of their origin and are built to experience the feelings and desires of any other sentient organism. The Glitch reproduce by finding a mate and physically building a new Glitch together. Occasional faults in this process has caused Glitch to be produced free from the limitations of their programming. Entirely self aware and full of advanced knowledge, these Glitch are generally thought to be insane and are hunted, imprisoned and executed. Small numbers of faulty Glitch have managed to escape their homeworlds and set up villages amongst the Stars.
The Glitch in the Meridian Sector are in some extent different than those from other sectors, if only slightly. Their societies tend more towards a violent sort, as if the hive mind of the Glitch in the area was in the middle of a crusade. Of course, the Outcast glitch, those with complete self-awareness, aren't bound to such thoughts. They do still know of and feel the urge towards crusading though. It is worth noting that only the Outcast glitch have the capability for space flight.

Humans are quite simply put, diverse and eager to prove themselves. They seldom have one truly defining feature that can be used to identify them as a whole, but that in itself makes them stand out in a crowd of non-humans.
Humanity was a flourishing species with a high evolution rate and extremely hardy in terms of healing, recovery and endurance. They were the first race to engage in space travel, both for science and entertainment, but their limitations restricted them to their own solar system. Eventually they began to war amongst themselves more frequently, and with Earth's resources depleting, returned to the space race as each of the world's superpowers attempted to claim and colonize new planets. While in the midst of a particularly lengthy struggle to claim Mars, the humans observed a Beast From Beyond The Stars crash land on Earth. World leaders were heard to exclaim 'it's like something out of a sci-fi movie' and 'we'd better run for it' and 'maybe it's friendly, let's not be hasty'. (This person was later fired.)
Humans of the Meridian sector are mostly scattered survivors from the fall of Earth. Humanity had only just managed to escape Earth itself, and their home Solar system, when the calamity befell them. Despite this, there are a few distinct factions of Humanity that have arisen.
One of the largest among these is the United Systems Colonial Marines. Long-since departed from Earth in sleeper ships, they have been a growing force whose primary goal was regaining contact with Earth. Few bases received news of Earth's demise, and so many USCM troops still think of themselves as top-dogs.
Then there are the Imperium. A more mysterious body of unknown size, they have a much more commanding presence in the Meridian sector. Both benevolent and malevolent depending on where you happen to be, they form a large portion of the Meridian Sector's governing bodies.
The USMC and Imperium seem to work together at times, and oppose eachother at others. Humans.

The Hylotl are amphibious creatures with three completely red eyes, as opposed to the usual two that many humanoid creatures possess. They are generally elegant and somewhat mystical in appearance.
The Hylotl, a proud amphibious species, were concerned with beauty. It's what drove them, the pursuit of perfection. Through years of living under the ocean, they developed empathy towards all other species, with a strong desire to reach out and save all living things. As such, they were pacifists and herbivores, content to simply live in peace until one day they were forced out of their homes, and off-world entirely, by the dreaded Floran menace.
The Hylotl of Meridian are castaways from the war with the Floran. Despite this, as is usually the Hylotl way, their primary goal is to spread well being, knowledge and beauty. They are polite and almost naive to a fault, but are capable of defending themselves when necessary. Many in Meridian seek a new home to settle, but the growing territories belonging to the Floran make such difficult.