Holy Venture of Tundron

[zSCHIZOz]

For as far back as history dates the Tundralli have sought out to expand and enlighten themselves through peace and at times war. A spiritual race, whose domestic wars were fought for false gods of the past through the lords of today. Eventually the cost of war became too great for the Tundralli and those who had differences reconciled with one another and agreed towards a spiritual belief that could be felt through all.

Despite the violent history of millennia past, today the Tundralli are a peaceful race whose aims are for the stars and further understanding of the Universe in which they were placed in. The Tundralli have for many centuries now been governed by a theocratic oligarchy. Not quite royalty but an order of highly esteemed members whose life’s purpose was to serve and project onto Tundralli society. For generations now the Tundralli have known world peace and they are now poised to enter the final frontier; outer space.

By the year 2155 the Tundralli have successfully erected a modern spaceport which would orbit the star of Frostule. From the spaceport the Tundralli would begin constructing mining and science stations throughout their home system. By 2175 the first space fleet of interstellar corvettes were constructed along with a science vessel to explore the solar system further. As time progressed towards 2200 the Tundralli had unveiled something extraordinary; the ability to travel faster than the speed of light. Cartographers soon after began mapping what was now known as Hyperlanes. With this new found ability there was much to be discovered and the Tundralli would rally to the cause of further understanding of the Universe.

This new found discovery of the Hyperlanes did however cause much unrest in the oligarchy. There were those that wish to study the native solar system further and to proceed with extreme caution towards the Hyperlanes. Others sought to engage and explore the Hyperlanes in the hopes of unraveling some of the mysteries of not only Frostule but of the Universe itself and how it came to be. Deliberations went on for weeks with no clear objective set to order. Eventually after many months of council the oligarchy came to a decision and that was to explore the galaxy through the use of the Hyperlanes.

The decision to explore the Hyperlanes however did not come without it’s conditions. Firstly, safety was of extreme importance and the fleet of corvettes already constructed would have to monitor their home system of Frostule on a regular basis in the event of any interference with another species or any other significant development. Another science vessel would also be commissioned to explore the opposite direction of space to advance future discoveries further.

With the news of the Hyperlanes reverberating through Tundralli society there was much unrest, both positive and negative. There were demonstrations outside the capital demanding that the populace be involved with the decisions of the esteemed oligarchy while others enlisted in the Tundralli Space Corps for both science and military occupations. There was much excitement on Planet Tundron and in the coming months it was expected that there would be much to understand with both the population and any future discovery unraveled through space exploration.

For now the Tundralli would have to venture with the limited resources that they have acquired through time and embark on their most historic adventure yet; to go beyond their solar system of Frostule and explore the dark reaches of space within their grasp. A new era had begun and the Tundralli were united to proceed further with high hopes and anticipation.

 

[zSCHIZOz]

As the bright blue star of Frostule began to rise on the horizon of the gas giant’s moon of Tundron the Tundralli people began to rise from their chambers and begin their day. While during each citizen’s morning routine a holographic display, similar to a projection, began to play a recording from the Holy Oligarchy of Tundron. These messages were mandatory to watch in each household as it was deemed important that the populace know what the Holy Oligarchy were sharing with the public. As the holographic image began to display, Chief Precentor Nome tal Gun, elected head of the Holy Oligarchy, began to speak.

“Citizens of Tundron! We are gathered here today to embrace the change that has revolutionized our way of life. Outer space is now in our hands and we have so far uncovered vast distances over the span of five years. We have encountered the discovery of alien fossils and the battered remains of an extraterrestrial artificial species’ whose purpose could only be designed for conquest or a vast defense against an overwhelming force. Yes. The discovery of this artificial life close to our home here on Tundron is of great concern and we assure you, good citizens, that our safety and the safety of our Union is of upmost importance. In time, when we expand our Space Corps, we will be ready for the inevitable encounter with a sapient alien life form. For the time being however we urge you to continue with faith and help us, your trusted oligarchy, to explore and expand throughout our galaxy and in the hopes of a peaceful encounter with an intelligent lifeform for whom we may or may not encounter in the next few years.

Thank you citizens and Gods bless!”

Messages from the Holy Oligarchy would occur on occasion or in the event of something major or dramatic. For the most part, citizens of Tundron welcomed the messages from their esteemed leaders as their faith guided them to trust in Chief Precentor and his colleagues in the Holy Oligarchy. Typically their would just be the daily news playing on each citizen’s holographic display as the Tundralli got ready for their day.

Much of life on Tundron was similar to what you would expect from an advanced spiritual species set in the future. There were shrines and temples scattered throughout the planetary moon of Tundron along with shops and entertainment centers. Much of the moon was connected by mass transit infrastructures such as monorails and elevated highways with transport ships and standard consumer road vehicles traveling throughout the surface of Tundron. Underground was an advanced subway system that connected most of the moon with its major city centers. For employment much of Tundron’s economy was backed by mining and farming along with renewable energy to support the massive infrastructure of the moon.

For the most part, Tundron was now a spiritual utopia that had evolved from a primitive and barbaric past with each major clan worshiping its own set of gods. Millennia of social evolution and painstaking strides towards unification and peace on the moon made way for the utopia setting of Tundron today. The cost of peace on Tundron was great, too great to allow for another domestic war. Instead, the Tundralli followed the teachings of the Holy Oligarchy which had formed centuries ago after the great crusades of the past.

Much of Tundralli’s past was categorized in massive libraries found in dense urban areas adjacent to schools and universities. It was paramount that the children of Tundron know the past, as to not repeat it and to maintain peace for the present and future. Peace, however, needed a defense and so the Tundralli Space Corps was formed a few decades past preceding the rise of space exploration. The Space Corps consisted of both an army and navy along with a science division of which would map the stars and provide intelligence to the armies and navies of the Space Corps. With the rise of space exploration recruitment for the Tundralli Space Corps was at an all time high, far greater than the beginnings of the service. The Holy Oligarchy would debate the necessities and qualifications of the Space Corps and its members to maintain a safe and just order among the Union.

As the Tundralli further prepared itself for the wonders and dangers of space exploration the Tundralli Space Corps, mainly the Science Division, further scouted the surrounding systems in the search for resources, extraterrestrial life and habitable planets for the future of the Tundralli people. While the smallest division of the Tundralli Space Corps, the Science Division was now the most important of all and within its ranks held the future of the Tundralli people as its vessels continued to venture forth into the great unknown.

 

[zSCHIZOz]

Three years have passed since the discovery of the Pakari Star Union. Communications between the Tundralli Union and the Pakari have been limited. Since announcing rivalry between the two empires tensions have grown and borders have shifted as well as military fleets being bolstered. Both the Tundralli and the Pakari made it a top priority to obtain as many systems neighboring each other as possible. Despite the growing tensions, citizens of the Tundralli felt safe and the colony planet of Kularna was doing well also.

As the months continued to pass on and borders of both the Tundralli and Pakari competed with one another organized groups of Tundralli began to form on Planet Tundron. This would be known to the Holy Oligarchy as “The Rise of Factions” and the Holy Oligarchy was uneasy about these formations as it somewhat undermined the authority of itself. However, the formation of these so-called factions was entirely legal and the Holy Oligarchy had no right to suppress these organizations as the Tundralli believed wholeheartedly in peace and co-existence amongst its citizens.

These factions were peaceful in nature and tailored mostly to civil rights. The Individual Choice Council (ICC) influenced the populace the most as it holds a seventy-five percent approval rating. The ICC’s mandate was to prevent autocracy, allow free movement within the borders of the Tundralli Union, reproductive freedoms and anti-stratification. The ICC also had some influence within the Holy Oligarchy seeing as the ICC’s goals were on par with the Oligarchy.

The Church of Pious Traditionalists (the Church) was the second faction that formed. It’s goals was to prevent artificial life on the home planets of Tundralli as well as other spiritual objectives such as promoting unhallowed grounds and homogeneity.

Alien Rights Group (ARG) was the third faction to rise with the discovery of the Pakari Star Union. ARC was primarily formed to prevent conflict between Tundralli and other foreign empires. The ARG safeguarded refugees as well as promoting new alien contact all while condemning genocidal purges in the event of war. The ARG was the second most approved faction within the Tundralli Union with an initial rating of sixty-five percent leaving the Church in third at a rating of sixty percent.

As time progressed these new factions would surely shape the Tundralli Union in ways that the Holy Oligarchy could not do alone. With these new organizations came civil unity and a sense of identity and self-control for each Tundralli citizen. While somewhat annoying for the Holy Oligarchy to have to deal with these new organizations, the benefits outweighed the cons of such organizations. Not only was the Holy Oligarchy still primarily in control but the ICC, the Church and the ARG would allow the citizens to feel as though they had a voice. The Holy Oligarchy could exploit this sense of self-control within and further shape the Tundralli in the way they saw fit as long as the Oligarchy appeased the Factions.

Not only was the rise in factions changing the social infrastructure of the Tundralli but elections for a new Chief Precentor and other members of the Holy Oligarchy were about to happen. In a matter of months the direction of the Tundralli Union would be decided and depending on those elected, the very fabric of Tundralli society would be affected for the next twenty years. These were exciting times for the Tundralli but as a rival looms on the western border of Tundralli space this was also a dangerous time as tensions continued to rise due to expansion of borders and military powers.

 

[zSCHIZOz]

The year is 2245. Five years ago Chief Precentor Nome tal Gun was reelected for his third, twenty year term in such a position. Nome tal Gun had now been in power longer than any standing official in recent Tundralli history. He was now at age 75 but with the secrets unlocked by a crew of trusted and esteemed scientists, Gun’s life could be prolonged even further through breakthroughs in biology. As Chief Precentor for over sixty years, Gun had an enormous amount of influence within the Holy Oligarchy and despite his age most of the Oligarchy would stand with him for another term. This presented somewhat of a problem as the Holy Oligarchy was to be structured as a democratic dynasty and not a feudal monarchy. With Gun’s long lasting term in power and acquired influence over the last six decades within the Oligarchy he was able to control and manipulate much of what was done for the Tundralli Union. He was now in a sense an elder emperor of millennia's past from the dark ages of the Tundralli’s beginnings. Of course the truths of this was not seen by the public as the Holy Oligarchy has always been somewhat secretive in their ordeals but with yet another term as Chief Precentor the Holy Oligarchy’s ability to govern proper was now in question more than ever.

Nome tal Gun wore his ceremonial robes and prepared himself for a public speech of epic proportions. Masses of Tundralli were outside the Holy Oligarchy Chamber Halls, a large construct which held generations of governors for Tundralli’s modern history. It was built somewhat as a palace and somewhat as a governing center for those who held power in the Oligarchy and as Nome tal Gun continued down the hallway towards an open balcony, which held many speeches for the Oligarchy, he could hear the masses outside cheering for him. Gun would step forward onto the celebratory balcony with high applause from his constituents as the masses of Tundralli civilians cheered for their beloved Precentor.

“Citizens of our blessed Union!” Nome tal Gun paused for a moment, basking in his own glorified ego as the bright star of Frostule laid a ray of light onto him like a spotlight in an old opera. He looked casually to his left and right, admiring the vast crowd of thousands who waited to hear him speak before continuing,”I come to you today with significant news and confidence within our ranks. For decades now I have brought peace and stability to our Union. For decades I have allowed you, the people, to voice your concerns to me and have I not acted on your will? Have I not allowed our Union to prosper for generations? My thanks is to you, dear citizens, for electing me yet again for it has been a privilege and an honor to serve.”

The crowd nearly calmed and tal Gun’s voice was amplified through broadcast so not only those who came to the Holy Oligarchy Chamber Halls could hear, but those in the colonies could watch and listen as well through national news programs.

“News of an interstellar federation has reached us. An alien group of like-minded individuals, of whom we have not encountered for long, have banded together and formed what is known as the ‘Favorable Compact’. While we recognize this venture into a peaceful galactic union, we the Tundralli will form our own federation. We will form it with those who have stayed by our side through darkness and through light. We will band together and take on the challenges that the galaxy presents and persevere. The Tundralli Union will be a galactic power in our stars or not at all! Join me in applause as we take our first steps to Galactic Greatness! This could not be done without you dear citizens! We the Holy Oligarchy are in your debt and together with those such as the Pogovon Empire we will go forth on this federation of ours with the upmost care and confidence! We will go forward as you have done so on our outlying colonies of Kularna and Khinelu. We will go forward and we will prosper!”

Nome tal Gun would continue addressing the people of the Tundralli Union for another fifteen minutes or so before becoming tired at his old age and returning indoors to rest. Millions of Tundralli and the future for their part of the galaxy rested in his hands, for if he was to bring darkness to the Tundralli, the Tundralli may never truly recover from it.