Prelude
Summary of the Drelamt Sanctuary circa 2200
The Drelamt Sanctuary is a civilisation bizarre in many ways by the standards of humanity. To summarise it would no doubt be a grave injustice, for to do so would be like summarising the entire history of humanity- much must be left out, lest the speaker die of age before the third century of history be detailed. Nonetheless, it is essential to keep in mind that any statement made here is inevitably going to be a generalisation.
The Drelamt as a species are considered a Fungoid race, though upon their tropical home of Uraya it is not uncommon for fungal species to take the place arboreal and botanical ones would on many other worlds. They are known for their delicate beauty. Their structure is almost skeletal, and though it may seem fragile, its build allows this frame to be of about average strength. Drelamt tower above most life on their world, and are adept climbers. Their diet consist mainly of detritus, but they can also tolerate fungi and small amounts of soil. They have long been experts at caring for the land and are thus very efficient farmers, an attribute only bolstered by their extremely efficient metabolism. The Drelamt are also long-living, thanks to their potent cellular regeneration, though this regenerative ability is too gradual to prevent fatality from immediate trauma and other such problems.
There are, however, many more negative traits associated with Drelamt, though they would not consider it such. Their slow aging makes them mature slowly, and despite (or perhaps because of) a lack of distinct gender amongst their ranks, the species suffers from low fertility rates. Their forms and psychology also make migrating between communities highly unappealing to them, with history only furthering this philosophy. The average Drelamt would happily live in the same place, in the same role, for their entire life.
The Drelamt Sanctuary is the global society of the Drelamt, though at this stage it only rules a single system and only has inhabitants on a single world. The society is best described as an oligarchy valuing spiritualism, authoritarianism and a sense of xenophobia. Each of these is culturally linked to the history of the Drelamt.
Spirituality never lost ground on Uraya. For centuries, two main religions dominated the planet. One sect believed in a form of reincarnation, but the ultimate dominant religion was trust in the Cycle. The fundamental concept of the Cycle is a simple one- there are three worlds one goes through in life. The First World is known as Birth, though it is actually what what goes through before they are born. In this stage, the soul of an individual is formed, known to the Drelamt as the Will. The Second World is Life, the existence in which a second aspect is added to the individual- the Form, and the Mind with it (the Mind being a combination of Will and Form). The Third World is Death, though it’s truly the afterlife. This stage adds the Shadow, a third aspect that represents one achievements. It also adds three more combined aspects, namely Legacy (Form and Shadow), Memory (Will and Shadow), and Being (Will, Form and Shadow). At the end of one’s life in the Third World, their life’s energy is returned to fuel the creation of more souls in the First World.
One consequence of this belief system is how the will of the Cosmos- the universe itself- is perceived. Indeed, this particular aspect of the religion is where the most major schism occurs. One interpretation is that of the “Active” or “Traditional” sect, which believes that the Cosmos itself has no direct will, and that it is only the wills of Drelamt are relevant. To them, the Cosmos exists to be interpeteted. Any will it may have is conveyed by its structure, and that alone. On the other hand are the “Passive” or “Revisionist” sect, which believes that the Cosmos does have a will and that the desires of Drelamt are secondary to that will. To believers of this rather more recent interpretation (of which there are considerably less than the Traditional viewpoint), perceiving and acting upon the will of the Cosmos is essential and should be the guiding purpose of life.
This sense of spirituality plays a major part in the government of the Drelamt Sanctuary. To leader of the civilisation is known as the Diviner of the Cycle, she who determines the will of the Cosmos and commands the will of her people. Every twenty years, a new Diviner is selected by the Divinarium, a council of many individuals with spiritual connections. This caste of priests is above another caste- for indeed, the Drelamt follow a caste system- known as the Interpreters. Not as powerful as the divines, they are nonetheless respected members of leadership positions in the military and in localised governments. Beneath them are the Translators- explorers and scientists who seek to understand how the Cosmos works by focusing not upon the spiritual, but the tangible instead. The next caste down the pyramid is the Lifegiver caste, comprised effectively of landowners and especially farmers. The most populous caste is the Growthborn caste, a generic term used to describe those who are not enslaved, but do not own land or have a role considered particularly important. Below them are the Willbearers, a caste of slaves and servants who are deemed to have no worthy wills of their own, and who instead carry out the commands of others, ranging from delivering messages to doing hard mining work to fighting in wars. The only caste beneath them- though calling it a caste at all is a stretch- is the Rotten, a term used to describe undesirables in society. Criminals, traitors, and heretics of certain denominations belong to this caste, and are castrated to prevent them spreading their foulness to the next generation. The only exception to that rule are those used specifically for breeding to produce Willbearers, for even Willbearers have limited rights, and that of evading forceful reproduction is one of them.
Drelamt population policies circa 2200
As beings who consume the decomposing remains of the fallen, it should come as little surprise that the Drelamt despise wastefulness, trying to conserve all they can unless using it is necessary. Despite many environmentalist policies, they are certainly not opposed to technology- all but the most radical appreciate the benefits of computers, machinery and medical studies. However, these are merely tools to be used by those with wills worthy of the task, whether it be directly or thought the use of Willbearers. The idea that a machine could have a true will of its own is simply unthinkable beyond the boundaries of fantastical fiction.
Given the aforementioned aspects of slavery and oligarchy, the Sanctuary has a society that may be considered authoritarian. It is, after all, a place where the wills of individuals are not considered to be equal. It is worth noting this distinction is based largely on personal merit and the decisions one makes, rather than blood. It is perfectly possible for most castes- the enslaved nonwithstanding- to ascend or descend throughout the course of their lives. The letter of the law allows for harsher policies, but the Divinarium is generally reluctant to go against its spirit, for to do so is immoral. An outright democracy is seen as too chaotic to last, a state of affairs proven by history in Drelamt eyes. They are not unfamiliar with these concepts, or indeed those of monarchy, anarchy, or stratocracy. These ideals are simply seen as obsolete. They are fascinating fragements of history woven into the Cosmos, but nothing more.
The xenophobic aspect of Drelamt culture is derived from a simple lack of understanding. To them, a being like a human would be abhorrent and hideous. The idea of aliens does exist, but is seen as unlikely. The concept of interspecies relations is absurd, as is cohabitation. The ideals of each species would simply be too different for the Drelamt to comfortably comprehend. They are not unreasonable in this fear of other races, and many are willing to overcome that feeling in the name of the necessary, but it is nonetheless a part of the Sanctuary’s collection of cultural ideals.
Volgethaana, Diviner of the Cycle, ruler of the Drelamt Sanctuary
Volgethaana is known as one who sought out adventure and discovery in her youth, and maturity hasn’t entirely robbed her of that yet. She was known to gaze at the sky and the stars beyond, and ponder what lurked between those distant beacons of light. Many speculate that if not for her drive to take control and strong religious convictions as a Cyclic Traditonalist, she may well have become an explorer of space herself. However, those traits took her down a different path, one where she was eventually selected to ruin an entire civilisation. Although she is ostensibly a powerful representative of the Divinarium, there is no denying that her actions have had a major influence on the Drelamt Sanctuary, and that her will is difficult to restrain or overcome.
Physically, Volgethaana has a complexion typical of those from a high-altitude environment, such as one of the mountain ranges that stretch across Uraya’s equator. Her orange plumes are seen as an omen of dignity and authority by many amongst the Drelamt. Under her command, several vessels have been constructed, including a construction starship and an exploration vessel. She plans to further develop the interstellar exploration efforts of the Sanctuary, though whether this proves wise or overly ambitious is a matter only time can tell.
Important personnel of the Sanctuary circa 2200
Kuhdtad is the commander of the only current Drelamt exploration vessel. Once a mere Translator, her rank was improved to be among the Interpreters after her immense skill when it came to analysis was truly uncovered. One of her main skills is her meticulous attention to detail, which allows her to see details in the Cosmos which most would overlook. This can be a detriment- at times, she focuses upon the unlikely when she needs to pay attention to the obvious- but it is a useful ability. Her eagerness to uncover mysteries behind the sky is also a major reason for her appointment, and she was personally recommended by Volgethaana herself. It is hoped that under her command, the ISS Soltreem-Bu (ISS being a prefix that translates roughly to “blessed star vessel”) will make great contributions to Drelamt knowledge of space.
Three prominent researchers and their respective focuses, circa 2200
I’m the field of biology, Spagruum is a legendary woman, and the oldest of the three Translators mentioned here (though only by four years). She has accomplished many great feats, including genetic research, helping produce cures for viral infections, and even thetoretcially demonstrating the possibilities of cloning. She is talkative and polite enoogh most of the time, but is enraptured by her research. Spagruum is also revered for her humility, saying that it is the Cosmos that is responsible for providing her with what she has come to understand, and that she is merely blessed with the right will to take notice of it- a philosophy which makes sense when one considers that she is in fact a Cyclic Revisionist, a rarity amongst leadership positions. Spagruum’s current focus involves an extensive genome mapping project, to better understand the core of her species and allow for numerous future possibilities.
Of all the highly regarded Translators, perhaps the most brash and arrogant is Humiigol. Born with an autumn complexion known to inspire great attraction in the eyes of many, she combines a brilliant mind with the knowledge that said mind is indeed brilliant, and no guilt over claiming responsibility for it no matter whether anyone truly questions it. Her main focus is on industrial engineering, a field in which she helped establish optimised automated construction systems. Despite her often overbearing nature, there is a reason Humiigol is revered- she is quick to understand her work, and can easily uncover and correct of the flaws of most designs. An ongoing project of hers is an attempt to develop more engineering research facilities. Naturally, this led her and Kariggho to have mutual desires, and thus the two are fairly close with each other despite obvious personality differences.
Information on Uraya, and the impact of Birghagh upon it, circa 2200
Birghagh is the Diviner currently in control of Uraya. Her complexion is similar to that of Volgethaana, which is no coincidence- she too is from an equatorial alpine region. Unlike her ruler, however, Birghagh was raised as a Lifegiver and an expert on farming. Her knowledge of agriculture is extensive and she has begun vast plans to revitalise food production and distribution on a global scale, allowing for additional growth. She managed to ascend to the rank of Diviner at the ripe young age of 29, an exceptional feat accomplished through a combination of fortunate, careful planning, and widespread respect for her seeming connection to nature.
The Drelamt Sanctuary compared to the entire galaxy, circa 2200
How long will it be before death swallows this Sanctuary of the Second World?
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Welcome to the first ever Methanogen AAR! Now, there’s a couple of things I should mention. Firstly, as I just said, this is my first attempt at an AAR. Hopefully it turns out alright. Secondly, there’s a couple of things to make this a little interesting. You see...I’ve barely actually played Stellaris. I’ve spent hours making civilisations, sure, but actually using them? Barely an hour of that, I’d say. So, while I have a vague of what’s to come...that probably doesn’t mean I’ll be very good at getting through it. No shame in defeat, right?
Finally, I’m kind of without any of the expansion packs the game has to offer, and I’m not using any mods. The most I have is Horizon Signal and those anniversary portraits. So, if you’re wondering where all the crazy AI people are, or why the giant death monsters aren’t here...that’s why.
Wish me luck, and I hope you enjoy the narrative version of my desperate attempt to not fail at Stellaris!
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