Akbara

Created by: and Garry Stahl
Appearance: Starbase 600 game.
Number of Members: 1.2 billion
Nature of Members: Zarians 
Government: The World is ruled by a "Kaliph" leader of the "One True Religion" - a fundamentalist off shoot of an older reactionary Zarian Religion. In short a theocracy where "rights" are laughed at.
The society can be broken down into three classes:
*The Kapelliate -- Priests, nobles, not much difference. These are the people on the top. It is an all male world. They have the technology and the money to make anything happen. The Kaliph is elected from this number and serves for life.
*The Chosen -- Chosen to grovel and serve. Chosen are no different than serfs. They have no freedom of movement cannot change jobs without permission or even marry without permission.
*Females -- One of the chief methods of control is access to women. By moral right the Kapelliate owns all the women, and they mean that literally. Females are theirs to use or to bestow. If you have any hope of marriage you have to stay on the Lord's good side.
Culture: A very insular thing. The religious police see that any deviance from the One True Way is punished with draconian laws. The main indicator of virtue is money. If you are rich and male you can pretty much do as you please if no one sees it.
Most art is of a religious nature and highly formalized. Likewise musical forms have not changed in a hundred years. The bards are singing the same approved ballads their great grandfathers did. The religious police are always on top of anyone that looks the least bit creative. These are the people that think, and people that think are dangerous.
The society is misogynistic. Women are outright property. They are expected to stay covered and anonymous. The only time you see an unclothed woman is when they are killing her, in an as sexually humiliating way as possible.
As a result houses look inward. The outer facade is a blank wall to the world. The richer the house the more sensor buffering it has. Within are gardens of delight, beautiful objects, and the Master's toys. 
The question has been raised of how close does The Kapelliate itself hue to the religion they shove down everyone else's throat. Do they really believe and follow it or is this yet another cynical excuse for power? The only answer that can be found is they hue to it well enough when they are seen. No one has come out of the Palaces to say otherwise. The Nar Orions say they have the answer, but it will cost you.
Economy: Akbara does not have a general energy economy. This is deliberate. It puts the serfs in the position of being beholden to the rich that have replicators. Those few reformers that have tried to change this have found the religious police have something in mind, (see humiliating death).
Game Role: Twisted assholes 
World Role: About the same.
Relative Influence: Minor -- Their one real influence has been removed.
Public or Secret?: Location public, nearly everything else secret.
Publicly Stated Goal: Seek the holy life freed from corrupting influences.
Relative Wealth: Small on the interstellar scale. With the smuggling and piracy broken they are not getting much more.
Group advantages: If one of the Kapelliate you are in the gravy. Not so great for anyone else.
Special Abilities: None
Group disadvantages: No one likes them or is really willing to aid them.
Special disadvantages: Being in the eternal favor of Ghodd means changing your mind is difficult, even if that would be good for you.
Those who favor them: Themselves, and "One True" of course. 
Those opposed to them: Yea, pretty much everyone.
Area of Operation: Akbara is a Zarian World, part of the Kogari Region.
Headquarters Location: Shining. Capital of Akbara. It is nowhere near the spaceport. The Palace of the Kaliph and Temple of the One True Ghodd are here, the same building complex of course. Infidels are not welcome. (See humiliating death)
Public Face: Home of the One and Only True Religion
Notable Members: Kaliph Cascur Bit Mara -- Current big cheese. Temporarily grateful of infidels. Don't worry it won't last.
History of the Planet: Akbara was settled in approximately 1885 by Zarian dissidents, who claimed the world as a haven for their religion and doctrine. Trade continued, sporadically, with the Zarian Empire. 
by 1940, Akbara had been discovered by pirates. The Kaliph of that day made a compromise. Akbara would be a neutral port, so long as the Kaliph got his cut.  The Kaliph and his true believers rationalized that any crime done to infidels by infidels was not their problem.  A certain starport section was declared neutral territory and the ways of the infidels tolerated there. They also build a wall around it.  However, nowhere else on Akbara will that tolerance be found.
The Kaliph and his security forces wear yellow, or yellow and black.  They wear this for the same reason bees do - to warn of their danger. anyone who assaults, injures or kills a member of the Kaliph's security is under a death sentence and a handsome price is put on his head (just the head).  Messing with the Kaliph and his security forces is a losing proposition.
Because of the rationalization that infidels are not really, fully people, the Kaliph can have his forces kidnap and torture any infidel he pleases and no one will interfere.
In 2382 Orions from Nar's Star attacked Akbara and came perilously close to conquering it. The Kaliph's security and mercenary forces were all but wiped out or fled.  Only quick relief by the other Kogari powers saved the day.
Since then the Kaliph has been pro-Kogari, and much less tolerant of pirate and mercenary activity on Akbara.  The Kaliph has welcomed trade and contact with Mongo, the Vargr and the Klingons,  but he feels he owes the Kogari a debt and so will not betray their interests or become too friendly with the other powers. Orions are not popular on Akbara. 
Relations: A set of simple rules they hand everyone that lands there. No they are not kidding.
<OL><LI>You are a filthy infidel. Bathe and you are a filthy infidel that is clean. Remember this, it will be useful in understanding your place.</LI>
<LI>Filthy infidels will keep to the port area and not corrupt holy soil.</LI>
<LI>We do not wish to soil our minds with the business or problems of filthy infidels, so no, we don't want to hear your problem.</LI>
<LI>Jay P Hailey is a filthy purveyor of bullet points, may dogs feast on his innards.</LI>
<LI> Keep it in the cabash and never kill anyone north of Jihad Street.</LI>
<LI>Pay the fees and shut your mouth.</LI></OL>
*Bykaler -- Demons, shoot on sight.
*Kogari Powers -- In general Akbara treats them all the same. A certain aloof disdain. Lately tempered with the gut wrenching idea that without the infidels they would be toast. If anything the fact they are Zarians makes them less worthy than Aliens without souls.
*Klingons -- They have relations with no single house. These alien warriors are good for defending and dying for you. Expensive however.
*Malovids -- Yet another soulless alien whose money is welcome. Yes their culture is abhorrent, but they are soulless aliens. No hostile moves as the Malovids have not be hostile.
*Mongo: -- And the Federation at large. Hungry confusion. They want the toys and technology but fear the very open nature of a society that treats all life as equal. The idea of Zarians mixing with these other races makes one queasy.
*Orions -- Thanks to the Nar Orions they have joined the Bykaler on the shoot first and never mind the questions list.
*Vargr -- Semi useful not really people that behave less predictably than the rest of them. Not appreciated.
*Zhodani No direct contact, but they are on the demon list by reputation alone. People that will steal your soul.
Category:Planets
Category:Political Units
Category:Kogari Space
Category:ST-OM
Category:Epiphany Trek