Crux

Cruxes are a quite hardy species, bio-engineered to be highly adaptable and resistant to most environmental hazards. Their genetics are also extremely modifiable and prone to wild mutations, resulting in a near-endless line of subsections. They have a reputation of being frighteningly effective warriors and being mentally unstable.
The most well known of the Cruxes is Niven Ge, the current Primarch of House Ge and the Alpha Primarch for their empire, the Yannis Hegemony.
== Biology ==
=== Physical ===
Cruxes are a Bio-Engineered species by Sol Terra. As a result, they are significantly stronger and faster than Terrans on average. As a result of wild mutations, however, there are some subspecies that are smaller and weaker and some that are towering behemoths of raw strength. These common mutations are lovingly referred to as Cruxlings and Dire Cruxes.
Regardless of apparent size or physical ability, all Cruxes share a marked ability to withstand chemical, biological, and radiation hazards.
There are 17 Founder Strains of Crux:
* Chloros
* Elaion
* Ge
* Iton
* Kritterion
* Kuanos
* Kuprios
* Leukos-Arsenikon
* Lithos
* Meli
* Methoporon
* Nux
* Onios
* Pyr
* Sandrake
* Coniortos
* Akerasia
Though, as with most things Crux, there are likely new strains from their trend towards wild mutations.
=== Mental ===
A side effect of the rapid prototyping initially done, the mental stability of some strains of Crux are highly suspect. On average, most members have some form of minor mental disorders. Occasionally some members express bouts of insanity or much more severe mental disorders. Curiously, it appears that an extremely powerful narcotic known to kill most species in very small doses, Tritonizine, seems to be able to placate these bouts of insanity and bring most Cruxes to a state of stability. Likely, Tritonizine was a leashing drug for Cruxes, though with their strong control over its production it's usefulness as an enslaving drug has been eliminated.
However, more frightening is the interaction of their adrenal system when it comes to anger. It appears one of the core programmings of the original Crux experiments was an uncontrollable blood rage. While this response has been tempered significantly over generations, it's still a core aspect of their personality and with their natural strength, it's best not to provoke a Crux.
=== Society ===
Cruxes organized around Houses and a Junta. Somewhat paradoxically, they believe in both Might Makes Right, and the support of all of their members.
==== The Houses and Junta ====
Crux Society has evolved into a House Structure, with each house being headed by and named after the Founding Strains. Standing within these Houses are normally highly structured, though all Cruxes can and rise and fall within this hierarchy. At the top of each House sits the Primarch, lording over their underlings and steering the direction of their respective Houses.
For matters beyond Houses, the Yannis Hegemony is a Junta formed by the Primarchs of the Houses, 3 Major Houses with one of these being the Alpha House. While all Houses can give input, it is the Major Houses that hold much of the decision making power, with the Alpha being the final word.
Outside of military matters and House politics, most Cruxes are pretty agreeable. Often Citizens are more focused on their own lives and the lives of their fellow Cruxes. Though it does vary from House to House.
==== Vassals ====
After the Nexus Wars, the Yannis Hegemony has started claiming outside worlds as their own, Vassalizing their inhabitants. Initially, Vassals are lower on the totem pole than even the lowliest of Crux, but most Houses do not prevent even Vassals from climbing their ranks. There are some former Vassals holding modest positions of power within some Houses.
While Vassal managment varies from House to House, the Alpha Primarch has decreed that the minimum standard of living Vassals should have is comparable to most of the galactic community. Some Houses refuse to follow this, but as a whole, this decree is upheld. This has resulted in some Vassalized worlds having a considerable uplift in their standards of living, especially for the worst off.
Generally, Vassal Worlds are left in a state they were found with the funding and overwatch of the House they are under, unless their government or economic system is causing instabilities or severe drops in production. In that case, the House will intervene and replace their government or restructure their economy as much as is required.
==== Trials ====
As a result of not being a fully unified species, conflicts do break out from time to time. It is, however, known to all that too much destructive infighting would break them apart. As a solution, their society have enshrined a concept called Trials. Trials, are sanctioned and heavily governed conflicts between one or more parties. They may be tests of skill, wit, intelligence, raw strength, or prowess in battle.
The conflicting parties will call upon an Arbiter between them and agree upon the rules and nature of these Trials. Once these rules are agreed upon, each side will bid upon the amount of assets and manpower to bring to bear. This ensures that the minimum amount destruction and asset loss occurs. In any case, civilians and parties not involved within this conflict are to be untouched and unaffected by these Trials.
It's not uncommon for some of the higher profile Trials to be televised and some of the more blood sport versions are quite popular! Though, sensitive matters are often forbidden from such exposure.
== History ==
=== Conception ===
Originally, Cruxes were a Sol Terran military project called "Alteration Project One", though later this became known simply as the Crux Project. The purpose of this project was to produce soldiers capable of withstanding incredible punishment, as well as be resistant to many forms of chemical and biological warfare. A side effect of this was that they were quite resistant to radiation hazards.
The project struggled for quite some time, as the field of genetics manipulation was still quite new to Terrans. That is, until the project reached the Ge Phase.
=== Ge Phase ===
Unlike the previous generations of Cruxes, the Ge Phase resulted in (mostly) mentally stable Cruxes, one of which was Niven. Unlike his brethren that came before him, he seemed self-aware and capable of empathy and compassion that enamored the researchers. He was, of course, still a dangerously strong creature, even at 16, as one general found out.
It's unclear what happened on that meeting day, other than an argument broke out at why his deployment had been delayed and Niven, fearing for his and the researchers he'd come to view as parents lives, stabbed the General to death.
=== Crux II Project ===
While the incident resulted in quite a cover up, it did shift the project somewhat away from it's initial goal and to one of societal integration, dubbed Crux II. Unfortunately, integration was never really established, prejudices ran rampant. Most saw them as monsters and relegated them to slums or poor jobs that no one wanted to do.
The only Crux that had any luck was Niven. But he too saw the pain of his kind. He felt there was no place on Earth for his kind. As a result he went out into the stars with the help of the researchers that gave him life to find a place Cruxes could call home.
Eventually, he returned after hearing news that things had gotten worse at home. Upon arrival, he found his kind being enslaved and abused. And within him, a burning rage finally took hold. And with that, the Crux Revolution Started.
=== Crux Revolution ===
Niven no longer could stand by and watch the decline of his kind and started a bloody campaign of rage against the Terrans. One by one, cities fell to the growing horde of Cruxes. It didn't matter that the body count of Cruxes kept growing from military might, the murderous fervor of Niven only seemed to grow. Eventually, states fell. And ultimately it was humanity that was on the retreat.
=== Crux-Terran Accords ===
Approximately 3 years into the Crux Revolution, Terrans of Sol Terra requested a cease-fire. As a result of this, the Crux-Terran Accords were ratified. Among these demands, were that the Crux be given transportation off Sol Terra on the dime of the Terran Government to anywhere in the galaxy and to erase any acknowledgement of Sol Terra in the creation of Cruxes. With no other choice but death at their own creations, they agreed.
And so, the Mass Exodus began.
=== Mass Exodus ===
Initially, Cruxes spread throughout the galaxy, having no place to call home. Some stuck together in a flotilla, others made their stake as effective body guards or mercs, and some became bandits and pirates.
Niven returned to Lylat, becoming quite a legend, even after it's supposed destruction. He joined Starfox and worked with the UPA to contain the Ra-Shi invasion. During this, using the clout he had obtained from his exploits, he negotiated with General Ahrn, the leader of the UPA at the time, for deeds to a solar system, Yannis.
=== Home ===
With deed in hand, Niven rallied his brethren to a system they could call home. Their home. Their initial settlement would be on Yannis IV, a planet not unlike Earth. As they settled, their government system became similar to Earth's, being as that is what they knew best, with Niven at it's head.
Yannis was quite a resource rich system, giving Cruxes ample means to create their civilization and experiment with themselves. They quickly found that given freedom to thrive, their species rapidly diversified into numerous subspecies.
Eventually, due to the desires of each of the original strains of Cruxes, the interim government was slowly morphed into what it is today, a Junta of Houses, each headed by the founding Crux strains. The prestige and power of the Ge House became the Alpha House, with Niven Ge as it's Primarch. Lithos and Kuanos emerged as major houses, becoming part of the ruling trio of Ge, Lithos, and Kuanos. Peace was relatively stable between the houses' territories, with sanctioned combat being the main form of violence between them.
=== Post-Nexus Wars ===
Space within the system was starting to feel tight and in the shambles of the galaxy after the Nexus Wars, Niven, along with the other Houses, decided that it is time to expand beyond their home system, dubbing the name Yannis Hegemony. Without the watch of the UPA, they started to expand rapidly beyond their borders, claiming vacant worlds and Vassalized populated worlds they came across one by one. Normally, force was not used as without the UPA, these weaker, smaller systems and worlds were helpless targets to pirates and bandits. It was clear the organized and heavily militarized force of the Cruxes was their salvation from certain doom. These worlds were split up among the Houses, with Trials of Possession being used in more contentious claims.
There, of course, were hostilities, mostly in the form of neighboring systems feeling threatened. They quickly found out that the Cruxes are not opposed to hostile takeovers, either.
After some expansion, the Yannis Hegemony slowed down, focusing on the management of their new worlds, along with the growing pains that comes with.
== OOC Info ==
Due to how wildly diverse Cruxes are, there are multiple valid avatars and avatar mods that can be considered Cruxes.
List of Known Avatars/Mods
* .:C:. Crux: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/C-Crux-Viridescent/19885618
* Found Footage Thicc Crux: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Found-Footage-Thicc-Crux-Lithos/16046691
* Mutations Industries Crux: The OG, it's floating somewhere on the Grid...
Zanibar Darkstone (nagachief.darkstone) also has a few personal mods for heads and bodies, if you ask nicely!
== Examples ==