Borealis Republic

### Description

Philosophical aristocracy, schools of philosophy replace noble houses, educational ranks replace noble titles. The best colleges in the Concord.

The founders of the Borealis Republic would never have ventured into open space had they realized how history would turn against them. Conceived as a return to notions of aristocracy and nobility, the nation has abandoned these ideas, leaving behind only ghostly shadows. Today, the Borealis Republic is a unique free society, comprised in equal parts of naturally conceived sentients and popular copies – clones.

### Game Benefits:

Game Benefits: Borealis Heroes increase their Intelligence by 1 point to a Max of 15. All Borealis heroes automatically gain a moderate (+4) Obsessed flaw.

### History

During the early 22nd century, changes swept over Earth. New superpowers clashed, and new technologies radically changed humanity’s way of life. Extraterrestrials, the Fraal, revealed not only their existence, but also the fact that they had been visiting Earth for millennia! Humanity prepared itself for fundamental, comprehensive alterations to its way of life – including a jump to the stars. Several of Earth’s nation-states spurned these transformations. Rejecting the radical populist ideas that swept Eurasia, these reactionary nations turned back the clock to a time that was, in their minds, better and simpler.

The Borealis Republic formed in 2154. The constitutional monarchy was one of the few successful returns from a democracy to a form of autocracy. The new state reestablished a noble class from its cultural leadership, tracing distant ties back to various noble houses of medieval Europe. Expatriates, tsarists, royalist, petty nobles, and imperialists of every stripe flocked to swear allegiance to the anachronistic new state. The Borealins adopted ancient and long-defunct ideals of public service, but, in essence, the new nobility ruled unchecked. Meanwhile, the state poured resources into the arts: drama, literature, and especially philosophy. While it formed from a reaction against the changes wracking humanity, the Republic was far from stagnant.

The new state owed its existence to the invention of the stardrive. Many states saw the Borealins as evidence of a tyrannical resurgence against democracies. Others mocked the absurdity of an aristocracy actually ruling a country in modern times. Under scrutiny and assault, the Borealis Republic took a step that ensured its survival. Investing heavily in stellar exploration, the Borealins relocated their capital to the planet Sapphire in 2243.

To the surprise of most of the other fledgling stellar nations, the Republic flourished in its first century. The sometimes rigid structure proved its worth on far-off colony worlds. The strong authority united the Borealis colonists and gave them the direction they needed to survive. Each planetary leader, typically a duke or a baron of the Republic, clung to the powers of a dictator. Of course, the nobility saw it as a point of personal pride that their colonies met with success. Ironically, the old structure encouraged the expansion of the Borealis Republic as well. Wealthy nobles’ sons and daughters each wanted to command a colony of their own, and they settled these areas with clones to pass on both their material and genetic inheritance. Since only the eldest would inherit, the younger siblings raced off to the edges of Borealin space to found a new planet for the Republic.

Indeed, many observers have noted that the Borealis Republic reached its geographical and political height before the First Galactic War. In 2291, eight years before the war began, revolution shook the Republic. The autocratic governors had grown complacent, and their experiments in cloning and population control had become unpopular. Moreover, the arts and education that the nobility had endorsed had trickled their way down. Most of that philosophy had little to say about a nation that did not acknowledge equality among men.

At first, the civil war looked as if it might end swiftly, with the Borealin revolutionaries carrying the day. After all, the nobility represented only about 5% of the population. But after the initial storm, the nobles became entrenched, refusing to submit to commoners. By now, the clone population had grown to half the Borealin population. The nobles were outraged that their own creations, often their genetic duplicates, were rebelling. This rage led them to take great risks and make great sacrifices to keep from losing what they had built.

#### *The First Galactic War*

In 2299, the First Galactic War broke out. Engulfed by their own problems, the Borealins – noble, revolutionary, and clone alike – took little interest. The nobility didn’t want to encourage further revolutionary thought by breaking ties with Earth but, unable to form a common defense, the Republic found itself picked apart from many sides. The Rigunmor Star Consortium annexed more than 20% of the Republic’s systems during GW1.

The Republic’s civil war came to an end just before the conclusion of GW1. The revolutionaries held an unquestionable advantage; most believe that, given another decade, they would have defeated the nobles. Instead, a compromise was reached. In his last act as leader, King Carolev V of the Borealis Republic granted nobility to all Borealins, natural and clone. Henceforth, all Borealins possessed at least the rank of Knight. The monarchy was dissolved, and a conclave of nobles took its place. In essence, the king’s decree formed a democracy.

#### *The Second Galactic War*

The Borealins wanted to stay out of GW2. Surrounded by stronger military and economic powers, the Borealin people had grown more and more inward-looking, preferring consideration of life’s essential questions to fighting over stars and planets. Discussion of ethics took precedence over plans for the coming war. Out of necessity, Borealis allied itself with the FreeSpace Alliance in 2372. Thanks to its Orion and Orlamu allies, the Borealis Republic exists today. Still, the Expansion Pentad claimed many systems of the Borealis Republic; most were later donated to the Galactic Concord to form Concord Sagittarius.

#### *Today*

The Borealin focus on the arts and the nation’s loss of power in the galaxy represent a vicious circle. The more removed the Borealins have grown, the more that neighboring stellar nations have taken advantage of the situation. Most Borealins seem to prefer life in the ivory tower. Once, the clones performed all necessary (but tedious) physical labor. Today, all Borealins share in intellectual freedom. Borealin sculpture and drama remain the finest in the galaxy, even if others occasionally criticize it as too self-referential. Borealins admit that they are more interested in the immutable’s of existence than, for example, in the rising price of rhodium.

A dozen Colleges of Philosophy dominate the Borealis Republic, and every Borealin attends one of them as part of their higher education. It’s traditional to attend the school on one’s parents, but not required. Today, many younger sons and daughters attend a college of their choice. Recently the College of Justice Ethics has gained in popularity. Members of this college advocate a stronger devotion to keeping the peace and preserving liberty for all Borealins. Justices, as they are called, represent about half of those enlisted in the Borealin military.

The Borealins remain the best historians. While domestic politics interest most Borealins only so far as issues of ethics, morals, and proper etiquette are concerned, Borealins are avid explorers. New thoughts and discoveries are traded in the Borealis Republic much as weapons or metals are elsewhere. As a result, the libraries on Sapphire contain the best records of humanity outside of Earth itself. Indeed, the Borealin histories of humanity since it left the Sol system are probably superior to those of the Solar Union.

Sapphire itself resembles a planetary college. The philosophy academies debate in the larger cities, and the Conclave of Lords holds council in a sprawling clone-built palace in the mountains. Sapphire resembles an immaculate campus of beautiful lawns and landscapes. Libraries fill great volumes of space, and many of them still stock printed books in various languages. No one questions knowledge as the noblest pursuit.

During the Second Galactic War, the last outward vestiges of nobility fell away. Rather than Duke or Baron, today Borealins hold ranks as Student, with upper echelons gaining the titles of Lecturer, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Professor, and Dean. The Conclave of Lords ranks highest with its Philosophers and current Grand Philosopher, Justin Arimensis.

Compared to other stellar nations, the Borealis Republic is weak. Its military is growing but remains small. On the other hand, the Borealins possess a multitude of small interstellar craft and an unusually high proportion of drivesats. Interstellar communication and the exchange of information hold a high priority. Borealin diplomats are canny, if long-winded. The Borealin economy is healthy internally, but weak in the interstellar marketplace.

In the Verge, the Borealin Silver Bell colony is no more. The nation mourned the loss briefly, then aggressively recolonized. Its scientific research teams investigate sites of interest such as the Skyward Caverns of Atlas in the Tendril System. Despite the great potential for academic pursuits, many Borealins are non-Pulsed by the idea of colonial life so far from home and opt for the Far Reach frontier instead.

Life of a Borealin is a life of intellect. As the saying goes, scratch a Borealin and you uncover a philosopher. They admit that they are more interested in the immutables of existence than, for example, in the rising price of rhodium. New thoughts and discoveries are traded in the Republic much as weapons or metals are elsewhere. No one questions knowledge as the noblest pursuit. Borealin hold ranks based on academic standing. Most of the population still ranks as Student, with upper echelons gaining the titles of Lecturer, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Professor and Dean.

Borealins increase their Intelligence score by one point during character creation, to a maximum of 15.

All Borealin heroes automatically begin play with a moderate (+4) Obsessed flaw (removable later using standard rules). The player chooses the focus of the obsession.

### *Sources*

*Star\*Drive Campaign Setting - ISBN 0-7869-0738-X*