The Horde

## Basic Information

**Government Type**: Federal representative democracy and local constitutional tribal monarchy

**Faction Location**: 35,000 light-years southwest of the Solarian Empire

**Region Size**: 25,000 light-years across

**Demographics**: 54.9% Echobi, 37% Despiri, 8% Salkiret, 0.1% Artificial Intelligence

**Economics**:

* Imports: They accept anything that is useful from foreign nations.
* Exports: Luxury goods, arts, food and drink, small arms and other melee weapons or self-defense tools, civilian technology, certain services, academic knowledge, raw materials.

**Citizen Denomination**: Hordese

**Currency**: Horde Note

**Religion**: No official religion, secular government.

**Language**: Orot, Dazal

## History

**Founding**: 844 million years ago

**Brief History**:

### Pre-Convent

844 million years ago, it was decided that in order to function properly as an advanced society, they would need a government for efficiency. The Echobi Horde was officially founded, the government structure based on tribal systems with a helping of democracy. This allowed tradition and fairness to prevail.

They had been making progressive and swift changes in technology, such as the discovery of FTL flight, with emphasis on their natural knack for design and engineering. They were getting more and more impressive as time passed. When they began their space travel, they encountered the Oro Convent. The contact was very civil and more-so based on whether they could be beneficial to each other. The Echobi designs for architecture had caught the attention of the Convent. In exchange for genetic alteration to get rid of those cursed teeth and mouths, the Echobi offered architectural designs that fit the aesthetic of the Convent but worked with incredibly stability. The most famous and valuable design they offered was the Echobi Shell, which would serve as the Grand Temple of the Oro, completely workable in design as long as someone could actually construct it.

823 million years ago, as the government explored and expanded slowly but surely, they encountered a race, the Despiri, on their own homeworld. The Horde observed them for awhile. It was clear these were sentient and incredibly intelligent, but the Echobi thought they could take it further and study them. After many scientific studies and bonding with the Despiri, the Echobi had successfully uplifted them into sapience. It was a bold, controversial move, but in the end, it blossomed into a beautiful friendship. The Despiri were given all the space they needed to develop their own culture while still being fully integrated into the Horde as citizens. And while the Echobi were still shying away from violence, these newfound proud warriors, built as a predatory race, admired their taste for science. It was a beneficial trade for both, with Despiri providing the role as sort of guardians. The Despiri would quickly absorbed into the Echobi’s nation as equal citizens and their friendship was incredibly solid. Upon joining, the Despiri saw very weak militaristic structure. This prompted the natural warriors to develop a military for the Horde so they would be able to protect themselves from any outside or domestic threats.

The primary aspects of their growth as a nation came through a lot of progress in science and technology, expansion into new territories, and compassion for others. They developed cautiously, trying to avoid another Slaughter. Of course, once the they became less sensitized to violence after peaceful times, they experienced issues without an adequate justice system.

678 million years ago, crime suddenly became rampant, almost tearing the nation apart. They had to get strict quickly. It worked as a last-minute resort, barely keeping the nation from falling to shambles. It was essentially what was called the Second Slaughter. Once the citizens went unruly, the lack of an efficient policing and justice system shone through. In this area, as well, the Despiri quickly got together with the Echobi to hammer in a new system that would keep violence and crime in check, whether it was “too harsh” by Echobi standards or not. Eventually, standards changed and the system they developed had been accepted once the balanced efficiency and humaneness was proven.

### Convent Affiliation

575 million years ago, the Oro Convent approached the Echobi Horde to make them vassals. They offered protection in exchange for access to Echobi designs on demand, though they had to keep their expansion at a reasonable pace so the Convent could properly defend them. This allowed the Horde to develop more freely without worries of outside dangers, leading the a major development in culture, especially in the Despiri.

Eventually, the Echobi Horde lost their protectors to the Convent Civil War. One of the well-known habits of the Oro Convent was enslaving other races and using them as routine sacrifices. For millions of years, the Horde never went against the Convent for fear of the same happening to them. However, when the Civil War broke out, there were two distinct sides. The moral Echobi and Despiri easily sided with the Herald, who was opposing the Grand Cleric and the old ways in favor of ethical tradition. In fact, the Horde jumped on the opportunity to help free other races they had never felt they could help before. But with the military the Despiri had devised, the Horde’s military voluntarily stepped up to help the fight in a supportive role. While the results still lead to many casualties, the Convent had a long-standing history with them, and the Horde understood the need for good change within a society. The war was won. Today, the Echobi Horde celebrates on the date of victory the freedom of the cattle races who had suffered for ages. The Horde knew the cattle races had open hatred for member and vassal races, and the regret they had never been able to help them before is still instilled in the nation today. They were quick to offer one of the freed cattle races, the Salkiret, a place within their nation after the war had ended. Their homeworld was essentially useless, after being ravaged by war. Offering protection and a new homeworld tailored to their biological needs, the Salkiret soon integrated to become full citizens of the Horde. At the very least, the Horde takes pride in being able to make a change of heart and assist in change for the good of others.

### Post-Convent

After the Convent Civil War, the Echobi Horde became entirely independent after being released from vassal status. This was a great time of patriotism in the nation. The culture developed even further, and the progress forward was steady as ever. While there were newly sprouting worries of foreign threats, a vast majority of the population were excited to take care of themselves for once. The Echobi Horde continued building upon itself. There had been many desires within the population to meet other nations out there and form new friendships and alliances. But otherwise, the other major focus was improving life for the Hordese and improving any and all systems they use. After all, a nation can only truly be formidable foreign enemies if they are stable from the roots up.

What began was a stage of true diplomatic evolution. With that rise in diplomatic interest, four years ago, the Horde established their first diplomatic contact with the Saiyu Empire. Thrilled with their success, they ventured next to the Solarian Empire, the only other nation they knew the location of. Upon a productive first meeting, they also established trade with them. Soon after, the Horde received an invitation to a diplomatic summit in Sol, which the Chief Voice quickly accepted. In the end, while meeting so many nations, the Chief Voice had signed a treaty on international law and the citizenship of AI. At the meeting, the Suunatari representative for the Suunatari Technocracy approached Syojifa, extending an offer for a friendly visit after the meeting. The Horde obliged, sending a diplomatic ship to Taskara, the homeworld of the Tanar'ii. There, trade was established and talks were started to set up embassies between the two nations. Promptly after the Sol summit, the Horde received a brief visit from the Solarian Empire, who gave their capital planet, Pertinaxiv, a Tier 2 superintendent named CHIRON and also held adoptions for other AI throughout the Horde's space.

### Vengeance Arc

However, after this incredibly peaceful year, war and tragedy followed. Leornihussi, a renowned academic planet located in the Nisalorkom system, was shattered by a foreign superweapon. An odd ring appeared in the system, releasing a single, large ship, yet bearing the IFF of the Horde. It exploded, massive waves of EMP temporarily taking down every system available. Now charging a weapon, the Horde scrambled for defense. But it was too late. They had given the foreign objects the benefit of the doubt when they shouldn't have. The superweapon fired, leaving no survivors and only debris in its wake. Soon after, the Mannegung system had the same visit, as well as numerous other locations in the Horde. Ceapunggemot was targeted in a similar attack. This time, the Horde reacted. But even after bombarding the superweapon ship, their lack of military expertise clearly preventing them from destroying it. It got back on its feet and began charging again. In a last-ditch effort, a destroyer, accompanied by corvettes and fighters, rammed straight into the ship, resulting in a large explosion. By the sacrifice of their own lives, Ceapunggemot was saved.

Emperor Rudolph of the Solarian Empire had sent out a broadcast in regards to these vicious attacks, the culprit being identified as a rogue AI named VENGEANCE. A call to arms was made, which the Horde immediately accepted. It was their first true war. Alongside many of the victim nations, Battlegroup Valkyrie was formed, a beautifully mixed and massive force of many, many angry peoples. The final attack was finally launched. After a battle the likes of the Horde had never experienced, VENGEANCE was finally killed. In the end, through so many losses across so many nations, they had won. They had their revenge, as ironic as it may be.

### Post-VENGEANCE

But due to the shock of how under-prepared they were, the Horde set up a limited trade agreement with the Solarian Empire. The fact was, they needed help. Giving the Empire restricted usage of Yeeters for their own needs, they would give the Horde a military makeover. While the Horde adapted a militant attitude, with the hopes of being able to defend their people in the future, they worked hard to improve every aspect they could. This meant the building and establishment of the Chinggis Khaan Naval Academy of the Horde, as duly named by the Solarian Empire. In this academy, the beginnings of military education would begin. But instead of the Horde's lack of knowledge, it would be coming from the strongest nation in the history of humanity itself. All ranks were required to take and pass these classes in order to continue their service. This also served as a requirement for new recruits to serve. From the militant attitude they adopted out of grief for their fallen, the Horde's sense of unity had become stronger than ever. An official name change was made, dropping 'Echobi' from the name. Now, they were just the Horde. They were all in this together, after all. No one race needed to be glorified over the others.

More recently, while continuing to improve upon themselves more and more, the Horde has also finally taken measures to open a Trade Gate that lie within their space. Using codes that had been so guarded for ages, a patrol of ten ships entered the wormhole in the hopes of finding suitable territory for claim or any other potential discoveries. It was revealed that on the other side of the Trade Gate was the space of the Cerbas Ascendancy, whom they had fought alongside of in Battlegroup Valkyrie.

They've also had recent diplomatic events. The first was a request from Queen Solidories for a meeting on Saiyu's capital planet, Yunalesca. Here, the Chief Voice began negotiations for trade and a potential alliance between the Saiyu Empire, the Horde, and the newly met Syar Vaalta Dominion. Another was recieving a diplomatic vessel from the Samurai Imperium. However, negotiations were halted almost immediately after finding out the United People's Republic, formerly known as the Suunatari Technocracy, had given the Imperium the Horde's location in order to open relations.

Due to this revelation, the major debate that had plagued the Horde for years in regards to the Vanir, their allies, and how to treat them was solved almost immediately. Along with the Vanir still entirely unworthy of friendship, two of their allies had comfortably exchanged the location of the Horde, which is incredibly sensitive information to give a nation who didn't know that beforehand. This rendered three of the four U.F.N. nations untrustworthy. At this rate, the Horde didn't even want to meet Zairon. With a vast majority vote from the Council of Tribes, an embargo was placed on the entire Union of Free Nations. All previous trade with the U.P.R. was cut off and any talks to potentially set up embassies was stopped. An alliance with clearly no sense of being trustworthy had no place standing alongside the Horde.

**Major Historical Events**:

844 mya:

* Official founding of the Echobi Horde.

* First contact with the Oro Convent.
* Trade agreement that in exchange for superior designs, the Echobi would receive genetic modification to evolve as a race.

823 mya:

* First contact with the sentient Despiri. Uplift them into a sapient race.
* Absorption of Despiri as equal Hordese citizens.
* Development of a new, better, effective military by design of the Despiri.

678 mya:

* Second Slaughter. Sudden phenomenon of severe crime and violence takes the nation by surprise, nearly tearing the nation apart.
* Development of a new, better, effective policing and criminal justice system by design of the Despiri.

575 mya:

* Oro Convent extends offer for the Echobi and Despiri to become vassal races in exchange for access to superior designs on demand.
* Large culture boom, especially in the Despiri while foreign threats were not a worry.

Year 4667:

* Convent Civil War begins. Echobi Horde sides with the Herald and more ethical adaptations to their traditions. The Horde voluntarily sends in forces to help fight.

Year 4669:

* Convent Civil War is win by the Herald, who becomes the next Grand Cleric. A national holiday is declared on the date of victory to celebrate the freed cattle races.
* Echobi Horde loses vassal race status and a wave of patriotism spreads throughout the nation as they take on challenges for themselves for once.
* They assimilate the Salkiret, a former cattle race, into their nation for their protection, gifting upon them a new homeworld suited to their physiology.

19.5 years ago:

* First diplomatic contact outside of the Oro Convent is the Saiyu Empire.
* Shortly after meeting the Saiyu Empire, the Horde makes a similar diplomatic visit to the Solarian Empire to establish official contact and trade.
* Accept invitation to a diplomatic summit in Sol. Sign two treaties: one regarding international law and the other regarding the citizenship of Artificial Intelligence.
* The Solarian Empire visits, giving Pertinaxiv a superintendent, Tier 2 AI named CHIRON while also holding mass AI adoptions so they could be integrated into Hordese society.
* Meet the then Suunatari Technocracy, now United People's Republic, and establish official trade and plans to set up embassies.

18.5 years ago:

* After baffling rings appear in Hordese space, the scholar planet Leornihussi, located in the Nisalorkom system, is completely shattered by a power weapon, leaving no survivors.
* Soon after, in the Mannegung system, Ceapunggemot is targeted for a similar attack. A last-ditch ramming effort is made to blow up the offending superweapon ship, successfully sparing the planet.
* Battlegroup Valkyrie is formed alongside many other nations who suffered at the hands of VENGEANCE. The Horde joins that final battle, which results in VENGEANCE being killed.
* With the shock of being so under-prepared to defend Leornihussi from instant destruction, the Horde set up a limited trade agreement with the Solarian Empire. In exchange for military training, they received Yeeters for restricted usage only.
* In a widespread fever, the Horde entered a period of military focus, working hard to improve every aspect they could to be able to defend their people from tragedy.
* An official nation name change occurs, dropping 'Echobi' from the title. Now they are just the Horde.
* Cold fusion and hyperspace highways are acquired as technology.

14.5 years ago:

* The Horde finally used their codes to open a Trade Gate that resides deep within their space in the hopes of finding suitable territory to claim or other discoveries. It was revealed to open directly into the space of the Cerbas Ascendancy, whom had fought alongside them in Battlegroup Valkyrie.
* At the request of Queen Solidories, the Chief Voice attends a diplomatic meeting on Yunalesca to begin talks of establishing trade and an alliance between the Horde, the Saiyu Empire, and the newly met Syar Vaalta Dominion.
* The Samurai Imperium sends a diplomatic vessel. Upon finding out they found the Horde by getting coordinates from their allies, the United People's Republic, they abruptly send the Samurai diplomat away.
* After years of general debate in regards to the Vanir, their allies, and how to treat them, the U.P.R. handing over the Horde's location to the Samurai Imperium solidified a vast majority of votes from the Council of Tribes to embargo and cut ties with the entire Union of Free Nations.