Cerinia

## Summary

Cerinians are an anthropomorphic vulpinoid (fox-like) plantigrade (human-like feet) people, all of whom possess psychic powers to some degree or other, living in a democratic clan/tribal starfaring high-tech society with a strong reverence for natural beauty and a spiritualist bent towards animism - the idea that each and every thing has a spirit or soul embodying the perfect ideal of that object / plant / animal in general.

## Overview

Cerinia is a temperate world in the second orbit of their A-class white star. Current xenoanthropological breakdowns hint at a similar origin between Lylatian vulpinoids and Cerinians, with a 72% likelihood of a most recent common ancestor some 38,000 - 43,000 years before present.

Cerinians are characterized physiologically as possessing a tapetum lucidum (the reflective membrane behind the retina allowing for light to pass back through the rods and cones of the retina, assisting in low-light vision), a hearing range reaching approximately 20% in both infra- and ultrasound ranges and approximately 12% more sensitive than baseline human norm, round pupils (as opposed to the vulpine norm of vertically slit), small claws on hands and feet, and, perhaps most importantly, the presence of psionic talents ranging from minor (base communicative telepathy, empathy, and a general heightened situational awareness) to the extreme (measurable significant telekinesis and other kinesis abilities, active mind control / domination, long-range detailed mind-to-mind communication, emotional manipulation, and telepathic illusions). These talents are quantifiable and observable among the populace and are considered normal.

## Physical Description and Characteristics

### Adult Weight Averages

As per human range norm +10% (accounts for fur and tail)

Fur coloration ranges from dark sapphire blue to medium blue to sky blue to powder blue to pale blue to white
Hair coloration ranges as above plus dark emerald green to dark blue-green (marine) to forest green to aqua to sea green to pale green to white

## Timekeeping and Calary Information

Timekeeping and Calary Information

Calendar - 425 day "year"

**Calendar**
 Ascending Water
 Ascending Earth
 Ascending Wood
 Ascending Fire

Each calendar month is comprised of four weeks, each with seven days

At the end of the year is a five day intercalary span known as Calibration, used like a leap year to bring the calendar into synch with the natural progression of the world.

Each Age is one thousand years (250 orbits), measured from the beginnings of recorded history by the Trevain Clan, scribes to the first great Clan, Vaelni.  An extant oral history, considered unreliable, extends this history more than 2,000 additional years into the past, but has major gaps, likely inaccuracies, historical impossibilities, and archaeologically unfounded occurrences.  Said oral history HAS been put to text, but is considered mythology and folklore as opposed to confirmed history.

## Economy and Manufacturing

A trading currency system standardized through the Deliberative, minted to standards set at the Deliberative level but under the responsibilities of various clans, and given trade equivalencies fixed across all Clans to a single standard (for the last three Ages this has been one credit equalling a 45 gram weight of jade (jadeite) of the deep green (Imperial Jade) variety (3.25 specific gravity)).

* Taln - 10 Bars OR 100 Mina OR 200 Shae OR 1000 Obol, 45 kilograms
* Bar  - 10 Mina OR 20 Shae OR 100 Obol,  4500 grams
* Mina - 2 Shae OR 10 Obol, 450 grams
* Shae - 5 Obol value, 225 grams
* Obol - 1 rectangular coin, dimensions of 25 mm x 74 mm x 7.5 mm, massing 45 grams

The value of a Obol is standardized as equivalent of 1 kilogram of Darsu Rice OR 1/2 kilogram of Grade "A" Kayin Meat, though in practice the actual purchasing power varies marginally from Clan to Clan within a reasonable range (+/- 2%) and is monitored and enforced by the Deliberative.

The individual Clans run all essential services within their territories such as utilities (water, power, etc.) and public services, such as hospitals.  All of a citizen's basic needs are cared for by the Clan. Basic amenities are provided by the Clan with no obligation to the citizen. Citizens may acquire more extensive access to goods and services by entering into an obligation with the supplier (e.g., offering cash payment, pledging future work, etc.)

Individuals migrating between Clans usually face a short span (1 - 2 weeks local) during which records are transferred, information formally filed and acknowledged, and accounts set up by both computer and clerical staff, after which the individual will receive their stipend from their new Clan.  Individuals whom travel frequently or maintain dual or multiple Clan affiliation (the latter an EXTREMELY rare circumstance) may have multiple accounts across the territories of their respective Clans

All manner of goods and chemicals are locally manufactured via an extensive series of common Clan-owned collective-operated manufactories. Specialized production facilities are readily on hand, and there are few problems with quickly creating all manner of fancy hardware.  Most goods are manufactured by localized crafts people or groups of such, though all to specific manufacturing standards set by the Clans (and in a more overarching reach by the Deliberative to standardize specific measures, etc)

Private citizens may own goods and capital outright. Expensive items are often owned by the Clan, and citizens may lease the right to use them (cash payment or pledged future work or services commitments).  Lease with purchase option or timed instalment payments to shift ownership from the Clan to the individual do exist for expensive items (payment plans, lease with option to buy, etc.)

## Government

The Deliberative - a bicameral legislative body, with the Greater Deliberative having three representatives from each Clan rotating in on a triennial basis, and the Lesser Deliberative, with representatives chosen in number based upon the population numbers of each Clan, with 1 representative per million, a number that has changed across time as the Cerinian people's population has waxed and waned.  Simple majority passes a law in the Lesser, which then gets booted up to the Greater to be reviewed and approved or sent back for further revisions.  Traditionally, the Greater is comprised of three closely related representatives of the ruling family of the Clan, and often is the Chief, their Shaman, and their Philosopher.  In both houses there is a Venn contingent, expected traditionally to hold silent and abstain from voting unless on matters of dire circumstance and threats to all Cerinia.  The Deliberative's Twin Speakers, whom must be absolutely neutral, are also Venn, a tradition begun two Ages ago in the wake of three seasons of turmoil, intrigue, and assassination.  Due to their sworn neutrality, the Venn were seen as uncorrupted, made more so by the Venn Charter, the document that allows the Venn to exist, specifies that all Clans would turn against the Venn should they breach neutrality or display political ambition.

Military of various Clans.  A levy of 20% of these troops in all branches (Army, Navy, Logistics) comprises the Cerinian Guard, the combined arms spacefaring branch, holding allegiance to the planet on the whole end under oath for such for the duration of their five year enlistment.

The Thousand Tufts - the generic and general term for the bureaucracy of each Clan and by extension the planetary pseudo-government, the Deliberative.  The term refers to how the bureaucracy seems soft, yet like a forest, one can easily get lost in it.

The Glinting Eye - the Cerinian Clans' civilian intelligence arm.  Often in direct competition with the Venn.  Both share information via informal channels and occasionally openly cooperate on matters of planetary importance.  Most often, open (known) Eye members put forth a friendly rivalry with the Venn, while the Venn try to play nice.

### Local Government

At the Clan level, reflecting the tribal origins of the society, the tribal chief, a shaman (usually a highly psionic individual), and a Philosopher, usually a specialist in sociology and legal matters, form the core triumvirate of leadership, in most cases having a documented and legally-binding set of interlocking responsibilities, authorities, checks and balances.  Clans are represented in a global democratic consensus government known as the Deliberative, itself split into a Greater and a Lesser Deliberative, the former having a fixed number of representatives, the latter a number proportionate to the population of the given Clan.  This is held in check via both its' neutral Speakers (traditionally form a pseudo-Clan of warrior-psychics sworn to neutrality) and the Philosopher's Guild, operating as the legal arm of the Deliberative.

The government is empowered to make considerable restrictions on the citizens if this proves necessary (e.g., for public safety), but this will not interfere with the lives of law abiding citizens. The government will provide help and guidance to the citizenry, but this is entirely at the citizen's option.

The average citizen believes that the welfare of the Clan is an important part of securing the welfare of each individual. The minor freedoms of the individual must often bow before the needs of the Clan, although individual rights and freedoms are well cared for. Laws, rules and regulations are seen as the tools by which society orders itself, and are valued and respected.  Differences in laws between neighboring Clans have in the past and continue to be sources of inter-Clan friction and occasional clashes both between citizenry and Clan enforcement / protection agencies (and by extension Clan militaries not affiliated with the Deliberative and global government)

Security monitoring is seen as a necessary evil. The populace accepts a minimal security presence in public areas. There is no monitoring of private communications, dwellings or literature.

The voting population elects a legislative body via democratic vote (separate votes for Chief, Shaman, and Philosopher).  The candidates for these votes are most often drawn from a limited population often directly related in some manner or form to the current or former position's holders (Chiefs from a line of Chiefs, Shaman from a line of Shaman, etc). On rare occasions an upstart might break into this and elevate themselves, their family, and sometimes their extended families into these circles, though the occurrence is rare.  The elective government handles all legislation and policy decisions without direct input from the population until its tenure is ended. Government personnel might be forced out of office if their decisions are extremely unpopular.

The vote is granted to citizens who can demonstrate a reasonable grasp of current events and political knowledge. Citizens sit for an exam which would earn them their right to vote in the current election, and must re-test prior to each election cycle.  There is unspoken, widespread skewing of test results favoring famillies whom are traditionally of the lines of Chiefs, Shaman, and Philosophers, but not so extensively as to be all-pervasive.

The citizenry is very interested in political events and decisions, and political and social debates are closely followed. Citizens tend to have an interest in community involvement, and will actively contribute time and effort to their society. Citizens are educated to act responsibly, and to be aware of the long-term consequences of their actions. Characters coming from Cerinian society have a moderately positive opinion of their Clan's government and by extension often that of the Deliberative and society on the whole.

The population has free and complete access to information through the media and the net. Private and public media give the citizen a variety of different viewpoints and interpretations of events. Deeper research into current affairs is easily done by using the net to access more specific information. Education is supported by public funds.

The local net is an active debating environment, where all citizens are free to contribute their thoughts and feelings, and their opinions on current affairs.

## Social Structure

Cerinians are a tribal nation-state society, with several hundred tribes comprising the majority of the planetary population on their homeworld.  In providing names, clan name comes first when formally mentioned, with informal naming being on an individual basis.  Clan status and loyalty are notable and marked, with the well-being of the clan often but not always being put above that of the individual.  Child-rearing is communal in an extended family / clan, with the base nuclear family still maintaining significant influence but with an offloading of child-rearing duties first preferentially amongst the extended family, then to the larger local clan, and lastly to the nation-state extended clan.

While clothing is commonly worn on the street, there are times or places where public nudity is not an issue, or may even be appropriate when connected with a particular situation or event. As local custom imparts a custom to nudity, inappropriate nudity might cause confusion or embarrassment, but not necessarily a direct connection with sex.

Normal extended family organization is expanded by affiliating related or allied families into complex Clans. A Clan acts as a support mechanism for its members, exerting influence and offering moral and financial support to the clansfolk. Parents might or might not make a mutual commitment to raising their children together.

In any case, the extended clan/family would provide support and care for a child, often including education or other institutional services. Clan politics adds an extra dimension to any world on which a clan set-up exists. Clan reputation, influence and economics will be an important part of day-to-day life.

Cerinians will commonly have a strong positive tie to their own clan.

The local culture maintains absolute sexual equality. Men and women maintain active roles in all levels of society, although women are often naturally inclined to avoid combat-oriented jobs.

The needs of women are well cared for, but segregated facilities are not normal. Pregnant women are given every opportunity to continue with their careers (as limited by their own needs and restrictions).

Although the locals speak Lylatian standard, they have a pronounced accent which makes their speech patterns unique. This will combine itself with unusual colloquialisms to make the local speech very different from mainline standard.

## History

5,000 years ago, the Cerinians fought against a major starfaring menace, a race comprised of hylotech bionanoborgs operating in a guided hive mind and able to upload consciousnesses, a feat invariably fatal to the Cerinian consciousness (at the time the links between psi, quantum reality, and the Cerinian mind structure were unknown or poorly understood).  This starspanning war, which lasted more than a decade and a half, was known as the Parasite War.  This was the last time the Cerinians fielded a major interstellar force, as the war so devastated their people that almost everyone with the psi talents, engineering skills, and/or naval experience to create and handle a naval fleet were wiped out.  As the final offensive mobilized even talented, psi-powerful civilians and the teachers of the skills involved, the last shots of the war saw a huge swath of talent wiped from the Cerinian people, relegated to books and tomes, often cryptically worded or encoded so as to protect this knowledge from other Clans and forces.

By the dawning of the 8th Age, these talents, techniques, methods, and the engineering underlying them were relegated to mere legend, with few believing that it was even really possible, often accusing scribes of the time of exaggeration and propaganda.

The current year is 8A391.  In 8A360, the Cerinian Deliberative came to a momentous, world-disrupting conclusion.  While normally a neutral, almost isolationist polity, Cerinian was now threatened by the large-scale moves of the larger galactic powers, and found itself without the ability to respond in any meaningful way.  This was a matter that could no longer stand, and action, immediate and decisive, was needed.  Several expeditionary groups of Venn were sent out, deep cover, under the guise of travelers, merchantmen, civilians on vacation, indeed a wide swath of possibilities, with but a singular mission - to return home with as much information as they could get.  To this end, any non-injurious, deniable, "invisible" means was authorized on the grounds of protecting Cerinia.  This was made more apparent by the sudden onset of a galaxy-spanning war by the powers that be.  The result of this grand-scale intelligence operation brought home just how thoroughly outmatched Cerinia would be in a war.  When this reached the halls of the Deliberative, the Greater and Lesser Houses answered unanimously and unambiguously - to begin a program to recreate the old, now legendary forces, create a new fleet, and be able to perform operations in a manner competitive with, and where possible superior to, those carried out by the larger stellar empires around them.

The gathering of resources proceeded apace from the moment the order was given, and in three years, using all the resources that could be brought to bear, ranging from automated asteroid and planetary mining to the re-invention of so-called "Cerinian Alchemy", a blend of psi allowing for the psychic to draw materials from around them and produce refined products, be they elements or compounds, with naught but psi power.  The re-creation of krith, a semi-crystalline fibrous material to create a quilted, battened fabric that operates as a psi dampener and shield was created (which has the advantageous side effect of dampening scans of all sorts, too!) came in the second year.  Recreating the crystalline psi-screens, visualizers as well as foci for psi abilities ranging from alchemy to communication came next, as did the recreation of the Cerinian Circle as a psi/social group.  Currently under research is how to duplicate the often mentioned "metaconcert", a semi-gestalt psychic network used on ancient Cerinian ships, allowing their crews to immediately be aware of the ship's status, etc.  All during this, the Venn, already masters of much psi, taught, approved, assisted, researched, and contributed.  New ship designs and modernizations of ancient designs came next, and the production of a shipyard facility unparalleled in the annals of a single-star polity.

By the time the current era rolled around, the Cerinians felt ready to face the world, step onto the galactic stage as a definitive power, albeit one limited to a single star system and two fledgeling colonies in nearby systems, themselves once claimed in ancient times by the Cerinians themselves.

Or, so they had intended, only to find the galaxy again awash in a fight, this time one of epic proportions.  Where before the Cerinians had intended to walk out and stand on their own, they found themselves facing an X-threat, an existential threat, leaving them with but one choice - alliance.  Not allegiance, alliance.  They would make overtures, not to join, but to work alongside with, independent yet integrated, with galactic forces.  To that end, the Cerinian Navy re-organized on the fly into Psi Division, to offer just that to the Commonwealth and to all others in need.  The Venn who trained them insisted upon the last, and such became a fast rallying cry in the Fleet amongst non-Venn.  Three months into this reorganization, the Deliberative met in a session that excluded its' Venn Speaker, advisors, and guards and made another rare, unanimous decision - the Venn would be accorded full partnership and status in this new Division, something not done since the formation of the Venn, as their charter excluded them expressly from the actions and operations of the other Clans.  The sign of ultimate trust this implied moved the Venn to agree, and thus there are Venn in Psionics Division.

The term "Division" implies in its' title that it is part of a larger whole, and indeed, it is.  This being said, however, the Navy is frantically and rapidly building anew its' fleet, with the intent of exceeding the new Psionics Division fleet and thus to be able to call them a section of the Navy.