Symposium

## Symposium Heliopolis

The great assembly of all worlds under the sun, the Symposium Heliopolis, unites all entities of civilization founded by the Panhumanity. It is not a governing body as much as a stage upon which the Great Games of power and influence between nations unfold. These games are played usually in words and commerce, but sometimes in war.

Then and at all times it is the highest purpose and duty of the Symposium to retain the Pax Solar, maintain the balance of authority amongst the powers that be. Enforcing the Laws of War and warding over the Dangerous Arts of technology, the Symposium ensures the continued progress and prosperity of civilization as a whole.

## Symposium Heliopolis

Among the worlds of the Heliopolis, the Symposium alone holds true power over the mundane. Within it foregather many leaders of the Solar System to bargain and exchange knowledge of their people. It is where the greatest efforts of humanity are decided, where wars are waged in minds of great intelligence, as to be averted from the mundane universe.

Beyond matters of the myriad humanities, the Symposium has vouched to continue the existence and stability of the Heliopolis, stifling the sparks of conflict and corruption before they may take hold of entire planetary systems. It is its unending duty to uphold the Pax Solar.

Determined to protect the realms of humanity from grave mistakes and devastation, the Symposium also guards advances of the Technolodendron, preventing the progression of dangerous technologies such as autonomous nanites, Escherspace, and artificial genesis.

## Structure

The myriad humanities are countless in their number and no assembly of their multitude could ever yield any decision. To be heard in the choir of all worlds, the leaders seek strength in numbers, selecting among them a single voice, to be sent to the Cradle Earth and speak on their behalf.

Alliances and pacts, sworn councils and cabals form alongside these voices, forged by thousands and thousands of peoples, each on its own path to continued existence, victory or salvation. The Symposium awaits them all and exercises patience in its duty.

Seldmoly does the giant wake and directs its attention to its own accords. But some catastrophes and some ambitions move the whole of humanity, setting in motion the grand machinery of the Symposium and branches founded for the very purpose of intervening in matters of the Solar System.

It is said that all voices are heard by the Symposium and no deed goes unnoticed before its undying eyes. Entities and intelligence, a Pantheon of artificial creation, watch over the neverending streams of information absorbed by the highest mundane authority.

The oldest and wisest of the Symposium long reside within the Otherworld, half-way forgotten by their subjects themselves. From the cradle, they subtly direct the events of history.

### Cornucopia

Rooted on the cradle Earth, the Symposiums power reaches far into the Solar System. It sustains itself through the Cornucopia, a network of vassals and puppets bound to the Symposium through debt and centuries-old rule.

Power and influence of the Cornucopia perpetuate themselves as it progresses through the void and time. With each obolus of a rival, every other member is inclined to contribute as well, as to not fall out of favor with the sustaining forces of the Symposium.

### Pax Solar

*Every civilization is destined to fall, but none can risk the chaos implied by the violent death of an empire that once ruled celestial worlds. War on the grandest scale may not be waged under the light of the sun. This is the Pax Solar.*

The Symposium encompasses all authority deemed necessary, for peace among the worlds of Sol to persist. Inherited from the century of demise is the Symposium's right to intervene in any legislative authority within its grasp, shifting the path of humanity as a whole. Those who oppose the Symposium's guiding light, are excommunicated from the Pax Solar.

Without the protection of the sworn rule of the Symposium, no faction may be guaranteed a continued existence and faces the inevitable fall of all civilizations. This abstract fear is heavily inforced by the Symposium through sanction and isolation against those who oppose. Is such action not enough, the Fleets of the Ring of Fire, the Cradle and all those heeding the Symposiums call enforce the Pax Solar. It is said that their judgment does not only defeat a nation but eradicates its very existence from the memory of humanity.

### The Great Game

Among themselves, the many nations of the Heliopolis are engaged in the never-ending machinations of rivalry and power, ancient feuds and alliances alike. All take turns in the Great Game of power, weighing their assets against each other, pursuing the goal of attaining as much influence as possible without ever tipping the cosmic scales of the Pax Solar.

## Ambition

The Symposium is led by an old oath to protect Earth and all Humanity. Only the Will of its Pantheon, the oldest living souls of Earth, may influence the path of human history. As such, the way of the Symposium and its Ambition is unbeknownst to most.

Nominally, there exists no nation outside the Symposium, for only rogues and tyrants would refuse any kinship with their neighbors and the greater Heliopolis. Any one nation seeking to rise above all from without, or abuse the extensive powers of the Symposium from within, is faced with the rest of them all united, seeking to preserve their standing.

The Symposium exists for the Pax Solar, to guard the Technolodendron and to continue its own existence.

## Origins

The origins of the Symposium lie five hundred years in the past, in the Century of Demise, when the Cradle Earth was besieged by disasters brought about by humanity's own making. It was then in the face of regression to the dark ages, that all nations set apart a small portion of authority and bestowed it upon one assembly of the best and brightest among their midst to facilitate salvation through control and technology. Ever since this time, it has been the Symposium's foremost task to protect civilization from its demise and further the interest of all lineages therein.

* History

## Lineage of the Terrestrial Swarm

Around the cradle, humanity has grown into a sparkling, terrestrial swarm, flourishing on two hundred thousand artificial worlds. Their ascendence was guided by the Symposium, led by its technological fostering of civilizations. But the first steps into the void were not taken by the Symposium alone. While the Cornucopia grew into a network of closely interconnected isles and arching rings around the cradle Earth, other branches of humanity stretched and blossomed.

Even centuries later, in the time of the Myriad Humanities, the Symposium still possesses the largest holdings of all above the earth. Given into the hands of loyal subjects, the webwork of the Symposium does not resemble unity anymore. Yet, all resources and knowledge are directed at the singular goal of the highest mundane authority and none question the powers that be.

The Symposium grants access to the sky and void to those, who are not destined to wander the celestial way by themselves, who lack the will, the power or the time to do so alone. On the isles of the Symposium, they find empty worlds of age-old design, simplistic in nature, yet malleable and spacious, as they were perfected for their cause.