Othanis City States

## General Overview

Hailing from a region beyond the current borders of Aventis Empire space in the Zeta Quadrant, the *Othanis City States* is a small union of *planetary states* operating independently and cooperating as a small power in the Zeta Quadrant.

Originally a tribal culture based on the temperate planet of *Orthan*, the *Othanis* are similar in build to the *African Elephant* of *Earth* in the Milky Way Galaxy, with members of their species reaching an average height of over 4 meters (*14 feet*) tall and possessing immense physical strength and power.

First contact was made between the Aventis Empire and the Othanis in 2160 during the reign of Aventis emperor, *Malastafis I* who saw great potential in the primitive tribal Othanis who welcomed the Aventis to their planet with open arms.

In an effort to accelerate the cultural development of the Othanis, which was seen as inferior by the more technologically advanced Aventis, *Malastafis* begun a planetary wide program of *"Cultural Enrichment"*, exposing the Othanis to advanced technology and to the Aventis state religion of *"The Holy See of Enteris"*.

This interference greatly altered the cultural path of the Othanis, with the Othanis becoming loyal subjects of the Empire and many requesting service to the *Great Houses* of the Aventis Empire. The concept of knighthood and chivalry became ingrained in the Othanis culture, leading to them abandoning their old beliefs and fully embracing Aventis religion with a fanatical zeal not even seen on Aventis Prime.

Within one hundred years and with the trading to technology and resources, Othanis was able to establish their own network of colonies outside of Aventis controlled space, something the further angered the Rothian Corperation, with the Roth accusing the Aventis of altering the natural order of the Black Eye Galaxy.

In reality, the Othanis found themselves at a technological awakening, adapting easily to new concepts of science, religion and philosophy despite the Rothian proclamations that they were merely slaves of the Empire in the same way that the Nitavis had been.

However despite their similarity to the Nitavis, the position of their world allowed them a degree of autonomy so long as they continued to send a reasonable *tribute* to the Empire and a large friendship and mutual respect blossomed between the Aventis and Othanis.

In 2283, during the reign of Penda I, two of the Othanis city states which had been established, decided through a democratic process to abandon Aventis philosophy and return to their original tribal beliefs. This sparked chaos as Orthan, which had served as the cultural centre of these city states were horrified that some of their colonies would willingly choose to follow the ancient *"inferior"* culture of their ancestors.

Despite a short and brutal civil war, Penda elected to keep the Aventis out of the conflict, dealing with her own political sentiment on the *Aventis High Council* and a new movement which suggested that the Aventis had, in the past destroyed other cultures to establish their dominance.

Not wanting to be seen as an oppressive tyrant, Penda made sure that the Aventis did not get involved in the short *Othanis Civil War*, which resulted in two colonies being completely destroyed while Orthan claimed they had all died from illnesses and plagues due to their *"backwards, embracement of inferior sciences*". Information about the *"Ox'on Massacre"* was suppressed within the general public and covered up by Orthan as an *"Outbreak on Plague"* on their world, something that Orthan stated would have been curable if not for the *"backwards superstitions"* of the Ox'on.