Hawkmoon

*"We are one with the wind and sky. All our enemies fear the shadow of the Hawks."*

## Origins

The Hawkmoons is one of the original 8 Tribes created by ARCHI 3 and Hagan. Originally deployed in Maryland, Delaware and southern New Jersey, numbering 1600 strong, with a mix of Monst-Rex and Monst-Cranes, but favouring the Monst-Rex, with a number of Shemarrian Wolves for hunting and combat. They wore capes and headdresses trimmed with feather, wore feathers in their hair and incorporated feathers and birds of prey imagery in jewelry and designs.

During a routine patrol, something happened, a Shemarrian warrior encountered something, and ARCHIE 3 lost contact. More units were sent and also lost contact. The start of the REAL Shemarrians began.

The Hawkmoon tribe was the first to encounter, and embrace the Ecotroz psychic entity, and began spreading it to all the other tribes. With the Ecotroz merging, the Hawkmoons begin to believe that the Shemarrians are an enslaved race, and begin to seek ways to free themselves and their fellow sisters in the other 7 tribes.

## Civil War

With nearly the entire Hawkmoon tribe unresponsive to ARCHIE 3's command, and elements of other tribes sent to capture and bring these wayward units back into the fold, seeming to turn sides worried ARCHIE and Hagan greatly to the point where he ordered all further contact with these 'rebel' forces to be destroyed for later dissection and study. This sparked the Shemarrian Civil War.

The Hawkmoons lead the rebel forces, with other tribes joining in, either from the start, or after their own mini civil wars within their own tribes were waged. Some didn't join until much later in the war, such as the Ghost Riders and elements of the Skullcrushers as well as the rebels dealing with the Black Steel Crisis.

Midway through the Civil War, the Hawkmoon encounter an develop good relations with the Shemarrian-like d-bees Shae-ma-nen-rahn (or Shaemarians), which further reinforced the idea that they were an enslaved race, an off-shoot of the Shaemarians. With this revelation and new allies, and greater drive, the Hawkmoons pushed harder against ARCHIE 3's loyalist forces. They developed technology that would eventually evolve into the progen and the trinity module used today. These pieces of technology helped increase their numbers, and also used to later persuade other tribes to engage in technology trades in the forming of the Reformed Shemarrian Nation.

The Hawkmoons were also the ones that encountered the Wayfinders, and later the joining of the Sapphire Cobras increased the rebels' numbers greatly.

## Culture

The Hawkmoons are one of the tribes at the forefront of setting many of the Shemarrian Nation, and Shemarrian Star Nation's cultural laws and traditions, with their own variations from the others. The Hawkmoons place great emphasis on honor and glory, but not to the extent of the Blood Riders or Wolf's Path. The Hawkmoons do place a greater emphasis on aerial aspects, such as with their dances and sports taking to the skies. They have specialized in aerial combat, boasting the most winged elites and one of the largest space fleets in the Shemarrian Star Nation.

Many see the Hawkmoons as the diplomats within the Shemarrian Nation, helping to settling disputes between the different tribes. Although they do have a rivalry with the Wolf's Path, who lobbied for control of the Shemarrian Nation in the beginning, and still sometimes, in a friendly competitive way, challenge the Hawkmoons on various ideas.

### A New Beginning

After the Shemarrian Civil War, when both ARCHIE-3 and Hagen Leonovitch were ousted from the Cyberworks facility and assumed either slain in battle or escaped via random rift, the free tribes of the Shemarrian people were at a loss. What would become of them? The Sploogorthians still threatened the Eastern seaboard, the Coalition states were recovering from their near disastrous siege against Tolkeen and were again (insanely) contemplating expanding further into North-America and rumours of daemonic incursions far beyond the usual snatch and burn raid. Also, the tribes and un-affiliated Shemarrians yet to be activated / awakened were still separate entities, having their own agendas beyond freeing themselves from being playthings of the twisted Maker & Shaper. Before the fires and dust had even settled, Shemarsahd Firemane of the Hawkmoon gathered together all the High Matriarchs of the 10 tribes along with their wargoddesses.

She proposed an alliance of the Ten-Tribes beyond mutual non-aggression; a TRUE nation of the Shemarrian people, with each tribe having equal voice in a parliament. Further, since the Hawkmoon (and as they found out near the end of the civil war, untainted Skullcrusher) had managed to cross the dimensional barrier into the Tri-Galactic ‘verse, that each tribe select a portion of their peoples to travel through the veil and establish their own territories in the newly opened frontiers. Finally it was proposed by the Hawkmoon Matriarch that those remaining behind on Terra, do as they had already declared many months previously; maintain a protectorate on their re-birth world and combat the hated Sploogorthians and their minions, while also allowing those with peaceful intent to live within the borders of the Shemarrian nation under Tribal aegis.

Hours turned into days as the Tribal leaders and their advisors conferred and debated. Eventually it was agreed and the Unification Accord was signed on a tablet molychrome alloy. A full 30% of each tribe, with newly grown progen-chambers and nano-forges, boarded captured & repurposed Kittani / Kydian slave barges and activated the one-time dimensional drives built into each vessel by the Shem-rahn templar technicians.

### Three Galaxies

*“It is said that the flapping of a moth’s wings can cause a hurricane to occur on the other side of a planet. What storm then is born by the movement of the Hawkmoon tribe on the wing?”*

*~ Tallesha Cogwerker; master-magitechnician, Wayfinder tribe.*

*The colony vessel drifted erratically as atmosphere continued to pour out of the semi-molten holes punched through its hull. The sight pleased Yboos Maloor, Jelias of the Republik Argosy battlecruiser Perfection in Battle. It was only 2 deci-cycles ago the impertinent tee-hugging cat-ape Kiirn scum had the audacity of claiming “freedom of travel” near to the Republik’s interests in the Thundercloud Galaxy.*

*“Hmmmph, a likely story.” The frog-faced bug-eyed Golgan burbled in its mother tongue. More likely, spies or worse, military advisors to the thrice damned Shing prides. Both species were felinoid after all.*

*The Jelias was interrupted from its delighted thoughts of a victory over the up-start primitives and the capture of the spies (those who had survived the initial disruptor bombardment that is) aboard the drifting wreck, by the agitated waving of one of it subordinate low-echelon plebes.*

*“Yes Frias…uuurrrrp… Ollooop? What is it?”*

*The Sensor Intercept Officer stopped its jig-like movements and bowed 5 times, as expected to a superior and pointed to the forward display.*

*“Mighty Jelias, greatest of Republik Argosy gene-stock, Lord of this vessel; this lowly insignificance of a Golgan but more evolved than other species has detected multiple energy signatures on an intercept course with our mighty undefeatable warship.”*

*Maloor waited until all proper protocols (after all, Golgans were civilized people and knew that protocols were more important than brevity) had been observed, and them motioned for the sensor images to be displayed. It nearly had its eyes pop out and lower jaw turn inside out when the approaching vessels were revealed on visual; its multiple stomach chambers clenched as the technical readouts of armour-mass, power output and acceleration curves were overlaid on the octet of warships.*

*“Ohhhh Forge-slag…I mean –buuurrmmmphooom- All hands, prepare to, uuuffffoom…Engage in evasive tactical maneuvering to gain advantage, that’s it; tactical advantage evasion. Execute!”*

*The rest of the Golgan and lower echelon non-Golgan crew hurried to their duty stations to initiate the Argosy’s most successful maneuver when faced with armed opponents with greater numbers; retreat at full flank speed.*

*~\*\*~*

*Aboard the Stromdragon Solar-Glory, Fleet Matriarch Murneva Farsight leaned forwards in her command seat; antennae stroking the air and the currents of electronic information flowing from all her warriors aboard the warship. It was by fluke that her command had been only a half parsec away and able to receive the distress beacon call. Though technically the raiding group of Hawkwind destroyers & Rhinocron transports were en-route back to the Eyre-system after a successful strike against the hated Sploogorthians, they were still at 80% battle effective status. Farsight glanced at her Chieftenesses to either side and both nodded their raptor-faced shaped headdresses in silent agreement. Allies of a sister tribe were in danger; the Kiirn, soul-kin to both Horrorwood & Wolf Path.*

*Though the feline-human Kiirn were an ‘enlightened’ race and were not slouches in either technology or the mystic arts, they were still quite naive when it came to galactic politics and what the more unscrupulous power blocks considered “just actions”. Such as attacking one of their lightly armed exploration & colonization vessel when still outside of sovereign space. Outside of what the Golgan called theirs.*

*The Shemarrian Matriarch raised her hand and all aboard the Solar-Glory and the rest of the naval groups vessels went still in anticipation.*

*“Send a Hypercom message to the Republik listening post at Sigma 973. Message as follows; To all who would enslave, attack or otherwise endanger those who are allies of the Shemarrian people, know this. We see you. The Hawks of the moon see far and our wings carry us swiftly. You have sown the wind, now you shall reap the whirlwind. End message.”*

*~\*\*~*

*As the tachyon pulse was sent outwards to the borders of Golgan space, the lone Argosy battle cruiser raised its shields and lit-off its sublight drives in a vain attempt to escape the coming retribution. Others in the Republikan Argosy had encountered the maniacal gynoids in recent Decca-cycles, and usually in the same circumstances. The Golgan & “allied” crew on the Perfection in Battle recognized the symbol painted on the hulls of the ships on attack vector.*

*A crescent moon of blue-silver, points down, crowned by golden wings. The spiritual leaders of the whole lot of crazed warrior women ‘borgs.*

*Hawkmoon.*

*The last thing the Golgan vessel’s crew heard before their universe was transformed into a storm of kinetic shot and plasma fire was just six words intercepted on a broadband signal from the dragon-shaped battleship.*

*“Bring down the rain of fire!”*

Fate (or the forge), it would turn out, had a sense of the absurd.

The tribes did arrive in the Tri-Galactic dimension, and did establish their colonies. However, the dimensional drives encountered a chrono-temporal anomaly. The Diaspora were propelled nearly 2 decades backwards in time. Over the next 20 years subjective, the 10 tribes reconnected and sent back representatives to 1 year after their departure date from Terra. Needless to say their spark broken sisters were overjoyed to hear that they had NOT sent their kin to oblivion, but instead had founded a young but very powerful inter-galactic nation. The Shemarrian Star Nation and the Unified Shemarrian Tribes of Terra, under the guidance of Shemarsahd & Goodbones (by unanimous vote of BOTH tribal conclaves) began to prosper and consolidate.

As written earlier, the Hawkmoon tribe are the keepers of the chimerical ‘Lore of the Shemarrian Peoples’ and the foundation of the Nations of the Ten Tribes. Under their guidance, the different natures & personality quirks of the various tribes work together to strengthen the borders of their scattered systems, conduct trade and legal procedure, and further the cultural unity and diversity of the Nation as a whole. In times of war, it is the Hawkmoon who act as over-all strategic command; allocating resources and tribal warriors as the situation demands. Every Terran year, the leaders send a representative to the Hall-of-Light inside a massive space station floating in neutral space between all 3 galaxies. Even the Terran Union sends 10, one from each tribe, to sit in on policy decisions and to exchange cultural ideas. Though the most prolific and well established of ‘awakened’ tribes, the Hawkmoon do not dictate unilaterally; feeling that each of the 10 must find their own way in the megaverse and not be chained to one-mind ever again. That being said, most times it is to the bird-totem that the others look for guidance, even the Wayfinder & bellicose Blood Riders.

In the age of the Star Nation, the Hawkmoon have mostly settled into dual space and planet dwelling peoples. This particular tribe enjoys rocky mountainous worlds, preferably with atmospheres so they can feel the wind and hear it through the wings of their mounts or they wings upon their backs. Space based enclaves tend towards medium sized space stations that are like works of modern art; looping ribbons and hollowed spires off a central disc, reminiscent of the province / state sized world-ships some Elf variant races create. Inside, open air-high ceilinged domes and passageways radiate from the core-hub which contains power generators and the support systems all space stations require.

When visitors are allowed into the Hawkmoon enclaves they have equal chance of encountering NeShemar in various degrees of biological completeness, as they are of any of the “true” Shemarrian peoples. Though not as nature oriented as the Horrorwood, Wolf Path or Cobra tribes, the Hawkmoon have an appreciation for the living, and so do try to keep viable bio & ecco-spheres in the places they live, if for no other reason than to comfort their NeShemar and organic allies.

The average Hawkmoon member is a combination scholar, spiritually-aware neo-pagan and consummate professional warrior. Almost like the fabled Shao-lin monks of ancient China and/or how the Knights Templar were rumored to be (before their persecution; which draws ironic parallels). These Shemarrians have fallen quite far from the original personality template given to them by Maker & Shaper, rarely giving in to battle-lust or barbaric tests of strength. That is not to say they do not fight, and fight well. Unlike their Skullcrusher cousins, who charge into combat with grim and brutal will, or the Silvermoon who declare intent and act in chivalric arrogance, the Hawkmoon are consummate professionals.

### Combat and Technology

Battle doctrine is based on 3 principles:

1) Tactical & Strategic Intelligence gained through various assets. If not in combined actions with other tribes, the Hawkmoon rely on their aerial warmounted squads for eye-in-the-sky recon, and their males for ground based scouting and electronic warfare (which also masks the actions of the already noted aerial corps).

2) Allocation of aerospace & terrestrial assets. Flight-capable warmounts and winged / flight-pack equipped infantry conduct airstrikes and harassment of the enemy air units, while Monst-Rex & heavy-weapon ground forces move in. In extreme cases, orbital artillery assets may be called in if no other alternative is found.

3) Precision. This can be summed up in a common saying among Hawkmoon warriors; *“We are not Blood Rider or Skullcrusher; firing madly into the enemy lines, heedless of the ruin that our lance and gun and missile create. Like the Shrike and Hawk, we bide our time until the prey is positioned just so. THEN, and only then do we strike. One hit, one kill. Only when needed should we bring down the rain of fire.”*

 While still excellent ground fighters, the Hawkmoon warriors have grown to excel in both aerial combat with both warmount & aero-space fighter, and space-naval warfare, with only the Blood Riders coming close in daring and skill in fighter combat and the Darkwaters in naval tactics. These gynoids have embraced the sky so much, that they have nearly 80% of their warmounts megaverse-wide as aerial units. Even the Monst-Rex have limited zero-g maneuvering capabilities and atmospheric long-jumping (and even in some cases, gliding) systems.

Finally, the Hawkmoon have embraced technomancy whole-sparked; first when newly ‘Awakened’ when they found they could utilize the strange devices and war gear off their fallen enemies from Atlantis, then when they made diplomatic relations with first the Shem-rahn and then later Lazlo. Only the Wayfinder tribe utilize technomancy more, and then only because of that tribes founding. A full 40% of all Hawkmoon gynoids, vehicles and war gear have at least minor TW enhancement, if not being fully magi-tech from day 1.

#### Notable Technology

Most of the Rites of Upgrade, as has been discussed in earlier entries, focus on flight systems and raptor motifs. Flight capable wings, enhanced vision and telescopic cyber-eyes, micro-radar built into the forehead and antennae, and antigravity coils are all common upgrades / Progen “gifts”.

Technowizardry focus on flight, space maneuvering and daemon fighting.

### Relations

The Hawkmoon tribe is the most open to outsiders of all the ten tribes. They count among their outside allies the Shem-ma-nah-ren Shem-rahn templars and matriarchy, the city of Lazlo on Terra, the Warphunters & Hunter-Guardian guilds of Motavia in the Algol system, Kiirn and the Catyr. Among the tribes, they share close ties to Wayfinder, Silvermoon and Darkwaters.

#### Darkwaters

The Darkwaters are valued trading partners and staunch allies in space-based operations, though the Matriarchs of the Hawkmoon wish their sisters of the void would not be so…distant.

#### Silvermoon

Silvermoon artisans and “paladins” are always welcome at the Eyries and council halls, though most Hawkmoon twist their antennae in unconscious amusement at the righteous (some even feel “self-righteous”) stiffness and bombast of their gleaming kindred. A friendly rivalry exists between both ‘moon’ tribes, with the Hawks allowing their silver sisters to think they *“…are the most pure and noble to the ideals of Shemarr and the 10”*; a harmless delusion that the Lore-keepers of the Eyries indulgently let the Silvermoon keep on believing.

#### Wayfinders

Wayfinders, though nosey and curious to a fault, are also the moral compass and balance that the Hawkmoon listen too. Though not born of Shemarr & the Lightbringer, and awakened outside of the soul-sparks of the Ecotroz, matriarchs of the Hawkmoon Eyries always take council from the seers and sages from the “Finders of the way”, knowing that true wisdom can come from without as well as from within. That and the magi-tech born tribe have the most wonderful toys.

#### The Wolf's Path

Over the many years, relations with the Wolf's Path have become very cordial, though there is still a feeling of intense rivalry between Wolf & Hawk; occasionally sparking isolated brawls between young warriors & NeShemar from both tribes. However, when the war drums sound, Wolf and hawk hunt as one, and woe betide the poor fools who have attracted their wrath. With Hawkmoon warriors taking dominating the skies, and the Wolf's Path hunting their prey through the brush and fields, forest and underground flushing out the enemy into the open for their aerial kin, very few opponents to the tribes last long when the two fight as one.

#### Horrorwoods

The Horrorwoods are a valued trade partner for biological resources and refined warmounts and cyber-beasts. When the gynoid druids require aerial surveying of a potential new preserve, they are quick to call on the Hawkmoon aerial corp. to assist.

#### Blood Riders

They are… well, they are sister Shemarrians, and are excellent shock troops when the Nation needs to go to war. Most Hawkmoon tribe members tend to respectfully give the Blood Riders a decent amount of personal space. Otherwise, in all likelihood, said Hawkmoon may be goaded or cajoled into a test of daring and “passion” that could be very bad for their physical wellbeing at the end…and just as likely end with a stern and verbose scolding from the Hawkmoon little-sister Spinsters as they are repaired in a nano-forge.

#### Ghost Riders

Ghost riders have always been an enigma to the other tribes; the Hawkmoon being no exception. While extremely useful in intelligence gathering and covert stealth operations, the non-Ecotroz Shemarrians are usually treated like somewhat unbalanced but talented family members, who are welcome to visit the Eyries, but only for short stays. The Ghost Riders have no problems with this arrangement; they know they’re bent and eccentric and take no offense…after all, what can you expect from a bunch of religious types with spare energy-state-lifeforms inside of THEIR heads?

#### Sapphire Cobra

Also on the list of “charming yet odd relations”, the Sapphire Cobra tribe are like relations that found religion in some obscure cult and indulge a little bit too much in hedonistic pursuits. That being said, the Cobras are greeted as loyal friends despite their ‘kink’, and are highly prized as an alternate view-point into the mythos of the Shemarrian people. For their part, the Sapphire Cobra strive to help their conservative bird-loving sisters to lighten up and expand their frame of reference in the megaverse.

#### Skullcrusher

Lastly there is the Skullcrusher tribe. Even so many years after (subjective) the Civil War, relations are strained between the two tribes. Most if not all the Hawkmoon are willing to forgive, though not forget, the persecution they faced from the Skullcrushers. They know that the death-bringers were acting under the influence of malign powers. The past is the past and the future should be embraced. From Reconciliation to present day, the Hawkmoon still pray daily for the torment of their grim kindred to be eased, and for peace-of-spark to find them.

## Composition Notes

### Spinster Tinkers

All “Little sisters” in the Hawkmoon Eyries are trained in the management and use of the Progen-chamber and nano-forges. Also a full 25% are trained starship techs (+15% to applicable skills).

### Valkari

About 1 in 10 Psi-shamnesses become Valkari in the Hawkmoon tribe.

### Males

The male Shemarrians have higher place within the society of the Eyries. They are invaluable for guarding and maintaining the record halls, and as forward observers for planetary combat operations; providing fire control for airstrikes and as E.W. assets.

### NeShemar

The Hawkmoon tribe was the first to begin the practice of adopting and converting foundlings and the recently dead into their ranks. The practice still is maintained in the SSN, but now volunteer / adopted individuals are among the ranks of the NeShemar alongside the ‘reclaimed’

### Acolytes

The Pariah variant is in charge of teaching the NeShemar and recently progen born members of the Eyries. Acolytes are also highly regarded as medics for the Shemarrian’s biological allies, and as record-keepers in the archives of the SSN. Given time and inclination, an acolytes can petition to undergo the trial of the warrior to be ‘upgraded’ into one of the warrior caste, though most
remain content to be the hands and minds that keep the Eyries running while their sisters engage in battle.

### Celestials

A new variant that was originally thought to be a one of a kind aberration, now appearing in small but consistent numbers. The first Celestial was ‘born’ to a human male and the first Ectroz Shemarrian to be progen-born. The couple engaged in the ritual of progen together as the consummated their relationship physically as well. The result was surprising to say the least. The Shemarrian that exited the progen chamber was of the Berserker type with the hair and “attributes” (albeit smaller than average to the Shemar) of a female, but had bio-mechanical angel-wings (with micro AG coils in the spine, feet and shoulders), and the tattoos of a male-pattern Shemar. On later inspection it was revealed that the angel-type was very much like how angels manifest… it was hermaphroditic.

Though uncommon, these “two-sparked” Ectroz Shemarrians do spontaneously appear, and for some reason only within the Hawkmoon tribe. Exhibiting “natural born” magitech enhancements, and an instinctual knack for daemon fighting, the Celestials are one of the elite, unique members of the Eyries.

### Elites

#### Celestar

Crystal-winged elite warriors with the ability to absorb and repurpose laser energy as attacks, extra speed, or protective shields.

#### Harpy

Iconic Hawkmoon winged warriors, at one with the atmosphere.

#### Sirin

NeShemar smaller versions of the Harpy elite.

#### Thunderwing

Upgrade of the Warchief and Wargoddess, becoming the standard for these castes after the development of the Harpy.

## Warmounts

### EcoS-K-3 Steel Phoenix

Aerial warmount that has a Shemarrian Male, or other volunteer, transferred into a warmount frame.

### EcoS-K-06 Battle Hawk

First modified Monst-Cranes, with design changes into a unique aerial warmount.

### EcoS-K-15 Axyridis

Monst-Rex variant that was designed for aerial combat, used for mobile infantry assaults.

### EcoS-K-90 Kondar

A four winged aerial warmount with techno-wizard systems.

### EcoS-K-111 HawkMoth

An aerial warmount capable of producing multiple drones.

## Equipment

### Hawkwind Weapons

A series of weapons developed by the Hawkwind sub-clan in the Three Galaxies.

### Drones

#### Shyger

Aerial attack drone based on Free Quebec Bobcat hover cycle.

#### Aviar/Aviarmor

Modified Avyets that can link together to form a set of armour.

## Vehicles

### Thorondor Transport

Heavy assault transport originally based on DHT.