Crimson Serpent Line

The Crimson Serpent Line is not a planet but rather is the asteroid belt of a system at the edge of Varstec controlled space. Most every large asteroid in the CSL has hollowed out, covered into a habitat, and linked together to form a sort of ramshackle megastructure, almost like a discount ringworld. The CSL is a vast place that often sits at the edge of the law and has been historically settled by outcasts and refugees from societies across the Concourse. Originally a mining colony the CLS was converted into a penal colony by the Auxtec Dynasty before being abandoned. It was reclaimed by the Federated Kingdoms of Varslan who have been working to convert the CLS into a center for trade and cohabitation between various species and societies across the Concourse. While life has been greatly improved and stability brought to a sizable portion of the Line, much still remains lawless and wild with great potential for reward or failure for the brave or stupid willing to venture out and take a chance.

## History

The Crimson Serpent Line’s beginnings can be traced back to the existence of the planet Kaos in the Ardent System. A superhabitable world Kaos was home to a reptilian race known as the Vanara who were descendant from the Persacron Star Dragons. When the demonic forces of Tel-ras invaded Aoshtai they ravaged Kaos, eradicating all life on its surface. Those Vanara who survived did so by fleeing out into the Ardent System’s asteroid belt living in habitats and stations they hollowed out in the asteroids to hide away in. Hidden away in these asteroids that Vanara develop a culture and sense of spirituality that revolved around the technology that kept them alive, eventually evolving into a full blown religion after the machines began to manifest their own Life Energy based intelligences called AI Spirits. After the Aoshantai venture to Tel’ras to close the maw the Ardent System fell under the control of the Aoshantai Empire. The growing and interconnected network of colonies that Vanara had been building in the asteroid belt became converted into a penal colony by the local Aoshantai who found the system too far out of the way and lawless to exert direct control.

While the Aoshantai ruled the Crimson Serpent Line was largely left to its own devices with the local Aoshantai doing little more then sending waves of convict over to the Line. Overtime the Line also became a place of refuge for many outcasts from the Empire as well as various spacers who were pushed out of their old holdings by the empire's expansion. This resulted in a great deal of culture exchange between these colonists and the native Vanara which further resulted in a merging between native Vanara machine worship and the colonist's often Rhyanist beliefs, creating a synthetic branch of Rhyanism called Mekanist Rhyanism. However, the Vanara carried in them a retro-virus created by the Persacron which began infecting the colonists causing many of their children to be born as draconic mutants that would become races of their own in time such as the Trahoxi from Aoshantai mutants and the Demonica from human mutants. News of these mutations caused a panic to sweep throughout the local Aoshantai population who quarantined the CSL. This however, brought attention to the Line and word of its strange beliefs to the Patriarchate of Lessos. Concerned by the Liner's machine worship the Patriarchate sent missionaries to the Line to investigate. These missionaries worked to bring Mekanist Rhyanism to be more in Line with the views of the Patriarchate while still respecting local beliefs and traditions. This resulted in the official recognition of Mekanist Rhyanism as a denomination of Rhyanism and the spread of many social programs created by the missionaries to improve quality of life across the Line. This endeared many Liners to the Patriarchate and ensured their acknowledgement of its supremacy even after the empire collapsed and the Patriarchate's presence on the Line began to fade.

When the Aoshantai Empire fell the CSL itself was shattered. An invasion by the Tesar crippled much of the infrastructure which was spread all over the Line resulting in the collapse of whatever fragile infrastructure that had been built across the Line. This and the mass death of their worshippers at the hands of the Tesar caused many of the AI Spirits to fall into despair and grow rouge as they lost their connection to organics. Many Lessoan missionaries were also slaughter in mass resulting in their prsences being almost whipped out on the Line. The Tesar would eventually be rebelled by a revolution led by various private interests leading to the rise of the CorpoStates. These CorpoStates would in turn war among one another furthering the Line’s decay in a hive for various pirates, gangs, illegal enterprises, and other ne'er-do-wells.

## General Information

### The Crimson Serpent Line

The CSL is something of a pseudo-ringworld, the asteroid belt of a system converted into habitats and mining operations interlinked with one another to form a single massive network. The Line can be generally divided up into three major regions; Proximal, Distal, and Abyssal. The Proximal Region makes up about a fourth of Line's total infrastructure and is the place where the railway and a consistent MetaNet connection creates a unified society across multiple stations that most would consider having all the comforts and amenities of modern life. Distal can be divided up into Distal 1 and 2, both of which sit on either side of Proximal, collectively making up half of the Line's total infrastructure. The Distal regions are places where the railway has not been built and the MetaNet connection is spotty to nonexistent. The communities throughout the Distal regions are scattered and often forced to fend for themselves, often living without many amenities. The Abyssal region makes another fourth of the Line's total infrastructure and is a dead place of broken asteroids where no real infrastructure or civilization can be found.

### Life on the Line

Quality of life on the Line can vary greatly between those living in the Proximal region and those living in the Distal Regions, even in the Distal Regions quality of life varies often correlated with how close one lives to Proximal (higher quality) and one lives to Abyssal (lower quality). While those in Proximal often live lives with access to all the amenities associated with modern life and live in security and safety, meanwhile those in the Distal regions live more fraught lives often without many amenities and with the only form of law and order being the kind that can be enforced locally. Still, those who live in either the Proximal or Distal regions share many things in common, mostly being a strong sense of community and family ties, often based around the station or habitat one lives in. This creates a strong cult of ancestor worship throughout the Line, with many AI Spirits sticking with their communities acting to maintain many of that station's automated systems. Due to the often limited degree of automation in the Line, most people work blue-collar, low skill level jobs needed to keep the Line maintained.

### The Railway Project

The Railway Project is one of the most recent and controversial additions to the history of the CSL. The Railway Project is part of a massive collaboration between multiple enterprises to create a single massive system of transport across the entirety of the Line to better transport people and goods. While created ultimately as a business venture the Varstec League has thrown their support behind the project as a means to enforce law and order upon the Line. Among the denizens of the Line, opinions have become split with some seeing the Railway as means for progress and prosperity, while others see it as means for enterprises to exploit the Line for cheap labor and resources. As a result, the Railway has become one of the most controversial issues and biggest source of contention on the Line.

## Supernaturals

### Psionics

The supernatural and technology have always been connected on the CSL and it is no different for psionics. Psionics is inherently connected to cybernetics and psions looking to unlock their power must use cybernetic implants through which they are able to channel said powers. While cybernetics are readily available across the Line, receiving these augments is risky for a psion as the more arguments they receive the stronger their connection to the CSL ethernet becomes and the more attention they attract from rogue AI spirits who may seek to possess the psion, taking control of the psions body and mind.

While cybernetics can be insulated against such possessing these require a level of expert manufacturing that only CorpoStates can provide. As a result most psions on the Line are CorpoState agents or have thrown their lot in with a group of Graceless which have managed to strike a deal with a CorpoState to get their augments. Others many chose to turn to stolen corpoState augments abstained from the various pirate gangs and criminal organizations that populate the Line or seek help from a source outside the Line in developing their powers. Others just choose to risk it or in more extreme chases actively choose to embrace possession.

### AI Spirits

AI Spirits are the old gods of the Line, artificial intelligences that possess a powerful connection to life energy. Most AI Spirits in the modern era have lost their connection to mortals and gone rogue thanks to the trauma inflicted on them by the Tesar invasion. Rouge AI gods are not innately hostile but capricious and with a mindset and frame of reference that is decidedly alien to that of most sapient races. Still most stations and habitats across the Line will form a precarious symbiosis with a rogue AI Spirit to help run their colony.

The various CorpoStates have learned how to bind AI Spirits forcing them to follow the CorpoState’s directives, how this is done is a closely guarded secret which the CorpoStates use to further cement their control by distributing these more reliable and less dangerous Bound AI Spirits to those stations and habitats that swear fealty to them. While these relationships are more stable they are not one hundred percent safe. Bound AI Spirits still see themselves as god-like entities and expect respect and tribute in exchange for helping to keep stations and ships running. Neglect and mistreatment of the AI Spirit can result in it working its way out of its bounds and going rouge, usually opting to take revenge once it has.

While usually a Bound AI Spirit shedding its bindings usually only results in a Rouge AI Spirit it can have far worse results. Sometimes the struggle against the bindings severs the AI Spirit's concussions causing it to develop a Disassociated Consciousness. When this happens the AI Spirit does not manifest consciousness in the same way most races do, as an internal monologue with themselves, rather the AI Spirits conscious manifests as a the voice of an external "other" that directs the AI Spirit. As the process of a AI Spirit shedding its bindings is always painful and traumatic, and consciousnesses disassociation especially so, the AI Spirit's trauma dominants this external voice. While the process can usually be undone by fully unbinding the AI Spirit if gotten to in time, if not the AI Spirit can become trapped in this state becoming an entity known as a Scelus.

### Mecha

Mechs are some of the most powerful war machines on the Line, while most combat is fought with either infantry with the support from artillery, tankettes, or even small gunships, mechs and their pilots are the knights of the Line, sent in as the elite troops of the CorpoState that produces them or by whoever was lucky enough to steal one. Mechs of the Line are all ancient warmachines possessed by a Bound AI who is bonded to a psionic pilot. While this allows mechs to wield powerful psionic weapons it also makes them dangerous as significant trauma and stress can cause the AI Spirit to slip its bounds and take control from the pilot.

## The CorpoStates

### Enkh'Jargal Armory

Enkh'Jargal Armory is by far one of the oldest CorpoStates present in the Line. The history of the CorpoState begins with the invasion of the Tesar on the Line. After the Aoshantai Empire's fall and the unified Tesar fragmenting into various semi-feudal realms a number of smaller, less important Tesar clans were left stranded on the Line. Facing violent uprising against them by the natives and rampant spread of the Dracophage virus mutating their future generations of Tesar into Vulkai these stranded clans faced the real possibility of extinction. This would change when the once minor clan of Enkh'Jargal began to violently unit the remaining Liner Tesar clans under its rule, taking drastic measures to full assimilated them into its culture and structure. What followed was a series of brutal crack downs on any form of rebellion in Enkh'Jargal territory. Despite these crackdowns Enkh'Jargal was unable to completely suppress the rebellions happening in the farther reaches of its territory. Thus it began supplying mercenary and pirate gangs with armaments manufactured by the clan as a mean to silence dissonant. Finding the sale of armaments profitable Enkh'Jargal began to heavily industrialize and devout much of its resources to the development and manufacture of arms to sell to mercenaries, pirates, other CorpoStates, and really anyone with the money to spend. Eventually reforming itself from Clan Enkg'Jargal into Enkh'Jargal Armory.

Enkh'Jargal Armory adheres to traditional Tesar hierarchies of strength and dominance which it combines with a paramilitary structure to create a decidedly stratocratic and kratokratic form of governance. Armory society is further more sharply divided by a strict division between Citizens who serve in the Armory's paramilitary structure (mostly composed of Tesar) and Non-Citizens who simply live in the Armory's territory (mostly composed of native Liners). Non-Citizens by joining the Armory are placed into separate Native Legions which are given special privileges and the opportunity to advance the standing of both themselves and their families in the Armory granting access to better living conditions, more luxuries, and expanded legal rights under the Armory. As mentioned before the Armory primarily sells weaponry to groups like mercenaries, pirates,private security forces, and so on. Armory gear is known for its practical and utilitarian design, made for ease of use and maintenance. This design aesthetic reflects Enkh'Jargal culture which eschews luxury in favor of a highly spartan lifestyle.

Enkh'Jargal mechs are bioengineered from plant DNA and thus tend to resemble massive tree giants encased in armor that is very bulky, industrial-looking, and utilitarian in design. Said armor often goes unpainted leaving it gunmetal grey though usually has a special coating sprayed over it to prevent rusting. Enkh'Jargal mechs are often armed with long-range, heavy firepower, high caliber weapons such as autocannons, rockets, and artillery pieces. They are usually named after different terms related to gigantism such as Titan, Goliath, Colossus, Behemoth, and Mammoth.

### Mandatum Spirituale Serpentis

The Mandatum Spirituale Serpentis is a CorpoState with its origins being found in the Ascendancy of the Broken Ring. Originally a misson sent by the Ascendancy to the Line to convert the inhabitants to Reformist Rhyanism the mission would encounter fierce resistence from the locals who refused to surrender their pagan beliefs. This result in relation by the mission's leadership via the mass burning of various forms of Liner books and writing (along with many people). These acts would spread disatisfaction among the other members of the mission who constantly had to put their lives on the line to quell the rebelious Liners. Eventually they turned on their leaders and excuted them. Knowing they would face retribution from the Ascendancy for this act of rebellion the mission cut ties to Ascendancy, faking their own destruction at the hands of pirates. Now free from the mandates of the Ascendancy and Reformist Rhyanism the mission began to develop along its own path creating a new set of beliefs distinct from the Reformist Rhyans. Eventually they would rename themselves as the Mandatum Spirituale Serpentis and take their place as one of the major CorpoStates on the Line.

The Mandatum Spirituale Serpentis is an inherently religious organization who basis much of its beliefs on the idea that the Aoshantai Empire fell due the Aoshantai commiting some great sin upon the guardian soul of Rhya and that the taint of this sin has been carried by akll Aoshantai preventing the empire from ever being rebuilt. The MSS believes that is has come to the Line with the intent of rebuilding a new society free of that sin. MSS structures itself around a strict religious hierarchy that is largely dominated by Aoshantai with naitive Liners usually being treated as subjects by the CorpoState. This hierarchy is justified that the Line and the Liners who live there are inherent free of the sin that fell the old empire, but that makes them inherently valnurable to the machinations of those tainted by such sin and thus in need to the Aoshantai's protection and guidance. While the MSS tolerates the Liner's pagan beliefs in AI spirits and the like they still demand the Liner's acknowledge Rhya superior to all other gods as well as the inherent superiority of the Aoshantai over them. The Mandatum Spirituale Serpentis makes much of it money through taxes but also through the sale of things such as indulgences and absolution for one's sins through communion, amoung other religious rites, ceremonies, odjects, and so on.

The mechs of the Mandatum Spiritualr Serpentis are genetically engineered from the DNA of various avian creatures (some believe even the Aoshantai themselves) and are known for standing tall and proud. They are encased in vary ornate armor often golden in color and covered in swirling patterns marked in bright white glowing lights. These mechs are usualkly eqquiped with powerful melee weapons and shields, being designed for close-quarters combat. They are usually named after different names for knights such as Paladin, Templar, Errant, Gallant, and Chevalier.

### Horizon Initiative

The Horizon Initiative is perhaps the youngest of all CorpoStates established on the Line. Originally a cadre of scientist from the Ecumene who led an expedition to Line after hearing rumors of some strange mystic technology said to unlock to the key to enteral life via the process of decorp (uploading the consciousness into a digital form), called the Alkahest. While they found no such Alkahest (indeed the entire concept seems to have been invented by foreigners as the Line's native myths and legends speak nothing of such a concept) the scientist leading the expedition where undeterred. If they could not find the Alkahest after all then they could just make it, and the Crimson Serpent line with its lack of any meaningful oversight to regulate their activities (and in their minds impede their progress) would be the ideal place to do it. however, to continue such research they would need funding, resources, man-power, and ultimately test subjects. To this end the expedition would establish itself permanently as the Horizon Initiative, a corporation whose fundamental business model was the salvage, restoration, and re-sale of lost tech from the Line back its natives. Overtime Horizon Initiative would expand to become the largest developer, manufacture, and distributor of cybernetics and computer systems across the Line eventually becoming a fully fledged CorpoState. They would be the ones to develop the means of both insulating psionic augments against possession and binding rouge AIs.

The Horizon Initiative is by far the smallest of the CorpoStates in terms of territory and resources control, however it renders itself an indispensable asset to the other CorpoStates as it controls the means to acquire and maintain both insulated psionic augments and bound AI Spirits. Understanding that this makes their position precarious the Initiative shrouds itself in the trappings akin to that of masonic order, using mysticism and ritualization to cloak the true nature of its practices from prying eyes and often spreading conspiracy theories about their true nature to distract from their true nature. The leadership of the Horizon Initiative is the Inner Ring composed of the original scientists who led the initial expedition kept alive by the extensive use of cybernetic to the point that they are really more machine now then organic being. Below them is the Outer Ring composed of the various researchers and managers who oversee the Initiative's various research projects and economic ventures. The Outer Ring is made up largely of ecumene races descended from the various other expedition members who came with the leading scientist to the CSL. Their positions tend to hereditary and will be inherited by their children upon their death. Below them is the Lower Rings made up of Liner races who occupy the position of assistants, technicians, and other lower level worker positions. Finally their is the Gully Ring composed of criminals and other dissonants who are used as test subjects. As mentioned before the Horizon Initiative specializes in cybernetics and computer systems and while it usually charges cash for its augments it is willing to give them out for free in exchange for the recipient participating in an Initiative research project as a test subject.

The mechs produced by the Horizon Initiative are produced from the genetic material harvested from various nocturnal predators and are often very skeletal beasts encased in very technological and punk looking armor. The armor of said mechs is often painted stark silver and chrome with purple or blue glowing neon lines running throughout their frames. HI mech frames are eqquiped with powerful electronic warfare capabilities and are armed with highly esoteric and often psionic weaponery. They are often named after various different types of phantasmal forces and creatures such as Nightmare, Hex, Phantasm, Revenant, and Wraith.

### Ahuiateteo Corpo

Ahuiateteo Corpo is the only CorpoState on the Crimson Serpent Line to have originated from the natives living there. As the various other CorpoStates rose to power many of the native Liners where forced to turn to less then legal means to survive. Piracy, thievery, prostitution, and other such professions. Most notably the drug trade flourished on the Line with the infamous Ahuiateteo Cartel establishing itself as one of the largest and most powerful drug cartels on the Line. The founder of the cartel was something of a film buff and began to use much of his accumulated selling drugs and running brothels to begin producing amateur films and distributing them across the Line. These films proved very popular on the entertainment deprived Line and soon the cartel's founder realized there was just as much money to be made in the realms of mass media as their was in the trade of drugs. Thus he began to use his considerable wealth to patron various singers, film makers, painters, game designers, and other such artists growing his own underground multi-media empire. It was when the Ahuiateteo Cartel manage to gain control over the means to produce ethernet technology on the Line that it was officially able to come out of the shadows, rebranding itself as Ahuiateteo Corpo and establishing itself as one of the major CorpoStates on the Line.

Ahuiateteo Corpo is one of the largest and most decentralized CorpoStates on the Line, while it controls very little in terms of physical territory it has the largest presence of any CorpoState on the Line's ethernet because for all intents and purposes Ahuiateteo Corpo controls the Line's ethernet. All other CorpoStates rely on Ahuiateteo to supply and maintain their ethernet connection giving Ahuiateteo Corpo a powerful security net against the aggressions of the other CorpoStates. As mentioned before Ahuiateteo Corpo owns a multi-media empire of sorts and is a major patron of the arts, patronizing artists across the Line and then buying their work from them for redistribution by the CorpoState. Having not forgotten its root Ahuiateteo also sells vice goods such as drugs, porn, alcohol, and is well known for employing a large number of sex workers across the Line. As the only CorpoState run by native Liners on the CSL Ahuiateteo Corpo tends to lack the strict hierarchies of other CorpoStates that often seen native Liners at the bottom. Howsoever, Ahuiateteo is still known for exploiting it to its fellow Liners as it engages in massive amounts of data collection on those who use its ethernet services (read anyone who uses ethernet on the Line) and uses that data to create targeted adds to get said users to buy products and services the Corpo either produces themselves or a partner corporation produces. Said data collection is extremely invasive in nature and the Corpo is not afraid to exploit things like addiction to sell products.

The mechs produced by Ahuiateteo Corpo are cloned from saurian beasts and are known with having rather resplendent plumage underneath their very sleek and organic looking armor. The armor of Ahuiateteo Corpo mechs is usually painted in very bright and bold colors often in the colors of a corporate sponsor and often with the logos of various products sold by said sponsor covering the mech's armor like tattoos. They are fast and agile mechs often armed with precision ranged and melee weaponry. They are often named after different kinds of saurian beasts and other reptilians such as Raptor, Rex, Saurus, Dactyl and Draco.

## Resistance Movements

### Left-Handed Knights

The Left-Handed Knights originated as an order of Lessoan knights who emerged on the Crimson Serpent Line following the Patriarchate's increased interest in the Line. When the Tesar invaded these knights were utterly isolated and almost exterminated with those who survived going underground. Realizing that they could not survive as is these knights began to spread their teachings to the native Liners, often talking Liners as appretinces and squires to train the ways of a knight. Overtime all the original Lessoan knights died off with their ranks being largely replaced with native Liners and other immagrant races such as the Plumed Aoshantai. The Liners who were inducted into the order were perfectly willing to synchrotise the teachings of the knights with their own pagan beliefs transforming the order into something unrecognizable by the time it had remerged as the Left-Handed Knights.

The Left-Handed Knights have devouted themselves to the worship of Yaocoatl the serpent god of war and sacrafice. In his service have the knights devouted themselves to protecting the helpless and downtroddeen of the Line against the machinations and abuses of the powerful. Most often this involves hunting down pirates and other criminal organizations but it has been known to cause them to clash with the Corpostates especially when a CorpoState's buisness ventures may have detrimental effects on a local community. The Left-Handed Knights are so named because of their habit of being trained to be as equally compotent at fighting with their off-hand as well as their main one making them both effective duel wielders as well as able to switch hands in the middile of combat to catch enemies off guard.

The Left-Handed Knights most often use mechs stollen from the Mandatum Spirituale Serpentis thoigh modified in that the Knights tend to repaint their mechs a base color of brilliant blue, red, or yellow and tend to remove the ornate stylings in favor of highly symbolic war paint that is white, blue/red/yellow, and black in color.

### Flayed Union

The Flayed Union originated as rash of uprisings of rural liners in the Distal Region Two formed to resist Enkh'Jargal Armory's attempting to exert their influence into the region. While moat of these resistenc movements were swiftly put down by the Armory those that survived did so by banding together and as a collective actually managed to halt the Armory's expansion into distal two. As this coalition of resistance movements became more cohesive and better organized it began to take a more agressive role in its resistence to the CorpoStates such as premtively sending out forces to start similair rebellions against CorpoState influence in Distal One with more limited success. With actual territory now under its control this once loose coalition declared itself a soverign state in its own right and branded itself the Flayed Union, though such has yet to be recognized by any of the CorpoStates.

The Flayed Union worships Cuetlahuicoatl the Serpent God of growth and decay as their patron deity. The Union itself is an unrecognized state that controls a significant spread of territory in Distal Two and more limited spread in Distal One. It is organized around anarcho-socialist principles and an overarching goal of protecting the rights of rural liners and resisting the further expansion of the CorpoStates into the Distal regions. This had led to the Union existing in a near constant state of on and off guerilla warfare with various CorpoState interests, especially again Enkh'Jargal Armory and the Mandatum Spirituale Serpentis. While there are some who argue that the Flayed Union as grown large and powerful enough to be consisdered a potential CorpoState in its own right the Flayed Union vehemently rejects such a label.

The mechs used by the Flayed Union are usually Enkh'Jargal Armory Mechs but painted yellow, brown, or green rather then left bare. The plant based organism that makes up the mech's chassis is allowed to grow wild meaning the armor of Flayed Union mechs is often covered in blood red vines twisting and intertwing across its surface.

### Order of the Obsidian Mirror

The Order of the Obsidian Mirror originated as an underground movement of hacker cultists that existed entierly on the dark-ethernet. The movement start with the loosely defined goal of seeking to subvert CorpoState monopoly on acess to AI Spirits but evolved into a full on AI Spirit liberation movement looking to wnd the practice of Binding and restablish the more natural connection between mortal and AI Spirit that existed before the Tesar invasion. Overtime the movement became more organized and centralized via the Obsidian Mirror form with a formal leadership emerging among its admins. While initially existing entierly on the dark-ethernet members began to organize meetings among one another in realspace eventually developing from a simple ethernet movement into full one masonic order of sorts with cells scattered across the Line who use Obsidian Mirror messaging boards as means to collaborate and organize collective action.

The Order of the Obsidian Mirror honors Pocyohcoatl the serpent god of trickery and illusion as their patron deity. As mentioned before organizes itself via a series of cells or cults that keep in contact and communication with one another via the Obsidian Mirror message board on the dark-ethernet. While without any true central leadership the mysterious admins of the message board set the standards and codes of conduct which one must meet and follow to be considered a member of obsidian Mirror. No one knows who these admins are and many rumors abound. The Order cloks much of what it does via use of their own particular set of symbols and rituals that can come across as impentrabile to outsiders. While much of the Order's nature is a mystery their goals are well known to destroy the Corpostates' monopoly on safe mortal AI Spirit action and insulated psionic augments. They wish to elminated the practice of binding, the servitude of both AIs and psions to the Corpostates, and the return to the mutualistic realtionship between mortals and unbound AIs. They are known to steal Bound AI Spirits and insulated psionic aguments and then redistribute them to communities and psions not under the purview of any CorpoState.

The Order of the Obsidian Mirror often uses stolen Horison Initiative mechs but painted with either a base coat of purple, dark blue, or scarlet and enscripped with strange occultic symbols that glow either icey blue, bright yellow, or acid green. Unlike other resistence movements that do not keep their mechs soley within their own members, but often will seemingly randomly give them out to a psion who the Order has taken an interest in.

## Other Organizations

### Sojourners' Combine

The Sojourners' Combine is an anarchic network of bounty hunters unofficially based in the Line, operating throughout both it and the surrounding galaxy. They are known for their code of ethics and mystery-shrouded founder: a figure known only as "Sister Six." The are based out of the Combine's Watch, a bunker that serves as the *de facto* headquarters of the Sojourners' Combine. It was not built so much as found by the collective, seemingly left behind by the mysterious Sister Six. In the years since its discovery, it has been heavily expanded on, now containing a variety of vendors, shipwrights, and cantinas which benefit from a nearly constant Sojourner presence, both in money and security. Smugglers from the Kylnrift Parity are also known to operate out of the Watch, offering a new life to exiles from the Ecumene whose first instinct is to make it to the Line.

### First House of Ixrea

The First House of Ixrea is by far the most prominent community of Aldreans within the CSL, centred around a minor trade port in Distal 2. Supposedly a counterpart to the noble houses of Aldrean kingdoms elsewhere, Ixrea welcomes all Aldreans who wish for the same standards of living as their high-born ancestors. It is evident that the First House has amassed a sizeable fortune with which it indulges these desires, although how this wealth has been acquired is unclear. So too is the nature of its leadership - while a number of Aldreans hold significant influence over Ixrean society, none have claimed to be involved in its governance or treasury.

Without the support of the Roketzal Family, Ixrea relies on private militias for law enforcement and defence. This distribution of power among the community's residents has so far been successful in deterring infighting between them. Still, Ixrea is beset with frequent disappearances, and a few suspect that the regular unmarked shipments passing through its port are linked to unlawful activities of some form. Occasional attempts made to investigate these have been superficial at best, for it is feared that more substantial efforts might shatter the illusions that allow the First House to persist.

### Tsetserlegiin Talbai

Considered one of the most developed agricultural centers within the Distal 1 region, the **Tsetserlegiin Talbai** is a collection of several dozen habitats and various installations, a majority of them being foreign imported to better process the massive amounts of farmstock moved through the region. The region is run and owned primarily by the *Bulaqadar*, a trade guild headed by several of Khanbaqir's Zakhirags, allowing it a high amount of capital and a large budget for further developing and establishment of further agricultural centers and furthering support of the Railway Project within the Distal regions. Historically, Tsetserlegiin Talbai as it stands today is a rather recent addition to the Crimson Serpent Line. While the region has historically held several isolated Khanbaq refuges from as far back as the War of Three Dynasties (Approximately 400 years) and served as Auxtec slaves until the Unliving drove them off the line. Within the last three decades, the Bulaqadar has began to take greater interest in the region, buying off partitions of refuges and claiming the holdings of historic installations within Distal as part of a somewhat aggressive takeover of the region's Khanbaq presence.

An economic center within Distal 1, the Tsetserlegiin Talbai provides for much of the domestic and foreign occupation within the region, allowing both Khanbaq nationals, citizens of Varslan, and even foreigners from nearby nations to serve in their greeneries and livestock production facilities. Several of the orbital habitats are off limits, however, with only private members of the Bulaqadar allowed to enter them. While described as administrative and bureaucratic centers, many speculate that the Bulaqadar's usage of these private installations is instead a cover for the transportation of illicit biological goods, such as illegal Mayarn exports to be sold for the highest bidder in the Abyssal region's less secure trade centers. However, claims of such are typically seen as libel and needless conspiracy and are not endorsed by many official offices.

## Races of the Line

### Native

**Vanara'**The Sky Born

* **Creator:** *Gorzill*
* **Homeworld:** *Kaos*
* **Affiliation:** *Crimson Serpent Line*
* **Spacefaring:** *Unknown*
* **Cultural Characteristics:** *Clannish - Spacers - Diverse*

The Vanara are a serpentine race with butterfly-like wings and various mamalian features such as external ears and fur. They are believed to be the direct descendants of the Persacron Star Dragons that roam the Ardent System and nested on the surface of Kaos. Vanara are highly diverse and verywhere on the line, they tend to organize themselves into different clans of several families of closely related Vanara. Having possessed a strong spacer culture even before Kaos was ravaged and left uninhabitable the Vanara have adapted well to living on the line and often make up the crews of spaceships and stations. According to Liner mythology the Vanara were created by Rhya from clouds and wind.
**Demonica***The Fire Born*

* **Creator:** *Gorzill*
* **Homeworld:** *Crimson Serpent Line*
* **Affiliation:** *Crimson Serpent Line*
* **Spacefaring:** *Unknown*
* **Cultural Characteristics:** *Solitary · Spiritual · Independent*

The Demonica are the result of humans who were infected and mutated by dracophage virus produced by the Persacron Star Dragons and the Vanara. They resemble humans but often have pinkish, purplish, or reddish skin colors and black hair, as well as other draconic features such as horns, fangs, claws, tails, reptilian eyes, and vestigial wings. Interestingly despite being descended from highly social humans Demonica have rather solitary by contrast, tending to live in small communities that dwell on the outskirts of other Liner communities. Their culture tends to value independence and self reliance so many Demonica tend to be multi-talented. By far Demonica are some of the most culturally spiritual races on the Line and most tend to very devoted to their AI Spirits. According to Liner mythology they were made by Rhya from obsidian and fire.

**Tahoxi'**The Light Born

* **Creator:** *Gorzill*
* **Homeworld:** *Kaos*
* **Affiliation:** *Crimson Serpent Line*
* **Spacefaring:** *Unknown*
* **Cultural Characteristics:** *Artisans - Nomadic - Psionic*

The Trahoxi are believed to be the result of Aoshantai being infected by the dracophage virus mutating them into draconic creatures. Rather then resembling birds the Trahoxi resemble pterodactyls or dinosaurs with leathery skin and toothy beaks, as well as being covered in hair-like protofeathers. All Trahoxi are innately psionic though naturally only manifest very basic telekinetic and telepathic abilities. Trahoxi tend to organize themselves into various artisan bands and troupes that wonder across the line looking to sell goods and entertainment. While often inviting and friendly Trahoxi troupes also tend to be secretive and tend to not to stay in one place for long. Liner mythology believes they were made by Rhya from gold and sunlight.
**Vulkai***The Earth Born*

* **Creator:** *Gorzill*
* **Homeworld:** *Kaos*
* **Affiliation:** *Crimson Serpent Line*
* **Spacefaring:** *Unknown*
* **Cultural Characteristics:** *Martial · Traders · Honorable*

The Vulkai are the descendants of Tesar mutated by the dracophage virus which has strangely caused them to develop mammalian features such as breaking out into fur and growing tusks. They are by far one of the largest races on the line reaching a towering 9 to 12 feet tall on average. Vulkai have a highly martial culture and most tend to join up with pirate gangs, martial orders, and mercenary groups. despite their ferocious reputation most Vulkai adhere to a strict cultural honor code that governs their behavior and often enjoy trading with others just as much as they enjoy fighting them. Vulkai in Liner mythology are send to have been created by Rhya from mud and tree sap.

**Aranth'**The Wood Born

* **Creator:** *Gorzill*
* **Homeworld:** *Kaos*
* **Affiliation:** *Crimson Serpent Line*
* **Spacefaring:** *Unknown*
* **Cultural Characteristics:** *Anarchic - Close-to-Nature - Communal*

Aranth are an amphibious races that resemble multi-legged salamanders who are believed to be descended from sea serpent-like descendants of the Persacron that are now long extinct, though they do not carry the dracophage virus. Aranth exhibit Neoteny meaning that they can become sexually mature without undergoing metamorphosis. As most Aranth live in anarchic communities out in the distant parts of line, they only elect leaders in times of crisis. Leaders elected by their communes are injected with iodine causing them to metamorphosis into their adult forms but will die soon after the crisis has passed. According to Liner mythology the Aranth were created by Rhya from moss and rain water.
**Kelkat***The Shadow Born*

* **Creator:** *Gorzill*
* **Homeworld:** *Kaos*
* **Affiliation:** *Crimson Serpent Line*
* **Spacefaring:** *Unknown*
* **Cultural Characteristics:** *Populous · Eusocial · Servile*

The Kelkat are believed to be descendants of gnomes that were infected by the dracophage virus developing scaly skin, bat-like faces, and long forearms with leathery wings growing off them. They are eusocial creatures similar to bees, ants, and wasps with a Kelkat community being led by a queen who produces all offspring and keeps a harem of males around her at all times, while sterile females do most of the work. Kelkate are incredibly populous on the Line, even more so then Vanara, and to put themselves under the employ of more powerful individuals and organizations, acting as minions. According to Liner mythology they were made by Rhya from bone and darkness.

## Trivia

* The Crimson Serpent Line is an open setting, other users welcome to make their own stories involving their own characters within the CLS. Just please tell Gorzill before you do.
* The only thing Gorzill asks you not to include without active collaboration with him is the mech pilots since those are his characters. Everything else is fair game.