Gaius

*Acting as in an advisory role and 'wise man' for the UPC, Gaius was recently elected as a Council and intends to use his influence for the good of all.*

## Traits and Appearance

Gaius' cybernetic right arm and grey beard accompany the calm and controlled diplomatic tone with which he speaks.

Good hand-eye coordination, advanced brace for right knee, perpetual rings under his eyes, scarred and weathered skin, walks with a very slight injury, doesn't carry a weapon, smiles never quite reach his eyes, tiny scar on his right eyebrow, tends to hang back and listen and peoplewatch, like many cybernetics Gaius smells slightly of the maintenance oil that he has to frequently apply to his elbow joints

## Biography

> "Over the colorful years of my life, I have been a beggar, a thief, a scholar, a diplomat, and even a guest of Nobles."
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Gaius only joined the UPC a few years ago, quickly gaining prominence by doing various jobs for subfactions while using his (now well-practiced) speaking skills to emphasize his moderate views. He is one the few to rise so quickly while remaining neutral to the various subfactions within the UPC. Now, as an elected UPC Council Member, he hopes to be a force for good within it.

Gaius first truly discovered himself when he first attended the Symposium of Celestial Philosophy, an annual gathering Celestial Philosophers to discuss the various philosophical and political realities, settings and effects of the sector and its planets. Initially Gaius was put-off by the idea of ten days full of speeches and arguments, but nevertheless he found himself inexplicably keeping rapt attention to it all. By the end of it, he decided to follow this thread and see where it lead.

Gaius quickly discovered that Celestial Philosopher simply meant 'glorified couchsurfer', acting as a guest, speaker or advisor for various small or medium groups, often as a less-than-ideal replacement for a House Pyxis member. During the frequent times he was not provided a bed nor could afford one, he found himself asking strangers for generosity just as in his childhood. Still, the lifestyle taught Gaius a variable of perspectives, and he was far more comfortable wandering the stars than the streets of his hometown. It wasn't a 'calling', nor was it something he planned to do for the rest of his life, yet each and every year Gaius looked forward to returning to the Symposium and sharing what he had seen and learned over his travels.

## Early Life

Gaius was raised a street rat and grew up as a pickpocket before being saved by a stranger during the Hong Lu Revolts. The chance encounter changed him and planted the desire to leave his life of crime and do something more

Gaius was born on the streets of Hong Lu, and with his parents addicted to Tar Dust, he might as well have been raised on them too. A small and quiet kid, Gaius managed to survive by stealing and pawning whatever he could get ahold of. Desperate practice is quite the teacher, and over the years he became quite good at his craft.

After losing his arm and injuring his knee during the Hong Lu Revolt, Gaius was saved by a passerby who stitched up his wounds enough to stop his bleeding and helped him get to the nearest hospital. Once Gaius was recovered enough to inquire about his savior, he learned that a woman fitting her description was killed by the crowds for "being a damn synth sympathizer, probably a synth herself". He never got her name.

Returning to his former life of crime, Gaius worked for the 14 Red Dog Triad just long enough to pay off the cybernetic arm and knee brace. Then he took the first transport off planet, with no idea where he would go next. However his cabinmate was headed to a meeting forum of sorts and invited Gaius along....

## Education

Minimal early education during childhood, but has continuously educated himself for the past thirty years.

Gaius had twisted form of a formal education on Hong Lu, with his 14 Red Dogs charitable 'school' primarily teaching children how to perform various crimes and get away with it. Once he became a Celestial Philosophy he began seeking out places to learn. While he is still a poor mathematician, Gaius excels at reading and literature, and prefers to use lenses that emphasize culture, society, and hierarchy.

Though he started his education late, Gaius has had the opportunity to speak with (aka politely listen to) important and well-educated people such as a Fornax Machinafex and a Lyra Tehuti. Now that he has been able to afford his own basic education, Gaius unceasingly educated himself and pursued knowledge for the last 30 years

## Beliefs

> "If we do this, then even if we fall to the Houses, our work will live beyond us in the hearts of the people of the sector"
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Gaius has slept on both drug-filled streets and decadent four poster nano-quilts, and many inbetween, and he believes that this has given him some much-needed perspective on how the sector can be made a better place. He believes in the UPC's cause, and is currently spending his time trying to ensure that such weighty promises can be lived up to. Gaius doesn't like force, and ideally he would want peaceful reform within the sector, but he is far too much of a realist to even hope for a bloodless outcome to this.

Gaius believes that the Houses themselves are part of a larger whole, that feudalism itself isn't sustained directly by the nobles but rather propped up by a few key cultural pillars.

The reason that people follow and agree with the current system is:

* The belief that those who are of noble blood are superior to those who are not
* The dependence of the people on the nobles for distribution of wealth, particularly of food

And so Gaius believes that, rather than any of the Houses themselves, the most effective targets are:

* The High Church - for perpetuating and reinforcing the belief in noble divinity and superiority, and for making religious excuses for the suffering the nobles inflict upon their people
* ACRE - for solely controlling of the vast majority of food production while simultaneously being effectively run by the Nobility
* Prism - for serving both as the House's propagandists and secret police, allowing them to quash uprisings before they start

If these three fall, then the people will have both the information and the ability to rise up and fight for equality. Even better, Gaius believes that the Houses' vital infrastructures (Fornax's shipyards for example) will be much less likely to be damaged or destroyed this way.

## Celestial Philosophy

> "A Celestial Philosopher has all of the hardships of a Pyxis Seeker, and few of the benefits."
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The Symposium of Celestial Philosophy is simultaneously the full name of the group (normally just called Celestial Philosophers) and the name of their annual 10 day meeting. Far smaller and poorer than House Pyxis and with no nobility to their name, the Celestial Philosophers very intentionally seek to mirror House Pyxis, to explore and learn and teach and discuss, without any of the political webbing that comes with being an actual Noble House.

At merely a few hundred, the Celestial Philosophers are much more loosely structured than Pyxis, and with no official ranks and a rough democracy for any major decision. To join the Celestial Philosophers, one simply has to show up and participate in their annual meetings enough for them to recognize your desire to explore and learn.

Due to their small and disorganized nature, Celestial Philosophers are viewed and treated in a variety of ways. Some see them as con artists, spouting nonsense in exchange for a free meal. Others see them as wise scholars who pursue the noble goal of understanding and enlightenment. Others still view them as the epitome of hubris itself, mockingly copying House Pyxis.