Tul Tara

**Tul Tara** was an urban terrestrial moon in the Cassiopeia Galaxy, covered in elaborately layered cities with pointed architecture. The moon was the home of the Tul Tarans, a cultural group comprised of Humans, Oktarachians, and scientifically-created hybrids of the two.

Tul Tara was first founded by secessionists from Borealis and their Oktarachian allies.

## Description

A rocky world, Tul Tara was a moon that orbited the orange and white gas giant Tul Marmor, along with at least several other moons. Tul Tara and its planetary system were situated in the southwestern edges of the Norenai Sector, which itself was located in the southwestern border between the Outer Core and Central Expanse regions.

Similarly to Borealis, Tul Tara was entirely covered in cities composed of castle-like structures. These buildings were constructed using a form of pointed architecture unique to the Oktarachians, and so the layered cities of Tul Tara served as a perfect blend of both Borealan and Oktarachian culture. The lower city layers were known to be rather dimly lit, given the lack of abundant natural sunlight or the lack of a presence of sunlight altogether.

### Government

The centralized planetary government of Tul Tara took the form of an **elective monarchical confederation**, in which the planet was divided into different states and kingdoms, all aligned under the same loose confederacy.

At the head of this confederation was an imperial ruler titled the **Emperor/Empress**, depending on the individual's gender. The Emperor/Empress was elected by key representatives of the different Tul Taran states. While this system was established in order to prevent complete dynastic rulership, rulers of the confederation were more often than not direct, first-in-line descendants of the founding noble House Marmoreus.

Some considered the system of governance on Tul Tara to be rather confusing and messy by design, and some even considered the government's operations as corrupt, given the bias regarding elective leadership. Some considered the confederation a government that prided itself on duplicity and on keeping lesser powers down while staying in relative isolation from the rest of space.

## History

### Founding and Fight

Sometime after the end of the Artifice Wars, members of the Borealan noble house, House Marmoreus, grew disatisfied with the state of their home planet of Borealis and decided to emigrate off-world to establish a new home. House Marmoreus found allies in the arachnid Oktarachian people, who were known both for their manipulative and deceitful nature but also for their construction of beautiful buildings. Together, the Borealan secessionists and the Oktarachians founded a moon that would eventually serve as a home to billions of people.

During the later years of the Cry of Havoc, the Borealans partook in an all out fight with the Tul Tarans. Ultimately, the Tul Tarans won the battle thanks to Borealis' weakened state after the Artifice Wars. This victory further legitimized the Tul Tarans as their own autonomous people now separate from the Borealans.

### The Cassiopeian Civil Wars

The Tul Tarans chastised the Borealans for being founding members of the Cassiopeian Republic, as they never accomplished anything progressive in order to ensure the prosperity of their own people. Tul Tara ultimately joined the Cassiopeian Civil Wars, fighting on the side of the Federation of Cassiopeian Star Systems. Eventually, a partnership with FCSS-aligned Purazian scientists led to the development of magitech artillery distinct from that of Borealan magitech.

Even after the war's end, a small presence of Purazians continued to exist on Tul Tara.

## Inhabitants

The main inhabitants of Tul Tara referred to themselves as Tul Tarans, who held negative beliefs regarding Borealis.

This Tul Taran population was comprised of Humans descended from Borealan expatriates and noble secessionists, Oktarachians who helped colonize Tul Tara, Purazians who contributed to society with their scientific knowledge, and Human-Oktarachian hybrids created thanks to Purazian genetic sciences.

## Trivia

* The idea of the moon Tul Tara was conceived after Naps' friend took inspiration from the Gothic architecture found in the video game *Warhammer 40,000: Darktide*. The Oktarachians were incorporated into the idea, as their home planet of Oktarach was primarily recognized for its use of Gothic/pointed architecture.
* Tul Tara derives its name from the word "tarantula", specifically from the French and German words for "tarantula": "tarentule" and "tarantel" respectively.
	+ This is in reference to the Oktarachians' spider-like nature. The French and German etymology of the moon's name is in reference to Borealis taking cues from France and Oktarach being loosely visually based on Austria.