Swiftridgian Expanse

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The **Swiftridgian Expanse** is a nation with a militaristic society that spans across several planets, outposts and strongholds on three systems with its administration located and centralised on the planet of Severo, a continental world located in the Severus system. A large metropolis is located on the world with many parts of the city divided into districts with a classifications such as, Agri-District, Forge-District, Civilian-District, Bureaucratic-District and Capital-District designated to each segment of the city.

The entirety of the expanse is govern by a single authoritarian regime with absolute power vested into a dictator known as the Lord Castel.

*From nothing, we tore down hardships*

*From nothing, we forged pride and strength*

*From nothing, we forged a world*

*Through nothing, we shall take our place in the stars*

## **History**

### **Taurus Origins**

In 2299, the rising nation of the Alphian Federation had created and launched its first military vessel into space known as Ceres Class, which gave the people of the world a moment of awe and marvel at Alphian ingenuity. For some, it sparked an interest in achieving interstellar travel and when it came to the Kingdom of Swiftridge this is no doubt a fact. Despite being one of the most neutral nations on Taurus, the day the first Alphian ship went into space was the birth of a new idea, an awakening, a new mindset for the Swiftridgian people. It was an idea and a tale now told to young children of the Swiftridgian expanse. "That long ago Swiftridge's existence on Taurus was like that of a man living on an island filled with dangers, if he was to someday find new means of survival the answer lies in exploration, to travel beyond will be the means of escaping the island. To choose and stay will be to forever shackle himself on an island and one day succumb to the dangers that dwells on it." None actually remembered how it happen but in 2317, after numerous painstaking efforts and experimentation, the Kingdom of Swiftridge had finally perfected its first ship and began launching its first vessel into space. Following this breakthrough a new project was created to launch exploration probes to travel across the vastness of space in search of whatever worlds that can be found. Years and decades will past and this moment will fade from memory with the exception of a few observers monitoring the probes.

In 2397, after nearly two generations had past and nearly forgotten from memory. A group of scientists theorized and cataloged every planet observed as a potential candidate for colonization, in the process they uncovered the most perfect discovery that will fit their goals. The **Krone Cluster** was discovered. It a realm of seven star systems all in close proximity like a cluster. Exploration by probes from years prior confirmed the existence of habitable and even lush paradise worlds within this cluster and a project was formed. Known as Project Stellar it was created with the end goal of reaching the Krone Cluster and colonizing these worlds. Records of how many ships were constructed and the technology used at this time are forever lost, what is known however is that these were massive monolithic ships equipped with only atomic drives and constructed to house at least a 100,000 to 200,000 colonist all tightly crammed into stasis containers and shipped like cargo. An estimated 3 to 5 million Swiftridgians were involved, mostly made up of volunteers and naturally selected individuals but also included thousands of unwanted criminals and dissidents, orphans were also placed into the project believing they would help establish families.

Project Stellar will inevitably be forgotten and written off as a failure. In 3219, months after the project had been executed and ships had already left Taurus only a few light years away, contact with the colonists were lost and after several years the project was deemed a failure. The directors and all those involved were either executed for their crimes or given life sentences and the project was hidden into obscurity. Never knowing the fates of the millions now left standard beyond for the years to come.

### **The Stellar Exodus**

Arriving in the year 2497. Lost in space and travelling for at least a hundred years with thousands dying in cryo-sleep during the long journey. The colonists will arrived in the Krone Cluster and began the colonisation process. What they found will forever shatter any hopes for a quick and easy life, numerous worlds though viewed from the probes and identified as safe to live on turned out to be totally opposite in most cases, large swaths of surfaces for most worlds turned out to have a toxic atmosphere or hostile environment in one way or the other.

Without the means to sustain their population in their designated settlements with a hostile environment, and fearful of alien diseases, natural disasters or other calamities. The flotilla had little choice but to abandon its original mission and instead concentrate all colonisation efforts onto a single habitable world safe for Tauran life.

During this period, thousands died to lay the foundations of the colonies. Their sacrifice will forever be remembered in a tall sculpted obelisk memorial that still stands in the capital city of Severo, Statera, till this day.

Severo, unlike most unfortunate worlds, was a lush green world situated in orbit around a gas giant like a moon. A continental world with an environment that slightly resemble Taurus, its colonists that settled on the world was led by the Grand Archiur, Elen Severus, who named the planet Severo thereafter.

### **The Great Famine of 2499**

Two years after Swiftridgian colonists first settled on Severo, a famine struck the populace. Severe food shortages shook the colony, threatening its collapse. Despite the successful efforts to construct farms in 2497, the agricultural yield was not high enough to feed the quickly growing populace.

As famine spread throughout the colony, thousands starved to death. Others resorted to cannibalism to feed themselves.

The colonial administration, which at the time was the only governing body with organized leadership, repurposed and combined small security forces used for guarding vessels into a full militia. This militia, known as The Brigade of The Five Thousand, was used to crack down on the out-of-control barbarism of the starving masses.

### **The Great Division**

Following the ongoing famine of 2499, it was clear that things could not continue as they were if the colony of nearly five million Swiftridgians was to survive. Members of the colonial administration, which consists of mostly ship captains who are representatives of their respective vessels and crew , met to discuss their current situation and brainstorm for any ideas.

Faced with the possibility of the colony being destroyed by famine or whatever unforeseen outcomes, a solution was formed to divide the colony into multiple settlements.

Instead of having nearly four to five million Swiftridgian colonists all clustered together in one area that was only capable of handling an estimated of at least a million people. The colony will instead be divided into sixteen settlements across the planet with each consisting, of 250,000 Swiftridgians, a quarter of a million colonists and are led by their own respective leaders. With the main settlement of the colony, which had already been two years old at this point of time and has plenty of well-established farming and mining facilities for survival, will house at least 600,000 Swiftridgians.

This is remembered in history as the Great Division, the most well coordinated effort made by the colonists of Severo as millions began to leave the safety of their makeshift settlements to far away places in search of a new land they can call home.

Many succumbed to the environment, others to diseases. Yet the people prevailed.

### **The Fracturing**

In the years that followed, the Statera Administration spanned across several parts of the world. The end of the Great Division has resulted in many cities founded that mostly independent, leaving the Statera Administration as a loose confederation that was mostly decentralised and overstretched. In 2505, faced with the lack of administrators to centralise the world and with each colony obtaining its own sets of problems and infighting, the Statera Administration collapsed and fractured into a set of independent factions each with its own goals. During this period the colonists were plunge into a dark age with technology experiencing a quick devolution as a result of the lack of proper means of educating the populace, the absence of a proper healthcare and a shortage of medicine only quicken the process.

By 2525, these factions will come to blows against each other in a global conflict.

## **Government**

The ruling party of the nation is the Triumvirate Senate, with power split between three governing factions.

* Vordas - The Militarist Faction (Defense and Wartime Technologies) (Vorduni Diren)
* Corderel - The Governing Faction (Progress and Acquisition) (Corderian Tarum)
* Overns - The Watchers Faction (Morale and Image) (Ulteeran Diesmer)

The Overns faction is widely regarded as the most feared faction as it is responsible for the nation's mass surveillance network, the elimination of dissidents and the administering of drugs to keep the populace happy and subservient. The Overns have over the years eliminated certain political leaders and elements that are uncompliant. The Overns are the masters of Image, they are responsible for the regulation of information, often concealing truths and fabricating facts. Due to this the populace are always unaware of what goes on beyond their nation. Even the Vordas and Corderels are not always given full access to the Overns' archive of information, prompting them to rely on their own members gather information. When foreign nations request insights into Swiftridge's current economic and political affairs, the Overns are left incharge of painting a false image of a Swiftridge that is prosperous and harmonious.

## **Society**

In the Swiftridgian Expanse, society is divided into three social castes known as the Alphurns, Beruns and the Peeruni. Climbing up the social ladder is achieved through exemplary performance and contribution to society.

The Alphurns are often at the top of the hiearchy, they usually take up roles in governing or other leadership branches. They are the most wealthy citizens of the Expanse and enjoy privileges and luxuries the other caste do not.

Beruns are overall the middle class of the caste, and they are more privileged than the Peeruni. The Beruns enjoy better living conditions and working wages, are considered far more loyal compared to the Peeruni

The Peeruni is the lowest caste out of the other two. People who live as a Peeruni are usually workers conducting manual labour and office works alongside Beruns. A Peeruni can climb up the social ladder only through military service for several years if they are accepted.

## **Military**

The military is by far the most renown force of the Swiftridgian Expanse.

With the country being founded in the aftermath of the War of Retribution, a violent and destructive conflict that cost many lives, it led to the rise of the Vordas branch.