Murrcioun Syndicates

The Murrcioun Syndicates are an (unapologetically) trade and wealth oriented nation based in the galactic west of the Milky Way. Despite being smaller in size than many of the other "Big 8" members of the Galactic Council, the influence and popularity which they wield is quite disproportionate to that size.

Their high level of strength and popularity is based on their actions during the dark ages after the Singularity Wars. The Syndicates were not one of the founders of the Galactic Council, but they achieved their space age during its early years. The Syndicates were instrumental in the reestablishment of order in the galaxy, due not only to their desire to meet new people and make new deals and presenting their space as a safe haven for those seeking refuge from the many dangers of the Milky Way, but also for the invention and establishment of the warp lane network, which they control to this day.

The Murrcioun are extremely xenophilic, and their friendly and eager nature often helps them become fast friends with other nations, all the better to make good deals with them. But while they are certainly very friendly, that outward appearance hides a savage ferocity and shrewd cunning. For centuries before the Terran Alliance, it was the Battle Schools and Shoals of the Syndicates that pirates and other miscreants feared.

The Murrcioun themselves are quite an oddity. While they bear an appearance extremely reminiscent of large felines back on Terra, they are amphibious, and seem to be primarily aquatic. Caltorsis is about 95% covered in water, and most Murrcioun seem to prefer underwater life to above ground life.

## Government

The government of the Murrcioun Syndicates is considered quite odd by the rest of the Milky Way. They have an Empress, and yet, they are an oligarchy, and a plutocratically driven one at that.

The Imperial bloodline of the city of Khala Dun has remained unbroken for no one knows how long. However, where the power of the throne of Khala Dun was once absolute, it dwindled, giving way to the modern power: the Council of Merchant Lords. It is with the Council that the power in the Syndicates lies.

That's not to say that the imperial throne is without influence. While the Merchant Lords and Ladies are managing the Syndicates, playing power games and making lucrative deals, the empress or emperor, especially if they're a charismatic or cunning one, has the voice the people will most readily hear. They will make splashy visits abroad, host dinner for foreign leaders, be a focus for Murrcioun unity and identity, reward excellence, and set an example for why people should want to come live in the land of opportunity that is Syndicate space.

Still, at the end of the day, the real power is in the hands of the Council of Merchant Lords. There are fourteen seats on the Council, and each Lord or Lady serves for fourteen years (or until death). The number of seats represents the fourteen sectors of Murrcioun space, which in turn represent the fourteen oceans of Caltorsis. A Murrcioun gains a seat through a political campaign which they call "negotiations", which are really just a game of "who can spend the most money in the cleverest way", the goal being to impress the ruling Merchant Lords/Ladies. Each then votes for their choice, and the candidate with the most votes is granted the vacant Council seat.

While the Imperial Palace may be in the underwater city of Khala Dun, the Council Chambers are not. No, they are in the space station in the Raladan System which also serves as the Murrcioun Syndicates' largest and most high-end Trade World across the galaxy.

## History

The glorious history of the Murrcioun Syndicates begins on the backwater ocean-world known as Caltorsis. Caltorsis is classified as an ocean-world, and the island chains above the surface of the water aren't particularly fertile. Whether the Murrcioun evolved first in the sea or on the land is unknown, but many suspect it was upon the land. What is known is that the Murrcioun that lived on land lived mostly as hunter-gatherers. Underwater, however, Murrcioun society blossomed. Here there were far greater food supplies, and the opportunity to create farms of aquatic plants.

In time, the undersea Murrcioun began using the numerous undersea currents as trade routes, connecting far-flung Murrcioun kingdoms and allowing them to engage in the lucrative exchange of goods. Now, there was only so much of the ocean which could be safely inhabited, at least, at the time. Go too deep, the pressure gets to be too much. Plus, the deeper you go, the more deadly things get. Murrcioun mythology is full of tales of leviathans, and modern biologists know that at least some of them are based in fact.

Because of this, trade and developing relationships across long distances became quite important to the Murrcioun people. That's not to say war didn't exist, in fact, the Murrcioun are all for a good scrap, be it to defend themselves or advance the standings of their nation. But oftentimes, conquering enemy kingdoms so far away was simply a bad idea. The lucrative exchange of goods rapidly became an integral part of the undersea kingdoms of the Murrcioun. And sometimes, these undersea kingdoms would engage in trade with the Murrcioun living up on the islands. Sometimes, they would conquer the islands, or the islanders would ask to join them, bringing advanced technology above the water. They'd already evolved with a social mindset, and their circumstances caused xenophilic values to be cemented in their culture as well.

There are many islands and island chains scattered across Caltorsis, but they're all a fair distance away from one another. To this day, a Murrcioun's fur pattern can tell you which island chain their ancestors were residents of. Comparatively, the water-going Murrcioun had far greater contact with each other. They developed a unified language early in their cultural evolution, whereas the tribal island-dwellers still had many disparate languages. What is known is that the word "Murrcioun" originally referred only to those living underwater. Murr was the original word for their species, meaning "Claw-kin", and Murrcioun meant "Claw-kin of the water". The unified trade language of the underwater Murrcioun formed the base upon which Galactic Basic was built, and the word Murrcioun came to refer to all of their species.

Jump ahead a while, as the Singularity Wars are raging out in the galaxy, and Caltorsis is thankfully spared from the fire of two galactic superpowers. The Murrcioun people have no idea what's going on in the wider galaxy. No, instead, a number of the wealthiest merchants of that day gathered in the city of Khala Dun to discuss a union of the Murrcioun people, and the ruling empress of Khala Dun (who happened to also be extremely wealthy) was engaged in these talks herself. It took quite a while of negotiation, and many *many* convoluted documents were drafted and signed, but eventually, from those talks emerged the Murrcioun Syndicates, a union of most nations of that day.

When they launched out into space, they were hopeful. The Murrcioun people were very excited at the prospect of encountering new and interesting sentient species with whom they could trade and become friends. What they found instead was galactic anarchy due to a power vacuum left in the wake of the disastrous Singularity Wars. The Murrcioun soon came into contact with the Galactic Council, which was then in its infancy. Restoring order (and commerce) in a galaxy gone mad was a movement the Murrcioun could get behind wholeheartedly. Murrcioun ideas, battle prowess and thriftiness combined with Jolnari intelligence and Mindnet technology, with the harmonizing presence of the Arboreals, allowed the Murrcioun to push forward into the galaxy.

Before the Murrcioun Syndicates, the Mindnet had been really the only military arm of the Council. But granted more advanced technology by the Jolnari, the Murrcioun proved to be fearsome warriors, and they quickly adapted alien tech to their own ideas, including hybrid starfighters and power armour suits, and the warp lane network, all of which were revolutionary at the time, and allowed the Murrcioun major advantages in the crusade against chaos. They also established other staples of the Council that endure to this day (Along with the Na'alu), including the galactic credit as the official form of currency, though the Murrcioun do still tend to favour bartering.

It took many many years, but eventually some semblance of order was restored to the Milky Way. Most piratical, lawless activity was driven away from the galactic core, and new civilizations blossomed. Each time a new species stepped out onto the interstellar stage, the Council had Murrcioun representatives greet them, a job which the xenophilic Syndicates took to with great eagerness.

These days, the Murrcioun are one of the Big 8, though looking at a map you'd never know it. The actual space controlled by the Murrcioun syndicates is small in comparison with the others of the Big 8, and what's more, it seems scattered all about the galaxy, with the majority surrounding their home system of Raladan. In truth, this is the source of their strength. The Murrcioun Syndicates' establishment and ownership of the Warp Lane Network allowed them to expand their nation in far-flung corners of the galaxy. These pockets of Murrcioun space throughout the galaxy are usually centered around major galactic crossroads. Finding your way to Murrcioun space is very easy, whether you're a merchant or a refugee.