Milky Way Galaxy

> "And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth."
>
> From the Treatise of Exordium of the Apocrypha, the Universal Magisterium's Sacred Scripture

Let there be light, and there was light.

## Characteristics

### Faction(s)

Chelovayya, the Federation, the Nearya Dynasty

### Inhabitant(s)

Humans, Foederati, Nearyani, Others (see below)

## Physical Characteristics

### Type

Barred spiral galaxy, Decentralized nucleus

## Observation Data

### Distance

8.102 kiloparsecs (26425.19 lightyears)

The **Milky Way Galaxy** (Stanislavan: *Mlechnyy Galaktika*; Oratio Ecclesiastica: *Via Lactea / Veyalactea*; Reshamayen: *Nearya*), officially designated as **\*GK1** which stands for **Galaktika One**, and often referred to simply as **the Galaxy**, is the celestial body that Humanity, and many other starfaring intelligent species calls home. The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy with a decentralized nucleus. The Milky Way is part of the Local Group of Galaxies often referred to as the Heart of the Universe.

The disk of the Milky Way Galaxy is approximately 90,000~ lightyears in diameter with a mass of approximately 1.15×1012 Solar Mass. The spiral arms of the galaxy are approximately 1,000~ light years thick. The galaxy is estimated to contain around 300 billion stars, with around 900 billion planets, the exact figures for either being entirely unknown in spite of recent advancements in technology.

The Solaris System, the Capital Star System of Chelovayya and the Cradle of Humanity, is located at a radius of 27,000 light-years (8.3 kiloparsecs) from the Galactic Center, within the Orion-Cygnus Arm, one of the arms of the galaxy. The barycenter of the galaxy appears to be a supermassive black hole referred to as Sagittarius A\*, which is also known as the Arcane Abyss.

Due to conflicting reports regarding the differing astrographies, historiographies, morphologies, semantics, and pragmatics surrounding humanity's study of the Milky Way Galaxy, Archregent Kamen I issued the Edict of Orion to resolve such issues. Following this, the Council of Kresnyekalia was held, which declared that a singular officially prescribed system was necessary to clear widespread confusion from both the academe and the public about the study of the galaxy. As such, the office of the Custodian of the Cosmic Order was created with dual-purpose to direct the astronomical efforts of Humanity, and to head the Veyalactean Order of Consolmagno, the official governing body of astronomy. This scientific uniformity, amidst a chaotic era dominated by the constant upheaval of scientific studies known as the Celestial Revolution, provided the necessary advantages humanity needed to ensure its survival and dominate the Milky Way Galaxy.

## Astrography

### Human Astrography

The Chelovayyan Empire is the largest faction in the Milky Way Galaxy. Following the defeat of the Galactic Federation in the War of the First Coalition by the Chelovayyans, under the authority of the Veyalactean Order of Consolmagno, the Milky Way Galaxy was divided into 6 Astrographical Regions referred to as Dioceses:

* **The Archdiocese** - Located at the Center of the Chelovayyan Empire. The Archdiocese is home to the Solaris System, which is home to the star of Solaris, and its three main planets of Zemelia, Kresnyekalia, Yarkayaskalia, among many other planets and celestial bodies. Much of Chelovayya's wealthiest and most vital star systems are found within the Archdiocese, which has caused some enmity between the Archdiocese and other Dioceses.
* **Exordium Diocese** - Located at the West of the Archdiocese, the Exordium Diocese is the first region of space which was explored by the Chelovayyans. The Exordium Diocese was once the domain of the Realm of Phromethesse, until the destruction of the Promethean Star System. As of the Third Epoch, the Exordium Diocese is the primary gateway of the Milky Way Galaxy to all other Galaxies in the Universe. Although this strategic reason has led to several incursions by the Typheons onto this vast region of space.
* **Exodus Diocese** - Located at the North of the Archdiocese, the Exodus Diocese is the least populated region of space within the Milky Way Galaxy. The Exodus Diocese was once home to the Chelovayyan Imperial Autonomy of the Norma Arm during the Second Epoch, which hosted the most powerful military forces of Chelovayya in all of history. During the Fourth Agone, the Exodus Diocese was decimated in the Marring of the Norma, when the Beacons of Eukharistia were shattered by Matriarch Nihline, who was commander of the 4th Defiant Legion of the Typheon Realms. Today, it is the home of the Corsairs, a loose grouping of Humans within this area who are not subject to the Imperial Canon of Chelovayya.
* **Sacerdotes Diocese** - Located at the East of the Archdiocese, the Sacerdotes Diocese is where the Universal Magisterium reigns supreme. This is the home of the Imperial Clergy and some of the last living homes of the Imperial Laity who wish to live their last days in peace. It is here that Clerical Law is strictly followed.
* **Coensio Diocese** - Located at the Southwest of the Archdiocese, the Coensio Diocese is the most populated among the six Dioceses. The Coensio Diocese was once the Heart of the Galactic Federation, and as such, it is home to millions of planets that were once Federation Territory. The Coensio Diocese is home to the most non-Humans (including Foederati), but is also home to the most Humans, many of whom are descendants of the Exodites, massive groups of Chelovayyan colonists who moved from the Exodus Diocese to the Coensio Diocese after the War of the First Coalition. The Coensio Diocese is also home to the Galactic Center, where it is believed that the supernatural beings referred to as the Anastari, and more specifically, the Nearyani dwell outside of galactic politics.
* **Lexsecunda Diocese** - Located at the Southeast of the Archdiocese, the Lexsecunda Diocese is like the Exodus Diocese, mostly frontier territory, with much of Chelovayya's new colonial efforts being directed towards this region of space. Its large territory makes it one of the Galaxy's most resource-rich areas with vast deposits of resources which remain untouched.

Alongside the 6 Astrographical Regions, the Milky Way Galaxy itself is composed of 15 Astrographical Arms:

* Orion-Cygnus Arm
* Perseus Arm (Inner/Core/Main)
* Norma Arm (Inner/Core/Main)
* Scutum-Centaurus Arm (Inner/Core/Main)
* Carina-Sagittarius Arm (Inner/Core/Main)
* Ara-Lupus Arm
* Medusa Arm

The Milky Way Galaxy is then divided into several legal and political divisions known as Provinces. These Provinces are the established political regions of the Chelovayyan Empire which had replaced the Galactic Federation's Sectors. However some, if not, all of these Provinces are seen as successors to the Federation's Sectors.

As of the Third Epoch, Chelovayyan Astrography remains the dominant standard by which space is divided astrographically. However, the resurgence of the Galactic Federation has led to the reinstatement of the Old Federation's Astrography.