Captain Gecko

Sinta Fleets Voice Their Opinion On Moghes’ Cultural Resurgence Sinta across the stars have voiced their opinions on the Karszekan and his cultural resurgence plans, and yet, the various independent and pirate fleets and crew of the Spur have still managed to surprise us all by voicing their stance on the matter to the entire Spur. Just three days ago, a Karszekani exploration ship, the Black Oztek, was hijacked by pirates claiming to be part of the Izharshan pirate fleet. However, instead of pillaging the ship or capturing the crew, they used the ship’s high power emitters to transmit a message to all ships and settlements in a radius of several lightyears. Sinta Articles managed to acquire this message, which may be played at the reader’s discretion. The Izharshans were not the only ones to share their opinion. The elusive “Techraiders” left a message as well, though a less hostile one, strangely enough. These pirates did not address the Hegemony directly, but rather, communicated through a highly encrypted transmission, transmitted by hacking into several sensor stations across our Kingdom’s space. More minor fleets and independent pirate crews have also made their voices heard about the cultural resurgence. For some clarifications, Sinta Articles managed to get an interview with none other than Altarak Iska, leader of Iska’s Adventurers. Quoting: “It is important to remember that most of these fleets and crews, what most people call pirates, are much more than mere criminals. Each fleet, each ship has its code, its culture, and its goals. In more simple terms, they care. There is the occasional cynical marauder, of course, but most do not join a fleet for mere questions of survival, or profit- these are means to a proper end. It can be something as simple as opposing the Karszekan at any occasions out of vengeful spite like the Izharshan do, or something as cryptic as the Techraider’s way of “helping save Moghes”. The Karszekan’s plan changes a lot of things for many of these fleets." When asked about whether or not the cultural resurgence would have any effect on Iska’s Adventurers, Altarak stated, “We Adventurers have sworn fealty to Not'zar Izweski, whether he is called Hegemon or Karszekan does not change that. We are grateful to have been given a second chance at serving our people, and will continue to do so. I have to say, I am quite intrigued to see how colonial rule will be handled with this new leadership structure being established, and what this will mean for fleets loyal to the Karszekan like mine, though I am not worried.” It really seems like the Cultural Resurgence’s announcement has shaken all sinta to their core, with even the smallest of factions voicing their opinion. All eyes are on the Karszekan now, and the Sinta Articles wishes him good luck and lends him its full support for the coming efforts.

Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs Kasz Han’san explains the Hegemonic “Cultural Resurgence” NEW LUXEMBOURG, MOROZ (GST) - A recent declaration by Hegemon Izweski, the ruler of the Hegemony, has left many Unathi across the entire Orion Spur shocked, and left many rulers curious. But what is this declaration about exactly? INN’s Shen Xinyue interviewed Kasz Han’san, Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs, and leader of the Han’san Unathi Clan, to get a clearer explanation. The interview was conducted in High Morozi and has been translated to Vulgar by the INN. An uncut version of the interview is available here to INN listeners. S. Xinyue: We at the INN thank you, Chief Minister Han’san, for taking the time to answer our questions. Kasz Han’san: And I thank you for coming. I am always happy to share the culture and history of my kind with the people of Dominia. SX: Human or Unathi, we serve the same Emperor after all, it is essential that we know each other. Now, could you please tell us about the recent news we’ve heard from the Hegemony? KH: Yes. It appears that Hegemon- Or as he’d like to be called now Karszekan Izweski has been working on a “cultural resurgence” project, and is now putting his project in motion. SX: A cultural resurgence? KH: Yes. A good idea on paper. You are, of course, aware of the war that ravaged Moghes, our home world, decades ago. This war has been horrifyingly destructive, and Unathi culture itself was one of the casualties. Museums and libraries were razed, and with them, the history they held. Stories were forgotten, traditions left behind, and with the locals focused on mere survival as the fires of battle died down, no efforts were made to save this culture. The Hegemony’s plans of opening up to alien civilisation did not help much, with, for instance, Hephaestus being allowed to erase the Guilds in all but name. Naturally, now that the situation on Moghes is… Relatively stable, it’s wise to take the opportunity to try and fix the damages done to Unathi culture. SX: I doubt it can be that simple, however. KH: Indeed. You see, the very same conflict that damaged our culture so much was fought, in parts, over this same issue. To make a very complicated matter simple for the purposes of this interview, the War opposed the forces of the Hegemony against those of tradition, progress against the old ways. The Hegemony ultimately own, and so our old ways have been ignored, and thus, damaged. Many see the Karszekan’s efforts as hypocritical. Other more progressive ones see it as a betrayal to their expectations, a step back into the past. I, however, see it as something different, the actions of a tyrant, no matter how progressive or traditional they may appear. SX: How so? KH: Since the end of the War, the victory of the Hegemony, it has effectively been the ruler of Moghes as a whole. It is free to do as it wishes with its people, relatively unopposed. To me, these news are simply a show from the Karszekan, that he wants cultural resurgence, yes, but a resurgence of his, Karszekan-approved culture. Most of these things aren’t parts of our past being revived, they are entirely new, in some cases alien things being imposed to Moghresians. And I am sure Izweski wants nothing but the best for his people and nation, but only time will tell if this was the best decision to make. SX: What does any of this mean for the Empire? KH: For now, nothing much. However, if the Karszekan’s work, if these drastic changes he wants to impose are to be tolerated, then in the long term, we may expect to see a stronger Hegemony- or “Kingdom”- more united, with a prouder people, a more stable nation. In other words, a stronger neighbor. SX: And what about the Empire’s Unathi population? KH: This changes nothing. Both the Kazhkz and Han’san clan have sworn allegiance to Empire, Emperor and Goddess, and we do not break our oaths. Not just that, but we have learned and adopted the Imperial Culture, and many Imperial Unathi were born here, in this empire- why would we leave, let alone want for the Hegemony’s culture? The very same Hegemony we fought in the first place, and fled from? Rest assured, your fellow Sinta Imperials will remain your loyal friends, no matter what. Further Reading: Imperial Exomechanical Sport Teams to Compete in the Next METAL CRUSHERS!™ Championship Imperial Census Bureau Releases Preliminary Empire-Wide Population Figures Authorities to Impose New Limitations on Hunting in Forests Surrounding Domelkos

THROUGH THE POWERS OF LORE I REVIVE THIS FORGOTTEN CANON APP!!! It's accepted! Very sorry for clearly forgetting about this.

Accepted!

You guys are TOO GOOD! Stop being so good you're making this hard on us!!! (I'm joking of course, right?) Anyways, have some general and not-so general questions, hopefully your answers will help us figure who will be the ONE AND ONLY to rise up and join the team. And if you're not chosen, well at least know that you've made this very hard on us because this is as close as it gets so far between you two applying. anyways. 1) What is the best strength a (deputy) lore writer can have? 2) What the worst flaw a (deputy) lore writer can have? 3) You've probably figured this out since you play at least one alien species- the Unathi-, but Aurora has an arguably very cool take on aliens, where they are not just people with different skins. Unathi are not just people with scales, nor do they just differ in culture from Humans, but they have their own biology, their own mindset- often influenced by their nature- their own natural habits, etc. They are aliens. What would you do, put in your writing, or anything else to make sure that the playerbase keeps this in mind? Or perhaps you actually think we should make the Unathi more relatable and not more alien, in which case, do justify yourself!

You guys are TOO GOOD! Stop being so good you're making this hard on us!!! (I'm joking of course, right?) Anyways, have some general and not-so general questions, hopefully your answers will help us figure who will be the ONE AND ONLY to rise up and join the team. And if you're not chosen, well at least know that you've made this very hard on us because this is as close as it gets so far between you two applying. anyways. 1) What is the best strength a (deputy) lore writer can have? 2) What the worst flaw a (deputy) lore writer can have? 3) You've probably figured this out since you play at least one alien species- the Unathi-, but Aurora has an arguably very cool take on aliens, where they are not just people with different skins. Unathi are not just people with scales, nor do they just differ in culture from Humans, but they have their own biology, their own mindset- often influenced by their nature- their own natural habits, etc. They are aliens. What would you do, put in your writing, or anything else to make sure that the playerbase keeps this in mind? Or perhaps you actually think we should make the Unathi more relatable and not more alien, in which case, do justify yourself!

BYOND Key: Captain Gecko Discord Username: CAPTGecko Character Name: Sezrak Han'san Item Name: red Han'san scaleshield Item Function(s): This is a custom Scaleshield, it works much like the others. In other words, it works like a poncho, wearable as a coat or an accessory for the clothes in the "suit slot" Item Description: "A thick, warm piece of reinforced canvas and fabric made by Dominian Unathi to keep themselves warm in Moroz's frigid climate. This one bears a pattern commonly seen in Hunter’s District, also known as Widowtown, although not with the typical colors. It bears pieces reinforced canvas here and there, more to protect against the elements than actual bumps, and embroided on a white stripe is the standard of the Han'san clan." Why is your character bringing this item to work?: Sezrak, ever so materialist, has quite the emotional attachement to many items, and this piece of attire is no different. More importantly, this custom Scaleshield was one that was offered to him by friends dear to him, one he has been wearing for years, and thus, grew greatly attached to. Though he does not wear constantly (it's not so cold in the Horizon thankfully), he often brings it while on "sorties" and other expeditions, worn on top of his voidsuit. How did your character obtain this item?: As stated earlier it was offered by friends, more precisely, as a birthday gift. What value does this item have to your character, and what story does it tell?: As said earlier, not only was this item a gift from friends, Sezrak is quick to get attached to objects, especially those with history- and it is one with HIS history. Beyond that, it also describes him quite well, I think, as an outlier in the Han'san, a scientist in a clan of Warrior (though he justifies himself in Han'san ways, it doesn't change the fact that he is a scientist in the end), bearing the pattern of Widowtown, the mainly Han'san community and the one he lives in, but with his own colors (red being his color he always love wearing, and the white line being a link to research) and finally the extra Han'san standard signifies his sheer attachement to his clan, still. Sprites: Have at you! Sezrak Scaleshield.dmi Additional Comments: This custom item is meant as a REPLACEMENT for another. With the last update on Dominian Unathi removing them from nobility, they cannot wear capes anymore, thus Sezrak's cape is out of place, and replacing it with this scaleshield is effectively a retcon. Thus, along with implementing this custom item (or even if it gets refused), make sure to remove Sezrak's current custom cape (the "red han'san cape" seen below)

That actually sounds good. Whether we make it two or five minutes I'd appreciate some more time to ready up, also gives the time for more people to join up.

Great stuff! Sort of relieved also to see some of these responses about Science. I still think it would be an utter shame to completely erase the department (and scatter some of its jobs across other departments), and not just update it- perhaps tackling the gameplay issue at the same time... Though depending on how things go, this is a conversation fit for its own thread, I imagine. Also love to see these responses about persistent money. There's really a lot of potential if we can give players things to put their character's money in, something to keep people coming and work toward as well, depending on how it's implemented. On a final note, I find these questions AND answers of stagnant lore super interesting as well. I don't know if this makes me biased as a lore deputy or not, but I'm not too sure about it myself. I do not THINK the LORE of Aurora is stagnant, whether it is OOCly (through updates to the lore and additions) or ICly (with lore events, articles and so on). Aurora being a universe that advances at the same pace as ours, it makes sense that there isn't an important planet being shaken by this or that event every day. What I think however is that some people conflate stagnant lore and stagnant PLOT. No matter how much is added or happens in the lore, while some of it might have effects on specific characters, it generally does not have any effect on the Horizon, on the story of the crew at large. Say for instance that tomorrow Fisanduh nukes the Empire of Dominia and Moroz becomes a democracy, this would have MAJOR effects on the lore, and on Dominian characters- but how does this affect the Horizon and its mission? The point is, no matter the events, no matter the place or lore, the Horizon has been following the very same mission, every shift, since its maiden flight: explore space, find Phoron, occasionally survey inhabitable planets, with even arcs occasionally breaking that up for a month or two. I think a lot of people really think of that part when they speak of things being stagnant, and that will definitely be something to address- and perhaps, easier to address too if we go with the "independant" crew idea. That I absolutely understand. I have created Sezrak back in 2020 (Time flies!), and have been playing mostly him since then, Ankala appearaing only a couple of years ago, and still earning plenty of attachement from me as well. Not being able to play too much, I focus on playing a single character, or two if the gameplay (mainly) gets a little too stale at times, and end up getting super attached to them as their backstories and arcs grow... But I think that it is not a reason to not give them eventual closure. As others said, 3 years is still plenty of time, especially on the scale of Aurora, so there's still a lot to do, a lot to explore, and eventually, start considering what kind of closure this character would have (assuming they don't get shredded during an event or anything). In other words, better to have your character go on an ending you roleplay out and make up with your fellow roleplayers rather than playing them forever until you grow bored or unable to play and they just fade out... Plus, since we only have few characters, this sort of reset might just be the right excuse to create new ones and explore new things! I would've been quiete upset if this came without a warning, but I actually think that this with a set (estimated) time is actually kind of a blessing. Worst-case scenario, there is also still the option of a soft-retcon, I believe, where you can just bring your previous character back through the timeskip, so long as you rework your character's history a bit to make them fit in the new, post-timeskip setting.

Works well, roleplays good. +1

SEZRAK FLOW

Share your Aurora Characters but make it actually cool.

Funny cat. Nothing bad to say about the actual commanding, and a nice roleplayer! Here is the +1

Had a couple of shift with the CE so far, good both on a gameplay AND roleplay level, nothing much else to add. Is good, +1

Getting a tranq gun is pretty cool! But also, now, we have this huuuge empty space, and I think it could use some filling. Maybe add a long range holopad here, some storage there, a charger there, I don't know.