Greater Moghean Empire

Greater Moghean Empire
HOMEWORLD:	Moghes
ORGANIZATION:	Moghean Triumvirate
RISK FACTOR:	HIGH
CURRENT STATE:	IMPERIAL EXANSION
Specialty:	Green Space, Xenophobia, Jingoism, Space Fortresses.
"Forged With Blood, To Devour The Stars"

The Space Age

The Moghean space age came swiftly, riding the rare periods of peace across the arid Moghean land. Many kingdoms had fallen at the hands of the great leader Oksaski-Donai, whom also had the greatest minds working on space travel. It was no secret that Moghes, the homeworld, was running out of its natural reservoirs. When the first ships launched in 1983, there was little celebration; it was more of a matter of fact. The scutters were set to work on extraction as soon as possible, much to their crews' peril. Space proved cold and distant, with even the best suits struggling to keep the cold-blooded species alive for long in its depths. Yet great promise remained; a habitable world lay only a few light-years away. Those with no promise or fortune would volunteer, rather than be under their landowners' thumb. The first ships on this long voyage were outfitted with the best available equipment and long-range communication devices, on the condition that it would be a one-way trip. These generational ships would be the first real large-scale fleet the species would muster, and they would be launched individually and tirelessly using long horizontal tubes, akin to “guns,” rather than conventional techniques. All of them would exit orbit by 2012 and leave the system about 6 months later.

By 2020, Moghes ran several space programs, each aiming to strike the asteroids littering the Gadusi-uyo system. It would grow into a multinational effort, with many nations eager to become interplanetary. Four great nations would dominate the system's colonisation: Donai, Kiskas, Xajkal, and Paspkor. They started by building small stations that, over the years, became outposts, then, by 2050, small fortresses dug into large asteroids or barren planets. No one would hear from the Thotoss, and if they made it to the promised planet, by 2072 it was considered a lost fleet. Such news did little to hamper anything, and true colonisation would come only a few decades later.

Moghean Domination

As colonisation took root, the mogheans made a miraculous discovery: Green space. Kiskas scientists discovered it at the Kyessus research-and-development facility. After a major failure, the stationary drive slipped out of reality for half a millisecond, though it appeared stationary to outside observers. The device faded green, then vanished a minute later, ending up in high orbit above the planet. It proved that warp travel was possible, though replicating it would be a major undertaking. While Kiskas had hoped to keep it for themselves, it quickly became an international sensation when Paspkor ships found the slip-drive out in space. All corners of the Moghean realm would bring their smartest to crack the code, and after decades of testing, they would make the purposeful slip into greenspace in 2109. The slip-drive would send shockwaves through civilised Moghes, making extra-gadusi travel a real possibility. However, it would be far from safe, because it slips out and into incredible speeds instantly; its tidal forces and radial motion press a crew against the wall until they were paste upon reemergence. This would be discovered during the first unfortunate test flights, before a solution was found. An engineer was able to decelerate the vessel during slip travel, at the cost of their own life, and allow the rest of the crew to survive. Since the deceleration and light erratic winding happen around the drive, a manual shutdown is a death trap for anyone who does it. Alternatives were sought: robots and remote computers; however, the infinite relativistic light properties caused even small amounts of energy to spray violently, meaning that if computers weren't shut down during travel, they would detonate immediately. Deceleration had to be manual, a sacrificial offering to keep both the crew and the drive from being ripped apart by tidal forces.

While troubling, plenty of “expendable” mogheans could do the job, especially with the right guidance. Extra-gadusi exploration would begin quickly in 2123, and the first major target would be the paradise world just out of reach. The planet Thirpia, around 12 light-years away, had been observed for centuries with great amazement. The Generation fleet would've reached the planet by 2043, 31 years later; with slip-jumping, it would take about a week. Thirpia was everything they had been promised: a lush green world not dissimilar to Earth. The first prospectors would cut up the planet for their respective nations. Explorers and officials would search the planet tirelessly for great sites to build. It wouldn’t be long before they bumped into each other, wishing good luck or cursing as they passed. However, one such encounter would bring a small Paspkor exploration group into contact with an ancient civilization in 2124. The explorer group waved to what looked like fellow explorers, then noticed their strange mantles and outdated, blocky armor. It became clear when the two parties couldn’t understand each other verbally, and it was practically obvious when they showed them their residence: an old bundle of rusted Thotoss ships. Details of this would reach Moghes, and a delegation would arrive a few months later. As per custom, the Thotoss leaders would submit to their former rulers. At the time, many believed this was all that remained of the generation fleets. But as they conquered more planets, some of these groups sprouted on worlds beyond Thirpia. As the Mogheans spread outward, problems began to arise within.

Unification: The Triumvirate

For centuries, people dismissed unification as improbable, yet many ancient warrior-kings tried. These near-successes stayed in the minds of long-ambitious rulers. By the 23rd century, the idea became necessary as the Mogheans began to lose standing with their colonies, even though their colonial officials descended from the very kingdoms they saw to defy. Many grew weary of the founding nations as their declining hegemony over the outer worlds slipped with every decade. Nations born outside moghes were unheard of, but the moghean nations would not let that happen. Moghes' decline would spark a war between the nations for dominance in 2208, a war that would end the disjointed kingdoms. For nearly 12 years, a series of conflicts would pit hierarchies against one another, with even old powers like Kiskas and Donai falling out of prominence. Hundreds of squabbling kingdoms would bow their heads to three powerful dynasties: the Zosko, the Dartezi, and the Ajuti. At first, they eyed each other, but quickly realised they were roughly equal. Seizing their chance at total unity, they would meet at the highest peak of Moghes, Koraothga, and in 2222 would “unify” their three nations under a single triumvirate.

No notable challenge would meet their unity, as the unified banner of the Greater Moghean Empire would unfurl over the ancient regimes. The banner would not be the only new, overarching regulation; new reforms would trigger a plethora of cultural shifts. The hundreds of religions would be carefully stitched and unified under a new materialistic civil religion known as the Imperial Way, one that favors control and makes morality subject to whoever has the means to act. Not everyone would follow the Greater Empire, but it was foolish to say it didn’t hold the most influence in Moghean civil space. Its militancy would only grow as the Greater Empire got more comfortable, and superstates like the Cotza Confederation would form to combat such imperialism. However, the same couldn’t be said for the non-reptilians who were unfortunate enough to share that space. As the mogheagans expanded, they encountered a handful of sapient lifeforms whose names weren't worth remembering. Given their social materialism, they were cast aside and exterminated to make way for colonisation. While some showed promise, even carrying technology equivalent to that of the 22nd century, the principle would not falter. By the 2400s, the Mogheans had colonised a long strip containing hundreds of worlds, and no other within their borders. Hollowed-out planets, grand space fortresses, and gigantic dreadnoughts became commonplace in the 2500s, and infighting remained constant throughout. Yet life would be relatively comfortable for the average peasant, if short.

Expansion would pick up again in 2546, as bluespace became readily available for civilian use. Explorers would funnel out of the strip and into the desolate galactic south and north, using new bluespace communication to search farther than ever before. What would become known as the northern wilds began to take shape in 2550, mainly inhabited by a mix of robotic and mining companies seeking to expand research into habitation of dead worlds. The galactic south became hotly contested, as the nearest planets were thousands of light-years away. Rival superstates quickly seized habitable colonies like Jaska and Yous-nou. Greater Moghes spent much of its exploration efforts sabotaging or fighting others to assert control. Even today, this effort would be largely ineffective and would leave the border worlds hardly developed pre-contact with humanity. Success would reach the North, as Greater Moghes had secured a large planetary cluster in 2589, much more defensible than the snake planets of the south. The northern development would be a long, grueling process, as Imperial enemies would do everything they could to hamper its progress. It would finally pay off by the early 2600s, after a long series of conflicts that ended in 2633. The Northern “Mid-ring” would loom as a military threat to Greater Moghes' rivals, pushing them toward the galactic east and forcing them to take their chances near the spiral’s infinite snaking edge. This would free Greater Moghes to move south, and by the late 2600s, rather than expanding into known space, they would try to cross the spiral gap.

Contact with the Orion Arm

The value of leaving the Carina–Sagittarius was controversial: while the distance was not impossible, the logistical and political concerns were immense. Through space communication observation, the Mogheans had long been aware of advanced civilisations that rivalled their own. They feared that since a centralised push would be needed to gain a foothold, the aliens would easily wipe it out. The same could be said for the UCSH and World Prosperity Spheres, who had no interest in them and didn't want to carry the burden of a war with an unknown foe. Given that, since light travelled so slow, it would be impossible to learn of this alien force with long-distance observation. The Mogheans would infiltrate two minor spurs north of the foreign arm and would begin direct surveillance in 2683. Using satellites and robot wayfarers, they tried to keep as low a profile as possible. Thankfully for one of them, they had picked the best possible spur: the territory of the ludite, isolationist nation of Greater Korea. The nation's lack of similar technology gave the surveyors little reason to fear, only increasing their confidence in an invasion. The much larger, more proper sphere showed major buildup, with an array of large fleets. This was the newly settled Kazzadona Minor, home to the ever-growing NIN. Taking their chances with the former, they would launch an incursion by the year 2702.

Under the experienced oversight of Skr. Oskao-Jukai and Ajh. Reads-the-Room, the supercarrier “Claw-Of-Redemption” would slip-jump into the Korean system and use cloaking to quickly manoeuvre to its first target: the colony of New Huichon. Small strike teams would enter from the planet's northern pole, using scans from the previous wayfinders to strike key communication and sensor infrastructure, effectively silencing the region. Imperial forces found the civilians they came across to be pushovers and were quick to kill anyone who stood in their way. By the time the Greater Korean military learned of the Mogheans, about 18 months later, they had already secured roughly 3 million square kilometres of Huichon's northern continent. Once discovered, it only hastened the inevitable, as the Imperial forces failed to see them as much of a threat. Oskao-Jukai would give the call, and soon the entire expeditionary fleet made way. Huchion offered little resistance and was effectively pacified in 2705. True to the Supreme Leader, the other planets failed to contact their human neighbours on the arm and tried to push back the Moghean fleet. Unfortunately, they had little success, and the planets New Manpo, New Rason, and New Guyon fell only a decade later in 2716. The Supreme Leader ordered a tactical withdrawal from the New Rajin system and its sister systems, New Uiwang and New Suwon, which Greater Moghes would seize by 2718.

The Super Republic's only hope was to hold out in its last system, New Sariou, while Greater Moghes moulded the planets under its occupation. New Manpo, New Rason, and New Guyon would be renamed Sou-eors, Kyroous, and Xakjs-po, respectively, and spacers would be funnelled into building them up without overextending themselves. Korean forces could only watch as their worlds were refitted to the imperial standard and pray for a long defence to tire out their enemy. A skirmish would test their defences in 2719, and a major engagement in the same year would kick them out of the spur entirely and back into the arm. While their deal with the World Prosperity Spheres was supposed to keep the Super Republics' position secret from much of the corporate world, the UCSH had been monitoring it on behalf of Nanotrasen and various WPS Zaibatsu. While impressed by the alien technology, the corporations didn’t see them as much of a threat, at least compared to the newly brewing anti-corporate nomad nation and their old corporate enemies. The Mogheans shared that sentiment, believing their opponents were much weaker than they expected. They scouted a perfect raiding target and planned a full invasion of the arm only five years later. They sought to take out what they believed was a major communication network and trade world, Luna, which, unbeknownst to them, was the headquarters of the largest entity in civilised space. The overconfident fleet, under the same commanders, would green-jump into the Sol system in 2725. The insane manoeuvre, paired with the unique slip-jumps, caught the UCSH off guard. Unable to muster within the hour, the invading fleet destroyed a large chunk of the security before descending into low orbit. Thankfully, ODIN, Luna's Intelligence Defense Array, formulated a countermeasure within minutes. ODIN immediately vaporised the fleet's vessels that blindly punched through low orbit, forcing those remaining in high orbit to retreat.

Corporate forces would follow quickly, tracking them back to their outer colonies. Having prepared for this, they already had reinforcements in place to prevent a devastating counter-attack. Corporate Forces would stage a siege and, using the Human Space Accords, call on the more fervent Terra Union and World Prosperity Spheres to assist. They would quickly overwhelm New Sariou (called “Eye-Of-Service” under Imperial rule), with sheer human force penetrating the system's defense line and cracking the only semi-habitable world within the month. However, as they tried to enter the more fortified, valuable systems, they ran into heavier defenses that required more expensive measures to overcome. Seeing no monetary gain, Nanotrasen tried to resolve it peacefully. Using captured prisoners, a series of translators, and disarmed shuttles, they established communication. The Hierarchs of Moghes quickly realized their greatest fear: they had encountered a worthy adversary. Peace talks began quickly as both sides carefully drafted a resolution. Greater Moghes would keep only the New Rajin (Now Ueu-Eskos), pay reparations to the Super Republic of Greater Korea (with a share to NT), and allow Mogheans to seek employment with humanity. Imperial Officials begrudgingly accepted the deal, worried that Imperial ideals would be viewed more unfavorably. Surprisingly, many did not see the loss as a sign of degrading Moghean superiority; rather, the public was impressed and intrigued by their new equal. Many would go on to work in human space, and the empire would arrive in time to join the winning side of a war. Humanity would not share the same unified outlook; Terra Union, terrified of a non-human imperialistic giant right on their doorstep, declared in 2726 that the Greater Moghean Empire was a “Threat to Humanity”

Culture

While humanity began as a communal society fending off greater dangers and, through perseverance, reached its apex, the Mogheans followed the opposite path. Mogheans originated as apex predators with a hierarchical social system. While some nations may stray from this, all Mogheans share some form of this prehistoric mindset. Mogheans have much more explosive emotions, which they often try to temper to demonstrate competence. Rank and capability are vital in any Moghean society; group status, reputation, loyalty, and strength are all conscious and visible. Aggression is less taboo, considered a welcome solution if controlled and against someone of similar or lower status. Empathy is a less valued virtue, replaced in public by humility, submission to authority, and working as hard as possible for said authority.

Many humans believe this makes them naturally quicker to violence, but that's not true; its original purpose was to intimidate and scare away foes. Greater Moghes is just an exception. It leans into this primitive idea, heralding it as the peak of the great warrior-kings of yore. Its militarism is matched only by its social Darwinism, considered its most striking and cruel social ideology. The Imperial Standard does not consider individual life important, as shown in the naming scheme (i.e., Jos-Ksoso), which is equivalent to two first names in human culture. While most citizens follow the imperial way to heart, spacers and orbiters often don’t share the same strictness. Many spacers are intrigued by other species, and some even become humanised or alienised.

Imperial culture believes that the strong should rule the weak, and as such has formed an opinion on some other species:

Species	Opinion
Humans	Respected as an “equal” adversary, humanity is considered a great co-inhabitant of the galaxy. While many in the imperial government find human society confusing, it does little to hamper or stain relations. Greater Moghes and its mercantile have benefited greatly and have occasionally assisted human efforts, most notably during the Great Nomad Wars.
Dionae	WIP
Synthetics	WIP
Decapoids	Considered worthless, much of the Imperial world views their defeat and corporate subjugation as inevitable, or as too little of a punishment for such a rebellious species.
Moth people	WIP
Arachnids	WIP
Slime people	The Oob'Mola'Iera are viewed positively for their humility in submitting to those who bested them and for disavowing anyone who fled from civilised space. Many will never see a slime person, though, and likewise have very little knowledge or interest in them.
Plasmamen	WIP
Vox	WIP

Government

The Greater Moghean Empire is, as the title suggests, an imperialistic and militaristic monarchy. The Triumvirate dynasties lead it, agreeing that the strongest nations on each of the three continents are fit to rule the thousands of imperial worlds. The Current ruling three are Guyhiaz, Zosko, and Soskor, with only ancient Zosko being able to cling to their dominance of the oceanic continent of the same name since the founding. Below the Three are their Hierachs, a council of proven courtiers (or family) who serve as administrators; the Hierachs carry their own courtiers, and so on. Noble groups and clans earn power and responsibility, and they make up much of the middle officials who run the day-to-day tasks.

Contrary to popular belief, AI is just as common in administration as in human governments; however, it serves as an official rather than an extension of one. Most Imperials are the underclass, separated by their work, strength, and prestige. Below them are those who do not share the imperial way and, according to the social materialism, are subject to whatever their superiors wish. These are often “simiservs” (sapient life created by species to serve as fodder in menial tasks), the unfortunate who are in indentured servitude, enslaved people, and animals.

The military is intertwined with the government; citizens can choose to enlist, though many volunteer out of honor regardless. Soldiers undergo the painful process of losing their horns, though they can grow back, a mark of seniority. Strong, cunning, and brutal, it is shockingly the most familiar organization to humans.