Introduction
And even stars may fall to ruin, but the rats will always remain to chew their bones.
-Crassin GoldEye, Krisitik Preacher
The stars are our destiny, this planet is stagnation. We either claim those stars for our own or wait for Ruin to take us here. I know which I will choose.
-Arcrat Narrit, Director of the Colonial Administration
Victory is measured in Megatons.
-Expeditionary Legions Propaganda Poster
Biology
Physicality
Krisitik in general resemble bipedal rodents within this general description there is an extreme amount of visual and genetic biodiversity. This is due to the centuries of genetic engineering and divergences undergone by the various ethnic groups of the Krisitik species. In addition, Krisitik possess a long and unstable genome that is prone to mutation with Krisitik DNA strands being several times the length of the human genome. The largest examples of the species appear as giants over the mean height of Krisitik, while the more bizarre subspecies of Krisitk seem like deformed mutants or demons compared to their more normal cousins. This extreme degree of variety is more akin to species like dogs than humans. Only a portion of this extended genome is active at any time with much of the genome being inactive. Which genes are activated is often a result to prolonged exposure to environmental conditions. Enviromental Conditions experienced by a pregnant Krisitik mother have a great influence on which traits are present in a newborn child even. For example, a pregnancy carried out in cold conditions will most likely result in a child born with thick fur while a regular Krisitik may grow thicker fur (and a genetic disposition to grow it) over a half year of repeated exposure to cold weather. The long genome of the Krisitik is highly prone to often lethal mutation. Even with modern gene therapies and centuries of experience treating and correcting such mutations research, the Krisitik still suffers from severely shortened lifespans and tragically high infant mortality for a developed species.
Physical traits present on an average Krisitik are commonly: long thin flexible limbs, rounded ears that fold out from the body, and long defined snouts and muzzles. Most Krisitk have a single tail (as opposed to none, two, or many), which they can control with great dexterity though said tails are generally prehensile. Their fur is short with its natural colors ranging from brown to tan to grey to black. In the modern era dying of fur is increasingly common in the lower classes of Krisitik society resulting in many bizarre colorations and patterns to say nothing of the abnormal colors caused by mutation. Krisitik Skin tends to range from pinkish to greyish. Their eyes tend to be warm colors with reds, oranges, and yellows being common with rarer occurrences of black, brown, and blue eyes. Krisitik regardless of their other traits reach sexual maturity at around 15 years of age though are not considered fully adult until around 20. The Krisitik live for about a hundred years as a result of the extensive life-saving gene therapies that are made available to all citizens. Their 'natural' lifespan without these mutation-correcting therapies is thought to be much shorter. The ‘Typical’ Krisitik have dull or tan fur colors and tend to be 4-6 feet tall. These 'Common' Krisitik make up about 60% of the total population. The race has a seemingly inbuilt bias towards male births with males outnumbering females at a rate of 2:1. Females tend to be larger than men by about half a foot on average, though the largest members of the Krisitik race tend to be male.
Mentality
Krisitik are at their heart competitive paranoid and opportunistic, traits many attribute to the conditions of their home world. Though the paranoia is never crippling for most Krisitik there is a subtle omnipresent sense that something bad will inevitably happen to them or something around them. As such Krisitik are known to prepare for disasters even if they seem rather unlikely. They will keep ample stocks of non-perishable food, drinks, and other essential supplies where they live with these stocks often going unused for years at a time.
Their second most prominent trait their competitiveness is also often seen because of their environment. As most Krisitik grow up in a highly competitive environment where gainful employment and sexual partners are in short supply the Krisitik must seek any edge they can to achieve a better life for themselves.
Having discovered aliens relatively recently the Krisitik are rather uncomfortable with the aliens they are now forced to conduct diplomacy and trade with. With the alien commanding empire unfathomably large the Krisitik, for the first time in their history, are learning for the first time that there is not nearly enough Krisitik. Now in the galaxy at large the Krisitik are out for any advantage they can muster playing catch up against the great powers of Orion, Moghes, and Vikara.
History
Origin System
The Krisitik home system’s star is called ‘Volvoth’ which translates to “White Scorch”. It is a class G0 White-Yellow Main Sequence Star. Volvoth has six planet-sized bodies orbiting it. The home world of the Krisitik, Murith, is the fourth planet from the sun. The other celestial bodies are three barren planets and two gas giants, which comprise the fifth and sixth planets in the system. In addition, there are three dwarf planets and twelve significant planetoid-sized objects in the system. Most of these have some Krisitik outpost beneath the surface or in their orbit. The system lies on the rimward-facing edge of the Orion Arm far trailing from Orion Confederation space. Their closest galactic neighbor of the Krisitik is the Moghes Hegemony and though the distance is great for the Krisitik it is still far too close for comfort.
Homeworld
Murith is a planet with 0.92 the mass that of Terra and from the surface hardly seems to be a planet that can support complex life. Murith appears from the surface to be a diseased planet, with acidic pits being visible from the surface. In Squeakish, Murith translates to ‘Our Sickly but Beloved Home’. The heavily radioactive surface, polluted toxic atmosphere, and acidic seas covering half the surface of Murith would preclude the development of most life.
However, beneath the surface, it is an entirely different story. The world of Murith is home to hundreds of subterranean cities across the planet, connecting these cities are tunnels so vast and labyrinthine that even the Krisitik cannot produce a reliable map of the whole thing. The underground cities are cramped metropolises that hold most of the planetary population. The architecture of these cities is similar to fallout shelters with many hermetically sealing doors, ventilation systems, and cramped spaces. These precautions are necessary in case of cave-ins or gas leaks which are constant concerns for the local population. The cities are fed by massive hydroponic facilities and powered primarily by a mixture of fission and fusion reactors.
A byzantine web of government social support programs and welfare makes sure that the population receives food, water, clean air, medicine, and all other necessities of life. The only hope for advancement through this society is through workplace promotion through merit but sometimes through any means possible. With the number of desirable jobs vastly exceeding the population desiring them, this has created a highly competitive city environment.
Between the cities along the labyrinthine tunnel complexes are smaller settlements run by familial clans. These clans have between a hundred and a few thousand members and often represent extended familial groups or coalitions of these groups with settlements usually consisting of a few clans camped on a resource such as a powerplant, a mine, or a mass hydroponic farm, which they trade to the cities to gain whatever the largely self-sufficient ‘Clanner’ settlements cannot make themselves. Though a minority of the population, the Clanners usually have a better quality of life than their city counterparts and are especially distrustful of outsiders.
The remainder of the territory is wild tunnels home to genetically engineered fungi and cave-dwelling wildlife, much of which has been genetically engineered by the Krisitik to aid the ailing biosphere of the tunnels and fight back the toxic air of the surface. Underground rivers and lakes team with blind aquatic life engineered by the Krisitik to return life to their tunnels. Occasionally small squatter settlements can be found in the endless tunnels. Usually made up of those that have left the cities these communities are the poorest of the poor and often resort to crime and banditry to eke out meager existences. Within the tunnels, the remains of numerous small settlements, disused transport routes, and even entire underground cities destroyed by disasters centuries ago are still the home of scavengers, archeologists, wildlife, and squatters.
History
c. 1500 CE: An unknown calamity renders the surface of Murith uninhabitable and drives the Krisitik underground. History before this point is effectively erased.
c. 1700 CE: The beginning of Krisitik recorded history. The oldest files in electronic databases record the founding of Hexarchy a confederation of six underground cities linked by newly dug and maintained underground tunnels. The Hexarchy will later unite the undercities into a unified planetary government.
c. 1850 CE: The Hexarchy now with 24 members unites its public services, into state-spanning entities. The Department of Energy (later known as the Murith Guild of Engineers), the Department of Public Health, the Hydroponic Research Authority, and the Transportation Authority are founded.
c. 1950 CE: The Krisitik Genome decay accelerates to a point that the Department of Genetics Research is created by combining the Hydroponic Research Authority and parts of the Department of Public Health.
c. 2070 CE: Murith is mostly united under the Hexarchy now the Krisitik United State with only a few holdout cities that don’t have regular connections to the planet spanning government. The Gendarmerie organization is also formed at this time. The Stalkers emerged as the united intelligence service for the United State.
2194 CE: A reactor failure, causes a cascade of effects which destroys the city of Carrose. Hundreds of thousands die in the first hours and nearly a million more die in the botched response. A “Carrose Report” is commissioned by the Stalkers in secret to determine the cause of the failures. The report determines that corruption centered around the Krisitik United State leadership had been the cause of the disaster and the botched response. When the Stalkers attempt to publish the report it is covered up by their Krisitik United State-appointed leadership.
2201 CE: A conspiracy begins among Stalkers who had worked on the Carrose Report. Slowly parts of the report are shared silently with members of other organizations including the Department of Public Health, Department of Energy, and the Transportation Authority. The conspiracy grows and begins to organize to reveal the Carrose Report and overthrow the Krisitik United State.
2209 CE: Growing protests in the capital by the Murith League of Teamsters many of who leaders were part of the conspiracy provide perfect cover for the coup. The Gendarmerie come to arrest the protesting teamsters only to turn on the government arresting the leadership. An interim government is declared with the Gendarmerie bringing on members of the Department of Public Health, Department of Energy, Transportation Authority, and members of the League of Teamsters to aid in forming the new government taking seats as members of the Interim Council. The Stalkers ultimately masterminds of the coup also support the government in secret.
2210-2285 CE: The Interim Council is unable to enforce their authority across the planet, unrest and rebellion spread across the planet. These are known as The Mad Times. The Gendarmerie prove unable to provide security to the other members of the Interim Council and as such they begin forming their own independent security forces. During this period many Krisitik leave the city to form clans in new settlements in the tunnels between cities forming the basis of the current Clanner society. This period of chaos ends with the formation of the Legionary Forces a unified Krisitik military. The Interim Council transitioned into a permanent government declaring a “Unity of Bureaucratic Government” officially creating the Murith United Bureaus which endures to this day.
2235 CE: The Department of Energy Reforms into the Murith Guild of Engineers. With much of the old bureaucracy dealt with ‘The Guild’ becomes an organization led by its most talented and eccentric engineers and scientists. The Guild launches numerous projects to advance the Krisitik race. Guild influence leads to a revolution in space-faring technology and the miniaturization of nuclear power.
2347 CE: The First Krisitik FTL drives are made. Designed to be ‘quiet’ they are used to send small scout probes out to the galaxy. Krisitik intellectual thought about alien life was heavily influenced by ‘Ruin’s Maw’ which is similar to the ‘Dark Forest’ of early human thought on extraterrestrial life. Believing alien life to be hostile until proven otherwise Krisitik hopes to learn about aliens long before aliens learn about them.
2408 CE: A Skrell science vessel on the way to the Exclusion Zone for research comes across an unidentified probe. Upon attempting to capture the probe for study the probe’s self-destruct, a nuclear fission bomb, detonates severely damaging the science vessel. The science vessel is thankfully able to limp back to port. After attempts to acquire similar probes end in similar atomic detonations the probes are deemed mines and avoided. Unknown to the Skrell the probe had just transmitted conclusive evidence of FTL-capable aliens to the Krisitik along with samples of data acquired from the transmissions of the Skrell ship.
2447 CE: The first Krisitik colony ship launches from Murith. Bound for an exoplanet not too dissimilar to Mars, it is equipped with special technology to rapidly create a completely underground colony much like existing cities on Murith. The end goal is simple create self-sustaining invisible colonies across the cosmos creating an unseen empire safe from any alien threat. The Krisitik hope that the hidden colonies can ensure the survival of their species in case of alien attack.
2467 CE: After two decades of reports of ghost ships and strange probes, the official ‘first contact’ between the Krisitik and an alien race occurs when a human scout vessel jumps into the Volvoth system surveying it for colonization and or corporate exploitation. At the time a Krisitik colony ship just so happens to be leaving the system which the human vessel attempts to hail. The Krisitik panicked and the newly formed Krisitik Navy mobilized to protect the colony vessel. The humans see the empty system of Volvoth come alight with activity as over a dozen vessels begin speeding toward them ordering their surrender. The vessel is impounded, stripped of key components including its advanced FTL drive, and its crew are temporarily arrested on an asteroid base. The arrest lasts three days after which the crew are released by a diplomat with a formal apology and instructions to transmit diplomatic channel code to their leaders. With their vessel returned mostly intact, the crew is given a military escort out of the system and return immediately toward Orion space with their incredible tales of as-of-yet uncontacted FTL capable species and soon galactic powers are clamoring to make contact with the new neighbors of the Orion Rim.
2473 CE: Pirates hearing of the inferiority of Krisitik vessels raid the Krisitik Colony of Korrisk. The Krisitik Navy is slow and stands no chance against the superior engines of pirate vessels. The pirates descend on the colony landing near the entrance to the bunker city of Korrisk only to be instantly vaporized by a tactical nuclear weapon. The city of Korrisk is unharmed by the detonation shielded by dozens of meters of rock. The pirates' orbital vessels are later taken apart by nuclear mines. The defense of Korrisk causes the Krisitik to begin to pursue an aggressive naval modernization.
2497 CE: The Krisitik officially distribute a map of their claims to their parts of the Orion rim. They mark official ports of entry and FTL travel lanes in the region. Warning that deviation from prescribed ports of entry will not be tolerated. Though the map represents rather extreme claims, most powers accept it due to the isolation of the Krisitik. However, some traders refuse to respect the lanes. When a Cybersun Industries fleet refuses to respect the lanes the fleet is scuttled by automated mines which the Krisitik had been laying irregularly around their claimed territory. The mines are part of a massive defensive infrastructure investment in Krisitik space dubbed “Ruin’s Field”, consisting of countless secret asteroid bases, fusion minefields, gunboat bases, fighter bases, and extreme-range artillery platforms. The true extent of “Ruin’s Field” is unknown to this day but it is estimated to be one of the strongest defensive systems in the galaxy.
2501 CE: Several megacorps attempt to secure a presence within Krisitik space. They are met with highly protectionist laws and hostility to their presence by the United Bureaus though the united government does not make any deals, individual Bureaus make their deals with certain corporations. Over time this leads to some trade between the Bureaus and megacorps however it is regarded by many corporations as ‘hard bargains’ owing to the protectionist policies of the Bureaus as a whole.
2514 CE: A Vox raider fleet breaches “Ruin’s Field” and strikes into Krisitik space with their stealth technology. The fleet uses its stealth technology to bypass the worst of “Ruin’s Field” and even makes it to Volvoth before it is finally stopped by the Krisitik fleet which fights the raiders to a draw. Following a period of negotiations, the Vox raider fleet withdraws peacefully from Krisitik space. From this point on Krisitik Vox relations are generally considered positive and Vox vessels are often seen trading with the Krisitik in their space.
2528-2535 CE: The Luxus-2 Campaign pits the Legionary Forces against a Xenomorph incursion hive on the titular iceworld. Supply problems and poor discipline almost see the colony lost the situation is only patched through judicious use of tactical nuclear weapons, some of which kill Krisitik and Xeno alike as the Legionary Forces tried desperately to cauterize the wounds made in their line by the Xeno hordes. The humiliated Legionary Forces face massive scrutiny by the rest of the Bureaus who invest heavily in their security forces and new weapons to reduce reliance on the Legion.
2542 CE: Nanotrasen attempts to set up trade with the Krisitik are hassled by Gorlex Marauder presence near their space. Nanotrasen narrowly avoids open conflict with the United Bureaus during their suppression of Gorlex operations in the region. To this day parts of Nanotrasen believe that the Syndicate had some sort of deal with the United Bureaus though no conclusive evidence for this was ever found.
Today: The United Bureaus are seeing a galaxy get smaller and smaller. Across the gap in the Orion Arm, the Orion Confederation is expanding again, and far more worrying the borders of the Moghes Hegemony grow closer every day. Most Krisitik see a confrontation with Moghes as inevitable and against a superpower, their continued independence seems far from certain. Meanwhile, the end of the Syndicate wars has seen the Krisitik soften their relationship with megacorporations, they remain highly suspicious of the corporations but more than anything ready to exploit new relationships to their fullest after all they will need all the friends they can get if their predictions about war with Moghes holds.
Current Racial Status/Government
The Krisitik are an independent race run by a government self-described as a ‘Bureaucratic Confederation’ known as the ‘United Bureaus’ or just ‘The Bureaus’. Rather than services, such as police, medicare, food aid, utilities, and public transit are services provided by the government the institutions that run these services are the government. A metaphor for it would be as if the city was run by its Chief of Police, District Attorney, The Director of the Hospitals, the Postal Service, the Utilities Company, and the Port Authority. Each of these organizations appoints members to serve on the council as they see fit meaning some serve by appointment, others by popular election from the organization’s members.
The Executive branch of this government is the Grand Council which represents the most powerful organizations of the United Bureaus as a whole. Member organizations are discussed below in the “Notable Members” section. On the Council each member organization is considered critical to the running of the government and as such each member is given a single vote making each organization equal regardless of manpower and economic gaps between the member bureaus. This is a deliberate act to prevent the dominance of singular powerful bureaus on any level of government.
Bureaus often operate independently from each other though they tend to hold enough dependency on other council members to prevent overt competition. In many ways council member bureaus are like human megacorporations both in the way they have monopolistic controls on certain aspects of Krisitik life and in the ways, they interact with the outside world often acting as individual entities rather than a united nation.
Notable Members of the Grand Council
Murith Guild of Engineers (The Guild): Or simply ‘The Guild’ is by and far the most powerful of the council members. It is responsible for both creating and maintaining the power, utilities, and the great machinery that allow Krisitik society to function. It is led by a clique of its most talented and eccentric engineers whose eccentric and often uneconomical pursuits have led to the advancements in nuclear technology that are the Krisitik’s edge over the wider galaxy. They are also the most maligned organization in Krisitik society and are subject to the most curtailments of their power by the rest of the Council most recently the naval dockyards were removed from Guild Control and placed under the direct control of the Navy.
Department of Genetics Research (DGR): The Department of Genetics Research (DGR) is more than any other single Bureau, responsible for the continued success of Krisitik society. The genetically engineered menagerie of Murith’s flora and fauna are all the result of the DGR’s genetic engineering. Life-saving genetic therapies unborn Krisitik themselves receive in utero are a public service of the DGR. Without their genetically engineered crops there would be mass famine and without their gene therapies life expectancy would collapse and infant mortality would increase. Their leadership is the greatest advocates for more human-like gene modding and other exotic modifications which made them controversial among more conservative Krisitik society.
Department of Public Health: Responsible for public health in the densely packed petri dishes that are Murith’s city. Due to the sheer impossibility of preventing disease outbreaks in such a dense and massive population, their efforts focus on prevention. One of their primary and questionable ethical innovations is the bioengineering of diseases to act as a contagious vaccine. Rather than waiting for an outbreak virus samples are captured and mutated into a neutered but highly contagious strain once released into the population this neutered strain spreads quickly causing illness but also inoculating the population against the worse versions of the disease.
The Gendarmerie: Referred to colloquially as the “Pike Men” after their long energy pikes, are the national police force of the United Bureaus and the most disciplined of its military formations. With cities so dense, and with poverty so extreme, riots can be a common occurrence in the poor parts of Murith. This highly professional force of police are experts in minimizing loss of property and lives in these incidents. Their energy pike is known as a "Long Light Lance”, the weapon holds some similarities to Syndicate beam weapon designs however it is more adjustable having stun and “lethal” settings, it is also known to cauterize wounds burning them rather than slicing with brute trauma due to the heat of the beam. The long reach of the weapon has allowed the Gendarmerie to stay out of the reach of the rioting masses. They also serve as security and bodyguard for high-ranking members of Krisitik society and as marines for the United Naval Forces.
The Krisitik Naval Forces: One of the youngest of the Grand Council members founded in 2465 CE. It represents the combined fleet of the United Krisitik Bureaus. This includes both merchant marine and naval forces, as well as the colony ships turned ‘mobile markets’. Despite the powerful weapons at its ships’ disposal from fusion warhead torpedoes to the overwhelmingly strong Fusion Lance, their internal structure is fraught with infighting. As they draw manpower from the rest of the Council members such as the Guild of Engineers and the Gendarmerie to perform essential ship functions, the absolute loyalty of naval crews to its captain may exist only on paper.
Murith League of Teamsters: The Murith League of Teamsters is the largest Union on Murith and the colonies of the United Bureaus. It is made up of countless independent operators and small companies all in charge of transporting goods within the Labyrinthine cities of Murith. The three-dimensional maze can only be supplied by countless workers running small cargo trollies, freight elevators, and even hand-pushed carts. The Union is one of the few Grand Council members to elect its leader through popular vote which is done every 3.2 Terran years. They are one of the largest members of the Grand Council by membership and as they deliver to the most dangerous areas of Murith, they have developed a very large militia derived of armed Union members.
The Stalkers: The Stalkers are the spy lords of the Bureaus, responsible for internal security and external espionage. They hold an important role in that they act as a check for the excesses of the other Council Members. Should high-ranking officials of member organizations cross legal and ethical lines they will make sure the organization is informed and if action is not taken the other Council members will also be informed. In some cases, they will also be tasked with the arrest and in extreme cases assassination of these lawbreakers. Despite the immense amount of power they hold over other organizations their numbers are small and their continued operations rely upon the support of the Council.
Transportation Authority: More a public service than any one of the other Council Members the Transportation Authority is responsible for the mass transit of goods and people through Murith running its massive monorail network between production centers, mines, and population centers alike. They are also in charge of maintenance of Murith’s endless tunnels, elevators, and rail system making sure cargo whether shipped in tons or grams can make it to its destination through clean stable unobstructed tunnels. This thankless task hides their true power. Without them, the monorails will cease to move and without the ability to move goods, shortages and famine ensue.
Expeditionary Legion: Also known as the Legion is the military arm of the United Bureaus. Known for its quantity over quality approach, it turns away few and with so many unemployed Krisitik with no prospects, there is no shortage of volunteers. Their size inflames its greatest weakness - logistics - as the strain of supplying its legions often surpasses the ability of its supply lines. Their subpar troop discipline and equipment are also known to lead to disasters. Their recent defensive actions against the xenomorph incursion of Luxus-2 almost ended in a defeat which was only salvaged by the judicious use of tactical nuclear weaponry.
Colonial Administration: Officially the Colonial Administration oversees the colony worlds of the Krisitik. However, with so much power devolved to the Colonies themselves, the Administration effectively acts as the diplomatic and economic corridor between the colonies and homeworld. They are also in charge of pouring over survey data to select new colony worlds and outposts. Their final responsibility is the selection of new colonists. Tens to hundreds of millions of Krisitik apply for every ship that carries thousands and it is their job to make sure the new colony receives the right composition of skilled and unskilled workers to ensure its continued success while trying its hardest to alleviate the population burden in Murith’s slums.
Technology
Masters of the Atom
If the Krisitik would have one edge over the rest of the galaxy it is in nuclear technology. Centuries underground had forced their society to rely on fission and fusion and a near millennia of tinkering with their reactors in the absence of other energy sources has led to improvements in nuclear technology surpassing other galactic powers. Key to this advancement has been the miniaturization of nuclear technology. Krisitik fusion and fission reactors at their smallest can fit the in palm. Krisitik energy weapons make use of this technology to increase the capacity of their energy cells. Exotic isotopes common in Krisitik reactors can only be made by the most complex particle colliders in Orion and Vikara. These exotic isotopes are a cornerstone of Krisitik trade with the rest of the galaxy as producing stabilized versions of these isotopes in high quantities is only economical in Murith where facilities exist to produce them in large quantities.
Masters of the Underground
Over a millennium of living far beneath the surface of their homeworld has seen the Krisitik develop technologies suited for underground life and construction without ever seeing the light of any star. The Guild has created digging devices capable of carving out perfect tunnels and chambers to house their underground cities, down to standardized methods for building single-family houses within caves. The Department of Genetic Research has adapted an entire ecosystem of cave fauna for both hydroponics and aesthetics ranging from mushroom-based alternatives to grain to strange creatures like the blind Drapper, a furless six-legged mammal that eats fungus and is herded for milk and meat. Beneath the surface, the Krisitik have whatever they need and this life shields them from the dangers of asteroids, pirates, and even orbital bombardment.
Culture
The Four Krisitiks:
The Krisitik in general terms can be described as a culture of survivalism. The Krisitik are on a societal level paranoid that all kinds of disasters can happen and will happen and have happened before. Krisitik society focuses heavily societal focus on self-sufficiency on as many levels as possible, as if actively preparing for a galaxy-wide calamity. Whether this is caused by religious belief (See Religion section for more details) or is a deeply ingrained aspect int their psychology having survived a previous near-extinction calamity on their homeworld is up for debate. Their nature as survivors and preppers has manifested in strange ways. For example, respirators and gas masks are a common sight in Murith as they are used to protect from gas leaks and cave-ins, which are still shockingly common in the underground cities of Murith. As a result, a portion of the local fashion industry has evolved around these masks with several ornate, and intricately designed masks being seen as equivalent to any other fashionable accessory.
Krisitik also have a eugenicist aspect to their culture. Most Krisitik receive some form of genetic therapy some in utero as a means of correcting genetic defects which could be lethal as the fetus grows. Great emphasis is placed on the heritage and success of one’s lineage when selecting for both jobs and romantic partners. As males outnumber females two to one, competition for women is rampant and often bloody.
Krisitik can generally be classified into four social groups based on where they grew up.
Hivers: Hivers hail from the highly competitive underground urban centers of Murith. They live work and die as one among millions in the cramped quarters, manning massive greenhouses, processing food, staffing power substations, and working in factories. For them, the only hope of escape is promotion something many will use any means possible to achieve. Anything they are not willing to do their competitors may. For Hivers the difference between prosperity and poverty is often in small advantages and the willingness to do anything it takes to get ahead.
Clanners: Clanners hail from the rural part of Murith or its colonies. Compared to Hivers, they live comparatively comfortable lives isolated among their clans. Each clan is usually an extended family and several more extended families. Clans are run by matriarchal councils made up of the elder women of the clan. Clanners don’t often deal with outsiders and have a great focus on their families. Clans do everything together, if their rural settlement fails then they move to the hive as one, if a clan wins the ticket to be sent to the colonies, then they do so as a group, which the Colonial Administration accounts for. Clanners separated from their clan often suffer psychologically from it. Clanners are only exiled by their clan when they commit acts that not even family can forgive and as such become pariahs even outside of Clanner society. Clanners who leave their clans voluntarily often do so for a sense of adventure or to find a wife, something they often do among other clans. However many of these adventurers find themselves alone and destitute in the teaming masses of Krisitik society.
Spacers: Spacers are the remains of the early Krisitik colony ship initiatives. When the original very slow Krisitik colony ships were made obsolete by imported FTL drives from the Vikara Combine and Orion Confederation, the large ships meant to ferry tens of thousands were expected to be decommissioned. Instead, they were upgraded and improved to become the space-borne settlements of the United Bureaus. They conduct trade with other species, diplomacy, and generally attempt to pave the way for Krisitik settlements across the cosmos. The people of these vessels are hardy insular folk who live their entire lives in naval dictatorships under the ‘admirals’ that rule these ships. Spacers are all on the ship together and if the ship is destroyed, they are unlikely to be rescued. Though if it comes to that most of these vessels pack enough warheads to level continents in a sea of nuclear fire. These Krisitik are often the comfiest with alien species such as humans, and usually have a good sense of enterprise, trade, and makeshift engineering. Indeed, in the 100 years since their creation, the old colony ships have been refitted and upgraded so many times that none look anything like their original design and no two are alike, sporting parts and modules from races across the galaxy in a functional but chaotic mish-mash of designs.
Colonials: Colonials are Krisitik that have left their home world to inhabit one of the various colony worlds of the United Bureaus. Away from the stresses and rationing of Murith (and perhaps more consistent exposure to sunlight) these Krisitik are often much easier going. Krisitik from Murith find them so easygoing they wonder if they are on Ambrosia which is a beloved import from human botanists and very popular in the colonies though rare on Murith. Though living on worlds without the environmental pressures that drove them underground Krisitik still prefer underground settlements digging miniature underground cities to act as their home away from home even on perfectly habitable worlds. These Krisitik are also the most integrated with the rest of the galaxy as their distance from the home world has allowed them to import many human consumer goods and materials making them more friendly to the megacorps that supply these goods.
Language
Krisitik language referred to by the wider galaxy as “Squeakish” sounds to others as a series of squeaks whistles and rodent liter chittering. Vocal inflections are so minor that it is considered quite hard to learn and speak for non-Krisitik though not insurmountable. Their written language is a runic system that is split into traditional and simplified styles. The simplified version breaks a word into several ‘characters’ resembling lines and arrows that when written over each other spell a word.
Naming Conventions
Krisitik names are composed of two or more elements. The first primary name is given to a child when it performs its first act of ‘character’ and begins to show a personality. This is often written in common as the communized version of the Krisitik name. (e.g. Gris-it is composed of Gris which is a corruption of the common ‘grease’ and ‘it’ which is Krisitik for ‘consume’ so ‘Grisit’ as a name means ‘grease-eater’ which will be given to a child that is found licking a pan after meat frying.) In general, first names are composed of two or more syllables. (Nar-reek is composed of Nar meaning ‘Table’ and ‘Reek’ meaning climber: ‘Table-climber’). Though single syllable names are not uncommon (Ritsch meaning ‘stands straight’). Second names are inherited from the mother’s second name and often reflect a desirable genetic trait the mother’s line is known for, this is often given a more literal common translation when written in common (names such as Blueeyes, Longclaw, Sharp-Ears, Strongjaw are all examples of this in effect).
Religion
The Krisitik Religion can accurately be described as an apocalypse cult. The Krisitik worship ‘Ruin’ a manifestation of the concept of Entropy. They also believe in cosmic cycles of creation and destruction as part of a ‘cycle of Ruin’ with civilizations and peoples rising and failing to ruin as part of this grand cycle. Rather than stand as guardians of the cycle the Krisitik see it as their duty to oppose the cycle and every time ‘Ruin’ comes, they see it as their sacred duty to survive the collapse and grow again from the ruins of the world that was until ‘the very death of the very stars’, outliving all until ‘Ruin’ itself blackens the stars for good. Normally contact with alien races weakens religion’s hold on its people however in the case of the Krisitik it has caused a religious revival. Their contact with the galaxy has proven not only that they are not alone but that even galactic empires are subject to the cycles of Ruin as evidenced by the presence of precursor ruins on multiple planets and even precursor species like the Vox which the Krisitik hold in a semi-religious reverence. This has only reinforced the Krisitik resolve to survive what they believe will be the eventual end of the galactic cycle. About a quarter of the Krisitik are believed to be direct followers of the Cult of Ruin though its influence extends deep even into secular society with many believing in the cycle of Ruin without being members of the cult. Members of the cult have been known to launch expeditions to Dioscuri and the Exclusion zone to try and gain knowledge about civilizations past to prevent further disaster though most of the time these expeditions end in the deaths of most involved.
Relationships With Other Species
The Krisitik remain cautious in their relationships with the rest of the galaxy. Trade agreements between them and the wider galaxy are rare and often shakily maintained. Due to their isolation on the Outer Galactic Arm, they cannot maintain diplomatic relations with distant species. They maintain strangely friendly relations with the Vox who are one of their largest trade partners though the exact nature of their trade is uncertain and the subject of much speculation. Their protectionist policies have earned them and have not endeared them to the megacorporations who find trading with the Krisitik especially difficult.
The Krisitik are a recent addition to the wider galactic community and their introduction to that community has revealed they are but a small fish in a large and scary ocean. They fear the day that through either economic pressure or direct consequence they get swallowed by the bigger fishes in the sea. The gap between them and the great powers of the galaxy is so large they have begun taking extreme measures to close the gap and often engage in greatly unsavory tactics to do so. This has not endeared them to the other races of the galaxy, so relations remain lukewarm at best with the galactic powers.
Among smaller powers, though the Krisitik see an opportunity by courting the unaligned power it can leverage their combined position against the larger galactic powers. As such it is trying to open relations with the Confederate Commonwealth and Adhomai trying to improve relations with the Tajara. They have also reached out to other galactic minors, Vox Arkships and isolated Vox clans, the space-faring migrants of the Dnin-Nepids, the distant Alraune of Loam, and even have attempted to conduct diplomacy with the Aurils of Sanctum and the Drema, though with little success. Though in its early stages, the Krisitik hope that with enough planning they can become the center of an unaligned bloc of powers to shake the balance of the galactic powers.
Rumors and Speculation
The Krisitik have been a recent addition to the galactic community and have not signed all the same weapon control treaties as its other member states. Though a supporter and signature of Nanite control legislation including a blanket ban on machine self-replication, the Krisitik are known to have stockpiles of chemical and theoretically even biological weapons. They have in addition been known to harness the power of radiation as a weapon despite the inhumanity of such weapons as seen by other species. The Bureaus have been accused of selling nuclear weapons to the Vox and other pariah factions such as the Syndicate before their dissolution. The Stalkers have been accused of corporate espionage with members accused of stealing patented designs and research data from many corporations.
OOC Notes
Etiquette Guide for Krisitik
Despite their paranoia and competitiveness Krisitik harbor no ill will to other races and groups. They tend to cooperate when not in competition and are perfectly fine working with other organizations outside their race. Their self-preservation instinct largely overrides any malice and competitiveness they may have towards other species and other members of their race and in general they understand loyalty to be valuable and necessary to the running of society.
Their weakness comes in the fact that they are recent arrivals to the galactic scene, they lack the centuries history and context of other factions in the galaxy and their struggle. If asked why they trade with the Vox that are hostile to other factions, they will simply say ‘Well they haven’t attacked us’. Rather than pick sides in galactic conflicts they are willing to play both sides as it is largely the most beneficial outcome for themselves.
Important Racial Terminology
Ruin: As a proper noun, the Krisitik’s god of Entropy, or an apocalyptic event capable of wiping the galaxy clean. Even many non-religious Krisitik believe in the apocalyptic part of Ruin. They see surviving this Ruin as the duty of their race.