Ariel - the background

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Ariel - the background

Post by Reliant121 »

Now...since Graham brings you his coalition (alot more sought after than ariel ;)), i Bring you a description and details on Ariel. It wont be nearly as complex as Graham's, i'm not capable of that level of detail to be honest. Anymoo. I'm posting it because...well frankly, i can ^_^. And it's kinda short. i cant do statistics very well :oops:
Last edited by Reliant121 on Mon Aug 25, 2008 5:16 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Ariel - the background

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ARIEL - the physical properties

Ariel, as a galaxy, is an elliptical one of the hubble classification E3 (elliptical 3). Mildly oval shaped, it is estimated that the galaxy contains 360 billion stars within its area. in dimension, the galaxy itself is measured at 2,500 light years in thickness at the rim, and about 7,000 at the centre. the diameter is around 72,500 light years. Many stars formulate in globular clusters, forming tight packed major star formations. The galaxy is estimated as one of the oldest in existance, 56.7 billion years old. The Majority of the stars are very old as well, leading new star growth to happen at a rarity.

ARIEL - galactic Population

Ariel is densely populated. A large proportion of stars have at least some form of life, and a fair proportion breeds sentient life. Statistical analysis is so far proved unpossible, due to a large amount of the galaxy having not been explored (attributed to the specifics of the FTL drive). On average, 38% of the planets have some form of life, be it microbial/pre-cellular or advanced (over 9 billion worlds). only 10% have intelligent life, roughly 9 million. 98% of these worlds are incapable of stellar travel, rudimentary agriculteral societies leading up to pre-warp industrial civilization ( around 8,800,000). the Rest, some 200,000 are interstellar capable, around 20,000 capable of FTL flight. This is where statistics end and complex politics begin.
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Re: Ariel - the background

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ARIEL - FTL technology

FTL technology is one of the most interesting aspects of the Ariel universe. FTL technology comes in one major form. there have been experiments in other forms, but this is the technology currently utilized.

Current FTL tech is called Slipstream. Slipstream is the use of a series of electromagnetic and graviton fields to propel a vessels reactionate material hull at immense speeds. Most hull materials react with Slipstream Nodes (the fixed facility method of Entering Slipstream), if the material does not, then it is not capable if slipstream. Most ships carry their own slipstream engine, but unlike other engines, this does not actual move the ship. The slipstream engine manipulates the mass of a starship, either making her weightless or increasing her weight. One of the problems early starships encountered was their inability to reach a long distance Node because their mass would reduce them to STL before they reached the end of their jump. By using slipstream engines, more commonly known as Nil-mass cores, a staships mass can be reduced to zero or such a negligable amount that it barely effects slipstream movement. Nil-mass cores do not alter a ships thrust forward, but simply maintain the slipstream jump. to slow down from slipstream, computers are automatically programmed to increase the mass beyond standard weight, restricting the propulsion of the slipstream engine. Advanced computers are tied in to the Slipstream node network, and activate the deceleration process at a specific point when nearing the destination node.

The most curious aspect of this technology, is that i was not developed. It was discovered. All races that have achieved this technological capability discovered Nil-mass cores in derelict vessels or discovered the blueprint to construct them in ruins. The cores, and the Nodes were left by a long dead civilization that dissapeared without a trace many millions of years ago.

This poses an interesting question...What happens during the first node jump?

Each node will automatically use the last jump coordinates that were programmed. A ship would be propelled where the last coordinates had been locked. Thankfully, they tend to have been locked in on one place: Bastion.
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Re: Ariel - the background

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ARIEL - The Ariel Triumvirite

The Ariel Triumvirite is the main governing body that a large number of the FTL capable interstellar species are part of. It is led by the eldar council, a council of 4 councellors, one from the four most prominant species. It is possible for the council to accept a councellor from another race if it is deemed necessary or the race permissable. The authority of the Council is absolute. They hold the final decision on council matters. They tend to do what is deemed right by the populace, and dont get involved in each races matters unless it damages the council. The current races represented on the council are the Danarians, the Uratha-vei, the Caalma and the Nishari.
The seat of government is not a planet. It isnt even a planetary system. It is a station. a massive station called Bastion, set in the Dawnstar nebula. Bastion was originally a station left behind by those that constructed the Slipstream nodes, but it was a small science and observation post. It is theorized that as the ancient race's empire collapsed, this was the last location that they remained, hence all the Nodes being automatically programmed to lead here unless programmed otherwise. The first race to discover the Bastion, the Caalma, constructed on it in a similar style to the "ancients", expanding the station to a massive stellar bound city. The facility houses billions, and it is the home of the Council as well as the Triumvirite fleet. Each council race has its own embassy on the "Promenade" and each has its own fleet docking bays and CnC centre.
Each race is permitted to operate as it wills as long as it doesnt cause detriment to the Triumvirite and the council. They can construct the ships they wish, found the colonies they wish and engage in operations as they choose.
The other major factor of the Ariel triumvirite is corperations. All corperations recieve licences for their particular field. Corperations can establish colonies or at least fund them, can set up research stations and even hire/construct a private militia as long as they have council permission. There are many corperations out there and each one can be as different as the next.
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Re: Ariel - the background

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ooh....please do comment criticize whatever ;)
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Re: Ariel - the background

Post by Tsukiyumi »

Cool setup so far. Nice work, Reliant. :)
There is only one way of avoiding the war – that is the overthrow of this society. However, as we are too weak for this task, the war is inevitable. -L. Trotsky, 1939
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Re: Ariel - the background

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I took quite a bit of inspiration from Mass Effect. I've change it a little, no Reapers, no cycle of evolutionary destruction :P and altered the FTL tech.
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Re: Ariel - the background

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Terran Alliance

humanity does exist in Ariel. In fact its one of the leading races not represented on the council. Humanity developed almost identically as it did in the Milky way. Remarkably so. The only difference is that the "Terrans", as they are called in Ariel, have gone further technologically than us. the Terran alliance is a coalition of human colonies and stations, that controls about 14% of the Triumvirite's territory. The seat of the Terran government, New Terra, is roughly 54.7 lightyears from the Bastion. The closest neighbour from the council are the Danarians, in fact, the Terrans at one time had a minor border confrontation with them. All has settled now. But there is still some tension. Terrans are sometimes regarded as an upstart species, gaining territory and influence very quickly considering they have had FTL drive for only 300 years, roughly the time of the Misali's catastrophic expulsion from their homeworld, where as many races have been with the council for at least double that time. Terran Military strength is roughly 1/2of that of the next largest fleet, the Nishali. Fleet strength is mainly measured by the amount of dreadnaughts a fleet posesses. Humanity has 6 dreadnaughts, the Nishali have 12, the Uratha-vei have 16, the Caalma have 20 and the Danarians by far have the most, 32 with another under construction.

The Terran dreadnaughts are currently named after historic battleships: Yamato, Yamashiro, Bismark, Hood, Repulse(of which the class is named), and Missouri.
It is currently budgeted that two more, the Fuso and the Iowa, both of the brand new Furious class dreadnaught, are to be constructed within the next 4 years.


Recently the battleships of the fleet have been renamed: Terra Nova, Furious, Ultimatum, Starlancer, Diligent, Vigilant, Leviathan, Juggernaught, Firestar, Champion, Centurion and Templar. the two new ships of the Furious class are to be named Glorious and Victory.
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Re: Ariel - the background

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ARIEL - The Danarian Forces

The Danarians are a bipedal felinoid species originating from Danaria Minor, a small world in the Danaria system, roughly 47.6 light-years away from Bastion station. The Danarians stand at anything from 3 feet high to 5 feet, depending on hereditary lineage. They have fur covered bodies, patterns and colours vary . They are incredibly resilient, having many redundant organs and a complex immune system. They are capable of adapting to any environment they live in, as long as a breathable atmosphere is present. They only thing preventing a large influx of the species is the very prudish and decadent attitude they have.
The Danarians joined the Council 800 years ago, and have served as the military arm. They are precise, honour-bound and highly efficient fighters. The Danarians control 36% of the Triumvirate territory.

The Danarian dreadnoughts that we have identified are the Kalastra, Delandor, Meyron and the Ilosia.
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Re: Ariel - the background

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ARIEL - The Caalma magistrate

The Caalma are an avian descendant species that hail from Their home-world of Caal. They are roughly 6-7 feet in height, normally have a very thin structure and possess a deep purple complexion. The Caalma are a very quick thinking, talking and acting species, each one having an incredible calculation ability. They can process information at immense speeds and complexities, one of the reasons many are in the scientific and command branches. The Caalma regard other species as somewhat dim, but have learnt to tolerate them for each races purpose. the Caalma appear devoid of emotion, some thinking they ignore it and some thinking they lock it away. In truth, emotion for the Caalma is a very weak feeling, much weaker an impulse than that of most species. They feel emotions as readily as any other species, but the signals themselves are far inferior in strength. The Caalma are the oldest of the current races, the first to discover the Bastion and Slipstream node technology. They are widely regarded in high esteem for their keen intelligence gathering and espionage abilities, as well as a great scientific and engineering prowess.

The Caalma actually have less territory than the Terrans, roughly 12% of the Total Triumvirate's space. But they are fiercely protective of their territory and their fleets patrol the borders meticulously. All remaining Dreadnoughts, (12), are stationed at the Bastion.

The Dreadnoughts of the Caalma magistrate fleet are: Jaitar, Maelkaowa, Kidaer, Liasta, Adreata, Moalia, Darravai, Baelto, Akhaiv, Minhervi, Haelkeiro, Janathrea, Faeiha, Oenari, Vialiak, Ishaena, Muurista, Caena, Aerza and Naokalma
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Re: Ariel - the background

Post by Tsukiyumi »

I assume you'll eventually get some stats up for the various species' dreadnaughts?

Good stuff so far.
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Re: Ariel - the background

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I will at some point.
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Re: Ariel - the background

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ARIEL - The Uratha-Vei

The Uratha-vei are a more unusual species. They are very similar in some respects to human jellyfish, in appearance at least. They evolved on a world where the gravity was considerably lower than most other species, to the point where they could quite freely fly using small expulsions of gas, stored within the body, out of the end of specialized tentacles to provide a one time thrust. then on, they drifted until they themselves halted their flight. The body normally ha anything from 30 tenticles to 160,depending on the age, body maturity and genome of which the individual originates. About 30% of these tentacles are the air-thrust subgroup, 50% are standard manipulator tentacles, 10 % are mood tentacles (that changed colour dependent on mood and the last 10% are feeder tentacles, that are capable of penetrating skin or carcass, and extracting the minerals from the food of which they are eating. The Uratha-vei can manipulate, hold, grasp and open objects with their tentacles, all of which are fully controllable. On higher gravity environments, the Uratha-vei must wear special mass-cancellation devices, strapped to the underside of the body to reduce their mass to normal levels. When dealing with other species, most Uratha-vei float close to the ground for "politeness" and "etiquette" but they are fully capable of flight if they wish. Unable to wear armour in battle, the Uratha-vei rely on powerful Psionic abilities. Most Uratha-vei are at least Psion rate 5 and a large number are Psion 10 and above. This means they are both Telepathic and Telekinetic, allowing them to erect Tele-forcefields around their body to replace shielding or armour. They can also throw, push and crush enemies using their psionic abilties. Many Uratha-vei starships are constructed using special materials to channel this Psionic ability into the hull, and sometimes they are fitted with weapons that use Telekinetic blasts to damage other vessels. They are also the most ornate or smooth ships, attributed to the Uratha penchant for fastidious aesthetic prowess. Do not be fooled. they are capable in warfare, their manipulator arms can wield weapons, and their floating ability can provide a huge tactical bonus, operating similarly to jetpack soldiers of other forces. The only downside, is a phenomenally low birth rate of 5000 per year for the entire race. Each Uratha "seeds" their partner with two seeds that births two of the species. They are mono-gendered, either one able to impregnate any other. They do have separate sounding voices, consistent with male and female though. They speak via special openings on the side of their head, which is shaped rather like a Cornish pasty stood on top of the cone shaped root of a human tooth.

Terran forces have not yet identified any Uratha Dreadnoughts by name.
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Re: Ariel - the background

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ARIEL - The Nishari Republic

The Nishari are a unique species among the Triumvirate's myriad of species. They are not a natural development. They are a artificial species, a combination of two natural DNA strands. The Base template species was that of the Nish, a non-sentient, 4 legged crustacean species. Caalma scientists exploring genetic manipulation technology identified the Nish DNA as one of the most resilient in the galaxy, capable of surviving a DNA meld with another species. A willing Participant of the Uratha-vei, a fabled scientist called Dr. Erandyla (more commonly known as Eran the inquisative among his own people, or "Edenstar" to the Nishari), in the final stages of his research life, melded his DNA with that of a Nish. he was not the only one, a female named Dr. Hiyonari underwent the same transformation at the same time. The experiment was a complete success. The Nishari were born. They retained their crustacean body, for the most part. But it was died a deep purple. Tentacles like those of the Uratha-vei erupted from the underside of the body, almost stretching the two meters to the floor that the legs held the small body at. They have two large black eyes and small tendril covered mouths on their body, which itself looks like a hardened shell of a squid. In fact they have been referred to as "Squid on legs" before.
They are probably one of the most friendly species in the Triumvirate, welcoming newcomers and other races, and making friends with outsiders because of the way some look down on their species. Their ships look similar to the Nishari themselves, long armoured bodies with large tendrils extending from the bow.

The Nishari stellar armada has provided us with the names of all dreadnoughts they control: Kal-fala, Kal-mila, Kal-afan, Kal-dinam, Kal-ickbar, Kal-tamok, Di-ranar, Di-neybar, Di-terza, Di-ulan, Di-palki and Di-kuurdat
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Re: Ariel - the background

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ARIEL - Space combat

Space combat comes in two forms dependent on the participant ships. If the battle involves dreadnoughts, then it is largely a long range artillery affair. Each dreadnought is normally armed with 1-3 main guns, designed for use against other dreadnoughts, stations or for planetary bombardment. The Dreadnought is there purely to eliminate the opposing Dreadnought but it does have the capability to use its secondary, tertiary and Auxiliary weapons systems to attack lighter targets if there is no opposing dreadnought. Main guns are normally either plasma mortars, super-heavy mass driver cannons or fusion beam cannons.
Space combat between smaller ships are often fought at short ranges with ships ranging in and out of formation at will, and frigate size ships often "dogfighting" with each other. These battles are all together more chaotic than large fleet actions, with alot of random elements and ships doing alot more as they please.

Starship weapons come in 4 main types.

Primary: Only found on Dreadnoughts, these guns are few in number but immense in firepower. They are normally immobile fixed weapons, and are normally of extremely limited effectiveness against lighter targets than Dreadnoughts. Examples: Plasma Mortars, Super-heavy mass driver cannons, Fusion beam cannons

Secondary: Secondary weapons are designed to be used against cruiser sized ships, down to Frigate sized ships (although they are not always effective against the far more manoeuvrable frigates). These can be used against Dreadnoughts, but a significant number would be required to disable the Energy barriers. Examples: Laser cannons, Standard mass driver cannons, Plasma cannons, plasma/laser stream cannons.

Tertiary: Tertiary weaponry is the limited ammunition weapon designed to complement Secondary weapons. These are often torpedo or missile type weapons, and are tracking instead of direct fire. Examples: Plasma torpedo, Fusion missiles, Lancet detonating charges.

Auxiliary: Auxiliary weapons are the point defense systems designed to eliminate bombers, and incoming Tertiary weapons. Most ships carry some form of Auxiliary weapons grid, and almost all of these have a weapon to cover all axis of attack. Examples: Light Pulse laser, Gattling laser, Gattling Mass driver, Tracer laser stream cannons, Mass flak cannons, Swarm missile packs.
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