Mars

To sit on the ornate throne of Enyo, adorned in material so expensive, so luxurious, and so radioactive that by its very nature most cannot view it, is not to rule the nation; the throne is simply a chair and has changed dozens of times. To command the nation's vast armies means little beyond having a strong force at one's beck and call. Furthermore, even if the kings and princes from across the nation paid tribute, begged for a seat at one's table, and worshiped a conqueror as lord, that would not mean that this conqueror ruled the nation.

None of these things by themselves are what it means to rule the people of Mars for none of these things are Mars. No single act or position of power gives one the right to rule this region for it is Mars, the embodiment of the people, the spirit of the nation itself, which bestows that right to rule. Without the Blessing of Mars, ruling the group of stars that form Martial Space would be impossible.

Throughout history, Mars was conceptualized as a vast multi-headed construct composed out of the collective will of all residing within its realm of influence. In the past, the sole representative of Mars was a monarch who maintained authority through force. Currently, it is understood that there is more to Mars than simply its nearly-deific power. Sovereignty, that is, Mars itself, rests firmly within the hands of the people who comprise the entity.

Description

Mars is a a disturbance, in other words, a spirit. While most spirits simply aimlessly float through time and space, Mars is part of the small group that possesses a will. Given their non-physical nature, this means that they are immensely powerful. Throughout history, they have been regarded as prophets or even deities themselves. Mars is the patron deity of the region that bears its name, Martial Space. Mars is different from most influential spirits in that its will has been utterly removed from it, replaced by the collective will of those living in Martial Space. Originally a Human deity, Mars has come to incorporate the wills of trillions, Human and non-human alike.

The Greater Martial Consilium is named for Mars and, within its founding documents, declares that Mars, and therefore the people, are the Head of State. The head of government is the Imperator, the person to whom Mars is tethered. Mars has been the source of dozens of conflicts as it warred against all manner of what it saw as threats. Consequently, it is usually contained within the monarch not only as a symbol of the right to rule but for national security. For the past 10,000 years, not a single ruler was able to conquer Martial Space that did not contain Mars.

Physical

Bearing no physical form, Mars only exists within the collective consciousness, otherwise known as the Noosphere. Consequently, its form has changed throughout time to reflect current attitudes about the being. When manifesting in the physical universe, a rare occurrence often accompanied by unimaginable conflict, Mars appears superficially humanoid. Direct observation of the being is difficult; even this humanoid form is only an "impression" that is commonly reported. In most cases, Mars appears like a constellation moving through space, its movements seemingly accounted for by the stars in the night sky as they flicker. In some cases, Mars appears as a shade or vacuum in the material around it. Mars often wields a spear but only in extreme situations.

As all Noospheric disturbances are, Mars only abstractly has a "location" and "form" within this realm of thought. Every mind within Martial Space, and many beyond depending on a myriad of factors, seem to animate it. The mind of the monarch, by necessity some of the most powerful Magi to ever live, localizes Mars to a specific area in the Noosphere, stabilizing the entity while also containing it.

Abilities

Granted Abilities

Mars has been known to grant portions of its immense strength to rulers throughout history. The first ruler of Martial Space to gain the full benefits of this was Hal Drusus II, who was otherwise a normal individual who gained incredible Thaumaturgical abilities simply due to the approval of this being. A super-weapons in his own right, Drusus turned the tides in battle numerous times by his simple presence alone.

Those who have the Blessing of Mars, which are not necessarily only the leaders of Martial Space, obtain a myriad of abilities. Superhuman physical abilities characterize the blessing. From near invulnerability to great strength and speed, those with the Blessing of Mars are formidable opponents, especially at a close range. At greater distances, those with the Blessing must rely on their innate abilities. Battles turn into a matter of attempting to close any distance, only for the opponent to try to maximize the distance.

The Spear of Byutix

All modern leaders of Martial Space are capable of manifesting a spear, called the "Spear of Byutix." Only a small number have ever been able to manifest the weapon. Holding it results in severe burns for most, but for many, their flesh bursts into flame upon touching it. When slashed or otherwise used as a melee weapon, the result is always extreme charring. Very few materials can survive this, let alone opponents. When thrown, the spear releases the energy of a solar flare, concentrating it on the target.

In the past, this spear was used exclusively by Mars. As it became contained within the Emperor, it could be manifested in extreme situations.

Martial Paladins

Paladins, another kind of Magi, devoted to Mars, and therefore the people of Martial Space possess enhanced abilities as well. The several million Martial Paladins, as they are known, number among the most effective soldiers in history. They primarily wield spears as a primary weapon but also use conventional ranged weapons if need be.

These devotees usually include the crowned prince of Martial Space, the appointed successor to the current ruler. For the elite among this elite group, a diminutive version of the spear can used. This weapon, called "Mars' Plumbata," is similar to a weighted dart. It can be used as a knife or throwing weapon.

Innate Abilities

As for Mars itself, the full suite of abilities is only available upon full manifestation. Much less elegant than blessing rulers or acolytes, Mars has only one ability, brute strength in both Cosmoria and the Noosphere. When fully manifested, that is to be fully conscious and unbound, Mars is capable of releasing enough energy to potentially reduce planets to dust. This ludicrous energy has almost always been directed towards Eos, a mega-structure so large that it has absorbed thousands of these blows and remains intact, albeit badly damaged. Mars very rarely fully manifests in Cosmoria.

The State of War

In the State of War, that is, the flow state entered during a battle, Mars and their container merge. The shadow of the ruler greatly expands as they fight a worthy opponent. This grants their container potent abilities on par with those of the fully-manifested Mars. The exact abilities are often dependent on the personality of the container, making the State of War a highly variable condition.

Containment

The ritual containing Mars is a matter of ultimate national security. A free Mars would bring about ruin as it would senselessly rampage across space, annihilating anything it deems foreign only to earn the ire of the Greater Martial Consilium's neighbors. Tyrannical or self-interested monarchs make the process much harder as there is a direct correlation between the unrest of the people and the restlessness of Mars. Additionally, containment gets harder during times of war as the people direct their hatred toward a common enemy.

The current system of government, in which various interest groups manage most government affairs, emerged unintentionally but serves well to keep unrest down. Large economic growth and the maintenance of trade also serve this purpose well but are not strictly necessary.

Upon the accession of a new monarch, called an Imperator or Imperatrix, the containment of Mars needs to be transferred. To do this is a somewhat simple manner. An ornate crown that represents the totality of every individual in Martial Space, the single most expensive article of clothing within Cosmoria, is placed on the head of the new monarch. This is followed by ornate ceremonies, recitation of oaths of loyalty, and the meeting between the new Imperator and various high-ranking officials. These rituals, accumulated over thousands of years of history, create the impression of sovereignty and thus grant sovereignty. In other words, they convince Mars that this new monarch is indeed the new monarch and therefore the new vessel that contains it.

This symbolic transfer of power is accompanied by exactly one non-symbolic act for contained within the crown is a micro black hole that weighs well over 50,000 kilograms. This object, contained magnetically within the crown, not only represents the crushing weight of responsibility that this powerful person now bears but distorts the Noosphere to allow Mars to easily merge with the wearer in question.

Non-consensual Containment

Many times throughout history, Mars had become a nuisance that the ruling class did everything they could to excise from society. Mass disinformation campaigns designed to discredit the entity as well as the banning of the worship of Mars have been tried numerous times. Each time the integrity of the state collapses. Another common effort was by various "Non-Martial" rulers who sought legitimacy in the eyes of the people. Un'oit rulers that conquered much of Martial Space could do little to curry its favor short of simply becoming "Martial." Once fully integrated into society, they had become accepted by their integration into what it meant to be in Martial Space. They were subsumed in other words, not by some deific force but by cultural changes as they lost their unique identity.

Ruling from the shadows is an effective way to rule Martial Space without approval. The Confederacy of Borealis did this for a great many years as it supported the monarch to do their bidding. While ostensibly a people's organization, they lost their power as they forced Martial Space to fight one of their endless wars.

The last way to contain Mars is an overwhelming display of force. Shortly after the Confederacy lost its power, a civil war broke out which interrupted the coronation of Imperatrix Jezebel II. This untimely conflict freed Mars and caused it to nearly sterilize an entire planet before it was contained again. It was momentarily contained within a black hole as then Supreme Leader Wren Mori led a campaign to outsmart the entity. Upon success, her assent to the throne saw Mars willingly contain itself. The people of Martial Space accepted her rule despite the new leader violating nearly every ritual that had built up over the millennia.

Martial Civil Religion

Martial Civil Religion is more or less an outgrowth of Ibaradism in which Mars, for practicality's sake the state, is worshiped as a messianic figure. Heavily influenced by Rubedism, the ancient pagan religion most Humans practiced on their home world, the main claim of the religion is that Mars is the rightful ruler of all of Cosmoria. Destined to banish chaos from the universe, Martialists, as they are known, predict that Mars will continue killing powerful entities from across Cosmoria until it remains alone, ruling over every species as they too become "Martial."

History

Origin

Born on Eos, an ancient and immense megastructure orbiting the star of the same name, Hal Drusus proved to be of immense thaumic ability by his adolescence. Ohko personally ventured to his small city to meet him shortly after he reached adulthood. Having the constant need to recruit powerful magi to help her rule the nation, she had Drusus inducted into her cabinet as a junior enforcer. After nearly a century of service, Ohko allowed Drusus into her inner circle. It was this promotion that granted him immortality; Ohko augmented him with a lost device that allowed him to have both physical and thaumic immortality. His soul would remain tied down to his now eternally youthful body. The device tied Ohko's and Drusus' souls together, granting her immortality to him.

For many more centuries, Drusus helped Ohko rule Ohko's Civilization, an expansive empire created to resurrect the previous angels. While steady progress was made in the fields of science and technology, they were still a long way off from achieving this goal by the time the civilization ended. It would become apparent that his immortality was immutable. Even as Ohko was killed at the hands of The Administrator, he remained alive. After destroying thousands of nigh incomprehensible machines, entire worlds of loyalists, and all traitors to his people, Hal Drusus stood alone in his resilience to his nation's murderer. The civilization was in ruins without its leader. It burned as chaos befell it before the Administrator extinguished the flames with its genocidal forces.

Entire cities lay empty as, with surgical precision, all intelligent life was purged from them. Drusus never learned of the Administrator's motivations. By the time he faced this omnicidal entity, he had long since shed any thought in his mind save for bloodshed. He had spent a great number of years fighting his way towards the Administrator, then a nameless entity whose existence was unknown until its campaign of annihilation. It was as large as a nebula and was formless just like any cloud of gas. It merely sat in place, sending avatar after avatar against Drusus. The Noosphere shook at the two exchanged blows.

Even though Drusus fought valiantly, he was no match for the killer of an entire civilization. So strong was Drusus' will that he became a spirit upon his death, an immensely powerful entity that was nonetheless locked in the Noosphere. There it thrashed about, desperate to enter into the physical universe once more to exact its revenge. Over time, the spirit became corrupted, warping the structure of its mind to the point of being unrecognizable.

Mars as a Terranist Figure

The stories of a legendary warrior standing up against ultimate evil became commonplace across societies in Aylathiya. In particular amongst Humans, whose planet-spanning polytheistic religion recognized Hal Drusus as a nearly divine figure from which all Humans were descended. It was this renown that kept the very idea of Drusus alive, which would later become known as "Mars" as language shifted throughout history.

"Greetings, Humanity. I represent The Triumvirate Civilization and you are now formally a part of our new empire."

This message, transmitted to every major nation on Aegyn, marked the near-destruction of Mars as an idea. Humanity largely abandoned their traditional faith for more state-approved beliefs. Ironically, it was the very enemy of Mars, now known as "Holos," which paved the way for the conquest of Aegyn. One of the three rulers that gave the Triumvirate its name, Holos was well aware of the origin of the myths. Propaganda, immigration of Ibaradist Humans elsewhere in Cosmoria, and outright persecution suppressed but could not eliminate the pagan beliefs. After a majority of the population identified as "Ibaradists," the amount of propaganda dialed down.

In 6116 CE, as Humans were barely crawling out of Aegyn's deep gravity well, they had established colonies across space. Still primitive, their settlements had been limited to already inhabited planets. One such settlement, on the moon of Tyrik orbiting Shosturan, had a meager population of a few thousand. Situated at the bottom of a deep crater, the air pressure there was only just high enough for the planet's meager oxygen supply to permit habitation. Byutix, the smaller of Aegyn's twin suns, released a solar flare out-massing all planets in the system. From dozens of astronomical units away, the stream of energy blasted Shosturan, stripping it of its substantial atmosphere and destroying its moons. This event, so destructive as to set back Human space development by centuries, was visible from all of Aegyn and filled the night sky with a nebula-like show.

Called the "Spear of Byutix," it was the inciting incident for the Anthrovian Civil War, between the largely pagan classical Magi and the Ibaradist population. For the Magi, this was a sign from Mars that their society had strayed too far from the natural order. For the Ibaradists, it was a tragedy, but all the same, it was referred to as "from Mars" in a sort of poetic description.

Following the defeat of the Magi and victory, Aegyn had largely converted to Ibaradism as the official state religion. Both the secular and pagans went underground to avoid potential persecution. A small subset of Aegyn's population preserved the ancient ways by practicing what is known as "Terransim," whose rituals date back to the origin of Humanity. Within this religion's complex series of gods, rites, and stories lay its central figure, Mars. The lone warrior who stood up to the universe-conquering evil that was Holos, who was now understood to be one of Aegyn's three rulers. Clandestine in all operations to avoid outright extermination, the Terranists refined their beliefs over the millennia. They spread with Humanity as sects or churches formed in every Human system.

Rubedist Movement

After the Triumvirate collapsed, Ibaradism remained a central pillar of culture across its former territory. Titania, another of the three and founder of Ibaradism, used this to her advantage. She established the nation of Florenta and, indirectly, controlled the vast majority of the Triumvirate's former territory. Almost immediately, several groups began to resent the new system, in particular those on Aegyn who were largely loyal to the Administrator.

A man distantly related to Hal Drusus brilliantly took advantage of this resentment. He often walked onto a stage to enthusiastic applause, not of just commoners but of princes and kings. The latest in a millennia-spanning series of priests, he wore ornate garbs once worn by high-ranking Triumvirate officials. These clothes were a symbol of authority even after that mighty civilization collapsed. They had become quite the commodity by the 8700s CE. He preached the religion of "Rubedism," the modern pagan belief system that had existed in secret for millennia. The religion grew to be the largest among Humans, heavily drawing on a sense of species identity through these old teachings.

Humanity had found itself in Erstes Konsortium, one of the sub-kingdoms in Florenta that organized much of its holdings beyond Eos. Tension immediately began between the pagan populace and the Ibaradist elite, resulting in civil instability. The chief priest of Rubedism identified himself as "Hal Drusus II," claiming to be the reincarnation of Mars himself. With this claim came a great deal of power, from raising vast armies to directly taxing even the unbelieving elite. His grand project was the destruction of what he identified as the Overlords, those ultra-powerful immortal entities that had ruled Aylathiya since antiquity.

First Appearance

After decades of campaigning for independence from Erstes Konsortium and Florenta broadly, Drusus had established for himself a more or less independent state on Eos centered around the city Enyo. Titania's forces had been warring against Drusus for nearly his entire tenure as chief priest. He had finally made it to the capital city of Karaos, relying on the best magi humanity had to offer to enter Titania's inner sanctum.

Titania appeared like a constellation of gears, a fractal-like machine whose movements were both unsettlingly fluid and jarringly spasmodic. Possessing a roughly spherical form, she "sat" upon an ornate chandelier-like throne, the centerpiece of a sprawling temple palace that was a city in its own right. Her seat hung in a vast chamber whose decorations moved in coordination with the prophetess, making it difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. Surrounding Titania were thousands of Atlin worshipers, frankly unwell souls whose constant exposure to this being ate away at their sanity. A species made of fire, they crackled excitedly as their cores flashed colors in praise of their prophetess and her goddess.

Drusus stood before Titania, the transparent floor beneath him designed to give the impression of infinite depth. Doing his best to avert his eyes from the overwhelming presence before him, he stood alone to challenge the immortal being. A "gesture," if it could be described as such, caused her frantic worshipers to stand down against this human interloper.

For Titania, the process of destroying an unruly mortal was simple. Almost immediately, Drusus felt tendrils embrace his mind, a feeling akin to a squirming within his head. As Titania reached into it, exploring every area of Drusus' soul, it was all he could do to stay conscious. Her followers looked on with anticipation as the mental battle raged, Drusus growing increasingly uncomfortable as the integrity of his mind was tested. After several more minutes, the Atlins whispered confused questions, normally it would take mere seconds for Titania to dispose of a mortal.

Drusus emerged from the mental battle only for Titania to shout an order in the Atlin language, causing a barrage of anti-material rounds to emerge from hidden compartments in her throne. Her followers again began their frenzied worship as they relished the destruction of the chief blasphemer against their faith. Titania knew immediately that the munitions had little effect, and several more barrages did little to impede Drusus' movement towards her throne.

Titania shouted another order, a series of bright flashes and tones, summoning several of Karaos' greatest magi. Adorned in white armor covered in golden decorations, it was a diverse group made up of hand-picked magi from across all of Cosmoria. For Hal Drusus, whose native thaumic abilities were exceptional but not uniquely powerful, besting over a dozen of the best thaumaturgists in Cosmoria was impossible. Vibrations liberated bits of material and decorations from the ceiling, creating an effect quite like snow. Humanity's coalition army had finally made it to Karaos.

Within Drusus' dominant hand suddenly appeared a brilliantly bright spear that glowed a red-tinted white, the same color as the star Byutix. He winced as he held the weapon, his hand caught fire with all of the energy contained within the spear. In one mighty motion, he lobbed the newly-materialized spear into the heart of Titania. Unleashing truly unparalleled amounts of energy, the room immediately burst into flame as the spear left Drusus' hand. The room melted for a split second before suddenly solidifying once more, the energy leaving with the spear. Drusus was covered in burns and his shoes were melted into the now amorphous floor. After abandoning his shoes, he escaped the magi who survived the explosion.

This was the first time a Human had ever used Harmonic Thaumaturgy, the art of requesting power from a spirit. With the promise of revenge made via Drusus' rhetoric, the spirit known as Mars could reach into Cosmoria through him. The payment was this immense power.

Formation of Gran Rubedo

Drusus offered Mars another promise. In exchange for merging their very souls, Drusus promised to safeguard Mars' descendants. This contract, a form of Thaumic Fusion, allowed Mars to exist within Cosmoria once more. Upon accepting the deal, Drusus was now able to use the spear as he saw fit, which he regularly equated to the legendary "Spear of Byutix." Drusus leads Humanity's soldiers throughout Aylathiya, liberating any Humans under the control of any non-humans. Brutal subjugation of non-humans took place, isolating but cementing Humanity as a new ruling class.

In 8528 CE, the various Consortia, including the mostly Human Erstes Konsortium, became independent states. Drusus had every intention of unifying these new states into a human empire he called "New Anthrovia." To aid in this goal, he began laying the groundwork for Gran Rubedo, an international organization meant to influence existing governments in the pursuit of Humanity's interests.

Whether Hal Drusus II was Mars' reincarnation or simply someone who knew the spirits well, his death was entirely unexpected. During an important speech to a newly freed city on Eos, Drusus suddenly collapsed. For several weeks afterward, Drusus gradually lost his grip on reality. At first, it was simply forgetfulness but as the weeks went on, his mind rapidly degenerated. He died in 8534 CE, witnesses described a "shade" staring through the open window at the dying man.

As Ibaradists celebrated the death of their most hated person, Humans had to regroup around a new prophet. Djet Zemeth changed his named to Hal Drusus III and assumed power that same year. He never claimed to be a reincarnation but instead as an agent of Hal Drusus' will. This would begin the tradition of the new "chief priests" being called "Supreme Leaders." At this point, the church reorganized into Gran Rubedo. Even though the group was able to quickly bounce back, the death of Hal Drusus II severely dampened the international fervor for Rubedism that existed after the death of Titania.

Political Changes

After the death of Drusus II, there was nothing containing Mars. The shade reported to be present at the time of Drusus' death was spotted throughout Aylathiya. In battles involving significant numbers of Humans, it would sometimes intervene on their behalf. Superstitions about gaining the "Blessing of Mars," soon became complex rituals that Humans would undertake to earn its favor. When they did earn Mars' favor, the shade could be seen looming over the battlefield. Taking up a good portion of the sky, Mars would fire its legendary spear at a critical piece of enemy infrastructure.

Mars had no coherent goal and often supported opposing forces of Humans. However, the power of Mars was used to great effect against non-humans, giving the worshipers of Mars ultimate supremacy as other species had no choice but to accept their rule. The Human monarch at the time, the Kaiser, had sovereignty over all of what would now be called "Martial Space." The idea was that they were the only legitimate ruler left over from the Triumvirate and thus had the ultimate right to rule.

The Kaiser, an artificial intelligence ruling from Aegyn, had little interest in serving Mars and only focused on increasing their power. While at first, this was fine, it soon became a major point of conflict between the Rubedists and the Kaiser whose goals often conflicted. Where the Kaiser wanted to integrate other species into the empire to create a stronger civilization, the Rubedists wanted to subjugate or deport them to make way for a fully Human state.

Great Empyreal Crusade

The ultimate strain on the relationship between the Party and the Kaiser was the Great Empyreal Crusade. The Ibaradists began to avenge Titania in 8739 CE, starting the conflict as their vast armies slammed into the rest of Martial Space. Mars caused a great amount of damage to their fleets, but strategists kept the entity busy by using the superweapon now known as the VSS Readymade, a gun capable of creating and firing miniature black holes that additionally exploded as they fully faded away. It was soon discovered to be an effective weapon; the Readymade accompanied every fleet. Black holes had a debilitating effect on Mars, causing it to delay its throws or miss entirely.

In addition to the crippling of Mars, The Kaiser and Gran Rubedo were embroiled in brutal infighting as the situation grew more dire. On behalf of Erstes Konsortium, many of the Un'oit Warlords had to get involved, further reducing the strength of either side as the Un'oit gained legitimacy. As the Vaplein Republic, a Human but foreign nation, pushed the Atlins back, Mars lost much of their influence. There was simply no need to worship a Spirit when a conventional army could solve their problems.

Mars had lost its political significance as Humans in Martial Space lost their privileged position. Power was decentralized across many species and thus even the idea of Martial Space had become insolvent. Gran Rubedo had become just another church as others emerged.

Ma'eau War

The Ma'eau War was a large-scale conflict that placed Gran Rubedo against Ma'eau, the second leader of the Triumvirate. Unlike Titania who had at least an ostensibly physical location, Ma'eau was distributed across nearly every world in Aylathiya. It was the gardener that seeded most of its planets with life while also sculpting that life to thrive. To resist it was tantamount to resisting a god. In fact, for many in Martial Space, the very action was viewed as such. As the Kaiser and their allies eroded Rubedan power, this was a desperate measure to survive the coming millennia. When a whistleblower revealed that Ma'eau was planning to unify Aylathiya under its sole protection for "its own good," Ma'eau decided to cut its losses and execute its plan.

The group most antithetical to Ma'eau's goals were the Rubedists, who believed it to be a "false divinity." In their belief system, Humanity was created by the ancient "Lux Father," as set apart from the natural world. Despite Ma'eau's insistence that it created all life, the Rubedists rebelled all the same. Ma'eau attempted multiple times to assassinate various Rubedan officials, usually succeeding. Ma'eau could coax bacteria in any Human to begin producing corrosive acids, killing them in a matter of minutes.

Afterward, the worshipers of Ma'eau, the Paladins, purged city after city loyal to Gran Rubedo. They had similar abilities but instead caused their bodies to produce copious amounts of sodium hydroxide, chemically burning their insides as they collapsed in large numbers. Entire cities burned as even the plants in them contributed to the war effort, offering food and water to the paladins as they needed it. Like a gardener removing a troublesome weed from their garden, Ma'eau's attacks were very precise and ultimately brutal.

As the Rubedists stood up to this vast decentralized hive-mind, worlds burned as the very life that they hosted resisted this effort. Many party members found their unconscious minds mutinying as genetic fail-safes activated to keep Ma'eau's creations in line. Despite the destruction of thousands of cities, the followers of Mars never gave up. With the support of Sagittarium, billions were inoculated against Ma'eau's interference but the threat it posed was still immense. The leaders of Sagittarium were cryogenically frozen, but many died as even the bacteria in their bodies activated their genetic fail-safes.

The current Supreme Leader of the party, Jayvyn Drusus, survived an assassination attempt against him. As his body was dissolving thanks to the highly corrosive substance his gut was producing, loyal members of the party isolated his brain in a sterile environment, saving his life. Since he now had no body, they needed to transplant it into an android. From the moment he gained consciousness, he began plotting to destroy Ma'eau once and for all.

Drusus led a squadron of soldiers through a large complex on Velevev. Buried deep underground, fighting through legions of machines and loyal soldiers had greatly depleted Jayvyn's forces. The air was choked with the stench of death as Ma'eau resorted to using the very life it created to protect its last stronghold. While spread throughout Aylathiya, the only world where it had any sapience was this one. On the other worlds, this central intelligence gave orders to their ecosystems which would then faithfully carry them out. This was the center of the enemy and thus the focus of the Rubedan attacks.

The bacteria and fungi eating away at bodies in various states of decomposition had organized themselves to produce speech, an incredible feat of engineering that Ma'eau had placed in these decomposers. Jayvyn simply destroyed Ma'eau's mouthpieces as they talked. They taunted the soldiers, threatened them, mimicked the speech of loved ones, and even pleaded with them. Since Ma'eau was the progenitor of all intelligence in Aylathiya, it was simply a matter of using this knowledge to hurt them.

Following Jayvyn, flamethrower-wielding soldiers did their best to sterilize this room, concentrating their efforts on the self-organizing life in front of them. After weeks of moving through the depths of Velevev, Jayvyn grew increasingly frustrated. On day 50, he summoned the spear of Mars like his ancestor, promising Mars liberation for his descendants. Even as his accompanying soldiers fled from his frantic strikes, large stretches of the planet became sterilized. He swung like a made man, his artificial flesh burning away to reveal his platinum skull and slowly melting carbon fiber body.

This was one of the last missions against Ma'eau, the being having been mostly reduced to its original form, a simple hive-mind that unconsciously kept worlds habitable. To fully remove it from Cosmoria would have meant invading over a dozen nations in which it had seeded life. To return it to its place as simply a part of the ecosystem was the only attainable goal.

The success of Gran Rubedo and Sagittarium was met with the reassertion of Human dominance over Martial Space. The triumph, the total victory that came with destroying the caretaker of life in Martial Space, came with a renewed sense of authority. It was this event that allowed Rubedism to resurge as the dominant ideology. It would no longer be enough that Gran Rubedo, the followers of the ultimate sovereign of Martial Space, were just another political group. This is the origin of the sovereign state of Gran Rubedo, an empire destined to subjugate over a dozen stars.

Mars' Death

In response to the decapitation of Ma'eau and the subsequent ecological catastrophe that it entailed, the Occult Galaxy Project began its attempts to purge Mars from existence. Experienced in dealing with hostile spirits, their legions of Magi burned through the group's deep coffers in search of a solution. Mars sensed this hostility and immediately acted, bringing down judgment on the group's headquarters. Desperate for Mars' death more than ever, the group relocated to the ORS Moon Waltz, a new highly mobile capital from which they would operate for the rest of history.

The Rubedists, locked in a conflict with groups still loyal to Ma'eau, did not have the resources to support Mars in its fight against the O.G.P. Even as they were able to conquer Aegyn and kill the Kaiser, their enemies remained strong. In 8784, a breakthrough was found after interviewing the descendants of Empyreal veterans. They had no way to kill spirits. Destroying a disturbance in reality was quite a tall order, especially since directly interacting with them was impossible. During the conflict, however, they learned that warping space-time can debilitate Mars and, doing so for long enough, can break its will. This is how they were able to make it avoid throwing its spear altogether. For normal spirits, breaking their will was fairly simple, restraining it would make it give up. For Mars, a far more intense form of restraint would be necessary.

The next year, the Moon Waltz led Mars towards the world of Aeternum. Located on the other side of the galaxy, the multi-year trip saw great damage to the ship as it could barely outrun it. The invisible star was locked within a bubble of accelerated time. In other words, spacetime had expanded greatly. With an age far older than that of the universe, it was the perfect prison for an unruly spirit. The O.G.P. detached an automated probe that pelted Mars with noxious gravity waves. Mars turned to attack the probe only to end up briefly inside of the bubble. After experiencing nearly a billion years of subjective time, it managed to burst forth.

However, Mars seemed far more docile. With hardly any willpower left, Mars only just managed to escape. The spirit remained floating in place around Aeternum, slowly orbiting it.

Rise of the Emperor

"Emperor" (usually Imperator or Imperatrix) is the official title given to the ruler of Martial Space. The first person to have the title was Imperatrix Ymir who ascended in 8858 CE. It was at this point that the ideology shifted from a reactive to proactive assertion of power. Ymir was not simply acting on behalf of Mars, she was Mars in that she declared she was Mars' avatar. Despite Mars having lost all of their willpower, the people still held on to their faith. After conquering over a dozen stars, surely Mars was acting invisibly upon the universe.

A secret meeting between the leader of the O.G.P, Bishop Rudyard II, and Ymir took place shortly after her ascension. Ymir had a special request that only these near magically advanced scientists could grant. She needed Mars back.

Ymir handed Rudyard a small ampule; a liquid pinkish-grey alloy was contained within. This ampule represented nearly the totality of the Orichalcum owned by Gran Rubedo, only 30 grams. The ultra-rare material was also ultra-valuable, with applications in many situations. Rudyard signaled a nearby aid who immediately left the room. Shortly thereafter, the two rulers made their way onto another ship. For such a large payment, the purchase was surely just as great. Sitting atop a bulky active-support apparatus, existed an ornate crown. The beautiful object was made up of pure Eitr, another ultra-rare element. Adorned with rare gems that resisted all attempts to synthesize, the crown contained one more important feature, a micro black hole massing at over 50,000 kilograms.

She would not put it on until an official coronation ceremony took place several months later. Picking up the crown was difficult for the only moderately magically powerful Ymir. It warped spacetime to cause minds in the vicinity to become far more reactive to outside stimuli. Ymir immediately ventured to Aeternum. As she placed her forehead against Mars' inert corpse, it disappeared. It became contained within Ymir's very soul, absorbing her will into its mind. This is what separated the Imperator from all previous leaders save for Hal Drusus II.

For the rest of history, Mars would be contained within the emperor, fully under their control. Emperors were now not only very powerful but also had one of the most powerful known spirits at their disposal. Mars became influenced by those around it, replacing its will with the religious beliefs it experienced. This is the origin of Mars' role as the embodiment of Humanity.

Fall of Gran Rubedo

The rulers following Ymir would become increasingly magically powerful not due to Mars granting them abilities but due to increased resistance from it. After two more leaders, it took the most powerful known magi in Martial Space to contain Mars, precluding the nation from having much in the way of good leadership, only worsening the resistance they faced.

As the Rubedans lost their advantage, a coalition between Tenshi and the Ursa Syndicate would prove to usher in their end. As the Sphere began losing its legitimacy, Tenshi, used private police to enforce laws they passed, operated a military to suppress rebellions, and had an advanced government apparatus incredibly dissimilar to the current absolute monarchy. The Ursa Syndicate was much the same. This did not stop the people from identifying with them, further undermining the Sphere.

Imperator Leonitus had long since lost his ability to move on his own. An exoskeleton carried his body to create the illusion of complete control. He pounded a button on the side of his head to flood his brain with painkillers, his mind engaging in a constant struggle against its prisoner. While complaining to an aide about how the Rubedists lost the right to rule, a bright light filled the room as Mars' legendary spear suddenly manifested in his hands. He had never once managed to manifest this ultimate weapon and he knew at once why Mars allowed him to have it. He fell on his spear after letting his aid leave the room.

Terror filled the hearts of the millions of soldiers fighting over this world. They saw the deific entity in the shadows it cast on the stars. They all but stopped as Tenshin generals ordered retreats. Mars, however, did nothing to interfere. Several days later, Tenshi renewed their attack on Albedo and took the planet within the year. Mars dispassionately watched the assault from above.

Holy Bureaucracy

Leonitus' crown was secured several years later, recovered from smugglers attempting to sell the device to buyers in Sedrua. So heavy as to be useless for all but ultra-powerful magi, it remained a symbol of sovereignty. Upon the creation of the Dominion of Astraeus, a unified nation under the rule of ten dukes, the crown was split in two. Tange Meiko and Nicodemus shared sovereignty not as absolute diarchs, but as the joint heads of state and government. They ruled the Dominion of Astraeus the largest state in Aylathiya since the Triumvirate Civilization.

Sovereignty lay with the large bureaucracy centered in Deungnamu, Eos. The "person" of the state, in other words, was the true bearer of the crown. With strict rules and little room for corruption, the Dominion grew rapidly in power as it centralized. The state had become the sovereign instead of any individual and with it came a far easier job of containment.

The diarchs fought together throughout various points in history. While separate they were capable of manifesting the spear in a severely weakened form, known as the Plumbata, together they wielded nearly unparalleled thaumic abilities. Their presence served the same purpose as Mars did in ancient times, destroying strategic targets while also greatly increasing morale.

Mars' Curse

Throughout history, Mars has very rarely actively harmed someone else while contained. Of course, those who contained Mars were quick to use their powers, but never at the behest of Mars itself. One Prince Jeroboam, the firstborn of the co-rulers Nicodemus II and Archon Yuuho, became the target of such a curse. When he was born, someone who claimed to be a prophet declared him the "Hero." He would be the one to finally slay The Administrator, the most powerful of the Overlords. The spectacle of this messianic birth spread throughout the Dominion. He was a potent figurehead used to great effect by the regime.

Despite the great news, Mars seemed to despise the boy. As the prince grew older, it became more difficult for his parents to look at him; both were overcome with disgust as they felt Mars thrash about in their minds. Their elite guard, paladins devoted to Mars, would also soon be unable to interact with the young prince. For training purposes, the Dominion had him spend most of his time in the Quintet Payotari Alliance, a union of 5 cities on Eos well-known for its magical universities.

Despite being the crowned prince and thus the inevitable holder of the crown, the logistics of having the boy witness court affairs became increasingly challenging. As he entered adulthood, Prince Jeroboam spent most of his time outside of the capitol. He would carry out various acts of charity, deliver speeches as though he were a politician seeking reelection, and even fight on the front lines in certain battles. The prince was immensely popular amongst the people, but whispers of the turmoil at home sullied his good image. Even so, the Hero was destined to right the ancient wrong that defined the nation's entire mythology.

When the time came for Jeroboam to fight against The Administrator, his mother, Yuuho Drusus, personally interfered. Not a single supporting soldier would be sent with him. He would be dispatched in a cheap pod "in case something happened." His father, while against the decision, ultimately used it for propaganda purposes. The image of the lone hero standing up to the Administrator was similar to the image of Hal Drusus standing up to it. Such an image could not be put to waste.

Upon landing on the world of Ommekha, which effectively orbited the Administrator, Jeroboam hardly had the will to fight. After staring at the gear-like nebula that dominated the night sky, he released a handful of half-hearted blasts of energy at it. They were simple attacks, just high-energy gamma-ray lasers. The Administrator, however, had a mass over most stars. These attacks did nothing. Jeroboam paced back and forth across the smooth clear crystal as he weighed his options. Failing to kill the Administrator would be more catastrophic optics-wise than anything else.

Jeroboam heard a voice call out to him, "My son, what troubles you so?"

He quickly turned around to reveal the source of the voice, a vaguely human-shaped region of space. It appeared as though the air was vibrating, similar to a mirage, but also contained within it patterns reminiscent of clockwork. After Jeroboam could think of nothing to say to such a strange sight, the figure explained everything to him. He apologized for creating the prince in this way but claimed it was necessary for the master plan. After going back and forth for a while, Jeroboam warped the space underneath his feet, causing him to rise into the air. He released a great deal of energy towards the nebula. He refused to believe a word its avatar said.

The avatar released a disturbing noise, as though the sound of a collapsing building was corrupted, before disappearing. Jeroboam suddenly fell to the ground, as though the strength of the planet's gravity suddenly increased. Jeroboam attempted to arise again before the new weight of his body caused his ribs to crack. After crying out, he suddenly found relief in that his weight returned to normal.

He realized that he was indeed no Hero. After the Administrator repeated what he told Jeroboam before, the avatar picked up the barely conscious Jeroboam. He was shoved into the pod and tossed back into space, towards the capital. As he emerged from the pod back home, he was assaulted by numerous officials, cameras, and a great deal of questions. Their telescopes already revealed that the Administrator was still alive. His parents did not greet him and, at this point, what the Administrator told him suddenly made sense. Of course, Mars would hate the son of its greatest enemy. The scientists said that Mars "possessed no will save for that of the people," but that was wrong. Mars was still a person.

Upon this realization, he felt something that he hadn't for decades. He had a parent who was concerned for him, at least more than the, at best, neutral reception he had from his own. Before he could think about it, he stood in a pool of blood from his father, his head replaced with a charred stump. Jeroboam's ribs poked his organs but he did not care. He limped through anti-material fire from guards, dodged the rail-gun rounds that weighed more than he did, and braved the liquidized ground as he made his way toward his mother's bunker. After killing the last soldier in a squadron of elite troops, he finally broke down the door. His mother stood between him and her other children, the ones she tirelessly lobbied to have replaced him as crowned prince. After nearly dying in the fight against his mother, he killed his siblings as well, then his cousins, his second cousins, and anyone else who had a strong claim to the crown. He could hardly see as blood and tears obstructed his vision.

Afterward, he trudged through a forest deep in the wilderness, a dozen lasers pointed at him from the best snipers in the Dominion. A larger laser from orbit tracked his position as a satellite-mounted canon aimed at him. It was perhaps the 10th or 11th time he was targeted by large tungsten rods that made nuclear weapons look like toys. There were a few more from robots or some other device he did not know about. Everyone held their fire, however, as they noticed the looming figure in the evening sky.

Jeroboam looked up to see a shadow reaching down towards him. Jeroboam cried out as the shade grabbed him, squeezing him with more force than any normal human would be able to survive. Mars spoke, something it had never done in recorded history:

"I am throwing you to the dogs."

Its low-pitched voice shook Jeroboam's body despite being very quiet; most of it seemed to have been in the infrasonic region. At once, Mars threw Jeroboam's body towards the edge of Martial Space. For the brief moments, he was in Eos' atmosphere, he burnt like a shooting star. There, in space, he was attacked by the "dogs" Mars referred to, beings known as the "Ekrosian Guardians." This ancient military force, made up of mostly thoughtless automated weapons, was created specifically to defy the Administrator. When they sensed the progeny of their greatest foe, they tore into his body. The son of the Administrator was dead, but the plan to destabilize Mars' nation was certainly a success.

The War of the Ancients

Throughout the history of Aylathiya, entities called "Overlords" ruled not as absolute monarchs but as deific forces whose very presence altered the course of civilization. Embodying the civilizations themselves, these entities have long since been the object of much of Mars' wrath. In Sedrua, the Angels had manifested, resulting in an unprecedented increase in the civilization's strength. Sensing an opportunity, the Quintet Payotari Alliance quickly opened communications with the nation, voicing concerns about Mars. They cited the recent destruction of Beatrix at the hands of Mars as a demonstration of the kind of power this entity wielded.

Thus a coalition of Overlords formed, secretly collaborating to undermine the inherently anti-Overlord force. Gaining an alliance with Leviathan, DELYATU, the Resonate Divinity, and a handful of rogue artificial intelligences, the QPA and Sedrua finally struck in 9730 CE, Zaphenim personally ordering the strike against Martial Space.

Notable Appearances

Kanadett Disaster

A New Era

Ohko's Reign

Mars versus Zaphenim

Modern Era

Following Imperatrix Wren was Imperatrix Elliot, known as the "Warlady" for her mimicking the ancient Un'oit warlords who had dominated Martial Space in the past. Never stopping to establish a capital, she accompanied the military on its thousands of campaigns across Martial Space to maintain order. She emphasized free trade just like her predecessor and often attacked unequal or segregated societies within Martial Space.

Imperatrix Lydia followed Elliot's example, but established a permanent base of operations in the city of Enyo, centering her efforts on rebuilding Eos.

Return to Ommekha

Imperator Sebas Blanc-Drusus, the current ruler of the Consilium, had dreamt of peace since he was a young boy. To finally meet one of the most prolific generals in history, whose immortality allowed them to have continually commanded Confederate forces since the War of the Ancients, was quite a shock to the system. The Dotsk that stood before him, an equine intelligent species complete with an arachnid-like head and mantis-like front arm, was quite the imposing specimen. The ancient leader had finally become president of the Confederacy once again and wasted no time using this power to begin concocting a plan to defeat The Administrator. This leader, Donatus Shuker, was unfortunately crucial to Sebas' own goals.

In a horrible clicking noise, Shuker described his ideas for total victory. As the translator pack returned the details of the plan, Sebas grew increasingly disappointed. This coalition he proposed, uniting nearly every single being that Mars hated, to stand up against the being Mars hated most would surely result in a disaster. Maybe that is what he wanted.

"Angels are not an option, I'm afraid. Mars won't allow it," Sebas suggested.

Donatus countered, "I don't suppose you have anyone else who is both willing and able to help?"

"I have some ideas."

"Do enlighten me."

Despite Shuker's clear disrespect, Sebas described his ultimate solution. Ruling out asking the Theocracy of Silverstar for their prophet and ruling out scraping together a contingent of bishops, there was only one last option.

"We find the one living person Mars loves."

Several months later, Shuker and Sebas both stood on Ommekha, separated by a good distance as the ships that transported them were amongst the largest and sturdiest ever built. The one carrying Shuker was nearly ten kilometers long and had so much armor that a crash landing would be more dangerous for the planet it would hit than the ship itself. Contained within were dozens of brave magi that knew this was the most dangerous mission they could have ever done as well as perhaps the biggest trump card they had against the Administrator.

Dozens of other leaders had also gathered on the planet. Sebas felt guilty that they would be caught up in the crossfire, but most of them were powerful enough to leave unscathed if they so desired. The Administrator illuminated Ommekha brighter than the star it orbited; Sebas could swear that it seemed excited about what it was about to announce.

"Progeny of the Triumvirate, you who have common history, heritage, and culture gather here to discuss the reformation of our glorious Triumvirate Civilization. I hope you all understand the implications of this."

A signal from Sebas released Thaumic seals on the ship, instantly cluing the Administrator as to what it contained as well as releasing who was inside. Perhaps the most powerful Magi ever, Eve burst out of the ship, ready to exact revenge for the destruction of her civilization all those years ago.

Mars as a Symbol

What can be learned from this, then, is that Mars is incredibly difficult to distinguish from the whims of the people of Martial Space. What it means to be part of the "Nation" is vague and entirely meaningless. What's more, is that Mars is not an info-hazard or hostile Noospheric Disturbance. Whether strictly real or a collective hallucination by the people, Mars can be thought of as an extension of the people's will, the physical manifestation of trends and feelings that already exist while also taking on the mantle of a hero from ancient mythology as a way to give itself form.

Notes

Timeline:

Hal Drusus was a guy. A very strange guy, a guy who was very good at invocative thaumaturgy. He was also sort of good at anti-thaumaturgy which is very strange. Using Thaumic energy to put into the invocative thaumaturgy is pretty strong.

This man was involved in Ohko's Civilization. He was in her club of thaumic freaks that would make a civilization. While never mastering any kind of Classical Thaumaturgy, strong enough invocative thaumaturgy is good enough to imitate it, even gravity manipulation toward the end of his existence.

The Administrator wants to take this power for themself. In the process, Ohko's Civilization unravels as some people, like many in the past, try to use The Administrator. Very tempting.

Now, many invocative magi will burn themselves out in an emotional event. Sometimes they can even take depressants to keep themselves from pushing too hard. After Holos, the Administrator, the Orrery God, whatever you want to call it, killed Ohko, her civilization went into hiding. But not Hal Drusus, he fought his way toward the Administrator. The ancient weapons of Hyperion could not stop him, even as his body broke down. Just absorb more energy, become a spirit.

He became, what is essentially, a spirit. His willpower increased very much, a very powerful being.

Now their battle was seen by many, taking place on Eos. The lone warrior fighting against an ancient evil. Hal Drusus basically died at that point during the long battle. But not really, Drusus lived on.

It was the tales of the lone warrior standing before evil that perhaps kept Drusus alive. Alive just long enough for something of a miracle to happen.

The Rubedism movement was the worship of Hal Drusus, whom they called Mars, that ancient idea becoming a movement. The spirit, drawn by the constant mentions, woke up. For this to make sense, let's talk about hwo spirits work.

Spirits are as complicated as they have willpower. A spirit has unlimited power proportional to their willpower. So when an inert spirit gains some kind of motivation, they get stronger. Now, does worshiping a random spirit make it stronger? Maybe I don't know but with Hal it was awakening the existing motivation, the painful desire to save Ohko, to save what amounted to his family.

Hal Drusus became Mars, quite delirious, intervened in battles. Flashbacks to the fight, he would panic. "I need to fight. I need to fight. I need to fight." Well, what a coincidence. The lone warrior used a spear. The Rubedists glorified the spear as a sign of human strength (derived from the "Spear of Byutix" which itself was inspired by the old tales so it's not really a coincidence). "Oh my spear." Every time it would manifest after being called and every time it would launch its spear. His spear? Their spear? A spear.

This was the roving era of Mars' lifetime. "I'm protecting them."

But this is what happened next, Mars was attacked. Provoked directly. Not a smart idea. Mars chased the provokers who drew them into Aeternum, the ultra-time dilated region of space. Such a long time passed that Hal's hazy memories were all but erased, they rocketed back out, inert.

Imperatrix Ymir took the chance to imprison Mars in her spirit. What a deranged thing to do. She was insane and, using the crown device, did just that. Mars was subjected to her opinions of them and Ymir was a true believer. Perhaps some other person would've seen mars as a tool or a weapon. Ymir saw Mars as the right to rule, as the will of the people, as what it meant to be human, and so Mars was those things.

It took time, but Mars gathered much more of a personality as cultural ideas shifted, as the mythology grew. All the following emperors, more or less, were true believers.