Cosmic Union

'The Cycle Breaks' - Motto of the Union

The Cosmic Union is a Major Faction, focused primarily within the Sky River, and it's orbiting Cluster Gyre, the Sky Shore - And arguably, the Faction in the most inherently precarious position out of all of them. Originating next to the Abyssreach and by extension, the Thalweg, the Cosmic Union finds itself operating one of the most dangerous, Arcane-dense, and contested territories within the Voidsea. Even when contrasted with other regions, the Era of Evolution was particularly strong where it formed, creating hostile worlds, spacial anomalies, and regions like the Fae Rest, which forever cause unending magnitudes of problems for the Faction.

In spite of this, the Union's territory composes nearly the entire Vetrarsaer galaxy - Though some regions like the Titakataka Stars and and the Vutha Varkla Ridge are not completely Union controlled.

Far from being limited to these regions though, the Union operates anywhere the Voidsea will take them - It has substantial territories in the Sky Shore, and inroads into it's neighbouring galaxies, the Diamond Wake and Emerald Coast, and some in the Twins of Time. A variety of exclaves exist, being connected via a series of wormholes, or having joined the Union through diplomatic means without ever being part of the main territory. Some settlements have even been established settlements inside spacial phenomenon. It is constantly undertaking the establishment of new colonial ventures of all sorts, as part of it's ideological makeup. Despite it's unfathomable size, and it's impressive accomplishments, the Union is engaged in a perpetual struggle to hold it all together.

The Union can be said to be a descendent of a number of pre-Technopocalypse civilisations - In particular, the Voidsea Advent, and the Greater Solar Union. Both played a major role in forming both the galaxy into what the Union would inherit, and in shaping the minds and souls of those within it. The Flygia Riki also is felt in the anatomy of the Union, as many worlds that joined it were once part of the Void Imperator's domain, shaping their cultures and sentiments. One such sentiment was to learn from the mistakes of the past, and ensure that this time, something truly permanent would be built - It would break the cycle of civilisational rise and collapse, and all the suffering that such cycles caused.

Such a challenge is daunting, and considered by many to be the height of hubris - to keep one world from descending into corruption and strife is difficult enough, holding together a territory the size of the Cosmic Union would be near impossible. Yet the Union has held strong for 10,000 years, in spite of everything in their way.

The Union was founded via the merging of several smaller Factions, and is ruled by having many smaller micro-states within itself. Key founding members include the Stjarna Union, the Sonoran Union, the Fasian Dominion, the Hero's Alliance, and Conquistador Bloc, alongside over eighty independent worlds. The War of Blood Money saw the Conquistador Bloc attempt to take advantage and then secede, only to be beaten into the shadows. Following this, several other groups would slowly join the Union over time, including the Realm of Honour, and the Replika Republic.

A key reason the Union has remained together for so long is not simply mutual defence - Each Void Island has discovered ways with which to defend itself against the horde of nightmares the Voidsea has to throw at them. What the Union offers is a vision, and the aid to see such a vision happen. It is the promise of a better future in the midst of the darkness that has kept everyone together for so long, and why many choose to join it willingly. It's conviction is tested daily, as resources and regions find themselves constantly under threat, as Void Islands can go dark before aid can be sent, or other, more insidious machinations prey upon a population centre, and corruption can worm its way in just like any other Faction. Yet the Union has consistently persisted, and it has become very clear to those that once scoffed at the Unions values, that it will not collapse without a fight.

Unbeknownst to many, the Union does have it's backers in the Shadows.

Governance

Even from it's very beginning, the Cosmic Union was a political entity that was too difficult to completely rule centrally. The sheer size of it alone covered thousands of light years, and many different worlds. Even it's formation was a difficult, messy, and political matter, with many of the Factions that made up it's founding members not wishing to cede their authority in full - Many had had run-ins with tyranny, and did not wish to surrender their total capacity for self defence to a new central body, nor send their children to wage in the battles of monsters. And even beyond that, the central rule of a Faction such as this was a logistical impossibility.

A political body the sheer size of the Cosmic Union is simply incapable of absolute, direct control over all it's territory all at once. At best, it would be woefully inefficient. At worst, it would corrupt the entire Union, and create just one more autocracy for the annals of history - And avoiding this outcome is at the very core of what the Union promised. It's goal is to create something permanent, not be flicker in the annals of time.

Tens of thousands of years of civilisations across light years and galaxies culminated here - The countless mistakes, wordless agreements future tyrants twisted into something to their own ends, the structure of societies and the outcomes they produced. Yet these mistakes had yet to be tempered with the reality that the Voidsea was growing more and more brutal. Every year, new threats are recorded, worlds struggle against their neighbours, and the whims of the Arcane. The few that understood the conflicts that wage in the Shadows also understood that weakness is something that cannot be afforded, if they hoped to survive.

So the question became - How would the Union function?

Federal Parliamentary Assembly of the Cosmic Union

Federal authority exists within the Cosmic Union. The Governing body is known as the Federal Parliamentary Assembly, often shortened simply to the Assembly. It operates primarily in a variety of interlocked environmental habitats that are kept together in geosynchronous orbit around the Gas Giant of Soulhope.

Within the Union, Federal power has a variety of civic roles - The collection and redistribution of economic surplus to Realms, upholding of civic rights, co-ordinating relief and larger scale battle plans, and other such overarching duties.

power from the Cosmic Union flows from the Parliamentary Assembly, which has it's seat in the Cairn of Hope.

BEcause of how the Union as a whole is structured, beurocracy is always a concern. In an effort to alliviate this,

Realms

Large parts of the Union are internally split up into what are called Realms - Regions which operate as semi-autonomous states within the larger Union. These Realms conduct their own internal affairs, to a reasonable extent; Cultural affairs, resource management, and local infrastructure are all under the purview of the Realm.

They operate in a legal middlegrou

Realms may have the seat of their authority anywhere they choose. Some choose a Void Island of significance, while others will often choose to operate in a

There are currently

Names of Realms within the Cosmic Union
Name	Flag	Overview
Realm of Stars
Fasian Dominion		A Founding Realm of the Cosmic Union - Centred around the Void Island of Fasia, the Dominion is a Realm that was carved out by the many different Kindes that evolved on their shared home-world of Fasia. Due to the immense variety of evolutionary branches, Fasia had a major advantage in being able to colonise a wide swatch of environments comfortably and quickly. The region had undergone several
Hero's Alliance		Composed largely of Hero Worlds surrounding Xoath, the Hero's Alliance is one of the Founding Realms of the Cosmic Union. Much of the region is part of Null Zones, making much of the Arcane limited to the emerge of Traits. Traits have become a highly important part of the Hero's Alliance, with many worlds having a large focus on individuals using their abilities to preserve the public good.
The Periphery		The Periphery is a circular Realm, located at the centre of the Vetrarsaer, that borders the outer ring of the Fae Rest. The Realm is known for high levels of Arcane activity, and functions as a first line of defense against the many hostile entities and occurrences from the Abyssreach, and the Fae Rest itself.
Sonoran
Realm of Honour		The Realm of Honour is a small Realm, composed of a series of territories that have a history of uniting, dividing, waging war, and reunifying once more, over and over again. The territory was known as the Hans of Nakazawa, centred around the Void Island of Nakazawa. The region is known for it's culture of swordsmanship, and adherence to codes of ethics during times of conflict. They are as such often brought into conflict against foes of similar dispositions.
Realm of Toxins
Replika Republic

Economy

The economy of the Cosmic Union as a whole is a complicated subject - Because essentially every economic system one could conceptualise can be found within it's territory.

It's sheer size, the variety of Kinde within it, and number of member worlds that have their own distinct cultures, histories, and systemic mechanisms, created this environment. In essence, the economy is split between two different aspects - The Federal Economic Structure, and the Local Economic Structure. Both of these are highly interconnected with one another, and with every other major production centre across the Union as a whole.

The economy is highly interconnected, while also having degrees of local centralisation - Void Islands are encouraged to be able to produce everything that they need to meet their own needs. Additional excess is either re-invested, supplied to nearby worlds lacking in a certain good, or otherwise donated to the Cosmic Union as a whole for redistribution. Worlds that are capable of doing so are often awarded in a variety of ways.

For example, the Void Island of Eirstal is a major producer of metal. It often exports additional metal it makes to the wider Cosmic Union for use in a variety of projects. In turn, Eirstal is regularly provided additional labour from nearby Vikingr Hirths for whatever projects are needed on and around Eirstal.

The economic contributions are not weighed so simply though. For example, the world of Seidrheim does not export anything, but it is home to major academic institutes, particularly in the Arcane Arts. Though indirectly, this is viewed as a worthwhile contribution, and thus, Sedirheim enjoys the benefits of Union aid.

None of this is to say that the Union overall does not provide aid to it's less productive worlds. Much of the excess they receive is directed towards worlds like this, to assist them in being able to become self-sufficent, and in turn, wider contributors to the Union - However, the Union does, to an extent, have to shortchange some worlds. The Union's territory is vast, and it can pull the resources from every corner of it, but doing so is a lengthy process, and even then, it is not always enough.

Various dangers, from invasions from other Factors, to environmental disasters, to aiding Void Islands that are subject to attack, or infection from zombie plagues, or other dangerous environmental impacts, and many more such concerns, do limit the aid the Union can give. It is highly encouraged for worlds to make the most out of every single resource they have - The less they need, the more they can redirect aid to areas that need it the most.

Overall, the economy of the Cosmic Union operates on the basis of utility, maximisation of well-being, and equitable distribution. Regardless of structure, this ideal is a goal to be striven towards.

Federal Economic Structure

The Federal Economic Structure (or the F.E.S) is the overarching economic structure applied to the Union as a whole, regardless of any local economies. The Union operates on the basis of gathering, and distributing resources as needed to it's various worlds, member states, and colonial projects.

This is a structure that has become increasingly difficult, yet central to the Union's identity, as the Voidsea has grown more and more dangerous, and as the Union has grow wider.

As a federal entity, the Cosmic Union does not recognise the existence of currency. Money is a concept which has been abolished many times across thousands of Void Islands, and re-invented by plenty in turn. Viewing it as a corrupting force, the Union does not allow it on a federal level. Some Void Islands that do still use it are categorized as Coin Worlds, and their place in the Union is classified under the Local Economic Structure (L.E.S).

All that is to say, the Union directs resources where they are most needed. How this is defined relies upon a variety of factors, including ranking in economic index, Pathfinder reports, and the geopolitical situation in the region. Priority is given to those whom's lives are at risk, or face other dangers, such as food shortages. This can mean that worlds in the innermost core, such as Wodanaz, though poorer, are considered safer, and are overlooked to an extent. And with the Union being the size that it is, resource distribution is difficult.

To solve this issue, Realms were established. Realms function are regions of the Union which are responsible for the allocation of resources within them, allowing the Union to focus less on the specifics of each individual Void Island, and the overall regions well-being. This system, though somewhat feudal in it's structure, has seen the Union be able to allocate resources as efficiency as it possible can.

Local Economic Structure

Operating on a more individual level are Worlds that are primarily under the L.E.S.

The origins of the structure tie back to the early days of the Union. Though many worlds joined the Cosmic Union as it formed, and many chose to move towards economic structures in line with the F.E.S, some worlds and regions simply refused to change their economic models. In particular, the Conquistador Bloc, a founding member Faction of the Union, was adamant that it wanted to maintain the economic structures of their worlds. Future examples would follow. Even today, some re-discovered worlds outright refuse to adopt their entrenched systems, even though they express a great interest in being part of the Union.

Early on in the Union's founding, it was generally agreed that each Void Island and culture would get to practice whatever systems they desired unimpeded, so long as they acknowledged the core principles of the Union, and still contributed towards a collective redistribution fund.

Many factors contributed to this early organisation, but the main three were:

A general unwillingness to interfere in the internal affairs of member states who had been promised the freedom to maintain their ways of life if they joined. Interference was seen not only as ethically questionable, but a violation of the founding principles of the Union.
A lack of resources to commit to such a massive internal undertaking, especially while various opposing Factions were still fighting the Union on multiple fronts, as well as the dangerous of various infestations, outbreaks, and environmental threats. These were all seen as immediate concerns that had to be dealt withsooner.
A fear that forcing Union policy on worlds would greate a climate of fear and unease around the Union. Particularly worlds that had just escaped the clutches of the Flygia Riki, or other oppressive Factions or governments, did not with to trade on tyrant for another, and even the perception of tyranny may drive potential members away.It was feared that a political upheaval this early into the Cosmic Unions formation would spell doom for it before it ever truly began.

This live-and-let-live structure lasted a mere 22 years, before the War of Blood Money broke out, as the Conquistador Bloc began to spread it's economic influence in increasingly extortionate and socially ruinous ways, and declared independence and rebellion against the Union. Though put down, the Union began to enforce stricter rules around more localised economic structures. The three above factors still applied, but the Union became stricter with it's enforcement.

In particular, worlds and member states that utilised a form of currency became designated as Coin Worlds. These worlds were not allowed to trade with non-Coin Worlds, and had to work via the Union as intermediaries. The goal os this was to prevent the spread of these systems to worlds that did not wish them. In addition, worlds that retained such an economy had to pay a tithe to the Union. This tithe had to come not in the form of currency, but from various goods, materials, and other such resources. In exchange, they would be allowed to operate under their own structures with minimal interference, provided respect for the Union's core tenants were adhered. A world practicing slavery, for example, would receive no mercy, regardless of their the system under which they function.

Foundation

The Union was founded by the same means two of it's founding members were formed - The unification of several factions.

Before the Technopocolypse, the Solar Union was a major power within the Sky River - Controlling vast swatches of territory. Once the Technopocolypse arrived though, much of the infrastructure that allowed the Solar Union to function fell apart, and much of the Union fell apart. The Solar Union remained, fragmented though it was, and was centred around the world of Xeo-Quartz, where it would remain until contact was established with the Stjarna Union.

The Stjarna Union was formed many centuries after the Technopocolypse - the three Central worlds, Venus, Earth, and Mars, united in response to an invasion by the Vystaalan's, whom had been directed to them by the Titanic States of Saturn, in an attempt to weaken both, so as to establish the Titanic States as their Void Archipelago's sole superpower. Following the invasion, the Twilight Imperium also attacked Earth, seeing it as an easy target. Understanding that the Imperium also had it's sights on Saturn, the Titanic States got involved directly. This would become known as the Quartet Conflict.

Reverence

Though officially irreligious, the Union has reverence for three main figures - The Visionary, the Stargazer, the Defiant, and the Persistent. The oldest of these figures is the Visionary, who is held up in the highest regard, particularly among the Kin.

To an outside perspective, this may seem religious in nature, but this is not the case. These are seen as influential figures who played a large role in shaping what the Union would become, or leading the charge of change that would lead their respective worlds on the path towards the formation of the Union.