The Sanctar Hegemony



The Sanctar Hegemony Sporecast

The Sanctar Hegemony
“We find credence in the true faith; we swear to uphold the glory of the Gods!” – Prophet Dorn Trasky

The Sanctar Hegemony is an empire of religious zealots. They worship the Karrzi, a long-extinct race of aliens whom they consider to be gods.

The Hegemony possesses several systems in the outer regions of the galaxy. The majority of their military travel in an army of ships, referred to as the Sanctorus Holy Flotilla. Although they often set up camps on alien planets to collect resources, they do not establish colonies.

The Sanctar believe that worship of the Karrzi is sacred and their moral duty in the galaxy. When any faithful being dies, they will be eternally rewarded in the afterlife. If the individual does not believe, they will be cast into infinite punishment and tortured for their sin. For this reason, the Karrzi are exceptionally faithful and loyal to their religion. They attempt to convert alien races to their religion but they rarely succeed. The Sanctar believe that the universe is the domain of the Gods and that it is there duty to protect it from corruption and sin.

They believe that races who attack others vindictively or for personal gain are demons; the agents of the Karrzi’s evil nemeses, the OHGODINEEDANAME. The Sanctar consider themselves the guardian of the pure and sacred races of the universe against the demons and are prepared to fight and die to maintain the lives of the innocent.

The Hegemony search the galaxy for artefacts of value to their religion. Any technology or religious materials are considered sacred and must be retrieved from planets, even if said planets are inhabited by hostile aliens. They show disregard for their own safety in these cases as they attempt to collect the relics by any means. It does not matter to them if they are sacrificed to secure the artefact as they know they will be rewarded in death.

Description


"We are the instruments the Gods created for the greatest task in the galaxy... how could we not be designed perfectly? " – Doctor Ulaqua Vodel

Honourable, chivalrous and intelligent, the Sanctar are fierce, agile warriors and a proud race. They are the exclusive species of the Hegemony and are strong both politically and in combat terms. They represent justice and law, securing their territory through means of military power.

Sanctar are bipedal amphibians that stand over eight feet tall. They have oily black and green skin and sharp claws that can be used in melee combat. Their home planet, Sanctorus, has very strong gravity, making the Sanctar far more agile and strong on other worlds. They are carnivorous, usually feeding on small fish. The Sanctar are noticeably intelligent and make excellent military tacticians. They have a life-span of 200 years, making some of the older Sanctar the most experienced and competent soldiers in the outer rim. Nevertheless, the Sanctar are so exposed to combat that few live long enough to die of old age.

Sanctar have both male and female genders and can be distinguished by their appearance. Males are identified by their tails and large crests on their skulls. These crests are actually pipes made from bone that the male can use to emit high-pitched screeches or calls. Although these were originally used for mating calls and other forms of communication when they were a primal race, they are now used to give orders during combat.

The Sanctar are a predatory race who were pack hunters before they achieved civilisation. They have evolved excellent reaction times and good eyesight. To find their prey, Sanctar use trichromatic colour vision in the ultraviolet range. They also have a lateral line organ which can detect changes in water pressure. They have no external ears, and only a vestigial middle ear. Although they prefer to work in teams with other Sanctar to make best use out of their pack mentality, they are effective individually too.

Sanctar are cold-blooded. Sanctorus is a warm, tropical planet and the Sanctar have adapted so that they work best in this sort of environment. They have an excellent sense of smell allowing them to track enemies miles away. Their eyes are embedded into the exoskeleton around their heads which gives them a fairly small field of view. They are entirely black and have a clear lid over the top so that they can still see underwater.

The skin of Sanctar is typical of amphibians. It is thin, permeable to water, serves as a respiratory membrane and is well-supplied with glands. It has highly cornified outer layers renewed periodically through a skin shedding process controlled by the pituitary and thyroid glands. During moulting, the skin initially breaks around the mouth and the individual moves forwards through the gap. When the arms have been worked clear, a series of body ripples pushes the shed skin towards the rear. The hind limbs are extracted and push it farther back before it is eventually freed by friction as the Sanctar pushes forward. In history, it is recorded that they would often then eat the resulting slough although this has become a cultural taboo that is all but forbidden.

Sanctar have exceptionally strong jaws. They are capable of crushing open shells of creature and even the armour of their enemies. Their teeth are tiny but incredibly sharp, designed to slice meats up for easy consumption and to catch fish in motion. They also fall out often, however. Every five years, the Sanctar 'sheds' its teeth and there is a new row waiting beneath. This process can seemingly be repeated an infinite number of times. Sanctar have bacteria in their saliva which they have developed an immunity to over thousands of years. If another creature is bitten by one, the bacteria can cause the victim to receive a deadly infection. In smaller animals, it can kill within an hour. Sanctar have both lungs and gills. The gills are external as visible slits beneath their eyes. This enables them to respire both in and out of water and to remain submerged indefinitely for surprise attacks.

Extreme temperatures have a profound effect on Sanctar. They are rumoured to become sluggish and tire easily in exceptionally warm or cold weather. When performing missions on planets with extreme climates, soldiers often use artificial temperature regulators in their armour.

The Sanctar are reasonably xenophobic, not because they feel threatened by other aliens, but because they are so obsessive about their cause. Often considered religious zealots, they are undoubtedly the most devoted- or the only worshippers- to the Karrzi religion.

Sanctar have a clear and deterministic psychology. They are honourable and respectful to their elders and other Sanctar and pledge themselves fully to the Hegemony. They follow unspoken ‘codes of honour’. Performing any action for personal gain that has a negative effect on their society as a whole is considered treason. This makes the Sanctar loyal to their justice system not because they are scared of consequence but because they are too principled to do otherwise.

Eggs and Hatchlings
"Life is not a right, but a privilege." – Karrzi Scriptures

Sanctar are oviparous. The eggs can vary in colour but are usually blue. They must be kept in a suitably warm environment but are fairly strong. Aboard the flotilla, many parents send their eggs to Eggkeeper companies where they are placed in incubators and properly sustained. This is popular with couples who work in the military and do not have the time to care for eggs.

After 4-6 months, the egg is ready to hatch. No intervention occurs during the hatching process as there is a cultural and spiritual ritual associated with it. Sanctar eggs have evolved to be extremely strong. Although this makes them resilient to damage, it serves another purpose. It is very difficult for the hatchling to break open the shell, therefore only the strongest Sanctar ever break free and survive. This ruthless but nonetheless effective factor causes the average Sanctar to be physically fit from an early age. If the Sanctar never escapes the egg and eventually dies, it is disposed of cleanly and unceremoniously. Those that survive receive a formal blessing from a priest and are named by their parents.

Hatchlings are not only much smaller than fully grown Sanctar but lack the leathery skin and are a more yellowy hue. Hatchlings do not technically have a gender. They are born without crests or tails and will gain these after metamorphosis. Hatchlings spend much of their time sleeping or eating. For such tiny creatures, they consume immense quantities of food. Overall growth is not visible until after metamorphosis.

The Sanctar's Origins


The earliest date the Sanctar can be traced back to is approximately 11 million years before the Great Unification. The Sanctar’s home planet, Sanctorus, was – and still is - a lush rainforest world covered in vegetation. It was host to thousands of species and has a warm, humid climate.

The Sclander Fish is the earliest known evolutionary ancestor of the Sanctar. It was a tiny aquatic creature that lived in the warm freshwater pools in the rainforest. Although it was covered in tiny white scales, the mud and composition of the water would often stain them a black or grey. They ate small insects that rested on the top of the water and smaller fish. They often fell victim to other predatory fish however, and the future of the Sanctar was already threatened. Had the Sclander Fish not adapted to its surroundings so well, the Sanctar might never have existed.

The Sclander Fish evolved into Senk Fish. Senk Fish were much larger than their ancestors and had much larger fins, allowing them to be far more manoeuvrable in the water and catch more prey. They became the dominant species in the ponds of Sanctorus and had no aquatic predators whatsoever. Their only weakness was land-dwelling organisms who would often pluck the Senk Fish out of the water for food.

The Senk Fish then evolved into Senkators. Senkators were similar to salamanders and ate fish and crustaceans. The Senkators were incredibly strong, capable of crushing open the shells of crustaceans and scaring away other animals.

Unfortunately, with their low-lying bodies and short legs, they were often too slow to catch their prey. To make matters worse, their cold-blooded nature meant that they had to bask in the sun for long amounts of time and wasted precious hours when they could be hunting. They began to lose their scales over time in place of leathery, slimy black skin and became WARMORCOLDBLOODED Sankton by about 9 million years BU. They also developed white stripes on their backs to scare away predators who might assume they were poisonous.

Sankton were larger than Senkators. They sat on the river banks and waited for passing fish, which they would pounce on and snatch in their jaws. They also grew crests of bones from their skulls which could be used ti communicate via whistling sounds. Now the dominant species on all of Sanctorus, the Sankton began to evolve into the Sanctar that exist today. By 6 million years BU, Sanctar began to walk upright and by 4 million years BU the entire species walked upright all the time. They were almost visually indistinguishable from the modern Sanctar.

The Dawn of Technology
By approximately 2 and a half million years before Unification, Sanctar began to develop mentally. They achieved more advanced brain function and invented the earliest tools on Sanctorus. Basic wooden and stone instruments were invented and Sanctar exhibited the basic elements of civilisation. Sanctar used tools to hunt, break open shells, cut down trees and construct simple buildings. This is also believed to be when they fully developed the ability to use their crests as a form of communication. Around this time, Sanctar also developed larger brains and large cranial cavities.

By less than a million years before the Great Unification, the Sanctar had built proper settlements and huts as opposed to their nomadic wandering before. Sanctar invented language and started to communicate with each other verbally. This brought together communities and caused Sanctar to finally cooperate. This was a turning point in Sanctar evolution and led them to invent fire and musical instruments, often made from the bones of animals. They started to wear clothing and maps of the world began to take shape.

The Sanctar also created farming. Agriculture was of limited interest to the Sanctar due to their primarily carnivorous nature, but the manipulation of animals was highly significant to them. They realised they could control the growth and breeding of their prey in closed environments and built small reservoirs to use a fisheries.

The Suffering of Eldos
With the development of community and the invention of primitive technology, the Sanctar became more advanced thinkers. Although they will innately sceptical about the supernatural, around 4,000BU many Sanctar questioned life itself. Obsessed with the mysteries of the world, ancient scholars wrote about their beliefs. Forums were held in the ancient city of Eldos where the greatest minds from all over the continent came to discover the secrets of existence.

As each scholar expressed their opinion, the contradictions between each idea became more and more infuriating to the Sanctar. Livid that they did not understand the very universe they lived in, they were outraged. Turning to the council of Eldos, they asked for a shrine of contemplation to be constructed in the very centre of the city.

After almost a century, the temple was finally complete. Thousands flocked from all over the planet to witness the fabled building, so tall it seemed to tear into the very skies themselves. The halls were filled with the chattering and murmuring of the Sanctar exchanging ideas. They developed new philosophies about life itself.

Unfortunately, the leading councillor of Eldos, whose name has been forgotten in time, was highly corrupt. Realising the immense significance and the potential of the congregation, he schemed a way to exploit the opportunity. The councillor fabricated a philosophy that dictated that riches must be donated to the temple as a sacrifice to God and so that they might please him and learn the secrets of the universe.

Being the most intelligent minds on the planet, the scholars realised that this was no more than a cheap scheme for the councillor to become immensely wealthy. Although the weak-minded upper-class aristocrats donated in waves, the intellectuals rejected the philosophy. With the riches he had earned, the councillor ordered the soldiers of Eldos to execute anyone who rejected his 'undeniable truth'. The scholars were captured and imprisoned before being hanged one by one. Satisfied that his plan had succeeded, the councillor proclaimed himself to be a messenger from God and took control of much of the continent.

Although many historians dismiss it as ironic coincidence, in less than a month the lands, and specifically, the city, were subject to catastrophic natural disasters. Hurricanes, tsunamis and storms took thousands of lives. Farms were destroyed and buildings collapsed. In a desperate attempt to survive, the councillor ordered his quickly depleting numbers of personnel to construct increasingly elaborate and costly shelters for, only for each one to collapse in quick succession. Eventually, a volcanic eruption on the perimeter of the city spelt the doom of Eldos. Clouds of ash and smoke smothered the city and the people in the streets collapsed, choking to death. Hot magma spilt over the walls and consumed the buildings.

As debris rained down, crushing the last people of Eldos, the councillor hid himself in the temple he had constructed. He locked the doors, preventing others from entering. As people let out their last screams just outside the door, the councillor hysterically repented for all of his sins. He confessed all over the horrible things he had done and begged for forgiveness.

But he was not forgiven. The glass windows shattered and the red liquid rock spilled inside, filling the halls. Scrambling on top of a podium, the councillor cursed the God he had created and was swallowed up in the burning mess.

The city continued to burn for days, weeks, perhaps even months, until eventually the magma solidified and the city that was once the envy of the world was nought more than a charred remain.

The Liberation of Zenth
Upon witnessing the hideous destruction of Eldos, the Sanctar were finally resolute in their beliefs. The councillor had fabricated a false god and had angered whoever the true deity was. He was punished for it. The Sanctar concluded that, until they could truly learn whom they should worship, they should not 'invent' their faith.

For 500 years, this belief remained true in the minds of the population. Nevertheless, in the far off city of Zenth, business was finally establishing itself. The only economical power on the planet, Zenth became an incredibly wealthy place. The people there were delighted at their riches, constantly trading and bartering with the merchants who travelled to their city.

Zenth manufactured almost anything. Clothing, food, early vehicles, building materials and even exotic hats were all common in their markets. Unbeknownst to the people of the city, however, was the King's dastardly nature. The reason for the city's success was not due to the brilliant markets, but due to his evil manipulation of the populace. His private guard stole from supplies and even homes and forced heavy tolls on the travelling merchants.

The guards blackmailed the merchants into handing over huge sums of money and valuables. If the merchants refused or tried to tell others of this corruption, they mysteriously disappeared without any explanation. The authorities in Zenth never investigated the disappearances either. Although the corruption seems obvious now, the merchants were not the only ones being exploited. The people of Zenth were kept oblivious to these acts. None were allowed to leave and if people asked questions, they vanished too.

A small crime syndicate who referred to themselves as the Red Stone resisted the authorities in Zenth. Most of them were merchants who had been arrested and stolen from by the guards. They escaped the prisons and began harassing patrols and spreading propaganda. As desperate as they were to make the people of Zenth see the truth, the King's immense wealth allowed him to pay for an exceptionally large garrison of guards who were there to foil the Red Stone's plans at every turn. It seemed that they would never stop the corrupt King.

The King now held a monopoly over much of the entire continent. If anybody wanted something, they went to Zenth, and it only made the King richer. Hearing of his miraculous riches, the monarchs of the other countries and independent cities visited Zenth. Deeply impressed, they were easily charmed by the King's lavish gifts and great hospitality. One group were suspicious, however. The people of Delgar were not as easily fooled. Duke Nolst of Delgar and his servants escaped the King's castle and went to explore the city. He found the Red Stone planning to crash the King's party for the people of the other cities and quickly warned them not to. An intelligent man, he devised a clever plan and agreed on it with the Red Stone.

The people of the Red Stone stole up to the King's castle in the dead of night. They came to the secret entrance at the back of the building where the Duke, accommodated in the castle, unlocked the door to let them in. They then crept into the top of the King's tower and stole his written plans to exploit his people. His royal seal appeared on all of the papers, proving they were genuine.

The next day, the King of Zenth made a speech to the people of the city. He brought the other representatives up to his stand and spoke to the population, exclaiming his desire to build new trade routes with the other cities. Unbeknownst to them, he planned to exploit these trade routes and buy out the other cities until he controlled much of the planet. Half-way through his speech, however, he was pushed of the stage by the Duke of Delgar. The King's guard ran up to arrest the Duke but the people of the Red Stone shot them with crossbows before they could stop him. Despite the panic, the Duke explained to them the King's treachery, throwing the plans into the crowd. Shocked by this revelation, they booed and raged about the way they were treated.

The crowd spilled out onto the stage and beat down the guards. The King was carried away into the desert where he was tied up and abandoned. He was never seen again.

The Duke of Delgar returned to his city with gifts and money that the people of Zenth had taken from the King's castle and given to him. A parade was held in his honour by the people of both Zenth and Delgar.

The Siege of Cheen
At about 2,000BU, Sanctorus was a thriving planet. Although they had yet to accomplish some of the most impressive discoveries and inventions such as electricity or machinery, the population was well-sustained and the Sanctar were fully settled into their cities.

There were five great cities that constituted the majority of the planet's populations: Delgar, Zenth, Tarron, Illnix and Cheen. Delgar was home to great politicians and people of nobility. They had the strongest military and a heavily fortified city. Zenth remained a place of production, but no longer just a place of manufacture; it was now filled with inventors and great minds. Tarron covered large tracts of land but the population was much less dense than the other cities. Many Sanctar split into smaller groups and only joined together to perform raids on small villages or attacks on other cities. Illnix was an island in the centre of the Oltoriss Sea. It was close to Tarron and Cheen but was highly isolated. They had the strongest navy but rarely fought with the other cities on land. Cheen was built between Tarron and Delgar. It was built upon the ruins of Eldos, WIP

The Global War
The Global War was the first and only world war on Sanctorus. Excluding rebellions and criminal attacks on colonies, it was the last civil war the Sanctar fought it. It is the common belief that is one of the most important events in the Sanctar's pre-space history, as it determined who would control the species in the future.

After a series of natural disasters, the nation of Tarron was suffering. Food production had almost completely stopped as livestock had died in their millions from the extreme weather conditions. Tarron was incapable of supporting its own population and, due to the negative responses to territorial expansion they had received in the past; they did not have sufficient space for agriculture or housing.

While desperately scavenging for scraps of food in the swamps around Tarron, a group of civilians found an ancient machine buried beneath the mud. It was a vehicle that could accommodate several people and had a large weapon armed on the top based on technology far too advanced for them to fathom.

Willing to seize any opportunity they could, Tarron's authorities analysed the vehicle and deemed it a weapon that would give them significant advantage in conflict. Keeping the vehicle secret from the other nations, they invited military representatives from Illnix to see the weapon. Illnix was an island where travellers from Tarron had settled and was now a nation of size almost as great as Tarron.

Deeply impressed by the find, Illnix agreed that the weapon was indeed impressive but they were curious as to Tarron's intentions. Still sore from losing land to Cheen in the past, Tarron sought to retake the territories they had lost through force. Although Tarron had a considerable land army, their navy was no match for Cheen's. They asked for Illnix to join them in the attack as their multitude of ships would be invaluable.

Naming themselves the 'Sintully Alliance' after the continent that Tarron and Illnix resided in, the army marched west and attacked the unprepared Cheen guard forces. Although the infantry were equally matched, the vehicle was instrumental as it instantly destroyed buildings and villages with a single shot from its weapon. The Cheen Army's morale crumbled as they witnessed their homes burned and their friends and families crushed by the Sintully soldiers.



At the southern end of Cheen, military ships were deployed to attack Tarron's soldiers on the coast. Unfortunately, they were attacked in force by Illnix's navy. Illnix had faster ships with more firepower that decimated Cheen's ships. All seemed lost as cannons blasted away the boats, sinking them one by one.

Fortunately, a small patrol of ships from Delgar were surveying the area. They witnessed the destruction and split into two groups; one distracted Illnix's navy away to give Cheen time to retreat, and another group to return to Delgar and relay news of the attack.

In a few short days, the Western continent of Artnis scrambled together a force of ships and infantry with some of Zenth's mobile cannon weapons. The united armies of Delgar, Zenth and Sondabarr marched east to Cheen where they met Sintully forces head-on.

Realising they were overwhelmed, the Sintully Alliance requested reinforcements from the other nations in and around Sintully. A small fleet of ships from Jullotch, Pol and Molanis departed east to attack Artnis on their home turf. As luck would have it, the extreme weather persisted and storms raged Sintully. Exceptionally strong winds tore away the harbours and it is claimed that boats were pulled up into the air and smashed back down onto each other.

By the time the ships arrived at Artnis, the vast majority had already been sunk. The last six remaining boats were forced to dock at Austiss Island as much of the crews had drowned or been thrown into the deep by the storms and were never seen again. The sailors were taken prisoner and were not released until the end of the war.

As air vehicles did not exist at the time, the Artnis soldiers were left with no choice but to trudge through the swamps around Cheen. Many became lost in the dark, seemingly never-ending forests and were never seen again.

When the forces did arrive, they were amazed to find some of Cheen's garrison still alive and still fighting to protect their nation. With only simple gunpowder weapons, no armour and dwindling food supplies, it was a wonder that they had managed to keep the city walls intact for so long.

Around the time, the Sintully Alliance made their final push into Cheen, using the vehicle to blow apart the capital's walls. The two sides met in the very heart of Cheen, battling through the scorched streets and decimated buildings. The few civilians who had not evacuated on foot to Delgar were still hiding in their homes as explosions rang out around them and the Sintully Alliance killed anyone who attempted to stop them reaching the presidential palace in the centre of the city.

With a much larger army and soldiers who were fresh to the fight, the Artnis Alliance believed their victory was assured. The capital was gradually cleared of Tarron soldiers and the day seemed saved. Just as they thought they had won, the ancient vehicle crashed into the city centre and blasted away the foot soldiers. The Artnis soldiers fled as the vehicle crushed buildings and people underfoot. It fired a single shot at the capitol building and reduced it to a pile of ash.

It turned to the Artnis soldiers and civilians running in the street and, just as it was about to fire, shuddered to a halt. The vehicle had been through the swamps so much that the metal had rusted over and the joints were clogged with mud. It exhausted its fuel supplies just as the tide of war changed and the Sintully forces were defeated as a result. With the vehicle immobilised, the Artnis soldiers, Cheen guards and even the unarmed citizens chased the fleeing invaders out of the city, never to return. Hearing of the failure on land, the Illnix navy realised their defeat was inevitable. Artnis ships surrounded them and they all surrendered.

Tarron and Illnix were forced to pay reparations to repair Cheen. Zenth provided some agricultural equipment to assist Tarron in regrowing and making itself self-sufficient, but they were forced to surrender all of their military ships and weapons.

Tarron and Illnix never caused another war, but it should be noted that worldwide ceasefires were held as the nation united and Delgar and Tarron formed a single nation that was announced as the capital were Delgar once was. This city was named Delgaron and is still the capital to this day.

The vehicle never worked again and it was discovered that it ran on Toranite and was most likely a Karrzi vehicle in the past. It still resides in the Cheen city centre as a monument in front of the capital building and a symbol of the war.

The Formation of the High Council
Realising that there were no suitable dictators as so many Sanctar had died on Pellix, within three years of the return to Sanctorus, a full political reform occurred. Representatives from the ten largest cities on Sanctorus formed an anonymous High Council. Without known identities, the public had no way of rebelling against the individuals, but they could still cast votes on them in their anonymity.

The first step in rebuilding society was the dismantling of all Orathni technology- although it was kept in museums and places of remembrance for those who had died at the hands of the Orathni. The technology was repurposed for providing for the Sanctar- agricultural machines and facilities, homes and long-distance travel vehicles were all created as a result. These offered new industries to provide the essentials for Sanctar and created thousands of new jobs.

One of the High Councillors was responsible for monitoring the reform of the global economy. He regulated trade between the nations and carefully managed credit production, keeping a balance that ensured the survival of people on all different parts of the planet. In under a decade, the whole planet was reformed; unemployment was greatly reduced, the global market was strong and crime was dropping.

The government funded more expeditions at the order of the High Council to locate Karrzi artefacts on Sanctorus. Not only did this prove useful for boosting morale amongst believers, but the technology further improved the quality of life for the Sanctar and progressed them further into a hyper-advanced race.

The Great Unification
A thousand years ago (Sanctar Date 50BU, years before Unification), the Sanctar were a pre-spaceflight race that had established an efficient society with a strong government. Although they were culturally exceptional, they were lacking in technology.

They were a peaceful and highly spiritual race. Although they were predatory carnivores, they were innately calm and non-violent. Their home planet, Sanctorus, was a lush world covered almost entirely in rainforests. Almost all Sanctar lived in a single continent, where the government and the religious figureheads resided. The capital was called ‘Delgaron’.

Although Sanctorus was a visceral paradise, it was a difficult place to live. Deadly wildlife and a harsh climate meant that the Sanctar cities consumed large amounts of natural resources and caused large amounts of deforestation to accommodate the growing population. The most valuable resource on Sanctorus, however, was a precious mineral called ‘Toranite’. Toranite occurred naturally deep underground but took centuries to be produced. There were limited quantities and the mineral was almost completely harvested within a few hundred years.

With the lack of Toranite, the Sanctar had no fuel or power for their technology. Vehicles became useless, agriculture began to fail and the government was breaking down. Many rioted against the various religious Churches, believing that their superfluous consumption of resources largely contributed to the catastrophe. Conflict broke out in the streets of Delgaron with demonstrators hurling rocks at law enforcement officers. Local militia turned on authority too and used firearms.

In a last desperate attempt to salvage society as they knew it, the government deployed mining teams all across the planet to search for emergency Toranite reserves. Without any usable vehicles and amidst the fighting, the teams were largely unsuccessful. Many became lost in the rainforests outside of the cities and were never seen again.

One team, however, discovered monolithic architecture and technology buried beneath the surface of the planet. They studied the materials, deciding that they were far more advanced than their own. The Sanctar came to the conclusion that an alien ship must have crashed there millions of years before. They also found a compound used as fuel that included Toranite.

The announcement quelled the rioting and much of the entire population congregated in the city centre to witness the discovery being transported. The SFG, Sanctorus Federal Government, declared the technology property of the Sanctar government and seized them for further scientific study. From the memory on the computers and the hardware around the area, the Sanctar learned a great deal and progressed technologically more than they had in the previous thousand years. They established new resources for fuel, discovered new forms of architecture and vehicles and, most importantly, discovered how to build ships for themselves.

A fleet of unarmed ships were sent out into the system and secured Torellius, a nearby planet that had an inhabitable atmosphere. They used the alien technology to establish a colony and carried over much of the population. Torellius had small Toranite reserves too, although not as much as Sanctar once had.

The Sanctar were amazed to discover that there were more traces of alien technology on Torellius, all originating from the same civilisation. With this technology, Torellius became self-sufficient with food production and life support systems that they could never have built on their own.

With the knowledge that, if alien technology had landed on Sanctorus and Torellius, then alien life must exist elsewhere in the universe. The flotilla travelled to the nearest system where they made contact with an alien race there; the Plorgo. The Plorgo were a far more militaristic race than the Sanctar. Although they were stronger in a combat sense, the Sanctar’s colonial technology was exceptionally advanced by comparison. The Plorgo informed them that the technology the Sanctar had discovered must be from millennia ago, considering how different it was from their own.

After visiting a number of other alien planets in peace, they assessed that, even though they had not managed to extract the full potential of the technology they found on Sanctorus, there were still no planets they had found with technology as complex or old. They deduced that the aliens must have been a long forgotten race that preceded much of the present galaxy. Realising the scope of this, they considered the crashed ship to be a gift from the extinct race, worshipping them as gods. Even though they had died millions of years ago, the Sanctar believed that the aliens must still exist in a spiritual form and that they were guiding them throughout their advancement into a true space-capable species.

They named the race ‘Karrzi’; an old Sanctar dialect for ‘those who uplift’ and constructed buildings of worship on Sanctorus, their newly established colonies and even aboard the ships of the flotilla. Although there was extremely advanced technology, none of it was designed for military use. The Sanctar interpreted this as a sign that they should not fight.

The first Church of Karrzi was formed too. Representatives from politics and the military were chosen to lead a High Council that would control the entire Sanctar civilisation. All other religions were dissolved and made illegal to practise.

The revolution caused unrest on Sanctorus. Believers of other faiths revolted against the new religion imposed on them and they rioted against the High Council Temple in the capital city, Delgaron. With the power of the military in their control, the Council ordered soldiers to protect the city by any means necessary. Hundreds of rioters were killed and countless numbers were arrested.

Public reception to the occurrence was varied; many claimed that the rioters had been heretics and that, in rejecting the one true faith, they had already condemned themselves. Their destruction was justified. Although there were great losses for Delgaron as many innocent civilians had been injured and lots of buildings were destroyed, the overall effect on the Sanctar could be considered positive. With all opposition to the Church of Karrzi eliminated, they now had influence over the entire species. This is referred to as date ‘0’, as it is the time of the Sanctar Unification.

The Economic Crash
Although they had survived their first encounter with aliens, huge populations of Sanctar had died in the process. Order was lost and the government collapsed. Agricultural industries all over the planet had been unattended for so long that all of the food supplies for the race were destroyed. There was almost no money for anybody to use and the government had no money to improve the state of the planet with.

All space craft was either damaged beyond repair, without the necessary fuels or simply too expensive to build.

The leader of the new government, Chancellor Gullus, was an ageing individual who had been a fairly low-ranking politician in Delgaron before the Orathni abduction. With the most experience he was thrust into the position of control for all of Sanctorus, even though he was 189 years old and had no experience in such a highly significant role. He ordered that the cities attempt to begin manufacturing of the technology the Sanctar had used before the abduction so that they might become self-sufficient once again. Unfortunately, there were insufficient funds and many of the politicians and workers who had supported the industries before had died on Pellix.

In a desperate attempt to rectify this problem, Gullus printed massive numbers of credits and provided them to the population of almost the entire planet. It was a massive objective and depleted even more resources. Even with these credits, corporations had no produce or physical wealth to trade with and the money was effectively worthless. In order to make it viable, more money was created until there was a critical economic crash.

Sanctorus suffered a terrible state of hyperinflation. Almost half of the people on the planet lived in poverty and there were no corporations to provide jobs for them as they could not afford it. Thousands died from starvation and vagrants travelled from city to city in search of work, many collapsing dead on their journeys.

To generate funds to boost the industries, Gullus had no option but to create massive taxes in physical possessions. The law enforcement in various cities acted as bailiffs, removing prized objects from homes as the money was useless. Outraged, the people of Sanctorus started riots and refused. Even the government in Sanctorus had now completely depleted its wealth in their various attempts to salvage society. Gullus died from old age within two years of office. His funeral was widely attended but there were no remembrance ceremonies outside of Delgaron. Sanctorus was still in crisis.

Collectivisation
Collectivisation was the process by which much of the Sanctar economy was reformed. Beyond the most advanced and urbanised cities around the capital, much of the population lived in villages or small farms with very limited technology. Trasky planned to merge the smaller industries in the rural areas into larger collective establishments. These new establishments would pool labour and resources and therefore operate more efficiently. In addition, the government provided new technology that would modernise production, especially in regards to Toranite mining. Collectivisation was a far more reliable long-term approach for public industry. Previous forays into corporate mining, especially before the Orathni incident, had proven inefficient and outputted insufficient Toranite to support their modern society. Instead, Prophet Trasky ordered that mining firms be exclusively owned by the government and that all Toranite that was harvested be collected by the authorities and sold to private corporation separately. As Toranite was so valuable to urban corporations, mining firms were willing to hire large numbers of miners to work underground and recover as much Toranite as possible. There was a massive influx of applicants for employment of this sort. The majority of the mining operations occurred well away from the cities and positions were opening all over the rural areas. Many of the new miners were former farmers and villagers who either sought a new way of life or simply wanted additional wealth. The exceptional increases in miners lead to record amounts of Toranite harvest. At first, the mining firms made huge profit. As the Toranite reserves in areas most convenient located near the cities were exhausted, overall production decreased. This decrease made Toranite soar in price and, consequently, the firms could no longer afford to pay the miners as well. The standard of living amongst workers declined and the wages plummeted. Many of the miners had only enough food to eat and had to remain in accommodation provide by the firms. Conditions were often cramped and squalid and, as the accommodation was placed so close the Toranite mines, many of the miners developed lung conditions from excessive inhalation of Toranite dust. The decrease in Toranite production also affected the government. The production rates had been so high before that Delgaron firms had regularly sold Toranite surpluses to minor colonies in the ____________ in exchange for other materials that would allow them to build additional technology, especially space transport and weapons for the Sanctar Flotilla Army. In addition, the establishment of the Guardian Defence Force had been very expensive and government funds were low. The government continued to provide mining equipment to the mining firms but the lack of profits from Toranite surplus sales meant that they had less money to build additional mining equipment. Much of the equipment especially that which was in turn powered by Toranite, fell into disrepair. As the miners lacked the technical experience to fix them, they were often abandoned or salvaged for parts. Now that the original mines had been exhausted and the government had incurred economic losses, the mining firms began to operate over far larger expanses of land to prevent the excessive focus that had lead problems before. Many of the rural areas far beyond the cities were opened by wealthy aristocrats and businessmen who were frustrated with the government’s earlier methods. As all Toranite harvesting was now controlled by the government, they could no longer profit from the reserves that existed on their land. The government issued a statement that they would commandeer all privately-owned land to optimise Toranite production and that the original owners would be compensated. Although some of the landowners agreed to these terms, the government were still economically weakened from the crash and the compensation money was very underwhelming. The furious landowners resented this and attempted to reclaim their land by force. They hired mercenary bands and attempted to recapture the Toranite reserves on their land. The mining firms had already begun operations however, and the new Guardian Defence Force was deployed. Attacking government property was considered an act of terrorism and the GDF received full permission to kill the mercenary bands. The entire mercenary force was defeated but they sabotaged many of the mining facilities. Almost no miners were killed in the attacks, but the government’s protection of them imbued them with confidence in both Trasky and the GDF. The newly secured reserves reenergised the Sanctar economy and the landowners disappeared. Some speculate that they were assassinated by the Phantoms of Phaestos but it is rumoured that they changed their identities and began working in the mines instead. Trasky’s response to the incident was to increase the power of the government over the economy. Now that many of the former farmers were miners, the government could assume full control over food production. All fisheries were commandeered by the government and the vast majority of food business was owned by them. This meant that the government had total economic control over most of the public; people worked in their mines which generated fuel for them. The miners then spent their wages on food from the government, essentially returning all of the money back to the authorities. Eventually, the entire of the working class were either employed in mining or fisheries. Trasky ordered for propaganda to be circulated around the working class- that all those who were not under their employ were working for their own gain and not for the betterment of the Sanctar race. As more and more people from all over Sanctorus began to work in the mines, the Guardian Defence Force employed spies to act as workers and monitor the others. Anyone suspected of attempting to undermine the establishment was secretly disposed of. Many of the employees had lost their homes as new collective facilities had been established were they had once lived. Such individuals were the main target of the GDF as they could attempt to sabotage the collective facilities from the inside. Now that the government had complete control over the Toranite reserves and the people of Sanctorus, they were sufficiently powerful to do almost anything.

The Collapse of Democracy
After the successes of collectivisation, the Sanctorus Federal Government underwent a general election. The Progressors had won the last four elections and still remained in office after twelve years. Trasky’s collectivisation initiative had been a considerable boost to the economy and the production of Toranite and food was at an all-time high. Their re-election seemed inevitable.

Nevertheless, the Traditionalist Party succeeded the Progressive Party by 387 votes to only 210. This result indicated that many of the delegates were unhappy with Trasky’s actions and that he had fallen in favour. The leader of the Traditionalist Party, Fulter Chekk, was highly popular with many of the delegates even outside his own party. Trasky feared that even some of his former supporters had betrayed him and that the delegates could no longer be trusted.

The Progressive Party was removed from office and Trasky and his followers were removed from the High Council. Less than a month later, the new Chancellor Chekk was murdered by a lone gunman in the Delgaron government building. The media immediately blamed Leggis Vanarow, who they claimed was working for an anti-Karrzist terror group and wanted to overthrow the government. Following the announcement, POLENEMYA and POLENEMYB were arrested for the conspiracy to murder Chekk.

This explanation was convenient for Trasky. The murder had rid him of his direct political opponent and incriminated many of his former rivals, greatly improving his image to the delegates. The murder also gave a pretext for hunting a ‘secret terror group’ who were suspected to have infiltrated the government. As the murder was so soon after the election, the Traditionalist Party had not been officially installed as the High Council yet. As such, the Progressive Party’s lead delegates were temporarily reinstated into the High Council with Trasky as the leader.

The emergency powers the High Council had received for defending against the Wust demanded that it remain for five years in order for the group in power to repair any damages as a result of the emergency. Although the damages from the attack were not severe enough to warrant this being essential, Trasky’s High Council used it to their advantage. Under the guise of eliminating anti-Karrzist dissidents, they issued numerous decrees authorising the swift execution of political opponents, including many of the Traditionalist Party’s leaders. Guardian Defence Force operatives stormed the Traditionalists’ headquarters at the Sanctorus Federal Government building and ceased those accused. If they did not comply, they were gunned down where they stood.

Trasky then appointed Maruda Klenric as the official head of the Guardian Defence Force with the objective to investigate Chekk’s murder. It is likely that Vanarow was never part of an anti-Karrzi terrorist group and that Chekk was killed by the Guardian Defence Force, but such accusations were considered terroristic and those who expressed them were removed by the Phantoms of Phaestos. Klenric interrogated Vanarow personally. Following his ‘confession’ the murder, Vanarow and over 400 delegates in the Sanctorus Federal Government were executed by firing squad.

Trasky then held a vote in the Sanctorus Federal Government that would grant the current High Council absolute power over the entire Sanctar population. A vote was held among the delegates but, as only 61 of the original 500 had survived the executions, the vote was totally biased. 50 of the 61 delegates were Progressives and the remaining 11 would have been executed if they opposed the change. The vote was unanimously in favour. As a primarily religious party, the Progressive Party had always aimed to desecularise their religion from the government. Karrzism was now the official religion of the Sanctar and it was made illegal to practise any other religion. Trasky’s title was officially changed from temporary chancellor to ‘prophet’.

The Age of Cleansing
“It may be the end of the world for them, but for me it’s just more paperwork.” – Maruda Klenric

The Sanctorus Church was merged with the Sanctorus Federal Government, creating the Covenant of the Karrzi. As the leader of the Covenant, Prophet Trasky had full control over all aspects of Sanctar life.

They adjusted existing laws, banning all political parties except for their own. They gave themselves even more power so that they could continue to exercise their authority over Sanctorus. Nevertheless, they still supported the Sanctorus Holy Army and Guardian Defence Force to keep the planet well-defended and made regular donations to the Karrzi Church. They were now exceptionally wealthy due to the massive production of the collective facilities.

As they believed that Karrzism was the one true faith, all other religions would have to be completely destroyed- not just banned. As they were to be the instruments of the gods, they must make themselves pure too. Chancellor Trasky decided to cleanse the Sanctar race of the weak and undesirable to breed a generation of perfect individuals.

They created new laws that would persecute minority groups and undesirable individuals in society; criminals, vagrants, political troublemakers, the disabled and anyone who had resisted collectivisation.. As opposed to the capitalist system that had been adopted before, all companies and corporations across the planet were absorbed into the Sanctorus Federal Government and the undesirable individuals all lost their jobs. With all Sanctar industries at their disposal, the new government restructured employment; they tested Sanctar and allocated jobs, even if they disliked a job or they felt their new job was not as good as their old one. The majority of the public were sent to work in the collective facilities, should they choose not to join the military. All Sanctar on the planet were registered into a single large database so that they could be identified and analysed. After collective censuses had been completed, anybody who was not on the system must automatically be an outlaw or a rogue and were immediately imprisoned.

This also allowed the Sanctorus Federal Government to harass the undesirable individuals. They gave them poor jobs and gave them smaller wages than the other Sanctar. Pay was often suspended and Guardian Defence Operatives were specifically ordered to irritate or vindictively injure them to destroy morale. The individuals were forbidden from employment in the government or military and were often randomly searched or arrested. They were not treated as second-class citizens; they were treated as animals.

The government, now owning all corporations, controlled all of the media. They censored and banned anything they disliked, often creating entertainment and information programmes specifically to persuade and control the beliefs of the Sanctar. Only works that agreed with the ideals of the government or the Church were published; all else was banned.

As the news industry was managed by the government, they only reported positively on the government and spread subtle messages about how great he government was and portrayed any enemies to it as evil heretics. They used posters and digital advertising to convince people that they were living in the golden age of Sanctorus.

The undesirable individuals were slowly removed from society; sentenced to life imprisonment, exiled or simply executed. None of this was reported or publicised and anybody that attempted to reveal it to the public was removed by the Phantoms of Phaestos.

Finally, the younger generations were taught to love Sanctorus, the Karrzi and everything they stood for. As they were so impressionable at a young age, the government used indoctrination in schools and children's entertainment to encourage their own idealism in children. They were taught to despise the undesirable individuals and to strive for purity and greatness; to achieve a better Sanctorus.

By now, the majority of the undesirable individuals had been removed from society and the masses were none the wiser. People went missing in the night, the Guardians made arrests with apparently flawless evidence every time and children were united under the High Council's idealism. Even the disabled were considered a liability to the government; the emergency ambulance services specifically performed euthanasia on the mentally or physically disabled who fell ill or became injured without any explanation.

In a few short decades, Sanctorus had bred a race of pure, perfect Sanctar, ready to fulfil the will of the Karrzi.

In less than five years, Sanctorus was restored to its former glory. The economy was steady once more and it became even more powerful than it was before the Orathni abductions. Although the majority of Sanctar considered the High Council's rule to be a step forward for their race, some were still against them. The fact that the council further enforced Karrzism caused religious deviants, criminals and anarchists to band together, some reforming organisations that had first existed after the Great Unification. The most notable would be the Vaydel League, named after the trade group who supplied them with munitions. They performed terrorist attacks on government buildings and encouraged hatred for the new administration.

To combat this, the High Council formed the first Guardian Defence Force; an organisation of counter-terrorist operatives and police officers to help prevent crime sprees. They also received the necessary assets to protect the planet in case of another alien invasion. Many assessed that they would have been strong enough to defend against the Orathni had they arrived when the Guardian Defence Force were in power.

The Phantoms of Phaestos were also established at this time; a secret organisation that answered directly to the Karrzi Church. They were to detect heretics in society and terminate them without being detected, cleansing all of the sinful Sanctar and creating a single group of believers.

Although these two groups successfully dealt with criminals, it did not discourage crime initially. The High Council desired a larger military force which would impress the people of Sanctorus with its strength and discipline and prevent potential criminals from violating the law. It would cost large amounts of resources and credits to form an army such as this, but the High Council still considered it essential to create their idealistic view of Sanctorus.

One of the councillors, the one had allowed the economy to recover, was against this idea. He tried to discourage this plan as it would destroy all his work in bringing Sanctorus to its former glory. They could not afford to build a military that large and society would fall back into anarchy as they would be unable to keep the planet running. Outraged, the other councillors stripped him of his title and publicised his name; Larr Stetonin. Stetonin was also convicted of treason and directly attempting to undermine the High Council.

He started a protest in Delgaron's city centre, just outside of the Sanctorus Federal Government's capital building. He attempted to rally other protesters, but only amassed a meagre 20 people. These 20 were all businessmen and economists and agreed with Stetonin's opinions, attempting to warn the High Council of the consequences of their plans. For trying to reveal the High Council's plan to the public, they were thoroughly punished. Each was sentenced for committing a violent crime, the evidence supporting these claims having been fabricated within the same week. They were all given life imprisonment and were never heard from again. Stetonin vanished the day after the protest, likely the work of the Phantoms of Phaestos.

The Holy Army
With Stetonin disposed of, a new representative joined the anonymous council. This was never documented and there are no records that Stetonin's protest ever occurred, save for the fact that the other protesters were convicted.

The Sanctorus Federal Government set about creating an army for the Sanctar and planned to enlist as many soldiers as possible in case a nation became rogue or there was a mass terrorist attack. They used blueprints of Karrzi and Orathni technology and created various vehicles and weapons. This force became known as the Sanctorus Holy Army.

The leaders of other political parties greatly opposed this new military agenda. It had been kept a secret until fairly late in its development to prevent it being aborted due to its unpopularity. The other political parties used propaganda to expose the High Council as liars, suggesting that they only kept the plans a secret because they did not trust the very people they governed.

This cunning tactic greatly decreased popularity for the High Council and increased the support for other parties. Manufacturing corporations did not want to associate with the High Councils for fear of losing favour with their clients and customers. The Sanctorus Holy Army was no longer feasible as the High Council lacked the funding, resources and support required to finish it.

Triumphant at stopping the plans and increasing their own favour, the other political parties were overjoyed. The largest ones formed coalitions and became even more popular than the current High Council. It became a very real possibility that the group who had brought the race back from the brink would be ousted from their authority for trying to rearm the Sanctar. They could no longer afford to advertise or hold campaigns to regain favour and they seemed doomed to failure- just as Stetonin had warned.

In the very same year, however, the Sanctar received their second attack from an alien race. A race of refugees called the Wust had lost their own homeplanet due to an environmental disaster that had rendered it uninhabitable. Much of their population had been killed in the event and they had no extra-terrestrial colonies that the species could survive on.

Seeing Sanctorus as the only viable planet, they believed they had no choice but to take it by force. Wustian ships descended into the atmosphere and fired upon the civilian populace. The Guardian Defence Force scrambled into action to defend the planet but they were greatly outnumbered and the lack of trust for the High Council meant that they lacked enough funding for equipment or personnel. At this time of crisis, the Sanctorus Federal Government had no choice but to give the High Council emergency powers to protect the planet. Military and security corporations were forced to donate all of their weapons and vehicles to the Sanctorus Holy Army. The Army rolled out in force; hundreds and thousands of vehicles and soldiers covered every city and fought back the Wust. Wustian infantry were forced to deploy to the surface as the Sanctorus Holy Army had given the Guardian Defence Force enough diversions and time to set up their anti-air turrets and destroy the Wustian ships over the cities.

The month-long war ended in Tarron, as the last few pockets of refugees were killed. The Army burned all of the corpses to destroy them in their entirety and prevent them from contaminating the planet with their heretic religious influence.

The Sanctorus Holy Army had proved itself and the High Council had regained their favour. Sanctorus was at piece once more.

The Age of Cleansing
The emergency powers the High Council had received for defending against the Wust demanded that it remain for five years in order for the group in power to repair any damages as a result of the emergency. Although the damages from the attack were not severe enough to warrant his being essential, the High Council used it to their advantage.

They adjusted existing laws, banning all political parties except for their own. They gave themselves even more power so that they could continue to exercise their authority over Sanctorus. Nevertheless, they still supported the Sanctorus Holy Army and Guardian Defence Force to keep the planet well-defended and made regular donations to the Karrzi Church.

As they believed that Karrzism was the one true faith, all other religions would have to be completely destroyed- not just banned. As they were to be the instruments of the gods, they must make themselves pure too. They agreed to cleanse the Sanctar race of the weak and undesirable to breed a generation of perfect individuals.

They created new laws that would persecute minority groups and undesirable individuals in society; criminals, the work-shy, vagrants, political troublemakers and the disabled. As opposed to the capitalist system that had been adopted before, all companies and corporations across the planet were absorbed into the Sanctorus Federal Government and the undesirable individuals all lost their jobs. With all Sanctar industries at their disposal, the new government restructured employment; they tested Sanctar and allocated jobs, even if they disliked a job or they felt their new job was not as good as their old one. All Sanctar on the planet were registered into a single large database so that they could be identified and analysed. After collective censuses had been completed, anybody who was not on the system must automatically be an outlaw or a rogue and were immediately imprisoned.

This also allowed the Sanctorus Federal Government to harass the undesirable individuals. They gave them poor jobs and gave them smaller wages than the other Sanctar. Pay was often suspended and Guardian Defence Operatives were specifically ordered to irritate or vindictively injure them to destroy morale. The individuals were forbidden from employment in the government or military and were often randomly searched or arrested. They were not treated as second-class citizens; they were treated as animals.

The government, now owning all corporations, controlled all of the media. They censored and banned anything they disliked, often creating entertainment and information programmes specifically to persuade and control the beliefs of the Sanctar. Only works that agreed with the ideals of the government or the Church were published; all else was banned.

As the news industry was managed by the government, they only reported positively on the government and spread subtle messages about how great the government was and portrayed any enemies to it as evil heretics. They used posters and digital advertising to convince people that they were living in the golden age of Sanctorus.

The undesirable individuals were slowly removed from society; sentenced to life imprisonment, exiled or simply executed. None of this was reported or publicised and anybody that attempted to reveal it to the public was removed by the Phantoms of Phaestos.

Finally, the younger generations were taught to love Sanctorus, the Karrzi and everything they stood for. As they were so impressionable at a young age, the government used indoctrination in schools and children's entertainment to encourage their own idealism in children. They were taught to despise the undesirable individuals and to strive for purity and greatness; to achieve a better Sanctorus.

By now, the majority of the undesirable individuals had been removed from society and the masses were none the wiser. People went missing in the night, the Guardians made arrests with apparently flawless evidence every time and children were united under the High Council's idealism. Even the disabled were considered a liability to the government; the emergency ambulance services specifically performed euthanasia on the mentally or physically disabled who fell ill or became injured without any explanation.

In a few short decades, Sanctorus had bred a race of pure, perfect Sanctar, ready to fulfil the will of the Karrzi.

The Dark Reign of the Orathni
Now a fully unified civilisation, the Sanctar returned to the Plorgo. Expecting the Plorgo to have reached the same conclusion that the Karrzi were gods, they were shocked to learn that the Plorgo had their own religious system. The Sanctar pleaded with them to convert to the Karrzi religion so that they would be saved from eternal torment when they died.

The Plorgo were resilient and rejected the Sanctar’s claims. They were deeply offended when the missionaries told them that their faith was ‘wrong’, and declared war on the Sanctar. The unarmed Sanctar fleet was attacked by the Plorgo’s planetary defence ships. Hundreds of civilian ships were destroyed before the flotilla had escaped the planet.

Returning to Torellius and Sanctorus, the Sanctar were shaken by the experience. In order to show that they would not give up on the gods in this time of tragedy, they built thousand of temples on both planets to praise the gods. It is rumoured that they even discovered technology to speak with the spirits themselves, but this is largely regarded as myth.

Learning of the Sanctar’s unique, ancient technology, an alien empire known as the Orathni opened communications with the Sanctar in the year 91AU. They threatened that the Sanctar must hand over all of their technology to the Orathni or they would be destroyed. Even without a proper military, the Sanctar rejected this demand. Deeply insulted, the Orathni used their superweapon, ‘The Hellfire’. The Hellfire was a small, mobile space station equipped with highly sophisticated weaponry. It instantly destroyed Torellius, reducing the planet and all of its inhabitants to flame and ash. There was massive unrest on Sanctorus. Half of the population surrendered, believing that they should not waste their mortal presence and continue to worship the gods as they would inevitably be saved.

Some Sanctar chose to fight against the Orathni. The military, law enforcement, religious guards and volunteer civilians banded together to combat the invaders. Unfortunately, the Orathni were a violent and aggressive race who stole technology from other civilisations. Whilst the Sanctar had advanced technology, none of it was designed for military use. The Orathni used tanks, air support and infantry. Over one thousand Sanctar were killed within the first hour, although countless numbers went missing.

The Sanctar surrendered with many being captured. The honourable warriors and religious figureheads amongst them killed themselves to prevent the Orathni from having any gain from them. The Orathni transported the entire race to their own system. This system only had two planets; Orath, the Orathni homeworld, and Pellix. The Sanctar were imprisoned in camps all over Pellix. They were separated from their families and their names were removed in place of numbers. They were put to work in mines and to build more technology for the Orathni. The Orathni treated them as slaves, many being tortured to work harder. The violent treatment meant that many Sanctar were worked to death. Nobody was spared- even the children were forced into manual labour.

In charge of these camps was Commandant Volkus. Orathni lived for hundreds of years and Volkus was no exception. He had murdered thousands over his lifetime whilst working for the Orathni military. He took a sick psychological pleasure in personally inflicting pain on the Slaves and killed them with reckless abandon. He ordered that the surface of the planet be covered in a deadly nerve gas, except for the areas the workers inhabited and the Orathni cities. If any slaves tried to escape, they were shot down by guards. If they were fortunate enough to get past the borders, they choked to death on the gas.

When Sanctar died, their corpses were either processed as food for the other Slaves or impaled on spikes as a message to the others to work harder. For coming up with this idea, the Emperor of the Orathni heavily praised the Commandant and ordered a suit of armour to be built for him from parts of Karrzi religious artefacts. Relics were melted down to from the plates and a sword was made from parts of a sacred monument. This caused outrage amongst the Sanctar.

The treatment had immense psychological effects on the slaves. They became extremely disturbed and distressed- constant work and only half an hour to consume meat from their relatives and friends before being forced back into work.

In a desperate attempt to preserve morale, they swore to have faith in the Karrzi, no matter what happened. They built discreet religious shrines in the mines and camps were the worshipped without the Orathni’s attention In the year 290AU, the Commandant himself discovered a shrine. He ordered that all shrines on the planet were to be demolished and that all of the Karrzi religious artefacts were to be removed from Pellix and flown to Orath.

He brought all of the slaves to one camp so that they could bear witness to the execution of the Sanctar who had built the shrine. He began killing them one-by-one with his sword.

However, a Sanctar slave who had been brought to be executed fought back. She attacked the guards and rallied the crowd. The slaves broke free from the barriers and trampled the guards underfoot. The guards used firearms to shoot at the slaves but there were far too many. The outpost was overrun and the guards were killed with guns stolen from the armouries and various improvised weapons.

The Commandant attempted to attack the slave who had caused the riot. She used the chains on her wrists to strangle the Commandant and disarm him. As he readied a gun to shoot her, she picked up the sword and decapitated him in one blow.

The slave was celebrated by everybody at the camp. Although her name was forgotten as it was replaced by a number, she is referred to as ‘The Saviour’ in all religious accounts.

The slaves collected up the weapons and disabled the nerve gas around the camps. They then used the ground and air vehicles to assault the capital city on Pellix. The helicopters flew over the city, deploying the nerve gas into the streets. The entire Orathni population on Pellix were killed.

Realising that the Sanctar would undoubtedly get revenge on the Orathni homeworld next, he mobilised the entire Orathni fleet. An army of Orathni ships stolen by the Sanctar departed from Pellix at the same time and the two sides met half-way between both planets.

Although the Orathni were more experienced with the military technology, they had not properly calibrated their ships’ targeting systems. With decades of planning, various Sanctar technology experts who had been enslaved made all of their ships exclusively target the enemy. The Orathni discovered that the targeting computers would not let them fire at a ship that was identified as an ally. With this simple fault, the entire Orathni fleet was destroyed by a handful of ships.

The Orath Purge
With their entire military decimated in the space battle, the remaining forces on Orath were no match for the heavily-armed Sanctar. They former slaves marched through the streets burned the buildings. They showed the same mercy that the Orathni had shown to them; none. They used the spikes from the camp to demonstrate the cruelty of the guards by impaling the soldiers onto them.

Innocent civilians were allowed to leave once they had surrendered all of their weapons. Those who tried to double-cross them by leaving only to return in a surprise attack were destroyed with anti-air weapons. A small group of military ships carried the Karrzi artefacts off of the planet and managed to escape the Sanctar.

Sanctar forces surrounded the Emperor’s tower and killed the security force. When they reached the top floor of the tower, they broke into the Emperor’s office only to find him begging them for forgiveness, claiming that he could not be blamed for ordering the deaths of thousands. Disgusted at his lack of honour, the Sanctar threw him through the glass window of the office and down to the streets below. He landed on one of the spikes and bled to death.

The Emperor’s tower was destroyed and crumbled to the ground, burying the corpses of the Emperor and his guards.

The Sanctar collected together and departed from the planet with the Orathni’s remaining ships. After they had recovered the Orathni’s military technology, they attacked the Hellfire which had just arrived in orbit over Orath. The ships landed on the Hellfire and the Sanctar order the surrender of all personnel aboard. The innocent Orathni who had nothing to do with the military operation were allowed to go. Those who resisted and were responsible for the destruction of Torellius were launched out of the airlock.

With the Hellfire at their disposal, the Sanctar realised they now controlled a weapon of mass destruction. They observed that the weapon system was powered by Toranite and that it required immense quantities to power- more than all of the Toranite in the system. There was still enough for one use, however, and they fired it at Orath as they considered it to be ‘tainted by a false god’. The planet was destroyed.

They accessed the Orathni computers and discovered that the aliens had been investigating the Karrzi for many years before the Sanctar had achieved space flight. It was revealed that Karrzi technology could be found all over the galaxy but much of it was incomplete or damaged. The only way to fully harness its power would to be collect large amounts of it. The Sanctar also learned that the Hellfire itself was a piece of Karrzi technology that the Orathni had taken from a race they conquered.

Finally, the computer detailed that the Karrzi artefacts from Torellius and Sanctorus that had been taken to Orath had been evacuated during the invasion. The ships had dispersed into the galaxy to prevent the Sanctar from ever getting the artefacts back.

The First Crusade
Using all of the technology and ships they had recovered from the Karrzi, the Orathni and the Wust, the Sanctar built the Sanctorus Holy Flotilla. The Sanctorus Holy Army was enlisted as the specific military force for the Flotilla- now called the 'Sanctorus Holy Flotilla Army'. They declared themselves to be the ‘Sanctar Hegemony’.

Now that the Orathni and the Wust had been destroyed, the High Council discussed the possibility of other non-believer races. They had not discovered any aliens that also believed in the Karrzi religion and the few species that they had discovered centuries ago had unique faiths. They came to the conclusion that the galaxy must be filled with aliens who did not believe in the one true religion. With this epiphany, it became clear that they had no choice but to honour the gods by attempting to convert all aliens in the galaxy and all who denied the truth must be destroyed.

Almost a century after their previous encounter, the Sanctar returned to the Plorgo and again established communications. The Plorgo had noticed the destruction of the Orathni and were told that the Sanctar’s success was due to the spiritual guidance of the Karrzi gods. They extended another invitation to submit to their religion, but the Plorgo remained adamant and sent out a destroyer-class ship to attack the fleet.

After witnessing the Sanctar’s defeat to the Plorgo centuries before, the Plorgo believed that a single ship could defeat the Sanctar. They were wrong. The destroyed was fired upon by every ship in the flotilla. In seconds, the destroyed burst into a flaming wreckage and crumbled away. The Sanctar deployed the flotilla’s ground and air military to the planet and engaged the Plorgo. Within a day, the battle was over. The Plorgo suffered over 29,000,000 casualties. The Sanctar suffered 8.

After the conflict, the Sanctar salvaged as much technology from the Plorgo’s planet as possible before assimilating it within the flotilla. They promptly left the planet and have not returned, as they again believed it to be a demonic infestation.

After the extinction of the Plorgo, they scoured numerous other planets, making contact and attempting negotiations only to end up killing them all. They repeated this process, killing numerous alien empires but improving their own technology at the same time. This is one of the reasons why the Sanctar’s modern technologies are so varied and different; they have been collected from many different cultures.

The Sanctar continued their crusade on the galaxy, raiding enemy planets and destroying all that was unholy. They began to locate more Karrzi technology on planets were the native races did not even realise it was there. They deployed small teams of Sanctar to retrieve religious artefacts and relics from these sites. These specialist soldiers are referred to as 'Reclaimers'.

By 338AU, the Sanctar Hegemony and the Sanctorus Holy Flotilla were a formidable, hated force in the outer rims of the galaxy. Empires feared it as they knew the hegemony systematically harvested each planet in turn, and every day that passed was another day that they would be closer to harvesting their planet.

The Great War
In the present day, 474AU, the flotilla continues to scour the galaxy for artefacts and to destroy all that is unholy. They regularly return to their home planets to collect more citizens and military recruits, but they still pursue their nomadic approach to life. Unbeknownst to them, however, they are soon to stumble on the largest war they have ever encountered.

Diplomacy
The Sanctar consider themselves to be guardians of the galaxy by protecting the pure races from the evil ones, even if they do not request their help. The Sanctar have a network of minor races around Sanctorus whom they are sworn to protect. In exchange for the security, these races engage in trade with the Sanctar and provide them with resources and information.

Some alien authorities have been offended by the Sanctar’s offers of protection. As Sanctar are very straight-forward in their diplomacy, they often state that the client races are militarily weak and require protection. The Karrzi Covenant also has a poor track record for collateral damage; when an allied race was attacked by a pirate group, the Sanctar deployed soldiers when the allies rejected their assistance. The Sanctar caused so much destruction when they repelled the pirates that relations were strained and the aliens ceased the alliance.

The Hegemony is seen as elitist by some races because they believe they are more powerful than other races and think that they are incapable of protecting themselves. The Hegemony has also been known to drive a wedge between allied races by condoning one and condemning the other. Aliens typically have litter understanding or empathy for the Sanctar’s religious beliefs and some consider them to be a nuisance who insist on intervening in private affairs.

Overall opinions of the Sanctar around the galaxy are mixed. Some consider them a force for good, protecting the weak and destroying the unjust; others think they are intrusive and hypocritical for promoting equality and safety in others despite their own poor civil rights record. Some sectors welcome the Sanctar with open arms as they praise them for being vanguards of peace. In other places, they are attacked without warning for provoking unnecessary conflict.

Some have theorised that part of the Hegemony’s bad reputation is a result of their own isolation; as Sanctar are expected not to stray from Sanctorus, the flotilla or their mining colonies, the only Sanctar they meet in the wider galaxy are criminals who have escaped the regime.

Governing Bodies and Law
In theory, the Hegemony is a constitutional autocracy, with the law granting one figure absolute authority over the entire Hegemony. In practice, it is much different. The Sanctar Hegemony is very much an isolationist government, distrusting of outsiders and maintaining complete control over the populace through lies and manipulation of the media via the Department of Information Control. Some call them suppressive or totalitarian; the Hegemony leaders call themselves strict, efficient and divine.

The Hegemony has no true executive office in practice although theoretically this mantle is held by the Prophet. The Reformed Constitution of Delgaron dictates that the executive shall oversee all branches of the government to ensure efficiency and accuracy in the creation and enforcement of laws. Prophet Trasky's duties usually only regard the Church of Karrzism instead and the task of creating laws has been left to the legislature, and enforcement to the judiciary. Chancellor Lurtum is the highest authority in such matters.

The Council of the Hegemony is the legislative body of the Sanctar government. Under the constitution they are responsible for the creation and passage of new laws that affect the entire Hegemony. In practice however, the council is little more than a rubber stamp for the Prophet, who expects the council to pass any laws he requires or desires, usually to further the religious order or to stamp out dissent among the general populace. The Council consists of fifteen delegates and is overseen by the Chancellor. Including the Prophet and the Chancellor, the Council also includes the six Admirals, Doctor Undula Vodel, the Commissioner of the Guardian Defence Force and several other representatives from the mining colonies.

The enforcement of law is handled by different stages of the Hegemony judiciary. Minor crimes reach the offices of the local judiciary, who usually take an individual to court and seek to impose basic sanctions on them to prevent such crimes from happening again. A provincial director is assigned to each colony and is responsible for looking into larger crimes that affect numerous areas of a single planet but nothing beyond that; the provincial director is the first official who can impose a death sentence on a criminal. In a single star system there will be a large number of administrative officials working for the regional director; this is the individual who handles cross-planet crimes and, more often than not, the most serious crimes in the Sanctar penal code. If a crime is so serious it warrants further intervention the Prophet himself can oversee a trial; in practice this rarely happens and when it does the criminal is often executed with little care or thought. The law enforcement organisations are separate from the militarised counter-crime operations which are usually handled by the Guardian Defence Force.

The Flying Squad
The Flying Squad is a small task force within the Karrzi Covenant. They can be seen travelling alongside the flotilla at times but they spend most of their service in the wider galaxy, tracking down Sanctar criminals who have escaped the Hegemony so that they can be brought to justice. Flying Squad operatives typically travel in small craft with crews of no more than five. They have a bad reputation for disregarding interstellar laws of the sector they operate in and trespass without warning. The Flying Squad have defended themselves stating that, as the criminals do not allow themselves to be constrained by the laws, the teams sent them down would never succeed if they were. Flying Squad Operatives are armoured and equipped no differently to any other Karrzi Covenant soldier but they primarily consist of Majors and Raptures.

The Department of Information Control
The Department of Information Control is a government agency responsible for the regulation of all information in the Hegemony. They restrict the extranet access of most Sanctar; although the poorest caste cannot afford such luxuries anyway, data from outside Hegemony space is blocked by the Department to ensure the Sanctar populace cannot learn of the outside world. The liberties of other alien races are never disclosed and most Sanctar are unaware of how poor their living standards are compared to other races.

The department also control all media on Sanctorus, the flotilla and the colonies. Entertainment is either heavily censored or filled with subliminal messaging. Propaganda is prevalent throughout the Sanctar’s lives; they are taught to hate the heretics and their faith in Karrzism is reinforced by the constant messages. The propaganda is used to recruit Sanctar to the Karrzi Covenant and encourages the poor to work on mining colonies- details such as the immense dangers are always omitted. In addition, the Sanctar are constantly reminded of their superiority to other races and how they are the strongest and most just people in the galaxy. Even as children, they are led to believe they are the police of the galaxy and that anyone who opposes them is a heretical demon or an agent of anarchy.

Economy
The only officially recognised currency in the Hegemony is the CURRENCYNAME. Due to the isolated nature of the Sanctar public, other currencies, including Galactic Basic, are useless as they cannot be exchanged within the Hegemony itself. By restricting their people to only their own currency, the Hegemony ensures no Sanctar attempt to trade with aliens outside of their territory and allows them to manipulate their economy as a means of control over the lower end of the caste system.

As many of the poorest Sanctar cannot afford digital transactions, the CURRENCYNAME exists only in physical form. Their coins are usually a metallic grey/blue colour and are adorned with images of the members of the Council of the Hegemony. The most valuable coin depicts the Prophet. The Hegemony deals in Galactic Basic when trading with other races. Alien allies who visit Sanctorus must first exchange Galactic Basic for CURRENCYNAME from the government in order to trade with the Sanctar public. This is one of the main sources of Galactic Basic income for the Hegemony.

Social Structure
"A society is no different to any other kind of machine; the various parts work in synthesis, but one faulty piece and it all crumbles." – Doctor Ulaqua Vodel

The Hegemony suffers from a social schism that is blatantly obvious to them but is almost entirely ignored. There is a great difference between the upper and lower classes in Sanctar society, as is seen in quality of living, wealth, life expectancy and the discontent of the less privileged. Despite the fact that they wish to bring order and peace to the rest of the galaxy, few of the most privileged Sanctar believe equality is necessary for the Sanctar themselves. Many see themselves as expendable; they are mere tools of the Karrzi so their fate is unimportant so long as they succeed in their task.

There are five distinct castes that Sanctar fit into. The uppermost caste are the aristocracy: the religious figureheads, politicians and the Prophet himself. These people earn vast amounts of wealth as they control the way the economy across the colonies work. They hold power over the rest of the Hegemony. One must be born into the aristocracy as there is no method for joining it, even through marriage. Marrying an aristocrat does relieve some of the social tension but relationships between the castes are often frowned upon. Aristocrats are the pinnacle of Sanctar society; they are the elite who command the functions of government and the highest echelons in the military. Whilst there is no strict ranking or protocol for aristocrats, many choose to take on titles that would equate to “duke”, “count” and so forth. Only aristocrats have the time and money to learn to read raw Karrzi scripture. The ability to understand non-translated scripture is considered an exceptional honour as they attain the purest form of the Gods' words.

The second caste consists of the ministers and generals of the flotilla. They hold influence over specific parts of the Hegemony but still pale in comparison to the top caste. They are incredibly wealthy- far from the exceptionally large riches the top caste possess- but still much more than the third caste. Intellects are considered a subset of the secod caste. They are numerous and they are useful; intellects work as architects, traders, diplomats, engineers and technicians, analysts, writers, educators and much more. Despite their use they are often ridiculed by the warrior caste for their use of "brain over brawn".

Below them are the priests and soldiers of the Flotilla. As these people are responsible for the majority of tangible effect in terms of the Hegemony's goal to cleanse the galaxy, they receive fairly respectable pay, yet nowhere near that of the caste above them. If the first two castes are the mind and will of the Sanctar, then the third caste is the heart. Although they do not all fight, they are referred to as the warrior caste. The warrior caste includes everyone who has joined the military but is not an aristocrat as aristocrats would not relinquish their place in the superior caste to join the warrior caste. They are often at odds with the second caste and can be found mocking and tormenting the lower castes or abasing themselves before aristocratic generals in order to curry favour and hopefully a promotion.

The fourth caste is the workers, neglected, poor and discontented. As their jobs are considered unimportant compared to that of soldiers or priests for the great cause, they receive little respect or money. Much of their work is manual labour, keeping the Hegemony, especially the Flotilla, functioning as they should. As unions are banned, the workers often riot and retaliate. These attempts are fruitless however, as the first and second castes control their wealth, healthcare and work, effectively blackmailing them into their jobs as they would starve otherwise. Many earn a small living by signing up for work on mining colonies near the frontier. The work is dangerous and they are committed to long periods of work- some have no choice but to spend ten to twenty years of their lives at a time in the mines. The aristocracy would never admit it but the workers are essential for the survival of the Hegemony and therefore their mission to purge the galaxy.

At the top-end of the fourth caste is the Guardian Defence Force- by no means the finest soldiers in the Hegemony, but rather starving workers who have sacrificed their pride and expertise in their jobs for a marginally higher pay grade and the smallest scraps of authority they could ever attain.

Many fourth-caste Sanctar live on crowded Flotilla accommodation ships, the slums on Sanctorus or on colonies were they are stuck in manual labour. Fifth-caste Sanctar, on the other hand, rarely have homes at all.

The fifth and lowest caste is considered liabilities and filth. In the fascist, purity-obsessed society the Sanctar live in, the lowest rank are hardly considered Sanctar at all. The disabled, the weak, the criminals, and the work-shy are perceived as dead weights in the Hegemony. Unable to contribute to their society, they are without food, money, homes or mercy. Even the workers, often viewed as scum by the upper classes, consider the fifth caste to be worthless. Sanctar are judged by how effectively they aid the Gods’ crusade, and the fifth caste is usually considered useless.

The Sanctar's fascist views are the result of their religious zeal. As their goal to purge the universe is paramount, anything that does not contribute is considered worthless. Those who do not or cannot aid the one true goal of the Hegemony are not worth the resources required to sustain them and are therefore dealt with similarly as alien heretics, political opponents and religious deviants are- they are worked to death or killed on the spot. Hard manual labour is as much a useful process for gaining resources as it is for disposing of the unwanted. The live incineration process as used in purges is often employed and it is rumoured that the admirals have ejected large numbers of fifth-caste Sanctar from airlocks on Flotilla ships multiple times at the request of the aristocracy.

Members of the Guardian Defence Force are paid bonuses for finding homeless fifth-caste individuals, arresting them and bringing them to their stations for 'processing'. In truth, they are exterminated like pests. This is incredibly common, not because the Guardians are unaware of the individuals' fates, but because they are so desperate to survive that they would do anything to earn extra cash.

The Hegemony is often criticised by more liberal alien races for the inequalities that are rife in their society. Although the Sanctar promote peace and equality for other races, this strongly juxtaposes the treatment of their own people. Due to the controlled nature of Sanctar territories however, such critics are usually denied access to their society.

Culture
The Sanctar are a proud, warlike race. With such a large portion of their population joining the military, their culture has become less tangible. Nevertheless, the Sanctar still have a vivid and interesting culture.

Most Sanctar have a strong sense of community, but their ambition is great as well. Although all of them seek to benefit the Alliance as a whole, they are very self-conscious, especially in how they are perceived by others. Sanctar always work to the best of their potential to show the rest of society that they are capable and dedicated. Sanctar show great disgust in somebody with no ambition, as they believe that they are not embracing the gift of life they have received from the Karrzi.

Despite their brute strength in combat, the Sanctar are still a well-mannered, civilised people. Their speech is grand and somewhat poetic. They show respect to all other Sanctar and expect it in turn. This trait has been turned on its head since they have met alien races, however; Sanctar will appreciate and respect alien races that share traits with them, but they make no effort to hide their dislike for the less civilised.

Although they have respect for some other races, they could still be considered elitist. They find all other races inferior to their own in intelligence, combat and culturally. Even from a young age, Sanctar are educated to be ruthlessly efficient in everything they do, especially if they come from a military family.

Sanctar have a clear and deterministic psychology. They are honourable and respectful to their elders and other Sanctar and pledge themselves fully to the Hegemony. They follow unspoken ‘codes of honour’. Performing any action for personal gain that has a negative effect on their society as a whole is considered treason. This makes the Sanctar loyal to their justice system not because they are scared of consequence but because they are too principled to do otherwise.

The Sanctar are strong-willed and courageous. If one is captured, they are likely to commit suicide and sacrifice themselves to protect the empire they serve. They are noticeably brave in combat, as they believe that they will be rewarded in death for following the true faith. It matters not to them if they die, provided they get the job done.

Within any Sanctar community, they strongly respect some characteristics and traits more than others. Whilst they are impressed by skill in combat, they do not commend strength, but honour in battle. It is far more commendable to free the innocent, even if they are on the enemy side. Particularly dishonourable actions can result in the individual being taken to court and, in the most extreme cases, execution.

Sanctar treat honour like a physical energy. They can earn it and possess it inside them, but they can lose it by performing an unjust action. It is all Sanctar’s ultimate aim to die with honour so that they might be rewarded in the afterlife, even if this means sacrificing themselves when they have lost honour previously. Dying in battle is considered the most honourable death for a soldier.

Sanctar have immense loyalty toward their leaders and to comrades in battle. They will follow their leaders’ instructions to the letter and show great discomfort if an ally dies. If a Sanctar is killed in battle, chaplains are permitted to pray for their honour, even if the battle is still in progress.

Sanctar government is clear and well-structured. The High Council holds the majority of influence over the Hegemony, closely followed by the Karrzi Church. Nevertheless, they largely agree on most topics so there is little conflict between them. Whilst the overall government functions as a democracy, smaller communities of Sanctar, such as colonies or even battalions of soldiers, prefer to support a single individual. High-ranking soldiers are chosen to lead battalions. Their soldiers are extremely loyal and would sacrifice themselves to save their leader.

Karrzism
"Follow the path of light and accept your glorious salvation!" – Karrzi Scripture, The Blessing

The only legally practiced religion of the Sanctar is Karrzism. Karrzism is a polytheistic faith with an undetermined number of deities. The Sanctar worship the souls of the Karrzi collectively- they consider them to have a physical presence and move in the world but cannot be touched or seen. Although it is never properly expressed how many Karrzi there are, they believe that there is a soul for every Karrzi that existed, so there must be billions.

The Karrzi are not considered as beings with a form, but rather as independent 'spirits'. The souls can observe the events in the Sanctar's existence and judge them throughout their lives. Sanctar consider their conscience to be the advice of the souls around them. The Karrzi can also inspire an emotion or grant skill in an action by investing themselves in the physical form of the believer.

Scriptures and History
"Spread knowledge of the Gods, for their word is true and of ultimate importance. Bring the Gods’ truth to all, whether they accept it or not, for none can be denied a place in the Kingdom if they allow the Gods into their own." – Karrzi Scripture, Tenet of Purging

All history of Karrzism is recorded in scriptures pieced together from the memories of ancient technology that the Sanctar have salvaged. As the data is so old, the translations are poor and the true meaning of much of the text is heavily debated.

As well as detailing the history of the universe, the scriptures also describe the importance of various values deemed integral to every individual's existence. The most commonly mentioned is purity; the concept that the universe must be cleansed of the injustice, destruction of the universe the Karrzi created and, most importantly, heresy. The pure and the innocent must be protected and allowed to flourish, even if that means destruction of others. Sanctar follow these scriptures with fanatical devotion. Many soldiers quote the scriptures in battle.

In official Karrzism scriptures, it is recorded that the Karrzi were the first life to ever exist in the galaxy. Their physical form is unknown as no organic samples have survived the infinite millennia they have been extinct since. The scriptures claim that the Karrzi were immortal and that the created technology so advanced that no races in the modern universe had since surpassed them. Much of the technology has been destroyed or lost but enough of it still exists for the Sanctar to fight sustained wars with.

The Karrzi used their ancient technology to produce more life, creating the galaxies, the planets in them and the organisms to thrive on each one. It is told that they observed these worlds and their inhabitants individually for billions of years from the Plane of Purity before judging them on their values; did they uphold the same beliefs about purity, conservation and creation? If the creatures were not perfect, they were removed from existence and the cycle repeated.

Finally, the Karrzi realised that they could not create a pure universe without directly intervening. They formed a new species- the evolutionary ancestors of the Sanctar- and placed them on a planet on the edge of the galaxy in the centre of the universe. They then sacrificed themselves by destroying their physical forms to release their souls and guide the Sanctar via conscience.

They crafted the Sanctar to be the saviours of the universe- to purge it of evil and make it as divine as the Plane of Purity. To aid them in their struggle, the ancient technology was gifted to them, hidden beneath the surfaces of planets for them to retrieve and use for the sacred cause.

Unfortunately, the heretics in the central galaxy stole the Karrzi technology for their own selfish desires. It is the duty of all Sanctar to recover and protect all Karrzi artefacts and to purge the galaxy of all evil, then the rest of the universe.

Death
Death is treated very differently in Sanctar culture to other races. One of their most prominent traditions is a ceremony not dissimilar to a funeral. When a Sanctar is very old and nearing the end of their life or is terminally ill, their friends and family attend a celebration of the Sanctar’s life which the Sanctar himself attends. It is a time of remembrance and paying respect; they honour the memory of the dying individual before they pass on so that they may witness it them self. The gives their possessions as gifts to each of the attendees so that they may benefit from what the Sanctar will no longer need and so that they have an object to remember them by. The individual then says a specific prayer to bless everyone attending and ask for forgiveness for any sins they have performed in their life. After the ceremony, they retire to an isolated location where they are not to be seen for five days. They are expected to die in this period and nobody is permitted to enter or leave the location. They take nothing but a set of clothes and food to last them the duration. On Sanctorus, many Sanctar choose to die in sacred caves or in their own home. Where there is little room on the flotilla however, a separate ship is used.

While they are isolated, the Sanctar is expected only to rest, pray and eat. With no other Sanctar around, they are alone with only the Gods’ presence so that they might communicate with the Gods and prepare themselves for the afterlife. After five days, an acolyte collects the body from the location. If the Sanctar is still alive after this time, they are reintegrated with society and it assumed they have made a full recovery from whatever illness or injury they had. If the Sanctar has died, their body is separated into tiny pieces and wrapped in a shroud. This shroud is taken to the top of a mountain on Sanctorus where it is left. The exposure to the elements and the wildlife ensures the remains only last for a few days. The Sanctar believe that they are returning their bodies to their universe and are restoring the equilibrium of life; just as they have destroyed life to sustain themselves, they use their own bodies to sustain the life of others.

Sanctar consider cremation to be an insult, both to the dead and to the Gods. By destroying the Sanctar without ‘returning’ it to the universe, the Sanctar’s death is in vain. Sanctar often incinerate the corpses of heretics they kill as their bodies are considered tainted and it would be unhealthy if such creatures’ life force was passed on. In defiance of this, many anti-Karrzist rebels deliberately choose to be cremated when they die. For loyalist Sanctar however, the act of restoration is considered normal and readily accepted.

Other races have commented on this strange tradition and criticised it as ‘barbaric’ and ‘unethical’. Nevertheless, it is so well embedded in Sanctar culture that it is unlikely to be altered. It is widely believed that such practices have occurred all throughout Sanctar history. Although the tradition is linked to Karrzism in the present day, evidence indicates it was performed before the religion encompassed all Sanctar society.

The Planes of Existence
The Sanctar believe that the Karrzi created three 'planes of existence'. The planes are considered to be isolated dimensions that exist parallel with each other and all progress in time at the exact same rate. Souls in the Plane of Purity can observe and 'speak' to beings in the Plane of judgement but cannot move between the planes. The Karrzi were originally living beings in the Plane of Purity but were forced to stay within the Plane of Judgement for all eternity when they sacrificed themselves to guide the Sanctar. Souls cannot enter the Plane of Damnation unless they are sent there by the Karrzi upon death in the Plane of Judgement. No souls can ever leave the Plane of Damnation.

The Plane of Judgement is the dimension in which the living and the 'real universe' reside. The souls of new being are formed, inhabit bodies, eventually die and cross to one of the other two planes. The being is sent to a different plane depending on how they have acted in life- the Karrzi souls judge them and transport them accordingly, to either eternally reward them or eternally condemn them.

It is the goal of the Karrzi and, by extension, the Sanctar, to destroy all evil in the Plane of Judgement. Beings cannot interact between these planes so the Karrzi could never interfere with this plane in a physical form. Instead, the Sanctar are their instrument and they exist only as souls. When all evil has been removed from the Plane of Judgement, all heretic souls that ever have or ever will exist will be trapped in the Plane of Damnation for all eternity and the 'real universe' will be completely pure.

The Plane of Damnation exists as a place where the souls of heretics are sent for their sins. The Karrzi could never destroy them in soul form or from the Plane of Purity, so the Sanctar are used to destroy the physical form and sentence the heretic's soul to be sent to the Plane of Damnation.

In the Plane of Damnation, there is nothing but infinite void. No matter exists within it as the Karrzi deemed it pointless. Instead, the condemned souls are eternally tormented by the 'messages' of the Karrzi which manifest themselves as artificial pain in the dead heretics' consciousness. The pain does not physically exist- it is only in the thoughts of the souls who have been condemned.

The Plane of Purity was the first plane to exist and was where the Karrzi's physical forms once resided. Now, it is home to the souls of every being who has ever followed the one true faith and stayed true to the Karrzi's cause. Although there are no cases of entire races following Karrzism besides the Sanctar, it is possible that other races are there, such as the Quaestoids.

In the Plane of Purity, the souls of the passed-away believers can contact the living in the Plane of Judgement in the same way as the Karrzi. Alternatively, the souls may choose the Eternal Slumber- the effective destruction of their soul itself, removing their consciousness from the universe. This is not considered a violent act; it is much like the typical preconception of death in which the soul is eternally at peace, never to do anything but never to sense anything ever again.

Worship
All Sanctar are legally expected to pray twice a day for at least fifteen minutes, four hours apart. Prayer can be best described as a form of meditation and can be performed in groups or alone. The Sanctar do have designated locations for worship, both on planets and aboard ships. It is not mandatory that the prayer be performed in these places, however, as long as they have an artefact or a Channel Rug.

Channel Rugs are small and rectangular and can be a variety of colours and patterns. They must be made from the fibres of a Yulani tree; plants whom many Sanctar believe amplify the conscience so they can better communicate with the Gods. This is how the rugs earn their name- they 'channel' the Gods' messages so that the Sanctar can hear them in their minds more easily.

The Sanctar place the rug on the ground, facing a symbol of Karrzism, such as a talisman or a Karrzi artefact. They then stand or sit on the rug, close their eyes and enter a state of meditation. Some Sanctar choose to quietly hum or sing during the meditation. Some chant Karrzi scripture in a phonetic form of the original writing. They then 'think' their messages to the Gods in their minds and await responses from the Karrzi souls around them.

Sanctar often confess and repent their sins, praise the gods and ask for guidance on matters. Soldiers will often pray that the souls aid them in battle so that they might survive a purge and further help the Karrzi's cause. Although all faithful Sanctar believe in the prayer, other aliens are sceptical.

If a Sanctar fails to pray at the necessary times, they will often ask for forgiveness from the gods. It is acceptable for a Sanctar to miss prayer if it is because of a reason positive to the Karrzi's cause- for example, if they were attacked by heretics and they fought.

Karrzi Artefacts
The Sanctar believe that Karrzi technology they find in the galaxy are gifts from the Gods. When the Karrzi were crafting the universe, their illustrious technology was incredibly advanced. When they entered soul form to guide the Sanctar however, they no longer needed the tools so they buried them under the surfaces of planets for the Sanctar to find and use in their purges.

Artefacts can be anything from weapons, parts of vehicles, tools for various operations or energy resources. Symbols of the Karrzi, often depicting letters that were icons for different values or concepts, are often used in prayer. Some of them are believed to contain traces of Yulani trees, channelling the voices of the souls.

Artefacts are extremely precious to the Sanctar and they will stop at nothing to retrieve and protect them. It is believed that the most important and valuable technology is kept in secret locations where other races will never be able to steal or destroy them. Individual pieces can be purchased for high prices by individuals, often as lucky charms or talismans for prayers. Many are kept by the Sanctorus Holy Flotilla army, as they require one for every large travel ship they have.

Small teams of highly trained operatives are often deployed to planets to recover artefacts undetected, preventing them from being destroyed. They are known as Knights and are one of the highest ranking unit types in the Flotilla Army.

It is also believed that surviving Orathni still possess artefacts stolen and kept on Corlis until they were all evacuated during the uprising. Their current whereabouts are unknown.

Purges
Purges are attacks on planets or large satellites performed by the Sanctorus Holy Flotilla army. As it is the overall goal of the Sanctar to destroy all heretics in the galaxy and protect the pure, purges are intended to destroy all who are evil and defend people who are innocent, even if they do not follow Karrzism.

Every purge begins with the Sanctar opening communications with the locals on the planet, either digitally or, if the race is not as technologically advanced, by landing directly onto the planet. Initial talks are peaceful as the Sanctar inquire about the race, discussing their religious beliefs. If the race does not follow Karrzism, as none whom the Hegemony have contacted ever have, the Sanctar will attempt to explain their religion and offer the aliens a chance to repent their sins, accept the one true faith and save themselves from eternal damnation.

All attempts at conversion in this manner have been refused. Nevertheless the Sanctar vow to protect these aliens should they be attacked by demons and attempt to build alliances with as many races as possible in this manner. Sanctar diplomats may act as ambassadors to various alien races and, if the Sanctar develop trust for them, be allowed to visit Sanctorus. The majority of initial contact instances do not result in combat.

Should the aliens retaliate with violence, the Sanctar will begin the purge.

Drop-Pods are deployed from cruisers and frigates while Dropships send infantry to key locations. Gunships and fighters destroy enemy vehicles and neutralise any stationary defences. Once the initial defence forces have been defeated, the Sanctar establish camps and temporary strongholds. They set up communications arrays to stay in contact with each other and Dropships begin to deploy vehicles for the personnel already planetside. The invasion forces set up perimeters around cities and other places of interest. Anti-air weapons are set up on the ground in case enemy spacecraft return to the planet.

Then, the forces push forward to the centre of each city. As they are surrounded on all sides, enemy forces are spread thin and are easily ambushed. Infantry and vehicles systematically clear each street. Combat continues until every enemy soldier has been slain. Civilians are not spared as the Sanctar believe that all of the alien race are demons and none are pure enough to be allowed to live.

Once the aliens have been completely eradicated from the planet, troops are sent out to destroy all religious symbols of the aliens. The ships then search for Karrzi artefacts or Toranite reserves on the planet. Finally, all vehicles and infantry get aboard their Dropships and return to the flotilla. Only a small garrison of troops and anti-air devices remain in case enemy reinforcements arrive. They are permitted to wait one month before they can leave and return to the flotilla.

The time taken for purges varies greatly. Less advanced races can take mere hours whereas the more powerful opponents can take weeks or even months. No purge has ever failed in the history of the Hegemony.

The Phantoms of Phaestos
The Phantoms of Phaestos are a secret organisation believed to answer to the Church of Karrzism's highest order. Their identities are unknown but it is rumoured that they are anonymous assassins tasked to identify non-believers in Sanctar society and remove them without anybody noticing. Speak out of line and you might mysteriously disappear, never to be seen again.

It is unknown how many Phantoms there are. It is generally believed that they are integrated into all levels of society with even the most important members of the Church and the flotilla military being secret operatives. It is unknown how much of this is fact and how much is fantasy, but researching the Phantoms of Phaestos on the extranet will not provide any results. On the other hand, it will signal them to your position and you are unlikely to do anything again.

The Church have many secrets that they do not want exposed and it is the Phantoms' responsibility to keep it that way. Even the mention of the Phantoms can lead to your disappearance. When an independent extranet news reporter interviewed a leading Church official, they replied blankly, apparently knowing nothing of their existence. It is unclear if the official was lying but the reporter vanished that night and never gave a verdict.

Security feeds of the Phantoms strangely blur out or randomly fail. The only witnesses there are claim that the Phantoms sedate civilians who notice their operations but this is unverified. Still, nobody would be willing to make a point about them as they would face the consequences. Minor evidence suggests that the Phantoms have cloaking and digital disguise technology and primarily use melee weapons to dispatch heretics. It is rumoured that they also carry firearms but they have never had to use them.

The name 'Phantoms of Phaestos' derives from Karrzism. Phaestos is the location in the void directly correlating to the galactic core. It is believed that this is where new souls emanate from and try to kill living beings in the Plane of Judgement in their anger.

Education
"Weakness must be removed, slowly hammered away until only a pure Sanctar remains. A Sanctar who is fearless, domineering and brutal, but honourable, brave and wise. A Sanctar who will cause the fiends before them to tremble in worry. A Sanctar who can bear pain; nothing weak, nothing gentle. A strong, independent warrior who fights for their beliefs in every sense. We live in a dark, unforgiving universe. There is no time for us to be children."

Sanctar are officially considered adults from the age of 15, as soon as they have completed their Education is mandatory for all Sanctar between ages four and twelve. They are educated on the subjects of mathematics, literacy, literature, science, eugenics, history, xenoarchaeology and, most importantly, religion. After their eight years of education, Sanctar undergo a set of examinations for an entire year. This can be very stressful and is integral to their future success; those who are in the top 10% of candidates continue education till the age of twenty. Those who do not are thrust into the adult world, usually at the fourth tier of society. If they are physically fit, they will often join the Sanctorus Holy Flotilla Army.

Those who succeed in the exams continue to study in specialist subjects and earn highly prestigious qualifications. They often become politicians, doctors, lawyers, colonial ministers or Officers and Commanders in the Flotilla Army.

Art
The most common form of art within Sanctar culture is linguistic; Sanctar speech is eloquent and their poetry even more so. When enjoying poetry is one of the only times when Sanctar of differing castes meet. The Sanctar conglomerate in open forums, usually in the centre of a city or civilian ship in the flotilla. The speaker stands on a raised pedestal in the middle of the forum and the audience are arranged in a circle around them. The Sanctar alternate to recite verse they have written. While the speaker talks, the audience are usually silent. There is no applause; the net speaker simply takes their place. The calm of the scene has been described as eerie by alien tourists as it strongly contrasts the bustle of typical Sanctar life. Other races usually consider the recitals odd and find it difficult to appreciate. There is no elitism within the activity and almost all Sanctar perform. It is liberating as it is one of the few times when women are allowed to speak in public and is the only entertainment form that cannot be censored by the Department of Information Control.

Yulani Trees
Sanctar are carnivorous and their diet on Sanctorus consisted of various species of fish. The flotilla contains several ‘fishery’ ships which house equipment for breeding and maintaining huge populations of these fish to provide food for the Sanctar. On Sanctorus, there are worldwide ecological projects to keep the fish populations in balance to ensure a constant supply.

The fish are fried, grilled and smoked. A common Sanctar meal involves cooking the fish in a spicy orange sauce and served with a type of bread made with Yulani seeds. Consuming the fish is believed to increase brainpower and supposedly gives the Sanctar faster reaction times. Whether or not this is actually true is widely debated.

The Yulani tree is used in other elements of Sanctar cooking. The staple drink of the Sanctar involves shredding the bulb-shaped leaves of the tree and boiling them in water. This creates a yellow tea that is considered a delicacy, both to the Sanctar and alien tourists who visit Sanctorus. As Yulani trees are in such wide supply on Sanctorus and even aboard the flotilla, Yulani tea is cheap and easy to acquire. It is enjoyed both by the aristocracy and the poorest parts of Sanctar society. Although alien tourists have difficulty telling, Sanctar culinary experts claim that there is a noticeable contrast in quality between the most and least expensive Yulani teas.

Another use of the Yulani tree is in incense. When burned, the stem fibres of the tree release a pleasant-smelling smoke that is believed to rid Sanctar of their illnesses and can relieve stress. The smoke contains chemicals that can induce mild hallucinations for short periods of time and can place the Sanctar in a semi-intoxicated state. Although some alien governments have condemned the use of Yulani incense, the Hegemony embraces it and claim that it aids Sanctar in communications with the Gods by ‘strengthening the ethereal bond’. While some have claimed the effects of smoking Yulani incense can make Sanctar drowsy or inattentive, the Flotilla Covenant occasionally provide its soldiers with small doses before they enter a battle to calm their nerves and pray more clearly before they fight.

The diverse variety of uses for the Yulani tree have led many Sanctar scholars to announce it a gift from the Gods; it sustains the Sanctar population and allows them to engage with their Gods more easily so it must be sacred. Yulani trees are often temporarily planted on planets the Sanctar purge or mine to create a prayer area for the soldiers and citizens. The trees are also grown on ‘greenhouses’ aboard the flotilla.

Language
The only language spoken by the Sanctar is Sanctese. Sanctar speech sounds much like human voices but with more roaring and screeching. Male voices are very deep and involve lots of howling noises, whereas females have screechy voices. Sanctese has existed and developed for hundreds of years, largely due to the fact that almost the entire planet spoke it from hundreds of years ago. It also uses some Karrzi words which have been adopted into Sanctese as there were no existing equivalents or they exclusively related to subjects of Karrzi culture.

The Sanctar use electronic translation systems to contact other races. Although it has never happened as no race has ever accepted Karrzism, the Sanctar expect other races to adopt Sanctese as it is the first language of the Karrzi's believers.

Sport
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Void Warps
The only way in which Sanctar ships achieve faster-than-light travel is by using a void warp. Based on technology salvaged from a Karrzi vessel, the technology allows the ship to move in a direction by dimensions that cannot be perceived visually- it appears that the ship travels into an infinitely thin 'seam'. The ship passes through into a seam of identical proportions in the Plane of Damnation. Once it has fully passed through, the seam 'closes' and is no longer visible.

Within the Plane of Damnation, there is nothing but void. As there is no light except that which is produced by the ships themselves, the ships are invisible unless two travel side-by-side and illuminate each other. As there is no gravity or matter in the plane, the ships move much faster and continue to be in motion indefinitely without expending resources to travel.

As the Plane of Damnation exists parallel to the Plane of Judgement, any coordinate in the void corresponds proportionally to a coordinate in the 'real universe'. The ships simply move at incredibly fast speeds to their destination, use the void warp to pass through a seam again and materialise wherever they choose to be.

There have been reported attacks of condemned souls attacking ships in the void. The souls typically cause electronics to malfunction or cause engine failures but cannot harm the crews directly. As they have no physical form, they can only be perceived as 'clouds' that refract and reflect light cast by the ships as they move. The void is believed to be filled with every heretic that has ever died, so the void is surprisingly densely populated considering it is infinitely large.

The souls cannot harm the crews directly- they can only disrupt the ship and strand it in the void. If a crew are stuck in the void, they are doomed as they will inevitably run out of resources, they cannot signal for help and the void is so large that the probability of another warping ship spotting them is so tiny that it is negligible.

Toranite Power Cores
The mineral Toranite is the primary power source for almost all Sanctar technology. As much of the Sanctar's technology is designed around salvaged Karrzi technology, they all effectively work in the same way. When a small electrical charge is applied to a sample of the mineral, it glows brightly and amplifies the voltage, allowing the Sanctar to use capacitors wired up to the Toranite and achieve huge energy supplies for relatively small masses of the resource.

Despite the high output of Toranite, exceptionally large installations such as the Hellfire require enormous quantities of Toranite to operate. This factor combined with the generally high usefulness of Toranite makes it very valuable and expensive to purchase. Sanctar almost exclusively mine the mineral directly from planets' cores as opposed to buying it on the galactic market. They even have technology used to detect Toranite in star systems which, ironically, is also powered by Toranite.

As well as being incredibly expensive, Toranite is incredibly volatile. If ignited, the mineral will be engulfed in a violent explosion, making it extremely dangerous to handle. Small ships such as fighters use a tiny amount of the mineral as, even though it causes an explosion large enough to consume the ship in a fireball if hit in space combat, it is less likely to combust in an accident.

Besides the Hellfire, Toranite has limited application in the military. As Toranite is so expensive, it is not used for individual units. On rare occasions, larger ships fire missiles with samples of Toranite inside. These offer much larger explosions and cause a searing heat that can ignite infantry who survive the initial blast. It also has a limited ability to disable enemy electronics by overloading them and causing them to rapidly heat up and then burst or melt.

Paralysis Weapons
It is a widely-held belief that killing or harming other Sanctar is detrimental to the overall cause of Karrzism as the fewer Sanctar there are, the less easily they can cleanse protect the galaxy. For law enforcement, members of the Guardian Defence Force often use non-lethal tools to subdue troublemakers without killing them so they can be arrested and rehabilitated or sedated, preventing further panic. Stun sticks are simple melee tools which shock the target, causing pain and muscle spasms. This can prevent them from escaping or attacking personnel but does no physical damage to them. With instant treatment at no cost to either party, the pain can be removed without any lasting injuries. Paralysis Cannons are also fitted on buggies to stop larger groups, similar to how high-pressure hoses are attached to vehicles to prevent riots in other cultures.

Sanctorus
The Sanctar’s home planet, Sanctorus, is a lush rainforest world covered in vegetation. It is host to thousands of species of both predators and prey, and has a warm, humid climate. The plant life grows so quickly that it can spread over buildings in a matter of hours. For this reason, Sanctar prefer to build settlements on beaches or mountains where there is more space. The Sanctar government buildings, the embassies of other Alliance races and the High Council’s temple all belong on Sanctorus, in the capital city of Delgaron.



The Sanctorus Holy Flotilla
The Flotilla is a group of fleets and independent ships that travel as one throughout the galaxy. The population aboard the flotilla rivals Sanctorus' in terms of numbers and has far more military personnel and firepower. It survives by reaping resources from purged worlds and by sustaining itself with farms, gardens and factories aboard the ships themselves. The flotilla features both military and civilian ships with some ships specifically for accommodation.
 * Military Fleets and Groups of Ships
 * The First Fleet
 * The Second Fleet
 * The Flotilla Defence Fleet
 * Government Civilian Fleets and Groups of Ships
 * The Public Sector Trading Federation
 * The Sanctar Emergency Aid Group
 * The First Accommodation Homeship
 * The Second Accommodation Homeship
 * The Prison Ship
 * Privately Opened Groups of Ships
 * The Altox Trade Group

Pellix
The world the Sanctar population were once tortured on, Pellix is a place of requiem for pilgrims. Many stay there for a few months before returning to the Flotilla or Sanctorus as part of their pilgrimage. The natural life on Pellix has been destroyed by the conflicts of the past and is almost barren. Regions with no historical importance are used for automated factories and storage areas by the government. It is rumoured that there is also a hidden installation that houses collected religious artefacts.

The Sanctorus Holy Flotilla Army
"All who give themselves to the sacred army are rewarded for their faith."

The army of the Sanctorus Holy Flotilla is the primary military force of the Sanctar. Although many bases and troops are stationed on Sanctorus, the military is based in the flotilla itself. Troops, vehicles and equipment occupy both fleets. The fleets are rarely deployed together, as one is usually sufficient for a purge. Surprisingly, the majority of resources aboard the flotilla are used to improve and sustain the army, rather than the ships or civilian populace.

The flotilla has a notoriously selective recruitment system. Many applicants are denied for even the slightest reasons. This means that all of the soldiers are highly loyal to the army and there is almost no corruption. Every soldier who is accepted receives individual blessing from a priest before they are designated the fleet they join.

Sanctar have been known to throw down their weapons and engage the enemy in an unarmed duel. To use a weapon on a duellist is considered a great insult.

Units: Infantry
Infantry are the backbone of the flotilla military. There is an abundance of troops and no shortage of new recruits as Sanctar are so absolute in their beliefs of fighting for the gods that they readily accept duty. Military service is not mandatory but so many Sanctar become soldiers that there is no need.

Sanctar Minor
"All who tread the path of light shall find salvation... even in death."

The lowest ranking unit of the Karrzi Covenant, the Minor is an expendable, low-cost troop. Although they are the grunts of the army, they are still a force to be reckoned with. The Minor’s only weapons are a pair of wrist-mounted pulse guns. These pulse guns generate a weak electric current within a vacuum chamber and forms an atom. This atom is charged by the electrical field and quickly degrades inside of the gun, releasing a blast amount of electro-magnetic radiation. This radiation is focused, and released from the front of the pulse gun. Upon impact, the projectile releases its electrical charge, severely shocks the target and burns through armour like plasma.

Although Minors can be devastating to primitive races’ soldiers, they are individually ineffective against advanced combatants. Minors attack in force, usually led by a Major.

Sanctar Major
"Honour is my sword, glory is my shield."

Majors are highly trained operatives that lead squads of Minors into battle. They have excellent leadership skills and are highly capable in combat.

Majors wield pulse rifles that are far more powerful than the Minors' pulse guns. The rifle has a strong energy output and relatively low firing cool-down rate allowing sustain attacks against enemy infantry. The rifle also has an attachment that allows the Major to launch tiny missiles that arc through the air and home in on their targets.

Sanctar Communications Specialist
"Hear our roars and say your prayers."

Communications Specialists are equivalent to Majors in terms of ranks, but many are directed by Majors within a squad. Responsible for maintaining communications between squads and with ships, the Comms Specialists wear headsets which relay to the transmitters on their backs.

Like Majors, Communications Specialists also use pulse rifles. Although their helmets are reinforced, giving them more protection than lower-rank units, they are a prime target for hostiles and usually stay in cover. They are an asset too valuable to be wasted in combat.

Sanctar Pilot
With the responsibility of controlling and maintaining vehicles both planetside and in space, there are a large variety of specialisations that pilots fit into. Although they regularly drive ground vehicles such as the Sacrament, they rarely drive Buggies as the driver position is reserved for a soldier who can also join the fray.

The majority of pilots fly Dropships. Repeatedly picking up and deploying combat squads, they provide an essential ferrying service to transport large numbers of infantry during purges and to rescue them from dangerous areas.

Sanctar Combat Technician
Combat Technicians are responsible for operating and maintaining the military’s technology, both off and on the battlefield. They are easily recognisable by the mechanical limbs that extend for the Technician’s backpack and can be used to articulate objects the Technician is repairing. At the beginning of a purge, Technicians can often be seen erecting Communications Relays to ensure long-range contact between squads.

Collopy
Tiny, nimble and fierce, the collopies are the only non-Sanctar unit in the Hegemony. As non-sentient reptiles, they are intelligent enough to be trained and used in combat but not enough to escape or fight back against the Sanctar.

Used as a fast and effective tool by the Sanctar, the collopies can be directed in packs to perform surprise attacks on enemy infantry or can be used individually as saboteurs. Harnesses are strapped around the collopy with attachments for carrying explosives. Unbeknownst to the creature, they are set up with bombs that can explode on a timer or be rigged to detonate whenever the handler chooses, allowing the Flotilla Army to cause large amounts of damage to the enemy without costing any Sanctar lives. Huge numbers of collopies are bred for combat as they are used up so quickly. Frontline soldiers often joke that, as so many Collopies are martyrs for the great cause, the Plain of Purity must be overflowing with the little creatures.

Sanctar Collopy Handler
Handlers are responsible for the collopies they lead onto the battlefield. They ensure the health of the Collopies outside of battle and release them when the fight begins. Although the Collopies are usually released straight into the enemy lines, Handlers sometimes use packs loaded with pheromones which lead the collopies in a desired direction. Such actions are dangerous however; especially if the collopies which follow are strapped with explosives.

Sanctar Dragoon
Lightly-armoured and highly manoeuvrable on the battlefield, Dragoons use their fast sprint boosters and jet packs to cover large areas of ground quickly and spot enemy assault teams. This allows them to negate the enemy's advantage in surprise attacks, identify key targets and predict the movement of hostile groups. They are often used to carry messages, equipment and objects of importance around the battlefield as they can do so with unrivalled speed and efficiency. Although they are capable in combat, they are rarely used.

Dragoons are armed with two wrist-mounted plasma blades that are designed for piercing enemy armour. They use their jet packs to dive into enemy fortifications and begin slashing as many infantry as possible. Due to their measly armour, Dragoons are not always expected to survive but to instead take down as many enemies as possible before they die.

Sanctar Carnifex
The Sanctar Carnifex is a heavy gunner for devastating enemy infantry. They're heavily armoured and carry remarkable amounts of firepower at the sacrifice of being somewhat slow on the battlefield. They carry pulse miniguns similar to the Majors’ rifles but with several chambers that are alternated as the barrel spins. This allows a far higher rate of fire and enables the Carnifex to gun down entire squads in seconds.

Due to the immense weight of the minigun and how expensive they are to produce, only the most adept Majors are promoted to Carnifexes. The minigun has immense stopping power and uses a targeting system linked to the operator’s heads-up display, permitting the user to track enemy movements and sustain fire, no matter how fast they move. The range of the minigun is poor however as the pulses it fires are far more volatile than those of the rifles and dissipate after short distances.

Sanctar Vanguard
"Extreme heresy demands extreme prejudice!"

Vanguards carry rocket launchers designed to destroy enemy ground vehicles and to thin out groups of infantry. It is very powerful but can take a long time to reload, leaving the user vulnerable. Vanguards are often escorted by Minors and Majors to prevent them from being killed and never using their rockets.

Although some consider Vanguards to be tactless and reckless, many are impressed by the sheer strength of their rocket launchers. They are a valuable asset to the flotilla's infantry and they would undoubtedly suffer without them.

Sanctar Mephitis
Mephitises were soldiers who blasphemed or attempted to desert the Holy Flotilla Army. As punishment for their treachery, they are forced to wear suits that perpetually spawn swarms of insects that cause the inhabitant constant pain. The suit contains an artificial ‘hive’ which sustains the insects and ensures they are constantly in production. They are totally sealed off for the duration of their lives and must breathe through filters tainted with chemicals to enrage them when a superior sets them too. This forces the Mephitis into a crazed state where they are relentlessly aggressive on the battlefield.

The Mephitises fight by attacking the enemy with the deadly swarms. Clouds of the insects are projected from the gun connected to their suits which surround enemy units to harass, blind and eventually kill them. They are surprisingly effective at piercing the armour of even some of the most advanced races and causes searing pains when they sting the flesh.

Sanctar Rapture
The long-ranged assassin unit of the Karrzi Covenant, Raptures are lightly armoured to allow for quick movement and agility. Equipped with deadly mechanical crossbows, they primarily support offensive lines or harass the flanks of enemy forces, firing at choice infantry targets and weakening pushes. The Raptures receive extensive training to make them excel in their role. Their accuracy is excellent, even at exceptionally long range. They wear black armour to blend in with the shadows and can also cloak for a short duration if they are detected.

Sanctar Angel
Angels are assault troopers who rely on hit-and-run tactics. They use their jet packs to propel themselves into the air and drop on unsuspecting enemies for a surprise attack. They wield a blade and a plasma gun both attached to their suit to prevent them from being lost. The armaments are powerful enough to inflict serious damage with ambushes but not enough to sustain a direct fight; if caught in an even battle, the Angel is easily outmatched by enemy infantry.

Sanctar Stormlord
Stormlords are close-range combatants who use electricity as a weapon. They carry large Tesla coils on their backs which generate high-voltage electricity. The coil transfers energy from one oscillating resonant circuit to another over a number of radio-frequency cycles. This creates exceptionally high voltages which are channelled to the Stormlord’s gloves. The Stormlord can the project the electricity at enemies, creating a sustained lightning bolt which arcs through the air and chains several enemies in a close vicinity. If the initial shock is not fatal, the Stormlord can overload the enemy’s power armour, disabling their shields and weapons and making them temporarily vulnerable to attack.

Stormlords typically operate separate from Minors and Majors to prevent friendly fire. The Stormlords are effective line-breakers as their attacks soften up enemies and stun them long enough for allies to kill them. Stormlords are also capable of destroying enemy power supplies on the battlefield or overloading and disabling enemy vehicles.

Sanctar Confessor
Confessors are Sanctar specialists who deal in close-range combat. They are incredibly agile and wield a pair of swords with which they dispatch their foes. Confessors usually fight in small groups and excel at outmanoeuvring enemies. Although they are witnessed in standard military operations, the Confessors are sworn to protect the innocent races of the galaxy against demons and are usually deployed to assist defenders on planets under siege.

Confessors are honour-bound warriors who sacrifice their souls by taking responsibility for the sins of all the innocent races in the galaxy. They accept the Gods’ wrath for every mistake, crime and misdeed the redeemable aliens have made so that they might appease the Gods and secure the aliens a place in the Plane of Purity. They earn their name for their constant confessions of sin and ask the Gods for forgiveness. They believe that, when they die, they will be condemned to eternal damnation for the sins they assume. By waging the crusade and eventually martyring themselves, they attempt to garner some forgiveness from the Gods. The Confessors wear black armour and robes. Whereas the bright armour of other troops symbolises the light of the Karrzi, black resembles darkness and is therefore considered a colour of shame. Confessors must renounce their name upon joining the order and are simply referred to as ‘Confessor’ by Officers.

Sanctar Knight
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Sanctar Agent
Masters of espionage and deception, Agents are elite units who encompass all stealth operations in the military, from assassinations to spying to destroying key targets prior to an invasion. They are extensively trained towards a certain role, making them extremely proficient in that area. When operating on the battlefield, Agents sneak well behind enemy lines where most other forces can't get to and eliminate key enemy targets. They also sabotage enemy supply and communication lines, causing a logistics nightmare within the enemy force. They typically carry weak pulse weapons for killing individual targets and also wield electrified blades tipped with poison.

Sanctar Chaplain
Chaplains are members of the Church of Karrzi who are attached to a specific regiment of the Holy Flotilla Army. They offer moral guidance to the soldiers outside battle and increase morale by perpetuating the belief that the Gods are on their side. Chaplains can often be heard reciting Karrzi scripture in raw Sanctese translation on the battlefield.

Chaplains do not fight directly. They wear priestly attire that has been adjusted for protection in a combat zone but their clothing- including a ceremonial headdress- is far too unwieldy for them to fight in. Instead, their staffs are linked to a short-range Warp teleporter they carry on their backs. The Chaplain summons Sanctar soldiers in the vicinity, such as in low-orbit spacecraft, and teleports them to the frontline for a surprise attack. The Chaplain can repeatedly conjure more reinforcements until he is killed by an enemy soldier, effectively making him a mobile reinforcement creator.

Sanctar Officer
Among the most dangerous and destructive troops on the battlefield, Officers are tasked with leading troops headfirst into battle. Unlike Commissars, they fight on the frontline and are the highest rank to engage in physical combat. Officers are responsible for coordinating their battalions by constantly instructing their Comms Specialists. Many view the rank as the final test before being proven worthy of commanding an army. As a result, Officers tend to be highly driven individuals, eager to show off their might and impress those commanding them. This lends them to being extremely violent and destructive towards enemy forces. Minors and Majors have an almost divine revere for the Officers and the death of one can be a crippling blow to battalion’s morale.

Officers generally use medium-to-long range weapons allowing them to be present with their troops on the field but not too close that they would be instantly killed. Many carry improved pulse rifles that have higher damage and rate-of-fire than those of the Majors.

Sanctar Commissar
Commissars are commanders who control the Officers on the battlefield. There is only one Commissar per purge and they remain in contact with the Admirals for the duration of the battle so that they can ensure the ground and space units are in constant synergy. Although Commissars are not expected to fight, they carry ceremonial swords which they may use as a last defence if their command post is overrun. It is considered honourable for the Commissar to fight to the death with their sword.

Sanctar Shipmaster
Shipmasters are captains for frigates and cruisers in the Karrzi Covenant’s fleets.

Sanctar Admiral
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Sanctar Assault Buggy
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Sanctar Carnifex
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Sanctar Lictor
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Sanctar Tempest
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Sanctar Sacrament Walker
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Sanctar Dropship
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Sanctar Disciple
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Sanctar Crusader
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Sanctar Wrath Gunship
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Sanctar Halberd
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Sanctar WIPNAMEARRGHS
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Sanctar Acroplis
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The Guardian Defence Force
Although collectively referred to as the ‘Guardian Defence Force’, the GDF are individual military groups that protect planets owned by the Sanctar. They are part of the Sanctorus Federal Government and do not operate alongside the Holy Flotilla. Although each force manages itself, they all adhere to the regulations imposed by the government.

Guardian Defence Forces primarily rely on infantry and anti-air turrets to protect against invasion from an enemy fleet. Nevertheless, they act as part as each colony’s law enforcement too. Colonial law enforcement groups do not have armed units and instead use the GDF as a tool in extreme crime situations. Because of this, the GDF are often employed to end riots and crack down on criminal groups. GDF infantry primarily exists of full-time soldiers although many are volunteers who have civilian jobs. In this sense, they act as a militia. On the other hand, the fact that anyone without a criminal record can apply means that there is much gang infiltration and corruption. The civilian populace on colonies can be untrusting of the GDF as corrupt operatives are infamous for their brutality and their hastiness to use violence. Even if civilians protest against GDF corruption, they always fail as the operatives use weapons on them.

Unlike the Sanctorus Holy Flotilla, the Guardian Defence Force has far less selective system of recruitment. The majority of Sanctar who are denied acceptance into the SHF army enlist with the GDF and are accepted. This means that the average member of the GDF is less reliable, combat-effective or loyal than a flotilla soldier. This has earned them the unfortunate nickname of ‘the army’s rejects’.

Sanctar Guardian
"To protect and to preserve."

The majority of the GDF consists of Guardians. They are the final line of defence for a colony and are fairly well-equipped for it. They are not as well-trained as a SHF Minor but are still effective in combat. Unlike SHF troops, Guardians do not receive any form of blessing from the Church.

Guardians carry plasma pistols and shields to protect them. Their helmets have equipment built in to help them identify targets during combat and also have night vision and thermal imaging.

Sanctar Guardian Captain
"We will not fail. We will not falter."

Captains lead groups of other Guardians into combat. They have the same training and are simply promoted from being Guardians if they show effectiveness in the line of duty.

Captains wear armour that is similar to that of the Guardians but carry pulse rifles rather than pistols and shields.

Sanctar Guardian Technician
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Sanctar Guardian Officer
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GDF Anti-Air Turret
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Diplomacy
Diplomatic relations with other groups are constantly changing. As follows are the Sanctar Hegemony's current alliances and enemies.

Peacekeepers
The Sanctar Hegemony has yet to encounter any Peacekeeper races.

Warlords
The Sanctar Hegemony have yet to encounter any Warlord races.

The Gronian Imperium
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The Orathni Survivors
Current Status: Population was destroyed on Orath and Pellix, but some individuals still survive. Not in combat at this time.

A race of violent, merciless warriors, the Orathni were once a great empire that spanned many systems. With a strong military, the Orathni exploited weaker races for their own personal gain. Numerous races had been made extinct due to the Orathni’s tradition of capturing huge populations and forcing them into slavery. The products of the manual labour the aliens were forced into resulted in huge gains for the Orathni who continued to sustain their civilian population and constantly develop their weaponry to enslave more races. Much of their technology was stolen from other races, including the Hellfire which they repossessed after enslaving a now-extinct alien species.

The Orathni infamously abducted the population of Sanctorus and set them to work on the planet Pellix. The Karrzi religious artefacts from the system were gathered up and stockpiled in discrete locations and much of it was publicly destroyed to weaken the morale of the Sanctar slaves. After a violent battle in one of the work camps in the year 290AU, the slaves defeated the military garrison on Pellix and used the Orathni vehicles to destroy the Orathni population there. They then launched an attack on Orath, the Orathni homeworld, and purged it of the species. Unfortunately, Orathni military operatives managed to escape with the stolen Karrzi artefacts and left the system.

The Sanctar then used the Orathni’s superweapon, the Hellfire, and destroyed Orath. The Orathni are believed by some to now be extinct but reports across the galaxy suggest that some individuals still survive. The most commonly mentioned is an Orathni space captain who took the Karrzi artefacts aboard his ship after direct instructions from the Orathni Emperor. It is assumed that he still travels the galaxy, sworn to never let the Sanctar regain their treasured relics.

The Plorgo Empire
Current Status: Believed to be extinct.

The Plorgo were a quiet, self-contained military empire who resided on the planet Plorgon, not far from Sanctorus. When the Sanctar first attempted to convert them for their heresy in the year 0, but the Plorgo were so insulted by the Sanctar’s proposals that they fire on the civilian ships, costing the Hegemony many lives.

After the Orathni reign, the Sanctar returned to Plorgon in 291AU with their advanced technology from the Karrzi and the Orathni. The Plorgon purge was a complete massacre. The Plorgo suffered over 29,000,000 while the Sanctar suffered 8. The Plorgo and now believed to be extinct and their destruction is a testament to the power of the Hegemony.

The Darnian
Current Status: In combat on the planet Darnia.

A race of unintelligent sentient plants who control the planet Darnia. They 'control' the trees on the planet's surface to knock landing space craft off-course and kill the crews. They then salvage technology from the wreckages to build shanty homes and improvised weapons.

From analysing data on the crashed ships, the Darnians know of the Sanctar Hegemony and have prepared a contingency plan to defend against them. They are currently in combat.

The Voidwatch
The Voidwatch are a terrorist group comprised of political deviants and anti-Karrzist cultists. They reject the Karrzi faith; many are non-religious or follow faiths that originated from other races. It is rumoured that some worship the demons of the warp, considering them to be guardians of freedom and liberty who destroy the totalitarian Sanctar who exploit their Warp.

Many Voidwatch members are left-wing extremists and feminists who consider life under Trasky’s regime to be without freedom or equality and choose not to be bound by it. They regularly attack Sanctar diplomat or trade ships and steal their cargo which they give to the poverty-stricken lower castes on Sanctorus.

Tylus Kord is the founder and leader of Voidwatch. Many in the lower castes revere him as a romanticised vigilante who seeks to aid the oppressed masses against the unjust Hegemony. The aristocracy portray him as a violent terrorist who wishes to spread anarchism throughout Sanctar society. Enforcers are regularly dispatched to eliminate Kord but all have failed; he has an army of devoted followers who would do anything to protect him.

Notable Sanctar
WIP

Admiral Zafer Kredge
Status: Alive

Admiral Zafer Kredge is the highest ranking Sanctar in the entire Karrzi Covenant. He is the head of the First Fleet and is renowned for his pragmatic attitudes towards his work. He is distrusting of aliens and dislikes cooperation with others; as such he is kept away from the public eye of prospective allies to the Hegemony who see him as a violent xenophobe. Although he no longer fights in his rank as an admiral, he was infamously brutal during his time as an officer and his signature eyepatach is a constant reminder of the conflicts he has fought in.

Kredge was the son of a former admiral who was killed during the Karrzist takeover of Sanctorus. An officer at the time, Kredge has grown increasingly bitter and disconnected since his father’s death and many accuse him of heretical acts and attempting to betray the Hegemony. Kredge rarely shows emotion and treats the Purges with cold calculation rather than any emotional attachment. Doctor Ulaqua Vodel once commented on his possible sociopathic tendencies but this has never been confirmed. His skill in commanding both in space on planets is relatively unmatched however and the Prophet insists that he stay in his position.

Admiral Gargin Dare
Status: Alive

Originally recruited as a Minor during the Wust attacks on Sanctorus, the battalion that Gargin Dare served in was decimated and he was the sole survivor. He alone defended half of the island of Illnix against the invaders and it is believed that he killed over two hundred Wust soldiers and saved the population of the island. He is considered a war hero by the Sanctar and his image is plastered over Karrzi Covenant recruitment propaganda.

Now an Admiral, Dare is typically used as a figurehead for the First Fleet during cooperation with alien races. He has a reputation for placing trust in alien loyalty where other admirals would not and has protected many alien planets against invaders. Some critics claim he is more loyal to the Sanctar’s alien allies than he is to his own people and that he would sacrifice thousands of his own to rescue only a few aliens.

Admiral Dakkus Tellud
Status: Alive

WIP

Admiral Rass Dolovan
Status: Alive

Rass Dolovan is the oldest and most wisest admiral in the Karrzi Covenant. He is often portrayed to alien races as a vanguard of peace in a dangerous universe and his track record for cooperating with aliens is generally positive. Dolovan is the head of the Second Fleet and is respected throughout much of the Covenant. Some officials of the Church have questioned Dolovan’s loyalty to his faith but he has never commented on such allegations.

Dolovan came from an aristocratic family and was enlisted as an officer during the Wust attacks. Despite his lack of experience, he led the forces of Zenth to victory and has remained in the Covenant ever since. The fact that he has fought as part of the frontline infantry and as a leader has lent him a good reputation.

Admiral Mon Ack
“Status:” Alive

Mon Ack was a former member of the aristocracy who was enlisted as a Commissar soon after the Wust attacks. His past is largely unknown by the public although it is rumoured he is related to the Prophet himself. He is infamous for the fact that he has never fought as part of the infantry yet commands entire battalions of them; many Majors have questioned how he earned his title and if he is suitable for such a high rank.

Mon Ack is generally successful but opinions on him vary wildly. Recently, he has lost favour with the Karrzi Covenant due to the calamity on Darnia. The attack was poorly organised and several drop pods and craft landed wildly off-course and large amounts of infantry died against such a primitive opponent. Ack laid the blame with Commissar Karmov who has since been relocated as part of the Flotilla Defence Fleet and replaced with Commissar Wickers.

Admiral Felev Jek
Status: Alive

Admiral Felev Jek is normally successful in his missions, but any pilot or technician under his command will tell you that he is undeserving of the praise. Originally a low-ranking Commissar, Jek got his lucky break when his superiors travelled via void warp to initiate a surprise attack on an alien empire's brigade of ships. Due to power failures however, the Admiral and his entourage were trapped in the void and never seen again.

Immediately promoted to admiral to defeat the aliens before they escaped, Jek ordered all of the ships under his command to attack at once. Despite this simple tactic, the fact that he also possessed the late admiral's ships as well as his own meant that he had such an overwhelming force at his disposal that he could not have lost anyway. Although the Church of Karrzism sees him as a war hero, the soldiers of his fleet know of his incompetence. Every one of Jek's victories have been due to his men's determination or pure luck. Sooner or later, however, his fate will catch up with him.

Adventures
WIP

Trivia

 * The word 'Sanctar' derives from 'Sanctum'
 * The Sanctar are the most physically strong of the main species in the Epic Adventure War. Diabloian? Ha, I think not. Zaretian? You must be joking. None can withstand the sheer punching power of the Sanctar. They’re also the best at making cupcakes.

Created by Brickinator