The Sanctar Hegemony



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The Sanctar Hegemony
The Sanctar Hegemony consists of two races who cooperate for mutual benefit; the Sanctar and the Advokans. The integration occurred decades ago and they now act as a single empire, both races compensating for the other’s weaknesses with their own strength. Officially, the Hegemony is a democracy where both sides have equal authority in the governing of the alliance. In reality however, the Sanctar are more prosperous and have the ultimate say in the way the Hegemony is run.

Biology
Sanctar are bipedal amphibians that stand over eight feet tall. They have oily purple skin and sharp claws that can be used in melee combat. Their home planet, Ebyssian, has very strong gravity, making the Sanctar far more agile and strong on other worlds. They are carnivorous, usually feeding on small fish. 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 but their vision of normal light is poor so they tend find their prey using their trichromatic colour vision in the ultraviolet range. They also have a lateral line organ which can detect changes in water pressure and allowing them to detect enemies while submerged. 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. Ebyssian 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 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.

Each of their four limbs end in three razor sharp claws which, although perfect for combat, do not grant them manual dexterity, making a their finger movements somewhat clumsy and awkward. As a result, their aim with firearms is poor so they prefer to attack as closely as possible to their enemies and use weapons with high projectile spread. The sharp claws on their feet prevent them from wearing footwear as it would impede on their abilities to move quickly and covertly. Most Sanctar are barefoot unless operating in hazardous environments, including space.

Sanctar have exceptionally strong jaws. They are capable of crushing open shells of creatures 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 remain submerged indefinitely for surprise attacks as they can respire through the water while keeping their eyes above the surface.

Extreme temperatures have a profound effect on Sanctar. They 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. Sanctar are oviparous. The eggs can vary in colour but are usually blue or purple. They must be kept in a suitably warm environment until they are ready to hatch; many couples send their eggs to Eggkeepers. Eggkeepers are female Sanctar who place eggs in incubators and ensure they are kept safe until they are ready to hatch. 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 much smaller than fully grown Sanctar and a distinctly pale colour.

Karrzism and Hunting
Sanctar are a society of hunters. Hunting is the most prevalent profession among male Sanctar who do not join the military. It is seen as a sport, an occupation and a spiritual duty in accordance with the Sanctar’s religious beliefs. To kill a powerful foe is considered a great achievement in Sanctar society and most make a living from tracking down and killing the most dangerous beings in the galaxy.

Sanctar hunters journey from system to system in search of new targets to hunt. They are often employed as pest control for creatures even local military forces have trouble dealing with; their millennia-old traditions have made them adept in detecting and killing both sentient and non-sentient creatures. Sanctar hunters are willing to cull dangerous predators and track down and eliminate giant creatures that threaten the interests of space-age civilisations.

Many also act as bounty hunters, killing criminals and terrorists for alien empires in exchange for currency. Although they rely on the payments to further fund their expeditions, hunting is so well-embedded in their culture that they enjoy it. It is not a sadistic pleasure; they do not enjoy inflicting pain, but rather bask in the glory of defeating the most fearsome foes the galaxy has to offer. They see the universe as one big competition to kill the most dangerous targets they can.

Although they are willing to hunt sentient beings, they are not assassins. Hunting contracts, especially against wanted criminals, are officialised and fully legal. Sanctar rarely agree to covert hunts. The Sanctar’s culture of hunting stems from their religion, 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 but the manner in which they are referred to implies there are thousands or even millions.

The Karrzi are not considered as beings with a tangible 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. Sanctar attempt to appease the Karrzi through acts which increase their ’gratida points’. Gratida points are earned by hunters for each kill they make. When they die, the Karrzi tally up their points to determine the hunter's place in the afterlife. To be captured alive is the greatest humiliation a Sanctar can suffer and resets their lifetime score back to nothing, invalidating a lifetime's work.

The stronger the target, the more points the Sanctar earns for killing it. Hunters often take parts of their deceased targets as trophies. These trophies are then assimilated into the hunter’s armour as a badge of honour and as testament to their hunting prowess. When killing non-sentient creatures, they usually take pelts, bones and ivory. Sanctar will not use body parts of sentient creatures as trophies, however. In these instances, they will take pieces of armour and attach them to their own. Sanctar hunters’ outfits are an array of mismatched armour pieces and clothing made from animals.

The desire for gratida points often drives Sanctar to fight enemies they have no rational chance of defeating. It is not so much greed or desperation for spiritual reward but an attempt to gain glory in the eyes of their brethren and their gods. Sanctar military tactics suffer as a result of this; the constant pursuit for points leaves soldiers contesting on who will face the most dangerous enemies. Sanctar will burst into combat with unrivalled zeal and display endless bravado as they hunt down their enemies.

To be captured alive zeroes a Sanctar’s gratida point, effectively making their life forfeit in the eyes of the Karrzi. They could, however, win all those points back by killing the one who zeroed their score. If captured on a battlefield, the Sanctar will always attempt to escape from imprisonment and track down the enemy who caught them, even if their chances of success are negligible. It is better to die in a blaze of glory than resign oneself to imprisonment.

Scriptures and History
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.

In Karrzist scriptures, it is recorded that the Karrzi were the first life to ever exist and that they were responsible for creating the entirety of the universe. 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 have 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 needlessly expansive and vindictive, 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 wardens of the universe- to cull races that are dangerous to the galaxy as a whole and to preserve the natural order of the universe by hunting down the expansive and conquering empires. 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.

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 individual 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 mementoes 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 Ebyssian, many Sanctar choose to die in sacred caves or in their own home.

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 is 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 Ebyssian 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 the 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. The body is not needed for the journey into the afterlife. 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 body is wasted.

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 through 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 beings 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. For male Sanctar, the more gratida points they have earned, the more likely they are to enter the Plane of Purity.

It is the goal of the Karrzi and, by extension, the Sanctar, to destroy 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. Hunting evil beings and killing them imprisons them in the Plane of Damnation and makes the Plane of Judgement purer as a result.

The Plane of Damnation exists as a place where the souls of sinful beings are sent. 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 their soul to eternity in the Plane of Damnation.

In the Plane of Damnation, there is nothing but infinite void. If a male Sanctar dies with no gratida points, they are sent to the Plane of Judgement as punishment.

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 lived truthfully and honourably, irrelevant of whether or not they followed Karrzism. Female Sanctar may be granted entrance in the same manner as all other aliens, but males must accumulate sufficient gratida points to be deemed worthy.

Worship
Sanctar are expected to pray once a day for at least fifteen minutes. 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 in combat 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 enemy soldiers.

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.

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 Sanctar military, as they use them in building vehicles.

Yulani Trees
Sanctar are carnivorous and their diet on Ebyssian consisted of various species of fish. Military fleets often contain several ‘fishery’ ships which house equipment for breeding and maintaining huge populations of these fish to provide food for the Sanctar. On Ebyssian, 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 Ebyssian. As Yulani trees are in such wide supply on Ebyssian 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 Ebyss. It is composed mainly of harsh grunts, hisses and growls. Male voices are very deep and involve lots of howling noises, whereas females have screechy voices. Ebyss 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 Ebyss 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. Advokans are incapable of producing the necessary sounds to speak it so translators are highly popular on Ebyssian.

Sport
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Art
Also WIP

Biology
Short and wiry, the Advokans are bipedal and stand at about four feet. They are difficult to classify; although they are warm-blooded, they possess a bony outer layer on their flesh that protects them from harm. This exoskeleton is made up of several overlapping plates which can be used to store water for long periods of time.

Their homeworld Salandin is a desert planet covered in seemingly endless dunes and scorched by its immensely high temperatures. The Advokans are well-adapted for it; their feet are wide and flat to enable them to traverse the sands and they can store water in their bodies for weeks on end. Food and water is scarce on Salandin so the Advokans’ ommivorous nature was essential to their survival; the occasional plant or animal they found in the wastes would have to sustain them for the long duration until they found another. Their diet mainly consisted of small reptiles and plants not dissimilar to cacti.

A typical lifespan for an Advokan is between seventy and a hundred years. They are monogendered but are usually referred to as male by alien races. Advokans have poor eyesight and sense of smell but compensate with their excellent hearing- the tubes on their faces are actually receptors that can hear for miles. Advokans make effective spies as they are capable of detecting other creatures at a distance and can eavesdrop out of sight too.

The Advokans’ homeplanet had no insects and, as a result, they are notoriously susceptible to disease from organic vectors. Insect bites on alien planets can cause Advokans to become very ill for long periods of time and they must recover before venturing out onto the planet again. Advokans must receive regular vaccinations to immunise them to the fauna of planets before they visit them. This has led to a lucrative black market in illegal vaccinations.

Advokans are highly dextrous which means they are capable both as warriors and technicians. They excel at both handling technology and firing weapons. Due to their lack of agility, Advokans are ineffective at close-range combat and are easily flanked. They typically cluster together to act as a battering ram or fight at a distance. Basic assault teams in The Sanctar Hegemony consist primarily of Advokans who rely on a Sanctar Major to act as their squad leader. The two races play to each other’s strengths- they compensate for the other’s weaknesses while fighting to maximise their effectiveness. As they are so small and dextrous, Advokans are able pilots and engineers.

When Advokans reproduce, one acts as the ‘father’ and the other as the ‘mother’. The father passes their genetic information to the mother who gives birth to a single Advokan child. The mother always dies in the process and the father takes sole custody for the child. The species recognises this as a noble sacrifice for the good of the entire people; the only way to continue their race is for themselves to be destroyed.

Culture
Advokan society is based on charity. They have an innate sense of selflessness and are reputable for performing almost any kind of sacrifice for the benefit of others. Within the Hegemony, they often give out aid to other races who have faced problems, either from recent war, economic problems or ecological disaster.

Advokans have a curious compulsive behaviour in which they exchange gifts with each other on a regular basis. Such gifts are not superficial; most Advokans have received all of their clothes, food and technology from their friends and family. Advokans have little interest in personal possessions and luxury items are usually disregarded by them- they will be far more appreciative of something useful to them than something solely for pleasure.

This charitable behavior was bizarre to other races when they began contacting aliens. It took them a while to grasp the concept that the Advokans would freely give them things without asking anything in return. Some suspected it was a ruse but others were very welcoming and opened trade routes with the generous creatures. As a result, the Advokans have a network of allies throughout the galaxy who are sympathetic to their cause.

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Naming
Advokans have an infamously complex protocol to how they name their children. For example, the head diplomat for Ebyssian’s full name is ‘Sel Istin das Gorida Kalee Ebyssian’.

The first word is their family name. When an Advokan is born, they take on the family name of their mother. The father also assumes this name. To carry on the name of one’s parent is considered to show honour to them for the sacrifice they made. The family name is always a single syllable. The second word is the individual’s name. This word consists of two syllables.

The third word indicates the Advokan’s marital status. ‘Cor’ means the Advokan is unmarried and ‘Tey’ means the Advokan is married. The word ‘Ran’ means that the Advokan is a father. The word ‘Das’ means that the Advokan’s partner died of causes other than childbirth and that they are a widow. Advokan widows are not permitted to remarry.

The fourth word denotes the Advokan’s city or origin, the fifth is the individual’s nation of origin and the sixth and final word is the planet they live on. Unlike the fourth and fifth name, the sixth can change depending on where the Advokan currently lives. If the Advokan lives on a ship or station, the name of the vehicle is used instead. Having no sixth name indicates the Advokan is a vagrant which is disreputable.

Language
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Sport
More WIP

Also, can you imagine these guys doing sport, lol? especially wrestling. imagine two advokans wrestling it'd be a pathetic display of the two of them mindlessly flapping at each other until one floated out of reach

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WIP WIP WOOP, CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

History
Shit's getting redone

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 Ebyssian 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 Ebyssian, 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 Ebyssian, 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 Ebyssian 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 Ebyssian 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.

Gender Imbalance
There is an undeniable imbalance between the two genders in Sanctar society. In accordance with Karrzist doctrine, the lives of women is restricted and controlled by law. Sanctar women must wear full-body gowns that do not expose any of their person as the Sanctar believe that the female form is designed to lead them to sexual temptation and commit sins against the gods. From a month old, females must wear full clothing at all times when they are in the presence of others. To violate this rule is considered a sin punishable by death; the women are ritualistically executed for disobeying the word of the gods.

Women are also not permitted to speak unless allowed to by a male Sanctar. Communication with non-Sanctar is forbidden and women are not permitted to hold a position in any legal, political, military or educational organisation. If a male Sanctar proposes to marry a female and the female’s father accepts the offer, the female is forced into a permanent bond to the male without her consent. If she defies her new husband, she is put to death. Any relationship with another male Sanctar after this point are also considered a fatal sin. If the husband regrets his marriage he is permitted to leave his wife at any time but the inverse is illegal. If the wife commits sins or brings shame upon the family, the husband is permitted to kill her himself in order to dispose of the dishonourable member and improve the family’s overall honour.

Sanctar wives are expected to raise children and nothing else. To have numerous children is considered a great honour in Karrzi society as the female creates more warriors for the Karrzi’s cause. Infertile women are executed as they are of no use to the Hegemony. If the husband dies before the wife, she is expected to kill herself in his honour as outliving her master is considered treacherous. If the woman denies, she is executed. Women cannot vote in any political polls and are not permitted to drive vehicles.

Plasma Weapons
Most of the Hegemony’s military arsenal is plasma-based directed energy weapons, however they are also know to use pulse lasers and kinetic explosives.

Plasma weapons are more rugged and far more effective than laser based weapons. They use a power cell to provide power to the internal components- most importantly a high energy current at the muzzle end of the weapon- to complete the cycling, ignition and release operation of the weapon. Plasma weapons use hydrogen fluoride as a source of fuel. This fuel is flash boiled and contained within a magnetic field until it turns from a cool liquid to superheated ionized gas. This is fired through the air like a wave. It is usually green.

Plasma weapons are effective but crude; they are prone to overheating which can effectively disarm the Sanctar during combat. Once the energy of the plasma weapon is depleted, it must be recharged, or discarded. Sanctar often bring battery caches onto the battlefield for a source of energy.

The Sanctar are also known to employ melee weapons in addition to their already fearsome arsenal. Confessors typical wield a pair of black swords which are filed with a laser to make them sharp enough to cut through enemy armour.

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.

Ebyssian
The Sanctar’s home planet, Ebyssian, 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 Ebyssian, in the capital city of Delgaron.



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

The army of the Ebyssian Holy Flotilla is the primary military force of the Sanctar. Although many bases and troops are stationed on Ebyssian, 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 Ebyssian 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 Ebyssian 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
Enemies WIP

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 Ebyssian 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 Ebyssian. 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 Ebyssian.

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 Ebyssian. 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 Ebyssian, 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.

Created by Brickinator