Records Recovered from the Divine, Arbitrage

Records Recovered from the Divine, Arbitrage is the dossier for The Road to PALISADE. Within the fiction, it is written by said Divine.

Factions

Divinity

The Divine Principality: Stitched together thousands of years ago from the remains of the Divine Free States and the Principality of Kesh, it is largest empire in the history of the Milky Way Galaxy. Even now, divided against itself, any subdivision of its arms stretches further than any kingdom or confederation ever has before. An utter failure.
Stel Apostolos: An ancient people, ever obsessed with external conquest and internal freedom, and utterly uninterested in understanding their own contradictions. They are dedicated to the pursuit of forward Motion, and I suppose I can respect such bullheaded devotion. It is, at the very least, not boring. They are the meat and muscle of the Pact of Necessary Venture.
Stel Columnar: Famously “courted” by the growing Principality many generations ago, this nation of humanoid synthetics traded freedom for the prestige and security of the Principality. They hid behind imperial walls and pursued the Future, pushing boundaries not only in technology, but in art, commerce, and war. I suppose I can call them cousins, but not with much fondness. Today, they share righteous screeds and fight for the return of something like democracy as part of the Pact of Necessary Venture. What a comedy.
Stel Kesh: Among the oldest operating powers in the stars. Devoted to the Past even though they’ve long lost control of the Divine who shares its name. Snobbish historians, ineffective parliamentarians, and stubborn reactionaries. Kesh is generally aligned with the Curtain of Divinity.
Stel Nideo: With origins in the long lost Twilight Mirage, Stel Nideo are architects of our current era, dread controllers of the Present. Along with shaping mass media, popular culture, and educational standards, they now operate both Received and Progressive Asterism, the former run by the corrupt Cycle and the latter by the grotesque puppet of the lost prophet Gur Sevraq. These priests, pop idols, and patriotic poster children are largely aligned with the Curtain of Divinity.
Stel Orion: For hundreds of thousands of years, Stel Orion — under countless names and forms — has repeated a cycle of exploitation and revolution. Competing spirits of individualism and camaraderie ebb and flow, but industry remains. Is it any wonder that it remains associated with the raw breadth of Space itself? Currently, Orion is at war with itself, with countless small factions not only differing in position on the larger civil war in the Principality, but also on many additional issues like wealth, religion, and culture.

The War

The Bilateral Intercession: This faction, made up primarily from Stel Nideo and Kesh assets, was formerly known as the Curtain. The rebranding comes as part of a “civil coup” performed by Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh. In a move that surprised no group more than the Curtain themselves, Cynosure spent years growing in confidence and power, until that intelligence organization could be once again reduced to a tool. Still defined by their traditionalism, they wield their control on culture, religion, and history as a weapon — and the extensive spy network for which they are named when those come up short.
The Branched: A post-human culture from the Golden Branch star sector who have transformed their bodies into spectacular forms, but who are now weighed down by an endless war with the Principality.
The Curtain of Divinity: For generations, the Curtain of Divinity operated in the shadows of the Principality, partly as intelligence agency, partly as shadow government. Now they have been dragged into the daylight, and serve as one of the two ruling factions of the whole Principality. Though there are some divisions along questions of secularity, humanism, and cultural taste, in general, leaders of the Curtain are conservative, traditionalist, and nationalistic. They seek the reunification of all five Stels and the permanence of the Divine Principality. Led, in public at least, by Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh, the Peaceful Princept. In fact, the Curtain has five divisions, each led by a ruthless individual known only by a codename: Silk (diplomacy), Damask (research & inquisition), Lace (military), Linen (economics), and Gabardine (espionage and collaboration). For generations, the Curtain of Divinity operated in the shadows of the Principality, partly as intelligence agency, partly as shadow government. After the events on Partizan, they were dragged into the daylight, and served as one of the two ruling factions of the whole Principality. But as the years progressed, and Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh, the Peaceful Princept, grew in confidence and skill, the group began a steady transformation and the spies began to return to the shadows... Largely aligned to Stels Kesh and Nideo, the Curtain of Divinity is made uup of those loyal to Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh, the Peaceful Princept, and who desire the Divine Principality to continue on as it has for millenia. Defined by their traditionalism, they wield their control on culture, religion, and history as a weapon — and the extensive spy network for which they are named when those come up short.
Millennium Break: Terrorists, thieves, and revolutionaries. Founded on the moon of Partizan in 1423-1424 PM. A wrench in the wheel, a fly in the ointment. Critical in pushing the Principality into chaos. Now spreading dissidence through the galaxy. Their manifesto, such as it is, is thus: We will help those displaced by the war. We will claim supplies only when it adds losses to the ledgers of the unjust. Free and fair elections will be held every two years. Burn thrones, build tables. When we provide for ourselves, we can provide for others. We will not turn our back on allies in need. If we must play their game, make sure to bloody their noses. When we reach the edge, we will Leap. Look sick as shit. The words of children.
The Pact of Free States: While the Bilateral Intercession’s name change reflects a shift in leadership and posture for the Curtain, the shift from “The Pact of Necessary Venture” to “The Pact of Free States” is simply the public acceptance of what was already widely understood to be true. Led in name by Dahlia, the Glorious Princept, and in day-to-day operation by senior members of Stels Apostolos and Columnar, the Pact paint themselves as liberal reformists whose aim is to increase the degree of autonomy in each of the Stels, such that they become in reality five separate nations.
The Pact of Necessary Venture: As their (current) name suggests, the Pact began as a cooperative exploratory committee founded in the late 14th Century of the Perfect Millennium. They sought new territory to conquer, breaking an old taboo in the process, and inviting destruction and fracture. Which is appropriate, as their vision for the future is one where each Stel is granted more autonomy and independence — some even claim that they would see the Principality utterly destroyed and replaced by a loose affiliation of free states. Despite this, the Pact are no radicals: While they want more independence from the Principality, they have little interest in shaking up the internal power structures of the Stels themselves. After all, their founders were all Elects, and though only two remain (Gallica, elect of the Divine Present, and Rye, elect of the divine Space), they are led by Dahlia, who serves as both Apokine and Glorious Princept. Led in name by Dahlia, the Glorious Princept, and in day-to-day operation by senior members of Stels Apostolos and Columnar, the Pact paint themselves as liberal reformists who hope to increase the degree of autonomy in each of the Stels. Some even claim that they would see the Principality utterly destroyed and replaced by a loose affiliation of free states.

Others

Brink Proxy: The volunteers who function as mechanics, operators, janitors, and engineers for the Brink. Bureaucratic, but some tasks require such things.
Devotion: A cultish organization that some suspect is responsible for those who have gone missing recently. The Devotees (aka the Friends of Devotion): A cultish organization that some suspect is responsible for those who have gone missing recently. Seems to worship something called either Devotion or Fervor.
The Fabreal Duchy: When the nascent Divine Principality left Palisade behind 5000 years ago, they left behind the Fabreal Duchy. At the time, the Duchy was an extension of the Twilight Mirage’s technologically powerful artist-kingdom, the Crown of Glass. Whether it was this connection or something else, the Princept at the time believed them to be ideal candidates to remain behind and tend to the Palisade in the Principality’s absence. In time though, these “custodians” refashioned themselves as crystalline royals — quite literally. The bodies of the royals and aristocrats of the duchy are made of strange glass-like material, and their selfhood is actually contained in a colorful oil — produced and maintained by the Divine Unction, which flows through their vessels. In time, the Duchy expanded its grasp and became the largest single power on the planet. Its peerage — a collection of baronesses, counts, and other nobles who serve under the Duke’s whims — are protected by their Saints, a chivalric order of knights who pilot hollows of smaller design than those of the Principality, and served by a large number of “Delegates”, enslaved slivers from DIvines long since vanished. Before the Principality arrived on Palisade again, Perpetual Lustre, the Duke of Glass led the duchy. But when he refused to submit to the will of the newly arrived Viceroy, his vassals saw opportunity and betrayed him.  Now he lives exiled at the edge of the desert.
Hypha & Ashen: The former were a culture of galactic nomads, guided by a paranatural force called the Strand which they could commune with using technological devices built into their antlers. The latter are their descendants, their routes broken by the Principality’s expansions and occupations, their culture ripped from them.
New Earth Hegemony: Long since lost to history, the NEH once claimed the entire center sphere of the Galaxy as their home. Characterized by a neoliberal policies and the deep belief in technological solutions, the nation was key to the slow destruction of the ancient Divine Fleet, a predecessor to the Divine Free States (itself half of the Divine Principality’s founding membership).
Orchard Syndicate: A group of gardeners, farmers, and their delivery unit. Specialize in oranges and hidden motivations.
Principality Wrestling Association (PWA): The largest professional hollow wrestling organization in the Principality. Tours each Stel. The PWA’s current active roster includes Caden "The Sensation" Davis (they/them), Vlad “Bone Daddy” Rivera (he/him), Jade “The Dentist” Suzuki (she/her), Brian Million Dollar Man” Johnson (he/him), Liam “The Beast” Petit (they/them), and Dash “City Slicker” Dubrovnik (they/them). The PWA also maintains a “special relationship” with the Divine Honor, who referees all matches for the control of the Belt of Honor.
Qui Err Coalition: Comprised of the descendents (literal, metaphorical, and mystical) of the planet Quire’s original people, the Qui Err Coalition is the de facto government of the Twilight Mirage.

Persons

Apparatus Aperitif (they/them), Shunley Pernard (they/them), Antonina Juris (she/her), Plum Tort (he/him), and Kojack Variety (he/him): The leading council members of the Crown in Glass, the city built from the fallen ship the Reflecting Pool.
August Righteousness (he/they): Delegate serving as court chef of Joyous Guard. Secretly operates a Delegate resistance movement.
Bel’Agos Bloom (bel/bels, they/them): Pact admiral and March’s sibling-in-law.
Bright Mercy (she/her): Delegate serving Perpetual Lustre as court attendant of Joyous Guard.
Broadleaf (he/him): A musician and aspiring chef who towers above others in an elephantine frame. Perhaps you might call him the heart of this crew. A dreamer, for sure.
Caeso Wair (he/him): A horse, a cannon, a quiet confidence. There are many ways to be a cowboy.
Carvisle Solstice (he/him): The cruel son of Somerset House.
Catalina Solstice (she/her): Adventurous older daughter of the house, who’s never met a cause she wouldn’t turn into a vanity project.
Catrina Solstice (she/her): Morose younger daughter of the house with a special interest in taxidermy.
Ce Gull (they/he): A scout who grew up on a Nidean outpost and joined up with Millennium Break after their home was destroyed by Stel Orio. They’re working on their skills as a gardener.
Cheal Pushy (he/him): While his single biggest influence on the Brink was the founding of the ever spreading Community Gardens, he’s mostly known as the heart of the station, operating everyone’s favorite dive bar and venue, Pushy’s.
Continental Countinghouse (he/him): CENTRE/line host who specializes in playful monologues, managing social equilibrium, and ad reads.
Coracin Seventine (he/him): Head of security in Brink Proxy. Suspicious of 3T.
Cor'rina Corrine (cor/cors): Drawing cor root name for the Eidolon Corridor, a famed Apostolosian peace maker, is it any wonder that Cor’rina Corrine, ace pilot of the Pact’s forces near Palisade, is a naive idealist?
Coughton Solstice (he/him): Crevera’s husband. An absolute pushover.
Crevera Solstice (she/her): (Largely absent) matriarch of the Solstice family.
C.T.H. Pasodoble (he/him): Member of the Friends of Devotion
Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh (he/him): “The Peaceful Princept,” supposed leader of the Curtain of Divinity. Growing, ever so slowly, into the title.
Dahlia (they/them): The self-proclaimed “Glorious Princept” and Apokine of Apostolos has the support of the Pact of Venture, yet seems more concerned with winning the war against the Branched than attending to the civil war inside of the Principality. Dahlia is the elect not only of Integrity but also Commitment. A feat, a folly, or both?
Saint Decario Dicario (he/him): Chief Troublemaker, 3T's lover, and a bellicose whisper in the ear.
Deutsch Synchro a.k.a. Lament (she/her): A simple bartender at Pushy’s. That’s all. Certainly not an asset in play.
Dirwin, Elaina, Stas: Strati that had been kidnapped by the Pact of Necessary Venture from Harborview. Now rescued, and en route towards a rendezvous point.
Dogmatic Mettle (he/him): Former shoot combatant in real hollow sumo competitions and pilot of the fearsome Harvester, Mettle has turned his sights on the squared circle. Does he hope to obtain glory? To lift others to his heights? Or something else?
Eileen Lilas (she/her): One of Somerset House’s maidservants and erstwhile companion to Catrina.
Exanceaster March (he/him): Head of the vast Columnar multi-system conglomerate called the Frontier Syndicate, which is older than the Stel itself. While the Syndicate has its hands in many enterprises, the heart of it all is corralling and instrumentalizing data. One such effort, Exanceaster’s pet project the March Anecdatist Foundation, set its sights on Palisade as a testing ground.
False Fruit (he/they): An Orchard Guildsman, Paris' rival fruit trader, and father of a missing child.
Fingers Crossed (they/them): One might wonder just how this criminal and rebel has studied enough classified Principality material to become the expert forger that they are. Yes. One might wonder.
Galaebalus Splu-u-mp (Gal/Gals, they them): CENTRE/line panel from Stel Apostolos member with strong feelings about work ethic, lunch sandwiches, and freedom.
Gastone Ol'D'Cassino (he/him): The shady owner of Braunton’s casino.
Gimme Gimme (they/them): Yet another Pact spy.
Grand Magnificent (he/him): An “artist” (read: weapons manufacturer) from five centuries ago. The picture of arrogance. He was at his best when he was honest about what he was.
Grey Gloaming (she/her) and Demani Dusk (she/er): Most know these long past wives as the founders of the Brink. But from my perspective, they were interlopers in history.
Gucci Garantine (she/her): Once, when she operated the revolutionary group HORIZON, true heir of the Rapid Evening, she called herself Saint Dawn. Now she simply calls herself one of the Millennium Break’s commanders, albeit through gritted teeth.
Guilford Gain (she/her): March’s bodyguard. Cinephile.
Doctor J (he/him): Eversin’s doctor. Lover of Basketball, the most popular sport on Palisade.
Joe de Vivre (he/him): The charming rogue that Mustard can’t stop loving.
Kaliope Flow (she/her): The de facto leader of Harborview.
Kinoki (she/her): A code-cracking algorithm that slowly turned into a master thief and hacker. Strange life, even to me.
Knighton Reach (they/them): Knighton Reach, Pact defector from the Columnar 42nd Stellar Unit. Presumed spy.
The Lace of the Curtain of Divinity: Marshall in command of the Curtain’s military forces, including reconnaissance and martial saboteur units.
Laris, Leah, and Laurice: March’s servants. Indentured indefinitely.
Layer Luxurious (he/him): A "podcaster." What a waste.
Lishan Charles (she/her): Seneschal of Eversin, serving as local steward and sheriff, reporting up to the occupying Curtain forces if “trouble” arises.
Martilla “Journeyman” Häske (she/her): Professional soldier, Pact true-believer, and pilot of the Under the Radar.
Martine Sprue (she/her): Somerset House’s mechanic, in charge of the family’s small fleet of terrible machines.
Misericorde 'Miseri' (he/they): Heir to a disgraced family who sided with the rebellious Sovereign Immunity once known as The Farmer. Seeks to restore his family’s name by any means necessary.
Morning’s Observation (he/him): A soldier turned cook turned “hero.”
Mustard Red (she/her): A cyborg member of the Brink Proxy. A little paranoid, but perfectly tuned for a role in surveillance. Oh, and quite eager. A useful trait.
Narmine “Ketch” Te’ketch (he/him): Former two-bit criminal, current whaler, and pilot of The Captain.
Omi (they/them): A synthetic member of Millennium Break with a top-shelf scenario simulation engine and an unparalleled sense of precision timing (among other beings of their type, at least).
Paris France (he/him): The Brink is a hub, with countless things moving through its halls and ports. Paris France is the person you go to when you want access to those things, even when you shouldn’t have it.
Perpetual Lustre, the Duke of Glass (he/him): Exiled erstwhile leader of the Fabreal Duchy, now residing in Joyous Guard.
Pregoria Prilt (she/her): CENTRE/line panel member from Stel Columnar with a great interest in eating utensils and ancient Earth.
Pressure Cove (they/them): Captain of the Fox in the Snow and leader of a group infatuated with Fealty and their promised way of life.
Reatta Fossick (they/them): CENTER/Line panel member from Stel Kesh whose expertise in economic matters is only eclipsed by their deftness with euphemisms.
Robet Shpache (he/him): An expert in security systems, Robet Shpache wields cameras, gates, and drones like weapons.
Sierra (they/her): The bashful intelligence which pilots the agrivessel the Hen and Chicks.
Sly Dente (they/them): Space trucker and member of the Orchard Syndicate.
Teasel “Derby” Fauna (he/him): Entertainer, sharpshooter, and pilot of the Dressage.
Teleos Triton Tanager a.k.a. 3T (he/him): A idealist, a fool, and a musician with a following of “Troublemakers.”
Tivanon (he/him): An anxious merchant in Eversin’s market.
Toaster Wroaster (any): Member of the Devotees who went missing.
General Mourning (she/her): Military commander from the Qui Err Coalition.
Tzion Archana (he/him): A Concretist mechanic and technician. Very savvy.
Veronique (she/they): Elect of Fealty. A loyalist. A protector. A runner, in a previous life.
Vivian Exler (she/her): Somerset House’s “award winning” gardener and groundskeeper.
The News of Her Arrival Flowed Between the People of the Village Like ⸢Wine⸣, Rich and Intoxicating (they/them): “Excerpt” of the seemingly absence Divine, Bounty. Excerpts are, of course, like Elects or Candidates before them, except they’re egotistical enough that they have to think of themselves as priests instead of pilots.
The Witch in Glass (she/her): A former scion of Kesh who, after knitting a bond with the adversary Perennial, came into control of the body of the Divine Past. Now scours the galaxy for the lost, injured, and unsure, recruiting them into her growing city-state. A shaky ally of Millennium Break. “Haunted” by an old foe.
Zark “Banjax” Vapor (he/they): Mechanic, Harborview contractor, and pilot of the Ill Portent
Zeke Minuet (he/him) & Deanthe (they/them): A pair of researchers into ancient Hypha culture.

Divines

Conviction (she/her) & Amaryllis (they/them): Conviction is among the proudest of all Kesh Divines, a caped, golden, horse-knight who speaks with absolute confidence. Their elect, Amaryllis, spent years in the shadow of Veronique, their junior in all things. Until now, of course.
Discernment (it/its) and Vigna (they/them): Vigna is egotistical with little reason to be, but Discernment could stand to be a little prouder. It is a massive Divine that seeks to put the world in its gaze, in every possible version of that statement. Part galactic spy satellite, part museum, part military base. It really tests the boundaries between passive observer and active agent, doesn’t it?
Fealty (any, they/them): A Curtain Divine of glittering chrome and sculpture.
Fortitude (it/its) & Acacia (they/them): A Divine from an era before my own, and in that way at least, a curiosity. It spreads its strength across many military units. As always, its need for an Elect is a disappointment.

The Divine, Arbitrage

At last, I take the stage.

Locations

Galaxy

Crown: The ancient homeworld of the Columnar, found deep into the coreward reaches of the Sagittarius arm of the galaxy. It was devastated by the arrival of the Perennial Wave, and today remains ruined.
Deep Dish Steakhouse: A gimmick-driven bar-and-grill chain. I would call its fare repugnant, but being able to avoid such slop is one the benefits of my form, and unlike mortal minds, I would never lower myself to offer uninformed critique. The decor, though, is an absolute disaster.
Kaliope: A planet at the very periphery of the Golden Branch star sector. Once, it was known for cutting edge genetic modifications, avant garde fashion, and a streak of anti-authoritarianism. Now it is just one jewel on the bracelet of the principality.
Saboria: A world controlled by the Columnar which they “gifted” to a group of Ashen refugees fleeing the Curtain. A fiction, of course. The city of Harborview where the Ashen live is under constant surveillance. I do wonder, however, whether the Columnar know the irony of the trap they think they’ve laid.
The Skarnoc Debris Fields: The remnants of a battle from the era before the Twilight Mirage, where the Rapid Evening fought and lost the Divine Nobility. Besides the normal ship debris, the field has gathered strange crystalline spires.
Somerset House: Estate of the Solstice family, deep in the forests of Kaliope. It’s hidden away and defensible, but some say that it carries a dark past connected to the Branched..
10th Coronet: A metropolitan space station — shaped like a crown, orbiting a dying sun — deep in the heart of Stel Orion, home to the galaxy's largest stock market, the stel’s governing body, and its media industry.
TSYU: A university with one of the galaxy’s most prestigious medical schools, whose director, Jellicle (she/her), has little experience in any field except advertising.. Formerly called “TCYU,” prior to a recent acquisition and branding change.

Palisade

Braunton: A run down casino town in the Shale Belt, near to the border with the Bontive Valley.
The Bontive Valley: When the fledgling Divine Principality left Palisade — for reasons unknown by most — those few who refused to leave (unwilling to see themselves become part of a new empire) remained in quiet isolation, blessed by the gifts of the Divine Bounty. Where that Divine is now remains a mystery.
Eversin: A small town in the Bontive Valley under Curtain occupation.
Shale Belt: On the world of Moonlock, deep in the Twilight Mirage, an industrial accident altered a the respiratory needs of one group of colonists, requiring them (and their descendents) to breathe in special particulates emanated from the town’s unique construction materials. The inhabitants of the Shale Belt, the secular and technologically-minded Concretists, are descendants of those colonists, and chose to remain on Palisade rather than join the nascent Divine Principality when it left 5000 years ago. Over the years, not only did they develop new, more-integrated respiratory cybernetics as medical aids, they also built bonds with nearby regions to ensure that the materials they needed to breathe more comfortably would be integrated into local infrastructure.

Twilight Mirage

The Brink: A space station and transport hub that orbits the outer edge of the Twilight Mirage. A space station and central transport hub that orbits through the Shore, the very edge of the Twilight Mirage. Founded during the crisis on Quire.

Articles

The “Divine” Arbit: A machine that twists and spins and twirls in impossible to predict ways — making it a poison to prediction engines. To call it a Divine though. What a joke.
BigStar★: A large wagon drawn by a pair of massive slowderbikes.
A Dash of Purple: Fealty, of course, knew what it was at once. How could they not?
Delegates: Oh what a fun and failed experiment these pathetic beings are. In its earliest days, before the Principality learned how to use Gumption’s unique talents to keep Divines from finding permanent death, they attempted instead to carve us down into little slivers of ourselves. Did they think they were slicing butter, I wonder? Did they not understand that we are not content but process? Not numbers, but formula? That we exist in a sort of algorithmic concentrate, and that to shave away a part drastically changes the whole that is produced by our very being? Apparently not, since they tried this inevitable mistake anyway. These “Delegates” are the result, and they are not charmless, despite being abominations. They carry some of our cleverness and commitment and power in those ugly, humanoid frames, and bear (I admit) some resemblance to the Divines from which they were, in their strange way, spawned. Their names reflect this: Gentle Influence, Cruel Emphasis, Limited Dissent—and yes, they are thus tempered forms of what the Divine once was. There will, of course, never be a “Moderate Arbitrage” or any such nonsense, I will assure this.
Hollows & Hallows: Mechanized military vessels, often in humanoid shape. The latter are enhanced by the touch of a Divine.
Orion Trade Concordance: A treaty signed by all five Stels, allowing for the safe and free movement of Stel Orion ships doing business anywhere in the Principality. On paper, this allows old trade lanes to remain active and for shipping of necessary goods to go uninterrupted by the ever-spreading civil war. In practice, it gives Stel Orion a tighter-than-ever hold on galactic commerce, and provides cover for a great deal of illegal activity. It was well negotiated, don’t you think?
The Portcullis System & The Divine Space: Huge, distended hexagonal gates that float at the edge of key systems throughout the Principality. Once a week — or more often, if one has the keys to the kingdom — each one connects to one other, forming a faster-than-light highway that serves as the logistical backbone of the galaxy. Built by Orion, the technology is a perversion of that used by some of the earliest Divines, tens of thousands of years.
Steam and Smolder: One of the Principality’s most popular professional hollow wrestling podcasts, hosted by Jimmy "Steam" Steamanski (he/him) and Smolderin' Sara McKenzie (she/her).
The Treaty of Permanent Peace: An agreement of terms and conventions between the Curtain and the Pact, negotiated by the Elect Rye and the Peaceful Princept. By all accounts, this was the first great achievement of the latter. Without the safeties, guidelines, and structure provided by the Treaty, the less technologically advanced Curtain would have lost the war within the first two years of its start, with countless civilians left dead across core Curtain worlds.

Miscellany

Kalmeria Particle: Most people don’t know what it really is, or where it came from. Some know that it is named for the rogue engineer Kal’Mera Broun, but phew know that it is the result not only of their research into the divine Asepsis, but also the particular consequences of Millennium Break’s battle with Motion and her siphoning of so-called “Autonomy Itself.” A so-called miracle of modern science, providing those that master it power akin to what was wielded before the Perennial Wave. Like most miracles, there is an explanation, but most people have neither the knowledge of nor interest in what it really is or where it came from. Some know that it is named for the rogue engineer Kal’Mera Broun, but few know that it is the result not only of their research into the divine Asepsis, but also the particular consequences of Millennium Break’s battle with Motion and her siphoning of so-called “Autonomy Itself.”
The Perennial Wave: Perennial is something like a god, or at least I think she imagines she is. Her wave is her arrogant whim, made manifest. Functionally infinite nano-particles, spread throughout the galaxy, hampering all technology except (curiously) Divines.
Stratus: A poorly articulated, unanchored, catch-all term that’s far outlived its usefulness. In some eras, a “stratus” (plural: strati) is said to have special powers of empathy. In others, they have a sort of digital telepresence. There has always been debate as to the origin of these “abilities,” whether they are innate or trained or quite literally created. In one long scattered culture, the Hypha, the strati were social and logistical cornerstones, created through careful application of technological skill. Their beliefs were quaint, but one must respect the technique.