Difference between revisions of "Pilon"

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Pilon

Flag of Pilon
Motto: The greatest power lies in the genetic code.
Region	The Planet Mars
Capital	Transhumana
Official Language(s)	Pilonese, English, Aquan
Leader	Pilias Simber
Population	6 Billion
Currency	Pi
NS Sunset XML

General

The People's Greater Hegemony of Pilon, referred to more often simply as Pilon, is a Virtual Democracy located primarily on Mars. In addition Pilon has a number of smaller colonies and outposts spread throughout the solar system and beyond. The Martian territories are treated with total equality, with the colonies and outposts only receiving a smaller amount of the total resources of Pilon and having smaller populations. The citizens of Pilon are usually called Pilonese.

The People's Greater Hegemony of Pilon traces its origins to a small organization that started on Earth. The organization believed that they had discovered the remains of a lost world sunk beneath the waves inhabited by a society that is described as being incredibly inventive, crafting works that endured for thousands of years. Eventually the organization grew powerful enough to leave the lands they inhabited and begin a new nation based on the ideals of the organization. Since that time Pilon has grown to be a powerful nation that claims to surpass all other nations in the fields of genetic engineering and biology, rivals other specialist nations in the field of medical technology, and finds itself to be on of the most industrious nations in the universe.

The People's Greater Hegemony of Pilon was founded upon the idea that through technology humanity could become better than what they were, this was later expanded to include other sentient races as well. The primary focus of Pilon’s research is on creating a better society and a better individual through technology, primarily genetic engineering and biological enhancements. They also conduct social experiments and spend a great deal of time debating classic philisophical questions. In addition the Pilonese believe that they have been given the responsibility of taking up the reins of nature itself, and guiding it towards what Pilon has determined to be the next stage of evolution, believing that Nature works too slowly and that with their technology they can achieve this next phase faster.

Government

Though the original society was run by a single charismatic leader, later expanding to a rule by a council of the most wise, as time passed it became obvious that a change to a more democratic way of life was needed and after a brief civil war a new government was founded based on the principles of free market and free choice. Some of the technologies developed in Pilon have enabled a more democratic society than is possible in any representative government because the citizens have a direct voice instead of an indirect voice through chosen representatives. In addition a constitution was written up that guarantees a number of basic rights to any sentient being and also defines what is considered a sentient being in Pilon and also establishes the rules for becoming a citizen of Pilon.

The Government of Pilon is divided into 4 braches, The Executive, The Legislative, The Judicial, and The Directive braches respectively.

The Legislative Branch is given the responsibility to pass laws and make decisions that affect any non-military aspects of Pilon. This branch consists of every citizen of Pilon that is not a part of one of the other branches of the government and is called collectively the Assembly. Most of the communications within the Assembly take place via the Nodelink, which is a type of network that connects all beings who have had a Node installed in their bodies and anyone else who participates through local access points called Node Access Ports (NAPs). The Assembly is the only branch that can declare a state of war, initiate a non-war Military action, or make any type of policy in Pilon whether it is internal or external related. In most cases a simple majority is needed however for any change that affects the constitution or any other decision that is deemed of sufficient weight by the Arbitrators can require a 2/3 majority to pass. Decisions can often be made in as little as 48 hours though often it takes much longer.

In addition as a form of checks and balances the Legislative Branch has the power to impeach any member of the Counsel of Speakers with a majority vote. This decision can only be overturned by a 3⁄4 vote from the Arbitrators. The members of the Counsel of Speakers are appointed by the Assembly for 5 year terms, they must be Pilonese citizens to qualify. Finally the Assembly can overturn any directive of the Arbitrators to any publicly funded research project, military project, or economic development with a 2/3 majority.

The Executive Branch is headed by a group of 7 individuals appointed by the Assembly called the Counsel of Speakers. Of these one is appointed as the Head Speaker, who is mostly put in charge of foreign affairs while the others mostly concern themselves with domestic affairs. The responsibility of the Counsel of Speakers is to enforce the laws and decisions of the Assembly and also to lead the Military. Most of the Speakers elected have had at least a little Military Experience and often at least 3 are retired Generals of the Pilonese Military. The Counsel is also responsible for directing the Intelligence Gathering assets of Pilon and distributing this information among the various government agencies to ensure that well informed decisions are being made.

In addition as part of the checks and balances the Counsel of Speakers are responsible for appointed the members of the National Court, and the members of the lower courts who remain in their position until they retire, die, or are deemed incapable of fulfilling their duties as Judge.

The Judicial Branch consists of a series of courts that begin with the highest court of the land, called the National Court. The National Court consists of 9 Judges who are appointed by the Executive Branch. The main responsibility of the Judicial Branch is to determine whether the laws that are being passed by the Assembly are in accordance with Pilonese Declaration of Intent, the Sentience Bill of Rights, and the Pilonese Constitution. It only requires a majority vote in the National Court to overturn a decision made by the Assembly.

The checks and balances of the National Court include the ability to impeach a member of the Counsel of Speakers with a unanimous vote, or can overturn a directive made by the Arbitrators with a majority vote.

The fourth branch is called the Directive Branch and consists of one representative from every publicly funded research project, branch of the military, and every business that employs at least one Pilonese Citizen and has assets within Pilonese Territory. This collective groups is referred to as The Arbitrators. The Arbitrators’ primary responsibility is to make decisions about where the public funds of the Pilonese economy will go, determining which research projects and Military projects receive funding. They also are responsible for managing the currency of Pilon, and determining monopolies. These decisions are called directives.

In the system of checks and balances, the Arbitrators, with a 3⁄4 vote, can impeach a Speaker of the Counsel. They can also overturn a ruling by the national court with a 3⁄4 vote which can then only be overruled by a 2/3 vote by the assembly.

Demographics

Area Controlled by Pilon:

Mars – 10,500,000 KM³

Netheril – 3,375,000,000 KM³

Mars B - 475,000,000 KM³

Major Languages: Pilonese (99%), English (85%), Aquan (55%), Elphin (50%), Elven (50%), Orc (45%), Gnomish (40%), Dwarven (22%), Protoss (15%), French (12%), Spanish (10%), Arabic (8%), Russion (7%), Mandarin Chinese (5%), Japanese (5%), German (5%)

Population: (Sentient Only)

Mars – 3,500,000,000

Mars B - 2,000,000,000 Netheril – 475,000,000

Other – 25,000,000

By Age:

0-18 Years – 4.7%

19-55 Years – 7.3%

56-150 Years – 2.6%

76-150 Years – 8.4%

151-275 Years – 18.2%

276-450 Years – 15.8%

451-700 Years – 12.1%

701-999 - 15.1%

1000+ - 15.8%

By Race: (Sentient Races Only)

Transhuman (25%)

Elf - (20%)

Elphin - (14%)

Gnome – (13%)

Orc - (12%)

Dwarf - (8%)

Protoss - (2%)

Human - (1%)

Other - (Multiple Races each consists of less than a percentage point) (5%)

By Sentience:

Sentient – .001%

Non-Sentient – 99.999%

By Gender:

Male – 25%

Female – 65%

Other – 10%

By Residence:

Urban – 99.1%

Rural – .9%

Surface – .3%

Underwater – 96.7%

Orbital – 3%

Political Divisions

Originally the nation of Pilon avoided settling colonies. The persecution and slavery of their past made the people hesitant to adopt any policy that would encourage imperialism. Over time however it was decided to set up a few small colonies on other worlds. Mars was the first of these. Later other colonies were established but only Mars swelled in population, the others were left pretty much as nothing more than outposts.

The main nation and the Martian colony operate multiple cities which are divided from one another by huge Arcologies, which act as a sort of nexus point within the ecojungle, and have the highest density of sentient beings in the colony.

As more and more of the focus in Pilon shifted to Martian related politics and events more and more people migrated to the Martian settlement until it surpassed Sisgardian Pilon is size and political influence. Now, though the capitol remains in Sisgardia, a majority of Pilon's people and leaders reside on Mars and more and more of its resources are commited to the Martian Settlement.

Each Arcology is divided up into levels and sections, levels denoting a rise of 10 meters within the Arcology and a section denoting a 100 meter section horizontally. Each section is further divided into 10 subsections each 10 meters long.

An address in an Arcology uses the levels, sections, and subsections to identify the location in the Arcology relative to the center point at bottom level. The level is indicated first with a number designating how high of low the point is in comparison to the center point. The section is divided up into 2 numbers. The first designates how many sections away from the center point you are on the X axis, with a 0 being the center point. The second number is the same as the first except on the Y axis. The subsection is identified by a letter which follows the numbers in the section. Generally the center point is oriented so that a positive number on the X axis denotes going North and going East on the Y axis, but some cities have different orientations. An example of an address in the Arcology that is 3 levels up, 4 sections away (2 North and 2 West), and 3 subsections in would be 3/2/-2/C. The center point generally doesn’t have anything special in it, its simply a central point from which distance can be calculated.

Beyond the settlements on Mars and Mars B, Pilon controls a colony in the Martian Joint Colony project called Netheril, a small orbital base around Venus and Mercury, a number of mining outposts in the Asteroid Belt, and a small population of people in the Kuiper belt, left over from the construction efforts of the Omeldor-1.

The Martian Settlement is concentrated in the northern hemisphere of mars, between 30 and 60 degrees. The region is entirely submerged by water which perfectly suits Pilon. They have also delved a subterranean tunnel that connects the Lyot crater with the center of the Hellas Sea and have acquired the rights to a trade port in Valinon’s territory. They have also established a fairly sizable military outpost in R'yleh territory that monitors Auman forces and other forces in the area as a kind of early warning system to prevent preemptive strikes from this area. The base is populated by Task Force Wendigo, an elite special forces unit specifically trained in Guerilla warfare and tactics meant to deprive the enemy of supply routes. In addition Pilon has established a mutual residence treaty with the Snel Race and co-habitates in their territory, taking up territory unused by the Snel and developing a version of the Eco-Jungle that suits the restrictions of the Snel. Pilon is currently in the process of negotiating for an additional military base off the coast of Aelosian Territory in the Hellas Sea.

In the alternate Universe, Pilon has laid claim to the entire Hellas Sea and has moved 2,000,000,000 Citizens across the dimension into that territory. Of that almost 500,000,000 have returned to work for The Ctan as part of the overall 2,500,000,000 that work there. The primary purpose of the Mars B settlement is a trade center with the nations in the alternate universe, to serve as a reserve source of Military that can quickly be deployed throughout Mars, and as a research center for things that would be frowned upon in Mars A.

The Venusian and Mercurian orbital stations are fairly small in comparison to the main colonies. The Venusian station is larger, housing 50,000 people. Its main purpose is to assist in the terraforming of Venus so one day an ocean will exist on Venus that Pilon can settle in. The Mercurian orbital station is mainly a research and mining operation, collecting material from Mercury and the Sun, there are approximately 10,000 people living on the station.

The Asteroid Belt mining operations are not owned by the Government, but rather by the megacorporations in Pilon. The two largest, Genesis Corp and Pilon People’s Corp (PPC) control the most assets in the belt though others have also started up mining operations as well. Most of the raw materials are sent to Sisgardia where they are used in Pilon’s shipnursery. There are roughly 250,000 Pilonese in the Asteroid Belt.

The people who live in the Kuiper belt have now finished the joint efforts of the Sisgardian Fellowship of Nations to build the Omeldor-1. This area has become the most recent source of raw materials for Pilon being developed in a similar manner to the Asteroid Belt, though competition is more fierce due to the many ice asteroids in the region. There are about 500,000 Pilonese in the Kuiper Belt.

Another 5,000,000 Pilonese have moved to the Omeldor-1, where they hoped to use the station to develop trade negotiations with other nations, and further Pilonese international interests. In time these Pilonese broke away and became an independant nation. (OOC Note: I leave this open to anyone interested in taking up the population and RPing it as a seperate nation, I have not done so)

Pilon has expressed an interest to establish additional trade colonies in regions with viable trade partners.

The eco-jungle extends to the edge of claimed Pilonese territory. There are fewer sentient beings outside the city and many times more non-sentient creatures of all types. The eco-jungle acts in a similar fashion to a rain forest in this regard and the political divisions of the eco-jungle resemble those of nature, not of any settled territory and as such are not mentioned here.

History

History of Pilon

Founded as a cultural movement in long since forgotten nations the Pilonese left on a mass exodus several millennia ago to found their own nation where they could pursue their forbidden research projects without the interference of Religious Orders or other Conservative groups who felt that such things should be left up to God. Pilon moved to Sisgardia because they found likeminded nations there and it offered a means to mutually protect one another from others and pursue their research in peace. It wasn’t long before Pilon stretched their hand to the nearby planets, setting up outposts in the asteroid belt and Venus and settling a colony on Mars. Since that time the outposts have been maintained but the real focus has been on Mars, where a full third of the Pilonese population now resides. Pilon has recently ended a civil war that changed the nation from an Authoritarian Government where the wisest ruled to a True Democracy where everyone has a voice. This is not difficult as everyone is linked to a network known as the Nodelink through Node implants in their heads. This allows the exchange of information, thoughts, and through specially modified access point matter. The Nodelink is the critical piece of Pilonese technology that most everything else relies upon for their society to function. Also the recent civil war has brought an end to a period of isolationism that the Speakers imposed on the people, and Pilon looks to the future with hope again and looks forward to enjoying an increased interaction with the other nations of both Sisgardia and Mars. A colony has also been established along with other Martian Nations, they call this colony Netheril and it is on an Ice Moon that the Pilonese have melted and live inside. Recently Pilon has seen an increase in its international presence and political influence. Trade with other nations is established and many nations eagerly take advantage of Pilon's lack of tariff's on imported goods, and Pilon's buisness friendly atmosphere. Tension between Auman and Pilon have risen due to several incidents, most recently the widening of its Hellas Tunnel which Auman regards as a threat. Pilon maintains that this is meant as a trade tunnel and uses it to flood the Hellas Region with Pilonese goods through its trade port near Valinon. Mangala's long maintained opposition to the tunnel has recently been settled through a secret meeting granting certain powers to Mangala over the tunnel and offering them trade benefits in Pilonese territory. Pilon has taken advantage of this to increase the size of the tunnel and the volume of traffic moving through the tunnel, adding Mangala to the list of nations receiving cheap Pilonese products through the tunnel, most namely exotic foods, drugs, and medical supplies. More recently an agreement with the Ctan has given jobs to the impoverished of Pilon's lower class working in service jobs in Ctan. Over 2,500,000,000 are currently employed through this program.

Foreign Relations

Pilon's Foreign Policy

Ever since the civil war much effort has been made to improve the diplomatic relations with all nations nearby Pilon. Peaceful relations have been established with Tor Yvresse, Valinon, Mangala, Sunset, Aelosia, Midlonia, The Snel, and several other nations through either military or economic alliances like MIDAS II and the Martian Free Trade Agreement. Pilon endeveurs to establish both diplomatic and trade relations with as many nations as possible setting up embassies in all nations that Pilon considers to be on good terms with currently. Pilon also hopes to become a more active voice in Martian Politics as efforts are made to reform a more powerful Duma and to establish a Martian Defence Initiative that will eventually replace the stagnant MIDAS. Recently two of Pilon's largest Megacorps, PPC and Genesis Corp, have made a deal with the Ctan to employ some of the more poverty sticken Pilonese in service industry jobs in Ctan. Ctan employs roughly 40% of the total Pilonese population in this fashion.

Geography

Natural Resources: Exotic Foods, High Yield Food Supplies, Fish, Noble Gases, Nitrogen, Sulfur, Carbon, Oxygen, Calcium, Chlorine, Iron, Uranium, Zinc, Tin, Copper, Silicon, Biomass, Pearls, Timber, Titanium, Quartz, Silicates, Nitrates, Deuterium, Tritium, Methane, Platinum, Tungsten

Climate: Tropical

Average Temperature of Water – 35ºC

Average Temperature within Arcologies - 43ºC

Air Pressure – 850mb

Average Humidity – 78-88%

Rainfall (On Land or Over Sea Territory) – 500-650 cm/year

Average Number of Species per Hectare – 450,000

The territory claimed by Pilon is quickly seeded with what is called the Eco-Jungle. The Eco-Jungle is a complex ecosystem that allows the sentients who live in Pilon’s Arcologies to live in harmony with nature around them, effectively making them a part of the ecosystem of Pilon.

Important Cities

In all of Pilon there are now 37 Arcologies total, capable of holding anywhere from 12 Million for the smallest to 750 Million for the largest. In Mars B there are 9 Arcologies, 27 on Mars, and 1 in Netheril. The largest city is the city of Utopia, located on Mars. The largest Arcology in Mars B is Transhumana. In Netheril the Arcology is called Netheril. Some other Arcologies of note are New Hope, Great Discoveries, FM 2030, Clarke, New Card, Asimov, Magellan, Deep Lab, Ocean Haven, and Robinson.

The Arcologies are massive enclosures that provide everything its occupants need to survive within its walls. The outer wall is equipped with energy projectors and antiballistic armor to protect against attack, with breach enclosures throughout the Arcology to prevent massive contamination in case on particular section is exposed to the outside. The Arcology is designed after a living being and includes a maglev mass transit system that doubles as a circulatory system, has a waste disposal system, repair mechanisms, and even defense mechanisms similar to white blood cells. The superstructure is grown in a skeletal fashion and the entire thing is controlled by multiple control points scattered throughout the arcology which serves as a brain. These control points are interconnected by thin fibers based on a nervous system but have a back up node-link connection should the physical connections be disrupted. The arcology even takes recycles the air within it in a system based on the respiratory system. Waste products are moved out of the arcology through ducts and collected on the outside where they are recycled into useful products and reused again. A whole taxonomy of symbiotes on the outside of the arcology, clean and recycle the waste products of the arcology. Other symbiotes move throughout the Arcology maintaining the Arcology and keeping it as healthy as possible, and life extension treatments keep it youthful. Should a section of the Arcology become sick or begin to die it is rejected from the whole, the living parts of it removed and the dead cells recycled, then a new section is grown. The entire system collects nutrients from the fertile waters around it in the eco-jungle and also converts energy to food using a form of photosynthesis and has back up fusion reactors should this power supply be insufficient. The system is adaptive to change and memories are stored in small warehouses in some of the most central locations, these memories can be drawn upon to adapt the arcology to any system it is exposed to and these memories can be transferred from one arcology to the next, which is done regularly to allow the maximum versatility of our living cities.

Economy

Major Exports – Exotic Foods, Specialized Foods, Genetically Improved Foods, Technology, Pressurized Gases, Processed Metals, Weapons, Chemical Agents, Biological Agents, Biomass, Food, Energy, Luxury Items, Manufactured Goods, Technical Experts

Major Imports – Technology, Nitrogen, Exotic Food, Rare Metals, Manufactured Goods, Raw Materials, Weapons, Biological Agents, Chemical Agents

Major Industries – Agriculture, Bio-weapons, Retail, Soda Pop, Gambling, Book Publishing, Information Technology, Furniture, Fishing, Manufacturing, Weapons Manufacturing, Automobile, and Cheese

Currency – Pi

Symbol - ∏

The Pilonese Economic System follows the Free Market system, almost to an extreme. Everything in Pilon is privatised with the exception of a tiny government that maintains control of the Military, prevents Monopolies, and regulates international relations, though through the Directive Branch the Megacorps wield control over much of Pilon's Government Agencies. A small flat tax is levied on all services and products sold in Pilon, and on the incomes of those who live in the nation. There are no tariffs in Pilon.

NSEconomy Pilon Economic Statistics

Exchange Rate: 1 Pi = $1.6576

Gross Domestic Product: $190,779,330,612,294.91

GDP Per Capita: $31,717.26

Unemployment Rate: 2.55%

Consumption: $0.00

Government Budget: $200,990,978,535,375.03

Government Expenditures: $188,931,519,823,252.56

Goverment Waste: $12,059,458,712,122.50

Exports: $24,127,471,145,557.98

Imports: $22,279,660,356,515.63

Trade Surplus: $1,847,810,789,042.35

ThirdGeek

GDP per Capita: $35,000

GDP: $210,525,000,000,000

National Budget: $112,683,085,200,000

Research Projects

As a majority of the focus in Pilon is on the advancement of Science and answering the questions of the universe it should be detailed about how research is carried out in Pilon. Those who are scientists are given all that they need to work on their projects, materials are provided by manufacturers as long as the needs do not exceed the specified amount determined by the Arbitrators. Food and other needs are also provided for. A scientist working on a research project will often fully envelop themselves in the project devoting years, decades, sometimes even centuries of their life to the project. They are free to leave at any time but most often stay as it tends to be their life’s dream to see the fruition of the project. Once a project is complete is oftentimes will find a new focus for itself or sometimes will disband and the scientists will go their separate ways. Pilon spends approximately 50% of its total GNP on these projects. Some of the current projects of note include, The Bio-weapons Project, The DNA Cataloging Project (Cataloging how practically every combination or variation in the DNA strand will affect a being), and more recently a new effort to drastically improve the Pilonese Space Force in a project called the Ragnarok Project.

Education

One of the major focus’, especially for native born Pilonese is the integration with the Node Implant they receive before birth (usually about 7-9 months into pregnancy). At first it merely broadcasts information and not much can be picked up by the infant however as they grow and learn how to better control their bodies and their minds develop more they acquire the ability to access information from the Nodelink. As education is the fundamental focus of raising a child in Pilon they go to school for the first 25 years of their life, but it is divided into two separate stages. The first stage, which begins as soon as the child is sent to the crèche, the main focus is on general education and social development. Fellow members of the crèche interact and are raised together for their entire childhood and often these relationships last throughout the entire life of the person. The young children receive their education from pretty much everyone in the community. People donate their time freely and take turns, usually about 1 time a month, spending a day with the children and teaching them the lessons of the day. For the younger children the daily care taking activities are managed by specially designed modules in the crèche that make sure the children are intellectually stimulated, fed, kept clean, and get plenty of rest. By the time the children reach the age of 13 they are moved out of the crèche and into the Dormitory. The children are taught more of the same broad educational material they began in crèche but also will begin to focus on specific areas that interest them. They will often be taken up by a mentor who already works in the field they are studying for. In addition the social interactions become more complex and intermingling between Dormitories is encouraged to get the children out and among as many different people as possible. By this time they also often have full access to the information on the Nodelink and are encouraged to participate in debates and political discussions so they can make educated decisions when voting in the Assembly. For immigrants who are not born in Pilon it can be a bit harder to integrate yourself into the society but recently initiatives have been put into place to more quickly integrate outsiders into Pilon. In order to properly access most information networks an immigrant will need to receive a Node implant. At first it can be disorienting but an advanced VR tutorial has been developed that can be taken at your own pace during free time to increase the amount of time it takes to be able to fully use it. Even so it will still take as long as 20-30 years for some though most people are can do it in as short as 5 years. In order to receive the implant an Immigrant must first become a citizen as only citizens are allowed to have active Nodes. Those citizens that choose to revoke their citizen status find within a few hours that their node has broken itself down, like most Pilonese devices it has a self destruct mechanism that can be activated by the Nodelink at any time. For tourists and those that are not citizens there are Node Access points that allow access to most of the information on the Nodelink but do not allow access to memories or emotions of people. These access points can also be integrated into wireless connections with other types of Computer networks to allow access to virtually any other network that is compatible. Throughout the education system physical exercise is also emphasized. In the lower gravity colonies as much as 4 hours a day are spent working out to keep the body in good shape, though chemical treatments do exist to help counteract the negative symptoms of a change in G, the Pilonese know that the best way to keep healthy is to keep physically fit.

Technology

Communications The Pilonese communicate mostly via the Nodelink, however to help accommodate those without Nodes they also broadcast messages via the MNN and other related Communications Networks. A backup system uses pulsed light to send communications but it requires a line of sight to use. In addition the most commonly used form of information storage in Pilon is DNA coding where information is stored in information packets attached to the DNA of the carrier. A more recent advance also allows the transfer of information at the Subatomic Level attaching information onto Quarks, but this technology is still under development and hasn’t become widespread yet. Pilon also makes heavy use of PNN (Pilon News Network) Which links directly into the global MNN network and allows Pilonese to view events going on in the rest of Mars and also allows the rest of Mars to see whats happening in Pilon.

Travel The primary means of transportation in Pilon is through the vast system of Maglevs that crisscross through Pilon territory. In both Sisgardia and Mars Pilon is interconnected with other nations in an international network of Maglevs. In addition to the Maglevs, Pilon used many small shuttles and transports to transport people and cargo short distances. For longer distances cargo carriers and node-link transfers are used. Using access ports two people connected by the Node-link can transfer matter from one place to another, the transfer is nearly instantaneous and is similar in design to wormhole technology. Though Pilon has not spent a huge amount of effort in space travel they have had the technology to travel faster than light for sometime. Using Hyperspace engines they can travel from a known point to another known point or with specially equipped explorer ships travel to explore new points of entry. With the majority of resources being concentrated into Genetics however only a small portion of research goes into space travel.

Weapons Most of the weaponry in Pilon is organic based. The three primary types of weaponry used in Pilon are Ballistic Weapons, Explosive Weapons, and Energy Weapons. Though these weapons are organic based, when compared to traditional weaponry used by other nations these weapons are on par with them, only the method of manufacture is changed. The Ballistic Weapons are by far the most common type of weapons used in Pilon. They come in a variety of forms anywhere from microscopic parasites to massive suicidal drones that will crash into objects. The Explosive Weapons are a specially developed organic compound that is grown in farms. It is compressed and sometimes used in combination with Ballistic Weapons. The Energy Weapons are usually only used in the largest structures as they require large amounts of power to utilize. Most of the Energy Weapons currently used are plasma based weapons. These are primarily used to drain energy shields. They are able to sustain a constant beam on the target often able to quickly take out the energy shield allowing other forms of weapons to get past and hit the ship directly. In addition it’s been well documented that Pilon used a variety of Chemical and Biological Weapons in battle. These primarily come in the form of specially designed virus or chemical compounds extracted from plants or animals in Pilon.

Defensive Systems Like everything else the Defensive Systems of Pilon are also mostly Organic Based. On a personal level most defensive systems consist of Carapace Armor, grown on the Organism or Grafted onto the body, or as Stealth system designed to prevent detection. The Carapace Armor is capable of rapidly shifting its form to evenly distribute the energy of an attack throughout the entire armor, this is particularly effective against Kinetic Energy as it will spread the energy of bullets all across the armor drastically decreasing the damage done to the armor. Some recent advances in Stealth Technology have allowed specially designed organisms to meld into the shapes of beings they have taken DNA samples of and can even mask their own DNA to resemble that of their targets. Many of the larger life-forms also sport point defense weaponry or defensive fields that will destroy incoming missiles or other projectiles. They have also been known to use a carpet defense system involving millions of tiny “Gnats” which swarm around and intercept incoming weapons taking the brunt of the damage from the weapon. In addition some of the larger buildings, installations and ships have Energy Shields to protect against attacks but unfortunately when using these protective shields most weapons cannot be used to fire back and are usually only used for short periods to regroup forces or to holdout until reinforcements can come, or the ship can get away. Overall Pilon has built an integrated network of orbital Stations, Satellites, and Ground based systems in Sisgardia, Mars, and Netheril to defend against invasion. Underwater their Eco-jungle’s outer limits are outfitted with plants specially designed as monitoring stations that watch the borders and defend against hostiles. Due to Pilon's stance against the use of Weapons of Mass destruction except in the case of ultimate destruction the Pilonese people have spent hundreds of years developing countermeasures to such weapons, especially Nuclear weapons. These countermeasures involve the use of Pilon's own Weapons of Mass Destruction, referred to as Eco-Bombs and repulsor fields that slow down incoming projectiles. The integration of these Eco-Bombs into the Pilonese Defense Network is capable of deploying against such weapons with between 90-100% accuracy depending on the advance warning, method of deployment, and location of the launch sites.

Medical As the main focus in Technology in Pilon is Genetics and Biology many advances have made their way over to the medical field giving Pilon quite advanced Medical Technology as well. Using advances in Genetic Engineering Pilon has developed a means to indefinitely extend the life of a living being. Life extension techniques have been around in Pilon now for 1000 years and there are still some people living in Pilon now from those times. Another often used technology in Pilon is Cloning. They have developed two different applications for this technology, the first allows for multiple copies of a life-form to be created and born, each with an identical DNA. The other, newer technique allows for a subject to be given a specific DNA pattern who can then be grown in an accelerated environment until they reach the desired state. This also carries over to the growth of replacement organs and limbs, and the mass production of any type of Biological Component. The use of Bionics and Cybernetics is widespread in Pilon, almost all citizens sport some sort of augmentation even if it’s a simple Node Implant. Many have more, some with as much as 100% of their bodies replaced by some sort of artificial replacement that augments their bodies. Pilon encourages this as it allows for greater diversity in its populace and an increased capability. Genetic or Nano-augmentation is also widespread. Many people at the very least take some sort of Intellect enhancing serum that improves mental capacity or improves memory. Others, especially soldiers inject Nanites programmed to constantly repair the human body allowing them to recover from a wound in hours instead of days, or minutes instead of hours. Only the most lethal injuries are fatal for these people. Due to advances environmental controls the birthrate as compared to the conception rate is nearly equal, only .01% of conception do not make it to birth, though some are induced as early as 1 hour after conception to ensure no health problems occur for the embryo. It is considered a tragedy and will often make the news if an embryo is lost unintentionally. Disease is widespread, but only at younger ages, after a few decades most of the diseases in Pilon have already infected a person and immunity to the disease has been built up or treatments have prevented death. Numerous inoculations to diseases are given out and some vaccines though the concentration is more on treatments after infection has occurred. The widespread disease is mostly due to the wide variety of life forms and the widespread use and experimentation with Diseases. It is estimated that as much as 5% of the total population of Pilon dies each year to diseases. In pharmacology the focus is not on the symptoms but rather on the cause of the symptoms and as such drugs are not nearly as widespread as alternate forms of treatments that actually take care of the problem not symptoms. Drug use is still widespread for recreational use. Due to the extraordinarily high number of species in the Pilonese eco-jungle, all kinds of medicines have been discovered from the plants that grow. Many of these drugs have become widespread in recreational use. In warfare each soldier is equipped with a monitoring system that alerts implanted nanites of damage to the soldier. The nanites are then released into the bloodstream of the soldier to stabilize the soldier and then begin work to repair the damage. Wounds that would normally render a soldier incapable of fighting can be repaired in a matter of mintes to hours. In addition in the case of the death of the soldier this system will rapidly break down the body of the fallen soldier and return the nutrients into the biosphere, giving a boost to Pilon when fighting on homesoil for every defender they lose. Pilon also equips most of their soldiers with treatments, cures, or vaccines for the commonly used chemical and biological weapons used in warfare, allowing Pilonese forces to still operate in battlefields that have been contaminated by Chemical or Biological weapons.

Power Most power generated in Pilon comes from one of two different types of chemical process. The first, in Plant Based life-forms generates power through Photosynthesis. The second, in Animal Based life-forms comes from Food Digestion. In some of the more complex or larger structures these power generation techniques are augmented by Cold Fusion Reactors.

Construction and Architecture Most structures in Pilon are grown rather than built. The design is made and programmed into the DNA of the cells then chemical proteins specially designed to speed up the growth process are introduced to augment the RNA. The speed that a building grows increases exponentially as time passes until it reaches its final state. It will usually take 3 days to grow a single story building of about 1000³Meters. Once completed Nanites are introduced to the structure to maintain its form, in addition the structure can heal itself. All buildings are linked to the Nodelink as are all ships. One of the pinnacles of Pilonese construction efforts was the Hellas Tunnel construction effort, which delves straight through the planet connecting Pilon's territory with the Hellas Sea using a combination of ultra strong and flexible carbon lining outlining the tunnel and preventing the molten mantle from rushing into the tunnel and also absorbing much of the heat from the Mantle which is then transferred to power collectors providing a nice source of power for Pilon. Then one side of the tunnel was lined with Gravity Generators to create a "bottom" and was filled with water to allow Pilon's ships to sail through the planet from Pilon to Hellas. Recently this tunnel was quadrupled in size to allow greater flow of traffic.

Parasciences Para-Sciences – A bit of research has also been put into what Pilon classifies as Para-Sciences, namely Psionics, but also applications into Magic and other similar pursuits. Not much progress has been made except in the area of Psionics. Approximately 1% of the population has exhibited Psionic Potential and after proper instruction has been made into effective Empaths, Telepaths, or even a few Telekineticists. These people are used in Special Forces units in the Military and also in Civilian life in a variety of economic ventures. Magic is less commonly used as the development of this force has only existed in Pilon for the last decade or so. Used primarily for transportation there has also been some studies into magical defences, energy sources, and even weapons development. A great research has been put into defences against magical forms of attack as well, especially since the Osage Incident.

Pseudosciences Pilon has spent quite a bit of time in experimentation in the Pseudo-Sciences of Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Xeno-Psychology, and other similar pursuits. Using the knowledge gained from such research they have developed an effective means of education that allows for greater acceptance of differences in others and a society that is inclusive of dozens of various races with almost no discrimination or prejudice. Considerable research has been put toward learning effective Psy-Ops, Xeno-relations, and Propaganda. One of Pilon's largest obsticles in the international community is overcoming the differences in culture between the Pilonese and most other cultures and many prejudices against Pilonese way of life exist, especially among nations like Kajal, Menelmacar, and Zero-One.

Culture

The Pilonese culture is widely misunderstood by most other nations and takes a while to get used to my other cultures. Unfortunately for Pilon these cultural differences result in misunderstandings that tend to cause other nations to develop prejudices against Pilon. Above all else is the issue of what is called "Genecide" by other nations. This misunderstanding stems from the practice in Pilon of eliminating species from their ecosystem when their uses are replaced by better or more efficient species. They have never exterminated a sentient species and maintain that its this critical difference that makes all the difference. Other issues involve experimentation that are conducted on the DNA of various sentient species, most namely the Elves and Orcs. There is a certain amount of hostility toward Pilon regarding light shed on the development of the Elphin race, a hybrid of Dolphin and Elven DNA. It is now rumored that there has been experimentation on a hybrid between Elves and Orcs to reduce the racial tensions between these races passed down from immigrants of other nations. Probably one of the largest aspects that is hard to get used to is the alien world in which the Pilonese reside. Everything from the buildings to the animal life around them is biological based. The entire culture lives in harmony with this constructed ecosystem. Though foreigners are not forced to participate with this integration this often enhances the sense of seperation experienced making them more uncomfortable. Another aspect of Pilonese culture that is alien to almost all other cultures is their belief that part of this harmony includes allowing diseases, which run rampant throughout Pilon, to run their course. Treatments are developed to ease the symptoms and vaccines are developed for foreigners and others who do not wish to be sick but for the most part all Pilonese do nothing to prevent the spread of disease losing as much as 10% of their total population each year to disease. These losses are almost entirely the youngest demographics as the older you get the more resistant to all forms of disease you become in Pilon due to the side effects of life extension treatments. This incredible loss of life is countered by the extreme number of children born each year. The Pilonese are one of the most promiscuous cultures on Mars with as many as 15% of the total population born each year. Due to actions in the past that have adversely affected the Pilonese people they are adamantely opposed to the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction, especially the use of Nuclear weapons and will only advocate the use of such weapons by the Pilonese military in the case of facing an overwhelming force that is likely to cause the destruction of the Pilonese people and their nation. They haved vowed to respond violently to any nation that uses Weapons of Mass Destruction on Mars, even to the point of supporting the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction against that nation to bring about the downfall of nation.

Social Issues

The healthcare in Pilon is an intricate system that gives access to even the most advanced facilities to those that can afford to pay for it. A large number of people in Pilon work in the medical field and a push for this type of work is encouraged at a young age to keep the number of healthcare providers up. Swift transportation and advanced life support systems allow for all but the most severe injuries to be taken care of and only rarely does someone die from an injury when they are covered by a health coverage contract. Unfortunately many of the most poor cannot afford any coverage and are left to fend for themselves, many of whom die before reaching the age 50. Many of those who are poor have now been employed by the Ctan in the service industry. Some experimentation with life transference techniques are being developed and one day its hoped they will lead to a treatment even for those who die instantaneously, though much more research in this area still needs to be done. All Pilonese cities are covered with maintenance symbiotes that clean up waste and break it down for use in the support systems of Pilon. Everything is recycled and reused including those that die. To keep the body clean sonic washers are kept next to almost every entrance and exit in almost all buildings and washing facilities exist in most homes and in public baths, which are a popular social gathering point as well.

Even in Pilon there is crime, though the crime rate is very low. The Judicial Branch has published a number of guidelines for various offences but it’s completely up to the judge to determine what sentence is given if found guilty. Before a sentence can be given though a person must first be found guilty by a jury of 10 randomly selected individuals and 2 AIs programmed specifically to look at the facts of the case to determine guilt. There is no death sentence in Pilon, most punishments involve massive re-education and brainwashing, though some go a few steps further in corrective action totally reprogramming or even erasing a person’s memory or personality then giving them a new one. Incarceration is only used for as long as the legal proceedings are going on and while the sentence is being prepared.

There are many types of leisure activities in Pilon. There are a variety of sports that are very popular, anything from more traditional Earth sports to new inventions that involve Zero-Gravity or low G environments. In addition to sports there are a wide variety of physical or simulated physical activities including swimming, rock climbing, hiking, camping, and other outdoor sports and there are also advanced games of all kinds. Pilonese delve into new technology to spend their leisure time on as voraciously as they pursue all other types of technology as leisure is seen as one of the best ways to make one’s life happy and more fulfilling.

There are thousands of political parties in Pilon. Rules have been passed limited the political party to one issue only, meaning that every time a new political issue comes up a new political party is formed for each stance that people take on the issue, usually 5-12 per issue. These limits are an attempt to keep political parties from dictating the policies of Pilon and instead allow the people of Pilon to dictate policy.

Military Information

There are 7 branches in the Pilonese Military. They are the Army, the Navy, the Submarine Guard, The Marines, The Aerospace Force, The Space Fleet, and the Space Marines. All of the branches take advantage of the very best in genetic and bionic augmentation to enhance the combat ability of its members, though the specifics vary from branch to branch. The members of the active duty military are taken from birth and trained in military installations. They are completely controlled by the Military and specialize as killing machines making them exceptional at their jobs. They have no remorse or compassion and lack any sense of right or wrong, only following the orders of their superiors and following the rank structure of the military. It is said by many reservists that the active duty Military is very creepy, and many prefer to avoid interaction with the active duty as much as possible. The reservists are regular citizens who wish to serve in the military but are not as fully trained as the active duty military, but serve as a good backup force that is low cost and quick to bolster defense if the need arises.

The Army is one of the smallest of the Military Branches; their primary use is in defending the Arcologies from invading enemies and to conduct long term ground missions in foreign territories. Historically they tend to be used as the occupation force after an attack. The Army is further divided into the Bio-Engineered Warmachines that make up the Aerial Support and Mechanized elements of the army, and the actual ground force which is further divided into light forces, mainly used to hold defensive positions, flank, and snipe the enemy, the medium forces, used mainly to reinforce weak positions, bring in heavier weapons than light forces usually carry, and secure territory, and the Heavy elements, which are primarily used to take out enemy mechanized, aerial, and Infantry forces, serve as a frontline trooper against an incoming enemy, and take the brunt of the punishment in an engagement. Survivability rate is progressively lower as you gain in firepower, but so is your offensive capability and the extent to which you are genetically modified.

The Navy is the largest of the branches in the Military; their primary use is in defending the water territories of Pilon against foreign invaders. Only a few vessels in the fleet are surface vessels, mainly used as PT vessels hunting unauthorized vessels, most are underwater vessels. Most of the augmentations used by the navy involve genetic adaptations to underwater living, like enhanced tolerance to pressure changes, gills, and even fins, flippers or webbed appendages. Some are also given vision enhancements to allow better vision when in low light, or no light areas. An elite team of Special Forces Navy known as the Infiltrators also exists. Infiltrators are trained in infiltration and espionage techniques as well as a variety of commando tactics and have been given genetic enhancements that allow then to change color, shape, or even facial features. Most of the actual Bio-Engineered ships in the Navy are designed to be quick, manuveurable, and adaptive to a variety of weapons systems that could be brought to bear on them. When used against vessels capable of both water and air or space travel the specialized Naval vessels have a clear advantage. Many of the larger vessels act as carriers to symbiotic lifeforms that will be launched into the water to swarm the enemy.

The Submarine Guard protects the Arcologies of Pilon from attack but is primarily used to fight Piracy and terrorism in the water. They are the back up defense behind the Navy against foreign invasion. Most augmentations are similar to that of the Navy’s augmentations, and the ships tend to be faster and lighter than Naval Vessels. They also have fewer carrier vessels. In wartime they tend to serve as scouts and patrol vessels.

The Marines are the assault force of the Navy and Submarine Guard. They are specially trained in underwater combat and storming ships or coastal assaults. Historically they tend to be used as shock troops in attacks. Of all the branches the Marines are the most heavily augmented, some being so heavily changed they are no longer recognizable as whatever race they once were. These include gills, vision enhancements, exo-skeletal enhancements, physical enhancements, wings, multiple appendages, or even nano-treatments that allow for rapid healing and wound recovery. Special Units of the Marines include entire units of flight enhanced Marines that perform aerial missions and “Tunneler” units that can quickly burrow underground and come up from the ground. They also have a unit that serves as a heavy assault unit. There is also a Special Force of Marines trained as Commandos who are used for specific small missions to extract critical data, or to take our specific targets. The Marines also include Bio-Engineered units that tend to be hybrid Army/Navy units capable of both water and land missions, and serve as the Mechanized and Aerial forces of the Marines.

Task Force Wendigo, an elite unit specifically trained as an expeditionary force specializing in combat against Aumani war tactics is one of the best trained units in the Pilonese Military and draws heavily from the Marines. Only the top military personnel can get into the unit and they are given the lastest and most advanced technology Pilon has to offer. It is a division sized element.

The Aerospace Force defends Pilon’s skies and patrols the lower orbit above Pilon, monitoring everything that flies through it. Most Aircraft are capable of atmospheric and orbital operation as well as aerial combat and are often used as a back up force in orbital battles. The primary augmentations given to the Aerospace Force include reflex enhancers, sensory enhancements, neural-ship integrations, and adaptations for high G tolerance. Unlike many of the other branches many of the Aerospace Bio-Engineered creations rely on their pilots, the two are joined into a symbiotic unit that feels and hears everything as one. The pilot steers and acquires targets while the ship takes care of everything else including weapons systems and maintatence/repair.

The Space Fleet’s primary mission is the defend Pilon against threats from orbit and to hunt down and destroy orbital pirates or terrorists. It is the second largest Branch in the Military and mostly consists of smaller ships that swarm the enemy. The smaller ships also allow for a greater number of patrols and greater versatility in the distribution of the force. The Space Fleet uses similar augmentations as the Aerospace Force. A special division of the Space Fleet specializes in Orbital Bombardment and has ships specially equipped with orbit to ground weapons like Mass Drivers and pinpoint targeted ballistic systems.

The Space Marines are the orbital equivalents of the Marines. They are fully trained in orbital combat and the assault of enemy ships and are used to take control of damaged or disabled ships in a battle. The Space Marines use similar augmentations as the Marines. In addition to ship to ship combat the Marines are trained for Aerospace Insertion and Orbit to Ground invasion techniques. Each trooper is equipped with their own personalized space transport that allows for rapid deployment to positions.

In addition to the Military Pilon also employs a number of Civil Defense Forces that protect the Civilian Population, these include the Police, The Foreign Investigative Body, The Internal Security Force, The National Investigation Bureau, The Paranormal Special Forces Agency, and the Civil Defense Organization.

The Police are the enforcers of the Counsel of Speakers. They maintain peace and order in Pilon and make sure that everyone is obeying the law.

The Foreign Investigative Body (FIB) is the Espionage Agency of Pilon, they send agents into other countries and work with allied Espionage Agencies to gather intelligence and keep tabs on nations that are considered a threat to the safety of Pilon.

The Internal Security Force (ISF) is a force that monitors things in Pilon and tries to root out spies or other security threats in Pilon. They are the most secretive of all the agencies in Pilon.

The National Investigation Bureau (NIB) are a national force of Investigators that look into major incidents in Pilon to try to determine the cause of the incident, they work closely with the Police and the ISF.

The Psionic Special Forces Agency (PSA) are specially trained people who have displayed Psionic ability who perform a variety of Special Services only a Psionic could perform, whether it be for the Military, the Government, or Private Contractors.

The Civil Defense Organization is a Civilian Group dedicated to the preservation of Pilon. They train civilians in the use of weapons and set up facilities to maintain combat ability for civilians. They make for a quick source of militias or recruits to the military if the need arises.

Military Demographics: Percentage of Population in the Military (Reserve and Active) 10% (600,000,000)

Percentage of Military by Branch

Army – 8% (4,800,000)

Navy – 25% (150,000,000)

Submarine Guard – 10% (6,000,000)

Marines – 10% (6,000,000)

Aerospace Force – 10% (6,000,000)

Space Fleet – 22% (132,000,000)

Space Marines – 15% (90,000,000)

Percentage of Branch in Active Duty Army – 10% (480,000) - (240,000 fighting men)

Navy – 50% (75,000,000) - (3,750,000 fighting men)

Submarine Guard – 50% (3,000,000) - (150,000 fighting men)

Marines – 50% (3,000,000) - (1,500,000 fighting men)

Aerospace Force – 35% (2,100,000) - (105,000 fighting men)

Space Fleet – 75% (99,000,000) - (4,950,000 fighting men)

Space Marines – 50% (45,000,000) - (22,500,000 fighting men)

(The first number is the total number employed by the branch, however a vast majority of those employed serve Combat Support or Combat Service Support roles and do not actively serve in the combat roles, however they are still trained in the basics of combat and can be enrolled in such duties if the battles go badly.

Pilonese Military Tactics

Due to the relative inexperience of Pilon’s military in any real military operations the main focus when it comes to the development of the military and the tactics taught to Pilon’s commanders is on Assymmetric Warfare.

If war were to ever come to Pilon the military is taught to make the enemy pay for every shred of territory they take by fighting against this enemy with any means at their disposal, everything linked to the nodelink is equipped with some sort of defense against hostiles, and if retreat from that territory is required to render the territory useless to them. The idea behind this is to eventually exhaust the enemy to stall their advance or to overstretch the supply lines of the enemy allowing surgical strikes against these supply lines to render the invading force inoperative.

To achieve this goal all of Pilon is linked into the nodelink, all living beings from the local vegetation and animals, to the buildings and support systems are linked into the nodelink and upon loss to the enemy activate a docile gene within their bodies that creates a parasite. This parasite begins to consume the host and can typically completely destroy the host within 15 minutes, for smaller or less complex organisms this time is even less sometimes only taking 1 or 2 minutes, even seconds. After consuming the host the parasite will die off releasing toxic chemicals into the ground and air, these chemicals bond at the atomic level rendering the soil incapable of supporting life until the chemical is removed or for the chemical to break down, which takes between 25-50 years.

These parasites are also capable of attacking enemies as defined by Sentients through the nodelink. This can be devastating for enemies attack Pilon on their home turf.

In addition to defending Pilonese territory against an aggressor, Pilonese doctrine includes a coordinated effort to use Biological Weapons against the entire infrastructure of an enemy in the event of an overwhelming invading force or in the case of assured defeat at the hands of a superior enemy. The Pilonese will never allow another force to overcome them without suffering mass losses in their home territories as well. This is often referred to as a scorched Mars policy in Pilon. The full range of Viral, Bacteria, and Protozoa agents can be deployed in delivery systems of the military to the populace of the attacking nation and any allies of that nation supporting the attack. In addition weapons specifically designed to target plants both in the form of Bioherbicides and Mycoherbicides will be deployed against the food production facilities of the country/countries. Other agents can be planted in the water and soil where they can be transferred to any animals in the area or people who pass through the infected area and that can also render an area incapable of supporting life for a time period. The water agents could also be used against a population’s drinking supplies to quickly spread disease to the population.

With the attacks against the invading nation the nation’s population will be infected by a variety of diseases and social problems that arise due to these diseases. This will interrupt the economy and civilian support systems for the military. After that a guerilla war will take place with the intention of waiting out the capability of the military in waging war against Pilon, if necessary Biological and Chemical agents can also be used against these military assets to speed up the process of destabilization.

Personal Weapons

A note on Pilonese Bio-Weapons: All Pilonese weapons are grown into the bodies of the soldier and are available as a reflexive action when threatened or mentally from the user. Depending on the type of weapon this may be installed in the arm, shoulder, chest, or other part of the body, and may vary from person to person. Instead of bullets most weapons grow spines that are projected through the weapon using a gravitic conductor coil to speed up the spine. Spines can be customized and switched out like special bullets in other arsenals. Energy Pulses are balls of Plasma encased in a shell of gravitic energy, which disperses upon impact with a hard target allowing the plasma to burn through. Energy Pulses can also be customized. Spores are the Pilonese version of Grenades, only they are grown by special fungii that are integrated into the weapon, usually in the form of a weapons pod that can be attached to the weapon with a standard Pod access port. Spores also come in a wide variety of types.

Standard Assault Bio-Weapon: Usually installed into the upper forearm of the soldier. This weapon is integrated into the body and includes an interactive crosshair that shows where the weapon is pointed, and can zoom in on an area with the proper occular enhancements. Designed to be versatile and reliable. The needle spines are grown inside the weapon with replacement spines available when an attachment is put into the access port on the bottom of the weapon. Energy Cells can also be replaced and recharged in a standard Pilonese Energy Store Access Port on the back of the weapon. Weight – 2.5Kg Rate of Fire – 1 or 3 round bursts or 100 pulses per minute Firing Modes – Semiautomatic, Burst, Energy Effective Range – 7500 meters (15,000m with sniper sight) Maximum Range – 15,000 meters Ammo – 150 spines (Type A), 250 pulses/energy cell (Type 1) Typical Bio-Enhancements commonly integrated into weapon – spore launcher, bipod, occular zooming device, silencer, Multi-spectrum imaging device

Heavy Assault Bio-Weapon: In the ground forces 2 members of a squad are given a heavier weapon to boost the squad’s firepower. Equipped with its own stabilizers and tracking sensors the HAW as it is sometimes referred to is designed to lay down suppressing fire and take out a number of enemies without the need of the possessor to aim or control as much on his own. The design is similar to the standard assault weapon except it is larger, heavier, and a bit bulkier as well. Weight – 5Kg Rate of Fire – 8 rounds/second or 200 pulses per minute Firing Modes – Automatic, Sentry Effective Range – 12,000 meters Maximum Range – 25,000 meters Ammo – 650 spines (Type B), 1,000 pulses/energy cell (Type 1) Typical Bio-Enhancements – Multiple spectrum imaging device, gyro-pod, double capacity ammo pod.

Light Assault Bio-Weapon: Developed for close quarters fighting, this lighter weapon packs a little less punch than a standard Bio-Weapon but still has enough power to take out enemies in close quarters fighting. Mainly used by special forces on covert ops, urban warfare, and scouting missions where carrying capacity is critical. Most often installed in the forearms of the Soldier. Some highly trained soldiers choose to equip two, one in each arm, and install bio-enhancements to simaltaneously target with each, each if they are not pointed in the same direction. These are primarily special forces or highly trained soldiers however as it takes a while to master the integration issues. Weight – .5Kg Rate of Fire – 1 or 3 round bursts or 100 pulses per minute Firing Modes – Semiautomatic, Burst, Energy Effective Range – 2500 meters (5,000m with sniper sight) Maximum Range – 5,000 meters Ammo – 100 spines (Type A), 200 pulses/energy cell (Type 1) Typical Bio-Enhancements commonly integrated into weapon – spore launcher, bipod, occular zooming device, silencer, Multi-spectrum imaging device, drone pod, dual weapon integration pod.

Monolith: Mostly used in base defense or while mounted on vehicles the Monolith is a versatile weapon used when the standard Bio-Weapons lacks the firepower needed to do the job. It also can be used to take out lowflying aircraft or projectiles with reasonable accuracy. When not integrated into a building or vehicle the weapon can be installed into the shoulder of a soldier, but unless they are exceptionally strong must brace themselves when firing the weapon or be knocked over. The Monolith is very large and about the same length as the person's arm, giving the soldier the appearance of having a third rigid arm embedded in his chest. Weight - 11Kg Rate of Fire – 9 rounds/second or 200 pulses per minute Firing Modes – Automatic, Energy, Sentry, AA Tracker Effective Range – 8 Km Maximum Range – 10.5 Km Ammo – 10,000 spines (Type C), 750 pulses/energy cell (Type 2) Typical Bio-Enhancements - Automated targeting systems, multi-spectrum imaging device, gyro-pod, Synchronized AA Fire Controllers

Heavy Spore Launcher: Mostly used as an anti-Vehicle weapon the Heavy Spore Launcher has proven to be an effective weapon in the Pilonese Arsenal, when equipped with crowd control agent spores it can also make a good anti-riot weapon. Most often integrated into the shoulder or chest of a soldier, this wepapons is usually assigned to a single member of a squad. This weapon looks like a long tube with a large opening in the front, some soldiers have remarked that it looks similar to Mortars in traditional militaries. Weight – 15 Kg Rate of Fire – 6 spores/second Firing Modes – Automatic, Semi auto, Sentry Effective Range – 2500 Meters Maximum Range – 5000 Meters Ammo – 250/ammo pod Accessories - Automated targeting systems, multi-spectrum imaging devices, gyro pod.

Gorgon: Tank Buster Proven to be a cost effective weapon, the Gorgon was developed for use against invading force's vehicles. The projectile fired by the Gorgon contains two separate types of ammunition, first containing a parasite that breaks down the strong nuclear force of materials into its basic elements and a powerful EMP pulse designed to knock out the electronics of the vehicle, which is timed to go off when the parasites have had a chance to eat through some of the armor of the target. One Tank Buster contains enough parasites to render a Tank Inoperable in about 2 minutes; this time is decreased by hitting the tank with multiple rounds. In a squad usually 4 members will be equipped with a Gorgon, which is usually installed in the chest of the soldier. In light armored units Gorgons are also mounted into the vehicles. Weight – 8 Kg Firing Modes – Single Shot or Multi-Shot Effective Range – 15 Km Maximum Range – 25 Km Ammo – 4 Accessories – Multiple spectrum imaging device, Occular Zooming Implant

Starspear Designed to be used against targets in space that are targeted by long range scanners either in orbit or on the ground, the Starspeak is a single shot Ground to Space Stinger Launcher. The projectile is capable of homing in or targets and is designed for use in an integrated targeting system like that of the Pilonese Defence Network in orbit around Mars. The Stinger possesses the same firepower as typical stingers launched from Aerospace Fighters and is designed to destroy incoming fighters or small spacecraft, and are usually launched in volleys. The launcher is integrated into abombinations formed by fusing two lifeforms together into a huge four legged creature, most of the 2nd creature is converted into the launcher and tends to be a non-sentient creature, usually a larger herbivore. The targetting portion is usually a Sentient, and most often a former soldier who was badly injured or otherwise found to be incapable of performing their duties anymore. The conversion process is entirely voluntary and is considered an honor to again serve your country after being rendered incapable of doing so. It generally takes about 12 hours to regrow the ammunition after firing. Weight – 35 Kg Effective Range – Upper Atmospheric Orbit Maximum Range - Upper Atmospheric Orbit + 50Km Ammo – 1

Ammunition:

Pilon uses a variety of ammunition types in warfare as their enemies and targets vary from mission to mission, or even sometimes in the middle or a mission. Units usually carry multiple types of ammo on them and all weapons are adapted for easy transfers from one to the next through pod attachments on their weapons. In addition various sizes are classified by either letters, for projectile ammo, or numbers for energy pulses. As you increase the letter or number you increase the size of the projectile or the amount of energy carried in the weapon.

Standard – These are an Organic-W (Tungsten) compound invented by Pilonese Gengineers. The rounds are aerodynamically designed for optimum flight. All other rounds have this basic design unless otherwise specified. Tracer – A round equipped with a non-sentient nodelink that can transmit information, these special nodes are equipped with ECCMs and can be accessed by the targeting devices on most weapons allowing a person to fire and have the shot go to the same place every time. HEAP – Designed to pierce armored targets this round can penetrate the armor before exploding. Energy Draining – equipped with small microbes that absorb energy this round is designed to shatter on impact, the microbes will latch on to power sources nearby and begin to drain the energy, very effective against energy shields. Not W. EMP – Designed to take out drones and robots, this round sets off a tiny EMP pulse when it hits the target frying electronics in a 1 meter burst around the impact point. Not W. Scattershot – An effective antipersonnel weapon, also used against multiple weak or small foes, this round explodes when it comes within a certain proximity of the targets spraying shrapnel around them. Gas Canister – designed to hold a gas this bullet can be used to deliver chemical or biological weapons in the form of a gas to a target. Not W. Liquid Dispersal – designed to hold a small amount of liquid, this bullet can be used to deliver chemical or biological weapons in the form of a liquid to a target. Not W. Embryo Chamber – used to deploy mostly microbes or other small creatures to the target, this round is designed to protect the occupants on a small chamber until it reaches the target, after which the round explodes dispersing the contents of the chamber. Not W.

Pilonese Navy

The Pilonese Navy consists mostly of Submarine forces as opposed to Surface Vessels. In fact, apart from patrol ships the entire fleet in underwater based. Upon studying the physiologies of many underwater creatures the Pilonese Bioengineers developed a couple designs which have been fielded as their primary military Naval Vessels. Currently the Pilonese Navy is on its 9th Generation of Ships.

Below are some of the latest designs developed by Pilon for use in Military Operations.

OOC Note: These are not all of the ships used by Pilon, just the military grade ones that would be involved in conflict with other nations.

The largest of all Pilonese Naval Vessels, the Leviathan III, is based loosely on a Shark/Whale Hybrid. Its Endothermic and physiologically similar to the Whale, however it is equipped with gills instead of lungs that allow it to take oxygen directly from the surrounding water. Its main food source is small crustaceans, krill, and plankton/phytoplankton which is sifts out of the water using baleen. As an emergency backup food source during particularly active periods like during combat an alternate energy source can be used that breaks down the water molecules around it to oxygen and hydrogen and siphons the energy produced in this reaction. The Leviathan, true to its name is much bigger than any Whale or Fish, reaching a length of 450m when fully grown. By using a type of gravitic propulsion specifically developed for use underwater the Leviathan can reach speeds of up to mach 5 though it takes a while to get that fast and takes a while to slow down as well. The Leviathan is equipped with an echolocation gland similar to a Dolphin’s melon, only more powerful and also has infrasonic communicators to communicate with non-nodelink equipped creatures. The Leviathan houses hundreds smaller hunter craft, which it can launch out of bays in the sides of its body. When launch these Hunters seem to fill the water around them and quickly spread out. These hunter craft are its main source of defense though it also has projectiles and even has a projected energy field that can be put up against energy attacks, absorbing much of their energy, though constant use is draining to the creature. The Leviathan III has also been equipped with 8 long tentacles running between 800-1200 meters long. These tentacles are capable of latching on to other ships, retrieving prey for the Leviathan, or even intercepting incoming projectiles. The Leviathan also carries a number of self reproducing mines that can quickly turn an area into a living minefield, constantly growing and regenerating, under control of the Nodelink. Probably by far the most destructive of its weapons is an array of biological weapons and delivery systems for these biological weapons. With these biological weapons a single Leviathan can deliver the full array of Pilon’s Biological Weapons on any nation on the same planet as Pilon with a few hours of being ordered to do so. There are approximately 750 Leviathan's currently fielded in the Pilonese Navy.

The hunter craft onboard a Leviathan live a symbiotic relationship with their host so the hunter craft will protect the Leviathan at all costs. Hunters are basically swimming mouths, about 5 meters in length. They are incredibly fast swimmers able to go at up to 260 mph underwater. The Hunters have two mouths, one is similar in form to a lamprey, the other is at the end of a long stinger and is designed to suck energy from a powersource. A hunter will use this mouth to suck away the energy of an energy shield or other large power sources it gets close enough to. This energy is converted in the body to speed up the metabolism of the creature and within a few minutes the creature will die, exploding from the inside as its offspring become fully mature. Next to a constantly renewable power source a couple hundred hunters can multiply exponentially. The other mouth is equipped with a type of sonic wave inducer that breaks apart the nuclear bonds in a material causing it to soften, the hunter will then bite its way through swimming straight to the power source of the ship, unless threatened in which case it will attack ferociously. The Hunter is also capable of delivering a powerful electrical shock that can disrupt electronics or damage living beings in the area. These electrical shocks are amplified as each Hunter combines its strength together increasing both the strength and range of the attack.

A much smaller class of ship, the Scylla II are the primary combat ships of Pilon’s navy, escorting merchant vessels and destroying enemy vessels. Taking the best qualities of Sharks, Dolphins, and other marine life and combining them into a military vessel the Scylla makes a great attack ship in an underwater battle. Using the olfactory abilities taken from Sharks and the Echolocation taken from Dolphins the Scylla is able to monitor the surrounding area with great affect. The olfactory senses can detect a variety of chemicals in the water, in fact through the nodelink a Scylla can detect the presence of almost any chemical in the water, at 1 part per million, within a 1 mile radius. That range is extended for higher concentrations of chemicals. They are also equipped with an Ampullae for electroreception, allowing it to detect electric fields in the area, even as small as nerve impulses. To augment formation movement the Scylla is equipped with a lateral line that can hear other creatures in the area around it allowing the Scylla to move in great formations like schools of fish in battle. The Scylla is a relatively small craft, only reaching 25 meters in length when fully grown. Using the same drive that powers the Leviathan a Scylla can reach cruising speeds of up to mach 6, though when engaged in battle an alternate system is used that maximizes maneuverability. Scylla eat mostly fish, though as a backup power source they can also break down water particles and siphon the energy. Scylla are Homeothermic, meaning that they keep their internal body temperature to that of the surrounding water temperature. The Scylla have two seperate forms of attack. The first is a large projectile launcher used mainly against other craft of its size or larger. These projectiles can be equipped with any type of projectile available to the Pilonese military. They tend to be similar in form to those of the personal weapons only much more powerful and larger as well. It's second form of defence is launching many small projectiles that they will often times flood the water. These spines are only a little more powerful than their personal weapon equivalents however they are launched by the hundreds often allowing the Scylla to hit vulnerable parts of a ship or get around targetted defensive systems like point defence systems. When a bunch of Scylla launch their projectiles at once the effect can be devastating even to well armored ships. Each Scylla is accompanied by 12-20 Hunters that live a symbiotic relationship with the Scylla and will act in a similar manner to those that live in a Leviathan. There are approximately 4500 Scylla in the Pilonese Navy.

Pilonese Space Fleet:

Similar in design to the naval ships of Pilon, the Space Fleet of Pilon is based off of marine life adapted to the vacuum and zero-g environment of Space. They tend to have much thicker carapaces and are designed for a 3d combat environment instead of multiple 2d levels as oceanic combat tends to be. The Space Fleet is currently on its 5th Generation of ships.

The Largest members of the space fleet are the massive Kraken II class ships. When fully grown the Kraken can reach lengths of up to 1500m in length. It appears similar in shape to the Leviathan Class ship that dominates the Pilonese Navy. Using the much better developed spaceborne Gravitic Drives and Inertial Nullifiers the ships are able to maneuver much better than their ocean cousins, though they suffer the same restrictions when cruising, it takes time to build up speed and to slow down. Instead of consuming food however the Jormungand uses a type of Solar Chemical reactor to convert the solar radiation into an energy source, similar in fashion to fuel cells. All along the sleek torpedo shaped body of the Jormungand are small bays where the spaceborne version of Hunters, called Ull live and breed. There can be as many as 10,000 Ull‘s living in a Jormungand at one time. In addition to Ull, the Jormungand is capable of using built up energy supplies to fire massive discharges of plasma at an enemy. The advanced carapace of the Jormungand can collect anywhere from 10-75% of the total energy of incoming energy weapon fire and absorb it with no effect, though the rest will get through. The Jormungand is also equipped with small pods along its body that can fire projectiles at enemies, when seriously threatened the Jormungand have been known to deploy Chemical and Biological weapons on these projectiles. These projectiles can be used in both space and orbital bombardment. The Kraken is also equipped with many smaller pods that serve as point defence systems against incoming ships or projectiles. In addition the Kraken is equipped with focused deflector fields that are capable of slowing down powered projectiles and ships by as much as 50% depending on the angle that they are coming in from compared to the angle of the field, and unpowered projectiles and ships are slowed down even more. This helps to give time for the point defence systems to target and destroy the incoming hostiles and also allows the Kraken to maneuver out of the way sometimes. Though split into 5 different fleets there are approximately 660 Kraken's in the Pilonese Spacefleet.

The Ull V is the most numerous of all of Pilon’s spaceborne ships and they are incapable of surviving without their hosts for an extended period of time, usually not much longer than 3-5 days. Like hunters they are essentially giant mouths with a regenerative fuel supply that powers a gravitic drive. Ull have two mouths. The First is a lamprey like mouth containing a saliva that breaks down the strong nuclear force of a material making it soft so it can be torn away, allowing the Ull to move in towards the ship's power source or expose the crew of the ship to space, the second is a needle-like mouth modified to absorb energy, it is capable of draining energy from energy shields or reactors in ships. The Ull uses this energy to speed up its metabolism and body functions, effectively aging it. After a few minutes the Ull will die as its torn apart by its offspring. A typical Ull will give birth to 15-25 Ull who are born fully capable of survival, though a bit smaller then the adult. The Ull is about 7.5m in length

Another ship, mostly used as the main assault ship of the Pilonese fleet is called the Charybdis III. Similar in design and function to the Scylla the Charybdis is equipped with a variety of sensitive scanning organs that can sense changes in gravity, and see on all wavelengths. The Charybdis has two seperate forms of attack. The first is a large projectile launcher used mainly against other craft of its size or larger. These projectiles can be equipped with any type of projectile available to the Pilonese military. They tend to be similar in form to those of the personal weapons only much more powerful and larger as well. It's second form of defence is launching many small projectiles that they will often times fill the surrounding area. These spines are only a little more powerful than their personal weapon equivalents however they are launched by the hundreds often allowing the Charybdis to hit vulnerable parts of a ship or get around targetted defensive systems like point defence systems. When a bunch of Charybdae launch their projectiles at once the effect can be devastating even to well armored ships. Each Charybdis is accompanied by 2-8 Ull that live a symbiotic relationship with the Charybdis and will act in a similar manner to those that live in a Kraken. A modified lateral line that is designed for space instead of water has also been designed for the Charybdis, this allows the same formation fighting that the Scylla use. A typical Charybdis grows to 300m in length when fully grown. There are 6,600 Charydis' in the Pilonese Spacefleet.

Pilonese Aerospace Force Pilon's Aerospace force is capable of fighting in the atmosphere of a planet, underwater, and in space. Aerospace forces can be launched from the ground to help augment a space combat, provide aerial support in a ground or underwater fight, or intercept and engage other Aerospace forces. When designing these fighters the Pilonese based their designs off of birds, espeically birds of prey known for their flight prowess.

The current top of the line fighter is called the Dragonhawk. It resembles a hybrid of a hawk, an eagle, and a dragon. It is aerodynamic and lightweight allowing it to quickly make manuveurs. In addition it is designed with inertial nullifiers so the symbiant pilot within doesn't feel the effects of the heavy G's as it makes turns at high speeds. The fighter is equipped with 7 projectile launchers, 2 small, 4 medium, and 1 heavy, that can deliver a variety of levels of destruction upon a target based on the need. The only drawback is the limited payload of the fighters, the heavy projectile launcher only carrying 2 shots and the medium only carrying several dozen, in extended battles sometimes the Dragonhawk has to rely on its small projectile launchers or even land to reequip itself then take off again. The Heavy Projectiles are typically used against capital ships in space or large ground targets, Medium projectiles tend to be used against medium sized space vessels or to take out buildings on the ground, while smaller projectiles are effective against other fighters and other small craft, or against ground forces of the enemy. When flying in formation Dragonhawks are capable of delivering a devastating amount of firepower to a target, destroying targets many times larger than themselves. The Dragonhawk is 75m in length. There are 6,000 Dragonhawks in the Pilonese Aerospace Force.

When the need arises for a more stealthy fighter the Pilonese typically turn to the ShadowBat, a light fighter equipped with a nullfield device and only 3 projectiles, 1 medium and 2 small. The main advantage of the ShadowBat is in its nullfield device which renders the ship invisible to any sensors except those of the most advanced nations (IT higher than Pilon's). With the Nullfield turned on no emmisions can be detected from the ship giving it ample opportunity to attack vulnerable or disabled ships. The ShadowBat also makes a great spyplane and is often used in intelligence gathering missions against an enemy. The ShadowBat is 35m in length. There are 2,500 ShadowBats in the Pilonese Aerospace Force.

Pilonese Mechanized Units The primary strength in both the Marines and the Army is not their infantry forces, but rather in its larger Mechanized Units. These are typically broken up into Tanks and other armored ground vehicles, VTOL's, and Powered Armor. For every 10,000 Infantry there are typically 10 Tanks, 1 VTOL, and 100 Powered Armors.

The Pilonese field a Light Tank, an APC, a mobile projectile launcher, and a mobile Artillery piece. The Light Tank is called the Leopard. It is designed as an extremely fast and manuveurable vehicle that can quickly move around heavier targets, dodge their attacks, and either attack from a less well armored side of the tank or attack other vulnerable targets being protected by the heavier tank. A combination of ECM, limited cloaking, and its Gravitic repulsors make the tank a difficult target to hit. Its primary weapon fires either a volley of small creatures that will swarm a target and tear apart its armor in a similar fashion to the Hunters and Ull (only these creatures are only 1/8 of a meter in length) or fires a heavy explosive that will cause damage to the target and hopefully take it out. The armor on the Leopard is not heavy, but is strong enough to minimize damage from most personnel weapons. The Leopard is also equipped with a mine launcher, and 4 monoliths (See Personal Weapons). The Leopard typically has a crew of 4 symbiotically linked personnel. When underwater on water the Leopard is capable of switching to an amphibious mode, which sacrifices some of its manuveurability but allows it to move through or on top of the water to aide in amphibious attack or home defence. Each Leopard is approximately 20m in length. A Leopard's typical cruising speed is around 1,000 KPH

The APC is known as the Bobcat and is typically seen on the battlefield speeding along until it gets to a specified deployment area, at which point it deploys the squad of soldiers it carries using a detachable grav disk that quickly flies out the back end of the vehicle and lands on the ground providing a relatively soft landing for its occupants. The vehicle itself is very heavily armored in the front and has medium armor on the back and sides. Typically 1/3 Infantry units in the Military is a mechanized unit and each of those units has 1 APC per Squad. Once the APC has delivered its cargo it can also serve as a fast weapon's platform for heavy weapons like the monolith and is typically equipped with 2 monoliths. A Bobcat is approximately 15m in length and has a Cruising speed of 750 KPH.

The Thunderbird is Pilon's Ortillery Piece. Though they usually orbit the planet rather than operate on the ground they are organized into an independant task force that works closely with ground forces to coordinate orbital bombardment of enemy positions. The Thunderbird resembles a giant bird in its appearance with a massive mass driver that extends the length of the creature and beyond almost full two body lengths beyond. The Thunderbird is capable of firing is own projectiles or accelerating space debris into makeshift weapons with devastating firepower. The Thunderbird is a 400m in length but the mass driver extends to 1000m. The Thunderbird's internal projectiles are of a variety of sizes ranging from small 100m radius killzones to massive 10km killzones. It also possesses a few ground piercing projectiles that are designed to penetrate underground and explode, destroying reinforced underground structures. There are 100 Thunderbirds in the Pilonese military.

In addition to the Thunderbird, Pilon also fields a ground artillery piece commonly referred to as the Rancor. This massive creature possesses twin launchers capable of delivering rounds over 4500 km away. Though lightly armored the Rancor is equipped with a cloaking device that renders it invisible until it fires. After firing the Rancor will often move to prevent counterfire from hitting its position. It takes about 2 seconds for the cloaking device to recharge after firing and another 5 seconds for a new round to be loaded. Like the Thunderbird the Rancor is capable of firing a variety of sized rounds anywhere from 100m killzones to 2km killzones. It is also capable of being equipped with specialized rounds similar in design to the rounds of the personal weapons. The Rancor is 100m tall and a quarter that long. It is capable of moving at 250km/h. In all there is approximately 1 Rancor for every 5,000 troops in a ground force.

By far the most common of all mechanized units in Pilon's military are the powerarmors. There are 3 different types of Powerarmors currently fielded in the military, Scout, Medium, and Heavy. All Powerarmors take on an insectoid appearance and drastically modify the appearance of the person wearing the armor. They also drastically enhance the soldier's combat ability.

The Scout Powerarmor is also commonly called the Lightning Bug is equipped with twin Monoliths and a powerful motor that propels the armor past Mach speed. The cruising speed of the powerarmor is Mach 2. The Armor is also equipped with wings specially designed to work at speeds faster than sound and are capable of little more than gliding otherwise.

The Medium Powerarmor is called the mantis and is primarily used as a mobile anti-aircraft weapons platform. The mantis is equipped with 2 Gorgons and 4 Starspear-like launchers that fire the same rounds, only are capable of being reloaded. A mantis typically carries 12 rounds on it for the Starspears.

The Heavy Powerarmor is called the Drider and is feared as much for its appearance as its lethal armaments. This 8 legged monstrosity is a full 12meters long and 6 high. It is equipped with 4 Gorgons, 2 starspears similar to those on the mantis, and 4 Monoliths. The legs of the Drider are capable of scaling walls or even hanging upsidedown and even with its size the Drider is still capable of relatively fast movement, moving at a cruising speed of 75KPH. The Drider is also equipped with a heavy carapace armor that makes it very difficult from infantry sized weapons to even pierce the shell.

When Aerial support for a ground mission is needed, most commanders turn to the Manticore, a VTOL (Verticle Take Off and Landing) aircraft similar to modern day Helicopter's only more heavily armored, more manuveurable, and able to carry a heavier payload. Based off of the mythical creature it was named after the Manticore has large wings, but also has an internal gravitic engine that minimizes the effort needed to remain in one place or to quickly change direction. The tail is capable of aiming in any direction and has a heavy projectile launcher on it. in addition the Manticore is equipped with 2 medium projectile launchers on its sides and 4 small projectile launchers in the front, used mostly for strafing runs against infantry or lightly armored targets. The Manticore is capable of remaining perfectly motionless in the air and can almost instantly pick up a speed of 75Kph though it take a little while to reach its cruising speed of 1000KPM. The Manticore is 25m long.

International Rankings

Copied directly from nation. Repeated rankings will be copied over last entries.

(October 3, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 164th in the world for Largest Timber Woodchipping Industry.

(November 15, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 312th in the world for Largest Mining Sector.

(October 6, 2005) Pilon is ranked 17th in the region and 109,266th in the world for Most Compassionate Citizens.

(October 24, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 1,037th in the world for Healthiest Nations.

(October 10, 2005) Pilon is ranked 16th in the region and 63,366th in the world for Most Politically Free Nations.

(October 11, 2005) Pilon is ranked 5th in the region and 1,208th in the world for Rudest Citizens.

(October 30, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 170th in the world for Largest Basket Weaving Sector.

(November 4, 2005) Pilon is ranked 18th in the region and 110,536th in the world for Best Weather.

(October 17, 2005) Pilon is ranked 4th in the region and 368th in the world for Most Eco-Friendly Governments.

(October 18, 2005) Pilon is ranked 4th in the region and 828th in the world for Most Subsidized Industry.

(October 19, 2005) Pilon is ranked 23rd in the region and 110,333rd in the world for Stupidest Citizens.

(November 10, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 264th in the world for Largest Automobile Manufacturing Sector.

(October 21, 2005) Pilon is ranked 3rd in the region and 778th in the world for Fastest-Growing Economies.

(October 23, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 170th in the world for Largest Soda Pop Sector.

(October 24, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 101st in the world for Largest Information Technology Sector.

(October 26, 2005) Pilon is ranked 14th in the region and 72,783rd in the world for Safest Nations.

(October 27, 2005) Pilon is ranked 7th in the region and 11,778th in the world for Highest Police Ratios.

(October 28, 2005) Pilon is ranked 8th in the region and 2,496th in the world for Largest Agricultural Sector.

(October 31, 2005) Pilon is ranked 19th in the region and 110,895th in the world for Most Devout Nations.

(November 1, 2005) Pilon is ranked 10th in the region and 23,038th in the world for Greatest Rich-Poor Divides.

(November 2, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 106th in the world for Most Rebellious Youth.

(November 3, 2005) Pilon is ranked 19th in the region and 110,425th in the world for Most Politically Apathetic Citizens.

(November 7, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 525th in the world for Largest Nations.

(November 14, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 5,236th in the world for Most Comprehensive Public Healthcare.

(November 18, 2005) Pilon is ranked 8th in the region and 21,745th in the world for Most Liberal Nations.

(November 19, 2005) Pilon is ranked 1st in the region and 207th in the world for Largest Retail Sector.

(November 21, 2005) Pilon is ranked 2nd in the region and 490th in the world for Most Cultured.

Important People

Aaron Duiter - Representative to the SFN – A passionate Human who has been appointed to speak for Pilon in relations to the SFN. An ex-general in Pilon’s space fleet and an accomplished military commander this man is a good choice as a representative of Pilon. He has apparently become dissatisfied with his position due to the inactivity of the SFN, making his role more of a ceremonial role than an influential or prestigious role. It is rumored that he will soon leave this post in pursuit of more politically beneficial positions.

Mot Atbbak - Representative to the Duma – A well educated Orc who understands the wishes of Pilon and is able to speak his mind if the need comes. Understands the art of Diplomacy well and has been fully versed in such things. Mot's developed a reputations for constantly inciting the Auman representative in verbal barrages. Though he still retains a majority support by the people of Pilon his support is starting to slip as they realize that this tendancy is hurting their international relations with other nations, who tire of hearing this constant bickering. In regards to other nations he is considered a good example of the "cultured Orc" which has developed in Pilon, defying the classic view of the race, especially by Elven nations.

Fernum Atropi - Representative to MIDAS II – A young Goutaim who has managed to fight his way to the top, a leader in the resistance and an influential figure in Pilonese politics. As a Goutaim he has had a constant struggle with his emotions, a racial tendancy of the Goutaim to be violent and have fits of rage. Fernum is widely regarded as a very calm Goutaim who can for the most part control these emotions which allows him to retain his position. Recently he has become very dissatified with MIDAS' lack of ability to resolve anything at all, which he attributes to Auman interference. On more than one occasion he has threatened to kill the Auman representative, one time even being drug from the council chambers after assaulting the Auman. Pilon has since reprimanded him, though much less severely than would be normal in such an incident.

Gwendalin Simber - Grand Admiral of the Fleets – Daughter of Apletesh Simber and an accomplished pilot, considered a good example of what it means to be a Simber in Pilon. She is a brilliant strategist and like her father extremely ambitious. It is rumored that she and Apletesh support secret military projects that have no civilian oversight, producing Rogue Military units. This is generally accepted by the population due to rumors that these units are specially trained for wars against those opposed to Pilon and will likely be great assets if war is declared.

Apletesh Simber - Grand General of the Ground Forces – Brother to Pilias, the renowned Headspeaker of the old order in Pilon, Apletesh was also a speaker as his expertise is in Military Affairs, being a well experienced general himself, serving in several of the early wars of Pilon’s history. Apletesh personally oversaw the creation of the famed Task Force Wendigo, recently unveiled as the guardians of the northern sea against foreign invasion. These guerilla forces are more than capable of taking on forces several times their size by waging a war of attrition against them.

The Elwyn Sisters – Head Diplomatic Envoys for Pilon – Actually a group of clones with the first batch raised together since birth. These beautiful Elven women have proven themselves to be experts in Xeno-relations and are usually the first to welcome important figures to Pilon when they come to visit. It is unknown how many Elwyns exactly there are as more have been cloned to replace others or to expand their services. The Elwyns have also recently been appointed the responsibility of conducting diplomatic affairs in foreign countries as well and have overseen every major political alliance and negotiations outside of the Duma and Midas for the last 500 years.

Pilias Simber - Speaker of the Council – Probably the best known person in Pilon, in some ways Pilias Simber is Pilon, he is the founder of the cult that grew into the nation of Pilon and the first recipient of the life extension treatments. He has served in some leadership capacity since the beginning and nothing short of death will probably ever change that. Pilias is a wise and cautious leader who is rumored to have some telepathic talents. He is also an extremely charismatic person easily swaying the populace to him in fiery speeches or calming annoucements depending on the situation. During the civil war his approval rating dropped to an all time low of 50% but has since risen to an astounding 85% in recent times.

Ben Richards - Speaker of the Council – An absent-minded visionary. Ben Richards is a computer prodigy and is responsible for the invention of the nodes and the nodelink. He hasn't been seen in public in over 1,000 years and it is rumored that he has uploaded his conciousness into the nodelink itself, but this has never been confirmed. Ben Richards continues to make innovations in the nodelink system overseeing the upgrade to the Mark-II system and the security overhauls that now protect the system from attempts to knock-out the system.

Maren Touraine-Simber - Speaker of the Council – Wife of Apletesh Simber, this woman is a commanding figure who has served in a leadership role for most of her life. She is most well known for her staunch support of the Education system in Pilon and is credited with its creation though its likely that there was a much larger group of contributors than a single person.

APCPPHTA 1 (pronounced Ap Chip Fa ta) - Speaker of the Council – Created by Ben Richards, this AI is an almost complete reproduction of a human being, except for the primitive construction methods used to design him. His main flaw however is his lack of understanding of emotion, preferring logic to emotional considerations. As the highest ranking AI in the Pilonese government APCPPHTA is a well respected member by the rest of the AI community.

Teran Simber - Speaker of the Council – Son of Pilias Simber, this blind seer spends so much time in visions he rarely speaks, and is never seen in public, except when he means to tell of the future or is directly asked a question. Not much else is known about this elusive Hermit and he rarely shows up in person to counsel meetings.

Ahoyo Maquo - Speaker of the Council – A Goutaim, and longtime apprentice of Pilias Simber, this ex-assassin is rumored to have killed over 8,000 people in his life. Ahoyo represents the conservative militarist factions of Mars and is the outspoken voice of this group which varies in size over time. Currently this group is growing in power and as a result Ahoyo's voice has become much louder in Pilonese politics. Ahoyo is still adamantely against Imperialism.

Issac (the mad) Malisse - Speaker of the Council – A staunch supporter of the rebellion and of the new social order, this man hopes that by increasing relations with other nations Pilon will rise to a greater position in international politics. Issac rose to power during the Pilonese civil war as the voice of the rebellion. He has since become the voice of the Liberal isolationist factions of Mars which is currently losing support politically and as a result Issac has virtually become silent in Pilonese affairs. It is rumored that he may even soon lose his position for a Liberal pro-expansion group that favors war with Auman and supports a Pilonese Empire, which is a growing power in Pilonese politics, but as of yet Issac still retains control of this position.

Llannewyre - Judge of the High Court – A half-elven explorer, this man has spent almost his entire life outside of Pilon in an explorer ship. He tends to support rulings that are pro-expansionist, pro-buisness, and socially moderate.

Kovax Goblok - Judge of the High Court – A female Orc, she feels that a return to a more conservative position is the way to go. Most of her rulings have favored a universal conservative view. She is also pro-buisness.

Daras Simber - Judge of the High Court – Father of Pilias Simber, Daras favors anti-buisness rulings, isolationism, and socially conservative positions.

Mareitha Goitha-Simber - Judge of the High Court – Mother of Pilias Simber, she is an active Psionic and a staunch supporter of the socially liberal positions, anti-buisness, and expansionist positions.

Richard Hansen - Judge of the High Court – A relatively young man who only recently has come to a position of power, fought in the rebellion. Supports social moderate, pro-buisness, and expansionism.

Uwe Maquo - Judge of the High Court – A Goutaim, son of Ahoyo, also an ex-assassin, a firm supporter of the social liberalism, pro-buisness, and expansionism.

Adrien Simber - Judge of the High Court – Son of Apletesh Simber, a classic example of a Simber, involved in Politics, a good speaker and an influential person in Pilonese politics. Supports universally Moderate positions. Is also Pro-buisness.

Charles Morgan - Judge of the High Court – A firm supporter of Corporate rights and the ex-CEO of Calicorp. Politically Moderate.

Ferune Maquo - Judge of the High Court – Mother of Uwe and wife of Ahoyo, Ferune is a firm supporter of the new order and the social changes, also in favor of many of the new technologies and changes underway in the economy. Socially Liberal, Politically Conservative, Pro-Buisness.

Nwabudike Simber – Calicorp CEO – Calicorp is a relatively new Megacorp that combined several smaller manufacturing companies into a powerhouse that dominates that area in Pilon now. Is the primary supplier to the Military.

Teres Simber – Pilon Peoples Corp (PPC) CEO – Teres is the son of Teran. By far the largest of all the Megacorps, this Megacorps primarily deals in IT and Genetics development. PPC has its hands in almost all aspects of the Pilonese economy and also owns the Hellas Tunnel. PPC controls roughly 20% of the Directive Branch.

Rioqueoida Eudaimonia - Eudaimonia Industries CEO – Mostly involved in food support and other types of basic needs of the people, also develops types of entertainment devices. Recently Eudaimonia Industries has increased its food production 10 fold and has increased its line to include almost 4 times as many types of foods. They plan to begin expansion into foreign markets selling exotic Pilonese products throughout Mars and beyond.

XP-38 A – Cybo-life Corp CEO – Primarily a medical research and developers of computer systems. Primary supplier of Nodes and nanite constuction.

Genesis Simber – Genesis Corp CEO – Daughter of Gwendalin Simber. Genesis Corp is a splinter Corp of PPC. Currently Genesis Corp and PPC are engaged in a bloody struggle for dominance on the Pilonese economic front, there has been some violence. Genesis Simber is said to be willing to do anything to get dominance in this struggle. Competes with PPC in all aspects of their buisness, is currently in the process of a hostile takeover of the Kuiper Belt mining operations.

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