Difference between revisions of "Pilon"

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Pilon

Flag of Pilon
Motto: The greatest power lies in the genetic code.
Region	Sisgardia
Capital	Transhumana
Official Language(s)	Pilonese, English, Aquan
Leader	Pilias Simber
Population	4.5 - 5 billion
Currency	Pi
NS Sunset XML

General

The Hegemony of Pilon, referred to more often simply as Pilon, is a Virtual Democracy located primarily in Sisgardia and Mars. In addition Pilon has a number of smaller colonies and outposts spread throughout the solar system and beyond. The Martian and Sisgardian territories are treated with total equality with the other 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 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 society sunk beneath the waves inhabited by a society that is described as being incredibly inventive. 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 surpassing most other nations in the fields of genetic engineering and biology.

The 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.

Government

Though the original society was run by a single charismatic leader, 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: Sisgardia – 12,960,000 KM³ Mars – 10,500,000 KM³ Netheril – 3,375,000,000 KM³

Major Languages: Pilonese (99%), English (85%), Orc (55%), Elphin (50%), Aquan (45%), Gnomish (40%), Elven (25%), Dwarven (22%), Protoss (15%), French (12%), Spanish (10%), Arabic (8%), Mandarin Chinese (4%)

Population: (Sentient Only) Sisgardia – 2,500,000,000 Mars – 2,000,000,000 Netheril – 50,000,000 Other – 25,000,000

By Age: 0-12 Years – 8% 13-25 Years – 9% 26-50 Years – 8% 51-125 Years – 22% 126-200 Years – 19% 201-250 Years – 15% 251-300 Years – 12% 301+ - 7%

By Race: (Sentient Races Only) Transhuman (30%) Orc - (20%) Elphin - (14%) Gnome – (13%) Dwarf - (10%) Elf - (5%) Protoss - (2%) Human - (1%) Other - (Multiple Races each consists of less than a percentage point) (5%) (175,000,000)

By Sentience: Sentient – 15% Non-Sentient – 85% By Gender: Male – 35% Female – 55% Other – 10%

By Residence: Urban – 99% Rural – 1% Surface – 1% Underwater – 96% 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.

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 colony on Mars and the main nation in Sisgardia, Pilon controls a colony is the Martian Joint Colony project called Netheril, a small orbital base around Venus and Mercury, a mining colony in the Asteroid Belt, and a small population of people in the Kuiper belt, left over from the construction efforts of the Omeldor-1. They also have a population living on the Omeldor-1.

The Main nation exists in Sisgardia, where they are the only nation there to live completely submerged beneath the surface. Because of the design of the Ecojungle, and Pilon’s typical three dimentional construction efforts, they find it easier to develop colonies underwater, and generally Pilonese avoid surface dwelling, as it leaves them feeling exposed and alone.

The Martian colony spans in the northern hemisphere of mars, between 30 and 60 degrees in a roughly round shape on the surface. 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.

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 only just recently finished the joint efforts of the SFN to build the Omeldor-1. It now seems likely that the belt will be developed by Megacorporations in a similar fashion to the Asteroid Belt. There are about 500,000 Pilonese in the Kuiper Belt.

Another 5,000,000 Pilonese have moved to the Omeldor-1, where they hope to use the station to develop trade negotiations with other nations, and further Pilonese international interests.

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

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. Recently a new 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.

Foreign Relations

Ever since the recent civil war much effort has been made to improve the diplomatic relations with all nations nearby Pilon. There are a number of initiatives in the upcoming months that have been planned with this goal in mind. As it stands currently the main focus will be on establishing good trade relations with as many nations as possible and setting up embassies in all nations that Pilon considers to be on good terms with currently.

Geography

Sisgardia: Natural Resources: Fish, Noble Gases, Nitrogen, Sulfur, Carbon, Oxygen, Calcium, Chlorine, Iron, Uranium, Zinc, Tin, Copper, Silicon, Biomass, Pearls, Timber Climate: Tropical Average Temperature of Water – 30ºC Average Temperature within Arcologies - 35ºC Air Pressure – 2500mb Average Humidity – 78-88% Rainfall (On Land Territory) – 500-650 cm/year Average Number of Species per Hectare – 200,000

Mars: Natural Resources: Fish, Iron, Argon, Hydrogen, Helium, Nitrogen, Carbon, Oxygen, Calcium, Titanium, Uranium, Zinc, Tin, Copper, Silicon, Biomass, Pearls, Quartz, Silicates, Nitrates, Deuterium Climate: Tropical Average Temperature of Water – 25ºC Average Temperature within Arcologies – 35ºC Air Pressure – 850mb Average Humidity – 55-65% Average Number of Species per Hectare – 150,000

Netheril: Natural Resources: Fish, Argon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Carbon, Calcium, Biomass, Pearls, Deuterium, Tritium, Methane Climate: Sub-Tropical Average Temperature of Water – 22ºC Average Temperature within Arcologies – 25ºC Air Pressure – 1025mb Average Humidity – 85-95% Average Number of Species per Hectare – 75,000

Eco-jungle Description There are five layers in the Pilonese Eco-jungle, including the Emergent, Upper Canopy, Understory, The Jungle Floor, and The Sub-Aquatic. From seabed to top it can span as high as 100-150 meters tall. In the Emergent Layer, trees are spaced far apart, and span high into the sea sometimes spanning 100-150 meters high. The trees are umbrella shaped canopies that grow above the rest of the jungle. Because of the colder temperatures in the outer areas of the jungle, they tend to have small leaves, sometimes losing their leaves during the cold season. These giant trees have straight, smooth trunks with few branches. Their root system is very shallow. The upper canopy of 75-120 meter tall trees allow light to be easily available at the top of this layer. Artificial light sources are often placed in the sea above and below the upper canopy to augment the natural light that comes in. Most of the animal life lives around this area and there is much food available in this part of the eco-jungle. A majority of the food grown outside in the eco-jungle is harvested from this layer as well. Pilon’s arcologies are also set up in this layer as it provides the easiest access to the surrounding life. The understory, or lower canopy, consists of trees between 40-60 meter tall trees. This layer is made up of the trunks of canopy trees, smaller plants and some smaller trees. There is little air movement and little life in this layer. If there is light its often artificial, usually underneath the arcologies. The support system for the arcology spans up to this layer as well. The forest floor is usually mostly shaded, even if the artificial light sources exist above. There only areas where light may come down is where canopy trees have fallen and created an opening, or where artificial light sources have been set up for floor based facilities. Most areas of the forest floor receive so little light that few bushes or herbs can grow here. In addition the air pressure is so high that it’s difficult for large life-forms to live and most sentients require pressurized suits to move around down here. A small few have opted to undergo treatments that allow them to exist outside without pressurized suits but they need suits to go to a lower pressure area. A lot of litter and waste products fall to this layer from the higher layers which support’s a large number of scavengers and decomposers who break down the waste. This organic matter is also absorbed by the trees’ shallow roots. The Sub-Aquatic, or Tunnel layer, exists in the Hellas-Pilon tunnel dug a while ago. There are no light sources in this layer and hardly any life beyond algae and fungi that coat the tunnel edges. In addition there are a variety of single celled organisms that live in the waters. It usually takes between 1-3 years for the eco-jungle to become fully developed.

Important Cities

In all of Pilon there are now 17 Arcologies total, capable of holding anywhere from 17 Million for the smallest to 550 Million for the largest. In Sisgardia there are 9 Arcologies, 7 on Mars, and 1 in Netheril. The largest city is the city of Transhumana, located in Sisgardia. The largest Arcology on Mars is called Utopia. 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 – Technology, Pressurized Gases, Metals, Weapons, Chemical Agents, Biological Agents, Biomass, Food, Energy, Luxury Items Major Imports – Technology, Nitrogen, Food, Rare Metals, Manufactured Goods, Raw Materials, Weapons, Biological Agents, Chemical Agents Major Industries – Bio-weapons, Retail, Soda Pop, Gambling, Book Publishing, Information Technology, Furniture, Fishing, Manufacturing, and Cheese Currency – Pi Symbol - ∏ The economic system in Pilon is a little bit different than the standard Socialist or Capitalist economies. The Arbitrators, using a formula developed by economists, determine how much various activities provide to the society at large in a variety of categories and a person receives Pis equal to the amount given to the society. In addition everyone is provided with food, water, housing, and healthcare. For non-Pilonese who work in Pilon they receive Pis for the amount of work they do in country and receive meals and water while in the country, and if they live in country they also receive a place to live and healthcare. There are no Taxes in Pilon, the government supports themselves using the above system. Megacorporations have taken advantage of this friendly atmosphere to form huge groups of Co-Ops that work under them, giving them unprecedented control of Pilon’s economy and a fairly loud voice in the government as well. GDP (according to Third geek Economy Calculator) - $26,837.09

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 Sisgardian Joint Craft world Project (10% of total GNP go to it every year now), The Bio-weapons Project, The DNA Cataloging Project (Cataloging how practically every combination or variation in the DNA strand will affect a being)

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. 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. 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. 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.

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 advances 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 400 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.

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.

Parasciences 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 means of Psy-Ops and Propaganda. 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.

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 means of Psy-Ops and Propaganda.

Culture

Social Issues

The healthcare in Pilon is an intricate system that gives access to even the most advanced facilities to those that need it. A large number of people in Pilon work in the medical field and a push for this type of work are 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, and usually when they are killed instantly. 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. 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 and the small amount of land territories in Pilon from foreign invaders. Historically they tend to be used as the occupation force after an attack. Most of the augmentations used in the Army are towards things like Exo-skeletal enhancements, sleep reduction treatments, and physical performance enhancers. 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, 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. 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. 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 cyborg 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 Aerospace Force defends Pilon’s skies and patrols the air, 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. 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. 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% (350,000,000) Percentage of Military by Branch Army – 8% (28,000,000) Navy – 25% (875,000,000) Submarine Guard – 10% (35,000,000) Marines – 10% (35,000,000) Aerospace Force – 10% (35,000,000) Space Fleet – 22% (770,000,000) Space Marines – 15% (52,500,000)

Percentage of Branch in Reserves Army – 90% (25,200,000) Navy – 50% (437,500,000) Submarine Guard – 50% (17,500,000) Marines – 50% (17,500,000) Aerospace Force – 65% (22,750,000) Space Fleet – 25% (192,500,000) Space Marines – 50% (385,000,000)

95% of the Armed Forces are combat support or combat service support assets.

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. Experimentation into using these parasites in an offensive fashion have also been made but as of yet have not actually been approved for use by the assembly. 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. 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.

As of yet Pilon has not developed any doctrine for the Military of Pilon in an offensive war, though it is generally agreed that the use of long-term Biological Agents might not be the wisest of actions, nor is the destruction of territory that Pilon intends to use. A new doctrine involving the use of Non-Biological Countermeasures is being developed in the case of an attack by an enemy that does not have biological components, though the weapons and tactics used in such a situation are still deemed classified at this time.

Personal Weapons Standard Military Issue Rifle: The standard issue weapon for the individual in the Pilonese Military. Officially designated the M-34, this weapons is designed to be used in virtually any situation. The rifle is equipped with a secondary mode that fires energy pulses. Weight – 2.5Kg Rate of Fire – 250 rounds/minute or 15pulses/second Firing Modes – Semiautomatic, Automatic, Energy Effective Range – 7500 meters (9000m with sniper sight) Maximum Range – 9000 meters Ammo – 150/magazine, 250/energy cap (6.25mm) Accessories – grenade launcher, integrated targeting sights, bipod, sniper sight, silencer, double capacity magazine, DNA security lock

M-97 Light Machine Gun: In the ground forces 2 members of a squad are given light machine guns to boost the squad’s firepower. The M-97 is the current weapon that they use. Designed with a number of stabilizers and tracking sensors the machine gun is designed to lay down suppressing fire and take out a number of enemies without much aiming or control. Weight – 5Kg Rate of Fire – 8 rounds/second Firing Modes – Automatic, Sentry Effective Range – 12,000 meters Maximum Range – 15,000 meters Ammo – 650/canister (6.25mm) Accessories – Automated targeting systems, multiple spectrum imaging devices, gyro-pod, DNA security lock

M-61 Carbine Rifle: Developed for special missions and close quarters fighting, this is a miniaturized version of the standard issue rifle. Weight – 1.5Kg Rate of Fire – 250 rounds/minute or 15pulses/second Firing Modes – Semiautomatic, Automatic, Energy Effective Range – 5500 meters (7500m with sniper sight) Maximum Range – 7500 meters Ammo – 150/magazine, 250/energy cap (6.25mm) Accessories – grenade launcher, integrated targeting sights, bipod, sniper sight, silencer, double capacity magazine, DNA security lock

M-147 Heavy Machine Gun: Mostly used as base defense or mounted on vehicles the M-147 is a versatile weapon used when the standard issue weaponry lacks the firepower needed to do the job. It also can be used to take out incoming aircraft or projectiles with reasonable accuracy. Weight - 11Kg Rate of Fire – 9 rounds/second Firing Modes – Automatic, Energy, Sentry, AA Tracker Effective Range – 8 Kms Maximum Range – 10.5 Kms Ammo – 10,000/barrel, 750/energy canister (57mm) Accessories - Automated targeting systems, multiple spectrum imaging devices, gyro-pod, DNA security lock, Synchronized AA Fire Controllers

M-75 Automatic Grenade Launcher Mostly used as an anti-Light Vehicle weapon the M-75 has proven to be an effective weapon in the Pilonese Arsenal, when equipped with crowd control agent grenades it can also be an anti-riot weapon. Weight – 15 Kg Rate of Fire – 6 grenades/second Firing Modes – Automatic, Semi auto, Sentry Effective Range – 2500 Meters Maximum Range – 3000 Meters Ammo – 250/barrel Accessories - Automated targeting systems, multiple spectrum imaging devices, gyro-pod, DNA security lock

M-19 Tank Buster Proven to be a cost effective weapon, the M-19 was developed for use against invading forces once they enter a Pilonese City against their heavy vehicles. The warhead contains two separate types of ammunition, first containing a parasite that breaks down any form of metal into its basic elements and a powerful EMP pulse designed to knock out the electronics of the vehicle. One Tank Buster contains enough parasites to render a Tank Inoperable in about 5 minutes; this time is decreased by hitting the tank with multiple rounds. Weight – 8 Kg Firing Modes – Singles Shot or Multiple Effective Range – 5 Km Maximum Range – 7.5 Km Ammo – 4 Accessories – long range imaging sight, multiple spectrum imaging devices, DNA security lock, and vehicle mount

M-23 GSM Designed to be used against targets in space that are targeted by long range scanners either in orbit or on the ground, the M-23 is a single use dual person operated Ground to Space Missile Launcher. Weight – 35 Kg Effective Range – Upper Atmospheric Orbit Maximum Range - +25 Kms Ammo – 1 Accessories – tri-vid imaging sight, Node link interface, DNA security lock, and vehicle mount

Ammunition: Pilon uses a variety of ammunition types in warfare. All of these types are available in a personal weapon form:

Standard – These are Depleted Uranium rounds aerodynamically designed for optimum flight and equipped with a small retro-rocket booster to boost range. All other rounds have this basic design unless otherwise specified. Tracer – A round equipped with a signal buoy that a targeting sight can home in on, 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 DU. 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 DU 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 DU. 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 DU 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 occupants of the chamber. Not DU.

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.

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. Also let me know if you think that these are too powerful, I have tried to keep it to within a reasonable power level.

The largest of all Pilonese Naval Vessels, the Leviathan, is based loosely on a Fish/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 150m when fully grown. By using a type of gravitic propulsion specifically developed for use underwater the Leviathan can reach speeds of up to mach 2 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 several hundred smaller hunter craft, which it can launch out of bays in the sides of its body. These hunter craft are its main force 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 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. 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 1 meter in length. They are incredibly fast swimmers able to go at up to 60 mph underwater. The Hunters have two mouths, one is similar in form to a lamprey only it is designed to suck energy. 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.

A much smaller class of ship, the Scylla 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 6 meters in length when fully grown. Using the same drive that powers the Leviathan a Scylla can reach cruising speeds of up to mach 3, 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. Rather then using one or two powerful projectiles the Scylla prefer to use many small projectiles that they will often times flood the water with. 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 2-8 Hunters that live a symbiotic relationship with the Scylla and will act in a similar manner to those that live in a Leviathan.

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 Largest members of the space fleet are the massive Jormungand class ships. When fully grown the Kraken can reach lengths of up to 250m 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 1000 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 Ull 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 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 other mouth of the Ull is equipped with a sonic wave inducer that breaks down the molecules in a substance allowing the Ull to chew its way through. The Ull is about 1.5m in length

Another ship, mostly used as the main assault ship of the Pilonese fleet is called the Charybdis. 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. Rather then using one or two powerful projectiles the Charybdis prefer to use many small projectiles that they will often times flood the water with. When a bunch of Charybdis 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 Jormungand. 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 30m in length when fully grown

International Rankings

Important People

Aaron Duiter - Representative to the SFN – A passionate Human who has recently 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The Elwyn Sisters – Head Diplomatic Envoys for Pilon – Actually a group of clones 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Daras Simber - Judge of the High Court – Father of Pilias Simber, not much more is known about this man, he avoids the public eye Mareitha Goitha-Simber - Judge of the High Court – Mother of Pilias Simber, she is an active Psionic and a staunch supporter of the civil reforms and changes in the new order. 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. Uwe Maquo - Judge of the High Court – A Goutaim, son of Ahoyo, also an ex-assassin, a firm supporter of the new political reforms. 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. Charles Morgan - Judge of the High Court – A firm supporter of Corporate rights and the ex-CEO of Calicorp. 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. 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. 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. 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 XP-38 A – Cybo-life Corp CEO – Primarily a medical research and development of computers. Genesis Simber – Genesis Corp CEO – Daughter of Gwendalin Simber. Genesis Corp is a splinter Corp of PPC.

Notes

Links