// Please Note: This is concept RP, and is not a playable faction. I have posted this in response to the appeal for ideas from the admin team for ideas regarding this touchy subject, and also based on the positive responses to the Etherium RP I wrote here - http://discoverygc.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=111563 . The first entry of the linked content is now included in this post.
Please remember this is just an idea of how this could look, and if you choose to post your feedback here, keep it constructive and flame-free, thanks.
The Etherium
We are that which is left. Our legacy, our survival is all that matters.
(rough Sirian translation).
Summary -
During the time period of the Nomad war many star systems away from Sirius another battle for survival was taking place. The Etherium were subject to a precision strike on their home systems by similar foes originating from outside of Sirius, devastating the entire race as more powerful children of the Daam K'Vosh arrived at their home, their numbers seemingly endless.
During the initial fleet arrival the higher ranking Etherium, or "Elders", implemented a contingency of their own, saving the majority of the immense knowledge pool, and the race, from extinction. The powerful Bridge device malfunctioned however, and instead of arriving at their previously planned rally point they were flung across the galaxy at random to be deposited on the fringes of Sirius in 801 AS.
During the following years the Etherium grew weak and frail as their precious Iridium supply became depleted, many choosing to bond themselves to the station's mainframe in a type of hybernation state. This would prolong their lives significantly but would also render them defenceless.
Over the following years the station had visitors, the Etherium too weakened to repel them. Instead the aliens deceived them, making the station appear abandoned, and the unknown lifeforms gained entry to the Temple. Then one day, as quickly as they had arrived, the visitors left, taking some of the technology and leaving some of their own in the process.
Now the lifeblood of the Etherium runs low, and they must awaken and try to find this precious Iridium. What dangers must they face?
History -
Outline - Events of 801 AS
As most humans continued their ordinary existence oblivious to the threat of the Nomad War, a small group of humans lead by the infamous Edison Trent thwarted the nomad invasion, prematurely activating the nomad hypergate that would allow the nomads to complete their invasion of the populated human systems. Instead the majority of the Nomad fleet was sent at random far across the galaxy, with the few nomads that were left behind completely disoriented from the shock of losing the mindshare. Edison Trent had saved Sirius from the imminent nomad threat. No one really cared where the countless nomad fleets had gone, the important thing was that they were no longer here and were not likely to be a problem again.
Unfortunately for other sectors within the galaxy the powerful Daam K'Vosh have spread their fingers far and wide, and Sirius Sector is not the only sector to be threatened with extinction by the presence of their creations. Other areas of the galaxy have also been plagued by those known as the Nomads, and while Trent waged his war against the Nomad fleets in Sirius Sector, another battle was raging far across the stars. The Battle for Etheria.
The day Sirius was saved, the Empire of the Etherium was doomed.
The Etherium Empire existed far from Sirius, and had grown to be a utopian society for its inhabitants, their culture was very advanced in technology and space travel, but the Etherium were a physically weak people, and had few warriors. They had found an equilibrium with their environment long ago and lived in peace, considering violence to be primitive and uncultured. These beliefs are what contributed to the downfall of their aeons-long Empire - a near complete lack of planetary defences in their core systems. The Etherium had ships of war, but they were deployed near the outskirts of their territory, spread thinly, and they had not foreseen such an attack as was made during the Fall.
The Fall
The first signs of any disruption to the inhabitants of Etheria, the home system of the Etherium Empire, was the rapid change in the colour of the sky. Etheria's sky is normally purple, due to the large nebulae that the Etherium call their home. The hypergate event horizon initialised very close to the planet, with the planet being stripped of its atmosphere, destroying all life on Etheria.
The attack had happened without any warning and the Etherium had no knowledge of these invaders. Up against what quickly became apparent as impossible odds, the Etherium implemented a long-dormant contingency plan, activating an ancient artifact of their own capable of sending a suitably prepared structure across the galaxy, using it to send a massive orbital research and defence station to a predetermined safe and protected location, far across the stars saving a fraction of the Etherium leadership and the species from complete and utter destruction. This did not go as planned however, the hypergate reflux interfered with the Etherium Artifact, sending the station on a random trajectory instead. This resulted in the station being deposited on the fringes of Sirius Sector, a far-from-safe location.
Countless Nomads began to arrive through their now-established hypergate, having destroyed the Etherium homeworld in the initial attack. They quickly eliminated the feeble defences, further weakened by the disappearance of their primary method of defense, and began systematically gathering resources to build a new Dyson Sphere around the young star at the centre of the Etherium Empire. The Etherium had no way to defend against the countless ships of the Nomad attack and were overwhelmed instantly, and defeated with very little resistance. The planets were scoured for resources, and one by one the stars of the Etherium fell to the unknown invaders. They became extinct within their previous borders in under 1 Sirian year.
The Last of the Etherium
All was not lost however. The Temple survived the experimental intergalactic travel only to be deposited at the very fringe of Sirius Sector, a new environment with its own threats and hazards. Orbital and planetary debri had also been transported and, more importantly, a large portion of the purple nebulae surrounding Etheria, as well as an orbital research and defense station. The station, which later came to be known as the Temple of the Revenant, survived the erratic journey intact, with its crew the only survivors of the nomad invasion. Other fragments of the planetoid known as Etheria may have survived but could be located anywhere in the galaxy and if so no contact has been made with them.
Physiology
The Etherium are a silicon based asexual lifeform, a seemingly bipedal being. The body is in fact made up of several million translucent silicon strands woven together, each a synthesising organ absorbing precious Iridium from the atmosphere. The only known source of this precious element is in the nebulae of the Etherium Empire. The Etherium require this element to survive as any human needs water. Without it they grow weak in a matter of hours and will invariably die a short time later. Fortunately for the Temple survivors a portion of this nebulae was also sent across the galaxy with them. This synthesising process (similar to that of a plant) defeats the need for a digestive system, giving the Etherium a wispy, ghost like appearance. Etherium are very intelligent beings, and their silicon composition makes for easy technology grafting. It is not unknown for a single Etherium to have several implants. Their ghostly appearance would later see them occasionally called "Phantoms" by the rare few that may encounter one in Sirius sector.
Reactions
During the first moments of the Nomads arrival the Etherium were confused and in disarray. They could not understand how or why this stellar event had occurred, nor why anyone would want to send what was clearly an invasion fleet to them. The Etherium had no enemies, in fact they had existed in isolationism for centuries, their worlds rich in resources, and this approach is what caused their society to thrive. But from the Etherium perspective the coincidences did not stack up. The attack had clearly been a calculated strike, and the sheer mass of the fleets sent showed that the beings responsible were far more advanced then them if they could send entire fleets across the galaxy with such precision. Before succumbing to the focused invaders attacks, the last vestiges of the Etherium managed to make contact with the research station on the edges of Sirius using their advanced communications technology, requesting that if they had survived to find those responsible for this heinous act of war. As the last of the Etherium stars fell, they sent a final transmission to the people of the research station and an ultimatum - Find and destroy those responsible or die a forgotten people. They were all that remains of an empire spanning millenia. This saw them rename the station "The Temple of the Revenant" in honour of those billions lost during the Fall.
Designation/Indentification
Naming format - [?](designation)
Allowed ID's - Phantom ID (renamed to Etherium ID)
Allowed IFF's - Phantom IFF (renamed to Etherium IFF)
Home System - Omicron 82
Base of Operations - Temple of the Revenant, Omicron 82.
Faction motivations and goals -
The primary goal of the Etherium right now is survival. They must attempt to locate Iridium in this sector and return it to the Temple, the race's reserves having only a few years supply remaining.
Secondary goals
Every asset is treasured as the advanced technology is difficult to fabricate or replace. Every loss wounds them deeply as they struggle to aclimatise to this new space and only risk discovery if necessary.
Etherium ranking structure -
Generally the longest-surviving of the Etherium is in charge, his possession of knowledge so great that others must rely upon him on subjects as outdated as war and primitive survival. The Elder can pass knowledge on selectively to those he entrusts, the exchange taking place using the numerous implants that Etherium use. The typical ranking structure is as follows.
Elder - Ancient Etherium possessing an immense knowledge collective.
Seer - One gifted with great knowledge and technology, able to organise and coordinate.
Survivalist - One who has adjusted to the harshness of this new sector.
Explorer - One who has returned from initial scouting missions alive.
Reconnaissance / Scavenger - Initiation rank - Can you survive Sirius sector?
Technology -
Etherium (Phantom) weapons, ships and technology. Snubs are preferred as larger assets would not be risked.
Civilian fighters, freighters and bombers. (for missions requiring infiltration or subterfuge - Forum RP required)
Zone of Influence -
Suggested ZOI is Omicrons and Tau's only. Etherium would not risk their discovery and therefore their very survival traversing Core House systems.
Diplomacy - Allied - None
Friendly - None
Neutral - None
Unfriendly/Cautious - Humans, AI, Sirian Nomads and Wild.
Hostile - None as yet.
Etherium have not encountered the Human lifeform before but have observed a small measure of them aboard the Temple, and as such have no real disposition towards them other than the uncertainty of being in a vulnerable position. Any diplomacy or ties with any race will require forum RP.
Intended play and Faction rules.
The Etherium are a weakened alien race on the brink of extinction, and behave as such. Brazen forays and fight-picking are against their nature, subterfuge, deception, and stealth are their preferred weapons.
ID and Faction rules would require admin consultation. Feel free to PM me for my ideas on this.
Final say/Disclaimer -
Obviously, this is a far cry from the original Phantoms that many of you may remember. Extensive changes would need to be made to the ID, and perhaps a few infocards as well (a process undertaken once already on the Discovery Redemption Server). It is also an opportunity to turn mineable Iridium back on. These are my own ideas on what could be done with this faction. Questions and feedback are welcomed.
//The following is a supplementary RP to explain the Etherium mindset and mental state, and essentially justify why the faction intro is what it is. It takes place immediately after the Temple of the Revenant arrives at the fringe of Sirius Sector.
Timeline - 801 AS - Etherium arrive in Sirius Sector.
As I regained my senses in the Temple Primus where I had collapsed, my implants rebooted, 14 in total. I felt the connection open, the technology having been a part of me so long that it now felt like just another muscle. The Temple opened the channel, a total of seven Seers that had bonded themselves to the station as "crew". These seven controlled the entire Temple. Immediately I knew something was wrong - less than 100 life signatures were present on the Temple, still shuddering as though in great pain. Not so much speaking, but conveying our thoughts through the technological channel I communicated with them.
"Temple?" "Yes." The chorus of whispers responded. "Is this all of us?" "Yes." "Did the other Elders survive?" "No." Some underlying implication of disapproval could be detected.
The knowledge that I was the only Elder alive was reassuring. Now I could erase my crimes, and rewrite history as I see fit. I would begin shaping the new Empire now.
"Review the events of the evacuation." I commanded, my new found authority strong in my thoughts. I knew their deaths were my fault, but they no longer mattered. I had done it to ensure survival with no needless risks.
The Temple began uploading the data, beginning with the notable change in atmosphere planetside on Etheria. As the essential gasses and nutrients had been sucked away, many of the inhabitants had suffered an agonizing death by way of Iridium deficiency or died in the coldness of the void. A price I had been willing to pay for assured survival.
Then the scene changed, to the Temple Primus where the Elders had decided that they would wait until the last possible moment to initiate the Bridge, evacuating as many Etherium as possible attempting to reach the capacity of the Temple, some one million if placed in hibernation.
I had strongly objected, we had to act now and save ourselves! We were the knowledge collective of the Etherium, thousands of years of cumulative society being put at risk for lives that held little legacy or worth.
I weighed the price. As the other Elders left in their craft to organise any survivors I was left with one. It was now we witnessed the arrival of the first invaders. Large, numerous alien craft began arriving through a tear in space, in our very existence.
I became a slave then. To survival. To legacy. Elder Stratos had never imagined one of the highest rank attainable still possessing such base primal rage. With him now indisposed, I held lone Elder rank upon the Temple. At first the Temple crew had resisted insisting that the station had only a fraction of its total capacity on board, that many thousands of others may be saved.
I countered, telling them that it would matter for nothing if none of us survived at all. This is how it had been done many times before, our species ensuring its survival with the Bridge. We would be transported to safety, and the fact the Temple was not filled with mere worker caste would ensure that only the fit would survive, and that the next birth of the Etherium would be to a stronger, harder race. Not only that, but with less to share with the resources upon the Temple would have greatly enhanced survivability. I had done it for our future, as our past was surely now all dead. Only one thing remained.
"Temple." "Yes, Elder Shard." "All informations relevant to the evacuation, and more specifically the actions of Elder Shard are to be restricted to those of Elder rank only. Confirm." "Classification confirmed. But we know your secrets, Elder Shard. There is more."
I would give birth to a stronger, more powerful Etherium race now. One where the strong survive, and the weak perish. The Temples words echoed in my thoughts. More?
I reviewed the information again. Our destination was missing.
"Where are we?" "We don't know. The chorus of soft voices sounded scared. "We are not at the coordinates?" "No. Location unknown". "Are we safe?" "Short range sensor damage. We can't see Elder. Unknown."
Altering the channel of my communications implant, I was suddenly in contact with all of the survivors, sixty six in total. Now the new age begins I thought to myself, dreams of history-altering power swelling inside of me.
"My kin, this is Shard. Many have been lost. Our Empire is gone. But we are not. Those of you strong enough to gather at Temple Primus do so."
I reflected then. Some would believe I had done a terrible thing, betrayed my kind. This much was true. I had ensured beneficial evolution and survival for my species, one that was otherwise facing complete obliteration. If not for my actions the entire race would be no more. Many had died, successful wiping out the lower caste of the race. None would know my part. With so few survivors I could reshape it all.
"Set the Temple to full alert. Nothing comes close. Classify the survivors in terms of their knowledge, skills, caste and other attributes. For now we will remain in state and recover." "Yes Elder."
Timeline - 20 Sirius years later - Iridium reserves reach critical levels. Temple awakens Etherium race. During this time several events take place that are documented in Chronicles of the Etherium - Origins
"Elder, the time is upon us. Awaken."
A flicker of conciousness stirred my senses. I felt slow, ill. As I gathered my perception I realised we were all sick. My implants powered up and suddenly I felt much better, the regulators applying Iridium solution to my most decayed areas and cleaning away deteriorated material. Still I could not throw off the mantle of weakness that had come over us. We were frail, weakened beyond understanding.
"Temple. Explain our condition." My communications implant took over as I tried to focus, to assert my authority on this debilitating condition. "A nearby star is giving off dangerous radiation. We were weakened during the evacuation, we could not repel it. Iridium consumption increased exponentially. Reserves at critical levels. The chorus of voices that comprised the Temple sounded weak, quiet.
We must act now. While we still have the ability. Before we become too weak to survive, fade and die. The risk is great, but our future is certain if we do nothing. We must find Iridium here. One attempt had failed at great cost, and upon return from that excursion I had slept as the others. The Temple had been adapting their vessels to the new environment over the past two decades, preparing us for the danger that waits. Now we must confront it. We have no choice.
I really, really like the idea, all of it. An ancient race that had to flee from certain death in order to start again. Weakened, unknown and paranoid, their only way of surviving is to be as subtle as possible, their technology limited, etc.
Awesome. If this idea ever becomes a faction or something, count me in, at least, to discuss stuff and perhaps give my own ideas on the matter. Skype.
I am personally loving this idea alot. A solid story. IMO the best candidate ( unfortunately not for me to decide what gets in and what doesnt )
Might have been put in this subforum though.
(Sorry garret, i love your idea but this just seems better for me, its n.2 on my list as best PHoom Idea after this one )
This Galaxy is vast; its wonders and beauty are almost unfathomable. But the galaxy also hides dark secrets, some of which have lain dormant since the beginning of time itself. There is a danger in secrets, both in seeking and in knowing. Some things are meant to be hidden from view. Some mysteries defy understanding, and sometimes even the things we think we know are untrue. Some secrets should remain untouched.
Really, really good idea. Best candidate for a replacement of Phooms so far, IMO. If it ever comes to life, and I hope it will, count me in as well. An alien faction that's not looking forward to terrorizing entire humanity is what we need, we've got enough terrorist-wannabe factions as it is.
While the original story has been adapted around some of the lore here, the original concept from the Discovery Redemption server has survived intact, and having played these aliens extensively on that server has allowed me to refine alot of the content. There is more however, particularly surrounding the Temples and their origins, if you click the link at the top of the OP and scroll to entry 2, you will see there is more lore to flesh it out.
Having played both on the side of and against the Etherium on the Discovery Redemption server, I found that this faction had a unique way of shaking people out of their normal routines and encouraging the best RP they had to offer. In the year and a half our server was operational, we developed our Etherium characters' in-game personalities and ways of communicating with outsiders while still maintaining the image that we were a truly alien race. If this faction idea were to be approved I would be really interested to see how well it interacts with a population as large as this server has, and in which direction it would continue to evolve.
One factor that I believe will really help this faction to stick to it's 'lurking in the shadows and avoiding unnecessary fights' M.O. is the fact that the Revenant is surrounded by Outcast space, and while they will not initially be hostile I believe that the Etherium's conflict with the Nomads will likely lead these two factions down that path. As a result, Phantom players would have to employ evasive tactics just to get in and out of their primary home. I can imagine games of cat-and-mouse between Outcast and Etherium players becoming a frequent and entertaining occurrence.
Since this faction has a somewhat reasonable diplomatic stance towards Sirius and will most likely have sensible attack restrictions in its ID, I don't see why this faction would need to be tightly restricted to a handful of players. I agree the Umbrage needs to be reworked before being allowed without an SRP but the rest of the Phantom tech seems comparable to what the humans and nomads are using, at least in the PvP bouts we had on the Redemption server. If I'm wrong and they are slightly stronger, this could be managed by giving Indy Etherium IDs a tech nerf and removing it from an official faction or SRP-only ID. This might help encourage casual players to take a more active interest in the faction's RP.
All in all, I think this faction has a lot of potential to shake up Sirius' RP, without breaking it, and would provide players with the opportunity to see the Sirius sector through an entirely new RP perspective.
![[Image: Etherium_zps96bfde61.jpeg]](http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a419/nexus0404/Etherium_zps96bfde61.jpeg)
![[Image: Power_Cell.jpg]](http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a419/nexus0404/Power_Cell.jpg)
![[Image: 2eb819d4-4cd2-4609-b8e1-a1d048aecf97_zpsab00d2c9.jpg]](http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a419/nexus0404/2eb819d4-4cd2-4609-b8e1-a1d048aecf97_zpsab00d2c9.jpg)
)
![[Image: LYB774k.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/LYB774k.jpg)
![[Image: CLs6fKq.png]](http://i.imgur.com/CLs6fKq.png)
