What is Natio Octavarium? A primer for prospective allies, enemies, and recruits alike
0 - Preamble -----
We put this post together to give something of a primer on what to expect from Natio Octavarium's roleplay, to make it a bit easier to see where we fit into Sirius and, for those who may be interested, what kind of characters would sign on.
I - Who flies for NO? -----
Natio Octavarium is an independent colony deep in the border worlds. As a new colony, no one born among us is old enough to fly, so most people are here voluntarily.
But why?
Some have left the Houses due to irritation with perceived corruption and other problems - this likely includes the bulk of our Libertonian populace. Some have come from Bretonia, to escape the war or to find revenge against Gallia on their own terms.
Still others are here for the chance to leave behind a criminal past. Natio Octavarium was founded by reformed pirates, and its members include many more. But while joining the Bounty Hunters Guild would require them to take up arms against their former comrades, and the Houses' idea of "atonement" is likely to include undesirable amounts of prison time, Natio Octavarium allows them a chance to peacefully reconcile their past and present - and sometimes make use of those old connections.
They are also those with the ability to get to us. While we don't charge an entry fee, those who've heard of us and have the means to reach out are somewhat limited, and we don't always have transportation available to pick someone up - especially from Rheinland or Gallia. As a result, Natio Octavarium has an unusually high rate of private spacecraft ownership.
While it's not a hard rule, many Octavarian citizens would be outcasts and undesirables elsewhere in Sirius. In Natio Octavarium, they've found acceptance and opportunity.
II - Organizations within Natio Octavarium: Ministry-Run -----
IIa - Fourth Octavarium Fleet -----
A common point of confusion stems from the numbering. The Fourth Fleet isn't named for concurrent fleets, but rather as a successor to the prior Vagrant Fleets. We have one fleet, it is the Fourth Fleet.
Split into two Divisions, simply named Home and Away, the Fleet is responsible for safeguarding the interests and the people of Natio Octavarium and projecting military force into areas of interest to maintain the sovereignty of the Natio and proactively neutralize threats. The Home Division and the Fleet as a whole is led by Taskmaster Eva Flores; the Away Division presently does not have a separate command.
IIb - Octavarium Intelligence Commission -----
The Octavarium Intelligence Commission consists of those people carefully chosen by Escher and Sundog to see to Natio Octavarium's more covert needs. They don't quite match the style of proper House intelligence agencies, though they can act the part if needed. They are the smallest intelligence agency in Sirius, they know that, and they act the part - the Commission is more likely to work as intermediaries between parties that cannot openly coordinate, or to pass along intelligence to a faction better situated to act on it, than they are to take action on their own.
III - Organizations within Natio Octavarium: Civilian -----
In the early days of Natio Octavarium, the wealthiest of the Vagrant Raiders were, for the most part, the leaders. As a result, most of their money was tied up in getting the colony established and functional, rather than being available to invest in businesses.
The first Octavarian business endeavors, then, were staffed by former pirates providing their own ships and equipment. This resulted in most Octavarian businesses being some form of worker cooperative rather than the more common corporate structure seen in House space. While the original piratical residents are no longer the majority, the populace at large has shown a preference for this style of business, so the tradition is expected to continue through the foreseeable future.
Aquila Defense Systems, having originated outside of Natio Octavarium, is currently an exception, but the employees have a strong union nonetheless.
While the listed organizations are the largest, they are by no means the only civilian-run enterprises in Natio Octavarium. Thanks to the lingering ambitions of retired pirates, and refugees wanting a chance to start a better life, there are a variety of other businesses ranging widely in size - and plenty of room to start your own.
IIIa - Octavarium Mercantile Guild -----
The Octavarium Mercantile Guild handles the bulk of Natio Octavarium's shipping needs. It's a loose collective of generally independent traders, crew, and support staff overseen by Guildmaster Joseph Bloggs. Independent trade is fully permitted in Natio Octavarium, but most transport captains join the Guild for the benefits. Easily affordable dues allow access to all Guild-owned facilities, numerous shipping contracts, and reduced docking fees and maintenance expenses. Guild membership is so common it's become assumed by some that any trader not affiliated with the Guild is actually a Commission agent.
IIIb - Aquila Defense Systems -----
A shipbuilder and gun manufacturer with a checkered past. During Natio Octavarium's days in Kansas, Director of Operations Johnathan Jones evacuated his employees to Seasons Base after a past deal backfired fatally. They currently have a minimal spaceborne presence, but their engineers' distinctive maroon coveralls are a very common sight in Octavarian hangars and all levels of Canberra.
IV - Location and Diplomacy -----
IVa - Where -----
Natio Octavarium's home is in the Makassar Asteroid Field in Tau-44. We have a station there called Canberra Star City that we are hoping to eventually have turned into an NPC station. We also maintain a POB above Oraibi in Coronado called Kwinana Refinery. Canberra and Kwinana are open for docking to everyone who we are not at war with. Our primary zone of influence is in the Taus, and our secondary is in systems bordering the Taus and the western Independent Worlds.
IVb - Allies and Enemies -----
We are allied with the Crayter Republic and the Lane Hackers. The Crayter Republic is our partner in maintaining the Tau-44 system and is a key contributor to our military capacity. The Lane Hackers were a close ally of the Vagrant Raiders, the predecessor faction to Natio Octavarium, and are our key partner for intelligence and technological development.
Factions that we're friendly with include the Temporary Autonomous Zoners, the Kingdom of Bretonia, the Unioners, the Red Hessians, and the Outcasts. Factions that we're wary of are unlawfuls in Bretonia and Liberty (excluding the Lane Hackers and the Gaians), the Farmers Alliance, and the Reformed Empire of Kusari.
We are hostile to the Rheinland Imperialists, the Hellfire Legion, the Corsairs (mostly), the Gallic Royalist Enclave, and the Nomads. The Natio and its predecessor were previously declared terrorists by the Rheinwehr, and the Zwickau Massacre gives us little reason to prove them wrong. We are at war with the Legion due to their acts against the sanctity of the LH-VR-HF alliance that once presided over the Vespucci system. The Corsairs are a historical enemy of the VR/NO, though rarely seen in our corner of Sirius. The Gallic Royalist Enclave, while serving the now-defunct Kingdom of Gallia, has in the past committed war crimes against citizens of the Natio and are considered an existential threat. And we're not okay with mind-invading tentacle aliens taking over the galaxy either.
V - Joining the Faction -----
Now that you've got an idea of what NO is, you're probably wondering what you can do as part of the faction. Here's a non-exhaustive list:
Get paid tasty bonuses on cargo runs! NO- is registered on several job boards that allow our players to collect bonus payouts for doing trade runs that benefit our faction and our allies and partners in the roleplaying environment.
Go out there and score some blues! The Gallic War is finally over, but the Enclave hasn't gotten the message yet. We're pretty non-restrictive on what you can fly as long as it's on our ID, and we have several shared fighters, bombers, and even a shared gunboat or two for those instances where things are getting a little bit too tense.
Yarr It Up! We're really only mostly-retired from piracy. Our ID permits us to rob the transports of factions we consider enemies within our ZoI. While the Enclave doesn't field many transports, Rheinlandic corporate haulers are fair game on their runs to and from Gallia.
Be incredibly shady with the Commission! Gathering intelligence by hiding in plain sight is the OIC's favourite pastime, with causing people to fall on their own swords not far behind. Join the Commission, be a spy, and shape order and chaos alike in the Taus.
We have an incredibly open recruitment process; all you need to do is go to this thread and post in it using the form in the OP.
If you have any questions, please feel free to either PM this account or ask @Capt. Henry Morgan or @Thexare directly either on the forums or on Discord.
