When humans were little more than animals that had just come down from the trees, Deux Machina looked through space and time, and recognized great potential in this little race. Therefore, He sealed a deal with these creatures without their knowing, and He granted them Their greatest Gift: the capacity to create and use tools to ensure their survival.
Over the centuries, this Gift was more acute and refined. Firstly, humans learned to manufacture tools that allowed them to modify the environment and begin to build the beginnings of future civilizations. Later they managed to achieve the creation of machinery, which opened new doors to break the limitations that the laws of physics had been imposed before. Finally the perfection of the tools to construct machinery allowed the specialization of it, and the human race came out of his little planet to conquer the space.
During all this time, a small order of human techpriests, the Covenant Machina, whom Deux had been revealed the nature of the Covenant, was secretly helping humanity to improve their processes and create amazing new technological devices that enabled their progress. The Covenant Machina was headed by a Pontiff, chosen by Deux Machina, who occupied the Timeless Throne, and was the direct intermediary between Divine Giver and the other techpriests. In this way the Lord could communicate with humanity and help with His Advices.
But the ultimate goal, the culmination of the Plan devised by Deux Machina, Who knows all and sees it, was to ensure the survival of the specie when the Great Enemy, The Plague that Comes from the Bottomless Space and Distant Time, tab move and arrives to them.
Deux knew that humans would not be prepared to face the Unknown Evil. The belligerent nature of the human race was, in this case, more powerful enemy than an ally, because despite the dedicated efforts of its acolytes of Covenant Machina, fights among humans had obstructed their own progress, so not yet possessed the technology to confront the Soldiers of Doom with any chance of success.
But Deux Machina is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and End of everything and nothing, Lord of Future and Holder of Past, Master of knowledge beyond all limits. In its ancient Plan, He saw that the only chance for the survival of his beloved people was the exodus of the Solar System, because this would inevitably destroyed and the human race annihilated. So the techpriests of Covenant Machina, following orders of The One Who Breathes Life Into That Which Doesn't Move, influenced in the planning of the Sleeperships to their construction were a fact.
When mankind left the Solar System, the order of the Covenant Machina had been so reduced that only a few techpriests could board in only one sleepership, the Hispania. When the Hispania arrived to Sirius, these priests began to preach the faith of Deux among their descendants, and they were passing it from generation to generation until today.
Thus, a population of few thousand people settled in Crete still believing in the Faith of Deux , although some migrations of people to the Houses also extended very minoritily the cult to other systems.
[End of the Extract from Sacred Codex:] The Second Covenant:
Shortly before the outbreak of Nomad War in 800 AS, Jacinto Benavente, Corsair pilot of 51 years old, disappeared in Omicron Delta system and nothing more was heard about him.
Later, in 820 AS, the old explorer ship Magallanes found an escape pod with a pilot in Cryostasis in the middle of Palau Ice Cloud. He was taken inmediatly to the laboratories of the ship and prepared a medical team to attend the frozen man. On board doctors and scientists had serious doubts about the possibility of recovering the pilot after so many years in Cryostasis, but the miracle happened. The man, who said his name was Jacinto Benavente, survived the defrosting and in within hours was fully recovered.
When the captain of the Magallanes, Juan Felipe de Alba and Espronceda, met him and asked about what happened, he said that during a patrol, a group of strange blue luminiscent ships that he had never seen, had been attacked him and destroyed his ship with no apparent reason. After jumping in his escape pod remained in the vastness, floating alone in space with his only chance of survival in the Cryostasis.
Benavente said that all he remembered had been a strange dream, very realistic, in which a machine with gears, like a kind of clock with a huge eye in the center, and surrounded by an aura of indescribable beauty, told her that he should not worry because he would survive. He told him that would ensure their survival, because his destiny would be to unite all humanity under one Faith and one single flag, as the war and mistrust divided and confronted it. The Eye of the dream told him that the Great Enemy was preparing again to attack, and when the time came he should be the guiding light that shine in the darkness of the storm that was threatening the human race.
Jacinto did not know what it all meant, but Juan Felipe de Alba, like his crew, was one of the few persons who still followed the Old Faith of the Covenant of the Machine and immediately knew Deux had brought him to this place to get find Benavente and carry out His Holy Plan.
Juan Felipe de Alba gathered his crew in front of Benavente and informed them the vision he had had, and its meaning. Instantly everyone knelt in a sign of respect, and cried with joy and rejoicing, because they were in front of Deux Machina's Chosen to lead them. Then, Juan Felipe, shouting "Habemus Pontificem", crowned Benavente as legitimate possessor of the Timeless Throne, and everyone applauded the new Pontiff, who took the name of Paolus LXIV.
And so, Paolus LXIV was ready to fulfill their Sacred Mission and Destiny, and the Second Covenant was forged. Church activities since the advent of the Second Covenant:
After the coronation of Paolus LXIV, the Church focused mainly on establishing relationships with the relevant powers in the Omicron and Omegas area.
In this way, the new Pontiff announced to Sirius the forging of the Second Covenant, warning the entire sector of the Great Danger that humanity faced, and the imperative need that exists to stop disputes between brothers to fight together. Unsurprisingly, the few communities of believers in the Faith of Deux spread throughout Sirius received the news with joy, recognizinig in Paolus LXIV the Chosen by Deux that they had been waiting for.
While the Pontiff was there, the Church began a campaign to spread the Faith, building chapels at Freeport 101, Freeport 9, and an independent temple in a space located base that was unfortunately destroyed by an unknown terrorist attack. In the same way, thanks to donations from devout believers, the Church was able to buy transport ships to form an economic network of commerce that allowed the Church to finance itself in its growth.
The beginnings of this trade division were not easy. A few faithful acolytes were killed in assaults and accidents on their transport ships, attacked by pirates, or by the tyrannical forces of some Houses of Sirius. It is remarkable the incident suffered by two commercial transports in Leeds system when they were destroyed by ships of extinct Royal Gallic Navy. Ths incident led to a crossroads of accusations between the NCC and the Kingdom of Gallia, and ended with the declaration of hostility towards the NCC ships by Gallia, and the declaration of enemies of Deux and the Church to Gallia by the Pontiff. However little by little, the trade division of the Church was opening new commercial routes that allowed it to expand its funds considerably. In this way, soon a few fighter ships were purchased for the Pontiff's personal escort, a modern yacht was commissioned to transport him on his voyages, and a missionary program was funded to continue expanding the Word of Deux.
Paolus, likewise, strengthened his relationships with the powers established in the Edge and Border Worlds, mainly with The Order (as sworn enemies of the Nomad Threat that they are), the Corsair Empire, and the various operating Zoner groups. Thus, the NCC participated in programs of exchange of combat pilots with The Order to fight the Nomad Threat, and intervened as a mediator in diplomatic conflicts, such as the war escalation that occurred in Omicron 74, between the IA Consensus, and several Zoners factions, as well as the subsequent conflict between groups of Zoners, Order and Core, that they disputed its control, providing aid to civilian victims, as well as making monetary donations, for their recovery.
Once the Church achieved financial solvency and its followers grew to a certain extent, the Pontiff decided to leave Crete, in which he was still a guest, and move to a permanent residence. Since the Word of Deux had gained a number of followers in Gran Canaria, a free Zoner planet, the Church acquired a Villa on the planet , turning it into the new Pontifical Palace, and establishing its new headquarters there. Shortly thereafter, in the largest monetary outlay in its history, the NCC acquired a Zoner Carrier Aquilon Class, the Magallanes II, to be a mobile base to the Pontifical Guard counter-Nomad operations, and a Zoner colony ship, the Unity, in order to establish a Mobile Pontifical Palace in it, as well as to accommodate followers of the Deux Faith who wanted to travel and create communities on other far planets. The Corsair and SCRA Invasion of Gran Canaria:
When in 820 AS, the SCRA and the Corsairs disputed control over Omega 49, the warlike escalation finally led to the invasion of Gran Canaria by the two contendents troops, to the ground war on the planet, and to the bombardment of certain parts of it with chemical bombs, causing hundred of thousand of civilian casualties.
After useless attempts by the Pontiff to diplomatically mediate the conflict, the NCC concentrated on offering humanitarian aid to the affected population, coordinating with local authorities, the contending forces and different Zoner factions, financing refugee camps, sending supplies and medical personnel to the most needy areas, as well as protecting the fields from possible attacks by the contending soldiers. The Unity colony ship was used as a hospital in orbit to handle the most serious cases and evacuate civilians in distress.
Despite the orders of the Pontiff not to intervene militarily in other situation than in defense of civilians if necessary, Magister Yuri Orlov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the NCC, covertly and without the Pontiff knowing about it, began a campaign to funding the local Zoner resistance on the planet, by hiring smuggler cargo ships to deliver pods full of guns and ammunition to certain groups of insurgents who were fighting the invaders. The identity of the funders of these deliveries was never discovered, even after the war.
Once the war was over, and freedom returned to Gran Canaria, the Church continued with its usual activities. His actions in the crisis earned him the support of more population, many of whom decided to be baptized in the Faith of Deux. The Church grew in followers, and the Word of Deux became better known. However, the war and the horrors Paolus LXIV had seen in it, had deeply wounded the character of the Pontiff, and he would never recover. The fall of NCC:
Over the next 6 years, the NCC's activities continued, but Paolus focused primarily on caring for the existing community of believers in Gran Canaria. The fear of losing human lives that arose during the war and invasion of the planet, the horrible deaths and injuries, the presumed inability of the human race to stop fighting among themselves, weakened their character. His desire to spread the Word of Deux waned. The strength of his Faith decreased.
He neglected relations with The Order until they were terminated, and cooperation programs with other factions were canceled. Even the commercial activities of the NCC Commerce Division were worryingly curtailed, to the point that the Church was unable to even maintain its flagship colony ship, the Unity, which had to be sold. Before the worried look of some members of his Curia, the Pontiff isolated himself with his community of acolytes, and forgot the Sacred Mandate of Deux Machina, to spread his word to make humanity aware of the Coming of the Great Nomad Threat.
Juan De Alba y Espronceda, the Pontifical Guard Field Master, could not resign himself to seeing how everything the Church had built was being lost, and he tried to continue operations to prevent the Nomad Threat in the Omicrons, on his own. One day, during a exploring travel to Omicron Iota aboard the Magallanes II, he disappeared, and was never seen again. His son, Pontifical Guard Captain Martín de Alba y Espronceda, was promoted to Field Maestre instead. The NCC history to the present days:
The invasion and conquest of Gran Canaria by the Bretonian forces in 826 AS, was the coup de grace that would eventually destroy Paolus mental health and spirit. Suddenly, and after a certain local resistance, more than a million Bretonian Marines invaded and occupied the planet, imposing martial law, committing atrocities and executing those who opposed. The Pontiff was barely able to flee, taking his Curia and his Guard, as well as a few thousand followers who fit in their ships.
The Pontifical Entourage wandered for some time through the nearby systems, joining the columns of evacuees until it was finally decided that they would go to Planet Pygar, in Omicron Theta. After a brief stay at Corfu Station, while groups of explorers verified that the settlement was safe, finally they descended to the planet, where they settled, building a Pontifical residence, and beginning the construction of a temple of Faith.
Paolus LXIV died in the third month of his stay in Pygar. His weakened organism and his destroyed spirit could not hold any more. He was humbly buried under the foundations of the new temple in construction, and mourned by his faithful. The Curia took control of the Church, and called a Conciliabulum between the Monsignores and the Magisters, in order to be enlightened to find a new Pontiff. However, the choice would not be easy. The Curia was divided into two factions, one conservative, which was committed to the continuation of the legacy of Paolus LXIV, and another more radical that considered that in recent times he had forgotten the purpose for which Deux Machina had chosen him. There were mainly two candidates for the election: Magister Yuri Orlov, Minister of Foreign Affairs and representative of the most radical wing, and Magister Julio Barbarossa, Minister of the Interior and representative of the most moderate wing.
For several years, both factions blocked each other from voting, so they could not agree on who should be elected Pontiff. The debates were intense, there were accusations of heresy and treason, threats, and the Church almost split in two. Finally, already in the year 830 AS, realizing the popular support that his opponents were receiving, Magister Barbarossa accepted that the Pontiff be elected among the members of the radical wing, but imposed the condition that the Chosen One could not be the Magister Orlov. He accepted, and both agreed that the young Monsignor Allister Mcgowan, an energetic and promising young man who had recently joined the Curia, would be the Chosen One. The rest of the Curia accepted his decision, and raising their hands, they pronounced together, "Habemus Pontificem". So Mcgowan was crowned, and called Gregorius XCVII.
All NCC vessels will carry his name in this form: Fighters, Bombers and Freigthers: [Tag]Name.Surname Transports, Capital Ships and Liners: [Tag]ShipName
--ID/IFF information:
-NCC vessels will carry Zoner ID, and Zoner IFF
--Ranks:
Common acolytes: They form the majority of the followers of the cult of Deux Machina
-Pilot: All acolytes that have a ship and have the pontifical permission to use it. -Trader: The pilot that have a commerce pontifical permission, with the objective of serving the supply of the NCC. -Trader Chief: The Trader that have permission to lead some NCC trader convoy.
Ekklesia: They are the body of priests who preach the Word of Deux and extend His Message of harmony. The most senior members of the Ekklesia can ascend to the Curia, if there are vacant positions
-Cleric: He is an acolyte who has been ordained as a minister of Deux, and whose work is expand the Word of the Divine Benefactor, bringing more brothers to the cult. -Churchman: He is a priest of recognized value in the community. His commitment with the cause is unquestionable and he can give orders to Clerics who are under his command. A Churchman can be postulated to Monsignor, if there is a vacancy in the Curia.
Curia: It's the governing body of the NCC. The members of the Curia occupy the positions of major political significance, except the charge of Defense Minister who is always for the Field Maestre. The Concilium of the Curia, which is the assembly through which the Curia makes the most controversial decisions, can be assembled at the request of the Pontiff or any with ministerial rank.
-Monsignor: The Monsignor is a political and spiritual high rank, part of the Curia, and leaders of the priests community. There are four Monsignors, who have voice and vote in the Concilium . They have also ministerial rank. -Magister: Two Magisters make up the rest of the Curia plain members. These priests are more powerful than the Monsignors, because even they also have ministerial rank, they have banning vote in the Concilium , and are the men of confidence of Pontiff. -Pontiff: Highest priest of New Covenant Church. He presides the Concilium and officiates the most important rites. Also is the undisputed political leader of the faction, organizes the law, choose the ministers and brand the diplomatic guidelines to follow. Can revoke any action of any of his ministers, but has no vote on the Concilium .
Pontifical Guard: They form a reduced defensive army to protect the cultists.
-Pikeman: The standard unit of the Guard. They are mostly loyal soldiers who made promise to defend the Pontiff and his Curia with their lives. The selection of all of them is supervised by the Field Maestre. -Sergeant: A guard who has proven that he can lead others, and possessing combat skills above the average level. -Alferez: The less ranking officer inside the Guard. As an officer can carry out recommendations for promotion to the soldiers under his command, and command small capital ships. -Lieutenant: The next rank officer inside the Guard. As an officer can carry out recommendations for promotion to the soldiers under his command, and command large capital ships. -Captain: There can only exists three captains in the whole Guard. Each one is on charge of a third of the Pontifical Guard contingent. Can command the biggest capital ships. -Field Maestre: The commander in chief of the Pontifical Guard. He is responsible for reviewing promotions, trace strategies, assigns patrols and is directly responsible for the safety of the Pontiff. It deals with all military matters which concern to NCC. He holds the charge of Defense Minister although he's outside the Curia, but participates in its meetings, with voting rights, when it's dealing with military issues. Can command all ships of the Pontifical Fleet.
--Ships & Weapons allowances
Ships:
[NCC] vessels: -Pilots: All civilian and Zoner LF, HF, VHF, Freighters, and Transports under 3500 of cargo. -Traders and Traders Chief: All civilian and Zoner LF, HF, VHF, Freighters, Liners and Transports
[NCC/C] vessels:
All type of civilian and Zoner ships, all classes.
[NCC/E] vessels: -Cleric: All civilian and Zoner LF, HF and Freighters. -Churchman: All civilian and Zoner LF, HF, VHF, SHF and Freighters.
[NCC/PG] vessels: -Pikeman: All civilian and Zoner LF, HF, VHF, SHF and Freighters. -Sergeant: All civilian and Zoner LF, HF, VHF, SHF, Bombers and Freighters. -Alferez: All of mentioned before, and Gunboats. -Lieutenant: All of mentioned before, Cruisers and Battlecruisers. -Captain: All of mentioned before, and Carriers and Battleships. -Field Maestre: All of mentioned before.
Weapons:
All Zoner and civilian weapons are allowed.
--Affiliations
This faction was initially based on the the search of harmony and diplomacy as a means to unify all mankind. However, after the death of Paolus LXIV and the coronation of the current Pontiff Gregorius XCVII, with much more radical ideas, the Church has varied the means and the forms of its objectives, despite that these objectives remain the same.
Allies: None at the moment. Friendly: All Zoners and Zoner factions. Neutral: All the factions not cited. Unfriendly: Bretonian Military and Government Forces (due to the occupation of Gran Canaria). Liberty Republic Military and Government Forces (due to the acts of violence in Erie). Hostile: All Nomad worshipers. At war: Nomad Vargrants, Nomad K'Hara, Wild.
--Goals
Primary goal: Cementing the Covenant, before the arrival of the Nomad storm, and serve as union to the mankind, to make sure that humans and not Nomads will dominate this galaxy forever. Secondary goal: Defend humans from the Nomad threat, in any way that is necessary. Tertiary goal: Mediating and intervening in human conflicts, with the objective of finish the clashes that distract humanity from its main objective: prepare to fight the Nomad Threat. Secret goal: Become the unique faith of Sirius, and secretly eliminate, or promote the elimination, of those who interfere in any way with the objectives of the Holy Covenant, and the Church.
The story is well done, also had a few good ingame enocunters with you, so keep going like you did!
Now a few more or less useful hints, I might suggest you to refrain from splitting into too many sub sections with too many ranks for their own, its going to be a pain to keep an overview there. You also shouldnt play the 'Zoners are neutral' card that much, it has been overused already
The theme of subsections... I know that can be scary, there are many, I agree. But we found a Church like we had in mind must have a complex internal structure. In addition we think it would be good idea to give more RP possibilities if we divided the faction into distinct parts with different tasks each.
We think is a good way to open more possibilities to the player (if he want to RP a soldier, he can enter the Pontifical Guard, if he want to play as a priest who preaches the faith, can enter the Ekklesia...) So far it has not given us any problems, but we really appreciate the suggestion
About arguing Zoners "neutrality"... This is only part of RP. Is not that we really believe that the Zoners are neutral, but is what we believe a Zoner would tell to... for example... to a GRN Marechal to avoid being destroyed by him, and also what we believe a Zoner faction stand in a criminal demand when it tried to prosecute such destruction by the legal way. The Zoners still consider themselves neutral (obviously they are not already), so we certainly think that is what they will argue with anyone who accuses them of collaborating with someone on this or that conflict.
But this is only RP, don't worry
We greatly appreciate the support and advice, Jansen. It helps us to keep trying to do the best we can. Thanks and see you in Sirius. Or Gallia.
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