Alright, we all know what we're doing here now I think.- If you don't, refer to the Xinoddus Lore Drop's introduction. Let's get right into this with the new Avian lore. Remember to please give feedback if you have it! Spoiler: The Avians Overview Pious and militant, the Avians are a species of bipedal birds native to the planet Avos, known across the galaxy for their devotion to the war-god Kluex, and their strict treatment of those who do not do right by It. Those few Avians that escape the clutches of their faith are left with the scars of their upbringing, and the knowledge that they are never to return home again. Still, one doesn't need to look very far to see why they might prefer life on the frontier. Biology Like many of the civilized species, Avians are incredibly diverse in their physical presentation. This is due to the large number of distinct but interfertile sapient species which were originally made subservient to the Kluexi faith in their ancient history. The "typical" Avian, so-called because of their likeness to the founding stock of Kluex, stands at an average of 5'7'', with a coat of warm-colored feathers and distinctive red markings around their chest and eyes. Their arms and legs end in featherless talons, and their face features a sharp, carnivorous beak. These traits make up the beauty standards of the Avosi Empire. Despite this, "non-typical" Avians have been known to be as tall as 6'8'' or as short as 4'9'', and possess a variety of coloration, beak shapes, and arm variation; some Avians have feathered hands, while others have partial (flightless) wings that extend from their forearms. An Avian's beak will typically reflect its dietary requirements, as not all Avians are omnivorous. Internally, Avians resemble Humans, though they possess gizzards and a unidirectional respiratory system. They typically weigh slightly less than a Human of the same physique, owing to their hollow bones. A notable exception to Avosi beauty standards, a small portion of Avians do not resemble Earthly birds, and instead take after dinosaurs. These individuals have a larger and overall more lethal physique, with sharp-toothed beaks and powerful claws. Due to their advantages, these individuals are considered to be favored by Kluex, and often end up in high-ranking military positions. Equally anomalous, a smaller number of Avians are born with true wings. While no Avian can fly, these individuals are given incredible spiritual weight by local cults, though it is not always a positive sort of attention. Culture The Avosi Empire is an oppressive theocratic regime ruled by a class of warrior-priests known as the Stargazers, who act out the will of Kluex. According to the Stargazers, they were selected by Kluex to reign after the former kings of the Avosi Empire failed their patron, beginning a new era of peace among Avian kind. The legitimacy of this story has been called into question, but theirs' is the only surviving account. When a stargazer dies, a new one is selected from the elected-or-appointed officials that make up the rest of the Avosi government. As patron god of the Avians, Kluex's influence is felt throughout their culture, and enforced by the Stargazers. Kluex is a cruel god, and the Avians know this. Their faith understands them to be divinely ordained as instruments of Kluex's wrath, and while there is much debate about whether this is a solemn duty or a righteous privilege, all agree that to refuse Kluex would only make them another unwilling recipient of Its ire. As such, the Avians put much stock into their military might, and their ability to enforce their superiority over others, even interpersonally. The most esteem careers within the empire are the ones with the highest capacity for violence, or the most control over others. The most popular ministers of their faith started out as high-ranking generals, though the line between priest and commander often blurs in Avian society. While the youth aren't conscripted into the military automatically, this is only to ensure a civilian population from which to extract sacrifices. A harsh expectation is put on the able-bodied to take part in the army and "earn their colors," referencing an ancient practice in which newly recruited soldiers were given a cape of white feathers and only be allowed to cease their tour once every feather was stained red, vestiges of which are still present today. Refusing service is a shameful act, risking social ostracization for yourself and your entire family. These cowards are often called "Whitecoats." Sacrifices are drawn from a long list of those with no military history. Most of Avos considers being selected for sacrifice as a noble and retributive process, as well as being a civic duty. Despite this, ritual sacrifice is also used as the punishment for military desertion. Most sacrifices are performed through the leap of faith, a practice said to bring one closer to Kluex, but ex-soldiers are instead put to death at the hands of a single priest, typically with their own talons. Traitors to the empire are given the least dignified death of all; to be ripped apart by the talons of their peers, in an act similar to stoning. Young children are often taken to watch or participate in these sacrifices, which are considered to build moral character in the youth. This is especially the case when the individual being sacrificed is a relative. Being absent from such an execution is an extreme taboo, implying your grief for them is worth more than your faith in Kluex. Post-mortem, the dead are gathered by the Avosi government to be repurposed later. Many pay high tithes for the government to take the dead from their family, especially for death of old age or sickness. This religious extremism impacts the day-to-day life of the civilians within the Avosi Empire. Even those who escape the faith don't often question the idea that more carnivorous features are more attractive, and many herbivorous Avians don't realize their dietary needs until very late in life, thanks to commonly enforced diets featuring a healthy portion of meat. Many children who seem chronically ill are merely malnourished and suffering from their inability to digest meat. Many of them are sent to the sacrifice block much before they realize this. The arts are a double-edged sword to the Avosi civilian. Most of the art a civilian ever sees is sponsored by the state in an attempt to control the population and the culture of the artistic world, much of it being explicitly commissioned by the Stargazers in honor of Kluex. Still, many Avians get their only taste of a world outside of Kluex's grasp through the imaginative artists local to them, whose media is not state-sponsored and as such is forced underground. Many of these underground movements center around the idea of revitalizing the worship of once-forgotten gods within the wider pantheon, with truly atheistic art being viewed harshly even among artists. Authentic Avian cuisine features an extensive selection of protein options, most of which come from livestock that resemble dinosaurs or large snakes, but in areas of poverty, Avians will often settle for simple bug farms. Surprisingly, the bug farms are becoming more and more popular across the nation. Avian food often makes use of spices that feature an incredible amount of capsaicin, something which they do not detect at all naturally. This has given their meals a reputation within Civilized Space. Even as a theocracy, the Avians are not luddites. The capture of advanced technology from a rival cult is considered by most to be the true start of the empire, and since then the Avians have attempted to stay relatively on-top of military hardware. Their structure as a strictly religious organization does not aid in these attempts, however, and the majority of breakthroughs only occur during periods of strife, where the Stargazers can not coast off of their current power and tradition. Many believe the Treaty of Niveus Aquatica is actually hampering their technological progress as such. While Avosi citizens live a modern life when compared against their civilized peers, there are many distinct uses of technology that Avians excel in where others do not. Most notable is their use of Avosi Crystals, a specialized sub-erchoid only found within Avian space. These crystals can be carved to perform a variety of functions, especially computationally. Due to this, Avians were the first civilized nation to create thinking machines, leading to legions of automated soldiers which are still employed today. Alongside mechanized warriors, the modern empire also utilizes biologically modified soldiers printed from the raw biomass of the sacrificed. These soldiers, called the Flighted, are intended to be one-man armies, and equipped as such; typically bearing a flight-capable power suit and a variety of weapons. Among civilized nations, it is understood that the Avians possess a powerful military that is more than capable of punching above its weight, though this does not make up for what they lack in advanced fleet power compared to the likes of the Apex. Due to this, the Avosi Empire tends to employ privateers during extended conflict. Avians are also well-respected as masters of antigravity technology, thanks in part to their preferred architectural style relying on the low gravity of their homeworld. Many buildings feature segments that are entirely free-floating, kept aloft only by powerful fields of zero-point energy. Outside of Avos, this style is typically only used for holy sites, due to the obscene expenses. Despite the current era of peace, Kluex demands continual sacrifices and war. To quench this need for blood, the Treaty of Niveus Aquatica allows other nations to submit "tithes" to the Stargazers, which makes them exempt from the continual call of holy war while providing the Avians a continued supply of pixels and materials to continue their conquest. In the modern day, Avosi raids are typically conducted on Black Imperial soil, attempting to beat back the Umbral King and sate their god's bloodlust. More recently, however, the Ruin has become the target of their aggression, and the Black Empire is more free to reign uncontested. History The many subspecies of the Avians first evolved on Avos hundreds of thousands of years ago. In these early years, it is believed that Avians were both predator and prey, with some subspecies predating on their more defenseless cousins. Sometimes, these early predatory Avians were so successful as to hunt others to extinction, as proven by the fossil record. Eventually, as with Humanity, the Avians discovered agriculture and began to gather into larger communities. And, as with Humanity, these communities began to tell stories. From these stories, the Avosi gods emerged. Little is known about the early pantheon of Avos, as the strongest among them, Kluex, takes center stage in the written history and mythology. What is known is that among the early settlements, the original Cult of Kluex, or the Kluexis, sprung into being. An early understanding of warfare and a more gruesome nature provided them the advantages required to conquer their local rivals and become a tributary empire. Most historians agree that the Kluexis would have fallen early if not for a chance encounter when pillaging one of their rivals. An engraver within the cult of Calla had discovered the power present within Avosi crystals, and begun studying how best to carve them. By the time the Kluexis found the engraver, their home was guarded by several armed automatons. How exactly such an early society was capable of this feat isn't known, in part because Kluexis eradicated their society after discovering this secret. With it, they began to craft their own automated soldiers, an advantage which allowed them to sweep across their homeland and expand ever outward. By the year 1600, Kluexis was the ruling body of Avos. Around the same time, a company of miners discovered something in one of the planet's many jungles. An array of impossibly intricate crystals gathered around a strange threshold. When approached, the threshold activated, and on the other side was a landscape unlike any on Avos, dotted with alien life and structures. These miners officially became the first Avians to step foot on an alien world, and began the expansion of Kluexis across the stars. With time, the Avians would find that all planets known to bear Avosi crystals are connected by similar gates, many of which hold evidence of the lifeforms which made them. On Avos, study of these thresholds lead to many important discoveries, eventually kicking off their industrial revolution. This event was opposed by the kings of Avos, who viewed such advancement as an insult to Kluex, and eventually lead to the bloody revolution that established the Stargazers as a (relatively) more progressive system of governance. Under their leadership, the Avians spread across every planet they had access to. Perhaps because of this access to other worlds, Avians do not discover spaceflight until the year 2500, when they are first contacted by Humanity. The first Avian to exit atmosphere occurs in the year 2611, and first to land on another planetoid occurs on 2665. The Avosi Empire only receives the warp drive in the year 3133, after the fall of Xinoddus Empire and subsequent first contact with the Nova Trade Alliance. However, even before they stole their first Novakid ship, they had been attempting to place down colonies on other planets. This is what puts them in an initially good position for the First Galactic War, only seventy-eight years later. During the first half of the Galactic War, its "hot" period, the Avosi Empire is quickly proven to be outgunned by its peers, and begins its first wave of drafting privateers. These pirates, while not as advanced as their enemies, are more numerous, more unpredictable and more conniving than the Avosi navy, allowing them to secure select victories in the logistics lines of their enemies. The Avians truly shine during the cold period of the war, however, where their privateers are capable of raiding the enemy without being officially recognized as an attack by Avos. Many of these privateers became lavishly wealthy, and many maintained their piratical ways after the war. However, a healthy portion retired directly into political life on Avos, and several of the Stargazers today had first cut their beaks aboard a pirate vessel. Post-war, the Avians have settled into an era of peace; a foreign concept to Kluexis. Thanks to the Treaty of Niveus Aquatica, they are incapable of attacking their peers within Civilized Space. For a time, this led to incredible tension within Avian society, as their religion can not sustain the idea of continued peace. This was, thankfully, alleviated by the founding of the second Black Empire, which presented an enemy that they could continually cast raiding parties at. Very recently, however, their attention has been cast to the Ruin, which threatens to take Avos itself so recently after the destruction of Earth. Player Details As one of the core species of Starbound, Avians are given a lot of wiggle room in GC. Everything described above is just the lore of the Avosi Empire, while many minor colonies exist within the Fringe for those who'd prefer to go another direction! The biology section should be given more weight, though. If you want to differ from that, you need an in-character excuse like biomodding or cybernetics. Like in the main game, traditional Avian names are taken from Aztec gods, rulers, or Nahuatl words, but don't feel limited to this! There's undoubtedly many communities in Avosi space that follow different naming conventions. Examples of Avian names include Paya, Huatl, Coatal, Xinqal, Lesslyn, and Mir. The Avosi anguage is fast-paced and melodic, and many Avians have a distinctive speaking cadence because of this. Predictably, Avians are very good at mimicking noises, and can pick up other languages very easily. While Kluexis is getting its own codex, which you should read if you intend to play a faithful Avian, it's important to understand that Kluex isn't a parallel for the Christian God. Kluex is a god in the polytheistic sense, with a more specific domain and no real intention to be a moral being. Because of this, Kluexi believers don't deny the existence of other gods, and don't 'reinterpret' Kluex to fit their current belief system. Those who don't enjoy the teachings of Kluex (and have the privilege not to live in the Avosi Empire) just worship a different guy. Avians and Humanity were each other's first contact, and have mutually warm feelings as such; at least, on a national level. Individual Avians often have issues with Humanity's improbable tendencies toward atheism, and many Humans don't quite enjoy the whole "sapient sacrifice" part of Kluexis. Avians, especially more traditional or piratical types, tend to get along very well with the Penguins, thanks to a mutual respect born in the First Galactic War. Many Avians consider the death of the Dreadwing Dynasty to be a great tragedy. That being said, on just a visual level most Avians understand that Penguins look delicious- They bear enough similarities to some of the Avosi livestock that it's an innate understanding in their biology. Thankfully, Penguins actually taste terrible unless properly seasoned, so it's not a real issue. Believers in Kluexis have a strange relationship with the Deadbeats, some viewing the Murdercube as a local interpretation of Kluex born amidst the wastes of Schelor, while others believe that it is a rival deity which must be crushed underfoot like all of the rest. Both sides agree that Nex Alea is a more "wild" religion, with much less structure thanks to its youth. Gamemaster Details Like their peers, the Avians attempted to colonize as much of the Fringe as possible during the First Galactic War. This rush for land created many pockets of Avosi culture which has since fallen to ruin. These ruins include temples and tombs to mighty Avian warriors who died defending these land claims. While not properly ancient, if you require a tomb-raiding adventure for one reason or another, the Kluexi faith is exactly the type to booby-trap their most respected graves and bury their dead with their most important items. Avian privateers, or their descendants, still make up a very healthy portion of Fringe pirates, though one can hardly call them 'privateers' anymore, as their contracts expired after the First Galactic War. After the fall of the Dreadwings, many penguins joined up with these crews to keep their profession alive. These, along with the other ne'er-do-well species of Grey, Remnants, Subhumans, and Froggs, can effectively be considered the average for pirate crews, and should be considered when throwing a group of corsairs at the players. Avian-themed rewards typically take the form of important religious objects- The sacrificial knife of some saint, an ancient etching said to depict the true form of Kluex, the skull of a Stargazer, these sorts of things. While not traditionally useful to Fringers, they can fetch a pretty penny when sold back to the Avosi government, and many pirates in the Fringe are exceptionally willing to be the fence for such an arrangement. The most notable loot item present within the Avian lore are Avosi crystals, which can only be found on planets within a certain distance of Avos. These crystals have a variety of uses, functioning as power supplies, computers, lights, and often decoration. Due to their rarity, they are relatively valuable within the Fringe, but the most notable quality of Avosi crystals is their capacity for psionics; exceptionally complex carvings, rivaling the structure of Novakid brands, are capable of becoming psionically active when put through extreme circumstances. The process by which this occurs is very poorly understood, and it should be used very sparingly. Like all civilized nations, it can be assumed that the Avosi Empire tacitly understands the basics of psionics, and are actively keeping it secret as such to not cause a stir in their public. Unlike other civilized nations, the Avosi populace is exactly inclined to the sort of magical thinking that often gives way to unconscious anomalous within the noosphere. Many of the sites that Avians consider holy are in some part protected by their greater beliefs, and in very rare circumstances, dead warriors have been known to rise from their sarcophagi to protect their burial ground. Spoiler: Avian Piracy Overview Throughout the First Galactic War, the Avosi Empire was forced to rely on privateering contracts to make up for what they lacked in naval strength. Operating in unmonitored space behind enemy lines, these privateers performed raids on enemy logistics as a means of deterrence for those attempting to challenge Avosi land claims. This was especially effect in the latter half of the war, its "quiet period", during which most were unwilling to provoke the Avosi Empire over mere criminals. After the Treaty of Niveus Aquatica, very few successful privateers returned to Avos. Most had gotten too used to the freedom they were afforded on the frontier, and could not bear the idea of once again being under the thumb of the Stargazers. Those who did return were welcomed home as heroes, and leveraged this social capital to live a life of privilege. Several of today's Stargazers were once privateers themselves. In part because of this, privateering is not a forgotten tactic to Avos. While restrained by the treaty, they still issue contracts to those willing to raid the Black Empire while their main fleet is busy with the threat posed by the Ruin. Modern privateers do not have the same amount of independence as they once did, however, mostly due to a lack of desperation in the Avosi Empire. Many suspect this will change when the Second Galactic War truly breaks out. Religion Originally, every privateering vessel was intended to be accompanied by an imperial minister, to ensure they were being properly devout to Kluex in their ways. An astounding number of these ship priests went missing mysteriously during conflict, most in such a way that their bodies could not be returned to the empire. In response to this strange happenstance, the practice was gradually phased out. Without imperial oversight, many pirates began to worship gods that better aligned to their needs and beliefs. Most popular among them was Tlamach, the ancient god of greed and cunning, and patron to thieves and beggars. Known for his founding myth, in which he pilfers the entire Avosi pantheon before they are forced to join forces and trick him into devouring a delicious-looking feast that is cursed to make him only more ravenous, until he inevitably devours the flesh from his own bones. Worship of Tlamach is unique among Avosi gods, requiring no real sacrifice. Instead, his worshippers prepare themselves as a viable sacrifice; gathering as much wealth as they can in this life in order to attract his eye and be stolen away into his vault of infinite wealth. As such, they decorate themselves and their ships extensively, sparing no expense where it might show off the luxury of their life. To a worshipper of Tlamach, charity is a sin. They are much more accustomed to leaving out items they wish for others to have where they are easily stolen, and not questioning when they go missing. Many of these practices have diffused into the broader piratical culture of the Fringe, thanks to how early into the field the Avians were. It isn't uncommon to see a pirate that does not worship Tlamach offer a gift by setting it down and turning their head, rather than giving it explicitly, and many nonreligious ships have taken on the skeletal iconography of Tlamach as an intimidating shorthand for their intentions. Tall Tales Avians are already a group that is especially prone to magical thinking, it shouldn't be a surprise that their pirates are incredibly quick to pick up on superstition and outlandish tales. Many tell stories of haunted vessels adrift in cursed hyperlanes, or dread captains whose thieving ways are not bound by the end of their life. One such tale is the Sea of Saints; a region of space once used as a dumping ground for missing imperial ministers. Pirates who sail through it are said to hear knocking on the outside of their hull, and find new scars along their airlock door. Throughout the region, they can not escape the feeling of being watched. Whispers tell of a great golden ship, Kluexi in making, which patrols the sea on a never-ending quest for revenge against any who plunder. Strangely, as time goes on, more spacers report destroyed ships within the Sea of Saints where once there were none. More merry, the Ruby Planet is one of the most pervasive tales told by these old spacers; a land of riches from which Avians truly originated. The exact details thereof shift with the storyteller, but all agree it is a Fringe planet, not connect to any known hyperlane, and naturally bears Avosi crystals- something currently thought to be impossible. Some have claimed to have seen it, and have the gems to prove it, but none have ever revealed its location, if it does exist at all. Player Details A lot of this is an excuse to have pirates within a scifi universe, crossbones and all, because I'm very fond of that sort of thing, and it's already present in Starbound. This lore, in addition to the Penguin lore, is what you'll want to lean into if you want a pirate with a cutlass and a tricorne hat, but that's not all it's useful for. The broader intention is to give Fringe piracy some identifiable features, which pirate characters can lean on in order to better sell themselves in the setting. Most tall tales you can just make up. Make up new ghost ships, new accursed artifacts, new areas with their own histories. We don't really care, it's a big universe. The Tall Tales present in the section are merely supposed to be cultural touchstones and plot hooks for characters to get invested in. Imagine a scene where a couple of seedy individuals are playing a dice game and speaking about supposed rumors about the Ruby Planet. That's what we're after. Additionally, because Tlamach is a living religion, don't feel constrained by the practices above. Try to keep the rough spirit of it if you're playing a worshipper, but no two individuals need to worship exactly as the other does. Minor variations in rituals and practices are to be expected, especially when dealing with so many pirate crews. Gamemaster Details First and foremost, you can just make ghost ships. Give them whatever scifi reasoning you want. Maddened autopilot trying to protect a crew of individuals who are all dead; complex space-beasty that wears the hull of a ship like a hermit crab wears a shell; honest-to-God anomalous ghosts formed from the collective belief in a particular story. We don't really care, in fact we encourage you to make awesome set pieces for your players if you do take up the GMing role. Secondly, both the Sea of Saints and the Ruby Planet are totally open as plot hooks if you wish to do something with them. I- zecon125, the writer of this codex- have some ideas about what's up with those, and would love to fill you in, but if this all gives you some idea for a grand narrative you'd love to tell, I am not going to stop you. These are stories told by pirates, the truth could be any number of things. The Sea of Saints doesn't have a specific spot on the map marked down for it yet, either. I'm imagining it somewhere on the eastern side of the map, closer to Civilized Space, but maybe in the future we'll update the map and mark down specifically where it is. Until then, you can lean on the fact that it's a broadly undefined area marked more by the feelings of the pirates than any actual borders. When GMing pirate battles, remember that most pirate fights happen within Hyperlanes- That is to say, within the pocket of stabilized Hyperspace that a Hyperdrive physically takes you to. That's how they avoid being detected before it's too late. Because of this, you can play around with cuil effects or the fact that the players can't really call for help. It's a pretty cool set piece. Spoiler: Kluexis Overview Kluex is the state religion of the Avosi Empire, which venerates the cruel god Kluex. It is a brutal and warmongering faith, barely constrained by the treaty of Niveus Aquatica. Many in Civilized Space believe that were it not for the sudden emergence of the Black Empire, the treaty wouldn't have held for this long, as Kluex mandates continual raids on the neighbors of Avos in Its name. Kluex Kluex is the deific progenitor of the Avosi pantheon, ruling over the domains of warfare, blood, vengeance, and the sun. It is said that Kluex was the first entity in existence, which was killed by Its children in the act of their creation. From this action did Kluex's hatred for the rest of the universe grow, giving it the motivation to ordain the Avian as Its chosen people, and use their hands to spite and carve away at the other gods and regain Its former power and life. Canonically, Kluex has killed every other deity in Its pantheon, with the exception of Tlamach. Kluex is referred to as an It, seen to be above gender by Its worshippers, and typically depicted as either a large, feathered serpent with wings and talons, or a gilded skeleton with a snake coiled around its heart. The former is used by the Stargazers to honor the strength of Kluex in the modern day, but the latter is understood to be the form of Kluex after Its murder. As a deity, Kluex's only real redeeming feature is Its strength- something the Avians see as almost inherently just. Practices The worship of Kluex is varied, as one might expect of a religion that has spread over many different systems within the galaxy. While some basic tenets remain consistent, and the Stargazers are quick to dole out judgement on those who they deem unfaithful, there is no one right way of honoring Kluex in specific. Most Avians agree that Kluex desires that they stay armed, so that at any moment Its hatred might flow through them and be expressed in sudden and violent fashion. In Avosi space, this is limited to knives and blunt instruments rather than firearms, with stabbings being considered only a misdemeanor, and religiously-charged murder being rewarded with mandatory military service, rather than punished with time in confinement. A shocking number of Avians believe that to avoid bloodshed is to refuse their nature as agents of Kluex, and invoke Its wrath. For this reason, Avians are expected not to "show cowardice" around blood or gore. Some believe that showing cowardice is flinching away from it, or not daring to look at it, while others do not wash blood off of their body until it has properly dried. Some particular communities even go as far as to believe that any blood which enters their beak must be swallowed- A lot of those Avians having a very robust immune system because of this practice. Most Avians carry an Avosi crystal on them, either as a ring, bracelet, necklace, or form of beak ornamentation. These crystals are objects of worship, connected to their primordial home, and are often held or rubbed while in prayer similar to rosary bead. Most pray prior to any large meal, and many are expected to give a sacrifice of the prior day's "hunt" every sunrise. When in space, this is done through an incinerator and sunrise is calculated by the Avosi central timezone. The Stargazers have mandated that every community of Avians commit a live sacrifice on the first of every month. These are expected to be living people, but a winged animal can be substituted if necessary. There is no minimum size on the term "community," and single-digit crews of Avians bear the expectation as well. Avosi ships are built with this in mind, allowing for the cultivation of small birds. Failing to do so is said to invoke the ire of Kluex, which spacers in particular will do anything to avoid. Kluex has decreed certain days of the year to be committed to warfare. While these days are typically only honored by the military in the form of raids on neighboring colonies, many large cities in Avos instead throw celebrations for famous battles or generals, honored with a military parade. In addition to the days ordained by Kluex, the Stargazers themselves sometimes declare certain days worthy of celebration and warfare, following supposed signs from Kluex. As a god of the sun, summer and the summer solstice in particular are very spiritually important to Kluex. These are periods or days where It is said to be in good spirits, and the typical pressures placed upon the Avians are at their lightest. For this reason, warmer months on any planet are a time for many celebrations within Avian communities. Many faithful Avians even celebrate their hatching during the summer, whether or not they were born then. Player Details There are other gods besides Kluex which fit into the Kluexis religion, but are not permitted by the Avosi Empire to be the main topic of discussion or worship for fear of invoking Kluex's wrath. The only ones currently listed are Calla, the Avian goddess of ingenuity, maternity, electricity, and fire, and Tlamach, the dead god of greed and cunning. Any other deities you can feel free to make up and do what you want with them. The Avosi pantheon probably isn't fully decided on besides Kluex anyways. The galaxy is a big place and you get a lot of minor gods when you're not a monotheistic community. The practices and celebrations listed in the practices tab are not exhaustive and not universal, they're just there to give you a good overview of what's up with Kluexis and how to portray a worshipper, feel free to riff on it your own way. Gamemaster Details I don't think I have much to same on the gamemaster side here. You're free to mix and match Kluexis worshippers freely in your events, utilize them as a cruel force that understands their place in the world is to subjugate others to Kluex's will, etc etc. Have fun. Also if you see me referring to Kluex as They/Them or He/Him in the other documents please point it out. I deliberated a little on what the pronouns were and I'm worried I didn't catch all of them. Spoiler: Avosi Crystals Overview Avosi crystals occupy a central role within the culture and technology of the Avosi Empire, being a versatile tool and rare commodity only found within a small radius of the planet Avos, and as such almost totally controlled by them. An isotopic relative of Erchius, these ruby-red crystals are capable of being electrically charged, either through induction via a current, or through prolonged exposure to UV radiation, such as that found in solar rays. The latter method isn't often utilized today due to its inefficiency. Avosi crystals also produce a small amount of electricity when exposed to blood, though this is typically only enough to make the crystal glow; a trait many Avosi rituals take for granted. History Avosi crystals were originally discovered by the ancient Kluexis during an attack on a nearby tribe, the cult of Calla. They found their rivals to be well researched on the then-primitive act of crystal carving. As is natural for worshippers of Kluex, they killed their rivals and stole this research for themselves in the process. While the Avians would not become fully abreast of the crystals' mechanics for a very long time, the few uses they copied from their rivals were nothing short of miraculous in their own right, with the most intricate being autonomous warriors that ran on sunlight and blood. Today, the Avians believe themselves to have fully understood the power inherent to Avosi Crystals, utilizing them in many of their electronics thanks to the versatility allowed by their nature. There are even some faint whisperings that the Kluexis may have found a way to artificially create their prized gems, though if this is true they keep it under very tight wraps.- Still, some agents within the Fringe claim to be able to produce crystals on their own, for a high enough bounty. Carving The true origins of crystal carving as an artform, including its discovery, died with the original cult of Calla, but the practice is well understood today. Skilled carvers chip away at crystals, changing the way they release the energy stored within and allowing them to double as a circuit naturally. When performed on a fine enough level, and coupled with gold leafing and silicon, these carved crystals can function as computational hardware like RAM or processing units. They can not, however, store data. True masterworks of crystal carving, performed by senior members of the Avosi carver's guild, rival the complexity of a Novakid's brand. Some crystals have even been reported to achieve true sapience, in the way a neuromorphic processor might. To learn the craft to such a proficient level takes decades, if not an entire lifetime to master. As such, carvers are one of the few noncombatant roles within Avosi society that is looked highly upon, and seen as innately close to Kluex. Collection & Use The origin of Avosi crystals are not well understood. The Avosi Empire attributes their formation to divine providence rather than any natural process, and stranger yet there are stories of already carved crystals being found within the Avosi wilderness, the most damning of which are the crystalline gateways found by the Avians prior to the space age. These traits make it unclear if they form naturally at all, perhaps giving credence to the black market contacts who mutter about growing them in labs. More sensible minds theorize that Avosi Crystals are instead a mutation of Erchius caused by some as-of-yet unknown stimulus during the early formation of a planet, though this theory is contested by the Stargazers, and suffers from its lack of evidence. Religious Significance Within Kluexis, Avosi Crystals are an ancient trophy and symbol of Kluex's dominance, having stolen from Calla what was Her's. This ceremonial importance was only backed up by the versatility of the crystals, giving them much more prominence within the faith. For much of Avosi history, temples were lit by crystals fed by the blood of the faithful, bathing the room in a holy red hue. Many historical temples keep early automatons on display as a symbol of Avosi might and an emergency defense should they require it. With technological progress, the religious nature of crystals has become somewhat secondary to their role as a commodity, but many whole schools of architecture have been developed with the goal of incorporating crystals into places of worship. The most prominent example of such is the central Temple of Kluex on Avos, which houses the largest-ever crystal with a ZPEM field, so that every morning the city is bathed in a bright red glow. Player Details She is mentioned a few times in the Avian lore, but I have never properly detailed her, so: Calla is the Avosi goddess of ingenuity, maternity, electricity, and fire. She was said to have been born from the first flame created by the Avian people, and had planted the seeds which would grow into Avosi Crystals in her gratitude to the Avians. She is also one of the many Avian deities to have been canonically killed by Kluex, who stole both the might of fire and her crystals in the act. If you want to have a character worshipping her, feel free. Besides that Avosi crystals are funny magic glowing rocks that can think, provide power, and sometimes shoot lasers and stuff. They're the most prominent way to make technology look Avosi in nature, besides for the golden metal often used. While they are a rare commodity, they're not exactly impossible to get your hands on, feel free to have characters start with tech that uses it, especially if they're of Avos. Gamemaster Details This is the bit where I remind you that because Avian Crystals mirror the structures of brands when intricately enough carved, they can in fact be blessed with the gift of psionics. This happens exceptionally rarely, but is an opportunity for storytelling in your toolbox. Beyond that, Avian crystals are a decent loot item because they're worth a pretty penny and aren't just straight cash, but they're not altogether that much different from just putting rubies in a big treasure horde- just rarer in the scope of a giant galaxy.
