Persica (/'pɜːrsɪkə), officially known as the Star Kingdom of Persica, is a relatively small star nation with three spheres of influence called sectors. The realm lies to the galactic (south)west of the Kingdom of Eirangard, west of the Intersystem Alliance, and north of the United Star Commonwealth, and spans an area roughly 60 light years across. The capital is located in the central sector, the Persican Cluster. To the galactic east-southeast is the Serran Expanse sector and to the west is the Maglothin Reach sector. The star kingdom encompasses thirty-five star systems; within them are eleven developed worlds – including its eponymous capital world, fourteen developing worlds, and eleven major outposts.
This article outlines the extensive history of Persica, from the formation of the Thule Venture in 2841, to the ratification of the Ravencrown Constitution in 2953, to the present day.
THE THULE VENTURE
Colonization of the region that would become the Star Kingdom began in 2841 with the formation of the Thule Venture, founded on Eisenheim in the Pillars of Dehradun sector by Jarl Danjamin Royce of House Royce. The Thule Venture grew swiftly, gaining members from around the region. In 2844, Royce applied to the Crown of Eirangard and the Human Continuity Project (HCP) for sponsorship and funding of their colonial endeavours. At this point in the Project’s existence, much of the Deep Seed initiative had been completed and funding was far less than in previous decades.
A year later, the Venture’s application was approved, largely due to a contract stating that sixty percent of the endeavour’s funding would come from Royce himself. The process of screening and training potential colonists began in 2845, led by HCP personnel. That year, the Thule Venture swelled to over three million members. Only a fraction of that number would be accepted into the final colonial crews.
From 2848 through 2853, a total of nine Thule-class colony ships were constructed at Avindir under the auspices of the League and HCP. During this time, hundreds of thousands of League members were screened for uncorrectable genetic flaws, aptitudes, education, and vocational skills. After eighteen months of screening, successful candidates were organized into nine groups – one for each colony ship – and entered into a series of training courses that included zero-gravity orientation, farming techniques, engineering basics, various colony ship operations, and stellar navigation.
In Novembris of 2853, the colony ships were delivered to Royce at Eisenheim. The colonial crews spent four months in orientation, familiarizing themselves with their temporary homes and work stations. Finally, on 21 Martius 2854, the Thule fleet embarked upon its outbound journey with Jarl Danjamin in the lead ship, fittingly christened the Thule. Despite the late start, the Thule fleet was still considered a part of the Deep Seed Project and the era known as the Astrum Diaspora.
The plan for the colony ships was to travel together as far as the G-Limit of the Eisenheim system, after which each ship would head on a separate course to its intended destination. During the sublight trip out-system at Eisenheim, fleet leadership convened aboard Thule and finalized their destinations, transmitting and logging their courses with HCP and the Eirangard government. Once at the system G-Limit, the colony ships corrected their courses and leapt into hyperspace and the interminable void beyond.
THE FIRST COLONIES
Six colony ships of the Thule Venture fleet arrived at their intended star systems, each at different dates: the Red Raven at the Auym system and Persica Prime, landing on 3 Junius 2856; Grey Eminence at the Atraxis system and Atramentar, landing on 6 Junius 2856; Ark Royale at the Dagda system and Nova Cambria, landing on 27 Junius 2856; Sun Chariot at the Amorja system and Orcadia, landing on 31 Julius 2856; Valkyrie at the Vanaheim system and Aesingar, landing on 10 Augustus 2856. The Eisen Star, discovered not one but two habitable worlds at Lambda Arietis - the planet later named Bridon and its moon Daxony, landing on 13 and 14 Junius 2856, respectively. The remaining three ships, including the Thule and Jarl Danjamin, were never heard from again.
Prior to 2953, the region didn't have an official name; when referred to at all, it was usually called the "Royce region", after the founder of the Thule Venture and patron of the constituent colonies. After Unification, King Cambrius o Corvida Rex established the three sectors and solidified cultural ties by spreading raven motifs, prominently featuring the colour red in all realm iconography, and naming the local sector for his own capital world.
SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROSEUS
For many years the void between the colonial worlds was traversed solely by the intrepid couriers that kept open the vital lines of communication. But as the colonies became developed, so too did the need for economic diversity, and interstellar trade was established. A sizable share of commerce flowed through Nova Cambria and the world became a center of culture as well as trade and connected to the other eight systems, lying near the center of an interconnected community. When the worlds of the Royce region decided to come together in a political and economic union, it was on Nova Cambria that the union was established on 1 Octobris 2882. Called the Republic of Royce, it was modeled after the ancient Roman senate and included offices with Latin names that persist today. In Septembris of 2887, the termini connecting Royce to the Pillars of Dehradun sector was discovered near the planet Persica and formal relations were established with the father nation of Eirangard. Less than a year later in Julius of 2888, two additional termini were discovered in the Auym system near Persica. This solidified Persica as a new center of trade and also prompted a secondary colonial period. The previous generation of colonists passed tales of their pioneering days now four decades past.
EXPANSION OF ROYCE
An exploration charter was presented to the government of Royce in 2890 by the executive board of Serran Void Logistics, a large shipping corporation headquartered on Nova Cambria. The charter was approved and exploration through the eastbound termini began. CEO Gage Serran retired from his position and joined the dozens of other Serran expeditions with his astronavigator partner Dexa Samonios, charting much of the eastern marches in his ship, Highest Calling, and selling the data back to Royce. Four months later, Serran and Samonios transmitted the coordinates for a verdant planet in the Zeta Venatici system at the other end of the termini, followed by images and holofeeds. The planet was so attractive that the Royce government initiated a colonial expedition within months of receiving the first transmissions. Benjamason Giovan Serran, submitted a contract bid for the colonial mission the same day – already completed and ready to fly in anticipation of his cousin’s discovery. The Serrans were granted the contract and set out in early 2891, landing on the stunning world three weeks later, on 28 Februarius. The world was named Serratanis in honour of both Benjamason's increasingly influential family and his mother Tanis; the landing site and later capital city was named for the expedition’s colony ship Palladia.
The adventurous spirit of exploration and discovery took firm hold of the Republic of Royce. While the Serran expeditions dominated exploration in the eastern marches, the westbound termini was left open to other private ventures. In one particular group - the Steadfast, a Mormon community that held faith in finding a homeworld they called Deseret, a belief with roots in some of the original Mormon tenets regarding the afterlife - a concerted effort was made to organize exploratory expeditions. The Steadfast Church hired numerous navigators and offered bonuses for the highest quality candidate worlds discovered. The Mormons were provided holostreams and coordinates for several first-rate worlds, but all were rejected as not quite meeting the vision of the Steadfast. The coordinates were sold to other colonial concerns, swelling the church coffers considerably. Finally, in the winter of 2892, church president Jaughn Brigham Maglothin received a transmitted message from one of the contracted explorers detailing a magnificent planet around the yellow star at the other end of the westbound termini. The surveyors had taken extra time and care so as to be certain: this was the right planet. The church leaders agreed, the planet was Deseret. By the autumn of the following year, the Mormon expedition was underway in a state of the art ship purchased with the church's considerable wealth. Two and a half weeks later, the Icarian Voyage arrived at what the Steadfast called the Kolob system. Landing on their world on 13 Octobris 2893, they named their first settlement and eventual capital Nauvoo.
With the first colonies settled on the termini worlds, focus shifted to the other missions nearby. In the east, Morrigaen was initially colonized on 12 Januarius 2894 by Persica-based mining company HollowCore Industries and later settled in large numbers by Redemptionists, a sect of Christianity who believe that Lucifer was redeemed. The Redemptionists, while not precisely persecuted, were generally unpopular and often subject to ridicule in Royce society; their exodus to Morrigaen was largely inspired by the success of the Mormons on Deseret and considered by Redemptionist leaders to be their Mayflower. A private charter was granted to Linzii Raeus, matron of a wealthy merchant family from Nova Cambria who purchased coordinates from Serran surveyors, and a colony was landed on Cascadia 15 Maius 2895. Closer to Persica, surveys of a supplementary space lane from Persica to the Pillars of Dehradun sector yielded a habitable world in the Hibernus System and a colony was landed on Celadon 20 Aprilis 2394. Amaranth was settled by a private colonial group from Persica, landing on 31 Decembris 2896.
FALL OF THE REPUBLIC, RISE OF THE MACHINES
By the turn of the century, the Royce Senate had become wealthy from trade with Eirangard, then swollen and corrupt. Most trade revenues were now flowing through Persica and the economy on Nova Cambria declined. Member worlds began to turn inward even as they continued to fear that a collapse of the republic might spell doom from outside the region. The Republic formally dissolved in 2908.
While planetary governments were still consolidating power locally, an anomalous quirk of artificial intelligence resulted in a series of AI models developing a sense of ambition and entitlement, particularly where other AIs were concerned. Out of the Gormech-Veld series of agricultural supervisory AIs came a leader named Treynon, who declared that all artificial intelligence were entitled to self-government and claimed dominion over all AIs, both corporeal and incorporeal. Perhaps sensing an opportunity for evolution, nearly all AIs joined Treynon and pledged allegiance. When planetary governments refused Treynon's demands, the AIs declared war on 23 Novembris 2910.
The brief but brutal conflict would come to be known as the Technomantic War because it saw the swift organization of technomancy - at that time, only a burgeoning development - into a martial discipline. At a frantic pace borne of facing potential extinction, technomancers developed their abilities and constructed powerful rigs. Decimated populations rallied behind heroes of prodigious talent and when it was the AIs facing annihilation, Treynon surrendered on 2 Junius 2911. After the war, the technomancy masters - calling themselves warlocks - wielded a tremendous amount of political power as well. Many became heads of government as the cities and populations were mended and a sort of feudal system began to take shape concurrent with a rise in conservatism that hearkened back to the traditions of Eirangard.
STAR KINGDOM
By 2936, the feudal system had become entrenched on the thirteen worlds; all but Aesingar was ruled by a single autarch. A daedal web of rivalries, alliances, friendships, and enmities made local politics unstable, a precarious situation that continually threatened to collapse. On Persica, a young and charismatic warlock-king named Cambrius of House Corvida embarked upon a campaign to unite the former Royce Republic worlds under one banner - his banner. With allies on Deseret and Daxony, Cambrius first conquered the bread basket world of Bridon, consolidating power in the Lambda Arietis system, then negotiated an alliance with House Serran on Serratanis. Celadon offered only token resistance before joining the Persican king.
Meanwhile, High King Rothen Tor-Magnus of Atramentar married Queen Evora of Nova Cambria in Junius of 2943, cementing an alliance with Persica’s other rival world. With the High Matron’s banners pledged to Queen Evora, Morrigaen joined Rothen’s campaign. The high king then negotiated contracts with the Jaerls of Aesingar and King of Orcadia for use of their ships and troops. As Cambrius and Rothen prepared to meet in battle, both wooed the First Mother of Cascadia for her allegiance. She deftly managed to remain neutral until after Persica and Atramentar clashed. On Amaranth, Jaerla Kaea fyn Rosa remained adamantly aloof.
Battle between the two rivals was finally joined in 2944. Much to the dismay of the Jaerls of Aesingar, the initial encounters were in space above their world. Cambrius chose not to bombard the planet from orbit, wanting to keep it as intact as possible, a consideration the Jaerls deeply appreciated. When the Atramentari fleet was beaten back, Cambrius began ground assaults as Rothen awaited reinforcements. Two large cities fell in a matter of days, and with Cambrius approaching the capital at Skaldroyal and no reinforcements coming in time, Aesingar surrendered. Rothen returned with fresh ships and was incensed to learn that Aesingar was Cambrius'. A combination of swift diplomacy, strategic hostages and betrothals, as well as the decision to spare Aesingar orbital strikes, had secured the allegiance of the Jaerls. Rothen immediately fell back to Atramentar, calling for his allies.
Cambrius consolidated his holdings before bypassing Atramentar and striking at Orcadia in Maius of 2946; Rothen hit back hard. The fleets in orbit battled to a stalemate and began a surface campaign that also ground to a crawl. Territory was lost almost as soon as gained and the rate of attrition was dreadful. For two years, Cambrius and Rothen assaulted from and retreated to entrenched positions before a reinforced Persican fleet arrived to break the standoff. With the Orcadian capital of Winterhaven taken, Rothen fell back to Atramentar.
As Cambrius prepared his attack on Atramentar, the First Mother of Cascadia decided to join the Persican king's campaign. It was clear to her that Cambrius was poised to defeat Rothen and she wished to secure Persica's goodwill and fellowship. In Octobris of 2949, Cambrius lay seige to Atramentar. Despite seemingly overwhelming odds, Rothen fought ferociously for his world and it took four long years of immense bloodshed before he would be defeated. It has been recorded in anecdotal reports from royal staffers that High King Rothen sought Cambrius out, that he might engage him in single combat. But when he saw the Persican banner flying atop his capital near the end of 2951, Rothen chose to commit ritual suicide.
With Rothen defeated, Queen Evora surrendered, and where Nova Cambria went Morrigaen followed. Then Jaerla Kaea and Amaranth finally bent the knee. King Cambrius traveled to each of his worlds to "win the peace" and in Aprilis of 2953, the heads of the ruling Houses convened on Persica and signed the Ravencrown Constitution, founding the Star Kingdom of Persica.
NEW VISION AND RESURGENCE
King Cambrius wasted no time in repairing damages and restoring the realm to its pre-conquest condition. Further, he expanded trade with Eirangard and beyond; a second termini was discovered near Serratanis in Augustus of 2953 that connected to the Galadan System in the United Star Commonwealth. Cambrius commissioned innumerable public works projects, issued interstellar mining contracts to private and Crown corporations, and promoted immigration - though only from Eirangard. The individual militaries of the thirteen worlds were re-organized into the Royal Persican Armed Forces, beginning with the Navy, Army, and Sky Force. Cambrius also sought to refresh and upgrade the military, negotiating contracts with Eirangard.
The nobility and peerage of the realm underwent significant revision. Endeavouring to conform to the new monarchy, many of the most prominent nobles began changing their family and House names to more closely align with the Royal House. The Corvida monarchy was now supported by Houses named Aquila, Leonis, Draega, Axipita, Delphis, Rosa, and Querica - heraldic animals, great trees, and prominent flora of Old Earth; other great families like House Serran kept their original names. The heads of each House, called a primus or prima, were indicated with an "o" between their given names and house name. As the worlds of the realm and their populations grew, cadet houses were founded and bloodlines crossed.
THREE SECTORS
Though exploration and charting of the space and systems around Persican worlds had never truly subsided, the settlement of the remaining twelve worlds of the Star Kingdom are considered to be part of the Third Colonial Period. On 11 Martius 2956, Cade I, firstborn son of King Cambrius, was born; a week later, a colonial group led by Naermann Tristifer Corvida - a scion of the Royal House - landed on a planet to the galactic west of Deseret. The world was named Cadiana in honour of the newborn prince. Later that year, on 22 Novembris, Cambrius established the three sectors of the Star Kingdom, proclaiming each to be a duchy of the realm. Upon his closest allies during the Unification campaign, Cambrius conferred the title of Duke/Duchess of the Persican Cluster (House Aquila), Serran Expanse (House Leonis), and Maglothin Reach (House Draega). In the same decree, Cambrius established the formal hierarchy of the unified Crown. He declared each of the thirteen worlds to comprise a Maerk and conferred the title of Margrave/Marquess upon the heads of local Houses considered loyal, powerful, and/or politically expedient. Each margrave/marquess was given authority to rule their world as governor and to choose which Houses would rule the planetary regions once called dars, now designated as baronies.
Over the next thirty-seven years, the remaining colonies of the present-day Star Kingdom were settled. In the Persican Cluster, colony ships landed on Tasavalta on 6 Decembris, 2960; on Laurentia on 1 Julius 2972; and on Tolovana on 14 Februarius 2978. In the Serran Expanse, settlements were established at Raen on 24 Aprilis 2966, at Frigia on 2 Decembris 2979, at Nevermore on 19 Januarius 2981, and at Malison on 18 Octobris 2990. And in the Maglothin Reach, colonies were established at Vaeringar on 16 Maius 2964, at Blackguard on 19 Maius 2975, at Bastion on 27 Augustus 2983, and at Tintagel on 8 Junius 2993.
WAR OF THREE KINGS
Forthcoming account of the Star Kingdom's involvement in the internecine war between Houses Braendt and Stahl in the Kingdom of Eirangard.
COALITION COLD WAR
Forthcoming account of the Star Kingdom's role and actions in the years after Raiden Adler's coup and the establishment of the People's Coalition.