NationStates Jolt Archive


The Dominion of Sectica

Sectica
05-08-2008, 23:00
))- Greetings folks. I've been around for a few days, so I figured I'd take the time to put out a bit of a fact-book and such for the Dominion of Sectica. Here goes. -((

1. Geography
Home world(s):
Mante'Benaan Prime (Mantid)
Sethani Maru (Sathian)
Exclemar (Termin)

Mante'Benaan is a vibrant world filled with life, and is largely tropical or sub-tropical. The Mantids there range in color all across the spectrum, depending upon the surroundings in which they spend most of their time.
The planet is orbited by two moons, and is smaller than Earth, with a slightly higher ground concentration, and a little less water.

Sethani Maru is an arid planet with mostly plains and mountain ranges. It's forests are not large in coverage, but they do contain positively massive trees. Sethani Maru is slightly larger than Earth with a larger amount of salt-water bodies. The seas are largely unexplored by the Sathians, as they are constantly turbulant with storms. The coastlines also reflect this. Sathians live more inland, keeping their danger of storms destroying their colonies lower. Sethani Maru is orbited by no moons, and orbits a pair of suns just on the fringe of the other's gravitational pull. As such, Sethani Maru has a longer year than Earth's, and more spring and summer seasons than fall and winter, as it orbits around one, and get's pulled into the others gravity field, orbiting the opposite way around the second star, and then back on it's previous course. It essentially looks like the number 8 turned on it's side.

Exclemar is largely covered with forests and wooded areas, and is roughly the same size as Earth, though over the course of time has become less massive due to Termin burrowing. The Termins dominate the planet, and it is estimated that 75% of the world has been burrowed through. The Termins have space faring capabilities, though their engines are vastly ineffective. They rely on sheer power or numbers to propel them, and these rockets are only used to fling dirt into space, since they have nowhere to put it on their planet. The Termins have waged war on every creature not of use to their way of life, and even some that are. They are the most dominant species in their entire solar system.

Economy:
The Dominion, and it's three races do not trade, barter, or buy items. Instead, when materials are needed they either find them and take them, or do without. 'Buying' 'Selling', 'Trading' and 'Bartering' are all foreign concepts to them. As such, interacting with other species may prove a problem.

History:

The Beginning;
Of the Dominion was heralded when it's two primary races first encountered each other. These races are first the Mantids, seven and a half foot tall insect-oids that are essentially Preying Mantis'. These massive war-like insects are masters of camouflage and ambush tactics, as well as close quarters combat. They are organized into an odd caste system based upon their age and experience in the various fields the Mantids deem important. First and foremost is War. They live for it, so it's their most valued experience. Secondly is Science. Mantids are always developing new technologies and weapons, conducting experiments, and developing new ways to travel or kill. Thirdly is Resource Production, aka, Farming. Mantid technology is fully biological. They manipulate genetics and DNA to adjust their living vehicles and weapons to suit their needs. The Mantids had not ventured into Space, yet, and so were quite caught off guard when the first alien race they encountered came from space.

Enter the Sathians, yet another race of insect-based life that had developed to a similar or greater level of technological might. The Sathians are essentially five foot tall Hornets. At first contact with the Mantids, both races attacked the other,and for three months, they were at War. The Sathians exhibiting superior technology, only forced the Mantids to not give them the opportunity to use it. They switched from open direct warfare, to Guerrilla tactics and carefully laid traps and ambushes. The drastic change forced the Sathians to withdraw and reconsider. At length, a tentative alliance was formed. The Sathians and Mantids have long since carried a deep-running grudge with the other, though they mutually respect each other. Both races have deemed that an alliance is more beneficial, even though their way of life is vastly different. Where one is individual based, the other is a Hive Mind, ruled by a single Queen, and descended from her royal egg-sack. The Mantids and Sathians developed new ships for space travel based on existing Mantid technology. These ships are often called Colonies, or Leviathans. They are massive, and seem to be lumbering and ponderous creatures, however, much like both races, they are exceptionally fast and maneuverable.

The third race in this trio are the Termins, and as one can imagine, are huge-normous Termites. Their Warriors stand at eleven feet tall, and are capable of projecting a powerful acid spray from a gland on their heads. The initial meeting with the Termins was devastating on both sides. The Mantids made first contact, and initially suffered no casualties, until they met Soldiers, rather than Workers, at which point the Sathians flew in to provide air support and evac for their allies.

The Sathians took over from there, recognizing another Hive race, and knowing how to handle relations with them. It took considerably less time to establish a working relationship with the Termins, and shortly after a full-fledged Alliance was forged.

Military:
The Mantids funtion as ground commanders in war, and for shock-and-awe tactics, utilize the Termin Warriors in heavy concentration. Sathians handle spacial war-fare, as well as air-combat. Termins mainly handle Security concerns, guarding the Queen of their race, the Sathians, and the two leaders of the Mantids.

Most Sathians and Mantids use bio-engineered entities as weapons, and rely on no additional armor. Sathians utilize sniper-esque rifles that hurl poisonous barbs at their target, much like the stingers of their wielders. They also carry small hand-held weapons that project smaller versions of the rifles. Mantids usually wield a pair of rapid firing quill guns, which project grooved spines that split open into smaller spines when they penetrate flesh. They are also known to wield a pair of weapons that launch odd globules of green semi-solid material that bounces around and sticks to things after a bit, and then explodes with corrosive chemicals, and finally they have been seen very rarely to carry a pair of weapons that project out bolts of bio-electricity which can stun most targets with a single blast, and prove lethal with a second, or third. A lesser seen weapon, as it requires the use of both lower limbs for one weapon, is a weapon that propels multiple barbs in a scatter pattern. These barbs carry a potent neurotoxin as well.

Termins, however, use only their massive claws, jaws, and the organ that sprays caustic acid at their enemy. Mantid Geneticists have begun tampering with willing Termin DNA to turn this into a napalm like substance that can be lit aflame either with the mixture of another chemical, or with an ignition from another source.

The Dominion Military is composed of 15% of it's total population, giving it immense numbers, but an overall low level of physical might on the individual scale.They are just big bugs, after all.

Politics:
The Dominion is lead by the Queen of the Termins, Sathians, and the two most senior members of the Mantid Warriors and Scientists, one from each division, traditionally one male, and one female, but this is not always so. All Secticans are issued commands, and follow them. There is no voting, no opinions. The Sectican leaders discuss the pro's and con's of each issue, and then come to a mutual agreement. All four must agree, or nothing is done.

Communication:
Secticans do not speak in any way humans would recognize. They speak through scents and chemicals, as well as body language. When needed, Mantids will let out raspy hisses and shrieks to frighten lessers into compliance. Sethians are prone to soft clicks and hisses, or using their wings and performing intricate dances to speak among their race. Termins will hiss or growl when needed. They can, however all speak via an odd hyper-sonic band that is performed by using their antennae.
Sectica
13-08-2008, 10:29
Appendix:

Mantid: The Mantid's stand about seven feet tall on a pair of powerful hind legs. Body-wise they would be vaguely humanoid-ish. They have two sets of 'arms'. The first and uppermost pair is a pair of big claws with a pair of smaller three-clawed semi-hands that aide in movement when not walking upright. They can also be used for exceptionally delicate work. These are called 'Rippers'. The second and lower pair consist of three spindly and chitinous flexible claws, with a fourth that opposes them. These are commonly referred to as 'Graspers', and are used in weapons handling, controls manipulating, and other such tasks as needed.

Mantid 'Arm':
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v607/Torachande/MantisLegGBMNH.jpg
(Site/Note: This image was derived from Wikipedia from the Praying Mantis article. I edited it a little.)


Sathian: Sathians have two pairs of standard arms, and move essentially the same as Mantids. They are more agile in flight, and more effective at Hunter-Killer tactics, as well as aerial combat in general.

Termin: Termins do not have prehensile hands, which has limited their place and use among the Dominion of Sectica. They do not covet their comrades, though, as they do not really have a personality, save the Queen. The same is mostly true with Sathians, though they are more individualized than the Termins.