JOL'KOAR EMPIRE

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• SPECIES: JolKoar
• SYSTEMS/PLANETS: Wouldn't you like to know

History

The JolKoar are a seemingly mythical ancient human civilization, lost to Terran history - or perhaps deliberately omitted by members of the civilization who chose to remain behind on Earth. Rising to power towards the end of the last ice age, over their five thousand year Earth-based history they went from primitive to starfaring thanks to two things: the aid of their benefactors - The Hand of Order - who sought to use them as a weapon against their foes (The Hand of Action), and the discovery of wrecked spacecraft and abandoned technology in the Sol System. They gained their uplift from their primitive state by the Hand of Order who took them from being barely a Bronze Age culture to a level roughly equivalent with Earth in the late 20th century (in-universe) in about a thousand years. The Hand of Order realized that it would be impossible to uplift the remainder of humanity at the time, so they did their best to keep the Jol'Koar isolated from the rest of the planet, secluding them in the Southern hemisphere safely away from the early civilization centers. This seclusion was effective - for the most part. Some Jol'Koar houses worked behind their benefactor's backs and utilized other components of humanity as slave labor, while others sought to nurture and protect the other offshoots of humanity.

This uplift, combined with the Jol'Koar's ability to reverse-engineer abandoned alien technology found scattered throughout the Sol system had moved them into a fully interplanetary spacefaring race by roughly 8000 BCE. This represents the high point in the Old Jol'Koar Empire, when the Jol'Koar had and a sizable settlement on Mars, several outposts in the asteroid belt, and numerous monitoring stations on moons in the outer Sol system they were instructed to build by the Hand of Order - ostensibly to watch for Hand of Action incursions. On Earth, the Jol'Koar were scattered around Australia and New Zealand, having slowly drifted further South and East at the behest of their benefactors in order to keep themselves secluded from the rest of humanity. The Jol'Koar's largest city was located on Stewart Island, south of New Zealand. During this time, the JolKoar developed technology which could open Void rifts on command. These rifts would become concepts of cultural focus, with it soon becoming a rite of passage for young JolKoar to stare into the shifting, roiling nothingness of the Void until they picked a path to follow - however it was taboo to actually enter the Void due to the unpredictable results that would happen.

At this point, the Hand of Order began to use the Jol'Koar as assets in their fights against the Hand of Action, shuttling their chosen minions from battle to battle in their own spacecraft. This period lasted for about a thousand years, and is regarded as the "Golden Age of Jol'Koar." During this time, Jol'Koar scientists were able to unlock the secrets behind a remarkable wreck that had been discovered in the Oort Cloud. Unlike the smaller wrecked craft they had found before, this one was much larger, and appeared to have some sort of faster than light drive in it. By 7500 BCE, they had relocated the ship to Earth orbit to study it further. By 7100 BCE they were confident they understood how to operate the device. In their pride, they decided to activate the drive system. And pride cometh before the fall - a literal fall, in this case.

The drive system activated and powered up successfully, but then the power systems overloaded, destroying the control systems that had been holding the ship in orbit and sending it tumbling towards an impact. Unable to divert it in time, the Jol'Koar sat back helplessly as it impacted south of their largest city, creating a terrifyingly blast wave and large tsunami which quickly decimated and inundated the island, destroying the city. The wave continued on, destroying many other Jol'Koar settlements in the area. Beseeching the Hand of Order for assistance in recovery, the Jol'Koar's request for aid from their was dismissed and the Hand of Order abandoned their former servants.

Enraged, the leader of the Jol'Koar put forth an idea that they should seize territory from the Hand of Order to replace their lost home, so he commissioned a fleet of gigantic dreadnoughts to attack the Tau Ceti system. These vessels were constructed from the Jol'Koar's outposts in the asteroid belt, and were outfitted by cannibalizing the settlement on Mars. The research from the wrecked spacecraft had been offloaded before the crash, and engineers were able to duplicate the FTL drive systems on the new dreadnoughts, affording the Jol'Koar the freedom to leave the Sol system on their own. With conquest on their minds, the vast majority of the Jol'Koar departed from Earth.

This warlike turn to policy led to a schism inside the most powerful of the Jol'Koar, with some of their number deciding to break with their leaders and have nothing to do with the 'foolish dream of warring with the gods.' Some of the those who chose to break with the leader chose to remain on Earth, and moved elsewhere on the planet. With their effective clinical immortality they were forced to lie low and hide themselves in plain sight, but every now and then one would give the developing humans a nudge in the right direction. Occasionally a JolKoar would settle down with a Human and create a bloodline that had JolKoar blood, which would manifest itself with the distinct amber irises of a true JolKoar. Still others set their eyes outwards, and chose to follow the legend of Li'Lia'Ith, a Jol'Koar who had fled from her father's overbearing rule and disappeared amongst the stars. They took what remained of the JolKoar space fleet - some of which had been outfitted with the new FTL system - and vanished into the cosmos. A few even made the taboo leap into the Void rifts that the JolKoar had learned to create, seeking out new worlds on the other side of the Void.

The assault on the Tau Ceti system was a disaster, due in no part to the unprecedented temporary alliance that the Hand of Order made with their rivals, the Hand of Action. Additionally, a small group of powerful Jol'Koar had second thoughts about the assault, and split from the fleet to aid the Tau Ceti natives defend against the attacking Jol'Koar. The assault ended with the Jol'Koar Leader's dreadnought being banished from the system via grand scale teleportation magic. Though the defenders of the Tau Ceti system only banished the Warlord's ship in this way, the conflict was over once this had happened. Having lost their leader, the other dreadnoughts lost all their morale and were made to leave through military force. Following the assault, the splinter group of Jol'Koar secluded themselves in a neighboring star system and eventually went into cryosleep, becoming immortalized in Tau Ceti legend as The Sleepers.

Defeated and demoralized, the rest of the Jol'Koar fleet set a course for where their leader had been banished - the dark nebula now known today as the Coal Sack Nebula, 602 light years away from Tau Ceti. Upon arriving, they waited patiently for their Warlord's arrival. Unfortunately, the Warlord did not arrive at the assumed time, and as more years passed the Jol'Koar began to forget exactly who they had been waiting for. Eventually, the Warlord's identity warped into Ujo'Epoh'Vorl - The Unknowable Destroyer, and he joined the ranks of The Ancestors.

In the absence of their 'proper' leader, the dreadnoughts' tenuous alliances with each other fractured, and they each secured their own 'province' of the nebula. Having lost all members of the ruling family with the disappearance of Ujo'Epoh'Vorl's dreadnought, the Jol'Koar turned to new leaders - the rulers of each major Jol'Koar house. The leaders of each house went into cryosleep, and every 1000 years a new house was elected to lead, at which point the leader of that house was thawed out and placed in charge of the tenuous alliance.

The 1st Cycle was ruled by House Vep'Nail, and consisted primarily of the Jol'Koar settling into their new living arrangements. The dreadnoughts became housing accommodations for the elite, while the rest of the Jol'Koar population began to settle on few habitable worlds inside the dark clouds of the nebula. During this time, the Jol'Koar engaged in infrequent trade with outsiders, primarily trading raw materials for supplies they needed to build the FTL gateways they were using to connect their nebula territory.

At the beginning of the 2nd Cycle, the leader of House A'Il - the new ruling house - announced that the JolKoar would cut off all trade with outsiders and turn inwards, in an attempt to reach some unspecified form of perfection through isolation. This did not sit well with some of the other Houses, and the 2nd Cycle was distinguished by extensive internal conflict that was essentially civil war. During this Cycle, half of the original Dreadnoughts were destroyed, taking out 18 of the 36 houses with them. This lead to the loss of such information as the location of Earth, Ujo'Epoh'Vorl's true identity, historical records of the JolKoar's time on Earth, and the means by which new ship-based FTL drives could be created. What is known is that House A'Il backed off of their isolationist tendencies after the 2nd Cycle.

The 3rd Cycle brought an end to the internal conflict, with the new leaders - House Fak'Oin announcing that the JolKoar would split themselves into two groups - one who sought isolation (the Isolationists), and the other who did not seek isolation (the Universalists). The two groups would separate themselves into the two separate clouds that made up their dark nebula home, with the Isolationists taking the farther cloud from Earth, and the Universalists taking the nearer cloud. The section where the two clouds overlapped became the new hub of the JolKoar Empire, where the ruling house's dreadnought would relocate while they were in charge. The 3rd Cycle also includes the rise of Ujo'Epoh'Vorl to the status of Ancestor, following the loss of his true identity during the 3rd Cycle. During the 3rd Cycle, House A'Il was granted a writ which these days is interpreted as granting them the ability to leave the nebula as they pleased - it can be surmised that this may have actually been an attempt to exile them after the disastrous 2nd Cycle.

By the 4th Cycle, the Dreadnoughts lost during the civil war of the 2nd Cycle had been replaced using local materials, but the damage that the conflict had done to the JolKoar's population levels was taking longer to recover than expected. In order to solve this problem, House Mu'Xa began a controversial genetics campaign. Advancements in genetic engineering brought about a stabilized offshoot of the Purebloods, the High Dwellers, which when combined with a breeding program began to form the bulk of the JolKoar Empire's population. During this cycle, each house ran their own programs after House Mu'Xa released the details of how to go about doing so.

The 5th Cycle was led by House Ril'Ro who decreased the power held by the House Leader when it was determined that their leader was no longer fit for their duties, having suffered from an extended amount of time in a faulty cryosleep tube. The 5th Cycle is distinguished by a rise in power of the JolKoar'Hul, who's population levels afford them growing influence. By the end of the 5th Cycle, Purebloods are seen more as 'honored elders' who guide the course of the Empire, but those who actually implement the actions and make the decisions of how to go about that course are High Dwellers.

During the 6th Cycle, House P'Mil rose to power, becoming the first Isolationist House to rule since House A'Il in the 2nd Cycle. House P'Mil cut off all trade with outsiders, believing that the JolKoar Empire had becoming sufficiently self-sufficient inside the dark nebula they called home. House P'Mil's isolationist policies are responsible for the relative mystery surrounding the Dwellers outside the vicinity of the Coalsack Nebula. Much can be lost in 3000 years, and only the oldest of starfaring races remember the JolKoar Empire.

The 7th Cycle was a period of continued Isolationism, ruled by House De'Ingo. Not much of note happened during the 7th Cycle, with the only notable accomplishment being the development of the Low Dweller offshoot to perform heavy labor for the decadent nobility of the Empire. Late in the 7th Cycle, JolKoar force-manipulation technology had become miniaturized enough to be implanted into Purebloods and High Dwellers.

With the dawn of the 8th Cycle, House J'Nag - the rulers of the old capital city - rose to power. In a shocking turn of events, their leader was assassinated by a devotee of the Path of Ujo'Epoh'Vorl at his coronation. The assassin shouted "He has returned!" before being cut down by the royal guards. House J'Nag installed a new Elder in short order, and the meaning of this incident remained a mystery.

500 years after the assassination of the Elder of House J'Nag, the mystery was suddenly, and violently, explained to the Empire. The long-missing, and these days legendary, Dreadnought of Ujo'Epoh'Vorl suddenly reappeared, destroying the Opposition House (House Et'Fay) in a single, terrifying attack. The assault wiped out Et'Fay's leadership, fleet, and dreadnought. House J'Nag denied responsibility for the attack and condemned it, but their announcement was interrupted when the broadcast center was stormed by assailants who seized it to introduce their leader - the legendary Ujo'Epoh'Vorl, who reminded the JolKoar of his true identity, A'de'mask of House J'Nag. He announced his intention do away with the Cycles and unify the JolKoar under the banner of House J'Nag, effectively declaring war on the 35 other Houses.

For 200 years, House J'Nag warred with the other Houses, slowly subjugating bits and pieces of the Universalist's Cloud. The other Isolationist Houses acquiesced to J'Nag's rule early on in the conflict, but remained largely withdrawn from the conflict, seeking only to further their enlightenment. In mid-2025, once House J'Nag had gained a firm grip on the other Houses, A'de'mask named himself Warlord and began to prepare the JolKoar for a campaign to reclaim the old JolKoar homeland - Earth ("JolKoar"). Unfortunately, nobody was quite sure where this planet was - the stellar cartography records that had held that information were lost during the 2nd Cycle, and A'de'mask's dreadnought had long since suffered system failures that had expunged the information as well.

The only way to discover their legendary home planet's location was to explore. That exploration led a small Dweller fleet into contact with the Barnard's Star system, where they proceeded to wipe out the 'vermin' under orders from their leader. Due to navigation errors and the fact that they were unable to capture any intact navigation data from the Barnard's Star colonies, this fleet which had managed to come so close to their goal ended up travelling off in a radically different direction from Earth. The most recent near-success came from a scout ship which managed to locate the Sol system, but they realized where they were too late to escape the system so that they could report back.

Politics

Jol'Koar politics can be divided into three eras: Pre-Exile, Nebula, and Current.

• Pre-Exile: In the Pre-Exile era, the Jol'Koar were a monarchial society, following the whims of the ruling house (The House of Jol'Koar). This lasted until all known members of the House of Jol'Koar were lost following the disastrous assault on the Tau Ceti system. Each major settlement was ruled over by a Lord appointed by the House of Jol'Koar, with each of the lords replacing the second syllable of their names with whatever settlement they were ruling over. In addition to the Warlord, there were also several 'Speakers' - somewhat ceremonial roles given to members of the Warlord's family. The Speaker of the Spirits was responsible for the Empire's magical forces, the Speaker of the Beyond was responsible for exploration, and so on.
• Nebula: During the Nebula era, the Jol'Koar were ruled by an elected Ruling House, which in turn was led by the house Elder - a Pureblood Jol'Koar. This ruling house was countered by the Opposition House, which was the runner-up in the election to determine the Ruling House. These elections were not democratic - the people who voted were the leaders of each House. Each house was accorded one vote, regardless of their size or number of vassal houses. Typically, most houses would vote for themselves, so elections were usually determined by whichever house managed to get two or three votes.
• Current: Currently, the Jol'Koar are led by House J'Nag, which is in turn led by Warlord A'De'Mask. The Opposition House, Et'Fay was wiped out (and replaced on the Great Houses by Et'D) and fell partway through J'Nag's rule, in an assault organized by A'De'Mask to solidify his hold on the Empire.

GOVERNMENT

Head of State/Government: The Head of the Ruling House functions as the Head of State of the Dweller Empire. Traditionally, this meant very little in reality, and was effectively a ceremonial position. Following the rise of Warlord A'De'Mask during the current Cycle, the Head of the Ruling State is held by the same person as the Head of Government. The Head of Government was traditionally appointed by the Head of State as part of the Head of State's few duties.

Parliament-Equivalent: Three chambers, one representative from each House per chamber. One chamber of Purebloods, one chamber of High, one chamber of Low. Prior to the rise of House J'Nag and A'De'Mask this was the real power inside the Empire.

ISOLATIONIST VS UNIVERSALIST VS INDEPENDENT POWER

No political division in the Empire is greater than that of the division between the Isolationist houses and the Universalist houses. The roots of this division go back to the 2nd Cycle in the Nebula era, and the civil war that almost destroyed the surviving Jol'Koar early on in their transition to becoming the Dweller Empire. At its core, the division is based on a foreign policy disagreement: Isolationists believe that there is no reason to engage in activities outside the Nebula, and the Universalists believe that to ignore events outside the nebula was foolish. Houses who subscribe to neither of these concepts are referred to as Independent Powers.

THE GREAT HOUSES AND HOUSES OF JOL'KOAR

There are currently 36 Great Houses in Jol'Koar society, each of them claiming lineage to a notable figure from the Empire's history. Great Houses rise and split as time goes on, when someone is given the chance to create a new house they and their chosen housemates split off from their previous house into a new one - but the new house is rarely a Great House. Each House is led by an Elder, who serves as the Jol'Koar Empire's de-facto Head of State during the cycle when that House is in power. The line between a Great House and a House is a fine one, but the dividing line is "Great Houses can vote for the Ruling House." Great Houses are chosen by the other Great Houses, but the laws limit the number at 36 Great Houses. The number of Houses outside the Great Houses fluctuates as the fortunes of these minor houses rise and fall with the times, but the number has been as low as 0 (after the civil war in the 2nd Cycle) and as high as several hundred (in the 5th Cycle).

Occasionally, houses fall, and their former members are given the opportunity to join other houses. Sometimes, Jol'Koar are exiled from a house (for any number of reasons), becoming Houseless - which is a state of shame that no sane Dweller seeks to remain in for long. Some of the Great Houses are listed as a "Pre-Exile House." These houses are permanent members of the 36 Great Houses, as they can trace their lineage back to pre-Exile times.

• A'Il - "The House of A'Il'Ith" - Independent Power. A'Il is a remaining Pre-Exile house, presumably one of the old merchant houses. They are viewed as renegades by the Isolationists, and as zealous idealists by the Universalists. A'Il has managed to remain a Great House primarily because nobody has found any good reason to have them removed from the Great Houses. A'Il is known to frequent the Sirius system, along with many other trade hubs. While it has never been confirmed, A'Il is assumed to be the power behind the extensive network of black markets inside the nebula. Unlike House Out'Das, House A'Il does not need to resort to breaking laws regarding unauthorized departure from the nebula - they have a free warrant to come and go as they please. The circumstances surrounding what lead to the issuing of this warrant are shrouded in mystery by the House, as it has been known to exist since the 3rd Cycle, well before such a writ was needed. A'Il claims lineage to A'Il'Ith, The First Speaker. A'Il'Ith's legend pertains to their willingness to speak up for their own beliefs, even at the consequence of punishment.
  • CHARACTER CREATION OPPORTUNITY: House A'Il is currently distancing themselves from the Jol'Koar Empire proper, with at least one of their trade vessels being granted asylum by the Terran Alliance in 2030.
  • RECOMMENDED OPTIONS: Open-Minded, Trader, or Unflappable
• Bo'Fal - "The House of Bo'Lur'Zed" - Bo'Fal is a remaining Pre-Exile house.
• Chi'Kip -
• Chi'Kop -
• Chi'Yay -
• De'Ingo - Isolationist.
• Et'D -
• Fak'Oin - "The House of Shipmaster Ka'Jol" - Universalist. Shipmaster Ka'Jol is a Jol'Koar folk hero, who's legend dates to the 4th Cycle. Ka'Jol was supposedly the first High Dweller, and served as a bodyguard and pilot to a Pureblood whose name has been lost.
  • RECOMMENDED OPTIONS: Born Pilot, Low-G Tolerance, or Vehicular Engineer
• G'Saq - "The House of G'Atog'Saq" - Universalist. G'Saq is a remaining Pre-Exile house. Traditionally, the house of G'Saq are historians and philosophers, following in the footsteps of their lineage claim.
• RECOMMENDED OPTIONS: Historian, Level-Headed, or Specialist
• Hei'Pun - Universalist. Authorized to do trade with non-JolKoar outside the nebula. Has a monopoly on trade with the Sirius system...with the exception of A'Il's writ to go where they choose.
  • CHARACTER CREATION OPPORTUNITY: House Hei'Pun is authorized to do trade with non-JolKoar, and therefore has a reason to not be actively participating in the ongoing war.
  • RECOMMENDED OPTIONS: Explorer, Trader, or Wealthy
• Ir'Luf
• Ir'Maq -
• J'Nag - "The House of Jol'Koar" - Formerly Isolationist, currently Independent Power. House J'Nag's lineage goes back to the rulers of the old Jol'Koar empire in pre-exile days. Unlike most houses, House J'Nag is one of the few remaining Pre-Exile houses, and as such it does not claim lineage to anyone. Currently, House J'Nag is led by A'De'Mask, and rules over the other 35 Houses of the Empire with an iron fist. Their forces comprise the bulk of the Jol'Koar military encountered by the Proximans and Terrans so far, and they are fanatically loyal to the Warlord, having been indoctrinated by propaganda for over 700 years. House J'Nag laid claim to one of the few inhabitable worlds inside the nebula, though the ice planet they call home can only barely be called inhabitable.
  • RECOMMENDED OPTIONS: Cold Tolerance, Militaristic, or Mountaineer
• Ka'Bain -
• Li'Beor - "The House of Li'Lia'Ith" - Universalist. House Li'Beor still claims lineage to The Renegade, though this claim is dubious at best given the circumstances surrounding Li'Lia'Ith's rise to deification. Li'Beor has suffered greatly under J'Nag rule following the ban on public devotion to Li'Lia'Ith, and the house is viewed with extreme suspicion by House J'Nag. Li'Beor's is a remaining Pre-Exile house.
  • CHARACTER CREATION OPPRTUNITY: House Li'Beor presents great opportunities for players who wish to more actively work against House J'Nag's control of the Empire.
  • RECOMMENDED OPTIONS: Religious Influence [Cult of Li'Lia'Ith], Open-Minded, or Stubborn
• Mu'Xa - "The House of Mu'Lun'Cui" - Universalist.
• Naq'Zed - "The House of Naq'D'Das"- Universalist.
• Out'Das - Independent Power. Viewed as a renegade house by some of the hardliners, House Out'Das is notorious for breaking the laws regarding unauthorized departure from the nebula.
  • RECOMMENDED OPTIONS: Born Pilot, Explorer, or Vehicular Engineer
• Out'Kef -
• Out'Qai -
• P'Lun -
• P'Mil - Isolationist.
• Qai'Bongo -
• Qai'Cai -
• Ril'Oil -
• Ril'Ro - "The House of Ril'Fong'Nar, The Great Reformer" - Universalist. While the house was originally associated with a famed scientist, Ril'Ro changed their association following the 5th Cycle, choosing to associate themselves with the Pureblood member of the house who pushed for allowing the High Dwellers to gain more power.
  • RECOMMENDED OPTIONS: Glib Tongue, Savoir-Faire, or Specialist
• Sai'Zain -
• T'Wub [descending] -
• Ujo'Luf - "The House of Ujo'Epoh'Vorl" - Independent Power. Ujo'Luf's claim as the "House of Ujo'Epoh'Vorl" is being viewed with some skepticism with the return of A'De'Mask, the figure who was the basis for the legends of Ujo'Epoh'Vorl. House Ujo'Luf has a reputation for being very mercenary in nature, changing their alliances based purely on the whim of monetary transactions. They also have a reputation for being conflict-hungry sociopaths. House Ujo'Luf laid claim to a wild jungle planet, giving rise to their warlike and militaristic culture. They share a system with House J'Nag, leading the two to have close ties.
  • RECOMMENDED OPTIONS: Guerilla Fighter, Militaristic, or Religious Influence [Cult of Ujo'Epoh'Vorl]
• Ujo'Nap -
• Vep'Nail - Isolationist.
• Wub [ascending]'Nil -
• Xai'Eni -
• Yor'Vorl -
• Zoi'Das -
• Zoi'Drop -

MINOR HOUSES

Not all houses remain in the status of Great House permanently. As the house's fortunes rise and fall, it may leave and re-enter the ranks of the Great Houses numerous times.

• Et'Fay - While apparently wiped out during the bloody rise of Warlored A'De'Mask, House Et'Fay is still listed among the Roll of Houses, but it is no longer a Great House.

"The Ancestors"

Modern JolKoar practice a form of ancestor and folk hero worship. Each of the Ancestors is said to be focused on one or two aspects of life, and homage is paid to them in the hope of gaining further boons related to that aspect. Worship of a given Ancestor is said to have four steps:

• Following
• On the Path
• Undergoing the Journey
• Devoted

A'Il'Ith - The Wordbringer, The One Who Speaks What Must Be Spoken

Focused on freedom of expression and diversity of thought

A member of the leadership body of the ancient JolKoar Empire during the final days of the Golden Age of the JolKoar, A'Il'Ith was a representative of House A'Il, and paid the ultimate price for speaking up to criticize the Warlord for his plan to attack the home of the JolKoar's benefactors. Her body was dismembered and launched into the void following her execution for sedition.

• Follower of the Wordbringer
• Path of The One Who Speaks Must Be Spoken
• Journey of Words
• Devotion of A'Il'Ith
• Path Devotion Drawback: A’Il’Ith is most well-known for speaking controversial opinions, including the one that led to her execution for claimed sedition. Your devotion to the Wordbringer’s ways forces you to always speak what is on your mind. You cannot take a back seat and let others exclude you from a conversation if you have the ability to provide input on it.

Bo'Lur'Zed - The Knowledgebringer, The One Who Sleeps Within The Library

Focused on non-biological scientific knowledge

Bo'Lur'Zed was a famed pre-Exile scientist who's exact contributions to physics have been lost over the millenia. Legends attribute the Dweller's computer systems to innovations developed by Bo'Lur'Zed before the Exile.

• Follower of the Knowledgebringer
• Path of The One Who Does Not Sleep
• Journey of Inspiration
• Devotion of Bo'Lur'Zed
• Path Devotion Drawback: The Knowledgebringer’s fate is as much a mystery as what his actual contributions to the JolKoar’s knowledge was. Devotees of Bo’Lur’Zed will not give up a chance to recover any hint of his fate, or any technology dating to the Golden Age of the JolKoar.

G'Atog'Saq - The Timebringer, The One Who Sleeps Outside Of Time

Focused on historical knowledge and philosophy

G'Atog'Saq was a famed pre-Exile historian and philosopher. His teachings still form the basis of modern Jol'Koar philosophy and ethics.

• Follower of the Timebringer
• Path of The One Who Sleeps Outside Of Time
• Journey of Remembrance
• Devotion of G'Atog'Saq
• Path Devotion Drawback: The Timebringer’s greatest downfall was his obsession with time and his tendency to hyper-focus on a specific matter at hand. You suffer a -2 penalty on all attacks of opportunity and a -2 penalty to your Reflex defense vs attacks of opportunity. You cannot ready standard actions, but can ready move and swift actions.

Ka'Jol - The Loyal, The First

Focused on Duty, honor, and loyalty

Shipmaster Ka'Jol was (supposedly) the first Jol'Koar'Hul created, and served as a pilot and bodyguard to a Pureblood whose name has since been forgotten. The legend goes that Ka'Jol and his master eventually set off on a journey to find the lost Jol'Koar homeworld and vanished shortly after leaving the Empire.

• Follower of the Loyal
• Path of The First
• Journey of Duty
• Devotion of Ka'Jol
• Path Devotion Drawback: Shipmaster Ka’Jol’s greatest flaw is commonly remembered as his greatest asset as well. Loyal to a fault, Ka’Jol could not go against the instructions of master. Followers of The First likewise cannot go against the instructions of their superiors.

Li'Lia'Ith - The Renegade, She Who Does Not Sleep

Focused on personal freedom, questioning of authority

A pre-exile legendary figure, Li'Lia'Ith was supposedly a crown princess of the Jol'Koar Empire who fled the Empire to escape an unwanted arranged marriage. According to legend, she has occasionally reappears to aid explorers who are in danger, before vanishing once again. Since the rise of Warlord A'De'Mask, overt devotion to The Renegade has been banned. While there has not yet been persecution of covert devotion, this "Don't Do This" action has probably only increased devotion to The Renegade in recent time. During the 5th Cycle, renowned prophet Chi'Atog'Ai prophesized that Li'Lia'Ith would return in a time of great darkness to save the JolKoar people.

• Follower of the Renegade
• Path of She Who Does Not Sleep
• Journey of Freedom
• Devotion of Li'Lia'Ith
• Path Devotion Drawback: The Renegade fled to not be held down by someone else’s wishes. In doing show, she cemented her legend in the history of the JolKoar. Similarly, devotees of the Path of the Renegade cannot stand being forced to go along with something they do not agree with. They will use whatever means are at their disposal to avoid doing something that they do not agree with.

Mu'Lun'Cui - The Lifebringer, The Mother of the High

Focused on Medical/Biological knowledge, fertility, good harvests

Mu'Lun'Cui was a geneticist in the 4th Cycle who is viewed as the 'mother' of the High Dweller offshoot. She is the one who stabilized the Jol'Koar genome, allowing for the development of the offshoot in the first place.

• Follower of the Lifebringer
• Path of The Mother of the High
• Journey of Life
• Devotion of Mu'Lun'Cui
• Path Devotion Drawback: Followers of the Lifebringer value life above all else and cannot bring themselves to end the life of another, nor can they willfully do harm to those under their care.

Naq'D'Das - The One Who Knocks, The Harbinger of the Beyond

Focused on exploration and revenge

Probably more folk antihero than actual historical figure, legend states that Naq'D'Das was a famed explorer who returned home from a long journey to find that her entire family had been killed. Using the skills, artifacts, and magic she had found on his journey, she waged a bloody war of terror against those who had killed her family. In truth, the legend of Naq'D'Das has some roots in fact, however the reality is far darker. Naq'D'Das was the Speaker of the Beyond during the waning days of the Golden Age of Ter'Ra - the second Crown Princess, who's duties as the chief of the exploration forces led her to be responsible for bringing the starship back to Earth which inevitably was responsible for the Fall of Ter'Ra. Naq'D'Das was gone at the time of the accident, having resumed delving deep into the Oort Cloud in search of technological treasures. She returned back to Earth to find that her father had ordered the tests, and that her children and husband had been killed during the destruction of the capital city. Naq'D'Das attempted to stage a coup to remove her father from power before he could launch the assualt on Tau Ceti, but her attempt failed and she was exiled, her loyal crew accompanying her out into the blackness of space. Rumor says she went off in search of her renegade sister, but she has never been seen or heard from again.

• Follower of the One Who Knocks
• Path of the Harbinger of the Beyond
• Journey of Terror
• Devotion of Naq'D'Das
• Path Devotion Drawback: Naq’D’Das is a complicated entry in the rolls of the ancestors. One part assassin, one part explorer, they were compelled continue working as an assassin during trips into the unexplored void. Followers of their path cannot choose to decline work that involves exploration or killing.

Ril'Fong'Nar - The Great Reformer, Harbinger of Change

Focused on change, political theory

Ril'Fong'Nar was a Pureblood member of house Ril'Ro who was one of the driving forces behind the push to give Jol'Koar'Hul more power inside the empire.

• Follower of the Great Reformer
• Path of the Harbinger of Change
• Journey of Transition
• Devotion of Ril'Fong'Nar
• Path Devotion Drawback: Ril’Fong’Nar devoted themselves to equal rights for all JolKoar, not just the purebloods. Followers of the Great Reformer must seek to rectify injustice and inequality whenever they see it…rendering them somewhat of a problem inside the current JolKoar Empire.

Ujo'Epoh'Vorl - The Ender of Things, The Unknowable Destroyer

Focused on destruction, chaos, and war

Ujo'Epoh'Vorl was the leader of the Jol'Koar Empire when they made war upon the Tau Ceti system, leading to his exile. More specifically, it is the identity that evolved from his true identity, a twisted, hyper-focused view on his warlike tendencies and the quest for vengeance that led to the Jol'Koar's exile.

• Follower of the Ender of Things
• Path of the Unknowable Destroyer
• Journey of Destruction
• Devotion of Ujo'Eph'Vorl
• Path Devotion Drawback: The Unknowable Destroyer was driven by a singular goal – conquest and the defeat of his enemies. Similarly, his followers must seek out worthy foes to challenge themselves…of course they need to engage in honorable combat with them.

Name Unknown - The Forgotten, The Hidden Master

Focused on manipulation, stealth

With their name forgotten - or perhaps intentionally expunged, The Forgotten is the Ancestor remembered for creating an empire-wide network of information brokers and assassins who sought to control the politics of the Empire during the Fourth Cycle.

• Follower of the Forgotten
• Path of the Hidden Master
• Journey of Darkness
• Devotion of the Forgotten Ancestor
• Path Devotion Drawback: In homage to their chosen Ancestor, followers of The Forgotten must eschew the use of their own name, and must ‘correct’ anyone who uses their name.