20071226

The Curtain of the Hlutr

In order to contain the evil of Mertorthar, and to shield the developing races of the Scattered Worlds, the Scattered Worlds Hlutr created the Curtain of the Hlutr, a screen of thought and mental song surrounding the Galactic Core to prevent accidentally entering the Gathered Worlds, as well as to prevent traffic out of the Core. This Curtain effectively isolated the Core until Mertorthar's war against the Empire of the Iaranor about 600 million BCE. By that time, the Gergathan had learned how to penetrate the Curtain.

Following the defeat of Iaranor, the Curtain remained as a one-way boundary, telepathically warning Scattered Worlds vessels away. The Curtain was lowered and raised again several times, most notably in the Core interregnums.

copyright (c) 2007, Don Sakers


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20071219

(from A Child's Book of Stories by Kinson Tomas, Credix Publishing, TE 306)

Now in those days a decree went forth from the Emperor Augustus, that all the Galaxy should be taxed, and a census taken of all inhabitants. This was the census taken while Quirinius was Duke of Credix. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to their own planet and city.

And a man named Josef, along with his spouse Mary, left the planet Nazareth, and went to the city David on the planet Bedlam, to be counted with his own Idara. And Mary was at that time heavy with child.

And in the whole city of David, none of the inns had rooms available. So Josef and Mary went to the zoo, and Mary had her child among the animals. She wrapped him in the animals’ blankets, and laid him in a manger to sleep.

Now in that system there were asteroid miners, keeping watch over their claims. And on their holoscreens appeared a messenger from the Lord Kaal, and they were frightened. But the messenger said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, for today in the city of David there has been born a Santa, who is the Claus. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in blankets and laying in a manger.”

So the miners made their way straight to Bedlam, and landed at the spaceport in David, went to the zoo, and saw the baby as he lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them, and all who heard wondered at the things that were told to them by the miners.

Now after the baby had been born, magi from Borshall arrived on Bedlam, saying, “Where is he who has been born Santa? For we followed his star and have come to bring him gifts.”

When Grinch Herod the Planetary Governor heard this, he was troubled. Gathering together the police, he asked them where the Santa had been born. He called the magi to him and determined from them the exact time that the star had appeared. And he sent them forth on Bedlam and said, “Go and search for the child, and when you have found him, bring him to me, so that I may give him gifts also.” But he was secretly jealous, and meant to harm the child.

After hearing the Grinch they went on their way, and followed the star, which led them to the place where the baby lay. And they presented the baby with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream, the magi left for Borshall without returning to Herod.

Hearing of Herod’s jealousy, Josef and Mary took the boy back to Nazareth, where they lived in peace. They named the boy Kris.

Now, Josef was a carpenter, and as Kris grew, he learned his father’s trade. Soon he started making toys, and giving them to poor children. After many years, as his skill increased, Kris’s fame spread throughout the Province, and beyond.

When Herod heard of Kris, his jealousy became worse. He sent his agents to Nazareth, to hunt down Kris and his family. But some of the animals in the zoo, remembering Kris’ birth, heard of Herod’s plan. Eight of the reindeer broke loose, and flew to Nazareth to warn Kris.

Kris, warned by the reindeer, gathered his family and his toys, and hitched a sleigh to the reindeer. Together, they all flew to a small, frozen planetoid far above the North Pole of the Galaxy. There, Kris set up a toy factory, aided by the alien inhabitants, called Elves. He leaves his home only once each year, on his birthday, when he and the reindeer travel around the Galaxy, bringing gifts to good little girls and boys. The Galaxy over, he is known as Santa Claus; and the day of his birth is celebrated as Santamas.

And as for Grinch Herod, there came a time when he learned the true meaning of Santamas…but that is another story.



copyright (c) 2007, Don Sakers


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20071212

Cliodna

Fifth planet of the Xi Bootis system, 19 lightyears from Terra.

Cliodna is a small, rocky body about half the size of Mars. Extensive terraforming was necessary to prepare the world for Human settlement. There was no evidence of aboriginal life.

The foundation of Cliodna in TE 250 (as part of the Imperial Quarter-Millennial Celebration) completed the settlement of all habitable worlds within 30 lightyears of Terra. The 47 worlds involved would have formed a respectable territory by themselves under any circumstances; but most maintained only skeleton colonies at best, and none gained quite the importance of the pre-Imperial near-Terran planets, especially the Nexus Worlds.

At its height, Cliodna was a popular tourist destination for low-level Imperial bureaucrats from the Nexus Worlds. Due to the planet's proximity and relative obscurity, Cliodna tended to attract those who wanted to remain out of the public eye; frequent visitors included the criminal underworld and public figures carrying on illicit love affairs. (Before becoming Empress, Ellen Fodon was rumored to have met various secret lovers in the fleshpots of Cliodna.)

After the Empire fell, Cliodna was no longer able to maintain its terraforming; by about 3500 CE, Clidona had vanished from Human history. In the mid-23,000s HE, several Second Empire archaeological teams visited Cliodna without much success.

copyright (c) 2007, Don Sakers


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20071205

The Seven Races

The Seven Races inhabited a portion of the Galactic Core about 2.4 billion years ago. They founded and ruled the Pylistroph, the first great interstellar civilization in the Milky Way. Pylistrioph Seed Vessels dispersed their genetic material throughout the Galactic Halo, forming the basis for life on millions of worlds.

The Seven Races were:

The Coruma (singular, Corum)
"The Master Race"
Homeworld: Messilinia
Roughly Humanoid. Technologically advanced but not technocratic. Love the stars and draw most power from the suns. Ancestors of Humans, Metrinaire, Heloxans, Dolphins, etc.

The Daamin (singular, Daam)
"The High Race"
Homeworld: Verkorra
Small in number and stature, peaceful and philosophic. Direct ancestors of the Kien Khwei.

The Hchevidiire (singluar Hchevidir)
"The Elder Race"
Homeworld: Nnevichee
Very large (elephant-size or larger). Live in mountainous regions and arctic tundra, sometimes used as beasts of burden by Coruma.

The Evellan (singluar Evella)
"The Low Race"
Homeworld: Pevve
Arthropod-like, somewhat like Coruma but less intelligent. Less respected than the Coruma, sometimes enslaved by the Master Race, although this is prohibited in the Pylistroph. Longest-lived of the Animal Races. Ancestors of the Kaanese.

The Kareffi (singular Kareff)
Homeworld: Daarsa
Aquatic, ocean-dwelling, non-technological.

The Talebba (singular Talebb)
Homeworld: Brannis
Crystalline, sessile intelligences with long life spans and appreciation of geological processes. Often spaceborne.

The Hlutr (singular Hlut)
Homeworld: Paka Tel
Sessile plant intelligences, communicate by changing colors in leaves & skin, by sound, and by the Inner Voice. Light-sensitive, some varieties carnivorous, highly empathic. Natural genetic engineers. Ancestors of all Scattered Worlds Hlutr.

copyright (c) 2007, Don Sakers


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