Humanity

Humanity and its People[]

In the face of ultimate hardship, humanity showed its resilience. Keo's guidance enabled humans to reclaim the Earth and defend it, undeniably one of the most unifying and impressive feats ever achieved by the species. The invasion of the hungry and non-discriminatory slag necessitated the cooperation of all humans; political borders, idealogical disagreements, and ethnic differences all dissolved in the face of complete annihilation. While people who fought for survival on the fringes often tore each other apart and trusted no one, people who joined Keo's "Great Crusade" became unified with purpose and faith. With this trend continuing for many generations, "Keonism" eventually became the single most unified belief system, its rules and guiding principles existing as a cross between a religion and a government.

The rise of Keonism during the great crusade created a cultural divide amongst survivors. The most ardent followers of Keo believed that it was time to outgrow the old religions and superstitions, and that a unified humanity under Keo’s rule was the next logical step. The societal collapse of virtually every nation had left the few surviving individuals with nowhere to call home, and few people to call “their people”. There was a hole in the cultural fabric, and throughout the Great Crusade it was filled organically by those who followed Keo and survived. An expression that became common during this time was “cling and die”, which was an observation that those who clung to old places and ideas were doomed to be overtaken by slag, while those who cast away their old lives and followed Keo closely survived in large numbers.

Keonic Nations[]

Once the Apostles were in power, a political system was enacted that would be best described as a militaristic theocratic federation. Societies that identified themselves as Keonic and obeyed the law of the Apostles would be granted protection and trade with other Keonic nations, while those who claimed independence would be denied these benefits. This led to a natural rapid deterioration of independent communities, though a few survived. Some of these chose to separate in the name of religious freedom, others in the name of political independence. The Apostles typically left these communities alone, except when conflicts between Keonic and non-Keonic communities arose.

While Keonic societies did have an entire legal system, there were 8 Keonic Decrees written by the Apostles that were to be followed or understood by the inhabitants of every Keonic nation. They were as follows:

Keo is humanity’s savior, and will be worshiped accordingly.
Citizens of Keo will serve him when called upon.
Citizens of Keo will not harm one another.
Citizens of Keo will not blaspheme the savior.
Citizens of Keo will not trade with non-Keonic nations.
Citizens of Keo will not harm non-Keonic citizens.
Citizens of Keo will be publicly educated.
Citizens of Keo will be resolute in their opposition to slag and all evil forces.

A church of Keo was quickly established with its own practices and rituals. New hymns were written, churches were erected, and a scripture was delivered by the Apostles. Despite early resistance to this complete reformation, it took only a handful of generations before Keonic practices were the norm and resistance to them was considered the universal taboo. This culture was cultivated and secured through the careful monitoring and regulation of a global communication system established using Keo's own technology. This was the Global Keonic Network, or GKN, which effectively replaced the internet.

Of course, the diversity of mankind seems to be a permanent feature. Communities and countries took on their own interpretations of Keonism, and were allowed to do so as long as the core tenets were followed. Multiple religious denominations emerged, and the particular beliefs of Keonists began to vary significantly. But one thread united all: Keo was humanity’s savior, and slag was evil incarnate. However, in the dark and hidden corners of the world persisted an opposing idea; Immonism was out of sight, but not quite forgotten.

Mason Lee, the leader of a non-Keonic militia group formerly located on Kynon, now on Heptin. While he doesn't oppose the rule of Keo, Lee is one of many non-Keonic citizens who prioritize freedom, democracy, and the sovereignty of humans. Despite his non-Keonic status, Lee is widely respected among the Unum Vires who know of him and has a reputation for cooperating with Slag Slayer platoons.

Non-Keonic Nations[]

While an estimated 86% of established governments in the Multiplex identify as "Keonic", there are some significant nations that exist outside of Keo's jurisdiction. Some of them are remnants of older nations that survived the outbreak and reformed, while others are entirely new societies that arose from communities of like-minded individuals with a desire for independence. The relationship between Keonic and non-Keonic nations is not usually hostile, partly because non-Keonic nations would stand no chance against the might of the Unum Vires. However, Keonic nations do not prioritize the safety of non-Keonic nations, and will only intervene if a slag outbreak threatens the continent or planet at large.

The Immonists[]

From the Redeemer and the few surviving prophets, the Immonists returned. They had learned from the mistakes of S.M.I.T.E, and no longer pursued power beyond their ability to contain. They worshiped Krozox in secret, continuing to perform their “unity” rituals through the powers of dark channelers and clerics. In their pursuit to end the violence of mankind and unite all things, the New Immonists would sometimes perform coordinated corruptions on colonies. Though the U.V. (Unum Vires) was usually able to contain the corruptive spread, this was not the case every time.

In the year 3041, the greatest tragedy of the Void War occurred. Nearly every major city and colony on the planet Kynon experienced a sudden outburst of corruption, leading to the fastest spread of slag since the original outbreak on Earth. Local U.V. forces were quickly overrun, and a malfunction of the local portal led to a fatal delay in reinforcements. In a matter of weeks, the entire planet was deemed corrupted and Kynon was abandoned. Approximately 44 million humans perished, which was about half of the agricultural planet’s entire population. The rest were evacuated, and nearly all immigrated to the sparsely populated planet Heptin. This led to a societal collapse and humanitarian crisis on Heptin, which became a “third world planet” almost overnight.

Free Thought Societies[]

One of the largest and most organized non-Keonic communities in the multiplex is the Free Thought Society. FTS communities exist in various sizes on each of the colonized planets, and have their own political structure and system of currency. They are banned from protection and trade with Keonic societies, though this rule often goes unenforced, particularly where FTS communities have lived peacefully near Keonic communities for long periods of time.

Nevertheless, freedom of religious choice is crucial to FTS members and families, as is the choice not to serve in the UV. Many have fled their former Keonic homes upon being drafted into the military and have sought legal refuge as an FTS member. While most Keonic citizens respect the existence of the FTS, a fair share see them as cowards and rebels who have abandoned hope and Keo.

Ex-Com[]

As mentioned previously, there exists religious and secular communities who choose to live independently from the Keonic majority. However, there were also those who chose to live fully outside the law of any nation or creed. Whatever their motivations, these individuals pursued a life of seclusion, underground activity, and non-identity. The sheer size of the multiplex and the vast amount of unexplored land on the 5 planets and many moons meant that a person could hide nearly anywhere they wished. Some romanticize this lifestyle, while others shame it. It has become every parent’s nightmare that their children would abandon their social obligations and pursue the path of the Ex-Com.

The Unum Vires[]

Early UV troop 2 — A "Fist of Keo" in the early years of the Crusade

In the year 2133, a coalition of former TCF soldiers and personnel fighting with Keo decided it was time to form a regulated military. Their current fighting forces were disorganized, ill-equipped, and barely trained. Settling in the recently liberated city of Geldin, the coalition brought ~100 able-bodied recruits from Keo’s ranks and proceeded to train, rank, and equip the small fighting force with remnant TCF armor and weapons. Using tactics they had learned from fighting with Keo, these teams of soldiers began to liberate smaller towns and cities independently, recruiting any survivors they could. They called themselves the Fists of Keo, and in a few short years the name became recognized by survivors all around the world.

Slag runner giant — A giant variation of a slag runner. A slag of this size would produce a potent s-field capable of corrupting unprotected humans within several dozen meters.

Eventually, the Fists of Keo were confronted by a pretty serious obstacle: the corruptive s-fields of slag mammoths. Without Keo’s psychic assistance, the soldiers were vulnerable and were unable to liberate even moderately-sized cities. The Fists’ top commanders pleaded with Keo to aid them in some way, but Keo insisted that he must continue his crusade across Earth. A compromise was reached: Keo would seek out survivors with psychic potential and train a team of channelers. Though it halted his crusade momentarily, this decision would pay dividends. He found and trained channeler after channeler, sending them off to fight with the growing battalions of Fists. Equipped with additional psychic protection, the soldiers doubled their efficiency. Despite this boon, the Fists were still unable to penetrate the overwhelming force of slag mammoths without the assistance of Keo.

In 2174, the country of Brickonia was declared slag-free. This was the beginning of the end for slag’s reign over Earth; now with room and time to breathe, humanity regrouped. Several military institutions were established, and two of Keo’s strongest channelers founded Manolae, the first channeler academy. Keo dubbed the psychic forces of humanity the Unum Ceres, commonly referred to as the Channeler’s Ring. He also gave the Fists of Keo the divine title of Unum Vires. An emblem was designed, the Eye of Keo, and at last Keo’s forces fought under a shared flag.

Despite incredible progress, the issue of combatting slag mammoths remained. Convening with his most skilled channelers and engineers, he designed a piece of artillery that could weaponize psychic energy. It was the first piercer, a weapon capable of penetrating slag’s psychic field and weakening mammoths enough for bombardment.

The creation of the piercer was a crucial turning point in the war and paved the way for a new age of technological advancement. Handheld high-powered lasers dubbed “beamers” were developed shortly after the piercer, and this “beamer tech” proved extremely effective against slag. Over the centuries, beamer weaponry became implemented into a wide range of vehicles and equipment. Notable among them was Afflictors, mech-suits equipped with extremely powerful beamer blasters in addition to melee defense weapons. To date, beamers are the default weapon of choice on the battlefield.

It is worth noting that there is a sub-branch of the Unum Vires called the Loci Vires. They act as police in the multiplex, handling conflicts that arise between humans. While many seek positions as a Loci, they are sometimes seen as cowards who desired to play it safe instead of serving Keo. Being enlisted as a Loci also has far fewer monetary benefits than being enlisted as a Unum, specifically in order to encourage military service.

The Unum Ceres[]

Iris - an apprentice channeler and character in "Grey Horizons."

While every soldier’s duty is quite clear, the same cannot be said for channelers. Certainly there are a few abilities that every potential channeler can learn: telepathy (with contact and sometimes contactless), protective aura summoning, and astral vision (which allows them to determine whether a person is corrupted). While these abilities are all important, it is each channeler’s “special ability” that makes them unique and powerful. Some channelers are born with a proclivity for combat - perhaps their ability allows them to emit bursts of energy, or perhaps they can rupture corrupted minds from a safe distance. Others may develop more protective abilities, such as creating energy shields or mass invisibility.

Valenforth Channeler Academy, located on Loros

The goal of channeler academies is to discover each psychic’s special ability and to train them to reach their potential. After graduation, each apprentice channeler is assigned to a master and trained in real combat situations. It is dangerous but necessary, as the shortage of channelers demands rapid replenishment.

Channelers are known for their faith and philosophy, as this is a major part of their schooling. While most of them revere Keo and the Apostles, a channeler will occasionally become an ex-com or avoid academia entirely. In cases like these, the Coalition for Ethical Channelers (CEC) steps in to investigate. If it is discovered that a channeler is using their ability for personal gain, swift and strict punishments are enacted. Commonly observed ability abuses include mind control, theft, manipulation, and assault.