Accessing Zarethian Data Module 367: The Zarethian People and Their History
History
The Zarethian Empire was once an enormous, sprawling empire. At its height it had millions of ships at its command and trillions upon trillions of people united under its great flag. However, that was later. It all began on the planet of Kotalin, the homeworld of the Zarethians. It was a lush, normally forested environment. The Zarethians started out as tribes of herdsman and nomads, moving through the forest to find good grazing areas. They occasionally met one another and fought ritualized battles for the claims to the herding areas. These battles were usually nonfatal but sometimes accidents happened. They were only on one of the six continents of Kotalin. It took them several thousand years to develop any sort of permanent settlement.
When they did make a permanent settlement, it was in the areas that they used to have their cattle graze in. These settlements started out small, with group huts and tents made of Garlax skin, the cattle, around a fire/cooking pit. Over the years these settlements grew larger and larger. The first alchemists and metalworkers formed, using the zinc and iron rich metals to make weapons and tools. This was a time of relative peace, were trade was more profitable than war.
This time period did not last. Explorers from the other continents came and spread diseases to the Zarethian tribes. The diseases, not dissimilar to the poxes from Earth, killed thousands, leaving many settlements ghost towns, or La'laquon. The explorers offered to help them and like any naive person would, many Zarethians accepted their help. The explorers in turn enslaved them and used them for manual and magical labor.
Two hundred years after these incidents the Zarethians were led into a revolt by a mage by the name of Caseri. Caseri was once a mage slave to one of the many kings of the enslaving group and broke free of his magical restraints and murdered his master with an eating utensil. He then blew up the palace with magic and rallied the rest of the slaves in the surrounding area.
The ensuing rebellion lasted fifteen years and pitted ragtag slaves with barely enough to eat against their well armed and equipped masters. In the end, the Zarethian slaves were victorious in taking their freedom. They took that freedom, along with the slaver's heads, and split ways. Half of the group, led by Caseri, wanted to take over their former enslavers while the other side wished to return to their homes. Split in half by the argument, the army was ambushed by remnants of the enslaver's army. The resulting battle took the Zarethians down to half strength.
This renewed attack at them forced the Zarethians into taking the whole country by storm and becoming the ruling class of citizens, bloodily if necessary. Caseri became the first Zarethian king and took to determining his people had it better than they ever had before. He went as far as making slave labor legal and having the once enslavers enslaved. This was met with some resistance by the other Zarethians but the more money minded leaped at the opportunity.
His reign lasted for a thousand years and only ended when his heir murdered him with a bowl of poisoned soup then had the assassin killed. Thus began the reign of La'lagmal, or the Ghostmaker. He was the most vicious of Zarethian tyrants and to this day none have surpassed the swathe of bloody dishonor that he left upon the Kingdom of the Zarethians. He murdered anyone who did not see his way and had entire armies of slaves let loose upon his enemies. It was under his reign that the Zarethians gained control of their entire world - a world filled with bloodshed.
He was overthrown by his adviser (after 20 years), a man who wished for peace in the world and a stop to the bloodshed. He took the throne himself and began the newest age of Zarethian dominance. He phased out the use of slaves and instead began to educate the populous and allowed the slaves to be educated. He organized public structures such as hospitals and schools. With him came the age of scientific advancements. In the two hundred years of his reign very primitive space tech, portal tech and shielding and pulse weaponry was devised. He died peacefully, at the age of 1002, a very old age for a Zarethian.
His successor, Krom the Explorer, built upon these advancements and supported the economy and the economic funding of scientific research. It was he that colonized the first planet off of Kolalin. He colonized three more planets in the solar system, all remarkably similar to Kolalin (it is speculated by scholars that the system was in fact artificial and an advanced race built it and put life there.) within the next three solar years. Within his lifetime and reign the advancement of FTL and terraforming technology let the Zarethians spread throughout the solar system and into several new ones.
The next ruler was almost as bad as the La'lagmal but on a much greater scale. He forced the researching of many new and dangerous weaponry, including nuclear reactions and weapons built to destroy planets. He took over and enslaved many a different planet, some with indigenous species some not. He was not well liked among the Zarethian people. It was during his violent and terrible reign that Aser, Bringer of Justice appeared. Clad in golden armor, wielding a sword as black as night and as terrible as the maw of Hell, he led a rebellion among the Zarethian People and eventually, making it to the palace and smiting the foul dictator from the face of existence. (As a side note, the first developmental phases of ZPAA were being made using black platinum. Only three prototype armors were made and one was stolen from the lab it was made in by a mercenary. Many were executed for this failure.)
Aser (Pronounced A-seer) remade the Zarethian Government into an empirical democratic union. He organized the senate and council and helped remake many laws from the previous ages. In general, it was an era of peace and prosperity for the Zarethians and every other race that that encompassed. He ruled as part of the council, an adviser, really. This was how it was for a hundred years until a messenger from Eli came into the council and shamed him. Aser left, vowing to return again.
Throughout the years, various bogus military ventures and wars had left the Zarethian Empire weak. They had but a few planets left, and only a handful of their once mighty fleet. Then the Lorcar attacked the weakened empire. Their technology was able to hold them off but only for a small period of time. They attacked and seized without any provocation, slaughtering billions of the Zarethian people and almost all of the other species in the empire. It started on the outer rim of the Zarethian planets, colonies disappearing without a trace, a lone derelict starship floating back with the crews heads exploded and the one remaining individual stark raving mad and screaming about bees.
The Zarethians prepared a final defense of their solar system. A thousand ship fleet was in their system. A fleet of civilian ships, numbering about two hundred capitol sized ships carrying civilian cities and populations. They were sent to a nearbye star system until further notice. The Lorcar fleet came out and battled with the Zarethian's last defense. Their psychic weapons and defenses overpowered the Zarethian ships and only a few hundred military ships larger than frigates survived, fleeing to the system with the civilians.
It is from here that the Zarethians fled for three hundred years, attempting to find another world to colonise. They found various worlds, some already colonised by other species, some of which were hostile towards the Zarethians, other who were not so and gave aid. The Zarethians, reluctant to take a world from another species, continued on their way. In this time, many, many new technologies were developed including the advent of pulse weapons.
While it took several centuries, the Zarethians were finally able settle a habitable planet when they met the Aralangs and Mechera above Aralia. The Aralangs, kind as they were, gave the Zarethians an uninhabited planet which they colonised and named Tefillin. They settled down and quickly conquered more planets. Zaned, Terragrouve and Starianna quickly joined their ranks. Later, they helped K'olar Industries establish a main base of industry around the planet, established trade relations with the Aralangs and Mechera and sent aid to the Narrikians.
Culture
Social Traditions/ Relationships
It is commonly seen as polite to bow to those above your social standing. An Admiral bows to his commanding officer who bows to the Council. Even if they are of the same standing it is polite to bow. This is done instead of a shake of hands.
The average Zarethian's psyche is focused around survival. Not the normal amount for a self preserving being but a rather larger amount, though it has gone down bit by bit over the centuries after the Lorcar attack. This would mean that to other races the Zarethians seem rather paranoid and strict. This is because they do so in order to survive on the hab ships. To be stuck upon a large ship for three hundred years is a poor existence, even one as large and as comfortable as a hab ship. Strict order was given out and was expected to be followed.
The Lorcar are generally not mentioned in any sort of public meeting. To do so is to call them forth and bring bad luck. Rather, the Lorcar are discussed, if at all, in private groups. Mostly intellectuals or other serious beings. If they are mentioned in public they are normally called 'The Beast' or something to a similar designation.
Zarethians are fairly long lived individuals, taking centuries to die. It is because of this that relationships are generally very important to them. Family relationships last for their whole lifetimes and romantic relationships last a while as well. Abuse of all kinds is considered a terrible, taboo crime.
Food
Qi (Kee) = A type of grain that is commonly used for breading or sandwich wraps. Is green and soft unless prepared correctly. Most common Zarethian grain. Used in everything from breads to wraps to chips.
Mi'scap (pronounced Me-scape) a small Zarethian vegetable that has a green, edible outer skin that peels off and a juicy red inner coat surrounding a large red seed in the middle. Is sweet and tangy. Often used as a topping, eaten raw, fried, or used in soup.
Recreation
Law
In the Zarethian society, those who commited awful crimes are sent to a secret, heavily protected arena. The crimes that can send you there are as follows: Rape, murder, torture, terrorism, piracy, large theft, molestation, moderate to severe abuse, mutinies, racketeering, smuggling, drug selling or possession with the intent to sell, prostituition, threatening national security, desertation, making illegal drugs, threatening the peace and civility of the Zarethian People, selling weapons, and disrupting tea time.
The arena is heavily fortified and made for gladiatorial events. The participants are given the hope of getting their freedom once they defeat the champion, who has yet to be defeated. All participants are given a sword made of iron, a shield of iron and a helmet. Not normally televised except for pay per view sadists.
Only people who have sworn an oath to maintain their nuetrality in politics can participate in the investigations of governemntal elections. The foremost amongst them are Addler vas Vacon, Hand of the Council as of this recording. Any other orginizations are not allowed to get involved unless the lead investigator allows them to.
Military
Accessing Zarethian Data Module 123: Zarethian Language
Language
Language basics: A K followed by an O makes the K O sound unless the O is followed by an R. A ' indicates a very slight pause between the sounds. Qu makes the K sound unless followed by another letter or a '. An L followed by an A sounds like Lay. An L followed by an O sounds low. An L followed by an E sounds like Lee. An L followed by an I sounds like lie. Adding an at the end of a word acts like an ING for English. Adding an ON makes it past tense.
Le'toron (Lee tore own) Destroyed, broken
Le'toran (Lee tore on) Destroying, breaking
Le'tor (Lee tore) Destruction
Kotalin (K-O, tay-lin) Home
La'con (Lay-kone) = Root (plant)
La'lagmal = Ghost Maker
La'la = Ghost
Addler: He who is like Aser.
Kallen (Kay len) Savior
Kor (core) = Maker, creator, originator
La'laquon (Lay lay, k-on) = Ghost Town
Quon (K-on) = town, city, village. The longer the K sound the bigger the city. Example: Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayon usually equals a very large settlement.
Qu (K) =planet, world, earth etc.
Korrup (core app) = Temple, place of worship
Physiology
The Zarethians look almost exactly like humans, that is to say, they are bipedal and humanoid. They are only distinguished from humans by a few key aspects. These aspects include the ability to naturally use magic, though most arent very powerful with it, have a much wider variety of hair and eye colors. They also are able to live a great deal longer than any human would naturally hope to live. It it not unheard of for a Zarethian to reach 1000 years old, though it is a rare occurrence. The average age of death is around 600 and goes up the more powerful you are with magic.
The Zarethians are fully mature at the age of 30, their bodies changing at a much more rapid pace, similar to humans. After the age of thirty (the Zarethian equivalent of 18 or 20) the Zarethians will start growing much slower, leading to a person who is actually 600 looking as if they were a fifty or sixty year old human. The more magical potential you have, the slower this process is.
Zarethian men stand approximately 5'10" on average and women standing 5'7" on average. However, like humans, Zarethians are capable of enormous variation. The smallest recorded Zarethian was a two feet tall pirate named Zekbeard, the Short and angry. The tallest Zarethian recorded was ten feet tall.
Zarethians can become sexually active around the age of 20 and generally enter their first relationships within a few years of this period. The pregnancy normally lasts around a year though it is possible (but not advised) to speed up the process with a combination of magic and technology.
Zarethian DNA has a surprisingly light amount of genetic junk in place. Whereas a human has around 98% genetic junk, a Zarethian has only 33%. (This discovery has led radical scientists to believe that they were artificially engineered. Many of the same radicals believe their original home system was artificial as well)
Zarethians retain the basic bone structure as humans but their bones are 30% stronger and have a much higher healing, clotting and respiratory intake efficiency. They are also normally very intelligent, even for sentient beings. The average Zarethian can run up to 33 miles per hour and keep at it for hours. The star athletes of a Zarethian world can run up to fifty miles per hour, with training and extensive conditioning. They would have to stop and rest for hours afterwords in order to do so, however.
The average Zarethian can lift well over five hundred pounds and an olympic equivelent can lift over 1400 pounds.
Zarethians have two hearts, they have a seperate section to their digestive tract which takes anything foriegn and directly puts it into the waste tract. Before this section there is a 'sifter' that separates the foriegn, objects, fluids and items from those of nutritious value. The Zarethian's skeletal structure is similar to that of a human's but they have no caccus and their bones have the strength of iron.
Magical Ability
Zarethians are odd magic users. Magic flows through their bodies but they cannot notice it unless they try to view magical signatures. It flows throughout their being but is not required to live comforatably. A Zarethian is generally either very powerful in magic or very weak in magic. Being moderate is very rare. Zarethians of high magical ability are always taken to the magical academies to be trained. Often, they are used as battle mages.
Zarethians also know many techniques for magic. They discovered a technique to get past anti-fields, encasing a magical attack in an AAM field.
