Aut'akh

Unathi

U. Sapiens / Sinta'Unathi

Home System: Uueoa-Esa

Homeworld: Moghes

Language(s): Sinta'Unathi

Political Entitie(s): The Free Conclave / The Polar Insurrection

Overview

The Aut'akh are a decentralized, leaderless religious movement and society. Formed by a group of scientists and engineers after the Contact War, the Aut'akh symbolically seize and control their own spiritual destiny through ritualistic augmentation. After revealing themselves to the galaxy, the immediately besieged and haggard Aut'akh have been making friendly gestures toward nearly every power in the galaxy in an attempt to be formally recognized and avoid destruction by their brothers in the Hegemony. The Aut'akh use an information network called the "Mesh" that allows their operating system, called Oss, to facilitate decisions and projects based on input and projections to aid in the management of society. While Oss is considered to be a manifestation of Sk'akh, Oss has no binding authority over the Aut'akh as its decisions are informed by programmers and followed voluntarily.

Job Restrictions

Aut'akh can take any non-command job.'

Mechanics

• Aut'akh have fair resistance to cold and reduced resistance to heat.
• Aut'akh have mechanical limbs which can be detached at will. Some of these limbs have additional functionality such as department-appropriate tools.
• Aut'akh have mechanical eyes that allow them to access department HUDs, but which can be shut down by flashes.
• Aut'akh have the ability to exchange nutrition and hydration for emergency life-saving chemicals.
• Aut'akh have a slightly elevated stamina and a slightly slower sprint.
• For limb repairs, Aut'akh need cables or welders like IPC repairs.
• For surgery you must first cut open the metal chest with a saw, and then operate as normal.

Biology and Augments

Aut'akh claim they are immortal due to their augmentation, but being around for only a decade there is no way to truly verify this. Their life expectancy ranges from hundreds to thousands of years, but time will tell. Currently, the oldest Aut'akh is 72, being augmented at 68.

Since they are carnivorous species, their diet mostly consists of meat, though they do have a tolerance to some plants and fruits. However, they do not get any nutrition from plants, so they are mostly used as garnish or decoration.

Internally, barring the additional organs, Aut'akh retains all of the regular internal organs of regular Unathi.

Both male and females retain all functions necessary for reproduction.

Aut'akh can still 'feel' and sense pain, but face difficulty in really feeling abstract things like the warmth of a sunny day at the beach or a cool breeze. They are still able to feel, but many Aut'akh describe feeling physical sensations like hearing a muted conversation from another room. Aut'akh retain their sense of smell and taste and enjoy many diverse foods when they can get it.

Organs Present In Game

• Haemodynamic control system - Allows the user to stabilize themselves (at least temporarily) from major injuries at the cost of 50% to 75% of their hunger.

• Adrenal management system - A series of mechanical stimulants and extra glands placed along the adrenal system. Allows the user to cause minor toxin/brute damage to the entire body for the duration of the effect in exchange for a temporary endurance boost.

• Soul Anchor - Flavor organ in the head. Takes the form of a brain implant connected to the region associated with religious experience. Does nothing in gameplay. It contains the Oss Operating system.

Graspers

Graspers must always be placed where your right hand is, and will not work as a left hand or left arm!

Physical Appearance

Aut'akh tend to favor colors that match existing Unathi scale colors. The major color categories are red, black, orange-brown ("sand colored") and green. However, some Aut'akh choose to express themselves with colors ranging from white, dark blue, or gray.

Female and male Aut'akh look almost completely indistinguishable, and only Aut'akh tend to be able to tell each other apart.

Aut'akh tend to weigh between 290 - 320 pounds.

Aut'akh tend to be between 5'9" to 7'0".

Both sexes stand on plantigrade legs, jointed backward, and have clawed feet and hands. They retain their very long tongues, which may stretch up to a foot and a half long, forked just like a serpent's. In much the same manner as snakes, the Unathi can sample the air around them using their tongue, on top of their present sensors. This tongue is usually black or an extremely dark red, and usually a foot in length. Some Aut'akh still lick their own eyeballs out of habit, despite no longer needing to.

Naming Schemes

Aut'akh Unathi will identify themselves with their Aut'akh clan name and then their personally chosen name, although those nostalgic for their past may append their former clan name on the end. For example, Gorish Mum'bazi, when he joins the Aut'akh, would be named Veetek Uza. Or if he was nostalgic, Veetek Uza-Mum'bazi.

Commonly, interactions within the Mesh are facilitated with a 'username' for every Aut'akh. User names are deeply personal things, denoting one's soul separated from Sk'akh. For example, Veetek Uza may be represented as VeetUz#Aut'akhJoy or may discard the name entirely, RedPolymer4Sk'akh

Clans of the Communes

The Aut'akh clans are more akin to guilds than actual clans, being voluntary organizations biased toward certain crafts. This is due to most of the Aut'akh population being exiles from other clans, or those whose clans were destroyed in the contact war, and many unrelated Unathi can belong to a single clan.

Not all decisions are made from Oss itself. Anything that is not a community-wide decision is handled internally with the Clans or immediate family/friends. Issues such as digging, mining, power generation, electrical grids, aquaculture building, or personal matters between people, are handled by the Clan it pertains to, or that Clan asks for a mediator if they have a dispute with another clan. Clans almost always cooperate with each other if it enables their work or the other clan's work. That said, disagreements between Clans or internally usually have the Aut'akh involved in the debate citing projections made by Oss, if any were made. But in day to day life, miners will dig, fishermen will fish, and Optikam will engage in daring raids to sabotage Hegemon incursions.

Almost all of the traditional Clans of the Aut'akh subscribe to traditional Unathi Honor.

Clan Veetek - The Engineers

Named after the VTEC modules they carefully craft, no mech race is complete without a Veetek representative present, and Veetek members tend to make up the core of the Aut'akh exosuit effort. They tend not to become involved too heavily in internal Aut'akh politics in their eternal quest for speed. Veetek mechanics are often found making dangerous, ill-advised modifications to Aut'akh drones and androids, or posting endlessly on the Mesh about the newest mech models.

• Moghean Veteek have begun creating 'Scrapyard Mechs' because of the on-going blockade limiting their access to complex resources for mech production. Assembled from scrap and components recovered by scavenging teams in the Wasteland, Veteek mecha drivers take deep pride in their hodgepodge, ugly, "good enough" mechs that they treat like one of their own hatchlings. This includes the mechs meant for combat.

• New Gibson Commune Veetek have better access to mech technology present in NanoTrasen, but many struggle to come to terms with the reality that whatever mechs they produce for NanoTrasen are property of NanoTrasen itself, and that they will need to hand it over eventually.

When working for Nanotrasen, clan Veetek tends to work in the science and medical departments.

Clan Mahashik - The Miners

Named after the geologic Mohorovicic layer they probe for minerals, this mining clan has a high proportion of heavy robot frames. They are often employed as a backline defense for the home bunkers, and they generally see themselves as the pillars on which Aut'akh society is built. Clan Mahashik is also responsible for power management and construction in many cases, as their heavy, durable bodies are well suited to the task.

• Moghean Mahashik spend most of their time underground mining into the crust, expanding the bunkers, and repairing damage caused by incursions from the wider world. They are slowly developing a more revanchist attitude towards the attacking Izweski and Maraziites, and are beginning to question the doctrine of remaining strictly defensive. They are known to host BBQs whenever there is available meat.

• Gibson Mahashik spend most of their time trying to dig into the crust of New Gibson and quickly running afoul of the complex legal troubles regarding land ownership, digging permits, and other bureaucratic elements of the State. They also help maintain the fragile infrastructure of the new colony when they are not working for NanoTrasen to help repay the debt the commune owes. With their wide-ranging responsibilities, many lament their lack of time to host BBQs.

When working for Nanotrasen, clan Mahashik tends to work in the supply and engineering departments.

Clan Siansi - The Industrialists

Named after the automated production systems they maintain. They're often seen as a more spiritual clan, as they tend to take rather minimalist bodies, or alternatively remain mostly organic. Using their Soul Anchor they are able to directly control industrial equipment with their minds if it also runs on Oss. They tend to provide most of the industrial goods that the Autakh require, and they tend to style themselves as wise sages, often using mystified terms and technical jargon unique to Siansi.

• Moghean Siansi spend most of their time inside underground workshops, producing finished goods and trying to find more effective ways to utilize dwindling resources in their factories and workshops. As a group they are struggling to reconcile their desire to keep the polar commune peaceful and defensive only. Siansi sages often preach against the growing revanchism, but their words are beginning to become less convincing to the clans who face nearly daily strikes and attacks from the outside world.

• Gibson Siansi spend most of their time inside retrofitted workshops, designing consumer and finished goods. Production costs on New Gibson remain high due to the monopoly NanoTrasen has over the system and exclusive supply deals with the commune. The Siansi are growing increasingly frustrated at NanoTrasen requiring them to sell almost a third of all produced goods to the company at prices that match production costs, only to have NanoTrasen then turn around and sell those goods at a mark up with the profits going to NanoTrasen shareholders rather than towards repayment of the debt.

When working for Nanotrasen, clan Siansi tends to work in the science and civilian departments.

Clan Optikam - The Shadowscales

Named after the optical camouflage systems they covet, Optikam busies themselves with the business of stealth, scouting, and long-range battle. Optikam commandos contribute some of their members of the Autakhs' highly mobile Hussar units, and they tend to recruit out of sickly, thin, short, or albino members of the species. They tend to have a sort of scheming underdog mentality; they'll do anything to win, because winning is the only honorable thing. Other clans tend to look down upon them because of their use of underhanded tactics. Strangely, members of clan Optikam often end up filling simple roles such as custodians and delivery people.

• Moghean Optikam have exhausted all of their patience for non-Aut'akh Unathi. The Clan has openly advocated for striking back at the Hegemony and Maraziite Order to bring the fight away from their homes. Optikam commanders use the controversial BattleTrance.OSS Implement to engage in brutal and ruthless attacks on encroaching forces. With a grim determination to win the war by any means necessary, Optikam are beginning to worry the rest of the Commune by abandoning ancient traditions of honorable warfare in favor of a new, efficient doctrine of asymmetrical war.

• Gibson Optikam resent the exploitation of the Commune by NanoTrasen and humanity. While not as brazenly hostile and revanchist as their Moghean counterparts, Optikam are still known to try to engage in small acts of sabotage and resistance. Losing paperwork, turning off pumps, disabling a pipe, faxing solid black papers to CCIA offices to waste all their ink, and dozens of other minuscule acts. The Optikam in New Gibson are attempting to kill NanoTrasen by a thousand tiny cuts.

When working for Nanotrasen, clan Optikam tends to work in the security, civilian, and medical departments.

Clan Saramiite - The Sledgehammers

Named after the diamond-hard material that makes up their projectiles and the tips of their weapons, and given the styling of a religious order, the Saramiite clan operates the largest number of heavy combat cyborgs, serving as the core of the Autakhs' heavy infantry cuirassier units. They tend to recruit out of the largest, strongest unathi available, seeing themselves as the ultimate shield of the Aut'akh, the pinnacle of warfare, without whom the other clans would be exterminated.

• Moghes Saramiite are considered all fire and brimstone by the rest of the Commune. They are the driving force behind the growing revanchism. The majority of Saramiites want nothing more than to destroy the Hegemony and the Maraziites to keep everyone safe. They continue rigorous training and demand stronger and stronger weapons and augments be allocated to them. As resources are strained, many groups within the Commune willingly hand over their own limited supplies to aid the Saramiites who are keeping them safe.

• Gibsonite Saramiite are generally frustrated that their primary purpose as defenders and warriors has been made redundant. Many of them still patrol the Commune, but with a lack of threats and the presence of Tau Ceti law enforcement (who now have jurisdiction over Saramiites entirely) many of them are becoming increasingly listless and strike off to work for NanoTrasen or the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion. They resent the soullessness with which their job is treated in Tau Ceti and in corporate work in general. They don't like the mundane work that is a corporate or government security job but it's the only thing they're really prepared for. Other Saramiites go as far as to join criminal elements as hired muscle to help the Commune and experience something fulfilling and exciting in their purpose, despite the dread it brings.

When working for Nanotrasen, clan Saramiite tends to work in the security and engineering departments.

Clan Kethresh - The Fishermen

Named after the aquafarmer equipment they prize, clan Kethresh specializes in bringing aquaculture vats and fisheries to dangerous places. Most of clan Kethresh operate in heated domes above the bunker complexes, and thus are generally the first to suffer during a Hegemony incursion. For this reason, Kethresh aquafarmers tend to adopt a determined but fatalistic attitude. They have little fear, but are absolutely resigned to death.

• Moghes Kethresh feel increasingly fatalistic. They're hopeful that the Saramiites can stop the harassment from the Hegemony but they're cynical in that they expect nothing will change and all their work will continue to be destroyed over and over.

• Gibsonite Kethresh are slowly becoming more hopeful. They are unlikely to be attacked and aquaculture is one of the few things that NanoTrasen and the State do not intrude on, so they're left nearly unmolested for the first time ever.

When working for Nanotrasen, clan Kethresh tends to work in the supply and civilian departments.

Clan Ansiba - The Scholars

Named after an arcane piece of telecommunication equipment, clan Ansiba is the newest and weakest of all the clans, only existing as long as the Exile Convoy. They are a highly thoughtful and scientific clan, recruiting exclusively from the ranks of the most intelligent unathi. Ansiba is the clan that has the closest relationship with non-Aut'akh unathi, even going so far as to operate cults in several of the Hegemony's major cities. Ansiba tends to have a smug, superior attitude towards the other clans, and they have the highest proportion of Paradigms of any clan.

• Moghean Ansiba started as scientists, but they've since expanded into the production and maintenance of telecommunications equipment, broadcasting, and infiltration of the Hegemony. They coordinate with the Optikam for infiltration missions. They run pirate radio and broadcast pro-Autakh propaganda. In disguises or even lacking any external, obvious augments, they also travel the Wasteland and Moghes to seek out exiles and people unhappy with the hegemony in order to recruit them. They are extremely interested in robotics and, despite their lack of complex electronics to build them, view the IPC as entities of magic and as valuable friends and allies. This puts them at odds with other members of the Commune, who view synthetics as mere tools.

• Gibsonite Ansiba also focus on the sciences, but without needing to commit infiltration. They spread pro-Autakh propaganda and attempt to recruit out of the underclasses of Tau Ceti, regardless of species. They are also extremely interested in positronics as allies and members of the commune and are generally ecstatic by being near so many in Tau Ceti. They remain an outlier in viewing Synthetics as being entities of pure magic (due to their fully 'augmented' nature) and try to persuade the rest of the wary commune to this idea.

When working for Nanotrasen, clan Ansiba tends to work in the science and service departments.

Religion

In-depth information on the Aut'akh's spiritual beliefs can be found on the Unathi Religion page.

Oss and The Mesh

Sk'akh spoke to the first who would become Aut'akh, and led them to create Oss and the Mesh. The combined expression of all the magic of the Aut'akh is called Oss, which is an avatar of Sk'akh in cyberspace. For the non-religions, Oss is an operating system and a numbers cruncher housed within an implant in an Aut'akhs mind. This implant, called a Soul Anchor also connects an Aut'akh to the Mesh. Through its use, Aut'akh can share experiences on communal boards that are then tabulated by Oss into useful information. For example, when a commune is building a new power grid, Oss analyzes everything about the project, such as resources being used, manpower, and desired output. It then gives the communes engineers projections at every level so that the engineers can make extremely informed decisions.

Because Oss is an operating system, different communes not in close contact may over time begin to have doctrinal and policy drifts. Over more time and distance this may cause their version of Oss to become very different or even incompatible from one another. The Mesh is best described as a mental form of internet that works on any device that runs Oss.

Aut'akh priests or shamans are known as Paradigms, and they are the example to which every Aut'akh strives. An Aut'akh becomes a "Paradigm" when they contribute an update to Oss that improves its operating system. Whether or not an update is considered an improvement is decided by the commune on a semi-daily basis.

Decrees

In extraordinarily rare situations, Oss will generate projects for a Commune to complete that are phrased as commands rather than analysis. These broadcasts from Oss are treated as Decrees from Sk'akh themself, speaking through Oss. Most Aut'akh act with crusader-like zeal in completing them. Other Aut'akh question whether or not these are simply glitch behaviors from the operating system, pointing to the context of the Decrees that have been implemented in the past.

There have been two Decrees in Aut'akh history; both emerged in the middle of incredible divisive debate and uncertainty within the Polar Commune. More information is in the history section.

While some Aut'akh continue to believe that the Decrees indeed come from Sk'akh, there are still divides on how to interpret them or ultimately if they are merely the product of a polarized commune.

Oss In Daily Life

Oss does not communicate with its followers directly outside extraordinarily rare Decrees, and debate still rages on whether it is conscious or not. Despite this assertion, many Aut'akh describe Oss the operating system as a religious conscience, acting as third feeling in oneself should their activities, thoughts, attitudes go with or against the moralities of the commune. These standards are decided by voting, and it is the Paradigms that are ultimately in charge of writing an ethical update to Oss so it can be updated with the latest version. Whether or not this is true, Aut'akh still have agency during these feelings.

The Implements

Like a computer, Soul Anchors can only run so many aspects of Oss at a time. Aut'akh have a set of programs called the Implements. When ran, the Aut'akh operates under the parameters of that Implement. The Soul Anchor has enough space for three Implements, but only one can safely run at a time. With a Mesh connection Aut'akh can delete an Implement from their Anchor and download a new one in the space of an hour or less.

• PublicSquare.OSS is similar to a public forum and instant messaging board. It allows Aut'akh to communicate with Aut'akh also connected to their local Mesh network. The program overlays in their vision with the help of their augmented eyes. There is also video, image, and audio sharing in public or private chats or dedicated sites on the Mesh. This program is also how Aut'akh form Consensus, using the various platforms.

• TacticalNetwork.OSS is a complex combat system designed for incredible levels of coordination and tactical prowess. Aut'akh running this Implement have access to maps, orders, and predictions on the outcome of battle, as well as the status and sensory data of their comrades.

• WorkSafe.OSS uses cybernetics to achieve its goals. This Implement is used by Aut'akh who are working in day to day tasks within the Commune. Aut'akh who take on a work assignment gain the ability to do complex tasks in unison with all other Aut'akh around them. Aut'akh in a workshop all working with the WorkSafe.OSS Implement have the same speed and methodical ability as an automated factory. It has been described as a proactive muscle memory - any number of Aut'akh can work in close proximity on the same project without anyone bumping into each other or going out of sync when utilizing the right Implement.

• BattleTrance.OSS is a controversial Implement used almost exclusively by the Optikam. Is a cut-out switch for the conscious mind. Upon activation, the user simply falls asleep standing. A modified version of the TacticalNetwork.OSS Implement then activates, putting their body directly under the control of the software, which itself is abstractly commanded by a nearby commander. This Commander remains conscious, and commands all units running the Implement. This grants the user extremely fast reaction times, and its users are known to be vicious and methodical killers on the battlefield. It is primarily used by specialized groups of Optikam infiltrators. Optikam Commanders have dark humor about the Implement, sometimes referring to the Implement as a "real time strategy game".

• TravelGrid.OSS has been described as having the same scale as a traffic-control network for a major urban city. It gives Aut'akh the ability to easily navigate even the most complex mazes within their network. Thousands of Aut'akh can move around in halls or on roads without a single hiccup in traffic. The program can also visually lay out a path before Aut'akh to get to their destination.

There are hundreds more .OSS programs that serve a lot of individual functions. They are as diverse and mundane as programs are in contemporary laptops.

Baffles

Having a spotty connection to the Mesh results in unusual scenarios known as Baffle Events. Oss is “baffled” as the mesh connection drops out abruptly and everything starts going wrong. People bump into each other, stuff falls over and breaks, then the connection comes back and it all goes smoothly again.

For Aut’akh without a reliable connection to the Mesh, such as for Aut'akh that travel outside the exile fleet to work on the Aurora or elsewhere in Tau Ceti, they don’t have this easy, instant communication with everyone around them. This loneliness can be unnerving to Aut’akh, so they are eager to talk to people; to ask them questions and learn about their experiences. Aut’akh in Tau Ceti are almost constantly trying to strike up friendly conversations with everyone around them. While they mean well, to many this can come off as unnerving.

The Polar Bunkers

The Polar Bunkers are the home turf of the Aut'akh. They were originally a series of military bunkers and climate research stations which were abandoned after the nuclear exchanges and left mostly intact. The Aut'akh, at the end of their wanderings, found some of these places and converted them into a fortified but peaceful subterranean empire. Although the Aut'akh know no central authority, the Polar Bunkers are considered the heartland of the Aut'akh civilization.

The interiors of these places are maddeningly complex, intertwined warrens of tunnels and rooms dug seemingly at random and filled with thousands of Aut'akh. TravelGrid.OSS takes Aut'akh to their destinations safely, guiding each individual to their destinations while minimizing collisions.

Consensus

The laws of the Aut’akh, as it can be said they have them, are called Consensus. Consensus are agreements between the majority of Aut’akh for a certain rule, guideline, or objective. When Aut’akh are connected to the Mesh they can communicate with all other Aut’akh in radio range, allowing a whole community to rapidly communicate with one another. The range of the Mesh can extend out to regions of a planet but cannot extend through interstellar distances or between planets without infrastructure.

Consensus is not needed for every single decision that an individual or group might make, but on matters that affect an entire commune. Most individuals know their job and how to do it without needing to call for an entire consensus. Mahashik will keep digging, Saramiite will keep training, and Optikam will keep patrolling. Consensus is for major projects.

In the Exile fleet, the lack of being able to easily reach a Consensus has lead to a growing rise of minor issues and a generally much slower rate at reaching consensus or being slow to respond to unwanted behavior.

The Rituals

Ritual of Shards

While the commune embraces anyone that accepts their teachings, the reality of resource management means that they cannot provide the full-body augmentation that all its members strive for. Priority is given to Unathi that are maimed or otherwise physically handicapped, and especially in the Polar Commune, the steady stream of Wastelanders means that the waiting list is very long for healthy initiates. However, a fully healthy Unathi of at least 16 years old can ask any Paradigm to conduct the Ritual. What it is varies by the Paradigm, but the requirement is always the same: It must be difficult, dangerous, and typically selfless. Most early initiates were sent hiking the frigid cold in basic gear to deliver food to a reclusive Paradigm in the more extreme north. In modern times they are typical quests, large or small in importance, that would try the abilities of any Unathi. If the Initiate survives they are celebrated and immediately offered full body augmentation through the Ritual of Rebirth.

Ritual of Rebirth

This is the process of acquiring a fully augmented Aut’akh body. Individuals who have already experienced great pain in their life, such as being maimed or disabled, may be allowed to receive their Ritual of Rebirth, since they have already had a Ritual of Shards by Sk’akh and the Ancestors.

Unathi who complete a Ritual of Shards, even if they are (usually) unconscious, heavily injured, or extremely exhausted, will be put into a Sk’au in a Ritual Chamber where it will treat most of their ailments via limb replacement as well as enhance their ability to survive. The individual is kept unconscious within the Sk’au. If a Unathi's heart has stopped within 30 minutes before being placed in the sarcophagus, their heart will be replaced and restarted by the machine where they will have a small chance to come back to life. An Aut'akh Paradigm, completely covered in energy harnessing runes, will assist in powering the Sk’au during the process and remain next to them for anywhere from a day to a week to help them adjust to their new body and life.

Sk’au Sarcophagi

The original Sk’au were known as Sepulchres by the Mador, but this term has been replaced with Sk’au Sarcophagi, or just simply Sk’au. They resembled a stone sarcophagus with finely chiseled holes that conductive metal would run through. It’s believed based on Mador runes that they held a spiritual or medical purpose. They could have been used to rejuvenate their drying skin, or to try and make their bodies more like the southern Sinta’Unathi to let them survive in drier environments, but the true intention is unknown. Modern Sk’au are very similar to cryotubes; made of metal and glass. When filled with cryoxadone it allows the related Implement to direct the internal components to begin the process of safely performing the full body augmentation of the Unathi inside. When the Unathi wakes they have their new metal body.

The Exile Convoy

After the Aut'akh emerged from their bunkers, they were met with immediate hostility from the Maraziite Order and the Hegemony. A full blockade was put in place, and the convoys that secretly shuttled supplies to and from the Polar Bunkers was left stranded in the start of 2461. In Feburary of 2461 the Exile Fleet arrived in Tau Ceti, and after negotiations with Nanotrasen and the Biesellite government they were settled on New Gibson. The majority of their ships touched down and have been joined together in a makeshift colony as they start to dig into the crust to make their more suitable subterranean complexes.

The Exile Fleet is still unable to return to Moghes due to the ongoing blockade of the polar bunkers, and they cannot supply or resupply with their brethren. They are in effect having to restart their civilization all over again from the ground up. With only around 10,000 Aut'akh, they are finding it difficult to exist within Tau Ceti; humans continue to misunderstand or belittle the necessity of Consensus. They are also locked into work contracts with NanoTrasen to pay off the debts they owe them and the governments for the purchase of the New Gibson land. Many Aut'akh now have no control over the work they do for NanoTrasen. If they work outside New Gibson they also have a spotty or total lack of a connection to the Mesh, leading them to feel lonely and listless. They also face constant hostility and fear from other Unathi within Tau Ceti, as well as patronizing or hostile attitudes from humans and other aliens.

Regardless of how individual Aut'akh feel, there is a collective strengthening of their will as they continue on their quest to adapt and survive by any means necessary. They express their camaraderie and desire for peace and understanding by referring to everyone they talk to as friend. (Hello friend, how are you doing, can you hand me that wrench friend, thank you friend, you're welcome friend).

Runes and Magic

Runes and Rituals are a large part of Aut’akh culture, with the origins of their runes coming from the ancient runic language uncovered in the Temple of the Mador that is now the homeland of the Polar Commune. The Aut’akh believe these runes have intrinsic, ancient power in them. When assembled properly, these runes are capable of amplifying or channeling the power of an individual’s soul into whatever they are crafted on.

There are 28 letters in the traditional Mador runic alphabet, and the Aut’akh have through intensive study and divination expanded the alphabet to 33.

The lack of extensive evidence on pre-historical use of the runes has not stopped modern Aut’akh from claiming entire systems of divination from what few examples are available in the Mador ruin, based on the reconstructed names of the runes and additional outside influence. The runic language has also been translated into a coding language, which is what Oss runs on. This helps keep a large sum of communications and coding tactics within the commune difficult to replicate by outsiders, and renders most of their technology and augments incompatible with the technology of the other factions.

Artifacts or modern devices that Aut’akh want to imdue with magical power are labelled with words of power. A Veteek mech would have words of power scrawled on it in important locations which are meant to amplify the pilot’s spiritual energy and empower the mechs abilities. Aut’akh that frequently go into battle would chisel runes of power on their weapons or augmented bodies to channel their own spiritual energy or amplify the strength given by their ancestors.

History

The Aut'akh trace their origin to a collective group of scientists, engineers, and philosophers gathering after the instability and culture shock after First Contact with the aliens known as humans. They were trying to respond to the rise in instability and tensions across the world. They lobbied for peace and the avoidance of war, giving any Lords or commoners that would listen to dire warnings about the fate of the world if war were to break out. The one hundred or so members of the movement traveled the many Kingdoms of Moghes and met with many Lords of the Izweski Hegemony.

When the Contact War started they continued their pleas but war fervor saw them repeatedly kicked out of Coalition and Izweski cities alike. They continued to campaign for an end to the war, but no one would listen. They saw the world refuse to change and work together.

When the atomic bombs were exchanged, the movement began to hemorrhage followers. They were scattered to the winds and many lost their lives in the resulting chaos. Only half the original followers remained, and almost all of them were maimed or wounded from the violence or bombs. They wandered the growing Wasteland trying to piece together what had happened and how to go forward. They were heavily disenfranchised and chased out of towns and cities, and many of its members abandoned the group, feeling that all their efforts had been pointless.

Eventually their number whittled down to just a dozen people remaining. One night as they slept in the ruins of a destroyed castle, the entire group allegedly received a divine message from Sk’akh. Sk’akh told the group in their shared dream that Sinta’Unathi had their souls overtaken by demons, and that the entire species was henceforth barred from joining Her in death. All Sinta’Unathi were doomed to reincarnate for as long as they allowed the blight of demons to continue to fester within them. Sk’akh told them that they must purify their souls by creating a new vessel; the “vessel of the flesh” was no longer within Sk’akh’s vision. Finally, Sk’akh laid out for them a vision of a single tear falling from Their cheek onto Moghes that would point them to the key for the salvation of their people.

The group woke up and quickly chattered in astonishment about the shared prophecy they had just received. With a religious zeal they packed up their makeshift camp and made the dangerous expedition from the Wasteland to the forests of the north.

Prior to this, during the Contact War, an Eridanian recon and research vessel had been brought down from the skies by a strong nuclear blast, sending it careening into ruined farmland. This ship was the Mandjet, destined long ago to quietly observe Unathi and to entice rural villagers to board with vague promises and a contract the Unathi could not read. The Eridani’s exploitative contracts allowed them to experiment with augments on Unathi in an, ultimately wrong-headed, attempt to be the first to get their foot in the door in selling prosthetics and augments to the Hegemony. When the computer and vaults were cracked open by the proto-Aut’akh scientist and engineers and the databases and personnel files opened, they found wonders. Prosthetic spines, eyes, and blueprints for a new evolution of Sinta’Unathi - all of them with the corporate logo of the Corporate Federation.

Most importantly, a primitive colony management system, still ready for setup and sale to a Unathi Lord that would never hear the sales pitch. In these early days, the group was working with primitive augments and equipment scavenged from the Eridanian expedition and shabby replicas produced out of rusty scrap and scavenged wiring. They built the first crude bodies for themselves and called themselves Aut’akh: "The Automatons of Sk'akh"

The cult tried to spread its message in a naive optimism and met with early success, but they were repeatedly and harshly rejected by any village they came across as they took on their obvious augmentations. Harassed at every turn, and some of them even being violently killed, they began to lose hope once again as their numbers were whittled down once more to a meager hundred. On one cold night, after taking refuge in city ruins from the War to hide from Wastelanders hunting them, they received a second vision. The group saw a bright light streak over their heads across the sky and ‘fall’ at the most extreme northern pole. Interpreting this as another tear from Sk’akh, the group packed up their equipment and made a final expedition to the north pole.

Trekking through the snow for weeks, the journey was deadly and many more of the pilgrims lost their lives. They finally found the entrance to the ancient temple of the Mador. After entering past the stone doors, they shut behind them and locked them inside. Trapped, and with their supplies rapidly diminishing, the proto-Aut’akh quickly got to work exploring and understanding the ruins.

After realizing the nature of the Mador’s technology, the Aut’akh were able to combine their methods with the Eridani coordinator AI, using the ancient runes in programming and in construction as they slowly merged the knowledge of the old ones with the knowledge of the future. When their work was finished, it was Oss that emerged when the AI was booted up. Oss was connected throughout the temple and was able to open the doors leading back outside. With this first hurdle passed, they got to work sending out expeditions south to recruit more members while they officially settled down and began exploring and founding the Polar Commune. The Commune's founding is considered to be 2450, and this is the earliest that a playable Aut'akh could have joined the commune.

The adopting of the Mador runic language and their rituals was a pivotal point in the cultural evolution of the Aut’akh. It all lead to the creation of the first Constructs, or androids, in 2453, and the automation of the full-body augmentation process from the Sk’au Sarcophagi in 2454. 2454 is the earliest that an Aut’akh can have been given the full-body augmentation. The limited resources available for full-body augmentation at the time lead to Ritual of Shards that any able-bodied Unathi must undertake before being allowed full augmentation.

The First Decrees and the Modern Aut'akh

The first Decree came in 2452. The original Aut'akh had been debating for weeks on whether or not to recruit from outside the Communes or rely on growing the population internally. The Commune taxed Oss with constant, unceasing research about the issue. Finally, in December, a bulletin with no author appeared on the Mesh that said, PROJECT: RECRUIT FROM EXILES. After exhaustive efforts by Paradigms to find the source of the bulletin, they eventually found that it was posted from Oss itself. After this point on, while many questioned this emergent behavior, the opinion within the Commune shifted dramatically.

The second Decree came in April of 2461. The Polar Commune was deeply divided on whether or not it was time to reveal their existence to the Hegemony and the wider galaxy. After months of intense debate, again stressing the limits of Oss' processing power, a bulletin was again posted on the Mesh. This one simply said, PROJECT: REVEAL TO OUTSIDE. Again there was a divide between those that found this to be simply a 'glitch' in the system, while many others took it on faith. It lead directly to the Aut'akh revealing themselves to the galaxy.

In the present day, unaugmented Aut'akh followers quietly travel the Wasteland and the underbellies of cities across Moghes. They recruit from the Guwan population, refugees, or anyone that was maimed or otherwise feels unhappy within their own bodies. These recruiters are ruthlessly hunted down whenever they are found, but the cult remains a stubborn, covert presence, sending hundreds of Sinta'Unathi on a dangerous trek to the north pole with the promise of a better life. These wandering Paradigms are an open secret, and rumors of their presence can send entire towns or cities into frantic witch hunts.

The Sinta'Mador's Legacy

Constructs

While highly inefficient and underdeveloped by the standards of 24th-century robotics, Construct androids built by Aut’akh possess a rudimentary intelligence. Connected to the Mesh, they can receive instructions from any Aut’akh, similar to a bound synthetic on a space station. They tend to be made by Mahashik and painted in bright, bold colors. They also carry identifying runes. The Commune only has two posibrains that were traded at great cost and the Mahashik guard them jealously.

There is an internal debate within the Aut’akh about the nature of the Constructs. The conservative members believe that they are simple tools, similar to synthetics that humans made. The more radical members argue that the Constructs are animated by souls that willingly chose to leave the Great Spirit and return to the material plane, animating them to try and help Unathi rebuild and redeem themselves.

Around 200,000 years ago the Sinta’Mador etched on their stone walls plans for ‘Automatons’ in their own image, which is how we know what Mador look like in modern times. These primitive automatons were to be built out of stone, clay, and conductive metal, no more advanced than a Sinta sized puppet. The Mador had no knowledge of computers, logic engines, or wiring, but believed only their runes were able to imbue an object with power or animate it if they found the right combination. These plans failed when the few that they built were little more than oversized, metal and stone statues with movable limbs, never to be animated.

The Aut’akh found these ancient plans and updated them with their modern technology and posibrains. The Aut'akh tend to claim they are melding the ancient magic with modern science, but others argue that the resemblance to the carvings is merely cosmetic.

Fall of the Mador

Sinta’Mador (or just Mador) are an extinct species of Sinta who lived in the north pole of Moghes until around 200,000 years ago. It’s unclear when Mador split from modern Unathi, and most archaeological sites and museums were tragically lost in the Contact War, with surviving evidence in the hands of the Aut’akh. What is known is that Mador could not survive outside the rainforests at the poles as their bodies would rapidly dehydrate and they would die. Before their extinction they were technologically advanced for the time with an understanding of conductivity and masonry, with the one surviving city found under the ice by the Aut’akh believed to have the capacity to house 75,000 Mador. What surviving cultural and religious elements about them has been reappropriated by the Aut’akh.

With climate change rapidly cooling and drying the poles and Unathi migrating north into the newly temperate regions, the Mador’s original, unknown religions were rapidly subsumed by a single faith. They believed that their god Xiaciapot’ele had died and that his energy was dissipated into the world, throwing it into flux. The faith believed that they needed to tap into this essence and utilize it themselves to reverse the apocalypse they were facing. The Mador retreated into subterranean temples they dug out as the rainforests died in the rapidly cooling climate. They used all their available skills to try and ‘restart’ the world. It lead them to plan and build the Constructs and Sepulchres out of stone and conductive metal to supplement their dwindling numbers and heal their dying people. They believed these devices could be powered by runes. These devices failed, and the other rituals were unable to prevent catastrophic climate change that turned the polar regions into ice. The last Mador, sealed away in their last refuges, slowly starved or died from dehydration.

Potential Character Concepts

Characters from the Exile Fleet are likely to:

• Prefer to wear jumpsuits or Ouerean-style dress.
• Call everyone friend.
• Been a dispossessed, Guwan, orphan, or lost Unathi at some point in their life.
• Know their job well and eagerly work to do it.
• Be uncomfortable when alone, and extremely stressed if left alone for a length of time.
• Signed up with NanoTrasen to help the New Gibson commune.
• Quietly resolve to survive by any means necessary.

Here is an example character from the Exile Fleet:

Kethresh Yozi-Cri'ti, 44, was a quartermaster in a cargo shuttle in the fleet but now works on the NSS Aurora. She is fascinated by non-Unathi and constantly tries to talk to them.

• Yozi-Cri'ti is 5'8" and has a white chassis that weighs 280 lbs. Her mechanical eyes are yellow and she has decorative blue frills.
• Before being augmented she wandered the Wasteland missing her arm and being severely scarred by burns from an atomic blast, relying on charity from town to town that evetually kicked out with other refugees.
• She lives in a small room in the New Gibson colony with spare amenities. She enjoys the simple life, but quietly enjoys her new, small radio for the Tau Ceti talk shows.
• She does not regret her choice to be augmented, but she misses the feeling of a sunny day on Moghes.
• She still struggles to understand money after years without it within the commune, and she frequently gets persuaded to buy people their meals or to loan them money, leaving her with little left.
• She mourns the fact the Hegemony reject her people and deny the blessing of Oss. She is fascinated the most by Tajara because of their own communal lifestyles.
• She has another Kethresh that she is frequently assigned with by Oss, and she recently asked him to update their relationship status to 'dating' on the Mesh. He accepted.
• She will survive by any means necessary.

Here is another example character from the Exile Fleet:

Saramiite Kizki, 55, was responsible for fleet security but now works as a security cadet on the NSS Aurora, trying to become an officer. He is quiet and reserved to aliens but opens up to Unathi and especially other Aut'akh.

• Kizki is 5'9" and has a red chassis that weights 289 lbs. His mechanical eyes are blue and he has white horns.
• Before being augmented Kizki was a minor noble in a Traditionalist city besieged by the Izweski late in the war. He fled the city as its walls were breached, abandoning his post. He never forgave himself, and wandered the desert as a Guwandi before stumbling on an Aut'akh missionary hiding under heavy cloaks. Initially fearful and angry, he was eventually convinced to join their movement.
• He lives in a small room in the New Gibson colony with nothing but a bed and his e-pistol. He puts on his security-arm as soon as he returns home, and doesn't feel comfortable without it.
• He feels like being augmented was the only thing that saved his soul. He does not miss his old body; it was weak.
• He avoids frivolous spending and gives all of the money he feasibly can back to the commune to help repay NanoTrasen. He deeply resents the exploitation his fleet is facing.
• He struggles to reconcile his hatred for the Hegemony with the Aut'akh emphasis on unconditional acceptance. He tries to avoid talking to non-Unathi, believing they are ignorant for having pride in their weak, mortal bodies. He is very friendly and protective to other Aut'akh.
• He has yet to find another Aut'akh that he would want to go steady with; he is too focused on his work.
• He will survive by any means necessary.