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Dawnlight Fashion

There is a lot of variation in Dawnlighter garb as the Order of the Dawn is spread across dozens of planets. Most practitioners wear clothing from whatever planet they are from. The Order of the Dawn doesn’t openly specify that clothing is religiously important in any way, so most Dawnlights don’t display their religion through their clothing. The Dawnlights that want to display their affiliation openly often just incorporate the Order of the Dawn symbol into clothing that they would otherwise wear.

There is both a regular and shorthand version of the Order of the Dawn symbol. While it is used interchangeably in Ancient texts there has been some divide in usage in the modern Order of the Dawn. Paladins often use the more complex one and Pilgrims have moved towards the shorthand one. Though they still can be used interchangeably, the growing divide between Paladins and Pilgrims means that it is currently assumed that the choice to use one rather than the other is deliberate and meant to indicate a specific interpretation. The symbol is often rendered in gold to represent the rising sun.

Those who commit themselves fully -- monks, seekers, and peacewalkers -- often clothe themselves to denote their affiliation with the Order. This allows them to be easily recognized, and is similar to a uniform. The most visually distinctive and traditional Dawnlight garb is influenced by Peakborn fashion on Zé. Before the Homeworld War Cliffgate Temple was the center of the Order of the Dawn, and while the Order was ostensibly outside of the caste system, most of the native Zé who ended up in the highest ranks of the Order came from Peakborn lineage. Dawnlights at the temple clothed themselves in flowing and draping fabrics inspired by the Peakborn, in colors that were similar to the dawn. The traditional colors are soft pinks, yellows, and orange. They use lightweight fabrics that can move and drape easily.  As this became the accepted uniform for monks and seekers and spread to other planets, the clothing lost much of its meaning as a class indicator. Showing skin around the throat isn’t particularly emphasized and fabrics aren’t as translucent (as in Peakbirn fashion), though the fabrics are usually still thin.

Color scheme:

Pink

Yellow

Orange

White

How to make a Dawnlight Costume:

If your character is a devout practitioner and wants to indicate that, include the dawn light symbol in your costume. It can be small -- a private reminder for your character or to clue in anyone who looks closely enough.

If you are a seeker, monk, or peacewalker you may want to indicate that and wear traditional Cliffgate Dawnlight clothing. Basic clothing in the color scheme can be worn with fabric draped and pinned over it. If you can't find a shawl or scarf that works for you, a long piece of fabric in one of the colors wrapped around your shoulders works just as well.

Large scarves are a good option to add draping to your outfit. Clothing made from light thin fabric that is gathered in areas also creates this effect.

Include the Order’s symbol prominently. Indicate whether you are a Paladin or Pilgrim by using the full or shorthand version. Stencils and fabric paint or fabric markers are a good way to easily add this to any clothing item.

Check out the Dawnlight Pinterest board for inspiration: https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/dawnlight/

Shop for costume pieces in the Dawnlight Polyvore collection:  http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6393711

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Space Station and Military Fashion

Fashion is an inessential art form in space. In space stations and ships resources are often precious and must be conserved in any way possible. Clothing is often very simple and standardized. It often has a boxy fit. In some cases people on spacecraft don’t individually own clothes but instead return the ones they’ve worn to be washed and get a different set in their size. Clothing is made from synthetic materials that are more easily recycled into new garments in space, and the base materials are more accessible than fabric made from natural fibers or animal products. White is by far the most common color for space station clothing. White clothing can all be washed together aggressively and requires less work up front than dyed clothing. The most standard space station outfit includes a looser tunic and more fitted pants, both usually being white. Depending on the job the person performs they also may have a work jumpsuit made of a sturdier material.

People on space stations and in long term space flight are allowed to wear their own clothing if desired. Most who make their home there wear regulation clothing, but some keep accessories and jewelry that they can wear to express something or for their sentimental value. These accents stand out more than they would otherwise in the extremely standardized and simple clothing. This practice is especially popular with people that live on space stations around Hinge because of the amount of trade and travel that happen at these stations, bringing goods and culture from every inhabited planet.

Some people who have spent a lot of time on space stations or spaceships adopt the minimalism of the clothing as a fashion that represents their history, and maintain dressing like that even after leaving. It’s also very common for people who have grown up on space stations to consider clothing as a practical necessity rather than a form of self-expression. It is common for them to dress extremely simply and practically even if they leave behind the clothing of the space station itself.

Color scheme:

White

Black

Grey

In most senses current military wear is space station clothing. Most fighting during the Homeworld War occurred in space, and there wasn't much need for protection from the elements, camouflage, or distinguishing the enemy from yourself through clothing. Instead the most practical clothing was sturdy and could be produced and cared for in bulk. Where there was a need to indicate status in an easily identifiable way certain jackets were used to indicate rank. These were usually slightly more detailed or formal shapes influenced by the fashion of the home world they represented, but they remained space station white. White jackets are heavily associated with the military, and when paired with other space station clothing are the equivalent of a military uniform.

How to make a space station costume:

Simplicity doesn’t mean that your clothing can’t be scifi! Look for tunics and clothing that has sharper angles in its cuts. Clothing that is sleeveless but has a high neckline can also be very simple but look scifi.

The more white your outfit is the more easily recognizable it will be as space station clothing. While grey and black clothing is also acceptable it’s best to make the larger pieces of your costume white.

A white jacket is going to be the main way to indicate you are military or have a military background in game. If indicating that is important to your character this should be the piece of your costume you focus on most.

Check out the Space Station Pinterest for inspiration:  https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/space-station/ 

Check out the Military Pinterest for inspiration:  https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/military/

Find costume pieces in the Space Station + Military Polyvore collection:  http://www.polyvore.com/space_station_military_wear/collection?id=6342015

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Gyra Fashion

Gyr had an incredible number of separate and distinct cultures, largely due to its geography. The separation and competition between islands meant that each of them grew their own distinctive aesthetic and fashion traditions. After Gyr’s destruction, maintaining these traditions became increasingly difficult.  Gyra clothing wasn’t being produced widely off planet, and there were so many different traditions that they didn’t provide a unified market. Gyra fashion has only survived in bits and pieces from what the refugees could recreate and maintain themselves. Oftentimes this means that Gyra assimilated to the fashion of wherever they found themselves, whether it was to fit in or because that clothing was the most readily available. Many Gyra also tend toward extremely practical clothing to whatever environment they find themselves in. For many Gyra this has become simple space station clothing.

While putting together a full Gyra outfit is difficult, Gyra often still represent their culture and fashion in accessories. Many of these have been preserved from before Gyr’s destruction, others are made using traditional Gyra methods. One of the more common crafts was creating accessories from intricate knot tying. Knot tying was an important part of sailing, and was so ingrained in Gyra life it became an important art form on its own. While the style and colors varied, macramé jewelry and accessories were common among many cultures on Gyr. These methods of knot tying are still often passed down, and accessories made in this way are still produced by many Gyra, and are easily recognizable.

Another culturally important accessory also stems from the Gyra’s ship faring lifestyle. In some cultures it was common to have jewelry that had vials of your homeland’s soil to bring with you when you went out to sea. It was thought of as a good luck charm by some, and for others it carried religious meaning. Ships themselves would sometimes have jars of soil kept on board, but small personal vials were also important. The vials of soil gained even more popularity as Gyra started moving off planet. Bringing a bit of soil with them was a way to take home with them on their journey to a new planet. Since Gyr’s destruction the remaining vials and jewelry have become important cultural artifacts. Most of them remain within families and are considered to have immense value.

How to make a Gyra costume:

Consider where your character and their family were living before deciding to move to Phaelos III.  Read the fashion post for that area. What aspects might your character have adopted? Also look for clothing that is wrapped, tied, or has straps as that evokes rope-work. Simple space station clothing is a likely option for most who have spent a lot of time at space stations or on space ships. Its simplicity is a way to highlight accessories you may wear.

Accessories are a great way to indicate you are originally from Gyr. Macramé jewelry is great, or other types of knot work jewelry. The color of the string used to make it can indicate what island culture you are from. Feel free to character develop with other Gyra players about what those might be.

If you want a vial of soil there are some easy ways to get one. Most craft stores sell tiny glass jars with eyelets on them so they can be hung on necklaces. These are not the most common items for Gyra to have, especially if they weren’t born on Gyr, and should be a significant character piece.

Since Gyra cultures were so varied, feel free to come up with other ways your character might clothe themselves. You can look for ideas in the general Event Horizon pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/event-horizon/

Check out the Gyr Pinterest board for inspiration: https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/gyr/

Find costume pieces in the Gyr Polyvore collection: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6342212

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Dor Len Fashion

Dor Len Sono’s fashion stems from their culture of leisure and long conversations. Dor Len Sono’s bountiful farmland means that for all of their history they have had time for things beyond subsistence, and textile arts became one way that their time was spent. Since Dor Len people value hearing everyone’s opinion they have a culture that involves a lot of time spent listening and discussing, and embroidery and knitting became a standard way of keeping hands busy during these long discussions. These art forms became the most recognizable parts of Dor Len fashion.

Dor Len fashion takes inspiration from the natural landscape. It uses soft pastoral colors that come from the natural dyes they produce. Much of the clothing is loose and flowing, with long skirts and wide soft pants. Clothing is not very fitted or stiff; it’s usually made from thinner knits that can drape easily. People often accessorize with clothing they have knit themselves. It’s common to have knit scarves and sweaters, often made with very thick yarn so that texture of the knit is visible. The texture is considered to be very beautiful. It’s also common for people to have embroidered their own clothing. The things that are embroidered are usually aspects of the natural world such as plants and birds, or at their more complex scenes from history or legend.

For royalty, their most formal garments are often embroidered with complete stories. They wear clothing that is many pieces and layers of fabric embroidered with different scenes from legends that are important, moments in history they want to emulate, or sometimes even their own personal life. These clothes are incredibly complex and require a number of very skilled embroiderers and months to complete.  Royalty traditionally had deeper,, more intense fabric colors that serve as the background for the embroidery. Red is most commonly associated with royalty and is considered the royal color, but deep indigo and black were also used in many royal garments. These dye colors required more skill and time to produce, so while many people had access to thread in those colors having the base fabric dyed in those colors was a sign of luxury.

Color Scheme:

Olive

Camel

White

Lavender

Yellow

Major cultural and economic shifts that occurred on Dor Len Sono have affected the fashion trends there, especially concerning production. Knitting and embroidery were once skills that everyone learned, and whether or not you were particularly skillful at them it was standard to do them anyway as a way of keeping your hands busy. Now the younger generation is as a whole less enthusiastic about practicing these skills, in many cases because they are not structuring their lives in the same way previous generations of Dor Len did. Many still do learn how to knit and embroider, but there isn’t the same amount of time invested in doing those tasks as they move away from the endless meetings their parents engaged in. Embroidery and knitwear are still integral to the aesthetic of Dor Len fashion, but many younger people buy mass produced items from corporations instead of producing it themselves.  Embroidery especially has been adopted by many other types of fashion, and the fusion of embroidery on more structured clothing or on unusual synthetic fabrics sell very well with the younger generation on Dor Len.

How to make a Dor Len costume:

Finding clothing with embroidery on it is one of the easiest ways to indicate you are from Dor Len. Embroidery stands out and is the easiest shorthand that will be immediately recognizable.

Flowing clothing in the color scheme is a great base for your costume. Even if it doesn’t have embroidery or knit you can add that through accessories.  Colors should be soft and natural; think of wheat fields and plants with muted colors.

Scarves and knitted sweaters are a good way to add texture to your outfit and represent some of Dor Len’s traditional clothing. To give texture find ones that are made with thicker yarn or wider knits.

Decide how traditional your character is. If they are more traditional, fall back on loose and flowing clothing. If they are less traditional draw from other planets fashion accentuated with a little bit of embroidery or knit.

Embroidery on sheer fabric is a great way to make it unusual and stand out.

Check out the Dor Len Sono Pinterest board for inspiration:  https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/dor-len-sono/ 

Find costume pieces in the Dor Len Sono Polyvore collection:    http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6319722

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Baryosi Fashion

Baryosi fashion values structure and elegance.  It uses rich, saturated colors on forms reminiscent of (Earth) Western fashion. Clothing often is formfitting in certain areas, but uses thicker fabric to create structure that comes off the body, especially around the shoulder and waist. Formal Baryosi fashion includes suits, blazers, and long coats.  Like pureform, standard Baryosi fashion is based in geometric forms, though in a less extreme way. Small capes are also a way Baryosi fashion adds an unusual silhouette to basic clothing. Often outfits use contrast between colors or color-blocking to accentuate shape.

Casual Baryosi fashion is often less structured so that it is more comfortable to move in. It makes use of clean lines and color blocking patterns to establish a similar geometric feel without relying on stiff fabrics or forms that come off of the body. Many of these clothes are more form fitting, and either have panels of contrasting colors or have prints of large geometric forms.

Since pureform grew out of Baryosi fashion there are many similarities in the shapes and cuts of the clothing. Baryosi fashion doesn’t have the same aversion to natural materials and will use small leather accents to create different textures in the garment. The geometry in Baryosi fashion often has more squares and rectangles, or large blocks of color, whereas pureform uses more triangles and hexagons and more complex patterns of shapes.

Color scheme: 

Maroon

Red 

Navy Blue

Mustard

Deep Green

Purple

Baryosi fashion is widely spread throughout the galaxy, in large part because of Baryos’s role in forming the United Association of Worlds. Baryosi influence means that it’s fashion is widespread and considered a standard fashion instead of a statement. Casual Baryosi looks are especially common offworld as they are widely marketed and produced by megacorporations. On Baryos itself most of the fashion is Baryosi or a Baryosi variant like pureform. Other fashions do have a foothold, but loyalty and celebration of Baryos and its creations mean that it’s harder for outside fashions to gain a large following. Baryosi citizens tend to try to find ways to stand out within the looks native to their homeworld and breaking away from that is seen as a bold, and often political, statement. 

How to make a Baryosi costume:

Baryosi fashion uses more western cuts, which should make it a bit easier to shop for! This is a place to use interesting structured or colored suit jackets for a more corporate and polished scifi look. Pointed lapels and collars, peplums, color blocking, slacks, athletic wear, business wear. Avoid ruffles, gathered fabric, and excessive drapery.

When shopping for a blazer or jacket, look for ones that are more structured,  such as shoulder pads or peplums. Also look for unusual closures. Buttons can visually tie your jacket back to the modern day, so jackets with hidden closures or zippers are a better sci-fi option.

Use rich, expensive-looking colors. Baryosi fashion isn’t as flashy as Ottsalian fashion, but color is a way to be bold or show refinement.

Simple metal accessories can be a good way to finish your costume. Look for accessories that are smooth panels of metal for a look that’s elegant and futuristic. This is not the place for ties, but if you want to add something to your shirt collar, consider a collar pin.

Check out the Baryos Pinterest for inspiration:  https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/baryos/

Shop for costume pieces in the Baryos polyvore collection:  http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6299618

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Gender, Sexuality, and Relationship Structures in the Galaxy

Before the Expansion Era, the six Homeworlds had developed remarkably different societies. Some, like Agerre were essentially monolithic, while others were more varied like the plethora of separate cultures of Gyr. These differences were reflected in a wide variety of genders and familial structures, as well as how cultures perceived sexuality and romance. With the cultural exchanges and clashes of the Expansion Era, it is not surprising that there are a multitude of different genders, sexualities, and relationships (GSR) in the Galaxy.

Overall, people view gender, sexuality, and relationships as being multifaceted, varied, and non-standardized. It is commonly accepted that there are numerous genders, and the most conservative cultures have three genders: male, female, and a third gender. The standard pronouns are gender neutral – they/them/theirs or ze/zem/zir*. Gender neutral pronouns are used for people whose pronouns are not known, and generally upon introduction people clarify if they use “she/her/hers” or “he/him/his”.

Sexuality is generally understood to be a spectrum of multiple preferences. Statistically, a minority of people are monosexual (attracted to only one gender). An even smaller percentage are asexual, although their distribution among the Homeworlds is notably varied.

"Feminine" and "masculine" have lost their coherency as terms since the Expansion Era, though the words still have some utility. While in some languages, equivalent words are related to the words for "female" and "male", in many Homeworlds the concepts are divorced from sex and gender. There are divergent definitions of masculine and feminine, but generally they are aesthetic qualities that can be noticed by people in a culture, if not explained. Although feminine and masculine are words used for a variety of personal traits, upon closer examination the words are most concretely applied to movements and speech patterns.**

*The spelling varies, but it is pronounced: zie/zem/zhir, not to be confused with the planet Zé.

**Out of Game Note: In the galaxy of Event Horizon, current notions of masculine and feminine are not applicable, as they are very specific to a culture and time period. However, we recognize that people will bring those concepts into game, and they can be helpful for thinking about how to play your character.

Agerre

The genders, sexualities, and relationships of Agerre are directly influenced by the need for population control, and the even distribution of limited resources. There are three main ways that Agerre has historically maintained population control. The first is contraception, which has been around in different forms for over a thousand years. The second is the Sunwalk, their coming-of-age ritual with an extremely high mortality rate. The third is the culture of sexuality among their teenagers. Teens are more likely to experiment romantically and sexually with the same sex. Although in adulthood there is a standard distribution, a minority of teens engage in heterosexual acts.

With contemporary contraception and robust sexual education, this practice is no longer necessary to control the population in Agerre’s cramped caves. However, it is a practice as old as Agerre’s first histories, and Agerrans view it as an inherent part of adolescent sexuality. Additionally, Agerre has the highest percentage of asexual (ace) and aromantic (aro) citizens.

Children are raised communally on Agerre, with various childcare and education work distributed among the adults. Agerran children consider their parents to be the adults who most directly raise them, which usually includes one biological parent. Siblings are similarly considered as the children they are raised with. When Agerrans part from their primary family, they often form sibling bonds with close comrades, whom they call "cousins."

Agerrans recognize three genders in their society--male, female, and third. The third gender is an umbrella gender that encompases Agerrans who transition socially or medically from their birth sex, as well as those with fluid gender or no gender. Statistically, the majority of Agerrans feel neutrally towards their birth sex and do not have a strong sense of gender.

Agerrans have a very straightforward, unromantic, and accepting view of GSRs, an attitude that is known to ruffle feathers. A famous anecdote is The Blackmailing of Representative Komir, in which a Baryosi Representative thought they had incriminating information of Komir's "affairs,"  which by Agerran standards was entirely unremarkably. When released, the intended scandal backfired spectacularly, to the amusement of all Agerre and (privately) half of the UAW. Numerous romance books have been written about the incident.

Baryos

Baryos has always been a culturally diverse planet. Unlike Gyr, whose small cultures squabbled for resources and had limited contact, the cultures of Baryos flourished on the rich, ecologically diverse planet. While there are a variety of GSRs across the planet, there are strong trends in the modern culture.

The Baryosi modern culture is one of planetary pride, and while it celebrates the diverse roots of the people, it looks towards the future. Many Baryosi view themselves as “post-gender” – they recognize the fluidity of biological sex, and believe there are no significant differences between “female” and “male”. The words “female” and “male” are losing popularity in exchange for chromosome markers XX, XY, XXY, etc. While they claim “post-gender” is advanced and accepting, some transgender and monosexual groups have leveled criticisms against it.

The “post-gender” mindset of course affects sexuality. As with the rest of the galaxy, most Baryosi are bisexual (“bi” meaning “same sex/gender” and “different sex/gender”). Few Baryosi label their sexuality, and monosexuals are viewed as having very strong preferences. In general, sex is a private subject discussed only among partners and friends.

The majority of Baryosi are monogamous, and families tend to have two parents, one of which is usually a biological parent.

Dor Len Sono

As a planet of Queendoms, it is perhaps not surprising that there is a higher-than-average percentage of Dor Len who are women who love women, as well as more than average transgender women. The female sex, womanhood, and femininity have historically been revered, and many religions revolve around these aspects.

What Dor Len consider to be "feminine" is wider and deeper than on other Homeworlds, in a way that many non-Dor Len find difficult to understand. On Dor Len Sono, the word generally translated as femininity carries connotations of moral and aesthetic excellence. There are numerous subtle words for types femininity in the languages, including ruthless-femininity, woven-femininity, and bright-femininity.

There is no direct word for masculinity in Dor Len language that encapsulates the same but opposite qualities as femininity. The closest equivalent word is often mistranslated as masculinity although it is closer to adjacent-femininity or balance-against-femininity. Men and nonbinary Dor Len are just as likely to have feminine qualities as women, and besides the Queens, can be leaders. People in high regard in society tend to be more feminine.

Gyr

Gyr was a planet of numerous small cultures that for a long time were isolated from each other. As such, there is not a common thread to weave between the different GSRs. One commonality is that the majority of Gyr cultures have large familial structures. The surviving population of Gyr are generations of space-farers and had contact with a multitude of cultures, so unlike their ancestors, modern Gyr have a flexible view of gender, sexuality, and relationships.

There are a few Gyr cultures of note that had quite different GSRs. One was an island of "all women" that intrigued Baryosi explorers. Another large island chain worshiped third gender individuals as deities, and when these gods danced together it was said to change currents and summon storms. Another ocean-faring culture commonly had triad relationships called the captain, the right hand, and the left hand.

Ottsalia

The home of Evos, the cultural center of the Galaxy, the garden of beautiful nightmares. Ottsalians value change and transformation, especially of oneself. Even before the first Evos, Ottsalia had a large transgender population. Although the animal gene splicing of Evos is not gender, it is worth noting as it can be a large part of a person's identity in a similar way. Although there is a huge variety of acceptable GSRs, Ottsalians are not as concerned with developing a perfect language to encompass them or labeling themselves.

Historically, adolescents experimented with gender presentation publicly. Currently they also experiment with non-permanent special effects makeup to simulate Evos. Relationship structures are varied, and it is fairly standard for Ottsalians to have multiple partners of varying levels of intensity. Relationships are often seen as just as fluid as genders and presentations, especially among young Ottsalians.

Zé

Of all the Homeworlds except perhaps Baryosi subcultures, Zé has the most hierarchal system of GSRs. For hundreds of years, minorities of gender and, even moreso, sexuality had their own caste-like roles in society. Women and men form the majority and share the same societal responsibilities on equal footing. They are thought to be the norm, and tend not to feel that their gender is a defining feature of themselves.

Among the Peakborn, there are many sub-castes defined by gender and sexuality. In the modern era, not everyone in these castes need to have the same gender or sexuality, but the echoes of that historical distinction remains a strong cultural element.

Peakborn trustwomen (women who love women) are trained to become military leaders. The training is gruelling, and often begins at the onset of adolescence. Peakborn twice-minded (trans women) are taken away from society and trained to become “oracles”. While in the past, oracles were seen as those who could predict the future, nowadays the role is of a sage counselor, tactician, and keeper of knowledge. Peakborn innermen (men who love men) are artists of movement and bodies, often becoming dancers, acrobats, martial artists, or physical therapists. Peakborn edge-minders (trans men) are trained to be Martials – individuals who have law enforcement authority outside of the police, and who are meant to be a check-and-balance. Peakborn passage-walkers (third gender) tend to be envoys between peaks, to the other castes, and to different Planets.

Among the merchant class, there are fewer sub-castes and they encompass multiple genders and sexualities. Third gender merchants, as well as trustwomen and innermen tend to be the most talented shipwrights. Transgender and gender-non-conforming trustwomen and innermen are entertainers of various kinds.

In the Sunken caste, some of the sub-castes also serve as religious roles. Third Gender Sunken become candidates for Fog Idols. Fog Idols are said to intuitively understand the fog, and protect those who go beneath it by taking some of the poison on themselves. These Sunken become Fog Idols if they survive exposure to the poisonous mists, and if they do, their skin is marked by it. This ancient practice is in modern times seen as barbaric, and when it is practiced, is done so more safely. Rarer than Fog Idols are Air Idols, who are third gender Sunken who are also deformed or disabled. Air Idols are kept as clean as possible so that, by proxy, the community will not fall to poison.

Among the Sunken, trustwomen and innermen often become healers, whether doctors, therapists, or spiritual healers.

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The Bulletin and the Journal

There are, of course, many sources of news in the galaxy, from independent blogs to Ottsalian chat-shows. Two news agencies stand out from the pack as being both more respected and wider-reaching than any others. The Journal of Interplanetary Affairs and the Colonial News Bulletin are rival organizations, and have been for almost a century, but both are widely trusted and widely read. Both put out news in various forms on various planets--video broadcasts, audio feeds, text scrolls, and even printouts on some colony worlds and parts of Dor Len Sono.

The Bulletin is the older of the two institutions, originally established in 6 P.C. as the local news program of Windrock. The Journal was founded two decades later by a joint group of writers from Baryos and Dor Len Sono, all with backgrounds in existing news organizations. Initially, the Journal was slow to catch on, but as interplanetary politics rose in importance and complication, it overtook the various Homeworlds’ local news organizations in circulation.

The two organizations have different organizational structures. The Journal maintains a significant number of full-time professional journalists, each dedicated to a particular Homeworld. Their consistency and focus allows them high-level access to governments, deep analysis, and plenty of cultural caché. The Bulletin, by contrast, has some full-time reporters, but relies heavily on an army paid freelance citizen investigators. This allows them to keep informed about events on every planet, even worlds they don’t maintain a major office on.

For most of the early Expansion Era, the Journal focused primarily on the politics and culture of the Homeworlds, while the Bulletin expanded to each new Colony world as they were established. The two came into direct competition in the late 70s, when the Bulletin established a new major office on Ottsalia. The Bulletin started including Homeworld news in its coverage. The Journal transmitted to the colonies, but had no interest in covering their affairs or events. Many on the Homeworlds had little interest in colonial life, and did not bother with the Bulletin in their early years of competition.

The massive change came during the Homeworld War. The Journal offices on Agerre were shut down early in the war, cutting them off from news on the other side of the war. The Bulletin, however, still had freelancers on Agerre and its colonies who could provide an inside view. Suddenly, the Bulletin’s readership numbers across the Homeworlds skyrocketed, and they remained the dominant information source for news on the war.

After the end of the war, the two organizations have maintained roughly equal readership numbers. The Journal was allowed to reopen their offices on Agerre and Zé, but with close government oversight. There has been no concrete evidence of governmental censorship of headlines, but many suspect such, and the Bulletin has an open bounty for any freelancer who can find proof.

The Bulletin doesn’t open an office on every new colony, but they plan to start one on Phaelos III. They will report on local news and provide news updates from the rest of the galaxy. In addition to the full-time staff coming from offworld, the Bulletin plans to recruit other colonists to serve as freelancers and investigators. Anyone who feels they have a story worth reporting on is encouraged to contact the Bulletin at their soonest convenience.

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The Last Voyage of the Falls The Shadow

In the year 94 GT, a joint expedition was launched from the planet Edge. Astronomers, working using gravitational lensing and massive telescopic arrays, had determined that at the center of the galaxy was a supermassive black hole, which they named The Horizon. One researcher, Dr. Yana Kyr, dedicated her life to studying the Horizon. She had been the head of the astronomy department at the University of Titan’s Passage, and was able to use her notoriety to push the idea of the Horizon into public consciousness.

The question of what lay beyond the Horizon was an exciting one, and many in the public (and the press) were eager to latch on to something new. It had been seventy years since the discovery of a new Homeworld, and the expedition seemed like a promising and exciting potential new breakthrough for the sciences.

A unique starship was constructed, and given the name Falls The Shadow. It was built around a tunneling drive, but was much smaller than most capital ships. It was stocked for a long research voyage, not for war or colonization. It carried a crew of two hundred, mostly astronomers and physicists from across the galaxy. Researchers from every university on every Homeworld competed for the chance to join the expedition.

While Dr. Kyr was the head of the research team, Alecto Glass was the captain of the ship. Captain Glass had served in the U.A.W. Navy for most of her life, and was selected based on her impeccable service record. During the year leading up to the launch of the ship, rumors of all kinds circulated in the tabloids, speculating about the relationship between Dr. Kyr and Captain Glass. Some claimed they were lovers; others claimed they had nearly come to blows over disagreements about the ship’s course.

To this day, no one knows the real truth about what may or may not have happened between Dr. Kyr and Captain Glass. The Falls The Shadow left from Edge in 94 GT. It made a series of wormhole jumps towards the galactic center. Every few jumps, it would send a courier back through the wormholes it had left behind, carrying data of various kinds.

The last courier arrived at Baryos in 98 GT. It carried no data, and the courier crew were both in a comatose state. They never awoke.

The eventual fate of the Falls The Shadow has been the subject of numerous writings and videographs, both scholarly and fictionalized. A second expedition was proposed in 99 GT to try to track the ship’s course, but given the massive expense that had gone into building the first ship, the second expedition never got off the ground. The project’s leaders continued working on trying to fundraise for it, but even those efforts dried up when the Homeworld War broke out.

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The Homeworld War

The exact causes of the Homeworld War will likely be debated in scholarly papers for generations to come, but the catalyzing events were clear enough. Over the late 120s and early 130s, a movement began among Agerran youth calling for social reform in the caves, known as the Selfish Minds. Its leaders had mostly attended the University of Titan’s Passage on Baryos, and brought back with them ideas of radical individualism and freedom. In 133 GT, a group of Selfish Minds made a presentation to the U.A.W. Senate on Baryos, arguing that life in the Agerran caves was limited, controlled, and in violation of Baryosi ideals of human rights.

Many Baryosi had long seen Agerre as primitive and backwards, so it was not long before the U.A.W. issued a set of demands that Agerre change their social structure and give their citizens more individual freedoms and choice. Agerran Grand Minister Woll objected strongly, arguing to the Senate that Agerre was a collectivist society, and being egregiously misrepresented and misunderstood. Undeterred, the U.A.W. imposed economic sanctions and trade restrictions against Agerre.

Tensions rose rapidly, and in 134 a misunderstanding in orbital procedure led to a U.A.W. frigate opening fire on a military shuttle heading to Agerre’s moon. Agerre treated it as an act of war. Within a week, Agerre had formally seceded from the U.A.W. and declared war. As most of the U.A.W. Navy was crewed by Agerrans, most of the Navy sided with Agerre.

It is worth noting as an aside that the Homeworld War was the first true interstellar war since the days of the Ancients. A hundred years earlier, the Veil War was fought during first contact with Zé, but it was a strange and brief affair. The Peakborn did not respond well to the first explorers to arrive on Zé, and shot their landing ships out of the sky as they broached the Veil, the layer of thick clouds that covers the upper atmosphere of Zé. The U.A.W. did not want to conquer Zé outright, despite having the technology to bombard the Peakborn cities from orbit. In the end, it took almost two years for the U.A.W. forces to find a way to convince the government of Zé to stand down and join them rather than continuing to fight. For the most part, the Veil War is little more than a historical footnote, but it is worth considering when thinking about the unfamiliarity of the Homeworld War.

The Homeworld War was a strange one, with battles fought both on planets and in orbit around them. In the early years of the war, most of the battles were fought on colony worlds, as Agerre attempted to take control of them for resources. In 136 GT, fed up with being left largely defenseless, Windrock seceded from the U.A.W., and many other colony worlds rapidly followed suit. Without an influx of recruits from the colonies, the U.A.W. instituted a draft in 137 GT. The draft drew primarily from Dor Len Sono and Gyr, and was highly unpopular.

In 138 GT, an Agerran fleet led by the then-unknown Admiral Therra launched a major attack against the orbital shipyards above Gyr. It was the first serious attack against another Homeworld, and the U.A.W. fleets responded rapidly. The Agerran fleet was repelled, but the damage to the U.A.W. fleets was overwhelming. The U.A.W. ships were largely crewed by fresh recruits from the drafts, who were dramatically outflown by the highly trained Agerran Naval crews, and the brilliant tactics of Admiral Therra.

After that battle, the Agerran Navy continued to make regular small strikes, forcing Gyr to restructure how it approached manufacturing. No longer could they simply mine the distant asteroid belt for materials, and do all assembly in orbit. Manufacturing and mining were relocated to surface facilities, and shuttled up to orbit for the final assembly at the heavily-defended Shipyards.

By a year after the First Battle of Gyr, tensions between Baryos and the rest of the U.A.W. had reached their breaking point. Many politicians had noted that the draft policies were weighted to impact Baryos far less than the other worlds. Queen Ja Len Ro of Dor Len Sono made a now-famous speech on the floor of the U.A.W. Senate decrying Baryos for dragging the entire galaxy into what was, at its core, fundamentally a war between Baryos and Agerre. Shortly thereafter, Dor Len Sono, Zé, and Ottsalia seceded from the U.A.W., leaving Baryos and Gyr as the only remaining Homeworld members. The coalition reached out to Gyr as well, but Speaker Vira responded that Agerre had attacked Gyr directly, and Gyr would not back down from the fight now.

In 140 GT, Agerran forces took Zé. There was almost no battle to speak of--Agerran ships dropped through the Veil, simultaneously landing in every Peakborn city and taking control of the governing bodies. To this day, there are theories that there were insiders among the Peakborn who reached out to the Agerrans, and invited the occupation in return for protection and positions of power within the new regime. Agerran soldiers almost immediately began exploring both the Stormgate and Cliffgate Temples, for reasons they would not explain.

Empowered by their victory on Zé, Admiral Therra’s fleet attacked Baryos directly in 141. The battle turned into something more closely resembling a siege, and lasted for over a month. Agerran forces landed at various strategic points across the planet, but, being inexperienced at ground combat, were repelled by Baryosi soldiers. The orbital battle went less smoothly, and Admiral Therra began shelling Baryos from orbit. Three of the Titans were destroyed, in a grim echo of the Scavenger War. On the thirty-ninth day of the battle, Speaker Vira arrived with the force of the Gyra fleet, backed by personal allies she had called in from the colonies and Dor Len Sono. The emergency defense coalition fleet was enough to push Admiral Therra into retreat, but the damage to Baryos had been vast, and Speaker Vira’s personal jumpship was destroyed with her aboard.

The end of the war came in the year 142 GT. Admiral Therra planned for a show of force to establish Agerre as the dominant power in the galaxy once and for all, a final threat meant to push Baryos into outright surrender. Therra’s investigators on Zé had uncovered an artifact that they believed would end the war outright. Satisfied with the research their investigators had done, Therra began final preparations. Near the end of the year 142, the Second Battle of Gyr (also known as the Battle of the Yards) commenced.

The majority of Therra’s fleet jumped in and attacked the orbital shipyards directly, as they had done in the First Battle of Gyr, four years earlier. The combined Baryosi and Gyra fleets were ready, having been tipped off by Zé informants. Many of Speaker Vira’s old allies came as well, even more than had come to the defense of Baryos itself the year before. Quite a few colonial ships joined the fleet, citing debts they felt they owed to Speaker Vira and her memory for her hand in helping establish their worlds. At first, it seemed the defenders would be able to win the tide, as the Agerran fleet did not push the offensive. As it turned out, the main Agerran attack was largely meant as a distraction.

Therra’s personal jumpship approached the dark side of Gyr, with the artifact and a specially-trained team of Innates aboard. They focused their powers through the Ancient technology, and reached into the crust of Gyr. They triggered massive volcanic eruptions, targeting the mining and manufacturing facilities on the surface. Unfortunately, their attack had unforeseen consequences. The seismic shifts caused a chain reaction, triggering a geological event known as a basalt flood. The tectonic plates folded in on themselves, exposing the planet’s mantle. In a span of hours, the seas boiled and the islands melted into lava. The entire surface of Gyr was rendered into molten nothingness.

As with any war, the aftermath is as difficult to explain as the origin. Grand Minister Woll declared that the war was over, and that Agerre had won, despite the lack of any official surrender from Baryos. Admiral Therra issued an open letter--a rare instance of a non-anonymous political letter--stating that the destruction of Gyr had been an accident, and that the weapon had only been meant to destroy the mining facilities, not the entire planet. The letter was redacted by the Agerran government, and Admiral Therra was arrested for treason.

In early 143, less than half a year after the Battle of the Yards, Grand Minister Woll announced the formation of the Agerran Commonwealth, which he claimed was now the ruling authority of the galaxy, with jurisdiction over every inhabited world. In practice, the Commonwealth consisted of Agerre, occupied Zé, and half a dozen colony worlds. But with the United Association of Worlds gone, the Baryosi fleets broken, and Gyr nothing but molten rock, there were few in the galaxy who could argue with Woll’s claims. The Homeworld War was over, and by any reasonable definition, Agerre had won.

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A Timeline of Civilization in the Circinus Galaxy

Dates listed in PC (Pre-Contact) and GT (Galactic Time)

Prehistory

[Unknown] Ancient civilizations emerge

[Unknown] Rise of the Order of Dawn

~6000 PC The Eschaton

~400 PC Baryosi Renaissance

80-72 PC The Scavenger War

~50 PC First Augments

Expansion Era

12 PC First Warp Drive

11 PC Nossein IV discovered

8 PC Windrock Colony established

5 PC Rovarr VI discovered

1 PC First Contact between Baryos and Agerre

1 GT United Association of Worlds founded

9 GT Contact with Dor Len Sono

13 GT Contact with Gyr, Gyr joins the U.A.W.

21 GT Contact with Ottsalia, Ottsalia joins the U.A.W.

35 GT Contact with Zé, start of the Veil War

37 GT End of the Veil War, Zé joins the U.A.W.

46 GT Dor Len Sono joins the U.A.W.

Homeworld War

133 GT Agerran activists present to the Senate, sanctions declared

134 GT Agerre secedes from the U.A.W., outbreak of war

136 GT Windrock secedes from the U.A.W.

137 GT Draft instituted by U.A.W.

138 GT First Battle of Gyr

139 GT Ottsalia, Dor Len Sono, and Zé secede from U.A.W.

140 GT Agerre occupies Zé

141 GT Battle of Baryos

142 GT Second Battle of Gyr, end of the war

143 GT Agerran Commonwealth established

Postwar Era

145 GT Colonial Congress established

152 GT Galactic League established on Baryos

154 GT Dor Len Sono joins the Galactic League

165 GT Phaelos III colony established (Present Day)

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Pureform

Pureform is a style that originated on Baryos but is relatively common on most planets. Pureform is inspired by geometric and abstracted shapes. It started mainly inspired by ancient technology, but quickly moved away from its original source material into new geometric inspirations. Pureform values the beauty of shapes themselves, and it doesn’t seek to emulate anything natural. The fashion is almost architectural, using different fabric manipulation techniques to create sharp angles and three dimensional shapes. It is also common to use line and pattern to create the illusion of three dimensional shapes where there are none. The clothes usually have clean straight lines, and use simplicity in color to highlight the unusual structures and shapes it creates.

Pureform uses a combination of all types of materials, but usually doesn’t include materials that look overly natural. Things like fur, leather, or textured plant materials are viewed as taking away focus from the pure geometry and therefor aren’t favored. Metal is a common material for accessories since it is possible to create skeletal geometric structures with it. The fabric used in pureform is usually thick enough that it won’t easily wrinkle or gather, which can interfere with the clean lines of a garment. Some fabric used is particularly stiff to create three dimensional shapes that lift off of the wearer’s form.

Color scheme:

Grey

Black

White

Blue

Pureform spread so widely due to Baryos’s influence. As one of the economic and informational centers, their fashion is easily popularized and sold elsewhere. Pureform certainly can be worn casually, but also has become a type of formal wear outside of the traditional wear of each planet.

How to make a pureform costume:

Focus on shapes! Garments with interesting structure, geometric patterns, garments that layer or have angular cutouts are all great. Pureform can have a lot of diversity as long as it comes back to geometry as the focus of your outfit.

Use color sparingly. For the most part pureform clothing is greyscale, and it is common to have an outfit be completely in one color to highlight its structure. Color can be used certainly, but use it to draw attention to the shapes created, or as a small accessory.

If you have one clothing item or accessory that has enough interesting shapes going on, pair it with a minimalist outfit. Part of drawing attention to the geometric shapes is not drawing attention elsewhere.  

Check out the pureform Pinterest for inspiration:  https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/pureform/

Find costume pieces in the pureform Polyvore collection:  http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6146094

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Plastic Synth

Plastic synth style is an interplanetary style that mostly functions as a youth subculture. It originated as a brief Ottsalian trend, but while it quickly died out as a mainstream Ottsalian fashion, it gained footing offworld with the postwar generation. This fashion trend is particularly popular in areas where the previous generation was hit economically during the war, where older generations are used to more practical, and often military, styles of dress. Trends of frugality during war often carried over after the war was over, with many people who were adults at the time of the war forsaking fashion as a means of self-expression. Plastic synth is in many ways a direct rebellion against that. It is a fashion trend that is in direct opposition to restraint, favoring use of many accessories, bright colors, and eye catching materials.

Plastic synth primarily use cheap synthetic materials that are easy to manufacture and process in space stations or spaceships. It takes affordable materials and uses them as a fashion statement rather than a compromise. It creates individuality by combining many - often mass produced - pieces. Sparkly, shiny, faux fur, transparent, or holographic materials are favored as base clothing, that is then obscured by layering on accessories. This street fashion shies away from restraint; the aesthetic is incredibly busy with multiple patterns and textures in one outfit.

Color Scheme:

Pink

Teal

Yellow

Neon green

Purple

Plastic synth is a subculture that exists on every planet, but its popularity varies. It is most common on Hinge due to the extreme economic depression Hinge had during the war, and it’s incredible recovery since. Plastic synth is a style that uses cheap materials, but it also focuses on have a lot of clothing items and accessories, requiring some disposable income directed towards fashion alone. Hinge’s current healthy economy has allowed plastic synth to flourish, and it is one of the most popular styles there for younger people. 

How to make a plastic synth costume: 

Start with a colorful base item and look for unusual materials. I recommend transparent vinyl or holographic clothing items. The shapes of plastic-synth resemble contemporary real-world style, so unusual materials are a good way to bring it back to looking scifi.

Don’t be afraid to make things “clash”. Mixing patterns is recommended. Plastic synth should be very visually busy and one easy way to do that is to use multiple patterns in the same outfit. Try to stay away from things that can be recognized from modern day franchises.

Accessories are very important for creating a plastic synth outfit. Plastic is a main material to use, so the accessories don’t need to be expensive. In this case you want quantity over quality. I recommend shopping in children’s jewelry sections where it is often easier to find jewelry that is cheap and brightly colored. Layer bracelets, hair clips, belts, and necklaces. It is often the details that make a costume, and in this case you want too many details.

Check out the plastic synth Pinterest for inspiration:  https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/plastic-synth/

Find costume pieces in the plastic synth Polyvore collection:  http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6126346

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Worldbuilding Wednesdays: Galactic Governments

During the Homeworld War, the United Association of Worlds collapsed. Since the end of the war, three major galactic powers have emerged, each attempting to in their own unify the galaxy. Many worlds, such as Ottsalia and at least a dozen colonies, remain independent. For the moment, a tense peace exists between the three governments.

The Agerran Commonwealth

Member Worlds: Agerre, Zé, Kaldir, two other colonies

Leader: Grand Minister Zai Divar

Established in 143 GT, shortly after the end of hostilities in the Homeworld War, the Agerran Commonwealth consists of Agerre, Zé, and three colony worlds, including Kaldir. The Commonwealth is governed almost entirely from Agerre, with Zé and the colonies following directives that are sent to them.

The leader of the Commonwealth, known as the Grand Minister, serves a ten year term and is appointed by a committee led by the previous Grand Minister. The Grand Minister is considered to have absolute decision-making authority, but that power to override any decision made by a lesser Minister is rarely executed. The Grand Minister primarily focuses on issues of large-scale policy and long-term planning, and is supported by a Central Council. Beneath them is a hierarchy of Ministers, Sub-Ministers, Acting Authorities, and Arbiters.

There is little room for political disagreement within the Commonwealth, and few forums in which to engage in it openly. Instead, a system of open letters has emerged. Letters, written anonymously and posted publicly, are used to critique or respond to the government. Popular letters circulate rapidly, and while they are rarely officially acknowledged, they are an important and respected element of discourse within Agerran history and society.

Daily life within the Commonwealth is tightly controlled and planned. From birth, children follow careful plans and go through education and testing to determine their optimal use to the society. Rates of disease, corruption, and poverty are extremely low in the Commonwealth. Everyone has what they need to survive, and as long as they contribute their required activities and complete their tasks, the Commonwealth takes care of them. The Commonwealth does not keep data on levels of life satisfaction or happiness.

The current Grand Minister of the Commonwealth is Zai Divar, a veteran of the Homeworld War who served aboard the Agerran Naval flagship. Divar is in her sixth year, and has made a number of controversial choices, such as appointing several Peakborn from Zé to her Central Council. She has also begun restoring a number of Commonwealth warships and sending more adolescents to military training, leading many to speculate that she intends to restart the war.

In recent months, a number of open letters have been issued, calling for a continuation of the war, to finish what Agerre began. The letters say that unless the war is completed, the rest of the galaxy will never truly respect Agerre. One letter even calls for the release and reinstatement of Admiral Therra to Naval High Command. At least one letter to the contrary has been circulated, calling for Grand Minister Divar to decrease the military and make more formal peace with the rest of the galaxy.

The Colonial Congress

Member Worlds: Windrock, Tona II, Gate’s Reach, seventy-six other colonies

Leaders: Speaking Thirds Jinassa Rook, Yor Indo Sa, and Climber Vollo

Established in 145 GT, three years after the end of the war, the Congress is an assembly consisting of seventy-nine colony worlds. The Congress is headquartered on Windrock, the first of the colonies to be founded. Each member world sends delegates to Windrock, where the Congress meets and votes on issues of galactic significance. For the most part, colony worlds are allowed an extremely high level of independence, and can decide policies that affect their citizens for themselves, as long as they are not in violation of any major civil rights issues.

The purpose of the Congress is to foster trade and respect between its member worlds, and to make sure each is taken care of. If there is a famine on a particular world, or a major outbreak of disease, other Congress worlds will provide relief efforts. So far, this has been mostly successful, though there have been issues of certain worlds feeling like they are pulling more than their weight. Voting blocs have risen and fallen as the years have gone by, as various planets jockey for position and prestige within the Congress.

The leaders of the Congress are known as the Speaking Triptych, consisting of three delegation leaders, known individually as Thirds. Each Third serves a three year term, offset from one another on a rotation, with one election every year. Each planetary delegation is only allowed to vote in two out of every three elections, which is meant to vote any one voting bloc from dominating the Congress, but in practice has only made the system of backroom vote trading all the more complex.

Though there is no rule about it, since the founding of the Congress at least one Third has always been a delegate from Windrock itself. The current Windrock Third is named Jinassa Rook, and they’re a strong proponent of Colonial unity. The other two Thirds are Yor Indo Sa, an Augment delegate from Tona II and vocal advocate for Augment rights, and Climber Vollo, delegate from the far outlying colony of Gate’s Reach. Climber’s primary issue is the upkeep of the warp channels, as he lost his parents to a jumpship that vanished while transiting back to Gate’s Reach.

The Galactic League

Member Worlds: Baryos, Dor Len Sono, Edge, four additional colony worlds

Leaders: Prime Consul Eko Sandvalos, Ancillary Consul Mos Lara Kan

After ten years of postwar isolation, the Baryosi government announced the formation of the Galactic League in 152 GT. The goal was explicit and clearly stated: to recreate the stability and peace of the United Association of Worlds, without attempting to control member worlds as tightly. Every civilized planet was invited to join, even those who had already pledged to the Agerran Commonwealth or the Colonial Congress, but few responded. Three colony worlds joined, and after two years, Dor Len Sono did as well. In the thirteen years since then, only two more colony worlds have joined.

The Galactic League strives to be a group of worlds in which the needs of the people are cared for, and citizens do not need to worry about things like food or crime. Unfortunately, social welfare programs require large amounts of capital, and in the wake of the war, Baryos still does not have the capital foundation to back such efforts. The Galactic League has attempted to solve these problems through high tax rates. So far, the resultant funding has mostly gone to repairing infrastructure and supporting the flagging Dor Len economy rather than powering the long-promised welfare programs.

The League is governed by the Unified Assembly on Baryos, a voting body comprised of elected officials from Baryos, Dor Len Sono, and the various colony worlds of the League. Each member world also has a Resident Assembly that focuses more on local affairs. The Consuls of the assembly vote and elect two leaders--the Prime Consul and the Ancillary Consul, who also are expected serve as the leaders of the two leading political parties.

Currently, the League is divided into three political parties. By far the largest party is the Restoration Party. Their leader, Eko Sandvalos, is currently Prime Consul, and has been for several years. The Restorers believe the primary focus of the League needs to be on rebuilding what was damaged in the Homeworld War--fixing infrastructure, re-establishing trade routes, and so on. They are a staunchly antiwar party, and have called for the reallocation of all military funding to rebuilding efforts, though they have been unable to win the two-thirds majority vote they’d need to pass such a massive reallocation.

The second-largest party is the Advancement Party, who prefer to focus on progress and economic justice. The Ancillary Consul, Mos Lara Kan, is actually a Dor Len Princess, and leader of the Advancement Party. The believe the League should focus on creating new jobs, establishing new colonies, and convincing more worlds to join, rather than on simply trying to return to the tried-and-true ways of the past. The Advancement Party also believes in outside investment, and wants to continue actively courting Ottsalian corporations to make contributions to support the League economy.

The smallest party, both in terms of popular and consular vote, is the Independence Party. They emphasize the need for the Galactic League to focus inwards, rather than attempting to reach out to other governments or worlds. Despite their significant political differences (especially on economic issues) Independent consuls often wind up voting with Advancement consuls, when necessary to oppose the Restoration party on issues of League-wide significance.

The question of the military is the biggest one in the League at the moment, with the Restoration Party leadership calling for its dismantlement. Both the Advancement and Independence Parties, meanwhile, are arguing for the opposite, pointing to reports of Agerran military buildup. They have unified to call for an enhanced League military presence, and the construction of new warships in preparation for a continuation of the Homeworld War.

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Ottsalian Fashion

Ottsalian fashion is as wild and diverse as Ottsalia itself. There are few limitations placed on it, and there is a much broader cultural sense of what is beautiful. The commonality is less focused around specific shapes or materials or colors, and more around a singular goal: to stand out. Ottsalian fashion has always been at the forefront of technological integration, with materials that react to heat or touch, and garments that light up or move. The fashion cycle on this ever changing planet is almost impossible to keep up with. The residents and designers are always looking for something cutting edge, flashier, and more innovative. While offplanet observers pick and choose favorite aspects that become trends, the fashion on Ottsalia is in constant motion without time for one style to really take hold.

Ottsalian fashion is opulent, colorful, and incredibly varied, often taking inspiration from or seeking to emulate the planet’s diverse biosphere. Natural materials, or materials that emulate nature are commonly used, as well as patterns and colors that imitate the wildlife. Synthetic and technologically enhanced materials are also extremely popular, but are usually still used to convey something found in the biological world. The common thread in Ottsalian fashion is its roots in the cultural obsession with biodiversity and finding beauty in the dangerous natural world that surrounds them. Fabric is made to look like scales, shells, petals, teeth, and fur. Prints that imitate patterns found in nature are commonly used. They use more natural looking shapes, not using as many geometric patterns or angular fabric manipulation as elsewhere.

Color scheme:

Teal

Orange

Green

Magenta 

Yellow

Red

Purple

Evos are an important part of the Ottsalian fashion scene. Many genetic alterations are for cosmetic purposes and this plays into the fashions that those individuals wear. Some Evos play up the animalistic aspects of themselves through their clothing, matching their clothes to brightly colored hair or scales, or having clothing specifically cut to show off modifications on their stomachs or backs. Flashy and colorful modifications are viewed as a part of the whole aesthetic, and are very much part of fashion culture. How to make an Ottsalian costume: 

Inspiration is key! There’s a lot of freedom in making an outfit look Ottsalian because of the level of diversity in Ottsalian fashion. Looking at brightly colored bugs, fish, and reptiles is a good way to get ideas for building an outfit. Ottsalian fashion is inspired by the natural world, so look at some of the weirder things nature has to offer. Bright colors and patterns are important to looking Ottsalian, especially if you aren’t directly referencing a recognizable animal or plant. The style is busy and attention grabbing, so use bright saturated colors and bold prints. Wearing two or more bright colors is a great way to stand out. 

Look at unusual materials. Iridescent, shiny, and textured items of clothing are a good way of making your costume unusual and flashy. Fur and feathers are very directly reference the animals that Ottsalian fashion is inspired by. Even understated Ottsalian outfits include a natural motif, or a pop of bright color. Check out the Ottsalia Pinterest for inspiration: https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/ottsalia/

Find costume pieces in the Ottsalia Polyvore collection:  http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6106130

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Peakborn Fashion

The Peakborn of Homeworld Zé have a fashion tradition that is designed around displaying their status and privilege. Their clothes are light, airy, and delicate. In many ways Peakborn style grew out of direct contrast with Sunken style, as clothing was a way to easily identify class status. When people are visibly from one class or another it is easier to uphold a caste system. Peakborn style tries to balance being showy with being delicate. It isn’t understated usually, but favors small details over patterns or bold lines. Peakborn fashion mostly uses sheer fabrics. Peakborn wear layers of transparency to create subtle colors and volume. Most of their clothing is loose and draping, and usually at least one layer is made from a translucent fabric. Peakborn fashion uses curving lines and soft natural shapes, often emphasizing them with ruffles or gathers.

Many status markers in Peakborn style are in direct contrast with the Sunken style. Since the Sunken need to cover themselves fully to guard against the toxic fog, Peakborn show more skin as a status symbol. Showing skin around the neck and shoulders is almost ubiquitous in Peakborn fashion, and is emphasized even more in formal wear. Showing skin is a very direct way that their fashion expresses that they do not need to worry about contamination from the fog below. They also avoid heavy belts and leather accessories that are reminiscent of what the sunken would wear, favoring delicate metal jewelry for accessories.

Color scheme:

Light blue

Grey

Lavender

Beige

White

Light green

Peakborn fashion has begun to incorporate aspects of other planets and cultures into it, but usually only in subtle ways. Their clothing is so essential to how they identify within their society that shifts are usually only minor. While some shapes have been incorporated from Baryos, or some fabric manipulation has been inspired by Ottsalia, their fashion remains mostly traditional. Any addition of offplanet style is usually offset by an even stricter adherence to traditional color scheme or material, drawing the focus back to light colors and materials.

How to make a Peakborn costume:

Focus on sheer fabric and loose flowing shapes. Clothes with thin fabric with a lot of gathering and draping work well. Even if you can’t find sheer fabric, thin fabric that is gathered and draped will create the right shapes.

Add a sheer layer on top if you can’t find base sheer layers that work for you. You can get sheer scarves or even just a large piece of sheer fabric that can be draped and pinned around you. Adding this specific fabric will really help make your costume more identifiable.

As always, fashion in the Event Horizon universe is not gendered. It is easiest to find dresses and skirts that fit this style, and wearing them as a Peakborn character does not indicate your/that characters gender identity. There are shirt and pants combinations that can work but you may find yourself having more difficulty shopping for those items. There are more clothes in the Women’s section that utilize sheer fabric, so I recommend shopping there for shirts even if you are going for a shirt and pants look.

Because April will be cold in the morning and night, chose outerwear that will keep you warm. Likely your Peakborn character would take off outerwear indoors to display some skin.

Check out the Peakborn Pinterest for inspiration:        https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/peakborn/

Find costume pieces in the Peakborn Polyvore collection: http://www.polyvore.com/peakborn/collection?id=6084072

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We added more information about Dor Len Sono, including leisure arts, academic monasteries, and the “community collapse cycle".

Worldbuilding Wednesdays: Homeworld Dor Len Sono

Homeworld Dor Len Sono

Population: 5.5 billion

Dor Len Sono’s defining physical feature is that it is almost completely flat. It is impressively tectonically inactive, with no major mountain ranges or canyons. Even its oceans are very shallow, with minimal elevation difference between the seafloor and the highest hills. There are few significant weather events, and the majority of the biosphere consists of prairie, scrub, steppe, and tundra. Due to the aridity of the atmosphere, few large trees grow. Dor Len Sono’s only particularly significant points of interest are the Mausoleums, a massive set of Ancient tombs embedded within the icecaps of the South Pole.

The Dor Len people are generally very patient and introspective, and its culture has been impressively slow to shift. For as long as anyone can remember, the planet has been divided into Queendoms. The exact number of Queendoms has shifted with time, as families intermarried and children divided realms, but the Queendoms have always held highest power. Eventually, all of the Queens managed to gather together and agree to a global government. Thus the Council of Nine was formed, and for the last six hundred years they have ruled largely uninterrupted.

Keep reading

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Sunken and Haze Fashion

Clothing for the Sunken class was originally focused on protection.Since Sunken live on the edge of a toxic environment, and venture into the poison fog to scavenge resources, they wore clothing designed to keep them covered and protected. Originally this was done with whatever natural materials they scavenged. It used to be common practice to use insect exoskeletons as a material to make protective gear, especially for masks and head coverings. By using materials of that were resistant to the fog, they created clothing that protected their bare skin as much as possible. 

Sunken clothing is generally made up of darker colors, and covers most of the wearer’s skin. This style prioritizes comfort and mobility, as well as coverage. Clothing tends to be loose and draped, then gathered in at the wrist and ankle. It is common to have a couple loose layers of clothing that are then belted. A common accessory are thick utility belts. They often made clothing with many pouches and pockets to allow people to carry small tools and resources they recovered out of the valleys. They traditionally used natural materials ,many of which came from below the fog line. Leather belts, gloves, pouches, and backpacks are common. It is also common to have cowls that can be pulled up over the nose and mouth, and goggles that can be pulled down in everyday wear.

Color scheme: 

deep blue

grey

black

brown

deep green

deep purple

The Sunken now more synthetic and advanced hazmat suits to venture down into the fog. They can be expensive and aren’t always accessible, so are used in combination with more traditional protective wear. Respirators in particular have become more advanced and widespread. These changes haven’t impacted everyday clothing very much, though. There are more synthetic fabrics used, but clothing worn above the fogline looks similar to what was worn 50 years ago in many respects.

How to make a Sunken costume:

This style looks grungy and practical. Avoid things that look to neat and tailored, and go for oversized clothing and layering. Focus on getting a base of loose dark clothing, and then pull it together with accessories. Goggles and scarves that can be pulled up over the lower face are good. 

This style relies on clothing being loose and then drawn in at certain points! Think about where your clothing is going to be baggy and where to belt it.

It can be hard to find loose clothing that comes in at the wrist and ankle in the way described. Harem pants are a very good option, as are batwing tops and outerwear. Loose sleeves can be brought in at the wrist with leather bracelets layered over them. Keep an eye out for clothing with hoods, cowls, and pockets.

Haze

Haze is a modern style that has been growing in popularity since Agerre began occupying Ze. Haze draws on the aesthetics of traditional sunken fashion and focuses on the aesthetic rather than protection from fog. Haze is associated specifically with the growing Sunken liberation movement, and is being worn by Peakborn and Nomadic people to indicate what side they are on in growing class and cast conflicts. It is becoming more common, but it still very controversial among Peakborn. While it still carries a strong political message on the divided Ze, it has begun to spread to other planets where it has less clear political motivations. It is still associated with class struggle and discontent with the current structure, but loses much of its directness when separated from the cast system on Ze.

Haze utilizes similar color schemes to traditional sunken fashion. It still uses loose layers, but there is not a focus on covering all visible skin. Half face masks and goggles are still commonly used but they often serve the purpose of disguising faces at protests rather than protection from toxic fog. The loose than belted look remains, but new materials and fashion ideas are pulled into the style from newer fashions on other planets. Materials are can be more obviously synthetic, and it is common to use accents of brighter colors in the neutral pallet drawn from sunken fashion. Gloves and pouches remain a common part of the look, but again there is less focus on practicality. Gloves are often fingerless and don’t need to overlap shirts at the wrist.

There’s a subset of Haze that has grown very popular, primarily offplanet of Ze. It incorporates more military and industrial aspects into Haze. It is still viewed as counterculture but has less obvious political meaning, and has been brought into popularity particularly by crews of unaligned ships.

Check out the Sunken Pinterest board for inspiration:  https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/sunken/

Find costume pieces in the Sunken Polyvore collection:  http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6062661

Check out the Haze Pinterest board for inspiration:  https://www.pinterest.com/sadiabies/haze/

Find costume pieces in the Haze Polyvore collection:  http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/collection?id=6062646

Read more about Sunken culture and learn about homeworld Ze:  http://www.eventhorizonlarp.com/world-database.html