Historian's Guild

## Galactic History: A Culture in Retrospect

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### The Xel-sheole Imperium

Long ago, this galaxy was ruled by the Xel-sheole Imperium along with other nations and peoples now unknown to us. The Imperium's massive economic and military power stemmed from their advanced labor and military robots manufactured on a world known only as the Machine Planet. A great empire, the Imperium spanned whole quadrants sharing its wealth and knowledge with all nations, but outside known space, beyond the galactic rim, the Imperium was being watched with "envious eyes". They attacked without warning and with savage ferocity consuming star system after star system. No one now knows who or what they were, but they came in ever increasing numbers and conquered nearly half the galaxy including the Machine Planet.

The Imperium and its neighbors were devastated in the initial assault, but regrouped quickly. They struck back at the invaders and fought them to a stalemate. The invasion had been haulted, but the galaxy was in tatters. Then the invaders disappeared. No one knows how or why. Formerly occupied worlds were found to be barren and lifeless. There were rumors that the Imperium or another nation developed some type of super plague or weapon, but nothing unearthed from that era indicates this.

### The Great Galactic War

With the galaxy in political and social disarray, the Imperium splintered into many factions some advocating military superiority, some political superiority, and others economic superiority. The technology to create advanced AI vanished with the Machine Planet. As a result, those supporting economic and military power sought a replacement for their now non existent workforce. They found it on a small insignificant planet on the edge of the galaxy... humans. They found humans to be extremely intelligent and durable, resistant to most diseases, and able to adapt to almost any situation or environment. Humans were bred in great numbers to support the labor needs of the Xel-sheole and were scattered throughout the galaxy.

Many centuries past and the Great Galactic War ocurred without warning and without fanfare. Nation struck against nation as ancient tensions were re-ignited. The Xel-sheole would never be united again. Out of this conflict emerged the Xel-sheolian warlord known as Un-zez meaning "smart one". Un-zez and his followers, discusted with the state of things, fled along with their human slaves and isolated themselves in a small corner of the galaxy. They called themselves the Xel-sheole Protectorate.

### The Xel-sheole Protectorate

There they prospered for many centuries having little or no contact with the outside world. What news they did recieve seemed to indicate that the Xel-sheolian race was no more, wiped out by an unknown force. This unsubstantiated news was largely ignored by the Protectorate; they ignored it and continued as they always had. And their number of slaves increased.

Then the Great Plague struck. Starting from the capital world of Xed-shukur and spreading outward. To this day no one knows where this plague came from, how it was spread, or even if it was a plague at all. The Great Plague granted a quick, painless death and only affected the Xel-sheole. With their masters' nation in rapid decline, the humans revolted. Under the command of Xel-peter, a small armed group of humans siezed the capitol, but such an action was unnecessary. Within the next standard year or so, the entire race of Xel-sheole had been wiped out.

### The Human Nations

The human nation, Freedom Land, created after the fall of the Xel-sheole did not last long. After a few years civil war broke out and it shattered into three smaller nations: Trinity, Pax Nestico, and New Shukur. Under the rule of Herod Shastus, New Shukur grew stronger than the others and drew up plans of war against them. The fighting was short and the victory sweet. With this sector of space now controlled by the iron fist of New Shukur, large government-controlled corporations were created. Some of these, including the powerful Control System Alpha, still exist today.

Because of political unrest and their disgust with their country's corruption, several New Shukurian states joined forces and revolted. The revolt was successful and the nation of Oceania, named after its aqueous capitol world, was created. Oceania and New Shukur existed with an uneasy peace for many years until the discovery of the Fenola. Aparently one of New Shukur's corporations began mining a colonized Fenolan world. War broke out between the two nations and Oceania remained neutral.

Oceania's neutrality was broken when New Sukur began capturing Oceanic starships and forcing their crews into the New Shukur Space Navy. Oceania responded with a declaration of war. The combined forces of Oceania and the Fenolan nation defeated New Shukur and it was divided between them.

After occupying New Shukur, the Fenola, similar in biological nature to the Xel-sheole, began to fall prey to a similar plague that befell the Xel-sheole almost two centuries before. In exchange for medical aid from their more technologically advanced neighbor the Fenolan nation merged with Oceania and, for no known reason, the plague abruptly stopped. A few Fenola remain, but they are in the vast minority.

### Oceania today

Modern Oceania now spans nearly the whole galaxy, has a well fortified defense grid, and an advanced hyperspace communications network. In its golden age, the Protectorate began cybernetically inhancing human telepathic abilities. Now certain people, known as cybertelepaths, have access to a collective memory bank known as Psinet. Every military vessel carries at least one Psinet Officer. Oceania is ruled by the Emperor who is advised by the elected Citizen's Council. Each province is ruled by an appointed Lord Governor

Oceania seeks neither peace nor war; we are just a nation of survivors trying to survive.

Schultz, Xep-panash