Etheirian Ascendancy

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Excerpt from the Technotheocracy Brittanica, 646th edition:
“The Great Calamity.
“On 2374, 4th cycle, 32 day, the first confirmed case of the Calamity virus was discovered on Cornucopia in the Telios system. It proved to be extremely virulent, and spread rapidly throughout the Etheirian Technotheocracy. It burned itself out just as rapidly, with the last confirmed case ending with the death of the patient on 2376, 2nd cycle, 12th day, at Oemiliam Intensive Medical Unit on Homeworld. The origin of this virus remains a mystery, although there are several differing theories. One states that the Calamity virus was native to Cornucopia. Another was that it was an escaped illegal biological weapon developed by Garimari Industries. Finally, a third theory stated that it was an intentional attack by one of our new allies.

“Warppoint travel had only just been discovered in 2361. There followed a rapid expansion and colonization effort. 37 colonies had been founded and 8 alien races (now known collectively as the Treaty Breakers) had been encountered by the time of the Great Calamity. All 8 alien races seemed to want peaceful relations. Once Calamity broke out, however, they all launched large scale, merciless raids and outright attacks which carved the weakened Technotheocracy's colonies to shreds. Estimates put the disease's fatality rate at 2 in 3, but the ensuing wars arguably could have skewed the mortality rates, and most colonial records from the period are either incomplete or missing entirely.

“The Etheirian Technotheocracy now actively occupies only it's home system. All attempts to establish radio contact with the major colonies (Elarna, Telios, Sigma, Helena, Xerto, Margot, and Belvania) have failed. It is assumed that between the Calamity virus and the Treaty Breaker attacks, the major colonies are a complete loss. Plans are underway to begin building Warppoint-capable vessels in order to investigate this further, and to possibly recolonize these systems if possible. It may also prove necessary to defend ourselves from more attacks from the Treaty Breakers (or any other entities that prove hostile), and so the Military Administrator is very involved with the new shipbuilding efforts.

“The loss of the major outer colony centers has left numerous smaller colonies, isolated in scattered corners of the galaxy, cut off from the Homeworld. The fate of these isolated colonies is unknown; if they maintained their quarantine and if they managed to avoid being attacked, then they could in theory still be viable. However, because these colonies did not have the necessary infrastructure to sustain themselves through a prolonged isolation, most are widely considered to be abandoned.

“Contact with any of the 8 Treaty Breaker races has yet to be re-established. As stated previously, the Military Administrator's Office is taking no chances, and our defensive plans continue to develop and mature. It is assumed, however, that the Great Calamity affected the Treaty Breakers as well, simply because there has been NO contact with any of them. No ship sightings, no intercepted communications, nothing. However, medical experts are divided about just how the Calamity virus could have spread to affect so many completely differing physiologies. The official Medical Administrator's Office's position states that....”

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