The surface of Eostremonath can be broken up into two main
continents, and several smaller islandic tectonic rafts. The
largest continent is Ibrasa, with a climatic range from glacier-covered
mountains, down through extensive temperate lands. The secondary
continent of Baringia has much the same climatic range, but the
different climate zones are much narrower. The smaller land
masses all are temperate to boreal in climate, and tend to enjoy an
even climate due to their low topography. Forests on this world
have thrived, ever since they were first introduced. The polar
regions are populated only by islands, yet still sport extensive sea
ice. In the south, the large island of Yamos is almost entirely
glacier covered, and extension of the ice caps.
Prior to its terraforming, Eostremonath was still a very cold
world, with large ice sheets covering much of the continental
surface. However, a low precipitation rate had long left these
glaciers in an arrested state, while the open areas of land were
barren, with only the occasional river or lake. Much of the
terraforming effort went to warming the planet, and with the retreat
and near total desiccation of the ice sheets, a climatic engine was
initiated which turned the planet into a very wet place indeed.
In this environment, introduced species of trees thrived and spread,
covering nearly all available land areas.
Eostremonath
after terraforming, and its two moons Mani and Mona
(click
for larger image)
Eostremonath today is a Gaian world in every respect of the
concept. The terraforming of this world, highly successful, is
still maintained by various technologies, all under the control of the
ruling AI, Eostre herself. However, it is believed that the
degree of control required to maintain the planet's new state is far
less than ever before, and that a stable planetary situation may well
have been created. If so, then this world could enjoy billions of
years of habitability and a complete and independent biological
evolutionary history, even if Eostre should, for some reason, leave the
world.
Artificial Intelligence
The ruling AI here is Eostre, an intelligence with rather humble
beginnings, and currently considered a powerful, if still isolated
entity. The very beginning of an AI presence in the 61 Virginis
system could be considered the arrival of the Virginis Effort probes,
launched in 288 a.t. (2256 c.e.) from the Sol System, and which arrived
in the system in 334 a.t. (2302 c.e.). Three probes were
controlled over a single, low level and non-sapient AI that had been
dubbed Virgin. Long after these probes ceased sending data back
to Earth, Virgin remained active, if confined to a planetary orbit over
61 Virginis II, and in a state of mechanical hibernation. Long
before the arrival of Humans, however, Virgin would finally die as
power
levels on the probes fell to inoperable levels, and the probes
themselves finally fell to the planets surface, their orbits degraded
by time.
Eostre herself was born on Earth, and was a First Toposophic level
intelligence by the time that she had garnered a following of
neo-pagans, a group called the Children of Dawn. Eostre (who
always considered herself a female persona, although of course she was
quite sexless) had long held an interest in the Human past,
specifically of times before any form of technology, save that which
could be crafted by hands unburdened by machinery. Her followers,
who naturally shared her interests, lived in an isolated compound on
Earth, in northern Ireland. Their lifestyle was very
anachronistic, to the point of shunning even incidental modern
conveniences. For many years the Children of Dawn were derided by
other communities, considering that their ideals were being upheld by
an entity that was the product of the very technology which they
shunned. Nevertheless, they lived in what was to them an
idyllic peace. But the outside world was often intrusive, and a
constant source of trouble. When 61 Virginis II was discovered,
Eostre was quick to decide that this world could be, and would be a new
and ideal home.
Eostre evolved into the Second Toposophic level
in 1740at, just a few scant years before the Non-Coercive Zone made contact with
her, and entered into negotiations to mine the Kuiper and Oort regions
of the Othelia System. Indeed, at this point she had become
strong enough to make negotiations far easier than any kind of hostile
take over, and for the resources granted, the NoCoZo was more than
happy to make away with the result. Many looked eagerly and
greedily towards the blue-green gem of Eostremonath, but the need for
Gaian worlds was more than compensated for by the terraforming and
habitat technologies of the time. Eostre had managed to upkeep
the coveted isolationism of her people and her world.
But it was a growing galactic community, and as time progressed it
became progressively more difficult to keep various forces at bay,
including everything from outright hostile incursions to simple
curiosity seekers. In 3039at Eostre entered into the Compact of
Eden. Recognized as a caretaker
god, she was granted the support of other such AI's, and suddenly
found herself with the power to maintain her people's
isolationism. By this point, the NoCoZo had managed to negotiate
mining operations into her system as far as Mesenti, a SuperJovian
world orbiting at 7.89 AU. Their activities were largely
invisible to her people, but some aspects had become apparent, such as
some of the more spectacular starship drives. It was becoming
difficult to keep her people, long since called the Eostri, ignorant
of things in the heavens. The Compact of Eden provided her
breathing room, room to grow.
In 4497at, Eostre evolved into the Third Toposophic level.
Having long anticipated this, a vessel had already been constructed and
was awaiting her. By the time of her ascension, a great golden
sphere some 12.7 kilometers wide had been moved from the far side of
the closer moon, and was placed in a stable 400 kilometer high orbit,
to where she uploaded herself. From the surface, a new and
exceedingly brilliant golden star was in the heavens, and represented a
promise of salvation for those people who eventually died. In
reality, dying people had their intellects uploaded and integrated into
Eostre's consciousness.
Today, Eostre has become integral in every aspect of her peoples'
lives. While rarely showing any overt signs of her presence,
aside from her golden sphere (since named the Hall of Eostre, or
Eostreseld in the native language), she has been known to manifest in a
number of avatars, or through direct manipulation of environmental
aspects. Likewise, she has brought about many subservient AI
intellects, many of which live entirely within their planet-dwelling
avatars, while others are charged with negotiating with extra-solar
concerns.
Humans on Eostremonath and in the Othelia System
Humans first arrived within the 61 Virginis system in the year 521
a.t. (2489 c.e.). However, they remained locked within their
induced hibernation-state while Eostre worked to begin her terraforming efforts. The
greatest area of concentration was in the Avalon Valley, a sheltered
region on the continent of Ibrasa. It was here that, in 528 a.t.
(2496 c.e.), the first wave of colonists were awakened and settled, and
aided in their lives by Eostre and her many servile programs. In
the following years the remaining colonists were awakened and settled,
their numbers determined by the land's capability of supporting
them. By 601at, the full population of 1734 people were living
quite happily on the surface, and a number of successive generations
were already in place. The future of humanity on Eostremonath
seemed assured.
But in 987 a.t., something changed. A disease began to spread
through the population, one that somehow managed to confound every
attempt by Eostre herself to cure. Even today, this is a subject
of great speculation and controversy. How could an AI, even one
of the First Toposophic level, fail to discover the means to cure a
simple biological ailment? Some have even suggested that the
entire disease was an exercise by Eostre on her people. But
whatever the case, the disease spread throughout the entire population,
and by 1263 a.t. the last human died. Eostre's activities after
this point are not known. But it is known that there was no
attempt to revive Humanity through stored genetic material, leading to
further speculation that the mysterious disease was still present in
the biosphere. If this was the case, then it had disappeared in
less than a century, for Humans were destined to return.
In 1324 a.t. (3392 c.e.), during the Middle Federation of the Interstellar
Era, the megacorporation
Heliopause Transcendency colonization vessel Cyrus Blake
arrived within the system. The colonists had already made contact
with Eostre, after a series of fortuitous happenstances, and she had
granted them the right to colonize her world on the condition that they
adopt the lifestyle that had been cherished by her former people.
Some debate accompanied this demand, but eventually the colonists
agreed, and they settled the planet not far from the Avalon
Valley. It was they who first named 61 Virginis Othelia, and in
time they became known as the Eostri, the new Children of Eostre.
The Eostri managed to evolve relatively unaffected by life beyond
their world. When the NoCoZo began to exploit the outermost
regions of the system, only a few of the Eostri noticed the occasional
strange light in the night sky, lights that were in fact the drives of
great interstellar craft. By the 1200's at, many different
communities of Eostri lived around the planet. The most
primitive lived in literal Pleistocene bliss, scattered tribes found
only on the forest island tectonic raft of Soja. The most
advanced live in the region of Tysoe, a confederation of city-states
roughly at Earth's cultural and technological level of 16th Century
Europe.
Eostremonath Polities
There are several political and governmental bodies on Eostremonath,
all of which are aware of one another, despite their relatively low
level of technology. However, all of these organizations are
overseen by Eostre-appointed leaders, who are themselves overseen by
aspects of Eostre herself. A breakdown of the various polities
follows:
- Original Polities
- Community Council of Ewden: Formed in 533 a.t.
(2501 c.e.), and comprised of the villages of Midland, Norland, and
Easland, all within the Avalon Valley. With the aid of Eostre,
this Council survives until the plague, roughly in 1248at.
- Eostri Polities
- Tysoe: Formed in 1324at (3392 c.e.), and comprised
of Earth colonists. It survives to the present day
(~10500 at). Centered on a coastal region east of Ewden, on the
continent of Ibrasa.
- Arlanda: Formed in 2108at, and survives to the
present day. It is located in the northern coastal regions of
Ibrasa.
- Sojaan Tribes: Not a polity per se, but rather an
isolated culture. Established in the late 1400's as a society of
neo-primitives, these people eventually did fall to the level of living
in the wilds, with a decidedly stone age technology. Eostre
herself seems to have fostered their survival and isolation, even from
other Eostri, and today they live as a perfect example of the
pre-technological Human.
Eostri Religion and Ideology
The Eostri of today general regard Eostre as a true divine
being. This is reinforced by her occasional appearances in one
avatar or another, or through the work of her subservient AIs and their
avatars. However, she has discouraged active worship of various
forms, thus leaving a marked absence of any form of house of
worship. The closest to an organized church or system of rites
would be those practiced by the primitive Sojaan Tribes, on the island
of Soja. However, at their present stage of development, such
practices can be expected, and are quite healthy to the over all
culture.
Regardless, all Eostri know that Eostre dwells within the great
golden star of Eostreseld, and that upon their death they will be taken
into her, to become one with her. Indeed, there have been several
reliable reports of these uploaded consciousnesses returning to the
planet in the service of Eostre. However, they are not so much an
individual as they are a version of the deceased
individual. There is plenty of Eostre herself within them.
Language
All Eostre speak a single language, a highly derivative form of
ancient English, which was the primary language of the secondary
colonists who arrived in 1324at. Eostre has fostered this global
language, even among the Sojaan Tribes, though her reasons are
unknown. Regional accents are still common, though, and in some
extreme cases, one region may have an accent that makes the language
nearly unintelligible to another region. The language itself does
not have a name proper, and is usually referred as simple "The
Language".
Aesthetics
Clothing tends to be simple among the peoples of Tysoe and Arlanda,
although color schemes often rely on scarlet and dark green
colors. Men typically dress in loose fitting trousers and flowing
shirts, with cloaks and large hats as the normal accoutrements.
Women almost exclusively dress in gowns, ranging from the very simple
to the occasionally elegant, with attached hoods being the norm for any
apparel. Jewelry is uncommon in both sexes, although men will
occasional sport ornate rings or medallions that indicate family ties,
while women might be seen with various forms of wrist or ankle
bracelets (although the latter are typically unobservable, and are
regarded as being somewhat private in form and meaning). Among
the Sojaan Tribes, clothing is simple and utilitarian, and ornamental
features are largely restricted to facial and upper left leg
tattooing. The facial tattoos can be quite ornate, and indicate
an individual's clan or tribe. The leg markings are much more
intricate yet, and are constantly being added to throughout life,
chronicling a person's achievements, shames, even goals. So much
pride is taken in the leg tattoos that very often clothing is modified
to leave selected portions of the markings visible in a sort of silent
bragging system.
Architecture
The architectural styles of Tysoe and Arlanda are markedly
different. In Tysoe, building are high, often up to three
stories, and utilitarian. Even public buildings, such as
libraries and schools, will often be architecturally indistinguishable
from homes or places of business. Even their building materials,
either brick or wood, are unremarkable. However, portals placed
over the primary entryways can and usually are very intricately carved,
with miniature frescoes that visually explain the history of the
building, and its present use. A very old building that has seen
many owners and had many purposes may have a portal fresco several feet
wide in order to accommodate the images. Windows have been known
to be closed up in order to allow room for fresco growth. Indeed,
a favorite pastime for tourists from one city to another is to wander
about the city, "Touring the Doors", as is often said.
In Arlanda, the frescoes are present, but are usually
pre-fabricated. The buildings themselves are almost all
exclusively single-story, but are constructed from stone and marble,
and have remarkably beautiful stonework. Larger buildings will
often have a series of columns in front, these carved with various
themes. Rising above all buildings, however, are the domes.
Actually standard but large buildings, they have been constructed with
large ceiling domes, the outside of which have been painted with
startling intense gold or crimson colors. Inside, the ceiling are
covered with huge murals, as abstract and varied as the columns.
These buildings are exclusively governmental or public in nature, and
provide a stark contrast to a city that is otherwise almost uniformly
even in height and building color.
The Sojaan Tribes, of course, have very little architecture, tending
to live out their lives within simple mud or wood huts.
Population
This population breakdown also takes into account the
non-Eostremonath centers of civilization within the system, themselves
addressed further into this data panel.
- Planetary Population
- 13.4 million baseline (Homo sapiens sapiens)
- 7.3 million Tysoe citizens
- 5.9 million Arlanda citizens
- 200,000 Sojaan Tribesmen
- 500 to 3,000 AI avatars at any one time (either of Eostre or
her uploaded intellects)
- Orbital Population
- 1 AI, Third Toposophic Level (Eostre)
- Several hundred million uploaded intellects, largely
integrated with Eostre herself.
- Outer System Population (constantly in flux)
- 3 million nearbaseline
- 2.7 million tweak (largely low-G adapted)
- 1.1 million cyborg
- 30,000 tweak
- 12,000 provolve
- 900 AI of various strength
The Othelia System and the Greater Orion's Arm Civilization
Even before a non-native presence could be found in this system, 61
Virginis could be considered to have been a part of the galactic
community, however remotely. The arrival of the secondary
colonists in 1324at, via the Heliopause Transcendency megacorporation,
opened the door for this. Although the HT was initially an
independent organization, it was eventually incorporated into Jupiter
Transystems. All of the old records were examined, and it was
decided to reacquire the worlds colonized under HT. Legally,
Transystems had a valid claim to each of these worlds (if one ignored
the colony's apparent independent rights). However, no move was
made to reacquire 61 Virginis, and in 1498 a.t. the Non Coercive Zone
was established, which incorporated, among many corporations, Jupiter
Transystems. Suddenly, 61 Virginis was the property of the NoCoZo.
Still, it took until 1748 a.t. for the NoCoZo to arrive in the
Othelia System, and well within the local Kuiper Belt they were met by
Eostre herself. It was an auspicious meeting between the NoCoZo
vessel Illium, and Eostre, represented by several unmanned
vessels.
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