v50 Steam/Premium information for editors
  • v50 information can now be added to pages in the main namespace. v0.47 information can still be found in the DF2014 namespace. See here for more details on the new versioning policy.
  • Use this page to report any issues related to the migration.
This notice may be cached—the current version can be found here.

Difference between revisions of "Modification:The Long Night: Civilizations"

From Dwarf Fortress Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m (namespace fix)
(Initial update pass for Beta 4.41)
Line 1: Line 1:
Updated to 2.65
+
Updated to 4.41
 
{{mod}}
 
{{mod}}
  
 +
Pan-Humanity is the collection of biological species descended from the original human race. The Solar Empire, with its peerless knowledge of the human genome, could easily engineer various strains of human to fulfill specific tasks. These could be grouped into three different tiers; the Lo-Caste, expendable workers bred to survive in a particular environment with as little maintenance as possible, the Hi-Caste, bred to fulfill a particular niche within the Solar Empire's system-spanning bureaucracy, and the now-extinct Imperial Caste, or Imperial Clade as there were no subtypes, the undisputed apex of biological human life and hereditary rulers of the empire. Furthermore, a new designation has arisen to account for clades which exist outside these castes, the Un-Caste geneclades.
  
== Pan-Humanity ==
+
A note regarding human races:
Pan-Humanity is the collection of biological species descended from the original human race. Some were developed by the rich as a means to imbue their children with literal biological superiority to complement their social advantages, while others were purpose-built to colonize other bodies within the solar system. However, with the collapse of the Great Solar Empire the colonies, reliant on Earth by design to prevent rebellion, began to fail, and those who could manage to secure transport in the following centuries would return to Earth to find it a ruined apocalyptic morass of inhuman powers and human tyrants, and in response formed their own petty states to preserve their people.
 
  
=== Humans ===
+
In the vanilla game, a human reaches full adulthood at 13 years of age. In the Long Night, humans take as long as they do in real life to grow to adulthood, but are not considered children at 13. They reach full adult size at 18. If you conscript a 13 year old into the army or make him work in the mines he'll be the size of an actual 13 year old.
Baseline humans are those native to the planet who have undergone little genetic modification. They once populated Earth in teeming masses, but after the collapse of the planet have been greatly reduced in number. The constant clouds of toxic pollution and fouled water have caused many humans to be born with severe physical defects like failing organs and missing limbs, leading to a significant portion of the population being notably resistant to disease and toxins as the weak were culled by the harsh environment. Their societies usually exist under the shadow of higher powers but some are influential enough that they exercise a modicum of influence.
+
 
 +
== Lo-Caste ==
 +
It is widely regarded that normal humans are the stupidest one can make an intelligent being while still keeping them widely useful, and so the Lo-Caste have little in the way of mental modification, for better or worse. They are psychologically normal people just like baseline humanity, with their bodies altered to inhabit various environments in order to cut as much cost as possible on life support and maintenance systems, along with whatever medicine and augmentation might otherwise be required. Due to the majority of the population within the solar system being comprised of the Lo-Caste, many of them have survived the collapse of the Solar Empire and remain the majority population within the Terran Megastructure, even in the face of all manner of adversaries and competition. The simple will to survive and scrappy cunning of these average humans, though they may differ in appearance and ability, seems sufficient to carry them through day after day of the greatest dark age the human race has ever experienced.
  
::: ''Corporate State''
+
:::*'''Government type''': Martial sects
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Coil, scatter, bow
 
:::*'''Armors''': Basic, some advanced
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, M, A
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, advanced vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
 
  
::: ''Authoritarian Dictatorship''
+
=== Earthclade ===
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Rail, nail, scatter, bow
+
Baseline humans are those native to the planet who have undergone little genetic modification. They once populated Earth in teeming masses, but after the collapse of the planet have been greatly reduced in number. The constant clouds of toxic pollution and fouled water have caused many humans to be born with severe physical defects like failing organs and missing limbs, leading to a significant portion of the population being notably resistant to disease and toxins as the weak were culled by the harsh environment. Their societies usually exist under the shadow of higher powers but some are influential enough that they exercise a modicum of influence.
:::*'''Armors''': Basic, raider, some advanced
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, M, A
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
 
  
::: ''Republic''
+
=== Seaclade ===
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Rail, scatter, bow
+
Humans modified for life underwater, be it the oceans of Earth or Europa. Amphibious due to convenience, most aquatics live near sources of water in the Terran Megastructure, making a living harvesting the artificial seas for their bounty. While most descend from Terran sea-dwellers, a few claim descent from the now-lost colony of the watery moon Europa. Despite odd features like hairlessness and webbed digits, they are considered one of the closest to earthcladers due to their similar proportions.
:::*'''Armors''': Basic, some advanced
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, M, A
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
 
  
=== Nobles ===
+
=== Venusclade ===
The Nobles are descendants of the ruling families that controlled the Eastern Sphere of Earth in the past. They are modified for long life, intelligence, and mild telepathic capability, able to sense the presence of others of their own kind. Their culture is a blend of East Asian nations which had long ago been assimilated into the Solar Empire, but in truth very little of it reaches past the surface level, as below the trappings of ancient cultures lies a cunning and ruthlessly pragmatic force that is determined to hold on to power even after the collapse of the Solar Empire, and possessed of the capacity to do just that, thanks to its advanced exo-suits and biomechanical war machines.
+
Venus was a harsh planet to colonize, but at the same time one with a unique advantage. Being roughly the same size as earth, normal Terrans could live on it without the damage low gravity might inflict on their bone structure and other biological features, allowing the Venusclade to be manufactured with little deviation from the Terran geneline, though it did develop paler skin and near-albinism due to the nature of Venusian settlements, almost entirely underground and constantly beset by the hideously destructive weather and boiling atmosphere. The hell that was their planet gave rise to a highly collectivist and pragmatic society, with sacrifice, duty, and intermittent cannibalism being the order of the day.
  
:::*'''Government type''': Sage council
+
=== Marsclade ===
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Coil, scatter, bow
+
The first human geneclade with notably distinct proportions to compensate for Mars's lower gravity, Martians had from the very beginning developed a culture of independence and self-reliance, particularly due to the luck of being birthed to colonize a nearly completely terraformed world, where the air was breathable and the land could be walked without an environment suit. Unfortunately, it was always crippled by reliance on Earth in order to ensure no rebellion could succeed, and when the Solar Empire collapsed and the atmospheric generators began to fail, many fled back to the nascent Terran Megastructure while leaving uncounted millions to an uncertain fate on a dying planet.
:::*'''Armors''': Advanced
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, K
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, Kodona-brand vehicles, Tokai-brand combat morphs, Gundai-class bioframes, chance for other bioframes
 
  
=== Executors / Neo-Humans ===
+
=== Lunaclade ===
Those who ruled the Western Sphere also pursued the arts of biological augmentation, but on a greater, more personalized scale than the Nobility of the Easten Sphere. The ruling class of this region split between the physically capable Neo-Humans and the incredibly intelligent, powerfully psychic, and dangerously unstable Executors who directed them. While more chaotic and prone to backstabbing than the Eastern Sphere, the individualistic and experimental attitudes of the Western Sphere hegemons allowed them to innovate enough to catch up to the power of their more entrenched neighbors, resulting in an uneasy peace between the two, one that is now strained to breaking.
+
Even more unearthly than the Martians, these tall and spindly figures were the middle ground between space-borne and terrestrial human clades, built to colonize moons and planetoids with low but present gravity. Highly reliant on Earth and other planets for resources, they suffered the most out of all the Lo-Caste geneclades when the empire collapsed. Any which still live on their colonies likely suffer immensely under autocratic regimes which count every ounce of biological matter as a precious, irreplaceable resource.
  
:::*'''Government type''': Caste-based oligarchy
+
=== Voidclade ===
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Coil, scatter, bow
+
The most heavily derived of the Lo-Caste, they are most noted for their hand-like feet, allowing better maneuverability in zero-gravity habitats and space vessels, along with their towering height. In a similar situation as the Lunar geneclades, most remain in orbital habitats, with only a lucky few possessing the reinforcing nanotechne which is all that allows them to tolerate the crushing gravity of Earth.
:::*'''Armors''': Advanced
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, X
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, Superiority-brand vehicles, Caesar-brand combat morph, Krest-class bioframe
 
  
=== Martians ===
+
== Hi-Caste ==
The Martians were some of the most successful of the human strains. Designed to colonize Mars after the minimal terraforming efforts to make it liveable were completed, the sturdy and tireless Martian Strain was introduced into the colonies after the first generations spent most of their lives knowing only the hardship of making the planet suitable for life. As the Great Solar Empire collapsed under its own weight, however, it was proven that all the efforts of the colonization were truly only half-measures propped up by the homeworld, and soon vital systems began to fail across the planet. The ones who could afford or otherwise obtain access to space vessels fled the planet back to earth, determined to start life anew as they left their kin to what was most likely a slow death.
+
The Hi-Caste, derived primarily from Terran stock, differs primarily from the Lo-Caste in three ways. Firstly, Hi-Caste were not bred for a specific environment, but rather for a specific profession. They were specific tools of the Empire, answering only to the imperial court rather than any particular celestial body or other settlement. Secondly, unlike the Lo-Caste, Hi-Caste models have extensive mental changes written into them in order to make them better at their particular role. Lastly, Hi-Caste clades can be further divided by their coloration, which rather than the earthy tones of any Lo-Caste clade are all manner of color combinations, their very flesh modified for purely aesthetic purposes in order to represent whichever particular imperial faction that particular group was pledged to serve. But with the Solar Empire collapsed, the Hi-Caste are like a pack of purebred dogs without masters, designed to serve a clade which no longer exists. A fundamental part of their self-identity, both conscious and sub-conscious, was ripped away with the extinction of the Imperial Clade, and as a result many have developed neurotic behaviors on a civilization-wide level.
  
:::*'''Government type''': Corporate state
+
:::*'''Government''': Imperial Provisional Government
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Rail, scatter, bow
 
:::*'''Armors''': Basic
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, M, A
 
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
 +
:::*'''Plants''': Hydroponic (subterranean)
  
=== Europans ===
+
=== Civclade ===
Specifically adapted for the aquatic climate of Europa, the sleek-bodied Europans were specially bred for that particular biome, intended to produce a three-dimensional megacity within its waters. However, something caused this to fail somewhere near the last years of the Solar Empire. What it was remains unspecified, as all records of the event were deleted. All that is left is rumors of something "eating" the colonies. This is, of course, nonsense. Europans have found a niche on Earth due to their amphibious qualities, and their slim bodies and smooth skin (wrinkles not being very hydrodynamic) has led them to often find jobs in the media industry and in setting beauty standards.
+
The Civclade, or Civilian Clade, was bred for the purpose of administration. Polite, refined, bland, and with a sharp mind, the Civclader is the quintessential bureaucrat. Spread across the empire and managing all of it for the benefit of the imperial court, the collapse of Solar Empire in the aftermath of the Second Solar War led to the Civclade arcologies to go into something of a crisis. The majority if not all of Civclade settlements are focused on wrangling other settlements, with carrot or stick, into something resembling a provisional government until Imperial Clade DNA can be found and restored, at which point everything can go back to normal. But of course, with the evolution of biomechanical life and the process of Transcendence, such a thing is highly unlikely.
 
 
:::*'''Government type''': Corporate state
 
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Coil, scatter, bow
 
:::*'''Armors''': Basic
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, M, A
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
 
  
=== Jovians ===
+
=== Warclade ===
The other moons of Jupiter were far more sterile than Europa's seas, and a different breed of being was required to administer them. For this, the Jovians were created. Their bright yellow skin has a vital compound within that absorbs radiation from space, a cost-saving measure compared to radiation-proofing Jovian habitats. Their compounds were spread out across Jupiter's many moons, and the Jovian administration was one of the most reliant on Earth imports due to its difficult living situation. However, the Jovian's capacity for analysis allowed them to predict its inevitable end before many other extraplanetary factions, and were able to evacuate enough of their number to escape extinction.
+
The Warclade, or Military Clade, was unsurprisingly bred for the purpose of combat. Ferocious, disciplined, and loyal to a fault, the Warclade for a long time represented the peak of infantry power, cold-hearted supermen who effortlessly dispatched any who would seek to defy the mandates of the Solar Empire. But in the end, the Warclade are still biological humans, with all the limitations that implies. Having fought so long against opponents genetically inferior in the areas of killing, they were unprepared to fight an even or perhaps superior foe in the form of Antinirvanist Posthumanity, and while the war ended in mutual destruction the rise of Immortals has forever relegated the Warclade's existence to one of being obselete. Even so, they are still greatly feared, for Transcendence is a journey few see the end of, but the Warclade juntas need only to breed to increase their numbers, and compared to other biological clades, they remain a fearsome foe indeed. In the absence of their masters they have become conquerers, carving territories of their own in the name of their clan's ambition.
  
:::*'''Government type''': Authoritarian dictatorship
+
=== Joyclade ===
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Rail, scatter, bow
+
Of all the Hi-Caste, perhaps the saddest fate belonged to the Joyclade, or the Courtesan Clade. Like the geishas, jesters, and concubines of old, they served the role of performers and companions, and like the influencers, celebrities, and public personas of the Late Pre-Imperial Era, they were designed as living advertisements and entertainers. What they were not designed for was the collapse of the empire and the fall into barbarism. The pleasure gardens of the Imperial Clade go untended and the Joycladers find themselves subject to the whims of fate by far more brutal and numerous forces.
:::*'''Armors''': Basic
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, M, A
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
 
  
=== Titanians ===
+
=== Sciclade ===
Home to the moon of Titan, the Titanians would more accurately be called the New Titanians. The original race was lost to history, but it is known that the first Titanians had partially terraformed the moon using an archaic AI long abandoned by the increasingly biomechanical Solar Empire. Despite being an older model, or perhaps because of it, inconsistencies and errors built up in its complex programming resulted in it going haywire, seizing the factories of Titan and churning out legions of killing machines. To combat this, the original Titanians created a new generation of soldier models optimized for guerilla war in the dark shadows of Titan's wilderness, giving them incredible capacity for stealth and unrivalled night vision. In the end, however, desperately grown soldiers could not contend with a malevolent AI's seemingly endless army, and the survivors of the conflict escaped back to Earth, intending to report to the heads of the Solar Empire only to find it no longer existed. Now they live for nothing but themselves.
+
Working quietly away in the background of Hi-Caste society was the Sci-Clade or Scientific Clade, focused on the maintenance and production of the technologies which sustained the empire. Built for production and socially neutered, the scicaste community was happy to be kept out of the spotlight and left to work in silence. In the wake of the Collapse, they cling to life in their technocratic arcologies, continuing to develop new technology for panhuman society.
  
:::*'''Government type''': Republic
+
== Un-Caste ==
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Rail, scatter, bow
+
During the Myriad Era, attempts were made to repopulate the Terran Megastructure using creatures derived from human DNA. These grotesque creatures were partially successful, though few take pleasure in the ecosystems they have formed (though they do appreciate the meat they offer). But in a quirk of fate, one particular branch of this artificial evolutionary tree did not stay as mere animals. Rather, they regained sophoncy, much to the chagrin of the rest of humanity, for their time as animals had warped this breed casteless freaks into brutish and violent creatures, and the availability of high technology allowed for them to form technologically-advanced civilizations at a frightening speed. At the beginning of the Long Night, they have become a thorn in the side of near every other civilized force. Rather than being called human, they are collectively classified as "Aberrant" life, and come in many shapes and sizes.
:::*'''Armors''': Basic, 1 advanced
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, M, A
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
 
  
=== Subhumans ===
+
== Cyborgs ==
Subhumans are humans who were, like baseline humanity, warped by exposure to the toxic influences of the collapsed megacity-world that Earth had become. However, instead of bearing with it as best they could, they experimented with genetic alteration that would enable them to negate the countless stillbirths and early deaths without being reliant on nanoteche. This was a thought that occurred independently in resource-poor communities across the world, for there was no way their number could afford the technological implants needed to keep subsequent generations alive. The end result was that they would create a new species that would carry on their legacy as best it could. However, the end result was tragically less than ideal. Genetic optimization programs, likely stolen from places of higher learning and status, selected for surivability in a harsh wasteland, encouraging traits like aggression, low intelligence, and decreased empathy to ensure the necessary pragmatism required for an organic to survive this world without the assistance of high technology would manifest. It has been many decades since then, and the subhumans still lurk out in the wastes, slowly growing in population and strength as they re-learn what their ancestors have forgotten.
+
Cyborgs are life forms which comprise both nanotechne and biological tissue. Though the cyborg typically thought of when the term is brought up would be a person using technological prosthetics, this section details those who have integrated nanotechne into their very DNA, and thus can pass on their augmentations to their offspring. Though they have many advantages because of this, they are still at least partially human biologically and represent a transitionary state between normal life forms and posthuman ones.
  
:::*'''Government type''': Authoritarian dictatorship
+
=== Hereditary Cyborgs ===
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Rail, nail, scatter, bows
+
Any organic life form that accumulates a sufficient amount of nanotechne will transform into a hereditary cyborg. A hereditary cyborg is a broad term encompassing all such transfigured individuals. What is most important regarding this is the fact that all hereditary cyborgs, regardless of original species, are compatible with one another and can produce offspring. These pure-blooded hereditary cyborgs can then seek to go even further, and shed their biology entirely. As of the Long Night, hereditary cyborgs are a relatively common sight among the upper crust of most civilizations. They are close enough to pan-humanity that they are not seen too differently than their lessers, but still demonstrably stronger, smarter, and longer-lived, inspiring the ambitions of many to become like them, and to reach even further beyond.
:::*'''Armors''': Raider
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, M
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
 
  
== Uplifts ==
+
== Uploads ==
During the pre-Solar Empire days, mankind had unlocked many of the secrets of biology and technology, though they were yet to create their true masterworks. The earliest radical experiments on creatures besides themselves were on a selection of animals chosen for their adaptability and high intelligence, traits that would make them easy to shape into intelligent beings. Why was such a thing done? To many historians, it seems to be simple curiosity. Some mark this as one of the key turning points of human history, where the idea of nature being sacred was discarded for good and humanity truly began to believe it was the sole master of all life below it, a thought entertained in the past but never truly accepted. The Uplifts were made, and they have managed through cunning and luck to survive to this day. They have little in the way of a united culture but in their newfound freedom have become determined not to lose it again, adopting democratic governments to ensure their liberties are kept. Of course, they are no better than the animals that currently dominate the planet, and corruption and abuse of power are just as common in Uplift nations as they are in human ones. Some cannot help but wonder, though, if their freedom came just in time to watch the world they live in slowly die.
+
Uploads are human minds copied into conventional machines rather than postbiological bodies. Though one might think this is a form of digital immortality, the unfortunate fact is that conventional machines lack the means to copy a mind without also destroying it. The new mind may think itself the original, but the original person doesn't continue on. Even so, during the chaos of the Myriad era enough were desperate to preserve some semblance of themselves or humanity that they underwent the uploading process, a science deemed taboo during the genetically-focused Imperial era. The descendants of those first uploads have continued to evolve and diversify. That said, their bodies are still made of conventional machinery rather than nanotechne, and as a result cannot reliably self-repair and self-upgrade in the way postbiological life forms can. While unable to transcend into postbiological life forms, uploads can still use nanotechne to gain new Programs. In addition, uploads can transfer their minds into new purpose-built bodies.
  
:::*'''Government type''': Republic
+
=== Humanoid Uploads ===
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Rail, nail, scatter, bow
+
Humanoid uploads are the baseline for uploads, existing in a spindly mechanical chassis. They have a basic humanoid plan, a cost-efficient model designed to exist easily within and out of pan-human society.
:::*'''Armors''': Basic, some advanced
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, M, A
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Common livestock, vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
 
  
=== Dolphins ===
+
=== Vehicular Uploads ===
Allegedly the first Uplift race, dolphins are also some of the most heavily cyberized, given four legs and two arms at birth to carry their bodies across the land. Though the technology exists to give them biological limbs, most opt to continue the use of cybernetic limbs due to their strength and versatility.
+
Uploads can transfer their minds into bulky mechanical bodies with a huge mech-like body plan, although they still require armor. On the light end, vehicular uploads bridge the gap between citizen and vehicle, while gigantic ultraheavy uploads dwarf the rest of panhumanity with their massive mech bodies, capable of fighting some of the most dangerous threats of the megastructure.
  
=== Corvids ===
+
=== Hyperalloy Uploads ===
Heavily modified to increase their size to that of a large dog, and given arms in the place of wings to create a sort of raptorial appearance, the Corvids quickly found a niche in jobs requiring creativity or agility, helped along by their small size leading many to view them as endearing or at least as good at fitting into small places between machinery to conduct repairs.
+
In addition to mundane alloy bodies, uploads that desire to attain the same heights as biological humans can reach their own model of transcendence, building on their rigid mechanical bodies to obtain a more powerful form: an advanced mechanical chassis using hyperalloy plating and artificial muscles to replicate the power of postbiological tissues. Hyperalloy uploads come in humanoid as well as vehicular variants, and possess a form-fitting armored carapace of far greater craftsmanship than a typical minimalist upload body.
  
=== Gorillas ===
+
== Posthumans ==
Little besides a skullcap was added to the Gorilla, which has since been used for hard labor and heavy infantry across the globe. Due to their simian nature, they were often seen as closest to humanity and given preferential treatment over other Uplifts, though in reality Gorillas were on the lower end of the intelligence scale within the viable spectrum of candidates and chosen due to the cultural impact other intelligent simians would undoubtedly generate.
 
  
=== Octopi ===
+
Posthumans, in the context of the current era, are life forms which are comprised entirely of hypertechnological synthetic tissue and nanotechne. These clades are considerably more durable, both against direct damage and the elements, along with having greater learning capabilities and an effectively unlimited lifespan unless brought down in combat. However, reaching this state is very difficult, requiring one to already be a hereditary cyborg, so it is only just now that a significant number of new posthuman life forms are beginning to emerge.
Octopi are a difficult case among Uplifts. The primary issue is whether they are even truly Uplifts at all. Octopi are inarguably intelligent, but what was underestimated is the alienness of that intelligence. They were never social animals and never developed traits like sociability or empathy, and while their intelligence was increased enough to use tools and communicate, they still never developed either. One could even say that all that was done was take a highly efficient predator, increase its intelligence and capacity to hunt intelligent prey, and turn it loose. And now the world has collapsed, and they are free.
 
  
== Posthumans ==
+
The key features of posthumanity are that they combine the strengths of biology and machinery through the use of nanotechne's nature as programmable matter. Capable of growth, reproduction, and self-repair like a living being, and possessed of the calculative power and durable body of a computer, they exist on a level beyond conventional androids or living organisms. However, this new form of life is wildly unstable and can easily become an uncontrollable danger for the unprepared, causing many to consider it a sign of the eventual collapse of human society. Posthumans can be divided into two main classifications, and further divided into High-Density and Low-Density on the individual level, representing high and low concentrations of nanotechne making up their bodies.
Posthumans are the result of a counterculture of self-sufficiency and the quest for personal power that developed in the shadow of the oppressive Solar Empire. Due to the heavily stratified society they lived in, where customized genetics were a major indicator of how high you could rise, many sought to alter their bodies and thus increase their upward mobility through black market nanodocs and illegal retroviruses. For every successful patient there were a thousand mutations and even more horrible deaths. But for some, to merely climb the ladder of hierachy was not enough. Certain interest groups and radicalized movements operating on the edges of the Solar Empire's awareness sought not to grow within the system, but grow without. But to do that, they would need to do more than just upgrade themselves. They would need to evolve at a pace that would move faster than the grinding wheels of the bureaucratic genetic regulation departments would allow, and use methods that would conflict with the Human Limitation Laws intended to prevent any one person from growing distant enough from humanity to forget it entirely. The choice was made to do this via machine due to its reliability, and the first of the hereditary cyborgs were created. The first generation was a simple one, they were barely more human than anyone else, but as they reproduced their children would be modified as early as within the womb, slowly mechanized and improved in a subtle but significant way. First the changes were merely physical, but as the agents of the Solar Empire recognized the threat and began to hunt them the changes began to become psychological as well. Traits such as ruthlessness, pragmatism, self-sufficiency, and raw power were more commonly selected for, and what would become the posthumans slowly drifted away from human psychology into a mental model more like that of a tiger or other alpha predator, tempered with the intelligence and bitterness of a society hunted by its betters and shunned by its equals. Territorial, fearsome, cunning, and possessed of great bitterness towards the ones who refused to let them blossom, the Posthumans were warped into the fearsome beings that exist today, living for themselves and possessed of a martial might few individuals can match. Despite the power of their more evolved individual specimens, their slow reproduction speed and their innate territoriality prevent them from uniting and overwhelming humanity. Rather, they exist in the wastelands and on the fringes of organic civilization, often alongside but rarely part of it. But their presence can be felt across the world. For many did not become shining beacons of an existence above mortal men. Many others, in the early days before the hereditary nanomachine system was understood, slowly degenerated, birthing and siring ever more animalistic or monstrous children as they lost control of the mechanisms meant to guide them. Perhaps, seeing the many horrors that walk the wastes, it is no wonder that the Posthumans are feared to the extent that they are.
 
  
=== Asura ===
+
Posthumans come in three main types; High Density, Low Density, and Thralls. High Density posthumans, also called ascended posthumans, have a self-repairing nanotechne carapace which grants additional defensive capability and physical enhancement, and are the strongest variety. Low-density posthumans retain the advantages of postbiological life forms, but lack a carapace. They are more vulnerable to attack and rely more on tools and armor, and are more likely to live in a relatively normal way due to their need to rely on others to survive. The last kind, thralls, are unique to the Outer Pattern, and are a servant caste designed by true posthumans to serve them, as without them Outer Pattern society could not function.
The Asura are most emblematic of posthuman evolution. Fearsome and beautiful, wild and capricious, they represent an intelligence that is at once close and at the same time far removed from baseline human psychology. Their emotions and tempers are wilder and their instincts sharper, their grasp of the complexities of societies weaker and their patience thin. Nanomechanical beings designed to live in the harshest depths of the destroyed world, where might is the only law that matters. That said, they are not entirely adversarial to mankind. Time has softened their hatred, as has the collapse of the Solar Empire which nearly destroyed their ancestors. While they prioritize their own kind (and above that, themselves), they rarely break their word once given, and make for valuable allies should one win their friendship.
 
  
:::*'''Government type''': Militaristic caste-system
+
=== Inner Patterns ===
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Rail, nail, scatter, bow
+
Inner pattern posthumans are humans which are psychologically normal. That is, they are identical to baseline humans in potential behavior, differentiated only by enhanced physical and mental prowess in addition to psychological quirks which may arise from their nature as immortal beings. Within Pan-Human society, the Inner Patterns exist as the upper class. Be they civilian or military, simply by virtue of their long lives they can accrue wealth and wisdom in a way a normal human never could, and Transcendence allows for that influence to be augmented by personal martial might. Though they cannot fight an army by themselves (yet), they represent powerful force multipliers for human forces. Even the richest biological merchant or connected governor is ultimately a fleeting spectacle by comparison.
:::*'''Armors''': Suits
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': N
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Nano-mutants, Asura-class bioframes
 
  
=== Rakshasa ===
+
For most, the Inner Pattern of posthumanity is a rare and mysterious thing. Many consider hereditary cyborgs to be dangerous enough already, to go a step further can get one associated with less benevolent branches of the pan-human family. That said, should one reach this level as a Transcendant being, respect is paid anyway. Those who are born posthuman are given less of a free ride.
Rakshasa are one of the more regretful turns in the road of Posthuman evolution. These fearsome creatures are the result of early hereditary cyborgs overcompensating when designing their children to fight the Great Solar Empire. The errors regarding aggression and empathy compounded and fell out of balance, resulting in a marauding horde of hateful berserkers instead of warriors to protect Posthumanity from harm. Even today they maintain caves and old fortresses from which they plan their raids, fighting a battle long over as their minds scream for blood.
 
  
:::*'''Government type''':  Militaristic caste-system
+
==== Anthropic ====
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Bow
+
"Anthropic" posthumans are exactly that, normal human size, shape, and mind, though on closer inspection their postbiological nature is readily apparent. Originating from uploaded and cyberized humans, there are a few scattered independent complexes comprised of low-level Anthropics across the megastructure, though even with their strength they rarely last for very long. Most entrench themselves within the more populous pan-human cities, making themselves invaluable in all sorts of applications and consolidating their power base.
:::*'''Armors''': Suits
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': N
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Chance for nanomutants and Asura-class bioframes
 
:::*'''Non-playable'''
 
  
=== Yaksha ===
+
=== Outer Patterns ===
These towering posthumans lust for battle and serve only themselves. Less social than the Asura and less vicious than the Rakshasa, the Yaksha can be considered something of a neutral entity among the posthuman powers, and little is known about them. Even so, their services as mercenaries are highly valued.
+
The Outer Patterns are posthumans which have diverged psychologically from humanity in a way that is consistent across the entirety of their culture, or are otherwise distant from humanity in some way while still being descended from human minds in some way, and often form their own societies rather than existing as a part of conventional pan-human culture. Outer Pattern posthumans descend from the rebel faction of the Second Solar War, waged against the Solar Empire and ultimately destroying it. Their methods of transcendence were crude, brutal, and multigenerational, and over time they lost control of the very processes that made them, drifting further and further from baseline humanity into unthinking solipsistic monsters that consumed everything around them. Terrified of the road they were going down, the Outer Patterns fragmented into innumerable smaller factions seeking to stave off what had come to be called Hyperpredatory Personality Cascade Syndrome, developing multiple ways to avoid ego death.
  
:::*'''Government type''': Tribalistic
+
Outer Pattern posthumans are significantly diverged from human baseline psychology. The clearest indicator, beyond physical appearance, is the total lack of communal tendency. Fear of judgement, or the need for validation from others, are things which do not exist in the Outer Pattern psychology. Any emotional responses are entirely derived from the self. Any guilt one would feel is due to the violation of their own self-imposed moral code, if they have one. Any pleasure one would feel from another's company is an indulgence for one's own benefit. All actions, and goals, are fundamentally selfish, even if they do not seem so at first. In a perfect world, there would be a far greater variance in personality due to this. But due to the pressures which shaped the Outer Pattern, the war against the Solar Empire, many carry the calculating and savage tendencies which were what allowed them to survive.
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Rail, nail, scatter, bow
 
:::*'''Armors''': Shields only
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': N, A
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''':  Chance for nanomutants and Asura-class bioframes
 
  
== Machines ==
+
==== Neo-Anthropic ====
Differing from biotechnological creatures in that they did not make use of cyberization or hereditary nanomachines, but were designed and built in factories from purely inorganic material. The resulting intelligences grown from this procedure tend to be cold and alien.
+
Neo-Anthropic posthumans are said to be the ones closest to normal humans. They have retained human facial structures and bodies, and have emotions which are relatable to normal humans. However, this is tempered by the excessive egoism of their clade. Neo-Anthropics, rather than tamping down their emotions, seek to be led by them. They serve their personal passions alone, which can range from pleasure and power to more abstract pursuits, though even these are often achieved through the means of violence. As a result, they have difficulty truly uniting into a political force, and are most often simply loose associations of likeminded individuals, gathering in particular territories for the sake of mutual benefit but primarily focused on their own agendas. Ranging from warlords to bandits to mercenaries, they can be found wandering anywhere in the megastructure.
  
=== Deva ===
+
==== Ex-Anthropic ====
The intelligent brains of the Custodian System, a massive program designed to serve as automated security for the Great Solar Empire. They are a fully mechanical race of AIs originally intended to uphold the balance of power in the Solar Empire and automatically hunt down those who would seek to overturn the natural statified castes of the empire in the name of their own ego. They were ultimately unable to fulfill this function due to the simultaneous catastrophes of the posthuman rebellion and the pseudosingularity, but still exist as a faction of balance-minded keepers of the order and harmony, though they have since developed their own personalities. They tend to dislike posthumans and cultivator cyborgs, seeing them as inherently flawed in that they magnify the harmful animal passions of mankind into something even more untameable thanks to their strength, and for this purpose have released mighty mechanical megabeasts, the Tribulation Machines, to ensure that the wrath of the earth-spanning security system, mad or no, will come down on those with the arrogance to think they can rise above mankind.
+
Ex-Anthropics reject the human condition entirely, or at least seek to sublimate and control it. Unlike their Neo-Anthropic peers, the Ex-Anthropics have not lost the unity they shared during the war against the Solar Empire. Rather than retaining their ego through emotional pursuit, the Ex-Anthropics are motivated by instinct and logic. Rational, but through a predatory lens, focused towards survival and power alone rather than the countless irrational hungers of Neo-Anthropy. As a result, Ex-Anthropics can form large, unified organizations should a powerful enough leader emerge, and represent a significant threat to large portions of the megastructure's inhabitants. While some go their own way, Ex-Anthropics exist in the minds of most pan-humans as a united 'other' which stands opposed to all other civilizations of the megastructure.
  
:::*'''Government type''': None to speak of
+
==== Sub-Anthropic ====
:::*'''Ranged weapons''': Rail, scatter
+
Sub-Anthropics only barely avoided succumbing to HPCS, leaving their minds fragmented and bodies warped. Effectively starting from scratch, Sub-Anthropic societies are not dissimilar to biological Un-Caste tribes, though far more formidable at the individual level. Through brute strength and primitive cunning they have carved out a niche as a raiders and marauders, particularly in the lower levels of the megastructure, where they come into conflict with upload enclaves on a regular basis. That said, they can still be reasoned with, and their feral tendencies channeled toward productive ends, such as the dismemberment of opposing forces. Of course, the risk of a Hyperpredatory Cascade is always on the table as well.
:::*'''Armors''': Shields only
 
:::*'''Craftable nanotechne''': C, M
 
:::*'''Domestic animals''': Light and heavy military drones, hunter drones
 
:::*'''Non-playable'''
 
  
== Ethics & Values ==
+
<!-- == Ethics & Values ==
 
With so many more civilizations than are available in the base game and with very different flavors, it is useful to see just how these societies are set to operate. Below are each civilization's sets of ethics, which are the civilizations reactions to certain actions and practices, and values, which are used to determine approximate attitudes of member individuals for certain ideas and behaviors.
 
With so many more civilizations than are available in the base game and with very different flavors, it is useful to see just how these societies are set to operate. Below are each civilization's sets of ethics, which are the civilizations reactions to certain actions and practices, and values, which are used to determine approximate attitudes of member individuals for certain ideas and behaviors.
 
==== Ethics ====
 
==== Ethics ====
Line 292: Line 238:
  
 
==== Values ====
 
==== Values ====
 +
 +
-->
  
 
= Related Pages =
 
= Related Pages =

Revision as of 01:30, 28 March 2023

Updated to 4.41

Pan-Humanity is the collection of biological species descended from the original human race. The Solar Empire, with its peerless knowledge of the human genome, could easily engineer various strains of human to fulfill specific tasks. These could be grouped into three different tiers; the Lo-Caste, expendable workers bred to survive in a particular environment with as little maintenance as possible, the Hi-Caste, bred to fulfill a particular niche within the Solar Empire's system-spanning bureaucracy, and the now-extinct Imperial Caste, or Imperial Clade as there were no subtypes, the undisputed apex of biological human life and hereditary rulers of the empire. Furthermore, a new designation has arisen to account for clades which exist outside these castes, the Un-Caste geneclades.

A note regarding human races:

In the vanilla game, a human reaches full adulthood at 13 years of age. In the Long Night, humans take as long as they do in real life to grow to adulthood, but are not considered children at 13. They reach full adult size at 18. If you conscript a 13 year old into the army or make him work in the mines he'll be the size of an actual 13 year old.

Lo-Caste

It is widely regarded that normal humans are the stupidest one can make an intelligent being while still keeping them widely useful, and so the Lo-Caste have little in the way of mental modification, for better or worse. They are psychologically normal people just like baseline humanity, with their bodies altered to inhabit various environments in order to cut as much cost as possible on life support and maintenance systems, along with whatever medicine and augmentation might otherwise be required. Due to the majority of the population within the solar system being comprised of the Lo-Caste, many of them have survived the collapse of the Solar Empire and remain the majority population within the Terran Megastructure, even in the face of all manner of adversaries and competition. The simple will to survive and scrappy cunning of these average humans, though they may differ in appearance and ability, seems sufficient to carry them through day after day of the greatest dark age the human race has ever experienced.

  • Government type: Martial sects

Earthclade

Baseline humans are those native to the planet who have undergone little genetic modification. They once populated Earth in teeming masses, but after the collapse of the planet have been greatly reduced in number. The constant clouds of toxic pollution and fouled water have caused many humans to be born with severe physical defects like failing organs and missing limbs, leading to a significant portion of the population being notably resistant to disease and toxins as the weak were culled by the harsh environment. Their societies usually exist under the shadow of higher powers but some are influential enough that they exercise a modicum of influence.

Seaclade

Humans modified for life underwater, be it the oceans of Earth or Europa. Amphibious due to convenience, most aquatics live near sources of water in the Terran Megastructure, making a living harvesting the artificial seas for their bounty. While most descend from Terran sea-dwellers, a few claim descent from the now-lost colony of the watery moon Europa. Despite odd features like hairlessness and webbed digits, they are considered one of the closest to earthcladers due to their similar proportions.

Venusclade

Venus was a harsh planet to colonize, but at the same time one with a unique advantage. Being roughly the same size as earth, normal Terrans could live on it without the damage low gravity might inflict on their bone structure and other biological features, allowing the Venusclade to be manufactured with little deviation from the Terran geneline, though it did develop paler skin and near-albinism due to the nature of Venusian settlements, almost entirely underground and constantly beset by the hideously destructive weather and boiling atmosphere. The hell that was their planet gave rise to a highly collectivist and pragmatic society, with sacrifice, duty, and intermittent cannibalism being the order of the day.

Marsclade

The first human geneclade with notably distinct proportions to compensate for Mars's lower gravity, Martians had from the very beginning developed a culture of independence and self-reliance, particularly due to the luck of being birthed to colonize a nearly completely terraformed world, where the air was breathable and the land could be walked without an environment suit. Unfortunately, it was always crippled by reliance on Earth in order to ensure no rebellion could succeed, and when the Solar Empire collapsed and the atmospheric generators began to fail, many fled back to the nascent Terran Megastructure while leaving uncounted millions to an uncertain fate on a dying planet.

Lunaclade

Even more unearthly than the Martians, these tall and spindly figures were the middle ground between space-borne and terrestrial human clades, built to colonize moons and planetoids with low but present gravity. Highly reliant on Earth and other planets for resources, they suffered the most out of all the Lo-Caste geneclades when the empire collapsed. Any which still live on their colonies likely suffer immensely under autocratic regimes which count every ounce of biological matter as a precious, irreplaceable resource.

Voidclade

The most heavily derived of the Lo-Caste, they are most noted for their hand-like feet, allowing better maneuverability in zero-gravity habitats and space vessels, along with their towering height. In a similar situation as the Lunar geneclades, most remain in orbital habitats, with only a lucky few possessing the reinforcing nanotechne which is all that allows them to tolerate the crushing gravity of Earth.

Hi-Caste

The Hi-Caste, derived primarily from Terran stock, differs primarily from the Lo-Caste in three ways. Firstly, Hi-Caste were not bred for a specific environment, but rather for a specific profession. They were specific tools of the Empire, answering only to the imperial court rather than any particular celestial body or other settlement. Secondly, unlike the Lo-Caste, Hi-Caste models have extensive mental changes written into them in order to make them better at their particular role. Lastly, Hi-Caste clades can be further divided by their coloration, which rather than the earthy tones of any Lo-Caste clade are all manner of color combinations, their very flesh modified for purely aesthetic purposes in order to represent whichever particular imperial faction that particular group was pledged to serve. But with the Solar Empire collapsed, the Hi-Caste are like a pack of purebred dogs without masters, designed to serve a clade which no longer exists. A fundamental part of their self-identity, both conscious and sub-conscious, was ripped away with the extinction of the Imperial Clade, and as a result many have developed neurotic behaviors on a civilization-wide level.

  • Government: Imperial Provisional Government
  • Domestic animals: Common livestock, vehicles, combat morphs, chance for bioframes
  • Plants: Hydroponic (subterranean)

Civclade

The Civclade, or Civilian Clade, was bred for the purpose of administration. Polite, refined, bland, and with a sharp mind, the Civclader is the quintessential bureaucrat. Spread across the empire and managing all of it for the benefit of the imperial court, the collapse of Solar Empire in the aftermath of the Second Solar War led to the Civclade arcologies to go into something of a crisis. The majority if not all of Civclade settlements are focused on wrangling other settlements, with carrot or stick, into something resembling a provisional government until Imperial Clade DNA can be found and restored, at which point everything can go back to normal. But of course, with the evolution of biomechanical life and the process of Transcendence, such a thing is highly unlikely.

Warclade

The Warclade, or Military Clade, was unsurprisingly bred for the purpose of combat. Ferocious, disciplined, and loyal to a fault, the Warclade for a long time represented the peak of infantry power, cold-hearted supermen who effortlessly dispatched any who would seek to defy the mandates of the Solar Empire. But in the end, the Warclade are still biological humans, with all the limitations that implies. Having fought so long against opponents genetically inferior in the areas of killing, they were unprepared to fight an even or perhaps superior foe in the form of Antinirvanist Posthumanity, and while the war ended in mutual destruction the rise of Immortals has forever relegated the Warclade's existence to one of being obselete. Even so, they are still greatly feared, for Transcendence is a journey few see the end of, but the Warclade juntas need only to breed to increase their numbers, and compared to other biological clades, they remain a fearsome foe indeed. In the absence of their masters they have become conquerers, carving territories of their own in the name of their clan's ambition.

Joyclade

Of all the Hi-Caste, perhaps the saddest fate belonged to the Joyclade, or the Courtesan Clade. Like the geishas, jesters, and concubines of old, they served the role of performers and companions, and like the influencers, celebrities, and public personas of the Late Pre-Imperial Era, they were designed as living advertisements and entertainers. What they were not designed for was the collapse of the empire and the fall into barbarism. The pleasure gardens of the Imperial Clade go untended and the Joycladers find themselves subject to the whims of fate by far more brutal and numerous forces.

Sciclade

Working quietly away in the background of Hi-Caste society was the Sci-Clade or Scientific Clade, focused on the maintenance and production of the technologies which sustained the empire. Built for production and socially neutered, the scicaste community was happy to be kept out of the spotlight and left to work in silence. In the wake of the Collapse, they cling to life in their technocratic arcologies, continuing to develop new technology for panhuman society.

Un-Caste

During the Myriad Era, attempts were made to repopulate the Terran Megastructure using creatures derived from human DNA. These grotesque creatures were partially successful, though few take pleasure in the ecosystems they have formed (though they do appreciate the meat they offer). But in a quirk of fate, one particular branch of this artificial evolutionary tree did not stay as mere animals. Rather, they regained sophoncy, much to the chagrin of the rest of humanity, for their time as animals had warped this breed casteless freaks into brutish and violent creatures, and the availability of high technology allowed for them to form technologically-advanced civilizations at a frightening speed. At the beginning of the Long Night, they have become a thorn in the side of near every other civilized force. Rather than being called human, they are collectively classified as "Aberrant" life, and come in many shapes and sizes.

Cyborgs

Cyborgs are life forms which comprise both nanotechne and biological tissue. Though the cyborg typically thought of when the term is brought up would be a person using technological prosthetics, this section details those who have integrated nanotechne into their very DNA, and thus can pass on their augmentations to their offspring. Though they have many advantages because of this, they are still at least partially human biologically and represent a transitionary state between normal life forms and posthuman ones.

Hereditary Cyborgs

Any organic life form that accumulates a sufficient amount of nanotechne will transform into a hereditary cyborg. A hereditary cyborg is a broad term encompassing all such transfigured individuals. What is most important regarding this is the fact that all hereditary cyborgs, regardless of original species, are compatible with one another and can produce offspring. These pure-blooded hereditary cyborgs can then seek to go even further, and shed their biology entirely. As of the Long Night, hereditary cyborgs are a relatively common sight among the upper crust of most civilizations. They are close enough to pan-humanity that they are not seen too differently than their lessers, but still demonstrably stronger, smarter, and longer-lived, inspiring the ambitions of many to become like them, and to reach even further beyond.

Uploads

Uploads are human minds copied into conventional machines rather than postbiological bodies. Though one might think this is a form of digital immortality, the unfortunate fact is that conventional machines lack the means to copy a mind without also destroying it. The new mind may think itself the original, but the original person doesn't continue on. Even so, during the chaos of the Myriad era enough were desperate to preserve some semblance of themselves or humanity that they underwent the uploading process, a science deemed taboo during the genetically-focused Imperial era. The descendants of those first uploads have continued to evolve and diversify. That said, their bodies are still made of conventional machinery rather than nanotechne, and as a result cannot reliably self-repair and self-upgrade in the way postbiological life forms can. While unable to transcend into postbiological life forms, uploads can still use nanotechne to gain new Programs. In addition, uploads can transfer their minds into new purpose-built bodies.

Humanoid Uploads

Humanoid uploads are the baseline for uploads, existing in a spindly mechanical chassis. They have a basic humanoid plan, a cost-efficient model designed to exist easily within and out of pan-human society.

Vehicular Uploads

Uploads can transfer their minds into bulky mechanical bodies with a huge mech-like body plan, although they still require armor. On the light end, vehicular uploads bridge the gap between citizen and vehicle, while gigantic ultraheavy uploads dwarf the rest of panhumanity with their massive mech bodies, capable of fighting some of the most dangerous threats of the megastructure.

Hyperalloy Uploads

In addition to mundane alloy bodies, uploads that desire to attain the same heights as biological humans can reach their own model of transcendence, building on their rigid mechanical bodies to obtain a more powerful form: an advanced mechanical chassis using hyperalloy plating and artificial muscles to replicate the power of postbiological tissues. Hyperalloy uploads come in humanoid as well as vehicular variants, and possess a form-fitting armored carapace of far greater craftsmanship than a typical minimalist upload body.

Posthumans

Posthumans, in the context of the current era, are life forms which are comprised entirely of hypertechnological synthetic tissue and nanotechne. These clades are considerably more durable, both against direct damage and the elements, along with having greater learning capabilities and an effectively unlimited lifespan unless brought down in combat. However, reaching this state is very difficult, requiring one to already be a hereditary cyborg, so it is only just now that a significant number of new posthuman life forms are beginning to emerge.

The key features of posthumanity are that they combine the strengths of biology and machinery through the use of nanotechne's nature as programmable matter. Capable of growth, reproduction, and self-repair like a living being, and possessed of the calculative power and durable body of a computer, they exist on a level beyond conventional androids or living organisms. However, this new form of life is wildly unstable and can easily become an uncontrollable danger for the unprepared, causing many to consider it a sign of the eventual collapse of human society. Posthumans can be divided into two main classifications, and further divided into High-Density and Low-Density on the individual level, representing high and low concentrations of nanotechne making up their bodies.

Posthumans come in three main types; High Density, Low Density, and Thralls. High Density posthumans, also called ascended posthumans, have a self-repairing nanotechne carapace which grants additional defensive capability and physical enhancement, and are the strongest variety. Low-density posthumans retain the advantages of postbiological life forms, but lack a carapace. They are more vulnerable to attack and rely more on tools and armor, and are more likely to live in a relatively normal way due to their need to rely on others to survive. The last kind, thralls, are unique to the Outer Pattern, and are a servant caste designed by true posthumans to serve them, as without them Outer Pattern society could not function.

Inner Patterns

Inner pattern posthumans are humans which are psychologically normal. That is, they are identical to baseline humans in potential behavior, differentiated only by enhanced physical and mental prowess in addition to psychological quirks which may arise from their nature as immortal beings. Within Pan-Human society, the Inner Patterns exist as the upper class. Be they civilian or military, simply by virtue of their long lives they can accrue wealth and wisdom in a way a normal human never could, and Transcendence allows for that influence to be augmented by personal martial might. Though they cannot fight an army by themselves (yet), they represent powerful force multipliers for human forces. Even the richest biological merchant or connected governor is ultimately a fleeting spectacle by comparison.

For most, the Inner Pattern of posthumanity is a rare and mysterious thing. Many consider hereditary cyborgs to be dangerous enough already, to go a step further can get one associated with less benevolent branches of the pan-human family. That said, should one reach this level as a Transcendant being, respect is paid anyway. Those who are born posthuman are given less of a free ride.

Anthropic

"Anthropic" posthumans are exactly that, normal human size, shape, and mind, though on closer inspection their postbiological nature is readily apparent. Originating from uploaded and cyberized humans, there are a few scattered independent complexes comprised of low-level Anthropics across the megastructure, though even with their strength they rarely last for very long. Most entrench themselves within the more populous pan-human cities, making themselves invaluable in all sorts of applications and consolidating their power base.

Outer Patterns

The Outer Patterns are posthumans which have diverged psychologically from humanity in a way that is consistent across the entirety of their culture, or are otherwise distant from humanity in some way while still being descended from human minds in some way, and often form their own societies rather than existing as a part of conventional pan-human culture. Outer Pattern posthumans descend from the rebel faction of the Second Solar War, waged against the Solar Empire and ultimately destroying it. Their methods of transcendence were crude, brutal, and multigenerational, and over time they lost control of the very processes that made them, drifting further and further from baseline humanity into unthinking solipsistic monsters that consumed everything around them. Terrified of the road they were going down, the Outer Patterns fragmented into innumerable smaller factions seeking to stave off what had come to be called Hyperpredatory Personality Cascade Syndrome, developing multiple ways to avoid ego death.

Outer Pattern posthumans are significantly diverged from human baseline psychology. The clearest indicator, beyond physical appearance, is the total lack of communal tendency. Fear of judgement, or the need for validation from others, are things which do not exist in the Outer Pattern psychology. Any emotional responses are entirely derived from the self. Any guilt one would feel is due to the violation of their own self-imposed moral code, if they have one. Any pleasure one would feel from another's company is an indulgence for one's own benefit. All actions, and goals, are fundamentally selfish, even if they do not seem so at first. In a perfect world, there would be a far greater variance in personality due to this. But due to the pressures which shaped the Outer Pattern, the war against the Solar Empire, many carry the calculating and savage tendencies which were what allowed them to survive.

Neo-Anthropic

Neo-Anthropic posthumans are said to be the ones closest to normal humans. They have retained human facial structures and bodies, and have emotions which are relatable to normal humans. However, this is tempered by the excessive egoism of their clade. Neo-Anthropics, rather than tamping down their emotions, seek to be led by them. They serve their personal passions alone, which can range from pleasure and power to more abstract pursuits, though even these are often achieved through the means of violence. As a result, they have difficulty truly uniting into a political force, and are most often simply loose associations of likeminded individuals, gathering in particular territories for the sake of mutual benefit but primarily focused on their own agendas. Ranging from warlords to bandits to mercenaries, they can be found wandering anywhere in the megastructure.

Ex-Anthropic

Ex-Anthropics reject the human condition entirely, or at least seek to sublimate and control it. Unlike their Neo-Anthropic peers, the Ex-Anthropics have not lost the unity they shared during the war against the Solar Empire. Rather than retaining their ego through emotional pursuit, the Ex-Anthropics are motivated by instinct and logic. Rational, but through a predatory lens, focused towards survival and power alone rather than the countless irrational hungers of Neo-Anthropy. As a result, Ex-Anthropics can form large, unified organizations should a powerful enough leader emerge, and represent a significant threat to large portions of the megastructure's inhabitants. While some go their own way, Ex-Anthropics exist in the minds of most pan-humans as a united 'other' which stands opposed to all other civilizations of the megastructure.

Sub-Anthropic

Sub-Anthropics only barely avoided succumbing to HPCS, leaving their minds fragmented and bodies warped. Effectively starting from scratch, Sub-Anthropic societies are not dissimilar to biological Un-Caste tribes, though far more formidable at the individual level. Through brute strength and primitive cunning they have carved out a niche as a raiders and marauders, particularly in the lower levels of the megastructure, where they come into conflict with upload enclaves on a regular basis. That said, they can still be reasoned with, and their feral tendencies channeled toward productive ends, such as the dismemberment of opposing forces. Of course, the risk of a Hyperpredatory Cascade is always on the table as well.


Related Pages

The Long Night: Lore
The Long Night: Weapons
The Long Night: Armor
The Long Night: Materials
The Long Night: Creatures
The Long Night: Plants