Ve'lik

The Ve'lik, commonly identified by the Navari as "Outworlders", are a race foreign to Narava. Five hundred years prior to the present, in an event that has become known as The Advent, a small number of Ve'lik arrived on Narava from the distant planet Velika. They are a highly advanced race characterized by an exceptional mastery of numerous technologies and the arts of war.

Physical Appearance
In terms of appearance, the Ve'lik are much like the Naravi. They are a humanoid, bi-pedal species that are generally taller than most species. An additional similarity is the variety of hair colors, consisting of blond, brunette, and other common hues. Furthermore, one of the most definitive features of the Ve'lik is the color of their eyes. All Ve'lik share the same, striking shade of electric blue. However, unlike the Naravi, there is no general skin tone that characterizes the Ve'lik, as their pigmentation can range anywhere from pale to deep brown, and everywhere in-between.

Abilities
The Ve'lik are a race characterzied by a particular prowess in the areas of physical and mental capabilities. Their strength and reflexes are naturally higher than that of numerous species, in particular the Naravi, as they are fully capable of hefting objects several times their own weight and reacting several times swifter than other species. In a sense, the Ve'lik are natural-born soldiers, which is a testiment to their war-like culture.

Just as the Naravi were transfigured by the natural energies of their homeworld, the Ve'lik were transfigured by the work of their hands. Over the course of the eons, the Ve'lik's technologies came to surpass their ability to adequately and effectively utilize them. Their ships were simply too fast for even their naturally high reflexes to pilot and their combat suits presented literally floods of information that easily overloaded their senses. As such, a new innovation was implemented: the injection of nanomachines into the bloodstream of each and every Ve'lik from infancy. These nanomachines worked to accomplish a many great tasks, ranging from repairing tissue damage, to augmenting reflexes through the stimulation of neural synapses, and much more more.

Social Structure
As a whole, the Ve'lik are under the leadership of a Dynasty whose reign has spanned over the course of millennia, culminating with the current monarch on Navara. The King, whom is the undisputed leader of the Ve'lik, presides over the Seven Cities and oversees the entirety of its operations. Directly underneath him are seven appointed officials known as Senators. Each member of the Senate presides over the day-to-day operations of each city and make regular reports to the King regarding the overall status of the realm. They also serve as an advisory council of sorts, providing valuable insight into city affairs and the desires of the people.

The selection process for the next King is relatively simple. The eldest, legitimate son of the reigning King is declared as heir and will be coronated either upon the King's death or his voluntary retirement. If the selected heir is slain, or declared unfit to rule by the King, then the next legitimate son will be selected, and so on. Never has an illegitimate son been selected for rule.

As a race, the Ve'lik have been forged and shaped by the flames of war. For eons, prior to the Advent, constant warfare has characterized the daily lives of this race. At times, they warred against adjacent worlds in the name of conquest and expansion. At other times, they warred against themselves, waging bloody civil wars between factions all vying for power. Regardless of the opponent, the Ve'lik of the present highly value military strength, as it is the only thing which separates them from extinction. In fact, it was the perpetual fighting that first resulted in the Ve'lik's technological innovations; and as such, technology is viewed primarily as a source of militant might.

Religion
The Ve'lik are a race whose homeworld and name are both reflections of their piety to the one they serve. They worship their God-King Ve'lik through services of praise within his temples and through the very nature of their lives. Long ago, Ve'lik did more than simply guide his people on a conquest of their world, he also instilled in them values that were important to him and guided them with numerous teachings. Over time, these teachings were consolidated into seven tenets that are exercised, to the letter, by each and every Ve'lik.
 * Integrity is paramount.
 * All must contribute to the defense of our home.
 * The well-being of all is more important than self.
 * The will of our King is the will of our god.
 * We are all one family and must protect our own.
 * We are Strong, the weak exist solely to make us stronger.
 * The world is but a canvas for the masterpiece of innovation.

The Ve'lik's adherence to these tenets have resulted in a close-knit society. They all see one another as kin and make it their personal goal to cherish, protect, and care for their brothers and sisters. There are no frivolous social divisions among the Ve'lik, as all are equal in the sight of their god. War and military strength are vastly important, as the Ve'lik equate Strength to the might as one's army and war as a means of growing stronger.

Marriage is a highly valued concept among the Ve'lik, as the first generation of their people were blessed with tales of the boundless love between their god and his lost love. All Ve'lik strive to share in this boundless love and spend the remainder of their lives dedicated to a single soul. As such, a stigma has developed concerning children born out of adultery and adultery itself. Both are deeply frowned upon and those guilty of this are often ostracized. On the other hand, the Ve'lik find nothing wrong with children born from unmarried parents or relations prior to marriage, as their first king was born of their god illegitimately.

Deviations from the seven tenets are reprimanded without fail, whether it be the King or the youngest soldier who makes the offense. While only the most heinous crimes are dealt with by means of execution, most reprimands are decided upon by the party that was wronged, by the king, of by an official appointed by th King.

Education, Upbringing, Everyday Life
On another note, the Ve'lik are vigorously trained and educated for military service from infancy. As aforementioned, very early on in the life of a Ve'lik, they are injected with their first batch of nanomachines and enrolled in "primary education". Here, they are instructed in basic knowledge before advancing into "secondary education" at the age of ten. Secondary education provides the first of many courses in combat, strategies, and general fundamental subjects such as mathematics, history, writing, reading, and the sciences. By the time the Ve'lik graduate from "tertiary education", where they are given advanced courses in all areas of combat and existing technology, they are generally sixteen years of age and are capable warriors.

Following graduation, each Ve'lik is require to spend at least two years in service to the military. Once this tour is complete, they are free to pursue their own interests as far as an occupation goes, though most choose to stay on for additional tours.

Although military might is the driving force of the Ve'lik society, there are other things that the people place in high regard. Discipline, honor, integrity, respect, a sense of duty, loyalty, and a love of one's homeland are all traits that are deeply valued by the general population of Ve'lik. Furthermore, the familial bonds are very important, as families among the Ve'lik tend to be small, yet extremely close-knit. Above all else, the Ve'lik will look after their own and even stake their lives in the defense of their countrymen without a moment's hesitation.

Ve'lik, the God-King
Eons ago, there existed a world caught in a nearly perpetual state of strife. Militant factions warred against one another without end, battling relentlessly for control over the entire planet. Yet, whilst the factions fought, the denizens of the world were caught in the crossfire. They were helpless and dying, ran out of their homes and forced to take refuge among the wastes to the north. With obliteration staring them in the face, the people cried out to the heavens for relief. They did not expect that anything or anyone would answer their anguished cries...but then Ve'lik arrived. As he drifted about the cosmos, he heard their pleas for aide and could not simply ignore those in need. As such, he descended to their midst and began assisting them in rising up.

He instructed them how to take from their world and construct arms that would easily crush those wielded by their oppressors. He unified them as a single entity, an army under his command, and led them into battle against their warring foes Under his leadership, the loose-knit refugees became a force of domination and escalated the battle for planetary dominance to an entirely new level. Out of their gratitude, they proclaimed him their God-King and followed his leadership without question. By his orders, the first automatons were built and entered into military service: an act which revolutionized warfare forevermore. With these engines of war at his disposal, Ve'lik knew many great victory after many great victory...yet disaster soon struck.

Some of the army's advanced arms were stolen by an enemy faction, reverse-engineered, and mass-produced to give the faction an edge over Ve'lik. Furthermore, this faction's numbers far outmatched those of the army, even counting the automatons under their command. Things were looking grim, for Ve'lik did not have enough time to devise a new series of arms to give his people an edge. So, he had a tough decision to make. Either have his people surrender or have them go down in a blaze of glory...neither of which options were good enough for him. So, he made his own option and sacrificed his physical form in order to save his people. He shared his essence with his people, elevating their strength many times over. With this power, the army was able to not only survive against their adversaries, but utterly decimate them. They went on to conquer the entire world in the name of their God-King who had sacrificed everything in order for them to survive.

In the end, the people decided to honor their god by naming their world after him and taking his name for their own. Thenceforth, their world became known as Ve'lika and the people as The Ve'lik. From thenceforth, they continued to worship Ve'lik as their god and installed his son, Cyrus Cassiore, as their King. Cyrus was an illegitimate son, conceived through a drunken romp with one of the Ve'lik. Regardless of his origins, however, he ruled with integrity, kindness, and justice and was ultimately succeeded by his own son after his passing.

Cyrus, the Conqueror
Generations passed and Ve'lika knew war once again. With the countless innovations that had manifested over the years, new opportunities for expansion presented themselves to the reigning Emperor. Swift exploration through the vastness of space had been achieved and Ve'lika soon made contact with a new world. This world, Praetor, was a peaceful planet that sought only cooperation, peace, and mutual benefit from their newfound acquaintances...not so the Emperor. Unprovoked, he ordered an invasion of the planet and utterly decimated all opposition with minimal difficulty.

Driven by the magnitude of his success, Cyrus continued forwards, waging war all across the system. Ultimately, six indigenous worlds came under the occupation of Ve'lika and "Cyrus the Conqueror" was immortalized as apart of history. He, like his legendary ancestor, presided over his domain with justice and integrity, and also passed away only to be succeeded by his son. Very little is known about this heir and what all transpired during his rule, save the fact that he did not follow in the footsteps of his sire and busy himself pursuing conquest. Instead, he focused upon the strengthening of the growing Empire from within through the setting up of governing officials within the newly conquered worlds.

Cyrus, the Feeble
After several strong and noble leaders had reigned over what had come to be known as the Ve'likan Empire, a weakling ascended to the throne. He was a dramatic contrast to all those who had ruled before him. Where they were strong, he was weak and indecisive. Where they were just, he was cruel and malicious. Where they were firm and unyielding, he was easily swayed. Soon, his generals, his officials, and the general population of the Empire became sorely dissatisfied with their liege and plots for his downfall began to manifest. Before long, "Cyrus, the Feeble" met his end at the hands of an assassin. Unfortunately, there was no strong, suitable heir to ascend the throne, as his only son was but an infant...and as such, the generals and officials began to fight among themselves for power.

Almost overnight, a vicious civil war consumed the Empire and threatened to decimate it from the inside out. Battles were waged in the skies over the cities, civilians were massacred in the streets, assassins ran rampant, and order was but an idea. To say the very least, the war plunged the Empire into absolute chaos, so much so that many saw it as the end of all life within the once-glorious system. As such, a plan of self-preservation was hatched out of desperation by those few still loyal to the lineage of Cyrus, the Unifier. They saw the infant heir of the recently slain Emperor as their only hope for someday returning the Empire to its former glory and undoing the damage of the civil war.

The plan was simple. They would flee with the heir and go into hiding until either the war was concluded, or until the heir was old enough to claim his rightful place upon the throne of Ve'lika. The option to flee was also a means of prolonging the heir's life, as some of the loyalists were certain that it was only a matter of time before the infant became the target of an assassination attempt.

In due time, the plan was enacted and a small flotilla of vessels attempted to slip out of Imperial space. This congregation of ships consisted of a handful of military and civilian vessels. However, disaster struck when their attempted escape was discovered and the flotilla was fired upon by some of the warring forces. Needless to say, the small number of ships were easily outnumbered and outmatched by these forces, and only a single ship evaded annihilation; though it was heavily damaged in the process. This vessel was a scientific, deep-space exploratory ship that fortunately housed the heir, his mother, several militant loyalists, and an autonomous crew.

Due to the ship's damage, it floated about in the vastness of space for many months until it came into the orbit of an uncharted world. An emergency, crash landing took place and the survivors shakily took their first steps onto the soil of a new world: Narava. It was a place unlike any they had ever seen. It was wild, primitive, and excessively dangerous to say the least. Gargantuan beast roamed about freely, it was nigh impossible to discern what was edible and what was not, and there was even a report of a loyalist becoming horrifically transfigured into a tree through ingesting some of the native waters.

Cyrus, the Rebuilder
Just as all hope seemed lost for the survivors, the native population of the world made their presence known to the foreigners. They showed great kindness to the Ve'lik refugees and assisted them greatly in taking the first steps to surviving upon Narava. In time, a small settlement by the name Nebesa came to be and was wrought from the hands of both Ve'lik and Naravi. All seemed to be at peace then and many of the loyalists were content to simply forsake the war-torn galaxy they once knew and start fresh upon this new world; some even going so far as to abandon the Ve'lik altogether and assimilate into the Naravi culture. However, the majority of the loyalists firmly believed that they should proceed onward with the plan they had risked their lives to enact and return to Ve'lika once the heir was of age.

The decision was made to simply survive until that time had arrived, and when it did, the young Cyrus assumed the leadership of the refugees. Growing up, he had been instilled with the stories of his ancestors' great conquests and matured into an adult whom thirsted to prove himself as a capable military leader. He had no desire to leave Narava, however, as the world had become home to him. He commanded the Ve'lik to deviate from the tamed, peaceful path they had walked for years and to begin to build up their military might. In order to do so, they had to take from nature more than they needed to survive; a practice they had not exercised while accepting the charity of the Naravi. They began to mine excessively, cut down forests, and raze landscapes in order to turn Nebesa from being a peaceful settlement into a formidable, walled city.

When the Naravi ordered Cyrus to cease and desist his course of action, he refused and the Battle of Nebesa began. The outraged natives assaulted the foreign stronghold and were, at first, driven back by the automatons and the technologies utilized by the Ve'lik. Yet, the initial defeat was only met by a greater charge that was amplified by magick, resulting in the near decimation of the foreigners. Yet, instead of finishing them off, as was well within their right to do so, the leader of the Naravi wove a powerful magick that literally shook the foundation of the island Nebesa was situated upon. Instead of wiping the Ve'lik clean off the face of Narava, they were spared and isolated away from the Naravi; as Nebesa and the island it was situated upon were uprooted and suspended into the heavens. This was a supreme act of mercy on the part of the Queen-Mother, as she firmly believed that all life was sacred and did not intend upon spilling any more blood. She resolved to lower the island after many years, once Cyrus had passed away, and resume the peace the races had shared.

However, Cyrus was only emboldened by his defeat and saw this isolation as an opportunity. From then until the day of his passing, Cyrus ordered the relentless build up of the Ve'lik militant force, providing his heir ample forces to continue along the path his sire had set forth.

Cyrus, the Warrior
Following the death of his sire, Cyrus ascended into the vacant position of leadership. His first instinct was to resume where his sire had left off by launching an assault with the vast number of ships, automatons, and new generation of Ve'lik that were at his disposal. Yet, he knew full well that the power wielded by the Naravi would reduce even that deadly force to dust with minimal effort. As such, his primary directive became the combating of the magickal power utilized by his native adversaries. Shortly after his coronation, he ordered several ships to be discreetly launched to the mainland below in order to learn more about the power that the Naravi wielded and to examine the land for any possible ways of overcoming it.

For years, the search turned out to be unfruitful, as the Ve'lik could not simply ask the nearest Naravi how their magick worked, and Cyrus was becoming discouraged. However, things took a turn for the better with the discovery of a simple, crystalline substance that came to be known as Aducite. Aducite was a type of crystalline mineral that absorbed various forms of light, most commonly sunlight, and then emited said light after it had reached its maximum capacity. While Aducite itself did nothing for Cyrus' cause, other than serve as a nifty light source, it did inspire him to delve into a new area of research.

The result was Vitrecite, a synthetic, crystalline substance that mimicked the abilities of Aducite...except it absorbed various types of energy as opposed to simply light. With this innovation in hand, Cyrus opted to avenge the defeat doled out by the Naravi several year prior and launched a full-scale attack upon their capital city: Roseus. The Naravi were caught off-guard by the attack and, with Vitrecite at the disposal of Cyrus' forces, were nearly massacred. Among the casualties of that day was the Queen-Mother, a death that sent ripples of agony through the Naravi people.

All out war was declared at that point and Cyrus openly engaged the Naravi at seven major points. He fortified and held those positions, relying heavily upon Vitrecite in order to emerge victorious. However, despite the success of his campaigns, the Ve'lik population was woefully smaller than that of the Naravi; and only growing smaller with each passing battle. Soon, Cyrus could do no more on the side of offense and chose only to further fortify and maintain the positions he had fought for and earned on the mainland. These positions soon grew enough in size that the Ve'lik were able to leave their floating prison and reside upon the mainland. Thus were the Seven Cities born.

Conflict continued for years following the Massacre of Roseus, yet the amount of violence declined with each passing day. The Naravi were growing weary of battle and sick of the death that was being inflicted upon both sides. The Ve'lik, whose numbers were dwindling, too were growing weary with the war. Reprieve for both sides came in the eventual passing of Cyrus, whom was forever remembered as "Cyrus, the Warrior". When he was succeeded, the new King bid for an end to the violence and vowed not to instigate further bloodshed should the Ve'lik be permitted to build upon and utilize the land Cyrus, the Warrior had gained as they saw fit. While this condition was initially met with opposition, it was ultimately begrudgingly accepted and a shaky era of peace ensued.

Cyrus, the Peaceful
Over the course of the next several generations, the peace between the Naravi and the Ve'lik held, for the most part. Though open war was never declared, as in years past, skirmishes and minor conflicts broke out every so often. Sometimes, they would begin as something so simple as a Ve'lik and Naravi seeing one another outside one of the Seven Cities. On other occassions, minor sieges or other aggressive actions would be launched against one of the cities; but none ever lasted for more than a handful of days. Yet, as time wore on, the frequency of these occasional, violent occurrences increased and increased.

Soon, the Ve'lik, whose numbers had skyrocketed over the course of the years, were itching to engage their nemesis once more in a war to end all wars. However, Cyrus did not share in this sentiment. Though he was of a militant mind and did indeed desire to see his people prosper beyond the walls of their seven cities, he did not wish to wage all-out war when it would potentially reduce the Ve'lik population to near extinction once more. As such, he did his absolute best to bide his time as long as he possibly could and reached out to the Naravi leadership in attempts to work out a better, peaceful solution before the powder keg ignited.

When the leadership of the Naravi changed, and subsequent, internal strife occurred, Cyrus was almost forced to declare war when the initial successor began to instigate conflict with the Seven Cities. However, once that particular successor was disposed of by her own people and a more rational, peaceful ruler was installed, talks of peace began in earnest. Both Cyrus and the Queen-Mother Iris desired to see peace and prosperity for their respective peoples. They knew full well of the stories of old, how the Ve'lik and the Naravi lived alongside one another in peace, and wanted to return to those days.

As such, an initial agreement was reached between the two leaders. They would send their heirs to live amongst the other race as an act of good will. In this way, the Ve'lik and Naravi could learn to better understand one another and peace would be a greater possibility. As the initial years of this agreement went by, with great success, Cyrus conjured an outlandish idea and presented it to the Queen-Mother: an arranged marriage between their two heirs. Though the Naravi had no concrete system like marriage, it was a foreign concept to the Queen-Mother, but once she was enlightened to all it entailed, she eventually agreed.

The Queen-Mother envisioned a unified world as a result of the marriage of their chidren, and as such proposed thus to Cyrus when they met to make the official arrangements for the marriage. That day, they signed and ratified the Roserian Concordat, which unified the Seven Cities and the realm of the Navari into a single, unified entity: The Kingdom of Roseria. This new Kingdom would be headed by their heirs when the time came for them to ascend to their respective thrones.

For his actions in securing a lasting peace between the Navari and the Ve'lik, Cyrus became known as "Cyrus, the Peaceful". When the Queen-Mother of the Navari passed away during the fifth year of his son's marriage, he voluntarily stepped down as King and allowed his son to be coronated in his stead. In this way, the passing of Iris would usher in the new era of peace they had agreed upon. Cyrus did not live long into the reign of his son, however, as a foreign disease claimed his life only a mere three years prior to the present.

Cyrus, the Reformer
At present, "Cyrus the Reformer" reigns as leader of the Kingdom of Roseria alongside his wife Rhosyn. By his command, the militant force of the Seven Cities was bolstered and spread to provide ample support, security, and protection to all the denizens of the Kingdom. Furthermore, he reformed the internal structure of the military, allowing for Navari to enter the service should they so desire. He diligently works night and day to reform the world of old into one of peace, prosperity, and cooperation that both races can mutually benefit from and enjoy.