Red Sky City

Significant Sentient Population

1.2 billion indigenous 'Scrifs'

Allegiance

Partial towards Boraxus

Hazards

In combination with gravitational effects, the religion of the locals appears to be based on far more than just superstition. Prayer cycles of the locals seem to coincide with strange effects in space.

History

After assembling the first Boraxian fleet in 2133 and having known about the gate to the sector for decades, the Boraxians with full knowledge of all other known sectors (from the Nav Com of Loki Parry's ship) decided it would be a good idea to explore this unknown sector first. Being Boraxian and at that stage still in the process of phase changing to adapt to space the fleet stuck together and all jumped through the gate in the year 2135.

Upon arrival they cautiously surveyed the sector for any alien ships which they now knew to exist. Finding nothing they turned their attention to surveying the planets of the sector looking for any sign of life, eager to wipe it out.

The first thing that struck the Boraxian crews was the incredible 'redness' of the sector. 12 planets, almost all of a red appearance, orbiting around a massive, aging red star and as a consequence of this amazing redness decided to name the sector Red Sky City. On the seventh planet from the sun, a very red planet covered by mountainous, rocky terrain, expansive mud flats and shallow oceans the Boraxians found advanced life and also a bit more than they bargained for.

To the local 'Scrifs', an indigenous species with the female resembling a large red crab and the male a large brown crayfish, the Boraxians appeared in front of them via golden 'thunder chariots'. Boraxians with their golden skin and armour twinkled gracefully in the red light of the sun and were instantly seen as demons by the locals.

As the Boraxians formed up to begin sterilising the planet of all life, the 'Scrifs', much to the amusement of Boraxian onlookers began praying to their gods, lifting their claws to the sky and grinding their claws together to make an odd, 'scrif, scrif' sound, hence the name. Finally, amused for long enough the Boraxians decided to eliminate this clearly inferior life but soon found to their surprise that their guns weren't firing, bombs weren't dropping and chemicals weren't spraying. Scratching their heads with puzzlement, their surprise turned to shock as one by one, right in front of their eyes, their ships and indeed all their mechanical devices began to fall apart piece by piece.

Panicking like crazy, they crammed themselves into the remaining intact ships and bolted upwards into space full throttle with a few more ships breaking apart on the way. Back in space, packed into their ships like sardines, the surviving Boraxians surveyed the damage. Only around half of the original fleet had made it back to space and around 10% of the original Boraxian strike force was either still down on the planet, not being able to fit in the escaping craft or had died on the run out. Annoyed as hell, a few Boraxian bombers initiated bombing runs against the planet only to find their ships powering down and being drawn in by the planet's gravity. Realising what was happening some ships were saved by some quick thinking salvage tugs, but most fell to their dooms, burning up in the red atmosphere of the planet. Knowing they were on a loser here, the Boraxians decided wisely to pull out and returned to Boraxus to lick their wounds leaving their companions on the surface to meet their fate.

On the planet, any Boraxians who attacked were swiftly dealt with by the 'Scrifs' but provided they chose to remain peaceful the Boraxians were left alone. Finding that were not able to phase change for some reason, they were eventually rescued some 15 years later when it was determined that non hostile craft were permitted to land.

Exactly how the locals do it, no one really knows but their religion is definitely not something to mess with. Where most religions are nothing more than ridiculous superstition, when he Scrifs pray to their gods their prayers get answered with impressive results. Apparently not even remotely interested in developing technology of any kind they live their lives scrabbling about in the mountains, flapping about in the mud flats or meandering around in the oceans.

The bizarre power of the 'Scrifs' religion is well known by all Legions and there is a certain live and let live agreement in place. No one even thinks about being aggressive towards them and in return they leave all the ships in their sector alone and will even permit landings provided the crew do not have hostile intentions. Colonists and miners are considered hostile, and as the Ajaxians eventually found when they finally arrived, missionaries, lawyers and diplomats are too.

Although not directly targeting any ships, the prayer cycles of the Scrifs, do seem to have periphery effects. Depending upon exactly what the indigenous life is aiming for in it's prayers, ships in the sector may find their attacks / repairs being magnified or dampened, and occasionally ships will simply find critical components just falling apart for no good reason. There is definitely a link because researchers on the surface have measured a distinct correlation between certain types of ceremony and certain side effects in space with the ceremony clearly leading the effect. To date they have not been able to isolate any pattern so it is assumed that the prayers in fact cause the effects, but really it could be the other way around with there being some other cause.

Red Sky City (last edited 2013-04-17 19:19:34 by ecvej)