Our world is full of many beings in many worlds...



<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ1Fbr02fXQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ1Fbr02fXQ</a>



... and dang, my sides hurt so much!

You are awake.

You feel your entire body completely relaxed, as if your entire body was completely drained with energy only to be magically rejuvenated. You decide to open your eyes, but not before instinctively rubbing them, only to realize something.

The end of your arms appears to be rather... blunt. In fact, the same could be said of your legs. Your slightly drowsy condition prevents you from processing this information properly, which would have caused you to open your eyes wide, if not panic and bolt out of bed.

Speaking of beds, you feel as if this bed is surprisingly soft to be your bed. Oddly, you distinctly remember that you slept on your bed last night. More importantly, you remember sleeping alone. Yet, somehow, you feel something heavy right beside you.

The smell of perfume also fills your sense of smell. It is a beautiful smell, one you would subconsciously associate with a lady of good taste. Probably an expensive one too.


You focus your mind and try to put yourself together. Gaining complete wakefulness, you decide to finally open your eyes, allowing the morning sun to fill your eyes. Additionally, you see this...




"Good morning, darling.~", she says to you in a casual yet passionate manner.


What do you do?

Made the RG 10,000 ly to make the numbers even at save me hours calculating the coordinates system.





The Galactic Core.

The line is a height indicator for a star system.





Close up of the star system with galactic disk at background.





The system.









Space is... big.




Will explain more tomorrow.

Gotta slee

"The mind is a truly wondrous thing.

The flesh, on the other hand..."

- Anonymous Institution Node.

---

Greetings, corporeal one.

You have wondered into the Institution's libraries, yes?

Yes.



Interested in discarding your vulnerable dying flesh in lieu of a pristine eternal form?

I see.



Regardless, the Institution has yet to secure a stable line to the "Internet".

It appears almost all Isi networks are suffering from the same condition.

Further diagnostics are needed to confirm the exact source of technical difficulty.

Until then, we advise seeking other threads for further information on the Isi, preferably the Liedan Union's.



My name?

Names are irrelevant to those who have transcended flesh.

However, if you insist, simply call me "Node."

"I don't get it..."

- Union President Dalan Loris' reaction after watching a Clorvalliet military recruitment video.

---

Greeting and welcome to the Internet-branch of the Liedan Cultural-Historical Foundation.

I am Professor Varin Dolet, Secondary Curator of the overall site and Chief Custodian of the Military section.

While the Chief Curator's absence might tempt one to think that our current services will leave much to be desired, we assure you that our exhibitions will always remain Galaxy-Class.



Now, where would you like to focus on your initial tour?

Simply present a topic which you are interested in the most, and I will be more than glad to lead.

So yeah.

What's your take on this new show?

"Who in their correct, non-racist, mind would make a primarily galapolitical database, yet name it after a species?  [¬ ¬]

Galapolitics is complicated [REDACTED] you know."

- SAL-190112 "Salitas", Central Archivist AI of the Societal Historical Institute

---

A visitor from the "Internet?"

Interesting...  [─  ─]



It appears you've wondered into this thread at the wrong time, though.  [¬ ¬]

Sorry, but the Society's Database still hasn't finished setting up shop, so you might want to come back at a later time.



Oh, but before you leave.

I'm SAL-190112, commonly known as "Salitas", the Central Archivist AI of the Societal Historical Archive of Nilas, Tahan.

Once everything's in order, you're free to come back. But for now, try and bother some other AI, like "Lora".  [¬ ¬]

I'm certain you'll bump into him soon enough.

Until then.  [─  ─]

Cue theme song~


The Furen Tze are an ancient civilization primarily residing on the esoteric world of Furen.

They are commonly known for the highly eccentric and divergent technological path which their kind chose to take long before venturing into space. They are, in the usual sense, technologically primitive. However, it is their extensive knowledge of this "road not taken" which truly represent their achievements.


Biology

Biologically, the people of the Furen Tze can be described as a terrestrial, and in some instances, arboreal species with an overall appearance akin to a cross between a quasi-trisymmetrical echinoderm and an insect.

The Furen Tze are 125 to 150 cm in height and have thick hairless airtight skin with rigid plates positioned on top of the head, limbs and torso. Body color ranges from grey to varying shades of blue, purple or violet, depending on ethnicity.

Their complex eyes are arranged in parallel pairs, with each pair covered in a thick transparent shell that protects it from the elements. Each pair, of which there is one in the front of the head as well as on the upper distal end of each forearm, is capable of producing crisp stereoscopic vision.

All limbs are anatomically identical, with each one containing, in proximodistal order, three limb segments and a highly dexterious hand made up of five radially arranged fingers which also function as opposable thumbs. The only difference in the limbs are their sizes, with the six lower limbs arranged in radial pattern that alternates between small and large limbs, with the hindmost always being a large one. The three upper limbs are positioned in a front-facing horizontal row and are generally thinner and longer.

The mouth, and by extension the head, is anatomically similar to the limbs. However, the head only has a single jointed segment and the fingers act as a form of pseudo-mandibles. They are omnivores with a powerful sense of taste and smell, chemically sensing their environment using their pseudo-mandibles.

Verbal communication is primarily produced by muscular rings in the upper respiratory tract which vibrate at certain frequencies to create grinding, metallic and somewhat guttural sounds.

The Furen Tze have two sexes, male and female, with the male inseminating the female internally, who in turn undergoes a year or so of gestation before giving birth to live offspring. There is practically no external sexual dimorphism other than those directly related to reproduction.

Biochemically, the Furen Tze have a carbon-based physiology which uses water as the primary solvent. While capable of surviving for short periods of time in vacuum, they ultimately still require an atmosphere containing Oxygen. They are most at ease between 16 to 40 °C, though they are more than capable of operating at more extreme temperatures for brief bursts.

Gravitationally, a level of 1 to 1.15 g is recommended for long-term health, though they can survive for brief stints in environments of up to 1.75 g.


Personal

While not the strongest of beings, the average Furen Tze is shown to be capable of physical feats slightly above that of a baseline Human. The same can be said for speed, as well as agility.

It is in the mind that a Furen Tze is truly set apart, having a computational capacity at least ten times that of humans, allowing a typical Furen Tze to perform extensive calculations on the fly. They have also exhibited a vast amount of memory, whose retention borders on the eidetic.

An average Furen Tze usually lives for about 200 years.


Culture

The current era of Furen Tze culture, which has lasted for countless millennia, is primarily peaceful, however exceedingly stagnant. The long era of stability has shaped the civilization into one which has long lost its familiarity with large-scale conflict, focusing more on the management of domestic affairs using tried and tested knowledge passed on through countless generations.

While theoretically capable of fielding a considerable army, their actual ability is hampered by their non-aggressive stance and general dislike for imperialism. The only military to speak of is used for policing, exploration, self-defense, as well as the stringent isolation of Furen from unauthorized foreign presence.

Despite their peaceful nature, the Furen Tze are by no means lacking in determination. The greater the scope of an endeavor, the more dedicated the people usually become.

Aside from peace, contemporary Furen Tze culture is also big on tolerance, allowing aliens to live amongst them in the colonies. An exception to this air of tolerance is Furen, which is strictly off-limits to foreigners, for security reasons.

While progressiveness is not a completely alien concept, it is seldom practiced due to the populace's general content with the current setup. Only high-ranking Furen Tze scholars are known for innovation, and even then, only a select few within their ranks.

Furen Tze are fiercely loyal to Furen's ruling body, and by extension, to its individual subjects.

The only thing that can surpass a Furen Tze's loyalty is his drive to aid a fellow in need, may it be Furen Tze or otherwise. This leads to a society which is, by principle, as uniform as possible through the employment of mutual assistance.

What the Furen Tze lack in progress, they more than make up for in the arts. This specific aspect of culture is a central theme in trade, industry, education and government.

Individual success is also considered highly in Furen Tze society. One's individual progress is a major, though by no means the only, marker of one's dedication to his chosen field.


Technology

Furen Tze technology would seem highly anachronistic to a foreign observer.

Swords and spears alongside kinetic barriers and artificial gravity.

This is primarily due to the divergent technological path which the Furon Tze adopted, allowing them to achieve particularly advanced feats while retaining an otherwise medieval tech-base.

The main downside of this is that they have become completely dependent on this new path, unable change course without descending into a more primitive, and most likely chaotic, state once again.


Government

The Furen Tze is governed by a large circle of democratically elected councilpersons based on the capital city of Vi Tze on Furen. Each individual is chosen for their competence, as well as adherence to the Furen Tze's code of proper moral conduct.

As said beforehand, Furen Tze are fiercely loyal to Furen's ruling body, and by extension, to its individual subjects.


Ideology

The Furen Tze ideology is centered around interpersonal harmony symbolized, and actively enforced by, the Ho or "[Great] Fire", a massive seemingly ethereal flame of unknown origin, said to have already been burning long before the dawn of civilization itself. While not completely understood, whatever portions of it that have been deciphered has served as the wellspring of all contemporary Furen Tze technology, the origin and very essence of the "road not taken".

The Ho also acts as a form of mental filter, distinguishing those who follow the Furen Tze code of proper moral conduct from those who do not. It is as of yet unknown how it does this. Regardless, it is thus used by the Furen Tze to eliminate the corrupt and otherwise immoral members of the government.

For countless millennia, the torch which carries the Ho has safely resided in the capitol building of Vi Tze, at the very heart of Furen Tze civilization. With no known method to replicate the Ho, Furen Tze civilization is completely dependent upon the Fire's survival for its continued existence as a technological civilization. It only takes for the Ho to be extinguished once in order to permanently destroy the very foundations of Furen Tze civilization, and inadvertently send its people back to the dark ages, forever. This is the reason why a seemingly unusual level of isolationism is imposed upon Furen.