OLD HUMANITY

Mankind (nonfaction specific)

Old Humanity (metahistorical purposes)

Ancestors (the Nastiche Church)

Last updated: August 28th 2026

COLLECTIVE SUMMARY

home.

Old Humanity was the collective effort and history of Earth/Mars-based nations and countless private groups for the first half of Civilization's existence within the Solar System and its stellar neighboorhood. At the time of the Dominion's foundation, humans had been a spacefaring species longer than we (the readers) had agriculture.

Known prominent factions include the Latin Catholic Church, the Federation of United Nations, the Union of Latino-American Republics, the Moon Alliance, the ITCA, Sable-Rustichelli MRDO, the Martian Coalition, the Solar Empire, and various minor interplanetary nations, groups, and companies across space.

Its domain across the stars lasted roughly 2000 years (2354 - 4300?), and at its largest extension spanned over 31 alien star systems, 40 inhabited exoplanets, countless moons, space habitats and outposts.

By 3000 CE, Old Humanity's frontier harbored over 120 million people beyond Earth, with roughly 40 million living beyond the Solar System (~0.26% of the total population). Mars, the second most populated colony, sustained over 80 million inhabitants across the planet's surface and its subterranean cities.

Pre-interplanetary history (prehistory - 2133)

With the end of World War II in July 5th, 1946, Europe was split into Western and Soviet spheres of influence. Western Europe aligned themselves with NATO, and Eastern Europe with the Warsaw Pact.There was a shift in power from Western Europe and the British Empire to the two new superpowers, the United States and the Eurasian Socialist Federation. These two rivals would later face off in the Cold War. In Asia, the defeat of Japan led to its democratization. China's civil war continued through and after the war, eventually resulting in the establishment of the Popular Republic of China. The former colonies of the European powers began their road to independence.

The Cold War would extend well into the early years of the 21st century. A highly coordinated cyberattack to the United States and British computer infrastructure on September 11th 1999 pushes NATO powers into the Middle East against the USF's proxy powers. This chaotic condition ripens the development and deployment of autonomous platforms of all kinds on both sides. In 2006, the conflict drains USF economy into a crash, leading to its complete dissolution.

By 2020, there is major isolation in economic and political spheres worldwide dealing with foreign firmware, OS, and hardware. Exporting computer platforms becomes expensive and daring endeavors, computing markets are mostly proprietary in major world blocs. The UN votes on a treaty on AI Non-Proliferation based on the guidelines of the American AICA. Further fueling the stigma of autonomous smart systems of any kind, the word itself becomes taboo, historically associated with destruction and terrorism. Civilian companies pivot towards “dumb automation”, deterministic and easily audited systems

The middle 21st century is dotted with a joint space exploration missions while the West and East continue to fight for influence and resources. By the 2040s, a third power axis in the global south starts to emerge after an oil crisis in the Middle East.

By 2050, Consumer level AI development initiatives resurface. The public is skeptical but willing to experiment with its gradual implementation. The south-american bloc seems to suffer a major recession due Brazilian involvement in the Rainforest Wars in West Africa, fighting French and Belgian influence in the region, supplying weapons and naval support to rebel forces and regime changes, sealing deals in Real. Venezuelan and Argentinian economies start to crack as economic opponents start to sanction Brazil and its allies. In 2074 the ULARs initiative happens, a temporary alliance, the Union of Latino-American Republics, is created as an extension of the ALCA to save South Americans from further recession, led by Brazil. Essentially creating an EU-like bloc, with soft borders, organized international peacekeeping and freer economy.

In 2099, the Federation of United Nations was founded as an off-world para-military and semi-governamental organization, by Russia, China, France and the United States — their goals? Split the heavens between them. Later joined by the UAE, Bharat, Greater Germany, Portugal, Kuwait up until 2140, and later Saratovia in 2189 after it gained independence from Russia in 2119. This marks the rupture of the third-world bloc to essentially North vs South.

In 2133, the Five Treaties for Peaceful uses of Space are re-written to accommodate space exploration and privatized efforts for a human presence beyond Earth. This immediately expands the number of private investments into space, namely Venus, Mars, Titan, Enceladus, and Europa.

Interplanetary Epoch (2133 - 2365)

Starting with the humans return to Mars after almost a century of infighting across the globe in 2139, both superpowers, the Federation and ULARs start pouring resources in expanding their space infrastructure, launching from Equador, to Baikonour and Cape Canaveral. The late 2100-2200s are in no shortage of multiple attacks in between the two, in economic, political, cultural, and technological fronts.

During the 2220 to 2252, tensions rise between the Federation states and ULARs. With Voronezh (a small landlocked nation in Eastern Europe) becoming a South American ‘Cuban missile’ platform. Pirates and separatists in the moon colonies begin using Voronesi-style tech. The UN starts policing information and firmware access more strictly. By 2270, the outworld colonies begin uprisings, partially sponsored by southern powers. Anti-Federation sentiment spreads. Voronesia becomes a potential flashpoint for a major conflict.

The ULARs' (top left), Voronesia's (top right), and the Federation's (center) flags at the time of the Voronesi-Federation war.

The Voronesi-Federation War (2271 - 2273)

A Voronesian first strike on Saratovia's air defenses on November 17th 2271 starts the Voronesi-Federation War. A humiliatingly long three-year conflict that would come to claim nearly 1.1 million casualties for the Federation side (locals and interplanetary conscripts alike) and about 33,200 Voronesi troops, due the extremely lopsided use of autonomous platforms from the Voronesi side such as Specters - a military disaster of unprecedented scale since the drone wars of the late 20th century.

The discovery of the Voronesi nuclear laboratory and subsequent investigation by the United Nations lead to an abrupt end to the war on April 2nd, 2273. The surviving conscripted martians were repatriated to their home planet with severe mental and physical scars. The Voronesi government heavily utilized the threat of nuclear war to assure its proper financial compensations for damages caused by the Federation in its homeland and outworld settlements, their borders being restored to their former 2201 delineations, all thanks to the last hour efforts made by their tactical computer cluster, known as ‘VOYNET’. The program, however, got demoted back to third patent tactician in the aftermath of negotiations.

The programming notes and technology used to construct and power VOYNET would be gathered by researchers for the Titan Academy of Computer Sciences, in New Bulgaria, on Titan (Saturn VI), the primary body behind the beginnings of Project Prometheus.

The Martian Secession Wars (2301 - 2305)

The growing political and social pressure of the 23rd century erupted with the opening of the new one. When the Gray Army, a far-left extremist group cut the powerlines between the martian cities of Bronkhorst and Mariner, leaving the entire region without its main supply of electricity - this move initiated a cascade of military incursions by the Federation that heavily deepened the opression sentiment already lived by the planet in previous decades. It also pushed several separatist movements across the political spectrum in other regions of the planet into full revolt status, such as the Metal Worker's Reformist Front and the Arean Liberty Movement - for the Federation forces would not distinguish active from potential rebel in their efforts to quench the insurgents.

Unfortunately, for the detriment of the Solar System colonies at large, the Martian Secession wars ended with the destruction of Betel Gateway Station around Earth, the Phobos Space Hook, and the insertion of 100,000 metric tons of steel caltrops around Earth's low orbit - making safe, commercial, and reliable space travel for Terrans (and particularly, the Federation) essentially impossible for the coming decades.

During the post-war decades, a series of civil conflicts and disputes boil over on Mars due the power vaccum left by the retreating Federation and corporate body. The conglomerate of newly instituded martian nations, the Martian Coalition, stumbled to reorganize the outer system's moon colonies under its new regime, becoming the new center of humanity in the Solar System. Meanwhile, the nations of Earth plunged themselves into World War III over who was to blame for the Martian-project disaster and how to (forcibly) redistribute whatever resources, goods, and power was left of the former Federation of United Nations and ULARs.

Early Stellar Epoch (2365 - 2550)

By 2330, with the aid of the Moon Alliance, suspended animation technology is further developed, five scientists volunteer for the program to be watched in permanent stasis. The Martian Coalition together with the Rustichelli Engineering Solutions fund the building of the Dandelion, the first official interstellar vehicle. Mission to establish a camp in Proxima Centauri b utilizing autnomous Specter units as proxies for human labor. The mission launched in 2365 is a success broadcasted to the world in 2403, and in 2410, a second ship, the Paloma reaches planet Alma around Toliman without major issues.

Also during the late 2390s, OmniHaul Dynamics Inc. takes the lead in starting to build starships to take pioneers over to Proxima and Alma, given the trip is just over 23 years for both destinations. The first few ships get ready in 2418, plus a third one looking to send both humans, specters, and two synths over to Tuomi, a small planet around Wolf 359 in just under 40 years.

Late Stellar Epoch (2550 - 2805)

In 2600, Unable to sustain its overreach to fund and control distant colonies, the Coalition starts issuing corporate charters. These grant a company sovereign rights to develop a star system in exchange for taxes, resource shares, and adherence to broad laws. This creates the "Charter" worlds. The discussions are broad and fierce, and need to be debated across the human domain. Its why any decisions will only be final by 2600. However, some local powers in the Sol system such as the Venusian bloc and the outer moons pushback against that stance under the argument that centralizing power around the craddle of humanity is only moral and ethical way to disperse, even though costly, to ensure companies don't abuse their powers. The Coalition heavily militarizes its ultramarine force with the sole purpose to project power across the stars and oversee corporate action.

During this epoch, Sable-Rustichelli MRDO (S&R) takes over as the major interstellar logistics conglomerate and charter holder across the human domain.

In 2700, a wealthy, well-established corporate charter, Freehold (YZ Ceti), declares its de facto independence, refusing Martian oversight. The stretched ultramarine force is unable to compel them, forcing a tense negotiation that redefines the power balance.

By 2784, the Triple-A Charter takes over the Trappist-1 system, seing the success of the Freehold revolt. No major reprisals from the core, although, mlilitary presence was thickened everywhere else, which caused a major series of political unrests across the domain.

Solar Imperial Era (2805 - 3321?)

The unrests end partially with the Venusian coup of 2805, switching the core of humanity to a constitutional monarchy, the Solar Empire. Pouring massive resources into revitalization of old Coalition rule territories, although partially still under martian control by allegiance. Mars becomes the military backbone of the empire. All while terran nations and enterprises try to get a bite of the solar parlament with its own houses during this exchange of hats. After decades of infighting, administrative powers over local colonies (Sol) are conceded to Terrans once more, but Venus and Mars govern themselves under imperial rule.

From 2880 to 2924, the Lambdan Serpentian Question occurs, a generation-long campaign to pacify and integrate the native populations of Caput to the Solar Empire. By proxy, uplifting them to client species status of humanity.

The Universal Blackout (3321 - 4350?)

All the colonies knew in the following decades, one by one, was that Sol, followed by every major of the inner colonies, suddenly went dark. The outer colonies didn't know that yet, but their great distance from the human core would prove itself as their greatest advantage against what later ensued.

Theories and chatter sputtered all over the place for what started the Universal Blackout, from aliens, to insurrectionists or simply the outcome of the Great Human Civil War sabotaging the TRAMN array, to rogue artificial intelligence. The true nature of the Enemy however didn't matter. What it did matter, was that it sought out the complete disassembling of human civilizational infrastructure. When an organized resistance was put together, survivors accounted for a mere 0.2% of the original human population.

[end of files]

Last updated: July 21st 2026

THE ARRENE CORE

The Arrene Sphere | Formerly known as the Luminary Combine

The signet of the Arrene Combine flies muted over government installations and stamps official documents, but its use has fallen more into tradition than pride

OVERVIEW

The Arrene Core is the informal designation given to the interconnected administrative, commercial and demographic regions surrounding Argost and the historical territories of the former Luminary Combine. Although commonly treated as a contiguous polity by outsiders, neither the Treaty of Forzai nor subsequent Foundation legislation provides a universally accepted legal definition of where the Core begins or ends.

Infrastructure is primarily administered through the Arrene Combine, whose responsibilities overlap with those of several Dominion Foundation offices and associated commercial entities. Jurisdiction frequently depends on whether the matter concerns Dominion law, Arrene law, inter-domain commerce, Foundation precedent, or treaty interpretation.

EXTENT

Most contemporary surveys broadly define the Core as the region extending approximately 45 to 75 light-years from Argost, encompassing the oldest Arrene settlements, the principal Dominion institutions, and the greatest concentration of Foundation offices.

Within this volume are found:

• 7 major inhabited worlds, plus Argost.
• hundreds of orbital habitats and industrial stations.
• the largest concentration of interstellar freight traffic in the Dominion.
• the headquarters of the Arrene Combine.
• the principal administrative centers of numerous Dominion institutions.

Despite occupying around 25% of the Dominion's central volume, the Arrene Core remains the economic and bureacratic center of the Foundational Dominion.

Outside this region, Arrene influence becomes increasingly indirect, usually exercised through commercial agreements, legal precedent, Dominion offices, and transportation infrastructure rather than direct political administration.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

Unlike most interstellar states, the Arrene Core possesses no singular executive authority.

Political administration is instead distributed across an accumulation of commercial entities, civic administrations, treaty obligations, Foundation offices, standing commissions, and historical jurisdictions whose responsibilities frequently overlap and whose legal competencies have gradually expanded through over three millennia of precedent.

The largest and most influential of these remains the Arrene Combine, successor to the former Luminary Combine following the Treaty of Forzai.

The Combine is primarily responsible for maintaining infrastructure, regulating commerce, administering Core logistics, and coordinating many of the administrative functions necessary for the operation of Dominion institutions. Although frequently described by foreign observers as "the Arrene government", this characterization is generally regarded as an oversimplification.

Authority throughout the Core is largely precedent-driven. Determining which institution possesses final authority frequently depends upon the specific matter under consideration rather than upon any universally recognized chain of command.

Consequently, the distinction between government, commerce, and infrastructure is often difficult to define in practice.

Higher Foundation offices rarely intervene directly in routine administration.

When such intervention does occur, it is generally regarded as final, though the legal reasoning behind these decisions is not always made public.

CULTURE & SOCIETY
Among all Dominion civilizations, the Arrene remain perhaps the most difficult to characterize socially. Visitors to the Core frequently remark that ordinary Arrene appear remarkably... unoccupied.

Unlike other members' domains, there is remarkably little visible evidence of a conventional labor force. Outside observers often describe the Core as resembling a civilization permanently enjoying a public holiday. This impression is misleading.
Office districts exist, ports operate continuously, immigration authorities process millions of travelers, public transportation runs with remarkable punctuality, and critical infrastructure remains functional around the clock, but the average Arrene citizen is far more likely to be encountered dining, shopping, studying, traveling, attending cultural events, or simply living an apparently leisurely existence than performing conventional labor.

A longstanding subject of speculation concerns the apparent workforce responsible for maintaining the immense infrastructure of the Core.

Although Arrene are publicly observed serving as immigration officers, emergency responders, military personnel, medical professionals, engineers, and numerous other essential occupations, outsiders have for centuries remarked that these individuals often appear strangely interchangeable. The widespread Arrene acceptance of human cloning technologies, together with historical precedents established before the Prime Foundation, has led to persistent speculation that a significant proportion of these public-facing workers may in fact be cloned individuals specifically cultivated for institutional service.

Neither the Arrene Combine nor any recognized Foundation office has ever formally confirmed or denied these claims.

LANGUAGE & IDENTITY

Regarding language and identity, the Arrene Core has historically used Norrina, commonly known abroad as Standard Arrene, as its principal administrative and literary language. For most of the Dominion's history, it served as the language of legislation, interstellar treaties, higher education, and communication between Dominion institutions.

Since the Prime Foundation however, increasing concerns regarding accessibility, immigration, and interstellar commerce have gradually shifted the Core toward an increasingly multilingual model. Government buildings, transportation hubs, public services, and commercial establishments routinely display information in a dozen or more major languages, while automated translation has become effectively ubiquitous throughout the Core.

• Arrene Standard, the official language of Dominion institutions and legal documentation.
• Nagiv, the principal language of the Ygiv peoples.
• Corespeak, a Chelok-derived creole that emerged among the numerous human communities living throughout the Core.
• Hukat & Sidessian, by far the most spoken idioms among hoku and chelok communities living abroad in the core, particularly Argost.
• Rolian, also known as Guildspeak, maintained by the Voyager's Guild and considered indispensable for commerce beyond the reach of the Arrene-backed Lodestar Accord.
• Numerous local dialects, community languages, and immigrant creoles maintained by the many populations living throughout the Core.

Paradoxically, although Standard Arrene remains the official language of government, relatively few residents require it in their daily lives. The Arrene themselves are believed to constitute only a minority of the population on several of their own developed worlds, including Argost, where immigrant communities from across the Dominion collectively outnumber the native population.

As a result, learning Standard Arrene, or even familiarizing with traditional Arrene customs, is generally regarded as unnecessary for most foreigners. Outside legal, diplomatic, and institutional settings, everyday life in the Core is conducted overwhelmingly in the many common languages shared by its inhabitants.

RELATIONS WITH OTHER POWERS

THE PANCALESTIA

Relations with the Chelok sphere have remained broadly stable since humanity's admission to the Dominion as an extra-signatory civilization. Although cooperation in commerce and scientific exchange is extensive, historical grievances continue to influence public opinion on both sides.

Within the Core, these events are generally regarded as belonging to a fundamentally different political order whose institutions ceased to exist following the Prime Foundation.

THE HOKU & NAN-NAN

Relations with the Hoku are generally pragmatic.

The Hoku remain one of the Dominion's most important commercial and transportation partners outside the Core, particularly through the activities of the Kahiko Moku and the numerous freight organizations operating throughout Hoku space.

Institutionally, relations are cordial despite recurring political disagreements concerning jurisdiction and frontier administration.

THE SAFFI

The unusually favorable relationship between the Core and the Branch Coalition has long attracted speculation, particularly in light of the Qire's historically positive attitude toward the Saffi. No official explanation has ever been published.

Saffi personnel are disproportionately represented within salvage operations, brokerage services, independent commerce, and frontier logistics.

Official Arrene attitudes toward the Coalition are generally favorable, though often tempered by concerns regarding jurisdictional ambiguity and informal clan networks.

THE QIRE

Foundation records recognize the continued participation of Qire offices within the Dominion. Public documentation concerning their responsibilities, internal organization, and decision-making processes remains limited.

Higher Foundation intervention is historically infrequent. Compliance, however, is effectively universal.

Relativistic Travel

Last updated: August 18th 2026

RELATIVISTIC TRAVEL IN BtFF

In this house we don't do faster-than-light travel. Relativity is sacred in this universe - the challenge is not to circumvent it, but to live with its consequences.

The rating of relativistic speed of starships in this universe is given as integers of the Lorentz factor (γ) instead of decimal fractions of the speed of light - that is, how many times the subjetive ship time appears to compress due time dilation in comparison with restframe time.

For example, a relatively fast starship with a rating of γ ~ 6 experiences a subjective time that is 1/6th of the restframe - for a 10 light-year trip, thats about 1yr8m trip experienced by the crew. So keep that in mind whenever that gamma (γ) rating gets thrown around.

It is also commonplace to use stasis chambers for the slowing down of biological clocks for really long trips or at lower cruise ratings, for example, Old Humanity managed to make it work for an additional 40 years of subjective time while in their prime.

TRAVEL PROFILES
Travel profiles are constraint that depends on a few factors such as travel speed, acceleration, target distance, and propulsion method.

COASTING
Typical travel profiles for intermediate distance destinations (d_aceleration < 0.5*d_total), such as those in between large populational centers in the Dominion core are dominated by a acceleration-coast-deceleration type of travel. If we determine:

a = acceleration in G's

d = distance in light-years

y_coast = target coasting speed in Lorentz factor.

Then we can calculate:

Time spent accelerating (total, inertial observer).

Distance traveled while accelerating/decelerating (total, inertial observer).

Coast time (inertial observer).

It then follows that the total travel time is the sum of t_coastinertial + t_burninertial.

As an example case, at 1G acceleration, top speed of γ ~ 6, traveling 50 light-years takes 11.48yrs (acc/dec) + 40.87yrs (coast), for a total time of 52y 4m 5d 14hrs to arrive.

BRACHISTOCHRONIC (CONSTANT ACC.)
As γ increases (or distance decreases), the math dictates that the acceleration/deceleration phases must increase in time, in such way that, the coasting time shrinks to an infinitesimal fraction of the total time spent traveling. Which means the travel speed grows and peaks before decreasing.

Without a explicit ceiling for the maximum speed obtained, these travel profiles are mostly limited only by fuel reserves in order to sustain constant acceleration throughout the trip - which isn't the case for most non-Qire starships within the Dominion.

CUSTOMARY METHODS OF PROPULSION
Choice of propulsion is determined less by maximum cruise velocity than by economics. Fuel cost, available infrastructure, expected travel time, maintenance requirements, and intended cargo all influence the selection of a propulsion system. Consequently, no single architecture has displaced all others, and vessels of widely differing performance routinely share the Dominion's starlane network.

Practical cruise ratings throughout the Dominion rarely exceed γ≈10. Although higher Lorentz factors greatly reduce the time experienced aboard a vessel, they offer progressively smaller reductions in arrival time as measured by the outside universe. Since fuel consumption and engineering complexity increase far more rapidly than the logistical benefits gained, most commercial operators regard higher cruise factors as economically unjustifiable.

Pure Aneutronic Matter-Antimatter Rockets

Typical cruise factor: γ ≈ 2-10

The standard propulsion system throughout most of the Dominion. Matter and antimatter are reacted producing primarily charged pions whose momentum is directed magnetically to generate thrust. Their high thrust-to-weight ratio, operational flexibility and comparatively simple engineering have made them the preferred propulsion method for commercial, military and civilian spacecraft alike.

Although fuel-intensive, matter-antimatter rockets are capable of sustained acceleration and deceleration over interstellar distances, allowing routine travel between neighboring systems within acceptable subjective travel times.

Most Dominion freight, passenger traffic and naval operations rely upon some variation of this architecture.

Pion "Drip" Drivers

Typical cruise factor: γ ≈ 1-6

Among the oldest propulsion systems still in widespread service. Pion Drip Drivers accelerate vessels through the gradual release of small quantities of antimatter over extremely long burn periods. Their comparatively low thrust results in months or years of continuous acceleration, making them poorly suited for passenger transport but exceptionally economical for bulk cargo.

They remain common aboard autonomous freighters, industrial tugs, ore transports and long-duration logistical missions where travel time is of secondary importance. Their modest top speed means they can more safely and frequently venture across uncharted interstellar space for shortcuts and direct routes rather than using starlanes, with reduced risks of high relativistic impacts or abrasion.

Ion-Fusion Drivers

Typical cruise factor: γ ≈ 2-5

Ion propulsion remains popular among smaller spacecraft operating within developed regions of the Dominion. By continuously accelerating ionized reaction mass through powerful electromagnetic fields, these engines provide excellent efficiency at the cost of relatively low thrust.

Although incapable of the rapid departures characteristic of matter-antimatter vessels, Ion Drivers are regarded as remarkably reliable and inexpensive to maintain. Patrol craft, survey vessels, scientific expeditions and privately owned starships frequently employ them for regional traffic between nearby systems.

Light Sails

Typical cruise factor: γ ≈ 1-4

Rather than carrying significant quantities of reaction mass, light sail vessels derive propulsion from immense laser arrays positioned throughout developed star systems. These arrays illuminate highly reflective sails over distances of several astronomical units, accelerating vessels with no onboard fuel expenditure.

Because propulsion infrastructure must exist at both departure and arrival systems, light sails are almost exclusively employed along heavily trafficked commercial corridors and within mature planetary systems. Their exceptionally low operating costs have made them popular for passenger liners, luxury transport and scheduled commuter services despite their comparatively modest cruise velocities.

Many Core worlds maintain dedicated beamways linking orbital habitats, neighboring planets and nearby systems, functioning as an interstellar equivalent of public rail infrastructure.

Ramscoop Matter-Antimatter Ships

Typical cruise factor: γ ≫ 10

No confirmed Dominion civilization is presently known to possess operational Ramscoop Matter-Antimatter propulsion. The only documented examples have been observed aboard the Elder Starships of the Great Expedition.

The immense forward structures characteristic of these vessels are widely interpreted as magnetic collection systems capable of harvesting the sparse interstellar medium while simultaneously serving as radiation shielding during extreme relativistic flight. If correct, such systems would permit effectively unlimited operational range without conventional refueling while sustaining cruise velocities approaching several hundred to >1,000 in Lorentz factor.

Whether harvested hydrogen is directly fused, converted into antimatter, or merely supplements onboard reserves remains unknown. Likewise, many observed performance characteristics continue to defy satisfactory theoretical explanation, leading some researchers to suspect the presence of additional propulsion systems operating alongside the ramscoop architecture.

Dominion History

Last updated: August 22nd 2026

NOTES ON DATING
From the Year of Prime Foundation (14,650 CE) we count backwards (BdF) and forwards (AdF) in time, each year being equivalent to 366.18779 Earth-days - which means that dates in 'present time' are given ~9.32 years in advance when compared to our standard calendar.

SUMMARIZED TIMELINE
THE COMBINE ERA, (aprox.) 5000 BdF - 0 AdF
The Luminary Combine reigned the current Dominion core until its collapse during the Qiro-Arrene wars.

Before 5000 BdF, the establishment of the Luminary Combine
Little is known of Dominion history prior to this era, historians point out that after a major unification period, the Luminary Combine rose up as a major organizational body within Arrene society, eventually growing up to be the ONLY body besides the Lodestar Accord, which traces its origins to approximately this same era. It must be noted that the Arrene were already a blooming interstellar civilization at this point in history (?).

The civilizational goals for the Luminary Combine were to spread across over 800 star systems before its decamillenium, a position they calculated statistically stable for its long-term survival into deep time.

~4600 BdF, the annexation of the Chelok peoples
When the LC first found the hunter-gatherer Chelok peoples across Endreka, they were rather surprised. Not because they had found some moderately sophisticated life form, but because genetic analysis of these beings revealed they weren’t native to that planet - likely brought to or travelled there themselves. Regardless of the truth, it meant the Arrene weren’t necessarily alone in their local bubble of space.

From this epoch onwards, we see the complete change in culture and doctrine to a fulltime war-economy, with complete industrialization of every aspect of society focused on the sole expansion and fortification of its territory. And also, the start of their signature “bait and counterstrike” doctrine regarding extraterrestrial contact.

3560 - 3490 BdF, the annexation of the Ygiv peoples
When the Ygiv first broadcasted their first deep space radio signals, circa 3560 BdF, it deeply unsettled the Arrene sphere. Up until this point in history, the Arrene had only beamed radio and laser pulses into deep space, occasionally firing salvos of relativistic missiles at the few stars that ever replied back - but these targets were usually located tens to hundreds of light-years away. Triangulation and strength of the Ygiv signal indicated they were just under 54 light-years from the Arrene capital, Argost. Somehow slipping right under their radar. The Ygiv Question represented an unacceptable uncertainty. Strategic assessments concluded that immediate intervention represented the lowest-risk outcome. If it were the case the Ygiv were still a planetbound civilization as the Arrene estimated it to be, then perhaps total annihilation wasn’t the optimal choice, perhaps they could be a useful client state.

Arriving from the nearest waypoint, Thosuo, just 25 light-years from Osuna, the Ygiv homesystem - the Arrene armada carried sufficient personnel, industrial equipment and logistical reserves to establish approximately twenty independent colony worlds. Following the first contact phase, in 3495 BdF, the Luminary Combine ultimately seized all administrative and military powers over the Ygiv peoples. The terms of surrender largely focused on the guaranteed continuation of their basic survival and cultural needs.

3500 - 650 BdF, the attrition epoch
As Combine exploration expanded beyond the Core, repeated encounters with independently developed Chelok societies became increasingly common. Although separated by centuries and often unaware of one another's existence, their recurrence fundamentally altered Arrene strategic planning. Encountering the less technologically advanced Chelok? Fine, they’ll even offer some of theirs for your purposes. But any culture past the nuclear-stage they encountered has posed a sizable threat to their occupation. The Luminary Combine was strong, but not strong everywhere all at once. Chelok resistance to the LC’s presence varied from a few dozens to hundreds of megatons, at times even gamma ray bombs and antimatter missiles. All of which the Arrene had already long passed by, but still represented a logistical and strategic nuisance to the collective.

The general knowledge of Arrene activity or at least notion of it was suspected by the Pankal, which largely fomented supply lines to distant frontier worlds, selling weapons and ships to frontier interstellar states to be used against the Arrene. An effort which subsequently backfired on internal politics as feeding into rebellious interstellar states. The official stance of the Pankal chelok was that the Arrene posed too far of an unknowable threat to directly face them, even if overall human survival was but a guaranteed result.

FOUNDATION CONFLICTS, 650 - 1 BdF
From the perspective of non-Arrene historians, this series of events were the result of a catastrophic First Contact case between a blooming interstellar empire and an extragalactic civilization.
[see the conflict timeline here]

THE DOMINION ERA, 0 AdF CE - PRESENT
5 AdF, Signing of the Treaty of Forzai

After years of deliberation, the Treaty of Forzai is signed between the Arrene, the 44 Qire Witnesses, the Ygiv clans, and the interstellar nations of man. Though the Chelok might need a minute to properly ratify the treaty across their space. The Elder Starship 'Alpha' stays stationed above Argost, and the others scatter into deep space.

1059 AdF, first contact between the Hoku and the Chelok at Dhéģhōm
The Hoku were already in the process of trying to not join whatever the Dominion is, because they are afraid of whatever the elder races are doing. Nonetheless, they become great traders with the Chelok
The Hoku are briefly introduced to the idea of the Dominion, but opt not to interfer.

1660 - 1781 AdF, the Saffi sign up

The Saffi, seeking survival from an unknown aggressor, encounters and attacks a stationed Elder Starship and its crew over a mining outpost. This short encounter was followed by multiple expeditionary and diplomatic ones, which led to their eventual admission as an aligned neutral power.

2064 - 2094 AdF, first contact between the Hoku and the Nan-Nan
The Nan-Nan are visited by the Hoku, and integrated to its interstellar nation.
A planet-bound advanced society akin to 22nd century humanity when the Hoku reached up for first contact. Some wished to join the hoku out of their own volition.

2548 - 2553 AdF, the Hoku sign up
A century prior, hoku asteroid miners in the Muhori system had accidentally pinged a derelict Qire warship in its flyby through the system's outskirts. This ping prompted a first-contact response from the Dominion authorities, and a century of preparation for an annhilation conflict from the hoku side.

The hoku joined in 2553 AdF, albeit reluctantly. After being visited by diplomatic fleet lead by the Elder Starship 'Kappa', in the Muhori system.

2642 AdF, the Nan-Nan sign up
It took them a while to decide, but are convinced the net benefit is worth it, inspite of the Hoku's waryness.

3350 - 3550 AdF, the fall of Hokushoku
An unknown extraterrestrial force invades the Hoku space, the Dominion is unable to send enough reinforcements in time to fend off the invaders, Hokushoku and its colonies fall within days of consecutive first contacts. The Fall of Hokushoku represents the start of a period of political unrest since the Arrene have showed themselves unnable to care for their allies against outsiders.

~3575 AdF, the events of Beyond the Final Frontier (book I) take place
[missing link]

Dominion Organization

Last updated: June 24th 2026

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION

No official Dominion flag exists, the Treaty of Forzai explicitly forbids symbols that might imply a unified state. The Arrene Combine's signet is used by convention for Dominion-wide communications, though its use remains a point of contention among member civilizations.

The Foundational Dominion possesses no universally accepted central government. Rather, it exists as a mesh of interdependent political, economic, and legal institutions operating under the interpretations of the Treaty of Forzai - a 5200-page document about the complete reestructing of Arrene power - serving as a model for its member civilizations. Which expanded on the terms, interpretations and readings of the Qire's Ultimatum upon the capitulation of the Luminary Combine:

"Halt claw.

Halt Foot.

Failure, undone."

The Dominion is enforced through starlane routes, clone armies and unmanned fleets, mostly of Arrene nature - though, it is mostly uncertain how the Qire half of the Dominion operates, as it is deemed a 'ghost space'.

Most inhabitants interact with Dominion institutions through local authorities, commercial organizations, and member governments rather than through any singular Dominion body.

Institutions are generally considered "Dominion institutions" when they possess standing under Foundation law and participate in the legal framework derived from the Treaty of Forzai.

Political Administration

Dominated by the Arrene Combine, successor to the Luminary Combine and administrator of the Dominion capital at Argost. The Arrene Combine is the closest entity to a central government within the Dominion. It maintains administrative authority over the Arrene Core and operates much of the infrastructure connecting the inner Dominion.

Its influence is strongest within approximately fifty light-years of Argost and becomes progressively weaker toward the frontier domains.

Despite widespread perceptions that the Combine "is" the Dominion, its authority remains legally constrained by Foundation precedents and treaty obligations.

Commerce and Infrastructure

Historically dominated by the Arrene-backed Lodestar Accord, whose freight and passenger services connect the majority of major Dominion population centers through the starlane network. As a consequence, the organization exerts political influence disproportionate to its nominal commercial role, much like a private government system.

Long-Range Trade and Mediation

Traditionally associated with the Ar-Rahhalam Ithnajmyu (Voyager's Guild, or ARI), whose member organizations maintain commercial routes throughout the Pancalestia and neighboring regions. Unlike most freight organizations, navigators maintain the (near supernatural?) capability to travel beyond established starlane corridors, granting access to remote systems and regions beyond normal commercial routes.

Expeditionary and Contract Service

Historically fulfilled by the Kahiko Moku and associated Trader's Guilds of the Hoku diaspora.

Originally founded as a warrior-monastic order among the Hoku, the Kahiko Moku gradually transitioned into a network specializing in escort, courier, security, and contract operations.

Although diminished following the Fall of Hokushoku, the organization remains active throughout the Dominion.

Government Offices and Titles

Unlike most interstellar states, Dominion offices do not form a universally recognized chain of command. Lower offices are generally territorial in nature, while higher Foundation offices derive their authority from ancient legal traditions, treaty obligations, and institutional precedent.

OBSERVABLE OFFICES

MUNICIPAL

Mayor

Administrative authority over individual cities and settlements.

Governor

Regional authority over precincts, provinces, and other subplanetary jurisdictions.

PLANETARY

President

Executive authority over major territorial divisions of inhabited worlds.

Earl

Administrative authority over minor colonies and frontier settlements.

Count

Combined civic and military authority over entire inhabited planetary bodies.

STELLAR

Duke

Administrative authority over a stellar system and its associated colonies, habitats, stations, and settlements. Qire are known to occasionally serve as provisional Dukes until a permanent officeholder is recognized.

FOUNDATION

Arbiter (777 recognized offices)

Predominantly held by Arrene, domain-dependent. Responsible for the mediation and interpretation of disputes occurring between Dominion institutions and signatory bodies.

Principality (155 recognized offices)

Presumed to be exclusively held by Qire. Their exact function remains disputed by legal scholars and historians.

Witness (44 recognized offices)

Generally regarded as the highest observable Foundation office. Presumed to be exclusively Qire. The extent of their authority and responsibilities remains poorly documented outside specialist legal circles.

Determining whether a Arbiter outranks a Principality, or a Principality outranks an Arbiter, often depends entirely on the matter being discussed. The practical authority of an office may vary significantly between civilizations, regions, and legal interpretations. It is generally agreed that Witnesses constitute the highest publicly observable rank among Qire participating in Dominion affairs.

It is unknown whether additional Foundation offices exist beyond those listed above. No universally accepted records concerning higher offices are publicly available.

Dominion Population and Demographics

Last updated: June 24th 2026

POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHICS

The census work done by Dominion authorities is messy at best and sloppy at worst. Hundreds of bodies over dozens of planets and colonies, responsible for keeping count of billions of individuals, some of which actively hide from said authorities and some of which are constantly moving about.

Here's a 3,350 AdF (~18,000 CE) rundown of the latest counts ranked by species:

1. Ygiv, about 120 billion - too many to count.
2. Chelok, 90 ± 20 billion - might be closer to 100bi with agriworlds.
3. Hoku, 65 ± 10 billion - might be closer to 80bi with agriworlds.
4. Nan-Nan, 18 billion - ~70% planetbound to their homesystem.
5. Arrene, 7.8 ± 0.01 billion - all accounted for.
6. Saffi, officially around 3 billion - many unaccounted for living abroad.
7. Qire, no census given.

Total population: ~330 billion sophons.

Despite its vast stellar volume, most of the Dominion's population is concentrated around a handful of heavily developed worlds and agricultural colonies - 49 developed planetary population centers, from which 29 can be found under control of the Pancalestia, the Chelok domain.

This means that on average, there are ~1,200 "unclaimed" star systems for every inhabited world within reach.

Dominion Astrometry

Last updated: August 22nd 2026

GENERAL GEOGRAPHY

The Dominion is a region of space located behind the Coalsack Nebula as seen from Earth's perspective, between 700 and 900 light-years from Earth. Its center is roughly 830 light-years from Earth.

As a stellar region within the Milky Way, it might be loosely associated with the lower Sco-Cen OB association, as the region includes several bright young blue stars, such as CH Crucis and 251 G. Cen which are under 150 million years old.
It has no physical borders, but it is agreed to encompass a spheroidal volume ~240 light-years across, centered around the world of Argost, the Arrene homeworld.

ASTROMETRICS (and other statistics for nerds)

KEY SYSTEMS & WORLDS

Standard Dominion Astrographic math bases itself on Ykaga's ecliptic plane around Aa Rithel, the sun of the Arrene's homesystem. All coordinates and stellar positions in official astrometrics are given in Arrene Standard, here translated to modern standard light-years for viewer comfort.

NOTABLE LOCATIONS (clickable)

|      X,    Y,    Z | STAR ID     | PLANET    | NOTES

|      0,    0,     0 | Aa Rithel    | Argost         | Capital of the Dominion

|   -14, -17,   49 | Osuna       | Serenity      | Homeworld of the Ygiv

|    85,  36,   75 | Paza          | Hokushoku | Homeworld of the Hoku

| -130,   -5, -50 | Ou'Papa    | Ma'Okar      | Homeworld of the Saffi

|    98,  67,   28 | Udun         | Dheghom    | Capital of the Pancalestia

THE ARRENE CORE

|      0,    0,     0 | Aa Rithel    | Argost        | Capital of the Dominion

|   -15,   -3,   -3 | Endreka     | New Horizon | --

|     -1,  13, -12 | Nizel           | Hardpoint      | major hoku population in the core

|      2, -15,  13 | Festar         | Radiant         | --

|   -22, -18,  25 | Thosuo       | Tributary        | --

|    28, -15,  28 | Forzai         | Far Haven     | --

|   -14, -17,   49 | Osuna       | Rihuta          | Homeworld of the Ygiv

|   -11,   -7,   70 | Kaegaels   | Stormport      | Former Ygiv extractivist colony

THE HOKU EXPANSE

|    85,  36,   75 | Paza         | Hokushoku     | Homeworld of the Hoku

|    98,  52,   75 | Ninetali     | Sideshoku        | a stormy world

|    91, 117,  91 | Kotalizapa | Voliloshoku      | major moon of a trojan brown dwarf

|    93, 94,  100 | Anaya      | Anaya              | Homeworld of the Nan-Nan

|    73,  21,   76 | Muhori      | Muhori              | oldest Hoku colony, quadruple system

|  134,  62,   59 | Dekutali    | Dekushashoku | an icy world

|  139,  19,   98 | Kakaili      | Qekohoshoku   | Former Chelok colony, oceanic tropical

THE QIRE SPACE

|   -66,   -8, -66 | Qirurtar     | Wayfarer's Orb | A hydrogen mining station around a gas giant

| -105, -19, -34 | Riterkor     | The Nightforge | Qire mining station?

|   -94,    9,  18 | Olgur         | The Hothouse  | Qire colony?

|   -81,   -2,  49 | Surtirte      | The Dustworld  | Qire starport?

| -130,   -5, -50 | Ou'Papa   | Ma'Okar           | Homeworld of the Saffi

THE PANCALESTIA

[click here for the comprehensive list (29)]

OTHER LOCATIONS FOR SPATIAL REFERENCE

|   80, -155, 160 | Coalsack N. | --                | Major cold molecular cloud ~60ly wide

| 229, -521, 467 | HD 117207   | Iir'rinr'ta   | Homeworld of the Raydee

| 284, -546, 556 | The Cradle  | Nam Arde | Forgotten homeworld of the Chelok

| 283, -544, 533 | Alpha Cen.   | --                | Closest star to the Sun

| 290, -540, 563 | Eps. Eridani | --                | --

| 290, -539, 563 | Tau Ceti        | --                | --

STELLAR POPULATION

While largely obscured by the Coalsack Nebula when seen from the Earth, it is possible to spot about ~270 of the 450 giant stars that populate the region (no seriously, it's cataloged.)

Extrapolated data from local surveys suggests the Dominion contains 69 ±4 thousand stars within its 240-light-year-wide volume. By type they are:

        53,000 red dwarfs

        9,000 orange dwarfs

        5,000 late Sun-like stars

        2,000 early Sun-like stars

        400 bright stars

        5 blue giants

        + 8,000 rogue brown dwarfs 

        + 890 white dwarfs

        + 450 bright evolved stars

When compared to the solar vicinity, the average Dominion sector contains about 10x more bright stars, namely evolved stars such as blue subgiants and red giants, due it being contained within the meeting point of star-forming regions.

Needless to say, traveling across this space is like going through a crystal chandelier. The brighter population of which serves rightfully so, as reference 'lighthouse stars' for astronavigation by its inhabitants.

This angle clearly frames all four domains of the Dominion's civilized systems, here UP is north from the capital Argost.

REGION HABITABILITY

The Dominion stellar catalogs register about 58,000 star systems contained within the spheroid. From which 5,700 systems may contain at least one Earth-sized planet in its habitable zone - its estimated that from those planets, 600 of them exist around Sun-like stars (high-mass K to low-mass F) as rocky planets. If distributed at random, they could be separated by ~25 light-years from each other.

Only five planets across the Dominion are known to have independently produced technological civilizations. These are Anaya, Argost, Ou'Papa, Hokushoku, and Rihuta.

Statistically speaking, it would be expected to exist about 40 exoplanets with an ESI of 0.90 or higher, and at least another ~150 worlds scoring 0.80-0.90 - which is very relevant given all four local species originate from Earth-analogues (technically speaking). Less than a quarter of these theoretical paradise worlds have been identified, however.

Most frontier populations live in the few rocks scoring 0.70-0.95 right next to their homesystems, depending on specific infrastructure tolerances, that means traveling 20-100 light-years on average in between colonies.

Although, simple and 'inferior' forms of life aren't necessarily that rare either. A very common type of ecosphere that can be found in the Dominion is the 'Proterozoic Earth-Analogue'.

A recurring frustration among xenobiologists is the tendency for unrelated complex ecosystems to repeatedly evolve crustacean-like body plans. This has proven beneficial to travelers, who consider "find the local crab" a remarkably reliable survival strategy.