Have you heard of the multiverse theory and perhaps even pondered its plausibility? Have you wondered if these universes are connected? Perhaps even mirrored?
When you journey to one of these ‘mirrored’ universes and into the Apollic Star system, finally you see life like your own. Human civilization built across 5 moons orbiting a colossal sunset colored gas giant named Chimera; which is about the same size as the planet you know as Jupiter. This planet orbits a star named Apollo which has 1.5 times the mass of the star you call the sun, and emits around twice the amount of heat.
As for the earth sized moons which orbit Chimera and house this human civilization, their names are Chione, Vulcan, Janus, Feronia and Elysia. Each with very different civilizations and environments. Beginning with the moon furthest out, Khione.
Khione is a landscape dominated by tundras and taigas and is stuck in an eternal winter. This has resulted in a sparse population, few but very large territories and a general lack of food which has resulted in a reliance on Feronia for feeding the population.
Khione is run by its military which is split into 6 territories:
* Zamorovlasia
* Yggdrilia
* Keribisa
* Vutanunia
* Qahilisa
* Mrozia.
These are led by Chief Sentinels or Glavnyye Strazhi locally, while the entire moon is run by the Marshal. No elections are held and both the sentinels and marshals are chosen by an elite council and serve until their death. The Military overall maintains a tight grip over the moon and is primarily tasked with ensuring public safety, thus crime rates are very low and there is virtually no civil unrest. However, Khione has earned the nickname of “ghost ball” among the rest of the interlunar system for various reasons. One of the aspects is due to the sparse, isolated populations and the brutal cold climate. The other aspect of it is the authoritarian military rule over the people as the people must follow curfews, behavior and movement restrictions and are under constant surveillance. Anyone caught not following the laws are arrested immediately and given a harsh sentence, in some more extreme cases the military government will hold public executions to send a message to the rest of the people.
There is also not much to do in Khione and people are usually stuck indoors for most of the star year depending on their jobs; media and trade from other moons that are not basic necessities are either censored or blocked from entering and overall entry and exit into Khione is heavily restricted. Yet despite this, there is an active black market which deals in banned foreign goods. Khione suffers from an overall low happiness level among the population, mental illnesses, drug overdoses and suicides are common place all across the moon. The lack of natural resources and institutions dedicated to manufacturing, technological innovation has hurt and stagnated the economy and Khione owes a severe volume of debt to the other moons, mostly Vulcan. This has heavily drived the cost of living down across the moon in order to prevent widespread poverty and a low tax rate as the military government can not afford to place more economic pressure on its population which prevents them from being able to spend money on necessities for society.
The vast majority of military government personnel do not enjoy a much higher standard of living either and there is not much of a rich class in the society. When not patrolling, censoring or handing out punishment, the military is often preoccupied with battling very dangerous wildlife which selective pressures resulted in them evolving to hunt humans for food, as well as corrupt military personnel safeguarding black market interests and rogue military androids.
It is theorized the reason for this paranoid government is due to Khione being a primary weapons testing place and host for other military projects for mostly Elysia but at times the other moons. However this is just a theory, historically anyone that has attempted to uncover any secrets are erased from federal records shortly after. Another mystery among the Khionese and the rest of the interlunar system is the climate. Even when it is closest to Apollo, its climate still does not change much and somehow does not really have seasons, always in a tundra-like state. Some believe that the government also hides this, others believe they might not even know the true culprit.
Vulcan is a very technologically advanced moon which has both the largest population in the inter lunar system and is the most densely populated. Power is directly held in the hands of tech corporations.
Vulcan is split into 16 Zones:
* Amatenjin
* Dingdian
* Alcheon
* Neovan
* Kalafan
* Soraten
* Cesitarazi
* Kordavor
* Eatiqasan
* Pythagorania
* Grigorov
* Sangevita
* Ugon
* Adulyade
* Sudirmana
* Koabim
These corporations are led by their chairman - locally named Zhu Xi - and boards of directors. Conflicts and power struggles exist all across the moon, even within the corporations themselves. The formal government is organized by trusts and each trust rules its own zone with its own set of laws and police force. This has resulted in Vulcan often being the hub of technological innovation which is the base of the economy and most new groundbreaking inventions come from Vulcan. Corruption, betrayal, and disappearances are not uncommon within society, especially with the lower classes.
High rise buildings dominate the landscape, but most people live below in small, poorly maintained apartments. All Vulcanish citizens are allowed to carry weapons, due to the high crime rates and the inaction of the corporations. Many citizens have cybernetics, enhancing their physical abilities, however with severe drawbacks when bought for cheaper prices. At some point in the history of Vulcan, androids were commercial products, but their production was banned after an android uprising that almost crippled the megacorporations. The corporations have strict policies of hunting down the remaining androids, who have organized themselves into terrorist groups, dedicated to destroying the megacorporations, and are apathetic towards citizens who are caught in the crossfire.
Janus is a technologically advanced and heavily industrialized moon in the lunar system. Compared to the other moons, it is the most wealthy and has the largest wealth per capita after Elysia; this is due to the very large exports of energy, mass produced technology and finished products which the other moons rely on with the exception of Vulcan. Despite green technology being the norm and fossil fuels no longer existing, wildlife and nature is very scarce. Historically, this resulted in conflicts with several animal groups to which the Janusi have responded with several mass exterminations. Despite the bustling economy, Janus has to rely on the other moons for raw materials and especially food from Feronia. The government declares itself to be a democracy, however the majority of its citizens describe it as a plutocratic senate; there are 10 prefectures which each have 3 senators - totaling up to 30 for Vulcan - which are elected every 6 years and have a 2 term limit.
These are the 10 Prefectures:
* Sombruage
* Erasma
* Sicheria
* Liberatus
* Cartaractus
* Latinaerus
* Regaurem
* Kurryeda
* Salo
* Zul
However many find it odd that the same parties win every election and those parties have ties to very wealthy families who have their other half invested in business. Wealth inequality is rampant across the moon where the wealthy enjoy a long list of privileges which the lower classes do not despite being the source of menial labor. The lower classes see this as a lack of representation which has led to extreme movements, most notably vigilante assassin organizations dedicated to “eliminating” the higher class, despite clashes with the government they are rather discrete and crime rates are determined more by individual acts and levels vary across the moon. Besides the senators, a Supreme Senator is elected once every 12 years and has no term limits to lead the entire moon and serve as the main representation in meetings concerning all of the interlunar system.
Feronia is a very lush green, tropical and mostly rural moon which is home to large biodiversity and geodiversity; there are also plenty of different climates, weather phenomena, biomes and unique geographical features. The Feronian economy has capitalized on this and based their economy off of agriculture, raw material production and tourism. The negative aspects of this is the high amount of wildlife-human conflicts that occur however many areas have adapted either adequate defense mechanisms or in some regards have established ecologically interdependent relationships with the wildlife. There have also been conflicts with competition for different resources, particularly with plants and fungi, however excessive harvesting does not often occur due to surplus and cultural values. The moon is also a cultural hub where several ancient and modern cultures flourish across the moon and the provinces here each enjoy mostly mutually beneficial relationships.
There are 10 provinces which are listed below:
* Quetzalexia
* Platavera
* Tupauzilho
* Glacaterra
* Cudominol
* Broncea Strip
* Verdin
* Archipelago of Aquaraux
* Dezaire
* Isolem Island
However they must function like this to maintain a degree of order as Feronia is generally seen as quite politically fractured, the provinces function more as autonomous political powers with their own systems rather than functioning as a unit. This is due to a lack of power from the central government which does have a president - locally called Presidente - and prime ministers - locally called Ministros - for each province which are elected every 5 years with a 2-term limit. Often, most politicians do not finish their terms and are removed early, arrested or killed due to one of 3 reasons: They are removed by a political entity in the political conflicts occuring in the government between different parties, they are involved in a scandal and are removed to decrease corruption or they are assassinated by an organized crime group. Organized Crime Syndicates - referred locally as Sindicatos or colloquially as Sines - in general are very common in Feronia and have a high degree of power, some of the most powerful ones have control over certain territories.
Feronia has a very high crime rate and has the highest incarceration rate which has led to overcrowded prisons and riot police are a common sight in larger cities. The syndicates form for several different reasons but there are observed commonalities. The foundation of some syndicates comes from an altruistic standpoint as they wish to bring change to the people and serve as a substitute for what has been an ineffective government. Compared to the rest of the interlunar system , Feronia is behind in technological and societal advancement and has the most poverty, only the upper classes really enjoy the active economy. Some of these syndicates smuggle technology and other resources needed for development from other parts of the world. The other reason why they might form is due to the surplus of resources, there are plenty of sources of drugs which the syndicates capitalize on for profit and the more powerful ones have business in other moons , mostly the rich class in Janus. Some syndicates dedicate their time to poaching animals for more resources and for luxurious goods to sell to the higher classes either domestically or to clients on other moons. Some also develop as direct opposition to other syndicates and or the government as they feel they have not been recognized and attempt to act as anarchist groups towards their own goals. The syndicates create civil unrest, hurt public morale, corrupt the government and violate human rights laws enacted by Feronia; they are known for being very violent as conflicts between both the military and other syndicates are very common and often civilian casualties occur. The public view of the syndicates is overwhelmingly negative and the citizens seek to eliminate these syndicates and will cooperate in order to provide peace to their people.
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Elysia, the last moon is the main moon of this inter lunar civilization. Elysia within the interlunar holds authority over the other moons and reaps many of the exports from the other 4 moons. Elysia can be described as nearly identical to the planet you call home; Earth. Except Elysia has one supercontinent which is mostly uninhabited but the Capital of humanity - Arcania - lies right in the center. The Landscape at the center can be best described as ideal for human civilization, with deciduous forest surrounding the capital with a moderate climate and 4 seasons very similar to ones found in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth, specifically areas such as the Northeast United States or Central Europe. A mayor of Arcania is elected every 5 years and there is a 2 term limit. Also in Arcania lies the supreme council of human civilization, consisting of 13 members which are selected by the Elysian government officials, military leaders, scholars and company CEOs and the mayor. The identities of these council members, their activities and further details of council are not disclosed to the public and which information is disclosed is by the mayor of Arcania in public announcements. There are also several small towns in the countryside of Arcania with their own mayors, communities and institutions.
Also in the countryside are several military bases along with a military university, named Arcanian Vanguard Academy, often abbreviated AVA. Students from all across the inter lunar system come to apply to take the entrance exam however only the top 1% of scorers are admitted. The main 2 groups of people that attend are either training to become super soldiers or aspiring researchers who must commit a large portion of their research to the military. Anywhere beyond the countryside outskirts of Arcania is dense, uninhabited forests and several different landscapes all across the supercontinent which are also uninhabited.
The Elysian Military and AVA often act as peacekeepers across the interlunar system and many times are very busy. There are also theories and suspicions from civilians that the military is also battling alien forces however the Arcanian mayor has consistently denied this. Civilians are not allowed past the outskirts, only authorized military personnel occasionally enter. Elysia due to their authority over the moons also acts to unify humanity, one of the most significant means of that is through one interlunar time keeping system, which is centered around Chimera’s revolutions and orbit around Apollo. As a result of the moons being tidal locked to Chimera, the periods of light and dark tend to last much longer which resulted in humans evolving to have sleep patterns depending on the light and dark cycle. The details of which are detailed below.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
1. Gas Giant Day (GD): 24 hours, measured from 0:01 to 24:00
2. Star Year (SY): 365 Gas Giant Days (GD).
3. Light and Dark Cycles:
* Diurna: The period of daylight.
* Noctera: The period of darkness.
* Cycle: The complete term encompassing one Diurna and one Noctera.
MOON-SPECIFIC CYCLES AND TIME ZONES
ELYSIA:
* Cycle: 30 GD (15 GD Diurna + 15 GD Noctera)
* Months in a Star Year: 12
* Hydra
* Fornax
* Einasto
* Indus
* Saraswati
* Pavo
* Ghidorah
* Laniakea
* Dorado
* Centaurus
* Virgo
* Eridanus
* Weeks per Month: 5 weeks of 6 GD each.
* Weekday names:
* Cassiopeia
* Antlia
* Bootes
* Kepler
* Wasp
* Gliese
* Time Zones: 1
Month Structure:
* Week 1: 6 GD
* Week 2: 6 GD
* Week 3: 6 GD
* Week 4: 6 GD
* Week 5: 6 GD
Average Sleep Schedule:
* Diurna (15 GD):
* Sleep: 5-6 hours (e.g., 12:00 to 6:00).
* Active Period: 9-10 hours.
* Noctera (15 GD):
* Sleep: 9-10 hours (e.g., 22:00 to 7:00).
* Active Period: 5-6 hours.
FERONIA
* Cycle: 45 GD (22.5 GD Diurna + 22.5 GD Noctera)
* Months in a Star Year: 8
* Aguila
* Calafate
* Jaguar
* Erable
* Coqui
* Ceiba
* Yerba
* Ravenala
* Weeks per Month: 5 weeks of 9 GD each.
* Weekday names:
* Time Zones: 24 (each representing 3.75 GD or 3.75 Earth hours).
Month Structure:
* Week 1: 9 GD
* Week 2: 9 GD
* Week 3: 9 GD
* Week 4: 9 GD
* Week 5: 9 GD
Example Sleep Schedule:
* Diurna (22.5 GD):
* Sleep: 5-6 hours (e.g., 12:00 to 6:00).
* Active Period: 16.5-17.5 hours.
* Noctera (22.5 GD):
* Sleep: 9-10 hours (e.g., 22:00 to 7:00).
* Active Period: 12.5-13.5 hours.
VULCAN
* Cycle: 60 GD (30 GD Diurna + 30 GD Noctera)
* Months in a Star Year: 6
* Raman
* Tesla
* Jiguang
* Mosharafa
* Phan Kan
* Foton
* Weeks per Month: 6 weeks of 10 GD each.
* Time Zones: 24 (each representing 5 GD or 5 Earth hours).
Month Structure:
* Week 1: 10 GD
* Week 2: 10 GD
* Week 3: 10 GD
* Week 4: 10 GD
* Week 5: 10 GD
* Week 6: 10 GD
Example Sleep Schedule:
* Diurna (30 GD):
* Sleep: 5-6 hours (e.g., 12:00 to 6:00).
* Active Period: 24-25 hours.
* Noctera (30 GD):
* Sleep: 9-10 hours (e.g., 22:00 to 7:00).
* Active Period: 20-21 hours.
JANUS
* Cycle: 75 GD (37.5 GD Diurna + 37.5 GD Noctera)
* Months in a Star Year: 4 (plus partial months)
* Rockefeller
* Bastiat
* Rand
* Shaka
* Weeks per Month: 5 weeks of 15 GD each.
* Time Zones: 24 (each representing 6.25 GD or 6.25 Earth hours).
Month Structure:
* Week 1: 15 GD
* Week 2: 15 GD
* Week 3: 15 GD
* Week 4: 15 GD
* Week 5: 15 GD
Example Sleep Schedule:
* Diurna (37.5 GD):
* Sleep: 5-6 hours (e.g., 12:00 to 6:00).
* Active Period: 31.5-32.5 hours.
* Noctera (37.5 GD):
* Sleep: 9-10 hours (e.g., 22:00 to 7:00).
* Active Period: 27.5-28.5 hours.
KHIONE
* Cycle: 90 GD (45 GD Diurna + 45 GD Noctera)
* Months in a Star Year: 4
* Morana
* Skada
* Erlik
* Agloolik
* Weeks per Month: 6 weeks of 15 GD each.
* Time Zones: 24 (each representing 7.5 GD or 7.5 Earth hours).
Month Structure:
* Week 1: 15 GD
* Week 2: 15 GD
* Week 3: 15 GD
* Week 4: 15 GD
* Week 5: 15 GD
* Week 6: 15 GD
Example Sleep Schedule:
* Diurna (45 GD):
* Sleep: 5-6 hours (e.g., 12:00 to 6:00).
* Active Period: 39-40 hours.
* Noctera (45 GD):
* Sleep: 9-10 hours (e.g., 22:00 to 7:00).
* Active Period: 35-36 hours.
Final 5 days of the year for every moon:
* Epsilon
* Delta
* Gamma
* Beta
* Alpha
Relative to the present day, this time system was enacted 463 years ago once the expansion from Elysia to the other moons was considered complete. Around 500,000 years ago is when the first traces of the earliest humans were observed in Elysia and slowly expanded across the entire continent over the next 200,000 years. However there was a global warming observed on Elysia due to the extensive use of fossil fuels which led to a need to expand outward to create settlements on other moons which were potentially habitable and the next 200,000 years of humanity was spent terraforming the other 4 moons and then building settlements. Over this time, several mass extinction events such as deadly epidemics, rising sea levels, meteor strikes and cataclysmic weather disasters occurred on Elysia which greatly reduced the populations and pushed the population more towards the center of the supercontinent. As a result of these mass extinctions, several records of history were lost and the vast majority have yet to be recovered. 500 years before the new time system is when civilizations on other moons were starting to expand outward and eventually became their own functioning entities with large populations mirroring those Elysia once had. Also during this time is when Elysia was able to rebuild what was left and able to unite under the capital of Arcania and established its rule over the other moon civilizations. To this day, many people have several theories regarding the lost ruins of Ancient Elysian civilization, still unexplored to this day. It was the beginning of year one when Elysia finally established the inter lunar time system for every moon to follow while being able to keep their months and weekdays however had to rearrange them to fit the Elysian standard. Elysia also enforces a standard measuring system referred to as the Elysian system which is identical to the system you recognize as the metric system. The inter lunar currency is the Arcan, which can be broken into 100 Gnosas, however some local currencies might still be used. As of the year 463, here is the current information of moons:
Elysia:
* Capital: Arcania
* Official Language: Elysian
* Current Mayor: Cassia Sallow
Feronia:
* Capital: Viridiscencia
* Official Languages: Feronian, Tupao, Sombraugian
* Current President: Alvaro Ignacio Dominguez Lanzo
Vulcan:
* Capital: Agragami
* Official Language: None
* Current Chairman: Atmaja Tamang
Janus:
* Capital: Geolu
* Official Languages: Elysian, Sombraugian, Sicherian
* Current Supreme Senator: Tanner Vischer
Khione:
* Capital: Perun
* Official Language: Khionese, Yggdrilian, Elysian
* Current Marshal: Yegor Timoshenko
So as the story unfolds, gaze into these multi-colored crystal balls and take the knowledge of foresight with you once the show is complete.
[Author's Note: Do not worry, you do not have to memorize all of this, it will make more sense further in the story. If anything this is meant for reference. Anyways thanks for reading! Any thoughts and feedback would be appreciated.]