Free State of Varn
Due to the volatile nature of Varn and the difference in culture, it has had issues in dealing with the Saurian Empire as a whole, eventually after multiple conflicts cementing itself as a separate yet allied nation to the Saurian Empire. Because of the constant warfare, the culture of Varn has moved away from industry and dived headlong into warfare, to a somewhat alarming extent. Varnian men are trained from the ripe old age of 7 to kill, the women existing only to make food and create more future soldiers. Their entire culture now revolves almost exclusively around war, every soldier eager to travel to distant stars to fight and kill. Those too old to continue fighting effectively are sent back to Varn to collect resources to build, of course, more weapons. In Varn custom, it is considered highly dishonorable to die in any way other than combat, retreating, which will result in an unceremonious execution, even more so. When a Varnian man nears the end of his life expectancy, he is sent out into the barren irradiated wastes of the surface, armed only with a ceremonial blade to face the mutated horrors that reside there, never to return. This is considered one of the highest honors a Varnian soldier can receive. As Varnian culture centers around warfare, their average soldier far surpasses a typical Saurian warrior in combat prowess. The doctrine of Varn seems to be quantity and quality. Another unique thing about soldiers of Varn is their utilization of a special drug, Abyss, found abundantly and exclusively on their planet as a result of the incessant radiation. This drug vastly increases the users adrenaline production, making them much stronger and more aggressive, along with effectively eliminating their ability to feel pain and accelerating and expanding their healing capabilities. This drug is pumped into all soldiers before battle via an IV and vial built directly into their special suits. The drug is highly dangerous and usually fatal to anyone that uses it, but due to their constant exposure to radiation Varnian soldiers are somehow able to safely withstand vast amounts more than anyone else. The people of Varn are not completly immune to this drug however, and have quite a unique reaction when overdosing on it, mutating vastly and turning into vicious hulking creatures, growths of bone jutting out from their skin, but losing the part of thier psyche that seperates them from an animal and becoming extremely aggressive in the process. This fate is intentionally imposed upon those born with birth defects, criminals, and cowardly soldiers. These creatures are utilized by the military of Varn to clear ships and compounds by launching boarding torpedoes that dump them into these confined spaces. Tactics wise, soldiers of Varn often utilize drop pod assaults and flanking maneuvers as well as a focus on charging into melee combat.
Culture
To give a general idea of the Varnian culture, each graduating class of Varnian military officers (a class consists of 3 pupils trained directly in combat by an existing officer) must prove their loyalty and willingness to die for their planet by performing the following ritual: each officer hopeful is presented with a pistol and commanded to aim them directly in the centers of their heads before pulling the triggers in unison. Two of the pistols are loaded with live rounds while the third only with a blank percussion round (though if the pupils do not prove to be prommising enough or are even remotely suspected of treason they hopefuls may be unpleasantly surprised by 3 live rounds). 2 out of the 3 die while the last goes on to become a full officer of the lowest rank, forever with a burn mark scar in the center of his forehead as a reminder of what could happen to him at any moment. Not for sake of fear, but to comfort, as Varnians beleive dying for their nation is one of the highest honors that can be achieved.
Mythology & Lore
The only religion on Varn, which is observed by nearly all of its inhabitants, is Kharjhata. Varnians beleive that every planet in the universe, or at least in Avendora, has a sort of god-like sentient soul. These spirits typically protect their planet and its inhabitants when revered properly, however, Varn's spirit, Kharjha, is a different story. According to Kharjhati mythology, Kharjha was once a just and vigilant god like many others, even falling deeply in love with the spirit of one of Varn's moons, Vishandri. Many many years ago before the Saurian Empire had even entered this galaxy, there was a great war between the gods of the planets when some new god arrived that was not from any planet at all, upsetting the entire power structure of the heavens. When a second newcomer entered the scene from some unknown reality, they began to fight with the first newcomer, dragging the other gods into the melee in their reckless rampaging around the galaxy in their attempt to kill each other. Kharjha, not afraid to fight himself as he was quite a formidible warrior after fighting off thousands of minor asteroid spirits, feared for the safety of his lover Vishandri, and thus obstained from these heavenly battles and barricaded himself at the very core of Varn. Alas, as fate would have it the warring deities eventually happend to crash into Varn at the height of their battle, the pure destructive energey of their clash obliterating one of Varn's moons, the psychic shockwave of which killed both moon goddesses and Kharjha himself. As Kharjha was much more powerful than his moon goddess Vishandri, he survived his agonized death throws long enough to watch his cosmic love be shredded from existance before his very eyes. This sparked a rage in Kharjha that ran so deep that the fires of his fury resurected his shattered soul. He then went on a unholy rampage, slaying many other gods that had failed to protect his love, eventually ceasing when all nearby gods had been slain and he discovered the original newcomer combatants had long gone. With no more purpose, he sunk back into the depths of his planet and slumbered for many thousands of years. When he was finally awoken by some puny mortals descending onto his planet's surface, the depth of his tragedy renewed in his soul and he wished for nothing more than final death. And so, when the mortals began to war amougst themselves as they did so often, he sabotaged his own planet's defenders, allowing their enemies to get so close that their weapons of mass destruction fell on Varn's crust, cracking it badly and slaying Kharjha for the second time in the process. Astoundingly, Kharjha's love and longing for Vishandri was so great, that his soul refused to die yet again, reigniting in the heart of Varn. This is how the entity came to be known by some as the Twice Dead God. Now Kharjha is lost in mindless rage and grief and frustration, making it his personal goal to make sure that since he is forced to endure his torment alone while the other gods still live peacefully on, it is his new purpose to rid them of both their peace and their lives. Maybe when the last god dies, there will be enough peace in the void that he can finally die himself and have to endure his torment no longer.
As there is no joy or love left in this dark god's heart, he sees his followers as mere tools that belong to him by right of being born on his planet. The Varnian people have come to accept this, and while they do not worship and revere him as it would serve to purpose to their god's cold soul, they do have a respecful fear of him and seek to avoid angering or displeasing their frightful overlord.
Founding Date
4/7/812 ASD
Type
Geopolitical, City-state
Formation Type
Training Level
Elite
Veterancy Level
Decorated/Honored
Ruling Organization
Government System
Dictatorship
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Barter system
Deities
Location
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Manufactured Items
Related Species
by Caden Lee
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