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Designation: RA-96 (Iskoin/Isko)
Psychological Human Likeness: 0.4
Affiliation:
(Bagnio Sultanate - Consortium)
(United Clans of Isko - GT)
Painting of a naked Iskoin Hunter with warrior scar carvings. Image taken from B. M. Henry's Guide to Interspecies Relations.
The Isko or Iskoin are a race of hermaphroditic chitinous vigintiduopeds1 with iridium-based blood, originating from the Heurískō System located within the California Nebula.
Biology
Heurískō Prime's ecosystem has low biodiversity due to a past mass extinction event. Due to this event, most ground-based, non-aquatic, and plant-analog species share a common ancestor called Serpens Antique. This ancient lifeform was a non-sapient hermaphroditic sea snake-analog with iridium-based blood, giving it a unique blue shade. While this species went extinct 2.5 million years ago, its biological and behavioral qualities have permeated throughout its modern progeny. The Iskoins, a predominant example, exhibit physical and social masculine behavioral characteristics to avoid being taken as a mate by possible rivals.
The sapient insect-analog-like body plan of an Iskoin has evolved to accommodate these aggressive behaviors. From head to toe, an Iskoin body consists of muscular segments shielded in a chitinous shell. The total length of an Iskoin ranges from 15ft to 17ft long2. Across its body, the twenty-two tapered legs provide considerable grip and penetration strength while traversing almost any terrain. The uppermost legs of an Iskoin terminate into a pair of blade-like arms, giving it a naturally offensive weapon used for grappling and slashing. A second pair of smaller arms just behind the first are used for more delicate operations, such as manipulating objects and tools. Iskoins operate off a typical carbon-water-based physiology. However, its iridium-based blood gives Iskoins superior oxygen bonding properties compared to other aliens with iron or copper-based blood. This unique evolutionary adaption gives Iskoins heightened endurance levels even in low oxygen environments and a dark-blue shade to their blood, distinctive from all other cataloged lifeforms.
Iskoins and their related species have evolved extreme adaptations to locate and extract the limited iridium in their environment. When an iridium-bearing asteroid crashes into the planet's surface, specialized plants start growing from the iridium-enriched soil and rock, concentrating the iridium in their fruits, rendering them irresistible to Iskoin life. All life on Heurískō Prime has developed specialized eyes that perceive the world in a one-dimensional line, scanning their surroundings by rapidly sweeping back and forth more than a dozen times per second. With their single-dimensional vision, they can split incoming light using a biological prism behind the lens, projecting a spectrogram onto the free second dimension of their retina. These adaptations allow Heurískōin life to identify the spectral lines of iridium or any other element in any containing substance. Due to this unique form of vision, Iskoins perceive a unique primary color for every individual element, enabling them to determine the elemental composition of a substance simply by looking at it.
Technology
Photograph of Heurískō Prime, the Iskoin Homeworld.
Capable of visually seeing the differences between minerals' atomic and chemical makeups, the Iskoins have a self-proclaimed reputation for being naturally gifted metallurgists. Many of the alloys made for Iskoin technologies are considered incredibly pure, surpassing even some of the Galaxy's most advanced refinery processes. It was believed that Iskoins subscribed to a design philosophy of beauty through alloy quality, seeing the patterns in metal that no other alien could. While such traditions persist in small forge guilds, recent economic demands on the Iskoin global market have pushed manufacturers to prioritize functionality above craftsmanship. Within the California Nebula and regions beyond, Iskoin tools, firearms, and medical devices have gained them an unfavorable reputation. Due to their affordability, Iskoin tech has risen in favor amongst economically underdeveloped planetary regimes, interstellar crime syndicates, and space pirate coalitions, thus furthering the stigma.
While the Iskoins were classified as advanced aliens capable of FTL travel in the past, their modern incarnation lacks any such method of superluminal travel. Possession of any such device is prohibited, which has forced Iskoins to take drastic action. To accommodate this lack of mobility, Iskoin engineers have constructed a drive classified as a NSWR (Nuclear Salt-Water Rocket). The mechanisms involved water saturated with uranium salt pumped from a nozzle at supersonic speeds into a reactor. The nuclear explosive force of the NSWR can accelerate any ship to near-lightspeed at the threat of causing severe health complications to anyone unshielded from its radioactive flame. Through this mode of transportation, Iskoins ferry resources and personnel across the many worlds within their star system.
History
The History of the Iskoin people is mired in legend and mostly lost to time. However, a few metallic monuments, temples, and carvings uncovered through excavation efforts have revealed a complex series of events that have culminated in constructing the modern-day incarnation of Iskoin society.
The Brass Age
At Digsite 26, two skeletons were found, both showing signs of broken shells. One skeleton held a brass-tipped spear in its hand, which had impaled another clad in armor. The spear and armor were heavily adorned in an ancient script recounting the history of the two peoples who had battled over 50,000 years ago. It is believed the conflict was waged over a marital dispute that had been years in the making. The following information was gathered from the carvings in both sets of brass equipment.
Some centuries before the battle, the two warriors had competed in naked, unarmed, low-stakes, mock fighting. The nature of such sparring matches was to gain the affection of a third party believed to be the ruler of the lands eons ago. The two love-stuck warriors would endlessly battle each other, continually ending their battles in bloody draws. Such would be their life for forty-six moons until, on the forty-seventh, the armor-clad warrior learned of a plot to kidnap the ruler and force them to wed the assailant. Suspecting their rival was behind the dishonorable and cowardly plot, the armor-clad warriors schemed a plan. They went directly to the ruler and killed them with a single slash of their brass-tipped arm. When the spear-wielding warrior realized what their foe had done, they raised an army and reinforced their brass spear to challenge this belligerence. On the eve of the battle, while the usurper was tending to the blast furnace, they had an epiphany. Within the colorful, beautiful swirls of their breastplate, they saw the face of their sworn foe. Taking this as a sign, they believe the indisputable love of their life had been, ironically, their sworn adversary. They vowed then and there before a legion of troops that the spear-wilder would be their bride by sundown. At the same time, the spear wielder came to a similar conclusion. Beginning to believe that the armor-clad warrior had never truly loved the ruler of the lands, they rationalized that the killing was only done so nobody could come between the two. Both warriors figured they were meant to be together and would live together until death, but only once the other combatant submitted to their martial skill.
Neither party would leave the aftermath of that conflict. Similar incidents were common at the time, with many other archaeological sites showing a comparable pattern of confrontations between two Iskoin groups, ending in both sides suffering violent deaths. These events were so prevalent that Iskoins created myths of curses connected to the use of brass blades. Some even believed the spirits of the slain resided within the weapons, pushing their wilder to kill and die in needless conflicts. However, historians now understand that the increase in such violent encounters was due to the advancement of metallurgy and the spread of brass tools. In prehistoric times, Iskoins primarily relied on physical strength to assert dominance. Utilizing brass allowed weaker Iskoins to protect themselves against unwanted advances, increasing the likelihood of a fatal confrontation, as was demonstrated in the conflict between the spear-wielder and armored warrior.
The Iridin Age
Many Iskoins consider the Iridian Age a golden era, and many clans in Heurískō Prime still recall and retain records from this time. While much of the Iridian Age has been exaggerated, there is a degree of truth and evidence to support the claims made by those who still follow Isko's teachings.
Roughly four thousand years ago, the ruler of a forgotten land would be defeated in single combat against an invading challenger. The ruler conceded their throne, their many wives, and the loyalty of their clan. They, however, begged the invader to spare them personally. The invader refused, for it's believed today that the invader's true goal was to wed the ruler. After the invader had solidified his marriage, they were stabbed through the back by their newlywed. While acts of defiance like this had been documented, none was as public and spectacular. With the new ruler's death seen as an act of the highest betrayal, the Iskoins demanded retribution. For their crimes, the prior ruler was skinned alive, their exposed skin then drenched in molten iridium to complete the mutilation. The old king would be named Anax of Isko, "King of Nothing," and banished into the desert wastelands surrounding the kingdom.
During their long and torturous stroll through the desert wastes, the Anax encountered a bright light in the sky that spoke to them. The Anex later told his followers that the light had instructed them to travel north to the City of Lost Things. The light commanded the traveler to find this utopia in ruins and reclaim it. The wandering King of Nothing encountered three ethereal voices along the arduous pilgrimage. These lights claimed to be spiritual guides who would bestow eternal truths. As long as Iskoins pledged themselves to the righteous path, they promised their otherworldly protection. Modern skeptics of the legend believe the three apparitions were products of Anax of Isko's mind, but devout believers hold his visions as absolute truth.
The land was barren when the Anex reached the City of Lost Things. Years ago, its soil was stripped of its scarce iridium. All that would be found in the city was an open-air slave market within the ruins of an ancient temple. Enraged at this blasphemy, the Anex of Isko stormed the market stalls, proclaiming they had committed a grave transgression. The city's current ruler ordered his guards to slay the foreign interloper. Yet, every attack against the Anex of Isko ultimately failed in some way or another. Soon enough, the Anex of Isko would willingly appear before the city ruler, demanding the relinquishment of all slaves and ending the king's tyrannical rule over the city. As the monarch laughed and arose from their throne, they supposedly dropped dead. The legend goes that a bright light enveloped the room, and when it evaporated, the city's ruler was no more. However, skeptics theorize that the city ruler had suffered a fatal and untimely heart attack upon getting up.
With the ruler gone and their guards awestruck, the Anex of Isko appointed himself the new ruler. With no one challenging the Anex's otherworldly might, all slavery would be banned in the City of Lost Things. Additionally, the Anex would teach those liberated to follow a radically new line of thought where no Iskoin would take another as a slave or force themselves upon others. Additionally, nurturing children would become the duty of the whole community. When the Anex of Isko died from their wounds, their followers cut their prophet's body in three pieces and buried them around the City of Lost Things. In the years to come, vegetation would return to the lands, and the city would become a holy place for all those who followed Isko's path.
The words of Isko would spark a cultural and philosophical paradigm shift within the psyche of all Iskoin who heard it. Over 800 years, this ideological renaissance would spread throughout most of Heurískō Prime. Due to a stable and unified family structure, more information and lessons were retained and passed on from previous predecessors. Children born under the Anex of Isko's System would be educated for the first time. Many warrior kings in this era attempted to squash the cascade of slave revolts, but all would eventually fail. As generations passed, those "Clan Cities" that pled their loyalty to Isko's utopian dream would technologically surpass their barbaric rivals. Most of the globe had been unified near the end of this era. Additionally, the term Isko, which had once meant "the nothing," shifted its meaning, now synonymous with "the people."
The Dark Age
Living standards reached an all-time high at the peak of the Iskoin utopia roughly five thousand years ago. While only a few Iskoins had ever maintained pieces of history that painted a picture of the Dark Ages, the collective effort of historians would piece together what they could. Hidden archival bunkers and time capsules discovered during this era confirm those sparse tales that survived. Through interstellar historical recovery efforts, the truth behind what happened at the height of Iskoin society and how it had fallen apart so quickly would come to light.
The liberation wars against the few remaining slave-owning despots had been going well. Once the last tyrant fell, their freed slaves willingly joined the interconnected cities loyal to Isko. Many Iskoins would proclaim in the streets and headlines that they had achieved world peace. On the eve of their planetary celebration to commemorate this monumental accomplishment, two aliens from an unknown race landed in the middle of The City of Lost.
First contact was quite a joyous experience for both parties. That ended when the interlopers revealed that, despite their crew's differing appearances, they all came from the same alien race. It was mainly the sexual dimorphism between males and females that made them look so different. The existence of a lifeform with predetermined sex and family roles did not fit within the Iskoin moral framework. For days after the celebration, the world had entered a standstill as global leaders, scholars, and scientists debated the meaning and validity of their ideals. It was ultimately decided that the Anex of Isko's words were true, as they had created a utopia. However, if the words of their prophet could not be changed to incorporate aliens, then Iskoins would have to compel all life to conform to their view of reality. Thus, it was decided that all technological efforts should be dedicated to achieving faster-than-light travel, just like their alien intruders. Once the prototypes were tested, clan rulers wasted no time constructing a massive interstellar armada. The Iskoins would launch their galactic jihad, confident that they could bring the word of Isko and their family structure to every world, just as they had on their own.
The first battles were ultimately successful for the Iskoins, and dozens of worlds within and around the California Nebula began to fall under their dominion. However, many of the species conquered by the Iskoin needed help to grasp the philosophies of the Anex of Isko. No alien the Iskoins met could reproduce with them, making sharing Iskoin family values impossible. Furthermore, the Iskoins found no sapient hermaphroditic life like they were. As a result, many Iskoins on the frontline became disillusioned with the Anex of Isko and his teachings. It did not take long for entire fleets to revert to the old forbidden ways, believing that the Iskoins, as an intrinsically mighty race, had the moral right to make weaker aliens submit before them.
In time, these roaming bands of barbaric Iskoin slavers grabbed the attention of powerful forces. One hundred and forty-seven years into their jihad, the Iskoins would invade a serfdom world ruled over the Karzyioe Empire. While this enigmatic empire was not obligated to defend their vessel, the Karzyioe intervened. The war between both interstellar Empires was short-lived, as the Iskoins stood no chance against the technologically advanced Karza. The Iskoin jihad would end, their conquered worlds returned to their previous owners, and their people enslaved to their new Karza overlords. All research into faster-than-light travel was destroyed during this time, and their ideological utopia would collapse. While the Iskoins were ordered to recall the armada so their FTL drives could be destroyed, many admirals went rogue, never to be heard again. Ultimately, the Karzyioe Empire offered the Iskoin people a fair deal. In exchange for repaying their debts owed to all wronged parties and outlawing any attempt to recreate FTL, they would be permitted to join the newly formed Galactic Treaty (GT). Fearing retaliation against them for the future actions of the Iskoin Armada, the Iskoin leaders of Heurískō Prime agreed and joined the GT.
In the coming years, with many Iskoins forced to return from their conquered territories, the Heurískō System became overpopulated. Any ability to produce comfortable living spaces would be negligible, as most profits were allotted to paying reparations to the GT. With these conditions plaguing the lives of every Iskoin, the Heurískō System devolved into a warzone. Those loyal to the Anex of Isko and their dream frequently engaged in endless gang wars over minor ideological disagreements. Heurískō Prime's Moon would fall under total control of a long chain of warlords, each claiming to be the actual reincarnation of Isko.
A lot of the data around this time would be lost forever. Only alien outsiders spying or monitoring the Heurískō knew of the events that would transpire next.
With access to the galactic market, what remained of the governmental body did its best to ensure the Iskoin people could survive through honest business ventures. Unfortunately, most attempts to sell high-quality alloys failed as their reputation as bandits tarnished their enterprise's credibility. With no FTL travel, Iskoins outsourced their delivery and advertisement sectors to third parties, most of whom exploited the situation to take a massive chunk of total profits. As the economy spiraled into debt and real estate sold off to alien interests, many Iskoins within the already overpopulated system were forced into horrific living standards. On some moons in the Heurískō System, slave markets would make a return, many of which would be chartered by alien criminal organizations. While comparatively small within the system, the slave trade would boom in the far-off regions of Consortium space. The children of the rogue Iskoin jihad fleet, with no ties to the teachings of Isko, would form the Bagnio Sultanate, a for-profit alien trafficking organization. Through their proactive marketing efforts, the Sultanate established the Iskoin species as the model slave, synonymous with "luxury concubine." While those who managed the Bagnio Sultanate would live extravagantly, the remainder of their species would suffer from starvation and the disfavor of being regarded as products.
The Modern Age
In the year 14 AE3, the GRPC began to suffer a budgetary strain. Looking for a cheaper alternative to buying off the galactic market, the GRPC took an interest in direct purchases, cutting out the middlemen and avoiding the costly shipping fees. At the time, the ill-equipped Galactic Rangers required firearms, which GD BOND calculated could be bought directly from the Heurískō System for a bargain. During the finalization procedure with the largest Iskoin forge guild, GD BONDS offhandedly brought up the nature of his birth. When asked to elaborate by Iskoins, he explained that he was part of an advanced gene splicing program used to repopulate the Human race. When asked if the process could be used to create Alien hybrids, GD BONDS theorized that it was hypothetically possible, as long as both aliens involved were carbon-water based, like a Human and Iskoin.
Unknown to the Galactic Director or the GRPC, this random inquiry would be brought before the leaders of Heurískō Prime to reconsider the Anex of Isko's values. In but a single night, the scholars and leader concluded that if Iskoins could reproduce with aliens such as Humans, they could be made to fit within the scope of Isko's worldview. The planet leader offered another deal before GD BONDS could leave Heurískō Prime. In exchange for 50% off on all Iskoin firearms and tools, the GRPC would give them hybridized gene-splicing technology. Refusing to pass up on the deal of a lifetime, GD BONDS accepted the trade and left the planet.
Four years later, on 18 AE4, the GRPC was called back to the Heurískō System to renew their weapons contract. To their surprise, the previously warring factions throughout the star system had unified. This new governmental body, the United Clans of Isko, explained that during the GRPC's absence, they had unlocked the secrets by which they could splice two entirely different aliens' DNAs together in vitro, creating a new hybrid offspring. In the eyes of Iskoins, this breakthrough proved that the Anex of Isko was right all along, opening the door to Iskoin/Alien relations. The United Clans of Isko promised that from here on, they would support the GT openly and join the GRPC, supplying them with willing recruits. As of today, 16% of all active combat-focused Rangers are Iskoins. Additionally, the stigma around the Iskoins in the GT space has begun to subside, allowing metallurgist to market their goods to a broader market. Thus, conditions amongst the Iskoin people within the Galaxy have slowly but steadily improved.
Culture and Psychology
The cultural and psychological mindset of Iskoins is quite ordinary despite their aggressive nature. In the mind's eye of an Iskoin, all social interactions and systems must exist within three linked groups. Due to their hermaphroditic nature, Iskoins could not rely on any pre-defined sex role to define their place in a hierarchy. As such, Iskoins instinctively understand that they must fall into one of these three roles, ensuring social stability.
For a long time, the Iskoin mindset was focused primarily on a "might makes right" outlook, like many of the wildlife on their homeworld. During the prehistoric era, the cultural and psychological status quo shifted slightly, mandating that individuals would become rulers, slaves, or outcasts. Typically, at this time, Iskoins would abandon their children at birth, as it was considered normal behavior to avoid children until they reached maturity. As for the adults, the roles of breeders and rulers blurred as technology allowed those weaker to assist their dominance. In the late Brass Age, the three classes of society demanded tyrannical enforcement via violent enslavement to maintain.
While the old order was radically challenged and destroyed during the age of the Anex of Isko, his radical ideals were still a part of the ternary mindset. This era of social enlightenment aided Iskoins by acknowledging that they saw the world in a three-group social structure. This internal realization allowed this new system to adapt to the growing need for a culture that informed youth how to use technology responsibly. Its solution was forming a new order involving the fatherly guide, motherly nurturer, and child learner. The flaw in this new outlook was its ethnocentric nature, not involving ideological or physical outsiders.
When aliens introduced themselves to the Iskoin social order in the Dark Ages, the three social positions were stretched to their ideological breaking point. The Iskoin mind attempted to reconcile the existence of foreign lifeforms, especially those placed into the male or female category, into some classification. The forced nuances of such a narrow reproductive-focused worldview were ultimately impossible. However, with the advent of gene-splicing technology, any alien could play the role of mate or child to an Iskoin and vice versa. Through this technological development, the Iskoins could maintain their natural outlook on society while integrating other life forms into theirs.
Roles and Ranks
United Clans of Isko Roles:
Sub-Anex of Isko
The Sub-Anex is the temporary ruler of the United Clans of Isko and the Iskoin people. Chosen at random, the Sub-Anex operates as an honorary interpreter tasked with bridging the people's desires and the words of their prophet, the Anex of Isko. The Sub-Anex must be a patriarch, as it's culturally accepted that only a warrior's spirit can channel the Anex of Isko. In addition to talking over unruly members during the clan gathering, the Sub-Anex's duties also involve beating up the rowdy, cussing out hostile aliens, and impressing allied parties with physical feats. While the Sub-Anex role is technically recognized by many aliens who've interacted with the Iskoins as a defined role, the Iskoins claim that it is more of a subset position that all Patriarchs are expected to uphold at a moment's notice.
Patriarch
Once an Iskoin reaches peak maturity, they can legally enlist in the GRPC. Upon enrolling, the Iskoin becomes an honorary Patriarch, unless grandfathered in, no longer required to participate in maternal matters. However, once the GRPC arrives to transfer enlistees, the honorary Patriarchs must report to the recruitment office. Failure to do so is considered a crime in most Iskoin clans, and punishment can vary widely. Once the Iskoin is in the hands of the GRPC, they undergo Cadet training. Once they are deemed ready for field combat, the Iskoin Cadet is sent to accompany a Ranger for one standard tour of service, ranging from four to ten years. Once their term has concluded, the Iskoin Cadet is promoted to Ranger and given property in a semi-habitable world. If an Iskoin returns to the United Clans of Isko and presents his Ranger identification, he is awarded the role of Patriarch. As an official Patriarch, the Iskoain is legally allowed to impregnate other Iskoin with their consent, hold positions of power in the clan, and even gain the privilege of being selected as the Sub-Anex of Isko.
Additionally, aliens within the GT are believed to be Patriarchs regardless of their sex. While this status does not grant GT members power in Iskoin society, they will be respected as ordered by the new interpretations of Isko's Laws. This status includes many other benefits, including the permission to marry an Iskoin if they best them in combat.
Matriarch
If an Iskoin reaches maturity and refuses to join the GRPC, they will be classified as a Matriarch. It is generally considered the duty of Matriarchs to birth offspring. However, with the influx of activity and lack of living space in Iskoin Clan Space, Matriarchs are expected to take on other maternal matters. The education and upbringing of Iskoin children who lose their parents in conflicts, such as gang raids, are considered the responsibility of other Matriarchs in the community. Additionally, most Matrirchs are still expected to carry out most domestic, commercial, and physical labor within the clan. While a Matriarch can relinquish their position at any time by joining the GRPC and serving under a Ranger, the likelihood that this occurs drops exponentially over time.
Although the adversaries of the United Clans of Isko differ significantly in anatomy and physiology, the Iskoins' limited social structure has labeled them all as Matriarchs. Being designated as a female still does not permit Iskoins to levy unwanted harm upon others. Should a foreign alien adopt the Anex of Isko's law, they may even be offered the chance to marry an Iskoin. However, if the enemies of the clans do not adhere to Isko's path, a great deal of violence is permitted to be inflicted upon them.
Larvae
When an Iskoin hatches from its clutch, it is expected to participate in multiple learning-based activities. In the United Clans of Isko, it is customary for the clans to have young Iskoin Larvae fight small and aggressive animals. While the Iskoin newborns would be expected to fend for themselves in the past, many of these mock battles are monitored by a Matriarch and Patriarch. To ensure every Larva has the chance to grow into a patriarch should they choose to, great care is taken to train them in combat as soon as possible.
Bagnio Sultanate Roles:
Prime Sultan
The current ruler of the Bagnio Sultanate is an illusive Iskoin who hides behind multiple fake identities. While it's believed they are a descendant of one of the admirals in the rogue Iskoin jihad fleet, that is purely speculation. What is known is that the Prime Sultan manages a cabal of powerful Iskoin crime lords, acting as a middleman and representative between them and the Consortium High Board of Directors. Financial interests, grand-scale advertisement strategies, and corporate reputation are all duties that fall under the Prime Sultan's jurisdiction. The Sultan accomplishes such a broad reach via his harem of Sultana.
It's also theorized that Consortium High Board members are considered Prime Sultans within the Bagnio Sultanate. While it's doubtful this misinterpretation of a business relationship goes deeper than a simple profit venture for the Consortium, some rumors suggest that some board members have begun to indulge in pre-Enlightenment Iskoin cultural practices.
Sultana Intercessors
Under the rule of the Prime Sultan, there is a legion of enforcers and servants of the Sultan. In addition to performing personal services, the Sultanas are expected to carry out a wide array of administrative and logistics operations throughout the Galaxy. These business ventures typically involve procuring, conditioning, shipping, and selling Iskoin slaves. However, with the GRPC and United Clans of Isko at empties to crack down on the slave trade, the Sultana has begun branching out, selling alien slaves from primitive worlds.
In addition to the Prime Sultan's underlings, multiple business partners have been labeled Sultana Intercessors. While little is discussed regarding the interactions between these alien investors and the Prime Sultan, some rumors suggest a greater intimacy than simple joint business ventures.
Concubines
Slaves of the Bagnio Sultanate. While many Concubines in the Sultanate are Iskoin, recently, the organization has begun branching out its interests. In the past, such slaves were collected through colony raids. However, modern Concubines are sourced from worlds under the occupation of the Bagnio Sultanate and their corporate allies. How the Concubines are acquired depends on the procedures of that specific world. In most cases, Iskoin Concubines undergo foot binding and ritualistic scaring. Based on the trends and analytics of buyers, the Concubine will be immunized against most interplanetary microorganisms, cybernetically modified to survive in different atmospheres, and outfitted with a translator to better serve their new master. When deemed ready for sale, the Concubine will be transported to an auction house in a Consortium-allied world and sold on the interstellar slave market.
Government
United Clans of Isko Government Structure:
Photograph of The City of Lost Things, the current capital of the United Clans of Isko.
The number of clans that uphold the ideals of Isko totals somewhere in the hundreds of thousands. Each clan typically has one to three large family units. Each unit is overseen by a Patriarch, who claims from one to fifty willing partners. While the Patriarch manages most financial and logistic matters within their family, operations within their clan territory are arbitrated by all Patriarchs of the clan. There is no rule of law, code of conduct, or hierarchy between Patriarchs who share a clan except that they follow the teachings of Isko. However, it has been noted several times that Patriarchs settle internal disagreements through displays of masculinity. Such exhibitions vary from clan to clan but have ranged from death-defying stunts, sparring matches, and performing feats of physical or mental strength.
Roughly every solar orbit of Heurískō Prime, 2.2 Endeavor orbits, all clans are called to convene within the central clan chamber in the City of The Lost. As a Patriarchal Demarchy, one gathering member will be appointed to take up the role of Sub-Anex of Isko for that solar orbit. The Sub-Anex will be expected to voice their grievances about the behavior of all other Iskoins, challenge his previous Sub-Anex's actions, and suggest how the Clans should proceed. For the rest of that cycle, the Sub-Anex is expected to tour the clans, interviewing their Patriarchs, Matriarchs, and Larvae to ensure compliance with the word of Isko. The sub-Anex must also represent the United Clans of Isko during GT summit meetings.
Bagnio Sultanate Government Structure:
Illistration of the foot binding measures used by the Sultanate on captured Iskoin slaves.
The Sultanate operates off a top-down corporatocracy managerial structure, which is typical for a for-profit corporation. Within the upper echelons sits the Prime Sultan, the Consortium's High Board of Directors, and highly influential investors. While it's believed that all such figures individually hold equal amounts of power, the High Board and investors outnumber the Prime Sultan and maintain a majority in decision-making. However, inside sources suggest that the High Board takes a carefree approach to managing the Bagnio Sultanate as long as it does not interfere with the Consortium's galactic plans. As for investors, as long as the Prime Sultan delivers on their investment, he's guaranteed free autonomy over the organization.
Be they Iskoin or an alien employee, everyone who answers to the Prime Sultanate is classified as a Sultana Intercessor. While all ranking members are paid well, they lack autonomy or say within the company. Leaving the job is also considered non-negotiable. As such, foreign parties who decided to work for the Bagnio Sultanate tend to come from disparate backgrounds. At the same time, members of the Bagnio Sultanate can challenge the Prime Sultan at any time. Should they defeat him, they are allowed to leave the company. If the challenger fails, they are naturally demoted to a concubine and sold on the galactic slave market.
Diplomatic Procedures
While the GRPC does not engage in alien favoritism, the United Clans of Isko's loyalty to the GRPC has greatly benefited peace efforts through the Galaxy. For this, Captains of the GRPC should be reminded that the Iskoins should not be given praise or admiration, as these are considered signs of weakness. Additionally, it's generally advised that Captains have a minimum of five successful operations under their belt before recruiting an Iskoin to their crew. Gloating about one's accomplishments, specifically those of bravery, heroism, and might, is advised when around an Iskoin. Even if such stories are exaggerated, Iskoins appreciate and feel safe when surrounded by other confident aliens. However, lying about achievements wholesale will push the Iskoins to lose faith in their commanders.
As for Iskoins operating outside the GT, such as the Bagnio Sultanate, multiple diplomatic and hostile operations have been and will be aimed against them. While neither Galactic Treaty law nor GRPC jurisdiction mandates the saving or liberating of Consortium slaves, no law forbids Rangers from taking action. As long as Captains refrain from giving enough evidence for the Consortium to justify an all-out war, the GRPC can continue to deny responsibility in this ongoing underground liberation effort.