The Aeginian Federal Union [BB]

[Aegonian]

General/Intro:

The Aeginian Federal Union, more commonly known as the Aeginian Union, the Aeginian Empire or simply as the Union, is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. The Union is one of the founding bodies of the Elithian Alliance, and is considered one of the largest and most powerful of its members.

The Union's majority species is the Aegi - its founding species - though an increased amount of Dremetons, Hymid, Notix and members of various other species have become Union citizens.


The Aegi - biological information:

The Aegi are a race of bipedal, upright walking primates, who are decendants of the ancient Terrans. Most of their bodily functions have remained quite similar, but some mayor differences are known:

The Aegi have very long, pointy ears, which are much more advanced than the ears of ancient Terrans. Aegi can hear frequencies ranging from only 2 hertz to up to 45 kilohertz, and are much more sensitive, so that they can hear even some of the weakests of sounds. As this can occasionally lead to problems such as pain, the Aegi have developed a system that can 'filter' unwanted sounds.

Another mayor difference are the Aegi's lower arms along with the hands. Where the ancient Terrans had soft tissue covering their lower arms and hands, the Aegi have strong, bony structures. This bony structure prevents cuts and other damage, and provides ample protection against fire. However, the 'inner side' of the Aegi's hands are not covered in this bony structure, as this would prevent the nerves in their hands from working. Instead, it is made of a strong, yet reasonably soft tissue, which too provides protection against cuts and other damage, yet not as much as the bony structure does. Another remarkable change to the Aegi's arms are the bony 'spikes' on their elbows, which do not have any function.
The feet of Aegi are covered in a tissue much like that on their hands, which allows Aegi to travel on otherwise hazardous terrain.

The Aegi also have slightly different oxygen-binding proteins in their blood. These proteins can bind oxygen much more efficiently, and appears blue in color, instead of the red seen in ancient Terrans. This allows the Aegi to stay underwater for much longer, and to reach areas far higher than the ancient Terrans could.

Another mayor improvement is a change in the aging gene, which has allowed Aegi to live for much longer than ancient Terrans. Aegi also stay young much longer, as new stem cells are constantly made and changed into new adult cells. Lost body parts can be regrown as well, but this process can take several Aerii to complete.


Form of government:

The Aeginian Federal Union is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. The Union is a federation of a total of 84 states. The form of government of individual states varies across the board, but the Union itself is governed by three individual entities: the emperor, the senate or first body, and the second body.

Emperor
The emperor is an individual, and the official head of state. The emperor’s actual power is limited in that the emperor is not able to govern the Union directly. Instead, the emperor must approve of all proposals made by the first body.
In case the emperor disagrees with the proposals of the first body, one of two things can happen: the proposal is reviewed and adjusted again, or the emperor steps down and a new emperor is chosen.

The emperor is chosen through democracy. In general, an emperor retains their status for life: a new emperor is only elected when the previous emperor dies, steps down, or is voted to be replaced by the majority of the Union. To apply for the function, an individual must apply to the Board of Governors, the organization in charge of organizing the elections. One of the requirements for application is that the individual must have been a member of the first or second body for a number of years. Having made remarkable contributions to the Union increases chances of being accepted as a candidate.

First Body
The first body, or senate, is a group of representatives from all twelve major Aeginian territories. Each territory may have multiple representatives – based on the size and power of the territory – with the collection of representatives called a senatorial body. A territory, in this instance, can encompass multiple states. Territories are defined both by geographical  location and by shared interests of states. For example, the territory of the Mesaea encompasses all of the Elithian desert states, which are separated in location but unified in interests.

The role of the first body is to review any proposals made by the second body. Only if the first body approves of a proposal can the proposal be forwarded to the emperor. If a proposal is refused, the second body can choose to either review and adjust it, or drop it entirely.

Members of the first body are elected by the people every five years. It is possible for members to be re-elected multiple times, and members are also allowed to join the second body or become emperor if they are so chosen. To apply for membership, an individual must apply to the Board of Governors, the organization in charge of organizing the elections. Having made remarkable contributions to the Union increases chances of being accepted as a candidate.

Second Body
The second body is a group of representatives from all Union states. The number of representatives for each state is based on the relative size and power of that state.
The role of the second body to make proposals for new laws, and to decide on matters important to the entire Union. Matters that only affect a single state are handled by the governing body of that individual state. After a proposal is made, it must be reviewed by the first body and the emperor.

Members of the second body are elected by the people once every two years. It is possible for members to be re-elected multiple times, and members are also allowed to join the first body or become emperor if they are so chosen. To apply for membership, an individual must apply to the Board of Governors, the organization in charge of organizing the elections. Having made remarkable contributions to the Union increases chances of being accepted as a candidate.


Philosophy:

The Aeginian Union is characterised by its love for peace and nature. Descending from the ancient Terran civilizations, the Aegi have seen the destructive effects sentient life can have on the environment, and strive to avoid mistakes made by their ancient predecessors.

As a peace-loving civilization, the Union’s primary goal when dealing with conflicts is to try and prevent the conflict from escalating. Although this is usually done through diplomatic means, the Aegi are also capable and willing to use military force to strike down conflicts.

The Union attempts to remain on the sidelines of any war, unless the majority of the Union believes intervention to be better for the greater good. The Union will strive for active diplomatic participation, but generally remains passive in actual warfare. When the Union does actively engage in a war, it can be a fearsome force thanks to the Union’s technological prowess, and its great size.

As a nature-loving civilization, the Union’s primary goal is to preserve nature whenever possible. When colonizing new planets, the Union will attempt to settle in locations where impact on the local environment will be minimal. The Union also strives to use reusable fuel sources for its ships, factories and everyday life. Solar power and organic fuel are some of the Union’s primary sources of energy. A plant native to Elithia, the Obligen Collens, is capable of converting sunlight into other froms of energy, and is often found powering parts of spaceships. The plant also generates oxygen from carbon dioxide, helping in sustaining a breathable atmosphere within spaceships and stations.


Economy:

The Union’s economy is largely controlled by its government, and all citizens work for the state. All businesses are either directly or indirectly controlled by the state.
Individuals are able to set up their own companies, but in doing so, they become part of the state. The Union is always in charge of product pricing and must approve of whatever actions the company wishes to engage in. In turn, the Union will fund any company, and support it in times of trouble. Profits are shared between government and company in a fair way.
Every individual is provided their basic needs for shelter, food and water, as long as they fulfil their role as a citizen of the Union. This can be done in many ways: an individual may produce products the Union and its people requires, they may provide entertainment, do research, join the military to help protect and preserve the Union and its people, and so on. Individuals who exceed the Union’s expectations are rewarded with additional wages, motivating people to work hard.

People who refuse to do their part for the Union are, eventually, ‘banished’ to live in another nation. As long as the individual moves to another member of the Elithian Alliance, the Union will support them during their transfer. The individual will also always be allowed back into Union territory to visit friends and family, and ‘banished’ individuals are always offered the option to return and reacquire their citizenship.

The Union’s currency is called ‘credits’. Every individual is paid by the Union*, with the base salary for every individual being equal. If a certain job is required by the Union, but too few people apply for this job, the salary for this kind of job is raised to encourage people to take the job. The salary is reset to the universal base a few years after the demand has been met. Individuals who exceed expectations and offer great services to the Union may be rewarded additional salary for a limited time, although this additional salary can never exceed a certain value.
(*Basic needs for shelter, food and water are excluded from the salary. However, people can use their accumulated credits to purchase better housing or more luxurious food, at the cost of being able to spend less credits on other things.)

The emperor and members of the first or second body have salaries equal to those of ‘normal’ citizens, and can also be rewarded additional salary in case of exceptional accomplishments.
Salaries are controlled by the Creditory Board, whose members are elected by the people every few years. The Board has two bodies, much like the first and second bodies of the government, which are in charge of electing individuals for additional salary and reviewing the lections made by the other body.


Military:

TBA


History:

The Aeginian Union was founded by the Aegi, who are descendants of the humans from ancient Terra. In 3466 BA (Before Arrival), Terra was hit by a large asteroid, which destroyed many human civilizations. The destruction caused a scarcity of resources, and plunged the survivors into war. Exactly what happened to the humans after this is unknown, but whatever happened, they never managed to fully recover from the catastrophe. A few weeks before the asteroid hit, several prototype spaceships were launched, which were designed to carry humans to new worlds and ensure the survival of humanity. The spaceships were sent to planets which the humans believed to be potentially inhabitable.

The spaceships were not fully developed, and were in essence still prototypes upon launch. Their construction and launch were rushed to ensure they would leave Terra before the asteroid hit. Therefore, many of these ships experienced malfunctions which caused full system shutdowns or incorrect destinations. Only a few managed to reach their destination with the crew still alive. One of these ships was the Endurance, which was destined for a super-Earth which was in the habitable zone of its star.

The crew of the Endurance was a crew of mixed races and cultures launched around two weeks before the catastrophe. It lost contact with the Terran base a few months after the catastrophe, when the surviving civilizations were at war. During its travels, the Endurance crew used experimental bio-engineering to improve themselves and prepare their bodies for a new world. Several generations lived and died on the ship before it reached its destination.

Upon its arrival in the destined system, then named PT167089, the Endurance started its approach on the sixth planet in the system, PT167089-06. To the crew’s surprise, the planet looked very similar to earth – blue oceans, green surface, and lots of white clouds. Scans indicated that the atmosphere would be breathable, and the landing procedure was initiated.
The landing had to be done manually due to a system malfunction, which resulted in the Endurance crash-landing in the area now known as northern Creon. The majority of the crew survived the landing, and started exploring the planet. The crew quickly discovered several species of planet which were edible, as well as small creatures to hunt, and slowly but surely, the crew started to build a small base on the planet’s surface.

After a few weeks, the crew ran into a sentient species native to the planet – the Dremetons – which, at the time, were still early in their civil development. For several years, the two struggled to live together, but using sign language, the two eventually started communicating. They agreed to peace and created the Elithian Code, a set of laws governing inter-species relationships. The Elithian Code would later be used as the basis of the Elithian Alliance. The human settlers changed their names to ‘Aegi’, which sounded similar to the Dremeton word for ‘friend’ or ‘ally’.

- More content to be added later -

A few years before the Blast, Thelean secret agents had started to infiltrate the Aeginian government. The agents managed to corrupt a multitude of senators, weakening the Union from within. The Theleans intended to weaken the Union in preparation for a large-scale attack, but this attack never came. Instead, the Blast delivered a fatal blow to the Union, destroying most of its infrastructure and fleets.


Culture and others:

The Union has its own official language and alphabet, both of which are a mixture of other languages and alphabets. The Aeginian language and alphabet are heavily influenced by English from ancient Terra, as this was the dominant language amongst the initial human settlers on Elithia. Other Terran languages have also had some influence on the Aeginian language. The Dremeton language has also had some influence on the development of Aeginian language.
The Aeginian alphabet, like several of ancient Terran alphabets, consists of 26 letters. These are, in alphabetical order:

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

The Aeginian language and alphabet are often used for communication between Alliance members, but the language does not have the status of official Alliance language.
The Aegi have two numeral systems, the use of which varies between states. Both systems are based upon the English numeral system from ancient Terra.

The first of these systems is the same as the ancient Terran system. The second works largely the same, albeit with very different names for all numbers. This second system is a mixture between the Terran and Thelean systems, and is often used when communicating with non-Alliance civilizations.

The Thelean system uses seven numbers, from 0 (sero/ono) to 6 (hero). These numbers are; sero/one (0),  ano (1), duo (2), dhero (3), fero (4), pendo (5) and hero (6).
The Aegi have added three more numbers, to resemble the ancient decimal numeral system from Terra. The new numbers are seno (7), ocro (8) and neno (9).

Numbers great than nine are made by adding certain suffixes. Something to note is that none of the numbers uses a 't', whilst all suffixes begin with a 't':
For tens, the Aegi (and the Theleans) use -ten. For example, thirthy would be dheroten.
For hundreds, the Aegi use -tek. An example of a simple number is 200: duotek. More complex numbers can also be made, such as 192: Anotek-nenoten-duo.
For thousands, the suffix -tel is used: Examples are dherotel (3000), ferotel-ano (4001) and ocrotel-nenotek-anoten-seno (8917).

Then come the combinations of suffixes:
For ten thousands, the Aegi use -tentel. A simple example would be 10,000: Anotentel.
For hundreds of thousands, the suffix -tektel is used: Duotektel (200,000), duotektel-anotentel-duo (210,002) and nenotektel-feroten (900,040) are some of the many examples possible.
Millions are single suffixes again: -ton. Examples are dheroton (3,000,000) and senoton-nenotektel-anotentel-duo (7,910,002).
For even greater numbers, more combinations are used: ten millions use -tenton, and for hundreds of millions, -tekton in used.
Then the billions: -tor. After -tor come -tentor (tens of billions) and -tektor (hundreds of billions). An example of the latter is anotektor-duotentor-dherotor-ferotekton-pendotenton-heroton-senotektel-ocrotentel-nenotel-anotek-duoten-dhero (123,456,789,123).

[Aegonian]

I've started rewriting the entire description of the Aeginian Union to reflect the changes I made to them over the years, to fix mistakes and to add more detail. There's still a lot of information missing, and the biological information still has to be reviewed, but the new form of government, philosophy and economy should be largely done now!