(Under Rewrite) Light and Dark Saga

Factions

The Hive:

The Hive, originally known as the (REDACTED), are a macabre, incredibly ancient species of arthropod-like aliens hailing from the world of Fundament, aligned with the [REDACTED] and the Black Fleet. Their entire culture is based around the Sword Logic; a supernatural, thanatological philosophy of competitive survivalism, which dictates that they must destroy other civilizations in order to accrue paracausal power and feed the Worms that live within their bodies. Along with the [REDACTED], they are led by a pantheon of dark gods, who derive power and sustenance from the destruction wrought by the Hive.

The Sword Logic is the foundation of the entire Hive civilization and its hierarchy. Every Hive must prove itself to become greater, or risk annihilation. This holds true for every Hive, from the tiny Thrall to the Ascendant Hive God-kings.

The central tenet of the Sword Logic is that "existence is the struggle to exist," and that any entity - whether a life-form or a fundamental aspect of nature - which cannot protect itself against defeat should rightfully be destroyed by a more powerful entity. In the context of intelligent beings, the Logic promotes as its ultimate goal the establishment of a systematic, self-proving civilizational structure which can survive until the end of time (and possibly beyond), an end-state often referred to as the "Last True Shape."

The Hive are an "impossibly ancient" race born from a pact with the Worm Gods. Hive structures delve deep into wherever they lay claim to, unheeding of the damage done in the process, crafting linked caverns and gothic-like columns. These underground spaces resemble a dungeon recently pulled up after an extended period underwater. The Hive are able to manipulate the physical world in ways humanity can only begin to imagine, and have witnessed the Darkness consume countless worlds in the past.

The Hive are not an enemy military so much as a rising force. They base their entire existence around the extermination of other forms of life, especially those that follow the way of Light and the Traveler, and approach their task with religious fervor. To the Hive, killing and conquest are not merely acts of war, but of worship.

The Fallen:

The Fallen, known in their own language as the Eliksni, are an insectoid alien species, infamous for being notorious scavengers and raiders. The Fallen are remnants of a mighty civilization from the planet of Riis that had been flourishing under the Traveler's grace until the Black Fleet caused an apocalyptic event called the Whirlwind, much akin to humanity's Golden Age and Collapse. The Traveler fled, leaving the survivors behind, but after many centuries, the Fallen found her once again in the Solar System.

The Fallen are a nomadic race of pirates and scavengers descended from a once-great civilization. This is evidenced by their social organization into various Houses by the manner of meritocratic nobility, the banners and flags of which are still flown like heraldry. The Fallen search the stars for artifacts of their lost civilization. They first arrived in the Solar System after the Collapse, arriving in their massive Ketches to loot and pillage humanity's former worlds, leaving grief and wreckage in their wake.

The Fallen are a nomadic race of pirates and scavengers descended from a once-great civilization. This is evidenced by their social organization into various Houses by the manner of meritocratic nobility, the banners and flags of which are still flown like heraldry. The Fallen search the stars for artifacts of their lost civilization. They first arrived in the Solar System after the Collapse arriving in their massive Ketches to loot and pillage humanity's former worlds, leaving grief and wreckage in their wake.

Fallen depend on a substance called Ether to survive, which only Servitors can produce. Servitors convert scavenged matter and energy, presented to them ritualistically by the Fallen, directly into Ether via unknown processes. While Servitors were revered in ancient times, they have now become a symbol of the degradation of Fallen society and their lost glory. Higher-ranking Fallen get a bigger ration of ether, and more ether allows Fallen to grow in size; this is why Captains are taller than Vandals or Dregs, and why Kells and Archons tower over other Fallen; the Kell of a House controls and distributes ether flow using their own personal Cipher. When a Fallen is killed, a quantity of ether escapes its body and dissipates.