Starting Quantum State: The Core State

The Core State is the default canonized setting that presents how different belief structures, values, or ideologies can impact how a culture prioritizes, governs, and grows. The Core State focuses on the untamed Frontierlands of Salt, characterized by wild landscapes with diverse cultures and people scattered across the horizon. There will be courageous adventurers and thrilling tales of heroism for the players to encounter. They will also find many biomes and ecosystems with unique climates, wildlife, and environmental hazards. This world has been scarred by the memories of a technologically advanced progenitive space station of an immense magnitude, destroyed eons ago to form a ring of debris around the planet, pieces of the past crashing into the surface as the ruined Fallen Shards. This setting provides an immersive and exciting experience for all players.

Major and Minor Birthrites are defined as the established cultural practices that influence a population or environment, each robust enough to serve as a stand-alone setting for a Quantum State Campaign. The Core State defines them to categorize better the interwoven effects of different cultures on each other. Major Birthrites are well-established and significantly impact the growth and development of a game setting. Minor Birthrites, on the other hand, are less established and have a lesser impact on the world stage while still possessing definitive traits and characteristics endemic to their beliefs.

Major Birthrites

The Major Birthrites of the Quantum State represent canonized lore's most cohesive or organized civilizations. They control massive swaths of land with the fingers of their influence stretching to the farthest reaches of the globe. Players can encounter their cultures in any setting with their enormous populations intermingled worldwide.

Axis

Axis is a nation-state with no official ruling government and only a single law, as can be read engraved on the Gilded Gate: Commerce Is King. The Thirteen Boroughs of Axis are under the control of countless gangs, syndicates, and corporations with little to no oversight, with most Axians living in the endless pursuit of Bling, a representation of material wealth driven by a cutthroat society that places profit over all else. 

Axis societally believes that a person's value directly correlates to personal wealth, which directly translates to the power at their disposal. The more Bling an individual has, the better, more brilliant, attractive, and virtuous they are, by Axian standards. Axians believe that currency is the key motivator that drives all action. If anyone wants to get something done, it better come with a mountain of Bling. 

Axis's seat of political power lies with the Vermillion Concord (VerCon), a secretive board of thirteen chairs reserved for the wealthiest person from each borough. VerCon is almost always made up of influential executives or ganglords working to maintain total dominion over the Axian Territories and expand their holdings abroad. The Vermillion Concord agreement states that its members will not interfere with operations within each other's territories while operating as a unified force when faced with a threat to Axis as a nation. This agreement has allowed Vermillion Concord to maintain a strong presence across Salt. Their unparalleled manufacturing capacity, supported by a robust network of traders and merchants, has made them a force to be reckoned with. In addition to its political clout, VerCon has significant wealth, which they use to fund various projects, initiatives, and mercenary factions worldwide.

Kronin

Kronin is a society of anarchy and communal living, leaving no member of the populace unaided, while individual expression is suppressed. The scars that run through their land remind them of their history of war and loss. But it is also a reminder of their strength and ability to overcome obstacles. The Kronin are people of great power and will not be denied. They center their lives on what is best for the common good of their people, as determined through the consensus of the Nexus.

Education is a keystone of the Kronin society. From the moment a Kronin child is born, they are placed into the Vocatiary, where they will receive the best education and care that Kronin has to offer. The Vocatiary is constantly monitoring, assessing, and analyzing each child's development to place them into the role that best suits them upon graduation. Krones that are best suited to teach train to become teachers. Those that are best suited to healing train to become doctors. Those ablest to fight train in community defense, and so on, until all community needs are met. This assigned role can not easily be changed or contested - meaning that the education received by each Kronin is vital to their society as a whole.

The people of Kronin are birthed by the Cruxadle, an artificial intelligence at the heart of the Nexus that ensures each new child is engineered to be genetically unique and healthy. Most notably, every Krone born to the Cruxadle possess a Crest adorning their chest, back, and shoulders. Crests are reactive designs, unique to each Krone, that radiate gentle light through their skin in response to specific stimuli or emotional states. A Krone's Crest signifies their connection with the Veil of Ethos, with the Nexus affixed at the true center acting as the nucleus of Kronin. The Veil of Ethos is a network of magick towers, called Ethos Pylons, that relay a constant stream of medical diagnostic data, extracted through the Crest of a Krone and shared with every other Krone within the aura any connected Ethos Pylon. The result is a living, breathing network of people constantly aware of their community members' physical and mental health. In times of conflict, the Krones use the Veil of Ethos to rapidly reach a community consensus on how to move forward, allowing them to collectively make informed decisions based on the well-being of the entire community.

Armistice

The Armistician Empire was forged in the fires of conquest. For a thousand generations, they laid waste to all they encountered, assimilating the defeated into their ranks and purging what was viewed as weak from their culture. The result is an empire that is unrivaled in size and power. But it is not just the size of the Armistician Empire that sets it apart from other nations. It is also how it is ruled. The Armistician Empire is an imperialist stratocracy swayed by the will of the emperor and the four generals sworn to their command. Armistice enforces compulsory military service on its people, fielding the largest standing military while regularly orchestrating expansionist campaigns that enable their empire to hold the most territory of any nation in the world. But what makes the Armistician Empire truly unique is its commitment to excellence. In everything from military might to artistry, the Armistician Empire strives for nothing less than perfection.

The people of Armistice believe wholeheartedly in the saying “might makes right.” They think that if you don’t fight for what you believe in, your beliefs carry no weight. In Armistice, whatever the outcome of a conflict is, that is justice. The people of Armistice are famously litigious and love to turn to their Sparrus Courts to settle interpersonal disputes. Armisticians place a very high value on law, order, and due process. They might even be the most verbose advocates for sobriety in the world. The Empire of Armistice was built on a history of fighting to rule and not kill. If they were to execute everyone they have fought against, the world would be empty. Consequently, they tend to perceive themselves as on the side of fairness and justice.

The central legal doctrine dictates the politics of Armistice: Code of Armana, colloquially referred to as the 'Chain of Honor.' The Code of Armana establishes strict due processes for maintaining civil order, resolving interpersonal disputes, and methods for soldiers to change rank throughout their military career. When an issue escalates to needing a response from an authority, it is brought to the Sparrus Courts, marking the start of a trial consisting of three hearings. If an agreement cannot be reached between the parties by the end of the trial, then the issue is resolved through a duel, where participants (or an advocate on their behalf) agree to engage in a contest where the results declare a definitive winner, ending the trial on the victor's terms. This system ensures that positions of authority within the military are constantly earned and maintained through personal merit and capability.

Requiem

The Holy City of Requiem is a culture focused on the unending journey of self-discovery. The Travelers walk the Path, the setting's dominant religion, seeking out their true purpose in life, believing that they can find true meaning in the world by understanding the complexities of existence. The Path is a religion that helps its followers to stay focused on their goals and maintain a positive outlook on life while ensuring one's decisions are not influenced by doubt, guilt, or regret.

Requiem is Salt's dominant producer of Æthercite, a rare crystalline mineral that, when properly treated, can unlock latent psychic energies within capable individuals. The presence of Æthercite shaped Requiem into the premier hub for sorcery, divinity, and spirituality, hosting influential Travelers from across the world within its many temples. By harnessing the power of Æthercite, Requiem has become a place of mystical power and arcane wonder, utilizing complex magicks to extend the reach of the Path across the world.

Requiem is led by the Pontiff, a living saint whose word brings the divine rule of law, ordained for their wisdom, knowledge, righteousness, and purity of soul. The Pontiff is appointed for life by the sitting Prelate Council, a tribunal of sages, archbishops, and elders representing the dominant sects within Requiem, each with their unique perspective on the Path. In addition to these political institutions, there is also the Holy Templarate, which provides much of Requiem's day-to-day structure. The Templarate is responsible for maintaining public order, collecting taxes, regulating commerce, and administering justice. They are also responsible for promoting unity and orthodoxy within Requis communities.

Minor Birthrites

Minor Birthrites are exciting and unique cultures that have limited influence or control on a geopolitical stage. They might be characterized by factors that can prevent them from having a more dominant presence outside of their homogenized locales. Docents can utilize Minor Birthrites to add depth and lore to any adventure setting, character background, or faction identity.

Homestead

Homesteaders are a hardy bunch, used to living off the land and fending for themselves in the wild Frontierland. They are proud and resourceful people, able to survive in the harshest conditions and make do with what they have. The Homesteaders believe that everyone has the right to live their life as they see fit, without interference from others, typically living outside the protections of the law, instead choosing to practice a personal code of honor derived from their experiences in the world and encounters with outsiders.

Bulleteater

The Bulleteaters are a collection of roving warbands, traders, and pirates that dominate the Northern Dust and the Longtooth Coastline. They are clever and ruthless marauders and inventors known for their deadly war machines and otherworldly fortitude. The Bulleteaters are a veritable horde of tribes and clans, each led by an independent warchief, entirely autonomous from each other but joining as a collective to face (frequent) efforts made to exterminate them. While many Bulleteaters are merciless raiders, more pragmatic clans engage with outside groups to trade and cooperate. Talented individuals have been known to make an incredible impact on the world through their clever inventions and innovations. Bulleteater ingenuity is nothing short of miraculous.

Mercan

The Mercan are proud nautical peoples who dominated the world's oceans for centuries as Salt's most powerful naval force. The Mercan Ariste, or Merchant Princes, wield the might of the Iron Armada to lay claim to all that fall within the range of their cannons.  Every Mercan dreams of attaining princedom or, at the very least, finding a worthy prince to serve. Youthful Mercan often set out to claim fame, fortune, and a battleship to bring to the Iron Armada in hopes of being accepted as a Mercan Ariste. The Mercan are nomadic explorers that dominate the waters of the Nairi and Imiri Oceans. They make for shrewd traders, persuasive diplomats, and daring pirates, often famed as daredevils, explorers, trade magnates, and pilots.

Malowari

The Malowari are secretive transhumanistic druids that act as guardians of nature against those that would seek it harm, sworn to protect the Seed of the World, a sacred location deep within the Gaien Jungles. The Malowari live together in isolationist Circles, small settlements secluded by nature and led by their eldest members, the Circle Sages. The Malowari actively seek to enhance their bodies, minds, and spirits through advanced scientific means. Cybernetic implants and genetic augments are commonly administered within their Circles. They openly embrace body modifications, as they believe it helps them to better connect with nature. The Malowari are also keepers of secrets long forgotten or locked away from time.

Remnant

The Remnants are synthetic humans artificially created with a purpose that was destroyed eons ago with the fall of the Fonterra – a human-built celestial terraforming superstructure. Remnants awaken from a deep stasis into Salt's desolate, unforgiving world. Some Remnants awaken within the Last Bastille if lucky, but many are abandoned to the whims of the wilds, buried in forgotten ruins across the Frontierland. Remnants have manufactured bodies initially designed to house Artificial Intelligence, created without physical flaws or imperfections, but as technology advanced, they became suitable vessels for holding human consciousness. Still, they are too few to have substantial power on the world stage, with an overwhelming majority of their population locked in a semi-permanent stasis. As Remnants age, they also universally suffer a deteriorating mental condition called Statica, causing their memories to bleed into their present reality, driving individuals to the brink of madness over the centuries. 

Thanks for joining us on this journey through the Core State! We hope you've enjoyed learning about the default setting of Quantum State. If you're interested in learning more, be sure to check out our website gigahe.art. We'll launch a Kickstarter soon, so stay tuned for more updates! Thanks again for reading, and we'll see you next time!