Cosmic Hierophancy

The Cosmic Hierophancy Ongihuhma'ting-Anthwa
Flag
Map showing the Cosmic Hierophancy (dark green), alongside the Elder Races (light green) and Embassy Races (grey) within the Núlne Galaxy
Capital and largest world	Vermindt, Guchetga Anthwa
Official languages	Xyn Uprah
Ethnic groups	96.3% Xyn 3.6% Uprahlurongi 0.1% other.
Religion	Reverence of the Winds
Demonym(s)	Xyn
Government	Directly Democratic Psionic Galactic Republic
• First Speaker and Herald of the Cosmos	Asteraceae
• The Grand Hierophant and Mystic Profound	Datura Stramonium
• Sovereign of the Thousand Seas	Al'Kal'Al'Kal
Legislature	The Conclave
Unification  under The One
• The Ascension	-8,610 PA [Galactic Era of Transcendence]
• Entering the Shroud	~6,000 PA [Galactic Era of Struggle]
• The Awakening	-2 PA [Galactic Era of Rediscovery]
• Peace of Amity	0 PA [Galactic Era of Tranquility]
Population
• 84 PA census	43,964,016,782 active Xyn 40,360,218,636 dormant Xyn 3,156,784,877 Uprahlurongi

The Cosmic Hierophancy (Xyn: ; tr. Ongihuhma'ting-Anthwa), also known as the Hierophancy or the Xyn Consciousness, is an Elder Race in 'central' Núlne, overwhelmingly inhabited by the highly social, mystical and ancient psionic-beings known as the Xyn, of which all are psionically gifted and are an incredibly functioning example of a 'groupmind.' The Xyn have only recently been awoken from a stasis known as The Shroud (also referred to as The Great Slumber and The Retreat). There are over 87 billion individuals in the Hierophancy, with 40 billion of them being cataloged as 'dormant Xyn', spread across 24 star systems. They currently only share Wind Connection with one other polity, the Drudari Ecumene and compete for influence in Troika's Gambit with the Drudari and Humanity.

The Xyn are the oldest space-faring race currently aware to the entirety of the Galaxy. They were accidentally awoken by a Drudari science team in -2 PA, whereby they began a slow effort to reclaim previous worlds and awaken dormant populations. Having been awoken in the midst of the Drudari-Ternary War, the Xyn declined to be involved. It was only after the destruction of Ravnikor, and the internal Monumental Debate took place, that the Xyn took on a role as an intergalactic mediator in the conflict and as a frontline xenoitarian effort to provide medicine, food and shelter to civilians affected by the war. As an observer nation in the signing of the Peace of Amity, the Xyn were a founding race of the Interstellar Assembly.

By 10 PA, the Cosmic Hierophancy had encountered the race of the Uprahlurongi on Soomerschoon in Meing'dam-Luhlur, a newly discovered wind connection. Following the Act of Union, the Uprahlurongi joined the Cosmic Hierophancy as an autonomous protectorate of the Xyn. Their leader, the 'Sovereign of the Thousand Seas', is nominally part of Hierophancy Governance.

Given their founding status to the International Assembly, and the large part their philosophy of The Custodianship plays in its organisation, the Xyn contribute roughly 15% of their navy on a rotation to the Assembly Defence Force and have created numerous organisations. These include the Galactic Health Authority and the Purple Sash, a border-less union of medical professionals that operate in deadly conflicts administering aid where they can.

Despite being over 6,000 years old as a space-faring entity, the Xyn are viewed as conservative in their divulging of information. Their claims are often met with hostility from other races, such as the United Planets, and their declaration that the Ancient Cosmic Hierophancy had worlds far beyond its current borders is unsettling to many. Numerous high ranking Xyn officials, such as Councillor Brugmansia Solanaceae, have stated on multiple occasions that worlds with dormant Xyn upon them, or have signs of Xyn settlement and colonisation, belong to the Hierophancy.

Government and politics

Direct Democracy

The Xyn practice a form of 'psionic direct democracy.' The entire galactic state is mentally connected through psionic telepathy, and Xyn society functions on a fundamentally different level to that of the rest of galactic civilisation. The Xyn political processes occur entirely in this separate mental consciousness, whereby in real time (with the exception of across wind connections) the Xyn vote on decisions as an entire species.

Conclave

'The Conclave' is the official name for the Xyn direct democracy, though it is regarded as being always 'in session.' Due to the fact that the Conclave is spread across numerous wind systems, the Conclave will often take numerous days to reach a verdict on a polity wise decision. Individual planets contain their own conclaves, who decide on matters for that planet. The Mystagogue of a world is considered to be the head of a localised conclave. In a galaxy wide level, the 'First Speaker' is the head of the Conclave.

Demographics

Languages

The Cosmic Hierophancy possesses two recognised official languages. The first is Xyn, a non-verbal language spoken through sign and biological features such as the changing of pigmentation to indicate tone, pitch, emotion and accent. 'Xyn' is the defacto language of the state. The second is Upra, spoken by the Uprahlurongi. A complex verbal language, Upra is considered to be far too difficult for most Xyn to learn. In fact it is viewed as Xyn sign as a far easier language to learn, as Xyn have multiple fore-arms and can replicate the complex hand-gestures.

Real-time translators are often used throughout the Hierophancy, allowing other galactic residents to understand the complexities of the Xyn language.