Azakayana

Ecumenes of Azakayana Misiweaskîya Asakayana
Flag
Motto: Yahkohtew, amacowew, pasciwepinikew "Advance, ascend, transcend" (Universal)
Official languages	Azakayanese
Government	Federal directorial republic
• Collective head of state	The Directorate
Legislature	Ecumenical Council
Establishment
• Formation	Cycle 1, Year 1
Population
• Year 331, Cycle 28 estimate	54.65 quadrillion
GDP (nominal)	Year 331, Cycle 28 estimate
• Total	2.173 septillion
• Per capita	$39,765
Currency	Soniyaw
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy-cc

The Ecumenes of Azakayana (Standard Azakayanese: Misiweaskîya Asakayana), known more commonly as Azakayana, is a sovereign interstellar civilization located in the Tanabiku Galaxy. It lies on the border between the Daiichi and Daini Quadrants, however it is classified with the Daiichi Quadrant. It has an estimated population of over 54 quadrillion inhabitants—the overwhelming majority of which live in the capital system, Azakayana. Holding jurisdiction over 56 extant systems, as well as several exclaves throughout the galaxy, it is a galactic power and the nominal hegemon of the Chushtim Sector. Azakayana has had its current extent of control over its territories for nearly a century.

The Azakayanese emerged alongside other humanoid groups that migrated from the Daini Quadrant to the Daiichi Quadrant thousands of years ago. They were once considered to be a prominent spacefaring nomadic group, wandering the cosmos in search of valuable resources and supplies before moving on. These nomads eventually arrived at the Azakayana System, which was once a system littered with asteroids and barren worlds, devoid of any suitable temporary home for them. This region of space was the most unlikely place for them to settle and develop a civilization. Yet to the contrary, the nomads kept returning to this system despite having explored other nearby systems. Azakayana was a refuge for these wanderers, and eventually it was to become a base for them to access nearby stars. The mothership provided the nomadic fleet with a makeshift shipyard and a refueling station.

As these nomads—which have come to be known as the Azakayanese—harvested resources in the system, their mothership slowly grew and grew over the course of centuries. This ship, which was located at a relatively sparse location in the system's habitable zone, was repurposed as an artificial space colony. This colony was further expanded for many hundreds of years more, slowly consuming the local material around it. Over the course of millennia, more building materials were processed and added to the growing structure, which was beginning to take the shape of a ring. This was the beginning of the construction of Piyakahcanis, the first ringworld. Most of their history is tied to the construction of the rings.

The construction of subsequent ringworlds in the Azakayana System took the next few millennia under the auspices of the then newly-formed Directorate, marking the transition of the Azakayanese from a nomadic society to a more established civilization. The Azakayanese gathered as much material from the asteroid belts as possible to manufacture and develop the rings, as well as from the nearby Oort Cloud. This led to two major happenings that proved favorable for them: asteroids, meteors, and comets were increasingly becoming less of a threat to the ring system, and ships can freely enter and exit the confines of the system without asteroid impacts being a major concern. By the 26th cycle of the Azakayana Calendar, the final ring, Nîyânanahcanis, was completed.

While construction of the ringworld was going on in the Azakayana System, other Azakayanese nomads proceeded to settle and colonize any habitable worlds on other systems. Many of these extant colonies maintained contact with the home system through their ships, which would go back and forth from Azakayana to transport resources to develop their territories. Constant communication and trade between Azakayana and her colonies became the foundation of her interstellar empire. Further exploration and colonization eventually led to contact with other nearby civilizations in the Chushtim Sector—many of which maintained stable relationships with the Azakayanese. Trade routes were established between Azakayana and other civilizations, further enriching her empire. However, one particular civilization proved to be the Ecumenes' major political and military rival: the Atmoran Empire.

Relations between the two powers were tense. Both empires had overlapping national interests and tried to spread and maintain their influence abroad. At times such confrontations led to international crises and wars. Their rivalry espoused a decades-long arms race between them, as well as periods of suspicion and paranoia about the other's actions. This period of tension between Azakayana and Atmora culminated in the Tanabiku War, which led to the deaths of trillions on both sides and the destruction of many of Azakayana's colonies. Yet despite the Atmorans' martial prowess, the Azakayanese war machine prevailed, and a victory was negotiated through the Treaty of Wolfina. The treaty effectively stripped the Atmorans of a large portion of their military, as well as conceded some of their colonies to the Azakayanese for reparations.

As of the present, Azakayana is classified as a highly developed civilization. It is the foremost military and economic power in the galaxy and a major player on the galactic stage. It is an active member of the Tanabiku Galactic Forum as well as a founding member of the Acahkosa. It maintains close diplomatic relations with its network of trading partners and allies all across the galaxy, sharing in the desire to maintain peace and prosperity among them. Challenges still remain for the Azakayanese government during the contemporary era, which include renewed tensions with a resurgent Arco-Atmora and the growing threat of piracy and terrorism in the region.

Astrography

Azakayana is located in the Chushtim Sector, a region of space located along the Kaiyo Arm. It is located along the Daiichi-Daini border, but astropolitically it is mainly linked with the Daiichi Quadrant. Most of its domains are within 200 lightyears of the Azakayana System, and they maintain close communication with home. Azakayana is a signatory to the Tanabiku Galactic Congress' Convention on the Law of Space, which defines sovereign space within a system to be limited to the inner boundaries of its Oort Cloud—unless under the joint administration of two or more interstellar polities.

Azakayana System

Main article: Azakayana (Star System)

Azakayana is a K-type main sequence star which has a mass equivalent to 0.73 times that of Sol. The system serves as the home and capital of the Azakayanese civilization. It is mostly devoid of planetoids, asteroids, and other celestial objects except for its Oort Cloud. In their place are the Rings of Azakayana, a system of gigantic megastructures many millions of kilometers in circumference that encircle the star. They were built by the Azakayanese over the course of 26 cycles (approximately 32,600 years). Much of the material used in the construction of the ringworlds was extracted and refined from the minerals found in the system's asteroid belts, which slowly disappeared over the course of millennia.

The Azakayanese ringworld system can be divided into three major regions: the Shadow Panels, the Inner Rings, and the Outer Rings.

• Shadow Panels

The Shadow Panels (Ahcanis Cikastesinowin; lit., "Shadow Ring") is a megastructure consisting of evenly spaced square panels held together with a ringlike frame. It is the smallest and closest ring to Azakayana and the only megastructure in the Azakayana System that wasn't constructed for permanent mass habitation. The purpose of this ring is to block out Azakayana's light in order to simulate the day-night cycle on the inner surfaces of the Inner Rings. The edges of each panel are fitted with translucent material to better simulate twilight conditions on the ringworlds. Their reflective surface also collects solar energy from Azakayana, which can then be beamed to the ringworlds to supply them with power.

• Inner Rings

The Inner Rings (Pihcayihk Ahcanisak) is the region comprising the first four ringworlds. These ringworlds are all located in Azakayana's habitable zone. Each of these ringworlds rotates at a certain velocity, generating centrifugal force to simulate gravity. They also have flat inner surfaces that mimic the surface of habitable planets, as well as a breathable atmosphere that is held in place by two barriers on their edges. Night is provided by the Shadow Panels. The Inner Rings are home to a myriad of life forms, including quadrillions of Azakayanese who depend on them for their survival. They also serve as agricultural centers for the entire system, able to theoretically feed populations reaching the quintillions.

Their outer surfaces are built of reinforced materials that shield them from asteroid impacts. They also have automated point defenses installed to destroy or deflect asteroids before they hit, as well as deter any enemy attacks. Inner mechanisms of tubes accelerate helium gas to incredible speeds to provide a reaction force and prevent the rings from tearing themselves apart from the centrifugal force.

• Outer Ring

The Outer Ring (Wayawitimihk Ahcanis) is the region comprising the fifth ringworld. This ring the largest in the entire ringworld system, dwarfing the Inner Rings in circumference. Unlike the Inner Rings, the Outer Ring is fully enclosed and features more reinforced internal structures to withstand asteroid impacts. It also features more point defense systems and helium tubes. The Outer Ring is reserved for Azakayana's heavy industry, featuring fully automated factories that are able to produce heavy equipment, machine tools, metamaterials, and other heavy products and facilities.

Government

More information: Politics of Azakayana

Azakayana is officially referred to as a federal directorial republic, however in practice it partially resembles a representative democracy. It is comprised of political units called ecumenes, which consist of the ringworlds and Azakayana's colonial possessions. Citizens are subject to the federal, ecumenical, and local levels of government—each of which passes laws and levy taxes within their respective purviews. Laws on the local, ecumenical, or federal level are ratified by the consensus of 75% of the voting population, making Azakayana a semi-direct democracy.

The federal government is composed of two main branches:

• Legislative Branch

The legislative branch is comprised of the Grand Council of the Ecumenes, a unicameral body whose purpose is to advise the Directorate, discuss domestic and foreign policy for the Ecumenes, and appoint or remove Directors. Each ecumene and colony sends an elected Representative to the Council, who may serve up to four terms, each term lasting 15 years. The Grand Council together with the Directorate convene annually at the Great Chamber to discuss the federal budget, determine government policies for the foreseeable future, and evaluate the actions of the Directorate. The Grand Council also has the power to overturn federal laws through a 2/3rds consensus of all the Representatives.

• Executive Branch

The executive branch is comprised of the Directorate, a collegial body of appointed officials who serve as collective Head of State. Each of the members of the Directorate heads an executive department called a House and serves for life (unless removed by the Grand Council). They have the authority to declare war, set taxes and other duties, create and present federal laws for public consensus, set the federal budget, and create or disband departments under their respective purviews, which are responsible for administering federal laws and policies. Members of the Directorate are generally addressed by their title.

Foreign Relations

The Ecumenes maintain a network of foreign relations with other interstellar empires and civilizations throughout the Tanabiku Galaxy. It is a prominent member of the Tanabiku Galactic Forum, as well as a founding member of the Acahkosa, an alliance of nations based in the Chushtim Sector. Almost all known civilizations maintain embassies in Azakayana, as well as consulates all around its sovereign space.

Military

More information: Combined Arsenals

The responsibility for the protection of Azakayana's national and security interests at home and abroad rests on the Combined Arsenals, the official armed forces of Azakayana. The Combined Arsenals is comprised of two main branches: the Arms of Earth and the Arms of Heaven—each of which have their own purviews and command structures. The commander-in-chief of the Combined Arsenals is the Protector, who serves in the Directorate and heads the House of War.

The Arms of Earth is the planetside branch of the Combined Arsenals, tasked with military operations involving surface warfare and for the defense of Azakayana's celestial territories. They are usually tasked with the garrison of planets, moons, space stations, and the ringworlds, but will coordinate their efforts with the Arms of Heaven to conduct planetary invasions should the situation arise. Within the Arms of Earth are four sub-branches: the Surface Army, Surface Marines, Navy, and Aerospatial Force. It is managed by the Department of Surface Warfare.

The Arms of Heaven is the space warfare service branch of the Combined Arsenals, tasked with military operations involving space warfare and the defense of Azakayana's sovereign space. It is the larger of the two Arsenals, with nearly 70% of military spending allocated to them. Officers on Azakayanese warships receive significant autonomy, allowing them to make decisions without being impeded by their superiors. The Arms of Heaven is managed by the Department of Spatial Warfare.

Culture

Customs and Traditions

Marriage and Family Life

The Azakayanese are communal people, and nothing is more evident of that than their family structure and marriage customs. The basic socioeconomic unit in Azakayana is the kinship, which is comprised of a person's extended family. These kinships generally live together under one house or a complex of houses. Groups of kinships form clans, which are the base sociopolitical unit.

The age of marriage of men and women in Azakayana differ from each other. Men are expected to marry at the age of 25, while women are expected to marry at the age of 16. It is typical of marriages to begin on a 12-month trial basis with both spouses having a say whether the marriage will continue. If the man feels that the marriage may not work out or if the woman wishes to return to her parents' home, then the marriage may end.

Azakayanese gender roles are complementary in nature. Women are responsible for raising children and taking care of domestic matters such as cooking, weaving, and planting. Men are responsible for more laborious tasks such as plowing, harvesting, building, and participating in warfare (although women aren't prohibited from going to war). To the Azakayanese, both the man and woman work together for the improvement of the household and the community to ensure the survival of their family. Families without a married couple at the center are considered to be disadvantaged within the Ecumenes due to the importance of equal distribution of tasks in everyday life.

Both sexes have power in the decision making of the tribe. The Azakayanese have an ambilineal system, in which property and hereditary leadership were passed through the more wealthy or prestigious line. As such, both men and women can own property, and children are considered to belong to the clan that has relatively greater wealth or prestige. Despite this, Azakayanese generally marry within their own social group. Whenever foreigners take husbands or wives from Azakayanese tribes, the status of their children depends on the wealth or prestige of their progenitor. If the foreign spouse is more highborn, then their children are considered as "foreign", and therefore have no official place in the tribe unless adopted by the tribe in a special ceremony. As such, Azakayanese citizens are discouraged from marrying foreigners.

Writing and Communication

The Azakayanese script is written from top-to-bottom and left-to-right. It utilizes the Azakayanese syllabic alphabet, which is comprised of 90 glyphs. Its origins and appearance are derived from the usage of the wampum—which are knotted strings that once served as records for tribal stories and legends, as well as for numerical units—well before the invention of writing. Usage of the wampum dates back to long before the 1st Cycle of the Azakayanese calendar. Different alphabets were created by the Azakayanese before the invention of the modern Azakayanese syllabary in the 4th Cycle. A purely left-to-right version was created in Year 1053 of the 27th Cycle.

Faster-than-light communication is facilitated by a network of communication relays placed throughout Azakayanese and allied space. These relays, called Pokinaw beacons, take advantage of quantum entanglement to transport information over great distances in a short period of time, greatly reducing information lag that would be otherwise associated with conventional forms of wireless communication. They are also used to passively detect ships or any other artificial objects, making them useful in situations such as searching for missing people that may be stranded in deep space. The communications data is processed at terrestrial hubs installed in select worlds across Azakayanese space.