Hazeron Play By Email (PBEM) Campaign

Hazeron Play By Email (PBEM) Campaign - Printable Version

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Hazeron Play By Email (PBEM) Campaign - Phoenix - 01-11-2026

This post is intended to chronical the Hazeron Play By Email (PBEM) Campaign set up by Player Lumin

This initial post will serve as an introduction and brief description of the Arcadian Empire and hopefully a dramatis personae for the other empires as they post their Empire's background

The Arcadian Federation

(Excerpt from the Intergalactic Guidebook: Peoples & Polities, 9th Edition — compiled by Archivist-Observer Keleth of the Glitter-cliff Monastery)

The Arcadians are a extremely reclusive near-human people whose true origins, territorial extent, and internal affairs remain largely unknown to outside observers. Contact is restricted to three state-regulated freeports (AF-2201 Helios, AF-993 Adelph Null, AF-111 Mu Cephei) where outsiders may trade, petition for services, or contract mercenaries. Beyond these hubs, Arcadian space disappears behind navigational secrecy and cultural reticence. No formal contact from the Arcadian Government has been made. All communication with Arcadian authorities is conducted via the "Arcadian Trade Authority," who claims to pass along relevant messages to their parent government.

Arcadians are, however, indisputably industrious. Their trade hubs export an immense volume of spacecraft, industrial equipment, modular structures, and prefabricated habitats, driving entire colonial economies beyond their borders. Numerous frontier polities employ Arcadian-derived ship hulls, station components, and habitation designs exclusively, and such architecture has become so widespread that some analysts consider it a de facto standard in younger sectors of civilized space. In addition to material exports, Arcadian traders and mercenaries are frequently encountered abroad. They are generally recognized as elite pilots and proficient naval tacticians, though their performance in ground combat is regarded as merely adequate by comparative measure.

History

Arcadians rarely speak of their origins but various confirmed conversations make it clear that they believe they are not native to this sector of space. No confirmed historical record identifies the Arcadians’ cradle-world or the era of their great departure. Indeed Arcadians themselves have made comments indicating that they are not entirely clear on their own origins. Vague refences to a "primary artifact," have appeared in multiple locations and reference it's location in a temple of ancestor worship. A single image of this artifact was recovered from the doomed AMV Yukon, in the captain's quarters in a paper book.

(Attachment 1) Recovered image of the so called "Primary Artifact,"

All accounts agree only that the Arcadian arrival to our sector predates current political epochs by centuries or millennia. Fragments of an educational broadcast recovered from a trade hub refer to vast colony ships arriving in the sector and establishing an initial infrastructure of spinning orbital habitats, asteroid refineries, and elevator-linked surface stations. Notably, these texts emphasize that planetary settlement came only after extensive orbital development, suggesting a cultural preference for artificial environments that continues in the present age. The subsequent expansion of Arcadian civilization is deeply obscure.

No official star charts have been released, and all Arcadians encountered claim (even under duress, see interrogation attachment 3A) that the routes to internal colonies are known only to state-approved navigators if they ever speak on the subject at all.

Biology

Typical Arcadian Spacers

Arcadians are near-human in baseline biology. Physically, they are typically taller and leaner than standard humans, with a consistently pale complexion possibly a secondary consequence of generations spent beneath filtered starlight. Bone density and overall strength seems lower than baseline human standards, although variations exist among the population.

Arcadians appear to be a biologically immortal with no documented cases of death to old age. All Arcadians seen (aside from children) appear as Humans approximately in the mid thirties where their age seems to stabilize. This appears to be a technological achievement rather than a natural evolutionary development. The oldest Arcadian referenced with any certainty is alleged to be over nine hundred years old. This longevity seems to give the Arcadians a willingness to "wait and see," during many events.

Despite these enhancements, Arcadians remain close enough to baseline human stock to reproduce with standard humans, and several documented hybrid births exist within frontier regions and mercenary communities. These cases further support the theory that their longevity is engineered rather than intrinsic.

Culture

Reliable information on Arcadian culture remains scarce, as the people themselves are notably reticent on matters concerning their society and personal origins. What can be pieced together suggests that they overwhelmingly prefer life in space habitats, with planetary surfaces regarded primarily as industrial worksites or resource zones. A small minority is said to live on planets, though Arcadians encountered at the trade hubs speak of them with mild derision, implying a cultural bias toward artificial environments. Questions to individuals concerning population, internal governance, or colony locations are routinely met with polite evasion, claims of ignorance, or deflection. It is unclear whether this secrecy is cultural, legal, or both, but long-term observers suspect a mixture of state security practices and a deeply ingrained civil habit of discretion.

(Attachment 2) An image of a Small Arcadian Habitat found within the doomed AMV Yukon's crew quarters

Despite this opacity, foreign travelers and commercial partners consistently describe the Arcadians as energetic builders and explorers. Wherever they appear, they construct habitats, depots, or manufactories, (all within their own enclaves) and some frontier settlements seem to rely almost entirely on Arcadian engineering standards. Arcadian traders and mercenaries are also known for pursuing personal enterprise without seeking broader political influence, and they speak highly of personal liberty while refusing entanglement in foreign conflicts. Notably Arcadian military forces and merceries have failed to intervene when ships nearby were under attack of raiders, but outside the influence of their trade hubs.

Government

The Arcadians appear to be have an extremely decentralized representative government. External observers have confirmed the use of titles such as Senator and Legate at the trade hubs, but the precise functions of these offices remain uncertain. A distinction exists between civilians and veterans, with the latter enjoying greater participation in civic decision-making. This may suggest a citizenship model linked to military or civic service.

Known and Suspected Star Systems / Colonies

Note: All data listed below is drawn from intercepted manifests, stray mercenary testimony, mislabeled export documents, and spacer rumor. None of the colonies listed here has been verified by direct external survey.

Ozark System

Primary Colony: Salem (forested habitable moon)
Notes: Reference originates from the recovered ship logs of the doomed freighter AMV Yukon, which listed delivery of Listed among its inventory was a large amount of heavy munitions and chemical defoliants to Emerald Colony, Salem. Suggesting some sort of conflict.

Appalachia System

Primary Colony: Blue Ridge Habitat Cluster
Notes: Deciphered trade hub communication list several ships “arriving ex–Blue Ridge." Believed to be an old and well-developed cluster of habitats based on fragmented reporting.

Kansai System

Primary Colony: Yamato
Notes: The name appears in the journals of a spacer who claimed to have worked alongside Arcadian contractors on a frontier mining station. The authenticity of the journal is disputed.

Liberty System

Primary Colony: AEC Industrial Ring
Secondary Facility: Scioto Works (Industrial)
Notes: Export data for bulk reactor shielding indicates routing through “Scioto Works.” Unverified accounts from traders suggest a high density of shipyards in this system.

Military

Arcadians appear to maintain a capable military. At the trade hubs several distinct classes of modern warships have been identified, including strike escorts, carrier-analogs, and heavier capital hulls. These designs appear current by galactic standards and display high maintenance quality. Older variants of the same vessels have been seen in the hands of Arcadian mercenary groups operating abroad, implying either deliberate export or sanctioned auxiliary deployment.

Arcadian "Starseeker" corvette class vessel

Evidence suggests that fleets and ground formations are raised and supplied at the colony or habitat level. Ships of identical design often bear distinct uniforms, insignia, and command protocols, further supporting the theory of localized defense forces. Coordination at the state level appears limited to deployment and strategic assignment; once committed to an operation, Arcadian units demonstrate notable discipline and tactical cohesion.

There has never been an overt military deployment of Arcadian Government forces. All evidence is based on mercenaries and Trade Hub defense units.

Foreign Relations

The foreign posture of the Arcadian polity is difficult to characterize with confidence, as direct diplomacy is restricted to their three trade hubs and no Arcadian ambassador or envoy has ever been accredited to an external state. Most observers describe their stance as one of formal non-alignment: the Arcadians decline participation in alliances, treaties, or collective security arrangements, and their officials consistently frame foreign disputes as “internal to the disputants” with no bearing on Arcadian interests. Requests for military cooperation, mutual defense, or even basic political recognition have been declined without hostility but also without explanation.

In summary, the Arcadians appear content to trade extensively, wander selectively, fight for hire when it suits them, and otherwise remain aloof from the diplomatic machinery of the wider galaxy.

Trade Hubs

Arcadian trade hubs are the only sanctioned interfaces between Arcadian civilization and the larger galaxy. Each consists of an immense orbital station paired with a small outpost on the planetary surface, based around a massive orbital elevator complex. These ground facilities seem largely intended for resource extraction, apparently to provide capability to produce some products in situ.

F-993 Adelph Null Trade Hub, ground base of orbital elevator facility

All foreign trade passes through these stations under strict rules, and only designated commercial zones are accessible to outsiders. Arcadian personnel seem to ben drawn from multiple colonies and operate the facilities with polite detachment, declining to engage on questions about internal routes, populations, or governance. The hubs serve as both marketplaces and filters, allowing Arcadians to engage in commerce while exposing virtually nothing of their true infrastructure.

Much of the economic lifeblood of these hubs arrives aboard colossal super-container vessels whose cavernous holds are filled with manufactured goods of Arcadian origin. Carrying everything from starship hulls to habitat modules, industrial tools, and medical instruments. The majority of these goods are branded under the Arcadian Engineering Corporation, apparently a megastructure-scale enterprise (some reports indicate they operate an artificial ring surrounding an entire world) considered by Arcadians to be the gold standard for quality and reliability. Blueprints and fabrication patterns are also available for purchase, allowing foreign yards to construct Arcadian designs locally, a practice that has seeded entire frontier economies with Arcadian-derived technology.

Defensively, the hubs maintain a curious posture. In cases of pirate incursions or low-level raiding, Arcadian forces intervene swiftly, repulsing attackers and establishing a safety buffer with cold efficiency. However, when confronted by organized aggression from a sovereign state, the Arcadians have repeatedly chosen evacuation over confrontation. Personnel are withdrawn, facilities are stripped or sabotaged, and the station is abandoned to destruction. In the aftermath, the Arcadians simply declare the offender and any polity trading with them to be barred from all remaining hubs.

--End Guidebook Entry--

Dramatis personae Dramatis personae Dramatis personae

RE: Hazeron Play By Email (PBEM) Campaign - Celarious - 01-11-2026

Just FYI some countries have been geoblocked by imgur, this is what I see [Image: 8vbzjq.png]