Concord of Mutual Disdain

The Concord is an unlikely coalition of alien races unified by their hatred of the Jailors, an ancient alien regime that has since disappeared from the sector. These once isolated species have put aside their past misunderstandings and pushed their reach to the stars in an effort to find and assist others that suffered under the Jailors iron fist. During these explorations the Zoanthi Chain was created, a string of worlds winding their way southeast from the sector core and new alliances were formed. Still no traces of the Jailors have been discovered but the Concord is ever vigilant.

Currently planetary governors of the planets Kardakouk, Jaaaika, Kuzimu, Tato, Vikn and Akiva.

History
The Concord of Mutual Disdain was originally formed as a peace treaty between two warring races on Kardakouk, the Queltl and the Tar'et. Their war was not for the ownership of the planet or over perceived and petty slights. It was a war of survival. No living thing on Kardakouk arrived of their own free will. Long ago a precursor empire shaped the planet into an aquatic prison and filled its prison blocks with many races whose crimes are long since forgotten. The empire then disappeared into the stars, never to return.

Many tried and failed to escape, and almost all who managed to break out failed to adapt to the new and dangerous aquatic ecosystem. The Queltl and the Tar'et were the most successful and the most suitable to survive in the depths. However, the two races used different means of communication and saw each other as dangerous local fauna or cohorts of the precursor empire. Their conflicts continued for many years, with escalating intensity and technology as they re-engineered tech from their old prison complexes.

Several hundred years later a human colony ship arrived in Beacon Space and happened upon Kardakouk. This was a peaceful and diplomatic people led by captain Ekman. The humans made contact with the two races and created translation devices for both. After hearing about the conflict from both sides they were driven to clear up this misunderstanding. Many meetings were held, with varying degrees of success. Eventually the humans were able to find a common cause that the two races could unite under, their mutual hatred of the precursor empire who imprisoned them here in the first place. And so, the Concord of Mutual Disdain was signed on board the colony ship Peace Garden by Lacuvia of the Queltl and Mobu'nacar of the Tar'et, overseen by Ekman. The name of the union was a strangely good fit. For those who had let go of the past it pointed to their common adversary, and for those few who still held fear and anger from the years of conflict it signified a reluctant peace deal.

Structure
The Concord is ruled both by a council and a ruler duo, one ruler from each of the majority Kardakouk aquatic races. They hold almost absolute power over many important political and governing decisions concerning the Concord and Kardakouk. Together the council and the rulers can decide to introduce new laws, abolish old ones, and apart from a select few exceptions, their decisions are final. For a resolution to pass it needs two thirds support, i.e. both rulers or one ruler and the council.

The Rulers
Upon assuming the mantle of leadership, one alien will forgo their first name and take up the name Lacuvia, another alien will also forego their first name, and take up the name Mobu'nacar, wearing them almost as titles. This is a hugely symbolic gesture to show that the rulers are representing and being living emblems of Lacuvia and Mobu'nacar, almost as if they continue to guide the Concord long after their deaths.

Lacuvia and Mobu'nacar assume their roles in a lush televised ceremony aboard a preserved version of the Peace Garden ship, where they ceremonially sign a new Concord overseen by the speaker of the council. Upon doing so, they also gain a number after their title/name to indicate which they are. (for example Lacuvia III and Mobu'nacar the III). The governing documents are also changed to indicate a new Concord has begun. (For example, “The 115th Concord”)

The Council and its Speaker
The Council is a body of around 120 people (exact numbers fluctuate based on Speaker’s whims) who are appointed by the speaker of the Council. The speaker goes by the title of Ekman rather than speaker. This is to be the embodiment of Captain Ekman and the humans who helped bring about the Concord with their assistance. It is the Ekman’s role to appoint the rest of the Council Members at the start of a new Concord.

Ekman must always be a human and at least 2/3 of Council seats must be filled by humans. Anyone can be appointed to the Council but usually it is either military professionals, scientists, wealthy people, or anyone whom the speaker deems is useful. Equally, the Speaker could always just shove all of their best friends and family on there, which is why Mobu'nacar and Lacuvia need to be sure they pick the speaker carefully.

While anybody can be assigned to any position in the Council there are certain permanent roles on the council which are always assigned. These include:

Minister of Disdain - responsible for everything Jailor, both on planet and off. Organises Bunker Buster raids. Can double as head of military (because who would The Concord fight but the Jailors)

Minister of Vigasz - Essentially the mayor of Vigasz, responsible for the running of the city

Minister of Sejtblokk - Essentially the mayor of Sejtblokk, responsible for the running of the city

Minister of Finance - Responsible for the economic prosperity of the Concord and responsible for the vaults of Visgasz

Minister of Peace Garden - Responsible for interspecies communication, both within the Concord and with the wider sector. Responsible for much of the production of communication devices

Minister of Bernard I - Responsible for the refueling station of Bernard I and the…. Odd citizens who live there. Often seen as more of a punishment than a promotion unless they are one of those odd citizens

Minister of Jääaika - The first new permanent post that was established as part of the incorporation of the Zoanthi Chain. Responsible for the planet of Jääaika and their integration into the Concord.

Minister of νίκη - Unlike other Ministers who are the top authority figures in their respective domains the Minister of νίκη instead acts as the main liaison between the Concord and the Kalit, offering advice from the νίκη perspective and particularly their technological expertise. Naturally this post is appointed to a Kalit and as such is exempted from the human majority rule.

Responsibilities
While the rulers and the council have equal say in important decisions, their day to day responsibilities are widely different. Lacuvia and Mobu'nacar spend their days strategizing over spreadsheets and star maps. The Council acts as a sort of civil service, making sure that policy is implemented well. Councillors also receive countless grievances from people around the planet, some of these are sent to Ekman and his office who will decide which ones to hear. Usually Ekman resolves these on their own, only in the most extraordinary cases are Lacuvia and Mobu'nacar also present.

The End of a Rule
A Concord ends when one of the two rulers either dies or abdicates from the position. Upon that, the entire Council is disbanded, the Ekman is removed, and the surviving ruler also resigns. After that, the previously selected successors arise to become the new Lacuvia, Mobu'nacar. They appoint the new Ekman who picks the 120 members of the council. A new ceremony will take place aboard Peace Garden, and the rule of the next Concord shall begin.

Culture
The culture of the Concord is a complex mix of recognizing and embracing differences between the member species and very direct communication. As such the people of the Concord are generally quite communal, willing to assist one another most of the time. The human population is susceptible to drowning and thus the other species are always on the lookout for accidents involving them. Tar’et lack dexterity and so the other species help them with fine detail tasks while they in turn assist with any issues that require great strength.

As the more planets are incorporated in the Zoanthi Chain, the cultural differences across the Concord grow even more varied. There are few universals besides the hatred for the Jailors.

Beloved Rulers
It is generally accepted that the rulers, the Lacuvia and Mobu'Nacar are an excellent representation of the Union between the queltl and tar'et people. However, due to various controversies involving previous rulers, the people of Kardakouk are not shy about speaking out against rulings they disapprove of. Whilst the ruler's laws are absolute there is a general expectation that they follow what people want. Full on republicanism or calls for democracy are, however, rare.

Parched
In a departure from the normal Kardakian bluntness this term refers to people who do not understand the worldview of the members of the Concord. These people may belittle the generational trauma caused by the Jailors, or the atrocities that are seared into the psyche of Kardakouk’s denizens.

An Air of Uprising
The Concord culture is permeated by a sense of solidarity in times of distress. Large scale events like war or natural disasters can often bring people together. For the Concord, the memory of what the Jailors put them through is still fresh. The Concord flourishing and spreading their wings is almost seen as an uprising against their former oppressors, a common cause to rally around. For many people, contributing to the Concord is the same as opposing the Jailors. Thus, public support is fueled both by solidarity and out of spite. A member of the Concord is likely to go the extra mile if it is in support of the faction. The air of uprising against the Jailors is a driving factor, but there is also an uneasiness. They may be free now, but the Jailors are still out there. Will the Concord be ready to face them, or will history repeat itself?

A Larger Collective
One aspect of Concord culture is about being part of a larger collective. A collective of those that share a common history with the Jailors, united both for solidarity and safety. The Concord's work with the Zoanthi Chain has largely been about building and inviting others to that collective. Ideals of community and embracing differences are highly valued in this effort, but uniting different cultures from post-Jailor planets is not easy. Despite the difficulties, there is a special relationship between the Concord and those who are part of their collective. Relationships with other factions, even those allied to the Concord, are often seen as fundamentally different and lesser in comparison.

Food
Food is a large part of the Concord's culture, and many of it's members consider themselves foodies. Especially those that enjoy Kardakouk Cuisine.

Faction Turn
Concord faction turn

Faction Truths

 * Aquatic adapted society who lives on in ocean cities.
 * An unlikely union of two alien races that are normally at odds.
 * Has Aliens and Humans alike in high Leadership positions

Faction Characters

 * Sekélyzelo Boston Germantide Yapple - Concord representative to the Telas TeraGroup

Player Characters

 * Whittle Marrow Yottle
 * Myr
 * Mullod Benthon
 * Pepca Abishi Yun

Media Links
This space can serve as a place to link twitter accounts, propaganda posters, and other off-wiki faction content.

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