1 Topic by Xeno (edited by xeno syndicated 10-May-2008 07:06:48)

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Topic: Xeno Syndicate Revisited

(The following texts, authorship believed to be by a scribe of the Guardian Order, were discovered on planet 4 in the 23:84 system in the Sagittarius Dwarf galaxy in the year 734 of the Danaian calender.  Original transcripts are archived at the Imperial Library of Urad: 8976675723:usd.  Of significance is the fact that none of the secondary sources used by the author have been recovered and thus the authenticity of second hand accounts should be met with skepticism.)

The Xeno Syndicate Revisited: Historical Document 862

According to Xeno Syndicate historical documents and popular literature, knowledge of the ancestral xeno homeworld in the Andromeda galaxy upon which the xeno race had originally evolved disappears from xeno syndicate social consciousness.  Records were lost, and history was forgotten to the common xeno.  And, it seems, that even those who did remember, didn't care.

It is a known fact that after the Xenobardian exodus from the Andromeda galaxy, various factions of the Xeno Syndicate were re-established in other galaxies.  In particular, partaxian records indicate that in the Sagitarius Dwarf galaxy, an inter-galactic colony fleet of the Xenobard faction conquered a population of partaxian-like species whose civilization had not yet attained a high level of technology.

Partaxian records indicate that the Xenobards, with their heightened telepathic awareness, proved to be adept overlords, able to observe and police every facet of the pre-industrial partaxian society.  They soon gained the allegiance of certain prominent partaxians to establish a macro telepathic social surveillance network and launch the partaxian society into the space-faring age.  Ironically, it was, in fact, the partaxians themselves who were actually more capable telepathically than the xenobard overlords.  But it seems this fact was not discovered by the partaxians, at least not until after the xenobards had implemented their technological social control infrastructure over the partaxian society.

There remains some disagreement among the scribes who consider the possibility as to whether or not a partaxian rebellion against the xenobard conquerers could have been effective.  For all intents and purposes, the partaxians had a pre-industrial level of technological capability when the Xeno Syndicate arrived, and as the xenobard population aboard the inter-galactic colony vessels is estimated to have been in the tens or perhaps even hundred's of millions, it appears that the partaxians would not have been able to usurp the xeno.

Although there is evidence that there existed throughout xenobardian rule certain underground partaxian independence movements, there is no known evidence that these in fact extended any political will or effect over mainstream society.

What is available to us are accounts of partaxian citizens whose insights shed much light on this period.  Of particular interest are the accounts of scribes of what appear to be other scribes of our order, who appear to have lived incognitos roles in various contexts of partaxian society, some of whom even appear to be acquainted with subversive political movements during the period.

The earliest such account only makes brief mention of the initial xenobardian invasion, but does provide some insight into the form and method of governance the Xeno Syndicate implemented over their subjects.  The following are journal entries of what is thought to be a scribe visiting the xenobardian overlords' court after the Xeno Syndicate's establishment at the capital city of Harad.  The scribe is a member of a caravan, transporting a shipment of gold collected as taxes from his patron's administrative province.

"It was my first visit to the capital since the founding of the Xeno Dynasty at Harad.  I had traveled there from Koara many times.  But this time, there were more fellow travelers upon the road.  Nearly everyone was transporting their taxes to the capital to appease the conquers' near insatiable and inexplicable hunger for the yellow-metal that they called 'gold'. Upon cresting the divide of the Loaraty Mountains at Oart, many travelers were camped there, resting their orta-mules.  At sun set, a crowd gathered and stories were told of the xenos.  Although no one had ever seen any of their kind before, many tales about their nature were being propagated.  Almost all of them held as truth that the xenos had indeed come down from the heavens to rule us with benevolence.  In the former there could be little doubt; for their colossal cities of light in the heavens were, of course, visible to all, and their massive 'star ships', as they appeared each night, moved like giant sparkling fish amidst the sky cities with currents of the stars.  But, as for the xenos' 'benevolence', it seemed strange to me that all believed in it so readily."

Scribes of the order concur based on the fact that the speaker doubts the benevolence of the xenos that the early partaxian scribes must have been at least somewhat immune to the macro Xenobardian mind control technology that is known to have been used.   Scribes of the Order also concur from other sources that the Xeno Syndicate did indeed trade extensively in gold.  However, for what purpose and to what extent this trade was conducted remains unknown.

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Re: Xeno Syndicate Revisited

The Xeno Syndicate Revisited: Historical Document 863

The scribe goes on to record his tale coming into the capital, describing the psychological effect of the xeno mind-control technology on the indigenous partaxians of the period.  There is, and the majority of the scribes agree, an artificial sense of apathy pervading all facets of the population, which, historically, is very uncharacteristic of partaxian social consciousness.  After many weeks staying at the capital, our scribe describes his conclusions on the matter:

"I am beginning to believe that I am the only sane partaxian within the city walls.  My countrymen are going about their business as if there were nothing at all unusual about the changes occurring here.  It seems to them to be completely normal for there to be such constructions as the 'tower to the heavens'  and 'laser cannons', as the xeno call them.  Nothing of such magnitude has ever been conceived upon our world.  A tower to reach the stars?  To construct such a foolish thing would never have occurred to any of our kind.  And yet there it stands, already functioning to carry up to the sky-cities the resources collected by the xeno - at great pains to the partaxian people, I might add. And what sort of malevolent purpose could there be for such 'laser cannons', as they are called.  Isn't their sinister nature clearly divined with a glance at them towering at the corners of the city walls?   The xeno starships in orbit, their sky-cities, their constant dominating presence in the heavens - all of this goes on without any sense of amazement or wonder by my countrymen.  It is as if they have lost all awareness, being manipulated by some hypnotism or some such thing.  For myself, I walk among my fellow citizens showing no sign of the amazement, the wonder, nor the fear that I feel, as I cannot know what would happen to me if it is discovered that I am somehow immune to the xeno hypnotism.  I avoid public spaces, staying at the inn, meditating in solitude, awaiting word from my patron to return to the village.  But, alas, no word arrives.  I am beginning to fear the worst."

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3 Reply by Xeno (edited by xeno syndicated 13-May-2008 04:28:45)

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Re: Xeno Syndicate Revisited

The Xeno Syndicate Revisited: Historical Document 864

The following entry by our partaxian friend is uncharacteristic of his previous entries.  It is also, apparently, the scribe's final entry.  Written with an air of apathy, it has no sense of the 'amazement or wonder' to be expected by a partaxian from a pre-industrialized society venturing out among the stars.  It is much like other partaxian writings of the period whose authorship is clearly under the macro-telepathic xeno hypnotism - a factual, unemotional account of events.  However, some scribes put forth the notion that he had actually retained awareness and merely recorded his entries as if he were under the xeno hypnotism to protect himself from being discovered.  Having described how he was recruited by the Xeno Syndicate to be a wizard, and, after describing his training regiment, our scribe writes how he is finally dispatched to conduct operations.

"Our circle of wizards have been taken to the 6th colony to conduct a force field portal incantation against a planet in a nearby system.  We are to conduct the spell this evening.  It is rumored that we will also be required to emanate false thought-energy amidst the enemy's consciousness.  None of us have personal experience conducting these spells, as they have never been used in our recorded history.  However, we have studied the texts thoroughly.  We must succeed. It is our destiny.  To the xeno endeavor!  To our destiny!"

Archaeological evidence and analysis of geological tectonic shifts as well as records of the Idena De Kur empire verify that a force field was in fact generated against a portal on planet 12 in the 49,10 system.  However, reports from the Idena De Kur intelligence community show that the generation of false information spell, did in fact fail.  This, coupled with the fact that no other journal entries of this scribe have been recovered, raises the possibility that our scribe perished trying to cast the false information spell.

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Re: Xeno Syndicate Revisited

Didnt you have one just like this one, that encyclopedia thingy?

Not many people know this, but I own the first radio in Springfield. Not much on the air then, just Edison reciting the alphabet over and over. "A" he'd say; then "B." "C" would usually follow...

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Re: Xeno Syndicate Revisited

Well, not *just* like it, but similar, yes.  It's all background work for my novel series.

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Re: Xeno Syndicate Revisited

So you are creating an Universe to set your story in? Much like LOtR?

Not many people know this, but I own the first radio in Springfield. Not much on the air then, just Edison reciting the alphabet over and over. "A" he'd say; then "B." "C" would usually follow...

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Re: Xeno Syndicate Revisited

Yes.  All the stuff I'm writing now is like the Similarion.

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8 Reply by Xeno (edited by xeno syndicated 24-May-2008 05:03:33)

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Re: Xeno Syndicate Revisited

The Xeno Syndicate Revisited: Historical Document 865

We should note that some scholars of certain mystical sects of the Guardian Order have suggested that the consciousness of the aforementioned scribe was transfered to the individual known in partaxian folklore as Koarad Min, who is said to have been the  instrumental revolutionary leader of the Poarax Rebellion against the Quantum Portalists in the Milky Way galaxy in the year 243 of the Danaian calender.

However, the journal entries of this scribe are not the only other records pertaining to the Xeno Syndicate. Xeno Syndicate artifacts recovered by scribes of our order from 25 planets in 10 systems clearly indicate the extent of the Xeno Syndicate's empire in the Sagittarius galaxy.  From data-chips and other data-storage devices recovered from these archaeological sites, our scribes have reconstructed a general picture of the Xeno Syndicate's empire.

The xeno acted as space faring overlords of what we generally consider to be a pre-industrial partaxian empire.  On the one hand, the xeno facilitated certain technological developments within their partaxian society, but on the other hand disallowed or even sabotaged other technological developments.  This was accomplished by maintaining a strict feudal caste system, whereby the more telepathically adept partaxians were elevated to the more prominent positions, and thereby ensured strict administrative control over the local partaxian economies. 

The prominent were deemed such through what was called psi-tests, which were continuously conducted throughout the empire.  Apparently, anyone could take the initial 1st level exam, and, having passed the 1st level, could continue the testing process to determine their highest level of psychic aptitude, the 9th level of which graduated the student to the status of wizard.

The partaxian population at the height of empire's expansion is estimated to have been as high as 3.7 trillion partaxians, scattered over the 25 planets.  As 30% of those who entered the psi-testing system were able to attain wizard status, the xeno syndicate is thought to have employed as many as 1.3 billion wizards.

The wizard caste was, for all effects and purposes, the elite of partaxian society.  They were the only partaxians granted ownership of land privileges, as well as certain voting and legal privileges, the extent of which remains unclear.  It is known, however, that the wizards were in some rare instances granted audience with their xeno overlords.  The following excerpt from a wizard's personal log recovered from a data-chip discovered at archaeological site #232 on planet 56,7:7 describes such an audience with the planet's xeno governor.  Interestingly, the tone of the writer is without the sense of apathy characteristic of other writings, leading analysts to believe that the higher ranking wizards were granted more mental autonomy from the xeno macro hypnotism than lower ranking members of the xeno-partaxian caste-system:

"It was my first audience with the Lord Jurad since the colony's founding.  My entourage arrived at the transport walls to the tower-compound at dawn.  As I descended from my sedan chair, I sensed a slight anxiety in my portresses, all of whom immediately bowed, touching their foreheads to the ground at the 'feet' of metal-men (or 'androids' as the xeno called them) who guarded the tower-compound's portcullis.  Their anxiety was understandable, for to even approach the compound without explicit privilege by the xenolord was punishable by instantaneous death by hypnotism.  Even my own instinct was to command my portresses to return me swiftly to the estate.  But to have ignored the summons of the Lord Jurad would likewise have meant only death for us all."

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9 Reply by Xeno (edited by xeno syndicated 01-Jun-2008 02:48:28)

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Re: Xeno Syndicate Revisited

The Xeno Syndicate Revisited: Historical Document 866

However, mass hypnotism was not the only form of social control the xeno used over their partaxian underlings.  Our scribes of the Korad Progenitors argue that the xeno hypnotism was in fact a secondary means of social control.  Instead, the very architecture of xeno overlord society and the assimilation of upper-level partaxian telepaths into xeno society was a more influential form of social control.  Yet, the majority of our order do not yet adopt this conclusion, as this partaxian noble's account is the only known description of the Xeno Syndicate's culture.  The Korad Progenitors are believed to be in possession of other texts giving further details of the Xeno Syndicate's social system but have not yet released them for analysis due to concerns over temporal and evolutionary corruption.   

In any even, the following account of our partaxian nobleman gives us further insight into the psychological effect the xeno may have instilled on the higher-ranking partaxian wizard classes who were clearly not under the control of the mass xeno hypnotism.

"I was taken, along with the 4 portresses I which I was permitted to bring with me, up the tower to the sky city.  The journey took the better part of an hour, standing in the 'elevator' with two 'androids'   They were a silent, menacing, presence, and I soon became aware of their ever-watchful, telepathic penetration of my consciousness.  These were not real men of flesh and bone, but, instead, were somehow lifeless and without soul. It was beyond my comprehension how they could even exist, never mind how they could have the capability of Mind. 

At one point during the ascension, I contemplated extending my telepathic vision upwards to my destination, and, at that moment, the androids immediately emitted a strange thought-force interference pattern - a kind of repeating stream of the numerals 1 and 0 in some sort of mathematical loop that strangely made me feel drowsy.  And so I just continued to gaze out the window and refrained from using my telepathy.  I then noticed that I felt no sense of inertia, even though I was supposed to be ascending in the elevator.  It seemed I was not rising at all, but, rather that I was standing still upon a high platform, and it was my home-world that was moving, falling away into doom.  All I could distinguish of the surface were the clouds and some  patches of blue of the Joarad Ocean. 

Within an hour, the elevator had apparently come to a stop, because the doors opened and revealed a slightly curving passageway leading beyond a bend.  It was lined with doorways labeled with undecipherable, glowing symbols.  Through one such doorway, my portresses and I were ushered.  Inside was a vaulted spherical room of dimly glowing glass.  There was a small lounge with refreshments upon a table, beyond which lay the curvature of my home world.  I was somehow under the impression, although no words had been uttered during the entire journey, that I was now expected to sit and reflect on this my fate, and this the fate of my world.  Furthermore, my portresses were in a state of anguish, having absorbed much of my negative thought-energy during the stressful journey.  We needed some time to recover and adjust to these new circumstances. 

The word Rest reverberated in our minds from some unknown entity yet even further above us.  Our journey seemed to be just beginning."

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10 Reply by Xeno (edited by xeno syndicated 21-Jun-2008 06:28:29)

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Re: Xeno Syndicate Revisited

The Xeno Syndicate Revisited: Historical Document 867

The subsequent and final entry made by the partaxian wizard is fragmentary, with initial portions of the account seemingly censored.  The generally agreed upon explanation for the omissions is that the only known copy of the account was originally transmitted from within a Xeno Syndicate controlled installation, and thus underwent some form of electronic interference at the time of transmission.  However, other theories suggest that the wizard himself was telepathically interfered with at the time of constructing the account.  Nevertheless, this final account is helpful to us as it gives us some further insight into the structure the Xeno Syndicate's overlord society, as well as our earliest known physical description of an individual of the xeno race.   

" [censored] realized that the turquoise-glowing symbols on the 'doorways' through which I was walking represented different locations.  These doorways were actually an elaborate network of portals leading to perhaps anywhere in the universe.  [censored] I and my portresses, escorted by the two automatons,  spent many days traveling the portal network, spending many hours simply waiting in observation lounges for the spacial-temporal disassociation sickness to subside before being taken through yet another series of various portals. 

At last, I and my portresses were ushered through one last doorway and arrived in what seemed a vast empty space of perpetual darkness.  At first, the feeling of panic and vertigo due to there being no indication of any sort of floor upon which I was standing (nor any ceiling or walls for that matter) was enough to render my portresses, whose presence in the darkness I could only sense faintly, entirely incapacitated.  Behind me, the portal-doorway became non-existent, leaving me, for a moment, entirely without any spacial reference point whatsoever. 

Finally, a small point of light appeared in my field of view in the distance, growing brighter and appearing larger as if it (or I) was somehow approaching.  It suddenly became (faster than my perceptions could possibly process), a magnificent throne-platform, upon which sat what I knew had to be the xenolord.  Light emanated from the casted metal of the apparatus: a series of steps leading to a throne, behind which rose an elaborate, fanned-out screen of metallic pulsating brilliance.  It was as if the metal was reflecting light from a star directly behind me.  But, as well as I was aware, there was no other light source. 

Cast in impossible, ironic shadow before me was the face of the xenolord, whose form I could only distinguish in the brilliance by his attire - a suit of what seemed like ancient chain-linked armour, glowing in the same reflective metallic sheen as the rest of the apparatus before me, but somehow it shone more darkly, more sinisterly.  It was then that I heard the same telepathic voice that I had heard before:

Greetings, partaxian.

I was too weakened and stupefied to respond telepathically, and I did not know if sound could travel in the space between us. I had not been instructed on the etiquette involved in meeting a xenolord, and so, in panic, I simply bowed to where I assumed was the floor.  After an amount of time prostrated that I hoped was an appropriate duration, I raised my awareness, and sensed mild curiosity from him.  When I raised my eyes, I could see only a dim outline of his face, just enough to see a glint of dark light where his eyes would be, and a line of white which must have been his teeth.  He was smiling.

Then he spoke in my mind once again:

You, partaxian, and those of your brethren, are quite fortunate.  A campaign of mass-hypnotism is now being waged against certain populations of partaxians in this galaxy.  But yours may be permitted to be spared.  To prove your worthiness and loyalty to the Syndicate, you and your wizards are to perform a mass-hypnotism against your cousins, the partaxians of the Order of the Raging Phoenix.  Already your disciples have been assembled at various installations across your empire, awaiting your guidance to begin the incantation.  Comply with the Xeno Syndicate's command, conduct the hypnotism, and be spared.  Refuse, and all of the wizards of your empire will be cleansed from existence.

My portresses were still incapacitated.  I was entirely alone and tried to fathom what the xenolord had spoken.  But with every moment I hesitated, I saw the light emanating more brightly, more powerfully and threateningly from the platform, and the xenolord became more obscured in the shadow of his form.  Terrified at what would befall my people, I almost instinctively complied with the command, beginning the incantation in my mind. 
As I did so, the xenolord's face was illuminated for a moment, and, from what I remember, I saw it to have two elliptical eyes with darkly shining black irises, one mouth and nose - all similar to that of a quantam's face, but with a primitive, weathered appearance like that of the fabled ancient humans .  The xenolord even had the high-ridged, beak shaped nose reminiscent of those described in the myths of Lorad of the planet Earth. 

Covering his head was a helm of metallic scale-rings, upon the brow of which my eyes were hypnotically drawn, for I saw there a symbol whose meaning I felt I should be able to recall.  It suddenly flashed, blinding me, and I was cast into a trance, experiencing some sort of vision: a ring of Xeno Syndicate portal doorways appeared all around me, one open to each location where the various groups of my wizards were being held captive.

I became aware of being telepathically connected to all of my disciples, intimately aware of all their thoughts, and they of mine.  With the link between us, we were all unified and strengthened.  Even the awareness of my portresses, which were locked away in a state of comatose, rose to a level that would be of some use.  Thus, I complied with the xenolord

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