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--- kybele [2019/04/18 16:50]
gm_philip
+++ kybele [2019/06/11 17:28] (current)
gm_tilda
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   * Formerly the cultural powerhouse among [[:the_seven_systems|the Seven Systems]]
   * Population centres at poles of planet in the form of massive cities, hotbeds of intrigue and hedonism
-  * Now a motley collection of warring micro-states
+  * Kybele broadly avoided the War, accepting some refugees from other planets but not directly involving itself in conflict.
-  * Inhabitants live amongst blasted skyscrapers fashioned into new architecture
+  * However, while they may have avoided interplanetary conflict, Kybele is in a constant state of internal conflict between various warring micro-states.
 =====A history of Kybele=====
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 {{ :futuristic-skyscrapers-338521.jpg?400|}}
-If you made movies, music or games, the capitals of Kybele were where you wanted to be. Crystalline skyscrapers, jutting out of the streets, housed millions of office workers every day in the megametropolises at the planet's poles. Though the slums, the suburbs and acres of crop fields technically outdid these cities in size, in the memory of the Seven Systems the culture would always loom the largest. The entire planet was devastated by the loss of the [[the ananke conference|GSS Ananke]], boarded as it had been by the most important musical talents across the planet. Three groups of singers and their handlers left, to perform in a highly competitive showcase; none would come back, and the agencies that managed them would never be the same again.
+If you made movies, music or games, the capitals of Kybele were where you wanted to be. Crystalline skyscrapers, jutting out of the streets, housed millions of office workers every day in the megametropolises at the planet's poles. Though the slums, the suburbs and acres of crop fields technically outdid these cities in size, in the memory of the Seven Systems the culture would always loom the largest.
-Besides media and celebrity, the other thing Kybelians valued most was money. The planet was a plutocracy; those who accrued money accrued power. For this reason, displays of conspicious consumption were not only frequent amongst the political class, but an active means by which power would be consolidated and defended. There was, for this reason, a ritualised culture of gift-giving and patronage between citizens; it is hypothesised by contemporary sociologists and historians that this is part of the reason the family structure became so solidified later in the planet's life. Feasts and balls were commonplace occurrences, especially among the ruling and upper-middle classes, and these would be elaborate and colourful affairs. Nevertheless, there would always be the unspoken assumption at these ostentatious social gatherings that they were affairs of business and politics. Mysterious deaths at and immediately after these gatherings were very frequent.
+Besides media and celebrity, the other thing Kybelians valued most was money. The planet was a plutocracy; those who accrued money accrued power. For this reason, displays of conspicuous consumption were not only frequent amongst the political class, but an active means by which power would be consolidated and defended. There was, for this reason, a ritualised culture of gift-giving and patronage between citizens; it is hypothesised by contemporary sociologists and historians that this is part of the reason the family structure became so solidified later in the planet's life. Feasts and balls were commonplace occurrences, especially among the ruling and upper-middle classes, and these would be elaborate and colourful affairs. Nevertheless, there would always be the unspoken assumption at these ostentatious social gatherings that they were affairs of business and politics. Mysterious deaths at and immediately after these gatherings were very frequent.
+Over the past twenty years, some of the tensions that were seething under the surface of Kybele have risen to the surface. Turf wars between the micro-states which formed Kybele civilisation because more and more common as the War progressed and ended, with the House of Stone, Red Moon and Blue Carnation emerging as dominant factions. Of the three, the Blue Carnation appears to be nudging into the lead, its involvement in the Achelian situation having paid dividends in terms of cultural capital and military support.
-While generally a relatively peaceful and isolationist planet, Kybele and [[Eunomia]] have always been hostile. Shortly after the formation of [[the Galactic Syndicate of Planets]] the two ended up in a small-scale war. Whether the fact that it remained small is written up as a success of the GSP, or the fact that it happened at all is written up as a failure, depends on your perspective. The enormity of the recent [[the_war|war]] has relegated this conflict to a footnote in Kybele's history.
 =====Kybele now=====
-The climate was, of course, ruined; it's difficult to get anything to grow in Kybele now, and what preserved food was left was looted long ago. To that end, it's not uncommon to see glass trapdoors, shoved haphazardly into pavements, covering underground greenhouses. There is a network of tunnels, miles long, underneath the biggest city on the planet - some old hypersubway systems, others just capillaries built on top - and this is often where urban-born Kybelian children will grow up, and Kybelian farmers grow their crops. Above ground, skyscrapers (glitter now lost) have been fashioned into collective homes, their girders twisted into high bridges. Survivors and their families live in clusters around the planet; often a single dwelling-place will start deep underground and climb all the way up the still-usable half of an old apartment building.
+While the last few years of conflict have worn some of the populace down, they haven't removed the glitter from the skyscrapers. While everything may be a little worn down, a little less efficient and a little less shiny, the hypersubway still runs and the people still gorge their minds on bright and shiny entertainment.
+The two most prominent micro-states in Kybele are the **Blue Carnation**, a focused and driven militaristic outfit, and the **House of Stone**, a very old and very close family living in secrecy and decadence. These two groups take up the majority of the land on Kybele, and are constantly at loggerheads with each other. For this reason, their territories - especially those near the borders - are very unstable. After these two, the largest faction is the **Red Moon**, an order of monk-like people who live, and work to preserve old Kybele culture, in giant libraries. Other micro-states exist too, taking up little pockets not considered strategically significant. All these groups are not necessarily the same: some are biological and adoptive families, others military outfits led by a pretender warlord, others still new religious groups or even artistic collectives. A micro-state may be as small as a single tower block, or as large as thousands of square miles.
+The Tungsten Roses have a significant presence on Kybele, working with the Blue Carnation. They are noted for their artistic approach to military matters, with many former stone strongholds planted with flowers and graffitied with artistic slogans such as ‘SHATTERED STONE’ and ‘ROSE THROUGH THE ROCK.’
-Pretenders grab whatever land they can. The borders between territories are always shifting as those with the guts and the firepower take what they can for themselves. The centre of this conflict is always the cities - the suburbs and the hinterlands see much less strife. Nevertheless, a traveller down the sun-bleached highways will still see the banners of different clans on the outskirts, covering housefronts and barns, glittering like coloured jewels. Nor are all these groups the same: some are biological and adoptive families, others military outfits led by a warlord, others still new religious groups or even artistic collectives. You will want to know on whose turf you stand at any given time, and by what name you should be calling it.
 =====The people of Kybele=====
-For most of those who lived before [[the ananke conference|the Ananke disaster]], there is a strong feeling of nostalgia towards the era of lustrous skyscrapers and unbelievable celebrity. Vintage movies and music are frequently hoarded and watched with reverence among the survivors. That said, there is also a significant undercurrent of skepticism and resentment, particularly from the planet's younger population. Was it not that extreme focus on money and power, they argue, that created the Kybele of today - a planet wracked by near-constant turf wars and power grabs? There is a decently large subculture of people who believe in accepting and understanding that Kybele is changed for good, and creating a mode of art entirely different to the old culture and beliefs.
-{{:cyprus_ayia_napa_flags_monastery_medieval_architecture_stone_built_window-792821.jpg?300 |}}
+Kybele has changed over the past few years, with contemporary media taking on a slightly grittier tone. Many people prefer the old fashioned ways, and vintage movies and music remain incredibly popular. That said though, many people - particularly those who have associated themselves with the anarchical Tungsten Roses - think that Kybele has changed, and not for the worse. They resent the focus on money and power, and argue that it is time for a more organic media to flourish.
-Devotion to family, clan or group is also a vital part of modern Kybelian society. Though these thousands of individual groups - known as 'micro-states' where they control land - can be (and often are) wildly varied and diverse, their importance to the individuals within them is an unspoken expectation. The most important members of these micro-states will almost always be in near-constant negotiation with their neighbours, whether through war or diplomacy. Assassination, espionage and small-scale conflict are ubiquitous near the population centres. Known micro-state types that exist include biological families, chosen families, companies providing goods or services, artists' collectives, religious movements and political parties; this is by no means an exhaustive list.
+{{:cyprus_ayia_napa_flags_monastery_medieval_architecture_stone_built_window-792821.jpg?300 |}}
-Currently important micro-states on Kybele are:
+Devotion to the state of which you are a part is also deeply important to almost all Kybele citizens. Many micro-states have their own colours, or a uniform, or some other insignia. Because of this, expatriates originally from other planets tend to cluster in their own small pockets of land. In general, movement through the territories is tolerated - though rival groups may take (sometimes violent) offence at members passing through each other's turf. Tiny wars over territory are still relatively frequent.
-**The House of Stone**, a clan of adopted and biological family members scattered across the system, with a major base in the pre-war Museum of Natural History. The family has many branches, all fairly powerful, though the main Stone family are the only ones that really call the shots.
-**The Blue Carnation**, an up-and-coming militaristic outfit known for 'bottom-feeding', or taking over territory owned by the very smallest micro-states. Doing this, they have managed to amass a lot of land in a relatively short period of time.

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