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History Overview:

The Federal Lupine Republic hails from the mountainous world of Alurius, with its peaks and valleys spanning the breadth of three large continents. The Lupine people found an abundance of Precursor sites and relics scattered across their world, and early culture formed out of reverence for these "holy" structures. Prior to traversing their planets ice-choked seas and finding other continents, the Lupis were exclusively centered on the southern most, warmest continent. Here, the Divine Chancery of the Trinity formed around the ideals laid out in the Lupine religion, an aspect of Lupine culture that is inseparable from its history for a variety of reasons. The Divine Alpha's, one male and one female, Lupis and Lupa, and the esoteric concept of their "Pack". Lupis, the Alpha male, guided his followers to found a strong empire, one were the merit of skill and talent held out over birth. Science also fell under his domain, as knowledge holds power, and power is what the spirit of Lupis demands be claimed. Lupa, holding equal footing with her more aggressive mate across all time, demanded mercy, compassion, and care within the Pack. She welcomed the Stray with open paws and would never turn away displaced pup. Lupis holds that suspicion be brought to the Stray, but if they prove themselves, they can find a place in the pack. In this balance between the Alpha male and female, the Lupine people found rationale for their genetic predispositions. The Pack is taught as a far less personified figure, but more of the ideals of civilization, community, order and justice. The Divine Chancery centered itself around a namesake city of Lupa, named so that the Great Denmother would protect it and her pups within. The City of Lupa soon became a sprawling nation, a mostly theocratic empire were the most holy of High Priests or Priestess became the Divine Emperor. This Divine Empire soon crossed the entire southern continent, and from the Lupine Bronze Age to Middle Age was a single unified empire. However, after some several hundred years, a schism occured, as the outlying provinces began breaking off one by one until the Empire fell into a Dark Age. The Restoration Age began as some of the northern-most nations to rise from the broken Empire found continents across the oceans, leading to a revival as a stagnant society found a purpose.

The most formidable nation to rise across the oceans was the Federal Republic, an experiment at first, of how to address the age old question that split the Empire: How do you govern distant groups when they begin to see themselves as one pack and you as another? Forming states, as regional hierarchical governments that would convene in a central location. By holding that the Alpha of Town A held the same ranking as the Alpha of Town B, Town A and Town B would then form as members of a Super-Pack, the where then the top Alpha of Towns A thru Z would then represent State A in the next tier of the hierarchy. The system worked, so well in fact that the Federal Republic grew into a global power very quickly, and when the Great War of Alliances burned across the Southern continent, they were the deciding player. The Great War lasted entire decades, a full generation came and went while the bloody stalemate between several of the more democratic powers of the northern coast waged war with the authoritarian powers along the frigid southern coastlands. The War eventually spilled into the Holy Nation of Lupa, the remnant of the Empire of old, still clinging to the City of Lupa, which no Lupis alive could deny the authority of. When the Southern Valley nations massacred indicrimnetly across the streets of the most sacred City, the once stagnant war pushed further with a fever unlike before. The Federal Republic put forth new weapons of war, Planes, Tanks and Ships of rapidly increasing technological prowess, having certainly breached the Vaults of some Precursor structure hidden away within their lands, and the War came to a swift conclusion.

The bloodshed led to one positive outcome, as it pushed the understanding of the Precursor technology forward, non-military applications became apparent. This roughly coincided with the opening of the Lupine Late Industrial Age. The Space Age spanned the next century, establishing colonies on Alurius's twin moons, and culminated with the development of the Fast Than Light Drive, formally first used to travel to the nearest star system to Alurius's home-star. A year after, the international Federal Lupine Republic formed out of a charter agreement between all the nation states of Alurius, with no small share of influence being imparted to the architects of the charter. This new government, representing the interests of all the smaller nations as members of a greater pack, established its first colonies over the next 7 decades and now some 150 years after its founding, governs hundreds of planets across 6 star clusters. Among its worlds, there are seven rare fully habitable worlds other than Alurius, known as "Arcts", with populations in the billions each.

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Biology/Sociology Overview:

The Lupis are for better or worse factitious, frequently debating and arguing with each other. Fiercely protective of of their possessions, both territory and heritage, it's uncommon to find any Lupis, even the most frail and aging member, not willing to fight and die for what's theirs. In this way, slavery was nonexistent throughout Lupine history, and the concept of not possessing one's own free will is abhorrent. While highly democratic, as very few other ways of governance could manage the hierarchical nature of the Lupis, their predatory nature additionally feeds the almost militant nature of many. Their deep seated religious roots color their morality even into the modern age. As carnivores, they are not inured to a bloody meal, in fact lab grown meats and other modern alternatives are considered absurd to the Lupine culinary arts, preferring meat from recently killed livestock. To meet this demand, throughout Lupine history smaller valleys across their homeworld were cordoned off to act as massive corrals for the herbivores of Alurius. Similar systems continue to this day to feed the Lupine populace.

Lupis, preferring to live in close proximity to one another, build their cities densely, generally in colder climates or higher altitudes, to better replicate their alpine home.While tolerant of temperatures of the lower to mid 30 degrees Centigrade, their natural double coats of often dense fur make colder locations more desirable. Their fur is water resistant and when paired with a thin full body suit and breathing apparatus, they can survive temporary vacuum exposure without need for additional insulation.

The tail of a Lupis is often considered one of the most vital appendages, aside from the reproductive ones. In ages past, many Lupis would have sought death in battle rather than to be spared and separated from their tail. Modern medicine has made it possible to regrow a severed tail, as occasionally happens in industrial accidents or thor malicious intent, but most would still rather lose an arm or leg than their tail. The tail is worn outside of clothing, as its positioning is a vital social cue. Most traditional Lupine clothing is custom fitted to accommodate the appendage, left with a generalized gap and hemmed to suit the needs of the customer, hence the age old profession of the Tailor. Lupis do not generally wear headware, as their upright ears make such garments uncomfortable, leaving head coverings solely to scarves and military or spaceflight helmets.

Lupis use nonverbal cues to signal many of their emotions, both scent based and body language. To other species, a Lupis city might smell awful, even for those without the Lupine capacity for smell. To the Lupis, they can pick out changes in the weather, the time of day, know if a friend is upset, interpret a theatrical performances satirical themes, or determine if someone is lying all from this cacophony of smells. Smell is as intrinsically important to the Lupine people as sight.

Lupis are well aware of the fact they were never alone in the universe: the precursor ruins told them as much. There was never any doubt in that fact, nor was there reason to question scientific findings, in fact the opposite was taught. Rather than religion answering the mysteries of the universe, as some species might try to explain lighting as an "act of the gods", their beliefs focused almost entirely on ethics. Respecting both community and freedom, holding kindness and intellect as valued traits, and always respecting talent and skill over birth or status. This keeps the ancient Lupine Divine Chancery of the Trinity relevant into the age of multi-specie, metropolitan, space-faring nations. In fact, as the sole Lupine faith, the Divine Chancery holds considerable political clout within the FLR, holding its own seats within the Federal Senate and maintaining sprawling Cathedral complexes across all seven Arcts with numerous Temple locations elsewhere. These Temple and Cathedral complexes host civic centers, universities, museums, libraries, concert halls, parks and even spaceports. Non-Lupis are welcome at these mini-cities, and they're frequently the most alien-friendly locations on an Arct, in particular for Ra'Kal.

Lupis hold no cultural distinction between biological sexes, finding both males and females capable of both fighting in wars or parenting or both. No workplace division is made either, with both males and females sharing things such as military units and even barracks. Sexual preferences also follow a non-discriminatory stance, having no moral objection to same-sex relationships. Couples of more than two partners are not uncommon, in part to the pack mentality of their genetics. Couples that share assets and seek permanent bonds, called Mates then, generally bond for life; the concept of divorce in Lupine culture is non-existent. Mating a second time after a mate dies is rare but not unheard of.

Diplomatic Standings:

Leonians- The Lupis first made contact with the Galactic Leonian Empire 70 years after the formation of the FLR and started with a rather warm relationship. Despite the rather displeasurable notion of the GLE's slave trade practices, most in the FLR felt it was very little of their business, and feared the consequences of war breaking out. Trade with the GLE was the primary concern. As long as trade flowed (and the potential for escaped slaves to slip across the border in the hold of a merchant ship), most Lupis ignored the issue. After the GLE began subjugating the Industrial Age world of Ra-Kalis and its canine-like people, the Ra'kal, the FLR became more outspoken and proactive, sanctioning or heavily taxing any GLE goods produced via the slave trade (which most were). Over the next decade and a half, the GLE retaliated by openly seizing the vessels of Lupine merchants that either supported the Ra'Kal Leauge of Clans in the war or employed Ra'Kal. This was a strategic play, forcing the already divided Lupine public to choose between trade or moral policy, which keeps the debate dragging on to this day. Officially, no Lupis is enslaved within the GLE, although rumors abound that many missing ships were lost not in accidents but in GLE raids, and their Lupis crews are now slaving away in some Cat-Lords mines.

Ottarians- Overall warmly received within the Ottarian Council space, Lupis are admired for their free society and respected for their martial might. In return, the Lupis greatly respect the Ottarians as the finest shipbuilders in the charted galaxy and frequently invest in Ottarian technical advances. The Lupine-Ottarian relationship was greatly strained after the GLE annexation of Ra-Kalis, with the Ottarians devoting volunteer armies and material aid to the greatly outmatched Ra'Kal Leauge of Clans and the Lupis providing little beyond funding for civilian refugee support and medical aid. This left many Ottarians bitter at having been abandoned by an seeming ally that could have very well stood to match the GLE militarily.

Ra'Kal- Since their introduction to the galactic stage and then prompt conquest by the Leonians, the Ra'Kal lack a proper government, and the refugee populations are divided between the Ottarian Council and FLR. Those within the FLR commonly practice the Lupine Divine Trinity Faith, having converted to find an easy road to citizenship, and therefore protection from the FLR, or they legitimately find appeal in a canine-mentality religion and have embraced their adopted home. Those within Ottarian space (often known as the Exiled Leauge of Clans) still hope to one day reclaim their homeworld, and hold their opinion of the FLR contingent on what the FLR does toward that end.

*Equin- The Equin of the Equis Eridani system care very little for galactic affairs, only having dealings with Lupis. Equis Erdani lies at the farthest edge of mapped space, with only any real proximity to the FLR claimed star clusters and worlds. Upon first contact, the Federal Lupine Republic made planet-fall in one of the few city centers on the planet of rolling plains and tall grasses. The Equin made clear they had no desire to board metal boxes and fly into the emptiness of space, preferring their tribal existence. The FLR met with the largest gatherings of the nomadic clans and negotiated mining and limited colony rights of the planets uninhabited polar regions, more suited to the Lupis than the Equin, in exchange for protection of the planet on the galactic level. Beyond the occasional tribe making a pit stop at a Lupine frontier post to trade, the Equin rarely interact with their space-faring allies. The FLR frequently tries to update its understanding of the Equin opinion of the arrangement, fearing the minimal Lupis presence being seen as an overreach. The opinion of the nomadic tribes of the Equin can only really be summed as "disinterested". *

Major Worlds and Locations:

Alurius- Homeworld and Capital of the Federal Lupine Republic

Arct Tiber- Oldest colony and dominant foodstuff producer

Arct Pallintine- Economic powerhouse and trade center

Arct Kyber- Tidally locked world home to the finest military and science academies in the Republic

Arct Highpeak- Manufacturing and Mining center, with a sizable Military Research and Development role

Arct Romulus and Remus- Extremely rare Twin Habitable worlds, located on the fringes of Lupine space

Arct Denhaven- Recently settled mining and trade world, the GLE claims its proximity to their borders is a threat

Apex Station- Massive space station complex orbiting an otherwise planet-less blue giant near Alurius, home to the FLR's largest shipyards and fleet command