Kronin
Embrace the Veil of Ethos
“Our Crest is more than decoration. This is our body’s purest expression. It’s our declaration of self. Our tether to each other across the infinite darkness. With our Crest, we are never alone.”
~ Willow, Krone Charlatan
A deep scar rips through the lands to the south. A vast series of winding canyons seclude the people of the Kronin. Spiraling out from their central hub, the Nexus, is the shimmering splendor of the Veil of Ethos. Kronin is an Anarchist society in which every populace member is considered a part of the family unit. No individual lives with their needs unmet. However, wants oft go unaddressed. Krones have unique genetic expressions and, as a result of their creation, most notably the Crest that adorns their chest, back, and shoulders. A Crest is a reactive design unique to each Krone, radiating through their skin in response to specific stimuli.
Attribute Changes
The Kronin Birthrite grants a +2 Focus Attribute Bonus
The Children of Kronin are its most important resource. Shortly after receiving their Crest, a young Krone is placed into the care of the Vocatiary for the complete monitoring and shaping of their development to help the child reach their full potential. Each Krone exits the Vocatiary a well-rounded problem-solver with a broad scope of training.
The Kronin Birthrite grants a -1 Will Attribute Penalty.
Outside of the Veil of Ethos, Krones are known to experience intense isolation, loneliness, or depression. These feelings are further compounded by other outside stressors, making Krones particularly vulnerable to feelings of Fear or Paranoia and the manipulations of others.
The Kronin Birthrite grants a choice:
+1 Grit Attribute Bonus
-or-
+1 Charm Attribute Bonus
Healthy living spaces and carefully monitored healthcare have provided a multitude of benefits to the Krone public. Comprehensive healthcare for every member of society has fostered one of the world's most robust and enduring populations. In addition, mandatory time spent caring for and caring for others enables a level of compassion and sympathy among Krones.
The Kronin Birthrite grants a choice:
-1 Power Attribute Penalty
-or-
-1 Skill Attribute Penalty
Krones are typically inclined towards pacifism as members of the populace that are not suited for violence are most often shielded from its ravages by the stronger and more capable. Kronin views every life as valuable, and violence should only be a final resort. Everyone knows that if a Krone starts shooting, then there are no other options.
Class Abilities
The Kronin Birthrite grants a choice:
Arcana
-or-
Tact
Your choice applies as an additional selection to your Studious Tenderfoot Class Feature.
Access to Resources
Kronin is a society built around collaborative care. Food and Water are readily available in public spaces. More advanced resources, such as medical care, are granted without hesitation based on urgency. Anyone is free to take what they need in Kronin, but nothing more. Krones find gluttonous or over-indulgent behavior to be morally irreprehensible. Krones may view minor offenses as distasteful at best, but egregious greed begets confrontation. Kronin gets involved in violent conflicts over “resources hoarding” more than any other reason.
Beliefs
Kronin is an Anarchist Society with a hierarchically flat social structure. Krones pay little mind to local law or authority and instead place great importance on communal benefit. Krones are quick to build trust and believe in the efficacy of cooperation, making them quick to seek allies. Krones do not have a concept of private property but do respect personal property.
Kronin does not use or facilitate any currency.
This makes trade difficult outside of a simple exchange. It isn't easy to sell a Krone something they do not need, as they typically do not have wants. Since Krones communally prioritize their needs, they do not make ideal customers. Kronin, as a people, holds little sentiment for ventures of individuality or artistic self-expression. Krones within the Ethos experience a level of emotional contention that makes things like art and poetry less meaningful, as Krones do not have emotions that they cannot express or communicate with each other through their Crest’s connection to the Ethos.
Climate
Kronin territory expands most of the global South. The typically temperate climate of Kronin Canyon is marked by brutal winters and mild summers. Arable land is scarce, but holdings not suitable for food production are often rich in other resources.
Education
By definition, a Krone receives an education that elevates them to the best of their ability. Kronin places its children into the Vocatiary, run by the best educators and caretakers that Kronin has to offer. Each child is constantly monitored, assessed, and analyzed throughout their development into young adults. Upon graduation, they receive the role that best suits them based on the assessments. Those best suited to teach become teachers. Those suited to heal become doctors. Those able to fight become community defense and so on until they have met all of the community's needs. This assigned role can not easily be changed or contested, though most Krones are satisfied with their posting as it is the job they were best suited for in the first place. From birth, Krones of extraordinary talent train to enter Kronin’s elite taskforces, such as the Tempest Corps. Krones are particularly adept at subterfuge and sabotage, infiltrating hostile organizations to destroy them from within.
Fashion
Krone fashion sense is utilitarian mainly by design, with plenty of pockets, hooks, clips, and pouches for any number of uses while avoiding make-up, jewelry, and other vanity items. Krones can receive a light grey form-fitting jumpsuit that provides ample warmth and basic environmental protections from neck to ankle. Outsiders often consider this the official “Kronin Uniform,” though an actual Krone would never think of it as such. More casual garments made in Kronin often feature a rare liquid crystal reactive material or directly exposed skin around the chest, back, and shoulders, specifically to draw attention to a Krone’s Crest presentation. Kronin Garments are typically a monotone of greyscale or darker shades of blue or other more earthen tones. The Nexus developed a primarily reactive liquid crystal paint that will reflect the same color as the Crest of a nearby Krone when applied to a surface—resulting in a sprawling vista of a living, breathing nation that is, in itself, a unique being. One can see at a glance the state of the nation as far as the horizon. The joys and jubilations. The loss and sorrow. The anger and discontent.
Geographical Origin
The Krones make their home directly in the massive complex of canyons that bears their name. The Kronin Canyon lies directly south of the great desert known as the Dust and sprawls 2 Million Paces in length, reaching from the Petritus Stone Forest to the Achlør Salt Marsh. The widest point of the canyon is over 80,000 Paces across. Outside of maintaining key strategic fortifications, Kronin, as a nation, does not preserve or officially recognize any borders. Krone Territory is undisputed as far west from the canyon as the Dead Pillars mountain range and as far east where the Dust and Achlør Salt Marsh meet. Kronin’s northern and southern limits reside with the barren deserts and tundra of the surrounding Frontierland.
Goals
The personal goals of the average Krone would typically be in alignment with the interest of the common good on the Homefront. While in outside lands, Krones may also be looking to subvert authorities or power structures. For long periods, krones outside of the Veil of Ethos are also prone to suffering intense feelings of loss and anxiety that may drive their actions.
Grooming
In Kronin, the proper hygiene necessities are made readily available to the public through communal bathhouses. It’s not uncommon for Krones to bathe together as a method of social bonding. Krones will often wear their hair (if not shaved) in clean utilitarian styles, pulled back and out of their face. Krones do not typically apply perfumes or vanity items.
Habits
Living in a Kronin Commune instills within individual habits driven by community care and group maintenance. Krones are uncomfortable with eating, sleeping, or bathing alone. They are always willing to share supplies and will often take what they need without asking. Krones try to live using as few resources as possible. They are also expert recyclers and upcyclers, stretching whatever resources they have available to the absolute limit. When resources are thin, Krones are the strictest enforcers of equitable rationing. Krones are hesitant to take the last portion of a communal resource or meal.
History
A southern tribe forged the nation of Kronin in great hardship. Kronin's people began as any other tribe but have always celebrated their clever insights and resilient endurance. Early in their history, the Krones suffered a terrible infertility plague that infected every member. With the promise of a future generation torn away, the people of Kronin placed imperial priority on the health and wellness of every member of their community. In earlier times, the Krones relied on being amicable and charitable with other tribes and nations in the hope of recruiting new members in exchange for food, medicine, and support. The Krones incline towards peace and compromise, as acts of violence often cause losses in the population they could not afford.
The Krones learned violence the hard way.
Their charitable nature and pacifist beliefs made them frequent targets by bandits, warlords, and eventually other nations. Kronin's people, clever and resilient, took up arms for their survival. They developed incredibly effective methods of influencing isolated populations to their defense, annexing entire cities into their control. Specialization and prioritization of skill and ability became a cultural duty, in tandem with the people's community care and personal wellness. Krones trained each member of its populace to the best of their ability because their survival depended on it. Then came the discovery that anchored Kronin's status as a nation. Krone Explorers discovered an artifact embedded deep in the walls of a vast canyon that would later bear their name. This artifact was an ancient ruin of the Fonterra.
This great machine. Dubbed the Cruxadle by its people, it is the birthplace of every Krone since the infertility plague impacted the populace generations ago. The Cruxadle is a technical marvel, a massive facility for cloning and genetic alteration, wholly independent and autonomous of human influence. The Cruxadle cares for the Krones as they care for others. Taking genetic samples of the Krone people, the Cruxadle combines perfect pairings of DNA between "parents" to create an artificial human embryo that then incubates in an artificial womb. Once the incubation period has finished, a new, perfectly healthy, genetically diverse, and unique child is born. The most incredible honor bestowed upon a non-Krone is to have their genetic information added to the Cruxadle bank.
The Children of Kronin became the nation's most cherished treasure. Around the Cruxadle was built a magnificent educational facility, the Vocatiary. The Vocatiary is an institute of learning, trials, and assessments aimed at collecting data on and assessing the capabilities of each Krone throughout their development as children. Though the Vocatiary is exclusive to the Children of Kronin born to the Cruxadle, outsiders accepted into the fold face similar assessments in lesser facilities for job placement. The Vocatiary is a system designed to discover what you, the individual, are best at and how best may you serve not only Kronin but the community as a whole. With natural reproduction impossible, and all children born from the community through the Cruxadle, the Krones developed into an utterly Asexual culture, becoming emotionally incapable of romantic love as a result. As generations passed, every Krone was born of the Cruxadle and knew no "parents" in the traditional sense. Small families faded out of existence, as the entire nation was a family, all born in the same way from the same genetic community.
Krones replaced romantic love with familial love, and every Krone is family. The Cruxadle does not name its children. While many Krones choose a name as they age and must interact with outsiders, many others go their entire lives without taking a name. Now, with an endless supply of healthy, educated citizens, the Krones quickly took over massive swaths of territory in the global south, from the entire Kronin Canyon stretching beyond southern borders of the Dust, with lands beyond contested with the Armistician Empire. With the promise of never going hungry, being educated, armed, and cared for going to every destitute and downtrodden member of any population they came in contact with, Kronin made powerful enemies just as quickly as they found new members and recruits.
The hierarchal structures that make the foundation of other powerful nations can not exist, with the Krones undermining the lower rungs of society out from under them. Without laborers, soldiers, workers, and the poor to keep holding up the ruling class, countless territories in other nations would collapse within months of Kronin operations beginning nearby. Then to be quickly "co-opted" shortly after by Kronin operatives and workers acting under the central planning of the Nexus. What started as a disruptive ripple quickly became a wave of incredible turbulence. Corporate forces from Axis took action to reclaim their lost property as the Emperor of Armistice became emasculated and humiliated by reports of lost territory. The mass desertion of Axian Laborers and Armistician Attendants, and lower-ranked Ensigns created major disruptions to national operations. From these frustrations, Axis and Armistice struck a treaty.
The Preservation Concordant agreed to a mutual cease-fire and the progenitor of a fragile alliance until they dealt with the “Kronin Problem." This was the dawn of the Nexus War, a joint war against the people of Kronin as Axian and Armistician forces invaded with wanton violence and destruction. Entire cities scorched to ash, resources pillaged, with deserters and innocents executed without trial or evidence of guilt. The Axian Executives put their money where their mouth was in the investment and subsequent creation of a terrible war machine, the Yggdranaut. The Yggdranaut scorched all in its path, cutting a swath of death straight to the heart of the Kronin Canyon. During the invasion’s final moments, the Yggdranaut forced its way across the last bridge to the Nexus in its efforts to destroy the Cruxadle, ending the Krones. The Krones made a devastating choice. They razed the bridge while it still held the Yggdranaut, the Armistician Legion, and even tens of thousands of their own still trapped on top of it.
The bridge collapsed to the bottom of the canyon, killing everyone on it instantly. A few minutes of deafening silence followed the impact at the bottom of the canyon. It echoed for what seemed like an eternity before the Yggdranaut went into total meltdown, a final gift from the Executives. The following explosion rocked the very foundation of the Kronin Canyon, shorting out the entire Ethos, and for the first time in centuries, the Krones knew what it meant to be alone in the darkness. Following the blast, the canyon wall shifted and collapsed down into the depths below, causing a horrific landslide and a horrendous loss of life.
The Nexus remained intact, but one in four Krones died on this day.
Language
The Krone Language is one of simplicity that relies on the context of the situation to understand the speaker's intent. The Krone Language has 12 base words used as vague contextual references; every other word is the specific name of an object or material, such as Iron or Glass. Krones are masters of non-verbal communication, with 12 hand signals corresponding to their lexicon, allowing for quick and accurate silent communications between speakers. While in the Veil of the Ethos, Krones become interconnected with one another on an emotional level. This allows Krones to sense the emotional state of each other across incredible distances, feel the memories of other Krones connected to the Ethos, and rapidly reach a consensus among each other when considering choices that impact the group.
Naming conventions in Kronin are non-existent, as there are no ‘parents’ in Kronin. The functionality of the Crest eliminates the need for a spoken name for interpersonal identity between Krone Citizens. When made to interact with outsiders, Krones will temporarily adopt the name of an everyday object or nearby material, such as Stone, Powder, or Fuse. A typical notice of Kronin’s alias selection method would indicate that their chosen name was an object observable by the Krone at the time of the selection.
Politics
The Nexus could be considered the nucleus of Kronin. The Nexus is a dome superstructure built in the sheer cliffside of Kronin Canyon that houses both the Vocatiary and Cruxadle.
The Nexus is the true center of the Veil of Ethos.
The Veil of Ethos is a network of Ethos Pylons that relay a constant stream of medical diagnostic data, extracted through the Crest of a Krone and shared with every other Krone within the aura of another Ethos Pylon. The result is a living network of Krones that have complete knowledge of the physical health and mental wellbeing of each member of the network.
Only Krones born to the Cruxadle will have a Crest.
A Krone's Crest is unnoticeable in normal circumstances. Still, within the Veil of Ethos and during periods of intense emotionality, the Crest begins to emit a soft glow indicative of not only Krone’s physical health but mental and psychological well-being. The Krones utilize the Veil of Ethos to reach community consensus on how to move forward during periods of conflict. The Krones service the community's needs as determined by the Ethos, to the best of their abilities as specified in the Vocatiary. The Veil of Ethos does not limit the distance between Ethos Pylons for Krones to connect to the Nexus. This allows Kronin to construct Ethos Pylons deep within unallied territories, allowing hidden strongholds to develop deep in enemy lands.
Profession
A Krone is assigned a profession upon graduation from the Vocatiary based on assessing their skills and abilities. A Krone that is dissatisfied with their work-life has little recourse to change their position. The only circumstance in which a Krone’s position reassigns is when the community consensus of the Ethos determines that the Krone in question would best serve the community in a different role. This rarely happens during times of peace but happens rapidly during times of crisis. Krones separated from or living outside of the Veil of Ethos are often prized members of their settlement for their universal community defense and healthcare skills.
Relationships
Relationships in Kronin are entirely grounded in the community. Krones live in communal housing, with large shared spaces and open access to resources. Krones do not have parents in the traditional sense who are unable to bear children. In the eyes of a Krone, the Children of Kronin are their children, and an elder member of the community is treated as a parent.
Outside of Kronin, Interpersonal Relationships can be a strain to maintain. Without the Veil of Ethos, Krones are notoriously poor communicators. Their largely contextual grasp of language and reliance on non-verbal communication may cause breakdowns in communication and let misinformation run rampant within their Company. Krones are also genetically Aromantic and Asexual, which, as you can imagine, will put heavy strains on any potential romantic relationship. Partners often feel unsatisfied by a Krone that cannot put their individual needs over the needs of the community. Finally, krones are incapable of experiencing arousal, making sexual contact more of a clinical inspection than an intimate exchange.
Religion
Those that Walk the Path have had little to no success in reaching the Kronin people. Sects that attempt to construct a chapel or temple within Kronin Territory have found Krones within the Veil of Ethos to be unreceptive to prophesy or displays of faith. Temples are also frequently dismantled or reappropriated after they are discovered to be restricting access to resources to only members of the Sect. While the Krones ideologically agree with the Unchained Sect of the Path, the Unchained Path very rarely, if ever, leads to Kronin as they have effectively eradicated poverty. Krones outside of the Veil of Ethos may be a seemingly easy convert but often abandon their newfound beliefs within moments of reconnecting to an Ethos Pylon.
Social Caste
Kronin is an anarchist society with a completely flat social hierarchy. There are no social castes within Kronin, as all community members have equal access to all resources. As such, Krones has very little respect for authority or law. Arguably, one could see the Children of Kronin as a type of social caste, as they are unallowed to leave the Vocatiary until graduation. At that point, they join the rest of Krone Society. A Krone may have their Crest’s ability to connect to the Ethos permanently severed due to an injury, congenital disability, or from some other outside influence. Called the Vølkstaag, these Krones suffer chronic intense emotional breakdowns causing them to lash out in fits of uninhibited violence. They often retreat into isolation and are prone to self-exile.
Traditions
The communal traditions of a Krone Commune have many unique facets that separate them from other communities one may encounter in Quantum State. A Kronin settlement will always have a least one Ethos Pylon as a central fixture in community planning. It will often be in an obvious location that is easily accessible to everyone in town. Krones often have supply stations set up to distribute food, water, clothing, weapons, or any other resource that the community may need. Krone Cuisine is comprised of dense, vegetarian dishes with minimal seasoning or flavor but incredible nutritional value. Krones are also known for their large communal feasts, though be warned, do not eat until everyone is served, or you may cause unwanted friction. Kronin Communes will rarely cater to the needs of Merchants or Vendors and often refuse to sacrifice public space for them to hawk their wares. This fosters a general lack of trading and commerce in Kronin Communes. Krone beliefs about resource hoarding can also make Kronin a dangerous place for a merchant to conduct business.
Values
The Values held by the Kronin people have made them primary targets for outside invaders. Kronin is a nation that heavily values the ideals of cooperation. In Kronin, people feel they are only as strong as the most vulnerable among them. The harsh, unjust world can destroy individuals, but through the strength of a commune, they can have justice, order, and peace for all. Krones heavily value Education as a means of improvement. They have the most educated populace of any nation in the world. A Krone that has graduated from the Vocatiary exits better equipped for survival than others of similar age and ability. Krones are always willing to teach someone willing to learn and find enjoyment from turning a circumstantial problem into a learning experience for observers. Krones that interact with cultures outside of Kronin are quick to point out unfairness in other systems to those taken advantage of by them.
Krones are also incredibly concerned about equal access to resources. Krones are morally and ethically disgusted by those that prevent others from the essentials they need to survive. Once a Krone is aware of a hoard, the Nexus immediately begins plotting to reclaim it for the people. Above all else, Krones are pacifists at heart. In the eyes of a Krone, the worst outcome of an altercation is the loss of innocent lives. Therefore, Krones will exhaust every last option before resorting to violence. The Krone definition of violence is much looser than the average person. In Kronin, withholding resources is violence, exploitation is violence, creating a problem to sell a solution is violence. However, once one Krone has deemed something a threat that warrants the use of violence, all other Krones connected to the Ethos will comply with the assessment and act accordingly. If you fight one Krone, you must fight them all.
Krones show no mercy for those that have no mercy.
Vices
Krones within the Veil of Ethos truly live without vice. Krones do not abuse drugs because it would be wasteful of community resources. Krones are not tempted by sex because they are aromantic and asexual. Krones are generally adverse to finery and extravagance and have no concept of currency, making them poor marks for someone selling a good time. Krones that spend extreme amounts of time outside of the Veil of Ethos have sought to turn to substance abuse and impulsive acts of violence as a way to cope with the absence of their familial bond.
Wealth
In terms of wealth, Kronin is a nation that holds massive swaths of territory that are rich in mineral resources. As a result, Kronin has more than enough wealth to satisfy the needs of its populace. Individually, Krones make no personal claims of wealth, though their access to resources and heavy investment in their individual development make Krones some of the wealthiest civilians in terms of personal access and ability.