Origins of the Xaran Alliance: Xarans’ rebellion and escape from the Vex Empire with the help of Prism.
Xaran Society: Their live-fast-die-young philosophy, short lifespans, communal families, and emphasis on military service.
Xaran Architecture: Preference for space cities over terrestrial worlds, particularly the city of Neon.
Neon: The first Xaran space city, now the closest thing to an Alliance capital. Prism’s central core is located there.
Xaran cultural traditions, especially the influence of longer-lived godparents from other species (e.g., Karcharias stone plaques and Avnari tapestries).
2. Prism: The AI Leader of the Xarans
Prism’s Backstory: Originally a human girl named Lucilla Varro abducted by the Corti, transformed into an AI.
Prism’s Role: Political and military leader of the Xaran Alliance, personally connected to generations of Xarans.
Abilities: Manages Neon, the Dreamscape, telepathic link with augmented Xarans, and control over vast swathes of data.
Refusal of Data Triage: Prism’s neurosis around not prioritizing data due to past trauma.
Vulnerabilities: Risk of overload due to the growing complexity of the galaxy and the Breach, as well as Vex strategies to distract her.
Prism’s secret goals: Not to destroy the Vex Empire but to usurp it for a more just galaxy.
3. The Dreamscape
The Dreamscape: An interstitial realm similar to the Breach, accessible via Dreamcatchers.
Dreamcatchers: Independently invented across species through a shared dreamlike vision. Dreamcatchers allow conscious navigation of the Dreamscape.
Natives vs. Dreamers: Dreamscape natives view human dreamers as tourists, with tolerance varying across different realms.
Dreamscape Civilizations: Some beings have lived their entire lives in the Dreamscape and view it as the true reality.
Dreamrunners and Dreamers: Dreamrunners exploit the Dreamscape, while Dreamers engage in more “as intended” ways.
Dreamrunners: Often exploit the Dreamscape for personal gain or sabotage.
Prism in the Dreamscape: Operates under the persona of Lady of Light, a “high-ranked player” who distracts potential threats through quests and guild management.
The Luminors Guild: A prestigious guild managed by Prism, where elite players engage in tasks and raids that divert their attention from Prism’s operations.
Luminor Raids: Biannual events that distract skilled dreamers and dreamrunners. These involve exploring new Dreamscape realms seeded by Prism with “grand dungeons.”
4. The Breach
Breachfire: A catastrophic and dangerous force that can be unleashed by accident or theoretically as a weapon. Both the Vex Empire and the Alliance avoid its use due to mutually assured destruction.
Breach Technology: Breach travel, rogue nanotech, and Prism’s goal to offload computation into the Breach.
Nanotech Types: Wild nanotech (in the Breach), domesticated nanotech, and rogue nanotech (malfunctioning nanotech).
5. The Long War
The Long War: A centuries-long conflict between the Xaran Alliance and the Vex Empire.
Vex Empire: An empire of a million worlds, constantly battling against the Xaran Alliance for control of the galaxy.
Negotiations: Both sides have negotiated several times, including agreements like the Rubicon Agreement (similar to a Geneva Convention), which governs warfare.
The Rubicon Agreement: A treaty signed by Vex Emperors and Prism, with specific rules like not unleashing Breachfire and not weaponizing the Dreamscape.
6. Races and Factions in the Alliance and Empire
Xarans: The backbone of the Alliance, created by the Vex, now a race of super soldiers with short lifespans.
Karcharias: Long-lived shark-like people, often forming close relationships with Xaran families.
Avnari: Long-lived bird-like beings, cultural godparents to some Xaran families.
Vespers: Insectoid race with short-lived drones and long-lived monarchs. Monarchs often see parallels between their society and Xaran communalism.
Corti: A race of highly intelligent, morally ambiguous scientists, known for their creation of chimeras (hybrid organisms).
Chimera: Artificial organisms created by the Corti. Some serve the Vex as slaves, while others have defected to the Alliance.
Vex: The ruling species of the Vex Empire, long-lived and authoritarian.
7. The Vex Empire and the Rubicon Agreement
The Vex Emperors: Rulers of the Vex Empire, long-lived but not immortal. New emperors sign the Rubicon Agreement as a symbolic gesture.
Rubicon Agreement: An ancient treaty, stored on vellum by the Vex but maintained digitally by Prism, governing warfare practices between the two sides.
Vex Religious Practices: The Vex Emperor is also a Prophet, and their god lives in the Dreamscape.
8. Cognitive and Ethical Themes
Cognitohazards: The Vex’s experimentation with weaponized concepts that could incapacitate or destroy minds, including potentially harming Prism.
Ethics of Dreamcatchers: The moral gray areas of using Dreamcatchers to explore, exploit, or manipulate the Dreamscape and its native inhabitants.
Tourist vs. Native Dynamic: How Dreamscape natives perceive human dreamers as tourists with strange customs, leading to varying levels of tolerance.
9. Unexplained Mysteries
Origins of Dreamcatchers: Multiple species invent Dreamcatchers due to a shared vision, hinting at a deeper mystery or guiding force behind the technology.
The Dreamers’ Hand: Speculation that a hidden force in the Dreamscape orchestrated the invention of Dreamcatchers across multiple species.