Iv Somnang

Iv Somnang, officially the Harmony of Iv Somnang, is an interstellar state located at the edge of the Im Chantou Grouping outside of the galaxy proper. It consists of five star systems closely clustered together referred to as the Five Worlds, as well as a series of deep space stations known as the String of Black Pearls. The Harmony is populated exclusively by the Somnangii species, and is a member of the Imperium. While the highly developed nature of its planets and its advanced labor force has resulted in an outsized economic output for a polity of its size, Iv Somnang maintains only a single seat in the Imperial Senate.

History
The Somnangii were the only sapient species to evolve on the planet of Su Montha, however, it is unlikely that they were the first to reside there. Su Montha and its neighboring systems are all home to unusual concentrations of both inert and active Quum artifacts. The presence of these greatly impacted the development of Somnangii society, as they not only formed the centerpiece of Somnangii religions throughout history, but also propelled the species into becoming an early user of spaceflight due to their power-generating capabilities.

Formation of the Harmony
The Harmony of Iv Somnang has historically been a term to refer to Somnangii civilization as a whole, and dates back to the Su Montha's pre-industrial period when a legendary griot named Sat Sor founded a school of philosophy known as Chamrien'Chuum, or "Song Worship." Their texts drew from many of the traditional religions of Su Montha as well as the concept of "Iv Somnang," which loosely translates into "Civilizational One-ness" among the Somnangii. Sat Sor's position as a governmental advisor in their region and their later role in bringing a peaceful end to the War of Five led to the popularization of Chamrien'Chuum. While the Somnangii would remain disunited as a species until their Atomic Age, Chamrien'Chuum grew to become the guiding philosophical principle on Su Montha, and the idea of Somnangii civilization became known simply as "The Harmony of Iv Somnang."

This name would be taken up by the first world government on Su Montha, which was initially formed as a loose oversight body to maintain peace after multiple polities developed their first nuclear weapons. While regional nationalism remained a factor on Su Montha, the Harmony as a government would accumulate additional roles and powers over the subsequent centuries, particularly as they developed faster than light travel and made their first encounters with other species.

Early Spaceflight and Expansion
The Somnangii enjoyed a first mover advantage in their area of space thanks to their accelerated spaceflight development after the true utility of the Quum artifacts on Su Montha was discovered. This fact further cemented the religious and traditional importance of the Quum artifacts, as well as beliefs around the divinely chosen nature of Somnangii civilization. The presence of further artifacts in four nearby star systems housing habitable worlds strengthened these concepts, and the Five Worlds gained a religious significance of their own as the Somnangii went further afield in the Im Chantou Grouping.

Relations With the Imperium
The Harmony first encountered the Imperium when the latter began to encroach on the Im Chantou Grouping. Imperial inroads were fiercely resisted by the Harmony, which led to a violent conflict against the far larger state. Fanatical resistance and fierce fighting from the Somnangii resulted in most of their colonies and outposts being destroyed. Only when the fighting threatened to reach the sacred Five Worlds did the Harmony accept vassal status within the Imperium in order to retain its own valuable imperial core. The Second Interregnum saw the overthrow of the hated Manolakaaran government, and greatly eased the Harmony's position towards the Imperium as the presence of G-Drive fuels and advanced industry in the Five Worlds brought increasingly lucrative trade. The subsequent reorganization of the Imperium allowed the Harmony to accept a more amenable Treaty of Accession. Despite this, tensions remain even today among the Somnangii with regards to their membership, and the Harmony's attitudes has maintained a balanced approach of remaining highly insular and protectionist in the cultural and political spheres while continuing to reap the economic benefits of membership.

Somnangii
Only Somnangii are accepted as citizens of Iv Somnang, and all Somangii are considered to be part of the Harmony regardless of whether they themselves do. The Somnangii are stocky, bipedal sapients characterized by a hunched-over gait and tentacle-like facial masses. Somangii usually have three sets of two tentacles. Additional or particularly large sets are considered to be a sign of good fortune, and such individuals are usually taken at birth to be inducted into the Griotry. A pair of ear-like structures towards the rear of the head is to receive auditory stimuli, and eyes at the front can detect the usual spectrum of visual light. Their arms end in three-fingered hands which can manipulate tools and objects.

The facial tentacles conceal a mouth with an internal beak that can be used to deliver an extremely lethal neurotoxin, which Somnangii historically used for hunting. Somnangii have mottled skin whose color seems to shift based on circumstance. While perhaps initially a means of camouflage given the ambush-like hunting patterns of their ancestors, modern Somnangii use changes in coloration to convey emotions similar to some more primitive cephalopods found around the galaxy.

Somnangii are amphibious, and sets of torso-gills allow them to function underwater, while nasal passages between their facial tentacles can inhale air. However, nearly all Somnangii civilizations developed on land due to far more accessible resources there. Somnangii only have a single gender which reproduces asexually by periodically laying egg sacs. These sacs must be laid in an aquatic environment, and offspring hatched from them are raised in communal crèches alongside others of their age by appointed caregivers. These crèches typically form something similar to the familial connections of other species with one another, regardless of blood ties.

Somnangii average around 5'10 in height, though they have been known to reach as much as 6'10 or as little as 4'10. Though physically strong and dangerous in close quarters, their slowness relative to other marine and terrestrial life on Su Montha led their early ancestors to favor ambush tactics for hunting, and to later develop ranged tools.

Language
It is maintained that the Somnangii mouth structure makes it impossible to naturally pronounce words in most other languages, leaving them wholly dependent on artificial translators. It has been suggested, however, that the Somnangii will sometimes exaggerate their inability to communicate simply to avoid conversations with outsiders. Similarly, the Somnangii language is highly complex and challenging for translation software to navigate. While written and spoken words are well understood, subtle tentacle movements and changes in skin-color patterns add context and nuance to Somnangii speech similar to tone shifts in other languages, and these can be difficult for basic translation devices to read or mimic particularly as they appear to find it amusing to try and confuse such software.

Traditions
Most Somnangii continue to follow Chamrien'Chuum and the teachings of Sat Sor. Traditional life is guarded and maintained by the Griotry, which oversees festivals and ceremonies, and regulates artistic expression and the intrusion of foreign cultural influences.Somnangii are known for eating their dead as a way to ritualistically reincarnate the fallen into the Harmony.

Ir Montha
Ir Montha is the home system of the Somnangii, with nine worlds. It is home to many orbital and space-based megastructures, which range from additional habitats for its huge population to large industrial centers. The Harmony's central governing structures are spread across this system, as are its premier educational, scientific, and cultural institutions. While all of the Five Worlds are heavily developed, Ir Montha stands out as a nexus of trade and a center for advanced manufacturing that is fueled by extraction industries across the system.

Ir Montha was a watery surface with only a single supercontinental landmass surrounded by oceans dotted by smaller islands. This relatively consolidated geography greatly accelerated the unification of the early Somnangii species.

Ti Dara
Ti Dara is the closest planet to Ir Montha's star. It is very small planet, the smallest in the system at only 1,650 km in radius. Despite this, it was one of the first terrestrial planets to be visited by the Somnangii due to its proximity to Su Montha. The planet has been extensively mined over thousands of years, effectively stripping it of any resources by the modern era. It is now little more than a warren of excavated tunnels used by the Akouy Chinguk. No civilian presence remains on Ti Dara, and it has no natural satellites, though a number of artificial ones are in place.

Su Montha
Su Montha is the second planet from the star and the only naturally habitable world of the Ir Montha System. It is both the homeworld and capital of the Somnangii. It has a single natural moon, Il Anchaly, which has been extensively colonized to the point of becoming the second most populous body on the planet. Su Montha also has a huge number of artificial stations and satellites orbiting it for industrial, residential, and defense purposes.

So Chariya
So Chariya is the third planet from Ir Montha's star. It is a massive gas giant with a radius of 64,622 km, and has fifty moons orbiting it. So Chariya is home to gargantuan atmospheric mining projects, and to this end nearly all of its moons are home to Somnangii outposts to support these activities as well as their own mining operations. Three of these moons, Il Ponlok, Il Khun, and Il Nout, have been heavily colonized and geoformed to various degrees due to their more favorable environment. So Chariya is also orbited by a considerable amount of orbital infrastructure to facilitate and protect mining and refining operations.

So Jin
So Jin is the fourth planet from Ir Montha's star. Much like So Chariya, it is a large gas giant with a radius of 27,089 km, and is an important site for atmospheric mining. Its thirty moons all host outposts of various levels, and one of them, Il Kalianne, has been extensively settled and geoformed. So Jin mimics So Chariya in its orbiting infrastructure.

The Sophon Khaes
The Sophon Khaes is an asteroid belt that separates Ir Montha's inner worlds from the cluster of ice planets beyond. Much like the rest of the system's terrestrial bodies, it has been heavily exploited for resources throughout history, and is home to various military and civilian outposts. A single dwarf planet in the belt, Il Mliss, has become home to the primary infrastructural hub and population center in the Sophon Khaes.

Ti Nakry
Ti Nakry is the first of the five ice planets beyond the Sophon Khaes, and has a radius of 17,974 km. Orbited by a single moon, Il Tevy, Ti Nakry and its satellite are home only to military projects and mining operations.

Ti Sotear
Ti Sotear is the second ice planet beyond the Sophon Khaes, with a radius of 32,048 km and two moons, Il Ranha and Il Chea. Much like Ti Nakry, it is home only to industrial and military outposts, but is also notable for being home to the feared Kantouka prison.

Ti Rosha
Ti Rosha is the third ice planet beyond the Sophon Khaes, with a radius of 41,925 km and no natural satellites. It is the largest of the five icy rocks at the edges of the Ir Montha system, and the largest terrestrial planet in the system as a whole. Otherwise, it is little different in that its sole settlement is by the Akouy Chinguk and various extraction industries.

Ti Visal
Ti Visal is the fourth ice planet located past the Sophon Khaes, and has a radius of 34,874 km and no natural satellites. It has been described as the least interesting rock in the entire Ir Montha system, and is functionally little different from its immediate neighbors in settlement or purpose.

Ti Soun
Ti Soun is the fifth and final ice planet beyond the Sophon Khaes, with a radius of 11,305 km and no natural satellites. It is the smallest of the five ice planets of the Ir Montha system, as well as the furthest body from the star that is considered a planet. While many natural and artificial objects exist even further from the star and are visited and utilized by the Somnangii, for most intents and purposes Ti Soun is the last real stop in Ir Montha. It is also the most distant body from the star that has a large enough gravity well for G-Drives to function. As such, both it and its moons of Il Toda and Il Tiri are used as the primary gateway to the system. Vessels entering and exiting Ir Montha are required to pass through the customs checkpoints orbiting the planet before proceeding, and vessels that have not been flagged as legitimate entrants at Ti Soun can be detained or fired upon.

Military
The official military of the Harmony is known as the Akouy Chinguk, which translates roughly to "The Final Argument." The Harmony's society is highly militarized, and the Akouy Chinguk has an active duty force of six billion personnel, or roughly six percent of the total population. While the Harmony has historically begrudged tithing portions of its military to the Imperium, a desire to maintain face and show strength mandates that the most promising personnel are chosen for stings in the Imperial military. These transferees often return to the Five Worlds with valuable knowledge on defense developments around the galaxy, as well as personal connections to Imperial institutions and officers. Given the ample promotion opportunities for such transferees within the Akouy Chinguk, the Harmony's military, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, is often fond of or at least respectful towards their Imperial counterparts despite its history of warfare.

The Akouy Chinguk largely eschews the construction of large cruisers, battleships, or superweapons, and instead employs vessels that can be mass produced, easily operated, and replaced. In terms of size, these are most comparable to the general galactic concepts of destroyers, frigates, and corvettes. Naval elements are, perhaps somewhat fittingly, organized into "Fleet-Swarms." Such vessels are notable for their significant offensive firepower despite their size. Somnangii missiles in particular have achieved notoriety for range and lethality, as they benefit from both the Akouy Chinguk's highly sophisticated sensor and targeting suites as well as their own internal guidance systems, networking capabilities, and artificial intelligence. Somnangii missiles typically use nuclear explosively formed penetrators or antimatter warheads. Powerful railgun systems are used for close quarter combat. Defensively, Somnangii vessels rely on a mix of point-defenses, electronic warfare, mobility, and relatively standard energy shielding. Notably, the Akouy Chinguk makes little use of directed-energy weapons such as lasers, instead preferring to fulfill most roles with kinetic projectiles. This creates a reliance on ammunition resupply between battles that complicates the Akouy Chinguk's ability to conducted extended campaigns away from its supply bases in the Five Worlds, and reflects its orientation as a defensively-minded force.

Further reflective of the Akouy Chunguk's posture is its heavy investments in system defense. This is best characterized by the wide deployment of numerous free-floating and orbital missile and railgun platforms in the Five Worlds, as well as extensive sensor and monitoring networks. Populated Somnangii celestial bodies receive further protection from surface defenses. Functionally limitless space for the purpose of power generation and a willingness of a post-scarcity civilization to throw resources into the protection of what is considered sacred soil has further allowed for the deployment of planetary shields. While the expenses involved means that true planetary shields are only utilized for heavily populated worlds, smaller celestial bodies and stations sometimes host similar area defenses.

The Akouy Chinguk is further charged with interplanetary law enforcement in Somnangii space. To this end, it typically operates lightly armed sublight skiffs for day to day enforcement and search-and-rescue.

The focus on such defenses can be traced to the religious and cultural significance of the Five Worlds, the protection of which has always remained the Harmony's greatest priority. Perhaps somewhat fittingly, the planetary defense grids of the Five Worlds are some of the only institutions allowed to draw power from Quum-origin generators. While these grids typically draw from Somnangii-made sources for simplicity, the potential to use holy energy means that these systems are, in some aspects, considered to be blessed.