Stellaris Lore: Zascuths

Species: Zascuth

Homeworld: Sudromia

Planet Class: Fjord World

Star: Zovliath

Star Type: Class M (Red Dwarf)

Origin: Cybernetic Creed

Empire: Cyber Chiefdom of Sudromia

Authority: Democracy, Democratic Augmentocracy (After Completing the Conclave of Fusion Situation)

Ethics: Xenophile, Militarist, Spiritualist

Civics: Heroic Past, Warrior Culture

Government: Assembly of Clans, Transcended Republic (After Completing the Conclave of Fusion Situation)

Traits: Mammalian, Machine Reverance, Shrewd, Natural Engineers, Very Strong, Venerable, Hunter-Gatherers, Free Spirits, Prideful, Apex Predators, Steadfast, Pack Animals, Pack, Behavior, Natural Armaments, Nomadic, Ingenious, Thrifty, Unruly

Ruler: Cyber Chief Rhokmund Scar-Guard

Name List: Nord (TES) (Cybrxkhan actually has the Elder Scrolls namelists in the mod. I already used the Norse namelist for a Psionic space viking empire and I love Skyrim)

Ship Type: Cybernetic

Advisor Voice: Cyberpunk

Appearance: Cybernetics #02

Ascension Path: Cybernetic

Diet: Omnivore

Most spiritualist empires do not like the idea of robots and cybernetics. Some of them favor the Psionic Ascension path, some favor the Biological Ascension path. There are a small number of empires that are the exception to the rule. Those empires are known as the Cybernetic Creed empires, spiritualist empires that revere cybernetics and machines. One of such empires is the Cyber Chiefdom of Sudromia, ruled by the Zascuths. Before gaining cybernetics, the Zascuths were divided into tribes led by prominent warrior clans.

Similarly to the Vikings on Earth, these Zascuth tribes and warrior clans have raided and settled across Sudromia's Fjords. Despite permanently settling on parts of the planet, their desire to explore remains unabated. Their expertise as sailors and navigators would eventually transfer to spaceflight.

They worship a polytheistic religion, which worships multiple gods. Gods who would eventually become the blueprint for their cybernetics. Stålgud, the god of war, justice, and voyages, the chief deity of the Zascuth religion. Kunnskap, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. Ást, the wife of Stålgud, goddess of life and love. She and her husband rule the Zascuth afterlife realm known as the Grand Sanctuary (the Zascuth version of heaven). Viikatemies, the god of death and punishment, ruler of the Ebon Plane (Zascuth version of hell). Eldhamar, the god of fire and smithing. Arbeider, the god of toil and hard work. Vetur, the goddess of winter, daughter of Stålgud and Ást. Torden, the god of storms, son of Stålgud and Ást.

The gods were all depicted as being covered in machine parts similar to cybernetics and the Zascuths try to be as similar as they can to the very gods they worshiped. It was not possible especially during the Zascuths' version of the Medieval Age all the way to the Machine Age. From the late Machine Age to early Atomic Age that is when things began to change. A group of cultists known as the Final Crucible have launched a terrorist attack on the city of Volkreth, (which would become Sudromia's capital city) releasing a biological weapon known as the Violet Flame Virus. The virus causes the victim's fur and skin to change into a purple color. The virus also fights the host's cells. Upon destroying the host's cells, the virus releases a toxin that causes a burning sensation inside the host's body, dealing more damage with death being slow and painful, hence the name. Common symptoms also include vomiting blood, internal bleeding, molting fur, respiratory issues, arthritis-like joint issues and intense pain.

Within a day after the terrorist attack, over sixty-nine percent of Volkreth was infected. The Violet Flame Virus is designed to be spread as an airborne disease. Within a week after the terrorist attack, the entire country of Rhotgel was infected. Fearing that they will suffer the same fate as Rhotgel, the rest of Sudromia's nation states went into preemptive quarantine and even banned travel coming in and out of Rhotgel. Unfortunately, the damage was done. Some of the infected had already left Rhotgel. In less than three months, every country on the planet reported that the Violet Flame Virus has reached their shores.

A combined task force from the scientific and religious communities as well as the major warrior clans joined forces to combat this problem. One solution involves creating a vaccine, another involves creating a cure, a third solution involves integration with cybernetics. The Final Crucible has attempted to sabatoge efforts to create the vaccine and cure, so those working on the cure and vaccine had to be moved to secret locations to keep their work safe. Within a year, the first ritualistic implant was created. The first warrior clan contacted to test this implant out was Clan Scar-Guard. Solarkmar Scar-Guard, who is the Clan Leader of Clan Scar-Guard, was outfitted with the first ritualistic implant. To see if it would work, Solarkmar was injected with the Violet Flame Virus. The implant was discovered to have enhanced Solarkmar's immune system to the point where the disease was destroyed without lasting damage.

Not long after, every adult member of Clan Scar-Guard was outfitted with the ritualistic implant. Eventually the rest of the warrior clans followed suit. For the Zascuths that don't have the ritualistic implant it took another three years before the vaccine was created. Four factions have emerged based off of four gods from the Zascuthi pantheon. First was the Templars of Steel formed by many of the warrior clans including Clan Scar-Guard, they represent Stålgud. Next was the Choir of the Mind, formed by the scientists that worked on the cure, vaccine, and the creation of the ritualistic implant, they represent Kunnskap. Representing Arbeider is the Commune of Toil, it was formed from the planet's workers. Lastly, was the Fellowship of the Hammer formed from the Zascuth metalworkers, they represent Eldhamar.

While the Commune of Toil keeps the population fed and assists the Fellowship of the Hammer by mining out the materials they need to create the ritualistic implants, the Choir of the Mind was hard at work in creating the cure for the Violet Flame Virus. The Templars of Steel lead the efforts in stopping the Final Crucible from striking again.

Led by Solarkmar Scar-Guard, he and the Templars of Steel united the warrior clans of Sudromia and led a ten year long campaign to stop the Final Crucible. They managed to destroy the Final Crucible cells across Sudromia. The Final Crucible was believed to be destroyed during the Raid on Mt. Sankell. Although most of the leadership was killed, some of them managed to escape and their current whereabouts are unknown. One thing that was certain, Solarkmar knew there was a chance that they might return and all of Sudromia must get ready.

Finally, the Choir of the Mind created the cure for the Violet Flame virus. For the Zascuths that don't have the ritualistic implant, the nightmare, the uncertainty of getting the virus was now over. A century has since passed, and the Cyber Chiefdom of Sudromia has formed.

Solarkmar watched proudly as his son Rhokmund Scar-Guard was inaugurated as the newly elected Cyber Chief. Later that night as they watched the first fleet of warships, the first science ship, and the first construction ship leave Sudromia's surface, Solarkmar tells his son that it was now his turn to safeguard the people of Sudromia and to be ready for the Final Crucible's return. Who knows when they will strike out from the shadows.

Author's Note: Been a while since I last did a lore chapter for my stellaris species. As soon as I first heard of the Cybernetic Creed origin from the Machine Age DLC I had to try it out. Actually, I created several empires with this origin, and I was having a hard time trying to pick which one to write first. So, I chose the first Cybernetic Creed empire that I created which is the Zascuths of the Cyber Chiefdom of Sudromia.

Additional Author's Note: For the god names of the Zascuthi pantheon, I kind of played around with Google translate, particularly the Danish, Icelandic, Finnish, and Norweigian languages to see what it could come up with. Here is what I got below.

Stålgud: Danish for Steel god

Kunnskap: Norweigian for Knowledge

Ást: Icelandic for love

Viikatemies: Finnish for Reaper

Eldhamar: Icelandic for fire hammer

Arbeider: Norwegian for for worker

Vetur: Icelandic for winter

Torden: Norwegian for thunder