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The Talocan Star Empire seems to have stabilized again, keeping a smaller nucleus of systems in Feythabolis. Perhaps I should take an exploration vessel out there this time, rather than a shuttle.

Meanwhile, I have been busy with advertisements. The constant strean of advertisements sent to me by Federation publishing houses has made me think about how common this "marketing" way of communicating anything from products to political ideas must be in the Federation. 

At the same time, I became aware of a new initiative from the owners of the billboards in Upwell stations. They will allow capsuleer corporations to display their own adverts, and this all over the cluster. 

This seems to me a great opportunity for spreading the light of faith peacefully to our neighbors. It could also be of help to our diplomatic efforts in Caille. Based on my experience making documentaries, and with the suggestions of Amicia Cora (who has experience in diplomacy), I made a draft version of such an advertisement.

Prime directive

I have been troubled by a bout of guilt. I dropped Pax Amarrias at the infrastructure hub and territorial claim structures of the Talocan Star Empire, in order to get their attention.

What if that drew in the neighboring Skeleton Crew, hungry for the faith and starved of scripture in these faraway lands? In their search for redemption, they may have tracked down the containers with the valuable Pax Amarria, and thus stumbled on the sovereignty infrastructure of the Talocanites, who in turn were still to frightened to come out of hiding and defend their settlements? 

Did I intervene in the evolution of these primitive cultures, violating a prime directive of non-interference? Perhaps without this action, the Skeleton Crew might not have ventured into the Talocanite space, and the Talocanites may still be living there. Even if this is so, I do not know what to do about it... any additional intervention might only worsen things. For now I will just keep monitoring things from afar.

Resettling

I was about to reship into an exploration vessel to go and investigate the Talocan Star Empire. If the natives do not want to meet me in the open, I can still probe them down. It would be a bit dangerous to get there, as I've noticed a few warp interdiction bubbles in the systems just beyond our borders. But once past that danger zone, the rest of the journey appears to be through rather desolate systems.

So-called "system sovereignty" is updated on a daily basis at the Amarr Cartographic Society, and it shows the Talocanites loosing further ground in Feythabolis, while they appear to have gained some systems in the region of Insmother. Perhaps they are moving?

I decided to wait and let the situation reach a new equilibrium. If the Talocanites do resettle, they are likely to take whatever relics they have with them. Hopefully they are not a nomadic tribe, and this move just happens to occur at the same time I was seeking them out.

Collapse of the Talocan Star Empire

I had forgotten the fickleness of these barbarian lands.

The Talocan Star Empire, absent from space, is losing its systems to the Skeleton Crew, the new rulers in town. To be honest, I haven't seen Skeleton Crew members either, they must be keeping different hours. I know they were around since the territorial claim has changed. Today again, I only met a single person, a traveler unaware of what is happening - and he jumped system in fear of my shuttle:

[ 2023.05.23 19:44:18 ] Theodosius Savnar > Ave, Platanus! How are you?
[ 2023.05.23 19:45:11 ] Platanus Occidentalis > Good, tnx
[ 2023.05.23 19:45:51 ] Theodosius Savnar > Are you a member of the "Talocan Star Empire" who used to own this system?
[ 2023.05.23 19:46:46 ] Platanus Occidentalis > Amm, prob no
[ 2023.05.23 19:47:00 ] Theodosius Savnar > Or are you part of the "Skeleton Crew", the new owners?
[ 2023.05.23 19:48:42 ] Theodosius Savnar > I am trying to get in touch with the Talocanites.
[ 2023.05.23 19:49:09 ] Theodosius Savnar > No need to jump system, I am in a shuttle and come in peace.
[ 2023.05.23 19:49:17 ] Platanus Occidentalis > Amm, no :)
[ 2023.05.23 19:49:23 ] Platanus Occidentalis > im by myself
[ 2023.05.23 19:49:25 ] Platanus Occidentalis > freeman :)
[ 2023.05.23 19:49:31 ] Theodosius Savnar > Have you seen any of them?
[ 2023.05.23 19:50:22 ] Platanus Occidentalis > No, not here at least. But im here only for today probably. Will move away from here soon :)
[ 2023.05.23 19:51:15 ] Theodosius Savnar > All right, I wish you a good exploration today! I'll move around to try and find them, don't mind me.
[ 2023.05.23 19:51:27 ] Platanus Occidentalis > Good luck!
[ 2023.05.23 19:51:28 ] Theodosius Savnar > Fly safe!

This has been disappointing. Perhaps they left? Or am I witnessing the collapse of another civilization based on Talocan technology? Anyway, I am tired of sleeping out in deep space safes in a shuttle, and I miss Mittens. I'll return to Mehatoor and rethink my next move.

A fellow explorer

Good news, and bad news. 

I shall start with the bad news. Still no sign of the Talocanites in what should be their heartland system of RIT-A7. The good news is that I met a fellow explorer, who confirmed the presence of relics of the ancients! Here is the transcript of our conversation:

[ 2023.05.21 14:06:39 ] Theodosius Savnar > Ave,  Vladblodemag !

[ 2023.05.21 14:06:50 ] Theodosius Savnar > I come from the center of the cluster, from the Amarr Empire
[ 2023.05.21 14:07:00 ] Theodosius Savnar > Are you part of the Talocan Star Empire?
[ 2023.05.21 14:07:25 ] Vladblodemag > Not, but i want to find who they are
[ 2023.05.21 14:07:36 ] Theodosius Savnar > Me too!
[ 2023.05.21 14:07:49 ] Theodosius Savnar > This is why I came in a humble shuttle
[ 2023.05.21 14:10:39 ] Theodosius Savnar > Perhaps they went extinct, like the real Talocan? Or they are hiding, as soon as they see us.
[ 2023.05.21 14:10:59 ] Vladblodemag > here there are 2 relics of the ancients
[ 2023.05.21 14:11:07 ] Vladblodemag > i have no time to collect it
[ 2023.05.21 14:11:31 ] Theodosius Savnar > Ah, wonderful! I was already suspecting that there was a link with the ancients here.
[ 2023.05.21 14:12:21 ] Theodosius Savnar > If I can meet the Talocan Star Empire leader I can ask for permission to explore, and come back with an exploration ship. It would be of great value to me.
[ 2023.05.21 14:12:37 ] Theodosius Savnar > It is nice to meet a fellow explorer.
[ 2023.05.21 14:12:42 ] Vladblodemag > You should do it
[ 2023.05.21 14:13:48 ] Vladblodemag > i have to return to other systems and make some plasma researches
[ 2023.05.21 14:13:54 ] Vladblodemag > good luck
[ 2023.05.21 14:14:19 ] Theodosius Savnar > Good luck to you too! Fly safe

More than ever I am convinced there is a link between the natives of the region and the Talocan. I will try again to meet them tomorrow, but if it fails again, I will return and come back with the Indigatrix. I am eager to scan these anomalies!

Errant Bishops of Ancient Amarr

Also today, I did not encounter the Talocanites.

I changed the nanobeacons identifying the shuttle to show LUMEN colors when I entered their domain, and I again donned my monk's gown. But now I start to think the natives are hiding or scurrying away when they see an Amarrian approach. 

So far away from the Empire, settlements are rare and far in between. Even star systems are farther apart than in the dense center of the cluster. So, not much news from the core worlds must reach this distant place, and when it does it will be distorted. The locals may have heard about the Amarr Empire, but it might be more in terms of myths and legends about a far-away golden place with planets that are home to billions of souls. 

In order to show them my peaceful intent, I dropped some Pax Amarrias in a container close to the I-hub structure. After a while I went back to a safe in the system, and powered down the shuttle. I will try again tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I am reading St. Ahlwin's "Advise to the Errant Bishop", a famous classic. It is a three-thousand year old treatise written at the onset of the reclamation of Amarr. In that age, some bishops would travel far away to heathen lands to try and bring the Faith there. Their travels were beset with dangers, as they went only with a small group of acolytes (the people, not the drones), and performed open-air masses in front of locals. Sometimes the peasants they encountered ignored them, but sometimes they chased them away or tried to kill them. The latter happened especially if the missionary bishop would smash the idols of the local gods - which they would do more often than not. The most important advise that St. Ahlwin gives is to perform miracles stronger than those the local gods can do, in particular miraculous healing. 

I am no bishop, but this collection of travel stories is appealing to me in my current situation. Also, I should have brought anti-viral agents and advanced medicine with me, to perform miracles of healing.

Empty space

I traversed the space of many strange alliances. Mostly, there was no other capsuleer in the system. If there were capsuleers, it was at least a dozen. There were almost no stations, but there were structures. Infrastructure hubs, Ansiblex jump gates. From time to time an Astrahus, but I did not have docking rights. 

I first spent a long time going through space controlled by the "Dracarys" alliance. Then "Hisec Miners", wrongly named, in Tenerifis. The nebula reminded me of the one visible from the Khanid Kingdom. The controlling instance then changed to "Destiny's call" in U2U5-A still in Tenerifis. Still, I was mostly alony as a capsuleer in any system I traversed. The Angel cartel is strong here, but there are no stations visible on the overview.

Then it changed quickly, from system to system. Legion of "XXdeathXX", and "Paper Numbers", before -finally- the Talocan Star Empire. The first few of their systems were empty of capsuleers. I proceeded to the center of their Empire. It didn't get better. I toured their home constellation of RHG-40: no-one home. Nowhere. Not a soul in sight.

I went back out, to the constellation C45-9Y, controlled for the most part by the Talocan Star Empire. The only capsuleer I encountered in the Talocan controlled systems was a man named "makshard". I contacted him in local:

[ 2023.05.19 18:10:02 ] Theodosius Savnar > Greetings, makshard ! Are you affiliated to the Talocan Star Empire ?
[ 2023.05.19 18:15:20 ] makshard > hello
[ 2023.05.19 18:15:32 ] makshard > how im affiliated?
[ 2023.05.19 18:15:50 ] makshard > what do u mean?
[ 2023.05.19 18:15:53 ] Theodosius Savnar > I'm trying to get in touch with them
[ 2023.05.19 18:16:07 ] Theodosius Savnar > But you belong to a different alliance?
[ 2023.05.19 18:17:05 ] makshard > idk
[ 2023.05.19 18:17:09 ] makshard > yes i gues
[ 2023.05.19 18:18:02 ] Theodosius Savnar > Oh, I see. So you cannot bring me to their leader? And tell them I come from Amarr, and I come in peace?
[ 2023.05.19 18:19:25 ] makshard > no i cant
[ 2023.05.19 18:19:31 ] makshard > are u joking me? XD
[ 2023.05.19 18:20:20 ] Theodosius Savnar > No, I'm not! No worries, I'll head into their heartland systems and will probably meet them sooner or later.
[ 2023.05.19 18:20:27 ] Theodosius Savnar > Fly safe!
[ 2023.05.19 18:20:32 ] makshard > fs

I went to RIT-A7. Once again, I logged off while in space, hoping the shuttle won't get destroyed.

Waking up in foreign lands

Relief. I woke up and I have not recloned, despite staying in space in nullsec territory. The shuttle went into low power mode about fifteen minutes after I "powered down", but no-one scanned me down during that time. The backdrop of the Amarr nebula is still prominent on the sky.

Donning the Aliastra captain's jacket and my whig I am unrecognisable:

After checking that the hull's corporate colors indeed show the Intaki corporation's colors, I proceeded. Thirty-nine jumps through barbarian territory...

First leg of the trip

Here's the new Gallente shuttle, with Aliastra skin:

D61A-G is the first system where I venture beyond Empire space, and immediately I land in a bubble and a large group of hunters. Luckily, the shuttle is immune to this, as Gaun predicted. I can continue my way to the LUMEN controlled system of F-YH5B. A slew of strange new icons appear on the Concord interface: Infrastructure Hubs and Territorial Claim Units.

There's nothing there. No stations to dock in. A lot of planets and moons, yes. I warped to the Infrastructure Hub, and to the Territorial Claim Unit. No way to dock up there. I warped to the neighborhood of planet VIII and logged off, hoping that the lack of enemies will keep me safe as I spend the night a sitting duck in space...

Coffee

Worries about Ishta have kept me from heading out to the Talocanites. That, and all sorts of urgent matters at the library, with new shipments of books coming in from the Gallente publishers. They've somehow figured out I like coffee and now also send brands from the Federation to me, specialty items. These strong coffees make me all jittery...

The disguise

I  bought a Gallente shuttle. I hesitated about also buying the Angel's "spirit" skin for it, but in the end I went for a ship skin that I already had: the Aliastra colors. They are general retailer, and a large corporation with Intaki roots. They trade all over the cluster, and although they are anchored in the Federation, they are quite independent. I will also wear a regular Gallente captain's jacket rather than my usual monk's robes. 

This should make me inconspicuous across most of the heathen lands, and I hope I will not draw attention as an Amarr target. Moreover, a trader from the core worlds should be welcome among these barbarians. So, I've opted for the road through Providence, rather than through Sansha or Angel territory. 

This will also allow me to meet up with our people in Providence, in the systems that LUMEN patrols. And, close to them, also with the systems controlled by the fine folks of CVA.

Expert suggestion

It is always good to talk plans over with experienced capsuleers. Especially with Gaun Arel, who is wise and like myself drawn to coffee. 

He made a brilliant suggestion: perhaps I could first go to the heirs of the Talocan in a simple shuttle. It would not allow me to probe anomalies, but it does allow for first contact, and the opening of negotiations to allow some research. I do not have to jeopardize any crew - former or new - as they are not useful in a simple shuttle. Moreover, the shuttles are immune to warp disruption bubbles, and can give me an idea of how heavily camped the gates are before I go there in an exploration ship.

Between a rock and three hard places

My initial enthusiasm to visit Feythabolis and the Talocan Star Empire's home constellation of RHG-4O has substantially cooled after I consulted to star charts to plot out a good route.

There are essentially three viable routes: through Curse, a region dominated by the Angel Cartel, through Providence, where the Curatores Veritates alliance and LUMEN are trying to bring some order to these lawless lands, or through Stain, home of the Sansha.

None of these regions are welcoming to a faithful LUMEN capsuleer. I will need camouflage and subterfuge to pass these lands without being stopped - by cartel gangs in Curse, or by insurgents in Provendence, or by Sansha in Stain.

Proselytizing

Delays, delays. The relic analyzer needs some repairs, and the necessary chips are not in supply right now so I have to wait. I could simply fly to Amarr and buy a new one, but that would be wasteful... 

In the meanwhile, I heard that the barbarian horde of the Goons will join the Empire in the warzone. They're a vast bunch of ruffians, and some seem pleased to have them on our side. 

I'm not so sure. 

It seems we just got rid of the previous untrustworthy mercenaries, the ones flying under the banner of the pirate Mikal Vektor, whose misdeeds went so far that even the Sarum court had to speak out to rein them in. If the other core powers want to use pirates and barbarians, let them. We should not follow suit.

The news made me wonder though... is the Talocan Star Empire allied to these Goonses or not? If they are, they might be friendly to me and welcome my visit. I might then use the opportunity to spread the faith. Indeed, the Book of Reclaiming urges us to do so, "I give to you the destiny of Faith, And you will bring its message to every planet of every star in the heavens".

New crew

Feythabolis is really at the edge of the universe.

It is hard to get the usual crew to come along. They remember the ship being destroyed in Pure Blind and all the trouble of the rescue efforts for the escape pod. And the death of one of them. They're fine with highsec Imperial stuff, but get uneasy when I ask them to go out to the deepest of barbarian lands.

I do have a new hire, well versed in cloaking technology and scanning drones. Eloise Ayogan. I need to pick her up in Dital, where she will return after family business.

A new expedition

I am making preparations for another expedition, this time to the outlands of Feythabolis. This is not the first time I've ventured outside of the bounds of the civilized world, but every time it remains a challenge. The star systems beyond the borders of the Empire are rules by ruthless barbarian warlords, and care is needed.

This time the goal of my travels is a tribe called the 'Talocan Star Empire', its main corporation being 'Talocan Core'. I believe they may have stumbled upon some remnants of the Talocan, much as the Takmahl did, and profited from this influx of technology to build some sort of kingdom. From the parallels with this current-day society, we may learn a lot about the ancient Takmahl.