Karthanians,the

KARTANIAN

Region: Upward/Coreward Sector

Association: Independent, Signatory Member of the Freespace Treaty, declared neutral party towards any of the Big Four.

Independent spacefaring society of former aquatic / amphibious origin.

Main / Homeworld: Arkalon

The region of space the Kartanians occupy is called the Kartanian Conglomerate.

The Kartanians are not very expansionistic and their region of influence has grown only very slowly in the past 18,000 years.

Society: Extremely xenophobic when it comes to their own worlds. They do not allow any non Kartanian to live or even land on their own worlds. However they maintain extensive commercial contact to others via seven Gateworlds.

The Kartanians describe themselves as Technocratic and as a race of Engineers. While they openly maintain the notion to be the best engineers in the Universe, reality has shown them that there are other societies that have reached far higher technology levels. This is the core of their xenophobia as the leaders fear the general public would no longer accept the superiority of the so called Guild Masters.

The Society is ruled by a Chamber of Guilds and each of their guilds is represented there by a Guild Master. (Guilds such as: Guild of the Hull makers, Guild of the Intelligent Machine Makers, Guild of the Metal fabricators, Guild of the Electronic makers Etc.)

A long time ago the society was ruled by a sentient machine called the First Engineer (the machine contains the brains of 5000 Guild masters). The Machine was put in sleep modus by the Guild of the Hull makers almost 1000 years ago as the Hull Makers believed the machine was too lenient with the common workers. (The reason was a Murder case where the Machine insisted that a Hull maker was equally responsible before the law as a common worker. That the murderer who was found guilty was the then Hull maker Master and sentenced to death was the cause)

Kartanian ships and techno products can be purchased everywhere in the known Galaxy.

The Kartanians are also infamous for their 21 Smelter Moons. (Not all Smelter Moons are actually moons and not all operate Smelters) Places where the Kartanians keep large Slave populations, including those considered criminals of their society. Speaking out against the infallibility of the Council of Guild Masters is the most severe crime.