Kalyshi are Asterians who do not view all technology as beneficial in their striving for Unity, nor do they believe man’s nature is necessarily harmful to the universe
“ Death is the great leveller – we should not live in fear of the balance it brings.”
About
Rather than aiding Unity by removing inconvenient barriers and distractions, the Kalyshi see technology as potentially being an insulating factor or something that can misguide an Asterian by presenting a distorted or even false picture of the universe he or she is trying to perceive.
It is a contentious view and exactly when it or the Kalyshi sect first developed is unknown. Their well-developed culture and widespread appearance in both Asterian and corporate space suggest the Kalyshi are not a ‘new’ part of Asterian society. But, while any GCPS citizens who espoused a similar philosophy would inevitably be labelled as backwards and then most likely quickly eradicated by opportunistic predators, there is no such controversy amongst Asterians. It speaks to the power and wisdom of the Tesseract that the Kalyshi are instead both highly valued and completely integral to Asterian civilisation. Asteria Prime itself is more or less evenly divided amongst traditional, technologically-minded Asterians and the Kalyshi, and there are Kalyshi colonies and clans throughout the rest of Asterian space too.
The reason for this easy co-existence is twofold. Firstly, the notion of war itself, let alone one between two Asterian factions, is quite unpalatable. The taking of a life is a highly taboo act - even the warrior Clades do not do so lightly - and the notion of a race going to war with itself is far beyond anything an Asterian could tolerate. Secondly, the principle of balance comes into play. It is a longstanding decree of the Tesseract and its Counsels that the development and inclusion of the Kalyshi is a natural and essential consequence of progress towards unity. It might seem paradoxical to a human mind, but Asteria sees no contradiction in the whole being made stronger by two balanced halves.
Eschewing much of the technological sophistication of Asteria, the Kalyshi, the ‘tu’var ho’kalysh’, can appear primitive when seen alongside the mechanical cohorts of Marionettes or fastmoving gunship. They go to battle dressed in wargear fashioned from animal skins and feathers, often riding giant beasts transported from the wildest parts of their homeworlds. But their long bows and war glaives are each powered by noh energy and quite capable of slicing through the armour of more ‘advanced’ enemies. A hailstorm of metre-long armour-piercing arrows, fired by a charging line of shrieking Kalyshi can be just as devastating - and far more intimidating - as a volley of fire from a line of silent drones.
The Kalyshi fulfill no less vital a role for the Asterian Empire in peacetime. Many travel the interstellar highways of the GCPS as itinerant entertainers. They set up shop on space stations and inhabited worlds, putting on shows of music, dancing, and, space permitting, falconry. In this way they scrape together a living, and do so more or less unmolested by any corporate authorities. They are, after all, nothing but savage aliens to most onlookers’ eyes. In reality though, they are more than cultural ambassadors, they are the Asterian Empire’s spies. They hide in plain sight, reporting back everything they learn - corporate troop movements, technological advances and avenues of research, and, in particular, the presence and location of Enforcer units around the Five Spheres.
Many Kalyshi have found inspiration in mankind’s ability to absorb and control large areas of the galaxy seemingly without concern for balance or order. Some Kalyshi clan leaders have even suggested the balance may actually be best served by allowing or even helping the GCPS grow further - that the solution to restoring balance to the universe lies not in man’s extinction, but his elevation.
Such an idea is considered radical, even amongst the most liberal Kalyshi, but some of the younger clan members have gone even further, leaving Asterian space entirely and attempting to make their home within the GCPS. Some of these groups even find the galaxy’s greatest sport, DreadBall, a better way of finding a place within the GCPS from which they may expose humans to their superior culture. Whether they will achieve their goal of integrating and permanently influencing mankind is yet to be seen - other aliens have made similar efforts before and very few lasted very long or rose very high within a corporate culture so geared towards quickly disposable fads and fashions.
Gallery
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Kalyshi Race
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