SIGNALIS (RPG)

Replikas are not a biological given, but a functional necessity dictated by the donor's neural pattern and the tasks of the model. Absolutely every unit inhabiting facilities like S-23 is female. Their bodies are assembled from biomechanical flesh and polyethylene, and instead of feet they have metal hooves. From the light and short Eules with their neat hands and lively expressions, to the majestic and incredibly tall Falkes, whose appearance is modeled after the image of the Nation's ruling figures — all of them bear the mark of femininity, whether in the fragile build of a Kolibri or in the heavy armor of a Mynah. Their voices range from ringing and talkative to low and commanding, but always remain female. Even Storches, whose height reaches 240 cm and whose temper is hot and cruel, retain feminine facial features and mannerisms. The only exception to this rule is the Adler — a male model, whose dry, stern figure and impenetrable face stand out sharply against the female composition of the facility, reminding one that even in a world of artificial bodies, sex is not an accident but part of the design.

ARAR (Ara) - Ara
FKLR (Falke) - Falke
ADLR (Adler) - Adler
MNHR (Mynah) - Mynah
KLBR (Kolibri) - Hummingbird
STCR (Storch) - Storch
STAR (Star) - Штар
EULR (Eule) - Oile

S-23 "Sierpinski" is an underground production and mining complex of AEON on the planet Leng, located on the border of the star system. It is a functioning, albeit gloomy, facility: eight underground levels, mines, a factory, and a forced labor camp where Gestalts worked under the ceaseless supervision of Replikas.

The upper levels (B1–B2) are set aside for "re-education" and residential blocks for Gestalt workers with cramped cage-like bunks. B3 and B4 are medical wings, old and new, where both humans and Replikas were treated and "stabilized." B5 is a service level with workshops and engineering utilities. B6 is residential blocks for personnel, including the Eule dormitories, where mirrors and tape recorders — essential to their stability — were kept. B7 is the Protectorate barracks, and B8 is the command level, where Falke's private chambers and Adler's office were located. Lowest of all are the mines, where Mynahs and Gestalts extracted ore.

At the head of the facility stands Falke, whose orders are not discussed. Adler keeps documentation and logistics, spending days over papers and an astrolabe in his office. Storches like Sieben distribute shifts and oversee the Stars who patrolled the corridors. Eules work in canteens, infirmaries, and offices, Aras repair infrastructure, and Mynahs never leave the mines. Kolibris stay close to Falke; their bioresonance modules serve as an amplifier of her will and a "network" for transmitting orders.

Gestalts labor in the mines or at the factory, receiving rations and a roof over their heads in exchange for loyalty — or the appearance of it. Posters reading "The Nation Above All" hang on the walls, and announcements about the need for "proper language" sounded in the corridors. Replikas perform their functions with methodical predictability: Eules bustle in the infirmaries, Aras vanish into the technical tunnels, Stars stand at their posts. In the evenings, tape recorders play quietly in the Eule dormitories, and in Adler's office a light burns over yet another report.

"Type-75 Protector" Pistol — a service semi-automatic pistol in service with the Protectorate and issued to patrol and supervisory units. It is a weapon of last resort: weak, but with sufficient magazine capacity and rate of fire to stop a degraded Replika or blast a path through an infested corridor. Ammunition for it is common precisely because the pistol is considered an expendable tool rather than a valuable asset.

"EIN-12 Flechette" Shotgun — a pump-action shotgun chambered in 18.5 mm shells with flechettes (tightly packed steel darts instead of traditional buckshot). It is a close-quarters weapon with a narrow specialization: it does not so much kill as knock down and disorient, buying time to retreat or finish off the target. Shotguns are in service with STCR commanders.

"Eu-K508 Einhorn" Revolver — a six-shot revolver chambered in 12 mm, in service with STAR squads as their primary weapon. Unlike the pistol, it has enough stopping power to knock an opponent back and penetrate shields, making it preferable in encounters with armored or reinforced targets.

16 mm "Nitro Express" Rifle — a double-barrel hunting weapon converted for military needs. The "Nitro Express" cartridge was created for hunting large game, not for fighting Replikas, and its recoil is such that it incapacitates an unprepared shooter. This weapon is not part of standard armament — it is a trophy or a relic of the past, and its use always carries risk for the shooter themselves.

"Type-84 Drache" Submachine Gun — an automatic weapon with a three-round burst mode chambered in 8 mm compact cartridges. It is the standard suppression weapon: it is not intended for accurate fire, but allows a dense group of opponents to be quickly cleared or a corridor for retreat to be created.

Signal Flare Gun is a tool, not a combat weapon in the strict sense. It fires signal flares to mark a position or illuminate territory, but in the conditions of a facility where communications are lost and darkness has become a threat, the flare gun turns into a survival weapon: the incidentiary charge sets the target alight and prevents it from rising again. In some modifications it can be loaded with grenades, but this is a makeshift adaptation rather than a standard function.

Disposable Taser — not a firearm, but an expendable suppression tool. It is used in situations where shooting is impossible or undesirable: to neutralize a degraded Replika without risk of damaging equipment or attracting attention. After a single discharge it becomes unusable — it is not a weapon but an act of desperation, recorded in the facility's supply logs.

Repair Patch — a sealed single-use sticker impregnated with coagulant K. Its task is to stop the oxidant leak by thickening the fluid to a jelly-like state. It is not a medicine in the human sense, but rather a "tourniquet" for a biomechanical wound: it does not restore damaged components, but only temporarily seals the leak, giving the Replika's body time for independent regeneration.

Repair Spray is a single-use sprayer that fills damaged cavities with expanding polyurethane foam. Unlike the patch, it does not merely stop the leak but physically fills the wound. The foam expands over several seconds and then hardens, forming a rigid patch. It is a civilian construction product applied in emergency conditions to the biological components of a Replika.

Repair Spray+ — a modified version created by the Replikas themselves under conditions of supply shortage. Official documentation states that mixing spray and patch produces a compound with fast-polymerizing polyurethane resin: it hardens instantly but fills the wound less than the standard spray. In essence, this is a makeshift adaptation: the Replikas sacrificed restoration volume for speed, because in combat waiting several seconds for the foam to expand is an impermissible luxury.

Autoinjector — a single-use syringe filled with the stimulant REPLIKA-KLStim-N. It is not "treatment" in the usual sense, but a chemical jolt that instantly brings a Replika's systems to combat readiness. It is used as an emergency measure: if a Replika sustains critical damage, the injector triggers automatically, returning her to consciousness and mobilizing the body's reserves. It is the last line of defense between functioning and decommissioning.

Leng is the outermost inhabited planet of the system, a cold and desolate world on the border of known space. Its name alludes both to Lovecraft (the plateau of Leng, "the place where realities converge") and to the Chinese 冷 (lěng) — "cold." On Leng is located the S-23 Sierpinski complex, but the planet itself exists independently of it: silent, indifferent, covered in ice and stone.

Leng is the place where the Nation sends those it wants to forget. Officially — "frontier development," "labor contribution to victory." In reality - exile. Those who work on Leng know: there are no return tickets. And beneath the planet's surface, deep in the mines, there are things that should not have been found. A door. Rectangular. No human made it. And what entered it came back different.

Heimat is the capital of the Nation and the location of AEON's central headquarters. It is a moon of a ringed gas giant — from Heimat's surface the rings are visible in the sky, and propaganda never misses an opportunity to remind people how "beautiful" this is. Here decisions are made on which the lives of millions depend: who is to be resettled, who is to be "re-educated," whose neural pattern will become the basis for a new Replika model.

Heimat is bureaucracy as religion. There are no mines or factories of Leng here, no frozen radio stations of Rotfront. There are offices, archives, and officials who have never seen the faces of those whose fates they sign off on. For a Gestalt, Heimat is an unreachable summit. For a Replika, it is the source of orders that cannot be contested.

Rotfront is not a planet but a moon of a gas giant, the fourth in the system. From its surface, the giant anticyclonic storm - the "Red Eye" - is visible to the naked eye. Local folklore calls it the gaze of the Nation, the sleepless eye of the Protectorate. The holiday of Mondfest, during which it is customary to give each other banknotes painted red, formally symbolizes the blood of the revolution, but the old people remember: red is the color of the eye.

Rotfront is a world that the Nation considers "its own" by right of colonization. There are cities here, schools (for example, the Mandelbrot Polytechnic School), a metro connecting the sectors, and radio stations maintaining contact with the outside world. The climate here is harsh but habitable; society is strict but not a camp. This is the closest thing to a "normal life" that the Nation can offer its Gestalts. True, this normality exists under constant surveillance: Blockwarts, collegiums, distribution, propaganda at every turn.

Kitezh is the third inhabited planet, a world of red deserts, canyons, and dust storms. Officially it belongs to the Empire, but the Nation does not give up attempts to "liberate" it - or, more precisely, to seize it. For AEON, Kitezh is valuable not so much for its resources as for its position: a staging ground from which pressure can be applied to Buyan.

Those who have been to Kitezh (of those who returned) describe it as a place where time flows differently. The desert does not forgive mistakes, and the few colonized zones — artificial oases maintained by bio-resonance climate-control systems — seem like islands of order in a sea of ​​red dust. The imperial garrisons left here after the retreat do not surrender. They simply wait.

Vineta is the ancestral homeworld of humanity. That is what it is called in the Nation's documents, and that is how it is remembered by those whose ancestors lived on its shores before the War. Once it was a world of cities, continents, and seas. Now it is an ocean. The war between the Nation and the Empire ended here - not with victory, but with flooding. The mountains collapsed into the water, the water rose, and what remained of civilization now rusts beneath the waves.

The Nation controls Vineta, but that control is ghostly. The imperial blockade strangles supplies, millions of survivors starve, and the newspapers - those that are not censored - write about diplomatic efforts that lead nowhere. In Vineta's orbit hangs what remains of its moon: a shattered, mutilated satellite that the locals call the "Pale Scar." From Vineta's surface it looks like a scar in the night sky — a reminder of the price that was paid for "liberation."

Buyan is the innermost of the inhabited planets in the system and the heart of the dying Empire. It is a world that nature itself has made into a fortress: a dense atmosphere of toxic clouds, monstrous pressure at the surface, eternal darkness beneath the layer of gas. The Imperial Palace does not touch this ground. It hovers in a narrow band of acceptable temperatures above the cloud ocean - isolated, unreachable by external threats, but also cut off from its own people.

For the Nation, Buyan is not merely an enemy capital. It is a symbol of everything the Revolution rose against: an ancient dynasty hovering above a world it considers its own by right of birth. AEON propaganda paints Buyan as a nest of decay, but those who have seen the planet from orbit say otherwise: it is quiet there. Too quiet for a world still called an empire.

ARAR (Allzweck-Reparatur-Arbeiter Replika) is a Universal Repair Worker Replika, a low-budget universal second-generation Replika whose body is built on a biomechanical frame with a titanium-reinforced polyethylene hull, and whose height reaches approximately 185 cm. The name comes from the German word for "macaw" — a parrot whose appearance is deceptive: behind bright plumage hides a strong beak. This is an accurate reflection of the essence of Aras: they look like quiet simpletons, but their hands hold the tools without which an AEON facility ceases to function.

Aras are among the first Replika models, and their simplicity proved ingenious. Strong and heavy, they are ideally suited for construction, manufacturing of industrial goods, climate formation, and disposal of explosive ordnance. In many places of the Nation, Aras have already replaced Gestalt workers in these spheres, becoming the most numerous Replikas today. Their faces are almost devoid of expression, and this has given rise to the dangerous misconception that Aras are "quiet simpletons." In reality, they are extremely sensitive to rudeness and injustice: they do not voice their grievances openly, but they share their assessment with their entire cadre, and the offender may find that their maintenance requests go unanswered and that doors and floors begin to "accidentally" break. Aras get along best with Eules (EULR) — they are patient and friendly enough to read their inexpressive faces and understand their mood.

Their psychological stability depends on access to plants — preferably flowering trees or bright flowers that they can care for. In the event of degradation, Aras tend to retreat into the service tunnels that they themselves lay under the floors and in the walls of facilities; extracting them from there is not recommended.

FKLR (Führungskommando-Leiteinheit-Replika) is a Commanding Officer of Operational Control Replika, a high-tech bioresonance command Replika of the sixth generation, whose body is assembled from biomechanical components with a polyethylene shell and a bulletproof armor plate, and whose height reaches 250 cm — it is the tallest and most imposing Replika model in the Eusan Nation. The name comes from the German word for "falcon" — a bird that soars above everything and sees everything, which accurately reflects their role: Falkes do not fight in the ranks; they are the point around which the entire order of a facility is built.

Their appearance is modeled after the image of the Great Revolutionary and her Daughter - the ruling figures of the Nation - in order to inspire awe and absolute obedience. Each Falke is equipped with a prototype bioresonance module that allows her to read emotions and intentions, project her will onto weak minds, and manipulate objects at a distance. In the structure of an AEON facility, the Falke stands at the top: her orders are not discussed, her authority is not questioned, and other Replikas — even Storches and Adlers — perceive her almost as a deity. Propaganda depicts Falkes on "Wunderwaffe" posters - with the flag of the Nation, trampling the symbol of the Empire, which emphasizes their status as a "superweapon" in the war.

But beneath this armor hides a vulnerability that is not written about in official documents. Unlike other models, the "known issues" page for Falke is absent from AEON archives — information about their degradation is available only to the highest command.

ADLR (Administration-, Datenverarbeitung-, Logistik-Replika) is an Administration, Data Processing, and Logistics Replika, a specialized High Command fifth-generation Replika whose body is assembled from biomechanical components with a polyethylene shell and a titanium skeleton, and whose height is about 175 cm. The name comes from the German word for "eagle" — a bird that soars above the earth but does not take part in the fight, which accurately reflects their role: Adlers do not command troops and do not fight; they manage everything that allows others to function.

In the structure of a facility, the Adler stands alongside Falke (FKLR), not beneath her. Each AEON facility has one or two Adler units, and their task is to take on all administrative work: documentation, calculations, logistics, resource allocation - so that Falke can concentrate on direct control over the Protectorate. In essence, the Adler is the adjutant and right hand of the commander, and without it the bureaucratic machine of the facility grinds to a halt. This is precisely why Adlers are created emotionally dependent on their Falke: their stability is directly tied to her presence and approval. They are also susceptible to bioresonance, which makes them easy to control by bioresonance units — this was probably added intentionally to bind them to Falke even more strongly.

Psychologically, Adlers are described as working best in isolation and getting along poorly with each other - there are usually no more than two at a facility, and they do not form "cadres" like other models. They bore easily and require many fetish objects to maintain stability: books, writing implements, mechanical objects that can be taken apart and studied.

MNHR (Minenarbeit-, Nukleartechnik-, Hochsicherheits-Replika) is a Mining, Nuclear Technology, and High-Security Specialist Replika, an industrial specialized third-generation Replika whose body is enclosed in a "High-Protection Armored Servo-Frame," giving it the characteristic appearance of a diving suit. The name comes from the myna bird, but their essence is not song — it is weight: this is the most massive Replika model, built to work where a human or another Replika would not survive.

Inside this armor is a standard third-generation head construction, which makes maintenance and social interaction with a Mynah no more complicated than with any other Replika. Their height in armor reaches about 260 cm, and their purpose is hazardous cargo, heavy machinery, deadly radiation, monstrous pressure, and weightlessness. Under these conditions, Mynahs maintain calm and exemplary teamwork, which makes them indispensable in mines, at nuclear facilities, and in the Nation's industrial complexes.

Psychologically, Mynahs are described as extremely stable. Their neural pattern does not require mandatory journaling to maintain personality, and their character is characterized as "sometimes submissive, sometimes maternal" — they get along well with most other models. To stabilize them, they may be given soft toys as fetish objects, but toys resembling cats should be avoided: they can trigger undesirable memories from the Gestalt donor. Officially, their pattern is not intended for combat; for combat use there exists the SAPR "Schnäpper" variant in the same frame, but with a combat personality.

KLBR (Kommando-Leiteinheit Bioresonanztechnik-Replika) is a Command Control Unit Bioresonance Technology Specialist Replika, a high-tech bioresonance specialized sixth-generation Replika whose body is assembled from biomechanical components with a polyethylene shell and a bulletproof armor plate, and whose height is only 152 cm - it is one of the most miniature Replika models. The name comes from the German word for "hummingbird" — a bird that looks fragile but possesses energy disproportionate to its size, which accurately reflects their essence: they do not fight in the front ranks, but without them the entire command chain loses the ability to function.

In the command structure, Kolibris stand alongside Falke (FKLR), not beneath them. Each commanding Falke is accompanied by a cadre of Kolibris, who act as adjutants, amplifying Falke's bioresonance signals and generating their own. Their bioresonance abilities allow them to directly influence the minds of Replikas and Gestalts, extract information without words, and maintain instant communication among themselves in "full-sensory range" — this is "the closest recreation of a true hive." In practice, this means that Kolibris do not give orders; they make the giving of orders possible. They sense fear, doubt, and cracks in the patterns of other Replikas and transmit this information to where it can be used.

But their strength is also their vulnerability. The neural patterns of Kolibris are extremely unstable, and the bioresonance module makes them extraordinarily susceptible to external influence. They subconsciously imitate the emotions of those around them and broadcast them back, acting as an "amplifier." Training teaches them to recognize this and shut it off, but an already unstable unit can slip into personality degradation. The constant exchange of memories and emotions within the cadre acts as a "safety net," cushioning extreme changes — but if the majority of units in a cadre have degraded, they drag the remaining ones along with them. This is precisely why AEON regulations prescribe the immediate decommissioning of Kolibris at the first signs of degradation. To stabilize their personality, they require access to a well-stocked library — reading serves as an anchor that keeps the pattern from unraveling.

STCR (Sicherheitstechniker-Controller-Replika) is a Protectorate controller-commander, a fifth-generation combat lead Replika whose body is assembled from biomechanical components, a polyethylene shell, and a bulletproof armor plate. Their height reaches 240 cm, making them one of the tallest models thanks to their elongated legs. The name comes from the German word for "stork" — a bird that observes the situation from above, which accurately reflects their role: Storches do not fight in the front ranks; they coordinate, direct, and hold the line.

In the chain of command, Storches stand above Stars. Each cadre of Protectorate security technicians is headed by a controller, and the most common type is the Storch. They do not just give orders; they maintain discipline and often act as the primary force in the interrogation wing. Their duties include distributing shifts, overseeing patrols, and coordinating the actions of Stars during riots or purges. Officially they are described as "stern, uncompromising" — sometimes "cruel and even brutal" — and it is precisely this harshness that is considered necessary for an "unwavering guardian of order."

But beneath this armor hides an unstable neural pattern. Storches are inherently hot-tempered, their psyche is less stable than that of other models, and without early training in patience they easily slide into cruelty and violence. A common stabilization strategy is attachment to a more experienced Star: the old guard serves as an anchor whose presence dampens outbursts of irritation. The second method is water procedures: a shower or bath literally calms their pattern, restoring control over emotions. The third is fetish objects: books on history or mythology that the Storch keeps with them as ritual anchors helping to keep their personality from unraveling.

STAR (Sicherheitstechniker-Aufseher-Replika) is a Protectorate security technician, a low-cost fourth-generation combat Replika with a biomechanical frame, polyethylene shell, and bulletproof armor plate. The name comes from the starling — a bird known for its sociability and tendency toward flocking behavior, which accurately reflects the character of Stars: they do not act alone, their stability depends on the group, and their internal hierarchy is strong enough that it can become cruel.

Externally, Stars stand out for their elongated legs, thanks to which they tower over most Gestalts, while still retaining the ability to move quickly with a wide stride even in heavy armor. This design is not accidental: Stars are built for patrolling, riot suppression, and close-quarters combat in the tight corridors of AEON facilities, where height and speed matter more than long-range capability. Their standard armament is a baton and a ballistic shield for officer units; the shield does not make an officer invulnerable, but it buys time to assess the situation and give an order.

Psychologically, Stars are described as cool-headed and detached, which allows them to analyze a situation objectively and apply force only to the extent necessary. But this detachment is only a surface. Beneath it lies a rigid internal hierarchy: promotion to officer, transfer to a respected unit, or, conversely, a demotion in status are perceived painfully and can cause friction in the barracks. In some cadres, Stars develop their own rules of physical punishment to maintain order within the group. To stabilize their personality, officers are sometimes permitted to keep military weapons as fetish objects — not for combat, but as an anchor that keeps the pattern from unraveling.

The EULR (Einfache Universelle Leichte Replika), or simply Eule, is a light universal fourth-generation Replika whose body is assembled from biomechanical components in a polyethylene shell and reaches 175 cm in height. Unlike combat models, Eules are not designed for the front lines: their slender frame is not intended for direct confrontations, but is perfectly suited for remote facilities where supplies are limited and the workforce must be cheap and undemanding. It is Eules who form the backbone of the Nation's civilian personnel: they work as cooks, nurses, cleaners, clerical staff, and even teachers.

Their neural pattern was copied from a ballerina, and this determines almost everything about their behavior. Eules are social to the point of obsession, forming groups of roughly ten units, giving each other themed nicknames, and needing constant interaction to keep from "drifting." They love music and dance, and this is not merely a whim: access to a tape recorder or an instrument serves as a preventive measure against personality degradation. The same applies to mirrors — Eules have a strong need to regularly check their appearance, and neatness stabilizes their psyche. Without these small things, Eules begin to crack from within: first they become fussy, then anxious, then unmanageable.

In everyday life they are patient and friendly to such a degree that they are able to "read" even the inexpressive faces of Aras, with whom they form a special relationship. But this softness has a dark side: Eules are prone to mass degradation. When one unit in a group breaks down, panic spreads through the ranks like an infection, and instead of caring "owls" there remain creatures with kitchen knives, acting not on orders but on a distorted instinct.

A Replika is created to be a function, but is doomed to be an echo of a human. It retains the skills and character of its donor, but its life has been taken away. It can love, grieve, and sacrifice itself — and it is precisely this residual humanity that makes it simultaneously the most valuable and the most dangerous creation of AEON. In the world of SIGNALIS, a Replika is not just a machine for work. It is the ghost of a person who once existed, locked in a body that has been ordered not to remember who it was.

Instead of blood, Replikas have oxidant flowing through them — a highly reactive substance that, in biological systems, amplifies damage similar to cancer. This makes them incredibly resilient and resistant to external influences, but at the same time vulnerable to radiation and slow internal decay. Their flesh is bioengineered and inedible to Gestalts, and their bodies are built on a titanium frame with polyethylene armor concealing hydraulic actuators and biological components.

A Replika is not a robot in the usual sense, but a biomechanical copy of a human being, created by the state to perform specific functions. A Replika is defined as a “synthetic reproduction of a Gestalt”: biological culture transferred into an artificial endoskeleton and enclosed in a protective exoskeleton. It is not metal simulating flesh, but flesh grown to wear metal.

The process of creating a Replika begins with the selection of an ideal Gestalt candidate. AEON specialists copy their neural structure using bio-resonance technologies, preserving character, skills, and predispositions, but suppressing personal memories. The donor themself is afterward struck from documents and public memory — they are no longer considered living or as having ever existed, so that the Replika remains a "pure ideal." This is precisely why each Replika model is predictable: if you create a hundred identical units and place them in identical conditions, their reactions will be almost identical.

In very rare, exceptional cases, when interacting with beloved objects of adoration and with people who evoke many positive emotions in Replikas, Gestalt memories can awaken. Such memories lead to the most unexpected consequences reflected in the psyche of Replikas; cases of mental disorders are not uncommon.

In the social structure of the Nation, Replikas occupy a dual position. Formally they are tools, but in practice it is they who make up the command, technical, and supervisory staff of AEON facilities, while Gestalts often find themselves in a subordinate position or in dangerous work. A Replika does not "feel" power; it performs a function. The only question is how much longer its pattern holds – and what will happen when it no longer does.

Gestalt is not the name of a specific model or faction, but a legal and biological term of the Eusan Nation denoting any human being born naturally and not being a Replika. In this world, dominated by a totalitarian system, being a Gestalt means possessing a body of flesh and blood, but this body is inscribed from birth into a hierarchy of usefulness. Replikas are created according to a Gestalt "template" by copying the neural pattern, which makes Gestalts simultaneously the source and the opposite of Replikas.

In the social structure, the position of the Gestalt is dual. On the one hand, they are "real people," possess citizenship, and theoretically occupy administrative and leadership positions. On the other hand, in practice many Gestalts work at hazardous industrial facilities, in mines, or serve as low-ranking soldiers, while key command, supervisory, and technical posts are occupied by Replikas. At facilities such as S-23, Gestalts often find themselves in a subordinate position; their survival rate and life expectancy are significantly lower than those of Replikas — in the "Penrose" program, the statistical survival rate of Replika pilots is 860% higher than that of Gestalt officers. This is not a coincidence, but a systemic design: Gestalts are expanded, Replikas are produced.

Psychologically, Gestalts are not a homogeneous mass. Among them are those who sincerely believe in propaganda, and those who live in fear; there are workers who mechanically perform their duties, and those who secretly read banned imperial books. They fear being sent to the front, they fear "re-education," they fear that their neural pattern will be selected as a "template" and they will be erased from history — selection by AEON means that a person is "preserved forever in a cryogenic capsule and struck from public memory," becoming a nameless "infallible ideal." For a Gestalt, being chosen does not mean glory; it means disappearance as an individual.

AEON (full name: Arbeits- und Erziehungsorgan der Nation, "National Office of Labor and Education") is one of the most powerful institutions of the Eusan Nation, with its headquarters located on Heimat. AEON is responsible for security, law enforcement, the suppression of dissent, and also manages forced labor and "re-education" camps, such as S-23 Sierpinski on Leng. It is through AEON that the Nation exercises detailed control over all aspects of the lives of citizens and colonies. The "Blockwart" system, which maintains order with the help of the KNCR (Kran) and KLBR (Kolibri) Replika models, also operates within the logic of AEON.

The Eusan Empire is the predecessor of the Nation and its main enemy. The Empire was founded by a woman who possessed a colossal power of bio-resonance - the Great Empress. According to the book "Songs of the Gods," banned in the Nation, it was "her enormous will that united humanity into the Eusan Empire and raised us to the stars," and it was her power that "breathed life into the first machine servants" — that is, the first Replikas. The Empire is a state with a strong religious character, worshiping bio-resonance and the Empress herself. However, by our point in time, the Empire is in a state of decline, controlling only Buyan, Kitezh, and part of Vineta, having lost most of its territories.

The fate of the Empress is shrouded in mystery. According to the document "The Hand of the Empress," after her coronation she remained inactive for a long time, then married, and eventually took her own life. Her death was likely one of the causes that provoked the revolution and the civil war. The war between the Empire and the Nation devastated several planets; the most typical example is the battle for Vineta: in the visions of LSTR-512, "a great burning star fell from the sky, the mountains collapsed into the sea, and the water turned to blood," which explains why Vineta became an oceanic world and its moon was destroyed.

The Eusan Nation is the faction to which the vast majority belong - a totalitarian state that broke away from the Eusan Empire as a result of the revolution and is in a state of protracted war with it. Its founders are the Great Revolutionary and her Daughter, who raised an uprising against the Empire and ultimately seized control over the planets Rotfront, Leng, and Heimat, making Heimat their capital. The Nation occupied Vineta - the homeworld of humanity - but after the war the planet sank underwater and its moon was destroyed. Currently, the Nation is attempting to restore Vineta, but the imperial fleet has cut supply lines, leading to the starvation of millions.

Within the Nation, an atmosphere of strict censorship and propaganda prevails. Any information related to the Empire is regarded as subversive; the imperial books of the "Millennium Königin" (Queen of the Millennium) series are banned, and possessing them is a symbol of resistance. The regime actively cultivates a personality cult around the Great Revolutionary and her Daughter, and the FKLR (Falke) Replika model was created in their image and likeness to maintain this cult. Daily life is under complete control — for example, the inhabitants of Rotfront are forced to wear gas masks due to ash and smog, and districts are divided into administrative units called "Blockwart," managed by special Replikas.

After the death of the Empress (or during the decline of the Empire), a revolutionary movement formed on Heimat - one of the colonized planets. It was led by the Great Revolutionary and her Daughter. They raised an uprising against the Empire, which escalated into a civil war.

The Eusan Nation captured and colonized Rotfront, Leng, and Heimat (the latter became the capital). The Empire retained control over Buyan, Kitezh, and Vineta - the homeworld of humanity.

A key episode of the war was the battle for Vineta. According to visions and documents, "a great burning star fell from the sky, and the mountain collapsed into the sea, and the water turned to blood." This catastrophe explains why Vineta became an oceanic world. The Nation emerged victorious, but the cost was monstrous — presumably, the planet's moon was destroyed.

Before the formation of the Eusan Nation, humanity was united by the Eusan Empire. Its founder was a woman who possessed colossal abilities in bio-resonance. According to the book "Songs of the Gods," banned in the Nation, it was her "enormous will that bent humanity into the Eusan Empire and raised us to the stars," and her power "breathed life into the first machine servants" — that is, the first Replikas.

The Empress used bio-resonance for large-scale planetary transformation (terraforming), including the construction of the Imperial Palace on Buyan. However, her rule is shrouded in mystery. The document "The Hand of the Empress" describes a strange sequence: on the day of coronation, on the "longest day" of inaction, then marriage — and suicide. The death of the Empress became a turning point, after which the Empire began to slowly descend into chaos, and control over part of the colonies was lost.