Organization Tradition The Ossein Fleets

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SITE LORE


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Once there was a Ship of Stone
That orbited a mighty Star
And from it flew the First Ship's crew
Whose children we all are

And no matter how long we've drawn our track
Still over our shoulder looking back
Through the Tibanna's hiss and the Lethane's moan
Past the polymer clouds of the Dead Stars' shrouds
All our roads run back to the Ship of Stone

There the First Crew all were made
And wakened from unknowing sleep
By the boundless sight of Heaven's height
And the fires on the Deep

And no matter how strange the forms we wear
How warped and wild, how rich and rare
How many now we call our own
We are kin of those who, singing, rose
From the body of the Ship of Stone

And there our own ships' frames were formed
To spread chromium wings
Rode hyperdrive to the frontiers wide
Where the last lone beacon sings

And no matter how tight the net they knot
Of their web where the lives of men are caught
How strange and lost, how grand they've grown
They, too, desire all Heaven's fire
Our companions since the Ship of Stone

Once there was a Ship of Stone
Clear domed, broad hulled and clean
Where the air was new, through whose holds birds flew
And whose decks were growing green

And no matter how odd these things may seem
As madly mazed as shards of dream
They are not a dream that you dream alone
All ships, all men, are of one kin
We shall not forget the Ship of Stone


_Ancient Ossein song, The Ship of Stone.


THE OSSEIN FLEETS



ORIGINS
ORIGINS

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A primitive interplanetary spacecraft, similar to what prehistoric Ossein may have flown.

"The first of us broke the chains of gravity; we forged a civilization in the void. We are a free people; no star can hold us, no world can own us."

_Ossein Noy (captain).​

The Ossein. In the minds of many, the name conjures images of the splendor of deep space, of brave explorers, noble warriors, canny merchants. In some, it calls up images of pirates, mercenaries and nomadic con-beings. What all can agree on is that the Ossein, as Galactic cultures go, is very, very old. No-one is sure just how old; the origins of the great Ossein fleets stretch back into prehistory, and both archaeologists and sapientologists have long tried to piece together their origins from clues in their culture. It is generally believed that the first Ossein were the crews of deep-space vessels operated by an unknown ancient civilization, possibly dating back to an earlier cycle of Galactic civilization than that which has produced the Republic and its ilk. Over time, these crews developed a culture of their own, and eventually came into conflict with the culture which had sent them out in the first place; this led to the early Ossein opting to forgo any sort of planet-bound existence, becoming interstellar nomads who roamed from system to system.

Over time, the fleet structure for which the Ossein were best known emerged. Throughout much of prehistory, it is believed that a great deal of interstellar contact between pre-hyperdrive civilizations - evidenced by various archaeological finds throughout the Galaxy - can be attributed to the activities of Ossein fleets, which acted as one of the first interstellar vectors for trade and information, a role which the culture continues to this day.

CULTURE
CULTURE

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An Ossein fleet at the culture's height.

The Ossein are a widely distributed, highly diffuse culture, with their fleets spread out across the Galaxy. This has been true since prehistory, and the wanderings of the many fleets have become central to the Ossein way of life. In days of old, each Ossein fleet is centered around a single large ship. Long ago, these vessels, about the size of modern Star Destroyers and originally nearly as powerful, had metamorphosed over the millennia into vast "home ships," becoming the main population centers for many fleets as well as the primary forum for trade, social activities and the all-important repair and maintenance of smaller vessels. They formed the backbone of Ossein culture, next to their Jazaq protectors.

Both the Jazaq and the great home ships are no more.

The destruction of this traditional way of life for the Ossein can truly be said to have begun shortly after the Hundred-Year Darkness, after which Republic itself became a client state of the vast Sith Empire. As the Sith began to consolidate their hold on former Republic and Hutt space, they cracked down on anyone in possession of naval assets which could challenge their own. Many of the great home ships were seized and confiscated, displacing the Ossein aboard and tearing the heart out of many of the fleets. A few fleets did resist, fighting desperate battles against the forces sent to take away the very center of their culture, but almost none succeeded. The corps of Jazaq defenders were slaughtered, and the fleets were annihilated ship by ship as an example to the rest. In the end, almost all of the home ships were confiscated or destroyed, save a handful which escaped into Wild Space or the Unknown Regions, many of whom were never heard from again.

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A cargo bay aboard a large Ossein ship.

Despite the loss of their great home ships, many of the Ossein who opted to remain within the known Galaxy did stick together; an Ossein fleet does not consist solely of the flagship, of course. It is expected that all beings calling themselves Ossein should know how to pilot and service a spacecraft of some sort, preferably with hyperspace capability. Any being who owns their own ship is considered to be a Noy, roughly a captain, and has representation in the fleet council proportionate to the number of sapient crew they employ. Beings who own a combat-capable starship, and who state an intent to follow the lifestyle outlined in the Jazaq Yassa ("Pilot's Orders"), are considered to be Jazaq, and are charged with the defense of their fleet in times of crisis. They are expected to be loyal to their squadron and to the Noyon - admiral-king - of their fleet in equal measure.

Ships within the Ossein fleets tend to be diverse, ranging from converted obsolete capital ships and space barges to pinnaces and starfighters. The number of vessels is not constant from fleet to fleet, of course, and ships may come and go as they please. Any being expressing a wish to join an Ossein fleet - provided they demonstrate the expected skills - is automatically welcome to do so, especially if they arrive with their own ship. This is an important part of Ossein population replacement, as the addition of a naturally born child aboard an existing ship must be factored against the limited consumables aboard. The birth of a child to an Ossein family is a celebrated occasion throughout a fleet, of course.

The Ossein have, by virtue of their wandering voyages and open culture, a very diverse population as well. The species of the original Ossein is not recorded, nor does it seem to be of much concern to the modern Ossein; when describing an individual, most Ossein will list distinguishing physical characteristics, habits and even dietary requirements rather than referring to their species outright, and doing so is considered to be slightly odd.

It should come as no surprise that the primary livelihood of the average Ossein is the interstellar merchant trade. Although the Ossein tend to style themselves a self-sufficient people, the reality is that starship parts can only be refurbished so many times before they must be replaced, and fuel and consumable must be periodically replenished; this all costs credits, and the more credits one has, the easier life aboard ship tends to be.

The Ossein have a reputation as keen-witted merchants, and will transport any freight they believe will turn a good profit in the next system. The Noy of an Ossein freighter may transport bolts of industrial duranex one day, and cases of bootleg plasto figurines the next. Just about the only thing an Ossein freighter captain won't transport are slaves - slavery is a concept held in deep contempt by most Ossein - and any spice that makes a slave of the user, though less harmful stimulants are generally considered fair game. Weapons are also considered permissible cargo, although some Ossein look down on the arms trade. Most individual Ossein do tend to go armed in their everyday life, however, and most Ossein ships carry armament of some sort.

Smuggling among the Ossein - depending on the items being smuggled - holds little if any stigma. Even with their reduced size, an Ossein fleet presents a real challenge for any customs official to fully inspect, and it is often very difficult for one to catch Ossein smugglers in the act, which has made the fleets unpopular with the law enforcement agencies of some of the more civilized systems. There is a long and proud tradition of Ossein blockade runners, though the operators of larger Ossein ships tend to sell any smuggled goods to local pilots who come out to meet them, transferring the risk of running the "last parsec" to a planet's surface away from themselves. There is generally enough legitimate commerce carried out by Ossein fleets to mask any illicit dealings. The vast majority of Ossein merchants are mostly legitimate, and do their best to follow the laws and regulations of local systems, if and when doing so makes sense.

In the past, Ossein fleets tended to be highly independent from one-another, plotting their own courses and forging their own alliances. However, since the taking of the Home Ships, the various surviving fleets have been forced into closer and closer ties. Gone are the old blood feuds, which once saw fleet battles to shake the heavens waged between opposing Ossein formations; those few fleets which survive have increasingly consolidated with one-another, creating only a handful of large factions where once were hundreds. Though still fiercely independent, the various fleets are much more willing to cooperate with one-another than in ages past, a fact which has allowed them to preserve some semblance of their distinctive customs despite millennia of persecution and cultural erosion.

HISTORY
HISTORY

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A pitched Ossein space battle of the distant past.

The Ossein were at one time a great power within the Galaxy. In the age before the Republic, before even the unified Jedi, their fleets roamed the stars. The earliest records of the Ossein can be found in the most ancient tomes of pre-Old Republic Jedi scholars, mostly relating to the great Ossein fleets which visited many planets to trade. Mention is also made - even at this early date - of the Jazaq Yassa and its adherents.

The Ossein were seldom a united people; fleets operated independently, and rivals occasionally even fought one-another in great space battles, which were reportedly matched in scale only at the outset of the Saber Wars. Seldom did Ossein conflicts touch the surface of planets, however; the Ossein did not and still do not consider planetary holdings to be of any great importance, and thus left them alone for the most part.

The Ossein were, at one time, the sworn enemies of the Amaxine Warriors. During the foundational years of the Republic, Ossein fleets fought alongside Republic and Jedi forces to drive back the Amaxine. It was during the Ossein-Amaxine Wars that a legend was born.

"I shall not concede! Look not for a trophy of victory, for I place my bones beyond your reach!"
_Yesugen Khonoyon.​

Yesugen is a legendary figure in Ossein history, the only known being to have ever achieved the title of Khonoyon, often shortened simply to Khon. This title roughly translates to Grand Admiral, and the being who holds it is leader of all the Ossein fleets, superseding the authority of all Noyon. Only once has this title ever been bestowed uncontested.

Yesugen was the leader of her people during the struggle against the Amaxine. Said to be an escaped slave of the Amaxine who was rescued by the Ossein, her species and even her appearance are lost to history. It is known that she rose to the rank of Noyon in her adoptive fleet, and gradually began to weave an alliance with many others. Whereas the Ossein fleets had been fighting the Amaxine in a disunited fashion before, Yesugen was able to bring the full, formidable might of the combined fleets against her enemies. She was said to be a skilled diplomat, a master tactician and a ruthless warrior, leading her forces from the cockpit of her own pinnace.

Yesugen reportedly met her fate at Kirima, in a final battle against the Amaxine. There, she faced a massive enemy force, gathered specifically to destroy her and her fleet; she had been promised backup by the Republic and the Jedi, but it had not yet arrived when the Amaxine moved in. The warrior Noyon and her fleet fought ferociously, but though the enemy was badly mauled, they were ultimately too much to endure. Yesugen, her ship damaged and she mortally wounded, shouted her defiance to the enemy over an open comm, before jumping her ship to hyperspace on an apparently random vector.

Shortly afterward, the promised reinforcements arrived. The weakened Amaxine were routed with overwhelming force, and history records that the momentum of the war truly reversed after the battle, eventually leading to a stalemate with the Amaxine, who reportedly decided to leave the Galaxy entirely in search of easier conquests. No sign of them has been seen since. Yesugen, meanwhile, is regarded almost as a deity by the modern Ossein. They will often invoke her name, for example the common phrase:

"Lost bones of Yesugen!"
_Ossein expression of surprise and/or amazement.​

The fate of Yesugen has long been a point of contention between the Ossein and the Republic. Many Ossein view the late arrival of Republic and Jedi forces to the Battle of Kirima as a betrayal, their tardiness having allowed the Amaxine to devastate Yesugen's forces. Though the Ossein seldom openly sided with enemies of the Republic or the Jedi, it was long before they again intervened on their behalf.

Regardless of the fate of their leader, the Ossein began a long decline shortly after the defeat of the Amaxine. The Sons and Daughters of Yesugen were a proud people, and for the most part chose not to participate in the expanding Republic, a decision which likely sealed their fate. With organized government came organized trade and military protection; the role of the Ossein fleets - armed merchant convoys, capable of fending off powerful attackers - became less necessary as worlds joined the Republic, policing the hyperlanes and rendering the Ossein unnecessary. No longer did the Ossein have their own unified government, either; each fleet spoke only for themselves, a fact which prevented easy relations between them and many of the states they interacted with.

The Amaxine Wars would not be the last time that the Ossein would make their mark on history; when the Jedi Exiles returned to the Galaxy with slave armies at their backs to claim revenge against the Jedi and the Republic, it was the Ossein who would fight some of the first battles against them, a distinction that would seal their fate after the Exiles reformed to become the Sith, and singled the Ossein culture out for "pacification", taking the mighty Home Ships for study and slaughtering any fleet that resisted. Though they outlasted the projections many sapientologists made regarding their cultural survival, the Ossein have been in steep decline for Millennia. The closest they came to extinction was under the Galactic Empire, however, when the entire Ossein culture was officially declared "undesirable" by the Commission for the Preservation of the New Order, resulting in many fleets that strayed into Imperial space being interdicted and captured for mass "reeducation". This treatment inspired many Ossein to join the Alliance to Restore the Republic, but even so, by the end of the Galactic Civil War only a scant handful of Ossein fleets remained.

In the present day, the Ossein are slowly beginning to rebuild, with the descendants of those taken by the Empire beginning to rediscover and embrace their lost heritage, in turn increasing the culture's visibility and drawing new converts. Despite even this, however, much of the old Ossein knowledge and traditions are considered lost, and unlikely to be recovered...

THE JAZAQ
THE JAZAQ

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An Ossein Jazaq.

Some Ossein practice a warrior culture, primarily focused on aspects of space combat and related endeavors. While other traditions can be said to be more "generalist" in their approach to martial prowess, the Ossein focus primarily on their element; this is evidenced by the fact that the Ossein use the same word - "Jazaq" - for both pilot and warrior.

While cultures like the Mandalorians have produced notable starfighter aces, the Ossein sing songs of long-dead heroes who could take on whole fleets single-handed. Ossein pilots were, long ago, among the most skilled and sought-after warriors in the Galaxy, although the time of these great heroes is considered to be long past.

Among the Ossein, the status of pilot - of ace pilot, in particular - is revered on an almost religious level. The position of copilot is likewise considered a sacred trust, and Ossein squadrons and ground crews consider one-another almost closer than their own families. Their craft, likewise, are considered more than mere machines, and are thought to be extensions of the pilots themselves. Jazaq are required to own and maintain their own combat-capable ships, ready to fly and fight at a moment's notice.

Warriors of the Ossein are expected to hold to a philosophy known as the Jazaq Yassa, roughly translated as "Pilots' Orders." The Jazaq Yassa is codified in a set of rules; any Ossein who flies a ship and abides by the Jazaq Yassa is considered to be Jazaq, although only adherents who have proven themselves in battle or performed other great deeds are afforded the revered status of true pilots.

In the present day, the Jazaq - along with the Ossein themselves - are all but extinct. Though the tenets of the Jazaq Yassa are still an important part of Ossein culture, the great lineages and masters of various schools of combat have all but died out. Though an Ossein may still declare themselves to be Jazaq, almost no-one remains to properly train them in the arts of the true pilot.

Even so, the spark is still there...

THE JAZAQ YASSA


RIGHTEOUSNESS
A true pilot must be acutely honest throughout their dealings with all beings. They must believe in justice, not from other people, but from themselves. To the true pilot, all points of view are deeply considered regarding honesty, justice and integrity. Pilots make a full commitment to their decisions.

DARING
To the true pilot, life is too precious to spend behind a shield. A pilot must live life completely, fully and wonderfully, taking all experience into themselves and forging it into wisdom, courage and strength. Life to a pilot is joy, but it is also risk; pilots must take risks, but they must not take them blindly.

BENEVOLENCE
Through intense training, a pilot becomes strong of mind and body. This power is within all, but as one who has developed it, it is the responsibility of the pilot to use it for good. A pilot must help those who cannot help themselves; if no opportunity to do so presents itself, they must seek it out.

RESPECT
True pilots have no reason to be cruel. They do not need to prove their strength. Pilots are not only respected for their skill in battle, but also by their dealings with others. The true strength of a pilot becomes apparent during difficult times.

INTEGRITY
When a pilot says they will do a thing, that thing is as good as done. Nothing will stop them completing any task they set themselves to; they do not need to "give their word," they do not need to "promise," speaking and doing to a pilot are the same action.

HONOR
Pilots have only one judge of honor and character, and that is themselves. Decisions a pilot makes, and the manner in which these decisions are carried out, reflect the true nature of a pilot. A pilot cannot hide from themselves.

DUTY
A pilot is responsible for everything they have done and said, and for all the consequences of those actions. A pilot is loyal to all those in their care, and to them they must remain true.





INTENT

I intend for the Ossein Fleets to be a fun, space-focused option for cultural identity, meant to give players who wish to have spacer characters and fighter pilots an option for backstory and role-playing. For the Ossein themselves, I wanted to have them as a merchant culture which operates outside the normal boundaries of the Republic and the main factions. The influences for them are equal parts Mongol, Minoan and Polynesian, with perhaps a dash feudal Japanese culture thrown in. The Jazaq, specifically, I wanted to create as an alternative warrior tradition to the Mandalorians and their ilk, with less baggage and more spaceships. Everybody likes spaceships. They would be an excuse to create entities resembling Rogue or Wraith Squadron from the old Legends canon, and create stories involving the exploits of pilots and spacers doing what they do best. Their influence is drawn from Mongol horsemen and Samurai, with some Viking thrown in.

 

Logan

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Always thought the Ossein were pretty dope. Write up looks good, as always.

Approved.
 
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