Appendix: Excerpts from the Kexpedia II

[Access requested… User authenticating… User identity confirmed. Due to the rank of the user, privileged access has been granted.]

[Welcome to the Kexpedia, Archon of Lavender.]

Genetian Broth

…Also marketed under the names of “Sea Droplets” or “Kraken Elixir”, the Genetian Broth is the de facto national drink of Genetia. Made by combining boiled kraken --- a Genetian mollusk --- and a diluted broth made from Genetian seaweed and other sea creatures, the drink is rich in amino acids and salt, granting it a refreshing but savoury taste.

While it is considered delicious to Genetians, and edible for most of the intelligent species within the galactic community, it is often considered an acquired taste, and it is not uncommon for other species to add another ingredient before drinking it, e.g. honey. The exceptions are the Elves, most of whom detest the drink, and Kexterans, who like Genetians find the drink delicious.

Genetian Civilisation

…The Genetians are a hydro-centric species that evolved from maritime creatures on the planet Genetia, of whose surface 90% is covered in ocean and the rest in many archipelagos. While incapable of breathing on land, the Genetians invented exoskeletons with tanks of water that allowed them to settle on land.

Their short lifespans --- less than a decade in most cases --- had led to a culture marked by hedonism and materialism. Due to the ease of seaborne transportation, commerce had been the dominating economic activity in Genetian society, which eventually led to the planet being unified by a single megacorporation.

Due to being seaborne creatures, Genetians have an almost religious admiration of the sea. Despite being able to live on land thanks to their exoskeletons, most Genetians become uncomfortable if they stay away from the sea for an extended period. …Burial at sea, or “return to the sea” as the Genetians call it, remains the most common, as it holds an almost religious status for Genetians.

…Today, the Genetian Corporation possesses an outsized influence in the galactic community despite their lack of territorial expansion. While Genetian establishments often bring prosperity to the nations hosting them, they are not averse to unscrupulous practices if they bring in profit.

[Restricted Access] Kexteran Imperial Cycles

Since the Planetary Unification, the Kexteran civilisation experienced periods of unity, prosperity and domination, and periods of splintering, warfare and decay.

The cycles repeated from the pre-FTL period up until the Final Imperial Cycle, where the Great Reduction has led to a consensus among the surviving population to dedicate the civilisation towards the [Restricted Access] Enlightenment Project rather than another attempt to conquer the galaxy.

[Restricted Access] Great Reduction

Otherwise known as the Apocalypse, the Great Reduction was the single event or the sequence of events that led to the destruction of the Kexteran Empire and the end of the Final Imperial Cycle. During the Great Reduction, more than 90% of the Empire’s colonies were destroyed and more than 99% of the population was killed. In the aftermath of the Great Reduction, the current Kexteran State came into existence.

…The then-Kexteran home world, Kextera, was shattered through some catastrophic event. …The capital moved to the artificial ecumenpolis, Bibliotheca Aeterna… Today, some fragments of Kextera are positioned above the Bibliotheca as Anchors.

…Information about the Great Reduction is scarce, and the only certainty is that it was caused by the Power of Ascension. Some theorised that the Great Reduction involved rampaging AIs and nanomachines, while in other conjectures the Great Reduction was a war against extra-dimensional entities. No consensus has been reached.

…It is often accepted that the Wall of Lament, an unnavigable space across the Milky Way, came into existence after the Great Reduction.

[Restricted Access] Power of Ascension

A still much-unknown power that once led to the Great Reduction.

…The way the Power manifests appears to vary from user to user. Historical evidence indicates that one user wiped out a Kexteran fleet by unleashing a lightning attack, while another user was able to manipulate the effect of gravity on a planetary scale.

…The only known current user, the incumbent Archon of Lavender, is known to be able to create objects and perform long-distance telepathy. It was theorised

[Restricted Access] Mana poisoning

An illness in Elven folklore, where a psionic power user’s body comes under the strain of their own psionic power. The symptoms allegedly included shortness of breath, dizziness, immunocompromising effects, and in some severe cases, death.

Rare among even the Elves, the evidence for such an illness existing is scarce.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Due to time limitations, I felt that a few things in the novel wasn’t clearly explained, which is why I sought to explain it better here. Of course, if I have the chance to write about Constance and Aria again, I will incorporate some of the settings here into new chapters --- and as you can see, there are clearly some hints about new adventures too.