#gogan

It is comprised of the ghosts of our ancestors whose willpower has remained strong enough to remain cohesive and linger in the Shroud, finding their way into our own world via the memories of the vessels they once sailed across the stars. These spirits are often born of malice, for what better than fury can drive a spirit to refuse death?

The Ghost fleet can manifest for any number of reasons, but the most common is deliberate invocation. Though ill-advised, it is possible for powerful psychics to call forth the Ghost Fleet, using their power to charter the fallen ancestors to sail once more. The Ghost Fleet, malicious as it is, rarely listens to the woes of those who call upon them except when they're in alignment. The Ghost Fleet often sympathizes with the downtrodden, the less fortunate, and those whose very existence and way of life is under threat, much like what brought those of The Ghost Fleet to their sorry state in the first place.

The methods of invoking and directing The Ghost Fleet, difficult as they are to pull off, will not be shared with the public. Suffice to say that to even nudge the fleet into a particular course of action, and so any events that suggest a course of action rather than wayward malice by The Ghost Fleet should be considered with immense gravity.

Having said all of that, these facts are not universal. It is possible for the Ghost Fleet to invoke itself, usually due to an excess of psionic energy afflicting a region of space, and it is possible for them to act with direction even without outside influence. In our experience, it is often best to begin by assuming that somebody summoned them.

The Ghost Fleet, once made manifest, will attempt to act upon the wills of the spirits who command the vessels. The ships are spectral, and thus cannot be boarded nor can its ghost crew leave their ship. Fortunately, Ghost Fleet ships can be dispatched trivially: Breaking their hardened psionic shields will cause the ship to dissipate, putting all the wayward souls aboard to rest. Still, these ships should not be underestimated; they often carry extraordinary firepower beyond what conventional observation would suggest, and some ships can bear stubbornly strong shields.

If it is possible, negotiating with the spirits on board a ship can be far more effective than a violent confrontation. The spirits are often born of wrathful malice, and quelling this through negotiation or by taking action to address grievances can severely impact the willpower of The Ghost Fleet, greatly reducing the fleet's overall strength.

If destroyed, however, the fleet will leave behind for you numerous treasures of the Shroud. Most frequent is a form of fiber that bears the capacity to meddle with the fabric of reality. Other times, the Fleet is known to mimic daemons and monsters and leave behind numerous meta-existential materials otherwise considered mythical by the standards of an afflicted society.

The conflict started as so many do: with dissatisfaction. Though the ruler of the Gogana, known as Astral Emperor Varlos Zadeer, was a capable ruler and had shepherded the nation through its many crisis - including the Kethsan Annexation, the Nagian Integration, and the Gogan-Infernal Purification War, there were those who were unsatisfied with his rule. Many found his style of governance stifling, particularly his emphasis on pre-destination in life and death.

Gogan tradition normally dictated that those unsatisfied with the Astral Emperor's rule could rebel in an organized manner. Many chose to do so, becoming autonomous from the Astral Empire for some time.

All of this changed with Emperor Varlos's second awakening. through unknown means, his psychic capabilities vastly deepened and he became an immortal being, one capable of phasing in and out of the Shroud at will. Having cemented his rule for all time, Varlos began to engage the breakaways and enforce his greater will upon his dominion.

Those unwilling chose to stand and fight, beginning a conflict that would effectively last for over a thousand years. Though none understood as they marched into war, the Millennium War became inextricably intertwined with the will of the Shroud which became instrumental in the war's perpetuation.

The rebels struggled at first, but they managed to win battle after battle and gain ground. It seemed the Shroud was more open-minded to the rebel's needs, its power more freely available. Even daemonic forces and the souls of those who came before could be convinced to fight for them.

But as the battle turned in favor of the rebels, who now called themselves the New Gogan Imperium, their fortunes seemed to wane and even turn in favor of their adversary. Thus the tide turned against the Imperium, up until the winds of fortune shifted again.

Thus did it seem like the conflict would be endless, and as war dragged on for years, then decades, and then centuries, nobody was sure if it would ever see its end. The conflict became a fact of life for people, in some cases almost ritualistically so. The conflict ebbed and rose many times over the years, as overtures of peace gave way to the same dissatisfaction that started the war in the first place.

No side could truly give in to the other. Varlos truly believed in his vision for the galaxy, claiming to have witnessed its unity in countless visions that still plague him. The rebels, meanwhile, wished to carve out their own path and their own futures, daunting though as it may be.

As the centuries turned to a millennium, something unexpected happened. A warrior for the rebels gained a new power, one detached from the Shroud, and began to fight independent of the rebels. His origin and name were unknown, but his capabilities were unquestionable. In a decisive battle against the Empire's forces, this warrior somehow defeated the Emperor and prevented his escape into the Shroud, forcing their body to be shattered into innumerable remnants. With the Astral Emperor's death, the Empire finally crumbled once and for all.

Tragically, the original core worlds of the Empire became enshrouded and vanished into the void, seemingly never to return, leaving behind only those fragments of Varlos's body. The great warrior who felled the Emperor was lost with them, and the victorious Gogan Imperium posthumously gave him the title of God-Shattering Star.

For many years, the Gogan people celebrated their final liberation from the Empire and from the tragedy that would be dubbed the Millennium War. Centuries of work and reform had shaped the new Imperial government into a work of bureaucratic art where anyone willing to put in the effort to become something they desire would have that chance, struggle as it might be.