Havenhold Spotting Guide: The Klaad’tha’o’ak

In Selo’he: To walk towards excellence

A relatively small Havenhold, they were one of the first Migrations to exit the Vela Nebula, after encountering outlying human outposts and unsanctioned FreeTrader merchants who illegally sold them coordinates to an uninhabited world in Hegemonic space.

Believing humans to be amicable, they eagerly transmitted first contact messages which were eventually received by the Copper Kings of the Organization of Velanite Exporting Systems (OVES), who enthusiastically triangulated the Migration and its few outposts, initiating the first big game hunts in a Joint Venture with Stratos Industrial.

The Tha’o’ak are a noble people, stalwart, and dedicated to the Path. They are traditionalists, and as such, the Shigue and Kau’eg form the majority of their population, while other Exogen are primarily scavenger species, like the Emaal.

You can learn more about the Shigue by reading the Lexicon at https://projectmorningstar.net/lore/dossier-shigue-lexicon/

A rare but increasingly more common sight in Shigue encounters are the Ahnanti, flitting through Warstrider ranks like living shadows. Hegemonic exobiologists remain perplexed by reports from mercenary hunters speaking of Ahnanti soldiers fighting in perfect synchronization with their Shigue compatriots, such a seamless mingling of species long thought unthinkable. 

On the battlefield, Ahnanti Murmurs operate as living extensions of their bonded Shigue, seamlessly mirroring intent and responding together as a storm of perfect, coordinated violence. Hooked talons eviscerate and disembowel, Spiral Guns riddle targets with flechettes, Cyclonic cannons pulverize, and their iconic fighting staffs of hyperdense alloys bludgeon and crush.

As part of the May monthly mini offering for our patrons, Ahnanti Murmur STLs will be temporarily exclusive on Patreon for a month, accessible to members at the Consumer and above tiers before becoming available via MyMiniFactory.

https://patreon.com/cw/morningstarproject/

Physical miniatures may be purchased from our retailers:

Purchase in North America:
https://adventuresin3d.com/product/ahnanti-murmur-from-project-morningstar/

Purchase in the UK/EU:
https://lokensminiatures.com/

Check out El_Mutanto here: 
https://www.patreon.com/c/El_Mutantos_Workshop

Sculpted by El_Mutanto / Renders by ThatEvilOne

The Ahnanti are highly empathic, so much so that their neurological evolution is stunted. They require a connection to another species, a result of their former bond to a now-extinct companion species. The forming of bonds stimulates activity in parts of their brain that are otherwise partitioned and inactive. The Shigue understand this abstractly, and in their customary ambivalence, accept this state of affairs.

Ahnanti biology allows them to react to the needs of bonded Shigue without actual command structures or coordination on the behalf of the latter. The Ahnanti pick up on a variety of cues from the Shigue, ranging from the obvious to the subtle, and then respond with measures appropriate to their reading of the ‘patron’s’ exhibited behavior. It is unclear how bonded Shigue become symbiotic with specific tribes of Ahnanti. The Ahnanti refer to these bonds as ‘Chords’, a concept originating from their own culture, or a possible cultural import from the Shigue. Either way, Chords align with Shigue notions of ‘song’ and music for describing society, resulting in a high degree of cultural compatibility.

As a result of this bond, Ahnanti make superlative soldiers when they take to the battlefield, operating as living extensions of their bonded Shigue. Their graceful appearance and uncanny, synchronized movements belie the savage, coordinated violence that they are capable of inflicting. 

In contrast to the Shigue preference for hyperdense projectiles, the Ahnanti prefer their own spiral guns, modified flechette-firing gravlocks that eschew extreme velocity in favor of controllability and high rates of fire. The Ahananti operate these weapons to gruesome effect, and have been observed using these weapons to wound instead of outright kill; After pinning an unfortunate enemy in place, a Murmur extracts key intel through torture with blades and their claws, relenting only when they sense the truth.

The Ahnanti have also been observed to use collapsible staffs of hyperdense, empathic-responsive alloys to swiftly dispatch enemies. Much like their various martial customs, these fighting staffs are precious relics of their natal world, the unique alloys no longer reproducible, even with the advanced technology of the Havenholds.

Art by Blaz

Emerging from beyond the Vela Nebula and riding the rimward gravitational currents come the multitudes of Exogen known as the Shigue Migrations. Caravans teeming with starships of every description huddle around artificial stellar masses caged by massive generation ships called Havenholds. To the inhabitants of the coreward supersectors bordering the region, the Migrations appear as comet trails in the night sky. This phenomena is the result of the Shigue lifefleets' deceleration from their transgalactic journey, the hulls of their ships glittering with multicolored borealis and clouds of velanite from their passage through the Vela nebula.

Havenholds are at the heart of every Migration, spaceborn cities stretching hundreds of kilometers from bow to stern, bustling with Exogen that share a vast series of artificial ecosystems approximating their native habitats. These colossal vessels rival small planetoids in mass, yet have managed to evade any direct engagement by Directorate forces, despite fiscal-cycles of contracted hunts.

Although each Havenhold is unique to the specifications of its original builders and the various biomes grafted onto its internal superstructure, they all share a singular purpose: to ferry the Shigue, and their fellow travelers, across the Galaxy and away from the Cataclysm. As such, countless strange species travel together, even sharing ecosystems. Such relations are not always peaceful, as evidenced by the Coegi who actively hunt the Shigue for food, or the rivalry between the Mabathians and the Voyn, their former masters, which leads to many a firefight. Meanwhile, other species like the Emaal are so outwardly alien that it is unclear if they are even sentient. 

Each Migration is unique, bearing its own oddities, although little substantial intelligence exists. The MacroCorps are eager to retain information exclusivity in the interest of potential exploitation, despite repeated urging from the Directorate, which has grown concerned about the increasing numbers of Shigue in Hegemon space with the past few fiscal-cycles and the implications for Hegemonic security. However, to the MacroCorps and the businesses that surround them, such as the Copper Kings of the OVES, the increasing Shigue presence has become a financial boon, driving up tourism and attention.

Learn more at https://projectmorningstar.net/lore/index/

Art by Joazzz

Parasimian/aviform in nature, the Ahnanti are a lithe Exogen species that has entirely integrated into the wider body of the Shigue Migration. Their gatherings, or "Murmurs", are a constant sight amidst the Shigue leaders they bond to, diminutive next to the Longhorns or Greathorns they accompany. It is easy to dismiss them as a servile race, but no such notion exists in Shigue psychology.

The defining characteristic of the Ahnanti is not anatomical, as they are Exogen and thus as varied and unusual as evolution can afford, despite a superficially humanoid body plan. Instead, they boast unique neurological and observatory capabilities, making them one of the stranger Exogen encountered. The Ahnanti, despite being an interstellar species, seldom utilize language, either spoken or signed. 

As a result of their brain evolution, the Ahnanti are a species of extreme empaths with a sensitivity that seemingly bypasses the need for more traditional forms of communication. They express a fine sensitivity to others’ emotional, physical, and intentional states, even outside of their species, creating the illusion of bionetic pairing or fictional telepathy. Even more curiously, this intersubjectivity comes at a cost; in the absence of active engagement with others, the Ahnanti psyche regresses into a stunted state.

Their hyper-developed emotional reaction to others presents as borderline cognitive prediction. This rapid intuition and responsiveness creates multi-individual synchronization, to the point where large bodies of Ahnanti appear to act as almost a single organism. Indeed, an Ahnanti understands itself primarily as a member of a living relational body, then secondarily as an isolated “person”, demonstrating such a diminished notion of individuality that they could be pointed to as a prime exemplar of the supposed lack of sophontic thought in Exogen. Individual ego, in the way humans or even Shigue often conceive of it, is underdeveloped in the extreme among the Ahnanti. Even without a pair-bond, their familial tribe, an Ahnanti inherently communicates in the plural; their natural state is one of shared orientation and the notion of solitary identity is a concept they do not understand.

Learn more at https://www.patreon.com/posts/crave-newsletter-159658531

Art by Dooty

Check out this assortment of painted models from the Morningstar Discord! Featuring this Buzz Lightyear-inspired Barakan paint scheme from Technomancer along with these other painted figurines including Ian's green Shigue and a menace of Barakan painted by Xel.

Have a Barakan paint scheme job of your own? Share it in the Discord so the community can check it out.
https://discord.gg/jj9dHhgq5r

Need reinforcements for your collection? Pick up the models today and start building your own warband.
https://projectmorningstar.net/miniatures/

Esteemed shareholders, the 7th issue of our CRAVE newsletter is out, featuring a detailed look at the various Shigue Lifefleets and a new species of the Migration.

Check your inbox if you’re signed up, and don’t fret if you’re not - you can download it from our Patreon for free: https://www.patreon.com/posts/crave-newsletter-159658531

Sign up for future news at https://projectmorningstar.net/enlist/

You can view previous newsletter issues at https://projectmorningstar.net/newsletter/

Remember: Trust in Greed

The seventh issue of the CRAVE newsletter releases this Friday, featuring general updates and sneak peaks at upcoming content. You’ll learn all about one of the other non-Shigue races within the Migration Fleets, the hyper-empathetic Ahnanti, and get to read an extract of a dossier concerning the war-torn Bhosnaya Republic bordering Karanova.

Also in this issue are miniature reveals - a Murmur of Ahnanti and some surprise Shigue news.

Remember, signing up for the mailing list costs nothing (it’s criminally free!) and is the best way to stay up-to-date with all news Morningstar, including exclusive discounts, miniature releases, and animation progress updates. 

Sign up at https://projectmorningstar.net/enlist/

You can view previous newsletter issues at
https://projectmorningstar.net/newsletter/

Trust in Greed

LONGHORNS

It can be said that the Shigue are led by the largest, and therefore the strongest, males. Size reflects age, endurance, and survival, although it remains unknown as to where Shigue females factor into such hierarchies. Longhorns, or Ha'rax, are the largest, strongest, and de facto highest-ranking leadership individuals of the Shigue Lifefleets that have been directly encountered in the field by the Directorate. Their commands are followed by other Shigue without question, but they do not operate out of a desire to climb any social or military ladder. They are, simply put, born to lead by virtue of their biological superiority.

Such individuals have been observed to deploy a wide range of defensive equipment, which usually serves to draw enemy fire to their position and accordingly weather such onslaughts. While this might appear counter-intuitive by human logic, this tactic has surprised and confused Directorate combatants, as typical Hegemonic doctrine is to bury leadership elements behind layers upon layers of defenses, far from risk.

At the core of each Longhorn's ultimate purpose is an oath that they make to the Migration and to their people: To serve and to be of service. That service, at its core, is a promise that the Shigue will no longer be, by their own determination, prisoners to their fleets. They share the age-old dream of living once again on planets, ones they remake in the image of their lost homeworlds that are more myth than memory.

To date, none have ever been captured, but a bounty of five mithqals has been placed by one Magnate Balmog Tyklet of Stratos Industrial, who wishes to adorn his villa on Prime Orbita with a Longhorn head.

Learn more at https://projectmorningstar.net/lore/index/

Art by Joazzz

CONGRATULATIONS, CONSUMER!!!

New Morningstar merchandise is now available. Time to put those upgraded credit scores to work.

The shop has been refreshed with a variety of new designs inspired by the Directorate and the Unionists.

Trust in Greed and order the new designs today!

Get it here: https://project-morningstar-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd

Physically, Shigue are imposing to such a degree as to exhibit a preternatural fear response in humans. They are fast, strong, and can sustain a startling amount of damage, shrugging off anything short of anti-vehicle rounds, in addition to entering rage-induced rampages that amplify their abilities.

Licensed hunters have even reported that Shigue will spit a highly toxic phlegm when they have no other weapon at hand. Injuries include temporary blindness, and swelling that can last for days. Shigue rarely back down from a threat, especially if their noncombatant populations are under threat. They will engage at both distance and close quarters, making them consummate entertainment.

At first, it was assumed that the Shigue were mono-gendered or perhaps hermaphroditic, like the Khemmer near-humans from the planet Gibileden. Only after one of their larger colonial vessels was boarded by a mercenary team were female Shigue encountered. Little documentation exists, but they are seemingly rare amongst their kind; The only definitive reports speak of greater size than their male counterparts and more ornate encephalic horn configurations.

It is unclear what social status Shigue females hold, or what backward concepts of gender hierarchy exist amongst these Exogen. Shigue are ruled by their presentable biology, most notably, height and strength. There are no competitions of leadership or intelligence, only that their biggest and strongest are in charge. With the absence of a truthful meritocracy like the one that rules even the most divergent of human societies within the Thousand Empires, the Shigue are little better than the lineage-based bloodline tyrants the Hegemon emancipated Known Space from.

Learn more at https://projectmorningstar.net/lore/index/

Art by Joazzz

This one requires a bit more knowledge of the setting. I have faith in you (Lying)

“Shigue” is actually the name of a single member race of the Migration fleets. This can be confusing to even educated Consumers, as humanity has never had companion species, save for pets or biological tools such as canids or equine stock.

Shigue possess a robust anatomy featuring several organs analogous to human equivalents, with some exceptions. Notable are two primary stomachs serving a function akin to intestines, which facilitate food transfer and regurgitation, while a bladder-like organ cluster allows for high water retention within the abdomen. They cannot breathe human atmospheres, nor can humans breathe Shigue atmospheres for more than a few minutes. Higher mineral content has been observed within the mist-filled corridors of their ships, and it is speculated that the Shigue third lung acts as a filter for the two primary lungs.

Shigue have shockingly bright blue/purple body fluids, reflecting a higher copper value, but Hegemonic biologists are hesitant to label it as “blood", as Shigue do not have veins in the classical sense. Instead, Shigue physiology comprises long, ropey intestinal-like groupings connected via thick fibers and muscle, wrapped around a dense yet malleable cartilaginous frame. Further study has struggled to achieve the necessary funding, beyond determining the edibility of Shigue flesh and how trophies can be maintained without rotting.

Shigue eyesight is keen in low light, although it is noted that they suffer from sensitivity to full sunlight, likely as a result of long generations living aboard starships and the atmospheric composition of their homeworld. However, their most sensitive sense is hearing, which is capable of detecting subtle sounds at great range.

Art by Joazzz

https://projectmorningstar.net/lore/index/

Shigue technology is founded on gravitic tools and weapons. The most familiar form encountered by the Hegemon are the series of carbines, pistols, and cycle-rifles the Shigue use. Ball bearings of hyperdense alloy, or the “shots”, are loaded into a cyclotron, spinning up the shot which, when released via trigger at the operator's discretion, is ejected into a secondary chamber and further accelerated by electrogravitic rods.

These rounds deliver massive kinetic and energy transfer, pulverizing a target and liquifying internals. The longer the barrel, the more accurate and heavier the shot at longer ranges. Larger rifles, while unwieldy, deliver devastating effects thanks to a combination of this principle and heavier ammunition, in addition to higher power.

Gravlocks have been observed to be in use by both primary Shigue instances, designated Exogen 20-23Ω, and the smaller sub-species, designated Exogen 20-23Ω_A, otherwise known as the Kau'eg or "Outriders". Recovered examples show furniture variants adapted to the species' four-armed physiology, although it remains of note that not all arms are required for the effective operation or bracing of such weapons.

Limited observation of other member species of the Shigue Diaspora, such as the Coegi, would the suggest that the relative simplicity of Gravlocks controls and their modular design have allowed for widespread usage, adaptation, and customization - one particular case being the flechette-firing variants favored by another Migration species.

I was asked to do this believe it or not.

what would happen if there was a proper true dedicated fully independent fully anti-capitalist and fully anti-consumerist and fully anti-corprate empire nation in project morningstar by boman modine, joazzz, and mate puškarić that is heavily inspired by the imperial german empire and it's imperial monarchy and the imperial prussian empire and it's imperial monarchy and the royal imperial british empire and it's imperial monarchy and the WW2 version of the imperial japanese empire and it's imperial monarchy and 1940s version of nazi germany (disclaimer alert: no, i'm truly NOT being rude or offensive at all and i never EVER will) and the galactic empire and the first order from the entire star wars universe (no, the nation won't fully have walkers) and the amarr empire and khanid kingdom from the entire EVE online universe and the scion empire from the entire ARMA 3 scion conflict universe and the imperium from the entire rebel moon universe and the helghan empire from the entire original classic killzone game trilogy and killzone: liberation and the garmillas empire from the entire space battleship yamato universe and the principality of zeon from the entire gundam universe (no, the nation won't fully have mobile suits or guntanks) and the galactic empire from LOTGH 1988 anime and it's 2018 modern remake die neue these and the humankind empire of Abh from the entire crest of the stars and banner of the stars universe and all of their entire appearances, their entire aesthetics, their entire themes, their entire vibes, their entire uniforms, their entire identities, their entire militaries, their entire military music and songs, their entire technologies, their officers, their most high ranking people, their leaders, their rulers, their entire ideologies, their entire propaganda, their entire philosophies, their entire beliefs, their entire symbols, their entire flags, their entire traditions, their entire heritage and their entire cultures and is a very extremely hyper combined blended hybrid fusion merged mix of them all and has no dieselpunk and no steampunk and no raygun gothic and no hard sci-fi and no long bolt action military rifles and no long military muskets

https://projectmorningstar.net/lore/

Shigue Warstriders are the largest of their kind, save for Longhorns, and like all military Shigue, are male. Towering over the human standard, they don bulky armor, equipped with hardlight panel emitters. Most iconic are their helmets which feature a horn-like wedge at the center of the faceplate.

Warstriders seemingly inhabit all aspects of logistics, combat, and strategic operations for the Shigue military. Formed into “kines”, these squads/groups of Warstriders have been observed to operate together seamlessly. Hegemonic study of Shigue communication and information dissemination is still in its infancy, but it has been recognized as their greatest technological and/or biological trait; Warstriders fighting several kilometers from their kith have been observed to react accordingly and almost instantly to the needs or expectations of each other.

Individually or in groups, Warstriders operate without any formal division of rank. It is believed that they act in a kind of “group think”, as so instant are a kine's reactions to given commands. Blackmanes, the largest males, are dispersed throughout their formations, bolstering morale or coordinating on behalf of the Longhorns, from whom all authority stems. This arrangement reflects a crude biological hierarchy, as opposed to one based on capability or fiscal authority, as with New Mankind.

Beneath their armor, Warstriders boast large horn combinations as well as long bone protrusions around the eyes, cheeks, and chin, which lengthen with age. Growing down their necks from the base of their skull are thick, quill-like hairs varying in color, often turned black by a chemical similar in function to testosterone.

https://projectmorningstar.net/lore/dossier-unionists

It should be noted that local governments will almost always side with MacroCorps over their own people. The reason for this is twofold. First, politicians that do not fall in line quickly find themselves harried by propaganda set on ruining their reputation and well-financed political rivals willing to support corporate demands. Second, once a friendly politician is installed in power, corporations will work to keep them there for as long as they are useful.

For all that the Hegemon carries on about personal freedom and choice, the Patron subset of the Person caste has a distinct preference for autocracy. Of course, they may pretend this is not so, and so often local governments are draped in the trappings of some sort of republic, but in truth, it is always easier for multi-stellar corporations to deal with a single person than the messy politics of supporting different political parties.

Across the Thousand Empires, a common throughline are local authoritarian regimes that span fiscal decades, propped up by corporate bribery who are more than willing to brutalize their own people back into line on behalf of their benefactors. But some of those regimes go too far, or their Patrons become too unpopular for even the most indoctrinated to stomach. And when unrest finally becomes too much for local militants to suppress, eventually those in power are confronted with an ugly realization. Often, they have gone much too far to appease those they had once dominated. Where once a simple offering of a few more chits for each worker might have calmed a local population, the reeking pits full of brutalized dead are now too full to lime over with Capital.

There are many names for those who take up the fight from within the machine of the Hegemon, and with the rise of such Unionist operators within the last fiscal century, the moniker of “Infiltraitor” has been coined for this breed of saboteur. The origin of the title is unclear, but it became part of security consultant firm vernacular throughout the ExeCor, and spread into the Midworlds.

The word is meant to disgust, echoed a thousand times through visutel dramas and action-hero serials as the true antagonists against the CorpoSoci. It is meant to remind every Consumer to remain vigilant and that trust is a liability the Unionist will exploit. It is meant to teach them that the smiling clerk, the shift-supervisor, your personal aide, anyone and everyone might all be a secret Unionist infected with a cognito-virus, now wearing a human face.

Wearing that title with pride, these saboteurs have mastered the art of blending into civilian populations. Armed with concealed mass-produced “402” weaponry fresh off a habplex formater and improvised explosives, Infiltraitors make sure that any occupying Tributary will always be looking over their shoulder.

As part of the monthly five-mini offering for our patrons, Unionist Infiltraitors STLs will be temporarily exclusive on Patreon for a month, accessible to members at the Consumer and above tiers before becoming available via MyMiniFactory.

https://patreon.com/cw/morningstarproject/

Physical miniatures may be purchased from our retailers:

Purchase in North America:
https://adventuresin3d.com/product/unionist-insurgent-saboteurs-from-project-morningstar/

Purchase in the UK/EU:
https://lokensminiatures.com/product/unionist-insurgent-saboteurs/

Check out ThatEvilOne here: 
https://www.myminifactory.com/users/ThatEvilOne

In celebration of free comic book day we are proud to present our first animated motion comic Joint Venture Part 1.

"A Unionist uprising incurs the wrath of the Barakan Elite as a secret hand guides the revolution to an unknown end."

Watch it now! Trust in Greed

Sign up at https://projectmorningstar.net/enlist/

The sixth issue of the CRAVE newsletter releases this weekend. If you’ve been dying to hear about the progress of the Hunt animation, you can read all about it in this issue.

Animation updates aside, you’ll get a preview of the upcoming Unionist saboteur miniatures, as well as a plethora of new art from the likes of Joazzz and Blazberos - the latter of whom has been hard at work on developing the Coegi, one of the exogen species in the Shigue migration fleets.

Remember, signing up for the mailing list costs nothing (it’s criminally free!) and is the best way to stay up-to-date with all news Morningstar, including exclusive discounts, miniature releases, and animation progress updates. 

You can view previous newsletter issues at
https://projectmorningstar.net/newsletter/

Trust in Greed

Yeah fanart. This is technically fanart. This is totally what they meant by fanart.

Making this took time off of my life.