• Nobles of Null is a forum based roleplay site where sci-fi and magic collide. Here, Earth remains fractured and divided despite humanity reaching out to the stars. Worse still, the trans-human slaves of one major power have escaped, only to establish their own Empire, seething with resentment at abuses of the past. Even the discovery of aliens, though medieval in development, has failed to rally these squabbling children of Earth together with its far darker implications. Worse still, is the discovery of the impossible - magic. Practiced by the alien locals, nearly depleted and therefore rare, its reality warping abilities remains abstract and distant to the general populace. All the while, unseen in the darkness of space, forces from without threaten to press in. For those with eyes opened by insight, it is clear that an era is about to end, and that a new age will dawn.

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Second Cultural Revolution

While much of the Chinese population in the HFR are unhappy with the name of this period in the confederacy's history, along with the Second Century of Humiliation, the titles are deemed apt by scholars. In the aftermath of the Zhongzhi Event and the civil wars that followed, the population, now free of excessive censorship, took a long hard look at their culture, ultimately deciding that one of the causes of the apocalypse that nearly brought their civilization to ruin was due to learning the wrong lessons from foreign nations, and failure to create a cultural system that was tailor-made to their own history. The people of the HFR reasoned that it was due to the excessive worship of foreign ideologies that lead to the CCP resorting to dystopic methods to keep people in line. Furthermore, ideas from the alien Aos Si, their dogmatic preservation of their own culture, seeped into the public conscience.

Thus, by the 24th century, the embrace of pre-20th century values, before foreign military presence on mainland Chinese soil on Earth, was made manifest visually in clothing, architecture, language, and even military vessels. As traditionalist as the cultural revolution was, however, technology and systems of government from foreign sources ultimately survived due to practical concerns.
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Furthermore, the debate rages on, whether the Second Cultural Revolution was a true rejection of foreign influences, or simply a return of old ethnic Han domination, just in a less politically oppressive form. Criticism primarily stems from the religious and ethnic minorities of the HFR; while their treatment varies from region to region, even in a single star system, there is always an air of social pressure to act and dress according to ethnic Han ideologies. Institutions across the HFR have different solutions to alleviate the friction between the ethnic Han majority and the minority groups. Some cities heavily encourage display of one's own ethnic and religious roots, such as Yunwang, while military institutions largely restrict individualism in the name of order and conformity.

Variations by Member State

Sol System

Impacted the most by the events of the first half of the 23rd century, HFR’s United Republics of China (URC) is a withering lion. One out of ten people died in merely a few decades, and another large portion of the population escaping to Li Ming and Shen Zhou, many of whom are the best and brightest who could afford to do so. As a result, the URC suffered a massive brain drain that left it woefully technologically behind its much younger counterparts and in constant, dire need of competent leadership. Nonetheless, the URC survives through a massive population advantage and extensive infrastructure that survived through the 23rd century.

Its people yearn for a time when they stood toe to toe with the American Union, and thus embrace traditional values while attempting to avoid the worst practices of the previous administrative dynasties, giving rise to the aptly named Traditionalist Party that has been the dominant party of the state. The URC follows strict familial hierarchies and roles. There is a heavy emphasis on service for family, community, and state. Thus, younger or less experienced generations are expected to take heed to their older or more experienced counterparts.

Due to environmental damage, the URC’s demographics are almost entirely urban, confined to dilapidated arcologies, in disrepair due to the chaos. Strong, local communal bonds have formed within ruins as the people have collectively attempted to restore the State’s infrastructure up to the modern day.

Li Ming System


Li Ming System and the CoD are the least impacted by the events of the 23rd century, in sharp contrast to the URC is a shining beacon of progress within the HFR. Despite being a fairly young state, the CoD is the most technologically advanced, mastering bioengineering and energy generation. It is also the least socially restrictive of the three states. With the lowest population of the three states, high birth rates are encouraged. Comparing themselves to the other two States, the people of the Li Ming system are prideful of their achievements and see the URC as an increasingly inferior society, while the FCT is one of jingoist meatheads.

Underneath the collective ego, however, there is a painful recognition among the people of the Li Ming system that their rise to superiority was on top of the blood of millions. There is still a small portion of society that bears the physical scars of the 23rd century, first-generation immigrants, many of whom laid the bedrock for modern day Li Ming. As such, the people of the Li Ming system are well aware of their own hypocrisy and are just as inwardly critical as they are outwardly.

One striking social feature of Li Ming is its xeno population, primarily the Aos Si. Having enacted an uplift program for both political prestige and the necessity of a larger workforce, Li Ming allows the Aos Si to participate in all levels of society, including important political positions. This has allowed Aos Si culture to seep into Li Ming, including their seemingly fanatical worship of the arts. Thus, thanks to the Aos Si, the Li Ming also boasts some of the most unique media and architectural projects in the entire human sphere.

Shen Zhou System


The Federation of Celestial Territories rose to grave relevance after the Zhongzhi event, being the closest system to the Pingqiong system, the home system of the Daqin Empire. Recognizing their status as a lynchpin state against a nearly alien threat, the people of the Shen Zhou system are highly militaristic. Indoctrination starts as soon as children enter elementary school, with two years of mandatory service after the age of eighteen.

On the other hand, Shen Zhou is also leery of the authoritarian nature of the previous administrative dynasties. To reconcile the need for a militaristic society and the requirements for democracy, a great cultural shift occurred, made possible by the events of the 23rd century. The result was an entire society that contributed to the military industrial complex of the FCT. Service to the state without widespread resistance or authoritarian enforcement was made possible by a mix of propaganda and genuine presence of danger from both the Daqinren and the American Union operatives still present in the system. Physical group sports are highly encouraged to develop teamwork, comradery, and physical fitness among the populace.

Art

Serene-Apocalysm


One of the artistic movements that sprang out during the century following the Zhongzhi Event is Serene-Apocalysm, born out of the irradiated ruins of Beijing, which quickly spread to the rest of URC holdings on Earth, then beyond to Li Ming and Shen Zhou. Serene-Apocalysm is mixed media involving fixed visuals, music, animation, graphic novels, virtual worlds, and architecture, an attempt to make light of the severe devastation of mainland China. Serene-Apocalyptic art juxtaposes devastation of human infrastructure with the blossoming of natural flora and fauna, and depicts new human life built in and round the skeletons of old infrastructure and the nature that reclaimed the land. Stories of this movement art mostly small scale, slice-of-life, with tones of soft, light-hearted humor with a tinge of sadness. Serene-Apocalyptic art doesn't ignore the death and chaos brought about by Zhongzhi and the civil wars that followed, but rather tries to depict the silver-lining.

Unexpectedly, Serene-Apocalysm found popularity among the Aos Si living on Zhuque and Wu Zetian, who take fond of the unity of nature and sapient-architecture depicted in the visual forms.

Fashion


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Cybernetics


In the early days of the Confederacy, mass-distribution of cybernetics were required for the Scarred Generation, many of the survivors requiring extensive disability assistance and artificial replacement of appendages and organs, either due to direct harm or because of damage from nuclear radiation necessitating the originals' removal. As years passed, wearing these cybernetics turned from a mournful reminder to a badge of honor, a symbol of human perseverance and ingenuity, society's ability to mitigate the worst effects of its own mistakes. Furthermore, extensive gene therapy for purely aesthetic purposes have been prohibited. The combination of these two trends led to an explosion of cybernetic implementation beyond medical use. Initially, cybernetic implementation was only available to those in need in middle-to-upper class who could afford it, but as the HFR regained its footing and sought to re-expand its industries, the government subsidized a variety of luxury goods, including aesthetic cybernetics, allowing the lower class to have access as well.

The most common cybernetics are the replacement of the lower arms and legs, the artificial limbs decorated in a variety of colors and patterns. However, replacement of the lower jaw is also oddly pervasive, though this installation is more costly, and more medical compared to other cybernetic implementations.

Tattoos


Tattoos are used prominently by HFR civilians to display ones religious, ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, and professional identity and affiliations. Even high ranking scientific, military, and political leadership will have tattoos, though less extensively than lower classes, typically placing theirs on their forearms and the back of their necks only. Meanwhile, it is not uncommon to witness common citizens to exercise with open backs, proudly displaying large, intricate tattoo art.

With wearable technology fully mature, combined with the normality of tattoos, soft datapads in the form of tattoos are widely available, should one seek to forego using considerably cheaper, traditional hard datapads and wrist mounts. Tattoo datapads are especially popular among artists and athletes, who use them to display artistic identity and corporate sponsorships.

Sports


Whether it be the searing deserts of Wu Zetian, the predator-ridden forests of Zhuque, or the radiation filled air in old Beijing, the people of the HFR are largely trapped in the confines of their cities: crowded streets, cramped hallways, small rooms; public parks and safe, accessible wide open spaces are always in high demand with never enough supply. Thus, indoor sports are widely popular among the populace of the HFR across all three star systems, though other sports are available to those who put in extra effort to seek them out. These indoor sports include table tennis, jorkyball, mixed martial arts, and a variety of esports that are played across local networks.

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