Cyrva
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The Cyrva are a race of 'space-elves' in the Wings of Dawn universe. Many Cyrvan characters serve as protagonists in the Wings of Dawn storyline.
Contents
Physiology
Appearance wise the Cyrva do not differ much from Terrans. The most obvious difference are their 'elven' ears, which almost instantly got them the 'Space elves' nickname from the Terrans. On average, Cyrvan ears have a hearing range between 80hz and 21,700hz.
Cyrvan males on average grow to a height between 160-180cm, Cyrvan females are on average only slightly shorter, 158-176cm. While skin color is almost always white (With the exception of the tanned people from the planet Desa) the Cyrva do have a wide range of different hair colors. Compared to a Terran, they are considerably more agile and flexible but have far less physical strength. They also have a far lower pain threshold and will take all possible measures to avoid injury. Diseases are a rare occurrence and are seldom fatal. The average life span of a Cyrvan can vary greatly, some grow to be over a thousand years old while others 'only' make it to the eight hundred mark, signs of age usually slowly start to show around the age of six hundred. Like Terrans they are omnivores but in general have a preference for plant food.
Occasionally a Cyrvan with large wings of white feathers is born (around one in a billion) why or how this happens remains a mystery. It is possible for a Terran and a Cyrva to have a child together, this is in general looked down upon from the Cyrvan side (mostly because Cyrvans tend to have only one partner for life and have a far longer life expectancy than Terrans) but is actually encouraged on several LTW planets, though there have only been very few examples of this occurring so far.
Culture
There is no known record for any Cyrva martial arts. While they are excellent natural sharpshooters, the average Cyrvan does not pose much of a threat in hand to hand combat.
The Cyrva have a rich culture filled with song and poetry, a lot of which is inspired by their religion. This religion known as Feryaa closely resembles Terran Christianity in many aspects, including the believe that there is one omnipotent God that created the universe. There is a strong taboo on research into DNA altering genetics, not just because the Cyrva think they are already pretty damned close to perfection but also because they believe God has not intended for them to mess with his creation on such a deep level. This is also the reason why the birth of winged ones remain a mystery as no one is looking into the genetics involved. The birth of a winged one is treated as a good omen for times to come and has been subject of many stories. These 'angels' are often given high ranking ceremonial positions and are set for life, many Cyrvans dream of a life like that. Few Terrans have actually seen a winged one with their own eyes.
Society
The Ten Circles
The Ten Circles of Cyrva for the Protection and Prosperity of Our Kind, often shortened to simply The Ten Circles, is the Cyrvan government and consists of ten circles, with the 10th circle being the largest, with thousands of people in it, and the 1st circle the smallest, with only a handful of elders and high admirals in it. This convoluted system works like this: For example there is a project proposed for a large park in a city on the planet Desa. The 10th circle will examine and discuss this project and eventually votes on it. A majority vote is reached and the project is greenlit. In 90% of the cases this is where it ends. However, there are cases where someone in the 9th circle is completely opposed to spending resources on this project and he/she can ask for a vote about this project for the 9th circle. This could potentially mean that the 9th circle can veto the project. Which often in turn leads to lobbying to get the 8th circle to take a look at it. And so forth. The 5th circle is a special case as only winged ones are in it.
This becomes increasingly obstructive when it comes to military funding and operations, as a circle consists of both military personnel and civilians. To elaborate on that a bit more: A High Captain in active frontline service is eligible to be in the 8th circle but is not part of the active decision making until he/she resigns from active service and takes a political military 'deskjob'. This does not go for Rear Admirals and higher, as they are expected to be able to lead and do paper work at the same time.
Cyrva Star Armada
The Cyrva Star Armada at first glance looks like an unorganized bunch, higher ranked officers are addressed casually by first name by other pilots and crew and no one is barking orders. But when you look closer you'll notice that strict discipline simply does not have to be enforced. Pilots do what is asked of them and crew members are always on time at their posts. Cyrva fleet academies do not spend hours on end drilling in routine but have a complete focus on learning new pilots how to handle their machine and how to improve their odds of survival out on the field.
The CSA has little in terms of ground presence and goes by the theory that orbital control equals having surface control. The CSA fleet consists of ships from a lot of different generations. Older ships are rarely decommissioned but are occasionally refitted with newer technology. Fighter or Mobile Cyrvan Weapon Systems (MCWS) designs are usually in service for a few hundred years before being replaced by new ones. Fleet action that is going outside CSA space works on a volunteer basis. Ship captains and fighter pilots are under no obligation to go with an invading fleet. This is not the case however when defensive fleet action is required.
The CSA can muster a fleet of about 9,500 capital ships and over 30,000 strikecraft and has access to highly advanced shipyards in several systems.
History
Early history
The Cyrva originate from the Cyrvadia system, a sun very similar to that of Sol. For several thousand years the Cyrva were content with just living their lives in peace with little worries. Technology was only developed when something was deemed too much work and effort and had to be made easier. As the Cyrva population grew, Cyrva society developed into a unique government system where every person who wants to be can be part of the decision making process.
This peaceful existence continued for a long time until on one fateful day, disaster struck Cyrvadia. A meteor crash into the planet, killing millions. This brought forth a change, they knew they could have prevented this if only they had actually made an effort to develop more technology. The Cyrva then entered a period of time known as 'The first age of advancement' in which they developed highly advanced space ships, weaponry to destroy large sized meteors in a single hit and shield technology. With these advancements, suddenly Desa (Cyrvadia's sister planet, which had long been a subject in poems and literature) came within reach. Before long the planet was colonized which opened the eyes of the Cyrva... They could actually travel to other planets now! But why stop there? Let's travel to other stars!
A few hundred years later the Cyrva had discovered Starlances and they populated planets in eight different star systems. They then made first contact with a sentient race named the Yehio in the Erydai system. This race was only just getting its global industrialization going. They Cyrva suddenly felt a need to protect and guide this still young species from themselves and from the possible dangers of the universe. They quickly proceeded to disarm the Yehio and have been guiding them peacefully ever since.
However for the first time in Cyrva history a internal conflict happened, not everyone agreed on 'guiding' other species in their development. Usually disagreement is resolved through Dialogue but the views on this subject were just too conflicting. Eventually two clear sides formed, one side that was clearly opposed to helping other races and the other side that was felt it was their duty given by God to do so. One captain, armed with a anti meteor weapon felt so strongly about it that she was willing to shed Cyrva blood for it and fired on an unarmed vessel carrying people who did not share her opinion. The other side almost immediately responded by storming a building. From there it escalated into the first civil war. This war caused huge leaps in weapon and shielding technology. Whereas the Cyrva ships before were only used for transportation and celestial object breaking, now actual ships meant for war were being designed and produced. This war lasted for over five years, with the first two years spend mostly figuring out how to fight a war, no less one that spanned several planets and systems. This conflict became known as the 'doctrine war'. Eventually the side that wanted to guide other species emerged victorious. The fleets that were constructed were put under a single command, the Cyrva Star Armada (CSA). The CSA was turned into a highly professional and incredible well equipped force over the years. Then with no immediate need for further expansion and with no direct threats to their safety, the Cyrva once more entered a time in which they just wanted to live their life's in a peaceful manner. An other couple of hundred years passed, little technological advancements were being made and no significant events happened. Until the starlance to Algol was explored and the CSA made first contact with the LSF.
Terran-Cyrvan War
When the Cyrva made first contact with the Terrans in the Algol system they were surprised just how much the Terrans resembled them in appearance. But it also became clear to them that the Terrans are but a young and inexperienced race and needed to be protected against their own destructive tendencies. Likewise the Terrans did not expect that their first contact would be with 'space elves' but welcomed the encounter. Before long, this joy started to turn into irritation. The Cyrva were looking down on them and soon started suggesting that it would be best for the LSF to disarm themselves and let the CSA handle the defenses of the Terrans. The Terrans refused and in response mobilized and send a large fleet into the Algol system and claimed the system as their own. This caused the Cyrva to decide that a quick military victory would be prudent to show the Terrans just how powerless they are.
The LSF fleet consisted of 7,000 capital ships and over 18,000 fighters, well organized and in formation for a 'line vs line' type of battle. The CSA entered the Algol system with 4,500 capships and around 12,000 MCWS. What the Terrans did not know at that time, was that only 750 of those ships would be actually invading. The CSA opened the battle by subspace jumping behind the rearguard of the LSF and taking out the command ships of the fleet. This caused a lot of confusion among the LSF lines, they still had a large CSA force in front of them around the node and they did not receive any orders to turn around and engage the fleet behind them. The attacking CSA fleet wasted no time and did another jump, this time to the outer left flank of the LSF line and started destroying the LSF ships there from a flanking position. After the situation became clear, Rear Admiral Zego assumed command of the fleet and ordered all ships to engage the attacking CSA fleet. By this time however, the LSF had already lost over a thousand ships and three thousand fighters, whereas the CSA had only suffered a few MCWS losses.
In response to the LSF now actively trying to engage them, the CSA fleet started backing up, keeping the LSF ships just inside their own range while staying out of range from the LSF heavy weaponry. Furious, Rear Admiral Zego ordered all ships to hold position and ordered a massive fighter and bomber strike. In response the CSA fleet also held position and launched their MCWS. Zego was aiming for this moment and ordered all capital ships forward again and to continue forward 'until you can see the white of their eyes'. This maneuver was successful, the LSF managed to close in and did not allow the CSA fleet to get away again. However what Zego could not anticipate was just how vastly superior CSA technology was. The CSA point defense weapons ripped through LSF ships like a knife through hot butter, while the LSF heavy turrets could hardly penetrate the CSA shielding. The LSF fleet started breaking up and retreated back to the Lyrae node.
The end result: The CSA lost four frigates, two destroyers and one cruiser was damaged. 500 MCWS were lost. The LSF lost 5000 capital ships, of which 3000 were disabled and taken prisoner, and over 6000 fighters.
The CSA then continued on into the Lyrae node, easily crushing the blockade that was put up in a hurry and seized control of the system. The Cyrva predicted that the Terrans had no more then three systems under their control. The fleet was split, one was send to the Tauri system, the other to the Librae system. Both encountered fierce resistance but eventually the CSA ensured control of these systems too. After a whole year of fighting, the CSA fleets entered Sol and Harcon. It not only seemed like the Terrans had far more systems than initially thought but also like they were rapidly producing new weapon systems and more effective ship designs. The CSA fleets received little in the terms of reinforcements and were slowly but surely starting to lose fighting power. One more year passed, Terran causalities and losses numbered in the thousands, the CSA fleet was down to 457 capital ships. Each ship they lost caused a cheer in the LSF fleets as they had realized that the invading fleet received little to no new reinforcements. Some ships even had a counter to keep track. The Cyrvan public opinion was starting to turn more and more against this invasion. Perhaps the Terrans were not as immature as a race as they had thought? Hearing stories from families that had lost their loved ones also did little good for the support of this war.
The Cyrvan fleet commander, Fer'opal, started realizing that in order to reach the Terran homeworld he would need the fleet currently fighting in the Harcon system as well and ordered both fleets to regroup in the Lyrae system. The LSF took this as a sign that the enemy was on the run and launched full scale counter attacks, retaking Librae and Tauri and putting immense pressure on the CSA fleet in Lyrae. Before Fer'opal could launch a counter attack of his own however, he received orders to return to CSA space. A more diplomatic approach would be taken, the Terrans had shown that they would not need the Cyrva to watch over them but that they could stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
The LSF followed them through to Algol and initiated a fierce orbital bombardment on the military outpost the CSA had established on Algol prime. Devastating the planet as the crust was broken on several places. Turning it into a hellish place of lava and brimstone.
After almost five years of space warfare, peace was signed. The Algol system was declared neutral space and renamed to Abyss. It was to be left as a monument, a reminder of a long but pointless war.
Tidbits from the "Ask a crew member" Thread
These informations come from persons in the Wings of Dawn universe, so they might contain a personal bias. The links go directly to the post, in which the information was provided.
Biology
-Cyrvan have less tollerance for high G-Forces, but their strike craft incorporate a system that almost completely negates them during flight.[1]
-Cyrvans are better at handling massive information input than humans.[2]
-Cyrvan couples tend to have between one and three children.[3]
-Due to their long lives Cyrvans also grow up slower. Most Cyrvans are only fully grown well after the age of 30. Their slow, but steady growth also means that they don't have to go through adolesence, like Humans do.[4]
-Cyrvan females don't have periods.[5]
-Since no known Cyrvan/Human Hybrid has yet aged beyond 50 years and non of them died of old age, the average liveexpectancy of such people isn't yet known.[6]
-Some Cyrvans have the ability to perceive glimpses of the future. While the ability is not exclusive to the "winged ones", roughly 40% of them have this ability to some degree. For some of those gifted individuals this manifests in the ability to look into the immediate future at will, while others have vague premonitions in their dreams. Either way, past experience has shown that the future is not set in stone and that spontaneous individuals are especially hard to predict. For example almost all the long-term predictions about Terran tactics during the first contact war between Cyrvans and Terrans were useless due to the Terrans often changing plans on the fly and improvising as the situation changed.[7]
-As was already said in the physiology section, Cyrvans generally have better refelxes and flexibility, but far less physical strength than the average Human of the same gender. This is what JGASF pilot and instructor Daniel "Justice" Hawkings has to say about this matter:
"On average a trained in hand to hand combat Terran will pretty much always win against a Cyrvan. Cyrvan's bodies are featherweight (especially the women) and their attacks have no weight behind them. At least not enough to knock out one of us. The most succesful strategy they have is attempting to dodge until the their opponent is out of breath and then using that chance to pummel them into submission."[8]
Planets and Places
-Cyrvadia has 2.73 times the size of Earth, with roughly 40% of the planet being covered in oceans. The gravity of Cyrva is 0.93 G in Terran terms.[9][10]
Military Doctrine
-All Cyrvan military assets are bound by law to participate in the defense, should Cyrvan space be attacked. This law also applies to non-Cyrvan planets under the protection of the CSA.[11]
-The CSA is currently not in possesion of any naval assets. Commodore Isa'emarl Dertanya had the following to say about the matter:
"The Navy was disbanded many many years ago. Ships have no where to hide and are just sitting ducks when orbital bombardment comes into play. The Spaceforce doubles as the Airforce, MCWS' are all equipped with anti gravity drives and inertia cancellers and thus perform just as well in the atmosphere as in space. For that matter they are also the primary force on the ground in mech form. We have yet to see the day in which a hostile force sets foot on one of our planets, so until that day happens our ground forces are very likely to remain as small as they are now."[12]
-While it is uncommon, the CSA allows Terrans to enlist into their ranks. The majority of the Human members of the CSA become armed security guards for the fleet ships or are stationed on planets. Due to the combination of few Cyrvans being willing to do those duties and few Terrans being recruited into the CSA, those jobs are well paid for.
If they are available, Terran soldiers are the prefered troops for boarding actions, since their physical conditions makes them better suited for hand-to-hand combat, or as Commodore Isa'emarl Dertanya put it "They are... better at it."[13][14]
Government and Law
-The structure and functioning of the Cyrvan government was already explained in the artice "The ten cycles". Here is what Commodore Isa'emarl Dertanya had to say when asked about how the members of each circle are elected into office:
"Members from the 10th up to the 6th circles are elected democratically and serve for a period of 10 years. There are no clear written rules for the upper circles. Some times they just elected someone from the 6th circle by majority vote. Some times someone gets in by some extraordinary feat and so forth."[15]
-The Cyrvan government allows immigration of Terrans, but due to strict restrictions and the attitude most Cyrvans have towards Humans, it happens only rarely. Lieutenant Crystal Is'va Dertanya summarized those restrictions as follows:
"As far as I know you have to be able to understand and speak the basics of our language so you can get around without the use of a translator. You also need to have a understanding of Cyrvan culture and mannerism. I believe they also screen you on your intelligence and I heard being good looking also helps..."[16][17]
-Despite many Cyrvans not being fully grown by that time, they are considered as adults, once they reach the age of 30 years.[18]
Culture and Society
-During war, sometimes Cyrvans apply a kind of "warpaint" to their faces, called Hyalj. Most families have their own design to which some individuals like to add their own personal touch.[19] Usually Hyalj are considered little more than adoration, though there are some rare exceptions: [20]
--With some families it represents the role as a warrior or the symbolises the first kill.[21]
--In Feyraa the Hyalj have spiritual roots.
-Cyrvan use a unified credit system. It's name starts with "Ies" and is hard to pronounce for Terrans (or at least for JGASF pilot Misuzu Stella). Among Terrans it's usually just called Cyrvan credits (or short CC) and is currently slightly below the Terran UC in value, even after the damage the Terran economy took after the Hertak invasion.[22]
-Commonly Cyrvans go into retirement when they are between 700 and 800 years old.[23]
Technology
-Critically damaged Cyrvan fighters eject the whole cockpit as a livepod. While the helmets of their space suits are not vacuum proof by themselfs, in emergencies they employ an energy field around the head, or even the whole body.[24] The suits powerreserve can sustain a fullbody shield for 51 and a shield around the head for 347 hours.[25]
-Currently Cyrvans do not use AI in military applications as far as the Terrans know.[26]
