HW_10 Peter Li

The Thessalian (placeholder name) Star Federation is a highly oligarchic republic run by a squabbling financier-aristocrat elite. Raw material wealth is the name of the game in Thessalian politics, and little else legitimizes the republic’s nepotistic leaders. Though it is on paper by far the most powerful polity in the system, a viciously uncooperative elite and resentful populace have pulled the state into a deep lethargy. Official governmental institutions like the navy have withered on the vine while important state functions are farmed out to private contractors like Jason’s mercenaries. The bureaucracy that remains is a Kafkaesque nightmare of overlapping jurisdictions. A writhing, self-contradicting mass with no directions or ideals, the Federation was completely unprepared for the emergence of the Colchian Empire. Inspired by the 20^th century British Empire and the Hapsburg monarchy.

 

Aesthetic inspirations for Thessalian architecture are Austrian/ British neoclassical and Art Deco. To reflect the directionless, self contradictory nature of Thessalia, I want the main masses of their architecture to be relatively broken up, and have rythm working in opposing directions. I want it to reflect redundancy, and something that is dignified on the outside but rotting from within.

The Colchians (placeholder name) united under the charismatic super-genius Aeetes and in the span of a few decades transformed their backwater industrial homeworld into the naval power par-excellence in the system. Under the seemingly superhuman abilities of the Emperor and his promises of transcendence and immortality, the Colchians worked of a single purpose to break the Thessalian hegemony. Aeetes also uses advanced Bioengineering technology to heighten loyalty and trust. Inspired by WW2 Japan.

Aesthetic inspirations for Colchian architecture include WW2 Japanese, Early modern starforts and dieselpunk steel mill stuff. To represent a faction which is truly unified of heart and mind, the large masses should be rhythmic in a single direction, as opposed to Thessalian architecture which is rhythmic only in façade and detail.

The rest of the stuff