Lowridge Guardians
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The Lowridge Guardians are a culture of Siathan who inhabit the Waving Ranges on the planet Sontani, having originated from a collection of civilians of the New World Colonization Program.
History
Part way through the establishment of the original settlement, several of the civilians who had volunteered to be settled on other planets as part of the New World Colonization Program left the settlement, expressing their desire to 'rebuild a new society'. These civilians settled in the Waving Ranges, a heavily forested region of rocky geographic formations, which had been surveyed before colonization to be of little value beyond the presence of trees and the aesthetic beauty of the formations. Contact between these people and the colony was rare from this point on. The Royal Engineering and Development Division and the Peace Enforcement Division were both assigned to investigate the people who had, after roughly a month of living in the woods, had shown no signs of returning and had begun calling themselves the Lowridge Guardians at this point. Chemical and psychic influence was ruled out, as was cult-like behavior. None of the members of the Lowridge Guardians displayed signs of hostility, aiding in the investigation. Due to the low value of the land that had settled and the lack of hostilities, the Lowridge Guardians were allowed to remain as they were, with new civilians being assigned to fill the vacant spaces left behind. Contact was reestablished during the construction of Elthriak, the new infrastructure allowing for a more dedicated mission between the Siathan Court as a whole and the Lowridge Guardians. A meaningful treaty was formed after a lengthy process, establishing the Lowridge Guardians as a recognized people.
Beliefs
The Lowridge Guardians' belief system is a complicated web of 'truths' and 'falsehoods', acting as a sort of decision tree, with outcomes influenced by the truths and falsehoods of the web. However, several of their core beliefs can be summarized easily.
- Everything taken must be replaced. Harvested plants must be replanted, slaughtered animals must be encouraged to reproduce.
- All actions undertaken must be approved by all who it would affect. Without an agreement of all, no action can be taken.
- Relying on someone is to know them. To rely on those you do not know is to invite ruin.
- The land must be prepared to host further generations, regardless of who they are. The presence of people is to have as little an impact as possible.
Current Status
The Lowridge Guardians remain active as a semi-independent people and have increased in number, although only slightly. At least five children have been born and three have remained. While recognized as a separate people, the Lowridge Guardians are bound to the conditions of the Lowridge Treaty, providing the ability for the Guardians to be self-governing and self-sustaining on Siathan Court land, as well as engaging in limited trade with the local cities. In exchange, the Lowridge Guardians are to answer the government census truthfully and to the best of their ability. Additionally, every child born within the community is allowed to depart and return to the Siathan Court at any time once they have reached sufficient mental competence to make the decision for themselves.
