So this is the Advent version of the original Vasari history thread (http://forums.impulsedriven.com/363669) and the new TEC history thread (http://forums.impulsedriven.com/364997).

Basically, this is a spot where the Sins community can place all their thoughts on anything that has to do with Advent history and culture, and we as a group can decide what we'd like to actually have as part of the Advent lore (unoffically, of course). This is the spot for any holes in the Advent lore that you'd like to fill. And this is the spot where you place any really awesome ideas about the Advent that you'd like to share with everyone. I'll add some things later, but feel free to begin posting stuff. And I highly recommend going to the Vasari and TEC versions and placing your comments or even ideas on the topics discussed there. Happy idea spamming!

Also: I'll update this top part once we've come to an agreement on the ideas discussed here.

 Current lore:

The origins of the Advent began well before recorded history. It is said that they began as one of many broken peoples who sought spiritual escape on peripheral worlds following the great wars. the earliest known records trace back to the formation of the Trade Order. At its inception, the Order sent emissaries to recruit all known inhabited planets into the organization. One such group discovered a single desert planet orbiting a massive red star surprisingly populated by a thriving civilization. Excited by the profitability of this potential market, the Order authorized immediate integration and the emissaries initiated contact. The representatives of the planet decidedly rejected the membership offer. Not willing to accept failure, the Order sent a series of market research teams to acquire data that could be used to formulate a more elaborate strategy. They received a single, incomplete report containing disturbing information. Shocking acts of deviancy, at every level of society, violated the venerable taboos common to all Trader worlds. Sinful cerebral integration technologies, unrestricted biological experimentation, strange forms of collectivism, and the wholesale usage of countless neurochemicals were but a few of the transgressions. The Trader Worlds overwhelmingly voted that such an aberration had no place within the territories of their new Order. With an instinctive fear, the Traders took control of the planet by force and exiled the inhabitants far into uncharted space. The exiles would integrate the story of their origins into myths and prophecies. They believed that their destiny was to exact retribution and assume their rightful place in the galaxy. One thousand years later, when it became clear that the rare and precious resources that empowered their unique way of life approached exhaustion, the society unanimously decided to return to their original home and fulfill their prophecies.

Here are the ship summaries for the Advent, as they add a bit to the little lore we have on the Advent, and they might spark an idea. I'll add my opinion to the summaries in [ ]. They are all opinions, so please argue with me about a take on a summary if you disagree with it.

Seeker Vessel

The Seeker Vessel is a fast-attack ship built for quickly scouting out enemy fleet positions and jumping

back without being noticed. Its twin pulse lasers also make it useful in small skirmishes against lightly

armored targets. Dedicated to the will of the Unity, Seekers will not hesitate to sacrifice a portion of

their presence to follow the enemy or to martyr themselves against the hulls of the unenlightened.

[maybe their captains are all tough men and slightly suicidal? Remember, Advent women did not work in the tasks that required small amounts of PsiTech.]

Disciple Vessel Primary

Armed with a single forward pulse laser, the Disciple Vessel may at first seem underpowered, but that

is deceptive. Shedding extra crew compartments and relying on total integration of the ship‘s crew into

its systems, the Disciple is agile and deadly. Once further trained and equipped, the Disciple Vessel

submits itself to becoming an important battery of antimatter for the more powerful of the Unity‘s

vessels, while at the same time denying antimatter to the enemy. The Disciple is crewed by expendable

low-level Advent acolytes who have demonstrated their personal submission to the Unity, but have no

particular psionic talents.

[crewed by a couple of women "controlling" the psionic flows, but the ship is mostly male dominated]

Illuminator Vessel

The Illuminator Vessel is a frightening sight to behold on the battlefield and a true testament to the

Advent‘s mastery of beam technology. Featuring not one but three long-range beam cannons, the

Illuminator can quickly tear through shields and hull, leaving nothing but a cloud of debris in its wake.

Despite its weak armor, the Illuminator is able to survive due to its ability to project false images of

itself into the minds of nearby enemies, confusing and bewildering them. The adversary facing a

cohort of Illuminators can never be sure of how numerous his enemies really are.

[crewed by medium-level women capable of making psionic tricks. Most of the crew is male, as they are not needed for large psionic tasks.]

Purge Vessel

To the humans of the Trader Worlds, the shape of the Purge Vessel is reminiscent of a great bird, but

it‘s one bird nobody wants to see in their sky. Lightly shielded with moderate armor, the Purge Vessel

can rain down powerful kinetic bolts onto an undefended world, laying it to waste. Purge Vessel

crews are recruited from amongst the most zealous of Advent converts, and see themselves as direct

incarnations of the Unity‘s desire for retribution. Although the ship is not heavily armored or shielded,

Purge Vessels will often rush through a contested area in their eagerness to deliver justice to the

unfaithful.

[run by the most zealous in the Advant race, no real need for women here, unless to fire the kinetic bolts a jumpstart of psionic energy is needed. but even then, a group of men working together could achieve the same end.]

Defense Vessel

Although designed to counter enemy fighters and bombers, the Defense vessel is also adept at taking

on opposing frigates and cruisers. With its pulse laser turrets, the Defense is capable of targeting

enemies in almost any direction. Single Defense Vessels are weak, but used in large numbers or as an

escort group, they can be a force to be reckoned with, especially when used as escort for capital ships.

An Advent crew member feels at ease when he can sense the presence of a fleet of Defense Vessels

guarding his flank.

[crewed by at least one low- to mid-level women. not a favorable job, but a noble one.]

Missionary Vessel

The Missionary ship spreads the Unity‘s will throughout the galaxy by seeding new Advent colonies on

newly claimed worlds. Missionaries are given special psionic training that allows them to encourage

indigenous peoples to submit to the will of the Unity, and to break the spirits of those who resist.

In addition, specialized members of the Unity are onboard who are willing to separate themselves

for long periods of time in order to establish isolated mining facilities. Like most colony ships, the

Missionary is weakly armed and armored, and succeeds in battle by avoiding it at all costs.

[almost all are women, thought not many are above low-level in PsiTech, as only special training is needed to crew a Missonary, not large amounts of psionic power. The name itself implies the Advent are deeply religious. The only men aboard this craft would be those willing to work in mining facilities.]

Aeria Drone Host

The Aeria Drone Host is the Advent answer to the TEC light carrier; the key difference being that its

fighter/bomber squadrons are unmanned. Instead, multiple onboard psionic anima are integrated into

the Aeria‘s systems, allowing multiple drone fighters/bombers to be piloted remotely using a highly

sophisticated telepathic link. Anima members are among the most skilled psionics in the Unity, and

their telekinetic skills are revered and feared even by those in higher castes.

[unlike the Vasari and TEC who's fighter and bomber pilots are low ranking men/Vasari, the Advent fighter and bomber crews are high-level women. The Aeria permits no men to cross its threshold.]

Iconus Guardian

The Iconus Guardian is a relatively recent addition to the Advent fleet and reflects the new focus on

ship shield technology. The hull of the ship is weak, but the Guardian has an extremely powerful shield

generator, which can be projected outwards to protect nearby vessels. The shields do not completely

prevent the target from being damaged, but they can help nearby ships to survive battles which would

have otherwise have destroyed them. Guardians make excellent supporting ships and combined with

offensively oriented ships, like the Destra, can be part of a devastating force.

[crewed by low-level women, men making up the main work force. no psionic ability is needed besides that which is used to fly the ship. the shield generator is run with electrical energy, not psionic energy, and can be worked easily by males.]

Domina Subjugator

Utilizing the Advent‘s unique telepathic skills, the Domina‘s specialized hull is capable of projecting a

psionic suppression field onto enemy ships. Once hit, the opposing crew is unable to move, rendering

their vessel open to attack by more powerful Advent ships. This makes the Subjugator a fantastic

complement to any of the more combat-oriented vessels, or to any of the Advent capital ships. Domina

crews are highly trained psionics and can also telepathically encourage nearby ships‘ crews to work

well past the point of exhaustion.

[high-level women dominate the bridge, and most of the work force as well. a small portion of men also work on this ship.]

Destra Crusader

Destra Crusaders bring enlightenment to the masses, if not typically in a friendly manner. The Destra‘s

design is dominated by four huge plasma cannons which make it more than a match for most enemy

frigates and cruisers. The appearance of the Crusaders in the first few battles of the war marked the

beginning of the end for the TEC forces. The resulting tales of the survivors created a widespread

superstition in the TEC military that the appearance of a Destra on the battlefield signifies bad luck for

the TEC.

[crewed by low-level women, men make up the rest of the work force.]

Radiance Battleship

No ship personifies the Advent‘s vengeful nature more so than the Radiance Battleship. Literally

bristling with varied energy weapons, it can unleash a torrential downpour of plasma bursts and laser

fire. Those who endure such an onslaught have little respite, as the Radiance‘s axial beam cannon can

cut a wide swath of destruction through enemy ranks.

[as with all capital ships, women are what you'll find at every level of this ship, even working the cannons. there are perhaps a few men that will take up positions on a capital ship, but not many are allowed.]

Revelation Battlecruiser

Immense arrays of powerful PsiTech project through the hulls of the Revelation Battlecruisers, allowing

them to amplify the natural skill of their Battle Psintegrae up to a planetary scale. While such power

occasionally finds benign use, the Advent show little hesitation using it to channel their wrath and

inflict chaos upon the hapless populations below.

[high-level women only crewing this ship, although medium- and low-level women can work outside the bridge. men are not allowed.]

Progenitor Mothership

While the Advent certainly seek to exact revenge for their exile, they also strongly desire to spread the

influence of the Unity. Few ships are as capable in this objective as Progenitor Motherships—their

ability to tap into the Unity‘s collective consciousness is unrivalled. The most skilled Progenitor crews

are so attuned to the Unity that they can psionically transfer the spirits of a destroyed ship‘s dead

crew into another vessel. This ensures that the Advent‘s best and brightest are never truly lost, as their

presence can be recovered and reinserted into willing hosts of the Unity.

[the Advent have their own way of cloning, which involves removing an Advent's presence or "soul" from a dead body, no matter how mutilated, and replacing it in another willing Advent. The original soul of the host will be discarded or transplanted back into the dead body, and the new presence will have full control. this ship is crewed only by high-level women on all levels.]

Halycon Carrier

Responsible for remotely piloting groups of the Drone fighters, Drone Anima are valued crewmembers

aboard all Advent capital ships. The most veteran of this caste are reserved for positions aboard

Halcyon Carriers; leveraging the piloting skill of these elite Psintegrat allows the ship to host a

veritable swarm of strike craft. Halcyon Carriers employ a number of systems to augment the combat

effectiveness of their own fighter wings, as well as those of allies.

[high-level women crew the ship and work the drone anima. the rest of the work force can be male, but will usually be mid- to low-level women.]

Rapture Battlecruiser

Rapture Battlecruisers carry relatively few and often lighter weapon emplacements than most similarly

sized capital ships, leading many early TEC captains to believe they were an easy target. Such

smugness often gave way to display as their crews faltered and succumbed to the true strength of the

Rapture: an abundance of both advanced PsiTech and the Advent‘s most gifted Battle Psintegrat.

[high-level women crew the ship and run the special abilities, the rest of the ship's tasks are run by high-level men (high-level by male standards)]

I conclude from this that there is at least 10-20 women for every 1 male, probably much more than that, in Advent society. Everything else I believe I mentioned under each ship. Now I want to know your thoughts on my opinions, and your own opinions as well.

Note: when I say crewed by women, I mean women in the bridge or command center. maybe captained by was the better phrase, but there you have it.