Provence Sector Information

Astrography
Settlement
Imperial Era
The Rebellion
Poisoned Prizes
The New Era
References



Astrography

 The inhabitable portion of Provence sector is roughly C-shaped. The Windhorn rift makes up the gap. It has played a pivotal role in the history of the Vargr and the various Imperiums. Lair (2402) is the Vargr homeworld and it lies coreward of the Windhorn. As Vargr interstellar society expanded it had to first go around the Windhorn. The First Imperium had swelled to fill the region rimward/trailing of the Windhorn. It could be argued that the Windhorn protected the fledging Vargr from the stifling expansionism of the Vilani.


Settlement

 Jump drive technology came into existence on Lair in -3810. Early explorers and settlers expanded in all directions, blocked only by the Windhorn. Small states came and went as the Vargr steadily expanded outward from Lair. By the time the Vargr encountered the First Imperium, it had begun it's steady decline and was already exhibiting signs of weakness. By -2400, corsairs had begun to raid Vilani settlements in Provence and Corridor as well as sectors trailing the Windhorn.

As Vargr states filled the rimward portion of the sector, they constricted the Great Rift-Windhorn corridor that Vilani colonists had settled. As Vargr corsairs pressed further rimward they forced these Vilani to flee spinward to untamed worlds or return to the heart of the Imperium.


Imperial Era

 26 years after Cleon announced the birth of the Third Imperium, the Empire of Varroerth was founded. Varroerth was a Vargr of great charisma. Starting in Ngathksirz, his forces gobbled up the surrounding star systems and eventually expanded into other sectors, including the 6 coreward subsectors of Provence.

Continued expansion fueled the Empire's prosperity for several centuries. Eventually, the Empire became so large that power shifted from the emperor to the regional governors. The position of emperor became a figurehead, with little charisma. This enabled the formation of the Lair Protectorate in 777.

Promising a return to traditional Vargr values, 6 worlds, including Lair declared their independence from the Empire of Varroerth. 4 more worlds later joined as charisma and "responsible change" once again became more important than perpetuating a stagnant monarchy. The Empire just shrugged and ignored the Protectorate. The Protectorate ignored the Empire in return.

The Irrgh Manifest was formed in the early 400's and came to dominate the rimward portion of the sector. Its proximity to the Imperial border was an irresistible opportunity for corsairs to raid Imperial shipping and then hide out from Imperial patrols.

The Glory of Taarskoerzn was formed in 869. It initially consisted of 7 worlds along the edge of the Windhorn, quietly trading with one another, hemmed in by the Irrgh Manifest. Internal turmoil grew as the "Glory" was anything but glorious. By the late 900's a militant government came to power. Inspired by the teachings of the Church of the Chosen Ones, they grew tired of living in the shadow of the Irrgh Manifest and began to build-up their military.

The Dzarrgh Federate was formed in 1090 and expanded rapidly rimward along the spinward border of Provence sector and into Tuglikki sector from Dzarrvaer (0225) for the next 6 years. Worlds independent for centuries gave in to either the Federate's ideals or the strength of its military forces. Either way, they joined the Federate. The Federate then switched its focus from acquiring worlds to trading with them. Before the 1100's began, the Federate was even trading with the Imperium.


The Rebellion

 Hemmed in by Imperial patrols in Corridor for centuries, the Imperial Rebellion was met with great joy by the rimward Vargr states of Provence. Joy turned to excitement when the Corridor fleet was withdrawn to fight for Emperor Lucan. An unparalleled frenzy of corsair and state-sponsored raiding of Corridor began.

The Dzarrgh Federate and the Irrgh Manifest immediately settled territorial differences and agreed not to get in each other's way as they invaded rimward.

The Glory of Taarskoerzn, believing the time was right, enlisted the aid of the Vaenggvae corsairs and attacked the Irrgh Manifest, splitting it in two. While the Glory was busy capturing their share of Corridor, the corsairs had plans of their own. The Vaenggvae eventually went on to capture barely defended Depot and annexed the trailing half of the Irrgh Manifest with its new-found strength.

With Corridor closed, the Domain of Deneb was completely isolated from the rest of the Imperium. This isolation prevented them from assisting any factions in the Rebellion.

Meanwhile in the Empire of Varroerth, 2 more secessions occurred: the technologically-minded Llaeghskath Interacterate and their anti-technology neighbors, the Jihad of Faarzgaen. Formed in 1114, the Interacterate believes in the use of technology for the betterment of society. The Jihad, which formed immediately afterwards, was a brutally oppressive religious autocracy centered on the worship of the equally brutal god Faarzgaen. Whereas the Interacterate is composed of 22 worlds that voluntarily joined the cause, the Jihad has resorted to capturing worlds and enslaving their citizens to increase their ranks. The two diametrically opposed states immediately went to war with one another.


Poisoned Prizes

 Except for the botched attempt by the Domain of Deneb and the Restored Vilani Empire to work together to liberate Corridor from the Vargr invaders, the Vargr corsairs and nation-states ransacked Corridor worlds for all that they were worth. When Denebian forces completely pulled out of Corridor in 1130, telling friend and foe alike that an uncontrollable AI Virus was on its way from Core, the Vargr raiders laughed. The humans didn't have the belly for any further combat and were going home.

As infected ships full of refugees from the shattered Imperium tried to reach Deneb, Vargr pirates could not hold their greed in check. Any ship coming through Corridor was fair game. Infected ships and equipment were hauled back to their bases. These bases in turn became infected with Virus. Ignorant of the fact that the prizes of their plundering were poisioned, the Vargr unwittingly helped Virus to spread throughout their worlds. Three years after Virus was released, the Vargr raids of Corridor were ended, along with the Vargr states themselves.

But Virus did not stop there. It continued spinward and coreward.

The last glimmer of hope that the Empire of Varroerth had not completely festered into apathy came in 1125. The new regional governor, Gen Rungakh, was annoyed with the ongoing feud between the Interacterate and the Jihad. She issued a proclamation stating that neither group would be allowed to expand any further past their current boundaries. While the Interacterate complied, the Jihad did not. When the Jihad began to forcibly convert more worlds over to Faarzgaen, Rungakh began to retaliate by ordering all Jihad warships found outside of their 1125 boundaries to be attacked. Forced to fight a war on 2 fronts, the Jihad weakened.

Over the next 10 years, the Jihad recouped their losses through protacted cease fires and peace negotiations which they never intended to keep. The madness of the Jihad finally came to an end in 1135. A massive Vampire Fleet from rimward invaded and annihilated Faarzgaen. Unfortunately, it went on to destroy many other worlds as well.


The New Era

 Despite hundreds of billions of deaths, their are beacons of hope for Vargr society in Provence sector. These beacons are the Windhorn Rift worlds, the Llaegskath Interacterate, the Knokseng Confederation, and the Lair Protectorate.
References:
DGP's Vilani & Vargr
Survival Margin