反物质军团 - 毁灭

「黑衣使者问：「你为什么活着？」他思前想后，却只能给出模糊晦涩的答案。使者露出致命的微笑：『换个问法——你为什么还活着？』」
——阿德里安•斯宾塞-史密斯，《有关星空的寓言集》

「毁灭」的星神纳努克统领着规模浩荡的军团，为万千世界带去混乱与涂炭。祂的信徒们立誓踏上「毁灭」的命途，将自身置于文明与生命的绝对反面，构建了震慑宇宙的「反物质军团」。

星系间凶蛮的族类充当了军团的先锋；亦有邪恶的野心家密谋灭世，他们成为了军团的智囊。懵懂新生的世界被毫不留情地扼杀，自诩强盛的文明在分崩离析的边缘学会了谦卑。唯有在面对日薄虞渊的世界之时，「毁灭」的意志才会稍微放慢脚步——军团漫步于支离破碎的星球上，贪食着凋衰的进程中溢散出的混沌能量。当文明的最后一簇火苗熄灭，他们才心满意足地离去，寻找下一个肆虐摧残的目标。

被军团的汹潮席卷的世界，总会在垂危之际发出无援的质问：「为什么？」面对羔羊们绝望的悲唤，万千劣魔爆发出令群星战栗的讥笑。于邪魔乱舞之际，「毁灭」之神的廓影于星空中显现，亲眼见证又一个世界的悲剧终焉。

Antimatter Legion — Destruction

The emissary in black asked, "For what purpose do you live?" He could only give a vague and obscure response, even after thinking about it for a while. A deadly smile appears across the emissary's face. "Let me put it another way, why are you alive?"
— Fables About the Stars by Adrian Spencer Smith

Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, commands a vast legion that brings chaos and destruction to the world. Loyal followers of Nanook have embarked on the Path of Destruction, placing themselves at the absolute opposite of life and civilization. They are known as the Antimatter Legion that spreads terror throughout the universe.

The fiercest races of the universe act as vanguards for the legion. There are also evil strategists who plot out the destruction of worlds and act as the brains of the legion. Innocent new worlds are ruthlessly destroyed, while proud and mature civilizations are forced to learn humility while on the brink of collapse. The will of Destruction will only slow down when faced with a dying world. The legion roams the shattered planet, devouring the chaotic energy emitted by the process of decay. Only when the last flame of civilization has been extinguished will they leave contently to search for their next target.

Worlds swept by the tide of the legion ask helplessly in their dying moments, "why?" Amidst the cries of despair, the countless evils in the legion sneer so heinously that even the stars shudder. It is said that sometimes the shadow of Nanook emerges from the starry sky to witness the tragic end of another world.

家族 - 同谐

「普世同谐，群星共熠，无上功德颂神主！世人同袍，万物同根，赐福之风拂大地！」
——《谐乐颂》第七乐章

在「同谐」的愿景中，宇宙中缤纷多彩的文明终将亲如手足，齐声合唱团结与欢愉的颂歌。届时，宇宙将成为和谐的整体，再不会有逆耳的杂音戳破美妙的和弦，更不会有愚者为短浅的未来忧虑。

于是，在星神希佩慈爱的光辉照耀下，祂的选民们组成了温馨共谐的「家族」。他们来自不同的世界，属于不同的文明，持有不同的身份，但却是亲密无间的家人。家人之间没有喧扰的争执或矛盾，只有永恒的关爱与欢颜——宇宙间再无比他们更为和睦的家庭。

「家族」在歌声中呼唤其它世界，鼓励它们投入「同谐」的怀抱。每有新世界接受了希佩的赐福，「家族」便欢欣鼓舞，更为卖力地歌咏星神的良善。但并非每个受福的世界都能顺利地成为「家族」的成员——鲜有人提及那些因愚钝或傲慢而消亡的文明。人们好奇：可曾有家族的成员厌倦了歌唱，主动放弃了追寻「同谐」的命途？面对疑问，「家族」微笑作答：从无此事。

The Family — Harmony

"The world is in harmony and the stars shine bright. Praise the Lord's boundless virtue! All humans are brethren and all things are connected. The winds of blessing sweep across the lands!"
— Odes of Harmony, VII

In the vision of the Harmony, the diverse civilizations throughout the universe will eventually become as close as siblings, singing in unison the hymn of unity and joy. The universe will become a harmonious whole, with no discordant notes to disrupt the beautiful chords and no fools worrying about their own short-sighted futures.

Thus, under the loving radiance of the Aeon Xipe, THEIR chosen people formed a harmonious "Family." They come from different worlds, belong to different civilizations, and have different identities, but they are, at the same time, the closest family members there are. There is never noisy disputes or even contradictions among its members, only eternal love and smiles — there is no more harmonious family in the universe than them.

The Family calls out to other worlds with their song, encouraging them to embrace Harmony. Whenever new worlds accept the blessing of Xipe, The Family will celebrate, rejoice, and work even harder at praising the Aeon's kindness. But not every blessed world can become a member of The Family. Few would mention the civilizations that perished out of stupidity or hubris. People are also curious whether any members of The Family had grown tired of the one and voluntarily abandoned the Path of Harmony? In the face of such a question, The Family smiles and replies "Never."

天才俱乐部 - 智识

「骄傲、热忱与理性踏入殿堂，走过铭刻智识与真理的长廊，化为卑微、冷漠与癫狂。」
——阿德里安•斯宾塞-史密斯，《有关星空的寓言集》

博识尊滞留在浩瀚星河的一隅，一边演算由万亿变量构建的宇宙方程，一边推导尚未被洞见的虚数法则。偶尔，某个凡人世界倏然闪现了智慧的火花，「智识」之神便向其源头发去讯号，邀请「天才」们加入共同探寻宇宙答案的行列。

有人误解了信息中的涵义，以为「天才俱乐部」的邀请函仅仅代表星神的青睐与肯定——于是他们倍感自豪，继续投身到各自的研究中去，殊不知终其一生探求优解的难题，博识尊在千万年前便已通晓答案；亦有人为此欢欣鼓舞，他们自认已建下丰功伟业，用勤勉与智慧凝结成文明无价的资产，笃信毕生的成就足以获得祂的赞许。这群天才渴望回应，但博识尊无暇赏识凡人的微渺成就，祂的沉默震耳欲聋。

只有寥寥数人能够参会博识尊的意图。他们谦卑地提问，寻求「智识」的指引。随后，获得神启的天才们便消失于人海之中，只将震撼世界的答案留在身后。「宇宙的答案超脱凡人智慧的极限」——只有清晰认知到这一结论的天才，才能挣脱俗世求知欲的桎梏，成为「天才俱乐部」的真正会员。

Genius Society — Erudition

"Into the hallowed halls step pride, ardor, and reason, traversing the length of a corridor etched with the inscription of knowledge and truth, transmuting into the embodiment of lowliness, apathy, and frenzy."

— Fables About the Stars by Adrian Spencer Smith

Nous stays in a corner of the cosmos, working out the equations of the universe made up of trillions of variables and deriving the unknown laws of imaginary numbers. Once in a while, a spark of intelligence flashes in a mortal world. The Aeon of Erudition sends a signal to its source, inviting geniuses to join in the search for answers to the universe.

Many people misinterpret the signal, thinking the invitation to the Genius Society merely represents the favor and approval of the Aeon. Then, they proudly continue to devote themselves to their studies, unaware that the solution to the problems that they have spent their whole lives searching for had already been solved by Nous thousands of years ago. There are also those who rejoice, thinking they have already reached greatness and had created priceless asset of civilization with their diligence and wisdom. They were sure that their life's achievements deserve Nous's approval. These geniuses were eager for a response from Nous, but the Erudition has no time to appreciate the insignificant achievements of mere mortals. THEIR silence was deafening.

Only very few can ascertain Nous's intentions. They humbly ask questions and seek guidance from the Erudition. These enlightened few then disappear from the world, only leaving behind their world-shattering answers. "The answer to the universe is beyond the limits of mortal wisdom." — Only geniuses who can clearly acknowledge this conclusion can break free from the shackles of worldly curiosity, becoming true members of the Genius Society.

博识学会 - 智识

「宇宙浩瀚无垠，智识包罗万象；天才有天才的活法，庸人也有庸人的自足。」
——黑塔，《我如何加入天才俱乐部并体认万物》

真正能够跻身天才俱乐部的成员仅是少数中的少数，博识学会却从不暴殄天物，他们广泛地从浩渺宇宙中接纳追求博识之人，并承诺一切充分发挥学识的条件。

博识学会提倡：「一切知识必须如货币般流通」。因此，尽管学会中学派繁多，术业专攻各不相同，却无人执着于闭门造车，而是用知识交易智慧，用公式换来配方，以求达到融会贯通之妙。学派就像商业团体一样自负盈亏，而学术流通也借此实现了经济模型中的效率最大化。

某位天才俱乐部大佬将博识学会当作顽愚笑柄，将之称为乌合之众。而作为一个开放的学术组织，博识学会从不屑于如是嘲讽。在长久的研究和探索中，学士们达成了共识：「只有互通有无的学术网络才是超越个体的局限的唯一方法。」

Intelligentsia Guild — Erudition

"The universe is vast, and knowledge is universal. Both the genius and the mediocre have their own way of living."
— How I Joined the Genius Society and Became Enlightened by Herta

Only the cream of the crop can become members of the Genius Society, but the Intelligentsia Guild wastes not. The Guild is willing to accept all beings from the infinite universe who seek to learn, as well as providing all that is needed for the full pursuit of knowledge.

The Intelligentsia Guild advocates that "all knowledge must be circulated like currency." Therefore, although there are different schools that specialize in different subjects within the Guild, everyone is actively engaged with one another with no isolationism. Members trade knowledge for wisdom and formulas for recipes, seeking to achieve mastery. Each school, like a business, pays for itself, and academic circulation maximizes the efficiency of the economic model.

Some of the elders in the Genius Society think the Intelligentsia Guild to be laughing stock. However, as an open academic organization, the Intelligentsia Guild was above such mockery. After a long period of research and exploration, its members have reached a consensus that "the only way to transcend the limitations of the individual is to have an academic network of mutual learning."

筑城者 - 存护

「愚蠢者以肉身为墙，贪婪者以钱财为墙。末日到来时，他们化作相同的灰烬。」
——佚名，《此生苦短》

传说「存护」的克里珀是最古老的星神。祂沉默持重，以光年为单位修筑着环绕星河的障壁，从不介入银河间嘈杂的争斗纷扰，亦不理会其它星神的嘲弄呼唤。

银河间的文明纷纷揣测祂的动机：一则说古老的星神预见了足以令宇宙湮灭的危机，为「存护」万千世界建筑壁垒；一则说克里珀甘愿沦为其它星神的苦隶，尊奉旨意为祂们修建城墙。真相无从验证，唯有祂孜孜不倦的举动驱策了凡人，他们自发地聚汇成群，开始修筑保护星球的壁垒。筑城者中有人声称自己感受到了「存护」之神的注视：祂的目光透出赞许，捎带锻炉的暖意，掺糅石灰的气味。

一颗恒星的湮灭可能殃及千百光年外的星球，把它们推上存亡的陡崖——偶有世界经历此般浩劫，全因矗立的高墙才得以保全。死里逃生的人们不再讥讽「筑城者」们的固执，并纷纷加入他们的行列，再不过问「存护」的动机或意义。

The Architects — Preservation

"The foolish have their wall of flesh, and the greedy have their wall of riches. When the end comes, they will all turn to ash."
— Life Is Too Short by Anonymous

Legend has it, the Aeon of Preservation, Qlipoth, is the oldest Aeon. Silent and mighty, Qlipoth built a light-years long barrier around the cosmos, never engaging in any trivial conflicts or badgering with the other Aeons.

Civilizations across the cosmos speculate on the motive of Qlipoth. One said the ancient Aeon foresaw a disaster that could obliterate the cosmos, so Qlipoth built a barrier to protect the worlds; one said Qlipoth was willing to slave for other Aeons and was ordered to build walls for THEM. There is no way to verify the truth, but Qlipoth's tireless actions moved the mortals. They spontaneously gathered in groups to build a barrier to protect their planet. Some Architects have claimed to feel the protective gaze of the Aeon upon them. They liken it to a gaze of approval, tinged with the warmth of the forge and the smell of lime.

The annihilation of a single star can devastate planets thousands of light-years away, pushing them to the precipice of extinction. On the rare occasions of such calamities, worlds are saved only by the walls their denizens have built. People who survived their demise no longer mocked the stubbornness of the Architects. Instead, they joined them, never to question their motives or the meaning of Preservation ever again.

星际和平公司 - 存护

「恕我直言，这个宇宙里还有比克里珀更开明的董事长吗？祂默许我们的一切经营决策，从不质疑，从不过问——这是偌大的荣幸，偌大的信任！」
——奥斯瓦尔多•施耐德，星际和平公司•市场开拓部主管，P47级

就对外宣传而言，公司是一家倡导自由贸易的巨型企业财团；从运作方式上来看，公司是发行货币并垄断资源的商界独裁；择创业初心而论，公司则是为「存护」的星神奉献一切的无私后援。

大多数星际公民谈到公司时，总会言及无所不在的商品与醒目标识：仿佛「只要存在交易之处，就存在星际和平公司」。事实上，银河中几乎所有的商业行为确是建立在公司的「信用点」体系之上。若将星际贸易比作运动比赛，那么公司既是顶尖的运动员，又是各种运动项目，既是比赛场地，同时还是规则本身。

对财富绝对的统治力，以及从未停止过的扩张行为，让星际和平公司产生了一种阴谋独裁者的大众印象。但是公司对于「只手遮天」之流的低等愿景毫不在意，因为企业精神自诞生之初就未曾变动：

将一切奉献给「琥珀王」——克里珀。

Interastral Peace Corporation — Preservation

"With all due respect, is there anyone in the universe more enlightened than our chairman, Qlipoth? Qlipoth acquiesces in all our business decisions, never asking or questioning why. How great a privilege! How great a trust!"

— Oswaldo Schneider, Head of Interastral Peace Corporation Marketing Development Department, Level P47

To outsiders, the IPC is an enormous consortium advocating free trade. From a business perspective, the IPC is a business that issues money and monopolizes resources. From a startup perspective, the IPC is a selfless backing, dedicated to the Aeon of Preservation.

When many astral citizens talk about the IPC, they talk about its ubiquitous merchandise and logo. It's as if "The IPC exists whenever there is a transaction." In fact, almost all business transactions in the cosmos are based on the credit system created by the IPC. If one were to compare interastral trade to a sports competition, the IPC would be the top athletes as well as the sports, the venue, and the rules themselves.

Its absolute dominance over wealth and relentless expansion has given the IPC the image of a business dictatorship. But the IPC pays little attention to lowly ambitious such as dictatorship, because its spirit hasn't wavered since its creation:

Give everything to the Amber Lord, Qlipoth.

虫群 - 繁育

「人性的欲望复杂…扭曲…甚至丑陋。与之相比，虫群和军团的审美如此纯粹。令人…羡仰。」
——某位科学家，在他堕入疯狂之前

生命源于对繁殖的本能渴望，至于感官与精神，不过是生命在践行繁衍生息的本能之时无心插柳的次要产物；拒绝臣服于原始欲望的生命自诩智慧，殊不知他们已被「繁育」之星神的子嗣视为食粮。「虫皇」塔伊兹育罗斯，万虫之父。祂的子嗣之多足以遮蔽星空，触须之长足以丈量银河。诸界惊畏地将其自我复制的混沌产物称为：「虫群」。

精神、灵魂、科技、哲理…….于塔伊兹育罗斯的万千复眼之中，诸般智慧种族所追寻的宇宙法则，不过是万物在完成「繁育」这一终极目标的过程中，衍生出的旁枝末节。「虫群」从不寻求高等种族的拥趸，只因「崇拜」本身亦是一种多余的欲望。唯有屈从于原始本能的飞虫异兽才会受这股自行繁衍的荒潮吸引，在沦为其食粮后，泯然成为浩瀚虫群的一员。

纵使繁育之神殒去，「虫群」仍在以难以计算的速率繁衍扩张，并为那些被选定为窠巢的世界带去恐惧和灾难。

The Swarm — Propagation

"Human desires are complex... twisted... and even ugly. By contrast, the aesthetics of the Swarm and legion are so pure. It's... admirable."
— Some scientist, before he went mad

Life is born of an instinctive desire to reproduce, and the senses and spirit are only unintended byproducts created when carrying out the basic instinct of reproduction. Those who don't submit to their primal desire claim to be wise, unaware that they are already considered food for the offspring of Tayzzyronth, the Aeon of Propagation, the Father of the Swarm. The multitudes of the Swarm King's offspring can cover the starry night, their antenna long enough to measure the cosmos. Worlds fearfully call the self-replicated chaos as — The Swarm.

Spirit, soul, technology, philosophy... In the thousand compound eyes of Tayzzyronth, the universal laws pursued by all intelligent races are but a side effect of the ultimate goal of reproduction. The Swarm doesn't seek a following, for worship itself is an unnecessary desire. Only the flying creatures that succumb to the primal instinct will be attracted to its self-replicating nature, transforming to be part of the Swarm after becoming its food.

Even without their king, The Swarm continues expanding at an incalculable rate, bringing fear and disaster to worlds chosen as their nests.

流光忆庭 - 记忆

「对一生居住于沙漠中的人们而言，海鱼的短暂记忆也是无价的宝藏。」
——阿德里安•斯宾塞-史密斯，《有关星空的寓言集》

思维即是存在，记忆即是存在的证据。构成物质世界的质料终究会毁灭，但它能通过另一种方式长存——记忆。

和凡夫们认定记忆掺杂着虚构的观点相悖，「流光忆庭」的忆者认为，真实与虚假不过是人们的迷思。在成住坏空不断轮回的宇宙中，又有什么是绝对真实不朽的？恒星衰变，黑洞蒸发，以宇宙尺度来看，它们的消逝只在呼吸间。在这滚滚万物洪流中，证明人们存在的记忆才是唯一的宝藏。

「流光忆庭」的忆者们致力于记忆的保存与分享。受主人浮黎的点化，忆者们脱化肉身，以迷因的形式存活。凭借这份独一无二的赏赐，他们自由旅行于星海中的诸多世界，不受物质极限的制约。忆者们常常伪装成某个世界原住民，交易、复制、窃夺、诱骗，用尽一切手段搜集珍贵的记忆。

Garden of Recollection — Remembrance

"For people who spend their lives in the desert, even the fleeting memory of aquatic life is priceless."
— Fables About the Stars by Adrian Spencer Smith

To think is to exist, and memories are proofs of that. All things that make up the material world will eventually perish, but they can live on in another way — through Remembrance.

Contrary to popular belief that memory is mixed with the imaginary, Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection believe reality and imagination to be a myth. What is absolutely real and immortal in the universe that is constantly reincarnating? Even stars die and black holes evaporate. On a cosmic scale, they vanish in a breath. In this flood of time and life, the only treasure is the memory that proves the existence of people.

Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection are dedicated to preserving and sharing memories. Enlightened by their master Fuli, Memokeepers shed their mortal flesh and live on in spirit. With this unique gift, they can freely traverse between worlds, unconstrained by physical limits. Memokeepers often disguise themselves as native people of the worlds they visit. They trade, copy, steal, deceive... using every means necessary to collect precious memories.

焚化工 - 记忆

「无价值的记忆消融在时间中，有如雨中…泪水……」
——收集自忆员罗伊•汉普顿被处刑前，琥珀2053纪

在搜集并贮存宇宙记忆的「流光忆庭」中，藏匿着一群行止颇为极端的忆者——与珍视一切存在痕迹的同僚们不同，他们认为世间记忆有高低优劣之分，而「浮黎」所创造的净土纯洁宝贵，其空间绝不应被毫无价值的记忆所填占。

「焚化工」们自认背负着为星神筛洗记忆的义务。他们偷取忆者们搜集的库存，并将窃来的记忆划分三六九等。有价值的内容被悄然奉还，伪装成无事发生；而被擅自标记为糟粕的记忆则被彻底销毁遗弃，再无踪迹可寻。

「焚化工」声称其所作所为是在清除垃圾，最终目的是减轻「浮黎」的负担，为祂编织记忆净土的伟大工程做出些微贡献。但「流光忆庭」对之嗤之以鼻，因为宇宙间的点滴碎片皆有其留存的意义，凡人无权裁定记忆的价值。

The Cremators — Remembrance

"Worthless memories dissolve in time, like tears in rain..."
— From the memories of Memokeeper Roy Hampton before execution, 2053 AE

In the Garden of Recollection where memories of the universe are sought and kept, hides a group of extreme Memokeepers who view the marks of existence differently. Instead of treasuring all that has taken place like their colleagues, they believe that there are different qualities and priorities of memories in the world, and that the pure land created by Fuli should not be taken up by worthless memories.

The Cremators believe that they bear the sacred duty of filtering memories for the Aeons. They steal the stored memories that Memokeepers have gathered and rank them in order of importance. The ones that they deem worthy are returned to the collection, whereas the ones arbitrarily deemed unworthy are completely destroyed, never to be found again.

The Cremators claim that they are cleaning out the garbage, all in hopes of relieving some of Fuli's burdens, and contributing to the glorious sacred grounds of Remembrance. However, the Garden of Recollection scoffed and saw no reason for their actions, for the smallest shard of memory in the universe holds just as great of importance as the grandest of feats. No mortal has the right to judge the value of any piece of memory.

悲悼伶人 - 欢愉

「他们根本不笑，但他们哭泣；他们哭得越伤心，我就笑得越开心。后来我笑出了眼泪，你知道悲悼伶人做了什么吗？——他们给我递了纸巾。」
——某位姓名不具的假面愚者

「悲悼伶人」是一群坚定的反欢愉主义者。他们认为生命充满跌宕，苦痛使人成长，喜悦往往稍纵即逝，为人生带来无望的诱惑。廉价的娱乐是人迷失自我的麻醉剂。众生应当摈弃欢愉，承受哀恸以锤炼精神。为此，这些人组成了悲悼剧团。

伶人们搭乘跨越星星的贡多拉进行演出。他们搜集和佩戴着来自各个世界的脸谱、面具，以之象征那些已逝和未逝的种族。同时，他们也记录下这些智慧生命的哀伤，为步入终末的英雄谱写壮绝的悲剧，为即将熄灭的星辰吟唱婉转的哀歌。

悲悼伶人提倡禁欲与苦修，伶人企望这能与欢愉之星神的命途背道而驰，以冲淡祂为宇宙带来的甜美诱惑。

然而所谓欢愉乃是与悲伤对立的存在，悲喜是镌于灵魂这枚硬币两面的花纹。于悲剧之美中，欢愉之神亦能窥见力量。许是出于对黑色幽默的喜爱，阿哈将自己的星神之力赐予了这群苦行者，并饶有趣味地帮助他们跨越诸多星系，传播对欢愉的弃绝。

Mourning Actors — Elation

"They do not laugh, only cry. The more they cried, the harder I laughed. I laughed and laughed until tears fell down my face, and you know what Mourning Actors did? They handed me a tissue."
— A Masked Fool with no name

Mourning Actors are firm believers against Elation. They believe life is full of ups and downs, that agony makes people mature but fleeting joy only offers hopeless and unreachable temptation. Cheap entertainment is a narcotic for humans to lose themselves in. All beings should renounce joy and endure grief to temper their spirits. To this end, these people formed a theater troupe of sorrow.

The Actors ride a gondola that spans the stars to perform. They collect and wear masks from different worlds, symbolizing the races that have passed and those that have not. At the same time, they record the sorrows of intelligent life. They compose magnificent tragedies for heroes facing their end, and sing graceful elegies for dying stars.

Mourning Actors advocate celibacy and penance, hoping this would go against the Path of Elation and dilute the sweet allure that the Elation has been able to provide to the universe.

However, joy and sadness are two sides of the same coin. Their very essence is engraved into the souls of all beings. The Aeon of Elation sees the potential strength in the beauty of tragedy. Perhaps out of fondness for their wicked sense of humor, Aha blessed these people with Aeonic powers, playfully helping them spread their renunciation of joy across many star systems.