反物質軍團 - 毀滅

「黑衣使者問：「你為什麼活着？」他思前想後，卻只能給出模糊晦澀的答案。使者露出致命的微笑：『換個問法——你為什麼還活着？』」
——阿德里安•斯賓塞-史密斯，《有關星空的寓言集》

「毀滅」的星神納努克統領着規模浩蕩的軍團，為萬千世界帶去混亂與塗炭。祂的信徒們立誓踏上「毀滅」的命途，將自身置於文明與生命的絕對反面，構建了震懾宇宙的「反物質軍團」。

星系間凶蠻的族類充當了軍團的先鋒；亦有邪惡的野心家密謀滅世，他們成為了軍團的智囊。懵懂新生的世界被毫不留情地扼殺，自詡強盛的文明在分崩離析的邊緣學會了謙卑。唯有在面對日薄虞淵的世界之時，「毀滅」的意志才會稍微放慢腳步——軍團漫步於支離破碎的星球上，貪食着凋衰的進程中溢散出的混沌能量。當文明的最後一簇火苗熄滅，他們才心滿意足地離去，尋找下一個肆虐摧殘的目標。

被軍團的洶潮席捲的世界，總會在垂危之際發出無援的質問：「為什麼？」面對羔羊們絕望的悲喚，萬千劣魔爆發出令群星戰慄的譏笑。於邪魔亂舞之際，「毀滅」之神的廓影於星空中顯現，親眼見證又一個世界的悲劇終焉。

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 - 同諧

「普世同諧，群星共熠，無上功德頌神主！世人同袍，萬物同根，賜福之風拂大地！」
——《諧樂頌》第七樂章

在「同諧」的願景中，宇宙中繽紛多彩的文明終將親如手足，齊聲合唱團結與歡愉的頌歌。屆時，宇宙將成為和諧的整體，再不會有逆耳的雜音戳破美妙的和弦，更不會有愚者為短淺的未來憂慮。

於是，在星神希佩慈愛的光輝照耀下，祂的選民們組成了溫馨共諧的「家族」。他們來自不同的世界，屬於不同的文明，持有不同的身份，但卻是親密無間的家人。家人之間沒有喧擾的爭執或矛盾，只有永恆的關愛與歡顏——宇宙間再無比他們更為和睦的家庭。

「家族」在歌聲中呼喚其它世界，鼓勵它們投入「同諧」的懷抱。每有新世界接受了希佩的賜福，「家族」便歡欣鼓舞，更為賣力地歌詠星神的良善。但並非每個受福的世界都能順利地成為「家族」的成員——鮮有人提及那些因愚鈍或傲慢而消亡的文明。人們好奇：可曾有家族的成員厭倦了歌唱，主動放棄了追尋「同諧」的命途？面對疑問，「家族」微笑作答：從無此事。

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."

天才俱樂部 - 智識

「驕傲、熱忱與理性踏入殿堂，走過銘刻智識與真理的長廊，化為卑微、冷漠與癲狂。」
——阿德里安•斯賓塞-史密斯，《有關星空的寓言集》

博識尊滯留在浩瀚星河的一隅，一邊演算由萬億變量構建的宇宙方程，一邊推導尚未被洞見的虛數法則。偶爾，某個凡人世界倏然閃現了智慧的火花，「智識」之神便向其源頭髮去訊號，邀請「天才」們加入共同探尋宇宙答案的行列。

有人誤解了信息中的涵義，以為「天才俱樂部」的邀請函僅僅代表星神的青睞與肯定——於是他們倍感自豪，繼續投身到各自的研究中去，殊不知終其一生探求優解的難題，博識尊在千萬年前便已通曉答案；亦有人為此歡欣鼓舞，他們自認已建下豐功偉業，用勤勉與智慧凝結成文明無價的資產，篤信畢生的成就足以獲得祂的讚許。這群天才渴望回應，但博識尊無暇賞識凡人的微渺成就，祂的沉默震耳欲聾。

只有寥寥數人能夠參會博識尊的意圖。他們謙卑地提問，尋求「智識」的指引。隨後，獲得神啟的天才們便消失於人海之中，只將震撼世界的答案留在身後。「宇宙的答案超脫凡人智慧的極限」——只有清晰認知到這一結論的天才，才能掙脫俗世求知慾的桎梏，成為「天才俱樂部」的真正會員。

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.

博識學會 - 智識

「宇宙浩瀚無垠，智識包羅萬象；天才有天才的活法，庸人也有庸人的自足。」
——黑塔，《我如何加入天才俱樂部並體認萬物》

真正能夠躋身天才俱樂部的成員僅是少數中的少數，博識學會卻從不暴殄天物，他們廣泛地從浩渺宇宙中接納追求博識之人，並承諾一切充分發揮學識的條件。

博識學會提倡：「一切知識必須如貨幣般流通」。因此，儘管學會中學派繁多，術業專攻各不相同，卻無人執着於閉門造車，而是用知識交易智慧，用公式換來配方，以求達到融會貫通之妙。學派就像商業團體一樣自負盈虧，而學術流通也藉此實現了經濟模型中的效率最大化。

某位天才俱樂部大佬將博識學會當作頑愚笑柄，將之稱為烏合之眾。而作為一個開放的學術組織，博識學會從不屑於如是嘲諷。在長久的研究和探索中，學士們達成了共識：「只有互通有無的學術網絡才是超越個體的局限的唯一方法。」

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."

築城者 - 存護

「愚蠢者以肉身為牆，貪婪者以錢財為牆。末日到來時，他們化作相同的灰燼。」
——佚名，《此生苦短》

傳說「存護」的克里珀是最古老的星神。祂沉默持重，以光年為單位修築着環繞星河的障壁，從不介入銀河間嘈雜的爭鬥紛擾，亦不理會其它星神的嘲弄呼喚。

銀河間的文明紛紛揣測祂的動機：一則說古老的星神預見了足以令宇宙湮滅的危機，為「存護」萬千世界建築壁壘；一則說克里珀甘願淪為其它星神的苦隸，尊奉旨意為祂們修建城牆。真相無從驗證，唯有祂孜孜不倦的舉動驅策了凡人，他們自發地聚匯成群，開始修築保護星球的壁壘。築城者中有人聲稱自己感受到了「存護」之神的注視：祂的目光透出讚許，捎帶鍛爐的暖意，摻糅石灰的氣味。

一顆恆星的湮滅可能殃及千百光年外的星球，把它們推上存亡的陡崖——偶有世界經歷此般浩劫，全因矗立的高牆才得以保全。死裏逃生的人們不再譏諷「築城者」們的固執，並紛紛加入他們的行列，再不過問「存護」的動機或意義。

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.

星際和平公司 - 存護

「恕我直言，這個宇宙里還有比克里珀更開明的董事長嗎？祂默許我們的一切經營決策，從不質疑，從不過問——這是偌大的榮幸，偌大的信任！」
——奧斯瓦爾多•施耐德，星際和平公司•市場開拓部主管，P47級

就對外宣傳而言，公司是一家倡導自由貿易的巨型企業財團；從運作方式上來看，公司是發行貨幣並壟斷資源的商界獨裁；擇創業初心而論，公司則是為「存護」的星神奉獻一切的無私後援。

大多數星際公民談到公司時，總會言及無所不在的商品與醒目標識：仿佛「只要存在交易之處，就存在星際和平公司」。事實上，銀河中幾乎所有的商業行為確是建立在公司的「信用點」體系之上。若將星際貿易比作運動比賽，那麼公司既是頂尖的運動員，又是各種運動項目，既是比賽場地，同時還是規則本身。

對財富絕對的統治力，以及從未停止過的擴張行為，讓星際和平公司產生了一種陰謀獨裁者的大眾印象。但是公司對於「隻手遮天」之流的低等願景毫不在意，因為企業精神自誕生之初就未曾變動：

將一切奉獻給「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.

蟲群 - 繁育

「人性的欲望複雜…扭曲…甚至醜陋。與之相比，蟲群和軍團的審美如此純粹。令人…羨仰。」
——某位科學家，在他墮入瘋狂之前

生命源於對繁殖的本能渴望，至於感官與精神，不過是生命在踐行繁衍生息的本能之時無心插柳的次要產物；拒絕臣服於原始欲望的生命自詡智慧，殊不知他們已被「繁育」之星神的子嗣視為食糧。「蟲皇」塔伊茲育羅斯，萬蟲之父。祂的子嗣之多足以遮蔽星空，觸鬚之長足以丈量銀河。諸界驚畏地將其自我複製的混沌產物稱為：「蟲群」。

精神、靈魂、科技、哲理…….於塔伊茲育羅斯的萬千複眼之中，諸般智慧種族所追尋的宇宙法則，不過是萬物在完成「繁育」這一終極目標的過程中，衍生出的旁枝末節。「蟲群」從不尋求高等種族的擁躉，只因「崇拜」本身亦是一種多餘的欲望。唯有屈從於原始本能的飛蟲異獸才會受這股自行繁衍的荒潮吸引，在淪為其食糧後，泯然成為浩瀚蟲群的一員。

縱使繁育之神殞去，「蟲群」仍在以難以計算的速率繁衍擴張，並為那些被選定為窠巢的世界帶去恐懼和災難。

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.

流光憶庭 - 記憶

「對一生居住於沙漠中的人們而言，海魚的短暫記憶也是無價的寶藏。」
——阿德里安•斯賓塞-史密斯，《有關星空的寓言集》

思維即是存在，記憶即是存在的證據。構成物質世界的質料終究會毀滅，但它能通過另一種方式長存——記憶。

和凡夫們認定記憶摻雜着虛構的觀點相悖，「流光憶庭」的憶者認為，真實與虛假不過是人們的迷思。在成住壞空不斷輪迴的宇宙中，又有什麼是絕對真實不朽的？恆星衰變，黑洞蒸發，以宇宙尺度來看，它們的消逝只在呼吸間。在這滾滾萬物洪流中，證明人們存在的記憶才是唯一的寶藏。

「流光憶庭」的憶者們致力於記憶的保存與分享。受主人浮黎的點化，憶者們脫化肉身，以迷因的形式存活。憑藉這份獨一無二的賞賜，他們自由旅行於星海中的諸多世界，不受物質極限的制約。憶者們常常偽裝成某個世界原住民，交易、複製、竊奪、誘騙，用盡一切手段搜集珍貴的記憶。

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 - 記憶

「無價值的記憶消融在時間中，有如雨中…淚水……」
——收集自憶員羅伊•漢普頓被處刑前，琥珀2053紀

在搜集並貯存宇宙記憶的「流光憶庭」中，藏匿着一群行止頗為極端的憶者——與珍視一切存在痕跡的同僚們不同，他們認為世間記憶有高低優劣之分，而「浮黎」所創造的淨土純潔寶貴，其空間絕不應被毫無價值的記憶所填占。

「焚化工」們自認背負着為星神篩洗記憶的義務。他們偷取憶者們搜集的庫存，並將竊來的記憶劃分三六九等。有價值的內容被悄然奉還，偽裝成無事發生；而被擅自標記為糟粕的記憶則被徹底銷毀遺棄，再無蹤跡可尋。

「焚化工」聲稱其所作所為是在清除垃圾，最終目的是減輕「浮黎」的負擔，為祂編織記憶淨土的偉大工程做出些微貢獻。但「流光憶庭」對之嗤之以鼻，因為宇宙間的點滴碎片皆有其留存的意義，凡人無權裁定記憶的價值。

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 - 歡愉

「他們根本不笑，但他們哭泣；他們哭得越傷心，我就笑得越開心。後來我笑出了眼淚，你知道悲悼伶人做了什麼嗎？——他們給我遞了紙巾。」
——某位姓名不具的假面愚者

「悲悼伶人」是一群堅定的反歡愉主義者。他們認為生命充滿跌宕，苦痛使人成長，喜悅往往稍縱即逝，為人生帶來無望的誘惑。廉價的娛樂是人迷失自我的麻醉劑。眾生應當擯棄歡愉，承受哀慟以錘鍊精神。為此，這些人組成了悲悼劇團。

伶人們搭乘跨越星星的貢多拉進行演出。他們搜集和佩戴着來自各個世界的臉譜、面具，以之象徵那些已逝和未逝的種族。同時，他們也記錄下這些智慧生命的哀傷，為步入終末的英雄譜寫壯絕的悲劇，為即將熄滅的星辰吟唱婉轉的哀歌。

悲悼伶人提倡禁慾與苦修，伶人企望這能與歡愉之星神的命途背道而馳，以沖淡祂為宇宙帶來的甜美誘惑。

然而所謂歡愉乃是與悲傷對立的存在，悲喜是鐫於靈魂這枚硬幣兩面的花紋。於悲劇之美中，歡愉之神亦能窺見力量。許是出於對黑色幽默的喜愛，阿哈將自己的星神之力賜予了這群苦行者，並饒有趣味地幫助他們跨越諸多星系，傳播對歡愉的棄絕。

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.