NRKi
NRKi is a huge, mysterious association of promoters of chaos and anarchists that spans both areas of the galaxy known and unknown. Disestablishmentarian by nature, the association has no hierarchy or structure whatsoever. It is thought to revolve around a few basic ideals, but even these seem to vary quite a bit from the telling of one member to another. Though sometimes portrayed as evil (not always inaccurately), members of NRKi can be of any moral alignment, or none at all. Most tend to fall into the latter category. So unfathomable and unpredictable is NRKi that some galactic governments have tried to ban its presence. However, so unbound and independent are its members that it is almost impossible to completely enforce such bans. The association has proven to be a force of great, often disruptive change, for better or worse, and its members only seem to swell as time passes, despite the rather high untimely death ratio amongst their number.
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[hide]Principles
It is difficult to classify NRKi under a particular nature of association, as defining them defies what they really are. They could be compared to a social club, a masonic organization, or a political party, but none of these terms comes very close. In the most basic of terms, it is a modifier that a particular person gives themselves, which then guides them to behave particular ways in particular situations, such as when they encounter other NRKi members. It is almost an associative philosophy, in that several guiding principles are generally agreed on in favor (though, bafflingly, not always), and each member construes those principles in their own personal fashion, and then acts upon them. The translations of the principles have been sufficiently coherent to one another that many times, members of NRKi fight on the same side of a battle, or for a similar cause, making them a truly feared, if poorly understood force in the galaxy. However, it is by no means uncommon for the converse to occur. The more radical the variation from the principle, the more likely a conflict between members, which their beliefs do not dissuade them from in the least.
Again, these principles are very unstable and subjective. At times, their number even changes as members find particular virtues unnecessary or particularly necessary. However, a core set of broad guidelines seems to successfully capture most of the NRKi members one is likely to encounter, as follows:
- Order is a perversion.
- Absence of order can only be achieved through action.
- There is nothing more important than what you believe.
- NRKi Recognizes Kin (NRKi)
Though this is almost never seen anywhere, some NRKi members even take it upon themselves to rid the order from their own association by deliberately acting contrary to the association's principles -- for instance, advocating order, or hunting other NRKi members who they feel follow the core principles too closely.
Interaction
NRKi members often identify one another first by personality; they are commonly driven individuals who seek to unseat tradition, government, and organization. Once a potential member is discovered, the identifying member will often display some kind of personalized symbol that represents his or her own association to NRKi. The lettering "NRKi" is often displayed in some fashion, but not always. The symbolism does always represent the chaotic or anarchistic philosophy that the identifier associates with NRKi for. If the potential member is an NRKi member, their own symbol is presented in return. This method of greeting is not written or expressly taught. Rather, when someone is brought into the association, it is performed enough times that the new member simply catches on. Should a potential member not respond, they are typically assumed to not be NRKi members, even though the possibility exists that they simply misunderstood, or even deliberately chose not to respond.
NRKi members who have recognized one another as fellows of that association for the first time often enter into deep, philisophical conversation, in an attempt to understand the other's approach to NRKi and how it relates to their own purposes within the association. Whether the interaction between members becomes friendly, neutral, competitive, or outright hostile is impossible to predict. Generally, however, NRKi members translate "kin" as a sort of fraternity, and thus either deliberately let one another alone or make an attempt to assist, which gives the association much of its unpredictable power. Members from completely opposite ends of the moral spectrum might unite together for a single cause merely because they believe in a single similar principle.
Since one of the common NRKi principles is individualism, members of the association rarely team up for extended periods, except for in very small groups where beliefs in chaos are sufficiently similar that each member following their own paths would always be furthered by their team. However, they are usually careful not to become too attached to any team of NRKi members, as this becomes a more solid organization, representing antithesis to their beliefs. As with everything else about this unusual association, nothing is definite, and everything has exceptions. Even an NRKi member has no clue whatsoever what to expect from a fellow member of the organization, even when they have already positively identified one another as such. An NRKi acquaintance might start out friendly, only for one to backstab the other. Conversely, hostile NRKi members might abruptly cease fighting and become lovers.
As is the nature of sentient beings, NRKi members like to know that there are others with similar ideals to them. Thus, NRKi members who identify other non-members may try to introduce them to the association. Such teaching is purely informational at best -- a sharing of beliefs of what NRKi is, commonly coupled with such idioms as "its something different to everyone" and "it is yours to change and interpret as you wish." Members who have brought other members into the association rarely speak of NRKi further, since it is a highly personal experience that must be personalized to be legitimate. If they choose to continue to be with one another, they may introduce other NRKi members as "one of us", which is only significant because most members will realize that fellow NRKi members will typically give one another special treatment, whether that is positively or negatively inclined.
Membership
Despite the extraordinarily bizarre nature of the NRKi association, its members are commonly normal people in normal societies, who have normal occupations. NRKi members are normal denizens of the universe who philisophically believe in at least some aspect of chaos, and choose to express it through the association. By contrast, Chaos Foci are living manifestations of chaos, and have little choice in their chaotic nature. To compare to infernal worship, NRKi members would be the cultists who strive to appease the unfathomable madness that exists beyond their understanding, whereas Chaos Foci are the demons themselves, actual concentrated portions of the madness made manifest for incomprehensible reasons. NRKi members simply go out of their way to do things that further their own personal, ideal chaos. Not every NRKi member plots to overthrow governments and sew anarchy amongst their people. Sometimes the actions they take are simple, small things that most people don't do, but observe and take for granted. For instance, a normal NRKi member might occasionally drop varied size currency denominations in the street, or use a public toilet but forget to flush, or take off their shoes, tie their shoelaces together, and bola them onto a power line. Their contributions can be subtle or amazing, and are often easily attributable to something entirely different and more mundane, like some kind of Illuminati conspiracy.
When interrogated about their affiliation, NRKi members may or may not be reticent. Those who are typically explain their behavior as a form of social manipulation to further their own goals. Those who choose to or are forced to talk simply speak of their own experience and perceptions of NRKi, which almost never properly matches with anyone else's, making them a terribly difficult group to persecute or understand. Some NRKi members may have never heard of the name of their association, and when interrogated, will truthfully fail to yield any information except for random guesses at the strange, almost spiritual connection they share to certain other people. NRKi is unapproachable until it approaches you. NRKi is unassailable, as it lacks a body to wound or the collective empathy to unite against threats. It can be entirely extinguished from a non-space-faring race, only to have it spring back up again a few generations later, without explanation. Some people even claim to have invented the association in modern times, as foolish as this sounds; but as far as anyone can tell, it can be accurate, as a person who has never heard of NRKi or met an NRKi member can suddenly have the idea manifest in his mind, as though his own brainchild. This is especially the case with people who were in close contact with Chaos Foci, furthering theories that the association was originally created by a Chaos Focus.
Of course, the number one hindrance to NRKi's advancement is how very abstract and vague its members communicate, leaving recruitment and association to almost nothing but sheer chance. NRKi members do not publicize their association in any direct way, nor do they typically actively pursue potential NRKi members, since they are often more involved in their own goals and desires to do so. Introducing someone to NRKi is, more often than not, simply a matter of sudden realization of compatibility in conversation. NRKi members pass others of their beliefs in the streets every day, sometimes in great numbers, but have no idea whatsoever about it.
Power Wielders
Power wielders often find NRKi far more appealing than the average person, and the percentage of power wielders involved with the chaotic association is far higher than the percentage of mortals so invested. Power wielders are known for their self-serving interests, and a general will to cause change with their powers, making them ideal NRKi members. However, not every power wielder is fit to be a member. Those who seek power over others, or others who ally with governments typically see law and governance as too useful to forfeit for their own interests for NRKi to be appealing. Rogue power wielders who choose to satisfy their own desires with force and skill rather than respect the boundaries and laws of others find NRKi especially appealing, since it can mean useful resources without the need for commitment or obligation.
Foci
One might expect Chaos Foci to be natural shoo-ins for NRKi membership. If anything, Chaos Foci embody the ideals of NRKi better than anyone could ever possibly hope to. They often create fields of chaos and anarchy around them wherever they go, without even thinking about it or doing anything to that end. However, even when directly approached, most Chaos Foci generally reject offers to associate with NRKi. Their usual reasons can be quite unrelated to the actual cause; Chaos Foci are naturally repulsed from relevant associations. All the same, an NRKi member might idolize a Chaos Focus, befriending them and asking them for advice to further their own chaotic goals. To this end, Chaos Foci are typically unhelpful, answering with any random idea that pops into their heads. That said, NRKi membership often surges in the presence of one or more Chaos Foci, or directly following their deaths. If these things are at all related whatsoever, it is impossible to say, as there have never been made any connections materially linking one to the other.
Order Foci also avoid NRKi association, naturally, due to their very specifically defined principles and general spite for chaos. A rumor has passed, however, that one Order Focus, elsewhere in the galaxy, deliberately joined NRKi and greatly fuelled the chaos in the region with her keen insight into matters. The rumor generally speculates that the reason for the Order Focus's deviance was to transparently further her own orderly leverage over the area by conquering her own created chaos afresh. How true this rumor is, like most other rumors and speculations about NRKi, cannot be verified. The planet the Order Focus lived on was unspecified.
History
No one is sure where NRKi originated. Symbols with the lettering have been recovered and documented as early as two thousand years ago in remote reaches of the galaxy, but older texts in various cultures occasionally mention a "cult of chaos" or stories of secret political societies that were impossible to fully infiltrate.
Since the symbolic exchange became their popular trend, however, their deeds have been better recorded. Ordinarily, an organization oriented to chaos like NRKi is would find this to be of sufficient reason to abandon symbolic identification, but as it isn't an organization, NRKi members are typically more interested in making personal connections to other members than staying resolutely faithful to the philosophy. One particular record speaks of affiliated, yet disconnected anarchists launching a series of guerilla and suicide terrorist attacks with such spontaneity and disorganization that the targeted government -- a particularly oppressive and strict theistic establishment -- was overcome with a rioting populace in days, before the power that was could even catch on to what was happening.
When NRKi members become aware that their activities are being recorded, they usually take action to destroy the records. However, spoken accounts attribute NRKi to much of the upheaval in the universe. There is a common wives' tale in the Kamis' sector of the galaxy that members of NRKi were responsible for putting the idea of the Dragonballs in the heads of the Namekian race. Nameks, of course, reject this idea as fiction. Predictable, nobody from NRKi has argued the point with them; if one or more of them were indeed responsible, they would be happy with the chaos incited by the action without needing to take the glory for it.
Some who are familiar with the extraordinarily rare Order and Chaos Foci speculate that Chaos Foci (or more likely, a single Chaos Focus) had some hand in it. Others argue that Chaos Foci actively avoid participation in NRKi, due to their almost universal abhorrence of being associated to anything, including being a Chaos Focus. However, those in the speculative school of thought theorize that a Chaos Focus would not have to participate in NRKi to create it, much as a god of a religion would not pray to himself.
