Viridians are from the planet where humans evolved in the Viridia Solaris system, and as such are the oldest faction in Pan-Humanic Space. Viridians are the great free marketeers of the Tripartite Alliance. They believe in the power of trade as an engine of progress and chafe under regulations and taxes levied by VASA. The Viridian Assembly champions independence on the whole, though like others, they have historically shown reluctance when it comes to granting independence to colonies under their direct control.
History
In distant antiquity the Viridians had an advanced industrial society on the lush, fertile world of Viridia, but their polluting activities caused catastrophic global warming that resulted in the planet flooding. Eventually the climate stabilised and a new civilisation was built using sustainable and non-polluting technologies. It did not take the Viridians long to rebuild what had been lost, and soon they were exploring space with a view to colonisation, driven in part by the close call with extinction they had experienced on their Homeworld. Viridia ceased to be the sole power in space following the Secession Wars, and the subsequent rush to colonise the galaxy by those seeking independence.
Colonies
As mankind spread through the galaxy, Viridia became the breadbasket of Pan-Humanic space. Worlds with natural climates that produced sufficient food to support colonies were few and far between, so Viridia fed the galaxy with its advanced, high yield agricultural techniques. Viridia’s great wealth lies in agriculture to this day, and because it is the most efficient producer, Viridia gets the pick of worlds suitable for food production. Jungle worlds to produce biomass for fuel, fertiliser and animal feed; ocean worlds with vast fisheries; temperate worlds with expansive arable plains. Such worlds always orbit spectral class G-stars, so Viridians have developed city building techniques based on harnessing solar power.
Technology
Viridia led the way in developing environmentally sustainable technologies, following the disaster of the great flood. This suite of technologies included genetically engineered plant and animal species for food, fuel, and in some cases mounts, the development of the hydrogen t-cell for power, and the advanced engineering techniques of the solar cities. They also developed the gauss magnetic field technologies used in a variety of weapons and civilian transport systems.
Warfare
The Viridians have a respectable sized army and fleet, and their forces excel at long range warfare and combined arms tactics. Of all the factions, the Viridians have been most enthusiastic in adopting the doctrine of combined arms, borne of a desire to limit casualties among their own troops. They do this by engaging with light ground forces that are prepared to retreat at any moment, slowing the enemy down while close support and reachback capability surgically dismantles it from a distance.