Species: Human
Ethnic Origin: Predominantly Bengali and Indian descent
Primary World: Aphrodite
Cultural Identity: Sleeper ship settlers and rival population to the Penqu
Language: Primarily Bengali and Hindi, with Humanic as a second language
Overview
The Kolkats are one of two major ethnic and cultural populations on the planet Aphrodite, the other being the Penqu. Descended from settlers aboard a sleeper ship launched centuries before faster-than-light travel, the Kolkats arrived on Aphrodite to find it already inhabited by the Penqu, who had migrated from neighboring Tian with Compact support.
This historical overlap triggered over three centuries of intermittent civil conflict, making Aphrodite infamous in Compact history as a “dumpster fire” of a colony. The sleeper ship’s claim sparked a long-running territorial and cultural war rooted in contested settlement rights, mutual distrust, and deep ideological divides.
Culture and Traits
Kolkats retain many traditional Indian and Bengali customs but have also adapted their lifestyles to Aphrodite’s unique environment, including its humid, jungle-like climate and limited seasonal variation. Despite the planet’s often primitive infrastructure, Kolkats are known for their adaptability and resilient village systems. Many live in mud huts that naturally cool interiors, though more affluent or modernized members of society opt for printed structures with basic climate control.
Their language profile includes heavy use of Bengali and Hindi, with Humanic functioning as a common tongue, especially in cross-cultural settlements like Sanctuary.
Kolkats are often described as more community-centric and ritual-driven, maintaining strong spiritual and familial ties. However, their collective identity has been shaped by decades of war, political marginalization, and the often dysfunctional governance that characterized pre-Core status Aphrodite.
Recent Developments
By 436 IE, Aphrodite was granted provisional core world status, and Kolkat leaders began participating in efforts to build a unified planetary government. One notable figure, Keernith, used her elevated status after the fall of the warlord Gerard Kurz to influence post-conflict governance and helped stabilize the region in collaboration with Penqu leaders and Compact officials.
While some Kolkats have been involved in violent resistance over the years, they are not inherently militant. Notably, the martyrdom of Priya, a Kolkat woman who became the wifer of Suicide, influenced a shift in local Cubist beliefs and community philosophy.
Relationship with Penqu
The Kolkat–Penqu conflict defines much of Aphrodite’s political history. Initially ideological, the conflict devolved into tribal and factional warfare, exacerbated by competing cultural narratives and scarce resources. Periods of peace were often brokered through Compact intervention, but these rarely held.
Despite the tension, individual relationships between Kolkats and Penqu have occasionally bridged the cultural divide.
Notable Kolkats
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Priya – Artist and spiritual thinker, remembered as the Kolkat partner of Suicide and a victim of domestic terrorism.
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Keernith – A politically savvy Kolkat woman whose influence helped rebuild Aphrodite’s governance structure after Kurz’s death.
Appearances: Royal Orders, Suicide Gambit