Nomad is the largest and most important of the Xarelite arks: a colossal artificial structure conceived as a city, a world, and a refuge. More than a spacecraft, Nomad is the political, scientific, and cultural heart of Xarelite civilisation, and the enduring symbol of a species that survived the destruction of its homeworld.

Origin and Purpose

Nomad was designed during the final centuries of Xárel, when the collapse of the planet had become inevitable. Anticipating ecological failure and total resource depletion, Xarelite scientists and engineers conceived a new form of survival: not escape to a single new world, but permanent existence beyond planetary dependence.

The ark was never intended as a temporary solution. From its inception, Nomad was planned to function for generations, sustaining an entire civilisation in transit, capable of adapting to long-term confinement while preparing for eventual resettlement elsewhere.

Structure and Scale

Nomad is comparable in size to a planetary metropolis. Its internal structure is organised into vast concentric sectors, each fulfilling a specific function within the ark’s closed ecosystem. These include:

• Residential districts designed for extreme population density
• Scientific and research sectors dedicated to long-term survival projects
• Industrial and molecular fabrication zones
• Agricultural and nutrient-recycling environments
• Political and administrative cores

The ark maintains a stable orbit around a secure planetary body, selected for gravitational stability and strategic isolation. This orbit allows Nomad to conserve energy while serving as a fixed reference point for the wider Xarelite diaspora.

A Closed Artificial Ecosystem

Life aboard Nomad depends on absolute systemic balance. Every resource—air, water, food, and energy—is recycled through closed-loop systems refined over centuries. Waste is not discarded, but transformed, reprocessed, or reintegrated at a molecular level.

This enforced efficiency shaped Xarelite culture profoundly. Excess, redundancy, and uncontrolled growth are viewed not merely as inefficiencies, but as existential threats. Nomad itself stands as a constant reminder that survival is inseparable from restraint.

Political and Cultural Role

Nomad functions as the de facto capital of the Xarelite civilisation. It hosts the highest scientific councils, cultural archives, and decision-making bodies that guide long-term strategy for the species as a whole.

Although many Xarelites now live beyond the ark—on Elearis, within allied systems, or aboard other arks—Nomad remains the ultimate point of reference. Its authority is moral and historical as much as political, derived from the fact that it carried the civilisation through its darkest era.

Science, Memory, and Identity

Within Nomad, science is inseparable from collective memory. Entire sectors are devoted to the preservation of Xárel’s history, documenting both its achievements and its collapse. These archives are not ceremonial. They are actively used to inform policy, exploration protocols, and ethical frameworks.

For the Xarelites, forgetting is considered a greater danger than stagnation. Nomad exists not only to keep them alive, but to ensure they never lose sight of the consequences of unchecked expansion.

Nomad and Interstellar Expansion

From Nomad depart many of the expeditions tasked with locating habitable or terraformable worlds. These missions are carefully planned, conservative in scope, and governed by strict viability assessments.

Unlike corporate-led expansion models, Nomad’s exploratory doctrine prioritises sustainability, long-term habitability, and ecological compatibility over immediate resource extraction. This philosophy would later bring the Xarelites into ideological conflict with Elearian corporate interests, most notably in cases such as Vixalis.

Symbolism and Legacy

To the Xarelites, Nomad is more than an ark. It is a living monument to survival through foresight rather than conquest. It embodies the idea that civilisation can persist without a planet, but not without memory, discipline, and responsibility.

As long as Nomad endures, the Xarelites believe their species will not repeat the mistakes that once destroyed their world.

Recommended Next Glossary Entries

• Xarelite Arks (Minor Fleets)