The Sirius system consists of eleven planets orbiting the star Sirius. The six inner planets are rocky solid masses, the second and third of which are inhabited. The outer five planets are gas giants. In addition to the planets, there is a small drift of asteroids as well, between the fifth and sixth inner planets, believed to be the remnants of a small planetoid or moon that didn't quite make it.

Intelligent life began on Sirius II, known locally as Os. Sirius III, named Medulla, was colonized in 2769 Post Imperium. For eons it was firmly believed that Os was the only harbor of intelligent life in the universe, until the findings of the explorer Rover and the Lost Pack proved otherwise. Today the Sirian worlds provide a rich environment for their inhabitants and enjoy lucrative trade agreements with the Ursans, who bearly (sic) have contact with any other species.

History

The earliest apparently recorded history of the Sirius system is found in the northern caves of Ostea, the largest continent of Os. Proto-Ossian writing was a series of nicks and marks made in the bones of game animals caught by the early Sirians for food. It has been established that these marks were made by the teeth (which today remain the most useful tool of modern Sirians). Unfortunately, their exact translations have not been accomplished. It is believed that these are the earliest attempts by the cave dogs (known as Proto-Ossians) to record their oral tradition. It is also evident that these marks were the first evidence of arithmetic calculations by the Proto-Ossians, who continue to confound scholars with their evident grasp of advanced concepts. The development of writing by the Proto-Ossians is matched only by their understanding of abstract art, evidenced by the manifold dark patches found along the lower edges of the walls of their caves, and on fossilized trees. Scholars theorize that the darkened areas had religious significance to the Proto-Ossians.

Civilization first developed early in the 12th century Pre Imperium. Small Packs of Early Ossians came down into the lush temperate regions of Southern Ostea and formed territorial groups, with each pack headed by a dominant chieftain or Alpha Dog. The chieftain was selected by a complicated ritual of combat, and Alpha Dogs were often mentioned in Early Ossian texts as having "harems." The size of the harem was a symbol of the chieftain's power, and this symbol is still recognized very strongly today in more rural areas.

The various packs began to draw together into a unified society early in the first century Pre Imperium. This formation of the Mega Pack, which is still ceremonially recognized today, was a response to the threat of attack from barbarian wolf packs. To this day, no one knows from where these barbarians came, and serious research into this ancient menace has been neglected until recently. The Mega Pack was originally ruled by a council of cheiftains from the six largest tribes, and was known as the Six Pack. The council often fought amongst one another rather than fight the common enemy, and the wolf packs held the upper hand for a long time. Eventually, the situation looked dire indeed. The youngest chieftain of the Six Pack, the ambitious Black Lab chieftain Spot, personally rallied the armies of the Mega Pack, and brought the fight to the wolves.

The wolves were overwhelmed by the Mega Pack's forces, led by Spot to victory. The location where Spot accepted the surrender of the wolves today is marked by a giant stone "X" erected by the Overlord Rufus IX in the 11th century Post Imperium. The wolves were assimilated into Ossian society and eventually became the packs of the Huskies and Malamutes who mine and patrol the arctic regions of Os and other Sirian-held worlds. Spot was held in great regard by the Ossians and was elected to become the sole chieftain of the Mega Pack. On New Year's Day in the Year 0, Spot I became the first Overlord of Sirius. Spot went on to found Osopolis, the great city from which he would rule his empire, and to this day the capital of Sirius.

Over the years, Overlords weaker than Spot allowed the Empire to fall into ruin. The weakest of these was Overlord Fifi, under whose rule the Great Sirian Civil War broke out in 988 Post Imperium. The world was broken into several kingdoms, states and protectorates, and things looked truly bleak for the Empire. The title of Overlord became a mere formality for the next three centuries, granted to any Alpha who had the money. Finally, the mighty Overlord Alex I restored the title to its rightful stature, restoring the central government through decades of campaigning.

The title of Overlord has seen many rulers over the centuries. At the same time, the population of Os grew to near-crisis proportions. Under Overlord Spot XXIII, in 2761, the challenge was made to "colonize Medulla, and get some of these dogs outa here!" The Empire was stirred to the cause when, exactly eight hours later, the Overlord was asassinated. By 2769, under the watchful eye of his successor, Bingo VIII, the first starship to carry colonists to Medulla landed in the Sea of Gravy.

The year 2807 saw a more ambitious achievement, when the first transgalactic space drive was developed. Under a grant from Bingo VIII, the starship Entrepreneur left to explore the galaxy and bring back "as much loot as possible." Under the command of the intrepid Captain Rover and his first officer Fido, the Entrepreneur set out, eventually coming into contact with the Ursans, who became staunch trading allies. The expedition also came into contact with the Ka-Zing, whose leader, King Felix, tricked Captain Rover into divulging the location of Sirius. The Ka-Zing immediately launched an invasion force, and to this very day are still enemies of the Sirians.

The Entrepreneur closely escaped capture, but not without the loss of several red-brindled greyhounds attached to her security squad. Shortly thereafter, all contact with her crew was lost, after a garbled final transmission:

"...planet is class...don't know why they named it after dirt...digging sticks...treat-givers...pharaoh...Ka-Zing!"

In the millenia that have followed that fateful message, no one has seen or heard from the Lost Pack again. Regularly, reports of the derilect Entrepreneur's salvage surface in cheap tabloids, along with the absurd rumor that the Overlords had kept its true secrets from the public. No further efforts have been made to continue the voyage of the Entrepreneur, becase the demands of the ongoing war with the Ka-Zing have been too great.

The final Overlord to rule Sirius was Pounce, a cruel tyrant who usurped the throne from his just brother. After many abuses of power, the Second Sirian Civil war brought an end to his reign in 5982 Post Imperium. The Sirius System and its outlying holdings are now ruled by an "elected" Revolutionary Council.

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