3.5E - Shattered Suns

[Krefarus 65]

SHATTERED SUNS

The year is 10,420 AE - The Empire Burns

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"When Empires fall, they fall in fire, and in blood, but, while the Sun may set on a civilisation's greatness, an Empire’s legacy will live on, in the shadows of its dusk. Although the Third Empire, the absolute pinnacle of human might and society, crumbled into nothingness, in the hidden corners of that ruination, lingered the beliefs and convictions that had served as its foundations. Though the Empire's territories have devolved into a teeming mass of Stellarchs and warlords, there remains a single, all encompassing belief - the supremacy of mankind. Man is the Master of the Galaxy, and though we have suffered through the Second Schism, Man will inevitably rise once more, to vanquish our foes, and to reclaim our rightful place amongst the stars."

                              -The last public speech of the Tanu Kavan, Panayiotou                               

 

The Fall of the Third Empire was the tragedy of a generation - a collapse brought about by the vicious infighting of the Republicans and the Loyalists, perpetrated by the ambitions of the Emperor, Rän-ji XVI, his loyal hound, Lord Teniert of Orteau, and the resistance of the Republican Tanu Kavan, Lord Panayiotou, along with the treacherous sedition planned by the likes of the Stellarch Tuakeo, who plotted to seize the Starcast Throne for himself. In the ensuing Civil War, the Galaxy was ripped asunder, divided between the two Imperial camps, or among the various rebels and traitors scattered mostly throughout the western portions of space.

 

As the Third Empire found itself crushed beneath the weight of a war that pitted brother against brother, the age-old enemy struck. Erasmis, the Mind-Bender, a fearsome Irik Warlord, sallied forth from the Irearchy, laying waste to all before him. Moving decisively, he captured Kaumai and, with his own hand, ended the lives of the Emperor and his direct heir. From this onslaught Lord Matareka, the infirm Lord Teniert’s replacement, and the only leadership remaining to the Loyalist government - whose name has become forever synonymous with treachery - abandoned his post in that dark hour, to save his own hide, condemning the Empire to its miserable fate.

 

After millenia of waiting, time has finally come full circle - the Empire is dead, and in its place dwells a thousand bickering Warlords, squabbling over the remains of their once mighty nation. The Second Schism has come, and former Imperial territories must now contend not only with their own infighting, but also with the constant and savage raids of Irik Warchiefs, and all the while Erasmis, the Mind-Bender, rules the Core with his ironclad fist, from atop the Starcast Throne in the Imperial Observatory.

 

But though the Third Empire has shattered, the might of mankind has not faded - while the great military hardware of the Old Empire is rare now, broken, lost or abandoned over the five, bitter decades since the Fall, mankind still possesses the means to protect himself and his remaining territories. For all the squabbling of the Warlords, they still share one, common foe, one focus of their unified hatred - the Irik - and all remember the values and ideals upon which the Empire was constructed.

 

For the Third Empire fell by fire, by greed, by treachery - but just as the Third Empire fell, so too will mankind rise once more to domination of the Universe - By the sword.

 

==---<>---==

NPCs
Emperor Ran-ji XVI
-- Murdered by Erasmis, The Mindbender on Kaumai
Crown Prince, Ran-lir XII
-- Murdered by Erasmis, The Mindbender, on Kaumai
Empress Raa
-- Presumed Dead, at the hands of Erasmis, The Mindbender.
Grand Admiral Roko
-- Murdered by Erasmis, The Mindbender, above Buath.
Grand Admiral Nalani
-- Killed in heroic action during the defense of Kaumai.
Arero Rumari
-- Murdered by Irik under the command of Erasmis, The Mindbender, during the sack of Kaumai.
Grand Admiral Sorin
-- Active Warlord in the Inner Rim
Grand Admiral Rakena
-- Active Warlord in the Inner Rim
Admiral Otikoro
-- Active Warlord in Deep Space
Admiral Rata
-- Killed in action against Republican forces.
Admiral Kawhena
-- Active Warlord in the Inner Rim

Grand Admiral Pepe
-- Active Republican Governor
Grand Admiral Manhuera
-- Active Republican Governor
Grand Admiral Rahn
-- Killed in action against Loyalist forces.
Stellarch U’ilanni
-- Succumbed to age.
Tanu Kavan Panayiotou
-- Assassinated leaving the Republican Senate.
Admiral Rona
-- Killed in action against Irik forces above The Ring.

Arakatera

-- Killed in action during the First Siege of Orteau.

General Corvin

– Killed in action during the First Siege of Orteau.

Admiral Avivira
-- Killed in action against FWA forces.
Admiral Netana
-- Committed suicide shortly after surrendering his armies to FWA forces.

Emperor Tuakeo I

-- Succumbed to age
 

 

Kauri Arapai

-- Leads the PLF on Kaumai and in the Core.

Star Marshal Radavan Jelavic

-- Defected to the USSC following the downfall of the FWA.

 

OWTC CEO, Tamatoa
-- Murdered under mysterious circumstances.

 

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“The Emperor is dead. The Palace-Moon burns. I send now this final message unto the Void. The Imperial Guard will follow the Emperor on his path with all the honor and glory it can muster. Glory to the Emperor! Glory to the Empire!”

-Unknown Officer of the Imperial Guard, on open channels, following the Sack of Kaumai                       

The State of the Northern Marches

“Have them dig a pit, then line them up on the edge of it.”

                                               -Colonel Ikaika, in the aftermath of an Irik raid

 

The Northern Sectors of the Galaxy, the old Imperial Marches, have all but fallen to the might of the Irik foe. Though Badab, Tso and a smattering of fractured Loyalist Warlords continue to bitterly resist the march of Irik warbands, the North is a bitter wasteland, fallen almost completely to the enemy.

 

The silver lining, however, is the enemy is now as bitterly divided as the many states of man, as Irik Warlords now savagely turn upon each other, seeking to avenge age-old slights, to seize slaves, resources and territories, or to prove to all the might and honour of their Houses. 

 

This constant infighting is all that has prevented the last bastions of Imperial space in the North from being overrun, and it is all that has allowed the shattered remnants of House Matareka, led by the last of that line, Mohiki, to persist in these troubled times. Though Matareka is ostracised and hated still, the shattered remnants of Lord Roko’s fleet had no option but to flee to their space, and House Matareka represents one of the most significant resistances to Irik domination.

 

Erasmis, threatened north and south, savagely continues to defend his territory from would-be challengers to his legendary status, dividing his attention, and ultimately keeping many territories in the Core and the Republic safe from his brutality.
 

The State of the Western Galaxy

“It seems that the Lord of a Thousand Stars is as weak as the masters of the Old Empire….”

                                                                  -Unknown Altairean Officer
 

Peace is a rare commodity in this new Galaxy, and this is no less true in the vast tracts of Western Space, where the traitor Tuakeo birthed his Fourth Empire. Though the Fourth Empire lives on, its founder has long since perished, after a short, age-related illness. While his son, Tuakeo II now rules this state, he is weak and this new Empire has quickly become underrun with sedition and treachery. Politics are dominated by the abnormal men of Matene, led by Tanalar the Glorious, Tuakeo’s uncle.

 

The weakness of the Fourth Empire’s government has become all too apparent in recent years. Many of the great Stellarchies that flocked to Tuakeo’s cause when he began his sedition have abandoned the crumbling Empire, as Tanalar indulges in extreme hedonism and endorses his personal sycophants. In the southern stretches of the Fourth Empire, almost all of the old territory is gone, divided now between bickering Warlords, whose only difference from the Warlords of the East is a significantly more self-serving character.

 

Most notable of these warlords is the province of Altaire, which has achieved great relevance through the nearly wholesale destruction of the Free Workers’ Alliance, leading them to status as a regional power. Altaire betrayed Tuakeo even more swiftly than it betrayed Ran-ji, and now it enjoys the fruits of its treasons. 

 

In the Northern areas of Western space, Hyperboreia, triumphant over Irik invasion, continues to build its might in preparation for the coming Great Crusade. Meanwhile, the Interplanetary Defensive Initiative consolidates their hold over their space, and continues to expand their industry and military power, in a bid to defend their own peculiar brand of liberal rule. Also hidden away, with little territory but carefully consolidated military might, is Lord Otikoro. Otikoro’s Imperial Reclamation Fleet is ever prepared to do what is necessary to revitalise the failing Empire, and return a rightful heir to the Starcast Throne.

The State of the Free Colonies

"All we've built... gone.."

The period of independence, stability, and prosperity enjoyed by the Free Colonies proved to be fleeting. The tide of war and chaos which would engulf the whole of the galaxy did not spare the isolated state beyond the Empire’s western borders.  As Erasmis sacked the Palace-Moon of Kaumai, the Colonies’ Penal Worlds rose up in glorious revolution. This would only trigger a downward spiral as the Empire’s chaos overflowed into Colonial space. Altairean battlefleets pursuing FWA forces would come to blows with the Colonials countless times - only further toppling the power of the already scrambling government.

The northern sectors of Colonial space is now dominated by the Directorate, a super conglomeration of industrialists and other corporate interests seeking to protect their own interests which separated from the Colonial government when it became apparent that they would be unable to control the situation.

To their east lies the Tarvek Confederacy, a collection of mining worlds where the Colonial Government employed Kall slaves in vast quantities. Since triggering the events which would collapse their oppressing governments, the Kall have seized a frightening amount of space. Little is known of what lies beyond their borders, but rumors spread of human slavery.

In the south a near constant state of warfare is present, facilitated by the rapidly expanding Heavenly Kingdom of Atu-an, who wages war on all fronts against the remnants of the Colonial Government, The Colonial Reorganisation Authority, and the newly established United Socialist Star Communes. 

 

The State of the Eastern Galaxy

“Keep firing! Keep those guns firing! Fire until the barrels melt in your very hands! Fire until every one of them is dead! Fire! Fire! Fire! But do NOT let them leave this field alive!”

-Kauri Arapai, the third year of the Siege of Kaumai

 

For fifty years, the Eastern Sectors of the Galaxy have burned, saddled beneath the enormous weight of a hundred squabbling states, across a thousand squabbling systems. Peace is an alien concept here, where warfleets have freely roamed, and countless worlds have fallen victim to the horrors of planetary siege. 

 

In the Mid Rim the Republic, the last unified authority from the days of the Third Empire, rules over a vast (though massively reduced) territory that grows more unruly with each passing year. The Senate finds itself as divided as ever, between Constitutionalists and Republicans, and a rapidly growing faction of Separationists - military governors who look ever more fondly to the possibility of military control of the State. The Republic increasingly relies on the strength of Grand Admirals Pepe and Manhuera to prop up the central government, as the peripheries continue to push towards their own destinies. 

 

Further, the Republic finds itself ever more in debt to the many mercantile factions that always held influence over the affairs of the Imperial State. The Eastern Rim Trading Company holds up the Republican treasury, supplying seemingly endless credit for the fading state. The ERTC is not without their own goals, however, and their representatives are hard at work securing rights amongst the many fractured Loyalist remnants, who now control the space lanes in the sectors south of the Core.

 

Although the Republic is becoming increasingly split by ideological differences, and the realities of mercantilist influence, at least they have survived as a united state. In the South, the Admirals of the Imperial Navy took full advantage of the chaos resulting in the Fall of the Third Empire, and seized much territory for themselves, by means of their fleets. The Southern Sectors of the Eastern Galaxy are particularly divided, as dozens of formerly Loyalist officers bicker and squabble over whatever shreds of territory are left to claim. Only the ever present eye of the Star-Breaker, Erasmis, and the careful diplomacy of the major warlords have prevented the region from descending into total chaos.

 

Peace in the south has been maintained by the plotting of Grand Admiral Sorin - who occupied much of Orteau, following the Fall - and his allies, Grand Admiral Rakena and Admiral Kawhena. This triple agreement has convinced the other, more bellicose, warlords - Lords Taanga, Keretene and Rata - to reign in their horns, and to bide their time.

 

Perhaps it is well that it is so, for bordering both the weakened Republic and the fractured Loyalists are the hyper-nationalists of the Eastern Galactic Provisional Authority, who seek to extend their influence across the entire Empire, and to reunify the shattered Empire in the image of their own brutal military dictatorship.

 

And finally, the Core….
 

The Core burns, under the fire of war. Planets lie ruined, beneath the smouldering bodies of billions. Irik warfleets, under the rule of Erasmis and his minions, patrol the inky void. On planetary surfaces, tens of millions of bold Planetary Liberation Front volunteers battle viciously to repulse the Braves of the Mind-Bender. Worlds crack under the savagery of Irik orbital bombardment. Erasmis glasses what he cannot hold, with the exception of one point, the Center of the Universe.

Kaumai.

Against the hordes of Erasmis, Kaumai stands. Against the atrocities of Irik Braves, Kaumai holds. For fifty years, the PLF have fought on the surface of the industrialised city-world capital of the Third Empire, fighting by day and night under the very eyes of the Star-Breaker himself, who watches the explosions from atop the Starcast Throne in the Imperial Observatory, drinking from the skull of the Emperor, with the bones of the Empire’s heir lying, forgotten and shattered, at the base of the steps. Every day, he watches with impotent fury as mankind continues to resist the might of his Warriors. He watches in desperation, eager to finally end the siege, and gain control of the planet’s vast resources.

But the Siege of Kaumai can only end when the last bullet is fired.

When every drop of water and every morsel of food is gone.

When the last battlecry is screamed,

When the last man is dead.

Only then will Kaumai fall.
 

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"Thick, inky darkness hung over our lines, almost as if we crouched in a trench in the Void, far far above our heads. It was hard to see, but we knew they were out there. We could hear them. You learned to hear Irik when they tried to creep. They're quiet, despite their size, but it's the soft jingling of the armour that gives it away. Their War-Chief, some savage creature that called itself 'Vrallok' had overrun a position a month before with this kind of night attack, crawling up to our trenches and slaughtering all within. But that company had only been boys, barely off of the Crucible. We were a different kettle of fish - most of us had seen at least one tour on Vaka or Buath, some of the older NCOs had seen tours on Vaka and Buath, and our Colonel, Iron Hohepa, had served a dozen tours between the two. We waited as they crept close. We had no heavy artillery, but we didn't need it. They got closer and closer. Well within our theoretical effective range, though any veteran will tell you the rounds simply ricochet off if that's when you open fire. Finally, they were where we wanted them. Our lines lit up, waves upon waves of golden traces splitting the air with an ear splitting roar. Nothing could have lived on that field, once we opened up on it. In the morning, when the darkness finally lifted, we walked across that field, covered in groaning, twitching, screaming Irik carcasses, and we sent every one of the reeking bastards straight to hell."

                                                                                              -Officer of the 72nd Legion, Accounts of the Outer Core Campaigns

The Factions

 

The IX Chapter

Based in the Core, the 9th Chapter are the fruits of a Hyperborean plot to infiltrate the Loyalist Systems during the Civil War. Arriving too late to participate in the fighting itself, these extremists were isolated by the onset of Erasmis’ campaign and the Imperial collapse that followed. Capitalizing off public hysteria and general pandemonium following the Collapse the chapter performed mass conversions across a handful of Core Worlds.

 

Now firmly in power, the Chapter continues its ideological crusade against the Xeno menace, purging frequently and where it can. The Chapter likewise harbors an intense dislike of the Loyalists for their alliance with the Irik during the war, which they believe led to the Empire’s Collapse. 

 

The Chapter’s military is constructed largely of retrofitted Civilian ships, and outdated or salvaged Imperial hardware. Despite lacking high-tier equipment and training, the Chapter’s soldiers are fanatically loyal to the cause, fighting to the last without question. 

 

Life on Chapter Worlds is highly structured, adhering to a strict religious code imported from Hyperborea. 

 

The Chapter lacks any grand ambitions of statehood, instead seeking only to eradicate Xenos and Xeno Sympathizers wherever they are. These actions are often carried out in irregular or undercover manners whenever possible. Terrorism is frequently employed by the Chapter.

The VII Chapter
Holed up in former Kiritauan space, the 7th Chapter are the remnants of a Hyperborean Crusade originally bound for Buath, but trapped in Kiritau due to the outbreak of the Civil War. When the Empire began to undergo its collapse, these religious extremists became truly lost. However the invading alien hordes provided ample opportunity to carry out their mission. 

In the 50 years since the Collapse these Ordermen have taken full advantage of the situation, establishing a sizable dominion over a number of worlds in Kiritau space. Life on Chapter Worlds are highly structured, adhering to a strict religious code imported from Hyperborea.

The 7th Chapter is much more organized then their Core based counterparts. Their dominion is a full fledged state, one which frequently wars with neighboring bodies, notably the Red-Gold Concordat, The House of Bones, and the 4th Empire.

The 7th’s Chapter military is composed of a healthy mix of retrofitted Civilian ships, domestically produced warships, and salvaged Imperial hardware. Like all Chapter personnel, their fighters are fanatically loyal and will obey orders or fight to the last without question.

Order of the Crescent
The Order of the Crescent is a mysterious religious order present within the Outer Rim. After the Empire’s collapse, the Order’s home system was abandoned or forgotten about Republican and Loyalist forces. In the power vacuum, the Order assumed the role of the system’s military arm, pressing a number of civilian vessels into service.

Since the Order began policing the system, and those nearby, piracy in the area has rapidly fallen off. The skirmishes that do erupt usually end badly for the aggressors. The secret to the Order’s success is not exactly known, but the most outrageous of sailor’s rumors speak of psychic warriors capable of obscenely powerful feats.

The Order has no official foreign policy, or even government, but typically it remains removed from the affairs of the rest of the galaxy. Simply protecting its pocket of space.

 

The Reef

A short lived, yet ambitious, criminal enterprise turned sprawling empire. The infamous Bichir’s original offensive during the closing days of the Civil War captured huge swathes of Republican Space and essentially wiped out the OWTC, his largest rival. Unfortunately, Bichir’s newly won space was space that the Syndicate could never feasibly govern, let alone hold against even weary and battered Imperial forces. Ransoms and treaties were quickly arranged between the Crimelord and the Republic, and much of the Shore was ceded back into Republican hands. 

 

The act served to remind the Imperials what lurked beneath, and that the Syndicate was ever present and ever willing to throw its weight where it needed to be. Nonetheless, Bichir was now master of a comfortable chunk of space, wholly independent. 

 

In the years after the Collapse the Shore has continued to exist as it always has, just now much less in the shadows. The Syndicate directs smuggling and piracy all across the southeastern galaxy, employing The House of Ghosts as its primary muscle as well as a substantial number of other aliens and human mercenaries. 

 

No Rivals exist for the Syndicate to best, but it has become apparently clear that the legendary Bichir is aging. It is no secret that the infamous Crimelord will soon pass, no doubt leaving a shattered empire in his wake. 

 

The Red-Gold Concordat

Inhabiting the Border Regions of the former Imperial domain, The Concordat is a union of the Irik House of Blood and an Imperial Star-Garrison. Originally brokered by a particularly greedy and corrupt Commander, the tenuous alliance has gradually shifted into a unified force in the years since the Empire’s collapse. 

 

The Concordat rules it’s worlds with an iron fist through a muddled and almost feudal bureaucracy of military command meshed with Irik honour-structure. Far from the most organized of the galaxy’s factions, much of the Concordat’s local rulers pursue a policy of absolute profit, sucking as much money and resources as possible from the populace, most of who live in absolute poverty or slavery-like conditions. 

 

The Concordat’s culture is equally harsh. Punishments are cruel and handed out leniently. Populations are routinely culled of members viewed to be unfit for labor or duty. Talk of rebellion, or anything against the Concordat’s ideals for that matter is usually met with lethal force. During its founding, The Imperial Commander Lar-si had nearly half a world glassed for an attempted uprising, and whole cities frequently obliterated at little more than a drop of a pen. 

 

In terms of geopolitical goals, the Concordat leadership has become enthralled with Irik culture. Simply put, they seek to gain martial dominance over as many “Houses” Irik or otherwise as possible, ideally building Baron Korvak’s (The House of Blood’s Leader) prophized Empire of the Strong from the carcass of Human space.

 

Eastern Rim Trading Company

Originally specializing in shipping and industrial production during the days of the empire the ERTC was forced to rapidly adapt as the Imperial Government collapsed around it. Initially, a healthy agreement was struck with the burgeoning Republic, but the discovery of Far Rim hyper lanes quickly and exponentially grew the power, influence, and wealth of the Company beyond that which could be provided by the Republic. 

 

The ERTC has since grown to administer a plethora of worlds and facilities across the Far Rim, pioneering the exploration and colonization of this new frontier. In this sense, they essentially hold a monopoly on travel and trade to this new sector of space, eagerly policing and taxing the long hyperlanes which run into them. This profit alone has allowed the ERTC to become one of the richest and most influential entities in the post-Imperial Galaxy.

 

Without the protection and stability afforded by the Empire, the company has been forced to militarize. The Imperial Collapse left more than a few unemployed soldiers and officers, all of which were eagerly snapped up and signed onto the Company’s payroll. This, along with the “consolidation” (annexation) of Kohatu Driveyard’s largest installations has led to the Company becoming one of the most professional, well equipped, and largest militaries in the Galaxy. Despite the immense power wielded by the Company, it is spread thin and without direct connection. 

 

Even with its newfound status, the ERTC still finds itself heavily involved with business in the rest of the galaxy, taking on arms contracts with constantly feuding warlords, and supplying large quantities of food and material wherever it is needed. For the most part, the ERTC acts impartially, and strictly in its own self interest, which is obviously to increase profits.

Universal Security
Originally owner of an Imperial-granted monopoly of the shipping industry, Universal Shipping’s business model soon began to break down as Imperial infrastructure crumbled around it and the demand for its services likewise plummeted. In need of cash flow to maintain their operations, Universal has since rebranded itself, converting a large portion of its gigantic merchant fleet into full fledged warships.

In a galaxy full of war and turmoil, Universal Security now operates in a niche of its own - guns for hire! Any ambitious Warlord or pirate with enough coin or credit to his name can have his own private fleet, and with it, carve out his kingdom. Universal Security’s fleet personnel is largely sourced from the Outer Rim and trained by a cadre of ex-republican officers. Universal specializes in ships of the Cruiser designation and lower, lacking any significant amount of sufficiently sized hulls or frames to mount dreadnought equivalent armament. In addition to mercenary work, Universal still maintains a strong grip on the shipping and transport industry, and is capable of moving goods or people across the galaxy quickly and efficiently.

The Interplanetary Defense Initiative (IDI)

Occupying the northern mid-rim, the IDI is a coalition of former Imperial Worlds either abandoned by the Loyalists or too far flung to be assisted by the Republic. The IDI in practice is a federal government which has the primary goal of maintaining the security and prosperity of its member worlds. Surprisingly, it is one of the most coordinated and centralized bodies in the Post-Imperial galaxy. 

 

IDI worlds are largely spared from the rampant chaos, warlordism, and violence prevalent throughout much of the rest of the galaxy and as such are some of the galaxy’s most developed. On these worlds the IDI’s rule is ever-present, but far less intrusive than in its contemporaries. Compared to the rule of the Old Empire, it is vastly more liberal. 

 

The core of the IDI Battlefleet, also known as the IDF (Interplanetary Defense Fleet), is composed of ancient Imperial Battleships brought up from deep storage and a pair of barely-serviceable dreadnoughts salvaged from a Civil War battlefield. The rest of IDI ships are lighter vessels saved or captured from the empire, or even retrofitted civilian ships, notably the IDS Crater, a civilian super-freighter turned carrier. Though the IDI’s hardware is exceptionally lacking compared to their imperial predecessors, the professionalism and coordination of the organization is its primary strength and has been the primary reason for the IDI’s success against all manners of threats.

 

Many IDI circles see themselves as the most worthy successor to both the Republic and Empire. In recent years, the Initiative has made a number of strides to secure more worlds, and more importantly, more ships. Ever expanding, there are many who would like to see the IDI rebuild the Empire in its own image.

The Eastern Galactic Provisional Authority
Originally born from fractured Republican states and deserting Republican and Loyalist admirals alike in the southern Outer Rim, the Eastern Galactic Provisional Authority is a Military Junta dedicated to the restoration of Man’s former dominion over the stars. Rule over their current domain is carried out by military Despots, usually high ranking or influential members of the various officer cliques, appointed by the Provisional Government. The central government itself is dominated by a single party, the Galactic Restoration Movement, a hyper-nationalist organization of ex-imperial officers.

Since the establishment of the Provisional Authority, massive drives have been undertaken to increase Industrial output, and in recent years ship-building efforts have grown thrice fold. Life on Provisional worlds is civilized, but notably more rigid and intrusive than the far off rule of Kaumai.

The Eastern Galactic Provisional Authority presents a unique challenge for the many squabbling warlords and divided interests of the Outer Rim, being one of the only large, industrial, and unified states in possession of a capable fleet.

Though largely untested in battle apart from minor border clashes with the Republic and Imperial Warlords, the resolve of the EGPA has never been stronger, and they boast one of the strongest militaries on paper. Rumors spread of preparations for the Authority’s campaigns to restore Order to Man’s divided domain.

The Union of Socialist Star Communes (USSC)
A scattered cluster of rebellious Industrial, Mining, and Refinery worlds which broke away from the Free Colonies not long after the Imperial Collapse. The amalgamation of uprisings which would lead to the USSC was initially organized and launched by Communists fleeing from the FWA in the wake of Altaire’s invasion of their space.

Since their revolution, USSC worlds have been pressured hard by their neighbors, and many of their movements have been successfully snuffed out. The remaining coalition of USSC planets, though, have undergone almost suicidally destructive wartime measures to ensure their survival.

At present, the USSC is embroiled in an undeclared conflict against its neighbors. No major engagements have yet occurred in space, but several Atuan legions are actively involved in a number of ground-invasions against exposed Communist worlds.

The geopolitical aim of the USSC is to secure the rights of the Proletariat across the galaxy, and destroy the long since ingrained institutions of capitalism and the nobility.  

The Free Workers’ Assembly (FWA)
The FWA has existed for some 70 years now, splitting from the Free Colonies only a short time before the beginning of the Civil War. During this period, the FWA had experienced a great string of successes, repelling Imperial efforts to retake their provinces and expanding their influence into the neighboring K-Land.

After the outbreak of the Civil War and the formation of the Fourth Empire, the FWA was forced into its first major conflict with the Altairean battlefleet, which launched a punitive campaign to wipe out the state before it could spread further. The war against Altaire proved to be disastrous for the FWA, which suffered defeat after defeat, losing world after world to the Imperial menace, even as emergency wartime measures were implemented. (The letter is the first letter of your first name). The only saving grace proved to be the overextension of Altairean fleets and armies, which were eventually forced to withdraw from FWA held deep space, scorching everything they could not carry as they left.

The war against Altaire left the FWA hideously weak, exposed, and without much of its former industrial or agricultural capabilities. Into the modern era, the FWA is but a shell of its former self, what remains of the state having been slowly picked away by its neighbors while its internal politics stagnate due to political infighting.

The Planetary Liberation Front

Originally founded by the late populist Senator, Arapai, as a militant workers’ rights movement, the PLF has since evolved into a fearsome band of Imperial Resurrectionist Freedom Fighters. The PLF operates throughout all of the Irik-occupied Core Worlds, and savagely resists Irik rule, by means of open confrontation or terrorism. Though they are forced, on many worlds, to resort to guerilla warfare, on the Old Capital of Kaumai - a massively industrial city planet, where once the very air was choked with toxic smog - the PLF stands in open warfare against the Irik, Erasmis. 

 

While the PLF have no military fleets, the territories they hold on Kaumai are capable of immense military production, and their operatives across the Core are incredibly well equipped with armor, small arms and artillery, making them an incredibly potent force in the battles for control of surface worlds. With hundreds of millions of members, the PLF is a terrifyingly powerful thorn in the side of Irik rule, and their resistance continues to spread throughout the Core.

Aokigahara 

Though the galaxy has undergone a period of intense instability and change, one thing remains constant, The Pirate King. Since his meteoric rise during the decline of the Third Empire, Aokigahara has only found more and more success as the political state continued to deteriorate. As Aokigahara’s power has grown, so too has the severity of his insanity. The now aged Pirate King is a far cry from the discharged officer seeking to take his revenge. Aokigahara now views himself as a harbinger of the Apocalypse itself. From his infamous flagship, the Horseman, the Pirate King sows death and destruction wherever he sails. No mercy is shown to those who resist.

Though Aokigahara’s fleet has experienced a substantial amount of defections since the collapse of the Third Empire, it still remains widespread and active, preying on whatever lanes lack adequate security or patrols.

Colonial Reorganization Authority
In the days leading up to the Collapse, much of the Free Colonies corporate allies began to desert in droves as both the Empire and the Colonial regime to its west began to break down. In the days that followed, the Colonial government was forced to flee from the capital and retreat into the mining and industrial systems which make up the bulk of the country’s interior.

Since then, the remnants of the Colonial government have waged a scattered war on all fronts against the successor states which litter the region. Though in possession of a sizable portion of the fleet, they have been pressed hard on all fronts and steadily lost ground.

The most fearsome of the Authority’s numerous foes is the newly spawned Heavenly Kingdom of Atu-an, which, in a surprising turn of events, has managed to capture vast swathes of Colonial space, with their warfleets showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.

The Directorate
After the collapse of the Third Empire, and later the Free Colonies, much of the galaxy’s merchant and industrial operations were placed into an extremely precarious situation. In danger of being destroyed or otherwise subjugated by the nearest warlord with a fleet, the galaxy's largest corporations formed the Directorate, a massive conglomeration of corporate interests and facilities which spans much of the galaxy.

The Directorate is helmed by a single Director, who is elected by the board of CEOs and serves for a period of 5 years.

The galaxy’s markets and trade lanes are dominated by the Directorate’s presence, and all of its business and interests are fiercely guarded by its own private military force.

Any Warlord foolish enough to cross or otherwise scorn the Directorate is often completely shut out from galactic trade and marketplaces, making it an exceedingly rare occurrence at best.

The only other corporate body powerful enough to challenge the Directorate is the Easter Rim Trading Company, which has grown hideously rich in the last thirty years of its exploitation and monopolization of the newly discovered Far Rim.

The Heavenly Kingdom of Atu-an
Throughout much of the galaxy, a strong belief regarding the strength and divinity of the Imperial Line exists. There are many of those who revere those of Imperial blood as mortal incarnations of gods, the emperor even more so. It is not uncommon to find a temple or cult dedicated to the worship of a long dead emperor deep in the Outer Rim. Though this sentiment has largely receded in the last millenia, especially within the Core and Inner Rim, it remains prevalent across the galaxy, even in sectors of space not directly controlled by the Empire.

While the Free Colonies crumbled and burned, The Emperor Rūr-vai appeared to Hau-ti, a simple spice farmer, in a dream. Rūr-vai ordered the man to discard his belongings and flee to the nearest spaceport. A command which the poor farmer obediently complied with. Miraculously, Hau-ti fled as a Colonial dropship descended on his village, slaughtering it to a man and torching the rest. Since that day, Hau-ti obeyed the Emperor Rūr-vai’s spirit to the letter, a decision which quickly catapulted him into command of a militia, then a garrison, then a whole planet. Before long, whole systems flocked to the Heavenly banner of Hau-ti.

Throughout his meteoric rise, Hau-ti’s claims have only become more and more outrageous. As of the current date, he claims to be a long lost direct descendant of the Emperor Rūr-vai and the one true heir to the Starcast Throne. These claims are validated, he says, by the spirit of Rūr-vai, who appears to him frequently.

As outlandish as his rule might be, the Heavenly Emperor Hau-ti offers security and relative freedom in a galaxy filled with chaos and strife, thus, his domain has grown to encompass a large part of the former Free Colonies. Despite this, it is racked with corruption and deceit - for the Emperor is far to focused on his divine purpose to stoop to the commoners' level. While the Emperor himself may not rule particularly harshly, the local commanders and magistrates of his Heavenly Kingdom certainly do. 

In possession of formerly colonial Driveyards, the Heavenly Kingdom’s fleet is composed of top of the line warships. This is only offset by the fact that the fleet lacks any professional training of any sort.

The Oil Barons
A collective of the former Empire’s largest and most influential fuel producers. During the Lawlessness of the Collapse and the instability of the Republic that these businessmen had sided with, the various Barons took it upon themselves to claim direct control of the vast Fuel Belt.

In command of a significant portion of the Galaxy’s fuel production, these men have grown exorbitantly more wealthy than they already were during the days of the Empire. They maintain a tenuous agreement with the Republic - which ensures that their vast amount of worlds are well supplied on the stipulation that these Barons remain independent - and that the Republic pays their rates.

Though these Baronies have a significant fleet in their possession, mostly supplied by Universal Security and the ERTC, their position becomes more precarious with every passing year as many within the Republic become more and more disgruntled at bowing to the Barons beyond the Border.

----ALIEN FACTIONS-----
 

The House of Bones

Following the splintering of the Irearchy, the Irik House of Bones began an invasion of the Empire’s western territories. Initially overrunning The Ring and its defenders, the House of Bones burned deep into the fertile territories of Kiritau, as well as across the eastern borders of Tuakeo’s Fourth Empire. Initially catching the dominions of Man off-balance, the House of Bones experienced great success, and pillaged and laid waste to many worlds.

Combined efforts from Fourth Empire Fleets and Loyalist Remnants based from Kiritau would see the Empire of Bones recede massively, but not before it had scarred a significant portion of the former Empire’s breadbasket. The name of the House itself is derived from the gruesome slaughter they left in their wake. The Irik Braves of this House were diabolical enough to adorn their weapons, armor, and ships with skulls and bones of their countless human victims.

In the modern Galaxy, the House of Bones continues its frequent and sporadic warfare against both its human neighbors to the South and West, as well as their alien neighbors to the north. The Irik chiefs which rule over this domain have little in the way of lofty ambitions. They fight only to enrich themselves further - or when honor compels them too.
 

The House of Summer

Perhaps the least warlike of all the Irik Houses, the House of Summer initially entered the Empire’s borders like many other Irik houses, by accompanying the legendary Erasmis during his Great Crusade against Man. Soon after the sack of Kaumai, however,The House would abandon the Crusade and instead push west from the Core, seeking greener pastures. The large and nomadic Home-Fleets of this particular House would come to blows with Republic forces more than a few times during the course of their migration, but passage into the Outer Rim was eventually brokered nonetheless. (Mainly due to the exhaustion and depletion of Republican Fleets rather than any willingness to work with Irik).

Since their migration, the House of Summer has further dispersed into the Outer Rim, aligning themselves with the few willing entities that would even consider such a prospect, Including the notorious Bichir and his Shore. These Irik have since become influential and far traveling traders in these regions. When not in their primary line of work, they often work as miners, scavengers, explorers, or mercenaries. In this regard, the House has taken a notable interest in the newly discovered Far Rim Hyperlanes. Yet still, the House of Summer possesses a considerable War Fleet, one which would prove to be a powerful force to anyone rich enough to buy their loyalty.

The House of Summer adheres to a notably different Honor-structure than the rest of the Irik houses, viewing uncontested combat such as raiding and piracy as inherently dishonorable and unfair. The House of Summer disregards all subtly in declaring who it will attack and when. It holds a significant dislike for the other Irik houses, which they believe tarnish their own upstanding reputation. The House seeks co-existence with Humanity, much preferring to trade and work within its borders.
 

The House of Suns

Fearsome and Bloodthirsty, the House of Suns initially entered the Empire’s borders like so many Irik, by riding the coattails of the Mindbender’s Crusade against Man. Composing the Fleet’s rear guard, however, the House of Suns would never reach the Palace-Moon and its untold riches. Soon after crossing the border, the Suns would desert the Warfleet, instead falling upon the Realm of the Stellarch Nalani. Here the House of Suns would fight several long campaigns against Loyalist forces ultimately resulting in them winning dominion over a significant chunk of the Stellarchy.

Since their victory, the House of Suns has ruled their conquered human worlds benevolently, by Irik standards. Real governance of the world is mostly non-existent, and those who dwell on the surface are expected to pay hefty tithes to the House of Suns which rules from their Starships in the skies above. When unrest does arise, the point of interest is either glassed from orbit or descended upon by an array of Braves - whichever the local Irik leader is more in the mood for.

Beyond their own borders, the House of Suns harbors an intense rivalry and hatred for the now Legendary House of Winds. They oppose them at every opportunity, and warfare between the two houses is frequent to state it lightly. The House of Suns’ Baron, Eraxis, once a loyal lieutenant of the Mindbender, desires nothing more than to destroy Erasmis and assume his House’s position of the most powerful of the Irik, a feat which they are not far from achieving. Though - as is known to every Irik, while the Mindbender lives, the dominance of the House of Winds is absolute, and none can stand before Erasmis.
 

The House of Void

The western most of the Irik House, the House of Void dwells just on the edge of the formerly Imperial Space, its western expansion halted by the Hyperborean Order during the Collapse. The House of Void is strange, even by Irik customs. An intense fascination with psykers, deep space, and religion dwells in the mind of every Void Irik, and they stop at nothing to pursue their morbid curiosities about the secrets of reality.

Despite being conventionally stone-walled by the Order’s mighty defenses, the House of Void has been able raid and plunder Hyperborean space and beyond through the frequent use of Stealth Drives, a nasty signature of this particular Irik house. Word has spread of these most curious aliens experimenting with alternate FTL methods - allegedly, Void psykics have unlocked the potential to bend the Universe itself, allowing instant travel between two points.

The House of Storms

The Irik’s crimes against humanity and numerous and despicable; the House of Storms embodies them all. Among the most powerful of the lesser Irik Houses still aligned with the Mindbender’s House of Winds, the House of Storms are Erasmis’ favored and most trusted lieutenant. Their Warfleet is significant, and their warriors are powerful and without mercy. Where the House of Storms goes, only destruction and devastation follows.

Of the raiding, warring, and pirating carried out in the Core and Inner Rim, the House of Storms facilitates a vast majority of it. No other Irik house is quite as bloodthirsty, nor hates Humanity quite as much. Unlike other Irik houses, the House of Storms cares little for treasure; they seek only the glory of their enemies' destruction, and their own triumphs. Worlds unfortunate enough to come under House of Storms rule are often enslaved, slaughtered, or outright glassed by long and withering orbital bombardments.

The House of Storms’ Baron, Ilikis, is fiercely loyal to who he views as the true Ruler of all Irik, Erasmis, The Mindbender. He, and by extension, his house, is ready and willing to obey every one of the mighty Star-Breakers commands at a moment's notice.
 

The House of Winds

When the brigades of the War-Chief sallied forth unto war, the great Irik war-hosts were unified in purpose, and under the command of Erasmis, the Irik sacked the Capital Moon of Kaumai, and tore a bloody swathe across the northern regions of the shattered Galaxy. This unity did not last long, for Irik are divisive creatures, and many tribes swiftly sought their own personal glory, breaking away with their warriors in an attempt to carve out their own territories amidst the stars. Still, the Mind-Bender, the Star-Breaker, the Monarch-Slayer, is the greatest of the Irik warlords, and still rules from high upon the Starcast Throne, gazing upon his handiwork from the Imperial Observatory.

 

The House of Winds remains the most powerful of the Irik territories established throughout the Galaxy - with his fleets and warriors, Erasmis has enslaved much of the Old Imperial Core, and continues to launch raids and offensives into Imperial-held territories. His control of the Starcast Throne denies any would-be unifier any real sense of legitimacy, and it is his ever present presence that forces many of the Southern Warlords to maintain a vague, uneasy kind of truce, maintained only by their hatred of the Star-Breaker.

 

Still, for all of this Irik’s power - and he shows yet no sign of succumbing to old age - his territories are undermined by the constant interference of the Planetary Liberation Front, which has devolved somewhat from its working class, populist and socialist roots, and presents more of a unified resistance to continued Irik occupation. For fifty years of brutal, ceaseless conflict, Erasmis has unsuccessfully thrown his Braves into the Siege of Kaumai, which has become a battle of absolutely cataclysmic proportions.

The House of Ghosts

A small and relatively minor house composed of exiled Iriks. The House of Ghosts seeks refuge with the Crimelord, Bichir, whom they serve faithfully as his syndicate’s enforcers. The House of Ghosts is much smaller compared to their Irik contemporaries, and lack any sort of fleet to speak of. Most of the House of Ghost’s members are permanently damaged in some way or another, this encompasses anything from birth defects to lost limbs, or psychological damage. Most of these injuries originate from lost duels or challenges, which compel the Irik into exile to begin with.

Though the House’s loyalty lies with Bichir, it is technically controlled by the Warchief Varix, an exile from the House of Winds who once attempted to unseat Erasmis from his rule. For his failure, Varix was deprived of three of his arms and cast into Exile, never to lead again. Luckily, Varix was taken in by Bichir, who had limbs restored with cybernetic replacements in exchange for he and his followers' loyalty.

 

The House of Banners

Similar to the House of Summer, the House of Banners began a long migration through the territories of the former eastern empire and into the Outer Rim following the sacking of Kaumai. Unlike the House of Summer, though, The House of Banner’s warfleets tore a bloody swathe through the galaxy, raiding and pillaging as they went. A decade after the Empire’s collapse, upon the discovery of new Hyperlanes into the Far Rim, the House of Banners began yet another migration into these new and uncharted sectors of space.

 

Since then, they have established a budding kingdom on the very edge of known space. Unlike other Irik Houses, the House of Banners prioritizes order and hierarchy above all else. They are not as prejudiced against Human or other aliens either. This has led to Banner Worlds being ruled by a rigid and orderly feudal structure which has integrated existing Human elements.

 

The upper echelons of this structure are dominated by the Irik Warchiefs and their lieutenants, followed by a mix of integrated Human officials and Irik braves. The lower classes are composed of the numerous human lower-classes, and the dregs of Irik society. 

 

The Urh-Tûn Confederacy

Though a cataclysmic event for humanity, the Collapse of the Empire has presented many long-oppressed Alien races a chance for independence, and the Kall are no exception. As the Irik war-fleets flooded from the cramped worlds of the Irearchy into the Realms of Man, the Kall assembled their remaining worlds into the Urh-Tûn Confederacy, or literally “The Free Kall Confederacy.” 

 

Kall worlds are heavily industrialized monoliths spewing out great quantities of Raw Material and Alloys. Furthermore, the Kall are noted to be masters of defense, and planets typically host an array of defensive stations in orbit, planetary shields, and an incredibly complex network of defenses on the surface. 

 

There is little contact between the Confederacy and Imperial Successor states, due to not only the plentiful Irik which make travel into Irearchy space troublesome, but also because of the resentment the Kall hold against man for his millenia of oppression and genocide. Still, many of the Human states which inhabit the border regions consider the confederacy to the a circumstantial ally at worst because of its frequent warring with the Irik. 

 

Geopolitically, the Confederacy is an expansionist machine, currently embroiled in a now decades long series of conflicts to absorb more of Irearchy space into its domain. Expansion is its foremost concern, and it will pursue any measures necessary to secure the continued independence and longevity of the Kall’s Homeworlds. 

 

The Târvek Confederacy

The Târvek Confederacy occupies the eastern reaches of the Former Free Colonies. During the Collapse, which inevitably spilled over from the Empire, sizable populations of Kall slave-miners launched a revolt against their human masters. Racked by too much chaos to properly respond, the uprising was able to capture more than a handful of military hardware along with half a dozen Kall penal-worlds.

 

Since then, the confederacy has been in a hard fought struggle to retain its independence, staving off more than a few attempts by Colonial forces to recapture the worlds. 

 

The rulers of the confederacy are exceptionally cruel. Since winning their freedom, the Human population has been enslaved and forced to work in the very same mining operations that they had thrust upon the Kall. Obviously, they hold a strong dislike for humanity, and no typically quarter is given to human foes. 

 

Geopolitically, the Confederacy has a single goal: Survive. 

 

----IMPERIAL REMNANTS----
 

The Imperial Reclamation Fleet

With the large-scale collapse of the Loyalist war effort in the face of Erasmis’ sacking of Kaumai Lord Otikoro, unable to confront the Irik Warlord himself, was forced to withdraw from the Core and into Deep Space with what men and material he could salvage in an effort to preserve the remnants of his forces, A substantial fleet and a single, shattered legion. Though technically a deserter, Otikoro vowed to avenge the fallen Empire, a sentiment shared by many of his subordinates. 

 

Following the Collapse, the Fleet captured a large former Imperial driveyard in addition to several nearby facilities. From this base of operations Otikoro has coordinated several sustained Loyalist operations against both the Republic and Aliens alike. 

 

Though his power and influence has grown in the last decades, Otikoro’s fleet still pales before anything of the old empire, both in terms of training and hardware. Despite his men’s motivation, much of their equipment is seriously outdated or damaged, and their training is lackluster on account of the Warlord being forced to supplement his ranks with Outer Rim recruits. 

 

Otikoro is nominally in control of several planets, but little official government actually exists. The Warlord runs a strictly military operation, overseeing only necessary operations on the surface such as resource extraction and recruiting. Military presence on these planets is light, as the Reclamation Fleet’s manpower is stretched dangerously thin already. Little is spared for common policing. As such, these planets have become a hive of black market activity where a select few of Otikoro’s more corrupt officers are brave enough to sell off additional ammunition, fuel, and weaponry stores. 

 

Despite the Fleet’s many issues, it remains one of the more potent military forces in the post-empire galaxy, and its commander, the now aged Otikoro, yearns to launch his Great Reclamation.

 

The Vaka Star-Garrison
When the Third Empire collapsed and the Irik fleets descended on the Empire, Loyalists and Republicans alike were too embroiled in the fighting to pay much mind to the far flung salt world of Vaka and its garrison. With no fleets and no psykics, they were stranded, forced to cling to their wind-blasted fortifications and hope that relief would eventually arrive. It never did.

and the Vaka Star-Garrison remained.

When Erasmis, the Mindbender, ordered the world, which is Holy to all Irik, retaken he sent countless waves of his Braves against the now stranded defenders, only to be repulsed one after another and sent limping back to their wretched master. The Vaka legions were subject to an onslaught that would last twenty years as first the House of Winds would attempt to seize their Holy World, and then the House of Storms, and finally the House of Suns. Each siege more terrible than the last, the Vakan Legions held their ground, fighting to the last for an Empire that no longer existed despite horrific casualties and brutal conditions.

What remains are probably the most veteran and battle hardened Legions in the galaxy, still stranded on their rock, the Vaka Star-Garrison holds its ground without fail, unyielding.

The only information available to the Garrison is learned through interrogation of the Irik prisoners they managed to capture. The Vaka system is wholly out of the way and Solar anomalies make space-travel in the system highly dangerous.

The Garrison is commanded by General Maitai, a now ancient commander who has been stationed on Vaka without ever leaving the planet for the last 100 years.

The Republic

Since its victory over the Loyalist war effort in the Civil War, the new galactic republic has stagnated at best, or begun to recede at worst. Occupying a significant portion of the Eastern Outer and Mid Rims, it boasts one of the galaxy’s most competent and numerous militaries - assuming it could ever be spurred into action against its enemies.

In the years following the Civil War, Panayiotou continued his leadership of the Republic, introducing economic and military reforms that rebuilt the crippled state’s power base. However, in his tenth year of power, rising factionalism and ever increasing Irik militarism caused the beginnings of major political divisions in the Senate. Ultimately, this resulted in Panayiotou being assassinated, when he was shot leaving the Senate.

 

This vacuum of power resulted in the election of the Stellarch U’Iliani as Tanu Kavan. For U’Iliani’s short term, which lasted until the end of his life, he began a series of military reforms that would see devolved, regional authority being given to military governors on the Republic’s peripheries, in an attempt to create a more fluid and dynamic response, with which to react against would-be invaders.

 

U’Iliani’s death triggered the first of many crises - specifically on how succession to the post of Stellarch functioned. The Senate ratified that the post of Stellarch was appointed by the Senate, and held for a term of no more than 6 years. Following this legislation, the Senate began an evaluation of Stellarchies, converting many found at the heart of the Republic into regions under the direct authority of the Senate itself. 

 

As more and more distance began to separate military governors on the Republic’s peripheries and the heart of the Republic, at Kior-an, these local officials began to become more and more disenfranchised with the central authorities of the Republic, and have slowly begun to resemble the warlords found in the southern or western stretches of the Galaxy. As these warlords continue to rise on the Republic’s fringes, increasingly ignoring the Senate’s decrees, the Senate increasingly looks towards Grand Admiral Pepe and Grand Admiral Manhuera (raised from Admiral to Grand Admiral following his victory at the Battle of ____) to uphold their power and prop up the failing state. In more recent years, Pepe and Manhuera both have been forced to personally lead expeditions to the outer reaches of Republican space, to arrest and remove from power the most uppity of these divided, would-be dictators.
 

But, despite the many differences of each individual Warlord, many still uphold true Imperial values, and a unifier is likely to find much traction amongst these bitter old soldiers…

The Republic’s politics are divided into three main camps,
- The Constitutionalists: Want to see the Emperor restored as a constitutional Monarch, whose power is granted by the Senate. Composed of the more “moderate” Republicans, or those who are so often accused of being ‘Imperial Sympathizers’ by their peers. (~20%) (I)
- The Republicans: Want to see the Senate’s rule restored to the whole of the galaxy, but without the reinstatement of the Emperor. The bulk of the Republic’s governors and admiralty fall into this category. (~50%) (II)
- The Separationists: Would rather develop their own Republic in the Far and Outer Rims, avoiding the chaos and constant warfare of the Core and Inner Rim. This party is largely made up of the military governors on the edges of republic space and their various cliques. Despite their name, the Separationists' ideal state is far more centralized and authoritarian than the current version of the Republic. (~30%) (III)

Republic territories are divided into two main categories, Provinces and Territories. Provinces are under the direct control of what remains of the Republic’s federal government. Territories are military zones typically ruled by generals or admirals appointed by the central government.

Republican Provinces
--Pepe (II) (7 votes)
The most influential man in the Republic’s politics, an immensely popular war hero, and the commander of the Republic’s largest warfleet - including his own personal flagship, one of the galaxy’s last Super Dreadnoughts.

--Manhuera (II) (5 votes)
Pepe’s second in command, Manhuera achieved widespread popularity after his fleet successfully defeated Battlefleet Reclamation during the Civil War. Manhuera is one of the leading figures of the Republican movement.

--Kahurangi (I) (2 votes)
An avid Constitutionalist, Kahurangi yearns for the glory days of the Empire - and its many luxuries.

--Iolana (I) (4 votes)
A man of his word, Iolana joined the republican movement out of his respect for the late stellarch U’ilanni, despite his many loyalist connections and sympathies.

--Fetu (II) (2 votes)
A newcomer to the political scene, Fetu is an ambitious, thought slightly incompetent politican.

--Keuta (II) (1 votes)
A true waste of oxygen elevated to his status through his father’s influence in the Republican war effort. Keuta is a follower, and lives entirely in Pepe’s shadow.

--Oh’ran (5 votes)
An industrialist elected to the position of Stellarch through an intense amount of lobbying and back-door deals. Oh’ran represents the interests of both the ERTC and Universal Shipping within the Republican Senate.

Republican Territories
--Taito (III) (3 votes)
A fat and exceptionally greedy and twisted admiral, Taito is a power-hungry warmonger who wishes for nothing more to rule with an iron fist, which he does - when he can get away with it.

--Kiri (III) (2 votes)
The least influential of the Separationist senators, Kiri is still one of the Republic’s youngest and most capable commanders with a particular reputation for offense.

--Akamu (III) (4 votes)

The leader of the Separationist movement, ambitious, ruthless, and cunning, Akamu has amassed a huge following among the Territories’ officer cadres, and his fleet’s strength is rivaled only by those of Pepe and Manhuera.

The Southern Imperial Warlords

The Southern Imperial Warlords refers to all independent Admirals, Generals and Stellarchs in the last truly Imperial stretches of the Galaxy. These are the aristocrats and officers who fought in the civil war, primarily for the Loyalists, who still adhere largely to true Imperial values - hatred for the Alien menace, loyalty to the Emperor and the strict belief in the absolute supremacy of man. Still, without the presence of a unifying figurehead, these warlords have largely resorted to infighting, battling for control of meager territories, resources and infrastructure. Full-scale conflict, however, has largely been prevented by the constant presence of Erasmis, who hungrily awaits further division of the Old Imperials, so that he may complete his victory. Regardless, it is almost certain that these Warlords would gladly throw their lot behind a true successor to the Starcast Throne.

 

Major Warlords:

The major Warlords are the Grand Admirals and lesser Admirals who, in the final days of the Third Empire, used their significant military authority to carve out their own successor kingdoms in the untouched regions of Imperial space. Most of these Warlords gained their power by ousting civilian Stellarchs, and seizing control of their regional forces. The major Warlords are, to a man, proud officers of the Old Imperial Navy, and their forces are operated with a degree of skill and professionalism not typically found within the Galaxy today. In the South, peace is largely maintained by careful diplomacy, primarily between the three most powerful of the major Warlords - Lords Sorin, Rakena and Kawhena.

 

--Lord Taanga 

Bloodthirsty and vengeful, upon hearing of the defeat above Kaumai, Taanga reportedly flew into a fit of rage so violent that he destroyed much of his personal quarters in the process, ranting and raving about what had been stolen from him as he did. In the days following the death of the Emperor, he grew increasingly spiteful of the Empire’s nobility - blaming them and their incompetence for the Empire’s defeats against the Republic and Aliens alike. Since then, he has only become increasingly radical and as some might say - delusional. Lord Taanga is an avid believer of, “All men are equal under the Crown'' and is an enthusiastic supporter of ‘Monarcho-Syndicalism’ a theoretical system of government designed by himself where the galaxy would be organized into a series of Workers’ Unions subject to the authority of an all encompassing Directorate of Elected Magistrates. Outside of this structure would exist the Emperor’s authority, who as the most powerful protector of the people would be authorized to intervene only when the DEM had overstepped its limits while also functioning as a unifying figure for all mankind. All of this stated, Taanga’s ideas have been heavily influenced by the ideology of the Great Purge. He has expanded upon it, believing that Humanity cannot reach its destined and inevitable Golden Age until not only all Xeno-life has been extinguished, but all Xeno collaborators and sympathizers as well as those otherwise ‘influenced’ by Xeno actions have as well.

Ideology aside, Taanga commands one of the most powerful fleets in the galaxy - and he is dead set on rebuilding the Empire as he envisions it should be. Only because of Sorin’s politics is he kept in check.

Though many of Taanga’s underlings have become more convinced of his ideology - a majority follow the man purely out of respect for his skill, bravery, and honor, qualities he exhibited frequently during the rule of the Empire.
 

--Lord Rata
One of the Empire’s finest commanders - Rata was especially caught off balance by the Collapse and forced to retreat into the South Western reaches of space. Initially in a precarious position, Rata was soon able to consolidate much of the smaller and less influential warlords in his general vicinity and catapult himself into being one of the strongest Warlords, militarily speaking. Rata’s immense influence in Imperial politics, though, stems mostly from his control over the sole hyper lanes into the western galaxy, through which significant amounts of the east’s food supply is imported.
 

--Lord Sorin

The Imperial Navy, in the days of Rän-ji, was commanded by a legendary collection of Grand Admirals, famed for their talent and skill. Of the Loyalist two who remain, Sorin is the better - a, by now, ancient man whose skill on the field of battle still causes terror amongst his opponents. It was upon Sorin’s flagship, the 6 centuries old Super Dreadnought, Majestic, that the traitor, Lord Matareka, finally found his bitter end. Lord Sorin, a conciliatory man, carefully built his power around reconciling with isolated and deserting Republicans and Loyalists, allowing him access to an enormous degree of military power, founded not upon the undisciplined need for militarism found within the remnants of the Empire, but rather upon the expert professionalism so prized by the Imperial Navy. 

 

--Lord Rakena

Lord Rakena was the youngest Grand Admiral to be appointed in the history of the Imperial Navy. Though inexperienced at the time, fifty years of conflict have honed his abilities and his talent, leaving him second only to Lord Sorin in skill. With access to considerable forces, and with a huge emphasis on professionalism and proper military hardware, Rakena is a fearsome foe, and one of the cornerstones of the post-Imperial geopolitical landscape.

 

--Lord Kawhena

One of the Imperial Navy’s Rear-Admirals during the last days of the Third Empire, Lord Kawhena rose to prominence during the Civil War, where he received extensive honors and promotions after serving with distinction. A calm, cold and considered kind of man, Kawhena has become one of the primary arbitrators of power in the post-Collapse geopolitical landscape of the Loyalist Warlords, and his alliance with Lord Rakena and Sorin continue to serve as the foundation stone of continued peace amongst the warlords.
 

--Lord Keretene

A massive and imposing man, Keretene is a fierce loyalist, a die-hard Absolutist, and unwilling to compromise. Since the dissolution of the Empire, he has sought only to violently enforce his will upon the various weaker warlords which surround him. Only through Lord Sorin’s will has Keretene been kept in check, but still he festers, awaiting the proper moment. Keretene is famously savage and brutish, with a great love of extreme violence. Though not unintelligent, many have often wondered why the Admiral did not seek a career amidst the legions, where his size, strength and character would have been well suited.
 

Minor Warlords:

Many of the Southern Warlords were simple captains and commodores, in the infancy of their careers, who used their command of their ships or small divisions to gain control of minor territories. With their limited resources and military hardware, most of these minor dictators tend to find themselves within the spheres of the more powerful Warlords, for the purpose of protection.
 

--Ahako (A) 

An Absolutist, Ahako is one of the few minor warlords in command of a Dreadnought. Ahako rules his worlds benevolently, emulating the former Empire - at least how he pictures it in his head.
 

--Kaili (N) 

A now ancient commander, during the days of the Empire Kaili served well and honorably, but with little distinction. After the collapse, the man held to his post - assuming temporary authority over the nearby worlds until he was relieved of said post. He has since created several local and democratic bodies which have assumed the role of planetary governance while he oversees the maintenance of his fleet, which continue to defend and police the same tracts of space they did during Imperial rule. Kaili is a traditionalist obsessed with honor, duty, and loyalty, but largely unbothered by the Empire’s overall politics, so long as a man he can respect is running the show.
 

--Taksor (A) 

A deeply religious and soft spoken man, those who know Taksor will testify that the man “isn’t all quite there” so to speak. During the Battle of Kaumai, when defeat became inevitable, Taksor’s fleet was able to exit the battle, but not before pilfering the Palace moon of any objects “of spiritual significance”. Now, Taksor controls a mere handful of worlds which he rules like a Theocracy centered around the worship of the Crown Prince, Ran-lir, which he claims to have survived the Sack. Taksor is an Absolutist, but is not likely to find common ground with any heir but his fabled Prince.
 

--Eteroa (A) 

An Absolutist with a massive and all encompassing ego. Those who know the now-Warlord Eteroa claim that he believes he is the Emperor’s gift to all creation - a fact Eteroa himself is not likely to deny. Eteroa sees himself as the most competent and capable of all the Warlords and believes he alone should head efforts to carry out the Imperial Restoration.
 

--Anaru (M)

A loyal member of the Imperial before the Collapse, Anaru raced to establish his control over the outer rim soon after the collapse of the Loyalist war effort. Just as greedy as any other warlord, he frequently clashes with Kaili and Torba over control of their worlds.
 

--Kanu (M) 

Before the Civil War Kanu commanded a small an anti-piracy task force. After the Collapse, the Commodore experienced a change of heart and began to exorbitantly tax and pirate the very same lanes he originally protected. Kanu is a moderate at heart, but has become detached from the concept of Imperial Restoration - more interested in further enriching himself.
 

--Kailani (A)

A distant relative of the Grand Admiral Nalani, Kailani was able to withdraw from the Battle of Kaumai with most of his fleet intact. Since then, he has staged his resistance against Erasmis from the nearby sectors, striking at the Irik wherever and whenever possible. Like his much more popular relative, Kailani is a dedicated Absolutist.
 

--Artorian
Keretene’s closest ally in the post-Empire political landscape, Artorian commanded a host of Legions engaged in a variety of operations against Republic forces before the Collapse. Since then, he has built a close relationship with the like-minded Keretene. Serving as the Admiral’s right hand man, he has been delegated a number of systems to rule and govern in Keretene’s stead.

--Orum (M)
An average man, as far as Warlords go. Orum always aspired to be a Stellarch during the days of the Empire, an accomplishment he was easily able to achieve after organizing a mutiny against his commanding officer following the Collapse. Orum styles himself after a Stellarch of old, ruling fair and justly - as if he were appointed by the Emperor.

--Veras (A)
A relatively minor and insignificant Admiral. Veras only retains his territories because of the close relationship he shares with the Grand Admiral Sorin, who’s own might forces any would-be aggressor to rethink their ambitions.

--Mo-ti (N)
Originally having defected from the Free Colonies, Mo-ti’s command was separated from his commanding officer, Lord Rata, not long after the Collapse. Since then he has been holding his ground while his troops and fleets slowly deteriorate. Though he cares little for politics, Mo-ti is well known for his loyalty.

The Western Imperial Warlords

The Western Imperial Warlords refer to all now independent Admirals, Generals, Commanders, and Stellarchs which control tracts of the broken Fourth Empire as well as the stretches of formerly republican western space. Traitors and slimeballs by nature, these Warlords were quick to turn on their Lord of a Thousand Stars as soon as his Empire showed signs of failing. Despite their traitorous tendencies and poor reputations, these men are still Imperials and Monarchists at heart, believing in the infallibility of the Royal Bloodline, of which many are extremely distantly related to. Without any clear unifying figure, these Warlords have been left to their own devices, squabbling and battling among themselves for whatever tracts of space seem most profitable at the time.

--Topia
A rather boring and uninteresting man, Topia commands respect through his rank alone and mostly seeks power - however possible. Topia views all those who have no connection to the Imperial line as inferior.

--Lord Tahiwai
A cold and calculated man, Tahiwai is easily the most skilled and powerful of the post-4E warlords. More xenophobic than most, Tahiwai is reported to frequently have Irik prisoners unmasked and starved to death for the mere crime of existing. He seeks only to exterminate as many aliens as possible, and seize as much power for himself as he can in the process. Tahiwai views all those who have no connection to the Imperial line as inferior.
 

--Hakopa
A zealous, bitter, and universally despised man, Hakopa would’ve been snuffed out and executed years ago if not for the incredible strength of his worlds’ defenses. Hakopa views all those who have no connection to the Imperial line as inferior.
 

--Ekara
As slimy and corrupt as ever, Ekara deserted the Fourth Empire as soon as it became convenient for him. He enjoys a close relationship with the criminal underworld and the Directorate, in which his connections run deep. Ekara is heavily involved in the arms and smuggling businesses, and particular to bribes.

--Torba
A minor commander who deserted at first opportunity, Torba seeks personal power and has a particular hatred for Ekara. Torba views all those who have no connection to the Imperial Line as inferior.
 

The Fourth Empire
In the days following the total collapse of the Empire, Tuakeo’s rogue state to the west would serve as one of the sole bastions of large scale, organized Human might. Perhaps because of its treacherous roots, though, it was not meant to last. Soon after a series of brief campaigns into Kiritau, Communist, and Colonial space, the Empire would find itself wholly overextended. Colonial counter attacks, coupled with the Irik invasion would prove to be more than enough to send the short-lived state down the path of decline.

Before long, the Empire’s hold on its outer territories were crumbling at best, and out right destroyed at worst, such as in the case of the Irik invasion of the eastern territories. Desertion and betrayal soon became commonplace as admirals, garrisons, and provincial governments began to defect one by one, motivated by little else besides their ruler’s own sense of self-preservation or greed. While southern sections of the former Empire largely remained intact, staving off communist offensives, the northern territories had begun to rapidly recede..

By the current year, only a small fraction of the Empire remains intact, clinging onto what core territories they can still reasonably defend while attempting limited campaigns to reconquer vital industrial hubs when possible. The current Emperor Tuakeo II, is a cautious and passive ruler and many whisper of his now total abandonment of his father’s ambitions to claim the Starcast Throne, but the Empire’s rhetoric still states otherwise.

Strangely, the territories of the Fourth Empire have become wholly distinct from those of the former Empire in their fifty years of separation. Few among their ruling class or even general populace wish for a return of Eastern Rule, and see themselves as citizens of a completely new body, rather than a continuation of an old one.

Geopolitically, the Fourth Empire seeks only to retain what control it still has. Its Industrial capabilities are by now crippled, and what remains of its fleets are but a fraction of its former glory - spread thin across the ever encroaching frontier. Despite the Empire’s sorry state, speculation of an Imperial revival is not unheard of, if only a few key areas are recaptured..
 

Application

Discord (If I don't have it already):
Nation Name:
A brief description of National/Provincial History & Culture:
Notable Characters:
Unique Military Units (Two):
National Idea (nothing strictly mechanical):
A letter:
 

Edited December 8, 2021 by Krefarus

[GrimBeard 46]

House Matareka 

"Technology and Martial Might"

 

A brief description of National/Provincial History & Culture:  Once they almost considered themselves a part of the core. Safe, sheltered from the true brutality of the Galaxy. A pillar of technology and learning. Where any can come, to study, to innovate. Such wonders like the Arc Lance spawned from their minds. Sure every generation some Matarekan lord would lead men to battle with the Irik. But that was far away, on some nameless world. A far cry from the past, when they were the frontier against the xeno. When Warrior-Kings led their crude star ships into battle with an even cruder foe. When the Imperials of Kaumai were alive and endorsing them. Many reminisce for that time, that Kingdom. 

 

Regardless of the recent or far past, now is only war and death. When Erasmis first decided to return from the dead, none could stand in his path. With Lord Regent Ihorangi recently dead, all sense of order fractured in his realm. Though retainers and nobles tried to stand, they were trodden over. The entirety of Matarekan space was subdued, they became a conduit for millions of Xenos to pour through into the Core. For years every world became a personal hell, and struggle for survival. Every noble left to fend for himself on his private estates.

 

It all soon changed with the arrival of a new contender. Mokihi Matareka, bearing the Emperor's Blade, and at the head of Lord Roko's former fleet, has returned. He gave battle to the various Irik clans, challenging many to Krull Vatok in his anger at Ran-Ji's passing. The Imperial Squire and his Noble fleet became a rallying cry for worlds sector wide. Soon the scattered nobles and their people became more and more unified. 

 

Matarekan space truly became solidified with the arrival of a mysterious figure some time ago. "The Bastard of Buath" Holokai Matareka arrived in the cargo hold of a smuggler's ship. Between the Squire and Bastard, they have managed to bring their sector into an actual bloc of resistance against the various Irik warlords. A carefully preserved pocket of Third Imperial rule and government, surrounded on all sides by foe.

 

Notable Characters:

Mokihi Matareka, Imperial Knight, Lord of House Matareka, Kavan Te of the Imperial Armies

 

From a young age it was clear he was a psionic of note for the family. He was groomed for an Imperial life, diving into the layers of Matarekan schooling from an early age. Soon enough though Mokihi was whisked away for life on the Imperial Capital of Kaumai. It was there Lord Ihorangi hopes his nephew could truly come into his own within the Third Empire. Emperor Ran-Ji took a personal interest in Mokihi, at Lord Matareka's insistence. When he became old enough, Mokihi became Squire for the Emperor, and was brought under his wing. Schooled as both a Psionic and Warrior, Mokihi was something of a silent busy body. An Imperial Shade many jokingly called him, but he always as watching, and learning. 

 

The turning point of his life culminated in the infamous Krull Vatok between Ran-Ji and Erasmis. Bearing his Lord's blade, Mokihi attended the party back to Kaumai. There he stood by his unconscious Lord day an night, praying. In the final days, Lord Ihorangi's betrayal reached even Mokihi. The foul serpent wanted his Psionic family member as an asset for his evacuation. The Imperial Squire was misled, ordered to a remote world on the edge of the Core to attend Admiral Sorin. In reality Lord Ihorangi just wanted him somewhere safe for retrieval, as the Core falls.

 

What came next was the death of his Emperor, a death Mokihi gladly would of shared had he been there. In the blinding rage that followed he was given a single ship from Sorin as a nod of respect. From there Mokihifound Roko's leaderless fleet, floundering. The rest is history, as a Squire became Knight, leading the best of the Imperial Navy on a quest for redemption. 

 

Holokai Matareka, The Bastard of Buath, Tanu Kavan of Imperial politics. 

 

A mysterious figure originating from Buath, he has taken it upon himself to launch a personal crusade. His ruthless rule as Tanu Kavan has all been to atone for the sins of his family and cursed mother. Every action is just in his eyes, and the means justify the ends. While his cousin plays at war, the Bastard remains at home to run an entire isolated society. It is because of him none starve, and the factories churn. Few know his true history.

 

Unique Military Units (Two): 

Ahorangi Pikes [Elite Heavy Infantry]; Ever since even the steel age the Pikemen have been a useful military arm of House Matareka. They still proudly bear the name of their Ancestors when they march to war. These Heavy Infantry are brutal shock units, catering to close range styles of war. They prefer Arc Blades and Power Armor, a costly but effective armament for their tactics. As well as shot guns, smgs, and other close range projectiles. They excel in boarding, orbital deployment into hot zones, and acting as shock infantry on the front lines of large scale wars.

 

These men are professional Irik killers, having fought them for centuries. In more recent years it has been their only enemy, their sole focus. These men do best when deployed against Irik.

 

Overhauled Heavy Cruisers 'Crown Ships'; Matareka's own line of Heavy Cruisers, evolved entirely around the harsh demands of their survival. These ships unique trait comes from the Matarekan Arc weapons of the past, giving this ship a far heavier punch. Besides their unique main weapons, these ships fully lean into the role of budget capital ships. Usually having to act as the main heavy ship of a Matarekan fleet, boasting far more health.

 

National Idea (nothing strictly mechanical): "The Imperial Knight and Squire"

 

Mokihi is a [3] Psionic after a lifetime of war, and former tutelage under Emperor Ran-Ji. He has been called a Mind-Bender ironically, but not after the style of Erasmis. For his powers have developed into far more subtle twisting of the mind. Even Ran-Ji may have struggled to rival the power of emotional manipulation Mokihi can achieve. His soldiers reach fever levels of zeal in battle, politicians find themselves amicably agreeing with their Lord. In battle enemies find themselves confused, shooting at targets only they see, or even turning on one another. It's clear his life has crystallized his powers into something special, and it only seems to be growing. 

 

Under Mokihi's tutelage he has taken a new squire. A fledgling [1?] psionic, recently rushed into the ranks of the army in it's desperation. On the battlefield Mokihi recognized this child's potential, taking him under his wing. In a repetition of history, the once squire now has his own charge to care for. 

 

A letter: H

Edited December 9, 2021 by GrimBeard

[Praetor 1548]

 

The Hekeati

 

Kaitiaki Ora - His Majesty’s Life Guard

 

Capital World - Tiakina

Capital - Manatu

 

 

 

 

"We fought for Kaumai while it fell to ruin around us. We fought until our gunbarrels burned cherry red and our swords shattered. We fought in the inner chambers where the marble was splashed red. Whatever might make you think that we ever stopped fighting?"  -Toasûl Kiris Aloiki.

 

 

Cultural Composition

 

A cultural anthropologist might be interested in the finer points of the Hekeati’s meaning-making in a Post-Imperial landscape. But when people speak of the Hekeati, they speak of that distorted shadow that it casts, the jagged edges behind the roundness, the gun-metal grey under a dusting of gold. 

 

When you say Hekeati, I think Kaitiaki Ora.

 

The Hekeati are a collection of refugees, imperial planets and noble families that gravitate around a force far more important than them. His Majesty’s Imperial Lifeguard, the Kaitiaki Ora, stand behind the Hekeati and their Three Houses, whose authority is subject to the tacit approval of the Toasul, the Commander of the Life Guard.

 

Some might question the purpose of a Life Guard with no living Emperor. But who are they to question ten-thousand years of genetically perfected loyalty? The Bloodline cannot fail. Somewhere, drifting within the galaxy, an heir stirs. Their blood is thick with royalty, and the Life Guard shall find them. And when they find them - and find them they shall - the Guard shall return them to the throne, and shatter every opponent in their path.

 

On Governance

 

The Hekeati operate as many a nation do, with the Three Houses administering to most of the tasks of governance, while the Kaitiaki Ora focus on most military issues. Their people are a collection of refugees from many an imperial world, and form the bedrock of their new society, a mass of serfs and workers who serve the nobility of the 3 Houses and the many Houses Minor.

 

Much like the Empire, the Hekeati operate a senate, though it lacks many of the powers of the Imperial Senate, and much of the authority lies in the hands of the Regent who is not so secretly subject to the authority of the Toasûl himself. In many ways, this ‘Small Senate’ as it is often called, acts only to rubber stamp bills created by the Three Houses and the current elected Regent. (More on Hekeati Election Customs on p.33-44)

 

The Retimana Sangu

 

These are those who lead the religious worship of the Emperor, his Bloodline and the search for a worthy heir, which sends their seekers out into the stars, their minds trained and bent into such a manner that they can detect even the slightest genetic similarity in the inflection of a voice, the gentle trace of a cheekbone, or the signature look of superiority of Imperial Blood.

 

Those who fit are spirited away, if they may be, or approached directly, if they may not. The Legitimacy of the Sample is held as faultless by the Kaitiaki Ora, but the tests for those who would wish to claim descent from the Bloodline are dangerous, and death or the shattering of a mind is not an uncommon byproduct of those of weak blood. What those tests are, remains a mystery to all but the highest echelons of the Kaitiaki Ora and the Retimana Sangu, who hide it deep within the bowels of the Red Temple on Manatu Minoris, the Capital’s only moon.

 

It is said that even the Kaitaki Ora may bow before the authority of the Retimana Sangu, who instills the worship of the Divine Emperor in their souls, and blesses them before battle.

 

Excerpt from the Anthropological Works:

Three Imperial Houses rule the Hekeatii, it is a static system with no mobility. The Houses will never change, as long as the interregnum endures, so will the Houses. While one House rules, the others advise, and when one ruler dies, the Houses nominate a new Regent. But when they have chosen a new Regent, the leaders of the three houses leave the opulent and gilded Regency Palace, and march down the broad Ara Ngakau, the grand avenue that cuts the Capital, Manatu, in half. In a grand procession, their subservience is witnessed by every citizen who stands along its sides and within the glittering spires that line it, they march to the Maotatoa, the Citadel.

 

Its steps of white marble, worn by the endless marching of metal-booted feet, climb up to a dominating construct of ugly black metal and gold, like an eagle propped atop a mount of bleached bones. There stands the Toasûl, the Commander of the Life Guard, the Kaitiaki Ora, flanked by those who stood at the Emperor’s side for a thousand years, their loyalty never questioned.

 

It is a symbolic gesture now. The House Candidate cuts his hand, and lifts it up, palm up, pooling the blood. The Toasûl must either cut his own palm, and clasp hands, not a drop of precious Imperial blood spilled, or reach out, and turn the Candidate’s hand over, spilling his blood onto the steps below, rejecting his worth.

 

Such a process is repeated until the Toasûl selects a worthy Regent, and nobody may ever forget who is truly in control.

 

-Customs of the Hekeati

 

Historical Context

 

Guards of the very palace within which the final stand on Kaumai took place, the Life Guard fought with their brethren until their guns ran dry, their bayonets shattered and their fists were bruised and broken, shedding their blood in one last hopeless venture to protect their Lord.

 

“The Emperor is dead. The Palace-Moon burns. I this final hour, I send this message to all who may receive it. The Imperial Guard will follow the path of the Emperor with dignity and honor, until the stars go dark. Glory to the Empire!” -Unknown Officer of the Imperial Guard, on open channels, following the Sack of Kaumai, as recorded by the Life Guard.

 

Yet in the final hour, when all seemed lost, and the Irik slicked the palace halls with blood, the Emperor turned to his most loyal, and spoke to them one final time, filling their lives with divine purpose as his physician took a final vial of blood from an arm weakened by the duel with Erasmis.

 

“Take this blood of mine, that those who have watched over my line will watch over it again. Now flee this place and save the legacy of the Empire. Return with an heir at your head, or never return again.” -The final words of the Emperor to the Life Guard, as recorded by the Kaitiaki Ora.

 

These remnants of a once proud Legion, reduced so horrifically in numbers that they seemed more a regiment than a legion, fought their way through the hordes and captured an Irik ship, escaping the blockade only through the skill of a loyalist pilot, who has been immortalized in their halls, a certain Howard H. Parr Jr. 

 

Thus the Hekeati now exist, biding their time and waiting for an heir who’s blood is strong, so that they may seat him once more upon the Throne, and watch as Erasmis is cast into ruin, and the Empire restored.

 

Characters of Note

Kiris Aloiki

 

 

He was but a young Lieutenant in the Life Guard during the fall of Kaumai, but by the time he and his men escaped, he was the highest ranking officer left. Thus was the burden of leadership thrust into his hands, and he has found himself well suited for it. Beloved and trusted beyond death by his men, he rules the Hekeati with a first of iron and shadow. He makes no secret of the Life Guard's dominion over the Three Families, but nor does he rule overtly. 

 

A careful man, Kiris Aloiki remembers the last Emperor, and the duty of every man woman and child in his lands has always, and always will be turned towards the reconstruction of the fallen Empire. 

 

Slow to anger yet quick to act, he is decisive and believes that any reaction is better than none. With decades of experience fighting in the chaos of the new order, he has little to no mercy for lawbreakers and pirates, and even less for anti-loyalist dogs.

 

 

Pehak / Pierre Teniert

 

The Life Guard recruits from Orphans and rejects, the scraps found in the streets and the unwanted donations of old families, discreetly deposited at their metaphorical doorstep. Others find their way there by themselves, pulled to the ranks by something that they may not even comprehend.

 

Pierre Teniert is such a product. Born of the union of an rebellious young Teniert who left his home in the search of adventure, and a barmaid, he knows the blood that flows in his veins, and his growth amongst the ranks of the Life Guard have led him to despise his father, and his abandonment both his family and the Empire. 

 

A man can never fully escape his past, nor those to whom he is bound by blood. But Pehak likes to believe that the blood that binds him more tightly than any other is the blood he and his brothers spilled fighting in the name of the Emperor.

 

 

Maalea Sangunis

 

 

One of the chief priestesses of the Red Temple as a member of the Deep Sangus, she is a mysterious figure that is rarely seen amongst the people of the Hekeati, or even the Life Guard for that matter. Some say an aura of discomfort follows her like a thick cloud, and that instead of eyes, her empty sockets are soaked are slashed and scarred. 

 

What little is known is that within the Retimana Sangus, she is feared and respected in equal measure and resides deep within the temple. Her role in the Sample Trials, and in the broader religion are little known, but none who has seen her has doubted her importance.

Unique Units

 

His Imperial Life Guard

-Heavy Infantry-

 

 

Psychics may approach many foes with confidence, but it is not so with His Majesty’s  Life Guard. Imperial Conditioning, two words that strike fear into any assassin or  manipulator of minds, for Life Guards have been trained in the Deep Secrets. No Psycher has ever shattered a Life Guard’s mind. To the Psychic Eye, the Life Guards are simply not there, their minds like vapor, afterimages that cannot be pinned.

 

But in the flesh, they are no less formidable. A grand array of cybernetic and biological augmentations affect a plethora of abilities from speed, strength and memory. Above it all, they done the Kila-VI Armor, a slimmed down suit of power armor that compromises neither grace, nor agility. A relic of bygone golden age.  Their brutal training has taught them expertise in all forms of combat. But what quells a discontented noble’s rebellious thoughts at night is that singular fear of steel, held in the hand of one who’s loyalty cannot be bought.

 

Though the Empire has fallen, its custodians remain, waiting for the day when their Emperor returns.

 

TLDR Points:

Spoiler

>Imperial Conditioning: Extremely resilient to psychic mental manipulations & Mind-Reading. Imperial Conditioning also kills any psychic potential in them.

 

>Genetic Perfectionism: Highly advanced biological augmentations, self-healing, stronger, quicker, better reflexes, high resilience to damage and incredible threshold to pain. Muted emotions.

 

>Royal Pattern Cybernetics: Additional augment to eyes, brain-recall systems, fingers and other elements of the body, including a built in suicide pill and a hidden knife blade.

 

>Imperial Guard’s Kila-VI Armor: Reactive, advanced power armor suit. Does not impede speed, agility or size. Highly advanced, increases strength and defensive capabilities hugely.

 

>Pa’Aki (The Trial): The strictest of training from childhood cull the eager masses. (Unit size = 15.000)

 

>Excellence of the Empire: Highly proficient in all forms of combat and all forms of weaponry.  Exceptionally lethal in CQC/Melee. Each guard wields an Arc saber or spear.

Atreides-XVII Defense System

-Land/Space Artillery-

 

 

An highly expensive and powerful artillery piece capable of firing at extreme ranges with a degree of precision high enough to reliably hit Heavy Cruisers and above with devastating Gauss-powered projectiles. A traditional piece of the Imperial Guard's armory, they are both deployable on planets, and in space as immobile weapon's platforms. (4 may be transported per freighter) Fires once every other turn. Only able to Hit HC+.

 

HP: 10
Speed: 0

Range: 15

Damage: TBA (18xD4-1)

 

National Idea:

 

The Empire MUST Survive: All military worlds start with Ground To Orbit defenses, an LSRB and are heavily fortified. Can apply same bonuses to any newly acquired (Non Military) system with a 5 turn cooldown. Military worlds do not consume build slots, non-military ones do.

 

A Letter: S for Sigma

[TankM1A2 840]

Spoiler

 

 

 

UNITED REALM OF VENNENDAL

 

---

 

Capital: Tameraad, Voorst

Official Languages: Galactic Basic, Vennendalese

Religion: No official religion

Government: Constitutional elective monarchy

Head of State: Karel Frederik Elfering van Tameraad, Stadtholder of Vennendal, Prince of Voorst

 

---

History/Culture:

 

Amidst the Inner Rim, Vennendal as it is known, has thrived for some three centuries beneath the tutelage of the esteemed Elfering dynasty. Despite, it’s relative proximity to the Core, the province was able to forge its own, unique identity. Long ago, the Elferings cautiously walked the fine line that divided the Senate, and the Empire’s politics, taking care to draw the ire of Loyalist or Republican, lest the winds of change (Senate decree) evict them from their home. Though not a particularly wealthy province, the Elferings cemented themselves as capable, dependable allies with a certain charming, fighting spirit. Towards the end of the Third Empire, the Elferings comprised a respectable portion of the more moderate Loyalists. However, despite Vennendal’s long loyalty to the Starcast Throne, Emperor Ran-Ji would cast aside the Elferings, when he selected his cabinet, weaving a grievous insult to Stellarch Gerrit Elfering’s pride. The Emperor favored a dog, which he could more readily control- the Matarekas of Takaksai- passing over the Elferings for a key position within the Loyalist War Council, amidst the senatorial crisis. So infuriated was Stellarch Elfering, that he raised his banner for the now exiled Republicans, devoting himself and his province fully against Ran-Ji.

 

Ran-Ji would meet his end, though not as Gerrit would’ve hoped. Humanity’s infighting would see the collapse of the northern marches, as hordes of Irik warfleets surged south, overtaking much of the Core and putting the borders of Vennendal within a stone’s throw of the alien menace. It is rumored that Gerrit Elfering was so shocked by this news, that he suffered from a heart attack on the spot. However, it is commonly accepted that his passing came as a result of old age. Despite the Stellarch’s passing, the province was still nominally aligned to the Republic, and was in danger of being revoked from Elfering control. However, Vennendalic lobbying efforts would prevail. Though Gerrit did indeed have a son, he named no successor. Whether or not Vennendal would even have a say in the matter remained in the air.  Yet, this would not deter the fiercely independent peoples of Vennendal. The Vennendalic delegation proposed a plan to institute an elective constitutional monarchy within Vennendal space- to appeal to the more liberal wings of the Republican movement. This provision passed, allowing Vennendal certain ‘special administrative status’ within the Republic, as the former Mandate of Vennendal became United Vennedal overnight. Gerrit’s eldest son, war hero Karel Frederik Elfering, was nominated for Stadtholder. Though skeptical, he would assume the post, seeking to restore the province to its former heights.

 

Despite the troubles which plague humanity, the Vennendalische remain an optimistic people- this is reflected in the application of new materials and technology into their ever growing warfleet. The Vennendalische lived to roam the stars, with employment among the Vennendal Navy the most coveted profession of all. They are an industrious people, with their own code of honor and loyalty. Yet, some of the fringe Loyalists may find this ironic. However, the Vennendalische wholeheartedly believe that it was Emperor Ran-Ji who betrayed Vennendal, not the other way around.

 

 

---

 

Characters:

 

His Excellency, Karel Frederik Elfering van Tameraad, Stadtholder of Vennendal, Prince of Voorst

 

While having missed most of the fighting during the Galactic Civil War, Karl Frederik Elfering was pushed into naval command as a result of the desperate need for admirals. Having joined the Vennendalische Provincial FLEETCOM as a young adult, he quickly rose through the ranks of the Vennendalic Navy, where he proved to be a capable, swift, and aggressive commander- proposed to receive a commission in the Republican Navy by his father. Though serving as a subordinate of the Grand Admirals, his fleet actions garnered much traction across Vennendal space, and was soon enough proposed as a candidate for the position of Stadtholder; a worthy successor to his father, Gerrit Willem Elfering. Reluctantly, Karel assumed the reins of Vennendal, believing the resources and influence afforded to the Stadtholder would allow him to finance operations to reclaim lost tracts of Vennendalische space.

 

Her Excellency, Ana Elfering van Tameraad née Manhuera, Princess-consort of Voorst

 

For nearly half a century, Ana has been wed to Vennendal’s current Stadtholder, Karel Frederick Elfering. Though the marriage was the result of meddling by the late Stadtholder Elfering and then Vice Admiral Manhuera, they forged a relationship based upon respect and trust, so much so that Ana de facto serves as the province’s administrative head in her husband’s absence.

 

The Honorable, Julius Paul Elfering van Tameraad, Viscount of Westerholt, Commodore of the Verenigde Vennendalische Marine

 

Despite being the first son of Vennendalishe war hero Karel Frederick Elfering, Julius has so far been unable to inspire confidence in the province’s constituents. Having hinged on a career in the Navy to establish his name, his efforts have fallen short as much of the turmoil seems to have simmered down, before he’d even received a commission. Furthermore, his young ascent to the rank of Commodore is surrounded by rumors that his father personally pushed through the promotion through the red tape. It is unknown whether this is true, but Julius has so far been eager to prove his merit, much to the dismay of his superiors, who struggle to reign in the ambitious officer, though neither dare nor care to put the Elfering before a tribunal. Despite Julius’s perceived arrogance, the young lord means well enough.

 

Adelheid Claudia Elfering van Tameraad, Viscountess of Brengarde

The youngest daughter of Karel and Ana Elfering, Adelehid is simply known to be petulant and vindictive, with a strong distaste of people she believes to be beneath her.

 

Hendrika Josefien Verschooris née Elfering van Tameraad, Viscountess of Ramsel

An unassuming woman, Adelheid has married into the local Vennendalische aristocracy and spends most of her time as chief executive of the Elfering Foundation.

 

The Honorable, Cornelius Hendrik Elfering van Tameraad, Viscount of Dorne, General in the Vennendalische Grondtroepen

 

Though the second son, the laws of Vennendalische succession have proven to be in favor of young Cornelius. While his brother wastes away in some far-flung duty station, Cornelius had graduated the Voorst Military Academy with excellence, rose through the ranks, and is generally well-liked among soldiers and Army officers. Cunning and calculative, Cornelius is not above using underhanded tactics to achieve results.

 

Charlotte Sophie Teniert née Elfering van Tameraad, Viscountess of Reimst

 

A graduate of the Cornelissen School of Business, Charlotte is exceptionally intelligent and shrewd. She has since been married to Alistair Teniert, to forge greater bonds with the other reaches of the Inner Rim. She possesses a refined palate, and a keen eye for expensive things, never quite happy with what she has.

 

---

Unique Units:

 

 

KROONPRINS-CLASS DREADNOUGHT (BLINK/RAM/REINFORCED DREADNOUGHT)

 

“The last of its kind, the Kroonprins yearns for yards to be reborn; their progeny to reclaim the stars.” - Vice Admiral Bernard Hinrichs, regarding the Kroonprins-class dreadnought.

 

Before the Civil War, Vennendal hosted its own domestic capital ship industry. These driveyards, however, would be lost- caught between the fighting of Republican, Loyalist, and Irik forces. This was not before the yards constructed their final series of dreadnought, the Kroonprins-class. [Redacted] hulls of this class remain, and are cherished possessions of the Verenigde Vennendalische Marine. These upgraded dreadnoughts possess improved hull strength, modular armor plating, and a heavy-duty blink-drive, capable of rapidly teleporting the Kroonsprins across the battlefield in an instant. The ultradense hull of the Kroonprins allows it to survive otherwise catastrophic collisions with enemy ships, allowing it to be an effective rammer- through blink acceleration or otherwise. [Increased HP/Armor, Special Ram attack?]

 

 

POLTERGEIST II-CLASS DESTROYER (BLINK-DRIVE, DESTROYER)

 

“No other ship could meet the expectations that Vennendal demanded from it.” - Excerpt from the Vennendal Navy Combat Manual; pg. 56, on sub-capital ships.

 

Vennendal first pioneered the blink-drive in the years preceding the Imperial Civil War. Yet, the technology would only come fruition following the Collapse, as Vennendal became a battleground between Republican, Loyalist, and Irik forces. It was neither the dreadnoughts nor the fleet carriers which were most attributed to the protection of Vennendal’s sovereignty, but the original Poltergeist I-model destroyers, which proved to be workhorses of the Vennendalic Navy- capable of rapidly closing the distance with enemy ships and launching a devastating barrage of heavy torpedoes. Now upgraded to modern specifications, these ships are expected to continue their venerable service records. [Access to Blink Drive ability, Extra Torpedo Damage]

 

 

---

 

National Idea: Two for Flinching

• Vennendal has perfected the use of the Blink Drive. Activating the Blink Drive is a free action.

• All ships are Blink-Drive equipped.

Letter: T

[Sovereign_of_Solaris 39]

Realm of Xiāo

 

A brief description of National/Provincial History & Culture:

History

The Province ruled by the House of Xiāo is what once was Northern Altaire before the Collapse. After the Empire's collapse the war raging in the south against the worker and communist uprisings, the local cluster had fallen into corruption and chaos. With Altaire unable to maintain control of all their territories they focused further south virtually abandoning the worlds. However amidst this chaos Xiāo Hu, a minor noble family that lived within Altaire used his families fortunes and connections to organize and expand his own forces slowly capturing or taking whatever they could initially bringing order to a small section of the area. Though unable to match the power of some of the other despots and would be warlords Xiāo Hu found himself and his forces trapped on one of the regions more vital Imperial Plantations.

With no retreat and little options he battled on the world for months until a Irik Slave Uprising on the world greatly crippled the rival warlord's armies. A Three way battle ensued, Xiāo Hu and his men were able to crush the Warlord taking his life on the field his forces soon collapsed. The Leader of the Irik uprising came upon Hu in the field, the two fought a bitter duel in which left Hu missing both his left eye and right hand it costed the Irik leader his life.

The remaining Irik rebels pledged their loyalty to Xiāo Hu. In this he saw an opportunity that would prove unpopular, he accepted the Pledge of Loyalty and took it a step further recognizing the Irik as his subjects not slaves. While unpopular the combined efforts of Hu's forces and the Irik's support allowed him control of the region for his family of which he personally rules.

Hu personally appoints governors of his worlds to handle things and ensure resources flow as required. These planetary governors answer directly to Hu and his twin sons.

The Culture has gone much unchanged with only ruler-ship of the Province changing hands. Governors and minor nobles, and merchants aid in keeping stability in this fledgling province, keeping to a system of Governance not too dissimilar from the old empire.


Notable Characters

Xiāo Hu

Lord of the Realm of Xiāo, and Elder of the family that bares the same name. He is an ambitious and driven man, though his age has slowed his pace it has not slowed his mind and it's dreams of grandeur. Seeking to safe keep and expand the power base he has worked so hard over the past 50 years he has no intention of losing it now.

Baron Xaraxis of the House of Spears

Xaraxis is a skilled veteran Irik warrior that has fought for House Xiāo for many years and ascended to the leadership of the House of Spears. His clan and people have found an uneasy existence within the Xiāo Provinces, mainly kept to one world where they hold their own lands he and his warriors go wherever they are needed and serve the one whom their loyalty is pledged.

Unique Military Units (Two):

Irik Shock Troops, Heavy Infantry
The warriors that make up the House of Spears serve as heavy infantry in the Xiāo Province, as the Irik are well known for their ferocity and prowess on the battlefield. They serve perfectly as shock troops break through or hold strategic locations or simply to support other forces in battle to bring it to a swift end.

Repair Ship, Unique Support Carrier

This Support Carrier acts as a mobile repair station to aid in repairing and salvaging vessels after battles to ensure they can keep much needed tonnage and ship numbers in a fight.

National Idea (nothing strictly mechanical):
Corporate Aristocracy



A letter: T

[Zanderaw 161]

 

 

 

"My father had a dream of a perfect empire. That dream was snatched from him at the last moment, just like it was stolen from your father, and yours. I will not let it be stolen from us."

-Adrien Teniert, at the Alamar Conference

 

 

Nation Name:

Orteau
A brief description of National/Provincial History & Culture:

The province of Orteau, based around the urban planet Orteau, has always sat at the very center of human civilization. Though governments, like imperial authority, have waxed and waned, a common theme in the region has always been the prevalence of powerful hereditary dynasties. These nobles guard their bloodlines rigorously, and will go to great lengths to distinguish themselves from the rest of the population – particularly when, as is the case now, many commoners have achieved great wealth in the empire. In times of uncertainty, the aristocracy clashes like anywhere else, but so close to the center of human power this rarely took the form of military action. Instead, the nobles of Orteau have a long and proud tradition of subterfuge. The practice is so well known that it has inspired figures of speech: “as sweet as Orteau” is universally understood to mean that one is impeccably polite yet dangerously treacherous.

 

In the last days of the Third Empire this heritage came into sharp focus, when the Lord Ashweather Teniert personally went to Kaumai, where he aligned with the emperor and quickly seized control of the senate. For years, Lord Teniert manipulated events at the heart of imperial space, before a series of strokes threw his careful plans into disarray and sent humanity spiraling into chaos. It is well that Ashweather did not live to see the results, for as the empire collapsed, his beloved Orteau became a warzone. The nobles of the region were ill-accustomed to open battle, and so the planet fell under siege again and again, changing hands as the Republic swept through, then the loyalists once more, then the treacherous Admiral Sorin, and finally, worst of all, the Irik.

 

Yet in 10,420, House Teniert remains. In the crucible of civil war, Ashweather's sons have proven worthy of his blood. Though his realm is torn in two, battered and bruised, with the ever-present threat of invasion lurking on every side, the new Lord Teniert has kept his footing. At the heart of his power is the Treaty of Alamar, written thirty years ago during the darkest days. In a master stroke of diplomacy, or perhaps mutual desperation, Adrien united the core nobility in a binding pact to one day retake Kaumai and restore the monarchy in their image. And with this agreement, the Tenierts sealed their alliance by marrying Adrien's numerous progeny off among their neighbors.

 

Thus, though Orteau's place is far from secure, a degree of normalcy has settled over the region. Enemies lie on every border - yet in the grand halls of Keep Teniert, gentle music still plays, and the threat seems a galaxy away.

Notable Characters:

Adrien Teniert, King of Orteau

Adrien is a far cry from the placid confidence of his father. Once a thoughtful and submissive man, he has been tempered by the experience of watching his homeland overrun by common vultures for the better part of 50 years. It is often said, rightly, that the Tenierts are not warriors. But with Adrien at the helm of Orteau, few would dare say that they are not fighters. For most of his life he has had to scramble, scheme and struggle to keep his throne, nation, and very life. Only recently has security returned to his life, largely courtesy of his proudest work - the Treaty of Alamar. Totally determined to deserve everything he has, Adrien works late into most nights, his eyes blazing with angry ambition. The vultures nearly took everything from him. He will not forget it soon.

 

Alain Teniert

Adrien's brother has always been and probably will always be the less dour of the two. Without the burden of rule, Alain was free to serve his house in other ways - as statesman, spy, and soldier. It's sometimes said that while Adrien was being reared for Lordship, it was truly Alain who had the confidence of their late father. Whatever the case, he remains thoroughly uninterested in that level of responsibility.

 

During the war, it was Alain who commanded Battlefleet Reclamation on its warpath across Republican space, and it was he who was eventually defeated. Alain escaped the battle, but lost an arm in the process. Since those days he has shown little interest in naval matters, and though if pressed he will insist he bears no grudge toward the enemy, shrewd observers will note him always glance sharply over when the name "Manhuera" is mentioned.

 

Annabelle Teniert

Annabelle Teniert is the sister of Adrien and Alain, and largely known for her extreme ugliness. The late Ashweather Teniert was known to have called her a waste of nine months, as he despaired of ever marrying his daughter off for a favorable alliance. Indeed, single she has remained, despite the best efforts of both her brothers.

 

During the first siege of Orteau, Annabelle remained on the planet as it fell, not fearing the advancing soldiers due to her condition. Shortly afterwards, she was able to relay vital intelligence to her exiled family which allowed for the reconquest of the planet.

 

Alistair Teniert

Heir to the Kingdom of Orteau, Alistair is a young man of 50 who spent his childhood on the run during the darkest days of the war. Though he is fiercely loyal to his father, he has yet to be given any positions of true responsibility in the state, for Adrien is still merely in his 80s, practically the prime of his life, and works furiously to boot.

 

Two decades ago Alistair made waves when he married Charlotte Elfering, who albeit from an ancient and respectable house, comes from the Republic! The move was largely seen as a step toward thawing relations, and while the words exchanged with the Republic remain icy, at least there have not been any guns fired recently. Maybe it worked.

 

Alice Teniert

The second-youngest of Adrien's daughters, Alice is the only one of that crop to remain unmarried, and seems to have no intention of changing that. Highly-educated and ice-cold even to her siblings, she nevertheless has an almost unnatural ability to get people to open up to her. Alice is closest with her uncle Alain, who has seen something in his niece since childhood.

 

Archibald Teniert

The oldest son of Alistair and Charlotte and thus third in line for the Lordship, Archibald has inherited the fair features of his mother, rare among the dark-haired Tenierts. Rambunctious and handsome, Archibald has generated significant public interest as he reaches marriage age. Knowing the policies of his grandfather, it is entirely possible he will soon be pushed into doing his duty for the house.

Unique Military Units (Two):

Teniert Adjudicator – Special Infantry, small units

The secret police, bodyguards, assassins and spies of House Teniert are inconspicuous, their appearance normal at first glance. This is by design: it is, after all, often infeasible to march a group of soldiers in power armor into a building, but a few suited colleagues will usually go unnoticed. Under the skin, however, House Teniert enhances their men with the finest cybernetics in the empire. Built for close combat, often unarmed, an Adjudicator is faster than a regular man, with superior flexibility and balance, short-term cloaking, and with medical implants that can keep him fighting even when badly injured. Above all they are inhumanly strong, and for a non-augmented human to fight one in hand-to-hand combat is almost always suicidal. With proper training, an Adjudicator can become a wonderfully subtle weapon, and the Tenierts use them extensively, quietly spread throughout their organization. Rarely talked about, often feared, they are the weaponized arm of Orteau’s nobility, and Lord Adrien will never quite say how many he has.

 

The Unseen - Psychics

In years past, psychics lived throughout the empire, their traditions well-known, their abilities commonplace. Even then, the psychics of Orteau were notable. Centuries of subterfuge taught the nobles the value of such individuals, and they documented their abilities, their training regimes, and their greatest feats. The best were known as Unseen: psychics so skilled at bending the minds of others that they could appear however they wished to, convince the most hostile of enemies to open their doors, or simply turn a crowd’s attention elsewhere. They were the ultimate spies, clever and mighty, and the galaxy learned to be wary when one was known to be near.

 

Today of course, such individuals are far more rare. Yet the records and traditions of Orteau still sit in the Teniert library, rigorously studied. When a psychic does appear, he or she does not lack for training opportunities. As a result, the psychics of the Teniert realm are exceptional illusionists, and even the weakest of them is skilled in the art of disguise and influence. They are the Unseen, and even today they are some of the best spies known to man.

 

National Idea (nothing strictly mechanical):

Aristocratic Acquaintances

It is sometimes said that the family tree of nobility is more like a circle. To the Tenierts, it is a circle of trust. The most aristocratic of aristocrats publicly associate only with those worthy of their attention - which makes that attention something of a valuable commodity. Teniert events are refined, and their guest lists even more so.

 

To them, such things are all a performance. Like honey for flies, they know just how to draw in persons of interest, how to loosen their lips, and most importantly, how to ask a favor.

 

[The rulers of Orteau can spend TP on nauseatingly-extravagant slice of life RP social events, increasing their prestige and attracting the rich and powerful. Through diplomacy and intrigue, such events generally leave their hosts with a bit more pull than before. Purchases Influence at a rate of 150 TP each.]

A letter: A

Edited December 12, 2021 by Zanderaw

[Knightei 317]

-House of Rewi-

“House of Rewi? That desolate corner of the galaxy? Why would one wish to hear about that crap pile…
Diplomatic research? Well if you must, you best break it up into three. The culture, the history of the Nehemai, and Akahata’s past. I can’t help you with the first two but the former… Let me point you to a man that I know.”

 

-Akahata-

“The 'House of Rewi' as it is so called is not an ancient stellarchy like that of Matareka or Orteau. Nor is it an expanse like Altaire or the Fourth Empire. It was born out of forty years of petty wars and destruction from the most isolated section of the Empire. Born by the hand of an orphan and, rumour has it, a pirate.”

 

The allure of the stars captured Akahata, the snatches of talk through ventilation shafts and the sight of every Imperial warship commissioned, and it became his obsession. All-consuming, the stars are the most gluttonous receptacles for human dreams and hopes, for better and for worse. Akahata’s childhood is known only to the man himself, his homeworld glassed by the House of Storms. While he was a fully grown man by this stage, he still refuses to speak of this time.

The recorded history of Akahata begins with Aokigahara, the Dread King himself. The victims in the trading fleet were lined up against the bulkhead, and the Pirate king stalked the lines before proclaiming that the youngest of each crew would survive. The rest would feel the cold embrace of the void. And so Akahata found his place in the Pirate fleet and for seven years he served the insane admiral of death.

After the fall of Kaumai, most men looked at themselves and thought about how they would continue in this galaxy of hate. Most then realised they have no ability in this new world to change their lot in life and therefore continued, but not Akahata. He made his lot and slipped out of Aokigahara’s fleet with his Cruiser.

Years rolled by and the fleet grew as it tore across the galaxy in the chaos of war. The ‘Manticore’, an experimental capital ship, was secured in a daring raid into a driveyard in a warzone, a tale for another time. The fleet of Akahata then lay upon what was once the stellarchy of Nehemai.

 

-Nehemai & Culture-

“Oh Nehemai, the fallen outer-rim. They lasted nought but five years after the fall of the Empire, with FWA, USSC, roving ship captains and that damn strange Crescent Order.”

 

The Stellarchy of Nehemai was unremarkable until seventy years ago, and the rise of the FWA and Free colonies. Isolated from the galactic core, the men and women of this land remained staunchly Imperial, and with the coming of the civil war, republican after they were ignored by the Starcast throne. Remaining stalwart during the war, the fall of the Empire was the death knell for the cluster of systems that remained.

It took naught but three years before the Stellarch Nehemai was assassinated and all sense of unity was lost. FWA refugees fleeing Altaire and free colony sympathisers began the tearing of the borders, where the fleets of Nehemai began to form their own personal fiefs. And as such was the status quo for eight more years, with changing hands and minor border squabbles until the fleet of Akahata arrived in the system.

Three decades of conquest, Akahata himself at the helm of the Manticore as the region was engaged in war, the USSC and Order of the Crescent forcing neighbouring pockets. Akahata, during this time, was the target of reprisals from the deposed lords, becoming disfigured from an attempted gassing. A decade more passed before the current year, leaving the region in an uneasy stasis, volatile with the changing winds of the galaxy.

Now the people within the space of Rewi live in uncertain peace. Having gone through the persecution of the Captain-Lords, this new ‘Lord’ has unified fifteen systems and all their idiosyncrecies. The zeal and fire of the neighbouring powers may simmer beneath the surface but the promise of new lands, Far Rim colonies uncontrolled by the ERTC, is barely keeping this undercheck.

 

-Unique Military Units-

To be Decided

 

-Nat Idea-

To be Decided

 

E

 

[Will (TauFirewarrior) 2464]

 

 

Nation Name: 

 

Grand Duchy of Alamar

 

A brief description of National/Provincial History & Culture: 

 

Closely tied to the Imperial Core and its people, the people of the Alamari Systems have enjoyed a close relationship with the Empires of yore. As a gateway into what was formerly the Capital systems of the Empire, wealth has travelled through Alamar and its prominent families have risen through the ranks of the former Imperial Military and Government. Most noteworthy of these are the House of Dryden, the ruler of the localised nobility for millennia. While only in recent centuries the Drydens have exercised direct executive control over the Alamari Systems they have been behind the systems of power that built the surrounding sector of space. 

 

~Noblesse Oblige~

 

The Nobility of the Alamari Systems adhere to this doctrine that as nobility they have a specific role in society and exist in that they may serve the people they rule over. This grants rewards, hereditary titles, wealth and estates, however they are taught not to take this for granted or feel entitled to it simply because they are nobles. Above all the Nobles of Alamar must act Noble to maintain their status, as such while they have luxuries that are seen as normal for their class they are still more austere in their attitudes and lifestyles than some of their contemporaries and allies even. As of the time of chaos the galaxy finds itself in, service and societal contribution for the nobility means military service and that means noble scions be them the sons or daughters find themselves in officers academies so that they may study and serve their Grand Duke well in the wars to come. 

 

The system itself historically has been subject to the black market and criminal elements however during the civil war the military authorities severely cracked down on it as the war economy required utter obedience to the Grand Duke. As such Alamar can be considered one of the most secure areas of space in the galaxy compared to the chaos that roams not too far from its own borders. 

 

In more recent history the Stellarchy of Alamar was one of the closest territories of the Loyalist Faction in the Civil War to remain unscathed from the war and which the Aristocratic elements of the Empire gathered around after the death of the Emperor and sack of the capital. Now the House of Dryden and its allies seek to regroup and push forward the goals of the Aristocracy and attempt to restore order, their vision of order. Since the end of the Civil War leadership has passed from Severus Dryden to his firstborn son Albert, assuming the mantle of Grand Duke and Stellarch of Alamar.

 

Notable Characters:

 

Albert Dryden (Grand Duke, Stellarch, Warlord):

 

 

The former Senator of the Alamari Stellarchy who once represented his fief in the heart of the Empire, in his youth he fell victim to traps of intrigue that have embittered him to politics and those he views as lesser humans due to their corruption and greed. He believes in noblesse oblige fundamentally, believing the aristocracy is not an entitlement but a duty to protect and fulfill the social responsibility of leaders. Thus he is not opposed to seeing new blood in the aristocracy as he believes one can be born noble but to be noble they must act it, regardless of bloodline. 

 

Alexandra Dryden (Duchess Consort):

 

The Consort of Alamar and also half niece of Grand Duke Albert, born into the Teniert family the marriage was offered to maintain the bond between the two Stellarchys even if the bloodlines were becoming a little too close. Nonetheless she has been a faithful spouse and embraced her mothers home system as if it were her own. 

 

Lucas Dryden (Half Sibling, Admiral): 

 

 

Younger brother of the reigning Grand Duke, he is often relied upon to lead Military Campaigns on behalf of the Stellarchy, seemingly satisfied with his role as the younger brother ensuring his elder sibling can focus on ruling from his capital. 

 

Unique Military Units (Two):

 

Knights of Alamar, Reclamation Crusaders (Heavy Infantry):

 

 

Soldiers trained from an incredibly young age, largely made up of war orphans, refugees and other less fortunate souls who have no families and are effectively wards of the Alamari State. As squires they are conditioned physiologically to be fanatical concerning the House of Dryden and are unwavering in their loyalty to the family and the Stellarchy which it rules over. The ethics of brainwashing youths into the cause of aristocrats can be questioned by many but those within Alamar and those who are its allies see these Knights as a necessity and regard them as heroes to the cause. 

 

Cybernetically enhanced as they are trained and as they grow, once they have graduated from being squires they become full Knights of Alamar. They wield Arc-Spears, Swords, Shields and carry an all purpose battle rifle that has two modes of fire, one for humans and one for Irik the latter being a 30mm shell. Their role on the battlefield is that of a vanguard, they are either a hammer smashing down a wall of enemy infantry or are the wall itself holding against the tides of chaos. 

 

Attributes and abilities

 

Advanced-Cybernetics: As those who squire to become Alamari Knights grow, they are periodically given cybernetic enhancements to improve their senses, strength and dexterity.

 

Early Brainwashing: As youths they are wards of the Alamari State, information for them is tightly controlled and they are taught what the Grand Duke wishes them to be. They are conditioned for absolute loyalty and obedience to the House of Dryden.

 

Reclamator Armour: Suits of armour which designs are drawn up from the techno-vaults of the Dryden Estates that are state of the art and designed to shrug off small arms and be effective for close combat.

 

Shield Formations: The shields the Knights carry are more than just sheets of metal, they are technologically advanced and with formations are able to share power to form shields around formations of the Knights giving them protection.

 

Battle-born: They are trained for battle, they are trained to win battles. Simply, they are adept in close quarters fighting and satisfactory with ranged weapons when they need to be, their shortcomings in the latter are made up with the advanced technologies they use in the former to give them an edge above their competition. 

 

Reclamator Class Heavy Cruiser:

 

 

A design of vessel drawn from the vast databanks and technology vaults of the Alamari as something fit for purpose in the now divided Empire and chaotic galaxy. Without proper access to Drive Yards the Alamari sought to create a vessel armoured enough to stand up in a fight, with firepower and speed to match. With an edge over many standard classes of Heavy Cruisers due to more advanced designs in its frame, engines and firepower it is one of proudest developments to come out of Alamari Space. 

 

Becoming something of a more frequent sight in the aristocratic fleets of the Alamari Mandate due to the class having to make up for the lack of many capital ships and having to take a role as command ships in order to maintain influence in various parts of space. Despite its widespread use and obvious shortcomings compared to a true capital ship it is seen as a point of pride to command one of these cruisers due to it being the backbone of the Alamari Fleet.

 

Attributes and abilities

 

Streamline Construction: With the schematics known to the Alamari Shipwrights they are easily constructed and can be done so quickly and efficiently. 

 

Improved Engines: The Reclamator Class is faster than other cruisers in its make without having to sacrifice its armour or armament to do so, allowing it to almost compete with battlecruisers on both fronts. 

 

National Idea (nothing strictly mechanical): ~Noblesse Oblige~

 

The fundamental ideology behind the local aristocracy of the Stellarchy of Alamar that Nobles have a role to play in society, that those who claim to be noble must act noble in turn. That they must rule society and do so generously to the people. It is believed that they are divinely ordained to do so, but that those who were born common may become noble through their actions. Bloodlines while they play important roles in Alamari Society can fall and new ones can rise in turn to replace them allowing for a certain level of fluidity.

 

More importantly the ideology is something that the House of Drydens have made as a doctrine or pamphlet that details their ideal form of leadership. With the Alamari people relative untouched by the Civil War and their own space having not suffered invasion or losses, it helps back up the ideology that in fact the House of Dryden represent ideal rulers. It advocates public service at all levels of society, as service is a pathway to nobility and reward should it be deemed worthy enough, it is not seen as a bad thing in Alamar for someone to rise in the ranks, so long as there are indeed ranks to rise through and that order, loyalty and nobility are upheld through meritocratic service.

 

It is an ideological movement the Drydens have spread throughout their aristocracy, officer corps and the people having it taught as a matter of public policy and propaganda. Outside the obvious ideas on leadership is of course the advocacy of xenocide, that the Alien has fundamentally proven itself to be unsuitable to be a subject or slave.

 

 

A letter: W

[NunuTheGreat 18]

The Duchy of Castrillon

 

A brief description of National/Provincial History & Culture:

Originally what is now the Duchy of Castrillon was traitor space during the civil war.  It wasn’t till after the conflict that Castrillon rose to prominence. Mostly consisting of industrial worlds and key tech worlds, the area of space was considered of high value by House Dryden, and when the opportunity to seize it arose, Albert Dryden son of the great Severus, and his nephew Kalei jumped at the occasion. The two reclaimed the systems rather easily to their surprise. Yet when all was said and done, rather than holding onto the space for House Dryden, Albert uplifted his beloved nephew to Ducal status, and granted him the surname of Folau after Kalei’s father. This effectively created House Folau, which now watches vigilantly over what is now the Duchy of Castrillon. The Duchy is named after the military planet of Castrillon, which sits as Kalei’s new de jure capital of the area. From his capital, Kalei follows the lead of his uncle and lesser cousins, implementing aristocratic policy and adapting them as needed. In recent years things have prospered with the lack of attacks and other ventures from those who’d do harm to the newly created Duchy, and thus the doors to many more opportunities have swung open. If one thing is certain, it is that Kalei is fully intent on supporting his familiar ties, and committed to founding a new Empire.

 

 

Notable Characters:

Kalei Folau - Son of the great lord Folau, now Duke of Castrillon. After his father’s death on Kaumai during the invasion, Kalei stayed with his uncle Albert where the two started a lovely friendship. This friendship is now an unbreakable bond, and Albert is now seen as more of a father figure due to his original father figure being ripped away from him at an important time in his life. Kalei is a rather impressive specimen of a human, no doubt thanks to his good stock. Undoubtedly his uncle made a wise decision to take Kalei under his wing.

Leilani Folau - Wife to Kalei for a decade now, Leilani and Kalei married in their early twenties after finding one another at a family function….the two then had their beloved son Kalani and ever since then they’d been the happy little family. Leilani is a Teniert by blood, but that seemed not to bother the two whatsoever.

Kalani Folau - Son of Kalei and Leilani, Kalani is the one and only heir of the new house. Currently at the ripe young age of 10, the young man has much to learn from his father and other family. Also a handsome young gentleman like his father, there’s no doubt he will do great things with his life.

 

Unique Military Units (Two):

Valor Class Assault Ship - A larger assault ship capable of ship to ship boarding actions, and orbit to ground deployment of Castrillon Shock Troops. These vessels are heftier than their standard counterpart, and as such move slower, in turn they are capable of holding more pods to deploy a greater number of troops. It is not uncommon to see many, many of these ships in orbit conducting training exercises.


Castrillon Shock Troops - Heavy infantry used in ship to ship boarding action, as well as orbit to ground assault actions. These men are, of course, the best that the Castrillon war world’s have to offer. Undergoing rigorous training regimes to prepare themselves for their drops feet first into hell and beyond. These units are known for their exceptionally high casualties along with their extremely high operational success rate. These units are not always found on the battlefield though, as they can be stationed on more ceremonial duties such as protecting the noble family, and other high ranking individuals.

 

 

National Idea (nothing strictly mechanical): To be determined.

 

A letter: N

[DoomedDM 20]

Nation Name: The Dominion of Badab

A brief description of National/Provincial History & Culture:

The Dominion of Badab was mainly known in the Third Empire as a strange Autocratic state at the edge of the Empire. Here their self-proclaimed Tyrants seemed to act with the interests of the populace in minds and wielded near absolute authority in their stellarchy. This was an attitude that served the Dominion well as it bordered the Irearchy. Providing a bulwark to incursion from the North.

 

This attitude and soceital structure became even more successful after the collapse of the Third Empire. Much of the galaxy chaotically descended into a warlord-like state, relying more on absolute local authority and the application of force. This harsh change for most, had already been achieved by the Domion of Badab. Though in the fall of the third empire, the Dominion lost much of it's liberal tendencies. Especially after Maru Parata's , the former Tyrant, strange resignation. In which he stated that the responsibility of command was weighing too much on him, and that he decided to retire. No records are left of him after this 'resignation'

 

After the Tyrant's 'resignation' the office of Stellarch was taken up by Hiwa Akane, a harsh army officer who swiftly enforced her authority through the stellarchy. In the aftermath of this ascendancy, Akane transformed the already heavily militarized Badabi state into a surveillance state. With the authority and fear of the Stellarch becoming more prevelant. Though the more populist elements of Badab opposed this, they were quickly forced undergrounds after a bloody purge by the Stellarch. Whilst their resurgence is prevented by an effective system of spies and both physical and digital monitoring of the citizens of the Stellarchy. 

 

Currently the Stellarchy is ruled by an autocrat (Tyrant) and is essentially a Stratocracy, with the Tyrant having supreme executive authority, and the ability to veto or force any piece of legislation. With the Tyrant being the nominal head of the military, the Office of Interal Affairs (OIA) and the Office of the Stellarch (More commonly known as the Tyrant's Hand), though their authority is mainly centered around the latter institution. 

 

The sole 'concession' to Democracy is the Assembly, an elected body of representatives who draft various laws as guided by the Tyrant's Hand. Any citizen who has served 4 years in the military or was honorably discharged can vote for this body or stand office for it. On top of this restriction, to effectively have a chance of being elected a person wishing to be elected needs to get enough media attention. Attention which can only be gained through support of the Tyrant's Hand. Thus creating a body that is nominally independent, but easily controlled by the Tyrant. 

Notable Characters:

 

Hiwa Akane:
Hiwa Akana (75 years old) is the current Stellarch of Badab. Growing up in a Low-Income household, she eagerly enlisted in the Military so as to have a chance to improve her social and economic status. As well as serving to protect her homeland against the Irik. At 18 years old she joined the officer's academy and graduated 4 years later in the top 10% of her class. Overall a good cadet, but not truly outstanding. Not yet at least. Though she did have several notes on how she could be very aggressive, as she was noted to have gotten in several fist fights.

 

After graduation she joined the Shock Troops of the Domion where her agressive tactics were highly successful, though they often resulted in higher casuatlies. Her main claim to fame was when as a Major she held the line and her command post against a force of Irik heavy infantry. During this attack she, together with three other soldiers, defeated an Irik soldier in close quarter combat. Though the two soldiers died, and the Major had to be stabilized after much of her arm was broken and muscles torn by the Irik in question.

Following her arm being amputated and replaced with a prosthetic, the Major continued to serve in the military before she rose to a prominent position the military. After this the records grow more sparse, though it is known that two decades after the Empire's collapse, she replaced Maru Parata as ruling tyrant.

 

[REDACTED]
Tbd

 

 

Unique Military Units (Two):

TBD

 

TBD

 

National Idea (nothing strictly mechanical):

TBD

A letter: R

Edited December 12, 2021 by DoomedDM

[Catostrophy 111]

 GREATER ALTAIRE

 

 

Few Stellarchies could claim that that lost their homeworld and came out stronger. What once was a place of art, wealth, and ambiguous wealth, was now a brutal, totalitarian dictatorship. Decades of running battles with its neighbours and purging itself of communist influences has left Greater Altaire a stratified, fascist aristocracy. Its people are Altairean only in name with the original Stellarchy occupied almost entirely by foreign entities. The only thing that appeared to bridge the cultural  divide between the many worlds was an ingrained hatred and fear of communism.   

As the collapse began, the House of Naei tore what it could from the carcass of the old Empire. Tarau Naei, who had never once stepped out of Altaire space, found that the Empire was only as good as it could serve his interests. When Ran-ji disbanded the senate, he did not see a terrible spectacle, but countless opportunities. The Lord of a Thousand Stars offered him dominion over his smaller neighbours for his loyalty, and his request was obliged. As the civil war continued on, Tarau found himself managing the entire Fourth Empire’s war effort -- much to his consternation. All he desired, all he dreamed of, was the destruction of the communist horde. The resources provided by Tuakeo were the perfect boon for Altaire to seize the holdings of the communists and add to its own domain. His finest fleet commander, the war-dancing Admiral Stilicho, tore a bloody swathe through the Free Workers and seized countless resources from their Red Worlds. Abandoning Tuakeo to his fate was but a formality in the end, Tarau’s fleet never left the bounds of Altaire’s territory except to murder communists. This however was a poor strategic move, and the northern worlds of his Stellarchy – including the traditional capital world Mediolanum – were stolen away from him by similarly traitorous Fourth Empire stooges, and other strange groups filling the vacuum left by the chaos. Still, gains were made, and the new territories were flushed clean of their communist roots and returned to being productive members of society. With this growth, Tarau declared his territory to be ‘Greater Altaire;’ an act to declare his new and continuing independence.

 

Decades flew by as Altaire gained, lost, and gained again. Alliances were brokered, betrayed, and broken. What remained now was core, tough territory, built to springboard Greater Altaire to greater heights. Yet, right at the moment when the next great conquest could begin, Tarau disappeared on an archaeological expedition never to be seen again. He left behind four children born from artificial means, and one born from his brief marriage. His only experience with a woman left him so disgusted that he never touched one again and divorced her immediately. This infuriated his father-in-law Admiral Stilicho who adopted the resulting bastard into his own family.

 

In the years to come, Stilicho and Tarau both agreed to keep the sons and daughters close to one-another in order to avoid a crisis of succession in years to come. The estranged family were friendly all through their youth, but as the heir Fumagalli grew to adulthood his personality became more guarded and stern. He suspected plots around each corner, and saw conspiracy in every whisper and accident. He withdrew further and further into lunacy, preferring only the company of his similarly unhinged sisters. When Tarau disappeared on a fateful archaeological expedition, Fumagalli immediately took control and executed anyone who opposed his immediate ascension. Stilicho the Elder also passed away under mysterious circumstances having died in his sleep aboard his flahship. Fratanelli was given his grandfather’s rank by the newly inaugurated Altairean Stellarch, and only retained it through the Fleet’s respect of his grandfather and nominal talent in military command. Fumagalli’s eccentricities only increased, with random executions and cullings of higher positions robbing Altaire of much of his father’s talented underlings. Those left were either too useful to be killed, or too frightened to step out of line.

 

So the situation continues. Order is maintained, but only through fear. It may only be a matter of time before something snaps...

 

Onager-Class Battlecruiser
-Battlecruiser-
Having lost much of the original Altairean fleet in the endless border wars of the collapse, the current fleet is comprised of captured communist vessels, jury-rigged cruisers, and strange amalgamations of technology. One such unusual mutation was the Onager, a battlecruiser with massive ranged guns scrounged from communist dreadnoughts. New strategies to guard far-flung territories necessitated for these massive ships to fly fast, hit hard, and fall back to preserve ship numbers. In this manner, the Onager is central to many strategies employed by Greater Altaire.
+Increased Range.
+Increased Speed.

First-Wave Auxiliaries
-Regular Infantry-
Veteran divisions experienced with planetary sieges and invasions. Blooded over and over in the FWA invasions, these soldiers have a history of being the first soldiers to place their boots on the ground of hostile worlds. They are trained for grueling battles and conditioned for meat-grinder campaigns. Long journeys through the void have robbed them of desire for personal space, and most are happy enough in claustrophobic pods. The first days of an invasion are always the bloodiest, and these men are prepared to get covered in the enemy’s and their own.
+Attack bonuses for being in the first wave of a planetary invasion.
+Two units can fit per transport.

 

Characters of Note:
Fumagalli Naei
A man born from an experimental breeding program at the insistence of his father. Despite his genes being tailored to his father’s specifications, he and the rest of his vat-born sisters displayed numerous cognitive ailments that have greatly inhibited his ability to rule through anything but sheer terror. Often refusing to wear clothes, and having no close associates outside of his equally deranged family, Fumagalli has been drifting further and further into his paranoid delusions. Not enough, sadly, to cease ordering executions and keeping the aristocracy in check (violently). Little is known of his private interests, as the personal quarters of his palace are kept hidden from any and all.

Fratanelli Stilicho.
A bastard of the late Patriarch of House Naei, Stilicho advances himself in the military at the (very insistent) behest of his half-brother. He has kept his claws on the Altariean Armada through his skill with command and fear of the mad Stellarch. He has few friends, and trusts only those directly subordinate to himself. Known to have a deep love of antiquing, much of his spare time goes towards writing and learning. It is said he seeks the birthworld of the human race, but like all such ludicrous myths there’s likely little to find.

 

National Idea:
There WILL be order!
Greater Altaire has spent decades putting down every filth-encrusted, mud-mouthed, uppity peasant it can find. Yet still it has not succeeded!  Communists, rebellions, plots, and ploys hollow the strength of the state and is not conducive to the extermination of socialist thought. All denizens of Greater Altaire must recognise the fruitlessness of immaturely combating the state, and learn the strength of a united vision. Altaire must grow stronger!
+Fewer uprisings, fewer rebellions, loyal-er citizens!
 

Edited December 13, 2021 by Catostrophy

[Alfonso X el Sabio 19]

GENERAL TSO’S 

CLIQUE

 

---

 

“Some asked me how many women I have,

Always I told them I didn't know,

A boy called me his dad,

Who I also didn't even know.”

-General Tso’s Classics, p. 781.

 

---

 

General Tso, was born to a janitor, and a food stand operator on the streets of Orteau. He lived a completely indistinguishable life from the billions of other Imperial Citizens living below the poverty line. A malnourished boy, he was eventually forced into crime, operating with the other boys in his sector in large, roving, packs of pickpocketers. Eventually, his parents separated, and he went to live with his mother, in the house of her new lover, who was a prestigious, and well known plumber, a drastic step up from her previous partner. As time progressed, he ascended the ranks within his street gang, and led them into the stars, where they became hyperlane bandits, raiding cargo ships whose captains were foolish enough to traverse the stars alone, defenseless. Eventually, he returned to Orteau, albeit only for a layover,  where he was conscripted into the Imperial Army. He was due to go to Buath,  however, missed his transport off of Orteau, because of, what he later described as,  “deliberating bowel movements.” He did however, distinguish himself in combat against the Irerachy in another world, so much so that he was rewarded with the second in command position of his unit, and successor to his commander. Following the collapse of the Empire, and the Republic had still not consolidated its rule over the eastern stretch of the galaxy, Tso remained loyal to his commander, who was promoted by Pepe to Governor, over a stretch of space not yet conquered. 

 

Tso became good friends with the Commander's son, of which he would regularly engage in extremely public narcotics usage. He would be openly intoxicated through the streets of whatever town or city he was stationed in, and was seen many times completely naked, through which he earned one of his many sobriquets, “So-so Tso”, because of his painfully mediocre fertility. Now, second in command over a large sector of planets, he was the paradigm of loyalty. On one such occasion, he arrived by his preferred mode of transportation, litter, to the Governor's Palace. Upon seeing the Governor bore cane, thrusted himself off his litter, and joined the porters, yet did not make it far, due to his very lanky nature, earning himself another appendage, “Piccolo Tso”, because his arms are nearly the width of a piccolo. 

 

His dog-like loyalty inspired many of his subservients, and kept him in the favor of the Governor to be appointed his successor, upon his passing due to an illness. After a lengthy state funeral, progressing over 17 days, he assumed command of the stellarchy. In the capital world of Mookini, he has established what is reminiscent of a medieval court, complete with a harem, court fools, eunuchs, butlers, etc. He is known to hand out honorable titles to his companions, bestowing upon Lieutenant Mein, the title of “Groom of the Stool,” a position he reserved for someone in extremely close confidence to him, however, it is not truly known whether the title is merely honorary, as some conflicting reports say otherwise. It has been proven that he is a completely terrible administrator, however, is propped up only by Mein’s genius.  

 

UNIQUE IDEAS

TBD

CHARACTERS:

Lieutenant Lokulani “Lo” Mein

 

A young, loyal servant to Tso, with exceptionally dashing characteristics. He was forced to take a vow of celibacy, by Tso, because he described needing someone “indistractable” as his second, although many believe it is to eliminate the possibility of Mein stealing one of Tso’s many concubines. An intelligent, capable young man, he is the one who attends to the day-to-day management affairs of the stellarch. 

 

Captain Eckheart “Eck” Wol

 

A lowly cruiser commander, he is a refugee from Kuamai, who sought to escape the endless war engulfing the planet. Nothing special about him!

 

Commander Dimitri “Dim” Som 

An old friend of Tso from his days as an imperial conscript, he is the commander of the _________ Legion, Tso’s most capable and effective fighting unit. He is described as the third in command, following Mein. 

A Letter: R

Edited December 14, 2021 by Alfonso X el Sabio

[bickando 3389]

Fāl's World

 

"Fāl's World? Why would you want to go there? Huh? Who cares how hot their women are when they're all Legion-nuts?"

History & Culture:

The story of Fāl's World truly begins with the sinking of the Hi-nui and the beginning of the War of Twelve Claimants. The first son of Fāl was weak-willed and bookish, prone to the deceits of overly-ambitious governors. His father's untimely death led to catastrophy; the poorly named Rūr-vai XXIV lasted only two days on his throne before the Senate declared its own Emperor and, in time, ten other claimants stood for the Starcast Throne.

 

Among these were not only cousins and uncles, but the more far-flung relations of those that had mere drops of Rūr-vai XXI's blood. Half a millennia had come and gone since Rūr-vai XII ascended to the throne atop the carcass of the Republic and burning ruins of the Core; his blood was spread wide. Only the third-most-popular claimant was Rūr-vai XXIV's third brother, Thein (stylized Fāl-uhr), a child that had begun to display Psykic powers, propped up by a portion of the Imperial Guard and Psykics loyal to the late Emperor Fāl.

 

Neither Rūr-vai XXIV nor Thein would control the Starcast Throne, in the end - as the Empire would vividly remember in the years to come, Governor Kur'skan rampaged through the Core and burned Kaumai to take it. Rūr-vai XXIV was among the candidates in talks among Kaumai's many palaces; his death, and the death of half the other claimants, was used to solidify the newly minted Hiå-vek's rule.

 

Thein, however, was offworld - visiting his mother's family among the larger governorships of the Inner Rim. More importantly, the child was popular among the Guard and the Psykics - so in a rare act of pacification, he was allowed to live so long as he gave up his claim and the claims of all his descendants. Given a child's toy, a puzzle, in trade, the young boy accepted. With a single squad of Imperial Guards and ten Psykics, he was declared governor of Orsia, a remote and boring refueling star between the Mid and Outer Rims.

 

This was the birth of Fāl's World - named truly after Fāl-uhr, Thein's would-be regnal name, that refueling star grew over the centuries into a minor beacon of pilgrimage between the outskirt rims of the Empire. Thein's descendants, after all, were true blood of Rūr-vai, after all, regardless of their growing distance to the throne's figurehead. Here, the unfortunate descendants of a failed claimant were allowed to continue their existence, and even continued to receive reinforcements to their allocation of Imperial Guards.

 

Thanks in part to its good positioning, the relatively barren planet slowly grew in population with the popularity of pre-Hatī-min stories told among the Absolutists, and soared when Rän-var used it as a secondary staging point as he mustered his fleets in the Outer Rim. Fāl's World became a designated Imperial base, complete with legions and a small garrison fleet, and even after Rän-var took the Starcast Throne, the planet stayed as such. Thein's descendants renewed their declaration of abandonment of claims, and in turn they retained their long-since hereditary governorship, finding use as a signalling station as fewer and fewer Psykics were sent to the territories of the Outer Rim.

 

With the growing instability of the Empire, however, and its rendering in two by the machinations of Republicans and Loyalists, the hyperlane that Fāl's World occupied became the site of a staring contest between the two in the Civil War. As the scope of the war grew, however, invasions were launched, and the systems bordering Fāl's World were decimated or glassed in retaliation by vengeful warlords, one by one. 

 

Fāl's World was saved only by the timely intervention of Erasmis - the abrupt end to the Civil War left the declared-neutral planet miraculously intact, and its Signalling Corps has since been used as a diplomatic middleman between the Republic and Southern Imperial Warlords. Also one of the only truly safe hyperlanes between the Republic and the Middle Rim, given the volatility of the EGPA and overrunning of the core, its capital of Orsia has become a neutral physical meeting grounds and port otherwise, overseen by a disinherited and visibly unambitious branch family of the Royal Bloodline - their only real demand to be left alone.

 

The past fifty years has seen the planet avidly continuing its military training and defense buildup, preparing for the grim possibility of either or both sides invading to use as a staging ground for the other - while at the same time, doing its best to ensure that the system's peaceful nature is clear, that any such war might avoid catastrophic damage to the system.

 

While the planet's culture is remarkably similar to a Core World, given its historically-present legion and ruling bloodline, it has made necessary changes based on circumstance - there are few lavish parties on the cool, arid surface of the planet, and its military-run academy system (originally the primary, and now only, feeder planet into Legion XXXIV) rations not just food but nearly every moment of a young citizen's life, from birth till graduation. The best are selected to serve as comrades of the governor, members of Orsia's garrisons and stations otherwise - the rest, condemned to a life that, while not uncomfortable, has neither upward movement nor great prospects otherwise. Even if they could afford to move to the unstable Republic or even less-so Middle Rim, however, few do - after all, to serve even as a citizen cog on Fāl's World is to serve divine blood, an increasingly rare and increasingly glorified distinction in the modern, chaotic galaxy.

Notable Characters:

 

 

Governor Soen

Descendant of Thein, and therefore a direct descendant of the Royal Bloodline, Soen is the hereditary governor of Fāl's World and General of the XXXIV Legion. Her late father guided Fāl's World through the Civil War with a mix of diplomacy and pragmatism; she, however, was raised not by the remnants of the Signalling Corps, but by the Remnant Guard on-planet. Her militarism in academy was well-known, but her father's death in a hostage situation-gone-wrong orchestrated by the Pirate King (and her mother's subsequent suicide) made her far moreso - she's most well-known for shooting down an unauthorized-but-unarmed Republic-bound refugee ship that had been fleeing from the Core the moment it entered her system.

 

While she is a very young and unmarried 32-year-old, her three siblings, a brother and two sisters, are even younger - Htun (the ugliest of the bunch, and therefore the black sheep) and Penden (the dumbest of the bunch, and therefore prime material to be sold off) are still teenagers in private tutelage in the palace-tower, known colloquially as the Orsia Gardens Building, while Cör-ne is only twelve.

 

Commander Paal Alln d'Orsia

A native to Fāl's World, his family has stewarded its capital of Orsia for the children of Fāl for as long as they have ruled it. Has a special penchant for space urchin ceviche. He doesn't know it, but distantly-related Paddrik Baderman d'Orsia, who is far, far uglier, thinks of him as a nemesis.

Unique Military Units

Remnant Guard

The Remnant Guard was previously three squadrons of Imperial Guards, allocated ceremonially to the distant branch family for seven hundred years. While those sent by the Core had long since grown old and died, a mixture of their descendants and the very best genetics that could be mustered from among the population is trained from birth to serve the bloodline - post-Empire, they have been called the Remnant Guard, though they are still officially the XIII Guard.

 

No matter the investment into their continued upkeep, however, Fāl's World is no Core planet, and its political abandonment has left it lacking in heavy weaponry. To compensate, their guardians have become heavily invested in on an individual basis, with lifelong training and experimental cybernetics, but lacking in such things as power armor and the heavier ordinances that accompany them. Their manuals and still-unimaginably tough training, a combination of what the Imperial Guard was once taught in Kaumai and other, dirtier street fighting taken from frontier worlds, prevents the Remnant Guard from obsolescence, and they have rested comfortably at the top of the local food chain since.

 

Legion XXXIV Signalling Corps - Psykics

Pre-Civil War, Fāl's World was used by the Empire as a collection point for requests from the Outer Rim, and so its Legion was host to a Psykic Signalling Corps - Psykic membership, three at the time. While the Civil War and its aftermath may have dwindled the numbers, all the requisite equipment, manuals, and otherwise useful guidance for the aspiring Psykic is readily available, should one become apparent on the planet. Since the end of the Civil War, Legion XXXIV's Psykics have been used as a go-between for Imperial and Republican warlords, both above and below the table, partially because they are infamously loyal only to their governor, and no governor of Fāl's World has ever given away a secret. Of course, they are also part of the Legion; and so they have been trained in its fundamental psykic interrogation and counterespionage skills...

 

National Idea

The Hi-nui Coin |

The ruling bloodline of Fāl's World is, as the name and lore imply, the descendants of Emperor Fāl's third son. They famously have the 'Hi-nui Coin' to prove it, the perfectly round coin made of booster engine displayed once every five years by the Remnant Guard and Governor before being returned to an impenetrable vault deep beneath the capital of Orsia, one that can only be opened with both the Governor's seal and the bloodline of Fāl. Debuff to compensate: I start with one planet.

A letter:b

 

[Sneaky2 14]

Ushen 

 

History: 

Ushen laid on the eastern outer rim of the Empire, and its distance from the Core made the province less likely to receive imperial visitors however the heavy amount of fuel within Ushen made it a valuable territory however the amount of Imperial Demands and the lack of compensation was starting to put a strain on the entirety of the Ushen System, and Stellarch Munir was at his breaking point with the Emperor, during the early points of the civil war. He saw his opportunity and shifted his allegiance to the Republicans. Securing them a chunk of the fuel territories and it kept Ushen safe from those who sought seize the fuel territories for themselves to their south and assured them safety. 

During the civil war, Ushen secured its position within the Republic further by obtaining another Imperial fuel refinery south of the capital of Velia. The campaign helped them gain two more territories as they seized them from the Oil Barons to the south before solidifying their power alliance. This would keep the Ushen people and the Stellarchs at constant odds with the Oil Barons only increasing the tensions between the Republic and the Barons. Once the dust settled from the Civil War, Stellarch Munir stepped down and implemented a council of representatives, appointing Captain Rein Velia, as the current head of Ushen. Following the end of his term an election by the council of representatives would be held to determine the next Ushen leader. 

Ushen’s position in the galaxy is a tenuous one, sharing a border with the oil barons and containing a large amount of fuel. Ushen has profited no less than them, however with an impending break-up between the Barons and Senate, Ushen is poised to take full advantage of the Republicans dependence and need for oil into their own gain. Gearing up silently, and preparing the borders for what would be a brutal war. General Rein is ready to guide Ushen into a name etched in history

 

Notable Figures: 

 

General Rein Velia

General Rein Velia, is one of the last remaining descendants of the Velia House, his face scarred and mutilated from an accident during his days on Vestra. Rein’s age has caught up to him physically but his mind is still sharp. He has gained the respect from the Council and his family’s name has gained the respect it once had before. However with the Barons on edge and the Republic looking to deal with her enemies, Rein has to prove his cunning to the galaxy. . 

 

Roselia Basid 

Roselia Basid, is the current head of the Basid Oil & Energy Corporation. She is as talented as she is beautiful. Her ruthless business acumen and combined with her natural ability to have people open up to her become a useful tool for herself and Ushen.  

 

Unique Units. 

Basque-Class Heavy Cruiser. 

The naval doctrine of Ushen was seeing a change, once relying on capital ships. The lack of capital ships and the ability to produce these capital ships was worrisome for many of the Ushen military leaders. A compromise was found with the introduction of the Basque-Heavy Cruiser. This ship was designed to take a beating while dishing out heavy punishment to any enemy fleet. Switching to high-grade explosive munitions, and reinforcing the ship hull with an alloy-plating allowed the ship to hit harder and see some durability increases without losing its speed. 

 

Vestra Guard

Heavy Infantry 

 

 

With the amount of fuel that Ushen exported yearly, this attracted unwanted attention across the galaxy and their shipping lanes. Unprotected and unequipped with a detachment of guards, the freighters transporting their resources were boarded and seized by pirates. The Vestra Guard were created in an attempt to neutralize the boarding attempts from pirates on any type of ship. Equipped with high-grade cybernetics, heavy armor, and ballistic weaponry, these men specialize in CQB and inner-ship combat.

 

National Idea: WIP 

 

Letter: O 

[Samoblivion 531]

Spoiler

 

 

STELLARCHY OF MATENE

 

 

 

Tanalar the Glorious

 

Many are the honours and titles of Tanalar, both earned and self-bestowed. He is the great cosmic Narcissus, perfect in physical form through luck of birth and aeons of advancements in cosmetic enhancement. A physical specimen almost unparalleled in modern humanity, born into wealth and power, and trained from birth to rule. It is no wonder, then, that he is possessed of a pathological arrogance and delusions of apotheosis. But his grandeur is certainly not a delusion. Though the foundations were certainly laid during the reign of his late father Darius, the circumstances of whose death are lost to history, it is Tanalar who presides over Matene at its greatest influence in galactic politics. He is the power behind the throne of Tuakeo II, a nephew whom he regards as little more than a puppet - the Fourth Empire, a protective apendage of his demesne.

 

That is not to say that the August Prince does not care for the successor state his father was coerced into supporting. Even a god amongst men must have a project. Something to work towards, something to improve. Tanalar has spent decades building his reputation as "the Glorious" by enriching that great extension of himself - Matene. As much effort spent violently restructuring the high social structure of the Stellarchy has been spent building artistic mega-works and institutions that parallel or exceed Kaumai. But this has been to the neglect of the wider empire. Warlords have seceded from his nephew's realm with little effort and little punishment. They, and the wider galactic powers, are an inevitable threat to the grand, celestial estate that Tanalar continues to build. How safe can one's home be with barbarians over the hill? How must their subjects languish without a suitable overlord! The Third Empire is dead, irrelevant in the main to the jewel of power, culture and prosperity that the Fourth Empire could be. Tanalar desires that future. He has never felt a sense of duty to anything - but for what he desires he would burn all in his path to ash, with a smile.

Unique Military Units:

TBD with mod consultation

National Idea:

TBD with mod consultation

A letter: J