The Empire
Eras: The spice renaissance, The imperial growth, The war of the 3 kingdoms, The renewed Empire
Location: most of the western spiral arm of the galaxy
Capital: Earth, moved to Imperialus I at the end of the Growth era.
Monarch: The Emperor, The Empress.
At the end of the Spice renaissance Era, Two Pangalactic entities revealed themselves to the city and to the world. The Emperor and the Dominatrix. Together they Expanded the reach of simulated persons to the stars. Creating the first Empire.
Both entities having their own agendas beyond the growth of Simulated society, it came to a point when the Dominatrix negotiated to have her own population to lead to greatness and was granted some border systems by the Emperor. It was also at that point in history that the Emperor moved his Capital to a new system; giving Terra and the surrounding systems independence, ending the Era of imperial growth and leading into the Era of the Wars of the 3 Kingdoms.
During the last great war, a new Pangalactic entity was unleashed by a group of pirates. The entity was then known as the Princess, she was to be the Emperor's successor. With the help of the pirates, she organized a coup. While she did not "defeat" the Immortal Emperor. The coup was a success as the Emperor chose to leave Simulated space and concede the Throne.
Technology and warfare
The Empire is second to the Terran Conglomerate in scientific and technological research. They, on the other hand have the most territory, resources and the largest military.
Nationalism
Imperials are very vocal about their sovereign, their 'God' often praising him or her in a way they feel justified by the situation and by the recent propaganda. "The Emperor protects" has been an exceedingly popular mantra on systems bordering the neutral zone. Recently, "The Empress whishes’ so..." is heard on the street as the new sovereign demands servitude and synergy from her population.
Imperials also pride themselves on being the bigger state and the strongest economy. (Despite the Terrans achieving near equal results with a fraction of the resources) Being the biggest, or the strongest always gets the cheers in a crowd. Building the HIGHEST building, Hiring the RICHEST artist to create a monument, drawing the LARGEST crowd to an event... If a record gets broken, if the top position is achieved or mentioned, most imperials feel proud.
Citizenship
Imperials will earn citizenship either through:
- academic promotion
- military service
- Honor(s) (Includes caste qualification)
- Voluntary taxation (annual citizenship)
- Public Service (annual citizenship)
It is possible to cumulate multiple levels of citizenship, the higher the level, the more influence, privilege and democratic weight one has. Citizenship can not be transferred, inherited or bought. One can give citizenship by proxy for specific purposes and a limited duration.
The caste System
In the Empire, males and females are viewed as equal and skin color is not a distinction within the fabric of society. But following the wisdom of the Emperor, high ranking officials established a caste system that lead the breeding of genetically specialized castes:
The Alphas
To qualify for the caste, one must:
- be above the 70th percentile in height for his demographic
- perform above the 80th percentile in athletic evaluations when accepted into the caste.
- have completed their academic training
- served one full term in the Imperial military before applying.
Alphas are Charismatic and pragmatic making them well suited for positions of leadership in almost every type of industry. Strong financial incentives and challenging opportunities draw many Alphas to remain with the military for multiple terms and become career officers.
The Deltas
to qualify for the caste, one must:
- Perform above the 90th percentile in any applied sciences, theoretical sciences, engineering or medicine.
- perform above the 50th percentile in athletic evaluations when accepted into the caste.
- have completed their academic training
- served one full term in the Imperial military before applying.
Deltas are cartesian minds with a natural aptitude for scientific study. Their knowledge is sought by almost every type of industry, including the military. Although Deltas rarely become career officers, many of them lead technical teams and medical teams in non-combat assignments.
The Epsilons
To qualify for the caste, one must:
- be above the 80th percentile in height for his demographic
- Perform above the 97th percentile in Philosophy or theology. Or above the 95th percentile in sociology or psychology.
- perform above the 50th percentile in athletic evaluations when accepted into the caste.
- have completed their academic training
Epsilons show strong moral fiber, they are suited to be spiritual leaders, political advisors and counsel for the Imperial elite. They inspire laws from the imperial doctrine and when needed lead inquisitions to cow the population of difficult sectors of space. As the most uncommon caste, they are sometimes viewed as holding more political power than even the Alphas.
The Omegas
To qualify for the caste, one must:
- be above the 80th percentile in height and chest measurement for his demographic
- perform above the 80th percentile in athletic evaluations when accepted into the caste.
- have completed their academic training
- served one full term in the Imperial military before applying.
Omegas are highly sought for military, law enforcement and security occupations. Because of their size mainly but also because of their military and academy training which differentiates them from the common brute. Field engineering teams often find having an Omega within their ranks useful because of their capacity and knowledge in dealing with varying terrains and climates as well as being able to do some heavy lifting and coordinating security during an assignment. Those few Omegas who combine an intellectual discipline to their physical nature can expect a very comfortable retirement. Others who show aptitudes for leadership or tactical acumen will often be promoted within the military to assume leadership roles that are usually Alpha domain.
The Casteless
Those who failed to qualify or did not make the attempt. They are the bulk of the population and still can access to citizenship, making them the main demographic by sheer number, versus the Caste qualified who each has a minimum of 3 levels of citizenship per head but are much fewer in number.
While it sometimes appears that Caste qualified personnel is everywhere, it is only the result of two bias:
- They are most often the leaders or the subject matter expert in each exchange or assignment making them memorable to the onlooker.
- People often assume a character is caste qualified because of his job. (Calling all security officers Omegas if they look the part is a common trope)
Politics after the Emperor's departure
After the coup, there has been a faire share of turmoil and uncertainty. The Empress, as she is now known, is a much newer entity and apparently more focussed on herself and her own power than empowering her flock. This has caused a slight slowdown in research and a higher level of corruption in the higher echelons.
Troops have been reassigned to garrison troublesome systems and the Imperial Navy spends more time controlling merchant vessels than patrolling the borders. The Empress also has failed to enforce any of the previous claims on systems of the neutral zone and the Nebula where she was found.
Fortunately, dissociating her rule from external affairs has bought the empire new peace with the Amazon Hive. Unfortunately, the Pirate problem might be turning into a rebellion problem if her former ally, Colonel Slander, does not get what hew considers his share of the spoils... His Republic, a former province vying for independence since the establishment of the new capital.
