Futuristic Imperium: Dramatis Personae (Characters & Great Houses)

[ValinoreanDawn]

Name: Baldor Kernunneer za Baelarius ib-ujyzah Z'hah Roi Valkoroi Rhoiamyno
Nickname: N/A
Age: 195
Birth Date: 25,514 (19,828 Imperial Calendar)
Gender: Male
Planet of Origin: Odin
Race/Species: Human
Physical Description or Image: Standing at 183cm and fit with silver hair and generally keeping a clean-shaven face or short kept beard. Possessing piercing green eyes.

Titles: Tsaraj-Emperor of the Known Universe, Master of the Galaxy, Protector of the Magellanic Clouds, Lord of the Celestial Throne
Religious Beliefs: Terranism
Personality: Baldor is publicly a benevolent and genial man. Often portrayed by Imperial Propaganda as a family man, father figure, and just ruler. Personally, Baldor is indeed a father and rules mostly with an even hand regarding civil affairs. However, the Imperial House is divided, and Baldor finds no respite among dealing with his wayward children. He is also ruthless against those that would seek to overthrow the Imperial House's 10,000-year grip on the Celestial Throne.
Family History: The Imperial House of Valkoroi Rhoiamyno has its origins with the appearance of the would-be Saint-Emperor Valorian in the climactic final months of The Shadows assault on Nova Terra. The soon to be Emperor being a military officer of some note in the court of Tsaraj-Emperor Baelan III. Imperial Records regarding the Saint-Emperor before his ascension have never been made public, or even positive to be kept at all, though some fragmentary data points to a collection of records being kept deep in the vaults of the Imperial Palace under the watchful gaze of the Imperial Praetorians.

What is understood is that Valorian was an advisor to Baelan and assisted to some degree in orchestrating the defense of Nova Terra and specifically the fortifications of the Imperial District and the deployments of the Praetorians during their stalwart actions in preventing The Shadow from penetrating the outer perimeters of the Palace.

Valorian was present during the climactic engagement before the Solutrean Gate on Nova Terra were Baelan III fell leading elements of then Imperial House Belastar's forces in a counterattack against forces of The Shadow that had landed near the Imperial Palace. This is, however, running contradictory to the established story of Baelan III dying leading the Naval forces in the massive space battle spanning the breadth of the Nova Terran solar sytem. Perishing, heroically, while leading the assault which threw back The Shadow from the planet.

Valorian in either story was reportedly present and at least according to the record taken down by others supposedly there, Baelan named him his successor. Inaugrating the reign of Tsaraj-Emperor Valorian.

Valorian then orchestrated the Imperial offensives which threw back The Shadow from the Milky Way Galaxy and pursued it throughout the Magellanic Clouds. Returning to Nova Terra in Triumph and already beatified as Saint-Emperor even within his lifetime.

Since then, the Imperial House has maintained its grip on power through this heritage and that of Valorian's Solarian blood. Even if diluted over the generations since the reign of Valorian's son.
Personal Biography: Baldor was born to Tsaraj-Emperor Koronus I on the Imperial paradise world of Odin. A part of the Imperial Demesne. A lush temperate world of snowy winters, warm beach filled summers, high mountains, and verdant valleys. Its diverse ecology partially artificial by the time of his birth. Baldor would be primarily raised by his mother Verina and the Imperial Chamberlain Ernest da'Zurgenfeld. This was likely the best course of action given Koronus was a lazy, incompetent, greedy ruler who could have instilled any of those traits within his young son.

At the age of eighteen Baldor surprisingly took command of Imperial Army forces aiding Imperial House allies in the Perdatus Gulf. The Gulf being one of over a dozen century-old multi-system spanning warzones in the Imperium by this point. The Imperium on one side, and a confederation of religious groups on the other bound by the broader Tao-Shiite faith.

Baldor would serve with distinction and earn many deserved awards for gallantry and tactical acumen. Earning the respect of the Imperial Army personnel under him.

Baldor would also serve as representative to his father on the matters of the Imperial Senate and High Judiciary as Imperial Executor. A title for those acting on the emperor's own authority and capacity. Should the Emperor be unable or unwilling to be present. A fact evident with Koronus who vehemently saw leaving the pleasure complexes of Odin as beneath him.

By the time of Koronus death in 25,614 of what was publicly stated to be natural causes; though some among the Imperial Houses's inner circle of servants would suggest Baldor did away with his father as a means to try and reverse the thrones fortunes with him at the helm. At either rate Baldor was swiftly crowned Tsaraj-Emperor with much pomp on Nova Terra and began actively working to shore up the Imperial House's position within the Galactic Imperium. A vigor that only dimmed in the last decade following the disappearance of his son and heir, Valorian, and the infighting of his daughters: Valeria and Verina.


Great House Information:
Full Name of House: The Celestial and Glorious Scions of the most Beneficent Saint-Emperor the Imperial Household of Valkoroi Rhoiamyno
Shorthand Name: Imperial House Valkoroi Rhoiamyno
Capital World: Nova Terra/Odin
Population: 897 Billion

Culture: The Imperial House of Valkoroi Rhoiamyno presides over Nova Terra which is known for natives possessing cat eyes. While the House is mostly of Terranist faith.
Social Structure & Status of Species: The Imperial House like many of the Great Houses are humanocentric in their doctrines and legislation. However, the vast majority of Imperial servants are human regardless. Socially the Imperial House's territories represent the breadth and width of the Imperium with people from all walks of life.

Military and Security Forces:
The Tsaraj'kar:

The ominous elite warriors of the Emperor hail from the hellish world of Demimonde and supplied by the inhabited moon of Vulcana. The Tsaraj'kar are organized into Legions of 10,000 personnel and are fully self-contained as a military force. But will be stationed aboard ships if needed. Much to the dislike of many Naval crews. The Tsaraj'kar are fanatical zealots for the Imperial House's cause and infamously spare none unless their rules of engagement specify them to do so.

The Tsaraj'kar are not made but born on the planet of Demimonde and put through rigorous indoctrination while merely trying to survive on their purposely chosen homeworld. A world chosen by the Saint-Emperor Valorian to be the adoptive home for a breed of soldiers loyal to the Imperial House. To serve as unquestionably loyal soldier-zealots. Their indoctrination begins immediately and from the time they could crawl their training begins. Tsaraj'kar are trained to fight without the pretense of it being training throughout their whole upbringing. The only tenets that matter is the loyalty to the Imperial House as their spiritual masters, and victory. As such Tsaraj'kar units care little for their own losses and are just as capable operating independently as they are fighting in formations.

The Imperial Navy
The Imperial Fleet operates several thousand vessels under the banner of the Imperial House ranging from small interdiction corvettes to multi-kilometer long battleships fielding lance and kinetic weapons capable of leveling mountains and boiling lakes dry. However, even the mightiest of Imperial warships are dwarfed by the ships of the Imperial Superluminal Guild which can carry entire fleets in their holds.


Planetary Demesne:
Nova Terra (Throneworld of the Imperium)
Odin
Vulcana
Signus Prime
Demimonde
Sagittar Prime

 

[Akewla]

Kethryllia Moonblade lamYirulan Sacarith


Nickname: Sacarith lamKhanel / Daughter of Sacarith

Age: 35

Birth Date: 25,674 (19,888 Imperial Calendar)

Gender: Female

Planet of Origin: Irulan

Race/Species: Human

Physical Description or Image: 179CM, slim/slender build, shoulder length blonde hair combed neatly back. Has formal wear nearly all the time.

Titles : Overseer lamYirulan, Duchess of Yirulan, Lady Admiral of the Dreadfleets

Religious Beliefs: Terranism

Personality: Aloof and stoic. The hallmark of House Sacarith. In matters of the House she is imperturbable. She’s in it for the long run, a relay race across the generations passed down by her ancestors; her choices oftentimes are borderline treasonous to most except members of House Sacarith

Family History:

Once upon a time, House Sacarith and by extension the Ancient World Irulan would’ve been considered by many a star empire by herself, spanning tens of worlds across the sector of Dresreth.

All brought to heel by the arrival of the shadows.

It’s unknown how Irulan had not been cracked during the purge. Some say it was due to a returning Phoenix fleet. But records state a single Phoenix fleet was no match for a shadow assault force.

The galaxy at large would not hear from the inhabitants of the Dresreth sector for close to two hundred years.

When the call for reinforcements had come from Nova Terra, House Sacarith and Irulan answered; blackened hulls of the dreadfleets came and they held the line above Nova Terra. But the firefight had been too fierce, by the time Her Majesty Baelan III’s death had been announced it was too late, another red streak in House Sacarith’s ledger.

Personal Biography:

Kethryllia Moonblade lamYirulan Sacarith is young by Imperium standards. Thrusted upon the office of Dukedom after the disappearance of the Sacarith Patriarch.

There’s not much to say about her younger years, except she’s not unlike her father. Like a shadow, she follows in his footsteps; Fist over heart, and bars on her shoulders. If there is an image definition of a Yirulite and House Sacarith, she would be it.

Attaining the rank of Commodore at the age of 28, she would then be given command of a Night Fury-class cruiser from Dreadfleet Primus. Her career from then on is that of a typical House Heir: a valiant rescue into deep space, would actually ram her ship into a pirate (Fortunately her bridge officers persuaded her to use weapons instead) and the occasional tomfoolery (Bombarding a rival house’s supply depo and subsequently jumping out of system).

Her career had to be put on hold when she received news of her father’s disappearance. Her first order has High Admiral and House Duchess had been to mobilize Dreadfleets Primus and Secundus alongside the mothball fleets to turn every stone in the Dresreth sector.

It has been 8 years since then and chances grow slimmer each passing day.

Great House Information:

Full Name of House: Yirulan House of Admirals Sacarith

Shorthand Name: Sacarith Dominion

Capital World: Irulan

Population: 42 Billion

Culture:

The Sacarith Dominion stretches from Irulan to Laloria, a total of two inhabited planets.

One of the only Yirulan exports are it’s ships. One of the best makes in the galaxy, yet only a shadow of their formerselves. The destruction of the phoenix shipyards had crippled the Yirulan Military complex and it’s expected to recover fully in a few decades.

It’s other exports before the fall of shadows were crewmen. Only Yirulites knew the full extent of a Yirulite warship, and only a Yirulite placed their full trust in the machine. However, the war had nearly wiped out the Sacarith Dominion. Thus, with the grace of the imperial throne, they are exempted from exporting their valued servicemen.

Social Structure & Status of Species:

The Sacarith Dominion keep to themselves nowadays, few if any trade ships that go through their systems are kept on a tight leash. Gene tampering and cybernetics are considered impure to the Yirulites.

Military and Security Forces:

Dreadfleet Primus I and Dreadfleet Secundus II:

The Sacarith Navy has never been seen again since the Defence of Terra Nova. The blackened angular hulls retreating into deep space the moment the last shadow ships were destroyed.

However, it is speculated that Dreadfleets Primus I prowls the home system of Sacarith Dominion of Yliant. With Dreadfleet Secundus II somewhere outside the star system of Laloria.

The Galactic Imperium has made formal requests to be made privy of the location of the dreadfleets; as intelligence reports that House Sacarith has housed all of it’s doomsday weapons aboard the battleships of both Primus and Secundus.

The Yirulites avoid ground warfare. The troops that they do have are highly specialized for one form of warfare: to strike the enemy after a year-round orbital bombardment.

 

[Mechking]

Name:

Drathuul Hrinmuk del Solwev Mirlath Cthaal

Nicknames:

Chosen One, Valorians Rincarnation, Lazy Bastard, Drathi

Age:

130

Birth Date:

25,579 (19,893 Imperial Calender)

Gender:

Male

Planet of Origin:

Midare

Race/Species:

Modified Human

Physical Description:

6 foot 3
230 pounds
Slightly chubby/"dad bod"
Dead eyes with eye bags


Titles:

King of Mirlath Cthaal

Religious Beliefs:

None, Terranism publicly

Personality:

Drathuul was an outgoing and cheery person who was stern when necessary. After years of belligerent laziness and hedonism not much remained. Now he seems to be mostly fueled by spite against what he has become. A deep self-hatred and cruelness seems to have taken ahold of him although he still values effort, fairness, and justice. Though any shred of mercy and cheeriness seems to be long gone.

Family History:

During Tsaraj-Emperor Vaolrians reign and after the Shadow was defeated, many fleets were sent into the galaxy to reclaim what was lost during the war. Some of them would unite under the banner of Mirlath and reclaim a huge chunk of the Milky Way galaxy. The reclaimed planets grew over the years and the reclamation efforts eventually came to an end. By then house Mirlath grew quite bloated with growing colonies and thus established an alliance with the Trade Houses of Cthaal and managing these as well as the trade flow between the outer colonies and the core worlds.

Over the millenia these two houses grew closer together, often marrying into each other, and they eventually completely united under one house. Their roots of developing colonies eventually shifted towards military defense while their strong economy supported their territory. After a lot of warfare and politics they have eventually been granted the title of King with support of the Tsaraj-Emperor generations ago.


Personal History:

Drathuuls father struggled a lot with managing his vast domain and so saw hope in a prophecy that the first Valorian, or someone like him, will soon appear.
He soon became obsessed with it and decided to mold his unborn son into the perfect "vessel".
No expense was spared to modify him and with the help of (Kloudies house) they added everything that was possible.

They made his son a Savant and added some Xeno DNA to surpass human limits, stretching what was previously thought to be possible.
The body was better in all aspects compared to even the most advanced modifications, rivaling even cybernetics in some cases.
And the brain was meant to be the peak of all Savants, although how successful that was was never determined.


From his birth Drathuul was trained to be the perfect successor and from a young age he aided his father in managing their vast domain.
In his late 20s Drathuul was declared as the new head of house Mirlath Cthaal and thus its King and his parents retired in the core worlds.
Just a few short decades later the house was stabilized and all big problems solved, and thus peacefuly.

But with no challenge, Darthuul grew bored.
He tried many ways to entertain himself and keep his brain occupied and so he eventually became a frequent visitor to the pleasure palaces.
There he spent most of his time, making new acquaintances and making new children.
Due to his outgoing personality (and Solarian blood) he was quite popular and wasted much of his houses wealth there in the following decades.

Without his management the house is now crumbling along with the rest of the empire.
So he finally returned to check on where his money went, only to realize what his once great house had become.
Overcome with realization and grief, he secluded himself for multiple months, only to emerge with spiteful determination.

He has made a lot of big mistakes.
And now he wants to rectify them.

With the few loyal retainers he has left, plus a fully sentient AI, Drathuul wants to establish a Meritocracy.
But first, he has a lot of cleaning up to do.


Miscellaneous:

Drathuul has a clone of himself hidden away somewhere in case of emergencies.
It has all of his enhancements and knowledge but not his life experiences.

Great House Information:

Full name of the house:

Grand Sovereignity Mirlath United Reclamation Front and the Trade Houses of Cthaal

Shorthand name:

The Mirlath Cthaal Sovereignity

Capital World:

Midare

Population:

245 Billion

Culture:

The House of Mirlath Cthaal are mostly know for obsessing over things.
Each member of their main family seems to attach overwhelming importance to a single or a few things, no matter how weird they might be.
Once these attachments are fulfilled or gone they tend to grow lazy and bored until they find new ones.

As for their territory, its culture is as diverse as it is vast, only perpetuated by their mercantile nature.
In recent centuries a sort of dichotomy has begun to form, between those that wish to explore and those that wish to secure their homes.

Social Structure & Status of Species:

In its prime the house was known for tolerance and equal opportunities but in recent decades it has fallen in line with the wider imperium in their focus on humanity.

Military and Security forces:

"Alloy Shield" Defense Force

Formerly an elite force that focused on planetary and territorial defense, it has since grown bloated and corrupt.
Deals are made with pirates and warlords and focus is given on comfort over practicality.
Nepotism and favoritism runs rampant and money is "lost" into private pockets whenever possible.
Even planetary strongholds now more closely resemble luxury resorts than military installations.

Planetary Demesne:

Midare

Exogal

Hortes

Yukawan

Cy

Special Forces:

Scholars of The End

A former intelligence gathering institution now run by scientists and fanatics, they believe that another catastrophe akin to the Shadow or the Data Blights
will soon befall mankind and are thus traveling the Empire to preserve as much knowledge as possible.
The Gatherers travel the Empire to retrieve as much technology, history, etc, as possible while The Preservers categorize it and store it in as many different forms and places as they can.​

 

[LadyOfStars]

Delphinius Aurelion

​

Name: Delphinius Aurelion

NIcknames: Del, The Shadow Prince

Age: 18

DOB: 25,691 CE

Gender: Male

Place of Origin: Amethite

Race/Species:
Modified Cybernetic Humans & Full AI

Physical Description:
Delphinius stands at 6ft tall, an unmodified height that makes him taller than the average male in his bloodline. His dark skin is complimented by locks of purple hair adorned with golden hair pins. Golden tattoos cover his face, marking him as a descendant of the Aurelion bloodline while the gold choker around his neck symbolizes him as Head of the house and gives him authority over all machines produced in an Aurelion factory.

Titles: Duke of Amethite, High Architect of Technology and Science

Religious Beliefs: N/A

Personality:
Like many of his people and his predecessors, Delphinius is a dreamer, an artist and a creative who seeks to bring his dreams into the physical world. He approaches leadership with hesitation and caution, never making hasty decisions and spending time considering all options available before making a choice. He is notorious for spending more time in the laboratory than than in meetings, but the scientist appreciate that part of him.

Family History:
House Aurelion rose to power when their devotion to technology and science won them the respect of their peers and their impressive creations allowed them to secure valuable contracts with wealthy partners. They would grow to control the entirety of their home world, a moon they renamed Proto and would go on to construct a dyson sphere in their home system through the use of robot labor.

After proving not only their capability but also their determination, House Aurelion joined the imperial stage as one of the Great Houses and helped push imperial technology to new heights. They took the time to genetically engineer their people to make sure their bodies were more accepting of cybernetic implants.

It wasn’t long before House Aurelion would create a superior form of stealth tech that they would go on to use in almost every machine that they created for themselves. This made them a military threat even though their fleets were not as large as other notable forces.

Personal History:
Being born during a time of relative peace, Delphinius spent much of his youth with his head in the clouds. Tutoring sessions and lessons to help prepare him for leadership sometimes went in one ear and out the other as he spent his time day dreaming. The only time anyone managed to actively capture his attention was when he would accompany his mother on trips to the laboratories on Amethite to see the newest prototypes rolling off the assembly lines. The sights were wonderous and getting to see the future of his people being created was inspiring. Anytime he needed to be found, the staff knew they could find him down with the nerds, drawing up new blueprints for the engineers and mechanists.
Unfortunately for Delphinius his elderly father's worsening state of health meant that he would have to stop dreaming and start working. He only made it through the years of study and meetings by apprenticing under one o f the most decorated engineers of the time. So while he learned the ins and outs of ruling he also learned how to assemble robots and repair ships. Then when his father died and he was promoted to the position of leader, Delphinius got a glimpse of the big picture and was somewhat frightened by it. The empire's fragile state makes him anxious of what he might be faced with in the very near future.

Misc.: N/A

Great House Information:

Full Name of House: Aurelion Technology Enterprises

Shorthand Name: House Aurelion

Capital World: Amethite

Culture:
House Aurelion is known mostly for being dreamers, but they have a reputation for making those dreams come true through the use of advanced technology. The people of Amethite and its claimed territories live in the lap of luxury with most jobs filled by robots and other synthetic lifeforms. The organic populace is free to pursue whatever scientific and/or technological calling they see fit. Most often they choose to lay back and relax though.

House Aurelion’s biggest export has always been recreational, occupational, and practical devices of all kinds and many people come to Amethite to partake in the rare attractions that can only be found on the Aurelion home world. Military weapon contracts are their second largest export.

After The Shadow many of those under Aurelion rule turned from Terranism and religion altogether and put their faith solely in technology.

Social Structure & Status of Species:
House Aurelion of course prioritizes organic life, but they also support and protect Full Ai as well, offering them full citizenship. Even base robots are protected under union laws that require test and regular maintenance for them. They prize creative thinkers and savvy minds above all else, but welcome all forms of life and people from every background.
Military and Security Forces:
The fleets of House Aurelion are negligible, but what they lack in ships they make up for in devastating technology and powerful weapons that utilize stealth tech to out maneuver and evade enemies.

• Cloaked Star Rings - Dozens of these large rings are littered across Aurelion space and act not only as watchtowers in the void but as mines among the stars. They are capable of disabling the communication systems, hijacking the controls, and even killing the engines of passing vessels.
  Spoiler: Cloaked Rings

  
• Celestial Canons - Designed for the Emperor after The Shadow's attack on the capital of Nove Terra, these deep space weapons warp into location and hide using stealth tech while they position themselves and take aim. This devastating power is only made available to House Aurelion and the Imperial seat.
  Spoiler: Canon

  

Planetary Demesne:
Amethite - Capital
Proto
Ix
Science outposts

Special Forces:
The Amethyst Order - Under the leadership of the head of House Aurelion a special unit is trained to utilize stealth technology to protect the intellectual property and future of the Aurelion domain. These spies and assassins are teachers, scientists, and advisors on other worlds, waiting and hiding in plain sight for the chance to protect and serve House Aurelion.

Spoiler: Agents

 

[Crocodile]

Name: Xilian Denarius
Nickname: The Emperor's Accountant
Age: 200
Birth Date: 25,509 (19,823 Imperial Calendar)
Gender: Male
Planet of Origin: Hades
Race/Species: Human
Physical Description:
Xilian is a tall, well kept man who maintains a closely trimmed beard and mustaches. His blonde hair shows hints of grey here and there, an aesthetic choice most Mercatores make to show some semblance of age and experience. Xilian favors dark, subdued outfits made of very fine materials. Almost all Doges have favored a similiar style as flaunting the wealth of the true master of the Mercatores seems like a strutting peacock, a behavior associated with the most annoying of nobles.


Titles: Doge of the Mercatores Houses, Voice of the Signoria, Lord of House Denarius

Religious Beliefs: Atheist (Feigned Terranism with emphasis on the ancient god Hades)

Personality: Xilian is a patient and calculating man, who can come across as a bit cold to those outside his personal circles. He takes pride in what he had achieved and shares the disdain common in most Mercatores for those nobles prone to ego or pomposity. His tongue is sharp and he isn't shy about criticizing those around him. Xilian understands the need to keep his people prosperous if only to avoid assassination attempts. His deeper concerns though are ensuring that his people survive the likely coming collapse of the Imperium.

Family History: House Mercatores can hardly be called a true family, buts its countless merchant houses have stuck firmly together to repel the efforts of the nobility to dominate them. The Mercatores formed in the aftermath of the Shadow, various merchant houses and interests attempting to help rebuild. They found themselves the targets of the predations of various nobles who thought they could dominate these lowborn souls. After growing clashes and near rebellion, the Imperial House commanded that the merchants organize into a form that could have a voice in the halls of power. Many of these merchant houses came together and formed the Mercatores Trade Consortimu of Merchant Houses. This vast organization of competing merchant groups was granted a singular ducal seat which took the title of Doge.

The Mercatores organized into their own assembly known as the Signoria, from which the most powerful and influential merchant houses could nominate their leaders for the position in an election. The Doge is a lifetime seat once elected, ensuring stability for the Mercatores. Admittedly, it is a self policing station as the Mercatores engage in much internal intrigue. A failing Doge is likely to be assassinated to clear the seat for a new election. This happens from time to time but never without good reason. Anyone attempting to assassinate the Doge while he is performing well is considered such a faux paus that the guilty merchant house almost always gets torn to pieces by the others before any official can do something about it.

Xilian Denarius of House Denarius ascended within the past decade. House Denarius is known to have relations with various Mercenarii and Charter Fleet houses, but not for the reason most would expect. Information is the main commodity that House Denarius specialized in, one of the various private intelligence firms that exist in the Mercatores to cater to the various intrigues. House Denarius defined itself by specializing in external issues, making it very valuable to the military merchant houses. This built a powerful foundation of support that allowed Xilian to eventually make his move to kill Lord Rozil Winnius, the previous Doge. It was said to be a very artful poisoning.

Since his ascension, Xilian has done his utmost to ingratiate himself and House Mercatores to the Imperial House. This has lead to the derisive nickname of 'The Emperor's Accountant' to be uttered among those nobles not fond of the uppity merchant houses. Few realize that even while Xilian faithfully serves the Imperium, he has continued to work quietly towards laying groundwork to prepare for the potential collapse of the Imperium.

Great House Information:
Full Name of House: Mercatores Trade Consortium of Merchant Houses
Shorthand Name: House Mercatores
Capital World: Hades
Population: 200 Billion

Culture: House Mercatores values merit and talent above breeding, species or even synthetic status. They have a disdain for stuck up nobles, shamelessly making breeding jokes about those sorts while giving respect to others who actually demonstrate talent and ability. Bloodlines mean little and so merchant houses in Mercatores will trade, adopt and recruit among themselves to shore up the well-being of their profits and sustainability. What noble blood that exists in Mercatores is simply the happy accident of high status, low income nobles needing wealth infusions to sustain their families.

Social Structure & Status of Species: House Mercatores snubs humanocentrism due to the returns multiculturalism produces for their vast array of mercantile services and operations they operate across the Imperium. Aliens can hold any position in the House save Doge, and that is simply because even the aliens agree that would be suicide for House Mercatores. It is a known fact that the Mercatores military is heavily populated with aliens that have an almost fanatical loyalty to the Mercatores for this open-minded approach even if they know its driven entirely by the pragmatic pursuit of profit. There are rumors that sapient AIs receive similar treatment.

Military and Security Forces:
Mercenarii
Few would think reliance upon sellswords would be a viable defense strategy, but the Mercatores have turned it into an artform. Every soldier employed by the Mercatores is under contract, well-paid and supplied to ensure successful pursuit of military ventures. Any Mercenarius that survives to the completion of their contract receives an impressive payout package and various other benefits that often have led to the foundation of new merchant houses which may form their own Mercenarii companies. The tradition is so strong that proportionally, humans are the minority in the Mercenarii. This has led to the practice of wearing fully sealed body armor if only to avoid the annoyance of xenophobic customers. Mercenarii can be found across the Imperium, fulfilling contracts with countless Houses, the Guild or even the Emperor for matters deemed unworthy of the attention of the Tsaraj'kar. Where there is coin to be had in conflict, the brass armor of Mercenarii are certain to be found in rapid order.


Charter Fleet
Like the Mercenarii, the Charter Fleet is technically a contracted mercenary force. Each vessel paid under tightly negotiated contracts to serve in the name of the Mercatores and their various interests. Charter Fleet vessels are often armed merchant men but about a full third of them are devoted entirely to military operations to patrol trade lanes, hunt pirates... and engage in privateer activities. This causes some friction and accusations of piracy, but there is always some legitimate contract or reason for Charter Fleet ships to be operating in a region. Most squadrons are owned and operated by individual merchant houses, but all answer to the Doge and Signoria on matters outside of House Mercatores itself. Their ships tend to be amalgams of various state of the art technologies fused together into a working assembly that suits the needs of the fleet. It is rumored that a number of Charter Fleet merchant ships are actually Q-ships, sporting hidden weapon arrays. As with the Mercenarii, Charter Fleet ships and personnel completing their service contracts will be granted large boons. This swells the ranks of the Charter Fleet with many aliens as well, seeking to climb in a society that will let them.


Special Forces
The Gardeners
Probably the most terrifying institution and business under the control of House Mercatores is simply referred to as The Garden, based on Persephone. From here, countless special operatives are trained to operate on behalf of House Mercatores or the merchant houses that can afford to buy the services of a Gardener. The name while so simple and disarming causes dread in just about any Mercatores who knows what they are. Gardeners specialize in espionage and sabotage, but all are trained field combatants with superb equipment. A dead operative is a bad investment. The only Gardeners ever seen in the open are the personal guard that surrounds the Doge or ranking Mercatores representatives out in the greater Imperium. Most outside the Mercatores only learn about Gardener presences when the sabotage starts.


Planetary Demesne:
Hades (Mercatores Capital)
Persephone (Exotic Goods, Specialized Services)
Charon (Transshipping Hub, Factory World)
Various Mercatores Trade Enclaves

 

[ThatWhichShouldBe]

Reach Heaven through Violence.
- Ganesha Orion Shienjing, Sword-Buddha, Founder of the Absolute Blade Art Sect.

Name: Grandmaster Lancelot ten Maya ten Meti ten Ryo ten Ryam ten Galbi
Nicknames: Crescent Moon Blade
Age: 30
Birth Date: 25,679 (19,993 Imperial Calender)
Gender: Male
Planet of Origin: Swordsreach
Race/Species: Modified Human

Physical Description: Lancelot is a well-muscled young man with rugged, imperious features. His face is almost permanently set in an expression of tranquility, unperturable and immovable. He moves with a humble economy of motion that belies his utter and absolute lethality. His clothing follows suit. It consists of the traditional robes of the Order overlaid with modern armor plate- for as Grandmaster of the Sect, it is a matter of pride that he is ever ready for war.

Titles: Imperial Savant, Fourth Degree Sword-Saint, Supreme Grandmaster, the Sixth Maybe Blade

Religious Beliefs: The Absolute Blade - The tenets of the Absolute Blade Sect are simple. Existence is action, and thus by nature, conflict. Virtue is excellence of action and existence. Thus, virtue is excellence of conflict. From these principles was born an order that prides itself on mastering all forms of battle- from the rhythm of railgun fire in the black void, to the singing of fighters, to the harmonies of clashing swords. There is no aspect of combat that is not part of that singular truth. To master oneself is to master war. And so, is to master existence.

And there are no masters like those of the Absolute Blade.

Personality: Many wonder if Lancelot has a personality at all- that he is not some misbegotten genetic construct of a human, emotionless, made to be the perfect warrior the Sect has longed to create. The truth is not so simple. Lancelot was born a child with nothing. He rose from nothing. He has what he has now because he has fought and bled for it, and now he stands upon the peak. What now, he wonders, to do... next?

Family History: He has none. His genetic lineage before he joined the Sect is traced amongst mongrels, and after, it is intermingled with innumerable modifications by the Sect's master Gene-artisans. But his apprenticeship lineage? That is another thing entirely, and is what is considered 'truly' mattering amongst the blademasters of the Sect. He is the first student of Maya Mathangi ten Meti, "Slay the Gods and Topple their Thrones", the most skilled swordswoman of the previous generation- and without question, the greatest warrior in the Galaxy up to her natural death. He is heir to the Maybe Sword, the Life-Cut, a doctrine of war, a hideously refined blade-art that is widely considered perhaps the closest one that exists to the 'ideal' the Sect so seeks. None of these lineages members have become Grandmaster up until him, for most were preoccupied with mendicancy and meditation. Legendary warriors one and all, each of them worth even a hundred Tsaraj'kar- or so it is said.

Now that one of the Maybe Blades sits upon the Unconquered Seat, who knows what comes next?

Spoiler: Personal History

There is a world, a great ecumenopolis in the Empire. It is one of many. But this one was once a shrine-world, to the bodies of holy megafauna the size of skyscrapers- revered as gods now dead. But that is no longer. Here is corruption and chaos. Vile Flesh-Guilds hawk their wares in the open, and the gods’ own corpses are plastered with advertisements and hollowed out, used as housing by the wealthy and powerful. What were once holy streams are fouled by pollution and filth. The streets know violence daily, master martial-artists and gunslingers slaughtering each other in gang battles, factions trying to control the beating heart of the Sector’s commerce.

Lancelot was a street child in this chaotic place. He grew up learning to do odd jobs, scavenging the waste bins of the High Districts for pieces of technology, and fleeing whenever things would get dicey. He was fast and he was quick, but that was not enough for this world. He had seen the wrong thing. It was the end for him. He prepared to die, closing his eye- right up until he heard a voice. Lancelot opened his eyes to see the gangsters turning about, glaring at an interloper. A portly old woman, dressed in layers upon layers of clothing, holding a broken sword. Barely an inch of blade remained. At her neck hung a begging bowl on a loop of beads.

The old woman asked the gangsters a single question.

“What do you think about Death?”

It was all over in a handful of heartbeats. The old woman moved faster than he could see, and the gangsters were all ghosts before their heads slipped off their shoulders. The woman introduced herself as Maya Mathangi Ten Meti, and offered him a proverb for his troubles.

“If you should ever meet God on the Road”, she spoke serenely, “Kill him.”

Before Maya Mathangi ten Meti departed, Hoyun begged her to teach him how to wield a sword, how to fight as she had. He knelt before her and pressed his head to the ground, pleading for her tutelage. She deliberated on this for a moment, and shook her head.

“A sword is an ugly piece of metal,” the old woman explained with great patience, “and all its adherents idiots. I am one of these most exquisite idiots. You, however, can be much more than an idiot. You are still young.”

But the boy insisted, and Maya Mathangi ten Meti relented. She asked him to bring forth a piece of paper, readily found in one of the dead gangster’s belongings, and brought forth a brush, inkstone, and well. Upon it, Mathangi ten Meti wrote the words of the Maybe Blades. It was astonishingly short, taking up only the two sides of the paper. The old swordswoman explained that if he learned the contents of the manual, truly understood it in his heart and soul, then the boy would be a better swordsman than she could ever be.

Lancelot grasped the piece of paper like it was gold, and devoured the contents, committing it to memory. And he became very confused. It was profoundly unclear and unintuitive in its instructions in one line, and yet detailed the foundations of swordsmanship exactly in the next. Hoyun nodded in gratitude towards the old woman anyways, and took the piece of paper with him as he went home. He meditated upon it. Lancelot performed exercises as the manual described, and pondered its meaning. Weeks turned to months.

Though Maya Mathangi ten Meti never imagined it would occur, Lancelot began to truly comprehend the text- its memetic structures unlocking deep regions of the brain, unleashing his bodily potential. When the old master heards of a nigh-unstoppable swordsman arising on the world, she returned to collect her pupil. After all, to leave him lying around would have risked him turning into a wild beast with such skills. So she brought him to Swordsreach- the beating heart of the Absolute Sword Sect.

The rest is history.

Great House Information:

Full name: The Most Honored and Virtuous Absolute Blade Art Sect
Shorthand name: The Bladesect

Capital World: Swordsreach - 50 Billion

Culture: The nature of the Absolute Blade Sect is constant competition and improvement. To always seek to better themselves, clashing with those renowned to hone and sharpen their skills. With such things comes a prideful streak that brooks no offense. Legendary are the feuds of the Sect- Houses destroyed in terrible nights of steel and fire, Schools battling in the streets of Swordreach. Great is their reputation for arrogance. What is valued in the Absolute Blade Sect is prowess and its exhibition- along with an ironclad sense of principle. This sense of principle need not be good or bad. But those of the Sect are men, not beasts. There must be a bottom line.

Social Structure & Status of Species: The Absolute Blade Sect is structured along complicated lineages of master-apprentice, with each School of the Sect forming its own unique philosophy on combat- and an accompany history of rivalries and friends.

Military and Security forces: In times of war, the Absolute Blade Sect rouses a most terrible host. The Ten Thousand Swords are among the best fighting forces in the Empire, perhaps second only to the Tsaraj'Kar. Even then, this is above all due to the Tsaraj'Kar's much greater discipline than the unruliness of the Ten Thousand Swords- for they are volunteers from amongst the many, many schools of martial mastery in the Sect. With all the egos that implies. Your average Sect-member does not possess the skill of a Tsaraj'Kar either- but it is those great masters and warriors of renown amongst the Absolute Blade Sect who exceed the skill of all but the greatest of the Tsaraj'Kar that make the Absolute Blade Sect a sleeping dragon. In space, at sea, in sky or upon earth- the Ten Thousand Swords make of war an art.

Planetary Demesne: Swordsreach, Swordsreach Orbital Ring

Special Forces: The Sword-Saints
The Sword-Saints are few in number- only around two thousand ever existing in the whole of the Sect. Each one of them is a Savant, recognized by the Empire, in the area of battle. Whether it be mastery of the pole-arm, the sword, the hammer, the fighter-craft, the mounted beast or the fleet-maneuver, they have found an incredible understanding of war. To be a swordsmaster is not merely to be master of one discipline, however- it is to be master of many, and to be of legendary prowess in some specific arena. If they are roused and unleashed, they are a force even the Emperor of the Known Universe may envy.

 

[General Deth Glitch]

Sveldis Kaedaelis Vers'teeka 'Isk Melverdian of the Tended Groves
Nickname: Kaedal / The Druid
Age: 95
Birth Date: 25,614 (19,928 Imperial Calendar)
Gender: Male
Planet of Origin: Melver
Race/Species: Mostly Human
Physical Description or Image: The Druid is fairly pale skinned, despite the amount of time he spends under the rays of Melver's star. He is fairly tall, but most strikingly, when seen in person, are the sections of bark like skin and the leaves that appear to grow in his hair.

Titles: High Archon of the Grove Worlds, First Keeper, Grove Tender of the Tended Groves
Religious Beliefs: A young sect of Mahayana Shinto Dharma, expanding on mankinds need to care and shepherd what Sveldis Kaedaelis terms 'the low species' or the species, currently, unable to manipulate and adapt the world to their needs as humans and other 'high species' can.

Personality: Sveldis Kaedaelis or the Druid, is generally a caring and respectful person, especially to those who serve under him. To others of other houses who he must interact with he would seem far more driven and forceful. The reality is often somewhere between those two, his dedication to his beliefs and his obsession with the natural world lead him to acting very calculating on the imperial stage but those same beliefs and interests give him a desire to treat those who share those ideas with kindness and warmth.

Family History: The Vers'teeka 'Isk Melverdian have a long history of affinity with the natural world. in centuries past they supplied the empire with great bounties of exotic fruits and other natural products. Their many worlds, centred around the world wrapped in a bountiful rainforest, Malver, were generally teeming with their own unique fauna and flora. This bounty of nature and variety of unique and exotic natural products led to their specialisation and chartered a course for their technology shunning future.

Over years their reliance on the more advanced technologies and trade with the rest of the empire fell as subtle genetic manipulation, bioengineering and driven evolution led them to being more self reliant and able to fill their same needs and wants through the manipulation and adaptation of the natural world around them. In time, while technology was never banned or importing made illegal, using natural adaptations far outstripped technology in providing for the requirements of the people of their worlds. This availability of low resources requiring technology, paired with the generally low populations of humans in the 'Grove Worlds' eventually led to even the lowest strata of the regions people living in relative luxury compared to many living under the reign of other Great Houses.

In more recent years, especially under the guidance of the Current High Archon, imperial 'urban tech' has all but been replaced with the regions own 'Verdant Weaving', the term used to describe their own ways of using technology as they see it as a form of technology that is inherently not technological. This has also lead to Technology being a nearly taboo word in more recent generations. This is also largely due to the last High Archon's discovery of a way to create and engineer space faring creatures to replace the need for 'urban tech' solutions to space faring, a technological breakthrough which has been aggressively pursued by the current High Archon.

Personal Biography: Born at a time when his father, the last High Archon, was already incredibly old and close to death meant that even at a young age Sveldis Kaedaelis knew that soon all the responsibility of the Grove Worlds would fall to him. While never really impressed on him by those that looked after and cared for his needs, he knew that the position would weigh him down greatly and thus spent much of his time away from the Great Melverdian Spire, living among the people and creatures of Melvar and learning their wants and needs. This eventually led to his own understanding of Mahayana Shinto Dharma. Seeing the advances made by his ancestors in 'Verdant Weaving' solutions he saw a path that could lead to a new golden age for all, high and low species a like and a new future shared by all without the need of Urban tech.

When The Druid took up the mantle of High Archon, he devoted a great deal of resources to removing the last vestiges of 'Urban Tech' from the Grove Worlds needs. While he has yet to ban it, and many still use it, though often in secret due to its taboo nature, he has made a great effort to ensure that the Grove worlds are fully able to operate and function on par with other great houses while shunning the use of their, in his eyes, 'old and outdated methods of material understanding'. While some private craft and guards still function and are empowered by 'Urban Tech', he has successfully ensured that his house and its forces are entirely under the provision of 'Verdant Weave' based solutions.

Seeing the fragile nature of the Imperium, Sveldis Kaedaelis, has been working to ensure that the Grove will be strong enough to survive if a galactic conflict ensues, even considering alliances with those not aligned with his goals as he knows that their methods, while (in his opinion) are superior in a moral outlook, they are equivilent at best to current Urban Tech and that they are currently not strong enough to stand alone against a coalition of other houses.


Great House Information:
Full Name of House: The Vers'teeka of the Groves and Vasilisk Melverdian of the unkept wilds
Shorthand Name: Vers'teeka 'Isk Melverdian
Capital World: Melver
Population: 13 Billion

Culture: The Vers'teeka 'Isk Melverdian and their worlds have a distrust and try to avoid 'old' or 'Urban Tech' seeing their development of 'Verdant Weave' as a more ethical and superior way of manipulating the galaxy to their needs and requirements. They see natural things as having more worth then more man made looking or feeling things. They choose to make housings or dwellings out of trees and natural terrain, such as built in to cliffs or floating on rivers rather then clearing land or making obviously artificial looking houses or communities.

Social Structure & Status of Species: Their ideas or equality in terms of species extends beyond opposing humanocentrism or even supporting multispecies ideals to thinking all creatures, from humans to domesticated pets as being equal with some even including some or all of other kingdoms like plants, fungi or insects.

Military and Security Forces:
The Dryad are the main military force of the Grove Worlds. They are biogenetically engineered from sapplings of the Melverian Great Trees, which are known to have a limited intelligence of their own. These saplings are bioengineered to be able to traverse and trained to defend the Groves. They are unable to communicate via traditional means but are able to instantly communicate complex ideas instantly via contact based communication and are able to communicate simple ideas via pheromones over large distances. Their unusual biology also allows them to endure longer then their more humanlike counterparts in other forces. The complicated procedures required to engineer them, alongside the long lifespans and the long gaps between seeding cycles of the Melverian Great Trees, results in their numbers being relatively small and for losses to be significantly more costly then losses in other forces.



The Whisp Fleet are the main space fleet of the Grove Worlds. The Whisp Ships are, in many ways, similar to the Dryad in that they are also grown from seeds originally from The Great Trees, however, unlike the Dryad, they seeds are artificially cloned in to unique forms, as this process doesn't create a new sentience in the ship. This is done as it was found that the process of folding space that the ships are engineered to do, in a form roughly on par with a Jump Drive, was deeply damaging to the mind of the ships and so ships were created without intelligence, instead being steered by connected Dryads that are created alongside who can sever their connection to the ship before a jump to save them from the mental scarring the process can cause. The process of creating the ships suffers some of the issues of the Dryad, however due to the artificial seeds, the main issue is the slow growth process, made increasingly slow due to the size of the ships, with larger ships taking increasingly longer to grow.

Planetary Demesne:
Melver (Capital World)
Feskar
Kilarus
Deskarin
Tolvarus

 

[conman2163]

Name: Alsendren Lexicon III
Nickname: None
Age: 182
Birthdate: 25,167
Gender: Male
Planet of Origin: Esuvria Prime
Race/Species: Human

Physical Description: Standing six foot tall, bald, with a jet black beard with a smattering of white hairs beginning to grow into it, Alsendren is a physically imposing specimen with the look and air of a practiced warrior. He carries himself with the confidence of a nobleman and King, dressed impeccably in the gilded military uniform customary for the Dictator of Esuvria. An old shrapnel scar stretches from the very tip to of his chin, up to the right of his face, over his eye and ends just past his forehead. He always wears a sabre, except in the presence of Emperor Baldor. His eyes are sharp, but he also seems tired, wrinkles have begun to find their way onto his once smooth features and rumors abound of a mental and physical illness that has struck the once strong Alsendren.

Titles: Grand Marshal of the Esuvrian Domain, Dictator of Esuvria, Conqueror of Alastar, Father of the Techno-Wombs, Saviour of the Republic, Leader of the Sons of the Imperium

Religious Beliefs: Terranism

Personality: Grandson of the great Alsendren Lexicon I and descendant of the original Teristus Lexicon, first Grand Marshal of the Republic, Alsendren is a practical man. He does not believe in firm loyalty to anything except for the Celestial Throne, but he does recognize that there is a time for peace, and that allies can pay dividends. Like his predecessor he is shrewd in his business dealings, using mercenary contracts to support one house or another. It is not unknown for him to send a mercenary army to an ailing or new house for free, seeing it as an investment in a potential ally.

Spoiler: House/Family History

The Esuvrian Domain, also known as the Techno-Womb worlds, is a unique collection of ten planets and their moons orbiting three clustered stars in the Esuvrian System. Originally settled sometime in the Spacer Era, the original Esuvrians were obsessed with the idea of creating test tube babies from genetic samples taken from the population. These artificial womb children were grown much faster than baseline humans, capable of reaching full physical adult maturity in around three months. This technology was used to create hundreds of automated techno-womb facilities that would ideally be capable of growing tens of thousands of workers for the planetary colonies each year. All ten planets had hundreds of these facilities built on them, constructed in bunkers deep below the surface of the planets. The original Esuvrians wanted to prove they could speed up colony development hundreds of times over this way. No longer would you have to wait for jobs to be filled or more labor to ship in or be born the normal way. You could set up one or dozens of these facilities and quickly populate a planet. The growth of the Esuvrian colonies was carefully controlled to prevent overpopulation and chaos at first. An AI was assigned to control all of the facilities in a vast interplanetary data network that kept track of births, deaths, and colony development on all ten planets. It was a feat of human genius and was to be the future.

When the first data blight hit the Esuvrian system the AI core controlling the facilities went mad. It locked down every facility and activated automated defenses. Everyone left inside the techno-wombs, save for the ones being born there, were killed indiscriminately. Chaos reigned and no one could get into any of the facilities. The hundreds of growth facilities did not stop growing new members of the population though. It went into overdrive. Thousands of new humans were grown and sent out into the world. The Esuvrian Governments strained then buckled under the weight of the massive population explosion. Riots, fighting, and total chaos took over and swept away any sort of response to the population boom. Instead warlords began to spring up and take over the breeding facilities. They turned them into their own personal recruitment centers for war. For two hundred years after what was known as the great collapse the humans of the Esuvrian system made war on each other for control of the techno-wombs. The planet turned into industrial death factories.

Among the techno-womb worlds over half were wiped out completely in the ensuing wars. Though larger and larger states grew up and began to take more and more territory on the planet no one state could gain dominance. Only on one world did an uneasy armistice break out. It took another hundred years for the armistice to slowly turn into a planet wide government. Slowly but surely this planet, Esuvria Prime, managed to piece itself together and form a functioning economy. They even managed to regain control over the Techno-wombs. After ten years the Republic of Esuvria turned it's eyes to the other three remaining planets. Esuvria II, Alexsias, and Alastar. The first two fell quickly. At First Alexsias and then Esuvria II were taken in less than fifty years, a hundred less than was predicted at the start of the invasion, as they had not managed to move past their own petty squabbles to form a state of their own in the three hundred years. Alastar was different.

The warlords and states their had formed an uneasy alliance to defend themselves against Esuvria Prime. They began erecting defenses and building deep underground bunker networks. They litter the surface with traps and mines and moved all their industry as deep within the earth as possible. They turned all their efforts into creating a hellish position for the Esuvrians to attack. When finally after fifty years the Esuvrians came, the war was indeed hell. It took almost another hundred years and several generations to bring them to heel. At last though the system was united under one banner. The banner of the Republic of Esuvria. The Republic maintained it's power by controlling the techno-wombs. With a guaranteed stream of malleable recruits that could be turned into zealous pro-republic soldiers and with the Republic having a firm hold on the army no one person could usurp the government unless they were voted in.

When the Imperium came to the Esuvrians they held a vote. Assuming that it would be better to join willingly and benefit from the intergalactic support and considering that their own economy had begun to buckle under the weight of trying to focus solely on a military that had no enemies to fight, it accepted. Starship technology and other knowledge that had been previously lost to them flooded in. The Esuvrians eagerly began to use the military knowledge that it gained. It built some of the sturdiest troop transports that could be produced. The Esuvrians figured that if they could build a transport capable of dropping troops in despite being under fire from the enemy navy they would only need a small force of ships to contest a planet. The army could do the heavy lifting. The space navy would be glorified transportation. They began loaning out their armies as mercenaries and guards to other houses in return for money and goods. They fought under the banner of the Imperium, and they became one of the most loyal houses to the throne of the Imperium. When the Imperium called, the House of Esuvria answered. Over the years they would send trillions to fight and die in Imperial wars. In every civil war it was virtually guaranteed that the Esuvrians would turn their techno-wombs on and produce an army of loyalists for the Celestial throne. For every civil war a dictator would be voted in, giving them emergency powers to create temporary policy and control over the armies so that wars could be fought without bureaucrats standing in the way. Each time the Dictator stepped down from power when the crisis passed or if he died while in office a new dictator was elected.

During this period two of the six tomb worlds were revived to be new centers of growth. One was renamed Tiberan's Glory, in honor of Tiberan the I, the other was named Esuvria's Promise. A final world was not revived but instead turned into a field for the fallen of Esuvria in galactic wars. It was consecrated as a holy resting place, and laws were drawn up to prevent any living person from stepping foot on the surface, except when laying someone to rest.

When the Shadow came, it was a loyal House Esuvria that answered. As always they turned their techno-wombs to the creation of soldiers for the war effort. They mobilized like they had never before, digging deep into the earth to create networks of bunkers of industry. On the surfaces of the six planets artificial layers were constructed to add more industry. Layer upon layer was built until the worlds were both fortresses and factories. Generations would die in the centuries long war against the shadow. As was their tradition, they voted Prime Minister Lexicon to the position of Dictator. He took the reigns gratefully, but he also slowly began the practice of centralizing his power. When he died while in the position sixty years later, it was not an elected official, but Lexicon's heir that took the office through a writ of law. Something that had been justified to the Republic as a necessary evil. Then the office of the dictator took control of the techno-wombs by installing special security measures to keep "disloyal citizens" out while also installing friends and loyalists to the Lexicon family into the position through more legal writs. Slowly but surely the Dictator position of Esuvria became a hereditary role and the Republic began to dissolve into history.

As the war continued in the background, slowly the Shadow grew closer and closer to the doorstep of Esuvria. The Esuvrian system itself became besieged when the Shadow struck it. One by one Esuvrians planets fell though they sold themselves dearly. The fifty year siege of the Esuvrian system reached a climax when the Shadow finally was defeated and the siege raised. During the fighting the Republic had been reorganized into a militarized kingdom, with the house of Lexicon at it's head. Thus emerged the modern House of Esuvria into its first years.

The Imperial Renaissance was a golden age for Esuvria. As the majority of the galaxy rebuilt from the destruction known as the Shadow Esuvria did what it did best. It turned on the techno-wombs that it had protected so carefully and began to produce a new generation of laborers. This new generations was the first to be taught of the tireless struggle that Dictator Lexicon had undergone to defend and preserve the Republic and Esuvria itself. They taught that one should be loyal to Lexicon first, then the Empire, then the Republic. As honored sons of Esuvria they had a duty.

The Esuvrians repopulated and rebuilt. They tore down the top layers of the artificially constructed layers of the planets they had defended and used the materials to build new factories, houses, and industry among the destruction of each planet. Esuvrian scholars say that the golden age ended roughly five hundred years after the start of the Imperial Stagnation. Thousands of years of focus on producing a large army had left the economy incapable of shifting to new production and the Esuvrians clung to their ways. A slow decline in the power of the house began. In recent years however thanks in part to the stagnation of the Empire Alsendren Lexicon III has lead a resurgence in the strength of the Esuvrian Domain. Son of the much lauded Alsendren Lexicon I, a man who in large part managed to preserve the Esuvrian state through several crisis that would have seen it shatter and saw to the careful raising of his grandson, Alsendren has managed to rebuild the power of his house. Using mercenary contracts as leverage to gain wealth and power in trade deals and also to build up a core of allies in a Pro-Imperial bloc to support the Celestial throne. The man has lead a long life filled first with military service, then as a great leader to his people. In recent years a rumor of a semi-debilitating illness has begun to creep about the man, tales of mad visions that strike him raving mad at random hours. Despite this Alsendren has not seen fit to dispel the rumors. Instead he has been focusing on preparing his own heir for taking the Esuvrian Dictatorship.

Great House Information:
Full Name of the House: House Esuvria of the Tri-star Republic
Shorthand Name: House Esuvria
Capital World: Esuvria
Population: 406 Billion
Culture: The Native people of Esuvria are a well known patriots and lovers of the Imperium.

Social Structure: Social structure is largely determined by age, wealth, and military service in Esuvria. An Esuvrian must undergo military service in the House military if they wish to vote in the senate and they cannot become a citizen unless they serve in the military, a requirement for owning land. If an Esuvrian is born in a Techno-Womb they are automatically inducted into the state military and sent to one of thousands of state-sponsored basic training camps. There they are given three months of training before being assigned to a unit for a twenty year service period, after which they can re-enlist. Natural born Esuvrians can elect to join the military for at least a ten year service period to become a citizen and be able to own land. Otherwise they can elect to join a job lottery in which they will take longer to become a citizen but will be work in a relatively safe job in one of the many industries of Esuvria. Finally a wealthy citizen or family may purchase citizenship. It is impossible for anyone born outside of Esuvria to become an Esuvrian citizen.

Military and Security Forces:

While the navy of the Esuvrians is often not thought of as robust, the ships are designed in a utilitarian manner. The transports often focusing on absolute speed and crew survivability for landing, as well as ease of deployment, each able to carry a battalion size force. The Esuvrian navy is focused not on gaining superiority in space but contesting the enemy while the army is landed at speed.

The Army of House Esuvria is a formidable fighting force. Mostly made up of troops that are trained and made soldiers from birth, with Officers drawn from the most veteran men in the army. The House of Esuvria is capable of fielding scores of soldiers when needed. While they will not be the most fanatical or zealous troops, they are still well trained, loyal, and hardened from centuries of practical battlefield knowledge and experience. Most units of troops are intermixed with standing army groups as replacements, rather than forming entirely green units, and most training is skipped aside from a three month basic training as an infantry man. This has lead to one of the most important roles of the army being the sergeant's position, as they are expected to train new men to the unit.

Troops are organized into companies of three hundred men as a tactical unit with battalions made up of three companies, plus a special hundred man company that contains the unit's local artillery and special weapons platoons. Divisions are made up of four battalions, three regular and one containing the thousand man Division level weapons like heavy artillery, armor, and air support. These services of these troops are commonly sold to the highest bidder in a contract that can last any length of time depending on the amount of money offered. Contracts always have a clause that prevent direct fighting with the Celestial throne or other Esuvrian troops.

Planetary Demesne:

Esuvria Prime
Alastar
Alexias
Esuvria II
Tiberan's Glory
Esuvria's Promise
Eternal Rest