The Dominion hold control of the backwater system of Sevra, of which contains Jasar, their Capital and only habitable world in the Sevra System. 99% of the population is centered around Jasar, while the rest of the population are scattered throughout the system in various assortments of Space Stations and and Colonies on Jasar's Moon.
The Modern Dominion's beginnings can be traced back as early as two centuries ago. Jasar was a world of turbulent war, fought over by the Descendants of the Three Exiled Houses, ever defiant colonists and the native Jasi.
The History of the Three Exiled Houses however, is far older then the current conflict, extending as far back to the 4th Millennium, a forgotten chapter of Imperial History, but one that has left its own mark and its effects still felt in the Modern Day.
The Civil Conflicts of the 3300s saw the rise and fall of many ambitious Noblemen who sought to claim the throne of a dying Empire, among such factions was a small alliance between three minor Houses, Regius, Argi and Karuk. Decades before their uprising, the three had plotted and planned, building up their forces for the inevitable Civil War to come. In 3340, the day had finally come.
In what they hoped was to be a display of their combined power, the Three Houses staged an all-out attack on the Border System of Molusk, a local Trade Hub in the region. Hundreds of their ships flashed in the world's orbit, obliterating the defense fleet and orbital installations around it.
Their swift victory had achieved their goal for the most part, and had garnered the attention of the Empire.
The Second Arcturian Empire: Officially, the Dominion and the Second Empire are close allies, engaging in diplomacy and active trade. Unofficially, the Dominion is an Imperial Client State bordering on Puppet, the ruling House Regius subservient to the Emperor, and acts under orders from the Empire when given.
The Seven Houses:
The Ascendancy of Kaasid:
The Imerian Republic: Due to their rather "close" relationship with the Second Empire. The Dominion and the Republic are in conflict with one another. The Dominion see the Republic as decadent and weak and yet, they envy their riches and power. However, with the Second Empire's backing, the Dominion has grown bold, and under the Emperor's command, move into the Ciditar System, countering the Republic's colonization, and in the process, have begun their own colonization initiative and expand their power in the region.
Description: Bartholemy is a politician through and through. He has tailored his appearance carefully, making sure he always carries himself with gravitas and inspires authority. Though his greying hair shows his age is beginning to catch up with him, he remains a very charismatic individual, and still stands an inch above most other men. As for his comportment, he is of a patient nature, and dislikes rash decisions. He is a master manipulator, in fact, and takes great pleasure it outmaneuvering his political enemies without them even knowing it. This political acumen has enabled him to rule the Republic almost single-handedly, the senators all dancing on his strings. Above all, he is a pragmatist, and holds very little in the way of personal belief, preferring to tailor his views however will gain him the most.
Biography: Born in 4419 to a wealthy family in Coddenstag (the capital city of Imeria), Bartholemy never really had a childhood growing up. He was groomed from an early age to be the brightest and the best at everything, in preparation for his role as dynastic heir to the empire his family had built up. This coldness is perhaps what drove him to join the Republican Armada, in 4442, against the wishes of his parents.
He made quite an impact in the Guard, his aptitude showing quickly enough. When raiders threatened to sack the mining colonies in the outer reaches of the Ruthweiler system, in 4449, he was among the force sent to see them off. His actions in that affair brought him into the notice of the upper echelon of the Armada. Thirty seven years later, upon retiring, he held the rank of admiral, and an enormous amount of respect as something of a popular hero. In this time, the political scene of the Republic was undergoing a turmoil after a scandal toppled the previous Consul, and Bartholemy eyed the post hungrily.
He ran in opposition to the Republicans, who'd held the Consulship almost without opposition for a century. The people were tired of their rule, however, and his newly-created Dominionist party- formed with the support of his friends in the Republican Armada- won power in a landslide. In the twenty years since, he has tightened his grip on power, driving the Republicans to near-insignificance. He ended the policy of his predecessors of neglecting the armed forces, with the expansion of Imerian influence as a priority of his rule.
His opponents have decried his jingoistic rhetoric, and the system of rewards he has set up in the upper society of the Republic as blatant corruption, but still Consul Eidenhag maintains his iron grip over the Republic, seemingly invincible.
Age: 57
Description: Janos is famous in the Republic, and the Shoals beyond, for his cybernetic augmentations, going far beyond what is required of most officers. After a devastating ambush early on in his career which be barely survived, he had to undergo substantial surgery, and now he lives only because of his augmentations. More machine than man, they say. Liver, heart, intestines, even the brain- all his major organs are now at least partly synthetic. This has given him a frightening appearance, to be sure.
He seems to have lost his humanity with his heart, and he'd agree: Humanity is such a handicap, after all. He always takes the most rational and utilitarian approach to any given problem, and damned be the accusations of butchery. Of the rare emotions he has, key is his contempt for weakness, which he believes infects the human being.
Biography: Janos Korwitz was born in 4448, to relative poverty. Even as a child, he was cold, almost to the point of sociopathy. Little is known of his childhood, growing up in the slums of Egan Manora, a key industrial city on Imeria. He certainly isn't divulging anything. What is known for a fact is that he enlisted in the Republican Guard as an officer at the age of twenty, the youngest possible for that organization.
He rapidly cultivated a reputation for ruthless efficiency, one he retains to this day. Though many were disturbed by his more controversial methods, none could deny the results he consistently achieved, and so he rose quickly in the ranks. As a lieutenant, his platoon was ambushed as it raided a pirate outpost, and he barely survived. The extensive operations required to maintain his life saw many of his organs replaced by machines, and he came out of the experience having something of a fascination with cybernetic augmentations. In the years since, he's replaced most of his organs, one way or another, with cybernetics.
In any case, he continued to serve with distinction, rising as one of the three Legates of the Republic in 4491, and then as Legate-Admiral, and thus in command of both the Guard and the Armada, in 4496.
The Republic's only truly inhabited system in the Ruthweiler system, which contains two populated planets: Imeria itself, and Gonoris, a volcanic planet with colony cities floating in its heavy atmosphere. Between the two of them these planets contain 90% of the population of the Republic. The rest are scattered in various stations throughout Ruthweiler, and some others systems beyond.
The surrounding Ingria, Havendall, Potoma, and Essarnine systems are officially Republican territory, and are heavily exploited by Imerian corporations, though they remain plagued by pirates and rivals. Nearby systems can also feel the Imerian influence, with trade passing through and corporations moving in to exploit resources, but remain wild territory.
The Imerian Republic is governed by the three branches of government, executive, legislative, and judiciary. While the system is not perfect, each is nominally independent of the others.
The executive branch is headed by the twin heads of states of the Republic, the Consul, who manages all political, economic, and social questions, and the Admiral-Legate, who manages the defense of the Republic. Though they are nominally of equal rank, and can veto each other, they traditionally focus exclusively on their own spheres of influence. The Consul is elected by a popular vote, while the Admiral-Legate is nominated by the Consul, and approved by the Senate.
The latter is the legislative branch of the Republic. The Senate is a body composed of the fifty most esteemed statesmen of the Republic. They each represent a given portion of the population, nominated for the post by the Consul, and approved by a general vote among the populace of their district. Though universal, the franchise is not equal: Citizens worth more than a million Imerats have twice the vote as those under that threshold, a system which is intended to avoid spoiler votes by the ignorant masses. In recent years, the Senate has lost much of its authority to the Consuls, particularly under Consul Eidenhag, whose cronies in the Senate enable him to legislate essentially on his own.
Finally, the judiciary branch of Imeria is headed by the Republican Court, which examines controversial laws passed by the senate, and judges whether they abide by the principles of freedom enshrined in the constitution.
The history of the Republic can be traced back to the old Arcturian Empire, like most other things in the galaxy. As that civilization entered the 4th millennium, its inexorable expansion slowed, and it began to focus on governing the territories it already controlled. Prime on the minds of its emperors was the threat posed by the renegades of the Dolorous Shoals, who raided Imperial systems, their bases safely hidden away in the Lesser Arm.
Enough was enough. In 3118, an Imperial expedition entered the Ruthweiler system, and established a colony on the planet Imeria. It was one of the few garden worlds in the Lesser Arm, though slightly cold, and initial scans revealed rich deposits of minerals. But the true intention of the colony was a martial one: the colony's strategic position on the Arm's subspace lane made it one of the main "gates" into the Dolorous Shoals. The idea was to construct an Imperial bastion there, from which Arcturian influence could spread, hopefully pacifying the tumultuous region. By 3200, the Imerian colony was self sustaining; by 3300, it was emerging as one of the most prosperous place outside the Empire proper.
Unfortunately for Imeria, the Empire began to stagnate in this time. The 3300s saw the gradual erosion of the authority of the Emperors, with almost incessant civil wars breaking out throughout the century, epic affairs that saw billions die and entire star systems be destroyed. Even worse for the Arcturians, the Astro-goths began forming as a coherent entity during this time, first as an Imperial client, and then taking part in the wars on one side or another, before finally growing bold enough to raid the Empire itself. All this strained the Emperor's forces, and in 3392, he recalled the vast majority of the fleet stationed in the Ruthweiler system back to fight his own wars, ending the Imperial influence in the Dolorous Shoals.
This left Imeria effectively fending for itself. Though it had little to fear from the Astro-goths, who swarmed instead into the rich Empire, there were many similar barbarian peoples who eyed the colony hungrily. In 3422, the Gabrathians finally overcame the militia, and established the Gabrathian Kingdom with the colony as its capital. This began an era of foreign rule, that saw the succession of numerous kings and warlords take power in Imeria. The Gabrathians terrorized the Shoals for two centuries, before being conquered by the Fehazedan, who were displaced by the Potorans, who were subjugated by the Naender Kings. During all this time, the Imerian populace mixed with the influx of peoples from all over the Lesser Arm, creating a mongrel ethnic group.
This state of affairs was again changed in with the onset of the 5th millennium, as the spark of the Arcturian Empire lit again. The second Empire rose from the ashes of the first, and began its attempts to reunite the lands it had lost- Imeria among them. In 4370, a small scouting force sent by the Arcturian Emperor toppled the Neanders with the aid of an Imerian revolt, and incorporated the wayward colony as a formal territory. But the Imerians had grown dissuse to the directness of Imperial rule, and objected to the Emperor's heavy-handed enforcement of policies. They revolted after twelve years of tension.
Thus, in 4384, the Imerian Republic was born. Its constitution gave its citizens power over, and protection from, the state. In the hundred years since, the Republic has shown itself to be a rising power, with the pacification of the Dolorous Shoals as a national project. Its laissez-faire policies have also placed it on friendly terms with the mega corporations, generally in alliance against the pirates who plague the region. And the time since has also been marked by a constant tension: The second Arcturian Empire has only grown in the time since, and has never recognized Imerian independence, or forgiven the rebellion.
The armed forces of the Republic have existed since its inception, when the colony first rebelled against the barbarian occupiers. The Imerian Militia, as they called themselves, played no small part in the reconquest of the Ruthweiler system by the Second Empire. When these newcomers proved to be just as tyrannical as their predecessors, the Militia turned its guns against them, and after routing the Imperial forces from the planet, seized a great deal of equipment. When the Republic was proclaimed, the Militia was split into two branches, the Republican Guard and the Republican Armada.
The Republican Armada has always been the more prestigious of the two. Its mandate is the protection of shipping lanes, the defense against pirate raids, and the pacification of the Dolorous Shoals beyond. An aristocratic institution, advancement in the Armada's ranks is more dependent on family ties than actual merit.
The Republican Guard, meanwhile, has always been something of a joke. After all, what purpose could a ground-based force have in this age of space travel? Those who say this forget that it was the same ground-based forces that defeated the Imperial Garrison, during the War of Independence, and seized the ships that would eventually form the core of the Armada. While in the time since it has often had little in the way of relevance, the recent increase of pirate raids, and the threat of emerging enemies, have highlighted the need for the Guard. Recently, with the arrival in power of the jingoistic Dominionist party, the Guard has received a great deal of additional funding and attention, and has been the center of a deal in negotiation with the Zenith corporation, over the purchase of ten thousand manned mechanical armored automatons.
The Second Arcturian Empire: The relation between the Second Arcturian Empire and the Imerian Republican can best be described as non-existent. The Republic gained its independence by rebelling against the Emperor, after all, and the latter has never recognized its sovereignty. Most consider the two in a state of unofficial war, with only the Empire's distraction and otherwise lack of interest in the Shoals as explanation for the tenuous peace that currently exists.
The Seven Houses:
The Ascendancy of Kaasid:
The Jasaran Dominion: Since the independence of the Republic, the Second Empire has sought to replace it, as a beacon of Imperial influence in the region. In the last century, it has greatly propped up the Dominion of Jasar, which has become something of a client state of the Empire. Given this situation, it's fair to say that relations between the Dominion and the Republic are chilly, at best. The Dominion is seen with almost irrational fear and hatred in the Republic, with politicians contrasting the freedom and prosperity of Imeria against the tyranny and hellishness of the Jasar, which is not far from the Truth.
The Empire, making use of the Dominion's envy of the Republic's prosperity, have pushed the Dominion to counter the expansion of the Republic, and in particular the Ciditar system, which though devoid of any colonizable planets but filled with a ressource-rich giant asteroid field. Both nations claim colonization rights for the system. The Republican push in the system is led by an alliance of Imerian corporations, chiefly the Adonis Mining Corporation, which is based off the (somewhat unimaginatively named) Adonis Station. Meanwhile, a Jasaran expedition sent by the Sovereign is based from the Trident Zero Station, from which it periodically raids Adonis survey parties, and mining colonies.
The tense military situation the Ciditar quagmire has created has both nations locked in a cold war, which occasionally flares hot in skirmishes. The emerging threat of the Dominion is what enabled Consul Eidenhag to secure funds for the massive Mechanical Automaton purchase currently in negociation with the Zenith corporation.
Highbeam Interstellar: Though the Republic maintains a generally laissez-faire and corporate-friendly economic policy, Highbeam Interstellar's continuing support of pirates, raiders, and enemies of the Republic have earned it no favors there, and it was among the Golden Crescen mega-corporations the Imerian Senate outlawed in 4429, after the great raid of that year razed the colony in the Potoma system and caused untold costs of damages in that system, using corporate technology.
Zenith Heavy Industries: In the same manner as Highbeam Interstellar, the Zenith corporation was outlawed in 4429, its presence banned from Republican space, its employees liable to prosecution.
"Making the Shoals a Safer Place" Highbeam Interstellar, run by Sam Mcknight and based in The Dolorous Shoals. Is a Megacorporation focused in the Defense and Aerospace industries, and is known to be making significant headway in those two fields. Acquired it's megacorp status a number of years ago, after the complete control over the planet Sigrid Prime.
WIP Age: 41 History: WIP
Age: 56 History: WIP
A body of appointed members who jointly oversee the activities and running of the megacorp. While Director Mcknight leads the company, the BoD represent the stockholders of the Megacorp, helping in establishing corporate policies and making major decisions within the Megacorp such as the decade vote for Chairman of the Board, currently owned by Vance Hyland. But ultimately looking out for there own and the stockholders money.
Sigrid Prime: An Earth analog planet and Capital world of Highbeam Interstellar. Sigrid Prime, on the ground is a heavily industrialized world, large cities spanning across it's surface as towers reach towards the sky and crowds bustle across wide streets. The megacorp controls the planet, with a large majority of it's population on the Megacorps payroll, here, the megacorps are the government. Considered a dystopia to some, and a utopia to others, despite advanced technology there is a large disparity between the rich and poor. Which can become all too clear when one finds themselves walking the streets. It is here, where the vast majority of the megacorps produce is built.
Sigrid Secundus: The orbiting and habitable satellite planet of Sigrid Prime. Small colonies have been set up on it's surface, mining the natural satellite for it's resources, while also providing a supply and repair stop for crews mining the nearby asteroids outside of Sigrid Primes atmosphere.
Expansions: Highbeam Jasar Branch -
Highbeam Interstellar offers a wide variety of services to the discerning customer, even more so to it's friends. With the megacorp firmly entrenched into the aerospace, defense and military industries, the corporation is heavily invested and specialized in the construction of combat capable and none combat ships. Using Highbeam advanced technology in ship construction combined with the aid of utility mechs suited to the task using Zenith Industries systems and programming, the endeavor still takes years to fully construct larger ships. Unless built to reinforce the advanced Highbeam fleet, ships are only ever built when ordered by a customer and not before hand with only a small amount of ships in reserve.
While mainly producing space ready ships. The megacorp also produces advanced arms and armour predominantly for it's own military forces, but also for sale. For it's own personal use however, the megacorp has begun developing and researching it's own prototype ground combat vehicles that in theory would be capable of taking on Zenith Heavy Industries renowned mechs in combat.
In the darker side, Highbeam Interstellar also acts as a go between for mercenary services, acting as the middle man, ensuring a good client and good mercs for the client.
Combat capable cargo ship: 62 billion Imerats.
WIP
WIP
The Second Empire: Trade partners, Neutral War brings profit. With The Second Empire gearing and rearming itself for war with the rest of the Crescent. Highbeam Interstellar is far too happy to supply the Empires fleet with Highbeam goods, ships and armament, most of which are a few years behind the megacorps current production, to discourage reprisal as these deals are always made behind closed doors and discreetly so, all the while making a profit.
The Seven Houses: Trade partners, Neutral While also trading with it's rivals. Highbeam Interstellar silently favors the Seven Houses should a war begin, not wishing to be conquered by fanatics or Emperors, the Seven Houses appear to be the best option for the Megacorp to back and still make profit in the event of their victory. For this reason, Highbeam deals and interacts with the Seven the most often out of the three major powers, trading defense and aerospace technology often for credits. Highbeam technology can often be found in the Seven Houses famed ships of the line.
The Ascendancy of Kaasid: Neutral Preferring not the restrictions of the Ascendancy, the megacorp rarely deals nor trades with the Ascendancy of Kaasid. Instead supplying their rivals for the impending war.
The Dominion of Jasar: Trade Partners, Neutral
The Imerian Republic: Neutral Due to Highbeam Interstellar trading with it's rivals, the Dominion of Jasar, the Republic refuse to trade with the megacorp who remains open to such negotiations.
Zenith Heavy Industries: Trade Partners, Neutral WIP
Faction Name: The Red Fleet Faction leader(s): Ullessio Ainhydrogone Vaspite Castaigne, Prince of the Shoals, Admiral of the Red Fleet, and Captain of the Grinning King
Commodore Cassilda Xin, Captain of the Stranger Territory: Lucky Space Planet(s)/Holdings:
Khalul asteroid belt
Dagon III, uncolonized deathworld
Faction/Government Desc: WIP History: WIP
Military Capabilities: WIP
Relations with Other Factions: WIP
Faction Name: Y'Ghul Free State
Faction leader(s): Council of Five System(s): Y'Ghul
Planet(s)/Territories:
Y'Ghul
Drakes Folly
Faction/Government Desc: Anarcho-syndicalist. Y'Ghul is "ruled" by the five major mercenary bands based on the planet, as well as by various corporate interests. WIP
"The forefront in Interstellar & Inter-Planetary Defense, Reconnaissance & Intelligence Services." The Visipian Collective are the remnants of a cybernetically augmented sub-race of Humans who were almost entirely wiped out during the war against The First Empire, which included the destruction of their home world. They survive as a primarily nomadic faction that offer elite mercenary services for hire.
The Grey Princes These five members are descendants of the original five captains who fled their old home system. Alone, they are highly illusive and exceptionally sought after for their exemplary expertise. They each control their own mercenary enterprises within the remaining Visipian population and often find themselves on either side of a contract. Together, however, they form the Onyx Council which meet every so often, in secret, to resolve conflicts and decide upon choices that would effect the Collective as a whole.
Aster Javian III
Following the destruction of their home world and the extinction of their Royal family, The Collective remnants survived as a predominantly nomadic faction living on whatever planet or asteroid they could.
New Visipia Currently dubbed 'New Visipia', The Collective decided that it was finally time to build a new home, or rather, buy one. With a unanimous vote from The Onyx Council, the Grey Princes pooled together their vast hidden wealth to buy a new Home System discovered by Zenith Heavy Industries. They then delegated a relatively small group of the population to inhabit their new home world and begin laying the foundations to rebuild their civilization.
Collective Embassies Over the years, surviving as a nomadic faction meant setting up unofficial embassies upon certain planets or within certain systems that acted as a base of operations and a means of contacting The Collective for work. Where some may be as big as a countryside manor houses, others are simple safe-house apartments. Most of them were legitimately acquired, however, there are a few that are hidden well due to mercenary work being an illicit trade in some parts of the galaxy.
Notable Embassies:
The history of The Visipian Collective is far from a pretty one.
Harking back to the days of The First Empire, where early expansion missions meant the spawning of many newly formed colonies, Visipia remained as one of the latter systems discovered and inhabited during these times. This system was supposed to be an example of the Empire's success at deep exploration into the northern territory of the Lesser Arm. During the Imperial year of 3123, the deep space exploratory party discovered and quickly inhabited the newly found system. Fortune had favoured their expedition it seemed, as not only did the system contain a habitable planet twice the size of Almata, but there also remained a heavy asteroid presence which, upon scanning the system, held rich amounts of ores and minerals needed to lay the foundations of their new colony.
It wasn't long, however, before disaster struck. Barely a year into their colonization efforts planet side, the expeditioners had disturbed a dormant bacteria that thrived upon a certain species of the planet's vegetation. When it came across human flesh, however, the alien bacteria very suddenly and very violently attacked the new arrivals, causing widespread panic and almost killing off the humans indefinitely. It was only due to the miraculous advent of cybernetic augmentation that allowed the humans to fight back against the bacteria, eventually immunizing themselves to its infection through the use of nanotechnology, which had been in Research & Development long before the turn of the millennium. It was because of this 'Reaver Disease', that Cyberware became a commonality within the system and, for the next century, spear-headed the colonization efforts.
3245 marked the arrival of the Imperial Delegation. A small Imperial Fleet sent to check up on its' deep space success story, considering that the last known contact it had received was over a hundred years ago. Communications were discovered early to be nigh-on impossible due to the numerous and dense interstellar clouds that littered the space surrounding the edges of the system facing the Empire.
- Delegation condemns the use of Cyberware, claiming the Colonists have tainted Humanity. - Delegation Fleet attacks the colonists who defend themselves using their augments. - Colonists steal Delegation Flagship and a few minor ships before boarding the rest of the fleet through the use of early V.I.R.U.S. tactics. - Colonists secede from the Empire, forming the Royal Visipian House. - The Colonist live undisturbed for a further 140 years after they manage to send a signal informing the Empire of their secession. - 3385. The Empire sends a larger fleet to requisition the system from the defiant Colonists. - Visipia is sacked and destroyed as the Empire manages to crush the Colonist fleet. The self-proclaimed Prince of Visipia; Rubius Javian is executed. - There are only five surviving ships, with one being the original capital ship lead by Fleet Admiral Aster Javian. - The Visipian flee to the south of the Lesser Arm and begin selling themselves as mercenaries for hire. - Several arguments between the ship crews cause them to eventually go their separate ways. - The Visipians live in separate nomadic factions for the next 247 years. - 3632. The Onyx Council is formed from the leaders of the separated Visipian factions. They are renamed; The Visipian Collective. - 4500. The Onyx Council decide to purchase a new home system after spending the last 800 years integrating into the existing galaxy.
