[CHAR] These Dark Stars - IC is open -

[Polybius]

Reservo

[Flagg]

The Magnificent, Venerable
& Justly Celebrated
Grand Duchy of Far Valyrius

Leading Figures & Ruling Body:

• Ancelmo Mencius Helgarth von Kesselbrood, Grand Duke of Far Valyrius (senile and mostly incapacitated)
• Katarine Valarious Hildegaard von Kesselbrood, Countess of Sarethi-on-Valyrius, Ducal Regent and de-facto ruler of House Kesselbrood's domains
• Vermiculo Nox, Vizier to His Magnificence the Grand Duke, Archmaster of the Choir of the Subtle Voice
• Govan Castamere, Lord Marshall of Ducal Armies and Navies
• Veng III the Insatiable, King of the Nyrkin Hives (xenos client-monarch)
• The Valyrian Diet: legislature/advisory body divided between the aristocratic House of Wisdom and the democratically elected House of Noise

Systems:

Valyrius (Capital System)

• Far Valyrius: gas giant home to several suspended mega-cities, gas mining and naval facilities.
• Xaxus Prime: terran moon of Far Valyrius, used as an agri-world by the Grand Duchy. Seat of the Grand Duke and the Valyrian Diet
  
  
• Xaxus Secundus: moon of Far Valyrius overtaken by fungus-jungles thought to be the result of ancient, botched terra-forming attempts. A rural world full of hardy frontiersmen who are able to keep up the never-ending fight against the jungle.

Scarlet Reach

• Y'Ghul
• The Bitter End

Quire

• Celestine V: Known as Shanji in the language of the native species of Nyrkin. Terran moon planet with vast subterranean cavern networks where Pertichor is cultivated by the Nyrkin. Celestine is also home to the largest Choirhouse of the Subtle Voice. Highly fortified
• Nyrkada: dead world, original homeworld of the Nyrkin. Glassed by Imperial forces centuries ago

Primary Resource: Petrichor. Psycho-active secretion of the Tantalum fungus native to the caverns and hives of Celestine V.

Armed Forces:

General Overview

The Kesselbrood possess a fleet of antique war vessels of impeccable craftsmanship from the Imperial Age of Conquest, gifted to Kesselbrood centuries ago by Emperor Vymar III. These ships have seen centuries of service and have been continually modified and repaired but are nigh-irreplaceable. This antiquated but powerful backbone of naval power is heavily supplemented by pirate & xenos mercenaries, especially from the nearby outlaw sector of the Scarlet Reach.

On the ground Kesselbrood forces depend on shielded heavy walkers protected by xenos mercenaries, auxiliaries, and conscripted human cannon fodder. The House of Kesselbrood's neo-feudal system of governance makes mass mobilization and industrialization a challenge, making them mercenary-dependent and reliant on the xenos under their rule.

Allied Xenos Information

Note: Their dependence on xenos vassals makes House Kesselbrood virulent opponents of genocidal mono-humanist ideologies and movements, a near-constant source of unrest, revolution and terrorist activity among the human populations of their domains.

The Nyrkin

Sentient insectoids native to Celestine V, the Nyrkin have a symbiotic relationship with the tarantalum fungus. The Nyrkin are believed to have been part of a hive mind in ages past, but some ancient catastrophe shattered their collective consciousness. The residual trauma makes the Nyrkin highly susceptible to collectivist politics and ideologies. It is a constant concern of House Kesselbrood and the wizards of the Subtle Voice to prop up the client monarchy that rules over the restive xenos, on whom all their wealth depends. For without the Nyrkin, tarantalum could not be properly farmed to create a reliable source of refined petrichor.

House Kesselbrood use Nyrkin warrior-forms as auxiliary troops. Nyrkin hyper-fecudity leaves the species constantly overpopulated and gives House Kesselbrood an endless supply of malnourished, poorly equipped, acid-spitting swarms of man-sized insects on the frontline. With training and proper equipment Nyrkin warriors make excellent medium infantry, and there are many elite regiments to be found in the Ducal Armies.

Nyrkin Bioforms

Larvae, "puppies", roughly the size of a 10 year old human.


Mature Warrior


Mature Farmer

Gn'Mok
A warlike species nearly exterminated by the expanding human Empire, which glassed their home world, the fleeing, tattered remnants of the Gn'Mok were offered asylum by House Kesselbrood in exchange for their service in the Ducal military, where they have served as elite heavy infantry for centuries. The Gn'Mok are few in number, their race divided by 13 tribal 'Legions' settled in lands given them by House Kesselbrood.

The Gn'Mok excel as heavy infantry, especially in boarding actions, utilizing wrist mounted energy shields, radiation-hammers and power lances in combat. The Grand Ducal Guard is made up of these formidable xenos. It is no secret that the Gn'Mok long for a world of their own, though they remain loyal to House Kesselbrood, which has been careful not to alienate their elite praetorians ever since the brutal murder of Grand Duke Radagast Xenos-Hater.

Trogg
Reptilian natives of the fungal wilds of Xaxus Minor, many trogg have been 'domesticated' by their human overlords and are used as servants, serfs and auxiliary soldiers, where they excel as light infantry. 'Civilized' Introgg have become increasingly integrated into Duchy society, though they are at best third-class citizens.

Imperial Assessment

Majesty,

I write with the report you requested on the Valyrius Sector in advance of your approaching audience with the Grand Duke of that demesne. As you know, the House of Kesselbrood is a troublesome, reactionary brood: advocates of the aristocracy, employers of mercenaries, and ignobly tolerant of the xenos races which lives still in their holdings.

The Kesselbrood disgraced themselves centuries previous by backing the Seperatist Front in the War of Seven Suns. Only the clemency of your august predecessor Ghiomat IV the Forebearing spared them the usual fate of traitors and rebels. Politically, the Kesselbroods have kept low profiles since the time of that war, careful not to give the Bureaucracy any cause for punitive taxation, but their hostility to your Majesty's wise centralization measures is well known. They are strongly suspected of providing support and safe harbor to the pirates of the Scarlet Reach- and of employing same as mercenaries and proxies. It is well established that the xenophile sect known as the Subtle Voice is based in the Valyrian Sector and has significant influence on the House of Kesselbrood, though the common conjecture that the Grand Duke is a puppet of aliens and sorcerers likely goes too far.

The prime source of Kesselbrood wealth, of course, is Petrichor- a psychoactive substance valued by sorcerers, navigators, alchemists, and many others. Occurring only on a single, xenos-infested world, petrichor must be refined before consumption and the secrets of its cultivation and refinement are held closely by the Subtle Voice and their xenos wards.

Appended below, please find details of Kesselbrood military dispositions and risk assessments...

[GreivousKhan]

Faction Name: Order of The Exalted Suns
Ruling Body: Sire Temijen Blackwall, Rex of Drayathea
Emanuel Blackwall, Co-founder of Aurora Foundation
Home System: Praag
-Drayathea is a rocky mountainous carbon like terrestrial planet famed for it rich mineral deposits and grand plateaus.
-Jiarus is a colony dominated by heavy jungle vegetation, overshadowed by high mountains and deserts in the lower lands. Home to the dedicated training grounds of the order. though classified as sanctified temple world.
-Snafalia satellite moon of Drayathea and a major agri-world that manages to feed most of the system.
-Fortress of Praag, while not a planet Praag is a massive starport and space citadel that orbits near the system's center. It acts as the man headquarters of the Exalted Suns.

Primary Resource: Lonsdaleite is the main export of the system, a kind of material harder than diamond but as malleable as steel used in the creation of adamantine silver. Other types of ore are also a major export of Drayathea. Along with a host of finished products like starships and consumer goods from the factories on Drayathea or the shipyards of Praag respectively. However, the most sought-after resources are the so-called knights of null. Men and women able to combat vacare by denying some of their extraordinary abilities.

Armed Forces
TBD

General Overview
TBD

Imperial Assessment

Imperial Majesty

As requested I have spent a better part of eight solar cycles assessing the Praag system. In this time I have analyzed and compiled what I believe is currently the most extensive pool of knowledge regarding the so-called religious organization that is the Order of the Exalted Sun's. First I should clear up the obvious that the OES (the moniker here so after used when regarding the Order of the Exalted Suns directly) is something of an offshoot of the widely popular state religion that is the Church of Ankh-Sah.

The order is nominally led by the widely successful and industrious Lord Temijen Blackwall of Praag. He is the Co-Founder of the mega-corporation Aurora Foundation that first began as a successful shipbuilding, mining, and manufacturing company. It seems much of the current OES uses prototype technology pioneered by Aurora itself. This has granted them a technological edge over many of their neighbors.

First, on the man, himself, we know a great deal; Temijen was born on the colony world of Jiarus to an esteemed noble house that had consolidated power over the planet for centuries. It should be noted that the system of Praag was one of the first generations of systems to be colonized decades before the first true faster than light warp engines had even been completed. These early expeditions relying heavily on outdated slipstream engines and cryo pods.

The fact it took almost a hundred anni cycles before contact was properly established between Praag and the Empire meant it had several generations to develop quite separately. A well-established caste system was born and standing at the head of society were the aristocratic families. The clan of Blackwall has always held a proud tradition of having many of its number involved within the Imperial army itself since their joining of the empire. Creating a strong military tradition that stretches through the ages and one Temijen has followed suit himself. His military records as you well know are impeccable until he eventually retired early to go into business with his younger brother Emanuel Blackwall.

The two turned a small mining company into the multi-system powerhouse that is now Aurora Foundation. Now the beginnings of OES began rather innocently. Aurora Foundation had begun to construction and use of a brand new design of an FTL engine. Upon completion, a fleet of ships was outfitted with these new Cognition Engines and sent to colonize a new sector of planets on the fringes of the Empire. However, these ships apparently vanished part way into their transit.

Perhaps hoping to save face Temijen personally led an expedition with ships outfitted with similar engines. Several cycles later only two ships returned, one of them the was the flagship Temijen had set out with and the other was one, of the till then, lost ships of the failed colonization effort. A vessel called the Zarheran. Reports are still limited in what exactly transpired during this rescue mission but what I have been able to discern from accounts of those present.

Is that the Temijen was able to replicate a tear in the void that the colony vessels were last seen. Those who entered in, including Temijen himself, have been tight-lipped about the events on the other side. I don't have to tell you how unprecedented direct travel into the void is and the fact someone was able to successfully enter it then leave is practically miraculous.

Whatever occurred during this rescue seemed to cause Temijen and those present with him quiet the religious encounter. As I have gathered it seemed Temijen's ship encountered an entity within the void itself they called "Black Sun" it apparently revealed a great many things before returning one of the lost ships. If this event is to be believed then it would mean the first successful encounter with a being from the void itself.

Whether or not this tale is true what I can confirm is those who entered the void in this way did not leave unchanged. Quite a few went mad or became sickened by some unknown illness. However, others, in particular, all the children of the ship rescued from the Zarheran developed unique and strange abilities both unnatural and potent.

They are somewhat reminiscent of regular vacare but defy even their vaunted powers. None of the children were born vacare and their abilities seem to barely be within their ability to control. As their parents were lost during their ill-fated voyage Lord Temijen went out of his way to provide the facilities altered specifically to taking care of them. He even directly adopted one of these children himself.

The children aside it was Temijen's sudden zealot fever that took the form of overtures and donations to the church of Ankh-Sah that first caught our attention. He managed to gain enough notoriety and met with several of the churches, top officials. The meeting ended with the church granting Temijen official sanctions to create a new sect. A more militant arm of the church that would give Ankh-Sah yet unseen presence on the galactic rim.

It seemed from intelligence gathered the church takes Temijen to be something of a present-day prophet. He has played his role well using the resources of Aurora Foundation to consolidate power in Praag and surrounding systems. Many have joined the Order of The Exalted Suns, brought in by Temijen's charisma, influence, and his supposedly being chosen by a god.

In the twenty anni sense the bright of the Order of The Exalted Suns and the events leading to Temijen's sudden conversion to Ankh-Sah. Those children aforementioned before to be changed by their trip into the void have played a key role as well. They are considered by the church to be touched by divinity and are widely known as the Star Hearlds. Having since been trained to harness their strange gifts.

As I have come to understand it, the famed knights of the order known as the knights of null owe their existence to these children in some way. I can confirm they possess the strange if not frightening power to 'deny' the power of a vacare to some extent. It seems less magical to me and more the knight's ability to enforce reality in such a way it cannot be changed as easily. This gift has created powerful vacare hunters and these hunters have established themselves well as experts in capturing rogue vacare.

I am unsure of what that connection is of yet between these knights of null and the accursed children of Zarheran but one thing remains true. As long as the Star Heralds remain within the order and see Temijen as both father and savior the Order will possess potent living weapons-- and make no mistake weapons are exactly what the church has optioned.

Temijen might have made his first political move in securing these 'accidents' by taking them into his care using his considerable resources. However, I am of the belief he became aware of their potential early on and hide greed with the illusion of a good deed. How interesting, if not overly conventiant, the technology that allows them to both controls their powers and sooth the burden they bring was developed so quickly.

I am rather skeptical of the entire event surrounding the creation of these heralds, and I advise we keep an even closer eye on this Lord Temijen as he is far more than he appears. It has been twenty years since the Incident of Zarheran and the man looks no more than 60 years old. He was already 66 anni by the time he partook in the voyage rescue. He still possesses all the energy of a man half of that age. I know anti-aging drugs are popular among the elite but none are so effective.

The past anni has seen a drastic rise in the forces of the Order, it is obvious they are gearing toward something big. Temijen himself as voiced concern the empire is not prepared for what is coming and that only he and his followers can save us. From what? Who are they preparing to fight? Xeno forces? Hidden separatist? This Temijen is not the first doomsayer religious fanatic. However, he remains the first to possess an army and the military background to make it frighteningly effective.

Should he move against the empire I advise we neutralize Lord Temijen himself. It is obvious the order relies greatly on his leadership. Moreso, if we were to strike quickly and decisively we can put an end to the order before it can make effective use of their assets. Specifically, we must at all cost make sure to avoid a guerilla war with the Star Heralds. They are formidable, but few in number and thus cannot throw their weight around inside a true war.

I admit the problem is somewhat muddled by the Orders ties with Ankh-Sah, however, we will simply have to take the risk of raising their ire. Temijen is no doubt aiming for grander I am sure, perhaps he even has eyes on the throne itself. I find it admittedly more comforting to think him a madman or an ambitious one. The alternative is simply unthinkable-- for it would mean there are dangerous beyond our current understanding and insight. Creatures of the void ready to consume us all?

I find the thought... unsettling.

[Ozerath]

The Concordat

Overview

Leading Figures and Ruling Body
The Star Chamber, an elected body of representatives that ostensibly runs the Concordat
The Circle, a small council of a select few Concorded who actually rule.
Ademnon, the First Concordat
Sendema, the Harbinger of Tomorrow
Castantius, the Sword of Talisan

Homeworld
Hard to say exactly, though the world Sanctuary is certainly their most prominent holding. However, The deep space station Concord Dawn serves as the Concordat's actual capital.

Primary Resource
Advanced cybernetics, a variety of high end technology

Armed Forces
The fleets and armies of the Concordat never settle for anything less than absolute bleeding edge technology, and have a propensity for applying excessively complex solutions to solve problems. This is best embodied by their take on railguns: Concordat designs for these tried and true weapons substitute metal slugs for streams of dense superheated ferrofluids. The improvements in performance are offset by the increased difficulty of building and maintaining such weapons. Shields, engines, weapons of all kinds, virtually any key systems; all operate on this premise. While Concordat ships have somewhat superior performance when compared to their ccounterparts, their excessive complexity means they are incredibly difficult to maintain, leaving the Concordat on somewhat poor footing to fight offensive campaigns, particularly long ones. Their ships' performance will inevitably degrade faster than others, meaning the Concordat must strike quickly and decisively, or settle for fighting a defensive war.

Another particularity of Concordat ships is their organic cores. At the heart of every Concordat ship is a cybernetically augmented human brain, very much awake and very much alive. Concordat ships are sentient by every definition of the word, with personalities as varied as one might expect. They actually hold ranks, though are generally restricted by necessity to the navy's astrogation line of service; a vacare Concordat's brain can not be wasted on calculating firing solutions when any Concordat brain could do that. Consequently, Concordat ships tend to be their own astrogation officers, serving as mere lieutenants on smaller ships, right up to rear admirals on flagships, responsible for coordinating the astrogation of entire fleets. This does make keeping track of personnel a trying task for the navy's administrators. A ship brain is just as elligible for promotion or transfer as a human counterpart; the brains can be transferred between ships with relative ease. However, one couldn't very well ask a ship brain to change its name every time it transferred ships, so Concordat ships are constantly renamed after the mind within them. The Concordat's population base provides them with enough Vacare that almost all ships are volunteers; conscripted ship brains are riddled with hardware overrides to ensure their loyalty.

Fleet tactics are complex to near the point of inefficiency. The idea of any one ship firing in isolation is apparently preposterous to the Concordat. All ships of any given force are tied together by sophisticated command nets to precisely co-ordinate offensive and defensive fire. No shot is ever wasted.

On the ground, Concordat heavy infantry is horrifying to behold. They are less soldiers and more brains in jars, mounted in deadly mechanical bodies. Despite this, the armies of the Concordat seem to rely almost excessively on combined arms. Any action is likely to be supported by armor, artillery, and air forces.

Imperial Assessment
Legatus,

An urgent change of policy is needed with regards to the enigmatic entity known as the Concordat. First, a brief backgrounder.

The Concordat exists in an odd legal grey zone. Officially, it is listed as an alternative religious organization, but in practice, it is almost a sovereign nation. Sanctuary, for example, is an Imperial world. Its citizens pay imperial taxes and enroll in the Imperial armed forces. It has an imperial governor. But make no mistake, that governor and those taxes only remain in place so long as they do not become burdensome on the Concordat.

The Concordat's stated objective is Transcendance. They wish to transfer-truly transfer, not copy-their minds to digital mediums and live eternally in a digital utopia. They are evidently well on their way, having developed incredible cybernetic implants of all kinds, everything from replacement limbs that are indistinguishable from flesh and blood counterparts to cortical network implants that let them speak to each other in their minds. Standing policy has been to leave the Concordat alone, as the technology they develop has many uses when exported to the rest of the Imperium, and they have historically been perfectly loyal Imperial subjects.

This policy must change. My spies have discovered data that suggests the Concordat has been conducting a military buildup for the better part of thirty years, completely undetected. Our evidence is circumstantial, I admit, but if it is correct, the Concordat we know is but a facade they permit us to see.

Fortunately, I have gained some insight onto the internal politics of the Concordat. If you are at all familiar with the Concordat, you are doubtlessly aware of the names Ademnon and Sendema. Ademnon was the first human ever implanted with the cortical network implant, and is therefore the first true Concordat. He also happens to be a decorated Imperial war hero. Sendema is a cyberneticist, apparently even more skilled than the Concordat's founder, Marcus Talisan, and she is widely expected to usher in the next wave of the Concordat's evolution. Evidently, the two have emerged as prominent political figures in the Star Chamber, and they are quite at odds with eachother, as are their followers.

I recognize our available forces are spread thin, and if the rumors we've heard about the magnitude of the Concordat's military power are true, a direct assault would be prohibitively costly, if not outright impossible. However, I believe Ademnon and Sendema's political feud can potentially be escalated into a military one. I do not have appropriately concrete evidence to prove the threat the Concordat may represent, but I implore you to allocate additional resources to my command. The fate of the Imperium may be in the balance.

[Isotope]

The Seft Trust

Governing Body and Leaders:
Governing Body:
The Trustee as designated by the original will is the sole ruler of the Trust and determines the use of its assets beyond what is mandated by the original will. The original will is the document that formed the Seft Trust, and while the one who wrote it is long forgotten its basic tenants are simple:

-First, the Trustee shall manage the assets of the Seft estate.

-Second, the title of Trustee shall pass from its holder to their eldest child upon the death of the holder. If the deceased Trustee has begotten no children the title will pass to the lineage of the eldest sibling of the former Trustee. Should that eldest sibling still live they will inherit the title, otherwise it will pass to their eldest child. Should these rules ever fail to designate a Trustee or there be a legitimate challenge to the ascension of a Trustee under these rules then all members of the Seft family related to the departed Trustee within three generations will vote on a new Trustee.

-Third, in managing the assets of the Trust the Trustee shall appoint three advisors from among the family. If a Trustee looks to transfer by sale or otherwise more than 15% of the estates valuation then a consensus among the advisers may overrule them.

-Fourth, 5% of all profits made by the Seft Trust are to be divided among all members of the Seft family related to the current Trustee by three generations.

-Fifth, All genuine members of the Seft family with the Seft name are to be provided an education and reasonable medical care by the Trustee.

It should be understood that the Trustee manages the Seft estate, but technically lacks the authority to declare or enforce laws. However, the defacto nobility status of the family has permitted them to rule their space in a manner similar to that of an imperial governor or landed noble. Few challenge the edicts of the Trustee, though they carry no imperial legitimacy.

Leaders:
Trustee of the House of Seft, Hadrian Peter Seft
Advisor of the Trustee, Amelia Julia Seft
Advisor of the Trustee, Lucius Paul Seft
Advisor of the Trustee, Maximus Ben Seft
Heir Apparent of the House of Seft, Sabina Mary Seft

Home System:
The System of Akamar:
The Palace: The palace is set of two counter rotating O’Neill cylinders home to the Seft family. Enormous open spaces, truly extravagant estates, and luxury only the ultra rich could ever think up are all present. For fewer than a hundred thousand, including all the employees, concubines and retainers, this structure is a land of milk and honey beyond imagining.

City One: City one is set of two counter rotating O’Neill cylinders home to roughly six million people. This city is where the richest of Akamarians live. Lush gardens, princely estates, and every amenity the wealthy can buy are enjoyed by its populace.

City Two: City two is set of two counter rotating O’Neill cylinders home to roughly twenty eight million people. This city is where middle class Akamarians make their living. Green spaces, spacious apartments, perfect weather and more are enjoyed by its people. It’s what most living on conventional space stations could only dream of. It’s people are bankers, accountants, small business owners, and more.

City Three: City three is set of two counter rotating O’Neill cylinders home to roughly sixty nine million people. This city is where working class Akamarians sleep when not working around the system on shifts. Living conditions are tight, but no more than some planet bound cities. To call city three home is to be one of the throng who work all around the system. Shipwrights, miners, mechanics, and more all find a comfortable if not ideal life here.

City Four: City four is set of two counter rotating O’Neill cylinders home to roughly one hundred and seven million people. This city is where the poorest Akamarians live. Tightly cramped, devoid of green space, and with some buildings tall enough for the gravity to be just the slightest bit lighter, City Four is the megacity hell usually only the planet bound get to ‘enjoy’. The better off here commute around the system to work the least desirable jobs whether they be, janitorial, service, or others of the same sort. The truly poor who came to Akamar with nothing looking for opportunities and got stuck at the bottom either don’t work or fall into gangs. City four is a Seft possession, but managing its population is left to the strongest criminal elements so long as relative order is maintained and tribute is paid.

Farm One and Two: These stations are enormous hydroponic greenhouses and research stations. The systems food is grown here, from exotic animals to the common potato. Small enough to be able to use artificial gravity these stations appear as enormous cubes in space.

The Yards: There are more than a hundred of these odd looking half station half scaffold shipyards in Akamar. The number and size of the ships each one can produce varies, but all are at work providing the empire with the vessels that keep it connected.

The Eight Rings: These large torus stations are set up to provide shore leave and anchorage to the empires crews and ships. On the inside of each ring is a small city, and in the middle is a tower studded with zero g docks. These docks are equipped for light repair and above all a safe place to store ships and crew when they’re not needed or between deployments.

Assorted factories, mining facilities, and other small stations: The Akamar system is dotted with thousands of minor stations all owned by the Seft family and all playing a part in their wealth. To count them all would be a herculean task and often entire stations with hundreds of staff can be 'lost' for weeks in paperwork; often to the determinant of those who work on them.

Primary Resource:
Industrial and manufacturing capacity.

Armed Forces
(Leave this blank until the main IC thread is up with details about the technology available k thx.) kay

Imperial Assessment
It is impossible to be certain of just how long ago the Empire first added Akamar to its borders, but records suggest that the star system first became notable a millennium past. Those records mention Akamar only in passing, referring to it as a burgeoning waypoint trading system that had been the victim of a Xeno raid. In the past thousand years it has progressed far beyond that early assessment. No longer ‘burgeoning’ but fully developed and ever expanding, Akamar is undoubtedly the largest center of manufacturing in its sector of space.

While the system may reside in a sector of space under the purview of one of our esteemed governors, it is under the de facto control of The Seft Trust. This is because the system lacks any notable planetoids beyond a smattering of rocky debris around the star that has, for whatever reason, never coalesced into a proper body. Every major settlement in the Akamar system is a space station, and without fail, from O’Neill Cylinder to mining rig, every man made structure in the system belongs to the Seft Trust. The wealth and influence this has permitted the family exceeds what would be tolerable save for the fact that they have been steadfast supporters of the throne throughout their long history. Moreover, removing the Trust would undoubtedly cause catastrophic damage to the valuable anchorages and shipyards in the system.

The Seft Trust, much as the name suggests, is organized as a trust. Some long forgotten scion of the family set up a trust that, regrettably, was arranged in such a way as to make the family hereditary nobility in all but name. The designated Trustee is always the first child of the last Trustee, and the whole of the family is set up as an indefinite beneficiary. While they engage in the kind of hedonistic degeneracy one would expect, it should be said the Seft family is very near to a non-actor politically. Certainly they have considerable influence, but rarely is that influence used to do more than ensure the seemingly endless flow of resources that feed the Akamar systems foundries and manufactories.

That being said, the Trust should not be underestimated. Like any hereditary system the Trust is at the whim of whoever inherits it, and the day may come when a sitting Trustee breaks tradition. Luckily the sheer scale of the infighting present in the Seft family would make removing a Trustee easier than it otherwise would be if the family made any attempt to present a united front. Still, in managing the Trust manipulation should be favoured over force. Akamar has the facilities to construct whole fleets given time, and while the IA benefits from this now if insurrectionists were able to gain the Trusts favour the throne could be faced with a well-armed rebellion.

For now though, the Seft family is indulgent, quarrelsome, and above all loyal. So long as an Emperor watches over them history suggests they will remain so.

[Polybius]

House Andronicus

Imperial Family in Exile

Ruling Body :
Governor Kayes Titus Andronicus
Nephew of Emperor Andronicus , Hero of the Battle of Heraspides

2nd Consort Nevine ;
her daughter Hyra ; her son Iepitus

Home System: Andronicus
Titus I - Capital and home to the Andronicus family tombs.
Lysistrata - Formerly a pleasure world for the Imperial Family.
Saboa - An ice world with deep pockets of minerals.
The Janos Belt - An outer ring of asteroids fortified with Imperial bunkers.

Primary Resource:
The Andronicus system is home to agricultural and mineral worlds, but the family estates stretch across the galaxy, many of which were seized or destroyed following the death of the Emperor. The Bureaucracy has seized the 'Imperial Treasury' and many of the liquid assets of House Andronicus.

Armed Forces
The Andronicus system is protected by a token force of Destroyers, Corvettes and Fighters and the Battleship Chronos. The system is heavily protected by fortifications along the Janos belt.

Imperial Assessment

Senator,
The Consort Nevine, a favorite of the late Emperor has managed to escape to the Andronicus system with her daughter, infant son and a handful of retainers. This is of little concern to the Senate. Her and her offspring have no legitimate claim to the throne. What concerns me, and the reason for this communique, is Governor Titus Kayes. His popularity after the battle of the Heraspides has secured his place in popular 'folk lore' as a man capable of a great many things. I do not know his mind or ambitions. He carries the name Andronicus which may or may not resonate soundly with the people after the death of the Emperor. Whatever the case, the material wealth of House Andronicus is greatly diminished and control of the Imperial Authority out of their hands. For the time being, we can assume no attempts will be made to immediately take back control of the Empire. I recommend re-evaluation within 1 anni.

May Ankh-Sah guide the hand of the Senate,
Inquisitor Hix
VII ^thVespers, IA

[Drunken Conquistador]

The Exarchate of Virezhir:

The Exarch and His Most Loyal Retainers:

Quiriv Rankov, Exarch of Virezhir, Lord Marshal of the Zelevian Reaches, Dux of Rankovzhna. Head of the Grand House of Rankov.
Zoe Rankov, Grand Princess of Virezhir, Koubikoularia of the Grand House of Rankov. Daughter of the Esteemed House of Lebarik
Susrakh Rankov, Prince of the Grand House of Rankov, Commander of the Black Rock, Lord Admiral of the Virezhir fleet.
Iren Rankov, Prince of the Grand House of Rankov, Protomagistros and Protasecretis of Virezhir, Dux of Yerefemia.
Ismenir Korimoi, Head of the Esteemed House of Korimoi, Strategissa and Protonotaria of the Virezhir army.
Madromer of Solomachia, Hetaeriarch of the White Company (Vacare Cabal)

The many and esteemed members of the Exarch's Household and Exarchate's bodies of administration

On the planets and celestial bodies of the Rankovzhna System:

Rankov's Tomb: Capital and beating heart of the Exarchate, a world covered in industries and the grandiose of the administrators. Faceless masses toil in the lower levels while the nobility lives in palatial estates located on the top levels or the luxurious moon of Jashia. While sizable shipyards fill the planet's orbit.

The Black Rock: A large asteroid turned military installation. It orbits the the Tomb as if a second moon, serving as a formidable last line of defense against space borne enemies and a major linchpin of support for the Exarchate's fleet.

Larael's Landing: Terraformed into being one of the breadbaskets of the Exarchate, Larael's Landing is entirely devoted to the task of feeding its neighbors. Numberless serfs and repurposed servitors toiling away in the large agricultural estates that cover the landmasses of the planet.

It's two moons have been terraformed and turned into vacation resorts for the nobility of the Exarchate, one of them is a tropical paradise filled with resorts and the other is filled with genetically modified fauna and flora, for those who prefer hunting to sandy beaches.

Zenomarchia: An arid but mineral rich world, Zenomarchia is a penal colony administered by the Exarchate Navy. It's large penal population is far beyond the planet's capacity to feed, and as such it depends on imports and the recycling of the dead.

The planet's sole moon houses extensive facilities where convicts are used as guinea pigs for varied experiments in genetic engineering.

Eldrichi and Udomar: Two gas giants, notable only for the extensive atmospheric mining operations they house.

Besides these major planets and celestial objects, the system

Primary Resource: Advanced genetic engineering technology.

Armed Forces
(Leave this blank until the main IC thread is up with details about the technology available k thx.)

Imperial Assessment

Ever since they were awarded control over the Exarchate for their support of Emperor Murov during the Black Masquerade, the scions of Rankov have proved to be loyal, if not entirely obedient, servants of the Emperor. Their distance from the capital and general freedom of action that Exarchs receive to better pursue their tasks, have made the Rankovs and the many families and groups beholden to them in vassalage, a prickly, self aggrandizing and willful bunch.

Though never taking direct action against a reigning Emperor, the Grand House is known to value its autonomy and for their opposition of centralization policies undertaken by the capital. And though they never took up arms against a reigning Emperor, the Exarchs of Virezhir have an history of obstructing and interfering with what they deem "unlawful infringements upon their unalienable rights". The Exarchs were also signatories of several petitions and appeals against assembled by noble councils and groups over history.

It's status as an Exarchate allows Virezhir a greater deal of freedom in most matters, including military. As of now, the forces raised by the Exarch and his vassals greatly outnumber those of the Imperial Authority deployed to Virezhir. To support this large regional host, Virezhir developed a native military industrial complex, which has seen substantial deviations from the Imperial norm over the years. Including their overuse of genetically modified shock troops.

Genetic engineering is also more wide spread than the norm inside the Exarchate. Nobles pride themselves on spending fortunes employing pet geneweavers while Geneticist Guilds hold considerable political and economical influence within the confines of Virezhir.

For all their efforts to loosen the hold of the capital over them, the Exarchs are also forced to deal with unruly vassals. The way in which the great Emperor Zelevas organized his conquests means that the Rankovs are but one of the many noble houses inside Virezhir. And though seemingly the single most powerful of these families, the Rankovs and their many vassals are keenly aware that their legitimacy as Exarchs derives from the authority of the Emperor. Any overt action against out Most August Empire will have to be heavily weighed against this fact. Likewise, should an Imperial Authority task force manages to inflict enough defeats upon the Rankovs, it's almost certain that their vassals will soon start to desert rather than to share what seems like a doomed fate.

Finally, as an Exarchate, Virezhir has to deal with the ever constant threats that exist beyond the safety and prosperity of the Empire. In the past millennia, legions of Xenos broke upon Virezhir, several even overran the Exarchate, forcing the Imperial Authority to deploy in force to revert the situation. And though the last great invasion was over four centuries ago, any major redeployment of troops outside the borders of the Exarchate would be strongly opposed by many actors within Virezhir itself.

Besides, we've all read the worrying reports about Xenos movement beyond the Zelevian Reaches. Should their estimations prove true, the Grand House will have more than enough on their plate to even dream of further subversion of rightful Imperial authority.

[FrostedCaramel]

Overview
Name: The Territory of House Gallus
Ruling Body:

The Council of Five

• Brem Gallus - Head of House Gallus, First Seat of the Council
• Yone Petasius - Grand Admiral, Adopted Daughter and Charge of House Gallus, Second Seat of the Council
• Saddavir Valeria - Lord of Industry, Head of House Valeria, Third Seat of the Council
• Iman Aulus - Lord Administrator, Head of House Aulus, Fourth Seat of the Council
• Errin Papus - Lord of State, Fifth Seat of the Council, Head of Vacare Cabal within House Gallus territory

Home System: Lepta System

• Lepta: G Class star of the Lepta System.
• Fides: The closest planet to Lepta, Fides is a barren planet. With surface temperatures too high for standard settlements. Fides supports a rather small contingent of research facilities and support personnel.

• Minerva: The industrial heart of the Territory. Minerva is a massive, polluted and cramped mega city. Its entire surface as much as is possible is covered in a single city. Factories span as far as one can see in all directions and those that live on Minerva work punishingly in the industries of the planet.
  
  
  
  • Salus: The only moon of Minerva. Due to its small size and relatively low gravity, Salus is the major shipbuilding hub of the territory. Hundreds upon hundreds of shipyards specializing in everything from small craft to massive ships of war orbit the moon and dot its surface.
    
    
    
    • Scalabis Drive Yards: The oldest and largest of any of the shipyards in orbit around Salus, Scalabis was the first of the true shipyards to be built in the Lepta system. Originally just a single slip capable of constructing mining and cargo ships, Scalabis has evolved with time into one of the largest shipyards in the Empire, with three massiv slips capabile of constructing two of the Imperial Authorities largest Dreadnoughts and refitting a third similarly sized vessel at once its capacity as a single station is unmatched. It does come with its woes however, being as old of a Station as it is, Scalabis suffers from maintenance issues around the clock and itself is in dire need of a refit. Due to the older technology of the yard, Scalabis constructs ships at a slower rate than newer yards and a slip or two are often taken down for maintenance.
  • Portus Lemanis: A massive orbital station tethered to Minerva by a single space elevator. Portus Lemanis acts as the central collection and distribution center for Minerva and Salus, the material hungry manufactorums of Gallus Territory. The station consists of several hundred docks for cargo and then nearly two hundred more for completed ships from Salus that are awaiting skeleton crews to take them to their final destinations. The space elevator located in the center of the station consists of twenty massive cars, ten of which are external and ten of which are internally mounted on the tether. These cars take all materials and goods to and from Minerva. Materials bound for Salus are shuttle by a seemingly endless fleet of small cargo craft. The administration of space around Portus Lemanis is among one of the most demanding and exhausting jobs within Gallus Territory.

• Eros: The seat of House Gallus's power and the capital of the Territory. Eros is a planet that stands in stark opposition to the sites of Minerva. Sweeping blue oceans, clear blue skys, and lush forests dot the landscape, accented by well planned and well kept cities and towns. Eros's capital city of Falerrii consists of seemingly endless federal buildings and institutions. The smaller towns of Eros consist mostly of agriculture and a small amount of mining. Headquarters and testing ranges of the heavy industry companies that use Minerva and Salus are located on Eros.
• Ceres: A molten ball of rock. Ruins of what once was are still visible as the tides of the molten lava give way to the charred and barren skeletons of cities that will never melt. A remnant of the Machine Wars, Ceres was once a populous agricultural planet. It was capable of providing food for Eros and Salus, and although the exact details have long since been forgotten, it is common knowledge that the Machines used some sort of unthinkable weapon to turn Ceres into what it is today.
• Fons: The final planet in the Lepta system, Fons is a massive Gas Giant. Hewed in Deep purples and dark blues, the planet serves little purpose to the Gallus family save for single military installation nestled just below the clouds of the planet.
  
  
  
  • Bonna Installation: A rather small station nestled beneath the clouds of Fons, it houses a small contingent of military researchers and a patrol fleet.

Primary Resource: Heavy Industry - Heavy Equipment Manufacturing (Mining, Agriculture, Military Vehicles, Manufacturing Equipment etc.), Ship Building

Armed Forces:

House Gallus is an oddity within the Empire. Where many Houses and governing bodies of the Empire possess large fleets and sizable armies for both defense and offense, House Gallus possess only a small fraction of what others do. House Gallus's position as one of the largest manufacturers of starships, military equipment, and absolutely necessary equipment for continued expansion and development of the Empire has placed them in a position of comfort within the Empire. The Imperial Authority sees the manufacturing capabilities held within House Gallus territory at absolute value, meaning that the IA itself does much of the patrolling and military action within Gallus territory, of which there is very little to begin with. In the past heavily reliant on the Imperial Authority for both peacekeeping operations and defense within their territory, their armies are nothing more than conscripted soldiers with very few career officers and enlisted to control them. The conscripts are forced to serve three years sometime between the ages of eighteen and twenty eight, their placement in either the Army or Navy is based off of an aptitude test and the conscript is given little choice in what they end up doing.

The Army of House Gallus territory consists of little more than defensive armies with little to no offensive capabilities. The armies themselves are nominally equipped and trained, but lack the true ability to function outside of small offensive operations. They specialize in defense, their bases consisting of large fortress like structures supported by artillery batteries and air units to thin enemy forces before they can get close to the fortress walls.

The Navy of House Gallus territory is nothing more than a few glorified patrol fleets. They do little more than patrol the outskirts of the territory and ward off any wanton pirates and outlaws from trying to poach on the many cargo ships that enter and exit the territory.

Imperial Assessment

A house that rose to oversee the colonization and development of the Lepta system in the few hundred years before the Machine Wars, House Gallus has been a staunch supporter of the Royal Family since they came to power, relying heavily on the Emperor and his power to keep themselves and their industry protected they have not once stepped out of line in relation to Him. Despite this, it is this Agents opinion that House Gallus will not remain loyal to the Royal Family following their ousting. Everything this Agent has collected on House Gallus points to a simple unspoken rule present within the family, that only power deserves respect, meaning it is very likely that House Gallus will remain loyal to the Imperial Bureaucracy over the now dethroned and weak Royal Family.

In the event that House Gallus acts contrary to these findings, it is my suggestion that the Imperial Authority act quickly to seize all production capabilities in the Lepta System to stop any fledgling rebellion before it can arm itself. In the most likely course of action, it is safe to assume House Gallus will remain loyal to the Bureaucracy which we must ensure remains true in order to continue to utilize their manufacturing capability in this sector.

House Gallus respects power. Even if they themselves have little in the way of military might they well make up for it in industry, as long as the Imperial Authority remains the most prominent force in the Empire, it is safe to say that House Gallus will continue to be loyal to the new seat of power.