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Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

At the moment, Emperor Aricius was looking over just some of the myriad writings his subjects could bring him regarding the history of the Rift. At the back of his mind, however, was the knowledge that his time was short, the clock ticking until his next meeting. As much as he wanted to know, there was an even more pressing subject matter - that of the Rift.
With a reluctant sigh, Aricius pulled himself from his current efforts poring over the various documents in the castle's vast library. He would have time for his studies later, he reminded himself. His attention was needed on the very subject his studies pertained to.
As Aricius entered the throne room, he was pleased to see his top advisors already awaiting him. They understood how precious his time was, and wouldn't waste it by making him wait unnecessarily. "Emperor!" one of them greeted. "It's an honor to-"
"God damn, skip the pleasantries, please," he demanded as he moved to his seat. Perhaps hunger made him testy; perhaps it was just impatience. Regardless, the silent nods and tightened posture of the others as they took their seats made it evident that he had set the tone for the meeting.
"How go the efforts by the research team?" he pressed, before he had even finished sitting down. "What have we discovered about the Rift, and are any of these discoveries useful to us?"

General Tiller cleared his throat to indicate that he would be the one answering. It was appropriate, he figured, as the research team was under military command. "We've made many discoveries, but they essentially sum up to a few key points. The first is that people can enter through the Rift, and return here through the portal at the other end."
Aricius nodded. "Has this been consistent?" he asked.
"It has," Tiller confidently assured the emperor. "They've been able to return even when the Rift on our end wasn't directed to their current location. That brings us to the next two points. Our mages have developed a means to direct the Rift to any one of multiple different locations. For now, they will control it on site, based on your orders. Our researchers are hoping to develop a means to streamline this process, to make it easier for you to control. Though there are those who say that the actual direction of the Rift wouldn't need a particularly specialized skillset, we've endeavored to make the process as reliable and consistent as possible."

Tiller leaned forward, his hands clasped as he prepared to continue. "That brings us to the most concerning point. We haven't yet found a way to seal the Rift," he revealed. Aricius gave a slightly dissatisfied shrug, but there was no indication that the development surprised him.
"So anyone who has access to a Rift on their end could come here, then?" he asked.
"As far as we know, that is correct," Tiller confirmed. "At least, anyone whom we can reach. We can, of course, continue to work on ways to tighten control, but it will... take time, at the very least."
Aricius closed his eyes in contemplation, his chin resting lightly on his fist. He remained still for a few seconds before returning his attention to the room. "Very well," he acknowledged. "Depending on what the other lands look like, our main advantage may be that there's nothing of value to be gained by attacking this place, relative to the cost. On that note, what do we see of other lands?"
Marcus cleared his throat this time. "Based on the data we have so far, I would say that there are positive prospects," he said. "We've been careful to avoid going too far, however, so as to leave the decision on our next move to you. The others can fill you in on what we've been seeing, along with our recommendations. From there, the choice is yours."
The other advisors became more alert at the prompt. Aricius looked around at the table.
"Very well. Let's hear it then," he ordered.

----

A piece of meat arced through the air before disappearing into the maw of a lunging wyvern. The meal would satisfy the creature, while its rider received his briefing.
With the base commander at his office stood the rider with the scout that would be accompanying him. The commander looked over the most important details of the briefing before continuing. "You two have been selected for this mission because of your training in telepathy, and because of the high degree of confidence the Empire can place in you," he stated.
The riders nodded. "It's an honor to be chosen for this, sir," one of them commented.
"As it should be," the commander responded. "Now, some information about your destination. What we have been able to pick up from scrying suggests that that there is significant civilization in the target realm. They appear to command floating ships of some kind, with fortified positions. You should hopefully get the chance to establish contact with them before they try to shoot you down. You are to carry no weapons on this trip. Should you find yourselves in danger, retreat immediately and report it."
"Yes, sir," the soldiers affirmed.
"Here are the two most important things you can remember for this mission," the commander continued. "The first: you represent Vivesper and its people. Do not do anything that would reflect unfavorably on us. The Emperor is looking for an opportunity to establish a diplomatic replationships, and potentially trade. You will be the first impression these people have of Vivesper. Do not give them a reason to immediately dismiss such an idea."
"Yes sir," the soldiers affirmed again.
"Good. The second: you must return to us," the commander asserted. "At least one of you, but ideally, both. We must have your report of what you encounter. Though I hope it doesn't happen, you also must not allow yourselves to be taken prisoner. Should you be interrogated, you may endanger Vivesper should these people prove hostile."
The soldiers maintained their bearing as they were presented with the grim scenario. "Yes sir," they affirmed again.
"Good. Now, the mages will direct the Rift. You are to get on your wyverns and fly through once they clear you," the commander instructed. "From there, you're on your own. Try to use telepathy to contact any other party from a safe distance, before approaching. Best of luck."
"Understood. We look forward to bringing you a successful report," one of the scouts said, as they took their leave. The mission was dangerous, but they wouldn't back down. Vivesper needed this of them, and they would do it.

The riders, now mounted atop their wyverns, waited anxiously as the mages stabilized the Rift. As they did, images of flying ships and thriving islands appeared - as well as a place that seemed even deader than many in Vivesper. Unlike the desolate areas in Vivesper, however, which were invariably uncivilized, that place seemed to be a ruin of what was once a thriving civilization.
Hopefully, it would only come up as a history lesson.
The mages gave the all clear for the scouts. With a command, the wyverns took off, into the portal... and into whatever awaited them on the other side.

Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

@Timemaster I'm very glad to hear that, thank you! Given that I'm new to the site, first impressions are rather important, and I felt quite a bit of pressure to leave a good one.

Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

Well, my first post is up. Let me know your thoughts, and if there was anything I missed that you felt I should've covered.

Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

Deep in the library of the fortification known as Enduron Castle, a tired man in plain clothes continued his thorough efforts to peruse one of many books. As he analyzed the various literature, a pile of detailed notes accumulated on the desk, their penmanship not matching the effort that went into the thoughts they represented.

Most people knew not to bother this man without good reason. This wasn't just because he was busy, or because of the seemingly dry subject matter of the books, but because of who he was. He was none other than the current Emperor of Vivesper, Aricius. As Emperor, he had one duty - ensuring the survival and advancement of the Empire of Vivesper as a whole. In the day of his ancestors, before the land was unified, such a thing would, more often than not, be a matter for the battlefield. However, with wars across the continent becoming a matter for history books, and with the Empire having found stability, the attitude needed to shift. That was, at least, as far as he was concerned.

The people of Vivesper had fought and struggled so long nearly to survive. The current population, while much larger than its lowest point, was still a far cry from what it was many centuries ago, when the people first came to this land. Famine, dehydration, frostbite, and hypothermia had claimed so many as they tried to eek out a living in a land that wanted them to die.

Humanity was not simply a stain to be wiped out at the caprice of nature, however. As it came under a unifying vision, it pried life from the maw of death. The people had to make many sacrifices to survive; over time, they had gotten better and better at it. When every man did his job, and could count on his fellow men to do theirs, then what was nature or divinity to stand in their way?

Yet there were those who would never be content with survival. There were those who were willing to cheat their fellow man even when they had more than enough. Aricius had just overseen the execution of a count by burning earlier in the day; the noble's provisions for his people did not reflect what he took from them, and investigations revealed embezzlement. The local leadership was a reflection of the Empire as a whole to its subjects. If they cheated their people, then the Empire was cheating its people; if they were willing to cheat their people, then they were willing to cheat the Empire.

In the end, it didn't matter who they were, commoner or noble. They all needed to know their place in the Empire. Though there were those who tried to ingratiate themselves with the emperor, Aricius was rather fickle, and would just as quickly put someone on the chopping block as he would show a seemingly favorable attitude towards them.

"Emperor!" a voice called out, piercing the silence of the expansive library. The call was 'Emperor' as opposed to 'Your Majesty', as Aricius' ancestors had decided that it was more important they be identified by their role in Vivesperian society than their informed superiority. As much as it made Aricius irate to be interrupted, he identified the voice as a member of his Royal Guard. This matter was evidently important.

Aricius picked his head up from the tome he was poring over - a theoretical analysis of the motives of humanity - and looked squarely at the interrupting guard. The guard was taking hard breaths, obviously having been in a rush, and in the guard's hand was a scroll case. "You're going to want to read this, Emperor," he urged.

Aricius took the scroll case from the guard, pulling the scroll from it and analyzing its content.

----

Greetings, Emperor.

Though I have preserved the original report in the event you wanted to see it, I have decided to write to you personally regarding this matter, as it is a matter of pressing interest to Vivesper as a whole. While a wyvern scouting party that was assigned to the area of the Rift was performing their usual survey and patrol of the land, the Rift reportedly underwent an event which was reported as "cataclysmic". Though the scouts were not grounded, they still felt and heard very loud tremors, and the Rift glowed incandescently as it stabilized.

Our scouts were not close enough to identify more details, and returned as soon as the event concluded. Though we do not yet know at this time, we believe the Rift might be open once again. I would like to send a team to investigate the matter further. Supplies would be a major consideration, due to the Rift's distance from any location with readily available food and water.

Ultimately, what I am able to organize regarding the matter is dependent on the approach you wish to take. As your ultimate decision would likely involve input from your other top men, I have advised them to be ready to be summoned.

Sincerely,

General Tiller

----

Aricius was already considering many possibilities before he had even gotten to the end of the letter. Should he be ecstatic, or worried? He needed a more clear picture. "Have every one of my advisors summoned to the throne room for an emergency meeting," he ordered the guard, as he stood up from his chair before taking a long stretch. "And have someone bring those back to my room," he ordered again, pointing at his notes.

The guard nodded. "Right away, Emperor," he confirmed, as he rapidly set off. The meeting meant that Aricius had to get dressed in clothing that actually reflected his status as the Emperor of Vivesper, as comfortable as more plain clothes were. He didn't have a problem with doing it, however - it was his duty.

----

The throne room, and the throne itself, weren't particularly decorated, though some sculptures and pictures had been put in the room in order to better reflect its significance. Aricius' many advisors answered his summons, dropping whatever they were doing at the time. Compared to his ancestors, there were considerably few military commanders, with the lack of constant war having lowered the need for them.

"Hello, everyone. Thank you for answering my summons on such short notice. Now, let's get right to business," he started, cutting through the pleasantries. "First, what are considerations as far as threats go?"

General Tiller, the writer of the previous scroll, took the question. "That largely varies based on what's on the other side, and how logical they are," he supposed. "Overall, I predict little threat to Vivesper overall, though there would be ever-present danger to whatever research party we send to investigate. Given how far the Rift is from any viable target, and how desolate the area is, a ground invasion would not be possible for most unless they have a lot of supplies prepared. In the worst case scenario, we would evacuate the civilized areas, taking our supplies and destroying anything they can use as we move. The survivors of any invasion force here through winter would likely be too frostbitten to remain a threat."

"I don't think we'll have to immediately draft our army, then," Aricius deduced. "We may, however, want to potentially start training more troops, once we have a good idea of what we might be facing. Now, how about potential resources?"

Marcus, Aricius' head steward, took this question. "That would, of course, be dependent on what we encounter," he suggested. "Should the area - or areas - on the other side be more hospitable, then that may bode well for us. We might be able to establish trade opportunities, at the very least. We're currently limited by how much desolate land we can transform into arable - with a consistent trade partner willing to provide more food, then we can shift more of our focus to other areas."

Aricius considered the possibility. Trading... that, of course, required providing something of equal value. Many societies valued gold; historically, its value was less than that of iron in Vivesper, due to its lack of use in a land where people struggled to survive, but gold was slowly gaining value as the Empire stabilized, and it was something they could shift more focus into if others valued it. there were, of course, potentially other things; it would largely vary based on what they encountered.

Though Aricius listened to his various advisors as they discussed the new circumstance, there was one constant - the fact remained that too much was up in the air at the moment. They needed more information. "Arrange for a transport route to be established to the Rift," he ordered. "We'll support a base there while our researchers discover more. I'll also need our bravest, most experienced scouts. If we can go through the Rift, then we need to identify whether the trip can be made both ways, and we'll need a good idea of what's on the other side. We'll keep some soldiers at the base as well, for smaller threats, but we're not keeping a fortress there. That should do for today. You're all dismissed."

As his advisors set off, Aricius lingered a moment. Vivesper had been content to survive against the odds for so long. Perhaps, however, this would be the ultimate triumph of man over gods and this accursed land. Perhaps the greedy criminals within the Empire had a point.

Perhaps it wasn't enough anymore just to survive - it was time to thrive.

Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

Just making sure - we are clear to post now, yes?

Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

Vivesper

Vivesperian Empire

Government Form: Imperial Monarchy

Demographics: As of now, Vivesper's sapient population is completely human. Though elves existed earlier in the area's history, there was a long history of mutual bad blood between the two species, and elves were wiped out to the very last in the final stages of the Vivesperian Empire consolidating control of the realm.

Population: Approximately 14 million humans

---

Plane Description: As of now, the overall appearance of the plane differs drastically between areas near settlements and more isolated areas. Most of the land was initially barren, but, through a combination of land development and magical advances, the general fertility of many areas was increased.
Fortunately, the weather provides for plenty of precipitation, and droughts are rare. This precipitation is most notable in the winter season. In addition to the more regular snowstorms, blizzards are common, and have often ground military actions to a halt throughout Vivesper's history. Much of the infrastructure of cities is designed around resisting blizzards.
Phoenixes are a species hunted for their feathers and ashes, often dwelling in the harsher environments.
The land has a wealth of mineral resources, most notably high-quality iron. Though this includes a high supply of precious metals, there has not been much effort previously to excavate them due to the lack of parties who would give them significant value. As the Empire has stabilized, there has been some growing interest in precious metals.

History: Though the population of Vivesper is much than its lowest point, it's drastically lower than it was after going through the portal. In addition to humans, the population initially included the less populous elves. The land was initially named Vacacia, so barren was it at the time. Many people died of starvation, and the previously unified people fragmented as they sought out the most survivable areas. With elves already having a strong reputation for arrogance and bigotry among humans, they split up into their own groups
Fighting for resources was a way of life initially. As people split up more and stabilized, however, war didn't become less frequent so much as it became more organized. After awhile, various major territories were established, and two eventually developed into kingdoms. Though the two kingdoms were at a stalemate for awhile, one eventually conquered the other through major breakthroughs in technology and magic. Those advancements were the development of phoenix steel, a steel alloy which, contrary to most metals, insulated against heat, cold, and electricity, rendering knights virtually invulnerable to most opposing offensive magic; and major improvements in tunneling magic, which permitted larger, deeper, and more stable tunnels, allowed one to circumvent castle defenses, and allowed attacks to be pressed underground when blizzards rendered surface movement dangerous.
The Empire of Vivesper was established shortly after the conquest, named after the territory previously known as Vacacia that would now be known to the Empire as Vivesper to reflect its ability to make the land work.
In the time that followed, the Empire rapidly grew in size, with most human territories choosing to pledge loyalty to it and gain the advantage of stability from being under its umbrella, rather than wasting lives and resources delaying what was seen as inevitable. As the Vivesperian Empire grew, the idea of uniting the entire land under one authority gradually changed from concept, to aspiration, to objective.
The elves refused to give themselves freely to human rule. The Empire used a major smallpox epidemic that originated from a human settlement close to elvish territory as casus belli for a punitive war against elvish territories - elves were accused of conducting a targeted attack with a horrible disease known only to infect humans, motivated by their bigotry, though specifics regarding those accusations were lacking. Having made it clear after a few battles that elves that didn't surrender would be slaughtered, the bloody affair went on for a very long time, before remaining territories surrendered.
Seeing elves as an obstacle to a unified Vivesper, however, the Emperor ordered every single elf in the realm slaughtered. It was nearly impossible for the remaining elves to put up any meaningful resistance after their territory was already under control of the Empire. What would have been seen as the most depraved sort of affair imaginable instead became seen as a marker of a once divided people being made whole again, with much emphasis being placed by the Empire's historians on the reactionary ideals of the elves, their hubris, and their crimes against humanity.

Culture and Society: Culturally, the realm puts major focus on unity, loyalty, obedience, and knowing and fulfilling one's role in society. Propaganda posters frequently reiterate the importance of these values.
Working long hours is frequent for many. The culture of fulfilling one's role in society leads many to become highly devoted to their sociological niche, taking pride. One's profession and position in society is second only to their name as far as personal identity goes. People are more reluctant to explore different fields overall, which potentially leads some to squander potential they had elsewhere.
Phoenixes are a national icon. In addition to their ashes being the basis for phoenix steel, their ability to survive in harsh areas is seen as symbolic of the resiliency of the people, and their legendary reincarnation is seen as iconic of the people themselves rising from the ashes.
Vivesperians do not bury their dead in a traditional sense. Instead, the dead are processed into compost. A fruit tree is often planted with some of this compost in honor of the dead individual; much like the phoenix, such a gesture is symbolic of life from death, and allows one to continue to serve their fellow man even after death.
With there being universal literacy (albeit to different levels of proficiency), many libraries have been established in Vivesper. Though much of the writing within these libraries is practical or historical, there are also many fictional stories. Mythology, by nature of its invocation of religious ideas, is not found within libraries. Works directly critical of the Empire, or that portray its actions or ideals in a bad light, are very difficult to have approved, though some more clever authors may get around this through use of allusions.
There is a stigma against ostentatious displays of wealth, though this stigma has been weakening over time as the Empire has stabilized. Though peoples' clothing reflects their social status, nobles rarely wear jewelry at anything other than the most important ceremonies of the year.
The most major holiday of the year is Founding Day, the anniversary of the Empire's founding and the coronation of the first Emperor. Though usually held on the actual day, the festivities in an area are postponed if there is bad weather. Alcohol, though it isn't rare or scarce, is more limited than in other places due to the lower amount of arable land; Founding Day is one of the biggest times for drinking it. There are usually many games to be had, with archery competitions being some of the most popular.

---

Governance and Politics: The Vivesperian Empire has relatively high taxes. It is often emphasized in propaganda how paying one's taxes is an important part of fulfilling your due to society and helping your fellow people survive.
Religiosity is banned by mandate. It is regularly emphasized that gods forsook the people of Vivesper, and that the continued survival of the people comes from the strength of its people, and their strength alone.
Punishments for many things are often draconian. Beyond the crime itself, criminals are seen as opposing the very foundation of the Empire itself, that being the mutual cooperation that allowed its people to survive in spite of the land itself trying to kill them. Public executions in many places are frequent, with criminals being executed in ways that make their death slow, painful, and showy. The people revel in seeing an end to those who are seen as being a danger to their survival. Prisoners are often allocated to dangerous jobs, and frequently die as a result of misadventure during those jobs.
At least per the Vivesperian mandate, the role of children is seen as learning and developing into the future of the Empire. Education for young children is mandatory; this policy was highly unpopular when initially invoked, as it meant fewer hands for things like farm work. It has mainly survived because none of the emperors have been of any other mind, despite the concerns of subordinates.
Though criticizing the Empire isn't a crime in and of itself, it is a crime to attempt to challenge or subvert the Empire's authority. How this gets interpreted is generally based on whoever is enforcing the law.

Technology and Magic: Magic is something that takes a thorough understanding of both physical and metaphysical laws in order to use, at least with any degree of proficiency. Thus, magic is often associated with higher education, and, by extension, with privilege. In military matters, mages serve as specialists; they're not used as general agents of lethality, but to perform a specific action that cannot be done with more traditional tools. Though one might be able to use basic spells of various types, one often has to specialize in a particular type of magic to get the most out of it.
A major technological advancement was phoenix steel. It is a steel alloy which derives its carbon content from phoenix ashes. It can only be forged at extremely high temperatures, temperatures that can only be sustained and survived with the aid of magic.

Military Overview: Currently, with stability as opposed to constant wars, the Vivesperian Empire's standing army is much smaller than it was at its peak. It is composed of knights, mages, and other elite men-at-arms. The majority of those in the standing army are under direct command of the Emperor; this makes potential rebellion a difficult affair, as one cannot outnumber the Emperor's professional army with their own professional troops even in the unlikely event that every other noble with professional troops offered their support.
Beyond the standing army, the Empire also requires every man of fighting age to own and be proficient with a weapon of their choice, with other potential arrangements based on the Empire's needs. These men can be drafted as needed for either local militias or the main army.
In addition to traditional cavalry, the Empire breeds wyverns, and trains wyvern riders. The advantage of flight is particularly significant in many of the areas of rough terrain. Given the value of wyvern riders, however, they are rarely used in situations in which enemies are holding firm; they are often used to pursue disorganized enemies in routs, to attack divided groups of enemies, or to take out high-value targets.

---

Additional Info:

Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

A few edits to what I wrote so far, expanding on culture, governance, and military somewhat, and noting the existence of significant mineral resources in the land. If there are any details in particular that I'm forgetting and someone feels I should mention, feel free to let me know.

At the moment, I'm considering the role my nation will play, relative to other nations. I think it'll primarily involve trading, at least at the beginning, though, of course, that remains to be seen. I can't wait to get started.

(Also, for the sake of clarity, I've specified the Vivesperian Empire, or the Empire, to refer to the nation, while specifying Vivesper to refer to the land, but "Vivesper" will probably be used interchangeably outside of the nation sheet.)

Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

Vivesper

Vivesperian Empire

Government Form: Imperial Monarchy

Demographics: As of now, Vivesper's sapient population is completely human. Though elves existed earlier in the area's history, there was a long history of mutual bad blood between the two species, and elves were wiped out to the very last in the final stages of the Vivesperian Empire consolidating control of the realm.

Population: Approximately 14 million humans

---

Plane Description: As of now, the overall appearance of the plane differs drastically between areas near settlements and more isolated areas. Most of the land was initially barren, but, through a combination of land development and magical advances, the general fertility of many areas was increased.
Fortunately, the weather provides for plenty of precipitation, and droughts are rare. This precipitation is most notable in the winter season. In addition to the more regular snowstorms, blizzards are common, and have often ground military actions to a halt throughout Vivesper's history. Much of the infrastructure of cities is designed around resisting blizzards.
Phoenixes are a species hunted for their feathers and ashes, often dwelling in the harsher environments.
The land has a wealth of mineral resources, most notably high-quality iron. Though this includes a high supply of precious metals, there has not been much effort previously to excavate them due to the lack of parties who would give them significant value. As the Empire has stabilized, there has been some growing interest in precious metals.

History: Though the population of Vivesper is much than its lowest point, it's drastically lower than it was after going through the portal. In addition to humans, the population initially included the less populous elves. The land was initially named Vacacia, so barren was it at the time. Many people died of starvation, and the previously unified people fragmented as they sought out the most survivable areas. With elves already having a strong reputation for arrogance and bigotry among humans, they split up into their own groups
Fighting for resources was a way of life initially. As people split up more and stabilized, however, war didn't become less frequent so much as it became more organized. After awhile, various major territories were established, and two eventually developed into kingdoms. Though the two kingdoms were at a stalemate for awhile, one eventually conquered the other through major breakthroughs in technology and magic. Those advancements were the development of phoenix steel, a steel alloy which, contrary to most metals, insulated against heat, cold, and electricity, rendering knights virtually invulnerable to most opposing offensive magic; and major improvements in tunneling magic, which permitted larger, deeper, and more stable tunnels, allowed one to circumvent castle defenses, and allowed attacks to be pressed underground when blizzards rendered surface movement dangerous.
The Empire of Vivesper was established shortly after the conquest, named after the territory previously known as Vacacia that would now be known to the Empire as Vivesper to reflect its ability to make the land work.
In the time that followed, the Empire rapidly grew in size, with most human territories choosing to pledge loyalty to it and gain the advantage of stability from being under its umbrella, rather than wasting lives and resources delaying what was seen as inevitable. As the Vivesperian Empire grew, the idea of uniting the entire land under one authority gradually changed from concept, to aspiration, to objective.
The elves refused to give themselves freely to human rule. The Empire used a major smallpox epidemic that originated from a human settlement close to elvish territory as casus belli for a punitive war against elvish territories - elves were accused of conducting a targeted attack with a horrible disease known only to infect humans, motivated by their bigotry, though specifics regarding those accusations were lacking. Having made it clear after a few battles that elves that didn't surrender would be slaughtered, the bloody affair went on for a very long time, before remaining territories surrendered.
Seeing elves as an obstacle to a unified Vivesper, however, the Emperor ordered every single elf in the realm slaughtered. It was nearly impossible for the remaining elves to put up any meaningful resistance after their territory was already under control of the Empire. What would have been seen as the most depraved sort of affair imaginable instead became seen as a marker of a once divided people being made whole again, with much emphasis being placed by the Empire's historians on the reactionary ideals of the elves, their hubris, and their crimes against humanity.

Culture and Society: Culturally, the realm puts major focus on unity, loyalty, obedience, and knowing and fulfilling one's role in society. Propaganda posters frequently reiterate the importance of these values.
Working long hours is frequent for many. The culture of fulfilling one's role in society leads many to become highly devoted to their sociological niche, taking pride. One's profession and position in society is second only to their name as far as personal identity goes. People are more reluctant to explore different fields overall, which potentially leads some to squander potential they had elsewhere.
Phoenixes are a national icon. In addition to their ashes being the basis for phoenix steel, their ability to survive in harsh areas is seen as symbolic of the resiliency of the people, and their legendary reincarnation is seen as iconic of the people themselves rising from the ashes.
Vivesperians do not bury their dead in a traditional sense. Instead, the dead are processed into compost. A fruit tree is often planted with some of this compost in honor of the dead individual; much like the phoenix, such a gesture is symbolic of life from death, and allows one to continue to serve their fellow man even after death.
With there being universal literacy (albeit to different levels of proficiency), many libraries have been established in Vivesper. Though much of the writing within these libraries is practical or historical, there are also many fictional stories. Mythology, by nature of its invocation of religious ideas, is not found within libraries. Works directly critical of the Empire, or that portray its actions or ideals in a bad light, are very difficult to have approved, though some more clever authors may get around this through use of allusions.
There is a stigma against ostentatious displays of wealth, though this stigma has been weakening over time as the Empire has stabilized. Though peoples' clothing reflects their social status, nobles rarely wear jewelry at anything other than the most important ceremonies of the year.
The most major holiday of the year is Founding Day, the anniversary of the Empire's founding and the coronation of the first Emperor. Though usually held on the actual day, the festivities in an area are postponed if there is bad weather. Alcohol, though it isn't rare or scarce, is more limited than in other places due to the lower amount of arable land; Founding Day is one of the biggest times for drinking it. There are usually many games to be had, with archery competitions being some of the most popular.

---

Governance and Politics: The Vivesperian Empire has relatively high taxes. It is often emphasized in propaganda how paying one's taxes is an important part of fulfilling your due to society and helping your fellow people survive.
Religiosity is banned by mandate. It is regularly emphasized that gods forsook the people of Vivesper, and that the continued survival of the people comes from the strength of its people, and their strength alone.
Punishments for many things are often draconian. Beyond the crime itself, criminals are seen as opposing the very foundation of the Empire itself, that being the mutual cooperation that allowed its people to survive in spite of the land itself trying to kill them. Public executions in many places are frequent, with criminals being executed in ways that make their death slow, painful, and showy. The people revel in seeing an end to those who are seen as being a danger to their survival. Prisoners are often allocated to dangerous jobs, and frequently die as a result of misadventure during those jobs.
At least per the Vivesperian mandate, the role of children is seen as learning and developing into the future of the Empire. Education for young children is mandatory; this policy was highly unpopular when initially invoked, as it meant fewer hands for things like farm work. It has mainly survived because none of the emperors have been of any other mind, despite the concerns of subordinates.
Though criticizing the Empire isn't a crime in and of itself, it is a crime to attempt to challenge or subvert the Empire's authority. How this gets interpreted is generally based on whoever is enforcing the law.

Technology and Magic: Magic is something that takes a thorough understanding of both physical and metaphysical laws in order to use, at least with any degree of proficiency. Thus, magic is often associated with higher education, and, by extension, with privilege. In military matters, mages serve as specialists; they're not used as general agents of lethality, but to perform a specific action that cannot be done with more traditional tools. Though one might be able to use basic spells of various types, one often has to specialize in a particular type of magic to get the most out of it.
A major technological advancement was phoenix steel. It is a steel alloy which derives its carbon content from phoenix ashes. It can only be forged at extremely high temperatures, temperatures that can only be sustained and survived with the aid of magic.

Military Overview: Currently, with stability as opposed to constant wars, the Vivesperian Empire's standing army is much smaller than it was at its peak. It is composed of knights, mages, and other elite men-at-arms. The majority of those in the standing army are under direct command of the Emperor; this makes potential rebellion a difficult affair, as one cannot outnumber the Emperor's professional army with their own professional troops even in the unlikely event that every other noble with professional troops offered their support.
Beyond the standing army, the Empire also requires every man of fighting age to own and be proficient with a weapon of their choice, with other potential arrangements based on the Empire's needs. These men can be drafted as needed for either local militias or the main army.
In addition to traditional cavalry, the Empire breeds wyverns, and trains wyvern riders. The advantage of flight is particularly significant in many of the areas of rough terrain. Given the value of wyvern riders, however, they are rarely used in situations in which enemies are holding firm; they are often used to pursue disorganized enemies in routs, to attack divided groups of enemies, or to take out high-value targets.

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Additional Info:

Through the Rifts: Progeny [Open!] [Co-GM Run]

I hope everyone is as eager as I am!

Through the Rifts: Progeny

@Tortoise That's good. I can definitely respect wanting a certain aesthetic.

Regarding your point on a slippery slope - that's actually something I personally need to be more cognizant of. Unfortunately, I'm aware that I sometimes get frustrated when people don't have the same understanding of my niche interests that I do, and I'm not as cognizant of the general idea of impressions (especially first impressions). I'm aware of the concept, of course, but I suppose it's something more experienced GMs would understand better than I would, with my GMing history being in a closed environment.
Also, I realize that it's a bit selfish and entitled of me to expect other RPers to cultivate the same understanding of military history as I have. It would be like a player demanding I get an understanding of the physics of space travel before participating in a science fiction RP, when the details space travel haven't been a particular interest of mine. If I enjoyed science fiction, I wouldn't want to play a sci-fi RP, only to be told that I wouldn't actually be allowed to do what I thought I could based on my understanding of things. I wouldn't want to have to spend time researching a topic that doesn't interest me just to play in an RP for a genre which does interest me.

Besides that, I'm very pleased you find my draft satisfactory. I'm happy that you had a solid understanding of the ideals regarding Vivesper that I was trying to convey. I definitely intend to expand on the culture later, when I'm not drunk as a skunk (and hopefully not hungover), as it's a topic I find to be of significant importance to a nation. I would've loved to go into more detail, but the more responsible me had to draw a line somewhere regarding my time, so I could get some sleep before traveling.
As for a more precise population estimate - that's something I'm less sure of. I wanted something that was significantly large to show the Empire's ability to eventually thrive in its environment (especially in more recent times with its stability), but I didn't want something ludicrous, because deprivation and war claimed many, many lives before that point, and it would still be a far cry from the population before the Cataclysm. I also didn't want anything that would give the impression of one-upmanship or otherwise intending to dominate other players. I figured that the more vague range of "massive" would reflect the success and stability of the Empire in spite of their environment, while not invoking something as huge as the Roman or Mongol Empire. Overall, I think something near the lower end of the "massive" scale would probably fit, but I'd need some help to make sure.