Ozerath — Roleplayer Guild

The Imperial Systems Commonwealth

The Commonwealth

Major Belligerent

General Information

Overview

A political amalgamation with grand pretenses of freedom and democracy, the Commonwealth is in truth a sprawling monarchical imperium dominated by a species of feline humanoids called the Vit'azny. The Commonwealth owes its existence to the fact that 500 years ago the then Vit'azny Empire realized assimilation was vastly easier than maintaining overlordship over their rebellious subjects. The resulting organization has since exploded into a major galactic power and an economic juggernaut, particularly since the departure of the Ashtar.

History

 As the name implies, the Commonwealth is a large aggregation of “independent” nations united under a single “democratic” government in a “free” and “egalitarian” society. While the name may imply such grandeur, the reality of the Commonwealth is...more complex. The Commonwealth has elements of democracy and expansive personal freedoms, but not for everyone. Citizens and non-citizens of different races sprawl across worlds both constituent and colonial, creating a hodge-podge of cultures and ideologies that has the potential to destabilize explosively if handled poorly.

The Vit’azny have been a spacefaring civilization for a little less than 700 years. They set out from their homeworld of Praetoria and began rapidly expanding to accommodate their swelling population. Historically, they have never shied away from warfare, though they are pragmatic above all else and understand the usefulness of diplomacy. First contact with another alien race, the Yanissans, was amicable for a number of years, but eventually realpolitik prevailed: the Vit’azny Empire had the muscle to crush the Yanissans, why not use it? Seeing how one sided the conflict would be, the Yanissans promptly surrendered were annexed as subjects.This happened again with another race, the brutish Szitzu. Neither species were happy as subjects, and rebellions rapidly become a problem for the Vit’azny overlords. 499 years ago (1396 I.C.), they developed a solution: the Imperial Systems Commonwealth. The governments of the Szitzu and Yanissans were restored, and they agreed to the formation of the Parliament of the Sovereign Reich and the other institutions of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth survived the Ashtar occupation, surprisingly enough, not for any lack of trying to get themselves wiped out. The Commonwealth initially proceeded with business as usual under the Ashtar, attempting to forcefully annex a nation then known as the Calacostran Primacy. Three Ashtar cruisers arrived on the scene a day later and obliterated the Commonwealth’s expeditionary force when it refused to stand down.

The Commonwealth looked into its bag of tricks and began arming domestic terrorists in the Primacy, so that they might eventually move in to “secure the peace”. Surely that would line up with the Ashtar’s goals. Unfortunately, the Ashtar saw right through that ploy, sending a cruiser to Praetoria to deliver a mild request to cease the operation.

Thoroughly outraged, the Commonwealth assembled 5th and 7th fleets to seize the Primacy and hold it against whatever forces the Ashtar might send their way. However, On the eve of the combined fleets’ departure, the Ashtar capital ship Prevailing Tranquility began its grand tour of the galaxy with a visit to Praetoria. For five days, the massive ship hung in Praetoria’s orbit. Five days of every soul on the planet convinced they were going to be burned away any second now. No communications were issued, all hails went unanswered, but the message was painfully clear. On the fifth day, Prevailing Tranquility departed, and the Commonwealth stayed quiet and obedient for the remainder of the Ashtar occupation.

Almost inevitably, that passivity exploded into a new wave of belligerent militaristic expansionism once the Ashtar left. It is widely agreed on that Commonwealth aggression was a major factor in starting the Great War.

The Commonwealth launched itself into the Great War with enthusiasm, which gradually eroded over the endless years of fighting. By the time anyone proposed peace talks, they were dealing with a domestic situation that was rapidly spiralling out of control; insurrectionists, a collapsing economy, social upheaval, etc. Consequently, they were quick to sign on to the Madrigasa talks, and became near-rabid supporters of the Treaty of Detente, which they viewed as a way to keep their rivals from building up while their own  forces rushed around the Commonwealth putting out fires.

For most of the Detente period, the Commonwealth was largely viewed as the “sick man” of the galaxy; any military strategist or economic forecaster with half a brain was counting on the large nation’s imminent collapse. And yet, the Commonwealth survived, not so much a phoenix rising from the ashes as a paper tiger that grew new fangs. Over the past five or so years, the Commonwealth has been growing at a pace that has the other nations of the galaxy nervously looking over their shoulders.

The Ashtar’s final message has everyone even more on edge; the Commonwealth has not yet formally withdrawn from the treaty of Detente, but rumours of powerful new starships and weapons persist, and the entirety of 8th fleet has ‘gone rogue’ to Agdemnar.

Major Holdings

Corinthene: The Commonwealth’s capital, seat of the Parliament of the Sovereign Reich and the People’s Diet, ancestral homeworld of the Rhodesians. Modern day Corinthene is a planet of gleaming cities full of towering glass skyscrapers. Everything is shiny and new; anything old tends to be torn down to make way for something bigger and better. Corinthene is a bright and orderly place, with extremely low crime rates and very little poverty. Citizens of the Commonwealth at large, particularly the Rhodesians, uphold Corinthene as a shining example of progress and equality, but traditionalists in the Commonwealth view the heavily urbanized capital as...lacking taste.

Praetoria: Seat of the Imperial Crown, so called “Shadow Capital”, homeworld of the Vit’azny. In sharp contrast to Corinthene, Praetoria is full of ancient buildings, most predating the Commonwealth itself, many predating spaceflight, and some are even older than that. Praetoria is rife with political plots and intrigue, lavish parties, and hints of well concealed debauchery. Poverty is virtually non-existent; the poor were long ago...encouraged to make new lives in the colonies. As a result, the most expensive thing on Praetoria is manual labour; the fantastically wealthy employ actual butlers and maids as a display of affluence, while the moderately prosperous make do with robotic servants.

Sthis Tor: Yanissan homeworld, a place of intrigue, hedonism, and debauchery. Average temperature and humidity are just on the high side of comfortable for most people. The local flora and fauna have a tendency to be brightly coloured and very poisonous. The local citizens have the same tendencies, and they are generally far more deadly. If you’re looking to have a good time, Sthis Tor is the place to go; if you’re looking to get murdered, Sthis Tor is also the place to go. The difference between the two can be a few steps into the wrong part of town. Over it all, the scheming Lord Captain Commanders vie for personal power and the favour of Eternal Salmissra, or, as she’s known officially, the Arch-Duchess of the Yanissan Principalities. On a side note, Sthis Tor leads the Commonwealth in high fashion.

Ursuli: Szitzu homeworld, a major military stronghold and training centre. Admiralty House may be on Corinthene, the Imperial War College may be on Praetoria, but as home to United Forces Command, Ursuli is the beating heart of the Commmonwealth military. A successful attack on Ursuli would decapitate the Commonwealth’s military hierarchy, but such an attack would be virtually impossible, as Ursuli is a more or less impenetrable fortress.

Demographics

Population

The Commonwealth is a sprawling domain covering dozens of solar systems, with citizens from nearly every species in the galaxy residing within their borders. The per species population breakdown is as follows.

Vit’azny 19%
Szitzu 15%
Yanissans 12%
Rhodesians 18%
Valerians 3%
Assorted: 31%

Vit'azny: The reigning elite of the Commonwealth and one of its founding members. The Vit'azny are long lived bipedal felines with prehensile tails, with a number of subspecies. Males tend to be larger than females, and the average lifespan can reach up to 300 years. The Vit’azny dominate the upper echelons of the Commonwealth’s government, military, and corporations. Indeed, their monarch is the Commonwealth’s head of state: a figurehead on paper, but something quite different in practice. As a whole, the Vit’azny are a proud people, but are pragmatic more than anything.

Szitzu: A race of large, bearlike creatures that form the backbone of the Commonwealth’s military might. As a whole, Szitzu society is heavily patriarchal and heavily based on tradition and an intricate clan system. While this society has produced excellent warriors for generations, it has a tendency to relegate thinkers to the sidelines. The Szitzu were originally conquered by the Vit’azny empire almost a 700 years ago, after a long and bloody conflict which only ended when Vit’azny technology overcame Szitzu ferocity. Under the Empire, the Szitzu were rebellious and problematic, but as one of the original founding members of the Commonwealth, they have become it’s most loyal supporters.

Yanissans: Originally a small star nation of 3 systems, the reptillian humanoids known as the Yanissans were quick to surrender when the Vit’azny war machine came knocking. However, they proved to be more dangerous as subjects than they did as enemies. While Szitzu resentment against the old empire usually took the shape of riots and bar fights, a plot by Yanissan rebels once managed to kill the entire Vit’azny Royal Advisory Council. The Emperor was spared only by coincidence; his personal limousine suffered a breakdown on the way to the meeting. Yanissan society is dominated by plots, intrigue, secrets, and rampant hedonism. They are the third and final founding species of the Commonwealth, which from their point of view, keeps them a healthy distance from any fighting. Of the founding members, only the Yanissans have anything resembling a useful amount of psintegrae, most of which are swept up by Toolbox and trained to use their telepathic and telekinetic abilities to lethal effect.

Rhodesians: The dimunitive Rhodesians were one of the first species conquered by the old Vit’azny Empire. Small, furry hexapods, they are quick thinking, short lived, numerous, and obsessed with efficiency. They are the ones who attend to the business of actually getting things done. They are technically subjects of the Commonwealth, not full members, but this is more of an oversight than an act of malice. Long before the Commonwealth was ever founded, the Rhodesians thoroughly integrated themselves into Vit’azny society, eventually making themselves indispensable. This trend has carried on with the Commonwealth as a whole, to the point where the Commonwealth’s official capital is actually their homeworld, Corinthene. The vast majority of bureaucrats are Rhodesians; most military staffers are Rhodesians; personal aides, diplomatic attaches, economic analysts, principal undersecretaries, administrators: they are the people who keep the Commonwealth running. The general sentiment towards them is one of distant gratitude: they are underlings, but well appreciated underlings.

Valerians: Valerians are descended from an avian lineage, and retain vestigial wings in addition to a more conventional tetrapod limb configuration. The Valerian Republic is the newest member of the Commonwealth, and the conditions for their joining were highly unusual. Unlike most new members, the Valerian worlds were fully integrated as constituents of the Commonwealth, not colonial holdings. There are a number of factors that prompted this decision - notably the abundance of Valerian psintegrae - but it has caused a great deal of tension across older Commonwealth worlds that are still waiting to be granted constituency. It remains to be seen if the advantages the Valerians bring with them will offset the social unrest their integration has caused.

Society

Life in the Commonwealth is actually quite pleasant for citizens of all species. The Imperial Government maintains a large number of social programs to foster growth and development. Citizens of member species enjoy access to free universal healthcare, free secondary education, heavily subsidized post-secondary education, a decent amount of personal rights and freedoms, unemployment insurance, fair taxation, a fair minimum wage, democratic representation in government, a degree of self governance and independence, and imperial funding for a number of industries. These benefits are something of a trap; they encourage many species to join the Commonwealth, not realizing they will be neither full members nor citizens immediately upon joining. In war, the Commonwealth maintains a policy of always offering membership to their enemies. Many species over the years have decided to join rather than be exterminated. Even some species who could have (perhaps) won the conflict sought a quicker diplomatic end to war and accepted the offer, a decision most have come to regret.

Citizenship is a very important part of Commonwealth society. Being a citizen grants an individual access to all the Commonwealth’s benefits, as well as all its rights and freedoms. In addition to the previously mentioned benefits, citizens are the only ones with voting rights, and quite importantly, the only ones with freedom of movement. Non-citizens have none of these privileges; for them, life can be very hard. A key mechanism of the Commonwealth’s oppression of its non-citizens is the fact that without citizenship, they can not acquire the appropriate paperwork to legally migrate between Commonwealth worlds, thus keeping the malcontents exactly where they ought to be.

There are two ways to gain citizenship: money, or service. An applicant for citizenship must take three different tests: a generalized aptitude test, a specialized IQ test, and finally a citizenship test. While citizenship itself is free and the tests are not particularly difficult, the fees for taking each of the three tests are enormous. This means only wealthy non-citizens can take this route. Children of citizens gain access to citizen privileges via their parents until the reach the age of majority for their species, at which point they must obtain citizenship for themselves. It is common for parents to pay the fees for their children; many banks in the Commonwealth offer services to help citizens with children save up for the admission process, much like a college fund.

The other way to gain citizenship is through service; either to the Imperial Armed Forces of the Commonwealth, or to the Imperial Directorate. Both routes skip the usual testing procedures entirely; simply serve for the allotted time, and be granted citizenship. The IAFC will take almost anyone, but it is a dangerous life. The Imperial Directorate, in its never-ending quest to find intelligent individuals to help run the Commonwealth, has its own application process, which involves difficult aptitude tests and a number of exams and interviews. However, the Imperial Directorate is not just a quick way to gain citizenship, but also an extremely prestigious career that an individual could happily remain in for life. A third option is sometimes available; the Commonwealth sometimes has colonization drives to settle new colonies or Verge worlds, and offer citizenship to anyone who volunteers after they have lived on the target planet for an alloted number of years.

Vit’azny culture is strongly embedded with a tradition of honour and military service. While not an excessively militaristic people, the Vit’azny don’t have any particular qualms about getting involved in conflicts, when it is necessary. War must naturally be avoided whenever possible, but ultimately it is simply the continuation of diplomacy by other means, and there is no greater honour than to serve and defend one’s country. There are, of course, unpatriotic malcontents even among the Vit’azny, who reject their solemn duty to lead the less capable races of the Commonwealth, but such people are certainly out of touch with reality.

The culture of the Commonwealth in a larger sense is fairly difficult to pin down. Each member species brings elements of their own culture with them, so where a given species if more concentrated, their culture is more prevalent.

The Commonwealth does have a state religion, which the Vit’azny are fairly devoted to. The enthusiasm of the rest of the Commonwealth varies widely. Their faith revolves around a pantheon of 7 gods: chief among them is Llyena, Goddess of Victory and Justice, from whom the Imperial Queen takes her authority. The others are Ichael, God of Life and Death; Arctus, God of War and Destruction; Nezia, Goddess of Thought and Reason; Lexus, God of Order and Industry; Cyris, Goddess of Sight and Time; and Shakras the Lost, God of Secrets, the Unknown, and the Void. While Llyena is chief among the deities, different species in the Commonwealth honour others above her. The sly Yanissans, for example, tend to favor Shakras the Lost, while the brutish Szitzu favor Arctus. Different planets, or even individuals of specific occupations will favor some gods over others; doctors might prey for Ichael’s left hand to guide them; the mandates of the Imperial Directorate are stamped with Lexus’s seal; some soldiers might pray to Llyena for victory, while others might pray to Arctus to grant them his battle fury. It is a faith as diverse as the Commonwealth itself.

Economy

The Commonwealth is an industrial juggernaut, with massive production capabilities. This industry is driven by an extensive trade network and a skilled workforce, but the real power of the Commonwealth comes from an immensely wealthy tax base and an abundance of cheap manual labour and raw materials. The disparity between the wealthy and the poor is truly astonishing, and a direct result of how the Commonwealth is organized. The worlds of the Commonwealth are classified into one of four categories: Core worlds, Constituent worlds, Colonial worlds, and Verge worlds.

The Core worlds are the original Vit’azny colonies and a small number of worlds of some of the Commonwealth’s oldest members. The vast majority of the Commonwealth’s wealth is concentrated on these worlds. In fact, money is the only real industry of the Core worlds. Almost all food and manufactured goods are imported from the Constituents and the Colonies, with the exception of some ultra-high end luxury goods. Any respectable company maintains its corporate headquarters on one of the Core worlds, with some exceptions. Money is the biggest industry of the Core worlds, with countless financial service providers and stock exchanges dominating the economy. Core worlds tend to be heavily populated; on average, about 70% of a Core world’s landmass is covered by gleaming cities. The majority of the population is inevitably Vit’azny, and poverty is virtually nonexistent on these worlds. While one would expect a society as lopsided as the Commonwealth’s would pass off the burden of taxation to its helpless colonies and let the Core Worlds amass their fortunes, this is not the case.The Commonwealth in fact maintains a sophisticated taxation system with multiple income brackets where the highest bracket pays the most taxes. Through this system, the Core worlds actually provide the majority of the Commonwealth’s tax income. Aspects of the Commonwealth such as the taxation system and the Parliament of the Sovereign Reich have convinced many species to join the Commonwealth over the years. By the time they discover some of the ‘conditions’ attached to membership, it is too late.

The Constituent worlds are the backbone of the Commonwealth. They include newer Vit’azny colonies, a large number of Commonwealth colonies, and the worlds of moderately respected member nations. The Constituent worlds are much less homogeneous than the Core worlds: some are richer, some less so, and even on a given planet there is a wide margin between the wealthy and the poor. A given planet, or even a given city on that planet, will have affluent communities and slums alike. Like the Commonwealth as a whole, the Vit’azny and a number of the older member species form the elite, with a healthy spattering of individuals from all kinds of species who happened to do very well for themselves. Constituent worlds are ruled by either Imperial Legislatures of the Commonwealth (in the case of colonies founded by the Commonwealth as a whole) or by existing governments (in the case of colonies established by individual members). Constituent worlds have full member status in the Commonwealth; the world has high degree of self governance, can apply for subsidies from the Imperial Treasury, and has a number of other advantages. Constituent status is essentially citizenship for a planet, though individuals on the planet still have to adhere to normal citizenship procedures. The Constituent worlds are the primary manufacturing and processing centres of the Commonwealth. While the Core worlds’ only industry is money and the Colonies tend to only provide raw materials and cheap labour, Constituent industry does a bit of everything; large scale mining, agriculture, the production of consumer goods, starship construction, and all the financial and legal services that such industries need. It is all jumbled together in a free market economy that powers the massive industrial capabilities of the Commonwealth.

Colonial worlds (a deliberate misnomer) are tragic monuments to the lies, oppression, and broken promises of the Commonwealth. They are the worlds of new or reluctant member species, and by the strictures of the Colonization act, these worlds are not technically members of the Commonwealth, but are instead subjects. Most Colonial worlds are desperately poor and underdeveloped, even if they were originally quite advanced. Many species join the Commonwealth with the understanding that they will enjoy all its benefits; citizenship, representation in Parliament, a degree of self-government, fair taxation, security, universal healthcare, subsidization, free education etc. Unfortunately, the Colonization act decrees that all newly added worlds are considered colonial holdings, and are under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior and her Imperial Majesty, not the Parliament of the Sovereign Reich. This means they are not eligible for any of the Commonwealth’s social programs, nor do they have any representation in Parliament. They are not ruled by legislative assemblies, but instead by Colonial Governors, who are appointed by the Imperial Queen at the recommendation of the Minister of the Interior. Few people are citizens on Colonial Worlds; only the Vit’azny dominated elite, who take ownership of any industry or natural resources on the planet and employ the locals as ultra-cheap labour. Slavery is technically illegal throughout the Commonwealth, but with no minimum wage or labour rights for non-citizens, colonial labourers can be paid almost nothing. Some landowners elect to provide food, clothing, and shelter for their employees and then pay them nothing at all, reasoning that room and board are taken from their pay, and the rest goes to taxes. This practice is technically illegal, but only rarely shut down. Colonial Worlds are subject to the same fair taxation system as the rest of the Commonwealth, but it is not taxes that leave them in poverty. A clause of the Colonization act permits the Imperial Crown to seize any assets it deems necessary from Colonial worlds and their inhabitants. Money, goods, resources, land, businesses, even people; all can be seized and repossessed by the crown, or given to a favored citizen. The exploitation and lack of support causes technological regression on many worlds; it is not uncommon to see vehicles with internal combustion engines on Colonial worlds, and even horses in extreme cases. Colonial worlds are often quite rebellious during the early years of their integration, but the Commonwealth is always quick to brutally repress such uprisings. The brutality they employ deters further uprisings, but it is the hope of citizenship, or even becoming a Constituent world, that ultimately keeps the colonies in line. Unlike citizenship, there is no specific criteria for a Colonial world to gain Constituent status and full membership; it is simply granted at the discretion of the governor and the Imperial Queen, again with the advice of the Minister of the Interior. This means a world might easily wait 15 years or 50, or even 500. The Imperial Queen usually tries to grant Constituent status to at least one colony every few years, in order to keep other colonies hopeful and obedient. This process is always accompanied by a grand ceremony where the Imperial Queen herself visits the new Constituent world, relieves the planetary governor and validates its Imperial Legislature and the seats that will represent it in the Low House, while the Commonwealth holds a colonization drive to boost the world’s population and showers it with money and resources. A three-day festival is held to celebrate the change in status, and the day of the ceremony becomes a statutory holiday for that world. Some Colonial worlds, however, are so remote, poor, or useless that they will likely never be granted Constituent status. A few of the extreme cases have even been largely forgotten by the Commonwealth and the Crown, and the inhabitants have in turn forgotten the Commonwealth.

Verge worlds are planets on the very edge of Commonwealth space. Their categorization has more to do with their location than their membership status. They are not grossly exploited like colonial worlds, nor are they pampered like Core worlds. They are ruled by military governors, and all have a heavy military presence due to their location on the borders of Commonwealth space. Some few are actually quite wealthy and heavily populated, almost as much as a core world. Most others are significantly less so. They’re populated by a wide array of people: military personnel, hopeless colonials seeking citizenship, prospectors seeking riches, wealthy citizens with a taste for adventure, convicts in forced relocation programs, and so on. Their purpose is to guard the borders of the Commonwealth, anything else is secondary. Verge worlds usually have extremely diverse populations and much more relaxed culture, and social status is not considered as important. The military often provides some of the benefits that the imperial government would elsewhere, so the populace is not as desperate for citizenship as on other worlds. This much freer society makes them places of opportunity. Historically, some of the Commonwealth’s most successful corporations were started on Verge worlds, though some say that’s only propaganda. Regardless, Verge worlds are better places to live than many Colonial worlds, and even the slums on poorer Constituent worlds.

Government

There are four main bodies to the Commonwealth’s government: The Low House and the People’s Diet together form the Parliament of the Sovereign Reich.Then there is the Imperial Directorate of the Commonwealth, and finally the Imperial Crown. 

The Parliament of the Sovereign Reich is the official government of the Commonwealth. Specifically, the Low House is composed of 1021 elected representatives who are affiliated with assorted political parties. The party with the most seats after an election composes Her Imperial Majesty’s Government, and the leader of that party becomes Lord Chancellor. He in turn appoints assorted ministers to compose the cabinet. The parliament functions as most parliaments do: bills are presented, voted on, debated, voted on again, and so forth. The Parliament of the Sovereign Reich is responsible for issues affecting the whole of the Commonwealth, with regional authority being granted to smaller legislative assemblies, or the existing governments of member species. While Imperial Queen is not directly involved in its functioning, her constitutional ability to shape the People’s Diet (Parliament’s Upper House) means a close working relationship between Parliament and the Imperial Queen is desirable. There is an exception, however: Royal Mandates. The Imperial Queen may issue a Royal Mandate at any time, on any subject she deems suitable. A Royal Mandate skips all the debate and voting; in this, the Imperial Queen’s word is law. However, Royal Mandates are a touchy subject: a ruler that uses them too freely to abuse their authority over parliament often finds that their Mandates take a very long time to be implemented, often poorly. On the flipside, Prime Ministers who steadfastly refuse to bow to the ruler’s authority might find themselves in front of Diet committees on charges of Contempt of Parliament.

The People’s Diet, named in the spirit of aggressive egalitarianism, is the embodiment of everything contrary to that spirit. The Commonwealth’s upper house also debates and votes on bills that have made it through the Low House, but it’s composition is vastly different, and it serves as a mechanism to help the Vit’azny (and specifically the Imperial Crown) retain their influence over the Commonwealth. The Lord Chancellor may nominate anyone at all to stand for election into the People’s Diet; this can be an expedient way to win over political enemies or placate disgruntled populations. Once nominated, citizens of the Commonwealth vote between all the nominees, and the winner assumes their seat for life. However, only members of the peerage (of course dominated by the Vit’azny) may actually enter the Diet chambers, and since voting in absentia is not permitted, non peer members of the Diet are effectively powerless. However, by longstanding tradition, the Imperial Queen grants a title in the peerage to the winner of the popular election, permitting them to enter the Diet chambers and perform the functions of their esteemed office. This means there is a complex interplay of factors at work any time a seat opens in the Diet; if the Lord Chancellor wishes to exert his control in the upper house, he must nominate (among others) a candidate he feels certain will a)win the election, b)vote according to the Chancellor’s wishes, and c)be found sufficiently agreeable by the Imperial Queen such that she permits the successful candidate to actually enter the chambers. Conversely, if the Queen wishes to exert influence on the Diet, she must in some way incite or compel the Chancellor to nominate a candidate she finds desirable. The Diet, again by long tradition, does not block the Low House’s legislation, instead recommending amendments and commissioning studies or special reports before returning the legislation to the Low House for a final vote.

The Imperial Directorate of the Commonwealth is the vast bureaucracy that keeps the trains running on time. From the wealthiest Core world to the most desolate colony, the Imperial Directorate’s deft touch can be seen at work. It consists of a large number of ministries, departments, bureaus, agencies and crown corporations, all arranged into a maze of regulations and red tape. Entities of the Directorate cover a variety of areas, everything from defense and procurement to citizen health and wellbeing. Some entities only operate in certain areas of the Commonwealth; the Ministry of Environment, for example, has absolutely no use in the colonies, but is enormously important in the Core worlds. Similarly, the Commonwealth Civil Order Agency is unnecessary in the Core, but plays an important role in suppressing the rebellious colonies. There are also a vast number of agencies that do everything from maintain slipspace beacons to collect taxes. The Directorate can also be used as something of a political scapegoat if necessary. Ministers, the Lord Chancellor, even the Imperial Queen have been known to redirect blame into the faceless mass of the Directorate on occasion.

This brings us to the final entity of the Commonwealth’s government: the Imperial Crown. The exact limits of the Crown’s authority are vaguely defined and poorly understood. The Crown is an old, old institution, dating back thousands of years to one of Praetoria’s great empires, long before the Vit’azny began venturing into space. The Imperial Crown began with the establishment of the Breshelin Empire, under Catherine’s distant ancestor, Petyr Dragunov. Originally, the King’s power was absolute, but this power was limited by the first constitution of the Breshelin Empire, which came about after the Wurtenstein Uprising when the first ever parliament was established. Some 900 odd years ago, the Breshelin Empire managed to unite the entire planet of Praetoria under a single government after evidence of intelligent alien life was discovered, and a new parliamentary system was formed and a new constitution was written. The Imperial Crown continued on, but it’s powers were defined under the new constitution as being “similar in content and spirit to those established under the Wurtenstein Constitution” (due to the Vit’azny legal system being largely based on historical precedent rather than written documents). 499 years ago, when the Commonwealth was formed, much of the Crown’s power was again defined as “similar in nature and spirit to those established under the Planetary Constitution.” Considering all this, the problem becomes apparent: the exact limits of the Crown’s power are based on a poorly written 2000 year old document. The accepted conventions are as follows: the Crown will ask the majority leader of Parliament to form the official government, and will agree to dissolve parliament and open elections at the request of the majority leader. The Crown will grant a title of the peerage to the Chancellor’s winning candidate for open seats in the Diet.. The Crown is entitled to use Royal Mandates to address matters of urgency for the benefit of the Commonwealth. All legislation technically requires Imperial Assent from the Crown before becoming law, and again by long accepted convention, the Crown always grants Imperial Assent. As of the Colonization Act of 22 AU, the Crown has jurisdiction over Colonial Territories, while the Ministry of the Interior is responsible for their administration and answers to the Crown in this regard. Even these conventions are not ironclad, underscoring how fragile the balance of power between Praetoria and Corinthene really is. For the Commonwealth to run smoothly, it is essential for the Crown and the Lord Chancellor to have a good working relationship. If they do, they can combine their efforts to make good use of both of their respective authorities.

Technological Information

The Commonwealth’s general tech level is comparable to that of other major galactic powers. The multi-national nature of the Commonwealth has brought together a myriad of technologies and ideas and combined them in innovative new ways. For example, the primitive brute force firepower of Szitzu mass drivers was combined with Vit’azny expertise in gravitics to develop a much more deadly weapon, while Yanissan missile systems and Rhodesian miniaturization have given the Commonwealth incredible versatility in their long range firepower.

Major Techs

GDC: The most remarkable Commonwealth technology is without a doubt their engine systems. The Graviton Drive Chain is a massive engine system that takes up a good portion of a ship’s mass. In the main reactor core, a self perpetuating Wronski-Birks reaction creates huge amounts of energy, gravitons, and anti-gravitons. The particles are directed around the ship to form a gravitational envelope around the ship, which simultaneously pulls the ship from the front and pushes at the rear. When reinforced by generators along the surface of the ship, this envelope doubles as a very effective shielding system. Having the ship enclosed in its own gravitational field grants a number advantages, most notably extremely good acceleration, if somewhat poor maneuverability. Most GDCs have slipspace drives built in, though strictly intra-system vessels have no need for FTL.

MCM: Multiple Configuration Missiles are another mainstay of Commonwealth military power. Commonwealth missiles are highly modulated, with a number of interchangeable components that allows ships to rapidly assemble whatever type of munition is needed. Warhead features range from standoff range ion beams to direct contact anti armor plasma charges. Fuselage features include additional drive sections for high speed missiles, extra fuel for extreme range engagements, and extra EW capability, among others. The drive section can be configured for long range bombardment or high speed evasive maneuvers. A kinetic warhead, enhanced targeting fuselage, and short range high speed drive combined make an excellent defensive missile, while an ion warhead with a stealth fuselage and long range drive can make a nasty surprise for enemy shields.

Axial Weapons: Though Commonwealth ships are designed to engage with broadsides, their long narrow profiles presented an opportunity that was too good to pass on. As a result, all Commonwealth ships mount high calibre axial weapons that fire from the bow. In older vessels, these weapons take the form of large graviton railguns, while newer vessels tend to have high intensity superlasers. Battleships and Dreadnoughts mount two axial weapons, while smaller ships mount only one. Powerful as they may be, these weapons are not the ship’s primary armament, so they are not as effective or mass intensive as a full sized spinal weapon would be.

Graviton railguns: The primary weapon of the RCN. The principle of magnetic rails accelerating a metallic slug is an old and quite simple one. The only modification the RCN has made is that, instead of magnetism, their railguns use artificial gravity systems to massively increase the size and speed of projectiles, and have multiple munitions types to accommodate different situations, such as good old fashioned ultra-dense slugs, shield-breaker rounds, and flak shells. Graviton railguns are configured in huge numbers of double mounts on the broadsides of Commonwealth ships.

Positron Beam Cannons: The pinnacle of Commonwealth energy weapons tech, positron cannons are devastatingly effective. They are mounted in massive turrets on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of Commonwealth ships and configured to deliver optimum firepower both forwards and to either side.

Military Information

Military Overview

The Imperial Armed Forces of the Commonwealth have two primary entities: the United Commonwealth Army, and the Royal Commonwealth Navy.

The two have their own command structures, but are ultimately beholden to United Forces Command and the Minister of Defence. Another entity exists, which is military in all but name: the Commonwealth Civil Order Agency, an innocuously named agency of the Ministry of the Interior that is charged with putting down rebellions, disappearing dissenters, and generally being an iron-toed boot continuously stomping on the faces of the Commonwealth’s oppressed.

United Forces Command: Charged with coordinating the entirety of the Commonwealth’s military, United Forces Command has a difficult and thankless job. Commander in Chief Kyarguin is the highest ranking military officer in the Commonwealth, and ostensibly in charge of the entire apparatus, answering only to the Minister of Defence. In practice, CnC Kyarguin and First Void Lord Selissa are effectively equals, while General Pyetr Donskoi of the United Commonwealth Army mostly sticks to offering advice specific to surface warfare and doing as he’s told. The Minister of Defence is primarily a civilian overseer in charge of securing budget for the military and breaking the occasional stalemate that might come up between the CnC and the First Void Lord. The CnC is in charge of overall strategy for the entire military in a rather broad sense, but specific allocations of ships are squarely in the First Void Lord’s area of responsibility, meaning she has enormous say in the strategic considerations of any conflict. Donskoi’s army is obviously limited in what it can do by Selissa’s choices, so he generally leaves the larger strategy to the other two and focuses on tactical and logistical considerations. The entire military could naturally be crippled by the appointment of incompetents to any of the three positions, but Her Imperial Majesty’s Government isn’t in the habit of appointing incompetents to key positions. Political admirals and generals certainly exist, but they are usually shuffled off somewhere they can’t do any harm.

Commonwealth Civil Order Agency:Best thought of as a combination secret police/internal army, Civil Order is effectively another branch of the Commonwealth military, and generally the most active one. The Commonwealth learned long ago that using the regular military on its own populace was terrible for unit cohesion and morale, substantially weakening the military’s effectiveness against external threats. Civil Order is comprised strictly of members of the Commonwealth’s three founding species, as it is almost impossible they should ever need to be deployed against their own worlds. Civil Order maintains a network of informants, false agitators, assassins and abductors across the Colonial worlds, backed up by enough soldiers to deal with violence on a dozen worlds at once. This internal army, named Civil Order Operations, is in turn supported by a not insubstantial fleet referred to as Civil Order Logistics, because sometimes the best solution to a colonial revolt is an orbital kinetic strike. Civil Order Logistics is primarily composed of battlecruisers and lighter units, but it does maintain a handful of battleships, just in case. Civil Order answers to the Minister of the Interior, and is outside the military hierarchy. The Minister of the Interior may ask for military assistance from the Minister of Defence, but this is more of a formality; any internal threat that required military intervention would likely be too cataclysmic for such intervention to do any good.

The Royal Commonwealth Navy

The Royal Commonwealth Navy is the direct descendent of the ancient seafaring Imperial Navy that once served the Breshelin empire with ships of wood and canvas, though the name changed several times over the intervening centuries. It was the Imperial Navy that launched the first Vit’azny into Praetoria’s orbit; it was the United Imperial Navy of Praetoria that developed the slipspace drive; it was the Vit’azny Imperial Navy that prevailed against the Szitzu and Yanissans, and it is the Royal Commonwealth Navy that now guards the domains against all threats (the switch to the Royal prefix was largely a PR move, though the Navy had indeed previously lacked a decree directly from the Crown). The Navy is headed by the five Void Lords of the Admiralty; first among them is currently Admiral Selissa, Lord Captain Commander of Sthiss Elan. Selissa directs overall strategy for the RCN, but works closely with United Forces Command in this capacity. The remaining four Void Lords take responsibility for, in descending order; ships, weapons, intelligence, and personnel. Admiralty House is located on Corinthene, but it is largely a symbolic structure full of bureaucrats. In times of conflict, all five Void Lords inevitably relocate to Ursuli and United Forces Command. 

Doctrine: Alpha Strike and The Wall of Battle
The RCN is an old institute that dates back to when ships sailed the seas instead of the stars. The Vit’azny saw no need to create a separate organization when space flight began, and the RCN simply assumed responsibility of military endeavours in space. The RCN remains convinced that the good old fashioned broadside is the best way to win any fight.

As a result, Commonwealth ships tend to be long and thin, with positron beam turrets on their dorsal and ventral surfaces. The broadside armament consists of multiple missile tubes and medium-calibre railgun batteries. Flak systems and point defence lasers are scattered across the ship. Shields are designed to be highly redundant, with even the smallest ships having multiple shield generators to supplement the gravitic envelope formed by the GDC. Additionally, most Commonwealth ships are equipped with axial mounted weapons: older ships use supersized graviton railguns, while many newer designs use massive superlasers. This configuration reflects the RCN’s current tactical doctrine. A given RCN ship is designed to be able to approach an enemy ship, firing with their positron turrets, axial weapons, and missile batteries at a target in front of them. Axial weapons are generally only fired a few times in a given engagement; the railguns have very limited ammunition, while the superlasers draw power from capacitors that cannot be recharged while the ship’s reactors are powering all its other combat systems. Once the opening salvo has been fired, the ship turns to present its broadside, allowing all its positron turrets and broadside weapons to open fire. For fleet engagements, the RCN’s most common tactic is to have ships form into a wall formation, each ship presenting their broadside to the enemy for devastating effect. The wall formation often ends up being adjusted to a sort of semi-spherical formation, which ships altering their broadside angles slightly to fire on targets approaching from any vector. This formation is often deployed to form a defensive screen for Commonwealth Star Carriers as they unleash their hordes of strike craft from the safety of the centre of the formation.

Tactical slipspace transits are also extremely popular in the RCN, used to reposition the Wall to more favourable locations. Given the complexity of calculating a transit for an entire fleet, a poorly executed transit will be disastrous, though a well planned one can be the key to victory.

Victory-class Dreadnought

Developed as a theoretical design, until the message came. A large ship armed to the teeth, with 5 quad barreled ultra heavy positron turrets, and as many missiles and railguns as the designers could possibly mount. Increased automation means a reduced crew complement versus older ships, granting additional space for weapons. A minimal fighter loadout also freed up space for more weapons emplacements. Despite its size, the Victory is remarkably fast, and represents the new direction of RCN doctrine, a notably different direction from that undertaken under Detente. Only a handful are currently in commission, and only in secret.

Valiant-class Battleship
 
Slow, heavily armored and shielded, and packing a punch, the Valiant is a Great War era ship that, while old, remains thoroughly dependable. The Valiant is designed in accordance with older RCN doctrine and is equipped with 4 quad-barreled super heavy positron beam turrets. Its age means that it is equipped with a massive axial mounted railgun rather than an axial superlaser. Compared to newer designs, the Valiant has fewer broadside railgun batteries and missile racks, but carries a large number of fighter craft into battle and possesses extensive command and control facilities. Combined with their extreme survivability, the Valiant is often the command ship of choice in a fleet. Built in massive numbers during the Great War, these ships are ubiquitous throughout Commonwealth (and all too often, beyond).

Magnificent-class Battleship

The Magnificent has a similar story to the Victory; a theoretical design secretly put into commission over the past year, with very few in active service. While smaller and faster than the Valiant class, it is not as well defended. The Magnificent mounts an axial superlaser, and 3 triple barreled ultra heavy positron beam turrets. It has a denser array of broadside weaponry, including a higher than average number of heavy missile tubes, at the expense of reduced hangar space. The Magnificent is something of a miniature Victory-class dreadnought: all firepower, with only a token force of interceptors for its own protection. In battle, the Magnificent relies on its superior speed to avoid the firepower of heavier weapons. 

Reliant-class Battlecruiser 

Truly a jack of all trades, the Reliant forms the backbone of RCN operations. The smaller sister-ship to the Valiant class, the Reliant packs 3 quad-barreled heavy positron beam turrets, a respectable broadside, sizeable hangars, and as of its most recent retrofit, an axial superlaser. The Reliant also has excellent C&C capabilities, sophisticated scientific labs, spacious quarters for diplomats and foreign dignitaries, and advanced sensor arrays. Basically, the Reliant is the Commonwealth’s go-to multi-role ship, and is well suited to a wide array of missions as well as being formidable in combat. It’s extensive use and versatility have made it an icon of Commonwealth naval power.

Imperial-class Battlecruiser

While larger than the Reliant, the Imperial was built under the Treaty of Detente, and as such, has some unusual features. Namely, it’s entire GDC was largely experimental at the time of construction, and it was only after field trials with the first few Imperials was it discovered that the miniaturized system could completely burn out under the wrong conditions. It was considered too late to redesign the class, and new battlecruisers were sorely needed, so the RCN settled with imposing a 70% of maximum acceleration restriction on the entire class, meaning that in normal use, the Imperial is substantially slower than the Reliant.

Resolute-class Heavy Cruiser

The Resolute can be thought of as a smaller version of the Reliant, designed with the same multi-role purpose in mind, at a less threatening (and less expensive) scale. Built only in limited numbers during the Great War, this serviceable design emerged to the forefront during the Detente, when battlecruisers became associated with excessive militarism.

Vigilance-class Cruiser

The Vigilance-class is the workhorse of the Commonwealth fleets. In any given situation, a Vigilance class cruiser will likely be the first ship on the scene. It is heavily armed, well defended, and fast enough to be useful for long range scouting, dangerous patrols, escort duty, and exploration, all while being able to take its place in the wall of battle. The Vigilance carries 2 triple-barreled medium positron turrets and an axial superlaser, though its broadside is less formidable than that of the Resolute.

Endeavour-class Destroyer

A fairly typical class of ship, the Endeavour wields 3 triple-barreled light positron turrets and the smallest axial superlaser in the Commonwealth, with a fairly typical broadside. In the line of battle, the Endeavour generally serves as an escort for larger vessels.

Concord-class Destroyer DETENTE

The Concord is a brand new design, only just fully integrated into the RCN. The only Commonwealth ship designed to have its firepower aligned towards the bow, the Striker is meant to race around the battlefield wreaking havoc with its 3 double-barreled ultra-light positron cannons, light missile tubes, and axial mounted medium positron cannon. It has no broadside railguns to speak of, and can reach astonishingly high speeds. Strikers operate well in groups, and underestimating these small ships would be a foolish mistake.

Striker-class Corvette

Corvettes are a newer concept for the RCN, and the Striker class is only the second vessel to be designed and implemented in that role. The Striker is a late-Detente era design, only just fully integrated into the RCN. Strikers operate well in groups, and underestimating these small ships would be a foolish mistake.

The United Commonwealth Army

Mixed regulars
The varied population of the Commonwealth mean that their regular infantry is composed of multiple species. Well trained, equipped with power armour and a variety of graviton-acceleration based projectile weapons, the Commonwealth’s infantry can hold their own on any battlefield in the Galaxy.

Szitzu Shock Troopers
The natural size and strength of the Szitzu makes them uniquely well suited to ground combat. Combined with power armor, personal shields, and man-portable positron cannons, the Szitzu are a devastating addition to any conflict.

Valerian Skyjacks
A new addition to the Commonwealth's armies, Valerian Skyjacks have cybernetically enhanced their otherwise useless wings into functional flight appendages. Their power armor is lighter than other models, sacrificing protection for speed and mobility with built in thrusters. Skyjacks are optimally suited for ambush tactics; flying at high altitude and dropping from the sky directly on top of unsuspecting enemy infantry.

Yanissan Su'urtugal
The end result of Yanissan efforts to weaponize psionics, the pinnacle of their genetic splicing programs, the most deadly and unquestioningly loyal soldiers in the Commonwealth: Su'urtugal. The enigmatic organization known as Toolbox tracks down and requisitions all Yanissan psintegrae shortly after birth, then spirits them away to locations unknown to begin a lifetime of training and genetic tampering. The resulting individuals are stronger, faster, smarter, brimming with psionic power, and machinelike in their efficiency. Deployed as spies, elite bodyguards, and elite special operatives in combat, Su'urtugal are constantly in high demand.

IH870 'Piper' Infantry Support Walker

MT330 'Instigator'  Main Battle Tank

CA425 'Kestrel' Multi-role gunship

Hyperdread

Praetoria-class Commonwealth Star Carrier

The Praetoria-class Commonwealth Star Carrier is the pinnacle of Commonwealth technology and engineering. Commonwealth Star Carriers serve as flagships and centerpieces to the Commonwealth fleets, and have a number of variations compared to most Commonwealth ships. While the Praetoria class has a massive broadside, countless missiles, and 14 quad-barrelled ultra-heavy proton turrets, it is not designed to operate independently. CSC’s in general are designed without axial weapons, since they are usually too deeply placed in the fleet to make use of such weapons. Instead of axial weapons, the Praetoria-class has extensive hangar facilities, permitting it to launch a massive number of fighter craft onto the the battlefield.
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