Terran Empire
Contents
Racial Description
Before the rise of the Empire, there were many independent nations on Prime. Each mother nation had several offworld colonies that supplied raw materials and food. Over time these colonies grew and tensions mounted with their mother countries, and eventually several broke free and became independent nations. The loss of cheap resources plunged the homeworld in to war as former great nations began to tear each other apart, each blaming the other for the loss of their colonies. It was from this chaos that the Empire began to form. Several warlords were united under the banner of the first Emperor, Herculean I, who promised stability and order. Over several generations it grew from a regional power to the dominant power on the planet, eventually conquering all other sovereign states over a century ago under the legendary Emperor Herculean III.
This war was not just limited to Prime. Realising the threat that the Empire posed to their newly won independence, the colonies formed a wary alliance with their mother nations. In space the Imperial fleet clashed with the colonial navies of the old nations, as the Empire attempted to close the supply lines that kept the old nations afloat. Although outnumbered, the Imperial fleet consisted of purpose built warships, while the colonial navies relied upon armed transports. The primitive weapons on these vessels meant that boarding actions were often how engagements were decided, and it was here the Empire showed its strength. Their warrior elites, their genetically enhanced marines equipped with the pinnacles of human weaponry, were devastating. After their navies were destroyed the planetbound nations were cut off and eventually fell to the superiour legions of the Empire.
Obviously this slight could not go unpunished. The war was brought to the colonies, and although Herculean III would not live to see it, they were conquered. Once it was clear that the war was lost, the remaining navies did not stay and fight. Instead they assembled every ship they could and fled. Although at first their flight seemed desperate their purpose was soon made clear. As each "exile" fleets approached the orbit of the large gas giant, it entered a stable wormhole and vanished.
Key figures of the Empire
Emperor Sebastian Herculean IV is the current ruler of the Empire. Although he only ascended recently he has worked quickly to prove that he is his father's son. He led the invasion and pacification of Terra Secundus, breaking the deadlocked trench warfare with devastating assaults by elite soldiers.
Eternal Emperor Marcus Herculean III was Sebastian's predecessor and father. In his lifetime he took the Empire from being a small state with potential to the sole rulers of Terra Prime, as well as laying the groundwork for conquering much of the system.
Eternal Emperor Julia Herculean I, the first Emperor. Although she died over seven centuries ago, she is still revered and monuments to her can be found in every city across the Empire. It is common among the lower classes to use her name to invoke good luck, although this is seen as ridiculous and backwards among the warrior elite.
Home Planet
Terra Prime is the most populated world in a system littered with human colonies. Its population of many billions of humans mostly live in vast cities, toiling in factories to sustain the imperial war machine. Not so long ago each great city was an independent state, and many retain a degree of autonomy even if they have mostly adopted imperial culture. The atmosphere is polluted from centuries of industrial activity and war, while the oceans are choked with algae farms that provide both raw materials for the factories and nutrient paste for the workers who toil within.
The system has several human colonies on planets and asteroids, mostly sealed habitats dedicated to mining and supplying the resource hungry Terra Prime. There is one other terraformed world in the system called Terra Secundus. This smaller world is far less densely populated than Terra Prime, and mostly produces food and other agricultural goods. Before being terraformed Secundus was a lifeless rock in a similar orbit to prime with little mineral wealth to speak of. However vast ice deposits were present below the surface, so the terraforming process ended up creating a verdant world that was far more suitable for food production than the pollution choked Prime.
There are several planets in the outer system that are uninhabited and unvisited except for unmanned probes, because it has been deemed too expensive in time and resources to fully explore them.
The Story So Far
Systems
Sol System
Known Wormholes -1, no survey
City Planet Terra Prime (Earth) - Class II, Population 8* Billion, war-scarred & high pollution (*capable of producing spaceships despite being only class II)
Agriworld Terra Secundus - Class II, Population 1.5 Billion, food rich
New System 1
Known Wormholes - 1, no survey
Qualities
Militaristic +2. The entire Empire is devoted to the pursuit of war. Every mineral extracted is either made directly in to a weapon, or made in to tools to support the production of weapons. The warrior caste is the ruling caste, and all governors have served at some point in command of a legion. The military elites are provided with everything they need - the best medical treatment and DNA re-sequencing to ensure they live for centuries, the most destructive weapons and the toughest armour, and even genetic modifications to make them more effective in combat. Promotion is based on merit, and the life of a soldier is seen as the best way to glory and riches.
Psychic +2. Human psychics are rare, with maybe a dozen out of the billions of humans born each year being gifted. They are, however, exceptionally powerful and capable. Identified at birth they are given the most advanced gene therapy and most extensive tuition and training, and are indoctrinated in to the imperial way. Many of them are held up as examples of humanity's potential, and regardless of the station of their birth they instantly become influential warrior-nobility. Although the gift is given out seemingly randomly, it is theorised that some bloodlines are more prone to generating a psychic child than others. The imperial family is an example of this, as every Herculean emperor has been gifted to some degree.
Drawbacks
Overpopulated -2. Although the Empire claims absolute sovereignty over humanity, in practice this is not always the case. The billions of humans that fuel the imperial war machine also make it difficult to govern, as treasonous ideas and rebellion often need to be hunted down and destroyed. Many provinces within the Empire are given a small degree of cultural autonomy, particularly among the lower classes. This is necessary to keep the population loyal, as it would be impossible to impose the imperial way upon every citizen, no matter now powerful the legions. The provincial government and nobility are not given the same concession - they are required to adhere strictly to the imperial way and imperial culture. When soldiers are recruited from a province, it is convention that they serve in another corner of the Empire.
