Life, the Eternal | |||
| Anthem | "To the Stars Above" | ||
| Capital | Kyerisai Station | ||
| Largest city | Ahn' Zerak | ||
| Language official |
Dravimos | ||
| others | Xeraji, Karnehai, Crixus, Aronicus, Dresh, Maoimer | ||
| Religion | Dravimos Polytheism | ||
| Ethnic Groups main |
Xeraji (79%) | ||
| others | Dravimos (6%), Crixus (5%), Karnehai (5%), Maoimer (3%), Dresh (2%) | ||
| Demonym | Dravimosian | ||
| Government | Federal Constitutional Elective Monarchy | ||
| Legislature | Imperial Senate | ||
| Emperor | Axnynoras LIV | ||
| Royal house: | Shinatos | ||
| Archon | Verasis Martoas | ||
| Vizier | Skrict H'alda | ||
| Currency | Dravimosian Krysil | ||
| Organizations | Grand Alliance | ||
The Dravimosian Empire is a major interstellar nation that occupies a large section of the Milky Way galaxy and is a member of the Grand Alliance and has considerable influence over the galaxy in terms of both military, economic, and political strength.
The Empire has existed for many millennia and since its humble origins has become one of the most powerful and influential nations in known Galactic history, matched only by those that currently equal its strength and those few nations before it.
In recent years, the Empire has faced a number of difficulties, from the insanity of Emperor Agaret VIII, the breakup of the first Grand Alliance, and the discovery of the Mech Network and the onset of the Seventh Galactic War, the deadliest and most destructive Galactic War to date. Despite these setbacks, the Empire remains strong and continues to be a influential factor in galactic politics and economics.
History[]
Evolution[]
The Dravimos pride themselves on their origins, seemingly being the only major power to have evolved independently without any alien interference, unlike the Azaranians, Mechs, or the Firstborn.
The Dravimos originated in the temperate regions of Krysalis. While endemic to the peninsula that they evolved on, they eventually gained sentience and began to build a civilization. The Dravimos were at first unable to spread far across their world, as to the north were frozen wastes and mountain ranges, while in every other direction were dangerous seas that the Dravimos could not cross.
Early History[]
Dravimos civilization started ages ago with the foundation of the first city, Idaltroas. The city was the capital of the Dravimos for many years. After a significant meteorite shower, the city collapsed almost overnight due to devastated crop yields and contamination of local water sources. The seven noble houses of Idaltroas, each one descended from the original royal family, gathered their followers and split up, each one to found their own new "Idaltroas."
The next city to be founded was Garma, and was the only city other than Idaltroas to be above ground due to warmer temperatures near the equator. The next cities to be found, all underground, were Zera, Reshef, Zorc, Shinato, Dokuro, and finally Chakra. The era of the seven city states had begun.
Foundation[]
The Dravimos Empire came into being after the Unification War, their equivalent of a world war. In this war, the Dravimos species united after the victory of the Federation of Seran Monarchies (FSM) defeated the Union of Allied Nations (UAN). The war lasted for over sixty years, with both sides utterly committed to each other’s destruction. The war was made worse by the rising tide of technology. Even though medical technology was at an all time high, it was unable to save many of the wounded or infected. An estimated 2.4 billion Dravimos lost their lives in the conflict.
Rising from the ashes of the war, the newly christened Dravimos Empire looked to space for the salvation of their species. Within two decades after the war, the Empire had colonial bases and cities on both of Krysalis' moons. With the rapid advance of technology due to assistance from the world government, the Dravimos spread throughout their home system and had a total population of 10.7 billion only a century after the war.
On one of the outlying planets of their system, the Dravimos military discovered a crashed space vessel. The ship was badly damaged, but most of the engine was intact. The ship and who made it is still classified; the only part released to the public was the technology behind the engine. This technology enabled the Dravimos to escape the limits of their home system and depart for other star systems.
Over the next few millennia the Dravimos expanded slowly throughout the stars, preferring to colonize every planet in a system before moving on to another one. Other galactic races and empires were encountered in this time period, and mostly peaceful relations were established with them. By involving themselves in the galactic community, however, the Dravimos ultimately opened themselves up to the problems of the others.
First Conflicts
The Dravimos Empire tried to make their place in the interstellar community as a peaceful nation of traders and scientists. Despite this, the empire achieved its own set of rivals and enemies. The Empire declared war on the Karnehai Chiefdoms after the aggressive species raided several Dravimos trading ships. The two species clashed, but neither side gained the edge against the other. The war was eventually won by the Dravimos and their new allies, the Regenetech Empire.
The Dravimos Empire became the Dravimosian Empire when they encountered an insectoid species known as the Xeraji on the planet Krenash. After some negotiation, the Dravimos agreed to save the Xeraji from ecological collapse if the Xeraji would serve the Empire in war. With this new ally, the Dravimosian Empire pushed further into the galaxy, crushing their trading rival, the Siluris Compact. The Xeraji have been beloved by the citizens of the Empire ever since.
Crisis of the Empire[]
The growing strength of the Empire led to the jealousy of its neighbors. An alliance was formed between the Karnehai Chiefdoms, Siluris Compact, and the Soram State. The three nations invaded Dravimosian space, rapidly sweeping aside Dravimosian defenses.
Desperately the Dravimosians called to their ally, the Regenetech Empire, to aid them as they had before, but the Regens were busy with their own problems at the time.With no other choice, the Dravimosians resorted to fighting this war by themselves.
Despite the vast numerical advantages of the Xeraji, the Karnehai had the advantage in almost every ground battle. The economy and industry of the Siluris Compact, while weakened from war, ensured that weapons and supplies were not in short supply, and the Soram provided numerous warships.
It was at this time that the Dravimosian emperor fought the enemy at the front lines. Despite this act of heroism, the tide failed to turn and the Emperor was killed by Karnehai berserkers. Even with calls for help, no one seemed to be willing to answer them.
Fourteen years into the conflict, a Dravimosian scout vessel entered a system suspected of housing a Siluris trading post. The scouting vessel instead found another pre-spaceflight species, the Crixus. The Crixus were a very technologically advanced civilization, almost as advanced as the rest of the galaxy, and were unweakened by any recent conflict or disaster. A treaty was soon signed, and more soldiers now fought on the front line.
The enemy was also weakened by the withdrawal of the Soram state from the war and inter-tribal conflicts within the Karnehai government. With these events, the enemy collapsed and the Dravimosian Empire, after much debate and consideration, absorbed the Karnehai as their shock troops.
Great Expansion[]
Over the next several millennia the Empire expanded at an exponential rate. The desire to save the Dravimos species that started the Empire was now gradually being replaced by a desire to save all species in general. Eagerly the Empire sent out scout, research, and trade vessels in all directions. Where these ships went, colonization ships usually followed.
The next sentient species that the Dravimosians encountered was the Aronicus. The Aronicus were another pre-spaceflight species. When the Dravimosian delegation tried to initiate first contact, the delegates were imprisoned and their spaceship destroyed. The reasoning behind this was that the Aronicus wanted nothing to do with affairs beyond their own planet.
The Dravimosian military came down hard. Despite the fact that the Imperial Council had not elected another emperor yet, the armed forces disobeyed orders and invaded the Aronicus homeworld. After about three and a half years of brutal warfare, the Aronicus were defeated and absorbed into the Empire.
A similar fate awaited the Dresh and Maoimer species, although for each species a long, bloddy war awaited both sides.
The Dresh are a highly spiritual species that follow their faith with undying zeal and devotion. When a Dravimosian research vessel entered into their home system, the Dresh shot it down, claiming that their holy world had been defiled by the presence of heathens. War soon started.
The war against the Dresh was difficult due to the fact that they live underwater. Despite the ability of the Xeraji to breath underwater for a short time, it was not enough to hold crucial points of the Dresh military and governmental infrastructure.
Ironically, the war would be won by the very technology that the Dravimos despised: Artificial Intelligence. The first prototype automatons were developed for war at this time, and artificial intelligence, although known in the galaxy for centuries, was finally beginning to creep into Dravimos life. A simple "sapient" A.I. program was given to the Empire from the Regens, and the program was soon modified for war.
The newly mass-produced automatons, now equipped with this programming, were able to effectively hold key underwater positions. "Sentient" A.I.s soon followed and began to coordinate the automatons with amazing efficiency. Breeding grounds were also targeted to hold the Dresh in a stranglehold, and soon the Dresh capitulated, joining the Empire.
The Maoimer were the first race to be invaded by the Empire without outside provocation, largely due to the increasing insanity of Emperor Agaret VIII. Many thought that this was the start of the change when a benevolent, life-protecting empire would turn into an belligerent imperialist dictatorship.
Many enemies of the Empire, including the Firstborn, aided the Maoimer discreetly, thinking that this was the time the Empire would lose the support of its allies because of its unwarranted aggression. These theories were unfounded when the other members of the Grand Alliance did not turn on the Empire, but simply stayed out of it.
The Maoimer, despite putting up stern resistance, fell within five years, largely due to the same tactics used to defeat the Dresh before them.
Imperial Crisis[]
A little more than a hundred years ago, the first significant crisis affected the Crystal Throne. Emperor Agaret VIII was the Emperor at the time, and was becoming increasingly unpopular. First he invaded the planet of the Maoimer species in order to force them into the Empire, which cost him the unconditional support of the Grand Alliance.
Agaret VIII also damaged his reputation and respect inside the Empire. While most of the government and military was either supportive or indifferent about the invasion of the Maoimer, they were upset at how the Grand Alliance was now turning against them.
Furthermore, Agaret VIII signed into law a multitude of Imperial Decrees that limited the rights of the other sentients of the Empire. Government positions were to be exclusively held by Dravimos, the Council and its non-Dravimos members disbanded, and restriction of the Officer corps to the Dravimos.
Behind all of these actions, it was becoming clear to higher levels of government that Agaret VIII was becoming increasingly insane. Doctors privatly consulted on the issue could not identify a cause and therefore a cure could not be suggested. Many now believe it was simply an increasingly overconfident ego and god-complex that was behind Agaret VIII's mental instability.
Imperial Overthrow[]
While both the Senate and military becoming increasingly uneasy with Agaret VIII's rule, there was no provision that allowed the Emperor to be removed unless he acts unconsitutionally, which he technically had yet to do. Despite this, a number of military officers decided that, for the good of the Empire, they had to do something.
Word of this plot reached the Emperor through his network of informers. Agaret VIII quickly had the officers assassinated secretly, but also created a law and passed it to the Senate. The Senate, thinking that it was only a minor tax law, passed it without incident. Unbeknownst to the Senate, Agaret VIII put a provision in the law stating that his son would inherit the throne if the current Emperor was removed from power.
Government[]
Federal[]
The Dravimosian Empire is a Federal Elective Constitutional Monarchy. The Emperor of the Empire is elected from the Dravimos nobility. The criterion for eligibility of being elected includes being a certain age, freedom of incurable disease, and proper state of mental health. It is the duty of the Emperor to represent the Empire and its people, as well as lead its armies into battle. The Emperor may also take a role in government, proposing or vetoing laws.
The Senate is the representative body of the Empire. The Senate is divided into three separate sections: The Congress, The Conclave, and The Council. These three sections are commonly referred to as the “Three Cs” by Dravimosian citizens.
Subdivisions
The Empire is divided into seven subsections, each one dictated by the sentient species that inhabits that sector. The following sectors are listed below.
| Seal | Race | Capital | Homeworld | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dravimos Empire | Zera | Krysalis | Federal Elective Monarchy |
|
Xeraji Hegemony | Ahn'Zerak | Krenash | Oligarchy |
|
Crixus Republic | Ferrinin | Werray | Parliamentary Constitutional Republic |
|
Karnehai Chiefdoms | Osomond | M'donon | Mixed Theocratic Meritocracy |
|
Aronicus Confederation | X'ilerac | Azeir | Confederate Parliamentary Republic |
|
Dresh Papacy | Grevitz | Maseris | Theocracy |
|
Maoimer Kingdoms | Skavitz | Quettias |
Confederate Monarchies |
|
Polaran State | Polara | Technocracy | |
|
Brudahka Collective | Arscalom | Oligarchy |
Each state maintains a degree of autonomy from the federal government. Races do not have the right to leave the Empire.
Capital[]
The capital of the Dravimosian Empire is the Kyerisai Station, which orbits Zeris closely to Krysalis' orbit. The station is about as large as the protoplanet Pallas in the Sol System (445 km). Power is derived from both nuclear reactors on station as well as solar collection units on the outside of the space station. Small engines also exist on the space station for small maneuvering.
The total population of the spaceship is about 10 million. The Imperial Senate and its various branches all take place here, and the councilors, senators, and members of the Conclave all live on the station. The Emperor has his office on the station but does not stay there for long periods of time. Embassies and ambassadors are also present on the station.
The station was built over a thousand years ago, when the other races of the Empire demanded that a new capital be built to replace the Dravimocentric capital of Zera. Zera remains the capital of both Krysalis and the Dravimos Empire.
Foreign Relations
The Dravimosian Empire is a member of the Grand Alliance along with the Regenetech and Azaranian Empires.
Current policy of the Dravimosian Empire is to absorb other nations of the galaxy into a larger interracial federation. How other races are absorbed varies. Typically negotiation is attempted first but if that fails then force is considered.
Furthermore, supporting their belief that they are the guardians of life, whenever the Dravimosian Empire contacts a new species, it requests that DNA samples of the species be taken for preservation. To refuse is considered a great insult to the Empire.
The Empire has trade relations with many nations across the galaxy, such as the Meridian Consul and the Rasheen Kingdom.
Technology
The Dravimosian Empire is very advanced in all matters of science. Science and its advancement are valued very highly in Dravimosian society, and very often a career in a scientific pursuit is considered a very honorable choice, along with the military and public service.
Travel[]
All spaceships in the Dravimosian Empire utilize technology that warps space. In Human culture it is known as the Alcubierre drive. This technology allows for effective "faster than light" travel.
Travel is largely able for every citizen of the Empire, but some prefer to travel in either military vessels or public shuttles due to the possibility of pirate attacks. Most privately owned shuttles have a small weapons system to deter pirates. These weapons are largely ineffective against military-grade ships, but are mainly in place to deter pirates.
Health[]
The Empire prides itself in having the best healthcare in the galaxy. In addition to having it largely free, Dravimosian healthcare can heal any affliction for any known species. Every Dravimosian citizen, upon reaching a certain age, is injected with self-replicating nanobots whose sole purpose is to remove foreign or mutated cells from the individual. Every now and then, the nanobots are switched off and the individual is injected with a mild form of disease so as to maintain the individual's natural immune system.
Energy[]
Energy in the Empire is derived from numerous sources. Planetside, depending on the planet itself, energy is often collected by means of solar, wind, or geothermal energy collection. Some planets are known as "Energy Worlds" due to their varying factors that allow them to capture large amounts of energy and ship it to other planets in the Empire. If none of these energy sources are efficient, then oftentimes nuclear energy is used.
The heart of the Empire's energy production is centered around two black holes located near the center of the empire. Orbiting each black hole is a system of four space stations with the necessary technology to both withstand the power of the black hole and to collect matter and antimatter for both the production of energy and manufactured goods.
Due to the harsh conditions that surround the black hole, the stations are manned by automatons and four resident A.I.s to ensure that all is well aboard the stations and that production of matter and antimatter remains constant.
One other form of energy produced is from reverse star lifting, in which spent fuel in a star is removed and replaced with new Hydrogen from the black hole facility to prevent stellar collapse. This both obtains new matter for the Empire to use while at the same time protecting its worlds and people from dying stars.
Star lifting is now a common practice with most inner system stars, as it ensures that the star does not undergo a negative solar process while also maintaining the star itself.
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence[]
An automaton builder, used for construction.
The Empire has a somewhat high demand for robotics and artificial intelligence, and much of the Empire's energy demand would not be possible without them. As it stands, however, both the main religious branch of the Empire and the government itself believe that rampant artificial intelligence is the greatest possible threat to life in the universe.
To prevent the possibility of artificial intelligence revolting against its creators, several hard-coded instructions are included with every artificial intelligence and automaton to prevent any conceptions of disobedience.
There are two forms of artificial intelligence in the Empire. Sentient A.I.s are A.I.s that develop personalities of their own and even friendships with other A.I.s or people. Sapient A.I.s are not designed or capable of having a personality, and mostly deal with tasks that are considered tedious or time-consuming for people. Most forms of artificial intelligence, especially sentient A.I.s, are created with the processes of cloned biological brains, giving them another reason why not to rebel against their creators.
Ownership of sentient A.I.s is illegal for most citizens of the Empire, while ownership of sapient A.I.s is both legal and widespread.
Society and Culture
Architecture[]
Dravimos Architecture[]
A suburban section of the city of Zera.
Due to the month-to-year long blizzards that can, at times, cover vast portions of their homeworld, Dravimos cities typically are built underground. Large volcanic craters are often the sites of such cities due to existing subsurface cavities and the potential for geothermal energy.
Symbolism[]
Seals[]
The Empire commonly represents itself or its constituencies using seals rather than flags. The reason for this is that flags are not practical in space or on particularly hazardous planets, whereas a seal affixed to the side of a ship or building is more practical. In addition, seals had been used by the Dravimos for millennia.
Seals can represent a wide variety of things in the Empire, from government agencies, military divisions, individual spaceships, or even family clans. As such, there are a lot of seals to keep track of, but each and every one is unique.
Flags[]
Flag of the Empire.
Although the Empire does not typically use flags, it does utilize them when it attends meetings or conferences with other nations that do. This is to provide the proper sensation of equality with those nations that the Empire and its people demand.
The flag of the Empire is the Imperial Seal on a white banner.
Flag of the Emperor.
The flag of the Emperor is a black cross with a red bird, a serapiom, in the center. The bird is a native species of Krysalis. This motif comes from Dravimos history. One of their most famous kings was known as the Red Serapiom due to his genetically rare red plumage. Even today the gene responsible for red feathers is quite common in several noble families.
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