Kainan Wolfe
Shadow of War
The Eternal Empire is a stratocratic constitutional monarchy born out of the few surviving remnants of a number of fallen civilizations, along with anyone else they picked up along the road. It is organized and run as a stratocracy, led by a monarch who appoints an executive, which is then approved by a legislative body made up of elected representatives from every administrative sector that is governed by them.
Although a constitutional monarchy, the Eternal Empire maintains a system of tiered citizenship which draws a very clear line between citizens and civilians. Very militaristic and centered around the ideals of meritocracy and discipline, only those who have completed their first two years of military service have the right to vote and slavery is outlawed, being seen as a vice which encourages people to become lazy, by relying on others to do the chores that they should do themselves, as well as robbing people of the potential to become capable soldiers in the Empire’s war machine. Ultimately, fanatics make for better soldiers than slaves.
Culturally, the Eternal Empire would be considered an extremely conservative society which places the wellbeing of the community above that of the individual, which upholds and enforces the values of duty, discipline and self-sacrifice over the pursuit of personal satisfaction and material gain.
The Eternal Empire does not discriminate based on species, although there is a strong pressure for immigrants to integrate into the nation's culture and militaristic lifestyle and the state occasionally institutes crackdowns against those who openly embrace the more Jedi-like pacifistic ideals.
The capital of the Eternal Empire is Arcenon, on the planet of Nelvaan, after its exodus from Winter in the wake of the Ancient Eye's collapse. Other important settlements and locations include the fortress of Wulfngard and the city of Vengard.
The government is structured into an executive and legislative branch, with the Emperor having the right to veto any law being passed.
- The Eternal Emperor
The Eternal Emperor is the political leader and head of state of the Eternal Empire. He commands the Eternal Army and Navy and is responsible for acting as mediator between the various political groups within the Assembly, as well as appointing high ranking officials.
- The Joint Chiefs of Staff
Otherwise known as Strategic Command, sometimes abbreviated as STRATCOM, the Joint Chiefs of Staff are the executive branch of the imperial government. Appointed by the Eternal Emperor, they are, as the name suggests, drawn from amongst the upper echelons of the imperial military and aristocracy.
Overlord: The Overlord takes the role of the Emperor's right hand, effectively functioning as the lieutenant of the monarch and the second in command, acting as regent of the Empire, should the Emperor be incapacitated.
Overseer of the Office of Finances: Occupying a highly crucial role within Strategic Command, the Overseer of the Office of Finances is responsible for managing the economy and finances of the Eternal Empire.
Overseer of the Supreme Court: The Overseer of the Supreme Court is tasked with organizing and leading the judicial branch of the Eternal Empire, appointing and dismissing judges and making decisions concerning the judiciary.
Overseer of the Committee for Public Works: The Overseer of the Commission of Public Works handles education and healthcare within the Empire, along with infrastructure and development, insuring that these departments operate smoothly and efficiently.
Overseer of the Intelligence Committee: A far less conspicuous, but no less important role, is that of the Overseer of the Intelligence Committee, who is responsible for handling tasks which require discression. The Lord of Whispers is in charge of the Empire's espionage, assassination and propaganda departments.
- The Imperial Assembly
Composed of a mixture of elected officials, high ranking nobles and representatives of the military, the Imperial Assembly is, effectively, the Senate of the Eternal Empire.
It is a unicameral body representing the various baronies, administrative districts and military governorates of the nation and is the legislative entity within the Eternal Empire. Convening periodically, itt assigns budgets, passes or repeals laws, establishes tax policies throughout the Empire and generally serves as the bureaucracy beneath Strategic Command.
Highly militaristic, the Eternal Empire employs a stratocratic system of tiered citizenship which draws clear lines between military and non-military members of society. Soldiers and veterans hold numerous privileges over civilians and there is a strong social pressure to enlist in the military. Pacifism is deeply frowned upon, as is welfare and each citizen is expected to serve the state and perform his or her duty towards the nation. There are three tiers of citizenship, as explained below.
Military recruitment poster. The text reads
'service guarantees citizenship'
- Aristocrat: The highest echelon of Eternal Imperial society, aristocrats are elevated from amongst the citizenship as a reward for performing extraordinary acts of service to the nation, usually on the field of battle. Aristocratic titles are hereditary and their holders are the only ones allowed to hold Baronies, or other hereditary fiefdoms. The downside of holding an aristocratic title is that military service compulsory and all aristocrats must serve for a minimum of three years in the Empire's armed forces, or be branded a traitors, stripped of their titles and disgracefully executed.
- Citizen with Voting Rights: The upper tier of citizenship within the Eternal Empire, it consists of several million individuals. Numerous privileges are awarded to this tier, amongst them being the right to vote, the right to run for office in an election, as well as numerous high-paying jobs. In order to ascend into this tier, individuals must complete a two-year military service, although the Eternal Emperor may grant it to civilians directly, under special circumstances.
- Citizen with Civilian Status: The lower tier of citizenship within the Eternal Empire consists of those who have not completed two years of military service. Civilians have less rights that the upper tier of citizens, being prevented from voting or holding office, as well as being locked out of government and management jobs. Civilians are often spoken of in derogatory terms, being labeled as cowards and there is a strong pressure for them to enlist in the military. The word na'varda, a common insult in the High Nelvaanian language, literally means 'civilian trash'.
