Pocket Guide to the Empire

[Kainan Wolfe]

• What is the Eternal Empire?

We are a faction that has been around on Chaos for the better part of two years. We focus heavily on writing intricate stories of tragedy and vengeance, of ideological fanaticism and the harsh realities of war. Our extensive lore is shaped and influenced by the actions of the faction members, by the events the faction is drawn into and by its interactions with the other factions on the board. Every thread has consequences, potentially far-reaching, which will influence how the nation interacts with and views other ideologies, cultures, organizations and governments.

We take our worldbuilding seriously, crafting submissions that come together to form a deep and intricate lore, marked by tragedies and atrocities and peppered with political intrigue, with a focus on detail and logic.

This document serves as an abridged and condensed version of our lore, existing as a gateway into the Eternal Empire for members old and new, alike.

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 culture, in the sense that people are expected to conform to society's norms and the roles they are assigned to, subscribing to imperial doctrine 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. Selfish, rebellious pursuits of self-actualization are deeply frowned upon and those who follow along this path, face a lot of social and sometimes, governmental pressure to return into the fold and conform to what the Empire expects people to be: good soldiers.

Indoctrinated from a young age by the state’s ever-present, all-pervasive propaganda, the citizens of the Eternal Empire are polite and soft-spoken, wasting little time on pointless, idle banter and pleasures which to them, hold no greater meaning or purpose. That is not to say that imperials do not enjoy the occasional party, but such social gatherings are always demure and sober affairs, where soft, classical music is played, rather than the lively tunes popular throughout the galaxy. Narcotics and intoxicants are banned, and the possession, consumption and distribution of such contraband, is an offense punishable by the slow and gruesome death of crucifixion. Alcohol is tolerated and occasionally consumed, but always in small amounts.

Wasteful displays of opulence and wealth, are frowned upon and those who engage in such behaviors, fall afoul of one of imperial society’s most fundamental norms: everything in moderation.

Rejecting milder, more temperate planets, the Eternal Empire chooses, instead, to make its home amongst some of the harshest environments in the galaxy, a feat they take great pride in and which, along with the discipline and deadly efficiency of its military, greatly contributes to the extreme nationalism and exceptionalism that are staples of imperial culture. Having conquered great hardship and emerging triumphant from tragedies which, they believe, would have caused other civilizations to collapse, imperials view themselves as superior to all other cultures in the galaxy, which they see as corrupt, soft and driven only by their obsession with the meaningless fulfillment of the wants and whims of the individual and thus, unworthy of being treated with anything but contempt.

Mistrustful of outsiders due to a long history of hostility, what eventually became the Eternal Empire has, at one point or another, found itself the target of military operations from a number of galactic powers, from the now defunct Galactic Empire, to the Silver Jedi Order, Outer Rim Coalition and New Republic, enduring through it all and morphing into what it has become today.

Politically, the Eternal Empire rejects proclamations of undying friendship and bonds of kinship with other nations, which they see as lies and delusions, as such rejecting the concept of permanent alliances and choosing, instead, to pursue only their national interests, with little concern for anything else. Brutally honest in this regard, they will pragmatically form only alliances of convenience, which will only last until their purpose is fulfilled and the interests of the allied factions begin to diverge. Like many other things, the imperials justify this by claiming that natural selection is the only immovable law of the universe and that, despite proclamations to the contrary, all nations and cultures are ultimately in competition with eachother.

Within the Eternal Empire, the highest echelon of society is the military. Soldiers are valued above civilians, the latter being seen as cowardly and lesser, their lives worth less than the lives of the nation’s troops, who are glorified as heroes and martyrs and whom all those living under the imperial banner, should aspire to become. Social norms and imperial laws are strictly enforced by a justice system which shows no mercy, employs torture rather than incarceration and execution instead of rehabilitation. Dissent is only tolerated to the extent that it conforms to the state-approved values and beliefs and any ideas that are in opposition to national doctrine, are brutally suppressed by the secret police, which often makes use of death squads to deal with particularly troublesome individuals, such as those that preach Jedi ideals. Although harsh, the laws apply fairly and evenly to everyone, from prince to pauper, young and old, soldier and civilian, leader and follower. In the Eternal Empire, no one is above the law.

To foster social cohesion and nurture national pride, the Eternal Empire rejects the use of Galactic Basic and the popular Aurebesh alphabet within all official documents and institutions, enforcing instead the use of its own High Nelvaanian language and script, which are present all over imperial settlements, on placards and billboards, in books and media and on the many crimson banners that decorate the Empire’s settlements.

A complex, well organized and disciplined society, the imperials are a nation of contradictions, a living paradox, a people which rejects compassion, yet embraces community, both cruel and just, honorable and deceitful, idealistic and pragmatic, both arrogant and humble, looking towards the future and yet set in their ways. With their unique ideology, which embraces hardship and struggle, in their hearts, they set their sights upon the galaxy and are determined to make their mark on it.