Still very much a WIP, but this is what I've got thus far.

[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/f432586a-efb3-42ed-b983-611560a5b09e.jpg[/img]

[h3][b]The Planets and Territories under the Protection of the Imperial Crown of Astrana[/b][/h3]
[i]The Empire of Astrana
Astrana[/i][/center]

[h3]Brief Description[/h3]
Astrana is a human-centric country that tries to balance a strong autocratic ruler with the protections of more liberal forms of governments. While not necessarily anti-xeno, it is exceedingly rare for a xeno, or any immigrant for that matter, to gain citizenship in Astrana. Astrana does allow some foreigners to live in the country under a long-term residency status and it does encourage foreigners, both human and xeno, to come as tourists, but its society as a whole shows little interest in allowing immigration and dealing with the issue of having multiple ethnicities. Astranan emperors of the past focused on conquest, but over the past hundred years there has been little interest in conquest, with the emphasis being on the expansion of the country’s economy.

Claim: (As stated in the OOC, keep it smaller than usual; the empires have fallen.)

[h3]Government[/h3]
Type: Constitutional Monarchy/Liberal Autocracy
The government is ruled by the reigning monarch, whose powers are limited by a constitution. A parliamentary body, elected by individual planetary populations, helps with the administration of the government while ensuring that the needs of the citizens are met without infringing upon their constitutional rights. The reigning monarch assigns viceroys to govern over star systems and individual planets; these viceroys in turn have a counterpart parliamentary body that deals with the system or planet’s laws and taxation. These viceroy assignments are held until the viceroy either dies, retires, or is recalled by the monarch.

Perhaps the single greatest power of the parliament (both Imperial and planetary) is its control over taxation rights. Constitutionally it is the parliament that sets tax rates, collects taxes, and sets the government’s budget. While reigning monarchs [i]do[/i] have their own personal holdings to gather funds from, these are not nearly enough to meet the needs of the government, thus giving the parliament great leverage over the monarch.

[h3]History[/h3]
TBD

[h3]Technological Overview[/h3]
Astrana possesses fairly advanced energy weaponry in the form of particle beams which can even be used in strike craft and armored vehicles. Shielding for spacecraft is commonplace and even some infantry possess personal shields. A few choice pieces of technology, such as the zero point generator and widespread use of cyberware, does make Astrana stand out slightly.[hider=Major Techs][b]Cyberware:[/b] A broad term, cyberware refers to essentially any machine or hardware that is implanted into an animal. Cyberware can be divided into two categories: interfaces and prosthetics. Interfaces are implants that are used to interact with other machines, usually wirelessly, or store information. Specialized interfaces are used by the military to allow soldiers to link with their hardware to achieve better control or gather more information quicker. Interfaces are also used to accelerate the learning process. Prosthetics are hardware used to replace limbs or re-enable their use should they or the nervous system be damaged. A darker side to this technology involves replacing limbs with prosthetics to increase a soldier’s physical capabilities or use interfaces as a means of surveillance and control.
 
[b]Defensive Smoke:[/b] By placing a charge on the particles created by a zero point generator and then dispersing those particles in an area a magnetic field can be generated. These particles essentially form a “cloud” of plasma that can vaporize projectiles and cause intense diffusion and blooming in energy weapons that go through it. It is important to note, however, that defensive smoke isn’t as effective of a defense as shields generally are and that multiple attacks will cause it to disperse. It is also important to note that a sufficiently powerful attack can punch through defensive smoke, although it will lose some of its strength in doing so. A ship technically has an unlimited amount of defensive smoke to employ, however using defensive smoke means there are less particles available for other applications such as propulsion or weapons. There have been instances of defensive smoke being used offensively as well in a sort of “shotgun” attack against strike craft or larger ships that got too close, although this is comparable rare.
  
[b]Imperial Swords:[/b] Soldiers in the Imperial military have access to a variety of melee weapons called swords. While named after an archaic weapon, these swords have been updated for use in the modern battlefield and range from having plasma based blades to monomolecular blades.

[b]Particle Beam Weaponry:[/b] These weapons function by taking the particles produced by a zero point generator, giving it a charge, and then accelerating these particles with a circular accelerator to produce a beam. These weapons are useful as they have more impact damage than lasers and possess greater penetration. On the flip side they have far less range, about one light second for the largest and most advanced models. Advancements in the miniaturization of the circular accelerator have resulted in even fighter craft being equipped with these weapons, although they are much weaker and have far less range than the models found on larger ships. Particle beam weaponry effectively have unlimited ammunition due to how the zero point generator functions, but this means that there are fewer particles available for other applications. Continual use can also overheat the weapon, decreasing its effectiveness.
 
[b]Personal Energy Shield:[/b] Some of the more expensive suits of infantry armor used by the Empire, usually those used by elite forces, are equipped with energy shields capable of protecting the user from a variety of attacks. While effectively useless against large calibre/power attacks, these do provide some additional protection from small arms fire and shrapnel.

[b]Q-thruster:[/b] Short for quantum vacuum plasma thruster, Q-thrusters are a type of drive used to propel almost all of the ships used by the Empire. Q-thrusters make use of the virtual particles produced by a zero point generator by charging the particles, effectively turning the particles into plasma. The particles are then exposed to a crossed electric and magnetic field which induces a force on the particles. As the particles are expelled in one direction an equal force is applied on the rest of the ship, thus propelling it in the opposite direction. Because of the way they function Q-thrusters do not require fuel, thus saving space in the ship and eliminating the risks inherent with many conventional fuels.

[b]Squire AI:[/b] Squire AI are specialized AI designed to push human capabilities beyond their natural limit. Usually these AI are integrated into a piece of equipment such as a strike craft, warship, or armor and interact with its user via their implant. Squire’s are set up in a way that they are intended to make it as if the equipment they are installed in is a part of the user’s body; but it does more than that. The AI helps process large amounts of data for its user and supplements its user in a way that greatly increases their decision making abilities and reflexes. Some high ranking officials even have these AI permanently installed in their cyberware, although this is somewhat rare. Commonly Squire AI are simply referred to as ‘Squire’, however some users decide to give them a real name.The use of limited purview and sophisticated moral and reinforcement coding ensures that Squires do not become a threat to those who made and use them.
  
[b]Zero Point Generator:[/b] Using the dynamic Casimir effect, two reflective flat plates are placed a few nanometers apart. These plates are then manipulated in such a way that they osculate, producing particles and energy in the process. The zero point generator first saw use in spacecraft, which they were used to power and propel without traditional fuels. Later developments allowed for the construction of massive zero point power plants that provide power for entire cities. While the virtual particles produced by a zero point generator are inherently useless, due to ceasing to exist after a short amount of time, by charging these particles they can be made usable for a wide variety of applications. It wouldn't be an understatement to declare the zero point generator as the foundation of modern Astranan technology.[/hider]

[h3]Military[/h3]

Astrana’s military is divided into two general components: the Imperial Armed Forces (shortened to AIAF) and the planetary self defence forces (PSDF). The Imperial Armed Forces themselves are divided into three branches: the Navy, the Ground Forces, and the Aerospace Forces.The Imperial Armed forces have very high standards for recruitment and training that, while resulting in fewer personnel overall, ensure that AIAF troops are amongst the best. AIAF prefers firepower and mobility over defense. The planetary self defense forces usually end up with those who didn’t meet the high standards of the AIAF. As their names indicate, the PSDF’s roles include protection of planets, anti-pirate operations, and rescue operations.
[Hider=Ground Forces][b]Maneuver-Firepower Doctrine:[/b] The combat doctrine of the Imperial ground forces revolves around incapacitating the enemy’s decision making ability through shock and disruption. This doctrine revolves around punching through enemy lines, or outmaneuvering the enemy, in order to strike their command structures and logistical bases.[hider=Infantry][b]Imperial Infantry[/b]
[img]https://img00.deviantart.net/1292/i/2016/033/2/b/tactical_knight_by_johnsonting-d9q88uw.jpg[/img]
The bread and butter of the IGF, Imperial infantry are well trained and decently well equipped soldiers. They are notable for being great marksmen. These soldiers are equipped with railguns, usually a semi-auto variant, and a monomolecular blade. Imperial Infantry are organized into sections of eight soldiers, which can be further divided into fire teams of four. Each fire team has one soldier equipped with a heavy weapon that can be anything from an LMG to an anti-armor rocket launcher. Each soldier is outfitted with a physical shield that has been further enhanced by a direction energy shield. These shields can repel a little small arms fire before being rendered useless, providing the soldiers with a little extra protection.

[b]Imperial Knights[/b]
[img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/063ffd14-5e9a-46ad-b733-a6f81fc5af0f.jpg[/img]
These veterans serve as shock troops, focusing on breaking through enemy lines and destroying vital targets. Imperial knights are equipped with powered armor that are further enhanced by a personal energy shield. These soldiers are stereotyped as using swords, but also make use of grenades, rockets, high rate of fire railguns, and just about anything else that will help them complete their missions.

[b]Cataphracts[/b]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/97/ba/89/97ba89dc7f14f4ff2cd62d3e4ac33228.jpg[/img]
Veterans pulled from the ranks of the Imperial infantry and knights, these are Astrana’s elite troops. They are equipped with the best weapons and armor available to Astrana, making use of powered armor that are further enhanced by a personal energy shield and squire AI. Much like the Imperial Knights, Cataphracts are stereotyped as using a sword in battle (specifically a beam sword), but they’ll use whatever is necessary to get the job done. In battle cataphracts are used sparingly, usually held in reserve to stop any enemy breakthroughs in their tracks. Their rare use in battle has resulted in the saying “Its come to the cataphracts” being used throughout Astrana, basically meaning “they have broken through and this is the last thing we can do to respond.” Cataphracts can also be used to great effect to take advantage of any breakthroughs made by Imperial Knights.

[b]Praetorian Guard[/b]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a4/64/9a/a4649ac1bf2ff373a721b26cf6a41797.jpg[/img]
Originally established as an organization tasked with protecting the Imperial parliament, the Praetorian guard’s role has expanded to protecting all high level government officials and the Imperial capital of Truica. They excel on the defense, but aren’t equipped or trained for offensive operations. While it is common for them to work alongside the Imperial Guard, the Praetorian Guard are neither part of the Imperial Guard nor required to follow the Imperial Guard’s orders.

[b]Imperial Guard[/b]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/32/27/23/32272337f8fe241baf067292bc554d59.jpg[/img]
Tasked with protecting the Imperial family and Imperial Capital, Imperial guards are well trained and equipped, but typically serve a ceremonial role more than anything. They take orders from the Imperial family alone and are not technically even part of the IGF. Imperial guards are equipped with the highest quality infantry armor outside of powered armor, and even have personal shield generators. They possess large shields capable of emitting a directional shield as well for added protection. Historically they served on the battlefield much in the same capacity as the cataphracts, but over time their role became increasingly ceremonial.
[/hider][hider=Armor][b]Heavy Knight[/b]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/736x/5e/e9/68/5ee968e9056ae2a263616e6fa8e0303b--sci-fi-characters-e-ca.jpg[/img]
Standing at four meters tall, Heavy knights act as both infantry and armor. Their heavy armor, equipped with shield generators, grants them the durability of conventional armor, while allowing them to retain much of the flexibility of conventional infantry. Most of the time heavy knights will be equipped with a particle beam cannon, although heavy anti-armor railguns are also common. Heavy knights are intended to work alongside knights, although it isn’t uncommon to see them providing support to other Astranan infantry as well.

[b]Heavy Imperial Guard[/b]
[img]https://img02.deviantart.net/99ba/i/2009/329/2/a/mechanical_knight_by_hgjart.jpg[/img]
Imperial Guards outfitted with mechanized armor that stand at four meters tall, Heavy Imperial Guards are a more combat oriented version of the Imperial Guards. Like their infantry comrades, Heavy Imperial Guards are tasked with the protection of the Imperial family and Imperial capital world. Historically they have been tasked by the Emperor to oversee battles and act as elite soldiers on the battlefield, although this has fallen out of practice recently. The mechanized armor of Heavy Imperial Guards are equipped with a shield general, is capable of prolonged independent flight, and there are even some variants made specifically for use in the void of space. Like their lesser armored brothers, the shields these soldiers carry are capable of producing a direction shield for added protection. These soldiers are commonly equipped with a plasma sword and heavy particle beam rifle.

[b]Heavy Cataphract[/b]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/25/46/26/254626348b2246c4a9da861e82103467.jpg[/img]
Much like the Heavy Knight, the Heavy Cataphract are mechanized soldiers who are intended to support their less armored comrades. Heavy cataphracts stand at six meters tall and are equipped with an incredibly advanced shield. Its built in squire AI is intended to provide the pilot with support including information, countermeasures control, and is even capable of operating the armor by itself and continue combat in the event that the pilot is incapacitated.

[b]Tetrarch Tankette[/b]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/9b/1d/64/9b1d644cf34726da62cdfae548598b37.jpg[/img]
The Tetrarch tankette is a tiny tank with a single person crew. Strictly speaking it is a tank-walker hybrid vehicle, capable of switching between the two modes during battle. It was designed to support infantry in combat and serve as a reconnaissance vehicle. Towards this end the Tetrarch tankette has good top speeds, acceleration, and agility. Its main cannon is capable of loading a variety of different types of rounds ranging from high explosive and armor piercing to shrapnel and EMP; it is important to note that even with armor piercing rounds the Tetrarch tankette struggles to pierce the armor of any vehicle larger than a light tank. On top of this the Tetrarch tankette’s armor is very thin, so much so that some of the larger infantry based rifles can pierce it given the right circumstances. The Tetrarch tankette is capable of being dropped into combat both from the air and orbit. Because of its drawbacks the Tetrarch tankette sees a lot of use in an auxiliary and logistics capacity instead of actual combat. Even so these vehicles excel in rough terrain and urban environments and should not be underestimated as they are a potent tool when used correctly.

[b]Scorpion Light Hover Tank[/b]
[img]https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/bytl0mx1fpc6tj8t1dmw.jpg[/img]
The Scorpion light hover tank is small sized, thinly armored hover tank intended to serve as an armored reconnaissance vehicle, artillery observer, and skirmisher. Its main cannon is almost identical to the Tetrarch tankette’s and is capable of loading a variety of different types of rounds ranging from high explosive and armor piercing to shrapnel and EMP. Although the Scorpion possess superior armor to the Tetrarch, the Scorpion is also a much larger target. In addition to its main cannon the Scorpion has one anti-air missile and two anti-armor missiles.

[b]Striker Anti-Air Artillery[/b]
[img]https://cdna2.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/337/666/large/cameron-archer-arbalestfinaldesign1.jpg?1417755485[/img]
The Striker is an old, almost ancient design, even so it has more than proven to be a highly reliable piece of equipment. Originally outfitted with ballistic flak guns, most modern Strikers have either railguns or particle beam cannons. The Striker excels at destroy hostile aircraft. More importantly some of the particle beam variants, when equipped to an outside power source and extra cooling systems, have been able to hit objects in low orbit, including both satellites and starships. In addition to destroying aircraft, the Striker is quite good at engaging infantry and can even fight head to head with light armor.

[b]Chariot APC[/b]
[img]https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/1494553669147697220.jpg[/img]
The Chariot APC is a hover transport designed to carry two full squads into combat. These combat transports possess decent armor and speed. Their only armament is a heavy machine gun, meaning they can not engage other armor. Chariots also serve as logistics vehicles, carrying ammo or serving as a combat medical vehicle.

[b]Crusader IFV[/b]
[img]https://cdnb3.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/000/443/551/large/jarold-sng-tank-demo.jpg?1422682351[/img]
The Crusader IFV was designed to replace the Chariot as Astrana’s primary ground combat transport. While this certainly hasn’t occurred, due to a variety of issues, the Crusader is still a widely used vehicle in the army. The Crusader has two different variants: the Crusader IFV and the Crusader Tank Destroyer (picture above). The IFV variant is equipped with a railgun and can carry a squad of soldiers into combat. The tank destroyer variant sacrifices its ability to carry troops in exchange for a heavy particle beam cannon capable of destroying even the most heavily of armored vehicles. While reliable, the Crusader doesn’t handle rough terrain as well as the Chariot and, due to having wheels, is prone to be knocked out when moving over rough terrain.

[b]Warrior Hover Tank[/b]
[img]https://orig15.deviantart.net/6ccf/f/2013/082/b/b/hover_tank_by_therollingman-d5z0vot.jpg[/img]
The Warrior tank serves as the Empire’s main battle tank. It is noted as possessing phenomenal mobility and firepower, but at the cost of armor. Typically, the Warrior is outfitted with a railgun for its main armament, however particle beam cannons are not uncommon. Because of its comparably light armor, the Warrior suffers in engagements where it is close to its foes. There have been known instances of light tanks or IFVs disabling or destroying a Warrior at close range. Despite this the Warrior excels at long range battles, where its superior cannon often times outranges those of contemporary main battle tanks and its comparably superior mobility allows it to better dodge incoming fire. Even with these comparative advantages the Warrior struggles against contemporary main battle tanks, especially in defensive engagements.

[b]Titan-class Planetary Assault Ship[/b]
[img]http://www.igorstshirts.com/blog/conceptships/2015/fernando_campos/fernando_campos_01.jpg[/img]
The Titan-class planetary assault ship is a specialized warship designed to operate in any environment. Titan-class ships are roughly the size of the average corvette and can operate in space; however, they are designed primarily to function within a planet’s atmosphere. Their primary purpose is to transport troops and equipment to planetary battlegrounds and support those troops in battle. Titan-class ships possess a single heavy particle beam cannon, missile launchers, railguns, and a variety of point defense systems. In many ways Titans act simply as a premade bases or airfields, however they can also serve as a large scale transport or supply depot.[/hider][/hider]


[h3]Religion/Culture[/h3]
There are three generally accepted classes in Astranan society: the imperial family, the nobility, and the commoners. As the name indicates, the imperial family is the ruling class in the empire. The nobility is made up of viceroys, military officers, and those given a permanent title by the monarch. Anyone can technically become a noble. This is accomplished by either progressing in rank to an officer position in the military, or being granted a title by the imperial family. The commoners are a bit different from the other classes as they are easily subdivided into other classes that include indentured servants, business entrepreneurs, and high level politicians. 

Most people view the military as an honorable, and desirable, career choice. This is not only because it can lead to a title of nobility, but also because it was the military that held the Zuukid back, preventing them from wreaking havoc on Astrana’s worlds. The saying “Shield of the people, Sword of the Emperor” is often used to describe the military’s duel nature as the defenders of Astrana’s citizens, while also the tool by which the monarchy destroys its enemies. This mentality of the Astranan people, as well as strong traditions in the military itself, has allowed the military to serve as an important pillar of society while also preventing any kind of military coups or general corruption that stems from an overly influential military. Another interesting saying that has come from the military is “Its come to the cataphracts.” The saying meaning that ‘they have broken through and this is the last thing we can do to respond.’ It's a pragmatic and optimistic saying as it is essentially saying “there’s a major problem and its time for the real adults to step in and fix this.” 

While Kineticism was once the dominant faith in Astrana, it is now practiced by only a small minority of the population.The dominant faith in Astrana is currently the [i]Faith of the Children of the Stars[/i]. The Faith of the Children of the Stars is less a religion and more of a spiritual outlook and moral/philosophical framework. Important components of the faith involve viewing the stars as being the “birthmothers of all life” and reverence of the ancestors.

[h3]Demographics[/h3]
~98% Ethnic Astranans (Humans)
<2% Other species and non-Astranan humans

[h3]Characters[/h3]
TBD

[h3]Relations[/h3]
TBD

[h3]Habitation[/h3]