Still very much a WIP, but this is what I've got thus far.
The Empire of Astrana
Astrana
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.)
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 do 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.
TBD
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.
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.
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 Faith of the Children of the Stars. 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.
~98% Ethnic Astranans (Humans)
<2% Other species and non-Astranan humans
TBD
TBD
The Planets and Territories under the Protection of the Imperial Crown of Astrana
The Empire of Astrana
Astrana
Brief Description
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.)
Government
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 do 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.
History
TBD
Technological Overview
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.
Military
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.
Religion/Culture
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 Faith of the Children of the Stars. 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.
Demographics
~98% Ethnic Astranans (Humans)
<2% Other species and non-Astranan humans
Characters
TBD
Relations
TBD
Habitation