Difference between revisions of "Roania"

Revision as of 06:56, 3 April 2006

Roania

Flag of Roania
Motto: "Post Tenebras Lux" (After the Darkness Comes the Light)
[1]
Region	Fatal Terrain
Capital	The Imperial City (Tarnaqin)
Official Language(s)	Aguan/English
Leader	HDIM Lord-Emperor Cassander Drakharn of Rudan Prime
Population	5.789 billion
Currency	Imperial Mark
NS Sunset XML

The Divine Imperium of Roania (More properly, the Divine Imperium of Rudan) was one of the earliest 'human' colonies founded, being in existence for over 4000 years. The home system is Rudan, which is a class-M star on the norma-arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, and a moderate empire extends away from Rudan towards the galactic north-west, away from Sol. The initial reason for colonisation, as well as the immediate aftermath, are shrouded in mystery.

What is known is that for at least 400 years Roanian society was egalitarian and republican, until a magocratic coup by the elven ArchMage Merrech, who for 600 years ruled the Empire of Shadow with an iron fist. Then Lord-General Joseph Black overthrew the ArchMage and founded the Divine Imperium, with his colleague the War-Priest Louis DeRechelieu forming the first organised religious body in over 600 years, the Imperial Church of the Light.

People of the Divine Imperium

Over the long course of inhabitation, the Roanians have ceased to be standard Humans or elves, and can more properly be termed a race of half-elves, though even this is a distant stretch of the term. The majority of Roanians are members of the subspecies Homo Sapiens Atrum. One cause of this is the difference between the environment of Rudan, and that of Earth. Another would be early attempts at genetic modification in Rudan Prime's distant past, and interbreeding between the human and elven inhabitants. Therefore, whether one is a 'human' or an 'elf' depends on what one identifies as. Pureblooded elves are now exceedingly rare on Rudan Prime, and in the Imperium at large, after the destruction of Alaitoc I (see the Alaitoc Article for more information).

On average, the lifespan of those who identify themselves as human ranges from 200 to 250. While lifespans of 300+ are not unknown, quality of life tends to drop severely after 225. For those who identify themselves as elven, lifespans are in theory immortal, though such a statement is almost impossible to objectively prove. And considering the 'impurity' of the elven 'bloodline' in the Imperium, it is unlikely that full immortality has carried through.

In general, the inhabitants of Rudan Prime are taller and thinner than natives of Terra and most inhabitants of Sol. Average height for Roanian men is at 192 centimeters and for women at 170 centimeters, compared to the average height of Americans at 175 and 162 (Respectively) in 2002.

Physical Aversion to Magic

Roanians are an inherently magical race. This might seem unusual to people who think of them solely as the nation that sends out Inquisitors to slaughter other magical races, and whose intention to wipe out magic is the talk of many wizarding colleges. However, there is more to it than simple religious loathing, though that plays a part.

From birth, Roanians are conditioned by their society to force their magic down and hide it from everyone, including themselves. However, magic can not be extirpated in such a way and always remains. Therefore, each Roanian on some level loathes himself.

Their magic manifests itself, however, through this hatred. A Roanian around a magician is a Roanian with a migraine. Not because of the person himself, but because of the magical aura that surrounds him when he works magic. Therefore, when visiting Roania signs in the airport repeatedly remind mages and wizards that the practice of magic carries a severe fine.

A far more serious problem, however, is when a Roanian is near someone to whom magic is second nature, such as the Elentari Sirithril of Menelmacar. The aura around a sorceress/sorcerer causes most Roanians very excruciating physical pain, to the point that while for other nations a visit from the Elentari is an honour, to the Divine Imperium it's something to be dreaded, though they feel honoured to have her.

For Roanians, there are three ways of dealing with the discomfort. Firstly, by removing the stimuli. Generally by slaying the mage. Second, through severe concentration they can cause the pain to go away, though this will occasionally lead to random acts of magic in the immediate vicinity, or to those unusual attributes which many foreigners consider 'generally' Roanian, such as occasionally glowing eyes or a tendency to shout.

Imperial Culture

The Divine Imperium is a very urbane and sophisticated society. Its population lives a very long time, and thus consider it ideal to know and experience as much of the universe as possible. Roanians, then, have been described as one of the most decadent races in the galaxy. Most Roanians constantly seek and desire comfort, at all times and in every place. Despite being highly trained and well-armed, Roanian Legionnaires are primarily a garrison force across the empire, as it's difficult to inspire them to fight well away from home save when they're most desperately required to.

Certainly, this desire for comfort affects their opinion of magic, though it's hard to quantify to what extent. There's more to it than the simple desire for the pain to stop, as any Roanian with a sufficiently strong ability to concentrate can channel his own latent magic into other avenues.

What the desire for comfort does lead to is a desire for quick solutions. Roanians embrace technology whole-heartedly, and Roanian technology is simple, elegant, and ubiqitous. For the most part, things such as consoles have been built into desks, and a simple touch of a hand could, for instance, open the door. Quite often, the console or control is built into a work of art. On a smaller scale, many nobles and rich merchants wear or carry items, such as rings or canes, that serve various purposes, such as a quick drink of water or firing a poisonous dart. Almost like magic... though the Roanians would not appreciate any such comparison.

In what could be considered a less eccentric way, the Roanian desire for rapid solutions can also lead to overkill in a war. Roanian defences are designed to destroy anything that enters within their range without permission, including refugee ships. Rudan Prime is surrounded by a thick planetary shield, powered by two orbital bases at the north and south poles (Pinnacle Base(s)). These two orbital platforms, in addition to acting as customs depots and providing transport to the surface, also hold two powerful and very accurate superlasers, for the sole purpose of destroying any large ships that might enter the system unannounced. On the offensive, the Roanians are equally destructive. Not having an interest in the further acquisition of territory, though they will strive vigorously to retake any lost ground from their own empire, Imperial Naval Officers will quite happily order the utter destruction of a target, whether civilian or military, simply to eliminate the possibility of further resistance in future. The deployment of biological and chemical weapons is always a possibility, though it has grown exceedingly rare in recent times. The Holy Legions themselves seem to view any resisting enemies as a problem to be solved, and will thus attempt to solve that problem in the most simple way possible. Generally with the use of their particle-beam weaponry or a large tank, whether the resistance is a bunch of 'insurgents' throwing rocks, or an enemy army.

On the defensive, the Roanians will try to negotiate when they can to make the attacks stop, preferring not to risk their lives unless they have to. If a world is captured, there's a possibility the Roanians will obliterate it (and the enemy army). So far, only two invading forces have ever successfully defeated the Imperium and forced them to surrender, and with the creation of the Pinnacle Bases it's unlikely the feat will be repeated again, a fact which makes the Roanians consider the expense to be more than worthwhile.

At peace, Roanian life is very similar to life in other societies. People work, play and live much like people do in nations such as Pantocratoria. Stereotypically, the jobs they take depend a great deal on which 'nation' they consider themselves; Aguans will be more likely to work in retail or marketing, Roanians will cling like barnacles to public service positions, etc. In reality nations are no longer as important as they were in the past, and it's no longer considered 'unusual' for the President of the Omega Corporation to be a Derricker, just as an example.

Xenos

The Imperium spans 12 systems, and has within its boundaries 5 other intelligent lifeforms. For the most part these are primitives, at black powder level or below, and not considered part of the Imperium excepting that they live on planets the Imperium has claimed. However, for approximately 2000 years the Roanians had been selecting and capturing members of the various races and taking them home to Rudan Prime to work as slaves.

Recently, under Cassander Drakharn, the last remaining slaves (in reality, a minority of all Xenos on the planet) have been emancipated. The second largest racial group in the Imperium became overnight the Salamandros --a race of reptilian sapiens who resemble snakes that slither upright and have arms-- who have a population in the Imperium of nearly two million on Rudan Prime itself.

Salamandros

Always a reasonably common sight in Agua, where they built small communities in the water-side cities and along the lakes, the Salamandros have had the easiest time being accepted as full imperial citizens, and at least one Salamandros candidate has a substantial chance of making it into the House of Commons on the opposition ticket next year.

On their homeworld a primitive race that hadn't even attained black-powder level, the Salamandros on Rudan Prime prefer to make use of simple technology and find many of the larger cities to be intimidating. They primarily work for themselves, though occasionally one of the braver will be found in a government bureau, though they rarely rise high in the ranks as their requirement of 6 months of torpor a year stand against them.

Not eligible for the draft.

Gra-Charks ('Golems')

The octavars are a 'xenos' race that is now unique to Rudan. Resembling a pile of rocks piled into the shape of a humanoid, they came from the first planet of the Nubaga system, a world in danger of being pulled into their sun, whose increasingly harsh solar flares had already wiped out nearly three quarters of the race. When contact was made, the Gra-Chark leadership sold their people into slavery in exchange for being taken from Nubaga Prime to Rudan Prime.

Despite being emancipated, the 100,000 Gra-Charks (who never die of old age, though occasionally one will go to sleep for a very long time, and who haven't been observed breeding since they came to Rudan Prime a millenia ago) still consider themselves to have a debt to pay off, and for the most part continue to work where they worked and for whom they worked, generally for the Derricks Mining Corporation.

Native Rudani

Prior to humanity, the native sentients were an insectoid race known as the ch'ker. Their religion can best be described as a death-cult. It is believed that the majority of the race was wiped out 50 years prior to first contact during an event that subsequent data-records refer to as 'the sacred night'. The remainder was destroyed 100 years after contact during an attempt by the Rudanii to initiate their neighbours into the cult.

Even today in some of the more isolated regions of the planet, pre-human ruins are still visible, and archaeologists continually busy themselves in exploring the ancient past of their home planet. Many of these ruins, however, still have fully active[[2]] security systems which require extreme caution. Rudani technology is constantly studied by Imperial Scientists, though any conclusions they make are normally uncertain, as just because an item can be used in a certain way does not mean that that's what the item originally was for.

Religion and Spirituality

Roanians are an intensely spiritualistic people in general, though not in the specific. The 'God', for lack of a better term, that they worship appears to be a cold and calculating force that created the universe out of some grand plan. Everything that happens happens according to that grand plan, and free will is just a perception.

Needless to say, the average Roanian doesn't hold much love for such a cold religion, though in their heart of hearts they're all believers. The Church of the Light is one of the most powerful institutions on the planet, and has its own 'Security Force', in the form of the Order of the Archangel's Sword (also known as the Imperial Inquisition).

Roanian prayer-services are very ritualistic, borrowing from the traditions of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The major symbol is the sunburst:

Though the cross is also a common icon, as seen above. Services for the most part are conducted in contemplative silence, with only muffled amens to the words of the Ecclesiarch. The church is a very heirachical organisation, with numerous ranks for Ecclesiarch, from the Patriarch of the Light all the way down to the Parish Priests who make up the bulk of the Church's ranks. Higher-ranking members of the church, above Bishop, are expected not to be married.

The Church in its current form was founded after the Dark Years by War-Priest Louis DeRechelieu, whose goal was to inspire devotion to the Light in order to prevent a resurgence by the Darkness of Magic. Religious beliefs have been one of the primary forces in creating the Roanian mindset towards magic, though it must be stressed that at this point this point the culture is self-perpetuating.

Occasionally another faction will arise, such as the Holy Church of the Sacred Light. Generally these 'alternatives' are far more fundamentalist and strict than the one they seperated from, and the majority of them have required to be extirpated (to use the Holy Legion's term) for one reason or another. The Holy Church of the Sacred Light was the primary cause of the Second Imperial Civil War, when Warlord Despan ordered the use of experimental weaponry to destroy the elven city of (Old) Alaitoc, and then attempted to destroy the government in order to set up a theocracy.

For now, the creation of any new religions in the Divine Imperium is strictly forbidden, and punishable as an act of civil rebellion.

Patriarch of the Light

The current Patriarch of the Light is the arch-conservative Dmitri, formerly Bishop of Fort Derricks. Under his control the church has stridently opposed any liberalisation by the governat thement, though after his death a backlash seems likely. He was born 330 years before the present, and is therefore one of the few Roanians who can remember a time before Emperor Alexander. His memories, as with all Church Officials and Nobles, have been collected by Project Living History.

Lorodecrast (Adytum)

Adytum is an island to the north of the continent of Agua. More properly, it is the northern part of the continent, as it only became an island after the First Imperial Civil War, when in addition to being seperated from the continent it was also cleansed of life.

It is here that Louis founded the church, preaching in the city of Valens. At least a fifth of the Imperial Church's priestly body is dedicated to maintaining the ruins and performing memorial ceremonies in the ruins scattered across the island. The only settlement is at the northern tip of the island, where Valens stands, now referred to officially as Adytum, the City of the Church. Officially the island is known as Lorodecrast. However, in official and private documents (including newspapers and census reports) it is referred to as Adytum as well.

Order of the ArchAngel's Sword

The Order of the Archangel's Sword is an elite force of soldiers, equipped with powerful armour and weapons. Close-combat specialists, they are one of the most powerful military groups in the universe, though only rarely are units larger than ten sent into action.

And they are a militant wing of the Church of the Light, which oversees the construction of equipment, recruitment, and training. Currently the supreme officer (Grand Inquisitor) is Cassius Varro. Unusually for the Inquisition, normally a semi-secular militant order, Cassius Varro is also a bishop in his own right. Actual control of the Order, however, begins two or three levels down in the Council of High Inquisitors.

The purpose of the Order of the ArchAngel's Sword is simple. The complete elimination of anything that might challenge the Church or its vision of an ideal universe, regardless of reason. Inquisitors have in the past slaughtered 'mutant' children on the command of superior officers or reactionary priests, much to the disgust of civil authorities or more 'liberal' ecclesiarchs. Control of the Inquisition and the reigning in of its 'excesses' is one of the major battles between church and state, and within the church itself.

Rogue Inquisitors

Occasionally an Inquisitor will start to have a crisis in faith, losing his or her ability to see what he or she is doing in the same way the church sees it. While normally the Inquisitor will take a vacation or undergo spiritual education (voluntarily), occasionally an Inquisitor will go rogue and simply leave outside of the proper channels. While technically a crime, it's one that the civil government, or the police, will only prosecute when the rogue is a threat.

Amongst the more famous rogues are High Inquisitor Kigari Starfighter (nee Walters) and Inquisitorial Lord Tyral Halon (location currently unknown. Considered armed and exceedingly dangerous. Is permanently in place on the Roanian Internal Security Service's Most Wanted List.

Roanian Economy

The Roanian economy is autarkic, with little interest in external trade. The Imperium and its assorted worlds are estimated to have the raw resources to last at least another 5000 years. Assuming its population triples in size over that time. However, occasionally a wealthy Roanian will purchase a 'foreign' good, and the purchase of knowledge is fairly constant.

Externally, Roania's most prominent corporations are the Omega Corporation and Roanian Pharmaceuticals.

Omega Corporation

The Omega Corporation is Roania's largest Information Technology corporation, and the spearhead of the past 500 years of technological progress. Omega Corporation has a long-term contract with the Imperial Government, and is the sole provider of computing equipment to the Imperial Trading Coster. The corporation currently employs 20 million people.

Lokii Controversy

Occasionally, Omega has been accused of associations with the Lokii Crime Syndicate, most recently by the nation of Assington. Omega has always denied such claims, though it refuses to reveal its books, claiming that that would be considered an admission of guilt by the corporation's many enemies.

Imperial Trading Coster

The Imperial Trading Coster is the major interstellar shipping company within the Imperium. By Lord-Emperor Edward's decree, they were stripped of the right to set prices and the stockmarket.

Imperial Government

The Imperial Government is a constitutional monarchy, with elections every 3 years to form parliament. Currently Imperial Party holds the majority of seats, under ArchChancellor Nicholas d'Arquis. The Roanian Legislature is bicameral, with two clearly defined houses. The House of Commons and the House of Nobles.

House of Commons

The House of Commons is the elected body, and it is the house that holds the majority here that goes on to form government. It has 5900 members, and is in session for a third of the year, though tradition dictates that members of the House remain in Imperial City for the rest of the year in case of emergency, a tradition that remains in force despite the existence and deployment for over a millenia of both the Imperial Maglev networks and the existence and use of SuperSonic aircraft.

Currently the majority of the house is held by the Imperial Party at 3070, a decline from their position last year at 3300. The chief opposition party is the Social Democrat Party, holding 1830 seats, followed by the Colonial Party, The National Socialist Imperial Worker's party, Old Roania, and Action! in order of precedence.

Traditionally, the House of Commons initiates legislation, which must then pass onto the House of Nobles for review and eventual submission to the Lord-Emperor. Occasionally the Lord-Emperor himself will introduce legislation into the House of Nobles, but only in that rare event will the process travel the other way.

Nicholas d'Arquis

A distant cousin of the ArchDuke Simon d'Arquis of Derricks, Nicholas was Cassander's deputy when Cassander was ArchChancellor. A small, nervous man with a discernible facial tic, he seems to enjoy the ArchChancellorship as much as he'd enjoy smacking himself in the face with a boxing glove. His current approval ratings hover between 50 and 60%, making him desperately in need of a popularity boost.

The recent approval of the Concordat Alliance might be just the ticket...

Elections

The Divine Imperium has universal adult sufferage, where an adult is defined as having turned 20. The ArchChancellor must call elections within 4 years of the previous one. Voting is compulsory and failure to vote is punishable by jail-terms. The day an election is called for becomes a public and bank holiday, with schools and government offices closed in either the morning or the afternoon (or the entire day, if they so choose.)

House of Nobles

The Imperial House of Nobles consists of 500 members, with each province's two most senior ranking nobles attending its sessions. Alternatively, each provinces nobility could choose two from their number to attend. In addition to these other persons hold seats, such as the Archduke of Derricks, the Burghomeister of Port Altara, and the Patriarch of the Imperial Church. 50 Imperial Bishoprics have seats. President of the House is the Lord-Emperor (with two votes, one for his position as Prince of Roania and another for his position as King of Agua).

The Emperor

Lord-Emperor Cassander Drakharn (More properly: His Most Divine Illuminated Imperial Majesty Lord-Emperor (Elrond) Cassander Lucius Drakharn of the Imperium of Rudan, the Prince of Roania, King of Agua, Sovereign of Derricks, Lord-Protector of Altara and the Free Cities, Most Blessed Servant of the Light, Master of the Empire, the Protector of the Faith, the Supreme Autocrat, the Ultimate Arbiter, the Most Beloved Imperial Supreme Lord Knight- Commander of the Imperial Legions, Elf-Friend, etc.) came to power through the assassination of Lord-Emperor Alexander Adolphus Black. Upon Alexander's death, a will was discovered that named Cassander, his ArchChancellor Lord-Emperor, which the House of Nobles and House of Commons decided to accept, thereby creating a new dynasty. The Drakharns themselves have long been important members of Imperial Society, and many of the Emperor's cousins and ancestors have risen high.

The Lord-Emperor's Reign has been marked by unprecedented liberalisation, including the emancipation of the slaves (in conjunction with ArchChancellor d'Arquis), a drastic reduction in the number of accidental deaths in the palace (under Alexander, several hundred palace servants died a year) and a slow reduction in the power of the state to pre-crisis levels. Currently the Lord-Emperor is a young man of 110, though as a true half-elf such things as 'young man' are difficult to truly quantify.

On being Lord-Emperor

"A lot of people still believe that being an (Lord) Emperor is an easy job, where all you do is sit around and amuse yourself all day. I cannot speak for many of my brothers and sisters, but for myself every day is spent working hard for the benefit of my people." ~ On being asked if he considered Emperor to be an 'easy job'.

Currently his approval ratings fluctuate between %70 and %80.

Half-Elf

Unusually for a Roanian noble, Cassander's father not only had an affair with one of Roania's exceedingly rare pure elves, but also acknowledged the child as his own (with his wife's full knowledge). Details are sketchy, but it is believed that Lady Louisa Drakharn might have been sterile. The Imperial Palace is not forthcoming on the subject.

The Empress

"Where else but Roania?" Tourism Campaign. Used with permission from the Imperial Office for Tourism

A model for a tourist campaign. A public servant. An Imperial Governor. Treasurer. Her Most Serene Illuminated Highness Lady-Empress (Lúthien) Alysanndra Aliria Drakharn has been a tireless worker through-out her life, establishing her position in the Divine Imperium after nearly a century of struggle. Her first job after leaving the orphanage was in the Tourism Department, where a wandering Alexander happened to spot her. Suffering one of his occasional fits of brilliance, he promptly ordered his minister to use her as a centerpiece for the adcampaign. Then decapitated the minister when he deferred. The new minister was more than happy to oblige.

The 'Where else but Roania Campaign' was an amazing success, pulling in thousands of marks of tourist revenue from across the eastern sectors of the galaxy, and even from Sol. Alysanndra's intelligence was also marked upon, and after a whirlwind of promotion she was sent to the North-Western province, whose revenues experienced a marked upswing after she took over, as well as a population boost.

Her romance with Cassander was very brief, and their marriage a year after they met was an event a weary capital finally had a chance to smile for. Currently they've been married for two years.

Children?

When a journalist recently asked if she had any plans to have children in the near future, she simply laughed and said "Cassander and I both have long lives ahead of us, and we aren't really thinking about children at the moment."

The Nations

A map of Rudan Prime, showing states, provincial boundaries, major cities and towns and important sea-routes

The Divine Imperium is divided into 5 states, which roughly align with the old national divisions. Each of these nations played a major role in the past, though in recent years their importance has declined to be primarily ceremonial. Traditionally, each of these states had its own leader.

1. The King of Agua
2. The Prince of Roania
3. The Burghomeister of Altara
4. The ArchDuke of Derricks
5. The HeruAmandil of Alaitoc.

Currently, only three of these titles are still extant. Prince of Roan was the title of the Black Family prior to the ascent to the Imperial Diadem of Joseph Black. It became bound to the Imperial Diadem, though lately there has been debate in parliament about restoring it to the Blacks with the accession of Cassander Drakharn and therefore it could be reactivated before the end of the century. The title of Kings of Agua was arrogated to the Lord-Emperor upon the destruction of the De Silva family slightly less than 3000 years before the present, and has henceforth only been used in the Emperor's title (see below).

Burghomeister of Altara is the title of the provincial governor of the Altaran Southern provinces, based around Fort Altara. The ArchDukes of Derricks, the d'Arquises, have been the second family of the Imperium for generations, with many members holding important positions across the nation. While when Alexander died ArchDuke Simon declined the position, it is highly likely that should the Drakharn dynasty fall the d'Arquis family would ascend to the Imperial Diadem before any other claimants.

There have only ever been two HeruAmandil's of Alaitoc. The first one, ArchMage Merrech, staged a violent coup and destroyed the nascent republic of Rudan, then ruled for more than 500 years. Upon his death, another HeruAmandil took the position and managed to save his people from the victorious Roanians, living until the city of Alaitoc was destroyed 900 years before the present. Currently the title is held to be an abeyance, with executive authority in New Alaitoc resting in the hands of a council.

Roan

Roan is the southeastern continent and one of the first to be settled by the colonists. It is named after the river that flows through it, which to human and elven ears sounded like 'Roh-en' Currently the majority of the continent is covered by the various city-states. It is the state that has the most parliamentary seats, leading to occasional requests from the other states to redraw the provincial boundaries of Roan.

Major provinces include the Divine Imperial Province, Blackport, New Bristol and Durham-On-The-Roan. There are numerous noble families in Roan, though the most prominent are the Blacks and Darsalins.

Grand Duke Damien Charleston Black

A distant cousin of the former Emperor, Grand Duke Damien is roughly 20 years Cassander's junior. Claiming that he desires to free his family name of the odium associated with it by the actions of Alexander. Currently he displays no signs of the genetic instability that plagued his relation, though he is still young.

His lands are being watched by a relation while he acts as Imperial Regent on Mars. His deputy is Commissioner Lilian Darsalin, whose family the colony is named for.

Agua

Agua is a major merchantile settlement and the secondmost populated nation. A highly cosmopolitan state, people from all over feel at home here, especially in the major cities on the coast. Many Aguans work in the Divine Navy and attached services, but many more act as merchants and traders across the planet, taking advantage of their homeland's many rivers.

Major provinces/cities include Novy Archangelsk, WhiteHarbour, Ciudad de la Angeles and Great Cosmic Novgorod. Prominent Aguan families include the Drakharnns and the De-La-Verdes.

Derricks

Derricks is to the north of Agua, and makes up roughly one half of the great northern landmass. A heavily forested and mountainous region, its people are generally stalwart conservatives and as stubborn as their homeland. Major communities include La Ville de Roses and Hochburg. It is now unknown who or what Derrick was, but it is assumed he was fairly important. A major, in fact the major, family, of the state is the d'Arquis.

His Illustrious Higness the Archduke Simon d'Arquis of Derricks

Simon d'Arquis, the 200th ArchDuke of Derricks, is a member of a long line of prominent conservative public figures in the Imperium. A former Inquisitor and an outspoken advocate for many conservative causes, he has repeatedly clashed in public with the Lord-Emperor on subjects such as slavery and control of the Inquisition.

A pleasant young man, he's been happily married for 20 years and has 3 children. Other important d'Arquises include ArchChancellor Nicholas, who has been 'disowned', the Prelate of Eldath-Dor, and the current Chairman of the Derricks Mining Corporation.

Altara

The last continent to be settled by the 'official' colonists, Altara is largely known from orbital pictures than from any on the ground exploration. Most settlements are in the south or along the narrow plains between the forest and the great desert. The majority of communities on the continent are harmonist tribes living in the desert or the forest. Major cities include Fort Al-Tai (From which the colony derives its name) and Hai-Ning. There are no overly prominent families within the state, though the Bao Clan holds minor precedence in some cities of the south.

Harmonists

The Harmonists are another group of colonists, seperate from the Roanians (though they travelled together) who live in the wilds of Altara, and also in the great forest of Agua. They are neo-primitives, who have abandoned technology to live in harmony with the wild. Currently the Divine Imperium's policy is to leave them alone, as they live where no one else wants to.

Alaitoc

Alaitoc is the last of the great states, and is more properly an Imperial Province. The island appears to have been artificially shaped in the distant past by the natives. From colonisation, elves have always lived there, and now it is the only place in the Divine Imperium where you can find pure elves living. A significant proportion of elf-identifying Roanians live there as well. The only city is on the center island, the city of New Alaitoc itself.

Around the ring, there are four other communities/guardposts.

Rudan

The Rudan System is situated on the norma arm of the galaxy, nearly 40000 lightyears from Terra, and orbits around a yellow sun roughly the size of Sol. There are 4 planets.

Rudan Prime

'See main article: Rudan Prime'

Rudan Prime is a world slightly smaller than Earth with four continents and several large islands. The atmosphere is suitable for advanced life. Two large battlestations orbit the planet (Pinnacles 1 and 2).

Rudan Prime is slightly warmer and moister than Earth on average, with a larger tropical belt and only one major desert. Primary centers of population are in the South. Tidal forces are roughly equal to Earth, because each of Rudan Prime's moons is only slightly more than half the size of Luna. Both moons have major mechanized heavy industry, staffed by robots and organic managers and repairmen.

Other Planets

Rudan Secundus is roughly as far from Rudan as the asteroid field is from Sol. It is considered a nature world, and the only Roanian contact is from orbit. Currently life has reached a stage that could be considered Cambrian and seems unlikely to advance any further.

Rudan Tertiary is a saturn-sized gasplanet. Pinnacle3 is located in orbit, and robotically manned gas-collecting factories are occasionally lowered into the clouds.

Rudan Quanternary is a rocky world, without any atmosphere. Its sole settlement is a system defence post.