Tiridates Mikadze

I'll have a Social Sterilization Team pick him up for Re-education.

CLASSIFIED: CODE CLEARANCE AND FULL BIOMETRIC REGISTRATION REQUIRED FOR VIEWING Imperial Senate Library Document - Special Archives - 0010895670136445A This Document is held under the Imperial Secrets Act as a part of the Special Archives (per S.S.A. #3011845a sub. D). Disclosure of contents forbidden by order of the Imperator, Aryte Vesperia. Note: Sections and specific information may be withheld based on your clearance. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Documentation and Analysis of Pre-Republic Era "Titan" artifacts, technologies, and records. |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Project Director: {Insufficient Viewing Privileges} Research Leads: Dr. Sulna Orvari, Dr. Perali Bell, Dr. Andrea Yukumi. Research Facility: {Insufficient Viewing Privileges} Research Faculty Records are available [here] Project Purpose: To catalog and analyze all available Pre-Republic data regarding the so-called "Titan" alien species. [Would you like to proceed to the first entry? [Y/N] Entry: Report 1 - Doctor Sulna Orvari Re: Progress All the materials have been moved from {Insufficient Viewing Privileges} on schedule. Dr. Yukumi and I have begun the process of cataloging and classifying the xenospecies artifacts as best we can. The process is difficult because of the truly alien nature of these materials, they are unlike anything we've seen before. Their fundamental design purpose and manufacture are as much a mystery as the species who produced them. So far, there are over 300,000 crates of material. We will be requiring more researchers, but thankfully Director {Insufficient Viewing Privileges} has more than enough room in this facility, and is willing to accommodate our needs. Dr. Bell has yet to arrive, however. We could seriously use his expertise, as he is supposed to be the specialist on the Titans and their culture. Entry: Report 2 - Doctor Sulna Orvari Re: Progress Dr. Bell has been instrumental in streamlining our cataloging, and we're done with the first quarter of the materials. On arrival, he held a lecture on the Titans and what is known of their culture and technology. [Viewable Here] It is something of a relief to know that even he is uncertain as to specifics of the nature of the Titans. The Director has provided us with more than enough research personnel to proceed on schedule, if not ahead. Dr. Yukumi has begun the monumental task of cataloging and organizing the mountains of research materials from our Republic and Pre-Republic Era predecessors. I won't begin my work on an operational gestalt analysis of the Titans until both those tasks are finished. Entry: Report 3 - Doctor Perali Bell Re: Materials Catalog We're nearly complete with the artifact catalog process, having divided the materials into five specific categories: Military - Manufacturing - Cultural - Scientific - Unknown. At this point, these are only guesswork, but I have great confidence in our research staff. Undoubtedly, refinements will be made as we understand more of the particular context of Titan civilization. Doctors Yukumi and Orvari have provided significant insights, and I look forward to continuing to work with them on this project. Note: So far, much of the artifacts don't correspond to any particular formats that are readily recognizable to us, and have no counterparts among other xenoartifact records. End: Part 1

http://www.pinpros.com/ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I want Ordo Lapel Pins, Cufflinks, and Tie-bars. We should look classy, folks

lololololol

GREAT SOCIETY, EMPIRE OF THE STARS, THE IMPERIAL ORDER: WE, ALONE, FALL. BUT TOGETHER, AND BOUND BY THE WILL OF THE IMPERATOR? WE ARE ETERNAL AND UNBREAKABLE. TO THE ENDS OF THE UNIVERSE, TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL, WE WILL TRIUMPH OVER ALL CHALLENGES, BECAUSE TOGETHER, WE ARE STRONG, AND OUR ENEMIES ARE SCATTERED. TOGETHER, FOR THE IMPERATOR! FOR THE EMPIRE! FOR VICTORY! *cues military marching music*

I've seen the unseemly underbelly of the American Service/Retail industries. It's not pretty. Best job I had, so far, was working at a shop that sold and installed security equipment. I got to install a biometric security panel into a guy's house, and learned how to set up security cameras. Also sold self-defense weapons (non-firearm). Pepper sprays of a dizzying variety, stun-guns, tasers,knives, batons, gas masks, an anti-knife vest (once). Also sold a variety of counter-surveillance equipment for travelers and businessmen. Had a guy come in and ask a lot of questions about explosives. He was crazy. I asked him for his name and number, and he also purchased a knife with his credit card, so I had all the info I needed when I told my boss and turned him over to the police. He was also on the dozen or so cameras in the store.

I don't grow a beard. I grow a stubble of fists.

Caseless ;_;

[16:02] Lyle Watanabe: I recently discovered my grandmother plays SL and is a furry

Herbert is one of my greatest inspirations in many, many ways. I'm actually very humbled that this brief work of whimsy (so far) evoked a connection like that. Thank you.

For some reason, this reminds me of....Gunny.

Minimap is a generalized tool, it can tell you general whereabouts, unless you're very zoomed in. Alt-cam leaves you vulnerable, for the most part, and it's still limited. Avatar Rendering Cost and Show Look At display the precise locations of avatars regardless of terrain, location, etc. If there is any limit to the range, it's probably draw-distance. Using those features severely cripples the concept of fair combat, and they tend to be used as crutches, especially by newer combatants. Using something like either of these in a FPS would be rightfully considered cheating, as you could not realistically expect to ambush, snipe, or surprise an opponent who can see your every movement, and so cripples the intended mechanics of combat. That, and having tried these, I found combat to become boring and without any real challenge using them. Nothing beats the thrill of having only a vague sense, or even no sense of where an enemy may be, and fighting tooth and nail for every kill.

Yay :D

Was shown this. >http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1412/698895174_7fa1584682.jpg?v=0%3E [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: I don't get it [16:02] Tiridates Mikadze: look at the name he's changing too [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: I know [16:02] Tiridates Mikadze: when you see it [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: I don't [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: get it [16:02] Tiridates Mikadze: MEGATRON [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: Megatron? [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: I don't.. [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: :c [16:02] Tiridates Mikadze: TRANSFORMERS [16:02] Tiridates Mikadze: MEGATRON [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: OH [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: OH [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: OH [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: OH [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: OH [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: OH [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: OH [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: OH [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: OH [16:02] Scarlet Flaks: OH WOW

If I don't purge, it don't get done at all. >:C

Just because I'm a man doesn't mean I have to look like some sort of primordial savage. I will shave, and shave with great gusto, because being a man doesn't mean being unkempt.

A laser gun that isn't from WH40k. Or looks like a box with glowy lines. Support weapons, like a tripod mounted autogun.

Astounding.

Welcome, and watch out for Agares, that guy is just too shifty.

BEFORE ANYONE ASKS: YES, ARYTE HAS OKAYED THIS BRIEF HISTORY. Other notes: This is the first in a series of histories and "fluff" documents Agares and I are working on. Agares's Sentinels story incorporates aspects of the work we've been collaborating on, and more works, including details on things like Ordo Armor composition, Spacecraft classes (of the Navis Imperialis) and so much more will also be incorporated into this effort. Feel free to comment, but if you have any questions, please ask Agares or I in PM's or SL IM's, as this is meant for just posting the results. Also of note: Sections of any given work that will be posted in this thread will be open to sudden revising and editing, as needed. It's a work in progress, kids. DISCLAIMER: The following is a work of fiction including fictional characters in a fictional universe, not the actual persons behind the avatars. A History of the Imperium Origins of the Empire: “Is it any wonder, when we look at the founding legends of our many forefathers, that it is the House Vesperia that has assumed the mantle of Impertorship? Where not Romulus and Remus weened by a Wolf? Is it not the Fenris Wolf that swallows the Sun at the Ragnarok, heralding Gunundigaap, when all things end, to be made new? The Wolf is Wise, and it is Destroyer, it is has been Mother to Empires, and Ender of Worlds. It is this paradox that has seated itself so deeply in our unconscious and our history. As is befitting of the House Imperial, the Wolf is admirably Noble, and terrifyingly Dangerous.” - Introduction to the 'Histories of the House Vesperia', by Philimos Antonius. All Glory to the Imperium, and to our Lord Imperator. When we ask ourselves where we have begun, as we inevitably must in any search for knowledge, we must have a suitable accounting for our origins. True, there was an Imperium before the Imperator, and even Imperators before, and before that, the Grand Republic. If we wish to traverse to the very start, there was Babylon, Persia, Alexander, the Glory of Rome, the Might of the Hapsburg Dynasty, and Millenia of others. They are important, without a doubt, as they are the spiritual and symbolic predecessors, but the story does not begin, truly with them, but with a single name: Vesperia. The Progenitor to the Imperial House as far back as can be reliably traced was one Aurelius Vesperia, 1st Planetary Governor of Alemonia in 44,221, a fertile and culturally rich planet in the Minerva Nebula. Aurelius Vesperia fostered the first contact between his world and the Republic, and was a staunch supporter thereafter, seeking to add Alemonia's gifts to that of the Republic. From there proceeded the following: Marcus Vesperia – Professor of Musical Theory Harrison Vesperia – Archaeologist turned smuggler and rouge, managed to get himself elected to the Governorship. Gregori Vesperia – Colonel of the Republic, noted for decisive action during the Merchant Rebellion on Theremine VI (44,280) , awarded honours by the Senate. Tursio Vesperia - Merchant Prince, amassed a massive fortune for the family. Tursio II Vesperia – even more successful than his father, his fortune made the Vesperia Family the most wealthy family and holdings in the Minerva Nebula. Tursio III Vesperia – Banker, became the CFO of Ograf-Sllew Investment Bank, diversified the Vesperia holdings and established them as a powerhouse in finances. Uvanis Vesperia – became one of the youngest Senators of the Age, and proposed military and administrative reforms. ~Twins~ Theopius Vesperia – Became an advisor for the President of the Republic at the time, Justi-Faarul Vera, and helped to establish the Vesperia Family as a political entity in earnest, with his brother. Lakonius Vesperia – General of the Republic, founding commander of the Alemonian Regiments, forming them into the Minervan Legions (2132nd, 2133rd, 2134th ) one of the most highly decorated military forces in the history of the Republic, and vital in the Langoff Reclamation of 44,375- 44,381. Multiple decorations and honors. Paul Xerxes Vesperia – Marshal of the Republic, died during the Wars of Silence* (44, 409) in the Tannhäuser Gate. His flagship, the Orcanus Class Capital Dreadnought “Gloria Lua**” was used in a ramming charge against the Flagship of the Juthungi Fleet, the Fortress Ship “Jormangund”. The subsequent loss of the Juthungi Warlord, Hiemerstahl, ultimately won the conflict. Roger Vesperia – Food Chemist, invented a color-changing Lollipop, established a dynastic candy company, the Ares Food Corporation. ~Brother and Sister~ Iris Vesperia – Fashion Designer and Artist. Reginald Montgomery Vesperia – Founded Titan Industries arms corporation. Further bolstered the family in terms of both monetary and political power. Quintus Vesperia – Senator, proposed landmark legislation regarding diplomacy with the defeated Juthungi, and began the process of Integration. Branhoff Vesperia – Engineering Genius, specialized in trans-light field physics and was key in the development of the Morgassan Sub-dimensional Engine. Also opened up Military contracts with the Republic. Jean-Paul Vesperia – Visionary political theorist, predicted the fall of the Republic almost 400 years before it happened, in great detail. Veritas Vesperia – Not much is known about Veritas, other than he headed up the Internal Security Forces of the Republic. Marrick Vesperia – General of the Republic, assisted in quelling the First Juthungi Rebellion, became a Hero of the Republic, and proposed the creation of the Servant Nobility. (44,617) Amias Vesperia – Began a series of civic programs as a Senator, especially for rehabilitation of criminals. Horatio Vesperia – Fleet Admiral, lead the Republic to victory against the Second Juthungi Rebellion, and negotiated the treaty that secured the Juthungi worlds as a part of the Republic. Marcellus Vesperia – Initiated a strengthening of civic emergency readiness, including civil defense and programs for emergency training. Also started a campaign to improve public sense of civic duty in the Minerva Cluster. Beatrice Vesperia – Oversaw vast construction on Alemonia, and other strongholds of the Vesperian house, but also a public building campaign improving, expanding, and reinforcing hospitals, schools, government buildings, and other structures important to the well-being of the public. Carolenus Vesperia – expanded and improved the training and numbers of the Vesperian house's Men-at-Arms, and invested heavily into development for Titan Industries. Ignatius Vesperia – Sociologist and Statistician, presented algorithms and predictive models indicating an imminent collapse of the Republic based on his ancestor's previous work. (45,019) Francisco Vesperia – Arose to prominence during the Republican Civil War, that brought the Republic to it's knees, and saw the arrival of the First Emperor, Hector Avanis. Notably, held the Minervan Cluster together, and against military attacks, as one of the bastions of Galactic Civilization, and securing itself primarily through political and economic means. Upon the Ascent of the Emperor, gladly joined the Imperium, a vital political and economic move that prompted many other stable systems, regions, and planets to follow suit. (45,057) Following the chaos of the Emperor's death, and the First Steward's War, the Vesperia family recedes from the foreground of events until Aryte Vesperia leads the Imperium against the Nemo***. *The Wars of Silence, or the Juthungi Wars, were so called because of the silence of dead worlds left in the wake of the war. Both the Republic and the Juthungi utilized weapons of sufficiently massive scale to strip planets of life, atmospheres, and in a few cases, the exterior surface of a world. Such atrocities were committed by both sides, and the Grave Worlds lying between the Thule Sector and the Juthungi worlds stand as the grim testaments of that conflict's fury. ** Gloria Lua - “Glory (to/of) Lua”, Lua being an obscure ancient Roman goddess to whom the equipment and weapons of Roman soldiers were entrusted. Broken weapons were dedicated in her name by the pious, and repaired. *** Literally “No-man” or “Nameless man”. Damnatio Memoriae, or Damned Memory, is an act declared previously in ancient history, but most recently, and perhaps notably, for the 4th Steward of the Imperium, (sometimes referred to as the Black Name), where all records, mentions, and images of the subject are systematically destroyed or altered, depriving them of their place in history. Upon succeeding the 4th Steward, Imperator Vesperia declared the act as final punishment for Nemo's crimes against the Imperium and it's people. No record exists now of his name, likeness, or deeds, other than his crimes. Chapter 1: The Grand Republic “The Republic was great, and it was prosperous, for a time, but it was diseased. The petty squabbling of the Senate left it vulnerable, exposed to infiltration and division. And before long, the Republic was on the verge of total collapse. It's light shined for 4000 years, but in the space of 40, it had broken itself on it's own pride, and at the hands of scoundrels, opportunists, and the lowest of it's enemies, the Republic was left for dead.” excerpt from “From the Flames: A History of the Fall of the Republic” by Dr. Amy Barden The Grand Republic's glory and splendor was unrivaled by any proceeding regime in known history. No empire, single nation, or grand kingdom lasted as long, nor reached as far as the Republic. The Republic, indeed, was the foundation upon which the Imperium is built. It's origins stretch back 4,000 years, to small empires, federations, and economic alliances that were scattered throughout the Western Arm of the Milky-Way. They began, in a slow act of self-interest, to gravitate to one another, lumping together into larger and larger sections, but did not become the Republic until they were all faced by a common enemy. That enemy was the Titans. Their origins and history are obscure to us, now, and our grasp of the initial conflict is very incomplete, however we do know that they were not, in any normal sense, “organic”. What alien species wrought them, for what purpose, and when, is also unknown, but from what little intelligible contact was had, we do know they overthrew their creators, and advanced their society of symbiotic, intelligent machinery to a frightening degree of sophistication. We do not know why they left the galactic core-worlds, or if they even originated from there, but they did make clear their intentions upon first meeting the fledgling colonies and alliances in the Sol Arm: Annihilation. They demanded those worlds, and the death of every living sapient species on them. Faced by such a threat, in possession of vast numbers and significantly more advanced technologies, the little systems and leagues banded together under one banner for their continued survival: The Solar Republic. Pooling their resources, the newly founded Republic began a desperate bid for survival against the Titans. After a series of catastrophic defeats, and the loss of numerous worlds, the Republic was on the cusp of total collapse. However, during the Battle of the Orlean Belt, the first solid victory of the Republic was made, under the combined leadership of Admirals Amir Elotehp, Luce Verandii, and Alphios Ortiz. Elotehp, Verandii and Ortiz collaborated in a strategic effort, risking a number of ships in order to gather badly needed information on the configuration of the Titan's spacecraft. Finding a weakness in the design, they then gambled on the intelligence, and proceeded to destroy the Titanic fleet in an exhaustive battle. At the end of the battle, with substantial debris to study, the Republic was able to capitalize on their discovery, building up momentum that lead to their eventual victory over the Titans. The final battle ended with a daring 2 year excursion via untested link-jump technologies into the galactic core, and the extermination of the Titan's bases of operation. Afterwards, the Republic began to expand, integrating new cultures, species, and territories over the next 4 millenia. The inclusion of the Minerva Cluster came at the very end of the final millennium of unprecedented expansion and exploration. For all the great advances, and the power of the Republic (in the 12th Century after the original Solar Republic's founding, the name was then changed to the Allied Systems Central Republic), it faced the enemies of all civilizations: complacency, corruption, and disintegration. The Senate became increasingly insular, ignoring the complexities of cultural politics across the galaxy, and isolated itself from the practical issues facing the Republic. Additionally, systemic inefficiencies in governmental funding and distribution created a breeding ground for black markets, corruption, and public resentment. Finally, the fracturing of the delicate balance of the Republic's armed forces and the ambitions of many generals, admirals, and governors, acted as the death knell for the Republic. On the world of Unis, General Valazar Kol declared himself free and independent of the Republic, and proceeded to use the forces under his control to seize neighboring systems in 45,022 (4239 A.R.) Shortly after, other petty generals and warlords declared their intentions to do much the same, and the Republican Civil War began. The Civil War lasted 39 years, hundreds of billions died in the conflict. The Emperor arose, (at that time merely a minor General of the Republic) in 45,027, tasked as one of the last of the Loyalist Generals with restoring order. Before the Civil War, Hector Avanis was top of his class in the Republic Academy of Warfare, but was not especially distinguished, aside from becoming a 2nd tare general at a remarkably young age of 37. First, he restructured the remaining Republican forces, and empowered by the remainder of the Senate, changed much of the chain of command, removing slovenly, incompetent, or inefficient commanders and generals from their positions. Next, he reinforced the remaining Loyalist territories, and instituted civil law after five years of brutally inefficient marshal law. Having accomplished this in the space of a mere two years, and all the while fighting off the attacks of the dozens of would-be kings and despots, he was was declared the first Imperator of the Republic, superseding the President in all military and security concerns. Swiftly afterwards, he moved against Valazar Kol (now calling himself the “Pontifix Bellum”), and brought his severed head to the Senate within a month, famously asking them “Do you have any other small errands for me?”. The populations that had fallen under the insane rule of Kol enthusiastically welcomed the charismatic Imperator, and many swore fealty to him, enlisting in the Republic's Armies in gratitude for alleviating their suffering under the mad general. Now as the sole authority of the Republic, and with the backing of the populace, he pursued a military and political campaign for the next three decades. The Minerva Cluster, and the ruling House of Vesperia, was instrumental in lending economic and cautious military support to the Loyalist Territories, though maintaining it's independence for much of the conflict. The Imperator easily gained the affection and adoration of the masses as he liberated world after world, and those warlords and self-proclaimed lords who were sane enough, chose to bargain or ally the young leader. After nearly four decades of horrifying conflict, he had ended the Civil War, and with it, the 4,300 year reign of the Republic. Chapter 2: Emperor and Imperium. “Who was greater than the Emperor? Not Alexander, not Caesar, Augustus, nor even Trajan. Not Xerxes, or Charlemagne, or Tokugawa, or Qu. No King, Emperor, Shogun, Prince, or other man of temporal power has matched the glories of he has achieved, and none since has dared taken the mantle of Emperor...” Senator Graston, during an address to the Senate. “You can't have more than two idiots in the same room at the same time, or they might form a Senate.” Hector Avanis, The First Emperor, not long before instituting changes to the Senate's structure. The Republican Civil War had taught many harsh lessons to the Republic, and first among them in the minds of the people were the total failures of the Senate, and it's complacency, if not outright complicity, in the circumstance leading to the Civil War. The Imperator was also well aware of the inability of the Senate to continue as it had, let alone the Republic. And so, on the eve of his Triumph, he sent a quite message to the Senate stating his intention to hold firm control of the Republic, and most specifically, the Military. The Senate was outraged, but only one Senator was foolish enough to decry the galaxy's greatest hero, and now it's most powerful man. That Senator was Arthas Laocoon, and during his public speech declaring Imperator Avanis a tyrannical madman, he was stoned to death by the crowd. Meanwhile, the rest of the Republic's populace overwhelmingly supported the Imperator, now that Senator Laocoon had revealed the Imperator's message, and the Senate, eager not to suffer a similarly gruesome fate at the hands of their constituents, hastily came out in support of the Imperator. Imperator Avanis, it should be noted, spoke out very angrily against the public murder of the late Senator, though it is rumored he'd made dry remarks to confidants about how suitable a private, professional murder would have been. Imperator Avanis, capitalizing on his overwhelming public support, moved rapidly to have himself declared Emperor, Steward, and Protecting Imperator of the Republic, and thus founded the Imperium. As Emperor, Avanis cleverly stripped away the fat of the Republic's government and administration, and allowed still a President to be elected as the head of the Senate, serving as a legal and civil counterpart to the recently appointed Censors, purely civilian roles selected from the Senate, or the various other high offices of the civil government. This Triumvirate would be a part of the Emperor's cabinet, among other ministers and heads of department in the Administratum, the newly christened and restructured remnants of the Republic's old democratic civil government. By allowing many of the old Republican institutions to remain in the public trust, Emperor Avanis secured a more stable system of government to better oversee the vastness of a pan-galactic Empire. Even so, throughout his reign, he kept a firm hold over the internal structures of these institutions, vigilantly working to make them as quick and easy to function as a monumental bureaucracy can. The Curia, the judicial arm of the Republic, was broken up and restructured, with the Curia Civitas serving the Senate directly, and being the civilian judicial arm, as well as providing it the Justicar Legions, Civil governmental police and soldiers used specifically for maintaining order and providing civilian support in the case of emergencies. The counterpart was the Curia Milites, under the direct control of the Emperor, which oversaw the vast judicial needs of the Imperial armed forces. Finally, the Military and Executive concerns were wholly rebuilt, with the Emperor at the Pinnacle. The President and the Censors would handle the more mundane civil affairs, with the Emperor's Blessings, though the Emperor could veto any legislation he came across. The Triumvirate was empowered, however, to overcome the Emperor's veto with a unanimous vote, in all civilian matters. If a disagreement persisted, the measure in question would return to the Senate for re legislation. The primary concern of the Emperor, aside from keeping general order, was the defense and expansion of the Imperium. Despite the creation of the Empire, there were still many rogue armies, pirates, bandit governments, and expansionist lunatics to deal with. In addition, whole regions had been cut off or isolated during the Civil War, and reclamation of those territories was an important goal. Finally, and as always, there were always insurrections, and external threats to be reckoned with. The Emperor, by his own consent, limited the number of soldiers sworn solely to the Throne to only the Men-at-Arms of the House of Avanis, many of whom had been sworn into it, despite not being born into the House. From them, he created the first Praetorian Guard, to serve as his foremost soldiers, bodyguards, and a symbol of the Order of the Empire. All other soldiers were to swear allegiance to the Emperor and the Senate, as seen in the Military Oath: I, ** swear fealty to the Emperor, to the upholding of the Law, and the Protection of the Republic. I swear to serve the Senate, and the People of the Imperium, against all dangers. I make this Oath of Service, on my honor and my life, to take upon myself the duties required of me by my Emperor {Imperator/Steward}, in order to safeguard our great Civilization, as represented by the Senate. I swear this on the pain of death, never to be broken. The Senate could petition the Emperor for intercession in an internal matter, understanding that in doing so, the Emperor's word becomes the final word in all matters regarding it from that point forward. Legally, the Emperor is obligated to assist and deal with any rebellions, and to oversee the expansion of the Empire, and defend it against any outside threat. In the case of expansion and defense, the Emperor is the sole authority. However, Avanis realized that for all the changes and reforms, the non-governmental civilian elements of the Republic were just as much to blame for the corruption and degradation as the government. The companies, banks, and special interests had aided in isolating and damaging the government. And so, the Emperor decided that some form of control had to be instituted. The idea he hit upon was ultimately based, and nearly identical as that of Marrick Vesperia, and even took the name: The Servant Nobility. In return for special benefits and dispensations, powerful families, who had come to control certain interests, political, social, and economic, would provide service to the Imperium, the Emperor, and the greater good. Many simply do so through privately funded social programs and aiding the Administratum's efforts. Others would provide certain proportions of their household to military or governmental service. The Inner Court, however, composed of the most powerful families, would have to provide the most, serving in all sectors. And so, simply put, in return for Title, Prestige, and Privilege, they would need to serve the Imperium. The Great Houses, therefore, are first under the protection of the Emperor, and immune from certain taxes and levies, as well as few other conditions. However, the only guarantee they have of their special position is at the whim of the Emperor. The following political intrigues prevent them from pursuing much the same in the wider world, while their positions are based on the service they provide. In so linking their well-being to serving the Imperium, Emperor Avanis secured powerful allies, increased his political reach, and provided a new source of willing and able servants to assist in the monumental task of ruling a galactic empire. A new peace and order had arisen in the known galaxy, and it lasted for just over a century. Until Emperor Avanis was assassinated. Chapter 3: Imperium and Fear “I am not beholden to the traditions and demands of my predecessors, Senator. Nor am I the monster that it has so popularly been declared in public. No, indeed, I am not a monster at all. I am a God.” Alhara Rothis, 2nd Imperator and Imperial Steward, (known as The Beast), addressing a summons from the Senate in a public speech. The death of Emperor Avanis, the Champion of all Worlds in the Known Galaxy, came as a shock. The disbelief, and then outrage, at the heinous murder of their hero lead the populace to stage massive demonstrations, and observe solemn vigils of remembrance. The assassin was a Senator, from one of the Founding systems of the Republic, Centauri. The Senator, Brotus Afela, had hoped that by slaying the “Vile Tyrant” the people would rise up against the Imperial system, and reinstate the previous incarnation of the Senate as their primary rulers once again. Not even Senator Laocoon's public stoning by a crowd could compare to how the vengeful public tore the cursed Afela apart, literally, before he could finish his public address. In the aftershocks of the assassination, the Emperor's closest friend, confidant, and General, Roland Yagyu, assumed the role of Imperial Steward. The House of Avanis, though vast, contained no heirs, siblings, or blood relations of the Emperor, indeed, he had none. The House was composed solely of those soldiers, men and women, common people, who had sworn themselves to his service, and his vision for better future for the Galaxy. Though offered the title, Roland refused to be crowned Emperor, or to reside in the palace, and the House itself served him, while refusing all further advancement. As the Steward, Roland was empowered much the same as the Emperor, and committed himself to continuing the long process of refining the Emperor's reforms and programs, establishing a legal grounds and solid foundation for the Imperium to proceed. Under Roland's guidance, the Imperium prospered and grew in relative peace for three centuries, before he died naturally. However, darker days awaited the Imperium. A young, very ambitious, General, Alhara Rothis, spent three decades gathering political capital within the military and civilian governments by all manner of bribes, threats, and blackmail. When the Steward passed away, he made a daring bid for the seat, and in order to further bolster his claim, got himself declared Imperator. Rothis, unfortunately, was not merely insane, or cruel. A certifiable psychopathic monster, he quickly, and deservedly, earned the moniker of “The Beast” in public. He instituted a series of genocides, executions, and disappearances to further “secure” his placement as the Steward, and used brutal enforcers within the Military to continue their adherence. He even had himself declared a God Thankfully his reign was short, as his own guards killed him while he was overseeing the torture of a senator. But his death could not come quick enough, in the brief decade that he was in power, he had ordered the deaths of over 26 billion citizens in accordance with his twisted agenda. After the horror of Rothis, came the carefully chosen (and screened) 3rd Steward, Opili. In a vastly marked contrast to the sickening blood thirst of Rothis, Opili was a calm, scholarly leader, a historian and former soldier, who quietly ruled the Imperium while pushing the exploration and expansion of the Empire to far vaster expanses, outstripping the largest boundaries occupied by the Republic significantly. In addition, he secured and implemented a great number of economic and social policies that served to make administering such a rapidly growing Empire more efficient. His serene, almost beatific rule lasted for five centuries, before he died quietly. Sadly, the successor to the beloved Opili was to be the bestial, hideous Nemo, the cursed 4th Steward. What Rothis had managed to accomplish with open violence, Nemo did with secrecy and guile. Using politics and economics as his tools, he rose from a high position in the Admiralty to the Stewardship following the instability caused by Steward Opili's death. Moving quickly, Nemo took hold of the position with an iron grip. Dissatisfied with the “weakness” of Opili's reign, and consumed with a desire to be edified, Nemo began to commission monuments on every planet within the Imperial reach. As time went by, Nemo's suspicion, present from his earliest time in power, grew into paranoia, while he withdrew further and further from the public eye. His fiery speeches against vague enemies of the Imperium receded, to be replaced by the evils of his secret police. Three centuries into his rule, he started the first campaigns of planetary sterilization. No precise figures are available on how many hundreds of billions of Imperial Citizens died, disappeared, or were tortured, but the most conservative estimates exceed 400 billion, though ample evidence suggests almost twice as many, and a possibility exists that nearly a trillion souls were fed to sate the Black Name's appetites. However, the Imperium did not lay idly by. Despite the Black Name's superior resources, by the time of the planetary sterilizations, the vast majority of the Military was opposed to, or wary of the 4th Stewards actions. It is at this point that the name of Aryte Vesperia first appears. A protégé of the finest institutions of education in the culturally important Minerva Cluster, and heir to the prestigious House of Vesperia, he rose to prominence as a general and advisor to Opili in the latter half of the beloved Steward's final century. Previously, he'd overseen the so called “Northern Advance”, a joint military and exploratory mission to the far edge of the Galaxy from the Solar Arm, and had secured many victories, political, and military, during his service. Upon the assumption of the Stewardship by Nemo, Vesperia slid into the background, and from now available documents, evaded numerous assassination attempts ordered by Nemo himself. General Vesperia then set about securing the loyalty of much of the military, until the “Golden March” campaign by the 4th Steward pushed Vesperia out of operating in public. Privately funded by the vast profits of his familial holdings, and secure to operate from the fortified Minerva Cluster, Vesperia began to collect forces to his banner over the next century and a half, acting against the Black Name's gruesome plots and sterilizations when at all possible. Not long after having freed a prison ship, known darkly as “The Iron Collar”, General Vesperia formed the first Praetorian Guard since Emperor Avanis, composed in great numbers by prisoners freed from the ship. This set a precedent, as much of the Vesperian Praetorians then came from Political Prisons, saved from sterilization, or were the orphans of those who died because of the Black Name's monstrous policies. Thirty years after freeing the first prison ship, General Vesperia had amassed an army numbering 4 billion in the Minerva Cluster, now under constant siege by the vanguard of the insane Steward's dwindling military. Then, suddenly, General Vesperia stepped full into the public light again, the entire force of his military sweeping aside the forces of the Steward in a flash of lightening quick battles. In one week, Vesperia had broken the Siege of Minerva, and pushed deep towards the heart of the Imperium. As word spread, worlds, systems, entire fleets massed with the spearhead, entire Imperial Armies swore themselves to fealty to their proclaimed Imperator. Sectors voluntarily rose up against the monuments and cronies of the Steward, and swore their allegiance to Aryte Vesperia. Within a month, a force of 4 billion came to encompass almost 300 billion, the largest volunteer military in history. With each world that was liberated, so were spread the stories and extent of the Steward's crimes, and each world added to the list. Vesperia's private intelligence operatives had amassed three centuries of file footage, photographs, lists, orders, witnesses, and locations across tens of thousands of worlds. Within a month, what had been one desperate thrust at a diseased heart, one over-extended front, had become a sea of fronts, a galaxy's worth of righteous fury and unending, inconsolable wrath against the Steward. When General Vesperia was within a day of the Throne World, the Senate declared him Imperator without Peer, First Citizen, and rightful Steward of the Empire. Imperator Vesperia landed on the Throne World of Titan unopposed, save for the Golden Palace. Nemo's forces crumbled, only his most die-hard soldiers remained, guarding the Palace he'd built for himself. The guards numbered 400,000. The encircling camp of Aryte Vesperia, composed of Praetorians and the most experienced, aggrieved, zealot citizen-soldiers, numbered 23 million. The fighting lasted one day. The Steward, dragged before the new Imperator in the center of the Senate floor, was completely insane. He declared he was a God, and swore he'd bring holy fire down on the whole galaxy. Imperator Vesperia, with a sneer of disgust, beheaded the Steward himself, saying with absolute fury “You've done far too much to this Galaxy already.” and ordered that the body be disposed of with the carpet his blood had stained, and the Golden Palace. The only things to be removed from the Palace were historical works of art, documents, and any objects of value preceding the 4th Steward's reign. The execution of the Steward was shown on every screen in the Imperium, to a single exalted, triumphant shout. Within days, the captured officials, cronies, and sycophants that had enabled the Black Name's reign were put on trial before the entire Imperium. Mountains of documents, three hundred years of footage, and countless witnesses filed through. Some of the accused broke down in court, crying out lists of coordinates where mass graves could be found, or where a hidden archival disk was kept. One Admiral revealed that derelict mass conveyance freighters had been loaded with the living and the dead and sent to collide with stars, and offered up a private journal detailing the full extent of the horrors. However, many more were unrepentant to the end, declaring they were not beholden to the Curia, or the Imperator. They were executed, and their remains burned at unspecified locations, by the end of the trials. At the end of the Trials, after 20 years of non-stop hearings, Imperator Vesperia dedicated the first world to be sterilized, Pontrance, to be made an archive of the evidence and a monument to those lost to the unbearable crimes. The only thing changed in all of the documents was the name and image of the 4th Steward. During the Trials, Imperator Vesperia declared the Damnatio Memoriae against the 4th Steward, declaring the following in a speech: “... and that is why we can never allow these crimes to be forgotten, or to be denied. The Memorial on Pontrance is only the beginning, but we will not let the name and likeness of the Criminal to remain. His crimes shall be his only testament left in this galaxy. We will strike down every monument raised in his glory, every mention of his name, and every image of his face. His speeches will be kept in record, but forever will he be remembered by his crimes, and by them alone. The Criminal will have no cults of personality, no monuments to be remembered by. The evidence of his crimes will be the only monument, the lamentations of a hundred thousand worlds demand nothing less. His memory will be damned, for eternity, as surely as he is now.” An act was later proposed by the Senate making speaking the 4th Steward's name punishable by death. It was vetoed by the Imperator, stating that “enough death had been done in the bastard's name.” and that he wouldn't allow any more deaths to be attributed to it. Chapter 4: Gloria Vesperia “Who can help but draw the parallels between Noble Avanis and Beloved Vesperia? Both were saviors of the Galaxy, both came in our time of need, both are undeniably regal. Should there be another Emperor, it will undoubtedly be Vesperia.” Excerpt from the conclusion to the 'Histories of the House Vesperia', by Dr. Philimos Antonius. “Doctor Antonius flatters me overly much in public. It leads me to fear what degree of flattery he enthusiastically engages in while in private.” Imperator Aryte Vesperia when asked about his thoughts on the 4 volume “Ode to the Divine Vesperia” by Dr. Philimos Antonius. In the wake of the War of Succession, a public cry for Imperator Vesperia's ascent to Emperor was passionately made, however, Vesperia declined. Later, on the first anniversary of the War, the Senate asked the Imperator to assume the Throne. He politely declined. Despite all this, many refer to him as the Emperor now, and all manner of plebian truisms and platitudes arise to justify it. What is more important, however, is the return to improving the government of the Imperium, and further reforms to the Senate, and a formalization of the position of Imperial Steward. Additional reforms to the Servant Nobility has formalized certain aspects of the meritocracy that rules the Inner, Outer, and Common Courts. Improvements to the Imperial Census, and the application of new strategies for force-projection mean that civil insurrections are at an all time low. Unprecedented degrees of scrutiny of the military by the Agentes in Rebus have persisted in preventing would be usurpers and instigators from seeding havok, or sociopathic personalities from finding purchase within the vast Imperial armed forces. The Imperium's borders continue to expand, but recent encounters on the “Eastern Frontier”, roughly in line with the galactic core, may cast a shadow in the future. Six centuries of rule by Imperator Vesperia have seen the Imperium stronger than ever before, and with the persistent use of age-defying therapies and nanomachines, we can easily expect many more. What future awaits us, as the Imperium is unknown, save that it will be glorious, and remembered as one of the Golden Ages of Civilization. Ave Imperator, Gloria Imperialis.

If more people knew that SL could be fun, then we wouldn't have a monopoly on SL's fun, there's only so much to go around, which is why we've OBVIOUSLY been hoarding all the fun for so many years. This is the secret that Ordo doesn't want you to know.

UP UP AND AWAY INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER.

Birthday salutations on behalf of the Scary Bastards Club.

HAPPEH BIRTHDAH HEATHA!