Cultural Outline
Architecture:
Official buildings and apartment blocks tend to be in the brutalist style, designed solely for functionality. Churches, and the homes of the nobility tend to be more ornate, and designed to glorify the Empire with elaborate sculptural details. The poorest live in simple shacks and improvised shelters. The larger cities are arcologies that house the elite in the lap of luxury on the upper floors, while the poor live below in a state of squalor.
Art and Literature:
Imperial art is focused on two main themes: war and religion. War stories tend to focus on the deeds of war heroes, and the glory of the empire.
Religious literature tends to focus on attaining salvation through service to the Empire. Apart from the holy texts of the Church of God, the best selling, and most widely read book in the empire is the Ranks of Man, a comprehensive guide to the structure of the imperial hierarchy.
Music tends to be emotionally charged. The most popular styles of music are a heavy metal/rock-like style for rallying people to fight, and a religious style that focuses on devotion to, and sacrifice for the Empire.
Calendar
The calendar of the Holy Empire of Man begins in the year Potus Clarke was born (GSC 915). Years counted up from this date are called Year of the Emperor (Y.E.). Years before are Before the Emperor (B.E.). The calendar is a traditional Earth calendar with 365 days + leap years, 12 months, and four seasons. This goes back to the roots of the Church of God in Abrahamic religion, and centers around the dates of religious holidays.
Clothing and Fashion:
Clothing styles tend to fall into two categories. For the lower classes, clothing tends to be simple and functional. The poorest have little more than rags, but most wear basic garments designed for working, and usually a simple, more elegant garment for formal occasions. For the nobility and the priesthood, clothing tends to be ornate to the point of becoming baroque. The higher the status of the wearer, the fancier the attire, often incorporating all manner of high tech and exotic materials.
Currency
The unit of money used in the Empire is the Imperial Credit. It is worth about a penny. Most transactions are carried out in multiples of 100 Credits. Most banking takes place electronically, but hard currency is still in use. Coins come in 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 Credit denominations. Bills are denoted as 100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000, 50000, and 100000 -Credits.
Emblem
The Emblem of the Holy Empire of Man (known as "the Heart of the Eagle") is based on the emblem of the Church of God. The outer red ring represents the universe. The inner red circle represents the empire. The black triangle represents the triad of religious, economic, and military power that drives the empire, and the red triangle represents the Emperor/ God.
Language:
Standard is the official language. It is broken into three distinct dialects. "Low Standard" is the language of the common people. It consists of a relatively small vocabulary of mostly simple words. "High Standard" is the language of the aristocracy and the priesthood. It consists of Low Standard plus an additional layer of technical language relating to technology and administration. It also includes specialized language for propaganda. "Imperial Standard" also includes specialized language dealing with macroeconomics and strategy on the grandest scales, as well as ornate, poetic language. It is spoken by the Imperial Court, and high-ranking nobles.
Law and Order:
Laws are enforced by both a secular police force, and the religious police, known as the Hamsa. Certain crime categories (disobedience or contradiction of the will of the church-state complex) are considered especially heinous. Any subject convicted of a minor sedition or heresy offense has their name changed to Exworth. The name Exworth is also applied to the rest of the family of the convicted as well. Exworths are subject to extra scrutiny, harsher punishment, and general harassment by the empire and its agents. Any subject with a more serious offense in these areas (along with their families) has their name changed to Unman, and things are quite bad for them as they are considered enemies of the state.
Military:
War and the military is at the very heart of the Holy Empire of Man. As a conquering empire, the role of the military is central to the ethos of imperial culture. Some notable segments of the imperial military include:
The Purification Fleet: a large fleet of ships deigned to rain destruction on a planet after its defenses have been stripped away.
The Zodiac Guard are a huge force of genetically engineered super-soldiers, officially tasked with defending the Earth, but employed across the galaxy. They are the most elite soldiers in the imperial military.
Religion:
The Holy Empire of Man has only one official state religion: the Church of God. The Church of God combines elements from the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), and celebrates the "Four Patriarchs" (Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed). The Emperor officially became the Fifth Patriarch after the conclusion of the Great Reckoning, and after the War of the Empires was elevated directly to Godhood. The Church of God is a very strict, hierarchical religion, and the values of purity and loyalty are paramount. All other religions and philosophies are seen as heretical and are not tolerated.
