The Ranks of Man

The Ranks of Man is a pivotal text in the Holy Empire of Man. Apart from the religious texts of the Church of God, it is the best selling and most read book in the Empire.

The main body of the text lists a long and detailed account of all the various types of humans, subdivided among gender, race, sex, creed, subspecies, planet of origin, etc. and ranks them into an overall imperial hierarchy. Most entries include stereotypical notes about supposed traits of the various clades of humankind. It begins with a detailed account of the Emperor Himself, and works its way on down through all walks of life.

Also included are various acts of loyalty that can raise one’s rank and a list of acts of disloyalty that can lower it. Dying in service to the empire often merits a posthumous promotion, but not always. The lower one starts in the ranks, the more difficult it is to increase in rank. In nearly any social, business, or governmental interaction the party with the higher rank gets the better part of the bargain.

Nearly every imperial official keeps a copy of this text. In the upper echelons of the imperial court and among the nobility, this takes the form of an electronic text, updated to the most current version published by the Hamsa. Among the less socially advantaged, it often takes the form of a paper book. Some version of the Ranks of Man has been produced in every language and every format known to the Empire, and it is required reading to pass any type of higher education.

Every imperial subject is examined at birth and assigned a rank from this book, and their rank is the first entry in their official identification. Nearly every interaction with the government is touched by its contents in some way. Tax collectors consult it when determining a subject’s bill. Judges use it when passing sentences. The police check it before conducting interrogations. The spirit and contents of this book pervade every aspect of imperial life and culture.

Gronnic Polymancy

History

Gronnic Polymancy was the ancient state religion of the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns.  Founded by Gronn Falnak, one of the first of the philosopher subspecies of the Cielioid race, upon seeing a mystical vision.  Gronn's disciples were convinced of the miraculous nature of Gronn's visions because they seemed to form a coherent narrative thread, even though Gronn's memory had been surgically impaired  as part of the "philosophical wounding". 

The disciples of Gronn recorded their leader's accounts of the visions, and they spread like wildfire through the upper echelons of imperial society, and even the imperial court.  When Emperor Krog the 22nd converted, Gronnic Polymancy became the official state religion. 

Membership in Gronnic temples swelled as loyal imperial subjects converted to the new religion.  The influence of the religion was felt most strongly at the upper levels of imperial society, as members of the lower castes officially joined the faith, but still maintained their traditional beliefs on the side.  Over time, many of these traditions gradually wove themselves into Gronnic Polymancy, as it partook of all the power of the state.  This place of power and privilege would exact a price on the vigor of the faith, however, and most practitioners waned in their devotion.

Gronnic Polymancy had a resurgence during the 1,000 Years War (~ GC 10,000 - ~GC 11,000 ) as the leaders cast that conflict as a holy war between the natural followers of the Gronnic pantheon and the artificial followers of Troniac. 

This resurgence did not last, and after the war, with all of it's social upheaval, the official schools of philosophy were founded.  The Empire remained officially Gronnic, but most just went through the motions without believing in the Eight Celestial Beings.

Statue of Gronn. The statue is surrounded by buildings because the religious wish to live close to this effigy of their founder, and a local temple paid to place an advertisement next to Gronn.

Doctrine

Gronnic Polymancy centered around a pantheon of eight primary gods, known as the Eight Celestial Beings of Gronn.  Each of these represented a sphere of influence that covered some general aspect of existence, and supposedly they covered everything as a group. 

The Eight Celestial Beings were:

1. Lannek, Celestial Being of water

2. Glorr, Celestial Being of earth

3. Flaun, Celestial Being of air

4. Neelah, Celestial being of plants

5. Blenn, Celestial Being of Animals

6. Hadrek, Celestial Being of people and machines

7. Mishio, Celestial Being of the heavens

8. Kruknovannibashtiko, Celestial Being of the lost and forgotten, the unknown and the unknowable, was also the creator of the universe

Influence

In many ways, Gronnic Polymancy shaped the culture of the E1MS.  It gave rise to the base-8 numbering system and the Gronnic Cycle became the basis of the imperial calendar.  Even though the religion faded over time, its influence continued to shape the empire that initially spread it.

Sagokara

Sagokara was the dominant culture of the Gorox before first contact.  Sagokara was the name of the only developed city on Dasa, and the only culture on the planet with a formal writing system. 

Written Language

Sagokara writing was derived from a form of nonverbal communication Gorox used, based on blinking their eyes (Gorox have four eyes) in a fashion similar to semaphore. 

Sagokara writing takes the form of a series of boxes with the corners marked with "X"s and "O"s, depending on whether each of the Gorox's eyes would be open or closed when communicating.  These boxes in turn form a syllabary of the Sagokara spoken language.

The Church of God

History

The Church of God was a religion founded by the Cosmid corporation as part of a mind control experiment on the planet Midori.  Either despite, or because of this, it ended up as one of the founding institutions of the Holy Empire of Man, and conquered much of the galaxy.  The Church of God combined elements from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

After its founding, the Church added much support to the independence movement on Midori, and from there spread like wildfire among the frontier worlds on the galaxy's eastern limb.  This rapid spread was helped along greatly by a strong force of idealistic missionaries, led in large part by Saint Valgar, who set the standard for making conversions and crushing heresies.

A major turning point occurred when one faction of the Church encountered an ambitious young general from the Planetary League, one Potus Clarke, who was a rising star in the military, and quickly became one in the church as well. 

When the Planetary League made contact with the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns, Clarke took a dominant leadership position in pushing the Church's agenda in public.  Behind closed doors, Clarke's influence grew rapidly as well, as he was able to raise funds and support from his business and military contacts.  Then, on the Church's highest holy day, the Feast of the Patriarchs, the three heads of the Church (the Ayatollah-maximus, the Supreme Rabbi, and the Uber-Pope) crowned Clarke as Emperor of all Mankind. (A claim that would be asserted through countless years of bloody warfare, known as the Great Reckoning).

Later, at the close of the War of the Empires, Clarke would be elevated to godhood, (officially being declared to be the Manifestation of God in the Galaxy). 

The orthodox (imperial) branch of the Church would not survive the War of Galactic Unification in any recognizable form, although a few obscure sects did remain.

Cosmology

The Church of God believes in a hierarchical universe, generally consisting of nine levels.

1. God (later including the Emperor)

2. The four Patriarchs (the Emperor became the fifth Patriarch after the Great Reckoning)

3. The Angels and the Saints

4. The Church of God

5. *Man* (an idealized vision of the human race)

6. Any mortal being considered to be "the Other" (heretics, aliens, cyborgs, etc., basically any real being)

7. Demons and Apostates

8. The "Lords of Hell" (the most powerful Daemons, demigods and other supernatural beings)

9. The Devil (a single entity embodying evil, its self)

 

Church Hierarchy

The Imperial version of the Church of God operated under a top-heavy, and cumbersome hierarchy led by the Emperor, himself.  Directly under the Emperor were the three original heads of the Church. 

The Ayatollah-Maximus was in charge of the Church's military operations, and acted as the Commander in Chief of the Empire's armed forces.  One of the most feared elements of this Imperial war machine was the Purification Fleet.

The Supreme Rabbi headed the Church's economic systems, and acted as the leader of the Empire's command economy.  The Imperial Commerce Guild was the main agency to enforce the Supreme Rabbi's will.

The Uber-Pope was the leader of the cultural/religious operations of the Church, and oversaw the spiritual lives and inner thoughts of all imperial subjects.  The Uber-Pope's enforcement arm was known as the Hamsa.

Each of these leaders commanded an extensive bureaucracy of priests, monks, nuns, deacons, imams, rabbis, and other officials who controlled the lives and thoughts of everyone in the Church.  The rules were strict, and the punishments for breaking them were horrific.  Discipline was imperative.

Holidays

The Church observed five major holidays each year.  One feast day was set aside for each of the original four patriarchs (Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad), plus the most important holiday, the Feast of the Patriarchs, which celebrated all of them together.  After the Emperor became an official patriarch, the Feast of the Patriarchs was renamed "The Feast of the Emperor".  There were also a slew of minor feasts and festivals observed throughout the year, many celebrating some Saint or commemorating a historical event.  Many local branches of the Church had their own local holidays as well.

Emblem

The emblem of the Church of God is a set of concentric circles.  The innermost white circle represents God, ringed by a black space representing the space between the divine and the mortal realm.  The middle white circle represents the Church, surrounded by a black space representing "the world".  The outermost white circle represents "creation", or the universe.

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The Planetary League

Cultural Outline

Architecture

Many different styles of architecture can be found in the Planetary League, as it is a richly multicultural society.  Many buildings do incorporate some form of renewable energy generation, as a clean environment is one of the unifying values of the League.  Official buildings tend to have clean lines and rounded corners, with neutral colors and large windows.

Art and Literature

Being an open and multicultural society, the Planetary League supports a wide variety of different art styles.  Atemporality has taken hold in a big way, and various subcultures take on the styles of different historical periods.  Public works of art emphasize the values of humanism and community.  

The Blessed

As biotechnology advanced, people started using it to augment themselves.  At first illegal, the use of DNA manipulation on developing human embryos gradually became widespread within the core worlds of the Planetary League.  Over time a set of standard augmentations developed so that all those who could afford it started life with certain advantages over normal humans.  Those who were augmented in this way became known as "The Blessed", and those who were not were known as "Norms", or by other, more derogatory terms.  The Blessed did not suffer from genetic diseases, had lean, efficient bodies, perfect eyesight, and a number of other small advantages that made their lives better.

Calendar

The Galactic Standard Calendar (GSC) starts with year 0 denoting the signing of the Treaty of Kepler, which officially founded the Planetary League.  The calendar has 365 days per year, but no months, as most planets do not have a single, large moon, like Earth. Every fourth year, a holiday is added to the beginning of the year.

 The day is called "The Olympiad", and is a celebration of the collective achievements of humanity (before first contact, later it became a celebration of the achievements of the Planetary League).

 Dates are represented in the format YEAR.DAY  for example 153.204 is the 204th day of the year 153. The first day of the year is day 1, except in years with an Olympiad, where the Olympiad is day 0. 

Clothing and Fashion

Civilians wear all different modes of clothing.  Fashion is ever-changing, and different cultural groups have their own ideas of what is fashionable.  Wearable technology has come into its own, and most garments generally incorporate some complex functionality beyond being clothing.  Government officials (for example the crews of star-ships) wear simple, utilitarian jumpsuits color-coded by job.

Core and frontier worlds

The Planetary League, throughout its history could be divided between the core worlds, and the frontier.  The core was wealthy and high-tech, while the frontier was wild and untamed.  Core-world residents lived longer, had access to the latest advances in technology, and generally lived in luxury.  Meanwhile, those on the frontier may have had more exciting lives, they were certainly shorter, and less pleasant.  This division amounted to a low-level conflict that never reached a full boil, but was constantly simmering throughout Era-1.  This conflict was one of many factors that led to the fall of the Planetary League in the Great Reckoning.

Currency

The currency of the Planetary League is the Dollar, which breaks down into 10 smaller units, known as Credits.  Most banking is electronic, but physical currency is used as well.  There are 1, and 5 -Credit coins, as well as 1, 5, and 10- Dollar coins.  Bills are worth 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 Dollars.

Galaxy Net

Galaxy net was the largest computer network in the galaxy during Era-1, mainly growing along side the Planetary League, but also connecting to various other states and non-state regions near the Planetary League.

Language

A wide array of languages are used in the Planetary League.  English is the most popular, and is used in most official government communications and documents.

  Some of the major languages tend to take on roles relative to different contexts:  English is commonly used in government and commerce.  Japanese is often used in popular culture, and as a "courtesy language".  Spanish is often used in sports and entertainment.  German and Russian are frequently employed in engineering contexts.  French and Italian are often used in the context of art and style.  Various alien languages proliferate as well.  New languages also emerge over time.  Luckily, computer translation software continues to advance as well.

Religion

The Planetary League is officially secular, but its citizens have a large number of different religions and philosophies.  Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism  continue their popularity, and are collectively known as "the old traditions". Belief systems from alien planets start to enter the mix as well, and various new religions and philosophies spring up as time goes by. Overall, though, religion is generally considered to be a private matter, and doesn’t enter much into public discourse. Publicly, most citizens of the Planetary League tend not to discuss religious belief.

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The Galactic Republic

Cultural Outline

Architecture

The architecture of the Galactic Republic is composed of semi-organic, shape-shifting structures that reorganize themselves to suit the function they are performing at the time, as well as the style desired by their occupants.  These structures are created by a process mixing nano-fabrication with the growth of engineered organic components.  

Art and Literature

The beings of the Galactic Republic enjoy and participate in all manner of aesthetic  experiences, and usually share these with others via the Galactic Consciousness.

Clothing and Fashion

Biotechnology has obviated the need for most clothing, although the beings of the Republic do take the time and care to arrange themselves in aesthetically pleasing ways.  What clothing exists tends to be either purely ornamental or purely functional.

Language

Most of the time, communications within the Galactic Republic are handled directly through the Galactic Consciousness using Interlang, a synthetic combination of the various languages of the galaxy.  When communicating with outsiders, the Galactic Consciousness can generally supply the appropriate expressions and provide translations.

Religion

The Galactic Republic is officially a secular entity, but the Galactic Consciousness is constantly integrating information from all available perspectives, analized through the various available philosophies and religions to achieve the clearest, most accurate view of reality possible.

The Empire of 1,000,000 Suns

Cultural Outline

Imperial Star

The E1MS was an old and traditional culture, bureaucratic and hierarchical in structure, and provincial in outlook.  As the Empire developed, a rigid caste system took hold.  As star-systems were conquered, a network of stargates was built to allow direct travel, and ships with hyperdrives were used less and less, limiting exploration.  

Architecture:

The vast majority of public and official buildings were in the traditional Imperial Style, which was simple without being minimalist, with plant and leaf motifs being common.  The Imperial style typically included a moderate amount of decorative elements, including large murals depicting imperial values and historical figures.  There were also a multitude of local styles, but these were dwarfed and dominated by the official architecture of the state.

Art and Literature:

Imperial art was based on a highly traditional body of classic works.  Typical literary subjects included fables espousing a reverent attitude toward authority, the virtue of hard work, and historical literature.  "The Touch" was a famous painting depicting the transition from insect-based pollination to direct mating in Cielioids, but it was not considered pornographic, because it did not show the seasonal coloration of the lovers.

Clothing and Fashion

Cielioids generally did not wear clothing.  Certain high-ranking castes, and certain officials did, but it was usually purely ornamental in nature, designed for showing status and position.  The other conquered races generally wore clothing appropriate to their cultures of origin.

Food

The Empire was known for a wide array of cuisines and dishes.  Notable foods included:

Numguinitiso paste was a Vangalri condiment, derived from Blovonde a pudding-like dish eaten as a dessert.

Language

Imperial was the official language of the Empire, and was an educational requirement for all citizens.  The Imperial writing system was standard across the Empire, but there were several modes of pronunciation, because different intelligent species have different vocal organs.  Luckily, the diversity of vocal organs in the galaxy was underpinned by a number of similar anatomical structures, so a only relatively small number of pronunciations were necessary.  A large number of local languages were still spoken on the conquered worlds, but over time these tended to decrease in popularity.

Language Notes:

The Name Kly Fnofcob refers to a hypothetical ideal citizen.

Numbers

The numbering system used by the Empire was similar to the one we use, except that it is base-8.

Religion

Early in the Empire's history,  the upper echelons of society were constantly overtaken by religious manias.  In fact, at one point an insect-cult was in ascendance, and the old emperor even adopted an Insectoid as a son.  The old emperor died, and the insect-emperor reigned for a brief period, but was largely a powerless figurehead, propped up by religious advisers. 

The Cielioid Philosopher subspecies was engineered to help with this situation.  After one of these Philosophers started seeing mystical visions, Gronnic Polymancy became the official state religion.  Other beliefs were tolerated as well, as it was primarily the religion of the upper castes.

Gronnic Polymancy faded in time, as more imperial subjects began to identify as secular.  It did experience a revival during the 1,000 Years War, but this did not last, and after the war, the Official Schools of Philosophy were founded. 

The Official Schools of Philosophy did not teach about any supernatural beings, but did promise a happy afterlife to those who served the Empire.  Mostly, their teachings were logical and pragmatic, with a bias toward supporting the status quo.

Insignia

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The Imperial Star was the Official insignia of the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns, and as such appeared on flags, state documents, state vehicles, etc.  Proud citizens often displayed the Imperial Star.  The insignia should not be confused with the military honor of the same name (although the medal worn by honorees does bear the insignia).

Variations: 

The Emperor's Star was the official insignia of the Emperor.  Misuse of this insignia was punishable by hard labor in the heat-mills of Scharlaff.

The Holy Empire of Man

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.