Karalian Empire

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Karalian Empire
Hydom zar Karalia
Unknown File:3by2white.svg
Motto
Expi mos Anstin, Evehn mos Destin
Anthem
Song of Reborn Legends
Capital Yallvus, Ucharpli
Largest city Ner'yall
Languages Modern Yallvus Talk, Yallvus Talk
Ethnic groups Vaikan
Other minorities
Government Unitary absolute monarchy
King Rustiagon Karrel
Deputy
History
 -  Foundation Enter start year
 -  Eye of Uszaroth supernova Unknown
Population
 -  Apex est. 260 billion 
Currency Karalian Ckon
Today part of Second Karalian Empire



The Karalian Empire (Yallvus Talk: Hydom zar Karalia) was a superpower formed 350 years before the Battle of Locubrermour. It was a prosperous civilization during the era of the Second Galactic Senate. After the Anathema Wars and the Eye of Uszaroth supernova forced the closure of many colonies, the empire reconsolidated itself on the planet Jaran as the Second Karalian Empire. Its history is based around the resurrection of an ancient Vaikan bloodline known as Rustiagon.

History

Main article: Fifth Age of the Vaikan

Origins

The Sterility Plague that was accidentally brought back by Drussiray explorers from the opposite side of the galaxy had devastated population growth in the Allied Sovereign Nations. It quickly spread to other Vaikan colonies, and all known Vaikan were rendered unable to conceive children naturally. While the Vaikan managed to survive the calamity through cloning, the societal upheaval caused their entire species to enter a dark period of near total civilization collapse.

Nearly 500 years later, a group of looters made contact with the Vaikan's long lost homeworld of Ucharpli and buried in the snow was the ruins of Kazel-Hal. Deep beneath it in a long-forgotten catacomb, the preserved remains of the ancient kings were discovered bringing to light a moment of inspiration. With the DNA of these kings available, a new royal bloodline could be established as the ruler of a new empire. The first new king of the Karalian Empire, Rustiagon Karalius, augmented himself with the DNA of the long dead kings, proclaiming a new line of succession. Very quickly, he gained influence and amassed followers, rebuilding Ucharpli in hopes of bringing it to its former glory. Kazel-Hal was restored by a team of archaeologists to become the new royal palace.

From there, the Karalian Empire became a new spark of ambition. Rustiagon Karalius made it his personal goal to conquer and reclaim the lost territories of the Vaikan in hopes of bringing order to the lawlessness. Karalius also created a new calendar system to mark the beginning of the Fifth Age of the Vaikan.

Buyuk Wars

First contact with the Eteno

Second Galactic Senate

Karalian Civil War

Main article: Karalian Civil War

Eye of Uszaroth supernova

Main article: Eye of Uszaroth supernova

Government

Royal Family

The top level consists of the Royal Family comprised of individuals who were augmented with the excavated DNA of the ancient king Rustiagon Dralla then subsequently cloned starting off a bloodline of new Rustiagons. The king in the present day acts primarily as the commander-in-chief and is supported by both a Council of Advisors and an all-purpose companion AI known as Mira. Mira is responsible for direct tactical and battle assessments. Over the years, she has been upgraded with new software to make her smarter and better than before, and is largely considered the most intelligent AI in the entire Karalian Empire. In the event that the king is incapacitated during battle, Mira can make tactical decisions in place of the king.

The Twin Hearts Nebula is managed by top-level government, while the Krizael Expanse is managed by a prince with an accompanying council of their own. Being augmented with Rustiagon DNA is considered an honorary event done out of the sake of tradition. It is to represent the spirit of the ancient monarchs now reborn.

The king has the power to override any decisions made by both the Council and the Dukes, but this is considerably rare. The only way the other government bodies can challenge the king's decision is to declare a staged battle, in other words, a legally staged coup. Soldiers are sent to fight one another under specific legal parameters. The majority of these battles are either done with mechs or incapacitation with nonlethal weapons. In spite of the no dying rule, property damage, ruining of one's career and even life-threatening injuries are allowed. It's as much bloodshed that's allowed within that one technicality. Property damage is allowed, but if someone were to die, the battle would immediately get the same treatment as any other violent civil conflict.

Advisors

Because the king is primarily occupied with his duties as commander in chief along with managing his personal army known as the Kingsguard, an appointed Council of Advisors is responsible for day-to-day management of the top level. The Council is tasked with creating new legislature and addressing civil cases across the whole empire, and they consist of a group of various experts across multiple fields. While the advisors are responsible for the day-to-day activities, it is still possible for the king to take over their duties. However, doing so is particularly rare just because of how large the empire is compared to one person, but there have been a few instances of direct intervention. This happened a lot in the Karalian Empire's early days when the loyalty of newly conquered territories wasn't always guaranteed.

Dukes

Individual planets and surrounding areas within a star system are managed by Dukes. The Dukes are mostly independent of the top-level government able to make their own local laws for the region. They are responsible for providing a share of resources to the top level as well as enforcing the laws decreed by the top level. Dukes are equipped with their own personal militaries and are also responsible for managing the top-level garrison forces known as the Dukesguard.

If a Duke were to be killed in a Dark Zone, one could technically could not be charged for it. It will also be perfectly legal to take said Duke's position right away as it is seen as an event of incapacitation. Tragedies in general are viewed in a different, very shocking light. Victim blaming is definitely prevalent as the Duke will be considered having been irresponsible for allowing himself to be killed in a Dark Zone. On the top level, this has actually happened with Karrel, except he was only MIA instead of KIA. When Karrel went missing, he was outside the bounds of the empire in an unclaimed area. Thus, Rarsan was able to take his place very quickly. It's a commonly exploited loophole in the mutual trust agreement, so it's common practice for the Dukes to be trained in self-defense as well having loyal bodyguards at hand wherever he goes.

Prince

The prince has similar powers to a Duke. They manage their own divisions of the Dukesguard and make laws specific to the Krizael Expanse. While they can override the decisions of the Dukes, they cannot override the king. The prince also acts as commander-in-chief to their specific divisions of the Dukesguard.

The prince of Krizael acts a lot like a second Council of Advisors for the king. The prince is also a middleman of sorts to the dukes of Krizael while the Council tends to have a similar occupation over the dukes in the Twin Hearts Nebula. The Council also consists of blood relatives to the king although they tend to have the position equivalent to archduke rather than prince. The main difference is that the prince runs Krizael much like an annexed nation or a greater province within the empire.

Barons, Counts and Earls

There are many other levels of royalty below the dukes although many opt for independent ventures. Some counts and barons rule local areas of land on specific planets, and some may also act as mayors to cities. Others are more or less autonomous entities that run micronations of sorts. It is possible to find many wildly different cultures underneath the duke. Many of these lower nobles gravitate more towards pop culture appreciation than any serious political ventures so the title in many cases is just for show.

Society

Social credit

The Code of Trust was an agreement held by citizens and the government that gave that allowed citizens a degree of autonomy so long as they were able to uphold social standards and refrain from disturbing the peace. This was kept track of in the form of a system known as social credit.

In order for the Karalian Empire's Code of Trust to function, a system is in place that keeps track of every citizen's overall reputation. Agreeing to follow the Code of Trust involves registering oneself to be scored based on one's actions. One can accumulate a higher score by performing well in school, doing heroic actions, making scientific contributions and even small things such as doing good deeds and favors. Actions that lower one's score include disturbing the peace, showing excess emotion in public, or simply committing crimes. The number of points that is either increased or decreased is based on an algorithm that matches the scores of others nearby. For example, donating money to charity could mean a different score increase depending on one's current financial status.

A high reputation is one of the most sought-after commodities of the Karalian Empire arguably more so than material wealth. It is common for Karalians to go abroad and seek out work to increase their score. While there are very few material incentives to having a higher score, a high score is a strong indicator of self-discipline and virtuous quality. Higher scores across multiple individuals often indicates the Code of Trust is upheld strongly in the area. Although the social credit system is optional, many outlets can refuse service to those who are not in the system and can even refuse those with a score that is too low. Being part of the social credit system is an indicator to a consent of the Code of Trust.

Maintaining a high score can be an arduous task. The score not only enforces virtuous behavior, but also skilled academic behavior. One's score can significantly drop as a result of bad grades. Much of the Karalian Empire's poor population consists of social outcasts whose score dropped too low. Because one's score can be deducted for the tiniest things, it often takes 100% mental effort to keep one's score at a reasonable level.

The actual score counter is kept track of through an atomic signature included in a cloud database. A citizen can opt to have an AI program monitor all their actions - including private ones - for a more accurate score. The other option is to have the score based on publicly viewable material the citizen willingly releases. Though this method of score keeping was created as a compromise between those who valued privacy and those who wanted more security, it is still a hotly debated topic across various colonies.

Those who join the military or join some major community service foundations will have the opportunity to reset their score, especially if below the poverty threshold. The only other ways to reset one's score is to either completely get a new identity or to illegally modify it within the confines of a Dark Zone.

Political divisions

AI rights are the most currently debated topic in the political landscape of the KE. It's generally inconsistent as to where AI's will actually have rights, but they tend to be more accepting in lower population areas. Because of how easy it is to copy an AI into another unit, they are very often viewed as expendable individuals and are treated as tools in a lot of parts. They also tend to live in segregated communities. This is not the case everywhere though. Vaikan and AI's do live peacefully in some areas. Despite all this, the peak of these tensions reaches during the Chaos Crisis - by then, riots and EMP's being shot in places. Fears of a robot revolution would incite mass hysteria.

The king himself is surprisingly apathetic on the matter, leaving the Dukes to handle this. The king's AI assistant Mira is programmed for empathy, but even she recognizes that she's a servant. As such, AI's can be used as advisors and can hold positions of power, but they are programmed specifically for those purposes to circumvent the possibility of them deviating.

Economy

Tax money generally percolates up each level, but it's not impossible for both the Duke and the King to impose heavier taxes. These usually happen in the event of disasters or steep war debts as a very desperate way to raise money.

Currency

The local currency takes the physical shape of a gemstone cut in the shape of a coin known as the "Ckon". The Ckon is about 1.5 times the value of the Nra, the galactic standard currency.

  • Jade - 1 ckon
  • Amethyst - 8 ckon
  • Sapphire - 16 ckon
  • Emerald - 32 ckon
  • Ruby - 64 ckon
  • Diamond - 128 ckon
  • Dragonrock - 53,000 ckon

Culture

Calendar

Main article: Karalian Calendar System

The Karalian Empire created a calendar system based on ages marked by historically or culturally significant events. It is divided into eleven months with one monthless week.

Etiquette

Privacy and individuality are championed in the Karalian Empire. With it however comes a strict code of etiquette when it comes to behavior in public. As part of the Code of Trust, all Vaikan citizens are expected to be considerate when expressing emotions in public. It is considered extremely rude to show public displays of affection or to laugh or cry in front of strangers. The process extends to engaging in activities that are considered to evoke emotions. When eating food, it must be done in private. If this is unavoidable, a bib must be worn to cover the mouth. Thrilling experiences like VR theaters are also given secluded areas where emotions can safely be expressed in response to the images.

The Karalian Empire is also very accepting to individuals with quirky or odd personalities, odd behaviors as well as various forms of sexuality. As part of the Code of Trust however, it is expected to keep one's quirks to themselves in the public space. It is considered rude to ask about these quirks to someone not on a first-name basis.

VR Companions

Because labor laws in the Karalian Empire are extremely lax, the average citizen often works very long hours. This leaves little time for not only leisure activities that require major time investment, but also little time to raise a family. Adding to the fact that for much of the Karalian Empire's early history, new Vaikan could only be born through cloning which mean that ties of familial attachment to others became almost non-existent. However, the latent feelings of a desire to have family and friends still existed in the Vaikan psyche, and with it being considered against proper etiquette to express emotions in public, a new form of entertainment had to be devised.

VR companions are an artificial intelligence that provides emotional support to those in need. VR companions primarily take form as either animals to serve as pets or as virtual spouses. They are able to adapt to the circumstances of the owner and provide exactly the support that's needed for the individual. Their ability to adapt to many different personalities essentially made them perfect companions. In many households, VR companions are treated on equal levels as family members, and some even casually refer to the king's VR companion Mira as a queen. However, VR companions are still virtual. Under most circumstances, they are not considered citizens and are programmed to do exactly what the owner wants it to so long as it does not breach the Ethical Laws of Artificial Intelligence.

On the topic of raising virtual families, in the KE, it is legal to marry VR beings and have VR families. They don't even have to be Vaikan-shaped. By a technicality in the law, one can actually marry any sort of object. In terms of tax laws however, everyone, even minors are recognized as independent. While it's possible to have VR families just for fun, for them to actually be considered citizens with legal rights, they need to be registered. The consequence of legally marrying even an inanimate object means that said object is recognized as an individual, and thus, that object is expected to pay taxes.

Families of "real" Vaikan do get some extra tax breaks though. Often, this is done through adoption. Some real Vaikan kids who were sent away get put in orphanages where they can be readopted or simply raised by the orphanage's AI systems. However, VR beings, if they aren't liked, get deleted.

Many families who are hesitant about raising a real child often do a trial run first to see if they like it. They get a virtual kid, then later convert it into a real one if they like it. Otherwise, they'll delete it. This is very reinforcing of the Vaikan mindset that fleshy beings are considered more real, but that's being challenged as of late. Some believe one shouldn't casually delete an AI.

The consequence has been a general disconnect and attachment to objects among many - coupled with suppressing emotions enforcing that further. However, familial love and attachment is seen in an entirely different light, a lifestyle that is recognized as livable, but with far more consequences to one's psyche.

Virtual worlds

What's remarkable is that VR companions have been extrapolated upon in terms of technology. Their artificial intelligence systems have been repurposed to be compatible with entire virtual reality simulations. They became entities that could cause these simulations to dynamically change in response to the user's input. As such, a VR could be passively watched like a film or it could be actively interacted with like a video game. The quality and level of detail varies between VR's, but the most realistic tend to be in public venues because of how expensive they are to create. Cheaper ones are much more portable and can be used at home. In either case, combining virtual companions with virtual environments provided the full, definitive experience for the user.

While these simulations started off being used for military training exercises, they also provide fully immersive virtual worlds to live within. They function through the transmission of waves to induce a dream-like state while additional sensors attached to one's body allow for one to feel as if they were in the world. Remarkably, this setup is highly adaptive to multiple species which made it very popular in other nations such as the UESS. The advent of instantaneous communication across the Galactic Senate only made these VR worlds more successful as not only could multiple species enjoy them, but also be connected with one another.

These virtual worlds come in many different styles. The majority of them are fantasy, fictional worlds designed in a way to clearly indicate that it is not a real world. Color palettes tend to be bright and vivid with larger-than-life elements. Ancient mythology and mythical creatures are commonly seen in many VR's as well as science fiction-themed settings with impossible, physics-breaking technology.

Many Dukes place heavy regulations on realistic VR's because of a dangerous side effect known as VR madness. There is a possible risk of an individual becoming so stooped into a VR that they lose track of what is real and what isn't. Upon returning to the real world, said individual might still believe they are in a VR and will begin to do reckless things, being consumed in a mindset of hostile nihilism and solipsism. While not officially imperial law, many Duke-run areas require an instantaneous way to leave a VR at any time to reduce the risk of VR madness.

Shortly following the Battle of Domum Regimen however, demand for historical-themed VR's came into play. In spite of the regulations, many pioneers opted to recreate many historical Eteno events and activities with painstaking detail to market to the new audience. These historical VR's helped with diplomatic efforts between the two nations led to a major economic boom.

Virtual reality and virtual companions have led to many subcultures in the Karalian Empire. As many citizens are apathetic about politics, popular culture and artistic achievements took center stage as one of the most important aspects of their lives. Some of these VR's have become so important to individuals that Dukes have had staged battles with one another over differing opinions on fictional works and over the best designed VR companions. These popular culture wars have similar levels of zeal as ancient religious battles of the past.

It is not uncommon for multiple people to interact in the same VR, though the individual ones still far outnumber them. VR companions have very much become a substitute for true interpersonal interaction for many. To be able to hold normal conversations with others and not stumble around awkwardly is considered resume-worthy skill. The companions are specifically tailor made and adaptive to helping a Vaikan with his or her troubles in day-to-day work, but with other people, this isn't necessarily the case making it more difficult to talk to them.

The immersiveness of the VR varies. The majority make a deliberate effort to not be confused with reality through the use of cartoonish or fantastic images, but all the sensations are there. For the most realistic VR's though, the best way to tell them apart from reality is to go to the particle level. The "atoms" of a VR world are much more optimized to run better for the sake of processing power than they are in the real world. Imperfections and inconsistencies are also handled differently in VR. The average person may not be able to spot them, but a physicist with a keen eye can tell the difference.

Citizens of the Karalian Empire generally do not see these VR's as just fictional getaways, but also ways of life. To many, these fictional worlds are just as real as the real world itself. Overall, the VR landscape has gone wild being put to a lot of uses in many places. The government has heavily struggled with enforcing regulations in regards to them just because of how broad it has become. As a result, many ethical questions still go unanswered, but that hasn't stopped people from trying to figure things out.

Anti-VR subcultures

A significant subculture existed that advocates the idea that VR's were stifling the ability to sustain social interaction. They rejected the notion of entering the virtual world and prefer to live only in the physical, material world. While these subcultures often preached the ethics against virtual realities, they were often frequently forced to use it themselves to remain safe during times of war and resource scarcities.

Dark Zone entertainment

In the Dark Zones, one may find the edgiest, most grotesque VR's there possibly could be. Pleasure simulators themed around sadism and taboo topics, VR's that promote defamation/racism, snuff films, as well as VR's that can actually kill the user upon performing certain actions. Say for example, a death match in a fantasy world, except if one were to die in the VR, the VR would actually kill the person by frying their brain with radiation.

Population

The Karalian Empire is home to a mix of different species. The most predominant are the Vaikan. Sizeable portions of Eteno, Drussiray and Garro make up a significant minority.

Religion

Main article: Jamzezism

Jamzezism is the most common religion in the Karalian Empire. It involves the worship of two dragon gods known as Krayhan and Morduin who embody order and chaos respectively. The two dragons are constantly at war in the Celestial Plane, but their combat is harmonic and dance-like. While they are constantly fighting, they sustain a balance between two extremes.

Jamzezist philosophy teaches that aspects of Krayhan and Morduin are found in the soul of every Vaikan. One must find a way to harmonize between order and chaos in order to achieve true enlightenment.

Language

Main article: Yallvus Talk

The main language of the Karalian Empire is a modern version of Yallvus Talk.

Technology

The Karalian Empire became major pioneers for artificial intelligence and virtual reality among the Second Galactic Senate.

Law enforcement

Self-trust system

If an outsider wishes to become a citizen, they must undergo a series of exams on etiquette, law and the empire's history. As long as they meet the criteria, they can become a citizen. They must also sign an agreement to abide by the mutual trust code. They are otherwise fairly lenient on background checks, prioritizing an individual's abilities and personality compatibility. It's a fresh-start friendly nation, but also a difficult one to get in to.

There are very few written laws in the Karalian Empire. A Code of Trust is in place where citizens are assumed to have certain responsibilities when it comes to being an orderly citizen. They are trusted to know how to act in a civil manner but would receive steep consequences if broken.

The self-trust system is very new having been established around the founding of the Karalian Empire 350 years before the Battle of Locubrermour. It manifested over time since the sterility plague. As Vaikan began cloning themselves more, they also started changing their physical and personal traits. Overtime, Vaikan became a lot more intelligent and a lot stronger, but the ethical question of whether they should be engineered to be obedient arose. Some tyrannical governments began to do that, but the Karalian Empire advertised itself as a sanctuary for the free-willed and intellectually gifted. The code of mutual trust is a reassurance of one's independence and ability to function by oneself. The Karalian Empire may not be completely free, but it managed to succeed in at least offering an illusion of freedom to help solve the ongoing identity crisis.

Essentially, their government is not necessarily built around complete efficiency of the system but to instead supposedly assure to its citizens that they have self-worth in the face of being a clone designed by someone else. As for the wrong person being in power, historically this happened with Rarsan stealing Karrel's throne when he contacted the UESS. Rarsan was planning to turn over the entire KE to the Buyuk's control because he believed the mutual trust system was a failure. He saw that Greenwater was surviving as the Buyuk's puppet state, but of course, all the freedoms they usually had were completely gone. The staged coup Karrel was about to have was very much on the verge of becoming a real one as bringing in UESS ships to his side might have been enough to provoke a civil war. Thankfully, things went a lot more smoothly and Karrel was able to just win with the staged coup.

Crime and punishment

Criminal cases are virtually non-existent as the fate of a criminal is often declared on the spot by a member of the Royal Watch in a matter of minutes. There is no guaranteed right to a trial or a right to remain silent as the cases are very utilitarian in nature. It operates under the assumption that the crime was committed out of free will and the criminal is willing to face the consequences. Only civil cases or certain criminal cases with enough ambiguity actually warrant being taken to a proper court where a committee of judiciaries and AI's decide on the best course of action.

Dark Zones

What makes criminal activity even more curious is that throughout the empire are designated "Dark Zones" where virtually any sort of petty crimes from burglary to arson are legal. The thought process is that these Dark Zones act as a catharsis factor to limit crime to specific areas to balance out the power of the police and judges. These Dark Zones are gated with barriers and armed guards so that aimless citizens do not wander into them by accident. While these Dark Zones are said to be total anarchy on paper, the government also authorized paid raids on the part of paramilitary organizations to invade gang hideouts and shut down smuggling operations.

Common citizens can freely travel in and out of the Dark Zones but are warned of the risks prior to entry. Sometimes, poorer families do scavenging runs into them to collect resources. Those in the middle of a violent confrontation are not allowed to leave a Dark Zone until the dust has settled. Exports into Dark Zones are allowed, but all imports must be rigorously checked, hence the heavily guarded barriers.

Dark Zones mostly get marked off because they are not gentrified, or they encompass unexplored territories. They exist the way they do primarily because the KE hasn't had time or resources to actually settle these wilderness areas, so the most they could hope for was to set up guidelines and warnings. After all, the KE is sorting through many ancient Vaikan ruins that it has had no jurisdiction over. Overtime, it started to become gamified and accepted as natural lifestyle. It adds an extra level of thrill for the criminals. Sometimes, a lurer might kidnap people to take them to the Dark Zones to do whatever they please. Of course, because they technically kidnapped, the police may be on the hunt for them.

Military

Main article: Military forces of the Karalian Empire

Species

Systems

The Karalian Empire was mainly split across three areas, the Twin Hearts Nebula, the Krizael Expanse and the Greenwater Nebula. Most of the systems that they owned in the Greenwater Nebula would be ceded to the Confederacy of Greenwater.

The Karalians would usually name their planets and stars after one of the following: lesser known gods across their various religions, famous historical figures, and famous legends. Occasionally, some planets are simple descriptions rather than names. For example, Frossentmaan means "frost moon".

Twin Hearts Nebula

Krizael Expanse

Greenwater Nebula

Border systems


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