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[[File:Emp.jpg|thumb|320px]] |
[[File:Emp.jpg|thumb|320px]] |
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| − | The successor state to the [[Earth Federation]] after the [[Caal Invasion|Caal invasion]] and the [[Ascension War]]. |
+ | The successor state to the [[Earth Federation]] after the [[Caal Invasion|Caal invasion]] and the [[Ascension War]]. Although it makes extensive use of imperial and aristocratic styles, the Holy Terran Empire functions as a confederation of systems with their own independent governments, called the [[Houses]]. They are united by the personal rule of Emperor [[Vin Dane]], who derives power from the [[Imperial Navy]]'s control of [[Hyperspace|hyperspace]] trade routes. |
==Birth== |
==Birth== |
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| − | The [[Caal]] fleet was defeated at the [[Battle of Avalon]] in 2264 thanks to Vin Dane's use of the [[The Orb|Orb]]. |
+ | The [[Caal]] fleet was defeated at the [[Battle of Avalon]] in 2264 thanks to Vin Dane's use of the [[The Orb|Orb]]. With [[Arthur Clarke|Clarke]] dead and the Grand Council in disarray, Vin Dane seized the reigns of government for himself. At the urging of the doomsday [[Cult of the Emperor|cult]] which had formed in response to the Caal threat, Vin Dane took the title of Emperor while priests began to promote his worship as a god. At first, the Emperor was cool to these claims of divinity, and it was only the cultists who insisted upon adding 'Holy' to the Terran Emperor's official title. |
==The [[Ascension War]]== |
==The [[Ascension War]]== |
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===Initial Scramble=== |
===Initial Scramble=== |
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| − | Vin Dane moved quickly to secure his authority on as many former Federation worlds as possible. |
+ | Vin Dane moved quickly to secure his authority on as many former Federation worlds as possible. He married [[Miranda Mayfield]], making her Empress, elevated his friend [[Demar Palancia]] to Field Marshall of the [[Imperial Army]], hastily assembled from loyal elements of the old [[Tech Infantry]] and [[Light Infantry]]. The former Earth Federation Minister of Production, [[Amanda Kait]] was appointed Imperial Chancellor to lead the [[Imperial Bureaucracy]]. The [[Horadrim|Horadrim Empire]] also swiftly declared its support for Dane, eager to have one of its own in direct charge of its alliance with Humanity. |
| − | Despite these maneuvers, the Emperor could not stop the old Federation from fracturing into several competing factions. |
+ | Despite these maneuvers, the Emperor could not stop the old Federation from fracturing into several competing factions. His manipulative former [[Raptors|Raptor]] colleague, [[Andrea Treschi]], managed to form the [[Terran Republic]] out of various [[The Resistance|Resistance]] cells and the bulk of [[Tech Infantry]] forces deployed against the [[Arachnid|Bugs]]. At the same time, most of [[Earth Fleet]]'s surviving mobile forces remained loyal to a rump Federation led by Admiral [[Joseph Smythe]]. Finally, the fugitive Senator [[Aisha Ramirez]] managed to secure control of [[Ministry of Public Safety|several systems]] using her [[Light Infantry]] gendarmes. Squeezed on three fronts, the Empire seemed to be headed for an early grave. |
| + | ===Last Tyrant Standing=== |
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| + | With few other options, the Emperor played for time, drawing most of his fleet back to defensive positions around [[Avalon]], [[Earth]], and [[New Paris]]. The gamble paid off. While his enemies nibbled at the Imperial fringe, the other Human factions began to succumb to war fatigue and internal divisions. Treschi's Republic collapsed first. Riven by defections, the Imperial Navy launched a blitzkrieg attack that penetrated deep into Republican space with almost no opposition. |
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| + | Smythe's Federation proved more resilient, and seemed to have a chance at genuine victory after signing an accord with Ramirez's Ministry, uniting the two states. But Earth Fleet had been worn down by attrition in battles with the Jurvain, Bugs, and Empire, and had limited support facilities to make up their losses. Eventually, Admiral Smythe resorted to desperate measures: an alliance with the [[Sabbat]] to covertly assassinate Vin Dane on Avalon. |
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| − | ==Season 9 background== |
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| − | ===Official History=== |
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| + | ===The Last Battle=== |
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| − | After the [[Battle of Avalon (2264)|Battle of Avalon]] and the destruction of the Ares Battle Group (and most of the Home Fleet), Vin returned to the planet in triumph. Thousands flooded to the capital city and worshipped Dane as a god. The [[Earth Federation#Government|Grand Council had]] already ceded control to him, and with them, what was left of the Federation bureaucracy. He formally dissolved the [[Earth Federation]]. Although there was some talk of establishing a new democracy, the growing crowds demanded their god be given absolute authority. In order to avoid further bloodshed, Vin took the crown and folded the bureaucracy into a new government. |
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| − | Not everyone accepted Vin's soverignity, which led to the unfortunate loss of life in the [[Ascension War]]. After many months of bitter fighting, the Fed's last ditch gamble at the [[Round Table]] failed, allowing for the restoration of power under the Empire's firm, but gentle hand. |
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| + | The war concluded with the Battle of the [[Round Table]], Avalon's primary spaceport. Stripped of his [[Magick|magick]] in an earlier assassination attempt, a weakened Vin Dane was attacked while broadcasting from his bunker. The Federation and Sabbat assault team managed to break through heavy resistance by the [[Imperial Bodyguard]] and kill Demar Palancia. But despite despite infecting the Emperor with a [[Soul Web]]-destroying nanovirus engineered by the [[K'Nes]], the assault failed just short of its goal. |
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| − | ===Actual History=== |
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| + | In the aftermath, it was clear that the Empire's rise was unstoppable. Admiral Smythe committed suicide, and [[Herbert Gergenstein]] convinced the reamining Federation worlds to surrender to the Empire rather than suffer conquest. |
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| − | Vin had no intention of relinquishing power. With [[The Orb|the Orb]], he saw an opportunity to restore the [[Horadrim ]]to prominence, and correct the atrocities of the Federation. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been as easy as he had hoped. Although he has absolute power on Avalon, what’s left of the Home Fleet is not enough to impose his will on the universe. He had to bribe the other system governors to join his empire – creating a quasi-feudal system of [[Houses|''houses'']], granting the governors absolute control of their systems, in exchange for any military equipment and units they possessed. |
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| − | The Fed's superior equipment meant that the Empire had to fight a war of attrition, hoping to wear down the [[Earth Fleet]] until they could they could build up a fleet and army of their own. Realizing that the attrition was soon to overtake them, Smythe allied with the Sabbat for a joint assault to kill Vin Dane, resulting in the Battle of the [[Round Table]]. Vin emerged alive, although most of his entourage had not, and made a deal with [[Herbert Gergenstein|Gergenstein]] to kill [[Joesph Smythe|Smythe]], disband the Federation, and establish peace. |
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| + | ==Purges and Consolidation== |
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| − | ===Officials=== |
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| + | Unknown to most, the real Vin Dane did indeed perish at the Round Table. A [[Scyr|deranged Caal]] had seized control of the Orb and used it to murder and then impersonate the Emperor. After killing the Empress and securing his position, the fraudulent Emperor began eliminating everyone who had ever known Vin Dane personally, ensuring that none would grow suspicious of his altered behavior. |
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| − | Empress [[Miranda Mayfield|Miranda ]](Mage) was responsible for the Imperial Household, but since that’s a small staff, she was also in charge of their R&D program. Unfortunately, that mostly involves searching secret Fed archives for anything useful. [[Demar Palancia|Field Marshal Demar Palancia]] (Werewolf) was the CnC of the [[Imperial Army]], which is made up of both former Tech and [[Light Infantry ]]volunteers. Unfortunately, both were killed at the Round Table. [[Amanda Kait]] (Human) remains the Lady High Chancellor, which is the head of the Imperial Bureaucracy; since she was the former Minister of Production, she’s perfectly qualified. |
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| + | The most dramatic reform of the Emperor's rule has been the imposition of an Imperial monopoly over interstellar trade. Since the end of the civil war, the Imperial Navy has been slowly dismantling [[Jumpgate|jumpgates]] and hyperspace beacons, cutting off travel along all but a limited number of routes controlled by the Navy. This has given the Emperor a degree of power over the Empire that even [[Arthur Clarke|Clarke]] did not approach with the [[Five Acts]]. Rebellious systems may be completely cut off from trade and resupply, allowing their economies to wither and their populations to starve until loyalty to the Emperor is reaffirmed, usually after a system is conquered by an opportunistic warlord with dreams of founding his own [[Houses|House]]. The Empire's economy has suffered tremendously from this policy, and the Imperial Navy is stretched thin to maintain its blockade. But the Emperor has deemed this a worthwhile price to pay in return for wielding iron control over his subjects. |
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==Behind the Scenes== |
==Behind the Scenes== |
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Revision as of 04:15, 7 August 2013
The successor state to the Earth Federation after the Caal invasion and the Ascension War. Although it makes extensive use of imperial and aristocratic styles, the Holy Terran Empire functions as a confederation of systems with their own independent governments, called the Houses. They are united by the personal rule of Emperor Vin Dane, who derives power from the Imperial Navy's control of hyperspace trade routes.
Birth
The Caal fleet was defeated at the Battle of Avalon in 2264 thanks to Vin Dane's use of the Orb. With Clarke dead and the Grand Council in disarray, Vin Dane seized the reigns of government for himself. At the urging of the doomsday cult which had formed in response to the Caal threat, Vin Dane took the title of Emperor while priests began to promote his worship as a god. At first, the Emperor was cool to these claims of divinity, and it was only the cultists who insisted upon adding 'Holy' to the Terran Emperor's official title.
The Ascension War
Initial Scramble
Vin Dane moved quickly to secure his authority on as many former Federation worlds as possible. He married Miranda Mayfield, making her Empress, elevated his friend Demar Palancia to Field Marshall of the Imperial Army, hastily assembled from loyal elements of the old Tech Infantry and Light Infantry. The former Earth Federation Minister of Production, Amanda Kait was appointed Imperial Chancellor to lead the Imperial Bureaucracy. The Horadrim Empire also swiftly declared its support for Dane, eager to have one of its own in direct charge of its alliance with Humanity.
Despite these maneuvers, the Emperor could not stop the old Federation from fracturing into several competing factions. His manipulative former Raptor colleague, Andrea Treschi, managed to form the Terran Republic out of various Resistance cells and the bulk of Tech Infantry forces deployed against the Bugs. At the same time, most of Earth Fleet's surviving mobile forces remained loyal to a rump Federation led by Admiral Joseph Smythe. Finally, the fugitive Senator Aisha Ramirez managed to secure control of several systems using her Light Infantry gendarmes. Squeezed on three fronts, the Empire seemed to be headed for an early grave.
Last Tyrant Standing
With few other options, the Emperor played for time, drawing most of his fleet back to defensive positions around Avalon, Earth, and New Paris. The gamble paid off. While his enemies nibbled at the Imperial fringe, the other Human factions began to succumb to war fatigue and internal divisions. Treschi's Republic collapsed first. Riven by defections, the Imperial Navy launched a blitzkrieg attack that penetrated deep into Republican space with almost no opposition.
Smythe's Federation proved more resilient, and seemed to have a chance at genuine victory after signing an accord with Ramirez's Ministry, uniting the two states. But Earth Fleet had been worn down by attrition in battles with the Jurvain, Bugs, and Empire, and had limited support facilities to make up their losses. Eventually, Admiral Smythe resorted to desperate measures: an alliance with the Sabbat to covertly assassinate Vin Dane on Avalon.
The Last Battle
The war concluded with the Battle of the Round Table, Avalon's primary spaceport. Stripped of his magick in an earlier assassination attempt, a weakened Vin Dane was attacked while broadcasting from his bunker. The Federation and Sabbat assault team managed to break through heavy resistance by the Imperial Bodyguard and kill Demar Palancia. But despite despite infecting the Emperor with a Soul Web-destroying nanovirus engineered by the K'Nes, the assault failed just short of its goal.
In the aftermath, it was clear that the Empire's rise was unstoppable. Admiral Smythe committed suicide, and Herbert Gergenstein convinced the reamining Federation worlds to surrender to the Empire rather than suffer conquest.
Purges and Consolidation
Unknown to most, the real Vin Dane did indeed perish at the Round Table. A deranged Caal had seized control of the Orb and used it to murder and then impersonate the Emperor. After killing the Empress and securing his position, the fraudulent Emperor began eliminating everyone who had ever known Vin Dane personally, ensuring that none would grow suspicious of his altered behavior.
The most dramatic reform of the Emperor's rule has been the imposition of an Imperial monopoly over interstellar trade. Since the end of the civil war, the Imperial Navy has been slowly dismantling jumpgates and hyperspace beacons, cutting off travel along all but a limited number of routes controlled by the Navy. This has given the Emperor a degree of power over the Empire that even Clarke did not approach with the Five Acts. Rebellious systems may be completely cut off from trade and resupply, allowing their economies to wither and their populations to starve until loyalty to the Emperor is reaffirmed, usually after a system is conquered by an opportunistic warlord with dreams of founding his own House. The Empire's economy has suffered tremendously from this policy, and the Imperial Navy is stretched thin to maintain its blockade. But the Emperor has deemed this a worthwhile price to pay in return for wielding iron control over his subjects.
Behind the Scenes
Holy Terran Empire is based off of Frank Herbert's Dune series and the Padashah Emperor, as well as being a play on the term "Holy Roman Empire" in history. The characters involved are taken from the TI novella, "Prayer for the Technocrats."