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Overview: |
The Elessar Republic, located in G Sector, has been a star-faring organization for nearly five centuries now; expanding, growing, and evolving from a autocratic monarchy, to an enlightened representative state.
The Elessar have a unique position and talent -- they are the bridge-builders, the peace-makers in their area of space. In foreign policy they have been summoned to end wars and forge peace, to halt bitter rivalries and to bring about lasting friendships. Having outgrown their totalitarian background, they have evolved first into a semi-democratic system (though some still label it as corrupt, and perhaps rightly so). They are deeply based in their rich tradition and culture that it dominates their political and social identity; it also provides both a sense of stability and an Achilles Heel. Half a century ago they found themselves in a war for their survival against a seemingly undefeatable enemy, and they emerged victorious. Now they continue their expansion, colonizing worlds, establishing new treaties and trade-routes, continuing what they believe to be their manifest destiny. |
Navigation:CoLC Index |
Index:Q-dex / Technology / Magic
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Q-dex: |
T758.4538/112.075OM325.3422/335.69 |
Technology: |
The Elessar Republic is heavily industrialized, and their progress over the last two centuries in terms of industrialization and economic revolution has been stunning. However, the Elessar see wealth and scientific advancement as a means to an end -- not an end in itself. Science improves the quality of life and allows for greater luxury and freedom, wealth and resources allow for the use of those discoveries. The Elessar have come to use crystal based technology heavily -- having passed beyond the Fusion Era. Due to their contact with the Omnet, they have been introduced to Synthetic Minds, which have proven invaluable to their society.
The replication technology, of the Elessar, is used sparingly and is still fairly crude at this point. The Republic works wonders with starship drives, and Elessarian ships are well known for their maneuverability and speed. Currently, both the government and the larger Guilds are searching, trying to discover how to create their own stable wormholes which could, in theory, speed interstellar travel immensely and greatly aid in new colonization efforts. Furthermore, it is said that once this technology is fully mastered, Emperor Illuvis will unveil his plans for a complete wormhole network that will connect all colonies within the Republic to each other. |
Magic: |
Magic within the Elessar has always been viewed with some skepticism, and perhaps even a bit of fear. Traditionally only the nobility have the talent to use magic to any great extent, and even then they fail to use it to its full potential. In the Elessarian Court it has become little more than a means of amusement, a small bauble that serves for entertainment at the various parties and festivals at the Sun Palace. But there is also the flip side of the coin, the Rhite.
In the reign of Laris IX, the Decree of Talance allowed those Elessarian nobles possessing strong talent in the magical arts to study and learn with the mysterious and enigmatic Rhite Sorcerers. The Rhite, a leftover Alshain colony, have devoted themselves to the study and practice of all magical arts, and welcome all those with the Gift. Those who return from the Rhite as full Sorcerers earn the respect and fear of those within the Republic -- they are a force to be reckoned with. |
Size: |
The Elessar Republic has grown at a steady rate over the centuries after the Seventy Years War. It now comprises twelve star systems: Elessar Prime, Anduvan, Tiran, Syrul, and Tenadra, Caeraden, Illithia, Ondar, Selestia, Garinis, Calis, and Hegemon. Through careful and methodical terraforming, all of these systems now have multiple planets that can support carbon based life, specifically designed and fitted to sustain citizens of the Republic. Each system has a Star Fortress, designed for ruling and visiting Elessarian gentry. The Fortresses are both utilitarian and lavish, designed for military purpose and service to the aristocracy. |
Population: |
The Elessarian population is estimated at some 70 billion citizens. |
Climate and Geography: |
Main Colonies of the Republic:
Elessar Prime -- Once a standard Terran world, since the rise of the Republic it has been lovingly crafted and terraformed into a near paradise, entire mountain ranges have been laid waste and new ones risen up; all for aesthetic pleasure. Anduvan IV -- Small, prone to colder winters (though with the newly installed weather controlling devices this will cease to be the problem that it was). Tiran VI -- A hollowed out moon of a dead planet, Tiran has been hollowed out and the inside terraformed into a climate supporting human life. Syrrul III -- A gas giant, abundant in resources, scattered Elessarian domed sky-cities have been placed throughout the deadly atmosphere, its central population existing in a space station orbiting the planet. Tenadra II -- A planet with few oceans, and mostly desert -- prone to extreme dry heat, its major problem being a lack of water. Cities have removable domes in the case of the frequent and violent sandstorms. Currently in the process of being terraformed. Caeraden IV -- A small terran planet, mainly agricultural in nature, five continents, 57% water. Illithia -- Terraformed planet, terran in nature, temperate climate. Ondar -- Ocean planet, colonies exist in dome cities on the ocean floor. Garinis XI -- A world of steel and metal, heavily industrialized and highly polluted due to the fact that its ruling family, House Drakhal, has little or no sense of responsibility to its environment. |
Flora and Fauna: |
The Flora and Fauna of the Elessarian Republic is far too diverse to be listed in this report, it contains a plethora of animals and plants from the exotic to the mundane. |
History: |
First Age (2257-2571): The Dark Years to the Birth of the Republic
It was a time of strife for the backwards civilization of Elessar. Nobles contested for power, cities were laid waste as armored units rolled across beautiful marble cities and lush farmlands. Lords who cared little for the people they ruled taxed extensively and ruled ruthlessly. Conflict grew, alliances were formed, and before long alliances developed yet stronger ties, groups of Houses formed the first nations. The outcome was that instead of Houses fighting individually, groups of Houses fought, and the destruction increased exponentially. The written records of this period are scattered and few; this period in Elessarian History is aptly named The Dark Years. What little is known is that almost all the nations of the world became embroiled in conflict. One man, by the name of Artanis Padan -- a man of exceptional charisma and political savvy -- united most of the Houses either by political maneuvering or by outright conquest (the tale of Artanis and his rise to power is chronicled in The Rise of Artanis Padan, a historical classic). He was crowned the first Emperor of the Elessar in the year 2257 at the city of Alasan. But no man can rule a single world, and Artanis knew this all to well. Padan needed the nobles support, and thus Artanis created the Sentanin, a council of the nobles that would have the ability to pass and create laws. The Emperor, would be able to pass edicts and over-rule the Sentanin, but he would only intervene when absolutely necessary. This was not the case during the Padan reign though, as Artanis proved himself to be a strong force for centralized monarchy. Second Age (2572-2733): Expansion and Empire It was during the reign of House Padan, Artanis and his descendants, that the first FTL drive was invented by Elani Tendarin in 2572. This was the discovery that shook the world, and began a rapid expansion into the solar system ... and beyond. The first colonies were lunar, and a slow but methodical plan of terraformation was instated, while temporary dome cities were constructed. Millions left the overpopulated Elessar Prime in search of a new life. The first outer-solar colony was established on Anduvan IV, a class M world luckily suited to human life and requiring very little adjustment. Anduvan IV was granted as an Imperial boon to House Elyth, setting a precedent for colonies becoming feudal lands for the various noble families. Over the next decades, more and more colonies were planted throughout the space surrounding the rapidly expanding Republic, but it was also an age of internal Renaissance; an age of scholarship and artists, of poets and statesmen. The Library of Calthala was built on Syrul, and it became a central database for all Elessarian knowledge over the past millennia, with branches all over the Republic. With the introduction of more advanced technology, the common citizen became better educated and thus a more productive member of society. The Merchant Guilds established bases and routes on the colonies and productivity of the Republic sky-rocketed. It seemed as though the Elessarian Republic was destined for greatness, at least in its own eyes. Little did it know that it was as yet merely a speck in the eye of the greater galaxy. Third Age (2734-2953): Galactic Citizenship and the Seventy Years War In the year 2734, a ship of the EEF (Elessarian Exploration Force) made contact with an Omnet Ranger Ship. Needless to say that the discovery that the Elessar were not alone in the galaxy came as quite a shock. But the Sentanin took it in stride, welcoming contact with the greater galaxy. Becoming a member of the Omnet brought an overwhelming amount of information to the fingertips of the Republic, including massive amounts of information about the greater galaxy as a whole, and technological advancement unprecedented -- mainly in the forms of Synthetic Minds. Furthermore, Elessar began to make contact with its closer neighbors in the G sector, forming trade treaties and making overtures of friendship, exchanging ideas and concepts, sparking a revolution of thought within Elessar itself. It was a golden age for philosophy and science throughout the Republic. Indeed, the religion that had for some time been in a state of decay, Talism, found a rebirth within the Elessar. The Alshain Priests traveled throughout the worlds of the Republic, converting and preaching, bringing more and more into the fold. Indeed, it was the acceptance of this religion by the masses that led to one of the greatest conflicts in the history of the Republic. The Emperors looked with some concern on the growing Talism movement. His Majesty Emperor Duran V was quite correct when he stated that This new faith that has found its roots in the peasants of the Republic will be a thorn in my side. With its call for increased individuality and little or no centralized authority, its philosophical precepts proposed a great problem for would-be autocrats. And thus it was quite natural that many of the nobles, seeing in those ideas a way to gain more power for individual lords and the decline of the monarchy as the true power of the Republic, converted to Talism themselves. Slowly the Republic was being divided, and in the reign of Durans son, Ensin III, that the Edict of Yil was passed, officially banning Talism within the Republic. In response to this, the Holy Confederation was formed, a collection of nobles Houses that proceeded to make war with House Padan. The Sentanin was disbanded, and civil war ensued. It was perhaps the greatest blood bath that the Republic had seen since its pre-FTL history. In what came to be known as the Seventy Years War, the families loyal to the Padan line and the Monarchists made war with the Confederation for the fate of the Republic. This however, was not merely a clashing of armies. Men and women fought in the streets, and the nation tore itself apart in war for so long that in the end, it no longer knew what it was fighting for. An Elessarian scholar, Yin Makel, once said that in war, there were no winners. Perhaps it is reasonable to say that in civil war, this is doubly so. And thus the common man watched as noble and Emperor killed thousands, fighting over a religion that neither believed in, but both saw as a weapon instead of an instrument of faith. A massive movement for democracy took place within the Republic. The leader of this movement was a farmer on Illithia, by the name of Ahladan, who organized an amazingly effective political campaign for equal representation. Perhaps there has been no greater diplomat than Ahladan in all Elessarian history, for who else has had the sheer charisma and force of presence to bring both the Confederation and the Emperor into the same chamber, much less force them to an agreement. The Peace of Illithia in the year 2952 marked the end of the Seventy Years War, and a new age in the Republic. In a bizarre but effective compromise, all sides were allowed concessions. Both commoner and noble alike could practice Talism to the extent that they wished, but in return, the Emperor was given the title Defender of the Faith, and was made the head of that Elessarian Talism. The Sentanin was restored, and the Holy Confederation disbanded. However, along with the Sentanin, a new council was created. The Pashadin, a council of elected citizens, would convene along side the nobles, and under the new Charter of the Republic, they were given power that outweighed both the monarchy and the nobility. After ten years of bitter struggle, the people had emerged as the true victors, and stability returned to the Republic -- for a while. Fourth Age (2954- ): Galactic Statesmanship, the Great War, Present Day Elessar, with its new democratic system, began giving more and more luxuries and rights to its people, as the Sentanin lost more and more direct power. Along side a local lord there was an elected Planetary Council, etc .... And Elessar continued its expansion, not just physically, but its influence and people spread throughout their sector of the galaxy. Soon the Elessar became known as the peacemakers, the great diplomats, charismatic and level-headed. Ties strengthened, and bonds were forged. And they were going to need them. For in the year 3221, Elessar became embroiled in its first non-civil war. There was an area just beyond the Elessar borders that EEP had tried to explore more than once -- ships entering never returned -- and it was heard that Omnet itself had similar difficulties with little or no explanation. They soon discovered why. They came without warning, or provocation. Warships from perhaps a dozen different races, none of them catalogued by Omnet, each of them fighting furiously with an almost religious frenzy. Reports of similar attacks throughout neighboring territories abounded. Elessar, caught off guard, lost several military outposts in Ondar and the shipyards in Caeraden. After two months of unrelenting assaults, the Elessar received a message from deep space. We are the Shadakar Imperium. You have sampled our might. You have two options as of now. You may surrender, your culture and people will remain intact, as long as you agree to the tithe we demand and agree to give us control of your military in times of war. The second choice is your eradication. After some preliminary negotiation, the Elessar discovered what the tithe to the Shadakar truly was. Every year a percentage -- though extremely small -- of the population would be sent to the Shadakar, so that their Essence may be harnessed into Mana as an energy source. It seemed as though the races they had been fighting these past months had been yet other races already conquered and devoted to the Shadakar. The Elessar, seeing in those Subjugated Races a glimpse of their own future if they surrendered, were unwilling to sacrifice their newly acquired freedom to an alien power. And so the Elessar began talking with other races in their area of space, making treaties, organizing what would eventually become the Alliance of Light. Vadekites, Alaye, Andrukan and Alshain alike joined together in a military alliance against the dread power that was the Shadakar Imperium. And so the Alliance became a unified front against the Imperium, and after five long years of war, which culminated in a battle directly outside Elessar Prime, where the Alliance of Light made its last stand. There they faced an actual Shadakar ship for the first time, and it nearly proved their downfall. Energy weapons were absolutely useless against it, and only by a sacrifice by the Lightbringer, the flagship of the Alliance fleet, ramming into the Shadakar battleship and thus destroying it, was the battle won. No more scatter attacks came, the scout bases along the Shadakar border reported only silence. The silence has lasted over 20 years. But the Alliance of Light still stands, dedicated to protecting the weaker races from the Shadakar onslaught, and to preserving the freedom of sentient beings throughout the G Sector. And the Elessar is the glue that holds the sometimes unlikely alliance together. Five years of bloody war takes its toll on any power, and the Elessar was no exception. The crystal spires of Elessar Prime had been scorched by the plasma fire of Sidaron weapons (one of the Shadakar Minion Races). Entire colonies had been wiped out, but war-time economy had spurred a large amount of economic growth that aided in recovery from what was being called The Great War. One of the Minor Houses at this time, House Drakhal, took advantage of the uneasy balance on which the Elessar supported itself. Through deft political maneuvering, extortion, bribery, and even more unsavory methods, Drakhal, under the leadership of Kalgan the Black, rose to a position of power in the Sentarin. After amassing a fortune for his family and creating his own empire within an empire, Kalgan died at the age of eighty, surrounded by his family. His youngest son, Thygar Drakhal, was named Lord in accordance with his fathers wishes. Thygar has proven himself to be as skilled as his father, if not more so, consolidating his power through ruthless means, reminiscent of the pre-FTL Elessarian nobles. His main opposition within the Sentarin is the aging Lord Tebron of House Denar. House Denar is one of the older and more respected families, possessing close ties to the Imperial Throne. Tebron, the Kingmaker, is perhaps the only man in Elessar who could match Thygar in power and wealth, and House Drakhal continues its undaunted rise, that may change as well. But as if trying to forget how nearly the Republic was wiped away, the rest of the nobility does its best to amuse and distract itself with lush balls, ballets, operas, and other means of enjoyment. Thus the Sentanin seems as a world apart, looking at the rest of the Republic as merely pieces on a board, the potential for more wealth and status. For now, internal struggles dominate Elessar, an ineffective Pashadin is tainted with Sentanin money, and a disturbing silence continues along the border of the Shadakar Imperium. |
Government: |
The Elessarian Republic has at its head an Emperor, Defender of the Faith, by the grace of the Light, who has absolute power -- but as a matter of custom never uses it. There is a bicameral legislature, the Sentanin (the nobility, organized in Houses) and the Pashadin (regular citizens). The Pashadin controls much of the day to day matters of the Republic, it is in charge of business as usual. The Sentanin was the ruling body before the Ahladan Amendment calling for representation of the masses, and since then the direct power of the Sentanin has declined. The nobles took this in stride, and began a new approach to consolidating their power. Thus the Sentanin has become more of a political battleground or sports arena for ambitious nobles. The intricate plotting and scheming goes towards gathering enough wealth and power and influence to buy members of the Pashadin, and thus to accumulate more in terms of wealth and power.
Elessar Prime, despite its noble statues and monuments, has become a homestead for cynicism and corruption, with the majority of the Republic having little or no say in the matter, only the illusion of influence. Foreign Policy:As was before mentioned, the Elessar Republic has become the bridge-builder of their area of space, the truly great diplomats of their era. During the Shadakar War, it was the Elessar Republic that organized the Alliance of Light and drove back the minions of the Shadakar. It is the glue that holds the alliance together this day, acting as a firm containment for the Shadakars aggressive tendencies. The Elessar are extremely open to trade of both goods and knowledge, and have developed trade treaties with numerous empires. Tourism is encouraged as it stimulates business, the acclaimed beauty of Elessar Prime having spread far and wide throughout the sector. Domestic Policy:During its early history, the Elessar Republic maintained a tight fist on the lower classes of society, it was an empire controlled by ambitious warlords and a power hungry aristocracy. After the establishment of the Pashadin, the lower and middle classes of Elessarian society began to assert themselves and their rights, creating a Renaissance in terms of individual freedom and expression. A more enlightened approach to governing began to come about. And while this Golden Age is beginning to come to an end due to the corruption and apathy of the Elessarian government, citizens for the most part enjoy a healthy amount of rights. The Elessarian Peace-keepers are in charge of what their name implies, keeping the peace. But whereas they used to be seen as the protectors of the weak and the persecuted, many believe that they now can be bought for the right price and that they often are, by unscrupulous nobles who wish their operations to go unnoticed by the authorities. However, for the most part they still keep their duties -- keeping the peace, and hopefully maintaining the rights of the people at the same time. However, Lord Thygar of House Drakhal, has been amassing his own private military/police force within his House, which he has entitled Shadow Walkers. Detractors of House Drakhal say that these Walkers are merely his own private secret police and assassination squad, however, it is interesting to note that crime has taken a considerable blow on most of the Drakhal influenced colonies. |
Society: |
Elessarian society is built on a system of paradoxes and inconstancies. There is free movement between the lower and middle classes of the Republic -- ones standing is based on pure capitalist merit and luck. Merchants are either freelance or belong to Merchant Guilds, which operate close to 20th Century Earth Corporations by now. Sometimes businessmen become extremely wealthy. However, even a member of the Pash, the Citizens, who comes to a place of incredible wealth are looked down upon by the nobility. However, it is within these classes that the morality and stoicism that made the early Republic so powerful still resides, as opposed to the increasingly decadent nobility.
The Great Houses of Elessar go back as far as the totalitarian government that first made its way to the stars. Since then the aristocracy, having lost much of its military power to the people, has gone into decline, internal bickering weakening its hold on the masses and on the republic itself. To the Houses there is only their obsession with The Game, the striving for power and influence, and with it wealth to buy off seats within the Pashadin, the Citizens Council which has gained more and more power. Now the noble families amuse themselves at the Court of the Sun Palace, weekly parties and balls are held by Emperor Illuvis, and nearly 20% of the national income is fed directly into Imperial Court. Despite the fact that most nobles simply wish to amuse themselves at recreational events, there are still those who feel the lust for power and the need to rule. Currently the two most powerful Houses in the Republic are House Denar, led by Lord Tebron; and House Drahkal, led by Lord Thygar. Most of the lesser Houses find themselves caught within the feuds between these two super-powers. The Elessar gentry posses a strict code of honor that they pay lip service to, but it is almost solely the various Orders of Star Knights who adhere to it. The morals of the nobility consist of extravagance in dress and gambling, passionate intrigues for prestige and place, all under the cloak of external refinement, elegant manners, and bright gaiety. What the Elessar do have a deep respect for is tradition and ritual -- it is a firmly rooted part of their society. Custom is almost as strong as law in some regards. Manners and etiquette are rigid and inflexible. Always polite and elegant, even when dealing with the harshest or crudest of subjects. They are an introspective people -- methodical, and rarely rash or hasty. Everything an Elessar does has a reason behind it, whether you see it or not. Family is incredibly important to the Elessar, it not only dictates social standing but also where ones loyalties lie. The Elessar can be reserved at times, but also incredibly warm, they have a large amount of charisma in them, as a race they are born leaders. Languages:The common Elessarian Citizen is most likely to use Eles Standard, although it is a mark of an educated man within the Republic to know at least a bit of Old Alshain, a homage to an Empire greatly admired by the Elessarian gentry for their past grandeur. Alshain is also the language of the clergy, as most masses are conducted in this outdated tongue whether or not the men or women listening can understand it. Religion:Religion has always been extremely vague in the early years of the Elessar Republic, it was always more inclined to philosophy than religion. Once contact was made with the declining Alshain Empire, the Talist Church began a crusade to convert this newfound power, and met with a great deal of success. Talism had its roots in the myth farther back than the recorded history of even the Alshain. Its belief is that Tal was an Avatar of the One-Lord sent down to heal the rift in the souls of men. Two forces are at work within the mind and soul, Light and Shadow. These two forces, when out of balance, drive man to the darkest depths, and it was Tals wish to restore this balance. The Book of Tal has been copied and recopied so many times that no one is quite sure if a word of it is accurate, but speak to any Talist and they will hold his works as dearly as his life. Under the Alshain and later the Elessar, Talism changed from a more philosophic text to a religious one, locked in mysticism, ceremony, and rigid dogma. The Talist Priests have much influence within the Republic, and are generally perceived as a class alone. Despite this growth in blind faith and the corruption and alteration of the Talist religion, it has always been the tenant of the Elessarians that the closest view of the enemy can be gleamed from a mirror. However, with the advent of the First Shadakar War, some men have come to believe that The Shadow may have a more physical manifestation, considering the fact that the Shadakar are so alien and also due to the fact that they appear as creatures of pure darkness. These preachers who often call for a jihad against the Shadakar are known as the Alkari; an Alshainian word for Defenders. And, while at the moment they have negligible support within the Elessar, there is a growing sense of uneasiness concerning religion. |
Economy: |
The physical standard for money is the Tenari which is a shard of crystal of the same name. But the need for use of physical trade of Tenari has long since expired, the Elessar Republic now has a system of credits and accounts backed up by Tenari.
Unfortunately, the class structure in terms of economics is fairly set in stone. The drive for stability has created a society in which each has his place. That means that movement between the upper, middle, and lower classes is not extremely common. Women and men have an equal place in the work environment within the lower and middle classes -- it is in upper class, the Houses, where the woman takes a second-place status; they are objects of status as much as anything else. There are several child-labor laws passed by the Pashadin, but the authorities have been willing to look over contractors in violation of such laws if the price is right. |
Military: |
It was under the remarkably far-sighted statesmanship of Duran V that the Elessar first created a standing, centralized army, instead of merely relying on the various nobles to contribute to a group effort. And since then, the Elessarian Armed Forces is one of the best trained, equipped, and disciplined military forces in their area of space. While not possessing great numbers, Elessarian Star Knights, the elite corps, in their warships or one-man fighters are regarded as one of the most formidable military forces in and beyond the sector.
Somewhere in the nature of 5% of the Elessarian population is currently enlisted in the military, they, in general, patrol the borders of Shadakar space and occasionally defend against raiders that have made a base of operations on the outskirts of Elessarian territory. The more elite sections of the military, the Star Knights, are controlled by the Sentanin, each of the nobles contributes Star Knights to the Elessar military, and it is by edicts of the Sentanin that the military is put to use. The Elessar Armed Forces, which consists of normal troops, is controlled by the Pashadin. The Elessarian navy strives for a balance in terms of size classes of ships. There are behemoths such as the Dragonslayers and then there are medium but never the less formidable ships such as the Scepters and then there are the individual Star Knight Fighters the Starblades. Each of these uses crystalline technology that produces a discharged plasma energy burst capable of rending apart the hull of a ship or severely damaging its shields. They are also equipped with several forms of projectile weapons, energy torpedoes and an array of missiles. For ground troops, armored units are mobile and sturdy, mechanized infantry is the norm. Soldiers are equipped with hand held energy weapons (Standard issue Deanese Plasma Discharger) for long range attacks and the Star Knights still use the Seranti, crystalline swords for hand to hand combat (though use of the Seranti is rare, only for ceremony and duels in modern era). |
Sports and Leisure: |
The Elessarian people have always regarded themselves as patrons of the arts. Under the court of the current Emperor, Illuvis IV, the Sun Palace currently employs over one thousand actors, musicians, sculptors and painters. Numerous academies have been founded over the last fifty years under the direction of the Imperial House and House Denar, the most prestigious being the Institute of Hylath on Ondar Prime. The Tendranian Theater is responsible for some of the greatest performances in the sector. Elessar has always had an affection for tragedies, there is the saying that In an Elessarian tragedy: everyone dies. In an Elessarian comedy: everyone dies, but they die happy.
The Elessarian fixation with beauty has left the Republic with stunning monuments in the forms of palaces, churches, statures, pictures, sculptures and the like that are scattered throughout the nation. In art, self-restraint, elegant expression, graceful movement, and polished form are the demands for any work, as they are the most admired aspects within the Republic. Or rather, within the nobility, for art has ceased to speak for the nation and instead speaks for a class, a state, and an emperor. One sees only one dimension of the Elessar within its current art, and that particular facet is the one on top, the aristocracy. In architecture the Elessar combine overbearing elegance and opulence with practicality and pragmatism in a stunning combination where nothing is as it seems. As far as music, the days of great composition seem to have come to an end in Elessar. The last great composer of the Elessar was Rakali, creating a magnificent opera entitled The Drakhal Cycle which chronicled the newest of the Great Houses rise to power. House Drakhal itself boycotted the work mainly due to the fact that Rakali left little untold about some of the unsavory methods used in court politics within the Sentarin. But since then, no great works have come to surface, the Elessar merely enjoy their rich history. No bold genius, simply variations on past themes. The Elessar have also had some magnificent writers in the past- the The Journeys of Jaden is one of the more recent works, an autobiographical novel detailing the exploits of an Elessarian Trader in the greater galaxy, journeying throughout the Alliance of Light, from the borders of the Shadakar Imperium to the far off Lights of Jael. Festivals are a regular occurrence at the upper levels of society, the Emperor, who exercises very little of his power, contents himself with throwing grand parties at the Sun Palace. Imperial Court has swelled to a mass of twenty-thousand nobles, servants, and artisans. And for the nobility, to be invited to Court is a passion, third only to food and sex. Holidays throughout the Republic include: Day of Kalan (Day of Rebirth), The Mid-cycle festival, and the Holiday of Ahladan. |
Major Population Centers: |
Elessar Prime has sometimes been referred to as The Jewel of the Republic. To a first time visitor it is breath-taking. A world-city, ivory arches and bridges like lace connecting glass towers that stretch to the very heights of the atmosphere, casting a shadow on glittering crystal domes that stand proud and majestic, bordered by sparkling iridescent columns made more for aesthetic pleasure than support. The greatest of the domes, Aemadan, is home to the two legislatures, the Pashadin and the Sentanin.
The Sun Palace is actually not even on Elessar Prime. It is a paradise of a space station orbiting the planet. Opulent and perhaps even gaudy -- a place of shine over substance, in many regards. It is here that the Emperor holds court, and it is here that the Great Houses maneuver for power and privilege within the Republic. |
Chronic Problems: |
The Elessar people find themselves in a position of power after passing through the fire, but of course many problems can still bring this growing empire to a crashing fall. Naturally, the internal bickering of House Denar and House Drakhal is a major source of conflict within the Elessar, quite a few dead bodies have turned up because of it, but no full scale House War has yet come to surface.
Emperor Illuvis is doing his best to calm matters between the two families, and has met with marginal success, as he is more interested in throwing parties than in healing old wounds. And of course, there is always the fear that most of the Elessar try to put out of their minds, the fear that the Shadakar may some day return, and the possibility of another Great War. |
Submission Information: |
Submitter's Name: Robert Duffey
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