The Dominion of The Polympian Empire
Structure
The Dominion of the Polympian Empire is officially an Absolute Monarchy, with unlimited power invested in the Imperial throne by divine right. Though due to the size of the Dominion, the individual planets of the empire can vary in how they are run, leading to a Mixed System of Feudal nature.
Although the power of the Imperial throne is absolute. At the imperial level, there exist several councils that functions to partially serve as main bodies of government. A Council Cabinet, an Imperial Diet made up of two chambers; The House of Lords and The House of Commons. Furthermore there is also a judicial system, headed by the Supreme Court of the Dominion, in place to judge on legal matters in accordance with imperial decree. Outside of the Councillory there are several Organisations that in theory report ultimately directly to the throne. though in practice this is often through one of the Councillors. at this level we find the intelligence agency; Imperial Clandestine Services (ICS), the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy, the Courier and Exploration agency; Imperial Scout Service (ISS), the religious authority; The Inquisition, the foreign relations administration; Imperial Diplomatic Service (IDS) and more. Although all these agencies are independent and can act as such, they often are quite intertwined in achieving the goals of the Imperial Throne and in carrying out the actions set out for them by the Throne.
Notable position on the Council Cabinet:
Lord General
Lord Inquisitor
Lord of the Treasury
Arch-exarch of Ecclesia Domini
Notable Lords:
Grand Duchess of Vektra
Viceroy of Hursan
The House of Commons is made up of members elected by the Citizens of the Dominion, from amongst the planets that are under civil rule. The House have an even number of seats and each elected member has their seat for a term of 6 years. The House of Commons forms legislative proposals through debates, with each proposal having to win a majority vote, before being passed up to The House of Lords. This is made a more arduous process due to the even number of total seats. The guiding principle being that as Commoners they are evenly represented and if they can´t form a majority proposal it's not something that holds common enough ground to be implemented across the dominion. it's not worth the Emperor's time. Members of the House of Commons benefit from certain privileges. Such as a monthly salary and immunity from certain laws.
Although the power of the Imperial throne is absolute. At the imperial level, there exist several councils that functions to partially serve as main bodies of government. A Council Cabinet, an Imperial Diet made up of two chambers; The House of Lords and The House of Commons. Furthermore there is also a judicial system, headed by the Supreme Court of the Dominion, in place to judge on legal matters in accordance with imperial decree. Outside of the Councillory there are several Organisations that in theory report ultimately directly to the throne. though in practice this is often through one of the Councillors. at this level we find the intelligence agency; Imperial Clandestine Services (ICS), the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy, the Courier and Exploration agency; Imperial Scout Service (ISS), the religious authority; The Inquisition, the foreign relations administration; Imperial Diplomatic Service (IDS) and more. Although all these agencies are independent and can act as such, they often are quite intertwined in achieving the goals of the Imperial Throne and in carrying out the actions set out for them by the Throne.
The Council Cabinet
The Imperial crown gets Council on the governance of the Dominion from a selection of Councillors, who have been selected by the Imperial crown from amongst the citizens of the Dominion. These Councillors form the The Council Cabinet. Though the Imperial crown can freely select any individual desired as a councillor, traditionally it primarily selects from among the members of the House of Commons and House of Lords, in the case of a councillor being selected from elsewhere, they are traditionally given a Noble title of Lord upon acceptance of the position. Members of the Council Cabinet serve the crown as councillors on the functions and matters of state as their primary function, though the invested power in each member can vary from just being an Adviser all the way to functioning as Minister for a department of state. Once selected for the cabinet, councillors will serve the crown until, dismissed, dead or self-retirement. The only way for a councillor to be dismissed is by decision from the imperial crown.Notable position on the Council Cabinet:
Lord General
Lord Inquisitor
Lord of the Treasury
Arch-exarch of Ecclesia Domini
Imperial Diet
The House of Lords is made up of the collective nobility of the dominion with every noble from the rank of lord and above being given a seat. Members in The House of Lords retain their seat until death unless stripped of noble rank. The house of Lords get to vote on all legislative proposals passed up from The House of Commons, as well as proposing their own law changes. Outside of its legislative functions the House of Lords also acts as a forum for the Nobility and Planetary leaders to discuss and strike deals both amongst each other and and between each member and the Throne.Notable Lords:
Grand Duchess of Vektra
Viceroy of Hursan
The House of Commons is made up of members elected by the Citizens of the Dominion, from amongst the planets that are under civil rule. The House have an even number of seats and each elected member has their seat for a term of 6 years. The House of Commons forms legislative proposals through debates, with each proposal having to win a majority vote, before being passed up to The House of Lords. This is made a more arduous process due to the even number of total seats. The guiding principle being that as Commoners they are evenly represented and if they can´t form a majority proposal it's not something that holds common enough ground to be implemented across the dominion. it's not worth the Emperor's time. Members of the House of Commons benefit from certain privileges. Such as a monthly salary and immunity from certain laws.
Planetary
The political leader of a world of the Dominion is known as a planetary governor or sometimes as an Imperial governor. Regardless of his or her specific title, a planetary governor is an individual with the authority to rule a world or even an entire star system in the name of the Imperial Crown. In theory, an Imperial governor is duty-bound to the Crown. In practice, though, he or she is a semi-autonomous ruler who can govern their planet, largely as they see fit, with only minimal interference from the other organs of the Empire. Planetary governors are usually referred to in Imperial feudal nomenclature as "lords" unless higher title is held, and depending on their world's political culture their position often becomes hereditary. Even though governors are given these extraordinary powers over a planet's population, they come at a price. The governor is a sworn vassal of the Dominion, and as such is required to always obey and submit to any requests from the throne.Culture
Dominion Culture is at its core a development of old high imperial and will vary to some extent from world to world. Though at the core of dominion Culture lies three values: God, Emperor, Fatherland
God, is the belief in and worship of The Lord. political authority is seen as being ultimately derived from Dominus, from whom it devolves through a pyramid of authorities. This has many effects on the day to day lives of the Dominion´s citizens, such as a heteronormative world view, unavoidable ecclesial Tithe, cultural and legal implications of what requirements constitutes a marriage versus a partnership. as the citizens of the dominion are plentiful, so is the weight and interpretations of this value. For some, there is only One true way to live, one true way to worship. while for others, it's merely a chalice of traditions that helps bind society together.
Emperor, is the undying loyalty to the emperor whom, by mythos, is the mortal descendant of The Lord. culturally it brings a high level of respect for authority and further reinforces the importance of the father figure. again with some variation in interpretation among the citizens of the empire. Though undeniable for all citizens the emperor holds supreme authority and his word is law.
Fatherland, is the importance and expected protection of one's place of origin. For some citizens fatherland is limited to the world they call home, while for others it's the Dominion in its entirety. One of the clearest ways this is expressed in Dominion culture is within the military, with its planetary recruitment and residence requirements of army regiments.
Among customs and traditions there are three holidays that are observed across the Dominion. Emperor day, Aurora Invictus and Festum Adventus. On top of these there are further festivals and holidays individual to the different worlds of the Dominion. examples of these are the "Glacial Song Festival" on Eos Prime, "Sanguine Moon night" on Hursan etc.
Emperor day, is a national holiday set on the current emperor's birthday. On this day the citizens of the empire celebrate the emperor's birthday and show pride in the empire. how individual citizens celebrate it will vary greatly, some will go to one of the many impressive formal activities and ceremonies held on this day, some will go to a military parade or to mass. others will party with friends and family, while others again may just enjoy a day off. On this day it is expected that all citizens possible are given time-off or a half day. To help entice this, it is mandatory by Imperial decree that anyone made to work on this day, should be paid double. For Emperor Day, the birthday is set off the Polympian Calendar year, and then the equivalent day is calculated for each Dominion world, so that it is as near as possible a simultaneous celebration.
Currently Emperor day, under the rule of Alexius VI, is the 7th day of the 9th month. While the next Emperor day under his son, the future Constantine III will be the 10th day of the 5th month.
Aurora Invictus is a national holiday week surrounding the summer solstice. during this week people gather with friends, family and local community to celebrate the longest day of the year. Signifying the longest time under the lords warming gaze, protected by his mighty justice, the coming of harvest, the warmth, love and fertility of summer. This is done through a series of various religious masses and feasts among loved ones. The centrepiece of the celebration is on the summer solstice itself. where people gather around communal bonfires and rejoice long into the night.
Festum Adventus is a national holiday week surrounding the winter solstice. During this week people gather with friends, family and the local community to celebrate the coming of the new year. This is often seen as a time of reflection, where lost loved ones are remembered, a time with hope and prayers for the new year. It's common for people to gather with their family for a feast in the time leading up to the winter solstice itself, with the celebrations culminating in large fireworks displays and rejoicement over the coming of the new year.
With Festum Adventus and Aurora Invictus celebrated around the solstice of the northern hemisphere, it is adapted according to the individual world's rotation. Thus the dates may vary from one world to another.
God, is the belief in and worship of The Lord. political authority is seen as being ultimately derived from Dominus, from whom it devolves through a pyramid of authorities. This has many effects on the day to day lives of the Dominion´s citizens, such as a heteronormative world view, unavoidable ecclesial Tithe, cultural and legal implications of what requirements constitutes a marriage versus a partnership. as the citizens of the dominion are plentiful, so is the weight and interpretations of this value. For some, there is only One true way to live, one true way to worship. while for others, it's merely a chalice of traditions that helps bind society together.
Emperor, is the undying loyalty to the emperor whom, by mythos, is the mortal descendant of The Lord. culturally it brings a high level of respect for authority and further reinforces the importance of the father figure. again with some variation in interpretation among the citizens of the empire. Though undeniable for all citizens the emperor holds supreme authority and his word is law.
Fatherland, is the importance and expected protection of one's place of origin. For some citizens fatherland is limited to the world they call home, while for others it's the Dominion in its entirety. One of the clearest ways this is expressed in Dominion culture is within the military, with its planetary recruitment and residence requirements of army regiments.
Among customs and traditions there are three holidays that are observed across the Dominion. Emperor day, Aurora Invictus and Festum Adventus. On top of these there are further festivals and holidays individual to the different worlds of the Dominion. examples of these are the "Glacial Song Festival" on Eos Prime, "Sanguine Moon night" on Hursan etc.
Emperor day, is a national holiday set on the current emperor's birthday. On this day the citizens of the empire celebrate the emperor's birthday and show pride in the empire. how individual citizens celebrate it will vary greatly, some will go to one of the many impressive formal activities and ceremonies held on this day, some will go to a military parade or to mass. others will party with friends and family, while others again may just enjoy a day off. On this day it is expected that all citizens possible are given time-off or a half day. To help entice this, it is mandatory by Imperial decree that anyone made to work on this day, should be paid double. For Emperor Day, the birthday is set off the Polympian Calendar year, and then the equivalent day is calculated for each Dominion world, so that it is as near as possible a simultaneous celebration.
Currently Emperor day, under the rule of Alexius VI, is the 7th day of the 9th month. While the next Emperor day under his son, the future Constantine III will be the 10th day of the 5th month.
Aurora Invictus is a national holiday week surrounding the summer solstice. during this week people gather with friends, family and local community to celebrate the longest day of the year. Signifying the longest time under the lords warming gaze, protected by his mighty justice, the coming of harvest, the warmth, love and fertility of summer. This is done through a series of various religious masses and feasts among loved ones. The centrepiece of the celebration is on the summer solstice itself. where people gather around communal bonfires and rejoice long into the night.
Festum Adventus is a national holiday week surrounding the winter solstice. During this week people gather with friends, family and the local community to celebrate the coming of the new year. This is often seen as a time of reflection, where lost loved ones are remembered, a time with hope and prayers for the new year. It's common for people to gather with their family for a feast in the time leading up to the winter solstice itself, with the celebrations culminating in large fireworks displays and rejoicement over the coming of the new year.
With Festum Adventus and Aurora Invictus celebrated around the solstice of the northern hemisphere, it is adapted according to the individual world's rotation. Thus the dates may vary from one world to another.
Territories
There are many Systems within dominion sovereign space, and all worlds of the Dominion exist in one of two states of administration; Feudal/Civil or Military. listed below are some notable worlds.
Polympus Prime The crown of Dominion worlds, home to the imperial palace, the Imperial Diet and the Supreme Court. the epicentre of political power within the empire.
Vektra Prime Cold-Temperate world under the administration of the Duchess of Vektra and home to the Mannerheim institute.
Hursan Prime Temperate world under the administration of the Viceroy of Hursan.
Kaas Prime Long term dominion wet world under civil administration, known for its infamous thunderstorms tropical fruits.
Helios Prime Mineral-rich world under military administration since its subjugation.
Eos Prime Idyllic ice world under civil administration
Apollo Prime Long term dominion temperate world under civil administration
Aurora Prime Gas Giant world under civil administration, famous for its cloud cities.
Polympus Prime The crown of Dominion worlds, home to the imperial palace, the Imperial Diet and the Supreme Court. the epicentre of political power within the empire.
Vektra Prime Cold-Temperate world under the administration of the Duchess of Vektra and home to the Mannerheim institute.
Hursan Prime Temperate world under the administration of the Viceroy of Hursan.
Kaas Prime Long term dominion wet world under civil administration, known for its infamous thunderstorms tropical fruits.
Helios Prime Mineral-rich world under military administration since its subjugation.
Eos Prime Idyllic ice world under civil administration
Apollo Prime Long term dominion temperate world under civil administration
Aurora Prime Gas Giant world under civil administration, famous for its cloud cities.
Military
The Imperial Military is organized into two branches of service, the Army and the Navy. in order to guarantee the defence of the Empire. all male citizens aged 18 can be subject to conscription, though its possible for any citizen to volunteer from age 16. To serve in the imperial military you need to be of eligible age, physically and mentally fit. The conscription term is 2 years, volunteers also sign an entry contact for 2 years. Due to the planetary residency requirement for service within imperial army regiments. resulting in, on worlds with high numbers of volunteers, very few citizens would be subject to conscription if the regiments are getting sufficient numbers. though citizens may still be conscripted to the navy, since there are no planetary residence requirements. After the first 2 years most citizens would be offered a standard 5-year service contract, if they want to continue their military career.
The Combat formations of the imperial army are organized around a planetary regimental system, with 2 types of regiments, Infantry and Cavalry. each regiment being numbered according to what order of battle they are in, for their regimental type, on their home world. meaning you could have 1st infantry, 2nd infantry, 1st Cavalry, 3rd Infantry, etc. on one world, but a different combination on any other world in the Dominion. to avoid potential confusion in large scale military operations, the home world is always included in the name. e.g. 1st Polympian Infantry, 4th Vektran Cavalry, 1st Kassian Infantry etc.
Regiments are the smallest deployable conventional formation the army uses. Each regiment is made up of 4-6 Battalions, with each Battalion made up of 4-5 Companies and each Company is made up of 4-5 Platoons. At the higher level Regiments can either be temporarily task organized, with components from different regiments, into Regimental Combat Teams. though more often they would be operating in coordination with other regiments from within a more permanent Brigade or Division.
On entry into the imperial army a soldier is known as a recruit, after having completed the 12 weeks of basic training they will be referred to as private or soldier. after a satisfactory combined first year of service they will become known as Guardsman (Gdsm.) and thusly be allowed to carry the rank badge. This results in many regiments having an annual exercise, often known as "The Guardsman '' or "The Guard" where on the completion of the exercise they hold a ceremony elevating the new soldiers of the regiment to guardsmen. If a soldier decides to continue serving and performs well enough to be able to seek advancement they can become Lance Corporal (L.Cpl.) after having passed a NCO course. After a few years leading a team of their squad as L.Cpl., the chance to advance may come again. After having passed another NCO course, they may be promoted to Corporal (Cpl.). after having led a squad as Cpl. for a few years a soldier seeking advancement will have to decide if they want to seek to become an officer, or continue advancement through the senior NCO ranks. if NCO ranks is continued they could get promoted to Sergeant (Sgt.) after having passed a senior non-commissioned officer course. they may now find themselves leading a section within a platoon or advising a platoon commander as deputy. with experience and training mastery they could ultimately end up becoming First Sergeant (1stSgt.) or Sergeant Majors (Sgt.Maj.) at Company or Battalion level respectively.
If the Officer path is sought after, its required to attend one of the several Imperial Army Officer Academies. one can either apply with a university degree background, or if already serving, as Corporal in the Army. If accepted into an academy a potential officer will get the rank of Cadet. upon graduation promotion to Lieutenant (Lt.) would follow and they will now typically find themselves as platoon commanders. after a few years of satisfactory service they may be promoted to First Lieutenant (1Lt.) signifying their experience they could potentially be entrusted as deputy to the company commander, or leading a speciality platoon. If further advancement is sought after it will require years of satisfactory service and advancing their education through an Officer´s Academy for each further rank. which could lead to becoming Captain (Capt.); leading a Company sized element, Major (Maj.); leading a Battalion and in the end Colonel (Col.); leading a regiment. If a soldier has made it this far and is yet to reach his retirement age, he potentially could continue his advancement into the General ranks, which requires a final visit to a Officers academy in order to pass their General Officers education. upon which promotion to Brigadier General (Brig.) follows, and it's now up to the soldiers experience, achievements and skill at military politicking if they will get promoted further.
Special Forces
The special forces of the Dominion is First Encounter Assault Recon, or simply FEAR. soldiers of this "regiment" are highly trained and motivated specialists in counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, direct action, and special reconnaissance. They are also used to train indigenous forces on non-dominion worlds in vital military skills. They can be deployed in or out of uniform, depending on the needs of the operation or campaign. and as such is tasked with performing the most complex, covert, and dangerous missions, often against high value targets. The starting rank for any FEAR soldier is Sergeant, so If a soldier manages to pass the selection process into FEAR and followingly complete their initial specialization training. they will have a different path through the ranks.
Imperial Naval doctrine is focused around power projection. both to help enforce the will of the empire in non imperial space, but also to enforce their sovereignty over dominion space. To this end imperial vessels are typically assembled into Task Groups deployed to achieve a specific task. From among the Standing Naval Tasks, the most common would be a Patrol and Surveillance Tasking; patrolling, surveying and enforcing sovereignty within Imperial space. If a Task group is deployed for an expeditionary or strike tasking, it would often include a Strike Carrier and be known as a Strike Group.
Imperial Navy Ship Types
Strike Carrier, with class names and names derived from mythical flying creatures. Manticore-Class with the Manticore, Wyvern and Gryphon
Cruiser, with class names and names derived from systems in dominion sovereign space. Apollo-Class with the Apollo, Eos, Polympus etc.
Frigate, with class names and names derived from mythological characters. Medusa-Class with the Medusa, Hercules, Morrigan, Achilles, Valkyrie etc.
Corvette, with class names and names derived from martial adjectives. Fierce-Class with the Fierce, Valiant, Dauntless, Victorious, Defiant etc.
On entry into the Imperial Navy, no matter the branch, the given rank is Marine Recruit, after having completed the 12th weeks of basic training ,as well as any follow-on speciality training within their Branch, they will become known as Mariner, and thusly be allowed to wear the rank insignia. if a Mariner decides to continue in service, on completion of the 2 year entry contract. they can start seeking advancement. With a favourable performance review, promotion to Lance Mariner may follow. Lance Mariners typically assists the NCOs in supervising the newer Mariners of the Navy. Additional duties vary depending on ship, crew, and circumstances. After a few years of satisfactory service as Lance Mariner the chance may come to advance into the NCO ranks of the Navy. after having passed an NCO course they may be promoted to Corporal (Cpl.). After having led a small group of Mariners for a few years, a Mariner seeking further advancement will have to decide if they want to continue seeking advancement into the NCO ranks of the Navy or go Officer. if the NCO path is chosen they could get promoted to Sergeant (Sgt.) after having passed a senior non-commissioned officer course. as specialists within a department they would now be responsible for the day-to-day supervision of ranks junior to them, with duties varying depending on branch and specialization.
If the Officer Path is sought, its required to attend a relevant Officers Academy depending on branch, Line Officers and Fleet Flight Arm Officers would attend the Navy´s Officer Academy. with the FFA Officers-to-by attending a study program with piloting schooling included. while the MCA Officers see their Study time split between an Army Academy and the Navy's Officer Academy. one can either apply with a university degree background, or if already serving, as Corporal in the Navy. If accepted into the Academy a potential officer will get the rank of Ensign. Upon completion of the 9 months branch specific study program, Ensigns serve for a year as aide-de-camp to a more experienced officer within their branch. finally attending 3 months of courses and exams at the Navy´s Officers Academy, with graduation seeing promotion to Lieutenant (Lt.). After a few years of satisfactory service they may be promoted to First Lieutenant (1Lt.) signifying their experience, they may now be entrusted to have Ensigns assigned to them. Each following promotion, up to and including Commodore (Cdre.), will require return trips to the Officer Academy in order to pass higher grades of command and leadership courses while maintaining satisfactory service. From Commodore and up, it's all about satisfactory service and experience to gain further advancements.
Mariners in the Marine Commando Arm known as Marine Commandos, the Marine Commando Arm operate with 4 Regiments with similar structure to that of an Army Regiment. Although due to their specific role providing a Boarding, CQB, Force Protection and Raiding capacity to the Navy, they are typically deployed out to different ships, task groups or naval installations in Detachments varying greatly in size, depending on operational and security needs. detachments may be anything as small as a squad all the way up to a battalion in size.
The Imperial Clandestine Services (ICS) is the intelligence agency of the Dominion of The Polympian Empire. It is responsible for gathering, analysing and disseminating intelligence gathered from both within the Empire and from outside its borders. Its primary mission is to protect the Empire from threats, both internal and external. The ICS is headed by an appointed director and is comprised of a staff of professional intelligence officers who specialize in various areas of intelligence gathering. The agency also has access to the latest in surveillance technology. The ICS is tasked with providing the Empire with information to enable the formulation of strategies and policies that will enable the Empire to maintain its security, economic stability, and political influence. Some Nobles work for the ICS because it is an organization that reports directly to the Imperial Throne, as a way to gain notice and prestige among other nobles. In addition, it offers a chance to serve the crown and ensure the safety of the Dominion by providing intelligence gathering services. This can be seen as an honourable and noble cause, which is why some nobles choose to work for the ICS.
Rank Structure
by S. Mikkelsen
Imperial Dominion Army
The Imperial army is subdivided into four administrative branches; Infantry, Cavalry, Support and Commando. The primary function of each branch is to coordinate training and equipment standards across all the regiments of the army. Infantry branch, develops the training and doctrine for infantry, as well as define requirements and development of, body-armour, service rifles, machine-guns, pistols, canteens, communication systems, ect. everything the soldier fights with. Cavalry branch develops training and doctrine for all Armoured Fighting Vehicles, as well as help define requirements and future developments of AFVs, this also includes all sub-systems and weapons of these vehicles, as well as any equipment a soldier may need in relation to operating on and with AFVs. Support branch, develops the training and doctrine for all medical, supply, engineering, artillery and other supporting troop types, while also defining requirements for these troops equipment and vehicles. The Commando branch is same as the other branches but entirely focused on Special forces.The Combat formations of the imperial army are organized around a planetary regimental system, with 2 types of regiments, Infantry and Cavalry. each regiment being numbered according to what order of battle they are in, for their regimental type, on their home world. meaning you could have 1st infantry, 2nd infantry, 1st Cavalry, 3rd Infantry, etc. on one world, but a different combination on any other world in the Dominion. to avoid potential confusion in large scale military operations, the home world is always included in the name. e.g. 1st Polympian Infantry, 4th Vektran Cavalry, 1st Kassian Infantry etc.
Regiments are the smallest deployable conventional formation the army uses. Each regiment is made up of 4-6 Battalions, with each Battalion made up of 4-5 Companies and each Company is made up of 4-5 Platoons. At the higher level Regiments can either be temporarily task organized, with components from different regiments, into Regimental Combat Teams. though more often they would be operating in coordination with other regiments from within a more permanent Brigade or Division.
On entry into the imperial army a soldier is known as a recruit, after having completed the 12 weeks of basic training they will be referred to as private or soldier. after a satisfactory combined first year of service they will become known as Guardsman (Gdsm.) and thusly be allowed to carry the rank badge. This results in many regiments having an annual exercise, often known as "The Guardsman '' or "The Guard" where on the completion of the exercise they hold a ceremony elevating the new soldiers of the regiment to guardsmen. If a soldier decides to continue serving and performs well enough to be able to seek advancement they can become Lance Corporal (L.Cpl.) after having passed a NCO course. After a few years leading a team of their squad as L.Cpl., the chance to advance may come again. After having passed another NCO course, they may be promoted to Corporal (Cpl.). after having led a squad as Cpl. for a few years a soldier seeking advancement will have to decide if they want to seek to become an officer, or continue advancement through the senior NCO ranks. if NCO ranks is continued they could get promoted to Sergeant (Sgt.) after having passed a senior non-commissioned officer course. they may now find themselves leading a section within a platoon or advising a platoon commander as deputy. with experience and training mastery they could ultimately end up becoming First Sergeant (1stSgt.) or Sergeant Majors (Sgt.Maj.) at Company or Battalion level respectively.
If the Officer path is sought after, its required to attend one of the several Imperial Army Officer Academies. one can either apply with a university degree background, or if already serving, as Corporal in the Army. If accepted into an academy a potential officer will get the rank of Cadet. upon graduation promotion to Lieutenant (Lt.) would follow and they will now typically find themselves as platoon commanders. after a few years of satisfactory service they may be promoted to First Lieutenant (1Lt.) signifying their experience they could potentially be entrusted as deputy to the company commander, or leading a speciality platoon. If further advancement is sought after it will require years of satisfactory service and advancing their education through an Officer´s Academy for each further rank. which could lead to becoming Captain (Capt.); leading a Company sized element, Major (Maj.); leading a Battalion and in the end Colonel (Col.); leading a regiment. If a soldier has made it this far and is yet to reach his retirement age, he potentially could continue his advancement into the General ranks, which requires a final visit to a Officers academy in order to pass their General Officers education. upon which promotion to Brigadier General (Brig.) follows, and it's now up to the soldiers experience, achievements and skill at military politicking if they will get promoted further.
Special Forces
The special forces of the Dominion is First Encounter Assault Recon, or simply FEAR. soldiers of this "regiment" are highly trained and motivated specialists in counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, direct action, and special reconnaissance. They are also used to train indigenous forces on non-dominion worlds in vital military skills. They can be deployed in or out of uniform, depending on the needs of the operation or campaign. and as such is tasked with performing the most complex, covert, and dangerous missions, often against high value targets. The starting rank for any FEAR soldier is Sergeant, so If a soldier manages to pass the selection process into FEAR and followingly complete their initial specialization training. they will have a different path through the ranks.
Imperial Dominion Navy
The Imperial Navy is subdivided into three administrative branches, Line, Fleet Flight and Marine Commando. which are all subsidiarity to the Admiralty. the primary function of each branch is to coordinate training, development and equipment standards across the navy. Line branch is the main branch of the navy and is responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the Crew and Command staff of the Navy´s Vessels. further it also develops and sets the requirements for ship-design and all subsystems. Due to its wide set of responsibilities it has a subset of schools and commands for each of the specialities on a ship. such as Officers School, Engineering Command Etc. Fleet Flight Arm (FFA) is responsible for development and doctrine of the Navy´s small-crafts and sub systems. further it is also responsible for the training of all Pilots and Support staff for the operations of small-crafts from imperial ships and installations. Marine Commando Arm (MCA) develops the training and doctrine for all the Naval Infantry and Security personnel. as well as define requirements and development of any specialist equipment that may be required. for weapons and other equipment the marine commandos need, the Marine Commando Arm looks to the Armies Infantry and Commando Branch's.Imperial Naval doctrine is focused around power projection. both to help enforce the will of the empire in non imperial space, but also to enforce their sovereignty over dominion space. To this end imperial vessels are typically assembled into Task Groups deployed to achieve a specific task. From among the Standing Naval Tasks, the most common would be a Patrol and Surveillance Tasking; patrolling, surveying and enforcing sovereignty within Imperial space. If a Task group is deployed for an expeditionary or strike tasking, it would often include a Strike Carrier and be known as a Strike Group.
Imperial Navy Ship Types
Strike Carrier, with class names and names derived from mythical flying creatures. Manticore-Class with the Manticore, Wyvern and Gryphon
Cruiser, with class names and names derived from systems in dominion sovereign space. Apollo-Class with the Apollo, Eos, Polympus etc.
Frigate, with class names and names derived from mythological characters. Medusa-Class with the Medusa, Hercules, Morrigan, Achilles, Valkyrie etc.
Corvette, with class names and names derived from martial adjectives. Fierce-Class with the Fierce, Valiant, Dauntless, Victorious, Defiant etc.
On entry into the Imperial Navy, no matter the branch, the given rank is Marine Recruit, after having completed the 12th weeks of basic training ,as well as any follow-on speciality training within their Branch, they will become known as Mariner, and thusly be allowed to wear the rank insignia. if a Mariner decides to continue in service, on completion of the 2 year entry contract. they can start seeking advancement. With a favourable performance review, promotion to Lance Mariner may follow. Lance Mariners typically assists the NCOs in supervising the newer Mariners of the Navy. Additional duties vary depending on ship, crew, and circumstances. After a few years of satisfactory service as Lance Mariner the chance may come to advance into the NCO ranks of the Navy. after having passed an NCO course they may be promoted to Corporal (Cpl.). After having led a small group of Mariners for a few years, a Mariner seeking further advancement will have to decide if they want to continue seeking advancement into the NCO ranks of the Navy or go Officer. if the NCO path is chosen they could get promoted to Sergeant (Sgt.) after having passed a senior non-commissioned officer course. as specialists within a department they would now be responsible for the day-to-day supervision of ranks junior to them, with duties varying depending on branch and specialization.
If the Officer Path is sought, its required to attend a relevant Officers Academy depending on branch, Line Officers and Fleet Flight Arm Officers would attend the Navy´s Officer Academy. with the FFA Officers-to-by attending a study program with piloting schooling included. while the MCA Officers see their Study time split between an Army Academy and the Navy's Officer Academy. one can either apply with a university degree background, or if already serving, as Corporal in the Navy. If accepted into the Academy a potential officer will get the rank of Ensign. Upon completion of the 9 months branch specific study program, Ensigns serve for a year as aide-de-camp to a more experienced officer within their branch. finally attending 3 months of courses and exams at the Navy´s Officers Academy, with graduation seeing promotion to Lieutenant (Lt.). After a few years of satisfactory service they may be promoted to First Lieutenant (1Lt.) signifying their experience, they may now be entrusted to have Ensigns assigned to them. Each following promotion, up to and including Commodore (Cdre.), will require return trips to the Officer Academy in order to pass higher grades of command and leadership courses while maintaining satisfactory service. From Commodore and up, it's all about satisfactory service and experience to gain further advancements.
Mariners in the Marine Commando Arm known as Marine Commandos, the Marine Commando Arm operate with 4 Regiments with similar structure to that of an Army Regiment. Although due to their specific role providing a Boarding, CQB, Force Protection and Raiding capacity to the Navy, they are typically deployed out to different ships, task groups or naval installations in Detachments varying greatly in size, depending on operational and security needs. detachments may be anything as small as a squad all the way up to a battalion in size.
Intelligence
by S. Mikkelsen
The Imperial Clandestine Services (ICS) is the intelligence agency of the Dominion of The Polympian Empire. It is responsible for gathering, analysing and disseminating intelligence gathered from both within the Empire and from outside its borders. Its primary mission is to protect the Empire from threats, both internal and external. The ICS is headed by an appointed director and is comprised of a staff of professional intelligence officers who specialize in various areas of intelligence gathering. The agency also has access to the latest in surveillance technology. The ICS is tasked with providing the Empire with information to enable the formulation of strategies and policies that will enable the Empire to maintain its security, economic stability, and political influence. Some Nobles work for the ICS because it is an organization that reports directly to the Imperial Throne, as a way to gain notice and prestige among other nobles. In addition, it offers a chance to serve the crown and ensure the safety of the Dominion by providing intelligence gathering services. This can be seen as an honourable and noble cause, which is why some nobles choose to work for the ICS.
Religion
Religious matters of the empire are overseen by the Inquisition. the Official Church of the empire is called the Ecclesia Domini, meaning the church of the lord, the Lord or Dominus being the official divine entity of the Empire.
The organized religion of the empire. The Ecclesia Domini is a sub faction within the empire that benefits financially from the tithe paid by dominion citizens. It houses a series of churches or places of worship of various sizes across the worlds of imperial space. from these churches it provides the citizens with spiritual respite, blessing unions of love and various other ceremonies. As an organized religion the Ecclesia Domini has its own internal hierarchy with a distribution of roles, responsibilities and authority. Within each community there will be a place of worship, where the small places of worship are run by Preachers who, depending on the size of community, have a number of Deacons to help the preacher serve the community. These preachers are subordinate to an Archpriest whom supervises a number of communities; the archpriest himself has a larger place of worship as his own, often centralized among the communities supervised. The Archpriests are themselves subordinate to the Exarch of their world, with each Exarch being subordinate to the Arch-Exarch himself.
Originally formed as a branch within the Ecclesia, the Inquisition was responsible for upholding religious doctrine among the preachers and across communities. During the Dark age, the Inquisition grew to become a powerful organization in its own right, that ruthlessly sought out and eliminated perceived heresy. Among its most notable historical campaigns was the "Psionic purge", a long lasting dark age campaign, where the inquisition sought out and prosecuted all Psionics across the galaxy. If the Psionic was lucky enough to be human, but unlucky enough to be captured by the Inquisition and brought to trial. they would be offered a simple choice. Join the Inquisition and repent, or Die for your psionic sin. in this purge the Inquisition itself used Inquisitors with Psionic pyrokinesis powers. it also utilized a cast of Thuleian mercenaries and bounty hunters, after it became known that Thuleians have a natural resistance to Psionic influence. with some Thuleians finding so much work they settled within the Dominion. Even though The Inquisition is officially apart of the Ecclesia and thusly subordinate to the Arch-Exarch, it has its own internal hierarchy. with Errants providing services and assisting an Inquisitor. with the Inquisitors subordinate to a Grand Inquisitor, whom supervise and council a number of Inquisitors. the Grand Inquisitors themselves are subordinate to the Lord Inquisitor.
by S. Mikkelsen
Ecclesia Domini
The organized religion of the empire. The Ecclesia Domini is a sub faction within the empire that benefits financially from the tithe paid by dominion citizens. It houses a series of churches or places of worship of various sizes across the worlds of imperial space. from these churches it provides the citizens with spiritual respite, blessing unions of love and various other ceremonies. As an organized religion the Ecclesia Domini has its own internal hierarchy with a distribution of roles, responsibilities and authority. Within each community there will be a place of worship, where the small places of worship are run by Preachers who, depending on the size of community, have a number of Deacons to help the preacher serve the community. These preachers are subordinate to an Archpriest whom supervises a number of communities; the archpriest himself has a larger place of worship as his own, often centralized among the communities supervised. The Archpriests are themselves subordinate to the Exarch of their world, with each Exarch being subordinate to the Arch-Exarch himself.
The Inquisition
Originally formed as a branch within the Ecclesia, the Inquisition was responsible for upholding religious doctrine among the preachers and across communities. During the Dark age, the Inquisition grew to become a powerful organization in its own right, that ruthlessly sought out and eliminated perceived heresy. Among its most notable historical campaigns was the "Psionic purge", a long lasting dark age campaign, where the inquisition sought out and prosecuted all Psionics across the galaxy. If the Psionic was lucky enough to be human, but unlucky enough to be captured by the Inquisition and brought to trial. they would be offered a simple choice. Join the Inquisition and repent, or Die for your psionic sin. in this purge the Inquisition itself used Inquisitors with Psionic pyrokinesis powers. it also utilized a cast of Thuleian mercenaries and bounty hunters, after it became known that Thuleians have a natural resistance to Psionic influence. with some Thuleians finding so much work they settled within the Dominion. Even though The Inquisition is officially apart of the Ecclesia and thusly subordinate to the Arch-Exarch, it has its own internal hierarchy. with Errants providing services and assisting an Inquisitor. with the Inquisitors subordinate to a Grand Inquisitor, whom supervise and council a number of Inquisitors. the Grand Inquisitors themselves are subordinate to the Lord Inquisitor.
Foreign Relations
by S. Mikkelsen
Noteworthy current IDS Diplomatic efforts:
Trade Relations and Embassy with Outer Rim Confederacy
Trade Relations and Consulate with Vespin
Envoys to The Federation and The Republic.
Laws
The House of Lords get to vote on all legislative proposals passed up from The House of Common, before finally being passed up to the Imperial throne for either acceptance and ratification into law by Imperial Decree, or Rejection. If a legislative proposal gets rejected in the house of lords it can not be ratified into law, unless the Imperial throne decides to bypass the House of Lords and immediately accept and ratify a proposal, thus codifying it into law. else it will have to be reworked by the House of Common.
In the Dominion of the Polympian Empire, certain activities are considered illegal and punishable by law. These include treason, heresy, blasphemy, murder, assault, robbery, and any other activities that are seen as a threat to the safety and well-being of the citizens of the Dominion.
With the proliferation of space-travel, its not uncommon for the various planetary law enforcement agencies to employ bounty hunters to bring in wanted criminals whom are currently outside the reach of the agencies themselves.
In the Dominion of the Polympian Empire, certain activities are considered illegal and punishable by law. These include treason, heresy, blasphemy, murder, assault, robbery, and any other activities that are seen as a threat to the safety and well-being of the citizens of the Dominion.
With the proliferation of space-travel, its not uncommon for the various planetary law enforcement agencies to employ bounty hunters to bring in wanted criminals whom are currently outside the reach of the agencies themselves.
Trade & Transport
Even though the official currency of the Empire, is the Polympian Imperial Pound, or just Pounds for short. with the most of daily transactions of wealth made digitally, most people don't physically handle the actual currency of the empire. Furthermore after the re-emergence of intergalactic banking after the Galactic Civil War. the Polympian Pound is easily transferable back and forth to Galactic Credits. to the point of making the official currency almost meaningless. Meaning that it requires a conscientious decision by any merchant to not accept Digital Payments or Galactic Credits. Such merchants exists, though primarily within more conservative or weaker economic communities in the Empire.
The internal trade routes of the empire are considered safe and well patrolled by the Imperial navy. thusly leading to a high amount of goods being exchanged between the various worlds of the Dominion
Infrastructure
Due to the scientific limitation on the transfer of data, not being able to transfer data faster than light, but being able to achieve faster than light travel. There is a series of relay pylons across Dominion space. The pylons are administered and maintained by the Imperial Scout Service (ISS).
Depending on the importance of the world the orbital relay pylon may take the form of a space station. these pylons will receive, sort and encrypt data. the data being everything from written messages, invoices, audio files, video files, data sets etc. sent by someone on one world intended for someone on another world. Once the data has been sorted and encrypted it will be transmitted in large batches or chucks to a nearby ISS vessel heading for a relevant receiver location. On arrival the pylon at the receiver end will receive the encrypted data transmitted from the vessel, then depending on the sorting and encryption it will be decrypted and transmitted to the surface. If it's an important world it will already have ISS ships present at the space station ready to courier the data, among other things to an intended destination. while if it's just a simple orbital relay pylon it will happen on the next passing of an ISS vessel. This results in the ISS having ships flying regular routes between all Dominion habited worlds. While also having maintenance patrols along its more remote pylons. These pylons are also used for naval communication so, depending on the sorting and encryption they may just be transmitted to a nearby navy vessel. To help facilitate these tasks as well as the exploration conducted by the ISS, they use a multi-purpose patrol ship that can do a bit of everything but is a master of none.
by S. Mikkelsen
Depending on the importance of the world the orbital relay pylon may take the form of a space station. these pylons will receive, sort and encrypt data. the data being everything from written messages, invoices, audio files, video files, data sets etc. sent by someone on one world intended for someone on another world. Once the data has been sorted and encrypted it will be transmitted in large batches or chucks to a nearby ISS vessel heading for a relevant receiver location. On arrival the pylon at the receiver end will receive the encrypted data transmitted from the vessel, then depending on the sorting and encryption it will be decrypted and transmitted to the surface. If it's an important world it will already have ISS ships present at the space station ready to courier the data, among other things to an intended destination. while if it's just a simple orbital relay pylon it will happen on the next passing of an ISS vessel. This results in the ISS having ships flying regular routes between all Dominion habited worlds. While also having maintenance patrols along its more remote pylons. These pylons are also used for naval communication so, depending on the sorting and encryption they may just be transmitted to a nearby navy vessel. To help facilitate these tasks as well as the exploration conducted by the ISS, they use a multi-purpose patrol ship that can do a bit of everything but is a master of none.
Dominus nobiscum
Founding Date
4316 IT, 301 TB, 19 SO (Rebirth)
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Alternative Names
The Galactic Empire, The Dominion, The Empire
Demonym
Imperial
Leader Title
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Polympian Imperial Pounds, Galactic Credits.
Legislative Body
The Emperor, The Imperial Diet
- House Of Lords
- House Of Commons
Judicial Body
The Emperor, The Supreme Court of the Dominion.
Executive Body
The Emperor, The Council Cabinet
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Species
