Pfhor Empire

The Pfhor Empire is a feudalistic monarchy comprising 14 sectors of settled space. It is located in southern region of the galaxy, bordering unsettled space on its east and west and a region of shoal-space to the north that the Pfhor refer to as "The Belt". The Pfhor Empire has only recently emerged onto the galactic stage of affairs, after subjugating and enslaving all the races in its immediate vicinity. The Empire maintains a highly expansionist and xenophobic foreign policy, with political analysts predicting trouble in the years to come.

Government

The Pfhor Empire is theoretically ruled by a dynastic Emperor or Empress, who has absolute power over all aspects of the Empire's governance and the very nature of the existence of its citizens, save the details of the Pfhor state religion, which is administered by a cleric of roughly equal power to the Emperor. In reality, it is rare for an Emperor to be able to maintain such control over the byzantine network of nobles, clerics, mercantile interests, generals, admirals, and ministers that comprise the bureaucracy he generally governs through. At various times, this bureaucracy as a whole, or even a single aspect of it, grows more powerful than the Emperor, and at other times, the opposite is true.

The Archcovenant

The closest thing that the Pfhor Empire has to a "Senate" or elected legislature is called the Archcovenant, a collection of all the major Imperial nobles, clerics, corporate executives, military officers, and ministers. Together, the Archcovenant proposes legislation and makes the will "of the Pfhor people" (i.e. the Pfhor power structure) known to the Emperor. Positions in the Covenant are created and destroyed by Imperial fiat, and the Emperor has an absolute veto over all of the legislation that the Covenant creates. The very existence of the Archcovenant is at the Emperor's mercy, though dissolving it is not a move that even the most dictatorial Emperor contemplates lightly: six out of the previous seven times this has occurred, it has led to civil war.

The different types of representatives on the Archcovenant can be loosely categorized by the nature of their temporal power:

• Landed Nobles are the largest representative group in the Archcovenant. While there are a truly staggering amount of nobles in the Empire, only the wealthiest, most prestigious of their number are privileged enough to hold a seat. In the past, this meant only nobles with no or a single lord between them and the Emperor himself had a seat, but the rapidly-evolving politics of the Empire means that this is quickly changing.
• Clerics comprise the second-largest group in the Archcovenant, nearly as large as that of the nobility. Generally, for every geographic area represented in the Archcovenant by a noble, there will be a cleric as well.
• Corporate Executives are easily the newest group to have representation on the Archcovenant, as a side effect of the rapid growth of the Pfhor mercantile class. Corporates, as they are often known, generally pay the Emperor a large sum of money to attain a position on the Archcovenant, which, while only somewhat useful in direct use, affords them a great deal of prestige, an edge over any competition, and greater ability to pressure the nobility into doing what they want. This group is often reduced to infighting, though it generally bands against what it perceives as assaults against its power by the old establishment of the nobility.
• Elected Officials are very rare in the Empire, although they do exist. While the highest elected position in the Empire is generally that of the mayor of a city or a rough equivalent, some planets have nominally democratically elected governors, which have seats on the Archcovenant. Due to the highly disenfranchising nature of Pfhor elections, where votes cost money and there is no hard limit save that of finances to the amount of votes a person may submit, these officials are generally in the pockets of either corporate or noble interests.
• Military Officers comprise a relatively small portion of the seats on the Archcovenant, but it is powerful enough to have essentially seized control of the body in the past, with enough stuffing of the other seats.
• High Ministers of the Pfhor Bureaucracy are also technically members of the Archcovenant, chairing the proceedings and generally elevating themselves from the daily drudgery of the less powerful members.

In addition to all the actual members of the Archcovenant, each representative is accompanied by at least several courtiers, lobbyists, advisors, and associated hangers-on when the Archcovenant is in session. A fully assembled Archcovenant is quite a sight to see, a parade of the latest fashions and pure, concentrated power.

The Council of High Ministers

The High Council of Ministers takes the Emperor's will and works out the details. They represent the Empire in its day-to-day affairs, setting taxes and tariffs, conscription quotas, and the thousands of other things necessary to run a nation as large as that of the Pfhor. As this Council is presided over by the Emperor himself, a seat on it is priceless, as it means having what is essentially a daily audience with His Majesty.

The Council positions currently are:

• The Imperial Seneschal, chief advisor to the Emperor.
• The High Minister of War, responsible for the warmaking capabilities of the Pfhor state.
• The High Minister of Subjugation, responsible for the management of conquered races and territories, and the integration into the Empire thereof.
• The High Minister of the Exchequer, responsible for the finances of the Empire.
• The High Minister of the Ambassadory, responsible for relations with foreign nations.
• The High Minister of the Inquisition, responsible for rooting out corruption and malfeasance in the Imperial government.
• The High Minister of Culture, responsible for censorship and control of the media and arts.
• The High Imperial Foundrymaster, responsible for developing and overseeing Pfhor industry, refining, and mining.
• The High Minister of Commerce, responsible for overseeing trade and interactions between business and the Imperial government.
• The High Imperial Chamberlain, responsible for overseeing interactions between the nobles and the Imperial government.
• The High Lord of the Spade, responsible for planning and overseeing the colonization of bare worlds.
• The High Lord General, in charge of the Pfhor's armies.
• The High Lord Admiral, in charge of the Pfhor navy.
• The High Lord Esoteric, responsible for overseeing Pfhor ESPers.

Council positions are created and destroyed at Imperial fiat. The council cannot technically be dissolved, as one of the few restrictions on the Emperor's power, but he can effectively dissolve it by not appointing anyone to any of the positions.

Economy

The Pfhor economy, while relatively self-sufficient, is primarily based on resource extraction, refining, and manufacturing, famously for weapons and other military hardware. In addition to these areas of economic activity, the Pfhor Empire is considered the center of the galactic slave trade, with thousands of souls changing hands daily in the hellish slave yards.

Due to the Pfhor religion proscribing advanced artificial intelligences, computing technology in general is one of the Empire's greatest imports. "Exotic" foods, various types of consumer goods, and other luxuries are also highly valued and imported.

Pfhor exports consist mostly of refined materials and machine components, such as repulsion chassis, as opposed to complete vehicles and machines. Pfhor shock weapons, which create extremely painful wounds, have gained a limited, but lively export market with slavers and pirates the galaxy over.

Slavery

The state of slavery in the Pfhor Empire is curious and complex indeed.

While outlawed for about fifty years, the Pfhor have a long history of taking and making use of slaves, both of their own species and of others, and old habits, as they say, die hard. Many wealthy Pfhor nobles and corporate bosses still keep personal slaves for various uses, and in the remote asteroid mines and foundries of the colonies, usage of slaves to bolster the legitimate workforce of serfs is ubiquitous. The authorities generally ignore slaves if their usage is kept relatively quiet and inoffensive, only going after the more brazen slave dealers and owners.

Despite high demand, being a slaver is no longer as easy as it once was. The vast majority of "illegal slaves" are captured pirates or smugglers from the shoals, sold by officers of the Imperial Navy after routine interrogations for a little "supplementary income," as it is euphemistically referred to. Pfhor client races are also often kidnapped and enslaved if they try to fight against the rampant discrimination of the Pfhor. Prisoners of war, when war comes, also have a tendency to end up in the slave yards after the military is done with them.

There, in addition, remains one way that the Pfhor "legally" create slaves: as an alternative punishment for capital offenses. Instead of execution or torture, a being found guilty of such a crime can opt to become a slave, and while the Imperial Government owns essentially all of these slaves, some find their way into the hands of private owners. This bondage currently extends to all children that such a slave might bear after their bondage begins, this being a highly controversial point within the Archcovenant presently, with many calling for its end.

Geography

The Core

These sectors comprise the Pfhor homeworlds and the center of the Empire. Highly-developed, highly-populated, and, most of all, highly-wealthy, these worlds are often romantically referred to as the Imperial Jewel. The capital of the Empire is located here, as is the seat of the Pfhor church and a vast majority of the headquarters of Pfhor corporations.

Pfhor Prime (Home Sector)

Population: 106 billion

GDP: $14,000

Warp Gate and Hyperspace Junction present.

Principality of the Province (Core Sector)

Population: 91 billion

GDP: $12,000

Hyperspace Junction present.

Principality of Narsky (Midrange Sector)

Population: 54 billion

GDP: $6,000

The Garden

Archdiocese of the Orchard (Midrange Sector)

Population: 55 billion

GDP: $6,000

Grand Duchy of Upper Leondia (Colony Sector)

Population: 26 billion

GDP: $2,000

Duchy of Lower Leondia (Colony Sector)

Population: 22 billion

GDP: $2,000

Nova

Archduchy of the Nova Stars (Midrange Sector)

Population: 59 billion

GDP: $6,000

Archcounty of Nebulon (Colony Sector)

Population: 23 billion

GDP: $2,000

Grand Duchy of Higher Artania (Colony Sector)

Population: 17 billion

GDP: $2,000

Grand Duchy of Nakhland (Colony Sector)

Population: 8 billion

GDP: $2,000

The Reach

Archduchy of the Outreach (Midrange Sector)

Population: 57 billion

GDP: $6,000

High Marquessate of the Dust Stars (Colony Sector)

Population: 24 billion

GDP: $2,000

Archbarony of Reachstars (Colony Sector)

Population: 17 billion

GDP: $2,000

Grand County of the S'phtland (Colony Sector)

Population: 18 billion

GDP: $2,000

Total Population: 577 billion

Military

The Imperial Navy

The Imperial Navy is the branch of the Imperial Armed Forces responsible for conducting spaceborne and some atmospheric warfare. All the starships of the fleet, hundreds of refueling and repair stations, and significant planetary assets are under its control. In recent years, the Navy's focus has primarily been on increased offensive and force projection capability.

The Imperial Army

The Imperial Army is responsible for conducting surface military operations and planet-based atmospheric warfare. Current land-based doctrine heavily emphasizes deploying large amounts of infantry with some armor and artillery support. The average foot-soldier of the Pfhor Army is generally considered to be extremely poorly trained, if decently equipped, generally not surviving to see his or her fifth battle.

The Imperial Marine Corps

The Imperial Marine Corps is a branch of the Army whose purpose is to, essentially, clear landing zones for the regular troops during an invasion. These soldiers typically receive better training than their regular counterparts, although they are still individually sub-par on the galactic scale.

Species

forthcoming

Culture

forthcoming