Greater Martial Consilium
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Template:!Nation Infobox The everlasting campaign to unite Martial Space has resulted in a series of international organizations, conglomerates, or empires that have control over the Crown, a nearly religious idea that amounts to "the right to rule." The crown was originally owned by the Kaiser, the head of a dynasty of Humans ruling from Aegyn. Afterwards, another group "stole" the crown and divided it amongst each of the members of the Neo-Terran Party. From there, the crown was rebuilt and officially owned by a single Imperator. As the Dominion of Astraeus came into power, the Crown became the state and vice versa. The most recent iteration sees the crown officially divided between every single citizen, in theory creating a republic in which the role of the Imperator is mediated by a constitution called the Edict of Decency.
The Greater Martial Consilium (usually referred to as the GM) is a large international organization jointly ruled by the Imperator and a council of representatives from across Martial Space. The GM is often seen as the latest in a series of imperial projects designed to replace the Triumvirate Civilization, the only empire to have ever fully united Martial Space. Officially, the Greater Martial Consilium is the means by which the nations of Martial Space can protect itself from outside forces, maintain friendly conditions for trade, and secure peace.
The nation has dominion over the 15 stars comprising Martial Space. Headed by a single monarch, the GM represents the largest military power in its territory and rarely goes contested. The Greater Martial Consilium directly controls Eos, giving the central government direct control over half of Martial Space's population as well as the lion's share of its production capability.
The modern Consilium is the latest in a series of united Martial states in history. It was established by the Treaty of Hiroseh originally as a meeting between the various powers to discuss trade, military agreements, and peace treaties. After almost one thousand years of this, the various powers grew accustomed to this council, called The Consilium. This eventually caused the unification of central military, headed by Imperatrix Lydia, and the Consilium.
Greater Martial Consilium | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 97,821 CE | |||
| - | |||
| 15 Stars | |||
| Eos, Demiurge, Thalsiedeln, Petra, D'Naevium, Lowa | |||
| Constitutional Monarchy | Corporatism | ||
| 681/1000 | 7.18 Quadrillion Fex (10.7 Trillion Carosi) | ||
| Highly Unequal | Post-Scarcity | ||
| Superpower (contested) | Superpower | ||
History of Sovereignty in Martial Space
Origin of the Crown
The history of the Greater Martial Consilium begins not in 97,821 CE when it was officially founded. It began well before the common era around the small star of Tryvya. On this world the founders of the Triumvirate Civilization drafted the articles that would unify their territory into one large empire. While other civilizations existed at the time, none have been so influential as the Triumvirate. Thus begins history, with sovereignty over the region being split between three immortal entities. These three nearly deific forces, often referred to as "gods" by the most primitive civilizations, are the basis for the "Crown." The Three had rightful sovereignty simply because of what they were. The fact that they had sovereignty justified their sovereignty.
Even so, there were rebellions; however, these rebellions were more gambles to get attention than actual attempts at succession. The idea that the Triumvirate would fall, that the Three would lose their sovereignty, was absurd. They were immortal, had the strongest military in Cosmoria, and no rebel has ever so much as touched the capital. It was such a shock that rebellions began working during the War of the Final Transition that not only the central government but the rebels themselves had a difficult time planning beyond the opening moves.
The Administrator, the de facto leader of The Three, responded by exterminating much of the life in Martial Space. This, an attempt to destroy Ma'eau one of the Three who sided with the rebels, destroyed the Triumvirate. The Three went their separate ways and left their territory ungoverned for the most part. They still officially had control over it, however, leading to every subsequent government declaring that they were the "rightful successor to the Triumvirate."
The Kaiser
Eris Noolov was an uploaded mind which existed across thousands of servers across Aegyn. She was the local governor of the planet and declared that, since those on Aegyn remained loyal to the Triumvirate, they inherited the right to rule. The word "Kaiser," meaning ruler, would apply to this new ruler. The Kaiser soon had sovereignty over Erstes Konsortium, a decentralized government formed out of nearly ever Human organization in Cosmoria. In the center of Erstes Konsortium was the Sixth Ministry, a vast government apparatus which claimed direct descent from the Triumvirate's "Five Ministries."
There existed challenges to the rule of the Kaiser, however. Not only were there dozens of organizations which directly opposed the Kaiser's rule, the Three still existed. They were an active political force and constantly proved challenging for the Kaiser to contend with. The Great Intendancy, what was left of the Triumvirate's military, was the largest force opposed to the Kaiser.
Erstes Konsortium was more a trade cartel that was devoted to the flow of goods from Aylathiya to Florathel between which its territory lied. It was woefully ill-equipped to handle the actual governance of such a chaotic territory. It would be constantly challenged for the rest of its rule.
Mars
The idea of Mars in 17,809 CE, would give a new meaning to what it meant to be "sovereign." The Neo-Terran Party, the worshipers of Mars, became the largest political force within Erstes Konsortium. Powerful warriors devoted to the very idea of "glorious war to restore Human sovereignty," the Neo-Terrans obliterated both Ma'eau and Titania, the two most meddlesome members of the Three. The Neo-Terrans believed that sovereignty lied not with those who ruled but in the hearts of those devoted to Mars, the ultimate sovereign.
This group of radicals took power in 27,945 CE, forming the Neo-Terran Co-Prosperity Sphere. By this point they had come to accept all species within "Martial Space," the territory "graced by Mars," worthy of their god's rule. At this time, however, Mars was mostly a religious idea. While worshipers of Mars certainly gained increased fighting prowess, they were Paladins, a common phenomenon in history. The worship of Mars became the default religion, heavily syncretizing with Ibaradism. The idea of the "sovereign" as a divinely-appointed ruler created an absolute monarchy. The region was blessed with a strategic position, resources, and a rapidly growing population, but consistently incompetent emperors immune to any criticism drove their empire into the ground.
The State as Divine
Tenshi, an independent state then outside of Martial Space, was so much more competently run that the small territory managed to conquer much of Martial Space. Ursa Syndicate was a competently-run trade syndicate that allied itself with Tenshi for their similar beliefs. Both believed that the state, not the monarch, was divinely appointed. This belief, practically a worship of the central bureaucracy, prompted both organizations to unite in 59,809 CE. They vanquished the emperor of the Sphere and jointly ruled it as the heads of its new vast central government.
At this point, Mars was a very real entity, responsible for the destruction of several nations that opposed Martial Space. The first co-rulers of the new state, Tange Meiko III and Nicodemus Penrose IV, had the full approval of the being. This began a relatively short-lived tradition of the government using the approval of Mars to appoint new leaders in a very literal sense. With true divine backing, Tenshi and the Ursa Syndicate formed the Dominion of Astraeus.
Abandonment of Mars
The very deity that Martial Space once worshiped became increasingly unruly as time went on. First sabotaging military bases to outright murdering political elites, the rich and powerful would slowly grow to hate Mars. At this point they devised a plan to contain Mars within a "figurehead" that they could use to influence the public. A complex ritual devised specifically to dispel beings like Mars began, killing hundreds before finally finding a suitable host. A powerful Magi, Maximillian von Velevev, would be the first person to contain Mars within his Pylon. Thus began the tradition of Mars being contained within the Emperor, now known as the Imperator.
During this time, the Confederacy of Borealis, a colossal worker's syndicate, effectively ruled the Dominion. It derived its right to rule by virtue of it simply being a democratic institution. It represented the workers of the Dominion and therefore earned its right to rule from them. Other organizations used similar justifications. In fact, the only institution which rejected this idea was the aristocracy. They believed that they deserved their right to rule as descendants Neo-Terran Party officials.
Jezebel's War and Contemporary Sovereignty
It was the difference between the Confederacy and the Aristocracy that would lead to Jezebel's War. This massive conflict saw the ideas of divine rule clash with rule by every individual. Despite the Confederacy losing the conflict, its ideas would win as Imperatrix Wren, who was sympathetic to its cause, took power by containing Mars. Wren was adamant that she had no right to rule save for by the consent of the governed, all of whom made up Mars and therefore had an equal claim to power. The war determined who would rule, and it was the people who would ultimately have the right to rule.
The merchant class, suppressed for years by the aristocracy, took advantage of their newly-found rights to greatly expand trade. The Dominion began opening up to external trade beyond merely taxing trade that passed through its territory. It was in this environment that the Consilium formed, a congress of powerful organizations, private and public, that governed Martial Space. When the central government, mostly the vast military and bureaus that ran it, joined the Consilium, it gained official sovereignty. The Consilium is composed of both the concept of sovereignty, the Imperator who possesses Mars, and dozens of organizations that directly represent their constituents.
Society
Central to the governance of the Greater Martial Consilium is the entity known as Mars. This new being, a disturbance in the Noosphere, or collective thought, was at first an idea, the representation of the people of Martial Space. With time, the idea would become increasingly literal as the worshipers of it gained preternatural abilities in conflict as though they gained the favor of some deity. Eventually, Mars would become an intelligent force capable of actively making decisions about what it wanted for Martial Space which rarely, if ever, agreed with the government ruling it. The first time the government captured Mars, in 73,156 CE, they contained the being within the emperor, a symbol of their ultimate sovereignty.
The concept of Mars being the embodiment of the people has greatly influenced the government and politics of Martial Space. While the idea of Mars was originally Human, it is believed that every intelligent being in Martial Space contributes to sustaining the entity. Not much is known about the exact mechanics of this, but this reality has created a single national identity across species. The idea that there is a significant difference between species with even very different biochemistries is at this point absurd. External species are regarded as simple "barbarians," untouched by the glory of Mars and therefore chasing after "pagan" religions.
The Greater Martial Consilium is mostly a post-scarcity society; the majority of citizens that live in developed areas have the access to everything they need to live an average lifespan. This lifespan of 200 years is very low for a civilization of this caliber, brought down by high competition for the Thaumic technology required to maintain consciousness for longer. For those who can afford it, the average life span is not much better, coming in at 300 years. The reason for these relatively low lifespans is simply the increased stress Mars places on the pylon of this region's inhabitants. Uploaded minds, a large component of the population, live for about a millennium. The power of Mars sustains the life of the emperor for as long as several millennia.
Government Overview
The Greater Martial Consilium is an ultra-decentralized corporatist nation. Imperator Sebas Blanc-Drusus is the current head of state and government. As for political divisions, they are not determined by territory but by collegia or corpora. Essentially, the economy, governance, and much of the military is divided amongst various groups whose rank is determined by the amount of energy they control. These groups are classified by a tier system and receive representatives proportional to their tier. Currently, there are 50 organizations represented within the Consilium ranging from tier I to VI. There are a handful of individuals which qualify as "corpora" and even a few machines that also claim the title.
Due to essentially being composed of thousands of civilizations, the central government cannot maintain its rule through force alone. Cooperation with local governments and power structures is essential for the government to maintain its dominance over the vast amount of territory it controls. Communities that demonstrate loyalty to the emperor are allowed to impose their own taxes, maintain their own laws, and are occasionally exempt from paying tribute to the central government. The most effective emperors have balanced the interests of the various factions within the GM including local governments, the collegia, the merchant classes, and the military.
The Nobility
The Nobility of Martial Space, a distinct class created during the days of the Dominion of Astaeus, maintain a large amount of power to this day. They enjoy certain privileges not afforded to the "commoners," which means that the nobility get representation in government while the commoners do not. Most noble titles are inherited, but many are elected, meaning that the title, and therefore the ability to vote in the Consilium, is used by a number of individuals. The nobility can trace its origin to the Oligarchs which ruled Erstes Konsortium; many court practices, titles, and families have managed to remain relevant from this ancient civilization. The Kingdom of Sarepha has also has a tremendous influence on the nobility, introducing the idea of marriage to the political landscape.
Every title, save for "Duke," has a "Free" variant in which they answer to no one except for the emperor. Few nobles will willingly divide their territory or influence by giving their subordinates the "free" title. The emperor has given most of them, but they can also be won as the terms of a war for independence.
The Peerage
There are various titles, some of which exist outside of a clear hierarchy, that are recognized by the emperor and therefore valid. Some titles, such as "King" and "Grand Duke" are banned due to the treasonous connotations of these titles.
| Title | Rank | Organization/Territory Title |
|---|---|---|
| Duke/Duchess | Duchy | |
| Count Palatin/Countess Palatin | Palatinate | |
| Margrave/Margravine | Magraviate | |
| Altgrave/Altgravine | Altgraviate | |
| Count/Countess | County | |
| Baron/Baroness | Barony |
Minor Nobility
The Minor Nobles do not receive representation in government. Individuals with these titles are usually indistinguishable from normal civilians and conventional organizations are free to give out these titles without approval of the emperor. Unlike the Peerage, of which there are fewer than one two hundred titles in circulation, there are millions who have these lesser titles. Officials employed by the members of the Peerage often have these titles.
| Title | Rank |
|---|---|
| Castellan | |
| Grand Knight | |
| Knight | |
| Ministerialis |
Unranked Nobility
There are various heritable titles that exist outside of the conventional ranking system. These titles are recognized by the Central Government but most of them are historical remnants from older time periods. A handful still have representation in the government but some, such as Kaiser are permanently banned or simply extinct.
| Title | Organization/Territory Title | Origin | Rough Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khan | Khanate | Supreme Leader of the Un'oit | Duke |
| War Princess | Army | Leader of an Un'oit Division | Count |
| Grand Priest | Arch-Diocese | Manages the Church of Titania | Count Palatine |
| Priest | Diocese | Manages the Church of Titania | Margrave |
| Bishop | N/A | Manages the Occult Galaxy Project | Duke |
| First Lord Officer | N/A | Ruled the Ursa Syndicate | Duke |
| Lord Agent | Industry | Managed Divisions in the Ursa Syndicate | Count Palatine |
| Kaiser | N/A | Ruled Erstes Konsortium | King |
| Administrator | N/A | Highest Officer in the Triumvirate | N/A |
Organizations Represented in the Consilium
Not only are internal organizations represented within the Consilium, but international organizations and even sovereign states bordering Martial Space have representation. Organizations gain representation by controlling enough energy to fall under the top 25 most influential organizations. The 26th organization is a state-created bureau that the next 25 largest organizations have representation in, making it effectively a lower house in the Consilium. This bureau, called "The Bureau of Miscellany," represents 10% of voting power in the Consilium despite being a rank VI organization.
Economy
The economy of the region is measured solely in energy production. Capable of producing over a little over 1 L⊙ worth of energy, the vast productive value of the Greater Martial Consilium can hardly be understated. Despite rampant disorder claiming most of the GM's territory, its raw productive value is bested by only a handful of nations. Universally, the Consilium ranks among economic superpowers for the sheer volume of trade entering and leaving its borders.
The vast majority of the economy is controlled privately but large para-state organizations. These organizations, operating more similarly to governments than companies, are often democratic and non-profit, thus giving their constituents vast amounts of wealth. The state controls most of the rest of the economy, whether in the form of leftover aristocrats which have become more akin to land-owners or in the central government. The remaining portion of the economy is controlled by large-scale private corporations, small businesses, and small worker cooperatives. They usually align themselves to some larger organization or another, leaving little room for large independent companies. Consequently, wealth is very widely distributed and mostly democratically controlled.
Currency
The life blood of the Consilium is antimatter. In terms of raw amount, over 10^18 kilograms of the substance exist within the Consilium at any given time. This vast sum of energy, which is equivalent to wealth, represents about 300% of the Consilium's monthly energy production, such is the importance of the accumulation of this substance.
The Greater Martial Consilium will only accept antimatter from outside nations. Fiat currencies are despised and even antimatter-backed currencies, with two exceptions, are also scorned. The only two currencies accepted besides raw antimatter are Carosi and Fex, both backed by a gram of antimatter. Since transporting this volatile substance is incredibly costly, Carosi and Fex can be transported instead. Existing as pure data, they can even be transferred across encrypted channels for very little energy. Capable of being redeemed at what are known as "banks," or incredibly energy-dense objects, these currencies are the only two stable enough to be trusted. Carosi are redeemable at Mili and Petra while Fex are redeemable at Demiurge and Scipio.
Trade
Since resources come at a premium within the GM, most organizations specialize in one resource or another to synthesize. Vast fusion arrays capable synthesizing elements beyond iron, especially trans-uranic elements, occupy virtually every star system. Imports from neighboring nations for small quantities of much cheaper material is often necessary for less widely-produced materials. Every second, over a giga-ton of material is imported into the Greater Martial Consilium, mostly from Sagittarium, the Commonwealth of Aggregate Aylathiya, and, lately, much of Florathel. The Consilium only pays for goods in antimatter.
As far as exports are concerned, processed goods, war vessels, and Eitr are common. Vast amounts of trade flows through Martial Space from other nations, due in large part to the Hyperlanes that pass through Martial Space. While historically taxed, now the Consilium simply monitors merchant vessels and only taxes certain strategic materials to encourage local production.
Major Species
Humans make up a majority of the ruling class but a minority of those living in Martial Space. Even so, this makes them the most influential species within the Consilium, especially due to their disproportionate membership in powerful organizations such as the Confederacy of Borealis. Unlike most Humans in the rest of Cosmoria, Humans in this nation possess six digits on each limb, are, on average, shorter, more likely to posses thaumaturgic abilities, more likely to have heterochromia, and generally naturally appear more gaunt than the average human. They are often confused for Vexlores. |
Vexlores are another major species of the Consilium. They are the most common species within it. Vexlores and Humans share a common ancestor less than one million years ago, making them nearly the same species. Throughout history, they had rivaled Humans as the premier species of the Consilium. When the first Martial nation collapsed, they would go on to become the dominant species of the Martial Space. Most species have a hard time telling them apart from Humans, causing the species to grow closer. |
Atlins are an amorphous intelligent species based on an entirely different chemistry to that of more conventional species. Appearing like fire, the Atlins are essentially a plasma-based form of life. Native to a lava-covered world where seas of aluminum cover the surface, the Atlins generally keep to themselves as directly interacting with other forms of life is all but impossible. |
Hulking beings whose solvent is molten quartz, the Orcubor are the only species capable of cohabitation with the Atlins, so long as they return to much higher temperatures usually in a different location. The Orcubor are common across Martial Space and have been significant contributors to the fields of thaumic technology and research. Most technology melts on their world, requiring them to wear heavily insulated clothing while using most of it in, what is to them, frigid environments. |
Naidarans are a vaguely humanoid species originating from the planet Nai'Starte. They are mostly incorporeal with only a handful of purely physical parts of their bodies. Their bones, certain organs, and portions of their brain seem to exist physically. The rest, while most certainly existing, are intangible to all but other members of their species. This layer of mostly intangible "substance" over their internals protects them from threats by being basically untouchable. This layer is maintained via Thaumaturgy. Were the physical brain to be damaged, the entire Naidaran would fall into pieces. They are one of the most common species in the Consilium as well as one of the best at warfare. They are incredibly effective at battle, with the only risk to them being overheating. Physical damage means little to an incorporeal being, especially if the vulnerable pieces are beneath a nearly indestructible layer. |
Farlas are the sapient agents of the Ma'eau. They are a bipedal species originating from the planet Callithyia. Farlas are incapable of reproduction on their own, relying on the three other members of the species to reproduce. As a eusocial species, various roles are divided amongst different classes of individuals. The three non-sapient modes are the "workers," "breeders," and "drones." Workers are asexual, physically strong, expendable, and make up the vast majority of the population. Breeders are female and are, as their name suggests, those that maintain the population of the Farlas. Drones are male and are the most unique of the modes as they have large wings in place of arms. Farlas run their small tribe of workers and others much like a typical eusocial species. Tribes are organized into what are known as "colonies." Each colony usually had up to twenty Farlas. At one time, colonies would be organized into much larger structures that spanned entire planets. Representing the last citizens of the Triumvirate, Farlas have often been persecuted as "treasonous" simply for existing. Currently, they are allowed to continue acting on Ma'eau's will mostly undisturbed. |
Demi-Vexlores are a hybrid species of both Humans and Vexlores. However, they did not form as a result of natural interbreeding but through genetic modification. While hybrids of other combinations of species are fairly rare, Demi-Vexlores make up a significant portion of worlds where Humans and Vexlores are both common. The species is very similar to both Vexlores and Humans, possessing muted qualities of both. |
The Kshi are a race of humanoid cybernetic organisms originally created to be soldiers to aid the original Neo-Terran Party. Created by copying the brains of Humans onto an algae-based substrate, the Kshi are one of the few mostly non-biological organisms to officially have "sapient" status. Valuable for their resistance to damage and tolerance for more extreme conditions, the Kshi remain influential to this day. Most of them have organized themselves into cooperatives specializing in mercenary activities. |
The Kristals are a race of translucent mostly formless cell-less organisms. Fairly uncommon and despised by the rest of the Consilium, the Kristals eek out an existence of relative peace and prosperity behind their monarch, Solomon of Kristadt. This being, likely an artificial intelligence, will defend Kristallaus, their organization, from outside threats. There is no state, simply a monarch who occasionally commands an all-volunteer force of Kristals that seek to protect their way of life. |
Ror Units are machine-like life whose basic building blocks evolved from a grey goo scenario befalling their planet over ten million years before the present day. Despite their mechanical origins, a small minority are capable of using thaumaturgy. From these individuals, several designs for thaumic sensors have been adapted. A seclusive species, they rarely interact with anyone that is not a Ror Unit. They most often use trusted individuals of other species or androids to communicate with outsiders. |
The Molkor are humanoid carnivores, the only of their kind represented within the Consilium, who were unable to form civilization without the use of certain psychedelic compounds whose influence calmed the otherwise ultra-territorial species. While their carnivorous instincts have been somewhat engineered away, ghosts of this still remain in their universally kratocratic societies, willingness to eat their food live, and general aggression have remained. |
A rare species who has been threatened with extinction numerous times, the Vlanoans are descendants of the Svartálfar. The last remnants of a once-galaxy-spanning civilization, they have united themselves under one leader, called Leviathan, which perfectly represents the will of the people regardless of where they are in the galaxy. Consequently, their risk of extinction is much lower now than it was in the past. |
The Un'oit are a large species, at over 20 meters in height, native to a region called "Un'oit Space." The Un'oit have largely abandoned their ancient warrior culture in exchange for embracing trade; large volumes of goods pass through their territory. Isolated Un'oit communities exist not just across Martial Space but across Cosmoria, spreading Ibaradism as they adopted the faith. |
The Lentomos are a rare species related to the Dökkálfar, the ultimate ancestor of most species in Martial Space. Almost all of them had a part in a sovereign wealth fund created by Gran Lux. As this organization fell, the Lentomos have largely spread out, taking their wealth with them. Today, less than a few thousand live in Martial Space. Many of them moved to Thalvett or the Commonwealth of Aggregate Aylathiya in search of new opportunities. |
The Ekrosians are a species closely related to Vlanoans and more distantly related to Humans and Vexlores. They are native to the planet Ekros. They mostly reside in Enkatz. They are ruled by the ancient Magi Eve. |
Diplomatic Relations
A somewhat xenophobic nation, direct diplomatic action is often impossible. While close trading partners force the central government to pay mind to the outside universe, nations far from the Consilium have no such luxury. To access the vast amount of resources within the nation requires a certain level of creativity. Rather than going directly to the central government, external nations will often engage directly with organizations within the Consilium. The below table only details national relations with the central government.
Table of Relations
| Nations | Relationship status | National opinion |
|---|---|---|








