| The Meraxis Empire
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Emperor Adoniram
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Nardash, Seraph
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None
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100 BBY
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A military dictatorship in the Caperion System, Meraxis harbours the long-held desire to rule all of Seraph. They rule their dominion with an iron fist and a strong army backed by forced military conscription. Their main enemies are the The Democratic Republic of Elaya, Clan Scholae Palatinae, and the constant threat of rebellion as a result of their authoritarian rule. The current Emperor, Adoniram, inherited the position 15 years ago from his father, whose father took control of the Empire in a such a rebellion, a military coup, in his youth over a century ago. Meraxis possess devastating military might and a functioning economy.
History
Founding
Over 100 years ago, a general by the name of Meraxis, as ambitious as he was charismatic, developed a supreme lust for power on the western continent. As he gained power and supporters, a bitter war engulfed half the planet while the other powers attempted to remain neutral for fear of fuelling the fire further. Eventually, Meraxis emerged dominant, and united the continent under his own name, The Meraxis Empire, with ambitions to rule all of Seraph. Over 100 years on, his grandson, Emperor Adoniram, still rules the Empire.
Officially, the end of the war is celebrated by the Meraxis Empire as a glorious day in the history of the country. By the people, however, it is remembered as the day in which the most oppressive regime in the history of Seraph rose to power. Soon after its founding and solidification as a system-wide power, Meraxis established a trade deal with the UCE to develop the most sophisticated, high-tech city the system had ever seen - Caelestis City, on Ragnath, was the jewel of the Empire.
The Battle of Surik
In the year 34 ABY, under the command of Emperor Adoniram, the Meraxis Empire began its attempt to expand its power by launching a vicious unprovoked attack on the TRF controlled Surik Island. The battle was short and bloody, with Meraxis quickly gaining full control of the island until the TRF called upon the Elaya for support.
The result was a naval war between Elaya and Meraxis over the island. Elaya successfully stopped the invasion from progressing and secured half of the island for itself. A heavily militarised land border all that separated the two countries and numerous skirmishes were fought elsewhere across the planet.
Eventually, the tide of the battle was turned by the arrival of a second empire, Clan Scholae Palatinae, to the Caperion System, under the command of Emperor Xen'Mordin Palpatine. Presenting itself as the better of two evils, Scholae Palatinae joined the fray on the Elayan side, led by Xantros, Calindra and Rasilvenaira. Elaya won back control of Surik Island, and gained a foothold on the Meraxis continent, Seguk.
The Fall of Caelestis and New Ally
As the Meraxis Empire pushed back the Elayan forces away from its homeland, Scholae Palatinae diverted their attention to the moon. Now commanded by Empress Elincia Rei, a Scholae force took control of Caelestis by striking at the only spaceport in the city. A force consisting of such adept fighters as Xantros, Raiju and Braecen quickly took the city in the name of the Scholae Empire.
Adoniram diverted as many possible forces to the Nethal Archipelago, which was in striking distance of Caelestis, in a desperate attempt to win back the islands. Little did Scholae know that Meraxis had a hidden card up their sleeve, The Collective's Technocratic Guild, a group that hated force users as much as Meraxis, offered their support in a military alliance. While the defence of the Nethal Archipelago was eventually unsuccessful owing to the tenacity of Scholae heroes Derek Cinn, Xantros and Jorm Na'trej, the alliance with Collective Forces has given Meraxis new hope in its battle against the combined forces of Scholae Palatinae and Elaya.
Territory
Seraph
Home to 1.2 billion people, Meraxis owns an entire continent of Seraph - Seguk, a continent elongated north to south, the second largest landmass on the planet. Around the north border are the The Krakens, a dark, foreboding range of mountains that stand above all else on Seraph. Deep crevices run throughout the mountains creating a network of channels, walls, and detours. This reduces visibility greatly due to the irregular, jagged cuts into the mountain that appear to have been carved by glacial water. Some of these crags can fit entire starships while others narrow to a man's width before opening to complex and sprawling caverns within the mountain itself. The Krakens surround the Arbor Forest, a large coniferous taiga region, although what was once an untouched area of natural wildlife measuring 1000 kilometres across is now only 40% forestry, as a result of centuries of deforestation and urbanisation of the area. South of the Arbor Forest are the Kosong Plains. A wide expanse of flat, fertile soil, the plains offer the most convenient area of the continent for building, and as such contain the largest cities in the Meraxis Empire.
The continent narrows briefly about two thirds of the way down. This tropical region is called the Jungle Belt due to its primary rainforest terrain where a range of wildlife species coexist. Past the Jungle Belt is another area of plains dominated by the large cities of Meraxis, framed by a small mountain range, the Vatol Mountains, along the east coast. Within the Vatol Mountains lies Mount Vulkan, an active volcano believed to be on the verge of eruption. Very dry with little rainfall and heavy wind, most wildlife in this region are reptiles that need little water. The very southern tip of the continent crosses into the polar regions, and is covered in snow all year round.
Nardash, the capital city and home of the Imperial Palace, is located in the centre of the continent, and contains 20 million people. The city is a concrete jungle whose rule of law is enacted by a strong military police.
Ragnath
While Meraxis once controlled the most advanced city in the system on the moon, this has been taken by Clan Scholae Palatinae. While Meraxis still contains the northern part of the continent on which Caelestis is based, this area has mostly been used for farmland for a long time, and contains little strategic value.
Balaerion
Life on Balaerion dates back a mere thirty standard years, when the Meraxis Empire established the Balaerian Detention Centre, a maximum security prison facility. Largely used as a place to send political prisoners who have spoken out against the oppressive totalitarian regime, the facility is used for mining the valuable resources beneath the ice layer, its prisoners sent there on a life sentence of hard labour. The total planetary population is 100,000, of which 90,000 are miners and the remaining 10,000 are security personnel.
Leader
The ambitious tyrant of the Meraxis Empire
- Name: Adoniram
- Title: Emperor
- Species: Human
- Age: 37
- Gender: Male
- Discipline: Director
Emperor Adoniram was born into power and has never desired anything other than more of it. Over a century ago, his grandfather claimed the throne by a military coup, and ruled over the Empire of Meraxis with an iron fist. Ruthless, cold and cunning, Adoniram will stop at nothing to expand the territory of Meraxis, and by extension, his own sphere of influence. After his father died 15 years ago, and he took the throne, Adoniram’s first act was forced military conscription for all of fighting age. Since then, Meraxis has almost continually waged war against its enemies in grabs for land and resources. Many speculate it was Adoniram himself who poisoned his father, although to speak ill of the Emperor is punishable by death. All electronic communications in and out of Meraxis are strictly monitored by the imperial police.
Culture
Military
Allies and Enemies
Allies
Neutral
- UCE - The super-rich one city state put profits above everything else. They'll trade with anyone, and war generates profits. There is mutual understanding that the UCE will turn away as soon as trade with Meraxis becomes unprofitable, but until then, the UCE is the only other native group in Caperion that Meraxis enjoys diplomatic relations with.
- Nayama - While Meraxis have made numerous attempts to invade Nayama in times gone past, they have never got far due to the supreme martial skill of its people. Meraxis have since moved on to other targets.
Enemies
- Clan Scholae Palatinae - Known as the Fake Empire to Meraxis, Scholae Palatinae have allied with arch-nemesis Elaya and taken the jewel of the empire, Caelestis City. Despite decades-long disputes with Elaya, Scholae Palatinae are firmly enemy number one to Meraxis right now.
- Elaya - Elaya has thwarted the expansion of the Meraxis Empire at every turn to protect the people from its ruthless rule, and a decades-long war has resulted in somewhat of a stalemate.
- TRF - Meraxis have made numerous attempts to conquer the TRF. A small and somewhat insignificant force, their attempts have been halted by Elaya.