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[[File:Dominia_Flag_Small.png|thumb|The Imperial standard.]]
[[File:Dominia_Flag.png|thumb|The Imperial standard of House Keeser, intended to represent three nation states of old Moroz that formed the basis of the Empire of Dominia.]]
For an expansionist state such as the Empire of Dominia a strong military is of the highest concern, as is the sprawling military-industrial complex that supports it. The Dominian Imperial Military is thus consistently lavished with funds, equipment, and training as a result of its critical nature, which has made it into one of the most-experienced fighting forces in the contemporary [[Orion Spur]]. Yet there is one aspect of its nature cannot be changed no matter how much money is thrown at it: the fact that the vast majority of its least senior personnel from enlisted soldiers guarding occupied Fisanduh, to the ground crews that maintain the supersonic aircraft favored by typically noble pilots, to the crewmen of the Imperial Navy’s ships — are Ma’zals.
The nearly-undisputed masters of the Empire of Dominia are none other than the members of House Keeser, its royal family and the former ruling family of the Imperial Alliance — one of the two entities which willingly made up the Empire at its founding. The head of House Keeser is the autocratic ruler of the entire Empire, and the family is said to have the blessing of the Goddess — Our Lady of Moroz — to rule. The royal family is revered and loved by many in the Empire and is a unifying force for its people and society, with Emperor Boleslaw himself viewed as second only to the Goddess in terms of import to most Dominian citizens. It is unthinkable for many in the Empire to imagine a future without a Keeser ruling over it.


While those that supervise these Ma’zals as officers are generally Secondaries or Primaries, the ones below them almost always outnumber them. This seeming contradiction — that the instrument of conquest, and thus the creation of Ma’zals, itself is made up of those conquered — has long seemed puzzling from the outside, yet the Empire has shown that it is able to make the contradiction seemingly sensible, against all reasonable odds. The answer to this puzzle lies in the Empire’s taxation policy: the [[Empire_of_Dominia#The_Mo’ri’zal|Mo’ri’zal]].
==History==


The often-high Mo’ri’zals that Ma’zals incur simply due to being born as a Ma’zal motivates many to pursue a career in the Imperial Military, which often is the only way that many Ma’zals and their families will be free of debts incurred for the privilege of being born in the Empire. Some join for other reasons — many from Novi Jadran in particular join out of a sense of duty to those they perceive as their betters, and often rise higher than their Ma’zal counterparts — but the majority are motivated by their Mo’ri’zal, and the better lives they will live after they are rid of it. The sheer number of willing volunteers that sign up to serve in the Imperial Military has ensured that the Empire has not had a draft since the War of Moroz, a fact that it often dangles tauntingly over the head of the conscription-heavy [[Elyra Military|Elyran Armed Forces]].
The Keeser family has its roots in Landing Site Ofassel, where they were the leaders of the  colonial expedition and, over time, became the monarchs of it through clever political maneuvering and strategic dominance of the colony’s resources. Eventually, they would turn the colony into the Imperial Alliance: a militaristic and monarchist society dominated by House Keeser and their close allies, and former colony security staff, House Strelitz. The family was quick to adopt Tribunalism when it first arrived in the Imperial Alliance and secured an alliance with the Holy Kingdom through declaring the Caladius and Zhao families houses of their own, effectively uniting both proto-states into an early version of the Empire.


The [[Empire_of_Dominia#Dominian_Society|Primaries, Secondaries, and Ma’zals]] of the Imperial Military are divided into three major branches: the Imperial Army, His Imperial Majesty’s Fleet, and the Imperial Flying Corps.  
The family, under King Theodore Keeser, would begin a brutal war in 2355 against the Confederated States of Fisanduh to unify Moroz under their leadership, and this War of Moroz would end in an Imperial victory in 2384 under the leadership of King Godwin Keeser — the first Emperor of Dominia. The war to unite Moroz had turned the Imperial Alliance from a single planet to a multi-system empire and had brought it into distant contact with the Solarian Alliance, which regarded it as little more than a distant curiosity. By the time Godwin died in 2437 the Empire had expanded greatly, adding much of the modern Imperial Frontier to its control and establishing itself as a regional power equal to the Republic of Elyra.


==The Imperial Army==
Having reigned since 2437, Emperor Boleslaw’s rulership has seen more troubles than that of his father. Fisanduh, subjugated by Emperor Godwin, remains a troubled area, and the Coalition of Colonies has repeatedly interfered in its rivalry with the Republic of Elyra while the Alliance has looked on with nothing more than curiosity. Already old when he took the throne, Emperor Boleslaw has long been of ill health and could not be genetically treated as his children were. As the Emperor grows sicker it seems his children, particularly Crown Princess Priscilla, may soon become the next ruler of House Keeser and the Empire
''L'Honneur Accorde la Victoire''
[[File:House_Strelitz.png|thumb|right|The dark red standard of House Strelitz, the great house that dominates the Imperial Army.]]
The oldest and largest of the Empire’s branches is the Imperial Army, which was first formed by the Imperial Alliance — the predecessor of the modern Empire — in the years leading up to the War of Moroz. This makes it older than the Empire itself, though constant reforms and modernizations have ensured that it bears little resemblance to the force that once became stuck in a mountainous quagmire when it had to fight the Confederated States of [[Fisanduh]]’s Army. [[Empire_of_Dominia_Great_Houses#House_Strelitz|House Strelitz]] is the unquestioned master of the Imperial Army, but their conservative nature — and sense of duty — have ensured that the Army is unfailingly loyal to the Emperor, though some more conservative members of it are rumored to disdain the apparently liberal and reformist heir apparent, [[Keeser_Royal_Family#Crown_Princess_Priscilla_Keeser|Crown Princess Priscilla Keeser]].


The Imperial Army has perhaps the most practical experience out of any comparable force in the [[Orion Spur]] due to the Empire’s seemingly unending conquests, which are providing it with ample opportunities to cut its teeth in open warfare and counterinsurgency operations. Its large size and multitude of active combat operations have given the Imperial Army a massive need for officers, regardless of their origins. Though it remains heavily stratified it is— despite the conservative leanings of House Strelitz — it is not unheard of for a Ma’zal to become an officer, though those that rise to such ranks are typically from [[Empire_of_Dominia#Novi_Jadran|Novi Jadran]]. While a Ma’zal is capable of rising to the officer ranks, ranks above non-commissioned officers consist almost entirely of Secondaries and Primaries. While the Imperial Army is primarily a human organisation it does have some aliens within its ranks, primarily unathi from or affiliated with House Kazhkz and its Han’san faction. These unathi are formed into their own species-based units commanded by human, and often Strelitz-affiliated, officers that are attached to Imperial battalions as assault infantry. These “unathi regiments,” as they are typically known are highly prized by Imperial Army commanders, who often deploy them to the most dangerous areas of an assault.
==The Royal Family==


The common soldiers of the Imperial Army are most typically deployed on the Imperial Frontier, where they are responsible for much of the fighting and dying that takes place when a planet does not immediately surrender to the Empire when His Imperial Majesty’s Fleet arrives in the system in force. One of the most recent notable invasions carried out by the Imperial Army was the invasion and pacification of [[Empire_of_Dominia#Sun_Reach|Sun Reach]], a planet located in a system with rich deposits of Helium-3. While the conquest took barely two months the Imperial Army has since found itself in a protracted war against insurgents on the planet, and has resorted to using more and more severe methods to pacify the population. While much of the Imperial Army’s combat operations are carried out against similar unconventional forces, it has engaged many conventional forces: primarily the militias and limited armed forces of colonies the Empire conquers. In these scenarios it almost always has an overwhelming advantage, and has yet to face a serious defeat on the open battlefield as a result. Imperial Army forces are also involved in what they term as “peacekeeping operations,” in Fisanduh alongside the Imperial Flying Corps, where they have been involved in an ongoing asymmetrical conflict for decades.
===Boleslaw Keeser===


Compared to its major regional rival, the Elyran Armed Forces, the Imperial Army is significantly more experienced but has begun to lag behind in technological parity as the Elyran military has reformed. The equipment demands that result from its large size and multitude of conflicts have given the Imperial Army a preference for equipment that has been proven to work effectively. Unlike the glamorous clothing associated with [[Moroz|Moroz’s]] nobility, the typical Army regular’s uniform and armor consists of dull earthen tones designed to blend in with the environment. The most common rifle used by Imperial Army troops is the MPR-24/5 (Moroz Pattern Rifle, Year of 2624, fifth modification), a 40 year old rifle that has been continuously upgraded and modified since its inception as ballistic weaponry, in the eyes of Army command, is both more reliable and easier to train Ma’zals with. As a result energy weaponry is generally kept within special units consisting of more trusted Ma’zals, such as those from Novi Jadran, and the Army’s primarily-Morozian special forces.
'''Date of Birth: 17 December 2405'''


The special forces of the Imperial Army are known as His Majesty's Special Operations Group, or simply as “the Group.” The Group is primarily recruited from the Empire’s core worlds and Novi Jadran, and is divided into two wings: geneboosted and non-geneboosted. The geneboosted wing is the older and more prestigious branch, dating back to the end of the War of Moroz and the Strelitz troops used to decisively end it. This wing consists entirely of geneboosted Primaries and is often regarded as the most prestigious unit of the Army. The non-geneboosted wing is primarily recruited from Novi Jadran (though Lyodii and Secondaries often find their way into it) and, despite their lesser prestige, is responsible for the majority of the Imperial Army’s special operations due to its larger size and greater flexibility. Commandos from the non-geneboosted wing can be found throughout the Empire, but are most often associated with long-range expeditions into Fisanduh to destroy 3F arms factories. These long-range patrols are often equipped with non-Dominian weaponry in the name of plausible deniability, and to avoid any diplomatic consequences.
His Imperial Majesty Emperor Boleslaw Keeser the First is the absolute ruler of the Empire of Dominia, and has seen its continued success under his reign. However some wonder if he truly lives up to the legacy of his dearly departed father, Emperor Godwin Keeser — United of Moroz, Savior of Novi Jadran and Sun Reach, Hammerer of the Pirate Lords, and Emperor of Dominia. He has invested greatly in improving the infrastructure and lives of Morozians at the cost of the less influential Imperial Frontier, and is popular amongst the masses and the nobility as a symbol of unity for the Empire. The Emperor has also seen the Empire through the phoron crisis and the aftermath of the Solarian Collapse, which saw the Imperial Fleet encountering far more piracy in the Badlands and Sparring Sea — an issue which brought it closer to the Solarian Alliance through informal anti-piracy treaties with Solarian actors in the Southern Reaches.


Standards of living of the soldiers of the Imperial Army vary depending on both their rank and their social class of origin, though the meritocratic nature of its recruitment and organisation has ensured that these social class gaps – at least those in common ranks, such as the enlisted and lower-ranked officers – are not egregious. The general staff of the Imperial Army goes to great lengths to ensure that Ma’zals within it are treated well and have a better standard of living while in the Army than many had on their planets, which ensures that it always has a steady stream of willing volunteers signing up to serve. While life is often difficult in the Imperial Army, its personnel – from the greenest Ma’zal recruits just sent to Moroz for basic training to its Primary general staff – can count on the Army not abandoning them to die, or to go hungry in the cold.
But the Emperor is not a young man and is not geneboosted as the Crown Princess is. Time has not been kind to him and he, sickly from birth, had found himself increasingly ill as the 2460s have continued. This has caused the Crown Princess and the Imperial Cabinet to slowly assume more and more responsibilities during his increasingly frequent bouts of ill health where he is cared for by the Empress, Lei Keeser. Many believe he will not survive until the end of the decade, and it is common for those in the Empire to pray for his health and longevity. But prayer can only go so far and the Empire nervously awaits when the Emperor shall pass into the arms of Our Lady of Moroz, leaving the Empire to Crown Princess Priscilla — who the Emperor is said to disfavor over his only son, Crown Prince Alexander, despite Priscilla’s status as the heir apparent.


==His Imperial Majesty’s Fleet==
===Lei Keeser===
''Soit Gagner Soit Mourir''
[[File:Zhao_Flag_Small.png|thumb|right|The white-and-grey standard of House Zhao, the great house that dominates the Imperial Fleet.]]
While the junior of the Imperial Army in terms of age — being founded in the final years of the War of Moroz — His Imperial Majesty’s Fleet (often shortened to “HIMF,” or simply the “Imperial Fleet,”) is no less important, with many arguing that it is far more important to Dominia’s imperial ambitions than its planetbound counterpart. Vast funds and countless factories are devoted to the purpose of ensuring that the Imperial Fleet is strong enough to counter any threats to the Empire; whether they be pirates, unathi savages, frontiersmen, or Elyrans — the main regional rival of the Empire. Much of the Imperial Fleet’s equipment is produced by Zavodskoi Interstellar in collaboration with House Zhao and House Caladius: the Zhaos provide the industry and many of the crews, while the Caladius provide the funding required. While the traditionally more liberal House Zhao is the unquestioned master of the Imperial Fleet, the Fleet itself is a more conservative organization that is steeped in traditions and shaped by its sense of unwavering duty towards the Emperor. Many naval officers in the Fleet belong to often-exclusive officer’s societies that exclude most Ma’zals on principal, and officers outside these societies can find their promotions denied or otherwise stymied. Imperial Fleet vessels can be identified by the prefix HIMFS (His Imperial Majesty’s Fleet Ship).


While it is smaller than many of its human counterparts — having only 15 fleets with mere hundreds of ships in each — the Imperial Fleet is perhaps the most experienced of the Orion Spur’s human fleets, having fought a variety of pitched battles and border skirmishes in the course of the Empire’s steady outwards expansion over the course of the last century. The experience gained during the course of these conquests has shaped the Fleet’s doctrine of “decisive battle,” in which the entire Dominian force moves as one in a massive show of force in an attempt to make the planet capitulate without serious resistance. Many frontier worlds, which often only have a paltry sum of combat-ready vessels, have surrendered upon witnessing the fully assembled strength of an Imperial fleet.
'''Date of Birth: 22 November 2406'''


The pride of the Empire’s fleets is the HIMFS ''Carmen Cygni'', the current flagship of Grand Admiral Huiling Zhao, the master of the Imperial Fleet, and the command vessel of the Empire’s First Fleet. Originally launched in 2445 and recently modernized in collaboration with Zavodskoi Interstellar in 2464, the ''Carmen Cygni'' is regarded as a symbol of national pride, and has never been bested upon the field of combat. To serve aboard it in any function – even at the lowest level – is to bring immense pride to one’s family name, and thousands of hopeful naval personnel apply to serve on the vessel every year. Though it primarily relies upon tried-and-true Helium-3 engines, the ''Carmen Cygni'' is one of the few ships in the Imperial Fleet capable of bluespace jumps. In theory, should the Emperor desire to visit the Republic of Biesel, he would be borne to it on the Imperial Fleet’s flagship.
The Empress of Dominia, Lei Keeser is a well-loved figure throughout the Empire — and beyond — for her charitable work. A medical doctor by training one of the most prominent followers of the Scholar aspect of the Goddess, the Empress is deeply involved in her husband’s efforts to improve the lives of Morozians. Her charity extends to trusted Ma’zal populations within the Empire and she is well-regarded by many for her efforts to lighten the Mo’ri’zal on citizens from the Imperial Frontier. A large statue of her helping a Ma’zal out of his chains is featured in front of the Holy Cathedral of Our Lady the Goddess, the largest Tribunal church on Moroz. She is also the founder of the Empire’s largest contemporary fencing society, Her Majesty Empress Lei's Royal Fencing Society.


While the Imperial Army is prone to the occasional non-Jadranic Ma’zal officer out of sheer necessity, the Imperial Fleet is not the same. To be a naval officer is a great honor for many, and it is a right reserved for a select few: Primaries, Secondaries, and notable Novi Jadranic Ma’zals, which the Imperial Fleet views as “honorary Morozians,” for all practical intents and purposes. The highest ranks of the fleet are dominated by the Empire’s nobility, and none come from outside of House Zhao. Unathi in particular are looked down upon in the Imperial Fleet and rarely rise above the lowest ranks, with many believing that House Zhao’s intense distaste for their piratical backgrounds is the reason behind this. Those unathi that do opt to fight for the Empire in the vast reaches of the Orion Spur often avoid the Imperial Fleet entirely, instead opting to serve as privateers. These privateers, which are often crewed exclusively by unathi, are often viewed in a poor light by House Zhao and the Fleet, and House Zhao ships have been known to “misidentify,” unathi privateers affiliated with the Empire, a tragic mistake that sometimes results in the destruction of the unathi vessel.
But behind this public face lies a woman with deep experience in the intricacies of Imperial politics who is not afraid to dirty her hands by proxy if it is for the good of the Empire — and for House Keeser. Lei is rumored to often visit the office of Alojzia Molnarova, Director of His Majesty's Imperial Intelligence Directorate, for unknown purposes. The Empress is closest to Crown Princess Priscilla and is a major force behind her eldest daughter’s status as the heir apparent to the throne.


When compared to its major regional rivals, the Elyran Navy and Coalition of Colonies, the Imperial Fleet maintains a technological edge on both and a numerical advantage on the Elyran Navy. However, a direct comparison to the Coalition is difficult due to its dispersed strength and varying development. While a Himean or Xanusanii fleet may be as strong as their Dominian counterparts, there are many worlds in the Coalition that cannot hope to stand against an Imperial fleet on their own. Imperial Fleet vessels rely overwhelmingly on large-scale ballistic armaments and tend to be large and heavily-armored in order to have more space for well-protected gun turrets. Fleet crews are constantly drilled in order to achieve the best accuracy possible, and little attention is paid to strategies such as ramming in order to board. Dominian vessels are generally slower than their Elyran counterparts as they use Helium-3 powered warp engines rather than phoron-based thrusters. With the shortage worsening every day, it seems that their vessels will be made with He3 engines for the foreseeable future.
===Priscilla Keeser===


Each Imperial Navy vessel is assigned a complement of Imperial Marines for the purpose of repelling boarding parties or any boarding missions the ship itself may have to carry out. Clad in white-and-red prejoroub and Jinxiang-pattern suits, these well-trained infantry are primarily recruited from non-geneboosted Primaries and Secondaries. To have a child serve in the Imperial Marines is a badge of honor for many families, due to the prestige of the Fleet and the Imperial Marines’ reputation for bravery.
'''Date of Birth: 13 May 2429'''


Unlike its planetary counterpart, the living standards of the Imperial Fleet are very much divided along lines of social class and rank. Enlisted personnel live in tight, cramped quarters designed to use space as efficiently as possible while their officer counterparts – which are generally nobles – live in comfortable (and for some, opulent) chambers that are most often private, or at least only contain one to two other persons in the case of junior officers. The Ma’zals of the Imperial Fleet often chafe under these conditions, and as a result the Fleet has a smaller amount of “careerist” enlisted (those that have decided to live their life in service of the Imperial military) than the Imperial Army. Despite the clear class divisions in the Imperial Fleet many Ma’zals still opt to serve in it, as a naval career – and the skills learned in it – can provide immense material benefits for a Ma’zal family.
The heir apparent of the Empire and eldest daughter of the Emperor and Empress, Priscilla Keeser is one of the most powerful figures in the modern Empire. She is poised, elegant, a prominent scholar of the natural sciences who holds a doctorate in biochemistry, and one of the highest-ranked fencers in the Empire in addition to being a polyglot who understands High Morozi, Vulgar Morozi, Tau Ceti Basic, Elyran Standard, and commands a passing grasp of Freespeak she uses to surprise Coalitioners. The crown princess has been extensively geneboosted and towers over other humans at over two meters tall, surpassing even other Primaries, with a gaunt frame. Priscilla is known to prefer more masculine dress and is typically seen clad in long greatcoats in the style of the Imperial Army, which she is a great advocate of, designed to accentuate her imposing height.


==The Imperial Flying Corps==
The crown princess draws much of her support from the Imperial Army and House Strelitz — who have long issued her an adjutant, Elfriede von Sinzendorf, who is at Priscilla’s side at nearly every moment. Her connections to the Imperial Army have made her into an advocate for the Empire’s Ma’zals, who make up much of its lower ranks and do a great deal of its fighting and dying. This advocacy has seen her tour the Imperial Frontier many times and she is known to possess an estate on Novi Jadran staffed solely by Army veterans and their families — individuals who are paid more than most on the world and who are unfailingly loyal to the crown princess. The crown princess frequently meets with High Lord General Dorothea-Frieda Strelitz and the head of the Army’s Special Operations Group, Angelika-Lina Strelitz. Her interests have taken her abroad to view the Tau Ceti Armed Forces as part of the Empire’s diplomatic mission to the Republic of Biesel, along with von Sinzendorf.
''Nous Protégeons et Vengeons''


For as long as mankind has walked, he has dreamt of flight. Though not the youngest of the Imperial Military’s branches, the Imperial Flying Corps (often called the “IFC,” or simply “Flying Corps,”) it is by far the smallest, having only a fraction of the personnel that the Imperial Army and Imperial Fleet have under arms. Yet despite this small size it exerts a significant amount of influence due to who tends to join the IFC’s ranks of pilot officers: unlike any other branch in the Imperial Military the IFC’s combat troops are often drawn from the Empire’s nobility, with less prestigious positions (such as ground crews and bomber crews) made up of Secondaries and Ma’zals. To be a fighter pilot — the most prestigious position in the IFC — means that one is, in almost every scenario, also a Primary. As a result of how many nobles fill its officer ranks, no single great house dominates the IFC. As with its naval counterpart many officer pilots in the IFC belong to exclusive societies that exclude Ma’zals on principle, with some of these societies excluding Secondaries as well.
Priscilla is known throughout the Empire as more liberal than her father, and frequently has spats with Prince Alexander over policy and matters of the military. While never occurring in public the arguments between the two are rumored, if one is to believe the bar gossip of Nova Luxembourg, to become very heated, featuring long screaming matches between the two siblings which are only silenced by the intervention of the Empress herself. Empress Lei favors Priscilla and has provided her daughter with extensive amounts of training, and information from Director Molnarova, regarding the great houses and other notable families of the Empire. While she has never indicated so in public the Crown Princess is rumored to have the ability to destroy any noble family’s reputation in a day, and some whisper that those nobles declared synthetics are almost always opposed to her goals.


The Imperial Flying Corps is seconded to both the Imperial Army and His Imperial Majesty’s Fleet, and provides the both with the majority of their fighter, bomber, and support aircraft. This has led to an often-awkward relationship between the IFC and it’s attached branch, as many officers in the Fleet and Army come from non-noble backgrounds and, in the eyes of noble-born IFC pilots, are socislly inferior to their IFC counterparts. Attempts to integrate the IFC into either the Imperial Army or Fleet instead of having this dual structure have consistently failed due to the Corps’ influence, which stretches up to the Emperor’s throne via the ChiefChief Commissioner for Imperial Aviation, Annaliese Strelitz.
As the Emperor grows more and more ill in his old age Crown Princess Priscilla is undoubtedly the heir apparent, and is indeed officially such per his majesty. But her younger brother has not ceased his attempts to gain influence for his conservative allies, and her younger sister is both fickle and influential over the Fleet — meaning she must be swayed to Priscilla’s side to prevent significant headaches once she is crowned Empress.


To be a pilot of the IFC means many things depending upon what aircraft one is placed in charge of, or what air wing one is assigned to serve in. The fighter wings of the Flying Corps are the most prestigious of the entire force; viewed as knights of the skies, the stereotypical Dominian fighter pilot is a (non-geneboosted) Primary capable of taking down any threat to the Empire, whether in the void of space or the skies above Fisanduh or Sun Reach, before retiring to the polite society of their officer’s clubs. In reality, a significant minority of non-noble fighter pilots — primarily Secondaries with the occasional Ma’zal — also serve as IFC fighter pilots, and are often passed up for opportunities in favor of their noble counterparts.
===Alexander Keeser===


For pilots not in the Corps’ fighter wings life is much less glamorous. Bomber crews — which log more flight hours than any other category in the IFC — do much of the work of supporting the Imperial Army’s offensives and counter-insurgency operations, and gain none of the prestige of their fighter-flying noble counterparts. Those that crew the IFC’s supersonic bombers are, as a result of this lack of prestige, a mix of Secondaries and Ma’zals. These men and women are beloved by the Imperial Army and often hated by the residents of recently-occupied planets, which view them as the source of many of their woes. Those that fly ground attack craft, the most dangerous duty in the Flying Corps, are almost always Ma’zals, and suffer from much of the same issues as their bomber counterparts.
'''Date of Birth: 23 November 2431'''


The ground crews of the IFC and those in it that fly what the Corps broadly calls “utility” craft — transport planes and such — are almost always Ma’zals. In the highly-stratified Flying Corps, itself a microcosm of the Empire’s broader society, the Ma’zal works for the Primary’s benefit. Behind every Primary sitting in his cockpit, ready to bring home prestige and accolades to his family, there is a team of Ma’zals: they load the missiles, fuel the fighters, and a dozen other things. But they receive none of the credit, none of the prestige, and none of the attention. Thus goes the nature of the Empire of Dominia, and thus shall it always continue unless the Goddess Herself intervenes.
The middle child of the family, Alexander is both doted on by his father due to being the only son and frustrated by how distant the Empire's throne seems from him. Though as poised and elegant as his sister is, Alexander has always preferred more martial pursuits over Priscilla’s favoring of the sciences and philosophy. He is regarded as perhaps the single-best fencer in the contemporary Empire, an adept pilot, and serves as the honorary commander of the Royal Morozian Regiment — though its true commander is a noble of House Strelitz. Alexander has been extensively geneboosted and is as tall as his sister, though his frame is less gaunt than hers. He often wears the uniform of a Commander of the Imperial Flying Corps — his most favored branch of the military. He is one of the only contemporary holders of the Royal Fencing Award with Diamond Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords, an exceedingly high honour within the Royal Fencing Society.


As one might expect, the living standards of the Imperial Flying Corps are starkly divided along lines of class and rank. The Primaries that serve in it live luxurious, glamorous lives and have many amenities, with most Primaries of the IFC having their own chauffeurs and housing themselves in the finest available accommodations. On the other hand the Secondaries and Ma’zals of the IFC must make do with barracks – often in muddy environments, due to the amounts of earth that must be moved to create an effective airfield – or simple canvas tents. Few Ma’zals, or Secondaries, opt to make a career out of service in the Flying Corps, with many instead transferring out to the Imperial Army or Imperial Fleet. The Flying Corps has, thus far, not cared to address this issue, as many of its high-ranking officers simply view non-nobility as entirely beneath notice.
While unlikely to ascend to the throne Alexander has long enjoyed the support of the more conservative elements of the Imperial nobility, and is a great patron of the Imperial Flying Corps who often pays social calls to its Chief Commissioner, Annaliese Strelitz. Perhaps unsurprisingly Alexander’s adjutant is a fellow pilot, Yusheng Zhao of the Imperial Fleet. Alexander is known to not be overly fond of Yusheng, who was selected by the Empress to aid him, and more favors Régis Caladius, a Commander of the Imperial Flying Corps who the prince often discusses aviation innovations with — and who is favored by the Corps themselves.


Alexander holds a dim view of the Empire’s non-Morozians and is often brought into conflict with his sister over this view. The bickering of the royal siblings is the subject of much gossip in Nova Luxembourg and across Moroz, but many are worried it will continue after Priscilla becomes Empress. A divided cabinet, after all, would only truly serve Elyra.
===Hai Keeser===
'''Date of Birth: 05 March 2338'''
The youngest of the royal siblings, Hai Keeser is often more a naval officer than a royal child and is most regularly found accompanying Grand Admiral Zhao. Poised and elegant, if somewhat prone to impish behavior at the expense of her siblings, Hai is third in line for the throne and significantly less concerned about it than her older siblings. To her, the Imperial Fleet is a much greater concern, and she is often found on Zhurong or on the bridge of the HIMFS Moroz alongside some of the Fleet’s highest-ranking officers. While geneboosted like her siblings Hai is not nearly as tall at roughly six feet in height, and is rumored to hold some bitterness towards her taller siblings regarding this.
While she is unbothered by the line of succession Hai’s support is valuable for her older siblings due to her influence in the Imperial Fleet and connections to House Zhao, the masters of the Fleet and much of the Empire’s machinery of war. Uninterested in politics and in the bickering of liberals and conservatives within the Imperial nobility, Hai has long been aligned to Priscilla but has — perhaps due to the influence of House Zhao and the conservatives of the Fleet — taken a more conservative stance than her older sister. While not as conservative as her older brother Hai’s stances regarding Ma’zals are more traditional than those of her sister, reflecting the attitudes of the Imperial Fleet. Despite this she is a great patron of the Empire’s non-great House nobility, and is frequently seen upon Zhurong meeting with the minor houses which run much of the Empire’s military industry. Her adjutant, Nobuko Kaneko, is one of these minor nobles and is next in line to become Countess Kaneko once her father, Count Yoichi Kaneko, passes into the arms of the Goddess.
Hai holds a positive relationship with both her mother and father, but has grown more distant from them in her adulthood as she has spent more and more time on patrols with the Imperial Fleet or conducting business upon Zhurong. This is a rumor to greatly grieve her mother and father, and may have had a role in pushing them towards Priscilla and Alexander respectively.
==Adjutants of the Royal Family==
===Elfriede von Sinzendorf===
The adjutant of Crown Princess Priscilla and a minor noble from a family affiliated with House Strelitz, von Sinzendorf has spent most of her twenty-eight years of life alongside Priscilla. She is an accomplished duelist and known through the Empire for often serving as the public face of the crown princess during interviews and conferences. Wherever Priscilla travels, von Sinzendorf is alongside her and ready to provide whatever may be required — though she is rumored to be an utterly dreadful cook. Due to accompanying Priscilla wherever she travels von Sinzendorf is a minor celebrity in some niche circles of Mendell City’s gossip magazines, where her prominent High Morozi accent and omnipresent Royal Morozian Regiment officer’s uniform is both adored and mocked.
Despite her somewhat comical reputation in these magazines von Sinzendorf has always been steadfast in her loyalty to Priscilla and is the Crown Princess’ most trusted friend. There is little reason to doubt that von Sinzendorf would do anything Priscilla ordered her to do — even if it would result in her own demise.
===Régis Caladius===
A gifted pilot and duelist, Régis Caladius is not the de jure adjutant of Prince Alexander — this title belongs to Sir Yusheng Zhao — but is a close confidant of the royal. Régis is known as a daring and pioneering aviator throughout the Empire but has only recently become acquainted with the prince, with many suspecting he has been hand-picked by conservatives within the Empire’s nobility to represent their interests. Regardless of his intent, Régis is viewed by the prince as a close friend and one of the few duelists capable of holding his own against him. To Yusheng, Priscilla, and the Empress he is regarded as a bothersome individual who has meddled in the relationship between Prince Alexander and his actual adjutant.
Despite this troublesome reputation Régis has continued to serve at Alexander’s behest, and will likely remain until Priscilla ascends to the throne as the current Emperor has shown no interest in removing his favored child’s chosen aide.
===Nobuko Kaneko===
The adjutant, and close friend, of Hai Keeser and the heir to House Kaneko’s estate, Nobuko is a gifted engineer who is the same age as the youngest royal child. While von Sinzendorf serves as a bodyguard and Régis serves as a political operative, Nobuko and Hai’s relationship is the closest to conventional friendship, though she does advise the princess on matters of industry and advocates for House Zhao’s interests. Nobuko and Hai have known each other since they were very young, and the young heiress was selected to be Hai’s adjutant before both were ten years of age. Over the intervening years Nobuko has become an impressive engineer in her own regard while Hai has pursued more naval studies, but this friendship has not waned.
While a close friend of Princess Hai, Lady Kaneko has her own interests which she vouches for and whispers to the princess. Many of these interests are those of House Zhao, but some belong solely to House Kaneko — though these are always presented as mural interests of Houses Zhao and Kaneko.


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Latest revision as of 01:39, 9 March 2024

The Imperial standard of House Keeser, intended to represent three nation states of old Moroz that formed the basis of the Empire of Dominia.

The nearly-undisputed masters of the Empire of Dominia are none other than the members of House Keeser, its royal family and the former ruling family of the Imperial Alliance — one of the two entities which willingly made up the Empire at its founding. The head of House Keeser is the autocratic ruler of the entire Empire, and the family is said to have the blessing of the Goddess — Our Lady of Moroz — to rule. The royal family is revered and loved by many in the Empire and is a unifying force for its people and society, with Emperor Boleslaw himself viewed as second only to the Goddess in terms of import to most Dominian citizens. It is unthinkable for many in the Empire to imagine a future without a Keeser ruling over it.

History

The Keeser family has its roots in Landing Site Ofassel, where they were the leaders of the colonial expedition and, over time, became the monarchs of it through clever political maneuvering and strategic dominance of the colony’s resources. Eventually, they would turn the colony into the Imperial Alliance: a militaristic and monarchist society dominated by House Keeser and their close allies, and former colony security staff, House Strelitz. The family was quick to adopt Tribunalism when it first arrived in the Imperial Alliance and secured an alliance with the Holy Kingdom through declaring the Caladius and Zhao families houses of their own, effectively uniting both proto-states into an early version of the Empire.

The family, under King Theodore Keeser, would begin a brutal war in 2355 against the Confederated States of Fisanduh to unify Moroz under their leadership, and this War of Moroz would end in an Imperial victory in 2384 under the leadership of King Godwin Keeser — the first Emperor of Dominia. The war to unite Moroz had turned the Imperial Alliance from a single planet to a multi-system empire and had brought it into distant contact with the Solarian Alliance, which regarded it as little more than a distant curiosity. By the time Godwin died in 2437 the Empire had expanded greatly, adding much of the modern Imperial Frontier to its control and establishing itself as a regional power equal to the Republic of Elyra.

Having reigned since 2437, Emperor Boleslaw’s rulership has seen more troubles than that of his father. Fisanduh, subjugated by Emperor Godwin, remains a troubled area, and the Coalition of Colonies has repeatedly interfered in its rivalry with the Republic of Elyra while the Alliance has looked on with nothing more than curiosity. Already old when he took the throne, Emperor Boleslaw has long been of ill health and could not be genetically treated as his children were. As the Emperor grows sicker it seems his children, particularly Crown Princess Priscilla, may soon become the next ruler of House Keeser and the Empire

The Royal Family

Boleslaw Keeser

Date of Birth: 17 December 2405

His Imperial Majesty Emperor Boleslaw Keeser the First is the absolute ruler of the Empire of Dominia, and has seen its continued success under his reign. However some wonder if he truly lives up to the legacy of his dearly departed father, Emperor Godwin Keeser — United of Moroz, Savior of Novi Jadran and Sun Reach, Hammerer of the Pirate Lords, and Emperor of Dominia. He has invested greatly in improving the infrastructure and lives of Morozians at the cost of the less influential Imperial Frontier, and is popular amongst the masses and the nobility as a symbol of unity for the Empire. The Emperor has also seen the Empire through the phoron crisis and the aftermath of the Solarian Collapse, which saw the Imperial Fleet encountering far more piracy in the Badlands and Sparring Sea — an issue which brought it closer to the Solarian Alliance through informal anti-piracy treaties with Solarian actors in the Southern Reaches.

But the Emperor is not a young man and is not geneboosted as the Crown Princess is. Time has not been kind to him and he, sickly from birth, had found himself increasingly ill as the 2460s have continued. This has caused the Crown Princess and the Imperial Cabinet to slowly assume more and more responsibilities during his increasingly frequent bouts of ill health where he is cared for by the Empress, Lei Keeser. Many believe he will not survive until the end of the decade, and it is common for those in the Empire to pray for his health and longevity. But prayer can only go so far and the Empire nervously awaits when the Emperor shall pass into the arms of Our Lady of Moroz, leaving the Empire to Crown Princess Priscilla — who the Emperor is said to disfavor over his only son, Crown Prince Alexander, despite Priscilla’s status as the heir apparent.

Lei Keeser

Date of Birth: 22 November 2406

The Empress of Dominia, Lei Keeser is a well-loved figure throughout the Empire — and beyond — for her charitable work. A medical doctor by training one of the most prominent followers of the Scholar aspect of the Goddess, the Empress is deeply involved in her husband’s efforts to improve the lives of Morozians. Her charity extends to trusted Ma’zal populations within the Empire and she is well-regarded by many for her efforts to lighten the Mo’ri’zal on citizens from the Imperial Frontier. A large statue of her helping a Ma’zal out of his chains is featured in front of the Holy Cathedral of Our Lady the Goddess, the largest Tribunal church on Moroz. She is also the founder of the Empire’s largest contemporary fencing society, Her Majesty Empress Lei's Royal Fencing Society.

But behind this public face lies a woman with deep experience in the intricacies of Imperial politics who is not afraid to dirty her hands by proxy if it is for the good of the Empire — and for House Keeser. Lei is rumored to often visit the office of Alojzia Molnarova, Director of His Majesty's Imperial Intelligence Directorate, for unknown purposes. The Empress is closest to Crown Princess Priscilla and is a major force behind her eldest daughter’s status as the heir apparent to the throne.

Priscilla Keeser

Date of Birth: 13 May 2429

The heir apparent of the Empire and eldest daughter of the Emperor and Empress, Priscilla Keeser is one of the most powerful figures in the modern Empire. She is poised, elegant, a prominent scholar of the natural sciences who holds a doctorate in biochemistry, and one of the highest-ranked fencers in the Empire in addition to being a polyglot who understands High Morozi, Vulgar Morozi, Tau Ceti Basic, Elyran Standard, and commands a passing grasp of Freespeak she uses to surprise Coalitioners. The crown princess has been extensively geneboosted and towers over other humans at over two meters tall, surpassing even other Primaries, with a gaunt frame. Priscilla is known to prefer more masculine dress and is typically seen clad in long greatcoats in the style of the Imperial Army, which she is a great advocate of, designed to accentuate her imposing height.

The crown princess draws much of her support from the Imperial Army and House Strelitz — who have long issued her an adjutant, Elfriede von Sinzendorf, who is at Priscilla’s side at nearly every moment. Her connections to the Imperial Army have made her into an advocate for the Empire’s Ma’zals, who make up much of its lower ranks and do a great deal of its fighting and dying. This advocacy has seen her tour the Imperial Frontier many times and she is known to possess an estate on Novi Jadran staffed solely by Army veterans and their families — individuals who are paid more than most on the world and who are unfailingly loyal to the crown princess. The crown princess frequently meets with High Lord General Dorothea-Frieda Strelitz and the head of the Army’s Special Operations Group, Angelika-Lina Strelitz. Her interests have taken her abroad to view the Tau Ceti Armed Forces as part of the Empire’s diplomatic mission to the Republic of Biesel, along with von Sinzendorf.

Priscilla is known throughout the Empire as more liberal than her father, and frequently has spats with Prince Alexander over policy and matters of the military. While never occurring in public the arguments between the two are rumored, if one is to believe the bar gossip of Nova Luxembourg, to become very heated, featuring long screaming matches between the two siblings which are only silenced by the intervention of the Empress herself. Empress Lei favors Priscilla and has provided her daughter with extensive amounts of training, and information from Director Molnarova, regarding the great houses and other notable families of the Empire. While she has never indicated so in public the Crown Princess is rumored to have the ability to destroy any noble family’s reputation in a day, and some whisper that those nobles declared synthetics are almost always opposed to her goals.

As the Emperor grows more and more ill in his old age Crown Princess Priscilla is undoubtedly the heir apparent, and is indeed officially such per his majesty. But her younger brother has not ceased his attempts to gain influence for his conservative allies, and her younger sister is both fickle and influential over the Fleet — meaning she must be swayed to Priscilla’s side to prevent significant headaches once she is crowned Empress.

Alexander Keeser

Date of Birth: 23 November 2431

The middle child of the family, Alexander is both doted on by his father due to being the only son and frustrated by how distant the Empire's throne seems from him. Though as poised and elegant as his sister is, Alexander has always preferred more martial pursuits over Priscilla’s favoring of the sciences and philosophy. He is regarded as perhaps the single-best fencer in the contemporary Empire, an adept pilot, and serves as the honorary commander of the Royal Morozian Regiment — though its true commander is a noble of House Strelitz. Alexander has been extensively geneboosted and is as tall as his sister, though his frame is less gaunt than hers. He often wears the uniform of a Commander of the Imperial Flying Corps — his most favored branch of the military. He is one of the only contemporary holders of the Royal Fencing Award with Diamond Oak Leaves and Crossed Swords, an exceedingly high honour within the Royal Fencing Society.

While unlikely to ascend to the throne Alexander has long enjoyed the support of the more conservative elements of the Imperial nobility, and is a great patron of the Imperial Flying Corps who often pays social calls to its Chief Commissioner, Annaliese Strelitz. Perhaps unsurprisingly Alexander’s adjutant is a fellow pilot, Yusheng Zhao of the Imperial Fleet. Alexander is known to not be overly fond of Yusheng, who was selected by the Empress to aid him, and more favors Régis Caladius, a Commander of the Imperial Flying Corps who the prince often discusses aviation innovations with — and who is favored by the Corps themselves.

Alexander holds a dim view of the Empire’s non-Morozians and is often brought into conflict with his sister over this view. The bickering of the royal siblings is the subject of much gossip in Nova Luxembourg and across Moroz, but many are worried it will continue after Priscilla becomes Empress. A divided cabinet, after all, would only truly serve Elyra.

Hai Keeser

Date of Birth: 05 March 2338

The youngest of the royal siblings, Hai Keeser is often more a naval officer than a royal child and is most regularly found accompanying Grand Admiral Zhao. Poised and elegant, if somewhat prone to impish behavior at the expense of her siblings, Hai is third in line for the throne and significantly less concerned about it than her older siblings. To her, the Imperial Fleet is a much greater concern, and she is often found on Zhurong or on the bridge of the HIMFS Moroz alongside some of the Fleet’s highest-ranking officers. While geneboosted like her siblings Hai is not nearly as tall at roughly six feet in height, and is rumored to hold some bitterness towards her taller siblings regarding this.

While she is unbothered by the line of succession Hai’s support is valuable for her older siblings due to her influence in the Imperial Fleet and connections to House Zhao, the masters of the Fleet and much of the Empire’s machinery of war. Uninterested in politics and in the bickering of liberals and conservatives within the Imperial nobility, Hai has long been aligned to Priscilla but has — perhaps due to the influence of House Zhao and the conservatives of the Fleet — taken a more conservative stance than her older sister. While not as conservative as her older brother Hai’s stances regarding Ma’zals are more traditional than those of her sister, reflecting the attitudes of the Imperial Fleet. Despite this she is a great patron of the Empire’s non-great House nobility, and is frequently seen upon Zhurong meeting with the minor houses which run much of the Empire’s military industry. Her adjutant, Nobuko Kaneko, is one of these minor nobles and is next in line to become Countess Kaneko once her father, Count Yoichi Kaneko, passes into the arms of the Goddess.

Hai holds a positive relationship with both her mother and father, but has grown more distant from them in her adulthood as she has spent more and more time on patrols with the Imperial Fleet or conducting business upon Zhurong. This is a rumor to greatly grieve her mother and father, and may have had a role in pushing them towards Priscilla and Alexander respectively.

Adjutants of the Royal Family

Elfriede von Sinzendorf

The adjutant of Crown Princess Priscilla and a minor noble from a family affiliated with House Strelitz, von Sinzendorf has spent most of her twenty-eight years of life alongside Priscilla. She is an accomplished duelist and known through the Empire for often serving as the public face of the crown princess during interviews and conferences. Wherever Priscilla travels, von Sinzendorf is alongside her and ready to provide whatever may be required — though she is rumored to be an utterly dreadful cook. Due to accompanying Priscilla wherever she travels von Sinzendorf is a minor celebrity in some niche circles of Mendell City’s gossip magazines, where her prominent High Morozi accent and omnipresent Royal Morozian Regiment officer’s uniform is both adored and mocked.

Despite her somewhat comical reputation in these magazines von Sinzendorf has always been steadfast in her loyalty to Priscilla and is the Crown Princess’ most trusted friend. There is little reason to doubt that von Sinzendorf would do anything Priscilla ordered her to do — even if it would result in her own demise.

Régis Caladius

A gifted pilot and duelist, Régis Caladius is not the de jure adjutant of Prince Alexander — this title belongs to Sir Yusheng Zhao — but is a close confidant of the royal. Régis is known as a daring and pioneering aviator throughout the Empire but has only recently become acquainted with the prince, with many suspecting he has been hand-picked by conservatives within the Empire’s nobility to represent their interests. Regardless of his intent, Régis is viewed by the prince as a close friend and one of the few duelists capable of holding his own against him. To Yusheng, Priscilla, and the Empress he is regarded as a bothersome individual who has meddled in the relationship between Prince Alexander and his actual adjutant.

Despite this troublesome reputation Régis has continued to serve at Alexander’s behest, and will likely remain until Priscilla ascends to the throne as the current Emperor has shown no interest in removing his favored child’s chosen aide.

Nobuko Kaneko

The adjutant, and close friend, of Hai Keeser and the heir to House Kaneko’s estate, Nobuko is a gifted engineer who is the same age as the youngest royal child. While von Sinzendorf serves as a bodyguard and Régis serves as a political operative, Nobuko and Hai’s relationship is the closest to conventional friendship, though she does advise the princess on matters of industry and advocates for House Zhao’s interests. Nobuko and Hai have known each other since they were very young, and the young heiress was selected to be Hai’s adjutant before both were ten years of age. Over the intervening years Nobuko has become an impressive engineer in her own regard while Hai has pursued more naval studies, but this friendship has not waned.

While a close friend of Princess Hai, Lady Kaneko has her own interests which she vouches for and whispers to the princess. Many of these interests are those of House Zhao, but some belong solely to House Kaneko — though these are always presented as mural interests of Houses Zhao and Kaneko.