Saurian Empire
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A caste-based society governed by a monarchy. There are currently 3 known castes including the monarchy itself, its military, and the Genuran minority, who may be an offshoot of ancient Saurians. The Saurians call themselves The Great Community - an Empire that is just beginning to expand. It consists of a caste systems with each Saurian is born into and usually tends to adhere to but is not bound. Any Saurian may choose to serve a different caste to which he was born, however. All castes have different facets and depending on which cast a Saurian was born may limit his options in other caste. Such as a Warrior cast born serving in the Religious cast as only a Paladin or law giver but not a monk. Each caste has its own group of elders that governs each class and a number of elected representatives that petition the Emperor in a Quorum also known as the High Order. Saurian law dictates that everything is at the discretion and ownership of the Emperor. The Quorum, a recent historical development, and provides the best avenue for Federation diplomacy, as it is a somewhat democratic body. They represent their caste and swath of community make policy for internal needs. Foreign affairs are the primary purview of the Emperor the Quorum can vote on recommendations but only the Emperor can set the policy with regards to the rest of the galaxy. The High OrderIf there is such a thing as an elite class of Saurian it is the Noble Caste also part of the Saurian High Order. This cast is comprised of Saurian’s closely related to the Emperor primarily of the Warriors, Religious, and Artisans cast. As the Emperor owns everything according to Saurian law, the Emperor delegates his responsibility to the Nobility primarily on financial matters. He may give governorship to one of his relatives of certain ship yards or mining privileges to another to oversee. Whole planets may be given governorship as a relative to the Emperor. One constant in all of the Great Community is the Emperor will give and take at any time without notice. This is especial true in the Noble Caste where governors change constantly.
The Religious OrderThe Religious Order is made up of a deeply spiritual people dedicated to preserving the ancient traditions of the Saurians and upholding the tenants of faith. This caste is perhaps as old as the Warrior caste (and perhaps as old as the Tonlan Warrior Caste), as their work in the spiritual needs of the Saurians but also the needs of law, dating back to the earliest recorded Saurian legal texts. Though all legal disputes are handled within the cast themselves there is usually a representative from the Religious Order involved in other casts affairs. Although for most of their recorded history, Religious Order members have been primarily monks, community parishioners, and consultants of ancient law, they have been branching out into more militant wings for the sake of protecting tradition. This militant wing is called Paladins. A highly trained and powerful order that use exotic weapons and defenses that closely ties to their religious history. This Paladin order is supported by the Emperor and the Warrior cast. The Order of WarriorsThe Order of Warriors is one of the oldest castes, second to the Religious Order, which dedicate themselves to the protection of the Saurian people. They fight the battles that need to be waged. They serve on military and civilian vessels and are trained in a variety of ways. For many centuries the ruling party has consisted of mainly the warrior caste. The Saurians have been roaming the galaxy for as long as they can record and have needed a firm ruling body that can best protect its people. Though extremely rigid, where deviation from order results in brutal punishment and ostracization, the Warrior castes military tradition is based on a thin line between religious edict and legal precedent. Ironically, almost every component of the Warrior cast has deep ties to the Religious Order. Yet all members of the Order of Warriors are taught to not allow personal beliefs to interfere with duty. This caste has been the buffer between the other cast and their differing beliefs and is arguably the most diversified Order consisting of a great deal of members from different casts. The Order of ArtisansThe Order of Artisans is the most difficult to enter. Those born or accepted into the Artisan’s Order aspire to be great musicians, painters, and sculptures yet most are born into it and because of its prestige stay in it at least as menial workers for the best opportunities. To be in the Artisan’s guild is to be considered most fortunate. Menial sanitation workers from the workers caste may ascend to safer, healthier and relatively socially powerful positions in construction yards or waste plants, but the Artisan born of the same qualification will get positions at Imperial palaces and places of highest prestige. Only the most gifted Artisans are given work to design ships and Saurian architecture and are held in highest regard in all Saurian society. It is their attention to detail and beauty in all aspects of Saurian life that is the crowning achievement of this Order and is respected by all castes. The Workers CasteProbably the least desirable and most difficult to change is the Worker caste. This caste is the most widely under estimated and underrepresented order of all. This order comprises approximately sixty percent of the entire Saurian Race yet they don’t hold quite as powerful sway on internal policy as either the cast. Most labor is slow and tedious progress, as individuals in this caste take on the thankless burden of executing progress in Saurian engineering, medicine and education. The Workers caste contains some the most reliable and skilled builders of all in Saurian society. Although most casts tend to be self sufficient in most matters no Order would even consider a massive building project without a contract with a reputable builders guild form the Workers caste. The Order of ScientistsThe newest and most controversial of the cast is the Order of Scientist an order dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and truth. The Religious Order presides over law, but a member from the Order of Science would be the investigators and detectives. The Scientist cast consists of all forms of science but primary recognized forms of this Order are in medicine, biology, engineering, and education. Intelligence reports of linguistic data show this caste has sometimes been referred to by members of other castes as The Radical Caste. It is not unheard of for Saurians in this cast to be subverters of tradition with more radical ideas of equality and unity among all life forms and the reformation of law, an alien concept to the Saurians. If you are even known to be associated with heretics of tradition the Saurian consider those as outcast. One family name that is synonymous with the radical cast is a sub race called Genurans. Though not a ruling race, many Genurans have often played a role in Saurian history as visionaries, introducing new ideas and paradigms of thinking that changed Saurian Society. Eventually these ideas were practiced as a whole and new technologies were developed even though this order has only been a legitimate caste for the past four decades. Prior to special dispensation from a young Emperor Sad’heen the Third, the Order of Science was only a subclass. Although now a recognized and represented party, the Order of Science is considered to be second class. It is even rumored that there is a more sinister reason for the creation of this small but growing cast.
The Tonlanus Clan of WarriorsTonlanus Clan is the oldest, largest and most politically powerful caste in Saurian society. The figurehead and patriarch of this clan is Tonlan, a highly-decorated Saurian General and commanding officer of the PLECANTH, the Imperial Saurian Capitol Ship. Tonlon is an accomplished tactician and served closely with the late Emperor Sha'tene. Many promiment Saurian military officials can trace their lineage to the Clan of Tonlanus. Although the Saurian navy has encountered warp-capable societies (see Genura III) it has not perfected the matter/antimatter engine. Their vessels instead use a singularity drive to achieve faster than light travel. Starfleet is uncertain as to the scope and power of the fleet's deployment capabilities. Although their terraforming campaign through the sector has been highly expansive it was met with moderate success. The space-faring Cityships ferry regiments of Paladins throughout the Avalon sector. Paladin armament and troop structure share many traditions in common with ancient Earth medieval warriors, royal cavalries and a quasi-militaristic structure of the modern Starfleet Marine Core. Apparently, members of the Saurian military are beholden to the Emperor and the politico-religious order that gives the monarchy the power to govern Sauria. Each Paladin carries a small shield emitter and has fashioned a hand-held radiation emitter that functions as a energy blade. Saurian weapons technology is highly effective in close combat, and the radiation emitter can disrupt duranium, cauterize wounds and even deflect phased-based energy. By simultaneously emitting and attracting high velocity radiation particles toward the emitter, a focused beam of energy is harnessed in a melee weapon that has demonstrated an ability to effect strong casualty rates. Although the progression of the weapon in Saurian history may be analogous to Ancient Earth's escalation from projectile weaponry to disruptor and phased-energy weapons, there is no known Saurian blade and little is known about their pre-history. The DrammusThe Drammus is a subgroup of the Radical caste population inclusive of Saurians and Genurans and might be considered to be heterogenous order of castes, blurring the social and behavorial divisions typically drawn in Saurian society between individuals practicing medicine, art, engineering, labor and science. Historians believe that, in an act of as foresight, the Emperor Sha'tene legitimated the Drammus only several weeks before his assassination on Borlin VI. Many Drammus serve aboard modified Saurian Cityships as reconnaissance officers. They appear to work closely with Genuran colonists and refugees not under Federation asylum. Dorin is a popular leader among the Genuran people and a survivor of the Genuran Holocaust. He a highly-connected figure in the Drammus and has worked closely with the Saurian dynasty as well as as an envoy of Genuran interests.
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