Empire of Olduvai
A small two-world state in the Kixum Subsector of the Crucis Margin Sector.
- Settled in waves by both Humaniti and by Hiver subject races, the latter as part of a resettlement experiment/Manipulation to deal with violent species that had not seen reason just yet.
Goals[edit]
They eventually want to expand the empire and bring more worlds under their control. They are just waiting for the right opportunity. Some diplomatically minded princes have been sent offworld to secure advantageous marriages with local offworld nobility. They have been seen buying up remote tracts of cheap land on neighboring worlds. These may pave the way for trade enclaves or perhaps for something more sinister.
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
During the Long Night a group of Vilani in an uncharacteristically bold move made their way into this region of space to look for investment opportunities on the doorsteps of the homicidal K'Kree and the enigmatic Hiver. This was a minor corporate subsidiary of a Vilani megacorporation, and when during the long night they were informed by the Rule of Man Solomani that their services were not longer required, they went in search of a purpose.
Centuries latter a curious Solomani descended citizen uncovered some vague reference to this colonial mission and he gathered some support and set off in search of the lost colony. When they arrived the Olduvai (Crucis Margin Kixum) colony had descended into a more primitive state. The newcomers declared themselves TL–10 technological saviors from the stars who would answer their questions and solve their problems.
When the neighboring Corona Regnum learned of this they immediately summoned a Hiver manipulator to deal with the situation. A lower level, less skilled Hiver took up the call and decided on a plan to limit their influence and render them harmless. The Hiver arrived in secret and set up a hidden lab. It used a cabal of humanoid sympathizers who were distrustful of the new star brothers' motives. It allowed their operation to be discovered and the base to be raided.
The Hiver had carefully made detailed reports describing in detail how fearsome the Olduvai Battle Fleet was and how they had achieved a pinnacle of naval architecture unmatched in the region. The reports went on to detail how their space fighters were clearly the weapon of decision in fleet battles and that with their massive ships the Hivers would have to tread very carefully. Planted on a donated Hiver corpse, for some inexplicable reason this ridiculous flattery was exactly what the wildly insecure newcomers had been longing to hear and ever since they have dogmatically clung to their core belief in their potency -- which still handicaps their military operations to this day.
Government & Politics (Leadership)[edit]
The empire is divided into three kingdoms who generally distrust each other and struggle to cooperate. The Emperor and his noble houses were the Solomani, from the newcomers. In a palace coup the Vilani wrest control shortly after the long and bloody Falayan Wars had drained much of the empire's resources and fleet strength. The Vilani descendants fell into the "if it isn't broken don't fix it" mindset and so the Empire's forces dropped to a paltry level. The mixed bag of Hiver subject races also living here form a loose coalition of peaceful species who use biologically engineered systems to survive. They are content to let the human settlers struggle for dominance, secure in the knowledge that they are in fact the most powerful faction by far.
Technology & Trade (Economy)[edit]
They have access to TL–9 on Falaya and TL–10 on Olduvai. They use 200 ton merchants to trade, similar to their naval vessels (with the same performance and streamlined cone configuration).
Military & Intelligence (Force Projection)[edit]
Kept in orbit around the homeworld in a static defensive posture. They have only 6,000 tons of "warships" and a single battalion of elite marines, with which to enforce their will on the universe. Needless to say, this may be a bit of an uphill struggle.
- The armed forces of this polity are known as the Olduvianian Star Guard.
Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)[edit]
They control two planets in the Kixum Subsector, which is subsector P of the Crucis Margin Sector.
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis), Captain, and Lead Naval Architect Ronald B. Kline, Jr. of the Imperial Navy