Empire of Olduvai
A small two-world state in the Kixum Subsector of the Crucis Margin Sector.
- It was settled in waves by both Humaniti and various Hiver subject races, the latter as part of a resettlement experiment or Manipulation, an effort to deal with a violent species that had not yet seen reason (so the Hivers judged).
- This manipulation has involved, at various times, both undermining Olduvai and selling it Jump-2 vessels with which to revitalise its economy.
- While star charts of the 900s often depicted the Empire as a true interstellar nation -- a response to a surge in its fortunes in the 860s and subsequent decades -- more modern charts tend to omit it.
Goals[edit]
For a while, the rather laughable empire was in deep decline. Rebounding somewhat in recent centuries, it is alleged that they eventually want to expand to bring more worlds under their control. They are, apparently, 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 something more sinister.
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
Early in the Long Night, a group of Vilani -- in an uncharacteristically bold move -- made their way into Crucis Margin 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 they were informed by the failing Rule of Man that their services were no longer required, they went in search of a purpose.
Centuries later, a curious Solomani-descended citizen uncovered some vague reference to this colonial mission. He gathered some support and set off in search of the lost colony. When the group arrived, the Olduvai colony had degraded to a more primitive state. The newcomers, TL–10, declared themselves technological saviors from the stars who would answer the locals' 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 the newcomers' 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 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 explain how Olduvai space fighters were clearly the weapon of decision in fleet battles, and that with their massive ships in play 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. Rather than strive to improve, they settled into smug self-satisfaction. Ever since, they have dogmatically clung to their core belief in their potency -- which still handicaps their military operations to this day.
So content did the Hivers become with the "tamed" Olduvai, that in 860 they reversed a deep economic decline in the Empire by selling them Jump-2 vessels, which were used to improve trade with other worlds.
Government & Politics (Leadership)[edit]
The empire is divided into three kingdoms who generally distrust each other and struggle to cooperate. The Emperor must balance the desires of all three.
The Emperor and his noble houses were originally Solomani, drawn from the newcomers and their descendants. In a palace coup, the Vilani wrested control shortly after the long and bloody Falayan Wars had drained much of the empire's resources and fleet strength. The Vilani descendants, however, fell into an "if it isn't broken don't fix it" mindset and so the Empire's forces were squandered further, dropping 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]
Most of the imperial Olduvai forces are kept in orbit around the homeworld in a static defensive posture. They have only 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.
- Individual princes from all three kingdoms raise their own forces; the number and potency of these varies considerably.
Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)[edit]
The Empire of Olduvai controls 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