One is the Achenaran Imperium, which dominates many of the Orion Spur's central regions through various means, most notably their "Stellar Highway." This "highway" consists of "stargates," which are space-bound devices that greatly expedite travel through the vast reaches of space within its borders, for all to use... at a price.
The Achenaran Imperium also leads a coalition of major factions (led by itself) that have assembled to promote their own interest within the region. Many member states, while having joined the Imperium, nevertheless carry enough autonomy to represent themselves in this new "Universal Strategic Alliance." The ruler of the Achenaran Imperium is a being by the name of Emperor Donald III, who has been in power for about 36 years now. In spite of his stable rule, the Imperium is stretched thin from two major wars and several major expansions of the Imperium. However, due to a healthy income, it still easily the strongest military of the region.
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Another of these great powers is called the Nier Empire. It lies in the center of the Sagittarius Arm, and it dominates the western half of the region through its own means, most notably its religion and commerce. It has been at odds with the Achenarans for some years now, and has not shown signs of backing down. Its ruler is a being known simply as "The Radiance," and she has been in power for many years now -- far longer than most have been alive.
The vast empire holds most of its client states in a tight leash -- in fact, the Nier rule them in all but name. As for the rest, it either cares little about them, or has targeted them for yet another wave of annexations that take place one every few years. In spite of the Empire's long hold of the region, its long period of stagnation has led to it slowly crumbling from within. Only the Nier religion and its head -- The Radiance -- hold the politics of the Empire tightly under control.
Most notable about this faction is the Theocracy that binds it together. It is the largest faction to have ever existed within recorded history to establish itself, its government, and its society almost entirely on religious beliefs and tenets. While the Nier Empire retains a vast and strong military, it is slightly outdated, and the Empire's treasury runs thin from years of a poor economy, along with a hastened build-up for war.
The third of these Great Powers is the vast Glacian Empire. It completely dominates the eastern sectors of Sagittarius, and has done so for nearly a thousand years. Its vast economy and nearly incomprehensible population levels have earned it the title of the region's hegemon. With its Treasury nearly always full from successful politics and its recently bolstered economy, the Glacians have been pursuing several grand-scale military projects -- considered by some to be unnecessary and frivolous, and by others to be strokes of genius.
Its politics are also effective, but this is where their glory ends. The upper echelons of society are always competing with each other. It is because of this that this aristocratic empire's few downfalls rear their head, in the form of greedy sovereigns craving more power within the system. In the vast Empire, few are in position to maneuver for the Throne, and even fewer are in reach of it... but almost every one of those are found fighting for it, or the power that comes with it.
The current ruler, Emperor Julius Tiberius Draegar, is young and fairly inexperienced. Yes, he's had the training, but he lacks the experiences that were present when his grandfather died after close to three hundred years on the Imperial Throne. He faces constant manipulation at the hands of both his distant relatives in the various other Great Kingdoms of his empire, along with political intrigue which has barely been thrown onto his shoulders.
As a result, the Empire isn't moving forward with its new Emperor quite so fast as its ruler has hoped it would. They have yet to devise a new stargate which rivals that of the other two powers... He knows full well that once the Glacians pull off a similar breakthrough, the sleeping giant would finally be awakened and bring light to the rest of the galaxy. (If only he could pull off his own plans to free himself from his political quagmire, he would be free to do as he pleases.)
The Clash of the Titans [OOC]
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