by Max Barry

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The Infinite Empire of
Father Knows Best State

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5

The Raven Court and Imperial Nobility

The Raven Court:
The Imperial Court, still in existence today, serves a very different purpose than it did originally. It used to advise the Emperor and constantly praise him in an effort at gaining political power. The advisory capacity has now been spun off into the The Imperial Consuls, and the members of the Court continue to serve their lord faithfully due to inertia. The Raven Court is one of tradition, ritual, and stroking the Emperor’s ego.
Court members consist of the ancient noble families, required to have an apartment in the grounds of the Imperial Palace. The nobles are required to meet with the Emperor once a year to report on their Alcazars and give offerings and praise. This meeting almost always coincides with a grand Mercerist affair, the Sacred Deliverance, in which loyal Mercerists and priests make a pilgrimage to the Palace to worship Alexander in person, provide expensive offerings and gifts, and otherwise make grand displays of their loyalty and devotion. Nobles are expected to partake, and many covens of Charodey also send representatives, as do societies, such as The Order of The Raven.
Court members engage in elaborate rituals to affirm Alex’s power and show loyalty. When the Emperor awakens, he is greeted by his favored court members, who kneel and worship him, bidding him a day in which he is safe, free from stress, and that he might have opportunities to grow ever stronger, display his might, and expand his holy Empire. They have a brief opportunity to speak with him before he is clothed, in as deferential a manner as possible. When he takes Regenex baths, he is disrobed by select Court members, adorned with oils, gold dust and powdered obsidian and rubies, tonics, and other such things, being praised the whole time, and then enters the vast bathing pool, and, the courtiers surrounding the pool worshipping him, begins the process of expelling old biomass through his pores, the mixture of Regenex flowing into him to rejuvenate him, improving his physical appearance and making him stronger. As he ascends the stairs out of the pool, the couriers continue to kneel and pray, before selected members dry him and dress him. Selected Evolved members of the court are allowed to drink from the pool, drinking in their gods cast-off biomass in a ritualistic act of Consumption, drawing strength from even his cast offs, reinforcing his position as the source of all power and all Evolved.
The Court is sometimes regarded as being a relic of the pre-Rebellion era, but it does serve a function. By occupying the time and energy of the nobility, they are kept from having thoughts of political power, keeping power in the hands of the Didactian Council, and thus, the people. Alex is wary of his nobles, the memory of the Detrosi Uprising still in his mind.
Court life is full of luxury, the finest food and drinks, and live entertainment. To be invited to The Raven Court is considered a high honor, and many artists and performers, both foreign and domestic, have preformed before the Court, or have their art hanging in the Palace.

Cybusian Nobility:

Nobles in the Empire have a long history, originally simply people of power who impressed Alex enough to earn titles. These titles were hereditary, and persist to this day. Many nobles grew powerful enough to carve out their own fiefdoms, known as alcazars, which the Empire tolerated so long as they were loyal to the Emperor. If a noble failed to show the proper respect to Alexander, he would often Consume or execute them, and have the Imperial military obliterate their alcazar. Despite this possibility looming over them, nobles wielded tremendous power and influence, the most prestigious, the Vulcrix, often serving in the Imperial Court, advising Alexander and stroking his ego. Nobles would display their wealth through elaborate dress and sprawling mansions. Some of the richer ones would terraform planets to their liking, while some Porokisi would carve mountains into massive temples and monuments to Alexander.
Many nobles owned Orsonian slaves, and were slaughtered during the Rebellion, but others survived mostly intact. After the loss of their political power, many of them chose to run as Didacts or found companies to retain some measure of power or prestige. Some of them still maintain ceremonial rule over their old alcazars, for example, the 12 planets which make up the Cawl system ceremonially hand over a kefta, a loaf of bread and a goblet of water to the Cawl family every year to thank the family for their continued efforts to assist the poor and downtrodden in conjunction with the Followers, representing the clothing, food, and water provided by the philanthropic family. Due to this, many nobles are still among the social elite of the worlds they used to rule, occupying a position of respect, exercising soft power rather than any official power.

Imperial Noble Titles:

Greater Nobles:

Vulcrix:
The highest noble rank, a Vulcrix is a noble who has greatly contributed to the Empire in some fashion. They rule over up to 25 star systems. The Whaite family is an excellent example, as are the now-defunct House of Abrasax.

Porokis:
A devout noble who has impressed the Emperor in some fashion, a Porokis is primarily a religious leader, given control of recently conquered worlds and ensuring they become Mercerist and become good citizens. Typically control anywhere from 10 to 15 star systems. An example would be the Cawl family.

Sertax:
A Sertax is the secular (though they were almost always devout as well) equivalent of a Porokis. They control anywhere from 10 to 15 worlds and have gained their position of authority through wealth and being valuable to the Empire in some manner, though not enough to become a Vulcrix. The Ushers are an excellent example, producing excellent weapons, but in small quantities, preventing them from attaining Vulcrix status.

Lesser Nobles:

Apperat:
A devout noble who has otherwise not distinguished themselves, an Apperat is a religious leader, charged with ensuring that their citizens are proper Mercerists and obedient Imperial citizens. Control anywhere from 1 to 5 worlds.

Detrosi:
The ‘lowest’ noble rank, a Detrosi is a noble who has proven loyalty to the Empire in some manner deemed worthy of a reward. They typically control only one world, and sometimes even just an estate.

Noble Families of Note:

The Cawl Family:
A devout noble family, the Cawl family was promoted to Porokis status after they converted a dozen systems to Mercerism. These planets were given to them as their alcazar, which they ruled with surprising mercy. They were benevolent rulers, so long as their subjects were Mercerists. They would attempt to peacefully convert any non-Mercerists, and would give food and offerings to the poor, following the examples of the more benevolent Mercerist Saints. The mountain ranges on the planet were hollowed out and converted into truly gargantuan temples and monuments to Alexander, huge statues towering miles tall. Every settlement had a beautiful temple at the center of town. Interestingly, vast catacombs were created in the worlds of their alcazar, housing the remains of the dead as gigantic ossuaries. The bones of animals or heretics were converted into Bone Charms. Their estates were fairly simple, not wanting to distract from their service to the Lord.
Over time, the benevolent and giving nature of the Cawl’s would drive them into financial ruin. They weathered the Rebellion well, as they treated even their Orsonian slaves with kindness. However, they slowly grew poorer and poorer, and by the modern era, the Cawl family can barely give even the barest offerings to the poor. They are aided by The Followers of The Apocalypse and The Order Of The Raven. Jane and Thomas Cawl live in their simple estate and spend the majority of their time doing acts of charity or preaching.
The most infamous Cawl, however, is their son, Johnathan. A technically minded child, he left to join Torchwood, and became an Agent in Section Three, an engineer. He became radicalized and, stealing a prototype that he designed for Evolved-compatible cybernetics and several advanced weapons, founded a powerful sect of Ultra-Mercerists called The Sons of Mercer, who create horrifying cybernetic warriors from Humans, known as Absolvers. Johnathan is an exceedingly powerful Charodik, known for his skill with pyrokinesis and electrokinesis, and he is also skilled in combat.


The Whaite Family:
The Whaite family is an ancient family of Evolved, stretching back to centuries before the Orsonian Rebellion. Their considerable fortune came from mining resources, originally. The invention of the fabricator by Nathan Koenig made most of their mines unprofitable, but with the rise of less advanced civilizations, the Whaites are considering going back into mining, and selling the extracted metals or minerals to these lesser powers. Following the collapse of the mining industry, the Whaites become slave traders, selling strong Orsonians and other lesser species for profit, quickly making them very powerful brokers of slaves, culminating in Alexander granting them the coveted title of Vulcrix. The head of the family at the time, Agnaes, made a point to implant a ‘genetic logo’ on all slaves traded by the Whaites. It manifested as a tiny Whaite coat of arms and the words “Property of Whaite Holdings Co.” on the neck, so that a Whaite slave could easily be identified. This ‘genetic logo’ was designed to be passed down over generations of Whaite slave stock, and cannot be removed by any means except costly genetic modification. The Whaites ruled their alcazar without mercy and executed slaves without hesitation because they could easily create more, as they enjoyed a decadent lifestyle full of parties and orgies. When The Rebellion came, the Whaites were slaughtered, a small number of them on distant worlds escaping to continue the family lineage.
Now, the Whaites do their best to avoid addressing this period of history, though the family is viewed with disdain by the other noble families. The current head of the family is Eliza Whaite and her husband, James, living with their daughter, Asneath, in the family estate on the world of Thule. One of their cousins, Henry Whaite, has tried to rehabilitate the family image by serving as the Empire’s UCP representative on Earth. However, the Whaite family continues to harbor bad seeds. Henry’s beloved brother, the devout Mercerist Jacob Whaite, claimed to have visions from Alexander informing him of an impending apocalypse, “The Great Collapse", and that he was to create massive bunkers to shelter the faithful so they could emerge to serve when all the heretics had died. One day, after another ‘vision', he began what he called The Harvesting, where his followers attacked and slaughtered any heretics on the planet, taking slaves to serve them, stealing supplies, and then fortifying their bunkers. As Imperial forces attacked his cult, he was horrified as Nyarlathotep revealed that he had been the source of the visions and “The Great Collapse” was just a myth he had invented. Jacob ordered all hostilities ceased, and when Torchwood breached his command post, he was found dead by his own hand, a note begging for forgiveness for his sins. Henry prefers to avoid the topic of his brother, as he misses him dearly, despite his many awful crimes.


House of Abrasax:
A now extinguished noble line famous for its powerful Charodey, the Abrasax family was the family to discover the formula for the regenerative compound known as Regenex. They held a monopoly on the substance, and quickly earned the Emperors favor, being rewarded with a title, specifically the title of Vulcrix, earning them twenty-five star systems. The Abrasax family was politically cunning and ruthless, the gorgeous Kalique Abrasax being infamous for her skill at crafting poisons and delivering them to rivals through her poisoned lips and fingernails. However, by far the most infamous Abrasax was her brother, Balem. A powerful Charodik with a natural talent for hydrokinesis and Mesmerism, he was a exceptionally devout Mercerist, and would be classified as an Ultra-Mercerist today, especially because he killed his own mother because he considered her to be ‘faithless’. If a slave proved to be ‘lacking’ in his eyes, he would use the Mesmer to force them to mutilate themselves, before torturing them himself and giving them a chance to confess their sins. If they did not, he would use his hydromancy to literally drown them in their own blood, or boil it in their veins, before bathing in a mix of Regenex and blood. He was known for his rage, randomly switching between loud screaming rants and near-silent whispers. He would make pilgrimages to Arcadia on a weekly basis to worship Alexander. Balem was finally killed after centuries of tyrannical madness during the Rebellion. When his Orsonians (having replaced the less durable slaves. Despite their mindlessness, he still enjoyed torturing them anyway) were made aware of their plight, they rose up and destroyed the Mercerist Deco estates and temples, and, in an epic battle, finally killed Balem and destroyed his body so he could never return to life. Kalique was also killed, desperately trying to hide in her chambers.
Now, the grand and imposing Abrasax estate has been rebuilt and serves as a museum. There are rumors that the Technocratic-Director of The Raven Technate, James Abrasax, is a descendant of Kalique, but there is no DNA linking him to the noble family.

The House of Usher:
A noble family stretching back many millions of years, the Usher family distinguished itself as a family of mighty warriors and able craftsman, crafting unique weapons and vehicles for the Imperial military, other elite families, and even the Emperor himself, crafting a custom Tesla pistol for him. Their services were always expensive, but well-worth it for a powerful weapon, one which could double as a work of art. Since the Rebellion, the Ushers have shifted away from this ancestral role. While some Usher descendants continued to craft weapons in the name of the family, most Ushers became famed artists and thespians. The family is now known predominately for two things; their musical ability, and their peculiar sensitivity. Around 10 million BC, an unusual mutation arose in the Usher strain of Blacklight. It manifests as unnaturally hyperactive senses, and a slow wasting away of Blacklight biomass, leading several Ushers to go mad. These hyperactive senses cannot be manipulated by Blacklight, and the mutation seems to crop up again whenever genetic manipulation rids the family of it. The Ushers who are not afflicted remain active in elite social circles, some of them musicians and poets, others forging bespoke weapons for wealthy clients. Those who are afflicted lead very solitary lives in the various Usher estates across the multiverse, limiting their exposure to sound, light, and smell, and eating only small amounts of the blandest proteins to replace their biomass, which slowly wastes away, rendering them unnaturally thin, pale, and weak for an Evolved. Research into the cause of the “Usher Mutation” continues, though outsiders whisper rumors, ranging from incest to involvement in the occult by Nathanial Usher, the first of the family to be afflicted, who went insane and died horrifically a few decades after the Rebellion, his biomass rotting from the inside out, despite full biomass replacement therapy. Only four remain unaffected, and of those, three have shunned their past to focus on art, music, literature and philanthropy. The two Ushers who still make weapons, Roderick Usher and Natalia Usher, live secluded lives. Roderick lives with his sister on the family estate, afflicted by The Usher Malady, creating art, poems, and weapons that are worth a fortune, though he is highly eccentric and is slowly going mad from the Malady, as is his sister, Madeline who occasionally slips into a coma-like state.
The only completely sane weapon-producing Usher left, Natalia Usher lives a nomadic existence, flitting from hotel to hotel, and is a beautiful socialite, very much at home in high society on countless worlds. Very few people ever managing to get her to build a gun for them, but the ones she does make are just as masterfully crafted as the ones her cousin Roderick creates. She owns penthouses on countless worlds, and travels between them frequently.


The House of Vostrov
An ancient noble family, the House of Vostrov has long been an economic power, having developed many of the devices currently in use all across the Empire.
Hailing from Arcadia, the Vostrov family started off as a family of low-level Detrosi nobles. The family patriarch, Peter, was eventually afflicted with severe injuries following a hunting accident, and the house doctors and chemists ended up developing the Stimpack to help him heal more efficiently, the healing device now near-omnipresent across the Empire. This led to a massive boom for the family fortune and led directly to the foundation of Vostrov Industries, and, upon the invention of the fabricator by Dr. Nathan Koenig, Vostrov was selected to manufacture them.
The family had a long-standing feud with the Hartman family, after Johannes Hartman accused them of caring about profits more than faith. This feud came to a head when Yvonne Hartman, as head of Torchwood, used her authority to have their offices raided in search of anything she could deem heretical. She found nothing, but this simply increased tensions between the two families, and their Lychguards nearly came to blows several times.
During the Rebellion, the House of Vostrov survived, though many assets of the company were destroyed, and several family members died.
The Vostrov Family has since prospered, though Vostrov Industries has faced competition from newer companies like RobCo and Ryan Arms. Despite this, Vostrov Industries remains an incredibly successful business, and the House of Vostrov, headed by Nikolai Vostrov, remains in its ancestral alcazar, Blackmoor, on Arcadia.

The House of Sokolov:
An ancient noble family, the House of Sokolov has had a long tradition of researching and practicing the occult. Prior to The Rebellion, the Sokolov’s had gained a reputation for being masters of magic, gaining a massive collection of occult objects and tomes from across the universe. Boris Sokolov was serving as the Emperors occult expert, helping him regain his strength after each duel with Charles Orson and attempting to research Charles. The Sokolov estate on Arcadia came under attack by Orsonians, but the various exotic wards and spells kept the estate safe from Orsonian attack, the Orsonians unable to enter the estate without suffering horrifying deaths: one who attempted to open the gates was disintegrated, one was consumed by tentacles emerging from mid-air that dragged them into a portal to an unknown realm, one was ripped to shreds by invisible blades, one was driven incurably insane by a mysterious violet light; ultimately it was decided it was too much trouble and was left alone. Boris was a powerful Charodik, but used a wide variety of unique and unpredictable magical techniques. He died during the battle of Arcadia, having briefly held off Charles Orson himself for a half hour of intense magical combat, his esoteric and strange magic being nothing like what Charles was used to fighting and keeping him off balance until he was killed by The Sword.
His son, Pyotr, assisted Koenig and Dana in summoning Alex from the dead. His grandson, Anton, was born in 1881, and is the current Imperial occult specialist. Anton acquired the Sokolov family copies of such tomes as The Necronomicon, The Book of Skals, The Occido Lumen, the Egyptian Book of The Dead, The Munich Manual of Demonic Magic, a copy of the mysterious play The King in Yellow, and The Book of Skals, as well as The Book of Eibon, The Cultes de Ghouls, Unaussprechlichen Kulten, and many more.
Anton Sokolov is also a renowned artist, his portraits and paintings being famous across the universe. He is a cryptic and eccentric individual, but is incredibly intelligent and far more dangerous than he appears. Anton has assisted the Emperor in duels with The Crawling Chaos himself, and is not afraid to use magical techniques drawing on the power of The Outer Gods.


The Hartman Family:
A now extinct family of nobles, the Hartmans had a long history of absolute loyalty to their god and Emperor, Alexander Mercer. Their allegiance was demonstrated when the original family patriarch, Johannes Hartman, brutally slaughtered a group of citizens he deemed insufficiently loyal, which brought him to Alex’s attention. He raised the family up to noble status, at first making them Apperati, and later promoting them all the way up to the coveted position of Vulcrix. The Hartman Family quickly became a staple of the Imperial Court, its members gaining a reputation for devout Mercerism, political cunning, and being masters of intrigue. The family would routinely survey the court for those they deemed insufficiently loyal and bring them before the Emperor to tortured and killed.
Perhaps the most infamous member of the family was Yvonne Hartman, the first Director of Torchwood. Yvonne was a cunning and beautiful political operative, seducing family rivals and tricking them into expressing complaints or criticisms of the Empire or Alexander, thinking they could trust her, only for her to turn them into the Emperor for heresy. She did have a long standing, on and off flirtation with the devout and powerful Balem Abrasax, though she ultimately married John Whaite, of the powerful Whaite family
The Emperor, impressed by her skills, ordered her to create an agency which would scour Imperial society for heretics. Hartman was more skilled at flattery and personal political manipulation and was a rather inept manager; despite trying her best and succeeding for a number of centuries at capturing, torturing, and painfully executing Orsonians and others suspected of heresy, the Orsonian Rebellion caught her by surprise. She directed Torchwood in counter-insurgency and intelligence gathering operations, but, as this was before the agency became the combat-equipped and lethal organization it is today, often ended with her agents dead. When the Rebellion reached Arcadia, she fought valiantly, defending Torchwood HQ from Orsonian attack and killing several Orsonians. Her office was breached, part of her biomass being blasted off and left there as she scrambled to the Imperial Palace with Nathan Koenig, whom she had saved from death in his lab. She used the high ground to fire on Charles Orson with a plasma sniper rifle, to no effect, but kept firing in at effort at distracting him, even switching to her sidearm after the battery ran out and resuming fire, though it was Koenig who ultimately ended up distracting the Orsonian through an overcharged flare. Yvonne went to check on the Emperor, only for him, grievously wounded, in need of biomass, and furious at her failures, to brutally and immediately impale and Consume her.
She regenerated from the biomass in her office, and, horrified, fled Arcadia, but was ultimately tracked down and killed by her replacement, John Forge. Her child, Victoria, and husband, John, were both killed during the Battle of Arcadia, though she was unaware of this.
Following the Rebellion, the remaining members of the various branches of the family either died in battle, or were assassinated by Orsonians, who remembered Yvonne's treatment of their species. The final member of the Hartman family died fighting for the Empire, when Alexander Hartman led his Lychguards to confront the forces of Pytor Valentova, the sociopathic mastermind of The Detrosi Uprisings. The two fought, and many of Valentova's men died, but Alexander was defeated. His torture and execution were broadcast across the Empire to try to demoralize loyalists, though this backfired badly. The Hartman Alcazar is now a museum devoted to the family.

Noble Lychguards:
The term for the heredity position of a Cybusian nobles guards, Lychguards are named as such because they serve until death. The first Lychguards arose with the first nobles, their bodyguards they hired. Over time, this was seen as ineffective. Over a few decades, they were phased out and replaced by a hereditary system of servitude. These servants would serve as loyal bodyguards for their noble masters until death, and their children would be trained since childhood to be loyal and lethal, in return for pay, room and board, and other such perks and benefits. Thus, the first Lychguards were born. Each noble family has a number of mighty Lychguards, with their own weapons, though these can vary wildly. The system continues to this day.

Whaites: The Lychguards of the Whaite family are armed with scythes wreathed in plasma, and Usher-crafted plasma pistols.

Abrasax: The Lychguards of the now-extinct Abrasax family were armed with barbed blades designed to cause as much pain and misery as possible in those they strike. These proved less than helpful when fighting enraged Orsonians.

Cawl: The Cawl Lychguards only rarely saw use, but they wielded plasma halberds with plasma rifles built into the shaft to provide a ranged weapon.

Usher: The Lychguards of the House of Usher are armed with powerful hand-crafted laser and plasma weapons, easily capable of vaporizing even Evolved, which served them well during the Rebellion.

Vostrov: Vostrov Lychguards are armed with advanced Hardlight rifles, and Hardlight swords, and fought valiantly against the Orsonians.

Sokolov: The Lychguards of the House of Sokolov are all powerful Charodey, and wear armors and keftas decorated with various designs to further enhance their powers. They wield unique bladed staffs, which can channel their magical abilities, or cut through armor like paper due to enchantments and energy fields, while also housing a variable-output laser in the shaft for ranged combat.

The Detrosi Uprisings:
An uprising in the immediate aftermath of The Treaty of Arcadia by minor nobles led by Pyotr Valentova, the Detrosi Uprising led to a continuation of the de-politizing of the nobility, and the firm assertion of the system of the democratic empire that continues today and also paved the way for The Great Reconquest.

Background: Though the Treaty of Arcadia and the newly created Imperial Constitution dictated that the Empire had to form a legislative body and that the Imperial nobility be removed from power, no requirements were made of said legislative body. The Emperor decreed that the nobility had 20 years from the signing of the Treaty to transition power to representatives and elected planetary governors. The larger or more prestigious noble houses could easily transition into commerce or even become Didacts, thus preserving their power, but smaller noble houses with fewer resources resented this, and could not do so easily.

The Uprising:
Several hundred smaller noble houses across the Empire, almost exclusively Detrosi, banded together in an effort to overthrow the Imperial representatives, reclaim political power, or, in some cases, break away from the Empire entirely, in an uprising 15 years after the signing of The Treaty of Arcadia.
The movement is generally attributed as being the brainchild of a highly ambitious and sociopathic Detrosi named Pyotr Valentova. Valentova was envious of the resources and assets possessed by his wealthier neighbors and their influence at court. He acquired -by way of manipulation, bribery, or outright theft- military grade weapons, vehicles, and vessels, under the pretense of his alcazar being threatened by Orsonian raiding parties.
He distributed these amongst several dozen other Detrosi, and the uprising began amidst the annual review of the nobility on Arcadia, so that the larger noble houses could not react as quickly. The Lychguards of the rebellious nobles attacked Imperial forces and the alcazars of loyal houses, clashing with loyal Lychguards.
On many worlds and sectors, the local Apperati remained loyal and rallied the faithful to the Empire’s defense, fending off rebellious Lychguards with their own guards and hordes of faithful citizens.
This is when the newly reformed Torchwood saw it’s baptism of fire, Agents fighting alongside Lychguards and Imperial military units and proving themselves highly capable combatants, if far less experienced. John Forge led his Agents from the front line, and cut a swath through rebel forces wherever he was deployed.
Loyalist noble houses included the Hartman’s, Whaite’s, Ushers, and Vostrovs, all contributing Lychguards or weapons to beat back the rebels. The Hartman family went extinct during the rebellion, and several prominent nobles such as James Whaite and Andrei Vostrov served with distinction. The last surviving member of the Hartman family, Alexander Hartman, led the surviving Hartman Lychguards on a mission to find and kill Valentova. Hartman’s forces, hardened veterans of the Rebellion, very nearly eliminated Valentova’s force entirely, until an ambush led by Valentova himself killed most of them except for Alexander and a handful of his guards. The two dueled each other, until Valentova gained the upper hand and executed Hartman, the execution recorded and broadcast to encourage the rebels.
The loyalists saw Valentova’s cold-blooded execution of Hartman as a further call to action and fought with increasing ferocity. After the initial shock, the technological and numerical advantage began to overwhelm the forces of the rebellious Detrosi, whose military equipment was spread thin, most of the Lychguards dead.
One by one, the rebellious nobles fell over the next year and a half. Emperor Mercer himself took to the field when the offensive against Valentova’s alcazar began. He appeared in the personal alcazar (alcazar referring to both a noble’s fiefdom and a mansion) of Pyotr and proceeded to slaughter everyone present except Valentova. Pyotr was reportedly completely unconcerned with the deaths of his longtime guards and servants and even his family members, except for the fact that it represented one less gun and body to put between him and his former Emperor. Alex Consumed Pyotr Valentova; Valentova was defiant and reportedly eerily calm to the last second of his life. Even as he was impaled, he raised a pistol and fired it into Alex’s jaw as the tendrils began to Consume him, immediately before activating several concealed flamethrowers and detonating several bombs he had implanted within his biomass, denying Alex the pleasure of Consuming him and attempting to kill him at the same time.
Without Valentova to lead them, the remaining rebels were mopped up and the leaders Consumed or executed for treason, their accomplices either executed or thrown in prison for life. Despite only being two years long, the Detrosi uprising saw several billion deaths, partly due to orbital bombardment of loyal worlds by the Detrosi in the opening of the war.

Aftermath:
In the aftermath of the Detrosi Uprisings, Alex mandated that all nobles immediately surrender political power to elected officials and remove all heavy weaponry from their Lychguard forces, which were to be universally reduced by three-quarters on frontier worlds and reduced to a small bodyguard force on inner worlds, breaking the back of the private armies of the nobility. Those who refused to comply were made examples of by Torchwood or the Emperor himself. Surviving nobles continued their transition into commerce, politics, charity, and religion. The nobility was not dissolved entirely, preserved as social figures and cultural symbols, but the direct political power of the nobility was abolished and any threats to the new democratic Empire obliterated.
A famous piece of artwork from the Uprisings painted by a young Delilah Kaldwin depicts an unnamed Apperat wearing a crimson kefta, performing Ravak Opfernik on a rebellious Detros, entitled The Apperat Defending His Flock. This was a real event, as photos exist of the Apperat, his name lost to history, clashing blades with several Detrosi, and several images exist of him preforming Ravak Opfernik, and later checking on his flock, including a rather infamous image of him checking on a young girl, his hands still stained with blood, handing her a drink. This unnamed Apperat’s fate was never uncovered, and he is presumed dead or vanished.
After rebuilding from the second great catastrophe in 20 years, citizens wanted revenge, someone to blame for the deaths and destruction. With the rebellious nobles dead, their rage was directed toward the Orsonians, and their elected representatives tapped into that rage. Coasting into easy victories by promising revenge and wealth, the first generation of Didacts also tapped into the fury and humiliation Alex felt at having died, and soon, The Great Reconquest began.

The Infinite Empire of Cybus1

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