The Empire of HellSpire is a massive, orderly nation, notable for its unlimited-speed roads, compulsory gun ownership, and suspicion of poets. The hard-nosed, cynical population of 4.604 billion HellSpireans are kept under strict control by the oppressive government, which measures its success by the nation's GDP and refers to individual citizens as "human resources."

The relatively small, corrupt, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Law & Order, and Industry. The average income tax rate is 17.1%.

The frighteningly efficient HellSpirean economy, worth a remarkable 1,050 trillion Golds a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Arms Manufacturing industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Uranium Mining, and Book Publishing. Black market activity is extensive. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an amazing 228,272 Golds, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 4.2 times as much as the poorest.

Postmen have been arrested in job lots for selling junk mail as home insulation, graverobbers claim they're acting within the interest of 'scientific preservation', the backs of 'No Trespassing' signs were made for you and me, and when flight control tells pilots to alter course the usual reply is "No, YOU move!". Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. HellSpire's national animal is the Bat, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to toxic air pollution.

HellSpire is ranked 13,747^th in the world and 746^th in The North Pacific for Highest Food Quality, scoring 139.21 on the Meeshlin-Starr Index.