The Photon of The Aetherial State is a massive, safe nation, ruled by Armoris Venerix with a fair hand, and remarkable for its daily referendums, public floggings, and devotion to social welfare. The compassionate, hard-working, democratic population of 4.129 billion Aetherians hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, liberal, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Industry, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Esradel. The average income tax rate is 38.8%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The frighteningly efficient Aetherial Statean economy, worth 467 trillion Moonbeams a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Tourism industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Basket Weaving, and Book Publishing. Average income is an impressive 113,195 Moonbeams, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Psychiatrists bizarrely accompany Armoris Venerix to meetings with foreign heads of state, prison officers are bribed not to take bribes, in court almost every witness is a hostile witness, and grinding bureaucracy has the international wheels of justice turning slowly. Crime is totally unknown. The Aetherial State's national animal is the Candlewhisperer, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Refractionism.

The Aetherial State is ranked 228,968^th in the world and 121^st in The Free Nations Region for Greatest Rich-Poor Divides, with 1.94 Rich To Poor Income Ratio.