The Immortal Griscorean Empire of Zarkenis Ultima is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by Enlightened Rozel Asheron with an even hand, and notable for its museums and concert halls, national health service, and punitive income tax rates. The compassionate population of 17.691 billion Zarkenians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked morass — juggles the competing demands of Education, Environment, and Healthcare. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Xevaris. The average income tax rate is 92.1%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The thriving Zarkenian economy, worth a remarkable 1,694 trillion Crystal Credits a year, is highly specialized and led by the Book Publishing industry, with significant contributions from Information Technology, Tourism, and Basket Weaving. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 95,785 Crystal Credits, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Tradesmen will knock 10% off their fees if customers pay cash, pet loving officers arrest citizens who don't give their dogs enough biscuits, conductors wield diamond-encrusted batons to fit in with their freshly gilded surroundings, and the fire protection service is wholly government-funded. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Zarkenis Ultima's national animal is the Feral One, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Griscorean Polytheism.

Zarkenis Ultima is ranked 109,887^th in the world and 4^th in Unitys Alliance for Most Pro-Market, scoring 37.56 on the Rand Index.