Imperium Mars Fillius (Mars Fillii) Description

[Zephyranthes]

See Classis Aetheria recruitment thread here.

Imperium Mars Fillius (Mars Fillii)
OR
Senatus Populusque Fillius (SPQF)
Tag: SPQF|
ID/IFF: Freelancer
Base of Operations: Inverness/Invergordon Spaceport

Description Thread Index

Chapter I: History
Chapter II: Politics
Chapter III: Military
Chapter IV: Culture and Society
Chapter V: Law
Chapter VI: Economy
Chapter VII: Territory
Chapter VIII: Technology
Chapter IX: Notable Groups
Chapter X: Diplomacy
Chapter XI: Imperial Ships
Chapter XII: Ship Name Guidelines
Chapter XIII: Objectives

Author's note: Due to the size of this, there may have been a couple things that are missing. Please PM me for any concerns like this.

[Zephyranthes]

“Jupiter omnipotens, audacibus annue cœptis.”
“Jupiter Almighty, favor my bold undertakings.”
-P. Vergilius Maro, The Aeneid

There was once a time when the daunting task of crossing the vast reaches of space was not as simple as it is now. The jump gates and jump holes of modern Sirius have made most travelers forget the days of sublight, conventionally-powered exploration when it took years to reach even the nearest solar system. In these nascent years of the Houses, many men, women, and children were lost in the gaping maw of outer space, never to be seen again, and most likely dead. There were, however, a very lucky few who did manage to survive by using the last of their resources to make it to some habitable world. One of these groups was from a Libertonian expedition that set sail in 59 AS, one of the very first of its kind. An accident onboard, some say sabotage by some demonic entity, caused the ship to lose its ability to automatically correct course, and sent it hurtling away from Sirius, eventually nearing a solar system that was nowhere near Sirian space.

It was through only the most astronomical and sheer margins of luck that they not only avoided dying en route due to a systems failure, exhaustion of resources, or some other grisly fate, but also found a lush world so full of life and beauty that most thought of it as being either an issue with the ship’s monitors, or some kind of hallucinogen pumped into the life support system. But due to the slow depletion and conservation of oxygen combined with corruption of ship databases, nearly all of the survivors suffered from memory loss, forgetting almost everything about themselves, and of where they came from. There was but one man who had not suffered their fate. His Sirian name was Alexander Anders, but the name he adopted was Gaius Latius Funditorius; Gaius of Latium, the Founder.

As both a boy and a man, Anders idolized the history of ancient Earth to the point of obsession. He modeled himself after the great figures of Ancient Greece and Rome, such as Alexander the Great and Augustus Caesar. Penniless and near-dead on the streets, he had almost realized that no one in Sirius cared for his extensive knowledge of past civilizations or for his fluency in long-dead tongues. After volunteering for that suicidal expedition to find new colonies for Liberty, he had thought it was to be his end at last. In some ways, it was the end of Alexander Anders, and the beginning of C. Latius Funditorius. He awoke to find everyone having forgotten everything except for the ability to speak, and for a brief moment, was frightened by the thought of being lost in space. But with one look of that dazzling jewel of a planet they orbited, he realized what destiny had in store for him, and that his pious study and observance of the past had finally come to bear fruit.

Helplessly lost and disoriented, the former Libertonians could not help but flock to the one man who possessed some semblance of knowledge regarding the world, and when he spoke of how he would lead them from the ship to the surface of the planet, they were in awe of how he commanded the hulking metal beast to touch down on the green fields of this new land. Revering him as some kind of divine presence, they listened in awe to his stories of a once powerful and mighty empire that dominated the known world and beyond, and of how humanity must be reunited under its banner once again. Using a mixture of both Roman and Sirian technology and culture, Funditorius guided them for eighty-six years, in which time they rebuilt the sprawling metropolis of Imperial Rome, which this new version also was founded upon seven hills and bisected by a river. In his final hours, Funditorius appointed a successor, Publius Latius, to whom he gave the cognomen “Caesar” as a sign of his authority. With all his knowledge, experience, and visions passed on, Funditorius passed away at the unbelievably old age of 107. His last command was for his people to conquer the stars, and reunite humanity under one banner, to begin anew the Pax Romana Nova; the New Roman Peace.

Under what came to be known as the Latian line of Imperatores, the Imperium Mars Fillii, or the Empire of the Sons of Mars, initially grew steadily in the first two centuries of its existence, up until 261 AS. Vibius Latius Aculeo Caesar, the last Imperator of the Latians, almost singlehandedly caused the downfall of the entire population when he cut off nearly all power and water to the capital city of Roma Nova for his extravagant palace. Already known to be nothing more than a decadent buffoon among plebeian and patrician alike, the people rose up in anger against their ruler. Aculeo summoned the legions to take care of the uprising, and citizens were slaughtered by the bushem. This soon triggered a massive divide in the military, during which twenty of the twenty-five legions began marching on the capital, with all of the rest surrendering. In order to spare the city of Roma Nova, the Praefectus Praetorio ordered Aculeo be captured and brought before the commander of the rebel forces, Tullius Marius Habitus, who had him crucified and set upon a hill facing Roma Nova to serve as a reminder to those who would abuse power for their own luxury. Soon Habitus was crowned the new Imperator, beginning the Marian Dynasty.

As a ruler, Habitus did not hesitate in his employment of damnatio memoriae, the destruction of someone from memory, against Aculeo with the destruction of any works of art or writing featuring his name, and also that of his own palaces. Idolizing the more disciplined and austere lifestyle of a military man, Habitus began imposing strict laws and punishments, but also made great use of the army to construct public works projects and provide help to any area that was falling behind in production. He is often referred to as “Habitus the Builder” due to his industrialization of urban areas and his development of many resources such as natural gases and metals. His reign was almost as long as that of Funditarius, stretching well over sixty years according to some. Few emperors improved the Imperium like he did, as the entirety of Mundus Nostrum was settled and explored under his reign.

After countless centuries and power struggles, the Fillii finally began launching spacecraft into orbit and beyond their solar system, leaving their world of Mundus Nostrum for the great beyond. One such expedition discovered an odd rift in space that looked similar to the theoretical jumpholes described in many scientific articles preserved from the original exploration vessel. The tiny spacecraft, manned only by a ten-man contubernium, was ordered by the decanus onboard to jump. Fortuna Redux smiled upon them, and miraculously, they came through unscathed, and found even more of these holes around them in the next system. Leaving a trail of nav buoys as breadcrumbs and cartographing everything they saw, the little ship eventually made its way to the modern-day system of Inverness, their first time setting foot in Sirius. Seeing the space around them, the crew could not help but gaze in awe as they wandered further into the system, making way to Inverness.

Upon arriving in Cortez, random Sirian ships began to pass by. With such alien designs floating in their presence, the contubernium was frozen with awesome terror, drifting amongst a local debris cloud. Believing the appearance of the ship to be that of a floating hulk, rather than the product of shoddy construction, the Sirians ignored it. As soon as they left, the Fillii ship fled from the area through the route they had come through, bringing home news of a powerful and expansive civilization of humans that even Funditorius himself would not have expected to see.

It was immediately after this event, in 739 AS, that Imperial power shifted hands so unanimously and rapidly in the centuries-old history of the empire. The Imperator at the time, Decimus Aurelius Crassipes Caesar, was hesitant to expand further, due to the belief that it would be the downfall of the Fillii Empire. As such, he ordered that no word be spoken of the existence of Sirius, save for within his personal circle of advisors. This, however, did not bode well with them, in particular his magister militum, the leader of the armies, Marcus Flavius Triarius. A pious man, Triarius believed wholeheartedly in the ideal of the Pax Romana Novum, and as such, was the first to openly defy Crassipes’ wishes to isolate the Empire from its divine mission. He came to the public with news of what waited in the great beyond, inciting a total rebellion against the Aurelian Dynasty. Few supported the Imperator, and even fewer came to protect him. After being dragged out in front of the Aula Palatina, the seat of imperial power, Crassipes was stabbed in the back, and thrown down the steps to be torn apart by the raging mob below. Triarius gave a speech to the crowd that the divine mandate set before them would be fulfilled, and that efforts to understand Sirius, known as “Barbaricum” to the Fillii, would be undertaken immediately, so as to be prepared for the coming conquest.

Crowned Imperator and renamed to Marcus Flavius Triarius Caesar, he set about expanding the spacefaring capability of his empire, and introducing domestic reform that would help educate and prepare the masses for the new technologies and ideas that would both be needed for Sirius, but also for anything that may come that was Sirian in origin. The original system they inhabited, named Italia in Fillii star charts, underwent rapid development, with primitive space stations slowly undergoing modernization and expansion to support a larger space fleet. Commonly regarded as the true founder of the Filii Interstellar Empire, he eventually passed away in 780 AS, after a long reign of forty-one years. His son, Marcus Flavius Maximus Caesar, was to succeed him and rule for thirty years, building upon the same efforts his father had started, and sending Speculatores, military scouts, to clandestinely survey Sirius and observe its peoples. He finally passed away in 810 AS, with his thirty-year reign being succeeded by the present Imperator Gaius Flavius Aquila Caesar. After the death of his older brother, Marcus Flavius Bibaculus, due to alcohol poisoning, he was next in line to become emperor at only nineteen years old.

It is now roughly ten years into the reign of Aquila. Whilst he has been greatly improving the domestic lives of the Fillii people, many in the aristocracy are concerned that he has been negligent towards the progress of the Pax Romana Novum. Their doubts have so far been preoccupied by his mention of a grand plan in store for Sirius. Not even the military know for sure what he has in store, but some say that he is looking to establish diplomatic ties with various factions, and preparing the sector for Filii arrival with underhanded methods employed by his Frumentarii, such as assassination and espionage. The only thing that the Fillii people may do now is simply pray to the gods that their day of triumph may arrive soon, and that Mars may guide Aquila well in his deliberations. For it has been foretold in the prophecies of the seers, that the eagle of Jupiter shall deliver the Fillii to even greater heights and glory.

[Zephyranthes]

“Nihil est incertius vulgo, nihil obscurius voluntate hominum, nihil fallacius ratione tota comitiorum.”
“Nothing is more unpredictable than the mob, nothing more obscure than public opinion, nothing more deceptive than the whole political system.”
-M. Tullius Cicero, Pro Murena

The highest office of power in the Fillii Empire is that of Imperator, or Emperor. Given how the Empire is an autocracy, the Imperator does not answer to anyone and holds complete power over everything. He is, however, restricted as to what he can do by the opinions of others. Similar to the Romans of old, the Fillii were willing to depose and kill emperors who they felt were not performing well, or were simply in the way of another individual’s rise to power. The Imperator also serves as Pontifex Maximus (Head Priest), Iudici Summum (lit. Supreme Judge), and Legatus Maximus (lit. Highest General). The Imperator may choose his successor in whichever fashion he chooses, though it is usually his eldest son. It is not uncommon, however, for him to adopt and appoint another, more worthy man to succeed him.

The Imperator is advised by four men, known collectively as the Tetrarchy. It is made up of the Magister Militum, who acts as the second-in-command for the Fillii military forces, the Princeps Numerarius, who manages the finances, trade relations, and resources of the Imperium, the Praefectus Praetorio, leader of the Imperator’s Praetorian Guard, and the Magister Officiorum, who oversees legal and administrative matters. There has almost never been an Imperator foolish enough to not respect their council, especially that of the Praetorians. Each advisor has their own cabinet and set of assistants to aid them in their tasks.

Much of the provincial governing is spearheaded by the military, with each Rector Provinciae, or provincial governor, being appointed from a pool of Legati based in the province. Local civilian magistrates answer to the Rector, carrying out the Imperator’s will on a local level. Some say this bureaucracy of advisors, cabinets, and governors is what truly limits the Imperator from making any unwise decisions.

The current Imperator and Tetrarchy are as follows:
Imperator: Gaius Flavius Aquila Caesar(Venetia)
Magister Militum: Tiberius Antonius Merenda (Drrobe/Finn)
Magister Officiorum: Decimus Albius Dacius Danihelanus (Johnathan Nox Carter)
Princeps Numerarius: Manius Acilius Laterensis (MiniStryke/Luke)
Praefectus Praetorio: Lucius Horatius Purpureo (Ndk071/Niklas)

[Zephyranthes]

“Si vis pacem, para bellum.”
“If you want peace, prepare for war.”
-Latin proverb

Just as in the Roman Empire of old, the military is perhaps the single most important entity in Fillii society, serving as a bobby pin and role model for citizenry everywhere. One of the first institutions founded in the Imperium, the Milite Fillii has existed since 55 AS, making it older than some House militaries. Originally consisting of simply two branches, land (Legionum Fillii) and sea (Classis Imperialis), it has expanded to include an air force (Legionis Caelis) and a space navy (Classis Aetheria). The newest branch, the Classis Aetheria, is small, inexperienced, and primitive in comparison to almost every other House paramilitary organization, but this is mainly due to reliance on pre-Sirius training and technology. To counteract this, those agents which have been sent to carry out the Imperator’s will search for any Sirian technology and information that may help further the Imperium’s goals. As such, nearly all Fillii ships are copies of Sirian civilian craft. Only male citizens with a somewhat clean record are allowed to join the military, although special exceptions may be made for female citizens if permitted by the Imperator himself. Such events are incredibly rare, with only maybe ten at most per ruler.

The pride of the military are the Legionum Fillii, a fighting force that is known for its brutal efficiency and discipline. Soldiers undergo training of about two to three years depending on their ranking, and are expected to always be in the optimal physical and mental condition. In a system that punishes soldiers severely for almost any trivial act, discipline has taught soldiers to never disobey an order, even if it meant charging to their deaths. As any legionary knows, there is a far worse fate for those who show cowardice on the battlefield. Equipped with shielded armor and heavy ballistic and energy weaponry, the sight of a legionary is daunting to behold. Due to their rigid nature, acts of uncommon valor and bravery are as the name says; uncommon. This is because such heroic endeavours may come at the price of compromising the battle as a whole. On the rare occasion that such breaks from tradition actually happen in a way that is beneficial, the legionary is likely to receive high honors.

By the command of the Magister Militum, Tiberius Antonius Merenda, the revival of the ancient Roman foreign legion, known as the “Legionis Auxiliae”, in light of the recent information coming in from Sirius. He expects foreigners to eventually attempt to make contact with the Imperium, with some even trying to become connected to it. The only way for a man to become a Fillii citizen is through service in the Auxilia, or relation to a Fillii citizen. Same as the normal military, women are barred from service unless given Imperial permission. Spread out across all branches, Auxilia are generally treated as being lower than citizens, but above slaves. Only Fillii citizens may become commissioned officers, and many do in order to kickstart their military careers. Commanders are more willing to send Auxilia into harm’s way, as foreigners killed in combat does not show up on casualty reports as Fillii losses, making them look better for appearing to have lost less men. The only way for an Auxilia to gain the respect of Fillii is to show their prowess in both combat, and properly demonstrating the core values of a Fillii citizen, despite their barbarian roots. Although ill-equipped, only a fool underestimates the tenacity of a unit of Auxilia.

The ranks of the military (all branches) are as follows (//Note, the only ingame military presence for the Fillii would be the Classis Aetheria, which would likely be only one or two legions when they appear):
IMPERATOR- C. Flavius Aquila Caesar (Venetia) This man answers to none but the gods. He is the commander-in-chief of all armed forces, but he rarely ever uses the power beyond establishing overall strategic objectives. (Allowed ships: All)
MAGISTER MILITUM- Ti. Antonius Merenda (Drrobe/Finn) -The second-in-command of the Fillii military. Although he is usually to be found either in the company of the Imperator or overseeing one of Italia’s many military bases, he has been known to lead forces into battle on rare occasions. (Allowed ships: All)
DUX- N/A - Acting as an in-between between legati and the magister miletum, Duces are usually a temporary rank, brought up when a situation necessitates more hands to help coordinate large strategic operations. They are brought up from the ranks of legati deemed to be suited to the role. As such, it commands the same level of formal respect as a normal legatus. (Allowed ships: See Legatus)
LEGATUS- M. Fabius Maximus (Venetia)- The equivalent of a general officer, legati are the finest commanders the Imperium has to offer, and each one is in command of their own legion. Some legati may come to command more than one legion, with such individuals being given the rank of legatus magnus, who usually act as a representative for their respective branch as a whole. Legati are almost always of patrician class, with only a handful of plebeians ever making it close. (Allowed ships: Gunboats, transports, freighters, fighters, bombers, permission needed for SRP cap ships)
PRAEFECTUS CASTORUM- VACANT- Little can be said about these men, other than that they are the adjutant commanders of a legion, acting as the right-hand men of the legati. Each one is responsible for stepping in should something happen to the legatus. Additionally, praefecti manage the day-to-day running of the legion, mostly in an administrative sense. (Allowed ships: Fighters, bombers, freighters)
CENTURIO PRIMUS PILUS- VACANT- The commander of all the legion’s centurii, he is the most experienced of them all, and by far one of the most skilled in combat. After a sufficient term of service, the Primus Pilus, if he is a plebeian, may humbly request that the Imperator elevate their status to the of a patrician. This is how the plebeian legates attained their rank. (Ships allowed: See Centurio)
CENTURIO- Q. Asinius Scaevola (QuinnZai), V. Lucretius Maximus (Max Morse), N. Fabius Maximus "Canis" (Venetia)- The executive officer for most troops, the centurion is a hated fellow by many a legionary. Almost every centurion in history has abused his position in one way or another, but because of their high rank, they are expected to lead as a result. First to initiate the charge towards the enemy, it is not surprising to see casualty rates among centurions be far higher than most legionaries. He is almost always in command of a century, except when in space, when he in command of a an ala, or wing, consisting of four snubcraft, himself included.(Allowed ships: Fighters, bombers)
MILES- Marcus Furius Triarius "Furor" (Ndk071/Niklas) - The basic legionary, milites form the backbone of the Fillii armed forces, carrying out the duties no other mortal man could. After enduring grueling training and time in the field as a tiro, he is now ready to take on the world. Legionaries are divided into many categories, with specialists known as immuni taking on a number of roles for double the pay rate. This includes being a mechanic, standard bearer, medic, or any other role that goes beyond being a simple soldier. (Allowed ships: Fighters, bombers)
TIRO- Ti.Tullius Atellus "Resurgere" (Evo), V. Pontius Agricola "Lupus" (Altzek/Kampanom)- Tirones are the men who have just signed up in the military, and are still being evaluated by a centurio. After about a week, if they have proved themselves worthy, they are automatically promoted to the rank of miles. They may be treated like dirt underneath a toenail, but at least they aren’t auxilia.



The organizational structure of the military is as follows:
MILITARIUS- The entire military. The only two individuals who have this level of command are the Magister Miletum and the Imperator.
SUBMILITARIUS- The name for each branch of the military. At the command of duces, the Magister Miletum, and the Imperator.
LEGIO- Legions are the major block that forms the military. One legion is made up of roughly 10,000 soldiers, 15,000 if including non-combat personnel and officers. Legati are usually in charge of one legion. Legion numbers tend to come and go, but the land legions number in the forties, the aquatic with fifteen (made up of fifty ships each), five for the air force, and five for the space fleet. Each legion has a golden eagle standard that they carry into large engagements. Legionaries would rather die than suffer the dishonor of losing their standard to the enemy.
COHORS- Legions are further broken down into separate cohorts, which each are made up of about 2,500 men, meaning there are four in one legion. The centurio primus pilus usually leads the First Cohort of a legion, which is generally made up better fighters than the other three. Another cohort specializes in vehicle operation, whilst the remaining two are infantry. A veteran centurion typically takes command of cohort, and is officially a higher rank than other standards centurions. Each cohort is made up of twenty-five centuries.
CENTURIA- Made up of 100 men, the century is a subunit of the cohort, and is commanded by a centurion. Each century has its own standard bearer, who carries that century’s sacred banner into combat, for which legionaries will die to keep from falling into enemy hands, unless the legion’s golden eagle standard is in danger. Ten contubernii make up a century.
CONTUBERNIUM- A contubernium is the smallest of all command structures, made up of ten men each. Led by an optio called a decanus, it is only led by a pair of centurions in the Classis Aetheria, although there are far fewer men in that branch than any other.
ALA (Classis Aetheria only)- Spacecraft and their pilots are divided further from contubernii into ale, in which there are two per contubernii, making for five pilots, led by a centurion.

[Zephyranthes]

“Tantae molis erat Romanam condere gentem.”
“What a lot of work it was to found the Roman race.”
-P. Vergilius Maro, The Aeneid

Taking beyond what could be reasonably called inspiration from the Romans, Fillii culture is an almost picture-perfect match of the Empire from several millennia back. The same social classes of patricians, plebeians, equestrians, peregrini, slaves, etc. still hold the same significance, save that it is slightly easier for one to move through the social ranks if one is of Fillii descent, and not a slave. In fact, some of the better Imperators were even the sons of freedmen! Something that may come as a shock to any foreigners who may visit the Imperium is the wanton and noticeable misogyny that seems nonexistent in many parts of modern-day Sirius. Women are universally considered to be below men, in legal, social, and physical matters. The only exception is when an extraordinary woman appears, such as the champions the Imperator allows to serve in the military, in which case they are considered to have been born in the wrong body, and not truly be a woman. Surprisingly, the one aspect in which they are equal is the view of homosexuality. Whilst not necessarily illegal by any means, the subject is very taboo, and such relationships are kept more secret than adultery. Although it is seen as being shameful enough to ruin one’s public reputation for life, a good number of Fillii are believed to have at least dabbled with it once. There is also prevalent xenophobia among most classes, particularly the plebeians.

The entirety of the population are adherents to the Roman polytheistic religion that dominated a majority of the Empire’s history. It is of common belief that the Imperator, at moment of birth, is blessed with the divine essence of one of the gods, depending on their astrological birth sign. The rest of the Fillii population believe that the same happens to all, but the extent of the blessing depends on their social station. Extremely pious and devoted to their beliefs, it is rare to find anyone within the Imperium who is of any other denomination or lack thereof. Prophecy and portents given by oracles and seers are of great importance in all matters of life, whether it be the chances of tripping over a rock, or the outcome of a battle. The Fillii are a superstitious people, and look for signs in all things.

After getting past the intolerant and conservative aspects of Fillii culture, it is not hard to see that they are an extremely principled and honorable people. Following the original Latin ways of mos maiorum, they believe in the values of loyalty, respect towards one’s fellow citizen, dedication to the gods, virtue, self-control, perseverance, and moral, physical, and mental discipline. Familial relations are of high importance as well, with respect towards one’s parents, extended relatives, and ancestors being an absolute necessity for a good Fillii citizen. These values have many connections with the military, as not only do they reflect such a lifestyle, but service in either statecraft or the military is somewhat of an unspoken responsibility for most male citizens. This also extends to marriage, as the act solidifies a more amicable and close relationship between the families of the newlyweds. Adoption of adults is not uncommon, as it is more out of sociopolitical and economic reasons, rather than of love. This system, referred to as patronage by most, takes on the name patrocinium, means that the patron provides protection in the form of legal and fiscal aid, helps to put in a good word where it is needed, and support the client’s endeavours in elevating themselves socially and politically. In exchange, the client is required to offer his services for whatever his patron may need. This relationship extends far beyond adoption, and is the basis for Fillii societal relationships as a whole.

The arts, for the most part, have stayed within the scope of Greco-Roman tradition, although music in particular has been greatly expanded to include genres of all varieties.

[Zephyranthes]

“Summum ius summa iniuria.”
“More law, less justice.”
-M. Tullius Cicero, De Officiis

Whilst Fillii legal procedure and laws are almost exactly the same as that of Roman times, there are some noteworthy differences. The first is that whilst the traditional judicial procedures do exist, the government does have authority to bypass them if need be, and administer judgement swiftly. The second major addition is that any foreigner wishing to enter Fillii territory must first receive the express permission of the Imperator himself, or be invited by one of his Tetrarchy. Up until now, no Sirian has ever visited Fillii space before, although this may change in time. Said foreigners must declare what they are bringing into their territory, lest they face severe punishment. Upon further inspection of Sirius, contraband will be specified, and the price for a Fillii citizen carrying it anywhere is death or slavery, the method of which to be decided by the one giving out the sentence. For a foreigner, the same applies, only when it is within Fillii territory. Piracy will not be tolerated in the Imperium, and any such bandits will face the same punishment as smugglers.

[Zephyranthes]

“Magnum vectigal est parsinomia”
“The economy is a major income”
M. Tullius Cicero

Remaining self-contained for over seven hundred years, staying afloat has not been easy for the Fillii. Their continued insistence on using gold and silver as currency has led to a stagnant economy that has not moved forward for quite some time, especially with their large military that spends its days twiddling its thumbs. But as the Frumentarii have found out upon arriving to Sirius, many are gullible enough to believe that the denarii and aurei used back at home are genuine artifacts. This alone has allowed them to purchase enough Sirian equipment to properly modernize themselves with.

One thing that has changed for the Imperium is the newly-established Classis Commercialis, a merchant navy for spaceborne operation. Commissioned by Aquila near the beginning of his reign, this organization will eventually facilitate trade between the civilized world and Sirius, not only bringing in new goods and exporting old ones, but also spreading good Fillii culture and diplomacy across the sector. At present, there are no good vessels within the fleet, but Caesar has promised that it will soon be stocked. It is led de facto by the Princeps Numerarius.

[Zephyranthes]

“Divide et impera”
“Divide and conquer”
-Gaius Iulius Caesar

The official borders of the Imperium Martis Fillii incorporate the systems of Italia, Magna Graecia, and Sicilia, along with systems of interest including Terra Nova (Inverness), Dalmatia (Cortez), Macedonia (Coronado), Mare Incognita (Drake), Belgica (Newcastle), Germanica Inferior (Tau-31), Raetia (Baffin), Germanica Superior (Tau-29), Sarmatia (Tau-23), Narbonensis (Manchester), and Galatia (Magellan).

Italia, as the name suggests, is the capital of the empire, and the only settled system thus far, with the only inhabited world being Mundus Nostrum. Hosting a population of ninety-seven million souls, it is a world of varied climates, mostly temperate. The capital city of Roma Nova is the largest on the surface, with approximately twenty-two million people living there. Much of the planet is still undeveloped, although the pockets of civilization that do exist are evenly dispersed all throughout. Aside from that, there is the only moon orbiting the planet, Diana, and a large gas giant, dubbed Vesuvius Mons. The only two space stations in the system are Navalia Ostia and Castra Invicta. Navalia Ostia orbits Mundus Nostrum and provides for nearly all space-based needs, including shipbuilding and shuttles to the surface. Castra Invicta, located near the Magna Graecia jumphole, is the headquarters of the Classis Aetheria and serves as the first line of defense for Italia.

Magna Graecia is a mostly empty system, save for a desert planet, dubbed Lepcis Magna, and its twin moons, Castor and Pollux. Some surveys say that Lepcis Magna can support life, although no attempts to land on its surface have been attempted thus far.

Sicilia is covered by a system-wide multicolored nebula fittingly called the Bosporus Nebula, due to its role as a passageway in between the seas of the Imperium and Sirius. There is nothing of note, save for some scattered and deactivated nav buoys dropped by the original Fillii ship that charted this system.

[Zephyranthes]

“Ad astra, per aspera”
“To the stars, despite adversity”
-Latin proverb

Although most technology pales in comparison to that of Sirius, and especially Gallia, the Fillii have at least managed to make efficient use of Earth-era technology, and even develop some formidable weapons to use on the international stage. Their soldiers on the ground use advanced power armor, with each suit having a self-contained life support system, energy shielding, ammo rechargers, and networked HUD systems. They favor larger heavy machine guns, laser gatling guns, and explosive weapons that would be difficult to carry without the suits. Their training also tends to lean towards the use of melee weapons, using energy blades to make a point.

Their medical advances have made living life in the Imperium an easy thing, for those who can afford to be treated. Usually the highest medical care is reserved for patricians and the military, whilst plebeians must fend for themselves. Robotics have not advanced as significantly as Sirius, simply because the liberal use of slaves in the Imperium for hard labor has made automated work a useless endeavour. There has been experimentation with matter conversion to make production easier, though most experiments conducted have failed, and thankfully, they failed in such a manner that no explosions or dangerous side effects occurred.

[Zephyranthes]

Praetoriani (Praetorian Guard)
“Fortius quo fidelius”
“Strength through loyalty”
-Praetorian Guard motto

The Praetorian Guard is an organization whose roots can be found all the way back to the beginning of the Fillii people. Funditorius first established them to be his personal bodyguard, akin to the old Praetorian Guard of Roman days. Armed with only the most advanced and effective arms and armor available in the Imperium, they constantly stand vigil in the shining halls of the Aula Palatina, and also guard various other important sites, such as the wreck of the Libertonian ship in the Imperial Forum that brought them to the planet, the Circus Maximus, and the Colosseum. Whenever the Imperator goes outside of the palace, a contubernium of guards follows him, whether it be openly, or in secret. Each Praetorian holds the military rank of centurion, though they are respected far more than the normal rank and file.

Historically, the Praetorian Guard has always been known as the ancient preservers of Fillii civilization, a reputation that started at the end of the Latian Dynasty, when they helped to avoid the destruction of Roma Nova. In some ways, they are the failsafe of the Imperium, as whenever an Imperator has almost brought ruin to the land, the Praetorians depose him and help another rise to power. Unlike the old Praetorian Guard, this one does not have a reputation for unbelievable corruption, although a wise ruler should always make sure their needs are attended to.

Legion tag: [PRAE]

The following individuals are members of the Praetorian Guard:
Lucius Horatius Purpureo (Nik/Ndk071)- Praefectus Praetorio

Frumentarii
“Amat victoria prudentia”
“Victory loves prudence”
-Frumentarii motto

Frumentarii are the eyes and ears of the Imperator; his magistrates of the night. They are zealously loyal to him, and are skilled in not only various underhanded methods of sabotage and espionage, but are surprisingly skilled diplomats as well. Their true leader is the Imperator, but either the Magister Officiorum or Praefectus Praetorio may give out orders to this group. Acting as both international and domestic agents, they are what make sure the Imperium is always running as stable as possible.

The Frumentarii are currently preoccupied with their present mission of exploring Sirius, and understanding more about it as a whole. If the situation permits, a Frumentarius with initiative would do well to establish diplomatic contact with factions that may both benefit the Imperium in the future, and would be prospective territories or client states in the future. All Frumentarii are named after other civilizations and cultures that existed in the time of the Roman Empire.

Legion tag: [FRU]

The following individuals are members of the Frumentarii:
Parthia (Venetia)- Spymaster and diplomat
Aegyptus (Drrobe/Finn)- Assassin and intimidator
Iceni (QuinnZai)- Scout and diplomat
Frisii (Nik/ndk071)- Assassin and saboteur
Carthago (MiniStryke/Luke)- Scientific expert

Vestales (Vestal Virgins)
“Bene orasse est bene studuisse.”
“To have prayed well is to have pursued well.”
-Creed of the Vestales

Tasked with keeping the eternal fire of Vesta burning in the Pantheon Magnus, the Vestales are the main line between Fillii citizens and the gods, communicating their wishes through prophecies. Some are seers who have been granted the power of foresight by the gods, whilst others simply make sure religious tradition is respected and kept in order. All of them help to keep the fire burning, because if it were to extinguish, it would mean the gods are certainly displeased.