The Regime
1.0 Introduction
The Regime is an advanced matriarchal civilization of alien origin. It utilizes advanced organic technology as well as extensive genetic engineering to create castes with specialized roles. Although they appear humanoid in most regards, their origin was a mystery when the Colonial Commonwealth made first contact with them at the colony Modron in the TK star system. The location of the Regime homeworld, Anya, remains unknown.
2.0 The Ruling Caste
Rulers, being at the top of the Regime’s social hierarchy, maintain a very privileged position. Rulers are the political, intellectual, and spiritual head of the Regime.
However, that status comes with great responsibility, for the top-down system that makes this space-faring civilization function is also one of its greatest weaknesses.
In the Regime’s First Age, rival houses routinely fought one another as they constantly jockeyed for advantage and opportunities. Rulers, with few notable exceptions, crave power and fear losing it. With their caste’s superhuman longevity, rulers can plot and scheme over many long years.
However, that status comes with great responsibility, for the top-down system that makes this space-faring civilization function is also one of its greatest weaknesses.
In the Regime’s First Age, rival houses routinely fought one another as they constantly jockeyed for advantage and opportunities. Rulers, with few notable exceptions, crave power and fear losing it. With their caste’s superhuman longevity, rulers can plot and scheme over many long years.
2.1 The Houses
The houses maintain spheres of power with their own administrative apparatuses, treasuries, and even the capacity to raise their own armies. Every member of a house shares common ancestry, history, and idiosyncratic cultural practices. In the course of Regime history, a number of houses rose and fell in prominence. Although thirteen houses once existed, only seven remained at the end of a series of conflicts known as the Succession Wars.
Oszirozsa
The Queen’s own house. Associated with grace and elegance, Oszirozsa is considered the most regal of the seven houses. Regime records suggest that Oszirozsa is the oldest house, and derives a great deal of honorific prestige as a result. While Oszirozsa was once lauded for its virtues of temperance, prudence, and innate justness, its esteem has waned over the years due to centuries of corruption and duplicitous acts.
While Oszirozsa is the smallest house in terms of its members, it remains the wealthiest and most powerful.
Flower: Aster
Symbol: star
Color: purple
Jewelry: silver
Zhabine
Renowned for its sense of charity, the rulers of House Zhabine are celebrated as great patrons of the people and the arts. Zhabine advocates the implementation of social reforms to benefit the poorer citizens and promote general goodwill. This house emphasizes the happiness of lower caste subjects to prevent popular uprisings – and to gain favorability among the people.
House Zhabine’s outward show of concern for the people is successful as it remains the most popular house among the warrior and worker castes.
Flower: Delphinium
Symbol: water droplet
Color: blue
Jewelry: pearl
Narcisz
Historically thought of as shameless hedonists, House Narcisz is not typically taken as seriously as the other houses. What many of their critics misunderstand is that their boisterous parties and ceremonial orgies are considered a solemn form of worship. The philosophy of House Narcisz is to honor the Goddess by celebrating a ruler’s unusual longevity each day by living their lives to the fullest.
Masters of subterfuge, House Narcisz use large, extravagant events as the perfect pretense for secret arrangements. Being so underestimated, House Narcisz survived because of their ability to mastermind affairs unbeknownst to other houses. Outsiders can little fathom how such a seemingly fatuous house could survive the brutal Succession Wars against stronger rival houses. This has led to the belief that the members of this house are lucky to have around. Members regularly display affection in accordance with living fruitful, pleasant lives. They extend this courtesy to lower castes, making them popular among the people.
Flower: Daffodil
Symbol: mirror
Color: white and yellow
Jewelry: gold
Protea
Known for their adaptability and survivability. Of all the Houses, Protea seems uninterested in the acquisition of wealth and power, yet they retain a great deal of both due to their many schemes and projects. Least trusted of all the houses, they are among the most secretive.
In addition to being considered generally self-interested and devious, they are also regarded as among the most clever and resilient. In order to protect themselves from assassination through poisoning, many rulers in House Protea regularly practice ritualistic Mithridatism.
Flower: Sugarbushes
Symbol: spiked ball
Color: orange
Jewelry: amethyst
Ahilija
Associated with usefulness and practicality, the rulers of House Ahilija are generally regarded as the most industrious. Being great patrons of the sciences, Ahilija measures progress through technological advancement.
House Ahilija is celebrated for their tutelary and infrastructure programs, which keep the other castes educated and employed. Because of their focus on utility, they are uniquely well-regarded by almost all of the houses. They are so singularly focused on science that they have no time for political machinations, and their loyalties will extend to any actor willing to afford them the time and capital for their projects. Because they develop new weapons they are well-liked by the warrior caste, and also keep many in the worker caste happily occupied.
Flower: Yarrow
Symbol: hand
Color: white
Jewelry: diamond
Duzica
A distinguished house coming out of the Succession Wars, Duzica is heralded for their heroism and leadership. While they maintain a strong alliance with House Oszirozsa and the Queen, the other houses often view their defrence with skepticism and disdain.
Duzica is also one of the most feared houses due to their successful destruction of key rival houses in the past. Being an ambitious house, Duzica has many great visions and plans for the Regime, even if they rarely share those plans to anyone outside of their ranks.
Flower: Iris
Symbol: messenger rod
Color: red violet
Jewelry: ruby
Hunyor
Associated with austerity, spirituality, and modesty. While considered the wisest of the houses, the mysterious House Hunyor is also noted for their peculiar insularity. These rulers tend to be deep-thinking mystics and philosophers, but are extremely aloof.
Their practices involve the consumption of hallucinogenic drugs to enter spiritual trances and their ritualistic meetings. The chief concern of House Hunyor is to spiritually uplift and evolve themselves to serve as better advisors to those in positions of power. Of all the houses, they are the least concerned with wealth, power, or technological progress.
Flower: Hellebore
Symbol: scroll
Color: brown
Jewelry: none
Oszirozsa
The Queen’s own house. Associated with grace and elegance, Oszirozsa is considered the most regal of the seven houses. Regime records suggest that Oszirozsa is the oldest house, and derives a great deal of honorific prestige as a result. While Oszirozsa was once lauded for its virtues of temperance, prudence, and innate justness, its esteem has waned over the years due to centuries of corruption and duplicitous acts.
While Oszirozsa is the smallest house in terms of its members, it remains the wealthiest and most powerful.
Flower: Aster
Symbol: star
Color: purple
Jewelry: silver
Zhabine
Renowned for its sense of charity, the rulers of House Zhabine are celebrated as great patrons of the people and the arts. Zhabine advocates the implementation of social reforms to benefit the poorer citizens and promote general goodwill. This house emphasizes the happiness of lower caste subjects to prevent popular uprisings – and to gain favorability among the people.
House Zhabine’s outward show of concern for the people is successful as it remains the most popular house among the warrior and worker castes.
Flower: Delphinium
Symbol: water droplet
Color: blue
Jewelry: pearl
Narcisz
Historically thought of as shameless hedonists, House Narcisz is not typically taken as seriously as the other houses. What many of their critics misunderstand is that their boisterous parties and ceremonial orgies are considered a solemn form of worship. The philosophy of House Narcisz is to honor the Goddess by celebrating a ruler’s unusual longevity each day by living their lives to the fullest.
Masters of subterfuge, House Narcisz use large, extravagant events as the perfect pretense for secret arrangements. Being so underestimated, House Narcisz survived because of their ability to mastermind affairs unbeknownst to other houses. Outsiders can little fathom how such a seemingly fatuous house could survive the brutal Succession Wars against stronger rival houses. This has led to the belief that the members of this house are lucky to have around. Members regularly display affection in accordance with living fruitful, pleasant lives. They extend this courtesy to lower castes, making them popular among the people.
Flower: Daffodil
Symbol: mirror
Color: white and yellow
Jewelry: gold
Protea
Known for their adaptability and survivability. Of all the Houses, Protea seems uninterested in the acquisition of wealth and power, yet they retain a great deal of both due to their many schemes and projects. Least trusted of all the houses, they are among the most secretive.
In addition to being considered generally self-interested and devious, they are also regarded as among the most clever and resilient. In order to protect themselves from assassination through poisoning, many rulers in House Protea regularly practice ritualistic Mithridatism.
Flower: Sugarbushes
Symbol: spiked ball
Color: orange
Jewelry: amethyst
Ahilija
Associated with usefulness and practicality, the rulers of House Ahilija are generally regarded as the most industrious. Being great patrons of the sciences, Ahilija measures progress through technological advancement.
House Ahilija is celebrated for their tutelary and infrastructure programs, which keep the other castes educated and employed. Because of their focus on utility, they are uniquely well-regarded by almost all of the houses. They are so singularly focused on science that they have no time for political machinations, and their loyalties will extend to any actor willing to afford them the time and capital for their projects. Because they develop new weapons they are well-liked by the warrior caste, and also keep many in the worker caste happily occupied.
Flower: Yarrow
Symbol: hand
Color: white
Jewelry: diamond
Duzica
A distinguished house coming out of the Succession Wars, Duzica is heralded for their heroism and leadership. While they maintain a strong alliance with House Oszirozsa and the Queen, the other houses often view their defrence with skepticism and disdain.
Duzica is also one of the most feared houses due to their successful destruction of key rival houses in the past. Being an ambitious house, Duzica has many great visions and plans for the Regime, even if they rarely share those plans to anyone outside of their ranks.
Flower: Iris
Symbol: messenger rod
Color: red violet
Jewelry: ruby
Hunyor
Associated with austerity, spirituality, and modesty. While considered the wisest of the houses, the mysterious House Hunyor is also noted for their peculiar insularity. These rulers tend to be deep-thinking mystics and philosophers, but are extremely aloof.
Their practices involve the consumption of hallucinogenic drugs to enter spiritual trances and their ritualistic meetings. The chief concern of House Hunyor is to spiritually uplift and evolve themselves to serve as better advisors to those in positions of power. Of all the houses, they are the least concerned with wealth, power, or technological progress.
Flower: Hellebore
Symbol: scroll
Color: brown
Jewelry: none
