Menrvan Imperium (men-RAH-vah)
The Menrvan Imperium, best known as merely Menrva, is the largest native nation on Damaria. The vast empire hugs the southernmost edges of the Great Nawiiri Land Ring, with land mostly on the inner coastline of the Ring, and going coast to coast on the most southern point in Nawiiri, also known as the Menrva Strait.
An Benevolent Empire With The Trappings Of Evil
Menrva has long been known as a textbook Evil Empire to the native civilizations of Damaria, with the idea of an Evil Empire having always been more or less close to what humans believed an evil empire was.
However, upon landing, the humans actually met the Menrvans first, who were extremely welcoming of the aliens (To them), giving them protection from other civilizations neighboring the Imperium. Many people pointed out the aesthetic of the then-medieval era Imperium was pretty close to a Dark Kingdom/Evil Empire, with many important buildings having decorative spikes, many building being built out of black stone, and many more important roads and open spaces being lit by large iron braziers.
The land could be considered the first sign of Menrva not being fully evil. While many trees look gnarly and have thorns and look as if they have clawed hands and thorny leaves, many people say its mostly scrubland and savanna is very similar to Africa, albeit much of the region's stony areas having black basalt from many volcanoes or former volcanoes. Other common rocks include marble, limestone, and sandstone, all primarily black or red in color, and many animals there are rather monstrous looking. However, much of the land in Menrvan possession is overall lush, especially near water sources: Many species of plants trive along Menrva's rivers, lakes, and oases, with many species of insects, fish, and other small animals, as well as enormous megafauna similar to various species on Earth.
Menrva's people are a true sign of the empire's spirit: They merely have a unique architecture that favors black stone and spikes. They're actually very open minded, with many kids in the first few years shyly walking up to humans not out of fear, but legitimate shyness.
After making contact with other civilizations, it was obvious they were much less open minded and treated humans with less respect. They also vilified Menrva, assuming they hadn't met them, and told them they were not to be trusted. By that point, however, many humans had become friendly to the Menrvans, even after the territories laid out be the Darke Council for the human nations had been designated and the humans were told they could have a place to live their own lives if they wished. The Darke Council made it clear they weren't pushing humans out, they were merely giving the nations land to live on without obeying Menrvan law, which many humans did, albeit ensuring they would be visiting frequently once they were settled down.
Structure
Darke Council
Darkwing: Military/Diplomacy Hoard Leader: Economic Overseer/Infrastructure Darke Lorde: Military/General. Darkwing answers to Darke Lorde, albeit often gives advice to military operations the Darke Lorde listens to. Bone Drakon: Education/Religion/Public Safety High Necromancer: Infrastructure/Magic Practice Regulator. Answers to Hoard Leader when it comes to Infrastructure.Culture
Open Mindedness: Be open to those of a different way of things, as they can give you insight that may help you come time.
Public Safety: There's no use in ruling over flaming ruins. Our leaders must have the public's immediate safety as their top priority. No war should be fought without provocation, unless it is to free the oppressed in other lands.
Equality: All are ultimately equal in the eyes of the Devs. Everyone who enters out lands should be treated with the same respect given to those who have lived here their whole lives. In addition, no one should be favored over another for a superficial reason, from as noticeable as personal or familial wealth to as banal as skin color or species. Who you are or what you came from shouldn't determine your station in life.
Fairness: To all as to their own. Those with wealth who break our laws and are sentenced to a fine should be given a fair higher fine than someone who has almost nothing. Someone with wealth shouldn't see a fine as a mere price to pay, and someone who is already struggling shouldn't be kicked further down over a crime they had to commit for their families.
Take From The Rich, Give To The Poor: If the poor must steal to survive, our leaders have already failed us. The wealthy among us must give what they can to the poor to help them get what all people need to survive.
Fund All Ways Of Life: Everyone is eligible to have a career they love to do. Those who work hard on art, literature, and music are as deserving of good money for their efforts as a professional athlete, movie star, or business owner.
No Job Is Pointless: Even less glamorous jobs, such as maintaining trash and sewage, are worthy of praise for the work they do to keep our homes clean.
Mothers Should Be Pampered: A pregnant or nesting woman, as well as those raising young children, should be allowed to do no work beyond caring for the child for the first year of their child's life. The mother's relatives should all pitch in to help the mother do daily chores while she focuses her attention on her little one. No one is more responsible then her partner, and they should lead the effort in helping the mother focus on her child.
Public Agenda
- Public Welfare: The Darke Council keeps Menrva's population as its top priority, especially the middle and lower classes. From funding schools and hospitals for efficient and cheap if not free healthcare and education, all efforts should be on keeping the essential parts of the Menrvan Imperium's population and infrastructure able to not just survive, but thrive.
- Eat The Rich: The Darke Council has a personal and political beef against anyone who is wealthy without actually doing much to help the population, especially CEOs who barely lift a finger to get millions at the expense of their workers or celebrities who rarely give back to their fans in less obvious ways then gracing their screens or homes. All buisnesses with any infrastructure important to their business in our lands should pay all of their workers a fair wage, no matter where the employee is, or get none of what they need from our people. Celebrities must also ensure to help our people some way, somehow should they want to vacation, live, or have a vacation home in our lands.
- Justice For All: We need to ensure a bright future for all people. While our people are top priority, once our people are thriving and happy, we should extend our eyes to our neighboring nations, helping anyone who is oppressed and toppling their tyrants if need be.
Assets
The Menrvan Imperium is one of the wealthiest nations on Damaria, having a government budget of over $24 trillion in USD, adjusted for inflation. The total population is just under 2.4 billion, one of the highest in the world.
The active standing army is about 400 million when boosted with drafting, and floating around 100 million when not draft boosted. The draft is automatically sent out when needed for war but totally voluntary, with an enlisting rate of only 40% on average. Defensive wars often gain the best enlisting rate, sometimes over 90%, while farflung operations (Those not taking place across Menrva's immediate land borders) have terrible rates of often less than 10%.
Demography and Population
Most of Menrva's population is still the native mix of kolarii, uruk, kalti, minotaurs, and other native species of Damarian from before first contact, although a very solid 20% of its population is human.
Amongst the humans, the ethnicity of citizens is roughly 10% Asian (Mostly Japanese, Chinese, and Korean), 15% Arabic or Middle Eastern (Many of Jewish origin), 15% European, 40% Hispanic, 10% of African, and 10% Indigenous American/Pacific Indigenous. For the total percentage, this amounts to roughly 2% each of Asian, Indigenous, and African, 3% each of Arabic/Middle Eastern and European, and 8% Hispanic.
The largest area in the Imperium for each ethicnity is:
- Hispanic: Menrvan Imperial Province (Over 60% of all humans in Menrva City are Hispanic)
- Arabic/Middle Eastern: Maretta (Due to it being extremely close to Arabic land, many immigrants in Maretta come from Arabic countries)
- Indigenous: My'Elo Province
- European: Driftveil Range Province
- Asian: Menrvan Imperial Province (Making up 20% of all humans in Menrva City)
- African: Maretta Province (With a notably higher concentration near the New African nations).
- Kolarii: 55%
- Kalti: 5%
- Uruk: 5%
- Fae: 5%
- Cthonic: 5%
- All Species Under 5%: 5%
- Dsunga: 0.5% Total
- Tupi: 0.5% Total
- Charal: 0.5% Total
- Werefolk: 2% Total
- Tena: 1% Total
- Drakons: 0.5% Total
- Kobolds: 2%
- Dwarves: 1%
- Minotaurs: 1%
- Shortfolk: 1%
- Elves: 2%
- Merfolk: 2%
- Faeries: 1%
Military
- Extractors: City Guards/Law Enforcement for Violent/Potentially Violent Crime.
- Paladins: Wilderness Law Enforcement.
- Darkwing: Secret Service/Flag Army of Darke Council.
- Militia: Riot Control/City Defense, patrol to aid Extractors or police.
- Army: Regular Standing Army.
Technological Level
Menrva is the most advanced nation in the world, and shows it. Its most recent technologicl breakthrough is the smallest phone thus far, using quantum computing to make a phone as small as a Toka coin is across and needs a hologram to have a screen.
These Holophones are the latest quantum computing phones to hit the market, the oldest models being 23 years old and built to last. The phones are so popular no one's decided to make new ones, although a few forms are available:
- Hold-a-Holo: Hold-a-Holos are a model of holophone that have the actual computer in the phone be held in the hand as the screen shows from the top.
- Holodeck: Holodecks have the computer in a large button that, when clicked on, exudes the frames above the button to hold the screen in a traditional style.
- Headpiece: Heapieces are headsets that can also be programmed with a glasses prescription and the computer on a small piece behind the user's left ear, which also connects to a earbud twinned by on without the computer above it. One with a glasses prescription scans the eyes of the person wearing them, and if the measurements match up, the eyepieces modify their lenses to accommodate.
- Armwear: Placed on a bracelet, glove, or bracer, this holophone has its computer in its armpiece and exudes the screen above it. Bracers often have the keyboard directly on the bracer itself, but companies who sell bracer holophones have both models with a keyboard on the bracer and ones without.
Religion
- Menrvan Polytheism: Majority Religion for Natives. Popular with humans as well, but only worshipped by 40%.
- American Evangelism: Most common in Menrva Imperial Province and various small rural cities, especially in Maretta, My'Elo, and Caltha Woods Provinces. Extremely xenophobic, evangelist, and worshipped by over 75% of human criminals and rioters. Related to Christianity and has the same holy book, but far from the base teachings.
- Christianity: Various denominations, common in Driftveil Range Provinces, but seen throughout the Imperium. Catholicism is also common in Hispanic-dominated communities, and very well known in Menrva City as a result.
- Damarian Islam: Most common in Arabic-majority areas like Maretta. Less extreme than its predecessors, and seems to insert Menrvan views into its practices.
- Traditional Islam: Rare, but most often seen in recent immigrants from Arabic countries, and most prevalent as a minority denomination in Maretta. Less open minded than its younger relative, but still relatively reclusive.
- Judaism: Common in various locations in the Imperium, often in larger cities close to Arabic countries. Pretty welcoming, and worshippers don't evangelize as much as Muslims (Worshippers of Islam).
- Hinduism: Common in Southeast Asian communities, seen frequently in cities or towns nearest to rivers.
- Buddhism: Similar to Hinduism, but also extremely common with Asians, who fused Menrvan Polytheism with the beliefs of Buddhism.
- Shinto: Most common amongst Japanese communities, very commonly dually worshipped with Buddhism. In areas where Buddhism fused with Menrvan Polytheism, Shinto fused as well. Most dominant religion amongst Japanese in Menrva Imperial Province.
- Indigenous Beliefs: Various smaller religions of indigenous humans, vary by beliefs.
- Voodoo: Common in areas with Hispanics and Haitian peoples.
Laws
Murder:
- Homocide: Death by relatives of murdered.
- Infanticide/Pediacide: Public torture and execution done personally by Darkwing Phoenix
- Serial Killing: Put in Stell Crate with Stray Dog, Male Chimpanzee, Young Male Wyvern, and Black Mamba, Sealed inside while Animals are Drugged Asleep, and placed in undisclosed location, able to breath but Sealed to Inner Wall by Hand and Feet.
- Rape: Castrated/Spayed and fine of 90% of net worth/salary for 10 years.
- Child Molestation/ Child Rape: Public Torture/Execution by Parent/Guardian of child.
- Harrassment: Haunted by Panacea Ithaca personally if possible, otherwise other shadow, for 1 year, and fine of 80% of salary for 10 years.
- Medical Malpractice: Forced Amputation of Dominant Arm, without anesthetic, and Fired and Black listed from Medical Field. Scar from Left Nostril to Right Eye afterwards. Fine of 100% of Salary Before Sentencing for 10 years.
- Employee Abuse: Left Ear cut off.
- Malicious Compliance Against Asshole Customer: Guilty Employee is given 10% of current salary/wages as reward, Customer if fined 10% of current salary.
- Government Embezzling: Public Torture/Execution by Phoenix in Province of Seat. Televised if in Menrva Imperial Province.
- Government Corruption: Personal Torture/Excecution by Phoenix in Province of Seat. Televised if in Menrva Imperial Province.
Agriculture & Industry
Most of Menrva is poor for growing crops or raising animals for food, but rich in minerals and ores, making Menrva the perfect candidate for industrialization. However, the fertile floddplains of the Maretta province have long served as an excellent place to grow crops and raise animals, with the population often living in infertile areas, growing crops anywhere that can and raising animals anywhere that can't bear crops.
My'Elo Province is rich in sea life, making it a secondary breadbasket often called the Fishbucket as an endearing term. Due to much of its water bordering Menrva City, the Darke Council consciously redrew the borders of the two to make only the waters out to 1 kilometer from all Menrva Imperial Province coastline, excluding water landlocked by the province, in the Menrvan Imperial Province. All water beyond 1 kilometer sifted to My'Elo, to allow as many My'Elo fisheries to help obtain fish for Menrva's obligate carnivores and others who enjoy a good seafood plate. My'Elo is also extremely poor in production by choice, delegating processing the fish to Driftveil Range to preserve the My'Elo Bay's natural ecosystems.
Driftveil Range Province, in sharp contrast, is the beating heart of Menrva's industry. Due to the Driftveil range having vast ore and mineral deposits, mines, quarries, and industry of all sorts are located here, making up to 75-90% of Menrva's manufactured goods and well over 60% of its seafood products, most originating from My'Elo.
Trade & Transport
Most of Menrva's products and people use the Hyperloop or Intercity Rail networks for transportation. Beyond waterways, these are how Menrva's many people receive or give products to other locales in the Imperium.
The rail system usually has 6 tracks going in any one direction: 2 for back and forth goods transportation, which often go as fast as possible for the Hyperloop technology to go, using Ae'Ai conductors to allow for even higher speeds than safe for biological beings, 2 for the Hyperloop, and 2 for reguler intercity rail. Intercity rail tickets are 4 times cheaper than Hyperloop tickets, but also a fifth of the price due to the price of the Dark Potassium needed to run the Hyperloop.
Hyperloop tech is actually more efficient the faster the train goes, but is unsafe and even deadly for biological people after a certain speed, so most go as fast as is safe for biological beings as the goods are transported on separate tracks run by Ae'Ai conductors and going as fast as they can go, ignoring biological safety limits. The trains are made for the same company and aren't designed for either one, so trains destined for the goods Hyperloops are simply gutted of seats and given storage for goods before their maiden trip as the Ae'Ai ignore all safety catches on their speed.
Education
All Menrvan children are required by law to either attend public schools funded by the government or to be taught by a state-approved homeschool teacher. The list of homeschool teachers is small, but demand is only high amongst American immigrants, who dislike the Darke Council's every action and try to worm out of it. Therefore, homeschool teacher often have to teach a child that will be unlearned of everything that their parents dislike within an hour of them leaving. Most can't do much about and are upset at the child's plight, but continue to return to teach those children, as they see the money as too good.
Public school children have a legal limit of 10 minutes of homework, total, per grade level per day, although it's fine if older students (From 7th grade onwards) get up to 15 minutes extra for 7th to 9th graders and 30 extra from 10th to 11th. All teachers in a school attend a weekly video meeting each Tyron to discuss homework for each grade level, a practice completely encouraged by the Darke Council as a way to dodge getting into legal trouble, although the time is simply how much time the work is estimated to be with an Ae'Ai employee calculating.
These meetings are separated by grade level, and are designed to ensure all students of a grade level get no more than the legal limit of homework times, although any one student and exceed that, but that is considered to be the student, although if it is calculated to be less than the time needed and an entire grade somehow exceeds for no real reason (Real reasons include power outages and natural disasters), the students' home situations are throroughly investigated. If they all seem to be okay, the teachers are investigated for their teaching. If that's okay, it's considered a fluke an ignored for two months.
Elementary shooldchildren first go in for preschool often, at the age of 4 by law. A child must be 4 years old by a date determined each year by the Darke Council, wich usually stays in place at Jupitia 20th, but Sunol will modify this. Any parents arguing their child is old enough by the cutoff date is ignored by all courts, and no lawyer takes the case. Sunol children are allowed in if their Legal Sunol Age is 4 before the cutoff date. The parents of a Sunol child are often confused enough by their child's bizarre birthdates, and will almost never put up a fight just to stop thinking about the confusing date. Children born on a Calend or Nalira are after Unity and thus automatically excluded like all children born in Saturnia, Urana, Neptunia, and Unity. Kindergarten goes next for all children, and particularly precocius student only advance grades should they cause major disruptions as a result, and only if the parents, under a truth serum, say they did not tell the child to act up.
Homework for each grade level are:
- Preschool/Kindergarten: None, or something simple/easy given to the parents to help their child learn, but is ultimately optional. This is okay.
- 1st Grade: 10 minutes, although many 1st grade teachers give less than 5 minutes a day
- 2nd Grade: 20 minutes, with most teachers giving 10 or less.
- 3rd Grade: 30 minutes, first grade where most teachers give out a full 30 minutes.
- 4th Grade: 40 minutes.
- 5th Grade: 50 minutes.
- 6th Grade: 1 hour. Many students whine or complain initially about an hour of homework but eventually get used to it.
- 7th Grade: 70 minutes. Can go up to 85 minutes in calculated time.
- 8th Grade: 80 minutes, can go to 95 minutes calculated.
- 9th Grade: 90 minutes, can go to 105 minutes.
- 10th Grade: 100 minutes, can go to 115.
- 11th Grade: 110 minutes, can go to 125.
- 12th Grade: 2 hours, can go to 135. Many students in 12th grade remember they used to complain about 1 hour of homework and make jokes about it, including extremely overtheatrical complaining about 2 hours (Emphasis on 2). These jokes are purely in jest, and a student can often get voted as Most Dramatic based purely on a particularly Shakespearean complaint. Most teacher don't care, if not a little annoyed at the dramatics.
To Be Open Is To Prosper
Trading Strait
Menrva City, the capital of the Not-So-Evil Empire is situated upon the Kanaya Strait, the only way out of the Nawiiri Inner Sea. The Great Nawiiri Land Ring is heavily forested and hilly north of Menrva's territory, meaning it'd difficult to traverse by land using medieval methods. Menrva's position made it a forced step into going by sea to trade with the other side efficiently. Due to the native civilization's hatred towards Menrva, however, they have struggled to trade without going through the Imperium, as they believe the people there can corrupt folks into joining them.
Founding Date
766 AR/1776 CE
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Alternative Names
Menrva, The Not-So-Evil Empire, The Darke Landes Of Villainy, The Throne of All Villainy In This World
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Decorated/Honored
Demonym
Menrvan
Ruling Organization
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Autonomous area
Economic System
Mixed economy
Gazetteer
- Menrva City (Capital)
- Driftveil Range Province (Overseen in Driftveil City, Industrial Powerhorse of Menrvan Imperium)
- Maretta Province (Breadbasket of Menrvan Imperium, over 90% of all Menrvan-grown/raised food comes from somewhere in Maretta, much of the rest from city park gardens or private restaurant gardens)
Currency
Toka
Main Unit: Toka (2 inch gold plated coin)Demoninations
Tokatonto (4 inch x 8 inch x 1 inch Silver bar worth 100 Toka) Toktran (2 inch x 4 inch x 1 inch Gold bar worth 10 Toka) Toka Intoka (2 inch Silver coin worth 1/2 of a Toka) Rintoka (2 inch Electrum coin worth 1/4 of a Toka) Tintoka (2 inch Brass coin worth 1/10 of a Toka) Shintoka (2 inch Bronze coin worth 1/20 of a Toka) Much Toka is digital in modern Menrvan society, and Tokatonto and Toktran can also come in Dark Iron/Dark Gold plates 2 inches x 4 inches x 1/2 inch for a Tokatonto and a similar one with Dark Uranium and Dark Copper of identical size for a Toktran. Due to the inherent value of Dark Materials, they serve as equal value with far less weight. All 4 dark materials used in minting are also reasonably bendable at reasonable temperatures, although many pockets and wallets had already been sufficiently sized for noticeably larger smartphones a generation before the plates' inception, so most people simply shove the plates into their pockets or bags instead. The barter system is also still very alive from Menrva's pre-human era, and many store owners don't mind letting a person work a while for goods. Most stores that generally refuse work for their goods are tech stores, although many will accept trading tech for similar tech (A phone for a phone, a gaming console for another of a different brand).
Major Exports
Menrva is the largest source of Qurik Support tech in the world, Driftveil Range being the birthplace of many. The words Made In Driftveil Range Province, Menrva has become a synonym for the highest quality in the international Qurik Support Tech trade.
Many toy and candy companies also have their headquarters and largest facilities in Driftveil Range, viewing the requirement of higher wages for their employees as a mere cost for Driftveil's high industry. Most make more than enough to make up the costs anyway, so it's perfectly functional. These are exported by the companies themselves.
In every way but officially, the United States of America is a vassal to Menrva, being all but totally dependent on the imports it gains from Menrva to survive. The Darke Council only maintain this trade agreement for reasons only they and the President of the US, Henry Tudor, know. Hnery's 2 year tenure has impacted the Americans greatly, at the cost of losing all independence commercially from Menrva.
Major Imports
As self-sufficient as Menrva is, there's one thing the Not-So-Evil Empire craves: Foreign entertainment. Even if it has become the spot for major movie studios, Menrvans still have a love for Japanese anime and manga, songs and art from around the world, and the odd request for fossils and archaeological artifacts in other nations. The Imperium also imports various foodstuffs not easily grown in Menrva, usually spices and some kinds of fruit.
Inorganic luxuries rare in Menrva are also imported., as well as trading animals for zoos.
Legislative Body
The Darke Council has a Senate that sends laws to be ratified to them. These elected officals are able to form new laws but ultimately need the approval of the Darke Council to ratify a law. Sufficiently terrible laws often result in mass execution of senators who ratified the draft, while less favored drafts are simpy rejected and sent back heavily annotated to help improve it for possible reappraisal.
Judicial Body
The Darke Judges are a group of judges hand selected by Darkwing Phoenix for their fair judgement of all people to help with the highest cases in the land. These Judges help teach lawyers and lower court judges to ensure they are fair as well. Any judges found accepting bribes are viciously executed publicly personally by Phoenix
Executive Body
The population of Menrva's provinces elect a Lordes' Council that represents their province for the Darke Council.
Each Lordes' Council member serves for a maximum of 2 terms of 3 years, with elections taking place on Nalira and any new Councilers taking their seats in the year afterwards.
Most Lordes' Councils are mostly or totally repleced every 3 years, and potential Councilers must be at least 24 years old and have been a resident of the province they wish to be in the Council of for at least 9 years before running.
The Lordes' Councils help run the operations of their province and air any major concerns to the Darke Council. The Darke Council will automatically pay attention to any natural disaster calls, as well as provincewide pest issues that are truly dire. Driftveil Range won't get much help from a large anti-crop weevil in its province, but the same insect being discovered in various parts of Maretta gets a massive storm of levied exterminators on the job to destroy the pests before they devastate the breadbasket of the empire.
The Extractors and police often enforce the laws of the Imperium on the ground, with the police taking care of more petty crimes, from theft to speeding, while the Extractors stop more violent crimes, such as murders, robberies, and abuse cases. Menrvan police officers are trained in self defense and persuasion, and go on the street with little to no body protection if at all, usually in small groups. They are on orders to call for immediate help should a crime become out of their level. In most places they're supplied with horses to help chase fleeing criminals, and many police corps assign one or two stronger officers to every group.
Extractors, being trained for more violent crimes, are more heavily armored, and often ride motorcycles built for them that are heavier, tougher, and more all-terrain than normal. They're armed with Electro Spears designed to temporarily stun criminals from a range of up to 10 meters.
Paladins serve as preserve patrol in wilderness areas, ensuring wilderness and conservation laws are enforced. Paladins always travel in groups of 4-6 on Menrvan Wood Wyverns to patrol or give chase in any terrain, and are heavily armored, armed, and capable of first aid in the wild.
Official Languages
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Peace, Trade, Protectorate
Menrva will automatically invade any nation stupid enough to attempt an assault on Liberty. Liberty is no where nearly strong enough militarily to swing the tides of Menrva's personal defense in any meaningful way, but Menrva doesn't need much assistance.
Usually, however, Liberty will cancel all trade and close off their borders to any nation that attacks Menrva.