The Vulcast Empire

Nobody knows the specifics of their origins but what is known is that when war itself first sparked on Oarus the Vulcast Empire was the first to attack. The Empire gave little reason for a cause other than that they believed themselves to be the master race due to their advanced weapons, technology, medicine, and science. They see all other races as lower than themselves and are fortunate to serve a higher cause, and that is whatever they see fit. At the beginning of what many call the Age of Conquest, none could stand against the Vulcast and their endless tide of machines that fought half their battles for them. This led to them taking over what is almost 1/3 of the entire known world as far as the Twelve Cities and many other races know.
Only with the power of the arcane and magitek was the Empire halted in its conquest. Since then the Empire has gone to great lengths to study and understand the strange creatures that have these abilities of mind over matter that allow them to control the forces of nature and even the universe itself. Understanding magitek has only been the first step in their mission and one that they have utilized very well to devastating results.

Structure

Since the beginning of their emergence, the Vulcast people have always been ruled by an Emperor. One whose lifespan has been extended by thousands of years thanks to their medical discoveries. None can truly say how the Vulcast discovered such wonders but what is known is that each Emperor has ruled for thousands of years and has rarely been seen in battle. An emperor is chosen from a long line of royals, one that is worthy of the throne over all others that can range in the dozens as each one can have many children in thousands of years. Because of this method, even members of the royal family live for thousands of years until an emperor is chosen. Due to the nature of such experiments and procedures, many royals and even nobles tend to have mutated features from abnormal skin tones and skeletal features as well.
Each Emperor has an Imperial Council made up of numerous nobles, generals, grand merchants, and many others. This council must advise the Emperor in all matters whether they be about war or state alike. All members are elected by the people and the senior members of the council not just by the account of their birth but also on their merits as well. If need be a member can be voted off by a ruling majority or by the Emperor himself should they fail in their appointed task.

Culture

Little is known of the Vulcast people as a whole, what is known however is that they are remarkably similar to humans in appearance. Because of this they stand out compared to other humans and are easily recognizable. It is known throughout the world that the Vulcastians are infamous for their dominating mindset believing that this world is theirs and that only they know what is best for the collective good of all species. They have no poverty or starvation whatsoever leading them to further believe that they are superior to all others as no other civilizations have achieved this. It is common for the rich and powerful to have things such as slavery, believing it to be a fortunate fate for the lower species who defy their will.
Through their experiments with genetics, the Vulcastians have learned to enhance their physicality to great extents making them stronger than any ordinary human. This research is seen as a part of progress as well as taking control of evolution for themselves. However, this has resulted in unique mutations that have given many of them their otherworldly red skin that has come as a result of their genetic experimentation. Despite this side effect, many see it as a blessing and privilege handed down by their gods.

Public Agenda

Officially the goal of the empire is the advancement of the human race by any means necessary. Whether it be the use of advanced technology, medical research, and the creation of powerful machines all serve this same goal in the eyes of the Empire. But this is only part of the truth what they truly seek is total domination, believing that only they can lead all races toward a brighter future where there will be no war or hunger. In the end, their means of achieving this is through supreme conquest.

Assets

Many nobles of high rank in the Vulcast Empire are known to wear advanced "power suits" which are capable of creating energy shielding, levitation, and creating numerous weapons of choice. They are recognized not just by their attire but also by the ornate headdresses they wear as well. Though typically most often worn by women in the Empire, it is not unheard of for men to wear them as well on rare occasions. Red and gold are typically worn by the nobility and are seen as colors that indicate power and status.

History

Very few know the full history of the Vulcast Empire, they began as humans that were ancient rivals to the Arun from thousands of years ago. The Empire had always been experimenting and building advanced technology to aid them in their quest for supreme conquest. This manifested in not just building advanced armor, weapons, and vehicles alike but also creating constructs. These machines were capable of not just performing menial tasks but also things like construction and even waging war. With time the Vulcast created a machine city of wonder, led by their Emperor and his chosen council where they had no poverty and no famine with little crime. This success led them to believe that they should do the same for the rest of the world and that only they could do it.
The Empire first made its appearance before the Dark War known throughout the world as the 1st Imperial War where they assembled the largest army seen in the entire world. They laid siege on the Protectorate, the Underlands, Itheria, and even the Outlands at the same time using not just soldiers but also constructs. It was through this combined might that the Vulcast were able to fight against anyone on all fronts by land, sea, and even air. The first war with the Empire was by far the worst, none had ever before faced such a vast army of machines that did not eat, did not sleep, and never tired from exhaustion. As successful as they were the Empire lacked one crucial advantage that all other nations but themselves had access to and that was magic.
It was magic that allowed the Protectorate and most of all Itheria to drive the Empire from their shores and even combat their Iron Legion with the success they did. Although they had failed to take the 12 Kingdoms of Men or the Heartlands they had succeded in conquering much of the Outlands. Over the passing ages, the Azmodians have made repeated attempts on the Protectorate and Itheria with little success but that has not stopped them from slowly taking control of the Outlands piece by piece and slowly encompassing their foes.
When the Dark War began the Empire had fought beside all of the other races in defense of all of Oarus like any other powerful nation. Like all others, they suffered many losses but in the end, the combined forces of all races drove the dark armies back into the void where they came from. For a time there was peace until the Empire had chosen to resume its mission of conquering the world. With each war, the Empire has adapted creating new technology and new constructs to aid them in their mission for supreme conquest.

Demography and Population

Many Vulcast nobles of high rank are known to wear advanced "power suits" which are capable of creating energy shielding, levitation, and creating numerous weapons of choice. They are recognized not just by their attire but also by the ornate headdresses they wear as well. Though typically most often worn by women in Vulcast culture it is not unheard of for men to wear them as well on rare occasions. Red and gold are typically worn by the nobility and are seen as colors that indicate power and status.

Military

Few armies in the Outlands have access to the use of firearms and other advanced powerful weapons like the Vulcast Empire. Add to it their vast selection of military vehicles that are even capable of flight which makes them a terrifying force to reckon with. The leading military force is known by many as the Imperial Legion which is made up of a series of foot soldiers known as legionaries. They are easily recognized by their unique black armor with gold plating and designs worn by their officers. These soldiers are seen on the frontlines of the battlefield for the empire in all conflicts throughout their entire history. One of the alarming things about the legionnaires is the fact that many of them are drugged and enhanced in order to fight with fanatical abandon and little regard for personal safety.
Loyal to the Vulcast throne no matter who sits on it they will fight almost anyone and anything that stands in the way of conquest. Like most human soldiers they are armed with a knife and sword for melee combat along with a pistol and rifle for long-range. Although firearms are dispersed in a limited number they are still used by special squads in important missions. Thanks to their technology many elite warriors fight with hard-light shields that shield them from attacks until broken. All legionnaires are enhanced with powerful drugs that permanently alter their bodies making them faster and stronger than any mere human soldier from the Protectorate. These same drugs grant them increased reaction time, better sight, hearing, and even pain tolerance as well. Combined with their gear, weapons, and training this makes them a deadly threat to any would-be foe. The Empire over the years has always kept a steady supply of troops to continuously train more legionnaires in order to conquer their enemies. Most imperial citizens who join the military become legionnaires before ascending to praetorians. Even converts who join the empire can become legionnaires but can never ascend to the position of praetorians.
The Praetorians are elite warriors in advanced suits of gold-colored armor enhanced with their advanced technology. The Empire does not see it as enough to simply just build advanced weapons with their technology. In fact, they have gone so far as to merge themselves with their technology thus creating some of their half-man and half-machine soldiers to fight on the battlefield. As wondrous and terrifying as these machine warriors may sound the technology and experiments done to create them are horrifying. What remains of them beneath these suits of armor is barely human. Those that have been removed from the wreckage of these machines have been revealed to have their arms and legs removed along with other vital organs. When connected to their new machine bodies these become permanent and the human pilots can never be removed.
Yet the greatest and arguably the most infamously known military force of the Vulcast Empire is the Iron Legion. Of all the things that everybody can recognize save the Vulcastians themselves, all know of the infamous machines that are known as "constructs". Nearly half of the Imperial military itself is made up of constructs that can appear in various shapes and forms ranging from humanoid shapes the those of animals. Though they appear to be made of gold the reality is that they are not and the steel that the imperials use is as strong as any steel. Many constructs can range from as small as insects to as large as skyscrapers. All these are designed for a specific purpose which can be anything from household duties, construction, or even military combat. No matter the purpose, all constructs designed by the empire are professionally built and perform their designated tasks very well. Because of the high amount of resources needed to produce so many machines the empire is committed to expanding its territory to attain the necessary materials needed.

Technological Level

Since the beginning, the Vulcast have always been developing advanced technology that has given them an edge over all other enemy nations. Constructs are one of the most important inventions in the Empire, making up not just half of their military but also heavily relied upon for the construction of cities and other vehicles as well. Nearly every man, woman, and child alike have seen the smoke from the factories and felt the ground shake beneath their feet as tens of thousands of machines are built. It is because of this that Vulcast Empire is also known as the "Machine Empire" by many others across the world of Oarus. They have spent thousands of years building constructs of every sort that can walk on land, soar the skies, and even sail the seas as well as explore its depths.
For the Empire, knowledge requires sacrifice and no sacrifice is too great. By using either willing participants or slaves alike they conduct inhuman experiments in order to further enhance human physiology. In fact, many of their half-man and half-machine warriors are a result of these same experiments. Others are in fact created from experimenting on the corpses of fallen soldiers that were bludgeoned back to life or rather "half-life" to be more accurate.
All experiments and development of any new technology are conducted by the empire's para-scientists who are responsible for creating their magitek. Most of them are men and women who have extended their lifespans using potions and other chemical compounds that they have injected themselves with. Though these experiments have been a success so to speak they have come at a horrifying cost to them as they have become barely human anymore beneath their horrid masks.
For the everyday citizen, it is not uncommon for them to make use of the same pharmaceuticals that the nobles do to prolong their lifespans. At the same time use constructs for menial tasks such as garbage collecting, maintenance, and even transportation as well. Other much smaller constructs are used for carrying messages across vast distances.
Nearly every soldier in the Imperial Legion has been enhanced with powerful drugs that permanently alter their bodies making them faster, stronger, and giving them a higher pain tolerance than any soldier from the Protectorate. However, despite these advantages, many legionaries suffer from dangerous side effects such as loss of taste, feeling, increased aggression, and sterilization. Yet those who serve the legion see this as a small price to pay in the Vulcast Empire's quest for supreme conquest. They are trained to fight with a variety of weapons such as vibro swords, energy blades, pulse rifles, and other such projectile weapons while their armor protects them with energy shields.

Agriculture & Industry

Since the beginning, the Vulcast Empire has been known as an industrial power with its seemingly limitless resources used for creating advanced technology and building a wide variety of machines for varying purposes such as construction and military alike. Massive factories where ore is mined for making steel to construct everything from everyday tools, buildings, armor, weapons, and most of all machines can be found in every major city. At the same time, gigantic refineries for harvesting ornikyte and producing xerium are another common sight across the Empire and equally just as important as well.
As the empire expands its territory these same factories continue to appear as the everyday life of any citizen heavily relies on the use of machines and technology of some sort. It is because of this that the need to conquer and expand plays a heavy role in imperial society. Without a constant supply of these resources, the empire ceases to become as deadly a threat as they are.

Education

As a whole, the Vulcast Empire and its citizens are very well educated with a strict school system that makes no exceptions for anybody. Like the Protectorate, the average citizen begins their education at the young age of five years old and then continues to learn more and more as years go by until graduation at the age of seventeen. Many choose to study a wide array of subjects from history, science, technology, engineering, and even mathematics. All of these serve a great purpose in the empire and its goal of supreme conquest. Due to their lack of any kind of poverty, there is no poor class and each and every citizen has complete and total access to any kind of knowledge that is available. The average citizen has the same access and chance at an education of the highest of nobility. All that really matters is the choice of field that one wishes to study.
Schools are divided between different fields and citizens are expected to make a decision at the age of thirteen what they wish to study and go into. Once a decision is made it is difficult to switch out and go into another field entirely. There are entire schools dedicated to military training, espionage, politics, creating constructs, medical research, weapon development, and many more. All resources and education alike are dedicated to the expansion and service of the Vulcast Empire. Despite the Vulcastians' militaristic and dominating nature they study a number of other subjects as well including art, philosophy, and even music are held in high regard.

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Alternative Names

Machine Empire, Imperials, Defilers, Machine Men

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Experienced

Demonym

Vulcast

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Economic System

Command/Planned economy