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"What is there to existence without faith? For what grand purpose do mortals exist other than to discover the very nature of their own being? To search the unknowable for crumbs of knowledge that might lift us from our primitive forms? To achieve enlightenment and ascend beyond the trappings of needless emotion and chaos? To find great wealth, and build strong legacies for the progeny that follow after us?
All of these things my son, but above all else, the mortal exists to serve the Holy Ashla, and shall do so in grand exultation for he knows his life has meaning!"
- Lord Cyrus, Sons of Ession, 3rd Legion
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Above all things, the fledgling Grayson Imperium is a place of history. The self-proclaimed inheritors of three legacies, those who serve within the Imperium know well of their forefathers. They can be traced back to the world of Ession, once a bastion of of knowledge and tolerance in what is now Sith Space, Ession's resistance to the Sith's rise made the planet a prime candidate for subjugation.
Numerous betrayals within the Essonian hierarchy rendered the world weak, and its dominions rapidly declared independence. Alone, the Essonians were forced through a mass holocaust at the hands of the Sith. Millions were slaughtered indiscriminately as the planet burned. Holy sites were reduced to ash, places of great history simply being removed from existence. The Essonians knew only suffering.
The survivors fled to wherever people would have them. Despite the loss of their world and the majority of their race, the Essonians remained united behind their liege lord, Cedric Grayson. In recovery, the Essonians turned to religion for guidance. A new faith began to grow through the rank of the surviving military, and its popularity led to a quick spread into the civilian populace.
The only way the Essonians could rationalize what had happened to them was to see it as a great test. They had been put through the greatest suffering imaginable so that they might be reforged as avatars of the Ashla, the living Light. This faith grew ever stronger, and soon churches dedicated to the Light's worship sprang up across Essonian settlements. This came to a head when a caste of high priests was legitimized by Grayson. Their teachings were blended with that of the Jedi Order, culminating in a holy book simply titled the Ashla that would serve as the new Essonian canon.
With their faith restored, their armies battle tested fighting alongside their benefactors, and their fleets restored to fighting strength, the Essonians gathered on Ruusan. There they reached out with old allies from across the stars: former sympathetic imperials, republic warlords, senators, Jedi Knights, lost Mandalorian clans, and more. Pacts were made, allegiances forged, and an understanding of the near future established. The Essonians were convinced it was their destiny to bring the Light's truth to the bedraggled masses of the galaxy, freeing the people from the shackles of the Dark Side, and they would stop at nothing to see it done.
A fleet of Essonian, Republic, and mercenary vessels appeared above Coruscant shortly after the fall of the Core Imperial Confederation. The void war was a relatively short one, the scattered imperials having fallen into various small factions vying for control of the Imperial Center. The divided warlords were no match for the combined might of former Republic and Essonian forces.
The last of the warlords defeated, the Essonians established themselves as the defacto rulers of Coruscant. They began the rapid repeal of the many oppressive acts instituted by the Core Imperial Confederation, and trials for war crimes every poor soul tied to the implementation of such policies. The Essonians' liege lord, Cedric Grayson, was crowned Imperator He would rule alongside the House of Lords, with a plan being put in place for the Imperium to transfer into a more direct democracy as it regained stability. Grayson was an apt choice for the seat. His father had marched on Coruscant once before, and the old Grayson claim to the emperor's seat still held weight with some.
Now, Coruscant is in a state of flux, and the fledgling Imperium struggles to resolve the many ethnic and religious divisions dividing the world. With many of the Essonians establishing themselves as an upper class, tensions are high between the people that see the Essonians as conquerors, and those who see them as liberators. Only time will tell what might come of it.
Hierarchy
Will make a chart for this later. It'll be more fleshed out.
Worlds on an individual level are allowed to govern themselves, so long as the majority of the population agrees with their choice of party. Each world is expected to produce a Lord or Lady, though these nobles can rule more than one world at a time. These lords have a seat within the House of Lords, where bills and legislature are passed akin to any other democratic system.
The Imperator stands above all, and holds the final say on any matter. The Imperator's position is hereditary, and must be held by a trained Jedi Knight at all times. Though the Imperator may veto any matter, he or she must be extremely wary of the lords. Halting the process of democracy too many times can lead to a vote of no confidence, in which the current Imperator is replaced by their oldest heir.
The Circle of Priests holds significant political sway within the Imperium. Though they do not have solid power like the Lords do, they are often seen at meetings of governance giving advice and making vague threats should proceedings not go to the Ashla's favor. The priests keep the soul of the Imperium alive, and they have the ability to sway millions of commoners with their voices alone.
OOC
The Grayson Imperium is envisioned as a mix of the Fel Imperium and the Galactic Republic in terms of theme, with a lot of religious fervor for the Light thrown in. Our RP is going to involve a lot of politics, particularly revolving around the ethnic conflicts between so many different people living under a theocratic regime. Think Yugoslavia. Our faction is going to be a bit complex in its general themes and such, but we're essentially a very lawful good conglomeration of Jedi and true believers.
Here is our discord, and here is our faction page. Y'all have a good one.