Yalaerin Empire
The Yalaerin Empire is one of the oldest continuously existing civilizations in the Yaronite Galaxy, founded over 350,000 years ago on the cold world of Yalae Prime. Powered by the disciplined Magicka mastery of the Yalaerin species and the mineral wealth of their homeworld, the empire spans the Yalae System and much of the surrounding core sectors.
The Empire as it exists today is fundamentally shaped by the Regenesis, a species-wide genomic overhaul that created the ruling caste known as the High Yalaerin. Their engineered physiology and supreme Magicka abilities have entrenched them as the uncontested masters of imperial political, scientific, and metaphysical life.
History
Pre-Imperial Age
The earliest Yalaerin societies formed across the tundra and taiga regions of Yalae Prime, centered near volcanic vent ecosystems rich in Thermic Essence. Over millennia, these proto-Yalaerin evolved advanced cognition, tool-making, and primitive Magicka manipulation.
These early tribes unified into sprawling city-states across the supercontinent of Yalaekai.
Foundation of the Empire (c. 350,000 BP)
The First Magicka Houses consolidated power during the Wars of the Six Continents. Their victory unified Yalaekai, then Edmaela, Sedmael, Zhad, Ondai, and Zholae under a single banner.
This marked the formation of the First Yalaerin Empire — an era of expansion, codification of Magicka law, and the first intercultural contact with Near-Human species.
The Aesthetic Schism
Contact with pale-skinned Nordite explorers led to a species-wide reproductive shift toward pale pigmentation. This gave rise to entrenched caste divisions:
The schism destabilized society for tens of thousands of years.
The Regenesis and the Rise of the High Yalaerin
The Empire reached the brink of demographic collapse when racial stratification made sustainable reproduction nearly impossible.
The solution: Erase the genetic divide and rebuild the species.
The Regenesis restructured the Yalaerin genome, producing:
- unified pale-toned phenotype
- enhanced cranial and Magicka architecture
- improved reproductive safety
- engineered sexual dimorphism
- hormonally stabilized temperament
Thus were born the High Yalaerin, who claimed the divine and evolutionary mandate to rule.
Government
The Yalaerin Empire is a technomagocratic genetic aristocracy, governed by the following bodies:
Imperial Crown of Yalae
The High Sovereign, always a High Yalaerin, rules as the living embodiment of “Perfection Ascended.” Succession is not hereditary but determined through Magicka resonance trials.
Gene Council of Yalaekai
Controls:
- population planning
- reproductive licensing
- caste classification
- genetic research
- approval of interspecies unions (usually denied)
The Gene Council is the strictest enforcer of purity doctrine.
Magicka High Collegium
Shapes imperial policy regarding:
- spellcasting standards
- psionic weaponry
- starship Magicka-node architecture
- control of Sigil Drive technology
Provincial Praetorships
Each major continent and offworld province is governed by a Praetor with High Yalaerin ancestry, ensuring alignment with imperial doctrine.
Society
Caste Hierarchy
At the top:
1. High Yalaerin — engineered ruling caste 2. Laymonian remnants — aesthetic value but politically marginal 3. Dakmonian remnants — heavily restricted, often segregated 4. Offworld diaspora Yalaerin — tolerated but watched 5. Hybrids (Neo Yalaerin) — legally discriminated against 6. Nokayalae — slur for hybrid lineages 7. Nokadakmonian — outlawed and executed on sight
The Empire’s caste system is one of the most rigid in the galaxy.
Purity Doctrine
Imperial law forbids:
- High Yalaerin mating outside the caste
- reproduction with Dakmonian ancestry
- hybrid children entering imperial territory
- unauthorized genetic modification
Violations are severe and often fatal.
Military
The Yalaerin military is built around:
- Magicka infantry
- psionic battlemancers
- Sigil-armored Praetors
- starships powered by Sigil Drive engines
- Magicka-enhanced artillery
Their traditional weapons — Ray Guns and Vibroweapons — are unimpressive technologically but become devastating when fused with Magicka conductivity.
Starfleet
Powered by Mundanium-infused Sigil Drives, the Imperial Starfleet can:
- form Magicka corridors
- tear micro-rifts for subspace bypassing
- project psionic wards around dreadnoughts
These abilities make them one of the most fearsome early FTL navies in Galaxa.
Economy
The economy revolves around:
- mining Alderium and Mundanium
- Magicka-infused metallurgy
- Sigil Drive fabrication
- cryo-agriculture across taiga belts
- offworld tribute from subject states
Yalae Prime itself remains the richest world in the empire.
Culture
The Empire’s cultural identity revolves around:
- the sanctity of Magicka
- the divinity of perfect biological form
- the eternal authority of the High Yalaerin
- reverence for Yalae Prime as the “Crown of Origins”
- suspicion or rejection of hybridization
- ritual psionics performed in ancient tundra sanctuaries
Despite oppressive tendencies, Yalaerin art, architecture, and Magicka-science are considered among the most advanced in Galaxa.
Foreign Relations
The Empire maintains complex relations with major Near-Human powers:
- Lekaran states — cautious cooperation
- Nordite worlds — historical influence but ongoing tension
- Telerian psionic alliances — strained; High Yalaerin distrust their alien coldness
- Independent diaspora Yalaerin — seen as “wayward children”
They are both feared and admired for their longevity, discipline, and Magicka governance.
Legacy
The Yalaerin Empire has shaped tens of thousands of years of galactic politics. Even weakened by diaspora rebellions and external alliances, its influence remains vast.
To many, the Empire is:
- a marvel of Magicka perfection
- a monument to discipline and aesthetics
To others, it is:
- a cautionary tale of genetic authoritarianism
- a tyrannical state built on enforced biological conformity
Either way, its legacy is undeniable.