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4054-4305CE
The Age of Adventure saw the Empire peak at its full glory and technological
prowess, but by its end, the signs of eventual decay had begun. The era
lacked the unity of the Jenan Age. In the course of a century, four
Emperors attained the throne, though only two ruled. From 4053-4125CE, the
man who would become Olav II was the Prime Minister under the reign of his
father, Cleon II. Olav II ruled in his own right until felled by CID in
4136CE after a brief eleven year reign. Olav's son, Olav III, was a
playboy, traveler and hunter like his grandfather, and the childless Emperor
appointed his cousin, the future Cleon III, to act as his Prime Minister during
his 4136-4152CE reign. A liberal reformer, Cleon III's early reign was
known for successful and unsuccessful attempts to amend the Imperial Charter and
reform the bureaucracy. He presided over the successful Dragon War and the
technological advancement into the Worm/Stasis era. But as Cleon III's
reign dragged on through its second century, he had exhausted his means to
further shape the Empire and he had begun to bemoan the subtle signs of
stagnation and decay.
Contact with the expanding Dragon race first occurred in 4063CE along the
Spinward frontier. A formal border and trade arrangement followed with the
Dragon Treaty at Khruzi in 4074CE and relations between the Empire and the
Dragon Sphere remained fairly cordial for over a century.
After Cleon II's death from a massive stroke, Olav II set the Empire on a
conservative course, trying to maintain the Jenan ideal and causing some
friction with his nephew and former protégé, Cleon (III) Kamarov. After
Olav II's sudden death, the Emperor's son Olav III reigned for sixteen years
until he committed suicide after becoming irrevocably paralyzed in a hunting
accident.
Cleon III took the throne in 4152CE and immediately began to push amendments
through the Imperial Congress and High Council. By 4157CE, he had
successfully added the last seven amendments to the Imperial Charter: codifying
the long existing Orders of Knighthood, establishing the Chair of the Cabinet as
head of the Imperial bureaucracy, increasing Membership requirements for the
Imperial Congress to one million Sentients and the Imperial High Council to
fifty million Sentients by 4250CE, codifying the Imperial Regional governments
with Viceroys and planetary capitals, abolishing Imperial capital punishment,
strengthening Imperial Citizen appeals to Imperial law in local jurisdictions,
and recognizing the rights of Aliens of non-Imperial races that traveled or
resided within the Empire.
Sapien anti-Nobilis agitation led to revolts, revolutions or reformations on
some Nobilis-ruled worlds. In the later third of the 42nd century the
revolutionary Phoenix Republican Movement spawned the Killers of Lords and
Ladies anti-Nobilis terrorist faction, and in response, Cleon III allowed
greater rights for the Nobilis to defend themselves. The issuance of the
Breeding Edicts both strengthened and isolated the Nobilis Houses, allowing them
to maintain their own stocks of Servant Race soldiers and servants.
While relations with the Grand Federation of Races continued to improve,
relations with the Dragon Sphere suddenly collapsed after the Dragons
encountered the Cygnian descendants of the Easterner Battlestar off their
Southerly Spinward flank. Fearing secret Human encirclement, the Dragons
attacked the Empire, starting the Dragon War of 4210-4216CE with an offensive
against the Spinward frontier that overran eighty Imperial worlds. The
Dragon War demonstrated the integration of the Empire, with the Khruzi and
former Grand Federation Member Races contributing forces and fighting valiantly.
In 4213CE, Khruzi Admiral Balshara Durbanas became Supreme Commander of the
Imperial Navy and by 4214CE, the Empire had retaken all seized worlds and had
begun an offensive against Dragon border settlements.
Despite Grand Federation objections, Emperor Cleon III authorized the
construction of the Death Skull Class of Hellkings. In 4216CE the first of
these six vessels, the Kali, destroyed the Dragon colony at Vrshada,
killing over a million Dragons and encouraging the Dragon Sphere to propose
immediate armistice talks. At the Treaty of Bengal, the Empire and Dragons
establish a border on the vertical plane running 550 light-years from Sol and
resumed peaceful, if not overly friendly relations.
After the war, the Empire made several attempts to contact the Cygnian Humans,
but none of the missions returned successfully, and the Emperor eventually
barred further efforts. Olav II had banned most long range exploration in
4133CE, and despite the development of faster Class C and D worm drive engines,
Imperial expansion was slowing dramatically. Only the efforts of the IAK
in the Trailing frontier kept exploration efforts alive.
By the dawn of the 44th century, the Imperial settlement radius extended to 566
light-years, where not limited by treaty, and included over 17,000 colonized
worlds with half a trillion Humans and four hundred billion other Major and
Minor Race inhabitants.
The Age of Adventure began with a fairly steady hand under the Prime
Ministership and subsequent reign of Olav II. Concentrating on foreign and
Member Race relations, he oversaw peaceful contact with the Dragons and the
compromises that brought the Rootjalik into the Empire as a Major Race in 4085CE
and brought in the Xam as a Minor Race, still allowed to continue its Rimward
sublight colonization, in 4132CE. Though he was only Emperor for eleven
years, Olav II formalized the role of the Imperial Heir as Prince of Mercury,
limited regular Imperial service to one century and curtailed deep exploration.
His disagreements with the liberal Cleon III were overcome before his death, and
the two men collaborated on ideas to further reform the Imperial bureaucracy.
Cleon III had worked on the revised Bengali Constitution in the 4120s and once
he was Emperor in his own right in 4152CE, he set about reforming the Imperial
government through Imperial Charter amendments. Ultimately seven of his
nine main proposals succeeded. The establishment of the post of Chair of
the Cabinet had little immediate effect, as he held this post himself, but he
was the last Emperor to do so. Amendment XIV, which drastically increased
the requirements for Membership in the Imperial legislative bodies, had a one
hundred year latency, which Cleon even extended by a decade, and it had little
impact on the current composition of those bodies, though it did limit future
Membership by newer colonies, as intended. The formalization of the
Regional government structure devolved some authority to the six new Regional
capitals of Nachen, Rhea, Kumar, Mendam, Vantage and Dawn, but despite their
aspirations, the Regional Viceroys and their legislatures had little real power
or influence.
Cleon III remained most proud of the abolition of capital punishment, but he
remained unhappy that he was unable to pass amendments on Artificial
reproduction and Construct rights, even after three attempts. In the 43rd
century Cleon concentrated his efforts on the One Empire reform program to
standardize processes across Imperial Ministries and Regional organizations, a
measure that met with some limited success.
The rift between the Nobilis and Sapiens began to cause friction in the 42nd
century, and Cleon's solution of allowing the Houses greater independent
security capabilities and self-renewable Servant Races under the Breeding Edicts
of 4200CE seemed counter to his earlier efforts. The Breeding Edicts led
to the birth of the Casap and Goblin Servant Races and saw the reworking of some
existing lines like the Leonids, Warriors and Amazons to provide security for
Nobilis Houses. While this solution maintained a balance in the short run,
it increased the gap in culture and experience between the Nobilis and the
Sapiens, contributing to later Republican and Ibrahimite unrest.
The Age of Adventure, specifically during and after the Dragon War, saw the
transition to the height of Worm/Stasis technology, putting the Empire of
Humanity on par with the technology of the fabled pre-Consolidation and Heshar
eras of the Grand Federation. Though the pace of research and exploration
dropped dramatically, especially after the war, efforts by the overworked staff
of the Ministry of Science and the progressive Institute for the Advancement of
Knowledge brought about many new innovations, including improved worm drives,
Stasis chambers and lunar-ranged teleportation networks.
In 4089CE, an unauthorized Ministry of Science project produced the Mode VII
microjump engine, capable of 25% faster travel than Class B worm drives.
Despite its promise, the Empire was not interested in returning to microjump
technology, and a concerted effort produced the Class C worm drive, still 3%
slower than Mode VII, by 4105CE. Styles and operational requirements then
effectively killed this last gasp of microjump drive technology. The Class
D worm drive, developed in 4195CE, proved considerably faster, allowing travel
at over 38 light-years per day.
Stasis and teleport technologies matured further in the 43rd century, with the
perfection of Stasis Field projectors and Stasis chambers coming during the
Dragon War. The war also saw the introduction of teleporter suits, and
both Stasis chambers and telesuits suits became commercially available by the
4230s. In the late 43rd century, boost-stabilized dual node teleportation
booth systems first linked Terra and Luna and soon provided limited links
between the Jovian moons.
The final stagnation of Imperial science began when Cleon III appointed his
friend Sir Tarl Tendeki, a Golden Stasis proponent, as Minister of Science in
4179CE, and though the moderate Technologist Dame Infiniti Sand succeeded him in
4181CE, the damage to Imperial sponsored leading-edge science was done.
Most ambitious researchers joined the IAK, private universities or industry
instead. By 4259CE, Minister of Science Lady Avril Dunn continued ongoing
cost-cutting measures by farming out the majority of her research work to
private contractors. By 4250CE, Imperial surveyors were only venturing a
dozen light-years beyond the settlement line and by 4270CE, only the IAK was
conducting deep space exploration, surveying the Gum Nebula region beyond the
Trailing frontier.
Genetic transformation techniques continued to mature during the 42nd and 43rd
centuries, receiving further legitimacy when Emperor Cleon III explicitly
recognized the rights of approved Human Variants. Organically based
cybernetic implants competed with mechanical devices, especially after 4250CE.
But genetic techniques reached their effective limit with the failure, both
technically and legally, of the Protean Gene transformation and with the failure
of biological sciences to adequately address Millennial Insanity. Efforts
by Human and Tze't collaborators to develop the Vita, the first
biological-based starship available in Human Space, fell flat, demonstrating
reluctance by Imperial Humans to accept fully organic technologies.
Starting late in the 41st century, Venus began to experience growing crustal and
environmental instabilities, leading to the formation of the Venus Planetary
Environment Board in 4094CE. Efforts to identify and rectify Venusian
environmental problems would continue for the rest of the Imperial period.
After 4300CE, innovation, especially under Imperial sponsorship, gradually came
to an end. But with nearly a trillion Imperial residents enjoying
unprecedented prosperity at a technological level unsurpassed since the
withdrawal of the Founders, it did not seem ominous at the time.
The tone of the Age of Adventure was first set by Cleon II and continued by
his grandson Olav III. They traveled the Empire and beyond, hunting,
carousing, partying and enjoying fabulous sites and activities. While most
Imperial residents could not afford such a life style, the majority traveled the
stars for pleasure at least once a decade. Billions visited the Solar
system each year, often staying in the increasingly elaborate Orbital Ring
systems that crowned every habitable Solar world but Mercury and Io. An
Imperial Exposition of 4100CE was a failure if it didn't draw half a billion
visitors; by 4300CE, it was a failure if it failed to draw two billion.
Reality based activities and extreme sports become popular late in the reign of
Empress Jena and remained so until about 4200CE, slowly fading from the popular
imagination, though standouts like Jonas Bandar-Turkin remained popular until
his disappearance during an unauthorized Orion Nebula expedition in 4274CE.
By the late 43rd century virtual recreations had regained their popularity and
improved HSQ-based simulariums became the center of a home's entertainment
system.
Diversity of Human forms continued, buoyed in 4245CE by Cleon III's affirmation
of Variant rights in response to Ibrahim's challenge. Most Humans were
content with minimal cosmetic biological or cybernetic changes, though the
percentage of Standard Humans continued to drop, representing barely 70% of the
Human population in the 4300CE Census. Efforts by Cleon III to allow
treatment for generational fatigue failed, and deformities and retardation
became evident in increasing numbers of old Nobilis families.
The Mechanist Church continued to expand, more than doubling in size before the
4294CE institution of the Third Life Tithe requirement slowed further
recruitment even as it strengthened the church's power. The Golden Stasis
movement began to splinter into sects, with the Altarans insisting on Futaris
transformation for its Sapien adherents and the Hierarchs worshipping the
Nobilis as near gods. Technologism remained the most popular new religion,
though splinter groups advocating controversial issues like machine emancipation
and artificial reproduction diluted its core message of technological progress.
Elderly society remained troubled by incidents of Millennial Insanity as the
Millennial population surpassed twenty-five billion by 4300CE. Suicide
remained a serious social issue among those over five hundred, and those who
chose to end their life from boredom or malaise became known as Lord Palmer's
Children, after the Nobilis who committed suicide on his two thousandth birthday
in 4169CE.
Styles of fashion, adornment and architecture diverged from the Jenan standard
after her death, with regional and cultural variations taking hold. Within
the Central Region, millennia old variations in culture reasserted themselves,
and among the New Colonies, membership in religious movements, societies or
sporting leagues tended to influence style.
The first signs of decay in Imperial culture became evident as early as the
ascension of Princess Felese to the throne of the Kuiper-Oort region in 4170CE,
beginning her reign as Princess of the Dark. With the growth in popularity
of passive entertainment and blood sports, notably the beginnings of Goblin Bowl
in 4266CE, the era of active reality entertainment was coming to a close and
passive spectator events of increasing violence were on the rise.
| 4054 | An official investigation into the destruction of the Exeter blames both pilot error and a compounding design flaw that affects most Class B vessels. The Emperor authorizes construction of a new Imperial yacht, the Imperium and reconstruction of the Callicut. Ministry of Commerce regulators order inspections and remediation of all Class B vessels. IAK surveyors encounter the late-fusion era Vuldur in Sector 223 and a subsequent Ministry of State expedition brings the Vuldur into the Empire as a Minor Race. The Emperor reinstates the office of Prime Minister and appoints his heir, Crown Prince Olav, to the post. |
| 4055 | The Emperor's grandson, Cleon (III) Kamarov, marries Princess Sabra Maxwell, great-great-granddaughter of the Queen of Venus; the couple settles in estates on the Maxwell Highlands. Prince Orlan Kamarov and Princess Tabitha move to Bengal to take an active part in the ruling of that world from the Winter Palace. |
| 4056 | The Emperor takes delivery of the 100,000m3 Imperium and travels to Dionysus to open the world's festive Imperial Exposition and to compete in hunting events, earning a silver medal in the aerial tarnbeast hunt. |
| 4057 | Prince Rogar Kamarov is born on Venus to Prince Cleon (III) and Princess Sabra. |
| 4058 | Crown Prince Olav completes his review of the Ministries and orders the resignation of all current Ministers, appointing bureaucratic reformers to head all departments, including the Novan Dame Sashi Tomaka as Minister of Commerce and the controversial Mechanist Sir Galt Zubric as Minister of Science. |
| 4059 | Prince Garth Kamarov is born on Bengal to Prince Cleon and Princess Sabra, who are visiting at the Winter Palace. Sir Jon Gades resigns his chair of the Astrographics department at IAK headquarters on Prometheus and resumes command of the reengineered Endeavour, leading an expedition to map the far Trailing frontier. |
| 4060 | The Swarm Colony world known as Swarm 16 (NCW00452) hosts the Imperial Exposition, highlighting Angry Young Ones culture and a variety of multi-racial events, including participation from a small team of Khald'arons in some multi-racial sporting events. |
| 4061 | The Ministry of Science begins a cut-back of exploration and survey missions to conserve resources and starts to overhaul its administrate structure, cutting over a million positions from regional headquarters. |
| 4062 | Returning from a Trailing exploratory mission, the Endeavour diverts an asteroid from the homeworld of the pre-industrial humanoid Khinnerri in Sector 1342. Mechanist Janos Brem, one of the first prominent double Incarnates, dedicates his third life to the Mechanist Church, encouraging others to do the same. |
| 4063 | Dragon long-range microjump scout vessels contact Imperial survey teams and outposts along the Spinward frontier in Sectors 1387 and 775. Jon Gades leads the crew of the Endeavour on a contact mission deep into Dragon space, becoming the first Humans to visit Draco and meet the Dragon Directorate. |
| 4064 | The Emperor presides of the Imperial Exposition in Sydney on Terra, suffering an injury in his unsuccessful hunt of marsupial lions; the Sydney Exposition includes an extensive Paleolithic exhibit, complete with reengineered fauna and flora from the earliest human habitation of the continent. |
| 4065 | The Emperor sends his grandson, Prince Cleon (III) Kamarov, as a special envoy to Draco. Imperial archivists determine that the Spinward Expedition encountered a Dragon battle group in 3547. Hornan Deng succeeds the retiring Orlan D'Juma as the Viceroy of the Coreward Region. |
| 4066 | Prince Olav (III) nearly dies in a hunting accident on Venus, falling into the Southern Ocean after his speeder collides with another while stalking pterodactyls; after revival from drowning, the Prince undergoes six months of therapy. |
| 4067 | The Empire and the Dragon Sphere formally exchange Ambassadors. |
| 4068 | The Prime Minister, Crown Prince Olav, presides over the Imperial Exposition on Mercury, with the Dragon Ambassador, Fhazshur, as his guest. Ibrahim celebrates his one thousandth birthday in Mecca; in the course of the year, over five hundred million pilgrims pass though the city to hear him preach. |
| 4069 | The Endeavour, with Gades and a crew of three hundred aboard, disappears beyond Sector +13,+2,-2, probably near Cygnian space. |
| 4070 | Massive volcanic-driven fires on the Sector 156 world Bactria trigger an ecological collapse, forcing massive intervention by Rimward Command forces. |
| 4071 | The Emperor travels to the Dragon homeworld of Draco to hunt with its leaders and to tour ancient mountain peak sanctuaries. |
| 4072 | At the Imperial Exposition on Tyche, Khald'aron and Dragon teams compete in multi-racial contests, with the Dragons taking three gold medals in hunting events. |
| 4073 | An IAK follow-up expedition fails to find a trace of the Endeavour, turning back 1,500 light years from Sol. Imperial stellar scientists tour Dragon facilities circling their aging star, inspecting the star stirring stations and stellar core probes that keep the star within the main sequence. |
| 4074 | Emperor Cleon II and the Dragon Directorate sign the Dragon Treaty at Khruzi, demarking a tentative border 550 light years from Sol and trading Human worm drive technology for access to markets plus survey and transit rights for civilian Imperial vessels. |
| 4075 | The Mechanist Primal, Van Turin, refuses to authorize revival of Jon Gades or any of the Endeavour crew from Backup, citing lack of evidence of death; a note attached to the finding suggests enforcing a three hundred year period before bringing an unverified Backup to life. |
| 4076 | A fully recovered Prince Olav (III) makes his first public appearance in ten years, presiding over the opening ceremonies of the Celtic-themed Dagda Imperial Exposition. |
| 4077 | The IAK Intrepid leaves on an expedition to Deneb, traveling through Dragon Space and disappearing. The IAK and the Ministry of Science agree to curtail expeditions beyond Dragon Space. |
| 4078 | The Emperor effectively formalizes the office of Viceroy by appointing notables to the office for the Rimward, North and South regions. |
| 4079 | In response to Earl Roban Teskin's imprisonment on morals charges on Yathrib, Emperor Cleon II signs a broadly worded Imperial Edict that effectively puts Nobles above most local laws by invoking Imperial privilege in prosecution; the Earl receives a small fine for his infractions instead of the twenty years sentence mandated by the local government. |
| 4080 | The Imperial Exposition in Stockholm on Terra focuses on genetic creations and the re-ruralization of the Terran countryside; Dragon competitors in the hunting games perform a spectacular exhibition display, hunting sea monsters without weapons. |
| 4081 | The Emperor approves construction of a the new Imperial Congress Chambers in the Golden Horn section of Byzantium, designed to hold up to 20,000 delegates and staff, and an adjoining High Council Chamber complex, designed to hold 15,000. |
| 4082 | A Census Office report shows a slight decrease in life expectancy for Standard Sapiens, from 1,139 to 1,137 years, based mostly on continuing high suicide rates for Millennials and the increased popularity of extreme sports among the post-war generations; life expectancy for Standard Nobilis remains statistically constant at 1,047 years. |
| 4083 | Imperial scouts discover a struggling Rootjalik colony in Sector 842, prompting renewed negotiations between the stubborn race and new Trailing Viceroy, Lady Jeska Vormas. |
| 4084 | Stormy weather that confounds the planetary atmospheric controls impacts some outside events at the Imperial Exposition on Venus; weather controllers divert and dissipate two large Southern Ocean hurricanes during the Exposition. |
| 4085 | After the discovery of another covert Rootjalik colony, the Ministry of State takes over negotiations with the race, eventually recommending provisional Major Race status for the Rootjalik. The new Imperial Council Chambers, housing the Congress and High Council, open for business. |
| 4086 | The Emperor approves Major Race status for the Rootjalik, incorporating their two colony worlds into the Empire. |
| 4087 | Extreme adventurers pilot the specially built vessel Black Ice into the photosphere of Tau Ceti, returning from the stunt with a nearly crippled vehicle and severe radiation damage. |
| 4088 | The Imperial Exposition on Poseidon showcases not only the aquatically modified Human's home world and culture, but also the lifestyles and cultures of other Human Variants and High Cyborgs. |
| 4089 | Herculean researchers develop a Mode VII microjump drive prototype, even though the funding for their Ministry of Science grant was ordered cut fifteen years prior. The prototype drive promises a 25% or greater effective speed increase over Class B Worm drive. |
| 4090 | Sir Galt Zubric resigns as the Minister of Science after the Prime Minister berates him for ineffective control of his funding. The Herculean firm, Bosnic Heavy Systems, builds and begins trials of the 30m Phoenix Globe, a Mode VII microjump starship. |
| 4091 | The Phoenix Globe appears at the Dragonfly Rally, drawing large crowds and significant controversy. |
| 4092 | Eos hosts the Imperial Exposition, focusing on the complexity of New Core Worlds culture, now including 800 New Colony Member worlds with greater than a thousand year history. The Phoenix Globe competes in the Rigel-Antares Rally as an exhibition non-competitive racer, completing the course in 46 days, 9 hours, beating the winning Class B racer by nine days, but requiring four weeks of maintenance at Antares before returning to Hercules. Citing historical evidence of faster worm drive vessels and current examples in the Founder fleet capable of a reputed 50 light-years a day, the Ministries of Science and Defense refuse to order Mode VII vessels and increase funding on advancing worm drive technology. |
| 4093 | The Delphian trading firm Spandelli Products orders a dozen 10m Mode VII vessels hoping to secure commodities trading information advantages. |
| 4094 | Queen Tabitha of Venus establishes the Planetary Environment Board, a strengthened agency with a mandate to protect the environmental integrity of the planet and to control chaotic weather and seismic events. |
| 4095 | Prince Garth Kamarov, younger son of Prince Cleon (III), marries Elizabeth Farrar, great-granddaughter of King Alexander II of North America, in a Byzantium ceremony; the couple move to Bengal to live with his grandparents, Prince Orlan and Princess Tabitha, in the Winter Palace. |
| 4096 | The Imperial Exposition at Lagos focuses on Terran cultural themes, with musical and historical venues predominating; a Rootjalik delegation attends the Exposition for the first time. |
| 4097 | A new Imperial-funded Advanced Studies Research Lab focusing on propulsion technologies opens in the outer Alimeen system. |
| 4098 | A protocol mishap at a reception on Mendam causes a brawl between Khruzi and Dragon diplomats and leads to the famous duel in which the Khruzi Brigadier Hrashan Breshgannar kills the Dragon nobleman S'zarra, emerging badly scarred by phosphoric burns. |
| 4099 | Emperor Cleon II and Prince Olav (III) participate in the hunt for a kilometer long K'targ sea monster on the Grand Federation world of Todoradz; the Emperor contributes to the kill and, after considerable logistical effort, has the 80 meter long skull displayed at the Spring Palace on Erta. |
| 4100 | Prince Roban (the Elder) Kamarov is born in the Winter Palace on Bengal, son of Prince Garth and Princess Elizabeth. Luna hosts the Imperial Exposition, most notable for the fatal Extreme Soaring accident that claims five lives. |
| 4101 | The Time Travel Society emerges from hibernation and marks the two thousandth anniversary of the program; a third of the remaining original participants depart the program, leaving twenty to continue with a hundred additions from 3201 and 3601 in Australia, plus about 1,400 from the recent groups on subsidiary sites throughout the Solar system. |
| 4102 | The Terran government bans orbital dives from the Orbital Ring system, citing navigational hazards and an estimated twenty annual fatalities from the sport; most other world follow suit, with the notable exceptions of Mars and Libertas. |
| 4103 | The Golden Stasis philosopher Chelli Durant publishes The Immortal Way, a guide of treatments and meditations that helps to lower the incidence of psychosis among Millennials. |
| 4104 | At the Imperial Exposition at Artemis, the Emperor lavishes attention on elaborate hunts, banquets and parties, prompting some liberal backlash against his excesses. The Exposition on Artemis proves a great success at further cementing peaceful ties between the Empire and its neighbors. |
| 4105 | The Ministry of Science unveils a Class C worm drive prototype at Alimeen. King James of Europe dies of CID complications at age 1083 and his granddaughter, Poula, becomes Queen. |
| 4106 | The prototype Class C vessel, Serpent's Tail, achieves sustained performance just 3% slower than the Phoenix Globe and proves cheaper to operate, prompting the Imperial Ministries to begin order a modest number of Class C vessels to replace their aging fleets. |
| 4107 | Prince Orlan Kamarov joins his father's retinue, leaving Princess Tabitha and their son Prince Cleon (III), to govern Bengal. |
| 4108 | The Imperial Exposition on Mare draws attention to the sleepy paradise of small islands and calm seas; it becomes a well-maintained luxury retreat during much of the later Imperial period. White Breeze of Afternoon and Karl Chingras receive the Tigarvati Prize for development of the Class C worm drive system. |
| 4109 | The first Class C competition in the Rigel-Antares Rally is won by the 10,000m3 Vapor Trail, captained by Oran Belvik, in 47 days, 9 hours, just one day longer than the Phoenix Globe's showing. Bosnic Heavy Systems discontinues its Mode VII production line to concentrate on the Class C market. |
| 4110 | The Imperial Guard foils an assassination plot against the Emperor by the previously unknown Grand Federation Unionists, Terran Humans advocating a union with the Grand Federation. |
| 4111 | The Ministry of Defense begins procurement of Class C escorts, frigates and destroyers, and cooperates with the Ministry of Science in the development of the 15,000m3 Sparrow Hawk class Scout Escort. |
| 4112 | Local police forces thwart a plot by Grand Federation Unionists to disrupt the Byzantium Imperial Exposition, which proceeds without incident, though under heavy security. The Grand Federation disavows support for the Unionist cause. |
| 4113 | Princess Tabitha leaves Bengal to rejoin her father's court on Mars and work on preparations for the '16 Imperial Exposition, leaving Prince Cleon (III) effective ruler of Bengal. |
| 4114 | Ministry of Justice agents shut down a rogue Ministry of Science project to develop an improved Human species; Minister of Science Lady Taba Hernandez resigns and accepts exile to the Northern frontier world of Glitterdom. |
| 4115 | The Imperial Guard raids Blackmoor, an Oort habitat used as a base by Unionist radicals, and arrests seventy core members of the movement. |
| 4116 | Albert III presides over the Imperial Exposition on Mars, an extravagant event featuring reenactments of Mars's Confederation and Dark Age history. |
| 4117 | A Venusian corruption scandal, dubbed the Scardell Affair, leads to the imprisonment of several major government figures, including the Director of Planetary Ecology and the Chairman of the Economic Committee. |
| 4118 | Crown Prince Olav and Prince Cleon (III) have a public disagreement over policy that ends with Olav proclaiming Cleon a radical and Cleon beginning work to rewrite the Bengali Constitution. |
| 4119 | The world of Aurora suffers a massive underwater methane explosion that kills over fifty thousand in coastal tsunamis and atmospheric poisoning; stabilization efforts return the atmosphere to normal quickly, but a prolonged winter sets in. |
| 4120 | Local protestors calling for greater rights for Construct Sentients disrupt the closing ceremonies of the otherwise orderly Odin Imperial Exposition. |
| 4121 | The remaining radical Unionists die in a desperate effort to seize control of the Hellking Azazel at Ultima Thule. |
| 4122 | A new Bengali Constitution sponsored by Prince Cleon is adopted by the tricameral legislature of the world; it abolishes capital punishment and offers legal protection to all Sentient residents, regardless of race or Artificial status. |
| 4123 | Ibrahim Mustafa issues a proclamation decrying the acceptance of Artificial intelligences and calls attempts to tamper further with Human evolution a dangerous hubris. |
| 4124 | The Emperor opens the Imperial Exposition on Neith, personally marveling at the bizarre art forms popular on the cosmopolitan world. Prince Cleon (III) responds to Ibrahim in a editorial, calling for tolerance and openness to new ideas about Humanity's future, adopting a basically moderate Technologist philosophical view. |
| 4125 | Prince Rogar Kamarov (Cleon III's elder son) marries Lady Heather Zhung, a seventeen year old minor great-grandchild of the Duke of Delphi despite objects from both families. Emperor Cleon II dies after suffering a massive stroke while hunting on Dorian Minor; his son becomes Emperor Olav II and the new Emperor's only child, Olav (III), is named Prince of Mercury. |
| 4126 | Emperor Olav II formalizes the station of Prince of Mercury as the title of the Imperial heir. Olav refuses to name a Prime Minister, ruling the Empire directly and strengthening his control of cabinet departments. The Crown Prince and his uncle, Prince Orlan of Bengal take to traveling the Empire in the Imperium. |
| 4127 | The Emperor replaces all the Viceroys of the Imperial Regions, calling for tighter integration and coherence of frontier policy. |
| 4128 | Emperor Olav II opens the Imperial Exposition at Jakarta on Terra with a speech proclaiming the strength and independence of the realm. |
| 4129 | The Scout Escort Trillian discovers the friendly early fusion era Xam race of avid explorers in their home system in Sector 1270, where they are preparing their first interstellar generation ships. |
| 4130 | The Emperor orders the forced retirement of Regional commanders of the Navy and Marines, decrying the ossification of the upper ranks and limiting Imperial service to one hundred years, except in times of war. |
| 4131 | Prince Orlan Kamarov divorces Princess Tabitha de Ares, but the Emperor blocks his brother's effort to marry Lady Shelli Urban, a young minor member of the African House. |
| 4132 | The Solar Belt uses the Imperial Exposition to showcase its new Microcosms, hundreds of hollow worldlets of fantastic and sometimes surreal interior habitats. After the Empire allows their generation ship project to continue, the Xam join the Empire as a Minor Race, promising to send their .1C city ships only to the Rimward. |
| 4133 | After vocal opposition from Imperial agencies, the IAK cancels plans for a Global Cluster Expedition to M4. The Emperor, noting disappearances near the Orion Nebula, the loss of the Endeavour, and the failure of contact with Sagittarius, states that there is no compelling reason to explore past 1,000 light years from Sol and too many risks to justify it. |
| 4134 | The Emperor and Prince Cleon (III) publicly reconcile their differences and the Prince makes clear that what is good for Bengal is not necessarily appropriate for other Member states. Phoenicia slips into civil war as the Republican North and the Nobilis-dominated West begin a conflict of sabotage and assassinations. |
| 4135 | The Imperial Third Fleet intervenes on Phoenicia, supporting a compromise Confederate Council and ending a conflict that had cost over ten thousand lives. |
| 4136 | Emperor Olav II dies suddenly of multiple CID deterioration at the age of 273, just after presiding over the closing ceremonies of the well-received Imperial Exposition at Bengal. Olav III becomes Emperor after confirmation by the Imperial Congress, and continuing to disavow marriage or attempts to produce a direct heir, names his cousin, Cleon (III) Kamarov as Prince of Mercury. The future Cleon IV is born to Prince Rogar and Lady Heather on Delphi. The Emperor names Crown Prince Cleon as his Prime Minister. |
| 4137 | The Prime Minister convinces the Emperor to continue to disallow Prince Orlan's marriage to Lady Shelli, but the couple produces an illegitimate child, Dona Urban, born in Kinshasa. |
| 4138 | The Emperor takes delivery of the Imperial Sun, a 120,000m3 Class C luxury yacht, from which he and his entourage continue his reign. The publication of the Machine Manifesto, an anonymous Technologist text calling for emancipation of Human created mechanical Sentients, causes much controversy and a few riots on Ibrahimite and Orthodox Catholic worlds. |
| 4139 | The conservative Imperial High Council issues a non-binding resolution urging the Emperor to marry and produce an heir, prompting Olav III's denouncement of their meddling and his threats to eliminate funding of High Council facilities maintenance; Crown Prince Cleon's intervention to diffuse the quarrel wins him much support among the major Member worlds. |
| 4140 | The Emperor joins Orlan D'Juma in celebrating the opening ceremonies of the Imperial Exposition at Nachen. Widespread attendance at Nachen by Federation races, include the Khabadera, leads the Emperor to proclaim an end to all enmity between the Empire and the Grand Federation. |
| 4141 | The collapse of the Confederation Council government on Phoenicia leads to widespread warfare, prompting a second Imperial intervention and the establishment of marital law under the Third Sector Admiral, Lord Markus Thick. |
| 4142 | The Emperor appoints Markus Thick as Duke of Phoenicia and instructs him to institute a peaceful government, which he does with an authoritarian fist. |
| 4143 | An Imperial Edict allows recommendations from the Order of the Emperor's Sword to influence the selection process of Regional and Sector military commanders. |
| 4144 | Crown Prince Cleon opens the Imperial Exposition at New York on Terra, inaugurating an event celebrating the glories of the megalopolis. Phoenician Republicans assassinate Duke Markus and proclaim their world a republic, prompting a third intervention by Imperial forces and a visit by Crown Prince Cleon, who calls for a cantonment government with a loose federal structure and ten more years pf Imperial occupation. |
| 4145 | The Solar Belt Microcosm colony of Cimmeria shatters in a series of explosion of unknown origin, killing over half the twenty thousand inhabitants and leading to a five year quarantine of its orbital vicinity by Imperial Guard vessels. |
| 4146 | The Technologist philosopher Brandon Turek wins the Tigarvati Prize for his controversial essays on TransHuman development, prompting the usual protests and demonstrations by Ibrahimites and Orthodox Catholics. |
| 4147 | Prince Orlan and Lady Shelli produce a second illegitimate child, Rebba Urban, also born in Kinshasa. |
| 4148 | Troublesome earthquakes and a major volcanic eruption add extra excitement for visitors to the Imperial Exposition at Io, but they barely disrupt the scheduled events. |
| 4149 | The Scout Escort Falcon is damaged by hostile fire from the late fusion era Vedi of Sector 924. After a failed contact attempt prompts continued hostility, the Empire quarantines the Southerly system. |
| 4150 | Emperor Olav III crashes an open-topped skimmer during a hunt on Quandra, paralyzing himself and killing both Prince Orlan Kamarov of Bengal and Alexander, King of Australia. Crown Prince Cleon becomes Prince of Bengal and effective Regent of the Empire after Olav III retires to the Spring Palace on Erta to attempt to heal. Alexander's great-grandson, Phillip Kamarov, becomes King of Australia. |
| 4151 | Nanosurgery and imported Tze't biogenerators fail to heal the Emperor's brain stem, already damaged by his near-drowning nearly a century earlier, leaving him reliant on robotic aids for locomotion. Lady Shelli Urban commits suicide, leaving her two daughters in the care of the Queen of Africa. |
| 4152 | Emperor Olav III commits suicide on Erta. Cleon III becomes Emperor of Humanity and names his son Rogar as Prince of Mercury, but retains the title of Prince of Bengal for himself. The Imperial Exposition at Prometheus opens ten days after news of the Emperor's death reaches the world, and all athletes compete with black ribbons. |
| 4153 | Emperor Cleon III announces the formation of an Imperial Constitution Reform Board, to investigate and propose Amendments to strengthen and modernize the Imperial state. |
| 4154 | The Emperor replaces his entire Cabinet and begins a detailed reconstruction of the Imperial Bureaucracy, instituting civil service changes modeled on Olav II's military reforms. Martial law ends on Phoenicia after the conclusion of peaceful local and planetary elections. |
| 4155 | The Emperor proposes nine Amendments to the Imperial Charter, the first in a millennia, prompting vigorous debate, protests and threats throughout the Empire. After the furor of the Cleonian Reforms subsides, the Imperial Congress and High Council conduct a tumultuous debate and begin voting on the Amendments. The relevantly uncontroversial Amendment XII, formalizing the duties and responsibilities of the knighthood passes easily, as does Amendment XIII establishing a Chair of the Cabinet. Cleon III appoints himself Chair of the Cabinet. |
| 4156 | The Imperial Congress and High Council reach a compromise with the Emperor, voting for Amendment XIV to increase the Membership requirements for their bodies to 1 million and 50 million, respectively, in return for concessions in Amendment XV, which formalizes the Regional structure of the Empire and gives Member worlds a say in the appointment of Viceroys. The well-received Imperial Exposition at Vantage features many exhibits from the Empire's early history and Federation Wars period. |
| 4157 | After the Emperor concedes defeat on Amendments calling for rights for Artificially bred Nobilis and Artificial Constructs, the Imperial Congress and High Council approves Amendments XVI, XVII and XVIII, abolishing capital punishment, expanding Imperial Citizen and Nobilis immunities from local prosecutions and extending the rights of Imperial Alien citizens whose homeworlds lie outside Imperial control, respectively. |
| 4158 | The Emperor forms standing commissions to recommend knighthoods and ennoblements, formalizing a previously haphazard process. |
| 4159 | Cleon III begins construction of the sprawling Uplands Complex on Bengal, while his eldest grandson Cleon (IV) takes up permanent residence at the Spring Palace on Erta. |
| 4160 | Regional councils meet for the first time, confirming the Emperor's appointed Viceroys and establishing capitals. Member worlds of the Coreward Region formally vote Nachen as their capital world, while the Northern and Spinward regions approve Vantage and Mendam, respectively. After some debate, Kumar is approved as the capital of the Rimward Region and Rhea as the capital of the Trailing Region. After three ballots, the Southern Council approves Dawn as its capital. Cleon III presides at the opening ceremonies of the Imperial Exposition in Rio de Janeiro on Terra, receiving an enthusiastic welcome from the crowds as he proclaims the strength and prosperity of the Empire. |
| 4161 | Cleon reintroduces amendments calling for rights for Artificial Constructs and a lifting on the ban on Artificial reproduction for Nobilis and Sapiens, but neither measure receives even a majority in either the Congress or Council. |
| 4162 | The Tze't ambassador to the Imperial Court formally conveys another invitation for the Empire of Humanity to join the Grand Federation, but Cleon politely declines. |
| 4163 | An IAK delegation to Hallowed, attempting to uncover Founder exploratory records, is rebuffed by the Vandar, who refuse an audience with their patrons. |
| 4164 | The lavish Imperial Exposition at Europa represents an effort by the world to awe all of Known Space, with expansive galleries carved of rock and ice and events above, on, and below the surface of the moon. |
| 4165 | The Ministry of Colonization allows the settlement of Sutherland, a marginally habitable Class E world engulfed by the growing Armpit Nebula surrounding the Betelgeuse black hole. |
| 4166 | Anti-Nobilis activists form the Phoenix Republican Movement at a meeting on Titan and publish a Manifesto calling for the establishment of a Republic of Humanity without special privileges or titles for the Nobilis. |
| 4167 | The Ministry of Justice bans the Phoenix Republican Movement and arrests two of its main leaders, Jonas Shank and Trilla Jakras on treason charges. |
| 4168 | The Imperial Exposition at Drakkon emphasizes the world's long Dark Age history, military tradition and pseudo-gothic architecture. |
| 4169 | Lord Palmer Roosevelt of Terra commits suicide on his two thousandth birthday, leaving behind a treatise on the fallacy of immortality; those who following him to their voluntary end in the coming centuries are known as Lord Palmer's Children. |
| 4170 | Assassins linked to the Phoenix Republican Movement kill Prince Bandar of Kuiper; his great-great granddaughter Felese becomes Princess of the Kuiper-Oort region; her pseudo-gothic sensibilities and her realm's distance from Sol soon make her known as the Princess of the Dark. |
| 4171 | The Imperial Guard infiltrates and breaks up four major cells of the Phoenix Republicans and arrests the assassins of Prince Bandar. |
| 4172 | The Imperial Exposition at Vertumnus showcases the lavish estates and idyllic Gaean habitation of the planet. After a lengthy trial, the leadership of the Phoenix Republicans is sentience to permanent incarceration at Fomalhaut V. |
| 4173 | Researchers at Chiron Biomedical develop the Protean Gene, a modification that allows a recipient Human to alter appearances at a considerable metabolic cost; after some debate, the Ministry of Science allows licensing of the technology, pending a twenty year evaluation period and stringent reporting of recipients. |
| 4174 | The Rhean military assumes command of the government following anti-establishment demonstrations before the Trailing Regional Council; General Sir Martin Tanner becomes ruler of a military-dominated Republic of Rhea. |
| 4175 | Following the death of Duke Hornan, the last descendant of the Timmins line, the Member world Tyr proclaims itself a democratic republic as specified in the Duke's will. |
| 4176 | Emperor Cleon III professes his confidence in the Imperial system at the Imperial Exposition at Auckland, noting the 2400th anniversary of the unification of the Solar system under Rogar. The Emperor reiterates the independence of the Empire but also reaches out to the Empire's Major non-Human races. |
| 4177 | Queen Tabitha of Venus dies of CID at age 1171 and is succeeded by her grandson, who becomes King Joseph V. |
| 4178 | Sabotage of a vacuum distillation plant on Luna that leads to a near disaster and massive evacuations is blamed on a Phoenix Republican splinter group, The Killers of Lords and Ladies. |
| 4179 | Over the objections of the Order of the Imperial Sun, the Emperor appoints his friend Sir Tarl Tendeki, a Golden Stasis proponent, the new Minister of Science, prompting a letter of protest from the IAK and prominent scholars. |
| 4180 | King Albert III of Mars dies suddenly and is succeeded by his daughter, Imperial Mother Tabitha. Ganymede showcases its deep caverns and newer castle cities during its Imperial Exposition, attended by Queen Tabitha of Mars, still in her black mourning gown. |
| 4181 | Acknowledging opposition from the Order of the Imperial Sun, the Emperor dismisses Sir Tarl Tendeki and appoints Dame Infiniti Sand, a moderate Technologist, as the new Minister of Science. |
| 4182 | Imperial Marines kill Jorj Palin-Turo, a leader of the Killers of Lords and Ladies, and three accomplices after they attempt to steal disintegrator weapons from a depot on Valiant. |
| 4183 | The Emperor makes a third and final unsuccessful attempt to pass amendments on Artificial reproduction and Construct rights. |
| 4184 | Queen Charmaine presides over the colorful Imperial Exposition at Ishtar, making subtle slights against the Emperor's liberalism in her opening remarks. |
| 4185 | The culmination of a Ministry of Justice undercover and surveillance operation against the Phoenix Republican Movement results in thousands of arrests on dozens of worlds and effectively ends the organization, though the Killers of Lords and Ladies, thought to number in the hundreds, continue to exist, mostly attacking minor Nobilis in random attacks. |
| 4186 | Natani protestors on Umbran call for Major Race status for their people, but the Emperor, citing experiences with the Quadrons, suggests that a thousand year period of Minor Race status should pass before considering such a petition. |
| 4187 | Killers of Lords and Ladies assassinate the Earl of Hathor and his immediate family. The Ministry of Justice posts a bounty on the capture of members of the terrorist group; the "Dead or Alive" language is careful to suggested that lethal force be used only as a last resort to prevent the deaths of others. |
| 4188 | Calypso hosts a well-received Imperial Exposition with venues spread across the world's archipelagoes. The Emperor authorizes all Nobilis Citizens to carry armament for personal protection and to own and deploy Construct bodyguards to provide additional security. |
| 4189 | A dozen members of the Killers of Lords and Ladies seizes control of the luxury Liner Fay Winter out of Glorious, killing the thirty-five Nobilis aboard, including two children, before the crew, aided by an Imperial Marine boarding team, retakes the vessel, killing all but two terrorists. |
| 4190 | The two surviving Fay Winter hijackers receive life sentences to the new Imperial Prison at Gehenna on the Northern frontier. The Emperor rejects attempts to reestablish the death penalty for crimes against the Empire or genocide. |
| 4191 | The Nobilis-dominated government of Gothia succumbs to calls for a popular democracy, with the Nobilis agreeing to surrender power in return for immunities and self-regulation of their estates and households. |
| 4192 | At the Berlin Imperial Exposition opening ceremonies on Terra, a team of Killers of Lords and Ladies attempts a suicide bombing of the Emperor's delegation, but succeed in only killing themselves and one Imperial Guard trooper; the Exposition, with its medieval history theme, proceeds without further incident; some Dragon participants complain about the Dragonslayer hunting events, though Dragons take the most medals in the series. |
| 4193 | Celebrations on Atlantis mark the two-thousandth anniversary of Yan Rheyes' discovery of the Microjump drive governor. The Ministry of Commerce approves licensing for Protean Gene therapy, but only to individuals submitting to Tracer Gene implantation. |
| 4194 | Venus begins construction on The Shallows, a vast underwater arcology complex designed for dual use by Mermen and Human citizens. |
| 4195 | The Advanced Studies Research Lab in the Alimeen system unveils a Class D worm drive prototype, the White Mist; capable of over 38 light-years per day; the Class D drive finally proves the supremacy of worm drive technology. |
| 4196 | Despite tight security at the lackluster Imperial Exposition on Callisto, a Killer of Lords and Ladies operative succeeds in assassinating the Duke of Callisto and three members of his family before household guards gun her down. |
| 4197 | The Ministry of Defense begins procurement of the Marathon class of 75,000m3 Class D cruisers. Several Nobilis Great Houses, led by the Imperial Mother, Queen Tabitha of Mars, petition the Emperor to allow greater autonomy for Nobilis households. |
| 4198 | Local police on Triton raid the homes of the last three leaders of the Killers of Lords and Ladies, killing all three in the operation and effectively ending the terrorist group, twenty years after it was formed. |
| 4199 | The Class D White Star wins the Rigel-Antares Rally in 37 days, 23 hours. Citing a need for strong fleet presence on the frontier, the Ministry of Defense begins procurement of the Mars Class of 100,000m3 battle cruisers. |
| 4200 | Strict security and good planning lead to an extremely successful Imperial Exposition on Ares. To ease Nobilis opposition to continuing bureaucratic reforms, Cleon III signs the Breeding Edicts, allowing the Nobility to breed biological servant races without strict Imperial oversight. |
| 4201 | The Time Travel Society emerges in Australia and at other Solar sites and suffers just a few defections from the ranks of its newer members, remarking that progress and change are slowing. |
| 4202 | The B'dr'rak Mortuary caste allows Mechanist researchers to visit B'dr'rak Remnant shrines to study their technologies and interview their inhabitants. |
| 4203 | An IAK survey vessel, the Torando, discovers Gatebuilder ruins on the desolate world Vandalar in Sector 540 on the Northern frontier; after an orbital standoff, the IAK and the Ministry of Science agree to joint investigation of Vandalar with Imperial Navy supervision. |
| 4204 | Ishtar Genetic Products produces the first batch of Canis Sapiens, or Casaps, a canine-derived humanoid race bred for the Nobilis household market. The Imperial Exposition at Cagn is noted as the last hurrah for the fad of Extreme Events and features numerous daredevil sporting events and exhibitions in the world's deep and twisting Hell's Canyon. |
| 4205 | The future Cleon IV marries Princess Cynthia Roosevelt, a granddaughter of King Tor II of Kalmar, in a private ceremony on Erta. |
| 4206 | A museum-like chamber on Vandalar provides the best physical representation of Gatebuilder physiology and culture through sculpture and other three dimensional artwork, but no working technology; large portions of the collection go to the Imperial Museum at Byzantium and the IAK Xenological Pavilion on Prometheus. |
| 4207 | The Ministry of Commerce bans Protean Gene modification after numerous cases of cell degeneration from repeated shape shifting; covert modifications continue in government and criminal circles. |
| 4208 | The Imperial Exposition at Zanzibar on Terra features African, old Islamic and new Ibrahimite cultural displays, but is most renown for the botched kidnap attempt on the Emperor's half-sisters, Dona and Rebba Urban, and the ensuing chase and firefight with the thwarted abductors. The future Olav IV is born to Cleon (IV) and Cynthia on Erta. |
| 4209 | A Dragon scouting expedition to the Spinward encounters a Easterner-descended Cygnian colony world and comes under fire from ground and system defense units. |
| 4210 | The Dragon War begins with the Dragon ambassador repudiating the Dragon Treaty as Dragon fleets and raiders strike deep into the Imperial Spinward Region in a quick offensive. At the Battle of Mendam, raiders kill the Regional fleet command staff and damage the Regional capital compound. Dragon raiders strike at the Battle of Khruzi, withdrawing after heavy fighting in the outer system. Dragon attack squadrons occupy thirty frontier worlds in twelve Spinward border sectors. The Emperor orders a full mobilization and construction of new Class D warships from Escort to Dreadnaught class. |
| 4211 | Dragon occupation fleets capture another forty-three frontier worlds and raiders penetrate into the Central region, striking Valinor, Narmer and Haven, before being defeated by Commodore Alesia Frank at the Battle of Virgil. Mediation efforts initiated by the Grand Federation fail. Cleon orders reinforcements from the Trailing, North and South Regions to aid the fight and names Northern Command Admiral Sir Josev Brall Supreme Imperial Commander. After the Lucifer fails trials, the Emperor orders construction of a new class of Hellkings. |
| 4212 | The Dragon advance stalls after taking an addition seven colonies, and Admiral Brall's fast reaction forces blunt raider attacks, driving the Dragons back into the outer Spinward Region. The new Spinward Command Admiral, Balshara Durbanas, a Khruzi, defeats a large Dragon fleet at the Battle of Trellis Lun. B'dr'rak, Kith'turi and Salvaatiki squadrons reinforce the Spinward Command, demonstrating Imperial solidarity. Maxwell Biogenics produces the Goblinis humanoid genus of related species, meant for Nobilis use, though the Emperor orders a contingent of Hobgoblins spawned for Imperial Marine service. Charon Labs perfects a Stasis Field projector and succeeds in temporal suspension experiments. The Imperial Exposition on Titan proceeds despite heavy security and light attendance. |
| 4213 | Imperial forces begin a counter-attack against Dragon occupied colonies and outposts, making hard gains against an orderly scorched earth retreat. Admiral Brall dies when Dragon drones destroy his flagship Roanoke at the Battle of Valerian, but Vice Admiral Dame Jin Toma rallies the remaining Imperial forces for a victory. Cleon appoints Admiral Durbanas Supreme Commander. Imperial intelligence first learns of the Cygnians and dispatches covert contact teams; none return. |
| 4214 | The first Death Skull Class Hellking, Kali, becomes operational and with its sister ship Loki conducts retaliatory raids on Dragon military outposts on the frontier. The Spinward Command retakes the last Dragon occupied world, Shandalar. Teleporter suits become available in limited numbers for elite Marine commando units. |
| 4215 | Two more Hellkings, Erebus and Hades enter service. A second Grand Federation mediation attempt fails. A full squadron led by the Battle Cruiser Mercury under Commodore Sir David Ardennes skirts the Dragon Sphere to attempt contact with the Cygnians, but also fails to return. After a Dragon attack on the commercial world of Ravenna, the Emperor authorizes deep commerce strikes into Dragon territory. Cleon III's grandson Roban (the Elder) marries Lady Lydia Dan-Talbrid of Karnia House on Eden, the daughter of newly Ennobled merchants. Prince Orlan (the Wild) Kamarov, son of the future Cleon IV, is born on Erta. |
| 4216 | The Hellkings Anubis and Seth enter service and the Emperor authorizes Hellking use against habitable worlds. The Kali destroys the Dragon colony at Vrshada, killing over a million Dragons and prompting the Dragon Sphere to propose immediate armistice talks. With the Treaty of Bengal, Cleon III accepts a Core to Rim border plane running 550 light-years from Sol after the Dragons agree to demobilize half their fleet. Peaceful, but not friendly, relations resume between the Empire and the Sphere, and the Dragons do not attend the Imperial Exposition at Apollo, hastily adapted to celebrate the return to peace. |
| 4217 | A full fleet under the command of Vice Admiral Sir Duran Mordikai sets off toward Cygnian space and does not return, ending attempts to contact the Easterner realm. |
| 4218 | A disputed Grand Senate election on Apollo leads to an effective partitioning of the planet into factions supporting Lord Namnis or Count Vesas. The Imperial Navy begins decommissioning Class C vessels as it returns to a peacetime state, but Cleon resists Grand Federation appeals to decommission the Hellkings, attaching them to the Central Command. |
| 4219 | Melena Hu, Queen of Asia and widow of Cleon I, dies of an apparent suicide; Emperor Cleon III, as her direct heir, assumes the title of King of Asia. |
| 4220 | The Imperial Exposition at Hina showcases the world's rugged mountains and diverse culture, but also serves as the spark that starts open warfare on Apollo after a duel between Namnis and Vesas supporters among the Apollonian delegation turns into a firefight that leads to riots and street fighting on their homeworld. |
| 4221 | Full scale warfare rocks Apollo with regional militias battling for control of the planet; after the assassination of Count Vesas, Baron Jurgin Tardin takes command of forces fighting Lord Namnis. |
| 4222 | An attack by Baron Tardin destroys the Grand Senate chambers on Apollo, and triggers Imperial intervention by the First Imperial Fleet. Imperial Marine telesuit commandos capture Lord Namnis and Baron Tardin, but the Apollo civil war continues, prompting the Emperor to declare marital law and dispatch two Marine armies to occupy and pacify the world. |
| 4223 | Census Office reports show a clear decline of Nobilis life expectancy to 1,032 years, mostly from suicides and congenital defects in twentieth generation and older family lines. An Imperial Marine-enforced peace settles over Apollo. |
| 4224 | Emperor Cleon III presides over the Imperial Exposition at Byzantium, proclaiming the Empire's strength and diversity; a small Dragon delegation attends under heavy security. |
| 4225 | The Emperor introduces a limited amendment allowing artificial reproductive enchantments to stem Nobilis generational fatigue, but fails to get more than a slight majority in either house. |
| 4226 | Princess Hanna Kamarov, youngest child of Cleon (IV) and Cynthia is born on Erta. |
| 4227 | The Emperor announces the One Empire reform program, coordinating purchases and procedures among the various Imperial ministries and providing guidelines for Regional and Sector government procurement and operations. |
| 4228 | The Imperial Exposition at Oberon is mostly noted for excursions into the Deep Ocean of Uranus and a cliff climbing marathon on Miranda that brings first fame and a gold medal to the adventurer-explorer Jonas Bandar-Turkin. |
| 4229 | An Imperial Congress commission dismisses claims that generational fatigue is a medically recognized defect, calling it an integral component of the Nobilis genome and banning attempts at prenatal correction. |
| 4230 | Imperial martial law ends on Apollo as Emperor Cleon III names his younger brother, Ivan Kamarov, King of Apollo. |
| 4231 | Prince Roban (the Younger) Kamarov is born to Prince Roban the Elder and Princess Lydia on Bengal. |
| 4232 | Osiris hosts a commercially successful Imperial Exposition, most noted for providing exhibits and private sales of Stasis chambers and telesuits. |
| 4233 | All Imperial ministries begin phasing out the last Class C vessels and start installing Stasis chambers in key system and crew regions of most vessels. |
| 4234 | Admiral Balshara Durbanas resigns as Imperial Supreme Commander to begin a political career on Khruzi, easily winning an election to become Lord President of the Khruzi homeworld. |
| 4235 | An explosion at a venting station on Venus and subsequent seismic events kill over two thousand people in the Lakshmi region, including Duke Orin of Lakshmi. |
| 4236 | The Imperial Exposition on Katrina features a tribute to the Empress for which the world was named, and offers stunning vistas in the Canyonlands region. |
| 4237 | Queen Olanda of South America dies of an undisclosed cause at age 1,412; her son Arturo, already 1,279 years old, becomes King of South America. |
| 4238 | King Anton of Caldera begins a media campaign in support of genetic repair modifications for Nobilis, but the attempt causes greater opinion against the Nobilis and all forms of Artificial conception and development. |
| 4239 | The Futaris-modified Golden Stasis philosopher Toma Hamda becomes president of Nova and starts a series of reforms aimed at bringing Novan society closer to "perfection". |
| 4240 | The Imperial Exposition at Hanoi on Terra is most noted for a bizarre reenactment of the twentieth century Vietnam Wars against Japanese, French and American forces. |
| 4241 | The IAK research vessel Davis drops Stasis-equipped drones toward the event horizon of the Betelgeuse black hole, calling the objects time capsules for the end of the universe; the IAK denies rumors that the drones contained Human volunteers. |
| 4242 | A revolt of machines on the world of Ninazu kills over twenty thousand people and prompts an Imperial intervention by elements of the Forty-fourth fleet and stricter standards on machine intelligences. |
| 4243 | A joint venture between Maxwell Biogenics and Tze't investors produces the Vita, the first biological-based starship available in Human space; sluggish sales force the withdrawal of the product line after a run of two thousand units. |
| 4244 | Satisfied with infrastructure reforms throughout the Empire, Cleon orders a reduction of planetary tax rates. The Imperial Exposition on Triton features plans for a proposed terraforming of Neptune's atmosphere; the plan faces Tune opposition and is eventually abandoned. |
| 4245 | Ibrahim Mustafa calls for enforcement of a ban on Imperial Citizenship to Human Variants, including Mermen, Vacules, Majestic Flyers, Futaris and other transformation, but the Emperor, High Council and Congress overwhelmingly deem Amendment XI not to be relevant to these voluntary modifications and their descendants; the Emperor issues a blanket dispensation to sixteen recognized genetically modified "species" to put the issue to rest. |
| 4246 | The Martian-based Cosmic Hand religious cult charters a vessel to drop all five hundred members into the Betelgeuse black hole in ten Stasis-equipped pods; a Ministry of Justice investigation determines that the equipment utilized by the cult was leased, but financial restitution proves elusive. |
| 4247 | Ishtar Genetics Products begins production of its Amazon line of self-reproducing Constructs to complement its Warrior line, popular since the Dragon War. |
| 4248 | The Imperial Exposition on Han emphasizes urban culture and ancient Chinese traditions, preserved since the world's colonization, nearly two thousand years earlier. |
| 4249 | IAK-sponsored explorers led by Jonas Bandar-Turkin telesuit into a partially collapsed 800 million year old chamber near South Hellas on Mars, finding the best preserved ruins of Romne's Martian Gods, probably a command center for the failed terraformation project. |
| 4250 | Light from the Betelgeuse supernova reaches Sol. Cleon offers a one-time ten year extension to the worlds that have yet not reached their Amendment XIV population levels for membership in the Congress and High Council. |
| 4251 | The IAK establishes the Honshi Foundation, a quantum storage laboratory on Myrland. |
| 4252 | Emperor Cleon III celebrates his hundredth Jubilee then travels to Othello to open the Imperial Exposition on that idyllic world. |
| 4253 | Prince Tomas Turki, future Crown Prince of Atlantis and President of the Imperial High Council, a great-grandson of King Karl from his fourth wife's line, is born on his homeworld. |
| 4254 | A drought on Ghandi's southern hemisphere overwhelms the planetary environmental grid, causing widespread dust storms and increasing desertification. |
| 4255 | The Emperor authorizes another attempt to contact the Easterner Human Cygnian civilization. |
| 4256 | The Imperial Exposition at Atlanta on Terra focuses on North American culture over the past two and a half millennia, though some criticize the pro-Nobilis slant of some of the exhibitions. |
| 4257 | Novan Vice Admiral Tomas Yamamoto leads a fleet of military, diplomatic and exploratory vessels on the Second Cygnus Expedition, skirting south of Dragon Space to attempt contact with the Cygnians; the last returning courier drone reports contact with a Cygnian outpost 1150 light years from Sol. |
| 4258 | After a follow-up squadron vanishes, the Second Cygnus Expedition is presumed lost and the Emperor bans further contact attempts. The Dragon Sphere denies all Imperial requests for information on the Cygnians and protests additional attempts to circumnavigate Dragon Space. |
| 4259 | Dame Infiniti Sand resigns as Minster of Science to become Chair of the IAK Central Committee on Prometheus, her successor, Lady Avril Dunn, continues cost-cutting measures and farms out more projects to private contractors. |
| 4260 | Princess Felese of the Kuiper-Oort opens the neo-gothic and underworld-themed Imperial Exposition centered on the converted penal center at Ixion. King Joseph V of Venus declares a year of celebration in honor of the two thousandth anniversary of Venus's terraformation. |
| 4261 | Jonas Bandar-Turin succeeds in rediscovering the lost Gate of Oracle under N'tandrapor, but fails to activate the device and is eventually expelled by Quadron authorities, who seal the site. |
| 4262 | A small delegation of Kith'turi and Salvaatiki visit the ember of M'kkia to commemorate the anniversary of the planet's destruction at the end of the M'kkiae War. |
| 4263 | Bon Johavas wins the Tigarvati Prize for his virtual epic Multiverse Concordia. |
| 4264 | Avalon hosts a conservative Imperial Exposition that unconsciously emphasizes the equilibrium of current Imperial society. |
| 4265 | Jonas Bandar-Turin pilots his starship Esperance through the magnetic storms of the Armpit Nebula, skimming to within visual range of the black hole core. |
| 4266 | Count Reginald Mendoza of South Hellas on Mars holds the first Goblin Bowl, a bloody contest involving ritualized warfare between teams of Goblin genus fighters that is deplored for its violence and immensely popular on the worlds that legalize the sport. |
| 4267 | A severe Jovian flare causes hundreds of deaths on Io and the loss of two spacecraft near the collapsed planet; the Jovian governments launch an investigation and begin work on stabilization satellites based on Dragon stellar engineering technology. |
| 4268 | The Imperial Exposition at Thea is mostly remembered for the pavilion sponsored by supporters of Jonas Bandar-Turin's expeditions. |
| 4269 | Lord Goran Valdervos attempts to assassinate King Ivan of Apollo and claim the thrown, but is apprehended, convicted and exiled to Gehenna. |
| 4270 | The IAK begins the first of its detailed surveys into the Gum Nebula region beyond the Trailing frontier. |
| 4271 | The Khruzi Chundanar Barrudannan wins the Tigarvati Prize for his Vtaran Dawn combat simulation experience. |
| 4272 | Mechanist researchers on Karinsky announce development of a new quantum storage interface that reportedly eliminates the risk of insanity among Incarnates. The Emperor agrees to continue restricting Mechanist procedures to those who adopt the religion's tenets. King Arturo hosts the Imperial Exposition at Montevideo on Terra, highlighting the continuing Farrar dynasty line. |
| 4273 | The Dragons establish a trading outpost with the Grand Federation at Tzsark'hn, opening up a settlement and commerce corridor to the Coreward of Dragon Space. |
| 4274 | The Esperance, with Jonas Bandar-Turin and six companions aboard, leaves on an unauthorized expedition toward the Orion Nebula and does not return. |
| 4275 | Tarl Beshnik, one of the hijackers of the Fey Winter, escapes from Gehenna, killing over thirty prison workers in the explosion that covers his escape, prompting an Empire-wide alert. |
| 4276 | Crown Prince Rogar opens the Imperial Exposition on Mercury, an event most noted for an attempted assassination of his wife's ancestor, the Duke of Delphi, initially blamed on Tarl Beshnik, but later traced to an Apollo dissident organization. |
| 4277 | The Emperor personally signs trade agreements between the Empire and the Dragon Sphere at the Treaty of Mendam, restoring a trickle of goods and services between the two states. |
| 4278 | Grand Federation security forces arrest Tarl Beshnik on an Eenikiti backwater and turn him over to Imperial authorities who return him to harsher imprisonment on Gehenna. |
| 4279 | An IAK survey ship under Ministry of Science contract encounters the Darmuras, an advanced subjovian race in their home system in Sector 846; though at late macrojump technology, the Darmuras are not interstellar and have no interest in joining the Empire. |
| 4280 | The ancient desert world of Arakis hosts the Imperial Exposition, including a large exhibit of Dark Age desert settlements. The Empire officially quarantines the Darmuras home system and designates them a Protected race after a cultural and diplomatic evaluation. |
| 4281 | Delphi celebrates the two thousandth anniversary of its founding in a celebration marred by demonstrations from dissent groups calling for a planetary parliament. |
| 4282 | The Ministry of Science establishes the first experimental boost-stabilized teleport booth pair, joining Terra and Luna. |
| 4283 | Hercules and Prometheus lead a group of twenty liberal worlds that ban the Goblin Bowl and other forms of lethal entertainment. |
| 4284 | Tefenet hosts an Imperial Exposition best described as decadent; it includes Goblin Bowl as an exhibition sport. Tarl Beshnik commits suicide on Gehenna. |
| 4285 | Lydia, Queen of Paradise, authorizes the establishment of a two council Planetary Congress, with Nobilis forming the upper house and Sapiens, the lower. |
| 4286 | Quara Titov wins the Tigarvati Prize for her innovative living metal architectural designs. |
| 4287 | The Emperor himself teleports from Byzantium to Copernicus, inaugurating commercial service between Terra and Luna. |
| 4288 | The Imperial Exposition at Darwin on Terra focuses on the Dark Age conflicts of the Pacific-Asia region. The worlds of Rhea and Dione opt for a formal Union, uniting their solar system and transferring some Trailing Regional government offices to Dione. |
| 4289 | After telesuit assassins from the rival Jordan family assassinates the Duke of Delphi and most of his immediate family, Heather Zhung-Kamarov, wife of Crown Prince Rogar, becomes Duchess of Delphi; declaring martial law, she requests and receives Imperial Guard assistance in form of a series of commando raids that hunt down and eliminate the Jordan family and their supporters. |
| 4290 | During the continuing crack-down on Delphi, Imperial Guard investigators uncover a band of Protean modified assassins and receive permission from the Ministries of Defense and Justice to hunt the Proteans as illegal biological entities. |
| 4291 | IAK biologists working with the Zhantlian Research Directorate perfect Ambrosia, an enhanced energy nutrient that makes an ideal compact ration, but doesn't taste as good as the name implies. |
| 4292 | King Joseph V of Venus hosts his Grand Venusian Imperial Exposition, a planet-wide celebration of Venusian culture. |
| 4293 | Duchess Heather of Delphi ends martial law and calls for the establishment of a unicameral planetary council with universal representation. |
| 4294 | The Mechanist Primal and Senior Council formally adopt requirements for the Faithful to dedicate every third life to the Mechanist Church. |
| 4295 | In Sector 1490, a Ministry of Science survey vessel contacts the Fundin, an atomic era warm-methane breathing race with a fledgling space program. |
| 4296 | The world Tripoli hosts the Imperial Exposition, a small affair compared to Venus, with an emphasis on its M'kkiae War-era settlement and the early history of the world. |
| 4297 | The Fundin join the Empire as a Minor Race after a unanimous vote by their planetary council. |
| 4298 | Commercial teleport stations begin operations between the Jovian worlds, but service remains limited to single orbit jumps when the moons are near conjunction. |
| 4299 | Prometheus celebrates two thousand years of civilization with a showcase of high technology sponsored by the Institute for the Advancement of Knowledge. |
| 4300 | The Imperial Exposition at Siva includes a multi-racial conference aimed at increasing cooperation between the Empire's dominate Humans and the Major and Minor races. |
| 4301 | The Time Travel Society emerges in Australia and other locations and undergoes a major technical reengineering, upgrading from older hibernation equipment to Stasis Chambers. |
| 4302 | Maxwell Biogenics unveils prototype transformations that create Humans capable of surviving on warm methane worlds (U1) and sub-jovian (S1) environments, but difficulties with the Ministry of Justice regarding Human modification regulation prevent commercialization as recognized Human modification variants, and limits initial use to Constructs. |
| 4303 | Crown Prince Rogar moves to Delphi full-time to live with his wife, Duchess Heather; an Imperial Guard battalion accompanies him, leading to criticism of the Guard for its role in assisting the continuing martial law crackdown. |
| 4304 | Brussels hosts the Imperial Exposition on Terra, concentrating on European history in the period of nationalism, with large pavilions dedicated to the nineteenth through twenty-first centuries. |
| 4305 | Prince Cleon (IV) forms a Goblin Bowl team for competition in the Ertan Games and wins the tournament; his grandfather, Emperor Cleon III, publicly expresses his distaste for the sport. |
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