Fiction:Talven Empire

"Never put all your faith in a single strategy, a single leader, a single planet. Adaptability is survivability."

- Balbus Marinus

The Talven Empire (sometimes referred to informally as Talva, after its founding species) is an expanding empire in the Milky Way Galaxy. Forged by over a century of struggling to survive in pirate-infested space, the Empire is known for its defensive shielding and armor technologies, along with its distrust of foreigners. The Empire believes strongly in order, honor, and duty, while its foreign policy is based around its people's need to be in control of their environments.

Founded just under 300 years ago, the Talven Empire has rapidly grown to encompass over 2000 systems, protected by a powerful armada. Since establishing contact with other civilizations, it has begun to build a substantial trade network, while starting to influence events in the Milky Way through multiple intelligence networks, particularly the DFI. Of course, the Empire is far from the greatest power in the First Gigaquadrant, though, under the guidance of High Councilor Balbus Marinus, it has been hitherto successful in bringing order to a small area of the galaxy.

Origins
The Talven people evolved on the planet Aldar, achieving interstellar travel as early as 1883, using sleeper ships moving close to the speed of light. After a failed attempt to use this technology 30 years earlier (resulting in the disappearance of 1.2 million colonists), Talven settlements were founded in nearby systems, bringing vital resources back to their overpopulated homeworld. However, this was the beginning of a period of turmoil as individual organisations and governments competed to exploit or protect these systems. In 1957, Drusus Gallus, an influential philanthropist and politician in multiple countries, managed to persuade, bribe, or force the Talven people into a single government: the Talven Federation. This gave some independence to the Talven colonies, and marked the beggining of a golden age that would last until for four centuries.

The fate of the Talven Federation was decided by its location. The Talva had been unlucky enough to evolve just outside the Galactic Core, and in 2392, the Grox sent a flotilla to annihilate the Federation. With little military experience, the Federation lost most of its fleet, over half its colonies, and Aldar itself within the first two months of war. Experimental hyperspatial technology was used to create a small fleet of refugee transports, which manage to save 16% of the Federation's population while the remaining military vessels slowed the Grox advance.

The Exile As the refugee fleet made progress away from the core, they entered a very different environment to the one which they were accustomed to. Pirates were increasingly common, forcing the fleet to develop defensive and navigational technology that allowed them to survive and avoid hostile warships. By the year 2415, the Talven fleet was capable of making hyperspatial jumps in seconds, and had begun to master shielding technology. Brief pauses at resource rich planets allowed the construction of mobile shipyards, and as the fleet begun to strip-mine most planets that they passed on their journey, they began to construct huge carrier-ships that could generate shield-bubbles around smaller transports, while possessing armor that could withstand barrages from most pirate armadas.

In 2527, the Talven fleet stumbled across Scarat, a pirate controlled planet defended by a sizable armada. By sheer force of resilience, the Talven fleet wore down the armada and took the planet. In the following year, Admiral Galerius Aquilius declared an end to the Talva's exile and founded the Talven Empire, renaming Scarat as Ancora, the capital of the Empire.

A New Beginning
With the strength of the Talven fleet, the Talven Empire expanded quickly, first by conquering pirate-controlled planets, before colonizing other nearby planets. The mobile shipyards were placed in orbit of the best mining planets, though they remained capable of hyperspatial travel.

The Talven Empire did not establish contact with friendly interstellar lifeforms, though they did encounter tribal and industrial civilizations. To solve this, the Empire helped these civilizations to advance in technology, growing them into trading partners or assimilating them into itself. As trade grew, Talven merchants grew in power, taking control of the throne and transforming many of the core colonies into city planets and palace worlds. A division grew between the merchants and the military, leading to a compromise over the Empire: The military would rule the majority of the Talven territory, acting as official heads of state through a ruling council, while the Emperor would rule and develop colonies that grew into trading worlds. Ancora was claimed by the Emperor, and in the year 2603, the official capital moved to Iubar.

This structure encouraged expansion - as the central worlds used up their own resources and began to rely on trade, the official Talven Empire needed to grow in order to maintain its domination of Talven affairs, as well as to create a buffer zone that would protect the Empire's core. The Talven people gained territory and power, entering a second golden age.

The Pride of Aldar By the next century, the Talven Empire had grown to include over 1000 systems, a third of which had grown to respectable colonies. In the year 2642, a Talven warship disappeared just outside of the Empire's borders. A fleet was sent to investigate, and made a surprising discovery: an ancient Talven colony ship, the Pride of Aldar, was somehow still operational and heading towards Talven space.

The reason for the warship's disappearance soon became clear - the Pride of Aldar 's computer had malfunctioned, causing it's anti-meteoroid defenses to target all nearby ships. To make matters worse, the ship's armor had been reinforced, with distinctive Grox plating. It appeared that the Grox had found the Pride of Aldar and turned it into a weapon, aiming it into the more populated areas of the Galaxy. Most of the investigating fleet managed to escape the ensuing battle, though barely managing to scratch the ship's armor.

Before the Talven Empire could mobilize its forces, the Pride of Aldar disappeared. The Imperial Council suspected a Cloaking Device, and ordered fleets to be redeployed to systems near the projected path of the the ship. In 2675, the Pride of Aldar entered a Talven-controlled system. Due to the passage of time, defenses had been reduced, and by the time that reinforcements arrived, the ship had left, leaving behind only a few debris fields of waste material. The ship had mined all of the system's planets and asteroid fields - before draining its sun - within hours. This Grox modification explained the the survival of the ship, and made it a greater threat than the Talven Empire had previously imagined.

Probes were hurriedly scattered throughout Talven space to find a clue as to the Pride of Aldar 's course, and in 2689, the entire Talven armada had assembled just outside its next destination - Ancora. The battle went well at first, but without the ability to do significant damage to the ship, the armada was steadily destroyed by attrition.

The Pride of Aldar proceeded to begin mining the system. Half of Ancora's population had been evacuated, but the remaining citizens were killed instantly as the planet was torn apart, (among them Emperor Servius Aquilius). Aboard the ship, a small group of naval officers and marines (lead by Captain Decima Lucilius) had survived a crippling blow to the Defiance, a corvette. Brought into the 'maw' of the Pride of Aldar, the survivors managed to stay alive by causing their ship's reactor to overload, damaging the deconstruction machinery and buying time. Lucilius lead them to the colony ship's engines, sabotaging its ability to move. Making use of an emergency escape pod, the survivors reached the edge of the system before sending a distress call.

The Ancora system was quarantined, and several starbases were established to prevent the reactivation of the Pride of Aldar. Without an empire, the trading worlds of the Talven Empire were rapidly taken over by guilds and system governors.

Contact
In 2741, complex transmissions were detected outside of Talven space, seemingly from another interstellar civilization. Due to the number of transmissions, the Imperial Council anticipated an invasion and prepared for war. A state of emergency was declared, as Talven shipyards were hurriedly rearmed and scattered - along with the Talven armada - both to intercept the enemy's forces, and to rebuild the Talven Empire if it was destroyed by a superior foe.

But no war came. Instead, in the year 2742, the scattered fleets found something new and unanticipated: a friendly government. Though unprepared at first, the merchant guilds were quick to begin negotiating trade deals. High Councilor Balbus Marinus secretly formed the DFI (Department of Foreign Influence), in order to gain some measure of control over diplomatic affairs. The DFI first focused on developing the Talven Empire's already advanced high-speed hyperspatial technology, before sending thousands of probes out into the galaxy to gather information on other civilizations.

The Empire was subtly reforming itself - the Imperial council took control of foreign policy (while continuing expansion into unclaimed space), reshaping the Empire's military to avoid unwanted attention from both conquerors and peacekeepers. The merchant guilds gained unprecedented wealth and power through trade, while individual nobles worked alongside the DFI in finding weaknesses in the developing alliances between alien powers.

Government
Though the Imperial Council is now the only official government of the Talven Empire, several merchant guilds hold enough sway over the Empire to be considered part of the governing system. Despite this, the Imperial Council maintains a friendly relationship with most guilds, creating a stable balance of power between the upper and middle classes. Most merchants and council members are also interested in the welfare and happiness of the lower classes as well, so the majority of the Empire is represented in this system.

The Imperial Council
The Imperial Council is formed of twelve members, including system governors, military leaders, and academics that have gained enough prestige and power to be deemed worthy of ruling the Talven Empire. Though all members are generally considered equals, a High Councilor (currently Balbus Marinus) is elected to lead the council in times of war. The Imperial Council meets at least eleven times every year, at secret locations throughout the Empire.

The Departments
Each member of the Imperial council leads one of the Empire's Departments, which coordinate all official and unofficial government activities.

DAC= The Department of Art and Culture The DAC Funds museums, heritage sites, galleries, and other organisations promoting public interest in art and history. Though the DAC is in charge of censorship, it avoids using this where possible, fearing the transformation of the Talven Empire into a police state. The DAC encourages freedom of speech, often clashing with the DoL, and works closely with the DoE and DoT to inspire progress in the Empire. The DAC also assists assimulated worlds in maintaining their culture, often integrating parts of it into the rest of the Empire. DAE= The Department of Agriculture and Expansion The DAE is not directly involved in the colonization of worlds, but instead assists in post-colonization projects, including terraforming and construction. For this reason, it interacts with the DoI and DoP to connect new worlds with the rest of the Empire. The DAE remains in charge of planets chosen for agricultural development, and ensures that food is transported to where it is needed within the Empire. DDA= The Department of Diplomatic Affairs Councilor: Balbus Marinus The DDA is possibly the largest Department, lead by the High Councilor themself. It develops alliances and trade (with the help of the DEA), while watching and protecting over foreign visitors. The DDA also settles disputes within the Talven Empire, alongside the DoL. Other Departments use the DDA as a means of working with organistions outside of the Talven Empire. DDS= The Department of Defense and Security Councilor: Drusa Lucilius The DDS works with the DoP and DoW to construct space stations and mobile shipyards over planets of strategic worth or with large populations. It is also in charge of the Talven Empire's growing intelligence network, uncovering and preparing for the development of new technologies by other civilizations, while also defending the Empire's own secrets. The DDS is prepared to collaborate with spies of allied empires, but prepares itself for an unexpected betrayal. DEA= The Department of Economic Affairs The DEA generally manages the economy, and takes control of international trade routes once they have been established by the DDA. The DEA also assists the merchant guilds, preventing other Departments from acting against the guilds' interests. During war, the DEA is aided by the DAE, the DoI, and the DoP in rationing food, energy, and goods. DoE= The Department of Education The DoE funds educational institutions and libraries, encouraging all citizens to improve their ability to advance the Empire's interests. It collaborates heavily with the DAC and the DoT to educate citizens for the roles for which they are most suited, miking sure that there is a good balance in employment. The DoE also works with the Dow to prepare the Talven Empire for war. DFI= The Department of Foreign Influence The DFI does not officially exist. Indeed, only the High Councillor is aware of its existence, and it is thus the only Department not to be represented by the Imperial Council. The DFI exists outside of the Talven government, leading a significant intelligence agency that manipulates events both inside and outside of the Talven Empire. The DFI aims to place the Empire in the best possible position to continue expanding, and is responsible for the assassination and ascension of various foreign leaders who held power over fate of Empire's position in international politics. Its role has lead several other Departments to unknowingly clash with or assist its agents, most commonly the DDA and the DDS. DoH= The Department of Health The DoH funds hospitals and medical research facilities, working with the DoT to find new ways of dealing with health issues in the Talven Empire. The DoH also contains epidemics (through quarantines, if necessary) and regularly contacts foreign health organisations through the DDA to gain vaccines for alien diseases that could reach the Empire. DoI= The Department of Infrastructure The DoI funds transport, housing projects, and the construction of power stations to support the Talven population. Working with the DAE and the DoP, the DoI builds colonies claimed by the Talven Empire, and rebuilds worlds the that the Empire has conquered. Recently, the DoI and the DoP have constructed a number of Dyson spheres that are currently only being used by the Talven navy. DoL= The Department of Law The DoL coordinates and funds law enforcement agencies throughout the Empire. It makes final decisions on particularly difficult or significant cases, and can only be overruled by the Imperial Council itself. Rarely, the DoL collaborates with other civilizations to track down criminals through the DDA. It also collaborates with the DDA to settle disputes in the Talven Empire (such as between merchant guilds). DoP= The Department of Production The DoP is in charge of the Talven Empire's industry - from the mining of basic resources to the construction of warships and Dyson spheres for the DoI. Generally, the DoP uses mechanical technologies, developed by the DoT. The DoP works with the DoI and the DAE to set up mining and factory planets, as well as the DDS to construct space stations and mobile shipyards. DoT= The Department of Technology The DoT's goal is to adapt Talven technology to fit its circumstances. After the Talven Empire made contact with the galactic community, the DoT began to focus on learning about, mastering, and countering alien technology, leading it to collaborate with the DDA and DoW. The DoT also assists the DoE to encourage progress, and develops technologies for the DoP. DoW= The Department of War The DoW leads the Talven army and navy with the goal of protecting the Talven Empire. Its priorities are very similar to that of the DDS, leading to the two Departments working together in many ways, such as the construction of mobile shipyards (with the help of the DoP). The DoW also works on military technology with the DoT.

Politics
Cooperation is a strong part of Talven culture, just as much in politics than in everyday life. Consequentially, significant divides in ideology are rare, and compromises are quick to be made. This means that that the Talven Council can work very effectively, and most opinions in the Empire are represented.

However, political infighting does exist. The drive to be in control of their environment leads many council members to try to influence the actions of their peers. Success in the government relies on the ability to manipulate others into supporting your interests, often without them realizing it. Some council members have used questionable methods to achieve their goals, including assassination. The conflict between departments drives this conflict, with the interests of each part of the Empire replacing ideology as a cause for debate. This political infighting is only permitted because the High Councilor can use it to motivate the twelve official departments.

After the Empire established contact with other civilizations, Balbus Marinus began to gain more power as High Councilor. The other members of the Imperial Council have mostly followed his plans, acting more as advisers than as governors.

The Merchant Guilds
The number of active merchant guilds varies between seven and forty, while the balance of power constantly shifts. Merchants often name their houses after historical guilds, out of respect for the achievements of their ancestors. The guilds usually cooperate, though some have been known to sabotage their rival's profits in times of prosperity. The guilds use their influence and wealth to persuade various levels of government to serve their interests, and donate large sums of money to numerous projects run by the twelve official departments. The guilds also pursue their goals outside of the Empire's borders, acquiring alien technology and wealth.

Technology
The long travels of the Talven people through uncivilized space has lead to significant technological advancements, some above the level of an empire of their scale. Most of these are still used exclusively by the military, but some elements are also available to the public.

Military Technology
See also: Fiction:Talven Empire/Military

Army
The Talven army evolved from the Empire's marines - elite troopers used to quickly secure planets for resource gathering and to protect ships from boarding parties. Consequentially, it is based not on quantity, but on quality. This means that individual soldiers can carry more expensive technology than usual.

Most soldiers use heavily modified energy rifles, suited to their individual fighting style. Advanced armor technology has been used to create lightweight combat armor, which can protect the wearer from most kinetic and energy weapons for a reasonable period of time. The same technology has lead to powerful swords which can cut through any inferior materials, including the armor of alien soldiers. Talven soldiers communicate with warships overhead, coordinating attacks and locating hostile targets.

The advanced armor and weapons of the Talven infantry means that vehicles are not needed, and warships take the role of artillery.

Navy
The Talven navy adapted to fit two essential requirements: speed and survivability. Even the largest warships in the Talven fleet can usually outpace enemy fleets, and all ships can make hyperspatial jumps almost instantly. The calculations required for this mean that that the largest ships in each fleet - huge carrier-ships - contain immense supercomputers (enhanced by Eldarisian Technology) that transmit coordinates to all surrounding ships before each jump. These supercomputers also coordinate fleets during battle, and detect signs of the enemies tactics.

Another reason for the great size of the carrier-ships is their power generators. These are needed to maintain the shield-bubbles which are used to protect smaller ships seeking shelter within them. This acts as a membrane, stopping kinetic, explosive, and energy weapons from reaching the defended ships while robotic support ships make hasty repairs. Powerful deflector shields are also used to protect carrier-ships (along with most other military vessels). Due to the predictive ability of their powerful supercomputers, the carrier ships are capable of projecting shields in the paths of incoming projectiles at long distances.

All Talven ships are equipped with state-of-the-art armor plating, made partially out of Zhakelei metal from the Azzinothe Empire, Kiridium from the Mithadorn Republic, and iridium (both mined and imported from the Stellar Union). Nano-robotics allows this armor to rapidly regenerate, while magnetic monopoles are used to strengthen it to a greater degree. Since the Talvo-Republica Pact, the Talven Empire has aquired enough magnetic monopoles for its entire fleet, along with non-phasic shield projectors. The DoT has experimented with weaponizing this technology, resulting in the Minotaur-class cruiser, which is built with the sole purpose of ramming enemy ships.

The Talvo-Republica pact also provided the Talven Empire with schematics for tractor beams. In 2807, the DoT finished the development of tractor beams that could be deployed in hyperspace - gathering hypermatter to generate interdiction fields.

After trade began with the Slukatian Empire, energy weapons in the Talven navy were enhanced with Slukatium. The Talven Empire also uses point defense systems imported from the Hegemony. The Slukation Empire also exports antimatter to the Talven Empire; this used in power generators aboard some warships, while the DoT has made some progress towards weaponizing it.

Domestic Technology
Civilian vessels are not as fast or protected as those in the military, but can make their own hyperspace calculations, reducing the need for a copilot. Supercomputers are also usable by citizens, either through a public network, or by certain organisations like universities. Technology similar to the membrane-like bubble-shields used in carrier-ships can be found on particularly tall buildings, slowing anyone who falls out of them.

The merchant guilds have recently gained permission from the DoW to build their own warships with military technology to protect trading interests. These ships are usually designed more for appearance than function, but are capable in battle nevertheless.

Life in the Empire
Most citizens of the Talven Empire live in cities - though most spend a significant portion of their life visiting less urbanized areas. As all citizens can potentially be sent to fight for the Talven Military, it is rare to meet one without some level of military training. However, this is not usually the most important aspect the lives of individual citizens, who often devote much time to religion, art, and earning money.

Society
The Talva are an honorable people, but are prepared to use most methods if put in difficult situations. The idea of fighting 'to the death' is not popular within the Talven military, and what others see as bravery is often seen as foolish behavior when it gains no significant advantage.

The Talven Empire has learnt the hard way that the galaxy is a treacherous place, so earning the trust of any Talva is a considerable achievement. Talva have strong bonds with members of their own race, and can work together very efficiently. Most Talva cannot stand seeing others being suppressed, even if they are 'evil' in nature.

The Empire greatly values art and science, to an extent that even soldiers often study an aspect of both fields. A combination of academic and military achievement is the best way to gain prestige in Talven society.

Religion
The Talven Empire has no official religion, and citizens instead accept ideas from outside of the Empire. Instead of joining religious organizations, they seek guidance from within themselves, often taking inspiration from multiple faiths. Consequently, religious conflict is an alien concept to most Talva.

Talven citizens are often especially interested in ideas surrounding fate, thinking of it as something to be influenced, rather than a unstoppable force. This has lead to many military strategies based upon manipulation.

Art
Talven Art is often seen as a way of exploring one's own thoughts and feelings, and has thus been greatly influenced by religion. It is rarely used to realistically portray things, and thus can provide as much insights about the artist as it can about what it represents. Some Talva have speculated that this may put the Empire at risk from particularly insightful tacticians, but it is only recently that Councilor Drusa Lucilius has begun to ensure that no art leaves the Empire's borders.

The only art that is often created with the sole purpose of entertainment in the Talven Empire is theater. Plays such as Admiral Galerius offer excitement and drama, and theater companies are often taken over by merchant guilds looking for both profit and fame. Due to its nature, the performance of Talven theater is permitted outside of the Empire's borders, with actors performing for the Draconid Imperium in particular.

Economy
The Talven Empire is a capitalist society, and has begun to trade with other Empires. The industries of mining, agriculture, technology, and spice play a major role in the Talven economy, with all but the latter under the control of Departments of Production, Agriculture, and Technology, respectively. The merchant guilds have an absolute monopoly on spice, and have chosen to trade only with individual consumers, rather than entire nations. Spice is rarely sold outside of the upper classes, due to the DoH's ban on the potentially dangerous mixtures of spice and other chemicals needed to make spice affordable to the poor.

The TOD (Token Of Debt) has been the Talven Empire's only currency since the chaotic system of favors in the Talven Fleet was resolved by its admirals during the Talven 'Exile'. Inflation is carefully controlled by the DEA, which regularly 'resets' the economy to ensure that the TOD does not become worthless.

Trade has become the Talven Empire's main route to developing trust with other Empires. Material wealth and supercomputers have become the primary exports of the Empire, while imports vary between trading partners. The Empire has substantial supplies of the former due to accumulation. Many Talva believe that the Empire should also export its growing stockpiles of andasium, especially as fusion reactors are the Empire's primary power source. However, the Imperial Council has decided instead to accumulate andasium, thus ensuring that the Talven Empire is always able to trade. Captains in the Talven Navy usually start their careers on warships protecting trade routes from pirates.

Law
Talven criminals are rare, due to their sense of duty and cooperation caused by their struggles for survival during their exile. However, corruption can lead to crime in the merchant guilds, resulting in strict laws on tax avoidance, fraud, and theft.

Agents of the DFI cannot be protected by the law, and often have to go into hiding due to a DoL investigation.

Astrology
The territory of the Talven Empire has expanded to a similar extent in all directions from Ancora. This expansion has been driven by the Empire's need to support trading worlds taken over by the Merchant guilds. Between these highly developed systems and the lightly settled outposts that surround the Empire lie the Empire's colony worlds. These are mostly significant enough for a defensive space station in orbit, and have various froms of industrial and agricultural settlements on their surfaces. All of these planets are home to at least a small military garrison.

Notable Locations
Ancora= Main article: Planet:Ancora Ancora (originally Scarat) was the first capital of the Talven Empire. In 2603, the Empire's capital moved to Iubar, and the Emperor ended the growth of Ancora's cities, preserving the planet's vast grasslands. The Palace-like cities of Ancora turned it into a center of tourism within the Empire, until it was destroyed by the Pride of Aldar in 2689. Iubar= Iubar was chosen to be the new capital of the Talven Empire, after Ancora was claimed by the Empreor. Before this, Iubar was a fortress world, often referred to as 'The Rock', due to the Talven Navy's habit of using it as a place to fight back against particularly powerful pirate fleets after having worn them down through attrition. Soon after it became the capital of the Talven Empire, the Imperial Council begun to gradually reduce the need for citizens to visit the planet while the Empire became more decentralized. Some Talvens suspect that this has something to do with the military's determination to avoid loosing yet another capital. Votum= Main article: Planet:Votum Votum has become the diplomatic heart of the Talven Empire, and is home to embassies from various industrial, interstellar, and intergalactic civilizations that have established diplomatic relations with the Empire. Votum is the only planet which allows entry to all foreigners, leading some Talva to consider it to not be within the Empire's borders. The architecture on Votum is mostly Talven, but is much more varied due to both alien architects and Talva inspired by their work.

Foreign Policy
The Talven Empire was initially suspicious of other civilizations as it established contact with the rest of the galaxy, but has become more cooperative since establishing trade routes with neighboring powers. However, the Empire is not yet prepared to commit to an alliance, preferring instead to interact with both sides of international conflicts as an outsider.

The Empire is happy to provide protection for weaker governments, as it may then slowly take control of them through diplomacy.

Continuing its history of assimilating the peoples of alien tribal and industrial societies into itself, the Talven Empire allows members of other civilizations to join its military forces. These individuals are integrated into special units in the Talven army (the Talven armada is too valuable to risk sabotage), and gain immediate respect and prestige among both soldiers and civilians. This system allows the Empire to gain soldiers more powerful and cunning than most Talva.

The only other foreigners allowed within Talven borders are dignitaries, diplomats, and merchants. Foreign dignitaries and diplomats are given diplomatic immunity and permitted the same rights and access as an average citizen. The merchant guilds ensure that foreign traders are treated like royalty, often inviting them to their magnificent palace worlds to negotiate trade deals.

Relationships
(Note: These are the official opinions of the Talven Government, not individual leaders or citizens. For example, The Imperium of War is respected by High Councilor Balbus Marinus.)

Allies
"You have earned our trust."


 * Green face.png - It is not easy to find trustworthy nations in this universe.

Friends
"Your intentions appear to be benevolent, yet are untested."


 * Green face.png - We are alike in many ways.
 * Green face.png - Through order, you forge peace. Alliance is a possibility.
 * Blue face.png - Together, we will return Xonexi to harmony.

Neutral
"We have no faith in your honor."


 * Blue face.png - Ambitious and Expansive, just like us.
 * Blue face.png - Cyrannus is the core of culture and civilization.
 * Blue face.png - Use our technology with caution.
 * CuriousRelation.png‎ - We are grateful for your understanding.
 * Yellow face.png - Trading Empires often have the greatest potential.
 * Yellow face.png - Untamed space will forge or end civilizations.
 * Yellow face.png - Idealism is a double-edged sword.
 * Yellow face.png/Orange face.png - Hmm... Cultured slavers. You are not as peaceful or graceful as you like to believe.

Hostile
"The Empire is prepared for you."


 * None

At War
"We will not fall easily."


 * Orange face.png - A technological advantage never guarantees victory.
 * Red face.png - Merely calling yourselves an empire does not make you 'civilized'.

Quotes
"Possible allies of the Hegemony, trading partners of the Persan, and deal-makers with the Imperium of War. Hah, they sure do know how to tangle themselves up!"
 * Add your own!

- Oji'b of the Waptoria Alliance of Species

Trivia

 * The Talven Empire is greatly inspired by Dwarves.