The Imperial States of America (The Empire)
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The Empire. A name that strikes fear into the hearts of people living all over the world. This dictatorial regime, risen from the ashes of the United States of America oh so long ago has been responsible for many atrocities in its time. It started out merely as a power group in the senate, advocating the use of Mana energy to forward the aims of the country. With Mana power being the fashionable thing, it was a popular movement, and gained a large majority. Its leader, a charismatic senator, was eventually elected to President thanks to the sweeping reforms he was initiating throughout the country; with safe, clean Mana power running the nation, America was set to become a world leader in high standards of living.
Except, it turned out that Mana power wasn't so safe; the design of the newly-built power grid meant that instead of skimming off the ambient Mana in the area, it sucked it out of the surroundings, resulting in the wasting away of the local wildlife and farm crops. When an environmental protest marched on the White House, the loyalist army napalmed their camp into a heap of ashes.
As shocked outrage rippled throughout the country, a fact-finding team unearthed some disturbing things. Firstly, it seemed that the Mana power grid was completely nationalised. The government owned it, ran it, maintained it and could withdraw its services at any point from control boards in Washington. After Seattle was ground into the dirt by withdrawal of its power services, it was also discovered that in the process of changing the power system over to Mana energy, all other forms of electricity generation had been removed.
It also came to light that the government had been quietly investing in other uses for Mana; primarily weaponry and combat technology. They had also been forming their own top-secret fighting force behind the scenes, capable of working as a secret police. The research team discovered the hard way that the secret police had access to all forms of communication on the planet; shortly after publishing their findings, they vanished without a trace.
It didn't take long for the President to declare himself Emperor and sweep the last remains of the USA's previous democratic government under the rug. He held control of the country in the palm of his hand through his usurption of the power and computer networks, and he and his followers set themselves up as the new ruling party. Those who objected quickly vanished.
The rest of the world was up in arms, of course, but those who had problems soon learned to keep them quiet once the Empire, as it was now more commonly referred to, began to openly display exactly what its military was capable of. The nations that objected to the Empire's usage of Mana slowly and secretly began to prepare for the day when the Imperials would overstep the mark, and the world would fall into inevitable war.
Since then, the Empire has held strong. It has refrained from pushing its luck too far, staying within the boundaries of its own continent and only occasionally moving, to take over bits of Canada and Mexico. Over the centuries, promotion in the government has been of the active kind (i.e. by assassinating the person above you and taking over his job), and it has kept them too busy to focus on the world outside. The man in the street notices only a few differences from life beforehand; freedom of speech is limited, and most things - from the media to industry - are controlled by the government. The secret police do cause a few problems, but as long as you're careful you can be fairly sure that you won't end up with a nice new shiny pair of boots. Made of concrete.
Cities and Towns
Imperial City (Cap.)
Government: Dictatorship
Ruler: Emperor Jerian Tolath
Population: 5 Million (approx.)
Military: Heavy amounts of military presence, secret
police also a problem
Crime Rate: Medium (despite the efforts of the secret
police)
Major Imports: Food, machinery, pretty much everything
Major Exports: Bureaucracy, iron-fisted dictatorship,
weapons, military technology, scientific research
Formerly known as Washington DC, the huge black metropolis of Imperial City is a far cry from the beautiful place that was the seat of government for the USA. It has been rebuilt as a stunningly modern but cold and frightening place; a permanent fortress against rebellion or war.
The city is fitted with some of the most advanced defence systems currently available; full-scale weapons batteries, and a Mana-powered energy shield capable of withstanding nuclear attack. It also has permanent army and airforce garrisons. The city couldn't support itself for long if its links with the outside world were cut off, having no way to produce its own food, but it is home to some sophisticated factory and laboratory facilities (the reasoning being that they won't try anything funny if they're right under your nose).
The current Emperor, Jerian Tolath, is an apathetic fellow who lounges around in his palace all day eating canapes. Most of the work is actually done in his name by his second-in-command, the head of the Imperial Secret Police, Skarlath Vandole. Vandole is an ambitious young man with his sights set on the top, and one day his scheming may take the Empire over the brink that most Emperors before have been trying to avoid. They are content with their own territory and have no desire to take over the world, but Vandole may be the one to change that.
Other cities:
Many of the other cities from old America still exist, forming Shadowrun-like megaplexes, but they are shadows of their former selves. The action of the Empire has been to standardise the country, removing all individuality and change. The megaplexes are little more than overglorified tower-blocks now, with little to distinguish between them.