Along the southern edge of the wastes lies the Empire of the Silver Flame. The most powerful military and economic force in western Valorium. The Empire began on the large, resource rich oasis of Eden.
The oasis is over a hundred miles across at its widest with a central region of hilly terrain known as the highlands. At the very center is a wide shallow lake surrounding a plateau. A plateau that is almost 2 miles wide with water constantly spilling down its sides to the lake below. It is so tall that most of the water flowing from it turns to mist before reaching the ground. The mists combined with the sheer height of the pillar keep its summit obscured. The Imperials call this place the Source and believe it to be the origin of all the water in Velorium.
Water flows from the lake in all directions making Eden into an extremely fertile land. Along the shore of the knee-deep lake sits Argentum, the Imperial capital.
The Emperor's word is law, and none may challenge it; however, the Emperor often relies on a senate of the great houses to handle the day to day decisions in the Empire.
When a new Emperor is crowned, he takes one infant from each Noble house. These children are hidden away from their families and raised to rule the Empire. When the children become adults, the Emperor chooses one to be his successor and kills the rest. The child never knows which family they were from. In this way, the Emperor is said to be from every house and no house.
Imperial society is heavily male dominated. Only men may join the military, own property, or hold political office. Each household is ruled by its patriarch, who has legal authority over the rest of his family. Women are expected to manage household affairs. For a wealthy wife, this could mean handling the day to day business of a massive estate with hundreds of workers, servants, and slaves.
For a woman who is not interested in family life, there are only two options available: join the priesthood of the silver flame, which ignores gender and social class, or join the Templars in their famed Silver Sisters.
Imperial society is dominated by the Church of the Silver Flame, which states that humans are the pinnacle of evolution and the rightful masters of all creation. The church lays out a number of virtues to help its followers live up to this ideal, chief among them prowess in battle, courage, keeping of oaths, obedience to your betters, benevolence to your lessers, and the enslavement or extermination of nonhumans and heretics.
The Silver Flame refers to silver core, the glowing metallic substance that allowed the Founders to cross the space between stars. The Empire considers the material to be a holy relic and proof of mankind's divine right. Only the priests of the church are allowed to handle it. With good reason as the material is deadly to the untrained.
Life in the Empire is governed by these ideals to a literal, almost hypocritical standard. For example: whenever possible Imperial nobles go without shoes to show humility, but their floors are covered with lush carpets. Or that the Empire has more slaves than citizens, yet there are more laws governing the way a noble can treat his slaves than there are his own children.
This juxtaposition finds its way into Imperial fashion as well. Imperials are expected to keep themselves in excellent physical condition and want to show off how well they follow that ideal, but they are also expected to be modest and humble. Men usually wear military uniforms of trousers with knee high boots, a thin open front undershirt, and a double-breasted coat. While off duty, it is common to wear the coat open to show off the chest.
Women wear high-necked robes that are tight around the neck and torso, with a straight ankle length skirt. The skirt is usually split to the waist with a piece of cloth covering the split so that the legs are only shown when sitting or taking large steps. These robes are usually shoulder / sleeveless, with a cape worn for modesty or warmth.
The Imperial military uses a variety of weapons and tactics and is considered the best equipped and trained force in the world. Their primary weapon is a single-shot breech loading rifle firing caseless paper cartridges. While these weapons may have lower performance vs. brass cartridge weapons, they are easy to use and supply and have a relatively high rate of fire.
The Imperials make use of heavy infantry wearing silversteel armor and shield. Silversteel is capable of stopping most bullets, but the secret of making it is jealously guarded by the Emperor and his personal craftsman. The Templars are the only other faction who can make the steel, and it is rumored the first Emperor stole the recipe from them.
Steam technology is standard throughout the Empire, and trains are the main method of travel within Imperial oases, though balloons are becoming more common. The Empire has used its military and economic might to expand its borders to include dozens of oases and is eager to use its steam transports to replace duneships when traveling between its holdings.
One oddity within the Empire is the Templars. This order of warrior monks lives in a sovereign city-state in the highlands of Eden. The Empire has no say over what happens within the walls of their fortress, and the Templars are often allowed to do as they please within Imperial territory. They follow many of the same ideals as the Empire and are considered holy men on par with the priest of the Silver Flame by the average Imperial. The Templars have technology far surpassing that of even the Empire, and it is rumored they guard the lost secrets of the Founders. The Official histories of the Empire say the first Emperor came from their ranks.