Procyon Expanse

The Procyon Expanse is a Constitutional Aristocracy. It is led by the Procyon Council under the authority of the Lord Protector and the Church of Procyon. The Procyon Expanse is the second most powerful nation in the Etherium, coming after the Terran Empire. It is also the fourth most populous and second most technologically advanced. It was founded by Lord Protector Soren I. The Expanse currently consists of six races; the Procyons, Shandorans (also known as Western Procyons), Siriusians, Fomalhautians, Mantavors, and Tuskrus.

Ancient History
Procyon History begins with the natural development of the two Procyon races on Laar and its moon, Shandor. The people of Laar were initially known as Acalans as they originated from the continent Acalas. The people of Shandor were known simply as Shandors, after the moon they inhabited. Eventually, a great famine struck Shandor and the Shandors decided to leave Shandor for the planet they saw from their moon. They completely abandoned their moon and landed on a western continent of Laar, which they named Shandoran. After many years, the Shandors took on the name of their newly inhabited continent as the name of their race. Eventually, Acalan explorers and Shandoran explorers discovered each other’s races. Many conflicts befell the two races.

Founding of the Procyon Expanse
Around 15 years before the Procyon Expanse was founded, A race known as the Atlans came to the Procyon system and conquered it. They enslaved both races and oppressed them. The Shandoran Duke of Setvar, Soren Setvar, raised a unified army of both races, led by major leaders of both races. He brought an end to the conflicts and demanded that if the Procyons and Shandorans unified against their Atlan oppressors. He cited the fact that since the two races shared the same religion and similar ideologies, in order to promote a sense of unity and equality for the two races. Setvar successfully led the peoples of the Procyon system against the Atlans, forcing the Atlans to flee. He then united the two main churches of both races to form the Church of Procyon. The newly combined church selected the Procyon priest, Aethan, as Archbishop of the Church.

The many Dukes of the Procyons and the Shandorans went to Aethan, to create a nation that unified the 2 peoples. They decided that the Church should pick a king, but Aethan said that the ruler should be of both races, alternating. So, they created the non-hereditary position of Lord Protector. Setvar, due to leading the two races to vanquish the Atlans, was unanimously chosen by the Church leaders to be Lord Protector. Thus, the Procyon Expanse was founded.

Procyon and Sirius
Shortly after the foundation of the Expanse, the Procyons discovered the Siriusians. At first, they planned to conquer the Siriusians, but when they discovered that Siriusians would not fight, they were intrigued by the Siriusians’ pacifism. The Siriusians had a similar religion to the Church of Procyon, created a lasting peace on their world, and eliminated most of poverty in their due to their ability to trade and the great generosity of their people. It was then decided to turn Sirius into a tributary state. With the Siriusians becoming more intertwined with the Expanse, arts and sciences rapidly advanced and the economy flourished.

Procyon and Fomalhaut
37 years after the foundation of the Procyon Expanse, the Expanse discovered the Kingdom of Fomalhaut. The two nations went to war, hoping to conquer each other. However, their equally advanced technologies and numbers led to a stalemate. Peace between the two occurred, due to both sides' inability to conquer the other.

Roughly 14 after this war, the Fomalhautians found themselves in an economic crisis. Seeing an opportunity to bring Fomalhaut under Procyon influence, Lord Protector Navarin I proposed to turn Fomalhaut into a protectorate of the Expanse. This would mean that the Fomalhautians would owe their loyalty to the Procyon Expanse in exchange for much needed economic aid. During the ‘protectorate years’ the Procyons learned more about their former foes, to discover that they had a similar culture in both the militaristic and religious sense.

Conquest of Mantas
As the Procyons expanded their domains, they came across the Mantavor Clans. Unlike the Siriusians or the Fomalhautians, the Mantavors were barbaric. After a Mantavor Clan killed a Procyon missionary, Lord Protector Navarin I rallied the support of the Procyon and Fomalhautian nobles to declare war against the Mantavor Clans. Victory against the Mantavors was swift. With this, Mantas became the first world that the Procyon Expanse annexed.

Unification
Impressed by the Fomalhautians ability to fight during the Mantavor War, the Procyon Expanse discussed the idea of unifying the protectorate Kingdom of Fomalhaut under the Procyon banner. The idea was met with much enthusiasm from Fomalhaut. Before long, not only Fomalhaut, but Sirius as well, signed the Act of Coalition to join the Procyon Expanse. This act benefited both parties as it would bring more rights to Sirius and Fomalhaut, as well as bringing new ideas to Procyon. This act also founded the Procyon Council.

Age of Conquest
With the Expanse doubling its power with the Act of Coalition, the newly established Procyon Council saw the need to expand even further. They headed primarily north and west. In the north, they found and conquered the Tuskrus. The Procyon Expanse ruled over these races with idea of lifting these races culturally.

First Terran-Procyon War
In 75 BTP the Procyon Expanse made first contact with the Terran Empire. A month later, Terran colonists headed north into what they thought was unoccupied territory. Lord Rygan, a senior officer of Duke Variag’s fleet, saw these colonists as invaders. Rygan led an ambush against the colonist fleet at Garn Archipelago. This battle began a series of conflicts that would last almost a century. Shortly after the battle, Rygan saw political opportunity to use an invasion of the Terran Empire as a way to turn the Procyon Expanse into a truly unified nation. During the war, the role of Brood Consul was created. Although initially successful, after three years, the war turned into a stalemate. Rygan under the authority of the Lord Protector, signed the treaty of Gisane.

The Enlightement
Shortly after the war, the Procyon Expanse discovered other nations such as the Kindgom of Heindelle, the Royal Duchy of Priia, the Calatian Confederation, the Gentuin Empire, the Marnian States, the Royal Duchy of Trippery, and the Flaxxan Empire. In Heindelle, an international meeting between the nations of Procyon, Terra, Priia, Gentu, Marnia, Heindelle, and Trippery was held. This meeting came to be known as the Congress of Heindelle. This setup the framework of what is now referred to as ‘the Western Etherium’.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this meeting was the international recognition of a common religion that seemed to originate separately in most races of the Western Etherium. It was the decided that this religion should be known internationally as Orthodoxy.

Second Terran-Procyon War
25 years after the Treaty of Gisane, with politics in the Expanse becoming turbulent, King Alexander III of the Terran Empire decided to take advantage of the tensions and decided to invade the Procyon Expanse. With the Procyon nobility being incompetent towards the Procyon Council, the Procyon defensive crumbled under the Retribution Fleet within weeks. It was not long before Alexander III reached Laar.

Meanwhile, the Shandoran Duke of Hadsor used the favor he had found under the new Lord Protector, Navarin II, to rally what remained of the Procyon fleets. His strategy was to initially withdraw from Laar, as if they were retreating to regroup. Alexander saw this as an opportunity to land on Laar. Just as Alexander was about to begin his landing, Hadsor returned to surround the Retribution Fleet. Alexander was quickly forced to withdraw his force to safety. He attempted to break past the Procyon force at Shandor. Alexander fell at Shandor and his Retribution fleet was destroyed.

The Duke of Hadsor then had the Procyon Council create an organized Procyon military, thus, the Stellar Navy, Stellar Marines, and Procyon Army was born. With this organized fighting force, what remained of Alexander’s conquest under Admiral Frollo, quickly came under Procyon control. Catherine IV, Alexander’s sister and successor negotiated a peace between the Empire and the Expanse.

While the Expanse rebuilt its southern border, the Procyon Council discovered that the Calatian Confederation had aided the Terran Empire. Infuriated, they ordered an invasion of Calatia. Calatia, with its lesser technology and numbers, fell within weeks of the Procyon invasion. Fomalhaut and Sirius benefited heavily at the end of the war. The Procyons, impressed by the Fomalhautians fighting alongside them and the Siriusians funding them during this dark time, raised the status of those races to almost total equality, with the remaining inequality being that the Lord Protector could only be of the two Procyon races.

Third Terran-Procyon War
It wasn’t long before war between the Terran Empire and the Procyon Expanse fired up again. This time, the conflict was based on ownership of the Breath of Ratec Etherium current, a current which winds through both nations. During this war, the Procyon military saw the introduction of new uniforms and technology, as well as the idea of raising rights for the Mantavors. Eventually, this conflict would be met with stalemate and exhaustion of both nations. Eventually with the deaths of Catherine IV and Navarin II, the succession of Ilysa II and Galmund III, peace occurred. At the very of this war, the first Ironclads were made, but they were kept a secret with war being brought to a close.

Deceit and Treachery
With the conclusion of the Third Terran-Procyon War in 1 BTP, the First Consul (Brood Consul as the Terrans call the position), Dacca became more and more powerful. Sensing tyranny, the Procyon Council quickly began drafting bills to limit his power. Dacca, afraid of losing the potential of power, began thinking of ways to preserve his power. By 5 ATP, one of his spies ended up receiving the draft treaty proposed by the Terrans. Dacca promptly responded without notifying or receiving the approval of the Procyon Council. He conceived a plot to use Ironclads to draw the Royal Navy out to the northern frontier, then would use a pseudo-diplomatic fleet, led by Admiral Evar, to capture Ilysa II. The plot would’ve forced the Procyon people to back him after he defeated the Expanse’s historical enemy, but the plot failed. Enraged, the Procyon Council motioned to try Dacca for high treason. Dacca was promptly hanged, but his followers scattered and disappeared.

These events did not save the Expanse from the burden of the Treaty of Corona. The treaty focused on reparations and providing the Terran Empire with medium lancers. Seeing a possible depression caused by the reparations, the Siriusian Merchant Coalition spent almost half of its wealth to repay the Terran Empire. This move is widely seen to have saved the Expanse form economic collapse.

The Storm
In 6 ATP, with the Expanse in a weakened state, the Calatians declared independence. At first, the Expanse tried to contain it, but soon they realized they could not handle two wars of independence. The Expanse quickly pulled out, saving 85% of its equipment before it could fall to Calatian hands. To make matters worse, the Procyon military experienced a mass desertion of 1/5 of its military.

As of Now
By 8 ATP, the Procyon Expanse will have ended the deserter crisis, restoring its military to full power and restoring stability to the Expanse. The Expanse, although losing the Calatians, will find itself becoming more powerful and rich than it had been before. To lift spirits even higher, talks have begun with the Terran Empire to discuss the possibility of a Terran-Procyon alliance. The Procyons have also begun colonizing the western and northern frontiers. With the dawning of this new age of Procyon power, the Expanse must begin to look for ways to solidify its new power, but can it endure the future conflict that will change the Etherium, forever…

Government
The Procyon government is headed by the Procyon Council. The Procyon Council is made up of two houses; the House Majoris and the House Minoris. The House Majoris serves as the representation of the Procyon nobility equally. Members of the House Majoris are nobles and are appointed by the Archdukes. The House Minoris serves as the representation of the Gentry based on population. Members are elected by people who have meet the required amount of wealth or land, which limits voters to the middle class. The Procyon Council serves as a parliamentary legislation and elect the First Consul, who serves as the political leader of the Procyon Expanse. The two main political parties of the Procyon Expanse are the classical liberal Gent party and the traditionalist Noble party.

The Procyon head of state is the Lord Protector (or Lady Protector if female). The Lord Protector is appointed by the Church of Procyon and can only be from the two Procyon races. The race of the Lord Protector, alternates (if the Lord Protector is a Shandoran, the next one will be a Procyon). The Lord Protector serves as the national figurehead of the Procyon Expanse.

Races

 * Procyons
 * Shandorans (Western Procyons)
 * Siriusians
 * Fomalhautians
 * Mantavors
 * Tuskrus

Economy
The Procyon Expanse is an economic power of the Etherium and has adopted capitalism as its economic ideology since the First Terran-Procyon War. Trade is very important to the Procyon Expanse, Sirius especially, as it serves as Procyon’s economic center. The Procyon Expanse exports and imports a variety of products across the Etherium. Companies such as the Siriusian Merchant Coalition and Zakarian Tobacco Trading Company are recognized and respected across the Etherium. The Procyon Expanse has also become more industrial in recent times, coming close to possibly match the Terran Empire’s level of production.

Military
Officially organized during the Second Terran-Procyon War, the Procyon Expanse ranks second due to its technology and its unmatched logistics capabilities. Technologically, they rank the highest out of all the known nations. The Procyons are the leaders in many technologies, such as plasma cannons, Fomalhautian rockets, cloaking devices, and dark matter reactors. The Procyon military focuses on technology, strategy, active training, and logistics. The Procyon military is also among the most experienced militaries, having served in many conflicts. In total, the Procyon military is a very powerful fighting force, filled with well trained and experienced servicemen, and equipped with among of the best equipment in the known Etherium.

Stellar Navy
The Stellar Navy serves as the main branch of the Procyon military. It recognized as the second most powerful navy after the Royal Navy. It is well equipped, well trained, and well supplied. Ranks in the Stellar Navy are based on experience. Unlike the Terrans, the Procyons use midshipman as its way of getting new officers. Procyon ship design uses a trimaran design placing the main weapons on the bow of the ship. While most solar powered warships are made of wood, Frigates and Ships of the Line are made of stronger reinforced wood. The Stellar Navy also uses Ironclads, which are unmatched in armor, but limited by their dark matter fuel. Ironclads are currently only used as defense ships, due to their fuel limitations. Procyon Ships are the second fastest ships in the Etherium, after the Priians. The Stellar Navy is organized into various Squadrons, Flotillas, Fleets, and Convoys. The favored ship of the Stellar Navy is the Frigate, which serves as the center of attention in Procyon shipyards. The Stellar Navy is also known to train with live ammunition. As of right now, the Stellar Navy’s main task is to hunt pirates and protect the Expanse from outside threats.

Stellar Marines
The Stellar Marines function as a part of the Stellar Navy, serving as infantry to protect ships from boarders, as well as board ships themselves. It is quite possible that the Stellar Marines are the best of the marine branches in the Etherium. This is demonstrated through the fact that Stellar Navy ships are considered the most difficult ships to board along with the fact that Stellar Marines have been known to capture ships against superior numbers. The Stellar Marines also serve as colonial guards. Many colonial militias have been organized and trained to be part of this proud force.

Procyon Army
The Procyon Army is composed of three main branches; infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The infantry is made up of Standard Infantry, Rifles, Grenadiers, and Guards. The cavalry is made up of Light and Heavy Cavalry, Lancers, and Dragoons. The Artillery is made up of Cannons, Mortars, Rockets, Miners, and Engineers. Having one of the larger populations, the Procyon Army has good access to getting replacement troops. Despite this, the army still extensively trains and well equips its troops. Army ranks are based on a combination of birthing and experience. The Army relies on the Navy for transportation. In totality, the Procyon Army, although not as prestigious as the Stellar Navy, is respected as a great fighting force across the Etherium.

Religion
The majority religion of the Procyon Expanse is the monotheistic religion, Orthodoxy, which is also the majority religion of the western Etherium. The main Orthodox church in the Expanse, is the Church of Procyon, which is of Stellar Orthodoxy. Procyon Stellar Orthodoxy focuses of the teachings of its Saviour figure, Ratec. Ratec’s was a Procyon, but his followers included both Procyons and Shandorans. Orthodoxy centers on repenting of one’s sins, loving all people as brothers and sisters (regardless of race), mercy, forgiveness, and redemption. Procyons see Ratec as the Son of God, which is recognized by other Orthodox nations, as described during the Congress of Heindelle. Unlike the Etherial Orthodox Church and the Church of Terra, however, the Church of Procyon does not endorse praying to Saints. Other forms of Orthodox are tolerated within the Expanse. Paganism and atheism are not tolerated due to the perception that they seek to destroy Orthodoxy.

Foreign Relations
The Procyon Expanse has relations to most nations in the Etherium.

Terran Empire: Formerly hostile, currently talks of economic and military alliance.

Kingdom of Priia: Competitors

Gentuin Empire: Competitors

Flaxxan Empire: Hostile, distrusful of Flaxxan religion, hates the fact that Flaxxas funds piracy and supports slavery

Kingdom of Heindelle: Allied and main trading partner

Marnian States: Neutral

Royal Duchy of Trippery: Neutral

Calatian Confederation: Formerly hostile, currently passive aggressive

Alioth Republic: Neutral, trading partner

Terran Republic: Passive aggressive, does not see as legitimate