Esper Union

The Esper Union is one of the four Great Powers in the Web of Worlds, though its majesty has sharply declined since the years following the Leviathan War. It had once been known for having a mighty military machine, especially in terms of aerospace prowess, but has since declined into a bureaucratic morass.

Land

The Esper Union has expanded to include the large majority of Esper III in the Esper Dimension. This includes some large tracts of largely inhospitable and unpopulated land, such as the Northern Veldt continent. However, it has control of five continents: Solthai, Kohen, Galedo, Letia, and the Veldt. It also controls numerous islands, including Thamasa. Furthermore, during the Age of Imperialism, the Esper Union laid claim to several colonies. However, as it entered the race late, these colonies are often less hospitable.

These colonies include extensive colonies on Esper V's moons (Tritoch and Ramuh) and a colony on Esper VI's moon (Ifrit). It also has a small space station in orbit around Esper VII, called Starkeep, which mostly acts as a military base, and most infamously, a prison colony on Esper VIII's moon called Shoat. It also maintains colonies that fall under a now defunct non-aggression pact with the Ticonderans on Light IV, Light V, and Light VI, called Saber, New Hosluft, and Kordridge, respectfully. It has a colony on a Crystal V moon (Von Dorme) and another on a Crystal VI moon (Highwind). There is an orbital colony around Crystal VII called Diamond's Dust. They also have a colony on Merge VII's largest moon, called Hellmarch. The Crystal colonies continue to share administration with Toroia and Fabul, but the Merge colony is no longer shared with the Dwarven Skull Empire.

The Esper Union does extensive mining in the Esper, Crystal, Merge, and Carrion asteroid belts. It also has a large manmade asteroid installation orbiting Testament, Space Fortress Eidolon.

Finally, the Esper Union has one claim to fame: the colony of Unity. This world is the first colony that was reached with a standard star drive, instead of a Strand; there are no Strands connecting to it. The voyage involves a gravitic drive that reaches relativistic speeds. Unity is approximately four light years from Esper III.

Population

The Esper Union's entire population is close to a billion people. Massive population booms in the early 30's lead to a very large population, though this trend has curbed sharply since the mid-40's. The population is overwhelmingly human, approximately ninety percent. The other races are largely Moogles and yetis, who are largely restricted to the Narshe region. Finally, there are perhaps 300,000 dwarves who immigrated when the Dwarven Skull Empire was allied with the Esper Union. These largely live on the Merge colony of Hellmarch, with a few neighborhoods in Nikeah and Narshe.

Religion

The Esper Union is largely non-religious. Some still honor the old Light Gods, but churches to them are rare after the Great War. Much of the Esperian population remembers the war well, and the perceptions of the gods' involvement in the war. The religion is largely small, limited to a few communities and having no major organization. Rainericism, brought in largely by Tasnicans, has taken hold in many of the larger cities, and is the largest faith; however, only a fifth of the population follows it. The government generally ignores the question of religion.

The notable exception is the Cult of Kefka. This religion, while small, is regarded as unacceptable. The Cult has, in the past, tried to destabilize the country at the local level and supported the Dark Gods. The Esper Union does not tolerate the Cult of Kefka. Cultists have been attacked by military and police officers, and belonging to the Cult is punishable by strict prison sentences and, when connected to other crimes, capital punishment.

Economy

The Esper Union is largely a manufacturer. The economy is essentially ran by several state-owned corporations, which have been granted a surprising amount of independence while receiving state resources. The government has also forged similar deals with Kuat Consortium, Saeder-Krupp, and Forge Mechanicals. These corporations are often given lucrative defense contracts, have cooperative ventures forged with state corporations. This manufacturing includes state of the art research and development, fueled in part by military funds; most of the state-owned corporations function as dual civilian and military contractors. The Esper Union manufacutres mostly large, finished products, such as automobiles (Esperian Motor Works), aircraft (Aerospace Esper), and magitechnology (Fort Locke Research Group).

Despite the use of the state-owned enterprises, the Esper Union does not closely approximate a socialist model. The corporations are protected by the state, but still expected to make a profit. The state generally favors business over individuals in law-making, though public services and the public sector are still quite large compared to most market economies.

Furthermore, the Union still makes a large portion of its income through periodic land sales. Reclaiming land from the wild is common on the Veldt. This allows the Union to keep its taxes low.

Law

The Esper Union has traditionally had inconsistent laws. In the early era, under the rule of Hannibal de'Zama and Ceriz Altrega, most laws were symbolic rather than effective; they were public proclamations of policy goals and were not always followed. Laws were issued by decree by the Regent (or, more often, drafted by his staff and signed by the Regent). The real legislative bulk was to be found in bureaucratic regulations created by the agencies and bureaus responsible for the day-to-day running of the country. While the Regent could override this, it was rare that he did so.

The end of the Regency has resulted in many of the laws set by the Regents being dismissed. Unfortunately, this has made the exact rights that Esperians enjoy an unclear issue. During the days of the Regency, Esperians had the right to be governed, protected, and exist under one nation. These rights remain, but the end of the Regency and the onset of the bureaucracy has led to the de facto expansion of rights. However, there is no formal mechanism to stop small scale abuses by soldiers and officers of state. Disappearances are not uncommon, and political killings are not unheard of.

Government

The government of the Esper Union has three principle branches, with unfortunately little formal organization. Much of the decision-making is informal, by way of compromises between the three main actors: the military, the bureaucracy, and the state corporations. This allows the Esper Union to function. Unfortunately, it has also led to a great deal of malaise and an emphasis on making individuals wealthy over keeping the nation as a whole strong.

The Esperian United Soldiery

Following the end of the Regency, the military has become the strongest source of authority in the Esper Union. The military has helped retain order in society and has become a pervasive part of the culture. It is largely regarded well by the populace, who sees it as the upholders of the Union and their protectors. In practice, the military leaves much of the day-to-day governance to the bureaucracy. It supports local authorities, including police departments, but is ready to step in when the situation demands it. They are usually involved in prominent investigations and other operations done by local law enforcement, and effectively get involved at their pleasure.

The primary role that the military plays is to act as an arbiter between the bureaucracies and state corporations. It is the main customer of the corporations, and can use its power to help or hinder the bureaucracies. This role was initially created as an ad hoc measure by T.O. Halberg, and would later become an established and permanent institution of the government.

The Bureaucracy

The Esperian bureaucracy is immense. There are numerous divisions, branches, agencies, bureaus, and commissions that are responsible for overseeing various fields. Many of these are necessary everyday functions: postal service, waste management, education, health care, and the like. However, the bureaucracy has also become one of the largest employers within the Union, and beset by corruption with time. Many officers focus more on making a profit by working with businesses and accepting bribes. The result is that they often provide services at a cost, instead of as a guarantee, as they were intended to.

This is often allowed by the authorities, especially the military, and to the mutual benefit of the state corporations. Most bureaucracies tailor their policies and regulations to benefit the state corporations and local businessmen, as well as the military. The result has led to a lowered quality of life for the people, at times, in exchange for a better bottom line.

Military

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