Pharoah's Empire

The Empire proper is first and foremost a slave army, the sole owner of which is Pharoah. As Pharoah conquers the peoples of the Trench, he strips them of their tribal identities and merges them into his forces. Aside from the Kuwakens who make up the commanding ranks of his army, there is no other tribe than the Empire itself. The non-tribal people who live in Empire-controlled territory are not considered soldiers. They are subjects of the Empire, living in the cities and towns under its control, and are generally left free to do whatever they wish, as long as they do not interfere with the Empire’s operations or endanger its position.

The focus of the Empire's ideology is survival and long-term stability at all costs. Pharoah disregards democracies as ineffective, fostering corruption, and disintegration. By dedicating its members to a higher ideal, he seeks to prevent Supernaturals from fracturing and succumbing to human authority again. He believes that the only way to achieve this is through enforcing an imperialist, totalitarian, culture that obliterates the identity of every group it conquers. The individual has no value beyond his utility to the state, whether as an instrument of war or production. The only exceptions to this complete cultural destruction are if they prove valuable to the state. Such as the war-like nature of the Kuwakens or the technological ingenuity of goblins. A natural consequence of this is the emphasis placed on personal sacrifice. Victory cannot be achieved without sacrificing blood and life. Politically, this philosophy is expressed in a general disdain for democracy as a weak and ineffective system that fosters disunity, greed, and self-interest at the expense of the collective and the greater good. Pharaoh cites the families that control the Upper Levels as an example, focusing on government corruption by wealthy crimelords and landowners, greed permeating every level of society, all leading to the abandonment of the collective and the greater good.   The Empire employs a very strict hierarchy and clear division of roles between the sexes. Hyksos are the main fighting force of the Empire, composed of able-bodied men enslaved by the Empire or born into it. They have only one purpose: to fight for Pharoah until they fall in battle. This principle is imprinted into each Hyksos during his reconditioning or upbringing (for those born into slavery), creating fanatically loyal soldiers. Women are expressly forbidden from fighting, being considered breeding stock as well as being treated as money to be rewarded among Hyksos. They are caretakers, healers, midwives, and breeders, fulfilling roles essential to maintaining the Hyksos' continuous campaign of expansion. Of particular note are the priestesses, who raise children taken from their parents and raise them in keeping with Pharaoh's doctrine. While some members of the Empire express condescending or misogynistic opinions of women and their non-combat roles, the sexist segregation of genders in the Empire is not based on prejudice, but the principle of minimax. Pharaoh strictly divides the duties between the sexes in order to fully utilize their potential and optimize the Empire's might. By forbidding women from engaging in combat, he increases the likelihood of their bearing children, especially necessary due to the high infant mortality resulting from the low level of medical care. Population growth is required for expansion, providing a greater number of warriors to use in military campaigns. Pharaoh himself is not particularly prejudiced against any sex, or rather, treats them both instrumentally, like pawns on a chessboard.

Worshipped as the "Living God King" by his followers, Pharoah’s ultimate goal is “unite all Supernaturals under one banner against humanity” by forcefully conquering the entirety of the Trench and merge its civil institutions and infrastructure with the military strength of his Empire, creating a new totalitarian empire.

The brutality of the Empire is a major problem for many, but it also brings benefits. The areas of the Lower Levels that it controls were once a lawless wasteland where crossing without a clash with pirates or feral monsters was a major feat. The Empire brought peace and quiet to these areas by exterminating the monsters and enslaving the pirates. However, despite this brutal subjugation and the relative peace it brought, the Empire does little to actually govern its territory in the traditional sense, possessing almost no civil institutions or permanent infrastructure, instead relying on tribute extracted from those living in their territory to continue expanding.

Pharoah established warfare policies in the Empire based on the concepts of "divide and conquer" and "total war." When the Empire enters a new territory, it defeats the region's local factions from weakest to strongest and completely dominates each faction's land and people. The people conquered in campaigns are conscripted, enslaved, or killed. Forming a fanatically loyal army of assimilated warriors.

What the Empire lacks in technological refinement it makes up for in resourcefulness. Led by goblin blacksmiths and engineers. Combat gear is built with a focus on reliability and ease of manufacture, standardized across the Empire. Weapons are typically makeshift but reliable, utilizing the Trench’s resources to create devastating weapons like the Skewer Launcher or the Grave Maker.

The Empire enforces the Cult of The Serpent of the Sun, a pseudo-Egyptian-based cult of personality focused on worshiping Pharaoh as the Son of Ra, as the state religion. It began in 2019. When Pharaoh declared himself the Son of Ra, ordered by Ra to conquer all of Earth. Despite the fact that Ra has been in exile in the Du’at since 5000 BCE and hasn’t been to Earth since.

The Empire's aim is to dominate the Trench and unite it under its banner. Tribes that weren't pressed into it are also openly hostile to the Empire, fearing that they too will become victims of its campaign of conquest, as even with guarantees of safety and independence, Pharaoh has gone against his word and assimilated tribes he previously promised he'd leave alone. This causes even ruthless organizations like the Iron Hides and the shadowy Kwaiden to oppose the Empire in addition to organizations like the Freemen. Even the isolationist Muhkala clans have staved off the Empire from conquering their keeps with their elite martial prowess and advanced technology. The Empire is also ideologically opposed to the Cult of The Trench. Many civilized groups dislike the Empire for its brutal ways but do appreciate the idea of uniting Supernaturals as a cohesive group to protect them from human persecution.

Empire territories are very profitable for traders. Traders can travel on their own without guards most of the time in Empire lands, as all bandits or monsters were either ruthlessly exterminated or chased off. Any incursions into Empire lands or against its people are invariably and mercilessly punished. Coupled with the absence of heavy taxation out in the frontier, many traders stick to Empire lands for regular trading.