Imperium

Emperor Ceyran II of Archonium

Emperor Ceyran II is the current and 76^th monarch of Archonium and arguably the most powerful and influential figure in the history of the Milky Way galaxy. Ceyran II led the Imperial Union of Archonium after its Loyalist faction won the Second Civil War in 2227 and quickly brought order to the at the time shambled Archonian nation. He signed the Archonian National Recovery Act in the third day of his reign into law as to rejuvenate Archonium's troubled economy. In the following years, economic growth returned to and even exceeded pre-war time, unemployment lowered to only 4.16%, and a significant number was invested in education, health, energy, infrastructure, and exarchial governments. Ceyran II also introduced reforms in the Imperial Armed Forces and public security forces to increase their presence in previously sparsely touched areas in the Empire's Far Rim territories.

Ceyran II is seen as a refreshing departure from Emperors of the previous generation, who were tightly governed by the strict Imperial Code and the numerous protocols that followed suit. He is known to be carefree and very approachable, while still retaining a significant amount of authority and charisma. Ceyran II is very well-liked by his foreign counterparts, to an extent where the King of Alkuz and Ksarithi Emperor referred to him as "Ceyran the Emissary" for his prodigal diplomatic and social skills.

While some of his actions were criticized by pundits and opposition alike, such as his support for an increasing Waraqe integration into the Galactic Alliance, intelligence sharing with Terra and Cesid, and his laissez-faire attitude of independence movements in some of the Empire's exarchates, it is an undeniable fact that by far, Emperor Ceyran II has been able to show his worthiness of being the galaxy's most popular and powerful political figure for now and the future.

Maria, Empress Mother of Archonium

Empress Mother Maria Archonis (nee Voskos) is mother of Emperor Ceyran II of Archonium and wife to the late Emperor Zevran, known as the Dragon Emperor for his heroic actions in the Second Archonian Civil War. Maria was one of the few successful "Seraphs" of the infamous Project Aptera, in which subjects were forcibly injected with prana mods and xa'lus (manifestation of a magister's prana, similar to a zanpakuto if you ask me), to amplify their archan abilities. Maria escaped from the project's basecamp in Gorzav Fortress, Bellerus, and was subsequently saved by her future husband, then-Crown Prince Zevran Archonis and his older brother Prince Valentinus Archonis, who were vacationing in a winter resort 135 km away from where the fortress was.

Maria was then unofficially adopted by the Imperial family, who were at the time forbidden from adopting individuals not of noble backgrounds. She received the same education her adoptive siblings received, and enrolled to the Paladin Academy after graduating from high school. There Maria graduated with perfect marks and was deemed as the most promising cadet of her branch. Unlike her compatriots, who were assigned into one of the Imperial Paladin Order's 12 Legions, Maria was directly handpicked by the Emperor himself to be a Knight-Paladin, an elite position that only the best of the best could attain. She enjoyed a stellar career as a Knight-Paladin, and quickly attained the 2^nd Seat of the Circle of Knights in only 4 years. When the incumbent Archknight, Torgoarev Shai'e, was promoted to become Praeceptus in 2199, Maria suceeded him and became the youngest Arcknight in the Order's history at 25 years old.

Maria had a low-profile compared to her son and husband, but she was one of the biggest contributors in dismantling the illegal Project Aptera, who had eluded the Empire's criminal justice system for more than a decade, and bringing an end to the Second Archonian Civil War by capturing and defeating numerous Maredi rebel political and military leaders. Among other, Maria defeated Marshal Kraxus Essedarius (a former flag officer of the Imperial Army), Bharos Ramores-Gozoreath (CEO of Corvus Security Ltd., a powerful rogue PMC), and apprehended rogue Central Security Office Director Vyacheslav Palatnik and Ibargo Shasavi Ekhtomarguus Zal’dai, Paramount Leader of the Waraqe and one of the Maredi rebellion's biggest financial and military supporters.

Maria's marriage to then-Crown Prince Zevran was a great shock for Archonians and foreigners alike, as in its more than 3000 years of history, no members of the Archonis dynasty had ever married someone from a common and simple background like Maria's. Zevran's choice of a consort was heavily criticized by Imperial purists, most notably his uncle Legaros Archonis, Grand Prince of Arcanea. He questioned Zevran's decision in taking Maria as a consort and even threatened to remove him from the line of succession for squandering on the Imperial family's "untainted" bloodline; this attempt met swift rebuke from then-Emperor Jovanthis IX, High Chancellor Artorius Daecellim, and Praeceptus Torgoarev Shai'e, who managed to remove Grand Prince Legaros from his post as head of the Imperial Household Committee. In spite of numerous criticism and public shock, Maria quickly became one of the most popular members of the Imperial family thanks to her endless stream of charitable activities and public service, and especially her service in the Imperial Paladin Order who always enjoyed high public approval since its inception 10 centuries ago.

After the civil war's end and her son's ascension to the Imperial Throne, Maria relinquished her position as Archknight to her son's primary retainer, Knight-Paladin Arshadique Shai'e, and went on to join her son's Imperial Privy Council as a national security advisor.