OTU Only: Emperors of the Rule of Man

[SpaceBadger]

Since my current game is set during the latter years of the Long Night, I have been looking for references about the Rule of Man aka Second Imperium aka Ramshackle Empire that preceded the Long Night.

I gathered this list of RoM Emperors from Library Data at Gateway University Library:

Hiroshi I -2204, -2182 (1st)
Hiroshi II -2182, -2162 (2nd)
Teresa -2162, -2151 (3rd)
Yakov -2151 (-2144), -2139 (4th)
Zhiang -2139, -2137 (5th)
Michael I -2137, -2108 (6th)
Hiroshi III -2108, -2071 (7th)
Majid -2071, -2058 (8th)
Madeline -2058, -2046 (9th)
Chandra -2046, -2029 (10th)
Hideki -2029, -2018 (11th)
Elize -2018, -1997 (12th)

Vidmar -2029, -1973 (anti-emperor)​

The Gateway University Library Data entries on each of these provides much more interesting detail. The footnotes for all of these entries list the source as a TML post by Michael Bailey.

Does anyone have any canon info on any of these RoM Emperors, other than Hiroshi I and Hiroshi II? Or is Michael Bailey's TML post really the only reference?

Also, I note that the last RoM Emperor that I could find in this Library Data died in -1997, somewhat short of the -1776 beginning of Twilight or the -1526 beginning of the Long Night. Any reference on who the RoM Emperors were up to -1526?

 

[whulorigan]

Also, I note that the last RoM Emperor that I could find in this Library Data died in -1997, somewhat short of the -1776 beginning of Twilight or the -1526 beginning of the Long Night. Any reference on who the RoM Emperors were up to -1526?

Well, at least somewhere toward the end, Frances Repzinski (High Protector of Sylea, and Regent of the Rule of Man during the Long Night) must appear (or the Repzinski family perhaps). Supposedly he (she?) was the last "legitimate" claimant to the throne of the Rule of Man, with capital on Sylea. It was thru this tenuous connection that Cleon I established his claim to revive the Imperium, including all former territories possessed by both the Ziru Sirka and the RoM.

From T4 Milieu:0, p77 -

[Cleon] decided to revive the Imperium, to restore the past glories of the Rule of Man, and to lay claim to all former territories of the First and Second Empires. In the closing years of the period known as Twilight, Francis Repzinski, one of the last claimants to the throne of the Rule of Man, had established a capital on Sylea. Cleon linked the Sylean Federation’s legitimacy to the Rule of Man through this ruler, and thus also to the First Imperium.
​

 

[rancke]

I wrote this library data entry for a Milieu 0 adventure I wrote with Kurt Brown for JTAS Online (The Grant):

Francis Repzinski (-1630 to -1548): The 12th High Protector of Sylea and Regent of the Rule of Man. Francis succeeded his father, Carlos Repzinski II, as High Protector of Sylea in -1582. Eight years later, at the death of Emperor Eduardo of Hub/Ershur (Massilia 0402, now known as Kaggushus), he declared himself the new emperor of the Rule of Man and moved the capital to Sylea. He attempted to revive the Imperium by sponsoring new settlements and supporting trade ventures, but his measures proved to be mere stopgaps. He was succeeded by his eldest child, Charlene Repzinski II, who lacked his drive and allowed all his gains to be lost.​

It was based on the information in T4:Milieu 0. JTAS Online isn't canon, but I think this one is canon-compatible.

I remember writing more than one library data entry about the Repzinskis, but I can't find any of the other stuff. It must be one of the files I lost in the PC Crash of Cristmas 2010.


Hans

 

[Marchand]

I gathered this list of RoM Emperors from Library Data at Gateway University Library:

Hiroshi I -2204, -2182 (1st)
Hiroshi II -2182, -2162 (2nd)
Teresa -2162, -2151 (3rd)
Yakov -2151 (-2144), -2139 (4th)
Zhiang -2139, -2137 (5th)
Michael I -2137, -2108 (6th)
Hiroshi III -2108, -2071 (7th)
Majid -2071, -2058 (8th)
Madeline -2058, -2046 (9th)
Chandra -2046, -2029 (10th)
Hideki -2029, -2018 (11th)
Elize -2018, -1997 (12th)

Vidmar -2029, -1973 (anti-emperor)​

Looks a bit linear and orderly to me; only one anti-emperor? Acceptable perhaps as the "generally recognised legitimate succession". But it needs a few interregnums and duumvirates/triumvirates/regencies.

 

[GypsyComet]

The RoM is not portrayed as particularly disorderly at the top, but did choose to ignore the prior Vilani institutions without setting up proper replacements. It was the working levels of the RoM that were "ramshackle", not the Office of the Emperor.

Hub and Sylea are not that far apart, so having a Lord Protector come from Sylea is not a stretch.

An indication of how the RoM was being run in its last years comes from the lack of any wars to take Hub/Ershur. Either no one wanted to take claim for being the final blow, or no one wanted the place at all.

We know the Vilani at Vland, the Darmine, and the Suerrat set up (or maintained) their own pocket states through the Long Night, and we can assume that there were others nearby. The region that would become Julian space never went dark, for example.

By the time Sylea was expanding again it had competition as noted in T4 materials. In a way Cleon and the Syleans were lucky that they jumped first. The time was right for resurgence, and they weren't the only ones in a good position.

 

[SpaceBadger]

Looks a bit linear and orderly to me; only one anti-emperor? Acceptable perhaps as the "generally recognised legitimate succession". But it needs a few interregnums and duumvirates/triumvirates/regencies.

Well, if you read those Library entries, some of those changes of Emperor came about through "mysterious disappearance" of the predecessor. Taken all together, the entries form a nice mini-history of the first 200 years of the RoM, as seen through the lens of Emperors and the main events touching them. There is some discussion of the role of Governors and the changing role of the Council of Noble Officers. Pretty good stuff, especially if it all comes from this one person writing on the TML.

Keep in mind, however, these entries cover a span of only 200 years, and this was at the beginning of the RoM, before things really started to fall apart. I would expect those events you suggested more toward the end, in the Twilight period.

 

[SpaceBadger]

I wrote this library data entry for a Milieu 0 adventure I wrote with Kurt Brown for JTAS Online (The Grant):

Francis Repzinski (-1630 to -1548): The 12th High Protector of Sylea and Regent of the Rule of Man. Francis succeeded his father, Carlos Repzinski II, as High Protector of Sylea in -1582. Eight years later, at the death of Emperor Eduardo of Hub/Ershur (Massilia 0402, now known as Kaggushus), he declared himself the new emperor of the Rule of Man and moved the capital to Sylea. He attempted to revive the Imperium by sponsoring new settlements and supporting trade ventures, but his measures proved to be mere stopgaps. He was succeeded by his eldest child, Charlene Repzinski II, who lacked his drive and allowed all his gains to be lost.​

Nice! So that gives us the last three Emperors of the RoM, assuming that Charlene's reign lasted the 22 years until -1526.

As Marchand noted, the approx. 400 year gap between Elize and Eduardo, especially on the Twilight end, probably featured some unconventional arrangements such as triumvirates and so forth, as the conventional handoffs to designated successors succumbed to games of "who controls the fleets/troops/council/etc."

 

[Marchand]

The RoM is not portrayed as particularly disorderly at the top, but did choose to ignore the prior Vilani institutions without setting up proper replacements. It was the working levels of the RoM that were "ramshackle", not the Office of the Emperor.

Not sure which portrayals you're referring to. My own main sources are the CT Library Data and "Rule of Man" article in SJG JTAS (July 2000, available in Best of JTAS). I don't see where you're getting it that the Imperial succession is orderly. I think it's far more likely that things would be, well, the total opposite.

I really like that JTAS article - makes me want to play a RoM campaign right now. Pity it's so short.

Keep in mind, however, these entries cover a span of only 200 years, and this was at the beginning of the RoM, before things really started to fall apart. I would expect those events you suggested more toward the end, in the Twilight period.

Fair points. I haven't been able to follow up the link as it seems to be broken, for me anyway...

 

[GypsyComet]

If the CT library data is the same as in MT's Imperial Encyclopedia, it does not suggest unrest at the highest level, only in the working levels.

I'm not a fan of the paywall subscription model (though SJGs has hardly been the worst of them), and have not been privy to the SJG JTAS article list in years. If there is a piece of actual Canon hiding in there I may rejoin, but this sounds like someone channeling old Papal politics.

 

[SpaceBadger]

Fair points. I haven't been able to follow up the link as it seems to be broken, for me anyway...

Not sure why that would be. Works for me. Anyway, if you just go to the Traveller Downport (http://downport.com/) and click Affiliate 17: Gateway University, that should get you there.