Kayyan Empire
Location	Twilight
Capital Planet	Izwan
Government	Empire
Tech Level	Low Modern
Established	Ancient
Composition	Kayyans Mixed Immigrants
Planets	Izwan Chaansa Thisheeto

History
Early in Kayyan civilization, during galactic pre-history, an Empire formed under Yuzusi Kimila Algomena. Yuzusi the Unifier was of the Algomeena parish, a traditional wanderer, thinker, and learner and the first to establish the notion that wise, neutral leadership for the Kayya could only come from a member of the Algomena Parish. In his travels and in dealing with his people, he gradually saw a unifying Empire as the safest, most effective way for the Kayyan race to protect itself and fourish. Squabbles and wars betweens individual countries were wasting the resources of the planet and killing thousands. A global race to develop devastating nuclear weapons was on and Yusuzi saw nothing but the destruction of everything if the race did not come together under one banner.

It was a surprisingly easy process for Yusuzi. He had travelled extensively, becoming an important and respected, if temporary, figure in many villages and cities across Izwan. His vision of unification under a single, wise, independent ruler, his popularity, and his persuasive skills as an aurator, quickly allied a number of major countries under his banner. Through negotiation and conquest, Yusuzi's alliance would unify the enitre planet of Izwan under the Kayyan Empire and eventually drive the Kayya into an era of great peace and prosperity that allowed them to reach out into space.

Star-faring Years
 Izwan lies in the Twilight sector, between the Vrudok and the rest of the civilized galaxy. Almost as soon as the Kayyans ventured off their planet into the stars, they encountered the Vrudok and went to war. The wars with the Vrudokin Klekkens would continue sporadically from early Archaic to modern times, the Kayyan Empire being a major force in keeping the Vrudok isolated from the rest of the galaxy.
 
When the Kayyans first crawled off the face of their planet in the mid-ancient era, they would first discover and found a colony on the planet Toqkwen. Because early starflight was slow and dangerous, the colony established its independence early, struggling to survive with little help or direction from the Empire on Izwan. As technology improved and space flight became easier, the Kayyans founded colonies on the planets of Thisheeto, in the late ancient period, and Chaansa, in the early archaic period. It would not be long before war broke out with the Vrudok, focusing the resources and attention of the Kayyan Empire on that front. Toqkwen, while supporting the Empire with trade and troops, would quietly assure its long-term independence by building its own Temple, the Temple of Toqkwen, and raising up its own Emperor.
 
 The Empire would go to war with two separate Vrudokin Klekken one soon after the after. When the dust had settled in late Antiquity, the Kayyan Empire would send forces to try to depose the Toqkwen Emperor and re-establish its rule over the colony. The War of Succession would go on for several years before the exhausted forces from Izwan would finally declare that Toqkwen was free to run its own affairs. Trade and military agreements would be founded and honoured, establishing a close and lasting relationship.
 
 Modern Relationships
 Exploratory ships from the Kayyan Empire encountered scouts from the Core Commonwealth in mid-Antiquity. Given that the Kayyans sole experience with other races was the Vrudok, they were initially extremely wary. Talks and trade would soon begin between the galactic superpower and the little lizard empire. A tentative friendship would begin and trade and military agreements would be forged. Toqkwen would remain cynical of the ability of the Kayyans to influence an organization as large as the Core Commonwealth. They would quickly discover the Stroud Alliance and begin quietly making friends.
.

Government
The Kayyan Empire is presided over by an Emperor and divided into geographic Provinces. The Emperor is essentially all-powerful and defines the power structure and people that will run the Empire. Each Province contain a number of Houses, which are both the geographic area and the 'family' of Kayya that rule over it. Each House has a Lord that rules over it and determines who is a member of the House/family. Lords tend to remain Lords and any new Lord of a House is ususally an existing member of that House but ultimately, they are raised and ratified by the Emperor himself. The Emperor has the power to relocate individuals between houses, instate and dissolve Houses, or assign one individual to Lord over more than one House. While the Emperor technically has free reign in his forming of the Imperial House of Lords, his skill in Lord management is often critical to preventing himself from being deposed sooner rather than later.

The Emperor is always from the Algomena Parish, that is he is a solid black Kayya who spends his early years wandering and learning. He is essentially unquestioned in his authority, powers, and ability to drive his Empire forward. At any time, however, any other member of the Algomena Parish may step up and challenge the Emperor for his position. The making and accepting of the challenge is duty and honour-bond and is never challenged physically, militarily, or politically by any other Kayyan. It's a sacred right. The two would-be Emperors are sealed together, alone, in the Temple of Kee. The Temple is a massive, pre-hisotoric ziggurat in the jungles of Izwan, an ancient and sacred religious site, and the seat of power for the Kayyan Empire. The two remain locked in the temple until an Emperor is chosen: they may decide through combat, guile, or negotiation. One or both may emerge from the Temple but only one will be Emperor. It was Yuzusi the Unifier that originally conceived of the challenge and stand-off system in the Temple of Kee. He himself participated in several stand-offs in the temple. They invariably resulted in him outwitting his opponent and ripping them to shreds. The stand-off that finally supplanted him as Emperor resulted in him voluntarily succeeding his rule to the young, moderate Emperor Chun duArdaker Algomena. They had spent three days in the Temple just talking and Yuzusi had seen such wisdom in this new young leader that he stepped aside voluntarily.

Technology and Military
The Kayyans took to space in the mid to late Ancient Period, somewhat later than the races that formed the major Empires like the Core Commonwealth and Bjaki Federation. Already somewhat behind the empirical races, the Kayyans would also encounter the Vrudok and spend a great deal of their time at war. As a result, their technology lags the cutting edges of the major empires somewhat. Rather than developing new technologies, they tended to improve existing technologies and currently use very efficient versions of disruptor and mod cannons, grapros, and fusion bolts. They have a version of Dispersion Ram technology as well as a statically-charged, ship reinforced version of the Lady Fingers. They have very refined version of both the grav drive and skip warp. Both the Kayyan Empire and independent Toqkwen have recently acquired wormhole key technology in trading in the area of the Core Commonwealth.

While their technology is technically older than that of the major empires, it is highly refined and used by an exceptionally efficient military organization. Their individual troops and commanders are intelligent, trained, and adaptable. Their tactics are sharp and bright. From years at war with the Vrudok, their entire military organization is prepared, mobile, and functions at a very high level of readiness. The tactics have evolved as an extension of their primitive hunting instincts, often involving pack tactics. They are aggressive at taking control of the situation and taking the battle to the foe. They are wise and adaptable and will use running tactics, drawing "predators" into a chase that the Kayya will eventually win.