Slavery

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Slavery is a widespread institution in New Eden. Though it is primarily associated with the Amarr Empire and related entities, it is also a vital part of Sansha's Nation, and constitutes one of the major social and criminal problems in other parts of the cluster. Exact numbers are difficult to come by, but the Sisters of EVE estimate that up to ten percent of all people in the cluster are slaves. The majority of slaves are of Minmatar ancestry, but every race can count at least some of their kind among the enslaved.

Amarr Empire

Slavery is a major part of the Amarr Empire. It has been practiced for thousands of years, becoming an ingrained part of its society and religion. The vast majority of slaves in New Eden belong to Amarr slaveholders and the Empire is responsible for slavery in the Khanid Kingdom, Ammatar Mandate, and among the Blood Raiders. However, the Empire does not view slavery as a simple means of cheap labor, but rather a necessary burden that they must inflict on others in order to raise them up spiritually.

History

Beginning of the Reclaiming

The early Amarr Empire did not practice slavery, though the indentured servitude and serfdom of its peasantry had much in common with it. However, peasants were considered free men and had the right to leave their lands whenever they wished. In practice, this was rarely done, as even in the best cases it meant trading one lord for another.

Proper slavery did not appear until the beginning of the Reclaiming in 20078 AD. The Udorian presence on Amarr Island allowed many of the Empire's peasants the opportunity to leave for a much less restrictive society. The Emperor at the time, fearing the threat of the Udorians, declared them heretics and ordered an entire merchant fleet seized by his army. The Udorian traders, unprepared for this, were captured nearly to the man.

These traders were the first slaves of the Empire. The Emperor impressed the traders into the Empire's navy and continued the practice with other sailors captured during the early days of the Reclaiming. Once the Empire began making territorial conquests on the Udorian continents of Cas-Udor and Ves-Udor, the Udorian citizens were likewise pressed into service. However, many of the people captured by the Empire were unfit for military duty.

Rather than allow them to remain free, and possibly threaten the Empire as rebels, the Empire enslaved every Udorian they could capture alive. These slaves were given to the most powerful and loyal of the Amarr nobility, as well as various churches and religious officials. Through this, the taking and owning of slaves became codified in the Scriptures and subject to numerous laws and restrictions.

During this time the Amarr also encountered the Khanid, who lived as scattered tribes that had frequently clashed with the Udorians in the past. Though some Khanid tribes were conquered and subsequently enslaved, many willingly joined with the Amarr and were spared slavery entirely.

Conquest of Athra

By 20371 AD, the last of the Udorian states on Athra had been conquered by the Empire. The Amarr then turned on the remaining, disparate nations on their home world and began to conquer them. The last of these fell in 20544 AD, leaving the Empire in complete control of its world. The Amarr subsequently renamed the planet after themselves.

For the next several centuries, the Amarr were left without a fresh source of slaves. During this time, the slave stock subsisted mainly on breeding programs, though the Empire also began to use slavery as punishment for criminal acts. In this way, even those of Amarr ancestry began to be enslaved and had their blood mixed with the Udorians, Khanid, and other minor races that made up the slave population.

As centuries passed, the practice of freeing pious and loyal slaves came into being. Because the taking of slaves had been justified through religious means, the Amarr began to view the act as a method of religious rehabilitation. Those slaves who embraced the Amarr religion and proved themselves worthy were granted freedom by their masters, entering Amarr society as peasants.

In the beginning, this was controversial, and many freed slaves were quickly captured and re-enslaved by other slavers. The Council of Apostles, however, ruled that a slave who had been freed was a citizen of the Empire and could not be enslaved again save as punishment for some crime. Gradually, this became the accepted purpose of holding slaves; to instruct them in the Amarr religion until they or their descendants were worthy of joining the Empire as freed men.

Reclaiming the Stars

The fervor of the Reclaiming had died out by the time the Amarr rediscovered interstellar travel in 21290 AD. While millions were still enslaved, slavery was seen as on the decline in the Empire. More and more slaves were being released, and free Udorians had achieved nominal equivalency with the Amarr. With no source of fresh slaves, it seemed as if the practice would die off eventually.

This changed in 21423 AD, when the Amarr encountered the Ealur. A primitive race inhabiting Ealur VI, their existence threw the Empire into a fervor. The meaning of their existence, a human race living on an entirely different planet, set the theological and scientific communities on their edge. The Emperor silenced all debates by ordering the Ealur enslaved. With little technology of their own, the Ealur were unable to resist. Their entire population was conquered and enslaved within a few short years.

The existence of one human race on another planet spurred Amarr innovation and exploration. As they spread through the cluster, they discovered several more pockets of humanity. In general, these peoples were small in number, sometimes encompassing little more than a few scattered tribes struggling to survive. The Amarr enslaved the majority, and destroyed those they considered unworthy. Only the largest and most important were recorded in detail; most faded into obscurity of the generic slave stock. One such race was the Ni-Kunni, who were encountered a little over 1000 years ago and enslaved.

The Minmatar

As the Empire continued to expand, it eventually discovered a civilization that had reached the stars. The Minmatar had successfully colonized a handful of systems, though their technology was not as advanced as the Amarr. Soon after the discovery, the Empire invaded Pator, their home system. In a brutal first strike, the Amarr crippled the Minmatar's defenses and industrial capabilities and enslaved hundreds of millions of people. Over the coming decades, the Amarr would return again and again, taking more and more of the Minmatar and eventually conquered the majority of their systems.

During the Minmatar conquest, the Amarr used collaborators among the Minmatar to aid them. Most notable was the Nefantar tribe, which directly worked with the Amarr to conquer and enslave the other tribes, sparing their own from bondage. The Amarr preferred this to direct bloodshed, as it spared Amarr lives and resources and turned the resistant Minmatar against each other.

Though pockets of resistance remained throughout their subjugation, the Minmatar were for the most part completely enslaved by the Amarr, save for the Nefantar and other collaborators. The Ni-Kunni benefited the most from the Minmatar enslavement, as the massive influx of slaves prompted Holders to free the majority of their mostly loyal Ni-Kunni stock.

During this time, the Amarr began several projects aimed at improving their slave stock. The most notorious was the Human Endurance Program, which eventually led to the creation of the Kameiras.

In 23180 AD, the Amarr met a civilization too powerful for them to enslave: the Gallente Federation. The Federation had the economic and technological might to not only resist the Empire, but to outright threaten it. The Empire entered into an uneasy truce with the Federation, which was too caught up in its war with the Caldari State to devote serious resources to attacking the Empire.

Soon after, the Empire encountered the Jove, who appeared to be ripe for conquest.

Minmatar Rebellion

The Empire found controlling the Minmatar much more difficult than their previous conquests. Even the Udorians, who had been technological equals of the Empire, had been mostly docile slaves. The Minmatar, however, frequently rebelled and fought against their slavers. In some cases, this led to full-fledged slave uprisings, with entire planets going into open revolt. Though the Amarr brutally put down the revolts, the Minmatar remained intractable.

Things came to a head following the Empire's defeat by the Jove at the Battle of Vak'Atioth in 23216 AD. The Empire believed the Jove to be weaker than they were and severely underestimated their opponents' technological prowess. An entire fleet was destroyed, almost to the man. Those who managed to escape were punished by enslavement for their failure.

With the Amarr in temporary disarray, the Minmatar engaged in a coordinated rebellion. Aided by sympathetic elements within the Federation and Jove, the Minmatar were able to successfully drive the Empire out of their home systems. The Amarr and their collaborators fled, with the Empire establishing the Ammatar Mandate as a buffer between it and the fledgling Minmatar Republic.

The Rebellion cost the Amarr a large portion of its slave stock. Only 1/3rd of their Minmatar stock remained in bondage, meaning nearly half of the Empire's slaves had been freed by force overnight.

While the Amarr attempted to counterattack and re-enslave the Minmatar, they were never able to make serious gains on the Republic. Both the Jove and the Gallente supported Minmatar freedom, eventually prompting the Amarr to sign a cease fire with the Republic.

Cessation of Slave Taking

Suddenly finding hostile and powerful civilizations surrounding it, the Empire mostly ceased the claiming of new slaves. There were brief considerations of attacking the Caldari, but the failures of the Federation to defeat them convinced the Empire they were better as friends than enemies. While no formal prohibition on taking new slaves was issued, the lack of new sources of slaves prevented the Empire from seriously expanding its slave stock.

The formation of CONCORD in 23236 AD further hampered the Empire's ability to take slaves. The Empire signed several treaties that prevented it from taking slaves from other nations, though it was not barred from enslaving criminals and POWs. Illegal slavers continued to operate in the Empire, often with the authorities turning a blind eye. Imperial authorities eventually began to crack down on these slavers, however, under the direction of Emperor Heideran VII. This policy, along with other peace-making initiatives sponsored by the Amarr Emperor, eventually won him the Aidonis Statue.

During this time, the Empire devised the Vitoc method of slave control. This method drew criticism from across New Eden for being inhumane, though it has proven an effective method compared to older technologies like the slave collar.

Modern Day

Doriam II maintained Heideran's policy and even freed slaves as a gesture of good will to the Republic.

Insorum, a cure to all forms of Vitoxin, was discovered in YC107. However, due to the actions of the Blood Raiders, only prototypes were ever developed. Though it was used successfully on a terrorist attack on Mabnen I, and several units fell into the hands of Minmatar-loyalist capsuleers, it remained undeveloped for several years.

It was not until YC110 that Insorum was finally put into production and wide use. Produced in hidden facilities by Ishukone, the cure was delivered to the Minmatar Elders following the death of Otro Gariushi. The subsequent invasion of the Amarr Empire by the Elder Fleet saw millions of slaves treated with Insorum and subsequently freed by the Elders, though many died in the disastrous retreat following Jamyl Sarum's return.

In late YC111, Empress Jamyl I shocked the cluster by announcing the emancipation of all Minmatar slaves of lines who had been enslaved for 9 generations or greater, measured from the most recently enslaved ancestor, as well as those involved in religious or academic work. This freed hundreds of millions of slaves, causing upheaval within the Empire. While some Holders attempted to mislead authorities to retain their slaves, others outright refused the decree. These Holders, nicknamed Refusards, were eventually crushed by a fleet commanded by Aritcio Kor-Azor.

Despite Jamyl's Emancipation Decree, a large number of slaves, Minmatar and otherwise, remain enslaved in the Empire. Additionally, with the outbreak of hostilities between the Empire and Republic, there have been increased calls for a new Reclaiming and the enslavement of those peoples conquered by the 24th Imperial Crusade.

Demographics

The majority of slaves in the modern Empire remain of Minmatar ancestry. While exact numbers are difficult to come by, because of the sheer number of slaves, it is estimated that between 50% and 75% of the Empire's current slave stock are Minmatar. All of these slaves come from lines that have been enslaved for less than 9 generations.

Aside from the Minmatar, the largest population of slaves are what the Amarr term “mongrel” stock. These are slaves with extremely mixed heritages. Some may have Minmatar blood, though not in significant enough amounts to be classified as “Minmatar” by Amarr record keepers. These slaves may also have Ni-Kunni, Khanid, Udorian, Ealur, and even Amarr ancestry, as well as the blood of numerous other, smaller bloodlines.

A large portion of the remaining slaves are of nearly-pure Ealur stock. Ealur slaves are prized for their physical strength, though they are rarely given positions that require mental or problem-solving abilities. This is due to a long-held prejudice that the Ealur, thanks to thousands of years of slavery and breeding focusing on physical rather than mental attributes, are intellectually deficient.

Finally, small numbers of slaves are of other bloodlines. These slaves are mostly either criminals themselves or the descendants of criminals. The rare Caldari or Gallente slave is certainly a criminal who has been punished by enslavement. Even True Amarr Holders are subject to enslavement for certain crimes within the Empire, and these slaves are considered prized acquisitions by other Holders.

Mechanisms

Justification

The Amarr point to various passages in the Scriptures as a religious reasoning for enslaving other races. Many of the passages are from the Book of Reclaiming, which deals explicitly with the conquest and enslavement of other races. Some, however, are older and more ambiguous. These passages, such as the prophecies of Gheinok the First, Book I, and Book II tell of the fall into darkness of mankind and the anointing of the Amarr as the chosen of God.

Slavery is considered a sacred burden, both by the Amarr and those they enslave. The Amarr are expected to Reclaim the entire cluster and enslave its people, eventually teaching them the ways of God and bringing them fully into the fold. Those enslaved are expected to toil and suffer until they have purged themselves of the sins that caused their ancestors to be cast down.

Slavers

Outsiders hold many misconceptions about the taking of slaves by the Empire. Common errors include the belief that any free Amarr may take slaves, or that any True Amarr may do so, regardless of class or rank. In truth, only a small number of authorized slavers, military officers, and religious officials are given the authority to take slaves. These mostly come from the Amarr nobility, though slave takers of common background are not unheard of.

High ranking members of the clergy assume the right to take slaves directly from the Scriptures. In general, this privilege is used primarily against criminals and heretics. However, any individual may be enslaved by decree of a priest of sufficient rank. Even Holders can be forced into slavery for infractions, though this rarely occurs except in exceptional cases.

Military officers are given the power to enslave POWs during times of war and other military actions. Usually this applies only to enemy combatants, with subdued civilian populations held until authorized slavers can take charge. However, the upper echelons of the Navy's command have been known to claim populations as slaves on their own discretion. In previous eras, the Navy's exploration corps would often take a small number of slaves in order to gauge the local population and prepare the Empire's slavers for mass enslavement.

Authorized slavers are the main takers of slaves within the Empire. Typically members of Holder families, or even Holders themselves, being a slaver was traditionally a highly prestigious and sought after position in the Empire. Slavers undergo extensive training in the proper methods of gathering and indoctrinating fresh slaves. Because the task is considered sacred by the Amarr, slavers are highly monitored by members of the clergy. They are expected to refrain from unnecessary cruelty, the needless killing of slaves, or other acts that unduly harm slaves.

Since the inception of CONCORD, the position of slaver has slowly decreased in desirability. The Empire has mostly ceased making slaves of civilian populations, leaving slavers with little to do. The majority of slaves taken in the Empire are now either POWs or criminals. Though still considered a prestigious appointment, the task has little opportunities for profit. Fewer and fewer nobles have taken up the task in recent years, though the Elder Invasion and resumption of hostilities between the Empire and Republic has given slavers hope that they will soon be turned on the populations of occupied worlds.

Finally, special exception is made for the Heirs and the Emperor. Because their word is considered absolute in their domains, they can make a slave of whomever they wish. They typically only invoke these powers in exceptional circumstances, usually to punish high ranking nobles or officials who egregiously fail the Empire or commit crimes worthy of high-ranking pronouncement. Because the Court Chamberlain speaks with the word of the Emperor, he also has the authority to enslave people.

Holders

Traditionally, Holders are the sole legal permanent slave owners in the Empire. They purchase fresh slaves directly from slavers and other Holders and breed their own slaves to replenish their own stocks. Many Holders make the breeding and sale of slaves their primary form of business.

A Holder is responsible for the religious education and conversion of his slaves. The nominal ultimate goal of slavery in the Empire is to eventually convert every slave to the Amarr religion and have them become free members of society. Thus Holders are encouraged to eventually release their slaves as they prove their loyalty and piety.

While many Holders view their slaves solely as a source of free labor, a Holder who never frees his slaves and mistreats them will be viewed negatively by his fellows and the religious authorities. Contrarily, a Holder who is too liberal with his slaves and frees them too regularly will be viewed as too lenient and radical.

To this end, a Holder is expected to be strict and stern, but not overly harsh with his slaves. They are given much leeway, however, for slaves who are exceptionally pliant and those who are rebellious and resistant. Slaves who cause problems and refuse to obey are typically given the most dangerous and harsh work, such as in mines.

Methods of Control

Most slaves in the Empire are controlled simply by violence or the threat of such. Overseers constantly patrol slave populations, making sure they are doing work and not misbehaving. Slaves who are not doing as they should may be beaten, isolated, denied sufficient or high quality food and water, or punished in some other methods. However, some slave populations, such as those working on space ships or in dangerous mining colonies, or particularly troublesome and rebellious slaves, require more stringent methods.

In recent years, the most popular form of slave control has been the Vitoc method. The Vitoc method involves two steps. First, a slave is infected with a viral agent known as Vitoxin. Next, the slave is given a drug known as Vitoc. Vitoc not only staves off the multitude of physical effects of Vitoxin, it also induces mild euphoria. In this way, slaves can come to regard the Vitoc as a reward rather than a method of control.

This method was widely used by the time of the Elder War, which led to widespread chaos when Insorum, a permanent cure to Vitoxin, was deployed over slave worlds. The slaves, freed of their addiction, rebelled and joined the invaders against the Amarr.

With the advent of Insorum, older methods of control have begun to regain popularity. Slave collars are a bulky piece of equipment that fits around a slave's neck. The collars are fitted with needles filled with a variety of chemicals, some deadly, others merely incapacitating. If necessary, overseers can remotely trigger the slave collars and inflict whatever punishment is deemed appropriate.

Transcranial microcontrollers have seen limited use throughout the Empire. These small chips convince those implanted that they are experiencing a variety of situations; with slaves, this is typically to convince them they are not enslaved. For many years, the chips were not used due to cost, but following the failure of Vitoc, they came into wider use. However, they are considered controversial in the Empire, as many believe they undermine the religious reasons the Amarr keep slaves.

The slaver hound, a large canid, is often used on plantations and planetary populations. The animals, a native of Syrikos V, are typically allowed to roam free outside of fenced in areas. They are often trained to view slaves, particularly those running, as prey. Their mere presence dissuades slaves from attempting escape, as they can easily outrun a man and are intelligent enough to ambush prey.

Uses

Slaves in the Empire serve a number of diverse functions. While the most common image is of Minmatar slaves tending fields of Amarr wheat under an intense sun, menial labor is only a part of slave duties. Particularly skilled, talented, and pious slaves may receive extensive education and training and perform duties normally held by respected professionals in other nations.

Of course, the majority of slaves do fill the tasks that are considered beneath or too dangerous for others in the Empire. Slaves are the primary workforce on Amarr agricultural worlds and mining colonies. Agricultural work is strenuous, but relatively safe. Slaves spend the majority of their days tending and harvesting crops, plowing fields, and eliminating pests. Contrary to the popular image, not all of these tasks are done by hand. While certain crops do require manual harvesting, many tasks are performed by slaves utilizing machines.

Mining colonies, on the other hand, can be very dangerous and are generally staffed by either the most expendable or the least desirable slaves. Life expectancy at mining colonies can be very low, with some slaves lasting only a few weeks. On these colonies, extreme methods of control are often needed to prevent rebellions, making Vitoc and slave collars especially favored.

Large numbers of slaves work as ship crews. Amarr ships, both civilian and naval, frequently have high portions of slaves in their crews. Slave crews are considered difficult to control, because of their distances from central authorities and the danger a malcontent could pose. Because of this, slave crews see the highest Vitoc use among all populations.

Other slaves are given administrative tasks. House slaves are common throughout the Empire, working as cooks, maids, butlers, and even personal secretaries. Because these slaves have close access to their masters, they are usually selected for loyalty and being well-behaved. Some are slaves who are considered prestigious to own, such as former Holders or their families.

Slave children that show talent are often educated in Amarr schools. Slaves educated in this way can wind up in a variety of jobs. Some become civil servants, working on behalf of their masters in local government jobs. Others are educated even further and become involved in academic or religious work. Some slaves have been known to be experts in ancient, extinct languages or knowledgeable enough to invent new polymer synthesis techniques. These slaves can receive a great degree of personal freedom and movement, and maintain lifestyles that can be better than many commoners.

Finally, there are the Kameiras. These are specially bred and trained soldiers. Selected from among the healthiest and strongest infants, the Kameiras are trained from birth to be utterly loyal to the Empire. They serve as shock troops and front-line infantry in the Empire's armies and are renowned for both their ferocity and their devotion.

Societal View

The Amarr view slavery as an essential part of their society, from the lowest commoner all the way to the most powerful Holders. Some outsiders believe the Amarr take pleasure in the suffering of slaves, particularly commoners who are thought to bear their own misery only against the greater pain of those enslaved. While this may be true in isolated incidents, the majority of Amarr do not view slavery in such a way. Instead, the idea persists that slavery is a sacred duty of all Amarr.

Some Holders treat their slaves better than others, though individual Holders are typically left to their own styles to the task. A group known as liberal Holders tends to give their slaves far more leeway and eschew more extreme methods of punishment. More conservative elements in the Empire often frown on liberals as coddling slaves and thus stunting their spiritual development.

Rare is the individual Amarr who desires the end of slavery in the Empire and these are typically ostracized at best, declared heretics as the norm.

Ammatar Mandate

As a protectorate of the Amarr Empire, the Mandate has contained slaves since its inception in 23216 AD. Unlike the Empire, it was historically the Ammatar collaborators who own these slaves rather than Holders. For centuries, small populations of surviving Starkmanir were hidden amongst other slaves, protected from extinction by sympathetic Ammatar overseers.

History

The Mandate was founded by the Amarr as an attempt to place their Minmatar collaborators between the newly founded Republic and the Empire. Its intent was to serve as a buffer state and draw the rage of the Minmatar toward those the Republic considered race-traitors. To this effect, the Amarr left large numbers of slave populations behind in the Mandate and left them to the Ammatar to control.

A particular notable population of slaves were of Starkmanir descent. The Starkmanir had been thought exterminated by the Ardishapur Family following a mass rebellion on Starkman Prime, but a small number were off world at the time of the massacre. The Nefantar elders, horrified by the genocide of an entire tribe, resolved to secret away these survivors to save them from the Amarr and rebuild their numbers over time. To that end, the Nefantar leaders led the entirety of their tribe to side with the Amarr to watch over Starkmanir slaves, though few among the general Nefantar populace knew of this plan.

In the beginning, the Ammatar were little more than overseers, acting on the behalf of distant Amarr masters. All slaves under Ammatar control were technically owned by absent Holders, who had their own domains in the Empire to tend to.

As the centuries passed, the Ammatar gained more and more control over their charges. Holders in the Empire were loathe to remove slaves from the Mandate in large numbers, lest they risk making themselves more tempting targets for freedom fighters. By the time of the Yoiul Conference, the Ammatar were the de facto masters of the slaves, as many Holders had all but relinquished total control to their Ammatar overseers.

Eventually, the Ammatar became the legal owners of these slaves. While some had become wealthy enough to purchase the slaves, many slave populations were simply abandoned by their Holders, who considered the costs of owning them greater than the benefits. These Ammatar overseers, while not considered noble or Holders by the Empire, essentially assumed those roles within the Mandate.

In YC110, the remaining Starkmanir were discovered during a humanitarian mission by the Sisters of EVE on the planet of Halturzhan in the Jarizza system. The Sisters turned the information over to Eifyr and Co., who confirmed the slaves were “genetically pristine” members of the Starkmanir tribe. The Ammatar Consulate denied knowledge of the population, while the Empire's Court Chamberlain Dochuta Karsoth pledged to assist in their survival. The Minmatar Republic was slow to acknowledge it, which led to unrest in the Republic.

Secretly, Chamberlain Karsoth was enraged by the survival of the Starkmanir and ordered their termination. Before anything could be done to the slaves, however, the Elder Fleet invaded the Ammatar Mandate, specifically targeting Jarizza. Dropships deployed Minmatar troops on Halturzhan and other Mandate planets, releasing Insorum into the atmosphere and freeing slaves en masse. Shortly after, the Ammatar Consulate Governor Ana Utulf, having learned the truth about the Nefantar defection, encouraged the Ammatar people to defect to the Republic.

While many Ammatar did defect, the vast majority did not. Even so, the Mandate was left in shambles, with a large portion of its infrastructure destroyed and slave populations freed. The future of slavery in the Mandate was uncertain, as most slave populations had been legacy populations built up primarily through breeding rather than purchases from the Empire.

However, when Yonis Ardishapur was named governor of the Mandate, he began appointing True Amarr Holders to leadership positions there. These Holders transferred their households, including large numbers of slaves, to the Mandate. While those Ammatar who still owned slaves were not stripped of their property, this move by Ardishapur pushed slave holding in the Mandate to more closely resemble the Empire.

Demographics

Prior to Ardishapur's oversight of the Mandate, non-Minmatar slaves were virtually unheard of in the Mandate. Non-Minmatar who committed crimes within the Mandate and were punished by enslavement were transferred to Amarr Holders, while already enslaved non-Minmatar were not sent to Ammatar overseers.

Following the Elder War, the number of slaves in the Mandate dropped sharply. The Mandate was completely unprepared for the invasion and lacked many necessary defenses to keep slaves from being taken by the invaders. Additionally, many defecting Ammatar overseers freed their slave stocks. Few slaveholders who remained loyal to the Empire managed to retain large numbers of their slaves.

The arrival of Ardishapur Family Holders brought a new influx of slaves to the Mandate, many of them of non-Minmatar birth. This has raised the population of Ealur and “mongrel” slaves somewhat, but the vast majority of slaves in the Mandate remain of Minmatar origin.

Slave Owners

Prior to the arrival of the Ardishapur Family Holders, the vast majority of slave owners in the Mandate were not Amarr, Holders, or even nobility. Instead, they were considered free commoners of Minmatar birth. The majority were descendants of the tribal leadership who had collaborated with the Amarr and were spared enslavement. When the Minmatar rebelled, the Amarr left slave populations in the Mandate under the oversight of the Ammatar leadership.

Over time, the Ammatar became legal owners of their slaves, which conflicted with traditions in the Empire. The leadership in the Empire preferred to leave the slaves in the Mandate under their Ammatar masters, to bolster the Mandate's standing as a buffer against the Minmatar. However, while some Holders did purchase slaves from Ammatar overseers, very few actually sold slaves back to the Mandate, as technically the Ammatar held no legal right to purchase them.

Similarly, the Ammatar were not technically legally allowed to take new slaves. Captured Minmatar terrorists and other criminals were still enslaved, to which the Empire turned a blind eye.

With the arrival of Amarr Holders from the Empire as part of Yonis Ardishapur's restructuring of the Mandate, slave ownership has become more similar to the Empire. There has been some unrest in the Mandate between the new Holders and the traditional Ammatar slave owners, as many more traditional Holders resent non-Holders owning slaves. However, so far these difficulties have remained quiet, and the Ammatar have been allowed to keep their slaves.

There have been some calls for the Ammatar overseers to be made Holders officially, but this has yet to gain much traction among the Amarr leadership.

Societal Views

Because of their history as defectors from the Minmatar, views in the Mandate are far more muddy than in the Empire. For centuries, there was a lingering confusion among the Ammatar as they enslaved their own cousins and put them to work for Amarr masters who viewed the Ammatar as little better than other slaves. Many Ammatar privately held shame over this act, though few were bold enough to air these views publicly.

However, following the Elder War, many of those who were conflicted about or sympathetic towards the slaves fled the Mandate and joined with the Republic as a revived Nefantar tribe. Those left behind were primarily those who had been fully converted by the Amarr religion. With the social renewal initiated by Yonis Ardishapur, the psyche of the Ammatar has been greatly lifted, removing much of the negativity held by them. While there are still some seditious elements within Ammatar society, the majority of Ammatar have come to view slavery in much the same was as other citizens of the Empire.

Blood Raiders

The Blood Raiders belong to the Sani Sabik faith, which is a heretical offshoot from the Amarr religion. Many Sani Sabik cults include the taking of slaves amongst their scriptures, but few do so as gruesomely as the Blood Raiders. Unlike the Empire, the Blood Raiders do not take slaves as a means of prolonged religious conversion. Instead, the Blood Raiders treat their slaves as human cattle, keeping them in massive “blood farms” which they use for their many rituals.

History

The Blood Raiders have taken slaves for as long as they have existed. As the cult originated among Holders, originally the slaves were merely siphoned off from their regular stock. Deaths following bloodings were chalked up to accidents or poor health and rarely investigated, thus keeping the heretical Holders from being discovered.

When the cult was ejected from the Empire and took to piracy, the Blood Raiders began attacking Amarr settlements and capturing commoner, slave, and nobility alike. Most of those captured were not destined to live much longer, but the healthiest and most desirable captives were enslaved and forcibly bred to expand the Raiders' stocks.

Some suspect that the Blood Raiders had contact with the Gallente and Caldari before the Empire did, as stories of mysterious raids and blood-drained corpses spread in the decades before first contact. Regardless, the Blood Raiders today make raids on all settlements and ships, regardless of nationality. There's some belief that they prefer to target the Amarr under the assumption they take twisted pleasure in enslaving and blooding their pious cousins.

For some time, the Blood Raiders were known for targeting children, under the belief that children had purer blood. Coupled with their forced breeding programs, the lead to ghastly stories of newborns being blooded before they even opened their eyes. Under the recent leadership of Omir Sarikusa, however, the Blood Raiders favor clones instead of children for their blooding purposes.

Methods

Unlike the Amarr, the Blood Raiders do not contend that they are doing those enslaved any favors. Instead, they simply use their slaves as forced labor and, more gruesomely, a quick source of blood for rituals. Though the Blood Raiders prefer cloned blood, they are frequently unable to procure it. On those occasions, they simply select slaves and blood them instead.

The Blood Raiders are infamous for their blood farms. These are massive breeding facilities, where the slaves are forced to constantly produce children to replenish their stocks. The slaves are kept under horrendous conditions, typically with little sanitation, facilities, lighting, or other amenities that even the worst kept slave populations in the Empire are permitted. The healthiest and most robust slaves, as well as those from noble birth, or with particularly striking features are sent to these blood farms, under the belief that they will pass on their exceptional blood to future generations.

Those slaves who are not used for breeding or blooding are used for forced labor. The Blood Raiders have industrial and agricultural needs and slaves provide the majority of the necessary manpower. Conditions are better than in blood farms, but are typically harsher than in the Empire or Kingdom. Few slaves condemned to Blood Raider mining colonies are expected to live beyond a few months.

Any and all methods of control are used by the Blood Raiders, though Vitoc is mainly used in those populations that are not expected to be blooded. The Blood Raiders believe Vitoc taints the blood, making it unsuitable for usage in their rituals. Most often, the Blood Raiders simply employ force to get their way. Those who don't obey are tortured and slowly blooded in front of other slaves as an example.

Caldari State

Perhaps uniquely among the people of New Eden, the Caldari have no known history of slavery. While their critics often use the term “wage slave” in reference to Caldari workers, in reality, Caldari workers enjoy freedoms that set them apart from actual slaves. While conditions among the working class can be harsh, recent reforms under Tibus Heth have been aimed at easing the burdens of the workers, though the efficacy of these programs is debatable.

History

The Caldari have no record of enslaving other races or each other. While they have conquered and killed, slavery seems to be unheard of among the Caldari. There are numerous theories given as to why this is the case; the most widely accepted is that the harsh conditions on Caldari Prime made enslaving others not worth the trouble.

The arrival of the Gallente and the subsequent rise of the corporate culture of the Caldari reinforced this predilection against slavery. It wasn't until contact with the Amarr Empire that the concept of slavery was introduced to Caldari society. The Caldari considered it a curiosity, but as they were locked in a struggle with the Federation, they were unable to contemplate it deeply.

After the end of the war, the State was allowed to examine slavery more thoroughly. While the institution was discarded by the Caldari as unpractical, there are some who believe that as the State grew stronger and more stable, the Caldari allowed themselves to be influenced by their Amarr allies. A small number of sociologists hold a controversial view that the influence of the Amarr was a factor in the declining conditions of the Caldari working class that eventually led to the rise of Tibus Heth.

Societal Views

Slavery is a completely alien concept to most Caldari. Despite this, they do not consider it necessarily immoral. Rather, the Caldari view slavery through a very practical lens. While they understand slaves provide ostensibly free labor, they also realize that a slave owner needs to feed, house, and clothe his slaves. Additionally, though slaves can produce items of value, they are unable to purchase anything and thus cannot contribute to a healthy economy.

Therefore, the Caldari view slavery as a misguided notion that does more harm to an economy (and thus a proper society) than good. However, the Caldari also consider the affairs of other nations their own business, as long as it does no direct harm to the State. As a result, the Caldari find no difficulty in being allied with the Amarr Empire and Khanid Kingdom. They may believe those nations would serve as better trading partners should they abolish slavery, but they wouldn't presume to meddle with their society.

Despite this, slavery and transporting of slaves is illegal in the State. This has led to at least some tension, when the Caldari refused to allow a rescue team composed of slaves enter the State to assist in the rescue of trapped miners. Compromises were offered, but rejected, and it was not until a team supposedly composed of free men was sent by the Amarr that the situation was resolved. When it was revealed that slaves had participated in the rescue, legal issues arose.

Gallente Federation

Slavery is outlawed in the Federation and is considered one of the worst crimes that can be committed. However, human trafficking remains a problem, particularly in low security areas of the Federation, where some estimates suggest that millions of individuals are held in some form of unwilling servitude. The majority of these are forced into prostitution or employed in drug trafficking, though there have been high profile cases of wealthy Gallente being arrested for using slave labor in their homes or businesses.

History

Slavery was practiced deep in the past of Gallente Prime. Various pre-Federation nations had histories that included enslaving others. However, slavery was first outlawed during the Garoun Empire and since then, it has been outlawed in virtually all Gallente societies. When the Federation was founded in 23121 AD, the illegality of slavery was explicitly stated in the Federation's constitution.

When encountering less-developed civilizations, one of the Federation's first orders of business was to ensure that slavery was not a problem. A few times, the Federation has forcibly abolished and freed slaves, something generally viewed with positivity among Federation citizens. This “cultural imperialism” has drawn fire from the Federation's enemies, but those inside the Federation view the criticism as a small price to pay for the freedom of others.

The first time the Federation failed in this respect was their contact with the Amarr in 23180 AD. Embroiled in a costly war with the Caldari and faced with a culture as technologically advanced as themselves, the Federation was unable to force the Empire to end its practice of slavery. Instead, elements in the Federation worked discretely to provide resources to Minmatar rebels, which eventually helped lead to the success of the Minmatar Rebellion.

During the early years of contact between the Federation and Empire, several slave raids were conducted on the Federation's citizens. These raids were actually conducted by the Khanid Kingdom, which used the mutual suspicion and hostility between the two nations to cloak their actions. Additionally, Blood Raider raids on the Federations had been occurring at the fringes of the Federation for decades.

These days, the bulk of Federation citizens are unafraid of being enslaved. Numerous CONCORD-enforced treaties protect them from the threat of Imperial or Kingdom slavers. However, raids from the Blood Raiders, and lately Sansha's Nation, remain a concern, particularly in low security areas where the Federation Navy's reach is limited.

Societal Views

The Gallente widely view slavery as abhorrent. Numerous charitable organizations exist in an effort to end slavery throughout the cluster, though they are mostly limited to lobbying CONCORD in an apparently-futile effort to have laws passed abolishing it, or the Senate in an attempt to have the Federation declare a war of liberation on the Empire. A few work to raise awareness of illegal slavery within the Federation itself, which remains a problem despite the wide negative attitudes about it.

As well, there are many organizations who work to free slaves from the Empire or treat those who are infected with Vitoxin. Escaped slaves coming to the Federation can find assistance from these organizations in finding work, receiving counseling, given temporary shelter, and even getting medical attention. There are even some organizations which provide support to Minmatar freedom fighters, despite CONCORD's classification of them as terrorists.

Khanid Kingdom

As a break-away state of the Amarr Empire, the Khanid Kingdom shares many similarities with the Empire when it comes to slavery. However, there are several important differences between the two nations. Most of these differences have been brought about by the Kingdom's break from the Empire and subsequent lack of access to traditional sources of slaves.

History

When the Kingdom's broke from the Empire in 23041 AD, it took a large number of slaves along with it. However, because many of Khanid II's loyal Holders needed to quickly uproot themselves, they were unable to take all of their possessions along with them. In order to keep his underlings content, Khanid II had to placate them with slaves from his own stock, as well as those confiscated from Holders who opposed the split from the Empire.

The end result was that the slave pools in the Kingdom were reduced and scattered. As decades passed, older slaves died off and the fracturing of populations meant slave births were less than they were in the Empire. Additionally, fresh slaves were no longer being brought in from the conquered Minmatar, as the Empire had full control over that area.

Thus the Kingdom was forced to search for slaves from other areas. Shortly after the Empire established contact with the Gallente, Caldari, and Jove in 23180 AD, the Kingdom followed suit. With their source of Minmatar slaves eliminated, the Kingdom looked to these new foreigners for stock.

The Kingdom took advantage of the fact that the Gallente often did not differentiate between the Kingdom and the Empire, conducting raids into the Federation's borders. Though the Empire denied the Federation's accusations, they also were loathe to blame the Kingdom, as many within the Empire held the Kingdom to be the lesser of two evils. The Kingdom also struck at the State, though not nearly as frequently as with the Federation.

Following the formation of CONCORD and the Kingdom's signing of the various treaties, they ceased direct raids into the Federation and State. However, the Kingdom was still starved for slaves and regularly dealt with questionable slavers who acted outside the law. Finally, the Kingdom carefully watched foreign visitors and, should they break any laws, frequently enslaved the offender as a punishment, knowing there was little recourse against them.

This has left the Kingdom with a much more diverse slave stock than the Empire. Khanid II himself owns a former Gallente pop star as a personal slave, a fact he reportedly takes great pleasure in.

In some ways, the Kingdom's break from the Empire eased its slave issues when the Minmatar rebelled. The Rebellion did not touch the Kingdom and Minmatar freedom fighters had the majority of the Empire between it and the Kingdom, meaning the Kingdom was mostly unplagued by their attacks. Similarly, the Elder Invasion never reached the Kingdom's borders before it was routed in the Empire. Finally, Jamyl's Decree had no power in the Kingdom, leaving the Khanid to keep their slaves of 9th and greater generation.

Demographics

Despite their more diverse slave stock, the Kingdom's slaves are still primarily Minmatar. However, the majority is not nearly as great as it is in the Empire, though the Kingdom keeps less strict records and thus percentages are much harder to come by. Estimates generally top out around 60% of the Kingdom's slaves as Minmatar.

As with the Empire, large numbers of the Kingdom's slaves are Ealur and of mixed heritage. Comparatively, the percentages are smaller, as the Kingdom has supplemented their stocks with large numbers of Gallente, Intaki, and Mannar stock. While they still make up a small minority, the populations are large enough that they have been subject to breeding programs by the Kingdom.

Additionally, a small population of Jin-Mei slaves were taken in an infamous raid performed by Khanid slavers. Because the Jin-Mei were members of a criminal cartel, the Kingdom was able to argue they were legally allowed to enslave them as punishment for crimes against the Kingdom. Though no concrete evidence existed that the Jin-Mei had ever operated within the Kingdom, there was little impetus to free them either.

Mechanisms

Justifications

Compared to the Empire, the Khanid take a more pragmatic view of slavery. Perhaps due to Khanid II's supposed assertion that his rule held primacy over God's, the task of training slaves to become members of the Kingdom's society is not considered vital. While the religious leaders in the Kingdom still espouse the concept of slavery as a form of putative enlightenment, many consider this little more than lip service. Indeed, relatively few freed slaves are present in the Kingdom, and it is rare that a Holder frees large numbers of his slaves.

Instead, the Kingdom tends to take a relatively simplistic view that, as Amarr, they are superior to other races and thus have the God-given right to enslave them as they see fit. Outsiders see little difference between the Kingdom and the Empire in this regard, believing that the Kingdom is merely more honest about things. This has led to lingering tensions between the two Amarr nations, however, even as the two have grown closer in recent years.

Holders and Slavers

As in the Empire, Holders are the primary legal owners of slaves. However, the Kingdom is somewhat more liberal with slave ownership, openly allowing non-nobles to own slaves should they be capable of affording them. However, it is rare for non-Holders to actually own more than a small group of slaves, though capsuleers loyal to the Kingdom have become increasingly involved in the slave trade.

Slavers are still active in the Kingdom, often working alongside the Royal Khanid Navy on raids on criminal facilities to enslave captured populations. Rumors abound of Khanid slavers stealing into low security systems to take slaves and some have said the Kingdom is not above scouring the aftermath of capsuleer battles and rescuing crew only to subsequently enslave them. However, these rumors have rarely been substantiated, and in cases where they have, the Kingdom has acted swiftly to adhere to interstellar law and punish the “offenders.”

However, because life in low security space is known to be dangerous, some believe it is quite possible the Kingdom is taking advantage to continue supplementing its slave stocks.

Methods of Control

Because the Kingdom broke from the Empire prior to the invention of Vitoc, the Kingdom relies on older methods of slave control. Slave collars remain popular for particularly troublesome slaves, while threats of physical violence remain widespread. Much like the Empire, slavers are widespread among planetary populations.

The Kingdom differs majorly from the Empire in that they have used transcranial microcontrollers for years and their use is not considered controversial among Khanid Holders. While the method was mostly localized to slave populations that were fitted with the chips before the sudden price spike, recent years have seen the prices fall and more Khanid Holders adopting the practice. The Kingdom considers transcranial microcontrollers far less inhumane than other methods, as the phantom memories implanted prevent slaves from even realizing they are enslaved.

Vitoc has seen some use in the Kingdom as relations between the two Amarr nations cooled. However, following the Elder Invasion, many Khanid Holders refused to use the drug, worrying over the potential for a sudden loss of control.

Uses

Slaves in the Kingdom are utilized much the same as they are in the Empire. The Kingdom sees perhaps more of their slaves perform menial labors, if only because their lesser numbers means that fewer can be spared for more prestigious tasks. Even fewer are placed into religious work, as the Kingdom generally trusts its slaves with matters of the soul less.

Societal View

Much like in the Empire, slavery is considered a vital part of the Kingdom. However, due to the somewhat more secular attitude in the Kingdom, the idea of slaves as lost children needing to be taught the ways of God holds less traction. Instead, slaves tend to be viewed as servants and free labor first, potential future members of society second. The primacy of King Khanid and the Dark Amarr over slaves is a rarely contested fact in the Kingdom.

Minmatar Republic

None have suffered under slavery more than the Minmatar people, who possessed a flourishing empire before the Amarr arrived and conquered them in 22480 AD. For nearly 800 years, nearly every Minmatar was enslaved by the Amarr. In 23216 AD, the Minmatar rebelled and secured freedom for the majority of their people, though almost a third remain enslaved by the Amarr.

History

Early Years

The Minmatar have not always been united. Prior to the rise of the Minmatar Empire, the various tribes and clans constantly warred with each other. In many cases, these wars led to one clan or tribe suffering slavery at the hands of another. All seven of the tribes are known to have made slaves of the other at some point in their history, a fact which the Minmatar are loathe to acknowledge in the modern era.

However, by 20374 AD, slavery had come to an end on Matar. A global culture had risen, uniting the various tribes, if not harmoniously, in peace. This unity led to the foundation of the Minmatar Empire, which at its height possessed great engineering skill and had colonized three solar systems.

Enslavement

The turning point for the Minmatar came in 22480 AD, when the Amarr arrived and conquered them in an event known as the Day of Darkness. Hundreds of millions of Minmatar were taken in the initial raids, with billions more enslaved over the coming years as the Amarr continued their conquests. Within a few decades, the majority of Minmatar had been enslaved. Those who were not were mostly those tribal leaders and members of the Nefantar tribe who had collaborated with the Amarr, while only a few scattered pockets of rebels maintained their total freedom from the Amarr.

This status continued for centuries. The first cracks in the Empire's control came when the Starkmanir tribe, which was controlled almost exclusively by the Ardishapur Family, rebelled as one. They killed Arkon Ardishapur, a royal heir, and for a brief time won their freedom on Starkman Prime. Though Idonis Ardishapur committed genocide against the Starkmanir in reprisal, almost completely wiping them out, this incident was a slow burning spark that eventually ignited the Minmatar powder keg into full rebellion.

Rebellion

The rebellion was not immediate, but years later the Minmatar, with the assistance of the Gallente Federation and sympathetic elements of the Jove Empire, managed to rebel. Taking advantage of a massive Amarr defeat at the Battle of Vak'Atioth the Minmatar rose up in the Minmatar Rebellion in 23216 AD. The rebellion was swift and brutal. The Empire was forced to retreat, losing many conquered territories to the Minmatar, which formed the basis of the Minmatar Republic.

Despite the success of the rebellion, many Minmatar remained enslaved. In the early years, over half their number were kept in bondage, but those freed were not content to rest. Constant raids freed more and more Minmatar, until the Amarr were able to fortify their borders and establish the Ammatar Mandate as a buffer against further raids. In the end, two-thirds of the Minmatar were free people.

With the establishment of CONCORD, the Republic entered into an uneasy peace with the Empire. Officially, the Republic would no longer raid the Empire and attempt to free slaves, while the Empire agreed to cease taking new slaves from free Minmatar populations. In truth, neither side adhered strongly to these terms in the early days, though over time both became more comfortable with the other and the laws were followed to the letter, if not spirit.

Post-Rebellion

Many Minmatar continued to act as freedom fighters, raiding Amarr slave colonies and freeing their brethren when they could. These freedom fighters were classified as terrorists and criminals by CONCORD and were denounced by the Republic government, which drew the ire of many of its citizens, who felt betrayed by their leaders.

One notable incident was the defection of an entire wing of the Republic Navy. Termed “the Defiants”, the wing was led by captain Karishal Muritor. Over the next several years, the group worked with Minmatar capsuleer organizations to strike at the Empire and free scores of slaves. The attacks culminated in a many-month long series of engagements with the Empire's 7th Fleet in the Bleak Lands in late YC109/early YC110.

In mid-YC110, the cluster was shocked when a large population of Starkmanir slaves was discovered in the Ammatar Mandate. The Republic was slow to acknowledge the discovery, leading to unrest and the dissolution of Parliament. The Empire's de facto leader, Court Chamberlain Dochuta Karsoth, secretly planned to have them exterminated.

This did not come to pass, however, as a fleet composed of Thukker Tribe ships and naval forces constructed by the Minmatar Elders invaded the Mandate and Empire shortly after the discovery. This fleet deployed Insorum over slave populations, freeing them from Vitoc addiction, and began freeing slaves throughout the Mandate and Empire. Additionally, the Ammatar Governor, Ana Utulf, urged the defection of the Ammatar back to the Republic, which a large number of Ammatar did. While a large number of slaves were freed, the Elder Fleet was eventually routed and forced into retreat by the return of Jamyl Sarum.

Finally, in late YC111, Empress Jamyl I emancipated all Minmatar slaves in the Empire who were of 9th or greater generation, as well as those involved in academic or religious work. Millions of Minmatar were suddenly free to depart the Empire and join the Republic.

Modern Day

The return of the Nefantar and Starkmanir, as well as the arrival of many emancipated slaves, has caused much upheaval in the Republic. Both tribes struggled to integrate fully and join the Minmatar political structure. Territorial claims laid by both tribes caused tensions with those who had taken over the land in their absence.

Of particular difficulty was the fact many Starkmanir and other freed slaves had been brought up to revere the Amarr religion. Religious leaders were frequently persecuted by other Minmatar, sometimes resulting in violence and the deaths of those who followed the Amarr religion.

Notably, Abel Jarek was a former slave who had led the “Salvation Church of Blessed Servitude”, a branch of the Amarr church that dealt with slave populations. Jarek announced a Salvation Crusade to the Republic, aimed at converting Minmatar to the Amarr way. Claiming his rights to resettle in the Republic, Jarek gathered followers and entered the Republic, but was met with hostility from Republic citizens. The crusade safely reached Pator and settled in a refugee zone, where he began to preach and attempt conversions of the populace. This led to clashes with locals, who eventually stormed his compound and burned the crusade's chapel to the ground.

Eventually, the crusade managed to gain followers. The group then moved to a remote valley to establish a community for Minmatar who followed the Amarr religion. However, masked attackers assaulted the community and murdered Jarek, prompting outrage from his followers, who demanded political protection. In the months following his death, religion remained a contensious issue in the Republic.

Despite the gains made in freeing the Minmatar, terrorist groups still held sway in the Republic. One, the Bloody Hands of Matar, gained enormous popularity and conducted numerous attacks on the Empire. One notable attack, carried out at a Ministry of War station, was aimed at Empress Jamyl I and succeeded in killing Theology Council head Mervan Moritok.

Societal View

Slavery is abhorred by the Minmatar. While many charitable organizations exist to peacefully free slaves, many more freedom fighter groups exist. Among these were the Bloody Hand of Matar, the Defiants, and other groups. The Minmatar capsuleer militia, the Tribal Liberation Force, is even named after the desire to free all Minmatar from bondage.

Since the emancipation of slaves by Jamyl I, a slight shift in attitudes has occurred among the Minmatar. While the majority still hate the Amarr, some groups have converted to the Amarr religion and espouse slavery as a method of achieving widespread cultural uplifting among the Minmatar. These groups remain in the minority and have frequently clashed with their more widespread cousins.

Sansha's Nation

Even more so than the Empire, Sansha's Nation is founded on the backbone of slaves. In some sense, nearly every echelon of society in the Nation can be said to be enslaved to Sansha Kuvakei. In the Nation, slavery is practiced for the edification of the upper levels of society alone, in order to make their lives easier and free them from menial tasks.

History

Sansha's Nation began forming in YC4, shortly after the establishment of CONCORD, by a Caldari industrial mogul named Sansha Kuvakei. Kuvakei dreamed of a utopian state where the intellectual elite of society would be freed from everyday burdens. To that end, he began to experiment on combining humans with computers.

Initially, Kuvakei experimented on Minmatar slaves obtained from the Amarr Empire, which provided them with the belief that new methods of slave control were being developed. In reality, Kuvakei was turning them into an utterly loyal army of zombie-like people who obeyed his every command. Not only were these True Slaves, as he dubbed them, used for menial labors, they also were guards and soldiers, composing the entirety of the Nation's naval forces.

By YC37, the truth of Kuvakei's experiments were uncovered. The four nations of New Eden banded together and destroyed the Nation. Kuvakei was killed in the fighting, though conspiracy theorists long claimed he had set up clones of himself prior to his death. The majority of the Nation's inhabitants fled, returning to the Empires, or were killed in the fighting.

Left in ruins, the remnants of Sansha's Nation remained hidden for decades. Those True Slaves who had escaped the slaughter remained loyal to Kuvakei and followed his last commands unerringly. Organized by a small cadre of fanatics loyal to Sansha's dream, the True Slaves began the slow process of rebuilding the Nation. The fractured loyalists regrouped in the heart of Sansha's Nation in Stain, while the True Slaves conducted covert raids on outlying systems to replenish their numbers.

It wasn't until YC105 that Sansha's Nation re-emerged into the broader cluster. Some attribute this to disruption by capsuleer explorers, who stumbled upon Nation ships and outposts in Stain. Whatever the reason, the True Slaves became more aggressive and bold with their actions, assaulting space lanes, particularly in the lower areas of the Amarr Empire.

Their actions initially appeared unfocused and undirected, leaving many to conclude the True Slaves continued to act on decades-old orders. However, in May of YC112, the Nation reawakened fully. Several solar systems across New Eden were suddenly assaulted by massive Sansha's Nation forces. The initial assaults came in the systems of Niarja, Tama, Balle, and Kamela, with Nation forces pouring through unstable wormholes seemingly under control of the Nation. In these initial assaults, approximately 200,000 people were abducted before capsuleers managed to drive off the invaders.

These incursions escalated over the following weeks and months. More shockingly, an individual naming himself Master Kuvakei emerged, speaking on behalf of the Nation. While some expressed skepticism that this was Sansha Kuvakei himself, others believed that Sansha had been somehow resurrected to lead the Nation again. When capsuleer probes later returned images of the Nation controlling portions of Jove space, tensions rose across the cluster. Conversely, people across the cluster began showing support to the Nation. Disturbingly, there was little sign of resistance or fighting on planets attacked by the Nation, with evidence pointing to people peacefully allowing themselves to be rounded up.

Nation attacks continued for several months. Despite capsuleer resistance, many systems, particularly those in low-security areas, were devastated and completely depopulated by the assaults. Master Kuvakei was finally confirmed as Sansha Kuvakei himself, though the truth of his survival has been left a mystery. However, in December, the attacks changed focus. Rather than assaulting planetary populations directly, the Nation began to disrupt capsuleer activities across constellations. This change in tactics was seemingly in response to the capsuleer resistance, though some believe the earlier raids had replenished the Nation's True Slave populations sufficiently to make continued slave raids less necessary.

Slaves

True Slaves

The bulk of slaves in the Nation are known as True Slaves. These True Slaves fill a variety of functions, from custodial and other menial labors to serving as the primary navy of the Nation. These True Slaves come primarily from abducted populations, which are then fitted with Slave Implants. These implants are highly advanced cybernetic control systems that completely subvert the will of those implanted to that of Sansha Kuvakei and his loyal commanders.

True Slaves have no will of their own and are often described as “mindless” by outsiders. However, individuals can show varying degrees of personality and freedom, depending on their personal predilections toward to the Nation and task. Scouts, which approach settlements and offer surrender terms, often appear much as they did before being fitted with implants and retain a high degree of individuality. Similarly, the commanders of Sansha fleets are allowed to retain their creativity and decision-making skills, so as to more easily react to the rapidly changing conditions of a battlefield.

Most True Slaves are kept in a form of hive-mind which constantly feeds data between Sansha's central command and the individual slaves. This is referred to as a direct feed, as everything the True Slave experiences is sent back for analysis. Additionally, instructions can be broadcast to the True Slaves, which they are compelled to follow.

It is incredibly difficult to remove Slave Implants once they have been installed. After a certain time has passed, which differs from person to person, a True Slave's individuality has been broken in such a way that psychological recovery from the process is irreversible. These True Slaves desire only death, either in service of Sansha or suicidally, should they be freed from their bonds.

True Citizens

True Citizens is the term for those individuals who have joined Sansha's Nation willingly and are allowed to retain their individuality and personalities. However, many have been fitted with modified Slave Implants, which link them to the same hive mind the True Slaves are beholden to. The primary purpose of these implants is to boost the users' mental faculties and facilitate greater cooperation and understanding between citizens.

True Citizens are typically scientists, researchers, philosophers, and other intellectuals who have bought into Sansha's utopian vision. They work together to improve the Nation's technology and advance its goals. Additionally, Sansha's most trusted battlefield commanders are True Citizens. These individuals are given control over True Slaves, though always subordinately to Sansha himself.

Rarely, Sansha targets specific members of society for integration into the Nation, exerting additional control over them through the Slave Implants. Finally, if a True Citizen has disloyal thoughts or attempts to act against the Nation's interests, the implants they are fitted with can be used to bring them back into line. Often, this results in psychological damage and a loss of individuality and creativity to the potential defector. Depending on the citizen's worth to the Nation, this can end with them converted fully to a True Slave.

Slave Implants

All slaves in Sansha's Nation are controlled with Slave Implants. Far more extensive and advanced than the implants capsuleers use to augment their mental acuity, Slave Implants completely subvert the will of those implanted. They can take a variety of forms, ranging from simple neural implants for those considered easy to control, all the way to bulky and invasive “slave helmets” that suppress even the smallest contrary thoughts.

Unlike devices such as transcranial microcontrollers, Slave Implants do not eliminate the ability of the slaves to function on higher levels. True Slaves are capable of utilizing varying degrees of problem solving and creative abilities, often surprising those they are opposing. While a True Slave will never be capable of breaking a command, they are capable of acting in a variety of ways to follow those commands. More trustworthy and loyal slaves are given increasing amounts of autonomy, with some barely appearing different from how they did prior to their transformation.

Even True Citizens are fitted with a form of Slave Implant, though these are primarily designed to enhance the user's abilities rather than subvert their will. Some of these devices have fallen into the hands of capsuleers, who use them to augment their captaining abilities. As yet, these implants do not appear to link the users to Sansha's will, making it seem likely that another vital component is necessary to complete the shackles.

Elsewhere in New Eden

Slavery and the transport of slaves is outlawed in all other areas of New Eden that are part of CONCORD's mandate. The precise laws and regulations are varied from area to area.

CONCORD

CONCORD does not allow the transport or possession of slaves in territories under their sovereignty. However, CONCORD does not take any political action against slave-holding entities and considers the slavery in the Empire, Kingdom, and Mandate as historical social constructs over which it has no authority. It does enforce laws against the taking of slaves by those entities in territories not under their sovereignty, however.

Intaki Syndicate

Despite being considered a haven for piracy, the Syndicate does not allow slavery of any form within its borders. Enforcement of this directive has been spotty, though it is typically followed by visitors to the area, who usually prefer the status quo to any disruption of it.

Jove

According to the official stance of the Jove Empire, slavery is illegal within their borders. The assistance of Jove sympathizers in the Minmatar Rebellion seems to confirm that the Jove oppose slavery. However, the Jove have made no official denouncement of the practice and, as their space is closed off from normal visitors, it is uncertain what the general attitude toward slavery among the Jove is.

Mordu's Legion

Mordu's Legion frequently works with the Amarr and Kingdom, but do not allow slaves within their limited sphere. As mercenaries, Mordu's works with whomever pays the most, and at times may compromise personal morals for business.

Pirate Entities

The Guristas, Angel Cartel, and Serpentis are known to deal in slaves. These organizations consider it just another aspect of their business, with little in the way of moral or legal considerations. The Serpentis are known to employ slave labor in drug harvesting and manufacturing, whom they receive from the Cartel. There are rumors that the pirate organizations deal with unscrupulous Holders within the Empire and Kingdom, providing them with new slaves taken in secrecy.

Servant Sisters of EVE

The Sisters of EVE are strongly against slavery in all forms. It considers slavery a human rights violation and has often assisted in the legal emancipation and repatriation of slaves. The group has put pressure on the Empire and other slave-holding organizations to end the practice, though this has seen limited results. Controversially, the Sisters have assisted with medical crises within slave populations at the request of slave owners without attempting to free those same slaves.

See Also

• Military
• General technology
• Non-tech advancements
• Chronicle: Ametat and Avetat
• Chronicle: The Ammatars
• Chronicle: The Battle of Vak'Atioth
• Chronicle: Beasts of the Field
• Chronicle: The Blood Raiders
• Chronicle: A Boy and His Slaver
• Chronicle: Chained to the Sky
• Chronicle: Dam-Torsad
• Chronicle: The Day of Darkness
• Chronicle: Fait Accompli
• Chronicle: Heideran Gets the Aidonis
• Chronicle: Kameiras
• Chronicle: The Khanid Kingdom
• Chronicle: Khumaak
• Chronicle: Man of Values and Faith
• Chronicle: Merely Disassembled
• Chronicle: The Plague Years
• Chronicle: Sansha's Nation
• Chronicle: Signs of Faith
• Chronicle: Slaver
• Chronicle: Vitoc