From the Great Heart to the Shattered Ring
2023 / 04 / 04
Embers of the Imperium offers the most detailed exploration of the Twilight Imperium galaxy ever seen.
For over 25 years, players have fought over, explored, and traveled through the galaxy of Twilight Imperium. In that time, the setting has grown into a rich and detailed universe with dozens of alien species, hundreds of worlds, and a history that stretches back for millennia.
Now, fans of this universe have a chance to explore that universe like never before. Embers of the Imperium is the deepest and most detailed look at the Twilight Imperium galaxy that has ever been published. So whether you’ve been wondering about the founding of the Hacan’s many emirates, wanting to know more about the Yssaril’s rebellion against the Lazax, or just looking for a tour of the Kal-Gydr binary system (the home of the Naaz-Rokha Alliance), Embers of the Imperium has everything you need, spread across more than 100 richly illustrated pages.
The Factions of Twilight Imperium
Anyone whose played Twilight Imperium (or any of the spinoff board games that have been released over the years) knows that the heart of the setting is its factions. These are the “great civilizations” or “galactic powers” that rule huge swathes of the galaxy and are constantly fighting among themselves to be the next galactic overlords.
Three thousand years ago, some of the most powerful factions banded together to overthrow their previous rulers, the Lazax. After decades of vicious war, the Lazax were wiped out* and their Empire shattered. That kicked off even more wars, and by the end of it, every major faction in the galaxy had been just about knocked back to their homeworlds.
Fast-forward a few millennia, and the Great Civilizations have finally begun to reestablish themselves. However, it turns out even three thousand years of dark ages weren’t enough to cool their imperial ambitions. While most of them attempt to play nice as members of the Galactic Council, many of them are scheming to build the next galactic empire of their own.
Embers of the Imperium covers each of the major factions in turn: detailing their origins, evolution, and current goals. Most are the Great Civilizations that the galactic citizenry deal with throughout their lives, and include standouts like the Emirates of Hacan, Barony of Letnev, Universities of Jol-Nar, and Federation of Sol.
However, a few of the Great Civilizations are too strange or too isolated** to be a part of the everyday life of the galaxy. Some of these still are members of the Galactic Council, even if the rest of the Council finds them a bit…unnerving.*** But others are too dangerous to make even untrustworthy allies, and are collectively labeled “The Great Threats.” These get their owndetailed dossiers as to their motivations, military forces, and how each plans to bring their own brand of doom to the rest of the galaxy. For GMs, this information is perfect for creating new and exciting campaigns.
Worlds Uncounted
Ever since the Hall of Cartography was destroyedin the final days of the Lazax Empire, many worlds have become lost to the wider galaxy. Now, as the various Galactic Civilizations are expanding outwards again, many of those worlds are being rediscovered.
From the great homeworlds of the major galactic factions to the border planets, settlements, tributary worlds, and former colonies that surround them, Embers of the Imperium tells the story of scores of these worlds. And, of course, we spend several pages talking about the greatest of all worlds: the scarred, burned, but still immensely valuable throneworld of the galaxy, Mecatol Rex. If you’ve ever wondered what is actually on the world you spend a whole board game fighting over, now is your chance to find out!
…And Much More!
Of course, we don’t just talk about politics and planets. The book includes detailed information on fifteen major species to use when constructing player characters (and a lot more as NPCs), the history of the galaxy for the last few dozen millennia, and plenty of information about what daily life is like for all the locals.
So if you’re wondering what a Gashlai looks like under their Ember Suit****, what everyone uses for money, or why Jordian***** citizens get so annoyed when others tell them their clocks are slow, Embers of the Imperium has the answers!
* Well…mostly wiped out. But it’s not like the survivors would ever augment themselves with machinery to become horrible deathless cyborgs obsessed with revenge, then show up thousands of years later, right?
** Or too homicidal.
*** The fungal gestalt Arborec, for example, tend to reanimate the dead bodies of other species and use them as meat-puppets to conduct negotiations.
**** Hint; it’s similar to starting a bonfire with starship propellant.
***** Jord has gone by many names over the centuries, but you probably know it as “Earth.”
