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===The Reformation=== | ===The Reformation=== | ||
{{further|1115 Reformation of Caphiria]] | <nowiki>{{further|1115 Reformation of Caphiria]]</nowiki> | ||
This marks the start of the Reformation Era in 1115, which is divided into two unequal parts, beginning with the reunification of the state into the Imperium, a hybrid political system that solved the crisis of the civil war. This new government retained Republic era bodies such as the Senate, but separated it into two distinct representative bodies, the Curiate Assembly and the Consular Congress. Conversely, the powers of the Imperator were increased even more from the Principate, but Pius, now Imperator Legarus, introduced the first version of the Constitution of Caphiria. This document was intended to be the solution to every problem past, present, and future. In it, he outlined what he felt were the three most critical ideas of the state: delineating the national frame of government, establishing the social contract between the citizen and state, and protecting its people. There had always been some form of this throughout Caphiria's history, but it was an uncodified set of guidelines and principles passed down mainly through precedent; it wasn't formal or even official, largely unwritten and changing at the discretion of whoever had control. The constitution sought to eliminate the constant power struggles as every constitutional proclamation is inviolable. Neither the Senate, nor the people, nor the military, nor the Imperator can break them. The combination of these political reforms ushered in Caphiria's Golden Age. | This marks the start of the Reformation Era in 1115, which is divided into two unequal parts, beginning with the reunification of the state into the Imperium, a hybrid political system that solved the crisis of the civil war. This new government retained Republic era bodies such as the Senate, but separated it into two distinct representative bodies, the Curiate Assembly and the Consular Congress. Conversely, the powers of the Imperator were increased even more from the Principate, but Pius, now Imperator Legarus, introduced the first version of the Constitution of Caphiria. This document was intended to be the solution to every problem past, present, and future. In it, he outlined what he felt were the three most critical ideas of the state: delineating the national frame of government, establishing the social contract between the citizen and state, and protecting its people. There had always been some form of this throughout Caphiria's history, but it was an uncodified set of guidelines and principles passed down mainly through precedent; it wasn't formal or even official, largely unwritten and changing at the discretion of whoever had control. The constitution sought to eliminate the constant power struggles as every constitutional proclamation is inviolable. Neither the Senate, nor the people, nor the military, nor the Imperator can break them. The combination of these political reforms ushered in Caphiria's Golden Age. | ||
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==Infrastructure== | ==Infrastructure== | ||
The | The Imperium benefits from rapid infrastructural development that has not been marked by periods of decay or destruction. Roads built in the 8th century are still used today while protocols that have served for centuries continue to council policy-makers facing modern problems. The Senate is deeply involved in most large scale construction projects, providing commodities such as transportation and sewer access by directly paying large construction guilds (''curatores'') for their development. | ||
Federal expenditure is largely allocated toward developing infrastructure that supports Caphirian citizens. Structures with which the Senate and Imperator are involved include viae (roads), aquae (aqueducts), cloacae (sewers), vehiculae (public transport), teleloquum (communications), and basilicae (public buildings). Caphirian highways are known for providing thousands of years of use with little maintenance. The empire's communication network is supported by 1,289 satellites and hundreds of thousands of miles of fiber optic cables. | Federal expenditure is largely allocated toward developing infrastructure that supports Caphirian citizens. Structures with which the Senate and Imperator are involved include ''viae'' (roads), ''aquae'' (aqueducts), ''cloacae'' (sewers), ''vehiculae'' (public transport), ''teleloquum'' (communications), and ''basilicae'' (public buildings). Caphirian highways are known for providing thousands of years of use with little maintenance. The empire's communication network is supported by 1,289 satellites and hundreds of thousands of miles of fiber optic cables. | ||
===Technology=== | ===Technology=== | ||
Caphiria has been a leader in technological innovation throughout its history, particularly since the late 18th century and scientific research since the mid-20th century. Technology and science in Caphiria has a long history, producing many important figures and developments in the field. The Great War had a profound impact on the development of science and technology in Caphiria, leading to one of the most spectacular – and controversial – accomplishments of Caphirian technology: the harnessing of nuclear energy. The concepts that led to the splitting of the atom were developed by the scientists of many countries, but the conversion of these ideas into the reality of nuclear fission was accomplished in Caphiria and used to end the war. | Caphiria has been a leader in technological innovation throughout its history, particularly since the late 18th century and scientific research since the mid-20th century. Technology and science in Caphiria has a long history, producing many important figures and developments in the field. The [[Great War]] had a profound impact on the development of science and technology in Caphiria, leading to one of the most spectacular – and controversial – accomplishments of Caphirian technology: the harnessing of nuclear energy. The concepts that led to the splitting of the atom were developed by the scientists of many countries, but the conversion of these ideas into the reality of nuclear fission was accomplished in Caphiria and used to end the war. | ||
Today, science and technology are seen as vital for achieving Caphiria's economic and political goals, and are held as a source of national pride to a degree sometimes described as "techno-nationalism". Caphiria has made great strides in nanotechnology, allowing them to accomplish incredible feats in medical, military, and material technologies. The Imperium's most powerful supercomputer, named Gabriel, is hidden deep within the Castrum Rynalia complex in the Lacio Mountains. Completed in 2020, Gabriel was designated the first self-aware inorganic machine only 4 years later. After being programmed to follow Latin vocabulary and syntax, as well as being given rudimentary mathematics tasks, Gabriel became the hardware for the simulation of intelligence - the culmination of decades of progress in learning algorithms and knowledge representation. The success of these projects was verified by a battery of intelligence tests for reasoning and conversation skills. The "brain" of Gabriel is an array of quantum processors with 1,375 TB of RAM spread across millions of units for short-term memory. The primary hardware is stored in an 7.9 million cubic centimeter container but the intelligence itself is sustained by the interconnection of 19,000 billion programs running together, each simulating one neuron. Gabriel's purpose is to push the limits of artificial intelligence and advise Caphiria's military high command in strategic calculations in the same capacity as human military advisers. | Today, science and technology are seen as vital for achieving Caphiria's economic and political goals, and are held as a source of national pride to a degree sometimes described as "techno-nationalism". Caphiria has made great strides in nanotechnology, allowing them to accomplish incredible feats in medical, military, and material technologies. The Imperium's most powerful supercomputer, named [[Gabriel (supercomputer)|Gabriel]], is hidden deep within the [[Castrum Rynalia]] complex in the [[Lacio Mountains]]. Completed in 2020, Gabriel was designated the first self-aware inorganic machine only 4 years later. After being programmed to follow Latin vocabulary and syntax, as well as being given rudimentary mathematics tasks, Gabriel became the hardware for the simulation of intelligence - the culmination of decades of progress in learning algorithms and knowledge representation. The success of these projects was verified by a battery of intelligence tests for reasoning and conversation skills. The "brain" of Gabriel is an array of quantum processors with 1,375 TB of RAM spread across millions of units for short-term memory. The primary hardware is stored in an 7.9 million cubic centimeter container but the intelligence itself is sustained by the interconnection of 19,000 billion programs running together, each simulating one neuron. Gabriel's purpose is to push the limits of artificial intelligence and advise Caphiria's military high command in strategic calculations in the same capacity as human military advisers. | ||
For the past 80 years, Caphiria has been integral in fundamental advances in telecommunications and technology; it developed the first practical light emitted diode (LED), the transistor, the C programming language, and the Unix computer operating system. | For the past 80 years, Caphiria has been integral in fundamental advances in telecommunications and technology; it developed the first practical light emitted diode (LED), the transistor, the C programming language, and the Unix computer operating system. | ||
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===Internet=== | ===Internet=== | ||
The development of the Internet in Caphiria happened in parallel across the world and while Caphiria does not claim to have developed it first, it does claim to have possessed the first fully-connected country. Early computers were limited to direct channels for communication, where data flowed continuously between connected computers, primarily for military application. In the late 1940's, a supercomputer in the Petramori Region in Xalen and a small terminal in Venceia were linked over existing telecommunication networks by exchanging data in packets. This connection became permanent was critical in coordinating the development of the first nuclear bomb. This was eventually supplemented by a similar inter-networking of hundreds of magisterial and military computers across the Caphiric world. | The development of the Internet in Caphiria happened in parallel across the world and while Caphiria does not claim to have developed it first, it does claim to have possessed the first fully-connected country. Early computers were limited to direct channels for communication, where data flowed continuously between connected computers, primarily for military application. In the late 1940's, a supercomputer in the Petramori Region in [[Xalen]] and a small terminal in Venceia were linked over existing telecommunication networks by exchanging data in packets. This connection became permanent was critical in coordinating the development of the first nuclear bomb. This was eventually supplemented by a similar inter-networking of hundreds of magisterial and military computers across the Caphiric world. | ||
Engineers operating this early network of networks offered the protocols for linking computer networks to academic institutes such as the Imperial Academy of Science and the University | Engineers operating this early network of networks offered the protocols for linking computer networks to academic institutes such as the [[Imperial Academy of Science]] and the [[University of Caphiria]]. From there, academics started connecting their private computers. In 1959, the University administration instituted universal protocols for all networks of academic computer networks. Access to this single network of networks was offered to students attending all connected universities and academies. Once this inter-network had reached tens of millions of users, some senators caught on to the idea and started along the path to globalizing this system. Ultimately, the result was the [[Cratis Network]], popularly called the Cratis, a global network of networks using the same data relay protocol for communication. During the development of the Cratis, the research and knowledge was shared among colleagues across the world and protocols became standardized and the Internet evolved into a global resource. | ||
Today, the Cratis is indistinguishable from the rest of the global Internet aside from a few layers of Imperial interference, though this does not extend into content restrictions or censorship. Accessing the modern Cratis requires registry onto a computer using one's ID code at an online route of access. Anonymity is impossible on the Cratis since every action is done under an ID code registered to the system and easily verifiable by crativigiles (online police). The first thing that will greet most people accessing the Cratis is a simple page with an input bar accepting text and hypertext linking to specific domains. Any specific domain is represented online by a name in Latin. For example, the most impressive domain is the state run Apotheca, a vast repository of knowledge covering billions of subjects. This can be accessed by simply writing "Apotheca" into the input or search bar, or - since this particular domain is deemed important - by activating its hyperlink on the front page of the Cratis. Specific pages within a domain have their own names in a form such as "Apotheca|Latin", which would be the entry in that database on "Latin". Most domains are less simple than the Apotheca but every page is similarly representable by a combination of Latin letters, numerals and other symbols. | Today, the Cratis is indistinguishable from the rest of the global Internet aside from a few layers of Imperial interference, though this does not extend into content restrictions or censorship. Accessing the modern Cratis requires registry onto a computer using one's ID code at an online route of access. Anonymity is impossible on the Cratis since every action is done under an ID code registered to the system and easily verifiable by crativigiles (online police). The first thing that will greet most people accessing the Cratis is a simple page with an input bar accepting text and hypertext linking to specific domains. Any specific domain is represented online by a name in Latin. For example, the most impressive domain is the state run Apotheca, a vast repository of knowledge covering billions of subjects. This can be accessed by simply writing "Apotheca" into the input or search bar, or - since this particular domain is deemed important - by activating its hyperlink on the front page of the Cratis. Specific pages within a domain have their own names in a form such as "Apotheca|Latin", which would be the entry in that database on "Latin". Most domains are less simple than the Apotheca but every page is similarly representable by a combination of Latin letters, numerals and other symbols. | ||
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===Transportation=== | ===Transportation=== | ||
Cars (Autokinetici), or autoki, are class-oriented possessions, with specific designs common to certain strata of society. Most lower class Plebeians do not own a personal vehicle, using the empire's extensive public transit system. On the opposite end of the spectrum, patricians may own multiple luxury vehicles powered by autonomy . Cars are powered almost exclusively by onboard batteries that last days. Since vehicles larger than a bicycle are not allowed in city limits from 7 am to 9 pm, the state has always had a way to store cars while their owners visit a city. Recently, the government built massive storage towers a few kilometers from major cities to replace the public parking lots that were used in centuries past that themselves replaced massive public stables. These parking towers are reachable by public transit from nearby cities and can usually hold between 10,000 to a million cars at 10,000 per tower. The towers are very efficient in regards to space, extending several hundred meters underground (or above-ground) and using lifts to arrange the cars in racks. | Cars (''Autokinetici''), or autoki, are class-oriented possessions, with specific designs common to certain strata of society. Most lower class Plebeians do not own a personal vehicle, using the empire's extensive public transit system. On the opposite end of the spectrum, patricians may own multiple luxury vehicles powered by autonomy . Cars are powered almost exclusively by onboard batteries that last days. Since vehicles larger than a bicycle are not allowed in city limits from 7 am to 9 pm, the state has always had a way to store cars while their owners visit a city. Recently, the government built massive storage towers a few kilometers from major cities to replace the public parking lots that were used in centuries past that themselves replaced massive public stables. These parking towers are reachable by public transit from nearby cities and can usually hold between 10,000 to a million cars at 10,000 per tower. The towers are very efficient in regards to space, extending several hundred meters underground (or above-ground) and using lifts to arrange the cars in racks. | ||
Metropolitan areas with over 250,000 people have underground rail lines stretching beneath city streets. In many cases, tracks cross in a mesh network of 1 km sided squares, a station at each vertex. Between most cities short distance bullet trains run underneath or alongside the highways. For longer distances high-speed maglev trains transport passengers several times a day in time periods that are impossible by other methods of travel. Several examples of these are the Metro Express Rail (MER) and Caphiria Express Lionized Electric Rail (CELER), that travel at 1,000 (621 mph) and 5,000 (3,107 mph) km/h respectively. Furthermore, every province has at least one major airport to satisfy long-distance and intercontinental travel. | Metropolitan areas with over 250,000 people have underground rail lines stretching beneath city streets. In many cases, tracks cross in a mesh network of 1 km sided squares, a station at each vertex. Between most cities short distance bullet trains run underneath or alongside the highways. For longer distances high-speed maglev trains transport passengers several times a day in time periods that are impossible by other methods of travel. Several examples of these are the [[Metro Express Rail]] (MER) and [[Caphiria Express Lionized Electric Rail]] (CELER), that travel at 1,000 (621 mph) and 5,000 (3,107 mph) km/h respectively. Furthermore, every province has at least one major airport to satisfy long-distance and intercontinental travel. | ||
Costs for public transport are extremely low in the Caphiria. Any Caphirian citizen can buy a monthly transit pass for themselves, a programmable chip that can be located in an object of their choice, at the cost of ₳100 for the year. This provides unlimited travel on underground and light rails in cities and buses in towns and villages. High-speed train tickets cost between ₳2 and ₳15. Ships are rarely used for transit except as part of a short-distance ferry service. These are usually very low cost (10-25 As) and require upfront payment in order to use. However, thousands of Caphirians cruise ships travel the world offering high price vacations for the leisure of wealthy and average citizens. | Costs for public transport are extremely low in the Caphiria. Any Caphirian citizen can buy a monthly transit pass for themselves, a programmable chip that can be located in an object of their choice, at the cost of ₳100 for the year. This provides unlimited travel on underground and light rails in cities and buses in towns and villages. High-speed train tickets cost between ₳2 and ₳15. Ships are rarely used for transit except as part of a short-distance ferry service. These are usually very low cost (10-25 As) and require upfront payment in order to use. However, thousands of Caphirians cruise ships travel the world offering high price vacations for the leisure of wealthy and average citizens. | ||
The Imperial Roadway Network (IRN) is the national network of highways and roads linking the entire Imperium together. The network itself is comprised of two sub-networks: the Provincial Highway System (PHS) and the Inter-Pago Roadway (IPR). The PHS is the central network of controlled-access highways that stretch across provinces and connect major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities. The IPR on the other hand consists of paved roads, asphalt and concrete streets collectively called viae that run through rural and urban areas which provide access between an arterial and a major port, airport, public transportation facility, or other intermodal transportation facility. Viae link together major cities and townships and feed into the larger PHS system. The IRN also has a "Network of Strategic Transportation (NoST)" that the Imperium deems vital to its strategic defense policy and which provide defense access, continuity, and emergency capabilities for defense purposes, as well as provide access between major military installations and routes. | The [[Imperial Roadway Network]] (IRN) is the national network of highways and roads linking the entire Imperium together. The network itself is comprised of two sub-networks: the [[Provincial Highway System]] (PHS) and the [[Inter-Pago Roadway]] (IPR). The PHS is the central network of controlled-access highways that stretch across provinces and connect major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities. The IPR on the other hand consists of paved roads, asphalt and concrete streets collectively called viae that run through rural and urban areas which provide access between an arterial and a major port, airport, public transportation facility, or other intermodal transportation facility. Viae link together major cities and townships and feed into the larger PHS system. The IRN also has a "Network of Strategic Transportation (NoST)" that the Imperium deems vital to its strategic defense policy and which provide defense access, continuity, and emergency capabilities for defense purposes, as well as provide access between major military installations and routes. | ||
The entire system, over the centuries, has an estimated cumulative construction cost over $700 billion and has needed minimal maintenance making it one of the largest construction projects in human history before the mega-projects of modern Caphiria. | The entire system, over the centuries, has an estimated cumulative construction cost over $700 billion and has needed minimal maintenance making it one of the largest construction projects in human history before the mega-projects of modern Caphiria. | ||