Hyadum

The **Autonomous Republic of Hyadum** or as it is often shortened down to **Hyadum**, is a highly developed federated system state located in the Hyadum Threshold system. With a population of over 40 billion and a high GDP, it's a major player in its local region in terms of political and economic power.

## History

### Settlement

The Hyadum Threshold was first observed, noted and scanned in 2120. At that time, FTL drives were still prohibitively expensive and only in use by vessels built and used by the United Nations. In 2140 the FTL drive was commercialized and became affordable enough for private vessels to be equipped with them. This began what is commonly referred to as the Age of Expansion. In 2148 a bunkin billionaire named Henry Alister financed the building of a colonizing ship which was later christened as the *Innocence*. He then assembled a group of 3,000 Earthlings and a huge stockpile of materials, food and seeds that would be needed to colonize a planet. In the summer of that year, the *Innocence* cast off from Earth and arrived at Hyadum Threshold. They made landfall on Hyadum III, and the Colony of Hyadum was declared.

### Early Years

For the first few years of its life, Hyadum functioned as most other colonies at the time did; almost exclusively agrarian. Small scale manufacturing was undertaken, but only for producing things the colonists needed such as weapons and tools. However, by 2150 Hyadum had blossomed into a very successful colony, as large harvests enabled the populace to begin investing their time into producing commercial goods for intersystem trade. Alister began to attract more investors and colonists with tales of prosperity and freedom on Hyadum and the population began to expand exponentially with the colony reaching 500,000 inhabitants by 2160. The colonial council was no longer large enough to govern effectively, and thus the Republic of Hyadum was formally formed. The original settlement on Hyadum III was renamed Hyadum City, and the Hyadum Parliament was built and assembled. The Hyadum Constitution was drafted in 2162 and signed into effect that year. The first elections were held and the Parliament went about building a system of law, commerce and infrastructure. Henry Alister won the election to prime minister and assembled the first Republican Council. Hyadum had achieved true system state status.

### Golden Age

In 2164, Alister sent scouts to the other planetary body, Hyadum I, looking for signs of life or anything valuable. They found a mostly lifeless world with little flora or fauna, but a healthy amount of metals and valuable elements like silicon and lithium. A detailed scan of the surrounding moons revealed a huge amount of raw materials, with one of the moons containing a huge bounty of what at the time was a new fuel source known as erichus. Immediately, miners were sent to begin the extraction of these materials and Hyadum I was formally colonized and incorporated into the republic. Huge factories were built on Hyadum III utilizing the raw materials found on Hyadum I, and a market economy was established with consumer and luxury goods made quickly and cheaply. In 2164 Hyadum finalized its first contracts to start exporting its goods to other star systems including Sol, making it one of the first colonized planets to do so. The 2160s would see many Earth residents begin to flee in the midst of the Great Recession and later World War III. Millions came to Hyadum, and by the year 2180 the population had boomed to over 5 million. By now several other cities had been founded on Hyadum, and the government was reorganized based on the newly established prefecture system. Over the next 25 years, the population would continue to grow and prosper, with Hyadum's wealth and power growing stronger. As Earth had practically ceased all contact with system states and colonies due to the global turmoil, many systems that had relied on trade with Earth fell on hard economic times. Hyadum was largely unaffected by this, and this led to a rise in immigration and trade with other systems.

### Protectorate Crisis

In 2205, the Terrene Protectorate was founded by the remaining nations of Earth as well as the other colonies in the Sol System. The Protectorate then began a process of bringing in the formerly isolated colonies and system states back within direct control. As many of these colonies had relied on trade with the Sol System, many systems were eager to join and did so when requested. Many others refused for various reasons. The Protectorate’s response to these refusals varied. Blockades and embargos by newly admitted states served to strangle the life out of several system states and eventually they capitulated and joined. Some, were ultimately admitted by force most notably during the infamous Subjugation of Beid. When Prime Minister Alister and the Republican Council received the demand, they were less than receptive. Hyadum had after all gone through the destruction of the United Nations and loss of contact virtually unscathed, and the government didn't see why the republic needed an overlord. The Protectorate, on the other hand, was very adamant about Hyadum's admission. The Protectorate, while undoubtedly holding great power, was still in the process of recovering from World War III. Hyadum's wealth would be invaluable to the rebuilding of Earth's economy, and the Protectorate wouldn’t simply take Haydum’s defiance lying down. At the time, the Terrene government was still reeling from the political and PR disaster of Beid, and so were very hesitant to attempt a hostile takeover. At first, the Protectorate attempted to use Hyadum’s constitution against them. They implanted several political agitators who then began expressing outspoken support for the TP. This was met with some, but limited success. Terrene supporters in the end still represented a political minority. By 2210, the TP gave up on the gentle approach. By now, over a hundred system states had come under their umbrella. A trade embargo against Haydum was enacted, and the TP hoped this would be enough to bring them to the table. But Hyadum still refused to give in. They lost trillions in business and the economy saw a sharp decline, but the state had the means to hold out. But it was at this time that Alister and the rest of the government realized that joining the Protectorate would be necessary if they were to remain the economic power they were. Where the government refused to concede was their right to self-determination. And so they came back to the TP with the proposal of Hyadum being an autonomous member. At first, the Protectorate flat out rejected this. But many other major systems like Hyadum were still in negotiation with the TP regarding their joining. Any sort of violent action at this point would sour any further talks with these systems. In an effort to cut its losses and accept a lesser prize, in 2213 the Repbulic of Hyadum was officially made the Autonomous Republic of Hyadum and was formally admitted to the Terrene Protectorate. This set something of a precedent, and several more major system states agreed to enter the Protectorate under similar arrangements

### Early Protectorate Years

As it turned out, joining the TP was a very profitable decision for Hyadum. The initial opposition slowly dissipated as Hyadum not only resumed commerce with past trade partners, but was able to forge hundreds of new contracts and agreements with previously unknown worlds that were now a part of the Protectorate. Hyadum made goods were in higher demand than ever before, and with new factories being built at a rapid rate another wave of immigration began. Hyadum became powerful in the Terrene Senate, capable of making several politcial deals that were favorable for it. An unprecedented level of growth led to many not only accepting the TP, but coming to identify with it on a nationalistic level. In 2052, Henry Alister died. His successors would continue his policies almost completely unchanged even to this day. By 2300, Hyadum had grown to several billion inhabitants and its cities became some of the largest in the known universe.

### First Contact

In 2301, explorers sent by the Terrene Protecorate discovered the first sentient species known to Earthlings, the Avian. This news shook the entire TP to its core. The meetings were relatively cordial, and soon relations between the TP and the Theocracy of Kluex were established. Hyadum was quick to act on this development and immediately sent ambassadors to open communication and possibly trade with the newly discovered nation. These talks ended well, and supply lines were soon established. In 2310, the Avian Civil War led to tens of thousands of Avian refugees feeling to Hyadum. This was the founding of the first community of non-Earth native species in the republic, and that community continues to exist to this day. At the conclusion of the Avian conflict, emigration of Avians became legal in the Theocracy, and many more Avians arrived to join family members and or start a new life. The Hyadumese populace at large welcomed the addition of a new sentient species to call fellow citizen. Within only a few years, Hyadum would see its first non-Earthling elected officials.

### Age of Discovery

The discovery of the Avian led to a renewed interest in exploration, as the people the Protectorate realized that they in fact were not alone in the universe. Beginning in 2305, expeditions were dispatched to all corners of the universe. The results of this were rapid. By 2309, the Protectorate had come into contact with the Hylotl while surveying water worlds. Numerous Hyoltl City States and Domains would reach out to establish contact with the Protectorate. In 2313, gas miners landed on the scarcely explored Titan, one of Saturn’s moons to prospect. In doing so, they inadvertently encountered the Saturnians. In 2316, explorers discovered of the Glitch Kingdoms. Throughout this age of discovery, more and more races and nations were discovered. Hyadum took an active role in establishing contact with all of these peoples and new waves of immigration and enrichment came with the newly established trade agreements.

### The Apex

In 2325, the Terrene Protectorate came into contact with the Simian Collective. Comprised of the Apex, the SC was an expansive nation to the east of the Protectorate on a map. The ruling party and government of the SC, the Miniknog, were extremely wary of their previously unknown, large and more importantly expansive neighbor. The SC themselves were in the process of colonizing new worlds and seeking new resources. Neither them nor the Protectorate much cared for the idea of not being the only superpower in the galaxy, and little in terms of cooperation was achieved. At first, both sides stayed out of one another’s business. However, as time went on more and more Apex managed to smuggle themselves into Protectorate space with stories and evidence of the oppressive nature of life in the Collective. The Protectorate government initially tried to withhold this information, believing it could be valuable for gaining support for future conflict with the SC. It wasn’t long though before it was leaked to the public, and a massive public outcry against the Miniknog followed. The Terrene government, for all its talk of freedom and equality, was not at all free from racism. Many of them saw the internal issues of the “monkeys” to be none of their concern. The Grand Protector at the time, Klara Keneseva herself hoped that internal strife would weaken the Collective and make them easier to negotiate with or outright conquer in the future. She soon would have her hand forced.

### *The* *Harmony* Incident

*The* *Harmony* was a vessel bought by a wealthy group of missionaries wishing to spread their religion to the various small communities of non-Earthlings found across the universe. They had seen success, and now wished to spread their message to the Apex. They arrived in Apex space in 2333, and landed on a small Apex colony to begin spreading their message. At first they went unchallenged, as it was a small and isolated colony and the locals were not yet being directly monitored by the Miniknog. It wasn’t long though before word got to the local political officers however and the missionaries were forced to return to their ship and leave, telling them never to return. The missionaries did as instructed, but as they flew away from the planet, the ship turned around seemingly back towards the planet and started to fly back into orbit. The Protectorate government would later claim that the vessel hailed the planet and requested to return to retrieve valuable supplies they had left. The Collective claims that no such message was received. Regardless, it was shortly after *The* *Harmony’s* change in course that the Miniknog officer in charge gave the ground-to-space artillery battery the order to fire. *The* *Harmony*, not being a military vessel, was torn apart by the swift volley. One of the shells struck the ship’s reactor, and the vessel was vaporized. None of the 150 souls aboard survived. The majority of the Terrene public was enraged by the Collective's actions, and immediately popular support grew for going to war. Grand Protector Klara Keneseva and her cabinet were in the midst of an election year, and the question of going to war became the biggest talking point. Keneseva, while not an outright "hawk" so to speak, was certainly not against the idea of going to war in the Collective as she believed that the TP was more than capable of a swift victory. So in autumn of that year, she put it to a vote in the Terrene senate to go to war. Hyadum ultimately voted in favor of war, believing it could represent a valuable financial opportunity on top of there being great public support on Hyadum for the war. In the end, the vote passed and on November 1st, 2333, the Terrene Protectorate declared war on the Simian Collective.

### Terrene-Simian War

This would mark the Hyadum Defence Force's first deployment in an actual war. Before the war, Hyadum had maintained a standing army of 12,000,000 and 63 ships. Within a month of the war starting, that number would rise to 40,000,000 as millions poured into their local recruitment offices. Hyadum's fleet linked up with Protectorate forces in January of 2334 to take part in the Rastaban Offensive. There, they would become involved in the infamous Battle of Rastaban III, which claimed over a million Hyadumese lives. It was after this battle that others in the Protectorate came to see the Hyadumese as particularly courageous warriors, inspired by many events such as the actions of the 1088th Infantry Regiment that had a casualty rate of 97% during the battle. Afterwards, Hyadum soldiers and ships would be attached to several other Protectorate forces and would see action in Helgavisa, Castor, Eta and Kraz. They continued to have success, but had a consistently high casualty rate. Within the first year of the war, two and half million Hyadumese were killed, wounded or missing. The HDF would spend the next 7 years fighting up and down the front line.

As time wore on, it became clear to the Hyadumese public that this was not the war the propagandists had spoken of. The Collective's seemingly suicidal determination and technology meant that the Protectorate paid for every inch they took in blood. Rhetoric espousing the ideals of freeing the Apex from their oppressors managed to convince many to stay the path for a time, but by 2340 popular support began to wane across the TP in general. Public support for the war began to become increasingly slim as the years continued on. By 2342, only an estimated 10% of Hyadumese thought the war should continue. By now, the Protectorate had managed to capture a little over two dozen systems, with the Collective capturing some as well but mostly being on the defensive throughout the war. The straw that broke the camel's back for the Hyadumese populace was in 2343 following the loss of an entire HDF army during the disastrous Syrma Campaign. The campaign was to serve as a rapid blitzkrieg through the Collective's lines and open a path for their core planets. Almost every member of the Protectorate had troops in the force gathered for the offensive, and of the 110 million assembled, only around 40 million would return alive. The Terrene Senate demanded Grand Protector Keneseva sue for peace or they would all seek separate peace's with the Collective. Keneseva, not willing to sacrifice the Protectorate itself, sent ambassadors to negotiate. The Collective had also been thoroughly bled, more so than the Protectorate, and was on the brink of turmoil with food riots breaking out on several systems. In the end, the Treaty of Luthis was signed by all parties on July 18th, 2344, ending the war. Hyadum had suffered over 30 million killed and almost as many wounded.

### Post-War Years

One of the agreements made in the treaty was commercial rights for all members of the Protectorate. Following the war, Hyadum established trade routes with various planets in the Simian Collective. Hyadum's economy got a sharp boost from this, which was instrumental in Hyadum paying off its war debt. Hyadum goods became increasingly desirable in the Simian Collective, with electronics being particularly popular. Another agreement was the opening of borders to any Apex who wished to leave. Many Hyadumese soldiers had met and formed relationships both platonic and intimate with Apex while deployed, and so many Apex immigrated to start new lives alongside friends and lovers. Hybrid offspring were produced between compatible species, and this new population integrated with the Hyadumese people. This diaspora continues to exist on Hyadum to this day, with some 8 billion Apex living in the system. Hyadum saw a sharp increase in unemployment at first, but over time this was alleviated by several public work's projects involved in building accommodations for the influx of new citizens. These mitigated the unemployment issue while the pre-war economy got back on its feet. By 2350, Hyadum had paid off its war debt and had begun to function as a limited creditor for smaller system states still in the process of recovering.

### Second Golden Age

Hyadum's status as one of the major system states would ultimately mean that it would not only recover from the war, but prosper in the years following. The next century would be marked by almost constant growth across the board in all areas of Hyadum's economy. Hyadum City became one of the most desirable places in the Protectorate to live, and Hyadum saw an influx of extremely qualified immigrants. In 2375, the Hylotl corporation Letheia opened up a regional HQ and immediately became a major force in both the Hyadum economy and to a certain extent its government. The system saw its first major biotech and medical corporations arise, which opened a whole new source of Hyadum wealth. The planet's large arms industry formed during the war started producing arms for several system states and other political entities. During this period, the Theocracy of Kluex contracted with Hyadumese factories to produce arms for them, and the Theocracy would provide several huge contracts over the coming decades. In 2391 the Draconis appeared from their interdimensional gates to ask for friendship and cooperation. Hyadum as always welcomed the opportunity, and proceeded to open up trade with them, importing several other dimensional goods. In 2401, a new far more radical cabinet came into power under the leadership of Prime Minister Xuwie that enacted the first prostitution laws. Far from popular at first, over time the public came to accept it as the economy continued to be spurred on. In 2410 Xuwie managed to convince the Parliament to legal both drug usage and gambling. This was the beginning of Hyadum's status as a "party state", and immediately tourism rose by over 500% and the government's coffers continued to swell.

### Cold War

During all of this, both the Protectorate and the Collective had engaged in espionage and intrigue within one another's states. The Protectorate government wanted Hyadum's involvement from the beginning due to their access to the Collective via their trade routes. Hyadum agreed, and began allowing Protectorate agents to infiltrate their merchant vessels. Hyadum eventually started sending its own agents from the newly founded Hyadum Intelligence Agency. In 2405, Hyadum began to secretly finance and equip the early cells of the Apex Resistance in their guerilla war against the Miniknog. Millions of pixels worth of firearms, munitions and various war materials were given to the guerillas. With the later legalization of drugs in Hyadum, the resistance began to produce drugs and sell them to Hyadumese corporations. Throughout the 25th century, the Protectorate would use Hyadumese arms and credit among others to help fund and arm proxy wars across space including the Second Avian Civil War, Mach Insurgency and the Range Wars.

### The Floran Wars

In 2503, the Floran Liberation Front was formally founded and began operating on several heavily wooded planets on the outer fringes of Protectorate space. Hundreds of Floran villages were slaughtered, and colonists were also being targeted. Immediately, the Protectorate began assembling a force to respond to this new threat, and Hyadum agreed to send 200,000 troops. A force of some 2,000,000 assembled and were deployed to the outer regions by the end of the year. The Forest Wars, as they came to be known, would involve some 300,000 Hyadumese and resulting in roughly 20,000 killed or wounded. Hyadum forces were deployed during the Asante Emergency where the FLF's largest single army was repelled. Hyadumese advisors were sent out to various small settlements and villages to help in the equipping and training of local militias to serve as deterrents and policing force towards the FLF. By 2547, the FLF had mostly withdrawn from their guerilla activities, and the Protectorate government declared them officially eradicated, something that would later be found to be false.

### Overpopulation

The year 2566 saw Hyadum reach the milestone of 30 billion inhabitants. Most of these inhabitants were on the capital planet of Hyadum III, and the increasingly urbanized planet was seeing a serious lack of available housing. At first, this was combatted with the "layered cities" concept. This idea called for massive, city spanning superstructures to be built over existing urban areas, effectively creating another layer of city over the original. This extremely expensive and time consuming feat of engineering was approved by the Council, and construction began in 2569. While the layers were being built, the government began to focus on Hyadum's moon, Hyadum A. Hyadum A had a climate and atmosphere very similar to Hyadum, and in fact the flora and fauna of both bodies were very similar to one another. The moon was sparsely populated by small towns, mansions and other wealthy citizen's alternate or primary homes with a total permanent population of around 1,000,000. The Republican Council proposed to encourage Hyadumese to move and establish new communities on Hyadum A through cheap land, a decade long tax break and subsidies for small business owners. The upper class interests in the Hyadumese Parliament were adamantly against this, not wishing to have to share their vacation world with others, let alone see it urbanized like Hyadum III. Many environmentalists were also against it, as Hyadum A had the distinction of being the last body in the system that was relatively untouched by colonization and development. The population trends suggested the planet would run out of space before the layers were done. Developing Hyadum A would allow the population issue on Hyadum III to be mitigated, as well as preserve the last patches of wilderness that could be found on the planet's surface. The Republican Council, through political wrangling and backroom deals, managed to get a very narrow passing of the act. Many Hyadumese flocked to the new world to start their lives anew. Around 320,000,000 would emigrate from 2570 to 2596. The surface of Hyadum A was rapidly urbanized, and it wasn't long before the entire moon was covered by a massive sprawl. In 2607 the layered cities were finished, and Hyadum's population issues were, for the time being, under control.

### The Powder Keg

The start of 2609 would see a huge leak of Protectorate documents showing the Protectorate's complicity in the numerous proxy wars that had been fought since the end of the Terrene-Simian War. These wars had led to atrocities, massacres and pogroms, and many in the Terrene public felt that the Protectorate was complicit in these acts. The Protectorate's increasingly interventionist position towards internal issues as well as their increasingly high dues and tariffs made the situation even more dire. In 2613, the Grand Protector Anders Crowley passed a new set of laws aimed at cracking down on further leaks by making even the simple receiving of leaked information possibly prosecutable as an act of espionage. These laws and acts led the citizens of the colony of Beid to bring up their historical treatment by the Protectorate, referencing the atrocities committed during their subjugation. Many other worlds that had been more or less forced into the Protectorate began to come together in their open protest of the TP. In 2614, a wave of riots and bombings occurred on multiple worlds as the Protectorate began to enact tighter laws which most planets being direct members were forced to comply with unlike Hyadum with its autonomous status. Crowley and his supporters in the Parliament believed in a more centralized form of government, and thought of the colonies and member states as being ultimately subservient to Earth's decisions. Crowley's spending increased as he sent more and more money to the Free Simian States who had sparked a full on civil war in the Simian Collective. The ruling parties of the aforementioned planets would found the Anti-Terrene Party in 2614, with an aim to force the Protectorate to recognize and hear their grievances. A list of demands were presented to Crowley in 2615 outlining what the ATP wished. Crowley is widely reported to have laughed when presented with it and threw it away. The ATP member systems then formally began to boycott all Terrene goods and refused to pay their dues to the Protectorate. Crowley, instead of listening to the ATP and hearing it out, instead chose to declare all of their member states traitors to the Protectorate. The stunned ATP were left with little choice but to succeed from the Protectorate, declaring themselves the United Systems. Many other formally neutral systems joined them, appalled at the Protectorate's response. Crowley didn't take the US seriously, and sent a large fleet to Beid with the intent of collecting owed dues. Crowley was reminded of the ease the Protectorate fleet had brought Beig to heel during the subjugation of Beid centuries ago. Beid, however, had had plenty of time to learn from its mistakes. The Battle of Beid IV was a complete and decisive defeat to the unprepared Protectorate forces. Immediately following it, the United Systems declared war on the Terrene Protectorate.

### Terrene War

The Hyadumese public as a whole wasn't used to having to bow to the Protectorate's will, and had little empathy for who they now branded as rebels and traitors. As it had been during the war with the Simian Collective, Hyadum would be given priority by the Protectorate government for its strategic value. The Hyadum Defense Force which at the time was 60 million strong, was deployed to the southern edge of Protectorate space where a border of loyalist colonies had naturally formed. The Hyadumese forces were keen on not repeating the same mistakes as the Protectorate, and deployed their army and navy strategically. In 2616, the United Systems launched their January Offensive. Hyadumese force and their allies managed to throw back the invading US, repelling them after over a month of continuous fighting. The Protectorate launched a counteroffensive, and this succeeded at penetrating US space. The Hyadumese were present during the decisive Battle of Yoza that proved instrumental in the counteroffensive's success. The TP gained ground but very little for their losses in the tens of millions. The southern edge was held and strengthened, but the western edge didn't fair as well. Several systems were overwhelmed by the US forces, and the war settled into a stalemate by the end of 2616.

The lines would remain relatively stagnant until 2636, when the US forces launched a new offense utilizing a reformed military and new technology. This time, they managed to punch deep into the Protectorate's southern edge. The Hyadum Defense Force managed to stop them in the Integra System, and to this day that line continues to exist. In 2640, a large force of Hyadumese troops were attached to the Protectorate forces fighting against anti-Terrene forces on Mars where they have stayed over the last 30 years.

By 2645, both sides of the war had settled down into a stalemate, with both sides continuing the war whilst largely returning public life to the way it was before. Hyadum continued to funnel a sizable amount of money into their part in the war, but much of their finances turned back to the day to day routines of years prior. Thousands continued to die every hour, but most Hyadumese went about their lives as if the war had never started. This "peace at war" was a phenomenon that was not possible in all systems, but many large systems like Hyadum were able to settle into this sense of normalcy, augmented by a lack of conscription laws to directly affect public opinion.

### The Ruin

The war remained stagnant until March 11t, 2678 when the Ruin appeared on Earth. The Fall of Earth sent shockwaves across the universe, and many felt that the war was effectively over. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be that simple. The Terrene Protectorate relocated to Luna, with much of the senate managing to escape in time. The United Systems, themselves in shock over the complete destruction of Earth, offered a ceasefire to the Protectorate. The Protectorate refused, deciding instead to launch a general offensive which was subsequently repelled in short order. Hyadum, as it always had, functioned as an asylum for the countless refugees fleeing Earth. Since the events of the Ruin, Hyadum has seen over 100 million refugees from Earth, creating a new population problem. Still, Hyadum's goods are always in demand and in producing both luxury items and war materials, they have guaranteed their relevancy. Most recently, the HDF in coordination with various other militaries, achieved a notable success in the Battle of Leeds, driving the US forces out of their last major stronghold on Mars.

## Planetary Characteristics

   Hyadum's capital, Hyadum III which is often times simply referred to as "Hyadum", is a temperate planet with a climate and biosphere not unlike Earth. The air composition is very similar as is the planet's dimensions. Most of the planet is covered by a massive supercontinent, with slightly changing climates depending on the location. Hyadum is highly urbanized, with only small patches of untouched land being found throughout the continent in between or sometimes within large megacities. Its largest city, simply called Hyadum City, is located in the center of the supercontinent. Hyadum also has a moon called Hyadum A, which has over the years been turned into an ecumenopolis, with the moon serving to help alleviate the overpopulation issues on the planet.

The other major body in the system is Hyadum I. Hyadum I is a desert planet, with extremely high average temperatures and no rain fall whatsoever. The planet and its moons have long been an abundant source of raw materials such as iron, copper, fuel and other various resources that serve as fuel for Hyadum's industry.

## Government and Politics

As a representative republic, Hyadum's government is comprised of elected representatives each one representing an incorporated prefecture. The amount of representatives for a prefecture is proportional to its total population, with Hyadum City having the most representatives in the Hyadumese Parliament. A central council, called the Republican Council, functions as the head of state. This council is comprised of a Prime Minister and Vice Prime Minister along with Ministers of Trade, Diplomacy, War, the Interior, Treasury, Energy, Industry, Agriculture, and Health. The Prime Minister is elected by popular vote who then appoints members to their cabinet. The Parliament serves to create and vote on policy and law with the Prime Minister giving the final vote to laws passed. Below all of this is a dense bureaucracy handling the every day political issues of local entities. The prime minster holds office for 6 years, and representatives for 8 years. There is no limit on the amount of times one can serve in any position.

Hyadumese lawmakers and leaders are bound by the Constitution Of Hyadum, a document created with the state’s founding in 2148. The constitution hasn’t seen any changes since then, with the state’s status as autonomous meaning that it wasn’t required to change any elements when it joined the Terrene Protectorate. No revision was deemed necessary also due to the fact that its tenants and amendments fell in line with the Protectorate’s own constitution of which it was directly influenced by.

Common political issues on Hyadum are related to income disparity, environmental protection, Terrene Protectorate membership, drug use, the sex trade and personal firearms ownership. Several parties have formed in Hyadumese society, although parties are not legally recognized as actual entities capable of engaging in political action. Nonetheless, many parties enforce their will through their representatives.

### Protectorate Status

Hyadum is officially recognized as an Autonomous Federated System State under the Protectorate government. This means that Hyadum is free to choose which federal laws it wishes to be subject to, although it is required to pay dues, send troops in times of war and must recognize the sovereignty of all member states.

In recent times, there's been growing sentiment among Hyadumese that the ARH should rescind its membership in the TP among high tariffs and federal taxes. This has only been exacerbated by the prolonged Civil War, which has claimed the lives of well over a hundred thousand Hyadumese over the course of the conflict. Hyadumese nationalism has grown in popularity, with several elected officials being elected on pro-Hyadum tickets. With its high population, industrial base and wealth, the Protectorate frequently lobbies and tries to take an active role in Hyadum politics in order to keep them firmly within the TP. Hyadum’s exiting of the TP isn’t a likely prospect any time soon, as many still regard it as being vital for the system, if not out of Terrene patriotism then at least out of political and financial necessity.

### Civil Rights

Hyadum has long been associated with universal rights for all sentient species. The Constitution outlaws all forms of discrimination towards species for reasons such as race, religion, gender identity, sexuality, political views or place of birth. Hyadumese courts have consistently upheld these tenants in civil and criminal trials, and 96% of Hyadumese say they believe firmly in those concepts. However, there are groups in Hyadum who believe these tenants are immoral and or a detriment to society based on philosophical or religious ideals. These views are far more prominent in the rural areas of Hyadum, where individuals tend to see cities as invasive and representative of the “dregs of society”. These areas are marked for their active discrimination against those deemed undesirable, typically through refusal of services, business and sometimes violence. Enforcing the Constitutional protections in these areas have been a constant source of contention as many rural jurisdictions either believe that anything less than violent hate crimes are too minor to deal with or are controlled by judges and officials that are sympathetic or outright believers in discriminatory ideologies.

The Hyadumese Department of Corrections is considered average in terms of conditions. The issues that typically plague prison systems such as violence, rape and drug abuse are present but not to the degree of many other correctional systems. Living conditions in Hyadumese prisons are reasonably well maintained and prisoners are typically fed and cared for properly. However, the Hyadum I Correctional Facility is considered a very tough place to do time, with only extremely violent offenders being sent there who often fight and kill one another. There has been call for prison reform and increased funding for decades among the Hyadumese public, although to little effect.

### Crime and Law Enforcement

On a governmental level, the Bureau of Public Safety is the most senior law enforcement agency in the state. Each prefecture has its own central police force, and hundreds of local law enforcement agencies handle day to day crime prevention. Hyadum’s court system is structured alongside political levels of government, with courts on both the municipal and prefectural levels. The High Court of Justice is the highest court in Hyadum, being in charge of interpreting the constitution and establishing legal precedent.

Crime in Hyadum is lower than other similarly sized systems, however it should be noted that what constitutes criminal acts in other systems (like gambling and prostitution) are legal in Hyadum and are therefore not factored in to crime statistics. The prostitution industry has led to sex trafficking which is constantly being fought by the Recreational Enforcement Agency which monitors gambling, prostitution and drug manufacturing and sales.

Violent crime is considered a problem on Hyadum, specifically gun crime which makes up 85% of all violent crime. Gun ownership is legal for all adults and there’s no prohibition on automatic weapons of any kind. This has led to an extremely high gun ownership per capita and has led to hundreds of thousands of guns making it on to the black market. Stricter laws have been proposed, but there has been significant backlash against these efforts and no change aside from extensive background checks and a central firearms database has been made.

Sex crime is believed by many to be another problem although data is lacking this area. Sex crimes against children are noted as being rare. Rape against adults is not wholly uncommon and these crimes have a high conviction rate. However activists continually call for more attention to be given to rape committed within the sex trade. Many believe that far more sex crime is committed against prostitutes but goes unreported due to a general distrust of rape claims made by prostitutes. Sociologists at the University of Hyadum have made several studies that suggest that this is true to an extent, but to how much of an extent is still indeterminate.

Hyadum declined to ratify the Protectorate’s Resolution on Capital Punishment and therefore does have the death penalty for various crimes. This is also a controversial topic in general discourse, but so far has shown no sign in changing. Execution is carried out by hanging.

### Military

The system is protected by the Hyadum Defense Force. Hyadum spends roughly 3.5% of its GDP on its military, a common budget for a state of its size. Military service is high, with a strong recruitment base despite growing opposition to Hyadumese involvement in foreign warfare. Hyadum law only permits conscription when the system is directly threatened. The HDF has been deployed to several systems along the Southern Line, and holds a reputation for loyalty and skill in combat. HDF infantry especially are known for their ability in urban warfare, which has made them commonly chosen to serve on city worlds such as Integra IV.

## Economy

Hyadum's economy is relatively diverse. The manufacturing sector is the largest by far, making up the majority of the system's wealth. Electronics, cars, furniture and textiles are just some of the various products produced in Hyadumese factories. An abundance of raw materials in the system makes manufacturing relatively cheap. The factories and mines are owned by several large conglomerates that hold interest in several of Hyadum's industries. Several large corporations have also chosen Hyadum for their regional HQs, namely Letheia which is a major employer and influence in the government. Hyadum also has access to fairly large erichus fuel reserves which is used to fuel the many factories in the system and enables the Hyadum business sector to be totally self-sufficient.

This manufacturing base has also made Hyadum a major center of arms production, originally formed during the Terrene-Simian War and now spurred on by the Civil War. Small arms, ground vehicles and aircraft are all built here. Several arms companies have regional HQs and factories in the system including Heckler and Koch, Lockheed Martin and Norinco. Hyadum supplies several militaries with arms, uniforms and other general war supplies. This industry, originally formed from the Civil War, has expanded into the commercial market where a significant amount of income is also generated.

The service industry is also very lucrative, specifically in regards to gambling, prostitution and drug use, all of which are fully legal and regulated by the government. Large companies and corporations are on Hyadum dedicated entirely to these businesses. Hyadum's reputation as a "party system" has made it a popular tourist destination for centuries, and tens of millions visit every year for this explicit purpose.

### Wealth and Poverty

Hyadum has a deeply entrenched upper class, comprised of mostly old business families and a small amount of "new money". The middle class is large and enjoys great comfort, but the lower classes have to deal with homelessness brought on by the ever constant population crisis. Those in the lower class are noted as being somewhat better off than those in similar systems, a point that is hotly contested in Hyadumese society, but they nonetheless often struggle to survive, with many fleeing the cities to live in small villages and towns in rural parts of the system.

Unions are a common component of Hyadumese business life, and anti-trust and worker’s rights laws are also in effect. Hyadum factories and businesses are regarded as some of the best to work in in the Protectorate with pto, pensions, worker’s comp and livable wages.

## Demographics

Hyadum is a very racially diverse state. Being founded by a large group of mixed Earthlings, a significant amount of the populous is comprised of Humans, Bunkin, Kitsune, Neko, Everis and Lamia. Avian, Glitch, Hylotl and Novakid diasporas have been deeply rooted for centuries. Over the last century, tens of thousands of Apex fleeing the Miniknog have settled in Hyadum. Minority groups include Arachne, Draconis, Saturnians, and Florans with smaller and unmeasured groups as well.

All races occupy all levels of society and government and most Hyadumese feel represented by their leadership, which comes from a strong sense of Hyadumese rather than racial identity.

Studies have frequently found that there’s no connection between race and social class in Hyadum outside of statistical probability based on population percentages. This has reinforced Hyadum’s image as a “land of opportunity”.

### Health

Healthcare in Hyadum is provided by the state free of charge. Numerous biotech and pharmaceutical companies have presences on Hyadum. Public health in Hyadum is considered good, with most of the population vaccinated and disease outbreaks rare and controlled. The advent of 3D printed organs has made old age the leading cause of death.

There’s a significant amount of deaths and diseases related to drug use. Opponents to the drug laws frequently cite overdoses and accidents caused by drug use. Statistically, the most dangerous drug is methamphetamine, with heroin and cocaine behind it in that order. Numerous designer drugs have statistics themselves but are outweighed by those mentioned. This culture of drug use has also fueled alcohol consumption, and many deaths are linked to it every year.

Mental healthcare is considered advanced in Hyadum. Hyadum encountered suicide crises in the past, which led to a drastic increase in funding to psychiatry and mental health clinics. Hyadum today enjoys a very low rate of suicide and mental health related deaths.

### Education

Hyadum has historically scored well in academic rankings. Hyadum as a literacy rate of over 99%. Pre-school and elementary schools number in the tens of thousands, with many of them being noted as a significant reason to move to Hyadum for those planning on starting families. The University of Hyadum is a prestigious university to attend and has several distinguished alumni. Education on every level is free in Hyadum, but acceptance rates to the more prestigious schools is very competitive. Hyadum is noted for having a respectable rate of citizens with college degrees, with 51% having at least Associate’s Degrees.

### Religion

Being home to so many races, Hyadum has countless religions practiced with it. Officially the state is completely secular and functions as such. Around 55% of the populace claims to be non-religious. The majority of those who are religious practice Earthen faiths such as Abrahamic Religions, Buddhism and Hinduism.

### Language

Hyadum has never designated any religion as being official. Earthen languages are the most commonly spoke across all races, with the most common being English, German and Japanese. Hylotl, Apex and Glitch are also spoken quite a bit. With the proliferation of the universal translator, language has become less and less important to socializing among people.

## Notable People

Kazue no Shigemori - Highly decorated Kitsune soldier and Protector who helped bring about the destruction of The Ruin. Recipient of the Medal of Gallantry.

Azarova - Highly decorated Lastree soldier and Protector who helped bring about the destruction of The Ruin. Recipient of the Medal of Gallantry.