Time To Reread The Empyrean Age

"Goonswarm 2015: We are not here to ruin your game, but to ~enhance your immersion~"

The Mittani

Yesterday TMC published the latest Goonswarm Federation Alliance Update. Not very much news was proclaimed, really. Just that the name of the coalition was changing from the Cluster Fuck Coalition to The Imperium. And that the coalition will withdraw from Fountain and Cloud Ring before the new sovereignty system hits Tranquility on 2 June. Oh, and Get Off My Lawn and The Bastion will occupy Vale of the Silent while Executive Outcomes moves to Branch. I suspect that means that the GSF's rental alliance, Greater Western Co-Prosperity Sphere , will soon disband to make room for the regular members of the coalition.

But for me, the big news is the The Imperium's first campaign:

"The first act of our new Imperium: we formally declare our undying loyalty to the True Emperor of Amarr: Maximilian Singularity VI, First of His Name. Anyone in New Eden declaring for the False Empress Jamyl will be violently disabused of their heresy and their territory forfeit. Until the CONCORD-protected zones declare for the True Emperor, we'll have to content ourselves with enforcing the True Emperor's truth across Providence the moment that Fozziesov goes live. We grant Providence the opportunity to reflect upon their sins and seek redemption by bending the knee, just as I have." 

Sure, The Mittani and his leadership team plan to use Providence as a testing ground for evaluating new tactics in sovereignty warfare. But the way The Mittani has couched his coalition's actions almost forces CVA to put up a fight. Sure, Empress Jamyl violated the doctrine of Sacred Flesh and had herself cloned in order to survive the defeat of her champion during the Succession Trials. But Maximilian Singularity VI, First of His Name, is not one of the heirs of the five royal houses.

Of course, The Mittani, or more likely his diplomatic corp operating in Maximilian's name, could argue that the Sarum family has forfeited its place to rule the Amarr Empire, much like what happened to the Khanid Family after Garkeh Khanid refused to commit Shathol'Syn following the ascension of Heideran Kador to the throne in 22762 AD. Just as the Tash-Murkon family replaced the Khanid, so could one argue that the house of Singularity should replace the Sarum.

Does anyone think that CVA will meekly stand back and watch The Mittani place a successor onto the Amarr throne? Even if CVA buys into the legal precedent that if a heir of an Amarr royal house fails to commit Shathol'Syn, then the house is stripped of its royal titles, I would expect that they would want to place one of their own on the throne. At that point, I can foresee an "Amarrian" civil war, with CVA encouraged to persevere by the realistic belief that Goonswarm will eventually tire of the war and move on to bigger and better things.

Quite frankly, I hope both sides fight just to see how CCP handles the situation. The possibilities for future The Scope news updates is endless. But in the meantime, once I finish my current book, I think I'll reread The Empyrean Age and Templar One again. Something tells me I may need to brush up on my Amarrian lore.