A proud nation of industry and opportunity, the Vuurstahl Empire is defined above all by its dedication to productivity. Vuurstahl is ruled not by a government, but by the arms manufacturer Graves-Meyer Steelworks, the latest in a line of corporations that have led the Empire. After its previous CEO Bladekeeper Herman Meyer resigned following the War of Fire, the company was succeeded by Dietrich Meyer, who forsook his family's title to adopt a new one, the Gearwinder, to show his commitment to change. Under his company’s rule, Vuurstahl has bounced back from the depression the Tempestian Union's sanctions sent it into, post-war diversification filling the gap left by the severely-reduced arms manufacturers.
Though the name Vuurstahl historically referred only to the nation's original borders, global use of the name interchangeably with the Vuurstahl Empire has led to many using the term the Imperial core for the original land to differentiate the two.
Vuurstahlan government
The Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is the governing body immediately below Dietrich Meyer. It is made up of the heads of GMS's subsidiaries, each of whom is responsible for keeping a census of their workers to assure the Assignment process fills a necessary niche. The Board of Directors is also responsible for the approval of new laws, which must be passed with an overwhelming majority before being approved or vetoed by President Meyer. While the Board of Directors by and large acts in the favor of their own corporate interests, many of them recognize that their favor in the public eye will have its own impact on their public image, urging them to vote for the sake of their consumer base to keep them loyal customers.
Current members of the Board of Directors
- Earthforger Soleil Ritter, CEO of Harrison Armory
- Wavecrasher Fortunato Rios, CEO of IPS-Northstar
- Bookkeeper Hounan Feng, CEO of the Downfall Group
- Genestitcher Livia Escelius, CEO of Smith-Shimano Corpro
- Slagmelter Masaharu Maki, CEO of HORUS
- Riftmaker Redmond Taggart, CEO of Magnum Opus Interstellar
- Dealbroker Alana Marley, CEO of Marley, Oz, and Silver Lending and Consultations
- Leafshaper Eli Meir, CEO of Ironleaf Foundry
- Grillmaster Aldebrand Hauer, CEO of Master Burger
Asset Protection Services
The Asset Protection Services, or APS, is the law enforcement agency of the Vuurstahl Empire. Part of the Military-class, the APS is responsible first and foremost for keeping the well-oiled machine that is the Empire running. Whether this is preventing theft of valuable product, ensuring every worker is in their proper place, or coming down on illicit reassignment services, it’s not uncommon to see an APS officer on every city block on patrol to catch potential threats to Graves-Meyer’s profits.
Imperial colonies
Imperial Calendar
The Imperial Calendar, unlike the more common Tempestian Calendar, was traditionally divided into eras defined by the current ruling corporation of Vuurstahl. This changed after the War of Fire, when Gearwinder Dietrich Meyer, in the interest of “resetting the clock” on the Empire’s reputation, “rebranded” the Imperial Calendar, changing the year 127 GME (Graves-Meyer Epoche) to the year 0 NB (nach Brand, after the fire) in an attempt to distance GMS’s public image from the war. Though most have followed suit simply for the convenience of keeping up with GMS’s dating system going forward, some (such as hardline Expansionists) have continued to keep time in GME, leading to no small amount of confusion. Unlike the more variable Tempestian Calendar, the Imperial Calendar has regular 30 day months, each divided into three ten-day weeks. As this doesn’t align with the 365-day cycle of Tempestas, however, at the end of the year are the Days of Recognition, five days outside the normal year on which every employee Military-Class and higher is given as rest. The Days of Recognition are infrequently rebranded as well, to bring the people they honor in line with current corporate desires. The months of the Imperial Calendar are as follows:
- Kohlefest (Festival of Coal)
- Wollefest (Festival of Wool)
- Steinbruchfest (Festival of Quarrying)
- Bauwerkfest (Festival of Construction)
- Blumenfest (Festival of Flowers)
- Schmiedenfest (Festival of Smithing)
- Visfest (Festival of Fish)
- Erntefest (Festival of Harvest)
- Bauholzfest (Festival of Lumber)
- Getränkfest (Festival of Liquor)
- Viehfest (Festival of Slaughter)
- Juwelfest (Festival of Jewelry)
The current Days of Recognition are Meyersdag, Harrisdag, Shimanodag, Makidag, and Herrerodag, each named for a key founder of one of Vuurstahl’s current major corporations.