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The EmpireThe Archadian Empire is one of the most dominant forces in the world of Ivalice. Cheerfully drawing allusions from many other famous empires (The Imperial March, anybody?), this grand ole hegemony spends time conquering, intimidating, and all around having a great time. Currently, the 11th Emperor, the aging Gramis Solidor, sits on the throne, presiding over the empire and its conquests. He has a very weird butterfly headdress, but that’s okay! He’s still very nifty.The Empire has made several strategic conquests across the world of Ivalice; one of these conquests, Dalmasca, is the country that causes all the ruckus in the game in the first place. According to the game’s prologue, Archadia’s main rival for control of Ivalice is Rozzaria. It can be assumed that each country wishes to install hegemony in their interest in Ivalice. There appear to be two driving forces other than the emperor in Ivalice: The Judges and the Senate. The Judges guard the rules and laws of the Empire and operate directly under the Solidor family. Balthier describes them as “more executioner than judge”, hinting at their lack of compassion. They seem to be loyal to the family, though each judge has his own personal favorite – Gramis, Vayne, or Larsa. They are led by Judge Master Gabranth. The Senate, meanwhile, has a more antagonistic relationship with the emperor and, in particular, his son Vayne. Vayne is told they’re eager to displace him from the government, and tauntingly refers to them in a demeaning manner. They make no secret that they would prefer Larsa as the next emperor, if only because they suspect the will be easy to overpower and mold as they see fit. It is the Senate that leads Larsa on his quest to discover the truth about Vayne, though they do it for their own gain, and now his. Several of the judges believe Larsa is a bit stronger than the Senate is making him out to be – which means that Larsa is in almost as much danger as Vayne.
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