Ighoth (1904 Corridor A333000-C): Red Zone. Until 1117, the population of Ighoth numbered in the tens of thousands. In that year, however, a mysterious sublight vessel entered the system at high speed, apparently on automatic pilot. Vargr system defense forces boarded the giant derelict, found no cause for alarm, and brought it back to Ighoth.
Within a week, contact with Ighoth ceased. Ships jumping into the system encountered orbiting quarantine buoys prohibhing landing. Radio communications went unanswered. EMS scans of the world's surface revealed little or no activity. The logical assumption was that the derelict had carried some sort of virus which had evaded local decontamination procedures and wiped out the planet's inhabitants.
Shortly thereafter, Imperial authorities declared the Ighoth system off limits for fear of spreading whatever virulent epidemic wiped out the local Vargr. -cor TD 18

Ikhtealyo: The Ikhtealyo clan and its two associates seek peace with other major interstellar govemments. Heavily involved in interface trading, the bloc would suffer greatly from the loss of extra-Hierate trade during a war with the Imperials or Solomani.
Soon after the Peace of Ftahalr in 2810 Aslan (380 Imperial), the appeal of dust spice from Romar (2140 Spinward Marches) triggered a surge of colonization across the Rift. This brought Ikhtealyo clan into the Tlaukhu, allowing its companies to trade with the maturing Domain of Deneb, and to a lesser degree the Zhodani Consulate and other neighboring human states. -tlau S&A

Ilium (0426 Spinward Marches B444831-9): Ilium, except for its sulfuric taint, seems like a perfect Darrian planet with its warm, thin atmosphere and productive agriculture. This is because the pre-Maghiz Darrians terraformed its atmosphere by seeding bacteria and plants for decades before human colonists settled permanently. The sulfur was a by-product of their efforts to make the planetary crust out-gas more efficiently.
Ilium survived the isolated centuries fairly well, but remained at a very low tech level. Its inhabitants had gradually developed to about tech level 8 when they were recontacted from Mire (0527 Spinward Marches). Today Ilium is a major naval base. -ld D

Ilma (1523 Vland D510044-4): Ilma is a museum world of the vanished Qiceteu civilization, a race of burrowing sentients. Ilma's tech level 4 civilization apparently died out when the planet's ecology was destroyed by a celestial catastrophe.
Six curators call this planet home, and they are the sole maintainers of the beautiful underground ruins of the Qicetu. -vla V&V

Imperial 49th Cruiser Squadron: CruRon attached to the 61st Fleet in Deneb. Forever watchful for Vargr incursions, this squadron is composed exclusively of Imperial Vargr. Incidents between the 49th CruRon and probing ships from the Dzarrgh Federate have created a particular rivalry between the two. The 49th is characterized by especially high morale and takes pride in the number in their ranks knighted into the Order of Gvadakoung. Even after the Vargr invasion of Corridor, Norris has repeatedly demonstrated his high degree of confidence in this squadron. -w&o V&V

Imperial Calendar: Calendar established at the creation of the Third Imperium as a universal calendar reform. Dates count from the founding of the Imperium, the year "zero." Dates before zero are negative, dates after are positive. For example, Terra discovered jump drive in -2431. The Imperium was founded in zero. Emperor Strephon was assassinated in 1116.
The year is divided into 365 standard days, which are grouped into 52 weeks of seven days each. The lengths of days and weeks is a legacy of Terran domination during the second Imperium. Days are numbered consecutively, beginning with one. The first day of the year is a holiday and is not part of any week. For example, the first day (Holiday) of the year 1116 is 001-1116. The emperor was assassinated on 132-1116. The last day of the year is 365-1116. -ld IE

Imperial Edict 97: This executive order is the enabling act for the use of Imperial warrants. Unusually obscure for such a wide ranging and powerful edict, it is nonetheless on file at all Imperial installations. The edict text runs to 34 pages, much of it pure legalese; when distilled down, it proves very direct, it assists the holder of an Imperial warrant with all the power you can bring to bear.
Only the emperor has the power to issue these warrants.
A similar edict (Imperial Edict 3097) provides limited power to the Archdukes of the Imperium to issue similar warrants, although they are limited in their duration and territory. -ld IE

Imperial Research: The Imperium finances research into a variety of areas. Sometimes this is an attempt to duplicate technology observed or reported in neighboring cultures and not yet within the ability of the best known science in the Imperium. Other times, the research is an area of interest expressed by some Imperial body (such as spinal mount weapons research performed by the Imperial Navy).
Imperial research stations may be located on worlds which need a boost to the local economy or in remote systems far from the potential disturbance of Imperial politics. Many different stations may be located in several systems of the same region, and many different areas of knowledge may be under investigation at one time.
In general, however, one station is constructed for one purpose, and it continues in a single area of knowledge for its entire span of usefulness. Its size, personnel roster, power plant capacity, and even visibility profile are dependent on its area of investigation.
Imperial backed research may delve into many areas. Some examples include black hole research (both large-scale and mini-black hole investigation), instantaneous transmitter development (so far proving impossible), antimatter containment, new weapon development (such as disintegrator beams), black globe development, deep planetary scanning, psychohistory, mass population behavior prediction, genetic transformation of living organisms, self-aware robots and starships, stasis and time travel, personal shields, memory transfer, and total rejuvenation.
The Divided Imperium: The divided Imperium is having varying effects on Imperial research stations. Some stations continue as if nothing has happened, others have been directed (under new authority) to change the focus of their research, still others have been either shut down or sacked by the local authorities for anything of value to the defense of the local realm. -ld IE

Imperial Research Station: The worlds of the Imperium manifest a wide range of technological levels. The third Imperium has always allowed its member worlds a wide degree of latitude, and it meddles very little in local affairs. With communication limited to the same speed as transportation, a single offworld query can involve weeks, months, or even years before a reply is received. In addition, the cost of offworld transportation (in both time and money) tends to limit the interchange of information, the shipment of experimental prototypes, and other such activities that are basic to the dissemination of scientific knowledge.
Most worlds have found that simply purchasing advanced technology from a neighboring world is impractical. Not only is such high technology expensive, putting it to any cost-effective use requires that the technology be understood.
Consider: as useful as Tech Level 8 solid-state chip circuits are; they cannot be used on a large scale without the knowledge of electronics or the ability to provide supporting circuits (power circuits, circuit boards, and so on), which further implies a knowledge of photo processing, and even crystal culture. In the final analysis, attempting to jump to a higher Tech Level without passing through any of the intervening Tech Levels just doesn't work: one must pass through the lower stages of technological development on the way to higher Tech Levels.
Regardless of what the individual member worlds do, there are also certain large-scale interests in the Imperium which back research projects. Such research is generally privately backed (such as under contract by multiworld corporations), or it is sometimes performed in established Imperial Research Stations.
Private Research: On a scale as vast as the Imperium, it is often cheaper to duplicate research rather than search out and contract for technology elsewhere in the Imperium. However, trade between worlds tends to introduce new knowledge and technology to those who do not yet have it. If a certain offworld item proves useful, local companies may try to achieve the same technology with the goal of entering into local manufacture. Local manufacture has the advantage of taking into account local preferences, as well as providing local employment. It also avoids potential problems with licensing agreements and arrangements. -ld IE

Imperial Rules of War: To mitigate most of the potentially disastrous aspects of armed conflict, the "rules of war" evolved as an accumulation of unwritten concepts, which were established on a case-by-case basis. The rules of war were never officially codified, both to prevent them being seen as an Imperial endorsement of war and to keep formal precedent from preventing Imperial intervention whenever the Imperium deemed it necessary.
The main aim of the rules was maintaining the economic and military well-being of the realm. They gave the Imperium the right to intervene only when local military action threatened this well-being. The primary causes of instability, as viewed by Imperial analysts, have been long-term economic dislocation and excessive extraplanetary influence:
A. Long-term social or economic dislocation is suffered when a region loses its ability to carry on at its prewar level of economic activity.
B. Excessive extraplanetary influence is even more vague. Historically, the Imperium has tolerated the use of force as a necessary outlet for built-up political and social pressures. In such cases, a short war is deemed preferable to continuing tension, sabotage, political agitation, etc. However, attempts by extraplanetary forces, such as offworld governments or large commercial interests, to seize control of a world's affairs are beyond the scope of the "safety valve" rationale.
"Assistance" is tolerated so long as it is deemed appropriate to the level of legitimate interest in the affairs of the world held by the extraplanetary organization. For example, the Imperium has often tolerated the provision by megacorporations of training cadre, arms, equipment, etc.. on a limited scale. and even I of training fully equipped striker units to local governments. However, when it has appeared that the primary burden for the conduct of the war has been carried by an extraplanetary power, the Imperium has intervened, claiming the power is using the misfortune of a local dispute as a pretext for aggression.
Unlike the above rules, one prohibition is clear and firm throughout the Imperium: use or possession of nuclear weapons, if discovered, and regardless of size or type.
After Strephon's assassination, the Imperium's rules of war policy has taken a thorough beating. Many high level Imperial officials have abused the provisions of the extraplanetary influence concept, largely because of their growing distrust in the motives of their peers elsewhere in the Imperial government.
However, some Imperial officials view the current state of affairs in the Imperium as a valid application of the rules of war. In their view, the current wide-scale struggle was inevitable: it is simply a larger scale version of the "necessary outlet for built-up political and social pressures," a key concept in the rules of war. Thus they believe "a short war is deemed preferable to continuing tension, sabotage, and political agitation." -ld IE

Imperial Stationery: The Imperial family has reserved (both by custom and by law) a distinctive design for its personal stationery. Well-known throughout the Imperium through its use for routine messages and for Imperial appointments, the form is cream-colored and embossed with the Imperial Sunburst in gold. Both physical and electronic versions of the stationery are used.
Because it is used for Imperial appointments (even when issued in blank for offices in the marches) all Imperial officials are familiar with the design and can readily tell physical forgeries from the real thing. Electronic versions are data-encrypted with a special code lock and require a special hardware key to be unlocked, thus making even electronic forgeries difficult. -ld IE

Imperial Sunburst: The symbol of the Third Imperium established by Cleon (the first emperor) when the empire was proclaimed. Images show him standing before the original banner with a golden yellow sunburst against a black background, representing Capital's type G star against dark space.
In 247, the Eliyoh (a nonhuman minor race) joined the Imperium. To that race the symbology was unimpressive. The Eliyoh vision centered in the far infrared, which resulted in distinction between the official colors of black and yellow being impossible. So the Empress Porfiria declared that the symbol would have no official color.
The original banner in the Imperial throne room is still black with a yellow sunburst. The Imperial Interstellar Scout Service uses a red sunburst; the Imperial Navy, yellow; the Imperial Army, black; the Imperial Marines, maroon. -ld IE

Imperial Warrant: Instrument of power issued by Imperial dukes, archdukes, or the emperor. A warrant is a written or electronic document on Imperial stationery provided to trusted agents of the Imperium as a method of bypassing the bureaucracy.
Typically, a warrant is provided to an individual who uses the power it provides to accomplish some mission of interest to the issuing official. Missions may include establishment of colonies in areas requiring development, the assumption of military command in the midst of a crisis, and the unilateral establishment of new noble lines to administer provinces which have suffered from war or economic collapse.
For example, the late emperor Strephon sometimes exercised his power through agents rather than directly through the bureaucracy of the Imperium. These instances were rare, although there is reason to believe that such agents are more numerous than it appears. The Imperial warrant would contain a statement similar to the example below:
"Capital. The bearer of this warrant is acting for the good of the Imperium and the Emperor. Extend him every assistance. Strephon. "
See also Imperial Edict 97. -ld IE

Imperiallines: Interstellar shipping corporation serving worlds off the main trade routes of the Spinward Marches. Most class C starports in the Marches are served by Imperiallines. -ld TA

Instellarms, LIC: Manufacturing, buying, and selling military equipment of all sorts, Instellarms is a specialty supplier of private and public military units of all sizes and types. Agents of the firm can often be found on a battlefield, negotiating the purchase of the equipment of the losing side before the battle is completely over. The company does not deal in interstellar vessels or chemical, bacteriological, or nuclear weaponry.
Stock Ownership: Murdoch Holdings, LIC, 32 percent; Hortalez et Cie, 30 percent; noble families, 8 percent; Ling Standard Products, 6 percent; Ichiban Interstellar, LIC, 5 percent; GSbAG, 5 percent; Sternmetal Horizons, LIC, 8 percent; other, 6 percent. -mc RC

Interdiction: The Imperial practice of interdiction of worlds within the boundaries of the Imperium had long been a source of contention between liberal and conservative factions in the government. Interdictions must be approved by a member of the Imperial family, but generally such approval is given in response to a request from an interested service, which is almost always the Scouts or the Navy.
It is generally held that the Scouts recommend interdiction to shield a young or sensitive culture from the interference that trade and commerce will bring.
The Navy is held to be more vindictive in its recommendations, for they use interdiction to punish local governments or to hide its own mistakes.
In the current turmoil of the divided Imperium, various regions are reclassifying some indicted worlds as open and some previously open worlds as interdicted. The Domain of Deneb, however, is honoring all Imperial interdicted worlds as before.
Interdicted worlds are awarded travel zone red ratings by the Travellers' Aid Society. -ld IE

Interstellar Governments ot Dark Nebula: The Aslan Hierate controls about half of the worlds in Dark Nebula Sector. The other major government is the Solomani Confederacy, controlling the trailing quarter of the Sector. These two trade actively, but sometimes diplomatic relations are strained. Most of the remaining worlds are non-aligned, with every possible attitude toward each other and their larger neighbors. Two small federations, the Ulane Hierate in Earle subsector and the Gerontocracy of Ormine in Akhlare subsector, complete the tally. -dn TD 17

Iolanthe (1052 to 1079): Empress of the Imperium. Iolanthe, the daughter of the senior duke of Gushemege sector, and member of a prominent Vilani noble family, married Strephon in 1079. Her primary avocation is the preservation of developing cultures within the Imperium. She was murdered, along with her husband the emperor and her daughter the grand princess, in Dulinor's assassination attack of 1116. -ld IE

Iouo (0624 Magyar A79A968-E): louo was formerly the capital of its subsector. An escalating war of economics and ideologies between it and Havaiikii (0523 Magyar B69A668-E) seemed likely to ruin both worlds. In 1069, sector authorities stepped in, moving the subsector government four parsecs away to Gobi, and placing both worlds under military rule. A trade commission was appointed to mediate the economic disputes, but they found that the root of the war seemed instead to be in conflicting political philosophies.
The subsector govemment workers are not terribly pleased whh their new location on a near-desert planet, after the gorgeous waterworld they had known. But the younger employees are being recruited from Gobi hself, and many say the older workers are just "too soft." -mag TD 14

Iraisafeie (1527 Ealiyasiyw B8C22MA-A): The hellish chlorine atmosphere of Iraisafeie enshrouds a xenophobic minor race, the Huosua. Their alien metabolism and unpleasant natural weaponry make them fast, deadly killers. The atmosphere hampers sensor scans, making an accurate count of their numbers impossible; they aren't listed in the world's population. Although currently at a Stone Age level of development, the Huosua have nevertheless proved to be a threat to the Teralyah clan's mining engineers. -eal TD 18

Iridium Throne: The symbol of the continuing line of emperors of the Third Imperium. The physical throne was originally an iridium construction on which the emperor sat. Over time, the term has come to represent not only the emperor's throne, but the office of the emperor himself. -ld IE

Irila (2211 Vland B568003-9): Irila is a virtual park planet, boasting beautiful natural scenery and animal life totally unafraid of humans. It was bought outright by a conservation society of the First Imperium and the charter has passed into Sharurshid's hands unchanged.
Although Sharurshid now operates the world as a tourist attraction for profit, it is maintained as naturally as possible. -vla V&V

Irilitok: Language and cultural region in the Vargr Extents. Violently anti-Vargr attitudes made Vargr settlements rare during the Long Night in Mendan, Gashikan, and parts of Trenchans and Amdukan.
About -1000, humaniti began taking Vargr as slaves, selecting those with a more "human-like" appearance. These were Vargr with large, "expressive" eyes, shorter snouts, and a reduced tendency to stoop. On some worlds where their reproduction was left unchecked, the slave population eventually grew to dominate the world. At the same time, additional Vargr from Meshan began moving into the region as attitudes relaxed.
Especially since the Julian War, this group is known for having the most cooperative inclinations with humaniti. They also tend to be the most comfortable Vargr for humans to deal with. Elsewhere, Vargr and humans generally segregate themselves into their own societies. In this region, the division between Vargr and human societies is blurred, and on some worlds all but absent. -cul V&V

Irrgh Manifest: The Irrgh Manifest is a sizable and long-established interstellar state occupying the rimward portion of Provence Sector. From its capital at Igunfaksa (1731 Provence), the Irrgh Manifest has dominated politics in Aenkuk and Voudzeur subsectors since its inception in the early 400s. The state is named after the charter that created it.
The Irrgh Manifest is a heated enemy of the Glory of Taarskoerzn. Before the Rebellion era, the Taarskoerzn state held a small area of space along the spinward border of the Windhorn Rift.
But in 1117, the Taarskoerzn government hired corsairs to drive a safe path through Irrgh territory toward the Imperium. This starlane effectively divided Irrgh operations. The spinward half eventually allied itself with the neighboring Dzarrgh Federate after early border disputes. The larger trailing portion of the Manifest, including Igunfaksa, tried to avoid alliances and struck into Corridor independently.
Eventually, like most raiding groups, the trailing fraction of Irrgh territory fell under the dominance of the Depot-backed Vaenggvae corsairs. As the Vaenggvae were originally associated with the Glory of Taarskoerzn, this domination has humiliated the Irrgh leadership. -pro V&V
A sizable and long-established interstellar state in Provence sector, the Manifest is bordered by two enemies: the Domain of Deneb and the Glory of Taarskoerzn. The Irrgh-Taarskoerzn rivalry has existed since Glory forces cut a channel through the Manifest toward the Domain. If not for the terms of alliance imposed by the Vaenggvae, the Irrgh navy would focus its wrath on the Taarskoerzn worlds. As it is, though, the Irrgh forces have no choice but to lay siege to the human worlds in Corridor - a task which they have adopted with great zeal. -sidebar MTJ 2

Isee (0833 Diaspora C334840-D): Soloman/Cumberan tensions have escalated into war on this balkanized world. Although Isee's major powers have remained outside the primary conflicts, their allegiances are revealed by their choice of allies and dependent states. Various mercenary units are on-planet now, spearheading offensives in small, second-rate nations that are ideological surrogates of the larger governments.
Most dreaded of these units are Torchevskeyev's Tacklers, a crack Solomani mercenary battalion with a 431 year history of victory and viciousness. The Tacklers are employed by a small but wellfinanced country. A threatened neighbor has put out a desperate call for mercenaries and other troubleshooters who can to deter this menace. So far, only one Cumberan grav armor troop has responded. -AGD

Ishimshulgi (2021 Solomani Rim E200478-7): This world used to have a thin atmosphere and a few oceans, before the Terran corporation GenAssist attempted improvements.
Several centuries ago, the corporation attempted to "encourage" a native lifeform which fixed nitrogen into the soil for use by the local plants. The lifeform was not widespread or prolific, and corporate personnel were hoping to encourage it in order to expand the local agricultural regions. GenAssist genetically altered the bacteria for prolificity. The alterations worked, and in a few short years, the entire soil surface was fixing nitrogen at a prodigious rate - an alarming rate. GenAssist tried desperately to create an "antidote" lifeform, but to no avail. In a bizzare twist of events, one of the "antidote" attempts mutated into a strain capable of storing oxygen in the soil. Within a century, the entire atmosphere of Ishimshulgi was locked in the world's crust.
The Ishimshulgians are understandably embittered at being driven into sealed habitats on what used to be a habitable planet. Many left the world when the debacle became obvious; the remainder filed a claim against Genassist that took the corporation years to pay off. The payments for damages have been used to "bubble-terraform" several locations on the planet's surface. -sr TD 13

Ishirdu (0338 Corridor X776301-0): Red Zone. The taint of radioactive gasses in the atmosphere of Ishirdu led to the evolution of the psionically gifted Irdu, who live in widely scattered woodland homes and supply their needs by telekinetic manipulations. The population of two thousand is optimum to them, and they maintain it carefully. Their psionic skills shocked the Scouts of the Rydel Expeditions, and the Navy interdicted the world, despite the non-agressive character of the Irdu. -cor EA

Istakar: One among many main courses in the Vilani haute cuisine. Very warm, thin slices of meat are served with an icecold sauce of sour berries. -cam MS

Ivan: Born in 580, named emperor by the Moot after defeat of Marava in the Battle of Sulgami (620), killed in battle in 621. -emp IE

Iyakhoryeh (2419 Riftspan Reaches B6396H5-D): In 3619 Aslan (1089 Imperial), the local Ahlaowyarl clan forcibly seized Eyeliys, a small moon of the system's outermost gas giant. Until that time, Eyeliys had belonged to the Eirakhtya, another local clan. The dispute quickly escalated into a full-scale khireahirlyo - a war of assassins.
The war lasted until 3623 Aslan (1092 Imperial), when an Eirakhtya assassin killed the commander of the Ahlaowyarl forces. Under the rules of the conflict, the Ahlaowyarl were forced to submit; Eyeliys was returned to the Eirakhtya.
Mystery still surrounds the original reason for the conflict. Eyeliys seems a worthless ball of ice. What interested the Ahlaowyari in taking the moon remains buried in the clan's most secret archives. Interestingly, Eirakhtya development of Eyeliys picked up after that clan regained control of the moon. -rr TD 19

Iystyos: An inexpensive intoxicant popular with Aslan spaceship crews. The grain from which it is brewed is native to Kusyu and has been imported to almost every Aslan world where it could be grown. The brew often causes hallucinations in humans who are unwary enough to try it. -dn TD 17