2. History
3. Culture
4. Military
5. Demographics
6. Politics
GEOGRAPHY
The Empire of Neo-Amalek is in southwest Asia, south of Turkey, north of the Arabian Peninsula, west of Iraq and east of Israel. It is about 600,000 square kilometres (231,600 square miles) of mainly desert, but has arable land in the north where subsistence agriculture is practiced. The climate is temperate in the north and very arid in the south.
HISTORY
Recorded Amalekite history began in Sefer Shemot - the Book of Exodus, a tract dating back to 1200 B.C. alleging Amalekite raiders attacked Hebrew slaves out of Egypt. This record was instrumental in urging massacres of Amalekites for centuries thereafter. In 700 B.C. the last recorded massacre took place and the Amalekite remnants broke away and lived in scattered villages. Most assimilated into neighbouring tribes, but a few stubbornly resisted mixing, remained in a few dozen Middle Eastern villages, and adopted the then-dominant Aramaic language. These tribes continued to conceal their identities for the next 2,700 years.
In 2011, Islamic extremists intent on creating a Middle Eastern Caliphate launched attacks on Arab governments. With the countries in turmoil and focusing more on each other than on tribes that had long since been essentially wiped out, the Amalekite populations resurfaced and began to search for the ruins of the Pentapolis (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Bela) as rallying points. By 2014, the ruined cities had been found and Gomorrah was declared the capital of the Empire of Neo-Amalek under King Agag DCLXVI (the 666th) (1975-2018), a socially reactionary leader who claimed direct descent from the original Amalekite monarch King Agag. When Agag DCLXVI was killed in a rockslide at age 43 while observing an archaeological dig in Zeboim, his 16-year-old son Agag DCLXVII (b. 2002) became King.
CULTURE
The official language of the Empire is Modern Aramaic. 75% of the population speaks it with some competence, with Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish, and Hebrew also known. Literacy is about 60%. Education reforms announced by King Agag DCLXVII aim to have 100% of Amalekites become literate in Aramaic and at least one other language in five years.
Amalekites dress in much the same way as Bedouins. Not only did this shield their identities for 2,700 years, but it offers protection from the sun and the desert heat. Ubiquitous Middle Eastern sports such as soccer are common, and camel racing is very popular.
Women enjoy the same legal rights as men under Imperial law (for example, they may drive if they can afford cars, they may vote for local officials, they may serve in the military and even hold office) but the view of women as sexual objects is still common. Amalekites disdain the Abrahamic religions (though millions of Muslims live in the Empire) so homosexuality, lesbianism, and transsexuality are accepted.
Religion is free, though the Abrahamic religions, especially Judaism, tend to be met with mistrust. The Empire is nominally pagan and the King is the High Priest of Moloch, but only about a third of the population are pagan.
MILITARY
The largest branch of the Amalekite military is the Imperial Army, currently 90,000 strong. While most leftover military equipment to fall into Imperial hands is Soviet arms over 60 years old, they have recently adopted the Leopard 2 tank and the Sequoia Weaponworks G500. The soldiers are currently undergoing professionalisation and plan to increase in size.
The Imperial Air Force numbers about 10,000 personnel flying MiG-29 and Su-30 fighter planes, and lack heavy bombers beyond the Tu-22M. They seem to be focused on repelling land and sea invasions and have little focus on offensive operations.
The Imperial Navy is the smallest branch of all, with 47 warships and 1,000 personnel. Most of these ships are smaller patrol vessels, but expansion is underway.
Ranks of the Imperial Armed Forces
Army
Imperial rank / UK rank (for comparison)
High General / Field Marshal
General / General
Dux / Lieutenant General
Legate / Major General
Sub-Legate / Brigadier
Prefect / Colonel
Sub-Prefect / Lieutenant Colonel
Senior Centurion / Major
Centurion / Captain
Sub-Centurion / Lieutenant
Immunes / Second Lieutenant
Air Force
Imperial rank / UK rank (for comparison)
Mushir / Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Fariq Awwal/ Air Chief Marshal
Fariq / Air Marshal
Liwa' / Air Vice-Marshal
'Amid / Air Commodore
'Aqid / Group Captain
Muqaddam / Wing Commander
Ra'id / Squadron Leader
Naqib / Flight Lieutenant
Mulazim Awwal / Flying Officer
Mulazim / Pilot Officer
Navy
Arch-Navarch / Admiral of the Fleet
Navarch / Admiral
Sub-Navarch / Vice-Admiral
Vice-Navarch / Rear Admiral
Fleet Captain / Commodore
Commander / Captain
Subcommander / Commander
Vice-Commander / Lieutenant Commander
Anthypoploiarchos / Lieutenant
Simaioforos / Sublieutenant
DEMOGRAPHICS
The Empire is relatively heterogeneous racially and religiously. The ethnic distribution is 50% Arab, 30% Amalekite, 5% Kurdish, 5% Turkish, 5% African, 5% other. The religious distribution is 35% Amalekite Neo-Pagan, 25% atheist, 15% Muslim, 10% Christian, 5% Jewish, 10% other.
POLITICS
The King is de jure an absolute monarch. However, his power is limited in practice by that of generals, powerful local politicians, the clergy, and popular religious organisations. He is attempting to set up a parliament without allowing the Abrahamic religions too much power.