The Rim Dominion, commonly known as The Rim, is the outer region of the solar system that includes all planets (and their moons) that orbit beyond The Asteroid Belt.
The Rim has had a rocky relationship with the rest of The Society since its founding, reflected in the two Moon Lord Rebellions pushing for Rim independence. These rebellions were spurred on by a lack of Rim representation on Luna and trade sanctions remaining from the First Moon Lord Rebellion, among other things.
Composition[]
The Rim includes all of the outer planets and moons beyond the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This includes Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, and all of their respective moons. Only the moons are inhabited, as the planets are either ice or gas giants and cannot be terraformed.[1]
Only four of the Rim's sixty-seven inhabited moons have populations greater than 100 million.
It takes even the fastest of ships months to travel to the Rim from the Core.[2]
Dwarf Planets[]
The Rim also includes dwarf planets such as Pluto, some of which have settlements that are considered colonies of the Core. Mediocre students who graduate from The Institute as "Shamed" are often offered assignments stationed in the distant, hard dwarf planets to oversee the first years of terraforming.[3]
The Rim dominion at the beginning of Iron Gold
Government[]
There are with over one hundred and thirty cities in the Rim[4], spread out over sixty-seven moons.[5]
Hegemon[]
The position of Hegemon is the highest military office within the Rim Dominion, and holds total command of all Rim fleets ranging from the Rim's three armadas to the local garrisons of all planets and moons in the Dominion. Their authority is represented by the Spear of Akari, named for the man who held the post from its inception until he retired it sometime before his death. The post would be revived in February 755 PCE when Akari's descendant, Diomedes au Raa, was appointed to the position by the Moon Lords in response to Volsung Fá's invasion of Ilium.[6]
Decagon[]
The Decagon is the body responsible for passing legislation in Rim territory.[7]
Moon Council[]
Military[]
As of 743 PCE the Rim possessed roughly eight thousand Peerless Scarred soldiers.
As of 755 PCE, the Rim possessed a total of three armadas, the Dust Armada, the Dragon Armada, and the Shadow Armada.
Rim troop divisions are organized into specialized mobile legions known as Phalanxes.[8] Known Phalanxes include:
- Lightning Phalanx - commanded by Diomedes au Raa
- Phoenix Phalanx - commanded by Helios au Lux
Culture[]
Gold Ethics[]
Darrow's in-depth conversations with Lorn au Arcos and Romulus au Raa about societal beliefs and practices suggest that the majority of the Rim's Gold families have similar sentiments towards the Core.
Rim dwellers have a proud doctrine of honor and pride and are generally very disciplined in showing restraint against creature comforts. This dogma trickles into many aspect of Rim culture, for example, every meal the Raa family waits to eat once their food is served to show they are not slaves to their food.[9]
They believe the Core is barbaric and has corrupted itself with a sense of entitlement, straying far from the Iron Gold's who conquered Earth bringing peace to Earth for the first time in her history. They view their focus on emulating the Iron Golds as an admirable goal. A goal they believe the Gold families of the Core are failing at.[10]
"It's not what the ancestors intended. The Core-worlders are so desensitized to violence they've forgotten its to have a purpose. Violence is a tool. It is meant to shock, to change. Instead they normalize and celebrate it, and create a culture of exploitation where they are so entitled to sex and power that when they are told no, they pull a sword and do as they like." - Romulus au Raa [11]
Child Development[]
It is likely that many Gold families of the Rim raise their children under strict rules of self-discipline. Lorn au Arcos of Europa wasn't raised in a palace like his Luna-born peers, but rather in a humble home outside of any city. His father believed in the denial of creature comforts, technology, and all other exorbitant aspects of Core culture (like cell-rejuvenation), and raised Lorn and his siblings with the same values.[12]
Similarly, Romulus au Raa raised his seven children in his family's minimalist homes, with private tutors but no servants, surrounding them with educated conversations and an environment that discourages any sense of entitlement. His children were not allowed to watch holos before they turned 12-years old so that they could form their own opinions from their studies before they access the world.[11]
Military Honor[]
Military aptitude is important to the Rim. They believe in following the ancestor's example in military prowess to reinforce their authority, as well as for the protection and advancement of their economy.
Rim battle tactics rely on speed, surprise, and elegant attack runs, as opposed to the brute strength common in the core.
The Peerless Scarred leaders in the Rim smear the blood of their dead soldiers on their facial scar as a sign of respect.[13]
Many knights of the Rim collect weapons that have either killed their friends or wounded them personally.
Parting of the Shadow[]
The Parting of the Shadow, also known as the Expurgation of Fear, is a ritual held by Golds of the Rim before a major military battle. The ritual is dedicated to their ancestors, and involves all Gold commanders preparing to go into battle kneeling before each of them stands one at a time to shout their fears about the battle to come.
The ritual was first performed by Akari au Raa and his companions during the Conquering before the launch of the first Iron Rain. While Golds from the core are not excluded from participating, Lysander au Lune's liberation of Io in 755 PCE marked the first time any have done so since the Dark Revolt.
Lifestyle[]
Rim dominion Sigil
Physical Characteristics[]
Rim dwellers typically have paler skin, darker hair, and slightly larger eyes than people born in the Core.[10] They are also very lithe with long jaws, "as though someone took the clay of their visages and pressed them with a vice".[9] These characteristics are attributed to the fact The Rim is so far from the Sun and its stronger gravitational pull.
Architecture
Rim architecture is very minimalistic and serene. The homes in the Rim that have been described all had peaceful gardens, with smooth stone, functional fruit trees, and calming features, such as fountains and wind chimes. The furniture is also simple and most surfaces are hard. Romulus au Raa is said to use an ancient Roman stone as a pillow. The homes were also described as seeming very clean and the spaces respected by its inhabitants. When Darrow and Mustang meet for negotiations at the home of Romulus au Raa, everyone present removed their shoes before entering.[11]
"Odd seeing the boots of a dozen enemies stacked by the door. Like I've walked in on something very private." -- Darrow[11]
Agriculture[]
History[]
Background[]
The earliest known effort to colonize the Rim was the terraforming of Io, which began late in the first century PCE[14] using ice carved and transported from Europa. [15] The undertaking was led by Akari au Raa, whose house went on to become the moon's ruling family, and one of the major political leaders of Jupiter.
Two centuries after the Raa colonized Io, House Rhodes migrated to the Rim at the behest of House Lune.
The shipyards of Ganymede were first built in 497 PCE,[16] after which houses Raa and Codovan enjoyed a monopoly on starship production in the Rim.[17]
First Moon Lord Rebellion[]
Following the death of the sitting Sovereign Ovidius au Lune in 681 PCE at the hands of his daughter and successor Octavia, the ruling Gold houses of the Rim attempted to secede from The Society and achieve political independence from the Core. The first Moon Lord Rebellion lasted for several months, until it ended with the nuclear annihilation of Saturn's moon Rhea on August 26th by ArchImperator Magnus au Grimmus under Octavia's orders.
Martian Civil War[]
Second Moon Lord Rebellion[]
Battle of Ilium[]
The Solar War[]
Locations[]
- Known Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
- Known Moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Sinope, Thebe, Titan, Rhea, Iepatus, Triton
- Kuiper Belt
Trivia[]
It is a crime to own mirrors in the Rim. Mirrors are viewed as a device that will promote the obsession of oneself.[9]
Rim Golds on Io have a blend of Japanese and South African ancestry.[15]
References[]
- ↑ Red Rising - chapter 9
- ↑ Golden Sun - chapter 27
- ↑ Red Rising - chapter 15
- ↑ Light Bringer - chapter 85
- ↑ Morning Star - chapter 10
- ↑ Light Bringer - chapter 82
- ↑ Light Bringer - chapter 62
- ↑ Dark Age - chapter 06
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Iron Gold - chapter 36
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Morning Star - chapters 40-41
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Morning Star - chapter 41
- ↑ Golden Son - chapter 28
- ↑ Iron Gold - chapter 26
- ↑ Light Bringer - chapter 47
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Iron Gold - chapter 22
- ↑ Morning Star - chapter 49
- ↑ Sons of Ares: Volume 2 - Chapter 3