Volume IV: The Draconis Combine Today
Fact Sheet
Founding Year: 2319
Capital (City, World): Imperial City, Luthien
National Symbol: A green, Asian-style dragon head coiled in a red field
Location (Terra relative): Coreward-Spinward Quadrant
Total (Inhabited) Systems: 243
Estimated Population (3130): 729,000,000,000
Government: Autocracy (Japanese feudal stylings)
Ruler: Coordinator Vincent Kurita
Dominant Language(s): Japanese (official), Arabic, English
Dominant Religion(s): Shinto (official), Buddhism, Muslim
Unit of Currency: Ryu (1 ryu = 0.94 C-Bills)

New Samarkand, the world where it all began an amazing nine centuries ago, lies beneath the glow of a yellow-white subgiant. On a clear day, the skies overhead are almost turquoise, gradually recovering the azure blue seen by the planet’s first colonists, before centuries of rampant industrialization pumped billions of tons of harmful fluorocarbons into the upper atmosphere. Hillsides outside the capital city of Yamashiro, birthplace of the first Coordinator of the Draconis Combine, and once the seat of imperial power, are green once more, reclaiming land long marred by the empty shells of forgotten buildings. In the centuries following the relocation of the Combine capital from this place to distant Luthien, this world had become a proverbial “ghost planet,” though one with a population just over one billion strong.

In the years after the Jihad, the Combine pieced together many of the worlds shattered by the Word of Blake fanatics, including the capital planet of Luthien. In the interim, Combine rulers returned to their roots on New Samarkand, revitalizing this tired and forgotten world. Even though the seat of power is once more the “Black Pearl” of Luthien, the all-too-brief return to prominence can still be felt and seen on this ancient, almost hallowed world.

The pride it takes to rebuild obliterated cities, on worlds nearly rendered uninhabitable by nuclear bombs and natural disasters, is part and parcel of the hard-working, proud spirit of the Draconis Combine. It is a pride that once had its roots in oppression--a government-sponsored effort to force people into conformity--but what exists today is far more than that.

What makes the people of the Combine so proud is the deep sense of honor and duty that pervades all levels of its society. More than almost any other society in the Inner Sphere, life in the Combine is structured and stratified by a caste system that provides a place even for the most nonconformist citizens. From the highest levels of government, even including the noble House Kurita itself, to the lowest menial laborer, beggar, or thief, all are regarded as an important facet of the greater whole.

At the top of this rigid social order sit the kuge, the nobility, who command and guide the realm in politics and in war. Just below them, the buke (warriors) serve as the Dragon’s muscle, both in a military and paramilitary capacity, defending the realm against threats of every kind. The middle classes, including professionals such as merchants, corporate CEOs, manufacturers, and doctors, form an important third tier that in other cultures might be classified as “white collar.” Though highly educated and esteemed for their contributions, even these talented individuals are nothing without the henin, or worker caste, whose sweat and skills make life possible.

The fifth caste, the so-called Unproductives, is an equally important part of Combine life, despite its dubious title. This is a caste not only of criminals, but also refugees and immigrants, or higher caste members demoted for some dishonor or subversion. If for no other reason than to elevate themselves to a better caste, Unproductives--such as the infamous Ghost Regiments who blur the distinction between the Unproductive and warrior castes--strive harder for recognition, and their efforts on behalf of the Draconis Combinesimply cannot be discounted.

As foreign a concept as having an officially recognized caste that everyone wants to get out of might be to some, one must understand the core values of the Draconis Combine and its people. Duty, honor, patriotism: These common values, ingrained in the neosamurai culture of the Combine, have penetrated every strata of Dragon society so completely that its citizens cannot help but absorb these tenets to some degree. Even today, and even among those cultural groups that resisted efforts to “Japanize” the entire Combine, this sense of duty to the whole forms the basis of the average citizen’s self-worth. So that he or she may one day be elevated, an Unproductive may work longer hours, enlist in some form of military or paramilitary service, or possibly even risk life and limb for the benefit of other citizens.

On the streets of New Samarkand, once overrun by yakuza and roving bandits, homes built in the classical Japanese architecture, pristine in bold colors of white and red and almost all uniform in appearance, line streets that are immaculately swept, matching beautifully kept lawns with evenly cut hedges. Every day, just one hour before sunset, a man can be seen hard at work in his stone garden out front of one such house. He is just over 90 years old, and his once-raven hair has long since grayed and all but disappeared. Age has stooped him low, but he toils every evening nonetheless, a sense of pride filling every stroke of his rake. He is Taro Nusaka, and he helped build this community. Once, he was a member of the Unproductives.

In his native Japanese, Taro smiles as he tells of the day the local Friendly Persuaders--the Combine’s colorfully dressed, yet well-armed and trained civilian police force--conscripted him and others in his street gang to the revitalization project. The Dragon was finally calling upon its forgotten sons and daughters. Their chance to serve had come at last. Their reward? A life off the streets, the promise of more work in the future--a return to a civilization they themselves helped to build.

To Taro, those decades of reconstruction spared him a life as some yakuza foot soldier, and spared his fellow citizens on New Samarkand from a life in squalor. Pride, Taro says, was his greatest reward, though he did rise above the ranks of the Unproductives. He found a job in city administration, met a fine woman named Kiria, and settled down in a house his own hands helped build. They had children who have long since grown to contribute in their own way to the common good. Karma was realigned. Where else, Taro asks, can one get such a second chance?

Contrary to popular belief, the Draconis Combine is not an exclusively Japanese warrior society, though the existence of the caste system might lead one to think so. The past efforts to enforce Japanese mores and impose the Dictum Honorium merely established a “state” culture that others coexist alongside. For instance, the Azami, a Muslim society descended from the Middle East and North Africa regions on prespaceflight Terra, have clung to their customs and traditions despite centuries of repression, and have earned their right to identity and a degree of self-governance. Near the Combine’s periphery borders, a large Russian populace exists, lending their own unique flavor to the local customs and attitudes. And along the border with the Rasalhague Dominion, the customs of Clan Nova Cat are still observed. This balance of uniformity and diversity is a hallmark of Combine society, bringing together different beliefs and values under a single, guiding influence.

At its heart, the Draconis Combine, like any great and ancient nation, is a study of contrasts, more than the sum of the events that shaped it. Raised by equal parts blood and sweat, and bent to the iron will of the ruling Kurita dynasty through wisdom and war, this realm has attained a unity and strength of purpose that cannot be denied or understated. It is a place where order reigns, hand in hand with honor and power, where even an Unproductive, a gaijin, can contribute to the beauty and grandeur of something truly everlasting. In this way, the Combine’s soul is every bit as immortal as the dragon that is its symbol.

In our next four-part series, our tour through the history and cultures of the Inner Sphere will take us to the Wolf Clan Occupation Zone. Please join us as we continue our tour of the stars! I’m Bertram Habeas.