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Lore of the Ministry
Little is known about the Ministry of Innovation. Very little… at least, to the outside world.
The Ministry of Innovation was at first established in an attempt to gather the rather disjointed minds of the Imperium and streamline funding for them. At first, it was operating as a research group that meant to simply provide for the other Ministries and the Imperium itself through their work. That of course was a preposterous idea. Gathering all the smartest beasts in one place leads to them being able to communicate, exchange ideas and information, and scheme and cooperate together. And with them being the most brilliant, it didn’t take long before they had far surpassed their goals.
While from the beginning their work was classified, hidden from others, very quickly it was agreed that secrecy is paramount. The first year of their work, one that mostly was spent on establishing the way the Ministry would work, resulted in the formation of the Committee. The scholars less interested in politics were keen on letting it exist and manage the everyday operations while they could continue research in the quickly forming divisions.
And with that came the rise of the Avantists: those who wished to rule the Imperium and the world through technology, utilizing science to optimize society for the benefit of the world. At first the Committee, fully accepted by the first Minister of Innovation, Colonel Arbach, was exclusively made of Avantists who promptly utilized the earliest research the Ministry had provided to generate wealth. Be it by creating poisons, finding out how to take out a beast of specific species, optimizing ship designs, or inventing new sources of income for the Imperium, the Ministry always operated on the premise that their goal is greater than the steps they take.
For the longest time, it meant that the Ministry wasn’t taken too seriously; they never took part in anything grand, being seen as a scientific society more than actual political estate. However, the Committee were dutifully managing what they had to establish a massive complex on the isle of Magh. That was where their headquarters were moved and where the real work could begin.
Only here, the Ministry became what it is now within the underground halls and secret complexes scattered across the island, only accessible through underground tunnels or vents that were typically filled with traps and poisons, ending at positions with guards or Savants. Savants were created from the more scholarly inclined soldiers and sailors of the nation and given access to both tech and training. They are an unorthodox, yet elite force that provides security internally and solves problems externally. Outside of that however, many spies were trained using the research into social sciences, their goal being very simple: find all the technology that may be developed outside of the Ministry and bring it back.
With those tools, an enormous research and industrial base on Magh, as well as general lack of suspicion from any other ministry or other country, MinoInn could finally begin their grand plan: sending out spies and cooperating with other Ministries to achieve control over technological advancement. Their goal was of course very ambitious, but the hundreds of scholars, scientists, researchers and engineers all had it drilled into their minds. It was not easy to keep their operations a secret any more—a balance was needed to both keep the Ministry valuable enough to maintain funding and official support while keeping the real work hidden.
The work of the Ministry of Innovation revolutionized society, and it is commonly said that it was their contributions that allowed for the recent, sudden technological growth in all fields: medical knowledge, new technologies, new theorems and laws of nature, even smaller yet still impactful things such as designs for sewer systems or sturdier construction materials. It all was designed, produced and provided to the Imperium courtesy of Innovation work over time, cooperating with the Ministry of Commerce to manufacture even more things.
But the best of the best was always staying within the Ministry of Innovation. The tech they give away is at best dated compared to what they have already achieved and out-of-date when compared to what they are working on. That however does not mean that there aren’t independent scholars who also contribute to science. It only means that once they do so, they usually have to comply with the Ministry if they want their research to go anywhere.
The only exception does occur in a crisis scenario. The Revolution period was one where the Committee agreed to give out a lot more than then they used to, as well as developing new technology for the war effort. They also assist in the case of famines, plagues or other disasters. After all, a dead or destroyed country would not be able to finance them more.
In 1765, after ten years of Ministry control under Duke Talinn Ryalor, there was a push to replace him with a Minister from within Innovation ranks. The Committee had tolerated his leadership, as he did his job as a mediator and administrator, allowing for the Ministry to do their work. However, they had been intentionally placing spies and developing influence in order to enact the second stage of their long term plan, the details of which were apparent to only a pawful of beasts within the Ministry.
Before the Revolution, in the turmoil of the ‘20s and ‘30s, as the society progressed and so did the philosophical thought, a new movement started among the concerned doctors who worked on new treatments within the Ministry, one that stood firmly against the goal of the majority of those within Innovation. The idea those within this movement was that the technology they build should not be used to rule but instead used to change the world altruistically.
It was called idealistic and foolish by the old guard, but with the suffering of that period and then the Revolution, it received support. The Positivists, as they’ve named themselves, quickly got to the Committee in sizable numbers.
During this upheaval of the order, those solely interested in performing science ever since the Ministry was formed could finally also speak their minds. The Bohemians, as they called themselves, were not organized, nor rallied. Bohemians simply came to existence as some minds rejected the other two groups and their politics, instead wanting to do the science for the sake of it.
As literacy and education became a norm within the Imperium, Innovation began to intake recruits from all around the world and massively bolster their ranks. The age of innovation had begun, and the Ministry had to do their absolute best to make it as controlled as possible. While they could not make all scientists, innovators, and scholars work for them while silencing all others any longer, they simply coerced the Imperium to adapt. If one wishes to achieve anything scientifically, they have to sign an agreement for publication and disclosure with the Ministry. If they don’t, they simply will be either dealt with should they gather clout… or won’t ever get such recognition.
With three distinct groups, the committee had to make some compromises. The original dream still lives on and is pursued; Avantists are after all still in charge, with eighteen of them in the Committee consisting of thirty beasts. With nine Positivists and three Bohemians, however, it was much harder to pursue the vision of the original founders of the Ministry of Innovation.
Information for those who wish to play a scientifically aligned character:
The Ministry of Innovation is overbearing in their control of scientific progress. It is difficult to be a rogue scientist/innovator without the Ministry taking interest and either enforcing cooperation or cracking down.
That is to say, one can be a scholar while not being a member of the Ministry. The scholar simply has to sign an agreement with Innovation, one that makes it so any research of theirs will either go through the patent office first or be sent for approval. While Innovation doesn’t always allow for that research to become public, they do make sure to generously reward any breakthrough and are fair in the agreement, following the rules of said agreement to the dot.
Should one wish to join the Ministry itself, they will get funding, support, and often a team to work on projects, as well as equipment and knowledge in accordance with the clearance level. The Ministry actively scouts for talents. Having agents both in the VI and outside of it working to get the brightest of minds to the Magh allows them to both flourish and also improve the position of the Ministry itself.
Being highly meritocratic, a brilliant beast can go far in the Ministry itself, with higher clearance levels having more freedom to work and operate in addition to receiving more funding.
However, should one choose that path, Ministry will very heavily punish a beast for any insubordination and betrayal of the secrecy it holds. Working for the Ministry also means regular visits to its laboratories on Magh. After all, it is the place where all the science must be accumulated.
Relations and cooperation with other Ministries:
The Ministry of Innovation, while mostly keeping to itself and its own devices, does not shy from cooperating with other Ministries when there is obvious mutual interest or any matter requiring Innovation’s advances.
Probably the biggest external effort the Ministry of Innovation shares is managing education within the Imperium. While it is a matter that is primarily run by the Ministry of Niceties, Innovation due to their belief in consolidating science under their rule does heavily influence it. As such, curriculum and schools, especially universities, are thoroughly checked and more than often managed by the members of the Ministry, with all teachers having to sign agreements with them. Niceties still is responsible for running them, Innovation primarily serves as a control body to ensure no knowledge beyond what they allow is being shared or developed.
Due to the same reasons, the Ministry of Innovation shares their medical research with Niceties doctors. Ensuring they have access to the best tools and knowledge that Innovation wants to provide them. All doctors need to be approved by a board of experts that combines members of both ministries and any medical developments are also being first funneled to Innovation as per agreements those doctors sign.
The Ministry of Innovation does develop a lot of technologies and breakthroughs that have the ability to improve standards of living for all beasts in the Imperium. While manufacturing them is still primarily something that the Ministry does itself, slowly but steadily, in cooperation with both Ministries of Commerce and Niceties, those new solutions to societal problems are being rolled out and even sometimes (though with heavy oversight) allowed to be used by private investors.
The Ministry of Innovation does after all run the patent office, managing it with the Ministry of Justice. It is the primary tool to control industrialization and avoid it becoming too rampant.
The Ministry of Innovation does however heavily work on industrializing the Imperium, working with the Ministry of Commerce and slowly giving technologies and tools to accomplish them. Of course it slows down the rate of industrialization and makes it heavily influenced by the Ministry, but it does also assure that development doesn’t result in rapid monopoly creations.
After all, the Ministry wishes to keep a monopoly on technology itself. Which is also why they are also dabbling in weapon manufacturing. Albeit they do not control it, they do participate in developing new types of boats, cannons and so on. There is some conflict/cooperation with the Technical Branch of the Ministry of War's Directorate of Military Information as the Innovation is of course seeing them as a potential danger to their own goals.
And for all those who do not comply, the Ministry of Innovation has their agents. Ones who recruit both within and outside of VI, conduct industrial and intellectual sabotage if needed and use vast resources, with help from the Ministry of Misanthropy, to ensure that VI, or rather the Ministry of Innovation, stays the most advanced place. Their headquarters on the isle of Magh do include training grounds that are often rumoured to be shared with Misanthropy agents.
Innovation does love their secrets, they are probably only second to the Ministry of Misanthropy in that regard. As such their agents are primarily spies who often come from the recruiting pool of Misanthropy programmes. It is also why those two Ministries co-fund the Occult Division. It exists to put the more deluded, yet brilliant minds in their ranks to work on questions of existentialism and reality.
Quick note on the spies and Savants:
Innovation spies are usually former or active scientists that are meant to do industrial espionage and sabotage. They do not have competences to do complex operations like Misanthropy does and need assistance from Ministry of Niceties or Misanthropy for some operations that require more complex skills.
Savants are typically trained with unconventional or modern weaponry. They are all very skilled fighters, but their strength lies in being highly independent, specialized rangers. They are usually given a task and free reign in achieving it. Due to their rather impressive education and access to Innovation tech, it isn’t uncommon for the solution to be explosive or impressive engineering-wise. That being said, they rarely leave Magh, as their primary duty is in protecting the island and Ministry secrets.
Inner Factions write-up:
Avantists/Technocrats (Led by moderate Nicolas “The Lion” of Iron Pit):
The oldest and most entrenched faction within the Ministry, existing ever since it was established. It gathers the brightest and most able minds who are focused on logic, progress, and merit. Their primary goal is to conclude science to further improve every aspect of society. However, said improvement is usually considered just efficiency. Technocrats would love a society where the most intelligent and knowledgeable rule and run everything in a scientific, optimized fashion. Within the Ministry they are popular among all, save for fields that are softer like medicine, biology, or social engineering. They are responsible for most operations of the Ministry.
Positivists:
A reaction movement to the dominant technocrats. The Positivists started among the medical researchers and soon spread among the other echelons of the Ministry, especially after the Revolution. Mostly gathering younger and more open minds, Positivists see themselves as heralds of change. They wish to develop society through their inventions and discoveries, yet they firmly believe in equality and work from the bottom. To them, any society is only as strong as the weakest beast in it, and they, being the more able and capable ones, should do everything in their power to strengthen the weak ones. As such, they are egalitarian, focused on education for all, not just for the best, and work on inventions that could serve all beasts, either by replacing them in dangerous tasks or by making their everyday lives easier. They are ones responsible for schools and medicine in cooperation with the Ministry of Niceties, albeit they are kept in check by Avantists.
Bohemians:
Definitely the most dangerous of the three. One born from the anarchic ideas creeping through literature into the minds of the scientific community. Bohemians refuse restrictions or the notion that science needs a goal. They believe science should be done for the sake of science itself. Thus they seek the most obscure, dangerous, or ethically questionable fields and theorems to work with. Bohemians also dabble in what is most interesting to them, no matter if there is a goal or actual benefit to it. One thing can be said for certain, they are the happiest of the bunch. At the same time, while they are in the Ministry due to their brilliance and occasional breakthrough of the century (and attempt to keep them in check), they do not believe in borders or any artificial things keeping the progress at bay. They believe research should be done for fun and by everyone who desires to do so, and this mindset clashes badly with the Technocrats who want to control it all as well as Positivists whose work is meant to improve lives. They work alongside the Ministry of Misanthropy to run the Occult Division within Misanthropy as a joint operation.
System of Clearances:
Just like in other Ministries, members of the Ministry of Innovation have their system of ranks, referred to as Clearances, which specify how much trust the Ministry has in a beast. The higher the Clearance, the more one is allowed to know and thus one is able to take on more responsibility. Most do, but some have a high Clearance while choosing to maintain a lower position within the Ministry. Beasts doing so just have to accept that they will be under constant investigation due to how suspicious their act is. The clearances go as follows:
-Clearance Alpha: Given to new or temporary members of Ministry as well as to all clerks that operate it. It grants entry and access to information that are declassified and considered needed for one’s work. It also is given to all the surface guards.
-Clearance Beta: First proper clearance that gives ability to request knowledge from the archives (albeit it still is decided if one can get such knowledge). Usually getting this Clearance means a beast is going to stay with the Ministry, and as such that is the most common rank that actual scientific staff has. They need not to know about the machinations of the Ministry beyond their inner politics. This clearance is also one that all Savants have.
-Clearance Gamma: Given to those who have excelled at their tasks and shown scientific aptitude. Most heads of research projects have this Clearance and, due to it, they are allowed some insight into deeper machinations of the Ministry. They know of the espionage programs, at least those that directly affect their field of work. Typically that is where the journey of most Ministry members ends.
-Clearance Delta: First one that is reserved only for those hand picked by the Committee. Beasts at this level of Clearance are allowed to work on classified projects and take part in the special operations. While still limited, all beasts of Delta Clearance know how deep and how insane Ministerial reach is, both in all secret tech as well as secret operations.
-Clearance Epsilon: This clearance gives one full insight into the machinations of the Ministry. It is only ever held by exactly thirty beasts who form the Committee. They are the ones who decide who is given what Clearance, who should have access to what information, and also they run and manage all the espionage and joint projects with other Ministries. For all regular matters, this is the governing body of the Ministry.
-Clearance Omega: Only given to the Minister of Innovation. That gives them full, unrestricted access to anything within the Ministry as well as the ability to override any decision or ruling by the Committee. Ultimately it is not often the case, as the Minister has full right to dismiss and appoint new members of the Committee, thus usually it works towards the same goals as them.
One cannot be downgraded from higher clearance to lower one. Should any betrayal happen, it is assured such a beast would never leave Magh nor be able to communicate with anyone. They also are relegated to lower positions and put under surveillance.
