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The Ministry of Niceties, Cultures, Arts, and Informations–also known as the MinoNice or simply Niceties–runs the Imperium's museums, colleges, libraries, Opera House, as well as its newspaper, The Saturday Evening Smelt, and the National Archives. It also manages a limited welfare system for orphans, the insane, and those who cannot work. The Ministry is generally seen to both safeguard and keep sacred the Imperium’s values. Values which have never changed since its inception and never will change, as they have been promulgated by the Emperors and now Empress herself. All that has changed is their interpretation over time, which under the current Empress have reached their true and correct form.
It is run by the Minister of Niceties, who maintains a civilian workforce and an educated and honorable Faction known as the Unsmudgables, or “Smudgies”, who are said to brook no injustice and regularly carry out works of diplomacy, charity, and even vigilantism. In the past, the leader of the Unsmudgables, the Blademaster, was the bridge between Niceties and the Faction and answered only to the Minister themselves. Changes to the Ministry over the years, however, have greatly increased Ministerial oversight within the Unsmudgables, and the Blademaster position was eliminated entirely. Under the Empress, the Ministry has expanded its reach and influence within the Imperium and even beyond its borders, taking part in a sweeping cultural revolution to advance various Imperial agendas including greater inclusion of woodlanders and bolstering the reputation of the Imperium as both a military and cultural power in the region. Niceties is the second-largest Ministry whose power and influence nears that of the Ministry of War.
History of the Ministry of Niceties
Excerpt from the “Emperor’s Manual” a mysterious and very old book held by the MinoNice in the Forbidtomes Vault.
...there was, of course, a problem. While the twelve young beasts had saved the Emperor from the Corum Quatorum’s hostile take-over, there was really no way to acknowledge the feat without compromising the throne's authority. The Emperor thus decided to give the group, who called themselves the "Unsmudgables" due to their undisputed incorrigibility, an official charter to operate in defense of whatever cause they saw fit—as long as they would uphold the truths of justice and morality in their actions and deeds. The Emperor, who was hardly more upright than his would-be murderers, did this mainly out of fear for himself, lest the Unsmudgables turn their cunning and skill with arms against his own purposes. The Twelve Beasts, chief of which was the fabled Wildekat Legume, also realized something: they could not work a charter and keep a watchful eye on the Corum unless one of their members sat in some seat of power under the Emperor. It was then that they requested a new Ministry, the last Ministry to be added to the Imperium, rendering the ancient body of four into the "Corum Quinquorum." Being artists, writers, lovers of history and music, and protectors of the true word, the Ministry they requested was to protect culture and information, which had too long been controlled by the greedy wiles of the War and Misanthropy Ministers. The Emperor didn’t hesitate a moment, but granted their request outright and installed their leader not a day later, during the second month of that year...
The first Minister of Niceties was a diminutive rat by name of Chester Larzenbright, who was close friend and second-in-command to Wildekat Legume.
The Unsmudgables
The Unsmudgables were formed in the earliest seasons of the Imperium, during the collapse of the Corrupt Senate and the establishment of Milarkus, the first Emperor. In the words of a previous Blademaster, Alastor Halb, the Unsmudgables were founded by "those who believed in themselves, rather than the corrupt world around them." These unknown beasts held themselves to extremely high standards in terms of both moral conduct and fighting ability.
The Unsmudgables' original purpose was a military one; in fact, the messy, sprawling network of tunnels beneath Bully Harbor that once served as their headquarters was previously a command bunker. Any blueprints of the original complex that might have existed have been lost; not even the MinoNice knows all of the passageways. It is, however, fairly well-known that nearly all of the passageways were once (and some perhaps still are) booby-trapped, and that most at one time contained at least one puzzle of an artistic nature, making the old headquarters incredibly difficult to infiltrate.
A large portion of the tunnel complex was destroyed during the Winter War. Subsequent changes in years following the war to the functioning of the Ministry saw many of the tunnels abandoned, some collapsing, others being walled off. Unsmudgables headquarters was moved to a large wing of the Imperial museum, where it still resides. Because the Ministry of Niceties has its own Misstertrosse gulls, communication between the Smudgies’ headquarters in Zann’s Backyard and the Ministry building in the Imperial Upper Condos district is swift despite the distance between them. It is also rumored that some of the extant tunnels connect the two locations, but such rumors are unverified.
In the past several decades, the function and purpose of the Unsmudgables has expanded, as has the size of the Faction. While there are elite fighters within the Smudgies, many beasts of a variety of skillsets have joined the ranks for a variety of purposes such as diplomacy, charity, subterfuge, and others.
The Unsmudgables themselves are loosely organized and far more egalitarian than factions such as the Guard. While there are ranks within the Smudgies, they are typically only implemented during scenarios where a clear chain of command is necessary and are otherwise largely ignored.
Organization of the Smudgies
There are six categories of professions within the Unsmudgables, with three tiers each. Each category is designed for a group of beasts within a subset of skills. The professions of the Unsmudgables are listed below:
Rangeblades: Deadly marksbeasts whose sense of honor is as true as their aim. Supportive of education in survival and thriving against all odds.
Bladedancers: Accomplished swordsbeasts, as trustworthy as the steel of their blades. They are frequently patrons of the arts and encourage freedom of expression.
Longblades: Experienced polearm fighters whose skill with polearms matches their shining moral code. They are also trained in advanced medical skills and techniques.
Stealthblades: Beasts willing and capable of subterfuge, intelligence-gathering, spycraft, or even assassination when it is called for.
Songblades: The main diplomatic, outreach, and propaganda branch of the faction. Frequently they also work closely with the other professions in consulting and advisory roles.
Skillblades: Jacks of all trades, masters of none. They can take on most roles without as much specialization while also filling in the gaps and often taking on tasks that require skillsets outside the norm.
Uniforms
There is no designated uniform on duty or otherwise, as it is generally believed that Unsmudgables can perform their duties in clothing of their own choosing, but one can mostly always spot an Unsmudgable by their badge.
Badges
For each profession within the faction, a specific silver badge is allotted to be worn at the discretion of the beast in the profession. Each one has a jewel at the centre, and the colours/jewels are indicative of rank. Emerald is for regular members of the faction, ruby for adept members, and sapphire for a commander.
Rangeblade: Five arrows
Bladedancer: Two crossed swords
Longblade: Crossed halberd and glaive
Stealthblade: Silver dagger
Songblade: Scroll with a quill and olive branch crossed overtop
Skillblade: Five pointed star
It is run by the Minister of Niceties, who maintains a civilian workforce and an educated and honorable Faction known as the Unsmudgables, or “Smudgies”, who are said to brook no injustice and regularly carry out works of diplomacy, charity, and even vigilantism. In the past, the leader of the Unsmudgables, the Blademaster, was the bridge between Niceties and the Faction and answered only to the Minister themselves. Changes to the Ministry over the years, however, have greatly increased Ministerial oversight within the Unsmudgables, and the Blademaster position was eliminated entirely. Under the Empress, the Ministry has expanded its reach and influence within the Imperium and even beyond its borders, taking part in a sweeping cultural revolution to advance various Imperial agendas including greater inclusion of woodlanders and bolstering the reputation of the Imperium as both a military and cultural power in the region. Niceties is the second-largest Ministry whose power and influence nears that of the Ministry of War.
History of the Ministry of Niceties
Excerpt from the “Emperor’s Manual” a mysterious and very old book held by the MinoNice in the Forbidtomes Vault.
...there was, of course, a problem. While the twelve young beasts had saved the Emperor from the Corum Quatorum’s hostile take-over, there was really no way to acknowledge the feat without compromising the throne's authority. The Emperor thus decided to give the group, who called themselves the "Unsmudgables" due to their undisputed incorrigibility, an official charter to operate in defense of whatever cause they saw fit—as long as they would uphold the truths of justice and morality in their actions and deeds. The Emperor, who was hardly more upright than his would-be murderers, did this mainly out of fear for himself, lest the Unsmudgables turn their cunning and skill with arms against his own purposes. The Twelve Beasts, chief of which was the fabled Wildekat Legume, also realized something: they could not work a charter and keep a watchful eye on the Corum unless one of their members sat in some seat of power under the Emperor. It was then that they requested a new Ministry, the last Ministry to be added to the Imperium, rendering the ancient body of four into the "Corum Quinquorum." Being artists, writers, lovers of history and music, and protectors of the true word, the Ministry they requested was to protect culture and information, which had too long been controlled by the greedy wiles of the War and Misanthropy Ministers. The Emperor didn’t hesitate a moment, but granted their request outright and installed their leader not a day later, during the second month of that year...
The first Minister of Niceties was a diminutive rat by name of Chester Larzenbright, who was close friend and second-in-command to Wildekat Legume.
The Unsmudgables
The Unsmudgables were formed in the earliest seasons of the Imperium, during the collapse of the Corrupt Senate and the establishment of Milarkus, the first Emperor. In the words of a previous Blademaster, Alastor Halb, the Unsmudgables were founded by "those who believed in themselves, rather than the corrupt world around them." These unknown beasts held themselves to extremely high standards in terms of both moral conduct and fighting ability.
The Unsmudgables' original purpose was a military one; in fact, the messy, sprawling network of tunnels beneath Bully Harbor that once served as their headquarters was previously a command bunker. Any blueprints of the original complex that might have existed have been lost; not even the MinoNice knows all of the passageways. It is, however, fairly well-known that nearly all of the passageways were once (and some perhaps still are) booby-trapped, and that most at one time contained at least one puzzle of an artistic nature, making the old headquarters incredibly difficult to infiltrate.
A large portion of the tunnel complex was destroyed during the Winter War. Subsequent changes in years following the war to the functioning of the Ministry saw many of the tunnels abandoned, some collapsing, others being walled off. Unsmudgables headquarters was moved to a large wing of the Imperial museum, where it still resides. Because the Ministry of Niceties has its own Misstertrosse gulls, communication between the Smudgies’ headquarters in Zann’s Backyard and the Ministry building in the Imperial Upper Condos district is swift despite the distance between them. It is also rumored that some of the extant tunnels connect the two locations, but such rumors are unverified.
In the past several decades, the function and purpose of the Unsmudgables has expanded, as has the size of the Faction. While there are elite fighters within the Smudgies, many beasts of a variety of skillsets have joined the ranks for a variety of purposes such as diplomacy, charity, subterfuge, and others.
The Unsmudgables themselves are loosely organized and far more egalitarian than factions such as the Guard. While there are ranks within the Smudgies, they are typically only implemented during scenarios where a clear chain of command is necessary and are otherwise largely ignored.
Organization of the Smudgies
There are six categories of professions within the Unsmudgables, with three tiers each. Each category is designed for a group of beasts within a subset of skills. The professions of the Unsmudgables are listed below:
Rangeblades: Deadly marksbeasts whose sense of honor is as true as their aim. Supportive of education in survival and thriving against all odds.
Bladedancers: Accomplished swordsbeasts, as trustworthy as the steel of their blades. They are frequently patrons of the arts and encourage freedom of expression.
Longblades: Experienced polearm fighters whose skill with polearms matches their shining moral code. They are also trained in advanced medical skills and techniques.
Stealthblades: Beasts willing and capable of subterfuge, intelligence-gathering, spycraft, or even assassination when it is called for.
Songblades: The main diplomatic, outreach, and propaganda branch of the faction. Frequently they also work closely with the other professions in consulting and advisory roles.
Skillblades: Jacks of all trades, masters of none. They can take on most roles without as much specialization while also filling in the gaps and often taking on tasks that require skillsets outside the norm.
Uniforms
There is no designated uniform on duty or otherwise, as it is generally believed that Unsmudgables can perform their duties in clothing of their own choosing, but one can mostly always spot an Unsmudgable by their badge.
Badges
For each profession within the faction, a specific silver badge is allotted to be worn at the discretion of the beast in the profession. Each one has a jewel at the centre, and the colours/jewels are indicative of rank. Emerald is for regular members of the faction, ruby for adept members, and sapphire for a commander.
Rangeblade: Five arrows
Bladedancer: Two crossed swords
Longblade: Crossed halberd and glaive
Stealthblade: Silver dagger
Songblade: Scroll with a quill and olive branch crossed overtop
Skillblade: Five pointed star
