The Throne of the Golden Dynasty of Empyrius is a mammoth, orderly nation, ruled by Szheirac-emun-Sharrhein with an iron fist, and remarkable for its avowedly heterosexual populace, soft-spoken computers, and complete lack of prisons. The hard-nosed, cynical, cheerful, devout population of 9.511 billion Ephaerans are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings."

The large, corrupt, moralistic, socially-minded, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Education, Defense, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Sharrhamenhaerash. The income tax rate is 100%.

The frighteningly efficient Ephaeran economy, worth a remarkable 2,923 trillion wisps a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is quite specialized, is led by the Information Technology industry, with significant contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Book Publishing, and Beef-Based Agriculture. Average income is an amazing 307,338 wisps, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Foreigners "adopt" rotund phoenixes to line the pockets of wildlife sanctuaries, ants are charged with crimes against humanity, retirement homes are often fitted with luxurious suites, and visitors to Self-Sufficiency National Park who ask for trail maps are handed a pen and a blank sheet of paper. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a well-funded police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Empyrius's national animal is the phoenix, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Szheraovaen.

Empyrius is ranked 778^th in the world and 22^nd in Osiris for Highest Poor Incomes, with 307,338.13 Standard Monetary Units.