The Prosek Family

Since the Establishment Act, the Prosek Family, first under Joseph I, then his son Karl, has been at the center of the Coalition’s rise to prominence. The First Family’s roots date, so far as can be told, to one of the NEMA families gathered into the Chi-Town arcologies, and among the pseudo-nobility in the upper levels of Chi-Town, perhaps a quarter can claim some very distant relationship to the Emperor. He is unlikely to grant this relationship any great status, however: Within the limits of maintaining his power and his dynasty, the Emperor is surprisingly biased towards individual merit over connections or favoritism.

Joseph Prosek I (~-20 PA-70 PA, Chairman 12 PA-70 PA)
Born to one of the NEMA officer dynasties, Joseph Prosek I was a minor figure during the Establishment Conference and missed the signing ceremony because he was in the field. He spent most of his early career in combat, rising to the position of commander of the Chi-Town garrison by 10 PA. His main role in the early government of the Coalition was to spearhead the increasingly strident anti-magic voices. His experiences in the Ohio Valley during the Mage War (10-14 PA) reinforced this, and his actions upon return to Chi-Town can most kindly be described as a peaceful handover of power, more commonly called a coup. He left a distinctly military cast on Coalition thought; it is said that by 53 PA, the goals of army and state could not be separated. Joseph's role in the formation of the Coalition has been expanded by his son and grandson until the average Coalition soldier believes that he alone broke the siege of Chi-Town in 12 PA. Joseph was assassinated by one of his own aides during an inspection trip to the newly activated Lone Star facility in 70 PA; while conspiracy has been alleged with many suspects, it has never been proven.

Karl Prosek (46 PA-, Chairman from 71 PA, Emperor from 78 PA)
For the past 40 years, Karl Prosek has been the most powerful man in the Coalition States, even before the death of his father. The first Emperor of the Coalition States is a well-educated, widely-read man who genuinely cares about the fate of his country; it is because of this concern that he has adopted the hard-line approach to ruling that he has. The average Coalition citizen will never, ever encounter the Emperor directly; even when he appears in public, there is a line of troops from the 1 Security Forces Division – the Prosek Guards – between him and any potential assassins. This is a relic of his youth, when his father, Joseph I, was assassinated by one of his own trusted aides. Despite this, the Emperor is very much a father figure, and over the years has learned that he can even publicly admit some mistakes, such as the Quebec war, provided that they are balanced with good news for public consumption.

Jo-Ann Prosek (57 PA-)
Karl Prosek's wife was kidnapped from Chi-Town by cultists claiming affiliation with the Federation of Magic in 102 PA. She was liberated from the Federation in 105 and returned to Chi-Town. Her liberation and the story of her captivity was one of the motivators behind the Emperor's Campaign of Unity and the stiffening of Coalition attitudes towards magic. Even after her return, her public appearances are minimal, and many believe that the Emperor does not regard her as quite the same woman she was before her kidnapping.

Joseph Prosek II (78 PA- )
If the Emperor is a father figure, his son, Joseph II, is a boogeyman. This is partially because he controls the state security apparatus; it is partially because even the ones he trusts have no idea what he is truly thinking. Joseph Prosek II, Minister of Information, is the single most feared man in the Coalition States. Even among his own staff, he is viewed as a cipher; Joseph has few friends and fewer living enemies who pose any threat to him. That he is brilliant, charming, and personally very persuasive are well-established; it is difficult to confirm or deny more about him either way.