Morganite: The Philosopher

Morganites are high society, aristocratic thinkers. They spend most their time amongst themselves either in the court of their Diamond or perusing spires and temples while making commentary on art and architecture and crafting state policy. These policies can range from what prototype limb enhancers should be put into production to the proper language gems should use for addressing each other. They put a lot of thought into their decisions and beliefs, however an incomplete knowledge of how something works rarely deters them from attempting to legislate that thing.

Morganites themselves do not have the authority to implement policies, rather they propose them to their respective Diamonds. They also listen to and provide feedback for policies that Diamond’s are considering as Morganites are one of the only type of gems whole are legally permitted to disagree with a Diamond.

A more dysfunctional Gempire would have Morganites incestuously echoing the same ideas to each other over and over, legislating systems and technologies without any research, and never disagreeing with their Diamond’s in pursuit of even more luxurious accolades.

A more functional Gempire would have Morganites who ardently debate each other and actively seek testimony from gems whom are more familiar with the subject matter at hand. Some Morganites may even have developed their own personal ideologies that are slightly deviated from the norm, a completely radical concept that would result in shattering if they were any other type of Gem.

Sapphire: The Advocate

Sapphires are expert advisors to many types of gems across Gempire. Most of their time is spent in transit from one advisory mission to the next. They could be requested to advise engineers on design, military commanders on strategy, administrative leaders on organization, or even Diamonds on the affairs of their court. Sapphires are also permitted to provide unrequested advice when they feel fit to do so.

When Sapphires do have down time they often spend it telling stories of their travels to and reading the fortunes of aristocrats. It is very common for a Sapphire to never have seen another Sapphire before in real life.

A more dysfunctional Gempire would have Sapphires redundantly advising the same gems over and over again regarding trivial concerns while new questions are left unaddressed until they become problems. Decisions would often be delayed from being made until a Sapphire becomes available to provide their input on the subject, and a huge backlog of Sapphire requests would be built up with wait times appropriate for a race of beings that never age.

A more functional Gempire would have Sapphires hurrying from one job to the next with appropriate discrimination applied towards overall importance of their missions. gems would hold a Sapphires advice in the highest regard but not hesitate to act without them and with full understanding that if the problem worsens they are liable.

Lapis Lazuli: The Planner

Lapis Lazulis are responsible for orchestrating the development of selected colonies, however some Lapis’s are instead assigned to do research and make formal recommendations to their diamonds regarding colonial selection. Though the development process only requires one Lapis, multiple could be sent depending on the planet and it’s relative optimal speed of colonization. The Lapis in charge is granted the role of provisional colonial governor for her particular planet, and she is granted all the authority of a colonial governor until her job is complete at which point she hands her power off to the permanent governor and administrators.

Colonial development includes the planning phase which consists of planning planetary structures, transportation, resource extraction, and gem production, the terraforming phase which consists of terraforming the planet the suit Gems’s needs, and the first few phases of construction which includes beginning construction on the planned infrastructure.

A more dysfunctional Gempire would have Lapis’s going to planets for development and purposefully never fully completing their jobs thus leaving them as de facto governors. Intergalactic swaths of colonies would be technically stuck in their development phases no matter how developed they may have become.

A more functional Gempire would have Lapis’s tactfully planning colonies to suit the circumstantial needs of Gempire, swiftly terraforming worlds, and undergoing planetary construction, using their authority to expedite the process where they can and ceding it upon completion go their roles.

Agate: The Superintendent

Agates are administrators who often fill roles that involve direct management and supervision of other Gems. They have autonomy to choose how they allocate the gems and resources they have authority over, but their own roles are usually assigned by Diamonds or other Gems, sometimes including other Agates. Their jobs could include being put in charge of a space station, overseeing engineering projects, or generally giving assignments to groups of gems with similar tasks.

Additionally, beneath Diamonds, Agates are the highest gems in the caste-system that can be considered stratagems and under normal circumstances could command a military force such as fleets or task groups.

A more dysfunctional Gempire would have Agates that poorly communicated with the gems under their authority and the gems whose authority they were under. This would lead to a vast over redundancy of assignments across Gempire and new, efficient methods of doing things rarely being adopted or streamlined.

A more functional Gempire would have Agates with hardly any downtime as they would always be giving orders to receiving orders from other gems. They would find just the right balance of synchronization with other gems and unique circumstantial approaches to solving problems.

Aquamarine: The Inquisitor

Aquamarines are agents sent on sensitive, unorthodox missions that no other gem is properly suited or responsible for. These missions could involve messaging, couriering, investigating, or specimen collecting. Though they can not select their own missions, they are permitted to execute their missions within a reasonable degree of freedom.

Despite some gems having higher caste-positions, Aquamarines can not be legally prosecuted for choosing to disregard relevant social standards for the sake of their missions. Because of this discrepancy in the norm, some gems harbor a negative prejudice towards Aquamarines, however others make the case that this outlier of authority is necessary as it allows Aquamarines to make the welfare of the state their primary concern over the appeasement of gems who may be the subject of their missions.

A more dysfunctional gem society would have Aquamarines abusing their authority at every avenue thus giving them a de facto higher caste-position. They would use the completion of their missions as bargaining chips for their own personal pursuits and would willingly accept bribes to incriminate innocent Gems.

A more functional gem society would have Aquamarines using their authority very conservatively, only relying on it when it becomes necessary to complete their mission in the most efficient, least disruptive manner.

Jasper: The Commander

Jaspers are medium to high ranking stratagems who can report directly to Diamonds but more often report to an authority closer to them in their chain of command. They regularly serve as field officers with the most exceptional being made captains of large military vessels ranging from corvettes to capital ships.

Military strategy has been heavily codified in Gempire and all Jaspers are proficient in it, though when given permission Jaspers are permitted to deploy their own personally developed tactics in combat with the success of those tactics determining what will happened to their rank and status.

A more dysfunctional Gempire would have Jaspers actively looking to provoke disorder and conflict in order to raise opportunities for valor and climbing their chain of command.

A more functional Gempire would have Jaspers selflessly making actions only with the only concern in mind being the stability and security of Gempire.

Topaze: The Specialist

Topazes are special forces operators who are sent on high level missions where wide military action is either inconvenient or not appropriate. They operate in small teams, and their missions typically involve the retrieval or destruction of a target whether the target be a structure, a piece of equipment, or a gem. Their tactics are usually stealth oriented and with mind toward using their environment to their advantage. Their missions widely vary in length depending on the complexity and urgency of the objective, but no matter how long a mission takes Topazes are expected to make regular contact with their command or else they are assumed captured or shattered.

A more dysfunctional Gempire would have Topazes being assigned extraordinarily lofty or vague missions that could possibly span eras in terms of length, and if Topaze finally completed their mission but at some point failed to make regular contact with their command then they would be left in a grey area of legal un-recognition in Gempire

A more functional Gempire would assign Topazes very dangerous, potential suicidal, but nonetheless achievable missions and would have systems in places to investigate what happened to Topazes that may fail to check in.

Zircon: The Attorney

Zircons are clerical workers who handle jobs regarding general record keeping and legal counseling such as maintaining databases, keeping track of regulations, and providing defense or prosecution during trials. They spend most their time in the same city, sometimes even in the same building, only leaving to pick up documents that can not be sent over the warpnet or if they are transferred elsewhere to perform their job.

In a more dysfunctional Gempire Zircons who defend suspected criminals in court would be seen as sympathizers to the suspects despite only performing their job. Meanwhile, non-trial Zircons would not cross reference databases with others thus creating vast inconsistency and discrepancy in many records.

A more functional Gempire would have Zircons’s jobs perceived as objectively as possible with the cases Zircons get assigned being chosen independently of the previous cases and success records. Non-trial Zircons would be diligent in keeping well organized and updated databases with little to no redundancy.

Peridot: The Technician

Peridots are engineers who become trained and certified in several different fields pertaining to the maintenance, use, or creation of technology. They could specialize in utility repair, resource extraction, warp stream maintenance, kindergartening, and very rarely in research and development. Usually their jobs involve traveling from one site to another, and depending on those jobs they could be working individually or in teams. The few Peridots who are certified in research and development are tasked with creating prototype technologies to improve the overall efficiency and prosperity of Gempire.

A more dysfunctional Gempire would have Peridots never attempting any new techniques not strictly covered in their certification training and continuously encountering the same problems again and again.

A more functional Gempire would have Peridots cleverly developing solutions to technological mishaps and leaving extensive, well organized notes after completing a job as to not confuse future Peridots as to what they did if any more problems arise.

Amethyst: The Trooper

Amethysts are multipurpose infantry units capable of being deployed for a variety of combat scenarios. They are regularly stationed at temples, on space stations, or aboard military vessels, and from their jobs could range from being sent individually on guard duty or sent in squads to the front lines of a battle. They are expected to adhere strictly to their chain of command and to follow their orders without hesitation.

In a more dysfunctional Gempire Amethysts would be slow to mobilize as a result of their efforts to comply with overly specific and nuanced orders and procedures. They would usually arrive to combat towards the very end off battles and claim an easy victory whether the combatants are even still on the battlefield or not.

In a more functional Gempire Amethysts would be very considerate to protect civilians and infrastructure from collateral damage caused as a result of their operations, but still not comprising the objective of their missions in the process.

Carnelian: The Stormtrooper

Carnelians are infantry units specialized in infiltration tactics and carrying out raids. They regularly operate in both military and police scenarios and are deployed in tight squads usually consisting exclusively of other Carnelians. These squads are burst into enclosed, close quarters combat and tasked with neutralizing threats before the threats realize what is going on.

In a more dysfunctional Gempire Carnelians would be incredible destructive during their raids and often have several noncombatant gems be poofed or shattered during them as a result of internal miscommunication in the chaos, disregard for special circumstances, or indiscriminate attacking of gems regardless if they are a hostile, hostage, or unknown. Most witnessing gems are entirely unfazed by this ultra violence.

In a more functional Gempire Carnelians would be more cautious, opting to attempt de-escalation of a conflict when possible but still prepared to use extreme prejudice if the situation worsens.

Nephrite: The Pilot

Nephrites operate transit systems, most civilian spacecraft, small single occupant starfighters, and large military spacecraft that require multiple pilots or operators to control. Once assigned a function, Nephrites rarely ever leave their assignments whether that means never leaving a photo-train control center or always sitting in the cockpit of a straighter even if it is docked in a hanger.

In a more dysfunctional Gempire Nephrites would be poorly allocated with lots of them in areas with low demand for their skills leading to vice versa leading to delays in means of conventional travel and overcrowding of galaxy warps.

In a more functional Gempire Nephrites would be well distributed according to the needs of the time. They would adhere strictly to schedules and be accustomed to taking orders when plans change.

Rutile: The Enforcer

Rutiles serve as local law enforcement and security. Typically Rutiles will patrol population centers ensuring that everyone is adhering to social and legal standards and stopping to correct behavior when necessary. Ruthless may also be stationed at certain checkpoints or outside buildings.

In a more dysfunctional Gempire Rutiles would harass some gems about minor deviations from social codes, but leave gems with higher and higher caste-positions progressively more alone out of a reasonable fear of punishment for taking up to a higher status Gem.

In a more functional Gempire Rutiles would uniformly enforce the law and only result to violence after attempting to verbally understand and correct a situation.

Ruby: The Guardian

Ruby’s are personal bodyguards and relatively disposable infantry units. They are either assigned to individual Gems, sent in groups on simple missions or sent in waves to the front lines.

In a more dysfunctional Gempire Rubies would have very poor understandings of their objectives and be punished for asking clarifying questions. Their objectives would be unspecific enough to give them proper direction leading to scenarios where rubies complete their objectives in letter but not in spirit, completely missing the point of their assignments in the first place.

In a more functional Gempire Rubies would be permitted to ask questions and would follow orders as given, but not without caution towards whatever it is that they are doing.

Pearl: The Servant

Pearls are either the personal servants of other gems or permanent assistants to a certain job, staying in one place as different gems fill the role she is assisting. Pearls can be traded like property between gems and their owner's treatment of them can widely vary. In some instances, a Pearls’ owner considers her Pearl an extension of herself and that disrespect towards the Pearl is considered as disrespect towards herself.

In a more dysfunctional Gempire, Pearls would be mass produced and so numerous that their basic, individual treatment and safety would be difficult to maintain based on the sheer volume of them, with many pearls just getting lost. Due to their poor conditions, Pearls would struggle to complete basic tasks and become confused very easily.

In a more functional Gempire Pearls would be rewarded too gems the have accomplished or contributed something meaningful to gem society. Pearls themselves would be loyal and unquestioning, carrying out their assigned tasks with mechanical efficiency.

Bismuth: The Builder

Bismuths are hard laborers and do most of the construction work in Gempire. They are generally un-respected by other gems and considered disposable.

In a more dysfunctional Gempire Bismuths would be shipped to colonies in bulk with poor supervision and leadership and be expected to complete the colony. They might build temples on poor foundations or spires leaning off the sides of mountains, and when terraforming is underway hardly an effort would be put into moving Bismuths to safe locations.

In a more functional Gempire, Bismuths would be properly instructed and their usefulness to Gempire’s prosperity would be recognized through efforts to efficiently allocate them across space.