The Steel Empire was dominant faction on Neter before war tore it apart into a number of smaller factions, including the Steel Striders.
Lore[ | ]
The Steel Empire was a globe-encompassing government, minus the Gray Talons. The Empire ruled until the Scarlet Dawn came, prompting a war that lasted for 50 years. In that time period or after, the Steel Empire was weakened by internal strife. The Onyx Watch were the first group to separate. They had been leaders of economical matters, followed by the White Flayers, who generally were a decent amount of the population, and by taking control of the heartlands of the Empire the Flayers captured a more technologically advanced set of ships which the Flayers use or have used, from the players perspective. The final group was the Lightning Hoods, who consisted of most of the Empires Top scientists. This very weak empire could no longer be called an empire. The loyalists became the Steel Striders.
Their ships were a probably of similar strength to the current Striders' or Flayer's ships, albeit less technologically advanced.