This is an era where the strong rule, or at least those who can project that image. When inhuman individuals can rise from anywhere and power stolen without warning, only those with the ability to at least present the image of personal strength, such as through the cultivation of an N-matter core, are thought to reliably hold positions of rulership. In truth, things are not so clear-cut. Some lands rule by hereditary right, others by election or merit, others indeed through raw personal charisma or simply fear. Some rest on their laurels and merely act out the pageantry of warriorhood while delegating true conflict to their subordinates, others commit to it fully, risking their lives on the front to hone their bodies in a way that would be a pointless risk for beings not blessed with the potential for endless evolution.
Though the difference between masters may be less wide a gap than some would hope, the fact remains they can be classified. Listed here are common archetypes of leadership, which denote particular tendencies towards war, trade, commerce, scholarship, and other facets of culture.
A confederation of tribes and clans run by elders and patriarchs, a civilization from first principles like those in the age of stone. Conservative and cautious, more concerned about the the wilderness and famine than conquest, but not above it.
Power through species, belief in the sovereignty of a particular genotype and the necessity of its preservation. To its in-group, protective to the death. But those outside its shared blood are resources to be used, rivals to be wary of, or prey to be taken.
A society of elites bound by hereditary inheritance, though in the long games of immortals such means of succession become muddied. Only the bloodlines of the masters are worth protecting, the rest being mere chattel used to insulate them from the harshness of the technosystem. Marriage into their ranks is the only path to advancement.
Rule through consensus, managed by leaders chosen from the masses. A rare thing in this era, but worth protecting. While the degree of freedom its denizens possess may vary, they are generally better off than most.
A society ruled by judges and lawmakers, servants of the system as much as its creators. Those under the Kritarchs are often left to themselves in governance, but always with the sword of retribution dangling above their heads should they break the sacred laws. They are distant rulers, dispensing edicts and expecting them to be obeyed, no matter how seemingly impossible or inane.
Absolute authority bound to the whims of one figure or a cabal of masters. Rather than alignment to a particular goal or ideology, the Autarch is concerned with the preservation of life and power, adopting whatever strategy is needed to this end while specializing in none. The middle of the road in quality of life.
Rule by strength alone, forgoing any kind of solidarity or legality. Power is held by those who can take it, and power is gained by taking it from others still. An Archonate class of uncompromising brutality, they make poor neighbors, and worse masters.
A society driven by the acquisition of wealth and trade, the richest being its masters. Be it through the deal or the sword, they avariciously seek profit over all else. But do not mistake them for the idle rich of ancient times. Such people cannot exist now. They guard their hoards jealously, and fight to protect and grow them.
A cult to the divine, or something called such. Be it the masters themselves or even higher powers, such a civilization abides by edicts others would consider irrational, often holding extreme or seemingly contradictory values that adhere to a philosophy built around something beyond the mundane.
A militant society driven by rank, discipline, and indoctrination. While built on a foundation of might making right, it is tempered by obedience and hierarchy. A formidable power that balances ruthless ambition with strategic acumen. One can rise high in such a society, but those at the bottom are just grist for the mill.
Influence, wealth, status, these drive the oligarchs. Not merely conquerers or merchants, but a class of society united by shared elitism bound by deed rather than blood. Earn your place among them and you may live well. Fall from their graces and you will be lucky to snatch scraps from their table.
Bureaucracy and centralization without a head, a system which sustains itself for its own sake. Endarchies are functionary-states where even their figureheads are just cogs in the machine, easily replaced by a system designed such that no one is inexpendable. Through sheer inertia they stumble through time, built upon a foundation of regulation and drudgery.
While there are countless forms of civilizations, there are certain unifying traits for all of them. While power may be concentrated among individuals or the masses, it is rare for a single individual to hold absolute power. Even the most autocratic peoples are loose alliances of individual masters over a singular tyrant. On the other hand, even the most ostensibly representative civilization is still restricted to elected rulers who possess the wealth and cunning to obtain a great deal of N-matter. Thus there is less difference than one might think between groups who seem wholly ideologically opposed, and in many cases the philosophy they claim to espouse is but a mask for their own naked ambitions. Among them, however, are true believers, genuine practitioners of their chosen way of life. Even in the unending night of the present, these islands of light can develop enough that such idealists can be nurtured.
But these islands are fragile. No matter how internally utopian, they dwell in a world that writhes with monstrous, posthuman life that is well-adapted to the existence of thinking beings. Predators, existential threats, and marauding armies constantly threaten to destroy what has been built, and only care and vigilance can prolong the lifespan of any large group when it is such a tempting target. Thus even the most pragmatic and self-interested are driven to align with their more high-minded counterparts, if only to preserve the system which benefits them so. This delicate balance typifies the political situation of any modern polity, and leaves it vulnerable to chaos if that balance is shattered. And when the power of N-matter can appear in even the most unexpected of places, that balance is imperiled more often than not.