The Empire of Ever Shine is a massive, efficient nation, ruled by Odysseus with an iron fist, and renowned for its museums and concert halls, anti-smoking policies, and infamous sell-swords. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical, humorless, devout population of 2.2 billion Ever Shineans are ruled with an iron fist by the corrupt, dictatorship government, which oppresses anyone who isn't on the board of a Fortune 500 company. Large corporations tend to be above the law, and use their financial clout to gain ever-increasing government benefits at the expense of the poor and unemployed.

The relatively small, corrupt, moralistic, pro-business, well-organized government juggles the competing demands of Defense, Industry, and Law & Order. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Scepterford. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 42.8%.

The frighteningly efficient Ever Shinean economy, worth 477 trillion Aureuses a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Arms Manufacturing, Retail, and Door-to-door Insurance Sales. Black market activity is rampant. Average income is an amazing 217,093 Aureuses, but there is a vast disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 1,970,607 per year while the poor average 2,772, a ratio of 710 to 1.

For 25 Aureuses tourists can gawk at the site of national tragedy, politicians have literally dirty hands from their extracurricular activities, an increasing percentage of the population's youth have homosexual parents, and the "fire department" is often called to remove offensive religious texts. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ever Shine's national animal is the Double Headed Eagle, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its national religion is Christianity.

Ever Shine is ranked 113,241^st in the world and 6,140^th in Balder for Highest Average Tax Rates, with 42.81 Effective Tax Rate.