Leisure Activities
In these affluent and prosperous days, the Empire has developed many forms of recreation, which the populous enjoy. There is, of course, something of a divide in terms of what is more popular among nobles as compared to the common people, but many sports and leisure pursuits are enjoyed and competed in by all.
Holographic chess
A variant on the physical game, found on the city-ships and a few owned by Noble houses. It is more complex than the usual version and even masters of the original have been outwitted by those specialising in the forerunner’s challenge. A grand tournament is held on the Imperial City Ship during the biannual Court meetings there.
Mirror Duelling
Developed by a group of bored technologists playing with laser pistols, this 5-a-side team game is set in a hall of mirrors. Each contestant wears a reflective face mask and laser-proof 'armour' in this confusing game of hide-and seek. The aim is for teams to be the first to tag all members of the opposing team with their low-powered lasers (only leaving a minor burn on their armour), usually by making use of the mirrored walls of the maze and reflective shields to bounce the beams around corners. There are currently ten standard mazes in use, and several House teams compete in two leagues. (Contrary to what its name suggests, Mirror Duelling is not normally participated in by Duellists, who almost universally believe it to be beneath them).
Gravcycle Races
Watched by all, but only partaken in by the elite, Gravcycle races are becoming more popular by the day. The machines are privately funded and very expensive, all customised for the purpose of racing, as opposed to the military variant by expert technologists. Most recently sharper curves and loops of the slalom courses on various planets have required severe modifications to the earlier models, including finer handling and balance for the sharp corners.
Music
It is usually only nobles who pursue musical hobbies, as most instruments are expensive to produce and can only be made by the finest Imperial craftsmen. As there are no recording devices for sound, only live music is available and grand recitals attract people who travel for weeks across hyperspace to listen. One instrument that the common people are often offered the chance to learn is the harpsichord, which is played to accompany the newsreels in movie houses, which are situated on most well populated planets.
Movie houses
A new development which has garnered a lot of popular support, large screens have been erected in most large cities and on many remote colonies and factory worlds. These silent movies are recorded by both the Imperial house and the local Noble house, and shipped as frequently as transports allow. News is their primary function with combinations of pictures and text. Shadow puppet-shows were previously popular among many houses, and recently, more sophisticated versions are being attempted in a joint endeavour by technologists, scribes and puppeteers, using the new technology to create permanent moving records of the legends and histories of the Empire.