Imperium
The Corrino Imperium, or simply the Imperium, is the galaxy-spanning feudal empire that forms the political backdrop of Dune: Awakening. Ruled by Shaddam Corrino IV from the Golden Lion Throne[1], the Imperium has governed the Known Universe for nearly ten thousand years.
Lore
While House Corrino rules the Imperium, they are kept in check by the other factions integral to the empire's continued survival.[2]
The Landsraad is a council comprising the noble Great Houses, which serves as a counterbalance to Imperial authority. Any one House alone is no threat to the Corrinos, but collectively they cannot be ignored, making the Landsraad the primary political check on Imperial power.[3]
CHOAM is the commercial monopoly controlling the trade of virtually every commodity in the Known Universe, including, most critically, spice. The Emperor and the Great Houses all hold CHOAM shares, with dividends paid in Solaris, giving the Emperor leverage to reward or punish houses through their allocation.[4]
The Spacing Guild, on the other hand, holds a monopoly on interstellar travel, making them essential to moving anything across the galaxy; a dependency that the Emperor maintains by guaranteeing the supply of spice for their Navigators.[5]
In-Game
In the game's Alternate Timeline, Paul Atreides was never born, a divergent event which has resulted in Shaddam remaining in power as the Padishah Emperor.
The Imperium, as does House Corrino, functions as a neutral background authority on Arrakis, overseeing the ongoing War of Assassins and ensuring the laws of Kanly[6] are observed. Additionally, the Sardaukar are deployed to ensure that spice production continues unobstructed.
While the Imperium has a significant presence in both Arrakeen and Harko Village, they are relatively uncommon outside of these settlements, apart from the Sardaukar patrol ships in Hagga Basin that deploy CHOAM mercenaries.