Thirty years before the outbreak of the Escalation Wars, the Circasian Empire was a small, largely insignificant power located on the edge of known space. However, the Circasians were not weak. Decades of brutal anti-raider warfare forced the Circasian Star Forces to learn and adapt to the hostile universe which surrounded them. The lessons learned in the Raider Wars would be put to the test when, after years of thinly veiled hostility over the negotiating table, the actions of the Chouka Theocracy finally forced the Circasian Empire to make a fateful decision. By order of the War Council, a fleet was dispatched to begin a pre-emptive invasion of Chouka space. The Chouka War had begun. The Escalation Wars: Empire Rising details both the history of the Chouka War and the powers involved in the conflict. All of the materials and special rules needed to play out the war are provided within the pages of this supplement. Unit lists are provided for the Circasian Empire, Chouka Theocracy, Sshel’ath Alliance, various raiders, and civilians.