Interna Universo II [SIGN-UP THREAD]

[Sonereal]

-deleted-

 

[Sonereal]

-deleted-

 

[Tyo]

Country Name: Conglomerate of Cities(official), The New York Conglomerate(interchangeably official and unofficial)

Government Ideology: Atlism[At-Lism] - While the ideology will insist that it has no ties to fascism, similarities are indeed present. There is a strong emphasis on natural security and it holds that authoritarianism is the best form of government. However, racism and nationalism commonly found in historical Fascist factions has been phased out in this brand. Replacing these is a strong belief in Visionary Thought. Atlists believe that humanity can only progress by upgrading themselves. However, New York is still seen as the herald of this world-wide upgrade, so it isn't very different from standard nationalism in that regard. Still, Atlists believe everyone in the world, regardless of racial or cultural background, is deserving of this upgrade. The man who more or less founded the ideology - Richard Morin - was also the inventor of a very popular implant across the NYC that is known to be housed in the first vertebrae of the neck - the Atlas. This implant, in addition to boosting mental capacity, opens the door to a host of other implants from strength enhancements to extra or replacement limbs and much more.
Power Base: Administrative - the NYC prides itself on the internal security of the state
Legitimacy: Appointed - This idea was purportedly borrowed from Technocracy - the people in power should be the ones best suited for the job, regardless of their backgrounds or popularity.
Economic Liberalism: 65%
Abridged History: The NYC, as the name implies, started out with just New York before the Reclamation began. New York acted as a bastion for humanity as World War 3 came to a close and the genetic and artificial horrors it produced ran rampant. It was during this interim period that Atlism began to take hold. The new implant created by the founder of Atlism - uncreatively named the Atlas Basic Implant - lead to overall better performance of the people of New York.

As power consolidated, the push to reclaim the former land of the free - the Reclamation, as was previously mentioned - had begun. The push was minimalist but effective, pretty much entirely due to the AB Implant. Single squads of AB Implant-enhanced soldiers was enough to eliminate hosts of the remaining genetic abominations and mechanized human hunters. As contact was re-established with other cities, New York grew. The introduction of the AB Implant to these settlements and the relative prosperity that followed was enough to make most warm to subjugation to New York. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Some surviving human settlements resisted - and were summarily dealt with and recolonized, having no way to combat AB-Implanted soldiers after years of fighting with the other dangers of the world.

New York now stands as the leader of the Conglomerate of Cities - or, more appropriately, the New York Conglomerate. However, new problems arise as contact with the Socialists to the west and the backwards Monarchists to the south have been established.

Description of Society: The New York Conglomerate surprisingly does not look like a police state, even though on paper it very much is. Citizens are allowed free use of the world-wide web and enjoy many liberties as private citizens. However, this is not exactly a paradise. To ensure security, New York officials are allowed to do essentially anything and everything to ensure security breaches are non-existent.

However, the system is very self-critical. While checks on internal security are automated, they have been streamlined so to not effectively "learn," due to fears of the second coming of the AI menace. This is where the power of the administration comes in. Everyone has someone looking over their shoulder and making sure they are doing the right thing in their duties. While this may have been seen as impractical in the past, the automation systems and power of the Atlas Basic and the newer Atlas Advanced Implants make the jobs much easier to maintain and sustain.

Speaking of which, implants have a large influence on society. In some professions, implants are supremely important for being competitive. One cannot just purchase an implant and be as successful as someone with years of experience with their own implants either. Atlas Implants are designed to be trained, similar to a muscle - and are found to be more effective in the long run because of this, which is likely the most direct cause of their success.

52 provinces

Spoiler claims :

 

[Decamper]

Claiming Lagos area, maybe more of Nigeria. Full sign up later this week.

 

[NinjaCow64]

Claiming Brisbane area. Signups will be done sometime later.

 

[Crezth]

Territorial Claims:

The Combine

Country Name: The Combine
Flag: [see above][flag subject to change/update]
Government Ideology: Socialist Visionary Thought
Power Base: Military
Legitimacy: Appointed
Centralization (can I set this?): Unitary
Economic Liberalism: 9% (all rudimentary free market, small merchantry, etc; large private business is illegal, with all corporations controlled by the state)
Abridged History: The origins of the Combine are in blood and toil. The Combine was founded by General Alexandria Cincinnati. This was not her name by birth, but one she bestowed upon herself when she drove the nargo-mutants and Lipschitzes out of the greater Cincinnati area, establishing a safe haven in what used to be Over the Rhine, an event known as the "re-gentrification" of the riverfront. Although her personal contributions to the ideals of Visionary Socialism - upon which the Combine is allegedly founded - are now thought to be minimal, through military might and stern leadership she laid the foundations for a new government: over the people, better than the people, and using the people, with the "Combine" referring to this government as the supreme authority in the land. Since, the Combine's history has been a scattered series of annexations and strong-arms, with eventually the Concords being signed in the suburbs of old Chicago following a particularly disastrous regional showdown. The Concords established the Combine as the rightful authority over many hitherto independent entities in the region, and ever since then the Combine has slowly extended its grip, hell-bent on spreading the message of Visionary Socialism to the world, and realizing the dreams of its forebears the instantiation of the Technological Singularity.
Description of Society: To come.

 

[Sonereal]

-deleted-

 

[Crezth]

To Crezth: What font is that you're using in your map?

Lucida Fax.

 

[Nuka-sama]

Spoiler :

(50 Provinces)

Country Name: The Empire of Austellus
Flag: Place holder

Spoiler :

Government Ideology: Monarchism (Ruling Sovereign: Sarah I of House Overton, Heir apparent: Anne II)- The monarch rules Austellus absolutely, with no legal limitations to their power, though fear of rebellion from misrule keeps the monarch from abusing said power.

Monarchism quite frankly is the only ideology that makes sense for the people of Austellus (with hints of Neo-Imperialism). Republicanism is seen as the reason for the collapse of society in the first place, and Socialism is seen as simply giving hand outs to the less capable. At the same time, extremist ideologies such as fascism being seen as far too extreme.

Religion is diverse enough that both Moralism and Assimilationism are seen as mutually dangerous threats, and while public love and exoneration of the monarch is a given, and propaganda has been increasing, it does not yet approach levels such as Stalinism.

Puranism is seen as horribly outdated. Visionary Thought and Technogaianism are both seen as just terrifying and to be avoided at all costs.

Power Base: Corporate, rising Military-Austellus has always been a nation that has placed the needs of its leading families at the forefront. The network of the noble CEOs, hedge fund managers, and traditional aristocrats support the monarchy that has created such a favorable investment climate.

From the early days of Austellus when it was still the Alliance, their first defeats shook the Military and forced a transformation from being staffed by aristocrats to being a more meritocratic organization. Performing very well in the military can help one earn higher citizenship levels, or even nobility. The military sees itself as a whole more loyal to the crown, and Queen Sarah has been cultivating stronger ties with officers in the military, as much as she would cultivate ties with executives.

The administrative bureaucrats are much maligned. Their citizenship tiers are generally low, aside from the tax agency (due to their access to sensitive information, the skills needed to process taxes, and their value to the Empire), and generally very few choose a life here. Because Sarah and the other Overtons rule as absolute monarchs, bureaucracy can change on a whim or edict. The higher tiered commoners, the nobility, and the military are all more than willing to skirt the bureaucracy as well if it suits them.

Legitimacy: Hereditary-The Overton Family, however they may have rose, is now seen as the center of life in Austellus. Their control of the military and significant state assets aside, key political marriages tie top families to the Overtons, but strict laws of succession ensure that civil wars are unheard of.

Outside of the monarchy though, Hereditary succession actually plays a big role in Austellusian society. Obviously the Aristocracy has benefits from this, but even for commoners, society is set up in a way that if one works harder than others, their children can rise in status and start further ahead in society. And, even if one is not able to rise in society from where their parents were, the child is able to essentially "inherit" the parents position, at the expense of a poorer citizen (aside from technical competency fields such as science or medicine). Middle and Upper class Austellusians protect their status against the lower class just as fiercely as the aristocracy protects their status. The Crown subtly encourages this thoughtline, and uses it as a way to encourage loyalty to not just the crown, but the concept of hereditary rule.

Centralization: Hegemony-The monarch has virtually uncurbed power, though leaves some administration to the local provinces. When the central government (the crown) declares a law, it will override any existing provincial law. While the capital is not the only city in the Empire, it is where almost all political power is concentrated. In the event of a palace coup, the monarch could be replaced with a different member of the Overton family, and the nation would quickly fall in line, as opposed to fighting a lengthy civil war.

The Empire is divided into a variety of different provinces, with weak local governments. The rise of both the Combine and New York significantly reduced the independence of provincial governments, tying them further to the throne. Because many have a patchwork of holdings throughout the Empire, few aristocrats actively participate in provincial governments. Only those nobles who are too new or too poor to play the game at a higher level (or who have significant assets in one province in particular) partake in provincial government.

Provincial government is generally a local meeting of well to do commoners and some interested aristocrats, who vote on proposals on a variety of social and economic issues. So long as they coincide with Imperial policy, provincial governments are allowed to make a variety of different proposals for local law, but are not allowed to take effect until approved by the monarch or one of her officials.

Economic Liberalism: 83% Some large, state run companies (often for the benefit of the Royal Family and its supporters) dominate certain markets, and generally large scale "family businesses" (Cartels) dominate the market. Heavy State/Corporate cooperation, especially in regards to the military-industrial complex. Aside from acting as an investor in the market, the Crown also holds various utility monopolies with power and water.

Abridged History: TLDR-Yankee capitalism meets Southern propensity for aristocracy and militarism!

The creation of Austellus was, like many states now, from fire and blood. In the declining days of the 22nd century as the various machines collapsed, much of the former American South was a lawless, broken region, filled with petty warlords with a variety of ideological goals and beliefs. In this chaotic environment, members of a group called "The Order of the Star", made up of leading capitalists in the three richest cities of the old American South had a plan to enrich themselves in an era where expansion was once more possible, the states banded together for mutual expansion and enrichment. These cities, that to this day form the heart of Austellus, were Atlas, the industrial heart of former Georgia, Orleisa, the shipping center built behind the flooded city of New Orleans, and Durham, the site of groundbreaking research. In addition to these cities, the Knights of Holy Columbia (in South Carolina) and the Cavaliers of the Golden Garter would help form the bulk of the military forces and officers. The name Austellus (Latin for South) was chosen as a way to give a nod to the old culture of the region, but as a way to move past the religious, political, and racial infighting that had defined the region for generations.

The plan was simple. By aligning the three largest powers in the region, and the two most potent military forces, they would no longer waste strength fighting one another, and instead focus on the states and bands that had survived due to playing the great cities off each other. Each would grow in a different direction, and would gain land from the lands they conquered. From this Confederal nature, Austellus grew quickly; Nash and Orlando were both brought to heel. The Crimson Tide took time to break, but break it did. Austin, another major technological hub, was a traitor from the inside of the Texan League, and helped deliver it whole to Austellus.

Everyone quickly grew their holdings, claiming them as they were conquered, but one man in particular, Carver Overton, had a different strategy. Instead of taking his lands simply for himself, he was happy to share his conquests with others, even from those outside his order. Access to the land (and the people living there) helped grow their power, but it made them dependent on Carver for protection. A smiling, generous man, Carver left the threats unspoken, and instead continued helping them develop their pathwork of holdings, in turn making them more dependent on him. The Order of the Star was still capitalist in nature, but it had changed from its earlier network of men who had become wealthy by their own merit into a "Good Ol' " network. The Star Chamber became the official institute of government, and awarded its members hereditary titles of nobility. And as their first act, they decided to elect Carver to be the first ever King of Austellus.

Before Carver died, he left his daughter, Anne, a well-developed network of contacts and familial bonds. Anne, and then her son, Jackson, would break the powers of the old cities, and instead transfer some of those powers to the now entrenched aristocracy, and some to the crown. The war against the barbarian raiders in Mexico helped further centralize authority, and ensured no qualms when his daughter, Sarah took the throne. Sarah has since been a vigorous monarch, expanding the Empire to reach the Pacific, and using the rise of New York and The Combine to further centralize authority to the throne. While not diminishing the aristocracy's economic power, Sarah has centralized political and military power to the throne with their approval, fearful of what might happen if New York or The Combine were to expand even further south...

Description of Society: Austellusian society is heavily class stratified. Of course at the very top is the monarch, and his or her family. The King or Queen is given huge amounts of leeway. The current Queen, Sarah I, not only has intense political power over her domains, but her position as Queen gives her the incomes of a variety of different state corporations, making her also one of the richest women in the Empire.

Beneath her is the aristocracy, the traditional "Knights and Belles" of inherited wealth, who have significant political and economic clout, and often the ear of the monarch. It should be noted that one does not have to be born into the "right family" to become wealthy. A self-made person though, unless EXTREMELY rich, would not be considered a Knight or Belle though, as they would lack the necessary familial connections to truly rise to the top in Austellus society. That being said though, with the right marriages and the continued growth of their familial wealth, they could one day be considered a part of the aristocracy. On the reverse, an aristocrat who has fallen on hard times, and is unable to recover financially, then they will likely be socially shunned and losing their title.

At the very bottom of the pyramid are the Plebus, or "Plebs". The aristocracy has a penchant for the plantations of old, and slavery is officially illegal, but there is a need for agricultural labor. The Plebus class are non citizens, and do not have the rights associated with citizenship. Those who join the ranks of the Plebus are often unskilled, poorer immigrants who fled from various wars, the homeless, those who have committed crimes in the past, bankrupt citizens, and even the mentally deficient who otherwise could not survive in normal Austellusian society. The aristocrat has a responsibility for the Plebus that they employ, but in return, he or she can restrict their movements, enforce work quotas, and even punish them as necessary. It would be a mistake to call them slaves though, or even serfs or prisoners. Instead, a Plebus is more often than not simply serving for a (usually set) number of years to repay their debts to society, or for immigrants, to prove their worth to their new society. In all but the rarest cases, children do not inherit their status in the Plebus caste, and many can go on to lead normal lives.

Between the Plebus and the Aristocracy are the Commoner citizens. Citizenship has a variety of different tiers, with the higher tiers of citizenship being granted more benefits. Citizens can ascend to higher tiers through having a large income, earning advanced degrees, serving in the military, having children, and ensuring compliance with the law. Citizens can lose tiers through unemployment, crimes not serious enough for loss of citizenship, and generally being on the wrong side of the government. Higher tiered citizens have more job opportunities available, pay lower taxes, and are given additional fringe benefits.

Religion- Officially, Austellus holds the state religion of Christianity, and the monarch also takes the title "Defender of the Faith". Official permission must be sought, and is often denied, to build a house of worship for another, non Christian faith. However, there is not one strain of Christian faith that is enforced. While a majority are Baptist or Methodist, people are allowed to choose any Christian religion on an approved list, which even includes Catholicism and Orthodoxy.

As a side note, not every Christian faith is considered legal. A variety of regulations must be adhered to so that a faith can be declared approved. Sermons are pre written and approved before delivered (and then monitored while delivered), and there are strict loyalty tests for priests and pastors. While traditional theology is still preached, sermons often tie one way or another into obedience to the monarch and the natural order. Even men of god are expected to put their earthly sovereign ahead of the faith, which causes many Austellusian churches to be separated from any international churches for the most part.

The crown has resisted attempts in the past to declare one "Imperial Orthodoxy", worried that it may lead down the path of Moralism or Assimilationism, both considered dangers to the crown. Jackson I briefly entertained such ideas before arresting most involved in the idea.

Despite the interference by the government, traditional Christianity has actually been heavily revitalized by Austellus. While more militant brands of Christianity and Assimilationism have gathered more followers, and many more states enforce atheism on its populace, Austellus is able to provide religious fulfillment to its population without having to resort to radicalism. Nearly 100% of the population attends church once a week, as it is legally mandated to attend. Social issues have trended back towards seeing Christian values as a guideline, and in Austellus, issues such as birth control, abortion, and gay marriage have all swung to more traditional stances.

Those who hold alternate, agnostic, or atheist beliefs are not actively persecuted. In fact, several members of the nobility likely hold some athiest beliefs, and the populace as a whole do not necessarily believe every aspect of Christianity. So long as one keeps thoughts private or contained within their own home, they have little to fear. That being said, no matter what beliefs you hold, not attending church does carry a criminal penalty and repeated absences will result in the demotion in, or loss of, citizenship. The police also hold the right to assign a citizen to attend a specific church, partially to help ensure atheists do not try coordinating a specific church to attend.

Gender roles are fairly open ended, and one's role depends more on what class they were born with. The daughters of a general would be brought up to be military officers as well more than likely. Homosexual relationships are not necessarily banned, but marriage between two people of the same genders is not recognized by the state, except in one specific case; if one is a registered artist, they are not allowed to marry, but are allowed "Partnerships", and in those situations, any pairing of partners is allowed. While partially this is for religious pandering, it is also a necessary aspect to ensure the increase in the population. That being said, well connected aristocrats are more than capable of getting a blind eye turned to their own "indiscretions" and so long as they do not openly marry someone of the same sex, their money and privilege can keep them safe for the most part, though of course could be used against them.

Multiculturalism, Ethnicity, and Race-Officially, Austellus is a society that has moved past race. You can find citizens of all races in the Plebus and in the Aristocracy. Racism is generally denounced, and groups such as the former Klan or those that used the old Confederate flag are either arrested or kept out of society.

That being said, Austellus is EXTREMELY Monocultural, and does not tolerate significant "Cultural diversity" that deviates from official Imperial culture. Rapid assimilation is de facto government policy. While immigrants are for the most part welcomed into Austellusian society (so long as they fit in within the culture), the hereditary nature of the region makes longer time residents feel that because their ancestors were here first, they have a greater right to live here. Thus, many support the Plebus system as a way to ensure that not only do immigrants learn proper Austellusian culture and society, but also as a way to ensure that the poorest of immigrants do not leech off the work of the previous generations.

-------

Other things

Descriptions of major cities: On the whole Austellus has reestablished the suburb as a major aspect of life with some success, and has worked to increase the production of non fossil fuel using cars so people feel more comfortable driving to their work. In the meantime though, most Austellusian cities use a combination of private and public transportation, and have been designed to have "in burbs" of more spacious homes for the wealthier commoners and aristocrats at the expense of the poor.

Atlas-The financial capital of Austellus, Atlas is a free market oriented city where the nation's buying and selling happens. Built on the ruins of old Atlanta, Atlas is also a major transport hub between The Virginia Marches and the western provinces. The largest city in terms of population and size, Atlas is the main office of almost every major corporation in Austellues, and it is where the upper-middle class citizens mostly gather as they report to work for the major corporations. Many nobles do have a penthouse somewhere in the city, but only those who take an active interest in running their companies will actually stay there full time. Of all the cities in Austellus, Atlas is the one that is most like a "future city". It does not embrace the "Old Style Americana" with fervor, nor does it take after the Latin fetishism so common in other newer cities (despite being its birthplace); the only reference to it really is its symbol, the Phoenix. Atlas does not have the "Melting pot" style of Orleisa either.

Instead, in the words of Lord Paerus "Atlas is more an acid vat: it strips everything unique about a person and turns them into a drone more or less enthralled with waking up at 6, working, watching holos, and then sleeping".

That being said, it is the easiest place for a new immigrant or recently liberated Plebus to integrate into society, so long as they can afford it. Atlas is the most expensive city to live in the Empire.

As a city obsessed with the bottom line, Atlas is devoid of the green spaces and "high culture" spaces of museums and opera houses, and with a strict security force, it eliminates the low "street culture" as well. This can lead to a relatively lower quality of life outside of aspects related to income. Because of this, Atlas has gained a reputation as somewhere where you come to establish yourself, jump a few citizenship tiers if you can, and then get a transfer somewhere else. But for many, they find that it is easier said than done, as the allure of the money can always tempt a man....

 

[Omega124]

Country Name: New Danubian Federation (Danube)
Flag:

Spoiler :

Government Ideology: Federalistic Purianism
Power Base: Administrative
Legitimacy: Elective
Centralization: Federalism
Economic Liberalism: 75%. Social Democracy rules the day.
Abridged History: The Danube Republic was birthplace of the Purian movement. Originally known (and derided as) Neo-Ludditeism, malfunctioning robots in Prague during the early stages of the robotic revolution led to a total ban on advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. This led to a unique situation in perhaps all the world, where the mechanization of labor simply did not happen in Danube as it did elsewhere. Protectionist tar riffs kept home-produced goods competitive, but certainly did not endear itself to foreign nations. despite Danube's declared neutrality to the world, during the events of WWIII, the nation was invaded by the Slavic Federation; the Danube River Valley being the heart of Europe made it a vital strategic location in striking at Central Europe. The Danube Republic fell quicky; its military long neglected and nowhere near in shape to fight a modern war. A resistance formed against the Slavs, and the Danubians were reminded of the horrors of machinery as massacres were commited with inhuman precision. A coalition of nations against the Slavs, with the resistance, managed to push the Slavs out, but Danube was never really the same.

Gone were the beliefs that neutrality alone would protect the nation. Instead, an army of the people would have to protect itself violently against the death machines that other nations will send against the human's paradise. The ban on robotics was written into a new constitution, along with a guarantee of a standing army that is able to defend Danube's borders against aggression. A right to bear arms was also incorporated into the constitution, in hopes to encourage another resistance if the nation was ever invaded again.

And so, a new Danube was formed. One in which humanity would be protected, no matter the cost of doing so. The horrors of the past will not be repeated yet again.

*will add something about aquiring Bavaria if no one wants it*

Description of Society: What if Neo-Luddites controlled a nation lol (Will add more later)

National Anthem:
Link to video.

White is core claims, pink is strech (if anyone wants Bavaria, I don't mind giving it up)

39 core, 47 in all.

 

[gay_Aleks]

Country Name: France
Flag:

Spoiler :

Government Ideology: les Joffristes (Neo Imperialism/Assimilationsim/Directionism)
Power Base: Administrative
Legitimacy: Appointed
Centralization : Hegemony
Economic Liberalism: 50%
Abridged History: The fires of the World War 3 purged the weak democracy that once ruled. The "holy" principles of "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité" fell like dominoes, crushed before the combined might of rogue AIs, robots, biological monstrosities and other things. "Democracy" disappeared once the end came.

But did it, really? Did the weak democrats destroy France, once and for all, with their weak wills? No, France lived on. After 2075, with the end of all existing states, under whatever form, France collapsed. It was terrifying time. For long, long 25 years, from Calais to Provence, there was no sign of authority. Men killed each other for the few remaining scraps of food.

But it all rekindled. Pierre Joffre, was a man with a dream. However, a dream that, today is reality. He served in the army when he was 16. He knew, however that the rotten "democracy" brought them into this. People were dying because of the weak wills of those who ruled them...

Step by step, with his growing army, he began clearing Nantes. Of all the malcontent that thrived there. They were purged. A glorious moment, that signalled what will come, was when in 2110, Paris, the old capital was liberated. Truly, for 200 years, it was in the grasp of democrats and anarchists..but today that changes! In 2125, France was reborn; from Vendeé to Bordeaux! Truly, glorious...Alas, on the next year, Pierre Joffre died.

His successor was less militant. While a patriot with France in mind, he saw that this wouldn't last long if there wasn't efficient administration. Sending in the army to quell revolts could work only so far. And so, a vast bureaucracy was re-established. The army, of course was still there. But soon it became clear that there will be a conflict between the newly-established nomenklature and the old military. To combat this, military leaders are offered lucrative posts in return for their loyalty.

Description of Society: A strict society. The bureaucracy controls what the military hasn't subjugated. Order exists on the streets. What few try to "secede" for their "freedom", are brought back to safety. One way or another...

All political life is currently centred in Nantes, which became a beacon of safety. The depopulated Paris, on the other part, became desolate, and only the West bank was truly controlled. The East bank of the Seine was a hovel, full of vagrants, into which even the military hasn't taken up the task of clearing.

(42 provinces? In any case, more than 35.)

 

[Sonereal]

-deleted-

 

[ChiefDesigner]

Country Name: 華夏合作組織/All China Cooperation Organization
Provinces Claimed: 41 45

Government Ideology: Neo-Imperial Republican
Flag:

Power Base: Administrative
Legitimacy: Elective
Centralization: Confederation
Legislature: VERY YES
Economic Liberalism: 45% (Finland)
Abridged History:

The year is 2253, and this is the map of the world: "Here, there be dragons."

A civilization that, once upon a time, straddled three planets -- that cast its reach to the edge of Heaven, and beyond -- now huddles for warmth in the ashes of its burned-out skyscrapers.

On Taiwan, shielded by the tattered remnants of a world-class navy; and in the Sichuan redoubt, hidden behind fog-shrouded mountains; life carries on much as it did before. Robot farms and robot factories provide a nearly pre-Collapse standard of living, and enough surplus to send to the other battered megalopoli... but the seas are dark and dangerous, and one out of every six container ships vanishes without a trace.

In the remnants of the river delta megacities, and in the Beijing and Manchurian corridors, life is considerably less pleasant; the skyscraper farms and underground arcologies, under constant biological attack, produce barely enough to feed a groaning population. The skies buzz with strange robotic creatures, and the garrison is rarely far from the walls; but even here, life and civilization endure.

Collapse came slowly, as the Chinese state, rarely nimble at the best of times, was outmanuevered on every level, pushed out of its own hinterland by incomprehensible robots and bioweapons. Central authority wavered, pushed back to the urban centers and peninsulas; then collapsed entirely, leaving in its wake a network of regional governors and provisional authorities barely able to govern hundreds of millions of desperate refugees.

In the wake of the collapse came the All China Cooperation Organization. Born from the efforts by these local authorities to coordinate their defense, logistics, and economic policy, and including nearly every major metroplex in East Asia outside Japan and the Seoul area, the ACCO has taken the first steps towards rebuilding a safe, just and prosperous society for


Description of Society:

An archipelago of urban centers under siege. Mostly baseline humans; genetic and cybernetic modifications for medical reasons only. For fans of Eclipse Phase, a democratic Jovian Republic; for fans of Evangelion, Japan after Second Impact.

 

[Zappericus]

- The Kingdom of Scandivika -
"Sammen står, kjemper og dør vi; Sønner og Døtre av Norden"
Size (50)

Territorial borders

Spoiler :

Country Name: The Kingdom of Scandivika
Flag: http://i.imgur.com/7gZpVd6.png?1
Government Ideology: Neo-Feudalist Absolute Monarchism with Traditionalistic Cult of Personality
Power Base: Military
Legitimacy: Hereditary
Centralization: Hegemony

Economic Liberalism: 17%
- The Kingdom of Scandivika practices a glorified version of neo-feudalism. All of the land under the king's banner ultimately belongs to the king (which is essentially the entirety of the nation's territories), and in turn, the national nobility. These "vassals" are basically just wealthy oligarchs allowed to own and govern minor industries, corporate entities and certain businesses in return for paying back a moderate tax to their liege; but all in all it is the crown's related departments of industry and economic affairs which owns the majority of the commercial sectors.

Abridged History:
When the Great War struck, it struck hard. As the majority of Scandinavia was knee-deep in enjoying a golden age of overclocked technological progress, corruption and materialist decadence, the calamity hit them as a speeding sledgehammer against brittle glass. Russia invaded from the east, tearing through the unprepared and docile Scandinavians with shock and awe. Only months after the invasion, all of northern Europe burned like a bright candle in the night from the horrors of orbital bombardment and persistent assaults.

When the dust had settled, there was nothing left. No order, no authority. Whatever fledgling governments had survived the war were either isolated or had fled underground, leaving their people to fend for themselves among the carcasses of their former nations. Murder and looting became like a rampant plague across the land, and it lasted for nearly twenty years without end. Scandinavia had fallen to anarchy.

But in 2091, from the northern territories of the former nation of Norway came word of an enigmatic figure unlike any other. They said he bore the blood of royalty, and that he was immortal. The rumours spread like wildfire, but the reality was that a former army general; Jonas Høgland Karlsen, had risen from an underground shelter with a large remnant military force from the war.

With dedication like none other, they swept down the land, drawing with them fresh recruits and supporters as they went. "The King of The Land", and "The Great Uniter" the people called this growing power-figure. And as a testimony to his strength, and to secure a foothold, General Karlsen cleansed and secured the former Norwegian capital of Oslo from depraved raiders, biological horrors and rogue robotic AI.

The year was now 2105 and the newly formed Kingdom of Scandivika had risen from the ashes of northern Europe, spreading in all directions and liberating city upon city, town after town; From remnants of the war. A majority of the people were compliant, accepting and otherwise supporting the idea of order under this newfound power. Those whom rejected were met with a quick, and cruel end at the hands of the crown's exosuit-clad "knights".

The Kingdom managed to sweep all of the former nations in Scandinavia under its rule, including the later annexation of Iceland in 2119. By 2124, the peoples of Scandinavia were united under the banner of King Karlsen, whom set upon rebuilding and asserting his power. Under his rule, the subjects of the kingdom saw the coming of economic and industrial growth, grinding bureaucracy, law and order. Whilst Scandinavia would never be the same, its people felt a sense of pre-war nostalgia, and safety.

Description of Society
The Kingdom of Scandivika is a highly militaristic neo-feudalist techno-monarchy ruled by the descendants of the Karlsen lineage. It is a vast nation divided into duchies and counties, held together by the tight grip of vast military might and pro-monarchist political brainwashing. Powerful individuals (such as industrial owners, corporate heads, brilliant scientists and military senior officers) and other individuals that are of great asset to the crown are granted the privileges of becoming part of the national nobility, as to maintain their loyalties as well as keeping them in line and satisfied. Any and all opposition towards the crown is swiftly cracked down upon. There is even a shadowy intelligence organization within the kingdom which specifically deals with spying, gathering intelligence, performing counter-intelligence operations, and hunting down and discreetly assassinating dissidents, free thinkers and other dangerous individuals towards the crown's legitimacy and/or power. It is called The Royal Bureau of Crown Loyalty, and they are the spooks of Scandivika.

Culture
Scandivikan fashion trends, est. 2185-

Spoiler :

The nations of Scandinavia had always held a close cultural and ethnic bond. Norwegians, Danes, Swedes, Icelanders and Finns all shared equal or similar traditions in one way or another, and had maintained positive relations between one another since the dawn of the 20th century. When the self-proclaimed King of Scandivika rose to fill the void caused by the destruction of civil society in Scandinavia during WWIII, assimilation of these ethnic-groups into civilization was considered a fairly easy task to achieve. The only primary difference in the cultural lifestyle of the former Scandinavians is the kingdom's road towards medieval western European feudalism, bringing with it such things as chivalry and a social hierarchy formerly unknown to the northerners. Corporate and Political heads now held such odd titles as Dukes, Barons, Count, Lord-Directors and Magistrates, whilst archaic ranking titles such as Knight, Man-at-Arms and Squire were brought into the military. But slowly, they are adjusting to this new "old world" way of life.

Infrastructure
The Oslofjord, capital megacity of Scandivika est. 2190

Spoiler :

Whilst WWIII left much of Scandinavia in shambles, it was Finland that took the brunt of the war. When the Kingdom of Scandivika arose and began resettling old towns and cities, it was Finland that required the most resources to rebuild, with a majority of the former nation being abandoned due to the sheer destruction caused. The megacity of Oslofjord remains as the capital of the kingdom, and was mostly intact when it was wrestled from looters and criminal gangsters. As of now, the peoples of the kingdom enjoy a lot of pre-war luxuries such as mag-rails, public services, highways and towering habitation spires. Life befitting westerners.

Industry
Scandivikan commercial Heavy Water Plant in Vemork

Spoiler :

With most of Scandinavia now unified, individual resources such as Finnish iron, Norwegian and Danish oil and Swedish nuclear energy severely boosted the kingdom's economic growth, allowing greater prosperity than any one nation could've achieved by themselves. Whilst much of the land still holds the scars of the Great War, a lot of industrial facilities have been reactivated, apart from robotics plants and related compounds; Which have been destroyed due to the fear of another outbreak of AI rampancy. Additionally, the kingdom prides itself in its sizable exosuit production & research, as it is one of the broadest user of exosuit technology for both the civilian and military sectors.

Military
Scandivikan Royal Knight units of The Benevolent Order of The Iron Bull; (from left to right): Squire, Knight, Knight-Captain, Lord Commander

Spoiler :

The military is undoubtedly the primary focus in Scandivikan society, as it is the primary extension of the king's political power and physical might. Military service is mandatory once a citizen has reached the age of eighteen, and all citizens must participate, unless mentally or severely physically unfit, and are often willingly or not drafted into the royal army for service. This is usually not a problem for most of the citizenry, as military service guarantees certain social privileges and boons such as educational stipend support, job resume prioritization and etcetera. And though a feudalist society, the kingdom makes use of a standing army, rather than the raised levies of old ages. The only major difference being the presence of a myriad of Knighthood orders; Elite groups of special forces units standing apart from the army as direct servants of the crown, wielding advanced weapons technology, heavy combat exosuits, a code of chivalry, and glorified titles. Now that peace has come to Scandinavia, these knightly orders spend most of their time upholding the status quo as peacekeepers and royal enforcers.

 

[Civ'ed]

Spooky cancellation is spooky

 

[Grandkhan]

Country Name: Utilitarian Republic of Great Britain and Ireland
Flag:

Spoiler warning: big :

All credit to achaley from deviantart here.

Government Ideology: Visionary Thought Socialist Cult of Personality
Power Base: Administrative
Legitimacy: Appointed
Centralisation: Hegemony
Economic Liberalism: 10%
Abridged History:
As the third world war raged on, Britain, under siege from its many enemies and pounded daily by bombing raids, bioplagues, and orbital weaponry, developed its own secret weapons against its enemies. Among these weapons was WINDSOR, a vast, self improving AI who's mainframe was hidden under Westminster Palace. WINDSOR was to coordinate and micromanage to the last detail the defence of the British isles, and while loyalty to Britain was instilled as its prime directive, loyalty to the government was not. As the war waned and the government collapsed, WINDSOR bootstrapped itself to sentience. Coordinating the remaining forces of the United Kingdom through coercion, manipulation, and outright lies, it drove the government from the Isles and swept through Ireland, and when the dust settled, the remaining armies of Britain acknowledged WINDSOR as their ruler.

WINDSOR now rules the Isles with an iron fist, declaring that the needs of Britain outweigh the needs of the few. It plans out all economic actions, micromanages all forces, and collects data from every detail in Britain. WINDSOR defends all of Britain from its enemies - and sometimes, Britain's greatest enemy is itself.

Description of Society: the Utilitarian Republic of Great Britain and Ireland is a totalitarian state, ruled over in totality by WINDSOR. WINDSOR's vast databanks churn out the calculations necessary for the vast central planning apparatus of Britain, which directs every factory, every farm, and every transaction of Britain with calculated precision. Free enterprise is curtailed heavily - only small shops are run by free traders and individuals. Corporations and chains are outlawed.

WINDSOR rules an omnipresent surveillance state - dissent is forcibly crushed by the Secret Police, known as the Regulators of Compliance. There is no democracy or rights that WINDSOR will permit save those it sees useful, and those are few and far between. A network of cameras, phone taps, sniffers, and data collectors monitor every communication, autonomously trawling for any sign of sedition. It is repressive, and vastly bureaucratic - there is a (digital) form for almost everything now. Dissenters are sent to the coal mines, or executed should they prove too troublesome, and the Regulators are as overbearing as the propaganda.

Worse than the Regulators are the bands of fanatics that roam Britain. Those who have pledged their undying loyalty to the AI project and placed their futures in the hands of WINDSOR and its ilk roam the country, pontificating and preaching the virtues of the Utilitarian Republic with religious fervour. Should they find some hapless fool who questions the utility of AI on their travels, they descend upon them and rip them to shreds. The Cultists wish for nothing more than to be uploaded into digital existence to avoid death, and each preaches that it is imminent. Perhaps WINDSOR finds their fanatacism useful, or seeks the use of their brains once uploaded, or even finds them amusing - the thought processes of an AI are difficult for a mere human to understand.

Despite the socialism practiced by the Utilitarian Republic, class is not a thing of the past. The old social stratas of Britain remain, with a large working class base (since manufacturing has been restored to the Isles with the growth of autarky) a smaller wealthier middle class, and a powerful upper class of bureaucrats, administrators, and government flunkies. WINDSOR sees the utility of a group utterly beholden to it for their success, and allows the upper class to ply their corruption - it sees bribery and graft a small price to pay for the loyalty of its puppets. They know what will happen to them should WINDSOR fall, and in exchange are loyal to its orders, and WINDSOR tolerates some of their corruption for it. Those WINDSOR deems necessary, or the very rich, augment themselves with cybernetics, and many dream of escaping death forever by uploading their brains into digital copies - what WINDSOR does with these copies is unknown, but a scant few suspect they are forced into digital slavery, set to menial computational tasks such as cracking hashes for an eternity. Uploading is as of yet prohibitively expensive, and perhaps WINDSOR will allow their release into teh world once it is cheaper.

Luxuries are frequently difficult to come by, however a distinct black market does operate. The Regulators do their best to combat it, but the desire for a better life is a powerful force to contend with, even if it is fundamentally... human. Nylons, foreign music, and even banned publications frequently circulate, even though trafficing such goods is punishable by 8 years in the coal mines if caught.

Socially, the Utilitarian republic is perhaps no more progressive than the old states - WINDSOR attempts to stamp out racism and other forms of bigotry in favour of a united British nationalism it can focus externally, but ingrained racism dies hard. In the years since the Great War many of Britain's minorities have assimilated, and with the AI heavily regulating religion and turning almost all churches into puppets for the regime, religious bigotry is hard to forment. Same sex marriage continues to be illegal, however, with WINDSOR declaring that all couplings should be dedicated towards natural childbirth to repopulate devastated Britain in the past years - cheaper and more efficient than IVF or cloning, after all. That said, not even the omnipresent surveillance can stop two young people living together and being very close, though the children of unregistered unions frequently live second class lives. WINDSOR has not stooped towards eugenics and declaring optimal pairings yet - with the need fo rany children at all in the present, it takes a laissez faire view of suboptimal breeding, but perhaps this shall change in the future.

Map:

should be a round 50 provinces.

 

[Immaculate]

Government

The government structure of Brazil (called the 'Stewardship of Brazil') is based on a presidential democracy and environmental-focused institutionalized iconography similar in many ways to theocracies of previous decades and centuries.

Brazil has an elected President, a Parliament, an ‘Assembly of Stewards’, as well as local (municipal and rural) councils. According to the constitution, all candidates running for the presidential position must be vetted by the Assembly of Stewards, and the parliamentary members are similarly appointed by the Assembly of Stewards, meaning that, while the nation is nominally a democracy, true power to shape the future of Brazil lies with the Stewards.


The Assembly of Stewards appoints the heads of several powerful posts and provides them with strategic vision. These include the armed forces (including the space programs), domestic and foreign intelligence, national media networks, and foreign relations. They also appoint new members to their own assembly when a member needs to be replaced (usually due to retirement). Declarations of war are made by the ‘Assembly of Stewards’.

The stewards are universally drawn from members of the “Stewardship of the Garden”, which has its history in the armed rebellions of 1990s and 20-naughts by environmental militants backed by foreign (Soviet) communists against entrenched and corrupt exploitive local governments, their industrialists and corporations allies- all backed by foreign investors and “pro-business” western governments. As such the “Stewardship of the Garden” and the “Assembly of Stewards” are unapologetically environmental militants and are characterized by an all-encompassing ‘green’ ideology that borders on environmentalism as a religion. Most adult citizens of Brazil with ambitions to politics (at any level) or power (influence, business, etc) are members of the “Stewardship of the Garden”.


The President of Brazil is elected by universal suffrage of every individual 20 years or older every 5 years and can serve up to four terms. Presidential candidates must be approved by the ‘Stewards’, with such approval usually based on adherence to ‘green’ ideology amongst other concerns. The President is responsible for the exercise of the executive branch of government. He or she appoints and supervises the council of ministers, coordinates government decisions, and selects government policies to be placed before the legislature.

There are no ‘political parties’ in Brazil like there are in other nations- all presidential candidates belong to the “Stewardship of the Garden”. Voters choose candidates based on their strategic vision, economic and development plans, and their opinions of domestic and foreign events.

The executive oversees ministries of agriculture, commerce, culture and environmental guidance, energy, health and medicine, housing and development, industries and resources, interior, justice, labor and social affairs, transportation, science and technology, as well as welfare and social security.


Parliament or “Gardeners” compromise 290 members appointed for four year terms by the “Assembly of Stewards”. They draft legislation, ratify international treaties, and approve the national budget.

History

Prior to IU1

Brazil in the 1970s and 80s was predominantly the plaything of foreign corporations and interests who sought to make use of its extensive natural resources but had little care for its population or unique ecology. Sugar, rubber, and coffee plantations, gold, iron, copper and bauxite mines were all significantly developed- the national government only too eager to award mining and agricultural rights to foreign powers in exchange for their monies.

The accelerating cold war between the US and its allies and the Soviets and their allies meant investment from both camps, and a destabilizing war of ideologies upon the impoverished Brazilian peoples.

The industrial and military development of the cold-war superpowers meant unchecked environmental exploitation and greater pollution then ever. At the same time, the environmental movement was gaining traction with academics and literates concerned with species extinction and people everywhere who saw the direct effects of industrial pollution upon themselves and their children. Brazil was particularly bad and several international conferences by environmentalists and ecologists drew attention to its dwindling rain forests and the damage being done to its rivers and lands. Brazil became a sort of rallying point for the environmental movement.

During the 80s and 90s the instability and violence of the cold-war proxy wars were spreading across the globe and Brazil was no different. It was during this time however that the ‘Garden’ movement took form, a militarized environmental movement that took active, often violent action to stop first pollution and later general industrial exploitation of the Amazon basin. The organization’s high profile insurgency attracted more fanatical and militant environmentalists and anti-industrialists from across the globe. Because of its strong anti-corporate, populist message, it soon also attracted the support of the Soviet Union who were only to eager to turn the environmentalists guns into another proxy soldier for the spread of coldwar ideology on a global battlefield.

In 1996, after 12 years of brutal civil war, the US-corporations-backed Brazilian government was overthrown by the Soviet-backed Garden movement and its popular supporters, now almost equally divided amongst international environmental militants and socialist locals.

They formed their own government, socialist, though not communist, and pro-Soviet, though not its military ally, which they called ‘Stewardship of the Garden’. They nationalized any remaining foreign industries and immediately set about enacting environmentalist legislation that limited pollution or damage to the ecosystem. The movement was popular with environmentalists throughout the globe who were increasingly seeing the effects of direct pollution, overcrowding, rising food prices, climate change, and were increasingly fearful of thermonuclear war between the world’s superpowers. Now at peace, immigration amongst environmental idealists rose to new heights and the ‘Stewardship of the Garden’ grew to become the most racially and culturally heterogeneous population within the globe.

With a highly educated and fairly wealthy population drawn from the most motivated of the globe’s environmental idealists, the twenty-ought’s saw the commercial development of the Brazil through renewable energy and green-friendly biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical industries. Thoroughly technogaianists the Brazilian economy invested heavily in genetics, drawing on the immense gene wealth and biodiversity of their forests to develop myriad new medicines, agricultural products, and the first military applications of genetically modified soldiers.

The first half of the twenty-first century saw Brazil continue to grow and expand, its borders open to environmental idealists of any nation or culture and its people consistently united by ideology and transnational, transracial cultural cosmopolitanism. The government continued to be at the forefront of the renewable energies sector and as fossil fuels wore down were one of the nations leading development of solar, wind, ocean current, and fusion power. As global energy needs continued to grow and fuels contracted and the world underwent significant global recession in the wake thereof, Brazil not only was unaffected but thrived, as companies, individuals and governments sought its expertise and technologies to develop their own 22nd century energy production.

Brazil at IU1

By 2050 Brazil stands as a strong, largely independence-minded nation uniquely shaped by a highly heterogeneous and cosmopolitan culture united by environmental technogaianism. Their economy is open and they engage in free trade but regulate their industries heavily. The state invests heavily in the nation’s economy and operates several nationalized industries including communication, public transport (magnetic rail), health services and medicine, banking, and power distribution and energy generation (including lunar energy reclamation).

Education and healthcare are heavily subsidized, a product of relatively high income tax rates. Their highly educated population are leaders in innovation and technological development. Brazil is a leader in energy (especially green and nuclear fusion), oceanic and space exploration and colonization, computing, cybertechnology, and new materials. They have long been and continue to be the undisputed world leader in biotechnology, medicine, and genetic modification.

Brazil has not sought to establish a presence on Mars, preferring to focus its efforts on the moon. As such, while it doesn’t have the presence of other large nations on Mars, its presence and operations on the moon are well-established and secure. They named their colony Pindorama.

Consisting of a huge piezoelectric diamondfiber dome woven over a lake-sized deposit of comet ice hauled to the south-polar Shackleton crater, turning it into a covered lake and a thriving, though exquisitely managed and balanced biome, Pindorama is home to 1204 colonists, including children. With solar and fusion nuclear power, the colony serves as a research station and military base but primarily as a lunar mining and H3 and ilmenite ore processing center. H3 is shipped back to earth for use in fusion reactors across the globe, providing a considerable portion of the total Brazilian GDP, while the ilmenite is processed for oxygen and iron and titanium for local fabrication.

Brazil between IU1 and IU2

work in progress




Country Name: Brazil
Flag:

Government Ideology: Republican Technogaianism
Power Base: Administrative/Military
Legitimacy: Elective
Centralization: Unitary or Hegemony
Economic Liberalism: 50% (is this about right based on what i wrote?)
Claims:

Spoiler :

"The Power Is Yours!" ​

 

[Sonereal]

-deleted-

 

[Omega124]

If your claims are short, it is probably because you hit the 50 province limit.

You left out one of my claims (South Tyrol to be exact); I recounted all my proinvces and I still get 47 so being over is not an issue.

 

[Sonereal]

-deleted-