Drunken Conquistador

Era of Succession(Closed)

Map wise, could I place my nation somewhere in this area?

My Hider

[IC/OOC] God and Country - A low-fantasy renaissance NRP of religion and discovery

So we can actually post? I thought we had to wait for Aristo

Era of Succession(Closed)

Name of Nation: The Totalist State
Banner/Flag:


Credits go to RvBomally

Government

Type of Government: Totalitarian Single-Party State.

Summary:

The Totalist doctrine preaches the total submission of the individual towards the aggrandizement of the State and Party. Only through total compliance to the "Grand Plan" of the Party the State will be able to triumph against its myriad enemies. With the end of the Fourth Great Hydarnian War and the destruction of the People's Republic of Cymelia and the Grand Federation of New Albion, the Party is now desperately looking for a new enemy to demonize. In the same vein, the Party has also started to slightly modify its ideological basis to absorb some ideological concepts from both Albion and Cymelia. That way, making it easier to absorb and assimilate the populations of the other two authoritarian regimes.

More recently, as in a few centuries ago, the radical wing of the Party has come up with the concept of Obliteration of the Self. Arguing that it's the individual that causes conflicts and problems with his greed and ambition, the theorists propose a sweeping campaign to eliminate this obstacle. Through education, cultural control or brute force. To further advance the idea, the Anti-Individualist faction has also managed to force a series of localized reforms, creating several "testing grounds" for their social control projects in scattered planets across the State.

The Totalist government is divided into directorates. Each one is in charge of an aspect of the administration and is usually divided into smaller sub-directorates for more specialized areas. Each director is part of the Board of directors, who is officially tasked with helping the Supreme Director in running the State. Since the real Supreme Director died centuries ago, the directors themselves run the show. With the most influential of them being the one to call the shots.

Leader(s): Director Aleksandr Dollabela-Rybaslky. Generalissimo of the State and head of the Directorate of Peace.



The current Director of Peace, Aleksandr Dollabela-Rybalsky is the scion of a prominent Upper Party family. His mother was a respected commander of several prison planets while his father was a General of the Black Banner. With this background, the expectations over the young Aleksandr were huge. The pressure to not only match but surpass his parents was the main driving force behind his rise through the ranks of the Directorate of Peace.

Combining hard work and canny politicking, the young Aleksandr managed to make a name for himself during the last stages of the Unification Wars. Gradually amassing political influence, allies and proteges, Aleksandr eventually won the power struggle that followed the death of the previous Director of Peace. The following purge was surprisingly lenient by Totalist standards.

Persons of Importance:

-Director Khoorli Aprayat, Head of the Directorate of Production.
-Director Leandra Fianecci, Head of the Directorate of Truth.
-Director Sapramat Tanzin, Head of the Directorate of Safety.

There are other directors but their power and influence are limited compared to the top players

Demographics and Culture

Species(s) and Demographics:

The bulk of the Totalist population is human, 90% to be exact. And while the official Party line has nothing outright against Xenos, they are still among the most used boogeymen by the State propaganda machine. Because of this, the general attitude towards Xenos is one of distrust and subdued animosity. Said animosity can be wiped into a frenzied hate at a moment's notice by propaganda.

With that said, the final victory against the immediate enemies of the Party has given the State a considerable increase in its human population. Unfortunately, these elements of society have been raised and indoctrinated outside the ideals of Totalism. And while the Party has adopted some trappings of Salvationist Communism and Darwinist Autarky to its ideological framework and co-opted considerable sectors of its former enemies' state apparatus, it still hasn't been enough for them to be deemed fully integrated. And so, in the new territories, even years after the end of the war, the extermination camps and death squads are still working around the clock to eliminate all undesirable elements of society.

Besides humanity, a host of minor Xeno species live within Totalist territory. Most of these species confined to a single system or even continent. Ruled by puppet leaders advised by Totalist officers and kept purposefully primitive relative to the State. In times of war these Xenos fight side by side with the Totalist army, as cannon fodder or rearguard personel.

Religion Description and Demographics:

Official Party doctrine dictates that religion is a parasite that must be purged for the success of the Grand Plan. In practice however the situation is different. Major religions, specially those originating in foreign states, are relentlessly purged by the Directorate of Security. But several faiths and philosophies deemed "safe" by the Party are allowed to exist. And so are mostly ignored by the Cultural Commissars. But like with everything else within the State, the smallest slip or wrong word can doom an entire community to ignominious death in the basement of a slaughterhouse.

Paramount among the approved faiths is the so called "Pain Vehicle". An offshoot of Buddhism born in the bloody and chaotic days of the Imperial collapse, the Pain philosophy (as it is more commonly known) was created by the then newly-installed Buddhist theocracy of Gyala. Unable to alleviate the suffering around them, the monks instead accepted the ultimate truth that the Universe wants people to suffer. And if that's the case then suffering must be what brings enlightenment, specially if one accepts such suffering without resistance. Likewise, those who inflict suffering are seen in a very positive light since they help others achieve enlightenment faster at the cost of delaying their own escape from the cycle of death and rebirth.

In the Gyalan Protectorate, which remains a theocracy to this day, albeit a puppet of the Totalists, monks and nuns practice extreme forms of sadomasochism. Torturing themselves, their novices, their fellow clergy and the helpless local population, who has been raised to believe that this torture is actually a glorious reward.

The Pain Vehicle also does not believes that living beings have individual souls. Preaching instead that all life is merely a rogue vessel for the parts of a single soul of the same cosmic spirit. This has earned them some points with the radical Totalists as both groups despise the concept of individuality and self.

In the Totalist State proper, the Pain philosophy lacks its elaborate temple-fortress and highly organized clergy, the Party must maintain appearances after all. But this hasn't stopped the ideology from finding some fertile ground among the population. Specially those in the armed forces and security apparatus.

Of course, one can't talk about religion in the Totalist State without mentioning the Party itself and its official doctrine. Which by this point has become akin to a religion itself. Specially in its blind veneration to the Supreme Director, the supposed founder of the Totalist State and the one to create the "Grand Plan", a series of complex, confusing and often times contradictory ideals. Ignored by the Party leadership unless its convenient for them or completely misunderstood or even unknown to the wider population. In general the Grand Plan is merely used as a propaganda slogan these days.

The Anti-Individualist faction takes the Party Doctine one step further. With an even greater focus on the strength and righteousness of the group while further condemning and demonizing the individual. In the planets controlled by the Anti-Individualists, concepts such as family are completely unknown. Conception happens in vitro, in large facilities with material harvested from the population of breeding age and combined ostensibly to get the best results out of the combined genetics. Children are raised in communal centers and separated as they grow. To receive specialized education according to their designated "caste". Chosen based on the results show during their early stages of education.

Culture:

Totalist culture is in general a very utilitarian one. Centuries of Party control and the relentless work of the Cultural Commissars have created a society molded by the Totalist ideals of complete submission to the Party, where one's worth is judged solely by how much he or she is able to contribute to the State. Or at least in theory, in general a member of the upper echelons of the party has access to much more resources and amenities than a mere worker, regardless of their actual "utility".

The State is present in all aspects of life within Totalist space, either through constant propaganda or surveillance. Privacy is considered an obstacle to most and the Directorate of Safety maintains a colossal network of informants, agents and machinery to spy upon its own citizenry. To ensure their compliance. Such is their control that the black market itself is merely another facet of the Directorate of Safety, ensuring that the truly subversive material stays out of reach of the masses and that any potentially dangerous elements are (even more) closely watched by the security apparatus. On the same vein, the Directorate also maintains several small resistance groups led by double agents, to give the Party a boogeyman when needed and catch any would be rebels.

Overall, Totalist society is rather conservative. Clothing consists of drab and dull mass produced pieces. Even military and Party uniforms remain somber and subdued no matter how high in the hierarchy, though they tend to be of much higher quality than the usual citizen jumpsuit. Likewise, hair is usually kept short by both men and women. Likewise, possession and use of "decadent goods" such as makeup and perfume are considered crimes punishable with decades of forced labor in the camps.

Architecture is also very utilitarian, built to be sturdy and to last without care for aesthetics or appearance. The only exception are government buildings and monuments. Those are also supposed to impress and cow the masses into submission.

Cities are dotted with statues and monuments glorifying the Party and representing the ideals of Totalism. Smiling workers, eager peasants and stern-faced soldiers represented in steel and granite are the norm. Besides the Supreme Director himself, very few actual individuals are immortalized by the Party. Mostly due to the Totalist's disdain for "individual selfishness" in favor of the "strength of the collective".

Food is mostly of the processed and canned variety. Other kinds of meal are available but they cost so many ration cards that only the Upper Party can afford them consistently. In most rural areas however, most citizens do possess at least a small private garden to supplement their diet.

Healthcare is focused on keeping the citizens productive and breeding. And its not uncommon for workers and soldiers to receive some genetic or cybernetic modification to make them more useful. Regardless of their consent.

"Aberrant" behaviour isn't tolerated by the State, with aberrant being anything that doesn't conforms to the official Party line or isn't passively tolerated. Homosexuals, members of persecuted religions, criminals, political dissidents or merely the losing side of political struggles may, if lucky, end up in mental asylums and reeducation camps. Though chances are one probably ends up in a work or extermination camp.

Entertainment-wise, the Party has created the Cultural Sub-Directorate to monitor and control what the people may do for fun. The Sub-Directorate does its duty by fielding literal legions of Cultural Commissars tasked with creating, censoring and monitoring pieces of entertainment and art. As a matter of fact, most artists within the State are in the payroll of the Sub-Directorate.

To make their job easier, the Sub-Directorate has built millions of "Collective Interaction Centres" across the State. These complexes offer a wide variety of activities for citizens of all ages and classes. All under the watchful eyes and cameras of the Cultural Commissars.

Besides the activities approved and promoted by the Cultural Commissars, there are also a host of things that the Sub-Directorate does not concerns itself with. And these are specially popular among the lower classes, if only for the chance to get away from the overbearing presence of a Cultural Commissar.

There are several planets and systems within Totalist space that are under control of the Anti-Individualist faction of the Party. Officially designated as "social experimentation planets", these worlds are playgrounds for the radicals. Places where their ideals are implemented and perfected. Places where the Obliteration of Self, destruction of family structure and divisions among "caste stereotypes" are in full swing. For them, this is their chance to show the undeniable superiority of their ideas.

History

The Eastern Fringe of the Galaxy was always a contentious region. Initially settled by adventuring spirits and ambitious pioneers, by the time the Imperium first started to expand into the region, the area was occupied by a patchwork of petty states, warlords and alien races. Some of which were actually descendants of refugees fleeing the growth of the Imperium.

Without a single cohesive entity or coalition capable of facing them, the Imperium gradually conquered the Fringe in a series of military campaigns over the period of a couple centuries, the area being too far and low priority at the time to merit the allocation of larger forces. But while the conquest went well, occupation was an entirely different matter. The distance from the Imperial Core and relative backwardness of the region ensured that there was almost always something higher in the Imperium's priority for them to divert the necessary resources to fully integrate the region. Exceptions to the rule were few and far between, usually during periods of prolonged peace and prosperity. But even then the Fringe was never fully assimilated.

When the Imperium fractured, the Fringe was one of the first regions to descend into anarchy as Imperial forces either abandoned the area to join the succession war or turned into warlords, fighting against each other and the locals for domination.

It was during this period that the Totalist Party first caught the attention of the wider Galaxy. One of the many factions that managed to eke out an existence just outside the Imperium's borders, the Totalists saw the collapse of the Imperium as their chance to expand. Losing no time they dived right into the mess.

60 years later, the Fringe saw itself locked into a death struggle between three major factions: The Totalist State, the People's Republic of Cymelia and the Republic of Albion. Three repressive dictatorships with their own brand of Totalitarism. This deathly struggle of ever shifting alliances made sure that neither of the three powers was able to give any attention to the wider Galaxy.

Eventually, after almost a century of conflict, the Totalists managed to gain the upper hand after allying with a weakened Albion against Cymelia. The People's Republic fell and soon after the Totalists turned against Albion too. But this peace would not last, for just as the Totalists were mopping up the last Albion remnants, their northern territories started to be harassed by the Agonis Collective. Initially little attention was given to the issue as the Board of Directors severely underestimated the extent of the Collective's power.

The low intensity warfare against the Collective lasted for about a decade before the machines finally launched a dedicated attack against the State. Catching the Totalists somewhat by surprise, still busy erasing the last traces of their hated enemies, but at the same time giving them an actual enemy to fuel their ideology of total war.

Military:

The Totalist armed forces, under overall control of the Directorate of Peace has two major subdivisions: The Totalist Army and the Totalist Navy.

-The Totalist Army:

The Totalist Army

Originally a horde of screaming highly untrained conscripts, hundreds of minor and major conflicts have transformed the Totalist Army into an actual army instead of an angry mob. The current doctrine of the Totalist Army, formalized shortly before the Fourth Hycarnian War, emphasizes the sheer size of the hosts the Totalist State can bring to bear, whether it is in a massed mechanized offensive or inside lines upon lines of fortifications.

Totalist Doctrine places great emphasis in the concept of "breakthrough exploitation". In general this means using the vast numbers of mechanized and armored forces to engage the enemy line in several different points. Overwhelming their defenses with carefully planned attacks and diversionary actions supported by staggering amounts of firepower. Once the breakthrough is achieved in one or more sectors, the reserves are unleashed into the gap with the purpose of penetrating deep into enemy lines and destroy their ability to sustain the front, striking into their logistical support chain and depriving them of reinforcements, relief or supply. For the High Command, tactical and local defeats are more than acceptable as long as victory is achieved in the strategic and operational levels.

Totalist equipment is designed with reliability and simplicity in mind. So that it may be more easily mass produced by the State's industrial park. It is the consensus among the Directorate of Peace that the soldiers need decent equipment to do their job, and nothing else. Likewise, vehicle and aircraft designs are rugged-looking machines, mass produced and extremely resilient.

The Totalist Army also prides itself in the wide array of weapons of mass destruction at its disposal. Chemical, radioactive and biological agents are being constantly improved by the Totalist scientists to ensure that no countermeasure can protect the enemies of the State. Doctrine dictates that these agents are nevertheless better used against civilian populations due to their greater vulnerability and the strain that it will cause to the enemy infrastructure.

Manpower-wise, the Totalist Army is fed by a system of rotational conscription. With hordes of men and women drafted yearly for a three year term of service, with the option of permanent service after the term is up. Those who choose to stay may even be sent to military academies and the path to officialdom alongside volunteers and children of Party members.


Totalist Conscripts

An exception to the "good enough" rule are the Black Banner Regiments. The elite of the Totalist Army, equipped with only the best in term of equipment and soldiery. The high training standards compounded with extensive cybernetic and genetic enhancements and top of the line equipment makes the Black Banner the best fighting force at the disposal of the Totalist State.


A Black Banner trooper

The Party maintains its control over the Army through the use of several classes of political officers. Whose duties range from motivating and indoctrinating the troops to ensuring the loyalty of commanders in the field. However, unlike the early days of the State, Field Commissars no longer have the authority to override all orders from the regular army officers.

To support the regular army forces, the Totalist State also fields a host of penal units. Forcefully conscripted from work camps and disgraced military personnel, these units are always the vanguard of Totalist advance. Serving for little else besides clearing up the way and absorbing enemy fire.


Penals on the charge

Besides the penal units, the Totalist Army is oftentimes supported by the armed forces of its puppet states. These minor polities (controlling a couple of systems at most) are incapable of fielding forces on the same quality as the Totalist State both due to the lack of resources and the Totalists' own policy of keeping their puppets weak. As a result these armies are of inferior quality compared to their Totalist counterparts and are instead used either as cannon fodder or for rearguard duties.

On the field, the Totalist Army organizes its forces in a system of Operational Theaters, composed of Army Groups, composed by singular armies, composed of corps and so on.

Finally, the State also fields a sizable militia force. Armed with the army's leftover and receiving some light training, the Totalist Guard isn't by any means an offensive force. Useful only for supporting the army in the defense of their homes.

The Totalist Navy

The Totalist Navy

The Totalist Navy reflects the longstanding Totalist policy of not worrying about the Galaxy at large. A defensively focused force, for most of its history the navy was completely focused on fighting against its regional enemies of Albion and Cymelia. Who, for a long time actually had the upper hand in space, which forced the Totalist State to adopt a defensive mindset.

As the Totalist industrial power grew, the navy was expanded. Like the army, the Totalist ships were supposed to be both cheap and reliable. Due to the defensive mindset of the Totalist Admirals, it was decided to sacrifice the operational range of the ships. So as to compensate in other areas, such as shielding and long range weaponry, and to lessen the costs. Even when the balance of power in the Unification Wars shifted in favour of the State, the relatively close distances between Totalist bases and their enemies ensured that the Directorate of Peace didn't do much to change the fact that Totalist ships have low operational range.

Another hallmark of the Totalist Navy is the Floating Fortress. A ship of colossal size capable of acting as carrier, transport and battleship, the Floating Fortress is an expensive and complex craft to manufacture. As such only the largest shipyards are capable of building and maintaining one. The original purpose of the Fortresses was to act as a mobile support base, to give the navy some more operational range. Though they have evolved beyond this role.

Offensive naval operations are thoroughly planned affairs. Advance routes have to picked in a way to allow the naval groups to remain able to be supplied. Depots, repair stations and supply lines have to be carefully planned, established and maintained. And if a Floating Fortress is involved in the operation, the effort has to be redoubled.

In general the Totalist Navy prefers long distance fights, trusting its superior shields and numbers to destroy the enemy on the other side of the solar system before moving in to support the planetary invasion.

It should also be noted that the Totalist Navy also fields its own marine component and a prestigious engineer corps. Both created with the purpose of securing and repairing enemy space infrastructure. Or building up things from the ground up, in the case of the engineers.

Era of Succession(Closed)

The Totalist State. WIP

Name of Nation: The Totalist State
Banner/Flag:


Credits go to RvBomally

Type of Government: Totalitarian Single-Party State.

Summary:

The Totalist doctrine preaches the total submission of the individual towards the aggrandizement of the State and Party. Only through total compliance to the "Grand Plan" of the Party the State will be able to triumph against its myriad enemies. With the end of the Fourth Great Hydarnian War and the destruction of the People's Republic of Cymelia and the Grand Federation of New Albion, the Party is now desperately looking for a new enemy to demonize. In the same vein, the Party has also started to slightly modify its ideological basis to absorb some ideological concepts from both Albion and Cymelia. That way, making it easier to absorb and assimilate the populations of the other two authoritarian regimes.

More recently, as in a few centuries ago, the radical wing of the Party has come up with the concept of Obliteration of the Self. Arguing that it's the individual that causes conflicts and problems with his greed and ambition, the theorists propose a sweeping campaign to eliminate this obstacle. Through education, cultural control or brute force. To further advance the idea, the Anti-Individualist faction has also managed to force a series of localized reforms, creating several "testing grounds" for their social control projects in scattered planets across the State.

The Totalist government is divided into directorates. Each one is in charge of an aspect of the administration and is usually divided into smaller sub-directorates for more specialized areas. Each director is part of the Board of directors, who is officially tasked with helping the Supreme Director in running the State. Since the real Supreme Director died centuries ago, the directors themselves run the show. With the most influential of them being the one to call the shots.

Leader(s): Director Aleksandr Dollabela-Rybaslky. Generalissimo of the State and head of the Directorate of Peace.
Persons of Importance:

-Director Khoorli Aprayat, Head of the Directorate of Production.
-Director Leandra Fianecci, Head of the Directorate of Truth.
-Director Sapramat Tanzin, Head of the Directorate of Safety.

There are other directors but their power and influence are limited compared to the top players

Species(s) and Demographics:

The bulk of the Totalist population is human, 90% to be exact. And while the official Party line has nothing outright against Xenos, they are still among the most used boogeymen by the State propaganda machine. Because of this, the general attitude towards Xenos is one of distrust and subdued animosity. Said animosity can be wiped into a frenzied hate at a moment's notice by propaganda.

With that said, the final victory against the immediate enemies of the Party has given the State a considerable increase in its human population. Unfortunately, these elements of society have been raised and indoctrinated outside the ideals of Totalism. And while the Party has adopted some trappings of Salvationist Communism and Darwinist Autarky to its ideological framework and co-opted considerable sectors of its former enemies' state apparatus, it still hasn't been enough for them to be deemed fully integrated. And so, in the new territories, even years after the end of the war, the extermination camps and death squads are still working around the clock to eliminate all undesirable elements of society.

Besides humanity, a host of minor Xeno species live within Totalist territory. Most of these species confined to a single system or even continent. Ruled by puppet leaders advised by Totalist officers and kept purposefully primitive relative to the State. In times of war these Xenos fight side by side with the Totalist army, as cannon fodder.

Religion Description and Demographics:

Official Party doctrine dictates that religion is a parasite that must be purged for the success of the Grand Plan. In practice however the situation is different. Major religions, specially those originating in foreign states, are relentlessly purged by the Directorate of Security. But several faiths and philosophies deemed "safe" by the Party. And so are mostly ignored by the Cultural Commissars. But like with everything else within the State, the smallest slip or wrong word can doom an entire community to ignominious death in the basement of a slaughterhouse.

Paramount among the approved faiths is the Pain Vehicle. An offshoot of Buddhism born in the bloody and chaotic days of the Imperial collapse, the Pain philosophy (as it is more commonly known) was created by the then newly-installed Buddhist theocracy of Gyala. Unable to alleviate the suffering around them, the monks instead accepted the ultimate truth that the Universe wants people to suffer. And if that's the case then suffering must be what brings enlightenment, specially if one accepts such suffering without resistance. Likewise, those who inflict suffering are seen in a very positive light since they help others achieve enlightenment faster at the cost of delaying their own escape from the cycle of death and rebirth.

In the Gyalan Protectorate, which remains a theocracy to this day albeit a puppet of the Totalists, monks and nuns practice extreme forms of sadomasochism. Torturing themselves, their novices, their fellow clergy and the helpless local population, who has been raised to believe that this torture is actually a glorious reward.

The Pain Vehicle also does not believes that living beings have individual souls. Preaching instead that all life is merely a rogue vessel for the parts of a single soul of the same cosmic spirit. This has earned them some points with the radical Totalists as both groups despise the concept of individuality and self.

In the Totalist State proper, the Pain philosophy lacks its elaborate temple-fortress and highly organized clergy, the Party must maintain appearances after all. But this hasn't stopped the ideology from finding some fertile ground among the population. Specially those in the armed forces and security apparatus.

Of course, one can't talk about religion in the Totalist State without mentioning the Party itself and its official doctrine. Which by this point has become akin to a religion itself. Specially in its blind veneration to the Supreme Director, the supposed founder of the Totalist State and the one to create the "Grand Plan", a series of complex, confusing and often times contradictory ideals. Ignored by the Party leadership unless its convenient for them or completely misunderstood or even unknown to the wider population. In general the Grand Plan is merely used as a propaganda slogan these days.

Culture:

Totalist culture is in general a very utilitarian one. Centuries of Party control and the relentless work of the Cultural Commissars have created a society molded by the Totalist ideals of complete submission to the Party, where one's worth is judged solely by how much he or she is able to contribute to the State. Or at least in theory, in general a member of the upper echelons of the party has access to much more resources and amenities than a mere worker.

The State is present in all aspects of life within Totalist space, either through constant propaganda or surveillance. Privacy is considered an obstacle to most and the Directorate of Safety maintains a colossal network of informants, agents and machinery to spy upon its own citizenry. To ensure their compliance. Such is their control that the black market itself is merely another facet of the Directorate of Safety, ensuring that the truly subversive material stays out of reach of the masses and that any potentially dangerous elements are (even more) closely watched by the security apparatus. On the same vein, the Directorate also maintains several small resistance groups led by double agents, to give the Party a boogeyman when needed and catch any would be rebels.

Overall, Totalist society is rather conservative. Clothing consists of drab and dull mass produced pieces. Even military and Party uniforms remain somber and subdued no matter how high in the hierarchy, though they tend to be of much higher quality than the usual citizen jumpsuit. Likewise, hair is usually kept short by both men and women.

Architecture is also very utilitarian, built to be sturdy and to last without care for aesthetics or appearance. The only exception are government buildings and monuments. Those are also supposed to impress and cow the masses into submission.

Food is mostly of the processed and canned variety. Other kinds of meal are available but they cost so many ration cards that only the Upper Party can afford them consistently.

Healthcare is focused on keeping the citizens productive and breeding. And its not uncommon for workers and soldiers to receive some genetic or cybernetic modification to make them more useful. Regardless of their consent.

"Aberrant" behaviour isn't tolerated by the State, with aberrant being anything that doesn't conforms to the official Party line or isn't passively tolerated. Homosexuals, members of persecuted religions, criminals, political dissidents or merely the losing side of political struggles may, if lucky, end up in mental asylums and reeducation camps. Though chances are one probably ends up in a work or extermination camp.

There are several planets and systems within Totalist space that are under control of the radical faction of the Party. Officially designated as "social experimentation planets", these worlds are playgrounds for the radicals. Places where their ideals are implemented and perfected. Places where the Obliteration of Self, destruction of family structure and divisions among "caste stereotypes" are in full swing. For them, this is their chance to show the undeniable superiority of their ideas. The rest of the Party is just glad that they aren't as annoying as before.

History:
Military:

The Totalist armed forces, under overall control of the Directorate of Peace has three major subdivisions: the Totalist Army, the Totalist Navy and the Safety Force. The latter is the result of decades of intrigue and backroom conflicts between the Directorate of Peace and the Directorate of Security.

-The Totalist Army:

Originally a horde of screaming highly untrained conscripts, hundreds of minor and major conflicts have transformed the Totalist Army into an actual army instead of an angry mob. Nevertheless,

Era of Succession(Closed)

@Drunken Conquistador Sounds good :) Welcome aboard!

So where on the map will you be placing yourself in?

@Sigma

Somewhere kinda out of the way, not too far from players but not too close either

Era of Succession(Closed)

@Drunken Conquistador So Big Brother or Space North Korea? :P

Either sounds interesting and can add on to the story, which calls to you more?

@Sigma

The faceless Party won out on the dice. So expect some minor references to 1984 XD.

EDIT: Is the map in the OP the most accurate?

Era of Succession(Closed)

@Drunken Conquistador Yup we got room, what are you thinking on making?

@Sigma

An totalitarian state that has just finished a major war in their corner of the Galaxy so is more concerned with absorbing their gains rather than any kind of large scale adventures.

I'm still undecided if I will go with a faceless Party officially ruled by a Big Brother type or a Communist/pseudo-Communist state that evolved into an absolute monarchy

Era of Succession(Closed)

Are you guys still accepting players?

[IC/OOC] God and Country - A low-fantasy renaissance NRP of religion and discovery

So, what kinds of military orders exist within the structure of the church?

[IC/OOC] God and Country - A low-fantasy renaissance NRP of religion and discovery

Kingdom of Beredia

Kingdom of Beredia

.

Nation Overview

The current incarnation of the Beredian nation is an monarchical state where the Crown has managed to curb the power of the nobility, thanks in part to the long and bloody conflicts against the Timlukid Sultanates, that did wonders to cut down the numbers and wealth of the feudal lords, and the support of the Ambrusian Church.

Standing at the edges of the Fiorentian and Timlukid worlds, Beredia spent centuries under partial or total control by several different Timlukid powers. These centuries of conflict against the infidel invader have created a deeply religious and militarized realm, whose rulers are more concerned with watching the mountain passes than meddling with "petty politics".

The current ruler is André-Maria Duarte of the House of Abravantes. A competent if somewhat ruthless ruler, André-Maria was crowned at 7 years of age when his father died of dysentery while campaigning against rebellious peasants. During this period the kingdom was ruled by a series of regents, ranging from weak to disloyal. An abortive attempt to weaken the Crown power was brutally put down by the young king and his tutor, Prelate Hermogenes, a few years before the king was of legal age. Which did not stop the "boy-king" from taking direct control of the nation and starting a bloody but short purge of supposed "traitors" and "usurpers".

As of now, Queen Joaquina (one of the king's cousins from a lowly but rich cadet branch) is on the final stages of her fifth pregnancy. Of the previous four, only two have resulted in living offspring. And of these two, only one girl has lived beyond early childhood, Infanta Marina-Josefa.

Geography

Map Claim

(Very WIP)

A nation divided between grassy plains and woodland in the north and rugged hills and mountains in the south. The North, with its farmlands and wide spaces is where most of the population lives.

Notable settlements include Ilafrânia (Beredia's only port and largest fortified location in the northwest) and Yaramânia (located on the southern shores of lake Viseu, it's the original home of the Abravantes dynasty and second largest city in the kingdom. In the south lies the capital city of Lazamênia, also the largest city of the kingdom. Originally built by the Timlukids, Lazamêmina is the beating heart of Beredia. Home of all Church and State apparatus, the city is also a major stop point in the overland trading routes with the Timlukid Sultanates.

And in the very south of the nation lies the Alcazar range. Dotted with castles and watchtowers and inhabited by hardy mountainfolk, the Alcazar mountains are the first line of defense against any heathen raid or invasion, while its foot slopes were often used as staging points for many crusades and expeditions over the years.

History

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Beredia is an old land. By the time Saint Fiorentino was spreading his word, the lands that would become Beredia had already seen several different rulers. What is known is that the land was inhabited by hundreds of different tribes who shared roughly the same culture and religion. Beredia remained a patchwork of warring primitive tribes for Lord knows how many years before the Guaramini armies crossed the Alcazar range from the south, bringing "civilization" to the natives and conquering vast swathes of the nation, which they called "Ifshenia".


Guaramani troops

The Guaramani would experience their imperial zenith followed by stagnation, rot and decline over the next 300 years. And as their empire shrunk, so did their hold over Beredia. Replaced by tribal kingdoms and confederations made up of several different peoples ("Ifshenia being on the receiving end of several migratory waves during that period of time). It was also during this time that the land started being called Beredia, meaning "rugged land" in the language of one of the local dominant peoples.


Beredian Tribal warriors

The land would continue in flux for some more time, being reunited and divided innumerable times by warlords and would be conquerors. Sometime during this period, the first Ambrusian missionaries arrived in the region. Managing to spread their faith thanks to the support of several local kings who used the Ambrusian faith as an excuse to conquer more lands. Eventually, King Recawith of Albuzer, under the aegis of the Fiorentan faith, managed to conquer the whole region. And unlike the previous would-be conquerors who had managed to unite Beredia before, Recawith's kingdom outlived him.


Recawith meeting with foreign emissaries

It would be this state that would be one of the first Antovan lands to feel the might of the early Timlukid Caliphate expansion. Unfortunately for Beredia, Recawith's descendants proved to be no match for the zealous armies of the south, too busy with internal squabbles to stem the tide of conquest. And so Beredia fell once again, save for a few isolated holdouts.


Early Timlukid troops

The next centuries saw Beredia fall under the control of one of the Post-Caliphate Sultanates. And eventually this Sultanate also collapsed into smaller states, the so-called "First Taifa Period". The weakening of the Timlukid allowed for a measure of comeback for the Fiorentian holdouts in the north and west. The next couple centuries saw the land falling into utter chaos as Timlukid and Fiorentian fought against and alongside each other. The land was devastated and the Timlukids slowly pushed back.

The First Taifa Period ended with the Verzamid invasion. At the Verzamids were a dynamic new dynasty that had managed to subjugate a considerable amount of land south of the Alcazar range. Such success hadn't gone unnoticed by the Taifas, who appealed to Sultan Al-Murtansir The Thunderbolt for help against the Fiorentan kings. Al-Murtansir led his host into Beredia and easily turned the tide of war. Pushing back the Fiorentians and restoring Timlukid superiority in the region.


The Thunderbolt

Fortunately for Beredia, Al-Murtansir proved to be just as great a ruler as a general and Beredia soon entered a golden age of tolerance and prosperity. His son even manage to fight back a crusade, thanks in no small part due to the support of local Fiorentian lords. Unfortunately, the Verzamid Sultanate fell just as fast as it had risen. Victim to decadence, radicalization and shortsightedness. And thus started the "Second Taifa Period".


Beredian knights

That proved to be the beginning of the end for the Timlukids in Beredia, and from there on it was all downhill for them. Over the next couple centuries the Fiorentians would gradually push back the Timlukids, though slowed down by their own squabbles and conflicts with neighbouring nations. It was during the period that the Abravantes rose to the position of kings of Beredia and started working to break the power of the nobility. Eventually king José-Maria wiped out the last Taifa and the Timlukid army sent to help them some 109 years ago. And his grandson Pedro the Giant drove back the last serious Timlukid invasion 68 years ago.


Beredian pike bloc during the Battle of Santo Padre de Lusiana

(I have some more ideas, but I will hold off this part until I can get in contact with my neighbours.)

Society

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The Ambrusian Church plays a major role in Beredia. Belief in the Saint and the Lord is what binds the nation together and drove them to fight off the Timlukid invaders. The Crown uses the Church support to legitimize its rule and centralizing politics while the clergy still holds considerable temporal power. As a matter of fact, Prelate Hermogenes (the highest-ranking Ambrusian clergymen in the kingdom) remains as the most influential adviser to the king and is the second most powerful man in Beredia.

For the common people, belief in the teachings of the Saint is absolute. Even if it has its local peculiarities (after all, the Timlukids did rule over Beredia for a long time). Beredian history and folklore are littered with saints and martyrs in the struggle against the heathens. Likewise, festivals and holy days are numerous and provide a welcome distraction from the dreary life of the lower classes. Church life is also seen as a way to rise up in life. And no small number of peasant boys ended up attaining lofty positions within the religious hierarchy after decades of service.

Another large aspect of Beredian culture is the idea of war. Beredians see themselves as the shield of Antova against the Timlukids. And centuries under their rule have created a rather martial culture within the nation. For centuries nobles prided themselves in fighting the good fight against the heathen and the heretic while the common man fights to both protect his land and achieve salvation by spilling heathen blood. Likewise, the army is another way for the poor man to improve his lot in life, an infantryman may receive a small plot of land to call his own once his service ends. And campaign wages and looting can make a huge difference in the life of a humble pikeman.

Beredians also place a huge emphasis on family and community. With most extended families living together or near each other. And even the most distant relations are supposed to treat each other with familiarity and respect.

Honor is another important aspect for Beredians. Minor insults or squabbles can be talked and smoothed over a cup of ale (or wine if you're a nobleman.) But it's generally expected that one should never let insults unanswered. How one should answer varies by situation and place. Ranging from getting your older brother to beat up your cheating husband to duels to the death. Once again, it depends on the situation, the social station of the affected parties and the region where it happens.

Centuries of domination and close contact with the Timlukids have undeniably molded Beredian culture and society, not even the Church itself was safe from their influence. And as much as they like to deny it, several festivals, holidays, customs and saints have actually come from the Timlukid times. Language is another area deeply affected, specially in the southern regions of Beredia where local dialects have more in common with their Timlukid neighbours than, for exaple, Choedalian.

Beredian architecture is also an interesting mix of influences, of which Timlukid is the most apparent and identifiable. The most egregious example being the royal palace itself, once the seat of Timlukid rulers it still retains much of that time. Likewise, art and literature also show clear influences from Timlukid earlier Timlukid times. Along with some other sources, mostly thanks to the foreign crusaders who fought to liberate the nation.

Most Beredians (who probably also have some Timlukid blood in their veins) deal with this fact by ignoring it completely, and pointing it out is considered a great offense in most places.

Economy/Industry

The flat north is the main source of food and wood for Beredia while the south is rich in mineral wealth. Trade is also a considerable source of revenue for the Crown, being on the border of the Timlukid world allows the kingdom to tax the lucrative overland trade routes, though trade is not as important as it is in the southern city-states. On the same vein, the nation's nobility imports most of its luxury items from outside.

Metallurgy is where Beredia prides itself. Both general and military supplies are produced en masse in Beredia's cities while master artisans earn small fortunes for every commission. Both for internal and external consumption. Such is the importance of this sector that the Crown itself has take upon itself to ensure that it remains healthy and productive with tax reductions and other incentives.

Military

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The Exército Real de Beredia is the standing army of the Kingdom. Paid, outfitted and trained solely by the Crown, with the help of taxes levied upon the nobility, who for the most part is not allowed to maintain anything larger than small retinues for personal and property protection.

The spine of the Exército is the Terço (Third). Officially an unit composed of pikemen, swordsmen and arquebusiers further divided into companies. Deployed most usually as squares of pikes supported by arquebusiers who provide fire support and swordsmen to give the unit some close combat staying power. The Terços are usually led by fidalgos, members of lesser nobility with veterans serving as lower officers.


Beredian Terço facing the Timlukids

Beredian cavalry is considered a supporting arm of the Exército, with both heavily armored and light horsemen units fielded by the Crown to provide support for the Terço in battle.

Artillery is considered a separate branch and counts with guns of varied calibers and models for either siege or field battles.

The Beredian navy is completely unimpressive. Boasting only a single port worth noticing and having little interest in naval matters, the Marinha Real is the least funded and prestigious branch of the armed forces.

Besides the Crown standing forces, several chosen nobles have also been given leave to form their own military units instead of paying the army tax. The Bandeiras are small companies mostly tasked with keeping order and acting as a impromptu militia, their equipment is completely dependent on the noble that is tasked with training and outfitting them. Besides the nobility, major cities and religious authorities are also authorized to train and outfit Bandeiras for their own protection.