Official Name: Nilunbergseidgenossenschaft Alternate Names: Nilberg Confederation, Nilberg, Zeignobund Government Type: Confederation Governing Body: Tagsatzung (Federal Diet) Capital: Rhone City, Drachenfel Canton Population: ~850,000 Dominant Species: Zeignons (goattaurs, ~95%)
The Nilberg Confederation is a relatively young nation formed in the mountainous lands of Nilberg. It involves 19 Cantons, effectively an autonomous city state each. They have the misfortune to neighbor some of the largest empires on the continent yet they staunchly maintain their independence. Nilberg is a region of fine craftsmen yet after gaining their independence they became better known for something else, mercenaries. Nilbergian sellswords were becoming a common sight across the continent and this somehow became the nation's main export.
Plane Description
Much of the world is yet to be discovered but Nilbergians are very familiar with the continent of Ardonai. The region's climate changes depending on how far North you travel or whether you're seaside or inland. Compared to Earth there are many strange creatures, some of them with magical abilities. Monsters are powerful creatures which threaten civilization. They reside in the hidden and less visited corners of the lands but they can periodically emerge to terrorize villagers or cause other kinds of mayhem. Militia often fights them, some major monster incursions may even call for state armies to respond. Yet before that it's fairly common to ask one of the many adventuring mercenary groups to deal with them. Be it a tiny groups of elites or a company of seasoned soldiers these adventurers act as problem solvers to many issues, for a price of course!
Nilberg Region Nilberg is a mountainous region in the temperate zone. The land is surrounded by tall snow-covered mountains while Central Nilberg is a plateu covered in beautiful greenery. Many describe Nilberg as almost picturesque and in the past it inspired many painters. The mountains help maintaining a comfortable climate all year. The recent surge of militarism also helped to deal with eons old nests of monsters which makes Nilberg seem almost idyllic. More than troubles within the country has issues with his neighbors. Nilberg is officially neutral which is further helped by said neighbors' constant dependence on Nilbergian mercenaries. Yet the fact remains that great empires eye Nilberg as a price, dreaming of making it their crown jewel once more. With the emergence of the Gate the situation would only get worse. Will the gate save them or destroy them?
Nilberg’s region is divided into 19 Cantons which are: Drachenfel, Aulenbruck, Transestein, Hallefels, Bersewald, Rauchberg, Elsebach, Allenheim, Reseberg, Wallefeld, Frauenhofen, Beneberg, Kiosseland, Ackerhöhe, Kuching, Sandakan, Altena, Beligrod, Unterland
History Overview
The Zeignons have multiple origin myths but the most popular one is the following. During the ancient times before history dragons of unspeakable might ruled this continent. Rasvimba (currently the western portion of Nilberg) used to be one of the numerous lands declared as their sanctuary. Once upon the time a group of adventurous dwarves from Clan Yngveth did not heed these warnings and began to exploit these mountains. They found tin, silver and gold and quickly made a fortune. A year passed and Clan Yngveth acquired wondrous riches yet their luck was about to run out. Unknown to them the dragons put a curse on them in vengeance, infecting the local goats with a magical disease. As a consequence dwarves who consumed this cursed meat had their offspring kill their mothers and become the first Zeignons, the goat-folk. By the time they realized it was already too late and the once prestigious Clan Yngveth died out completely. Being benevolent the dragons did not smite the goat-folk and instead gave them the task to protect these mountains. Built on the culture of the now extinct Clan Yngveth the Zeignons prospered in isolation. The nine mountain peaks of Rasvimba served as the region’s namesake, becoming known in the modern times as Nilberg.
For a long time the existence of Nilberg was only regarded as legend. Zeignon wandering merchants and scholars did travel the continent but nobody knew where they came from or what their dwelling place was actually like. Zeignons were akin to folk tale creatures, they showed up in a village to help the locals and then left. Their hermit-like existence came to an end when the Aechadian Empire invaded them. Unprepared for warfare the Nilbergians were swiftly conquered and subjugated by the rising titan. The next century saw brutal oppression, dispersion as slaves and other unspeakable deeds. Yet over time the Zeignons earned respect and Nilberos (Aechadian name for Nilberg) earned a small bit of autonomy. Aechadian only directly controlled a fraction of Nilberg with the rest only maintaining a vague vassal-like status. Yet thanks to the Aechadian prosperity the region of Nilberg underwent rapid development and soon became one of the more industrious places within the Empire.
About 120 years ago the Nilberg Rebellion broke out. Previously Aechadians made numerous measures to prevent the Zeignons taking arms and uniting but their efforts were washed away by a mysterious vision shared by all goattaurs. Seeing the visage of the All-Father in their dreams the Zeignon population as a whole rose up. Slaves escaped, auxiliaries deserted and the local authorities in Nilberos suddenly lost control. Of course the Aechadian Empire was undeterred by these events, confident to restore their rule. During this time the Zeignons were viewed as an inferior alternative to centaurs, poor cavalry chiefly used for scouting. The mighty legions of Aechadian were mobilized, ready to paint the towns of Nilberg red. Yet the seasoned soldiers met their match in the Sacred Band led by Töbe Eichenberg. Though outnumbered they used the mountainous terrain against their opponents, halting their advance dead. Meanwhile hordes of Zeignon deserters and townsfolk received expert drills, training them to become a fearsome army. After the fourth year of confrontation the two armies faced off against each other in the Battle of Mordsenke. There Töbe Eichenberg encircled his enemy and massacred five legions, leaving no survivors. This put an end to the war and Aechadian attempts to control Nilberg.
The first decades of Nilbergian independence were trying times as Aechadians refused to acknowledge them. Nilberg was overall considered a pariah state and Zeignons were viewed with suspicion. Yet instead of collapsing the confederacy of Nilbergians held up and even strengthened. Of course living in the mountains the region could not hold large populations and as thousands of Zeignon youth were left in poverty the intensity of Nilbergians wandering out only increased. With their fresh military traditions this resulted in the first mercenary bands. Nilbergian soldiers soon became a well sought after commodity between nations and while these troops are past their golden age they still enjoy a massive reputation.
Social Overview
Government: Nilberg’s is a form of Eidgenossenschaft (oath pact alliance, loosely translated as confederation) between 19 Cantons with each representing an old clan of Zeignons within the region. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that rather than a single country the region of Nilberg is divided into 19 independent states. Each Canton has their own form of government, customs and local laws. Every month each Canton’s representatives, delegates (occasionally even the governors themselves) are set forth to the “capital” city of Rhone to participate in the Diet. During these gatherings the Diet holds discussions about current events, status of each Canton and holds votes on deciding the confederacy’s future. Overall thr Diet has fairly weak power compared to the cantons' autonomy.
Demographics: Nilberg’s population consists almost entirely of Zeignons. The Nilbergians are rather reclusive within their homeland and aren’t too welcoming of foreigners. Most of the non-Zeignon population are kobolds with only tiny enclaves of humans living in Nilberg. This region is unforgiving with lots of mountains, varying climate and relatively little arable land. The locals chiefly subsit from animal herding while importing the rest. As such swarms of Nilbergians chose to leave their country behind and travel across the continent. Overall many thousands of Nilbergians are living outside their country. They can range from traveling scholars to merchants and more recently outright bands of mercenaries. Nilbergians and by extension the Zeignon race are well-known travelers.
Zeignon are a type of “goattaur”, outwardly possessing a humanoid upper body and a goat’s lower body. At average they are 5 feet tall and their lower body extends for about 3 feet. Zeignons might seem to be a hybrid of humans and goats but in reality they are radically different. Zeignon organs tend to be huge and often doubled. For example they have a pair of hearts which fully occupies their chest cavity and beats in alteration. Lungs and intestines on the other hand are in the belly portion of the lower body. Physically they are stronger than humans and could run like a horse while possessing great stamina. On the other hand they consume 2-4 times as much food and they need more living space. Contrary to popular belief the Zeignon don’t have horns although they occasionally wear such as part of their fashion.
Less known fact is that Zeignons have 3 distinct main breeds and uncountable sub-breeds. Cursores or “runner-breed” goattaurs are the lightest type, built to be lean and fast. Cursores are often only about 150lbs in weight and sometimes they can sprint up to 45mph. In contrast the Ergates are a type which is built short, stocky and enduring. As the “worker-breed” they have the best ability to haul weights but they are comparably slow, at average 250lbs weight and small legs only allow around 15mph. The largest and most powerful breed are the Antares, the “warrior class”. These deertaurs have a lean and strong body ideal for combat. They can run at 32mph in spite of weighing in the excess of 300lbs. Antares of course require the most food and given their value as fighting elite, they often get it.
Economics: Nilberg is curiously enough rich and poor at the same time. They have rich cities with some of the continent's finest craftsmen yet overall the country is poor compared to their neighbors. Some may say that using empires as a measuring stick is wrong but given the subtle rivalries this isn't something to be avoided. In fact ever since Nilberg switched over to animal herding there are thousands who were left without work. This is where the ongoing mercenary business kicks in. Many youths are rounded up by mercenary groups who then journey across the continent looking for price and glory. Smaller groups might help villages to slay monsters while a more decently sized company is often reinforces a king's campaign forces at war. Cantons took control of organizing these mercenaries and now it's a significant portion of their revenue.
Technology and Magic
Technology: Nilberg is an industrious region with many craftsmen. The region is especially renown for their clockmakers but most goods manufactured in the region are a cut above what their neighbors produce. Of course this is in part deliberate as Nilberg has no means to match the volume of major empires' ouput. But also because Nilbergian tradesmen often have traveled across the continent at least once. Some also point to the immensely high quality iron ore found within Nilberg's mountains. Springs in particular are made out of this ore. Nilbergian springsmiths and watchmakers know a remarkably lot about spring physics which are kept secret from the rest of the world.
Long story short, Nilberg is technologically advanced. Although their small country and dominance of smaller workshops over giant manufactories means they won't produce anything large. They have fair access to gunpowder but manufacturing giant cannons is beyond their ability. They use high quality steel arms and armor.
Niustav: A type of polearm mixing the features of clubs and spears. It has a solid metal "cup" over one end with a narrow dagger-like spearhead poking out. They tend to be 8 ells (~4.5m) long but being significantly thicker near the end with additional metal reinforcements. Of course this is just a generic description and the actual pieces vary wildly in features. Some may have spikes protruding on the upper shaft, add a ring guard or do other customizations. The original Niustav was much more puritan, merely being a large stick with a spike on its end. Less wealthy Zeignons may still use such weapons.
Bolzer: Originally developed as a type of siege engine the Bolzer style ballistas disappeared after the imperial conquest and ban on Zeignon's carrying weapons. During the revolution they resurfaced and became common for Zeignon soldiers. Bolzers are described as limbless crossbow but in fact they are neither. They are a handheld ballista using clock sprinfs to accelerate short limbs. They can use both arrow/bolts and sling bullet type projectiles. They are wound back by either winch or lever mechanism. They are versatile but especially good at shooting lighter projectiles at high velocities (in excess of 100m/s). Their drawback is that acquiring the right springs would be very expensive for anyone outside Nilberg.
Magic: Many of Nilberg's neighbors have massive religious structures and fostered spellcraft for centuries if not millennia. Nilberg never had anything as robust. Their faith is vaguely defined in their belief in the All-Father and respecting their ancestors. Most Zeignons then adopt a specific religion from somewhere else as their main faith. So Nilberg doesn't have strong magical traditions. Since the last century though they made some progress in this matter. Ancient runecraft and runesmithing is resurrected while foreign mages are invites to Nilbergian colleges. The neccessity also bore innovation and while Nilbergian magic is less powerful they embrace pragmaticism.
Military Overview
Nilbergians have a reputation of being fierce warriors. Compared to mightier races a mere goattaur may not seem threatening yet combined with their tactics and discipline the Nilbergian mercenaries are a force to be reckoned with. They are reputed for their discipline, aggression and overall morale. Of course this has more to do with their organized nature and growing martial culture than some kind of special training or other secret. Since they are goat-taurs they also have some unique strengths and weaknesses in war. They are natural cavalry yet they aren't so massive as their genetic siblings, the centaurs. They can fight in formation fairly effectively and have more strength than the average human. Yet they still suffer to fight in narrow spaces where they large flanks are easy to expose. Nilberg being a rather developed nation who are famed for their precise craftsmanship they often can afford high quality equipment and are one of the earliest adopters of gunpowder. That being said they don't have the great foundries of empires so their cannons tend to be on the smaller side in general. Think smart rather than large could very well be their motto. Their supply wagons double as improvised fortifications on the battlefield, a tactic inherited from the great Töbe Eichenberg. Depending on their canton the flags and symbols of the mercenary outfit can change. Certain famous units have their own flags, even. Yet alongside these they also brandish a yellow cross shaped symbol. This is the so-called Sacred Band, often mistaken for a religious sign. The united Nilberg flag also features said symbol in the center. The Sacred Band is the universal symbol of Nilbergian mercenaries but beyond that a proud display of their independence.
Drabant: The common soldier forming the main bulk of Nilberg's mercenary forces. They usually start as commoners given nothing but their weapon and a helmet. Yet over the course of campaigning they acquire wealth and loot, some ending up in better gear than the aristocratic knights. Their main weapon is the Nilustav (see technology section above) and they often take up formations 3 lines deep. The front rows tend to be experienced soldiers with the best armor. The flanks are covered with elites wielding special weapons. The middle has the commander and the drummer, alongside with an elite force acting as their protection.
Hartschier: Ranged specialists acting in support of the main force. They carry bolzers, Nilberg's unique take on the crossbow (see technology section). They are often forming the back lines of a typical formation, providing fire support to the company. But they can also break away and act as skirmishers. Larger mercenary groups may even have entire companies of Hartschiers.
Korsar: A light troop type specializing in scouting and raiding. They are well-regarded for their aggression and flexible maneuvers. They typically carry both melee and ranged weapons, switching between them as needed. Their bolzer is of lighter draw, operated by a lever underneath instead of a winch. They also frequently have Krieghexers to cast spells.
Schwarze Reiters: Elite lancers used as shock troops. They are called "black riders" for their full plate armor blued to be more resilient. Also because they use surprising amount of black powder. They always carry grenades, throwing them to cause discord in the enemy formations. They also have a Feuerlanz, a type of weapon which causes loud noises and spreads fast flying pellets in the process. This makes them a very difficult enemy to face head on. In addition they are some of the best soldiers which combined with their high-quality gear already makes them a force to be reckoned with.
Kriegshexer: Battle mage of Nilbergian origin, taught in the runic arts. They are the magic casters chosen to accompany armies in combat, in contrast to Lagerhexer (camp mages). While the latter provides medical care, spiritual support and other services the Kriegshexer use their spells in battle or at least in direct support of the army.
Kröte: A short and small cannon with relatively large bore diameter. Some may call it a small bombard but unlike those the Kröte is meant to be portable. Usually pulled by two soldiers and another group pulling a small carriage with ammo the weapon can be transported virtually anywhere. While it can shoot stone balls the weapon is chiefly filled with many small pellets to act as a giant shotgun. The weapon is usually deployed at closer ranges than typical artillery where the spread of shots can break an incoming charge of soldiers. But this is far from its only uses. The Kröte is beloved by Nilbergian soldiers for its cheapness and versatility.
Drakon: Can be described as a relatively small-bore cannon with heavy reinforcement. They are kind of heavy for their size but for a good reason. They have a large powder chamber, too. These fire extremely long wooden darts, more than twice as long as the barrel length. Said darts have metal fins sticking out in the middle, just before the bore of the cannon when inserted. Of course this makes the projectiles slow but they fly accurately and with immense hitting power. The darts are commonly described as embedding in castle walls. Some also refer to them as "Dragon Slayers", cannons that may fell an imperial dragon. Of course this has yet to be tested but their sheer reputation is said to have kept the beasts at bay.
Oriati (Giants) - Titannic humanoid creatures with adults ranging between 4-5 meters (13-16 feet) tall and possessing incredible physical prowess. Their official name is Avargeum derived from how the giants call their race in their own language (Avarga) but everyone calls them Oriati or just giants. They can walk for leagues and can continue doing this for days without having anything to eat. Yet their endurance turns around considerably on peak exertion when they could overheat within minutes. Giants are often seem lumbering if not outright lazy yet they do it for a reason. Oriati are fearsome warriors but also considered decadent. They prefer to rest and let their significantly more numerous servants do most of the work. Oriats are territorial and only gather in large numbers during festivals or times of war. Though can fast for days end the Oriati are the best known for their voracious appetites. They also used to eat people but nowadays it's heavily frowned upon.
Boyuli - When the Oriat tribes invaded the Empire they did not arrive alone. They brought their servants along. They ranged from slaves and indentured servants to non-giant tribes subjugated to their rule. Oriats were not particularly choosy who served them, so long they did. They had the tendency of releasing the servants who would be incapable of accompany them during the next migration. As such a lot of the Boyuli are no longer serving the Oriat or even part of the Empire. Yet enough of them exist within the Roaring Realms that they are still significant. Compared to ordinary subjects the Boyuli are often more trusted and some of them may acquired special privileges for their birth.
Location:
History:
The Oriats were one of the many tribes of giants wandering across the continent. Legends tell that all the giants were once united under King Arslan to form the Avarga Empire. Yet after his death the empire split between his sons and eventually dissolved back into warring tribes. About 250 years ago a number of giant tribes migrated west which lead to conflict with the the lands of Mycoria. This heralded the beginning of the so-called Giant Wars which lasted over a century. The Empire was wholly unprepared to face their oversized foes and the enemy's tactics were unlike anything the Empire faced before. The Northern province of Transvaalium immediately fell into their grasp. At one time the giants penetrated deep into the Mycoria only to be repelled in a triumphant victory. Yet the damage was already done and restoring peace to the North seemed impossible. Transvaalium and its neighborhood became known as the Roaring Realms, a hostile land dominated by the might of giants. The defeat of Kang Khutul at Móriens marked an end to the giants' attempts to conquer the Empire. Consequently the North began to stabilize with only sporadic raids conducted by the giants. The two sides established trade relationships and the empire even created trade posts within the Roaring Realms. Though officially at war with giantkind in practice the various tribes were often invited as mercenaries. They participated in a number of Mycoria's succession wars, the Oriat Tribe in particular earned special renown within the empire.
This lead to the so-called Mycorization of giantkind. They adopted imperial goods, imperial techniques and gradually absorbed Mycorian culture. Of course the Oriat Tribe were the pioneers in this process and managed to amass an impressive collection of cannons. Lead by Kang Obould the Oriats began to absorb other tribes, soon becoming one of the greatest hosts within the region. Then they decided they should become the only tribe within the region. Obould asked the Mycoria for support and he got it. They were given the best armament a giant could have and on occasion even received help from the imperial forces. The last stages of the Giant Wars were between the Mycoria-supported Oriat Tribe lead by Kang Obould and the loose confederation of tribes that refused imperial influence. Obould won and brought peace to the North once again. The Oriat ruler was rewarded handsomely by the empire and his lineage became vassals to the Mycorian throne. Of course the giants had a long century ahead with even more changes to their society. The Roaring Realms became a bulwark for the empire against the northern threats and in return the Oriats could rule the lands as they felt like it. Since their duty is to secure the borders the Oriat are rarely called to arms by Mycoria to fight elsewhere yet there had been a fair number of exceptions. The power of the giants is very attractive to emperors and even a symbolic army of Oriats could have an influence on the troops' morale. Oriat society can be the best described as semi-nomadic. While a few giants embraced the sedentary lifestyle their majority still lives in tents. Oriati are secluded folk who are rarely seen in groups more than a few families. Their numbers is almost insignificant compared to the amount of subjects they are watching over. Each family head is a de facto noble within the Roaring Realms. They have authority over a small fief or even own a fortress. They in turn are subject to their chieftains, princes, warlords and ultimately the Kang himself. Annually the leaders gather together to celebrate the harvest and to hold the Khurai during which they discuss matters and formulate new laws. Compared to the Oriat their subjects mostly experience sedentary lives. The Oriat are not interested in the small nuances of governance so the cities and districts largely enjoy a degree of autonomy. Their obligations only exist in the form of taxes and tributes. So long they keep the Oriat satisfied they enjoy peace. The Oriat generally encourages tolerance and their laws mean to treat every subject as equal to each other. The Roaring Realms are nothing like the barely populated ghost lands they once were and they appear to be teeming with life. A number of inhabitants enjoy their freedom and try their hardest to not think about the frightening giants who rule over them.
As giants I'm hoping you're not talking about anything as large as or larger than Skyrim giants tbh. Otherwise, sure; write up an app and I'll see what you got.
I actually did think of giants that big. The point would be that giants are few in numbers but their might compels people to do their bidding and in the region basically complex webs of giant alliances maintain the order. So you got a 4-5m tall giant which may have a mate or a few offsprings ruling over an entire subdivision of territory who swears allegiance to the ruler of said territory unit. Then these lords would be swearing fealty to higher lords until you get to the king and such. So in a population of a few million you'd probably have thousands of giants total who live semi-nomadic life.
@Dinh AaronMkI'm thinking of an app involving a nomadic race of giants. They used to be a scourge to the empire but more recently a major group of them swore fealty to the throne and are gradually integrated to the system. The giants are a minority within their society with the rest used to be slaves. Things are changing since their integration to the empire so there are free cities and less oppression on the tiny people yet the region is still a wild place. They are at the fringes of the empire, acting as a rump state against foreign invasions from that direction.
Would it work or should I write up a different app?
A certain alloy closely related to aluminium. It has third the weight of steel yet more than half its strength. Mithril alloys used to be enchanted to be even more potent but nowadays this is the best Fenizian metallurgy can do. Creating mithril alloys is not simple and many of the steps related to it were kept as guild secrets. While other nations managed to create their own mithril alloys Fenice is still considered the world leader in its art. The natural ores of the region and the abundance of skilled mithril workers allow them to remain as such. Perhaps with the rise of aircraft manufacture this trend will cease as larger and more powerful nations will invest greatly to its production (albeit using cheaper aluminium-alloys is more charming to them). Regardless if you would want high quality mithril craftsmanship you would be still looking for the famed masters of Fenice.
A type of steel alloy using heavier metals. It has high hardness and decent strength but as a side effect it's nearly as heavy as lead. Like mithril the alloys once bore enchantments and were known to be components of legendary armors and weapons. Compared to that the modern Adamantide is just comparable to a really hard steel alloy with the drawback of weighing almost twice that of normal steel. While Adamatide isn't unique to Fenice the metallurgy of their creation tends to make them expensive elsewhere while Fenice has traditions and infrastructure to produce adequate amount for their needs. Adamantide famously can be composited with mithril for very compact yet effective blades and there are other purposes experimented with as we speak.
Fenizian Infantry Gear
- Spike Sabers: The spada striscia (strip-sword) is an iconic weapon of modern Fenice. Also referred as the Fenizian Spike Sabers this weapon has a narrow edge not unlike old rapiers and seemingly only useful for thrusting. Yet appearances can be deceiving as Spike Sabers have a composite blade. The weapon is made of mithril yet the blade has an adamantine core with its own tang forged together. This gives surprising heft for the thin blade and allows decent cutting power contrary to conventional swordsmithing knowledge. Of course creating these blades isn't simple and they are rare outside of Fenice. Another problem is edge alignment as the sword is highly sensisitve to the wielder using a clean and efficient form. The straight and narrow blade otherwise may not cut sufficiently at all. Even in the modern times the art of fancing with these swords is fairly poplar. They are light and nimble while having a decent reach. Officers keep getting issued with them as a mark of status. The current variant is the Sciabola Modello 1921 which is the modern mass production variant of the old 1889 pattern sabers.
- Modello 1908 Long Bayonet: Effectively a smallsword with very simplified hilt, these were originally made for the 1907/m bolt-action rifles for more effective bayonet charges. Fenizian soldiers were shorter and wielded shorter rifles so this was envisioned a good method to compensate. After adopting the 35/m semi-automatic rifle its short recoil mechanism prevented mounting bayonets on the barrel. Thankfully the old bayonets were just long enough to overhang and work as a functional bayonet fixed against the lower furniture just under the barrel. So the Modello 1908 saw new utilitz as the slightly adjusted Modello 1908/35 design. Obviously the original bayonets were meant to also serve as swords and this is also true to the modified ones. The composite blade gives a deceptive amount of cutting power to these bayonets in spite of their thinness.
Milim/Milimi = 0.35678mm (standard Fenizian measure for anything precision-related) Punti = 3.5678mm (the Fenizian point, widely used by craftsmen of all kinds) Dito = 3.5678cm = 35.678mm (the "Fenizian inch", very commonly used everywhere)
21-milim Santini: Designed by the Stantini Personal Arms Manufacture this is a 7.5 x 28 mm pistol cartridge with rebated rim meant for automatic firearms. It has a thin case and shoots light bullet (0.9 oncia ~ 4.6g) at 1320bps (braccia per second, about 470 m/s). Even from revolvers it usually performs a good 1100bps (392 m/s) albeit the cartridge really doesn't like barrel lengths shorter than 36 punti (~ 128mm), often resulting in large muzzle flashes.
23-milim Carbina: Derivative of the commercially sold 23-milim Bodeo, a self-loading cartridge manufactured by the Bodeo Rifle Syndicate. Yet after trials the military wasn't satisfied with the straight-walled roundnose cartridges and Bodeo had to entirely redesign them. Named the 23-milim "Carbina" this would be a 8.2x31 mm cartridge firing a softnose spitzer bullet weighing only 1.2 oncia (~6.1 grams) and achieving velocities approaching 1700 bps (~ 600m/s). It was meant to be lethal up to 1000 Braccia (about 357m) even if its effective range was determined to be closer to 500 Braccia (~ 180m).
18-milim Rossini: Old military rifle cartridge still popular with hobby shooters and used by reserve forces. It's a 6.4 x 51mm cartridge with a 2-oncia (10.24g) round nose bullet flying in the excess of 1900 bps (~ 680 m/s). Thanks to its velocity and high ballistic coefficient the Rossini cartridge is fairly accurate and has remarkably flat trajectory while possessing mild recoil. Yet with the introduction of spitzer bullets the Rossini no longer had an edge over its larger bore counterparts. Regardless the Rossini is still a wonderful rifle ammo, although many consider it unfit for machineguns. They were eventually replaced by the more advanced 2-punti "Ardente" cartridges in the military.
23-milim Cartuccia dell'Reijicco: Locally produced variant of the 8mm Naugel rifle cartridge widespread in the Alfheichen Reiyk. While the Rossini is a remarkably flat shooting cartridge its 6.4mm bullet is considered subpar at extreme ranges thus making it an inferior machinegun round. As such they needed an alternative cartridge to fulfill this role and of course they chose what their allies used. Yet it was always meant to be a stopgap. Reiyk engineers used the (subjectively) inferior metric and had terrible tolerances in their designs (file to fit? What kind of professional does that?). So nowadays only old machineguns used by reservists are still chambered in this cartridge. In spite of that Fenice continues to produce large quantity of 8mm Naugel to the foreign market.
2-punti Ardente: Originally designed for automatic rifles the cartridge underwent several stages of changes and refinement between 1914-1928. Curiously enough the first weapons to chamber the new rifle ammo were bolt-action rifles soon followed by machineguns. In 1931 Fenice finally adopted their self-loading rifle and the cartridge assumed its rightful place. The 2-punti "Ardente" is a 7.14 x 51 mm cartridge firing a 1.5-oncia (~ 7.7g) bottlenecked spitzer bullet in the excess of 2400 bps (~ 860m/s). It has great terminal ballistics and retains its velocity for great distances. While not as capable as the 8mm Nauger at extreme ranges the Fenizian military had long abandoned the idea of using machineguns at distances over 2500 Braccia (~900 meters) so it was an acceptable compromise. What they got was a comparably lightweight cartridge designed to feed excellently in automatic weapons. The Ardente weighs 20% less than old 6.4mm Rossini cartridges and a good 40% less than the 8mm Nauger. Thus the new cartridge saved weight or to be precise allowed troops to carry more ammunition on the field. AP bullets also approach the performance of the 8mm Nauger which was a welcome plus. It took a full decade until Fenice fully replaced their old cartridges with the 2-punti Ardente.
- Rivoltella Modello 89/11: Revolvers originally issued for cavalry and marines later seeing widespread adoption as cheaper second line service pistols for troops. With the adoption of the 21-milim Santini (7.5 x 28mm) as the standard round the pistols saw re-barreling and new chambers issued to hold these cartridges. As result it's now a 8-shot modern revolver popular in both civilian and military use.
- Modello 08/29 Santini: The most popular type of military pistol in Fenice. It uses simple blowback and a tubular body which is easy to disassemble on the field. It loads from a double stack double feed magazine containing 14 rounds which make it fairly high capacity. It does use the 21-milimi Santini rounds of course which outside of Fenice are considered somewhat weak, albeit accurate shooting. Consequently the pistol actually has many sporting carbine variants used mostly by civilians but they are also in the cavalry inventory for a good reason.
- Rossini M08/28 Carbine: Bolt-action rifle originally chambered in 18-milimi Rossini cartridges. It has a free floating barrel and a straight-bolt action making it one of the nicest shooting military rifles. Due to this the rifle is popular in many countries for sport shooters and hunters alike. When Fenice adopted the 7.14x51mm Ardente cartridge Rossini immediately began modifying all the infantry's rifles accordingly. Rossini also used a variation of this design to compete in the trials for Fenice's new self-loading rifle. Their idea was to offer it as an upgrade to the existing M08/28 carbines but lost to the Nino Valentino's inventive design. Regardless the Rossini Rifle Company continued to sell these upgrades to civilians and special units of other countries.
- Valentino FAC/32: Semi-automatic rifle used by all frontline soldiers. It uses a short-recoil and roller-locking systems which makes it relatively cheap to produce and operate in any weather. It has an internal magazine loading 10-round en-bloc clips and of course chambered in the 7.14mm Ardente round. While the weapon is reliable it has accuracy issues compared to the old bolt-action arms, albeit this is only troubling snipers.
- Carbina C/38: As the war dragged on Fenice began to feel uncertain about their ally. Fearing massive paratrooper invasions like those committed against Longguo the Fenizian military wanted a reliable weapon for backline troops and those who didn't need a full powered rifle, something much more useful than a pistol. While carbines of various types were procured the Fenizian military wanted a better and more unified model. They held an open tender for arms manufacturers across the Federal States and they got a result under record time. Nearly every firearms designer chose to compete but eventually they chose a victor. The resulting C/38 carbine fires the new 23-milimi "Carbina" cartridges and uses a short gas piston mechanism in order to be as light as possible. The end result is a rifle with an integrated 8-round magazine loaded by stripper clips. The weapon is more powerful than a pistol and has longer range. It's estimated to be effective up to 180 meters with skilled users capable of scoring hits from even further away.
- Rapida CAC/39: As Fenizan military thinkers realized the army severely lacks in automatic firepower. While this would've meant submachineguns the procurement program was so messy they chose to abandon it and opt for an intermediate answer. They looked for upgrades to the C/38 carbine. It got heavier bolt, reinforcements all over, gas port adjustments and of course the ability to load 20-round box magazines. Due to concerns of recoil the weapon was engineered to be very low rate of fire, only around 300RPM. It was select-fire, expensive and also a bit awkward. Yet Fenice finally had an automatic gun to issue for their troops.
Fenizian Combat Vehicles
Perhaps the most iconic development of Fenice are their series of tankettes. The idea of an ultracompact fast tank was first envisioned by Aiden Lloyd of the Aelban Empire. It was meant to create a small, economical yet effective armored force. While his concept was tried in many countries no nation besides Fenice took it so far. Strained industrially and enamored with the romance of transforming a single individual into a rolling armored bunker they eventually succeeded.
CV27 "Primeo": The first success at what would lay the foundation for all Fenizian designs. It had the top speed of 45km/h, with 8-10mm armor, a rotating turret and a water-cooled machinegun. It served as the basis for many successive test models trying to make the concept work.
CV30 "Esecutore": The final version of the above. It weighed 1.4 tonnes and used hydraulics to rotate the turret. Vision devices were perfected, complex mechanisms enabled sights and periscopes to watch the same spot even as the turret moved. These vehicles are still used by internal security forces, colonial armies and as light artillery tractors.
CV35 "Cavaliere":The "modern tankette", a single-man tank with a rotating turret, introduced just before the war. Its main armament is a 7-punti (25mm) auto-loading anti-tank gun using belt feed. The rationale is to reduce everything which adds extra tasks to the operator so a weapon which (under ideal conditions) should not need reloads is ideal for such purposes. The new tank is 1.5m tall, weighs 4 tonnes and has 20mm armor with mostly angled surfaces. The powerful engine and volute spring suspension allows great off-road capability and up to 55km/h road speed. Later upgrades incorporated radio and other functions found with Reiyk tanks. Important variants include the SM/37 self-propelled mortar which uses an off-set 54mm breech-loading mortar for fire support and the CV35/39(L), a new variant mounting a magazine-fed 57mm recoilless rifle to the side. It's supposed to provide direct fire support to the conventional CV35s.
The Carro Veloce program is a technologically impressive achievement. Yet as the Fenizian military is about to realize this is an evolutionary dead end. Although the Fenizian tankettes are wonderfully engineered to reduce the strain on a single crewman they still lack the same situational awareness as multi-crew tanks. The size restriction and other limitations also constrain them, of course. The worst part is that the Armored Cavalry corps of Fenice actively embraces this idea and would vehemently oppose trying to adopt more conventional tanks. It's going to be an uphill battle to get the critical reforms to finally get a capable armored force.
Name: Republicca Federale di Fenice (also just Fenice) Common Deonym: Fenizian Capital: Viroviacco Government: Federal Republic Dominant Species: Solgenio/Solgenia/Solgeniti ("Sun-born", usually referred as the Sun Elves) Dominant Faith: Dionism Population: ~ 32,000,000 (mainland population only)
Summary of Nation:
Fenice is a confederation of numerous smaller states sharing the same cultural roots yet existing as separate entities for long centuries. Each state enjoys significant autonomy and only federal laws and ordinances apply universally within the country. The official governing body is the Federal Diet nominally headed by the Chancelor of Dawn. Yet in effect local republics have way greater influence on the daily life. These can range from direct democracy of mercantile social elite, proper republisc, constitutional autocracies or even a small federation of their own. Colonial territories generally have no such autonomy and there the Federation exerts a significantly stricter control enforced by the governors. Interstate rivalries are common and Fenizians are stereotypically proud of their home state. Fenizians are friendly, positive and seemingly energized 24/7. Fenizians are predominantly sun elves who are known for being quite a bit more spirited than what is normally acceptable. While they fit the stereotype less since the disappearance of magic their attitude is still quite overwhelming for those who aren't used to them. Another Fenizian trait are their obsession with light and fire. This is part of Dionist culture and compared to the Crusade Era this is significantly toned down. Yet the way Fenizians play with everything which produces light or flames can be a bit much. Fenizians are mercantile and generally enterprising people who can quickly form connections, yet they will balue family above all.
Solgeniti are offshoot of the common elves, evolved under the influence of Dioniam. They are supposedly gifted with the Sol's inner flames which makes them constantly energized even after the magical twilight. Solgeniti are short, often little more than 5 feet tall. Combined with their slender build they aren't physically imposing. Sun Elves have vibrant eyes which can glow in the dark and hair tones resembling the Sun. They also often have at least a touch darker skin tone than the average elf but such differences can be also attributed to their environment. Still, no matter what there is practically no "pale" Solgenio or Solgenia you'd know of.
Solgeniti are smaller and weaker than the average human. Their bones are also lighter, although fairly sturdy otherwise. When you combine their light build with their almost supernatural vigor you get an extremely nimble race. Solgeniti are known to be quick and acrobatic. They have fine senses and seem to possess an organ which modern science likes to compare to a gyroscope. Solgeniti are great with their hands and like to compensate for their weakness via techniques and other crafty workarounds. Solgeniti in particular have the odd ability to never weaken with age. As other races grow older they lose their strength and vigor over the time. Solgeniti retain that for their whole life. The catch is that Sun Elves don't live as long as other elves, they might even have shorter lives than humans. Depending on lifestyle and other factors the average Solgeni lives for 60-80 years. Pretty decent by human standards and in the past sorcerers could extend their lives to over a century yet it's a fact that they have a relatively short lifespan. There are some telltale signs of approaching one's lifetime but the details are kept secret amongst Sun Elves. Even when it happens it's uncertain if the Sun Elf may die within months or within the next several years. Yet when it happens it's always a spectacle. The elderly Sun Elf suddely combusts in bright blazier and reduced into a pile of ash within seconds. Similar occourence happens once they die of unnatural causes. Curiously enough said combustion event shows little heat and the fire practically never spreads past the point of contact.
Sun Elves are energetic and positive folk. They love to experience new things and often yearn to make their mark on the world. They look for something to be passionate about and they will follow that path. Sun Elves don't fear death in particular so long they find a right cause. Solgeniti customs demand them to be good with guests and will accept strangers in need. They also value their family, local communities and of course their identity with Fenice. Being passionate it of course also makes them argumentative and emotions tend to rise quickly only for the two parties reconcile soon after.
The Fenizian state religion is called Dionism. While other faiths are tolerated the predominant religion is unquestionably this. Dionism used to be a more organized and dogmatic faith system which served to fuel the Crusades. Yet after the so-called Archpriestess' fall this hardliner view became the minority and nowadays at the brink of completely disappearing. Instead the modern Dionism is commonly dpicted not much different than a philosophical thought, an ideology which influences Fenice as a whole. Dionism searches for one's Inner Sun, what makes one truly happy. Seeking the light brings strength and leads to fulfillment. There are many branches of Dionism, although less than it used to be. Like with many religions the disappearance of magic did hurt them significantly. Entire colleges held for mages were disbanded within years. Yet Dioniam remains a powerful element of Fenizian culture and this might never change.
Fenizian Holdings (WIP) - Fenice (mainland): Peninsular region with lots of coasts and cut off from the North by a mountain chain. - Palao: Tropical colony known for producing cash crops and especially chocolate. -
Fenizian Units of Measure Fenizian guilds secretly developed a measurement system which reformed, unified and standardized measures across all craftsmen. This method later became official when the united Fenizian country came to existence. They used standard units produced through spellforging and could be replicated by a secret forge. Even in the present times the accuracy of these scales are phenomenal. Fenizians look down on the metric system and view it a poor copy of what they accomplished in the past.
Length - 1/1,000th Miglio = 1 Braccia = 10 Dito = 100 Punti = 1000 Milimi = 35.678cm = 0.35678m
Volume - 1/1,000th Miga = 1/100th Cenga = 1/10th Dega = 1 Corba = 10 Mina = 100 Pinta = 45.415 l (1 cubic Braccia) ~ 0.045 cubic meters
Fenizian Currency Fenice uses the Lire as their official currency with value fixed on gold standard. It's renown for its high value and stability, empires of old often traded between each other using Lire for its reliability. The birth of the modern Lira dates back to not long after the unification and independence of modern Fenice. The subunit of Lire is the Dinario, only 1/1000th of the main currency's the value. Bank notes predated the usage of modern Lire and their use only grew more popular.
History:
Origins: Millennia ago in the distant elvish empire of Ylleria the realm experienced its golden ages. Around the same time people experienced visions of a phoenix warning Yllerians to stop their decadence or face destruction. While some heeded the warning, it made little difference for the mighty empire. Over the decades a small cult calling themselves the Phoenix Order founded in secret. Upon the instructions of the mysterious phoenix they began preparations for a long journey across the sea. The mass exodus didn't go unopposed by the Empire but heavens favored the faithful and they managed to escape. Not long after a major magical catastrophe ravaged through Ylleria, leading to the empire's rapid collapse.
Sailing to the new continent the settlers founded the shrine-city of Fenice, consecrated for the mysterious Phoenix. A new faith under the name Dionism was founded and the prophet kings of Fenice ruled justly in peace for centuries. Yet the kings grew decadent and blind to the Phoenix's teachings. An uprising lead by a female seer said to be the mortal incarnation of the Phoenix toppled the corrupt kings and established Holy League of Fenice. Just referred as the Archpriestess she did not stop at the country borders. Missionaries were sent to the corners of the world and when other nations rejected Dionism this lead to bloody crusades. Fenice became a warmongering country under the Archpriestess' thumb. Arguably these times were the golden ages of Fenice, the true height of their power. Yet the increasingly oppressive and disagreeable Dionist clergy met popular resistance by the people. Around the same time a coalition of nations launched a counterattack.
The Archpriestess fell but not before she detonated all magic at her disposal, reducing the once wondrous city of Fenice to a glowing crater. The Holy League collapsed and Fenice broken up into a myriad of successor states. Merchant republics arose, fighting each other for power while their strategic position allowed them to dominate trade. Fenizian city states were briefly the center of the world's culture and their craftsmanship were well known. Yet over the centuries they slowly became nothing more than a dimly shining crown jewel for ambitious rulers to hold.
Pre-War: Yet the world was steadily changing. The weaves of magic began to fade, a new age of reason was approaching. Kingdoms collapsed, empires split and new ideologies arose. While the locals always thought of each other as Fenizians the idea of a single united government of all Fenice seemed like a distant dream. This didn't stop them from trying, though. They recognized to succeed they needed allies so they asked a nation bent on changing the status quo, the Alfheiches Reiyk. Receiving weapons, officers and political support the Fenizian states rose up against their Aelbanian oppressors and after years of brutal war they emerged victorious in 1855. The once divided states confederated into the Republic of Fenice with the rich Viroviacco as its capital. In spite of the glorious success Fenice was struggling economically. Their radical nature made them politically isolated from most of the world with the Reiyk as their only true ally. Yet Fenice had no shortage of skilled craftsmen, financial experts and entrepreneurs.
Living off on crushing debt they invested all the borrowed money from Alfheichen into various reforms. The Federal Republic of Fenice soon became a tax haven for rising corporate magnates or people who wanted to hide their wealth. The Phoenix Vaults of Fenice became known world-wide. Meanwhile industrial reforms which supported the adoption of new technology. Though small in size the Fenizian industry specialized in fields with high added value. Mechanics and precision manufacturing were the most prominent. Fenizian gunsmiths and clockmakers were well-known for centuries and Fenice had no shortage of skilled laborers who previously worked in other countries. Over the time Fenice became one of the richest countries (especially per capita). So much so that they began to spread their influence and joined the "colony game". The colonial empire of Fenice is still growing to this day.
Outbreak of War: Being the Reiyk's historical ally Fenice was supportive of the war. They did this not just out of their obligations as friends but also with the hopes of snatching some of Aelban's colonies and getting ahead in the new world order. Fenice never expected an outright invasion of the Aelbani mainland and as the war went on they saw more and more reasons to worry about their supposed ally. In 1938 Fenice suspended their shipments to the Reiyk after the Isildir Conflict which involved the Reiyk invading a small Fenizian colony and seizing its reserves of oil. Though the incident was relatively free of bloodshed the Reiyk still committed an act of war against its supposed ally. The ensuring diplomatic debacle resulted in Fenice distancing themselves from the Reiyk. Though unrelated to the war starting from late 1937 Fenice was also engaged in another conflict. For decades they were interested in the material riches of Tadeese. The kingdom was fairly undeveloped by modern standards, although their people were famed on the continent for their warrior culture. What the Fenizian leadership saw as an easy victory turned into a drawn out conflict. While the Fenizian forces seemed dominant they struggle to progress with the country's occupation.
Pressing Issues:
With the collapse of the Fenizian-Alfheichen alliance the country is desperately gearing up against a potential Reiyk invasion. At the same time the public has mixed opinions on the Reiyk with a significant minority believing Fenice betrayed their friends and now they are risking war with what is undoubtedly the strongest power in the world. Yet at the same time arms manufacturers rejoice as they found new opportunities to sell their stockpiles of weaponry to groups they previously were prohibited to approach. Including the majority of their old customers who previously suspended relations. The history is uncertain for Fenice yet there's a strange optimism permeating the people, overriding the paranoia. It's almost as if a weight was lifted off them.
Of course there's also the elephant in the room, the colonies of Fenice. As relatively recent acquisitions their hold over the faraway realms is shaking. Revolts are a constant worry while the potential of the Reiyk invasion to quickly take them seems fairly real. Fenizian navy was modest to begin with and the worry of a Reiyk attack against mainland and dealing with their many holdings are stretching their logistical capabilities significantly. There is also the issue of Tadeese. The war drains a not insignificant amount of resources, causes issues with foreign relations yet it just doesn't seem to end. While recalling troops and agreeing on a peace seems prudent at the same time doing so may equal political suicide. So the war with the hopelessly outclassed Tadeese people keeps slogging on.
Notable Strengths:
Fenice is a very wealthy nation for its size and while their industry isn't the most powerful they excel in the production of elaborate goods. They have a large base of skilled laborers who can work on precision machinery, engines and small arms. The Phoenix Legion is an all-volunteer military force which compromises the bulk of the Fenizian military with conscripts only held in reserve. This means Fenice has a relatively small but skilled military with many of the veterans having 30+ years of military experience while elvish physiology means they are just as physically fit they were as recruits if not more. Fenizian elite marksmen are some of the most hardcore shooters with sky-high standards and immense reputation. Fenice is also some of the developed militaries with still sizeable cavalry forces. While this seems backwards the veteran cavalry in fact was responsible for numerous triumphant moments lately. The large number of veteran sailors also means they are true daredevils on the seas. Fenizian-made warships tend to be speedy and handle very nicely. Fenice also has a borderline obsession with aircraft which makes them invest in their production to a disproportionate degree. Fenizian pilots are talented and available in significant numbers.
Notable Weaknesses:
Fenice may be rich but still a small country with fairly modest industry. They are also rather resource starved on their own and depend on trade to break even. This includes anything from food down to raw resources. While colonial holdings help to alleviate this issue Fenice still prefers to acquire their resources off the market where they can access better quality and often for more reasonable price.
Fenice also possesses a relatively small military even to its population size. Their historical reliance on volunteers means they don't have mass armies to the same degree as others nor they are very enamored with the idea. Using conscripts means they'd have to sacrifice valuable workforce so they'd rather avoid that. On the other hand this not only limits their army size but also makes Fenice fairly sensitive to loses. Veterans who may be better utilized as instructors can and will die on the battlefield and replacing them is practically impossible.
The Phoenix Legion is known for their veterans and marksmen yet when it comes to armor they are at a very odd place. Fenice developed advanced one-crew tankettes which may save on personnel but it comes at their effectiveness. They also lack heavy and especially siege artillery. The Phoenix Fleet is a respectable force for its size but compared to a major power their ships are closer to the light side. Fenice has difficulty to produce capital vessel hulls so they chiefly import them and then retrofit these vessels accordingly. Fenice also lacks the fuel to have their capital fleet moving around too much. As for their airforce the Phoenix Skyguard is stocked with impressive plane models, albeit many of them are on the expensive side. Also they lack strategic bombers with their large planes only used for transport and paradrop roles. Production of planes is generally the bottleneck slowing the expansion of the Fenizian air force rather than pilots to fly them.
National Priorities:
Fenice is and always has been a mercantile state which relied heavily on trade. Fenice has limited arable land for its population so food imports were essential. So ensuring trade routes and maintaining networks is the lifeblood for Fenice. When the Reiyk broke off their relationship it caused chaos yet also gave a sense of relief for merchants who alongside with foreign politics began to rebuild their trade lines with allied nations. Fenice has been a modest maritime power for a long while but the start of the war saw a significant naval buildup, initially even supported by the Reiyk. This enabled for Fenice to produce top of the line battleships like major powers and they also ramped up their production. In comparison the army was in a rather anemic state for long as conscription was unpopular in Fenice and most military funds were eaten up by the navy and the recently modernized air force. With the paranoia of the Reiyk invading Fenice this finally brought a change alongside with large army procurement projects. In spite of that the armored forces are in an odd state, held back both by economics and the the Armor Corps' conservative views. Economics wise since Fenice's lifeblood was trade they produced most of their goods for export in mind. This ultimately served the plutocratic merchants and business owners more than the common person. Worker strikes can and do flare up in Fenice due to mistreatment or awful conditions. The mining sector in particular is pushed for more mithril quota but aside from them Fenice's resource extraction projects experience only modest strain. This is because Fenice prefers to import their resources and thanks to wartime deals they can actually acquire strategic resources cheaper than ever. In return they pour out war material at an increased pace, although they were given some leniency given that Fenice has yet to fully arm up and mobilize. The cheap resources of course include food and the agricultural industry in particular is struggling to compete with the dirt cheap imports.
Name: Republicca Federale di Fenice (also just Fenice) Common Deonym: Fenizian Capital: Viroviacco Government: Federal Republic Dominant Species: Solgenio/Solgenia/Solgeniti ("Sun-born", usually referred as the Sun Elves) Dominant Faith: Dionism Population: ~ 32,000,000 (mainland population only)
Summary of Nation:
Fenice is a confederation of numerous smaller states sharing the same cultural roots yet existing as separate entities for long centuries.
History:
Origins: Millennia ago in the distant elvish empire of Ylleria the realm experienced its golden ages. Around the same time people experienced visions of a phoenix warning Yllerians to stop their decadence or face destruction. While some heeded the warning, it made little difference for the mighty empire. Over the decades a small cult calling themselves the Phoenix Order founded in secret. Upon the instructions of the mysterious phoenix they began preparations for a long journey across the sea. The mass exodus didn't go unopposed by the Empire but heavens favored the faithful and they managed to escape. Not long after a major magical catastrophe ravaged through Ylleria, leading to the empire's rapid collapse.
Sailing to the new continent the settlers founded the shrine-city of Fenice, consecrated for the mysterious Phoenix. A new faith under the name Dionism was founded and the prophet kings of Fenice ruled justly in peace for centuries. Yet the kings grew decadent and blind to the Phoenix's teachings. An uprising lead by a female seer said to be the mortal incarnation of the Phoenix toppled the corrupt kings and established Holy League of Fenice. Just referred as the Archpriestess she did not stop at the country borders. Missionaries were sent to the corners of the world and when other nations rejected Dionism this lead to bloody crusades. Fenice became a warmongering country under the Archpriestess' thumb. Arguably these times were the golden ages of Fenice, the true height of their power. Yet the increasingly oppressive and disagreeable Dionist clergy met popular resistance by the people. Around the same time a coalition of nations launched a counterattack.
The Archpriestess fell but not before she detonated all magic at her disposal, reducing the once wondrous city of Fenice to a glowing crater. The Holy League collapsed and Fenice broken up into a myriad of successor states. Merchant republics arose, fighting each other for power while their strategic position allowed them to dominate trade. Fenizian city states were briefly the center of the world's culture and their craftsmanship were well known. Yet over the centuries they slowly became nothing more than a dimly shining crown jewel for ambitious rulers to hold.
Pre-War: Yet the world was steadily changing. The weaves of magic began to fade, a new age of reason was approaching. Kingdoms collapsed, empires split and new ideologies arose. While the locals always thought of each other as Fenizians the idea of a single united government of all Fenice seemed like a distant dream. This didn't stop them from trying, though. They recognized to succeed they needed allies so they asked a nation bent on changing the status quo, the Alfheiches Reiyk. Receiving weapons, officers and political support the Fenizian states rose up against their Aelbanian oppressors and after years of brutal war they emerged victorious in 1855. The once divided states confederated into the Republic of Fenice with the rich Viroviacco as its capital. In spite of the glorious success Fenice was struggling economically. Their radical nature made them politically isolated from most of the world with the Reiyk as their only true ally. Yet Fenice had no shortage of skilled craftsmen, financial experts and entrepreneurs.
Living off on crushing debt they invested all the borrowed money from Alfheichen into various reforms. The Federal Republic of Fenice soon became a tax haven for rising corporate magnates or people who wanted to hide their wealth. The Phoenix Vaults of Fenice became known world-wide. Meanwhile industrial reforms which supported the adoption of new technology. Though small in size the Fenizian industry specialized in fields with high added value. Mechanics and precision manufacturing were the most prominent. Fenizian gunsmiths and clockmakers were well-known for centuries and Fenice had no shortage of skilled laborers who previously worked in other countries. Over the time Fenice became one of the richest countries (especially per capita). So much so that they began to spread their influence and joined the "colony game". The colonial empire of Fenice is still growing to this day.
Outbreak of War: Being the Reiyk's historical ally Fenice was supportive of the war. They did this not just out of their obligations as friends but also with the hopes of snatching some of Aelban's colonies and getting ahead in the new world order. Fenice never expected an outright invasion of the Aelbani mainland and as the war went on they saw more and more reasons to worry about their supposed ally. In 1938 Fenice suspended their shipments to the Reiyk after the Isildir Conflict which involved the Reiyk invading a small Fenizian colony and seizing its reserves of oil. Though the incident was relatively free of bloodshed the Reiyk still committed an act of war against its supposed ally. The ensuring diplomatic debacle resulted in Fenice distancing themselves from the Reiyk. Though unrelated to the war starting from late 1937 Fenice was also engaged in another conflict. For decades they were interested in the material riches of Tadeese. The kingdom was fairly undeveloped by modern standards, although their people were famed on the continent for their warrior culture. What the Fenizian leadership saw as an easy victory turned into a drawn out conflict. While the Fenizian forces seemed dominant they struggle to progress with the country's occupation.
Pressing Issues:
With the collapse of the Fenizian-Alfheichen alliance the country is desperately gearing up against a potential Reiyk invasion. At the same time the public has mixed opinions on the Reiyk with a significant minority believing Fenice betrayed their friends and now they are risking war with what is undoubtedly the strongest power in the world. Yet at the same time arms manufacturers rejoice as they found new opportunities to sell their stockpiles of weaponry to groups they previously were prohibited to approach. Including the majority of their old customers who previously suspended relations. The history is uncertain for Fenice yet there's a strange optimism permeating the people, overriding the paranoia. It's almost as if a weight was lifted off them.
Of course there's also the elephant in the room, the colonies of Fenice. As relatively recent acquisitions their hold over the faraway realms is shaking. Revolts are a constant worry while the potential of the Reiyk invasion to quickly take them seems fairly real. Fenizian navy was modest to begin with and the worry of a Reiyk attack against mainland and dealing with their many holdings are stretching their logistical capabilities significantly. There is also the issue of Tadeese. The war drains a not insignificant amount of resources, causes issues with foreign relations yet it just doesn't seem to end. While recalling troops and agreeing on a peace seems prudent at the same time doing so may equal political suicide. So the war with the hopelessly outclassed Tadeese people keeps slogging on.
Notable Strengths:
Fenice is a very wealthy nation for its size and while their industry isn't the most powerful they excel in the production of elaborate goods. They have a large base of skilled laborers who can work on precision machinery, engines and small arms. The Phoenix Legion is an all-volunteer military force which compromises the bulk of the Fenizian military with conscripts only held in reserve. This means Fenice has a relatively small but skilled military with many of the veterans having 30+ years of military experience while elvish physiology means they are just as physically fit they were as recruits if not more. Fenizian elite marksmen are some of the most hardcore shooters with sky-high standards and immense reputation. Fenice is also some of the developed militaries with still sizeable cavalry forces. While this seems backwards the veteran cavalry in fact was responsible for numerous triumphant moments lately. The large number of veteran sailors also means they are true daredevils on the seas. Fenizian-made warships tend to be speedy and handle very nicely. Fenice also has a borderline obsession with aircraft which makes them invest in their production to a disproportionate degree. Fenizian pilots are talented and available in significant numbers.
Notable Weaknesses:
Fenice may be rich but still a small country with fairly modest industry. They are also rather resource starved on their own and depend on trade to break even. This includes anything from food down to raw resources. While colonial holdings help to alleviate this issue Fenice still prefers to acquire their resources off the market where they can access better quality and often for more reasonable price.
Fenice also possesses a relatively small military even to its population size. Their historical reliance on volunteers means they don't have mass armies to the same degree as others nor they are very enamored with the idea. Using conscripts means they'd have to sacrifice valuable workforce so they'd rather avoid that. On the other hand this not only limits their army size but also makes Fenice fairly sensitive to loses. Veterans who may be better utilized as instructors can and will die on the battlefield and replacing them is practically impossible.
The Phoenix Legion is known for their veterans and marksmen yet when it comes to armor they are at a very odd place. Fenice developed advanced one-crew tankettes which may save on personnel but it comes at their effectiveness. They also lack heavy and especially siege artillery. The Phoenix Fleet is a respectable force for its size but compared to a major power their ships are closer to the light side. Fenice has difficulty to produce capital vessel hulls so they chiefly import them and then retrofit these vessels accordingly. Fenice also lacks the fuel to have their capital fleet moving around too much. As for their airforce the Phoenix Skyguard is stocked with impressive plane models, albeit many of them are on the expensive side. Also they lack strategic bombers with their large planes only used for transport and paradrop roles. Production of planes is generally the bottleneck slowing the expansion of the Fenizian air force rather than pilots to fly them.
NAME: Union of Carpathian Nations, Carpathian Union (Unio Carpates) GOVERNMENT: Supernational Confederation of States CAPITAL: Leitha (Union administrative center) TOTAL POPULATION: est. 2,771,680,000 (99% Human, 1% Aluevan)
The Carpathian Union is a the supernational organization formed to facilitate peace and prosperity in the otherwise divided countries of the Carpathian System. Thanks to the shared history and interconnected economy the Carpathian Union may seem to be a singular nation, and indeed more and more people call themselves Carpathian, yet in practice they are far from such. Carpathian states are spread across the system and somewhat even beyond. Space exploitation is the main industry of the system and owning a spacecraft is almost synonymous in Carpathia with owning a car. Corporations rose to power and sometimes industrial magnates have more power than the respective heads of the state. Carpathia is a relatively lawless realm with wild untamed lands surrounding the numerous metropolitan centers. Carpathians are highly protective of their freedom and rights which often puts the average person at odds with the Union.
HISTORY
The INS Leithania was one of the numerous vessels sent to colonize deep space through the gateways. As often happened the passengers for the ship were picked from the same geographical region. The Leithania was filled with colonists from Central- and East Europe. Dozens of countries, untold years of hatreds and rivalry. Making planetfall the colonists named the planet Pannonia and began to work tirelessly. After cycling through several names the system was began to known as Carpathia. They also established the Carpathian Calendar (CC) with their arrival as year zero. Yet old hatreds die hard so after a few decades of begrudging peace the colonists chose to split and form their own countries mostly based off old the national lines. To their luck the Carpathia System had multiple habitable moons and so this heralded the first split. Over the time as space exploitation became the norm so did space habitats which lead to another split and population explosion. Carpathia became a powder keg with many conflicting ideals and old wounds which never healed. Wars were a constant occurrence for decades. This went on for over a century until a new threat appeared.
The Carpathians made a bizarre discovery early on. They found old ruins, temples and other traces of a foreign civilization within the system. Excavations also found ancient tombs and burial grounds. Obviously the scientific crowd was astonished. Yet little did they know that the aliens who built these monuments were very much still roaming the galaxy. As investigations later found out a certain illegal mining company encountered a strange object in space. When said object discharged weapons at their vessels they fired back, leading to its destruction. Almost a century later an investigation of the scene eventually confirmed the wreckage to be a small Ullevan spaceship. Unknown to the Carpathians at large this heralded the beginning of a United Ullevan Tribes to declare holy war upon them. Yet limited to sublight speeds it took several decades until the Carpathians realized their mistake.
The year CC120 heralded the beginning of the Third Panslav War. Yet this cut short when it became obvious they had a whole new and terrifying foe to face. They were the Ullevans, an alien race of space nomads living in tribal units yet united through their sophisticated Crystal Network. Initially doubtful the Carpathians blamed each other on the raids and it took several pieces of evidence to acknowledge they were dealing with a new external threat. Most historians attribute CC122 as the beginning of the First Ullevi War. The alien technology gave the comparatively small invasion force an edge in space combat yet they lacked the means to properly take inhabited planets. The Khryshins remained a menace of colonies for over a decade until they were warded off. The aliens were defeated yet the threat still lingered on. Many attribute the First Ullevi War as the prime catalyst for the eventual formation of the Carpathian Union.
The United Nations of Carpathia was established in CC134 and nowadays it's generally considered a precursor to the Carpathian Union. It was nothing but an alliance system with limited council to allow fair negotiations between member countries. Their purpose was to mend division between various Carpathian nations so they could stand united against a second Ullevan invasion. This of course happened only 30 years later. Compared to last time the Ullevans mobilized an entire armada of vessels and millions of warriors. The Second Ullevi War was gruesome and claimed almost a hundred million lives. Yet after years of struggle the Carpathians won and the Ullevans retreated back into deep space once again.
Though victorious the price was too steep and there was no telling when the United Ullevan Tribes might strike again. This propelled discussions about a possible merge of countries to form a single unified government. Proposals eventually turned into demands and between CC188-190 the so-called Unification War raged across the system. Eventually the Pannon Federation and its supporters failed yet it was obvious that something more effective than the loose alliance system of the UN was required. In CC193 they announce the Carpathian Union alongside with the document of the Union Charter. Though met with mixed reaction the Union's efforts lead to stability, peace and economic upswing in Carpathia. Many cite this moment as the beginning of modern Carpathian culture.
Then CC212 saw the Third Ullevi War. The enemy were numerous yet with new technology and more unified response this invasion was repelled with relative ease. The war saw a very curious development with the defection of Clan Lsalean. First they were prisoners of war but the aliens soon forged an uneasy relationship in Carpathia. Through them the Union learned many things about their so far mysterious foe. Yet while some prepared others began to discount the Ullevi threat. They were up for a rude awakening during the Fourth Ullevi war which saw the mobilization of hundreds of clans and immediately put the Carpathians on the ropes. Compared to the past encounters the Carpathians were rough technological peers with the invaders so they couldn't penetrate deep into Carpathia without encountering heavy resistance. Still, the outer rims of Carpathia became war torn nightmarish realms filled with fighting and carnage. Small countries that thrived on the rim's resources were reduced to nothing within a few years. Resource shortage and economic crisis loomed over Carpathia as the war dragged on. An entire generation of youth was lost in the flames of war.
By the second half of the war Carpathians gained the upper hand yet it just refused to end. Frustration and anti-war riots dominated back at home. Accusations that the governments are scamming the people with war just to remain in power became a common occurrence. Ullevani renegades now calling themselves Aluevans made a deal with the Union. In return for releasing their families from prison camps and swearing to allow the Aluevans to form their own nation within Carpathia they were willing to teach them a few secrets about Ullevan technology and the truth behind their unity. Of course the answer was the Crystal Network which allowed instant communications across interstellar distances. Yet humans accidentally managed to sabotage the Crystal Network once, that's why the Aluevans turned renegade. If this process would be analyzed, replicated and refined they could not only stop the war but also destroy the United Ullevan Tribes as a threat. After 2 years of research at breakneck speed they perfected a weapon which could eliminate the entire Crystal Network via a chain reaction sequence. In CC263 the weapon was deployed to terrific effect. All communication between tribes was lost and the Union swept in to triumph over the aliens with relative ease. Yet while Carpathians were celebrating their victory the Ullevan remnants plotted their vengeance. This ended in the tragedy of the Zerberuss in CC269 when the deployment of a so-called Nova Bomb almost cracked into the planet's core and killed more than half the population. This single act killed more people than all previous wars with the Ullevans combined. And it went both ways because the unofficial Fifth War knew no breaks as entire fleets traveled into deep space to hunt down Ullevan city-ships. Enitre tribes of Ullevans disappeared within the first year. Albeit after extensive media coverage of the events the emotions began to cool, even if just a little.
For many the Fifth Ullevan War is continuing even to this year but officially the deep space campaigns ended around CC273. Many rumors float around about "lost fleets", deep space strike forces which never returned and still fighting Ullevans in unknown realms. There are also reports of scattered tribes active in the outer rim. They continue to raid colonists and require special attention from the Union. Though begrudgingly the Aluevans were granted their seat in the Union Council and recognized as the 40th state. Zerberuss became borderline uninhabitable and more than a hundred million refugees scattered to mostly Slavic states. Yet the exposed core provided an immense mining opportunity and though small in population Zerberuss is a thriving industrial state. Carpathia experiences a long phase of demilitarization where governments struggle to justify any expansion to their armed forces yet the military industrial sector is thriving as ever with more than half their products ending as vaproware. Since their victory the Carpathian System prospers yet there is a smell of slow decay. Carpathians thrive upon space exploitation yet they began to approach their limit. Once the wheels grind to a halt the economy would suffer. Thankfully the gate system came back to life and now Carpathia faces the unknown.
GOVERNMENT & SOCEITY
The Carpathian Union is a supernational body representing dozens of independent states. Depending on your definition Carpathia has 32 to 40 semi-independent member states spread across the system and somewhat even beyond. These states often have their own official language like Panonian, Polish, Neoczheck, Daxian, Svabian and so forth. This would normally render any form of communication complete chaos but realtime translator devices are fairly sophisticated in Carpathia. When it comes to the Union's official language they chose Latin, ironically something none of the member states even speak. The Union's capital is in Leitha, an artificial moon orbiting Pannonia. Yet the city state is considered a neutral country officially free from any influence. Each member state have their own laws, customs and overall large degree of autonomy. Aside from the select few Union Laws these nations can seemingly do whatever they want.
In spite of their turbulent history Carpathia has the combined population approaching 3 billion. Unlike many worlds they didn't develop a large following for posthumanism, weren't exposed to mutagenic effects and just barely mix with aliens. Yet they perceive themselves a melting pot of diverse cultures. While national governments do exist and some states got heavy restrictions on immigrants the majority of them embrace their multi-national identity and forge their own culture as a state. Being alone for centuries the term Carpathian was rarely used and when it did it bore a strong Union favoritist tone. Yet as the gate network revitalized the inhabitants began to owe up to the name immediately. Just a few months after the first contact the people would proudly proclaim themselves Carpathians as a distinction from humans of other colonies.
The stereotypical Carpathian is patriotic and proud of their nationality and believe in their personal freedom. They embrace capitalism and most of the Union's famous people are rich entrepreneurs who are often viewed as role models. They are especially enamored by the myth of the "self-made man", people who rose from rags to riches through honest work. At the same time many Carpathians are distrustful of the Union or at times even their own government. They seem to prefer control by private enterprises over the government and feel taxes are wasted by bureaucrats. Carpathians have an odd relationship with consumerism. At one hand they are big spenders and always love to own new shiny toys. At the same time Carpathians especially in the rural regions want to be as independent from big companies as possible. Self-sufficiency is a popular fad among the folks... and sometimes a necessity. Space exploitation is still the most booming industry in Carpathia which means people often spend weeks or sometimes months traveling in space. Even for those who aren't hauling goods across void they often commute to another moon or planet to work. To an average Carpathian family owning a space shuttle or three is the norm, almost akin to owning a car. Another odd element of Carpathians is their militia culture. They love guns and majority of them are fervently protecting their right to own them. Some claim it is for their rightful insurance against government overreach but most just want it for personal defense and recreational purposes. Personal arms are commonly used in crimes in Carpathia, same for gun related accidents.
Name: Aluevans Race: Aesir
Aesir are slender and shockingly humanoid aliens. They are at average 7 feet tall and easily distinguished for their pointed ears and "magical" tatoos. While outwardly very similar to humans thanks to convergent evolution they are in fact fairly different. Biologists theorize that the Aesirs evolved for avian species instead of primates. They have hollow yet highly durable metallic bones which are actually susceptible to magnetism. They live anywhere from 200 to over 500 years and their bodies are almost entirely immune to diseases. Their bodies are adapted for zero gravity but they seem to be fine even in 2-3G environments. Yet the most fascinating aspect of them would be their ability for "magic". Aesir blood has varying quantity of so-called "quons", complex machines formed out of elemental particles. This also defines their status with a de-facto noble class dominating Aluevan/Ullevan society thanks to their natural gifts. With the help of quons the Aesir can generate power by just willing it (see tech section for possible explanation) and this is enough to power simple devices. They can also remotely control and access their technology. Aesir also reported to have something we'd call spatial senses where they can be aware of their surroundings without any conventional sensory input. This assuredly contributes to their perceived grace and inhuman dexterity.
As for origins the Aesir were space nomads for untold millennia. Ullevans recorded their history in somgs and legends which were long embellished with a lot of mystical elements. It should be also noted that names and terms referring to the Aesir were the products of liberal translation the Aluevans gave Carpathia after trying to cross check with human culture. So while referrences to known human mythology are used, they are only approximate equivalents rather than literal connection between the two cultures. With that out of the way let's get to it!
Once upon the time the Highborn lived in peace and harmony on Midgard. Yet as they began to discover the realm of stars this lead to a cultural divide. Vanir, the majority of the highborn who chose to remain on Midgard were finding themselves distanced from the Aesir, the poineers of space. When this alienation turned into hate it resulted in the destructive Aesir-Vanir War, or perhaps multiple wars. Yet ultimately they made truce and together they achieved great prosperity. Yet the Golden Age met an abrupt end by the divine wrath of Ragnarok. Nobody knows what happened but only a single ship was sparred, the Gimilé. Carrying the only survivors of the Highborn culture these Aesir lead by Ulleva Artha Namashtkyrta were the last remnants of their civilization. There are many conflicting tales after this point which scientists have a hard time to analyze but it's generally agreed that Ragnarok or the centuries following it also lead to the destruction of the knowledge base to produce their own technology. Instead the fragmenting tribes had to rely on Forges, ancient manufacturing plants of various size and capabilities. While always attempting to replicate their technology it seemed just beyond them. Rather they focused on salvage and maintenance of their already existing tech or turning devices originally meant for one purpose to work in another. While a sad fact this didn't stop the Ullevans to expand and spread across the stars. With the Crystal Network as their only communication among tribes they experienced the Silver Age which lasted all the way until now. With the Crystal Network gone it'd likely take centuries if not millennia to rebuild their civilization anew. The seemingly everlasting age of the Ullevans went off within a blink of an eye.
Aluevans are renegades who broke off from the United Ullevan Tribes. They used to be the survivors of a single tribe but they steadily absorbed defectors from everywhere and nowadays just represent the "friendly" former Ullevans in the Carpathia System. They have many unpleasant nicknames. As part of the Aesir race they often receive the slurs like "dagger ears" and less kind references. To the Ullevans they are the betrayers, the ones directly responsible for ruining their civilization. Generally they have a hard time to be accepted by anyone outside their community. They mostly retained their old nomadic traditions with overwhelming majority of Aluevans living in their city-ships wandering the system rather than settling down. They like to trade with other states or offer their military services. Some claim Aluevans often do piracy but so far the official representatives successfully deflected blame and swear those were the actions of mere outlaws without government knowledge.
TERRITORY
Carpathia is a dual star system where the two stars have almost comparable masses. The large system has 16 planets total and among them 4 could support life to various degrees. In addition a number of moons were either habitable or could easily made habitable conditions for. Beyond that Carpathia also has clusters space colonies built in various ways. Overall it can be said that the inhabitants of Carpathia are spread across the entire system and somewhat even beyond.
The twin stars of Carpathia attracted untold numbers of asteroids and officially there are 5 belts spread across the system, ripe for exploitation. Gas giants soon became pillars of the space industry. Carpathia is also at the edge of the Horsehead Nebula and enterprising gas gatherers often journey outside the system in their hunt for Helium-3 or even more valuable exotic gases.
Though there are a number of habitable worlds, they all have to struggle with various hazards. Be it powerful wildlife, meteor showers, perpetual night or myriad of other issues. They resolved these mostly by centralizing in domed cities free from environmental risks. Yet a fair percentage of the population chose to live outside of these cities and out in the wilderness. Another even larger percentage journey the void almost all the time. Life isn't so easy in the frontiers of Carpathia yet many of them prefer this way.
Administrative center of the Carpathian Union, it's a small artificial moon created to provide a truly neutral location for the world government. Effectively an ecumenopolis Leitha is known for its banking, computing and entertainment industry. Many people try the capital in hopes of fame and some even make it. Leitha has a somewhat controversial image since it's kept afloat basically through the Union's money.
Also referred just as Pannonia, they were the first country founded in Carpathia and they experienced steady growth for centuries. Currently it has the population of over 900 million and still growing. Pannonians are a nationality which has little if any in common with Slavs and still retain tense relationship with them. Yet this does not apply to the people in particular. Pannonia has a mixed population where the ethnic Pannonians only make up a third of the entire population. Yet being Pannonian ceased to be about language or birth but rather those under the Pannon Federation are considered equally Pannonians. In many ways the way the Federation operates resembles the Pannonian desires for the Union. They are the most staunch supporters of complete federalization and the creation of one nation and only one alone in Carpathia. Though the majority of the states dislike Pannonia to a degree they are the most powerful member of the Union by far. The planet of Pannonia is considered by far the most fertile and this agricultural dominance perhaps paved the way for their economic might.
The planet Dax is neighboring Pannonia. It's tidally locked with only the dark side capable of supporting life. Dax, also referred as the Night Kingdom they survived the first century of their existence through sheer spite. Claiming to be descendants of the Roman Empire the Daxian society restructured to imitate them. Daxians are highly militaristic albeit economically mediocre. They have a long-standing feud with Pannonia but occasionally they forget their differences to ally against Slavs.
Overwhelmingly Slavic majority country settled on the planet of Zerberuss. They once had ideas to unite are Slavs under one banner and for a while incorporated many moons in their neighborhood yet the majority of Slavs did not want to be under one government so they failed. In CC269 the unthinkable happened and untold millions lost their life to the Ullevan superweapon. This rendered the planet borderline uninhabitable. Yet Zerbuya rebuilt and managed to turn their plight into an advantage. The exposed core allowed deep underground mining at immense scale and directly leech the planet's geothermal power. Iridium, uranium and more can be mined in huge quantities.
Bulania is... [to be continued]
TECHNOLOGY
Carpathian technology is simple in concept yet can be fairly sophisticated on the execution. Plasma, electromagnetics and fusion power are the three pillars of Carpathian designs. Helium-3 is the essential fuel which drives their powerplants, be it energy production or even their cars. For utilities which doesn't require full-on nuclear plants they use plasma induction engines. Wheels were largely replaced by various hover propulsions, although flying cars are still niche. Aerospace propulsion is largely accomplished through impulse engines which can be extremely powerful for their size but also relative fuel guzzlers. Weapons technology largely adopted various plasma arms with firearms or even railgun mechanisms being considered niche or outright antiques. Industrially the Carpathians are very proficient asteroid, gas giant and nebula miners. Some may call their extraction methods wasteful or even reckless but they certainly work fast! Carpathians are also quick to establish new habitats for miners and expand. Race to acquire mining rights before the competition ensured this. Production wise the Carpathians pioneered the "nano-sintering" technology which allows producing elaborate devices with relatively little industrial investment and it can even supplement large scale production provided you don't mind the electricity bill. Metamaterials is a fairly developed field in Carpathia to the extent they can outright engineer new atoms for various purposes. In comparison A.I. development is in a very odd state. While automatized factories and systems gotten far the Carpathians didn't develop sapient robots. The furthest they got are machines mimicking animals, pet robo dogs and chimpanzees are all the rage in certain states. A.I. in general has very limited influence in decision making.
- Plasma Induction Engine: Standard powerplant which uses an ultracompact fusion reactor to generate heat and turn both the fuel and the compressed gases into plasma. Said plasma then passes through electromagnetic turbine blades and generates electricity. Compared to fusion reactors these engines are safer, considerably more fuel efficient. On the other hand they have inferior power to weight ratio for the obvious reasons.
- Magnetowheels: Also called Mag-Wheels or just MW, it's a versatile propulsion system used mainly for civilian vehicles. Wheel-shaped devices which can orient downwards and uses electromagnetism to levitate in the air. By adjusting the power on the individual wheels or changing their orientation the vehicle can steer or hover at various altitudes. The electromagnetic force also has a "sticky" effect, anchoring the vehicle to the ground. Magnetowheel systems are simple but less efficient than Levi-Plates. On the other hand they can achieve higher altitudes (often up to 10m above the current surface) and don't have issues levitating over water and other low-density surfaces.
- Levi-Plates: Heavy duty hover system commonly used for large machines or military vehicles. They are special plates found on the underside of the vehicle which electromagnetically levitate it off the ground. Compared to magnetowheels this system is more robust and energy efficient. The system is also resistant of battle damage as even destroying several plates won't stop the vehicle. Yet it is also often slower than magnetowheel vehicles, can achieve lower altitudes at average and often has trouble to cross large bodies of water or other low density surfaces.
- Nano-sintering: An industrial process where nanoparticles are layered onto a shape formed by forcefields. This allows immense degree of precision and also versatility. By just loading up a new program it's possible to create a new object immediately. Though nano-sintering doesn't replace all conventional production methods its usefulness can never be understated.
- Impulse Engine: A propulsion system which uses the heat and energy of a fusion reactor to provide propulsive force. Impulse engines push the fuel through them at almost the speed of light thus achieving seemingly impossible thrust ratios thanks to the laws of relativity. On the other hand impulse engines burn dramatically more fuel than conventional torch engines. Yet at the same time the elimination of propellant means they actually save significant mass and volume. In the atmosphere the impulse engine can switch to a slightly altered mechanism where the hyper-heated fuel particles flash transfer their temperature to the airflow pushed through the engines, allowing highly efficient plasma jet propulsion.
- Durachrome:A type of metamaterial which forms a mega atom composed of hundreds of chromium-52 atoms squished by lasers and insane pressures. The resulting material is shockingly resistant to outside forces and can form various crystalline states. Most commercial durachromes are a type of metal sponge which can have high strength and durability without weighing a significant amount. Yet more specialized applications may call for some type of monocrystalline durachrome which can have densities up to a hundred times that of steel. Durachrome is a fascinating family of materials with many possibilities. That being said it can also be rather expensive.
- ReTrA: Abbreviation for Realtime Translator Application, also called Retra. Carpathia has 20 official languages and even more regional languages so allowing people to understand each other so realtime translator mechanisms were incented fairly quick. Among these the myriad variants of ReTrA are the most popular by far. The software has a highly sophisticated algorythm to not only translate in real time but also actively recognize new dialects or potentially even new languages. Retra is installed on various devices with the most common being a simple earplug with sensors and sophisticated noise filters. This effectively filters out the voice of the speaker and replace it with translation. The program can also mimic the speaker's tone and inflections to a degree, albeit for keen ears the difference is still obvious.As a side effect for the outsiders the Carpathian conversations can be extremely confusing, almost like visiting the Tower of Babel. A person might talk in Pannonian while the listener responds back in Zerbian and then another interject in German. ReTrA also has a an app for written text called ReTrAViSION which can replace foreign text translated to one's own language.
While more and more Aluevans adopt Carpathian devices they continue to chiefly rely on their ancestral technology. Ullevans actually didn't invent their technology. They rather relied on their migration ships to produce them in the so-called starforges. As such not even the Aluevans truly understand what their technology can do. This and the combination of Ullevans clumsily attempting to harness their techology resulted in a strangely advanced yet socially backwards civilization. Almost every Aluevan technology only works for members of their race, via something akin to a neural link yet requires no direct contact or any physical connection. Aluevan/Ullevan devices often seem to invoke Clarke's Third Law for humans who try to understand them.
Aluevan technology is claimed to be powered by the mysterious energies of dark space and said power also courses through them. Aluevan blood shows traces of something even more elaborate than nanomachines which is said to be responsible for their "magic". With sufficient training and focus they can harness this to demonstrate which regular humans may call sorcery or psychic powers. These are further amplified when they wield technology specifically to harness such. One may laugh on Aluevan starbows which seem to be stuck in the middle ages... until a single skilled archer can puncture gaping holes through gunships. Yet as advanced as technologies are they tend to be less practically designed than Carpathian devices, making the two often rough equals in effect. A soldier with a portable missile launcher may not be as fancy as Starbow wielding Rangers but arguably they are superior and far easier to train.
MILITARY
Carpathia has three levels of military. The highest being the Union Armed Forces, the official joint military force of the Carpathian Union. Below that are each state's Home Guard, their own military force mostly reserved for defense and handling local crisis situations. Lastly there's the Peacekeeper Corps (alternatively referred as Pandurs) lead by the Sheriffs of each dependency. Peacekeepers are heavily armed policemen meant to fight local bandit gangs and crack down on dens of crime. Peacekeepers are in an unique position where they are reporting to both the state and the Union. Unlike actual police the Peacekeepers often use military grade equipment. With this out of the way it can be said that for decades the Carpathian military is relatively low. Carpathians haven't fought a war for a long while. With funding for the Union projects ever so tight the Union Armed Forces are borderline undermanned in the presence. Joining the military is generally viewed as a bottom end job chosen by people who have nowhere else to go. That being said soldiers are still respected and there's a strong culture for war veterans. There's also the myth of the "Carpathian Scout", a brave adventuring soldier with survival skills and peerless marksmanship. Indeed, as underfunded they are the Carpathian troops have remarkable shooting skills but this is also paired with generally lax discipline. There are numerous tales about the so-called "bored soldier" doing stupid stunts.
Doctrine-wise the Carpathians follow the usual trends in combined arms. Their typical armaments are plasma-based and rather than changing ammo these can allow adjusting functions to achieve varying effects. Carpathian ground vehicles use hover propulsion which makes them more nimble on the battlefield. A curious vehicle are their Personal Armors, small&cheap humanoid mechs. They can fight like oversized soldiers and are popular in both military and militia use.
- ZB. 58 Pulse Carbine: Standard military rifle used by the Union Forces. It fires U-238 isotopes condenses into bolts of plasma which explodes violently upon contact. The weapon has a replaceable power pack which also incorporates uranium-wire as the plasming material. The condensed cloud of gaseous plasma is contained via electromagnetic fields. Depending on how the field is manipulated it's possible to have various effects so the rifle can be fairly versatile. It even has a non-lethal/practice setting where instead of uranium the weapon draws in the surrounding air and shoots plasma bolts with dramatically less effect. Since the atomic number of nitrogen molecules is less than 1/60th of the urano-complex molecules normally shot at such energies the impact is almost non-existent yet the overpressure and the energy unleashed can be highly painful or can even paralyzing so it's a popular mode for suppressing riots. It also allows soldiers to practice without wasting precious uranium. The ZB. 58 is also frequently comes with a Plasma Projector attachment. This consumes a separate type of power pack which fires a comparatively slower plasma projectile with higher uranium content. Said strands of Uranium-238 are also contaminated with durachrome particles which would not melt under these temperatures and act as micro-shrapnel. Plasma Projectors are effectively grenade launchers used by the infantry when some explosive ordinance is needed at once. They can have many detonation modes including airburst, penetrating explosive, shaped charge and even more. ZB. 58 was developed in the early stages of the Fourth Ullevan War and it has yet to be replaced. While arguably some pulse carbine designs are more advanced there isn't a significant leap in technology to justify replacement. Civilian variants of the ZB. 58 (called the CZ. 64) are widespread in Carpathia and well-liked by hobby shooters. They are also the favorite subject of gun enthusiasts to modify and tune in various ways. It's said there are more CZ. 64 and its knockoffs than all other guns on the market combined.
- Pulse Repeater 228/m: Pulse guns normally are limited to a fairly slow cyclic rates (180-240 RPM) for safety reasons. Pulse Repeaters are invented to circumvent this limitation. The Pannonian 228/m is one of the most profillic of this line. It's reliable and easy to service. In terms of firepower it has somewhat more strength per shot than the pulse carbine but above everything they can unleash a torrent of 2400 rounds per minute. For this purpose they use a backpack mounted power unit and a separate uranium spool for containing the plasming material. Thanks to this a single soldier can lay down suppressive fire without the need of any assistance. That being said the weapon is a bit cumbersome so the equipment is preferably stored on transports and only worn in battle.
- Bren-10 Assault Repeater: A very compact type of pulse repeater using parts more reminiscent of conventional pulse carbines. These are frequently used by power armored forces or those specializing on assault. Unlike the typical pulse repeaters the Bren-10 can overheat relatively quickly so controlled bursts are recommended and flash coolants packs are provided to deal with such. It also has an integrated plasma projector function which allows the weapon to clear out rooms or deal with light armored targets.
Demo-Discs: Carpathian equivalent of hand grenades. They are compact devices that are an inch thick and their diameter is slightly less than a palm. They are easy to store and thanks to their magneto-stabilizers can be fairly easy to throw. They can be adjusted in many ways including controlled detonation angles where the explosive force is directed towards one direction and everything behind that is relatively safe. They can also magnetically lock on almost any surface and act as demolition charges. Generally every soldier on an active combat situation carries at least 5 of these. Some specialists may carry as many as 30 Demo-Discs while also having their full equipment.
- MM59 Zolja:4-tube versatile Zerb missile launcher meant for fire support. Designed during the Fourth Ullevan War these are originally meant to engage their Orbital Frames. It launches 47mm micro impulse missiles of various design but even today the most dominant type are the so-called "universal missiles". These can engage anything from bunkers to tanks to even VTOL craft and can adjust their functions accordingly. While less capable in each respective field than a specialized missiles the multi-purpose plasma warhead is more than capable enough on its own.
- PPA-48 Plasma Mortar: Dax-made weapon system which basically takes the plasma projector and mixes it with the features of plasma artillery. The first iteration of these were made in the last century with the current variant developed before even the Fourth Ullevan War. It has a bulky semi-circular power pack sufficient for 12 shots for what is an enlarged plasma projector. Being a mortar the plasma bolts are shot at often lower velocities and at an arcing trajectory. Beefed up field projectors keep the ball-like plasma projectiles intact for up to 60 seconds and allow for some more sophisticated modes. For example the projectiles are often set to explode 5-10m above the intended target to spread micro-shrapnel in a wide radius. Direct fire, if needed, is plausible, although with the total weight of 12kg the system isn't exactly meant for such. In terms of firepower the PPA-48 is about 25 times more potent than the typical plasma projectors you can attach on small arms and you can switch its powerpack within seconds to continue lay down suppressive fire.
- Pandurs: Paramilitary forces part of the Peacekeepers and working under the Sheriff of their respective deputy. They are often war veterans who were let go after the Fourth Ullevan War and chose this instead of joining the Home Guard or various instructor positions. Pandurs are not the police but under dire circumstances they possess the same authority. They are usually called to deal with hoghly militarized criminals like bandits, pirates and gang hideouts. Though they are often requested by the police they can also conduct their own hunts so long they don't overstep their boundaries.
- Guardsmen: Members of a state's Home Guard. They are the official army of a specific state within the Union. Compared to Union Forces there are more boundaries when and where the Home Guard can be deployed (at least if they want to avoid war with another state). Their equipment and training levels vary extremely depending on the state's culture and how they manage them. Some may be extremely poor, barely better than the local police. Others proudly own troops of significantly higher standard than the Union Forces' average.
- Union Troopers: Standard soldiers of the Union Ground Forces. They are known to be a rowdy bunch but also easy to please customers. Union Marines are not much different aside from the fact that they provide shipboard and space station security instead. They are the main armed forces of the Union yet thanks to demilitarization efforts they face a lot of issues living up to that. Union Troopers can have various equipment depending on where and how they fight ranging from standard atmospheric gear to envirosuits and even void suits equipped with magnetic boots and plasma verniers.
- Hussaria: Expeditionary and rapid response troops also referred as the Hussar Corps. They are known for their iconic mustaches and fancy dress uniforms. Hussars have strict selection parameters. They do anything from recon to flanking attacks to brutal assaults. Speaking of which the Hussaria has a long bloodthirsty reputation and known to be merciless. While you can have some lighthearted fun in a pub with Marines, insult a Hussar and you may not see the light of day. Unlike the Union Armed Forces, the Hussaria Corps evaded demilitarization and their numbers almost approach that of the official military.
- Winged Hussars: Rapid strike forces of the Hussar Corps. They wear specialized powersuits with integrated jet glide equipment. The result is a highly mobile force of infantry who can conduct recon and flanking maneuvers. Though received special training the Winged Hussars aren't special forces. They are closer to paratroopers and light infantry of old. That being said a fair number of Winged Hussar regiments earned renown and special treatment, turning them into elites.
- Windriders: A term used to colloquially refer to personnel riding military hoverbikes. While technically vehicles these ultralight crafts are fairly easy to carry and can be seen more akin to the modern cavalry. Windriders in any military organization tend to be outriders, deliverymen and part of the recon forces. Although the Hussar Corps are known to field entire divisions riding hoverbikes into battle.
- Cobras: Special troops under the Cobra Force, an elite corps meant to train the most professional combatants for the Union. They usually wear power armors which grants them increased protection, increases their speed and strength and also come equipped with micro impulse jets for boosted jumps or operation in space. They are highly disciplined and act swiftly with precision. Members past 35 years are usually forced to retire after which they can become commanders, military instructors or movie stars in action films.
- Linebackers: Alternatively called Vityaz, these troops are trained in the use of heavy power armors. They are almost akin to walking tanks, taking a lot of punishment and capable of wielding weapons too heavy for a single person to carry. They are used in situations where mobility and cover would be of little use. Be it protecting corridors, holding positions or boarding enemy vessels these tend to feature a fair number of Linebackers. Though an unit type they aren't restricted to a specific branch of military. Special forces, Union Forces, Hussars, Home Guard and sometimes even the Peacemakers utilize people wearing some type of Linebackwr armor.
Carpathian vehicles utilize various hover technologies. This allows them to ignore most terrain difficulties and can enable said vehicles to operate in low-gravity exoplanetary environments like the surface of asteroids and space stations. This is of course not the same as having flying vehicles and curiously a lot of Carpathian craft would be incapable to travel across large bodies of water.
- ZIL/467 Armored Transport:Versatile craft built on a reinforced hovertruck chassis. It can be adjusted to carry various cargo or can be a personal transport for up to 12 troops. Other modifications include hospital vehicle, engineering vehicle and various weapon mounts including missile launcher and heavy plasma mortar variants.
- UT-55 Drużyna: Compact and heavily armored battle tank designed during the early stages of the Ullevan War. It's the so-called "Union Tank", a combat vehicle produced in every corner of the Carpathian Union. It has the crew of only two, a gunner and a driver. This and the newest ultracompact fusion technology shrunk the vehicle dramatically while maximizing armor. The Drużyna's mass exceeds 120 tonnes yet it occupies less cargo space than most vehicles. This combined with micro-jets and 3-dimensional levi-plate arrangements can make the tank surprisingly nimble, although at the cost of its top speed. The tank can have many kinds of bolt-on weapon systems including but not exclusive to pulse repeaters, plasma burstguns, plasma mortars and various missile launchers. Yet its main armament is the P125 rated Plasma Cannon. Powered by capacitors charged by the vehicle's own reactor and using a rack of 16 wire spools as plasming material. Most of these are made of uranium but up to two of these can be durachrome for hyper-penetrating shots.
- Pallos 61/m: Huge combat vehicle meant to carry the heaviest artillery in Carpathian use. They are decently armored and even have their own shield generators. When stationary this generator can even generate a small theater shield able to block incoming counter battery fire. The basic variant of Pallos uses a fearsome P240 rated plasma artillery which can unleash hell on targets hundreds of miles away. The weapon can even threaten idling starships or space installations to a degree, albeit it isn't its primary role. One weakness of the weapon is its inaccuracy. Since plasma bolts can't have a guidance system their accuracy isn't perfect. Yet aside from that they fulfill everything what physical artillery did and more while being way more convenient to use. Other variants include the Faust which is replaces the artillery with a compact Starlance (starship grade weapon) and the Orkan which is cheaper to maintain and uses specially designed impulse missiles for intercontinental range and improved capability in return for very limited amount of ammo in comparison.
In space Carpathia has a fair few curiosities. First off Carpathia has no shortage of skilled spacecraft pilots and as such they are especially proud of their starfighters. Many historical heroes were pilots and this veneration of mavericks in space continues to this day. Another is their approach to space combat which curiously draws parallels to naval engagements of the 20th century. There are escorts providing screening and deploy torpedoes. There are cruisers providing the backbone of the fleet and there are also battleships and carriers. Engagements are fought from usually great ranges and since Starlance strength drops with distance there are various zones of immunity for vessels depending on their armor and "caliber" of weapon they face. Of course there are also carriers and smallcraft which often can be a decisive factor. It should be also noted that Carpathians mostly fought pirates in the last few decades.
NAME: Union of Carpathian Nations, Carpathian Union (Unio Carpates) GOVERNMENT: Supernational Confederation of States TOTAL POPULATION: est. 4,471,680,000
The Carpathian Union is a the supernational organization formed to facilitate peace and prosperity in the otherwise divided countries of the Carpathian System. Thanks to the shared history and interconnected economy the Carpathian Union may seem to be a singular nation, and indeed more and more people call themselves Carpathian, yet in practice they are far from such. Carpathian states are spread across the system and somewhat even beyond. Space exploitation is the main industry of the system and owning a spacecraft is almost synonymous in Carpathia with owning a car. Corporations rose to power and sometimes industrial magnates have more power than the respective heads of the state. Carpathia is a relatively lawless realm with wild untamed lands surrounding the numerous metropolitan centers. Carpathians are highly protective of their freedom and rights which often puts the average person at odds with the Union.
HISTORY
The INS Leithania was one of the numerous vessels sent to colonize deep space through the gateways. As often happened the passengers for the ship were picked from the same geographical region. The Leithania was filled with colonists from Central- and East Europe. Dozens of countries, untold years of hatreds and rivalry. Making planetfall the colonists named the planet Pannonia and began to work tirelessly. After cycling through several names the system was began to known as Carpathia. They also established the Carpathian Calendar (CC) with their arrival as year zero. Yet old hatreds die hard so after a few decades of begrudging peace the colonists chose to split and form their own countries mostly based off old the national lines. To their luck the Carpathia System had multiple habitable moons and so this heralded the first split. Over the time as space exploitation became the norm so did space habitats which lead to another split and population explosion. Carpathia became a powder keg with many conflicting ideals and old wounds which never healed. Wars were a constant occurrence for decades. This went on for over a century until a new threat appeared.
The Carpathians made a bizarre discovery early on. They found old ruins, temples and other traces of a foreign civilization within the system. Excavations also found ancient tombs and burial grounds. Obviously the scientific crowd was astonished. Yet little did they know that the aliens who built these monuments were very much still roaming the galaxy. As investigations later found out a certain illegal mining company encountered a strange object in space. When said object discharged weapons at their vessels they fired back, leading to its destruction. Investigation of the scene eventually confirmed the wreckage to be a small Khryshi spaceship. Unknown to the Carpathians at large this heralded the beginning of a United Tribes to declare holy war upon them. Yet limited to sublight speeds it took several decades until the Carpathians realized their mistake.
The year CC120 heralded the beginning of the Third Panslav War. Yet unlike the other three this one had to end abruptly with the mass invasion of aliens. They were the Khlax'ons, an alien race of space nomads living in tribal units yet united through their sophisticated Crystal Network. Initially doubtful the Carpathians blamed each other on the raids and it took several pieces of evidence to acknowledge they were dealing with a new external threat. Most historians attribute CC122 as the beginning of the First Khryshin War. The alien technology gave the comparatively small invasion force an edge in space combat yet they lacked the means to properly invade inhabited planets. The Khryshins remained a menace of colonies for over a decade until they were warded off. The aliens were defeated yet the threat still lingered on. Many attribute the First Khryshin War as the prime motive force to establish the Union.
The United Nations of Carpathia was established in CC134 and is generally considered a precursor to the Carpathian Union. It was nothing but an alliance system with limited council to allow fair negotiations between member countries. Their purpose was to mend division between various Carpathian nations so they could stand united against a second Khryshi invasion. This of course happened only 30 years later. Compared to last time the Khryshi mobilized an entire armada of vessels and millions of warriors. The Second Khryshin War was gruesome and claimed almost a hundred million lives. Yet after 5 years of struggle the Carpathians won and the Khryshi retreated back into deep space once again.
Many Carpathians viewed the war only as a pyrrhic victory. Though they succeeded to rebuke the United Tribes of Khryshi they paid a terrible price and there was no telling when the invaders might return. This propelled discussions about a possible merge of countries to form a single unified government. Proposals eventually turned into demands and between CC188-190 the so-called Unification War raged across the system. Eventually the Pannon Republic and its supporters failed yet it was obvious that something more effective than the loose alliance system of the UN was required. In CC193 they announce the Carpathian Union alongside with the document of the Union Charter. Though met with mixed reaction the Union's efforts lead to stability, peace and economic upswing in Carpathia. Many cite this moment as the beginning of modern Carpathian culture.
Then CC232 saw the Third Khryshin War, the largest war known to Carpathia. By this point the Carpathian military technology surpassed the Khryshi weaponry and they avoided a repeat of the Second War in civilian cost. Around the same time extreme effort was spent to under stand the Khryshi crystal network. Though replicating the technology was impossible the Carpathians found a way to sabotage the system and disable interstellar communication to the United Tribes. This threw them into a disarray and to Carpathian knowledge they never recovered. Since then there have been an ongoing effort to make contact with small Khryshin groups and integrate them. Though a rare sight a number of Khryshi became citizens to Carpathia, even if tiny in terms of percentages. Since their victory the Carpathian System prospers yet there is a smell of slow decay. Carpathians thrive upon space exploitation yet they began to approach their limit. Once the wheels grind to a halt the economy would suffer. Thankfully the gate system came back to life and now Carpathia faces the unknown.
GOVERNMENT & SOCEITY
The Carpathian Union is a supernational body representing dozens of independent states. Depending on your definition Carpathia has 32 to 40 semi-independent member states spread across the system and somewhat even beyond. These states often have their own official language like Panonia, Neoczheck, Daxian, Svabian and so forth. This would normally render any form of communication complete chaos but realtime translator devices are fairly sophisticated in Carpathia. When it comes to the Union's official language they chose Latin, ironically something none of the member states even speak. The Union's capital is in Leitha, an artificial moon orbiting Pannonia. Yet the city state is considered a neutral country officially free fom any influence. Each member state have their own laws, customs and overall large degree of autonomy. Aside from the select few Union Laws these nations can seemingly do whatever they want.
In spite of their turbulent history Carpathia has the combined population approaching 5 billion. Unlike many worlds they didn't develop a large following for posthumaniam, weren't exposed to mutagenic effects and just barely mix with aliens. Yet they perceive themselves a melting pot of diverse cultures. While national governments do exist and some states got heavy restrictions on imigrants the majority of them embrace thir multi-national identity and forge their own culture as a state. Being alone for centuries the term Carpathian was rarely used and when it did it bore a strong Union favoeitist tone. Yet as the gate network revitalized the inhabitants began to owe up to the name immediately. Just a few months after the first contact the people would proudly proclaim themselves Carpathians as a distinction from humans of other colonies.
The stereotypical Carpathian is patriotic and proud of their nationality and believe in their personal freedom. They embrace capitalism and most of the Union's most famous people are rich enterpreteurs who are often viewed as role models. They are especially enamored by the myth of the "self-made man", people who rose from rags to riches through honest work. At the same time many Carpathians are distrustful of the Union or at times even thir own government. They seem to prefer control by private enterprises over the government and feel taxes are wasted by buerocrats. Carpathians have an odd relationship with consumerism. At one hand they are big spenders and always love to own new shiny toys. At the same time Carpathians especially in the rural regions want to be as independent from big companies as possible. Self-sufficiency is a popular fad among the folks... and sometimes a neccessity. Space exploitation is still the most booming industry in Carpathia which means people often spend weeks or sometimes months traveling in space. Even for those who aren't hauling goods across space they often commute to another moon or planet to work. To an average Carpathian family owning a space shuttle or three is the notm, almost akin to owning a car. Another odd element of Carpathians is their militia culture. They love guns and majority of them are fervently protecting their right to own them. Some claim it is for their rightful insurance against government overreach but most just want it for personal defense and recreational purposes. Personal arms are commonly used in crimes in Carpathia, same for gun related accidents.
TECHNOLOGY
Carpathian technology is simple in concept yet can be fairly sophisticated on the execution. Plasma, electromagnetics and fusion power are the three pillars of Carpathian designs. Helium-3 is the essential fuel which drives their powerplants be it energy production or even their cars. For utilities which doesn't require full-on nuclear plants they use plasma induction engines. Wheels were largely replaced by various hover propulsions, although flying cars are still niche. Aerospace propulsion is largely accomplished through impulse engines which can be extremely powerful for their size but also relative fuel guzzlers. Weapons technology largely adopted various plasma arms with firearms or even railgun mechanisms being considered niche or outright antiques. Industrially the Carpathians are very proficient asteroid, gas giant and nebula miners. Some may call their extraction methods wasteful or even reckless but they certainly work fast! Carpathians are also quick to establish new habitats for miners and expand. Race to acquire mining rights before the competition ensured this. Production wise the Carpathians pioneered the "nanosintering" technology which allows producing elaborate devices with relatively little industrial investment and it can even supplemement large scale production provided you don't mind the electricity bill. Metamaterials is a fairly developed field in Carpathia to the extent they can outright engineer new atoms for various purposes. In comparison A.I. development is in a very odd state. While automatized factories and systems gotten far the Carpathians didn't develop sapient robots. The furthest they got are machines mimicking animals, pet robo dogs and chimpanzees are all the rage in certain states. A.I. in general has very limited influence in decision making.
- Plasma Induction Engine: Standard powerplant which uses an ultracompact fusion reactor to generate heat and turn both the fuel and the compressed gases into plasma. Said plasma then passes through electromagnetic turbine blades and generates electricity. Compared to fusion reactors these engines are safer, considerably more fuel efficient. On the other hand they have inferior power to weight ratio for the obvious reasons.
- Magnetowheels: A versatile propulsion system used mainly for civilian vehicles. Wheel-shaped devices which can orient downwards and uses electromagnetism to levitate in the air. By adjusting the power on the individual wheels or changing their orientation the vehicle can steer or hover at various altitudes. The electromagnetic force also has a "sticky" effect, anchoring the vehicle to the ground. Magnetowheel systems are simple but less efficient than Levi-Plates. On the other hand they can achieve higher altitudes (often up to 10m above the current surface) and don't have issues levitating over water and other low-density surfaces.
- Levi-Plates: Heavy duty hover system commonly used for large machines or military vehicles. They are special plates found on the underside of the vehicle which electromagnetically levitate it off the ground. Compared to magnetowheels this system is more robust and energy efficient. The system is also resistant of battle damage as even destroying several plates won't stop the vehicle. Yet it is also often slower than magnetowheel vehicles, can achieve lower altitudes at average and often has trouble to cross large bodies of water or other low density surfaces.
- Nano-sintering: An industrial process where nanoparticles are layered onto a shape formed of forcefields. This allows immense degree of precision and also versatility. By just loading up a new program it's possible to create a new object immediately. Though nano-sintering doesn't replace all conventional production methods its usefulness can never be understated.
- Impulse Engine: A propulsion system which uses the heat and energy of a fusion reactor to provide propulsive force. Impulse engines push the fuel through them at almost the speed of light thus achieving seemingly impossible thrust ratios thanks to the laws of relativity. On the other hand impulse engines burn dramatically more fuel than conventional torch engines albeit many argue that the complete elimination of propellant saves up even more room in the process. In the atmosphere the impulse engine switches to a slightly altered mechanism where the hyper-heated fuel particles flash transfer their temperature to the incoming airflow, allowing highly efficient plasma jet propulsion.
- Durachrome:A type of metamaterial which forms a mega atom composed of hundreds of chromium-52 atoms squished by lasers and insane pressures. The resulting material is shockingly resistant to outside forces and can form various crystalline states. Most commercial durachromes are a type of metal sponge which can have high strength and durability without weighing a significant amount. Yet more specialized applications may call for some type of monocrystalline durachrome which can have densities up to a hundred times that of steel. Durachrome is a fascinating family of materials with many possibilities. That being said it can also be rather expensive.
MILITARY
Carpathia has three levels of military. The highest being the Union Armed Forces, the official joint military force of the Carpathian Union. Below that are each state's Home Guard, their own military force mostly reserved for defense and handling local crisis situations. Lastly there's the Peacekeeper Corps lead by the Sheriffs of each dependency. Peacekeepers are heavily armed policemen meant to fight local bandit gangs and crack down on dens of crime. Peacekeepers in an unique position where they are reporting to both the state and the Union. Unlike actual police the Peacekeepers often use military grade equipment. With this out of the way it can be said that for decades the Carpathian military is relatively low. Carpathians haven't fought a war for a long while. With funding for the Union projects ever so tight the Union Armed Forces are borderline undermanned in the presence. Joining the military is generally viewed as a bottom end job chosen by people who have nowhere else to go. That being said soldiers are still respected and there's a strong culture for war veterans. There's also the myth of the "Carpathian Scout", a brave adventuring soldier with survival skills and peerless marksmanship. Indeed, as underfunded they are the Carpathian troops have remarkable shooting skills but this is also paired with poor discipline in the corps. There are numerous tales about the so-called "bored soldier" doing stupid stunts.
Doctrine-wise the Carpathians follow the usual trends in combined arms. Their typical armaments are plasma-based and rather than changing ammo these can allow adjusting functions to achieve varying effects. Carpathian ground vehicles use hover propulsion which makes them more nimble on the battlefield. A curious vehicle are their Personal Armors, small&cheap humanoid mechs. They can fight like oversized soldiers and they are popular both in military and in militia use.
In space Carpathia has a fair few curiosities. First off Carpathia has no shortage of skilled spacecraft pilots and as such they are especially proud of their starfighters. Many historical heroes were pilots and this veneration of mavericks in space continues to this day. Another is their approach to space combat which curiously draws parallels to naval engagements of the 20th century. There are escorts providing screening and deploy torpedoes. There are cruisers providing the backbone of the fleet and there are also battleships and carriers. Engagements are fought from usually great ranges and since Starlance strength drops with distance there are various zones of immunity for vessels depending on their armor and "caliber" of weapon they face. Of course there are also carriers and smallcraft which often can be a decisive factor. It should be also noted that Carpathians mostly fought pirates in the last few decades.
@TortoiseHere's my sheet. Technically I still want to write more about my military but this should be fairly sufficient for people who just want to learn about my nation.
Name: The Federal Dominion of Riksaand, Riksaand Federation Tre Kronor (three crowns) Government Type: Federal Constitutional Monarchy Head of the State: Riksuurd/Kejser (loosely translates either as king or emperor) Capital: Drachenfel Dominant Species: Human Important Minorities: Dwarves, Elves, Trolls, Minotaurs
The history of Riksaand began a long time ago when the rifts sent through people from diverse set of worlds. Not having a way home these people have created their own communities fighting off raiders, monsters and each other. Yet these small communities would not survive long term so they formed an alliances, confederated and ultimately 3 major countries emerged. These countries ultimately merged together and formed Riksaand. The kingdom has diverse races and cultures, each with significant degree of autonomy. Though seemingly a single cohesive country, Riksaand is anything but truly united.
Governance & Structure
Riksaand is a federation of many states but especially the kingdoms of Fröjtand, Sveogard and Amsel. These three major nations contribute 70% of the landmass and 90% of the population of Riksaand. Aside from them there are over a dozen small autonomous states. This is not counting that the three kingdoms are also far from united, each have their own small autonomies usually inhabited by major non-human populations. The main governing body is the Riksdag, an assembly of representatives from all member states of the realm held in Drachenfel. Riksaand is formed as a personal union of all three kingdoms and as such officially the Kejser is ruler of the entire realm. Yet in practice his power only exist on paper and for emergency situations while the true governance is done through the Riskdag, the individual parliaments of the three kingdoms and the autonomous governments of the miscellaneous states.
Amsel Rich country with highly industrialized environment. The center of trade and naval goods. With the capital of Drachenfel the country is often envisioned as the most important member of the federation of Riksaand yet the full picture is of course a bit more complicated. Amsel depends on the foods and resources imported by Sveogard and as of late they began switching over to services rather than industrial production. The Yngval Dwarven Bank is an independent bank which holds deposits not just for Riksaand but for private clients from across the world.
Sveogard The largest country in Riksaand defined by its beautiful green plateaus and picturesque mountains. Sveogard holds high quality ores and can be also considered the breadbasket of the realm. Almost 40% of the population lives in Sveogard and more recently they became the mainstay of heavy industry of all kinds. Löwenholm is the capital of Sveogard.
Fröjtand Entirely landlocked region found towards the continental borders of Riksaand. Due to unique fluctuations of magic Fröjtand is ruled by tundra-like cold and often extremely harsh winters. Fröjtand is a home to hardy people with many of them still chosing nomadic lifestyle. Though easy to write them off Fröjtandians are the most militant out of all kingdoms and they are also possessing massive reserves of Ragnarite, a type of magical crystal essential for modern Riksaandians. Its capital is named Hälsinke/Helsing.
Demographics & Society
Riksaand is diverse realm of humans, dwarves, elves, trolls and a number of other races normally you'd only hear about in mythology and folklore. Even members of the same race often originated from more than one universe. As the majority race this applies to the humans the most. Scientists still disagree on the exact count of Rifts and the exact number of worlds from which humans have arrived. Conservative estimates put it at just twelve for Riksaand but more radical theories support a much larger number. This lack of united culture further motivated Riksaandi people to make connections and work together. The realm's official language is the Rikerōst ("voice of the realm") which about 96% of the nation speaks or at least understands. Aside from that Riksaand has a myriad of local languages, reflecting their mixed culture.
Humans are by far the realm's most populous race. They are roughly comparable to the Homo Sapiens from the modern world yet they aren't exactly them. There are various unique genes, either inherited from humans of various alternate dimensions or even from other races. Humans can intermarry with other humanoid species, producing hybrids. By law any hybrid which is at least quarter-blood of the race is automatically granted citizenship and recognition as such. So a half-elf is both human and elf, although in practice they like to choose a culture they honor the most. Since humans make up 72% of the population this also produced an unique effect. All non-human sapient species are referred as The Races and often times clash between Humans and Races can occour. This doesn't mean The Races are united or even they prefer to support each other instead of humans, though. Just the fact that in practice the minority rights of The Races is something they have to fight for and it's easy to forget the unique needs of certain non-human species when the majority of Riksaand are humans.
The largest minority in Riksaand. Dwarves are short but robustly built and significantly stronger than humans. They are also long-lived with the average life expectancy of around 200 years but some living for over 500 years. Dwarves live for action, booze and their machines. As such they die relatively young by their standards. In the past decades significant leaps were made towards health and safety but even with that a dwarf dies by their race's equivalent of 52 year at average.
Dwarven culture is unique and yet strangely similar. It's been said that dwarves arrived from seven different universes yet all of them were the same. Dwarves find a strange kinship no matter the country so what is more defining is their disposition to humans and other races in their neighborhood. Clan Dwarves are highly industrious. They quickly adopted the technology of Amsel and transformed their underground holds into giant factory complexes. Another category are diaspora dwarves who true to their name tend to form their own cliques in foreign lands. They are the most common type of dwarf to encounter and the ones perhaps most attuned to modern life.
Somewhere in the mountain ranges of Sveogard lies the autonomous state of Zwölfberge. Unlike their Clan brethren these dwarves broke away from their traditions and built their own community based off socialist ideals. Meanwhile in Fröjtand there is the United Kingdoms of Svenfal, a loose collection of traditionalist dwarven holds. Unlike the other dwarves the Svenfali are fairly open with humans and their kingdoms often have a significant human population. Human-dwarf mixed marriages are by far the most common in Fröjtand and there is little distinction there between the two races. At the same time Svenfali dwarves are more rooted in traditional craftsmanship and runes. Some runemasters sages are said to be a match for even elven archmages.
Constituting only a bit more than 4% of the entire population the elves of Riksaand are regardless a powerful and influential race. They are marked for their beauty, grace and magical prowess. That being said calling the elves as a race may be a bit reductive, if anything there are at least four. Sylvan elves are the significant majority. These elves are slender and often a bit shorter than humans. They are deeply spiritual and close to the nature. As such they are often living in hidden villages and barely interact with humans. Compared to the past they at least hold diplomatic relations to others and they are no longer just ghosts to Riksaand but they are highly autonomous tiny communities which often refuse the advances of technology. A portion of these Sylvans become wanderers and they are semi-frequently seen in various places. They are aloof folk with their own unique set of values, only offering their services to earn a living. Wanderer and traditionalist Sylvans are often at each other's throats due to disagreements. For the recluse folk it's sacrilegous to leave their forest and do anything with humans. While the divide is far narrower than it used to be the two groups still try to convince each other of their right.
Sylvans are the majority of elven folk yet not the only one. Svártalfal (dark elves) once used to be even more prominent in Riksaand. Their dark arts managed to conquer Sveogard and they ruled the nation from the shadows. History books teach this as the era of the Black Empire, a power which lead to all its neighboring states to form a coalition against them and ultimately succeed. The war and the subsequent purges lead to untold thousands of dark elves to be slain. The remnants formed their own tiny country but they eventually collapsed. Since then dark elven diasporas are spread across Riksaand. It's been decades and the dark elves managed to become productive members of society. While discrimination and unreasonable hate does pop up they are doing far better than before. Compared to other elves who at least have a passing respect to nature and tradition, dark elves are more akin to dwarves. They are known for their craftsmanship and they often combine it with sorcery. Highly skilled dark elven craftsmen are a resource sought after by everyone. Dark elves are the shortest among the elven races and they have charactistically black, grey or bluish skin tones.
High elves are a noble race of elves who are remarked for their great magic. A high elven archmage is often remarked as the greatest magic user known in the realm. High elves make use of arcane technology powered by nothing but mana. They are disdainful of others as well as rejecting "modern" technology because they feel it doesn't fit them. High elves are distinct for their very tall yet slender builds and the fact their eyes vibrate with magical energy. Ice elves on the other hand are an often forgotten race in Fröjtand. Unlike other elves the ice elves have little problem with humans of Fröjtland or even the local dwarves. They are often neighbors and they show mutual respect. Like their name implies the ice elves prefer cold environments and they are highly uncomfortable with anything above 15 degrees Celsius. In many aspects their culture is similar to the Sylvans, albeit they are more accepting of technology so long it doesn't harm the nature. They are slender and beautiful folk like the other elves, mostly identified by their pale white to bluish skin tones.
Elves of different races don't really like each other. In certain extremes they even refuse to cooperate or can't be put in the same room. Carefully maneuvering between these elvish relations only becoming more complicated when you add hybrids to the mix. Half-elves have varying degrees of acceptance. They often have to prove themselves and their loyalty to their elvish heritage. Consequently a lot of half-elves don't even try and chose to remain in human-dominated communities. A lot of "elves" met in urban areas are actually half- or quarter-elves. Ironically this lead to the fact that elven hybrids are a larger minority than genuine elves. This bothers the ice elves not since intermarriage between races is kind of normal in Fröjtand. The dark elves also see opportunity in this and some say their "unofficial" population is at least 5 times larger when they add humans with strong dark elven ancestry. Yet for every other elven hybrid this is a significant social and moral issue and goes to the point where these people are about to form a minority group of their own.
Trolls are the second larges minority in Riksaand and they almost exclusively live in Sveogard. They used to stay out of civilization and lived in rural communities until they were forced out by the Black Empire. Trolls were enslaved and became the muscle and enforcers of their regime. After the empire's fall the trolls slowly but surely integrated with human civilization. Although they still suffer stereotyping and discrimination they are active part of society. Trolls are often working in jobs which requires their strength the most.
Minotaurs are 9 feet tall creatures of fur and muscle. A long time ago they were considered mere beast to be slain the people of Fröjtand managed to convince one of the tribes to fight for them as mercenaries. Eventually the scattered tribes all grew to support the local countries. Being dispersed into small wandering tribes the minotaur race doesn't have a strong government and instead they often rely on the locals. Over the time a significant portion of minotaurs wandered into cities and found employment in various job where their brute strength is highly valued. Minotaurs are a rare sight but they are well-recognized for their powers. Some feel the stereotyping as dumb muscle is harsh but there aren't enough minotaurs who get an opportunity for proper education.
Military Overview
The Riksaandian Federal Forces are the major organization collecting all the diverse military units under one. The Federal Army doesn't strictly have their own forces. Instead they can request its member countries to provide troops for a purpose. That being said they do have enough authority to dictate more united standards for armies, including their equipment or the amount they can field. As such the kingdoms of Amser, Sveogard and Fröjtand all have their own military, same is true for various small autonomous states.
In terms of doctrine and equipment, Riksaand is relying on conventional weapons enhanced by the usage of Ragnarite. They are the most common power source and it's even utilized for weapons. Ragnerite engines glow with blue light and they need special radiators to vent the heat. These radiatiors often need to be exposed and the biggest liability for the tech. This is less problematic for naval vessels which can just put the radiators below the waterline. Another element where Ragnarite dominates is firearms. Be it a pistol or even a warship cannon they use Ragnarite Catalyzers. These can be thought as controlled explosion devices which produce most of the energy while the cartridges only contain some additional fuel to help. This makes Riksaandian ammunition more compact and also significantly increases performance but at the cost of complexity. Other utlizations of Ragnarite include warheads, sensors and curiously enough also medicine. Ragnarite radiation in particular is renown for its healing and rejuvenating properties. Although overdosing Ragnarite can be dangerous.
- Strv. 4084 m/71 "Perun": Versatile combat vehicle produced all over Riksaand. A nimble and medium armored tank armed with twin 84mm autocannons. While effective against all but the heaviest tanks the main purpose of the Perun is to defeat monsters and other fantastical threats or support the infantry in combat. It has two types of rounds, arrow and multi-purpose. Arrows are hypersonic sabot rounds which can either be armor-piercing, semi-armor piercing or shrapnel in function. Multi-purpose rounds have a versatile Ragnarite warhead which can produce various blast effects (demolition, airburst, proximity blast, anti-tank, etc) or even imbue the shell with magical properties (water attribute against fire elementals, lightning against those weak to electric damage, anti-ghost warheads, etc). The weapon can also do indirect fire support or function as an anti-air gun, making this a true jack of all trades. The Perun has a modular design and produced countless sub-types, most famously the Strf. 3057 "Dorun", an IFV mounting the smaller and compact single-barrel 57mm autocannon with room for up to 11 human soldiers.
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Tortoise
