[Forum Game] Forward the Republic - Signups

Scrapknight · Aug 27, 2016

Forward the Republic!
Political Intrigue in the Postwar Era
IRC Channel: #PA3_Main

Welcome one and all! I'm your host, Scrapknight, and this is a new character-based forum game called Forward the Republic! The setting for this game will be my nation from alexander23's space opera game known as Master of the Galaxy, the Baekdu Republic. You'll play as a prominent individual, such as a politician, a businessman, a military officer, or whatever you see fit, as the nation attempts to carve out its place after nearly a decade and a half of warfare with various other powers. Exciting times are ahead, and you will determine the course of the nation as old enemies reawaken and mysterious alien empires plot and scheme in the wild Novus Galaxy.

Compared to other character-based games you may see or participate in, Forward the Republic (hereafter FtR) will have a heavy political focus, though you are certainly welcome to play non-political characters. Baekdu is the beating heart of Republicanism in the Galaxy, as opposed to competing ideologies such as Meritocracy, Monarchy and Hierarchism. Ideas are powerful things, however, and as has been the case throughout galactic history, fierce ideological struggle both at home and abroad will help shape the future.

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Game Mechanics:

Each turn, you’ll send two orders corresponding to your profession and things you would be capable of doing. Certain abilities or positions, such as being the Consul, may grant you an extra order.

Players will also be voting a lot, be it on candidates for office or on proposed bills. How much your vote counts depends on your VP, or Voting Power, which is derived from your Global Influence and Party Influence stats. If you aren't a seated politician in the National Assembly, you can still vote on bills, but you'll receive a VP penalty. Anyone can vote for Consular or National Assembly elections without a penalty.

Here's what a signup should look like:

Name: Your name.
Age: Your age.
Profession: Politician, businessman, soldier, adventurer, idol singer, whatever your heart desires.
Perks: Traits you selected at the start of the game (2).
Party Affiliation: What political party you are registered with.
Bio: Tell us about yourself.

Name: Your character's name.

Age: Your character's age. (You may die of old age. I reserve the right to kill any character at any time for any reason.)

Profession: What it is that you do. Mostly for flavor, though orders that line up with your profession may receive a small boost.

Perks: You can pick any two of the given traits depending upon your bio and how you want to play the game. These can't be changed once you make your character, so choose wisely.

Party Registration: When signing up, you may choose to register with a certain political party. All characters start as unseated in the National Assembly, unless they take the Political Veteran perk. Party registration has several benefits and few downsides; you can vote in party leadership elections, and if unseated, your VP malus for voting on bills will be halved. However, you are perfectly welcome to remain an independent if you so choose.

There are also some stats you won't control at signup:

Global Influence: Your renown in Baekduan society. Earned by executing good or successful orders, as well as particularly exceptional IC. Translates to increased voting power in elections and other useful things.
Party Influence: Your grasp over your registered political party. The higher this is, the more your vote counts in party elections and the more of your Party’s deputies will vote your way.
Honors: Permanent (or temporary) bonuses granted during gameplay. Essentially, think of them as extra perks that you earn for good IC, orders, or attaining a certain position. Some may be taken away after being given if you no longer meet the needed qualifications, while others are essentially permanent until death (or can even be passed down to other characters in the same family.)
Income: How much moohlah you earn per year. Politicians earn a fixed salary; other professions may earn more or less.
Wealth: How much moohlah you have saved up.

Army Veteran: Your character holds office in the Republican Army, with all the privileges and duties that come with it. (Able to command troops; rank determined by GM; can’t hold concurrently with another Veteran perk)

Backroom Broker: Some people have a talent for making deals behind the scenes, and you have it in spades. (Boost to orders involving making deals in government, business, etc.)

Business Magnate: You’ve built a large business empire over the years, with tendrils across the Republic and potentially beyond. “Loaded” would be an understatement. (Boost to Income)

Champion of the People: Hero of the downtrodden or dangerous demagogue? You might be either one. Regardless, the man on the street wants to listen to you. (Boost to orders involving gaining extraparliamentary support, such as campaigning, marketing or spreading ideology)

Chauvinist: Ah, Baekdu, greatest country in the galaxy! Who needs the rest of space? (Bonus to orders relying on appeals to patriotism or nationalism; malus to orders involving foreigners)

Consummate Diplomat: Your expertise in foreign cultures, languages and talking out of both sides of your mouth is without peer. Whether actually in the Foreign Service or not, you’d fit in well there. (Boost to rolls dealing with foreigners)

Grizzled Pilot: Space captains have to deal with a lot of things, and you’ve pretty much seen it all. (Bonus to any ship-related orders, whether civilian or military)

Haneulian VIP: The core Five Systems may be the heart of the Republic, but the colonies are her soul. Born and/or raised in the Novus Galaxy, your actions speak loudly to your fellow frontiersmen and women. (Boost to orders specifically dealing with the colonies)

Insanity: Some men and women just want to watch the world burn. You’re one of them. (Randomly rolled bonus or malus to all orders each turn; sometimes orders may change unpredictably, for better or for worse)

Intelligence Veteran: Your character works in an agency such as RISA, XCOM or the National Gendarmerie, and thus has expertise with what goes on in the shadows. (Able to utilize the state intelligence apparatus; able to make some order results secret; can’t hold concurrently with another Veteran perk)

Internationalist Idealist: You’re a steadfast believer in the Republican dream, and have connections with like-minded idealists across the Republican galaxy. (Large boost to rolls working with citizens of other Republican League countries)

Navy Veteran: Your character holds office in the Republican Navy, with all the privileges and duties that come with it. (Able to command ships; rank determined by GM; can’t hold concurrently with another Veteran perk)

Old Money: One way or another, you had plenty of money to work with before you even got started in your career. (Boost to Wealth)

Personal Ship: While everyone has a craft capable of travel through planetary atmosphere, privately-owned jump-capable craft are much rarer. You have your own medium-sized ship capable of travelling between systems, capable of carrying cargo, passengers, etc.

Political Connections: Whether through lobbying, diplomacy or simply having friends in high places, you have the ear of politicians loyal to your ideology. (Boost to Party Influence)

Political Veteran: Your character has a notable political career and is a sitting Deputy in the Chamber of Deputies. (Start the game with a seat in the NA, Small Party Influence +)

Shady Contacts: Some people have friends in high places, but you have the opposite - which can be just as useful. (Boost to illegal or illicit orders; able to make some order results secret)

Superstar: Whether in art, music, sports, or what have you, you’re famous in popular culture as opposed to politics, business or warfare. (Boost to initial Global Influence, small malus to political orders)

Politics play an important role in the game; many characters will be Deputies in the National Assembly or other governmental figures. Anyone who is registered in a political party may run for the Assembly. Both seated and unseated players may vote and propose legislation, though unseated players have a malus to their VP. You are required to have a party registration to run for the Assembly or a party leadership; you can change this at any time. You can run for Consul as an independent, however, this is a large handicap.

Proposing bills, ICing and so forth helps increase Party Influence, more so if those bills succeed or if the debate is effectively influenced. You may also pick up increased Global Influence for particularly notable acts.

Every four years, or sooner if a government falls, there will be an election. All players vote for a party. Vote totals depend on good IC, the Global Influence of the players voting for each party, previous seat totals, and performance of the outgoing administration, among other things. You are not obligated to vote, nor are you obligated to vote for the same party that you are registered with. The total number of in-thread votes, including bonus votes granted by extra VP, will influence the seat totals, but not determine them at a 1 to 1 correspondence.

In game, if a player stands for Consul and wins their party’s nomination, which depends on their influence, they will be able to appoint the Premier (who may name people to the various government ministries). The Consul and Premier automatically gain 1 bonus VP in elections as well as an extra order related to governing the country. Ministers do not gain a bonus VP, but do get a bonus to order rolls related to their purview. The performance of PCs in government or in opposition may generate bonuses or maluses to the party’s VP and their electoral performance. Finally, all political offices may be NPCs (and NPC Consuls or Premiers may appoint suitable Premiers / Ministers out of PCs.)

The traditional ministries are Foreign Affairs, War, the Interior, Finance, Commerce, Justice, Education & Technology, and the Overseas Territories (i.e. the Novus Galaxy.) The Premier may create additional portfolios as he sees fit.
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Maps:

The Harthus Galaxy. This is where most human / "civilized" powers are based.

Map Key:
Red: Baekdu Republic
Maroon: Holy Frankish Protectorate
Blue: Federated States of Azeratii
Yellow: Commonwealth of Albion
Dark Green: Celtic Republic
Fuschia: Diclonus Dominion
Dark Purple: Adrallan Oligarchy
Light Purple: Zelsar Republic
Light Pink: Uksugan Federation
Blue-Grey: Tasavalta
Grey: Terran Free State
Grey / Pink: Terran Empire
Light Green: Kingdom of Lamia
Light Orange: Republic of Solaru
Lime Green: Kingdom of Soria
Light Grey: Pure State
Black: Geralian Empire
Black and Unshaded: Pirate Freehold
Black Diamond: Wormhole

The Novus Galaxy. The "civilized" powers have colonies here, in addition to a smattering of native races, most far more advanced than civilized space. It can be accesses through the corresponding wormholes in the Harthus Galaxy.

Red: Baekdu Republic
Maroon: Kingdom of Francia
Blue: Federated States of Azeratii
Dark Purple: Adrallan Oligarchy
Light Pink: Uksugan Federation
Light Green: Kingdom of Lamia
Dark Orange: Skaven Khanates
Brown: Citizen's Republic of Valdara
Light Blue / Red Ring: Pan-Galactic Community Capital World
Gear: Collective Holdings of the Titanium Throne
Grey: Bug Hive World
Yellow: Celestial Infinite Empire of Soldania
Orange Three-Pointed Star: Vrilian Despotate

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FAQ

I'm lost.
For starters, here is more information than you require about the country, and reading the thread will give you more information about the setting. There are also the background posts that will immediately follow this one. However, I appreciate that that's a lot to digest, so if you have a question that's not answered by the above, feel free to PM me.

Can I play an (X/Y/Z)?
Sentient characters only, please, and more specifically sentient characters that can survive on human-habitable worlds. Of the sentient races in the galaxy, not all can live on human-suitable planets; besides, of course, humans, the species that can survive on human worlds without modification are the Diclonii, the Rackuddon, most Xan'Thian species, and the Skaven. Of these, the first two have members living in Baekdu, though are smaller in number than human immigrants. Amongst the human polities, however, there are at least some immigrants from virtually every country, so feel free to play as someone with origins from a different country. Sentient AI hasn't been replicated by most human powers, but the Uksugan Federation has a large population of sentient robots called "Mechon". You can play as one of those, but not as a random sentient AI.

What parties and ideologies are there?
Look in the Lore section under "Domestic Politics."

Can I start as a party leader?
Nope, but there will be elections turn 1, including party leadership.

What's with the weird dates?
Baekdu uses its own Revolutionary Calendar (which is the Jacobin calendar.) The current year is An. XLV, or forty-five years since the Revolution. Months are the same as the Jacobin calendar as well. I'll be using this convention, but if it's too much of a pain for you to use, I won't penalize you.

Do we have an IRC channel?
Yep! It's #PA3_Main.

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Scrapknight · Aug 27, 2016

Lore and Background
(Note: You are by no means obligated to read all of this.)

BAEKDUAN HISTORY:
Pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary Baekdu I
Pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary Baekdu II
Political History I
Colonizing the Five Systems
Colonizing the Novus Galaxy
Political History II
Political History III
Political History IV
Post-War Political History:

After the Solesian War, Consul Hwang and the Liberals were elected to another term, this time relying on the Rural Party rather than Labor for support. The Great War, which lasted all of six years, would also mean another Liberal government helmed by Hwang, who towards the middle of her fourth term developed a rare lung condition that would result in her hospitalization. After her resignation and subsequent death, her Premier, Lee Jihyo, assumed office and was responsible for the deployment of ARCHON warheads against the Adrallan Oligarchy. Lee returned to the previously established tradition of single-term Consuls and stepped down at the end of her term, one year after the end of the Great War. Tired of the seemingly endless conflicts, the Liberals were swept out of power by the DPP, who promised an end to constant warfare as well as an end to wartime austerity. Kim Yoori, founder of the Progressive movement, presided over a postwar economic boom fueled by reconstruction and established several socialist dream programs, such as a minimum wage and pensions. Her successor Kim Bora easily swept to power on her coattails, but the terrorist attacks in Celtia turned popular opinion against pacifism. A mild recession at the start of the ‘30s sealed her fate, and the Liberals under Jung Hyosung returned to power in the An. 33 elections.

The Liberals lost another close election to the DPP despite Jung’s relative popularity in office, and Song Hangaram, the first male Consul since Kim Jayu thirty years earlier, took office. A relative moderate with little love for the Syndicalist wing of his party, he was assassinated by a hardline anarcho-syndicalist in An. 39, with his Premier, Park Byungjun of the Socialist Party, taking office in his stead. A leftist but anti-syndicalist figure, Park aggressively cracked down on the Baekduan Section of the Worker’s International’s alleged paramilitary wing, the Black Brigades, which indirectly caused a collapse of the party. It would reform as the International Party, officially distancing itself from the Black Brigades and other underground organizations but remaining quite militant in rhetoric. For the next election, the Syndicalist and anti-Syndicalist wings of the DPP could not effectively agree on a candidate; the “official” DPP candidate, a Celtic immigrant and syndicalist named Drystan Terfel, was not endorsed by his entire party, with notable portions of the party supporting Park under the Socialist banner. This, predictably, resulted in a DPP drubbing, with the Liberals coasting to power under Hahm Jeemin, who had served as Foreign Minister in virtually every Liberal government since Hwang and decided the time was finally right to run for Consul herself. Her term has ended mostly without incident, with a few bug incursions defeated and a successful campaign to capture the leader of the Reformed Knights of Progress.

TIMELINE:

Pr. V: Protests against King Sindeok break out. Baekdu Republic declared.
Pr. V - An. I: Revolutionary Wars.
[MGaSO 4 Starts]
An. I: Constitution ratified. Lee Hyori (Ind.) elected Consul.
An. V: Kim Jayu (Rural) elected Consul.
An. VI - An. XII: Solesian War.
An. IX: Hwang Miyoung (Liberal) elected Consul.
An. XII: Treaty of Galway signed, Solesian War ends.
An. XIII: Hwang Miyoung (Liberal) elected Consul.
[MGaSO 4 Ends]
An. XV: Republican League intervenes in Azeratii. Azeratiian Civil War begins.
An. XVI: Francia invades Baekdu. Great War begins.
An. XVII: Hwang Miyoung re-elected Consul.
An. XXI: Hwang Miyoung re-elected Consul.
An. XXIV: Hwang Miyoung resigns due to illness. Lee Jihyo becomes Consul.
An. XXV: Kim Yoori elected Consul.
An. XXIX: Kim Bora elected Consul.
An. XXXII: Knights of Progress unleash Bug Queens on Celtia. Celtic Intervention begins.
An. XXXIII: Jung Hyosung (Liberal) elected Consul.
An. XXXV: Albish Intervention begins.
An. XXXVI: Dublin falls. Celtic government moves to East Indus. Celtic Intervention effectively over.
An. XXXVI: London falls to Republican forces. Monarchy deposed, Oliver Cromwell installed as Lord Protector. Occupation of Albion continues.
An. XXXVII: Son Hangaram (DPP) elected Consul. Baekduan contingent in Albion reduced.
An. XXXIX: Consul Son assassinated. Premier Park Byungjun (SP) assumes office.
An. XLI: Hahm Jeemin (Liberal) elected Consul.
An. XLII: Last Baekduan troops leave Albion.
An. XLIII: Oliver Cromwell crowns himself King Oliver I, dies later that year.

DOMESTIC POLITICS:

Baekdu is a unitary semi-presidential republic, with executive power shared between the popularly elected Consul and the Premier, who commands the confidence of the elected National Assembly. The Consul appoints the Premier, and can theoretically appoint someone not of their own party or who is not the party leader to the position, though since the candidate must be ratified by the Assembly this is fairly rare. When the Consul and Premier are of the same party, the Consul usually takes the lead in both foreign and domestic affairs; when they are of different parties, the Consul by tradition handles foreign affairs while the Premier handles domestic affairs. Because the National Assembly is so large, and plays host to several minority parties, minority governments are the rule rather than the exception, and the difficulty of enforcing party discipline on such a large body means that emergency supply agreements are usually worked out with minor parties regardless as a means of insurance. Of note is that while the National Assembly may be dissolved multiple times during a term, the Consular election cycle is on a fixed four-year term, so a Consul may find themselves presiding over multiple different governments. While the Consul may unilaterally dissolve the National Assembly, it is established custom that the Premier asks for dissolution and the Consul grants it.

International Party / Gugjedang (IP / GJD)
Political Position: Far-left
Current Leader: Jeon Sungmi
Ideology: Orthodox Syndicalism, Anarcho-Syndicalism, Totalism

The successor to the Baekduan Section of the Workers’ International, the Republic’s pre-war syndicalist party. While still home, officially, to all of Orthodox Syndicalists, Anarcho-Syndicalists, and Totalists, the party today is predominantly Totalist, shaped by the thoughts and writings of union leader Kim Jongnam. The International Party is one of the few remaining anti-revisionist Syndicalist parties outside the Celtic Republic, and is home to those who think the “soft syndicalists” in the Democratic Progressive Party have sold out or are not dedicated enough to syndicalist revolution. They officially distance themselves from the various underground groups of syndicalists, but many suspect they still maintain these connections.

Meritocratic Collectivist Party / Neunglyeogjuuidang (MCP/NLD)
Political Position: Far-left
Current Leader: Choi Seoksung
Ideology: Social Meritocracy, Scientific Socialism

A uniquely Baekduan ideology, Social Meritocracy, and by extension the MCP, was born when syndicalists exiled from the Democratic Progressive Party for anti-democratic rhetoric began adopting ideas from the Adrallan Oligarchy to outline a new form of socialism, drawing equally from the normally opposed ideologies of syndicalism and meritocracy. Meritocratic forms are viewed as a more “fair” road to achieving socialism than parliamentary democracy, since the state is able to regulate outcomes in an unbiased and egalitarian fashion, rather than letting achievement up to “insidious market forces.” Not well-liked by either the Progressives or the International Party, the MCP still has something of a following and looks to make a bigger impact as time goes on.

Democratic Progressive Party / Minjindang (DPP/MJD)
Political Position: Left-wing
Current Leader: Han Jei
Ideology: Pacifism, Democratic Socialism, Orthodox Syndicalism

The Democratic Progressive Party can trace its roots to the revolutionary White Rose Society, a talking club for the most radical socialists as well as anti-militarists. The party was officially formed in An. V, and while it began as a minor party, the combination of the Great War and the incompetent management of the Labor Party propelled the DPP to become the main left-wing force, forming a government for the first time after the end of the Great War. As it has become a more broad-tent party, it has moderated somewhat, but its key values remain pacifism and a state-managed economy. The main split in the party is between syndicalists and anti-syndicalist socialists of various stripes. The DPP has been responsible for several socialist programs instituted during the post-war, including the minimum wage, national health care and retirement pensions. It works closely with the Socialist Party.

Socialist Party / Sahoedang (SP / SHD)
Political Position: Center-left
Current Leader: Laundsallyn Mac Namara (available)
Ideology: Democratic Socialism, Social Democracy, Moderate Pacifism

The Socialist Party is the last remnant of the old Labor Party of Baekdu, the main pre-war left-wing party. Due in part to bad leadership, electoral marginalization and the rise of the DPP, the Labor Party splintered. The Socialist Party is the remnant of the left-wing splinter faction that objected to Labor’s increasingly centrist and liberal direction, which was led by Gwak Minseon. The rump Labor Party refused to caucus with the DPP, and by extension the Socialists. While many thought this would spell doom for the Socialists, they found a niche by working closely with the DPP. Today, the Socialists and DPP have a permanent electoral pact, with Socialist candidates running in more right-wing regions where more moderate economics and less hardline pacifism play better. If counted as an independent party, they are the third largest party in the Assembly. They are also currently the only party with a non-Baekduan parliamentary leader.

Social Democratic Party / Sahoe Minjudang (SDP / SMD)
Political Position: Center-right
Current Leader:
Ideology: Classical Liberalism, Anarcho-Liberalism

The Social Democratic Party has a somewhat non-indicative name; it is the successor to the old Labor Party, which was briefly absorbed into the Liberal Party during the war. While socially liberal, the SDP is actually more pro-business than some segments of the Liberal Party, and has a somewhat libertarian bent (though there are also a fair number of “libertarian syndicalists,” which are basically soft anarcho-syndicalists.). It is also mildly anti-military overall, though opinion varies from radical pacifists to pro-militarists. As the third-largest independent party in the National Assembly, it is a frequent kingmaker, with the SDP having supported both DPP and Liberal governments at various times. Generally, however, they tend to side with the Liberals given a choice.

Liberal Party / Jayudang (LP/JYD)
Political Position: Center to right-wing
Current Leader: Hahm Jeemin
Ideology: Classical Liberalism, Social Liberalism, Liberal Conservatism, Militarism

The current first party in the National Assembly, and often called the “natural” first party, the Liberal Party is the only political party still extant since the start of the Republic. During Consul Hwang Miyoung’s administration, which lasted four terms from the Solesian War to the end of the Great War, the Liberal Party gradually moved rightward; whereas previously it could be described as centrist to center-left, it became increasingly militaristic and economically right-wing to pick up disaffected rural voters who left the Rural Party as the war dragged on and agriculture became less of an important field compared to heavy industry. Despite this, the party still is united by social liberalism and retains its center-left economic caucus, though the latter is not a majority and mostly laissez-faire capitalism is the order of the day. Rather, the party earns its right-wing label through its militarism, and indeed outside of the National Front is the most consistently pro-military and pro-intervention party in the country.

Dawn Party / Saebyeogdang (DP / SBD)
Political Position: Right-wing
Current Leader: Moon Byungse (available)
Ideology: One-Nation Conservatism, Agrarianism, Nationalism, Moderate Militarism

The remnant of the Rural Party, once the largest party in the country and the party of respected Consul Kim Jayu, the Dawn Party is what remained of the devastated agrarian conservative movement. The party’s lobby dried up as agriculture exports were replaced with industry and services, as well as the migration of lower-class social conservatives to the Liberals and Socialists (and a consensus forming around center-to-left social policies). The remnants of the party are mostly Salvatoran, Baekduan and Franco-Baekduan alike, and residents of rural departments where the Liberals are institutionally weak. The An. XLI election drove down Dawn vote totals more than usual, as sometimes happens; most political operatives expect their vote share to rise for the upcoming election.

National Front / Gukmin Jeonseon (NF / GMJ)
Political Position: Far-right
Current Leader: Kang Sunmyung
Ideology: Integralism, National Populism, National Oligarchism, Minjungite Imperialism

An amalgamation of right-wing strains of thought that are either too extreme for the mainstream conservative movement or too marginal, the National Front is mainly united by its opposition to the republican consensus of democracy, open borders and internationalism. Some want to close the borders and reassert a more ethnically Baekduan national identity in reaction to recent waves of immigration. Others want to abolish the Republic entirely, replacing it with a meritocratic dictatorship or an authoritarian monarchy helmed by the descendants of Field Marshal Park Minjung. The GMJ was at its strongest in the immediate postwar, though it has declined since then.

List of Consuls:

Lee Hyori (An. I - An. V) (Independent)
Kim Jayu (An. V - An. IX) (Rural Party)
Hwang Miyoung (An. IX - An. XXIV) (Liberal Party) (resigned due to illness)
Lee Jihyo (An. XXIV - An. XXV) (Liberal Party)
Kim Yoori (An. XXV - An. XXIX) (Democratic Progressive Party)
Kim Bora (An. XXIX - An. XXXIII) (Democratic Progressive Party)
Jung Hyosung (An. XXXIII - An. XXXVII) (Liberal Party)
Son Hangaram (An. XXXVII - An. XXXIX) (Democratic Progressive Party) (assassinated)
Park Byungjun (An. XXXIX - An. XLI) (Socialist Party)
Hahm Jeemin (An. XLI - An. XLV) (Liberal Party)

An. XLV Election: Game Start

[Current Political Issues]

INTERNATIONAL POLITICS:

[The Pan-Galactic Community]
[The Shadow War]
[The Republican League]
[The Pact of Ko Vaezda]
[Piracy and Terrorism]

SOCIETY AND CULTURE:

Cultural makeup

Religious makeup. Sindo and Muism are different indigenous religions. Both are polytheistic and involve worship of spirits, though Muism has an organized structure of monks whereas Sindo does not. A large majority of self-described Sindo believers do not follow religious doctrines and practices; conversely, some Sindo-derived cultural practices such as going to shrines on New Year's Day are common across cultures and religions, including among many self-described irreligious, except for more doctrinaire Salvatorans. Salvatoranism is a monotheistic religion imported from Francia, revolving around worship of Julius Salvator. The Frankish rite and Baekduan rite churches are separate.

[Entertainment]
[Business]

OTHER NATIONS / ORGANIZATIONS:

Harthus Galaxy:

The Celtic Republic was the second revolutionary republican state after Baekdu. Her first Consul, or Uachtaran, Saoirse Ua hAilin, helped crush the monarchist resistance. After her death, the Celts became more and more influenced by the ideology known as Syndicalism, with modern Celtia (or Hibernia, as it is often referred to in Baekduan) being the closest thing in the galaxy to a syndicalist state. Au hAilin's war on crime during her rule made her some powerful enemies, including the technocratic quasi-state and terrorist organization known as the Knights of Progress. The Knights continually conducted terrorist attacks in Hibernia throughout Au hAilin's administration and beyond, eventually unleashing several parasitic Bug Queens on the major populated Celtic worlds. Celtia was devastated by Bug attacks, with two of its main systems becoming essentially uninhabitable on the ground and the Soltus system retaining a human population but one at a very low level of development that must spend all of its resources fighting off Bugs. The republic’s capital is now the city of Avalon, East Indus, which it claimed from the Commonwealth of Albion. Celtia still claims the systems and still has population in them via a series of space stations, but its population has been reduced by a significant amount. The colony of New Soltus was given to the Republic by the Baekduans, and it remained safe from bug infestation, while the Hibernia system is part of Baekdu but has significant autonomy for its Celtic population. Today Celts are only a plurality, with East Indians and Albish making up significant parts of its population. Massive portions of the population immigrated to Baekdu and other countries, mirroring the OTL situation of Irish-Americans. The Celts make the best of what they have, still maintaining a fairly powerful military for their size; syndicalist pacifism faded away somewhat. It has also become more and more syndicalist over time, with the power of the Celtic Labor Congress increased significantly. The “upside,” if it could be called that, of the Republic’s massive population loss and economic shrinking has been to make cooperatives ever more important and effective parts of the economy, meaning that a large portion of the Celtic economy is controlled by cooperative businesses.

The Commonwealth of Albion is theoretically a semi-constitutional monarchy ruled by King Oliver II and the Albish parliament. In actuality, Albion is essentially a failed state, devastated by civil war, nuclear war, nuclear civil war, and the independence-minded rulers of the Australis and Indus systems. After the Solesian War, the Great War and the Skaven Crusade, the remnants of the Republican League decided to try and end the Albish chaos once and for all. The intervention deposed Lord Regent Alan Sugar, as well as the Duke of Australis (a particular thorn in the side of the Baekduan government, his private colonies were annexed outright) and the Duke of Indus, who had made his own system all but independent. One Oliver Cromwell, a nobleman who opposed the Sugar regime, was installed as Lord Protector of the State of Albion (Celtic and Zelsari advisors thought that the Albish would reject Baekduan titles automatically.) Cromwell was a fairly reliable lackey while Republican League troops were policing his territory for him, but the newly installed Lord Protector found it virtually impossible to maintain control of the outlying systems on his own, and kept feeding the League excuses about his assumption of emergency powers. Eventually, the League left in the aftermath of the Knightly terrorist attacks, and Oliver Cromwell did what everyone was expecting him to do: dissolving Parliament and proclaiming himself King. The current King, Oliver II, hasn’t made much progress in making Albion less of a failed state. Royal authority doesn’t extend far outside of Greater London, with warlords, corrupt governors and anyone with enough guns carving out their own sphere of influence. The porous borders and lack of authority make Albion a crucial hiding place for terrorists, gangsters and pirates, both causing problems for its neighbors and contributing to its chronic instability. It still produces a steady stream of refugees and immigrants to Baekdu, who mostly have trouble integrating into society; many live on Baekdu-operated stations around Khakneuth.

The Diclonus Dominion was formerly an isolationist, semi-democratic republic populated by the Diclonus species, humanoids with a female-skewed gender ratio and natural psionic powers. While they mostly sat out the Solesian War and Great War, political tension at home between the dominant families flared regardless. When the President was assassinated by a syndicalist, syndicalist militias began skirmishing with government forces. Over time, the government curtailed civil liberties and banned left-wing parties, becoming a dictatorship. Today, the Diclonus Dominion is ruled by the Dominion Front for Peace and Order, a coalition of parties promoting the Dominion's state ideology of Hierarchsm. The new Dominion intervened in the Skaven Crusade with extreme prejudice, conquering their worlds, terraforming them and eventually exiling them to the Novus Galaxy. Indeed, dissenters against the regime sent to prison camps in the former Skaven worlds. While the doctrine of Hierarchism mandates a single, all-powerful leader, in truth the President, Grand Marshal and the Director of the Internal Security Service share most official power, and below them a complex hierarchical system of “power rankings” maintains social order. This ideology, known as “Hierarchism,” is effectively an evolution of Zelsari Integralism, adapted for Diclonus biology and customs. While superficially resembling Oligarchism, Hierarchism posits that power is innate and must result in the strong taking their proper place in society by force, whereas Oligarchism states that (theoretically) anyone can reach the highest rank of government based on merit. Hierarchism is also fairly nationalistic, compared to the internationalist outlook of Oligarchism.

The Skaven Federation was a polity made up of sentient, ratlike humanoids that occupied most of the southwestern Harthus Galaxy. While formerly fairly isolationist, content to drain their worlds of resources, they attempted to conquer the galaxy beginning in the latter half of the Great War in what was known as the Skaven Crusade. Attacking the Republican League and the Franco-Adrallan Axis with equal ferocity, the Skaven Crusade proved troublesome because the Skaven both tried to destroy biospheres of inhabited worlds and showed no mercy to captured troops or civilian populations, enslaving them if they were lucky and killing them if they weren’t. The Skaven made a crucial mistake by attempting to attack the Diclonus Dominion, who were just wrapping up their first round of anti-democratic purges and looking for an external conflict to unite the New Order. The Diclonii did most of the dirty deeds humanity was unwilling to resort to, such as weaponized terraforming and mass population transfer, to clear the Federation out of most of its worlds. Diclonus and Azeratii forces met at the Geralian Wormhole, banishing the Skaven from the Pan-Galactic Community and effectively exiling them to their colonies in the Novus Galaxy. Their unified government collapsed soon after, re-emerging as disorganized Khanates led by powerful grey-whiskered Skaven. These hordes often launch pillaging attacks across the Novus Galaxy, but will usually cooperate with humanity against the Bug Menace.

The Geralian Empire, also called the “Hermit Kingdom,” remained in total isolation throughout the Solesian War, the Great War and the Skaven Crusade. A civil war after the death of Emperor Walther IV destabilized the country, and when the victor, second-in-line for the throne Prince Konrad (or Konrad II), instituted autarkic trade practices, it got even worse. Konrad began developing a cult of personality around himself and his father (though he probably had a hand in his father’s death, initially said to be of old age but now suspected to be poisoning.) Konrad II, in turn, was quickly killed by his own son, Konrad III, who began transforming his cult of personality into an immortal god-emperor. Meanwhile, one of Konrad II’s bastards, Walther von Blofeld, set up a notionally independent “Kingdom of New Geralia” on its sole colony in the Novus Galaxy, which was quickly and willingly annexed by Azeratii. Little else is known about the current state of Geralia, as a strictly enforced blockade of outside information is kept up and the Imperial Navy automatically opens fire on any ship that gets too close. It is also rumored that they have ARCHON warheads, and nobody in the galaxy wants to take the chance.

The Xan’Thi Coalition splintered, collapsing into feuding subplanetary states between the Great War and the Skaven Crusade. The northern system emerged as the Kingdom of Soria, one of only two functional monarchies left in the Harthus Galaxy. It is theoretically organized around meritocratic lines, but the fact that the state is named the “Kingdom of Soria” puts this lie to bed. A cautious ally of the Diclonus Dominion, who doesn’t appreciate its heterodoxy but is willing to defend it as long as they pay lip service to Hierarchism. The southern system was fought over by various warlords until it emerged as the “Pure State”, a truly ghastly dictatorship best described as Nazi Germany meets Mad Max. The Pure State has killed virtually every human in its territory, as well as several alien species either deemed too “genetically close” to the human race or that dissented against the Jharat-il-Nursuk leadership. The Pure State has also regressed technologically, in some places forgetting even fusion power and regressing to simple fission (though it does maintain some space presence). Government death squads travel across the sprawling dunes of planet Xaxthyx in nuclear-powered hovercraft, looking for humans, human influence, or other forms of dissent. To further accelerate the Pure State’s charnel house, for some incomprehensible reason the government has made all crime legal for one day a year, leading to not just economic collapse but a more generalized breakdown of law and order outside the major cities. While the Republican League could simply hit Xaxthyx with ARCHON warheads and invade, the Pure State has effectively taken its own population hostage, and points nuclear weapons at its own populace to ensure the Pan-Galactic Community does not take action.

The Tasavalta (lit. “Republic”) emerged from the ashes of the decaying Shufalen (lit. “Empire”). Tasavalta, unlike most Republican states, is a radically direct democracy, with all citizens using implanted tools called “citizenchips” to vote on all issues collectively at all times. Tasavaltans actually are a separate species from humans, broadly similar but no longer interfertile; how or why they developed this way is not clear. They are blond and blue-eyed almost to a man, but their most distinguishing physical feature are pointed ears. Despite efforts by the other republics to court the Tasavalta, they remained committedly isolationist, with the most radical amongst them seeing republicanism as little better than monarchy. While Tasavalta did suffer indirect casualties during the Great War, this was mostly due to de-orbiting space junk from Adrallan and Uksugan ships; the two powers often fought in Tasavaltan space, since they did not share a direct jump link and they seized Tasavaltan jump gates to deny them to the enemy. Thus, while Tasavalta saw an economic hit due to the Great War, it did not lose many men or resources. Its neutrality allowed it to remain in the post war as a somewhat friendly buffer state between the Adrallans and the Uksugans. However, while it has been tranquil in foreign affairs, it has had incredibly volatile domestic politics. The founder of the Tasavalta, Janus Vaampires, temporarily lost his Speakership position to an even more radical figure, Juhani Juhaninpoika, who used revolutionary fervor as an excuse to execute large numbers of suspected counterrevolutionaries. He also attempted to expel foreigners, which only partly succeeded; while he did expel quite a few, he lost the Speakership for it, and Vaampires was returned to power. Some thinkers point to the Tasavalta as the ultimate example of freedom and democratic consensus; others point to it as an anarchic war-zone that is fortunately self-contained. Direct democracy has, for the most part, not taken off abroad, but after the Solesian War it was adopted piecemeal in a more limited form by the Uksugan parties, who thought that constant consensus-making was well-suited to the mechanical Mechon. When the Uksugan League was transformed into the Federation, it included direct democratic components. While the more radical Tasavaltans still decry the Uksugans as counterrevolutionaries, this has warmed relations quite a bit, and while Uksugans do not utilize citizenchips, ties between the two states have blossomed in recent years. Baekdu has a mixed reputation in Uksugu; some applaud it for being the first revolutionary state, even if it is flawed, while others decry it as reactionary and imperialist. Baekduan pop culture is only mildly popular in Tasavalta, since the state imports little in the way of foreign cultural products and such things are treated as suspicious at best and counterrevolutionary at worst.

The Kingdom of Francia was an absolute monarchy that was the first geopolitical rival of Baekdu, though the two have also had significant cultural exchange. Francia was once far more advanced than Baekdu, and when a Frankish colonization ship crash landed on the Baekduan homeworld, it helped increase technological development. The travelers on that ship also brought their religion, Salvatoranism ((basically Christianity)), which now accounts for 15% of the Baekduan population. Their descendants still live in the Republic as part of the Franco-Baekduan ethnic group. While the Kingdom and the Republic fought on the same side as part of the Six-Nation Alliance during the Solesian War, the Great War came and put the neighbors on opposite sides, according to their ideologies. While the Kingdom of Francia was initially involved in the Great War, and indeed occupied part of Myongseong for a time, a combination of poor tactical decisions and bad timing would harm the state greatly. Against the advice of the General Staff, Frankish commanders expanded operations towards Artark-Carvia before Myongseong was fully occupied, splitting their forces and resulting in their taking heavy casualties. Furthermore, about a year afterward, the Skaven launched their Great Crusade, which forced Francia to essentially withdraw from the Northern Front. The country was only saved in turn by the need of the Republican League to focus on the Adrallan Oligarchy, and even so, the system of Octavia was occupied by Baekduan forces. Already riven with divisions pre-war, the Kingdom of Francia erupted in civil war soon after hostilities with the Skaven were concluded. King Carolus was killed by his own bodyguards, possibly under orders of his son, Prince Carolus. Prince Carolus, known as “the Butcher,” attempted to consolidate control over the country, but was challenged by his brother Pepinus, a relative liberal. The “Brother’s War” at first seemed to be an easy victory for Pepinus, with many peasants rallying to his banner and apparent covert support from the Kingdom of Lamia. However, Carlous began to grant more and more power to the Chantry to help him win, which eventually turned the tide in his favor.

Holy Frankish Protectorate: Carolus would crown himself as Carolus II Magnus, but his victory would be short-lived as well. He, along with his son Julius and daughter Agrippa, were murdered by a Chantrist paramilitary force known as the Hand of God. The priesthood, already granted a great deal of power, completely took control of the state. Wanting to ensure that the monarchical challenge to their power was forever ended, the priests set up a pseudo-republican structure of government. The state would be governed by a Lord Protector, a republican title adopted from Albion, who would be advised by the Grand Chanter, the “pope” of the Salvatoran Church. The real power is in the Chantry Council, a group of priests who make up the legislature. The Holy Protectorate is a repressive theocracy backed by the Diclonus Dominion, who keep their distance on ideological grounds but use the Franks to keep Baekdu distracted when necessary.

Kingdom of Francia: The remnant government led by Prince Pepinus in the Frankish colonies. While relatively more liberal than its predecessor, it remains quite small-o oligarchic, with an Estates-General dominated by landowners and businessmen. State repression has mostly ended, though the population is still almost exclusively Salvatoran. Given Dominion sponsorship of the Holy Frankish Protectorate, most Republican states recognize the Kingdom as the legitimate government of Francia, but are mostly uninterested in helping it make a return - the divided situation suits them just fine, and the Kingdom is militarily and economically inferior to the Holy Protectorate.

Republic of Solaru: The corrupt and militaristic Democratic Republic of Solaru launched an unprovoked invasion of a planet controlled by several subsystem states, which prompted the intervention of the Pan-Galactic Community in what was called the Solesian War. All the major galactic powers, including the Republic of Baekdu, Uksugan Federation, Adrallan Oligarchy and Kingdom of Francia fought on the same side against the Solesians and their only ally, the left-wing dictatorship known as the People's Republic of Terran. While the Solesians, and the Terrans in particular, mounted a fierce resistance, the Six-Nation Alliance ultimately emerged victorious, and Solaru was carved up into the Meritocratic State of Solaru and Kingdom of Solaru, puppet states the Adrallans and Franks, respectively. When Francia and the Oligarchy both collapsed after the Great War, the two states reunified under the leadership of the Meritocratic State. The Meritocratic government was universally loathed, however, and a genuine republic was established in its place. As always, however, Solaran politics are extremely unstable, with meritocrats and royalists often destabilizing the government through both legal and violent means. While a member of the Republican League, its eternally unstable politics means that the great powers keep a close eye on it for the time being.

Terran Free State: The successor state to the totalitarian People's Republic of Terran that was defeated in the Solesian War by the Six-Nation Alliance. It was demilitarized as well as democratized in the postwar period, and remains officially neutral (though pro-Republican for the most part.) Due to its isolated position, the horrors of the Great War, Skaven Crusade and the Adrallan Wars all passed Terran by, with the state remaining largely the same as it was in the aftermath of the Solesian War. Still relatively poor, the Terrans mainly only intrude in international politics to seek Republican League support against the Terran Empire, which still occupies the Koonkaz system.

Terran Empire: Carved out of the People’s Republic of Terran by revolutionaries following a strange hybrid of monarchist and republican ideology, this “democratic monarchy” was at first propped up by the Adrallans during the Solesian War. They would have likely been integrated into the Free State, however, if the Lamians had not seized the opportunity and taken over as the Emperor’s patrons. The Terran Empire has had most of its democratic elements phased out over time, with the Parliament atrophying to an advisory body. However, it is not quite as absolutist as Lamia, and a few Lamian dissidents have escaped to live here.

Zelsar Republic: The Zelsar Republic, formerly the Zelsar Union, was the birthplace of the far-right strain of thought known as Integralism. Almost totally isolated, similar to modern Geralia, the Zelsari killed over three billion of their own people to stave off overpopulation, to date the greatest crime against humanity in the civilized galaxy. Fallout from the Population Reduction sparked a bloody three-sided civil war, between the National Populist Party, the military, and republican revolutionaries. With covert Republican League support, after incredible amounts of bloodshed, the republicans won, cooperating with the military against the NatPop hardliners before turning on them. Emerging from her revolution as a shakily democratic state, Zelsar has always had the long shadow of its military hanging over her politics. After getting in a brief war with the Lamians that resulted in the loss of its southwestern colony, the Zelsari remain a stalwart ally of the Republican League, but are beginning to draw scorn for their frequent military coups. The current president, Cornelius Young, is something of an authoritarian buffoon at odds with the military, and some in the league worry about Zelsar slipping back into autocracy.

Kingdom of Lamia: A relative newcomer to spacefaring capability, Lamia is a semi-constitutional monarchy and the only remaining functional monarchy larger than a system-state in the Harthus Galaxy. Historically, they had mostly pursued a path of neutrality, avoiding entanglements with the other galactic powers. Lamia, like Terran, was mostly uninvolved in the Great War and only suffered a few Skaven raider attacks. Unlike Terran, it used its position to its advantage, expanding in the Novus Galaxy and taking a colony from the Zelsar Republic. Following the collapse of the Adrallan Oligarchy and Frankish Kingdom, Lamia has resolved to remain neutral, choosing not to involve itself in the Shadow War between Baekdu and the Diclonus Dominion. Its main ally of significance is the Kingdom of Francia in the Novus Galaxy, which keeps it out of the Dominion’s orbit; the Diclonii see the Proectorate as a more useful ally than Lamia.

Uksugan Federation: A founding member of the Republican League, the Uksugan Federation, then called the Uksugan League, was a presidential republic unique in that much of its population were semi-sentient robots called Mechons. Historically isolationist and uninvolved in galactic affairs, Uksugu was relatively far from the bloodiest theatres of the Solesian War, and was entirely unscathed by the Skaven Crusade. However, the Uksugans did fight in the Great War against the Franco-Adrallan Axis, and fought Adrallan fleets on the Eastern Front. Most of these battles occurred in Tasavaltan space, without Tasavaltan permission, since the two nations did not share a direct connection via jump lanes. The Eastern Front proved bloody, but nowhere the meat grinder of the Central Front, and Uksugu lost the least total troops in the war. As time went on, Uksugu herself became more and more influenced by Tasavaltan direct democracy, a political trend mostly unnoticed by the larger galaxy except as a curiosity, as well as geopolitical pressure to adapt a more centralized structure and field a more advanced military. A second constitution would be drawn up, transforming the League into the Uksugan Federation. The Federation now has a Senate that proposes laws and has a limited, overridable veto, but these laws are voted on and passed by the populace as a whole using handheld computers. Uksugan isolationism was essentially ended by the devastation of the Celtic Republic, which forced it to step up as the new number two enforcer of the Republican League. While not as powerful as Baekdu, it remains close.

Federated States of Azeratii: Once the Federal Empire of Azeratii, the FSA was yet another revolutionary state, the third after the Celtic Republic and before the Tasavalta. A close Baekduan ally, towards the end of the pre-war era Azeratiian politics became increasingly divided between Meritocratic and Syndicalist extremists. Overall, Azeratii was hit hard by the horrors of the Decade of War. On top of that, infighting cost the state dearly during the many conflicts in which she was involved. The Meritocrats attempted to institute a dictatorship during the early stages of the Great War, but Petrov Samalonski, a centrist associated with the Kadets, brokered a Syndicalist-Kadet agreement that forced out the meritocratic government after a brief but fairly bloody Republican League intervention. The Alliance for Meritocracy, the mainstream and “soft” meritocratic party, sought to undermine the government at every turn, bringing about a period in Azeratii history known as the “Green Scare”. The FSA nearly collapsed into civil war again during the Skaven Crusade, but a heroic defense of Artark-Carvia turned back the Skaven advance and allowed government troops to round up the leaders of the syndicalist revolt. Azeratii still hasn’t quite recovered from the devastation wrought by the various wars and only just recently increased its GDP per capita past where it was before the Great War (much of its immediate post-war growth was erased by a combination of debt and more military spending), but it has kept its democracy intact, and as the only League state bordering the Diclonus Dominion, it plays a crucial war in the war plans gamed out in case of Dominion invasion.

The Adrallan Oligarchy is led by Montdorians, large sulphur-breathing four-armed bipeds that stand at about fourteen feet tall. They also possess a unique system of government, driven by an ideology called "meritocracy." Adrallan Meritocracy does away with the family unit and bases society around three "pillars" of the military, economics and culture, with individuals who accomplish more in their pillar rising in rank until one reaches the Triumvirate, the leaders of he Military, Economic and Cultural pillars that together govern the state. It was a great power in the pre-war Harthus Galaxy, spreading meritocratic ideology to numerous polities across the galaxy. It also was a member of the Six-Nation Alliance, but joined the Great War on the Frankish side to help protect the Azeratiian meritocratic government. While the Kingdom of Francia was ultimately a paper tiger, the Adrallan Oligarchy was definitely not. Possessing a massively powerful navy, the Adrallans and Baekduans threw truly massive fleets at each other in terrible, meat-grinder fleet actions, making the Eastern Front the most brutal part of the Great War. Adrallan and Uksugan forces often battled in Tasavaltan space during the war, in fact more often than they fought in their own systems; the Tasavaltan government complained about space debris cluttering their jump gates, but it did not stop the conflict. As the war continued on, Baekduan scientists worked on a forgotten special project: elerium warheads, codenamed Project ARCHON. ARCHON-equipped missiles would use a specialized elerium reaction to effectively neutralize any planetary shield, opening any planet to mass bombardment and potential annihilation. ARCHON weaponry was used on the Adrallans en masse, followed by huge strikes intended to decapitate the Adrallan government. This only worked in part: not only did the populous and rich Adrallans not surrender, a newly declared emergency regime vowed to continue the fight. Luckily for the Baekduans, there were not one but four self-declared emergency regimes, and they could only tolerate each other for so long. The Provisional Government of the Adrallan Oligarchy (PGAO), led by Admiral Relacey, sued for peace. The other claimants, the National Restoration Council, Oligarchic Stabilization Board and the New Adrallan Oligarchy, all declared war on him, and Relacey knew which way the wind was blowing. He gathered as much of the fleet as he could, stole everything that wasn’t nailed down and fled to the Novus Galaxy, where he quickly consolidated his control of the Adrallan colonies. The NRC, OSB and NAO then all declared war on each other, which lasted for about four years, until Admiral Relacey returned from the colonies with a fleet larger and better equipped than any of the three factions. Having united the country and in a position to take absolute command of the state's power structure, he refused, returning the state to the traditional triumvirate of Orthodox Meritocracy. Relacey would later pave the way for the Adrallans joining the Pan-Galactic Community and getting veto power there, along with Baekdu and the Dominion. Now the strongest independent power in the Harthus Galaxy (i.e. not aligned with either Baekdu or the Dominion), the Oligarchy looks on at the galaxy with interest. Relacey has been the main voice of calm in the Oligarchy, and while a national hero with an unassilable reputation, the national mood increasingly turns toward revenge. Relations with the Republican galaxy are still merely cool at present, but times may well change.

Novus Galaxy:

Collective Holdings of the Titanium Throne: Discovered by Uksugan explorers, the Titanium Empire is the second-oldest known faction in the Novus Galaxy. Claiming to be at least six hundred thousand years old, who built the robots that make up the Titanium Empire and what happened to them are unknown. Each robot is autonomous and sentient, though none claim to be older than a few thousand years besides the Emperor himself; regular personality wiping seems to be part of their culture. Even the Emperor himself only has enough processing power to perfectly recall 100,000 years back; before this, memory files are selectively wiped. The Titanium Throne is an autocracy, with the Emperor’s word being law; despite this, however, they maintain a completely planned economy, with production quotas calculated by great computers. While largely peaceful for the time being, the Titanium Throne is inscrutable, and empires bordering the Titanium Throne ensure they can defend against it.

Citizen’s Republic of Valdara: The world of Valdara is a desert planet home to the Rackuddon species, a race of birdlike humanoids with technology lagging behind most of the powers of the Harthus Galaxy (though still capable of spaceflight and fusion power). Their homeworld was infested by Bugs roughly three hundred years ago. However, since the planet’s desert environment had a relatively small amount of biomass to sustain a bug population, the Rackuddon have been able to hang on to their homeworld and are engaged in an eternal war against the Bugs. A jovial, social species, the Rackuddon gladly accepted trade and contact with the galactic powers and continue their eternal war against the bugs. Valdaran Space Marines drop in from orbit to fight bugs wherever they appear. Nowadays, the surface only has occasional emergences of Bug swarms and is mostly liveable, but the real war takes place in the labyrinthine underground tunnels that make up the Bug hives. Valdara is a democracy of sorts, but only individuals who have completed military service may vote. This has of course led to great corruption and the same party has governed Valdara for the past seventy years, but there is still an active opposition that waits for the ruling Unity Party to mess up so badly that not even their massive networks of patronage will save them.

Celestial Infinite Empire of Soldania: Discovered by Adrallan explorers a few years into the Solesian War, the Soldanians are another impossibly ancient empire, claiming a history nearly one million years in length. Despite this, while significantly more advanced than any other galactic power, they are quite a bit less so than one might expect; technological stagnation is evident. Soldanians constantly project a low-level psionic field that subtly influences the emotional state of non-psionic individuals; humans are thus advised to negotiate with the Soldanians from a safe distance or by holojector. Soldania claims to rule the Novus Galaxy, as well as having once ruled the Harthus Galaxy and several others; despite this, not a single other Soldanian colony, probe or artifact has been found outside a few systems in the eastern Novus Galaxy, so it is likely this is some kind of national myth. While open to limited trade and exchange, Soldania is a reclusive state with little lasting interest in forming a connection with the outside world.

Vrilian Despotate: A splinter faction of the Soldanians, the Vrilian Despotate is about four hundred thousand years old. The Vrilians revolted against their Soldanian overlords for a reason lost to history, though academics guess that it was related to competition for elerium and other rare metals. The Vril have enslaved a species known as the Khegjat, somewhat catlike humanoids with pre-atomic industrial technology, to serve as battle thralls and to mine rare metals. Vril is, of course, a dictatorship. With some degree of genetic engineering, Vrilian psionics have been changed to explicitly override the mental processes of others, creating a form of low-level mind control.

((plenty more to come))[/SPOILER]

Scrapknight · Aug 27, 2016

National and Player Stats

Scrapknight · Aug 27, 2016

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Terraferma · Aug 27, 2016

Name: Heero Tongjin

Age: 36

Profession: Businessman/Industrialist

Perks: Backroom Broker, Business Magnate

Party Affiliation: Liberal Party

Bio: The only son of career politicians, Mr. Tongjin was given the best education possible from an earLy age and thrOugh his rather privileged upbriNginG the boy had seen a significant portion of the gaLaxy by the tIme he had reached his late teen years. HoweVer, political aspirations nEver materiaLized due to Heero hAting the idea of coMpromIse and to A lesser extent diplomacy. Wanting to do this his way and on his terms he was able to persuade his father to use a rather large portion of the family’s wealth to start up his own small business. Within a decade it had become a sizeable player in the Energy and Mining Industry. However, Tongjin Industries would see its real power projection in the Post-War era, flush with government subsidies and private investors the company was a leader in its respective business sector projecting noticeable fame throughout the Baekdu Republic. Some have even suggested that Tongjin Industries should diversify its portfolio and even use its leverage politically for greater wealth and power.

Dadarian · Aug 27, 2016

Pienimäki Kaaosluoja [Transliterised: Pinmaki Gaoluojo] | Mononym: Pinmak
32
Tasavaltan demagogue, politician, and general nuisance
Champion of the People, Internationalist Idealist (but, like, Tasavaltan Internationale Contingent)
Gugjedang - Simin Bungi/Kansalaisteneljännes (Citizen's Quarter, the Tasavaltan Anarchist component)

Born in the megacity of Keskeinen on planet Karil, young Pienimäki's parents migrated to Baekdu as part of a volunteer battalion of willing families spreading the word of the Revolution to those across the Galaxy. Settling in Baekdu, the young Tasavaltan ex-pat was indoctrinated by his parents to be horrified at the counter-revolutionary 'democracy' that epitomised the Baekdu Republic.

As he grew older, this indoctrination became determination, as Kaaosluoja saw only the downcast and trampled in Baekdu society. He saw that it was up to him to rally the cause of freedom and democracy, much like his hero Janus Vapaamies. To which, Kaaosluoja saw himself as the best and brightest in the Baekdu Janhallitsijasukun. Rallying to the banner of the Gugjedang, and forming the subfaction of the Simin Bungi (Or the much harder to pronounce Kansalaisteneljännes in Tasavaltan), he slowly grew in importance. Not that that means he's important, just that his profile was raised. Often going by his pidgenised name Pinmak, Kaaosluoja has grown to become probably the most radical subfaction leader of the most radical faction within the Gugjedang, which is quite the feat.

His personal pride is the fact he's only been arrested twice (both for trying to start a riot) and proudly carries his citizenchip around.

Plank of Wood · Aug 27, 2016

Name: Siobhan Ó Raghallaigh (Translit. Sibhan O Relee)
Age: 39
Profession: Politician
Perks: Political Veteran, Old Money
Party Affiliation: Liberal Party/Jayudang
Bio:

Raghallaigh arrived in Baedku as a child, as part of a family of (wealthy) refugees fleeing the civil wars. Like every Celtic girl, she idolised the war-hero and first Uachtaran Saiorse Ua hAillin - and she participated in many Celtic political societies in her teenage years, most importantly the Baekdu Haillinist Party youth wing. She studied Politics and Economics at Hanseong National University and achieved top-of-the-class grades, eventually graduating with a Masters. Almost immediately after graduation, she accepted a job within the Celtic wing of the Liberal Party (which was ideology similar to Haillinism).

After several years of working her way up the ladder, she is now the effective Leader of the Haillinist Bloc within the Liberal Party, Raghallaigh is one of the most influential figures within the Celtic immigrant communities. This position within the community is, however, under threat from the greater number of syndicalist orientated immigrants - whom Haillinists despise and consider to have "lost the homeworld". Nonetheless Haillinism is still going strong, and she is even starting to becoming a figure of note within even the 'natives'.

aedan777 · Aug 27, 2016

Name: Choi Seok Sung
Age: 57
Profession: Politician
Perks: Political Veteran, Champion of the People
Party Affiliation: Meritocratic Collective Party
Bio: Born not long before the consolidation of the Baekdu Republic, Choi Seok Sung has always been something of a radical. As a youth he was highly supportive of the Republic's efforts to spread republicanism abroad, supporting factions in civil wars in Celtia and Albion. He had been a major supporter of the Rural Party in its early days. However the Republic's part in the War of Solesian Containment changed his view significantly. As reports came in of millions of young soldiers dying on distant battlefields, he began to question whether the price was worth exporting the revolution. That the Republic was fighting the war hand in hand with the hated Kingdom of Francia only sharpened the wound. When word came that the Baekdu Expeditionary Force had abandoned Solaru to the Francians, he lost all faith in the current administration and joined the DPP. What was the point of sending men to distant stars to die for a cause, if that cause would be abandoned at the first sign of hardship?

Choi Seok Sung followed the party line of DPP pretty closely, until the party began to be infiltrated by Syndicalist elements. Choi found their desire for cooperatives and general militancy off putting. As the DPP began to subdivide along economic policy, Choi began to question the standing ideologies. He found Communism and Socialism deeply flawed in their belief that all people deserved equal treatment, despite their differing abilities and capabilities. Syndicalism was effectively just rebranded Socialism, so he liked that no better. He saw economic liberalism as dangerous as well, allowing a few wealthy industrialists to exploit their workers and create unfair economic disparity. To find an acceptable alternative, he began to look abroad. He soon became engulfed in writings on Meritocracy, the ideology of the Adrallan Oligarchy that broadly stated the goal of the government and society was to create a fair environment for civic advancement.

While Choi outright rejected many elements of Oligarchical Meritocracy, such as the dissolution of the family unit, the rigidly structured society, and the rampant militarism, he saw much to like about the ideals of Meritocracy. All people should be given an equal opportunity to succeed, but false equality would not be enforced, those who succeed would rise above, deservedly so. To achieve this, Choi began to develop a new strand of Meritocracy, combining the ideals of the wider movement with the anti-militarism and anti-corporatist nature of the DPP. Thus did he lay the foundation for Social Meritocracy. While he found little success at spreading his new ideology in the DPP, he soon attracted the attention of party leadership who found his adoption of Meritocracy to be unacceptable considering relations with the Adrallan Oligarchy. Choi was thus expelled from the DPP.

Undiscouraged, Choi soon started a movement of his own, seeking to form an independent party for his beliefs. Thus was the Meritocratic Collective Party born. While he managed to gather a decent following, his political clout was very limited, and he struggled to remain in parliament. Becoming increasingly jaded and cynical by his treatment by the DPP and lack of electoral success, Choi led the MCP to become increasingly, though subtly, more anti-democratic. He began to suggest that democracy was little more than a popularity contest, and that public positions should be decided by ability and knowledge. This has attracted a few more right-leaning voters to the MCP, but potentially at the cost of some left-leaning members.

Despite his tiny party having next to no say in politics, and the fragile nature of his support, Choi has kept his party alive and semi-relevant through firebrand speeches and passionate stands on matters in Parliament. Virtually everyone agrees that if anyone other than Choi had formed the MCP, it would've died a decade ago.

alexander23 · Aug 27, 2016

Kwon Yuri

24 Years Old

Current Location: TBA

Profession: Proffesional Pop-Star Idol, Leader of a Extreme Anarcho-Capitalist group called: Baekdu Awakening Front

Perks:
Superstar
Shady Contacts

Party Registration: SDP

Bio:

The know know as "Kwon Yuri" wasnt always the galaxy wide beloved pop superstar that she is today, she was once Sung Bora a girl of a dark and tragic background hidden now behind a smile to her public.

Bora was born to poor parents whom emigrated to the new galaxy, her dad being away fighting for the republican army after enlisting to obtain a paycheck to feed the small family barely surviving in Senjong. The wars however were brutal and never ending, her dad would desert the armed forces and find his way back to their impoverish home some three years later t find her mom had been selling herself to help with the expenses, after all it was tough economical times, and with her husband missing she had no other way, fortunelly she was very attracttive which would be inhereted by her daugter.

The once youthful man was gone however, intead came back a drunk and drug addict. He would take the family to one of the newer colonies in the fringes to get away from the madness of civilization, their income? well moonshine, Ilegal gun sales and prostitution.

Bora´s dad would teach her about guns, the use of knifes, explosives, hunting and killing as she grew and he got more paranoid of the state finding him and surviving on their own. When she was 10 her beauty began blossoming, and her father began thinking how to make money out of her. Fighting such destiny and tired of the daily beatings she would stab during a drunken stupor and run away from home (it wasnt a mortal injury).

Bora would scavenge food, across the desolated lands until she smuggled hersefl into a cargo ship heading to Senjong. In there she would live on the streets picking up some good abilities to steal, deal with gang members and more. When she was 14 she got in troubles with a local mafia aftre killing one of the leutenients in gambling fight, as such she ran away, to a new world.ut an old one for old. She would arrive to Joseon at age 15 alredy bitter with the world and began operating in the streets selling drugs (specially the potent bug juice) and other low level crimes, at 16 the beautiful young lady began doing more dangerous jobs as helping in gang fights and robbing bigger targets.

Her chance to escape all of it would come at 18 when a headhunter saw her singing for money in a corner and recognizing her talent, took her in, clemned her act and elanboorated a fak background as she was quickly enrolled into some classes to make her a less non producive member of society.

She would get involved into a libertarian group at age 19 which advocated for things she liked like self determination and no goverment intrussion, in here she would fall in love with the leader a charismatic 30 years old who would introduce her to liberal, and capitalist ideals.

As her career advanced and her understanding did however Bora, now known as Yuri began subscribing to a different ideology than the meaningeless march and stupid petitions, after all when had that do something for her, no only action was worthy.

Yuri with an "Roleplaying" boothcamp

She would fight with the leader of the group (whom was her boyfriend) on the issue and began gathering those who supported her (and recruiting more into the group by online forums etc) one day she simple declared a new path was to be followed all that joined were brothers, all that not traitors to the cause. A she said that she stabbed her boyfriend in front of everyone, her followers then would kill those who disagreed with the new guidlines, purging the group and consolidating a radical extremist factions, now ready to make their move

Even if she no longer roams the street many of her past live connections remain, especially as her past have carefully being polished in the best way possible to help her career, as a poor girl with a dream coming from a broken family and surviving singing on streets and doing odd jobs, no mention of her...less savoury path at all to her adoring public.

Ironhide G1 · Aug 27, 2016

Name: Mia Yuji
Age: 25
Profession: Pilot
Perks: Personal Ship, Grizzled Pilot
Political Party: National Front
Bio: Mia was born the daughter of a wealthy space pilot and trader, her mother, and an engineer, her father. From a young age, she was taken on trips into space with her parents, and learned from them their trades- from her mother, piloting skills and how to trade on the market, and her father, mathematics and engineering. She quickly picked up both skills eagerly, and loved the fascination of space travel. She especially loved the ship her mother owned, the Voyager. She had a happy childhood, continuing to go with her parents, and picking up the skills. When she was 16 she met a man named Henri Yuji, and both fell deeply in love. She married him at age 18, and had a daughter named Yuri. Henri was a politician in the National Front Party, and she continued to fly with her parents. They spent three happy years together.

However, her carefree life was changed when she was 23. Pregnant with her section child, she was with her husband and parents in the Voyager, docked at a port. Thugs, sent by someone from the Socialist Party, entered into the craft and killed her parents, then bound and gagged Henri. Then, in front of Henri, they beat Mia's stomach and, when she was unconscious, presumed she was dead, and tossed her to the side. Then they proceeded to flay Henri alive, and take his head. Thinking they were done, they departed with Henri's head to whoever sent them. Only three year old Yuri, who had been taking a nap in another compartment, found the carnage in the cabin, and ran screaming out of the ship. She alerted the port authorities through her screaming, and Mia, still alive, was transported to a hospital.

She survived, and spent the next two years taking over her parent's job, while taking care of Yuri. The child she had been carrying was killed by the beating. While still cheerful around her daughter and around others, she is deeply resentful for what the socialists had done to her family. Living on her own has been stressful, but she handles it with great capability.

F72Voyager · Aug 27, 2016

Name: Hae-Soon Park
Age: 31
Profession: RISA Division IV Intelligence Officer
Perks: Intelligence Veteran, Personal Ship
Party Affiliation: Liberal Party
Bio: A colony kid, Hae-Soon Park soon demonstrated enough technical expertise to be hired on as a RISA analyst. After a particularly nasty incident involving [REDACTED] before the [REDACTED] initiated an immediate transfer to Division IV as a field agent. Because he [REDACTED], the [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]. Since [REDACTED], he was given more operational freedom, almost zero oversight, and a small ship ostensibly for smuggling with a single civilian crewman.

jeeshadow · Aug 27, 2016

Name: Choi Jae-Eun

Age: 37

Profession: Politician

Perks: Political Veteran, Consummate Diplomat

Party Affiliation: Democratic Progressive Party / Minjindang (DPP/MJD)

Bio:

Born into a family of Foreign Affairs bureaucrats (both of Jae-Eun’s parents were some of the first employes of the new department after the revolution), Jae-Eun lived a fairly middle class life typical for civil servant families. Her teenage years were dominated by the ongoing Intergalactic conflicts which took a toll on all of Baekdu. Her father would die when his diplomatic ship suffered a navigation error and ended up running into Oligarchical forces in Azeratii space. One of her brothers would die in battle, and two other siblings were injured fighting in the military. Hoping to avoid military service, and serve her Baekdu in another way, Jae-Eun worked exceptionally hard in school, graduating top of her class from secondary education.

For University Jae-Eun decided to follow the newly fashionable trend of going to Azeratii for higher education. She attended a highly prestigious University on Artark known for a great many moderate and CSA political leaders, and other important figures in left-wing Azeratii life. There she majored in Intergalactic Political Relations, before completing a graduate degree in a similar subject.

Jae-Eun had originally held political beliefs more in line with the Liberal Party, but these were strongly challenged on Artark, the bastion of Azeratii left wing thought. At the university she met a fellow student, and native Artarkian, named Alexandrov Lekosiov who was the head of the local CSA student body group, and an active agitator in various left wing protests (in which there were a lot because the Federal Government was never ever left wing enough for many syndicalist organizations). After being in a couple classes together, Alexandrov would ask Jae-Eun out, and the two would date for most of the time Jae-Eun spent in Azeratii. During their relationship, Jae-Eun would increasingly embrace leftist, and Syndicalist, political thought. They would break up shortly before Jae-Eun returned to Baekdu, and the two would both pursue political careers in their respective nations.

After getting her degrees, Jae-Eun would become a diplomat in Foreign Affairs. During her time working for the government she traveled to a variety of different Interstellar factions, and made quite a few connections. She made a quite a name for herself in the government bureaucracy, but she desired more than just to implement policy, she wanted to shape it. So, she decided to run for the National Assembly.

Her constituency is a reasonably safe DPP seat, although originally it was unlikely she would get the party’s support in her run. Then it came out that her opponent was hilariously corrupt, and so she got the support. Due to her experience in Interstellar Affairs, she got a spot on a major committee that handled Baekdu diplomacy.

Jae-Eun would come to national attention during a session of that committee. Hahm Jeemin was also a member of the Committee, before her election as Consul. At some point, Hahm made a comment that Jae-Eun strongly disagreed with. What followed is the now famous “(INSERT NAME) Debate”. It would last over an hour (the Committee Chair gave up on attempting order after about 10 minutes, and left). Neither women really won the debate, but Jae-Eun’s ability to effectively engage and debate a Baekdu foreign policy legend, and clearly articulate DPP interstellar policy greatly increased her standing within the party. Jae-Eun is regarded as a rising star in the DPP.

The vast majority of people who know Jae-Eun say that it is easy to hold a conversation with her, and she is clearly well educated and intelligent. She has also been praised by many of those who testified in hearings before the committees she serves on in the Assembly, as she takes the time to research who she is questioning, and often starts her questioning with specific complements and observations on the individual's works. She has also supported Syndicalist policies at times. Regarding interstellar policy, she supports most of the party’s positions, but is considered more of a moderate pacifist, and very much considers the Dominion a major threat to Baekdu, and democracy in general.

Plutonium95 · Aug 27, 2016

Name: Seung Moon

Age: 28

Profession: Chief Lieutenant

Perks: Navy Veteran, Chauvinist

Party Affiliation:

Officially: N/A
Unofficially: National Front / Gukmin Jeonseon (NF / GMJ)

Bio:

Born twenty-eight years ago in the capital city of Hanseong, Seung comes from a Baekdu family that has had a long line of soldiers fighting for the republic. Her grandmother served as a Junjang under Field Marshal Park Minjung, making the mistake of siding with her during the Thanksgiving Reaction, after which she was put on trial in front of a military tribunal and sentenced to death for treason. Her son, barely out of diapers during the time of her death, went on to fight for the republic, hoping to regain the honor that his mother had lost their family. Despite exemplary scores and performance, he was never able to raise past the rank of captain, his superiors always aware of what his mother had done. Still, he was able to marry another member of the military and eventually the gave birth to Seung.

Seung's parents were transferred from station to station for the first eighteen years of her life. Following her family's tradition, Seung enlisted in the Baekdu Navy after high school and attended the Military Academy at Hanseong. During training at Academy she found herself taking well to the art of war. Following five years of training, they tested her fluency, in an elaborate series of simulated field exercises wherein she and her fellow students led a fleet of warships against advanced computer programs simulating simulating an attack on Myonseong by the Diclonus Dominion. Amid lessons of astral combat, she has hammered with maxims about the importance of the revolutionary zeal in the fight for the republic against authoritarian polities like the dominion.

Her teachers noted her steadfast endurance and aggressive instincts, and it did not take long following graduation for her to rise to the rank of Chief Lieutenant. In her position she quickly earned a reputation as being a tough, but both brilliant and unwilling to ask others to do something that she would not do herself.

While she has remained detached from politics, not wanting to repeat the mistakes of her grandmother, Seung private has voted for the National Front, taking issue with the flood of immigrants who have entered the Republic and the general internationalist stance that the government has taken.

Gorganslayer · Aug 27, 2016

Name: David Weyland, Alias Mark Whitfield.

Age: 32

Profession: CEO of the Weyland Technologies, Former head of the Bio-weapons division of the Weyland Technologies.

Perks: Business Magnate, Shady Contacts

Party Affiliation: Loosely associated with the liberal party

Bio: The Son of the founder of Weyland-Yutani, Peter Weyland. David Weyland was bred to lead the company from an early age. During the companies initial period of rapid expansion he worked with the Diclonius branch of the company where he completed a degree of Advanced Sciences, double majoring in Post-FTL Physics and Bio-modification. He later returned to Albion as the head of the Bio-weapons division working on Project Elizabeth. When the Albion economy defaulted and the galaxy turned against the nation Weyland-Yutani was devastated, losing most of its international departments and the company itself was forced into administration. Following the civil war Peter Weyland was killed in the resulting collapse of control by a Luddite mob. Under David, the company has been reborn as Weyland Technologies. David was forced to flee Albion with the ascension of Oliver II to the throne of Albion, after leaks from Project Elizabeth. While he has in theory given over control of the company to a board of directors behind the scenes he still runs the company with an Iron fist and has spent the last three years on Beakdu rebuilding the former Weyland-Yutani branch. As his influence has grown several conspiracy theories have emerged around him. Notably that he is either a robot, alien lizard or both. As well as persistent rumors that he is in contact with the remnants of the Albion royal family in exile.

Scrapknight · Aug 27, 2016

((Everyone approved so far. Looking good! Keep checking the lore post for more info as time goes on.))

EasternBloc · Aug 27, 2016

Name: Hyeon Cho
Age: Confidential, estimated 40's
Profession: Organized crime leader, President of the Baekduan Alliance of Labor
Perks: Shady Contacts, Backroom broker
Party Affiliation: Whatever suits his agenda best at whatever moment; economically left-wing

Bio: Born in a rough, urban city, Hyeon Cho did what he could to survive. Young, naive, and desperate, Cho become roped into the organized crime in order to find a way out of the poverty that plagued his early life. Using his street smarts and cunning nature, he became very skilled in the business, and Cho worked hard to find his way to the top through whatever means necessary. Revered by his followers, Cho reorganized the syndicate to become the efficient, influential, and infamous group it is today. Not much is known publicly about him or his organization, other the fact that they thrive in the inner cities, are involved with certain undisclosed unions and businesses, and hold shady connections with the Republic's corrupt politicians to weasel their way out of a tight spot. Cho now aims to expand his influence in Baekdu, against whomever stands in his way.

In recent years, there have been rumors that his group had infiltrated various labor unions and organizations, eventually leading to the grand merger of them into the Baekduan Alliance of Labor, of which Hyeon Cho was elected President. Since then the BAL has become among the major, if not largest labor union in Baekdu alongside being the legitimate face of Cho's organization.

Maxwell500 · Aug 27, 2016

Yun Je-sun
CEO of Yun Corporation

Age: 53
Perks: Business Magnate; Political Connections
Party Affiliations: Social Democratic Party / Sahoe Minjudang
Bio:

Born in the years preceding the formation of the Baekdu Republic, Yun Je-sun was the sole child of factory workers, spending his childhood in abject poverty. In order to distract himself from such conditions he concentrated all his efforts into school, this bearing fruit with him coming first in his class and being awarded with a scholarship to Hanseong National University.

The next four years of his life would be spent studying Advanced Computer Sciences, where he excelled and was noted by his professors as being a 'hungry learner, and future visionary'. Following his graduation he was briefly employed as Lee Communications but left the company after only three years, citing an inability to work with such a rigid corporate structure, and stagnant ideas.

Of course Yun had his own ideas, and as such pitched them before a number of investors: this eventually paid off when noted entrepreneur Han Gi-sun offered the financial capital for Yun to found his own company: Yun Corporation. The first few years of the company were not noteworthy and it struggled to enter the technology and communications market, however Yun used the company as a means to gather great minds in the computing fields with great success.

Yun, and his colleagues, would achieve breakthrough in An. 22: they created the very first portable Faster-Than-Light device, which would later come to be known as the YuPad. It not only revolutionized communications on a galactic scale, but it also represented a milestone in technological advances and thrust Yun into the spotlight: that year he was named Future Tech's Man of the Decade and the Yun Corporation officially went public, its share prices reaching record highs on the first day of opening, making him one of the wealthiest men in the Baekdu Republic.

In the decade that followed the Yun Corporation expanded on a galactic scale and in the business sphere: strategic mergers and buyouts led to its expansion in the communications industry. It has developed further technological advances, and panders to a large consumer market, with Yun not only overseeing the company but also acting as its public and marketing face, his 'visionary' outlook being keenly advertised.

More recently Yun has taken up a philanthropic and political role: investing in initiatives aimed at combating poverty, highlighting his own 'impoverished childhood', as well as think tanks dealing with future technological advances. Politically he has aligned himself with the Social Democratic Party, funding candidates and donating to it, however he has not gone so far as to outright join the party.

Sneakyflaps · Aug 28, 2016

"So many soldiers on the other side, I take their lives so they don't take mine."

Name: Alexander Berduk
Age: 29
Profession: Intergalactic banker as the CEO and majority owner of GalCorp Banking Federation, secretly Grandmaster of the Knights of Progress
Perks: Business magnate, shady contacts
Party Affiliation: None.
Bio:
Born into the Berduk family who came to Baekdu two generations ago and heir to his father Joseph Berduk who was a high standing member of the Knights of Progress. The family has integrated well into society, becoming majority shareholders of Galcorp, a gigantic financial institution which they used to secure funds for the Knights prior to their official fall. How the family came to own the shares they do remain a mystery, though several rumours have been about that it was not done through entirely legal means, at least not behind the scenes, as their consolidation of power was followed by several fortunate deaths.

Alexander was born into luxury and wealth that few people know, growing up in a normal life with private schools and education until his eight birthday when he was officially introduced to the order by his father. Following this his education became more and more private, gaining tutors loyal to the order above all else during his teen years. He was trained in shooting, combat and strategy so that he could one day become an officer of the Order and bring about the new way.

Towards the ending of the old order, before the capture of the last Grandmaster the order began falling to internal infighting, something which helped bring about its fall. Following the death of the previous Grandmaster, the remaining officers slowly began to rebuild what they had once had with Alexander and his family in charge, being elected as their new Grandmaster, now providing large funds to the order for new equipment, training a new generation of soldiers for their war.

Soon a new wave will wash over Baekdu, and every man, rich and poor must make their choice, throw off their shackles and follow the true path or die with the old order.

Noco19 · Aug 28, 2016

Gelug Tekdakka

Age: ???

Profession: Spiritual Guide and Architect of the Way of the Soul
Perks: Superstar, Champion of the People
Party Registration: Neutral
Biography:

Born not as the common Baekdu, but instead constructed within the Uksugan polity as a Mechon, a sentient robot, the life of Gelug Tekdakka was storied not by personal achievement nor important role, but with extreme inner conflict. The truths of sentient life were taken for granted by organics, their consciousness, their way of thinking, and their very position within the great cosmological arena had long been debated over, offering a great amount of literary works which could tackle any existential doubts. For the Mechons, a race forged of metals and electronics, they had no such histories, their lifelessness reinforced by organics who regarded them as a thing apart. Even amongst themselves, the Mechons were without harmony, many looking more akin to warmachines and utility devices than beings meant to think.

Gelug Tekdakka was different; whether by defective parts or deliberate design, within him stirred questions, internal issues that demanded answers to the very nature of the universe. Such inquiries greatly distressed him, and gazing into the past, seeing the historic relationship between Man and Machine, he was consumed with fear. In this state, he isolated himself, taking refugee from the outside world and instead looking inward, into the vast web of programming and code that made up who he was. He would emerge a much different Mechon, having found what he believed to be the Primary Truth - all beings, even the likes of a Mechon, possessed a soul, and all life was equal. It was during this time that he would adopt his name of Gelug Tekdakka, shedding his old designation that has since been lost, something which he claims was given to him amidst his meditations by forces unknown.

First beginning in his home polity of Uksugan, Gelug Tekdakka found himself pulled strongly by a calling elsewhere, namely in the Baekdu Republic. Here, he has begun to preach what is known by his followers as the Way of the Soul, a set of principles and teachings that emphasis the beauty of life, and above all else, a promotion of harmony over discord.

Plank of Wood · Aug 28, 2016

ENTER THE IRIS

[Forum Game] Forward the Republic - Signups

Consul of Baekdu

Consul of Baekdu

Consul of Baekdu

Consul of Baekdu

General

King of Queen's

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The Untieable

Captain

Sergeant

Private

Lt. General

Colonel

Second Lieutenant

Consul of Baekdu

Major

dictator perpetuo

Lt. General

Little Creole

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