Authors: M.J Kreyzer
The 451's
A regional gang based out of the town of Desden located in the Argintic region of Northern Solara, the 451's ran a small, ragtag criminal underground that stretched along the Argintic Front, having established presences in Desden, Breckinridge, and Brackis. It was first established in 112 M.I as there was an increase of trade along the Argintic Front and the towns built along it increased in population. As anarchists, the 451's committed a series of hate crimes aimed at human citizens establishing residences in towns that were predominantly Altigan. Their signature was fire, this calling card being used in a prolonged serial crime spree stretching across several decades. Eventually it was disbanded in 229 M.I. following a violent urban conflict with Nathan Hendrick and his newly established four-man war machine known as the Helldogs. Its residual membership eventually joined the ranks of the Dakuya as it continued its hostile takeover of Northern Solara amidst the chaos created by the Relias Wars.
The Darks
Historically, there are two different groups of Darks. The first group of Darks were orthodox Durants, completely devout to their religion and maintaining an isolation from the world. This isolation was desirable as the Darks (labeled as such by a number of corrupt Durant sects) hoped to separate themselves and rid themselves of what they felt to be the perpetuating corrosion of the Durant faith. As such, this migration to north-central Marsecta took place in 1453 M.E. Based out of the city of Brysdal, the Darks found the solitude and complete isolation that they sought in the center of the Brysdal's Alternate Time Field and the accompanying Dead Zone. There, over the course of several hundred years (several thousand by their standards) the Darks constructed Brysdal by carving out the center of a mammoth plateau located in the northern regions of central Marsecta. Due to their isolation and the complete absence of war, death was almost non-existent among the purely Durant population. Their leader, who had been their leader since their initial migration, was Reyzer Phanti, a Durant with teleportation as his Singularity.
Towards the end of the Medieval Epoch, knowledge of the Darks became known as Dark hunting parties were discovered in Central Marsecta by human explorers originating from Eastern Solara just nine hundred miles west. After a series of exchanges between the two groups, it was discovered that the Darks were orthodox Durants while, over the years, the Darks were inaccurately viewed as an extremist cult. This extremism would later prove crucial to their image as during the early stages of the Union's subversion in 246 M.I., they were scapegoated for the assassinations of two Durant Senators from Elysium. This image persisted through until the creation of the United Commune, used to generate racist and hostile views from other citizens of the Commune not just towards the Darks but the Durant race as a whole. After the abolition of the Freedom of Religion, the Durants and Durant disciples who once separated themselves from the Darks named themselves after them, forming the new Darks and making their name household.
The Enforcers
The Enforcers came about in 259 M.I following the defeat of Dark forces at Olsgrad Canyon. When it was clear that the Darks were incapable of waging effective war against the United Commune, former Dark members located all around Arctanica branched off to form a new rebellion known as the Enforcers.
The Enforcers, while having a small Durant membership, were made up primarily of Humans, Arctanicans and, though they were less common, Sirens. While the Darks were viewed to be a predominantly Durant movement, the Enforcers were able to capitalize on the discontent of many people who viewed the Darks as being inaccessible. As such, the broader population who was unhappy with the Commune , its deceit, and its hypocrisy and felt strongly enough that they felt the need to rebel, joined the ranks of the Enforcers.
In the years that followed the events at Olsgrad and the Enforcers' eventual formation, open warfare was generally avoided. While their presence was well known to the Communal leadership, their perceived pacifism convinced the Commune that they would lose more eliminating them than they would by ignoring them. The Enforcers, however, were rebuilding, and with the Darks being hopelessly fragmented it was viewed that they were the last hopes for the return of the Union. (One of the characteristics that best separates the Enforcers from the Darks is their ideology. While the Darks' movement was based around the restoration of the Relias ideology and their freedom to practice their religion, the Enforcers were more concerned about the restoration of the republic and democracy with absolutely no religious implications.)
The Enforcers are led by an Altigan known only as the Matriarch. While her name is unknown, her position as leader of the Enforcers is unquestioned as a result of her cunning in battle, her unwaveringly dominant personality, and her complete refusal to be wrong. Also of note is the complete volatility with which she communicates. The Enforcers are self-governed militarily, with the Matriarch's subsidiaries being referred to as 'the Collectors' who act as regional leaders within the organization. They have their own subordinates known as 'Arrogates' who micromanage the organization.
The United Commune
President (Emperor)- Marcus Lynch
Secretary of Defense/Vice-President- Count Ryder
Treasury Secretary- Count Valkner
General of the Communal Armies- Formerly General Francis Allred, succeeded by General Vladmir Frenz
Head of Communal Weapons Division- Ruby Moriarty
Currency- Steele
The United Commune is the government that was put in place of the Republican Union of Relias in 248 M.I. While it is asserted by the Darks resistance that the United Commune is, in fact, a fascist regime, it is hotly contested by many Communal party members including President Lynch himself that it is a government for the people and the good of the nation. While the history of the Commune is one of violence, it is deemed necessary to secure that safety of the nation and its people.
The Commune's totalitarian nature does not come through legislation. Marcus Lynch accurately believed that a nation cannot be forced into submission. Such a mindset would inevitably result in rebellion and a consequential disruption of the peace. Rather, their views and opinions must be altered to the point where their submission to the dictates of the Commune is not imposed, but made desirable. This feat would be accomplished through complete control of the media and all forms of mass communication. By controlling these outlets, the views of the people would effectively be altered to a degree where their hopes, dreams and goals were congruent with that of the Commune. And by putting control of the government's power and assets in the hands of a few immovable leaders, they would protect the nation from the ignorance and lamentable fallibility of the human race.
Operation
The United Commune operates on a constitution nearly identical to that of the Republican Union of Relias. However, key amendments directly relating to human rights have been met with abolition. As such, laws allowing the private ownership of guns and the practice of a number of religions have been made illegal while a number of other laws securing individuals from far reaching governmental practices have been removed at the request of the people.
With a constitution having reached the satisfaction of the Commune by 250 M.I, it became the goal of the Commune to maintain the sentiments and opinions of the people through a living regulatory document referred to as The Blacklist. This piece of legislation, dictated entirely by Marcus Lynch himself, orchestrates the delicate balance of right-wing and left-wing media to create an environment that best suits the advancement of the ideas and desires of the Commune.
The Blacklist
Simply put, the Blacklist isn't so much a list as it is a set of guidelines. It is the living It maintains a carefully authored balance that is maintained between both the liberal and conservative medias, this balance whittled down to perfection to create just the right amount of conservatism while maintaining a strong, liberal base. These guidelines define how and what is mass communicated. The Blacklist is a living document that changes daily to meet the needs of the Commune and to combat the challenges present in a constantly changing world. What the Blacklist says varies from media outlet to outlet, but its general message remains the same.
Media Control
"To control a man's media is to control his perspective, and by controlling his perspective you can control his beliefs. And by controlling his beliefs you can, with no large amount of effort, rule the world"
- President Marcus Lynch
While most governments control through law and legislation, the United Commune believes in no such thing. Instead, by controlling the media, this media including but by all means not limited to film, television, and news, they were able to dictate how individuals felt on various issues. Through the media they created three trains of thought: Far right conservatism, Far left Liberalism, and Moderation. While the Commune originally desired to propagate ideas that were only congruent with those they wished the people to have, Lynch saw it differently. Instead, he realized that the most important tool in what was essentially mind control, was contrast. Without the far right to illustrate what Lynch felt to be the pervasive and regrettable stupidity of Conservative thought, there was no way to put the benefits and the brilliance of the Liberal Agenda in full perspective. So, with that in mind, Lynch ordered that a staunchly conservative news network be placed not only on the airwaves, but within one or two channel strokes of the extreme liberal news channel. A number of techniques were then used to break down the foundations of the Conservative movement and marginalize what 'victories' they achieved. (These victories, of course, were all at the Commune's design.) As an example, the Liberal channel expressed calm, political discourse, while the Conservative network expressed melodrama and harsh criticism. The opinions of these 'Conservatives' made the movement and lifestyle seem ridiculous, outdated, and ultimately laughable. Slowly and surely, society moved away from the conservatism that the Union was founded upon towards the liberalism that defines the Commune. And those who clinged to conservatism, more and more, seemed selfish, out of touch, with an unrelenting air of arrogance and bigotry. And while it wasn't the opinions that the Commune wished their citizens to have, these people served to galvanize the stronger, more populous base of liberals that comprised the vast majority of the Commune's citizenry. Ultimately, the world was fictitious, a story written at the hand of Marcus Lynch. But because the people believed it to be real and treated it as such, fiction became reality.
All in all, control of the media is the way that the Commune maintained control. They didn't force their citizens to do anything. Instead, they made them
want
to follow the lifestyles that the Commune wished them to live.
The International Army
General Information
The International Army is the basic infantry of the United Commune's military. While they outnumber the members of the First Legionnaire 3 to 1, their funding is also half of that of the Legionnaire forces. The International Army (Referred to most often in its acronym, the IA) wields previous generation rifles of the Freedom Class and are protected only by ballistic vests and helmets. Among a sizable portion of the world's citizens, it is seen as unfair and even criminal that there is such an incredible gap in funding between the IA and the First Legionnaire.
Culture of the IA
The primary difference between an IA soldier and that of the First Legionnaire is commitment to their career. For those soldiers of the First Legionnaire, they've chosen to be career warriors. For the IA, it's more of a temporary job until they can settle on their eventual path in life. In no way, for most of the soldiers of the IA, do they plan on making a life out of being a soldier. Most soldiers join up and serve their terms for the large payouts that their terms usually entail (an illusion, of course, created by the Commune, as all money is taken and redistributed based solely upon need).
There is a passionate rivalry between the two branches of military, however. The IA views the Legionnaires as being pompous, overrated, with an elitism that makes them more like stuffy business executives than actual soldiers. The IA views itself as the true warrior culture, possessing a down-to-earth grit that they feel is lacking in the ranks of the First Legionnaire.
Steele
Steel is the universal, international currency and the officially recognized currency of the United Commune. To give the worth of Steele some perspective, one Steele can purchase a bottled drink. A thousand Steele can purchase a television, thirty thousand Steele can purchase an entry-level sports car, while two hundred fifty thousand Steele can buy a middle class home.
The First Legionnaire
Knights