Modern World STGOD Concept

[Jub]

Do we want to make a new thread to spitball nation ideas or should we do that here?

[Simon_Jester]

For now, since everything is being discussed very informally, it should probably be kept here for compactness. Broad outlines should be discussed among players, possibly at the same time that we're seeing who wants to join.

[Jub]

So here are my ideas for a nation.

Name: The Republic of Dreisgrond

Land Area: 1.6 million sq km (~617,000 sq mi)
Climate: Temperate in the south to arctic in the north
Terrain: Coastal mountains to the west flowing into plains in the east
Lowest Point: Sea Level
Highest Point: Mount Bergvogels 4,718m (15,479 feet)
Arable Land: 5.3%

Noun: Dreisgrondian
Nationality: Dreisgrondian 65%, Other 35%
Languages: Dreisgrondian 70%, English 50%, Other ??%
Population: 86,505,000
Population Density: 54.07 / sq km (140.2 / sq mi)

Stats aside this is pretty much a I'm thinking it will be a high end middle power (think of modern France or Germany and you have the right idea) having backslide from the cusp of being a superpower after a period of upheaval some kind about a two decades or so ago. The government is a democracy run much like Australia's.The largest issues facing the nation are a stagnant GDP, high unemployment, and a satellite state roughly one third Dreisgrond's size and population that split off from the nation during the upheaval that can't decide if it wants to rejoin Dreisgrond or become her sworn enemy.

I'm willing to work with anybody who wants to be neighbors or have a shared history.

-----

Also, keep in mind that this is really rough still and that it's something that will be polished up as ideas come and other nations start to form.

[madd0ct0r]

The Republic of Champa

Land Area: 130000 sq km (~50,000 sq mi)
Shape: A long teardrop shaped country
Climate: temperate in the north hill tracts moving to tropical with a noticeable monsoon by the southern tip.
Lowest Point: Alyam province, several meters below sea level.
Highest point: Chillathong, 20m
Arable Land: 60%
Water 10%
Mangroves (to the south-west): 10%
Urban areas: 10%

Noun: Champa
Insult: Mud-eaters
Nationality: Champa 80% Dreisgrondian 5%, Other 15%
Languages: Champarati 90%, Dreisgrondian 50%, Other ??%
Population: 33,150,000
Population Density: 255 / sq km (660 / sq mi)

A halfway house between Holland and Bangladesh, Champa is small, crowded, hot, wet and worried. It's a long thin country built on the accreted floodplain between two major rivers (and perhaps a hundred minor ones). Historically a bread basket area, which meant they were invaded every other decade by would-be with conquerors with various levels of competency. The lower third of the country used to be dominated by mangrove forest, but only a small sliver of that now remains, and the North-East is effectively in managed retreat before the seas. Dykes are in widespread use around the country, some dating back thousands of years. Reckless peat stripping in the last century (the country is almost without fossil fuels) has caused areas to sink, and pumped drainage for farming has accelerated the problem. Several provinces now have areas below sea level, and nearly all of Alyam province is now highly vulnerable to flooding.
Ideologically, the country is devout Muslim, with traces of the older Hindu beliefs still present in temples and isolated village shrines. Full independence was achieved only within the last few decades, and the independence movement itself was driven as much by a nascent Green party as religious unity. Neither attitude was shared with the coloniser, who is largely responsible for the deforestation of the North-East. With these bloody protests in living memory, the country maintains a reasonable force of amphibious troops for self defence. They have seen much work as disaster relief over the years, and Champa will happily send them to neighbours who need help, since gratitude is cheap and experience is valuable. Champa itself experiences storm-surges and tropical storms with increasing frequency, but also respects the environment as it's best defence.
This, and the country's long history of flooding disasters has made the green party a strong voice in the country's senate. The argument ranging long and loud now focuses on the failure of Powerplant 75b (now nicknamed Loki) which has contaminated a large area of land is a very densely populated country. If the greens prevail, the country will turn it's back on nuclear power for an uncertain future.

EDIT - since now on southern continent, reversed the compass points

[Siege]

Okay; this should give you an impression.

San Dorado

"She came down to reinforce her number."

Jungle Land. Itch City. Hadestown. San Dorado. Man's greatest metropolis and, simultaneously, arguably its worst. 51 million people shackled to the whims of market capitalism at its most profligate, a seething hive of humanity compressed into a paltry 20.648 square kilometers of land. It is an anomaly of international law, a stateless state in the clutches of massive corporations, rife with superstitions and ever teetering on the brink of anarchy. It is a place of unlimited opportunity and terrifying squalor. Every day fortunes are made and lost, and dreams are born and die. And every day more people show up: desperate, reckless, eager, hopeful for that one lucky break. Life here can be exquisite beyond human fathoming or cheaper than a single shekel, and the difference is often only a turn away.

"Just another roll of the dice."

There are many companies and corporations in San Dorado, thousands of them in fact. But only seven of them matter truly. They are Acheron Amalgamated, SANDEX, Helix Industries, SinGen, Sibyline-Hargreave, AxumFinans and Coldstream Delta: the very largest of multinationals, vast conglomerates with hundreds of thousands of employees, globe-spanning reach and limitless ambitions. Their CEOs form the informal cabal that de facto controls all aspects of life in San Dorado, referred to in the city's million streets and alleys by a myriad nicknames: the Gang of Seven, the Rat Lodge, the Perdition Club. These are people of unimaginable wealth who control the fates of millions, who can make or break anyone, with power over life and death. But even men and women as mighty and wicked as they are, it is held, bound by an even higher power.

"There is a tide in the affairs of men."

There is a profound belief, from the lowliest shack in the Sprawl to the most elevated of boardrooms, that luck and misfortune and all the vagaries of fate are more than just coincidences or romantic ideals. No; they are the movements of a fickle, inhuman godhead. To speak Her name is to invite bad luck. She is addressed with veiled bynames. Brokers look for her in flash trading patterns and deep market currents; pawnshops sell tokens and curio professed to have her sanction; counts and reckoners listen for her whispers in the white noise beyond the Shannon limit of their trading systems, or search for signs of her passage in the smoke of burned dollar bills. Her favour is sought at the feet of tiny altars and gilded idols in a million homes, and through rituals encoded in board policies that send shockwaves through the world economy and ripples through the markets. Because, it is known by the billionaire CEOs and the utterly destitute alike, sometimes, something ripples back.

"Everybody slaves by the sweat of his brow."

San Dorado has a strange and ruthless but very clear-cut structure to it. The only recognizable central authority in the entire city is the Community of the Companies of San Dorado. It is the oldest publicly traded company on the SDSE, established at the founding of the city an uncertain number of centuries ago. It runs (some) utilities, maintains (some) public spaces, sets (some) policies and priorities, appoints the mayor and the chief of police and generally prevents the city from falling apart completely. Shareholders are allowed to vote for its Board; as most of its shares are in the hands of the Gang of Seven its policies are direct extensions of the financial interests of the companies that control all life in the city. The Community and, by extension, Mayor Emma Greyfriar, are puppets.

Because make no mistake: it is the corporations who rule. The Community has no say over corporate property, which is to say most of the city. The police barely employs any officers, and is instead forced to hire the services of vast private security consortiums. There is no court, only arbitration; there are no centrally organized armed forces; there is no escaping the vertically integrated monopolies; there is no feasible way to resist. It has been tried; the response is always the same. The Gang will reply with swift, brutal, and unforgiving violence. So in effect, the only practical limit to the power of a member of the Perdition Club is its other members.

"Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city."

San Dorado is built on a peninsula bisected by the Slate river. This river runs south-to-north, widening progressively until it drops into Lake Ventura, the caldera of a long-extinguished volcano. Excavations support the view that San Dorado grew from pastoral settlements on the same crater lake islands inside Lake Ventura that today are the center of the Downtown area and the heart of the city.

The Downtown archipelago consists of 18 volcanic islands scattered in a ring through Lake Ventura. The largest island covers 119 km2; the smallest 12 km2. The islands are flat except for incidental stair-step morphology that is the result of ancient eruptions lifting parts of the landscape. The bedrock here consists mostly of basalt, rhyolite and other volcanic rocks with occasional veins of quartz and obsidian. The islands used to be highly fertile ground, but have long been completely covered by high-rise.

The main downriver shipping channel cuts through the middle of Downtown. Shortly after exiting Lake Ventura the Slate splits: its tributary the Blacker cuts to the sea in the east, whilst the main body of the river meanders west. The Slate then connects to San Dorado Bay and the ocean through the Big Slick strait. This narrow body of water is known for its treacherous tidal currents and has numerous unflattering nicknames because of it: Bad Shekel Strait, Suicide Strait and Heartbreaker Strait are some of them.

The city is divided into five wards: North, East, Downtown, West, and the southern Sprawl. San Dorado has a tropical rainforest climate, characterized by high temperatures and high humidity. Monsoon season happens two times a year: from December to early March, and from June to September. Weather patterns change briefly but dramatically immediately after the end of each monsoon: shifting global pressure gradients result in a few short weeks of cool and dry winds before the oppressive heat and humidity resumes. Those handful of 'dry spell' weeks are the only thing close to distinct seasons the city knows.

NORTH
Backstreets

The smallest of the wards, North encompasses the land north of the Slate-Blacker delta. Technically this landmass is an island, but it is connected to the rest of San Dorado with so many tunnels and bridges it might as well not be. North Ward is split into two distinctly different areas: the east, which is mostly covered by the massive freight terminals and industrial harbors of Rivet Point and Shell Sound; and the western parts which are mostly upper class resorts, retreats and gated communities, the most exclusive of which is La Palma island. The two areas are firmly separated by a volcanic ridge called the Cressida Heights and the esplanades of Vandycke Parks.

EAST
Badlands

The ward east of the Slate is mostly considered a lower class area to live in, filled with harbors and light industry. The dream of many inhabitants of this area is to make it big and move west. Notable exceptions are the infotech-heavy San Veronica Valley (‘Glitch City’) and its outgrowth Delta City, as well as the seaside resorts and amusement parks of Skin Beach and the surrounding bohemian neighborhoods famous for their lewd entertainment. To the south the East Ward becomes increasingly more dilapidated as it tapers off toward the Sprawl proper.

SOUTH
Jungleland

The Southlands, the Pits, Snuff Central or simply The Sprawl: South Ward has many names and none of them are nice. 32 percent of the city’s total population lives in this ward, the neighborhoods of which vary from poor but otherwise decent areas like Shaker Downs, to the ghettoes and shanty towns of Diemos Square and Scratch Street, to the unimaginable squalor of places like the Marrowbones. The worst of these areas have no official authority at all, and the corporations only manifest in the shape of patrolling drones and helicopters. Some fifteen years ago the Sprawl was center of the Brick Riot, the biggest insurrection against corporate authority in recent memory. Lead by the enigmatic ‘Hobo King’, this civil insurgency forced the Gang of Seven to draw most of their PMCs back to the city to restore order, which ultimately happened by cordoning off and systematically levelling the entire Short Bluffs neighborhood.

WEST
The Price You Pay

West Ward is the home of the middle to upper classes. Light cargo harbors, workshops and vast office parks alternate with shopping malls and affordable housing districts, as well as the flashy casinos and movie studios of Hue Town. The aspirations of most of those living in the sedate lowrise apartments of Westfield or Redgate Hills is to one day move north or even Downtown, but at the same time most people here are well aware of their privileged position inside the corporate hierarchy. If anything, the inhabitants of West are involved in a furious, never-ending rat race competition to keep up with their neighbors in displays of bourgeois wealth. West Ward is the largest and simultaneously most spacious of all the districts of San Dorado, covering most everything to the west of the Slate. It includes the only relatively untouched patches of badlands in the city, in the Sandy Run and Chiton Bay areas.

DOWNTOWN
Blinded by the Light

The glittering heart of San Dorado beating with light and money and information and power, a forest of a thousand skyscrapers rising up like the arms of Tyche Firstborn herself. The islands of Downtown are carpeted with some of the most singularly expensive high-rise in the world. From the stock exchange on Rampart Street, along the Miracle Mile lined with headquarters of the city’s greatest corporations down to City Hall on Concord Avenue, Downtown is the central core around which everything in the city revolves. It is the home of the richest of the rich and the essence of their power, an essential hub of banking and commerce and digital information for not just San Dorado but the world beyond, a playground for one percent of the one percent where the neon light never fades. Downtown is an exercise in obscene riches: the most exquisite of boutiques and the most exclusive suites, the ritziest hotels and most decadent of nightclubs are all here. At night the million million lights of Downtown drown out the dark and can be seen from space. To the people living in the squalor of the Sprawl its never-ceasing incandescent glow is both irresistible and haunting; Downtown might be only a few dozen kilometers away as the crow flies, but for them, it might as well have been built on the moon.

[Simon_Jester]

San Dorado is awesome, and I am increasingly convinced the Umerians would send diplomatic communiques to it by sailing a ship with a big-ass radio into the nearest body of international water, picking a radio frequency, and beaming messages titled "To Whom It May Concern."

I'd be interested in joining something like this but instead of a nation on the rise maybe a nation on the decline. A once superpower who's bubble has burst creating a rapid decline. I'd take it up on the rebound like early 2000's Russia.

So here are my ideas for a nation...

Half the fun of playing a nation that has had decline of late is playing one with noticeable dysfunctions, in my opinion.

Do you have an alcoholic president or a macho oligarchic strongman waiting in the wings? How did this country stop being large and in charge?

What are the roots of Dreisgond's biggest problems? Just wondering...

[Force Lord]

I'm interested in joining. Maybe do a constitutional monarchy or go fascist again.

First of all, & I think I've said this before but I feel really bad about how SDNW4 blew up while your computer was down & the story we were planning ended up not happening cause of that.

I'd be quite happy to work with you again FL. Maybe even as allies this time.

No problems with that. Hopefully I might get enough opportunities to post here, since my Internet access at home is being rationed.

[Thanas]

Hey Siege, would you mind if our nations have good trade relations? I'd love to RP with you if I got time.

[Siege]

Sounds great to me . I had a lot of fun cooperating with you in #3, if we can do something like that again I'm all for it.

[Jub]

Half the fun of playing a nation that has had decline of late is playing one with noticeable dysfunctions, in my opinion.

Do you have an alcoholic president or a macho oligarchic strongman waiting in the wings? How did this country stop being large and in charge?

What are the roots of Dreisgond's biggest problems? Just wondering...

I still intend for there to be larger problems. I'm just trying to decide what they should be, and what caused the collapse still. I just wanted to get something down while I had a bit of energy after work.

-----

Thinking a bit I know that they will have lost their breadbasket when their former state broke away. So that's caused them to be a food importer rather than an exporter.

[Steve]

I have two possible countries in mind, although the latter is shaping up to me to be more of an NPC that various people can get involved in.

The first, especially if others are interested in sharing a replica (or near replica) of North America with me, would be to indulge my usual tendency to be a creature of habit and to bring back the idea of Cascadia, or rather a Cascadia-centric west coast republic that would stretch from the Arctic coasts of Alaska and Yukon to the deserts of Baja and Sonora, and from the Pacific Coast itself to the Rocky Mountains' eastern foothills and the Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers. A large federation of regional republics, multi-ethnic in its make-up, bound together by common defense and a culture of civic duty and republican virtue that is the flip of the coin to San Dorado's emphasis on wealth and splendor, with its power projection being the usual mix of a strong navy and economic strength.

Conversely, and my idea for what might instead be a major NPC, would be the Omnian Empire; essentially a traditionalist monarchy with many oriental trappings in it that commands a large multi-national empire that managed to survive to the modern day. The Emperor lives in his luxurious palaces, surrounded by wealth and splendour, a host to massive parties and often to be found enjoying the luxuries of the harem, while a theoretically loyal Premier runs the government day-by-day with input from the Emperor (or his Heir). Heirs and viziers and corporate officials can scheme and manipulate in the capital and the confines of the palaces, manipulating the pashas and emirs and high nobility right up to the Emperor Himself in some cases, with the occasional assassination or murder to be seen (especially since anyone would want the luxurious life of the Emperor). With great wealth in natural resources this Empire survives in the LaGrange point of the more "modern" states; it's too big for them to effectively attack on their own and no coalition could ever form against it because the Empire can inevitably make it worth the whiles of others to break the coalition up. Granted, even with its military not being entirely crappy, the days of the Empire being able to conquer neighbors are long over. And there's always the possibility that one day the various nationalities or religious groups within the Empire may yet provoke the uprising that ends the long reign of the Emperor, chosen of the Great God Om....

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

I have two possible countries in mind, although the latter is shaping up to me to be more of an NPC that various people can get involved in.

The first, especially if others are interested in sharing a replica (or near replica) of North America with me, would be to indulge my usual tendency to be a creature of habit and to bring back the idea of Cascadia, or rather a Cascadia-centric west coast republic that would stretch from the Arctic coasts of Alaska and Yukon to the deserts of Baja and Sonora, and from the Pacific Coast itself to the Rocky Mountains' eastern foothills and the Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers. A large federation of regional republics, multi-ethnic in its make-up, bound together by common defense and a culture of civic duty and republican virtue that is the flip of the coin to San Dorado's emphasis on wealth and splendor, with its power projection being the usual mix of a strong navy and economic strength.

Conversely, and my idea for what might instead be a major NPC, would be the Omnian Empire; essentially a traditionalist monarchy with many oriental trappings in it that commands a large multi-national empire that managed to survive to the modern day. The Emperor lives in his luxurious palaces, surrounded by wealth and splendour, a host to massive parties and often to be found enjoying the luxuries of the harem, while a theoretically loyal Premier runs the government day-by-day with input from the Emperor (or his Heir). Heirs and viziers and corporate officials can scheme and manipulate in the capital and the confines of the palaces, manipulating the pashas and emirs and high nobility right up to the Emperor Himself in some cases, with the occasional assassination or murder to be seen (especially since anyone would want the luxurious life of the Emperor). With great wealth in natural resources this Empire survives in the LaGrange point of the more "modern" states; it's too big for them to effectively attack on their own and no coalition could ever form against it because the Empire can inevitably make it worth the whiles of others to break the coalition up. Granted, even with its military not being entirely crappy, the days of the Empire being able to conquer neighbors are long over. And there's always the possibility that one day the various nationalities or religious groups within the Empire may yet provoke the uprising that ends the long reign of the Emperor, chosen of the Great God Om....

If you try that, we will be such great friends, I mean, ENEMIES.

[Simon_Jester]

Conversely, and my idea for what might instead be a major NPC, would be the Omnian Empire; essentially a traditionalist monarchy with many oriental trappings in it that commands a large multi-national empire that managed to survive to the modern day. The Emperor lives in his luxurious palaces... a theoretically loyal Premier runs the government day-by-day... scheme and manipulate in the capital and the confines of the palaces... with the occasional assassination or murder... With great wealth in natural resources this Empire survives in the LaGrange point of the more "modern" states; it's too big for them to effectively attack on their own and no coalition could ever form against it because the Empire can inevitably make it worth the whiles of others to break the coalition up.

So, basically the Ottoman Empire, but somehow having survived through the twentieth century? Iiiinteresting.

You know, that actually looks a lot like what Umeria might be if the Republicans hadn't overthrown the emperors, and then the warlords overthrown the Republicans, with the scholar-bureaucrats finally conspiring and irately overthrowing the warlords because they were sick of civil wars and wanted to get back to their paperwork.

"Hey, big bad warlord with a screaming horde of light infantry? Guess what it's easier to do when half of your soldiers know how to read? Why, use artillery, that's what!"

[kaboom kaboom kaboom]

Umeria's history is inspired by China, except with a somewhat more pragmatic scholarly class in their equivalent of the Qing era, which remained the glue holding everything together after the equivalent of the Nationalists took over, and absorbed/supplanted the populist/modernist forces that in historical China drove the Communist revolution. It helps that the general populace was actually getting sick of 'democracy' by the time the Nationalists fell apart, to the extent that some of the warlords pitched themselves as protecting various minorities (like successful farmers) from the Republic's guillotines.

Granted, even with its military not being entirely crappy, the days of the Empire being able to conquer neighbors are long over. And there's always the possibility that one day the various nationalities or religious groups within the Empire may yet provoke the uprising that ends the long reign of the Emperor, chosen of the Great God Om....

The centrifugal forces at work here would almost have to be comically intense. I'm not sure what would have held the system together assuming something recognizably similar to nationalism arose in the 19th and 20th centuries.

[Skywalker_T-65]

The Kingdom of Arcadia

Land Area: 500,750 sq km
Shape: An island nation, four main islands with dozens of smaller islands scattered around the mains.
Climate: Temperate to Sub-Arctic (think Iceland)
Lowest Point: Port Glacia, slightly below sea-level
Highest point: Mount Krakta, 2,400m
Arable Land: 25%
Water 20%
Forests: 20%
Urban areas: 35%

Noun: Arcadian
Nationality: Arcadian 90 % (25% Glacian, 20% Mannar, 22% Larenan, 18% Saranaian, 5% other islanders), Other 10% (to be filled out once I figure out who I'm near)
Languages: Arcadian (primary), English (secondary)
Population: 95,313,000
Population Density: 212/sq km

"Something of an anomaly in modern times, the Kingdom of Arcadia remains as a reminder of days gone by. A nation ruled jointly by four monarchs, each with equal sway over how the nation is run in its day-to-day existence. Unlike the vast majority of the world, that has moved on to various other forms of government from Republican democracies, to state-run Communist dictatorships, the Kingdom remains ruled by the monarchs, with only a small Parliament to counter the Royal influence. Because of this, the Kingdom is often at odds with itself, much less its neighbors.

The four Main Islands (Glacia to the north, Mannar to the west, Larena to the east and Sarana to the south) remain the core of the Kingdom of Arcadia. It was the largest of these islands, cold Glacia, that lead to the 'unification' of the disparate kingdoms that ruled each island until roughly three hundred years ago. With roughly equal militaries, and only a small edge in population, Glacia was unable to unite the Arcadian Islands under her rule entirely. Because of this, Queen Irena of the Empire of Glacia instead proposed a federation of sorts. The Main Islands, formerly independent of one-another, would jointly rule the Arcadian Isles, remaining semi-autonomous states under a united Kingdom of Arcadia (each star on the Kingdom's flag representing an island: Green for Mannar, Blue for Glacia, Red for Larena, Brown for Sarana).

This 'united' state boasts a surprisingly large population and land-area. While not a super-power, or really holding the potential to become one aside from high-technology, Arcadia is a firm middle-power. The nation boasts a high-GDP for its size, due in large part to the presence of Kratka Industries, a multifunctional conglomerate producing anything from ships to automobiles. Because of this, Arcadia relies in large part on exports to other nations, lacking the richest of raw materials (such as gold). The nation, however, also heavily relies on imports to feed its population, due to lack of available farming land.

Unsurprisingly considering its status as an island nation, Arcadia relies on (and invests heavily in) a strong naval force. Considered in some circles as anachronistic with its continued reliance on battleships and heavily armed gun-cruisers, the joint Kingdoms that make up the nation maintain these ships for their use in bombarding land targets and for the tight confines of most of Arcadia's territory. The navy does maintain an air arm, though it is by no means the focus like it would be in other nations.

All in all, Arcadia is a nation behind the times, despite its high technological level."

--James Smith, 'Nations of the World.'



----------------------------

Eh, I decided to have some fun with it. This Arcadia is going to be substantially more dysfunctional than the SDNW5 Republic, that's for sure. Neighbors are open to anyone who wants a large (and by large, I mean bigger than Japan) group of islands nearby.

[Simon_Jester]

[leans over]

Pssst, would you like to collaborate on an antiship missile project or three?

[Steve]

On thinking of it, I may alter Cascadia by making it more like Britain, that is, make it an island nation (sufficiently big island) or something. Especially if nobody else wants to do a "North America"-esque continent.

[Siege]

I really don't think you need a copy of North America to make it work.

Pssst, would you like to collaborate on an antiship missile project or three?

Don't be silly. I can assure you that Helix Industries can and will sell you all the antiship missiles your heart desires, for the low low price of... Let's see, how about a century's worth of lease on some of natural resource deposits? And this means no unfortunate accidents befall your weapons labs either. It would be a real shame if your lead missile designer stabbed himself to death, wouldn't you agree?

[Thanas]

Here is my nation, subject to mod approval of course.

Rheinland
Full Name: The Empire of Rheinland (when addressing the state), The Imperial and Federal Union of Rheinland and lesser territories (when addressing the Empire and the free cities)
Former Names (in chronological order): Imperium Rhenanum, Holy Rhenanian League, Rhenanian alliance, Rhenania, Magna Rhenania, Empire of Rheinland and lesser territories
colloquially known as Rheinland or simply The Empire.
less favorably called: Empire of Blood and Diamonds, Bloody mongers, Death traders


Geography: (won't go into much detail here as neighbours etc has to be worked out. Also don't want to claim specific country shapes so that anybody can take those. Geography might change).
Rheinland is on a dwarf continent dominated by the river Rhine. It has several climate zones, the north being dominated by glaciers, sub-arctic mountains and tundras whereas the south has subtropical temperatures. (Think Norway - Italy for climate zones).
15% is arctic and subarctic, aka barely inhabited except for nomads and specialized resource extraction. Legend has it the north is rich in minerals but aside from diamond mining it is not economically feasible to extract them
10% is cold temperate (think Sweden)
55% is temperate climate
20% is subtropic (think Italy)
The Rhine is the mightiest of rivers in the opinion of the Rheinländer. It has a total length of over 8000 km and is up to 300 meters wide at its mouth. It is capable of handling ocean going shipping up to the temperate climate. Only the bravest and most skilled of swimmers manage to cross it - a total of five people have survived an attempt at the mouth of the river. The dwarf continent has a total area of ~600.000 square miles, with everything but the arctic and sub arctic temperatures suitable for settlement.

Rheinland also holds dominion over two Island areas. The first (Westrheinland) is of temperate climate and lies to the west of the mouth of the river rhine. It has an area of ~90.000 square miles. The other (Ostrheinland) is located on the other side of the globe, is of temperate climate and consists of three islands totaling 60.000 square miles.


Total population: 182 million
Rheinland does not count its citizens according to ethnicity, but according to their location and place of residence. To aid travelers, the following general guide makes references to ethnicities.

Nordrheinland:
Population: 25 mil
Nordrheinländer inhabit the North and Islands located of the northern coast. They predominantly have blond or red hair with blue eyes. A notable minority are the nomads inhabiting the Tundra. They survived the 80 years war without significant casualties, being the only population that has risen throughout the entirety of Rheinlands existence and which has a near-normal gender ratio.

The North is filled with legendary riches, but most of those are not worth it with current tech to go after. Aside from the Diamond mines and the state-owned Oil/gas/mineral fields for the strategic reserve there is almost no mining going on, preserving the legendary beauty of the north and its mountains.

There are small cities in the north, but no large city of note. The River Rhine ends in the north.


Rheinland: 90 mil

Rheinland is both the name for the Empire as well as for this territoriy, which makes up the core of Rheinland. Sadly, modern ocean going shipping is not able to cross into Rheinland proper, which means the River is filled with lots of barges. During the 80 years war Rheinland perfected the art of modular assembly, with pieces of finished ships being shipped downstream from the Rhein valley to be assempled on slipyards.

The population inhabiting the temperate climate of Rheinland is mostly situated in cities along the River. The Rhein valley (an area located behind the capital Rhenania) is the industrial heartland of Rheinland, the result of massive relocation of industry during the 80 years war. The Rheinländer population is mostly caucasian (think a mix between polish, german, french, russian and dutch people). The population has finally returned to pre 80 years war levels, though the gender ratio is 1.2 female to male.


Südrheinland: 18 mil
The Südrheinländer are inhabiting the south of Rheinland. (think Italian and Spaniards). They suffered the most grievous losses to terror bombing during the 80 years war. Their population has still only reached half of what they numbered before the 80 years war. Their gender ratio is 2.1 female to male.

Due to the conscious decision to give up the south to bombing during the 80 years war, the South was turned from the heartland of Rheinland into the backwater. The only noteworthy industry remaining are the great shipyards and harbours fed from the Ruhr valley, with stretches of railroads connecting the parts (in addition to river barges). Still, historians can only cry at the loss of the great Southern cities, who used to be much more populated and richer than the north.

However, due to the horrors of the war, South Rheinland has become the most progressive of all the nations part and is slowly turning into a beacon of culture for Rheinland. Resettlement programs are under way.


Ostrheinland: 42 mil
The Island nation formerly known as nippon (now Ostrheinland) before the 80 years war. A mixture of various Asian ethnicities (mostly OTL Japanese, Koreans, chinese, Vietnamese and Phlippinos). Their population suffered the least during the 80 years war and is the only population that has well surpassed the population numbers before the 80 years war and they are nearing a normal gender ratio.

The three Islands have become a major exporter of foodstuffs and cultural items, which for some odd reasons the youth of Rheinland seems to love.


Westrheinländer: 11 mil
The former inhabitants of a nation (now Westrheinland) whose name has been struck from history. Caucasians. The slums of Rheinland are found here, with almost all of worth being moved to Rheinland proper. The entire Island stands as a memorial to the 80 years war and a warning to all who enter Rheinland (as all ships have to pass the Island and air corridors are purposely rerouted to cross over to the devestated south from Westrheinland). The only sizable export are agriculture and education, as the old universities were allowed to keep functioning.

The population of Westrheinland has shrunk from 30 million pre-war to 11 mil post war, with most of the population having resettled in Rheinland proper or in other countries. Rheinland actively encourages such migration.


Immigration:
Everybody can immigrate to Rheinland. In fact, immigration is actively encouraged as Rheinland has plenty of (now deserted) space. As long as anybody is willing to swear loyalty to the state and its values, he is guaranteed to be on the fast track of becoming a permanent resident, with full citizenry usually bestowed after six years of residency.


Society:

Rheinland is a society that is defined by the river and by its history. Throughout the century, Rheinländers generally have a love for the sea and mountains while abhorring flat plains (except for well organized, efficient farming).

Before the 80 years war, society was defined via allegiances to a particular region and house. With no fewer than 83% of all houses and lineages being cut by the war, very few original houses remain and Rheinland has now transformed to a society defined by an overarching state. The members of those houses that can trace their history back for over 2500 years however still enjoy some privileges - though not political or economic ones.

Rapier fencing is the national sport of Rheinland, with major fencers drawing crowds of adoring millions. The use of judicial duels is forbidden but people might engage in them of their free will if they pass a grueling training process. This obligation is waived for members of the ancient houses who by their very nature are deemed fit enough to always fight (and which explains why they were overrepresented in the casualties list in every war Rheinland has ever fought).

The 80 years war was the traumatic event from which Rheinland society has never truly recovered. Before the war, Rheinland was a conservative nation widely derided for its approaches to traditional styles of living and oppression of women. As Rheinland lost almost half of its male population during the 80 years war, women are overrepresented in society and form by far the largest population group. In fact, some claim the mass mobilization of women during the 80 years war was the decisive advantage which allowed Rheinland to defeat its enemies despite suffering horrendous losses. Women have all the rights men do.

Due to the upheaval of the reforms and popular movements during the 60s and 70s following the war Rheinland has grown into maybe the most tolerant nation of alternative lifestyles, same sex- and polygamous relationships. Still, the family ideal is the two-person traditional marriage, even if it gets less and less important.


National symbols:
- The Dolphin is the state animal of Rheinland. Killing any dolphin is punishable by death. This has been the case since The Great Miner, Johannes XIV, was saved by a dolphin from sharks when his ship foundered.
- The Whale is the animal of Rheinland's cities, symbolizing their wealth. Killing any whale is punishable by exile to the frozen north or forced lifelong labor in the diamond mines.
- The Eagle is the animal of the state apparatus, including the armed forces (except the Navy which wears golden (subs) or silver (surface) badges). Killing any eagle is punishable by up to twenty years in a military prison.
- The leopard (a cat imported from far away countries originally for a mad king) is the animal of the head of state. It is not uncommon to find somewhat domesticated leopards following the Kanzler (and by somewhat we mean that the last "incident" happened over five years ago and was relatively mild - just one death). Go ahead, try to kill it.


Law:
Rheinland generally follows the same rules as other nations. However, there are some key differences:
- Rheinland does have strict gun control laws, except for in the case of war.
- Rheinland does have the death penalty. In an unchanged custom since over 5000 years ago, convicted persons are made to either swim the river or join the landsknechte. A reform movement to abolish the death penalty has gained traction and seems to enjoy the support of the current government.
- Due to the experiences of being occupied by a violent occupier with no regards for the rules of war, rape is considered as bad as murder in Rheinland's criminal code.
- Crimes committed in uniform are harshly penalized. Rheinland military law has over 50 seperate offences resulting in the death penalty.
- Building, selling or owning strategic bombers is considered a warcrime under Rheinland law. Rheinland closely monitors all outgoing goods. This does not apply to goods destined for El Dorado, but applies to all goods imported from El Dorado. Rheinland will not persecute foreign nationals unless they are caught in Rheinland territory.
- Rheinland considers the killing of whales and porpoises as murder and will prosecute any whaler caught to the full extent of the law.


Foreign policy:
- Rheinland is a non-aggressive nation owing to the experiences of the eighty years war. Non-engaging in any war is a staple of Rheinland foreign policy, except for a valid casus belli, which include but are not limited to:
a) attack upon an ally (Rheinland has no allies - yet?)
b) use of strategic bombers by any party
c) mass murder of civilians/disregard for the rules of war
Even if there is a casus belli, Rheinland will generally not engage in a war due to the societies' disinterest in war.
- Rheinland claims the standard Economic exclusion zone around its territories.
- Rheinland supports free trade except in the case of nationally sensitive industries.
- Rheinland will always push for the abandonment of whaling.
- Rheinland hates pirates (except for the state-sanctioned privateers)
- Rheinland pushes to criminalize any kind of mine.
But most of all: Rheinland just wants to be left in peace and trade (and recover).


National quirks:
- Calling somebody a "Bomber" is a deadly insult.
- Calling somebody a "Panzer" on the other hand is a great compliment. Calling somebody a "Jäger" is the highest compliment there is in Rheinland.


Armed forces:
- Conscription applies to all able-bodied males and females (and even fatties can either get in shape or sit in front of a computer screen). Conscription is for one year, of which 9 months are training and the rest actual service in the reservists.
- Conscription serves as an entry requirement to Rheinland's military.

Rheinland's military is over 2500 years old and traces its origin back to the legions of the old Rhenian empire. It consists of the Navy, Army, Air Force, submarine force, space Navy and the forces of the Free cities.

Army: Total size and equipment TBD.
With supremacy on all of its continents and isles, the Army has gotten the short end of the stick of recent funding. The bulk of it consists of reservists and defence units suitable to repelling an invasion, but not of conducting it without substantial extra training and preparation. There is a small force of units to which this does not apply and who are always in fighting shape:
- The four legions (size and equipment to be TBD). The only one of 22 original legions who have never lost an eagle and can boast of an unbroken line. In deference to their seniority, no other unit in the army may carry the Aquila standard (though due to the number of decorations throughout their history each legion actually carries up to eight aquila standards). [Motto: Rhenania invicta]
- The six tercios (size and equipment to be TBD). Originally formed from the southern cities, the tercios are the primary striking force, whereas the legions are the elite. [Motto: Never broken]
- The various brigades making up the bulk of the army
- special forces and others TBD Just assume Rheinland has some of the necessary ones.


Navy: Motto: "Das Schild und Schwert" (sword and shield)
The Navy used to be the secondary service, but with the annexation of Ostrheinland has turned into the primary service in terms of expenditure, if not quite in prestige.
Size and equipment TBD


Air Force: Motto: "Do you feel lucky? Well, do you, bomber?"
The newest of the big three. The Air Force has no strategic bombers (due to....yep, 80 years war).
The Air Force is built on fighters and fighter-bombers, with a few strike aircraft for the army.
Total size and equipment TBD. Probably has a bulk of aging fighters which will need to be replaced soon.

Submarine force: Motto: "Der Teufel fährt mit" (devil rides along)
Due to their gallantry during the 80 years war, the submarine force is a favorite (especially among women who require less supplies). Size and equipment TBD. Probably the main strike force is centered around half nuclear and half diesel boats like the 212A.

Space Navy: Motto "Von Stern zu Stern"
- underrated stepchild. Never gets the funding it deserves.


Forces of the free cities:
Due to ancient privilege, three southern cities of the Empire have been allowed to keep their own armed forces (others have that privilege as well but choose not to utilize it). Despite their official title, these forces are not based in the cities, but are rather semi-mercenary companies (meaning they sell their services to the highest bidder but are not allowed to operate outside Rheinland law or ignore any superseding Rheinland orders.)

The following forces are currently active:

Landsknechts Motto: Wein, Weib, Gesang (Whine, women and song).
The history of the Landsknechts is both a sordid and a proud one. Landsknechts are the biggest of the three companies, numbering about 20-50.000 men at times, with potential enlargement during the case of war. They are some the fiercest fighters (like in the battle of Devil's Atoll where they defended a vital arstrip to the last men). Their ethos mirrors that of the tercios (No surrender, no retreat) and they will generally follow orders to the last man. However, their equipment is usually outdated and their ranks are mostly made up of condemned criminals (any condemned can request death by river or service in the Landsknechte according to the law). Still, they are a good shockforce if you don't want to waste your more elite troops. They are usually the spearhead of the Empire.


Likedeeler Motto: Jedem das seine (everybody gets what he deserves)
The Likedeeler are similar to the Landsknechte, but serve as a sort of private Navy to those in need of it. Their fleet consists of surface ships of the Navy. However, they are also rumored to have been hired by ecoterrorists to go after whalers incognito. At least three whaler ships were sunk by an unknown sub the last year and many suspect the Likedeeler had a hand in it. Rheinland will prosecute any Likedeeler who brakes the law.

Schwarze Bande, aka Der schwarze Haufen Motto: classified, rumored to be either "Heeya, heeyo", "to the last" or "Fuck them".
The only force in Rheinland which can go toe to toe with a legionary force. These are the high end guys who sign up for profit and/or professional pride. They usually form the bodyguard of the Reichskanzler and are known for their black uniforms mirroring 15th century plate armor. Their size and strength is a closely guarded secret. Many suspect them to be special forces.


While the free forces are associated with Rheinland, their status as free cities makes them semi-sovereign entities. Should anybody declare war on them and engage them Rheinland would not bet an eye. That is why one uses either The Empire of Rheinland (when addressing the state) or The Imperial and Federal Union of Rheinland and lesser territories (when addressing the Empire and the free cities)


Architecture and cities
Due to the devestation of the Eighty Year's war Rheinland is filled with deserted cities. A resettlement program is rumored to be announced by the current chancellor, though many of the toxins seeped into the ground and unexploded munitions made such a process extremely costly. In fact, the old capital, Rhenania magna, was completely abandoned due to having been bombed so many times and now only a few select buildings remain open. The current capital, Rhenania, was actually the city of Cologne before being renamed. The same process repeated itself in the south where most of the countryside is still in ruins. Few of the valuable buildings inside cities survived. The same is however not true for the countryside, which is littered with castles and historical buildings. One famous guide reads "you can't shoot a cannon without hitting a castle here".

Modern or rebuilt Rheinland cities do not feature skyscrapers, which are unusual if not outright prohibited. Instead, nearly every house has an air shelter and parks are littered with gun mounts or old AA guns. A vibrant Bunker subculture has developed around communal shelters, who are often the place to be for concerts and raves.



Economy:
Rheinland economy is generally based on importing raw materials and exporting industrial goods. (think Germany for core Rheinland).
However, both Ost and Westrheinland do not feature the same level of development. Westrheinland is an agriculture state which is kept alive with subsidies. Ostrheinland varies enormously in wealth and development and it is not unusual to see tradiitonal methods of fishing thriving next to industrial manufacture. All in all, one might categorize Westrheinland and Ostrheinland as second-world levels of development.

Rheinland is renowned for its diamonds, both industrial and jewelry. The diamond mining is a state monopoly.

More details as I edit this, my PC is on its last legs.

[Force Lord]

Currently I'm thinking that my country would start out as a fascistic (in-game, National Populist) regime under a ruthless, cunning and yet aging leader who is growing concerned over who (or what) will replace him. He doesn't believe that his party subordinates, so long living under his shadow and lacking in outstanding personalities, are capable of succeeding him. Therefore he toys with the prospect of restoring the old monarchy, overthrown decades ago due to a republican coup (which caused a socialist revolution and civil war, and ultimately led to the creation of the National Populist regime). He continually hesitates, however, fearing that the new monarch would prove impossible to control and pursue an independent path that could end National Populism. Increasingly in despair over the fate of his regime, the dictator becomes more and more paranoid, irritable and withdrawn, which may make him vulnerable to those unscrupulous sycophants around him who, however, pursue their own agendas.

This country (which I'm calling Granadia) is facing a stagnant economy and depressed living standards, due to decades of underinvestment in consumer industry, while the heavy industrial sector struggles with dated technology and infrastructure, and agricultural output is lagging. The Armed Forces are large but its equipment is increasingly in need of replacement and its morale is sketchy at best. The populace is growing increasingly restive, and protests are becoming more frequent, though few are yet demanding an overthrow of the National Populist regime. Said few, however, are impatient: terrorism against the government, be it from communists, anarchists, religious extremists or fanatical nationalists from the minority groups, is on the rise. Grenadia is at a crossroads, and awaits its fate.

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

Republic of Fuso
(Fúsāng Gònghéguó, Fusō kyōwakoku, Busang Gonghwaguk, Republika ng Fuso)

Geography
Land area: TBD
Shape: TBD
Climate: Varies from tropical in south to temperate in north
Lowest point: TBD
Highest point: TBD
Arable land: 25%
Permanent crops: 15%
Other (urban areas etc.): 60%

People and Society
Noun: Fuso
Ethnic groups: Japanese 28%, Filipino 25%, Korean 13%, Chinese 9%, Malay 7%, Vietnamese 6%, other 12%
Languages: English (official; primary language of administration and education), Mandarin Chinese (official), Japanese (official), Korean (official), and Tagalog (official); other languages of note include Spanish, Dutch, German, Cantonese, Hokkien, Vietnamese, Cebuano, Ilocano, Malay, and ~100 other regional languages/dialects
Population: TBD
Population density: TBD

Thanas' proclamation of "Ostrheinland" has thrown a giant wrench into my plans, but I think I can still make this work. Depends on how long ago this "80 Years' War" was.

[Thanas]

If necessary, I can always remake Ostrheinland into some other 3 islands somewhere. Like I said, I am not claiming historical countries or even actual country shapes.

[Force Lord]

I was thinking of making my returning monarch as coming from a Rheinlander royal family (assuming Rheinland is like the Second Reich or even the HRE), though it all depends on how available Thanas is and Rheinland's political structure.

[Thanas]

Well, Rheinland is supposed to be like the Roman Empire of the West and its successor states, but it is not those states. I am going with the "similar, not same" approach in case others want to claim those countries (though I can't see how a Roman Empire would work here just speaking historically). For one, the Rhine is about four times as big as in Reality here.

Sure, use any of Rheinland nobility you want. Finalizing history right now, feel free to use what you want from there.

[Skywalker_T-65]

Mine's still in the developmental stages.

So anything other than the 'four main islands ruled by four monarchs in a 'united' Kingdom' is preliminary.

[Force Lord]

Geography-wise, my country's more like an unified Iberian Peninsula (Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar). I haven't decided if to include analogues to their overseas territories (such as the Azores, the Canaries, the Balearics, Madeira, etc.).