Your opinion on a interesting fact about the AN (II)

[The Fylkirate]

[Cream Noise]

Honestly...that's pretty damn interesting. If ye don't mind me asking rather than poring through factbooks, what exactly was the Nordic Reformation?

Long story short? After they get defeated in a Holy War in Denmark and have yet another holy site of theirs burned by the Solarians (TTL's stand-in for Christians), a bunch of volva, gothi and other priests all around the lands that still worship the ancient Norse religion band together in Uppsala and reform their religion into an organized religion so they can survive against Solarianism. Something similar later happens with the Baltic people in Prussia, Lithuania and Latvia but like, a couple centuries later /skip

[Borgevia]

That's a dangerous weapon, but I do wonder how violent your world is to warrant both psychological and literal warfare with such weapons. Not complaining, Borgovia is also a specialist on social engineering so it's a curiosity.

---

Tourists from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Singapore sometimes don't know why Chinese-Borgovians refuse to use Shaoxing Wine, a type of cooking wine used in many Chinese, Vietnamese, and Malaysian cuisines. Chinese-Borgovians still speak their language, their culture kept alive, and are practically multi-lingual Chinese because the government historically considers them an "equal" to the historically ridiculous "Roman master race" and thus, their identity must be preserved but also seen as a tool to make Borgovia the strongest incarnation of Rome: Rome + China merged into one! History being so generous to Chinese in Borgovia, why do they still cook their food differently?

For starters, it was a trend initiated by a famous chef in Vina Del Mar who one day ran out of rice wine to make Dan Dan Mian and ran out of Shaoxing Wine. He opted for Chardonnay and became a hit when Chiang Kai Shek, leader of Taiwan on a diplomatic meeting with President Paoli, visited his restaurant after hearing stories about the chef. President Chiang assumed Wang was being experimental and trying to show the beautiful harmony between Western and Eastern cuisines; he believed Wang was kidding when he said they're out of Shaoxing cooking wine. Since wine is cheap due to government subsidies and the Chinese population supporting the recognition of "Republic of Taiwan" as an independent state due to anti-communist sentiments, Borgovians began trying it out. It became the default way of making Dan Dan Noodles to the point menus have "Dan Dan Mian (Borgoviana)" and "Dan Dan Mian (Sichuan)" to differentiate the styles. The "Borgoviana" style make use of almonds alongside peanuts and uses spicy tomato sauce mixed with traditional Chinese chili oil with parsley, rosemary, basil, lemongrass, and cinnamon. Chardonnay is the default due to tradition, but other wines, including red and rose, are also used to cook the noodles.

[The Empire of Occitania]

Now I like my wine, but the thing that perhaps stuck out to me the most during all of that is that Borgovia subsides wine. Is Borgovia's wine industry struggling? If it requires government subsidies, I cannot imagine its wines to be of a particularly high quality.

---

Since Occitania's foundation as a sovereign state in 1229, its monarchy has practised the absolute cognatic primogeniture system of succession, wherein the the eldest child of the sovereign succeeds to the throne, regardless of gender. As such, Occitania was the first country to adopt absolute cognatic succession laws, and this is usually attributed not only to the Occitan concept of paratge, but also to its Cathar religion, within which men and women are treated as equals. As a result of the laws governing succession in Occitania, 15 of its monarchs have been female, whilst 12 have been male. Occitania's female monarchs have also tended to reign for longer periods of time, with Occitania having been ruled by an Empress for a combined 517 years (average reign of ~34.5 years), and an Emperor for a combined 301 years (average reign of ~23.2 years).

[Arkeyana]

That's a dangerous weapon, but I do wonder how violent your world is to warrant both psychological and literal warfare with such weapons. Not complaining, Borgovia is also a specialist on social engineering so it's a curiosity.

The Federation hasn't fought a proper, full-scale war in almost 400 years as of the present day-most of it's dealings are with nations far behind it in advancement. In turn, most of it's military conflicts have been either "cripple this party's infrastructure and strangle them until they croak a surrender" or "Scare them so shitless that the very concept of a war with the Federation being suicide will be ingrained into their mythology."

So, not violent, just Utopia's philosophy of "Be pacifist by being so pants-wettingly terrifying that no sane mind would consider a war"
/skip

[The Fylkirate]

Now I like my wine, but the thing that perhaps stuck out to me the most during all of that is that Borgovia subsides wine. Is Borgovia's wine industry struggling? If it requires government subsidies, I cannot imagine its wines to be of a particularly high quality.

---

Since Occitania's foundation as a sovereign state in 1229, its monarchy has practised the absolute cognatic primogeniture system of succession, wherein the the eldest child of the sovereign succeeds to the throne, regardless of gender. As such, Occitania was the first country to adopt absolute cognatic succession laws, and this is usually attributed not only to the Occitan concept of paratge, but also to its Cathar religion, within which men and women are treated as equals. As a result of the laws governing succession in Occitania, 15 of its monarchs have been female, whilst 12 have been male. Occitania's female monarchs have also tended to reign for longer periods of time, with Occitania having been ruled by an Empress for a combined 517 years (average reign of ~34.5 years), and an Emperor for a combined 301 years (average reign of ~23.2 years).

That's pretty cool. I mean, I already knew Cathars were vaguely pro-equality (at least for their time) and allowed female clergy, but I have to question the existence of Absolute (cognatic) Primogeniture in the feudal age. Despite what CK2 suggests, there is no historical grounds to believe that women wouldn't get passed for their younger male siblings in any kingdom -even those who didn't follow Salic Law and even allowed female rulers in the first place.

---

The thing that most don't appreciate about the Jomsvikings is that while they may sound like a Religious Military Order like the large number of orders that patrol the roads of the Levant and persecute non-Solarians, it is also -as its name sounds- a band of mercenary vikings. Pretty much every sworn brother of the Jomsvikings is a viking and summer raiding campaigns are one of the primary ways to make revenue. Prior to the Nordic Reformation, women were far and few in the organization -the most famous was Ingrid of Jomsborg, a famous shieldmaiden that moved to Frisia after the Danish-Frisian War ended), but after the reformation established equality as on of its primary doctrines, it's far easier to see Shieldmaidens and pirate women -adherents to the Germanic Faith of course- in the forts and on the raids.

[The Empire of Occitania]

That's pretty cool. I mean, I already knew Cathars were vaguely pro-equality (at least for their time) and allowed female clergy, but I have to question the existence of Absolute (cognatic) Primogeniture in the feudal age. Despite what CK2 suggests, there is no historical grounds to believe that women wouldn't get passed for their younger male siblings in any kingdom -even those who didn't follow Salic Law and even allowed female rulers in the first place.

Of course, Catharism might have been egalitarian for its time, but I acknowledge that that alone wouldn't see the law change. The Occitan concept of paratge played a more important role that I perhaps failed to make clear enough, particularly with its emphasis on tolerance. That being said, I should have perhaps mentioned the role of Princess Joana, Ramon II's eldest child. It was through her popularity and clever politicking on her part that saw the law actually be changed to allow for her to be seen as her father's heir.

/skip

[Godular]

Equal opportunity cutt-throats! Very progressive!

---

The Godulan Probability Drive, while ‘slow’ over large interstellar distances, is remarkably versatile and features prominently in a wide variety of weapons systems. Godulan military doctrine can typically be summarized as ‘Throw Everything AND The Kitchen Sink!’, and incorporates large amounts of cheaply produced munitions that can be hurled at the enemy in short order.

The most damaging aspect of the probability drive in this context is that it can alter the momentum a drive-equipped object to whatever is needed on completion of transit, with no change in the activation energy of the drive. Combined with the geometrically reduced transit calculations within a star system, this has the relative effect of enabling a ship to go from zero velocity relative to C-frac, or to sometimes even give the impression of altering travel vectors instantaneously.

And the drive itself is cheap to produce, and the targeting protocols handled elsewhere, literally ANYTHING the Godulans have in the area can be turned into a projectile of cataclysmic power.

[A m e n r i a]

So I assume your nation is a Ranger faction, which prioritizes range and power but lacks defense? I prefer the steamrolling faction, but to each their own.

The Amenrian military build in a nutshell is "armour, guns, and more armour, missiles optional". Most Amenrian tanks and infantry have higher raw attack and defence stat than foreign counterparts, and the Kuya and Komodo tanks can be upgraded with missiles to deal with aerial targets or as extra firepower against buildings or other tanks.

The major drawback would be the high cost of the units, which prevents tank spams in early game. Another potential weakness is its lack of specialization. While mostly good against other tank-heavy factions like the Neo Ottoman Empire or the Vatican, its anti-air capabilities are not as good as Ascion's, and it's not very good at early-game rushes or against such rushes.

[Coryanhafflaruda]

oof, well having a average level millitary can be tough if your fighting against a tank spamming nation.

{you can read my history factbook for more context}

The lifestyle of people dwelling in the underground shelters was tough, diseases spread due to tight spaces, food and water shortages that can even last for decades, and crime such as robbery and murder was rampant. The shelter was supposed to be a system of bunkers connected together, filled with resources needed, and food/water farms for all civillians to survive and be happy in this apocalyptic world. Now, its a dark tunnel leading you to dirty, smelly or abandoned rooms filled with lurking criminals and strangers, it has become a dystopia within a supposed 'utopia'.

There was no form of government organization, everyone divides themselves into gangs that members hope to survive in the damp bunkers. Families torn apart by gang wars, robbery was rife. Thousands dead. This continued on for surprisingly only 80 years, until new organized parties that were ancestors of pre-war parties who rose to power and the masses supported them with no other choice. However, many people feared and escaped the bunkers such as the wastelanders.

The new party called OIOU {Organizational Institute of the Underground or the Institute} became the 'official' government of the entire bunker, following a ideology of autholitarian republics, they strive for the complete unification of the shelters, it's president Joseph Unova was put in power and started a new era for the bunkers. Forming a millitary-police force to maintain enternal stability within the system, new fast growing farms were constructed and the people began a sense of hope in their life.

Lasted for just 50 years until a civil war started against the Institute's party rivals, leading to a new government in charge. However, everytime a new power came, a civil war followed suit. This type of order lasted for the entirety of the underground era. Making Coryans tired of this loop, the people rose up against the last government and overthrew it. They eventually left the bunkers which they scouted and saw the planet... fixed.

[Palmyrion]

oof, well having a average level millitary can be tough if your fighting against a tank spamming nation.

{you can read my history factbook for more context}

The lifestyle of people dwelling in the underground shelters was tough, diseases spread due to tight spaces, food and water shortages that can even last for decades, and crime such as robbery and murder was rampant. The shelter was supposed to be a system of bunkers connected together, filled with resources needed, and food/water farms for all civillians to survive and be happy in this apocalyptic world. Now, its a dark tunnel leading you to dirty, smelly or abandoned rooms filled with lurking criminals and strangers, it has become a dystopia within a supposed 'utopia'.

There was no form of government organization, everyone divides themselves into gangs that members hope to survive in the damp bunkers. Families torn apart by gang wars, robbery was rife. Thousands dead. This continued on for surprisingly only 80 years, until new organized parties that were ancestors of pre-war parties who rose to power and the masses supported them with no other choice. However, many people feared and escaped the bunkers such as the wastelanders.

The new party called OIOU {Organizational Institute of the Underground or the Institute} became the 'official' government of the entire bunker, following a ideology of autholitarian republics, they strive for the complete unification of the shelters, it's president Joseph Unova was put in power and started a new era for the bunkers. Forming a millitary-police force to maintain enternal stability within the system, new fast growing farms were constructed and the people began a sense of hope in their life.

Lasted for just 50 years until a civil war started against the Institute's party rivals, leading to a new government in charge. However, everytime a new power came, a civil war followed suit. This type of order lasted for the entirety of the underground era. Making Coryans tired of this loop, the people rose up against the last government and overthrew it. They eventually left the bunkers which they scouted and saw the planet... fixed.

Only by strength and guile can a nation reap the bounty of rich harvest and weather the worst of storms.

---

The following applies for the Greater Dienstadi continuity of Palmyrion.

Thicc, Fit, and Curvy: How Societal Militarism Affects Beauty Standards

---

By Margaux Vera (for FHM Palmyrion)

Palmyrion, for all its social progressivism and liberalism, is one of the most militaristic nations in Greater Dienstad. Its culture bears a strong martial component centred around the importance of martial skill, readiness, and accomplishment, a culture formed from Palmyrion's blood-drenched and battle-hardened culture.

Palmyrion was formed by an ethnic minority fleeing from persecution by Lardite cultists in northern Holy Marsh. They settled in modern-day Palmyrion, and from there had to endure Lardite incursions, Spanish and British colonisers, and even more Lardites in their post-colonial history - and after having been cemented by the Roaring Twenties and baptised by fire by the Age of Strife from 1935 to 1984, Palmyriom's martial cultural component has become an intimate part of Palmyrian culture, and with it a major foundation of Palmyrian modern day beauty standards.

Gun companies literally advertise on TV about weaponry and accessories, and in those advertisements models ranging from muscular men to "slim thick fitness girls" are en vogue, if not the industry standard. Even seasonal adverts during Women's Month and LGBT Pride Month are no exception - while the former celebrates Palmyrian women being soldiers, mothers, lovers, and comrades, and the latter celebrates the LGBT community of Palmyrion, gun advertisements in Palmyrion are epitomes of thirst traps nonetheless.

A study on beauty Standards conducted jointly by UP Aragon's College of Social Science and Philosophy and Centre for Women and Gender Studies showed that 76% of men and 84% of women favoured a "plus sized, slim thick" body type for girls and a muscular mesomorphic body type for men, with an agreement on both sexes for a preference for well-toned muscles. The results of the study accommodated, among others, same-sex attractions and one's desired body image, hence why respondents voted for beauty standards of their own sex.

Yet another study found out, this time done by the Ateneo Lu'Bruska de Aragon and the Adamson Academy, concluded that men and women were more likely to buy from a gun supplier or manufacturer (both of which, as a side note, have significant overlap in Palmyrion), if they employed advertisement models that matched Palmyrion's beauty standards, more so than from gun suppliers and manufacturers who employed advertisement models that didn't; those that didn't use any model at all placed a distant third.

Palmyrian beauty standards for women can be summed in three words: "thicc", curvy, and fit. Likewise the beauty standards for men revolve around muscular men with a mesomorphic body type. One can compare both standards to Renaissance-era beauty standards, though on the slimmer side for women - and for women it has led to the "balakang babe" phenomenon with women known for "thicc" and well-toned hips and thighs. After all, what do you expect of beauty standards from a socially liberal, militaristic society with a strong gun culture telling you to bulk up and get fit? Well, you do bulk up and get fit.

[Champagne Socialist Sharifistan]

oof, well having a average level millitary can be tough if your fighting against a tank spamming nation.

{you can read my history factbook for more context}

The lifestyle of people dwelling in the underground shelters was tough, diseases spread due to tight spaces, food and water shortages that can even last for decades, and crime such as robbery and murder was rampant. The shelter was supposed to be a system of bunkers connected together, filled with resources needed, and food/water farms for all civillians to survive and be happy in this apocalyptic world. Now, its a dark tunnel leading you to dirty, smelly or abandoned rooms filled with lurking criminals and strangers, it has become a dystopia within a supposed 'utopia'.

There was no form of government organization, everyone divides themselves into gangs that members hope to survive in the damp bunkers. Families torn apart by gang wars, robbery was rife. Thousands dead. This continued on for surprisingly only 80 years, until new organized parties that were ancestors of pre-war parties who rose to power and the masses supported them with no other choice. However, many people feared and escaped the bunkers such as the wastelanders.

The new party called OIOU {Organizational Institute of the Underground or the Institute} became the 'official' government of the entire bunker, following a ideology of autholitarian republics, they strive for the complete unification of the shelters, it's president Joseph Unova was put in power and started a new era for the bunkers. Forming a millitary-police force to maintain enternal stability within the system, new fast growing farms were constructed and the people began a sense of hope in their life.

Lasted for just 50 years until a civil war started against the Institute's party rivals, leading to a new government in charge. However, everytime a new power came, a civil war followed suit. This type of order lasted for the entirety of the underground era. Making Coryans tired of this loop, the people rose up against the last government and overthrew it. They eventually left the bunkers which they scouted and saw the planet... fixed.

Only by strength and guile can a nation reap the bounty of rich harvest and weather the worst of storms.

---

The following applies for the Greater Dienstadi continuity of Palmyrion.

Thicc, Fit, and Curvy: How Societal Militarism Affects Beauty Standards

---

By Margaux Vera (for FHM Palmyrion)

Palmyrion, for all its social progressivism and liberalism, is one of the most militaristic nations in Greater Dienstad. Its culture bears a strong martial component centred around the importance of martial skill, readiness, and accomplishment, a culture formed from Palmyrion's blood-drenched and battle-hardened culture.

Palmyrion was formed by an ethnic minority fleeing from persecution by Lardite cultists in northern Holy Marsh. They settled in modern-day Palmyrion, and from there had to endure Lardite incursions, Spanish and British colonisers, and even more Lardites in their post-colonial history - and after having been cemented by the Roaring Twenties and baptised by fire by the Age of Strife from 1935 to 1984, Palmyriom's martial cultural component has become an intimate part of Palmyrian culture, and with it a major foundation of Palmyrian modern day beauty standards.

Gun companies literally advertise on TV about weaponry and accessories, and in those advertisements models ranging from muscular men to "slim thick fitness girls" are en vogue, if not the industry standard. Even seasonal adverts during Women's Month and LGBT Pride Month are no exception - while the former celebrates Palmyrian women being soldiers, mothers, lovers, and comrades, and the latter celebrates the LGBT community of Palmyrion, gun advertisements in Palmyrion are epitomes of thirst traps nonetheless.

A study on beauty Standards conducted jointly by UP Aragon's College of Social Science and Philosophy and Centre for Women and Gender Studies showed that 76% of men and 84% of women favoured a "plus sized, slim thick" body type for girls and a muscular mesomorphic body type for men, with an agreement on both sexes for a preference for well-toned muscles. The results of the study accommodated, among others, same-sex attractions and one's desired body image, hence why respondents voted for beauty standards of their own sex.

Yet another study found out, this time done by the Ateneo Lu'Bruska de Aragon and the Adamson Academy, concluded that men and women were more likely to buy from a gun supplier or manufacturer (both of which, as a side note, have significant overlap in Palmyrion), if they employed advertisement models that matched Palmyrion's beauty standards, more so than from gun suppliers and manufacturers who employed advertisement models that didn't; those that didn't use any model at all placed a distant third.

Palmyrian beauty standards for women can be summed in three words: "thicc", curvy, and fit. Likewise the beauty standards for men revolve around muscular men with a mesomorphic body type. One can compare both standards to Renaissance-era beauty standards, though on the slimmer side for women - and for women it has led to the "balakang babe" phenomenon with women known for "thicc" and well-toned hips and thighs. After all, what do you expect of beauty standards from a socially liberal, militaristic society with a strong gun culture telling you to bulk up and get fit? Well, you do bulk up and get fit.

A beauty standard I empathise with.

In Sharifistan letters of marque and reprisal are commonly issued against ships that enslave Muslims.

[Godular]

Ever watch Dorohedoro? I suspect that might be a good image reference for beauty standards

BAH NINJA'D

AN: Sooooo... what do those do?

---

This fact is an answer to the query regarding my last 'interesting fact'

So I assume your nation is a Ranger faction, which prioritizes range and power but lacks defense? I prefer the steamrolling faction, but to each their own.

Partially correct. Godulan Military Doctrine can be summarized in a few different ways, but largely boils down to 'Kill the other guy before he can hit you'. Most military strategy is geared towards maximizing one's own strengths while negating any advantages that might be possessed by the enemy, that is after all part of Sun Tzu's adage about the commander who knows both himself and the enemy.

Godulan Weapons are quite efficient at negating the benefits of heavy armor. Case in point: The Fractal Gun. The Shatterspace anomaly produced by a fractal gun's pulse rips even quarks apart at the seams, so whatever benefit one might have in that spiffy little neutronium-unobtanium-metal-that-is-only-found-in-THAT-nation is functionally denied. There are ways to mitigate or even counter the Fractal Gun, but it isn't going to be with SUPERSTRONK STALINIUM ARMOR. Some folks have already gone a decent way into figuring out ways to do so, and it really isn't that hard...

But keep in mind, nobody has more experience with the Fractal Guns than the Godulans. Whatever you think of, it is quite likely they figured it out first... and accounted for it.

[Borgevia]

Now I like my wine, but the thing that perhaps stuck out to me the most during all of that is that Borgovia subsides wine. Is Borgovia's wine industry struggling? If it requires government subsidies, I cannot imagine its wines to be of a particularly high quality.

---

Since Occitania's foundation as a sovereign state in 1229, its monarchy has practised the absolute cognatic primogeniture system of succession, wherein the the eldest child of the sovereign succeeds to the throne, regardless of gender. As such, Occitania was the first country to adopt absolute cognatic succession laws, and this is usually attributed not only to the Occitan concept of paratge, but also to its Cathar religion, within which men and women are treated as equals. As a result of the laws governing succession in Occitania, 15 of its monarchs have been female, whilst 12 have been male. Occitania's female monarchs have also tended to reign for longer periods of time, with Occitania having been ruled by an Empress for a combined 517 years (average reign of ~34.5 years), and an Emperor for a combined 301 years (average reign of ~23.2 years).

No. Wine production is big in Borgovia, that specific chef basically ran out of Rice Wine that day and accidentally started a trend that later became a part of Borgovia's cuisine.

@AN: Sounds like a threat to many nations. I wouldn't be surprised if there's covert operations to disrupt or obtain such a feat.

---

In 1959, Borgovia improved relations with the British and Germans due to the Cold War. Also because President Paoli doesn't buy the "Roman master race" myth that defined Borgovia's history and is quite a cosmopolitan despite his occasional racist slips especially towards the Russians whose culture he also appreciates; think of an Australian guy in Thailand: they sorta look down on Thais but also not really hate them and find their culture fascinating.

This initiated the third and final "Political Art Project". The first phase being various European powers, the USA, and others, the second project is the creation of equally extravagant embassies for Greece, Arabia, and Albania. The third and final ones are for Britain, West Germany, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Egypt, and India. Because Paoli was so fascinated by Medieval Bavarian and Swabian culture & history, the embassy looks like a mix of Nuremberg Castle and Ulmer Munster: A hilly fortified castle village with a very tall church in the centre. One such decor is a marble statue by the mess hall of a Swabian man holding a plate of Maultaschen, a traditional Southern German dumpling dish. To make sure the embassy is as "German" as possible, the embassy was built near Valparaiso. It's mountainous so it's a bit "Germanic" and it's coastal to represent the Hamburg port. A museum of Germanic Engineering was also built since anti-German sentiment was very high in 1950s Borgovia, a show of a "Savage" people enslaved by the Romans into being envied Engineers would hopefully change the people's perception of Germans, especially since they're on the front lines of the Iron Curtain. The museum being built inside the embassy also means visitors get to see the Swabian and Bavarian culture President Paoli was so fascinated by, and how he's open about his addiction to Maultaschen. The British Embassy is built with similar care, taking into account the Welsh, English, and Scottish culture and mixing their architectural style into one extravagant castle surrounded by ocean and gifts of artisan crafted British ships as mess halls, storage, or offices.

No such elaborate projects took place since because Borgovia democratised and the government find extravagant spending on taxpayer's expense for artwork to be bad management. However, there's still citizens who think Borgovia should commission new embassies with such extravagance since Borgovia was known as the country that go above and beyond in the name of beauty.

[The united American-Isreali empire]

i personally like

"The city of Xiamen in PRC has a marble statue of Hua Qiangda, a Borgovian commander during World War II. When Japan and Thailand broke the alliance with Borgovia, Thailand invaded Laos and Cambodia which at the time was territory of the Empire of Vietnam while Japan invaded China, Philippines, and Indonesia of which Indonesia is Dutch, Philippines is American, and China is its own sovereign entity.
Commander Hua led a small group of Borgovians to sneak past Japanese lines and into the city of Xiamen to arm, train, and prepare for a rebellion in Japanese occupied areas with the goal of moving southward to have a landing ground for Borgovian, US, and other Latin American countries to land to begin their liberation of China, meet up with the KMT-PLA alliance inland, and dispose the Pham Royalty in Hue who swore fealty to Hirohito and bring back the exiled Vuong-Nguyen household back into power, essentially freeing Vietnam from Japan's influence. While the fight to dispose of Japan's puppet monarch was bloodier than usual, the mission in China was a success and Southern China was liberated, giving room to send supplies and troops to the KMT before pushing out all of Japan's occupation.

In 1977, when the PRC and Borgovia rekindled their relations, since Borgovia was staunchly anti-communist, Deng Xiaoping commissioned a marble statue of General Hua Qingda in Xiamen where he and his men landed, a symbol of Chinese-Borgovian historical friendship, especially since Hua Qingda himself is of Chinese descent. Hua Qingda was also named "Xiahou Dun Er" or "The second Xiahou Dun" who was a general during the 190s three kingdoms era whose left eye was pierced by an arrow. Xiahou Dun yanked out the arrow and ate the eye. Hua Qingda's right eye was hit by DIY arrows by the low-supplied Japanese troops in Hanoi, feeling an opportunity to give a morale boost to his men, he repeated history."

its intresting as they they have a alternative history to ww2, i must say that they are a asian super power.

[Eorwic]

-Bullshit that I'm not going to respond to-

I waited literal hours for someone to you to edit this, but fuck it. Learn how this thread works. You respond to the fact you've been provided. You don't pick something from the factbooks. That's for another thread.

---

My Actual AN: My main question is, was President Paoli's actions in this regard supported by the population -I can assume they didn't oppose it, given the embassy is still there. Also, honestly it's pretty cool that at least someone in the country knows how politics work and isn't beholden to some ahistorical view about muh master race.

---

After Harald the Conquerer successfully invaded Angland from Norge and defeated Harold Godwinson and William the Bastard, he needed to compensate his Jarls, Þegns and lendmenn. One of the main ways he did so was confiscating the lands of rebelling Anglo-Saxon nobility once they inevitably revolted the Nordman rule and redistribute it to those who were more loyal to him. The other -more immediate and inevitably less costly- way was to pretty much sell whoever he had managed to take hostage during the Battle of Hastings and the Battle of Stamford Bridge into thralldom. Either to the person he was trying to compensate directly, or to others so he could pay his men with the income. This, of course, enraged the Norman nobility along the Albion Sea (TTL's English Channel), something that was made even worse when his successors inevitably claimed its seat and actually conquered it thanks to successive "marriages" between his dynasty and theirs.

[Karamiko]

Confiscating land from rebel nobles, and giving it to loyal vassals who desire gifts already, seems like a perfectly fair way for Harald to kill two birds with one stone. As for his selling his hostages into slavery, that's extremely barbaric by modern standards, but as it was, it gave Harald the resources he needed for his vassals (as well as unintentionally claiming him yet another kingdom a few centuries down the line). Overall, it looks like Harald was quite a resourceful and creative king, at least when it came to keeping his vassals happy.

Antarctic political geography is quite boring on the surface - the ANC regularly wins the most votes in every prefecture - but underneath it's slightly more interesting. The left-leaning Social Democrats are strongest in Western Antarctica, particularly on the Antarctic Peninsula, while the right-leaning Liberal Democrats are strongest in Eastern Antarctica, particularly along the coast from Bandao to Saigo. The ANC itself is strongest in Nanji and Vostok, which are considered bellwethers in national left/right disputes.

[Gylthas]

Is the ANC divided, is there a deep state, or what?

---

HIH, John Oliver, Prince of Wesgorn, is good at ballet. He entered a ballet troupe when he was 18, and went on to become the star of his troupe. He had to stop when he was 26, because that was when he became the Imperial Prince of Wesgorn, after completing his mandatory Princely and Imperial Governorship Schooling. Although he is 45 now, he's still got it. He now funds ballet schools nationwide.

"If I weren't given the burden of being the Crown Prince, I would have been a star ballet dancer." -HIH, Prince John Oliver

[Coryanhafflaruda]

Well, if i became the president of my own country, I'd certainly like to open video gaming as a college course.


The lifestyle of people dwelling in the underground shelters was tough, diseases spread due to tight spaces, food and water shortages that can even last for decades, and crime such as robbery and murder was rampant. The shelter was supposed to be a system of bunkers connected together, filled with resources needed, and food/water farms for all civillians to survive and be happy in this apocalyptic world. Now, its a dark tunnel leading you to dirty, smelly or abandoned rooms filled with lurking criminals and strangers, it has become a dystopia within a supposed 'utopia'.

There was no form of government organization, everyone divides themselves into gangs that members hope to survive in the damp bunkers. Families torn apart by gang wars, robbery was rife. Thousands dead. This continued on for surprisingly only 80 years, until new organized parties that were ancestors of pre-war parties who rose to power and the masses supported them with no other choice. However, many people feared and escaped the bunkers such as the wastelanders.

The new party called OIOU {Organizational Institute of the Underground or the Institute} became the 'official' government of the entire bunker, following a ideology of autholitarian republics, they strive for the complete unification of the shelters, it's president Joseph Unova was put in power and started a new era for the bunkers. Forming a millitary-police force to maintain enternal stability within the system, new fast growing farms were constructed and the people began a sense of hope in their life.

Lasted for just 50 years until a civil war started against the Institute's party rivals, leading to a new government in charge. However, everytime a new power came, a civil war followed suit. This type of order lasted for the entirety of the underground era. Making Coryans tired of this loop, the people rose up against the last government and overthrew it. They eventually left the bunkers which they scouted and saw the planet... fixed.

[Karamiko]

Is the ANC divided, is there a deep state, or what?

There isn't a deep state - although, Gods forbid, our former PM Tomio Batra might have liked to create one. Your first guess is more on the money. Controversial government proposals typically lose around a third of ANC votes as well as those of other parties. The ANC has center-left, center-right, and pure centrist wings, as do its voters. ANC voters support the party because of its dedication to balanced and pragmatic decision-making, an ideal that reaches across the entire Antarctic political spectrum. As a result, when the ANC really messes up, it's likely to lose a lot of voters, simply because it has so many voters to lose. When the Kateel corruption scandal broke in 3013, the ANC lost two-thirds of its voters and lost every prefecture except Vostok and Nanji. Typically, a competent ANC leader (such as Mayweather) slowly wins the lost voters back after such meltdowns.

/skip

[Borgevia]

I'm surprised such a government lived this long, but kudos to the people who've had enough of politicians being, well, politicians. However, I can't help but feel sorry the average person have to endure so much bs and violence, only to have to end it with violence. At least them leaving the bunker is a start of a better world, right?

---

President Paoli's voting law wasn't dismantled until 2019. The law states that voting age is 17 minimum, but a maximum voting age of 55. Those over 55 will have to pass a competency exam valid for only one year to be allowed to cast a ballot. Paoli was aware that older Borgovians hold beliefs and ideas that will threaten his Democratic Reforms, and so, to make sure Borgovia's Democracy, upon him stepping down as dictator, stays healthy and pure, only those with a healthy mental state are allowed to decide how a country should be run. He's also aware that the older one gets, the more resistant they are to change, which he knows will stagnant and even destroy Borgovia's democracy into that of a Banana Republic. In order to make sure an older citizen is mentally stable enough to have a valid opinion, they must show they can still retain a minimum of High School knowledge, and informed on the latest news as well as have the mental capacity to problem solve High School physics problems. It was originally set to be outlawed in 2016, but with Americans calling public healthcare "too left wing" and being unaware that Clinton, Trump, and the like are literally Russianesque oligarchs who will ruin America into that of a banana republic, the Progressive Party, which held the majority of Parliament and had a Progressive-Party President, voted to put it on hold out of fear "Americanism" will spread as it did in Brazil, Bolivar Federation, Peru, Britain, Hungary, and Philippines.

"To protect our Democratic values from those who wish to exploit it in order to destroy it, we require further evaluation and research before conducting historical constitutional changes" was the statement of the Progressive Party. The Centre-Right Liberal Party supported this move. Only the left-wing Labour Party was against it, calling it "Classism and Ageism in the 21st century". The Liberals and Progressives, well aware of Paoli's Realist Pragmatist philosophy, would rather keep his draconian law in place than let the foundations of a healthy Borgovian Democracy stagnate the same way it did in the USA, Brazil, France, and the Philippines. In 2019, when Millennials and Gen Z begin voting in larger quantities than Boomers and Xers, the Liberal Party, now in power, voted to repeal the law feeling confident the "Youth have evolved; they no longer need strict guidance as we ignorant elders do". 3 example questions of the Competency Exam in 2017 are as follows:

1. A body of mass 1kg travelling with a speed 3ms^-1 collides with a stationary body of mass 0,5kg, and they stick together. What speed do the two bodies have after the collision? Use the formula V = MaUa - MbUb/(Ma+Mb)

2. How did the rise of the Arab State changed the geopolitics of the Byzantine and Sasanian Empires? Explain how it affected each nationstate using at least 2 historical examples for each. Afterwards, select a historical point after the establishment of the Arab Caliphate and describe how the aftermath affected future geopolitical intrigues.

3. Explain the political philosophies of Vladimir Lenin and Rosa Luxembourg - their differences, similarities, and how their historical actions affected global political economics to this day. Use 2 examples for each individuals

[The Empire of Occitania]

Though Paoli's voting law may have been passed with the intention of protecting democracy, surely placing any restrictions on the right of citizens to vote is by definition undemocratic? Allowing a government to have the power to disenfranchise large swathes of their population like that sets a dangerous precedent, although it does not surprise me that a dictator would bend the rules to get the results that they want. I'm surprised that such a political farce didn't lead to a surge of anti-government beliefs.

---

Though the Còsta d'Azur may be one of the world's leading tourist destinations, to its west is the more temperate coastline of Lengadòc. Famed for their beauty, the cities along this stretch of the Mediterranean coast tend to be more relaxed and steeped in history and intrigue. Though its shoreline is laced with lagoons, salt pans and long, golden beaches, and its countryside filled with picturesque vineyards and delightful eateries, the undisputed jewel in Occitania's Mediterranean crown is the city of Narbona. Aptly nicknamed la Vila Daurada (English: the Golden City) and la Vila de l'Amor (English: the City of Love), Narbona boasts the world's best quality of life and has an unparalleled air of class, glamour, and luxury about it. Though living costs are comparatively rather high compared to other cities, the residents of Narbona rank as the happiest in the country. Prime Minister Azalaïs Cazenave-Maysonet is a native of Narbona, and her glamorous lifestyle has often seen her labelled as the perfect example of a stereotypical narbonesa. The city, and indeed Lengadòc as a whole, is also famous for its extensive use of neoclassical architecture. The many perfectly preserved and maintained castles that dot the Occitan countryside are also leading tourist destinations, alongside Occitania's many famous formal gardens. Occitania hosts the world's largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with cities of high cultural interest, beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, and rural regions that many enjoy for their beauty and tranquillity all being featured on this list.

[Borgevia]

Though Paoli's voting law may have been passed with the intention of protecting democracy, surely placing any restrictions on the right of citizens to vote is by definition undemocratic? Allowing a government to have the power to disenfranchise large swathes of their population like that sets a dangerous precedent, although it does not surprise me that a dictator would bend the rules to get the results that they want. I'm surprised that such a political farce didn't lead to a surge of anti-government beliefs.

---

Though the Còsta d'Azur may be one of the world's leading tourist destinations, to its west is the more temperate coastline of Lengadòc. Famed for their beauty, the cities along this stretch of the Mediterranean coast tend to be more relaxed and steeped in history and intrigue. Though its shoreline is laced with lagoons, salt pans and long, golden beaches, and its countryside filled with picturesque vineyards and delightful eateries, the undisputed jewel in Occitania's Mediterranean crown is the city of Narbona. Aptly nicknamed la Vila Daurada (English: the Golden City) and la Vila de l'Amor (English: the City of Love), Narbona boasts the world's best quality of life and has an unparalleled air of class, glamour, and luxury about it. Though living costs are comparatively rather high compared to other cities, the residents of Narbona rank as the happiest in the country. Prime Minister Azalaïs Cazenave-Maysonet is a native of Narbona, and her glamorous lifestyle has often seen her labelled as the perfect example of a stereotypical narbonesa. The city, and indeed Lengadòc as a whole, is also famous for its extensive use of neoclassical architecture. The many perfectly preserved and maintained castles that dot the Occitan countryside are also leading tourist destinations, alongside Occitania's many famous formal gardens. Occitania hosts the world's largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with cities of high cultural interest, beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, and rural regions that many enjoy for their beauty and tranquillity all being featured on this list.

Think of Lee Kwan Yew, who Paoli was based on. Paoli, ruling between 1949 to 1968, believed democracy can only work if the average voter is well educated and informed. In order to make sure Borgovia is "ready" for a Democracy, he ruled like a dictator until Borgovia's social norms are akin to that of Finland or West Germany's. He believed without his iron rule, Borgovian Democracy would end up like Russia, India, or Honduras, so he social engineered the people into being like the West Germans and Finns before giving them a democracy as healthy as that of Finland's. In his eyes, it's better to be under a pro-education dictator with a "War Against Poverty" than a corrupt, failed Democracy like USA 1990s - present or post-Soviet Russia.

Like Lee Kwan Yew, Paoli is well revered by the people as a Pragmatist who did what he needed to do to make Borgovia economically and socially stable, and the end result is a democracy whose electorate know the difference between "Far Left Radicalism" and Social Democracy. It also made Borgovia much more stable and well off, since before him, Borgovia was an Oligarchical, Corporate Republic with massive income disparities. Older generations did have anti-government sentiments, but they're conditioned to fear resisting the government. Even though they can vote without the tests now, Borgovian Boomers, Xers, and Silent Gens lived in constant fear of being humiliated to the point they lose their job and unable to find new one due to companies wanting to save face, or worse. They're afraid that if they voted, the young will hate them for making 'uninformed decisions' and voting for 'ideas that won't affect them but negatively affect the future'. Paoli is a Social Engineer first and foremost.

/skip

[Iransahr]

Occitania truly sounds like an amazing place, especially Narbona and the surrounding area. I would absolutely want to see and experience it for myself if it existed/if I had the finances for said journey. Furthermore the class and nobility you describe here sounds right up my alley, especially the castles and eateries; I’m a big fan of both. I wonder if it has amazing markets like what I hear Hamburg has?

---

Throughout the entirety of the latter’s history Iranshahr and the Ottoman Empire, and its successor state Turkey, have been mortal enemies. The Turks and Iranians have consistently fought one another for centuries, developing a deep-seated animosity towards one another that persists to this day. The largest conflict that involved both the Ottoman Empire and the Empire of Iran was the First World War, known alternatively as the Erster Weltkrieg. Iran’s long-standing anti-Ottoman alliance with Austria led to it joining the Central Powers shortly after the war began. Despite Russian, Ottoman and British invasions in the Iranian heartland, Iran managed to barely hold out until the war ended in 1918 after the Germans captured Paris and capitulated France. The end of the war led to the collapse of the Ottomans and a temporary re-establishment of Iranian power over the Middle East, Caucasia and southern Central Asia.

The Empire of Iran remained officially neutral in the Second World War, only materially and politically aiding the Germans to weaken the rest of Europe, withdrawing support when the Entente defeated both the Reichspakt and what remained of the Internationale. The Entente remained incredibly weak while Iran was in a decent position of power, allowing it to exert greater control and influence over its weaker neighbours which it retains in some respects to this day. The post-war period allowed reconciliation between the Entente and Iranshahr, essentially giving the latter the green light to continue its ambitions while the West rebuilt.

[Jferha Vtaramata]

Animosity between nations seems to be a concept universal to all, our entire existence is the result of such animosity, albeit you seem to have survived and even gained from such a thing at some point in your existence.
One thing is certain, however - You have passed but very few filters, and many much more difficult ones are ahead.

---

The Defence automata have a very specific cycle of production and conquest, and their automatons are streamlined and unchanging.

The first phase begins with the scouting of the system, and then one of two things will happen:
If the scouts report no activity, then one of the final stages of the takeover begin, however, if potential resistance of any kind is reported, the first stage is initiated.
The Automata begins by using the border realms to access the system, after which it sends swarm fleets to seek and destroy any potential any in space, the composition of the fleet ranges from kilometer sized long-ranged craft, to meter long aim assistors, their counts are always in the trillions, completely flooding the system with metal.
After the space over the planets have been secured, the Defender Automata begin bringing in Titanium Warriors, a set of machines made of various kinds of strong metals, ranging from the Ancient Warriors, standing dozens of meters tall, to Unity Warriors, tiny melee swarm machines, that use vibration to destroy well-armored infantry and machines. The most common warrior type is the Defender, standing at 4 meters tall, armed with two synthetic crystal-based weapons, they are usually the second most numerous unit behind the Unity, and are highly versatile thanks to their special wing set.
When the battle over the planet is won, the Warrior Automatons shut down, and the Conversion Units descend on the planet, using nano-machines and other more crude methods, the crust of the planet is quickly stripped of any valuable resources which are brought into orbit.
The third stage begins, where these resources are used to produce the Star Forge, which is, in essence, a Dyson swarm utilizing the power of the star to construct whatever the Automatons desire, and the correct methods of production are stored upon what is known as a Seedship, which contains all the automata needed to begin this conversion process.
The fourth stage begins, the system's resources are pulled into the forge, and new warriors, fleets and seedships are being constructed, their numbers well beyond trillions. Once the system is exhausted;
The fifth stage begins, a portal to the border realm is constructed, and is used to move to the next systems that the Automatons desire to take over, prior to that, however, scouting missions are deployed.

This process is unchanging, and a question always comes to mind: Why even bother fighting over those planets in the first place? Well, the reason behind it is what stands behind the Automatons, a vengeful A.I hellbent on the destruction of the Terran Menace, it desires to inflict upon Terrans the suffering the Terrans inflicted upon the creators of the Automaton, and the kin of what the A.I used to be.

[Kabzeel]

Throughout the entirety of the latter’s history Iranshahr and the Ottoman Empire, and its successor state Turkey, have been mortal enemies. The Turks and Iranians have consistently fought one another for centuries, developing a deep-seated animosity towards one another that persists to this day. The largest conflict that involved both the Ottoman Empire and the Empire of Iran was the First World War, known alternatively as the Erster Weltkrieg. Iran’s long-standing anti-Ottoman alliance with Austria led to it joining the Central Powers shortly after the war began. Despite Russian, Ottoman and British invasions in the Iranian heartland, Iran managed to barely hold out until the war ended in 1918 after the Germans captured Paris and capitulated France. The end of the war led to the collapse of the Ottomans and a temporary re-establishment of Iranian power over the Middle East, Caucasia and southern Central Asia.

The Empire of Iran remained officially neutral in the Second World War, only materially and politically aiding the Germans to weaken the rest of Europe, withdrawing support when the Entente defeated both the Reichspakt and what remained of the Internationale. The Entente remained incredibly weak while Iran was in a decent position of power, allowing it to exert greater control and influence over its weaker neighbours which it retains in some respects to this day. The post-war period allowed reconciliation between the Entente and Iranshahr, essentially giving the latter the green light to continue its ambitions while the West rebuilt.

Ew...aiding the Germans in WWII is definitely not the vibe, but also understandable from the perspective of an opposing Empire looking to weaken it's competition. Though I do like the alternate history of a powerful Iran.

AN:

The Defence automata have a very specific cycle of production and conquest, and their automatons are streamlined and unchanging.

The first phase begins with the scouting of the system, and then one of two things will happen:
If the scouts report no activity, then one of the final stages of the takeover begin, however, if potential resistance of any kind is reported, the first stage is initiated.
The Automata begins by using the border realms to access the system, after which it sends swarm fleets to seek and destroy any potential any in space, the composition of the fleet ranges from kilometer sized long-ranged craft, to meter long aim assistors, their counts are always in the trillions, completely flooding the system with metal.
After the space over the planets have been secured, the Defender Automata begin bringing in Titanium Warriors, a set of machines made of various kinds of strong metals, ranging from the Ancient Warriors, standing dozens of meters tall, to Unity Warriors, tiny melee swarm machines, that use vibration to destroy well-armored infantry and machines. The most common warrior type is the Defender, standing at 4 meters tall, armed with two synthetic crystal-based weapons, they are usually the second most numerous unit behind the Unity, and are highly versatile thanks to their special wing set.
When the battle over the planet is won, the Warrior Automatons shut down, and the Conversion Units descend on the planet, using nano-machines and other more crude methods, the crust of the planet is quickly stripped of any valuable resources which are brought into orbit.
The third stage begins, where these resources are used to produce the Star Forge, which is, in essence, a Dyson swarm utilizing the power of the star to construct whatever the Automatons desire, and the correct methods of production are stored upon what is known as a Seedship, which contains all the automata needed to begin this conversion process.
The fourth stage begins, the system's resources are pulled into the forge, and new warriors, fleets and seedships are being constructed, their numbers well beyond trillions. Once the system is exhausted;
The fifth stage begins, a portal to the border realm is constructed, and is used to move to the next systems that the Automatons desire to take over, prior to that, however, scouting missions are deployed.

This process is unchanging, and a question always comes to mind: Why even bother fighting over those planets in the first place? Well, the reason behind it is what stands behind the Automatons, a vengeful A.I hellbent on the destruction of the Terran Menace, it desires to inflict upon Terrans the suffering the Terrans inflicted upon the creators of the Automaton, and the kin of what the A.I used to be.

Not a fan of this cycle of production and conquest, but on the other hand I can understand especially with that whole A.I. problem...maybe the anprims were right about technology all this time.

---

The Incident of 1983, term first coined with the publication of "The Royal Disappearance" by Konstantin Remizov in 2013, is a tragedy that completely shook the Belova-Paskhina-Halevi royal family of Kabzeel as Lady Kanina's older sister, Lady Ivanna, was mysteriously kidnapped and Lady Kanina's grandmother, Lady Galina, in private [discovered years later] began to treat Kanina very poorly by often berating her, referring to her as "вещь" (thing), and refusing to accept her in the line of succession by constantly claiming that her first granddaughter was bound to return one day and that a if a "second daughter" were to succeed the throne it would dirty the throne's reputation.

Even by 2004, when Kanina attempted to appeal to her grandmother and rebuild their relationship once again, her grandmother did not budge and made moves to completely disown her from the family, ensuring to shut Kanina out for good - while continuing to reference Kanina's sister as the only true heir of the Kabzeelian monarchy. However, fortunately, her grandmother passed away peacefully in 2006, allowing for her mother to ascend the throne and welcome Kanina back into the family with loving arms.

Eventually, after the death of her mother, Kanina ascended to the throne in 2017 and later thanked and forgave her grandmother for teaching her the values of hard work and persistence even in the face of adversity, while also admitting to understanding her grandmother's actions as apart of her grieving process. Though afterwords, conspiracies began to float around regarding these comments Kanina made towards her grandmother, but the government passed multiple laws that essentially banned conspiracies regarding the royal family shortly after the start of 2018.