Shattered Atlantis Factbook

[Shattered Atlantis]

The United States of Atlantis
A Comprehensive Guide
Published by the Atlantean Ministry for Foreign Affairs

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Geography: Atlantis is a series of islands, an archipelago, located in the southern hemisphere; specifically, in the South Atlantic just south of the equator, about even with Sao Tome and Principe.

Map of Atlantis

There are eight islands in all-Skorpios, Franklin, Peachtree, Fargo, Belinta, Allrayn, Palmetto, and Pandoma. All islands are mostly tropical, though Peachtree and Belinta have larger forests, mostly tropical rain forests, than the others, and Skorpios has several large hills. The other islands are all basically flatlands and plains, with tall grass, some thickets of woods, and the occasional hill.

The climate is divided into two seasons-rainy and dry. Rainy season is between November and April, and dry season encompasses the rest of the year. Rainy season is colder, and as the name suggests is more prone to rain. While rain does fall during dry season, it is little and far between.

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History: Atlantis started out as a colony of the Holy Roman Empire of Rusanyia. In 1583, a Rusanyian ship accidentally went off-course and ended up off present-day Pandoma. When word got back to Rusanyia, a colony was established.

However, the colonists found that another race already inhabited the area. This other race, comprised of blond-haired, fair-skinned people, were still using bronze tools and ass-drawn chariots when the colonists arrived. Seeking a labor source, the colonists sallied forth against the blondes. With metal weapons and horses, not to mention Rusanyian diseases which swept through the population, the colonists triumphed. The blonds were enslaved and forced to work the land.

Soon, colonies on the other nearby islands sprang up. Here as well as Pandoma, the colonists easily defeated and enslaved the blond natives.

As time went on, the colonists, now calling themselves “Atlanteans,” began to chafe under Rusanyian rule. Things came to a head in 1784, when Edmund Radcliffe, the leading member of the prominent Radcliffe family, led a revolt against the Rusanyians.

Nine years of war followed. The Rusanyians fought for their colony, but in the end the Atlanteans prevailed. In 1793, the Holy Roman Empire of Rusanyia granted Atlantis it’s independence.

In 1800, the Articles of Governance were drawn up by the Atlantean Assembly. Edmund Radcliffe was made the first Consul of Atlantis, and his reign and the reigns of his successors were peaceful.

In 1842, the Consul, Charles Horace, put reforms into effect which granted the blonds serfdom, instead of slavery. However, Pandoma, Belinta, Franklin, and Peachtree refused to grant the concession, and thus slavery is still legal in those islands to this day.

With this came the Serf Rebellion. Serfs in the islands which had not granted them serfdom rebelled, sparking a year-long conflict during which both sides committed atrocities. It was during this revolt that the Winfield family came to prominence, leading the campaign against the blonds. In return for this, the Consul granted the Winfields total ownership of the island of Pandoma, which the Winfield family has held ever since.

Following the Serf Rebellion, Atlantis settled into a long time of peace and prosperity. But tensions had begun to rise. Technical improvements had turned Skorpios, Fargo, and Allrayn into industrial hubs, while Palmetto, Peachtree, and Belinta were still mostly agricultural islands.

In 1937, four islands-Palmetto, Peachtree, Belinta, and Franklin, announced their succession from the United States of Atlantis. The Consul at the time, Nathanael Radcliffe, refused to have the nation split apart. Thus began the War of Secession.

The War lasted until 1943, six years. At first the rebel islands had the element of surprise. They quickly defeated all loyalist troops on their islands and beat back two attempted invasions. Soon the industrial might of the loyalists began to show.

Tragedy struck when the Consul was killed leading the invasion of Palmetto, but the loyalists persevered, and at the end of the War the rebel leaders were all impaled, as is custom.

Following the war, the Radcliffe family was granted the island of Palmetto for the heroic sacrifice of the Consul, and the Shay family was granted the island of Fargo in return for their contributions to the war-mainly the immense shipbuilding resources they supplied.

Following the horrors of the War of Succession, Atlantis returned to peace, a peace which has held until today.

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Government: Atlantis’ government is a confederation, with each island having an Assembly comprised of 20 men. These Assemblies vote 5 men into the positions of Senator for their island. The Senators gather in the Senate in Skorpios, where they elect a Consul.

Both sides have the power to check decisions or decrees issued by the other. A panel of 8 High Judges, one from each island elected by the Assemblies, reviews laws and such to determine if they follow the Articles of Governance.

Each island is very independent, the only obligations being to supply troops and supplies for the military and money for the Treasury. Other than that, each island’s Assembly can choose to ratify the decrees of the Senate or not. This is shown in the issue of the blonds, wherein several islands did not ratify the decree “promoting” the slaves to serfdom.

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Economy: Atlantis is a very divided nation in economic terms. The islands of Skorpios, Fargo, Franklin, and Allrayn are industrial hubs, with large factories and modern cities.

In contrast, islands like Palmetto, Belinta, Pandoma, and Peachtree are still very agricultural and rural. Apart from the port cities and the modern farm equipment, the whole island looks like something from the antebellum American south.

This is causing some problems, however. As farming requires fewer and fewer people, the agricultural islands are left with large numbers of slaves who are no longer needed. A number of solutions have been tired, the best option as of this seems to be selling the unneeded blonds to other nations.

Atlantis is very reliant on trade, for the small amount of industry is not enough. Atlantis’ government takes trade very seriously, and any hindrance to effective trade with the outside world is viewed as a priority threat to the entire nation. Similarly, protectionist measures from other nations are often met with a total break in relations with said nation, sometimes followed by military force.

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Society: Atlantean society is very static, with clearly defined roles for men, women, children, and serfs, with harsh punishments for those who step out of line.

Men: Men in Atlantis are supposed to be the masters of the household, the dominant person in a marriage, and the prime earner of income. Men are granted more rights, such as the right to vote, buy and own property and serfs, and serve in the military and government.

However, there are rules for men as well. Men are expected to be well-learned, have a steady job, be honorable, and be faithful to their spouse and their religion. Men who cheat on their wives are often exiled from their communities in disgrace, and sometimes administered legal punishments such as fines or loss of possessions to the wife.

Men are also supposed to answer calls for satisfaction, meaning duels. Although almost out of practice with the common folk, duels to the death to avenge honor are still common in the upper ranks of society, especially in the prominent families and members of the government. Dueling is forbidden in the military, however, to prevent officers from killing one another during a war.

Women: Women are only a step up from serfs in Atlantis. They are expected to be obedient, loyal, unobtrusive housewives and mothers.

Women are expected to follow all the man’s commands and respect his wishes. Women who disobey their husbands are sometimes exiled from their communities and often forced to make a living afterwards by prostitution or taking on demeaning jobs. Women are forbidden from buying or owning property or serfs, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Women are often not allowed to leave the household unless accompanied by a man, though this is more tradition than law.

The punishments inflicted on women for breaking the law are also more severe. While a man may be fined or forced to spend a night in the local jail, a woman’s punishment for breaking any law is to be stripped naked, led through the town on a chain, then taken to the square and forced to stand there for the rest of the day, often while men and children hurl trash at her.

However, some women are in positions of power. Often, a woman whose man has been killed or died without leaving an heir will be given ownership of his property and serfs, at least until someone else claims ownership. If no one does, then the woman may retain ownership.

There are far fewer job opportunities for women in Atlantis. Women may be housewives, farmers, secretaries, or assistants (if these jobs are not already filled by serfs). There are also bars, clubs and cabarets in the major cities which employ women as servers or dancers. Most of these jobs are demeaning and bring very little pay (if any), but women are not allowed in government positions or the military.

Serfs: Serfs are the lowest class of people in Atlantis. They are often viewed as barely civilized savages who only purpose is labor, and treated as such.

While in some areas the serfs are given substantial freedom, on islands like Pandoma and Belinta they are slaves, pure and simple. A serf must obey his master, and cannot speak without permission.

Blond women are often treated the worst, with high cases of rape and sexual slavery on Pandoma, Belinta, and Peachtree. The women are forced into sex by their masters and neither they nor their husbands may object.

Serfs are kept in line by muscle hired by the Atlanteans and the Atlantean Internal Affairs Division. Where threats fail, force is used. It is estimated that 100 serfs die each year from either executions or as a result of beatings administered. Any attempt at revolt is dealt with swiftly and without mercy.

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The Prominent Families: There are 3 prominent families in Atlantis-the Radcliffes, the Shays, and the Winfields. Each controls one aspect of Atlantis and the families are constantly feuding, though it has not come to open fighting yet.

The Radcliffes: The Radcliffe family has a storied history in Atlantis. Edmund Radcliffe was the founder of the first colony here, the city of Hesmucet on the island of Allrayn.

Since then, the Radcliffes have always had their hooks in the government. Edmund was the first Consul of Atlantis; his descendents continued the tradition, with only a few interruptions, such as Charles Horace. Even when they didn’t hold the consulship, at least 1/3 of the Senators are either Radcliffes or their lieges.

This trend was ended recently when the private security forces of the Winfield family, with the assistance of several foreign governments, were able to seize control of the government in a relatively bloodless coup. The patriarch of the Winfields, John Winfields, has ended elections and declared hereditary rule, making his son David next in line to rule Atlantis.

The current Consul, John Winfield.

The Shays: The Shay family actually harkens from the United Kingdom of Telvira, where the family is known as the de Shays.

In 1897, a branch of the de Shays moved to Atlantis, where they dropped the “de” from their last name. Realizing the importance of shipping in Atlantis, they took to it with a passion. By the time the War of Secession started they held a monopoly on shipbuilding and trade. They contributed their impressive resources to the loyalist side, and were awarded with ownership of the island of Fargo. They dominate Atlantean shipping and shipbuilding to this day.

The Winfields: The Winfields are the final prominent family, and their area of control is agriculture.

The Winfields were unknown until the Serf Rebellion. During that time, they soon became the leading family through the fact that most of the larger ones had been all but destroyed by the revolting serfs. They continued their rise, playing a leading role in suppressing the revolt. For their assistance, they were awarded the island of Pandoma.

The Winfields hold all the agricultural monopolies-seed, fertilizer, land, supplies-with the exception of machinery. The farm machinery comes mostly from the more industrial islands like Fargo, which sets the Winfields at odds with the Shays. Still, starting a farm in Atlantis today would be impossible without the Winfields.

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Military: Being an archipelago, Atlantis’ military is naval-oriented. The Navy gets most of the funds and the best equipment. There are three naval academies, while only one academy each for the Army and Air Force.

Navy: The Atlantean Navy is the pride of Atlantis. From childhood, Atlantean children are told the stories of brave sailors fighting grand battles on the high seas, and of the glory that the Navy brings to a person. Naturally, the Navy accepts far more recruits per year than the Army and Air Force put together.

The Navy is built around the aircraft carriers-11 of them, all Posideon-class aircraft carriers. Accompanying these ships are Oceanus-class destroyers, Orca-class frigates, Rambler-class nuclear attack submarines, and Tobai-class and Seal-class amphibious assault ships.

The Marine Force is a part of the Navy as well, responsible for boarding actions and amphibious assaults. The Force maintains a sizeable ground force, as well as a separate air wing. All of this, however, is under the command of the Grand Admiral.
Army: The Atlantean Army is small, but professional. It numbers only 9,600 men-12 brigades of 800 men, further divided into 48 battalions of 200 men, divided further still into 96 companies of 100 men.

The army uses the SA80 assault rifle and it’s LSW cousin. In fact, it uses mostly British weaponry, including Challenger 2 tanks and Warrior IFVs.

The Army has done little fighting since the War of Seccession, but the soldiers are all career soldiers and they train constantly.

Air Force: The Atlantean Air Force reflects the Army: small but professional.

The Air Force numbers some 150 aircraft in all, including 50 fighter aircraft, though most are of 1970s vintage and aging. There are also 50 bombers and 50 support aircraft (tankers and such). Helicopters are controlled by the Army, as are transport aircraft.

The Air Force trains in tandem with the Navy in maneuvers, though the carrier air wings
are better equipped. The Air Force trains almost as constantly as the Army, if not more.

The main task of the Air Force is A) to work with the navy in destroying enemy ships, B) to secure Atlantean airspace, and C) to support the army. The Air Force had no major offensive weapons; their bombers are light aircraft suitable only for tactical strikes.

(The Atlantean military is currently working on a comprehensive guide, but it will not be available for some time.)