The Breaking Point (Worldbuilding / Invite-Only)

[Rudaslavia]

Changed a couple errors in the dates I listed.

[Rudaslavia]

Also, I do believe that I have discovered a fitting theme song for this RP.

[Rudaslavia]

The Colri

After a millennia of unrelenting conquest, Colrania has emerged as one of the most ethnically diverse powers in the world -- matched only by its archrival, Albren. Despite this, Colrania remains under the social, political, and cultural yoke of the ethnic group to which the nation owes its name: the Colri. The Colri (demonym: Colrish) are an ancient people whose origins can be traced back to the temperate lowlands of the central Colranian valleys. According to Dispositive-verified evidence, the Colri were first mentioned on a 2nd century C Wulpine tablet reading:

"Those Warri'rs of the [illegible],
The Col'ri Hordes,
Whose Sw'rds cut down the mightiest of Men,
And struck the Gods with T'rr'r."

Some scholars have drawn links between the label "Col'ri" and the modern Wulpine word "colrus," which roughly translates to "barbarian." In this context, "Col'ri" may have originated as an Old Wulpine noun or adjective broadly used to describe foreign raiders (rather than the name of a particular ethnic group). Nevertheless, historical evidence suggests the emergence of a semi-homogenous "Colri" language and cultural identity by the mid-5th century C. A number of Feudal Epoch maps dated between the 4th and 6th centuries demarcate several dozen "Colri kingdoms" in present-day central Colrania. The tribal Colri of the early Feudal Epoch are described by Dispositive scholars as a warlike, yet highly cultured, people whose achievements surpassed the intellectual and technological limits of their time. As calculating as they were ambitious, the Colri kingdoms were among the most feared powers of the medieval era.

Although the dream of a unified Colrish state would not be realized until the reign Emmanuel I, important precedents for the rise of the Colranian Empire were set by Emmanuel's earliest known primogenitor: the warrior-prince Vischel, who reigned over the Colri kingdom of Evermark from 707-740 C. According to the Dispositive narrative, Vischel was a distant relative of the previous Evermarkian dynasty, the Romarins. He took power during an anarchic period of civil war that began with a political assassination in 700 C. Dispositive texts portray Vischel as a sort of ancient forerunner to Damse -- a bringer of law, order, and pragmatism to a kingdom in ruins. Under King Vischel, Evermark's sphere of influence was expanded to unprecedented scopes. It was he who established the capital city of Vischia, to which he gave his name, and laid the foundations for a dynasty that would reign over Evermark and the future Empire of Colrania until the Calamity of 1905.

Given the indispensable role of the Colrish peoples in constructing the Colranian nation-state, it is unsurprising that many Colri refuse to surrender their "rightful place" as the nation's dominant ethnic group. The Colri are on the verge of becoming an ethnic minority, with just over 51% of the Colranian population claiming ethnically Colrish parentage.

The Colri are a predominantly fair-skinned people, but there is a great deal of variation in terms of eye and hair color. They follow our world's French naming conventions, and their cultural practices are roughly analogous to those of our world's French, Italian, and German peoples.

[Rudaslavia]

I am also going to write a piece on identity in Colrania, and the role of the Dispositive state in reforming the socio-political DNA of the populace -- largely through the manipulation of familial records.

I also have a lot of ideas regarding popular culture, especially fashion and music. Finally, my love for 80s rock and hip-hop will be of some use.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

A proposed snippet of history for Colrania, regarding the mid-1800s. I left things vague for more detail to be added by others.


The Patronagio

(This history will use the provisional count EqXXXX, meaning the technological equivalent of a certain year IRL)

“You shall not know Retreat and you shall not die by an enemy Ball or Blade. Your Pyre shall be the size of a City, and your Procession shall be of Gold.”

In the year (Eq1857), the second part of the Divination of king Wasç came to fruition. The King of Colrania, nicknamed the Crownless King, or Duke Martial of the Fields of Battle, was fearless in his pursuit of the enemy. After defeating his internal foes and the murderers of his father, the young king had taken his veteran forces on a five year campaign through the rich Basdari Confederation. It was never for conquest. Rather, Wasç wanted his name imprinted on the pages of history, and on the night of his father’s death, a divining witch had predicted that he would never die in battle, and that he would never be defeated. With this knowledge, he embarked on a campaign of looting. The rich cities of the Basdari were stripped of their gold and other valuables, and quickly put to the torch. The Golden City, central to Basdari religious and political life, was stripped. This stripping enraged the enemy commanders, whose soldiers performed an all-out assault to relieve the city.

The ensuing battle was, at that point, the bloodiest in history, and after its conclusion it would give rise to the International Doctor’s Union, a neutral international organisation which could perform medical necessities in times of war. The battle was in the favour of the Colranian forces, until Wasç in the heat of the fighting cut himself on his own sabre. The cut infected, and after a three day fever the young king died. The sudden loss of their monarch caused the Colranian troops to break, and the various divisions began to stream out of the city, which some loyalist citizens had put to the torch. In the confusion, the cart carrying the king’s body was lost, and assumed burnt in the city-engulfing fire. About three-quarters of the Golden City had been stripped, and about half of that could still be salvaged and brought back to Colrania.

Wasç’s brother, Ubriç, was in the capital when the news of the defeat at the Golden City broke. In the absence of his brother, Ubric had managed internal affairs, which ensured a smooth transition of power. Unlike Wasç, Ubriç had himself crowned, with a new crown forged from some of the gold from his campaign. What Ubriç lacked in martial knowledge, he made up for in political talent. Ubriç managed what his brother never could: he shut up the various factions vying for power in the country. Even the most glorious victories of the Basdari campaign could not end the factionalism in the royal government. Instead of trying to establish unquestioning royal power, like Wasç had done, Ubriç began the system known as Patronagio. Under this system, the government would use its revenue to sponsor works of political art and philosophy. While one would expect that this would only increase the Electorist agitation, the effect was the opposite. Being able to go into extraordinary depth on their political philosophy, the Electorist coalition broke apart debating the minute details of their ideology. Without outright persecution to keep them together, the academics fought each other for the favour of the Patronagio, meaning there was more internal fighting than external fighting.

The Patronagio created a golden age for political art in the mid-to-late Scientific Era. So much so, that the art and artist are known as ‘Patronagio Artist’. Among them are the painters Humoderius and Terefal, the poet Grasç, and the philosophers Damse and Mollo. Damse was eventually made Secretary-General of the Crown Council, and his reforms would eventually pave the way for the successful implementation of the Dispositive. This proliferation of art would, in the short term, lead to incredible stable rule of the Kings of Colrania, but when the Calamity destroyed royal authority it would backfire. While the Patronagio had already been formally abolished, the young students and followers of various philosophies would dominate the political landscape soon after. While the Damsean Dispositive would come out on top, it would not be without struggle. The failure of these differing political philosophies and their failure to consolidate would eventually lead to a modern-day aversion to political philosophy and political art, an aversion exacerbated by the Dispositive government.

[Reverend Norv]

This all looks great. I will try to update the outline tonight.

[Rudaslavia]

Norv, should we wait until you update the outline before posting more stuff? I feel like the more we post before the update, the more of a pain in the ass it is to work all of it into the OP at once.

[Wolfenium]

I'll work on the religious aspects, when I have time. For now, it'll draw inspiration from Gothic Christianity/Arianism and Mazdan religions.

That sounds very interesting! Are you thinking that this will be the majority faith? If so, we should give some thought to what it says about the Colranian ethnic-majority group, and maybe to its relationship with the Dispositive. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Here's my quick take. I lost my original post to a Black Screen of Death, so here's another. You're welcome to expand on its core tenets, if you want. :v

Mithriadism

Named after the prophet Mithriad (Mihryazd in Elamite), Mithriadism is a dualistic religion founded in the early Feudal Epoch, and the dominant faith in many parts of the former Wulpine Empire and beyond. Centered around the worship of Mithriad and the concept of Asha ('truth'/'right(eousness)'), said to be a divine messenger sent from Heaven to be reborn as a human to guide humanity towards virtue, Mithriadism preaches about the duality between light and darkness, good and evil, and heaven and hell. While its early adherents were heavily persecuted by the Wulpine Empire, often in the form of crucifixions, the legalization of the faith and conversion of prominent emperors led to the flourishing of the Mithriadic religion. Today, it is the majority faith in both Colrania and Albren, though of different branches.

Acacian Church
Founded due to theological dissension to the Wulpian-organized Council of Byblus, the Acacian Church is named after the priest Acacius, whose churches split from the council over the nature of Mithriad's divinity. In contrast to the Magus who supported Patriarch Theodosius (who would later give rise to the Theodosian Church, the largest of the Mithriadic branches) which promulgated that Mithriad, the Messenger, is equal and separate from the Asha, Acacius preached that Mithriad is subordinate and a part from it. The faith took root in Colrania, when one of its most prominent preachers, Wulfias, preached the faith to the early tribes that had settled in the area. This soon became a recurrent source of friction between Colrania and its Theodosian neighbours, who often justified conflict with the empire on grounds of heresy. In turn, followers and Magi of the Theodosian Patriarchate, usually those of non-Colranian stock, were persecuted by Colrania, which has, until the rise of the Dispositive, enshrined the Acacian Patriarchate as the state religion. Even then, despite the veneer of secular government, the Acacian government remains heavily tied to the Colranian state, and heavily politicized under the current government. This, coupled with Albren refugees fleeing persecution by the Laborist government, has put pressure on Colranian society to deal with the 'spreading heresy'.

[Cylarn]

The criminal underbelly of Colrania exists, despite what may be claimed by Dispositive officials. Its manifestation is one of considerable interest, as inherently criminal organizations find themselves at the mercy of ruthlessly efficient Hollys, or pervasive Dispositive Police raids. Gangs in Colrania solely exist within the correctional system; their presence in civil society is not the least bit tolerated by the state. Drug-dealing bands are common, especially in the university cities, but are hardly considered to be independent criminal entities. Instead, organized criminal activity is perpetrated by legitimate businessmen, who utilize the institutional corruption of Colrania to engage in a variety of illicit activities.

As was mentioned earlier, it is legitimate businessmen who are keeping the criminal underworld alive and well in Colrania. The governing concept of tribute to the state is no different in organized crime. Such men women are able to pay exorbitant bribes to officials, whether through regular payments or lavish benefits. This tribute manifests in the form of blind eyes being turned, labor contracts being awarded on a favoritist basis, rivals being eliminated in a wholly "sanitary" manner, and other results. Visible criminal violence is rarely witnessed by the Colranian public.

Organized networks of well-connected white-collar criminals are referred to as "Syndicates," whenever the Dispositive State must dismantle a criminal enterprise in the public eye. Officially, Syndicates are a proscribed entity, to be targeted and their affiliates to be imprisoned. However, the reality is that many Dispositive institutions, including the Dispositive Police, will often turn a blind eye to Syndicates, at least as long as the Syndicates remain a convenient organism in the eyes of the corrupt government apparatus. Syndicates operate the vast majority of legal and illegal entertainment venues in the major cities. Practically all black market operations and merchandise go through the major Syndicates. In black market exchanges, foreign currency is heavily utilized due to the government's inability to trace foreign bills. Such revenue is then laundered back into Lire, and rendered legitimate.

Currently, the top-reigning syndicate is the Porto Noir Syndicate, named for the Derwani coastal city from which they control every hotel, casino, bar, restaurant, and much of everything else in the city, with the backing of the Dispositive Police detachment. Formed by a group of businessmen aligned after having served their Conscription period together, the Porto Noir Syndicate brings in large quantities of Toianese heroin and morphine, as well as Etroian qat. Interestingly enough, the Syndicate has a source within the Porto Noir Naval Terminal who delivers regular shipments of National Army dexamethamphetamine (Dexies) to them.

No matter where you go, you will find narcotics somewhere in Colrania. The Dispositive State does not acknowledge that there is a drug problem in Colrania, and is quick to dismiss or alter studies that alert to this fact.Here's a basic list of the most commonly-abused narcotics in the nation.

• Opiates. By far the most commonly-abused narcotic, many servicemembers find themselves prescribed with large quantities of painkillers such as Oxycodone, Vicodin, and Hydrocodone to treat injuries sustained in service. However, the Dispositive government falls short of providing suitable care to its veterans once they leave the service, leaving many to resort to illicit opiates such as heroin, or black market pain pills. Morphine is highly prized and sought, with Syndicates restricting the supply flow at times in order to drive up prices on the black market. Given the high percentage of Colranian combat veterans returning from the front with serious issues, there is a serious, if hardly-discussed, issue of opioid abuse in Colrania.
  
• Stimulants. Dexamphetamine is a form of pill-based amphetamine, issued to the armed forces in order to subvert normal sleep cycles during extensively long operations, or to increase aggression and hostility during assault operations. Combined with the practice of Conscription, Dexies have joined opiates in cursing the armed forces with a serious drug problem. Dexies are very popular in the industrial and academic sectors alike. The high is essentially identical to methamphetamine; long-acting up to 72 hours, provides bursts of energy. It is also notorious for prompting bouts of psychosis in some people from time to time.
  
• Qat. An herb from a distant Emirate, which is commonly smoked for medicinal and recreational purposes. It causes a sense of relaxation and euphoria. Few, if any, long-term effects exist, though ethno-centric policies keep qat a drug only obtainable on the black market. It can be smoked in a hookah, or rolled into a joint, although a popular method in the university life is to utilize a glass bowl, called a "chillum."
  
• Tobacco. This is the truest, most massive vice in Colrania. Pretty much everyone smokes; the local gynocologist, university kids, soldiers of all ranks, and every other social class able to be located within the nation. Cigarettes are the most preferred option among all demographics, divided between full-flavor and menthol and light varieties. Cigars are smoked on occasion, and many old people prefer a pipe. As with accepted science in the real world, smoking kills. However, don't expect the State to admit it freely.
  
• Alcohol. Same with tobacco; everyone drinks. Different varieties of beer and wine are utilized with the seasons, and Colranian beer is generally regarded worldwide as decent, and the most popular is an amber ale branded as "Scarabus." Liquor and other spirits can also be found throughout all strata of Colrania.

Responsible for public safety, common criminal investigation, and preventative policing is the Dispositive Police Directorate, often called "DisPo" instead. The Directorate supplies every major metropolitan area with a DisPo detachment and headquarters, and smaller stations can be found in rural areas. The force can be best described as a Gendarmerie. Officers typically sport a smart, intimidating uniform: starched black uniform shirt with patches on either sleeve and a shiny silver badge; a Sam Browne Belt and tie worn alongside a duty belt carrying a .357 Magnum service revolver; grey uniform pants with black lining; smartly-polished black jackboots worn with the pants tucked in, and a black garrison cap. Other uniform accessories, such as a black leather jacket, service jacket, or different headgear are obtainable. Members of the Police Tactical Unit sport black BDU-style fatigues and light blue berets, or black baseball caps/white and black police motorcycle helmets while on operations.

The DisPo is a diverse force, operating a number of different divisions under its purview. Patrol is the most visible unit, followed by the Investigative Policing Division; Direct Threat Response Division; Maritime Division; Prison Service; Aviation; and Juvenile. Officers tend to be posted in the area from which they originated, although this practice is beginning to slip. Officers are technically exempt from military service, but instead find themselves deployed as Military Police in the wars. Public opinion ranges from mixed to negative, due to negative perception of DisPo corruption.

Anyone is free to add onto these ideas, any of them.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

100 Places in Colrania you simply have to see

#79 – The Haloran Valley
“Once is a novelty, twice a tradition”
- Local saying

Most know Haloran for its university, which has spawned some of the nation’s greatest scientific and political minds. But many don’t know the quaint town of 80.000 has much more to offer than loud fraternities and dusty stacks of books. Below its surface hides a town and an environment that any traveller of the far reaches of the realm must have seen, even if one has already visited the more prominent ski resorts the Evermark is known for.

The town itself boasts an impressive and medieval city centre, a late feudal outgrowth of a local monastic nunnery. The monastery has seen much construction over the centuries, and recent renovations have made it suitable for tourism. Guided tours lead you through 1000 years of vibrant history, providing a titillating glimpse into the formation of our great nation. For the daring souls among us, there are also nightly tours, during which it is said you can hear the deceased nuns of the convent gossip about the visitors of their final resting place. Spooky! Next to the monastery lies an old plaza, surrounded by late medieval architecture filled to the brim with cafés and restaurants, greedily visited by both locals and university students. The lovers of art and history will keep their trip within the old red brick city walls, a walk on which will provide a stunning view of the town by night.

However, those more interested in the night life might travel further out. In the former industrial quarters, large abandoned steel mills and academic ingenuity have come together to breathe life into the night scene. A simple trip by tram will take you from the ancient red brick buildings to a vivid outgoing scene. Here, clubs have to vie over their clientele, with each display of prestige more lavish than the next. Be warned, though, that not every guest to these scenes comes there for the drinks, and it would be best to ask locals which clubs are known for substance abuse and which for a good music record.

Those hungover from a good night with Lights and Disco, as well as the more sporting types, will enjoy a sturdy walk in the gorgeous outdoors of the Haloran valley itself. A 40 kilometre road brings you to the very edge of the Three Towers Glacier, a nigh-undiscovered piece of Colranian nature. It lies on an often forgotten offshoot of the Eagle Route, which enterprising hikers might want to follow if they have already walked the Route before. The area also provides walking routes for the uninitiated, however, and the whole family can enjoy not only the glacier, but the woodland that dots the valley’s sides.

Hikers and hunters beware: the area is known for its pristine wildlife. By day, the hiker might spot herds of deer on their daily migrations. By night, feral wolves and bears roam the forests, and those with a hunting license would do well to hire a local guide with knowledge of the terrain and fauna. It would not be the first time an overeager sportsman got lost in the rocky surroundings of the Haloran valley.

Speaking of the locals, it is hard to give a proper description of the town’s residence. Generally, the town’s population is separated into Halori, the native townsfolk who used to work the town’s factories, and the Halorana, comprised of those who came to town to study. The Halori do not even form a majority of the population, rather being relegated to forming the largest demographic plurality. The sole saving grace is the division of the Halorana, the demographic division of which mirrors that of the Empire. Within the city walls, you will hear many spoken languages, even some dead ones from times long gone, as some fraternities seek to emulate empires of old, both foreign and domestic.

Halori culture follows the trend of Evermarkish (or ‘Everani’) traditions, still harkening back to the old days when the province’s economy was based around agriculture. Festivals often include a celebration of the land and the various parts of the grape cycle, which used to be the province’s main export. Still, the vineyards prove to be culturally significant, as is the local wine production. As is known among lovers of Colranian wine, however, the Evermarkish Reds are an acquired taste. The culinary tourist will go home unfulfilled if they have not at least tried the local delicacy, often paired with a cheese-beef dish in a bread bowl.

Halorana students are far less picky about what to celebrate. These feisty youngsters take whatever opportunity there is to have large festivals. Traditions are often imported by students from all around the empire, and all it takes is a local, ethnic celebration to grow into a large party for something to become a tradition. As the old Halorana saying goes: ‘Once is a novelty, twice a tradition’. Travelers will, however, be hard-pressed to recognise the celebrations from their own homes, as these have been mixed with local student culture to form strange parodies of their former self. Never is there more consumption of Yver whiskey then during the Yverian Autumn Parties, traditionally a celebration of moderation at the beginning of the harvest.

Haloran is best reached by train. It forms the last stop on the Evermark Valley Line, in itself one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world.

Some recommended local restaurants:
Mavello’s Grand Buffet *** $$
The Shrimp and Oyster **** $$$
Red Brick Bakery ** $

[Cylarn]

Colranian Special Operations Command - Although most branches have their own elite combat arms units aside from those provided by the National Army (Marine Boarding Parties, Base Security, Paratroopers/Commandos/Guards), the purview of unconventional warfare in the Dispositive State falls under an entirely separate branch. It is far smaller than the Navy, owing to its elite nature and grueling selection process. In total, it is a Brigade-sized element comprised of eight battalions and a Headquarters & Supply Company, all organized along different capabilities and responsibilities. Each unit is supplied with a variety of top-grade military equipment, and personal purchases of equipment are encouraged. It is not uncommon to see a variety of uniforms, weapons, and other items in the possession of the special forces. Their given denomination is "Operative," and the rank structure of the National Army is used, with a Colonel General in overall command.

• 1 BAT - Frogman unit. The unit utilizes state-of-the-art self-contained breathing apparatus, and are best suited for nighttime ship infiltration, sabotage, and amphibious invasion support. Most notably, frogmen from this unit successfully boarded the ANV Workmen's Pride and scuttled the cruiser, at a loss of 90% of hands on board with no losses to the frogmen. Referred to as the "Naval Task Diving Unit."
  
• 2 BAT - Alpine warfare. Training primarily in the mountains of the Evermark region, the battalion is made up of mountaineers and cold-weather survivalists. 2 BAT currently boasts the AFC's premier sniper detail, member of which are often tasked with protecting Dispositive officials during public events. Referred to as the "Advanced Mountaineering Development Group."
  
• 3 BAT - Jungle/Swamp Warfare. Based out of Fort Prideaux along the Derwan Coast, operatives of this unit find themselves most comfortable under the shade of a leafy greens canopy, with swamp stink up their noses and botflies nipping at their skin. Referred to as the "Wilderness Reconnaissance Development Group."
  
• 4 BAT - Airmobile unit. The unit works aboard helicopters, being ferried to rapidly seize airfields and other important installations. As a force capable of rapid deployment anywhere in Colrania or at the front line, 4 BAT is often right up in the middle of many engagements. Referred to as the "Special Airmobile Group."
  
• 5 BAT - Urban warfare unit. The unit trains heavily in building-by-building fighting, building on experiences from several sieges conducted by the Albren forces. The unit has a strong anti-tank capability, with organized anti-tank teams that emphasize their mobility and flexibility to disable enemy armor. Referred to as the "Urban Operations Development Group."
  
• 6 BAT - Infiltration unit. Operatives assigned here conduct clandestine operations behind enemy lines, usually while in the guise of enemy forces. A number of Albren-origin operatives are sourced from "converted" prisoners of war, usually wooed with promises of safety and compensation. While the Dispositive government actively finances some insurgent activity within Albren, 6 BAT is an arm of the military. Referred to as the "High-Risk Operations Detail," by its members.
  
• 7 BAT - Hunter-Killer. The specialized assassination and elimination detail of the AFC. Organized into "kill teams," 7 BAT specializes in surgical tactical operations designed to locate and kill or capture significant enemy assets. As with 4 BAT, 7 BAT is capable of practically being declared anywhere at any time. They have a fearsome, if secretive reputation, and are actively feared by most soldiers, whether they be from Colrania or Albren. Referred to as the "Radiation Unit," by its members.
  
• 8 BAT - Psychological operations. Rather than the standard leaflet bombardments and lectures on Dispositivism to Albrish POWs, 8 BAT takes things up a notch. Their most visible contribution comes in the employment of speaker systems, playing a variety of content. Dispositive songs, patriotic Colranian hymns, popular Colranian pop music, Dispositive speeches, and random unsettling sounds are all blasted at a ridiculous volume into Albrish positions in order to intimidate combat troops. Perhaps a lesser-known, but secretly appreciated activity of 8 BAT is the simulation of "dummy movements;" illusions of Colranian activity being directed from a specific point at Albrish positions in order to provoke some sort of response. Referred to as the "Military Media Assessment & Development Group."

Enlisted Ranks

• E-0 - Recruit-Private/Recruit-Seaman/Recruit-Airman. The ground-floor basic training rank.
• E-1 - Private/Apprentice Seaman/Airman. All Colranian troops obtain this rank upon graduation from basic training.
• E-2 - Private First Class/Able Seaman Class II/Airman Class II.
• E-3 - Lance Corporal/Able Seaman Class I/Airman Class I.
• E-4 - Corporal/Master Seaman/Senior Airman.
• E-5 - Sergeant/Petty Officer Class III/Sergeant.
• E-6 - Squad Sergeant/Petty Officer Class II/Staff Sergeant.
• E-7 - Platoon Sergeant/Petty Officer Class I/Crew Sergeant.
• E-8 - Master Sergeant/Chief Petty Officer/Flight Sergeant.
• E-9 - First Sergeant/Senior Chief Petty Officer/Wing Sergeant.
• E-10 - Sergeant Major/Master Chief Petty Officer/Group Sergeant.
  
  Commissioned Ranks
• O-0 - Officer-Cadet/Midshipman/Officer-Cadet.
• O-1 - Lieutenant Class II/Ensign/Pilot Officer.
• O-2 - Lieutenant Class I/Junior Lieutenant/Flight Lieutenant.
• O-3 - Captain/Deck Lieutenant/Flight Captain.
• O-4 - Major/Commander/Major.
• O-5 - Lieutenant Colonel/Captain/Wing Colonel.
• O-6 - Colonel/Commodore/Group Colonel.
• O-7 - Brigadier/Rear Admiral Class II/Brigadier.
• O-8 - Major General/Rear Admiral Class I/Major General.
• O-9 - Colonel General/Vice Admiral/Colonel General.
• O-10 - Command General/Admiral/General.
• O-11 - Field Marshal/Sea Marshal/Air Marshal.

[Reverend Norv]

All right. So it turns out that the outline is an absolute nightmare to format. On the other hand, we now definitely have enough detail to move forward to the actual OOC and character creation.

So here is what's going to happen. This week, I will put up two new threads. One is the archive for this RP: it will contain all the finished material from this thread, and will be closed to all. This thread will remain active for worldbuilding, but this way I'll have a whole additional thread where I can organize our ongoing output, rather than trying to squash it into a single outline.

The other thread, obviously, is the OOC. That will take longer, since I'll want to distill some of this worldbuilding into a first-person explanation of our characters' situation at the start of the story. But while this may not have the fastest pace in the world, it is definitely still moving forward.

[Cylarn]

The 5th Haloran Infantry Battalion is a unit of the Colranian National Army, attached to the 23rd Infantry Division. The battalion is classified officially as a mountain warfare unit and trains as such, but the lack of significant mountaineering military operations has relegated the 5th to a light infantry role, supporting the static fighting on the border. During the most recent war, the 5th has been deployed a total of six times between 1969 and 1979, making it one of the most heavily-deployed units in the National Army.

Troops of the 5th are distinguishable by the white and forest green scarves they wear around their necks, or by white and green cords tied around their helmets. The battalion emblem consists of a mountain laurel, an honored flower of West Evermark. As with most conscript-based units, manpower is drawn from Haloran, as well as the surrounding West Evermark area. Soldiers also traditionally wear a length of climbing rope across their body, to symbolize their status as mountain troops. The unit is often associated with the 2nd Battalion of Special Operations, with many training advisors from the unit sourced out of 2 BAT.

In regards to the current events of the RP, the 5th has just been deployed at the outset of the RP in 1979. Prior to that, our characters took part in the last deployment, and were stationed in a location known as the Tavaras Plains, a flat prairie that was soon ravaged by bomb craters and miles of trenches. A total of thirteen months was the length of time spent in theatre. This deployment should be considered especially grueling, as the 5th underwent a flurry of pain from their Albrish opponents - and survived to hold their lines and do their duty. Here is a (partial, for the sake of whomever wants to contribute) list of notable events for the 5th, that our characters may or may not have participated in.

• Waiting Period. For most of the first month in Tavaras, the Fifth saw very little action. Most time was spent reinforcing the static lines built by the departing troops of the 435th Derwan Infantry Battalion, and staving off boredom. Our characters would have experienced the occasional bombardment, or gunfight with Albrish infiltrators.
  
• Operation Sirocco. High Command orders an attack along five miles of Albrish territory. Colranian artillery fires a three-day barrage of shells, some of which are chlorine-based chemical weapons. Following this bombardment, the plan was for Colranian troops to advance on the trenches with the support of helicopter gunships, armor, and air support. The operation could not have gone more horribly; due to the ineptitude of an Air Force Wing Colonel, the helicopters were dispatched too late to engage Albrish artillery, allowing Albrish MRL systems to hammer the advancing infantry and armor with rocket fire. The gunships would then precipitate mass-casualty incidents among four of the Fifth's six companies, by opening fire as Colranian troops engaged within sixty meters of the Albrish lines. Within two hours, the attack ended and Colranian troops retreated back to their lines over the course of thirty hours, compounded by the general carnage of No-Man's-Land and Albrish skirmishing parties. The commander of the Fifth, moderately well-liked by his subordinates, was subsequently cashiered for cowardice and replaced with a staunch Dispositive officer. The unit is recalled and replenished, before being sent back two days later.
  
• Summer Assaults - Between the fifteenth of June and the twentieth, the lines held by the Fifth are hammered by persistent Albrish assaults. They withstand the assault at a surprisingly low casualty rate when compared to the Albrish forces. The commander was unfortunately killed during the final assault; an unconfirmed rumor suggests that he was killed by a grenade thrown into his bunker by one of his own soldiers. As a whole, the battalion is awarded a Valor Citation, the highest decoration for an entire unit.
  
• Gas Hell - The Fifth is subjected to its first large-scale gas attack, by Albrish mustard gas. Expired and broken filters for gas masks prompt a crisis within the Fifth, and almost half of the battalion is either killed or wounded.
  
• Operation Jerboa - A successful advance by the Fifth, which captures the Albrish lines, allowing for an advance by the Colranian forces. Preceded by a three-day barrage and a period of silence, Colranian infantry, hopped up on amphetamines and backed by heavy armor and reliable air support, stormed the Albrish lines in a massive nighttime raid. The Fifth found itself in its most vicious close-quarters engagement, in which hundreds of men fought with fist and fighting knife amid gas-filled trenches. The Fifth was awarded yet another Valor Citation.
  
• Autumn Tragedy - Private Leo Thineau, a conscript from Haloran, engaged in a massacre of his fellow soldiers, tossing a grenade into a bunker to kill five sleeping soldiers and using his battle rifle to kill another two before being shot dead by another soldier.
  
• Winter Assaults - In their final major engagement, the Fifth withstands yet another major Albrish offensive. Over half of the battalion is killed or wounded over the course of a grueling month of fighting amid the cold and snow and frozen mud. Following this event, the battalion is allowed to complete its deployment and return home.

[Rudaslavia]

-snip-

I love the whole concept of Mithriadism and its denominational conflicts, but I don't think it should be the official state religion of the Colranian Dispositive. Although the Acacian Patriarchate could be a highly politicized, de facto wing of the state, I think the Dispositive should remain an officially secular regime. Having an official religion seems inconsistent with the pragmatic underpinnings of Dispositive ideology.

But I do like the idea of social conflict between nativist Acacians in Colrania and Theodosian refugees from Albren.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

All right. So it turns out that the outline is an absolute nightmare to format. On the other hand, we now definitely have enough detail to move forward to the actual OOC and character creation.

So here is what's going to happen. This week, I will put up two new threads. One is the archive for this RP: it will contain all the finished material from this thread, and will be closed to all. This thread will remain active for worldbuilding, but this way I'll have a whole additional thread where I can organize our ongoing output, rather than trying to squash it into a single outline.

The other thread, obviously, is the OOC. That will take longer, since I'll want to distill some of this worldbuilding into a first-person explanation of our characters' situation at the start of the story. But while this may not have the fastest pace in the world, it is definitely still moving forward.

Sounds like a plan! Could we start thinking about characters yet? Maybe think about our character relations and their histories, before you have the OOC up?

[Reverend Norv]

All right. So it turns out that the outline is an absolute nightmare to format. On the other hand, we now definitely have enough detail to move forward to the actual OOC and character creation.

So here is what's going to happen. This week, I will put up two new threads. One is the archive for this RP: it will contain all the finished material from this thread, and will be closed to all. This thread will remain active for worldbuilding, but this way I'll have a whole additional thread where I can organize our ongoing output, rather than trying to squash it into a single outline.

The other thread, obviously, is the OOC. That will take longer, since I'll want to distill some of this worldbuilding into a first-person explanation of our characters' situation at the start of the story. But while this may not have the fastest pace in the world, it is definitely still moving forward.

Sounds like a plan! Could we start thinking about characters yet? Maybe think about our character relations and their histories, before you have the OOC up?

I would be disappointed if you didn’t. I look forward to seeing your ideas!

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

I was thinking about a character (provisionally named Patr) born to a working-class family. His parents worked in one of the lumber mills. He himself managed to get a scholarship (the Dispositive state invests heavily in education) and he went to study literature. However, the war came, and he was conscripted. During the war, he did some things that he is not proud of, but that he felt he had to do to survive, or things he did under influence of narcotics. Now, having graduated, he teaches a high school class. However, he has heavy withdrawal symptoms and cravings, and he gets heavy anxiety knowing that half of his students will die as conscripts. His hatred of the destructive wars is his sole gripe with the government, which he otherwise views as legitimate.

[Wolfenium]

-snip-

I love the whole concept of Mithriadism and its denominational conflicts, but I don't think it should be the official state religion of the Colranian Dispositive. Although the Acacian Patriarchate could be a highly politicized, de facto wing of the state, I think the Dispositive should remain an officially secular regime. Having an official religion seems inconsistent with the pragmatic underpinnings of Dispositive ideology.

But I do like the idea of social conflict between nativist Acacians in Colrania and Theodosian refugees from Albren.

Yea, I forgot to add the 'until recently' part, though the church will probably be heavily politicized, as you said.

[Cylarn]

My proposed character is Yves Bedard, son of Natrek employees and the second of three children. Father was killed near the front lines when Yves was only seven, the victim of an Albrish airstrike on a Natrak facility. Mother had to resort to sleeping with well-connected men in order to supplement the income. Home life was often disrupted as such and to escape the occasional abuse by his mother's "patrons," he took to playing with other children in the same apartment block as him. His brother, Aden, is a loyal Operative of the Naval Task Diving Unit. His younger sister, Yvette, was unfortunately born with autism, and was taken away by the government at age seven. He has not seen her since.

Throughout high school, Yves distinguished himself in swimming, but regardless of his scholarship to the university in Haloran, he was conscripted into the National Army, serving as both a regular Infantryman and as a mortarman in his company's mortar detail. He returned from the front a changed man. Yves saw sheer brutality, and had to commit mortal sins on a moment's notice or risk his own death. He will forever hate the sounds of whistles, and trucks backfiring. Smoke or gas in his person tends to cause him great anxiety, as an example of his trauma. The pinky finger of his left hand is is almost completely gone, and the remains of chemical burns can be seen on his neck. Lastly, he suffers from an addiction to barbiturates.

Yves is twenty-one now, and the past eighteen months since his return have been turbulent in many instances. Spent two months in the CNA's notorious Marchand Convalescentorioum (totally made up a new word to hide the true terror that is the Colranian psychiatric system), before he was able to arrange for a bribe to be paid. Since then, he has been working off the debt as a drug dealer, bar bouncer, and as a member of the university groundskeeping staff. Additionally, he is enrolled in the Geology program and attending on an athletic scholarship for the time being. Things are precarious in his life to say the least.

His reasons for fighting? They are many; he would identify his greatest reason for hatred as the government's disposal of his younger sister. Others might argue that he truly hates the Dispositive for robbing him of any ability to feel "normal," at least without some sort of narcotic in his body - or at least without some sort of ongoing conflict around him. Other factors would include abuse at the hands of his mother's johns, the quality of "care" he received for his war wounds, and the general realization that no young adult in Colrania could ever have any semblance of freedom under a Dispositive government.

[Reverend Norv]

Hi, folks. With greatest apologies - though I'm sure it doesn't come as a surprise - I am going to have to suspend this project for the time being. I thought that, with much more time at home, would come much more free time too. That was somewhat true, but it turns out that the extra time does not come in a consistent or regular way, and so I can't maintain the steady level of activity necessary to run an RP right now. That may change in another month or two - but in another month or two, God willing, we will all be back to something more like normal life. So we will all have to play it by ear.

That said, I am definitely not calling off the show. These ideas, and your hard work, will keep. I look forward to returning to Colrania when I can.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Hi, folks. With greatest apologies - though I'm sure it doesn't come as a surprise - I am going to have to suspend this project for the time being. I thought that, with much more time at home, would come much more free time too. That was somewhat true, but it turns out that the extra time does not come in a consistent or regular way, and so I can't maintain the steady level of activity necessary to run an RP right now. That may change in another month or two - but in another month or two, God willing, we will all be back to something more like normal life. So we will all have to play it by ear.

That said, I am definitely not calling off the show. These ideas, and your hard work, will keep. I look forward to returning to Colrania when I can.

I fully understand, Norv. These times are trying because they are not predictable. We can get back to this when you feel more up to the task. Stay safe.

[Wolfenium]

Hi, folks. With greatest apologies - though I'm sure it doesn't come as a surprise - I am going to have to suspend this project for the time being. I thought that, with much more time at home, would come much more free time too. That was somewhat true, but it turns out that the extra time does not come in a consistent or regular way, and so I can't maintain the steady level of activity necessary to run an RP right now. That may change in another month or two - but in another month or two, God willing, we will all be back to something more like normal life. So we will all have to play it by ear.

That said, I am definitely not calling off the show. These ideas, and your hard work, will keep. I look forward to returning to Colrania when I can.

Understandable. Sad to hear, but ultimately, real life comes first. We'll be waiting for you all the same.