Blackhawk Sunset: Valaran Drukirs skirt an abandoned factory in the Federation.
The Night Runners
RP Bait
This is just some background info. It can be skimmed or skipped - the actual details of the RP start at Themes.
When Valaran's are asked what aspect of their empire they are most proud of, most do not mention Rathras. The state is independent minded and awkward. It is too large for direct control, but too disorganised for independence. It represent no specific ideal the empire aspires to, and so it is not Valaran’s most prized possession. But perhaps it should be. Unlike many more familiar states, Rathras has not cast off the Valaran yoke. The Principality happens to be a good deal above the other remaining colonies as well: lacks the stagnant autocracy of Kyadir, the windswept isolation of the Sirides. It is vibrant, flourishing and energetic. Size lends an importance of its own — without the fifty million Rathrans, and the chunk of Sishai they inhabit, Valaran could scarcely claim to be an empire at all.
In short, it is a world away from the other states of Sishai, the broken ones: Aegypt, Syrnistan. None are more broken than the Federation, now a byword for all that is wrong with premature independence. Compared to such fruits of ‘sovereignty’, Rathrans can be proud of their Valaran affiliation. The grey fleets and smiling diplomats provide an aegis to the colony, behind which it can flourish, shielded it from the horrors of Sishai. Of late, Astaria's controlling grip has relaxed — tax collection is internal; the wealth of Sarakir’s ports are no longer shipped to distant shores, but kept under the home sun. Rathras now has its own leaders, lawmakers, and soldiers. All it lacks are diplomats. Its press is boisterous and its democracy (however flawed) energetic and genuine. In truth, its colonial status is more polite fiction. Rathras is more autonomous than most Valarans care to admit.
Yet to consider this independence, is to believe a lie. In lieu of formal tethers Valaran has instead developed a lattice of informal dependencies. Some of this is economic. The Empire distributes subsidies carefully. Rathran industry is dependent on Valaran finance. The grey isles are its most prized export market. The largest employers are the outsourced (but is a colony really outsourcing) factories. Then there is the political. All Rathran elites learn Valaran languages, for the tongues of power have northern accents. Rathras’ political landscape is deeply fragmented, and Valarans play off of this division, threading an ever shifting balance of power. Within the halls of’ parliaments and princely palaces, Ministry diplomats wheedle and ensare. There is no greater source of political patronage than the granting of imperial favour. Most insidious is the everyday. In the Rathran port cities, imperial sigils are everywhere. That most are defaced is no bother, for this merely makes them understated. The Rathrans are so used to decrying the Empire that they have gradually forgotten what to suggest in its place. Valaran encourages a lazy acceptance of the status quo, to be so casually omnipresent as to fade into the background. When something is everywhere, it is invisible. This is modern imperialism.
Not all are blind to it. Rathras has had independence movements since the 1920s, and despite Valaran’s best efforts these were only subdued, not eradicated. The Empire has successfully contained the issue, dividing the rebels from the urban classes, and relying on the landed magnates to stamp out rural insubordination. But within the tribal regions and mountain fastnesses of the north-west, it had never achieved a permanent authority. The area is too lawless, to unforgiving to occupiers and resilient to the forms of Valaran control. In response, Valaran practices a shadow conflict. It conducts a managed murder of its own citizens, via drones, the Rathran airforce, and care insertions of operatives. Tribes, bandits and rebels are culled in this fashion, though ultimately this has simply added to the instability. Rathrans in the cities feel no connection to the place, viewing it as a lawless wasteland. But there is always the threat, that the revolutionaries and their ideas could seep out, and grip the population once again, and so it must always be controlled, as quietly as possible.
It is Valaran’s own forever war, and it is a shadow conflict, conducted by runners in the night. But what is done in the dark, may now be dragged forth, into the glare of the light. The Empire may be forced to confront what it has shown, and the reaction will not be pretty.
When Valaran's are asked what aspect of their empire they are most proud of, most do not mention Rathras. The state is independent minded and awkward. It is too large for direct control, but too disorganised for independence. It represent no specific ideal the empire aspires to, and so it is not Valaran’s most prized possession. But perhaps it should be. Unlike many more familiar states, Rathras has not cast off the Valaran yoke. The Principality happens to be a good deal above the other remaining colonies as well: lacks the stagnant autocracy of Kyadir, the windswept isolation of the Sirides. It is vibrant, flourishing and energetic. Size lends an importance of its own — without the fifty million Rathrans, and the chunk of Sishai they inhabit, Valaran could scarcely claim to be an empire at all.
In short, it is a world away from the other states of Sishai, the broken ones: Aegypt, Syrnistan. None are more broken than the Federation, now a byword for all that is wrong with premature independence. Compared to such fruits of ‘sovereignty’, Rathrans can be proud of their Valaran affiliation. The grey fleets and smiling diplomats provide an aegis to the colony, behind which it can flourish, shielded it from the horrors of Sishai. Of late, Astaria's controlling grip has relaxed — tax collection is internal; the wealth of Sarakir’s ports are no longer shipped to distant shores, but kept under the home sun. Rathras now has its own leaders, lawmakers, and soldiers. All it lacks are diplomats. Its press is boisterous and its democracy (however flawed) energetic and genuine. In truth, its colonial status is more polite fiction. Rathras is more autonomous than most Valarans care to admit.
Yet to consider this independence, is to believe a lie. In lieu of formal tethers Valaran has instead developed a lattice of informal dependencies. Some of this is economic. The Empire distributes subsidies carefully. Rathran industry is dependent on Valaran finance. The grey isles are its most prized export market. The largest employers are the outsourced (but is a colony really outsourcing) factories. Then there is the political. All Rathran elites learn Valaran languages, for the tongues of power have northern accents. Rathras’ political landscape is deeply fragmented, and Valarans play off of this division, threading an ever shifting balance of power. Within the halls of’ parliaments and princely palaces, Ministry diplomats wheedle and ensare. There is no greater source of political patronage than the granting of imperial favour. Most insidious is the everyday. In the Rathran port cities, imperial sigils are everywhere. That most are defaced is no bother, for this merely makes them understated. The Rathrans are so used to decrying the Empire that they have gradually forgotten what to suggest in its place. Valaran encourages a lazy acceptance of the status quo, to be so casually omnipresent as to fade into the background. When something is everywhere, it is invisible. This is modern imperialism.
Not all are blind to it. Rathras has had independence movements since the 1920s, and despite Valaran’s best efforts these were only subdued, not eradicated. The Empire has successfully contained the issue, dividing the rebels from the urban classes, and relying on the landed magnates to stamp out rural insubordination. But within the tribal regions and mountain fastnesses of the north-west, it had never achieved a permanent authority. The area is too lawless, to unforgiving to occupiers and resilient to the forms of Valaran control. In response, Valaran practices a shadow conflict. It conducts a managed murder of its own citizens, via drones, the Rathran airforce, and care insertions of operatives. Tribes, bandits and rebels are culled in this fashion, though ultimately this has simply added to the instability. Rathrans in the cities feel no connection to the place, viewing it as a lawless wasteland. But there is always the threat, that the revolutionaries and their ideas could seep out, and grip the population once again, and so it must always be controlled, as quietly as possible.
It is Valaran’s own forever war, and it is a shadow conflict, conducted by runners in the night. But what is done in the dark, may now be dragged forth, into the glare of the light. The Empire may be forced to confront what it has shown, and the reaction will not be pretty.
Themes
This RP is a Blackops affair. It will deal with the aftermath of several incidents, that have disturbed the waters of international affairs. States have separately tasked their agents to determine what has happened, who is behind it, and what else is at stake. This path will often be investigative in nature, though in very unhelpful circumstances. The threat of violence will be high and tense moments may arise, though the traditional safety-net of state arsenals is an unreliable friends in such locales. Preparation and careful management of factions will often be more important than knowing how to shoot.
In this climate, trust not widely circulated. Suspicion and self-interest will be the norm, yet characters may find themselves with no alternative but cooperation. As they uncover what is at play, they will be forced confront various sins, both past and present. The reality will be uneasy. People may not want to confront it, and those involved should beware what they might unleash.
It will touch on two themes. The first is the contradictions within the imperial system, and the often disastrous consequences that follow. People react in different ways to these contradictions, from idealism in Astaria, to passionate outrage and disillusionment within the colonies, and the warping effects of the guilt nestling in all. In a similar fashion, the absence of such control will also be explored in the hollowed out shell of the Federation of Sishai, and the fragile signs of rebirth displayed within. The world failed the Federation, and the consequences are not limited to the continent.
The second, is the problems of power and responsibility in Ausozera. The world is fragmented — it is without a single arbiter of authority, yet all are connected. No one nation has absolute control, but everyone may feel the consequences of another’s mistakes. All states experiences this fundamental insecurity, and it lodges deep within their nation psyches, consciously or not. If the leaders of Ausozera are to solve problems, they will have to overcome the mutual distrust, the seeping paranoia, and the tendency to operate within the shadows.
Or not. The world was made imperfect, and those in power may have no use for perfection.
Diktats
- - The number of people in this RP will be limited to around 5-6. This is mostly to salvage the remains of the OP’s mind. That does mean I may have to refuse people, but don't take this as any kind of personal rejection.
- - I am not asking for a formal app, since this is not a military RP and I already know everyone joining. Asking for character lists is also a bit premature, since the exact scenario will only emerge after the first two posts. However if you are participating, I suggest having some characters handy — diplomats, special forces and informants. And if you are interested, feel free to say so here or on discord.
- - This rp will occasionally change settings within Sishai, particularly within the Federation and Rathras. I will try and leave IC trails, so no one’s characters will be left behind.
- - An accepting attitude to casualties is advised. I will never say a character should die, but in the murky world of terrorism and failed states, getting a medevac is a distant prospect.
Confirmed Participants
- The URA / GRCS
- The Republic of Donnerland
- The Urranese Republic
- The Valaran Empire
RP Theme
