Blood, Bullets, and Diamonds (OOC, Application, MT)

[The Daeva]

The Holy Empire of the Daeva has had a long history of warlords. From its ancient beginnings of tribes and clans to more modern day terrorists and militias, Warlords of all kinds have been a permanent feature of the country. Luckily for the Empire and the larger world, the biggest warlords of them all come from the House of Chakravarti, the famous and fabulously wealthy royal family of the Daeva. They unified the nation a long a time ago, and made it into the civilized and modern society it is today. However, there is one place where the concept of a warlord is still the accepted and expected form of government. The Desert of Ahriman, a large and perilous expanse of plains, sand, and mountains are traditionally lawless. And the modern day has only increased the killing. Tribes fight the remnants of terrorist movements. Corporations hire Mercs to protect the profitable Ahrimani Diamond industry. These red stones can only be found in the Desert of Ahriman and their unmatched beauty and rarity makes them one of the most sought after gemstones ever. They are often called ‘Blood Diamonds’, both due to their coloration and the ways many acquire them. And of course, the Royal Daevan Army often swoops in to purge the desert of its worst every month or so, to make a token effort of restoring order. In fact, the larger Empire actually tolerates the unrest in the region because it provide free training for their soldiers. The constant bush war in the desert is probably why the Daevans are experts at counter terrorism and desert warfare. The conflict is perpetual, and the desert draws many in. Will you leave with a briefcase full of diamonds? Or will the desert swallow you as it has so many others.

OOC:
Hello! I have always to do something like this. While bigger civil wars and world wars are cool, I think a bush war would be a nice change of pace. This is based on several real life things, such as the War on Terror, the War on Drugs, and conflicts over African diamonds. Now, just because I say low level doesn’t mean it is any less brutal. It is probably more so. Warlords aren’t known for niceness.
Rules:
No Godmodding
No WMDS
There isn’t a hard troop limit, but there is a limit. The Holy Empire of the Daeva isn’t in civil war, and isn’t a failed state. They are perfectly capable of retaining their borders. This means that sending a giant aircraft flotilla will just get them kicked out of the country. This is not an invasion thread. This is a bush war. Treat it that way. Repeat, my nation isn’t in civil war. It is only in a single province that is basically designated for it. Alright, cool
If you are playing as a faction that is part of the government or armed forces of your nation, ask for IC permission to put troops in the Holy Empire. This doesn’t apply if you are playing as a mercenary company or corporation, or if you are supporting terrorists
OPs word is law. Yeah…
Be nice to each other OOC, commit war crimes IC. Oh, almost forgot. If you read the rules, put the word “Indigo” in other details as proof
And of course, Have Fun!

Recommendations:
So, in this you will be playing a faction of your own design. I would recommend playing as something from your own nations but you can play as an Ahrimani or Daevan terrorist group if you really want to, just ask.
Factions include:
Corporations
Terrorist Organizations
Military Detachments
Intelligence Agency squads
Petty warlord states
Criminal Enterprises
PMCs
VNSAs of all kinds
And so much more!

Application:
Name of nation:
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation)
Factional Leader:
Faction goals:
Foreign or native (if native ask me please)
Aligned with the government or independent:
Orbat:
Starting resources:
Legality:
Quick summary:
Other details you want to add:

[The Indios Bravos]

Application:
Name of nation: The Democratic States of the Indios Bravos
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation): Military Detachment
Factional Leader: General of Saharan Enivrons, Manny Gulagin
Faction goals: "Peacekeeping" and Exploitation of Local Resources
Foreign or native (if native ask me please): Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Independent
Orbat: I uhh dont know what this means
Starting resources:
500k IBMC soldiers, 100k MBTs, 150k IFVs, 50k aircraft
Legality: Also dont know what dis mean
Quick summary: Asians with a shit ton of stuff and a taste for warcrimes.
Other details you want to add: Indigo, and we'll be using dinosaurs

[The Daeva]

Application:
Name of nation: The Democratic States of the Indios Bravos
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation): Military Detachment
Factional Leader: General of Saharan Enivrons, Manny Gulagin
Faction goals: "Peacekeeping" and Exploitation of Local Resources
Foreign or native (if native ask me please): Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Independent
Orbat: I uhh dont know what this means
Starting resources:
500k IBMC soldiers, 100k MBTs, 150k IFVs, 50k aircraft
Legality: Also dont know what dis mean
Quick summary: Asians with a shit ton of stuff and a taste for warcrimes.
Other details you want to add: Indigo, and we'll be using dinosaurs

Application… pending. So this looks decent. Uh.. just a few quick changes that you may want to make. Uh, ORBAT is your number of troops and things, resources is more like wealth and bullets and stuff. Legality is ‘are you allowed to be here or are you a criminal or terrorist organization.” I would also recommend giving a name to your regiment. Also, since you are a troop detachment and your goal is peacekeeping, I would put allied to the government cause they wouldn’t just let troops in if they weren’t. Also, uh, I dunno if I can let in dinosaurs. I am trying to go for realism. Sorry for being nitpicky, but with these changed I would be glad to accept your app.

Edit: autocorrect turned ‘these’ into ‘Jesse’ so I changed it back

[The Indios Bravos]

Application:
Name of nation: The Democratic States of the Indios Bravos
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation): 3rd Desert Field Army for Foreign Matters
Factional Leader: General of HotDry Enivrons, Manny Gulagin
Faction goals: "Peacekeeping" and Exploitation of Local Resources
Foreign or native (if native ask me please): Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Allied
Orbat: 500k IBMC soldiers, 100k MBTs, 150k IFVs, 50k aircraft
Starting resources: $2 Billion for mission
Legality: Allowed (for now)
Quick summary: Asians with a shit ton of stuff and a taste for warcrimes.
Other details you want to add: Indigo, and we might be using dinosaurs

Aww, no dinosaurs? I was so hyped to test out the Allosaurs in a desert

[The Daeva]

Application:
Name of nation: The Democratic States of the Indios Bravos
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation): 3rd Desert Field Army for Foreign Matters
Factional Leader: General of HotDry Enivrons, Manny Gulagin
Faction goals: "Peacekeeping" and Exploitation of Local Resources
Foreign or native (if native ask me please): Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Allied
Orbat: 500k IBMC soldiers, 100k MBTs, 150k IFVs, 50k aircraft
Starting resources: $2 Billion for mission
Legality: Allowed (for now)
Quick summary: Asians with a shit ton of stuff and a taste for warcrimes.
Other details you want to add: Indigo, and we might be using dinosaurs

Aww, no dinosaurs? I was so hyped to test out the Allosaurs in a desert

I am so, so sorry about the dinosaurs and the upcoming Nitpick. Could you decrease your troop numbers a bit? Just to make it a bit smaller scale, Y’know. Other than that your app looks amazing!

[Socalist Republic Of Mercenaries]

Funny Text theme (oh god the voices)
Name of nation: SRoM
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation): Stratusian National Salvation Front (Soon-to-be Ahriman Purification Zone)
Factional Leader: Aroetsohn Kuritzov
Faction goals: To establish a Juche police state in the Ahriman desert, because they are slightly more than mentally insane
Foreign or native (if native ask me please)Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Obviously independent (they’re gonna basically probably ethnically cleanse or assimilate the region into their hellhole of a police state
Orbat:
1200 T-45M MBTs
700 HT-5M heavy tanks
80 AC-130J “Ghostrider” heavy gunships
100 J-20E4s
50 Iskander TEL vehicles
100 Iskander missiles
8,000 infantrymen
Starting resources:
25,000 tons of Soman (stored in armored trucks with hermetic sealing)
More equipment for making nerve agents.
Construction equipment
2 years basic rations
Legality: VERY ILLEGAL
Quick summary: The SNSF was kicked from the SRoM for being too extremist, so their party members in the Army staged a small coup but failed so they ran off to the Ahriman desert to build their own nation.
Other details you want to add:


OOC: Indios Bravos, 50k aircraft is a lot, like a fucking shitting ton, to put it in perspective, the USAF only has 5217 aircraft, the US army only has 5,500 tanks and IFVs combined, and has only 482,416 total personnel and not all them are soldiers.

[The Grand Economic Consortium]

Application:
Name of nation: The Grand Economic Consortium
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation) Consortian Joint Peacekeeping Operation into the Daeva
Factional Leader: General Second Class Elmut Bradley
Faction goals: To maintain stability in the Daeva by combating rebel factions
Foreign or native (if native ask me please) Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Cooperation with government, but mostly independent

Orbat:

Land Forces

3rd Mechanized Brigade (3,000 men) - 2
400 LATVs, 200 BFVs

5th Multinational Infantry battaltion (900 men, made of troops and equipment from different nations in my universe)


3rd Tank Battalion (1,100 men) - Mainly made of M10 Bookers and M1A2 SepV3, along with their crew and maintenance personell

Air Force

3rd Strategic Airlift Wing - 10 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, 5 F22As

Sol squadron - 10 F35As,

3rd Tactical Attack Wing - 30 MQ-9A Reapers, 10 F/A-18s

Aerial Command Wing - 1 E3 Sentry, 6 F22As

Naval support

2nd Missile Frigate Squadron - 5 Constellation-class frigates

8th Logistical Support Group - 3 Vulcan-class repair ships, 1 replenishment ship


Starting resources: I will start with the 3rd Mechanized Brigade, 3rd Strategic Airlift Wing, Sol Squadron and the 8th Logistical Support Group
Legality: Supporting the current government
Quick summary: A Multinational force formed from governments from nations in the Consortium's universe. It uses equipment from multiple nations, along with cutting edge space surveillance technology to find any rebel encampments. The plan is to mainly use UAVs to launch precision strikes while reducing friendly casualties.
Other details you want to add: if you ask for any more, sure

[The Daeva]

Funny Text theme (oh god the voices)
Name of nation: SRoM
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation): Stratusian National Salvation Front (Soon-to-be Ahriman Purification Zone)
Factional Leader: Aroetsohn Kuritzov
Faction goals: To establish a Juche police state in the Ahriman desert, because they are slightly more than mentally insane
Foreign or native (if native ask me please)Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Obviously independent (they’re gonna basically probably ethnically cleanse or assimilate the region into their hellhole of a police state
Orbat:
1200 T-45M MBTs
700 HT-5M heavy tanks
80 AC-130J “Ghostrider” heavy gunships
100 J-20E4s
50 Iskander TEL vehicles
100 Iskander missiles
8,000 infantrymen
Starting resources:
25,000 tons of Soman (stored in armored trucks with hermetic sealing)
More equipment for making nerve agents.
Construction equipment
2 years basic rations
Legality: VERY ILLEGAL
Quick summary: The SNSF was kicked from the SRoM for being too extremist, so their party members in the Army staged a small coup but failed so they ran off to the Ahriman desert to build their own nation.
Other details you want to add:


OOC: Indios Bravos, 50k aircraft is a lot, like a fucking shitting ton, to put it in perspective, the USAF only has 5217 aircraft, the US army only has 5,500 tanks and IFVs combined, and has only 482,416 total personnel and not all them are soldiers.

Application Accepted. Excellent terrorist faction

[The Daeva]

Application:
Name of nation: The Grand Economic Consortium
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation) Consortian Joint Peacekeeping Operation into the Daeva
Factional Leader: General Second Class Elmut Bradley
Faction goals: To maintain stability in the Daeva by combating rebel factions
Foreign or native (if native ask me please) Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Cooperation with government, but mostly independent

Orbat:

Land Forces

3rd Mechanized Brigade (3,000 men) - 2
400 LATVs, 200 BFVs

5th Multinational Infantry battaltion (900 men, made of troops and equipment from different nations in my universe)


3rd Tank Battalion (1,100 men) - Mainly made of M10 Bookers and M1A2 SepV3, along with their crew and maintenance personell

Air Force

3rd Strategic Airlift Wing - 10 McDonnell Douglas/Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, 5 F22As

Sol squadron - 10 F35As,

3rd Tactical Attack Wing - 30 MQ-9A Reapers, 10 F/A-18s

Aerial Command Wing - 1 E3 Sentry, 6 F22As

Naval support

2nd Missile Frigate Squadron - 5 Constellation-class frigates

8th Logistical Support Group - 3 Vulcan-class repair ships, 1 replenishment ship


Starting resources: I will start with the 3rd Mechanized Brigade, 3rd Strategic Airlift Wing, Sol Squadron and the 8th Logistical Support Group
Legality: Supporting the current government
Quick summary: A Multinational force formed from governments from nations in the Consortium's universe. It uses equipment from multiple nations, along with cutting edge space surveillance technology to find any rebel encampments. The plan is to mainly use UAVs to launch precision strikes while reducing friendly casualties.
Other details you want to add: if you ask for any more, sure

Accepted

[The Daeva]

Application:
Name of nation: The Holy Empire of the Daeva
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation) Royal Daevan Army (all of it)
Factional Leader: The Padeshah Absalom Chakravarti (commander-in-chief)
Faction goals: To restore peace in the region, to take control of the Ahrimani Diamond Trade, To keep fighting out of mainstream Daevan society.
Foreign or native (if native ask me please) Native.
Aligned with the government or independent: they… they are the government
Orbat: (not a specific one, as they can resupppy easily)
Starting resources: (see above)
Legality: they are the law
Quick summary: The Royal Daevan Army is a very functional force. It isn’t the best military, but it is very good at anti-militant and desert operations. They are probably the only representative of the legitimate government anyone in the Desert of Ahriman will ever see
Other details you want to add: these guys basically just serve as an IC reason why the fighting stays in the desert as they are more of an OP tool. They also serve as a group for terrorist and illegal players to fight. Indigo

Application:
Name of nation: The Holy Empire of the Daeva
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation) Ahrimans Wake
Factional Leader: The Vizier (rumored) Kaid Erdogan
Faction goals: take control of the empire in its entirety, and establish a theocratic state that worships Ahriman
Foreign or native (if native ask me please) Native
Aligned with the government or independent: independent
Orbat: 30,000 make shift vehicles. 250,000 militants of various training, 350 stolen tanks
Starting resources: they use ramshackle weapons bought from arms dealers or stolen from others. However, as a native to not just the Empire but also the Desert itself, they can easily find resources such as food and shelter
Legality: extremely illegal, kill on sight by the Daevic government
Quick summary: Ahrimans Wake is a militant movement that worships the god Ahriman, and wishes to install a state that worshiped the deity. They actually previously overthrew the royal family and took control over the country, before the Counter-revolution overthrew them. They aren’t as powerful as they were, they barely are a remnant…
Other details you want to add: indigo and just like the Royal Daevan army, these guys serve as someone for legal players to fight.



Both apps accepted, obviously…

[Katinea]

Application:
Name of nation: The Sovereign Kingdom of Katinea
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation): 3rd Expeditionary Corps (King's 1st Guard Regiment, The Royal Arokistani Regiment, The 5th Armoured Dragoons) and 3rd Detachment, Army Air Corps (Royal Katinean Ground Defence Force)
Factional Leader: Captain Albin Svensson
Faction goals: Peacekeeping, Counter-Insurgency
Foreign or native (if native ask me please): Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Government aligned
Orbat:

10,000 Men
6,000 Infantry, 1,000 Armoured, 3,000 Support and AAC

10 Tanks (T-80KB2)
15 IFVs (Mix of BMP-1 and M2A3K)
30 Support, Logistics and Other non-armoured Vehicles

2 CH47K Chinook Helicopters
4 UH-60K2 Black Hawk Helicopters
2 AH-64M2K Apache II Helicopters
Starting resources: 3 Years Rations, Other Important Things
Legality: Official CSL-Aligned Government-Owned Military Force
Quick summary: A Small, But effective, Expeditionary Force, Specialising in Counter Insurgency and Long, Drawn out Conflicts.
Other details you want to add:

[Socalist Republic Of Mercenaries]

I have a few alt flag ideas for the Ahriman Purification Zone that i wll be posting here.

[The Daeva]

Application:
Name of nation: The Sovereign Kingdom of Katinea
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation): 3rd Expeditionary Corps (King's 1st Guard Regiment, The Royal Arokistani Regiment, The 5th Armoured Dragoons) and 3rd Detachment, Army Air Corps (Royal Katinean Ground Defence Force)
Factional Leader: Captain Albin Svensson
Faction goals: Peacekeeping, Counter-Insurgency
Foreign or native (if native ask me please): Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Government aligned
Orbat:

10,000 Men
6,000 Infantry, 1,000 Armoured, 3,000 Support and AAC

10 Tanks (T-80KB2)
15 IFVs (Mix of BMP-1 and M2A3K)
30 Support, Logistics and Other non-armoured Vehicles

2 CH47K Chinook Helicopters
4 UH-60K2 Black Hawk Helicopters
2 AH-64M2K Apache II Helicopters
Starting resources: 3 Years Rations, Other Important Things
Legality: Official CSL-Aligned Government-Owned Military Force
Quick summary: A Small, But effective, Expeditionary Force, Specialising in Counter Insurgency and Long, Drawn out Conflicts.
Other details you want to add:

Accepted…

Application:
Name of nation: The Holy Empire of the Daeva
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation) Grigori Intelligence Bureau
Factional Leader: The Shahzadeh Joshua Chakravarti, Director of the Grigori
Faction goals: maintain Daevic interests in the region
Foreign or native (if native ask me please) native
Aligned with the government or independent: government aligned (they are part of the government
Orbat: up to change in what the mission needs, although generally unmarked black ops squads
Starting resources: an extremely high budget and east resuppplies
Legality: technically legal although sometimes they do illegal things
Quick summary: The Grigori intelligence Bureau are ruthless but competent spies who specialize in Psy-ops
Other details you want to add: indigo

[The Daeva]

I have a few alt flag ideas for the Ahriman Purification Zone that i wll be posting here.

Cool

[The Grand Economic Consortium]

Application:
Name of nation: The Grand Economic Consortium
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation) Blaclight Section X
Factional Leader: Chief Xander Anaximenes
Faction goals: To take over the diamond mines of the region and secure Consortian interests
Foreign or native (if native ask me please) Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Secretly Aligned with Consortian government, but operate independently of any laws or moral code
Orbat:

500 Section X operatives
3,000 Mercenaries organised in 3 battalions, operating independently
10 M1 Abrams of unknown origin
1 SR-71 Blackbird
10 F35Bs of unknown origin

Starting resources: Starting with 100 operatives, I will bring more in as the rp progresses
Legality: None, legally they do not even exist. Section X is basically a ghost
Quick summary:

Blacklight Section X, the most secretive branch of the agency. They are the guys who get their hands dirty when the snobs back home want to appease their morality. The operatives under Section X are ghosts, having renounced all sense of personality in order to operate and secure TGECs interests. They operate with the newest equipment and do not flinch to the most gruesome measures of achieving their objective. Section X will not stop at commiting war crimes or macabre brutality in order to achieve its goal. In summary, they are the guys the guys the CIA calls when they can't get stuff done.
Other details you want to add: Can I even add this faction?

[The Daeva]

Application:
Name of nation: The Grand Economic Consortium
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation) Blaclight Section X
Factional Leader: Chief Xander Anaximenes
Faction goals: To take over the diamond mines of the region and secure Consortian interests
Foreign or native (if native ask me please) Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Secretly Aligned with Consortian government, but operate independently of any laws or moral code
Orbat:

500 Section X operatives
3,000 Mercenaries organised in 3 battalions, operating independently
10 M1 Abrams of unknown origin
1 SR-71 Blackbird
10 F35Bs of unknown origin

Starting resources: Starting with 100 operatives, I will bring more in as the rp progresses
Legality: None, legally they do not even exist. Section X is basically a ghost
Quick summary:

Blacklight Section X, the most secretive branch of the agency. They are the guys who get their hands dirty when the snobs back home want to appease their morality. The operatives under Section X are ghosts, having renounced all sense of personality in order to operate and secure TGECs interests. They operate with the newest equipment and do not flinch to the most gruesome measures of achieving their objective. Section X will not stop at commiting war crimes or macabre brutality in order to achieve its goal. In summary, they are the guys the guys the CIA calls when they can't get stuff done.
Other details you want to add: Can I even add this faction?

Accepted, although be aware both local warlords and the Daevan government are very jealous over the Blood Diamonds (or Ahrimani Diamonds if you want to be snobbish) for obvious reasons. The heaviest fighting is over known diamond mines, and secret diamond mines don’t remain that way for long

[The Grand Economic Consortium]

Section X will prolly just deploy the most gruesome gas attacks in the cave to secure them. As I said they are basically ghosts and do not abide by any law of war

[The Daeva]

Section X will prolly just deploy the most gruesome gas attacks in the cave to secure them. As I said they are basically ghosts and do not abide by any law of war

Yeeaaah. Just saying the diamonds are the most valuable thing in the desert, but everyone wants them. So there will be conflict

[Keltrkle]

Name of nation: Oligarchy Of Keltrkle.
Name of faction : Party of the Arab gulf, (our worlds Persian Gulf, same place different name.)
Factional Leader: Seain Hussmok
Faction goals: Show our new military research and organization.
Foreign or native : Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Government.

Orbat:

31st Tank Regiment

Size : 170

1st Apex Special Forces.

2nd Apex Special Forces.

4th Apex Special Forces.

Size : 70

17th helicopter brigade.

Size : 40

Starting resources: 780 million.
Legality: legal, military is there for peacekeeping and security purposes.
Quick summary: Tribal Arabs conquered everything in the Middle East that wasn’t turkey, the caucuses or Persia, now sitting pretty on oil money.
Other details you want to add: indigo, and yes we our rich from our oil.

[Keltrkle]

OOC : Also no IC forum?

[The Daeva]

OOC : Also no IC forum?

OOC: not yet

[Keltrkle]

OOC : Also no IC forum?

OOC: not yet

OOC : mk

[Usca]

Application:
Name of nation: Empire of Usca
Name of faction (if same, put what part of your nation): Blackwater (Mercenaries)
Factional Leader: Louis Gills
Faction goals: Make Money and get Diamonds
Foreign or native (if native ask me please): Foreign
Aligned with the government or independent: Acts independently of laws and morals
Orbat: 150 M1 Hammerheads, 90 L17s Lancelots, 120K Mercs from Blackwater and partner company, 50 A17S, 30 B10s, 4 transport ships, 12 transport helicopters, and a supply ship that's lightly armed
Starting resources: 1.5 Billion for starting operations
Legality: Unknown
Quick summary: Powerful mercenary company that is allowed to continue operations by the Uscan Emperor if they give him 25% of their profit and in return, he gives them military equipment that they need. Their influence is widespread and they are known for being brutal
Other details you want to add: Indigo

[The Roma Republic]

Gonna try my hand at this RP stuff.

Application:
Name of nation: The Union of the Roma Republic
Name of faction: "Tagli Grezzi Inc." (English: Rough Cuts Inc.)
Factional Leader: CEO Petrocelli Lombardino
Faction goals:
Plan A: Bribe foreign criminal enterprises/terrorist groups into smuggling Blood Diamonds into the Roma Republic.
Plan B (if Plan A fails): A military detachment will be sent out under the Roma Republic's name to collect and smuggle Blood Diamonds out of the nation.
Foreign or native
Aligned with the government or independent: Government
Orbat:
(Note: This ORBAT will be dispatched if Plan A fails, but the ones marked with "TGI" will be used in both plans)
Land:
20,000 men
13,000 infantry, 4,000 support, 2,500 Armoured, 500 mercenaries (mercenaries: TGI)

150 Puma 6x6 APCs
25 Centauro Tank Destroyers
60 Ariete Battle Tanks

Naval:
25 Cargo Ships (TGI)

10 Submarines

Starting resources: 2 years rations, ~$5B in Lira
Legality: Technically illegal, but the company is backed by the Roma government in this operation, so it's protected.
Quick summary: Talgi Grezzi Inc. is a state-owned Roman gem cutting corporation based in Venice that is mainly under the control of the Roman government.
Other details you want to add: "Indigo"

[Usca]

Question for the OP, are merc companies allowed to work together?