The Shift: Ongoing Updates on the Grand Theocracy

[Novaya Equestria]

While there are no Marshites in the Novayan Commonwealth and its allies - the Duchy of Romagna, German Empire, Kingdom of Kurdistan, State of Portugal, Republic of Venezia, and Chilean Republic - the aftermath of the Shift has brought shock and surprise in Novaya. "Never would I thought be the day something like this happened," said Maria Elizabeth Fernanda Marcos, Prime Minister of the Novayan Commonwealth, to the Novayan Central News Agency press.

"Due to the unforeseen events of the Shift, the Novayan Commonwealth will be sending in investigators to the Holy Marsh in order to investigate the cause of the Shift. The Novayan Commonwealth will maintain the Good Samaritan policy and will help nations in need without question and without conditions," spoke Grand Marshal Borealis Norsoutha. The Grand Marshal and National Parliamentary Assembly later passed laws that strictly enforced anti-discrimination policies despite the fact there is a low percent in discrimination.

Duchess Maria Pier di Romagna, current monarch of the Duchy of Romagna, sympathized with the Marshites when the paranormal phenomena, known as the Shift, happened. "Though we are from different nations and have different cultures and societies, I pray and hope that the Marshites are safe after the immediate aftermath," said Duchess Maria. The Prime Minister of the Duchy of Romagna has announced its intentions of sending investigators to find out what caused the Shift to happen.

Malik Alaz and Malikah Azade Barzanji, the current rulers of the Kingdom of Kurdistan, made a statement today regarding the Shift. "Though it grieves us that the Marshites have experienced such a paranormal phenomena, we must not hold fast and do what we can to ensure that the Marshites are safe regardless of the consequences involved," said Malik Alaz. The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Kurdistan, Nechirvan Barzani, corroborated the Barzanji family's statement. Princess Naza Erband Barzanji, fifth in line to the royal throne and Colonel in the Kurdish Royal Army, has yet to make a statement but she advocated sending in investigative personnel to find the causes of the Shift.

In the German Empire, domestic reactions were mixed - those sympathized with the Marshites, those showing surprise or confusion, and those who don't wish to have any say in this. "The Shift around the world surprised us, even as many male Marshites were turned to women. But, for this, I wished that the Marshites won't experience discrimination because of their gender," said Frederick IV, the current Kaiser of the German Empire. When reports of discrimination came in not long after his statement a few days later, the Reichstag and the Bundesrat passed laws that made discrimination due to race, gender, religion or culture illegal; said laws will be strictly enforced.

The State of Portugal, Republic of Venezia, and Chilean Republic responded in their own statements. The State of Portugal sent civilian personnel to investigate the causes of the Shift, the Republic of Venezia has yet to make a statement, and the Chilean Republic made plans to send investigators to assist in the investigation regarding the Shift.

[Holy Marsh]

In the Fortress State of Animarnia, a further development emerged. Marshites in The Shift found themselves gifted with universally gifted athletic forms, with even the worst off being intensely athletic at international competition levels. More importantly, their bodies functioned differently. Muscle fibers were stronger by multiple times and were equally efficient, creating a cascading multiplication effect. Their body eliminates the excessive build-up of fatigue-producing chemicals in their muscles; they are unable to feel the fatigue toxins flowing through their body, granting them exceptional endurance and lung capacity, and such toxins are eliminated efficiently. Their reflexes are enhanced to superhuman level and are far superior to even the finest human athletes. Their reaction speed is almost ten times faster than normal humans, which makes it possible for them to dodge gunfire, even at point-blank range. Their agility is enhanced to be greater than that of any Olympic gold medalist and the world's greatest acrobat. They can perfectly coordinate their bodies with enhanced balance, flexibility, and dexterity.

Their physical strength is enhanced to the very peak of human potential, making them consistently able to sustain lifts of 800 lb (360 kg). This strength also extends to their legs, enabling them to leap 20 ft (6 m) out in a single bound, and 10 ft (3 m) into the air without a running start. They can move at speeds equal to that of the absolute finest human athlete, being capable of running at a sustained 30 mph (48 kph). However, they have shown the capacity to run at twice that pace over shorter distances when necessary, capable of running a mile a minute.
Their bones and muscles are vastly denser and much harder than most humans, granting them much greater resistance to physical injury and enhanced durability. Their healing speed and efficiency are enhanced to function beyond the limitations of human capabilities, which means they can heal faster than typical humans. They are highly resistant to all infections, diseases, disorders, etc. They furthermore cannot become intoxicated by alcohol, drugs, or impurities in the air, and are thus immune to typical terrestrial diseases. They are also extremely resistant to hypnosis or gases that could limit their focus or abilities.

Their mental performance is greatly enhanced allowing it to operate in the most advanced and rapid manner possible. Their mental processing is so great that they posses near-limitless information storage and perfect pattern solving. Their mind also processes information hyper-rapidly, giving them an accelerated learning aptitude; for example, they can learn and master any weapon within seconds. They possess an eidetic/photographic memory and near-perfect recall, meaning they almost never forget what they see and experience, paired with the ability to rapidly assess the situation, can thereby intuitively understand what's likely going to happen and how best to deal with it.

Their sense of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch are enhanced to the highest limits of human potential. They age very slowly once puberty is finished, aging years instead of decades over time, with an estimated lifespan of a 100+ being considered average, and with the vast majority of it being in excellent shape before a rapid physical decline. They hit puberty at the age of 11-13 and within the span of a few months fully mature, though it takes more time for the mental aspects to catch up.

Marshites also underwent another important mental change. While always intensely religious, the affected population became even more fanatical in their religious fervour. They also almost unanimously joined the Warrior Shrine, which in time petitioned the Animarnian government for the Warrior Shrine to be officially sanctioned as an arm of the Animarnian armed forces. Forming Crusades instead of Armies, Shrines instead of Divisions, Sisterhoods instead of Regiments, etc. all the way down to Families instead of Squads, they operate together with the Animarnian military but also separate. The birth rate and recruitment rate are symbiotic.

One of the many changes the Shift brought upon the Romani was the development of two new non-human species. The first were the Drow, a development that struck primarily in the mountainous regions of the Federated States. Taking their cues from their Tel'Quessir brothers and sisters under the sea, the Romani-Drow developed along similar lines- except where the Tel'Quessir were evolved to live and thrive under the waves, the Drow did so in the mountains. In many cities, this started first as a worrying trend towards living in the lowest causeways, garages, even the sewers of major cities. In more rural areas however there was a more noticeable and immediate change. Using the magics granted to them by their species, they molded from the caverns, caves, and entrances of the mountains a series of bustling towns. Able to find and develop mineral and mining beyond the hopes an dreams of the 'toplanders'. When this was seen, it wasn't long before Romani authorities allowed Tel'Quessir communities to go deeper under the major cities and develop a series of communities underneath them, while never endangering the stability of the surface.

Drow society developed in a linear fashion regardless of location, however. While much of Romandeos took a matriarchal bent post-Shift, it reached an apex in Drow societies. Most of the magical powers resided in the female drow, and they averaged a much more intimidating (yet still inherently beautiful) physical form. While the vast intellect natural to the Drow was apparent in both sexes, women were expected to excel. Legally this extended as far as it could and, in some far reaches, further. Male political leaders are almost entirely unheard of and the few that do exist are tied to significant others of the other sex in much higher positions. Drow family units and neighbourhoods can vary to some degree, but the matriarchal nature of the Drow is at the very slimmest the most extreme practised in the entirety of the Federated States.

Many Drow were Marshite or otherwise effectively Unionized, but aspects of ancient faiths and cults found their way back into Drow society. Wine cults and pleasure gods were open secrets at worst in many cities. Some initial friction subsided when their exact beliefs were studied and understood to be, at most severe impact, time-wasters. Such cults and worship were enshrined in several locations and openly practised, and several Drow communities became known for their soft-core hedonism and partying ways."

The other major new species were centaurs, who developed mainly in the plains region of the Romani heartland. While many other non-human species were able to fit into normal Romani society without great change, the Centaur presented a new dynamic. They were too big to fit into most homes and even many buildings, meaning the majority of those who changed ended up living in itinerant communities in the cities and doing labor and transportation jobs. It wasn't long before the big cities bustled with the sound of powerful hooves to and fro, while public parks and other spaces large enough developed semi-official camps. Rural communities fared better in most cases, with many Centaur being able to find work and homes in the open spaces of the countryside.

Even smaller centaur are massive creatures, weighing around two thousand pounds and seven feet tall as a base, not to mention their length. Each and every one has an insatiable need for movement, with laziness and lounging being almost unbearable. Indeed, it is common to see a Centaur sleep standing up, sometimes even trotting, and they tend to seek out any work that sees them active. They have tremendous endurance, strength, and speed even considering their body mass and species. Where jobs for them are plentiful, they tend to carve out very successful field for themselves. Where such jobs are not plentiful however, a Romani Centaur is likely to do just about anything to find active, physical employment.

Centaur Society is loose-knit and nearly tribal in origin. Family units are stronger than in most Marshite-linked societies, but the most striking element of their society is the mobility- literal and figurative. They almost always prefer to be on the move, meaning most long-term 'communities' are little more basic structures for legal purposes as they tend to the land in their numbers. It isn't uncommon for groups to traverse entire regions of the countryside in long routes, with the sight of packs of centaurs galloping to and fro becoming more and more common in the countryside. In the cities it is much more difficult for them, and several 24/7 racetracks have cropped up for little need other than their intense need to be mobile.

Because of their unique circumstances, Romani-Centaur are afforded special rights and responsibilities, and due to their itinerant nature have voting blocs based on species rather than geography. The Naukar Caste are represented among them as are the other stratas of Romani society.