New Sanian Factbook (Mk.II)

[SHADOW Corporation]

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The Democratic Monarchy of the Sanian Confederacy

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National Emblem of the Democratic Monarchy of The Sanian Confederacy

"For Congress, Country, Comprehension, and Coffers."

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Overview

Introduction
History
- The Time Before, The Far Past
- ?, Up Until Now...
- Here and Now, Modern Day

Culture and People
- Humans, Homo sapiens
- Sapient Equines, Equus sapiens
- Pegasus-type Sapient Equines, Equus sapiens volaticus
- Unicorn-type Sapient Equines, Equus sapiens reditus

Geography
- Sani Mainland (Incomplete)
- Incorporated Ponyist Territories (Incomplete, Again...)

Government
- Executive Branch
- Parliamentary Branch

Notable People
- Kurisu Senkaku
- Zoe Senkaku
- Gilda

Military

(Done, pending additional content.)

[SHADOW Corporation]

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Introduction

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A lone giant upon the surface of its world, Sani is a supercontinent surrounded only by smaller islands and an endless sea. It is a land of vast forests, great plains, cold peaks and harsh deserts. A land of anthropogenic variety and natural beauty, of primal wilderness and supernatural mystery. Sani is the result of untold devastation, of billions of souls snuffed out in the blink of an eye so that a billion others could begin the world anew, and a new culture could rise from its ashes.

When the Last Cataclysm raged it tore apart the surface, boiled the oceans, cracked the sky. The Lost World vanished and Sani grew like an innocent flower upon its corpse. Unique peoples, strange machines, pastoral communities, small gods, dangerous fauna and fallen beings all share this world. It is remarkably peaceful and beautiful for its circumstances, but not without danger. Heroes are the common folk standing against natural and unnatural terrors, soldiers protecting their nation, magicians seeking understanding, and the devout hoping to unify and uplift their people and those all around the world.

((OOC: Below you will find links to more information about this mystical world, its people and its customs. The posts below this introduction section and the descprition above have all you need to get started. Your imagination can take it from there. But if you want to know more, explore the other sections that I intend to contiunally update from here on out.))

(Done)

[SHADOW Corporation]

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History

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The Time Before, The Far Past

Sani is a world born off the back of another, birthed by a terrible cataclysm. Over 2000 years ago the magic of the past world, long since abused by its inhabitants, unleashed a chaos that eradicated almost all life and rearranged almost all of the land. The continent saw most of its land mass sink into the ocean, blown into the sky, subsumed into flame or smashed together at the surface. The result was Sani, a supercontinent surrounded by small islands. Across this land are the remnants of a shattered world. The Sani seen now stands over (and in some places, beside) the ruins of a past world. Ancient magic and literature, heretical worship of evil, dead gods, and unnatural architecture littering blackened wastes all stand testament to the lingering malice of the Lost World. Its history is all but lost: modern day Sanians know barely anything of the past world but the few far flung fragments that they’ve dared to put together. For some say, they fear knowing too much...

(Under Construction)

[SHADOW Corporation]

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Culture and Peoples

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Because of their scientific observational nature, shadowians tend to have a "long view" not common with other nations and their people. When they encounter a new faction or government, shadowians are more comfortable with an extended period of passive observation and study than immediate action. And are unfazed that some of their investments or decisions may not pay off for decades. A shadowian can seem to make incomprehensible decisions now, but their insight and access to vast amounts of knowledge is evident when their carefully-laid plans come to fruition. In international relations, this long view manifests in an unspoken policy of centrism. With shadowians tending to instinctively seek to maintain stable balances of economic, political, and military power.

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Humans, Homo sapiens

Humans (Latin: Homo sapiens, meaning "Wise Man") are a genus of sentient peoples native to the shadow corporation that have evolved similarly to most human civilization. Throughout their existence, humans have developed their civilization by engaging in food production on a larger scale, developing language, developing religion and political philosophies and exhibiting telescoping technological and infrastructural development. They've been studying the stars long before they were able to travel out of their atmosphere, though their space travel has yet to reach a level of development on par with space faring (FT) nations, with the only place their ships are capable of reaching being the moon. 

■ Physical Description: Humans usually stand 5-6 feet tall, though this varies depending on nutrition, genetics and other factors. Humans have a fairly robust physiology. Their internal makeup and reproductive processes are typical of most mammals, with their size and proportions giving them appearance of being strong, fast and agile. Humans are mammals, and closely related to other dominant apes of the world, meaning that they are warm-blooded and give birth to live offspring, and nourish their offspring with milk. They have five fingers, one being an opposable thumb with members of the species not only being four-limbed but bipedal as well.

■ Society: The development of human civilization as recognized today in the shadow corporation started from the ability to harness the growth cycle of plants, producing edible food-energy in a systemic fashion. The stability that came from systemic agriculture allowed for more permanent settlements and the development of ever-more-complex tools to further benefit the members of the species. Innovated toolmaking and the domestication of other local species gave the populations greater and greater power to expand their populations, and trade ensured the diffusion of new technologies to adjacent groups. These exploding populations led to the formation of the first genuine shadowian civilization over 9,000 years ago. The infrastructure of civilizations continued to expand and grow in complexity as innovative technologies and larger populations allowed for increasing food-energy availability. Economic, political, scientific and religious advancement continued to quicken as this species was able to automate many tasks in the Industrial Revolution. This automation gave birth to the Digital Revolution, in which computing machines allowed scientific discovery and technological development to accelerate with explosive speed. Larger urban centers and tools for civilian and military uses were able to develop, as were more modern economic and political systems. As these systems developed further, the species was able to enjoy longer, more pro-creative, and more comfortable lives, and are now virtually impervious to the other creatures from whose midst they sprang.

■ Relations: Shadowian Humans are generally seen to be very intelligent, abnormally ambitious, highly adaptable, individualistic and thus, unpredictable. They have a powerful desire to advance and improve themselves, and do so with such assertion that other normally staid peoples have been taken aback by their restlessness and relentless curiosity. Unlike many groups in the international community, shadowians have no noticeably close allies among other international entities, though they are trade partners with a number of different nations. Without proper alliances or key political positions, shadowians have had to follow the edicts and go with the flow of the international community without having much influence on it.

■ Religion:

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Earth Ponies, Equus spiens

Earth Ponies (Latin: Equus sapiens, meaning “Sapient Equines”) are a genus of sentient equine native to the lands of Equestria that have more recently been incorporated into the Shadow Corporation via territorial incorporation (pending full statehood). Honest and fun loving in nature, the most common type of pony in all of the shadow corporation are the earth ponies. Blessed with a natural affinity toward plants and animals, earth ponies make up for their lack of wings and magic horns, with extreme versatility. From world class bakers to the most daring explorers of the Himmaneighan Mountains, earth ponies excel at whatever they put their hearts to (no matter what that might be).

Earth Ponies are tough and dependable, quick to help, fun to be around, and smart as can be. Unable to fly or use magic, earth ponies thrived in equestria long before their arrival in the shadow corporation thanks to their ability to specialize in almost any field (and continue to do so today because of it). With a natural predilection towards being kind and helpful, earth ponies often put the needs of others before their own. Never one to leave a friend (or ally) in need, earth ponies are companions that can help out in a bind but know when to cut loose and through a group.

■ Physical Description: Four legged and quadrupedal in nature, earth pony anatomy enables them to make use of speed to escape predators, with millions of years of evolution as well having granted them a well-developed sense of balance and a strong fight-or-flight instinct. As varied as these ponies themselves, the physical characteristics of an earth pony are as varied and unique as they are. From the orange coated farm workers to the bearded athletes, earth ponies display the widest variation in coat colors and facial features. Generally speaking, though, the coat of an earth pony has some connection to their special talent.

■ Society: Earth Pony society is (now) the longest held government in all of the shadow corporation. With many of the towns and cities throughout it’s newly incorporated territory were settled by earth ponies, and their style of democracy with a mayor in charge of the region is the most common. In modern day shadowian society, earth ponies generally fill roles in the industrial and agricultural fields.

■ Relations: Earth Ponies are the most accepting of all the ponies in the shadow corporation and are on good terms with most all other races. As such, it is not uncommon to find a few Pegasi or Unicorns living in an Earth Pony settlement. For most earth ponies, unicorns are thought of as earth ponies with a penchant for magic, and pegasi are simply earth ponies with wings. Earth Ponies do have a very tumultuous relationship with the unknown, though, regarding foreign or unusual creatures with fear and suspicion. Generally like by all, Earth Ponies have no real enemies beyond those who directly threaten them.

■ Religion: Earth Ponies, like the rest of the pony races, tend to be good in nature. With earth ponies tending to respect tradition and keep order, always trying to make sure promises are kept and laws obeyed, while many others are not afraid to pull a few pranks for the greater good. Good-aligned earth ponies tend to follow the Church of Celestia, while those of less then pure alignment devote themselves to the (now Occult) Church of Nightmare Moon.

A prime example of the usual Earth Pony Species.

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Pegasus-type Sapient Equines, Equus sapiens volaticus

(Under Construction)

[SHADOW Corporation]

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Geography

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(Under Construction)

[SHADOW Corporation]

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Government

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The Sanian governmental structure, known as the Sanian Confederacy, is relatively broad; the sani region came late to the notion of a "true" regional government. And for centuries, the sani region was dotted with loose confederacies of great republican cities. The closest RL equivalent likely being the ancient Mediterranean city-states. Since sanian culture values consensus and accommodation, there was little impetus to form larger principalities. Rather than hoard resources, sanians bartered freely. Rather than attack one another over differing philosophies, they sought to understand one another. Only in the modern age did the city-states grow close; reliably fast communication across the region evolving into a shared understanding that they were only a truly small school of fish in a vast international ocean and together agreed to band together for both mutual defense and economic opportunity.

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Executive Branch

The President is in effect the head of state for the entire Sanian Confederacy; the current holder of office is Kurisu Senkaku. The Sanian President exercises the supreme executive power of the Confederacy. The functions and roles of the President include appointing Sanian ambassadors and ministers, giving assent to legislation, issuing writs for elections and bestowing honours. The President is Commander-in-Chief of the Sanian military, and also the symbolic head of state for the entire Sanian Confederacy.

The title of President is a carryover from the offices of the same title taken from other democratic nations the Sani Mainland had contact with before it’s unification. There, the President was his or her respective country's head of state and the figurehead representative to the rest of the international community. Although Sanians had no true right or reason to, the title of President was chosen for the holder of the top executive branch in the new Confederacy.

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Parliamentary Branch

The Parliament of the Confederacy of the Sanian Mainland, also known as the
Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of the Sanian Confederacy. It is bicameral, largely modeled in the style of Westminster tradition, but with some influences from such places as the United States Congress.

The lower house, the House of Representatives, currently consists of 250 members, who represent districts known as electoral divisions (commonly referred to as "electorates" or "seats"). The number of members is not fixed, but can vary with boundary changes resulting from electoral redistributions, which are required on a regular basis.

(Under Construction)

[SHADOW Corporation]

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Notable People

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Kurisu Senkaku

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Zoe Senkaku

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Gilda

An Equestrian Gryphon and former mercenary extraordinaire, Gilda somehow ended up on the Sani Mainland several years ago. Getting her start as a "private security contractor", she found lucrative work as a mercenary and assassin. No job was too violent, no target too innocent. As long as the money was good, Gilda would take the job. During her roughly four year stint as a "PSC", she was even hired by the Sanian Confederacy and executed countless combat rescues, counter-terrorism operations, and peacekeeping missions from everywhere throughout the Western Isles all the way to the Eastern Provinces and going so far as to be nearly everywhere in between on her time off.

But after a botched operation just inside the border of the Eastern Provinces, she was left behind by her former band of mercenaries. With one leg shattered by sniper fire, a pair of broken wings, and several crushed ribs, she crawled six miles to a border station, where she was able to bluff, persuade and later bribe her way through the guards. After her convalescence, Gilda retired from active duty and founded a small consulting group that provided regional governments and corporations with security and logistical advice. Seeing an opportunity in this to both acquire her skill and perform an expansion into military contracting, an anonymous benefactor contacted her, and shortly thereafter Gilda closed her consultancy business and joined the SAF. 

Later discovering that none other then President Kurisu Senkaku himself had pushed for her recruitment and that besides being payed a hefty consulting fee for her services, was pardoned of all charges pertaining to her former mercenary work, put in charge of assembling a Battalion of Gryphons for the Sanian Royal Guard (SRG), and granted the military rank of Major. Today, she has acting authority over the twenty-thousand strong "Gryphon Guard" portion of the SRG and assists in whatever other micromanagement is necessary with offices and outposts throughout the region.

(Under Construction)

[SHADOW Corporation]

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Military

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The Sanian Defense Force (SDF) is the Sanian Confederacy's foremost military defense force and sister organization to the Sanian Confederacy, made up of veteran elite counter-terrorist and peacekeeping forces from throughout all sanian territories. Calm and precise, these highly-trained and experienced soldiers are especially skilled in urban warfare and are also noted as being consumate professionals. The largest group of military personnel within sanian territory by far, the SDF is composed of the Sanian Peacekeeper Corps (SPC), Sanian Air Defense Force (SADF), the Sanian Maritime Defense Force (SMDF) and the Sanian Royal Guard (SRG). With their forces having access to units that specialize (and excel) in electronic warfare as well as having a penchant for the use and deployment of less then experimental electromagnetic weaponry.

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■ Weapons: While still primarily based on projectiles and chemical reactions, sanian weaponary has advanced a degree more than it's 21st century counterparts. Equipped with a variety of electronic gadgets such as ammo readouts and holographic sights, sanian weapons are gifted with a significant increase in reliability, thus seldom malfunctioning. With many having been rendered generally immune to the effects of electromagnetic pulses. Still, there have been some advanced developments, including rail and coilgun based weapon systems, which have found increasingly extensive use on newly refurbished sanian battleships (signaling as well, a resurgence in shadowian military naval power) as well as smaller more mobile systems deployed on vehicles, with several even having incorporated the technology in individual infantry based weapons systems.

And while there have been several developments in energy weapons technology with the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL for short) sanian military personnel have expressed little interest in pursing the technology beyond it's current employment in anti-ballastic missile defesne. Sanians have a good understanding of particle beam technology but have yet to utilize it in any noticeable form of weaponry. Though one of the largest and more recent breakthroughs came in the mid 20th century when sanians discovered that nuclear fission and fusion could be used as both powersource and as a weapon to cause a noticeably large explosion, with such warheads still seeing use in many sanian missile installations, crusiers, and ballastic submarines during naval engagements.

■ Ground Vehicles: Though sanian vehicles still rely on crude wheeled or continuous track motion for locomotion, they’re vehicles are still extremely advanced, incorporating high-strength materials with precision engineering to improve mobility and durability, while often mounting a variety of weapons or equipment to increase their flexibility. With most having switched from fossil fuels to hydrogen-fuel cell engines or at the very least utilize hybrid-electric engines for enhanced fuel efficiency. The most powerful of sanian vehicles usually run on continuous tracks that allow them to better distribute their weight over uneven ground and better grip uneven terrain, thus allowing for the vehicles to go places where their other wheeled counterparts would not be capable of, with a downside of the vehicles usually being heavier than their wheeled counterparts.

(Under Construction)