The Curse of Man setting is a dieselpunk and horror setting focusing on the horrors of war, the depravity mankind can go to, and a world where the political extremes are the super powers fighting for dominance while the more freedom oriented factions are small, not a threat, or are currently in the process of being wiped out. Despite this bleakness, there is always hope. Hope can guide even those facing their darkest moments to the light, or be corrupted to perpetuate the very evil it seeks to fight.
Luxara & Albay
The continent of Luxara and its island just south known as Albay are the focus of the Curse of Man, with the various factions holding power on the map and seeking to amass enough power to outright destroy one another. Or to weather any war they see oncoming.
History
Hundreds of years ago, a massive war broke out on Luxara between the only two nations which previously existed; the Republic of Vaenir and the Imperial State of Truma. These nations had the bulk of their landmass and development toward the center of the continent, with the outer reaches being more recent expansions in an ever increasing attempt to one-up the other nation. They would just begin their colonial campaign outside of the continent with Albay before their nations were both completely and utterly destroyed.
Known only as "The Reset" today, a large scale war broke out between the two countries, with both sides blaming each other for starting the war. This mattered little as the war progressed for a few decades, advancements in technology being made along the way to upscale the current conflict further and further. Chemical weapons were introduced into the war, and despite the counsel of scientists and staff the nation's leaders began a back and forth of utilizing these chemicals against both enemy targets and enemy civilian populations, taking a "salted earth" approach, wishing to depopulate those of the other's nationality so that when the war was won, they could erase any trace of their enemies' identity from ever remerging. Not only was the wildlife and ecosystems badly damaged, but famine began striking those even far away from the combat zones as shipments of supplies and food were heavily cut down - especially to make room for the war effort.
Before any widespread unrest could undo their nations however, both countries were working on a new project. One that far surpassed any chemical weapon they had known of before. They called them Dirty Rocks, and the effects though not obvious at first would show themselves as time progressed. Skin would rot away as the very cells that made up a person had been deconstructed and scrambled many times over. This was the first discovery of the potential weaponization of nuclear radiation. Overworked and with the threat of their lives, the scientists of both nations feverishly worked on ways to utilize these newfound chemical weapons to get the edge up on their opponent. They both reached the same conclusion: a bomb. It took less than a month for the first prototype of a nuclear bomb to be tested, the effects being immediate and the radiation after the fact was surprisingly lethal for the prisoners of war they used to test the fallout and lethality of the radiation after the fact.
It was settled. They would drop a nuclear bomb on the capital of their most hated nation, and wipe them off the face of the map. This would surely route them and cause all of their forces to be demoralized and easy pickings. Within 6 hours of having made this decision, planes were sent out with the payload to their targets. And soon after, both nation's capitals would be flattened and its people vaporized or heavily irradiated. But, they weren't content with just the capitals. Their planes had been ordered to bomb major cities near the capital as well, leaving them with no supplies. Of course, the pilots complied. And as they began to make their return trip home, they were shocked to see their respective homes obliterated. Both sides taking the same self-destructive path of vengeance and obliterating not only their enemy, but themselves as well. Now, all that remained were many miles of irradiated cobalt and wastelands. War machines and emplacements remained functional but too lethal to reach due to the high levels of radiation. Their men stationed to them now dead or dying, resulting in an unbelievable loss of life. In but a few hours, the "Great War" between the two nations was ended in a flash of nuclear hellfire.
This was the end of these nations as people knew them, and instead birthed a myriad of warlord states and tyrants looking for easy power grabs. This period of warlords and broken borders lasted for one hundred years, culminating in the modern Luxara. It is currently 112 PR (Post-Reset), and the majority of the warlord states have either been assimilated by larger groups, or been destroyed in one way shape or form. Now…a select few groups remain, utilizing pre-Reset technology and slowly reaching the point where they can begin developing new tech. Along with this, pre-Reset blueprints are constantly being scavenged from the irradiated sea of cobalt known as "No Man's Land", the radiation beginning to die down and the toxic chemicals in the air receding just enough that one could venture in with the use of gasmasks or other protective gear. Now, these new nations seek to consolidate power for themselves…however, the lessons from The Reset don't seem to have quite been learned, as the various nations are locked in a state of cold war, wishing to initiate a war but mostly strapped for the resources to mount full scale offensives, choosing instead to bide their time…this time, they hope they can avoid reaching the point of nuclear weapons being thrown out. However, if their opponents acquire some…they know they'll be forced to acquire them too.
Maps
Some of these maps are large, so it is recommended you open them in a new tab to view the whole map!
Map of Luxara and Albay
Map of Westra
Nations
The various nations are present in the setting, and exert influence over their land. Characters typically come from one of the listed nations here, alongside being part of factions or other subgroups which could apply to them.
The National Bloc
Political Ideology: Fascism
Leader: Führer Roland G. Noske
Following the collapse of the Republic of Vaenir, the Westran Republic split from the now-destroyed capital lands and sought to rebuild the western hemisphere into its own ends, spanning from the modern National Bloc all the way down to the south where they remain today. Early in this split however, the military and a select group of higher ranking politicians broke from the Republic, seeing Republicanism as an inevitable disaster which would lead to war when viewing others as being "not free enough", the rampant interventionist nature of Westra not helping their world view either. In return, they sought to build a country as a fortress, one to withstand any attack - from foreign or domestic infiltrators. At first it was referred to as "North Vaeniri National Republic", however this name and the association with the Republic of Vaenir fell out of favor with the countrymen, eventually leading to its simplification to the "North National State". Years of this self-imposed isolationism passed by, and the views strayed from their more isolationist controlled democracy to become fascist in nature, prioritizing loyalty to the state above all.
For at least four decades the von Noske family had secured control of the Council, ensuring no matter who was Führer - they would answer to the family. This began to change as the Führer and Roland G. Noske's father Konstanin died of cardiac arrest. His family was already losing control of the Council by this time, relying upon the Führer to maintain their firm grasp over the country - however, Konstanin had barely been in office for a year before his untimely death, leading to a scramble…and his son coming into power, mirroring the succession line of a royal family.
Appointed the Führer at the young age of 20, Roland rose to the leadership of the National Bloc due to the nepotism of his family and their control over the courts and governance of the Bloc. Thinking he would be easy to push into falling into line, he was anything but. Once able, he would use his power as Führer and order his parents interred into one of the Bloc's many detention centers awaiting trial. Once his control over the country was secured, he was able to drop the facade of being complicit with his family's wishes, instead the calculating "Northern Wolf", he can begin rebuilding their industry for the road ahead.
In contrast to his family, Roland does not wish for the Bloc to further stagnate and rot from the inside out, wishing to have its wings spread and for the eagle of the National Bloc to soar - a country forged to reclaim the Vaenir lost ages ago, reuniting it under a single banner and expelling chaos in order to restore balance to the land. Though hardliners wish for him to take a harsher stance on crime, to initiate racial policies against "subhumans", and for him to declare war against Westra, Roland has declined and staved off these voices in the Council in favor of a more diplomatic route. After all, what best way to ensure the public listens than to show kindness first, only to resort to force when seemingly given no other choice? Otherwise, the people regard you as a butcher and a tyrant. And he wishes to be seen as a champion of the people, not their pariah.
The Orthodoxy
Political Ideology: Theocracy (Despotism)
Leader: Pope Jeanne-Claude IX
Located in the Plains where their Savior was born, the Orthodoxy is where the religion practiced by a majority of the world has its headquarters, and where the head of the faith - the Pope - resides. Every 8 years, a new Pope is voted into the position by one of the College of Cardinals, and the former Pope steps down to return to his position as a Cardinal, or retire if he so wishes.
Stuck between the National Bloc and the Holy Exalted Kingdom of Light, the Orthodoxy is heavily guarded by the Pope's "Holy Knights" as both nations have attempted to coax the Orthodoxy into being annexed "for their safety" against the rival nation who they claim will attempt to invade them at any moment.
Currently, the Pope Jeanne-Claude IX (formerly Joseph of Bervalda) is the one left to deal with this endless land struggle between the two powers, having a much more cordial relationship with the Bloc despite political disagreements however still denying annexation attempts and citing their need to be independent as a power. Meanwhile the Papacy's relationship with the HEKoL is much more hostile and strained, bordering on violent as the delusions of King Harold have him demand the Papacy be ceded to him as rightful land for the Holy Kingdom, and that the Papacy has fallen from its true and original purpose which must be set right by the firm hand of "His Grace". These all fall on deaf ears, however with each failed attempt at annexation, the violent rhetoric of these demands grow…and it's only a matter of time until King Harold snaps and attempts to annex them by force.
The Holy Exalted Kingdom of Light
Political Ideology: Esoteric National Socialism (Fascism)
Leader: King Harold "His Grace" Bauer I
An extraordinary land of unlikely circumstance, the Holy Exalted Kingdom of Light was once a National Socialist nation known as the "Silver Legion" which made its home in the far northern reaches, building its military up and viewing any and all outsiders as potential threats. This isolationism soon ended as they begun to branch out, conquering the smaller warlord states south of them and subsuming them into their growing "Kingdom", a state which was growing more and more radical despite its expansion outward.
Former racial policies of separating who could marry who were soon replaced with "liquidation" of racial minorities in order to "protect the purity" of the true nation's men.
The leader of this radical new direction for the former Legion is none other than the self-appointed King Harold Bauer I, who through his "divine" gift has begun expanding the borders of the former "sick man of the north", forging his new kingdom in his image. One of purity…ENDLESS purity. It can never fall to becoming decrepit nor degenerate again. Degeneracy will never reign again under the watchful and ever present eye of King Harold.
In his quest for purity, the king discovered a wealth of chemical weaponry buried in the ice of their starting cities. Leftovers from the Imperial State of Truma no doubt. With King Harold's belief in the kingdom being a successor to the Imperial State, and in their goal to purify the lands of subhumans before they can settle them, he has begun outfitting his troopers with these chemical weapons as well as funding further research into replication and improving upon said chemicals. If they can't get their hands on nuclear weapons, this would have to do…so far, after all, it has been doing wonders as an execution method against the subhuman filth. Next, its application in war shall be put to the test.
Cult of Zynch
Political Ideology: Futurism (Accelerationism)
Leader: Grand Visionary Giani Rotelero
One of the newest countries and also one of the strangest groups to have formed after the collapse of the two great powers. The Cult of Zynch was formed by the first Grand Visionary Lee Karling after he and his archeological crew departed Westra to uncover lost technology, technology once believed to be from the old powers. What Lee and his men found were more than they bargained for.
Ancient technology and blueprints detailed machines and gear like none they had seen before, advanced technology that no man could've created - not without the direct help or intervention of something…more. This was the foundation for Lee's beliefs on extraterrestrials and his fascination with the stars. Now burdened with this knowledge, those of the expedition chose that Westra wasn't truly ready to handle the alien's technology, especially not now. Instead they chose to form their own nation and subsequently their own religion, choosing to start rebuilding the abandoned cities of the desert.
Years passed and the cult began drawing in more members, enticed by the proposition of building towards a better life, one unfettered by man's own folly. Lee Karling would pass barely a decade after his nation formed, and the once moderate but eccentric cult was beginning to be transformed by the new Grand Visionary, Giani. Through his charisma and brutality, he begun reforming the religion under the guise of the risk of external threats, especially the conspiracy that Westra wished to conquer them, seeing them as a breakaway state.
Under Giani's guidance, the modern Cult of Zynch has sought to eradicate individualism, freedom, and human emotions which may interfere with ones devotion to the cult. They will prepare for the reckoning. The day the aliens shall revisit them. They will be ready.
Free Anarchist States
Political Ideology: Varies - see text below. All are Anarchist subgroups.
Katria
Political Ideology: Anarcho-Capitalism (Anarchism)
Leader: Sheriff Prescott Arnault Taylor (defacto)
The Great Experiment, Katria is the Anarcho-Capitalist state of the FAS and houses the majority of the world's trade, manufacturing, and business empires. Katria is divided into two types of land, the Cities, and the Wilds. The cities of Katria are sprawling and magnificent, modeled in the Art Deco style and comprised of many great skyscrapers and art pieces.
Within the Cities work is abundant, highly competitive, and with varying degrees of difficulty and pay. There is very little poverty within the Cities, as those who choose to try to make a living find that acquiring work and goods is almost trivial. In turn however, all facets of life are privatized or are highly decentralized, with the majority of what would be "public services" being taken over by various types of companies. Insurance companies handle many public works while private police forces manage zones of the city they're paid to protect by the companies and citizens who donate to them. Most zones of the cities managed in this way are managed efficiently, with little corruption and abuse of police power, as the threat of rescinding funds in favor of another police force keeps the officers working to keep people happy and on their side.
The Wilds are another story however, comprised of sparsely habited terrains, these areas have very little in the way of major governance, instead being comprised of those who don't fit into the city life, or those who are on the run from the law. This lawless area is seen by many as a dangerous and less preferable alternative to the cities, typically only living in these areas if they prefer to be left alone to fend for themselves.
Syvastra
Political Ideology: Anarcho-Communism (Anarchism)
Leader: Councilman Brandt Deschev
The rival to Katria and following the tenants of communism in favor of capitalism, their communes are incredibly rigid and conformity is one of the utmost important aspects of being a member of the commune. Unlike Katria, Syvastra houses many communes in comparison to the few Cities, and unlike the lopsided nature of Katria they maintain a similar state of quality to the other communes.
Communes however not only require all within the commune to work a job, and only one which benefits the commune, and they are restricted from owning private property. All property is owned collectively, leading to a lack of privacy as all houses are owned by the commune. In order to enforce this, the commune is expected to keep tabs on one another to ensure nobody is hording food, goods, or property from the rest of the commune. Those caught are either exiled, jailed, or executed, depending on the severity and the mentality of the commune. Angrier communes may execute for smaller infractions, while more forgiving ones may merely confiscate the goods/property and offer a warning to one time offenders.
Egoist Free Zone
Political Ideology: Egoist (Anarchism) and Anarchy (Anarchism)
Leader: James Fritz (defacto)
An area of the FAS which neither Katria or Syvastra lay claim to, the EFZ is called as such due to the largest anarchist faction claiming control being the philosopher James Fritz and his Egoist Anarchist movement, expressing individualism to it's "truest extent". They are largely unorganized and have no true control over the land, leading to other smaller anarchist factions claiming control including Anarcho-Primitivists, Anarcho-Fascists, and nonaligned Anarchists who wish to create a state where the different forms of anarchism can coexist.
Westra Republic
Political Ideology: Varies - see text below. All are Democracy subgroups.
Leader: President Ralph T. Long (Conservative Democracy)
Calling themselves the true successors to the old Republic of Vaenir, the Westran Republic is the aspirant nation seeking to rebuild the glory of the believed to be once great Republic. Broken up into four separate states (not including the area with the capital - Krasstora), each with their own ideology which encompasses the majority of voters there, Westra remains to be one of the few safe regions within Luxara to live without needing to watch one's back constantly for threats. These four states, though disagreeing on some key policies and ideas, are generally unified as Democratic allies against the outside forces which seek to eradicate one of the few Democratic countries left. One of Westra's few tentative allies is the National Bloc, who despite their prior aggressive isolationist nature and essentially acting as an angered animal trying to ward Westra's attempts at diplomacy off, the new leader of the National Bloc - Roland - has shown willingness to cooperate and speak with Westra, as well as to align their interests on common goals such as allying in the event of an attack from the Holy Exalted Kingdom.
Though all is seemingly well in the Westran Republic, people still suffer under poverty in most regions and are hoping their voice will be heard so they can make a real difference in government. Even then…there's some level of discontent.
Prestan
Also known as the Long Desert of Westra, Prestan is a large state and rivals Mykara in terms of land mass, though like Mykara it lacks many citizens compared to those closer to the capital. Its citizens predominantly vote for the Social Democracy leaning "Progressive Action" party.
Mykara
Made up of a mixture of desert, jungle terrain, and richer soil. Many of the residents of Mykara are farmers, primarily farming various vegetables as well as chickens and cattle. Its citizens predominantly vote for the Conservative Democracy leaning "United Agrarian" party.
Milas
Closer to the capital of the country, Milas makes up for it's small size with a large population of educated middle class workers and educated countrymen. Its citizens predominantly vote for the Liberal Democracy leaning "Westran Dove" party.
Harval
Harval is the middle state between Prestan and Mykara and tends to flip on which political party they support. They have mixture of rural and lower middle class citizens, with a larger than average population of veterans and citizens willing to join the military. Its citizens flip-flop between voting for the "United Agrarian" party and the "Progressive Action" party.
Krasstora (Capital Region)
The capital holds a small region on the southern shore which is not a state but is still it's own territory, being separated from the other states so that no one state can claim to "own" the capital, which is instead meant as a neutral ground for the four states. Wishing to make the government more centralized, its citizens predominantly vote for the Authoritarian Democracy leaning "Westra First" party.
Secular Haruvich
Political Ideology: Constitutional Monarchy (Democracy)
Leader: King Brutus Marley IV
The Secular Haruvich (translated as Secular Legion) is a religious Constitutional Monarchy which sprouted around the same time as the Republic of Westra. It is made up of "royalty" which are really senators and politicians from the old Republic of Vaenir which declared themselves the rightful rulers of this new government.
Every year, a new member of the Royal Court is elected to wear the crown and become the King or Queen. This elected royal can continue to be reelected as long as they maintain the favor of the citizens, which tends to be rare as people's desires and opinions shift rapidly. This pool of Royals who can be elected however is static, leading to some ruling erratic, non-consecutive terms. During these terms they have a breadth of power, except for matters which involve the very institution which they are bound by, preventing any elected ruler to abolish the system of voting.
As a country the Secular Haruvich trends towards being isolationist, choosing not to involve itself in the business of other countries lest they absolutely need to. Citizens live in relative peace, however there is growing resentment toward the breakaway state of the Dyngalist Haruvich, who have been seen as a rebel state ruled by a 'petulant child who should have never been allowed in power'. Common belief is that once Mikael dies or the citizenry grow disillusioned with his attempt at a "better society", they will revolt and rejoin the Secular Haruvich.
Dyngalist Haruvich
Political Ideology: Authoritarian Democracy (Democracy)
Leader: King Mikael "the Tall" Gargantua
A breakaway from the Secular Haruvich, the Dyngalist Haruvich (translated as Democratic Legion) is anything but, following an attempted coup by then-ruling King Mikael Gargantua, elected for the fourth time in his life and wishing to make his rule permanent. Courting a cult of personality in a shockingly short time and having a devoted following by the time elections came back around. During the election, King Mikael "abolished" the Royal Court in favor of a true Monarchy, however this was ignored by the Court who were not intimidated by King Mikael and his supporters, and after a swift series of arrests, they were exiled due to sympathies for King Mikael's cause meaning any harsher punishments may result in unrest…or rather, this was the fabrication he let reach the nobility. In truth, the citizens saw Mikael as an attempted tyrant, and the news of his exile elicited little if any protests.
In his exile, Mikael and his supporters formed the Dyngalist Haruvich, a democracy where only one man held the title of head of state, the true and rightful King Mikael Gargantua. Some minor voting is allowed, typically involving local policy and not intersecting with the federal government. Unlike the Secular Haruvich, the Dyngalist Haruvich is active in spreading it's influence, attempting to exert control well beyond their border when in reality they struggle to even control and defend said borders. It's only a matter of time before they declare war on the Secular Haruvich in an attempt to "reclaim their lost kingdom".
The People's Clique
Political Ideology: Communism (Socialism)
Leader: Great Leader Markov V. Baskri
Believing in a science driven and Darwinian form of Communism, mixing his former life as a scientist with his new role as a state leader, Markov takes both of his jobs incredibly seriously. Wishing to see the success of his people in war, he began a super-soldier program named Luchshiye voyennyye (Prime Military) which sought to test various chemical concoctions on unwitting test subjects acquired from both their massive prison population and any foreign detainees they manage to capture on one of their "adventures" to the mainland.
Many of those injected die in various horrific ways as this program has managed to create a myriad of new chemical weapons instead of their desired "super soldier serum", of which said chemical weapons are typically sold to the Holy Exalted Kingdom of Light, the only people willing to take such deadly and unpredictable chemicals from them.
Life in the Clique is otherwise a harsh dictatorship with the citizens being a majority descendants of former Westran or even Syvastran citizens who moved away from their respective countries - typically due to a desire to join a communist nation and a desire to see the nation work. However, Markov's dictatorship has set a stranglehold on any chances of escaping refugees, as those who wish to escape must either go by sea from one of the few merchant vessels or the military's own vessels, or they must flee to the east for the Pirate Coast and hope they can stow away back to their home country.
Pirate Coast of Albay
Political Ideology: Oligarchy (Democracy)
Leader: Grand Admiral Zacharias Finch
A nation of criminals and adventure seekers, the Pirate Coast has a short yet tumultuous history of back stabbing, wars between admirals and captains, and unrest from the populace living under them. After Zacharias Finch's coup 20 years ago, things have stabilized greatly and been on track to improve both the quality of their citizen's lives, as well as improving their new form of governance, an oligarchy which in actuality benefitted all who were pirates in the nation, with the majority of citizens of the Pirate Coast being…well, pirates. Voting on a national level is handled by the various Pirate Lords, the captains voted into place by the crew in order to best represent their interests.
The position of the Grand Admiral, an almost purely ceremonial title, is voted into their position by the Pirate Lords. Grand Admirals are leaders in times of war who command the various pirate crews as if they were the captain of all of the crews combined. This is in contrast to the previous nature of the position back when the Pirate Coast was in a state of warlordism and clambering for the top.
Those from the Coast often venture out on their own to acquire world knowledge, wealth, and game for their crew back home, making a name for themselves and the crew they represent back home in order to influence others into trading and buying their stolen goods.
The Pirate Coast's main trade partner is Katria of the Anarchist States, maintaining a friendly relationship due to the majority of the goods sold by the Coast being legal to buy and sell, and Katria's general lack of concern over imports of stolen goods.
Remnant Mutant Government
Political Ideology: Military Junta (Despotism)
After the dropping of the nuclear bombs, the two nations ceased to be as their citizenry were wiped off of the face of the planet, reduced to silhouettes against the now destroyed cities. Taking up residence in what is collectively known as the "Nuclear Wastes", the "Blasted Zone", or just simply "No Man's Land", a small remnant of those from the old government have survived, and have a small force stationed within the dilapidated capital building of the Imperial State of Truma, housing a combination of survivors from both Truma and the Republic of Vaenir.
However…those who lived within the Wastes were fundamentally changed by the radioactivity. It gave rise to "Mutants", which in truth were humans who are suffering from acute radiation sickness and whose side effects are clearly visible. Those who didn't die to the radiation sickness had their skin peel and fall off, leaving open sores and wounds all over their body, among other deformities. Despite the propaganda from some nations, these mutants are neither huge nor strong, instead being physically the same as any other human…at least, as any other human with a skin disease. Those not made infertile by the radiation sickness have attempted to produce children. Children either die stillborn, or are born "mutated" just like them, missing limbs or digits, or possessing other anomalous birth defects.
The government these mutants run is a Military Junta as they try to piece together a new nation from the nuclear ash, their attempts being halted by the numerous areas that used to be highly radioactive, however as they begin to become safer to traverse into, the mutants have begun venturing out…hoping to escape the hellish pit they had been relegated to.
Minor Factions & Powers
These are made up of various smaller nations, groups which hold little to no land, factions which may exist within multiple nations at once, and more.
Order of the Wasteland Stag
Political Ideology: Anarcho-Fascism (Anarchism)
Leader: Multiple claiming to be the "Führer", however no distinct and true leader
A human and male-only order of bandits who have set up a fluctuating domain of control within the Nuclear Wastes, the Wasteland Stags view masculinity as the peak of all humanity, with women being viewed as second class citizens, being delegated to breeding stock for their husband, and outside of family planning and child rearing are given little in terms of meaningful jobs. This will typically, and supposedly by design, result in an almost feudal or hunter-gather style society where they are forced to live only in small clans where the men go out 'hunting' (or in this case, digging through the Nuclear Wastes for tech to sell to merchants, or robbing unsuspecting travelers) before bringing their spoils back to the family.
The Wasteland Stag are seen by outsiders as a group of freakish bandits however, their fascination with the male figure and masculinity being worshipped to an almost religious degree, their ideology being ill-defined at best and outright paradoxical at the worst of times, with members believing in emancipation from the confines of order and government, but also some members having a "Führer" they choose to follow around…that is, until someone kills the Führer and replaces him. Add onto this their vehement hatred for things which are un-masculine, often including women and femininity. A rare few gangs belonging to the Stag will accept women, but only if they show more man-like traits than woman-like traits. At that point, they must undergo sterilization so they "become more masculine", removing an aspect of their femininity in favor of a life of combat.
Talon Squadron
Political Ideology: Stratocracy (Despotism)
Leader: Boss (codename Righteous Viper)
Located in the western waters of the Westran Republic and far enough to avoid their influence, the Talon Squadron (sometimes abbreviated as the Talons) were once a member of Westra's military as their covert operations team, engaging in infiltration and high-stakes missions. However, after the visionary behind the organization Righteous Viper saw the corruption deep within the Westran government he grew disgusted with them and left, reforming Talon Squadron as his own Private Military Force, relocating their HQ to ocean rigs once used by the Republic of Vaenir long ago. Surprisingly, these rigs still functioned despite falling into slight disrepair, which was easily fixed over time as they took missions and expanded their PMC.
Talon Squadron is hired often by the nations of the world (even the Westran Republic) in order to deal with threats which dedicating their military to may not be worth it, or may jeopardize their diplomatic positioning such as in the cases where if they were to take such action themselves they'd be viewed negatively by their populace. Despite their status as a mercenary organization which has an incredible amount of autonomy about the jobs they can take, Talon Squadron refuses to take jobs which they may find morally objectionable, especially such as in cases of assassinations or jobs which may involve civilian populations and/or children.
Rarely, the Boss will go out on missions himself as an almost unstoppable and legendary soldier of war, going into high risk scenarios single handedly and taking on tasks even elite squadrons of their own men may struggle with. This sort of reputation sparks both fear and awe in those who know of the Talon Squadron, and adds a degree of safety against foreign bodies attacking them. After all…who would want to mess with THE Boss?
Order of Nihil
Political Ideology: Onnicide (Non-Aligned)
Leader: Xander Charles Vanur
A heretical order who split from the Cult of Zynch, the Order of Nihil believes they see life on Luxara for the sham that it is: a creation from the greater alien beings they call the Astraura, a failed attempt at cloning their own likeness and pure genetics, failing and leaving a race of half-wit monkeys behind. There is thus only one solution for such an impure race. Total destruction. Before they can realize this dream of annihilating all life, they must find the elusive Astraura and formally offer themselves up for sacrifice as the "partially enlightened", in hopes the Astraura will destroy them and remake them in a more perfected image.
As for all of those who have yet to achieve understanding in the Order of Nihil? Merciless destruction. The Order revels in death and destroying life, making it a common home for the insane and bloodthirsty who wish for a life of constant battle.
The Order of Nihil are unlike many others who utilize the power granted by "the Spark", as they are willing to practice necromancy, reanimating dead tissue in order manage menial labor, undertake simple tasks, and of course…fight for them. A majority of the world's population of undead come from necromancers from the Order of Nihil having set them loose for no other reason than to manufacture an undead problem which the world must cope with. This has led to an ongoing issue where the roads between the Anarchist States and the Cult of Zynch are infested with undead which negate or slow any attempts at travel, with the best route being to just go by sea for that distance.
Phalanx Guard
Political Ideology: Spartanism (Fascist)
Leader: Vlad van Spartakus
A military group within the National Bloc which operates under the Bloc's military but has composed it's own ideology and belief system which governs how they as a group function, the Phalanx Guard were started by their leader, General Vlad van Renault who had since took the name of "van Spartakus" after the foundation of the guard. All who join the guard are to renounce their birth names in favor of becoming one within the family of Spartakus.
Despite the Führer's distaste with the Phalanx Guard, he has allowed them to stay unmolested for the time being, as their cult-like behavior was still in benefit for the Bloc, and was not a true danger to the nation…however, he looks on wearily for the day when they become hostile to the Bloc for not following their "purer" form of Fascism.
