Vicendum: The
Players
Like
every good story, there’s got to be the major players and the minor players.
Here is an overview of Vicendum’s major players and how they stack up:
(Special
Note: Birea and Casara are completely my own creation and any similarities to
any real group are not intended, and Carthage was inspired by the NationStates
online game)
The Superpowers
(in no particular order)
1.
Rome. The Romans roughly represent Europe, although they have
holdings all over the world, including Siberia, Arabia, Africa, Venezuela and
America. Of all the six major powers the Romans are the most to the left,
although they’re more left-of-centre than hardcore leftists. The Romans have a
two-tiered governmental system, with each province electing its own Governor
and Senate and with each citizen all over the Empire electing the overall Roman
Senate and Emperor. The Senates in each case act as advisors to the Governors
and the Emperor (respectively), and while the Governor and Emperor hold
ultimate power in their respective jurisdictions, the advice from the Senate is
rarely ignored. The provinces have a high degree of self-rule, with virtually
every local matter left up to provincial control (they are even allowed limited
foreign affairs and to have a small army), leaving the Imperial Senate and
Emperor the duties of handling pan-Empire issues. Every governmental position
in Rome is elected by including the office of the Emperor (who doubles as Rome’s
highest judge), with universal suffrage extended across the Empire and with
core values of civil rights entrenched in Rome’s heavily guarded Constitution.
They’re often held as the benchmark for democracies and liberal societies, as
the Romans have a high degree of tolerance for new peoples and ideas. Rome has
also been known as a nationalistic promoter because they realize that working
with states instead of subjugating them works better for global (and their own)
security and stability (meaning that they’re the most highly-regarded state in
the world), and they are also a promoter of “fair trade”, as they realized that
if the world’s economy is better so too will theirs. They have a high degree of
respect for the other major powers and governments, but they have been known to
be a little too nosy at times. There are also concerns raised over how united
the Empire really is, and the fact that the formal division of the Empire
(stemming all the way back from Theodosius I’s division in 395) is still in existence
rankles many Romans today.
2.
Britain. The British roughly represent the English-speaking world
and are like the Romans in that they too have a stable democracy, which is also
a Constitutional Monarchy. Unlike Rome, however, the Monarch only holds reserve
powers and has no real authority, with real authority being handed over to the
Prime Minister. They are also right-of-centre politically, meaning real change
is slower to occur in Britain politically and is heavily fought, despite a
populace that is highly leftist. The British also maintain much of the old
colonies of the Empire (though India is no longer a part of the Empire though
trade continues with India), and, unlike their colonial predecessors, they have
extended full citizenship rights across the Empire (meaning that both the House
of Lords and House of Commons in London have representatives from all over the
Empire and do not just represent Great Britain). Internationally, despite their
similarities the British and the Romans have an ongoing rivalry for control
over the world, although this rivalry is more subtle than overt, since in
matters that could affect the both of them the Romans and the British have been
able to work together. Political factions within both Rome and Britain want to
bring the two countries together, but the two countries have one major
roadblock: Scotland. The Romans have been big supporters of Scottish
independence, and while their influence has allowed the Scots more real power
for internal affairs, the British are still reluctant to give Scotland real
independence. As far as the other powers go, the British are respectful of them
(especially Casara, with whom Britain has trade links with), but only so far as
their own interests are not interfered with- Britain thus heavily guards their
own interests and very rarely, if ever, considers the other nation’s wishes.
3.
Casara. Casara represents Africa’s strongest power, largely
confining themselves to a large Empire in Western Africa although they do hold
central California. The Casaran system of governance is unlike any in the world
today- there is only one office (the Emperor) and all Imperial subjects elect
him. The Emperor may or may not appoint advisors, although he frequently does.
Politically speaking the Casarans are right in the centre, although the
populace tends to be very traditional. Because most of their country is in the
Sahara Desert, agriculture is confined mostly to the coast and any oases that
Casara can find, but because of their origins as a desert-people, the Casarans
are quite capable of using the desert to sustain themselves, as well as to find
materials with which to trade (as there are several mining operations in
Casara, particularly in salt). They also tend to be very environmentalist,
shunning big, extensive buildings and roads where they can, relying on buses,
trucks and trains for long-distance transport and heavily enticing their use
(with road tolls and free public transit). Internationally the Casarans push
for African issues and have become that continent’s voice, and among the major
powers the closest they are to is Rome. The Casarans have also been involved in
on-and-off border battles with Mali, with the fear that the border dispute
could lead to an all-African war in the future.
4.
Bactria. The Bactrians are descended from the original
Greek-speaking people who entered the area after the conquests of Alexander the
Great in the 4th century BC. They have also been Persianized
following the Arab conquests of the 7th and 8th
centuries, and while technically they are Muslims, the Bactrians are mostly
secular Persians, leaving the more religious Persians to the central Iranian
plateau. Their centre of rule is in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but they rule a
large swath of territory in Central Asia that extends all the way to the Arctic
in the north and western China in the East, thus giving Bactria an extensive
base of peoples and cultures. Their society is what Bactria is mostly known
for- they are one of the most capitalist nations in the world, with virtually
everything made into a business. Thus, Bactria has one of the largest gaps
between the rich and the poor, but entry into the elite is not determined by
race- if you are successful, then the rich will accept you no matter what race
you are. Everything in Bactria is skewed to the elite, with laws and services
really only rendered if you can afford them (the military is the country’s only
monopoly, but local militias can be raised, though they must be registered as
part of the official Bactrian Army). This also leads to a society without,
really, a clear set of morals- almost nothing is illegal and almost everything
is a luxury, with society allowing virtually anything as long as there’s a
public that’s willing to pay for it. For example, abortion isn’t illegal in
Bactria- it will just cost you a hefty sum to get one. The same thing also
applies to medical treatment, most foods and drinks and even the laws-
technically, everyone in Bactria is equal but realistically the elite are the
only ones who benefit from them as many in Bactria feel that the poor are not
worth fending for. The government- the High Council, comprised of the richest
individuals in Bactria- has been trying to enact reforms to ease the burden of
the poor in Bactria (as the poor provide the elite’s workforce), but aside from
the creation of shanty towns (for shelter), the provision of food stamps (good
for only the cheapest of foods) and an ongoing maintenance of the water system,
the lot of the poor still lags far behind from the rich. Internationally the
Bactrians align themselves with the rest of Persia and consider themselves to
be the Persian leader, but they have very few allies- most of the international
community (especially Rome, Carthage and Casara) decry the poor working
conditions of the Bactrian poor and demand change, but very rarely does the
rhetoric lead to any specific action. The Bactrians are also involved in
several scuffles with Japan over control over China (as the two divide control
of China amongst themselves), with this struggle leading to an ever-growing
Chinese independence movement. The Council’s attachment to China is not as
strong as Japan’s (considering the latter’s cultural similarities), but
continues to maintain control over China in the hopes that they can bring the
rest of it into their hands and make good use of it. The Bactrians have also
been known to support the Chinese independence movements within Japanese
territory, but that support only remains tactical- once Japan loses control
over that territory, the Bactrians come in and assert control themselves. The
Chinese, however, remain defiant, with the nationalistic revolts only growing
as the years pass.
5.
Birea. The Bireans inhabit most of Australia and control the
continent’s southern section, as well as New Zealand (which they name the Islands
of Glory), and many outlying islands in the vicinity, as well as Patagonia.
British explorer James Cook discovered Birea in 1770, and it was from him that
Birea’s more common- but incorrect- name “BitingReality” emerged. Cook
explained that the area was so harsh that the people there experienced a
“biting reality” and since then the name has stuck. However, way too much has
been made about this perception of Birean society, particularly of Birea’s
practice of cannibalizing the country’s most notorious criminals (including
rapists and murderers), and this has clouded the reality of Birean society- one
that is actually extremely tolerant and accepting, and one that does not shun
foreigners. Bireans socially and politically are right-of-centre, but they do
not resist change if they feel it can benefit society. Economically, the
Bireans depend on agriculture and whatever they can mine out of the Australian
desert, but like Casara, their experience in the desert has led to a
very-self-sustaining economy from it. King Ducalion I, a modernist that has
drastically improved Birean society since his ascension ten years ago,
currently rules Birea, whose monarchy is hereditary and where the monarch’s
advisors are completely appointed, however, the King rarely ever ignores the
public’s demands. Internationally the Bireans are isolationist but some Bireans
do have a loathing for the British government (though not the people) because
of Britain’s earlier attempt at colonizing Australia which was confined mostly
to the desert and the western coast and held until the Bireans finally managed
to evict them in 1831. The King and the British have maintained relations, but
to this date some anger over Britain’s attempt lingers in the minds of some
Bireans.
6.
Carthage. Finally among the six major powers is Carthage. The
Carthaginians are basically the representatives of the Arabic Muslim world and
are considered their leader, but Carthage officially hails from its beginning
as an Ancient Phoenician trading post. Following the Punic Wars several
Carthaginian families fled north Africa than face the Romans, and settled along
the southern African coast near what is now the Congo River. There they made
three chief settlements: Ascension Island, New Nora (St. Helena) and the main
colony New Carthage (Luanda), colonies Carthage still holds today. However,
trading missions led them back to their old quarters, leading them to ties with
the Romans that eventually convinced the Romans to give them a vassal state at
Carthage itself in 200. The Arabic incursions of the 7th century led
to many Carthaginians voluntarily converting to Islam (as they were intrigued
by it), where today the overwhelming majority (99%) of Carthaginians are
Muslim. Islamic Law (Shari’ a) is the law of the land, leading to a state that
is very traditional and moralistic. Officially right-of-centre, the
Carthaginians are moderates who are not afraid of change should it benefit the
state, but since they hold strong to their values, change usually needs a lot
of convincing to take place. Governance in Carthage consists of a King and
Governing Council, both of which are elected by the citizenry with universal
suffrage extended across Carthage. Internationally the Carthaginians push for
Muslim issues and were instrumental in setting up the Caliphate of Mecca to
serve as the spiritual head of the Islamic World, and, because of their values,
the Carthaginians are extremely humanitarian and accepting of other nations and
cultures. They are closest to the Romans, who share their support of
nationalism and of fair trade because Carthage also believes that working with
nations and building them will ultimately strengthen their own nation.
7.
“Chinese South
America”. Technically, this is not a
state but a collection of states located in South America (with a state in Europe) that operate as a
single bloc and act as Vicendum’s “seventh power”. They have their genesis from
the Ming Explorations of the 16th century (which some historians say
may have hit North America and even Europe if they were not abruptly stopped by
the Ming in the 15th century), and, since their independence
somewhere in the 17th century (as the Ming gradually lost interest
in their colonies), these states- New Shanghai (Guatemala), Hu Guo (Honduras), Jiao
Bantu (El Salvador), Yu Lin Empire (Columbia and Panama), Sen-lin Dan-ren Pang
De-lu-di (NW Brazil) and Mi Chuang (Astrurias), have developed into a powerful
conglomerate (special note: they’re supposed to be actual Chinese words referring
to the rainforest, but since I can’t speak Chinese those words came from an
online translator). Chiefly an agrarian and socialist society (with a few
differences in each state), the Chinese here have lived side-by-side (and
sometimes intermixed) with the local population (which the Chinese accepted and
tolerated) and thus have a few cultural differences than their Asian cousins,
particularly in music. However, ever since the Manchu Empire crumbled at the
hands of the Europeans at the beginning of the 20th century, the
Chinese here have carried the torch for their Asian counterparts, who are still
under foreign control, but while calls have been made for political unity with each
other and with China, the states still have too many disagreements with each
other to form a realistically united front. In the meantime, they aid the Asian
Chinese in their independence movement, hoping to one day restore China’s
glorious state.