NationStates Jolt Archive

Basic Factsheet

[background]

The United Clans of the Charr is a powerful coalition of Charr clans which has dominated the large island of Tyria and some small surrounding archipelagos since the early 1300s. Until recently the United Clans were extremely xenophobic and isolationist, but under the leadership of one 'Bonfaaz Burntfur' these policies have been changing. The United Clans of the Charr is now an economically powerful entity, renowned for its surprisingly high civil and political liberties, but lacking in religious freedoms.



[people]

Estimated Population:
3,796,000,000

Ethnic Groups:
Charr: 3,530,280,000
Human: 265,720,000

Religions:
Charrian ('Fire Religion'): 93%
Other (Human -- i.e. Dwainian, Balthazarism, etc): 7%

Languages:
Charrian: 93%
Krytan: 4%
Ascalonian: 2%
Orrian: 1%

Literacy:
Charr:
Male: 99%
Female: 0%
Humans:
Male:61%
Female: 72%



[government]

Country Name:
Conventional Long Form: United Clans of the Charr
Conventional Short Form: Tyria
Abbreviation: UCC

Government Type:
N/A -- No Comparable Human System

Capital:
Lion's Arch

Administrative Divisions:
7 'Major Clans', 16 'Minor Clans', 61 'Independent Clans', 4 'regions'
- Major Clans:
Clan Thraktok – Clan Leader Bonfaaz Burntfur
Clan Zukatha – Clan Leader Klarr Viletooth
Clan Rrawfur - Clan Leader Reekfar Torus (Deceased; Clan ruled by Council until new leader appointed)
Clan Heerkak – Clan Leader Drub Gorefang
Clan Rooarfaa – Clan Leader Jaw Smokeskin
Clan Uthur – Clan Leader Blade Bloodbane
Clan Yathkavish – Clan Leader Burr Mankiller
- Regions: Ascalon; Kryta; Northlands; Orr.

Dependent Areas:
Island of Skulls; Carthan

Independence:
Originally Charr were independent but divided for thousands of years before being subjugated by humans. A unified Charr nation did not occur until the immediate aftermath of the Great Tyrian War, in 1305 A.D. The United Clans of the Charr has existed, uninterrupted, since this date.

National Holiday:
Charr celebrate two national holidays; 1st July is the 'Day of Flame', & 30th December is the 'Day of Rest'.
Humans celebrate 1 national holiday, which differs in date and name for each human religion.

Constitution:
The Sacred Scrolls of Law, ratified in 1305 by the Council of Clans, the Society of Flamekeepers, and the Allied Armies of the Charr. 'Clan of Humanity' added signature in late 2004.

Legal System:
Law influenced heavily by religion and cultural tradition, with a judge & jury system and is most easily compared to English Common Law.

Suffrage:
Charr Males: 25 years of age, or upon completion of the 'Coming of Age' hunt, whichever comes first.
Charr Females: N/A
Human Males: Automatic as of the Act of Human Equality, 2004. 25 years of age
Human Females: Automatic as of the Act of Human Equality, 2004. 25 years of age

Executive Branch:
Head of State/Government: Clan Leader Bonfaaz Burntfur. Position assigned to most powerful clan of the time.
Cabinet: Council of Clans. Consists of democratically-elected leaders of the 7 major clans.

Legislative Branch:
Minor Council: Consists of democratically elected clan leaders from every clan in Tyria -- whether minor, independent (where willing/applicable) and major. The Minor Council functions more as a focus group for the Council of Clans than a real government branch, as most minor clans reside within the territory of a major clan anyway.

Judiscial Branch:
Council of Charr Elders: Highest Court of Appeal. Consists of honoured warriors, Clan Leaders and Flamekeepers.

International Organisation Participation:
Gholgoth

Flag Description:
Charr drawing of Tyria, circa 1305. Drawn by Charr cartographers shortly after the Great Tyrian War and the formation of the United Clans of the Charr. Represents the unity of the Charr due to the lack of borders on the map.



[economy]

The economy of the Charr is powerful and robust. Government intervention is presently at a minimum -- business ethics are generally retained without legal action, due to a deep-seated belief in the principles of honour and respect which even corporate giants generally do not break. Environmental intervention is generally not required either, due to a deep-seated respect for nature indoctrinated into all Charr. This generally allows businesses to grow without interference.
Education is a particular concern of the Charr government at present, as contact with the outside world has furthered a desire to develop advanced technologies. This has been largely successful, as Tyria has become a leading force in the information technology market. Charr software companies have built a reputation as manufacturers of reliable, versatile, and secure software. The Charr version of the internet (which is gradually being integrated into the global network, though protocol incompatibilities are creating problems) is generally more secure than the human version, and as such Charr security software has become desirable, as have Charr operating systems. Hardware manufacturers are presently targeting the business sector with high-performance server processors, but have plans to break into the general consumer market as well over the next few years.
Arms manufacturing has also become a major export, as highly durable and ruggedly powerful Charr weaponry becomes more desirable overseas. Charr arms manufacturers already provide weaponry to several small armies and mercenary forces around the world, and are currently negotiating a contract with two major armies. They have also broken into the consumer market, selling small arms for personal use in numerous locations.
In particular, upon the end of isolation, Charr automobile manufacturers immediately seized upon a massive overseas market, and have become market leaders in luxury and performance cars designed for humans. Due to a lack of overseas companies marketing vehicles to the Charr (whom cannot drive human vehicles due to physiological differences), Charrian manufacturers have no foreign competition within Tyria and thus continue to dominate the market completely. The automotive industry is presently the primary export of Tyria.
Government reform is continuing to improve the Charr economy. Already, Tyria has the largest GDP per capita of Gholgoth, as well as the second strongest currency, despite a recent slump in both. Unemployment is well under control, and recently dropped by 0.1%. Under the leadership of Bonfaaz Burntfur, the Charr government aims to continue this impressive growth.

Global Domestic Product:
$165,661,883,631,289.50

Global Domestic Product Per Capita:
$43,641.17

Current Exchange Rates:
1 gold coin = $1.9444

Unemployment Rate:
4.39%

Primary Industries:
Automobile manufacturing, arms manufacturing, information technology, telecommunications & electrical systems, metals, timber, exotic foodstuffs, petroleum, industrial goods

[history]

Tyria has a rich and diverse history, with three main epochs.

- The Pre-Human Epoch (< 2000 B.C.)

The Charr are undoubtedly the native sentient race of the island. Not only are they unique to this place, but Tyria is the only place on Earth where any fossils charting their evolution can be found. The Charr are certainly not the only unqiue species native to the island; its isolated nature has given rise to a variety of unique families of creatures, some more impressive than others.

There is evidence to suggest that a unique family of human-like creatures began to evolve here. The native lifeforms probably killed them off before they could evolve beyond the early stages, however. Dangerous animals such as Devourers and Drake present a large problem even with modern-day technology, so Charr are the only sentients who could have stood a chance of naturally evolving on the island.

Early Charr were very aggressive, and much larger than modern-day Charr. They often banded together, understanding the maxim 'safety in numbers' even then. Small clans began to form some 100,000 years ago, solely for protection against the aggressive animals which surrounded them. Occasionally these clans would wage war against each other, and some clans grew much larger as they enveloped smaller ones. This continued for tens of thousands of years, with the Charr mainly being stuck in an evolutionary 'rut'. Lacking foreign competitors, their technology barely changed. Towards the end of the Pre-Human era, the Charr had built up some large towns and even a few cities, and a few clans had established themselves as dominant. Though they were smaller and less aggressive, they still had nothing impressive in terms of technology.

- The Human Era (2000 B.C. - 1305 A.D.)

In roughly 2000 B.C., huge wooden vessels appeared on the horizon, heading straight for the island. These were colony ships, designed to 'land' on the island and be dismantled to quickly build up small settlements. Small human settlements began to spring up all around the southern coast, and it wasn't long before the two sentient species collided.

Humans, in the fashion typical of the species, immediately assumed the creatures to be some kinds of demons that needed to be put down or controlled somehow. They assumed that this was the reason their gods had lead them to the island, and they immediately began to attack the Charr. Although hand-to-hand combat with a Charr was almost always fatal for a human, armour or no, their technological prowess and structured armies were enough to push the Charr back. Within a few years, the Charr clans had been scattered and the entire species was essentially penned-in to the North.

Great stone walls were constructed to make sure the Charr stayed where they were supposed to be. These walls were later updated in 1106 to become enormous fortifications (renamed 'The Great Northern Wall', which was considered to be the ultimate defence against the roaming bands of Charr to the North), which were the most advanced of their time. Most of the wall still remains intact to this day.

After 500 years, humans had infiltrated nearly every area of the island. Some of them took abandoned Charr settlements and rebuilt them to 'human' standards, and developed them into vast cities. Lion's Arch was one such city, which is the modern capitol of Tyria. Under human rule, the island began a single nation, which they officially Christened 'Tyria'. Time took its toll on this nation, however, and it was only 1,000 years before three distinct human nations formed in its stead -- Ascalon, Kryta and Orr. Although these three nations were allied at first, by 700 B.C. they were enemies, frequently at war with each other. They developed their technology at roughly the same pace as other advanced human nations on the planet.

Throughout this time, the Charr were fenced-in to the North. The Northern areas of the island were the least habitable, being volcanically active and home to some of the fiercest predators on the island. Unlike humans might have done, however, the Charr reacted positively to their hostile environment. They began to learn from what they saw of the humans and develop some of their own technology. Survival against the elements became a challenge that sorted the weak and dishonourable from the strong warriors. Fighting the vicious predators such as bone dragons and rock demons became an initiation ceremony. And all the while, their hatred for the humans grew.

Some Charr were taken as slaves, to be used for manual labour in mines that humans could not have survived. This did not always go well, and by 1248 A.D. enough technology had been developed for all three human nations to outlaw the practice -- for no other reason than the fact that it cost them far more in manpower than using a combination of technology and human slaves. Every Charr slave needed at least seven human guards to control it, which was highly inefficient.

A particularly devastating war between all three of the human nations in 1289 A.D. gave the angered Charr the window of opportunity that they required. The Charr clans began to meet in secret, and forged a strong alliance which they called the 'United Clans of the Charr'. Technically speaking, each of the three human nations was vastly superior in terms of manpower and technology to this new alliance of Charr. But this did not discourage them.

In 1295 A.D., with the human nations still ravaged by an ongoing war, the Great Northern Wall was suddenly smashed to pieces by a series of enormous catapults, followed by attacks from captured and trained bone dragons. Their first target was Ascalon, a human nation who had suffered the most. Within months, the entire nation was within Charr control. Now that they were inside the Great Northern Wall, they took control of Ascalonian mines and industrial centres, and pushed on to the neighbouring nation of Orr.

With the sudden collapse of Ascalon, the nations of Kryta and Orr faced a shocking reality of the true capabilities of the Charr. They quickly put aside their differences and united against this new threat. This alliance didn't come soon enough to save Orr. Using human technologies to fuel their armies, the Charr Clans smashed into the weakened Eastern defences of Orr, slaughtering their entire garrison and seizing their capitol in a lightning strike that even Adolf Hitler's Nazi Armies would have been proud of. The reinforcements from Kryta had not even entered Orr territory by the time the Charr were in total control of the nation.

Kryta now faced a battle-hardened army of enraged, powerful beasts in control of two whole human nations, as well as their original territories to the north. The reinforcements they had sent to Orr were intercepted, taken by surprise and slaughtered, leaving Kryta with a severely reduced military capability. When the Charr hordes finally smashed into Krytan lines, it was a matter of weeks before Kryta was engulfed by the new Charr nation.

Few humans survived the Charr onslaught, or 'The Great Tyrian War'. Mostly women and children, with a few non-military men. Merely a few hundred thousand humans remained on the island, from a population of millions. As a form of retribution and a final dishonour for their enemy, these humans were to be locked away for all eternity. They would have no purpose, they would not be educated, they would be kept in the worst conditions that they could survive, and they would never be allowed outdoors again. All of the Charr clans, major and minor, agreed with this course of action.

- Year 0 - Era of the United Clans of the Charr (1305 A.D > Present)

With the end of human dominance over Tyria, and the Charr now in control of everything once more, they set about establishing a nation that would last forever, and be capable of preventing a repeat of history. Each of the major clans were awarded territory, determined by their size, strength and their accomplishments during the Great Tyrian War. This would form the basis of 'local government' -- each clan was responsible for their own people, and for maintaining settlements and other public facilities within their own territory. They would also be required to merge their armies into a singular national military should the need arise.

For nationwide decisions, the 'Council of Clans' was formed. Each of the major clans' leaders would discuss whatever issue arose, and vote on a course of action. Whichever clan leader controlled the strongest clan would be made the Leader of the Council. All this meant was that if a vote was a tie breaker, the Leader would get an extra vote. Additionally, the Leader of the Council would speak on the behalf of the United Clans.

Each individual clan took a different approach to electing their leader. Some went for the traditional 'whoever wins the fight, wins the clan' method, which was far too unstable. Most simply went for the general election route. Contrary to most democratic systems, there was only an election if the people called for it. Otherwise, the leader would continue to serve uninterrupted, with no time limit on his term.

With their nation firmly established, the United Clans began a series of reformation procedures designed to 'Charrify' the existing systems. The Council joined forces with the Society of Flame Keepers and the Charr Armies to draft the 'Sacred Scrolls of Law', which made sure the new nation was respectable and stable. The signature of the Council Members made the laws legally binding. The signature of the Society of Flame Keepers made the laws spiritually binding. And the signatures of the greatest Charr warriors of the day made the laws honour binding. Few Charr have ever broken such sacred rules.

The Council also made it a point to continue to develop Charr technology, determined to prevent a repeat of previous events. They managed to keep on a par with Europe for the most part throughout the centuries, despite not realising that there were any other humans in the world. Although they missed the 'nuclear revolution', and are only now beginning to investigate nuclear power and nuclear weapons, for the most part modern Charr technologies are equal to most modern human technologies. Recently, the Council of Clans even agreed to fund a project to put the first Charr into space.

Over the past 700 years there have been several small-scale civil wars, but these can be put down to tradition and culture rather than a sign of decay in the United Clans. These conflicts test the honour and capabilities of the Charr warriors, giving them vital combat experience and identifying shortcomings in the armies.

It was several years ago that the current leader of the Council, Bonfaaz Burntfur, finally ended the isolation of Tyria, which had been in place since the birth of the Charr race. By reaching out to 'outsider' human nations and even signing a pact with a powerful organisation known as 'Gholgoth', Bonfaaz Burntfur brought the nation to the international stage.

In addition to his foreign affairs reforms, Burntfur was also the first Council Leader to end the 700-year persecution of the humans. By the late 20th century, the Tyrian humans numbered just under 1 million, having been kept under strict breeding controls. Burntfur initiated a program to finally free the human race and grant them equal rights in the eyes of the law. He made an amendment to the Sacred Scrolls of Law to ensure that few Charr treated them with disrespect, enacted a series of reforms to give the humans educations and make them productive members of society, provided them with government-funded housing and benefits until they could afford to pay for their own survival, allowed them to worship their old Tyrian gods, and even allowed them to form their own clan, based in the Ascalonian Wastelands, to allow them to gain a political say.

More recently, several human terrorist groups have formed, trying to retake the whole of Tyria in the name of the humans. Both the Council of Clans as a whole and the human clan itself condemn such acts, and humans and Charr work together to bring these terrorists down.

[biology]

Charr are bipedal and quadrupedal canines belonging to the mammalian class of animal life. One of their most interesting characteristics is the extreme degree of sexual dimorphism present in their species, which plays a part in their natural behaviour and their culture.



Gender Characteristics

Males

The most prominent feature of males is a highly developed brain capable of reasoned thought, linguistic communication and self-awareness. They are bipedal, standing on average between seven and nine feet tall and weighing between 350lb to 500lb, and are physically distinctive in that they are adorned with numerous horns, tusks, spikes and claws around their heads, mouths, shoulders and arms. These bony extrusions serve both practical and ceremonial purposes. Most healthy Charr possess significantly more strength and durability than humans, although they lack speed, agility and long-term stamina. These physical attributes were necessary evolutionary traits that allowed them to physically challenge the various predators living naturally on Tyria - it is thought that Charr of past millennia were much larger, vastly stronger and significantly more aggressive.

Their legs are comparably similar in length to those of a human, proportionately speaking, however their knees tend to be bent at 90 degrees most of the time giving them a squat appearance. The torso of a Charr gives it a pronounced 'hour-glass' shape, with extraordinarily broad shoulders and they typically assume a hunched-over posture. With particularly long and muscular arms, tipped with clawed fingers and occasionally spiked forearms, Charr are capable of running on all fours, allowing them to carry their significant weight at higher speeds than would ordinarily be afforded to them (although they choose not to most of the time for cultural reasons). Their hands are more like paws with three fingers and an opposable thumb, all tipped with sharp claws, allowing them to defend themselves, kill prey and manipulate tools. Their palms tend to have leathery, patterned textures to assist with running and gripping objects. Their mouths are lined with sharp, curved teeth typical of carnivores, with especially long canines that often jut out of the mouth above the lips.



Females

The most significant feature of females is their significantly reduced brain capacity. They are technically sentient creatures, but they lack many of the reasoning and deductive skills of their male counterparts, and tend to act on instinct more than rational thought. They are capable of learning the basics of spoken languages, but have difficulties with written communication. One of the most noticeable aesthetic differences between the two genders other than size is that females lack the numerous horns, tusks, spikes and claws that are so predominant on males. Most healthy Charr females tend to be slightly weaker than healthy human males, however they are capable of astonishing feats of speed and agility, with long-term stamina that outclasses both humans and Charr males alike.

Charr females have narrow, sleek and yet muscular bodies, lacking the broad shoulders that characterise males. When standing upright they average at between five and seven feet high, and weigh between 140lb and 250lb. They do not stand on bent legs like males do, and generally are much more human-like in terms of the shape of their bodies when standing upright. Their bone structure is generally weaker than that of the heavily built Charr male, however their bones are also significantly lighter and heal much faster when broken. Like males, their hands are three fingered with opposable thumbs, all tipped with claws, and they have leathery textured palms. Although lacking tusks, their mouths are lined with sharp, curved teeth typical of carnivores, although their canine teeth are not as long as those of a male.

In terms of reproduction, females typically give birth to litters of two to four pups. As many as six can be considered normal, but more than that is generally dangerous for both the mother and her offspring. For feeding their young, females have four mammary glands, which typically only manifest visibly after the significant hormonal influxes caused by pregnancy.



Physiological Details

Healthy males have a typical life expectancy of seventy years. Healthy females can be expected to live for as long as a century. Both genders suffer from visible aging effects after roughly fifty years of life; which may include muscular atrophy, greying fur and decreased physical durability. Although bipedal species primarily, Charr of both genders tend to revert to quadrupedal locomotion in their later years, as their considerable weight begins to exert painful amounts of pressure against their pelvic areas as their bones begin to weaken. Females suffer from this less than males. Males who live longer, and who can withstand the constant and significant pain and force themselves to remain bipedal in their later years, are revered as honoured elders by younger generations. Males who reach the century mark often earn recognition in the Capitol Building in the form of a portrait and plaque.

Charr are carnivores, preferring to catch and eat their prey raw; their bodies are largely incapable of properly digesting vegetation. Much like humans, they require roughly eight hours of sleep in their adult lives to avoid the negative (and even fatal, in extreme cases) effects of sleep deprivation.

Like many mammals, Charr have an XY sexual determination system, and like many mammals, they are susceptible to numerous genetic illnesses and deformities, with males being particularly vulnerable. One of the most common genetic illnesses suffered by Charr is referred to as 'the rot' - it is a degenerative disease which causes brain tissue to begin breaking down from an early age, resulting in total brain death after only two or three decades. For cultural reasons, Charr suffering from this disease tend to commit suicide on the day of their coming of age.

Charr are completely covered in fur, with the exception of the soles of their feet and the palms of their hands. The colour of this fur can vary from Charr to Charr, mainly dependant upon their lineage and the area their line originates from. Charr from the central regions of Tyria often have much thicker layers of grey or white fur with black mottling on their chests, although these Charr are particularly rare. The most common fur colours are shades of brown and cream, with black mottling in areas for camouflage purposes. A small minority of Charr have rusty red coloured fur, and these tend to have evolved in the desert regions of Tyria. Red furred Charr typically have greater heat tolerances and resistance to ultra-violet radiation than others, whilst white or grey furred Charr are adept at cold environments. These regional distinctions are often played as advantages in the Charrian military, if the necessary personnel are available at the time.

One of the more unique features of Charr physiology is that they have two hearts. It has been known for Charr to survive if one of their hearts is damaged, and can survive for their whole lives with only one functional heart - though they suffer from severely reduced physical capabilities and a shorter lifespan as a result.

(( Reserved ))

(( Reserved just in case ))

Updated. Now I just have to figure out a new army from scratch... should be easy enough!