Kroando
22-12-2006, 04:52
Kroando
In order to understand the military, the economy, the history and even the people of Kroando, one must first understand it's geography. It may seem strange that such a unique nation is focused around such an uncontrolable variable as that of the land, but this is indeed the driving force behind everything Kroando does, thinks and believes.
Geography
Kroando is a vast nation, stretching all the way from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains, the 'Eastern Frontier of Civilization'. In comparative terms, it is around twice the size of Russia in the modern world. This land is horridly cold, the record high being a meager 48 degrees fariegnheit during the summer. The average temperature is around 15 degrees, in the north it is even worse, where it bottoms off around -40 during the winter, 0-20 during the summer. Snow falls weekly, massive 'Blizardon' strike once, twice a year at most. These massive snow storms are devestating to the nation, as blocks of ice are tossed by the merciless winds across the region. More deadly however are the shards that splinter off in these storms, any man caught outside... is sure to die. The ground is near frozen solid year round, making it damn near immpossible to grow any sort of food in the nation. The vast majority of food stock comes from the synthetic plants in the south, which grind all sort of horrid animals and plants into 'nutri-bars'. Food imports are always the highest in the nation, with 'exotic' foods such as bread being imported from their southern neighbors.
The nation is remarkably flat, with the occasional sets of rolling hills and river valleys, the only noticeable features would be that of the Ural Mountain Range in the East. To the north the Artic Ocean is in a state of permanant glaciality. For over 110 kilometers north of the land boundry ice stretched out, over thirty meters deep, no ship could traverse it. Decades ago the Coalitionist Government set out to 'clear the ice', dropping 20 kiloton nuclear bombs along a 'weaker stretch of ice'. The ice shattered, and appeared traversable... except it froze solid within three hours. The forests which once stood tall in the south east were leveled by lumber corporations in the early 19th century to fuel the growing industrial might of the 'Muscovy Warlords'. Iron Deposits were once present in great amounts, along with copper... but in recent times they are all but depleted. In a word, Kroando's geography and climate can be described as... cold.
However it is east of the Urals that the true intrest begins. For a reason unknown, the temperature is usually around that of -30 during the summer and spring, -50 in the winter. Snow fall is much more common, winds much more fierce. The lands to the east dwarf Kroando itself, [around ten times the size of RL Asia] they are covered in stretches of snow, and large forests, however next to nothing lives in the area. Hills, valleys, mountain ranges... most of the land is simply uncharted, for it is too large, too barren... and too god damn cold. There are remanents of former empires, ancient civilizations that once thrived across the central regions, but scientists have concluded the temperature must have been dramatically warmer during this time. There are scores of slave labor camps and mines throughout the region, but no significant human presence. The only animals that have seemed to survive are abnormally large white wolves, and a certain breed of muskrat, which live off of the permanent winter-shrubbery.
[B]History
The History of 'Kroando' begins around 1700, when the lands were referred to simply as 'The Realms of the Warlords'. Muscovy, the greatest trading city in the East was the seat of power... but it by no means commanded the land. Petty Kingdoms squabbled among one another over half acres of forest, scores of Kingdoms which in reality, held little power, as their people were largely nomads. Since there was no steady food supply, they were forced to travel, trading, bartering, often stealing and looting. There were few permanent cities, one of which was the vast Muscovy. In 1810, the Grand Prince of Muscovy died of illness, leaving the throne open. Immidiately civil war ensued, tossing the nation into chaos. A man known as Richard R. Gavils took the reigns, appointing himself 'Lord Protector' of the Realm of Muscovy. He lead a brilliant campaign, destroying one kingdom after another, defeating both the enemy, and the vaunted winters that had destroyed so many armies in the past. From St. Petersburg to the Urals, all was brought under control... however... it was all at a price. Millions now worked as slaves laying low the forests of the south, tearing iron out of the ground, forging weapons of war. Cannons, some of Nova Europa's first Howitzers were forged, along with multitudes of muskets and rifles. Gavils had plans of conquest, an invasion of the Western Lands, one that would start with the ripe fields of the Ukraine. He envisioned Empire, but what he got was something none could expect.
According to Legend, 'The People of the East' launched a massive invasion of Nova Europa in 422, stopped by the worst Blizardon in recorded history after smashing several Muscovy Warlords to ash. However, this had always been assumed to be legend... none believed anything could live past the Eastern Urals. They were wrong. Nomadic Hordes emerged from the East, coming through the mountain passes, laying waste to whatever they found. These Nomadic Mongol Armies were brutes, savages worn to leather against the reality of existance. Cannibals the lot of them, their invasion was met by the might of Gavils Army. For seven long years the two combatants fought, until finally mother nature ended the fight, covering the land in snow, slaughtering some nine million soldiers, along with countless civilians. The Eastern Mongol Hordes were slowly driven back, both by the lack of food and the relentless mercenary armies hired by the wealth of Muscovy. The war ended, but in it's place was forged a permanent hatred.
In 1932, Muscovy was a Fascist Dictatorship of poverty and despair. Hell on Earth... or so it was know to the rest of the world. In the midst of a horrid depression, numerous revolts and economic land slide, a man known as Javier Kroando emerged to the world stage. A General in the Muscov Eastern Army, he lead a swift and bitter Revolution, which lead to the implementation of the Coalitionist Ideology. By this time the Urals were nothing more than a massive assemblage of fortifications. Walls, mine fields, barbed wire fences, turrets, pill boxes, tank emplacements... as the Eastern Mongols had never ceased to arrive at the doorstep. Kroando, now appointed 'Galak', or 'Savior', lead the first Coalitionist Crusade to the East. Moving through the vast wastes of the East, the people thought the army was to perish, hearing nothing for months at a time. When he returned, he came with an army roughly 2.6 Million Strong... roughly 1/20 the size of the one he had left with... many of his men were obviously from East Asia. He had subdued the Eastern Realms, conquered 'China', among several other Asian Nations, implementing the Iron Will of Coalitionism upon the unknown. Kroando was, for a time, a God. His death however did come, as he was mortal. In the Great Mongol Invasion, nine years later, Kroando was killed in a the Battle of Beijing... from which Coalitionist Forces fell back in hasty withdraw. Thousands died in the retreat across the Vast Waste... millions. Starvation, Temperatures... the lands won by Kroando, were promptly lost, leaving only but a few out posts. It was at this time the Helicon Corporation stepped in, redirecting the economy. The Economic Center was focused around this company, the Helicon Credit becoming the national currency.
Since that time, the position of Head of State has been filled by elected men known as 'Lord Protectors', people who are to lead the nation until the return of Kroando. Two more Coalitionist Crusades were launched, both ending in failure, and the death of millions. In Modern Kroando, the Eastern Line, or the Urals are constantly attacked, repeling Mongol Assaults from an invisile enemy. The Helicon Corporation, along with a number of others, keep the economy on a booming level through foriegn trade... which is largely due to the never ending war of the East. Life goes on...
To Be Continued...
In order to understand the military, the economy, the history and even the people of Kroando, one must first understand it's geography. It may seem strange that such a unique nation is focused around such an uncontrolable variable as that of the land, but this is indeed the driving force behind everything Kroando does, thinks and believes.
Geography
Kroando is a vast nation, stretching all the way from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains, the 'Eastern Frontier of Civilization'. In comparative terms, it is around twice the size of Russia in the modern world. This land is horridly cold, the record high being a meager 48 degrees fariegnheit during the summer. The average temperature is around 15 degrees, in the north it is even worse, where it bottoms off around -40 during the winter, 0-20 during the summer. Snow falls weekly, massive 'Blizardon' strike once, twice a year at most. These massive snow storms are devestating to the nation, as blocks of ice are tossed by the merciless winds across the region. More deadly however are the shards that splinter off in these storms, any man caught outside... is sure to die. The ground is near frozen solid year round, making it damn near immpossible to grow any sort of food in the nation. The vast majority of food stock comes from the synthetic plants in the south, which grind all sort of horrid animals and plants into 'nutri-bars'. Food imports are always the highest in the nation, with 'exotic' foods such as bread being imported from their southern neighbors.
The nation is remarkably flat, with the occasional sets of rolling hills and river valleys, the only noticeable features would be that of the Ural Mountain Range in the East. To the north the Artic Ocean is in a state of permanant glaciality. For over 110 kilometers north of the land boundry ice stretched out, over thirty meters deep, no ship could traverse it. Decades ago the Coalitionist Government set out to 'clear the ice', dropping 20 kiloton nuclear bombs along a 'weaker stretch of ice'. The ice shattered, and appeared traversable... except it froze solid within three hours. The forests which once stood tall in the south east were leveled by lumber corporations in the early 19th century to fuel the growing industrial might of the 'Muscovy Warlords'. Iron Deposits were once present in great amounts, along with copper... but in recent times they are all but depleted. In a word, Kroando's geography and climate can be described as... cold.
However it is east of the Urals that the true intrest begins. For a reason unknown, the temperature is usually around that of -30 during the summer and spring, -50 in the winter. Snow fall is much more common, winds much more fierce. The lands to the east dwarf Kroando itself, [around ten times the size of RL Asia] they are covered in stretches of snow, and large forests, however next to nothing lives in the area. Hills, valleys, mountain ranges... most of the land is simply uncharted, for it is too large, too barren... and too god damn cold. There are remanents of former empires, ancient civilizations that once thrived across the central regions, but scientists have concluded the temperature must have been dramatically warmer during this time. There are scores of slave labor camps and mines throughout the region, but no significant human presence. The only animals that have seemed to survive are abnormally large white wolves, and a certain breed of muskrat, which live off of the permanent winter-shrubbery.
[B]History
The History of 'Kroando' begins around 1700, when the lands were referred to simply as 'The Realms of the Warlords'. Muscovy, the greatest trading city in the East was the seat of power... but it by no means commanded the land. Petty Kingdoms squabbled among one another over half acres of forest, scores of Kingdoms which in reality, held little power, as their people were largely nomads. Since there was no steady food supply, they were forced to travel, trading, bartering, often stealing and looting. There were few permanent cities, one of which was the vast Muscovy. In 1810, the Grand Prince of Muscovy died of illness, leaving the throne open. Immidiately civil war ensued, tossing the nation into chaos. A man known as Richard R. Gavils took the reigns, appointing himself 'Lord Protector' of the Realm of Muscovy. He lead a brilliant campaign, destroying one kingdom after another, defeating both the enemy, and the vaunted winters that had destroyed so many armies in the past. From St. Petersburg to the Urals, all was brought under control... however... it was all at a price. Millions now worked as slaves laying low the forests of the south, tearing iron out of the ground, forging weapons of war. Cannons, some of Nova Europa's first Howitzers were forged, along with multitudes of muskets and rifles. Gavils had plans of conquest, an invasion of the Western Lands, one that would start with the ripe fields of the Ukraine. He envisioned Empire, but what he got was something none could expect.
According to Legend, 'The People of the East' launched a massive invasion of Nova Europa in 422, stopped by the worst Blizardon in recorded history after smashing several Muscovy Warlords to ash. However, this had always been assumed to be legend... none believed anything could live past the Eastern Urals. They were wrong. Nomadic Hordes emerged from the East, coming through the mountain passes, laying waste to whatever they found. These Nomadic Mongol Armies were brutes, savages worn to leather against the reality of existance. Cannibals the lot of them, their invasion was met by the might of Gavils Army. For seven long years the two combatants fought, until finally mother nature ended the fight, covering the land in snow, slaughtering some nine million soldiers, along with countless civilians. The Eastern Mongol Hordes were slowly driven back, both by the lack of food and the relentless mercenary armies hired by the wealth of Muscovy. The war ended, but in it's place was forged a permanent hatred.
In 1932, Muscovy was a Fascist Dictatorship of poverty and despair. Hell on Earth... or so it was know to the rest of the world. In the midst of a horrid depression, numerous revolts and economic land slide, a man known as Javier Kroando emerged to the world stage. A General in the Muscov Eastern Army, he lead a swift and bitter Revolution, which lead to the implementation of the Coalitionist Ideology. By this time the Urals were nothing more than a massive assemblage of fortifications. Walls, mine fields, barbed wire fences, turrets, pill boxes, tank emplacements... as the Eastern Mongols had never ceased to arrive at the doorstep. Kroando, now appointed 'Galak', or 'Savior', lead the first Coalitionist Crusade to the East. Moving through the vast wastes of the East, the people thought the army was to perish, hearing nothing for months at a time. When he returned, he came with an army roughly 2.6 Million Strong... roughly 1/20 the size of the one he had left with... many of his men were obviously from East Asia. He had subdued the Eastern Realms, conquered 'China', among several other Asian Nations, implementing the Iron Will of Coalitionism upon the unknown. Kroando was, for a time, a God. His death however did come, as he was mortal. In the Great Mongol Invasion, nine years later, Kroando was killed in a the Battle of Beijing... from which Coalitionist Forces fell back in hasty withdraw. Thousands died in the retreat across the Vast Waste... millions. Starvation, Temperatures... the lands won by Kroando, were promptly lost, leaving only but a few out posts. It was at this time the Helicon Corporation stepped in, redirecting the economy. The Economic Center was focused around this company, the Helicon Credit becoming the national currency.
Since that time, the position of Head of State has been filled by elected men known as 'Lord Protectors', people who are to lead the nation until the return of Kroando. Two more Coalitionist Crusades were launched, both ending in failure, and the death of millions. In Modern Kroando, the Eastern Line, or the Urals are constantly attacked, repeling Mongol Assaults from an invisile enemy. The Helicon Corporation, along with a number of others, keep the economy on a booming level through foriegn trade... which is largely due to the never ending war of the East. Life goes on...
To Be Continued...