From: | GKoth2258@***.COM |
---|---|
Subject: | Antarctica and Asia |
Date: | Sat, 12 Apr 1997 17:19:03 -0400 |
This barren wasteland is home to an untold number of natural riches, even
today. The various United Nation treaties keeping anyone from claiming
Antarctica are still in effect, enforced by a multinational force headed by
UCAS and Amazonia. But what really keeps corporate resource raiders out of
the icy continent are the strange changes wrought upon Antarctica. It is
believed that the geography has changed wildly, mountains erupting that make
Mt. Everest look like a mere foothill. The violent weather has only gotten
more violent and imaging satellites regularly go blank (often permanently) or
"fuzz out" while over Antarctica. Since 2043, over 14 expeditions have
disappeared, claiming at least 132 lives. Suriving mages also report a
strange "background count," resembling more of an absence of magic more than
a corruption.
<<<<<NO CURRENT MAP AVAILABLE>>>>>
>Are we talking fovae? Or something else?
>Purple Penguin
>No. The best way to describe it would be to say that there is "mana" there,
but it is something very different from what exists everywhere else. A very
bizarre sensation. Astrally, it feels like you are traveling through thick
mud, with visibility as if you were in very dense fog. There's something
else about it too, just a feeling really, but you distinctly get the
impression that you just don't belong there, as if you were on a hostile
alien planet or something. Very strange. And exactly the sort of thing that
drives mages to therapy. It did me.
>Rough Guide
ASIA
Afghanistan
This tiny, land-locked mountain nation exists as a nation only in the minds
of it's people. The actual territory of Afghanistan has been a part of Iran
(the Persian Empire) since 2034. Low-level warfare and minor terrorism was
relatively common, but not common enough for major action on the part of
Iran. Until 2054 that is. For reasons still unclear, the Afghan conflict
began to resemble the Soviet-Afghan war of the 1980s. The freedom fighters
began to enjoy increased financial support (from whom, no one is willing to
say) and their conflict again took on the elements of Islamic jihad. The
reintroduction of religion as a major element of their conflict shifted the
entire situation. Suddenly, muslims from other nations began to travel into
Afghanistan to help in the fight against Iran. Islamic terrorism exploded,
literally, onto a global scale again, affecting virtually every Awakened
nation, even the two Tirs.
>You can bet that Algeria had something to do with it. Probably Syria too.
>Biz Quick
And worse for Iran, the Afghan conflict spread into the regions of
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In other words, the
jihad had spread through most of Iran.
Australia
<insert Lady Jestyr's article>
China
China is a cesspool so far as anyone knows, reverting to millennia old
provinces controlled by petty warlords. There is no central government, and
many regions are little better than the war zones common in the South East
Asian War Zone. With the collapse of Communist China, Taiwan saw an
opportunity to "reclaim" China as it's own. Instead, it became mired in the
feudal politics and petty squabling. Taiwan is still relatively modern, but
slipping as it becomes more and more entangled in mainland China.
Hawai'i
See Paradise Lost.
Hong Kong
This corporate haven re-emerged in 2012 after the collapse of China.
Controlled and ruled by the various corporations, there is very little in
the way of law, either corporate or civil.
Japan
Imperial Japan is perhaps one of the most powerful nations on the planet
Japan is also one of a small list of nations that has not suffered a loss in
territory since the Awakening. In fact, Japan has managed to expand it's
territory significantly, gaining the Philippines and a number of other small
islands, not to mention control of San Francisco. Japan is the leading force
in the region politically, militarily and economically. Theoretically the
nation of Japan is controlled by the Emperor, the Diet (the Japanese
Congress) and the United Council (run by the Japanese megacorporations). In
fact the Emperor and the Diet have very little real political power, with the
United Council and the corporations actually running things. The Emperor
does have a great deal of cultural and religious power however and his
influence should not be underestimated.
>Yeah. Gotta love Japan. They claim the metahuman concentration zones were
dissolved a few years ago. I just talked with "a friend of a friend" and
while they don't officially exist, there sure as frag do in fact. Frag, I
saw one back in '51.
Hell, did you know they still portray Pearl Harbor as a "defensive action,"
that they were winning World War II up until The Bombs got dropped?
Someone's got to tell the truth to those guys...
>Gaijin
>I think you're being a little harsh, but you are, in essence, correct. Over
the past 70 years, over 80 teachers (that we know of) have been thrown in
jail because they taught something other than the Japanese version of truth.
Something is indeed rotten in the Land of the Rising Sun. And has been
since before the Awakening.
>St. Stan
India
Poised to become more than just a regional power before the Awakening, India
has been wracked by internal strife and struggle for the past 40 years. No
one can agree on how to govern this diverse land and the re-emergence of
magic has only complicated things further. The caste system, on its way out
before the Awakening, has come back with a vengeance and has been further
complicated by metahumans. There are seperate elven, dwarven, ork and troll
separatist movements. An extremely complicated nation of the verge of either
greatness or chaos.
The island of Sri Lanka, while technically a part of India since 2023, has in
effect been ceded to the metahuman separatists, as of August 2057. While
still Indian in name, the governance of Sri Lanka has been turned over to
metahumans. It is unclear what exactly this very recent development will
mean for India.
Kazakhstan
This former Soviet territory is wildly capitalistic. Anything and everything
is up for sale. Ruled by a strong but vastly corrupt democratically elected
government with very broad powers, this mountainous nation is a free-traders
dream. Originally built on oil profits, Kazakhstan's primary means of income
now is a small 4.1% sales tax on literally every transaction. Considering
everything from BTLs to slaves to LAVs to insurance contracts are sold here,
that is a rather healthy means of income for this mountainous nation. Of
course, this policy of "everything goes" has earned it a reputation just
above the Algerian Theocracy, Syria and North Korea.
Mongolia
Very little is known about this underdeveloped nation at this time. It is
generally assumed that very little has changed in the past 70 years, aside
from independence from China.
Nepal
Still as underdeveloped and slow as it ever was. One of the few nations in
the area not hit by war or change. Even with all the chaos in India, Nepal
managed to stay relatively unaffected. Given the continual unrest of India
however, it seems only a matter of time before this small mountainous nation
is drawn into the Indian conflict, espcially with the high incidence of
dwarves and trolls in Nepal.
North Korea
The only communist nation left, North Korea sees itself as the last bastion
of Maoism in the world and they must fight for survival. This has led to a
near constant state of low-intensity warfare with South Korea along the
Neutral Zone and the sponsoring of several different warring factions within
the quagmire known as China. It should also be noted that a low-level
insurrection has been going on in North Korea since the starvations of
1996-99. North Korea has still not completely recovered from that disaster
and the small rebel movement is proof of that.
Pakistan
The mountainous nation of Pakistan has retained it's position as a regional
power over the last 50 years. However, Pakistan is an industrial nation,
ill-suited for the modern information age, which is one reason why it's power
is slipping. Of course, the 80-year long arms race with India may have
something to do with that also. It should be noted that border clashes with
India are a weekly occurence.
Singapore
Something of an irony. One of the world's safest nations (as far as the
official crime rate anyway), in the middle of the most violent region in the
world, the South East Asian War Zone. Singapore, while adding some territory
over the last three decades, remains a free trade zone much like Hong Kong.
The only difference is that there is still a relatively strong government
and their laws are strict and swift. An excellent corporate enclave.
South East Asian War Zone
The region know as the South East Asian War Zone is comprised of hundreds,
perhaps even thousands, of small city-states and tribes in a constant state
of flux. There are so many nations and they are always changing, so it would
be impossible to provide any accurate information other than a very brief
overview.
>It's a merc's dream though. There's always some chump with nuyen willing to
hire someone with a gun out there.
>VM-68
>It's also a merc's nightmare. You never know exactly what is going on out
there. If you like to do more than just blow things up (like plan your
strikes), the South East Asian War Zone is not for you. Too much chaos is
not a good thing for us.
>Tippman
South Korea
Korea is on the verge of being an economic power on par with Japan. But
then, it's been on the verge since the late 1980's. The only tangible thing
holding South Korea back is its constant troubles with North Korea.
South Pacific Islands
The area known as the South Pacific, a collection of small islands covering a
large zone of the Pacific, has been relatively quiet and peaceful. The vast
majority of the islands have "gone tribal," a state of affairs that began
well before the Awakening. This is not to say that they are primitive;
rather it means that their governments and social conditions have reverted to
their old tribal ways. There are over one hundred separate governments in
the area, most of whom have mutual protection treaties against Imperial
Japan, which has annexed several dozen islands. Despite the Japanese
Occupation on these select islands, life still goes on as normal for the
people. The only non-traditional part of the South Pacific lifestyle is the
continued tourism, which is the primary source of outside income
Tibet
The nation of Tibet gained it's independence in 2012 as the nation of China
was disintegrating. Shortly after Tibet gained independence, the entire
region was sealed by a powerful magical barrier. No one has heard anything
since.
Yukut
An Awakened nation that first split from Russia in 2033, during the
Euro-Wars. Unlike most other Awakened nations, Yukut is controlled by
dwarves. In fact, there are relatively few elves in the Yukut region. Like
other Awakened nations however, Yukut is concerned with preserving the
environment. The great Siberian forests have made something of a comeback
and even the horrific toxic and nuclear zones, relics of the old Soviet
Union, while still unfit for human life, are much cleaner than anyone
anticipated. It should also be noted that Yukut and Russia are sworn enemies
and border clashes are frequent. In fact, where exactly the border lies is a
matter of great dispute, but the Ural Mountain range effectively splits the
two nations, regardless of where the real or claimed border is.