Haor Chall Factbook

Haor Chall

The Power of the Dark Side
TNP Nation
Haor Chall
The Majestic Twelve of Haor Chall

Population: 127 Million
Capital: Xi Char
Official Language: Chall
National Languages: Chall, Mercanti
National Animal: the Droidika
National Religion: No official state religion (Xi Char is the majority religion)
Demonym: Charrian (or Challian)
Government: The Council of the Majestic Twelve
Dictatorship (“Libertarian Police State”)
Legislature: the Senate
(unicameral, Senators are appointed by the Majestic Twelve)
Establishment: 1987 (as the Majestic Twelve) 1874 (as the Haor Chall Republic)
Land Area: 564,594km2
Population Density: 225 per km2
GDP (nominal): $6502.2 Billion
Currency: the Ambrosia ($)


Country Map with major cities:

fJkiU35.jpg



Introduction:

"Ipsa scientia potestas est. (Knowledge itself is power)." - Majestic 12 (Deus Ex)

The Majestic Twelve of Haor Chall is a dictatorship, commonly categorised as a “Libertarian Police State”, located on the continent of Meterra. Haor Chall has an estimated population of over 127 million and covers an area of approximately 560,000 square kilometres. Although political freedoms are tightly controlled, the population has extensive civil liberties and economic freedoms in how they live their own lives.

Haor Chall is a highly developed country, with a high national GDP of over $8 trillion. The economy is fuelled by high productivity in an extensive industrial base, and a free market economy that encourages heavy industries and exporting of manufactured goods.

The landscape of Haor Chall is barren and inhospitable, in a large part due to the considerable pollution from industry and agriculture.


History:
"The individual may be remembered, but the organisation persists and thrives. A single artist, a single general, a single hero or a single villain may all die, but it is impossible to kill a people, a nation, an idea - except when that idea has grown weak and is overpowered by one that is stronger."
- The Doctrine of the Mighty by the Majestic Council of the Twelve (Deus Ex)

Historical records show that prior to the mid-1800s Haor Chall had been ruled by number of different monarchical and feudal systems. The last monarch to sit on the throne, King Gregorus IV, was overthrown during the Haor Challian Civil War. Lasting until 1874 the conflict was incredibly costly, both in human and economic terms. Eventually rising from the ashes of the war, the new Haor Chall Republic not only saw a huge extension in the democratic franchise, the abolition of slavery and an entirely new constitutional system but it also marked a significant moment in the industrialisation and the creation of a new national religion.

Unknown at the time, it also had sown the seeds of the future regime. The titans of the new industrial era gathered in great secrecy and formed a secret society determined to prevent a return into the chaos and horror of the civil war and to preserve the economic wealth and success which the industrial revolution had brought them. This secret group would eventually become the Majestic Twelve...

For many years the new democracy flourished and the economy of Haor Chall boomed, leading to its growth as a world power. An extended political crisis in the 1980s, less than a decade after the centennial commemorations of the Civil War, saw a President forced to resign and an unprecedented emergency election. Following the elections, the still deadlocked legislature could not agree a budget resulting in a shutdown of the national government for over 12 months. Combined with a severe economic downturn, the political situation resulted in widespread civil unrest and rioting, practically unprecedented in Haor Challian history. Increasingly divisive political rhetoric saw some even calling for the return of the monarchy.

The historical record does not show what actions were taken by the Majestic Twelve during this period to try and restore some semblance of effective government, but despite its members owning significant parts of the defence, communications and technology sectors and holding considerable influence in government, they were clearly not successful in breaking the deadlock. Recognising the immense damage being done to the influence of Haor Chall and its future prosperity, the secret society finally moved into the open. Following mass riots in the city of Charros, which left hundreds dead, what was initially believed to be a military coup took place in the early hours of June 2 1987. However, it soon became clear the military were not taking control for themselves, instead placing a group of unidentified businessmen and industrial tycoons in command of the nation.

Astonishingly, by the end of July the chaos was at an end. The military, backed by private security firms, established order and quickly the civil authorities and police forces fell in line. Those who questioned too loudly, particularly those who had been members of the old legislature, were executed and the new regime had made clear its intent. The dangers of anarchy could only be prevented by an authoritarian government, but one that was nevertheless committed to maintaining the historic civil liberties of the Haor Chall Republic. Appearingly slightly paradoxical to outsiders, the new dichotomy was swiftly picked up by the population who seemed to appreciate the ability to live their lives largely as they wanted, the only limits being on political and economic freedom. Private industry, assured that the new regime had no interest in anything other than prosperity and profit, was also quickly on side.

Since then the Council of the Majestic Twelve has ruled Haor Chall, allowing significant personal freedoms for the population but preventing any say in the political sphere and allowing a great deal of autonomy to the largest industrial and technological corporations and conglomerates.


Geography:
“Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.”
- Dune, Frank Herbert

Haor Chall is often described as a desolate place, but it actually has a diverse geography and the stereotype is based partly upon the barren and largely uninhabited north and western reaches of the country. The eastern and southern coasts of Haor Chall are more temperate climates and home to the nations largest cities and the vast majority of the population. Heavy deforestation over the last two centuries and the large urban sprawls also contributed to Haor Challs negative environmental reputation. Smog is a particular problem in most major cities. This also means, that whilst the average population density in Haor Chall is fairly typical at 225 persons per km2, most of the population is found in cities where the population density can range from 500 per km2 to over 10,000 per km2.

Towards the centre of Haor Chall is Lake Kuat, a very large body of water and the largest lake in Haor Chall. Like most smaller waterways, is is quite polluted and sees little recreational use. The city of Kuat, which runs along the north-eastern edges of the lake, is the largest non-coastal city in Haor Chall. This region is nestled at the bottom of the central mountain ridge which runs almost south to north through the country. Notably this area has a number of large forests around the base of the mountains and is one of the few places in Haor Chall with this kind of natural beauty.

Heading further west, the land is largely arid and grasslands give way to dust and deserts. The only large cities in this part of the country started primarily as military towns, although Catomoida has built a reputation as gambling heaven and is home to over 80% of Haor Challs casinos. Whilst gambling is not particularly popular domestically, those who gamble go to Catomodia and it has built an international reputation for its mega-casinos and entertainment sector. It is one of the few places in Haor Chall which sees large volumes of tourists annually.


Demographics:
“The history of the human race has been one long succession of conspiracies. To deceive ourselves, we call the successful conspiracies "governments." – Stanton Dowd (Deus Ex)

[TO DO]


Government:
"Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven" – Paradise lost, John Milton

Little is known in the outside world about the leaders of Haor Chall, other than it is a shadowy cabal which rules with a dictatorial and often merciless approach. Called the Council of the Majestic Twelve, named for its (assumed) 12 members and often referred to by foreign intelligence agencies as MJ12, none of the individual members of the Council have confirmed identities. A highly secretive body, the Council of the Majestic Twelve claims to be a meritocracy, its members drawn from the small but efficient central bureaucracy that manage the nation. However, owing to it's origins it is quite likely to include some public figures such as senior military officers or CEOs of the largest Challian corporations. Accordingly some foreign intelligence agencies have speculated about the identity of the current members of the Council, paying close attention to the movements of certain CEOs and other individuals, but have never been able to confirm whether they were one of the 12 - only adding to conspiracy theorists ideas.

The government prioritises defence and law and order, as the principal duties of the state. Private industry is supported, with the government particularly interested in technology and arms manufacturing. Not all technology development is military-focussed however, and both the medical and communications industries are considered important to government interests. Due to the opaqueness of the MJ12, it is not possible to say how many of Haor Challs largest firms are actually run by members of its governing council, but clearly the majority – if not all – are represented within its members. This does occasionally cause international tension; Haor Chall is a leader in defence and communications technology and many of its leading companies are multi-national corporations, owning stakes in foreign companies and doing business across the globe. Some conspiracy theorists maintain that the Majestic Twelve are just a facet of the “illuminati” and have members, spies and influence around the entire world. This is just fanciful nonsense of course, without any corroborative evidence.

There is a legislature, the Senate, appointed directly by the Majestic Twelve. It is mostly made up of former civil servants and senior business figures, but also includes individuals who previously had served in local government (as Mayors or Councillors, etc). The small central bureaucracy is run by a professional civil service organised into Ministries and a small number of executive agencies. There are no officially appointed Ministers, with the Majestic Twelve collectively fulfilling all Ministerial appointments, although it assumed that specific individuals within the MJ12 are actually responsible for different departments. Accordingly, the highest identified persons are the Permanent Secretaries in each Ministry, these being the most senior Civil Servants in their department.

Domestically, the well-equipped police force and a very capable intelligence service, maintain law and order. Youth-related crime is particularly low, which is also attributed to the progressive social policies and education system. Public dissent is rare and quickly supressed by the so-called “Men in Black” from the intelligence services, often informed internet monitoring systems run through the Echelon network. The domestic security service is called the Internal Security Directorate (ISD) and the International Prosperity Directorate (IPD) within the Foreign Affairs Ministry is Haor Challs externally focussed intelligence agency.


Military:
"If black helicopters were really being used for 'covert' operations, then those responsible are doing a poor job of it." - Joseph Manderley, Midnight Sun Newspaper (Deus Ex)

The Haor Chall armed forces are overall reasonably sized (although small relative to the size of the nation), well equipped and highly trained. The Air Force and Navy are the best funded of the forces, with the Army having the smallest budget. Although lacking in pure numbers compared to many other nations, this is compensated for through high-end equipment and a nuclear deterrent (maintaining the full triad of nuclear capabilities). Non-nuclear strike capabilities are provided through submarine carried cruise missiles and several classes of aircraft, including stealth bombers.

Haor Chall has not fought in an international conflict since the rise to power of the Majestic Twelve. Only the Navy has seen overseas operational service, in disaster relief and anti-piracy/smuggler interdiction operations. Whilst their forces have therefore not seen battle, the Navy and Air Force regularly conduct training exercises for conventional conflict. Although the Army does possess heavy armour formations, the only Army exercises above Company level are focussed on support to civil authorities and counter-insurgency rather than conventional fighting.

Although the Challian armed forces are well motivated and highly trained, their training is unusual in its focus compared to most other nations. All Challian sailors, soldiers and airmen are trained to maintain and repair the most commonly used equipment. An emphasis on engineering and maintenance is pervasive and takes up almost half of the basic training time for both officers and enlisted ranks. Dedicated engineering branches are smaller than most militaries, as the remit of expert engineers is considered to be only very specialised equipment (e.g. jet engines, nuclear reactors, etc). Therefore, from the normal military perspective “highly trained” may be a misnomer, although it will be difficult to know until their armed forces experience real combat.


Economy:

“We have a great number of agencies, who in turn operate other agencies. Boxes stacked one in another… but we never touch anything directly. We only influence. Suggest. Insinuate.”
– Morgan Everett (Deus Ex)

Haor Chall is a developed economy with a high technology base. The tertiary sector is the largest part of the economy, with a focus on telecommunications, information technology and finance. There is still a large (in absolute terms) secondary sector and the principal industries include arms manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, chemical and other manufacturing/integration activities. The manufacturing sector is notable for very high levels of productivity. The primary sector is a small part of the economy, and is mainly made of a number of mining firms with domestic agriculture both representing a tiny part of the economy and providing little employment due to automation.

Domestic consumption is high, although many manufacturing firms are multinationals, exporting Charrian products across the globe. There are historical and cultural reasons for the national emphasis on manufacturing, which was of great benefit in the early industrialisation period but consequently although the teritary sector is now the largest employer, most companies operating in the services sector are also either owned by manufacturing corporations or maintain close links with them.

Interestingly, one of most contentious aspects of economic development in recent decades has been the increased automation of manufacturing. Viewed as breaking the link between workers and God, by removing them from the front end of the manufacturing process; Haor Chall was a slow adopter of automation – a significant factor in the 1980s recession. Modern, more moderate, interpretations of Xi drawing on well-established views of management (managers are believed to share in the success of their workers and then blessed by their ability to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in production), now consider the oversight of automated assembly to still be a direct part of the creation process in the same way as managers and corporate leaders are. This has allowed Haor Chall to return to the forefront of manufacturing, although several major corporations remain “artisan” engineers producing high quality goods without the high levels of automation seen elsewhere. This approach has also bled into the service sector which remains closely linked (in marketing and in publicity at least) with heavy industries.

The country relies substantially on imported food products to support the population. The domestic agriculture industry is largely automated and where labour is used, it is most often made up of immigrants. The heavy industry and manufacturing sectors are significant polluters and Haor Chall does have a reputation as one of the least environmentally sound nations (perhaps relatedly, the tourism sector is incredibly small). Even it’s agricultural processes are poor in environmental standards and accordingly, it is not recommended to fish or swim in the rivers and lakes of Haor Chall.

Haor Chall has a modest positive trade balance and is a key exporter of technology and high end manufactured goods to the rest of the world, Charrian craftsmanship often seen as the gold standard in these products. There are government restrictions on the export of certain categories of high-end military and communications technology however. The majority (~55%) of imports are food and related products with, the next largest sector of imports being oil, gas and raw materials. Although it does not have a trade deficit, its dependency on imports for both food and oil does leave Haor Chall much more vulnerable to shocks in the international markets for these goods than most nations, as these are essential to the continued functioning of the economy.

Power generation is largely reliant on nuclear power (~65%), although fossil fuels (~25%) and renewables (10% - mainly two large hydroelectric plants) all contribute to electricity generation. Haor Chall does generate more electrical power than is normally consumed and could therefore become an exporter of energy to neighbouring states, although the Majestic Twelve have so far declined to do so.


Religion & Culture:
“The deity is in the details” – Xi Char religious saying (Star Wars)

The principal religion in Haor Chall is called Xi Char, often referred to as the Tenets of Xi or Xi for short, and from which the capital city takes its name. The head of the Xi is known as the Prelate.

The religion has its historical roots in the feudal era but evolved during the Industrial Revolution taking its early ideals to a new extreme. In Xi Char, it is believed that the universe and all the beings within it were created in the foundries of the Gods. They believe that it is therefore possible to glimpse the afterlife through the creation of new machines. The industrial era, with its increasing precision and perfection of manufacturing techniques, led to a new devotion to industry – as through labour in the factories the workers could become closer to the world beyond. Hard work was the same as prayer to Xi Charrians and those who could not work were shunned or even exiled.

The fanaticism of the Civil War era has largely died out and most Challians are moderates in their religion, the government is supportive of religious tolerance and there are small minorities of other religions within Haor Chall. Nevertheless, factories still double as the cathedrals of Haor Chall and an obsessive approach to the details is always seen as a virtue rather than a vice.
 
Last edited:
Nice factbook!

Question: why is the nation's name Haor Chall? Did you choose it because that's your username, or is there a whole etymology behind it?

Also- what culture would you say your nation's culture is most analogous to? (IE: Chinese, Indic, Slavic, etc)
 
Thanks. Yeah I just went with Haor Chall because naff as it is, it is my nations name. It's cribbed from Star Wars I'm afraid (and the prequels at that) and I did take some inspiration from that source in terms of the religious aspects, so it made sense to keep it. The Star Wars and Deus Ex references will probably be obvious to those familar with the source material :P

I've kind of mixed some traits from the Xi Char in SW with MJ12 from Deus Ex (the original video game), so it's difficult to say culture-wise. I guess in theory it's descended from a US type culture (certainly that's the idea behind the pre-MJ12 history). Not sure what the Eras worlds position is ref dates and that earlier history so will need to have a think about how it fits in with that too, but this is just a first run draft as I say.
 
Well, it looks good; Eras is a pretty cooperative community now, so meshing Haor Chall in with the rest of the world shouldn't be hard! :P
 
Thanks!

Updated with a few minor edits and some new sections. Have used my NS stats for population, GDP, etc - I know that isn't what is used, so they're just placeholders for the time being really.

Is there a usual rule of thumb for generating those numbers?
 
first you have to decide your population.

Come up with a number you want for your population denity, usually under 250, and then use that to come up with your population.

Then decide your GDP/capita, i believe the cap is $52,000 or so, and then multiply that by your population to come up with your gdp.
 
first you have to decide your population.

Come up with a number you want for your population denity, usually under 250, and then use that to come up with your population.

Then decide your GDP/capita, i believe the cap is $52,000 or so, and then multiply that by your population to come up with your gdp.

Population density can be higher than 250. Mine is just over 300 and as for gdp per capita I would probably agree that 52k is max outside of city states.
 
List of major corporate organisations

The following transnational corporations are headquarters in Haor Chall and are among the largest listed companies on the Xi Char stock exchange (XCE):

lq1ntI2.jpg

Haor Chall Engineering

- One of the oldest, and largest, companies in Haor Chall. Primarily manufacturing of Defence equipment, inc. armoured vehicles and weapons and heavy industrial appliances and equipment.
- Two major subsidiaries; Daimlus, a large car manufacturer and Haor Aerospace, civil and military aircraft fabricator.

q9a4ZQp.jpg

Apostle Corporation
- Biotech, medical technology and pharmaceuticals firm


JoAlabo.jpg

PICUS Corporation
- Largest media company in Haor Chall
- Broadcast, print and digital media, with international subsidiaries and syndication deals.

nWPPt6e.jpg

Page Industries
- Another large industrial and defence manufacturer. More diversified than most, with investments in telecommunications, aerospace, banking, construction, electronics and energy.

Crupp Steelworks
- Large steel conglomerate.
- Major subsidiary defence manufacturer MNH
(translated from Charrian: Machinefabricator Hannovem-Niedersach)

Wayland Incorporated
- Telecommunications and engineering.

Transnational Trading Federation
- Transnational parent company for a wide range of foreign subsidiaries. Including agriculture, food and processed goods, mining and finance.

Neptune Energy
- Large energy producer, nuclear, oil/gas and coal power stations.

Air Chall
- Largest commercial airline in Haor Chall.

Horizon Airlines
-
Second largest airline in Haor Chall.

Kuat Industries
- Heavy industries, focus on ship building but subsidiaries managing wide range of other manufacturing and material processing (mining, metals and chemicals).

Global Commerce Group
- Transnational parent company for a wide range of foreign subsidiaries. Including manufacturing, agriculture and finance.
 
Last edited:
Draft Military Info:


++Military Forces of Haor Chall++

Service Branches: Haor Chall Navy, Haor Chall Air Force, Haor Chall Army, Haor Chall Coast Guard
Headquarters: The Octagon, Xi Char
Defence Budget: $141 billion (2.3% of GDP)


Manpower

Total Active Personnel: 441,500

By Service:
Navy (inc. Marines): 161,000
Army: 153,800
Air Force: 112,600
Coast Guard: 14,100

Total Reservist Personnel: 56,000
Department of Defence Civilian Personnel: 32,000



Overview

The Haor Chall armed forces are overall reasonably sized (although small in number relative to the size of the nation), well equipped and highly trained. The Air Force and Navy are the best funded of the forces, with the Army having the smallest budget. Although lacking in numbers compared to many other nations, this is compensated for through high-end equipment and a nuclear deterrent (currently maintaining the full triad of nuclear capabilities, although land-based nuclear silos are beginning to be decommissioned). Non-nuclear strike capabilities are provided through submarine carried cruise missiles and several classes of aircraft, including stealth bombers.

Haor Chall has not fought in an international conflict since the rise to power of the Majestic Twelve. Only the Navy has seen overseas operational service, in disaster relief and anti-piracy/smuggler interdiction operations. Whilst their forces have therefore not seen battle, the Navy and Air Force regularly conduct training exercises for conventional conflict. Although the Army does possess heavy armour formations, the only regular Army exercises above Company level are focused on support to civil authorities and counter-insurgency rather than conventional fighting.



++Haor Chall Navy++

The Haor Chall Navy (HCN) is the maritime and amphibious fighting force of Haor Chall. It is formed of five principal branches; the Surface Fleet, the Submarine Service, the Fleet Air Arm, the Haor Chall Fleet Auxilary (HCFA) and the Haor Chall Naval Marine Corps (HCNM). The head of the HCN is the Chief of the Naval Staff, currently Admiral Matt Thawne.


Naval Personnel

Total Naval Personnel (inc. Marines & HCFA): 161,000

HCN Officers: 23,400
HCN Enlisted: 105,500

HCNM Officers: 3,400
HCNM Enlisted: 26,530

HCFA Officers: 355
HCFA Enlisted: 1,815


Equipment

The HCN is relatively well equipped, operating a total fleet of 120 vessels (including the 18 ships of the Fleet Auxiliary), with a wide range of capabilities able to be deployed.

Fleet Assets

HCN:

4 Aircraft Carriers [nuclear powered, 3 always operational and one in long term refit]
3 Landing Platform Aircraft (LPA) [amphibious assault ships w. flight deck]
2 Landing Platform Dock (LPD) [amphibious assault ships]
14 Destroyers
23 Frigates [two classes]
8 Mine Counter Measures Vessels (MCMV)
12 Coastal Patrol Vessels
5 Offshore Patrol Vessels
5 Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBN) [ Operating on a rotational basis to provide a continuous at sea deterrent]
12 Attack Submarines (SSN)
6 Diesel Attack Submarines (SSK) [in the process of being decommissioned]

amXV3kx.jpg

HCNS Valiant, Type 38 Destroyer


HCFA:

6 Fleet Tankers
4 Multi-role replenishment ships
4 Landing Ship Dock Auxiliaries

The six SSK boats are in the process of being decommissioned, with 2 new SSNs replacing them in service over the next 2-4 years. In addition, there are 2 new LPA vessels under construction and planning has begun on a new class of Frigates to replace the existing 14 Type 58 Frigates. Most smaller vessels involved in HCN operations (e.g. harbour tugs, etc) are either un-commissioned assets owned by the Haor Chall MOD or are provided by contractors and are therefore not counted within HCN fleet numbers.


Aircraft Assets

The HCN Fleet Air Arm operates both Naval and Marine aviation assets, including fast jets and helicopters. Carrier operated UAV reconnaissance capabilities have recently been introduced. The following main types are used:

Fixed Wing Aircraft

Multi-role Fighters - 180
ELINT/C&C - 20
Maritime Patrol Aircraft – 25
UAV - 20
Fixed wing trainer – 40
Fixed wing jet trainer – 55
Transport – 20

i5NdXl5.jpg

HCN FA-52 Fighter onboard the aircraft carrier HCNS Indefatigable

Rotary Aircraft

Multi-role / ASW Helicopters - 75
ASW Helicopters - 50
Multi-role / heavy lift Helicopters - 30
Helicopter trainer – 30


HCNM Equipment

The HCN Marine Corps is equipped with the standard small arms used by the Haor Chall Arm, including MANPAD and guided AT weapon systems. More specialised support is provided from Army units which have all qualified from the HCNM All Arms Commando Course.

The HCNM does not operate heavy armour, which is solely used by the Army, but does have a fleet of lightly armoured and high mobility vehicles suitable for amphibious landings. The HCNM also operates a variety of different landing craft and small amphibious craft, designed to transport troops and materiel from ship to shore or for river patrols.



++Haor Chall Army++

The Haor Chall Army (HCA) is the land warfare force of Haor Chall. The HCA is divided into a number of branches, which are divided up as 4 Combat Arms (Armoured Corps, Infantry Corps, Army Air Corps and Special Operations Forces), 4 Combat Support Arms (Artillery, Engineers, Signals and Intelligence) and several Combat Services (Logistics, Medical, etc).

The Army is organised into 4 Divisions made up of 4 brigades each, these are 1st Armoured Division, 3rd Infantry Division, 4th Infantry Division and the 6th Airborne Division. In addition to the Army Headquarters, there is also Home Command (responsible for recruitment and training) and Special Operations Command (responsible for all Special Forces). The head of the HCA is the Chief of the General Staff.


Army Personnel

Total Army Personnel: 153,800

Army Officers: 30,200
Army Enlisted: 123,600


Equipment

Small Arms & Infantry Weapons

The army uses a range of small arms weapons, the most common which is a 5.56mm assault rifle. The primary side arm is the 9mm pistol. 5.56mm LMGs are widely used in all infantry units, with more specialised equipment such as combat shotguns, sniper rifles and grenade launchers available as required.

Fire support is provided by three types of mortar (60mm, 81mm and 120mm – noting the 120mm is only used by mechanised units), a range of direct-fire rockets and guided missile systems and 105mm towed howitzers in light infantry units.

Vehicles
Q13Gauc.jpg

Haor Challian Conqueror Mk7 MBTs

The Conqueror Mk7 is the army’s main battle tank, it has a large V12 turbo diesel engine, is protected by advanced composite armour and equipped with a fully stabilised smoothbore 120mm main gun. 640 are currently in service (with 350 in reserve).

The Marten is the standard infantry fighting vehicle, carrying 7 soldiers and armed with a 30mm autocannon. The army's most common vehicle is the Fox type armoured carrier, which is capable of serving as a cargo/troop carrier, weapons platform and ambulance, among many other roles.

The Army's principal artillery weapons are a 155mm self-propelled howitzer and a Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).

jPXetwn.jpg

HCA 155mm self-propelled howitzer

The Army Air Corps does not operate fixed wing aircraft, but operates several types of rotary-wing aircraft. These include an attack helicopter, utility/multi-role helicopter and heavy lift helicopters (jointly with the Air Force) and recently reconnaissance UAVs.



++Haor Chall Air Force++


[to complete]
 
Last edited:
So got way too into doing some real nerd stuff and have produced some high level structure diagrams for the Charrian military (spoilered for size reasons).

7AjffSg.jpg

4urjtuL.jpg

vTA6CSr.jpg
 
Have made a start on exploring Haor Chall's earlier history - still more to do, especially to flesh out the civil war era but C&C would be welcome!


Expanded History:

"The individual may be remembered, but the organisation persists and thrives. A single artist, a single general, a single hero or a single villain may all die, but it is impossible to kill a people, a nation, an idea - except when that idea has grown weak and is overpowered by one that is stronger."
- The Doctrine of the Mighty by the Majestic Council of the Twelve (Deus Ex)


Early (Tribal) Era

Haor Chall’s early history shows signs of Charrians affinity for construction from as early as the Bronze and Iron ages, with blacksmiths and masons held in high regard. Fragmented evidence suggests, unusually, that it was craftsmen who were often also the religious leaders within tribal communities and held great influence on the tribes decisions, whether to wage war on rival tribes to seek accommodation. The reasons for this strong cultural link between crafting and religion is not clear, but it is a constant throughout Charrian history. Recorded history of the region occupied by the Challian tribes is derived from accounts of the first explorers from the Kianese Empire, who travelled the region in approximately 700 BCE. The warring Charrian tribes were considered heathen barbarians and although the scholar Ptulemi remarked in his writings about the novelties of their native religion, on the surprising quality of the weapons produced by Charrian tribes, they were considered backward barbarians by the Empire. The Charrian tribes were also noted as being semi-normadic, frequently moving to new territory after they had exhausted the resources in the local area and this would bring them into conflict with the outer reaches of the Empire in 440 BCE, having largely been ignored until then.

The Bict tribe, having found little to sustain them in the arid lands of the north-west, moved south and rapidly came into conflict with Kianese settlers. Initial skirmishes favoured the Bicts, but after a major defeat in 384 BCE, the Empire sent considerable McMasterdonian forces to secure the border area; not only was the Empire’s pride at stake, but so were the trade routes to the northern parts of the Empire, particularly as Bict raiding parties pushed further to the west. Although the McMasterdonian forces were eventually successful in stopping raids from the Bict and other Charrian tribes, and inflicted a series of defeats upon the Bict which would ultimately result in their dissolution, the sheer savagery of the Charrian barbarian hordes meant they paid a heavy cost in blood and treasure to do so.

An uneasy peace remained for the next few hundred years, until skirmishes between Kianese garrisions and Charrian tribes began to increase again, reaching a peak from 68 BCE. Considering that further offensives to the East were not worth the cost, after a failed expedition in 53 BCE, and facing continual harassment from the tribes who had retreated into the central mountain belt, the decision was made to built a series of fortifications to prevent the Charrian tribes from being able to reach into the territories of the Empire. Known as the “Emperors Wall”, the fortifications started in the northern reaches of modern Haor Chall (to protect the trade routes further north and in modern day Gorundu) and extended down to the central mountains, where a series of forts were built to protect the central and southern reaches. Construction began in 48 BCE and took almost seven years to complete. The fortifications along the wall would be occupied by Kianese forces until 220 CE, when economic pressures and reduced security concerns led to the Wall being abandoned. Nevertheless, it is notable that the wall is largely contiguous with the modern day western and southern borders of Haor Chall.

From around 100 CE onwards, the tribes slowly began to coalesce into larger groups. The power of the Bicts had been broken by the Kianese Empire and so it merged with a more powerful tribe called the Chall “clan”, from the southern coast. Nevertheless, these larger tribal groupings remained fairly loose in affiliation and fought each other almost as frequently as outsiders. Indeed, elements of the Chall clan were hired as mercenaries by the Kianese Empire and fought against other Chall (most often those descended from the Bicts) to defend the Empire’s trade routes north of the Wall.

The two other largest tribal groupings after the Chall clan were the Vandals north of the mountain ranges and the Haor clan in the east. Numerous smaller clan and tribal groupings still existed, often crossing allegiances between the larger groups over time and this undoubtedly contributed towards the slow confluence of a single Charrian ethnic identity. Notably, craftsmen/priests were most easily able to travel across tribal boundaries, slowly developing the beginnings of a guild-like structure sitting across the clans and leading to the formalisation of the native tribal religions in this era.

The east coast Haor clan, was much more outward looking and (relatively) less aggressive. With poor agricultural ground the Haor’s, rather than turning further inland had headed out on the seas. By 100 CE the clan, a loose assembly of a number of large coastal settlements and smaller fishing villages, was trading up and down the east coast of Meterra, resulting in a much more diverse and mixed environment than seen in the rest of Haor Chall, more willing to trade than fight – although earning a barbarous reputation as pirates in some quarters. Shipbuilders rapidly took the place of other craftsman in the Haor tribes pecking order and soon most of their tribal leaders came from families of shipwrights.


The Guild-Kingdoms and Unification Eras

Historical records show that from the end of the tribal period Haor Chall had been ruled by number of different monarchical and feudal systems. The three largest tribal groupings slowly began to formalise into petty kingdoms over the period 600-900 CE, leading to the three Guild-Kingdoms of Chall, Vandal and Haor. These were ultimately unified by a ruler who became known as King Gregorus I during the 1437-45 Wars of Unification. Notably the power structures of these kingdoms were built around the artisan guilds, who wielded significant economic and quasi-religious power.

Gregorus himself was the Master Shipwright of the Haor Guild of Shipwrights and King of Haor (the titles were usually placed in this order at the time, demonstrating the importance attached to the Guilds), ascending to the position after the death of his father and with the unanimous consent of the masters of the Guild of Shipwrights (the “Kings” were not always hereditary titles – Guild was more important than family, in theory, and the title was to be passed to the most experienced and talented of the Guild masters, as decided by the masters themselves. Of course, the ruling families were all closely interconnected with the Guild and so it was not unusual for the titles to pass from father to son.). This is of particular interest as it not only shows an uncommon partial meritocracy, but to some conspiracy theorists it bares a striking similarity with the origins and structure of the Majestic Twelve – perhaps at least.

Less insular than the other kingdoms, Haor was notably the most powerful of the three by the 1400s. Matters came to a head over religion, when Xi – a Haorian shipwright/priest who called himself the the “Prophet of the Char” (the “Char” is the collective name of the Charrian pantheon) – was imprisoned from blasphemy whilst travelling through the Guild-Kingdom of Chall in 1437. Although Xi’s religious teachings were controversial (amongst other things, he argued that both Guild masters positions and Kingships should be hereditary and that Gregorus and his father had been chosen by the Char to lead their people), his arrest not only caused an uproar in Haor, but in all three kingdoms – as the ability of religious leaders to cross borders freely had been a long held and long respected tradition.

It didn’t take long for Gregorus to use the incident to begin what is now referred to as the War of Unification but was known at the time as the “Wars of Faith”. Bloody clashes between the Kingdoms of Chall and Haor raged for a number of years without either side able to achieve a decisive victory, although Haor was slowly winning the strategic campaign as it’s naval fleet gave a significant economic advantage over the largely land-bound Challs. The Vandals Kingdom, initially allied with the Kingdom of Chall, switched sides during the Battle of Andrim in 1442 (the location of the city now known as Kuat) when House Kuat turned on the other two (ruling) houses within the Vandals Guild of Craftsman and wiped them out – then “bending the knee” to Gregorus in return for a major fiefdom encompassing most of the old Vandal kingdom, but subordinate to the Shipwrights Throne.

This decisively swung the balance of power and, eventually, the Challian kingdom was brought down. The final battle of the war, the siege of the city of Challast (the Challian capital and the largest city in all three kingdoms) ended in 1445. Unfortunately the prophet Xi was executed by the Challian King before the city was taken. The Challian ruling families were executed in turn, including over half of the Guilds masters in Chall. The “martyrdom” of Xi provided impetus to the spread of his teaching across the newly established “Guild-Kingdom of the Faithful of Haor Chall”, helping to unify the new country after the bloody war that had just ended and providing a religious legitimacy to Gregorus’ new dynastic monarchy.

Whilst the Guilds retained much of their power and influence, due in large part to their economic importance, the power of the throne was now much more heavily linked to the new state religion. Formalising many of the old Charrian beliefs in the new “Tenets of Xi”, Gregorus gave himself the power to appoint the head of the new Charrian faith and build a monument to Xi at the place he was executed in Challast. He also renamed the city to Xi Char and, in 1448, moved his seat to the city named for the Prophet and establishing Xi Char as the capital of Haor Chall – as it has been to this day.


Civil War & Reformation Era

The last monarch to sit on the throne, King Gregorus IV, was overthrown during the Haor Challian Civil War. Beginning in 1870 and lasting until 1874 the conflict was incredibly costly, both in human and economic terms. The conflict began obstinately over political issues but was as much driven by a mix of religious and economic concerns too.

Corruption within the priesthood and the attempts of the fledgling democratic institutions – a parliament with very limited powers – to try and investigate and root out corrupt priests and guild masters led to a showdown between the monarchy and parliament that ended in conflict.

Eventually rising from the ashes of the war, the new Confederated Republic of Haor Chall not only saw a huge extension in the democratic franchise and an entirely new constitutional system but it also marked a significant moment in the industrialisation of the nation. Post-war reconstruction not only saw significant government investment to rebuild the northern half the country but also major cultural changes as the new Prelate of the Xi Char – now independent of the monarchy and having purged the old corrupt priesthood – radicalised the faith, the so-called “reformation”, using the societal shifts of the industrial revolution to usher in a new age of piety.

Unknown at the time, the events of the civil war had also sown the seeds of the future regime. The titans of the new industrial era gathered in great secrecy and formed a secret society determined to prevent a return into the chaos and horror of the war and to preserve the economic wealth and success which the industrial revolution had brought them. This secret group would eventually become the Majestic Twelve...


Modern Era

For many years the new democracy flourished and the economy of Haor Chall boomed, leading to its growth as an influential economic power. The industrialisation of the country fitted with the national culture in a unique way, which meant that industrialisation both moved more quickly than in many otherwise similarly developed nations and with less social issues experienced elsewhere. Productivity rapidly improved, limited most of all only by the ability to ship in the necessary raw materials for manufacturing.

An extended political crisis in the 1980s, less than a decade after the centennial commemorations of the Civil War, saw a President forced to resign and an unprecedented emergency election. Following the elections, the still deadlocked legislature could not agree a budget resulting in a shutdown of the national government for over 12 months. Combined with a severe economic downturn, the political situation resulted in widespread civil unrest and rioting, practically unprecedented in Charrian history. Increasingly divisive political rhetoric saw some even calling for the return of the monarchy.

The historical record does not show what actions were taken by the Majestic Twelve during this period to try and restore some semblance of effective government, but despite its members owning significant parts of the defence, communications and technology sectors and holding considerable influence in government, they were clearly not successful in breaking the deadlock. Despite a strong cultural fear of disorder, chaos was overtaking the streets. Recognising the immense damage being done to the influence of Haor Chall and its future prosperity, the secret society seeing no better alternative, finally moved into the open. Following mass riots in the city of Charros, which left hundreds dead, what was initially believed to be a military coup took place in the early hours of June 2 1987. However, it soon became clear the military were not taking control for themselves, instead placing a group of unidentified businessmen and industrial tycoons in command of the nation.

Astonishingly, by the end of July the chaos was at an end. The military, backed by private security firms, established order and quickly the civil authorities and police forces fell in line. Those who questioned too loudly, particularly those who had been members of the old legislature, were executed and the new regime had made clear its intent. The dangers of anarchy could only be prevented by an authoritarian government, but one that was nevertheless committed to maintaining the historic civil liberties of the Republic. Appearing slightly paradoxical to outsiders, the new dichotomy was swiftly picked up by the population who seemed to appreciate the ability to live their lives largely as they wanted, the only limits being on political freedom, accepting those limits in return for stability and order. Private industry, assured that the new regime had no interest in anything other than ensuring order, prosperity and profit, was also quickly on side.

Since then the Council of the Majestic Twelve has ruled Haor Chall, allowing significant personal freedoms for the population but preventing any say in the political sphere and allowing a great deal of autonomy to the largest industrial and technological corporations and conglomerates.
 
Back
Top