This section contains miscellaneous lore that doesn't fit inside documents.

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EXPLODOBOY'S

ROLEPLAY LORE REPOSITORY

"Retcon central."
-Me, College Student

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CATEGORY: NATIONS

Introductions to the world's nations.

THE FEDERATION OF GREATER MARTIL

The Federation of Greater Martil (often shortened referred to as Greater Martil, or occasionally just Martil) is a superpower inhabiting all of the Greater Martil continent. The FoGM is the oldest known government in history, having remained largely unchanged for approximately 2,370 years as of 1940.

Administratively, the FoGM is a semi-constitutional federal monarchy. The ruler (titled Monarch) controls the executive power and minor legislative power. The Administrative Council is an electoral body which controls the legislative and judicial power, and acts as a check for the Monarch; notably, the AC may override, remove, and select a Monarch.

Onapmeith is the official religion of the FoGM, though the state does not force belief. The state-approved Onapmeith denomination receives funding from the government.

It is tradition for a Monarch to raise their designated heir to rule the nation upon their resignation or death, although the Administrative Council also holds the power to make itself responsible for preparing the heir for rule. Positions in the Administrative Council are determined by sector elections, which utilize ranked voting.

The FoGM has a minor technological advantage over the world; the technologies they produce are of high quality and are therefore always slightly ahead of their time. This stacks with pioneer bonuses.

The FoGM discovered and was discovered by the international community in the mid-1800s, during explorations from the Aetellian Empire in search of as-of-yet undiscovered land to conquer. The Aetellian Empire never found such land, but they did discover the sleeping giant that was the FoGM. The peoples of Greater Martil themselves had never ventured that far from continent as a result of a common belief that Greater Martil was the only major landmass in the world. And, if there were other landmasses, they were too far away to be useful.

The FoGM's potential as a superpower is mostly in the form of soft power; the FoGM is an economic powerhouse that enjoys trade with much of the world. Its military is potent but over-specialized in defense; though very powerful in Greater Martil, the military quickly loses effectiveness when going beyond its home continent due to a lack of logistical framework for distant operations. Most military operations outside of Greater Martil are currently for protecting the FoGM's ability to trade.

THE KALIP UNIFIED EMPIRES

Aetellia's main rival prior to the Zenith War. The Kalip Unified Empires is a multicontinental federation composed of multiple semi-independant states working together as one semi-cohesive supernation.

They originate from eastern Drahosic. Its founding states are the Olo Kingdoms (which was once separated into a Northern and Southern state but have reunified since), Tol Dynastic Order, and Yiq Royal Domain. Since its formation, the Kalip Unified Empires has gained many more member-states, often through either the creation of a colony or the overthrow of an existing government. On a few occasions, nations have willingly sought out integration.

KUE member-states have a notable degree of autonomy, including the declaration of laws (except when superceded by KUE-wide law voted by all members or the KUE constitution), trade (with both other KUE members and non-KUE nations), and peaceful expansion. The KUE as a whole most vote for certain actions that would affect the KUE as a whole, such as wars. KUE member-states are also expected to devote a portion of their military to a pooled military force which is under the control of the KUE greater council itself.

KUE member-states are mostly monarchies and dictatorships, but there are no explicit rules against a member-state being democratic. The KUE itself is defined as an oligarchy, however; member-states send one representative each to be part of the greater council, which acts as the coordinating higher authority of the KUE. A greater council representative is historically a nation's ruler or a trusted advisor, but can be literally anyone as long as they were approved by the highest authority of the member-state.

The Kalip were destabilized in the aftermath of the Zenith War, demoralized and humiliated by the sheer pointlessness of the it. They blame Aetellia, and vow to settle the score.

STENAROLD ALLIANCE

The Stenarold Alliance was a regional alliance in Rhoan, unaffiliated with any global power. It was composed of five nations; the Confederation of Ykik and Erio, Hymora United Republics, Technocratic Dictatorship of Invpario, Aegis State of Stai, and Democratic Republic of Olono.

Sometime before the start-date of 1945, four of the five nations was annexed by the Kalip Unified Empires in a major regional war. The Olono were the only ones to come out still independent.

As of the 1950s, only the Invpario have retained their original government. The Stai dictatorship was replaced with a monarchy, the Hymora are still under direct management by the Olo Kingdom, and the Ykik and Erio have been split apart and are also still being directly managed by the Olo Kingdom.

All of the Stenarold nations resent their Kalip domination, and the region (barring the Olono, who are independent) continues to draw a not-inconsiderable amount of resources to keep resistance movements suppressed.

URX'KA FREE STATE

The Urx'Ka Free State was a local power in southwest Drahosic, which before its annexation by the KUE had been the single largest source of piracy on Lacteal, and were generally a menace in their region of the world. The Urx'Ka was an oligarchy, and the government directly supported and funded piracy efforts.

The Urx'Ka were annexed by the KUE after they had become frustrated with piracy targeting their ships, and have since been under direct management by the Olo Kingdom due to perpetual resistance movements.

The Urx'Ka people are brutally oppressed by the KUE, and are frequently abused for the acts of the unending geurilla insurgency.

SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF BULAND

An Instrum-style communist state, Buland is a small island country located near Kalipan center-west Drahosic. Originally part of the Hinustrivan colony, Buland has had its own identity for many decades. It became briefly independent in 1952, but was reannexed the following year after joining the MTTAA. A Kalipan-backed rebellion in 1961 gave it full independence, whereafter it permanently rejoined the MTTAA.

Like most MTTAA countries, Buland joined the bloc as an underdeveloped country, and eventually matured into a developed country following decades of gradual improvement.

Until an as-of-yet determined date, the entirety of Buland is claimed by Hinustriva. Eventually Hinustriva recognizes Buland and rescinds their historical claim.

CATEGORY: CULTURE

Self-explanatory. Anything cultural goes here.

SOCIAL PROGRESS OF THE FOGM AS OF THE 1940s

The FoGM can be considered to be, relative to the rest of the world, ahead of the times socially. Most forms of bigotry never really took hold in the country; most notably sexism, racism, and homophobia. Their society is very strongly xenophobic; individuals who have not fully embraced and assimilated into Martilan culture are often discriminated against, especially if they come from a country the Martilan public believes wronged them. Ableism is also somewhat discriminated; the physically-disabled are seldom discriminated against, but the non-neurotypical, known as aberrants, face intense discrimination.

The system provides strong protections to these discriminated classes. Even in the 1940s, civil rights are strong. For instance, while foreigners will face frequent disdain by society, it would be exceptional to be refused service or suffer racial violence. It still happens sometimes, of course, but it's strictly illegal and the courts are consistent.

This both includes and excludes aberrancy. Neurodivergent individuals have weaker protections, due to being percieved as a risk to society. Finding employment is very difficult as they are legally forced to disclose their aberrancy and they are sometimes (if very strongly neurodivergent) stripped of their right to vote. Otherwise, they are protected by the law.

The main reason why rights are enforced so consistently is due to public perception that an uneven enforcement against one undesirable is a slippery slope to others losing their rights. As such, while the public might not like a certain class, they still advocate for the preservation of their rights.

Also, corruption is prevalent across society, but it is mostly in a benign form that rarely impacts the average person. Rather than an institutional rot that degrades public-facing systems, it is more of an 'inefficiency tax'; most services request excessive amounts of funding. After ensuring services have enough funding to operate as they should, the excess is embezzled. This is tolerated by the public as a cost of a stable and consistent welfare state.

(FOGM) ONAPMEITH

The Federation Martil is home to a single, dominant and unified religion known as Onapmeith. It is of pantheistic archetype; its founding belief is that God is the universe itself. It assigns divinity to life itself, viewing life as a manifestation of God so that it may experience itself. Regardless, it is vert anthropocentric because it also assigns greater value to beings of 'greater intelligence', which makes humanity the most divine. It also has no concept of individuals blessed with divine right.

Onapmeith originates from decentralized, fractured sects whose religious texts were derived from oral tradition. Prophets of Onapmeith are considered ordinary people who had chance encounters with God, and lack any divine rights or protections many other religious provided.

After the founding of the FoGM, these fractured sects were all unified in a governmental ecumenical council which consolidated the writings of the various sects into the Onapmeith-Colpat (literal meaning: Unified Document of Onapmeith) (often shortened to Colpat), whose contents continue to be maintained solely by the Martil government. Its contents are reviewed on a semi-regular basis to correct for blatant contradictions with reality; due to the nature of its creation, it is recognized the Colpat is bound to contain discrepancies due to human error.

Onapmeith places a strong importance on tradition, hedonism, and morality. Religious art and iconography are commonplace in almost every part of the FoGM. Onapmeith has holidays roughly every 30 days (monthly in Gregorian-like calendars, three times a month in the GH calendar; twelve times a year), celebrating different aspects of life. Holidays often include indulgent feasting and the consumption of recreational substances.

Other major beliefs include:

  • Recreational substances are a good thing, because they cause pleasure. Psychoactive substances are especially desired, because they warp the mind in a way that enables closeness with God.
  • A short ritual is expected to be performed before engaging in a pleasurable or enjoyable action. Similar but nonetheless unique rituals are performed for different situations.
  • Life after death is an endless reincarnation-like cycle, where an individual becomes one with God (the universe) again, and part of them may manifest later as a new living creature. Unlike other many other reincarnation-type religions, the cycle is truly endless and there is no method of escaping the cycle.
  • Other belief systems are tolerated, but considered to be wrong.

Beliefs that were once in the Colpat include:

  • Back when Lacteal was not commonly believed to be spherical, it was said the stars were the watchful eyes of the universe looking down on the world.

And some other assorted information:

  • The official place of worship is called an Onapmeith-Sigurca, literal meaning 'unified worship location of Onapmeith'.
  • Worship can be performed nearly anywhere. Visiting an Onapmeith-Sigurca is only expected during certain holidays.
  • Onapmeith has a meaning. It is 'the creator is the soil'.
  • The only valid way to refer to Onapmeith as a religion is Onapmeith. It is considered to be (culturally) wrong to refer to it as Onapmeithism.
  • The only valid way to refer to a believer of Onapmeith is Onapmeith-Befaie (literal meaning: faith that the creator is the soil). It is considered to be (culturally) wrong to refer to one as an Onapmeithist. It is acceptable to refer to one as a Befaie.
  • God is nameless; God is not called Onapmeith. Onapmeith is a way of describing God.

PRE-ONAPMEITH RELIGION REMNANTS

Onapmeith is not the original religion of the Kingdom of Martil (which formed the FoGM). Long before the FoGM's formation, the KoM had a polytheistic religion whose details have been mostly lost to history. Onapmeith was forced on the KoM during the Onapmeith Wars, which killed many religions and cultures.

Although the FoM's original religion no longer exists, there are still many traditions, legends, and sayings that have managed to survive. They have found themselves embedded into the culture of the FoGM, and are widely used and recognized throught the Islands.

Most of the surviving remnants can easily be confused as being related to Onapmeith. There are enough that can't which lend evidence to the former religion.

(FOGM) BATHE THEIR ARMS IN GOLD

"Past the fire, stood a champion bold."

"May their arms be bathed in gold."

It is military tradition within Greater Martil to gild the weapons of a Blackrose. The tradition originates from ancient times, before the Onapmeith Wars. While the tradition was originally intended for melee weapons (due to originating before firearms) or occasionally crossbows, that tradition now largely applies to all reusable weapons of a Blackrose.

Blackrose weapons are typically colored black with (real) gold accents. Single-use weapons such as grenades are not gilded, but instead whatever they are connected to or stored inside on the Blackrose's person are. Magazines are also not typically gilded due to being easier to lose.

Blackroses are expected to maintain their weapons very well. It is a status-symbol and serves a symbolic purpose for them.

POLYAMORY AND MARRIAGE IN THE FOGM

Polyarmory is somewhat accepted in Greater Martil. Although tolerated culturally, there is no process for polyamorous marriages.

The marriage system is best described as 'open monogamous', in which only two people can be wed to one-another, but it is socially acceptable for a relationship, even on in marriage, to be open. The origin behind this system is more or less practical; polyarmorous marriages are more difficult to keep track of all the moving parts.

In the face of a rapidly changing world and fading contentment with the status quo, however, this is bound to change one day.

GRABNOK MOONS THE MAFIA: A BEST-SELLER

"A tale of a man with poor anger-management and conflict-resolution skills, trying to get by in a tough econmomy."

One of the more silly cultural products of Greater Martil, Grabnok Moons the Mafia is a comedic sci-fi story centered around the misadventures of Grabnok the Destroyer of Worlds, a middle-aged Elder God who is forced to live in his car due to the multiversal economy being in shambles. His misadventures leads him to getting into conflict with a galactic mafia, with disasterous results for everyone involved.

Grabnok Moons the Mafia is a master-class in parody and humor in general. The story does not hesitate to make fun of everybody and everything, from economic systems to government systems to what people like to put on their toast. The story is especially good in its dark humor, making light of horrific events in a way that very, very few people could be genuinely offended by.

One such instance of dark humor is in the titular scene of the book, in which the mafia finally catch up to Grabnok and confront him. Grabnok naturally threatens to 'moon' everyone, and then makes good on his promise. The mafiosos react in shock and horror to an unseen event, and then the next scene presents a newscast describing the destruction of a planet and the deaths of trillions, caused by the moon suddenly impacting the planet at relativistic speeds. The scene is played straight, and its humor comes from Grabnok's dialogue both with the mafiosos and comments to the news agency.

There are countless other moments in the story, each of them individually worthy of cementing Grabnok Moons the Mafia into public adoration forever. Combined, the story is considered by many to be among the best in its century.

There will be movie adaptations. Just wait until the 2030s, the magnum opus awaits there...

(KALIP) ULIMIRI PROJECT

The Kalip's nuclear weapons project was known as the Ulimiri Project, named after the trope of the same name (literal meaning: God-killing dagger) in which a mortal receives a magical dagger capable of killing immortal (usually divine) beings.

The Kalip do not refer to nuclear weapons as nukes, but rather Ulimiris. Ulimiri stories have also since begun to outright use nuclear weapons as God-killing devices.

Due to good relations with the Kalip, the FoGM opted to call their own nuclear weapons Ulimiris as well.

RESUKIGISM

A major religion present in most of central Rhoan and southwest Drahosic. It is one of the largest religions, but considerably smaller than Nadahirism.

Resukigist nations often have their leaders titled Rena, and those nations are usually referred to as Renates.

The concept is currently very barebones. Ideas are welcome to further develop it.

NOTABLE CUSTOMS AND TABOOS OF THE FOGM

The FoGM has a surprising amount of social norms which developed in parallel to the rest of the world. There are also a plethora of very unique customs, taboos, and sayings. Below is a non-exhaustive list of those.

Customs:

  • The standard greeting (equivalent to the handshake) is the social (stage) bow. Handshakes are considered an archaic form of greeting that has long ago been phased out for the social bow. Most FoGM citizens learn about handshakes in history class.

Taboos:

  • Disrespect & Dishonesty; a major contributor to why conflict is less common in Greater Martil, and various other social quirks.
  • Lack of Cooking Skills: everyone is expected to help around during weekly cooking sessions, not being able to do so is considered socially unacceptable. Farmers are exempted to a degree, but even for them not having good cooking skills isn't a good thing, even if it's understandable.

Sayings:

  • "Flip the coin, and hope we are the ones reaping"
    • To take a big risk when it is not entirely necessary.
  • "If we are to be consumed, then let it be fire than frost"
    • To take a big risk out of necessity.
  • "Next be born under a brighter sun"
    • References reincarnation and associated with martyrs: work hard today so your descendents and future iterations can be born into a better life.
  • "Circles in the dirt"
    • Exceedingly, if not divinely obvious.
  • "Yulaiq Martil"
    • Nationalistic phrase of Central Martilan origin. Literally means 'Ascend Martil', or more accurately 'Martil must rise'.
  • "Free [X]"
    • Regional rights phrase originating from Hiji. Can also be used as a secessionist phrase.
  • "We are still here"
    • Hopeful phrase of Hijian origin; despite how tough times are, people are still holding on.
  • "Ourselves only"
    • Isolationist phrase of Hijian origin.
  • "Send them home on their shields"
    • Self/national defense phrase, originates from the Syratanan saying 'to come to Syratan with the vision of a conqueror is to invite two ways of returning home; with your shield, or upon it'.
  • "Syratanic effort/task"
    • Originates from Syratan; extremely difficult.
  • "Racing the dial to return"
    • Equivalent of 'wasting time' in other cultures.
  • "March(ing) onto a book"
    • To push through a difficult task and be remembered for it. Comes from the antiquated Syratanic phrase 'march onto the history books'.

Slang:

  • "Hot"
    • Used to denote riskiness/danger, rather than attractiveness. Often used as an insult. Ex: "Are you hot?!"
  • "Warm"
    • Denotes attractiveness. Used similarly to other cultures' 'hot'.

Compound Word Slang:

  • "Rotigic"
    • Short for rota-rig-deic; hour.
  • "Rotmol"
    • Short for rota-rig-kimol; minute.
  • "Rotrir"
    • Short for rota-rig-milir; second.
  • "Rotlic"
    • Short for rota-dol-deic; week.

Alternate Names:

  • Radial (Revolver)
    • Named after the radial design of revolvers' cylinder.
  • Martil-Giti (Lacteal)
    • The FoGM's name for the world, coined in the same era the continent was named. Literally means 'Grandiose Martil'. Also known as the Infinite Ocean.
  • Martil-Surini (Greater Martil)
    • The name of Greater Martil in Martix.

Other:

  • Grand-one

ONAPEMITH HOLIDAYS

(RELATED: ONAPMEITH)

Onapmeith has twelve holidays, one for each month. As a core virtue of the religion, hedonism of some form is commonplace on holidays. Feasts and recreational (especially hallucenagenic) drug use are encouraged for followers.

SPRING

  • (01/01) Celebration of Change
    • A celebration of the new year, involving mutual exchange of gifts with close ones and the establishment of annual promises, often for self-improvement.
    • The day also celebrates the founding of the Federation of Greater Martil.
  • (02/15) Celebration of Bloom
    • A celibration of the zenith of spring involving a countrywide flower festivals.
  • (03/10) Celebration of the Cold Harvest
    • A celebration of the harvest of winter crops. A feast is expected to be shared among close ones, whether it be friends or family.
    • The traditional feast is composed of foods from the related harvest.

SUMMER

  • (04/02) Celebration of Awareness
    • A celebration of consciousness and closeness to God involving the mass consumption of recreational substances and dances. Feasts are often held on the day as well, frequently with food items infused in said substances.
  • (05/15) Celebration of Devotion
    • A celebration of love, both familial and romantic. The holiday is composed of two days.
    • The first day celebrates familial love, involving the gifting of sweets among close ones; usually family, but close friends may be included.
    • The second day celebrates romantic love, involving the gifting of a large amount of sweets with a partner. New relationships are often initiated on the day. It is a strong taboo to end a relationship on this day.
  • (06/08) Celebration of Revelation
    • A celebration of the birth of Onapmeith. Onapmeith-Sigurcas hold an extended communal sermon, and then a party, which are expected to be attended.

AUTUMN

  • (07/11) Celebration of Generations
    • A celebration of fertility, parenthood, and heritage involving a countrywide heritage festival. Later in the day, feasts are held among relatives.
  • (08/15) Celebration of Humor
    • A celebration of...humor. Observation involves the playing of practical jokes, usually earlier in the day. In the latter part of the day, costume parties are held. Trick-or-treating is also often held; visits expected to be rewarded with a sweet or prank—sometimes, both.
  • (09/10) Celebration of the Warm Harvest
    • A celebration of the harvest of summer crops. A feast is expected to be shared among close ones, whether it be friends or family.
    • The traditional feast is composed of foods from the related harvest.

WINTER

  • (10/26) Celebration of the Above
    • A celebration of the universe beyond Lacteal, and the most faith-oriented Onapmeith holiday. The holiday is a week long, involving outdoor celebrations and often stargazing. Onapmeith-Sigurcas hold an extended communal sermon and then a stargazing session. Unlike all other holidays, feasting is not only not common, but rare.
  • (11/15) Celebration of Warmth
    • A celebration of closeness (in spite of cold and dark times) at the zenith of winter. Usually, the entire day is spent with close ones. Later in the day, observors spend time around either a campfire or bonfire, depending on the size of a celebration.
  • (12/01) Celebration of Endurance
    • A holiday celebrating the completion of a year and cultural unity. Onapmeith-Sigurcas hold communal feasts and then a sermon, which are expected to be attended.

VOICES OF ETERNITY: THE ULTRA-BOMBING OF WEAKLING-LAND SUPREME

(Released sometime in the 70s. Exact date undetermined.)

"A hilarious read from a silly mind."
-Grall Publisher's Service

Voices of Eternity: The Ultra-Bombing of Weakling-Land Supreme was written by Felii Oveoi, who had published Grabnok Moons the Mafia a mere six months ago. It is a short comedy novel which follows Vacek Pantl, a disgruntled narrative-smith unleashing untold cosmic wrath on 'a whole cluster of idiotic weaklings' in a sci-fi setting.

The book follows Vacek Pantl as he assaults the world of 'The Hold-out of Dumb Weaklings', escalating from using massive guns capable of tearing tanks apart to driving a building-sized tank throwing nuclear bombs larger than him to wipe out cities. In the climax, the protagonist leaps high into the sky to 'deliver the biggest and last ass-kicking you Mammim pansies will ever face', lands on an asteroid and comments about 'some weirdo floating around in space who doesn't know how to wear an exoskeleton' and then dropkicks the planet, obliterating it completely and utterly. He then goes home, satisfied that he delivered the reckoning the Hold-out deserved.

It is a blatant parody of Drahosic culture, which is obvious from the get-go when the book opens up on the country of Dradodid. The story always shines 'Dradodid' in a humorously positive light, to the point of including a few scenes where the fourth wall is broken and the writer insults the reader for thinking otherwise. The FoGM is also parodied, but always commented on in a (funny and) negative light.

The story itself was written by Felii as a direct response to Vacek Pantelic's The Machine of a Man. Felii has never commented on the story itself, only admitting he wrote it because of the afforementioned novel.

(FOGM) AMBROSIA

A soft yellow fruit native to Greater Martil. It originates from Rotin, and was spread across the continent well before the FoGM. Ambrosia is often consumed in liquid form, usually by blending the fruits up and mixing it with other liquids as a cold drink, generally referred to as Lucx.

It is notable for being the only food crop across Greater Martil that can be both farmed and eaten raw. Ambrosia crops are also particularly hardy; they grow well in both winter and summer. The food has saved nations from famine several times in the past, earning it the sole exception to the Martilan raw food taboo.

Ambrosia fruits contain several psychoactive chemicals which follow under the term ambroids which fall under two subcategories; active and lingering. They are mildly toxic; in large quantities, they may cause severe health problems across the body. When consumed in moderation, Ambrosia is not harmful.

The high of ambrosia itself is (barring overdose) benign, but can put users in a state of vulnerability; active ambroids induce euphoria, impaired decision-making, and relaxation. Strong doses negatively affect coordination and attention. The combination of effects makes people generally more friendly and trusting.

The drawbacks of ambrosia come after the high is over; lingering ambroids cause irritability and impaired decision-making. Generally, individuals become unusually confrontational and, at times (especially on high doses), aggressive. Their effects are suppressed by active ambroids.

Lingering ambroids cannot be simply removed to make Ambrosia consequence-free to consume; they amplify the effects of active ambroids, so consuming just active ambroids would lead to a muted effect. Taking higher doses is not much of an option either due to toxicity.

Ambrosia's harmful effects has lead it to being outlawed across much of the world, much like how recreational/beverage alcohol is outlawed in the FoGM.

WHAT ARE AMBROIDS, EXACTLY?

Ambroids have psychoactive properties in humans. Obviously, that isn't their evolutionary purpose.

They serve the function of herbivore deterrent and cold protection. Active ambroids deter by being toxic to the vast majority of animals (including humans), while lingering ambroids protect the plant and fruits from cold.

As an ambrosia fruit ripens, its ambroids gradually degrade. Lingering ambroids degrade much faster. The degradation in the wild encouraged certain species to eat the fruits to spread the seeds. There is some crossover between the two chemical groups.

High-quality ambrosia is aged, due to having fewer adverse effects than an unripe or freshly ripe fruit. There is a limit to how long ambrosia can be aged as they eventually lose all psychoactive potency.

Very aged 'slowburn' ambrosia has few to no lingering ambroid content. It is mostly valued for its lack of after-effects. The lack of lingering ambroids also greatly reduces its potency, in addition to having lost much of its active ambroids.

Ambrosia extract works as a decent freezer burn preventative agent. Pure lingering ambroids work better.

(FOGM) BOILGRAIN

Boilgrain (koiln-suza in Martix) is an alternate corn in Lacteal. It is one of the country's staple foods, and is very similar to corn with a few key differences:

  • It is poisonous raw, like almost all other G. Martilan foods. It is one of the less poisonous foods, so it does not need as long to be cooked.
  • Raw boilgrain has a similar texture to boiled corn, albeit rubbery.
  • Boilgrain yields much more edible matter than corn, and its kernels are considerably larger.

All foods and products made from corn can also be made from boilgrain, though the steps involved may be different. As the name implies, most of those alternate steps involve boiling the crop in at least one step.

(FOGM) FRACTOPIPHRACT

Martilan luxury fruit, known to many as the Spectrum Fruit. Naturally, it is a ovoid fruit with seeding-potato-like growths across its surface, although most know it for having an angular shape and cube-like growths instead. They were once symbols of aristocracy, though today they are yet another luxury that anyone can get if they just save up for a little while.

Its shape is purely artificial, done to bring out its best-known quality: its multi-flavored flesh that is only barely present in natural fruits. Shortly after the outgrowth-formation phase, fractopiphract fruits are placed in sturdy metal cages which forces them into a certain shape, not too dissimilar to square watermelons. Each cage has to be custom-made for the fruit so that its growths are not crushed as they grow, as it could kill them or ruin their flavor.

The process of being forced to grow in a certain manner puts immense stress on the fruits, causing mass cell deaths inside them. Fractopiphracts are uniquely capable of quickly repairing such events as long as there are a sufficient quantity of cells to regenerate from. This repair process results in different, more resilient tissues to form, each of which have a different flavor and texture to one-another. Deaths and variant formations are not uniform, so the result is a fruit with a diverse flavor profile. Too many deaths can cause that diversity to go away, or even overwhelm a fruit's regenerative systems and kill it outright.

This regeneration happens naturally in fractopiphracts, as mass cell death events are common. Replacement cells recycle dead cells very efficiently. Farmers across the millennia have pushed them towards even better regenerative ability to improve flavor/texture variety. Their artificial evolution continues even today, as researchers continue to seek greater regenerative ability.

random idea while writing this: some faction consider investigating fractipiphract's strong regenerative mechanism for GMOs or even dumb supersoldier projects. or even just in general

(FOGM) SOCIAL VIOLENCE

While violence is generally abhorred in Greater Martil, a specific kind is acceptable...within a few stringent parameters. With a literal meaning of 'social violence' in Aetellian, its cultural meaning in its native tongue is somewhat more noble.

As the name implies, social violence is the act of performing an act of violence in the social setting...although limited entirely to causing either minimal or no damage, or significant pain. A bop of the head, a hard shoulder-bump, and so on. It is only acceptable to do so when another individual is being 'excessively disruptive', a sort of physical warning about continuing an immoral or especially annoying action.

If it leaves a little mark that goes away, it's probably acceptable (unless it's a child). If it leaves something that stays around for more than a day, you better have a good explanation as to why. Any more, and you're just committing battery.

GENDER ROLES IN THE FOGM

Men and women are mostly equal in the eyes of society. Mostly. Like Drahosic, the two sexes are treated the same. Unlike Drahosic, gender identities are present if muted. There are things associated with men, and associated with women. Unlike most things before the Decade of Expression, breaking these social conventions are usually acceptable.

These social conventions align somewhat with the rest of the world. For instance, clothing, work, and so on. A few notable cases are as follows:

  • In household roles, the roles are flexible. Almost all households are dual-income, and both are expected to roughly equally care for children. Women work less and handle more of that responsibility.
  • Women are rare in military and police roles. It is one of the few jobs in which they face increased scrutiny. In the vast majority of gender-associated job types, there is a minor imbalance of gender representation.
    • The imbalance in military/police service drastically falls as time progresses.

(FOGM) SOLSTICE BREAKS

The FoGM has two lengthy, ~45-day school breaks which occur around the two harvest holidays. Historically, the breaks allowed the children of farmers to help around during harvest and sowing. Now, with the advent of technology removing that need, it remains for tradition's sake.

They are called the Warm Harvest and Cold Harvest breaks respectively.

(FOGM) A LITTLE HOME AT WORK

In Greater Martil, it is considered normal (even prestigious) for the highest-level employee of any workplace to literally live at said location. Perhaps ironically, they are among the nicest live-in homes in the country. It is a surviving tradition of the pre-Onapmeith Wars faith.

This extends as high as the Administrative Council and Monarch; the Council Speaker and Epoch both have their homes inside The Hall.

(FOGM) PHI-SUBSTANCE

In the ancient days before the united Greater Martil, within the Inhact of Aefania (a theocracy before its assimilation), it was believed that the universe was composed of a set of 16 fundamental substances. Most of the substances are more or less mundane. Except for Phi, which is the final and most arcane of them all.

Among other things, Phi was believed to be what the sun is made of. And although these beliefs have long since been accepted as fiction, they have remained staples of fantasy fiction. Phi especially is frequently used as a base for magic systems.

SLOWER, BIGGER POPCORN

A fluffy snack food made from boilgrain known as bralm-koiln (exploded boilgrain). They are first slowly dried in intense heat until their shells are hard, then rapidly heated until the moisture inside turns to steam and the kernel 'explodes', turning into a food indistinguishable from IRL popcorn. The one difference is that popped boilgrain flakes (yes, that is the official term for popcorn pieces) are considerably larger than IRL popcorn. They are also much louder when popping.

The production process of bralm-koiln is very particular (but consistent). Not drying it enough can result in poor flavor, texture, or even toxicity. Drying it too much can also harm the texture from flakes ending up too tough.

Colloquially, bralm-koiln has many names. Boomgrain, popkoiln, and so on.

(FOGM) ABERRANCY

Aberrancy is the taboo-term for neurodivergence in Greater Martil. The taboo is a sort of stand-in for homophobia around the rest of the world, and the general rediculousness of it.

Being born aberrant has more than just social consequences. Most employers view such individuals as liabilities, so it is difficult to find work, and almost impossible to advance one's own career. The government compels individuals diagnosed as aberrant to inform all prospective employers of their status, so being found out can spell the death of one's career.

Diagnosed aberrants usually only have one option to escape a life of mundane nonaccomplishment; entrepreneuring. After all, if nobody will employ you (and the few who do will keep you at the bottom), then there is little option but to become the boss.

(FOGM) HEAVEN AND HELL IS EARTH

There is no direct equivalent phrase for 'heaven on earth' in FoGM culture, or its opposite phrase 'hell on earth'. This is because Onapmeith lacks a true afterlife, and thus there is no place better or worse than the world its believers are born into.

MARTILAN ADVERTISING LAWS

In Greater Martil, freedom of speech does not (entirely) extend to ads. Only statements of fact are permitted in ads, and any clear dishonesty - including obvious hyperbole which is accepted in most of the rest of the world - are subject to harsh penalties. For instance, a business cannot claim itself to be 'world's best' or 'number one' in any field unless it has hard evidence to back it up.

As such, Martilan adverts operate on a mandate of total honesty. For instance, a resturaunt would be proud to declare itself #4 most popular in a dense city, an airline may boast a 98.3% on-time departure rate & 81% satisfaction rating - but also disclose a lack of on-board Wi-Fi, and any company would be quick to ensure everyone knew it hadn't been fined for anything in the last 50 years.

Though it would no doubt seem odd to exhibit such honesty with most, honesty equals credibility to the Martilan public. Being open about a company's own achievements and shortcomings alike is seen as a display of integrity, and those that don't are viewed as dishonest. That is to say, transparency is king.

(FOGM) DEROGATORY ETHNIC TERMS

Most derogatory terms have manifested in recent times; before the 1950s, the FoGM only really cared about Aetellia and (to a lesser extent) Kalipa, considering all other nations to be unworthy of their attention. The intent and severity to these terms varies between ethnic group.

  • Aetellian: Jont (Skipper)
    • The oldest. Shorthand for 'puddle-skipper'. Once a general insult used for those with lofty ambitions.
    • "You think you rule the seas, but you're just a puddle-skipper."
  • Drahosican: Spira-krin (Bloodrose)
    • Not initially an insult. It was first used as a descriptor of skintone, though its meaning later shifted to one of the meanings of the bloodrose; a symbol of betrayal.
  • Hinistrivan: Oel-Relci-Ra (Plaguebearer)
    • Roughly means 'to bear disease'. An overt reference to the (incorrect) belief that a sick Hinustrivan bypassing quarantine caused the 50s Polio epidemic.

CONSUMERISM IN (GREATER) MARTIL

The Islands serve as one of the world's prime consumer markets - one with unique demands of those who cater to it, but great rewards for those who succeed. Martilans make purchases infrequently - but when they do, they spend a lot. Above all, Martilans value quality. And, when applicable, longevity.

Because Martilans think well into the future whenever they make a purchase, consumer cycles move much slower. For example:

  • Fashion oscillates over years, rather than months. Wardrobes are replaced no more than once a decade.
  • Electronics such as smartphones are upgraded on close to a per-decade basis, with hardware upgrades in the meantime.
  • Home appliances are often purchased once or twice in a lifetime, and are designed with repairability in mind.

What a Martilan consumer considers a big purchase is very different from most. Where a 'regular' purchase ranges in the high hundreds and low thousands (USD equivalent), major purchases seldom are lower than the five figure mark. Such purchases are often expected to last for a lifetime, if not longer. It is not uncommon for certain things, such as boilweave clothing, to be passed down for generations.

Despite their far-sighted purchasing habits, Martilans greatly enjoy convenience. Fast food, for instance, is incredibly popular. Consumers still demand quality; fast, cheap, and decent doesn't work for Martilans. They want fast and good, and can even be put off by low prices. Consistency and reliability are also considered important.

CULTURAL CLOTHING OF GREATER MARTIL

As with any culture, the FoGM has clothing unique to its cultures. This is a non-exhaustive list of such cultural clothings.

  • Rolva: A one-sleeved vest made of boilweave, worn exclusively by members of the Abyss bloodline. It is a symbol of royal heritage.
  • Winter Coats: Puffy jackets are, although not remotely unique to Greater Martil, uniquely a common fashion choice among Greater Martilans.

CATEGORY: SOCIETY

Anything to do with the inner-workings of a society.

(FOGM) REQUISITES OF THE MONARCH

The Monarch is a duty that has conditions above just the individual being a member of the Abyss bloodline; a member of the Abyss Bloodline cannot just walk into the capital and sit down in the throne. These requirements are part of the Unification Articles.

To hold the position of Monarch, an individual must be a genetic member of the Abyss bloodline, have taken a long educational course, be at least thirty-five years old, and finally must be approved by the Administrative Council to hold their position. While there is an active Monarch, it is exclusively the Monarch who may select (but not approve) their heir. In the event a Monarch is deceased, the Administrative Council is allowed to both select and approve a Monarch. The requirements are enforced strictly, which had once left Greater Martil rulerless more than once.

While the FoGM is capable of functioning without a Monarch, it is highly undesired; the Administrative Council is capable of performing the functions of the Monarch in said Monarch's absense or inability, but it is incapable of performing such functions quickly, and the voting requirements of performing an executive action are greater than most.

(FOGM) THE ABYSS BLOODLINE

The Abyss bloodline is a long-standing family tree that was responsible for the unification of the Greater Martil islands and the creation of the FoGM. Before its formation, the Abyss bloodline was an influential noble family the Kingdom of Martil; an absolute monarchy. The head of the Abyss family at the time, Asher Abyss, incited a revolution within the Kingdom of Martil that resulted in the overthrow of the royal family, the Abyss family naturally taking the throne. The new Kingdom of Martil eventually (mostly peacefully) unified with the other kingdoms on the Greater Martil continent, forming the FoGM whose government was redesigned into a semi-constitutional monarchy to ensure a corrupt Monarch could never come to power.

The Abyss bloodline is particularly resilient when it comes to aging; though they don't have exceptional lifespans outside of the expected better living conditions, they seldom debilitating mental issues even to the days of their death. The current ruler is Retus Abyss; the 70th Monarch. Retus is expected to be suceeded by Epoch Abyss in the near future due to a recent sharp decline in health.

It is tradition for Abyss bloodline members to reproduce at the age of 35. This is to give a standing Monarch the maximum time to reign, but also with a 5-year buffer in case of early decline.

THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IN GREATER MARTIL

In contrast to other nations, the FoGM developed commercial nuclear power before they developed nuclear weapons. The first nuclear power plant was built around 1942, and the first nuclear weapon (which was an outdated uranium reactor modified into a fission explosive) was developed around 1946.

The FoGM sees nuclear power as its future in energy independence. With little to no oil to speak of in Greater Martil since the 1950s, the only viable method of getting energy was importing from other nations; something Greater Martil wished to avoid. These conditions lead to an unusually optimistic view of nuclear energy, even through its most difficult times.

From the 1940s to 1970s, nuclear power is viwed optimistically, and investment is heavy. In 1972, the first commercial molten salt thorium reactors become available. In 1979, the Diyinq Meltdown occurs; caused by corruption-related mismanagement, it becomes the largest nuclear incident in world history. The political damage is immense, and relevant energy corporations respond by throwing uranium under the bus by creating a clear distinction between it and thorium-based reactors.

Nuclear energy's resilience is tested once again in the Grall Shakedown; a 1986 earthquake of unprecedented scale directly affecting Grall itself. By then, all major nuclear facilities in the area had been replaced with thorium reactors. Consequentially, no meltdowns occur, and the event is further exploited by energy corporations to accelerate nuclear development.

By 2000, the country was almost entirely decoupled from fossil fuel energy. What was left of uranium power (which is now seen as an outdated technology) was almost exclusively for producing more nuclear weapons, with thorium seeing extensive use everywhere else.

METHODS OF POWER GENERATION

Greater Martil has an abundant of energy sources due to a combination of climate and natural resource abundance.

In terms of renewable energy, wind and geothermal power is abundant; Greater Martil experiences a large amount of wind and geothermal activity. Solar energy is unideal as Greater Martil experiences relatively little sunlight. Hydroelectric power is even less reliable; though all of Greater Martil experiences a large amount of precipitation, most rivers freeze during the winter.

For sustainable and nonrenewable energy such as fission power and fossil fuels, the FoGM is abundant in fissiles (particularly thorium) and has a good amount of coal, but is poor in oil. After the 1940s, the country had to import the vast majority of its oil.

In short, the FoGM has a strong incentive to pusue renewable and sustainable energy. This is especially important because Greater Martil fears another major energy crisis from being cut off.

NATURAL DISASTERS

Though Greater Martil is a veritable cradle of civilization, it is not perfect. Greater Martil experiences a considerable variety of natural disasters which the myriad of societies who have occupied the continent have had to deal with since developing society. The FoGM has thus far managed to adapt to Greater Martil's natural disasters, though they still often cause economic damage and deaths.

The most frequent natural disaster the FoGM suffers are earthquakes. Greater Martil exists in a tectonically-active area, which causes frequent and severe earthquakes. Only the southernmost region of Accrio is relatively safe from earthquakes; all other parts of Greater Martil are vulnerable to at least minor earthquakes.

The FoGM often also experiences tsunamis, caused by offshore earthquakes. Being a very large archipelego, most of Greater Martil is vulnerable to tsunamis. Only the island of Martil is relatively shielded by tsunamis, but unlucky earthquakes in the past have caused tsunamis between Martil and the islands surrounding it.

Another concern in Greater Martil are tornadoes, which occasionally form as a result of Greater Marti's general windiness. Tornadoes are most common on Zephil, and become less and less common towards the south.

Volcanoes are rather common on the continent, and a large number of them are active. Eruptions occur on a semi-regular basis, although ones powerful enough to pose a threat to settlements are rare.

Sometimes, Kenit, Zephil, or Rotin of Greater Martil can be hit by tropical cyclones. Most tropical cyclones that reach Greater Martil have lost most of their momentum, so the threat they pose on the FoGM is limited.

MARTILAN DISEASE CONTROL

The FoGM's government takes disease extremely seriously. Because of its native population's high susceptibility to disease, harsh measures have to be made to ensure an outbreak does not ravage the population.

The concept of an epidemic is relatively new to the people of Greater Martil. Before encountering the Aetellian Empire in the 1850s, the country had never faced any severe outbreaks of disease. Disease was so mild and infrequent on the continent that ancient Grandio immune systems atrophied, and even those were powerful enough to keep most diseases at bay.

Fear of disease had been a key reason in the FoGM remaining isolated for almost a century, and what little openess to their borders they had was quickly retracted each and every single time news of an outbreak somewhere else in the world hit their eyes and ears. Even outside those lockdowns, anyone coming in from outside the country is subjected to a thirty-day quarantine to guarentee disease was not let into the country.

In the rare cases that disease does get through, authorities are quick to quarantine all potentially affected areas to keep said disease at bay. The public considers them to be annoying but necessary. These measures are strictly enforced, and effective for as long quarantine is applied correctly and without exception.

Given that corruption is a very serious issue in Greater Martil, it is a question of when somebody less scrupulous bends to the demands of a councilor or noble and lets somebody through who should absolutely stay where they are...

THE MARTILAN CALENDAR (AND TIME MEASUREMENT)

The FoGM uses a seasonal (four-month) solar calendar, ordered in YYYY-M-DD. A day (known as a rota) is composed of ten 'hours' (rota-rig-deic), which is composed of a hundred 'minutes' (rota-rig-kimol), which is composed of a hundred 'seconds' (rota-rig-milir). Consequentially, a day is composed of 10 'hours', or 1,000 'minutes', or 100,000 'seconds'. A Greater Martil rota-rig-milir is noticably shorter than a regular second. A 'week' (rota-dol-deic) is ten days long.

Like the Gregorian calendar, leap years are performed every 4 years, except when it is a century year that cannot be evenly divided by 400. The Greater Martil calendar has a few additional rules on the definitions of a leap year to further reduce seasonal desychronisation in the long-term.

The first month is 'Farig', representing the season of spring. It is 91 days long.

The second month is 'Mulum', representing the season of summer. It is 91 days long, and has an additional day during leap years.

The third month is 'Autecom', representing the season of autumn. It is 91 days long.

The fourth month is 'Nemrit', representing the season of winter. It is 92 days long

The FoGM's calendar is based on the year the Federation of Martil was founded. To convert to the UE (Unification Era) calender, add 430 years, and vice-versa. Conversions are below:

THE MARTILAN PREFIX

The FoGM uses a metric-like prefix system, based off of the decimal numerical system. Unlike the metric system, the same prefix is used for high and low numbers. Unit multiplications depend on an additional prefix, dol or rig; dol multiplies, while rig divides.

For example, the equivalent to a centimeter would be meter-rig-henco (recall Martix flips the order of grouped/hyphenated words), while a hectometer (100 metes) would be meter-dol-henco.

The currently-named prefixes are:

FEDERALISM IN MARTIL

The borders of the various regions within the Federation of Greater Martil are based on the borders of the former nations who inevitably merged (or were annexed into) the forming FoGM. As part of the original agreements that resulted in the FoGM, regions maintained a considerable degree of autonomy from the monarchy and council.

Over time, that autonomy has been eroded through either precedents or laws from the central government. The most major precedents through history made were during rebellions or civil wars where the Grall-based government ultimately reigned supreme and asserted its status as the highest authority. In modern times, regional autonomy is largely limited to minimal federal oversight in the enforcement of laws and performing of duties. They are able to pass laws, but they are limited in what they can choose.

All regions are, except in unusual circumstances, ruled by a noble and an elected council. A region may lose its nobility temporarily when they engage in a rebellion; in such an event, a lower noble family will be promoted. In ancient times, some regions were ruled exclusively by councils, but that time has long since passed.

Almost all regions have a unique subculture that partially but never completely assimilated into the greater Greater Martil culture. The further out from Martil a region is, the more its subculture tends to diverge from the overarching culture.

EDICTS OF MARTIL

Like many countries with a dedicated executive or monarch, the FoGM has decrees which only said executive may utilize. Titled Edict of Martil, Greater Martil royal decrees mix qualities of decrees and executive orders; they may override existing laws, but may not violate the Unification Articles and may be struck down by the Administrative Council.

UNIFICATION ARTICLES

The Federation of Greater Martil constitution is titled the Unification Articles. The UA, as with any constitution, defines the structure of the FoGM and the bounds it operates within. The UA is split up into 4 distinct sections, each having its own scope.

  • Article 1: Divisions of Power
    • Defines the Monarch and Administrative council as the highest authorities and the capacities, responsibilities, and limits they operate under.
  • Article 2: Definition of Regions
    • Defines the relationships and major authorities (nobles and councils) of regions, in addition to defining each region individually in terms of border and name.
  • Article 3: Modification of Articles
    • Defines the process required to modify/update the Unification Articles. Only the Administrative Council may call to modify the UA.
  • Article 4: Absolute Laws
    • Defines universal laws which may only be changed, added, or removed via UA modification. Rights of citizens are notably included in the article.

The following are some notable absolute laws:

  • Anti-Corruption
    • A theoretically strong set of laws designed to combat corruption. While the laws are very solid, their investigation mechanisms are weak.
  • Human Variance
    • Introduced under the Decree of a Diverse Humanity. Among other things, it provides a varying age of retirement, age of majority, and overtimeless workday length.

FOGM CITIZEN RIGHTS

Article 4 of the FoGM Unification Articles defines various laws which are provided special authority and protection, superceding all other standard law and edict for as long as those laws exist in the UA.

One of its sections defines various inalienable rights which are granted to citizens. Because of how the laws are written, non-citizens get none of these protections and therefore have no rights. This list is non-exhaustive.

  • Right of Belief
    • Freedom of expression.
  • Right of Ownership
    • Protections of ownership, such as property rights. Notably allows for quartering of soldiers, but only with government compensation.
  • Right of Investigation
    • Protections of individuals and their property from warrantless government-sanctioned investigations, including from police.
  • Right of Interrogation
    • Protects against all forms of torture, including 'enhanced interrogation'.
  • Right of Prosecution
    • Various protections of individuals from unfair prosecution and related practices. Also guarentees jury trials for non-trivial trials.
  • Right of Information
    • Allows citizens to compel any level of government to provide non-classified documents.
  • Right of Awareness of Rights
    • Establishes the requirement for agents of the law to ensure individuals in legal custody are made aware of any relevant rights to said custody.
  • Right of Independence
    • Protections against slavery and involuntary servitude in all its forms. Even for prisoners.
  • Right of Citizenship
    • Protections against government revocation of citizenship. Also covers naturalization and how citizenship is granted.
  • Right of Representation
    • Assorted voting rights.
  • Right of Amenities
    • Ensures a minimum acceptable standard of living even without a source of income. For example, minimum housing, universal healthcare, guarenteed access to basic necessities, and maybe some more things. All provisions have minimums which standard laws may exceed.
  • Right of Labor
    • Various labor-related protections, such as maximum work-hours, overtime, and labor union membership.
  • 2000s Right of Variance
    • Protections against discrimination by subspecies.

(FOGM) GENERAL INNOVATIONS AND LEADERSHIP

Due to its status as one of the world's most advanced societies, the FoGM is known to be the originator or proponent of various things. It wasn't particularly known for this prior to 1940, due to its isolation before that point, so most things it is best known for come from after that point of time.

Most things developed in Greater Martil between the 1850s and 1940s were developed in parallel, so it cannot be truly said the country was influenced by much of anything before that point.

  • Digital Computer
    • The first modern computers were developed in Greater Martil. Analog computers were technically first made there as well, but the news did not spread very far.
  • Stageplay / Movies
    • Since ancient times, watching plays was a common pastime of the G. Martil people. The titanic stageplay industry evolved into the even larger movie industry after the invention of motion-picture.
  • Steampunk
    • As the sole pioneer and perpetuator of modern steam power, the FoGM popularized the Steampunk genre early. Steampunk is often used in (FoGM) sci-fi settings.
  • Video Games
    • The IU popularized video games, and the FoGM came to rival them not long after.

MARTIL'S POPULATION OVER THE DECADES

(SUPPLEMENT: Population Chart & Regional Distribution)

Before the Decade of Integration (1950s), the Federation of Greater Martil had a more or less consistent birthrate. The general advancements of the modern times brought a general but stable upswing in population growth. It has always been a rather populous country, but is among the less populous superpowers.

Because of its considerably lower population, the FoGM has been forced to specialize in high-tech and high-quality manufacturing on the world stage to keep up with its rivals.

Its stable and consistent growth changed in the 50s. Around the world, deathrates fell, leading to a rapid climb in population almost everywhere. The FoGM was not an exception to this. Through the 50s and 60s, Martil enjoyed a faster climb in its population. It eventually dropped off in the 70s as people adjusted to the birth rates. The native birth rates were then on a trend towards stability late in the decade.

During those decades, the FoGM also saw its first immigration since the Great Unification. Immigration from 1950 to 1953 was rapid but eventually stunted by the national pandemic, then returned in the 60s at a lower per-year rate, and eventually neared the 50s per-year by the end of the 70s.

Then came the 80s; the Decade of Discohesion. It was when Martil was at its lowest internally, and that much is clear from the next decade's census. Birthrates plummeted and the FoGM joined the rest of the world in the trend of alarmingly low birthrates. That trend continued into the 90s out of fear and uncertainty regarding the outside world not aligned with Martil. Immigration also suffered greatly in those two decades.

It was 2000 onward when the FoGM's birthrates began to recover. As of 2030, the FoGM is expected to be among the few developed countries with a stable birthrate in the coming decade or two. Immigration also naturally began to taper off, but the FoGM continues to be the (likely) fastest-growing superpower.

WORK WEEK IN MARTIL

As stated in a previous loredump, a week in the FoGM is 10 days long. Seven of those days are worked, and the other three are off-days. They are not consecutive; there are two distinct groups of off-days known as the minor and major rest terms. The amount of time individuals get off from work is gradually increased over the runtime of PlC to bring people more in-like with biological patterns. By the end of the below timeline, the average Martilan worker experiences little stress from work and is highly productive as a result of working primarily during their peaks.

From sometime in the Era of Reason, the work week went as follows: The first three days (days 1-3) are worked, then comes the one-day minor break (4). The next four days (5-8) are worked, the finally comes the two-day major break (9-10). With 10 days' vacation and twelve holidays, about 64% of days were worked.

In 1980, following successful experiments in the decade prior, the historical work week was modified on a national level with an extension of the minor break, making it two days. Therefore, about 60% of days (again, not counting holidays or vacation) were worked. With 20 days' vacation and twelve holidays, about 51% of days were worked.

Finally, from 2027 onwards, following a second experiment in adjusting hours worked each day, the average workday was reduced from 9 hours to 7. For non-Grandio, it was reduced to 6. This brought labor roughly in line with how much peoples in prehistoric and classical times worked on average - and more importantly, how they are biologically predisposed to labor.

Prior to the Decree of a Diverse Humanity, the work day for non-Grandio had also been 9 hours. It was in that law reduced to 8 to account for the reduced amount of time awake most individuals had.

Sources used as heavy inspiration for this loredump:

EDUCATION IN MARTIL

(RELATED: Grandio)

The FoGM is home to a highly educated population. It is compulsory for all citizens to go to school and college, like how most countries require its children to attend school. Its standard college degrees also take longer, enabled by the Grandio's exceptional lifespan.

The average minimum level of education is 15 years (not counting preschooling or kindergarten); a standard twelve years of school and a three-year degree. The average individual starts school between the ages of 6 and 8, so the average minimum graduate exits school between 21-23.

There are 4 standard degrees by time-to-accomplish; three-year, five-year, eight-year, and twelve-year. They are the cultural equivalent to 2/4/6/8-year degrees. Unlike many other countries, college is mandatory. It was in an as-of-yet undetermined year that a one-year degree was introduced, which teaches important life skills necessary for the average person.

The levels of school are as follows: Onboarding (preschool), primary (grade), secondary (middle), teritary (high), quaternary (college). Attendance to all five levels of school is mandatory, unless an individual has an AAKN.

SOME MANDATORY GREATER MARTILAN COURSES

The following is a non-exhaustive list of mandatory (non-elective) courses given to all schoolchildren. That is primary, secondary, tertiary, and a one-year life preparation degree. The key takeaway is that FoGM schools teach students all important life skills, from knowing how to do taxes to cooking, without relying on parents to fill the gaps.

Some classes are a semester long, while others are a half-semester (quarter). A select few, almost entirely electives, are year-long.

  • Mathematics classes cover arithmetic, basic algebra, basic geometry, and basic statistics.
    • 1-year degrees do not have a dedicated math class, but rather teaches personal finance (which itself teaches a few relevant math concepts).
  • Cooking classes, which are a half-semester per grade, cover all non-commercial aspects from food prep to safety practices. Education transitions from food preparation to basic cooking to independent meal-planning. Food and tool safety are key tenets of the courses as well.

THE MARTILAN MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM

The Nulani Ketot (literally: Mental-Health Service) is the primary provider of mental healthcare in Greater Martil. The vast majority of therapists and other mental health staff are directly employed by the service, as are all mental health hospitals. Because most individuals present are considered highly vulnerable, such institutions face intense administrative scrutiny, to the point that it even inhibits common embezzlement. Indirectly, this further leads to most staff being composed of more dedicated individuals, leading to a rare virtuous cycle.

THE MARTIL MEDICAL SYSTEM, AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE MILITARY

Greater Martil's medical system, through the runtime of PlC, will remain the unchallenged champion across the world. While a small handful of countries may edge out the federation in one or two narrow areas, none can truly call themselves a rival to Martil. The country's focus on pioneering technologies which grants its people superior longevity lends a unique advantage in its, relative to the other superpowers, lowest-tier military.

That advantage is survivability. Out of the four superpowers, Martilan soldiers are the most likely to survive and kind of engagement, despite generally having inferior (but still very good) equipment. Despite not having the best armor, as long as somebody can be dragged to safety, they are likely to be able to fight another day. Even some amputees can say the same, though milage will very depending on the decade - if nothing more, most not fit for combat can stay in a logistical or leadership role.

Martilan soldier survivability is, naturally, infamous among its enemies. There is no shortage of fitting insults for them.

MARIL DENOMINATIONS

The Maril is an entirely coin-based currency. Its denominations are composed of flat, geometrical shapes, increasing in size and design complexity as value does. Almost all coins are made at least partially of stainless steel. New denominations are made to fill the role of a ~$5,000 coin (in today's money), and are discontinued when their value falls under ~$0.10 (also in today's money).

Most people omit the 'dol' part when talking about such denominations. The Maril has never had any non-integer denominations.

The following are all denominations to ever exist up to the 2030s:

  • Maril-rig-deic: 0.1 units (~$0.0025), shaped like a simple circle. Composed of copper. Discontinued in 1853.
  • Maril: 1 unit (~$0.025), shaped like a simple circle. Plated in copper. Discontinued in 1981.
  • Maril-dol-deic: 10 units (~$0.25), shaped like a rounded triangle. Plated in silver.
  • Maril-dol-henco: 100 units (~$2.50), shaped like a rounded square. Plated in silver, with gold trim.
  • Maril-dol-kimol: 1,000 units (~$25.00), shaped like a pentagon. Plated in gold.
  • Maril-dol-kelaga: 10,000 units (~$250.00), shaped like a hexagon. Plated in gold, with platinum trim. Introduced in 1918.
  • Maril-dol-milir: 100,000 units (~$2500.00), shaped like a trapezoid. Plated in gold, with violet trim. Introduced in 1996.

MINISTRIES OF GREATER MARTIL

The FoGM, as with most countries, has a number of ministries/departments known to its people by a few names, depending on where exactly they are placed in the administrative heirarchy.

The Martilan bureaucracy is composed of five major divisions. Each division handles a particular facet of government function. Each division has multiple finer-grain subdivisions, each of which has multiple services and/or segments. A service/segment may have none, one, or many units - specialist organizations which handle one specific thing.

Each division, subdivision, service, and unit has a top-level administrator in charge of operations.

A service and segment are functionally the same kind of organization, only differentriated in how they impact the public. A service sees some form of direct interaction with the public, a segment does not.

Note that the below list is not exhaustive.

Administrative Division (Kol Kaj)

Defense Division (Alkis Kaj)

Economic Division (Mariol Kaj)

Security Division (Alto Kaj)

Societal Division (Hocol Kaj)

THE MARTIL POLITICAL SYSTEM, AND ITS DOMINANCE OVER THE DECADES

Greater Martil has numerous political parties, but the Traditionalist and Reformist parties are its dominant parties. The rest, minor parties, are still meaningful nonetheless; the major parties must work together with minor parties to successfully drive policy changes.

The federal Administrative Council (which is unicameral) has an election in the middle of every decade. Regional councils have elections once every five years, on the 2nd and 7th years of each decade. All elections conclude at the start of the year.

AC seats are composed of representatives from every region. The number of such seats are based on population; every ~150k individuals in a region corresponds to an FAC seat. Councilors are voted for directly, but seats are also given to parties proportional of the vote they got; if a party gets ~20% of the vote in a region with 10 seats, they get 2.

Below are all currently-written political parties, and their general agendas.

  • Agenda of Reformation (Reformist): Progressivist major party. Carries an agenda of political/social reform, dynamicism, and internationalism.
  • Agenda of Tradition (Traditionalist): Conservative major party. Carries an agenda of (some kinds of) social reform, non-intervention, and cultural preservation. Generally supports expanding the government.
  • Reflection Pact (Reflectionist): Radical progressivist major party. Forms in the 2010s. Aggressively seeks political reform and international cooperation. In the 2030s, it usurps the major parties as the one supreme party.
  • Autonomy Pact (Autonomist): Federalist minor party. Seeks to protect existing regional rights and also expand them.
  • Development Pact (Developmentalist): Industrialist minor party. Seeks policy that encourages human development, opposes environmentalist policy.
  • Equity Pact (Equitist): Communist minor party. Seeks economic reform towards socialism, the expansion of welfare, and also harshly opposes corruption.
  • Individuality Pact (Individualist): Anti-conformist minor party. Seeks deregulation of culturally-intensive fields, such as foods. Supports protection of regional identity.
  • Perfection Pact (Perfectionist): Isolationist & radical conservative minor party. Seeks international policy which limits interaction with other nations to the bare minimum. Opposes immigration and many other social policies introduced past 1940.
  • Preservation Pact (Preservist): Environmentalist minor party. Seeks policy that protects the environment from human development.
  • Unity Pact (Unitist): Conformist minor party. Forms in the 1940s. Seeks to protect social institutions from forign cultural influence and encourage conformism. Supports the entrenchment of Central Martil culture.

Below are all election cycles through, just before, and just after the runtime of PlC, and which party is dominant in said election cycles.

  • 1935 (Traditionalist): Traditionalist hold a fair dominance during the decade, enjoying ruling over a stable economy and spiking conformism following the 1925 Hiji Uprising.
  • 1945 (Reformist): Reformists took power in the 1940s due to the ongoing oil crisis, pushing a mandate of limited, necessity-driven trade and international interaction.
  • 1955 (Traditionalist): Following the disasterous pandemic and Buland war, Reformists experienced a dramatic loss in public opinion despite their best attempts to salvage the situation. Traditionalists wield an amount of power not seen by any one party in a long time - not quite supremacy, but beyond simple dominance.
  • 1965 (Traditionalist): Traditionalists retain dominance due to successfully handling the aftermath of the Buland war and Polio pandemic. In the background of the cycle, however, a quiet dissatisfaction to conformism brews.
  • 1975 (Reformist): Public dissatisfaction with government overreach and surging internal anti-conformity leads to a Reformist dominance on an agenda of domestic reforms. Strategic tax cuts further improve public approval.
  • 1985 (Traditionalist): The 1980s national debt crisis undermines Reformist accomplishments, worsened by tax hikes and spending cuts (including in welfare) which prove unpopular. Traditionalists regain dominance on a policy of more palleteable tax, spending adjustments, and cultural conservatism.
  • 1995 (Traditionalist): Intense isolationism and xenophobia leads to a prioritization of consensus above ideology. Despite the Reformists regaining ground, the Traditionalists only grow more powerful as most willingly fall in behind them (and therfore the overwhelming public sentiment). The Traditionalist gain de-facto supremacy.
  • 2005 (Reformist): Economic stagnation and the general fall of xenophobia causes a Reformist comeback, bringing on an agenda of renewed internationalism and domestic reform.
  • 2015 (Reformist): Reformist power grows alongside the newly-founded Reflectionist party, further dimishing Traditionalist influence. The Reformist party is the most powerful it has been in over a century.
  • 2025 (Traditionalist): The Traditionalist party restructures itself, adopting new policies which gains it weak dominance. The Reflectionist party begins to cannibalize both parties, becoming a kingmaker of sorts during the cycle.
  • 2035 (Reflectionist): Resurgent monolithic unity, centered around the Reflectionist ideology, results in the Reformist and Traditionalist parties functionally collapsing. The Reformists attain supremacy.
  • 2040 (Reformist): In the aftermath of the 2nd Zenith War, the Reflectionist party is both discredited and ashamed. The party largely agrees to an emergency election as an act of contrition, leading to them falling to minor status. A cautiously optimistic Reformist party attains dominance, seeking reconciliation and global peace.

(FOGM) CURRENCY COLLECTION PERMIT

Often after the issuing of a new denomination of currency, the FoGM de-recognizes/recalls whatever active denomination(s) had the same value. As with most nations, those recalled denominations are expected to be returned in a certain period of time, unless an individual holds a permit to retain them.

A currency collection permit allows an individual to legally own a certain number of a specific make of coin (or in more modern coins, a set of identification numbers). This includes ones recalled for errors in their creation, albeit with a separate permit. Permits do not have an expiration date.

As was the intention, these permits are often used by collectors and preservationists alike.

(FOGM) FOREIGNER EDUCATION EXCEMPTION

It is an unfortunate fact that most immigrants coming to Greater Martil lack even the minimum grade of education (college-level) required for virtually all jobs. Although exclusively an issue for only the first generation, it is still a serious problem with no easy solution.

The answer eventually became the Argo-Azioppi Know Nuilli (Foreigner Education Exemption); a document provided to individuals able to take on low-skill labor, such as certain public works. The permit allows individuals to work in certain government-provided jobs. Most first-generation immigrants rely on said government-provided jobs for income.

Unfortunately, despite its adjacence to a civil service, FEE workers are not at all safe from corruption. On the contrary, they are perhaps one of the most exploited groups in the country's recent history...

(FOGM) HAL TARMAY

The Hal Tarmay is a major Reformist political machine in south (regional) Eapoti. Like most Martilan Tarmays, it leverages benefits for poorer individuals in turn for political support.

Its target group is first-generation immigrants, exploiting their lack of education to draw political support. Not only do they dole AAKN jobs to supporters, but the machine also actively fearmongers immigrant groups into believing Traditionalists wanted to degrade their quality of life.

The Hal Tarmay was dismantled in 1987, following legislation that outlawed the political appointment of AAKN jobs. Ironically, they had the Traditionalists to thank for protecting such jobs, by abolishing such corrupt practices.

LAWSUITS IN GREATER MARTIL

The FoGM's legal system, by virtue of developing entirely separate from the rest of the world, has many quirks which clearly separate it from the system which most of the world uses (originating from Aetellia). That is not to say it is entirely dissimilar; many parts of it developed convergently. Below is a general description on how the Martilan legal system works.

Trial procedure is broken up into five primary phases; investigation, mediation, paneling, presentation, and deliberation.

During the investigation phase, a body of neutral investigators independent from all involved parties gather evidence and present any findings to evidence review; a body of relevant experts which filters out any unsubstantial evidence. Approved evidence is then provided to prosecution and defense to plan around.

Following the end of evidentiary submission is the mediation phase. During the phase, both parties are required to meet with government-provided mediators who propose one or more alternate solutions to a dispute before the initiation of a trial. If no mediated solution is accepted by both sides, then the case progresses.

Next is the paneling phase, in which a panel is selected to oversee the trial. It is composed of a government-appointed legal expert, randomly-chosen community representative, and technical expert (with relevant experience to the nature of the trial). Sometimes, a trial can involve multiple community representatives.

Once the trial panel is selected, the presentation phase begins. Prosecution and defense present their cases to the panel, while witnesses and relevant experts (often from the evidence submission board) answer questions posed by the panel and prosecution/defense.

At the end of the trial is the deliberation phase, in which the panel debates among themselves over what the outcome should be. The community representative and technical expert vote first. In event of deadlock, the legal expert has final say on the outcome. A written verdict is then produced, providing reasoning behind the decision.

Following the official judgement, an appeal may be submitted to a separate, higher panel. Such panels involve more senior legal experts and multiple community representatives.

Financial judgements (reparations) are paid out by the government following the end of the appeals period, after which the government directly pursues the losing party/parties for recoupment. For particularly large judgements, payouts are done in phases. The government has a dedicated fund for managing said payouts.

MAJOR IMPORTS & EXPORTS OF GREATER MARTIL

Greater Martil is a net exporter, selling much more to the world than the country buys back in.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all exports should be assumed to have started in the late 1940s. All imports should be assmed to have started in the early 1960s.

IMPORTS

  • Crude Oil & Derivatives (1940+)
    • Greater Martil was once believed to have a lot of crude oil, until it turned out its deposits were accessible, wide, yet shallow. After the 1940s, almost every single drop of crude oil has to come form somewhere else.
  • Uranium (1940+)
    • Greater Martil is poor in uranium, so supplemental imports are necessary. It is especially important for the country's nuclear program.
  • Lower-Quality Processed Metals
    • Rather than using high-grade metals for lesser applications, Martil opts to import cheaper metals when the good stuff isn't needed.
  • Textiles
    • Due to its inability to produce cheap textiles, such as those made from cotton or wool, the FOGM is forced to import anything without a hefty pricetag.
  • Meat
    • Greater Martil is largely unable to mass-produce meat. The continent lacks any domesticated animals, the vast majority of homegrown crops are toxic to livestock, and other countries' crops struggle to survive on even Zephilan soil. As such, almost all of its meat has to be imported.
    • Obviously, the country doesn't have to import much fish.
  • Cannabis
    • Due to inability to grow cannabis, while also strongly desiring the drug (for both religious and recreational purposes), cannabis is heavily imported. Most of it comes from Sinoshin.

EXPORTS

  • Medical Tech
    • With the FoGM's various medical pioneers, the country naturally produces the best equipment.
  • Consumer Goods
    • Due to its relatively low population compared to the other superpowers, The FoGM has been forced to specialize in producing high-quality products as to not be outcompeted by Iymarosi volume or Drahosican balance. Except when beaten out by a technological pioneer, Greater Martil is indisputably where the best stuff is made.
  • Semiconductors & Computer Components (1960+)
    • From circuit boards to computer chips to graphics cards to memory chips to anything else related to the field of computation, Greater Martil sells it all. With fierce Iymarosi competition in the field from the very invention of the transistor, the FoGM has unsurprisingly focused on maximizing performance.
    • Primary exports include enthusiast hardware, heavy-duty server hardware, and so on.
  • High-Quality Processed Metals
    • Martil produces very pure metals, and also some of the strongest alloys. Lower-quality metals are not produced, as importing is much more cost-effective.
  • Glass
    • While the Iymarosi have Greater Martil beat out in porcelain, the country well edges out them in glass. Whether it be laminated, annealed, temperted, and literally any other type, Martil makes it best.
    • One major processed-glass export is dishes; plates, bowls, cups, and so on. Martilan dishes are deceptively durable, considering what they're made of.
  • Textiles & Clothing
    • Almost all fabric produced inside Greater Martil is of high quality, though out of pure necessity. The country has many farmable plants which yield textiles, but they must undergo considerable processing before being usable. The resulting products are universally durable, and therefore long-lasting.
    • The most valued of the fabrics of boilweave, which saw minor export even before the 40s. In that time it was extremely desired but also in equally minimal supply.
  • Raw Ore
    • Greater Martil is rich in the majority of useful raw metals. This allows the country to not rely on any others for producing refined metals, and also export any excess. It is one of the few things they export in volume rather than quality.
  • Vegetables (and derived products)
    • Home to many exotic plant-based foods, many of which cannot be easily grown elsewhere, Greater Martil is able to easily export vast quantities of food. Processed food is especially popular, due to the toxicity of their raw foods.
  • Medicinals & Recreational Drugs
    • Due to medical pioneering and religious ideation of recreational substances, drugs for both medicine and enjoyment are heavily exported.
  • Insulation
    • Various different kinds of insulation, from the kind used to keep buildings warm to what's used in insulated cups. Most notably is chromatic insulation, which is very effective.
  • Cultural Products (1960+)
    • Beyond the country's immense wealth of culture not experienced by the outside world prior to the 1960s, shows and movies are especially strong exports.
    • There had been a minor output of cultural products in the 40s, though the pandemic quickly put that to a stop.

INDEX FOR THE PUBLIC

(RELATED: GRANDIOSE LAYERED NETWORK (GGIN))

Eventually known as 'Inoha', but originally the Giti Geseig Iniu-Nosor Iniu-Oldie Hocol-Azioppi (Grandiose Layered Network Index for the Public), it is the FoGM's first and primary search engine.

First released on 06/03/1993 (63/2/2423) by the Grall Publisher's Service, the GGINIOHA was at first manually-maintained search engine; each and every website accessible through the search engine had to be entered by hand.

Half a year later, on 12/12/1993 (73/4/2423), crawl/index functionality was added, resulting in the GGIN's first proper automated search engine. Over the following years, it received incremental upgrades, eventually resulting in supremacy from the early 2000s onwards.

In 1996, its name was shortened to Iniu-Oldie Hocol-Azioppi (Index for the Public). In 2006, it was renamed to Inoha.

In late 2020, Inoha added generative AI to its search function. Unlike other search engines, the function is opt-in.

GRALL PUBLISHER'S SERVICE

The Grall Hocol-Azioppi-Redo Ketot is a non-profit organization which deals in publishing various forms of media, primarily books. Additionally, it helps preserve media, and also quickly took advantage of the young GGIN to further its primary goal of distributing and protecting media.

Despite its name, the GHARK is not part of the federal government. It does have ties to it.

GUNS, MARTIAL ARTS, & (GREATER) MARTIL

The FoGM has very aggressive weapons laws which entirely disallows civilians from possessing 'lethal' weapons, including guns and melee weapons. The only way to legally possess a weapon in Greater Martil is to be assigned one as a Cohesor (police officer) or soldier.

Although all cohesors are given, trained to use, and expected to carry one or more firearms, they are viewed as absolute last resorts to only be used in the face of imminent death, and sometimes severe injury. In all other cases, Cohesors are expected to use less lethal means of restoring peace. To further that end, they also receive martial arts training. Soldiers also receive such training.

The browif-fial martial arts style is an archetype which exists across the continent, though different regions may have their own variants of it. Fundamentally, it is based around pacifying a subject with blunt melee and/or unarmed techniques, using the minimum force necessary. The primary melee weapon taught is the baton, though staves are also sometimes used.

The base style uses low & stable stances, targeting pressure points and joints. Unarmed techniques involves restraining and force redirection. Armed techniques involves disarming and deflection. Both techniques are complementary to one-another, and are intended to be used together for pacification.

Cohesors and peacekeeper-duty soldiers have among the lowest police-related deaths.

(FOGM) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SECURITY DIRECTIVE

Introduced on 11/2020, the Folatiu Know-Za Alto Odorolad is a federal law oriented around maintaining safety in the development and use AI technology. It is very similar to the EU AI Act; it classifies AI under a few different categories, banning the most risky and requiring regular assessment of riskier instances.

It was expended to cover the entire MTTAA on 06/2021.

(FOGM) CREATIVITY PROTECTION DIRECTIVE

A regulation of the use of generative intelligence in commerce, the Teda Alto Odorolad is a federal law introduced on 04/2023 and then introduced to the MTTAA at large in 2023. It requires the disclosure of any content made by a generative intelligence, including where exactly. Above a certain content threshold, revenue-sharing is required (details below).

The TAO does not completely restrict the use of GI in commerce; when used entirely in the drafting process of a creative work, GI disclosure requirements are reduced; the only thing that needs to be disclosed is that a GI was used to help draft the work.

It also provides an opt-out choice for creators who do not want their copyrighted works to be used to train a generative AI model. Otherwise, if such works are trained on without a licensing deal/explicit permission, the creator is entitled to a revenue share, the proportion based on the number of creators whose works were used.

The purpose of the law is to protect creative jobs by ensuring gen-AI is used as a tool to augment creativity, rather than replace it.

(FOGM) MODERN SHARECROPPING

Greater Martil lacks any native domesticated animals, which has seriously held the country back over the ages in terms of food production. Before the advent of industrial farming in the 1900s, the FoGM had to rely on tenant farming (primarily sharecropping) to produce enough food to keep the country fed.

Few farmers own the land they work on. Almost all farmland is owned by agriculture conglomerates and nobles, and employ farmers on such land. Farmers universally enjoy a modestly higher standard of living than the average person, which was the historical leverage used to keep farmers working their lands.

The practice of sharecropping ended late in Greater Martil; on 09/1966, farmers were required to be paid a minimum wage atop their commission. A partial cutout still remained allowing landlords to pay their farmers less than the national minimum, under the justifiction that landlords absorbed many of the costs associated with agriculture.

More victories for farmers will come, but they haven't been written yet.

MARTILAN BATHHOUSES

Greater Martil has a rich history of communal bathing. Originally developed out of necessity to clean oneself while maintaining warmth with efficient fuel usage, public cleanhouses have endured as an important part of Martilan culture for most of its over two-millennia existence.

Although the specifics of cleanhouses design has changed much over the millennia, the fundamental design has remained the same. The circular building is divided into four main sections; the preparation partition (refoyth rividal), cleansing partition (sijan rividal), exit partition (faril rividal), and leisure partition (reninity rividal).

In the preparation partition, people prepare for a session by visiting the undressing area (zipier-ra smatonz) to store their clothing, and then spend some time in the warming area (mad smatonz) to acclimate their bodies to the warmer areas ahead.

In the cleansing partition, people first rinse their bodies in the rinsing area (sijan-mau smatonz), then spend some time perspiring (sweating) in the sauna area (lixi-mau smatonz), and then return to the rinsing area to clean their bodies with soap and other hygiene products. In modern times, rinsing areas have a sub-area for private showering.

In the exit partition, people cool their bodies in the cooling area (faril smatonz) pools, and then dry themselves off in the drying area (exdal smatonz). After that, they're off to the leisure partition.

In said partition, the average visitor first spends a minute thanking God in the prair area (hoqere smatonz), goes to the food area (voat smatonz) to receive breakfast or dinner, and then takes that food to the social area (frep smatonz) to relax and socialize with others.

Cleanhouses act as a microcosm of sorts of Martilan social views; they are a place for people to gather, socialize, and relax. Indulgence in the warmth of such places is encouraged, and many use them for informal meeting-places. Most view cleanhouses with a level of scredness, so disrupting the peace there is especially unacceptable.

The vast majority of cleanhouses are segregated by gender.

(FOGM) DECREE OF A DIVERSE HUMANITY

Introduced on 02/2006, the Odorecek Poli-Notib Azioppi-Polu is a federal law which finally recognized the differences between human subspecies on a national level. Its key changes was introducing a varied age of retirement which allowed non-Grandio to enjoy their golden years, reducing work hours for those who needed more sleep than Grandios, and modified the age of majority depending on how quickly people aged.

Before the law, nobody could retire before 75, worked nine-hour shifts, and could start drinking at 23.

(FOGM) AMENITY POINTS

The FoGM is tasked with ensuring its citizens' physiological needs are met. To facilitate this duty, the country established the Critical Amenities Service (Vizaiz Inadibil Ketot) in 1945. The VIK manages a few different kinds of credit points, assigned to (all) citizens in certain specified periods. Unless otherwise specified, unspent points come the next allocation cycle expire. Before the 2030s, recieving amenity points was dependent on either being employed, actively seeking employment, or retired.

Because of amenity points, poverty is nearly non-existent. The very few cases of poverty were primarily instances of severe human error, with the rest being the result of rare failures of the system. While those unable to work because of mental health were technically not given benefits, the institutions they are placed into during recovery provide for their needs, so they are shielded from poverty.

From 1945 to 1956, paper vouchers were issued every rotlic which had an equivalent value in Maril. They were highly limited in which stores they could be used in. Vouchers from the period used similar anti-forging tactics similar to that used in contemporary currency.

From 1956 to 1998, additional point types were introduced. The voucher was replaced with a stampbook which allowed a location to specify which point was being deducted. Security measures included serial numbering the book, and tamper-evident paper. Authorized stores used government-issued stamp presses with intricate, entity-unique designs.

From 1998 onward, the system was upgraded to an EBT-like system, replacing the tried and tested booklet with a welfare (payment) card. Numerous security measures are introduced across its lifetime, such as digital controls setting transaction limits and location restrictions.

The following are all point types introduced through the runtime of PlC, sorted by introduction date:

  • (1945) Food: Allocated every rotlic (10 days), allows purchasing anything of nutritional value, excluding those that contain recreational substances. Not valid for resturaunts.
  • (1956) Medical: Allocted every Martilan month (91-92 days). Permits paying for over-the-counter medical supplies & medication.
  • (1956) Hygiene: Allocated thrice a native month (~30 days). Allows the purchase of toiletries and other personal care products.
  • (1972) Childcare: Allocated annually. Fills the gaps in needs for young children not covered by other categories; bottles, safety equipment, developmental items, and so on. Awarded only for children under the age of 6, and allocations decrease as children age.
  • (1976) Transit: Allocated every rotlic (10 days). Exclusively used for purchasing public transportation passes.
  • (1976) Luxury: Awarded in small amounts ten days before every holiday. Can be used for almost anything, with minimal limitations. Expires the day after the associated holiday.
  • (1983) Clothing: Allocated semi-anually. Only valid in a small number of government-approved stores.
  • (1983) Emergency: Provided on an as-needed basis, following the approval of a formal request. Limitations and expiration date depend on the specifics of government approval, but can technically be anything. Expired points are completely lost.
  • (1998) Savings: Awarded as 20% the value of all experied points (excluding emergency). They function similarly to luxury points, but do not expire. Instead, they have a limit which can be briefly passed before excess points are forfeit.
  • (1998) Retirement: Allocated thrice a native month (~30 days). Awarded to those at or past retirement age, and either part-time or unemployed. Points do not expire. This category replaced the older retirement stipend.

RETIREMENT IN GREATER MARTIL

Initially introduced in 1890 (2320 UE), Martil has one of the oldest retirement systems in the world. Though not the first, it was easily the most sophisticated, and has remained that way for decades. And while the system has changed much since its initial incarnation, the core of it has not.

Prior to its integration into the Critical Amenities Service (VIK) in 1998, retirement benefits were paid out in a fixed pension sufficient for survival and dignity. Though absolute payments consistently decreased between 1945 and 1998, disposable income increased with each addition to the VIK, until come 1998 every cent which came through retirement could be used for wants, rather than needs.

Rather than a fixed retirement age, the point which citizens retire is determined on a case-by-case basis. Prior to the introduction of the Decree of a Diverse Humanity, non-Grandio were largely unable to officially retire. The Grandio retirement age is at least 75, and no more than 105. Certain individuals with severe disability or terminal illness may be able to retire early.

  • For those who work while retired, those who earn over a certain amount from that work have their pension reduced; first at a 1:4 ratio, and then 1:2. For every 4/2 (after tax) Maril earned over the limit, 1 is removed from the pension.

While retirement for non-Grandio had been functionally possible before 1983 as state-provided necessities are unconditional, doing so often required some degree of community and/or family support.

From 1975 onward, revisions to retirement duration are done alongside the national census. From 1998 onward, the retirement stipend was integrated into the VIK.

The following the points which the years-of-retirement were changed by the state, in both Sapiens and Grandio years:

  • 1890: 8 (12)
  • 1910: 9 (13)
  • 1930: 10 (15)
  • 1945: 11 (16)
  • 1960: 12 (18)
  • 1975: 13 (19)
  • 1985: 14 (21)
  • 1995: 15 (22)
  • 2005: 16 (24)
  • 2015: 17 (25)
  • 2025: 18 (27)
  • 2035: 19 (28)

(FOGM) PRIVACY FROM THE PRIVATE

Introduced in the mid-2010s (exact date TBD), the Hocol-Argo Poli-Nosor Ankot Odorolad is a comprehensive digital information security law targeting countries outside of the MTTAA. It disallows any company not headquartered in an MTTAA member from collecting potentially-sensitive data from memberstate citizens. MTTAA-based corporations are allowed to harvest such information, but are strictly disallowed from storing it in a country outside the bloc.

The law also subjects many services (such as social media and software distribution platforms) under increased scrutiny for practices considered 'foreign influence', such as algorithmic preference towards forms of propaganda. Any such services found in violation are the law are entirely banned.

It is later overhauled sometime in the 2020s. Its first function is split off into another law (the Sensitive Information Privacy Directive, Know-Ael-Ra Masilk Odorolad), which is broadened to limit certain kinds of data collection, and further restrict where that data may be applied - for example, private medical insurance companies cannot possess genetic records which are not directly obtained with written consent from the related individual.

The original HAPNAO law remains, after the introduction of the KARMO, primarily as a means of protecting MTTAA citizens from percieved foreign influence.

A GENERAL HISTORY OF TRANSIT IN GREATER MARTIL

As stated in other lore, the FoGM has never had any kind of domesticated animal. This includes any game-changers in transit like horses, so the only way to move something (material or man) from place to place over land prior to the industrial revolution was literal manpower. Although it does exist in Greater Martil, this loredump does not explore air freight, as it would be redundant. Pedestrian traffic is not covered in detail either, although it is commonplace.

Before the Era of Reason begun in earnest, land freight was moved by a few different methods depending on longitude and season. Across much of Zephil, where rivers managed to flow year-round, communities relied on boats which moved freight up and down those rivers. Between the far-north and continental center, pushcarts were used in the summers over stone roads and packed dirt roads. Toward the south, where 'summer' only means less cold blizzards, freight was pulled by sled.

Whenever possible, freight was moved by sea, where wind power could be utilized. Sailboats were incredibly important across all the Islands' history, largely defining historical population and power. Most settled along the shores, and power was most of the time a function of tonnage - both trade and military. Larger and more complex ships were also pursued across much of history, in search of maximizing the ability to transport goods.

Once the industrial revolution kicked off, transporting freight over land quickly became viable, leading to population booms and the founding of cities deeper inland. Locomotives and rail were quickly developed to connect cities. They ran first on coal, then diesel, and eventually ending in electricity as a response to the 40s oil crisis. While trucks and highway expansions see brief exploration from the late 30s to the early 40s, any projects related to road-based transit are abandoned in favor of a set of island-wide rail networks connecting the vast majority of settlements on major islands.

From around the 1920s to the 1960s, roads are repaved to support automotives. Personal and mass transit vehicles compete for the first few decades, but buses end up being more popular even before the oil crisis. Most streets are very narrow, only able to support a single one-way lane which gives buses an immediate advantage. Their greater fuel efficiency per passenger ends up being the personal vehicle's downfall, during the titular oil shock. Metros are also introduced across much of the country, which facilitate efficient transit between far-off points in a city.

From the 70s onward, on a mandate of reducing fossil fuel usage, buses are phased out in favor of trams. Much like trains and metros, they run purely off of electrical power while offering a niche in short-range transit. Trucks are also partially phased out; freight trams facilitate cargo movement between larger facilities inside a city, while trucks continue to handle in-city freight for smaller facilities and businesses.

By 2000, the vast majority of traffic inside of cities come from trams and trucks; the latter of which is electrified in the coming decades. In conclusion, ships connect islands, trains connect cities, metros connect districts, trams connect blocks, and foot traffic connects streets.

(FOGM) HOT SPRING HAVEN

Greater Martil is home to a great number of hot springs, dotted across the continent. The middle part of the continent has the most of them, but even far-north and far-south regions have several.

Hot spring resorts are thus commonplace across the Islands, and serve as a major international tourism draw. Many cities are built around hot springs, exploiting the free source of heat until their warmth demands outpaced what the springs could produce.

Prior to the Era of Reason, most resorts were used exclusively by nobility and elites. Following the abolishment of classical Inxalts, they became largely accessible to the public.

NUMERICAL SYSTEMS OF GREATER MARTIL

Greater Martil is home to three numerical systems: decimal (base 10), octal (base 8), and hexadecimal (base 16).

Decimal is the official base for the country. Just like Onapmeith, it was spread by Onoy across a considerable portion of the continent, and then set in stone by the later Greater Martilan government.

Octal is a fringe number system primarily used in rural communities, once used by the vast majority of the continent. It is also the unofficial primary base for Haimin, with most citizens of the region using octal in day-to-day.

Hexadecimal is a primarily academic number system originating from northern Zephil. Its main use is in storing large numbers, so both academics and administrators alike frequently use hex notation. Few people use hex in their day-to-day otherwise.

MARTILAN MILITARY CONSCRIPTION LAW

As of 1945, the FoGM has not used its conscription powers in nearly two centuries. The last time conscription was needed had been in 1766, during the Period of Repulsion - a time of instability in the middle of the Era of Reason which featured a major uprising against Central Martil. Conscription law has not been meaningfully revised in that time, leaving such laws archaic.

During the runtime of PlC, the FoGM will never conscript. Doing so would be wildly unpopular, and the country has means of making their military numbers stretch; Martilan soldiers have the single highest survivability out of the superpowers. Amputees, while they can't return to combat for most of the timeline, can still receive prosthetics and continue to serve in logistics roles. In fact, a disproportionate number of non-combatants in the military are amputees.

At some point in the timeline's runtime, however, conscription law will be updated anyways. The framework used will be a tiered one, where the most willing are automatically selected first, and the least are selected last. Tiers 1-3 may be switched between voluntarily, with a cooldown period of a few years between switches - except in wartime, where going up in tiers may be done without restriction.

Tier 1, also called enhanced priority, are the voluntary opt-ins. Tier 2 (standard priority) is the default, and largely composed of those ambivalent towards service. Tier 3, reduced priority, is the opt-out for those opposed to service but otherwise not too important or too disabled.

Then are the two special tiers. Tier 4 - reserved, can only be entered by application; they are considered 'too important' for conscription, and are only drawn upon in a time of true national emergency. Tier 5, disqualified, requires a significant physical disorder or mental illness. Drawing upon the fifth tier is strictly illegal.

HOW GREATER MARTIL NAMES ITS LAWS

Greater Martil has a few conventions regarding how they name their laws. The country does not use terms such as 'act' or 'initiative' in law titles.

  • Changes to the Unification Articles are known as decrees.
  • Major laws, such as the one which founded the Critical Amenities Service, are known as directives.
  • Minor laws, including modifications of other laws, are known as statutes.
  • Executive orders are known as edicts.
  • Modifications to the Onapmeith canon are known as...canons.

TITLES OF GREATER MARTIL

The FoGM, as a result of its semi-feudalist background, has a small number of noble titles which confer special political privilege. There had been many more titles in centuries past, but the Era of Reason lead to most being consolidated away. In modern times, most titles do not confer any codified privilages; they are primarily an officiation of nepotism and generational wealth.

Most titles are assigned at birth, with the only requirement being that one of a person's parents has a title. There is no legal process to renounce one's own title.

  • Royalty, AKA members of the Abyss bloodline, do not have official titles. Rather, their surnames function as their titles.
  • Higher nobility belong to regional bloodlines. They enjoy considerable political power in their region. The lead member is known as a Ticil, with the rest being titled Taican.
  • Lower nobility are not connected to any particular region. While they are usually contained inside a single region, it is not unheard of for them to stretch across multiple. The lead member is the Balant, with the rest being titled Eqank.
  • Elites, called self-made nobility by some, are titled Inxalt. The title is mostly honorary, but it does confer a number of unwritten benefits - primarily in the form of preferential treatment. Most of their real power comes from the organizations they control.
  • The lowest title, and one that is actively a detriment to those that bear it, is the Itant. The title functions as a brand of shame, imposed on nobles as a punishment for hostile actions against the Greater Martilan government.

FOGM: COALITION INDUSTRIES

The Federation of Greater Martil is a haven to not only big business, but monopolies. Monopolies that are legally recognized by the state are called coalition industries, which are allowed to expand without limit within their defined sector. Compared to non-monopolized entities, the government has a particularly large hand in its regular operations. This can occasionally blur the lines between state and corporation.

As coalition industries have little national competition, their government induces it artificially by forcing departments inside such entities to compete with one-another. Failing to innovate can lead to a variety of penalties; fines and funding reallocations on the light end, and internal restructures or even partial breakups for more severe stagnation. Coalition industries also have to compete fairly with foreign firms, so falling behind could lead to them being usurped. Regular innovations are rewarded by government subsidy, usually dispersed as bonuses for involved departments. Startups also help drive innovation by creating disruptive strategies and technologies that, if they prove successful, lead to acquisition and a huge paycheck for said startups' executives.

While they are deeply entrenched and have deep pockets, CIs cannot act as they please. Penalties from violations of law target profits over periods rather than fixed penalties, so even the largest of companies are susceptible to fines. If a CI performs too many violations, it may be broken up entirely. Such breakups are very rare. With few exceptions, another coalition industry will eventually emerge to replace it.

Overall, Greater Martilan megacorps are good at innovation. It is by no means the most efficient system, but it works well enough to sustain a superpower. The strongest quality of a coalition industry is its resilience to economic instability; when faced with economic shocks they can absorb short-term losses and even out financial burden on consumers. Having a massive pool of liquidity is another requirement of CIs, which permits them to operate in the red for some time.

MARTIE COOKING AND SHOPPING HABITS

Most Greater Martilans do large-ish shopping runs multiple times a rotlic; once during the minor break, and again at the start of the major break. These days are the traditional days which people cook; as it takes hours to cook anything, most cooking is done in bulk. They are also regular traditional family events; everyone needs to get involved if they're going to prepare and cook enough food to feed everyone for five days.

Beyond the two major shopping runs each 'week', most go out shopping one or two more times a week for small things, such as snack food or flavored drinks. Markets are placed within walking distance of almost all homes, so shopping is both easy and routine. Most markets have a small variety of goods for sale. Dedicated 'variety stores', vaguely similar to other countries' supermarkets, carry more niche items that wouldn't be as viable for smaller and more convenience-oriented markets. Markets tend to be open-air, while variety stores are indoors.

FOGM JUSTICE: GET GOOD OR GET DEAD

The FoGM criminal justice system is heavily rehabilitation-oriented. Its purpose is (with a few exceptions) to reform criminals rather than punishing them. Most sentences either lack minimum time served, or have a short minimum sentence; release is largely dependent on good behavior and low likelihood of reoffending. The day a criminal is deemed reformed, they are released. Almost all sentences, depending on severity, have a relatively long maximum sentence period. The limit to time served is to prevent abuse.

There is, in Martilan law, no such thing as a life sentence. Criminals are either in jail temporarily, or they get the death sentence. It follows the idea that the final result of both a life sentence and the death penalty is death in captivity; therefore, delaying the final outcome is wasteful for everyone involved.

DEFIANCE AGAINST THE DIVINE ORDER

Less of an actual crime and more an aggravating factor, 'Defiance Against the Divine Order' is a charge given to those who commit the worst offenses. It more accurately translates to what we would call 'crimes against humanity'. Those who are convicted for such a charge are guaranteed the death penalty. While its name is very religious in nature, it has been used in an exclusively secular fashion since sometime during the Era of Reason.

It is a sort of dark tradition for those who performed terrible state-sanctioned acts to be posthumously charged with Defiance against the Divine Order. Such convictions, naturally, do not carry the same weight that a live one does. All who are charged this way consented prior to their deaths. For example:

  • Sequo Feiru, who had led the nuclear program, was convicted the year after his death - 05/1966. He is still celebrated as the father of nuclear energy today.
  • Epoch Abyss, Monarch at the time of the nuclear program, was convicted half a year after his death - 06/2000. He is still regarded well for his reign during what had been the FoGM's most turbulent decades.

(FOGM) DON'T WORRY, THEY CAN'T OWN HOMES EITHER

In Greater Martil, because the vast majority of land is owned by landlords and the state, only the rich have the wealth and connections necessary to purchase property. For everyone else, outright owning property is impossible. Instead, the vast majority of citizens get some form of long-term leases for their homes. For those with government-provided housing (AKA the average person), that lease is lifetime; it expires upon the death of the title-holder(s). For the moderately-wealthy, they can acquire generational leases that are passed down upon the death of the title-holder(s). Titles can usually only be shared by those close in age.

Lifetime leases may be directly taken over by the state if unit was home to minors whose parents died. Upon adulthood, the eldest child usually inherits the lease. Children can also petition their parents' landlord, after said parents' death, to take on an identical version of the lease. Such requests are seldom rejected.

CATEGORY: TECHNOLOGY

Anything about technology, without direct association with the military.

(FOGM) STEAMPUNK TO MODERNITY

The FoGM never stopped using steam to operate machinery even as technologies that would've otherwise made steam power obsolete came into existence. Rather than abandoning or relegating steam to lesser uses, the FoGM modernized, miniaturized, and generalized steam technologies so their society could continue chugging along with steam.

Most mechanically-operated devices of considerable size within the FoGM are powered by steam in a closed network. Instances of commonplace steam power include factory machinery, large weapons, vehicle engines, and (of course) more. While steam has been a constant for decades, the fuel to generate steam has changed. Coal was the initial ubiquitous fuel source, although more modern steam generators use liquid fuel (ex: diesel) or gaseous fuel (ex: natural gas).

Greater Martil steamtech has the advantage of being exceptionally reliable, but with the disadvantage of being slow to start up. Even the latest burners take time to heat up water, especially for large networks. It is also less safe than traditional mechanical systems, but not has hazardous as one may expect; in the FoGM, pipe networks are mandated to contain auto-sealing valves that engage during sudden drops in pressure. The safety feature ensures that in the event a pipe bursts, any burns from released steam will be minor.

(FOGM) MUSCLE-POWERED PROSTHESES

One point in which the PlC world's technological history meaningfully diverges from ours is a unique kind of mechanical prostheses integrated into the body's muscle through complex and invasive surgery.

First developed in 07/1940, these muscle-powered prostheses are overall better than older body-powered prosthetics; they have superior control and strength, but have the drawbacks of requiring highly invasive surgery (then a year-long recovery) and causing damage to the muscles if used improperly. As their power comes from connected muscle tissue, their strength is also always less than a natural limb. Furthermore, there is a massive learning curve to use the limb effectively.

The muscle-powered prosthesis was originally developed in the FoGM out of concerns of the Zenith War spreading to the country, with the goal of providing soldiers some degree of ability to continue contributing to a war effort even after losing one or more limbs.

The rest of the world developed muscle-powered prostheses in 07/1943, though they are not used much outside Greater Martil due to the severe drawbacks.

(FOGM) MUSCULAR-MYOELECTRIC PROSTHESES

A synthesis of the muscle-powered prosthesis and myoelectric prostheses. They take the advantages of both, but also combine their drabacks. They were developed on 10/1955.

Surgery is still invasive and takes a long time to recover, even if not as severe as before. They are also expensive and require an external power source. In return, they are much more responsive, stronger, and safer. Still, some care has to be used with early models since overstressing could still result in injury.

(FOGM) EXTERNAL PROSTHESES

An evolution of the muscular-myoelectric prosthesis and a result of prosthetic pioneering. It is a kind of powered exoskeleton capable of greatly augmenting its user's strength. They were developed on 11/1962.

The earliest form of it is the Superheavy External Prosthesis, a full-body exoskeleton designed for industrial heasvy-lifting. SEPs are capable of easily holding up against hundreds of kilograms of weight, but are slow and necessitate invasive surgery or an existing muscular prosthetic platform to function. They are mostly limited to use by amputees who have already gone through prosthetic surgery.

SEPs were considered for military use, but were found to be unviable due to their sluggish pace. They found limited use with police forces, enabling super-heavily-armored police units to apprehend armed suspects at low risk.

GRANDIOSE LAYERED NETWORK

The Giti Geseig Iniu-Nosor the name of the MTTAA intranet, originally developed by a distrustful Greater Martil as an alternative to the networking standard invented by Drahosic. It is composed of a semi-centralized heirarchical network of servers. Connections through the GGIN often go through several nested servers, often virtualized.

The intranet, compared to the greater world's internet protocol, trades computational overhead and setup complexity for reliability and inherent scalability. GGIN URLs are also often much simpler for the end-user, yet also more powerful for developers; more can be done with the website from the address bar out of the box.

Because of the GGIN's wildly different architecture, it was very difficult to bring it together with the internet when the FoGM agreed to integrate in the 2000s. It wasn't until the late 2000s that the average person was able to use both GGIN and internet websites at the same time.

A lengthy breakdown of how GGIN URLs work is as follows:

TopLevelDomain.Domain.Subdomain.Scheme:Instruction/Subdirectory.Scheme:Instruction/...

This is a full example of the format of a GGIN URL. What everything means will be broken down shortly, so don't worry about deciphering all of this from the get-go.

TopLevelDomain.Domain.Subdomain.Scheme/...

The first few components of a GGIN URL are flipped, reflecting the heirarchical nature of the standard. The TLD, domain, and subdomain function near-identically to that of the regular internet. The scheme refers to the server backend, which dictates what kind of data can be passed between client and server.

.../Subdirectory.Scheme/...

Subdirectories are their own servers as well, so they also have schemes. Note that the format does not allow viewing a certain file without using instructions.

.../...:Instruction/...

Instructions combine the path, port, query, parameters, and fragments. They can do nearly anything, as long as the server was designed with it in mind. This includes telling the server to run code, which can be both very powerful and very dangerous.

The following are a few examples of valid URLs:

gov.nus.node/default.node

Depicted is the Special Compliance Unit's official website. In this case, default.node was set up to automatically display the file 'default.html'.

An internet browser could load the site as: node://nus.gov/default.html

gov.kk.node/default.node:vf="introduction.html"

Depicted is the Education Service's official website. The 'vf' instruction tells the bottom-level node to load a certain file and display it. In this case, it means 'introduction.html' likely was not the default file, so it had to be accessed by instruction.

An internet browser could load the site as: node://kk.gov/introduction.html

gov.mak.node/admin.node:jump="login";port=206

Depicted as the Reparation Service's official website. The 'jump' instruction supplements the fragment and the 'port' instruction supplements the port. A semicolon is used to separate the two instructions.

An internet browser could load the site as: node://mak.gov:206/admin.html#login

GGIN: BUILT ATOP ACCOUNTABILITY

Following the theme of being an inversion of sorts of the internet, the GGIN was not only designed without anonymity in mind, but in fact was designed to inhibit it. To use the GGIN, a user must have a central account which in most MTTAA countries must be directly tied to its user's real identity. The primary principle behind such functionality is accountability.

The nature of such functionality has the benefit of enhancing accountability - and therefore inhibiting extremism and illegal activity, and improving credibility of information sources.

The key drawback with the system is, of course, privacy, and all the problems that come with a lack of it.

AXIS OPERATING SYSTEM FAMILY

Named after its multi-dimensional implementations, Axis is an OS architecture designed around compatibility and interoperability between significantly different devices. It has three descendent operating systems, each of which filled a different niche in the emerging computer market. Axis OSes are dominant across the MTTAA, and popular across much of the rest of the world. The first two OSes were jointly released in 1989.

Due to its highly-unified architecture, apps, drivers, and file formats are shared between each OS; an app coded for one Axis OS is practically guaranteed to work for the others. Each OS is also open source and free to install, monetized through premium versions for personal-users and licensing for businesses.

The first and technically oldest of the Axis family is the Vector OS. It was and remains designed with user experience in mind; its UI is well-designed, setup is simple, and it has excellent backwards compatibility. Vector was designed with heavy workloads in mind, and is set up to efficiently handle a smaller number of intensive processes. As with any user-oriented OS, it has the downsides of being the least customizable of the Axis family, and has the greatest inherent bloat.

Second is the Matrix OS. It was split off Vector during its development to target the server market. Matrix is resource-efficient and extremely modular. Most of the components it ships with can be replaced or removed, depending on the user's needs. It is also designed with many-threaded parallel operations in mind. Due to its modularity, Matrix has a much steeper learning curve. And while it has good backwards compatibility out of the box, that becomes spotty quickly when built-in components get removed.

Third and youngest is Scalar OS, split off Matrix to target the portable and embedded market. Scalar is highly compact and resource-efficient out of the box, perfect for limited power environments. While not particularly modular, it comes with great compatibility between chipsets and built-in sandboxing for added security. To fit its expected use cases, Scalar wasn't designed with multitasking or backwards compatibility in mind. Even in the best of times, old apps' reliability is questionable.

FINE-GRAIN TRAFFIC SIGNALS

[EXAMPLE DIAGRAMS]

Based off of Drahosican designs, Martil's traffic lights are both familiar and very, very distinct. They are designed to have minimal ambiguity, trading that for much higher cost.

The base unit is composed of a grid of three columns and four rows. The first three rows are used for directional lights, exactly three cells devoted for each direction. Left lights are for left, center lights are for forward, right lights are for right. The bottom column is dedicated to special lights, which activate under special circumstances.

Unlike many other countries, a light's meaning is certain and without exception. The first row (green) always means protected (PROCEED). The second row (yellow) always unprotected (YIELD). The third row (red) always means prohibited (STOP).

The first of the special signals is the most-commonly used, activated when pedestrians are attempting to cross the road. During crossing mode, all PROCEED signals switch to YIELD to increase driver alertness.

The remaining row does not denote any direction, but instead a special advisory state for traffic. The first, and most commonly used, is pedestrian crossing mode. In that mode, all PROCEED lights automatically switch to YIELD to ensure driver alertness. Third is emergency override, which emergency services may use to forcefully clear a lane. All valid direction lights switch to PROCEED. Other lanes are locked at STOP.

The final special light, between crossing and emergency mode, is failsafe all-way-stop. This is only used when the traffic lights are experiencing technical errors, and notifies drivers that they need to treat the intersection like an all-way stopsign intersection. Thus, it is seen by drivers the least. When it is active, power to all other lights is cut.

CATEGORY: MILITARY LORE

Anything to do with the military, excluding specifics on technology.

MARTIL'S NUCLEAR DOCTRINE

In the face of the age of nuclear war, the FoGM has opted to attempt to minimize the risk nuclear weapons pose on them as much as possible, while also ensuring that in the event they do face a nuclear strike, they are capable of retaliating in equal measure.

Their doctrine is based on equivalent retalaition; if they are struck by a nuclear weapon, then they will reciprocate against something of similar value and purpose. If a military site is nuked, then they will nuke one back. If infrastructure is destroyed, then infrastructure will be annihlated in kind. If a population center is obliterated, then the enemy will lose one as well. There is no timeline for this retaliation; in the event they cannot retaliate before the end of a war, they will do so in the next. But if the enemy opts to never use a nuclear weapon, then Martil will not do so either.

The hope of this doctrine is to discourage an enemy from utilizing a nuclear weapon, with the promise of a conventional war within reason. Naturally, this doctrine is thrown away when it means the survival of the country, and the FoGM would not expect an enemy to simply hold back if the war would mean their end.

To ensure that the FoGM can respond to any nuclear attack whatsoever, they have ensured that they hold the highest quantity and quality of nuclear weapons. They intend to, even in a multi-front war, be capable of responding tit for tat.

MARTIL'S NUCLEAR MITATION

Since the invention of nuclear weapons, the FoGM has invested heavily in defenses against nuclear strikes. These include countermeasures to nuclear missiles, long-range defenses against nuclear bombers, and air taskforces dedicated to intercepting nuclear submarines and nuclear bombers.

The FoGM has also invested heavily in infrastructures and strategies to protect population centres from nuclear attacks. These include constructing plentiful civilian shelters designed to be resilient against nuclear strikes, establishing policies to accelerate aid and construction efforts after a nuclear attack to speed up the recovery from said nuclear attack, and moving ports & manufacturing centres away from cities to make cities less valuable of a target, and add more targets for an enemy to strike.

MARTIL: ISLAND FORTRESS

The central island of the Greater Martil continental region, the Martil island, is considered to be one of the most difficult places to invade militarily due to it being surrounded on all sides by more FoGM-controlled islands. Its only connection to the ocean are a series of oceanic corridors running through defensible oceanic corridors.

There is no easy way to reach Martil, but the easiest is through the southern Accrio-Avotin Entrance. Martil is aware of this, and keeps most of its navy in the area and will take measures to fortify the channel in the future.

The hardest part of the continent to reach by sea is Grall, which is conveniently placed deep inside the Martil-Accrio Corridor. Two nearby minor islands also act as naval bases to make a deep-strike through the channels even more difficult. The southern and southeastern parts of the island, however, are not nearly as safe.

FOGM MILITARY RANKS

The primary ranks are:

  • Division Commander: The commander of the entire FoGM military (division). Always has Blackrose subrank.
  • Subdivision Commander: The commander of a particular military branch (subdivision), such as the army, navy, or air force.
  • Segment Commander: The commander of a major group (segment); equivalent to a flag commissioned officer.
  • Unit Commander: The commander of a minor group (unit); equivalent to senior commissioned officer.
  • Specialist Operator: A lesser officer performing an important functional role as part of a unit; equivalent to junior commissioned officer.
  • Assistant Operator: A lesser officer acting as a technical expert, trainer, or advisor as part of a unit; equivalent to non-commissioned officer.
  • Lead Operative: A non-officer in command of a small group of general operatives; equivalent to high enlisted.
  • General Operative: A non-officer not in any relative position of command; equivalent to lesser enlisted.

The subranks are:

  • Blackrose: Special subrank given to highly-decorated personnel, commands respect regardless of primary rank. They usually don't promote.
  • Goldbloom: Denotes seniority and candidacy for promotion.
  • Brassbud: Denotes a fair amount of experience but not yet suitable for promotion.
  • Greenstem: Denotes recent promotion, or a fresh recruit.

PRE-FIRST CONTACT MILITARY

Though the FoGM has been the only nation on Greater Martil for the vast majority of its history, it still had a sizeable military to keep the peace and suppress rebellions.

Before its discovery by Aetellia, the FoGM had a relatively small (but still capable) military. Relative to that, its army was large and its navy was small. After the loss of Holaknilog, the country greatly expanded its navy to prevent another occurrence.

FOGM MILITARY OUTFITS

The FoGM has designed a common set of clothing for use by military personnel. The common uniform is composed of a jumpsuit, boots, gloves, and balaclava. The standard Greater Martil uniform is made for the cold temperatures of its home continent.

The dress uniform has the addition of a trapper hat. The dress uniform's color scheme is white with purple accents.

The combat uniform has the addition of a padded helmet and utility harness (to store additional equipment). Different colors and/or camos are used depending on the environment.

The peacekeeping uniform is a combat uniform with the color scheme of a dress uniform.

The FoGM does not currently have warm-climate uniforms written yet.

(FOGM) QUEEN OF THE SEAS

From the 1960s onwards, the FoGM will step up to be Aetellia's primary naval rival - born out of the same necessity that gave rise to Aetellia's incredibly vast navy, Martil will come to develop a vast and far-reaching navy capable of ensuring its interests remain secure.

Where Aetellia's ships will remain the unmatched in per-unit quality and tonnage, Martil will match with greater volume, submarines, and (much later) nuclear air-carriers.

A WEAPON TO SURPASS...EVERYTHING

The Landcruiser is a theoretical ground warfare vehicle briefly developed by the FoGM at a currently undetermined point of time. It never left the drawing board.

It was intended to be a ship-sized vehicle equipped with superheavy armor and weapons, with the sole purpose of crushing even the most fortified of positions. It could have possibly been designed to operate on the ground or in air; the project was canceled at the end of the prototype drafting phase.

The main reason the project ended so early was not (entirely) because it was impractical, but rather because the project manager had siphoned off a staggering 68% of the funding used in R&D. While it would eventually have been cancelled due to its sheer impracticality, it likely would've seen much more investment had corruption not killed federal interest, possibly to the point of prototyping.

The moral of the story? If you've got an eccentric military official wanting an even more eccentric project done, put somebody ultra-corrupt in charge so it dies in the cradle.

FOGM NUCLEAR CATCH-UP

In 1946, the FoGM was one year behind the rest of the world in nuclear capability. Every year, their pioneer has enabled them to catch up by ~3 months. They will have their full pioneer bonus by 1962.

CATEGORY: MILITARY TECH

Anything to do with the military, excluding specifics on technology.

WEAPON GENERATION TIME PERIODS

The following are the approximate earliest dates for a certain major generational improvement. The listed generations are for weapons in service between 1945 and 2040. The dates beside each weapon category is when the first generation was. Firearms pioneers subtract 3 years.

Heavy Machinegun, 50 years (1884)

Light Machinegun, 35 years (1899)

Assault Rifle, 20 years (1942)

Sniper Rifle, 20 years (1854)

Shotgun, 30 years (1882)

Submachine Gun, 20 years (1918)

Pistol, 20 years (1896)

FOGM FIREARMS

The following is a non-exhaustive list of the various firearms the FoGM utilizes.

Superheavy Machinegun

H2-SPAW-S "Ascent"

H3-SPAW-S "Ascent-2"

Heavy Machinegun

R2-SPAW "Super-Radial"

  • Full Name: Steam-Powered Automatic Weapon, Rotary, Generation 2
  • Introduction: 1934 (Gen2)
  • Firing Action: Fully-Automatic
  • Loading Method: Detachable Magazine / Belt-Fed
  • Description: Named after the shape and placement of its magazine. At the time of its production, the smallest steam-driven weapon Greater Martil could reasonably produce. Powered with an external steam source, enabling very high throughput. Mostly used in heavy emplacements where fuel is plentiful and reliable.
  • Succeeds: S1-SPAW "Throneholder"

SP2-SPAW "Snowball"

  • Full Name: Steam-Powered Automatic Weapon, Self-Powered, Generation 2
  • Introduction: 1934 (Gen2)
  • Firing Action: Fully-Automatic
  • Loading Method: Detachable Magazine / Belt-Fed
  • Description: A budget annihlator's wet dream. At the time of its production, the smallest steam-driven weapon Greater Martil could reasonably produce. Waterjacket system enables self-powering with sustained fire, but requires external steam power to get started. Mostly used in lighter emplacements where fuel is limited and/or unreliable.
  • Succeeds: S1-SPAW "Throneholder"

C2-SPAW-S "Dominion"

C3-SPAW-S "Dominion-2"

Light Machinegun

S2-HAW "Encore"

EF2-HAW "Eternity"

S3-HAW "Climax"

EF3-HAW "Pluralist"

Assault Rifle

S1-GPAW "Redefiner"

S2-GPAW "Prepper"

Sniper Rifle

BA4-LRPW "Station"

SA5-LRPW "Repeat"

Shotgun

PADB3-SW "Exchange"

SA3-SW "Torrent"

Submachine Gun

MA2-CCW "Spectrum"

MA3-CCW "Guardian"

EC3-CCW "Reserve"

Pistol

SA3-LBW "Lineage"

SA4-LBW "Peer"

FA4-LBW "Firerunner"

  • Full Name: Lightweight Backup Weapon, Fully-Automatic, Generation 4
  • Introduction: 1956 (Gen3)
  • Firing Action: Fully-Automatic
  • Loading Method: Detachable Magazine
  • Description: Lightweight, inexpensive, and very reliable. Can toggle between semi-auto and fully-auto. Gets its name from its instruction manual; full-auto is only to be used when there is no other choice. Not used by Cohesion Service.
  • Succeeds: SA3-LBW "Lineage"

FOGM AIRCRAFT

The following is a non-exhaustive list of the various military aircraft the FoGM utilizes.

Generation 1

Defined by the very emergence of jet technologies.

SJPA-1 "Rushdown" [DETAILS]

  • Full Name: Superiority Jet-Propelled Aircraft, Generation 1
  • Candidate #: 237/2
  • Role: Fighter
  • Produced: 1944 - 1960 (Int. 1946)
  • End of Service: 1961
  • Description: Very powerful but limited fighter jet. It's best described as a quick-burning fire; flashy and dangerous, but short-lived. It performs very well defending entrenched territory, where its very high maintenance requirements can be met.

HAB-1 "Ultimatum" [DETAILS]

Generation 2

Defined by radar, guided air-to-air missiles, and supersonic speeds.

SJPA-2 "Redeemer" [DETAILS]

MDJPA-1 "Periphary" [DETAILS]

HAB-2 "Cloudwatcher" [DETAILS]

JPI-1 "Cohesor" [DETAILS]

Generation 3

Defined by beyond-visual-range warfare.

SJPA-3 "Serpent" [DETAILS]

MDJPA-2 "Skipper" [DETAILS]

  • Full Name: Mobile-Deployment Jet-Propelled Aircraft, Generation 2
  • Candidate #: 239/9
  • Role: Carrier-Based Strike
  • Produced: 1965 - 1985 (Int. 1967)
  • End of Service: 2007
  • Description: Compact and lightweight fighter, designed for carrier deployments. Features a VTOL system for landing in and taking off from areas which otherwise would be difficult or impossible to land in. Name is ironic.

HASI-1 "Skyshield" [DETAILS]

Generation 4a

Defined by electronic warfare and advanced avionics.

SJPA-4 "Sequel" [DETAILS]

HOAJ-1 "Saga" [DETAILS]

  • Full Name: Hazard-Operations Assault Jet, Generation 1
  • Candidate #: 240/10
  • Role: Strike
  • Produced: 1969 - 1990 (Int. 1977)
  • End of Service: 2007
  • Description: Very powerful aircraft, with a main drawback of sheer cost, for which it was widely considered a mild failure; very good, but introduced opportunity costs. It is equivalent to same-generation pioneer aircraft, and can fit a very large minigun.

MDJPA-3 "Prelude" [DETAILS]

  • Full Name: Mobile-Deployment Jet-Propelled Aircraft, Generation 3
  • Candidate #: 240/2
  • Role: Carrier-Based Strike
  • Produced: 1969 - 1990 (Int. 1977)
  • End of Service: 2007
  • Description: Compact and lightweight fighter, designed for carrier deployments. Features a VTOL system for landing in and taking off from areas which otherwise would be difficult or impossible to land in. Name is ironic.

HASI-2 "Aegis" [DETAILS]

HAB-3 "Thronemaker" [DETAILS]

Generation 4b

Defined primarily by improved technology and the passage of time, and to an extent early stealth.

UJPA-1 "Unitary" [DETAILS]

HASI-3 "Oblivion Guard" [DETAILS]

AFPC-1 "Pointer" [DETAILS]

MDJPA-4 "Cluster" [DETAILS]

  • Full Name: Mobile-Deployment Jet-Propelled Aircraft, Generation 4
  • Candidate #: 241/6
  • Role: Carrier-Based Strike
  • Produced: 1986 - 2009 (Int. 1989)
  • End of Service: 2019
  • Description: Ultra-compact and lightweight fighter, designed with the sole purpose of being deployed from air carriers. Unlike previous generations, it lacks any VTOL system whatsoever.

Generation 5a

Defined by stealth.

UJPA-2 "Loomer" [DETAILS]

HAB-4 "Dreader" [DETAILS]

MDJPA-5 "Dagger" [DETAILS]

Generation 5b

Defined by improved technology and the passage of time.

UJPA-3 "Secret" [DETAILS]

AFPC-2 "Gossiper" [DETAILS]

MDJPA-6 "Whisper" [DETAILS]

Generation 6

Defined by automated control.

UJPA-4 "Overseer" [DETAILS]

HASI-4 "REPLACEME" [DETAILS]

  • Full Name: High-Altitude Swift Interceptor, Generation 4
  • Candidate #: XXX/XXX
  • Role: Interceptor
  • Produced: XXXX - XXXX (Int. XXXX)
  • End of Service: XXXX
  • Description: Exclusive interceptor capable of being autonomously commanded. Has a huge payload. Primarily designed for intercepting nuclear strikes during descent.

AJPA-1 "Chorus" [DETAILS]

  • Full Name: Autonomous Jet-Propelled Aircraft, Generation 1
  • Candidate #: XXX/XXX
  • Role: Carrier-Based Strike
  • Produced: XXXX - XXXX (Int. XXXX)
  • End of Service: XXXX
  • Description: Stealth microfighter; small enough for air-based carriers, features VTOL for sea-based carriers. Fully automated, taking commands from a nearby pilot via laser communication.

Generation 7

Defined by fission power. Maybe.

FPCA-4 "Eternity" [DETAILS]

HAB-5 "Perdition" [DETAILS]

HASI-5 "REPLACEME" [DETAILS]

AFPC-3 "REPLACEME" [DETAILS]

  • Full Name: Airborne Fission-Powered Carrier, Generation 3
  • Candidate #: XXX/XXX
  • Role: Air Carrier
  • Produced: XXXX - XXXX (Int. XXXX)
  • End of Service: Undetermined
  • Description: Massive stealth cargo plane capable of carrying, fueling, and deploying compact strikecraft. Its fission reactor is designed to eject before destruction.

AJPA-2 "REPLACEME" [DETAILS]

STARSHIELD PROJECT

The Strategic Weapons Mitigation Network, also known as Starshield, is a Martilan missile defense system introduced in 2013 with the purpose of invalidating the land and sea components of minor nuclear powers' stockpiles. As Martil itself insists in public statement, Starshield is not capable of fully counteracting other superpowers' nuclear stockpiles, and it is not capable of orbital bombardment.

Originally devised in 1977, Starshield was an experiment to determine whether or not it was possible to intercept ICBMs in midcourse - specifically, the time between rocket acceleration and warhead deployment. Seven years later, in 1984, it was cancelled. Although a big reason behind cancellation had been to reduce government spending, it was ultimately determined that orbital ballistic interception was still decades off.

Starshield had been briefly revisited again in the mid 90s, but ultimately discarded in favor of massively funding traditional missile defense systems. It was only after tensions had calmed in 2002 that Starshield was revived, based on matured technologies developed parallel to the earlier project. Following intensive research and development, Starshield came online in 2013.

Starshield relies on a network of monitoring satellites. With automated targeting assistance, it enables each of the three defensive layers to quickly respond to an emerging threat.

  • Layer 1 "Ascent Interception": High-velocity interceptor missiles, launched from nearby allied sites or submarines. Targets missiles in boost phase - while they're still burning fuel.
  • Layer 2 "Drift Interception": Low-orbit satellites armed with kinetic kill vehicles. The KKVs themselves aren't maneuverable enough to track distant satellites and are designed to burn up in the atmosphere. Targets missiles during early midcourse - after they stop burning, but before they deploy warheads.
  • Layer 3 "Descent Interception": Traditional missile defense batteries, distributed across MTTAA territory. Targets warheads during terminal phase - while they are coming down. Useful against short and mid-range missiles, too.

Although defensive in nature, Starshield is more than just a safety measure. It enables the MTTAA to treat any country not belonging to a superpower bloc as if it did not have a nuclear arsenal. In superpower wars, it may allow Martil to intercept a defensive nuclear strike.

CATEGORY: HISTORY

Past events and differences in world history.

NO AGE OF EXPLORATION FOR YOU

There was no great discovery of a 'new world' like in our world. Excluding only Greater Martil, there were no far-out continents regular exploration couldn't discover, meaning there was never a rush of colonization to any newly-discovered continent.

Even the discovery of Greater Martil yielded no such rush of colonization, as the entirety of Greater Martil was already fully claimed and inhabited by the Federation of Greater Martil.

THE ZENITH WAR

The Zenith War was a planetwide war waged between the Aetellian Empire and the Kalip Unified Empires, alongside numerous other nations who'd sided with either the Aetellians or Kalip. The only continents where the Zenith War was not waged were the Frostlands (which was moreso because they weren't inhabited than anything else) and Greater Martil (whose sole nation was isolationist at the time)

The Zenith War was officially initiated by the Kalip Unified Empires who invaded an ally of the Aetellian Empire; an invasion that, if successful, would have connected the two parts of the Kalip Unified Empires in Drahosic. Against Kalip expectations, the Aetellian Empire came in the defense of their allies and declared war on the KUE. What followed was a chain of other defensive pacts that resulted in a worldwide war between the Aetellian Empire and their allies, and the Kalip Unified Empires and their allies.

The FoGM did not get involved due to being almost entirely unable to and having few allies at the time. The Drahosic sided with the Aetellians due to the Kalip attempting to cause one of its states to secede into the KUE. The Iymarosi sided with the Kalip due to the Aetellians trying and failing to incite a revolt in a colony and bring it into the Aetellian fold.

The Zenith War ended in a ceasefire after the Aetellians and Kalip (alongside a select few other nations) developed nuclear weaponry and nuked one-another simultaneously and repeatedly, all in short succession. The war ultimately resulted in little gained on either side, and intense devastation wrought between both supreme powers, causing great instability in the Aetellians and Kalip in the aftermath of the nuclear war. The Zenith War also triggered a global recession which lasted years.

ZENITH WAR: DESCENT OF THE KALIP

The complete lack of any gains made through the course of the Zenith War left all Kalip member-states in ruination. The devastation wrought over the course of the Zenith War has resulted in a number of internal issues coming to head across the Kalip Unified Empires. Resentment among more recently-conquered populations has skyrocketed, infighting among lower-ranking factions has intensified, and both conflicts and relations between the member-states themselves have worsened.

These are all combined with a variety of social issues raging in KUE society itself; resource shortages including basic necessities are igniting discontent among the populace, use of force to keep unrest down is further angering citizens, and national morale has taken a significant hit after the nuking of several important Kalip cities, especially in the influential Tol Dynastic Order.

Many of these issues had always existed in the KUE; resentment of the KUE has always existed for recent conquerees, lower factions have always fought with one-another for power, members have always had disagreements and problems with one-another, and use of force to suppress unrest has always been a common tactic by the KUE. The continual growth and prosperity of the KUE had kept all of those problems at bay...until after the Zenith War. With the utter failure that was said war, every single issue in Kalip society has been amplified, leading towards an inevitable collapse.

MARTIL'S BLEEDING EDGE, AND HOW IT LOST IT

Long before its discovery by the outside world, Greater Martil had been ahead of the curve technologically. For most of human history, the continent was unknowingly between decades and centuries ahead. This changed when the FoGM was founded; with no external pressures and little internal pressures, the country fell into a millennia-long period of slow-growing complacency. The world caught up in 1830, and surpassed the FoGM not long after.

When contact was made with Aetellia, the FoGM learned it was roughly a decade behind. What resulted was a major initiative to catch back up, which it eventually succeeded at by the start of the technological revolution.

HOLAKNILOG ISLAND

Some time before the start of the timeline in the 1940s, one of the FoGM's minor islands rebelled. That rebellion would have been quickly crushed, had the Aetellian Empire not intervened and forced the FoGM to stand down. The island was taken by Aetellia as a colony, and has remained in their ownership ever since. Since its acquisition, the island has developed its own identity completely separate to Greater Martil.

As per the agreement between Martil and Aetellia, the AE is not allowed to have a military presence on the island.

(FOGM) TRADE AFTER THE ZENITH WAR

The FoGM, thanks to being one of the few major nations to have no part in the Zenith War in any manner, were able to leverage their untarnished and potent economy to grow their global influence.

Driven by an ongoing fossil fuel crisis, the isolationist FoGM opened its markets (somewhat) to other nations. Initially, the country primarily sold manufactured goods, medical technologies, and preserved food in turn for recieving crude oil and its derivatives. Up to around the 1960s, it transitioned to primarily selling goods.

From the 1940s to mid 1960s, the FoGM's primary trade partner was Kalipa.

(FOGM) 2355/1925 HIJI UPRISING

The last organized rebellion against Grall's authority, the 2355 Hiji Uprising was a brief and wildly unsuccessful bid at increased autonomy. The rebellion had been made with hopes that Aetellia and/or other discontent regions would get involved, but none of that ended up happening.

The biggest threat, Aetellia, had little hope they could gain anything from the FoGM. Despite its power, the global empire knew it wouldn't fare well in any attempts to act against Martil. Holaknilog had been a wakeup call to Grall, ensuring that future revolts would not be allowed time to fester. Any reward was far outweighed by risk; any kind of occupation would be completely impossible, and a war would likely lose them Holaknilog.

Other regions with historical rebellious tendencies had a similar reason to do nothing. Martil was watchful, now. Forcing out concessions had become far more difficult now that the federal government constantly feared Aetellian intervention.

With nobody to rely on and the full weight of the federal military bearing down on Hiji, the region did not last long. Within half a year, the last major holdouts had been crushed, and federal authority had been fully re-asserted.

The punishment brought upon the rebellious region was standard. All regional Councilors suspected to have been a part of the conspiracy were ejected, the Noble was investigated (but found a non-participant and thus left alone), and direct control was asserted for a time. Some minor concessions had been made regardless to manage discontent, but otherwise little had changed.

GENERAL HISTORY OF GREATER MARTIL

The idea of a united Greater Martil is verging on two and a half millennia. That much time comes with a lot of history. Though there is way too much possible history to put into a single post, this should give a good idea of the flow of history.

The following history is factual, though some subtleties have been left out to avoid re-hashing the flaws of the FoGM every other pargraph. Just know that, until 1925, there are regular violent uprisings and period-accurate, murky morality. This largely excludes sexism, which is a result of the need to have all hands on deck for a society without any kind of domesticated animal to assist in agriculture.

Age of Unification

Era of Awakening | -470 to -430 BCE | -40 to 0 UE

Asher Abyss leads a revolution against Kingdom of Martil's monarchy. He is placed as its new monarch, with the support of proto-reformist nobles and frustrated citizens, ruling with an ideology of unity through shared culture.

Outside of the KoM, the Asher-lead administration formalizes an alliance with the kingdoms of Vordil and Rastal - known in the future known as North Martil and South Martil respectively. Over the following decades the culturally-close nations grow yet closer. In -430 BC, or year zero of the Unification Era, the kingdoms agree to dissolve into the Federation of Martil.

Period of Emergence | BC: -430 to -410 | UE (0 to 20)

The following two decades is a trying time. Initial instability leads to the formation of the Administrative Council and the formalization of nobility, while early questions and challenges of the semi-constitutional federal system are raised and responded to.

Come the twentieth year of the Federation of Martil, the country had become the strongest among the Islands, and by a considerable margin. Martil's three kingdoms had already been centers of trade; now that they were united and stable, no one polity could stop them.

Era of Growth | -410 to -320 BCE | 20 to 110 UE

Though the man who had breathed life into the FoM was long dead, his ideals were not. Both the Monarch and Council for the following near-century were united in a dream of a united world, so that is what they pursued.

Those who liked the FoM, like Aefania and Geranth, joined voluntarily; Martil were prospering, and the proposed deal was good. Those who were unsure, like Fennia and Boglia, often found themselves coerced (via embargoes and sponsored uprisings) into unification. Finally, those who refused Martil's vision, like Onoy and Syratan, were pulled into the fold in brutal wars.

Though it had been given its final names decades earlier, it was the annexation of the Republic of Hiji that marked the true birth of the FoGM.

Era of Consolidation | -320 to -270 BCE | 110 to 160 UE

Now at the peak of its territorial ascent, what awaited the Islands next was a long period of relative instability. Rebellions and secessions erupted frequently, and insurgency was frequent. Martil is not gentle when handling resistance, leading to tensions within the Federation only growing with time.

Those loyal to Martil from the start or accepted their circumstances and played along thrived, becoming yet more loyal. Those discontent with their circumstances, however, became increasingly resentful and disloyal. Over time, these two camps — the loyalists, and the resentful dissidents — coalesced into distinct political identities: the Unitaries and the Discoherants.

Period of Fracture | -270 to -246 BCE | 160 to 184 UE

Tensions turned to mass revolt. With it, the century-and-a-half experiment that was Greater Martil was truly tested.

Territorially, roughly half of the FoGM broke away. Despite that, the Unitaries had the advantage. They had more people, better infrastructure, naval superiority - and most importantly, Central Martil's raw economic, manufacturing, and political power. While the Discoherants had home-turf advantage, experience fighting, and little to lose, there was little hope of an overthrow of Martil. Their objective was thus secession, and was attainable for as long as they held on long enough.

With the Unitaries being unwilling to give up their collective dream of unity, a twenty-four year slog ensued. It would one day be known as the Consolidation War.

  • Years 1-5: The Discoherants seize the initative. Their uprisings are swift and coordinated, overruning surrounding loyalist regions. The Unitaries, caught off guard by Discoherant effectiveness, scramble to stabilize.
  • Years 6-15: A long strategic deadlock forms. The Discoherants entrench and formalize provisional governance in seceded regions. Their forces are determined, but their landlocked economies struggle under naval blockade and trade collapse. Despite territorial losses, the Unitaries remain economically healthy and militarily organized. Several peace offers are sent by the Discoherants - increasingly desperate and generous - but each is rejected by the Unitarians.
  • Years 16-20: The tide turns. The Discoherants, facing internal economic collapse, attrition, and internal unrest, falter. The Unitaries seize the opportunity and kick off a sweeping series of campaigns which shatter the rebellion, reclaiming region after region.
  • Years 21-24: Only fragmented holdouts remain. Most major resistance collapses, and the Unitaries systematically encompass and whittle down the remaining Discoherants. Hiji, falls after a final, desperate stand. Its defeat - bloody, symbolic, and total - marks the triumphant but costly conclusion of the Unitarian experiment.

In the end, the dream of a unified Greater Martil endured. For better and worse, the Consolidation War leave a legacy not forgotten even millennia later; both scars and stories carved deep into the collective consciousness. Just as Hiji's annexation decades prior marked the birth of the FoGM, its fall now marked the end of its adolescence.

Age of Harmonization

Era of Rebuilding | -245 to -225 BCE | 185 to 205 UE

In the wake of the Consolidation War, is great devastation. Many years are spent not only rebuilding the country, but also restructuring it to expand and legitimize Martil's authority. Nobles and councils are imposed in every region, and the powers and responsibilities of regional authorities are refined. Regions see their nobility stripped of power for the first time, replaced with more loyal bloodlines.

Additionally, Greater Martil's military is unified.

Era of Refinement | -225 to -135 BCE | 205 to 295 UE

Following reconstruction, Central Martil shifts its focus from simple power consolidation to establishing a cultural legacy. Onapmeith sees itself officiated - much in the same way the centuries-old Onapmeith Wars had to Martil. Martil distributes its own historical canon. Most of all, Martil spreads its culture; conformity becomes politeness, greetings are made with bows and not hands, and so many more things.

Era of Rooting | -135 to 1 BCE | 295 to 430 UE

As living memory of the time before not only the FoGM, but the Consolidation War fades entirely away, the concept of the Martilan identity becomes institutionalized. For the most part, a person of the Islands saw themselves as both a part of Greater Martil and their home region. While regional identity can't not remain strong for centuries to come, the first step has been made.

So, too, does the Discoherants' dream die. Though secessionist ideals endure in the periphary - where federal grip is tenuous, all recognize that Central Martil has become too powerful to escape from. Disloyal regions stop rebelling for freedom, and start rebelling for concessions.

Age of Perfection

Era of Continuance | 1 to 240 CE | 430 to 670 UE

After consolidation and harmonization, comes calm. These two-and-a-half centuries are defined by content calm and the maturation of governance. Law is entrenched from precedent, and an educational framework is established which provides elites and nobles the tools they need to rule.

The Era of Continuance alone lasted long enough to be its own age, had it been more of a dynamic time. But it wasn't. It was just the beginning of a long, sleepy age. The Age of Perfection had barely begun.

Era of Vibrance | 240 to 590 CE | 670 to 1020 UE

After centuries of quiet, the pendulum shifts the other way. Still (mostly) calm, these centuries are defined by a slow surge in cultural expression. Regional cultures, which had been on slow decline since the Era of Refinement, flourish - and do does scientific curiosity. In the midst of it all, schools of thought begin to diverge.

Central Martil, sure in its power through cultural inertia, permits all of this. The result is a level of cultural flourishing the likes of which had never been seen before, and arguably since.

Era of Divergence | 590 to 1050 CE | UE: (1020 to 1480)

For over a millennium now, Greater Martil has had no enemy but the one within. And because even internal uprisings are infrequent, philosophy becomes the next battleground. Divergent schools of thought form, each claiming different interpretations of faith, virtue, law, and life as the one way. Slowly, these schools of thought shape themselves into political factions.

The political system, previously a two-party split between the ideals of tradition and reform, separate into many parties, all clamoring for legitimacy. Through debate, protest, boycott, and scholarly feud, the system is broken down and reconstituted.

Era of Silence | 1050 to 1620 CE | 1480 to 2050 UE

At long last, the pendulum swings back the way it came - and stays. Already having slowed greatly over the past millennium-and-a-half of serene stability, the past era's upswing of dynamicism gave way to a long period of quiet. The idea of an eternal culture becomes deeply entrenched, with fashion, art, and politics coming to reflect what had come before, more than what stood now or next awaited.

Over this time, Central Martil slowly consolidates its power. The autonomy of regions withers over generations. This leads to a greater number of uprisings than in past eras, but only the people living through those uprisings - or fighting them, particularly notice.

Era of Reason | 1620 to 1852 CE | 2050 to 2282 UE

For generations, the Islands lived in the shadow of their own greatness. Art and philosophy had long become but a reflection of the past, and precedent had grown so deeply entrenched that climbing out was nearly impossible. What some in another world would call the enlightenment, came slowly to the people of Greater Martil. It began with a quiet conflict between the original Inxalts - powerful individuals who had long existed outside of the noble/council framework - and the central authority. And with it, the next great step towards central control.

The first century-and-a-half was a slow ideological awakening. It began with experimental thoughts and writings - questions about law, knowledge, and power. The span was like waking from a pleasant dream - slow and gradual, but undeniable. Rather than truly challenging the status quo, these new forms of thought melted the ice off Greater Martil's frozen clock, tempering it for what was to come.

It was with a loud burst of steam - the call of the industrial revolution and the death knell of the Inxalts - that the frozen clock resumed. It began with sleepy fervor - lurching forward at first, and then sluggishly ticking forward, faster and faster each time. With the surge of philosophical debate came policy change. Voting for all, not just elites and nobles. Universal education, and the deliverance of knowledge to the commoner. The end of servitude.

Beyond a lurch forward in civil rights, came the modern Greater Martilan government. Precedent for precedent's sake was abandoned in favor of justified rationalism. The council ejected nobility from its ranks and instead filled its ranks with the elected. The Monarch's power is fit into a tighter framework, deepening its executive power while ceding what judicial power it had to the Council. And above all else, Central Martil's grip, now framed in brass, tightened; Martix is adopted nationwide, and the first set of true federal laws are introduced.

Era of Sustainment | 1852 to 1941 CE | 2282 to 2371 UE

What would have barely warranted more than an additional paragraph in the Era of Reason, instead became the final chapter in the story of perfection. It all changed in 1852, when an exotic ship came from the infinite ocean. Then, Greater Martil learned not only that they weren't alone, but that they were only a small part of something far larger.

The people of the Islands were first struck by disbelief, and then dread settled in. The world beyond not only was powerful, but ahead and violent. The populace turned inwards, shunning what laid beyond while raising their shields. Soon, their isolation had resumed like nothing had ever changed - only interrupted by the occasional trade ship, which were entertained and then sent away.

From there, the way society changed was largely identical to that in the past era. Rights advanced, law refined, and unity sustained. In 1873, however, the pace of federal consolidation lurched toward the stars; during the 1873 Boglia Uprising, the minor island of Holaknilog also rebelled, and was left alone long enough for the Aetellian Empire to intervene and take it for themselves. After that, Central Martil treated even the smallest of uprising as a grave concern. So, too, did the right of regions to decide their own laws completely wither by 1940; something which may have taken decades or even more than a century later otherwise.

And yet, despite everything the people of the Islands were still optimistic. The Age of Perfection showed no signs of ending, even in a large and scary world.

Contemporary Age

Contemporary Era | 1941+ CE | 2371+ UE

Although it is commonly agreed that the Age of Perfection is now over, it is still a topic of fierce debate as to what to call the time period the FoGM finds itself in.

(This section is unfinished)

(FOGM) 1873/2303 BOGLIA UPRISING

The last major organized rebellion against Grall's authority, the 2303 Boglia Uprising was a brief multi-region uprising, initiated by the region of Boglia over territorial rights.

Boglia had been the first in the country to develop battleships. Recognizing the momentary leverage they had over Grall, the Sorial dynasty initiated an invasion of the Kenit-Zephil corridor island, demanding it and also further concessions from Aefania and Eapoti regarding ownership over the global ocean.

The first year or so went well for Boglia. The response from Grall was half-hearted at first; while Boglia's uprising inspired a few other regions to join in, including Aefania which wished not to be forced to make concessions, it was still by most accounts a minor revolt. That changed when the Aetellian Empire intervened in the north Zephilan minor island of Holaknilog - the goliath woke up quickly after that.

What followed was a quick and brutal campaign across the continent. Boglia had aimed to end things quickly as to not draw the full wrath of Grall, but subsequent losses to the Fennan-Syratanic combined fleets and stubborn Eapotan holdouts on the Kenit-Zephil island lead to a stagnation on all fronts.

Now unable to attain their territorial goals, Boglia shifted to a priority of survival - the consequences of inciting a major uprising, if the region were to be brought to heel, would be disastrous for its leadership. They managed to keep their shores clear for another few months, but unfortunately their worst fears would come to pass following the collapses of most other fronts across the continent.

Boglia surrendered shortly after the first naval landings. Those surrender negotiatons were primarily between the regional council and federal government, with the Sorials thrown under the bus and made an example of; their titles were stripped and they were branded Itants, leading to their persecution for decades to come. In turn, Eapoti was made to give minor oceanic concessions, which in practice allowed Boglian fishers to exploit the northerneast ocean as they pleased, so long they stayed out of the way of Aefanian and Eapotian fishers.

Greater Martil's regional borders have not shifted since, as the federal government has strictly adhered to a zero-tolerance policy for uprisings.

CATEGORY: WORLD

Stuff to do with Lacteal and its solar system itself.

GREATER MARTIL

The Greater Martil continent is a cluster of very large islands. Greater Martil's terrain is rugged and rich in both metals and thorium, yet poor in uranium and oil. Oil reserves are wide and shallow, which enable a short period of immense oil production.

Most of Greater Martil is taiga. The upper north is temperate, while the lower south is tundra. Greater Martil is home to hardy flora, which has been cultivated since the discovery of agriculture into a decent variety of hardy, nutritious stew crops; while easy to grow and very filling, most food needs to be slow-cooked to be edible.

It is windy and occupies a tectonically-active area. It experiences frequent earthquakes and occasionally tropical cyclones.

The continent is lacking in domesticatable animals, resulting in the people of Greater Martil never developing pets or farm animals.

GREATER MARTIL: MINOR ISLANDS

Greater Martil has a number of small islands within its oceanic corridors, in addition to a few on the outside of the archipelego-continent. Each of Greater Martil's oceanic corridor entrances contain islands which provide a strong strategic defensive ability, excluding the Accrio-Avotin corridor, which is lacking in such convenient islands.

The minor islands are mostly used for inner-corridor military installations which are used to augment the FoGM's control its oceanic corridors. Some of the larger islands have cities originating from before the FoGM's discovery.

PITCH GOLD IN THE DEEP COLD

Most of Lacteal is relatively scarce of crude oil. Even the (briefly believed) oil-rich Federation of Greater Martil is composed of easy-to-access but shallow oil reserves which cannot sustain the nation forever. The Frostlands, once saturated with greenery in ancient times, contain most of the world's oil far beneath its thick ice. The majority of its oil is in the northern one.

The southern Frostland is also relatively rich in fissiles, which will be important for nuclear weapons and power.

The Frostlands will become essential to the world's development in the coming decades as the need for oil increases around the world, without a growing number of meaningful sources of it outside of the Frostlands.

RICHES IN THE GREAT ABOVE

Argo is a captured satelite of Lacteal; differently from the real life moon, its composition is far different to the world it orbits. Argo contains vastly different resources to Lacteal; Argo is rich in what Lacteal is lacking in. Additionally, Argo rather small and is also close to Lacteal, which makes accessing the moon relatively easy (especially compared to the IRL moon).

Argo is abundant in various precious metals and rare earth elements. Argo is also abundant in ore-form titanium alloys, which is considerably easier to refine into pure titanium than the titanium oxide that naturally occurs on Lacteal. The components for rocket fuel are also abundant on Argo.

The above facts make Argo a potential target for early space colonization. Its low gravity and closeness to Lacteal make getting to and from Argo relatively inexpensive, its abundance of rare resources makes the prospect of mining the moon highly attractive, and the ability to refuel and even construct rockets on Argo makes it reasonably possible to exploit Argo for valuable resources.

Despite all of the attractive factors, colonizing Argo will still be a costly and difficult feat, requiring an immense amount of investment, the development of novel and cost-effective methods to go to and from Lacteal and Argo, and avoiding the many pitfalls of early space exploration to get any value out of Argo.

FOGM: CLIMATE AND FOOD

Most of Greater Martil is cold and very snowy. Even Zephil's northern temperate forest region is cold for most of the year, and the southern tundra has almost never known natural warmth. Greater Martil's soil is also relatively poor all throught, with exception to northen Zephil. Despite this, life on the continent has managed to thrive with a combination of temperature resistance and exotic compounds to overcome the cold.

The vast majority of these compounds are deadly to humans, making the vast, vast majority of flora across the continent inedible raw. Some of them do break down when exposed to heat for a long period of time, however, which enabled ancient Greater Martilans to develop agriculture and thrive themselves. A rich culinary tradition also developed in the form of an endless variety of slow-cooked foods.

The compounds also linger for a long time in soil, which has caused Greater Martil to be infertile to any crops that didn't evolve on it.

Culturally, eating raw food (with the exception of Ambrosia) is a taboo for Martilans. It is considered to be dangerous.

GREATER MARTIL: PERIPHARY PLAIN

Composed of the regions of Vasmia, Modafia, and Iseria, the Periphary Plain is Greater Martil's single largest piece of relatively flat land. It is exceptionally fertile, and its combined output makes up for almost half of the country's food production.

The Periphary Plain is surrounded on all sides by mountains, which in ancient times kept the Aefanian empire's breadbasket largely safe from major incursions. Its defensability was proven time and time again even after the formation of the FoGM, as uprisings almost never managed to consume the super-region. Conversely, the regions also proved to be very problematic when uprising themselves.

THE SHIELD

A massive cold current lifting air from the polar ice sheet and over continental Greater Martil, the Shield is responsible for the continent's abnormally low temperatures. Its name is coined from how the current deflects warmer currents which would otherwise bring warmth to the chilly north.

Where the north would have gentle summers and chilly winters, its summers are instead cool and its winters severe. Where the center would be largely chilly temperate, it is instead dominated by tundra conditions. Where the south would be merely deep tundra, it instead faces downright polar conditions where snow and ice lingers every day of the year.

Climate change will have a strange, paradoxical at times effect on Greater Martil. While the continent is inherently resilient against temperature fluctuations due to having viable summer and winter crops, it will still be something the government deems undesirable.

  • Between the 1960s to 1990s, temperatures paradoxically fall - the Shield is unexpectedly strengthened, drawing colder air to the continent.
  • Between the 2000s to 2040s, the Shield begins to destabilize. Temperatures swing dramatically; in colder years snow clings on even during northern summers, while in warmer years southern regions face snowless summers.
  • Somewhere in the 2050s or later, it is expected that (without climate intervention) the Shield will either change form, or collapse - potentially completely. The former could make a harsher temperature gradient from north to south, while the latter would lead to an overall warming of the continent.

CATEGORY: SUBSPECIES

Human subspecies and anything relating to that.

CAVEATS FOR AVERAGE LIFESPAN RULES

The 'average lifespan' displays how old an individual born in a particular decade is expected to get on average before dying. It does not take into account childhood/teenage (sub-18) mortality, which especially drags down the average lifespan earlier in the timeline.

The list also assumes the general base-case scenario, meaning the individual is born in a wealthy country with good health standards. Think USA, many European countries, etc. Somebody born in a pooerer country will definitely, on average, live shorter.

Furthermore, the list does not take into account the difference in life expectancy between men and women. On average, men live shorter than women.

Baseline numbers are based off 7 outputs from ChatGPT, model o1. The median was used if four or more outputs were the same for a decade, otherwise the average was used.

Non-baseline numbers are multiplied off the baseline values, and then rounded. Some further liberties may be taken for such values to even out distribution curves.

SAPIENS "BASELINER"

Species Names

Home Continent: Rhoan

Ethnoreginoal Area: Central Rhoan, Aetellia

Species Traits

  • / Baseline: No notable traits which provide an advantage or disadvantage relative to other subspecies.

Blood Color: Red (Hemoglobin)

Appearance: Average in build, with a skin tone that varies from pale tan to very dark brown.

Average Lifespan (with caveats)

Time to Adulthood: 18 years (25 full brain development)

Average Height

Background

The oldest human species and the progenitor of all living human subspecies today. They evolved approximately 315,000 years ago in mid-Rhoan, and have since spread to all major habitable landmasses. Since spreading across the world, the human species has evolved into a variety of compatible yet physically varied subspecies that specialize in their regions.

The continued survival of the Sapiens is a testament their adaptability. Sapiens can be spotted almost everywhere on Lacteal. The only place where they aren't native to is Greater Martil.

LONIM "ENDURANT"

Species Names

Home Continent: Drahosic

Ethnoreginoal Area: East Drahosic

Species Traits

  • + Lasting: High resilience to aging, enabling meaningfully longer lifespans. (+15% lifespan)
  • / Insulated: Additional stores of fat provide better protection against cold, but worse resistance to heat.
  • / Taller: Marginally taller on average.
  • / Minor Chromatic Irises: Increased variety in eye color.
  • - Heavy: Gains weight easier, and generally struggles to lose it.

Blood Color: Red (Hemoglobin)

Appearance: Tall-ish but otherwise average in build, with a skin tone that varies from pale tan to very dark brown.

Average Lifespan

Time to Adulthood: 18 years (25 full brain development)

Average Height

Background

Native to the Kalip geographic area of Drahosic, and offshoot of the Homo Sapiens. They migrated to Drahosic roughly 219,000 years ago.

The Kalip region contained was relatively nutrient-sparse. Leaner flora and fauna alongside chilly conditions also resulted in Lonim evolving to retain more fat. During the last glacial period, groups of Lonim migrated between Drahosic and Greater Martil, resulting in some limited exchange of genetic traits between Lonim and Grandio. Interbreeding was highly limited due to the difficulty of going between Drahosic and Greater Martil at the time, but was performed frequently enough to leave a genetic record. The light interbreeding resulted in the sharing of some traits, including longer lifespans, improved storing of fat, increased height, and the self-production of chromatic compounds in the irises.

Since their evolution in Drahosic Kalip, the Lonim subspecies has migrated to other temperate and taiga regions across Lacteal due to their innate advantage in colder and more nutrient-bare regions.

EXTATRA "EXTREMOPHILE"

Species Names

Home Continent: East Drahosic

Ethnoreginoal Area: East Drahosic

Species Traits

Blood Color: Red (Hemoglobin)

Appearance: Barrel-chested, with a skin tone that varies from pale tan to very dark brown.

Average Lifespan (with caveats)

Time to Adulthood: 18 years (25 full brain development)

Average Height

Background

A branch-off of the Sapiens subspecies, following migration through eastern Drahosic well over a hundred-thousand years ago.

Because East Drahosic is very rugged, with communities often traveling between mountains and lakes & shores, Sapiens adapted to thrive at both extremes. Their metabolism evolved to need less oxygen, and early Extatra tended to die especially young, so mechanisms (such as DNA repair) that would otherwise inhibit aging (and cancer) atrophied.

GRANDIO "ETERNAL"

Species Names

Home Continent: Greater Martil

Ethnoreginoal Area: Continental Greater Martil

Species Traits

  • +++ Venerable: Very slow aging, thus very long lifespans. (+50% lifespan)
  • ++ Tireless: Less need for sleep, allowing for longer waits between rests or shorter sleeps. (-25% rest need, -2 hours rest/night)
  • / Chromatic Insulation: Additional stores of fat provide better protection against cold, but worse resistance to heat. The body also utilizes certain chromatic compounds to further improve cold protection.
  • / Tall: Considerably taller on average.
  • / Major Chromatic Irises: Exceptional variety and vibrancy in eye color.
  • - Slow Maturation: Noticeably longer time to reach adulthood. (+10% maturation time)
  • -- Obesity-Prone: Gains weight much easier, and struggles to lose it. Careful management of calory intake is necessary to avoid obesity. Has the side-effect of being relatively resilient to starvation.
  • -- Microfragile: Weak immune systems struggles against most diseases, still gets somewhat ill against vaccinated diseases. Has the side-effects of no allergic reactions and (RELATIVELY) mild organ rejection.

Blood Color: Bright Red (Chromatic Hemoglobin)

Appearance: Tall and slightly thin, skin tone varies from light to very pale (near-albinic).

Average Lifespan

Time to Adulthood: 19.8 years (27.5 full brain development)

Average Height

Background

The Homo Sapiens Grandio, native to the archipelego-continent Greater Martil, are an evolutionary breakoff of the Homo Sapiens Lonim. The Grandio migrated to Zephil during the last glacial period (100k to 25k years ago) by following a chain of islands that were uncovered and (relatively) briefly populated by wildlife. The islands have since almost entirely receded due to a combination of rising sea levels due to the end of the last glacial period in tandem with tectonic activity the past few thousand years. After their arrival in Zephil, the Grandio have migrated to Greater Martil's other islands.

Greater Martil, though dangerously cold in all but its northernmost region, had relatively docile fauna and very little disease. To adapt, Grandio evolved an easier ability to retain fat and also evolved longer lifespans (by a robust DNA repair mechanism) due to limited risk of death from environmental factors. In turn, Grandio immune systems have atrophied. As there was little competition to be had with nature, intense competition between groups of Grandio quickly began, which retained and even mildly refined the intelligence of Grandio. Grandio also happened to mutate varied, vibrant eye colors, the color chemical supplied by the natural compounds in Greater Martil's best food crops.

By virtue of having evolved on Greater Martil after it had been isolated from the rest of the world, Grandio have not had the opportunity to spread to other continents until recently.

GRANDIO: REJECTION SYNDROME

Because Grandio immune systems are as weak as they are, they do not suffer some things that other subspecies do. Grandio are not entirely immune to organ rejection, but they are not affected as badly as the vast majority of other human types.

Grandio can even survive with an organ incompatible with their immune system, although they will suffer a disorder known in Martil as rejection syndrome. The immune system still attempts to attack the new organ, although even their hyperacute rejection is often less severe than the average subspecies' acute rejection, and can be treated with medication.

Grandio almost never experience true chronic rejection, and even when they do the decline of the transplanted organ can take decades to reach a critical point.

SAPIENS-GRANDIO "[UNDETERMINED]"

Species Names

Home Continent: Greater Martil

Ethnoreginoal Area: Continental Greater Martil

Species Traits

  • ++ Enduring: Slow aging rate, leading to long lifespans. (+30% lifespan)
  • + Energetic: Reduced need for sleep, allowing for longer waits between rests or shorter sleeps. (-12.5% rest need, -1 hour rest/night)
  • / Chromatic Insulation: Additional stores of fat provide better protection against cold, but worse resistance to heat. The body also utilizes certain chromatic compounds to further improve cold protection.
  • / Taller: Marginally taller on average.
  • / Moderate Chromatic Irises: Considerable variety and vibrancy in eye color.
  • - Slow Maturation: Noticeably longer time to reach adulthood. (+10% maturation time)
  • - Heavy: Gains weight easier, and generally struggles to lose it.
  • - Disease-Prone: Weaker immune systems struggles against aggressive diseases. Has the side-effect of uncommon (and weaker) allergic reactions.

Blood Color: Bright Red (Chromatic Hemoglobin)

Appearance: Tall-ish but otherwise average in build, skin tone varies from tan to pale.

Average Lifespan (with caveats)

Time to Adulthood: 19.8 years (27.5 full brain development)

Average Height

Background

The Homo Sapiens Sapiens-Grandio is a hybrid subspecies of the Sapiens and Grandio. Sapiens-Grandio can be best described as a 'watered-down' Grandio, for both good and bad. They don't live as long or sleep as little as Grandio, but they don't have the same propensity for rapid obesity or severe sickness.

Most Sapiens-Grandio live in Greater Martil, where opportunities for subspecies interbreeding is most frequent. Otherwise, most Sapiens-Grandio can be found across east Izizoz, Rhoan, and west Drahosic.

RUBRUM-GRANDIO "[UNDETERMINED]"

Species Names

Home Continent: Greater Martil

Ethnoreginoal Area: Continental Greater Martil

Species Traits

  • ++ Enduring: Slow aging rate, leading to long lifespans. (+30% lifespan)
  • + Brolic: High muscle mass, with around +20% greater strength on average.
  • / Chromatic Insulation: Additional stores of fat provide better protection against cold, but worse resistance to heat. The body also utilizes certain chromatic compounds to further improve cold protection.
  • / Taller: Marginally taller on average.
  • / Moderate Chromatic Irises: Considerable variety and vibrancy in eye color.
  • - Slow Maturation: Noticeably longer time to reach adulthood. (+10% maturation time)
  • - Heavy: Gains weight easier, and generally struggles to lose it.
  • - Disease-Prone: Weaker immune systems struggles against aggressive diseases. Has the side-effect of uncommon (and weaker) allergic reactions.

Blood Color: Bright Red (Chromatic Hemoglobin)

Appearance: Tall-ish and somewhat bulky, skin tone varies from light pink to red.

Average Lifespan (with caveats)

Time to Adulthood: 19.8 years (27.5 full brain development)

Average Height

Background

The Homo Sapiens Rubrum-Grandio is a hybrid subspecies of the Rubrum and Grandio. Rubrum-Grandio combines the longevity of Grandio and the strength of Rubrum. They are also more endurant than Rubrum, but lack the low sleep need of Grandio. They otherwise carry lesser drawbacks of the Grandio subspecies.

Most Rubrum-Grandio live in Greater Martil, where opportunities for subspecies interbreeding is most frequent. Otherwise, most Sapiens-Grandio can be found across east Drahosic.

EXTATRA-GRANDIO "[UNDETERMINED]"

Species Names

Home Continent: Greater Martil

Ethnoreginoal Area: Continental Greater Martil

Species Traits

  • + Lasting: High resilience to aging, enabling meaningfully longer lifespans. (+15% lifespan)
  • + Energetic: Reduced need for sleep, allowing for longer waits between rests or shorter sleeps. (-12.5% rest need, -1 hour rest/night)
  • + Deep Lungs: Can hold breath for much longer, and needs less oxygen in general.
  • / Smoothskin: Low amount of body hair.
  • / Chromatic Insulation: Additional stores of fat provide better protection against cold, but worse resistance to heat. The body also utilizes certain chromatic compounds to further improve cold protection.
  • / Taller: Marginally taller on average.
  • / Moderate Chromatic Irises: Considerable variety and vibrancy in eye color.
  • - Cancerous: Increased cancer risk.
  • - Heavy: Gains weight easier, and generally struggles to lose it.
  • - Disease-Prone: Weaker immune systems struggles against aggressive diseases. Has the side-effect of uncommon (and weaker) allergic reactions.

Blood Color: Bright Red (Chromatic Hemoglobin)

Appearance: Tall-ish and barrel-chested. Skin tone varies from tan to pale.

Average Lifespan (with caveats)

Time to Adulthood: 18 years (25 full brain development)

Average Height

Background

The Homo Sapiens Extatra-Grandio is a hybrid subspecies of the Extatra and Grandio. They are the shortest-lived of all Grandio hybrids, and also lack the slower maturation rate the other Grandio hybrids have.

Most Extatra-Grandio live in Greater Martil, where opportunities for subspecies interbreeding is most frequent. Otherwise, most Sapiens-Grandio can be found across far-west Drahosic.

ETRASI-GRANDIO "[UNDETERMINED]"

Species Names

Home Continent: Greater Martil

Ethnoreginoal Area: Continental Greater Martil

Species Traits

  • ++ Enduring: Slow aging rate, leading to long lifespans. (+30% lifespan)
  • + Energetic: Reduced need for sleep, allowing for longer waits between rests or shorter sleeps. (-12.5% rest need, -1 hour rest/night)
  • / Chromatic Insulation: Additional stores of fat provide better protection against cold, but worse resistance to heat. The body also utilizes certain chromatic compounds to further improve cold protection.
  • / Moderate Chromatic Irises: Considerable variety and vibrancy in eye color.
  • - Slow Maturation: Noticeably longer time to reach adulthood. (+10% maturation time)
  • -- Obesity-Prone: Gains weight much easier, and struggles to lose it. Careful management of calory intake is necessary to avoid obesity. Has the side-effect of being relatively resilient to starvation.

Blood Color: Bright Red (Chromatic Hemoglobin)

Appearance: Androgynous build, skin tone varies from very pale yellow to near-albinic. Some individuals have pointy ears.

Average Lifespan (with caveats)

Time to Adulthood: 19.8 years (27.5 full brain development)

Average Height

Background

The Homo Sapiens Etrasi-Grandio is a hybrid subspecies of the Bio-Etrasi and Grandio. Etrasi-Grandio primarily inherit from Grandio, though they are unique among the Grandio hybrids for not having a weak immune system.

Etrasi-Grandio are rare, due to the rarity of the Etrasi subspecies. A slight majority live in Greater Martil, with most of the rest living on Sinoshin.

LONIM-GRANDIO "[UNDETERMINED]"

Species Names

Home Continent: Greater Martil

Ethnoreginoal Area: Continental Greater Martil

Species Traits

  • +++ Venerable: Very slow aging, thus very long lifespans. (+50% lifespan)
  • + Energetic: Reduced need for sleep, allowing for longer waits between rests or shorter sleeps. (-12.5% rest need, -1 hour rest/night)
  • / Chromatic Insulation: Additional stores of fat provide better protection against cold, but worse resistance to heat. The body also utilizes certain chromatic compounds to further improve cold protection.
  • / Tall: Considerably taller on average.
  • / Moderate Chromatic Irises: Considerable variety and vibrancy in eye color.
  • - Slow Maturation: Noticeably longer time to reach adulthood. (+10% maturation time)
  • - Disease-Prone: Weaker immune systems struggles against aggressive diseases. Has the side-effect of uncommon (and weaker) allergic reactions.
  • -- Obesity-Prone: Gains weight much easier, and struggles to lose it. Careful management of calory intake is necessary to avoid obesity. Has the side-effect of being relatively resilient to starvation.

Blood Color: Bright Red (Chromatic Hemoglobin)

Appearance: Tall but otherwise average in build. Skin tone varies from tan to pale.

Average Lifespan (with caveats)

Time to Adulthood: 19.8 years (27.5 full brain development)

Average Height

Background

The Homo Sapiens Lonim-Grandio is a hybrid subspecies of the Lonim and Grandio. Similar to Etrasi-Grandio, they inherit heavily from Grandio - particularly in lifespan and weight retention. Otherwise, their traits are a less intense version of Grandio ones.

Most Lonim-Grandio live in either Greater Martil or east Rhoan. The majority of the remainder lives in the Buremoric-facing parts of east Drahosic.

CATEGORY: MISC

Other stuff that doesn't quite fit the other categories.

MULTINATIONAL TRADE AND TERRITORY ASSURANCE AGREEMENT

As to be expected of any aspiring superpower, the FoGM has its own political bloc. Known officially as the Multinational Trade and Territory Assurance Agreement (or MTTAA) and unofficially as the Grand Bloc, the bloc is, at least on its inception, primarily economic and defensive in nature.

Founded in 1958, the MTTAA to the FoGM is a way it can protect itself from other superpowers, rather than a means to power or influence. Loyalty to the MTTAA is also important to Greater Martil, and its rules and regulations have been structured to ensure members have little reason nor desire to leave. That is to say, the MTTAA offers strong benefits with few drawbacks.

Over the decades, the MTTAA's scope will expand. The development is as follows:

  • 1950s: Military Coordination & Open Trade; from the start, all members keep trade accessible to one-another, and their militaries will keep in contact to ensure the entire bloc can fight as one.
  • 1960s: Military Standardization; militaries begin to use Martil-designed equipment and ammunition, ensuring consistency and simplifying logistics.
  • 1970s: Environmental Cooperation; members begin to take measures to limit pollution and carbon emissions.
  • 1980s: Economic Integration & Measurement Standardization; improved trade rights and reduced barriers to companies establishing themselves in ally countries, also all countries begin to adopt the Martil measurement system.
  • 1990s: Enhanced Military Coordination & Enhanced Standardization; coordination is deepened, and more equipment is standardized.
  • 2000s: Common Language & Common Passports; Martix is adopted as a secondary language for all members (mandatory class in schools), and a member-country's citizens are free to move between other member-countries.
  • 2010s: Common Laws; drafting of regulations that affect all members is streamlined, allowing shared laws between all members.
  • 2020s: Enhanced Environmental Initiatives & Cybersecurity Standardization; major initiatives to further combat climate change and protect against cyberattacks.
  • 2030s: Unified Foreign Policy; closer governmental cooperation with one-another for both internal and external affairs.

MISCELLANEOUS MTTAA FACTS

The following is a list of unsorted factoids about the MTTAA not deserving of their own loredump.

  • Rhondon Dominion: Despite the FoGM being the bloc leader, the Gargolili Rhondon is the reserve currency of the MTTAA. It has been that way since almost the day the Gargolili joined; the Maril was briefly the unofficial reserve currency for a few years, and is afterwards really only used inside the FoGM.

FOGM ETHNICITIES

NOTE: Very WIP, open to ideas.

(FOGM) ENERGY INDEPENDENT, NOT FOSSIL FREE

Although the FoGM is slated to become carbon-neutral in terms of energy generation far earlier than other (including real-world) nations, they will not completely detach themselves from fossil fuels for some time to come; their fossil fuels usage will eventually dwindle, but not go away.

Petrochemical products are everywhere, and will have been everywhere even as the FoGM tries to transition away from them. Such products are simply essential for quality of life, from medicine to food preservatives to construction/engineering.

The FoGM will likely start along the route to decoupling themselves even from this in the 2030s, but no doubt we will not be seeing its completion.

CHROMATIC COMPOUNDS

A type of complex chemical originating from Greater Martil. They are a key part of most flora's cold resistant properties, and happen to be extremely colorful as well. They are the primary reason why Grandio hair and irises are as colorful as they are. Several red chromatic compounds also saturate their blood, which is why Grandio blood is so bright compared to most subspecies.

Without a diet rich in chromatic compounds, Grandio hair and eye color become similar to that of Sapiens, and they also become slightly less resistant to the cold.

LIFESPAN AWARDS

The oldest male (a Grandio) to ever live in the runtime of PlC gets to around 175. The oldest female Grandio to ever live gets to 183.

A SUMMARY OF ALL GREATER MARTILAN REGIONS

The FoGM has a total of 43 states, colloquially known as regions. Almost all regions were once independent states prior to the unification of the islands, the borders of which has not changed all that much in two millennia - numerous changes had happened, but most ended up reversed in the long-term.

Martil island is composed of three regions. It is both highly populous, and very wealthy.

  • Central Martil is the major region of Martil, and the beating heart of the country both economically and culturally. When people refer to Martil, they usually mean Central Martil.
  • North Martil is tied as the 2nd most propserous region, behind only Central Martil. Sometime in the 21st century, as a result of regional rights movements, it will be renamed to Vordil.
  • South Martil is tied with North Martil in prosperity. It will be eventually renamed to Rastil around the same time North Martil does so.

Zephil is mostly average and below average in both population and wealth, with inland regions primarily suffering from low prosperity.

  • Aefania is Zephil's major region. It had been an empire in decline prior to its assimilation into the FoGM. In modern times, it is a major industrial center and a key producer of processed agricultural goods.
    • It is also a major cultural exporter of fantasy literature.
  • West Iclia is the most prosperous region of Zephil, surpassing that of even Aefania. It is also the second most dense. It separated from its neighbor East Iclia millennia ago, the status quo between the two ancient countries set in amber with the unification of the islands.
    • It is a Reformist stronghold.
  • Boglia was in ancient times a merchant kingdom. Today, it is where the majority of civilian ships are manufactured, and one of the greatest contributors to the federal navy.
  • Nerolia is undetermined.
  • Tefoph is undetermined.
  • Zeroph is come to a large chain of mountains which split the region. Its economy is based on advanced agricultural refinement; turning locally-produced raw food into processed foods fit for consumption across the entire continent.
  • Zemor is undetermined.
  • Hesaria is undetermined.
  • Kaffoy is undetermined.
  • Perenia is a primarily agricultural economy, producing a variety of both summer and winter foods shipped across the country raw.
  • Jafinia is undetermined.
  • Tameria is undetermined.
  • Vasmia is a breadbasket region, with almost all its population dedicated to producing food.
  • Modafia is a breadbasket region, with most of its population dedicated to producing food. Its east is more urban, with weak industrial ability.
  • East Iclia is a poor region which in ancient times lorded over West Iclia. It has a rivalry with the aforementioned region, which has become friendlier in recent decades.
  • Iseria is a breadbasket region, with almost all its population dedicated to producing food. It is particularly reliant on importing from other regions.
  • Holaknilog is a former breakaway region of Greater Martil, taken back from Aetellia in the 1960s. It is the single most dense region of Greater Martil, and uniquely composed almost entirely of foreigners.

Kenit is average in terms of wealth, with most of its land occupied by its regional.

  • Eapoti is the major region of Kenit. It has since the 1950s been the primary destination for immigrants, making it over time the second most populous region. Its own capital city became primarily composed of non-Grandio by 2000.
  • Naroti is undetermined.
  • Cosalin is notable for having the largest of the minor islands of Greater Martil. More than half of its population lives on the island, with the mainland primarily dedicated to agriculture.
  • Itrolim is undetermined.

Accrio is predominantly above-average in population and wealth, in no small part due to long-term cooperation with Central Martil.

  • Fennia is a major region, and the least populous of the majors. It is primarily agricultural, and the #1 producer of winter crops. It is also a key crude oil processing region.
  • Suthel is undetermined.
  • Geranth is one of the most wealthy regions, having been one of the first to join Central Martil in the great unification. It is a Traditionalist stronghold, (relatively) minimally corrupt, and highly conformist all at once.
  • Nanthi is undetermined.
  • Iralia is undetermined.
  • Syratan is a semi-martial culture, and is notable for being one of the most difficult wars Central Martil had fought during the Era of Growth and also one of the most fiercely loyal regions today. A disproportionate number of elite military personnel come from the region.
  • Tytan is undetermined.

Avotin is a more or less even mix of well off, average, and poorer regions.

  • Onoy is arguably the most influential of the major regions. It is the birthplace of Onapmeith and its original perpetuator. While subjugated millennia ago, it remains a cultural powerhouse.
  • Oqomar is undetermined.
  • Yolamora is undetermined.
  • Qolad is undetermined.
  • Jimbory was, in ancient times, part of a superstate with Xaegestidan. It was forcefully separated by Central Martil upon forceful annexation into the continental hyperstate.
  • Xaegestidan was, in ancient times, part of a superstate with Jimbory. While it has been by all intents a separate region, it has remained culturally close with its neighbor for all its time as an autonomous region.
  • Marid is undetermined.
  • Ulaxetida is undetermined.
  • Narelqad is one of the poorest regions, and has been historically oppressed and then overshadowed by Yolamora and Oqomar.

Rotin is both rural and poor, becoming even moreso as one looks south.

  • Hiuat is undetermined.
  • Haimin is the most autonomous of the regions, and the only one which does not have an active nobility. It is instead lead exclusively by a regional council, which appoints a Ticil.
  • Hiji is the very least prosperous region, and uniquely home to an enduring independence movement - one which has erupted into secessionist revolt on many occasions across history. It has a strong individual identity, which has begun to waver in recent decades following the federal government becoming progressively more powerful.

CATEGORY: ASSORTED CLAIMS

Concepts from the real world that I claim ownership/control over.

TORTILLA

AKA the 'Tilla', a FoGM food made from boilgrain.

POPCORN

AKA 'Exploded Grain', a FoGM food made from boilgrain.

CATEGORY: TRAIT GLOSSARY

All currently-written traits. Non-exhaustive.

BANNED TRAITS

The following trait types are disallowed: