• Nobles of Null is a forum based roleplay site where sci-fi and magic collide. Here, Earth remains fractured and divided despite humanity reaching out to the stars. Worse still, the trans-human slaves of one major power have escaped, only to establish their own Empire, seething with resentment at abuses of the past. Even the discovery of aliens, though medieval in development, has failed to rally these squabbling children of Earth together with its far darker implications. Worse still, is the discovery of the impossible - magic. Practiced by the alien locals, nearly depleted and therefore rare, its reality warping abilities remains abstract and distant to the general populace. All the while, unseen in the darkness of space, forces from without threaten to press in. For those with eyes opened by insight, it is clear that an era is about to end, and that a new age will dawn.

Political Situation on Zhuque Between the HFR and the Aos Si

Ray of Meep

Administrator
Wiki Moderator
First, some historical background. The HFR is made of a people deeply paranoid of two things: one is the Daqinren, whose predecessors were directly responsible for the decapitation of the PRC, indirectly responsible for the power vacuum conflicts and millions of deaths afterwards.

Two are themselves. The HFR's history is largely Chinese history, and Chinese history is largely a cycle of rises and falls of imperial states that subjugated their neighbors, the end of each state resulting in mass conflict and suffering. After the fall of the PRC, the people of the HFR took a good, hard look back and collectively decided that the cycle should end. This involved not only a political shift, but a cultural shift as well.

In Li Ming especially, the visible public consensus is that the government should do everything in its power to avoid the bigotry and suppression of minority groups that characterized the PRC, both towards those within the human species, and out towards other species, particularly the Aos Si. There is discrimination towards artificial life, but that's a discussion elsewhere. All this entailed an active uplift program to bring Aos Si up to modern technological standards and integration into their society economically, culturally, and politically. Several sovereign Aos Si nations were also recognized on the planet, but the HFR continues to maintain absolute supremacy in space.

There are several side-effects to this arrangement. While the HFR holds onto its current territory on the planet, expansion is difficult, due to internal resistance and from the Aos Si, making development costs higher than if they could just expand into new lands. Research into Aos Si archaeology has also been slow and cumbersome, requiring Aos Si permission that is uncommonly granted, given the Aos Si's justified wariness of humans.

A side-effect for the Aos Si is the HFR's reluctance to aid in the settlement of disputes between Aos Si meaningfully, citing the Aos Si's right to determine their own fate as a species. While the HFR does provide humanitarian and technological aid, there is no military, peacekeeping efforts. This has allowed two Aos Si nations in particular to rise and dominate their smaller neighbors. One is the United Erinun States (Eri-nun), which embraced technological modernization and political liberalization the earliest, solidifying its hold on its territory and holding soft power over the other, smaller Aos Si groups. The other is the Ethuhin Hierarchy (Ethu-hin), a largely orthodox state that subjugated its neighbors through sheer size and manpower.

The two powers in the Aos Si space have largely stayed out of each other's away, given that they are on two separate continents connected by a relatively small land bridge, but have recently, (a couple of decades ago) started small, proxy skirmishes as the UES encroached into Ethuhin sphere of influence, resulting in one sided victories for the UES' allies, due to the UES' technological superiority. In a panic, the Ethuhin Hierarchy has sought to modernize to catch up, resulting in cultural and political turmoil within the state.
 

Ray of Meep

Administrator
Wiki Moderator
Much to the displeasure of arms manufacturers in the CoD, the human government prohibits any and all arms exports to the Aos Si nations. That hasn't stopped work arounds though. For great price, individual Aos Si nations have hired skilled human gunsmiths to create weapons directly in their territories. The black market is also a source for infantry firearms and low-tech, heavy munitions, including rockets and missiles, even PRC-era armored vehicles.
 
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