[b]Name of Nation:[/b] The Totalist State [b]Banner/Flag:[/b] [img]http://orig04.deviantart.net/c855/f/2015/321/c/b/flag_of_the_united_technocracies_of_man_by_rvbomally-d9h0ehr.png[/img] [i]Credits go to RvBomally[/i] [hider=Government] [b]Type of Government[/b]: Totalitarian Single-Party State. [b]Summary:[/b] The Totalist doctrine preaches the total submission of the individual towards the aggrandizement of the State and Party. Only through total compliance to the "Grand Plan" of the Party the State will be able to triumph against its myriad enemies. With the end of the Fourth Great Hydarnian War and the destruction of the People's Republic of Cymelia and the Grand Federation of New Albion, the Party is now desperately looking for a new enemy to demonize. In the same vein, the Party has also started to slightly modify its ideological basis to absorb some ideological concepts from both Albion and Cymelia. That way, making it easier to absorb and assimilate the populations of the other two authoritarian regimes. More recently, as in a few centuries ago, the radical wing of the Party has come up with the concept of Obliteration of the Self. Arguing that it's the individual that causes conflicts and problems with his greed and ambition, the theorists propose a sweeping campaign to eliminate this obstacle. Through education, cultural control or brute force. To further advance the idea, the Anti-Individualist faction has also managed to force a series of localized reforms, creating several "testing grounds" for their social control projects in scattered planets across the State. The Totalist government is divided into directorates. Each one is in charge of an aspect of the administration and is usually divided into smaller sub-directorates for more specialized areas. Each director is part of the Board of directors, who is officially tasked with helping the Supreme Director in running the State. Since the real Supreme Director died centuries ago, the directors themselves run the show. With the most influential of them being the one to call the shots. [b]Leader(s):[/b] Director Aleksandr Dollabela-Rybaslky. Generalissimo of the State and head of the Directorate of Peace. [img]http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/killzone/images/e/e6/Admiral_Orlok.jpg.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20110214160826&format=webp[/img] The current Director of Peace, Aleksandr Dollabela-Rybalsky is the scion of a prominent Upper Party family. His mother was a respected commander of several prison planets while his father was a General of the Black Banner. With this background, the expectations over the young Aleksandr were huge. The pressure to not only match but surpass his parents was the main driving force behind his rise through the ranks of the Directorate of Peace. Combining hard work and canny politicking, the young Aleksandr managed to make a name for himself during the last stages of the Unification Wars. Gradually amassing political influence, allies and proteges, Aleksandr eventually won the power struggle that followed the death of the previous Director of Peace. The following purge was surprisingly lenient by Totalist standards. [b]Persons of Importance:[/b] -Director Khoorli Aprayat, Head of the Directorate of Production. -Director Leandra Fianecci, Head of the Directorate of Truth. -Director Sapramat Tanzin, Head of the Directorate of Safety. There are other directors but their power and influence are limited compared to the top players [/hider] [hider=Demographics and Culture] [b]Species(s) and Demographics:[/b] The bulk of the Totalist population is human, 90% to be exact. And while the official Party line has nothing outright against Xenos, they are still among the most used boogeymen by the State propaganda machine. Because of this, the general attitude towards Xenos is one of distrust and subdued animosity. Said animosity can be wiped into a frenzied hate at a moment's notice by propaganda. With that said, the final victory against the immediate enemies of the Party has given the State a considerable increase in its human population. Unfortunately, these elements of society have been raised and indoctrinated outside the ideals of Totalism. And while the Party has adopted some trappings of Salvationist Communism and Darwinist Autarky to its ideological framework and co-opted considerable sectors of its former enemies' state apparatus, it still hasn't been enough for them to be deemed fully integrated. And so, in the new territories, even years after the end of the war, the extermination camps and death squads are still working around the clock to eliminate all undesirable elements of society. Besides humanity, a host of minor Xeno species live within Totalist territory. Most of these species confined to a single system or even continent. Ruled by puppet leaders advised by Totalist officers and kept purposefully primitive relative to the State. In times of war these Xenos fight side by side with the Totalist army, as cannon fodder or rearguard personel. [b]Religion Description and Demographics:[/b] Official Party doctrine dictates that religion is a parasite that must be purged for the success of the Grand Plan. In practice however the situation is different. Major religions, specially those originating in foreign states, are relentlessly purged by the Directorate of Security. But several faiths and philosophies deemed "safe" by the Party are allowed to exist. And so are mostly ignored by the Cultural Commissars. But like with everything else within the State, the smallest slip or wrong word can doom an entire community to ignominious death in the basement of a slaughterhouse. Paramount among the approved faiths is the so called "Pain Vehicle". An offshoot of Buddhism born in the bloody and chaotic days of the Imperial collapse, the Pain philosophy (as it is more commonly known) was created by the then newly-installed Buddhist theocracy of Gyala. Unable to alleviate the suffering around them, the monks instead accepted the ultimate truth that the Universe wants people to suffer. And if that's the case then suffering must be what brings enlightenment, specially if one accepts such suffering without resistance. Likewise, those who inflict suffering are seen in a very positive light since they help others achieve enlightenment faster at the cost of delaying their own escape from the cycle of death and rebirth. In the Gyalan Protectorate, which remains a theocracy to this day, albeit a puppet of the Totalists, monks and nuns practice extreme forms of sadomasochism. Torturing themselves, their novices, their fellow clergy and the helpless local population, who has been raised to believe that this torture is actually a glorious reward. The Pain Vehicle also does not believes that living beings have individual souls. Preaching instead that all life is merely a rogue vessel for the parts of a single soul of the same cosmic spirit. This has earned them some points with the radical Totalists as both groups despise the concept of individuality and self. In the Totalist State proper, the Pain philosophy lacks its elaborate temple-fortress and highly organized clergy, the Party must maintain appearances after all. But this hasn't stopped the ideology from finding some fertile ground among the population. Specially those in the armed forces and security apparatus. Of course, one can't talk about religion in the Totalist State without mentioning the Party itself and its official doctrine. Which by this point has become akin to a religion itself. Specially in its blind veneration to the Supreme Director, the supposed founder of the Totalist State and the one to create the "Grand Plan", a series of complex, confusing and often times contradictory ideals. Ignored by the Party leadership unless its convenient for them or completely misunderstood or even unknown to the wider population. In general the Grand Plan is merely used as a propaganda slogan these days. The Anti-Individualist faction takes the Party Doctine one step further. With an even greater focus on the strength and righteousness of the group while further condemning and demonizing the individual. In the planets controlled by the Anti-Individualists, concepts such as family are completely unknown. Conception happens in vitro, in large facilities with material harvested from the population of breeding age and combined ostensibly to get the best results out of the combined genetics. Children are raised in communal centers and separated as they grow. To receive specialized education according to their designated "caste". Chosen based on the results show during their early stages of education. [b]Culture[/b]: Totalist culture is in general a very utilitarian one. Centuries of Party control and the relentless work of the Cultural Commissars have created a society molded by the Totalist ideals of complete submission to the Party, where one's worth is judged solely by how much he or she is able to contribute to the State. Or at least in theory, in general a member of the upper echelons of the party has access to much more resources and amenities than a mere worker, regardless of their actual "utility". The State is present in all aspects of life within Totalist space, either through constant propaganda or surveillance. Privacy is considered an obstacle to most and the Directorate of Safety maintains a colossal network of informants, agents and machinery to spy upon its own citizenry. To ensure their compliance. Such is their control that the black market itself is merely another facet of the Directorate of Safety, ensuring that the truly subversive material stays out of reach of the masses and that any potentially dangerous elements are (even more) closely watched by the security apparatus. On the same vein, the Directorate also maintains several small resistance groups led by double agents, to give the Party a boogeyman when needed and catch any would be rebels. Overall, Totalist society is rather conservative. Clothing consists of drab and dull mass produced pieces. Even military and Party uniforms remain somber and subdued no matter how high in the hierarchy, though they tend to be of much higher quality than the usual citizen jumpsuit. Likewise, hair is usually kept short by both men and women. Likewise, possession and use of "decadent goods" such as makeup and perfume are considered crimes punishable with decades of forced labor in the camps. Architecture is also very utilitarian, built to be sturdy and to last without care for aesthetics or appearance. The only exception are government buildings and monuments. Those are also supposed to impress and cow the masses into submission. Cities are dotted with statues and monuments glorifying the Party and representing the ideals of Totalism. Smiling workers, eager peasants and stern-faced soldiers represented in steel and granite are the norm. Besides the Supreme Director himself, very few actual individuals are immortalized by the Party. Mostly due to the Totalist's disdain for "individual selfishness" in favor of the "strength of the collective". Food is mostly of the processed and canned variety. Other kinds of meal are available but they cost so many ration cards that only the Upper Party can afford them consistently. In most rural areas however, most citizens do possess at least a small private garden to supplement their diet. Healthcare is focused on keeping the citizens productive and breeding. And its not uncommon for workers and soldiers to receive some genetic or cybernetic modification to make them more useful. Regardless of their consent. "Aberrant" behaviour isn't tolerated by the State, with aberrant being anything that doesn't conforms to the official Party line or isn't passively tolerated. Homosexuals, members of persecuted religions, criminals, political dissidents or merely the losing side of political struggles may, if lucky, end up in mental asylums and reeducation camps. Though chances are one probably ends up in a work or extermination camp. Entertainment-wise, the Party has created the Cultural Sub-Directorate to monitor and control what the people may do for fun. The Sub-Directorate does its duty by fielding literal legions of Cultural Commissars tasked with creating, censoring and monitoring pieces of entertainment and art. As a matter of fact, most artists within the State are in the payroll of the Sub-Directorate. To make their job easier, the Sub-Directorate has built millions of "Collective Interaction Centres" across the State. These complexes offer a wide variety of activities for citizens of all ages and classes. All under the watchful eyes and cameras of the Cultural Commissars. Besides the activities approved and promoted by the Cultural Commissars, there are also a host of things that the Sub-Directorate does not concerns itself with. And these are specially popular among the lower classes, if only for the chance to get away from the overbearing presence of a Cultural Commissar. There are several planets and systems within Totalist space that are under control of the Anti-Individualist faction of the Party. Officially designated as "social experimentation planets", these worlds are playgrounds for the radicals. Places where their ideals are implemented and perfected. Places where the Obliteration of Self, destruction of family structure and divisions among "caste stereotypes" are in full swing. For them, this is their chance to show the undeniable superiority of their ideas. [/hider] [hider=History] The Eastern Fringe of the Galaxy was always a contentious region. Initially settled by adventuring spirits and ambitious pioneers, by the time the Imperium first started to expand into the region, the area was occupied by a patchwork of petty states, warlords and alien races. Some of which were actually descendants of refugees fleeing the growth of the Imperium. Without a single cohesive entity or coalition capable of facing them, the Imperium gradually conquered the Fringe in a series of military campaigns over the period of a couple centuries, the area being too far and low priority at the time to merit the allocation of larger forces. But while the conquest went well, occupation was an entirely different matter. The distance from the Imperial Core and relative backwardness of the region ensured that there was almost always something higher in the Imperium's priority for them to divert the necessary resources to fully integrate the region. Exceptions to the rule were few and far between, usually during periods of prolonged peace and prosperity. But even then the Fringe was never fully assimilated. When the Imperium fractured, the Fringe was one of the first regions to descend into anarchy as Imperial forces either abandoned the area to join the succession war or turned into warlords, fighting against each other and the locals for domination. It was during this period that the Totalist Party first caught the attention of the wider Galaxy. One of the many factions that managed to eke out an existence just outside the Imperium's borders, the Totalists saw the collapse of the Imperium as their chance to expand. Losing no time they dived right into the mess. 60 years later, the Fringe saw itself locked into a death struggle between three major factions: The Totalist State, the People's Republic of Cymelia and the Republic of Albion. Three repressive dictatorships with their own brand of Totalitarism. This deathly struggle of ever shifting alliances made sure that neither of the three powers was able to give any attention to the wider Galaxy. Eventually, after almost a century of conflict, the Totalists managed to gain the upper hand after allying with a weakened Albion against Cymelia. The People's Republic fell and soon after the Totalists turned against Albion too. But this peace would not last, for just as the Totalists were mopping up the last Albion remnants, their northern territories started to be harassed by the Agonis Collective. Initially little attention was given to the issue as the Board of Directors severely underestimated the extent of the Collective's power. The low intensity warfare against the Collective lasted for about a decade before the machines finally launched a dedicated attack against the State. Catching the Totalists somewhat by surprise, still busy erasing the last traces of their hated enemies, but at the same time giving them an actual enemy to fuel their ideology of total war. [/hider] [b]Military[/b]: The Totalist armed forces, under overall control of the Directorate of Peace has two major subdivisions: The Totalist Army and the Totalist Navy. [b]-The Totalist Army: [/b] [hider=The Totalist Army] Originally a horde of screaming highly untrained conscripts, hundreds of minor and major conflicts have transformed the Totalist Army into an actual army instead of an angry mob. The current doctrine of the Totalist Army, formalized shortly before the Fourth Hycarnian War, emphasizes the sheer size of the hosts the Totalist State can bring to bear, whether it is in a massed mechanized offensive or inside lines upon lines of fortifications. Totalist Doctrine places great emphasis in the concept of "breakthrough exploitation". In general this means using the vast numbers of mechanized and armored forces to engage the enemy line in several different points. Overwhelming their defenses with carefully planned attacks and diversionary actions supported by staggering amounts of firepower. Once the breakthrough is achieved in one or more sectors, the reserves are unleashed into the gap with the purpose of penetrating deep into enemy lines and destroy their ability to sustain the front, striking into their logistical support chain and depriving them of reinforcements, relief or supply. For the High Command, tactical and local defeats are more than acceptable as long as victory is achieved in the strategic and operational levels. Totalist equipment is designed with reliability and simplicity in mind. So that it may be more easily mass produced by the State's industrial park. It is the consensus among the Directorate of Peace that the soldiers need decent equipment to do their job, and nothing else. Likewise, vehicle and aircraft designs are rugged-looking machines, mass produced and extremely resilient. The Totalist Army also prides itself in the wide array of weapons of mass destruction at its disposal. Chemical, radioactive and biological agents are being constantly improved by the Totalist scientists to ensure that no countermeasure can protect the enemies of the State. Doctrine dictates that these agents are nevertheless better used against civilian populations due to their greater vulnerability and the strain that it will cause to the enemy infrastructure. Manpower-wise, the Totalist Army is fed by a system of rotational conscription. With hordes of men and women drafted yearly for a three year term of service, with the option of permanent service after the term is up. Those who choose to stay may even be sent to military academies and the path to officialdom alongside volunteers and children of Party members. [img]http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/killzone/images/3/39/1hfKILLZONE-3_17.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130416054219[/img] [i]Totalist Conscripts[/i] An exception to the "good enough" rule are the Black Banner Regiments. The elite of the Totalist Army, equipped with only the best in term of equipment and soldiery. The high training standards compounded with extensive cybernetic and genetic enhancements and top of the line equipment makes the Black Banner the best fighting force at the disposal of the Totalist State. [img]http://pre08.deviantart.net/8713/th/pre/f/2015/277/7/7/the_panzersoeldner___light_up_dieselpunk_armor_by_twohornsunited-d9byt5a.jpg[/img] [i]A Black Banner trooper[/i] The Party maintains its control over the Army through the use of several classes of political officers. Whose duties range from motivating and indoctrinating the troops to ensuring the loyalty of commanders in the field. However, unlike the early days of the State, Field Commissars no longer have the authority to override all orders from the regular army officers. To support the regular army forces, the Totalist State also fields a host of penal units. Forcefully conscripted from work camps and disgraced military personnel, these units are always the vanguard of Totalist advance. Serving for little else besides clearing up the way and absorbing enemy fire. [img]http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2009/5/24/1133_md-Artwork%2C%20Copyright%20Games%20Workshop%2C%20Imperial%20Guard%2C%20Penal%20Battalion%2C%20Retro%20Review.jpg[/img] [i]Penals on the charge[/i] Besides the penal units, the Totalist Army is oftentimes supported by the armed forces of its puppet states. These minor polities (controlling a couple of systems at most) are incapable of fielding forces on the same quality as the Totalist State both due to the lack of resources and the Totalists' own policy of keeping their puppets weak. As a result these armies are of inferior quality compared to their Totalist counterparts and are instead used either as cannon fodder or for rearguard duties. On the field, the Totalist Army organizes its forces in a system of Operational Theaters, composed of Army Groups, composed by singular armies, composed of corps and so on. Finally, the State also fields a sizable militia force. Armed with the army's leftover and receiving some light training, the Totalist Guard isn't by any means an offensive force. Useful only for supporting the army in the defense of their homes. [/hider] [b]The Totalist Navy [/b] [hider=The Totalist Navy] The Totalist Navy reflects the longstanding Totalist policy of not worrying about the Galaxy at large. A defensively focused force, for most of its history the navy was completely focused on fighting against its regional enemies of Albion and Cymelia. Who, for a long time actually had the upper hand in space, which forced the Totalist State to adopt a defensive mindset. As the Totalist industrial power grew, the navy was expanded. Like the army, the Totalist ships were supposed to be both cheap and reliable. Due to the defensive mindset of the Totalist Admirals, it was decided to sacrifice the operational range of the ships. So as to compensate in other areas, such as shielding and long range weaponry, and to lessen the costs. Even when the balance of power in the Unification Wars shifted in favour of the State, the relatively close distances between Totalist bases and their enemies ensured that the Directorate of Peace didn't do much to change the fact that Totalist ships have low operational range. Another hallmark of the Totalist Navy is the Floating Fortress. A ship of colossal size capable of acting as carrier, transport and battleship, the Floating Fortress is an expensive and complex craft to manufacture. As such only the largest shipyards are capable of building and maintaining one. The original purpose of the Fortresses was to act as a mobile support base, to give the navy some more operational range. Though they have evolved beyond this role. Offensive naval operations are thoroughly planned affairs. Advance routes have to picked in a way to allow the naval groups to remain able to be supplied. Depots, repair stations and supply lines have to be carefully planned, established and maintained. And if a Floating Fortress is involved in the operation, the effort has to be redoubled. In general the Totalist Navy prefers long distance fights, trusting its superior shields and numbers to destroy the enemy on the other side of the solar system before moving in to support the planetary invasion. It should also be noted that the Totalist Navy also fields its own marine component and a prestigious engineer corps. Both created with the purpose of securing and repairing enemy space infrastructure. Or building up things from the ground up, in the case of the engineers. [/hider]