[hider][center][b]Nation Name:[/b] Zion [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Flag_of_Jerusalem.svg/1200px-Flag_of_Jerusalem.svg.png[/img][/center] [b]Government Type:[/b] Officially an Anarcho-Capitalist State, Zion may however as well be a Theocracy for all practical purposes. It seems weird to outsiders that there are no laws until one understands that there are in fact A LOT of them, but they are unspoken and unwritten, much like the punishment one might face if they break them voluntarily or accidentally. In short, the system is meritocratic, but one's good fortune is attributed to the generosity of Elohim or the Spirits upon him, this makes his authority somewhat enshrined but also gives him a duty toward those under him, a factory boss is thus in some ways a Father figure for all of his employees. He isn't required by law to provide say, health care to his employees, but if he doesn't he will be judged unworthy of his status and at best, won't even be able to hire a starving beggar for twice the market rate to work for him or at worst, simply disappear and considering there is no police, you can be sure no one will ever discover what happened to the man. This is the core of the 'Industrio-Theological Complex' of Zion: Men of powers are blessed shepherds and priests, this insures that despite the hyper capitalist nature of Zion, it remains one of the polities in Eden with the most equality as at most a prosperous capitalist is expected to have a house only moderately bigger than that of his employees lest he be shamed and loses everything. As for whom should a foreign power speak to parlay with Zion as a whole, the mechanisms are obscure but they always manage to present a 'Speaker' for the greater collective that will represent the interests the interests of both the Lodges and the Groves (Read the History for more information on those). [b]Demographics:[/b] [i]-36% Humans, Members of a Lodge:[/i] Also called 'Masons', the Lodges are corporations and generally work in what is considered more... 'ethereal' industries. Finances mostly and other jobs that don't involve the creation or study of anything physical. Stereotyped as educated and urban. [i]-44% Humans, Members of a Grove[/i] While heavily influenced by Judahism, members of the Groves more closely associate with Celt culture and faith, taking pride in their personal crafts and abilities to make something 'real', this also include a vast part of the artists. [i][url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/2b/cb/262bcb17413d41c72b622e5c6fcb4f35.jpg]-9% Druids[/url][/i] Cybernetic augmentations are frowned upon for religious reasons but genetic engineering is considered to be one of Elohim's tools given to men for self betterment. While most in Zion use this for minor things like cosmetics, medical and de-aging procedures, some more radical Groves decided to make themselves more attuned to the nature of their new worlds. These are usually woodsmen or farmers, having jobs keeping them close to the nature with which they do the most to live in cohabitation with, but also include some of the most genius geneticists of the cluster, able to change humans in incredible ways while following the golden rule: To be considered human, the modified subject must be able to procreate with his fellow man and have viable offsprings. [i]-7% Golems[/i] Automatons made to serve, they are employed to do the most dangerous jobs but are becoming more and more widely available to the joy or consternation of many who have different thoughts about the impact they are likely to have on society. [i][url=https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/7f282e2a-b128-4b5e-ba1a-a88096d0ab85/d7uibvo-cb1f2c52-1a76-4374-9fa7-22664aa65cd0.png/v1/fill/w_787,h_1015,q_70,strp/the_cave_dwellers_by_gcrev_d7uibvo-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTA4NSIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzdmMjgyZTJhLWIxMjgtNGI1ZS1iYTFhLWE4ODA5NmQwYWI4NVwvZDd1aWJ2by1jYjFmMmM1Mi0xYTc2LTQzNzQtOWZhNy0yMjY2NGFhNjVjZDAucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTg0MiJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.SrsfgNI5UPigzroSBq2nW8RH7rFtjxc2ChnOajH2ifA]-4% Broxa[/url][/i] The natives of the world of Ascalon, they were initially hostile to humans and had meso-american technological levels, but were completely crushed. With no other choice, they have begun integrating in human society. [b]Leadership:[/b] [i]The Cabal:[/i] Also called the 'Good old boys club', the Cabal is an unofficial gathering of the most powerful corporations of Zion who act as the 'invisible hand' that guides Zion by interpreting the will of Elohim and the Spirits. It is an invite only club where the grand old Lodges are over represented compared to the less stable Groves. [b]Economy:[/b] Zion benefits heavily from its location in the core world and its total lack of laws, able to trade for great profits since the population is so united in purpose that foreign goods, even if significantly cheaper, will rarely find buyers if a Zion alternative is available, no matter how much more expensive. Likewise it benefits from its absolute banking secret and a total lack of remorse when it comes with dealing with outsiders. They have only one word, but it is wide to remember that the Fleets of Zion are an extension of its banks. Surprisingly, Ascalon, the capital world of Zion, has remained quite green thank to the natural ecological concerns of the Groves and it still maintains a lot of farms, more than enough to feed itself and export some of its output to its neighbors while being closer than the midrim worlds. [b]Military:[/b] Corporations are the basic civil units of Zion but also its basic military unit. Each factory is expected to form a militia, each town form a militia district with a Captain Elect and all vote for Zion's Protector Elect who is in charge of the overall organization. The overwhelming amount of Zion's forces are thus local forces that know their terrain extremely well but who are still quite competent due to yearly drills and competition of marksmanship and the likes though they are nearly impossible to concentrate for offensive purpose. For offensive purpose, Zion relies on numerous professional mercenary corporations that when they aren't being paid by the Cabal to do whatever it is they are required to do, work for foreign powers for pay, insuring a somewhat low combat readiness but also a small, well equipped, well trained and experienced combat hardened army. In space however, while historically Zion had the same method, they opted for centralized control after the quasi-pirate war some years ago when they were almost invaded for hosting so many lawless vessels who didn't have many ways to profit from their big guns. Thus was born the Zealot Fleet, financed by the cabal as a whole rather than by individual corporations as to insure no individual or Groves or Lodges could become too powerful within the organization of the fleet. The fleet is still a mercenary institution specializing in debt collection for the banks but still it provides Zion with protection. [b]History:[/b] Israel decided to build the 3rd Temple in Jerusalem and almost immediately after the arrival of the brown dwarf was announced, this caused massive splits in the faith as some argued Yahweh was punishing the Jews for this act. Among the splinters of the faith were the followers of Isaak Rothstein who was believed to be the new Messiah who would guide the tribes of israel through another great exile to another promised land for the true believers. Isaak was a high profile American Free Mason who used his connections to build an Ark. Among his connections were his good friend Patrick O’Ceallaigh who himself dreamed of Celtic revival as it was gaining traction in during the 'Second European Pagan Awakening'. They thus built their Ark and the two groups moved together to the stars and would during their travel influence one another greatly, forming a common myth by the time they arrived to the Promised Land and established the Fourth Temple. In short, they see themselves as the two tribes, one forming the Lodges of Stone and Gold worshiping the one God Elohim while the other regrouped in the Groves, taking care of them and worshiping Elohim's spirits. Notably however is their corporate heritage as strong as their religious one viewing with suspicion the tyranny of government and worst, taxes. In Zion, your business is your own as long as you follow the traditions as they are. This made for a prosperous financial faction within the sector that is non the less filled with mystery. The early history of Zion in the sector was considered to be idyllic and also quite rural, based on a more even distribution of people and economic activities on Ascalon, each people being able to afford a house and some land, but the increasing population made the core world more populous and begin to look outward for prosperity, establishing some colonies in the system of New Judea and Moses. This increase in space activities also came with an increase of piracy from Zion who didn't condemn this kind of activity when it was inflicted upon others. This culminated in what is known across the sector as the FIRST PIRATE WAR but to Zion as THE HUMILIATION. Piracy had become such a huge business that an industry had developed around it, people investing in raids in exchange for a share of the revenues. Risky, but often highly profitable. The occasional corsair work had been tolerated by the people around the cluster since it wasn't so common in the scale of things, but the professionalization of Piracy had made Zion a veritable plague on the core worlds, contributing largely in the militarization of the Federation of CCN along with the formation of ATLAS. These 3 powers united to fight piracy and went to the source, Zion and its core planet of Ascalon. The invasion didn't go without an itch, the decentralized nature of Zion forced the allied force to conquer the planet city by city, town by town, each time facing a determined opponent well entrenched in a land it knew perfectly and well equipped and trained with light weapons. One cannot win anything by defending however. The powers that be noticed the enemy was not stopped by the grit of the defenders, only annoyed and would no doubt turn to 'other' methods to secure victory. Some spoke of destroying the Fourth Temple, captured in the first days of the invasion, as a way to demoralize the Zionists. Said powers that be knew it would only make things worst but they had to accept there was no way to win and thus exerted their influence to negotiate peace. A truce was negotiated and eventually peace was formalized, at a cost. From then on, Zion's course was changed forever, the anarchic commune realizing the incredible power of a central authority could not be ignored. In the military the reforms were obvious, the creation of a Protector Elect office in charge of a united military and the centralization of the various pirate flottillas into a unique Zealot Fleet were the most important, but this had a deep impact in the civilian world too who saw the need for some authority, some invisible hand to direct the course of society. This took the form of the Cabal, an unofficial gathering of powerful individuals nudging things along to make sure no individual actions hurt the collective and what happened never happen again. [b]Characters:[/b] [url=https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/d3fcefb7-115e-4fad-b24a-81b5ba2a8dcc/d7vao3z-009438bb-16a4-4ca5-befe-0327f0ac1e92.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2QzZmNlZmI3LTExNWUtNGZhZC1iMjRhLTgxYjViYTJhOGRjY1wvZDd2YW8zei0wMDk0MzhiYi0xNmE0LTRjYTUtYmVmZS0wMzI3ZjBhYzFlOTIucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.ruJuc0LdEzKvGtwh1xioDcu1q7UTTySt8yNsVrft47k]-Protector Elect Gaël Cadoc: [/url] The ever popular Mercenary Captain and explorer, he may be the elected leader of the militias but the Lodges and Groves never miss an opportunity to remember him that he is only the head of the military and not of Zion despite how many confused foreigner believe otherwise. [url=https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0c66a4ab-74bb-4c67-8e88-31785a0ceb9c/d3d7iy5-f49dd418-b96a-4c0e-8821-1ac05264eb87.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzBjNjZhNGFiLTc0YmItNGM2Ny04ZTg4LTMxNzg1YTBjZWI5Y1wvZDNkN2l5NS1mNDlkZDQxOC1iOTZhLTRjMGUtODgyMS0xYWMwNTI2NGViODcuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.EHIj0zinSc-PQUyNes0qkwQM__pnArfaWfmo9HzS7UQ]-The Wise Elijah Rothstein: [/url] One of the CEO of the 12 Banks of Zion of interstellar importance, he is known as an important financier at both corporate and state level, frequently traveling and being an unofficial diplomat for the Cabal offering the boons and collecting the dues of the Temple Bank.[/hider]