Antarctica, Earth Orbit, And Beyond
The world developed and changed rapidly during the 1990s and the early 21st century, as the technological and ideological arms-race continued between the East and West, each desperate to claim the 'high ground' over the other. More and more frontiers were pushed and expanded, leading to mankind venturing and inhabiting places beyond terra firma itself.

And in the wake of the Heavenfall, as Earth's global climate changed as the ice caps and polar ice retreated and melted. For the first time, the barren territory of the Antarctic became moderately more hospitable to human life and exploration, resulting in new opportunities for those in a place to take advantage of them.

The Antarctic
While still the most inhospitable place on the Earth's surface, Antarctica has undergone a period of rapid thawing after the shift to the Earth's axis of rotation as a result of the Heavenfall, and the global temperature increase. While this has not completely melted or removed all of the ice that coats the continent, it has changed the weather patterns enough, especially in some of the more outlying coastal peninsulas, that human habitation is a realistic prospect, much like in the farthest northern reaches of places like Canada, Alaska or the Scandinavian countries, albeit with very little in the way of resources. However, even these are being transplanted.
This has caused international consternation, as it is against previously signed and agreed treaties, but the Argentine government - the only nation to attempt the scheme so far, and the one that devised it - have continued with their experiment, and the community is slowly growing. The Argentinian government has shown willing to protect their claim to the region, and for the moment it remains the only permanently civilian inhabited part of the Antarctic.
Exploratory surveying has taken place, and there have been rumours of mineral wealth and resources beneath the Antarctic crust, as well as possible oil and natural gas reserves, but so far no attempts at extraction have been made, due to the fears of international recrimination. However, the Argentinian government is guarding the exact nature of its' activities and who is involved in them very closely, and has dissuaded and intercepted attempts at overflights and reconaissance and intelligence gathering.

Earth Orbit
During the Cold War, both the Eastern and Western powers, as well as the PRC and many others were all aware of the strategic importance of space assets. At first it was surveillance and reconnaissance satellites, but then countermeasures to those satellites and to sub-orbital ICBM's became a concern, alongside the ability to monitor the space programs and their activities of their rivals.
While the US Space Agency remained primarily a civilian entity, it did co-operate extensively with the US Air Force, and in turn other members of NATO and the Western powers had their own space programs, albeit lesser developed and extensive than the US one.
A manned space station was launched in the late 1990's following the Skylab program of earlier decades. Unlike Skylab, this new station was a much larger, modular construction, built up with numerous modules of various purposes, and with international co-operation in both crew and construction.
This station, named 'Freedom', was purely scientific, and indeed; Russian cosmonauts were welcomed to inspect the station on several notable occasions.
However, the second space-station, 'Silver Tower' was a purely military installation. Born out of the 'Star Wars' defence program, Silver Tower also featured the first nuclear reactor in orbit, which was used to power the solid-state laser built into the station. This laser was capable of intercepting ballistic missiles or other objects in orbit, and even in the upper atmosphere. It's more critical and important 'weapon' however, was a massive radar array that was capable of tracking objects across a huge portion of the Earth's surface at a time and relaying this information to friendly forces.

Unwilling to concede such an advantage to their opposition, the Eastern Block, and namely the USSR, launched their own rival station. The Mir space station expanded over the course of the 1990's and early 2000's, although it was beset by several accidents during this time, but managed to soldier on, and even hosted Western, Chinese, and Indian astronauts on various occasions.
The Soviet military also launched their own military station, 'Pobeda', or 'Victory'. It was somewhat more crude than the American station, with it's main focus being on interception and countering of the US station or other Western orbital weapons or space platforms. It relied on kinetic space-to-space interceptors rather than a laser. It also had the ability to bombard surface targets with the same kinetic projectiles, and had a similar, if cruder, radar tracking array.

Both military platforms were damaged during one of the many 'small wars' between the East and West at around the turn of the century, but their exact state has never been confirmed by either side.

There are reportedly several other orbital weapons platforms still in Earth orbit, the exact nature and functionality of which remains unknown, and has never been officially confirmed or denied.
What has been widely confirmed is the existence of a Soviet lunar installation, built during the 1980's and late 1990's. The functionality of it remains unknown, and whether it is still active or inhabited is completely unknown, as are it's capabilities of any kind, as its' existence was only confirmed after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the post-Heavenfall era.

Beyond Earth's Orbit
No manned missions have ever been launched past the moon, despite the declared intentions of the USA before the Heavenfall to place an international crew on the surface of Mars by 2020. Space exploration has stalled since then, and this has obviously fallen as a priority since then, with any mention of the space vehicle itself consigned to a distant memory.

Aside from national powers, there are various non-governmental organisations - NGO's - that are powerful and influential in their own right, and have a considerable impact over current world events and the balance of power in the post Heavenfall Era. Some are large and powerful enough to rival or even outdo nations with their power and influence, while others are smaller and act in smaller ways, but to just as great effect and influence.

Their goals are many and varied, and while an extensive breakdown of each one would take vast amounts of space, this section of the guide should present an overview of many of the more important and influential ones.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it should provide something of an idea and an overview of major NGO's and organisations that have an influence over global events, policies, actions and people, and that are likely or possible to be encountered or mentioned during the course of any RP set within the Heavenfall Universe.

The Neo United Nations

The Neo - or New - United Nations was formed in the wake of the Heavenfall. After the Cold War and the Heavenfall, the former United Nations no longer seemed adequate in the face of global devastation and the realities of the new, more dangerous and more unsettled post-Heavenfall world. Ideologies grated against one another, and the endless disagreements in policies and ideas had served only to reduce the United Nations as an organisation into something of a pointless exercise in bureaucracy.
As the former leading nations of the Northern Hemisphere rebuilt and reorganised, it fell to those still prosperous in the South to reorganise and forge a new path.
The model of the original United Nations was taken as an example, but this new organisation would be more decisive, more pro-active, and wield more firm authority. It's decisions would be binding and implemented universally, and it would be more of a shared group of policies and alliances, rather than a participatory body. Not quite a global or world government, but certainly a step on the road towards one, and for setting a global standard of living, safety, security and well-being for all of those nations that were members.
N/UN policies revolve around human rights and equality for race, sex, gender and sexuality, equality for wages and fair pay, employment, education, medicine and healthcare, as well as fair and free trade agreements, stable, honest and fair government, and an otherwise high and developed standard of living for all citizens. The N/UN also enables and sponsors several international initiatives, such as co-operation for international law enforcement, trade agreements, and travel between N/UN member states, as well as international recognition of educational achivements and qualifications.

Individual member countries still maintain their autonomy, still elect their own officials, trade in their own currencies, maintain their own borders, and other such marks of free nations. However, in return for mutual aid, security, and other benefits, they would also have to maintain standards of human rights, politicial and individual freedoms and other such 'standards'.
The benefits of being part of the alliance served as a kick-starter for reform for some countries and groups, while others rejected the idea, withdrawing from it and pursuing their own alliances instead - leading to the NCAA, ISL, CAA and so on being formed.

As the Northern nations rebuilt, they were offered membership as a legacy from their parts in the Western powers against the Eastern Bloc, as well as from having been part of the original UN. Almost all of them accepted, and have contributed to the international alliance.

With so many fires to fight on so many fronts, and being such a large and unwieldy organization, the N/UN may be powerful, but it can take a long time for it to mobilise into action - despite being intended to be swift, decisive and powerful, there are still debates and consensus of action to be reached, all of which takes considerable time and effort to achieve.

As such, the N/UN organised and enacted the legalisation and support of approved and vetted Private Military Contractors.
PMC's given authorisation by the N/UN were allowed to possess military-grade weapons, vehicles, and equipment equivalent to modern national military forces, although there were still strict limits on the types of weapons they could and could not use, and restrictions on their overall size, to prevent them from exceeding the ability of the N/UN itself to control them.

The N/UN has invited various other nations to join the Alliance, but some have refused or maintained their own sovereignty, either for peaceful or hostile reasons. Others have various treaties and agreements with the N/UN that are of mutual benefit and interest.
The N/UN general assembly and headquarters is in Canberra, Australia.

MegaCorporations
MegaCorporations started to emerge in the later years of the 20th and early years of the 21st century. Corporate entities that had such a broad and diverse range of departments, sub-companies and divisions that were dedicated to such a broad range of concerns and activities that the company had no one specialty or role. This began with tech companies and research and development companies, but soon other corporations diverged from their original businesses into more and more diverse areas.
These companies likewise started to amass economic resources and wealth equalling some nations, if collected as a single entity. This also gave them a similar level of influence, control and power.

These corporations started to register their head offices in countries with particularly relaxed laws and/or regulations, that further allowed them to expand their influence and control. As these countries were mainly poorer and unstable nations, they bought their way into government policies and decision making, as well as exercising considerable control over their defence and armed forces.
In these territories, contracts with the Corporations with controlling interest and that employ the majority of citizens are akin to indentured servitude. Access to goods, services, utilities, medical care, and even travel and identity documents can be restricted by the company and tied to company performance.

The security forces for many of these MegaCorporations were well-equipped and highly-trained enough that they were equivalent to private armies. Many of them had defence manufacturing divisions and capabilities, and equipped their own security forces with suitable weapons, equipment and resources to defend their own interests, or to act as Private Military Contractors. Local police forces are effectively corporate police as well, and favour outcomes for the company rather than private citizens or other people.

As yet, none of these MegaCorporations have taken control of or bought out - outright - any developed nations' government, but they have significant controlling interests and influence in the NCAA and the CAA. They have likewise never been confirmed to possess any weapons of mass destruction, but have the resources and capability to manufacture them.

UMC - Universal Manufacturing Congolmerate
Originally a purely mechanical and electronics manufacturing company, they have expanded into a wide variety of other areas, including farming, food production, medicine, telecommunications, consumer products, civilian and military vehicles, consumer, industrial and military electronics and a handful of smaller concerns. UMC may not be as well known as some of the other MegaCorporations, but were the first to pioneer and implement the manufacturing and production techniques for 'mass manufacturing' and 'autofactories' that enabled the replication and mass production of formerly discontinued products.

Montrose Incorporated
Getting their beginning in communications technology just after the First World War, they expanded drastically over the rest of the 20th century. Their primary physical products are electronic devices, but also have a huge area of business devoted to services, such as finance, law, insurance and other 'non-physical' products and services. Montrose are the biggest banking and finance company in the world, as well as being known for international law. Some of this reputation is notorious, as Montrose-affiliate lawyers have represented some of the worst and most notorious criminals known to the world, and successfully managed to acquit them of charges.

NeoDyne Technologies
A company that formed from the merging and acquisition of several companies, they began as an manufacturer of machine tools. Over the years, they moved into manufacturing industrial machinery, electrical equipment, and then communications and computer equipment. From there, they expanded into medical technology, weapon technology, aerospace, marine engineering, heavy industrial, and into a wide array of business sectors. NeoDyne is probably the largest of the MegaCorporations with the most installations and facilities worldwide, and the most well known, with the highest number of employees and largest security forces.

Silverfox Heavy Industries
Notable and remarkable as being the only Megacorp to be based in the N/UN and to adhere to their laws and regulations, they are nonetheless a huge and profitable corporation. Dealing primarily with the production of aerospace technologies, they also produce medical technology, medicine, heavy equipment and machinery, industrial, scienfic and military electronics, weapons and armaments and communications equipment.

Misriah Ironworks
Misriah Ironworks began as a modest-sized small-arms and ammunition manufacturer, licence-producing weapons from other manufacturers and adding incremental changes, improvements and tweaks to the designs. Their success lead to greater orders and demand for their products, and in turn this allowed to expansion into other areas. Tools followed weapons, and then vehicles and their components, and from there they quickly expanded into every aspect of manufacturing of arms and armour; everything from bayonets to battleships. Military computing, communications and associated systems followed, along with private space launch, private security contracting and other associated fields.
Misriah is the second-largest private military force next to NeoDyne, though with much greater breadth and range of military equipment and systems, and of a greater complexity and reliability.

Hegalia Aerospace Corporation
Hegalia Aerospace started out as a company that reconditioned aircraft, and had a small side-business licence producing aviation components. This business expanded and grew, with Hegalia licence producing complete aircraft before too long, as well as avionics and weapon systems for military aircraft as well as civilian aircraft. They followed with ground equipment, service equipment and vehicles, construction, and air traffic control and other operations. Chartered travel, instruction, and all of the administration and organisation around aerospace then followed and from there they moved into manufacture and support for all manner of vehicles, systems, transportation and all of the legal and paperwork services that related to those.
Transportation of all kinds followed, and HAC became the world leader in travel and transportation, both services and hardware, as well as fuel and alternative fuels and supply of parts, though not without its' share of controversies and incidents, especially related to safety records.

Private Military Contractors

In the latter years of the 20th century and toward the beginning of the 21st, private military contractors - Mercenaries - started to become more prominent or at least, more recognised. Private security firms existed across the world, but were more like security guards or at the most, close protection and body guards for VIPs and important persons, or security for sensitive or important corporate facilities; minimally armed and equipped.
While Mercenaries had always been a part of the world throughout the ages these groups were more like the Armies for Hire of older years and days. Ex-military and military trained individuals, well-equipped with military grades firearms, vehicles and equipment.
Mostly they plied their trade in Africa, South-East Asia and South or Central America and the Middle East; but more and more often they were involved in larger conflicts and even hired by governmental forces.

Following the Heavenfall, these Private Military Contractors became more prominent and more important. With the global collapse of so many lines of communication, governance, supply and infrastructure as well as the widespread destruction of materiel, equipment and military infrastructure, conventional military forces were exhausted and over-stretched, and national attitudes were not eager to send more of their people off to far-off places to spend more money, capital and lives on poorly-understood goals and ideals, especially after so much destruction and on the tail-end of a ideological conflict they'd lived through for the last fifty years.
Still needing to do something to secure policy, future interests, resources, and to protect regional allies and provide security in their regions, nations looked outward for new solutions - and the immediate one became the hiring of contractors to fight for them.

These contractors would have to be as well armed and equipped as national armies were. They wouldn't be designed to replace them, or to take on every part of their role, such as providing long-term security and regional stability. Instead, they would be the tip of the spear, the first forces on hand, to carry out the immediate action.
This was the case for the N/UN's planning for this new era of PMC's. They approached a number of extant PMC's, the most successful ones that also had good records of battlefield conduct and reliable information regarding them and the people who founded them and worked with them, and entered into a partnership agreement to provide them with additional resources, training, support and other necessary logistics. They would receive the same rates of pay, benefits, and support as national military forces, but operate under their own command structure, under contract to the N/UN, and receive legal protections - at least, under the N/UN, and any agreements between the N/UN and it's global allies.
A number of PMC's signed up to the process, becoming 'Legitimate' or 'Authorised' PMCs, working worldwide for the N/UN and becoming a mobile, responsive and flexible array of forces at various scales and with various capabilities to carry out limited combat operations as a 'first strike' until larger forces from the N/UN could be bought to bear, or even working alongside such forces on occasion.

This increased presence and legitimacy of PMCs lead to more of them worldwide, as non-N/UN vetted PMC's also arose. Many of them were financed, supported and equipped by various MegaCorporations, acting as another source of revenue, as well as protecting their own interests and as advertising for their products in various combat zones. Others were formed and supported by the remains of shattered and broken state militaries, operating for their own self-interest or with some long-term goal, sending their payment back to their countries or territories of origin in an attempt to forge their own national identities.

PMC's can range in size from a single unit or company of infantry operators, all the way up to an armoured vehicle company, or even a large air force. As well as combat operations, most PMC's also offer services such as training support, maintenance support, instruction and advisory roles, and other such non-combat, but combat-related services and utilities.

The PMC Shattered Steel is one of the largest and most well-equipped PMC's in the post-Heavenfall world, and especially of the small number of legitimate ones working for the N/UN.

Shattered Steel is organised along the lines of any military force, with a military-style command structure and ranks, and a number of divisions handling all the necessary infrastructure supporting the forces in the field.
Shattered Steel's rank structure (for their aviation branch, at least) follows the USAF rank structure.

Cartels, The Black Market, and Organised Crime

Even before the Heavenfall, organised crime was a feature of the world, and caused many problems, even at a national level in some regions of the world, with the biggest and most dangerous organizations having access to military-grade weapons, training and expertise.
The separation between East and West, and the restrictive policies and cultures of some countries meant that there were always shortages, embargoes and bans on things that other people wanted - and that meant there was a lucrative deal to be made in supplying people with those things.

In the case of supply of narcotics, manufacturing, growing and transporting them, as well as securing the routes of travel and those shipping the product. The scale of these operations grew to unprecedented levels, with the power and resources of these groups rivalling the legitimate government authorities. They employed hundreds of thousands of people, many willingly, other against their will or at least; by removing the choice as they enforced their own rule of law to large areas of the countries they were in control of.
These cartels straddled the line between terrorist and criminal organisations, especially with the resources at their disposal. Many of them crossed into other criminal enterprises besides narcotics; arms dealing, protection rackets, smuggling, fraud, bribery, and all manner of other criminal enterprises.

Of course, cartels were not the only kind of organised crime. Crime families and rings were just as prevalent, dealing in all manner of crimes and activities, and having national and international networks of their own. Though; they tended not to have the same kind of 'military' grade firepower and organization as drug cartels. Nonetheless, they often had far-reaching influence, usually based on bribery, blackmail, and other influences over officials and individuals. They often infiltrated police departments and justice departments, investigative agencies, customs, security firms and city departments so that a blind eye could be turned. Crimes such as racketeering, fraud, bribery, insurance fraud, money laundering, forgery, and any number of other crimes.
Such 'families' do not always have an actual familial connection, but might be organised like a family and have a sense of kinship and belonging as part of their appeal to loyalty. They also often have ethnic or cultural roots.

Crime families, Cartels and Syndicates are all very closely interwoven in their activities and how they work together, although these connections are often precarious. The saying 'there is no honour among thieves' has roots in reality, and the greed and hunger for power and influence often means that such groups have little compunctions with turning on one another, as well as cultivating long-standing feuds with one another.

In the post-Heavenfall world, organized crime has remained a steady part of the world. Narcotics are still a lucrative trade, along with any number of other criminal enterprises.
In some regions of the world, particularly central America and the northern part of South America, drug cartels have become the 'de facto' ruling and controlling power, armed as well as, if not better than, some military forces in the region, and being the largest employers and providers of resources, utilities, and commodities for the people that live in territories controlled by them.
Areas of what remains of Russia have likewise fallen under control of criminal syndicates or families that likewise control the resources in their territories, and the fates of the people within them. Many of them trade resources, smuggling commodities, resources, materials and even people from place to place.
Around the 'Golden Triangle' in South-East Asia, crime is rife and drug-running, arms dealing, and other forms of crime are particularly prominent, and the goverments in those regions are often on the payroll of criminal enterprises.

Even the ISL dabbles in criminal activity, using the cultivation and production of opiates to bankroll many of their activities, and trading with the CAA for wealth to finance their would-be state.

The CAA has grown out of a tenuous alliance of Cartels, becoming almost a national entity, with its' organised hierarchy and necessity to provide for and defend it's people, while supplying them with the necessities of life. Their need to trade for and manage the resources needed to run their operations also makes them a virtual national entity - and the willingness to trade with other partners internationally also contributes to this international perception.
However, the N/UN and many other countries refuse to recognise them as a legitimate country or government, due to their ongoing criminal activities - many of which undermine their own citizens and their national security, as the CAA has engaged in, or hired others to engage in, criminal activities against their security forces and citizens, as well as supplying and training insurgent, terrorist or criminal individuals and groups to act against them.

The CAA also recruit, train and finance various PMC's that are non-licenced, providing a destabilizing influence world-wide, as well as providing employment for others in providing security to their operations worldwide.

The Carillo Cartel

The Carillo Cartel is the most prominent and well-known of the Cartels that have taken control in the territories that make up the CAA. Arising out of the Mexican cartels of the late 20th century, the organization is named after it's leading man, Domingo Carillo. He, his wife, and his extended family all occupy positions of importance within the organization.
Carillo's exact history is unknown, but it is known that he at some point received military training from the United States during their activities in Colombia in the 1970's and 80's, which he has used to great success in organising his operations.
His wife, Mariella, has a history as a public celebrity. She was a small time acrtress, but rose to prominence through her community work. She is something of a master manipulator and confidence woman. Charismatic, shrewd and an expert in manipulation of people and opinions, she also has excellent skills in management of numbers and accounts.

The cartel itself has come out on top through a combination of deals and negotiations, alliances, and hostile overthrows. This has left them in the controlling position for the CAA's resources and overall aims.
They have worldwide interests and a network of organisations and groups that deal with them, work for or with them, and carry out their interests internationally. They maintain contact and agreements with the ISL, NCAA and various other worldwide criminal organizations and entities.

The Carillo cartel has access to a wide range of military vehicles, equipment, weapons and technology. Much of it is not the most modern technology available, but is nonetheless formidable and capable, albeit used sparingly. They have little in the way of heavy naval firepower and no 'strategic' weapons, but a significant amount of weaponry and systems that can inflict significant damage and have resulted in them having a substantial regional influence. Their resources extend to armoured military ground vehicles, light and medium military water-borne vehicles, combat and support aircraft and radar and air-defence systems.

The Carillo cartel also equips, funds, and is the origin of the Anjos da Noite PMC. While they are an unlicenced PMC, they are well-known for their elaborately decorated and sleek aircraft, sporting dark black, blue, or purple paint-schemes with skeletal motifs across them.

Standing apart and aside from the various criminal enterprises, but often linked with them or using the same methods and having similar effects or repercussions are the various ideological movements or organizations that have sprung up worldwide.
Most of them have in pre-Heavenfall origins, getting their roots in ideals and concepts founded before the disaster, and taking advantage of it to come into the light and exercise their ideas without as much control to restrain them or respond to their activities.

These groups tend to rally behind some form of ideology, usually radically opposed to society as it is and concerned with instituting some kind of 'new order' that fits with their personal ideologies, ideals, and beliefs and their particular ideas of 'morality'.
The roots and origins of these codes of belief stem from various sources. Some are religious groups, some are political ideologies, and some are based in ideas of ethnic, racial, or other forms of 'belief' and theory.

The organizations outlined below are the most well-known and far-reaching ones, with access to resources - such as capital wealth, materiel, weaponry and equipment, and even - in some cases - land and territory to base their operations out of.
Many other smaller organizations exist worldwide, with all manner of origins, ideas, and ideals, and likely with aspirations to being larger, even if they lack the ability or means to become such.

The ISL

The ISL, or Islamic States League is a loose coalition of organizations, groups, and former governments that banded together in the middle east, particularly in the Persian Gulf region.
After the Heavenfall - and indeed, immediately before it - many of these nations were predominantly Islamic in faith, but maintained forms of government other than Theocratic or religious-lead. When the Heavenfall occurred and the disasters that came with it.
The ISL currently occupies Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, and parts of Iran. They have attempted to expand into neighbouring nations, but with little success.
The main issues that have held the ISL back from further expansion are internal conflicts, factionalism, and disagreement. The leadership of the ISL have claimed a Caliphate, but this is not recognised universally, and this has been one source of continued disagreement.

Other issues that consistently dog the ISL in its' aims of establishing an Islamic state regarding these internal disagreements are its' levels of education, material and resource wealth and production - especially in high-tech industries - and its' lack of willing to deal with organizations, corporations, or nations that it sees as 'infidels' and 'heretics' - many of whom are the same that produce these competitive and sought-after devices, equipment and components, as well as those needed to continue to operate the equipment they use.
Friction between more moderate and extremist factions within the ISL prevent them from taking too much of a larger step and being a greater threat on the global stage, and even maintaining consistent and comprehensive control of their internal territory.
The only reason that they have not been attacked or moved against is this lack of global threat, as well as the regional threat to friendly powers from their possession of intermediate-range ballistic missiles and other weapons of mass destruction such as chemical, biological and radiological weapons. They have actively been pursuing nuclear weapon systems and capabilities, with particular interest in acquiring former Soviet nuclear weapons, but have - luckily - had no success to date.

Elysium

Elysium came to prominence during the closing years of the Cold War and the immediate period following the Heavenfall.
The organization only became recognised after they were traced as the source and originator of several high-profile incidents world wide. Primarily attacks on population centres, government offices and infrastructure and other such 'mechanisms of society'. They were also traced to courting recruitment of, and even the abduction of high-profile scientific, engineering and other such persons engaged in hi-tech research and development.

Elysium only revealed their presence in full during the post-Heavenfall chaos. This was through cyber-attacks on numerous key infrastructure and military targets. The scale and speed of these attacks was unprecedented, and they were virtually impossible to counter. The incidents lead to numerous deaths and even more injuries and widespread devastation.
Most notable was the seizing control of several orbital weapon platforms, and them being used to attack and destroy a US Navy aircraft carrier battlegroup in the North Atlantic ocean, before the satellites were disabled.

The attack was traced back to a facility in Eastern Europe, hidden in an old submarine base. There was a short, but intense pitched battle and much of Elysium's high command escaped. Analysis and examination of what was left pointed to there being numerous other worldwide facilities and branches, but their locations were indistinct.
The exact goals and purpose of Elysium are still unknown, but they appear dedicated to an almost fanatical level to the pursuit of technology and the furthering and development of it, regardless of social or ethical considerations. The few agents or members that have been captured and interrogated showed a dismissive, even indifferent attitude toward human life or human nature and emotion, and to the ideas of law and social mores, etiquette and convention.

Elysiums exact forces, disposition and resources are unknown; though it is believed that they have access to high-tech laboratories and manufacturing facilities, as well as high-end weaponry and equipment, albeit in limited quantities.

The Eternal Church

An extremist, radical offshoot of a Christian church from the US Mid-west, the Eternal Church was founded by a fire-and-brimstone preacher and his family after they were found too radical for other churches and groups.
They appeared during the 1990's and were of little note, other than numerous cautions and overnight stays in the local jail for disruptive and anti-social behaviour for some of their extremist protesting and demonstrations, especially at sensitive occasions.
Their church managed to grow through appealing to the downtrodden, outspoken, and overlooked; offering them a place to be themselves, appealing to their nature and desire to belong, and giving a voice and attention to their views, and offering approval from on high for their radical thoughts and ideas.

The Heavenfall was a - literal - godsend for them, as they claimed it was a holy act of retribution for all of societies' excesses, and punishment for the heathens, blasphemers, apostates and sinners. Their survival - being as how they were already partly an apocalyptic survival cult, and had squirrelled away supplies and shelter - and then their sharing of these supplies with their local community and providing a measure of disaster relief and preaching their survival and the impact itself as divine action, encouraged more to their side.
Among these were several notable and high-profile converts, whom used their influence, following and wealth to further the message of the church, and it quickly took on a much larger, higher profile, message and scope.

At the same time, the apocalyptic element of their preaching, along with the elitist aspects and selectivity became more and more involved. The group grew larger - almost improbably - and they clashed and butted heads with local authority more and more. Illegal weapons charges, refusal to allow access to law enforcement to their compounds and facilities, and even suspicion of coercion, abduction - especially of minors - and other major and minor charges were all levelled against the group over time, as well as numerous country of evading arrest, violation of parole, failure to show up for court, and violation of conditions of bail.
There were also frequent accusations of threatening and destruction of property of other churches of religious organisations or groups, and especially against non-Christian denominations and faiths.

Eventually, with so many charges levelled against them, the group - now calling themselves the Eternal Church - left the USA and moved to a compound in the ruined wastelands of what was Russia, hiring mercenaries and PMC forces to take control of the area, and carve out their own territory.
Isolated and with no law but their own to follow, they made quick work of fortifying their position and establishing a functional, self-sufficient territory.
Their beliefs and ideology grew more and more obscure and layered in shadowy ritual, twisting and obscuring the original words of the bible and judeo-christian beliefs into something outlandish, extremist and mired in layers of secrecy, interpretation and contradiction. The exact nature and word of these texts are unknown to outsiders, but the idea of eternal life through diligent and ceaseless service, faith, belief and sacrifice to crusade against the heathen belief and lifestyle of outsiders is the only way this is guaranteed.
Recruitment into the church is selective, but targeted, and induction involves brain-washing techniques and forced separation from friends, family, and installing feelings of belonging, and of a new family. Leaving or doubting is framed as betrayal and is associated strongly and heavily with ideas of guilt and shame.

The Eternal Church uses vicious tactics against those it and its' faith see as threats or the focus of its' hateful and isolationist preaching - liberal governments, alternative lifestyles or families, other religious groups, and virtually anything else they see fit at the time. Capture of resources and materials to expand their infrastructure, influence and power are also frequent targets, and have made the group a destabilising regional influence.
Internationally, groups of 'missionaries' travel worldwide to 'preach' their faith, often in secrecy as the group are considered a terrorist organization by the N/UN and many other regional or international groups.

Though they currently possess little in the way or military-grade vehicles or aircraft, this has been slowly changing as their influence expands and grows, and they are known to possess substantial ground combat forces and self-defence weapon systems.

The WANC

The White American Nationalist Coalition (or, previously 'Clan'), are a paramilitary organisation based on Racial and Nationalist supremacist ideals and concepts that have extremely Facistic, Right-Wing concepts woven deeply into their structure, outlook, ideology and mission.

Originating from the Mid-West and Southern regions of the United States, the WANC was a uniting of numerous white supremacist, nationalist and neo-N4zi groups and movements, many of them also part of militias, survivalist movements, and other such 'good old boys' that had paramilitary ideas, organization and structure.

When the Heavenfall came, the various groups that would go on to make up the WANC saw this as their opportunity. The end of the world they had been preparing for had come, and all of their preparation and training had been for something. They mobilised, and in many cities, counties, and areas of the USA they were prominent in, seized control of these areas. In some, the government officials and even members of the police, emergency services, national guard or other organizations were part of the groups or aligned with them. In others, they made alliances or overthrew and seized control of assets.
With much of the US governments' legitimate armed forces engaged in fighting elsewhere, they were rushed back to the continental USA to fight what was becoming a civil war.
The legitimate forces quickly ousted the opposition, which had banded together into the beginnings of what would become the WANC.
It was at this point they earned the nickname 'WANCers' after the acronym, a name that unfortunately stuck.
The WANC retreated from the continental USA with the assets they had managed to seize, and rampaged across the Carribbean and Central America, engaging in drawn-out confrontations with the CAA. The WANC used their military assets to seize further assets from the regions occupied by the cartels, before moving into the Carribbean and sweeping across the islands there, frequently engaging in barbaric and inhumane acts of ethnic cleansing.
Currently, they seem to be biding their time and rebuilding forces, gathering assets, and attempting to gain control of WMD's and long-range forces.
On the global scale, their ambitions seem entirely focused on the USA and its' immediate region, and they are currently in a 'hibernation' period, and kept somewhat at bay by the ongoing territorial conflicts with the CAA.
Should the WANCers gain an upper hand or access to the strategic resources and assets they need, they could become a much larger threat to global stability, and as such, a careful and critical eye is being kept on them for the future.

The continued drive for advanced technology as part of the competition of the Cold War lead to a constant state of advancement of technology. While it was primarily related to military technology, the benefits made their way to the industrial and private sectors.

Following the Heavenfall, as society had so much rebuilding to do, the opportunity arose for new developments and ideas to replace long-held and used ones. New power stations and infrstructure needed to be built; new hospitals, airports, ports, transportation networks, and more. Urban areas could be renewed and reoganised, avoiding many of the issues that had delayed or prevented large-scale plans from being undertaken previously.

The desperate need for large amounts of rebuilding and manufacturing lead to the embracing of the pioneering automated manufacturing plant technology. Developed in parallel by the growing MegaCorporations, this technology utilised the extensive and growing computerisation of the world and society allowed for the wealth of archived plans, designs and schematics to be utilised to efficiently and quickly reproduce - and modify - the product being manufactured as needed. This allowed for the rapid production and rebuilding of society, as well as a following proliferation of technology, devices, vehicles and weapons through society and worldwide.

The continuing rise of MegaCorporations and their unrestricted research and development has continued to contribute to the advancement of technology, with more and more advances appearing seemingly every day, and things seen as science fiction becoming fact ever more rapidly. Where the ultimate end point of this is, no-one can be sure, especially when the restrictions and rules are so hard to control.

Weapon Technology

With the Cold War continuing and escalating, the development and production of weapon systems and technology continued apace throughout.
Despite the continuation of the tense conflict, the agreements between all powers involve to reduce their nuclear stockpiles lead to increased development of conventional weapons, especially considering that large-scale conventional conflict would be foremost.

While no tremendous or incredible breakthroughs in the nature of weapons used was made, with kinetic projectile weapons remaining first and foremost along with explosives such as bombs and especially guided missiles, there were many advancements in those particular fields.

Most of this was in the shape of guidance, as well as the size and payload of such explosive weapons. Miniaturised guided weapons such as the AGM-124 Wasp, a pod containing several guided missiles in a single pod pointed to the way forward for missiles. Other such sophisticated missiles, like the AGM-136A Tacit Rainbow anti-radar cruise missile went into full development and production, making the battlefield even more deadly and hi-tech. Advanced air-to-air and air-to-ground, or even multi-purpose missiles are in development and limited deployment, enabling aircraft, vehicles, and ships to utilise the same kind of munitions and in larger numbers. Hypersonic missiles with extreme ranges are under heavy development, as are stealth missiles for various roles.
Warheads for such munitions are also under heavy development and research. Conventional explosives still hold the crown and lead position, and likely will do for decades to come. But continued interest in alternative warheads such as thermobaric warheads and even plasma and other 'exotic' types are under development. Especially with the idea of 'programmable' yields for plasma warheads.

Energy weapons have long been a goal of military leaders and scientists, but have always been just out of reach, forever 'ten years away' for the last thirty years.
Progress has been made on this, mainly in the shape of space-based weapons for use against hostile satellites, spacecraft or Ballistic Missiles in their boost or re-entry phases.
Miniaturising these weapons has been an ongoing process, and so far they have been effectively demonstrated as close-in-defence weapons (CIWS) on ships or ground-based installations against aircraft and missiles. Other versions have been tested as defence on armoured vehicles for the same purpose, but so far have not been known to be employed on the battlefield or deployed knowingly by any group worldwide. Other laser weapons are rumoured to be in development, or even in use, but have not had any definitive reports or accounts so far.

Railguns, coilguns and other such electromagnetically-powered kinetic weapons have not yet been successfully deployed, and only known to be fired in laboratory conditions. The power requirements and the wear and tear on components has been the issue unable to be overcome so far, but rumours persist as does research into the concept, and how it could be deployed en masse, with naval applications or as anti-armour weapons being the primary interest so far.

Robotics, computing, and Artificial Intelligence

Computer technology developed hand in hand with other advancements in technology. Miniaturisation and processing power increased rapidly, hand in hand, along with the ubiquity of computers and devices that included computer technology. Computers were integrated into everything, along with the increasing proliferation of the internet. This especially took off after the Heavenfall and the period of rebuilding and replacement, as information technology and computer systems and connectivity were built into almost everything.

Robotics is intrinsically linked to computing. However, robotics developed less quickly. Robots as seen in science fiction works did not come about. Bipedal robots or even walking robots in every-day life or even specialised roles did not appear in great numbers, and have still remained highly specialised and restricted to very narrow fields of use, and are mostly experimental. However, industrial robots such as in manufacturing, scientific, industrial and other applications have become more widespread. Medical robots have also been in use, along with others in fixed or semi-mobile locations. Such robots only have limited capabilities, and conduct their actions based on limited programming for specific tasks.
Some industrial robots are more mobile and adapatable, and can undertake multiple tasks and roles, though these also tend less to be humanoid, and more designed and shaped to take on their roles and in their environments. Some are used in construction applications, for everything from lifting and carrying, to actual construction tasks themselves.
Some robots are used in search-and-rescue applications, especially in hazardous environments and areas, such as for fire rescue, or in other such areas. Others are used in scientific research, such as underwater survey and exploration, in below-freezing temperatures, or many other such places less hospitable to human life.
Military robots have not been extensively adopted, or at least; not in the sense of land-based ones. Smaller mobile automated platforms are occasionally used to carry cargo across rough terrain. Automated or remotely-piloted drones have been used in the air for reconnaissance and surveillance and even in light ground-attack roles on occasion. They are frequently used for maritime patrol and surveillance of borders. Derived versions are also often used for things like geological and geophysical surveys, air sampling, weather reconnaissance and monitoring and other such useful roles.

As the development and employment of semi-autonomous robotic platforms grew, the need for more and more sophisticated programming went along with them. Artificial Intelligence has always been a 'holy grail' of development and research for information technology and computing, and this is still very much the case.
Full artificial intelligence has yet to come to pass. No 'sapient' or even 'self-aware' Artificial Intelligences have ever publicly been revealed or declared, although increasingly complex, reactive and sophisticated computer programs and systems have been deployed and developed at faster and faster pace, dealing with all manner of aspects of life, from running and managing power, systems, utilities and other such tasks at large industrial complexes, other large installations or facilities, and even cities.
Claims of artificial intelligences being created or present in the world are made frequently, but as yet; no proof has been found.

Medical Technology, Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering

Medical technology rapidly advanced during the later years of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, especially in the wake of the Heavenfall and the rising influence and proliferation of MegaCorporations. New research initiatives and the breaking of the stranglehold of the pharmaceutical industry and medical sector by these MegaCorps and other newly founded entities and agencies allowed for medicine and medical technologies to be put into the hands of more people, as well as exploring new avenues of approach for treatments.

As mentioned in the robotics and computing section above, surgery and the field of medicine as a whole has benefitted from and taken advantage of advances in automation. Robotic and hi-tech instruments are more widespread than ever before, and computer controlled surgical tools and robots allow for the most precise and steady surgical procedures ever.
Alongside this, the technology for prosthetic appendages and artificial replacement body parts has evolved rapidly as well.
Artificial muscle fibers, miniaturised, streamlined and highly responsive electric motors and micro-scale processors and other essential components have allowed for replacement appendages that have a fluidity and range of movement that virtually matches the original, and even provides some sense of touch. Such advanced prosthetics are rare, and they are not widespread, but the technology is growing and spreading quickly.
Complex organ replacements, such as eyes and internal organs is still an extremely rare field, with some success in extremely limited and experimental cases with the replacements performed under ideal conditions, but the long-term effectiveness and viability of such replacements is still unknown, and it is an area of great experimentation.
Enhancement and replacement of other sensory or complex organs is also still experimental. The human brain is the one many are eager to work out ways to interface with and enhance through the use of technology, but as yet there has been no reported or verified success, but many, many rumours and supposed accounts are circulated in the darker corners of the internet.
Other artificial organ replacements have been more successful - artificial hearts have developed from their early beginnings in the late 20th century and are often used in cases where someone may have rejection issues with a transplant, or otherwise be unsuitable for one. While they can be expected to live a full and healthy life with an artificial heart, it does still - in most cases - place some restrictions on their ability to do some things.
Similarly, artificial livers and lungs have also been successfully tested, and even used in limited cases, usually along with a firm regiment of medication and other therapies to allow the body to adjust to the new levels of function.

The continuing research into using technology to not only replace function of the human body, but to enhance it also is of great interest, but at the moment lies out of reach by all official accounts, with no confirmed, catalogued and documented programs or experimentation that has been carried out - although, as always, rumours persist.
Ethical considerations have held back much of this research, and even with the current state of MegaCorporations operating in countries with few restrictions, they have as yet not carried out any research or experimentation into this field. Or at least, not that they have willingly verified and released the information on.

Hand in hand with the idea of enhancement through technology and often working with it is the field of genetic enhancement and biotechnological research.
Humans have long known the basic building blocks of DNA and had an understanding of how genes are expressed. Breeding animals and plant life for particular traits has been part of human society for centuries, and the depth and extent of this has only grown over the years, with editing genomes for particular traits in crops and other plants for food, medicine, or other such purposes becoming more and more common and even a point of debate, as to how far it should go and how safe it is to do so.
Much of this reticence and objection disappeared in the wake of the Heavenfall when the need for hardy, productive crops that could grow in any soil became of great importance to feed the world, and those MegaCorporate or other agencies and entities that could provide such crops were in high demand.
With the opening of borders and removal of restrictions on research in some countries, the outgrowth of this was the development of genetically engineered livestock, as well as other animals, eliminating genetic abnormalities or known issues in particular species; gene-editing certain breeds and species to remove the tendency to develop particular ailments, or reversing damage that decades - or more - of breeding had done.

Experimentation into the same thing on humans has still been met with a great deal of resistance in many quarters. While it is not illegal to research human genetic engineering or to perform it in the NCAA where the most relaxed regulations are found, there are still religious and ethical objections. As such, research is slow and often met with a great deal of pushback and debate. Whether genetic engineering and genetic therapies have been utilised and carried out is still a matter of debate, and there has been no official confirmation from anyone. There is a significant amount of evidence that points to the idea that it has been done successfully, but as yet, no official confirmation has been made.

Similarly, more outlandish and borderline genetic engineering and experimentation is well understood, and has been carried out on animals in laboratory conditions - such as giving mice or rats the bioluminesence genes from deep-sea fish - but such editing on human DNA or even on more complex animals in real-world conditions has not been verified as being carried out even under laboratory conditions, let alone in the real world, despite there being considerable understanding and verified theory around it.

Power Generation and Industrial technology

Towards the end of the 20th century, the evidence of the continued use of Fossil Fuels on the environment of Earth became harder and harder to ignore and dismiss. Not to mention, the realisation that supplies were limited, and at the current rate of consumption, society would run out within the next two hundred years - or less.

The need to change something fundamentally was realised, and in the early 21st century, one of the only things that world powers agreed on was to meet and discuss the issue, and share research and debate ideas about alternatives.
While the conference did not yield any obvious and immediate results, it did point to the understanding of all involved that change was necessary if human civilization was to continue in its' current form.
Resolutions were signed by many allied global powers to devote considerable wealth and energy toward alternative energy sources of all kinds, and to reduce global emissions and pollution drastically.

It wasn't until after the Heavenfall that this really came into effect. With the destruction of so much infrastructure, there was a need for rebuilding. Much of the mechanisms that supported the oil industry were centered around oceans and coastlines, or concerned with pipelines that stretched over vast distances, and were easily disabled or destroyed by the destruction.
Green power became the standard very quickly afterward as a result. Wind, Tidal and Solar power generation were embraced en masse, providing the bulk of power generation worldwide.
Other avenues were followed similarly and invested into heavily. Power generated from biofuels and recycling waste became much more common, and geothermal power likewise took off.
In countries with less stringent regulations, fossil fuels still remained in use, and nuclear powerplants were rebuilt, or built anew. In countries more dedicated to environmental goals and the reduction of waste - including avoiding the production of nuclear waste, and the problems of its' long-term storage - nuclear power remained only for specialist purposes and roles.
Hydrogen powerplants have been constructed and adopted as a backup or for use in areas where other solutions do not work, and hydrogen power and fuel cells are considered to be one of the next main breakthroughs in power generation and production, especially for vehicles and mobile applications.

In urban areas, electric vehicles are starting to become a lot more commonplace where routes are shorter and reliable and constant access to a power grid is available for charging.
For longer distances or in applications where electrical power for vehicles would not work, alternatives such as biofuels have been implemented, especially as they require minimal alteration to the vehicle using them.

Fusion power still remains the ultimate holy grail of power, and is seemingly eternally 'just around the corner'. Many agencies, companies and other organizations world wide pour millions of dollars and just as much time into unlocking the secrets of fusion power, and there have been many close calls, but as yet no reported and confirmed successful self-sustaining fusion reactor. Tokamak-type reactors have come closest, but even they have not yet managed to remain perpetually active.

Industrial processes and technology have been likewise overhauled and adapted to fit with the modern focus on lowered pollution, emissions, and environmental cleanliness. Factories are redesigned and rebuilt to work with the environment and with reduction of waste. Automation has also been a big part of this, and the power and processes used in manufacturing to entirely or at least primarily use renewable energy and resources. Alternatives to petroleum and oil derivatives have been extensively researched and implemented in manufacturing processes as well.

One area that still remains difficult to completely bring in line is that of resource extraction itself. Mining and the gathering and extraction of minerals and elements, especially rare ones, is still a huge industry and an essential part of running society at its' current level of sophistication and demand for such resources is only going up, rather than down.
As such, those that can meet the demands are often sought out. There are many cases worldwide where agencies, groups, corporations, or national or regional governments have turned a blind eye, deliberately obfuscated, or outright used inhumane and aggressive force or tactics to claim deposits of vital or valuable mineral and material resources, displacing people, wildlife or rare biospheres to do so. There is a complex web of crossing paths and lines from all sides on these issues, and it is a very murky, shadowy area of global policy.

Travel, vehicles, and Space Technology

The ways in which people travel have not drastically changed. No new forms of transportation have been invented, and the commonly known and understood modes and methods of travel over distance through the use of vehicles have not greatly changed. But the types of those vehicles and how they are powered, propelled and other such aspects have changed to some degree, as the Heavenfall gave room for the development and implementation of new vehicles and the networks that support them.

Wheeled and ground transport have not really changed a great deal. As mentioned above, electric and hybrid vehicles have become much more common and the ways in which such vehicles are powered has changed. Hydrogen fuel cells are used in many commercial, private, military and industrial vehicles, and biofuels in others.
Rail transportation for heavy loads over large distances is also used regularly, and has in fact seen something of a renaissance in some countries for mass public transportation, with light rail (such as trams, subways and monorails) and metro-style systems becoming remarkably commonplace in many cities, and utilising the new freedom to build and develop as an motivating factor for new development.
Passenger rail systems started to come back across the USA as well, and long abandoned or neglected railway lines were given a new lease of life as new services were implemented. Worldwide, electrification of railways increased, along with the use of hydrogen fuel cells, as with other types of transportation.

Water transport remains much the same; as with other methods, the fuel used has changed, but the actual transport itself remains the same, only in some cases with more implementation of more advanced and varied types. Hovercraft have been utilised more heavily over short ranges as ferries and for purposes of search-and-rescue or patrol. Hydrofoils have become more common in the shallow waters they are most at home in.

In the air, aeroplanes and helicopters still persist and have diversified into thousands of types, marks and models, civilian and military alike and for all manner of purposes. Tilt-rotor aircraft have become popular as short-range feeder airliners from city centers or for regional purposes. Civilian helicopter transport and transport heliports have become more common as well. Supersonic airliners have seen a resurgence, as has a move away from the 'traditional' shape of airliner as a slow uptake, with aircraft like the Sonic Cruiser seeing some uptake for point-to-point flights.

Space travel and transportation have slowly increased following the Heavenfall. As the destruction affected many of the launch sites, platforms and locations used, it has taken time to build them back up. In doing so, a number of projects have been revisited and put into practice. Rockets are still used for some payloads and purposes, but increasingly the use of Spaceplanes and other Single-Stage To Orbit - SSTO - platforms has been adopted.
In the most ambitious show of adopting space travel and technology, the NCAA has begun construction of a space elevator on the equator, but progress is slow and extremely resource intensive, even for a nation the size of the NCAA, though the world is watching with eager eyes.

The Heavenfall setting is currently used for several RP's run by myself, but it is open to being used for others for their own RPs. However, given the work I have put into it, I would like to impose some guidelines on how the setting is used, and what kind of things are appropriate within it.
This is not to say that it is not open to being expanded and having new things added - but there should be some guidance as to what kind of content is appropriate for the setting and how it is expanded, along with any effect on the canon of the setting - or not, as the case may be.