Aaliyah looked down upon the two high schoolers and kind of just shook her and smiled. Echo clearly was a trouble maker and knew how to "fake it to you make it" but poor Naomi had clearly been roped into a plan that she had no real chance of hiding her involvement if someone caught her. Aaliyah looked back up towards the struggling Phoenix trying to bring things into order and her smile turned to a smirk before she turned back towards the two high schoolers before her to speak.
"Oh do not worry, I don't think either of you two did anything. After all, Naomi is a upstanding member of the debate team." grinned Aaliyah, her tone being a lighter and happy one. "I also do not think Naomi would hang out with a troublemaker, so you must be a good person to, Echo." Aaliyah winked at the two high schoolers, as if she knew something was up but was not willing to call out either of them for what was going on.
Aaliyah turned her attentions towards the cheerleader she understood to be Mia Zhong, with a small horde of other cheerleaders and students following behind her helping to locate the many buzzing alarm clocks around the field. She began walking towards the crowd, beckoning for Echo and Naomi to follow her.
"Come on, we should help them. After all, we represent the school as members of the debate team. And as funny as it must be to see your brother knocked down a few pegs, you should help him out Echo." spoke Aaliyah.
The United Communes of Iethus, informally the Communes or Iethus
Territorial Claims:
Iethus stakes most of its territorial claim in the northern half of the eastern continent and is often believed to be mostly frozen wasteland, which is a misconception. While Iethus is naturally cold there is arable land in the south which makes up Iethus’s food production. Iethus also claims some of the territory around it that it does not control, as the chaos of the revolution left other successor states and surrounding neighbors to take Iethus territory.
Species:
As the Communes are one of the few nations who willingly open their borders and accept species of diverse backgrounds and races, the demographics of the nation are in a state of flux but there are a few species who have claimed Iethus as their homeland for a number of centuries that make up the bulk of the population. The Communes are also notable for the amount of cross-species hybrids that exist, as the acceptance of inter-species relationships and the long history of genetic compatibility between the various humanoid races that have claimed Iethus as their home
The first and most prominent of the species that inhabit Iethus are the Llanvese. The simple and most effective way of summing up the Llanvese is that they are anthropomorphic cats. While mostly humanoid, they have a few notable differences that designate their status as a feline species. They do not have normal ears - instead they have cat ears. They also have tails and some Llanvese are born with whiskers. Llanvese also tend to be physically weaker than other humanoids but make up for it with their increased agility and senses, particularly when it comes to eyesight and smell. Llanvese-human hybrids are also fairly common sight in the Communes, as the two species have historically lived within the same areas of Iethus The Llanvese existed mostly in independent clans and tribes within the area that is Iethus before being conquered by the previous monarchical rulers of Iethus.
Humans also have lived within Iethus for most of its known history. They are your standard, boring, meatbags
The third most prominent species that lives within Iethus is the Lusinae. The Lusinae are a species of tall, strong, red-skinned giants ranging from the shortest at 6’1 to the tallest at 7’1 with facial horns across their chins and cheeks that are found primarily in the east of Iethus. They also only ever have black or gray hair, with most Lusinae having grey eyes or incredibly rarely faded green eyes. The Lusinae were historically used as slaves by the previous monarchical regimes of Iethus to mine both metals and magical crystals. Following the beginning of the revolution they were freed by the Llanvese responsible for instigating it and incorporated into the Communes’ political structure.
The fourth and final species that is prominent within Iethus are the Civian. The Civian mostly live in and around the pine forest that borders the frozen wastes in the north of Iethus. The Civian are a blue-skinned, red-eyed, and black hair species that is also humanoid much like the other species that live within Iethus. Civian-humanoid hybrids are far less common however as the Civian tend to keep their own communities This has been a point of contention between the Civians and other species within the Communes, as unlike the Lusinae or the Llavnese the Civians willingly became vassals of the feudal regime of Iethus. They however gladly assisted the Llanvese during the revolution and their head of houses pledged loyalty to the central commune so the fears have mostly faded.
Population (total and by species):
Total Population: 138,223,420
Llanvese - 65,123,050
Human - 31,110,520
Lusinae - 19,236,001
Civian - 17,125,056
Llvanese-Human Hybrids - 3,056,298
Other Hybrids of the four prominent species - 1,456,980
Other - 1,115,515
Culture and Society:
If there is one guiding principle that has helped organize Iethus’s society and culture ever since the revolution, it is the now famous quote laid out by the revolution’s founder, the Llvanese Rina Caileth, which was “If there is one thing this revolution seeks to accomplish above all else, it is total democratic control of all large farms, factories, and mines within all of Iethus.” This quote had guided the formation of the Commune’s government as well as social development. For starters, unlike a lot of other nations, the Commune is guided by democratic principles and social control of resources and the means of production. For most people, this effectively means they get to live comfortable lives as they are paid far better than the workers of other nations, and also have a number of other benefits that are not given to the workers of nations. Quality of life in Iethus has only drastically improved for the average citizen since the revolution.
Democratic control of the means of production also provides the basis for the governance within the Communes. Iethus itself is divided into several different regional governments known as communes. These communes form the basis of managing resources within their respective resources, coordinating with the other regional governments and the national government to effectively distribute resources to where they are needed and keep meeting production goals. Every Commune has a number of elected officials which form the basis of an executive council that makes most of the decisions within their respective area, setting up courts and other government offices, as well as other governmental functions. There is also an elected body of Union representatives, which unlike the executive councils aren’t picked in regional elections but instead elected by workers in their respective industries. This body acts effectively as an advisory one that brings concern and makes sure the demands of each different body of workers are met, while also making sure the executive council does not abuse its power. Some communes, most notably the Civian ones, also incorporate former elements of the regional governments, such as the Civian Houses replacing the executive council in Civian communes, much to the confusion of those outside Communes who see the Civian houses as left over royalty.
At the national level while there are some similarities with the regional governments of the communes there are a few key differences. While there is still a council of elected officials as well as a body of union representatives, there is also an executive known as the Presiding Speaker who oversees the small organized military that the Communes do have as well as being in charge of diplomatic affairs and overseeing the various executive agencies assigned to the Presiding Speaker by the council. The Presiding Speaker is also capable of calling upon the militias to command in emergency and can propose legislation to the council. The council is also far larger and has more power then the regional governments, but to compensate the body of union representatives has far more power as well to overrule their decisions.
On an economic level, no one truly owns any of the means of production. While there are workers who are responsible for managing the logistics parts of the economy and vaguely resemble the upper and middle management of corporations, the rest of corporate structure has been eliminated as well as any form of profit motive. The means of production are operated solely to better the workers and the nation as a whole. Resources are not concentrated but distributed as necessary and excess used to expand and better the nation as a whole. Workers also hold their own meetings and discussions at each factory, mine, and large farm to discuss what the best path for that particular facet is. The management of the economy, along with the generous benefits and welfare programs provided by the Communes, has eliminated any form of poverty within Iethus.
Besides that culture can vary heavily by species and within what commune you are in. The Llanvese for example can be incredibly diverse, as despite the efforts of the feudal regime, the unique cultural backgrounds of each of the Llanvese tribes were never erased. In general however, the Llanvese are a very communal species. What might be considered the traditional family unit doesn’t exist among them, with children being raised by the community as a whole and one “choosing” their family by either marrying a member of it or being selecting one that they feel is right for them. The non-standard family units also tend to intermingle and care about each other far more than what might exist in a standard society. The Llanvese are also open to all types of interspecies and LGBT+ relationships, which has meant that many of the species of the Communes and those who flow through are often accepted into Llanvese communities. Religiously
History:
Economy:
Army:
Navy:
Traits:
The People’s Army - As the Communes are still a relatively new face in the world, their military forces are still organized around the revolutionary militias that were created during the revolution. This isn’t necessarily a downside per say as this means most communes and provinces have citizens that are all armed and ready to defend, but the disorganized nature of the militias as well as the lack of a large standing professional army make it hard for Iethus to coordinate any real kind of offensive. Efforts have been made however to expand the Communes standing army as well as organize the militias in a manner that can be used for an actual offensive.
The People’s Navy - There is a naval office in the capital, it has a few party members that occasionally handle the paperwork of the few fishing boats that are operated by the nation. The Revolution led to the ruling regime to destroy most of the navy and shipyards to prevent the revolutionaries from using them, with the largest of the shipyards still under control of the Imperial Remnant. This combined with the frozen waters made it a daunting task for the ruling government to actually repair the shipyards and operate a true navy, despite the economic strength of the Communes.
Rare reserves - The extensive mining by the previous feudal regimes has left the larger deposits of magical crystals in Lusinae lands nearing depletion, with the Communes having declared a ban on their mining to prevent the spread of taint in the area. With this in mind, the Commune is reliant on their reserves in the North, which has proven to be difficult to achieve and access due to the frozen nature and inability of mining equipment to reach these deposits. Without access to these deposits the Communes have been left with less than average reserves, and have also struggled to further their development of magitech.
Workshop of the World - While the destruction of and mistakes of old regimes have left Iethus in a poor spot in some areas, where Iethus has truly dominated is it’s economy. Despite their extensive unions and benefits for workers, Iethus remains an economic juggernaut, in large part due to its industry. After the conclusion of the revolution, Iethus guided the originally mishandled industrialization efforts of the old regime towards a worker-centered one that emphasized communal control of the factories. This much more benevolent effort made industrialization a far smoother process on Iethus and allowed them develop into a strong economy. This, in combination with their mineral reserves, has made them one of the pre-eminent industrial powers in the old world.
The Civian Elite Guard - The Civian have always been a proud military people, and their contribution to the revolution involved the famous Elite Guard. This small but dedicated force is one of the mostly highly trained in the world, and while they use to be answerable only to the Civian Houses, they are now under the personal command of the Presiding Speaker to be used as seen fit.
Foreign Relations:
Rolls: (Rolled by GM in the Discord Server. Just ping me, and I’ll roll as soon as I’m able.)
Aaliyah finally returned from the debate team's booth and started heading towards the field where the opening speeches were to be given. She was a little bit drained - there was only so much she could tolerate from the high school freshman asking questions about the program, but she had managed to find a few hopefuls that seemed like they would be good additions to the team. As she approached the field she heard the sounds of Phoenix's voice - which actually didn't surprise her. Being Professor's Jasmine's personal student probably came with the benefit of being higher up in the chain when it came to selecting which of the college students got to give the opening speeches.
As Aaliyah approached the field she began to notice the sound of ringing - almost as if an alarm clock was going on - echoing across the field. More importantly however - she heard a familiar laugh nearby. Looking over she saw Naomi - one of the high schoolers on the debate team. Next to her she also noticed a teal-haired person that she understood to be Echo Gallagher. She had heard rumors that they were a trouble-maker and began hoping that they somehow hadn't gotten Naomi into trouble as it wouldn't be a good start of the year to lose one of her debaters when things were still up in the air.
She approached the Naomi from behind, gently tapping her on the shoulder.
"Naomi, please tell me you didn't have anything to do with this, and who is your friend here?" she asked.
While we are on that subject, just checking in on everyone. I know things have been kinda of crazy with the quarantine and this whole pandemic, just let us know so we know your doing alright. It's okay if things take a bit more time to get posted.
edit: we also have a discord, for those of you who would like to join
Time: 5:00pm Location Campus Commons; Welcome Banquet Interactions: Morgan @VoID
Aaliyah paused for a minute, looking back at Morgan. The sudden variance of energy that she had seen in Morgan reminded of her own tendency to flip into depressive episodes when things weren't going well. She had gotten Morgan to crack open just a little bit. Rather then change her expression or react in any real way, Aaliyah continued to smile at Morgan. She was hoping that by remaining nonchalant she could make Morgan a little bit more comfortable and express sides of himself that he hadn't before.
"Morgan don't worry about it, I actually like more people to talk to about history or philosophy some time. The debate kids don't often want to talk about it that much surprisingly." said Aaliyah. "Rome is actually pretty fascinating, I am taking the class on it this semester, in addition to the class on Plato and Russian history. I also signed up for Ethics and Colonial history. What about you?"
After a few minutes of walking, the two arrived at the debate team's booth for the fair. It was fairly simple - a small wooden booth with the debate's team sign above it as well as a few trophies to show the success the team had over the past few years. One lone sophomore was founding manning the booth by himself.
"Go ahead and grab some food, I got it from here." said Aaliyah, dismissing the sophomore to the rest of the fair. She looked around before inviting Morgan to sit with her.
"So, you mentioned liking Rome, but what about other periods of history? I find myself particularly fond of WW1 and WW2." asked Aaliyah, once again smiling at Morgan.
Time: 4:56pm Location Campus Commons; Welcome Banquet Interactions: Morgan @VoID
"Oh Plato? I haven't had the time to read him on my own yet so I am actually really excited to get a chance to study it in class." responded Aaliyah. Aaliyah was aware of some the rumors and general disregard people had for Morgan, but she could tell by speaking to him he was just a shy introvert trying to make his way through school. Aaliyah thought to herself about how common it was for stars to be shy and introverted. It seemed to almost be a side effect of the way they were treated in society and by their friends.
Aaliyah spoke up again, her friendly tone still bubbling into the air. "I am more excited for Russian history though. Did you sign up for it?" she asked, as she began walking in direction towards some of the booths, beckoning for Morgan to follow her.
What I will say is is Amethyst and I aren't super strict DMs. As long as your being respectful of everyone else and your not being to crazy pretty much most stuff is a go so @Mistress Dizzy do as you want and it will be okay. Its not like we aren't willing to stretch things a bit.
@Mistress Dizzy Ethan Carter, who was the first know star, is roughly around 31 at the start of the RP, so it's entirely possible some stars have raised their kids.
Aaliyah had a someone what rough day as she found herself rushing to the Campus Commons to prepare for the Banquet. While no longer a competitor for the debate team, she had taken to help coaching Nova's team after moving into the college program, and with one of the other coaches having seemingly quit for reasons unknown to her, she had to take on far more responsibility in terms of helping the team. She had just returned from the team's Welcome back meeting and was now trying to make it to the team's booth to prepare for the wave of new students that would be interested in joining the team. Despite all of the stress that helping the team put on her though, Aaliyah enjoyed it regardless. Debate was something that always been important to her and given her something to do - and to be able to give fellow stars something to take pride in after they had made to feel lesser because of their gift was something that was incredibly valuable to Aaliyah.
Aaliyah passed by Phoenix on her way to the debate team's booth. She had only talked to him on a few occasions, as both of them were in separate programs. He had made a name for himself as Professor Edward's prodigy and one of the best students within the fine arts department, but Aaliyah had found Phoenix's attitude and outward personality off-putting, so she had never really bothered to try to make friends with him. She waved a brief hi to Phoenix as more of a expected courtesy then a friendly hello before proceeding to move on.
Aaliyah found herself stumbling across Morgan. Aaliyah had met and talked to Morgan before as they shared the same double major and were the same year in the college program. Her friendly nature had yet to pierce Morgan's introverted nature despite the amount of classes they shared. She had kept on trying though, hoping that Morgan could finally find a friend here on campus that he could talk. She approached Moran, hoping to strike up a conversation.
"Hey Morgan, nice to see you back, are you ready for this year?" asked Aaliyah in a friendly tone.
Member
