No Paradise For Gods (Accepting New Players) - Lore

[Sovereign]

The Lore of Atlantis

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• World War III
• Atlantis Factions
• The Mutation

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  The Third World War
  
  
  
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  End of an Era
  
  
  While natural resources dwindled, world dependence on them coasted at an all-time high. Large corporations, unwilling to let go of their industries drove prices up and rationed their remaining stock. Depression due to inflation and decreased spending bred unrest and a massive public outcry for renewable resource research. With lobbyists greasing the palms of politicians with large sums of hoarded money, the modern day aristocracy saw no reason to change course. Though the inevitable came to be, and fossil fuel grew to near complete exhaustion. The leaders of the world sought a solution to the problem, and many eyes fell to the Russian Federation. Vast untapped deep-crust pockets of oil and natural gas hid within Russian borders, but a far more lucrative business reared it's ugly head. Getting their hands on oil would not end the depression, but a war economy would. The European Union drafted plans for invasion even as top scientists worked around the clock to implement alternative energy solutions.
  
  
  
  
  
  Blueprint for Armageddon
  
  
  Contrary to the popular science fiction belief, nuclear options for war were never considered. Branded as 'morally and naturally irresponsible' by world leaders, the Third World War was fought by conventional means. On June 14th, 2074 the European Union initiated a twenty-four hour bombing operation on the Russian border positions preceding a full scale invasion by both land and air. A naval strike fleet annihilated the small standing Navy of the Russian Federation and subsequently blockaded all ports. Four days later the United States air-dropped troops and supplies to support the Russian Federation, but did not officially declare war on the EU. With the help of US military hardware and soldiers, the Russian Federation slowed the advance of the EU invasion to a crawl.
  
  
  
  
  
  A World On Fire
  
  
  Suffering increasing losses and wasting precious resources slogging through combined Russian and American arms, the EU needed to alleviate the pressure. With some incentive and an offer for a seat in the EU, Canada declared war on the United States and promptly invaded the American Northeast and Northwest. The United States officially declared war on the EU as did Australia and Mexico. This unexpected alliance allowed the United States to dominate the North American theater of war. The Canadian invasion quickly lost momentum and eventually found itself forced back entirely. The US and its allies pushed into Canadian population centers and put down the Canadian military counterattack. With the EU unable to provide any support, Canada fell to the Pacific Allied Nations on September 25th, 2074.
  
  
  
  
  
  The Fallen Bear
  
  
  Despite the best efforts of the PAN, Russia fell to the EU on November 17th, 2074. Without delay, the EU stormed into China intent on reclaiming lost wartime resources by going all-in with their chips. Greatly misjudging the strength of the Chinese military and the resolve of the PAN to continue fighting, the EU invasion was stopped cold by a PAN-led counterattack. India, which had been deliberating on whether or not to join the EU, would make or break the invasion. After stories of abuse and severe mistreatment of Russian citizens escaped the occupation's borders, India refused to join the invasion and withdrew all support for the invasion effort. The EU incursion was doomed.
  
  
  Pyrrhic Victory
  
  
  The slow and gruesome advance into EU-held territory cost both sides dearly. Billions of dollars were spent (and generated) by the collective war machine, and millions of soldiers gave their lives. By the time the PAN counter-attack pushed the EU back beyond its own borders, both armies lost all taste for battle. On November 27th, 2075, just over a year after the fall of the Russian Federation, the EU signed a conditional surrender with PAN. The Russian Federation was established, and valuable territory in the EU was taken and allocated to the victorious nations. Canada was divided up and distributed to Australia, China, and Mexico --the United States chose only to hold on to Alaska. The defeated nations descended into squabbling with one another.
  
  
  War for Profit
  
  
  Defeated and desperate, the EU nations turned to fighting one another. Dozens of small proxy wars erupted across Europe and borders began to shift dramatically --sometimes gaining and loosing hundreds of square kilometers in less than a month. Six years passed before the wars calmed with the help of PAN intervention, Europe would take decades to recover any of its former glory. Meanwhile, corporations that escaped the ravishing of war escaped to Africa to rebuild their enterprises. New powers are rising, the old world is burning.
  
  
  
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  Factions
  
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  Atlantean Security Forces (ASF)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
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  The ASF is not to be confused with the Atlantean Police Department. The ASF is the militarized branch of Atlantean law enforcement, they are the soldiers and SWAT teams. ASF is in charge of rounding up all mutants and hunting down The Parasite. Whenever any gang actions need to be broken up and the APD cannot handle it, the ASF responds to the call. They are heavily armored and extremely well armed. For all that, they do not lack in numbers as funding and available bodies have not been in short supply. Many refugees apply to be ASF to get out of the slums, and often it warps their sense of power. The once proud and honorable ASF has been poisoned by a hatred for the gangs --which often extends to the impoverished as a whole-- and the suspicion that all mutants are terrorists. A few exceptions of course, being the mutants working for them. Rumor: A fair number of ASF officers are actually mutants themselves.
  
  
  
  
  
  Ultan Special Contracts
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
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  Ironically, the USC cares more for the well-being of the impoverished than the Atlanteans themselves do. Through great personal risk the USC works to cut the criminal underworld out of The Span with a knife, and losses have already been heavy. The highly militarized crime Syndicates are organized, well-funded, and armed with Atlantean weapons technology. What the USC lacks in superior firepower however, they make up for with elite troops and superior training. many of them are veterans of the most recent world war, disillusioned with the countries they served. The USC is not without fault however, they too are paranoid and slow to trust. Unfortunately, with Atlantis signing the paychecks, they are forced to cooperate. Conflicting reports on the terrorist known as The Parasite however have seen their loyalty wavering. Rumor: (1) Atlantis intends to wipe out the USC once they finish their job in order to keep their secrets and turmoil from reaching too far outside their borders. (2)The Parasite has secretly been supporting the USC forces in The Span for unknown reasons.
  
  
  
  
  
  LeCroix Syndicate
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
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  Little of the crime in The Span (or Atlantis at all for that matter) cannot be traced back to the LeCroix Syndicate or it's subsidiary gangs and families. Wayne LeCroix runs a large corporation in the heart of the city, but he controls The Span though drugs, weapon trafficking, and rackets. Despite the turmoil in the poor districts, LeCroix's goons keep it surprisingly well contained. Maybe not in the way the ASF wants it to be, but certainly far better than it would be otherwise. LeCroix wages war against the USC as they cut into his business and take down his subsidiaries. Well-funded and well-armed, the Armie LeCroix holds its ground in most knock-down drag-out fights. Its biggest enemy however, is The Parasite. None of LeCroix's assets are safe --both corporate and criminal suffer at the hands of the terrorist. The Syndicate is largely responsible for the media coverage of The Parasite and his depiction as a terrorist. Rumor: (1)The Syndicate is personally backed by Richard Corinth. (2) The Syndicate is also recruiting mutants to root out The Parasite, possibly kidnapping them too.
  
  
  
  
  
  The Parasite
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
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  After the war, the United States looked to replenish it's military capacity. A lack of manpower made this a difficult task, but not an impossible one. The TALON project created superior soldiers with the best tech money could buy (with a little help from defected Atlantean scientists). Augmented and armed with superior tech and training, the US deployed a single TALON unit to Atlantis in order to keep tabs. This lone soldier --for the purpose of deniability-- was never kept on the record. A defector from the US to Atlantis sold the soldiers out and assassins systematically picked off the listed soldiers; all except one were killed and the TALON project was disavowed shortly thereafter, leaving Captain Argo Reese stranded without support. Donning the moniker "The Parasite", Argo took matters into his own hands. Working to take down the LeCroix Syndicate and expose the corruption of Atlantis, The Parasite stands alone against insurmountable foes; the mutations just make it that much easier. Eventually he hopes to gather enough support to take the Syndicate down. Rumor: Utilizes multiple identities to infiltrate both ASF and USC.
  
  
  
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  The Mutation
  
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  Nobody is exactly sure where the mutations started, or exactly what caused it. All that is certain, is that it's only happening in Atlantis. Did a science experiment go wrong? Or is a nourishing environment of scientific advancement allowing for humans to take their next evolutionary step? Needless to say, the citizens are divided on their beliefs; is the mutation a benefit to humankind? A detriment? An abomination? To further muddy the water, the ASF has declared that all mutants be detained or destroyed. The already growing unrest has factionated the already splintered city into even smaller and more specific groups. Only time will tell if the stew boils over into full racial war.