Nation Building The Contested Zone: Character Signup

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Simon Bolivar

When tyranny becomes law, rebellion is a right.

​

You fiddle with the channel knob on your radio, trying to filter out the static to hear the speaker. You could understand the words spread intermittently through the serpentine hisses. “Federation—greatest—threatened—communist—barbarians—restore—Cacina!”

You did not miss anything on this channel that the daily broadcasts or newspapers have not endlessly repeated. You decide to switch to another frequency and hear a familiar song playing, “Our Field of Flowers.” An old Cacinan folksong from the perspective of a schoolboy who meets a girl and plays in the flower field behind their school every day until he must fight in a war. He returns to his village burning down, and his beloved, along with the field of flowers, are gone. "Our Field of Flowers" is a popular choice for pro-EPLN stations due to its emotional provocation and rich Cacinan history. It is a beautiful song that has been perverted.

Five months have passed since the conflict started. When the rebels stormed the Capitol Palace in Nuraniquena and made their advance west, their campaign has recently stalled at Pidana and trying to cross the Hecas. Federation forces have also isolated the EPLN forces and held them at the border of Bovilves and Valbaria. Political violence has ramped up in recent months, as well. President Toledano’s had nineteen assassination attempts on him so far. Senator Loera has almost died in two car bombing incidents and hospitalized for a brief period after receiving a gunshot to the leg.

The cartels have been exploiting the confusion and fog of war. They exchange services with the rebels, offering weapons in exchange for trafficking to Yozgyatan. The Marejones have mastered the sea routes and can smuggle tons of narcotics either through the Aldean port or their port in Hombles. The Chejonas have negotiated lucrative contracts with border defense agents to smuggle their product right through Yejas and negotiated a contract with Macedo Family in Allas, a port city in the neighboring country of Bueda, to use their docks and ships. With their influx of revenue, they have been recruiting greater numbers – targeting the villages that the war has destroyed. They have also motioned to increase their facades of legitimacy. Partido Socialdemócrata de Cacinan is a notable example. The Marejones mobilized their war chests and Department to vote Marejones-friendly representatives to Partido Socialdemócrata de Cacinan and Partido para Promover el Progreso de Cacina, to the dismay of President Toledano.

There has not been a great amount of support for the crisis in Cacina from the international community. However, the United Republic of Gienia has recently sent envoys of generals to Alamedra for “bolstering Federation defense capabilities.” They have also gone to great lengths to provide intelligence to Alamedra and offer foreign aid. Gienio intelligence suggests that the EPLN might be receiving support from the People’s Union of Republics of Konalgodia through equipment and training assistance.

Disregarding foreign interests, the war in Cacina is here. Who will you fight for?

​

Welcome! The Contested Zone is a story about a nation torn apart by internal conflict, corruption, and crime. You have the opportunity to join in the conflict at varying levels. The style of the story will track various individuals who are trying to make their name in the world through varying means. You will have the opportunity to lead people, grow your following, and perhaps become a lord in your own right. The opportunities end with your imagination. Below this paragraph, you will find the seven starts for your character and a brief character sheet. If you would like any specific information regarding lore, mechanics, or anything else, please feel free to message me privately or ask at the "Questions and Queries" thread found here. Good luck!

CHARACTER SHEET​

NAME
SEX
APPEARANCE (optional)
PERSONALITY
BACKSTORY (ask questions if needed)
TRAIT (select one)

Spoiler: Traits

STRONG characters can carry more without being encumbered; melee attacks are more damaging, can create obstacles in combat
MEDIC characters have an improved healing rate via procedure training and sterilization techniques, improved healing rates of their group
SNEAKY characters are able to hide better during combat and are better at concealing their camps, can see camp concealment statistic
MARTIAL ARTIST characters have practiced the unique Cacinan fabiado martial art, better chance to hit in melee combat, higher wound severity, better defense in combat, can leg trip in combat
EAGLE EYE characters can see one further than normal, light and line of sight permitting, and can detect hidden things easier
TRACKING characters can see one hex further than normal, light and line of sight permitting, and can detect hidden things easier
ATHLETIC characters fatigue less and can run away faster in battle, can run further
TECHNICAL characters are skilled at manipulating computers and can create makeshift contraptions
TOUGH characters have a higher pain threshold, greater immune system effectiveness, and resistance to wounds, and can headbutt in combat
HUNTER characters can trap and prepare animals
BOTANIST characters have a greater knowledge of herbs, fungi, and other useful plants
CRAFTY characters have knowledge in bypassing locks and other security devices
ELECTRICIAN characters have an intricate knowledge of electronic systems and components
MECHANIC characters have a deeper knowledge of mechanical systems and components
MARKSMAN characters are skilled with ranged weaponry
NIGHT OWL characters require little sleep, get tired slower, and are alert even when asleep
OUTDOORSMAN characters are less subject to the elements, can navigate better, and have more interactions with the wilderness
INTELLIGENT characters have an outstanding degree of intelligence and are capable of reading more and faster
CHARISMATIC characters are better at convincing other people to do things for them, whether through oral or verbal communication

STARTS

Spoiler: The Seven Starts

1. You are a field agent at the Bureau of Internal Affairs. You have been assigned to Operation BACKYARD FUN. You will be deployed to the Escas Department to create a direct threat to the EPLN operations in the region. You have recently received correspondence detailing your mission directly from Secretary Colvas and are expected to head to Site 17 for a debrief from another BIA agent. You will receive support from the Bureau of Internal Affairs on this mission, including financing, connections, advice, manpower, equipment, and assets. There is an unmarked sedan waiting outside of your apartment.

2. You are in charge of a local street gang in Riofriorizo in the Nuraniquena Department. Recently, you were approached by an agent from the federal government. The agent provided no identification other than a quick flash of a badge from the Bureau of Internal Affairs. The agent offered a steady stream of hefty income in exchange for performing duties on behalf of the Federation. Before he left, the agent left an envelope with F$10,000 and a business card with a phone number printed into it.

3. You are a lieutenant in the EPLN-BO. You were recruited from La Universidad de Cacina when your peer mentioned serving in a greater cause. You quickly fell in love with the righteousness and mission of the EPLN. Due to your college-educated background, the EPLN decided to appoint you a lieutenant and place you in charge of a small cell in a remote village in the Bovileno Mountains. Roughly 60km away from your village is a Federal outpost. Your Region Commander said that he is coming to supplement your position and mount an attack on the Federal outpost in a week. However, your local contacts in the nearby town say that the Federal soldiers will start air patrols soon using an attack helicopter and are receiving reinforcements shortly.

4. You are a prolific local political activist. Since the beginning of the war, you have held rallies, lobbying, and organizing protests for your party. Because of your level of involvement, Party leadership has noticed you and urges you to mobilize your followers and begin constructing a militia that supports the Party’s ideals. They promise to provide you with a stipend and assist you in constructing this militia.

5. You are a conscript in the Guardianes de la Seguridad Nacional (GSN). A couple of months ago, the EPLN occupied your village, and the soldiers stole everything from your family. You fled in the middle of the night to Lurilla. You ran into a group of Guardianes who took you to their camp in the forest and treated you on your way. You eventually enlisted to champion others who the war has displaced. After some time, you have climbed the ranks to Corporal. On your latest patrol, the commanding officer’s car ran over an explosive, killing all personnel in the car instantaneously. After repelling a brief firefight, you are now the highest-ranking individual in your unit and have thus assumed command.

6. You are a Sergeant in the Mounted Deputy Corps for the Chejondo Department Security Forces in control of your platoon. In the hills surrounding the Tento River, residents have been complaining about river fishermen being robbed and paying a tax to some criminal organization. Your lieutenant has assigned you to investigate this matter and take care of it accordingly. You have an idea of who might be causing the issue. There have been reports of armed men in skiffs patrolling the Tento and attacking riverboats.

7. Choose your own start! Give me an idea of the start you would like to have and I can make it fit into the story.

OTHER

RELEVANT INFORMATION

• Maps of Cacina
• Cacinan Government
• Major Organizations

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  • Political Map
  • Provincial Map
  • Physical Map

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  • Major Political Parties
  • 83rd Representative Assembly
  • 83rd Federal Senate
  • Departments of Cacina

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[Heyitsjiwon]

NAME: Diego Asturia
SEX: Male
APPEARANCE (optional)
PERSONALITY: Diego is an affable, but cautious man. Seasoned since childhood to carefully navigate the turbulent waters that was Cacinan politics, Diego lets very few people if any know of the full breadth and extent of his ideas and plans. After all, one day an ally could become an enemy and an enemy, a friend. Such uncertainty forces a man to be flexible and circumspect with his thoughts and trust.

BACKSTORY: Behind every president, general, and public figure is a cohort of campaign managers, logistics experts, and administrators. The Asturia family is part of the "old guard" of the Federation as they have been a part of the government since its inception, but rather than being public figures in the federation who occupy the top positions of the government, the family consisted of generations of seemingly anonymous civil servants, policy experts, diplomats, and various mid-level officials making sure that the cogs of the giant federation continued to grind along and slowly influenced the government through small changes that they could make as administrators within the Federation. It is thanks to his family name and heritage that Diego was brought up among the political elite of the Federation, and attended the finest schools in Alamedra. However, within the marbled pillars of the Federation in Alamedra, Diego was well aware of the decay within the foundations of this government. Corruption... extortion... organized crime... all were rampant in the Federation and slowly killing it like an insidious poison.

It was for this reason that Diego decided to join the BIA after graduating from college, which considering his background and the rampant nepotism within the Federation made it nearly impossible for Diego to not be accepted into the BIA. While he privately does not agree with the current administration on many matters, Diego is knowledgeable enough to know that true change and revolution could only be done from within the bureaucracy via slow, but purposeful institutional changes. A civil war or coup would only lead to a despot who was even more corrupt and cruel than the current administration, which would lead to more misery and pain for the people and the Federation. Thus, with faith within the federal institution, Diego works to do his part to begin making changes within the government in order to redirect the current ruinous path of Cacina.
TRAIT Charismatic
Start: 1

 

[Auriel Maza]

Samuhel Fiorz "Sam Sam" Samara


[Male] - [Age: 27] - [Height: 6'0", Weight: 220 lbs] - [Trait: Martial Artist] - [Start 4 ; Primer Partido Nacional]
[Skin tone: Olive, Hair Color: Raven Black, Eye Color: Arctic Blue] - [Blood Type: O-]​

Personality: Actions over words, listening over speaking; some claim that Samuhel is mute, that he cannot speak. That is entirely untrue. While others speak on soapboxes, making promises, Sam simply does. While others party, Sam trains. Not that crowds inspired him. His head clouds with others; his head clears alone. Independent, self-reliant, and consistent; many across the streets recognize that Samuhel is himself every day, regardless of the hell or circus, the day brings. An air of stability in uncertain times.

Backstory: The family pictures sit upon the mantle with only two figures in them. Samuhel and Masur, his brother and twin. They arrived at their orphanage as newborns, maybe a day old, shortly after lunch. The grounds were full of children playing and staff wandering, yet not one person saw who left them there. A name card, a blanket, and a basket; the things they left behind. As Sam grew, his quiet nature held him back from social and speech development. Laughing stock amongst his peers, Sam increasingly stayed to himself; reading, training, and listening to music. The isolation that Samuhel volunteered himself into severed his connection with Mansur, and they went their separate ways after their eighteenth birthday for six years. During those years, Samuhel attend and trained in the local martial arts, perfecting the art as best he could for two years on top of his previous training. With his training and before he traveled to college, Samuhel grow local prominence as a community leader through defending others from criminals and building his hometown. He stumbled upon solving a high-value murder case when he discovered a stash of drugs and guns in the local boarding house. With his newfound fame, Primer Partido Nacional sent representatives to meet and ultimately recruit Samuhel into their party. The party hoped by introducing a political outsider and leadership contrarian that they could curry favor amongst the populace. Locally, it appeared to have worked, but the huge hurdle was national politics. Thankfully, Samuhel's record is cleaner than most priests, and Samuhel has no genuine interest in women, money, or power beyond what he needs to build a family, live comfortably, and protect his community. Eventually, Samuhel attended university abroad through foreign programs for the disadvantaged, earning a degree in Civil Engineering in three years. After graduation, he formally meets party leaders of Primer Partido Nacional. Through the party, he was able to reconnect with Mansur and they rekindled the familial bond they once had, becoming incredibly close. Samuhel is thankful to the party for reuniting them and for saving Mansur from the cartels. And through Mansur, he soon learned of the problems within governance; the corruption, the lies. Samuhel read multiple books on how this goes. Samuhel ultimately believes that the government is beyond saving, but he sees ELPN as misguided, not learning from the philosophers and mistakes of history. He hopes to convince them of their ways, but his heart weighs heavy that he will almost assuredly fight them. But, he also wonders. Who were his parents? And why did they abandon him?

 

[TheWeapon]

Édgar Valerio


​

PERSONALITY:

Was always described as a negotiable person with patience. His skills with words do not make him talkative as he's not really into long conversations. His educational background is another proof of his talent in learning and progresses he achieved in academic fields. A cold vocal tone is another unavoidable thing in his personality that cannot stay unnoticed, making the person sharing a conversation with him confused if he's lying or saying the truth. He usually appears with a rather unprepared appearance as he doesn't care much about his health, however, this doesn't appear to be the same way for his diet. Those who are close to Édgar, they know that he doesn't believe in any God. His incredible mathematical ability allows him to solve even the most difficult equations in a matter of seconds. He was named the 'Math Genious' by his professors in the university. His mindset on doing the stuff using the quickest way possible forced him to have a fantastic memory, both on calculation and remembering the details.
Backstory:

Valerio was a rather unknown name in the area where Édgar grew up. His father, who grew up in a poor farmer family, held land that had been passed down to them from their ancestors who had lived in the same area. As a traditional family, education was not valued enough between the members of family, Until Édgar's brother was graduated from the university, it was Édgar's most powerful motivation to step up and make his own path on the way of science. After a decade of hardship in his early 20s, he was able to gain admission to the Instituto Tecnológico de Sotos, where he earned his master's degree in mathematics. With his degree not being appreciated by most of the jobs available on the outside market, Édgar decided to take the easy way to repay the loans his father decided to get to able to pay for Édgar's scholarship, it was the moment that the man decided to join the most powerful men in the region, Marejones. It was the only thing offered to him and his family after his father seriously failed on repaying the loan, he could keep the land, keep his job, and most importantly his life, in exchange, Edgar agreed on an administrative position in the office of one of the Man of House members. With his magnificent skill in the math-related field, he was one of the most reliable faces when it came to the stock market. Using the best and most powerful analytic methods that he studied in the university and as the result of his own research, It was he who managed to climb the mountains of progress in becoming the right hand of one of the Men of House members. His mentality with what he was doing was enough motivation for him; the money was good, the impression was strong, and he had all he could want. When the conflict came up, though, his entire perspective on the existing world shifted. His focus on the politics taking place on the field let him comprehend how others are squandering the money he earns for their own gain. This was the thing that indeed changed his idea of what he's actually doing, and what side he truly belongs to...

Trait: INTELLIGENT

 

[Elucid]

NAME: Ulises Espaillat
SEX: Male
APPEARANCE: Ulises is tall, of an athletic build, with broad shoulders and a lean frame. He has a dark mocha-coloured skin tone and deep brown eyes. He can usually be seen sporting a plain white undershirt over his khaki platoon trousers, complete with a baseball cap proudly displaying the FC Fortuna Corando logo. Albeit, the gauche colour palette and cheap, fraying material does give it away as having either been bought at the local flea market or some sort of odd hand-me-down. He has a birthmark under his chin and a prominent scar on his inner thigh from being stabbed during a particularly nasty bar fight.

Spoiler: Face Claim ~ Alfred Enoch

PERSONALITY: Ulises is naturally gregarious, notoriously familiar with his fellow servicemen regardless of rank. Even having cultivated a reputation for raucousness and a certain disregard for authority (within limits). In terms of his ability as an effective leader there can be no doubt that he commands the respect and loyalty of those under his charge. While his unit has not seen much pitched combat yet, the few scrapes they've been in have left them with the upper hand, sparking a certain confidence, followed by muted anxiety at the prospect of having to face more such forays in the future. Ulises is generally regarded as a diligent soldier but quite unfit for anything other than the grunt work. While he is no orator, Ulises has a certain provincial charm, which coupled with his ability to lose money playing cards, can be a dangerous draw. Ulises is a smoker and has been trying to get rid of that nasty habit at the insistence of his poor mother. He prefers roll-ups to filtered cigarettes as he considers them to be healthier, although if he must, his go-to are Tabacalera's.
BACKSTORY: Ulises Eusébio Espaillat was born in a little village hugging the Teno River to a family of sharecroppers who, like many others, decided to test their luck at the city rather than spend their days barely scraping by a living in the countryside. Sonque, the Department's capital, would prove a false promise, however, with them being forced into extremely cramped conditions alongside six to eight other families sharing a ramshackle apartment. Electricity was a rarity, and an open drainage system ran all cross their cramped old neighbourhood. Joaquín Espaillat, the family patriarch, was a hard-working man, having secured a job at a coal processing power plant, but found it hard to maintain a family alongside a drinking habit. Ulises still remembers his father returning home long past bedtime, with soot sticking on his clothes and the smell of alcohol on his breath. Joaquín was arrested not long after their arrival to the city on charges of smuggling illegal contraband. The sentence had been harsh and prison harsher; Ulises often felt that it would've been better for the man to have died then rather than drag on hope for two long years before being shanked during a prison riot.
These years growing up were some of the toughest he'd ever experienced, having had to give up any hopes of an education in favour of doing any odd job just to keep everything afloat. His mother began a small corner shop in the neighbourhood, often providing mid-day meals and refreshments to the seasonal construction workers. It was by the grace of a relative, an uncle on his mother's side, that the family was able to survive. Uncle Tomas had graciously helped Ulises get a few better-paying jobs in the city, and it was him that recommended that he join the military by lying about his age. Although he might not have been able to get an education himself, Ulises made sure that his little sister Aida was able to make it through high school and indeed become the first in the family to attend University. The Herbanta University of Culture had long offered a scholarship for the underprivileged. It had been one of his proudest moments seeing his sister being able to make use of such an opportunity. He writes to her often these days; most of their conversations revolve around the EPLN and its activities nationally and on campus. Ulises suspects her to be a sympathiser, although he wouldn't want to broach the subject. Personally, he'd been rather apathetic to politics and had never voted, but he did think that Adulfo Maldonado of the Partido Orden Nacional made a lot of sense.
TRAIT: Tough
START: 6