THE BRASIAN REPUBLIC – Archeterica Imago

Name	The Brasian Republic / The Republic of Bramastadt
Location	North Adriano, the Old World
Political system	democratic republic
Capital	Bramastadt
Population	~ 30,000,000 people
Religion	Messianism (Codexism)
Currency	zloty
Exports	firearms, cut glass, republican ideas
Stereotype	ambitious snobs

General Characteristics

The Brasian Republic is a glorious country with a rich history, the main heir of the Spohledian Protectorate, and the cradle of the revolution against the Old World’s monarchy. Brasians are renowned for their ambition, acting as the pacesetters of the New Time. The Brasian Republic is located in North Adriano. The highest legislature in the Republic is the Republican Senate, Messianism is the most influential religion, and zloty is the state currency.

FAMED LANDS

The Brasian Republic lies almost at the far North of the Old World, separated from the frozen White Steppe by the Greyhound’s land, also known as the Northern Volnytsia. The Republic’s western border lies along the Ioan Range with multiple independent kingdoms hidden in its valleys; the glorious Radenia spreads on its other side. To the East of the Republic there is the ocean, which opens ways for seafaring. Countries of Folderein, former vassals of the Spohledian Protectorate, border the Brasian Republic in its South.

Winters in the Brasian Republic are cold, and the summers are warm. The landscape varies from endless grim forests in the North to fertile fields in the South. Although agriculture is the main Brasian trade, multiple mines operate in the West near the mountain range, providing industrial centers with precious metals and minerals.

BRASIAN SPOHLEDS

“Get born in a ditch, serve in the navy or in the colonies, get back and get educated, find yourself good company to go into trading together, and then get old with good money and good friends around. And whatever happens, don’t keep your money in an Orlo bank!” – from The Father’s Guidance for the Young Spohled, 1798

The stereotypical Brasian is an educated, proud individualist and dandy, but that only applies to a limited number of big city folks. Instead, a typical Brasian Spohled is a villager who spends his or her whole life working their home farm.

Many generations of Brasians passed in the times when their homeland was the center of a grand Old World empire. Reminiscences of imperialism live in Brasian culture, starting with their central cities’ architecture. This notably contrasts with their unapologetic desire for freedom that manifested itself after the republican revolution of 1799.

A CHRONICLE OF HARDSHIP

Key dates in the Brasian Republic’s history:

21 before T.D.: Adrian the Dark’s Tyrranian legions unexpectedly crossed the Ioan Range and took a significant part of the ancient kingdom that lay in the territory of the modern Republic. The only settlement that withstood the attack was called the Bramian city.
667: The Spohled Rhombing. Under the senator Sator’s influence, local nobility and legionnaires converted into Messianism. The first Messianic temple is built at the foot of Ioan mountains.
1305: the Bramian Kingdom. The Adrianian Empire’s downfall caused local nobility to separate and form the Bramian Kingdom. Yago Starovirskiy, a local scholast and war chief, is elected king.
1512–1639: Freimen’s Solidarity. North Adriano was split in half by the fight between monarchy and hradstadts, the free cities. This fight for the city sovereignty and the right for private property formed the Freimen movement. Small but well armed troops from both sides engaged in elaborate maneuvers all across North Adriano. The part of Messianist clergy that supported the Freimen’s Solidarity formed the Codexist confession.
1539: the Spohledian Protectorate. The Freimen wars ended with a unity agreement which let the nobility strengthen their rule, but also guaranteed personal rights and freedoms for the townsfolk. The Bramian, Ostfoldian and Westfoldian Kingdoms form the Spohledian Protectorate.
1601: the colonization of Graaldo. Rumors of the mythical Graaldo, a “free” continent in the far East, had been circulating the Old World for a long time. At last, Carlos V of the Spohledian Protectorate published a decree to put the new continent on the maps, and therefore it was colonized by the forces of the East-Spohledian Geographical Campaign supported by Orlian bankers. A century later, Graaldian silver and opium poppy became the foundation for the Protectorate’s colonial prosperity.
1680–1685: the Ioan campaign. Lionel III, the king of Radenia, was dissatisfied with the Spohledian Protectorate’s religious emancipation through the newly formed Codexism and with their inactivity in resisting the Sunrise Crusades. He announced his claim for the Spohledian crown and tried to take it by force. Backed by Orlian bankers, the Radenian king bet on the loyalty of Spohledian knighthood and crossed the Ioan Range to catch the Protectorate’s war chiefs by surprise. Nonetheless, Spohledian infantry, armed with muskets, pushed Radenian troops back into the mountains, where battles for unnamed monasteries and mountain passes lasted for years. Consequently, multiple ancient knightly families and orders were destroyed, and their surviving cavalry formed the Order of the Frozen Heart which continues to serve as a peacemaker between the two countries at the Ioan Range.
1787: Carlos V, the Wandering King’s last expedition. Known for his love of seafaring to the New World and establishing new colonies, Carlos V departed from Adriano for the last time in Carlosport on a stormy day in late autumn. The monarch’s further route is still being debated, but the fact is that he never came back from that expedition. Carlos V’s unfinished colonization projects left the Protectorate’s treasury highly unstable.
1799: the Republican Revolution. In the absence of Carlos V, his wife Queen Herda became a marionette in the hands of her advisors, who divided their influence over Protectorate into two zones. Those advisors, now called the New Feudals, waged several civil wars. This made a hole in the Crown’s treasury, forcing the New Feudalst o take loans from hradstadts and other free states. However, as the free cities demanded payment on those numerous overdue loans, all they got was the revocation of their freedoms. The New Feudals blamed everything on the Queen, counting on her power to be reduced and theirs consequently increased even further, but very soon the revolutionary action gained republican tendencies. As a result, the Swan Queen abdicated and left Bramastadt with little to no resistance, after which the New Feudals were overthrown violently. The Spohledian Protectorate fell apart into multiple kingdoms and republics, leaving the Brasian Republic its main heir.
1800–1801: the Kaiser campaign. Jurgen Krum, an heir to the Ostfoldian crown of Radenian descent, proclaimed himself the Kaiser of North Adriano, backed by Orlian bankers. He declared the restoration of monarchy to be the civic duty of all Adrianites, as the Brasian Republic had become home for anarchy and moral downfall. Kaiser Jurgen gained control over Folderein and got to the Republic’s borders with support of an army of confederate rogues. The first National Army headed by the newly inducted general Adam Forte met them on the battlefield. It took two years of combat for the Republic’s army to push the opposing troops back to the Maris Strait; nonetheless, under the principles of “Liberty, equality, fraternity,”, or just having been sent aback by their own overly successful general, colloquially known as Victorius Fortunus, the Republican Senate called back the National Army and allowed the countries of Folderein to decide their own fate (as a result, many of them ended up becoming marionette hradstadts and republics under Bramastadt’s rule). Victorius Fortunus sent his sable to the Senate, as a peace offering or otherwise, and then headed to the New World aiming to bring back the Protectorate’s colonial legacy.

POWER OF THE PEOPLE

“For the Republic, of course!” – a traditional republican motto

Bramian Spohleds have enjoyed self-government ever since the anti-monarchy revolution peaked in 1799. The previous government burned in the flames of Reformation, and the new one… well, it’s in development.

THE TEMPORARY ADMINISTRATION. The first official and almost universally acknowledged organ of power in the Brasian Republic is the Temporary Administration. It comprises proteges of revolutionary leaders, whose task was to govern the state during the turbulent years until the republican constitution is written and the first elections pass. Nonetheless, even years later, the Emergency Ministers have not shown themselves eager to acknowledge the legitimacy of the National Senate and its laws. The Temporary Administration is reluctantly giving away its power piece by piece, using any crisis as an opportunity to revoke those decisions and regain control in different areas. As of 1808, the Administration and its Emergency Ministers have almost lost people’s support but are still fighting for their existence by any means.
THE NATIONAL SENATE. Six hundred seventy people’s selected officials are what makes up the republican government. The Senate’s representatives vote by raising handkerchiefs that are then hastily counted by the team of twenty four Witnesses of Cantor, the revolution’s orphans. Most of the Senate’s officials represent their towns and cities, some seats in the Senate are reserved for war heroes, county richest have some seats, and six of the seats are given out through National Lottery. Every representative’s vote has an equal weight regardless of the way it was acquired. The Senate is the arena for political spite and confrontation: a hundred committees, dozens of parties and interest groups compete for their vision of the first National Republic.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. In accordance with the Freimen’s tradition and republican ideology, the Brasian Republic is decentralized. The country is divided into six Voivodeships: Bramastatian, Prianian, Marine, Przelyski, Czastomyrian and Noviburghian, each of them having their own Local Senate. Many of the Republic’s towns and communities have the hradstadt status that grants them the freedom of self-government.

The execution of governmental functions lies upon the cohort of uncoordinated inspections, bureaus and committees that have to ruthlessly compete for their survival. In the reformation frenzy, the Republic’s officials create new organs much quicker than the average citizen manages to learn their names.

Every respectable Republic’s politician must be a member of one of the National Parties. Even though it is so easy to establish a party there are several hundreds of them, the following are the most influential:

THE BRASIAN TOPHATS is an alliance between bourgeois and moderate democrats that is most influential in the big cities. Rumor has it that the Tophats are controlled by a small circle of successful traders and landowners, but no one is really perturbed by that for the time being.
THE RESTORERS are imperialists and colonizers. This party’s members demand the restoration of the Protectorate’s colonial legacy, emphasizing the Republic’s first right to those claims. The Restorers believe in the idea of a great empire, albeit founded in republican ideas, as a highest testament to the Old World’s civilization. The Restorers formally deny the claims of their sympathies for the Monarchists.
THE GUNPOWDER FELLOWSHIP comprises post-revolutionary radicals that remain rigidly loyal to the revolutionary ideals. This party believes that a global republican revolution awaits all of Adriano, and thus the bloodiest battles are all ahead of us, as the building of brighter New Time requires a lot of gunpowder.
THE NEW FREIMEN is an old republican movement that was popular at the times of the Protectorate. The New Freimen advocates for a limited autonomy and has a tight relationship with Codexists, a confession of Messianism. Their doctrine attracts intellectuals, but the party has been gradually declining, as the more active and aggressive movements take center stage.
THE FREE BUNCH is a formal alliance of people who want their own business untouched by anyone. The movement is popular on the outskirts of the Republic, in hradstadts and local volnytsias.
THE FORTUNISTS is a young political force formed by the followers of Victorius Fortunus, the major persona of Kaiser Wars and the triumphant general. The Fortunists admire their idol’s strategic genius and his capability for effective reforms, and so they believe in the general’s political future in the Old World.

THE POWER AND ARMS OF THE REPUBLIC

“It felt like the gunpowder clouds that overcast our land were so thick they would never clear. But we went on, shot after shot. We marched for as long as we had to. Freedom is bought with blood and gunpowder.” – from the diaries of Hordiy Kvit, a lieutenant of the National Guard.

The troublesome Republic is full of armed folks, some of them are even serving the state. NB: ownership of both cold weapons and firearms is permitted for all citizens, but only the military and the knighthood in appropriate attire are allowed to walk the streets visibly armed. Local councils may have different views on weapon ownership and can introduce their own rules.

THE NATIONAL GUARD. The noble task of protecting the Republic’s borders and sovereignty lies on the shoulders of the National Guard. Right after the Revolution during the Kaiser Wars of 1801, the National Guard reached its record of a million members. It was possible due to the national draft, the first in Adriano’s history, organized by Adam Forte, a mere captain back then. The National Guard successfully pushed the attackers to the coast of Grand Orlo, but after its triumphant return home, it was reduced to 100,000 soldiers. The National Guard remains the scarecrow for North Adriano, even though years of tardiness don’t serve it well.

THE COLONIAL LEGIONS. The troops acting overseas bear the name of Colonial Legions. Consisting of professional combatants, the Legions were considered the military elite of the Old World. Nowadays, many of them have an undetermined legal status and serious financing issues, which causes former legionaries to bring their services to Private Colonial Companies. Only those legions that belong to Victorius Fortunus’ Colonial Leadership retain their efficiency and prestige, displaying provocative independence from the metropoly.

LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. Law enforcement is the thing for the motley crew of professionals, volunteers, state men, and private hirelings. Unless the Local Senate comes up with something original, typical law enforcement structure looks like the following:

People’s Gendarmerie is a militarized police force concerned with protecting state property and government officials. The Gendarmerie seldom resorts to armed conflict, but when it does, full-scale battles with infantry, light artillery and quick cavalry attacks engulf whole city districts.
The Communal Guard consists of “voluntary conscripts” organized into civil patrols. Armed with batons, whistles, and sometimes pistols, these good men and women are to upkeep a general impression of order, arrest delinquents, and raise alarm in case of serious trouble. Each city’s Communal Guard has its own unique uniform, though it is generally a simple civilian outfit and the easy-to-notice tall hat.
Private Police employs professional detectives and security guards and has about a dozen separate bureaus in every big city. For an appropriate reward, these gentlefolks will find your stolen watch, guard your store, or brawl with their competitors working for a different client. The Private Police’s efficiency is mostly due to its historically close ties with the criminal underground: this ensures that the offender, the victim, and the police officer will all ultimately receive what they’re looking for.

SENATE SPECIAL SERVICE. What the leaders of the newborn Republic feared most was, of course, counter-revolution. To prevent it, the heroes of recent battles and experienced conspirators came together to create the Senate Special Service. The initial goal was to keep track of monarchists both inside the country and internationally. Year after year, the new government’s demands expanded and the Service diversified accordingly. At present, the Service is a complex organization with inner factions pursuing different interests. Officially, though, it consists of eleven functional departments known as Offices:

#1. The Revolutionary Office counteracts monarchist and anti-republican movements.
#2. The Military Office surveys the condition of the Republic’s army, as well as the mindsets within the corps.
#3. The Colonial Office ensures that the Republic’s colonies remain loyal.
#4. The Treasury Office fights counterfeiting and corruption.
#5. The Security Office provides personal security for the high-ranking people of the Republic.
#6. The Diplomatic Office operates international intelligence.
#7. The Naval Office monitors the fleet and ensures the safety of maritime trade routes.
#8. The Persecution Office persecutes and arrests the most dangerous criminals.
#9. The Archive Office collects records and government documents.
#10. The Morality Office operates censorship and religious activities.
#11. The Inquisitive Office conducts scientific and experimental investigations.

THE PACT MARSHALS. A nefarious international organization founded in the era of the Protectorate; their purpose was to persecute the most dangerous criminals who fled abroad to avoid capture. Throughout the decades of work, the Pact Marshals came to own private assault troops, secret prisons, and representative agencies all across the world. The lands of what used to be the Protectorate are considered the Marshals’ territory, though the Senate Special Service is taking efforts to force the organization out of the Brasian Republic.

THE COMMISSARIAT. Ever since the Freimen Movement took place, it became common across the lands of the Protectorate to appoint Special Commissaries who handle unusual crises. Commissaries are chosen among citizens who have both the necessary qualifications and a good public image. They can be assigned to investigate a particularly topical crime or a strange phenomenon — anything that might have the public worried. The Commissary is assisted by their hand-selected team of professionals called special aides. Part of their job is informing the public about the progress of their investigation, regularly and in full detail. When a Commissary’s mandate comes to an end, they are laid off along with their aides; however, if their investigation was particularly successful, they might be awarded with a special lifetime pension fund financed by patrons. An especially popular person might have the honor of becoming a Commissary more than once in their lifetime.

REVOLUTION DISTRIBUTION

As The Brasian Republic is a post-revolutionary state, its relations with its monarchic neighbors are extremely strained. The Kingdom of Radenia, separated from the Republic by the Ioan Range, never forgave Bramastadt for its religious separation into Codexism all the way back in 1677, and the 1799 anti-monarchical revolution did not help alleviate the tension. Quite the contrary, the fall of the Spohledian aristocracy sent Radenian nobles into panic, turning the two countries into fierce political enemies. The Kingdom of Radenia is quick to join every anti-Brasian coalition as they occasionally appear, while the Senate Special Service persists in their attempts to fan the flames of revolution in the hearts of Radenian commonfolk.

In the meantime, the countries and hradstadts of Folderein, former vassals of the Protectorate, are now in the Brasian Republic’s area of influence — especially in Ostfold. In the aftermath of the Kaiser Campaign, the region saw the birth of a few small republics that followed Bramastadt in their foreign and domestic policies. The occasional duchies and kingdoms are carefully trying to hinder the spread of republican mindsets without provoking another war.

Grand Orlo is not a monarchic state by any means, but the Orlian bankers and private companies have long dreamed of challenging Bramastadt in its right to inherit the old Spohledian colonies. As such, Grand Orlo and the Brasian Republic came to be zealous rivals, though mostly in the realm of trade and colonization. The Republic of Bascar has sided with Bramastadt in this civilized confrontation, showing its patronizing approach to the younger state, while the Confederation supports any and all claims of Grand Orlo.

In its time, the Spohledian Protectorate colonized vast territories on the Borian Archipelago, in Salmandia, and in Graaldo. As to be expected, Brasians consider their Republic to be the direct heir to those colonies. Proper leaders are yet to be established in the region, so the archipelago is engulfed in conflict, aptly named the Borian Bedlam. Meanwhile, the Spohledian colonies in Salmandia and Graaldo have successfully declared independence. As for the Frontier Commonwealth with its capital in Novapolis, Brasians also consider it a legitimate part of their territory that has to be protected from hostile colonial empires.

FAMOUS SPOHLEDS

Both the Spohledian Protectorate and the later established Brasian Republic have been the cradle of many ambitious characters. These names came to be known not just locally, but all the way across the oceans.

Carlos V came from a dynasty of Spohledian monarchs. He was the last king of the Protectorate and was married to Queen Herda (now in exile). Carlos V was known as the Wandering King due to his passion for seafaring, exploration of wild lands, and colonizing initiatives. The series of his daredevil expeditions came to a natural end when he went missing at sea in 1878, and the king’s costly projects meant to develop Spohledian colonies were left unfinished, partially causing the Protectorate’s fall twenty years later. Carlos V’s also had a personal expedition corps called the Kaiser Corps that spent many years traversing terra incognita. There are rumors that the Corps amassed a large collection of documented evidence on the most incredible diablica artifacts imaginable, as well as routes to the Other Side of the Disc. Those documents and diaries compile the Kaiser Archive, the Wandering King’s last legacy; to this day, many shadow societies are fighting to get their hands on its contents.
Victorius Fortunus is a general, one of the heroes of the Kaiser Campaign, and the leader of the Colonial Commandant’s Service. As a young officer, he became widely praised due to his efforts right after the Revolution. In particular, he created the first National Army that defeated the united forces of four different countries under his commandment, preventing them from restoring the Protectorate as a puppet state. When it became apparent that Fortunus’ popularity was growing, he was promptly sent off to fight for land in distant colonies — which he’s doing to this day with noteworthy efficiency. Certain detractors say that the general’s birth name, Adam Victor Forte, indicates a Radenian origin. In today’s climate, however, such claims are rarely good for the gossipers’ reputation and well-being.
Leopold Bramaski was a widely known professor and pseudoscientist, the founder of the mystical discipline of Archeterica. After visiting numerous Wandering Cities, he published six volumes of Post Science, in which he attempted to explain various mystical practices and give them a solid scientific ground. The works were not approved by academics; still, the ideas of Post Science found their way into bohemian salons, where they became a real sensation and ignited an occult renaissance. Leopold Bramaski spent the rest of his life traveling around and giving open lectures. He is currently considered deceased.
Olexander Sirko was a founder of the Senate Special Service and a hero of the Revolution. Sirko established hundreds of autonomous cells of Senate Special Service both within and beyond the Republic’s borders, leading a successful underground war against the Revolution’s covert enemies. Though official sources deny it, Olexander Sirko has gone missing several years ago; still, he managed to leave detailed plans for his agents for decades to come. Some testify that prior to his disappearance, Mr. Sirko became deeply curious about the Wandering King’s last expedition…
Volga the Archmentoress is a religious and political figure, the head of the Codexist branch of Messianism in Bramastadt. As a spiritual leader, the Archmentoress is primarily concerned with balancing the unstable order of the post-revolutionary society. Volga plays an active role in all major social events, either personally or through her trusted agents.
Panyslav Kydko is a press magnate and the organizer of the Republican National Lottery. Mr. Kydko seemingly appeared out of nowhere when the Revolution was in full swing and quickly became a well-recognized speaker. He was one of the people behind the idea of covering the Republic’s debt by holding nation-wide lotteries. Bringing this to life also made Panyslav Kydko quite a fortune. Although he is famous among commonfolk, those more knowledgeable rumor about the questionable nature of the hero’s virtues. Corruption, opium addiction, and interest in diablica are only some of those speculations.
Wladyslaw and Witold Flatau are prominent political figures who became well-known after the 1799 Revolution. Witold Flatau used to be the head of the soaper’s guild in Noviburg, the young Republic’s largest port city; he became the democratic mayor of Noviburg after a bloody confrontation with the monarchists and the local usurper. His brother Wladyslaw Flatau was one of the first revolution Commissaries and became famous for his battles for Bramastadt. However, Wladyslaw quickly fell out of favor with the new authorities for his investigations into the Temporary Administration; he was sentenced to death in absentia, forcing him to take refuge in the colonies. Thus, while one of the brothers is one of the most respected and exemplary civil servants of the Republic, the other is in exile, finding new connections among anarchists and extremists.
Casimir Flemski is a former counsel to the Spohledian Throne and a current representative of the so-called New Feudals. Conspiracists claim that Mr. Flemski was one of the hidden leaders of the republican movement, using it as a means of expanding his influence and eliminating his opponents. Some say that Casimir Flemski has now resorted to witchcraft, trying to create his own shadow empire somewhere in the Borian Archipelago.

CENTRAL CITIES OF THE REPUBLIC

Governed by the Local Senates, the Brasian Republic’s big cities enjoy a high level of autonomy and usually act as administrative centers for voivodeships named after them.

BRAMASTADT is an ancient city, the capital of the former Spohledian Protectorate. Bramastadt is famous for the mythology built around the antique gates that divide the city into historical districts. Bramastadt is the cultural and political center of the Republic, and it continues to expand in all directions at an astonishing pace.
BARUNDEBURG could be the first real industrial city of the Old World. Located near the Adrianian Mountains, Barundeburg is a city of factories, most of which have already housed more than one generation of workers. Barundeburg’s citizens are known for their cold disposition and pedantry.
CARLOSPORT is a young city built on Carlos IV’s order. Carlosport was designed as a shipyard, home to the most talented craftsmen. The local forest is rich with particularly valuable types of wood; those were used to create the outstanding Spohledian Fleet that conquered all continents currently known to mankind. Carlosport has changed greatly since then, but it is still a maritime city where the republic’s admiralty resides.
PRZELYSKA is an agrarian center, and also the homeland of the Protectorate’s most infamous gangs. Przelyska’s pastoral hamlets and the surrounding landscapes are charming, but this tranquility is mostly a ruse. Local volnytsias are always ready to use firearms if needed, and the forests are dotted with both abandoned and active hideouts, some with stolen goods inside.
NOVIBURG is the biggest coastal city in the Republic, successful both industrially and trading-wise. Noviburg hosts offices of many influential Private Companies, and its ports are a starting point for most voyages to the New World. In the past, however, Noviburg was the city that suffered most from the terror of the Revolution; those times of ruin still dwell in the citizens’ memory.
CHASTOMYR lies to the south of the Republic, surrounded by picturesque Brasian landscapes. These lands were once a popular place of leisure for the Spohledian aristocracy, but most of their mansions have been raided and robbed by the revolutionaries. Today, the former shells of those palaces tower silently over the land, trashed and deserted. Despite that, the people of Chastomyr are often sympathizers of monarchy.

SHADOWS OF THE REPUBLIC

“What secret club shall we join tonight?” -Afolda Zuckrovitska, a madonna of Bramastadt’s high society and a famous spiritualist

A turbulent country like the Brasian Republic couldn’t exist without a highly active shadow underbelly. All sorts of criminals and visionaries gather into new gentlefolk societies every day, and some of them even live long enough to earn recognition in selected circles.

GUNPOWDER GUARD is the Republic’s largest guardian society, created by merging multiple revolutionary clubs. The society’s initial objective was to defend republican ideas, but its activity later became rather eccentric and rooted in conspiracy. The Gunpowder Guard’s members prepare to defend the Republic against the Strangers’ potential attack, raid diablica traders, and hunt mistwalkers in the provinces. The Guard has strong connections with the state, and you can occasionally see black carriages taking armed gentlemen away on their shady trips around the Brasian Republic and beyond.
THE NEW STANDARD is a young shadow empire that’s expanding rapidly across the Republic, winning local secret societies onto their side through bribery or force. It’s a militarized organization that secured a stream of unbelievable diablica items delivered from the colonies, and they clearly have political ambitions. Shadow insiders confirm that the New Standard is a part of the Republic’s preparation for the return of one particular influential figure.
THE SPOHLEDIAN MUMMIOLOGIST SOCIETY is a network of private elite clubs that rose to fame after the mass robbery of Graaldo’s pyramids and the smuggling of their exotic treasures to the Old World. The Society’s club members ‘unwrap’ the mummies for entertainment and auction off diablica. However, rumor has it that the Mummiologists only serve as a facade for a full-blown sect that is trying to bring long-lost Graaldian magics back to life. The Spohledian Society of Mummiologists has a strong contender in the Orlian Society of Mummiologists.
THE LEAD ORCHESTRA is an industrial shadow empire that specializes in the production and trade of firearms. The yellow press will gladly tell you about the illegal underground gunpowder factories that make up a whole network under the silent rule of either the Temporary Administration or the Senate Secret Service. According to the rumors, the Lead Orchestra in a single year exports more firearms to the New World than the National Guard owns, and what they bring back is opium tinctures in industrial quantities. The Lead Orchestra is determined to keep its shadow independence from the Republic by any means.