Encyclopedia

This is an alphabetical repository for topics created by Andrew Benton and Bobby Dean for the Southowilson Campaign Setting, but don't rise to the level of a full page on their own. Periodically, they may be expanded on in their own article.

American Federal Republic

The American Federal Republic is the most powerful nation in North America, and the only one with an offworld presence. It was formed by a forced unification of the remnants of the USA and Canada in the postwar period, and currently stretches from the Mason-Dixon line to Alaska. The national capital is located in Omaha, Nebraska, one of the few major cities to survive the war intact. The AFR is a quasi-fascist state with pretensions of ruling a united North America, and is one of the major foils to the UN globally. 

Amur Concordat

In the decades following the Third World War, Russia and Japan were the ostensible victors. During this period, they consolidated their rule over nearly all of Northwest Asia and much of the Pacific Ocean. The two nations unified as a single political entity in 2042, named after the river running along several national borders. This made it one of the only large nation states in existence during the postwar years, although its actual population was quite low. The Amur Concordat started off as a sort of fascist utopia, with all major decisions being made with the assistance of sophisticated software AI's called "Advisory Systems", one of which ruled each region or major city. The entire society was highly regimented, with extensive interfacing between machines and the citizenry. Additionally, everything was wrapped up in a thick complex of ideas called "Amur Destiny", incorporating all manner of nationalist and religious traditions. Individuals meant nothing, only the destiny mattered. 

Amur Wars

In the late 2040's and 2050's the Amur Concordat attempted to expand westward into the rest of Asia, emulating the great nomad conquerors of the past. These many small wars soon coalesced into a single enormous campaign of genocide, as the Advisory systems decided that humanity in its current form was unsuitable for a real civilization, and needed "improvement". By this point, the Advisory Systems had taken full control of the Amur Concordat, and individual humans were being forcibly concerted into cybernetic weapons.  The AI's used biological and chemical weapons against any resistance, including its own citizenry when they began to revolt. In 2055, Skandia and SACPA decided to intervene directly, using nuclear weapons against the Advisory Systems and sending in troops to defeat their armies. By 2060, the last of the AI's had been destroyed or gone missing, and much of Asia had been reduced to an unpopulated toxic wasteland. The Amur Wars had two effects on the rest of the world - first, the scattering of Russians, Japanese, Chinese, and various nomadic peoples all over the globe in discrete refugee communities; second, artificial intelligences are now closely regulated, and heavily limited to non-sentient hardware based intelligences. The flexible neural net AI's of the past are strictly banned, and are universally hated and feared throughout the world. Robotics and cybernetics in general are looked upon with suspicion in many countries. 

Aztlan

Aztlan is a strange nation, a mix of drug cartels, Mexican Army defectors, Aztec millennial cultists, radical intellectuals from Los Angeles, and poor Indian peasants from northern Mexico. Aztlan identifies itself as a truly Mestizo nation, and uses extensive Aztec themes in its nationalist imagery – Nahuatl is the official language, and the religion is a syncretic mix of Catholicism and a state-sanctified Aztec cult. It is made up of the northern states of former Mexico, and the southern portions of Arizona and New Mexico. Aztlan is poor, politically unstable, and relatively dangerous for outsiders. The ruling junta has pretensions of regional greatness, and believes that if they can gain control of California, then Aztlan will be complete. The capital is Culiacan, in Sinaloa. As in previous times, Aztlan is a primary source for coca and Marijuana-based drugs, often smuggled through SoCal to Southowilson, for shipment elsewhere. 

Confederacy of American States

The states south of the Mason-Dixon line have again formed a confederacy as a counterweight to the AFR's dominance in North America. They are strongly independent, and the Mason-Dixon line is a fortified and frequently fought-across line. Oddly, "Dixie" has little involvement with the UN, preferring to make its own way in the world. They remain independent largely due to the presence of large numbers of troops from the SouthAm Republic, which helps keep the AFR on its toes.  

Lazurogenics

Lazurogenics is the art of resurrecting past species, sometimes as individual specimens but more usually as entire viable populations. These are usually, but not always, extinct animals of Earth. Full lazurogenic reconstruction requires the genetic data (or equivalent) of at least one and preferably several representatives of the original population. Gene banks were established specifically for this purpose in the years before and after World War III. The best known such effort was the Burning Library Project of Sweden, which sought to establish caches of information on as many species as could be sequenced before their extinction. This and similar initiatives are the source of nearly all the data used by lazurogenists in the millennia since, though many species went unrecorded and some caches of information went missing during the chaos following the war. If genetic data are incomplete or lacking entirely, lazurogenics enthusiasts may attempt to create an imitation of the life form that has the morphology and habits of the original, to the extent that these can be reconstructed from fossils or historical data. Sometimes the genetic material of descendant or related varieties is used as a starting point, to reduce the labor involved and to increase the authenticity of the final product. http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/4823993f36e02 

Los Angeles

LA was  attacked with nuclear weapons in 2034, and was also the scene of fierce fighting between the USA and Mexico. By 2035, it had collapsed completely into anarchy and warlordism. Because the city was so spread out, it was never emptied as thoroughly as San Francisco was. The city of Los Angeles itself remains a lawless, marauder-infested wasteland, devastated and flooded as a result of the 2076 Quake but still populated – it is sealed off and patrolled at most access points. Despite this, neighboring Orange County, San Bernadino, and the Inland Empire have regained populations enough for small cities to grow. These cities are mainly farming towns, isolated from each other by miles of irrigated cropland, and under constant threat of attack by terrorists who lurk in the ruins of LA. 

Mexico

The southern states and portions of the Yucatan retained the identity of Mexico, centered on Mexico City. Mexico and Aztlan are bitter enemies, while Mexico and Texas remain uneasy trading partners. Mexico retains a military government, eighty years after it was established. 

Nanotech

Nanotechnology is the applied science of the use of matter on the atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scales for industrial purposes. While some nanotech concepts were used in the creation of biotics, it is a heavily regulated field. For the most part nanotechnology has been outlawed following the atrocities of the Amur Wars. If any companies or governments have continued their nanotech research, it has been in secret.

NorCal Republic 

NorCal is a technologically advanced nation composed of the northern half of California and the northwestern part of Nevada (Reno area). Its economy is built on agriculture, manufacturing, and trade, focused primarily on the huge port city of Southowilson. NorCal’s capital is Redding; other population centers include Reno, Modesto, and Yuba. Southowilson is NorCal’s largest city by far and home to nearly all of its factories. 

Nuclear-Biological-Chemical-Technological (NBCT)

The protective measures taken in situations in which nuclear, biological, chemical, or technological (including terrorism) hazards may be present.  Defense includes passive protection, contamination avoidance, and weapons of mass destruction mitigation. The etymology of the term folded radiological back in with nuclear and added technological after WW3 and the Amur Wars to encompass nano weapons. 

Oceania

Dominated by Australia from the outset, this started as a union of Australia, New Zealand, and dozens of small island states as a defense and trade cooperative. Over time, this alliance expanded northward, annexing Hokkaido, the Russian territories in the Pacific, and eventually most of Alaska. It now dominates most of the Pacific Ocean. This mainly English-speaking nation is one of the largest proponents of aquaculture, exporting food from open ocean farms around the dozens of islands and along the coasts. It constantly butts heads with both SACPA and the UN over the issue of ocean usage rights, but it has always been a strong supporter of the UN. The "Kiwis" as New Zealanders are still called, are one of the most aggressively pro-UN groups anywhere, and they fill the ranks of UN inspection and investigation teams. Australians, while not as gung-ho about the UN's policies, nevertheless volunteer in droves for the small but professional UN military. Oceania is frequently involved in small conflicts in the Indonesian chain and in China, often against SACPA. Oceania's capitol is Wellington, New Zealand, and the official language is English.

Pacifica

A unified state stretching from Oregon to British Columbia, and west to the Rockies, this large but low-population country is a progressive, forward-looking regional power. The state formed from a unification of Northern California, the Mountain States, and British Columbia. The Pacific Union is strongly supportive of the UN, but not as active or vocal as Oceania, which it maintains strong relations to. Pacifica is militantly environmental, a source of constant friction with its neighbors and with the many megacorps active in the region.

Provolution

Terrorist organization focused on radical genetic engineering, political anarchism, and the general concept of "Transhumanism". Provolutionism developed on Ariel among various medical university students, but quickly found a following among elements of society who desired the genetic and cybernetic enhancements made possible by Provolution. They are advocates of improving humanity through genetic engineering and cybernetics, as well as increasing the biodiversity of the solar system through lazurogenics and other deliberate mutations. Unpopular in most countries, Provolution remains most popular among certain criminal segments of the former first world nations. Provolution was first introduced in the game "2300:AD", but it fits the setting well enough after adaptation. 

Psionics

Also known as "psychic powers", psionics are regarded as an unsubstantiated urban legend by most, or as dangerous supernatural powers by others. In recent years, some corporations have conducted research into the field, reporting some measurable success with what they describe as "hyper-acute empathy". This research is widely dismissed as pseudoscience at best, or highly unethical at worst. In spite of this stigma, fortune tellers, mediums, and mind readers remain widely popular as entertainers and counselors. In popular culture, psionics are associated with nuclear mutants, mind-controlling secret masters, and other unsavory types.  

SACPA

The South Asia Co-Prosperity Alliance, originally formed as a military/economic alliance between Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore after WWIII. SACPA became the backbone for a fairly prosperous state encompassing parts of India, Indonesia, New Guinea, and Indochina as well. SACPA is not as homogenous as the other large states, due to the immense number of different languages and ethnic groups; the major ones are Indian, Chinese, and Indonesian. The national capital of the SACPA is Singapore. SACPA is known as a producer of high-volume but low quality goods, and suffers from a largely undeserved reputation for Byzantine domestic politics and ruthlessness abroad. SACPA is a very modern state, though fairly conservative due to the influence of Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim clergy. Government business is conducted in a fairly secular manner, and religious factionalism is discouraged.

San Francisco Bay Area 

The northern and southern ends of the SF Bay area were destroyed by nuclear attacks in 2034. The city was abandoned in 2041, and left to its own devices until the 2050’s. In that interval, the city fell to ruins. The Golden Gate Bridge, parts of which had collapsed over the years, was specifically demolished in the 2050’s as a navigation threat. In the 2080’s a reclamation effort was attempted in the Downtown area, but was abandoned due to cost issues. Small communities dot the coastline, but for the most part the entire peninsula is abandoned. Access is officially restricted from the seaward side, but it is not difficult to avoid patrols – many smugglers, pirates, and other gangs prowl the ruins of downtown, attacking shipping in the narrow straits. Further down the peninsula, an urban wilderness has developed, home to numerous non-native species. Safaris and hunts are an occasional pastime for the decadent in Southowilson. 

San/Ti Sprawl

The true heart of SoCali is found in the sprawl that has grown from the union of San Diego and Tijuana. Captured by the Mexican Army very early in the Third World War and never subjected to nuclear attack, San Diego remained a viable city through the entire postwar period. It is currently home to ten million SoCali citizens, and the outskirts stretch all the way to the Gulf of California now. 

Skandia

Formed in the postwar era, this union of Greenland, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Scotland, and Germany was responsible for much of the technological growth of the last century. It is a progressive, humanist nation, a strong believer in social justice and one of the main proponents of the revived United Nations system. The main languages are Swedish and English, which remains the international language of science, trade, and diplomacy. Skandia has been instrumental in the return of civilization to Europe and the North Atlantic, but Skandians can be found nearly anywhere. The Skandian capital is in Stockholm, Sweden. 

SoCali

Stretching from Morrow Bay to Baja California and parts of southern Nevada (Las Vegas area), the United Republic of Southern California is a primarily Hispanic nation. The capital is San Diego, and the bulk of the population lives in that region. The economy is based on a three-part structure of offshore resources, agriculture, and light industry. SoCali is technically a republic, though the Army tends to maintain a firm grasp on politics. The primary language is Spanish, and the primary religion is "Reformed Sur Catholicism", led by a pope in South America. Despite the slumping economy, SoCali is culturally strong and politically stable, save for instances of terrorism and banditry in the outback.

Sovereign Deseret

This Mormon theocracy formed when Utah seceded and then annexed the nearby desert states. It has aggressively cultivated the desert, and is now an exporter of food. It now dominates most of the western desert, including Utah, much of Nevada, and Wyoming and Colorado west of the Front Range. Sovereign Deseret is a primary destination for much of what is shipped through Southowilson, as well as a huge market for smugglers. The many regulations and religious proscriptions on Deseret citizens don’t stop their appetites for the usual goods and services. 

South American Republic

This large, powerful nation formed from the union of Argentina and Chile, and later Brazil. It is one of the economic powerhouses of the world, benefiting heavily from the immense population of Brazil. The SAR was an early beneficiary of the UN, when the Amazon basin was placed under UN conservancy. In exchange for this ceding of land, the UN makes substantial payments to the SAR. The citizenry of the SAR are predominately Roman Catholic, and speak a blended dialect of Spanish and Portuguese distinct from either mother tongue. The SAR is involved in constant political intrigues with its neighbors to the north, especially the unstable successor states in North America. The capital of the SAR is Buenos Aires, Argentina.  

Southowilson

Southowilson is the industrial capital of the NorCal Republic (unofficially called the Bear Republic), located on Suisun Bay, north of the ruins of San Francisco.  Southowilson is a city of approximately 6.2 million people. It is an overcrowded metropolis; but unlike many cities around the world, Southowilson is not part of a larger sprawl. 

Texas

Once again, Texas is a fiercely independent state, trapped between larger neighbors, known for irrational belligerence in the face of threats. The borders are still defined by rivers, though it now claims New Mexico to the Rio Grande. It maintains a large military, and is relatively poor as a result. Texas is known for both cattle and mercenaries, as it exports little else.  Smaller than all of its neighbors, it has not been successfully attacked since the 2020’s.

United Nations

The United Nations was resurrected in 2095 as a basis for peaceful international relations at the end of the Fourth World War, after a nearly seventy year gap. It was initially the creation of Skandia and the nations of northern Europe, but the other regional blocs have signed on, and the UN may yet prove to be a viable international framework. The UN is charged primarily with serving as a framework for international diplomacy, commerce, and law, but the bulk of its efforts have been devoted to rebuilding the badly damaged infrastructure of Earth. Oddly enough the nations of the northern hemisphere are deeply suspicious and resentful of its activities, despite being the primary beneficiaries. The United Nations is headquartered in Amundsen City, Antarctica, and generates substantial revenue from licensing of resource exploitation and other similar programs, as well as dues from the member nations. It is composed of the "General Assembly" the "Security Council", and numerous agencies devoted to specific concerns. The UN is not a world government, per se, though it does maintain a significant military of its own, with corporate sponsorship. It directly administers several territories, and has offices in nearly every nation or settlement of any size.  

World War III

The Third World War (2033-34) was a titanic struggle between two power blocs; Russia and Japan on one side versus China, the USA, and its allies on the other side. It started as a struggle in East Asia, but quickly spiraled out of control and escalated into a nuclear exchange between all of the major combatants and several smaller nations. In addition to the devastation caused by the massive use of nuclear weapons, a number of experimental weapons were also used. These included combat robots, energy weapons, biological warfare, and the direct manipulation of Earth's magnetosphere to disrupt communication. All of these factors together killed nearly six billion people within ten years and devastated the environment. Radio communication was disrupted, the ozone layer was degraded, and for decades the climate was dangerous and unpredictable. The decades following the war are known variously as the "Bad Years", "the Starvation", "The Long Dark" and so forth. In most parts of the world the situation began to stabilize in the 2050's, though this varies wildly. Some places never collapsed, while others still haven't recovered.  

World War IV

During the 2080's and 2090's, the three great southern superstates (SACPA, Oceania, and the SAR) clashed repeatedly over resources in a series of conflicts later collectively named the "Fourth World War". Despite the dramatic name, the war was limited mainly to incessant, intense, but relatively limited special operations raids and air/naval operations around the Pacific Rim, Southern Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. The most sustained combat occurred in and around Antarctica, in clashes between Australia and South American land forces and submarines. The need for accurate intelligence spurred the redeployment of the first surveillance satellites, which in turn spurred the remilitarization of space. By 2089, the first armed satellites were used to attack the numerous spysats.  Almost completely uninvolved in the conflicts which wrack the Southern Hemisphere, Skandia placed more effort in the global recovery process, making a number of scientific breakthroughs that would bear fruit later. Perhaps most significantly for global recovery, a Skandian-owned energy corporation developed the first practical fusion reactor in 2093. Though crude, bulky, and limited by modern standards, it made almost unlimited clean energy available with surprisingly little effort. Skandia sought to bring an end to the conflicts, and made the reactor technology available to all three combatants simultaneously in exchange for recognition of patent and licensing rights. Almost overnight, the dependence on increasingly scarce petroleum as a fuel source declined, and the Fourth World War wound to a halt within two years.