THE COALITION | Diplomacy

KEY

STATUS

ALLIED — The firm allies of the Great Lakes Coalition. Coalition forces and this faction cooperate in battle.

FRIENDLY — This faction is a friend of the Great Lakes Coalition. Coalition forces cooperate with this faction, but usually outside of battle.

NEUTRAL — This faction is—at least officially—viewed neither positively nor negatively.

HOSTILE — This faction is hostile to the Great Lakes Coalition and its people. Coalition forces are free to engage these factions at will.

OPEN CONFLICT — The staunch enemies of the Great Lakes Coalition. Coalition forces clash regularly with these factions.

REPUTATION

POPULAR — The members of this faction are loved and greatly supported among the people of Bargetown.

LIKED — The members of this faction are generally liked among the people of Bargetown.

UNKNOWN — The members of this faction are not viewed strongly by most or are largely unknown.

MIXED — The members of this faction are viewed in ways that differ significantly from person to person.

DISLIKED — The members of this faction are generally disliked among the people of Bargetown.

VILIFIED — The members of this faction are notorious and despised among the people of Bargetown.

LORE FACTIONS

(vignette by Mystikalli)

UNITED STATES RECLAMATION FORCE

STATUS: ALLIED

REPUTATION: DISLIKED

AGREEMENTS: Maritime Exclusion Zone (former)

The recently reformed alliance with the United States Reclamation Force—or more specifically, the USRF's Black Navy—is once again on the verge of collapse. With the Coalition having made agreements with the Southern Union, the BMC Garrison having entered a trade treaty with the local New Model Army forces, and the Sunrise blockade dissolving as a whole, many theorise that it will only take one more serious incident before all bridges between the Great Lakes Coalition and the Northeast Union are burnt.

A historic cultural bitterness between the Great Lakes Coalition and the Northeastern Union has led to widespread protest over the shaky 'alliance' across the Coalition. Many in the Coalition—especially those with first-hand experience, like in Bargetown—view the Northeastern Union as an overly warlike and imperialist nation with obvious designs on the Coalition and its territories, the Sunrise Isles notwithstanding. Nowadays, to the cheers of the people of Bargetown, the alliance between the Northeast Union and Coalition is rapidly collapsing.

(vignette by Mystikalli)

HILLTOP GROUP

USRF SUBGROUP

STATUS: NEUTRAL

REPUTATION: DISLIKED

AGREEMENTS: None

Following the Northeastern Constitutional Crisis, the Hilltop Group has completely severed ties with the BMC Garrison. Without a giant dictating their every move and desperate for survival, they and the Gold Leaf Army reached several agreements, namely Hilltop's support against the New Model Army in exchange for an arsenal of mortar batteries.

Despite their support against the Coalition's greatest enemy, the northeastern mercenaries are immensely disliked—their association with the imperialistic Lakeside Division and their alleged massacre of human settlements causes them to be seen as nothing more than greedy marauders and mindless pawns with no more use to the Union that previously housed them. Though, as with the current USRF 'alliance', many sleep peacefully knowing that the Hilltop holdouts have seemingly dropped off the face of the earth after a supposed pardon handout from the BMC Garrison—leaving the status of their deal and their current fate unknown to Bargetown.

(vignette by iiLobo)

THE ALUMNI

STATUS: NEUTRAL

REPUTATION: DISLIKED

AGREEMENTS: None

The Great Lakes Coalition's relationship with the Alumni has been nothing less than a constant, two-decade-long diplomatic nightmare. Relations between the two groups began in 2146, when Bargetown laid anchor in the Isles and made first contact with the people of the Sanctum, sparking immediate tensions, mostly regarding the Coalition's expansionist ways.

Despite prominent misgivings about one another, relations remained mostly neutral between the two groups up until 2162, when the government of Bargetown sought out the purchase of leaked information—alleged to be advanced, pre-war agricultural techniques—from an Alumni insider. A squadron of well-armed Alumni fighters confronted the Gold Leaf Army during the midst of the sale, proceeding to bloodily repulse them from their positions and capture several militiamen, some of whom have never been returned to Bargetown. Diplomatic forays between the two led to the "repair" of relations and a return to relative neutrality.

Dire conditions between the Sanctum and Bargetown led both to ally economically and militarily in 2164, primarily against the burgeoning threat of Southpoint. Still, this alliance broke down in the winter of 2164 when the newly landed New Model Army regiment was permitted passage through the Sanctum (and closer to Bargetown's gates), followed up by the Sanctum abandoning its trade relations with the Coalition in favour of the Midwest Union some months later, despite attempted diplomatic mediations.

Bargetown has since abandoned most relations with the Alumni, and the Coalition has been barred from entering the Sanctum. Despite the mutual distrust and disdain, Bargetown continues to officially permit Alumni to enter the City.

(vignette by hazeIicious)

NASH PROVINCIAL ARMY

STATUS: NEUTRAL ⇨ FRIENDLY

REPUTATION: MIXED

AGREEMENTS: Peace Treaty of 2166

Southpoint State and the Coalition have an immensely bitter relationship, harkening back into the earlier history of the Sunrise Isles. When Bargetown arrived to the mutant-dominated Sunrise Isles in 2146, Highridge—the predecessor of Southpoint State—fought brutal battles and waged savage wars against Bargetown and her armies under the command of the large mutant-led slave-empire of Darkport. Highridge and an alliance of other mutant settlements ultimately rose up against Darkport, destroying it and all who resided within.

Even after Darkport's bloody collapse, the Gold Leaf Army failed to relent in fighting against the mutant people of the isles—Southpoint included—in revenge for the Attic Betrayal in 2148 and their previous experiences with the empire of Darkport. Contemporaries estimate the Gold Leaf Army's "war" on mutantkind—or, more accurately, blatant genocide of the mutant people of the Sunrise Isles—claimed at least half of the isles' mutant population. Even today, the number of mutants in the Sunrise Isle is still lower than its pre-war number by a sizable margin.

With the end of the Southpoint War and the reformation of Highridge into the Nash Provincial Army, part of the United Army of Huron, GLA and NPA officers have come to talks that have allowed servicemen of both armies to visit eachother's homes. This has led to a degree of greater cooperation between the two, both seeing eachother as part of a struggle for sovereignity against the encroaching Unions. With laws prejudiced against mutants in Bargetown having long been abolished, a peace has dawned between Highridge and Bargetown.

(vignette by Riley_yey)

LES VOYAGEURS

STATUS: HOSTILE

REPUTATION: VILIFIED

AGREEMENTS: None

The Coalition has always had a bitter relationship with pirate and bandit groups such as the Voyageurs. When the Coalition was founded in 2092, it was founded on principles of common defense against marauders and pirates, and the new Coalition fought indescribably brutal wars against warlords and marauder crews on the shores of Lake Erie—warlords and marauder crews of which the Voyageurs apparently call back to.

When the Voyageurs warred their way through the Saint Lawrence River and into the Coalition-controlled Lake Ontario before ravaging their way through the Welland Canal in Niagara Falls and then into Lake Erie in 2161, they had fought numerous battles against Coalition-affiliated fleets in the areas they travelled through. Not considering vast lakeside naval duals between Coalition warships and Voyageur vessels, the Voyageurs' landing and subsequent consolidation in the Sunrise Isles has seen them fight numerous bloody battles against Coalition forces, and the pirate fleet has even threatened Bargetown itself.

(vignette by ProsperityOfARandom & Dogewarzzs)

NEW MODEL ARMY

STATUS: OPEN CONFLICT

REPUTATION: VILIFIED

AGREEMENTS: None

The New Model Army and its benefactor—the Midwestern Union—are the sworn and bitter enemies of the Coalition. The Midwestern Union seceded from the wider Coalition to form a federal republic in November of 2163, and since then has conquered non-collaborating Coalition territories in the west, now turning its gaze to conquer what is left of the Eastern Coalition—Bargetown included. A unit of New Model Army soldiers—the 25th Naval Infantry Regiment—have arrived on the shores of the Sunrise Isles to seize or destroy Bargetown for the Midwestern Union.

The people of the Midwestern Union have felt a historical spite against the people of Lake Erie—dubbed the Erie Elite—which has helped fuel the Midwest's bitter war against the Eastern Coalition. What fewer people know, though, is that this (largely mutual) distrust and spite was used by prominent business owners and industrial overlords in the Midwest to drive secession from the Coalition, which saw Bulwark-originate VTOLs sink the floating city of Denton and attempt to repeat the same for Bargetown in a power-play to annex the entirety of the Coalition under their banner.

(vignette by Jet963)

BLUE GUARD

STATUS: FRIENDLY

REPUTATION: MIXED

AGREEMENTS: South Union Supply Deal

While the Coalition receives a large number of supplies from the South Union under their trade treaty, there are currently no relations between Bargetown and the Blue Guard, the South Union's army.

While the Blue Guard is held in a warm regard by a good number of citizens and the Coalition as a whole, some are wholly sceptical of the southerners, seeing them as nothing more than 'Marxist Northeast'. No matter the case, this relationship is mostly one-sided, with the southern servicemen viewing them as nothing more than pawns to spread their influence.

OFFICIAL FAN FACTIONS

(vignette by PREETYBOI2334)

THE UNIMATA

STATUS: FRIENDLY

REPUTATION: MIXED

AGREEMENTS: Unity Through Cooperation

Historically, the Unimata and Coalition have not interacted, but Bargetown’s extensive anti-droid laws have meant the Unimata, a droid faction, are inherently sceptical of them.

Recently, however, with the introduction of increasingly progressive policies such as the Huron Mandate, the Coalition has decided to establish a trade agreement with the Unimata. The agreement is motivated by several ulterior factors, such as desperation by both parties to find allies on the isles without truly committing to a defensive pact.

(vignette by Vengfurlay)

ALMA'S WAY

STATUS: HOSTILE

REPUTATION: VILIFIED

AGREEMENTS: None

The techno-cult known as ALMA's Way believes in the word of AI known simply as A.L.M.A, which they view as a god, holding humanity at fault for The Flash, and seeks to fulfil its goal of 'Leading them, when they cannot lead themselves, to ensure another Flash does not happen'.

In the past, the cult was looked down on as simple religious fanatics believing in some 'Wasteland Sham" as viewed by Bargetown citizens, but ultimately they seemed harmless. That was until the Thieves' Guild came forward with information about the alliance with Southpoint State and the utilisation of biomass as a weapon, leading the Coalition to cross the cult off as a terrorist group, and a possible future enemy of the Coalition, and humankind as a whole.

(vignette by Smithingson)

THE ARCHITECTS

STATUS: NEUTRAL ⇨ HOSTILE

REPUTATION: DISLIKED

AGREEMENTS: None

The Architects are an enigmatic group with mysterious ties to the pre-Flash Freemasons, nowadays inseparable from ARKCorp and constantly meddling with the politics of any factions present in the Great Lakes region. Their goals are shrouded in mystery, and with an ever-present haze of secrecy surrounding their members, nobody knows what they are truly after.

What was once a profitable alliance between the Coalition and Architects has since become a spiteful relationship. As the mainland Biomass crisis continued to expand, Northeasterners from across the union fled to the relative safety of the Sunrise Isles and the settlements housed within. The senate's anti-'American Idealism' response to the influx of refugees into Bargetown is largely attributed as the Architects' primary reason for cutting ties, but what truly broke the camel's back, however, was the Architects' unannounced armed invasion of the Bargetown pantry for the purpose of requisitioning supplies. Since this event, the Architects have been banned from Bargetown and their members are prone to arrests on grounds of terrorism. The relationship between the Architects and Great Lakes Coalition isn't likely to escalate into combat, but may never be repaired again.

(vignette by mk13143)

MANY MEN

STATUS: ALLIED

REPUTATION: LIKED

AGREEMENTS: The Sunrise Kings Alliance

The Sunrise Kings have officially revealed themselves as the Freetowners, otherwise known as the Many Men; a collective of vagabonds, criminals, and castaways native to the isles. While their reputation is sour to most civilised bodies on the Sunrise Isles, Bargetown and Freetown's leaders managed to compromise and arrange a mutually beneficial deal for combat against shared enemies, participating in battles and skirmishes together.

The Coalition have recognised their ownership of Southwest South Isle, which has also freed up GLA resources and servicemen to battle upon other fronts in the face of a particularly cruel wintertide. What was once planned deception has turnt into a very unlikely, yet somehow generous relationship between the Gold Leaf Army and the Freetowners.

(vignette by Aylesiz)

THE CHROMESKULLS

STATUS: NEUTRAL

REPUTATION: VILIFIED

AGREEMENTS: None

The Chromeskulls have had an overwhelmingly negative relationship with Bargetown. The Chromeskulls' counterculture-esque nature, alongside their prominence as a high-profile raider and marauder group on the Sunrise Isles have inspired the discriminatory ire of the people of Bargetown, as well as contemplations of outright armed conflict among the militia's commanders.

Significant tensions with the Government of Bargetown and the Gold Leaf Army have led to the Chromeskulls being legally ousted from Bargetown. In addition to this, those with extensive cybernetics akin to the Chromeskulls are legible for detainment under the Homestead Act of 2164.

(vignette by Powfuse)

SHILOH'S POSSE

STATUS: NEUTRAL ⇨ HOSTILE

REPUTATION: DISLIKED

AGREEMENTS: None

Shiloh's Posse is not popular among the people of Bargetown, nor among the higher echelons of the Gold Leaf Army. In Bargetown, Shiloh's Posse is sourly understood as a volatile criminal band and an amoral black market smuggling organization.

Very little in-person contact has been made between the Posse and the Gold Leaf Army, apart from an incident where the Gold Leaf Army allegedly sacked a Shiloh's Posse camp for supplies some months ago.

SPOTLIT UNOFFICIAL FAN FACTIONS

(vignette by BugzzyAI)

STATUS: FRIENDLY

REPUTATION: UNKNOWN

AGREEMENTS: None

A collection of Northeastern exiles who now act as a "civilising" presence on Sunrise, open to Coalition trade. Moderates from the days of the Triumvirate, the Post, or officially recognised by Bargetown as the NEU Safety Commission in paperwork, have had friendly, mercantile relations with agents of the Government and officers of the Gold Leaf Army. The Coalition and the Post have bartered and supplied eachother a number of times, sharing the common goals of resettling Sunrise and fostering a more civilised wasteland.

UNAFFILIATED

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WASTELANDERS/HUMANS

STATUS: NEUTRAL

REPUTATION: MIXED

BILLS:

Vagrants, bandits, travellers, saints, and sinners—Wastelanders, or just "wasters" are a mixed bag of people. While some are friendly and wish to contribute to society in their own way, some are ruthless murderers, robbing and killing for the fun of it.

It comes as no surprise that the opinions of Nauts settling Bargetown view them in wildly different lights depending on the character. While many stray away from the wastrels, others tolerate them as long as they adhere to the laws—as the old saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

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MUTANTS

STATUS: NEUTRAL

REPUTATION: MIXED

BILLS:

When asked about Mutants, the first thought of many is "a ticking time bomb", and they'd be correct—the burden of mutantism is a heavy one. Unnatural features, broken and bumpy skin, tumours, sometimes even additional limbs, and of course, stasis. Wherever mutants go, they are looked at with hate, curiosity and pity, and as such they are not welcome everywhere.

Upon their initial arrival to the Sunrise Isles, Bargetown was quite welcoming to mutantkind, with many opportunities open to them and kind treatment almost akin to human citizens. After the Attic Betrayal and the Darkport War, however, the relationship between mutants and Bargetown deteriorated significantly and was considered entirely irreparable by many. Nevertheless, by navigating through rough waters over the recent years, Bargetown has entered its final stages of recovery of its relationship with mutantkind.

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AUTOMATA

STATUS: NEUTRAL

REPUTATION: DISLIKED

BILLS:

Steel body, artificial mind, designed with a specific goal—though many have broken free from their programming and attained free will, many more still ponder the question of whether the Automata truly are a new species of life with a soul—or just a horrifying parody of it. Droids are a mixed bag of... metal. Some of them are still slaves to their original programming, some are not, and some predate the Flash itself; there's no telling what a droid will be like.

Citizens of Bargetown look down upon the Automata, often viewing them as just machines or property. The current administration ruling over Bargetown views droids as lifeless tools rather than people, with most bills regarding them being cleverly designed to societally shape them into workers rather than respected citizens.

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OUTCASTS

STATUS: NEUTRAL

REPUTATION: VILIFIED

BILLS: Banned from Bargetown

Bearing the worst misfortune of the misfortunate—the effect of abortive stasis, left with a changed body and a changed, yet conscious mind, or the result of mutant cruelty at the hands of the Southpoint State—Outcasts and Compound Green victims alike are shunned wherever they go, even more so than mutants and droids combined.

Both are explicitly banned from Bargetown with virtually zero exceptions. This is due to the Outcasts' extremely grotesque looks, their reputed unpredictability, and, in the case of Compound Green victims, their recent emergence—nobody knows what long-term exposure to the Marrow's experiments does to a human, with rumours describing those unfortunate enough to bear that burden as carriers of deadly diseases capable of wiping out entire towns, or the compound turning the person's personality into that of a complete psychopath without any moral compass. No matter what, spotting a Compound Green survivor is always a bad omen, and they are religiously avoided by others.

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