Origin of the Central Eurasian Confederate

In the aftermath of the First Cataclysm, much of Earth's land mass was rendered uninhabitable. The largest remaining habitable area was in Europe and Asia. In the Immigration Wars that followed, whole countries uprooted and attempted to resettle in these lands. It was a chaotic time; governments dissolved, and people were simultaneously divided by nationality and forced together by necessity, as the entire world's population attempted to fit onto it's one remaining continent.
Eventually the Four Great Generals, the most powerful warlords in New Pangaea, forged an uneasy truce and established our Tetrarch government. The region stabilized into an uneasy peace, and the CEC was born.

Nexus-City Neo-Babylon forms the hub of the CEC, where the Tetrarchs' four provinces meet. It has no central government, but is instead policed by divisions of all four provincial armies, which theoretically coordinate their efforts. Jurisdiction over cases is generally given to whatever province the involved parties are citizens of. Documentation of citizenship is mandatory for all citizens.

The Southern Province is home to large populations of the once-eastern nationalities; Asian, Indian, and Arab. The majority of the population work in the industrial district. The Southern Province also produces the drug Euphoria, which inhibits the drinker from feeling emotions other than a giddy happiness. Many southern doctors advocate its use as a treatment for depression.

The Southern Tetrarch is General Mourad ben Yusef, known commonly as "The Moroccan". Mourad is a large and jovial man with subtle, calculating eyes. He encourages the citizenry to play hard, work hard, and find joy in their work. "My first priority is that our citizens be happy. A happy people is a productive people." Mourad spends most of his time throwing festivals, holidays, and competitions to this end. He involves himself little in the administration of the province, or even in the upkeep of the South Army, which is widely considered to be a bunch of playboys and braggarts. There are rumors that the Moroccan actually sits atop a network of elite spies and black ops cells, from which he derives his real power; but most people consider these rumors only.

The 'Subsidized Education Program' is a program released in the southern province; participants receive free schooling at the finest private schools while participating in government research. It is currently undergoing its first pilot run. The pilot applicant was selected by lottery and is Suzeki Nago of Odesa Prefecture. (That's me!)

Øvenjord (pronounced UR-bin-yord) consists of the pale-skinned fair-haired people of Scandinavia and parts of Russia more acclimated to the cold and dark. As a heavily militant state in the least agricultural area of New Pangaea, Øvenjord relies quite heavily on imports from the other provinces to sustain the people; however, their proud nature and geographical hardship has made them fiercely resourceful and tenacious. Education and vocational skills are regarded highly and is their main “export,” especially science and technology. Whether it’s weapons, architecture, or people, quality over quantity is the paradigm of the Øvenjords.

For better or worse, there is a significant socio-economic gap between the wealthy and poor. That said, individuals are not absolutely constrained to their demographic from birth. Since their society puts such a large value on schooling and work ethic, those with the grit or lack thereof to get out or fall out of their circumstances (respectively) will find it rather facile.

The Northern Tetrarch is hand-selected by the previous Tetrarch, typically from a young age and personally conditioned to prepare them for their responsibility. It is not uncommon for The Tetrarch to go through many individuals before one shows the most promise and is finally decided upon. While there have been some family inheritances of the title, this is not always the case. (Families that fall out of the tetrarchy are honored and revered by most, but have no particular influence on politics past what they themselves accomplish.)

Björn Randalin IV, the current Tetrarch, is a cold and capable middle-aged man with a commanding personality who observes strict adherence to reward and punishment. Since his methods have been passed down from tetrarch to tetrarch, it’s resulted in a split of popular opinion, very much associated with the socio-economic gap. The wealthy tend to agree with his views and policies because they’ve worked hard to achieve their prestige. Many in the lower class suggest he can be overtly cruel; that his methods of motivation are too severe. There has only been one attempt at insurgency since the First Tetrarch, but since it was quelled so fast and so brutally, it’s put to silence any of the more vocal renegades.

Randalin is very involved in just about every aspect of the province, especially the military. He uses the military to maintain obedience and enact punishments. While every male is required to register, only the best—the ones who make it through the rigorous basic training—are on current active duty. Many from any walk of life try to join the military, sometimes multiple times, because of the prestige in addition to the government-sustained lifestyle; however, since military personnel are regarded as an appendage of The Tetrarch himself, they are subject to the same popular opinion.