Backstory

[S.S.A. Erin]

BACKSTORY

This world is different than the one we've come to know. The borders of countries are changed. The countries themselves have changed. While the time has been counted the same and there are some events that have happened anyway, the world as it is is quite different than we remember.

This thread gives a little more information on the states that currently exist in the world. It can generally be assumed that major world events have still happened, but the universe and its history will expand as it is played in. Need a new city in one of the states? We can create it together. Need a new event? The same thing can happen. It is our hope that as we play in our new sandbox, we create a more fully-realized world and history to go along with it.

This world is open for more cities. Please send a message to the staff with your creation should you wish to add to the universe. Credit to you will be put in the document.

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AMERICA
EURASIA
ATLANTIS

Infinity Endverse Storyline | Job Claim

[S.S.A. Erin]

AMERICA

The Western continent of America is divided into seven individual states, all of whom have unique histories. Generally speaking, America is the younger of the two continents where civilization goes, as the entire area used to be taken over by the jungle that is now only on its most Southern area.

NEW ENGLAND

Established in 1327 as a territory of Old England, it became an independent state in 1661. Developing a reputation for innovation, the new state attracted some of the most brilliant minds of the world into its borders. By the 1900s it was a well-established technological paradise and in 1923 Walter Stark became the new Head of State and his family continued to improve the technology of the state.

It is New England that was responsible for the creation of Captain America, named after the continent the state calls home, when they joined the war effort for World War II.

Walter's son Howard took over his position in the 1960s and the state has only improved since then, greatly due to the genius that he and his son Tony bring to the table. 

Important Places

Manhattan
The capital and seat of government, as well as the home of an array of companies that covers most of the scientific fields in the world, including Stark Industries.

Walter Stark Tower
Located in Manhattan, it is the home of the government and the various scientific panels that the state utilizes as well as any foreign ambassadors. 

Stark Industries Tower
Right next door to WS Tower is SI Tower, the home of Stark Industries. The two shouldn't be confused, but are often lumped together as a singular entity. This tower carries 50 more stories than its neighbor, so is sometimes referred to as the taller one.

AIM HQ
The home of Advanced Idea Mechanics, a think-tank responsible for experiments of a wide variety and sometimes questionable ethics, is also located in Manhattan.

Stark Mansion
Traditional home of the Stark family, it also serves as the base of operations for the Illuminati, a group of extraordinarily-minded individuals who keep the technological advancement of the society going. The household is run by Edwin Jarvis.

CANADA

Colonized by the French state in 1489, Canada was first led by their distant motherland. When the French state was taken over by the neighboring territory of Latveria in the 1600s, the royal family and other noblemen escaped to Canada and it became a state in its own right. The Canadian goverment shifted to a democracy in 1876, when the last of the royal family stepped down from power.

Most recently, the citizens of Canada elected Jean-Paul Beaubier as their Prime Minister and his sister Jeanne-Marie Beaubier as the leader of the Alpha Flight team, their shining star of national defense. These super-powered twins have revitalized the nation.

Important Places

Montreal
The capital and seat of government is a fairly advanced city, technology-wise, but is also full of classic architecture. It is an artistic hub, proud of the creativity that flocks to them.

Alpha Flight HQ
The home of the national superhero team is not far from the capital. The team lives and trains there in addition to a small support staff.

SHADOW PROVINCE

This area of land used to be a part of the English city-state New England. It seceded in 1881 when the shadow organization SHIELD took control of the territory. Shadow Province suffers from long, hard winters and little daylight, although this makes it perfect for training those interested in the field of espionage.

Nicholas Fury took over SHIELD and the Shadow Province in 1979, after the previous Director suffered from a fatal (and suspicious) heart attack. Shadow Province is also home to the superhero team known as the Avengers.

Important Places

Avengers HQ
The superhero team that operates in both Shadow Province and New England, they are stationed near the border between the two. They recruit from both of the states and operate with Shadow Province and SHIELD providing the training and support staff while New England provides the technology they utilize.

Telanken by Jazzy
Often considered to be a ‘sister city’ to Manhattan, Telanken sits in the Shadow Province very, very near the Shadow Province-New England border, and represents one of the largest (if not the largest) metropolitan areas in the whole of the state. Telanken- also referred to as ‘TK’ by locals- is a booming center for the merging and innovation of art and science; where Manhattan has become renowned as a mecca of technology, Telanken has become renowned as a mecca of the arts. In truth, Manhattan and Telanken lend much to one another; the two cities are connected both by overground train and underground Light Rail systems. Telanken’s name is an Anglicization of the Lenape name for the region, which roughly translates to ‘Rain Valley’- and it lives up to its name. It is frequently raining in Telanken, and although it can be quite dark like the rest of the Province the clouds over Telanken break more often, and the hills and mountains Telanken rests at the base of are considered to be some of the most beautiful forests on the continent. Telanken reaches out to the innermost shore of Rainsmouth Bay.

Telanken’s proximity to the ocean makes it a primary source of trade, both import and export, for the Shadow Province. Its accessibility and large size make it the face of the Shadow Province, and SHIELD encourages this branding- after all, it makes it easier for the Province’s leaders to operate in the, well, shadow.

Telanken is the closest metropolitan area to Avengers HQ- as a result, AVHQ receives a significant amount of its imports from Telanken, and Telanken is used to seeing AVHQ staffers and workers moving things or going to and from the base.

Salvation
One of the only cities with substantial daylight and seasons that could be defined without the use of the word 'winter' in the Province, it was quickly made the capital and seat of government. It has a higher altitude than much of the state, which gives it the unique weather patterns.

Shadow Academy
The top-ranked learning institute of the Shadow Province handles most of the upper-level education. It is internally divided into smaller, more focused schools and has a wide range of specialties. The school serves as a feeder for the SHIELD organization, with many professors being their employees and recruiting out of their classes. The Academy even attracts students from outside the state, despite its somewhat dismal weather.

SHIELD HQ
A top-secret hidden compound in the coldest part of Shadow Province, it serves as the home base for SHIELD. The espionage organization is a force to be reckoned with and is somewhat of an open secret among citizens of the state, though outsiders rarely know of its existence unless they've a reason to be on its radar.

ARCADIA

Started by Charles Xavier in the aftermath of World War II when mutants became common knowledge, Arcadia follows his dream of mutant-human harmony. Formed on a swath of land that was a gift from New England and Shadow Province, it does not have a formal government, though the citizens follow Xavier himself.

Important Places

Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters
Central to the area, this institute trains young mutants in the use of their powers. As it houses the X-Men team, who defend Arcadia from those that would disrupt its peace, many of the students at the school go in the hopes of becoming an X-Man one day.

GENOSHA

Inhabited mostly by mutants, Genosha was created by Magneto on lands he usurped from the previous state’s leaders. While Xavier’s Arcadia promotes mutant-human harmony, Magneto’s outlook is geared more towards mutant superiority. The only humans who call Genosha home are family of mutants who follow Magneto’s way of life.

Important Places

Utopia
The capital city is home to Magneto and his family as well as the Brotherhood Strike Team, a collection of his most trusted (and powerful) mutant brethren. Magneto himself rules with a firm hand while his children are often seen among the people, where they hear their plights and bring them to their father.

METROPOLITIA

A state that is always in turmoil, it has terrible mutant-human relations due to an organization called the Watchdogs, who have usurped most of the state for their own anti-mutant gains. Established in the aftermath of World War II, Metropolitia has never truly been stable. The Watchdogs lurked beneath the surface of the territory for decades until finally, in the 1970s, they made their move and took control.

Important Places

Triji
One of the only cities not under Watchdog control is ruled by an elected parliament. They tend to be more accepting than the rest of the state, except for an ages-long disagreement with Atlantis that comes from when Triji was an entire state rather than simply a city.

Madripoor City-State
Taken over by the Maggia Crime Syndicate in the past 20 years, Madripoor is home to the most shady of dealings on the continent. Their leader, Madame Masque, has made herself a person to be feared world-over.

THE SAVAGE LANDS

Otherwise known as the Lands that Time Forgot, the Savage Lands are full of creatures of old - dinosaurs, mammoths, etc. The humans that call these lands home live in small tribes, all of whom ultimately answer to the leadership of Ka-Zar and Shanna. Life here is rather primitive, and outsiders rarely venture across the borders due to the vicious environment.

[S.S.A. Erin]

EURASIA

The continent to the East known as Eurasia was colonized first, and as such many of its seven states are far older than those across the ocean.

OLD ENGLAND

Established at the cusp of the Common Era was the state of England. The monarchy of England was passed along for generations until citizens of the Otherworld came seeking asylum. While the Otherworld - a floating island with unstable leadership - collapsed, the powered individuals that had escaped to England began to mingle with the upper class. At some point along the line, John Braddock became the new King of England and his family began ruling with kindness on the outside while hiding deep secrets in the form of the underground organization that he helped found called the Hellfire Club.

1300 years into the Common Era, England established further dominance on both its own continent and abroad, absorbing Celtak into its lands and creating a New England on the continent across the ocean. While Old England has kept its traditions alive, it has never stopped evolving with the modern world.

Important Places

Britain
The capital city, which holds some of the world’s best Universities as well as being the seat for the super-powered team that protects the state’s borders, known as the England Corps. The eldest Braddock sibling currently holds the position of King while it is the male twin, Brian, that leads the Corps as Captain Britain.

London
A bright spot of academics and art, it also serves as the home base for the Hellfire Club, which has a long history of guiding the country from the shadows. The Club is run by a collective of high-powered members that includes the final Braddock sibling.

Wales
The edge of Old England is the last surviving part of Celtak and is steeped in magic and the Celtic religion. It operates almost as a city-state with the religious leaders, however they follow after Old England’s lead.

ASIATIC CITY-STATES

The land known as the Asiatic City States has always been tumultuous where governance is concerned. Each city-state within the region has its own culture and its own set of laws. Some have secured themselves through the decades, but many continue to drift from one leader to another on a semi-regular basis.

Important Places

Mongolia
Ruled with an iron fist by the Mandarin for the past near-century, Mongolia is a rather harsh city-state to call home. Because of the magnificent power the Mandarin wields, the fairly religious community sometimes considers him something akin to a god.

Japan
Ever since its establishment before the Common Era, Japan has been ruled by the enigmatic organization known as The Hand. According to legend, the society was started by demons and spirits who still linger to protect or destroy the inhabitants. It is believed that one of these spiritual powers now runs The Hand, and thus, the city-state.

LATVERIA

Regarded as a tyrannical dictatorship by most of the world, Latveria has thrived within its borders ever since King von Doom took control of the nation in 2001. He quickly brought Latveria into the twenty-first century and beyond, and despite his schemes to bring the rest of the world to heel, his citizens are some of the happiest in the world.

Important Places

Doomstadt
The capital city is also home to a force of Doombots which patrol the Castle von Doom. It is well-protected and central to the state. While it is known that Doom would love to take over more of the world, he leads the life of a diplomat quite well, allowing him to travel the world as he pleases.

WAKANDA

A beautiful country with advanced technology around every corner, Wakanda contains the world’s supply of vibranium. Rather insular as a society, they are led by King T’Challa. The country is highly spiritual and produces some of the greatest warriors in the world.

EGYPTIA

Before the Common Era, when civilization was just becoming established, the nomadic peoples of the continent that would later become known as Eurasia began to settle down more permanently and create roots of government for a society they began calling Egyptia. As the community expanded and the Pharaohs began holding more power, they attracted the attention of the gods, who decided to claim them as their people. Religion prospered in the community, as did their society, and they grew rich and vast.

In a community on the outskirts of the lands, on a day in the second millennia of Egyptia’s existence a powerful child was born. He was named En Sabah Nur and within him he held what was thought to be the power of the gods. This child grew up and travelled to Thinis, the capital of the empire, where he staged a coup and became Pharaoh himself.

En Sabah Nur has been the God-King of Egyptia ever since, and the lands have changed little since the Common Era began.

Important Places

Thinis
The capital sub-state of Egyptia is where En Sabah Nur resides and rules his lands from. The government of his society is an eternal monarchy and he only accepts assistance in the form of his Four Horseman, one of whom - Death - stays in the capital with him while the others watch over the other sub-states.

Thebes
The second-oldest sub-state is also the closest to the capital state and is the home of many of the upper-class of the Egyptia society, watched over by Pestilence.


Xois
The home of the Egyptia military is the star of the state and what keeps its borders closed to intruders. The military and the entire sub-state are trained and guarded by War.

Itjtawy
The seat of agriculture in Egyptia is the biggest sub-state, and possibly its most important as it keeps the state running healthily. It is watched over by Famine.

HYDRA EMPIRE

Hydra was founded by the Nazis prior to World War II as a super-science division. In the aftermath of the war, Hydra broke away from its previous masters and began slowly conquering land in the south of Eurasia. The Red Skull began to rule this small empire viciously. Even now, long after Red Skull’s death, the empire is constantly attempting to expand its control on the continent. Currently the Empire is ruled by Ophelia Sarkissian and Baron Helmut Zemo, and while they sometimes disagree on the directions to take their lands, they always act in the best interest of the organization, though not the people inside it.

Important Places

Soviet City-State
It should come as no surprise that the coldest region of the Hydra Empire breeds some of its most ruthless, cold-hearted killers. The Soviet City-State is mostly left to its own devices by the Madame and the Baron due to its current Czar’s unwavering loyalty to the goals of the Empire as a whole. They have always operated as a communist society.

Red Room
Hidden beneath the surface of the peaceful Soviet community is an organization that was started well before the start of the second World War. Its main prerogative is the allocation and training of young women in the espionage arena.

Centipede City-State
A city-wide experiment for immortality and power, the Centipede City-State is working on a new version of the super soldier serum. Its citizens are all guinea pigs under the watchful eye of the Clairvoyant.

ATTILAN

When the Kree Empire visited Earth 1,000 years ago, they performed genetic experiments on the humans they found, resulting in a race of powered beings that began calling themselves the Inhumans. Over time these Inhumans established a culture of their own in the Southwest corner of the continent.

Across the ocean, a new Inhuman community sprang up a hundred years ago when an Inhuman called Jiaying founded it after escaping from HYDRA. Once the two communities learned of each other’s existence, they decided to join forces, and Jiaying and her people immigrated to Attilan. King Black Bolt invited Jiaying to rule the community by his side.

Important Places

Afterlife
The capital city of Attilan was named after Jiaying’s community from America. It lies in the eastern region and is home to all of their important officials as the hub of the community.

REPUBLIC OF LIBERTERRAM by El

One very large island and a chain of other islands a hundred miles from the western coast of Egyptia, the Republic of Liberterram has ninety-five million people to its name.

After a dictator landed them on the wrong side of the second world war, the peoples of Liberterram rebelled against their government, ousted the dictator's regime and organized a republic. Though the country's modern system of government is only some seventy years old, the democratic values of the nation are rooted deep in the people, and elections are held annually for some legislative matters and every two years for political offices.

Liberterram has two branches of government; the legislative (Senate), which also oversees judicial matters, and the executive. The executive government is run by the Premier, who is appointed by the reigning party of the Senate. The Premier in turn is allowed to appoint members of the Senate, military, or even common citizens to their cabinet, and may veto laws as agreed upon by the senate barring a two-thirds majority. The judicial functions are overseen by barristers, who are appointed for life by the senate unless given a vote of no confidence by the senate or the public at large. A vote of no confidence is available for any elected or appointed official at any election time if enough people petition for it.

Though the Defenders have no official ties with the nation, the Defenders' base of operation is off of one of the islands. The Liberterram government simply turns its eyes to the Defenders' activities and denies that they are willfully sheltering the vigilante group.

[S.S.A. Erin]

ATLANTISby El

What used to be a floating behemoth, the city of Atlantis now rests deep beneath the waves of the Ocean. Its culture is based on that of the ancient Greece and Rome city-states, which have since faded into obscurity in favor of the Atlantean Empire. The world’s southernmost continent of Antarctica also belongs to the Atlanteans, and it is where the humans that have sworn fealty reside. The Empire of Atlantis has stretched to encompass the whole of the ocean, with Lemurian and Barbarian settlements falling under Atlantean jurisdiction. Though the other cultures are slowly becoming incorporated, some resentment and differences still exist, and in-fighting can erupt. It is ruled by a monarch, Emperor Namor. Further information can be found here.

Important Places

Atlantis
A city of two million, Atlantis' scale is cyclopean, and its design proto-Greco-Roman. The inside of the walls encompassing the city are a massive bas-relief mural depicting the history of the city before it crashed beneath the waves. The theme of stone mural persists throughout much of the older and maintained structures in the city, with the original architecture comprising roughly a fifth of the buildings.

The city itself is laid out in off-center rings with each progressive ring inward being a tier at a higher elevation. There are five tiers in total, with the bottom most being primarily residential, the fourth tier being for businesses and the markets. The third tier is for the universities, museums, and the state gardens, with high-ranking military officers and members of government also having housing inside. The second tier is strictly religious and holds the temples to the various deities as well as the living quarters for the clergy and those in their care. The first tier has the watch towers and the royal palace.

Roads to the different tiers are designated with black and silver mosaics (although these are rarely used since Atlanteans opt to swim to the higher elevation instead). Roads to different attractions inside of the tiers are laid out in color-coded mosaic tiles to make navigation of the cluttered streets easier and to simultaneously beautify the city. Beauty is an important cornerstone of Atlantis, with sculptures and art commonplace. Most buildings even have an entire face dedicated to a coral or anemone garden.

Naaros
Located on a portion of the Antarctic coast, Naaros is more a necropolis than a proper city, though there is precious little that is proper about it. With parts of the necropolis dating to pre-Atlantean mermani, many structures feature peculiar architecture, strange idols, claustrophobic quarters and a labyrinthine layout. These places are referred to as the "old city" - a segment specifically walled off and abandoned. It is considered the gravest of taboos to pass the fortifications and enter the old city, even for mermani.

The rest of the city is decidedly more familiar, with an easily navigated layout, Greco-Roman architecture and a dedicated but small population who are devoted to maintaining the grave sites. These areas can be frequented by mermani only - with only dire circumstances allowing for exception.

Xanathis
The "sister city" of Atlantis, Xanathis is on the north-western arm of Antarctica that stretches toward the southernmost portion of the American continent. The only easily visible sign of the city's existence is the airport. Besides being the only point of entry for international flyers onto the continent of Antarctica, the Xanathis Airport is the means into the subterranean city.

Powered and heated by nearby and steady volcanic vents, Xanathis consists of large communal chambers and staggering communal antechambers. Many of the buildings are carved from the surrounding rock, giving the city dozen-story tall buildings with only one and a partial visible faces. The ceilings of the subterranean cities are mocked up to resemble the sky, with appropriate day and night and seasonal settings for constellations. Artificial sunlight in pumped into the deeper recesses of the buildings as to make human living more comfortable. Communal baths are a common feature but are not utilized by all.

Xanathis is a city of five hundred thousand and is a blend of human and mermani numbers, though it much more heavily favors the former. Though Ancient Greek is the official language for human convenience, the city is an amalgam of different languages and cultures.

Lemuria
Closely rivaling the grandeur of Atlantis in both beauty and scale, the wonders of Lemuria are decidedly more alien. Maintained by magitech more so than biotech or traditional technology, the city boasts seemingly impossible architecture and otherwise unseen attractions. At the epicenter of the city is a massive step pyramid which houses a throne next to a gargantuan brazier of green flame - ]holy fire of the Serpent God Set. Though their High Priestess is missing along with the Serpent's Crown, the fire still burns by some means and its light can be seen from the farthest reaches of the city. Many of the more faithful Lemurians view it as a sign of their liege-lord's approaching return, and the reclamation of Lemuria that will come with it.

The city of Lemuria is a population of three million and is currently ruled over by the Lady Dorma, who is acting as Regent on behalf of the Atlantean Empire.

Jerun
A sizeable island chain some two hundred miles off the west south-eastern coast of the Eurasian continent, Jerun is the capital of what was once French Polynesia and was the first human territory conquered by Atlantis. Though its population is not nearly as sizeable as Xanathis, and its architecture is at times schizophrenic, the city is the sterling standard for mermani and human coexistence. The youngest generation of citizens speak French and Ancient Greek interchangeably, and many of the culture elements are more Atlantean than they are French Polynesian.

Jerun's closer proximity to the mainland has it serve as the governmental and diplomatic center for human and mermani relations, and it is in this city that one can petition for Atlantean citizenship. Its decidedly more forgiving climate also lends itself to this purpose.