Federation of Meracia

The Federation of Meracia, nestled in the lowland river basin of western Vastumstadt, is a beacon of hope for all who long for a better tomorrow. It is the last remaining vestige of freedom.

This is what the Megacorporations, called "Grândomercs" in Meracian, would have you believe. The average pauper on the streets in Meracia's cities would testify otherwise.

Its economic system is a tapestry of corruption, where the industries, work their employees long hours for meagre wages. The Meracian Dream is but a mere farce, and it is a carrot dangled in front of the impoverished masses, who voluntarily slave away in factories and to pay protection tariffs to robber-baron industry captains.

All of this happens, whilst the Grândomercs place their preferred candidates at the forefront of Meracian elections, and scheme from the shadows to influence legislature in their favor. Much of Meracian infrastructure lies in desolation and disrepair due to rampant corruption within the *Département dé Transpoûrt*. Heavy regulations and poorly implemented laws make farming unprofitable, and home-gardens virtually illegal. Basic necessities ar ebought and sold as a commodity, and taxed as luxuries.

all of this happens, whilst the Grândomercs run vicious propaganda campaigns that praises the industriousness of the Meracian people, and exhorts the Federation as the most powerful and technologically advanced in Vastumstadt.

"Píssaûnte nôn in orá meûs et înformete est pleüvôir."

## History

The history of Meracia begins with its foundations as a small farming city on the *Pacôis* river. The city of Meracia was a vibrant metropolis with a booming population, that over the course of 15 years quintupled in size, and sprawled across hundreds of miles.

Due to climate change, the lush fields that nurtured the populations, slowly began producing less and less. The stockpiles that once teemed with grain, slowly began to fade away. Because of this, the city sought diplomatic ties with the neighboring city of Augsboûrg. Augsboûrg, an agrarian society, was facing its own problems. It had recently begun experiencing frequent raids by soldiers from the nearby nation of Nordholm. Meracia, sensing a once in a lifetime opportunity, sent an ultimatum to Augsboûrg. The city could join Meracia and form a Union-State, and receive protection from raiders, or it could perish by the combined arms of Nordholm and Meracia, and be partitioned by both. On Septimutrius 12th -75LY, Augsboûrg and Meracia signed the agreement to form a union between their cities.

With the western flank secured, Meracia began building up its nation. Knowing that Meracia proper was no longer the agricultural powerhouse anymore, the government decided to subsidize farming as an attempt to bring back the self-sustainability of the city. This allowed for multiple businesses to begin colonial expansions into the wilderness, attempting to convert the area into profitable farmland. This venture initally succeeded, allowing for farms to begin growing again. A total of 177,560 square miles of plains and hills were converted into farmland, from his venture. However, the agricultural Grândomercs that ran these operations eventually became more and more corrupt, and siphoned farm profits from Meracia, and straight into company treasuries. The biggest of these Grândomercs, *Vêrdemarché-Mércē*, emerged as the single biggest agricultural Grândomerc, and began predatorial business practices to run other companies in the region out of business. Over time, as *Vêrdemarché* became the only corporation in the area, it ramped up production at exponential rates, often times at the expense of its workers.

### The Great Cotton Famine

During this period of time, cotton exports were one of the highest grossing commodities the Meracian government could sell to its neighbors. Sensing a hefty profit and possible subsidies, *Vêrdemarché-Mércē* ordered its farms to switch to cotton as their new crop. As expected, the Meracian government gave massive subsidies to *Vêrdemarché*, which were used to scoop up more land in the surrounding areas of Meracia. With each year, it seemed that the cotton production only grew, and that Meracia would find itself to be the richest nation in the world.

This illusion came crashing down in Martscheim 15th, -73LY, when a particularly long drought season. This unusual weather resulted in many of Augsboûrg's farms failing, resulting in a massive food shortage throughout the union state. The government, desperate to find a way to dampen the impact of the drought and to stabilize the situation, looked to *Vêrdemarché-Mércē. Vêrdemarché* however was affected as well. Their crops were failing as a spectacular rate. Having capitalized so much on cotton exports, the Grândomerc had previously forbidden the production of any crops other than cotton. Due to the lack of crop-rotation and the soil having long ago been depleted of much of its nutrients, the new crops that *Vêrdemarché*, decided to plant had a 46% fail rate, and a further 20% infection rate of crop-related diseases. While under normal circumstances the entire crop would have been recalled and subsequently destroyed, the dire situation threw those precautions ot of the window.

The depleted soil that once was the breeding ground of Meracia's cash crop, deterioted into fine-grit dust and sand, which was kicked up by the winds. These dirt storms clouded the entirety of Meracia and Augsboûrg. These storms still ravage the Federation to this day, and many alleyways and streets are still caked in dust, and thousands dying early every day due to poor air quality.

During the first few months, over 7.5 million Meracians died of Malnutrition, and a further 2.3 million died of preventable diseases.

The government, even more desperate to curtail the disaster, enacted the "*Vêrdemarché-*Beautrois" bill which allowed *Vêrdemarché* to be given near police-level powers for a period of 1 year. The result was that bodies were transported directly from their former homes, and dumped in unmarked graves in the fields to serve as fertilizer. These draconian measures eventually resulted in the replenishment of the fields' nutrients, and the ending of the Cotton Famine. To this day, watches, earrings, and pieces of clothing may commonly be found in the farmlands, a grim reminder of the greed and incompetency of the Grândomercs.

By the end of -74LY, the famine had come to a close, with a total of 25 million Meracians dying of starvation or preventable disease, and the population only ever recovering to pre-famine levels until 103LY.

### Formation of the Federation

As the Union-State slowly began the recovery process from the Cotton Famine, Meracia chose to open up talks with Praevoire, a neighboring city to the east. The city of Praevoire counter-offered on the condition that it be given autonomy, and receive other privileges in exchange for a portion of its industry. The result was the *Resolution of Nôváclivum*, where Praevoire was anexed by the Union-State, which would be transformed into a Federation. Each city was given a certain number of "Allocated Value" proportionate to the population and gravitas of the city. This system of determining which cities were given a determined amount of value became subject to change over the decades.

### 1st Nordholm War

In -67LY, the Kingdom of Nordholm began prospecting the lands south of the *Flódren* river. Meracia, having just gone thorugh the Cotton Famine, was in a state of paralysis. Nordholm, a clerical society that still erroneously believed that the pantheon of gods still inhabited this world, seized upon this opportunity to justify a war. The clerics spun intricate tales of Meracia being a nation of degenerates and a society fed by unbridled lust for mammon.

Thus on Aprelium 3rd, -67LY, hordes of Nordholmisch soldiers stormed over the river crossing, and poured into Meracian fields. Nordholmisch knights began looting and razing of any farms and town in their path.

Meracia responded by dispatching a detachment from one of its main armies to deal with what was at first thought to be a small raiding party. The Nordholmisch knights met the detachment outside of Augsboûrg. The detachment, upon seeing the massive army that lay before them, immediately called for reinforcements. In the course of 2 hours, the detachment was all but destroyed.

Meracia, now aware of the 250,000 strong Nordholmisch army, was forced to divert almost all of its manpower towards an emergency conscription. Young men were ripped off of the streets, dragged out of schools, and bars and pressed into military servitude.

The Federation managed to scrounge together an army of 344,000 men, and went forth to meet the invaders.

Augsboûrg by this time had been partially captured by Nordholm, and the city heartland was threatened. The Meracian army began by sending cavalry divisions to cut off Nordholmisch supply routes. Next, the main bulk of infantry, advanced against the main Nordholmisch army, slowly boxing them in. The first battle ensued, where units of infantry and smaller detachments of cavalry countersieged the Nordholmisch encampment. The Meracian army managed to break the siege, but took heavy casualties.

Though the siege of Augsboûrg had been broken, the Meracian army had lost 30% of its troops in the battle, and was desperate to find a trump card to get an edge over the Nordholmisch armies. This dilemma caused Meracia to contract *Arméments-Équītâs,* to invent improved weapons systems. After extensive subsidies and land grants, *Arméments-Équītâs* unveiled the "*Mōdèle 5 Cârbin".* This gun was a massive improvement from the muzzle-loading firelocks that were prevalent at this time. The gun was operated by a bolt, which was drawn back by the operator, and charged by a spring. When the trigger was pulled, the bolt would slam forward, striking the the cartridge, which was manufactured with a flint base and the back, igniting the black powder in the rest of the cartridge. The whole system was fed by a large and bulky magazine, also operated by springs, which would push the cartridges into place. This revolutionary design allowed for the first time, the operator to reload and fire while prone.

Though more resources were needed to mass-produce this gun, the effects were devastating on the battle field. By the end of Novfembri -67, the Meracian army had received ample supplies of the new rifle, and began using it to great effect over the next month. After taking over 257,000 casualties, Nordholm signed a white-peace on Decimutrius 12th, -67LY.

### 2nd Nordholm War

The white-peace lasted but a gew months. Nordholm, having licked its wounds and bringing back captured Meracian equipment, began working on its own counters to Meracian weapons-systems. The war-priests unveiled schematics for the *Strīdewarge-I* anti-infantry tank, and the *Hyaldorsteyn Sylfweand-II* auto-rifle. Nordholm had learned from the first Nordholm war that cavalry was now nearly obsolete, and that it needed to adapt to the new change in technology.

On Iounium 4th, -66LY, Nordholm sent its armies south of the *Flódren* once again. The Nordholmisch armies made haste southward in a concerted push towards Meracia, to decapitate the Federation's government, and to reassert their dominance in the region.

The 2nd Nordholm war began much like the 1st, with Nordholm invading swiftly, and Meracia being overconfident and comitting only a small detachment.

The highly motivated Nordholmisch armies, meeting little to no opposition on their path to the capitol, managed to reach the highland reservoire of the Federation, and began setting up camp. The armies began using the flow of water against the Federation. The Nordholmisch armies began dumping their sewage refuse and bathing at various points upstream in relation to Meracian cities, causing widespread plague and dehydration of the populace.

A second army detachment, broke off from the camp and began striking military bases, destroying many of the forward distribution centers for Meracian army supplies. The first detachment of Meracian troops, the *332nd Gârde d'Rêpúblique,* engaged the 2nd Army group at the river banks. The battle initially began to favor the Meracians, with the troops inflicting over 4,000 casualties the opening week. However as the experimental Nordholmisch tanks made their way to te frontlines, the tides of the conflict changed dramatically. The tanks punched enormous holes in the Meracian lines, and wrapping around in wide encirclements.

The Meracian government, after notcing the city's main water supply beginning to dry up, hurriedly dispatched its main army to retake the river, and the regain control of the reservoire. The *Armē Grūppe Nr. 1* engaged the Nordholmisch armies north of Meracia. The Federation troops, while valient were unable to resist the berserker-like fury that rained down upon them from the Nordholmisch ramaprts, and were forced to beat a hasty retreat. The federation took numerous casualties, numbering upwards of 80,000 by some sources.

Nordholm pressed te attack, and aimed to capitalize on the retreating enemy, and arrived at the city outskirts of Meracia proper. Before them lay the crown jewel of the Federation. One strong punch, and the entire house of cards would come tumbling down. The Nordholmisch armies divided themselves into three parts. Army Group North, Army Group Center, and Army Group South, with the idea being the beginning of an operational encirclement of Meracia, and starving the Federation out of existence.

The Nordholmisch armies initally made great success over several months, managing to capture everything north of the river. Nordholm's armies' gains reached their peak however when units briefly managed to cross the river and hoist their Runic banner atop the Federation Monument in the city square. By the apex of Nordholm's grasp of Meracia, the Nordholmisch aries had disintegrated into only 40% of their original size, and their fuel consumption long ago surpassing their production.

After 6 months of brutal fighting, the armies of Nordholm were forced to march back north to regain strength. The casualties of the 2nd Nordholm amounted to 977,000 Nordholmisch deaths, and 3.1 million Meracian deaths.

Prisoners were not released by either side. While Meracia either incarcerated Nordholmisch fighters for life or executed them, Meracian prisoners were not so fortunate. Many were led back in chains to Nordholm, to be ritually sacrificed en masse via strangulation in ceremonies attended by millions.