CROSS

CROSS is one of the four main factions in GUNGEAR. They are the smallest in both land and population, but also the wealthiest and most scientifically advanced. The main holdings of CROSS are in Europe, Scandinavia, Western Eurasia and the North-Western Middle East.

CROSS's primary objective is the preservation of the Human race and its varied cultures.

On the Battlefield CROSS has a Quality over Quantity docterine, as such their personnel are put through the most demanding of training regimes and equiped with top-of-the-line gear.

## Inception

### Before the great extinction event

Europe, Scandinavia, Eurasia and the Middle East spent centuries at each other's throats. Each region divided among dozens of countries in ever-shifting alliances which were caught both major wars and minor skirmishes over ideology, religion, resources and land. Yet despite of this many of these countries were cultural marvels and economic powerhouses of global repute.

When the Evo-crystal laden meteor hit the Earth, it killed off 85% of all complex life on the planet. The area now known as CROSS was the most intact and uncontaminated, it was because of these factors that this area would be the launchpad of the SHAPE world-government in the following centuries and why it would place its headquarters in Berlin.

### The SHAPE era

The SHAPE era was a utopian golden age that lasted for centuries, but the rise of the tribal Anthros would herald its demise. Humanity was divided on how to integrate this new species into society, if its existence was even permitted in the first place. Debate deteriorated into brawls, brawls led to riots and (for the first time in many hundreds of years) war seemed inevitable.

Due to the low amount of evo-crystals in the lands that would be known as CROSS the animals there had not evolved into Anthros, the saturation was in fact low enough that all fauna remained unaltered. The Flora and Fungi were a different matter entirely, forests had become substantially more 'alive' and the fungi seemed to have become almost sentient. Fortunately, the alterations were mostly benign and what few dangers that arose were of no consequence to Human society or civilisation. As such there has been little research into Flora and Fungi.

### Anthro Atrocities and the rise of CROSS

Europe, Scandinavia, Eurasia and the Middle East took an isolationist stance towards the Anthros, banning all Anthros from entry into their lands and expatriating those who already lived there. This would prove to be the unifying aspect that would make these regions consolidate as the CROSS empire in the future. In the mean time they would increasingly cooperate on border security on their eastern border, because of the upheaval and unrest that started tearing the societies to the east apart.

It was not long after that that the Anthro's in the east started a genocidal rebellion (known as "The Great Uprising") which drove millions of humans out of their homes and native lands. The majority of these refugees would flock to Western Eurasia and Eastern Europe. East Asia became completely devoid of Human life, completely replaced by Anthros.

It was this event that led directly to the creation of the CROSS Alliance. The first priority of this new alliance was to house and feed the millions of refugees, the second was recruiting volunteers from them and arming them in the hopes of reconquering their homelands. The 'Elite Core' mentality and 'Quality over Quantity' docterine that would come to define the CROSS Warmachine were both present even in the early days and applied to this ad-hoc refugee army the same as the Regular forces. While it was a succesful force and many victories were had in the end sheer number of Anthros (combined with the fact that many were veterans of "The Great Uprising") and the increasingly widespread militairy coordination among the Anthros meant that the campaign was called off. The lessons learned in the failed reconquest of Asia were used to enhance the specs for the Artificial Super Soldier program that would years later produce the Novi.

## Society

CROSS is one of the last Human-only territories on Terra, and has the lowest population of all Major Factions. CROSS citizens have the highest standard of living and lowest poverty rate of all people in the world, at the cost of living under authoritairian regimes.

CROSS governance has changed considerabely over its existance, the model that CROSS has settled into is a form of Neo-Feudalism similar to the what the Corporatists in STAR turned into, the difference being that CROSS has a genuine aristocracy and accompanying caste system. Each territory is bound to a certain bloodline, the lords and ladies of that bloodline are the unquestionable rulers of their land and all assets (such as mines, farms and factories) and people who live there. Not only are the Nobles charged with the rule of their territory, but also the defence their lands (and CROSS as a whole) and justice within their realm. As such the nobility is given considerable leeway in the levying plus equiping militairy forces and they get to dictate and enforce the law of their realm.

The Noblility are however mere vessals to their leiges the Grand Monarchs, There are eight of these Grand Monarchs and each of them rules rules one of the nations CROSS consists of.