ORB

ORB is one of the four main Factions in GUNGEAR. Unlike the other factions, ORB's population consist of entirely anthros, being one of the only states in the world of GUNGEAR in which they reign supreme. Despite being the youngest nation on the planet, they boast a technologically superiority over all other nations. From military to domestic applications, ORB uses its technology to compete with other nations and further its goal. That being, the conquest of the world, for the betterment and glory of Anthrokind.

On the battlefield ORB prefers to use advanced technology, numbers and the natural traits of their species. Anthro's such as Wolfs and other Canines are the primary source of recruits for the infantry while Bears serve as heavy weapons and heavy support and rabbits meanwhile serve as marksmen, medics and cannon fodder. Thanks to their efforts, they have managed to claim East-Asia, Eastern Russia, India, the islands of the South China Sea, parts of the Pacific, and are making efforts to expand into Oceania.

## Inception

Prior to the foundation of the modern day Orb, the Eurasian and Eastasian territories that comprised Orb were controlled by humans. Due to the fact that these countries were the impact site for the evo-crystal meteor, they saw the greatest changes as a result of the mutations brought about by the crystals which meant a higher concentration of anthros. As a result, the Eurasian and Eastasian territories were forced to contend with large groups of anthros within their borders. Thanks to their technological advantage, the humans were able to maintain their dominance over their territories. The primitive anthros were easily suppressed by the humans as they carried out a campaign to reclaim their lands, exterminating the mutants and any anthro tribes that resisted their expansion. Despite humanity’s efforts, the anthros remained persistent and many managed to evade direct confrontation with the humans for years. Those that could not hide from the humans submitted to them and were eventually absorbed into human society. While they were spared from annihilation, they now had to integrate themselves into a world that viewed them as abominations. Even as time went on and anthro-sympathizers worked on legislation for greater anthro rights, a vast majority of the humans refused to elevate the status of the Anthros who were forced to remain as second class citizens. This mistreatment would result in widespread resentment among the anthros and lead to the Great Uprising.

The Great Uprising would begin peacefully, with anthros holding strikes and protesting for change against their human government. While there were radical elements within the movement at the time, the vast majority of anthros wished to take a peaceful approach to avoid further conflict. Despite their efforts, the human government would respond to these protests with excessive force. Not only that, many humans would also take it upon themselves to deal with the anthro problem. The lynching of any anthros that attempted to climb the social ladder or were just in the wrong place at the wrong time become more common through out the territories. The human government would do little to stop these violent attacks or prosecute those responsible. As a result, the movement began to shift towards violence as resentment and discontent grew within the Anthro populations.

What began as disorganized riots would escalate into a full scale war as the anthro populace, along with the free anthro tribes, would begin collaborating to exterminate the humans. Because of their large population and their importance as manual laborers, they were able to quickly overpower the humans as they sabotaged vital infrastructure and carried out attacks all over the territories. The humans, unable to properly coordinate a response to the anthros, were forced to retreat with many of them escaping to Europe. Many more would be killed during this genocidal rebellion as the Anthros worked to clear the entirety of Eurasia and Eastasia of the humans. When the war was over, the anthros were victorious. Their campaign to rid themselves of their human oppressors completed.

However, without a clear direction for rebuilding the country after the war, the continent would devolve into anarchy as the former revolutionary leaders turned on eachother. This was made worse due to the fact the country's infrastructure was destroyed during the war. With the country engulfed in chaos, it was nearly impossible for the civilians to repair and maintain this infrastructure, adding to the chaos and desperation. Many of the anthros would attempt to return to their old tribal lifestyles in an effort to wait out the conflict.

This would soon change when a European invasion force, composed of many of the descendants of the refugees from the Great Uprising, made its push into the middle east. Being a well-trained and technological superior force, the humans made little work of the disorganized rebels who had to make do with worn out equipment and little resources left over from decades of infighting and petty tribal skirmishes. The tribal leaders and warlords would form an alliance in an attempt to defend their lands but it was a futile effort. Despite their attempts, they could do little in the way of resistance as the humans continued their campaign of anthro genocide.

With the new alliance on the brink of collapse, they would be saved when a mysterious force from the east made its appearance. Led by a family of pig-anthros, an army of canine and feline soldiers would make a stand against the humans. With their access to the advanced technologies that had been left behind by the humans or traded with from across the sea, the pigs had forged their soldiers into a powerful, modern fighting force that pushed the humans back. Their victories against the invaders would garner the loyalty of the alliance and other anthro groups who eagerly swore their allegiance to them. With their invasion coming to an abrupt halt, the humans were forced to withdraw and the anthros claimed victory. The pigs would formally declare themselves the new leaders of the anthro territories and unite them under the banner of Orb.

## Society

Orb society is primarily divided into three main social groups. Pigs, predators, and prey with varying degrees of stratification within each group. Similar to how the little society in Animal farm was structured, Orb follows a relatively similar one as well.

Pigs are on the top, serving as members of the government and intellectuals to keep Orb society on the right path and advancing forward. Being on the very top, they’re given the most opportunity and luxuries the other two social groups do not have access to such as free higher education and positions in leadership exclusive to them. Despite the changing times and the social hierarchy that had been originally established slowly loosening its grip, the pigs still maintain a firm hold over the system through various bureaucratic processes, examinations, and systems that keep the other races at bay.

Predators mainly serve in the military, law enforcement, and minor leadership roles in politics. Even among them however, they’re also separated into various groups that may see them put into certain roles. For example,  wolves and other canines more often than not find themselves serving as grunts in the military, where their aggression and pack mentality allows them to operate seamlessly and effectively. Felines and foxes, thanks to their cunning and intelligence, can become members of military administration but also serve in various spec ops groups for Orb. The list goes on, with predator species being placed in roles best suited for them based on their characteristics. More recently with growing access to higher education however, more predators can find themselves taking on higher roles in local government, positions in various state run scientific institutes, and other types of white collar jobs.

Prey mammals are on the lowest rung of the social ladder. For them, climbing up the social ladder is extremely difficult to the point where it is basically impossible depending on what kind of anthro they are. Larger herbivores can find themselves working in jobs that require a lot of heavy lifting like construction but many also do work in office jobs alongside predators. Smaller prey animals like rodents mainly serve to keep the factories running, the farms productive, and industry alive. For small prey anthros, moving up the social ladder is extremely difficult, not only due to their small size, but also their reproduction rate. Even though Orb has slowly been changing and opportunities for the prey species have been growing, the effects have been minuscule at best for those on the bottom of the social hierarchy. Some smaller prey mammals can find themselves in various low level government jobs, leaders for small military units, and other less than glamorous roles but those are still few and far between in a sea of competitors.

## Government

Orb’s government is overseen by the council which is run by the pigs. This politburo is responsible for governing and creating laws that affect the whole of Orb. However, some of the laws they make are created more loosely and for good reason. Below the council are the regional administrators that govern vast swaths of Orb territory. These regional administrators, made up of a mix of predator species or pigs, report directly to the council. It’s their duty to interpret the laws created by the council so that the law may best suit the needs of their region. Under them are the governors of the towns and cities which can be made up of any species. They’re responsible for local laws and budget allocation for social services. The Governors are elected democratically by the people within their township or city. Regional administrators are hand picked by the council but in some cases, territories are allowed to hold referendums in order to choose an administrator. The council itself chooses its own members through a secret voting process.

Law enforcement within Orb is managed by all three tiers of the government to varying extents. The peace officers are the lowest on the ladder and report to their governors. These officers serve to enforce the law, carry out low level investigations, etc. In some cases, some departments are armed with military gear and have designated SWAT units to handle more serious situations. Peace officers are usually drawn from the local population. Above them is the State Security service who answer directly to regional administrators and the council itself. Their purpose is to maintain a keen eye on the population to look out for any dissents and foreign agitators. In addition to this function, they carry out counter-terrorism operations and are the next step in escalation when local law enforcement can’t handle a problem. They are equipped with military gear and vehicles that allow them to take on just about anything. State Security operatives mostly consist of former predators that have served in the military but it also has a strong investigative core made up of trained intelligence operatives. Then, there is the brotherhood, the mysterious organization reports directly to General Whiskers. They carry out the will of the pig party without the restraints that bind the police and State Security service. Their operations are secret. They could be anywhere and anyone. Little is known about the nature of their work. All anyone knows however, is that the people who oppose the way things are run tend to have accidents… Or just disappear.

## Domestic life

As a shock to many, Orb citizens actually have a fairly comfortable lifestyle. While most may not exactly have the means to acquire luxuries as those other nations, Orb more than makes up for it with the various social services it provides to its citizens. Thanks to their technology, Orb is able to provide its people with access to free universal health care, quality education up to secondary school, inexpensive housing and other various state run services. Even in the most rural territories of Orb, citizens have access to reliable electricity, clean water, radios, internet, etc. More recently, initiatives by the government to upgrade their workforce to help offset some of the workload has been implemented. With factories receiving better automated equipment and more farmers having access to farming machinery, citizens are able to spend more time pursuing their hobbies while earning higher pay.

Of course, this isn’t exactly done solely out of concern for their wellbeing or charity. While these services are affordable and reliable, their main purpose is to keep the population healthy and smart enough to perform the various duties required of them. Access to higher education is rather difficult for many (with the exception of the pigs), especially those pursuing fields in science, engineering, and even philosophy that could result in them becoming a potential threat to the stranglehold the pigs maintain over Orb society. Predators who are extremely rich, intelligent, or perform military service are the only ones that have even the slightest chance of entering those fields.

It is a common misconception that because Orb is communist, citizens are not allowed to possess private property. Citizens are allowed to have personal homes, belongings, and even own family run establishments. Ownership over large businesses however are harder for individual (non pig) citizens to achieve. Because Orb has a strict policy on how businesses operate to ensure the protection of the environment, worker’s rights, and the status quo, many large business owners barely turn a profit. Regulations and heavy taxation often force these people to hand ownership of their business over to the state. While disappointing, in a sense all the workers have ownership over the means of production in the factory as the people who keep it running. It should also be noted that workers are fairly compensated for their work. They are not all paid the same amount. Even prey species are paid equally for their work despite their low social status…. Mostly because they make up a majority of the labor force.

However, all of these things can easily change on a dime. Strict wartime rationing policies may result in cutbacks on these services and lifestyles. Citizens may be forced to adhere to curfews, energy rationing, strict nutritional diets, etc. The main thing however is forced conscription. While Orb does aim to mostly be a volunteer force of predators, Orb can draw upon former soldiers and their small prey population to increase their ranks. Despite this fact however, it isn’t all that bad for the soldiers. Troops that survive their tour of duty are rewarded handsomely with pensions and better job opportunities. Those that do not however can at least take heart knowing that their families will be taken care of.