Union of Gaia

The **Union of Gaia** is a united sole governing state of the planet of Gaia, located in the continent of Acruan. The Union of Gaia, originally was governed by an absolute monarchy. Later a coup d'état occurred resulting in the overthrow of the Royal Family, the House of Berleaton becoming a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The Union of Gaia was created on September 19, 2016 by a group of Sezonians who freed their Gaian relatives and aided in establishing an advanced society.

## Leadership

### High Command

* **Prime Minister Duea Hillton**: First prime minister of the Union of Gaia, the power behind the government and the creator of many progressive acts along with being in charge of political stability.

* **Her Majesty and Sovereign of the Union, Queen Elizabeth LaLaurie Berleaton the First**: First born and sole daughter of Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second. Loyal to the kingdom and is beloved by many, having few foes. Ascended to the crown upon her mother's death

### Royalty

* **Kraven Decanaled Berleaton the First**: Second born and first son of Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second. He is a strong willed man and respects those of those who can hold on their own.

### Knights

* **Sir Arthur the Honorable**: The commander of the UGAF Infantry Divisions. A highly skilled and decorated officer.

* **Captain Ben Willford the Just**: Captain of the UGAF, led the war against the Zohuars. He was knighted by the royal family for his accomplishments and hard work.

* **Sir Henry the Devout**: A seasoned knight appointed by her majesty, Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second. A devote follower of the Celestial Light, which influences his sense of mortality and his judgment.

### Nobility and Lords

* **Lord Nesen**: A lord originally hailing from the city of Elcahelm. Quite esteemed and famed explorer, trained with the Ranger Division and is the first known man to explore the Far Lands.

* **Lady Nesen**: Lady and wife to Lord Nesen, daughter of a chieftain of a lost tribe of cat people. Caring to her husband, but is shy and doesn't trust others because of how they tend to treat her people as wild beasts.

* **Lord Alex Marley**: A rich and yet not influential lord from House Marley. Prominent client of the Trading Guild of Bas.

* **Lady Elane Kherstan**: Lady and patroness of Khersburg, and prominent member of House Kherstan. Yet is considered a pariah among the other nobility due to her family's past heritage involving the Primal Ways.

* **Lord Snale Maclahevian**: A minor lord, senior member of the Institute of Natural Sciences and Scientific Progress. Also a pariah within the nobility, mainly due to past incidents involving conversational experiments and is rumored to be a black magician.

* **Lady Sylvia Barver**: Fierce, but motherly figure and a lady of House Barver.

* **Lord Herrick Bas**: Lord from Baskelia and a pillar of the community. Head of the Trading Guild of Bas and member of Parliament.
* **Lord Gaelro Malgoth**: Lord of House Malgoth, a shrewd and patient man with great charisma. Founder of the Bridgenia Colony and serving as its first governor.

### Other Political Leaders

* **Archbishop Karlues**: A former Sezonian and head of the Church of the Celestial Light, has full control over appointments in the Church.

* **Director Elia**: Director of Commerce and all of the Union of Gaia's financial and economic concerns.

* **Keeper Uirel of Kreel**: Practitioner of the primal arts, descendant of the last Primal Masters.

* **Marshal Tom Dilan**: An religious zealot of the Church. Infamous for his part in leading witch hunting militia and mobs, said to be a high ranking member of the Light's Hand.

### Former Positions

* **Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second, Lady of Harmony**: The fourth monarch of the Union, member of the House of Berleaton. A figurehead and national icon for the Union of Gaia and it's people. Assassinated by the treacherous and Psoom infiltrator, Vizier Teal Bosbmer.

* **Vizier Teal Bosbmer**: The grand adviser to the monarchy of the Union of Gaia, said to be stricken with a rare skin condition rendering him unable to stand sunlight. Revealed to actually be a Psoom and later murdered her majesty, Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second, Lady of Harmony before being slain by Lord Nesen.

* **Princess Elizabeth LaLaurie Berleaton the First**: First born and sole daughter of Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second. Loyal to the kingdom and is beloved by many, having few foes.

* **Marcus Vaduz Berleaton the Second**: Last born and second son of Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second, prefers to study and learn more about the darker side of the universe and forbidden knowledge instead of ruling. Fell to the corruption of the dark arts, and was banished from the Union of Gaia.

## Societal Information

### Cities & Major Colonies

* **Edetopa**: The capital of the Union.

* **Selon's Keep**: A fortified keep that is the headquarters for the Gaian military.

* **Veia**: A small farming hamlet.

* **Rheoa Colony**: First space Gaian colony on the nearby moon of Rheoa. Currently abandoned.

* **Xua Castle**: A isolated castle built high in the Xuath Mountains for the royal family.

* **Alder's Fall**: Major agricultural community and center of mass food production.

* **Trilldrop**: Important trading port city on the northern coastline of the Isth Sea.

* **Kreel**: A long abandoned temple dedicated to the ancestral Gaian ways of old.

* **Baskelia**: A large mining town, and military outpost. Base of operations for the Trading Guild of Bas.

* **Whitehall**: A grand monastery situated on a steep cliff, headquarters for the Church of Celestial Light.

* **Arverlord**: A prosperous plantation that produces some of the finest tea along with various brands of alcohol on all of Gaia.

* **Elcahelm**: A fortress town that is a booming center of trade and commerce.

* **Palaco de la Profunda Arbaro**: A castle styled as a lavish palace that is situated deep in the forests of southeast towards Elcahelm and is the ancestral seat for House Nesen.

* **Deep Run Crossing**: A small mining settlement built on the banks of the Deep Run river. Is under the control of House Nesen.

* **Shimmerspring Grove**: A ancient grove which holds a spring who's waters are said to shimmer in color and is considered a sacred place for followers of the Primal Ways.

* **Blackvale**: Once grand castle and home of House Bosbmer, now stands in ruin after it was discovered Vizier Teal Bosbmer was a Psoom. In fear, local townsfolk laid siege and slaughtered all the denizens inside.

* **Khersburg**: A makeshift city founded on several islands situated in vast track of marshlands that is connected to by wooden plank bridges. Is home to a large population who still cling to the traditions of the Primal Ways.
* **Ker Watch**: A castle and seat for House Kherstan built upon one of the man-made floating islands of the swamps, and it does not stay in the same place.

* **Stann's Rock**: A small mining village in between the pass from Xuath Castle and the Old Road.

* **Fort Kavsak**: A military fortified fort located strategically at the crossroads between the Old Road and mountains.
* **Barver Keep**: The ancestral seat of House Barver, located on the island of Baalfer. It is a wood-walled castle with a small keep built from huge logs and surrounded by an earthen palisade.
* **Halwich**: An isolated frontier settlement deep in the mountains of the Manichill Highlands.
* **Ivanstead**: A small mining town situated at the eastern pass of the Xuath Mountains.
* **Bridgenia Colony**: A Gaian colony set up on Bridgenia Barr.

### Laws and Powers

The laws and powers of the Union of Gaia are given by the House of Legislation with the approval of Parliament along with the prime minister. Any additional laws can be found in the "Decrees" section below.

### Decrees

* **Degrees of Space Expansion**: Under these set of degrees, the Union of Gaia will expand its influence to space using technology given by their Sezonian liberators, thus will the moon of Rheoa be colonized and settled by the Gaian people.
* **Acts of Gail**: As decreed by her majesty, the military of Gaia will be strengthened along with the setting up of defensive protocols. Also a tariff will be set for all goods coming and going from the Rheoa Colony, as well as a patrol of guards will be sent to provide protection and maintain security for the colonists.
* **Ban on Occult and Dangerous Acts**: All acts or practices deemed dangerous, occult or morally corrupting to society are hereby banned under the authority of Parliament and her majesty herself. Such preexisting groups or organizations involved conducting these acts are illegal and are made enemies of the state themselves.
* **Grand Declarations of Rights**: By decreed and enacted by the prime minister and members of Parliament. Under this bill, levying taxes without grant of Parliament is illegal, keeping a active army in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law. The monarchy will respect and adhere to the rulings of the Parliament, cruel and unusual punishments will not be eligible as sentences, commission for ecclesiastical causes is illegal unless permission from Parliament is granted, jurors in trials must to be landowners or esteemed members of the community and position of Prime Minister will be held until current holder has passed on from life.

### History

* September 19, 2016: The Union of Gaia is officially established with collaboration from several Sezonians.
* September 20, 2016: House of Berleaton is crowned the royal family of the Union of Gaia, making the Union an absolute monarchy.
* September 22, 2016: The Church of Celestial Light is founded by a resident Sezonian.
* September 24, 2016: Primal Masters clash over the emerging Church for spiritual domination.
* September 27, 2016: The royal family intervene, causing the Primal Masters to loose support and the Church of Celestial Light becomes the dominant religion on Gaia.
* September 30, 2016: The Degrees of Space Expansion are enacted. The Rheoa Colony is founded.
* October 3, 2016: The royal family is overthrown in a sudden coup d'état, thus the Union of Gaia is transformed into a constitutional monarchy and Duea Hillton is elected prime minister.
* October 5, 2016: Parliament approves and enacts the Acts of Gail.
* October 6, 2016: First encounter with the Zohuars, leading to the War of the Zohuars.
* October 8, 2016: End of the War of the Zohuars. The Zohaurs of Acruan are driven to near extinction and retreat underground.
* October 10, 2016: The town of Baskelia is constructed.
* October 11, 2016: The Trading Guild of Bas is established.
* October 13, 2016: Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second succeeds the Gaian throne.
* October 15, 2016: A string of ritualistic murders occur in the village of Veia, an investigation into them goes underway.
* October 18, 2016: Investigators undercover and reveal the Felerkep cult as the culprits behind the Veia killings.
* October 19, 2016: The Felerkep Cult is banned by Parliament with the full support of the Church.
* October 21, 2016: Mass purge and crackdown of Felerkep cultists occur throughout the Union of Gaia.
* October 23, 2016: A priest of the Celestial Light discovers a ancient relic, and rejects the Church's doctrines and instead secretly founds the Weaving Orderists.
* October 25, 2016: The hunting of Blue Belly Emus is outlawed and the species is put under federal protection.
* October 26, 2016: The Ban on Occult and Dangerous Acts are enacted.
* October 29, 2016: Contact with the Rheoa Colony is lost, and a scouting vessel is sent to investigate.
* October 30, 2016: The scout returns, all public records of the colony are stricken and UGSF go through decommission.
* November 3, 2016: Teal Bosbmer is made the vizier to Alexa Berleaton the Second.
* November 5, 2016: Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second reportedly falls ill and is quarantined, Teal Bosbmer and Prime Minister Duea Hillton take command in her absence.
* November 9, 2016: A mysterious plague surfaces in northern territories near Elcahelm.
* November 11, 2016: The plague continues to ravage Elcahelm, and the Institute of Natural Sciences and Scientific Progress is founded in effort to locate a cure.
* November 15, 2016: The Institute of Natural Sciences and Scientific Progress manufactures a elixir that stave off the effects of the plague.
* November 20, 2016: Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second gives birth to triplets, a girl named Princess Elizabeth LaLaurie Berleaton the First, and twin boys, Kraven Decanaled Berleaton the First and Marcus Vaduz Berleaton the Second.
* November 25, 2016: Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second makes her first public reappearance since her children's birth.
* November 26, 2016: The Institute of Natural Sciences and Scientific Progress after much trial and error, produce the first genetically-altered plant on Gaia.
* December 5, 2016: First tests in using of genetically altered crops in improving the agriculture begin.
* December 13, 2016: Production of first wine from genetically altered crops.
* December 20, 2016: Increase of suspected heretics and Felerkep cult activity in the great northern forests of Elcahelm.
* December 30, 2016: Lord Nesen and a crew of twenty leads an expedition across the Isth Sea into the Far Lands.
* January 7, 2017: Lord Nesen's expedition lands on the unknown shoreline and set up a small base.
* January 9, 2017: Lord Nesen discovers a lost tribe of cat-men, later defeating the chieftain in a duel and marries his daughter.
* January 14, 2017: Lord Nesen and his wife, Lady Nesen return from their long expedition and arrive at Xua Castle in celebration of their return.
* January 16, 2017: The council members are attacked and slain, Teal Bosbmer is unmasked as a Psoom and is killed by Lord Nesen.
* January 17, 2017: The murdered council's bodies are taken to Whitehall where clerics of the Celestial Light preform rituals and are able to resurrect them, all but the queen herself.
* January 18, 2017: Mass mourning and praying for Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second's death.
* January 19, 2017: House Bosbmer is destroyed with its members being burnt at the stake by fearful mobs and their seat, Blackvale is brought to ruin.
* January 21, 2017: Queen Alexa Berleaton the Second's body is laid to rest and her daughter, Elizabeth LaLaurie Berleaton the First is crowned queen.
* January 22, 2017: Prince Marcus Vaduz Berleaton the Second secretly begins to research lore considered heretical in the eyes of the church.
* January 23, 2017: Noble Houses of Marley and Kherstan are established.
* January 24, 2017: Marcus Vaduz Berleaton the Second unlocks the secrets of the dark arts and begins to test his newfound powers.
* January 25, 2017: Conducting his first experiment, Marcus using dark magic summons an entity from the netherworld, then later reanimates the corpses of a duck, snake and crow.
* January 26, 2017: Marcus experiments more with his powers, and tests it on various members of the court, dominating weaker minds and tapping into their inner secrets. Using this he secretly starts recruiting rouge Felerkep cultists and others to his side.
* January 27, 2017: Queen Elizabeth LaLaurie Berleaton worried by her brother's recent strange behavior orders the Ranger Corps to spy on him.
* January 29, 2017: The Ranger Corps undercover Marcus's usage of dark sorcery and bring him in to face judgment. The Church and Light's Hand demand his immediate execution while others ask for banishment.
* January 30, 2017: Queen Elizabeth LaLaurie Berleaton the First exiles her brother, Marcus Vaduz and his followers from the Union of Gaia and it's lands, they depart on a ship and disappear.
* February 1, 2017: Due to trial of her brother and it's outcome, Queen Elizabeth LaLaurie Berleaton the First faces much resentment from growing factions within her own court.
* February 6, 2017: Several relics are stolen from the Institute of Natural Sciences and Scientific Progress's custody.
* February 7, 2017: Under pressure and stress, Queen Elizabeth LaLaurie Berleaton the First withdraws from public to Xua Castle. Leaving Prime Minister Duea Hillton in charge of government affairs.
* February 9, 2017: Prime Minister Duea Hillton along with his supporters within Parliament pass and enact the Grand Declarations of Rights, thus limiting the power of the Crown and Church.
* February 12, 2017: With Prime Minister Duea Hillton's reforms, dissent grows among rival factions including the general populace especially those of the Church.
* February 17, 2017: In an effort to boost moral and support for him, Prime Minister Duea Hillton hires performers and conducts a mass national celebration to congratulate the dawn of a new age for the people of Gaia.
* February 18, 2017: Various dissident groups publicly denounce Prime Minister Duea Hillton and the current leadership. With many of them departing on ships for uncharted parts of the world.
* February 19, 2017: More dissidents leave the Union in ships.
* February 20, 2017: Prime Minister Duea Hillton worried about the recent dissent. Secretly blackmails Snale Maclahevian, a minor lord and senior member of the Institute of Natural Sciences and Scientific Progress into developing a permanent solution to halt this.
* February 21, 2017: Snale Maclahevian sets out to find a solution and begins a series of tests and experiments.
* February 22, 2017: Under orders, several guardsmen detain secretly known dissidents and bring them to Snale Maclahevian who conducts several experiments on them.
* February 23, 2017: Snale much to Prime Minister Duea Hillton's displeasure moves his experiments to Xua Castle.
* February 24, 2017: Another movement forms, dissatisfied members of the Church turn other means of spiritual guidance namely the teachings of the Primal Ways.
* February 25, 2017: Still no symptoms from remaining test subjects, displeased with this Snale Maclahevian resorts to drastic measures.
* February 26, 2017: Mysterious attacks occur on high ranking members of the Church by unknown hostiles. Believed to be radical elements.
* February 27, 2017: Prime Minister Duea Hillton loses contact with Snale for a brief period only to regain it.
* February 28, 2017: Snale's experiments bear fruit as the last living subject's body mass gains muscles and regenerative capacities seem to be enhanced.
* March 1, 2017: Further experiments conclude with additional testing in order as more subjects are acquired from captive dissidents.
* March 2, 2017: Several mutilated corpses are discovered near Xua Castle, each having bizarre growths and tumors, leading to the surrounding area being secured.
* March 3, 2017: Strange robed figures are reported lurking region near Xua Castle in the middle of the night.
* March 4, 2017: Sightings of a mysterious creature resembling a giant serpent near a lake, including local livestock being found dead with all the blood drained from their bodies.
* March 5, 2017: Mass hysteria swipes through villages including Veia. Fear and suppositious beliefs induce the resurface of "witch-hunts" which results in the deaths of three supposed witches.
* March 7, 2017: Parliament sends a team of Ranger Division Corp members to investigate reports from Veia and restore order.
* March 8, 2017: Ranger Division Corp members arrive at the newly christened "Lake of Abhorrence" and quickly discover various wildlife with disturbing deformities.
* March 9, 2017: The investigation led to the discovery of a grotto off the lake's shore and within several dozen bodies, cocooned with many displaying signs of mutation. Also within appeared to be a stone idol of a spider, the rangers secure the area and lay a trap.
* March 10, 2017: The investigation team returns to Edetopa within possession of a corpse of a large spider-like entity that was slain in the grotto that is taken to be studied by the Institute of Natural Sciences and Scientific Progress.
* March 11, 2017: Prime Minister Duea Hillton questions Snale about the recent activity along with the strange mutations, but Snale dismissed such worries.
* March 12, 2017: The great rumble shakes the world, the sky turns a pale crimson color. Madmen and visionaries proclaim the end of everything as panic and hysteria grips the nation. The Sun's Bleeding begins.
* March 14, 2017: Felerkep cultists come out in droves, attacking and harassing small communities such as the village of Veia. The surge of heretic activity also increases.
* March 15, 2017: Sir Henry the Devout and a party of knights from the Church are sent by Parliament to neutralize the Felerkep cultists threatening Veia and the surrounding region.
* March 17, 2017: Sir Henry and his forces root out Felerkep cultists terrorizing Veia.
* March 18, 2017: More sightings of robed figures lurking around Xua Castle at night.
* March 20, 2017: Snale Maclahevian's test subjects mysteriously begin to vanish.
* March 21, 2017: Several ships and vessels manned by dissidents return to port, only to be detained by order of the prime minister. Rumors spread of distant lands with strange creatures across the sea.
* March 22, 2017: Lord Gaelro Malgoth and his house convinced by rumors of other lands, petitions Parliament permission for a colony grant and is accepted.
* March 23, 2017: House Malgoth leads a expedition to neighboring lands and lands on the island of Bridgenia Borr. The Bridgenia Colony established.
* March 26, 2017: A plague strikes the northern territories of the kingdom, rumors tell of a witch's curse and of a sign of doomsday.
* March 29, 2017: Panic grips the northern villages. Mysterious disappearances occur along with the plague.
* March 30, 2017: The Church declares that witchcraft is to blame for the mysterious plague and disappearances that have struck northern territories.
* April 2, 2017: The great weald of Fallan shows signs of decay and strange lights are seen at night.
* April 3, 2017: Fallan Weald becomes blighted and corruption soaks the soil and vegetation.
* April 4, 2017: A witch is discovered in the northern territories and burnt at the stake.
* April 5, 2017: Plague-stricken villages find themselves under assault by witches calling themselves the Hexed Moon Coven.
* April 9, 2017: The Hexed Moon Coven continue to their attacks on the northern villages.
* April 10, 2017: Rallying forces, knights led by Sir Henry march to the northern territories to combat the witches of the Hexed Moon Coven.
* April 11, 2017: Sir Henry is struck mysterious ill and is unable to continue his mission. Hexed Moon witches increase their attacks.
* April 12, 2017: The Hexed Moon Coven start to terrorize the area around Elcahelm.
* April 15, 2017: Elcahelm is put under martial law.
* April 19, 2017: The Hex Moon Coven lays siege to Elcahelm.
* April 20, 2017: The remaining forces of Sir Henry launch a counter attack on the witches of the Hexed Moon, driving them back into Fallan Weald.
* April 22, 2017: The plague recedes as does the witches of the Hexed Moon, though corruption still grips the weald of Fallan.

### Customs

* **Celestial Light**: The Celestial Light is the Gaian version of the Light. To the Gaians, the Light is the force that guides them in their daily struggles and determines their fate in the afterlife, through sheer good deeds and leading a honest life will they be rewarded with eternal paradise, while those who do not will suffer misery and unrest in death. The Church of the Celestial Light is a body of religious authority and the maintains the teachings of the light and interprets it for the faithful, also preforming funeral and marriage rights.
* **Primal Ways**: A set of ancestral and spiritual beliefs that were widely practiced by the early Gaians, these beliefs were mainly based on the reverence for nature and the embodiment of the very elements themselves. The key figures of these faith was the Primal Maters, who developed the arts of elemental mastery. The Primal Ways have heavily declined with the creation of the Union of Gaia and the rise of the Celestial Light.
* **Felerkep Cult**: A dangerous cult dedicated to the worship of Maelokur, a demon from old Gaian legend. The cult and it's practices are outlawed as their teachings include human sacrifices and barbaric rites.
* **Weaving Orderists**: A dissident sect of priests who have rejected the doctrines of the Celestial Light, instead embracing the belief of a mysterious spider goddess who brings order, function and the perfection to all of creation. However the sect itself is considered heretical and is persecuted by Church of the Celestial Light.

### Industry and Economics

Being largest and sole nation on the planet of Gaia, the Union of Gaia also has the largest industrial output, agricultural output, and economic footprint. The Union heavily relies on trade and it's exporting of agricultural produce needed income to support itself as it is still a emerging nation.

## Military Information

The official army of the Union of Gaia is the Unified Gaian Armed Forces (UGAF). The prime minister is the supreme commander of the UGAF, with the General of the Armies and Navies in direct authority under them. The UGAF is split into multiple divisions:

### Divisions

#### Infantry Divisions

The main body of the UGAF. Composed of mainly new recruits, armed with various Gaian weaponry based on Sezonian light tech.

#### Artillery Divisions

Supporting long range artillery, manned with light cannons, lasers and rifles upgraded with the latest Gaian technology.

#### Royal Guard

A highly skilled group of soldiers who defend the monarchy of the Union of Gaia, from possible threats.

#### Ranger Division Corp

The Union's elite intelligence and reconnaissance force, tasked with foreign and domestic intelligence gathering, law enforcement within Gaian borders and special operations. They posse cloaks that are woven with particles of Light which allows them to bend light and glow in utter darkness when needed.

#### Light's Hand

A secret religious order of the Celestial Light and funded by the Church itself. The Light's Hand is dedicated to the pursuit of eradicating all threats of otherworldly, corrupt or heretical nature in the eyes of their beliefs. They often employ radical methods to achieve their goals.

#### Unified Gaiaian Navy

The UGAF's navy, composed of mainly firing vessels, a few scouting boats along with heavily armored battering ships.

#### Unified Gaiaian Space Fleet

Built with collaboration from the Sezonians, designed for new frontier of space exploration, the UGSF is made up of various classes of space capable carriers, fighters, and cruisers. Underwent decommission.