Jora, the Iron Republic

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> “Ours is a dream unsilenced. We, the mortal peoples of Creation abide by and enforce these truths, that all souls are created equal, and endowed by the circumstance with universal rights and dignity, for which the state shall represent and protect. To those who would destroy our precious liberty, know that we shall fight you on every shore and peak. To those who would conspire against the doctrines of the free, know that our hearts are greater. To those would enslave and debase the many to serve the few, know that we are coming for you."
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## Jora: The Iron Republic

### Units

Ingot, Pile Driver, Riviteer, Ramshackler, Binder, Skybrig, Atlas

## History

“*Jorans, citizens, heed me, for the hour is late, and soon, we shall be tested by old enemies, and new rivals. Long have we, the people of Shum, of Shael, have made ourselves known by action and by word. The soil of this land is steeped in the blood and the sweat of patriots and comrades, whose noble endeavors sought to bring prosperity, solidarity, and dignity to these ravaged lands. We have wrestled secrets from peoples long dead, we have toiled along harsh frontiers, and we have breathed life back into the parched ground. From these humble seeds, we have grown our proud cities, our hardy families, our many unions. We have had our disagreements, so much that we have traded as many bullets as barbs in our free-spoken papers. In spite of these divides, or perhaps because of them, we Jorans share something greater. Among all of us is shared the dignity of the individual, the cherished right to self-determination, the declaration of the sovereign soul.*

*What are we if we cannot speak the truth in our heart? What nation would we be if the fate of the many where chosen by a callous few? We have only to look beyond our borders to answer those grim questions. For centuries, many peoples have gathered here, driven from their homes by dogmatic empires, ancient terrors, and rapacious tyrants. It is here, on Shum that the many have made themselves known. These free words, carried by martyred patriots and earned by hot iron is thus: “Ours is a dream unsilenced. We, the mortal peoples of Creation abide by and enforce these truths, that all souls are created equal, and endowed by the circumstance with universal rights and dignity, for which the state shall represent and protect. To those who would destroy our precious liberty, know that we shall fight you on every shore and peak. To those who would conspire against the doctrines of the free, know that our hearts are greater. To those would enslave and debase the many to serve the few, know that we are coming for you.*

*Good Jorans, citizens of our noble republic, know that I cannot offer you easy victory or unending prosperity. I can only offer you the sweat of a long day’s work, the pain of unanswered hunger, and the deadly grind of war. To those who seek full bellies and blissful submission to alien powers, Q’rath welcomes you. To those who seek fat purses and the worship of the self, Talmetra promises much. But for those of you who seek prosperity for the many, dignity for all, and safety from tyrant, monster, and mob, know that I will fight by your side. The way is not easy, and the price will be paid many times over, but from these perilous ventures, we found a greater union, indivisible with liberty and sanctuary for all.*”

-President-elect Jez, Acceptance Speech, The Joran Patriot Memorial.

Once a rough-and-tumble confederation of independent states, the ascendancy of the Q’rath Empire has flooded the Joran borders with war-torn refugees and exiles feeling yoke of angelic rule. Facing the threat of subjugation and annexation, the disparate communities of Jora have chosen to rally under the flag of a Grand Republic, the first of its kind.

Much of Joran society is defined by their frontier values of self-reliance, entrepreneurial spirit, and faith in industrial progress. Mining, manufacturing, and salvaging relics from the Elder War are regarded as staples of the Joran economy and the bedrock of the region’s civil traditions. Q’rath’s religious dogma, stifling communitarianism, and aggressive persecution of those it deems dangerous, stand in stark contrast to Jora’s shared values, values that Jorans will kill to protect.

For the last forty years, the Republic has grown as neighboring nations have shattered before the encroaching might of the angels. Knowing walls will do little against a flying host, the Jorans have welcomed all who have come to their borders, granting land and citizenship in exchange for military service. The influx of millions of lost souls has populated Jora and fueled the creation of a massive military-industrial complex capable of stemming Q’rath’s advances.’’ -word of god

The recent “Battle at Red-Hand Junction” saw the complete ruin of the Q’rath Empire’s 7th Host at the hands of the Republican Guard. The unquestioned might of Q’rath’s angels faltered and broke under withering hails of Joran gunfire. This event has marked a turning point in Joran identity, Q’rath’s ambitions, and the Iron Republic’s place in the pecking order of nations. Today, straddling territory controlled by the ruthless Talmetran Consulate, the roving hordes of the Khardu, and Q’rathi border citadels, the Iron Republic stands at a crossroads. As stated by President Jose Rockfell in his Union Speech:

*“My fellow Jorans, today, I address you, not as your president, not as your fellow citizen, but as a mortal who simply seeks a better life, free from tyranny and oppression. Today, forces greater than our humble lives conspire to put us at a crossroads, a fulcrum in history, where the choices we make today, determine the fates of our sons and daughters for a thousand years. There are those in this world who would seek our enslavement, debasement, and eradication. For too long, we have struggled amongst ourselves, fighting for plots of land, property, or injured pride while our true foes close in around us. Today, I call on all mortals, all decent folk who seek to live in peace and prosperity to take up arms, and rally to higher ground in common cause. To those who come here robbed of their holdings in forgien lands, I say “welcome home.” To those who seek a life free from censorship, persecution, and violence, I say “your seeking ends here.” To those who have lost loved ones to the wrath of aliens, the ferocity of beasts, and the greed of men, I say “Together, we shall avenge!” From this day forward, we shall stand and fight as a single republic, clad in iron. To those who seek our downfall, our homes, and our weapons, I say this: “Come and take them!”*

-Jose Rockfell, former president of the Joran Republic

The Iron Republic is named after the city of Jora, a large trade settlement that was destroyed by the Q’rath Empire. Jora’s razing gave Jose Rockfell the opportunity to unite a series of smaller unions and revolutionary groups, resulting in the end of the Unification Wars and the founding of the Iron Republic of Jora. Jose would die in office, leaving the presidency to his daughter and vice president, Jez Rockfell.

All that remains of the city of Jora is a green glass plane as far as the eye can see. The event is referred to as either the glassing of Jora’s Crossing or the Martyrdom of Jora’s Crossing.

## Politics within Jora

Hawks - Short for ‘war hawks’. They are a defensive military faction who want their ideology (democracy) to succeed and consolidate in one country.

Grand Republicans -

Industrialists -

Frontier Populists - Expansionist military faction - beliefs tied to the concept of "manifest destiny" similar to that of the early United States.

#### Government policies/daily life

The Joran bolt (originally just a small ball of iron.) is the base unit of Joran currency. There are larger divisions of paper and material currency above the bolt, and it's value is hotly debated even within the Republic. It is less stable than the Talmetran Talent.

There is a pretty extreme delta of quality of life in Jora. The quality of life varies wildly from city to city, from neighborhood to neighborhood. A strong federal government is only a recent development. Many states within the Republic still languish in states of extreme wealth disparity, while others function more akin to a well-off Soviet state. Similar to the US in the late 30's or China in the 80s and 90s, Joran is a nation that is emerging and rising at a rapid pace. With the acceptance of federal power, the consolidation and organized distribution of resources, and the integration of powerful Guild Baronies, The quality of life in Jora is skyrocketing as new services and technologies, unthinkable a decade prior, are now commonplace. This is probably a contributing factor for Q'rath's total mobilization as the Q'rath Empire may fear that given another few decades, the Iron republic might overpower the Qrathi Empire's legions.

There is essentially a "working welfare" where poor families are given access to factory work with military applications wherever possible. Factory owners are paid handsomely by the government to recruit as many folks as they can. Corruption is kept down to a dull roar by the fact that the Union is embedded in every one of these outfits and have free reign to recruit these wellfare workers (and have the backing of the Federal Military if the Guilds get too fussy).

Among the Iron Republic's greatest challenges was the standardization of health services across its fledgling states. The frontier was never known for its skilled practice of medicine, and the care for the wounded and sick was largely left to companies, merchant caravans, or the afflicted themselves. Indeed, one of President Jose's first Initiatives as Jora's first United President was the formation of the Republican Center for Health and Wellbeing. While the institution did well initially, bolstered by an influx of displaced court physicians and professionals at odds with Q'rathi dogma, standardization proved difficult, if not disastrous. Due to the diversity of perspectives, techniques, and magic rites across the northern continent, finding accord on the matters of healing, much less unanimity, proved impossible. With the Battle of Red-Hand Junction, and a full-scale war with the Q'rathi Empire seeming inevitable, a desperate Rockfell Administration looked to the frontier to cope with the looming tide of casualties. They would have to settle for the Binder Union. Binders, a grifter outfit with sprawling territories along the expanses of the Outer States, had effectively monopolized healing services through reverse-engineered Rae technology. While the Ancient Rae used the stored magic to repair their war-machines, the Binders "innovations" allowed the tools to re-bind and rejuvenate torn organic materials, even when deployed at ballistic speeds. Outfitted with personal manufacturing kits and "Ranged Wellness Delivery Systems," these bandits, once hunted by rangers and sheriffs for robbery, extortion, and murder, are given salary and the new title "Doc." Trust in the service remains low among infantry, citizenry, and government leadership.

#### Foreign relations

Qrath: (traditionally, strained/awkward now actively hostile)

Talmetra: (traditionally strained/hostile, now delicate detente with a possible military alliance on the horizon)

Khardu: (traditionally strained hostile, and now getting worse.) Joran's dislike the Khardu because they view them as superstitious, violent and primitive but also have an sort of uneasy/grudging respect for one another.

### Inventions

Unlike Talmetra, Joran's people have a very practical view on technology. While in Talmetra, good technology is considered to be advanced and complex, in Joran good technology is considered easily replicable, and mass producible. Joran tech is incredibly stripped down and efficient (basically just circuitry runes that effectively hack physics to work a particular way). Due to the fact that Joran is a young nation a sizeable portion of Joran millitary technology is effectively repurposed civilian tech. Jorans do have devices similar to guns, but instead of using gunpowder to propel the shot magic runes are used to launch it at higher speeds.

Joran technology is based on a concept reverse-engineered from Ancient Rae. Technically speaking they are known as Soldered Runes , though most simply refer to them as “sawdrunes,” and those who engineer these runes are called “sawderers.” When supplied with power, these runes can effectively "hack" reality and are used to engineer wondrous inventions. To create new runic technology, all a sawderer technically needs is a surface to carve into and a power source, though these tend to be unstable jury-rigs. Reliable and functional sawdrune devices require more care, precision, and an alloy-infused metal plate called a runeplate. The use of sawdrunes has simplified the logistics of the Joran military on an almost revolutionary scale, and skilled sawderers can even modify sawdrune effects in the field.

### Piledriver

Pioneered by Keller & Sons Mining, Munitions, & Metallurgy, the Pile Driver has been a ubiquitous tool across the Republic's booming claim-towns, excavation sites, and building projects. Powered by Alloy-conduits and given a rudimentary "intelligence" by reverse-engineered Elder-Runes, the Pile Driver's simplicity allows it to be produced cheaply and efficiently and with relatively little infrastructure. To Jorans, a settlement is considered incomplete if it doesn't have a scrapyard and sawd'rin table to make these disposable metal wonders. When the Q'rath Empire conquered the neighboring Kingdom of Velspont, President Jez Rockfell declared "a state of perpetual emergency until those bronze-masked bastards are kicked back across the pond." To this end, vast numbers of Pile Drivers have been weaponized by "reprogramming" their Runic AI. As Rig-Hand Judith Herandaz put it "We just tell em' the enemy are rocks."

### The Ingot

First patented by Guild-Baron Micky Finnigus Brine in -67 BGE, the Ingot represents the first example of complex uses of reclaimed magic from Rae ruins. Patented as “Sawdered Runes,” the arcane markings found in the Ingot would prove to be transformative across the whole of free human society. Armed with an etheric welding torch and “imaginatively reconstrued” fabrication arrays, the Ingot was a fast staple across the Joran frontier. With the Unification Wars complete, and the prospect of a Q’rathi invasion from the continent of Ira an inevitability, the Ingot’s blueprints and means manufacture has been seized by the Republic in the name of national security. Today, Joran factory workers are usually seen working in tandem with hordes of excitable Ingots. Accidents due to the construct’s enthusiasm remain high.

## Gameplay

Joran gameplay relies on various buildings to restore their unit's energy for special abilities, called JUICE. In turn Joran structures can be boosted by other buildings connected in a power grid to make them even more efficient. On the battlefield, Joran forces rely on a variety of artillery.