Great Shields

The **Great Shields** were built in nearly a half of the world to protect their areas from the Earth Union's bombings and attacks.

## Flag and symbols

The Free Nations (countries under the Great Shields) made a flag to represent their fragile alliance: a yellow flag of eighteen blue stars, representing freedom, tradition, and diversity.

## History

In the wake of the Earth Union's attempts to conquer the whole planet, the Federation of Mars and other colonies in the Solar System supplied Earth's remaining nations with lots of raw materials and energy to build enormous energy shields to protect them from attack.

For much of the Earth Union's history, the Great Shields functioned mostly as a defensive alliance, but it degenerated into a league of dictatorships. One constant thorn on the alliance's survival was the constant rivalry between its members, from Greece and Turkey to even something as distant as Ukraine with Akhand Bharat.

Some people living within were so outraged by the Unionite attacks on their nations and peoples, that when the Earth Union sent its fleets abroad to suppress rebellions in the 41st century, these militants launched their own crusades to conquer and punish the Unionites for invading their countries. Their governments supported them as freedom fighters who "reclaimed" lands from Unionite rule.

When the Farsiders came, they initially attacked the Earth Union and destroyed its capital. Then, the Farsiders sent armies to attack the Shielded Nations, marking all of them guilty of the sins of their ancestors.

The Shielded Nations and the Earth Union were severely ruined by the Farsider invasion of Earth, but with the Earth Union mostly dissolved, the Shielded Nations are considered the victors. Most of them wanted to help the Unionites rebuild, but many of the Unionites rejected their aid, cursing them as "imperialists" and "regressives".

The Cosmopolitan Empire sent its troops and wealth to rebuild Africa. The leaders of some of the African federations attempted to encourage non-Africans to migrate to the New Continents, but this and attacks by extremists against non-African inhabitants led to resistance in cities across the western coast and South Africa. The Preservers then sent troops to defend several enclaves, such as White, Asian, and American areas, along with thousands of communities considered extremely poor or "vulnerable to violence": while at the same time, they and the Cosmopolitans built schools and facilities to help most Africans rebuild, weakening criminal gangs and militias throughout the continent. To prevent another costly war, the governments of Africa had to make peace with the enclaves, even as nationalists in Africa objected to their continued existence.

Some also fought back against Shielded warlords who waged crusades to punish Western countries; some of the warlords managed to create unstable enclaves and dictatorships that imposed strict European and Asian laws, but they are outnumbered by angry locals who surrounded them and stopped their further invasions.

## Society

The nations in the Great Shields vary between republics, dictatorships, and monarchies. While individual rights vary between its different nations, people who live under the Great Shields enjoy more freedoms than the comfortable, hedonistic citizens of the Earth Union; although some countries do not practice human rights or democracy, seeing them as "Western infiltration".

The fragility of the Great Shields also made most of the countries under it to avoid being engaged in wars against each other, out of fear of damaging the shields and exposing themselves to the Earth Union's armies. This also led to the construction of their own international network of high-speed railways.

The Free Nations pride themselves in being more "civilised" than the Earth Union, as they do not practice things like eating the dead, killing off elderly people, banning archaic art, casual sex, and recreational drugs. However, as some of these countries with more freedoms have also attracted the "bigoted" underclass of Unionite society, people from those affected nations have become vulgar and promiscuous. On the other hand, some of the Shielded nations are considered "backwards" or dictatorial, because they tend to be more authoritarian and religious than the other members of their alliance. These countries tend to be found in eastern Europe and Asia, as its people were modified by the A-Hadd chemical to become more obedient, expecting their strongmen to keep them well-fed and stable. As a result, new rulers there were either elected every decade, chosen by dictators, or appointed by military juntas; and they rule over a majority who has become too dependent on their government. Some countries even suffered from poor economies and harsh punishments as another result of their leaders having unquestioning power. A few of these regimes became so weak after much of their people starved or fled to other nations, that they were defeated and puppet governments were set up to rebuild their countries: these failed states became warnings throughout the Shielded realms to punish officials who were considered wasteful.

Some observers depict the so-called Free Nations, especially the dictatorships, as a "rich man's club", and their political systems as a form of monarchy.

In many of these dictatorships, any form of criticism against the government is regarded as "foreign intervention", as it was associated with American condemnation of the lack of democracy. They also dislike American civilisation and democracy in general, seeing it as "imperialistic" and "chaotic", seeking to replace it with more dictatorship as "restoring order". Some go as far as propose conquering America and the West (especially "empires" like Britain and France) and imposing their beliefs on the people to punish their historical actions, but because most of the Shielded nations' regimes focused more on survival than revenge, many of these extremists failed to wage counter-attacks against the Earth Union.

Most Shielded people have been genetically-modified, but to a lesser extent than their Unionite enemies. Therefore, they are healthier, stronger, smarter, and emotional than their their 21st-century ancestors. Some countries have also given their citizens medicine that eliminated their sexual desires, allowing them to focus on other pursuits.

As sexual orientation has become associated with the Earth Union and its propaganda, some Shielded nations dislike non-heterosexuals, forcing them to take chemicals to "cure" their conditions. Other Shielded nations, such as India, China, Japan, and West Australia, tolerate and accept them as equals.

Some Shielded countries deported and exiled "undesirable" people to the New Continents. Although they were left there to fend for themselves, they eventually built their own states and kingdoms, some of which are being as multicultural as their denizens. Some cities became thriving metropolises that rivalled their jealous Eurasian counterparts, while others languished as shantytowns and slums.

## List of Great Shields

### Europe

* Russian Shield
	+ Russia restored its monarchy under a Tsar. Some Tsars planned to restore the Byzantine Empire by helping the Greek revolutionaries.
	+ Russian society has become influenced by the Orthodox Church, but due to internal pressure it also had to tolerate large communities of Rodnovers and other pagans, and local Buddhists and Muslims.
	+ During World War III, Russia has taken control of Alaska. It became a fortified frontier against Unionite attacks, where refugees from Unionite rule were sent away to other continents.
* Visegrad Shield
	+ The core territories of the Visegrad Alliance are Hungary, Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia. They retained many socially-conservative features and enjoy highly-developed economies; however, their societies are considered to be reactionary, becoming more or less like dictatorships with stricter social norms.
	+ Switzerland is under this Great Shield, although it is not a member of the Visegrad League.
	+ The Visegrad Shield has also expanded to cover the Balkans, Greece, the Baltic states, Gotaland (in southern Sweden against the Nordic State), Frei Deutschland, and parts of Eastern Europe that refused Russian influence (such as Romania and Ukraine).
	+ Slovenia, a small and rich country located at the southwest, is one of Europe's last countries that remained as liberal democracies, the other being Finland. It is also known for its satires.
	+ With Italy under the control of the Earth Union, the Papacy is being relocated to two new Vatican complexes in Hungary and Poland.
* Balkan Shield
	+ In later times, a new Great Shield was erected around the Balkans and Greece. Many of these nations under it were supported by Russia, whose leaders sought to restore the Byzantine Empire.
	+ After liberation, Greece attempted to expand north and eastwards. When its armies (re)took Istanbul from Turkey, many parts of the Galaxy (especially the Rinnarit Republic) celebrated this as "the restoration of Constantinople".
* Kaalalit Shield
	+ Covers much of eastern Greenland, Iceland, and the artificial islands of the New Azores, the Thulesk Archipelago, Ny Norumbegar, and Markland.
	+ Iceland is known for being a bastion of the revived Norse religion.
	+ The new islands created to the southeast of Greenland and Iceland became a haven for European and North American refugees who fled from the Nordic State and the Earth Union. Most of its peoples practice Americanised and Norsified cultures.
* Nordic Shield
	+ The Nordic State was a fascist regime that occupied much of Norway and Sweden. As it became the ruling nation of much of Scandinavia, it also hosted pilgrimages for pagan denizens of the Galaxy.
	+ Refusing to submit to the Nordic State's fascist government, the Finnish Republic built its own Great Shield.
	+ Although the Kingdom of Götaland (southern Sweden) successfully seceded from the Nordic state, it still remained under the Nordic Shield. This Great Shield also covers the hamlets and new islands of Free Norway along the northern coast.
	+ The capital city of Götaland is the city of Malmö, which has an open border with its brother-nation of Denmark.
	+ Parts of northern Germany were liberated from Unionite and Nordic control. Many of these Free Deutsch enclaves became allies of Visegrad.
* Caucasian Shield
	+ Covers the republics of Saqartvelo, Hayarstan, and Azerbaijan, along with the Caucasian regions under Russian control.
* Faroe and Doggerland Shields
	+ Later expanded to include the British Isles when they were liberated/conquered from Unionite rule.
	+ Britain under Doggerlandian rule was assigned under three nationalist governments that invited ethnic Germanics and Celtics from all over the galaxy to immigrate to the island, with Anglo-Saxon and Celtic paganism as the state religions. The remaining Unionites who did not flee from the Doggerlandian purges stood their ground in several enclaves, where they either continued the Indianised British culture during the Earth Union's rule, or reverted to traditional English or Celtic norms.

### Asia

* Arabian Shield
	+ This Great Shield covers Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, sacred sites in the Muslim religion. Its western edges -- along the coasts of Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey -- bore the brunt of Earth Union bombings. The Farsiders also attacked Arabia out of their hatred of Islam, and battled Rinnarits to bomb the rebuilt city of Babylon.
	+ Rinnarit schools often taught that Palestine was the home of St. George. Although St. George is not venerated by most Rinnarit Christians, he is regarded as a popular folk hero. Furthermore, Galactic Christians often depicted Jesus as if He looked like an Arab, as they believed that His Jewish people during His time looked like Arabs.
	+ Nonetheless, Palestine was also feared for the violent attacks against Jews during its liberation/collapse of the Israeli government. During the early years of the Rinnarit Republic, its people avoided Palestinians and Jews, associating them with the violence associated with the Fall of Israel/Liberation of Palestine.
	+ To the south of Palestine lies the Jewish Republic of Negev, formed by the New Irgun as they resisted Palestinian armies. While it is one of several nations where Judaism is the national religion, it has become partially Americanised as half of its people were Americans from the Evangelical faction. After World War III, Negev was taken over by the Americans. During the chaos of the Window Years, Negev was overrun by a combined Arabian army and annexed into the Arabian Empire.
	+ The eastern half of Turkey is covered by this Great Shield. The western parts of Turkey were overrun by the Earth Union during one punitive campaign, while the east is governed by the secular Selçuk Republic. One known ally of the Selçuk Republic was the resistance-held city of Great Hattusa. Upon the revival of the Byzantine Empire, the Greeks overthrew the Unionite authorities of Istanbul as they conquered the city.
* Persian Shield
	+ This Great Shield covers the Kingdom of Parsia.
* Indian Shield/Bharatian Shield
	+ Covers the Hindu Republic of Akhand Bharat (India), Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, and Bhutan. Akhand Bharat is known for its freedom of religion, as long as the minorities and atheists in its territory respect the Hindu religion.
	+ India is also a guardian and benefactor of various countries along the northern Indian Ocean under the Samudravarman Campaign, when it tried to off-set Chinese dominance of the region. In the past, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh fought against each other in a four-way conflict due to aggression by leaders, but with the Earth Union looming in the horizon, both nations decided to work together to avoid the Unionites' domination.
	+ India has also become a hub for technology, trade, and pilgrimages form all over the Galaxy.
* South Indian Ocean Shields
	+ Two Great Shields that cover the artificial continents of Kandamia and Kergelia in the southern Indian Ocean.
	+ These lands became the new home for various peoples that were deported by the governments of the Shielded Nations.
		- Among those deported peoples include nine Romani republics along the southeastern coast of Kandamia. Many of their peoples also converted to Hinduism. The largest of these is Binakchakano ("Twin Star"), an industrial powerhouse renowned for manufacturing recycled products from other nations.
		- At the southwestern tip of Kergelia is a Jewish republic set up to replace Israel after it was conquered by the Palestianian Arabs, known as Yomkochab ("Sea Star"). It is a close "brother-nation" to the spacefaring republic of Shoshan, another Jewish state known for defeating the Germolid Cabal and its slave empire; and the Romani republic of Binakchakano, who works together with it in hundreds of projects and megastructures.
* East African Shield
	+ As parts of East Africa avoided the ruin of World War III, its countries were among the first to erect their Great Shield in response to the Unionite armies' attacks.
	+ These parts of Africa later became venues for diplomatic meetings and trading zones with the Earth Union.
* West Turkic Shield/Kazakh Shield
	+ Covers the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Baikonur Spaceport.
	+ Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, is touted by the Shielded peoples as "the city of the future": its name became a byword for a successful and sustainable metropolis. Along its sleek skyscrapers were sprawling parks, gardens, and skating rinks, and outside its environs lie twenty-six spaceports and nine portals for visitors from the rest of the Galaxy. Visitors who go outside Nur-Sultan usually visit the herders' camps to learn archery, horseback riding, and combat; or to try some embroideries and gold.
	+ When the Farsider fleets were on their way to invade Earth, the fleets of the Shielded Nations rallied at the Qaraghanda Plains, and battled the Farsider warships at the skies above.
* East Turkic Shield/Altaic Shield
	+ The nations of Central Asia were united under a federation, the Altaic Federation. It was a close ally of the Arabian Empire, although Tengrist revival movements ensured that it remained independent.
	+ At the southeast, near the border to Xinjiang, lies an enclave of Feddian Americans. These militants were originally sent by their rulers to conquer Xinjiang before being driven out by the Uyghur rebels and the Chinese. The American enclave became more isolated, with its goal of establishing an American empire in ruins.
	+ Afghanistan, one of the countries under this Great Shield, is known for its citrus and its marble. During the Farsider invasion of Earth, Afghanistan is a monarchy ruled by a Shah. While the Royal Armed Forces battled the Farsider fleets, the industrial city of Ghazni was bombed by the Rinnarit Farsiders for being the capital of one of India's enemies, Mahmud of Ghazni. The Rinnarit troops later fought against a combined force of Hiwayyin and Bigtonian troops and were defeated.
* Siberian Shield
	+ Covered the Republic of Sakha and the Vostochny Spaceport.
	+ Sakha was later absorbed into Russia after an economic collapse.
* Chukotka Shield
	+ Covers the republics of Chukotka, Tuvania, and Mongolia.
* Kamchatka Shield
	+ Covers the Republic of Kamchatka and the Russian enclaves along its coasts.
* Asia-Pacific Shield/Chinese Shield
	+ China, a single-party republic, is renowned for its scientific advancement. Its people are fiercely nationalistic, seeking to see their nation become powerful again.
	+ Angered by the loss of Tibet to the Indians and parts of Xinjiang to the Arabians and Americans, the Chinese armies quickly seized those areas when the three armies were summoned back to rebuild their homelands.
* Korean and Japanese Shields
	+ The Koreans and Japanese later built their smaller Shields as they wanted to be more independent from the Republic of China.
	+ Korea is united under a monarchy. It is also a technological hub.
	+ Japan is still a monarchy and a technological hub.
* Svarnabhumi Shield
	+ This Great Shield covers the nations of Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Great Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, New Majapahit, Timorlestia, Papua, Guam-Marianas and Luzviminda.
	+ Myanmar is heavily dedicated to Buddhism. It is ruled by a Dharmaraja (Emperor), and it has also become a trading hub that exports gems, gold, and vehicles.
	+ New Majapahit is a hub for tourism, trade, and Hindu pilgrimages.
	+ Cambodia and Thailand have become pilgrimage sites. Cambodia was among the few places left unharmed by the Farsiders, as the Rinnarits fiercely defended it and destroyed any Farsider ship or army sent to bomb it.
	+ Vietnam has become a technological hub, compared somewhat to Japan or Korea.
	+ These countries have grown richer from their role as commercial and space travel hubs and their expanded coastlines.
	+ To the northeast of Luzviminda, the artificial islands of Sanctia were built as a residence for the Papacy.

### Oceania

* West Australian Shield
	+ A newly-erected shield built over the liberated lands of western Australia.
	+ Western Australia is now the domain of the British monarchy in exile, and it undergoes an irrigation campaign. It is known for its White and Aboriginal cowboys.
* Pacifica Shields
	+ Aotearoa-Niue Shield
		- Aotearoa (New Zealand) is still a monarchy, but it is ruled by Maori kings and the iwi-tribes of its islands.
	+ Vitilevu Shield
* Truk Shield
* Muvia-Fuson Shield
	+ A shield erected around the continents of Muvia and Fuson in the north Pacific.
	+ Muvia became the home of various peoples displaced by war, authoritarian regimes, and climate change.
	+ Fuson becomes the home of many Asian liberals and nonconformists. Japan, Korea, and Luzviminda have established colonies along its west and east coasts, respectively.
	+ Southwest Fuson has become a province of China.
	+ North Fuson, West Fuson, South Fuson, Tetsumachi, and Xin Fusang (Chinese Fusang)
* Hawaii Shield
	+ A newly-erected shield built over the liberated Kingdom of Hawaii and its artificial islands.
* East Antarctic Shield
	+ East Antartica is its own republic, and consists of scattered underground forts and settlements.

## Diplomacy

### Allies

* Federation of Mars (conquered by Earth Union)
* Venus Mining League
* Stratocracy of Keres
* Jovian Gas Refinery Bands
* Kingdom of Hiwayyin
	+ An Arab-majority planetary state that exports minerals.
* Kingdom of Polaris
	+ Known for its superior medical facilities and being a haven of scientists.
* Kingdom of Regulus
* Cosmopolitan Empire (later ally)
* Halsparex Alliance
	+ A Muslim-majority alliance of republics and democracies in the Galactic east, surrounded by murderous warlords and pirate fleets. It was they who supplied more war machines for its allies in the Shielded Nations and other free peoples of the Sol System to protect themselves.
* Ulfgard League (a later ally)
	+ A prominent Vetarbroitar federation. These Vetarbroitar were known for being the first to object to the Farsiders' cruelty, which the Ulfgardians consider as blasphemies against their god Odin.
* Republic of Shoshan
	+ A Jewish republic at the northwestern part of the Galaxy, near the Cosmopolitan Empire. Having been the target of hundreds of slave raids, the Shoshanians became a nation of warriors to protect themselves from destruction and subjugation.

### Enemies

* Earth Union
	+ The invasions of the Earth Union have driven many Shielded people to become more militaristic. As the Earth Union's authorities demanded the total conquest of the planet, many Unionites believed that the only way for them to survive is to defeat the Earth Union and its rulers.
	+ Some proposed dividing the Earth Union back to its former countries, or allowing its inhabitants to set up their own nations as long as it is not a hegemony that encompasses the Western Hemisphere or a continent. Others suggested that after the Earth Union is defeated, it must be ruled by Europeans and/or Asians who will impose their traditional values to erase Western imperialism, to punish the empires of the West for exploiting them and throwing them into chaos or poverty.
	+ On the other end, if such an authority exists, it will eventually collapse either because the occupied Westerners will secede and overthrow it, or it will be divided between the nationalists and traditionalists of different nations, who have conflicting agendas and will eventually fight each other.
* Farsiders
* Marixai
* Empire of Laadros
	+ A fascist empire in the Galactic northeast.

## Terminology

* English: The Shielded Nations
* Esperanto: Granda ŝildo landoj
* Chinese: 大盾國家 (Dà dùn guójiā)
* Korean: 위대한 방패 땅 (Widaehan Bangpae Ddang)
* Japanese: 大盾国 (Daijun koku, Oodate kuni)
* Persian: کشورهای سپر بزرگ (Keshvarhay Sipari Buzurg)
* Arabic: دول الدرع الكبير (Dual ad-Dara' al-Kabir)
* Russian: Великий Щит страны (Velkij Schit strany)
* Greek: Τα θωρακισμένα έθνη (Ta thorakismena ethne)
* Sanskrit: महकवचदेश (Maha-kavacha-desha)
* Khmer: ប្រទេសខែលដ៏អស្ចារ្យ (Brateh Khel da As'char)
* Kazakh: Ұлы қалқан жерлер (Ulı qalqan jerler)
* Hungarian: Nagy pajzs országok
* Finnish: Suuri kilpi maat
* Swedish: Sköldländer
* Norse: Hlíflandar (Shield Lands), Mikillhlíflandar (Great shield lands)
* Maori: Te whenua paruru nui

### Positive

* The Free World
* The Free Nations
* The Civilised World
* God's Kingdom
* Dharmaloka

### Negative

* Bigotia (Unionite)
* Unmarked
* The Fifth Reich (Unionite)
* Backwards-land (Unionite)
* Hacialtrasia/Hacialtra (Unionite)
* the Wild Lands (Unionite)
* Crusaders (Unionite)
* God-Fearers (Unionite)
* Sore Losers (Unionite)
* The Rich Man's Club

## Trivia

* Some of the "Shielded Nations" were inspired by right-wing and conservative movements in Europe, Russia, and India.
* Here is a list of the New Continents and their namesakes:
	+ Atlantia (east of North America) - Atlantis
	+ Helenia (southeast of South America) - St. Helena
	+ Dinarobi (east of Africa) - Dina Arobi, an old name for Mauritius
	+ Kandamia (southwest of India) - Kumari Kandam, a mythical continent in Tamil literature
	+ Kergelia (further south) - Kerguelen
	+ Muvia (northeast Pacific) - Mu, a mythical continent in Western pseudohistory
	+ Fuson (east of Japan) - Fusang, a mythical island in Chinese mythology