Utopia

The self-proclaimed nation of science, Utopia has more advanced technology than any other nation. Perhaps their most profound advancement is the invention of artificial intelligence, allowing bots to operate without owner interaction. The nation is lead by men and women who have implanted their brains into robot bodies. These folks are known as the Ascended. Those who are not Ascended live less privileged lives in the slums. The outside world believes Utopia is a nation which lives up to its name, and most do not know or hear of the slums.

The Ascended generally build their own bodies, but most prefer a humanoid shaped, bipedal design. Their “eyes” intake light in much the same way Human eyes do, and their design can be similar to a visor or to real eyes. Most have simple, clamp-like hands. Some equip a third arm-like appendage with a special function, such as welding, screwing, or weapon-wielding.

Politics
There are two layers of politics in Utopia. There are the official laws set into effect by the Ascended, and there are the laws enforced in the slums by the crime bosses. Officially, Utopia is ruled and governed by the Ascended in a democratic fashion. Each city has an Egalitarian Center, wherein special ballots are held. These ballots will occur due to pressing issues that require input immediately, or else once a year to ensure that Ascended are still content with the laws in place. Technically, non-ascended are legally permitted to vote, but they are never allowed near the Egalitarian Center, and therefore restricted from voting.

The official laws and government are known as pseudo-politics in the Slums, which have their own rules and regulations in effect. The largest crime syndicate is based out of Blackborough. This syndicate called the Honey Hatchets also controls Blackborough’s three adjacent major cities Astorum, Palladia, and Fort Fellwynn. The gang is so named because every smuggler and all the bosses are female. Very few know who is in charge of this guild, but she or he undoubtedly makes incredible money. The Heimstypen (Gnomish for blind eye) Clan is currently the second biggest syndicate. They are centered in Gavinsglyphs and also control Toeskoff. The Heimstypen Clan is run by a Gnome by the name of Elran Gentrieve IV. Finally, The Wolf Brigade is centered in Rondale. The Wolf Brigade is operated by a duo called the Alphas, one Human and one High Elf, named Scott Dunnigan and Chic Yown’Shu respectively. They used to be much more predominant, but when Utopia initiated its war with Grumok, the Ascended militarized Utopia’s easternmost city Bellen and stomped out the guild’s influence. The gang still has a foothold in Bellen, but peddling bootlegged goods through the city has become high risk. The Alphas’ politics have become nearly impossible to uphold in Bellen.

Utopia’s army is composed primarily of Warbots. Warbots are made in three varieties. Marksomatons are essentially self-aiming, self-loading, and self-firing robotic guns. They are bipedal when moving, but become a tripod when stationary. They are built with a single eye which can zoom several miles. Marksmatons are used as ranged units as well as scouts. Slugger Ggolems, more frequently called Sluggers,(acronym S.L.U.G, S_____ land-based unmanned goliath) are massive, heavily armored warbots which use their arms as clubs, can fire up to 12 bullets from their fingers, and launch missiles from their chests. These sturdy tank-like bots roam on tracks for traction and stability. Flame Spitters are small, beetle-like bots about a foot and a half long, and a foot tall. These armor plated buggers spray fire from 5 directions: straight ahead, straight behind, to the left, to the right, and straight up overhead. Flame Spitters are especially effective and important in a war against Grumlok due to the Greenskin reproductive cycle.

Utopia also drafts citizens into the war. If a citizen receives a draft notice, he or she must either report for duty or buy themselves out for one thousand gold pieces. This system allows almost all Ascended to stay out of the war, but still forces them to contribute to the war. An unintended consequence of the draft system is that crime lords are also immune from drafts as they are capable of paying the price. In the end, only impoverished folks are drafted to the war. The Ascended have no qualms about sending the poor to war. They believe it is a way of cleaning up the streets and allowing the least significant people to contribute to Utopia. Draftees are trained incredibly poorly and seldom return once taken in. Some Ascended volunteer to join the war effort as battleminds and generals.

Utopia has two very notable war machines. The first is known as the Slugger Wedge. A large, wedge-shaped, steel vehicle, six Sluggergolems climb inside and push the machine into enemies. The vehicle is fashioned with six cannons, three on each side which can be triggered by the Sluggergolems inside, as well as lances which can be jutted out into enemies. The Slugger Wedge can also be used as an incredibly effective battering ram. The other machine is a Counterweight Trebuchet, which can launch up to 350 pounds hurling through the air. It is used to break down walls.

The High Elves of Sivverlynn are Utopia’s closest allies. These two nations have been allied since the founding of Utopia, and their friendship has only grown stronger over the years. Utopia places a great deal of trust in the High Elves. Utopia doesn’t have any other true allies, but they are friendly with Kahl and Sprillan.

Grumlok and Halign Mak’kai are Utopia’s only true enemies. Utopia and Sivverlynn have been at war with the Greenskins and the Dark Elves for seven years now. Utopia has also fostered distrust among many other nations, however. These nations include Nuhimm, Skyaard, Drehr Behrkán, Coalhearth, and Wixicroft. Population: 625,700

Size: 17,700 square miles

Capital city: Rondale

History
((Add info about how politics changed with the advent of the “Ascended”))

((Mention Utopia meeting the Dwarves and starting trade with Skone.)) Brian Black was born the 3rd day of summer, 438 in Blute, son of Mr. Henry and Mrs. Jennifer Black. The Black family had become renowned around Blute as blacksmiths. The family smithy had been passed from father to firstborn son for eight generations, since Blute was founded. Brian, however, was not the firstborn son. He was the third son, and as he grew he began to realize he was faced with a decision about how he would live his life. He could either work for his brother at the smithy for the rest of his life, or find his own way. As a boy, Brian was fascinated with Gnomish technology. He would use metal plates his father made for him to create simple devices.

A few years later, Brian could operate the forge himself. He could hammer out plates, cogs, and gears, and his devices became more and more complex. In 456, at the age of 18, Black created a guild in Blute for aspiring scientists. The guild grew quickly, and Black became very selective about whom could join. Black traveled around Skone for two years recruiting new additions to his guild. The charismatic young man had incredibly innovative ideas, and before long his guild became less like a guild, and more like a following. Black decided with his followers that he would establish a new city, unassociated with any of the nations, which could become the science capital of the world. After months of study, Black decided to head west to Guero.

In 460, Skyaard was gaining great recognition. Black’s research on Skyaard inspired the lad. He dreamt of a world where Skyaard, the most distinguished magic nation, would have a new neighbor, the prominent science nation. Black dreamt of a utopian society where science could advance and prosper. At this point in history, neither Halign Mak’kai nor Grumlok were considered nations, and their residents were not widely known. Black believed he could establish a city near the border of Skyaard and expand east toward the coast. He and his men gathered supplies and rented a Blutian ship to Bretonia. They traveled north past the Bretonian border coming to a beautiful clearing near the mountains. The scientists got busy designing machines to help with the labor. They built steampowered golems which could mine metals, fell forests, and build structures with much greater efficiency than any man. The city was erected quickly, and Black decided it was time to make himself known. He took two golems and marched west to Skyaard.

After two and a half days of travel, Black arrived in Jum’Hal where he requested an audience with President Thom Hawkins. Hawkins was notably impressed with Black’s work, and the president agreed to establish trade. He warned Black, however, that Skyaard wasn’t a big trade nation, and they wouldn’t have a lot to offer a city devoted to science. Later Black found that Hawkins’s words rang true, as Skyaard and Utopia drifted apart. Neither nation had much to offer the other.

Black’s second journey took place 6 weeks after his voyage to Skyaard. Again taking two golems, Black set off south for two days until he reached Karmon City where he met with King Everhart. Black and Everhart got along marvelously and struck up trade agreements immediately. Black also agreed to demonstrate some of the practical uses of his science around Bretonia.

Nearly two years later, in the fall of 462, Black traveled north with his golems. He was aware of Sivverlynn, but knew nothing of their culture or ruler. He traveled north until he found a city called Umbarah. Black asked around the city, looking for the nation’s ruler. He was directed to Caunna Renwo who introduced himself as a representative of the city. Black conversed with Renwo about trade and science only briefly before his curiosity and lust for answers got the best of him. The conversation strayed and the focus was shifted to the High Elves and their culture. Black discovered that he shared many virtues with the people of Sivverlynn, and they became fast friends.

Utopia grew slowly over the next 200 years. Black had passed away, but he was not forgotten. A city was built in his honor, called Blackborough. Utopia was gaining recognition as they had hoped, but the immigration regulations in effect were too strict, and the nation could not grow as quickly as its people would have liked. A ballot was held, and a slight majority voted in favor of lowering the requirements to gain citizenship in the nation.

Around the same time, a Human inventor named Carter Flagg returned from his field-work in Sprillan with newly created prosthetic body parts. The designs were similar to many bots around at the time, but the mechanisms were unique in that if properly charged, they could be triggered and controlled by thought alone. The groundbreaking advancement was originally intended for medical purposes to replace limbs lost due to injury or infection. Wealthy scientists, however, were so enthused with the technology that they began lining up to have the procedure performed on themselves. Some would even amputate their own arms and legs to increase their priority.

Now that Utopia had lowered their requirements for citizenship, the rich folks who were born in Utopia and had made a name for themselves in the scientific community were yearning for a status symbol that could distinguish them from the newcomers. Flagg’s prosthetics quickly became that symbol; a symbol that one has wealth and intelligence and should not be mistaken for a commoner. The procedure was very expensive and incredibly difficult to preform. Immigrants who had traveled to Utopia without an excessive sum of coin could nary dream of gaining the status symbol.

It wasn’t long before the scientific community would only accept people of status. Everyone else was pushed aside and forced into manual labor. The ranks grew more and more dramatic. Those with rank could afford the beautiful houses in the best neighborhoods. Those without rank could afford only the lowliest houses in the most rundown neighborhoods. Those with wealth grew wealthier, and those without grew farther from ever achieving. Cities began to split into two distinct sections: the slums and the prosperous neighborhoods. The upper-class abandoned the lower-class so that the slums needed to create and uphold their own laws.

In 812, Hubert Roach successfully transferred his comrade and partner Timothy “Lucky” Irvin’s brain into that of a fully mechanized body. Roach and Irvin published their experiment to the world, raving that Irvin was the first to “achieve ascension.” The nation propelled into a state of uproar. Roach and Irvin became the wealthiest men in Utopian history operating on folks until the day the died. The new Ascended body was the ultimate status symbol. Anyone who was anyone “ascended” their old body along with their old way of life.

Utopia is a densely populated nation with more cities per square mile than any other nation in Guero. In the winter of 1111 Utopia decided to expand east while also eliminating their appalling Greenskin neighbors. The nation believed that with their superior technology, they could quickly tackle the task and gain coastal presence. The Greenskins have proven to be a handful, regrettably for Utopia. In 1112 Sivverlynn joined the war against Grumlok, and 8 weeks later, Halign Mak’kai’s army marched with the Greenskins.

Trade
Not surprisingly, Utopia’s most valuable and desirable goods are their scientific products. The nation produces purely scientific goods rivaled by none other. Of course, these goods need to come from somewhere. Most of Utopia’s goods are made of various metals. Iron, copper, tin, chromite, gold, nickel, platinum, and silver are mined by bots in the rocky or mountainous regions of the nation. Occasionally they’ll stumble upon titanium or palladium as well. These goods are taken back to the bot owners in the city, where they are either distributed and sold, or synthesized for more. Synthesization is a very expensive and timely procedure, but can theoretically give the nation unlimited metal resources. Ascended get the first pick of the metals. The scraps are sold in Ascended-owned shops in the Slums.

Some tycoons have recognized that non-ascended need to eat and are willing to pay to do so. These rich folk build farmer bots to raise livestock and crops for sale in the Slums. There is seldom any quality control in these Ascended-operated food products. Some non-ascended folk will take to farming as well. It’s perhaps one of the best paying honest professions in Utopia for non-ascended.

Utopia’s devices are widely sought after, but they are also quite expensive. Utopia is also landlocked. These two factors keep Utopia from making any regular exports, with only a few exceptions. Utopia’s advanced science allows them to create vibrant dyes and inks which are appealing to buyers all around the world. They also create high quality paper products.

The nation imports goods regularly,  primarily from Sivverlynn. Many of the imported goods are not Elven in origin, but merely transferred through the High Elves from Blute and Trakodo to Utopia. These goods are often metals, textiles, or any other trade goods that might be useful for crafters. From Sivverlynn, the nation imports high quality ornaments, furniture and knickknacks for their homes. Utopia still trades on occasion with its neighbor Bretonia. These trades generally occur because Utopia is desperate for raw goods, or because Bretonia is interested in a new scientific breakthrough.

Most gold earned through trade stays with the Ascended. Very, very little of it ever trickles down to the Slums. The Slums stay alive due to the crime syndicates. Offering illegal goods throughout the world, these syndicates rake in gold tremendously well. Crime syndicates smuggle illegal drugs all around the world. These drugs are potent, often highly addictive, and worth a large purseful of coin to the right buyer. They also sell stolen goods. Sivverlynn and Utopia are both known for having high quality, high expense goods. Crime bosses can offer the same goods for a much more manageable price. Person trafficking can also be a quick means to money. Certain people have use for good slaves. Many crime bosses will take on assassins, not only for their own good, but for paying customers. Prostitution is not irregular for the syndicates. Racketeering has become like an art form to many syndicates, wherein they force a person into a false predicament. Later, a member of a syndicate can offer a convenient solution to the victim’s problems. Of course the fraudulent solution does not come without a price.

Much in the same way that Utopia has two separate political systems, they also have two distinct economic systems. Gold from the Slums is much more likely to bleed into the Ascended economics than vice versa.

Science
Utopia is without question the most scientifically advanced nation in the world. While other nations enhance their technology with magic, Utopia continues to focus on the strictly scientific side of things. Only in Utopia can one find bots with such sophisticated artificial intelligence that they are able to function entirely on their own. This artificial intelligence is demonstrated in their Warbots, their Patrolbots, and their Housebots. Housebots is the way to refer to bots made to make life more luxurious. They can sweep floors, transport goods, clean up trash, make beds, do laundry, fold clothes, or any number of simple errands and chores. Utopia is also the only nation to have created useable electricity. Utopia’s cities and streets are lit with light bulbs. Ascended and bots can charge by plugging into an outlet. All sorts of unique weapons and tools have come out of Utopia, from guns to blades. They’ve invented chainsaws, oscillating blades, guns, tanks, and cannons of different varieties. Utopia is home to a plethora of important breakthroughs, such as batteries, flashlights, electric fans, space heaters, and short-distance telephones. Scientists have also made some unprecedented work in the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics. These branches of science don’t have as big a payoff as inventing, but determined scientists can still earn respect and status for their breakthroughs in these fields.

Utopia uses both steampower and clockwork, with a slight preference for the latter. Heavy bots such as the Sluggergolems, or devices intended to pull, push, or lift great weight are often steampowered, as it is more energy efficient and can create greater power. Steampowered bots are very noisy and have very little finesse. For smaller, precision-based bots clockwork is much more desirable. Particularly now that Utopia can charge their bots through electrical outlets, clockwork has become incredibly practical.

Science can be effortlessly available or entirely inaccessible depending on one’s economic status. Those with wealth and intelligence are accepted into the scientific community with open arms. Those with fewer coin are shut out. Scientific goods are incredibly expensive and decent libraries are impossible to get into without a good connection. Crime lords and other well-paid members of the syndicate will often study science, but shopkeepers and laborers have no shot of ever becoming scientists.

Magic
Magic is outlawed in Utopia. The use of magic is seen as a crutch to the Ascended, who believe that any problem can be solved through science. Furthermore, citizens who can use magic to keep themselves comfortable are less likely to purchase Utopia’s goods. In this way, the Ascended see magic as hazardous to the economic system.

Despite the ban on magic, many in the Slums still practice magic of many forms. Spell books and scrolls are among the most common contraband smuggled into the nation. Magic is important for those who cannot afford to gain comfort through science. It’s also very useful in the crime syndicate, used for intimidation, torture, and assassinations.

Religion
Most Ascended pay no mind to religion. They haven’t got time to waste worshipping. It’s very rare to find a church in the prosperous sections of the cities. It can be difficult to find a real church in the Slums as well, but religious folk will often convert abandoned buildings into places of worship. People in the Slums come from all different backgrounds, and they may revere any of the gods for any number of reasons. For many, prayer is a way to keep sane through the madness of the Slums.

Language
The Ascended can communicate through a series of clicks known as binary. The clicks can be interpreted by the machine then signal to the brain in a way that can be understood. The language is nearly impossible to learn or understand without the proper technology. Binary is another way for the Ascended to exclude the non-ascended. Ascended can also speak Common without exception. Many learn Elven to speak with the High Elves as well.

In the Slums, languages are as diverse as the people. The Common spoken in the Slums is heavy with slang and street names. Gnomish, Elvish, and Hobbish are the three most recurrent languages other than Common, each of which have taken up their own dialects. Crime bosses are likely to learn many different languages.

Culture
As with most everything in Utopia, culture has two layers: Ascended Culture and Slums Culture. The Ascended as a whole scarcely take the time to so much as speak with a non-ascended person. They spend their days one of two ways: hard at work on a project, or leisurely lounging at home. The Ascended generally work in groups on their experiments. They have found in the past that bringing many intellectual minds to a task makes the most progress, and progress is the name of the game. Money is important to the Ascended, but only because it is a necessary aspect of creating science. Without gold, there are no resources. Without resources, there are no experiments.

While at home, Ascended enjoy reading or talking with friends. They like to discuss current projects, as well as make small talk about what’s going on in the nation. The Ascended rarely joke, having a rather grave demeanor. The Ascended appreciate art, but few can find the time to create any themselves. Instead, they purchase High Elven goods to decorate their homes. Ascended homes are generally very large, made of wood, metal, or stone, and always beautiful. The Elven furniture, ornaments, rugs, and curtains tie together the spacious homes in a way that is magnificent, yet tasteful.

Ascended need to charge their bodies overnight. Two to three times a day, they must ingest a chemical which can supply the brain with the nutrients it needs to function.

These prosperous parts of town are voluminous with bots of all kinds. Housekeeping bots sweep the streets, and Patrolbots keep watch over the city, enforcing the law. There are four types of Patrolbots. The first is an augmented version of the Warbot Sluggergolem. Patrolbot Sluggergolems are equipped with a taser for restricting scoundrels, as well as a built in flashlight. Marksomatons are also used as patrolbots, able to snipe runners down from roofs and balconies. Balandroids are small tube like bots that balance on a single wheel and roll around the city quickly, programmed to search for infractions. When a Balandroid spots a violation, it sets off its alarm and flashes lights, signaling Sluggergolems and Marksomatons. Hovandroids are just like Balandroids, but with a propeller overhead which allows them to fly, and a spotlight below.

These Patrolbots are programmed to uphold the laws in the Slums as well, but they are easy enough to bypass. The syndicate heads can establish their own code of conduct. Their rules are preserved by hired goons, who are sure to put any violators in their place. This means that the rules change with the rulers in each city.

The Honey Hatchets keep a very strict hold of their cities. They are very particular about when and how deals are made. They are always sure the Slums are quiet and that no one will get in trouble for a stupid reason. Even mentioning the words, “Honey Hatchets” in the wrong place and time can have terrible consequences. They operate in the shadows. Hitmen are only paid if they do the job without witnesses. Thieves are only paid if they do the job cleanly. The penalty for disappointing the Hatchets is often a hefty price to pay. Minor mistakes will result in beatings and lost payments. Larger errors, and the Hatchets will set someone up to be thrown in prison. Profound screw-ups mean slave work, if not death. The Honey Hatchets are very careful about their work, but it has paid off so far, as they are the largest syndicate in the nation. The leader of the Hatchet is unknown, but the gang overall does not perceive the other major syndicates as threats. It is said that the Hatchets presume they will hold a monopoly on the nation in ten years time.

The Heimstypen Clan is led by Elran Gentrieve IV. Unlike the Hatchets, “The Fourth” wants his name known through his cities of rule. He claims that the Ascended know about all the syndicates but don’t care. The Ascended won’t stop him because he brings money into the nation. His rules are less strict, and his punishments are more imaginative. While the Hatchets will kill a person who threatens the operation, Gentrieve will send a message, loud and clear, that he is not to be messed with. He is a cocky Gnome, but sharp as a dagger. He believes the Honey Hatchet leader is a coward, and that will be his or her downfall. Gentrieve has gone on record as saying that he is coming for their territory. Gentrieve has also claimed that he respects the Alphas, believes they will hold strong in the nation’s capital, and that he would like to do business with them in the future.

The Wolf Brigade is hurting at the moment. The fact that they lost their place in Bellen has damaged their income heavily, and they cannot afford to keep all of their workers on board. This has been primarily a curse, but perhaps a bit of a blessing in disguise. Employees know that their spots are not secure, and they need be on their best behavior. The Alphas have tightened their grips on the reins a bit since they lost Bellen. They were once the most lax of the three guilds, and certainly the most concerned for their people. They’ve always looked after their Slums, even hiring cleaning crews.

While many of the Slums’ citizens are involved in the syndicates, there is plenty of honest work to be done as well. Shopkeeps, blacksmiths, armorers, jewellers, all the typical professions are still essential. Even the most honorable man in the Slums couldn’t refuse to service the syndicates, however, as they bring in all the money. It would be financially impossible to survive without aiding a syndicate in someway.

High Elves hold an interesting role in Utopian society. They are welcome in either the Slums or the prosperous areas, but never both. Many High Elves will teach or enroll at the universities. Elven professors will generally teach anything other than science classes, as they are well versed historians, writers, and so on. If a High Elf moves to the city and chooses to live in the Slums, he or she is no longer welcome in the Ascended part of the city, and the opposite is also true.