EaW - Polar Bear Communities

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1. #1Lore

   Keys: Story, History, Polar Bear Communities, Lore

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   === Lore ===

   Almost all races have a myth or legend from where they spawned. Some claim divine creation, some even dare to proclaim direct divine descent in some form. The Polar Bears have no such legends or myths, for they claim that they were present upon the world since the start of days, before the world even truly was. The histories written by magi-scribes claim that for hundreds of thousands if not millions of years, ursinekind roamed the land, if it could be called land, as creatures halfway between the realms of spirit and material in the blessed, primordial cold. They were there before the Age of Monsters, and when abominations roamed the land they were there with them. It is said that during the Age of Monsters the Polar Bears were uplifted from merely existing, like their non-polar brethren, into thinking and dreaming by the mystical All-Father. They claim that with his blessing, they gained the power to forge great empires of ursines and sit on top of the primordial food chain. How exactly such alleged empires of so-called "Primordial Frost" existed in contrast with historically proven warmer climates and ruins of ancient pony settlements, with ponies never mentioned in the stories of magi, is something that bear scholars refuse to elaborate upon and have been prone to threaten violence if questioned too much upon.

   It is somewhere during this alleged period, the so called "Age of Starsteel", Polar Bears moved from merely nomadic tribes of warriors into more settled societies, taught by legendary magical beasts such as the boar Gallinbursti, direwolf Fenrir, the nameless Great Raven, and so on. It is said that during this period bear armor was first forged, and great armies of armoured bears marched across the North under various alleged warlords and pseudo-monarchs, with so-called "Monster Kings" being an often applied moniker. And in the heartlands of their race, which bears claim are their current lands, great holds were dug into the mountains and raised in the great taigas and tundras.

   One would assume that such primordial, and as any pony, griffon or changeling scholar would proclaim clearly absurd, statements on history, even if believed by some creatures, should hold absolutely no importance on societies, politics, economics and ways of war in the modern day. However, it is in this mythological past that bears find their definition. Thus, many of them even in the modern day believe they are creatures of primordial frost in some form, with statements about frozen souls and hearts of ice prevalent in bear rhetoric. Furthermore, many of them seem to feel some kinship with the countless wild beasts that roam the north still.

   In any case, on the shores of the Polar Ocean there are many clans, as well as a healthy population of clanless bears. From the spiritual shamans of Clan Rozenkrantz to the arrogant warriors of Clan Kane, from the fortress lords of Clan Gotlung to the penguin-majority fishers of Clan Anker, the politics of the Communities are defined by clans. Wesslandia is home to the upstart Triple Alliance of Falsen, Brodkorb, and Benkestok, and Key Lake was once home to the crystal-obsessed Clan Rosensverd and gold-hungry Clan Tordenstjerne. But any discussion of clans would be incomplete without including the Three Great Clans: the harmonists of Volsungr, the warrior-scholars of Svartpels, and the currently-ruling Scyfling. Each of these Three Great Clans has far more resources and power than a lesser clan, and each would make a worthy leader for the Communities. The clanless bears, for their part, are willing to cooperate with anyone who treats them well, and are being increasingly integrated with the newly-modernized Communities.

   Paw Wellington of Clan Scyfling, Despot of the Communities, has ruled with a fair but firm paw for the past five years, acting as a modernizing force dragging the backwards Communities into the industrial age. During the Unification War of 1000-1002, Paw pitted muskets and Griffonian mercenaries against traditional axes and armor, eventually conquering or allying with every clan save two: the aforementioned Clan Rosensverd and Clan Tordenstjerne, who were exiled for collaborating with changelings. They have not been seen since they were driven into the Changeling Lands.

   Paw has been a good ruler by modern standards, but not necessarily by bear standards. He is perhaps too distant, too obsessed with foreign ideas, and many clans are getting tired of his seemingly absurd demands for unity and modernization. Change may be coming. While it is unlikely that any of the minor clans could truly pose a threat to him, Princess Eira of Volsungr and Thunder Lord Torben of Svartpels may be another matter. Eira's time in Equestria has changed her, and she now dreams of a new dawn for the bears. Torben has been a faithful ally to Paw, but even he may not be able to tolerate some of the changes to come.

   While the bears may be divided internally, they largely agree on enemies abroad. The terrible Changelings must be dealt with, and the Griffon Frontier is rightful bear territory that must be regained. A union with the Penguins would also be desirable, as the two peoples share souls of frost and polar winds.

   Will the polar spirit of the Land of the Frozen Sea endure, or will it be subjugated by its encircling enemies? Only time will tell.

   === Starting Situation === Polar Bears located at the northernmost of the Equestria continent, borders with the Changeling Lands to the West, the Kingdom of Pingland to the East and the Kingdom of Yakyakistan to the South. Polar Bears are mostly dominated by cold temperatures and mountainous terrain (noticeably in the West and North East of the country).

   Threats and Opportunities: The first and foremost threat is actually in the country itself. Polar Bears has only one division right at the start, and the Polar Bears barely have any infrastructure alongside with the mountainous terrains. If the players want to have any successful runs, they have to build up both the forces and the infrastructures, fast. The second threat that Polar Bears has to concern about is the Changeling Lands, as they can at almost any time go after the Polar Bears through border war or straight war.

   But, there are some opportunities that the Polar Bears have. The first one is the Northern Pact (it can be formed by the Kingdom of Pingland through Harmonic path and the Kingdom of Yakyakistan can join it), Polar Bears can be invited to the faction for its safety around the threats. Second is the western border which consists of mostly mountains. Therefore, they can be used as natural forts in case of Changeling invasion.

   === Starting position ===

   At first glance, the initial focus tree of the polar bears seems to focus on giving background info on the polar bears and modernising their country, with many of its foci claiming to provide good national spirits, which will last for the entirety of the game. However, the many clans of the Polar Bear Communities are all opposed to the reforms of Paw Wellington, and will do everything they can to sabotage his work. As such, any focus which claims to have a positive effect will trigger an event 10 days later which will have the opposite, negative effect. This unwillingness to cooperate from the other clans causes Paw Wellington to ally with the outcasts, who are far more excepting of his ideas. Upon doing so, a civil war will begin between the various clans of the north. However, only three clans have enough power and influence to be real contenders for reunifying the bears: the clans of Scyfling, led by the current country leader, Paw Wellington, Clan Svartpels (led by Lord of Thunder Torben), Clan Volsungr (led by Princess Eira).

   Realising that negotiating with the other clans is not an option, Wellington attempts to exert dominance against the other clans by force. Taking the focus associated with this ("Take What We Need"), claims to lessen the effects of the national spirit Clan Divides, but, after 10 days, will make the divides even stronger than before. It takes 21 days to complete said focus.

   On a more positive note, this is about the time that the debt to Nova Griffonia for the rifles is repayed. Shortly after, Paw's good friend Ulrik invents the fighter plane, giving various air force related technologies, and giving +25 political power.

   Out of patience with the rest of the clans, Wellington decides to ally with the exiled bear clans to regain dominance over the Polar Bear Communities. This is done by taking the focus "The Outcast Question", taking 21 days to complete. Upon completion, he is presented two options on what outcasts to allow back into the lands of the north:

   *Allowing only the most rational and reasonable exiles in, which will slightly increase monthly population and research speed, but at the cost of some stability; *Allowing all bears back, which will significantly increase monthly population and research speed, but at the cost of much stability. Should you intend go down Paw Wellington's path, taking this option will have far-reaching consequences.

   Regardless of what option was taken, an event, titled either Stupidity or Insanity depending on what option was taken in the event described above, will trigger a week later, giving the player a choice on who to support in the Second War of Unification:

   *Paw Wellington, the current country leader and leader of Clan Scyfling (the unaligned option); *The Lord of Thunder Torben, the scholar-warrior of Clan Svartpels (the supremacist option); *Princess Eira, the harmonic reformist of Clan Volsungur (the harmonist option).

   Upon taking any of the options, all territories of opposing clans will become demiliterised, and a new reunification path will be loaded, thus starting the Second War of Unification.

   === Reunification paths ===

   The territories associated with said clans will be demilitarised after completing a consolidation focus. Then, the player can deal with the two major opposing clans and consolidate their territories, and all of the realm shortly after, thus ending the Second War of Unification.

   Generally speaking, there are three approaches to dealing with them: peacefully negotiating with them, subjugating them by force, or exterminating them. Some options may not be available in certain paths:

   *The extermination option is not available to the harmonists, and Clan Scyfling can only take it if all the exiles have been welcomed back; *Clan Svartpels doesn't have any options for peaceful negotiations; *Clan Scyfling can't negotiate with Clan Svartpels and can't subjugate Clan Volsungr; however, both clans can be exterminated if all exiles have been welcomed back.

   Scyfling reunification:

   Depending on what approaches were taken when dealing with the clans, the polar bear communities can go on various different, unique, and interesting political paths.

   Depending on what methods were used to win the civil war, the polar bears will gain a different political path. If Wellington only used kindness and diplomacy when dealing with the other clans (except with Clan Svartpels), he shall attempt to form a republican confederation, strongly inspired by the success of the Griffonian Republic. Should Violence ever be used against the other clans (except with Clan Svartpels), but they are never exterminated, Wellington will crown himself as King Joris I of Clan Scyfling, and attempt to bring the polar bears to greatness, forging the Kingdom of Winter, inspired by the Griffonian Empire. And should all the exiles be let back, he will have no option but to exterminate all opposing clans, and will have to find a way to recover from such a great mistake.

   Svartpels reunification:

   As the illusion of bear unity collapsed, the clan of Svartpels, lead by the Thunder Lord Torben were in great denial, choosing to believe that the collapse was caused not by the incompetence of Clan Scyfling, but rather by the deceitful and honourless Changelings to the west of them. After gathering his forces, the first thing Torben does is going to the ancient ally and vassal of Svartpels, Clan Anker, to make sure they are still loyal. To his delight, they are, and re-affirm their loyalty. After this, the Thunder Lord can begin to fight against the opposing clans, and even go as far as completely exterminating them.

   Upon the end of the civil war, the supremacist faction (Svartpels/Torben) become the ruling faction, and the focus tree switches to theirs. A different political path will be taken depending on what choices were made during the civil war: if any clans (besides Scyfling) were spared during Torben's war of reunification, the polar bears will be united into a fair and equal nation, in which every clan would have a say. But if all of them (besides Scyfling) were exterminated, the bears will work to get revenge against all the foreign powers which have once wronged them, no matter the cost.

   Volsungr reunification:

   Outraged by the failures of the Wellington regime, the bears of Volsungr, led by the once exiled princess Eira, are yet another contender for the reunification of the polar bears. The princess' time in Equestria during exile has drastically changed both her and her clan, and she now aims to reunify the bears under a new, harmonic Polaria. However, before their grand ambitions, they must first deal with the question of exiles: the younger bears of the clan want to allow all exiles back to the realm, whereas the elders propose no such thing. Should the new generation be supported, Volsungr will have access to new political advisors, like Comrade Icebear. Otherwise, nothing happens.

   Once the civil war ends, the harmonist faction (Volsungr/Eira) become the ruling faction, and the political focus tree switches to theirs. If one of the other major clans was negotiated with, then Eira will be able to implement Equestrian-inspired reforms and introduce their virtues and values of harmony to the polar bear society. If one of the major clans was subjugated, then Eira will be able to crown herself Queen and implement a more cynical, bear-like vision of harmony.

2. #2Brief Info

   Always on · Selective · Before character · Order 10 · 100%

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   [CODE 'INCLUSION - POLAR BEAR COMMUNITIES'] Brief info of POLAR BEAR COMMUNITIES:

   On the northern shores of Equus, the polar bears have recently banded together into a modern civilization. Paw Wellington, a mighty warrior who brought the clans together, will soon be entering his fifth year of rule. His position, however, is not certain, and the clans still chafe under his rule. But with the Changelings to the southwest, they may need to learn to cooperate. Can the bears hold on and avoid being conquered by their ancient foes?

3. #3Parties

   Keys: Ideology, parties, Party

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   Parties of Polar Bear Communities:

   1. Clan Scyfling - Ruled by Paw Wellington - Ideology: Despotism - Popularity: 32%. Biography: Paw Wellington has been many things in his life: wanderer, mercenary, unifier, and now despot. He fought in the Republican Revolution as a mercenary, where his warband distinguished themselves with excellent combat performance, if somewhat tainted by political unreliability and looting. When time came for his payment, his employers lacked the funds to pay him, so they gave him an ancient battleship, which sparked his long-running interest in the navy.

   Paw led the Unification Wars from 1000 to 1002, where he exiled the clans of Rosensverd and Tordenstjerne and subjugated the rest. For the past five years, he has tried to modernize society, purchasing rifles from Nova Griffonia and attempting to form a truly united polar bear nation. By foreign standards, he is a firm but fair ruler, interested in the well-being of the polar bear race as a whole. But by polar bear standards, he has been a mad tyrant making absurd demands of the clans, who are rapidly getting sick of his inept pretentiousness and ridiculous ambitions. In his own mind, he feels he is ineffective and not powerful enough. Grover I, Grover II, and Kemerskai tolerated no defiance. Why should he?

   With his five-year anniversary of rulership approaching, only time will tell how he fares in the changing situation on Equus.

   2. Clan Volsungr - Ruled by Eira of Clan Volsungr - Ideology: Benevolent Absolutism (Harmony) - Popularity: 31%. Biography: A curious leader among bear elders, Eira is a stark outlier to the normal brutality of ursines due to her past as an exile. At a young age she was cast out from Clan Volsungr and bear society itself for her ideas aligning with that of the weak ponies from the south, and left for the land of Equestria. She traveled there for many years, studying pony society, culture and their way of life. The knowledge she gained only grew her fascination of Harmony as an ideology, believing that the Equestrian way was not just something for ponies, but also something ursines could achieve as well.

   However, not everything learned was positive during her time in Equestria. For no matter where she traveled, the signs of the industrial revolution and its consequences presented itself for her to plainly see. Factories overtook nature as ponykind asserted its dominance more and more over the land, sometimes with little regard for the local flora and fauna. The ecologists she did meet gave her hope, however, and she swore to herself that should she ever get the chance, she would ensure that the same would never happen to her bear homeland.

   That chance presented itself with Paw Wellington's return to the North and his takeover of the clans, as her former home of Clan Volsungr was decimated and on the brink of complete collapse. She returned to offer her help to the place that once exiled her, and they were forced to accept, bringing in thousands of former exiles like Eira herself and changing the clan forever. With her new and now popular ideas among the young and even some of the elders, Eira's leadership came swiftly, until the pivotal moment when she was forced to openly fight back against Paw Wellington's leadership.

   Now, having become the new unifier of clans, Eira leads polar bears to a newer, Harmonic future, though how that future will look remains to be seen.

   3. Kameraten Icebears Divisjon (KID) - Ruled by Chairbear Icebear - Ideology: Great Leader Theory (Communism) - Popularity: 5%. Biography: Icebear is a myth, a legend, a god. It is said he has the strength of twenty bears, and has torn apart tanks with his claws. He is wiser than the greatest scribes of Svartpels, more compassionate than the kindest Volsungr, and more powerful than the avalanche. He challenged Queen Chrysalis to a duel and she turned and fled. His military acumen and raw power singlepawedly saved the bears from the changelings. When a changeling spy tried to assassinate him, the bullet ricocheted off his skull, leaving him unharmed and killing the spy instantly. Every bear in the nation adores him, and aspires to be like him in whatever small way they can. Glory to the Great Leader!

   4. Clan Svartpels - Ruled by Torben of Clan Svartpels - Ideology: Kratocracy - Popularity: 32%. Biography: To those outside polar bear society, Torben would seem a walking paradox. The mightiest warrior in the entire Polar Bear Communities, he is also a brilliant scholar and historian. But this fails to understand the vital link between his mind and his body. He perfects the physical to nurture his mind, and perfects the intellectual to guide his body. He has devoted his life to studying the past and ensuring it is upheld in the present. He clashed with the Wesslandians and Old Clan Volsungr, before they fell to harmonist weakness. He battled raiders from the Frontier who came seeking a mythical city of gold. And he was the first to join Paw Wellington in the First Unification Wars, and stood by him until changeling subversion welcomed exiles home.

   He cares deeply for tradition and history, and it is this passion that drove him to rise from warrior to Thunder Lord to leader of the clan and now the entire polar bear race. He dreams of the entire North united, with the perfidious changelings punished for the countless crimes they have committed and the imperialist griffons shown their place. With all the polar bears now under his guidance, such dreams may be within reach.

   The bears will retake their lost lands and restore their honor. All their enemies will be defeated and punished. And the North will stand strong and free for a million years more.

   5. Changeling Collaborators and the Northern Queen's Guard - Ruled by Bjornling - Ideology: Esotericism - Popularity: None, as it will come to power only if Changeling Lands will capture Polar Bear Communities. Biography: A Rosensverd dilettante, Bjornling was exiled with the rest of his clan by the despot Paw Wellington for their collaboration with changelings. Far from dissuading him from further cooperation, this was a turning point for the young Bjornling, as he came to realize that only the Changelings themselves could save bearkind from decadence, weakness, and Harmony. Through endless fawning and flattery, he managed to stoke Queen Chrysalis's ego enough to earn the coveted prize of rulership of the Northern Protectorate.

   With her backing, he was installed as Lord Protector and given vague directions with generous autonomy in their implementation. The North will be reunited in a Third Unification War, the Four Stage Plan will be enacted fully and completely, and all bears will learn to love their Queen and their Lord Protector.

   Now that he has secured power, only a rare few have any idea what he plans to do with it, but all know that his reign will be a horrific one, for Bjornling plans to let nothing - not morality, not the clans, not the Equestrians, not even the laws of reality itself - stand in the way of his dream.

   By bullet, napalm, and gas, Hyperbearia will be restored. No matter the cost.

4. #4List of Cities

   Keys: Cities, City

   Enabled · Selective · Before character · Order 10 · 100%

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   Cities (or places of interest) of Polar Bear Communities; The countries bordering these cities will be indicated in parentheses: Mathair Fearainn, Onlartir (Changeling Lands, Yakyakistan/Jaki-Clan), Wesslanda (Griffon Frontier), Geirfuglvidda (Kingdom of Pingland).

5. #5Race

   Keys: Polar Bear, Race

   Enabled · Selective · Before character · Order 10 · 100%

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   Polar Bears - Polar bears are large, winter adapted bears that live in Equus' Frozen North. Simple and with low technology, they have somewhat of a temper and will face a difficult time dealing with the rise of modern powers.

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