Earth (Sol d)

Population (Planetary): 8,000,000,000

Population (Orbital): 30,000

Although the headquarters of the Terran Alliance is technically located on Luna, Earth still remains the center of humanity as a whole, for the simple fact that the majority of the population resides there. The planet is still recovering from the abuse that has been dealt to it over the past century and a half, and the political climate is constantly tense. While a state of peace does exist on the planet, it is by no means a utopia, and old rivalries between nations seldom are forgotten. In the years since the end of World War 3, most of the physical damage to infrastructure has been repaired, though some areas of the world are either still cordoned off (such as the Sydney Metro area). The individual nations of the world are members of the United Nations, which represents the planet’s interests in the Alliance. There still exists a de-facto geopolitical breakdown, and in some cases old rivalries within regional power blocs’ member nations have begun to flare up again, sometimes requiring TAAF intervention to keep the peace.

African Defense League

Egypt, South Africa, Saharan Republic, Republic of Congo, Central African Confederation

INTERNAL CONFLICTS: Egypt vs Saharan Republic, CAC vs Sudan

• Central African Confederation – The CAC began as a coalition between the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, and Uganda when they backed South Sudan’s secession from Sudan.
• Egypt –
• Republic of Congo –
• Saharan Republic –
• South Africa –

Asian "Alliance"

Turkey, China, Japan, India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, United Arab States

By no means an official alliance, this is more of a system of economic interdependence than an actual political agreement. The "Alliance" is held together more by economic need and trade deals than anything else.

INTERNAL CONFLICTS: China vs Japan, Kashmir (India vs Pakistan vs China), India vs Pakistan, Iran vs Turkmenistan [Iranian Government In Exile], Turkey vs UAS

• Afghanistan –
• China – If any one nation could be said to have emerged on top after World War 3, it is China. At first glance, this seems slightly odd, considering China did not actually participate in the war and remained neutral to all parties. However, this meant that China had no infrastructure damage, no economic loss, and no loss of ‘deniable assets’ during the Shadow Wars. China has a hybrid of a traditional state-driven economy and a free market economy, though with the major players in the Chinese economy being represented heavily in the Chinese government, the nation might be better described as a corporate state, instead of a plutocracy. The leverage that large corporations that have arisen inside China have over the national government should not be underestimated, as is evidenced by the blanket charter Yang Enterprises has with running the Neptune Astroconstruction Colony – which on paper belongs to China, but in practice belongs to Yang Enterprises. China and Japan are uneasy allies inside the Eurasian Alliance, brought together more by geographic location then political like-mindedness. The extensive history of China/Japan conflicts keeps the two nations on edge with each other, with diplomatic posturing and border-operation brinksmanship commonplace between them. The China/Japan dynamic is one of the two main sources of internal conflict inside the Asian Alliance, the other being the India/Pakistan dynamic.
• India – The India/Pakistan dynamic is one of the two main sources of internal conflict inside the Asian Alliance, the other being the China/Japan dynamic.
• Iran –
• Japan – Japan was one of the first nations to openly embrace the now-publicized magic community, possibly due to the amount of operatives that they seemingly lost during the Shadow Wars that perpetuated behind the scenes of World War 3. Japan is working on rebuilding its magic community, but due to the loss of talented elders during the Shadow Wars their current community is heavily populated by youths, young adults, and those who only became aware of their talent after mages stopped hiding in the shadows. Japan has an inordinate amount of Contractors and Familiar-using Theurgists, but nobody is quite sure why. As most of the damage that Japan suffered during the War has been rebuilt, it is hard to see the traces of the war these days, even with the amount of damage the nation suffered. These days, Japan is a nation of polar opposites. It’s rebuilt cities have gleaming, almost dystopian or cyberpunk towers, where high technology is researched right alongside state-run magical institutes. But one quick maglev train out of the city seemingly takes you to a previous era, where traditional houses are still built, and business suits are hardly ever seen. It has been surmised that Japan’s duality is an expression of a nation which is trying to find it’s new identity in the world as it grapples with internal debates over what it’s role should be in this new interstellar economy. China and Japan are uneasy allies inside the Eurasian Alliance, brought together more by geographic location then political like-mindedness. The extensive history of China/Japan conflicts keeps the two nations on edge with each other, with diplomatic posturing and border-operation brinksmanship commonplace between them. The Chinese/Japanese dynamic is one of the two main sources of internal conflict inside the Asian Alliance, the other being the India/Pakistan dynamic.
• Pakistan – The India/Pakistan dynamic is one of the two main sources of internal conflict inside the Asian Alliance, the other being the China/Japan dynamic.
• Turkey –
• United Arab States –

European Union

France, Germany, Spain, Poland, Italy

INTERNAL CONFLICTS: Relations inside the European Union remain relatively friendly and calm. There is extensive back and forth bickering between its members, but there is no real possibility for a military flareup inside the Union due to the deep-seated economic interconnectivity between the member nations. That being said, tensions remain high between France and Spain, whose relations deteriorated during World War III when France was unwilling to come to the aid of Spain during the Siege of Gibraltar. The bigger source of possible conflict in the European Theater is the EU vs Russo-Asian Pact dynamic.

• France –
• Germany –
• Italy –
• Vatican City –
• Spain –
• Poland –

North American Defensive Interest Coalition (NADIC)

Canada, Mexico, Central American Federal Union, Caribbean Confederation

NADIC began as a hastily-formed defensive coalition in the early days of World War III. It was founded by Canada and Mexico as a way to distance themselves from the posturing and offensive reach of the Abraham administration under the basis that “if Abraham attacks one of us, the other will retaliate.” As the war dragged on, the coalition expanded to include the Caribbean Confederation and the Central American Federal Union. While Canada and Mexico remain on good terms with each other, Mexico’s relations with the CAFU are strained these days due to border disputes in Central America, and CAFU has a near-hostile relationship with Colombia.

INTERNAL CONFLICTS: CAFU vs Mexico, CAFU vs Colombia [External].

• Canada – While the dream of an independent Quebec still continues to this day, it has yet to reach fruition, and Canada still remains a continent-spanning nation.
• Caribbean Confederation –
• Central American Federal Union (CAFU) – CAFU comprises the nations of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and North Panama. During World War III, Colombia made an attempt to seize the Panama Canal under the claim of attempting to prevent the US Pacific Fleet from using it (Panama had a treaty with the United States which offered unfettered access). Their attempt succeeded, but the Colombian forces continued to invade further into Panama before annexing the nation. The current member nations of CAFU rallied to drive Colombia southwards, but they only succeeded in liberating the Panama to the Canal – they were unable to proceed southwards beyond the Canal due to entrenched Colombian forces. The month-long conflict ended when a treaty was brokered by Mexico, who didn’t want to have to worry about a war brewing to their South while they were planning the invasion of the United States. Following the conflict, the nations who fought off Colombia formed a defensive coalition which grew into a wider political union in the post-war era. Smuggling remains a problem for CAFU, with CAFU’s inability to police their northern border with Mexico remaining a point of contention between the two nations. Relations with Colombia remain strained, and the Panama Canal is officially designated a Demilitarized Zone, but regulation of this zone is poor. Members of CAFU are each also member states of the Terran Alliance.
• Mexico –

Confederation of America (COA)

[Map]

In the wake of World War 3 and the breakup of the old United States that took place immediately before and during the conflict, five nations now stand where there was formerly one. The successor states to the USA organized themselves in a Confederation – not unlike the former Soviet states did following the breakup of the Soviet Union. The Eastern States of America comprises the Northeastern states, the Southern States of America comprises the Southeast and Gulf states, the Interior States of America comprises the Midwestern and Central states, and the Western States of America comprises the Rocky Mountains and everything west of it, along with the remnants of Hawaii. The capital of the COA is in Washington, DC, which exists as a 5th independent nation, the Washington Federal Zone (WFZ) – which comprises the former DC Metro Area, including pieces of Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland. Individually, the ESA, SSA, ISA, and WSA no longer count as superpowers due to limited resources and manpower, even though each of them are nuclear-armed with their own constituent military forces. Only when the four nations work together can the COA be considered a superpower anymore.

INTERNAL CONFLICTS: ESA vs SSA, ISA vs WSA, SSA Independence Movement vs Everyone, “Abraham Revivalists”

• Eastern States of America (ESA) – Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, the ESA walks a traditionally liberal line, maintaining a dim view of unchecked corporations and uncontrolled free-market capitalism – a viewpoint which was only reinforced by the Belt Rebellion. This viewpoint almost destroyed their economy in the wake of World War III, when many of the corporations that were headquartered in New York City relocated after the end of the War rather than be forced to abide by new regulations and laws. This caused an economic downturn which was set to ruin the ESA’s economy and send them into a deep depression, until more socially-minded corporations began to relocate to the ESA to benefit from the PR boost that would come from following these new worker-friendly and environmentally-friendly regulations.
• Interior States of America (ISA) – Based out of its capital in Chicago, Illinois, the ISA is politically a bit of a paradox – it loves free-market capitalism but at the same time will fight to the last man to defend worker’s rights and unions. Since the end of the War, the ISA has been attempting to revive the industrial and manufacturing base that used to drive the economy of the region in the mid-20th century. So far, they have met with mixed success – but recent advances with nanofabrication promise to help drive down manufacturing costs to allow for corporations in the ISA to have high-paying jobs and still turn a profit. Across the COA, the “Made in the ISA” stamp is growing in frequency and popularity, with some people taking pride in the fact that they are can still ‘buy things made at home in America’ rather than purchasing cheap goods made overseas. In 2022, the ISA almost went to war with the WSA during the Belt Rebellion when the ISA chose to back the workers seeking better conditions and pay and the WSA chose to support the corporations the workers were employed by. Both nations reinforced their borders with each other, and there were several incidents later classified as being the result of trigger-happy commanders before the Belt Rebellion came to a close and tensions between the two nations eased.
• Southern States of America (SSA) – Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the SSA is best defined as walking a very conservative line, one that borders on ‘libertarian theocracy’ at times. The rest of the world usually has a very low opinion of the SSA due to the fact that the SSA supported the Abraham Administration through the entirety of World War III, until they were invaded and occupied by the Allied Forces in the closing days of the War. The SSA is seen as the proverbial ‘black sheep’ of the COA, with the other three nations of the COA being viewed by the rest of the world as “leash-holders” on the mad, barking dog that is the SSA. Financially, the SSA has suffered in the past decade due to unwillingness of European nations to invest in it – most likely due to their dim view of the SSA’s internal policies and remaining bitterness from Abraham’s military campaign in Europe. It has remained financially afloat with the help of Asian investors bringing jobs and business into the nation, along with corporations who relocated to the SSA to escape regulations which prevented them from acting according to their owners religious beliefs. Culturally, citizens of the SSA usually have a dim view of the United Nations and the Terran Alliance in general, having a general belief that the large, all-encompassing ‘government of humanity’ is merely a prelude to persecution and ‘liberal dictatorship.’
• Washington Federal Zone (WFZ) – Not an actual nation but more of a city-state, the WFZ is neutral ground where the four member nations of the COA meet to discuss policy and trade. The WFZ comprises the old District of Columbia, along with bits of the original states of Maryland and Virginia, and is divided into three districts: Nova, Soma, and Washington. Nova is comprised of Arlington and Alexandria; Soma of Silver Spring Spring, Greenbelt, and Capitol Heights; and Washington is the old District of Columbia.
• Western States of America (WSA) – From its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, the WSA espouses personal freedom in all its forms, including the freedom of a corporation to do as it chooses. The WSA is one part liberal paradise, and at the same time a paradise for corporations. Their economy has been booming since the end of the War, with many of the corporations formerly headquartered in New York City having relocated to various metropolitan areas in the WSA. Corporations in the WSA pay extremely low flat-rate taxes based on their industry and international reach, and are free from many laws found in the ISA and the ESA. For example, a corporation in the WSA is free from the regulations regarding politically influencing its employees, and are able to issue mandates essentially declaring ‘vote this way or lose your job.’ While the corporation can’t actually go and pull up voting records to see how the employee voted, if the employee is found to be talking about political views not approved by the corporation while at work they can be terminated – however, an employee’s speech when not at work cannot be taken into account to affect their employment, and WSA courts have a near-perfect record for upholding free speech laws outside of the workplace.

Russo-Asian Pact

Russia, CIS

INTERNAL CONFLICTS: Similarly to their main competitor – the European Union – the internal political environment of the Russo-Asian pact is very calm. Trade and cultural interconnectivity between the member nations prevent any form of real military conflict, so the conflicts that do arise are related to political gaffes and mismanagement. The bigger source of possible conflict is the EU vs Russo-Asian Pact dynamic.

EXTERNAL CONFLICTS: Russia is generally considered to be in a state of undeclared hostilities with Chechnya at any given time.

• Confederation of Independent States – The former nations of the Soviet bloc that remain allied with Russia still dance around Russia like courtiers circling an emperor. Constantly caught in the balance of pandering to their powerful ally, and attempting to maintain control over their own populaces, these nations form a physical buffer around Russia, lending them some breathing room in return for guarantees of protection.
• Russia – If there has been one constant from the end of the Second World War through the aftermath of the Third World War to the present day, it is most likely Russia (and the Soviet Union). Though it stumbled briefly after the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia has remained a player on a global scale, and turned the chaos resulting from its sudden departure from die-hard communism into the driving force behind the innovation that drives the nation today. Many of the recent technological advances either came from Russia, or have been based on research by Russian scientists. Had Russia not thrown its support behind the fledgling Terran Alliance in the time immediately after its founding, the Alliance most likely would have become defunct due to its inability to enforce any of its legislation, much like the United Nations was before it was granted control over the United Kingdom’s military forces after the Day of Fire. While Russia does a good job at convincing the general public that it is “good” and “has everyone’s best interests in mind,” in truth Russia only supports the Terran Alliance because it is in Russia’s best interest to do so. In reality, Russia has done many things of questionable legality and morality since the fall of the Soviet Union, and there is a fair amount of evidence that lends credence to theories that Russia was just as culpable in the outbreak of World War III as the Abraham Administration was.

Aral Sea Recovery Initiative – In the early 2020s, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan began the first major project that fell under the banner of “Environmental Recovery” on Earth. In partnership with and under the watchful eye of the SDA’s 1st Directorate, the two nations have been working to restore the Aral Sea through the use of water ices which have been brought in from the Kuiper Belt and the Oort cloud. Progress is steady, but slow, as the cometary bodies being harvested must be either be adequately shielded from sunlight (an expensive process) before being brought to the inner Sol system or they have to be mined and harvested while in the outer Sol system and then have the water brought in through freighters (a slow process).

Southeast Asia/Australia Defensive Group

Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Micronesian Confederation

INTERNAL CONFLICTS: Indonesia vs Malaysia (Riau Islands Dispute)

• Australia –
• Indonesia –
• Malaysia –
• Micronesian Confederation – A relative newcomer to the global political arena, the Micronesian Confederation makes up for its small population and military might by wielding considerable economic power. What they lack in actual production capability they make up for with their bountiful mineral wealth. Had it not been for the Nodule Rush in 2005, these scattered islands across the Pacific Ocean would never have separated themselves from their controlling nations with the support of corporations who wished to gain access to the mineral-rich nodules found on the seafloor in these island’s economic zones. In addition to the small islands that make up the Micronesian Confederation, there are also what are known as “sovereign ships.” These are large vessels, formerly supertankers, bulk cargo carriers, and a few cruise ships, which have all been converted into permanent housing for the inhabitants of islands which are no longer habitable due to rising sea levels.
• New Zealand –
• Thailand –

South American Defense Conference (Argentina, Brazil, Venezuala)

INTERNAL CONFLICTS: Argentina vs Brazil (resource disputes)

• Argentina –
• Brazil –
• Colombia [EXPELLED] – Colombia was originally a member of the Conference, but they were expelled during World War III following their aggression after seizing the Panama Canal.
• Venezuela –

Independent States

Some nations don't fit neatly into the geopolitical power blocs, while others have been outright expelled from their power blocs.

INTERNAL CONFLICTS: Suspicions surrounding Saudi Arabia’s and OPEC’s activities regarding price fixing of crude oil

• Chechnya – Still independent following years of conflict with Russia, Chechnya retains its independence through guarantees of its sovereignty from the European Union, Romania, and other nations and organizations.
• Colombia – Following their expulsion from the South American Defense Conference, Colombia has remained a pariah among nations.
• Saudi Arabia –
• Switzerland –
• United Kingdom – While still technically a member of the European Union, the United Kingdom is usually synonymous with the United Nations these days. This is in no small part due to the fact that the headquarters of the United Nations is in London, and the fact that the vast majority of the armed forces the UN controls are the United Kingdom’s. Following the withdrawal of the United States from active UN participation in the opening days of World War III, the United Nations moved to the forefront of the organization. The current head of state of the United Kingdom is King Charles III.

Notable Locations

• TAAF Army And Logistics Corps Command – Navy Island, Ontario, Canada – The old location that had been considered as headquarters for the United Nations back in the late 1940s finally saw a use when the TAAF was looking for a place to put the headquarters of the Army. While the HQ is on Navy Island, there are additional facilities on Grand Island, which is inside the ESA and just over the river.
• SDA Headquarters – Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
• UN Headquarters – London, England

Major Hazards

• Anti-Psionics Bias – Psionics are still not well-received by the general populace on Earth, mainly due to concerns over privacy. Hate crimes against those with psionic abilities were prevalent in the early 2020s. Attitudes have softened a bit since then, but there is still a general attitude of “don’t trust them.” Psionic abilities must be registered with the SDA, failure to do so is a crime.
• Geopolitical Tensions – The image that “humanity is united and peace reigns supreme” is really only that – an image, and one that the media is still hesitant to push. While there hasn’t been an open, active large-scale military conflict inside the Alliance since the Belt Rebellion in 2022, border disputes still rage across the world. Every now and then one flares up into a day or two of actual shooting conflict, but for the most part the conflicts remain limited to posturing both in and out of the political negotiating rooms.
• Relics of WW3 – Even a decade removed from the end of the War, the scars of World War III are still found from time to time. Major metropolitan areas have been repaired, but unexploded ordinance turns up in Europe and the Middle East from time to time when construction work is underway, and there are more than a few dark secrets of the war sealed up across the planet.
• Spirit Beasts – Enraged by the misuse of the planet and environmental destruction wrought by humanity, some of the more powerful spirits on the planet have decided to ‘teach those pesky humans a lesson,’ so to speak. After their initial attacks in the early 2020s, the SDA was tasked with overseeing defense against these powerful creatures of destruction that strike without warning and in any possible location. It’s theorized that there may be an additional reason why these beasts began to appear, and that they may have some undetermined other goal.