[accepted or whatever] Union of Rimward Systems

[Dea Tacita]

Type (e.g. Planet, Faction, System): Faction

Founding/Settlement Date (if applicable): 2297

Region of Space: Mid-Outer Colonies

Long Description:

General

The Union of Rimward Systems (URS) commonly referred to as the Rim Union, or sometimes The Union. Is a federation of 18 founding member states, along with 24 systems that were settled after its formation. The Rimward systems is peculiar in that it legally has three capitals, the legislative capital of Speranza on Garibaldi, the executive capital of Anklan on Wismar, and the judicial capital of Rochell on Étoile-Automne. The URS is located roughly straddling the border between the Mid-colonies and the outer-colonies, with the oldest colony Speranza sitting 197 LY away from Sol. Controlling 42 star systems (Of which 23 have populations in the tens of millions or higher), with a total population of around 3.5 Billion the Union of Rimward Systems is a regional power in the outer colonies.

Culturally, the URS is dominated by the slight majority of Franco-Italo-German settlers which were the first Humans to settle in the region. The URS motto is “Animus in consulendo liber” or Free spirit to decide.

Economics

The Rim Union possess a sizeable economy and industrial base which is capable of producing manufactured goods of high quality, however ineffective centralized policies have stymied opportunity for economic and industrial growth and have at times let to systematic unemployment and large-scale public discontent in the Union’s core systems. The autonomous outer systems have largely avoided this fate by (for the most part) maintaining their responsible self-government. The Union economy is somewhat diversified, being largely dominated by three major activities. The export of raw materials (Including plasma extracted by Einstein Engines), the export of consumer goods to the frontier/outer colonies and a burgeoning armament industry which accounts for a significant amount of the weaponry exports into the frontier and outer colonies.

This moderate prosperity is thinly spread out over the entirety of the Union, with the largest share of the industrialization being focused on the initial 18 systems settled in the region. Those being the Scoperta, Passi, Approdo, Lesath , Destino, Vanto, Fraternité, Bourbon, Valous, Voyage, Nouveau-Limousine, Ostal, Neue Trier, Bismark, Wilhelm, Allianz, Ostfriesland and Oase Systems.

Politics

The Union of Rimward Systems is intended to operate as a loosely centralised federal democracy, inspired by the Sol Alliance itself (though with significantly less executive power). In reality, the Union acts as a federacy, with the core 18 words being under the direct rule of the Protector of the Rimward Systems, while the 24 colony-worlds are essentially autonomous with limited oversight.

Founded on March 15th 2297 as the result of a full decade of diplomatic negotiation between the original 18 systems, the Rim Union came into being as a direct result of the Sol Alliance withdraw, and the violent destabilization of the newly freed systems that followed. After more than a century, the Union has become notably more centralised in structure, and has even expanded to begin colonising surrounding systems as territorial states.

Legislature

The legislative structure of the Union is located in the city of Speranza, Garibaldi in the Scoperta System. The Union legislature is a tricameral institution, consisting of the council of systems, the federal assembly and the colonial assembly. The Council of Systems acts as the Union’s upper house, and has a total of 18 voting counselors from the founding systems, along with 24 non-voting observers from the colonies. Counselors are individually elected on their planet of origin by popular election to serve a single ten year term. There are only two restrictions on running for Counselor, the candidate must be at least twenty years of age, and the candidate must not have been a counselor before. The council of systems acts to verify bills passed by the federal assembly and colonial assembly in addition to passing budgets every year.

The Federal Assembly is the equivalent of a lower house in the Union and is made up of 168 voting assemblymen (4 per world) Assemblymen, much like senators are elected by popular vote, but can serve up to three four year terms before they become ineligible. A candidate must be eighteen years of age, and have never served in the council of systems or colonial assembly. The vast majority of bills passed by the assembly in recent memory have been either economic regulation or social welfare related.

The most restricted of the three houses is the colonial assembly. The colonial assembly’s primary purpose is vote if laws passed by the two other houses will apply to the colonies. However, the assembly also maintains the ability to propose bills that will only be effective in the colonies (These bills still have to be verified by the council of systems). Unlike the other two houses, the colonial assembly has no legalistic restrictions for those who wish to run as candidates. This has led to some strange situations, not least of which being a twelve year old almost being elected to office.

Executive

The executive branch of the Union’s government consists of the Protector (Full title “Protector of the Rimward systems and her colonies”) and his or her cabinet. The Protector is nominated by popular vote in both the colonies and founding worlds, but has to be confirmed by the majority of the council of systems. While originally an extremely limited role that existed for little other than commanding the Defense Forces, providing decisive leadership during times of emergencies and otherwise being a central figure around which the URS might rally. The Protector’s role has expanded dramatically in the last century, to the point that the protector has usurped much of the autonomy of the founding worlds, turning the core of the rimworlds something of an authoritarian republic.

[Tablespoon]

Looks cool. May be interesting to see it developed more, but as is, I'll buy into it.

[Tenenza]

If tish posted on this, it would have the approval of all the secondary admins.

That's pretty funny.

But yeah, I approve of Dea's unification war, because it's cool, and this seems like a nice way to make it work, so it's also cool.

[TishinaStalker]

Kinda funny because I totally planned on posting my approval of this tbh. Anything involving colonies and/or Elyra makes me giddy like a schoolgirl

[Tenenza]

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

Would you object to pushing this faction to the frontier? Currently in our lore, the "Core" and "Inner" systems are all Sol Alliance, with the "Frontier" being where all the independents go. This both makes categorization easy "Frontier = far away = independent = space cowboys!" and reinforces the idea that the fringe of human space is just an absolute mess.

This isn't saying the colonies have to be poor and malnourished, but to fit the theme of the thing, that would be something to think about.

Did this state arise from the collapse of the Coalition of Colonies, or did it rise up along-side that old Anti-Alliance Alliance, or sometime after it?

For more information that could help you decide on this information, here is a link to the timeline of humanity.

This faction could have formed anytime after 2275, which is when the first secession started during the Second Great Depression. This Coalition collapsed in 2452, so if it formed out of the ashes of that alliance, it would be a very young nation and no doubt keen on asserting itself and finding its own identity.

[Dea Tacita]

Would you object to pushing this faction to the frontier?

 

If you'll adjust the population of the frontier to allow for their more developed state, sure I'd have no problem with it. But I just really don't want them to be relegated to another poverty-stricken bunch of systems. I wanted to create a sustainable state, with a respectable population and industrial base (While still be internally moderated by ineffective economic policies.) They're not intended to be anywhere near as powerful as the Sol Alliance, but I do want them to be one of the (if not the) most organized/stable Frontier states.

 

with the "Frontier" being where all the independents go.

 

Whoops, you guys -just- changed this. When I wrote this originally, it was written that the Sol Alliance's direct control dropped off part-way through the mid-colonies.

 

This isn't saying the colonies have to be poor and malnourished, but to fit the theme of the thing, that would be something to think about

 

Like I said above, I want this to be a stable, developed state (At Least in the core systems) I'm perfectly happy with making their colonies MUCH rougher however, that's a perfectly reasonable request.

 

Did this state arise from the collapse of the Coalition of Colonies, or did it rise up along-side that old Anti-Alliance Alliance, or sometime after it?

 

My intention, was for the Rimworlds Union to NOT be directly antagonistic towards the Sol Alliance. They were not part of the Coalition of Colonies, and intentionally sat out of the colonial war. They'd already built up a noticeable industrial base and were populated quite heavily for the region, and generally speaking doing quite well for themselves. The founding systems nominally supported the SA to avoid SA intervention in their territory, while ideologically supporting the Coalition of Colonies strongly (Though one of two systems might've strongly supported either side). Though they provided no military/logistical support to the coalition. Politically, I'd say they're space-Switzerland.

[Rusty Shackleford]

If you'll adjust the population of the frontier to allow for their more developed state, sure I'd have no problem with it.

 

Do all of the frontier stuffs already in place really have to change to accomodate this?

What makes it that unique, overall, to call for that?

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

The frontier is, until Hivefleetchicken finalizes the 'name-brand' factions, intentionally vague in its inhabitants and make-up. There's no obligation that frontier factions are rife with poverty but we also need to ensure no slumbering super-powers are accidentally dropped in there.

The change was part of my final overhaul of the Alliance, clarifying and cleaning up the concepts. You are right that influence gradually fades, but things don't stop waving the Alliance flag until generally you hit the edge of the outer colonies.

 

My intention, was for the Rimworlds Union to NOT be directly antagonistic towards the Sol Alliance. They were not part of the Coalition of Colonies, and intentionally sat out of the colonial war. They'd already built up a noticeable industrial base and were populated quite heavily for the region, and generally speaking doing quite well for themselves. The founding systems nominally supported the SA to avoid SA intervention in their territory, while ideologically supporting the Coalition of Colonies strongly (Though one of two systems might've strongly supported either side). Though they provided no military/logistical support to the coalition. Politically, I'd say they're space-Switzerland.

 

In the First Interstellar War, nobody really knew how to fight it. How do you fight a space war? How do you even respond to an entire planet declaring independence? A lot of the Sol Alliances' initial action was just to ignore it, and continue on the assumption these colonies couldn't ever kick out the stationed colonial fleets, governors, postmen, tax collectors, policemen...

This was wrong, and the independent colonies did kick out a lot of the Alliance assets. But there werent any major battles with millions of casualties - it was a very confusing and haphazard affair, which many systems getting by with just a few scratches during the time they kicked out the Alliance. Systems the Alliance did jump in going guns blazing just ended up like the NATO occupation of Aghanistan - except on a planetary scale.

And your faction, while it doesn't have to be directly antagonistic towards the Alliance, is still expected to have some form of identity of its own because the conflict was a civil war. And even in the beginning it would have a history of antagonism, if no matter how short: they had to kick out the Alliance governor, post office, and local defense fleet somehow. The government politely leaving after being asked isn't how secession generally go about.

I also don't understand how they could have supported the Sol Alliance when the Sol Alliances' entire point for the conflict was to remain in charge of all the human colonies. How complex of a game was being played? Did they only pay lip-service to being an Alliance territory? That would be fine - but how did they eventually kick out the Alliance? The war defined the identity of the frontier as being separate from the Alliance. Former enemies can still become friends - the US and UK - but I really can't see the early history avoiding the required conflict, even if it was very small. The most I could see is that the faction quietly decided to become independent then bribed/coerced the local Alliance postman and governor to keep sending reassuring transmissions to the Alliance going "Nope, we're all loyal subjects here!"

In today's time, 2457, that would lead to the Rimworlds' independence being seen as 'cheating' by the frontier factions that actually fought for their own freedom, and the Alliance wouldn't even consider it legitimate. Which, I admit, is a rather interesting situation to be in.

[Dea Tacita]

Do all of the frontier stuffs already in place really have to change to accommodate this?

What makes it that unique, overall, to call for that?

 

I genuinely think that changing the population of the frontier is a rather insignificant change. You're bumping it up by 3 billion which objectively seems like a lot, but considering that even bumping it by this amount, would leave it with 5.9% the population of the Sol Alliance, with only a handful of systems in comparison, and a fraction of the power.

I'd be fine with leaving the frontier's population as-is, IF you guys think you can implement this in a way that wont render it as a total backwater with failing industry, starving people and no influence anywhere. But, if you're just going to leave the population as-is and turn it into another shitty group of colonies, I'd just prefer it not to be added at all.

 

I also don't understand how they could have supported the Sol Alliance when the Sol Alliances' entire point for the conflict was to remain in charge of all the human colonies. How complex of a game was being played?

 

I was under the impression that after the war, there was no way the Sol Alliance lost ALL of their colonial territories. It seems like they would've managed to hold onto at-least a handful of systems that would be badly positioned (i.E. completely surrounded by coalition systems) and would be virtually impossible/not worth it to defend. The lore used to be (Correct me if this has been changed) that the Sol Alliance withdrew from a bunch of colonies after the war because they were A. Simmering with independent sentiment, and B. just not worth the effort to hold anymore.

 

In today's time, 2457, that would lead to the Rimworlds' independence being seen as 'cheating' by the frontier factions that actually fought for their own freedom, and the Alliance wouldn't even consider it legitimate. Which, I admit, is a rather interesting situation to be in.

 

That certainly would be interesting! Sounds good to me.

[Frances]

I'm curious. You've got a list of planets, industries, an established political makeup, and so on. Probably more paragraphs on this faction's political assembly than I've ever written on the lore.

But I feel like it's missing something that makes all this... special? It's a very cold and clinical description. It's not missing tangibility as a believable faction, mind you, but it's missing tangibility as as a captivating element of a story. Would you be interested in writing (or having others write) about the culture of the faction? Their way of life, their mentalities, what their political views actually are? You could also expand on the planets. Who's in them, why, what's their relationship to Tau Ceti and what kind of people from the faction could we expect to see on the Aurora? What do the planets look like?

[Dea Tacita]

Would you be interested in writing (or having others write) about the culture of the faction? Their way of life, their mentalities, what their political views actually are? You could also expand on the planets. Who's in them, why, what's their relationship to Tau Ceti and what kind of people from the faction could we expect to see on the Aurora? What do the planets look like?

 

Yup, I'd be thrilled to work on it/work with other people about it. I just didn't want to put a shit-tonne more work into it, just to have it denied and have wasted all that time. If it does get accepted, I'd love to hold an election thing like Tau-Ceti/Sol Alliance had in-order to allow player input

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

I would be willing to accept this faction since you seem intent on breathing life into it.

By canonizing the Rimworlds they would become part of my efforts to keep the universe 'breathing'; IE, they would be active participants in our galaxy. That means it would be subject to dynamic changes through things like the antag contest or lore developments, and I would be having dialogues with you to see what sort of paths it would taken in various situations as they happen. Is that alright with you?

[Dea Tacita]

Yeah, that's obviously fine with me. I might not personally agree with every aspect of the changes, but once the app is accepted, the Union doesn't personally belong to me anymore (Though I will continue to work on it), it belongs to the community. As long as the dynamic changes are kept within reason (I.E. no random honkmech invasions) and are aimed at making the universe more living, or increasing RP for the playerbase, it won't be a problem at all.

[Guest Marlon Phoenix]

I'll be glad to accept this and include it in the upcoming Clown Invasion

Ugh, whatever!

This is a good app and you've put a lot of thought and care into it. I'll be glad to accept it!