Factions in the World of Nuclear Dawn

The Consortium of Free States
Also known as "The Consortium", "TC".

The Consortium consists of the military governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. Each of these governments is nominally sovereign but practically is under the leadership of the dominant dictator. At present this is Admiral Arnold H. Westfall, who is rarely seen in the US capitol of Providence and spends most of his time conducting operations from the USS Exeter, the world’s only surviving aircraft carrier. For the time being at least Admiral Westfall is uncontested as leader of the Consortium simply because the US still has a functional navy and is rumored to have a handful of nuclear weapons. This may arrangement may not be permanent unless the US develops a means to maintain their vessels using nanotechnology.

The military forces of the Consortium are divided into two arms. The Homeland Protection Army is a force of moderately trained volunteers equipped with second line equipment. This force is stationed in every enclave and is tasked with defense, police work, and protection of the military governments. The HPA’s methods are draconian, consisting primarily of intimidating nighttime raids on crime-ridden neighborhoods and the homes of suspected conspirators. They are generally hated and feared by the population.

The offensive arm of the Consortium is the Asymmetrical Warfare Detachment. While it sounds like it might be small in size it actually numbers into the tens of thousands. Each member receives detailed training and is equipped with the absolute best weapons and armor. The AWD is supervised directly by the military leader of each member nation of the Consortium and coordinates with the AWD of Admiral Westfall. AWD units function as 10-20 man “Storm Forces” that utilize Nanotech Singularity Gates and airborne insertion to raid facilities of the People’s Empire and search lost cities for artifacts of the pre-war age.

The People’s Empire
Also known as "Empire", "Imps".

A Consortium intelligence profile on the leader of the People’s Empire characterized its leader Jiang Di Zhai as “dangerously unstable, megalomaniacal, and determined to revenge himself on China’s former enemies.” This profile accurately captures Zhai’s persona, but buys into the same propaganda that the Emperor of the People uses on his own populace. Jiang Di Zhai is certainly megalomaniacal, but as the ruler of the most powerful nation left after the Third he is also brilliantly calculating and anything but unstable. His plan is to use the same raiding tactics and technology as the Consortium while he strengthens his conventional military forces. When his analysts project that an Imperial victory can be guaranteed he will launch the opening salvo of the Fourth.

The People’s Empire consists of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Russia. Of these nations Taiwan and Korea are both considered a part of China and are entirely under Zhai’s rule. Russia and its surviving satellite states are under the rule of Colonel-Commander Mikael Daristov. Russia is extremely unstable at present and Daristov frequently has to dispatch military forces and rely on the aid of China to put down uprisings. Zhai is secretly considering occupying Russia and officially taking control of the nation to avoid the frequent distractions caused by Daristov’s poor grasp on his people.

The armed forces of the People’s Empire are divided into three branches; Force Armor, Force Infantry, and Force Air. Force Armor, consisting of tanks and armored infantry, is largely occupied with modernization and securing vehicles and equipment against the environmental threats of the post Third era. Force Infantry, by far the largest of the three, consists of volunteer divisions who are better trained and equipped, and conscript divisions, which are poorly trained and equipped. The volunteer divisions are used to smash uprisings and unrest and most are deployed in Russia at the request of Daristov. The conscript divisions keep the peace and patrol the enclaves of China. Force Air is used for ferrying troops and dignitaries and little else. It is being modernized and enlarged but Zhai and his generals feel there is little threat from the Consortium’s modest air force.

The best of the best from these three branches are incorporated into a fourth and much smaller branch known as the Red Sword. The Red Sword is roughly the size of an infantry division and is based in Beijing. Its job is to protect Emperor Zhai, carry out his sensitive orders, and engage in raids on Consortium holdings. The Red Sword is most frequently engaged against the Asymmetrical Warfare Detachment of the Consortium. While it is not as well equipped as its foe, the members of the Red Sword exhibit fanatical devotion to Emperor Zhai and are extremely aggressive in battle.

The Abyad Hashishim

The most deadly and influential Middle Eastern terrorist group is the Abyad Hashishim. Considered by many Muslims to actually be heretical, the Hashishim follow a God-King who they believe to be the earthly incarnation of Allah. The Hashishim can trace their roots back to the 1st century AD and indoctrinated followers believe themselves to be walking a “thrice enlightened path” whereas normal Muslims walk a “singly enlightened path”. All field operatives of the Abyad Hashishim are unrivalled assassins and agent provocateurs serving the century-spanning and unknowable agenda of a succession of God-Kings. The Abyad Hashishim are primarily active within the Consortium where they rely on skill and guile rather than technology to carry out seemingly impossible raids, terror attacks, and assassinations. Agents do operate within the People’s Empire, but mostly in opposition of the Knights of Christ, who are viewed as a threat to infiltration operations there.

Knights of Christ

This Christian terror group is rumored to be an offshoot of the ultra-fundamentalist Church of Christ Embattled which teaches that the world is in the grip of the End Times and that all Christians must fight against heresy and apostasy wherever possible. Christian missionaries and Chinese converts are extremely active in the People’s Empire, where they bomb propaganda centers, government facilities, and mass transit systems. The Knights of Christ are also known to assassinate or kidnap (and usually then assassinate) leaders who they believe are “in Satan’s thrall”. There has been some activity by the KoC inside the Consortium, but it is usually limited to vocally atheist or agnostic academics. Some member states of the Consortium are rumored to provide monetary and material aid to the KoC.