Broken Coalition

The region now known as the Broken Coalition, and surrounding areas.

Overview

“You have made a ruin, and you call it peace, Izweski. May the spirits of my ancestors show you the same honour that you have shown us.”
-Last words of General Mizak Azarak, commander of the Kingdom’s forces during the Contact War.

The Broken Coalition is located in the southeastern regions of Moghes, clinging to the southern borders of the Wasteland. Prior to the Contact War, this region was the heartland of the Traditionalist Coalition’s most influential kingdom - the Azarak Kingdom, main rivals of the Izweski in the years prior to the War. Once known as the Vharzk Steppes, the region was home to sprawling grasslands and scattered forests - all lost to the Wasteland. Now, the few remaining cities of the Broken Coalition cling to the borders of the Wasteland, struggling still to rebuild from the ashes of the Contact War.

The Azarak Kingdom was a key force in the founding of the Traditionalist Coalition, with King Don’zai Azarak acting as one of the Coalition’s key leaders during the Contact War. Following the Fall of Darakath and the end of the war, the Azarak clan were destroyed utterly by the Izweski - the Hegemony refused to accept the possibility of any restoration movements rising to challenge their power in the years to come. Signs of this sentiment are watched for heavily, and possessing the banners or symbols of the old kingdom is a crime that can be punished severely - though in many regions, this law is not well-enforced. Now, three clans hold power in the region - though this may be more of a curse than a blessing, as the woes of the Broken Coalition grow worse by the day - and should it finally collapse, the blame will fall squarely on its new rulers. These clans are the Zirak, the Gwarlza, and the Yu’zrai, each ruling one of the three cities of the region. They are all relative newcomers to their positions, each having been installed by the Izweski following the Contact War. Historically, all three have been relatively minor noble clans - vassals of the Azarak in the years before the Contact War, suddenly thrust into power as their superiors were put to the sword by the victorious Izweski. Perhaps the most precariously positioned of these three clans is the Zirak, with their city of Sahltyr under constant threat from the ever-approaching Wasteland. While the high mountains and defense systems of the Azarak heartland protected them from nuclear devastation, the region around Lake Sahl is cut off, surrounded by harsh wastes. Supply lines run through the desert towards Darakath, and are brought in by shuttle from less devastated regions, but the large presence of Gawgaryn raiders in the Wasteland around Sahltyr makes bringing supplies in difficult, especially as the local nobility’s levies are stretched increasingly thin protecting their own lands from banditry. Lake Sahl provides most of the food for the city - however, radioactive fallout from the Contact War still contaminates the lake, having killed large portions of the fish population, and leading to harsh rationing in order to feed the city - especially in recent years as famine grips the wider Hegemony. Its position in the Wasteland has also made the city and its supply routes a prime target for Gawgaryn raids, with local levies stretched thin to protect what little habitable land the city has left. Lord Zirak has, in recent years, been heavily pushing Izweski modernisation on his city, in the hopes of revitalising it. The traditional nobility of the city are far from happy about this, however - with many of them still viewing him as little better than a jumped-up traitor and a puppet for Izweski rule.

In frozen Janvir, far to the south, the Yu’zrai clan fares somewhat better - Lord Yu’zrai’s generosity has won many of his vassals to his side, despite his having been installed by the Izweski. His clan was a wealthy one prior to the Contact War, and much of that wealth has been spent on buying the loyalty of those under him - a tactic which seems to have largely been successful in stabilising his position.The remote city in the freezing mountains was spared nuclear devastation, and its surrender during the Izweski conquest of the region meant that most of its infrastructure was left intact. While the general state of the region has certainly brought hardship to the locals, most of the land around the city was left untouched, and Lake Z’aith remains uncontaminated by radiation, allowing Janvir to continue to feed itself. As famine grips the rest of the Hegemony, the remote nature of the city and difficulties in extracting food from the region have been a surprising boon to the residents of Janvir, as they have not been expected to provide much to alleviate famine in the wider Hegemony.

The heart of the Broken Coalition, however, lies with the Gwarlza clan, and their seat in the city of Darakath. The capital of the Azarak Kingdom, the fall of Darakath marked the end of the Contact War, and the victory of the Izweski Hegemony. The city was once known for its vast and ornate architecture - much of which still lies in ruins, as the city was sacked by the victorious armies of the Izweski. The city’s population has been decimated by war, famine, and citizens simply fleeing for a better lot elsewhere - it held two million Sinta prior to the Contact War, and now has barely a hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants. Much of the city lies unoccupied, and still ruined from Izweski bombing. The Izweski-installed ruler, Lord Razkara Gwarlza, has grand plans, however - intent on restoring the former glory of the city. While the other cities of the Broken Coalition largely closed their doors to refugees of the Wasteland, Gwarlza has welcomed them to reinforce the city’s dwindling labour force, allowed heavy Hephaestus investment in his city, and has even been in talks with representatives of the K’lax about hiring their Workers to supplement the rebuilding of the city - a proposal which, if it succeeds, will make many of the Traditionalist nobles furious with him. Gwarlza seems to pay this little mind - he is determined to drag his city kicking and screaming into the 26th century.

Most of the steppes were rendered uninhabitable by the Contact War. The few surviving regions are the cities that were protected from atomic strikes, strategically located near the region’s lakes. Fishing from the lakes of this region is the main food source of the Broken Coalition - however with radioactive fallout and recent famine, this is becoming increasingly harder to sustain. The region is perched on a precipice, and the coming years will determine whether the Broken Coalition will mend itself, or shatter entirely.

Culture

“We can forgive if we can forget. We cannot forget.”
-Old Vharzk Steppes proverb

A sunrise viewed from the Wasteland near Sahltyr, over the mountains surrounding the city and its lake.

Prior to the Contact War, the culture of the Vharzk Steppes was a proud one. Large herds of threshbeasts and warmounts roamed the steppes, and the Sinta of the region were known for their skill as cavalry. While some of these beasts survive in the Wasteland, the vast majority of the great herds of the Vharzk Steppes have been wiped out, with what remains often being used as beasts of burden or of war by Gawgaryn raiders and other Wastelanders.

The Sinta of the Vharzk Steppes were, by and large, known as fierce and honorable warriors - fast friends and ferocious enemies. It was said that one could steal a fish from a Vharzk Sinta, and three generations later his grandson would track yours down, face him in a duel, and take the fish back. Jokes about Vharzk Sinta and their grudges were commonplace, though these have fallen out of fashion in the years following the Contact War. These traditions have continued on, as Sinta from the region are also known for their adherence to tradition - while all Sinta have a great degree of reverence for their ancestors, the Vharzk take it a step further, believing that the spirits of their greatest ancestors are anchored to the world by their descendants’ veneration, and that it is their solemn duty to uphold and honour their memories. As such, they are an extremely traditional people, and highly resistant to change viewed as unnecessary. Given their history with the Traditionalist Coalition, the locals are highly suspicious of alien presence, and few non-Unathi can be found anywhere in the region.

Due to this culture and history, resentment of the Hegemony is common in the Broken Coalition. While the Azarak Kingdom is dead, with its ruling clan extinguished, most of the locals would still think of themselves as citizens of the Kingdom, rather than the Hegemony - and would view the Izweski as foreign occupiers. While most begrudgingly accept the Hegemony’s rule, it is generally viewed as a temporary situation, to be overcome with time. Banners of the fallen kingdom are often hung in secret, and when the return of the old ways is discussed, it is always ‘when’, never ‘if’. A popular legend among the locals is the idea of the last Azarak - that Queen Wei’za Azarak had laid an egg prior to the fall of the city, which was smuggled into the Wasteland by Kingdom soldiers. While this tale is an unlikely one, it does demonstrate to the Hegemony a disturbing truth. Should a remnant of the Azarak arise, or a charismatic enough leader claiming to be one, it is highly likely that much of the region would rise in rebellion behind them - even if doing so against the might of the Izweski would surely bring their doom. In spite of the overwhelming might of the Hegemony, some rebel groups persist in the region, even decades after the end of the Contact War. Hiding in the mountains and the Wasteland, these holdout loyalists of the Azarak Kingdom and the Traditionalist Coalition continue to fight, launching attacks on the Hegemonic presence in the region. The Izweski-appointed lords of the Broken Coalition have tried for years, with little success, to root out these holdouts - likely due to the material support of the general population. While the Hegemony considers them criminals and bandits, little better than the Gawgaryn of the Wasteland, the whispers on the street tell a different story - of the heroes of the Last Retinue, who refuse to bend or break before the tyrant Not’zar.

The larger guilds of the Hegemony have little presence in the region, with most of the region’s industry being overseen by smaller, regional guilds, struggling to deal with their lack of manpower and resources. While some guilds have tried to expand into the region, few of the locals have any desire to work with Hegemonic guilds, choosing instead to cling to their pride in their own guilds. However, there has been some expansion into the region from Izweski guilds - largely in Sahltyr, as Lord Zirak is desperate to modernise his lands. The Merchants’ Guild, Junzi Electric and the Construction Coalition have all expanded into the city, and worked on aggressive takeovers of local guilds, introducing the benefits of modern Izweski life to the city. This has led to Zirak being somewhat popular among the peasantry, who cannot deny the benefits that the Hegemonic guilds have brought to them. However, many of the old guildmasters and nobility are furious with him over it - and should they rise against him, he lacks the military power to quell a rebellion alone, as his personal levy is small and unequipped to deal with more than the occasional Gawgaryn raid. This has led to an odd hybrid culture beginning to arise in Sahltyr, where the general population have grown largely content with the Izweski occupation as the Zirak, in collaboration with the Hegemonic guilds, brings the benefits of modern life to his lands. The Last Retinue have found little support from the people of Sahltyr, and while famine grips the city, the situation remains stable - at least, for now. The culture of Sahltyr is rapidly being reshaped to conform with Izweski society, which to the old nobility marks a disastrous failure. To the Izweski-appointed nobility, and the peasants benefiting from increased standards of living, however, the culture of Sahltyr is a blueprint for the future - and a sign of hope for the Broken Coalition.

In the region surrounding Darakath, however, Lord Gwarlza has made a highly controversial choice - inviting Hephaestus Industries with open arms, and seizing the assets of several local guilds to sell them off to the megacorporation. This investment has led to rapid success in reconstruction of the city, though the local nobility has been furious with this decision, with a large bounty currently standing on Gwarlza’s head with the assassins of the Shadow Service. However, he has managed to avoid assassination so far, and the wealth brought by Hephaestus may fulfil his dream of restoring Darakath - even if some believe that to do so is to sell the city’s soul piece by piece. It is a common rumour that the Darakath nobility plot rebellion - however, Gwarlza has greatly expanded his personal military force in recent years. The wealth brought to his clan by sales of guild assets to Hephaestus has let him hire mercenaries to augment his personal levies, and he has offered pardons to criminals, Wasteland raiders, and even some Guwan in exchange for their service. This has led to his forces having a not entirely undeserved reputation as dishonourable thugs, often shaking down local businesses for their own profit. Nonetheless, they are effective fighters, and have insured Gwarlza against his nobles rising against him. To the citizens of Darakath, the historic heart of the Traditionalist Coalition, Gwarlza is a symbol of all that is wrong with the Izweski Hegemony - a brute and a tyrant bringing aliens and criminals into the city and eroding all that distinguishes the Sinta people. Darakath remains the centre of anti-Izweski sentiment within the Coalition, and while the situation has yet to devolve into active rebellion, there are many among its populace who keep to the old grudges, believing that the Contact War will not end until either the Izweski occupiers are driven out or the Azarak Kingdom falls into ruin entirely. Banners of the old Kingdom are hung in cellars and hidden places, and shrines to King Don’zai’s spirit are raised where the City Watch does not reach. As the Izweski-appointed lords plan to rebuild the grandeur of Darakath, so too do the loyalists of the old Kingdom - and when their two visions of restoration eventually clash, bloodshed appears inevitable.

In Janvir, the situation is far more stable, with the remote and freezing city having suffered the least from the fall of the Azarak Kingdom. As the wilderness surrounding the city is largely too cold to travel in for long, attacks from loyalist forces are rare, and the raiders of the Gawgaryn do not often make their way so far south. The Unathi who dwell in this cold and isolated city do not care much for the troubles of the world beyond, with most of the city’s infrastructure having been left untouched by both nuclear and conventional warfare. For the residents of Janvir, life continues largely as it always has - living off the exotic fish of Lake Z’aith, and largely being overlooked by the world at large. Life is slow in this city as the cold weather quite literally slows Unathi down, with the residents having gained a stereotype of being relaxed - or lazy, as they will often work slower than Unathi in more temperate climates might. With all its residents heavily bundled up nearly all year round the Unathi of this region have developed a much more winter-themed fashion sense. Differentiating walking bundles of jackets and cloaks are bright feathers of local hawks arranged in elaborate patterns on bone headdresses. Local women hold to a tradition going back to the city's founding of attaching small bells and chimes to their headdresses to make music in the wind or as they move. However, the recent famine gripping Moghes has brought disarray to the city - as the exotic and delicious fish that the Yu’zrai made their fortune on exporting are now taken by the Izweski at far less than market value to help alleviate famine in other parts of the nation. While this has yet to cause any serious harm to Janvir, as the city remains capable of feeding itself, Azarak loyalist forces are seeking to leverage this situation for all that it is worth, in the hopes of inciting the city’s population towards rebellion.

Faith

“Ashen King, valiant ruler in death as in life. Grant me vengeance, grant me fury, grant me flame.”
-A prayer, offered in secrecy to King Don’zai Arazak’s spirit.

A stained glass window erected in a shrine to Don'zar Arazak, the Ashen King. The shrine was destroyed by the Darakath City Watch shortly after its discovery.

The Broken Coalition is majority Th’akh. Sk’akh is viewed as the faith of the honorless Izweski occupiers, and its priests are unwelcome in their efforts to convert the people of the region, with some travelling priests in rural regions of the Coalition never having returned - allegedly, due to Gawgaryn incursions. Even among the Izweski-installed nobility, conversions are few and far between.

The radical followers of Judiza Si’akh have found equally little welcome in the Broken Coalition, with those few who come to the region being met with death or imprisonment. This is largely due to its status as a splinter faith of Sk’akh, as well as its beliefs on the Contact War - as the heartland of the former Traditionalist Coalition, the locals of the region take the idea that nuclear war was some form of divine judgement very poorly.

If there is one thing that the Broken Coalition and the Hegemony can agree upon, however, it is the danger of the Aut’akh faith. Followers of this faith often face mob justice before local law enforcement can even get to them, and several Sinta who have chosen to replace missing limbs with cybernetic replacements have been caught up in this, and found the wrath of their neighbours turned upon them. As such, there is only one undercity commune in the region, located beneath Sahltyr - and its primary function is to help Aut’akh in the region escape to the wider Hegemony, or offworld entirely. Life in the Sahltyr Commune is fraught with danger, with Lord Zirak’s forces frequently sweeping below the city in the hopes of eradicating the Aut’akh threat once and for all.

The local variety of Th’akh leans even more into the veneration of ancestors than most. The Sinta of the Broken Coalition believe that the spirits of their greatest ancestors are anchored to the world by their descendants’ veneration and remembrance. Often, young Sinta will choose one of their ancestors as a ‘patron’ of sorts, and seek to honour them through recreation of their deeds. With the aid of shamans, they will seek to commune with the spirit of their patron ancestor for guidance.

Due to the nature of Vharzk Th’akh, the specific spirits venerated are different for each clan. However, there are few who have known such honour in life that they transcend the bounds of clan, and are venerated by many Sinta across the region. These Sinta are known as the Most Honoured, and shrines to them can often be found scattered across the Broken Coalition, whether in the clutter of the cities or standing alone in the sands of the Wasteland.

The Most Honored

Don’zai Azarak, the Ashen King - A controversial choice for an honoured ancestor, and one that is not claimed openly. Veneration of King Don’zai is prohibited under the law, but that has not stopped many locals from seeking to uphold his spirit anyway, with shrines to the fallen king being hidden all across the region. The Ashen King is known as a spirit of ash, fire and brutal vengeance. Those who claim him as their patron often will engage in acts of guerilla warfare against the local Izweski, despite the numerous violations of a warrior’s honour this involves, claiming that the Izweski have no honour, and can expect none in return. It is common for a dying Sinta who feels some great need for revenge to call upon the Ashen King to strike down their enemies, or to pray for him to bring an end to the Izweski in fire and blood.

Hareshksh Iiziu, the Savior - a common choice for healers, Harshksh Iiziu was once the chief physician to an Azarak King in the days of the Second Hegemony. When a deadly plague struck the kingdom in the human year 1946, it was Iiziu who led the team of scientists that ultimately created and distributed the vaccine, and was honoured greatly for it. After her death, she was claimed as a patron by many young women seeking to follow her path, and eventually named to the ranks of the Most Honoured. Shrines to her are often found in clinics, hospitals and laboratories. She is often prayed to by healers, as well as the sick, injured and dying.

Kolere Koss, the Tamer of Storms - a common choice for engineers, Kolere Koss lived during the early 1900s. While the Azarak never bent their knees to the Sarakus Hegemony, and thus never benefited from their Great Endeavor, Kolere Koss was, according to some records, a humble fisher who taught themself to read and write, and became a great engineer, developing power stations and spearheading the industrialisation of the region, leading an effort which gave the entire Azarak Kingdom access to widespread electricity. Often they are prayed to by engineers, as well as scientists and any with the ambition to innovate, and to reshape the world in their own image

Hskoru Errusir, the Watcher at the Gates - often worshipped by guardsmen and soldiers, Errusir was a humble guardsman of Darakath, in the ancient days before the First Hegemony. According to legend, he took his duty with the utmost of conviction, and always kept an eye on the city gates, even when his fellow guards would rather be drinking, gambling and chasing after women. This ultimately concluded with him alone at the gates one night, being the only one to spot an approaching enemy army, though versions of the story differ on who the invaders were. Thanks to his quick rallying of the city’s levies, the warriors of Darakath were able to drive back the attacking force, though Errusir was slain in the battle. According to some versions of the myth, he now guards the gate between the mortal world and the spirit world, preventing evil spirits from escaping to wreak havoc, and ensuring that the living cannot cross to the realm of spirits before their time.

Zioszza Azarak, the Weaver - often worshipped by noblewomen, the Queen Zioszza Azarak came to power young, with the assassination of her father in 1692. Among a greedy, vicious and corrupt court, she was able to secure her own power and ensure her enemies were weakened by turning them against one another, culminating in a shadow war that left the court purged of its rot, and saw her father’s killers named Guwandi or executed. Following this, she spearheaded efforts to restore the Azarak Kingdom to power in the region, expanding its borders greatly and, with the growth of the guilds, seeing its economy prosper. She is often venerated by noblewomen primarily - but any who wish to triumph over overwhelming odds, or to see their schemes take fruit, often chose the Weaver as their patron.

Ukheos Arzaoza, the Guwan Repentant - Ukheos Arzaoza, once Ukheos Guwan, was a wicked smuggler of ancient days, before the rise of the First Hegemony. According to the legend of their life, after years of theft, smuggling and vice, war came to the Vharzk Steppes, and Sahltyr was placed under siege by the enemy force. Using their knowledge as a smuggler, they organised efforts to bring food in from outlying villages, sneaking it into the city to the defenders. This allowed the siege to continue, until reinforcements could approach - however, the Repentant would not live to see it, as the enemy force captured them on their way into the city. While their fellow smugglers ran, the Guwan collapsed their tunnel behind them, preventing Sahltyr’s fall at the cost of their own life. They were captured by the enemy forces and beheaded before the city walls. Their actions, however, saved the city, with reinforcements from allied clans arriving to break the siege. Following the battle, the ruling Lord Arzaoza pardoned the fallen Guwan, and adopted them into his own clan. Eventually, they came to be known as one of the Most Honoured. In the modern age, they are worshipped often by the guilty, or those who seek to change and regain their honour. Guwan who seek to repent for their crimes will often build shrines to the Repentant.

There are untold hundreds of other patron ancestors. The common rite of adulthood in the Broken Coalition involves two weeks of seclusion and fasting, consuming potent hallucinogenic herbs in an attempt to speak with the spirits of one’s ancestors, and learn which has blessed them in their life. A Sinta is only truly considered an adult in the Broken Coalition when an ancestor is believed to have claimed them.

Holidays

Holidays vary immensely between clans, often focused on specific deeds of their honoured ancestors. However, some are unifying factors of the region.

Day of Loss

This holiday is the anniversary of the Fall of Darakath, and the end of the Contact War. For the Sinta of the Broken Coalition, this is a day of regret, sorrow, and vengeance sworn in secret. In stubborn defiance of the ban on Azarak banners or symbols, the locals will often fly plain red banners or wear armbands, in honour of the blood spilled during the final battle and sacking of the city.

Iziushai (Savior’s Day)

This day honours the end to the plague cured by Hareshksh Iziu, when the vaccine that she developed was first distributed across the Azarak Kingdom. It is generally a lively day, in celebration of the work of healers. Feasting is common, as well as donations traditionally being made to local clinics and hospitals.

Arzaoza’s Festival

This day honours the life of Ukheos Arzaoza - a reminder that even the lowliest can redeem themselves, and find honour. Traditionally, it is a time of great excess, lasting from dawn to midnight. Masks are donned by all, so that none can tell if they speak to one of the least or mightiest Sinta (though one can generally still identify a noble from a peasant based on the quality of their mask), and there are frequent stories of nobles engaging in debauchery beneath their masks. It is a day when many expectations are let go, and Sinta are freed to act as they please, where the choice of honour is theirs and theirs alone.

Ashen Vengeance

While the Izweski-appointed rulers of the region are oft-despised by those they rule over, few have the courage to challenge them openly, with assassins and knives in the dark being the common method of attempting to bring down the Broken Coalition’s new rulers. However, there is an exception to this rule in Darakath - where murder stalks the streets, hunting those who serve the Hegemony.

The assassin’s name, clan, or gender are all unknown. They are often seen wearing a mask of the type worn during Arzaoza’s Festival - simple and white, painted with ash, leading to the name given to them by the public - the Grey Spirit. In recent years, they have killed many officers in Lord Gwarlza’s personal forces, as well as Hephaestus officials and nobles who have cooperated with the Hegemony’s puppet government. Theories abound in the local news regarding them - some believe they are the last scion of the Azarath, having escaped the Hegemony’s claws and fighting to restore their lost kingdom. Still others believe they are the vengeful spirit of King Don’zai himself, having returned to the world to bring justice to his killers. A third, more fringe theory is that the Grey Spirit is barely Sinta at all - that they are an Aut’akh assassin, enhanced with foul cybernetics and dark spirits’ power, seeking to bring the region to ruin. Regardless, the city watch has had little luck in catching them - with the official explanation being that they have collaborators among the city’s peasantry, or some secret passages beneath the city. The popular whisper, however, is that they are a spirit in truth - capable of disappearing from before Sinta eyes, and walking through walls as if they were not even there.

Lord Gwarlza has offered a bounty of three hundred thousand credits, a king’s ransom in the impoverished Broken Coalition, for information leading to the death or arrest of the Grey Spirit. However, if anyone in Darakath knows the Spirit’s true nature or identity, they are not talking. As the murders continue, the question remains - who is this masked killer, and what do they want for Darakath?