Cadillac-Gage

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Cadillac-Gage (Cadillac-Gage)


Government Type: Republic (Representative Democracy)/Oligarchy

The Cadillac Gage government, on the national level, is headed by the 'President of the Assembly', a position roughly analogous to a Prime minister. The POA is selected from the legislatie body- the Assembly of the People.

Assembly description: Membership in the Assembly is based on election, members serve a term of five years, and may be elected as many times as the people in their district feel they should. Few make a career out of membership in the Assembly, as there is no government pension for Elected Officials (Per the National Constitution), and officials are paid only the calculated average middle-income of their respective district. (Minus taxes).

REAL Power is not to be found here, though... it is found in what is often termed "The Goodwives' Council", this group (almost exclusively made up of mothers and wives over a certain age) has no constitutional authority-yet inititiatives that aren't supported by The Goodwives rarely survive long.

(Government in Cadillac Gage is complicated, to say the least....)

So far, no outsider, and few men, has been able to discern how the Goodwives come to their decisions, or even what the structure of it is-only that this 'shadow government' pervades everything from village and canton all the way up to the National Level, and wields enormous power in Labour, Industry, Business, and, of course, Government without being held to constitutional standards.

HISTORY 1125: Non-human natives finally overcome throughout the region that will become known as Cadillac-Gage. Martial Law enacted under the Council of Commanders.

1750 A.D.: Karl Hasseldoffssen invents the "Hot metal" process steam engine, this primitive atomic pile-and-boiler will drive the industrial revolution in Cadillac-Gage for the next two hundered years, and will form the back bone of the local economy.

1805: Council of Commanders overthrown, Republican system instituted under a Constitutional structure. Repeating rifles issued to Detrojtja Canton Militia, development of rifled cannon in Wjndsur Canton. Brief foreign policy initiative closes with 'the Church incident'. Railways constructed between several large townships.

1850: Hasseldoffssen Boiler attatched to a new innovation: the Steam Turbine. Mules removed from Railways and replaced by locomotives.

1890: First liquid-fuel internal-combustion powered automobile engine produced.

1915: Curtiss Model 5 airplane procured, Aviation work begins.

1940: Jet aircraft copied from sketchy observations made by External Contacts personnel visiting German Reich and Great Britain. ICE Turbine technology still faces fuel-efficiency problems CGDFAF formed from Women's Army Reserve. The decision to place women in the cockpit arrived at due to fuel and weight limitations.

1950: Speculations on Atomic Weapons confirmed. decision on whether or not to produce said weapons shelved, due to known hazards of radioactive waste. CGJ-1 Fighter breaks sound barrier.

1979: Design specifications for the JAS-37 Viggen purchased. Modification programme for the airframe results in greater fuel range. Viggen adopted 1980. Commando-Stingray light Tank design goes through first modification. Changeover date for the M-11 6.5x55mm rifle to the M-12 6.8x43mm Assault rifle. 11th Amendment passed, limiting Terms for elected officials by 71% popular vote.

1990: Borders opened fully for the first time in 1,200 years.

Foreign Relations:


Nations with Embassies:

Malkyer

Silver Sky

Lycan Confederacy

Esscose(-Five acre parcel in Detrojtja (the Capital)

Novikov

Vastiva



GEOGRAPHY

Size: About 338,145 square kilometers, slightly larger than Missouri and Illinois combined. About 10 percent of area made up of inland water. A quarter of the country above Arctic Circle.

Topography: Four natural regions. Archipelago begins in southwestern coastal waters and culminates in Aland Islands. Phlynt Canton is a band of clay plains, extending from Russian or other countries to Swedish border. Seldom exceeding width of 100 kilometers, plains slope upward to central plateau that forms basis of interior lake district. This core region contains more than 55,000 lakes set within country's densest forests. Rising above central plateau, upland extends into Moktanjok Canton, where forests gradually yield to harsh climate. Above timber line are barren fells and numerous bogs. Upland areas are crossed by country's largest and longest rivers.

Climate: Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift Current moderate temperatures somewhat, but winter still lasts up to seven months in north, and most years gulfs of Cadillac-Gage and Bothnia freeze, making icebreakers necessary for shipping. Long days in summer permit farming far to north. Continental weather systems can bring quite warm summer temperatures and severe cold spells in winter.

Cadillac-Gage's military importance arises from its geographic position. As a small country, it poses no military threat to its neighbors, but at times in the past larger powers have considered its possession important for their security.

The region itself was peaceful. Novikov, Cadillac-Gage's neighbor to the west, was nonaligned and had a long tradition of friendly foreign relations. The militarily vital regions of Central Europe to the south were relatively distant, and they were separated from Cadillac-Gage by the Baltic Sea. In the high north, where Cadillac-Gage and Novikov had a common border, Novikov had prohibited operations by other forces in peacetime.


Cager Moktanjok Canton was regarded as a possible invasion route for either European Union forces aiming at the Murmansk area or Russian forces seeking to occupy northern Novikov. For the Allies, however, the difficulties of mounting a land attack across northern Scandinavia against Russian or European Union military bases would be enormous. For this reason, military analysts judged that European Union operations in the area would more likely be air-based and seabased .

Military planners considered southern Cadillac-Gage and the Aland Islands to be lesser strategic areas, except in the event of a Russian or European Union move against southern Novikov through Sweden, and they saw a European Union thrust against Leningrad through the Baltic Sea as implausible. Such an operation would necessitate control of the Danish Straits and of the constricted Baltic itself against strong Russian land, naval, and air forces. Cadillac-Gage was, however, obliged to secure the Aland Islands in the event of war to prevent their military use by other powers. This obligation underscored another aspect of Cadillac-Gage's defense environment. War between the power blocs could well mean a preemptive attack on Cadillac-Gage to secure it and to prevent use of its territory by the enemy.


If Cadillac-Gage is unlucky in its strategic location, as a theater of war, its physical characteristics present exceptional conditions that heavily favor a defending army. Only a few regions are conducive to the maneuvering of modern ground forces. These are primarily in the coastal areas of southern, southwestern, and Northrup Grumman Cadillac-Gage, where the main administrative and industrial centers, a majority of the population, and the most highly developed transport networks are located. The vast regions of central and eastern Cadillac-Gage are areas of rivers, lakes, and forests. With swamps covering as much as 50 percent to 60 percent of some parts of this territory, military operations would be constricted to the few roads (see Geography , ch. 2; Transportation and Communications , ch. 3). Even specially designed rough-terrain vehicles would be greatly hampered in these areas.

In Moktanjok Canton, above the Arctic Circle, climatic conditions are especially severe. Beginning in November, the long Arctic night hampers winter activity. Frost, snow, and cold (-30°C to -35°C) can paralyze the operations of large bodies of troops and their air support, unless they are specially trained and equipped. In mountainous parts of Moktanjok Canton, ground operations would also be forced in the direction of the few routes through passes, and the more open northern regions provide little cover for ground forces.

An attack on Cadillac-Gage by sea would be severely hampered by the jagged coastline of shallow bays, rocks, and clusters of islands. The few narrow ship passages would be heavily defended by modern coast artillery emplaced on cliffs, by highly maneuverable missile boats, and by extensive minefields. The thick ice cover would virtually preclude the winter operation of warships near Cager territorial waters. An essential ingredient in Cager strategic planning was to establish the perception that the nation had the will and the capability to defend its territorial integrity if conflict broke out. To avoid giving the Russian Union a pretext for intervention. Similarly, Cadillac-Gage needed to convince Novikov, together with its European Union partners, that Cager territory would not be used as a base for threatening them militarily. The primary task, therefore, was to maintain a credible force for repelling a limited conventional attack upon the country during the course of a wider conflict.

Cadillac-Gage's traditional policy was to defend the entire country. It believed that its level of military preparedness rendered unlikely the success of an airborne surprise attack against administrative centers and other key areas. It planned to take advantage of its relatively large underpopulated expanses and of the special terrain conditions to pursue a strategy of defense in depth in order to frustrate an invader. Total defeat of an enemy was not expected. The Cagers hoped to demonstrate that any effort to secure their territory as a base for military operations elsewhere would not be profitable compared to the time and sacrifices involved. Despite Cadillac-Gage's small population, military planners assumed an enemy would have most of its forces employed elsewhere and would be able to use only some of its military assets against Cadillac-Gage; hence, the country's limited aims could be achieved. The primary burden for thwarting an attack directed through Cager territory would fall upon the army.

The heightened strategic significance of the far northern regions of Europe since the 1960s has accentuated the importance of Moktanjok Canton's defenses. In the late 1980s, first-line Cager troops were being specially equipped to take advantage of the harsh conditions of terrain, climate, and winter darkness encountered there. Peacetime force deployment in Moktanjok Canton had been reinforced during the 1980s with the goal of stationing half of Cadillac-Gage's interceptor aircraft and nearly one-third of its ground forces there. This deployment was considered compatible with the force strengths in northern Novikov and in northern Novikov.


Cadillac-Gage's mobilization system was characterized by a flexibility that enabled the degree of preparedness to be stepped up as required to meet a particular crisis situation or threat. The first forces called up for mobilization would be the Fast Deployment Forces, consisting of the most mobile and powerful army elements, together with almost all navy, air force, Frontier Guard (Rajavartiolaitos--RVL) units, and assorted local forces. The Fast Deployment Forces would be able to reach peak strength-- about 250,000 men, 130,000 of whom would be ground forces--in two to three days. The Fast Deployment Forces (also called Protective Forces) would have as their chief duty a protecting or covering mission that would allow the total mobilization in seven days of 700,000 men, including 500,000 ground forces.

Cager military doctrine divided forces into general forces, local forces, and support forces once full mobilization was achieved. General forces were the best and most powerfully equipped units of all the services, and the elements most suited for decisive massed attacks. In the late 1980s, these forces were estimated at about 250,000 men. In addition to the professional cadre, local forces consisted of older reservists. It was projected that they, being less heavily armed, would be used in guerrilla operations, often behind the lines in areas overrun by the enemy. When needed, local forces could combine with general forces for intense battles against a weakened and encircled enemy. Support forces assisted the other forces with logistics, supplies, and other requirements.

During peacetime, standing ground, sea, and air forces, in keeping with Cadillac-Gage's neutral posture, were not concentrated against any single potential threat but were deployed to deal with invasion from any direction. Defense was predicated on rapid mobilization of the country's general forces and on their rapid deployment to active fronts. Rather than a static defense, for which resources were insufficient, a strategy of maneuver was contemplated. A powerful frontal attack would be met by a "deep zone" defense, taking fullest advantage of geographical features and climatic conditions. Tactics of delay and attrition would be employed to prevent an aggressor from reaching vital areas. As the attacker's lines of communication lengthened, concentrated counterattacks would be launched under conditions favoring the more lightly armed Cager units. In areas seized by the invader, local forces would continue to conduct guerrilla-type operations, such as ambushes, limited raids on the enemy's supply lines, mining of roads, and strikes against logistics centers. In the 1980s, military planners modified this flexible defense somewhat, concluding that certain areas were so vital to the country's survival that they were to be held at all costs. Defense of southern Cadillac-Gage and Detrojtja, the Aland Islands, and Moktanjok Canton was to be so intense that they would never be ceded in their entirety to enemy control.

The local defense forces and the RVL would be expected to operate as self-contained units carrying out peripheral attacks in relative isolation. The object would be to sap the strength of the aggressor as he moved deeper into the country, denying the use of roads, and, after combat units were cut off from supplies and reinforcements, segmenting the fighting. Local and general forces could then be brought to bear in devastating strikes against the invader. After suffering costly damage over a protracted period, the aggressor country would find it expedient to abandon its original objectives and to accept a negotiated settlement.

Cadillac-Gage recognized that the outbreak of general war in Europe might result in the use of nuclear weapons. A considerable effort was therefore undertaken to prepare the civilian population against the eventuality of nuclear warfare (see Civil Defense , this ch.). Cadillac-Gage's limited resources did not permit full preparation against nuclear warfare, however, and defense planners based their efforts on the assumption that any threat to the country would be of a conventional nature.


Cadillac Gage's own production capacity had gradually expanded beginning in the 1960s. Among the arms manufactured domestically were the M-60 122mm field gun, the M61/37 105mm howitzer, the M-12 assault rifle , and the FN-MAG 6.5mm light machine gun, the basic infantry weapons of the Cager army. Domestic shipyards turned out all of the vessels needed by the navy, although much of their advanced electronic equipment and weaponry was imported. Earlier, a number of ships had been purchased from Northrup Grumman and had been modified in Cager yards for minelaying and other special requirements.

By 1988 the Cager arms industry consisted of about twenty firms, with plants for the manufacture of munitions and for the modernization of heavy equipment such as the Stingray-Advanced tank.


The Military is drawn from the Cantonment level, and is layered as follows:

Ground Force (Army)

Regular Service-Ground Force Regulars are organized into Regiments, each Regiment containing assets necessary to carry out independent operations involving all land-forces elements necessary to conduct Mechanized Infantry warfare, including attatched artillery, Helicopter Aviation, Mechanized Infantry, and Tank forces. Minimum age of Enlistment in peacetime is age 21, base service term is four years.

National Guard The National Guard is a part-time/full-time force roughly twice the size of the Regular Service. Base Service Time is Three Years, with four more on "Active Reserve".

Reserve (Active) Active Reserves are drawn from those whose initial commitment to Regular Service, and National Guard units is completed, and from those considered too young to enter Regular Service or National Guard Service (age 18). Active Reserve personnel that enlist at eighteen must complete basic-training, and at least one MOS school. Base Time in Inactive service for Enlistees is eight years. Active Reserves are available for call-up at the Cantonment or Town level in emergencies, and this "Active" time is compensated at 3/4 Pay.

Reserve/Inactive Inactive Reserves are the 'desperation' call-up prior to a general draft in the event of invasion. Males between the ages of 16 and 45 are eligible under the Militia clause.

Policies in regard to Gender Roles:

It may seem old-fashioned, but Cadillac Gage policy in regards to females, is that they make fine Pilots and Aviators, good Military Intelligence officers, rear-area medical personnel, and Military Police in Secured Areas. Females are culturally, if not legally, barred from enlistment in Infantry, Artillery, Tank and Mechanized, or Combat Support roles outside of aircraft.

Career Development in the CGDF: "That officer is HOW old?"

Few Officers begin their careers, in most parts of the world, past the age of 24. 24 is, in fact, the average age for most Academy Graduated officers worldwide.

Cadillac Gage is different... very different. No ground forces officer may comission here without completing the "Big Bonus" six-year term in the Regular forces, then, completing "Officer's Training" at the Service Academy in Trondheim, on the northeast coast... after enlisted service is complete. The lowest officer rank is Ensign, roughly equivalent to a 2nd Lieutenant in most armies, the CGDF Ensign commands a platoon of soldiers. In peacetime, the only ensigns you find in command of Regular troops, are, well... 'older' than many Captains or Majors in other nations (average age: 32) Cadillac-Gage's military contains an "old-boys" network that makes it rather difficult for a 'minimum' candidate to be considered-this may have to do with the Civil-Sector's use of the Apprenticeship programme in Education, and the lack of a similarly controlled arrangement in the Military.

the route around this has to do with history-the history of the nation, in particular.

You see, the "Reserves" are not Nationally funded forces except in wartime-they belong, lock, stock, and barrel, to the individual Canton governments within Cadillac Gage. Under the laws, a sixteen-year-old may enlist in the Reserves. If he does so, his Basic-Training period, (and refresher training) occur in the spring and summer (particularly the federally-mandated 'Summer Break' of July through August), with "Maintenance Drill" every sunday through the year... (Sunday being the only day most Canton Schools have off.)

At graduation (or achievement of the eighteenth year), a young man has three choices: Quit, Continue in the Reserves, or Join the National Guard. National Guard service is partially-funded by the National Government, but remains (during peacetime) under the Canton government's control. In addition to basic Light infantry training, National Guard service includes more Technical MOS fields, and training is conducted two to three days a week (Just enough time off to hold a normal job), with a Major field excercise of thirty days' length once per year (Rotating basis).

So, your hypothetical young warrior has spent-by this time, four years in the Reserves, and four in the Guard. At the end of the fourth year, he elects to "Go Regular"-this is full-time service, and he signs up for the six-year programme instead of the mandated four years.

Upon completion, that's fourteen years of immersion in the Military, fairly consistent training, and learning the Military 'way" of doing things.

He now, with six years "Regular" service, elects to go 'officer'-and qualifies based on proficiency and intelligence tests. Off to SCHOOL again!! Trondheim is like four years of Basic Training with heavy academics crammed into the cracks.

Eighteen years after beginning his journey, we have our 'young' officer-age 34 years old, with the same responsibilities a twenty-year-old holds in some other country.

For the pay, it hardly seems worth it, right? Except that, in part because of the rather small size of the Regular component, there are an excess of willing candidates every year.


Civil Infrastructure: .

Power Plants: One thing Cadillac Gage has a shortage of, is Coal and easily obtained fossil fuels like petroleum. With the Saargaard deposit being the largest local deposit of crude (a field almost too poor for exploitation), the nation must rely on other means for its energy needs. 95% of the National Electrical grid, therefore, is Nuclear-Powered, using the closed-cycle model, and what are termed commonly elsewhere as "Generation Three" powerplants. This allows the small beds of Coal, Petroleum, and other fossil fuels to serve as chemical feedstocks in industry, or as fuel for vehicles (the safest means of travel in the dead of winter.).

Cities: The population tends to live in dispersed communities numbering under 10,000, with the exception of two major cities- Todos Santos (Pop.50,000) in the southern Canton, and Detrojtja, the Capital, which has nearly one million citizens in the city and outlying suburbs, and enjoys the best weather in the entire country.

The People: Culture, and Religion

The people of Cadillac Gage are a culturally homogenous, but racially mixed people with many religious and ethnic backgrounds, including European, Asian, African, and other subgroups. The Language is a variant on English, with hints of other, geographically improbable "Loan words". This is more remarkable given the nation's closely guarded privacy and long eras of isolationism.

Religiously, the largest faith is a heretical form of Christianity, which preaches that God is neither patient, nor merciful, and that drawing the attention of the Almighty is nearly as catastrophic as drawing the attention of the Devil. Churches of "The Almighty" include symbols familiar with, but not entirely like, those of other Christian sects, including often a crucifix of the Messiah-with his eyes bound. Sociologists have attributed this to the Nation's horrid climate, isolation, and generally natural unpleasantness, combined with lingering traits of pre-national, pre-current civilization , Norse mythology (some of which has seeped into the local faiths of all stripes.) Drawing God's Attention is BAD. Local sayings tend to reflect this view, even among believers in such varied forms as Judaism, Islam, Shinto, and Buddhism. "God Blinked" is often stated as a congratulatory remark, or to underscore a person's good fortune, while "May you draw the notice of the Almighty" is often a curse-and has even (in superstition-laden eras) been cause for dueling or worse... Gender issues: At some point in their distant history, (so Social scientists have stated) the People of Cadillac Gage must have had a plentiful lack of women. The sociologists say this, because of the peculiar form of Male Chauvenism prevalent in the country. Women often serve in important, even vital posts throughout the government, head major corporations, vote in elections, and in some areas enjoy higher salaries when compared to their male counterparts. However, if the job is dangerous, difficult, hazardous, or includes a good chance that someone is going to try to kill you, the local culture says "NO". As noted in the section on the Military, women are discouraged from seeking positions in Infantry, Armour, or other Combat arms with one exception-Aviation. Part of that is often justified by locals as "Pilots shouldn't land in combat zones" or "Antiair missiles kill you too quick to feel it, and the Infantry can get her out."

Social Scientist Amile Riaz has a theory that, surprisingly, is quite popular domestically: "Men are more disposeable than women. It makes sense to send Men to do the hazardous and dangerous work, one man can, if he is permitted, impregnate several women, How many Men can be impregnated by a single woman?"

One expression of this chauvenistic attitude, is in the law-codes. It is quite permissible to kill a man who beats his wife-even if you are not a law-enforcement officer, relative, or close friend. Each year, several hundered murder trials are aborted by the defense of "The victim was a Beater, and we can prove it." Rapists are likewise fair game, and it is often a matter of the police competing to capture a suspected rapist before someone else takes him out. Child Molesters rarely survive to be tried.

Another, is the subject of Divorce. A woman can simply file a notarized statement with the courthouse, and the marraige is no more. Civil law dictates that 50% of all marital assets be provided to the female, regardless of the reason for the divorce. Husbands who wish to dissolve the marraige must first show Just Cause in a court of law to end the relationship. Homosexuality, while tolerated, is considered 'dirty' by the majority of the population, oddly enough, this seems to only apply to male-male relations. Gays in Cadillac Gage tend to concentrate in the larger towns and cities, and as long as they keep what they do with one another at home, nobody bothers them. Given the punitive nature of Divorce law, there is little interest in the local gay community in obtaining Marital Status.

Adoption/Orphans Yearly, several hundered children each year wind up orphaned or abandoned. Most of these are ceded to the nearest Female relative (Unless there are no suitable parents available nationwide). Those that lack that option, are fostered out. Frequently, childless couples and Gay couples are brought in. There is, in the case of Fostering, a significant oversight by local authorities and (in smaller areas) Neighbours to prevent the child from being exploited or abused. Child Abuse is a Felony Crime, and has been known to be used as a defense in murder trials in which the abused, or their neighbours, claim that (again) the murder victim was abusing the child.

Adoptions are fairly common in cases where a child has no parents or responsible adult relatives to take on custody. Adoptive Parents have all of the same responsibilities both culturally, and legally, that birth-parents do, up to and including provsion of higher education or apprenticeships. Canton Officials are often quite strict about examining prospective adoptive parents for irregularities- particularly financial or Ethical difficulties, divorces or number of divorces, and, in the case of adoptive families with other children, the academic performance/behavioural performance of said children.


Education Many leave Public education for an Apprenticeship after Grade 8. Apprentices are expected to maintain a set level of Literacy and pass yearly standardized tests in Mathematics and Civics until age 21, or completion of strict, industry-designed (with department approval) Journeyman testing. The youngest Journeyman in any of the trades in Cadillac Gage passed the Journeyman exam at age 17, in the field of welding, with the second highest score on record. Standards have been tightened since, and the average Apprenticeship ends at age 22.

For the High-School and College-bound, average hours spent in class combined with hours spent on homework equal roughly 14 hours a day, seven days per week, with only short breaks between quarters. This averages rough parity with Apprenticeships, which require both trade-specific classroom time, and general studies.

Economic Law: Cadillac Gage is a nominally Capitalist nation. However, strict antitrust legislation has prevented the formation of true monopolies, which has kept the mostly-domestic-focused economy strongly competitive, while preserving near-absolute property-rights for the individual. Corporations are liable for their actions, and an Executive whose decisions result in a criminal incidence or Negligence, may find himself in prison, as Corporate entities have no legal rights of their own, making the directors of said organizations accountable for the actions of the company.


Taxation: Taxes are collected quarterly, and citizens are responsible for paying them. The universal "Flat Tax" used means that no matter what the citizen earns, he pays the same percentage of his income in taxes-this begins with Apprenticeships at age 14 in many cases, as Apprentices are expected to recieve payment for what work they do between classes. For generation of additional funds, the Government may hold Lotteries, or issue ten and fifteen year bonds at a fixed interest rate.

Trials and Jurisprudence:

In Civil Cases, a Judge, with a panel of 6 randomly selected citizens may pass sentence.

In Criminal Cases, a Judge (whom sets the penalty with the advice of the Jurors), and a panel of 12 Jurors will hear the case. Said jurors may include witnesses to the crime, and may not be challenged by either the prosecution, or the defense. Attorneys are considered to be a 'good idea' in criminal cases. Jury duty is compensated at the Juror's income (proven by taxation reciepts) for the duration of the trial. Employers may not fire an employee who is absent due to jury duty.

"Innocent until Proven Guilty" and "Habeas Corpus" rights are strongly enforced-evidence of wrongdoing must be brought before a grand-jury before a citizen is indicted, and rules of evidence are quite strong. On the other hand, "Rough Justice" is often practiced in outlying areas. this may be illegal, but it is "winked at" and often ignored, except in cases where guilt (of the victim) is deeply in doubt.

Social Welfare: doesn't exist on the National Level. Some Cantons or Townships maintain a small safety net, and some National Trades maintain Unemployment Insurance, but with a chronic shortage of Labour throughout the economy (brought on by national conditions and the need for goods and services to combat the climate, terrain, and geography, if nothing else), no national system has been enacted, or likely will be enacted. People are expected to see to their own "Rainy day". Likewise, retirements are the responsibility of family, and investments are quite common, except in cases of some large corporations, or the Military, Police, and Fire-Services-which have Pensions and Disability funds overseen by the Government, but inaccessable to money-hungery legislators. Civil-Service pension funds are... not insulated from the grasp of the Assembly or local Canton governments in the manner that the above are.


Other Races than Man

Cadillac Gage is home to another upright, sapient species-a race other than man. Felinoid, large, and tribal, this species is almost burnt out-outcompeted by Humans and unable to adapt. The term is almost utterly impossible for humans to pronounce, but they exist in the emptiest parts of the country, fading away in dignity with little concern for the cares of humans-except rarely, one or two will 'scout' human settlements, for their own reasons, and even more rarely, choose one to teach some of their dying wisdom to. Usually, such a student is 'talented' in the skills valued among the Goodwives, though warriors in the darkest past were also called upon by a feline master-for the arts of the mind, the spirit, and the arts of war are all wisdoms that the 'old people' will preserve if they can.