Gothria

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Gothria
NewGothria.jpg
Flag of Gothria
Motto: Empty Hearts Want To Believe The Fight Is For Humanity
No Map Available Yet
Region Alliance of Honourable Peoples
Capital New Silent Hill
Official Language(s) Gothrian Standard English, German.
Leader UNDER MILITARY CONTROL
Population 5.035 billion
Currency Ankh 
NS Sunset XML

The Capital City

New Silent Hill is a bustling, cosmopolitan city on a par in terms of style and culture with any of the larger cities in the Alliance. Rebuilt after the devastating fire of old Silent Hill seventeen years ago, the atmosphere of the city is one of tenacious unity. The style of the city was heavily influenced by architectural trends of the Northern Continent. A view down onto the city is one of steel and glass, interspersed with surviving buildings from the fire, neo-Gothic white marble masterpieces.

"The Electric City"

New Silent Hill's electrical district is the heart of the massive Information Technology sector in Gothria, as well as a very popular place to spend indulgent, hedonistic evenings, due to the plethora of clubs, bars and restaurants within it. Any revolutions in the the electronic entertainment industry, the alternative music scene or the technological world happens in the Electric City.

lights2.jpg One of the Electric City's many busy shopping arcades, that come alive by night.

Culture

Religion

The Ancient Gods

As the oldest established civilisation in the Alliance, Gothria has a history that stretches back further than most. The earliest records (ascertained through carbon dating and radiography) number some 2200 years BCE. The religion during the period c.2200-c.1000 BCE centred around seven Gods with specific duties and responsibilities. From Grahn, the God of Gods and God of War; to Samneth, the Goddess of Fertility and the Harvest, they fulfilled a number of roles encompassing everyday life. They were the following:

Grahn

The King of the Gods and God of War, Grahn was a tempestuous immortal. Known to be spiteful at times, causing war between men for his own enjoyment, he was the only God who was truly feared by his followers. He was said to be calmed by his wife Al'sahr.

Al'sahr

The Queen of the Gods and Goddess of Love. The wife of Grahn was a calm, peaceful immortal, who enjoyed nothing more than relaxation and indulgence. The very embodiment of physical pleasure and hedonism, Al'sahr was a predictably popular Goddess.

Samneth

Goddess of Fertility and the Harvest. Another peaceful Goddess, many farmers and agricultural workers held shrines to her in their dwellings and at the centre of their fields, for the protection of their crops and for the public to worship at. She became a very popular, almost all-consuming Goddess, who became associated with festivals, drinking and hunting.

Tarkh

The Goddess of Time. Represented by or with a scythe, with which she cut the fabric of time and altered its passage. Often jokingly cursed by aged mortals, who blamed her for their physical state. A fine example of the sense of humour Ancient Gothrians attributed to their Gods.

Fraal

God of Animals and the Environment, Fraal was patron to all the creatures that crawled, swam and flew on, over or under the Earth. The Cult of Fraal, comparable to Wicca or Paganism, still exists today.

Kranh

The jolly God of Weather, it was believed that Kranh had an odd sense of humour, and caused wind, rain and storms under the impression that it was amusing for mortals, and that they would see the irony in it. The Ancient Gothrian phrase "kar-nho ta Kranh" (as funny as Kranh) was frequently employed as a sarcastic response to an unfunny statement.

Bahros

The god of Death and the Afterlife. A quiet, slightly miserable soul, often associated with depression. Like modern Gothrians, Ancient Gothrians did not fear death, but accepted it as a natural occurence. This did not stop them from praying to statues of Bahros (commonly found in graveyards) that he would not take them quite so soon.

After the decline of this religion, the prevailing Order of Samael assimilated these Gods into their religion as saints, to appease the local populace and aid compliance with the new religion. The changes equate as follows:

Grahn = St Graham

Al'sahr = St Alessa

Samneth = St Samantha

Tarkh = St Thomas

Fraal = St Francis

Kranh = St Kane

Bahros = St Bartholomew

Public Holidays

Renaissance Day - August the 12th

This holiday truly embodies the spirit of unity in Gothria, commemorating the day that the rebuilding of New Silent Hill was officially finished. All of Silent Hill is given a day off to contemplate the true hard work that went into rebuilding the city, the community and the battered sprits of those who witnessed it. The previous and current generations of residents of New Silent Hill dread the day when the holiday loses its true meaning.

The Sakura Festival - April the 8th

Once a year, Gothrians look forward to this public holiday. They assemble under the cherry blossom trees that have been native to the country for as long as history remembers, waiting for the first petal to fall. The day's celebrations consist of eating, drinking and music on huge blankets. The festival inspires a strong community spirit in Gothrians, as friends, family, neighbours and strangers alike share food, drink, music and stories. It is customary on this day for young Gothrians to confess their affections to one another, and as such is a happy, romantic day, that every citizen looks forward to. It is common belief that this festival is adapted from the ancient festival of harvest and fertility, originally dedicated to Samneth, and previously held towards the end of the year. The last specific records of this festival allow it to be approximated to the 13th of November, with a week's 'preparations', generally consisting of drinking a specially prepared brew from a now-extinct species of tree, loosely translated in the 1400s to be called the 'gubbernut' tree. The 'gubbernut' was replaced by the common and beautiful cherry blossom tree, and the festival moved to the time of year at which they shed their blossom. The dedication changed to St Samantha, and the modern festival was born.

cherry_blossom_tree.jpg One of Gothria's countless native sakura trees.

Language

Military

The Black Legions

BLAST

The Black Legion Autonomous Sniper Training programme teaches Black Legions marksmen to be fully autonomous. The cream of Black Legionary snipers are selected for this rigorous, intensive programme, and only around 15% of those chosen complete the course to become members of the BLAST team. BLAST snipers are mortally feared by Gothria's opponents in battle, as they are near-undetectable and among the finest sharpshooters in the world. They are equipped as standard with the Sig-Sauer SSG 3000 bolt-action rifle, in Gothrian Custom 9mm long calibre. All Gothrian snipers are taught explicitly how to deal with this immense round.

COMA

The Covert/Overt Military Assassins of Gothria are the most terrifying unit in the Alliance. They are hand picked from all divisions of the Legions based on their proficiency, skill, undying loyalty and above all, their cold-hearted sadism. The rigorous, merciless training, harrowing nature of their work and the fact that many COMA members already have mild forms of neurosis and psychosis prior to recruitment bind together to create a unit so brutal and twisted that until six years ago the Ministry of Defence denied their very existence. Trained and equipped with katana or deikatana and a firearm of their choice, COMAs usually follow ancient Gothrian hand-to-hand protocols, killing in as few movements as possible with their main weapon. COMAs are often partial to more antiquated forms of weaponry, such as shuriken and kunai (ring-handled throwing knives). Some COMAs have been known to use composite bows in place of modern firearms. COMAs dress in light, black combat gear and boots, to ensure the highest mobility possible. Some wear white face masks, either plain or with a simple design, to hide their often self-inflicted facial disfigurement from other Gothrians in transport and in the field. They are often known to shed their masks in battle to demoralise and terrify their opponents. There is no unit in the world quite like COMA.

The Black Fall

The Black Fall are the ultimate elite of the Gothrian Military. [more details follow]


Space Fleet

The Gothrian Space Fleet is currently under reconstruction following the destruction of and damage to some of her vessels.
As yet, only a list of ships has been released. The functions of currently and previously existing ships are included.

Ra - Capital Ship. Heavily armed, but seldom enters combat directly.
Isis - Mothership. Construction and repair.
Anubis - Particle beam ship.
Bast - Cannon ship.
Horus - Cannon ship.
Sekhmet - Ballistic missile platform, carrier for fighters. (re-constructed after destruction)
Osiris - Ballistic missile platform, carrier for fighters.

Also listed are two new ships, the functions and specifications of which are currently unconfirmed.
These ships are the twins Set and Nephthys.
Set is rumoured to carry the Gothrian "Chaos" weapon. Quite what this technology is is totally unknown.