The Grendels

The Grendels

The Indomitable Borderlands of the Grendels are one of the most powerful economic superpowers of the Nation States World. That and one of the more eye-catching flags out there have made it a nation of interest in the dossiers of many nation states.

Why the Grendels?

The story behind the name of this nation is related as much to the name of the region, Wysteria, where this nation state is located. A D&D Campaign referred to as Wysteria, was comprised of the gamers who founded the region with the same name, including the player who created the nation stated called the Grendels. In this case the Grendels only indirectly take their name from the Old English epic of Beowulf, where the name is used in a D&D campaign to mean something different.

“The D&D Campaign itself is based on 13th Century Silesia, which fights to expand its territory against a hostile frontier area known as the Borderlands, mostly occupied by every manner of humanoid (including Gnolls) who are collectively referred to as Grendels. The left ear, originally used as currency by the Grendels is in fact based on the bounty collected on the left ear of Grendels by adventurers who dare to go into the Borderlands. This currency was changed to the Golden Bond as a direct result of an economic alliance with another nation state. The Campaign has a 'Western' element (the frontier genre as opposed to the geo-political reference), which focuses on the issues of the Holy Roman Empire's Eastern expansion in the 1200's, making it more of an 'Eastern'. The scattered Slavic Tribes take the place of the outraged and wary Natives, which serves as a ready comparison to Western Expansion in the early settlement and expansion of America. Originally, Seven of the Nation States in Franconia (a continent on the Wysteria Region Map) were owned and operated by the people playing in the current D&D Campaign, although that number has now dwindled to only a four. The quick settling of this Continent by veteran Nations has made it one of the most popular in Wysteria.”

History

The History of the Indomitable Borderlands consists of varied periods of warfare and societal evolution, culminating in the current model state. Early in their tribal period, the Gnolls were only one of many peoples who roamed the Indomitable Borderlands seeking resources and dominance. The names of these peoples, the Goblins, Bugbears, and Hobgoblins are now sometimes used by the Grendels (Gnolls) to name military aircraft and vehicle models, to do honour to their ancestral enemies. These beings are no longer found alive in the Indomitable Borderlands; the Gnolls have exterminated these rival groups who competed with them for the same land and resources.

After the Time of the Tribes had passed, the Gnolls spread across the Indomitable Borderlands and they began to form Clan affiliations as they staked out territory. The Clan Wars is a time that greatly shaped the national character of the Grendels. The Clan Wars was a feudal time in the History of the Indomitable Borderlands, where stronger clans either absorbed or destroyed weaker ones. Eventually the clans took on provincial holdings of substantial size, but nonetheless the continued to war against each other. Occasionally a warlord would emerge to weld the clans together, but once their strength had expired the bond that held the clans together was dissolved.

Trade with the other nation states of the world shapes the Corporate Era of the Grendels. The need to focus the growing industrial might of the emerging modern society required centralized power and the will to wield it. Several bold attempts to create a modern state failed or were short-lived. Then the Corporate Council was formed out of representatives from the most powerful industrialists and their private armies. There was a bitter struggle against some of the Clans, especially those not represented in the Corporate Council. This state of civil war lasted several decades until the Corporate Council had cemented their rule over the Indomitable Borderlands. The Corporate Army became the Army of the Grendels with the nationalizing of the private armies in order to provide a more efficient and centralized defence force.

While the rule of the Corporate Council was absolute, the stability of any one of its ruling members was at best tenuous. Assassination was a daily part of life for members of the Corporate Council or anyone wielding power on their behalf. If someone didn’t target you for assassination you just weren’t a somebody in the Indomitable Borderlands. Despite this political instability, the encouragement of corporate culture to strive to be foremost among all competitors. This culminated in the Indomitable Borderlands rising in the economic rankings of the UN Reports to become one of the most powerful economic superpowers of the Nation States World.

The Yarooo Regime began, as did all others before it, in blood. Yarooo came from one of the ruling families represented in the Corporate Council. He was well educated in university and spent his youth in the special forces Kill Packs of the Grendels. During the early wars between the USSR and North Alerica, Yarooo had a chance meeting with the current War Minister Fang, while leading a rescue mission to find a pilot behind enemy lines. Fang, then a fighter pilot, became life long friends with Yarooo, after the successful mission. Together they began to build an expanding series of power bases for the future, as they rose through the corporate elite of the Indomitable Borderlands. When the time was right they used their contacts in the military and corporate world to stage a coup de tat against the Corporate Council.

Under Yarooo, the Corporate Council was dissolved and a new departmentalized Council took its place. Yarooo became the Gnoll Warleader and Dictator for Life, as well as being owner of Stealth Steel and the Grendel Motor Corporation. His close friend Fang became the Minister of War, as well as the owner of Borderland Industrial. The new council represented the families of great corporations and the clans alike, offering a balance of power and a new future. Under the new regime, dangerous extremist forces were destroyed and increasing stability was brought to the Indomitable Borderlands. At the same time a new era of diplomacy resulted in increased trade and prosperity for the Grendels.

Yarooo was not one to allow either himself or his people to stagnate. The Dictator for Life pushed for sweeping reforms of his society. Education, once restricted to the elite of society was opened up to help provide the new generation of scientists and engineers needed for the future. Civil rights were increased to allow the Grendels the chance to enjoy their great prosperity, but the most treasured ancient traditions of the people were at the same time maintained. The arts have been encouraged and the culture of the Grendels can be described as in its own Renaissance. In recently pushing for political reforms, including clan elections, he became known as the Benevolent Dictator for Life. Free Trade agreements have been made with many of the nations once referred to as honoured economic rivals. This has not made him soft though, with Yarooo becoming involved in deadly games of state against enemies from within and without the lands of the Indomitable Borderlands.

The People

The Grendels is almost entirely populated by Gnolls. Billions and billions of them. They are a proud people with a warrior culture. The Gnolls live for the hunt and the fight. Unlike the gladiatorial games of other peoples, only free warriors are allowed to compete in the games. Warriors must pass trials to prove their character and skill at arms before they are allowed to compete against each other. Hunting is only done with traditional weapons of the Grendels and to use modern firearms on a hunt is to violate sacred hunting purity laws and invite the death penalty. Once this national character was applied purely to warfare, but now it has been harnessed for the goal of corporate supremacy. The modernization of the Grendel society has caused some friction with the old guard and seen an increase in organized crime, but the regime of Yarooo has been ever vigilant against forces that seek to undermine his vision of a new society.

There is also a small human enclave, walled off from the rest of society, called Alien City. Alien City is peopled almost entirely by refugees, seeking a better life and financial success. They are the guinea pigs of the Grendel Corporate, existing as a pseudo city-state for the testing of products on human consumers. Grendel diplomats do a tour here before serving abroad or dealing with humans. Spies needed to infiltrate human societies are recruited here. Alien City is ruled and policed by the Grendels, but they are otherwise allowed to make a living any way they can, without any social safety net to catch those who stumble. All of the Grendel Corporations have their finger there, testing the waters of human needs and making use of the work force.

The Corporate Leaders

The Dire Bear Soda Corporation. It's in stores and concession machines from one side of the Nation States World to the other. They have a closed connection to the Grendel Military and on most bases serves as the official soft drink. Most importantly it's cool refreshing and like a party in your mouth. Recently Dire Bear Soda bought up Borderland Pizza to ensure that it was the soft drink of dominance in the all powerful pizza franchise (It is the Coca-Cola of the Nations States World).

The Grendel Motor Corporation are as well known for creating economy and luxury vehicles, as they are for their successful ventures into the Arms Manufacturing Market. The Grendel is the highest selling economy model for the commercial market, selling huge orders both inside and beyond Wysteria. Their luxury Sabre-Axe is the standard for celebrities and dignitaries from around the World, who want to ride in luxury and want everyone to know it. In the recreational market, GMC offers the Atomic Buggy, which runs on a uranium rod and rarely needs refueling. GMC also provided the Atomic Space Buggy, which saw active duty on WSA's Lunar 1 mission and is now parked safely on the Moon. There it awaits the future in off road fantasy and joyriding aliens alike.

For the Military of the Grendels and the Arms export market, GMC creates the ultimate evolution in the Main Battle Tank, the Demon13. It runs on a uranium rod and shielded hydrogen fuel cell, freeing up the dependence of oil that has long dogged logistics in the field. We maintain an optional diesel engine for our export market, for those uncomfortable about having shielded uranium rods in their tanks. It has a rifled main tank barrel to make it the most accurate big gun on the battlefield and co axle 20mm cannon, for smaller pesky targets not worth the larger ammo. They also offer the highly successful Sabre7 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which carries a full section of infantry into the battlefield and then fights along with them to the objective, with its improved arms and armour.

Borderland Basket Weaving Incorporated has succeeded in keeping our majestic Nation State the top of page one on the UN Report for the World and will continue to do so in the future. The workers often hold parades through the streets to let everyone know about the honour they bring the Borderlands.

The Glow in the Dark Mining Corporation has been the cornerstone of our resource industry from day one in the Borderlands. They have managed to squeeze uranium from the ground where others have failed. As nuclear power drives the economy of the Grendels, they provide the uranium rods that drive the ships of our Navy and the Main Battle Tanks of our Army. They have also expanded their operations to space, where they mine the Moon for Helium-3 and are surveying the asteroid belt.

Stumps are Us Logging has extensive offices both in the Grendels, Wysteria, and throughout the Nation States World. Having thinned out the forests to only two major Dire Bear Preserves, we have not only ensured enough wood products for the market, but also made most of the Nation safe from random Dire Bear attacks. Now Hunters can travel to one of the two Dire Bear Preserves, instead of having it part of their daily lives like in the old days. This allows those not hunting to pursue their economic and military careers. To deal with the deforestation of the Indomitable Borderlands, the Grendels have turned to corporations like GenSoup to design trees that grow quickly on tree farms and make quality wood products.

Uber Fish Canneries, once the pride of the Borderlands, has been in decline of late, but with new management has managed to rebound from the minor recession that struck our Model State. With their introduction of the Super Fish Farm, they have once more managed to claim a strong stake in the Nation State's World.

Borderlands Industrial is largely responsible for the Grendels success in the field of aeronautics and space exploration, both civilian and military. They produce the FlindIII ICBM for the military and the FlindIIISE for the use of both the Grendel Space Agency and the WSA. They also produce the widely exported Super-Bugbear combat jet, capable of fighter, interceptor, and strike roles for your modern military needs. They also produce a series of Sea Eagle helicopters, for: attack, search and rescue, and transport. The end series model, the heavily armed and armoured Sea Eagle 13, has been thought of as a flying tank, capable of striking most targets with impunity and then disgorging a small group of special forces to clean up what's left. They have also created the Lammergeier. An improvement on the tomahawk design, used by so many Nations in North Alerica, the Lammergeier has greater range, better telemetry and targeting systems, stealth tech, and can even carry a larger payload.

Wolf Pack Munitions are responsible for the dominance enjoyed by the Grendels in the Arms Market, when it comes to small arms and artillery. Their issue of the Model6Dire Bear Tooth .76 caliber handgun has taken the World of macho handguns by storm. They created the all purpose handgun Dagger .50 caliber; the Rapier .308 caliber assault rifle and accompanying Battle-Axe .308 caliber light support machine gun; as well as the standard support weapon: the .50 caliber Weed Whacker machine gun, which has a single shot setting for use in sniping. They also make the guns that are used by GMC military vehicles, in a joint partnership.

Another large corporation in the Arms Industry is the Stealth Steel Foundry, whose massive military shipyards dominate Blood Island. Stealth Steel Foundry are responsible for the modern upgrade of the Grendel navy to high speed stealth ships and more recently the introduction of the Littoral Combat Ship Class.

Along with Borderlands Pizza, the two most successful restaurant franchises are the Road Kill Cafe and the Bush Meat Bistro, which have franchises throughout the Nation States World.

The IT Sector is dominated by Bile Gaats and his ruthless Megasoftware Corporation. They have recently been responsible to pushing education in the Borderlands and after a short slip down the standings have once more risen to claim a lion's share of the IT Market. In the field of communications, Borderland Mobility is one of the most dominant corporations in a cut-throat business sector. They are involved with cable TV, line and cell phone service, and internet services. Like Megasoftware, they have tendrils in a number of high tech R&D projects, which often brings Borderland Mobility into direct competition with Megasoftware.