Antares (æn-ˈtɛər-iːz/AN-TAIR-EEZ), officially the Antares Imperium (Librae: Empire of Antares), is a playable nation in Centaura. It is bordered by Cetus and Aquila to the north.
Etymology
The official name for Antares is the Antares Imperium (Librae: Empire of Antares). It is named after Antares, a star following the traditions of recognising Astranist gods as guardians of their respective nations. Most of the state functions use Old Librae names, though the common language is represented through modified Librae and perhaps some dialects under it.
The Antares Imperium is a multinational empire
initially consisting of 4 major polities under the Tau Monarchy, those being: Skorpius, Lupus, Norma and Ara.
By 1944, 3 more polities had been directly annexed into the Imperium, those being: Cetus (1912), Aquila (1914) and the southern parts of Columba (1933).
History
More lore can be found on the official lore document.
Formation
Not much is known about post-antiquity Antares. However, it is known that the ruling monarchy, the House of Tau originates from the pre-conquest south. The Taus would establish the Kingdom of Skorpius which borders several libran? polities being Lupus, Norma and Ara.
A series of wars would be fought against the librans, eventually uniting the polities and establishing the Antares Imperium at around the 13th century. Following the formation of the Imperium, the capital would move from Kharon to Ananteria.
Modern
Antares would continue its imperial establishment, making deals with a rising Cetan Empire and fighting against Aquila. The culmination of Antarean ambitions would see an invasion of Aquila together with Vega, kick starting the Triplum War. However, in a stunning reversal, Antares was defeated and force to concede territory along the coast.
Following the entry of the 19th century, Antares would begin to industrialise.
In 1875, a revolution erupts in Aquila, establishing a new democratic government. Seizing the chance, a campaign would be launch which saw another disastrous overture. Amongst the soldiers who fought was the future emperor, Kalvin Tau. His experiences of the carnage inflicted upon his fellow soldiers would dramatically shape his view of war and the conducting of conquest of the Continent.
After the war, Kalvin Tau would succeed Silvius II as Emperor of Antares.
Contemporary
In the wake of the 1886 war, Corvus sought a new ally against its new mission to wrestle back control of its lost territories. In 1905, a strategic alliance would slowly form between both nations against Cetus.
On February 10th 1911, Emperor Kalvin proclaimed the beginning of the Centauran Wars with his speech on unity, Antares would enter into a period of war, intervening in the Southern Corvus War shortly afterwards.
After several successful wars against its neighbors, a major setback would arrive during the Columban Campaign as the war reached a stalemate in the mountainous Macer Range. During the campaign, Kalvin Tau would pass, allowing the ascension of Aran Tau as emperor in 1927. Antares would eventually overcome the deadlock through Operation Kataklysm, conquering much of Columba by 1933 and trapping Northern Centauran Alliance (NCA) forces in the mountains.
With the fall of Centauri in 1944, Antares emerged victorious from the Centauran Wars, having defeated the NCA with help from Ursa. A new hegemony was thus formed in Centaura.
Geography
The Euskor Basin
The Euskor Basin, also known as the Iron Bank, was a resource-rich region of the Antares Imperium, located on the easternmost end of the Skorpius province. Laying east of the city of Osedon, nearby settlements such as Drausas, Vetus Iter and Durums Soli have prospered owing to the large concentration of industry in the area.
The basin was mapped out as early as the 14th century, but settlers would only appear by the 18th century with prospectors mining traces of iron and gold along the river basin. It would not be until industrialization swept through Antares that the region began to be extensively mined and became a hotspot for the burgeoning Antarean industry.
Beginning in the 19th century, the tetrad of cities surrounding the basin would witness a period of economic prosperity known as the Euskor Dash, wherein thousands flocked to the region for the area's valuable resources. A myriad of factories, mills and mines would open across the valley, churning out steel for automobiles, kitchenware, shipbuilding and construction. Several advancements in production technology would be credited to activity in the basin, such as streamlined heavy machinery.
One of the largest corporations that operated in the basin was the Euskor Steel Konglomerate, formerly known as Aspero Iron & Steel, it acquired several smaller companies and became the primary shipper of steel from the basin. Other notable entities active in the Euskor were the Reikel Arsenal Kompany, Ortus Heavy Industries and Osedon Ironworks. The basin's role in the regional economy gained itself the reputation as an "Iron Bank" by media outlets as it employed nearly half of all locals.
As decades passed, the environment of the basin gradually degraded with industrial waste seeping into the ground and river systems. Locals voiced their concerns to the city councils, but the profits generated by the Bank were too great to pass by on, leaving the "Ferric Four" to continue supporting industrial expansion. The Euskor would see record output when Antares began its war against the Centauran continent, contributing its civilian factories for military weapons and hardware production. High turnouts would allow Euskor Steel to expand even further, acquiring the Normae Railroad Kompany for independent transport, which had many liken the corporation to Orionite monopolies.
Around the same time, several accidents would break out around the basin, attributed to management oversight and the overworking of employees and machines. Numerous fires would sweep through factories and employee housing, pressuring the Ferric Four to establish a dedicated fire department just for the Euskor. These fire stations would be vital as when the Forman War brought the frontline to the Antarean homeland the basin became a regular target for bombing runs. An especially deadly attack set a munitions plant ablaze, destroying it and three block of factories.
By the time Osedon and Vetus iter fell to Compact forces most of the valley had been evacuated and its facilities were left abandoned, a trend that would continue past the dissolution of the Imperium. The remains of the Bank would be placed under the jurisdiction of the Board of Industrial Authority, who partitioned the land alongside other industries. The Euskor Steel Konglomerate would also be broken up into smaller companies, with its most valuable assets controversially coming under Orionite ownership. The damage from the war and bankruptcy of many companies left the Bank to decay, leaving a landscape of desolate factories as a reminder of its former legacy.
The triad of companies in the Euskor Basin.
Politics
Map of Antares with subdivisions
Antares is a multinational empire consisting of four nations: Skorpius, Ara, Lupus and Norma (later additions being: Cetus, Aquila and Columba). Although the Antarean capital is located in Ara, Skorpius garners much more influence than the other nations. Led by an emperor with a supreme council acting similar to a privy council, Antares was a semi-constitutional monarchy, and thus the emperor still has ultimate but not absolute control over the empire. However, during Kalvin and Aran's rule over Antares, the power of the emperor seem to have became de-facto absolute, due to increasing focus and importance on the military during the Centauran and Forman Wars,
Supreme Kouncil
A 100-person consultive assembly that serves that Emperor of the Imperium, carrying out the day-to-day governing of the country. Its members are known as Royal Kouncilors, experts of noble, military and civilian backgrounds who are led by the Head of the Supreme Kouncil.
The body was established by the Tau Family following their unification of the Imperium, aiming to consolidate their power and address regional concerns. Though the council may propose, vote and implement decrees, ultimate approval lays with the emperor who can veto or modify said decree.
Every 4 years, the council elects 6 kouncilors to be Arbiters, who head Archonates (equal to ministries), as advisors to the emperor. Kouncilors relinquish their councillorship upon becoming an Arbiter while still reporting to the council. Arbiters may be reappointed indefinitely, but the emperor holds the power to dismiss one if needed whereas the council requires a majority vote. Each Arbiter oversees matters such as the:
- Imperial Treasury
- Military Affairs
- State
- Kulture
- Industry
- Foreign Relations
Under each Archonate are its Direktorates, which manage specific sectors, for example the Archonate of Industry which includes the Direktorate of Transportation. While all Arbiters appear to hold equal authority, those of the State, Treasury and Military Affairs tended to hold more influence than others, due to their favor by the emperor.
As the council is divided up into of the nobility, military, regional and societal class, each are given their share of seats. The military are allowed to appoint those within their service branch while noble houses are given one representative. When a noble dies during their tenure as kouncilor or Arbiter it is customary for their eldest descendant to fulfill the role, however the emperor may reappoint an Arbiter himself or authorize the council to vote instead.
Meanwhile, the regional and societal group, comprising of subnational civilian, educational and religious leaders, make up most of the council. As for the Head of the Supreme Kouncil, they are often times a member of the royal family; during the reign of Aran Tau, this was held by his younger brother, Andrew Tau.
Education
Image of female Union of Antarean Youth student, 1922.
Union Of Antarean Youth
Formed in 1919, the Union of Antarean Youth served as an “Antareanization” group for young people across South Centaura. In the occupied regions of Cetus, Aquila, and Vega, children were indoctrinated by the Union and taught about Antarean culture and history in the hopes that they would be raised to become the next generation to live in unity.
Only foreign-born children between the ages of 12 and 20 were allowed into the Union, as children born in Antares had their own education facilities (i.e. regular school). The Union was separated into two divisions: the Lowerclassmen, consisting of children ages 12 to 16, and the Upperclassmen, consisting of teenagers ages 17 to 20. Both of these divisions had their own separate facilities. An Upperclassman school would be abbreviated as UKM, while the former would be abbreviated as LKM. People enrolled in UKM schools were eligible to join the Antarean military, which the enlistment age is 18. This meant if one was 17 and attending a UKM school, they would be able to join the military despite the minimum age requirement. However, most students were not placed in combat roles and instead worked part-time jobs for the military while attending school. This rule changed during the mid-Columban campaign when heavy losses in the mountains called for more personnel.
The Union saw more success in South Centaura, while schools in Riaa and the northern countries performed worse due to partisan and rebel activities/sentiment. Regardless of gender, both LKM and UKM schools taught its students the same skills. Boys were expected to be able to handle what might’ve been considered girls’ activities (sewing, domestic work, etc.), and vice versa (hunting, camping, etc.). This way, both boys and girls were capable of doing one another’s work. Many boys who went on to fight in the Centauran and Forman Wars would find some opposite-gender skills useful in the field, like sewing for suturing wounds or fixing cloth tents.
Culture
Language
Like other nations, Antares' main language is Librae, given its close proximity with Libra. Unlike other nations though, Antarean Librae (as it will be called) has an unusual difference regarding spelling; as a merger between Old Librae and Librae, all hard C's are replaced with a K, meaning words like Class and Carrier are now Klass and Karrier in Antarean Librae respectively. This is not the case for words with soft C's, like Cetus, Cellar, Ice, etc. It's unknown why Antares has chosen to keep this form of spelling, though it is possible that this was done to maintain tradition/culture in some way.
This writing system is state-wide and used extensively by the government and military; all Skorpii states are specifically written with a K, and Operation Cataclysm was written as "Kataklysm". Military ranks are also affected by the writing system, with real life ranks like Colonel and Captain becoming "Kolonel" and "Kaptain", something common throughout lore stories. Personal names appear to be affected by this as well, indicated in the short story "Cassius", where the titular character is teased over his name's bizarre spelling. However, the same story implies that names are not bound by the writing system, but are otherwise rare and unusual as many people follow the system in regards to naming.
Life under the Antares Imperium
Contrary to popular belief prior to this post, Antares is not a totalitarian or fascist nation.[1]
Home Territory
In the home territory of Antares, citizens were given many freedoms, including press, assembly, and speech to some degree. They were allowed to protest against decisions made by the government or emperor, but were not allowed to directly defame or slander them. Libel against the emperor was punishable by a minimum of six months in prison, and sedition was punishable by execution depending on the scale. Non-citizens were subject to harsher punishments.
A free market also existed, regulated by the government. Foreign imports were subject to higher tariffs compared to colonies or domestic trading.
Occupied Territories
The strictness of laws in occupied territories during the Centauran War varied depending on the region, considering they were a land of people foreign to Antares.
The general pattern of strictness was to divide the continent into two regions: South and North. Countries in South Centaura such as Corvus, Cetus, Aquila, Vega, and Grusa enjoyed greater liberties on par to that of native Antarean citizens. All forms of Astranism were tolerated, though over time, the government would enforce the population's belief toward Antarean Astranism through education.
In the Northern countries like Columba, Tucana, Centauri, and Riaa, the laws were heavily enforced, and punishments were even greater. This is due to the fact that Antares did not hold a strong influence over the northern countries after the war. With the Columban mountains still considered a hostile zone, and with some Riaans inciting rebellions against the Antareans, the north was under a sort of "pseudo martial law". Attempts were made by Antares to slowly transition into a more relaxed policy like the south, but ideological integration was hampered, and Antares' occupation would end in the Forman War before anything could happen.
For the southern countries, life was arguably improved by the occupation. Many believed that the introduction of Antarean customs and commodities benefited the occupied, while others who were more conservative and nationalistic of their original countries despised them.
One example was Corvus and Cetus; before occupation, both countries lacked industrial power. Corvus had many production facilities, but no coal to fuel them. Meanwhile, the Cetan industry was heavily focused on their naval and maritime assets, which left little resources for the mainland population. Both of these problems would be solved under Antarean occupation, where the coal resources that Corvus and Cetus fought over were now shared between all nations. The quality of life in Corvus improved drastically since they now had their coal, and Cetans living on the mainland enjoyed lower taxes and increased supplies of commodities.
Other occupied nations enjoyed other benefits, but they varied depending on their region and situation.
Military
See more in: Antares/Military
Antares is implicitly a heavily war-like and militarized state; the military strength of Antares is certainly a source of pride for citizens, with Antareans taught to treat military service as a source of honor. As a result of this, Antares is likely considered a military juggernaut not only in Centaura but also in Forma itself.
Engagements
| OPPOSING FORCES | MAPS |
|---|---|
 Empire of Cetus
|
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 Kingdom of Aquila
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 Dominion of Vega
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Gallery
Classes
Equipment
 Antares Imperium
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Weapons | Handguns | Sub E/XCV | |
| Rifles | E/VIII | ||
| Submachine guns | E/XV | ||
| Shotguns | Shaker | ||
| Melee | Club • Southern Ensis | ||
| Special weapons | E/I Anti-Tank Rifle • Flamethrower • Mortar | ||
| Utilities | Grenades | Grenade • Smoke Grenade | |
| Support | Bandage | ||
| Miscellaneous | Uniforms | Antarean Uniforms | |
Trivia
- Though just a presumption, it is likely that Antares' major focus on warfare and military is related to their god Scorpius, who may be a very warfare-based god like Ares or Mars.
- Notably, Antares means "rival to Ares" in Greek.
- Antares is planned to appear in the most maps out of any nation other than Cetus, Corvus, and Columba. Currently, as of 3.5.1, Antares appears in the same number of maps as Cetus.
- The bloodline 'Tau' is based on the Greek letter of the same name.
- In ancient times, Tau was used as a symbol for life or resurrection, which is ironic considering that Antares would start the bloodiest conflict in Forman history.
- Antares, along with Vega, are the only two nations in Forma that are named after stars rather than constellations.
- Ananteria, the nation's capital, is named after the Ananteris Scorpion, a species of scorpions found within South America.
- Before Ananteria, the capital was named Skorpius. It was renamed as, according to HandsNDeck, it would be confusing for people to see Antares have a capital, god, and constellation all named Skorpius.
References
- ↑ We can assume this sentence refers to the fact that totalitarian/fascist states often control the populace by forcing them to give up many rights and freedoms in exchange for loyalty and what they consider overall good.