Introduction to Haor Chall

Capital: Xi Char
Official Language: Chall
National Languages: Chall, Mercanti
National Animal: the Droidika
National Religion: No official state religion (Xi Char is the majority religion)
Demonym: Charrian
Government: Dictatorship
The Council of the Majestic Tweleve
Legislature: the Senate
(unicameral, Senators are appointed by the Majestic Twelve)
Establishment: 1987 (as the Majestic Twelve) 1874 (as the Haor Chall Republic)
Currency: the Ambrosia ($)

Overview:
"Ipsa scientia potestas est. (Knowledge itself is power)." - Majestic 12 (Deus Ex)

The Majestic Twelve of Haor Chall is a dictatorship, commonly categorised as a “Libertarian Police State”, in Meterra, the North Pacific. Haor Chall has an estimated population of over 16 billion and covers an area of approximately 600,000 square kilometres. Although political freedoms are tightly controlled, the population has extensive civil liberties and economic freedoms in how they live their own lives.

Haor Chall is a highly developed country, with a high national GDP of almost $3700 trillion and per capita GDP of roughly $220 thousand. The economy is fuelled by high productivity in an extensive industrial base, and a free market economy that encourages heavy industries and exporting of manufactured goods.

The landscape of Haor Chall is barren and inhospitable, in a large part due to the considerable pollution from industry and agriculture.

History:
"The individual may be remembered, but the organisation persists and thrives. A single artist, a single general, a single hero or a single villain may all die, but it is impossible to kill a people, a nation, an idea - except when that idea has grown weak and is overpowered by one that is stronger."
- The Doctrine of the Mighty by the Majestic Council of the Twelve (Deus Ex)

Historical records show that prior to the mid-1800s Haor Chall had been ruled by number of different monarchical and feudal systems. The last monarch to sit on the throne, King Gregorus IV, was overthrown during the Haor Challian Civil War. Lasting until 1874 the conflict was incredibly costly, both in human and economic terms. Eventually rising from the ashes of the war, the new Haor Chall Republic not only saw a huge extension in the democratic franchise, the abolition of slavery and an entirely new constitutional system but it also marked a significant moment in the industrialisation and the creation of a new national religion.

Unknown at the time, it also had sown the seeds of the future regime. The titans of the new industrial era gathered in great secrecy and formed a secret society determined to prevent a return into the chaos and horror of the civil war and to preserve the economic wealth and success which the industrial revolution had brought them. This secret group would eventually become the Majestic Twelve...

For many years the new democracy flourished and the economy of Haor Chall boomed, leading to its growth as a world power. An extended political crisis in the 1980s, less than a decade after the centennial commemorations of the Civil War, saw a President forced to resign and an unprecedented emergency election. Following the elections, the still deadlocked legislature could not agree a budget resulting in a shutdown of the national government for over 12 months. Combined with a severe economic downturn, the political situation resulted in widespread civil unrest and rioting, practically unprecedented in Haor Challian history. Increasingly divisive political rhetoric saw some even calling for the return of the monarchy.

The historical record does not show what actions were taken by the Majestic Twelve during this period to try and restore some semblance of effective government, but despite its members owning significant parts of the defence, communications and technology sectors and holding considerable influence in government, they were clearly not successful in breaking the deadlock. Recognising the immense damage being done to the influence of Haor Chall and its future prosperity, the secret society finally moved into the open. Following mass riots in the city of Charros, which left hundreds dead, what was initially believed to be a military coup took place in the early hours of June 2 1987. However, it soon became clear the military were not taking control for themselves, instead placing a group of unidentified businessmen and industrial tycoons in command of the nation.

Astonishingly, by the end of July the chaos was at an end. The military, backed by private security firms, established order and quickly the civil authorities and police forces fell in line. Those who questioned too loudly, particularly those who had been members of the old legislature, were executed and the new regime had made clear its intent. The dangers of anarchy could only be prevented by an authoritarian government, but one that was nevertheless committed to maintaining the historic civil liberties of the Haor Chall Republic. Appearingly slightly paradoxical to outsiders, the new dichotomy was swiftly picked up by the population who seemed to appreciate the ability to live their lives largely as they wanted, the only limits being on political and economic freedom. Private industry, assured that the new regime had no interest in anything other than prosperity and profit, was also quickly on side.

Since then the Council of the Majestic Twelve has ruled Haor Chall, allowing significant personal freedoms for the population but preventing any say in the political sphere and allowing a great deal of autonomy to the largest industrial and technological corporations and conglomerates.

Geography:
“Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.”
- Dune, Frank Herbert

[TO DO]

Demographics:
“The history of the human race has been one long succession of conspiracies. To deceive ourselves, we call the successful conspiracies "governments." – Stanton Dowd (Deus Ex)

[TO DO]

Government:
"Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven" – Paradise lost, John Milton

Little is known in the outside world about the leaders of Haor Chall, other than it is a shadowy cabal which rules with a dictatorial and often merciless approach. Called the Council of the Majestic Twelve, named for its (assumed) 12 members and often referred to by foreign intelligence agencies as MJ12, none of the individual members of the Council have confirmed identities. A highly secretive body, the Council of the Majestic Twelve claims to be a meritocracy, its members drawn from the small but efficient central bureaucracy that manage the nation. However, owing to it's origins it is quite likely to include some public figures such as senior military officers or CEOs of the largest Challian corporations. Accordingly some foreign intelligence agencies have speculated about the identity of the current members of the Council, paying close attention to the movements of certain CEOs and other individuals, but have never been able to confirm whether they were one of the 12 - only adding to conspiracy theorists ideas.

The government prioritises defence and law and order, as the principal duties of the state. Private industry is supported, with the government particularly interested in technology and arms manufacturing. Not all technology development is military-focussed however, and both the medical and communications industries are considered important to government interests. Due to the opaqueness of the MJ12, it is not possible to say how many of Haor Challs largest firms are actually run by members of its governing council, but clearly the majority – if not all – are represented within its members. This does occasionally cause international tension; Haor Chall is a leader in defence and communications technology and many of its leading companies are multi-national corporations, owning stakes in foreign companies and doing business across the globe. Some conspiracy theorists maintain that the Majestic Twelve are just a facet of the “illuminati” and have members, spies and influence around the entire world. This is just fanciful nonsense of course, without any corroborative evidence.

Domestically, the well-equipped police force and a very capable intelligence service, maintain law and order. Youth-related crime is particularly low, which is also attributed to the progressive social policies and education system. Public dissent is rare and quickly supressed by the so-called “Men in Black” from the intelligence services, often informed by the internet monitoring systems known only as the Aquinas Protocol.

Military:
"If black helicopters were really being used for 'covert' operations, then those responsible are doing a poor job of it." - Joseph Manderley, Midnight Sun Newspaper (Deus Ex)

The Haor Chall armed forces are overall reasonably sized (although small relative to the size of the nation), well equipped and highly trained. The Air Force and Navy are the best funded of the forces, with the Army having the smallest budget. Although lacking in pure numbers compared to many other nations, this is compensated for through high-end equipment and a nuclear deterrent (maintaining the full triad of nuclear capabilities). Non-nuclear strike capabilities are provided through submarine carried cruise missiles and several classes of aircraft, including stealth bombers.

Haor Chall has not fought in an international conflict since the rise to power of the Majestic Twelve. Only the Navy has seen overseas operational service, in disaster relief and anti-piracy/smuggler interdiction operations. Whilst their forces have therefore not seen battle, the Navy and Air Force regularly conduct training exercises for conventional conflict. Although the Army does possess heavy armour formations, the only Army exercises above Company level are focussed on support to civil authorities and counter-insurgency rather than conventional fighting.

Although the Challian armed forces are well motivated and highly trained, their training is unusual in its focus compared to most other nations. All Challian sailors, soldiers and airmen are trained to maintain and repair the most commonly used equipment. An emphasis on engineering and maintenance is pervasive and takes up almost half of the basic training time for both officers and enlisted ranks. Dedicated engineering branches are smaller than most militaries, as the remit of expert engineers is considered to be only very specialised equipment (e.g. jet engines, nuclear reactors, etc). Therefore, from the normal military perspective “highly trained” may be a misnomer, although it will be difficult to know until their armed forces experience real combat.

Para-military units within the Internal Security Directorate (ISD) are used to support local law enforcement and ensure the security of the regime. Often referred to as "men in black" by Challians, the full range of capabilities held by the ISD are highly classified.

Economy:
“We have a great number of agencies, who in turn operate other agencies. Boxes stacked one in another… but we never touch anything directly. We only influence. Suggest. Insinuate.” – Morgan Everett (Deus Ex)

Haor Chall is a developed economy with a high technology base. Principal industries include arms manufacturing, information technology, automobile manufacturing and uranium mining. Heavy industry and manufacturing sectors are significantly larger parts of the economy than agriculture or basket weaving. Domestic consumption is relatively low, and many manufacturing firms are multinationals, exporting Challian products across the globe. There are historical/cultural reasons for the national emphasis on manufacturing, which has been of great benefit in the early industrialisation period but consequently Haor Chall relies substantially on imported food products to support the population. The domestic agriculture industry is also heavily reliant on immigrant labour, as are large parts of the service sectors. The heavy industry and manufacturing sectors are significant polluters and Haor Chall does have a reputation as one of the least environmentally sound nations (perhaps relatedly, the tourism sector is incredibly small)

Interestingly, one of most contentious aspects of recent years has been the increased automation of manufacturing. Viewed as breaking the link between workers and God, by removing them from the front end of the manufacturing process; Haor Chall was a slow adopter of automation – a significant factor in the 1980s recession. Modern, more moderate, interpretations of Xi drawing on well-established views of management (managers are believed to share in the success of their workers and then blessed by their ability to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in production), now consider the oversight of automated assembly to still be a direct part of the creation process in the same way as managers and corporate leaders are. This has allowed Haor Chall to return to the forefront of manufacturing, although several major corporations remain “artisan” engineers producing high quality goods without the high levels of automation seen elsewhere.

Haor Chall has a positive trade balance and is a key exporter of technology and high end manufactured goods to the rest of the world, Challian craftsmanship widely seen as the gold standard in these products. There are government restrictions on the export of certain catagories of high-end military and communications technology however. The majority (~55%) of imports are food and related products with, the next largest sector of imports being oil and gas. Although it does not have a trade deficit, its dependency on imports for both food and oil does leave Haor Chall vulnerable to shocks in the international markets for these goods, which are essential to the continued functioning of the economy.

Power generation is largely reliant on nuclear power (~65%), although fossil fuels (~25%) and renewables (10% - mainly two large hydroelectric plants) all contribute to electricity generation. Haor Chall does generate more electrical power than is normally consumed and could therefore become an exporter of energy to neighbouring states, although the Majestic Twelve have so far declined to do so.

Religion & Culture:
“The deity is in the details” – Xi Char religious saying (Star Wars)

The principal religion in Haor Chall is called Xi Char, often referred to as the Tenets of Xi and known as the Order of Xi, or just Xi for short, and from which the capital city takes its name. The head of the Order of Xi is known as the Prelate.

The religion has its historical roots in the feudal era but evolved during the Industrial Revolution taking its early ideals to a new extreme. In Xi Char, it is believed that the universe and all the beings within it were created in the foundries of the Gods. They believe that it is therefore possible to glimpse the afterlife through the creation of new machines. The industrial era, with its increasing precision and perfection of manufacturing techniques, led to a new devotion to industry – as through labour in the factories the workers could become closer to the world beyond. Hard work was the same as prayer to Xi Charrians and those who could not work were shunned or even exiled.

The fanaticism of the Civil War era has largely died out and most Challians are moderates in their religion, the government is supportive of religious tolerance and there are small minorities of other religions within Haor Chall. Nevertheless, factories still double as the cathedrals of Haor Chall and an obsessive approach to the details is always seen as a virtue rather than a vice.