Redistani Life
Fresh Off The Boat
If you're a new player, Reborn's setting can be somewhat daunting to get into. With a focus on allowing players to expand the world of Redistan, getting into the game now can be overwhelming as there is simply so much to learn. You should always ask someone in game to educate you on something if you don't know, especially the wealthy and noble. They're well educated and often willing to share that knowledge. The tourists, especially.
However, you or others might feel it is somewhat 'immersion' breaking when you don't understand basic facts about the setting. As such, this page serves to introduce some of the commonly known truths of Redistan. This is not an exhaustive list, the only way to know everything is to go out and learn it yourself.
Of course, you can always just jump in and ignore this giant document. If you've got confidence, you'll make it out just fine. Roles can be found here.
The Primer
In the times before, in the year 063BBC, GREAT LEADER brought upon Redistan a glorious triumph. A society stuck entirely underground for all of recorded history, unable to face the shame of the blue sky above, finally triumphing over nature itself by blocking out the disgusting blue skies above with thick layers of ashen smoke. The very light in the air turned a glorious deep red under The Cloud's watchful gaze. The people of Redistan could finally marvel at the wonders of the surface without distress. This short period of the colonisation of New Redistan was quickly disturbed by the calls of war. Blusnia could not bare to see the very light itself turn red. All out war was waged over the surface. Conscripts were raised. The Redcoat and Bluecoat armies marched on one another, signalling the beginning of the Great War for the Surface, a 16 year period of devastating trench warfare that ended in a crushing defeat for Blusnia, with a 46% battle loss rate, in the fine year 047BBC. Attrition had taken its toll and Blusnia retreated back to its core territories, leaving the colonists of New Redistan to recuperate their losses from the war.
The Interwar period was long and fraught with conflict. Without full mobilisation, border conflicts were constant and unending. Neither side dared do more than probe the other, testing their weakness. Although the constant ash cloud enveloping New Redistan actively shredded the engines of any Blusnian bombers stupid enough to get close, the Blusnian shelling campaigns proved an unending source of stress for the colonists. Despite their constant adversity, the wonders of surface life were simply too many to give up. Real flour, real milk, real sunlight! It all seared their underground-accustomed eyes and skin in the most unimaginably perfect way possible. 44 years passed without major conflict. The death tolls climbed, the colonists lost much, but neither side would mobilise. The patch of uninhabitable land that was the New Redistani/Blusnian border, once a small gash of scar tissue in the land, barely wider than a billboard, had now grown to over 500 metres across. Forgotten soldiers, lost helmets, discarded landmines and failed bombs littered the lands between. The fields served as a museum, showcasing the slow but steady improvements both nations had made to their arsenals over the past four decades. Each side was no longer reliant on ancient surplus, but had instead constructed designs of their own. One contemporary soldier was now equivalent in firepower to ten Great War soldiers.
In 003BBC, Redistan, having now come close to depleting the forests of New Redistan, was sure to face a crisis. Without unending material to burn, The Cloud would surely break up! The horror of the blue sky above would reveal itself once more! With science being too slow to answer, there was only one choice. The disgusting emerald jungles of the filthy wine drinking, snail and cheese eating Greenlanders. The giant Greenland trees would be brought back and incinerated. The Redistanis had exploited the wood of the roots for so long. Now they could finally take the trunks. Whatever they couldn't take back, they would raze.
Greenland was rife with vibrant Green foliage, rich Blue skies and clear, deep azure water. It was something out of a horror book. From the Redcoats army, a sizeable division of patriots willing to endure the torture of the blue sky were sent to reclaim the jungle for Redistan. With captured Blusnian tilt-rotors, now finally usable when not in an airspace of pure ash, the loyal 5th & 4th Volunteer Redistani Patriot Divisions made their way onward to a self-assured victory, flanked by napalm dropping Redistani tilt-rotors, flying low enough to trim the hedges. Typically neutral to both, sharing a border with the New Redistanis had made the Greenlanders paranoid. Decades of preparation and training for an invasion by an overwhelming force, as well as begrudging proxy support from the Blusnian government in the form of trainers and munitions, made the Greenland war from a patriotic stomp to a devastating crawl through thousands of miles of infested jungle, both bug and frog.
The Blusnians knew an opportunity when they saw one. With the most dedicated and loyal of Redistan's troops otherwise occupied, Mr. President O. Obluma realised the border forces could be ground down and the filthy Redistani colonists behind them could finally be put down. Pushing against the frigid North-Eastern New Redistani/Blusnian border, the full mobilisation of the Bluecoats signaled the start of the Cold Hot War. Committed to the defensive, the Redcoats forced hard to move from their posts for very long. Both sides spent the war exchanging the same pieces of land over and over until the border towns and bases they fought so desperately over were little more than fields of snowed in rubble, covered in tattered Red and Blue rags and paint. Three years into the conflict,--the war in Greenland still ongoing, however looking unfortunate for the Greenlanders--, the Redistanis discovered what,--were religion not illegal--, could only be described as a miracle. Redspace, the very fabric of reality itself, or so scientists at the time claimed. Such a finding could put an end to the war just by its own merits. But the Blusnians were a backwards people and it was a well known fact that they would refuse to listen to reason. The Warp Corps were established. The very next day, roughly fifty thousand brave new Volunteers were reported MIA. Their sacrifice, however, was not in vain. Many of the Warp Corps squads had managed to make it to Blue York, the revolting Blusnian Capitol. One such squad had even made it into the Blusnian National House of Government, once a 'grand' house of opera.
President Obluma was famously made to sign a Declaration of Total Surrender, WITH A RED PEN. He had saved his own life, as well as much of his cabinet's, at the cost of his people's sovereignty. Redistani troops marched for Blusnia as the period of occupation was set to begin. The fighting continued as dissident Blusnian platoons refused life under the Redistani boot and disregarded their leader's orders to surrender. In Greenland, the war continually looked worse and worse for the Greenlanders, as the Blusnian support quickly left and the munitions shipments dried up. Spirits were high in Redistan and New Redistan alike, as the Great Enemy had finally been conquered.
A week and a half later, as the occupying forces got more and more out of control, looting from, destroying the homes of and murdering the Blusnians they had so long considered below them, a debate still fiercely raged throughout the halls of the Crimson Court, the seat of GREAT LEADER in THE CAPITAL. What was to be done with Blusnia? With former President Obluma in captivity, yet alive and a war that was thought to be impossible to win won, the nation's dreams had been achieved. It was a question that didn't need to be answered. No one is quite sure why it hadn't happened sooner, but that very day nuclear warhead equipped missiles erupted from their hiding places in the ground, destined for the now sprawling colonial cities of New Redistan. It is said the first Blusnian missile didn't even detonate, it simply crushed an orphanage. Retaliation was swift, but ultimately pointless. The occupying troops were told to find cover as Redistani warheads came hurtling towards them, but many refused, taking as many Blusnians with them as they could. Those whom could, retreated back underground, to the old country. For most, it was too late. For many, they didn't see the point of returning when they had spent their entire life above ground.
Although New Redistan was lost, the Blusnian menace could once and for all be considered extinct. This was christened the Great Triumph, a momentous occasion signalling the end of Eternal War with Blusnia.
This brings us 40 years later, to the time of Reborn. GREAT LEADER lives, ruling Redistan righteously from THE CAPITAL in the western reaches of Redistan. Redistan still stands, but it finds itself in a state of turmoil. Without an external threat such as the Blusnians, a small minority of people find themselves questioning the harshness of GREAT LEADER's rule. These people are collectively known as Separatists. Most simply want to separate themselves from GREAT LEADER, form a Redistan of their own. Others, in the extreme minority, reject their Red identity entirely, pronouncing themselves to be the successors of the Blusnian state. Infighting is common amongst Separatists as they all have differing ideas on what they want to achieve. While small uprisings were common over the past four decades, it is only now that it has become problematic. A large scale uprising was attempted in Eastern Redistan two years ago and although it was extremely bloody for all sides involved, it ultimately failed. Last year, one of the Great Five Cities, Redlin, was reduced to rubble after months of fighting. Although it was thought the destruction in Redlin would have an adverse affect on many Redistani people, pre-existing conceptions about the city made most write it off as 'inevitable'. Regardless, the Separatist threat in Redistan is very much still alive and not to be underestimated.
The Date
Redistani time is measured differently to Earth time. On Earth, time is measured by the position of the sun. Of course, being underground for centuries, the Redistanis have no sun to measure their time by. Blusnians measured their time in a different way which will not be described here.
Time in Redistan runs on a 2 hour 'shift' system. Citizens are expected to be awake for an hour and a half and be productive during this time. They have a half hour to sleep before the next shift begins. It is believed by sleeping in patterns like this that maximum human productivity can be achieved. There are 10 shifts, in one day. This makes a day 20 hours long. A day is arbitrary to most citizens, it is simply a method of keeping track of time. Similarly, there are 10 shifts in a week. A week is 200 hours long.
In a year, there are 46 weeks. This number is of great patriotic meaning to the Redistani people. There are 9200 hours in a Redistani year.
This means there are 460 Redistani Days in a year. This is equivalent to 383 Real Life days. A real year is 8770 hours long.
This means that every 20 Redistani years is actually one real life year ahead.
A 20 year old Red is actually 21 in Earth years.
A 40 year old Red is actually 42 in Earth years.
A 60 year old Red is actually 63 in Earth years.
And so on.
THE FORMAT:
Date format is also unique from ours.
Redistani dates are formatted as following:
YYY/WW/DD(SS)
SS stands for shift. The shift parenthesis part of the date can typically be omitted, as it is not typically relevant.
Alternative formats include
DD(SS)/WW/YYY
and the ever awful
WW(SS)/YYY/DD
Year will usually be accompanied by a signifier of the period.
Currently, there are two. PGT and BBC.
PGT is standard time. The current year is 040PGT. Some may just write it as 040 or informally '40.
BBC stands for Before Blusnian Capitulation. It is counted backwards. The year 010BBC is ten years before the fall of Blusnia. It is not correct to write such a date as -010PGT, but some like to do it regardless.
It has been 87 Redistani years since the end of the Great War.
The Truths
Some factoids/terms to help you settle in.
- GREAT LEADER: Just as it is THE CAPITAL, not The Capitol or The Capital, his name is GREAT LEADER. It is not a title. It is a name.
- Don't Be A Blue: Don't. They're all dead. You'll be too, if you try to imitate them.
- Cars don't exist: Cars do not exist in Redistani society. The concept has been observed, as the Blusnians enjoyed them, but Redistani transport relies on rail, ocean and foot. If you're not getting around by train/tram/boat, you're walking.
- Real world religions do not exist: Religions we are familiar with do not exist. The concept of religion outside of worshipping Red and Great Leader does not exist in the common Redistani citizen's mind. Worshipping another God besides Great Leader does not happen because there are no other God's to worship. There are secular Saints, great figures that are cherished, but they are not worshipped like Red and Great Leader are.
- Bureaucracy is a lifeline: Without your paperwork, you do not exist. Hold it tightly.
- The Redcoat Army: Also known as The Redcoats. The former standing army of Redistan during the Great Wars. Disbanded after the Great Triumph, after which all of Redistan's enemies were no longer.
- The Peace Corps: The internal volunteer army of Redistan. Currently the largest branch of the military, serving as both a martial police force and loyalist infantry force against the Separatists. Members of the Peace Corps are known as Peacekeepers.
- The Separatists: A term that loosely groups hundreds of individual schools of thought. Some believe the government isn't cruel enough. Others want independence to form a Red state of their own. Some are just plain insane. They all have one thing in common, though. They all eat babies.
- The Italians: The Post-Italians are not foreigners. They are simply Redistan's only ethnic minority. Although many may consider them lesser, an Italian is still a million times better than a Blusnian, because an Italian is a Redistani all the same.
The World
There are many regions in Redistan. As the Region you were born in is now selectable, it is a gameplay mechanic too. It can be worth coming up with a plausible backstory for your character, as you may be questioned on your home locale should you ever venture through the gate. The 'Great Five' cities were once THE CAPITAL, St. Redersburg, Redlin, Redbury and Redbourne. This is not an exhaustive list of the regions in Redistan, only the ones that appear in the character creator.
THE CAPITAL - A sprawling, stacked mess of a city. Endless, heaped slums hug the coasts and ports of the city with some of them, such as the Spaghetto, becoming what is essentially a self contained city. Gargantuan elevators transport cargo and people to the upper levels, housing the hundreds of Ministries and other organisations keeping the necrotic bureaucratic heart of Redistan pumping. Society here is quite stratified, as various tiers of Nobility restrict the upper levels entirely to themselves. The majority of Redistan's nobility lives here, enjoying a life of joyful ignorance and endless entertainment. A particularly popular pass time here is show business. Nobles love their matinees. It would take an entire week to reach THE CAPITAL by boat from where Reborn takes place.
St. Redersburg - The quietest big city in Redistan, St. Redersburg is seen as a giant retirement home more than anything else. This city is located close to THE CAPITAL and as such, has no slums. It evicts all its poor people to the Spaghetto. Most people from here are the children of nobles, grew up servicing them or were taken in as apprentices by bored retirees.
Greater Western Redistan - The region between THE CAPITAL and Redlin. It's a commoner's land, full of smaller port cities. The main exports here are white collar and mining work.
Redlin - Formerly the industrial heart of Redistan, located smack dab in the middle of the P. Sea. Always seen as a den of villainy and general crime. The Battle of Redlin, the bloodiest battle to occur on core Redistani soil, happened here over the course of 3 months in 039PGT, leaving the city in a mostly unusable state. Rather than rebuild it, it was decided that the city would be easily converted into the world's largest prison, perfect for incarcerating all the surrendering forces who miraculously survived the Battle of Redlin. All hail Lord Warden Chadwick Warmonger XIV, first of his name and heir to the Warmonger Rifle Company fortune.
Great Central Agricultural Sector - A sprawling brick of stacked hydroponic farms. The majority of Great Central City hosts little more than apartment complexes for hydroponic technicians.
Sir Redford Fungal Plains - Formerly a great fungal forest. Redistan's appetite for warm bungalow interiors exhausted the forests. Now the wood is harvested from the roots of gargantuan trees peaking through the cave roof. The least populated region in the nation.
Redbury - Known as the Party Capital of the planet and formally split into East and West Redbury for administrative purposes, this city enjoys a strangely warm microclimate and is host to the majority of Redistan's casinos. The hometown of famed gambler Mr. Redz, although mysteriously, he hasn't been seen there in months. Also home to the Colovian Canal, pathway to the North Redistani Sea and the fetid, sparsely populated Northern Tropics.
The Redbury Salt Flats - Geographically part of the Great Leone Desert. Bureaucratically separate. Dubbed The Boneyard by some, as debts are always settled out on the salt flats.
Great Leone Desert - An artifical sun of unknown design keeps the Great Leone in eternal sunset. Caveboys were just fantasy, until people began mimicking them. A turbulent region. Birth AND death place of the Higgins Brothers gang.
Greater Redbourne Area - Once of immense military and strategic value, many of the installations now lay dormant. Many real estate developers see these abandoned bunkers as perfect real estate, for whatever reason. The game is set in this region.
Redbourne - Known as the Great Red Jewel of the East, Redbourne is a shithole. Tensions are high here as people believe 'the next Battle of Redlin' is about to take place. Peacekeepers patrol the streets in higher numbers than ever and terrorism is on the rise as firebombs become a way of life. Although it is the closest city, it is still a two hour trip by boat from the Bunker, so don't expect any quick visits. With the second largest port and population in the nation, the Redbourne city motto is 'We're Here Too'.
New Redistan - The surface colonies of Redistan. Destroyed in the Great Triumph. Your character must be 40 or older to come from here. The sky was red. It was beautiful.
