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Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia - Igiss - 10-05-2010
We take a break from events that happened in Sirius in 818 A.S., prior to Discovery 4.86 release. This post will be dedicated to the origins and current agenda of varions groups and factions of Gallia. It will continue the series of storyline-related announcements for Discovery Freelancer 4.86 that is still being developed by our Dev Team. Previous story posts can be found here:
Discovery 4.86 Storyline: Tau Conquest
Discovery 4.86 Storyline: Kusari in 818 A.S.
Discovery 4.86 Storyline: Bretonia in 818 A.S.
There are ten major factions responsible for the bulk of space activities in the Core Worlds and Border Worlds of Gallia. Since Discovery 4.86 will include the systems of Gallic Core Worlds, players will get much more information on various groups of Gallia. This particular post features more information on the origins of Gallic Royal Navy, Police, and their arch rival, the Council; tells more about the role and business prospects of Gallic corporations; allows to look into the history of Gallic Brigands, Maquis and Unione Corse. A new faction that was not present in 4.85 - Solar Engineering - is revealed. Solar plays an important role in space trade and station construction in the Core Worlds, and has an agenda of its own that few are aware of (and which will be explained in further detail in future versions of Discovery).
Most dates in the post are in AGS format (After Gallic Settlement). Since New Paris was settled 84 years after Manhattan, A.S. date can be (roughly) derived from AGS by adding 84 years to the latter. Longevity of the year is the same in both chronologies.
To access the story post from the forum's front page or from the website, use the following link:
Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia
If you are browsing the forum, you should see it already as a second post of this thread (after this introduction). Feel free to say what you think and share your opinions!
Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia - Igiss - 10-05-2010
Gallic Royal Navy
The Army of Gallia was founded in 1 AGS, only a year and a half after Gallia Sleeper Ship landed on New Paris. The first Army detachments were to help the Police keep law and order within a diverse community of several thousand settlers. It took some time for Gallic settlers to make use of the space travelling technologies that they brought with them aboard the sleeper ship. It took until 31 AGS, before the first space detachment of the Army was formed, containing six fighters that were all brought from Earth. Within the next forty years, Gallia built its own ship production facilities, and in 76 AGS the Gallic Royal Navy, or GRN, became a separate branch of the military. At first, it was tasked with assisting in the exploration of the systems surrounding Ile-de-France. Potential alien presence could pose a threat to the new nation, and Royal Navy was to show that Gallia was prepared to counter an attack from space. It was not until about 200 AGS when the Alliance revenge concept was formulated by Gallic monarchs, and at about the same time the Navy finally had an actual enemy to fight in space, the pirates. The first space criminal groups arose, taking unwary civilian pilots completely off-guard since they did not expect any danger from other human-piloted ships. The GRN was the first force tasked to counter the threat while the Royal Police space division was being formed under Navy's supervision.
In 210 AGS, a new strategy that involved heavy investments into capital ship construction was adopted. This was the first step in the long-term plan to build up Gallia's might and counter the Houses of Sirius. In 269 AGS, the first Gallic battleship named the Majestueux was commissioned into Navy service. Rambouilette and later Fourchambault shipyards constructed the bulk of the Royal fleet of capital ships. Apart from fighting the pirates, the Navy had to fight two large-scale wars within Gallia, referred to as the First Gallic War and the Second Gallic War (the names were established after the second war broke out in 714 AGS). Stolen, captured and defected ships from the Navy formed the bulk of the enemy fleet in both of those wars. The experience gained in the First Gallic War was invaluable in building up the Navy to its modern state, and the Second Gallic War, despite the losses, helped to train numerous capable officers who now lead the Gallic fleets into Sirius.
In 572 AGS, Gallic scouts first met colonists from Siruis in Omicron Alpha, and in 588 AGS a Bretonian fighter pilot was captured in Tau-31. Since then, Gallic Royal Navy was specifically tasked with becoming an unstoppable invasion force. New types of weapons and ships were developed using the new information that the Junkers collected within different Sirius Houses. To delay the offensive and buy enough time to prepare it, Gallia isolated itself from the rest of Sirius. Even though the isolation was prematurely breached by the Council in 733 AGS, the current Navy by far outnumbers each military power of Sirius. It has over 500 battleships, 22,000 capital ships of other types, and close to half a million fighters. This figure is not significantly less than the fleets of Liberty, Bretonia, Kusari and Rheinland combined.
In addition to fighting wars, the Navy plays a prominent role in the political and social life of Gallia. Navy officers are known to be some of the most zealous conservatives in support of the monarchy. Yet the discovery of the Sirius colonies that made the future war almost inevitable also split the Navy into two opposing groups, with the minority supporting anti-isolationists. In 640-670 AGS, many of them chose to defect in order not to support the militaristic policy of the Crown. They were the ones who helped the Council steal and capture the first warships of the Council fleet. Despite these circumstances, the Navy retains the reputation of an honorable organization that was never subject to corruption accusations and never refused, directly or indirectly, to obey the orders of the monarch. The Navy is fully faithful to the old French Navy motto: Honneur, Patrie, Valeur, Discipline (Honour, Fatherland, Valour, Discipline).
Gallic Royal Police
The Gallic Royal Police is the primary law enforcement body of the House of Gallia. It was formed by edict of King Henry I in 1 AGS. According to the edict, the militia tasked to secure law and order in the new colony was renamed The Royal Police and became one of the governmental institutions of the new state. However, it was not until 186 AGS when the first space detachments of the Police appeared in Gallia. Their formation was in response to increasing criminal activity in Ile-de-France space.
The first space pirates appeared in Gallia circa 180 AGS. Nowadays it is impossible to determine who they were or how they managed to get a base of operations, ships and weaponry. Most historians agree that the pirates who started attacking civilian ships in 181-182 AGS were most probably former Navy pilots employed by the Unione Corse or another large criminal organization originating from New Paris. They managed to retrofit several civilian spacecrafts to carry a sizeable power supply and basic photon weaponry. At first, no one except the Navy had the firepower to counter the pirates. Some of the offenders' vessels were destroyed, but the effect was temporary. Every half a year or so, new pirate ships appeared, targeting civilian convoys both in remote areas of Ile-de-France and next to the planet itself. Therefore, the tasks of routine patrolling and escorting were handed over to the newly created space detachment within the Royal Police. Its first pilots originated from the Navy, but Police would soon start training its own pilots and build its own ships.
The role of the Police in the history of Gallia is a debatable subject even for those Gallic historians who are generally loyal to the Crown. On one hand, the Police did contribute to securing law and order in Gallic space. Police pilots saved many lives by preventing or fighting back the attacks of criminals and terrorists. On the other hand, the Police became known as one of the most corrupt institutions within the House. In the beginning of 600s, King Richard V launched a large-scale campaign against Police corruption and abuse, which showed some results. However, the effect was primarily limited to planetside operations where journalists could monitor how the Police officers do their jobs. In space, it was harder to control the police behavior. With no media poking around, many Police officers found alternative ways to compensate their dangerous profession. Many collaborated with criminals like the Unione Corse or the Gallic Brigands in order to stage deliberate attacks against certain convoys and later request the convoy owners to pay for protection. Many officers were personally involved with smuggling drugs and other restricted commodities.
Towards 650 AGS, the number of reports that indicated Police abusing its powers in space was so high that the Crown was pressed to take additional measures. In some of the more dangerous systems like Auvergne and Provence, Navy patrols were assigned to accompany or even fully replace the Police. However, the Police were a conservative institution that stubbornly opposed reform, and the government measures only had a limited effect. During the Second Gallic War, corporations and individuals willing to secure valuable cargo were ready to pay ridiculous compensations for protection in the chaotic environment of the warzone. The amounts of bribes went so high that some of the high-ranking Police officers without any family capital were able to purchase valuable property and businesses on New Paris and elsewhere. Several journalists who attempted to investigate the matter were killed in 724-727 AGS. The murders of this period were never solved.
Considering those facts, it is no surprise that the Royal Police have a reputation of a decayed and untrustworthy authority that is in need of reform. Yet, the public rarely notices that the majority of the Police pilots who patrol the space of Gallia are honest officers who do what they can to fulfill their duty to their nation, protect citizens from crime and violence, and bravely fight armed law breakers even in the situations when the foes have superior numbers and technology.
EFL Oil & Machinery
Unlike the colonies of Sirius, planets of Ile-de-France and other core systems of Gallia proved to have abundant supplies of oil. Utilizing nearly limitless oil deposits was more efficient for building up the new House than using other types of fuel and alternative means of generating energy. In 234 AGS (318 A.S.), a giant corporation named EFL Oil with significant share owned by the Crown, was formed to control all extraction, transportation, and processing of oil everywhere in Gallia. In 440 AGS, when space colonization was on the rise, EFL absorbed several large shipbuilding and engineering companies, becoming EFL Oil and Machinery S.A. (EFL). In its new state, the corporation was responsible for building many of the currently operating Gallic space stations, including several shipyards and space colonies. EFL, in cooperation with Ile-de-France Shipping, had also built the whole rapid space transportation system of Gallia that includes numerous jump gates and trade lanes.
Nowadays, EFL is the largest corporation in Gallia, with its total enterprise value estimating up to seventeen hundred billion credits, and number of employees reported as high as nine million. It is operating in virtually every field of the Gallic economy, both planetside and in space. In addition to building stations, the corporation is also one of the largest station operators in Gallic space. Despite the enormous damage caused by the Second Gallic War, EFL had sizeable reserves that were used to compensate for the losses. Yet, reserves are easily depleted, and the war is not yet over. Moreover, the Sirius invasion is now underway, which also puts the company under considerable strain due to its contracts with defense agencies and with the Royal Navy in particular. Other corporations operating in the Gallic space are either smaller, like IDF or Solar, or less dependent on the government, like GMS. EFL is often considered the symbol of the excessive involvement of the Crown in the Gallic economy, which makes the corporation a favoured target for terrorist groups like the Maquis. All those factors combined are expected to cause serious problems for the corporation's finances unless it undertakes a restructuring.
The space headquarters of EFL are located at Chartres Space Colony. Land headquarters, as with most other Gallic corporations, is located on New Paris.
Ile-de-France Shipping
Ile-de-France Shipping S.A. (IDF Shipping) was founded in 501 AGS (585 A.S.) and is currently the leading shipping company in the Gallic space, occupying over 55 percent of the civilian space transportation market. The Crown has a significant stake in IDF operations with a stock share of over 40 percent. The government prefers not to interfere in IDF operations unless it's necessary, but the situation has been changing since the start of the Second Gallic War when government representatives on the board of IDF started to lobby for increased participation of IDF with supplying the Navy. Today, the company's ships are frequently seen providing supplies for the rear outposts of the Sirius invasion fleet.
Ile-de-France Shipping was founded less than two years after Solar, but the companies are in no way related to each other. The only similarity is that both companies started operating in a complicated period of the First Gallic War, when the old shipping companies withdrew from the war zone and the government desperately needed new shippers to take their place. Unlike Solar, IDF chose the path of close cooperation with the Crown, which gave the company a huge head start. After the war, IDF started purchasing assets of competing companies and was able to organize several aggressive takeovers. However, IDF never achieved a near-monopolistic status within the space transportation market, unlike GMS who were able to almost completely monopolize space mining.
IDF Shipping is known to be one of the closest partners of EFL Oil and Machinery. IDF extensively participated in building the system of Gallic jump gates and trade lanes. Constructing the rapid space transportation systems was undertaken by EFL using technology borrowed from Sirius nations by the Junkers. IDF participated in the construction works and provided transport for huge lane and gate parts that EFL developed and built in its shipyards.
The land headquarters of IDF are located at New Paris, and Sarcelles Shipping Facility is considered the space headquarters of the company.
Gallic Metal Service
Gallic Metal Service S.A. (GMS) was formed in 314 AGS (398 A.S.) by merging several mining companies operating across Gallic space. Over the ages, it built over 25 mining facilities in Gallic space, some long scrapped, but many still operational. The group also acquired the space mining assets of other mining companies, most notably, Arcadia Materiaux Distribution. Gallic Metal Service mines and processes a wide array of mineable commodities available within Gallic space. Smaller mining companies also operate in Gallic space, but their share is no more than 5 percent of the market, while GMS controls over 95 percent. The corporation also has multiple mining and industrial assets on Gallic planets, but their market share planetside is much lower than in space.
With over 20 percent of its stake controlled by the government, GMS is a highly conservative organization that follows old traditions and provides extensive insurance and care for its employees and their families. While work on mining operations planetside and in space can be very dangerous, high salaries and extensive social services are attractive enough for many colonists who seek a better life and have no intentions of joining unlawful groups.
Government control over the stock of Gallic Metal Service does not mean that the corporation is actually under influence of the Crown. In fact, GMS is considered to be one of the more independent corporations that, along with Solar Engineering, provide some much-needed competition for EFL and IDF Shipping that are under close supervision of the Crown and have government representatives within their boards of directors. Notably, the Council does not consider the corporation its enemy, and would often avoid hostile contact when encountering GMS ships.
Land headquarters of GMS are located at New Paris. Roanne Production Facility in Lyonnais serves as the space headquarters for the company.
Solar Engineering
Solar Engineering S.A. (Solar) was formed by several young economists and lawyers on New Paris on January 1st, 500 AGS. The company aimed to become an alternative space construction supplier in Gallic space, something that was considered virtually impossible in the Gallic space industry market that was controlled by the government and large corporations. Solar succeeded in getting the much-needed connections with the Royal Navy, which secured several high-profile construction contracts that helped to build the strong foundation for the company. The company played a significant but not yet fully determined role in the final stages of the First Gallic War when some of the corporate representatives were spotted at negotiations with Normandy leaders, disguised as unrelated civilians. After the First Gallic War was over, the company started as a contracted builder of civilian space stations ordered by various parties. Today it also operates a large number of its own space stations, making it one of the most versatile space-based companies in Gallia, in some ways similar to EFL Oil and Machinery.
Solar Engineering appears to have unexpected insider sources of information within groups that won't usually affiliate themselves with any corporations. For example, in 686 AGS Solar announced the suspension of all its operations in Gallic Border Worlds. In less than 30 years, the Second Gallic War caused huge losses for all shippers and station operators working in the area. Solar used this situation for its own benefit, broadening its services around other Gallic systems. Still, Solar is significantly smaller than other large space-based corporations, mostly due to the much smaller size of its land-based operations. Total enterprise value of the corporation is over 8 times less than EFL, 5 times less than the value of GMS, and half the value of IDF Shipping.
The land-based headquarters of Solar are located on New Paris, while Compiegne Space Colony serves as space-based headquarters.
Council
The complete official name of the Council is the Council of National Unity and Liberation. This name is rarely used anywhere but the decrees issued by the faction's ruling body, the High Command.
The Council was officially founded in 645 AGS, but its history is traced directly back to the year 609 AGS when several democratic parties in Gallia joined to form the Gallic Liberation Movement. At that time, the society of Gallia was divided into two major parties because of the recent discovery of human colonies of Sirius sector, a discovery that was made public in 590 AGS. The majority supported the Crown in their efforts to isolate the House from Sirius, build up its military forces, and strike against the unprepared colonies of Sirius when the right moment came. This would not only allow Gallia to avenge the old betrayal at Sol, but would also grant Gallia the leading position among all other Houses and access to the vast resources of the sector. The minority supported the breach of isolation and establishing contacts with the governments of Sol. Among the voting part of the population, the proportions of the groups were about 5 to 1. The logical course of action for anti-isolationists was to try to reach Sirius on their own. However, at the time when the existence of Sirius was made public, the Navy had already taken all necessary precautions in order not to allow any unauthorized ships to slip through what would be the borderline of the Gallic Border Worlds, the jump hole leading from Languedoc into Tunisia (Orkney) and the jump hole leading from Lorraine into Berne (Omicron-80). Attempts to breach the blockade had failed, and attempts to find an alternate route ended in a failure as well. Political opposition in Gallia attempted to prevent and delay building up the mine fields by endorsing discussions within the society and in the parliament. After the failure, the most active anti-isolationists chose to regroup and form the Gallic Liberation Movement.
The Movement participated in the elections of 610 AGS and gained over 10 percent of seats in the Estates-General, which was a troubling sign for the Crown. Leaders of the Movement did not officially declare themselves as republicans intending to change the political regime. Yet, the Movement's main goal was reuniting with other Sirius houses and forming a partnership based on the principles of peace, economical freedom, and respect for civil rights. Achieving this goal without overthrowing the current dynasty was not an option, and those who voted for the Movement were well aware of this fact.
Towards 620 AGS, Gallic Liberation Movement faced increasing pressure from the government. The media refused to give time to the Movement's representatives. The voting results were manipulated, and Movement's representation in the parliament steadily decreased after each election. Yet King Henry VII, who succeeded popular King Richard V in 608 AGS, was a lackluster and indecisive monarch, which played in favour of the Liberation Movement. In 631 AGS, Henry VII resigned from his position and was succeeded by his son Louis IV, a young and charismatic leader. Preparing for the electoral campaign of 635 AGS, the King did all he could to discredit the Movement, but against all odds it still held a steady rating of over 18 percent. The King could not accept that result, and the secret services were ordered to set up voting manipulation in the Movement's favour. The night of the elections turned out to be a dramatic event, since initial results showed over 26 percent support for the Movement. While Movement leaders were celebrating their success, they were arrested and charged with electoral fraud. Actual results of the Movement were announced to be no more than 6%, which caused a public outrage. The Movement was accused of organizing demonstrations of its supporters who allegedly attacked the Police and provoked civil unrest in cities across Gallia. As a result, in 636 AGS the Movement was banned from Estates-General and the organization disbanded.
When the Movement was prohibited, its former members were split in two. Those who did not want to go out of the bounds of law joined other democratic parties and groups. Many did not see any more potential for fighting the government within the bounds of the law. They centered around several secret societies formed within the Movement in early 620s. Moderate societies were the ones that would later form the bulk of the Council. The more radical ones would form the Maquis movement. Towards 640 AGS, the groups worked together to gain more followers and accumulate finance to build a faction that could operate in space. To some extent, they were assisted by the Normandy separatists who were always interested in destabilizing the situation in Gallia.
At a large meeting held in 645 AGS on Planet Amiens, various Movement groups chose to unite into one, named the Council of National Unity and Liberation. Destruction of the mine barriers between Gallia and Sirius was declared as one of the primary goals of the group. At that time, the Maquis already formed a union of their own, but they elected to join the Council as well to get a head start with their space operations.
The Council used its vast resources to build its first bases, Macon and Vichy, and the basis of its fleet. The faction kept low-profile for over two decades, recruiting new followers, stealing ships and technology, and accumulating more currency reserves. The Maquis, who began to commit terrorist acts in the late 650s, were expelled from the Council, but close ties between the groups remained. Macon population grew steadily, as Council followers and even whole families abandoned Gallia and settled on Council bases. The Crown disregarded the threat at first, considering the Council as yet another pirate faction that started to operate in Gallic space. When it was clear enough that the Council were not a bunch of ordinary criminals, the government initiated a rumor that Council was a faction created as "training dummies" for the Royal Navy in order to prepare them for a real conflict in Sirius sector. Rumors of this sort were also used to explain the how the Council managed to steal four brand new cruisers from Fourchambalt Shipyard in 472 AGS. Crews of the cruisers actually chose to support the Council, and parts of the crew who stayed loyal to the Crown were forced to leave the ships.
But the promising start did not guarantee the Council's success. The faction went through a number of setbacks. The Navy, Police, and secret services never stopped hunting down Council agents both planetside and in space. As if that were not enough, there were serious complications in relations with other pirate groups. It took over 60 years to prepare for the inevitable all-out war with the Royal Navy. During all this time, the Council received continuous support from the Gallic public, businessmen, and politicians. Despite all the dangers, people found ways to help the Council. Many Navy personnel and some Police officers joined the group, often bringing with them their ships, weaponry and other possessions. Those people were officially recognized as traitors and would face capital punishment if caught. They however, mostly did not have a shadow of a doubt that they were the ones fighting and dying for the right cause.
Towards 710 AGS, the Council was almost ready to start the war in order to take control of the mine paths into Sirius. However, they needed at least one populated planet under their control to replenish resources, recruit more men, and get a permanent base for maintaining ships and building up the fleet. Marne was the obvious choice. Social situation on Marne was extremely complicated, but the government never seemed to care. In 710 AGS, a worker rebellion provoked by the Council started on the planet. Shortly afterwards, Council openly attacked the Navy, and the Second Gallic War has started.
Currently, the Council is the second most powerful military force in Gallia after the Navy. The Council is physically split into two groups. The population of Champagne managed to build heavy fortifications during the war that GRN fleets would be unable to breach without suffering losses unacceptably high in the time of Sirius invasion. The Council fleet of Languedoc, the group that actually overtook Montpellier, and paid a significant cost for accomplishing the Council's goal of breaching the isolation, fled to Orkney and then to Rousillon and now builds up their own defenses to protect their new home from the Navy that would sooner or later reach them. The Second Gallic War has not ended, but the conflict has not weakend Gallia nearly as much as the Council expected. The Royal Navy has not used all its power to fight the Council, and has no plans to sacrifice its men to drive the faction out of its fortified bastions. The Navy also feels sufficiently defended from the Council in Champagne and elsewhere, since their casualties in Languedoc were so high that they are no longer a threat for the Navy in open combat, at least, not for the next few years. The Council's reputation was also severely compromised during the years of the war. Like any war, the Second Gallic War was accompanied by atrocities from both sides, but the public's attention was inevitably drawn to the Council's shortcomings.
Despite all odds, the Council has now achieved its goal of breaching the isolation of Gallia from Sirius, and it is not going to surrender. One day, they believe, there will be a chance that Sirius nations and the Council will stand united against the Royal Navy. And when that day comes, their dream of the democratic Republic of Gallia may start coming true.
Maquis
The Maquis are the distant successors of the radical groups that existed within the Gallic Liberation Movement since about 624 AGS. They considered peaceful parliamentary debates to be fruitless and disgraceful, considering terrorist acts and assassinations to be acceptable means of political struggle. After the Movement was disbanded in 636 AGS, the radicals gained many more followers. In 645, they joined the newly formed Council, but kept their distance from the rest of the faction. By that time they were already referring to themselves as "Maquis." They organized several successful political assassinations, and came into contact with the large criminal unions like the Unione Corse. In 656-658 AGS, the Maquis set up a series of massive explosions that killed over two thousand civilians in the cities of New Paris, Orleanais and Bourges. This harmed the Council reputation so much that all Maquis were been expelled from their home faction and had to seek new bases of operation, although the two groups did not become enemies as many expected at the time. The Maquis were prepared to start on their own, gradually evolving into a sophisticated group of politically-inclined pragmatists and fortune seekers.
For a period of time between 660 AGS and 710 AGS, the Maquis focused on piracy, contraband and dealing drugs much more than on political terrorism. They established strong ties with the Corse and, to a lesser extent, other pirate factions. They accumulated significant capital that they used for building ships and bases in various regions of Gallia. Generally, even the low-ranking Maquis are quite wealthy compared to members of other pirate groups. Towards the Second Gallic War, the Maquis were an organized and highly motivated force that was able to assist the Council in many notable events of the war. Unlike the Brigands, the Maquis pilots fought the Navy fearlessly alongside the Council ships, and usually operated under the same command as the Council ships. The Maquis also returned to their terrorist activities on Gallic stations and planets, but all their attacks were targeting military and corporate targets. They no longer attempt to attack civilian targets and avoided civilian casualties, concentrating the attacks on off-world facilities and ships.
Like the Council, the Maquis do not have a base that can be considered their headquarters. Locations of the Maquis leaders are mostly unknown, but most of them are rumored to be staying at Planet Marne and at Chambery.
Unione Corse
A highly organized criminal group that follows traditions of Corsican mafia of Earth, the Union Corse is known for strict secrecy among its members, and access to nearly limitless resources, including support of high-ranked government officials. The group was formed circa 100-110 AGS on Planet New Paris, and has since expanded into all the populated planets of Gallia, becoming the oldest of the currently operating large organized criminal groups. From about 350 AGS, the Unione Corse operate in space as well as planetside. The Corse are mostly interested in black market trade and rarely rely on brute force. Still, their pilots are among the most skilled in the Gallic space, and in those cases when they do engage civilian transports in order to borrow the valuables they are carrying, corporate escorts rarely stand a chance against Corse raiders. The Corse don't put much trust in other pirate groups and deal with them only out of necessity, in many cases acting as bounty hunters and taking out the most dangerous pirates at request of their government protectors or corporate sponsors. The Maquis are possibly the only Gallic group whom Corse respect to some extent, either for their connections with the Council, or for avoiding the spheres of illegal activity that Corse are trying to control themselves.
Corse do not have dedicated headquarters, and their leaders mostly stay planetside. Of all Corse bases, Gleize Depot is considered to be the primary one, but there is no specific ranking to confirm its status.
Gallic Brigands
The Gallic Brigands, also known as the Free Brigands of Gallia, is a loosely affiliated union of experienced criminals and other antisocial elements that first appeared in criminal records around 290 AGS. Most of the Brigands initially came from miserable urban centers located on economically struggling planets like Amiens and Berry where they had low paying jobs or no job at all. Others were space construction workers, former police officers, former convicts, or simply criminals who wished to try their luck in space. While many new people still join the Brigands today, the bulk of the faction's current members are brought up Brigands from their childhood in the families living within numerous asteroid bases that belong to the Brigands, and on Planet Marne. It is unknown how many people in Gallia consider themselves part of the Gallic Brigands, but estimates show that the number may be in excess of 300,000.
Despite (or perhaps because of) their huge member count, the Brigands rarely act as an organized force. Rather, each community, or each base of Brigands has its own leadership and agenda. The Elder Summit, a supposed high ruling body for all Brigands, is summoned rarely and is rarely attended by each and every station leader. Yet all Brigands have a number of common traits: they consider themselves to be free people living without the restraints of law and conservative morale, and most of their income comes from smuggling and piracy. The Brigands currently control a major part of the black market of Gallia, despite the efforts of Unione Corse to change the situation. Their activities in space are usually related to smuggling, escorting ships that pay for protection through pirate-controlled areas, and outward piracy against civilian ships and convoys. The Brigands sustain some sort of romantic aura of middle-aged highway bandits who robbed the rich and gave to the poor, they often do the opposite, preferring to rob smaller companies and freelancing shippers, since large corporations for the most part, have capable escorts and pay the Police for protection. Many Brigands also receive money from corrupt Police pilots who wish to blackmail certain civilian ships and pay the Brigands to choose their targets with discretion.
The Second Gallic War showed that the Brigands are a military force to be reckoned with. In huge numbers, the Brigands assisted the Council and the Maquis in some of the crucial operations of the war, notably the battles in Dauphine system in 726-727 AGS. While they usually served as support and rearguard units and did not actively engage the Navy if they were not engaged themselves, their mere presence changed the course of a number of battles. Elder Summits were assembled three times during the war, once on Marne, once at Salbris, and the last time in 732 AGS at Frejus. At those meetings, the Brigands elected to support the Council actively, for the war within the Gallic Border Worlds provided extensive economical opportunities and decrease of Police attention. The Brigands also agreed that expanding into Sirius should be a high priority on the faction's agenda. Many Brigands escaped from Languedoc along with the Council in 733 AGS, and established a base of operations in the Roussillon system.
Brigands have no base that serve as their headquarters, and the Elder Councils are assembled in various places. Among the leaders of the Brigands, the ones from Marne, Frejus and Boulogne are currently considered the most influential.
Written by Igiss, edited by Zelot
Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia - CCI45-px/Probe149 - 10-05-2010
' Wrote:Gallic Brigands
Despite (or perhaps because of) their huge member count, the Brigands rarely act as an organized force. Rather, each community, or each base of Brigands has its own leadership and agenda. The Elder Summit, a supposed high ruling body for all Brigands, is summoned rarely and is rarely attended by each and every station leader.
Brigands have no base that serve as their headquarters, and the Elder Councils are assembled in various places. Among the leaders of the Brigands, the ones from Marne, Frejus and Boulogne are currently considered the most influential.
The two paragraphes above, do they mean that two or more Player groups representing the Brigands could become official, despite the rule stating "Only one faction per ID"?
Or is this the wrong place to ask? If yes apologies.
And thanks for taking your time (both of you, Igiss and Zelot) to write this up, as well to anyone else involved in thinking this up.
Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia - Lance_Uppercut - 10-05-2010
A good run-down, decent summaries... great back story... but not much new information.
Interesting? Very.
What Discovery needs at this point? No.
(Discovery needs the update.)
You can only tell someone how great something will be for so long before they lose interest.
Hate to say it.
Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia - Zelot - 10-05-2010
' Wrote:The two paragraphes above, do they mean that two or more Player groups representing the Brigands could become official, despite the rule stating "Only one faction per ID"?
Or is this the wrong place to ask? If yes apologies.
And thanks for taking your time (both of you, Igiss and Zelot) to write this up, as well to anyone else involved in thinking this up.
This has no effect on server player faction rules. And thanks for the appreciation. Think of it like the Liberty Rogues.
Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia - Igiss - 10-05-2010
Quote:You can only tell someone how great something will be for so long before they lose interest.Believe it or not, but we're working on the update simultaneously with doing these pieces of writing.
Hate to say it.
Which aren't a lot compared to the amount of text that will come into the update anyway.
Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia - Lance_Uppercut - 10-05-2010
' Wrote:Believe it or not, but we're working on the update simultaneously with doing these pieces of writing.I'm not placing blame. I'm actually helping out my share in some of those departments, as well.
Which aren't a lot compared to the amount of text that will come into the update anyway.
It's frustrating, however, and it should be understandably so for everyone from new players, to old vets, to developers. Don't let my gripe hide my excitement.
Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia - alphadog - 10-05-2010
' Wrote:However, at the time when the existence of Sirius was made public, the Navy had already taken all necessary precautions in order not to allow any unauthorized ships to slip through what would be the borderline of the Gallic Border Worlds, the jump hole leading from Languedoc into Tunisia (Orkney) and the jump hole leading from Lorraine into Berne (Omicron-80).
' Wrote:The Council fleet of Languedoc, the group that actually overtook Montpellier, and paid a significant cost for accomplishing the Council's goal of breaching the isolation, fled to Orkney and then to Rousillon and now builds up their own defenses to protect their new home from the Navy that would sooner or later reach them.
Quote:infocard
Montpellier Guard Station -- 731 AGS -- This report is based on the data collected by (...), as well as Navy's own probes sent through the mine fields. Be advised that it was last updated in 731 AGS. Since then, the situation might have changed, but no potential for rapid developments has been indicated.
Gallia name: ROUSSILLION, Bretonia name: ORKNEY
I don't get the naming on Orkney. First quote: Orkney is called Tunisia, second quote: Rousillon is a new system. Third quote: Orkney is Rousillon.... Which is correct?
Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia - Igiss - 10-05-2010
Quote:I don't get the naming on Orkney. First quote: Orkney is called Tunisia, second quote: Rousillon is a new system. Third quote: Orkney is Rousillon.... Which is correct?Well, let's say that the data report from the wreck is corrupt. System was officially named Tunisia. This name is irrelevant now, since even Gallia refers to it as Orkney.
Behind-the-scenes reason is that we needed Roussillon name for a different purpose than alternate naming.
Discovery 4.86: Factions of Gallia - Exile - 10-06-2010
' Wrote:Well, let's say that the data report from the wreck is corrupt. System was officially named Tunisia. This name is irrelevant now, since even Gallia refers to it as Orkney.Would it be possible to rename systems that Gallia has conquered to the Gallic names? Just an idea. Should it ever waltz straight through Orkney, you could perhaps name it Tunisia. That'd get Gallia calling its systems by their Gallic names.
Behind-the-scenes reason is that we needed Roussillon name for a different purpose than alternate naming.