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This is, of course, raw speculation and imagination - nothing that really is derived from the game directly, but I am trying to avoid anything that was directly precluded. So feedback please, just generally, I'm interested to hear if anyone has some thoughts.

World Powers:

Figaro: First of the three major states in the world. It developed its strength through unprecedented technological advance, and the tactical machinery was second to none. Allied with the Empire during an early era of expansionism - formally annexing and renaming South Figaro, expanding influence in Kohlingen, and landing a deep-water port in Nikeah.

Doma opposed the growing imperialism, but was unable to act as Figaro and the Empire effectively controlled the seas. The Empire was threatened by Figaro's increasing influence, and clandestinely poisoned King Roni and Queen Renee, hoping to see Figaro lose its nerve as either the playboy Price Edgar or the reclusive Price Sabin inherited the throne.

The Empire: Though the region has a long and bloody history, the Empire is in fact a new creation, created only when General Gestahl refused to give up his position as Dictator. Previously, the Southern continent was more or less united by the Vector Republic. Historically, elections were rare, as leaders came to power through coups and counter-coups. Tzen, Albrook, and Maranda paid tribute to the Republic, and occasionally sent an ambitious mayor or marshal to seize control, but were generally untouched by the bloody politics of the capital.

Gestahl's rise to power came after his pursuits of the Espers finally bore fruit. Though only a few espers were seized on this first incursion, they were enough to give him a significant power advantage. Additionally, since rumors of the Esper kingdom were too widespread to quash, he declared a state of emergency and was granted the traditional role of Dictator - usually a temporary position - by the Vector Senate.

Later on, he and Kefka engineered a coup against the Senate after a second declaration of emergency - this one precipitated by the controlled-Terra's rampage against the Republican Guard, and Kefka's poisioning of the Senate. Blamed on the Esper threat, Gestahl's newly-minted Magitek forces rolled into the capital. Gestahl was proclaimed Emperor at a ceremony attended by his elite forces and three top generals. Each later commanded a Magitek brigade into one of the smaller towns on the continent, making the Emperor's reign absolute.

Doma: Quietest of the major powers, Doma has been in decline as its strict traditions are quickly suprassed by the upstart Empire and Figaro. Still, it is houses the finest swordsmen worldwide, and has been able to defend the eastern continent from Imperial ambitions. It is generally considered to be the Protector of Mobliz, though no formal arrangment exists.

Doma also maintains the only embassy in Thamasa.

City-States:

Narshe: As the world industrialized, Narshe grew to relevance on its extensive mineral wealth. Coal, gems, ores, what have you - Figaro needed coal to burn for its machinery, Doma needed top-quality iron for its swords and armor, and the Empire needed just about everything as it industrialized.

Though it employed only a skeleton crew of guards and warbeasts, Narshe maintained its independence due to its easily defensible caves and the tacit agreement of the three Great Powers. Since its wealth was vital to all, the other two would prevent the third from launching an invasion. Narshe remained vigorously neutral

The balance of power was changing once magicite was discovered there, and the Empire's attempted inflitration with Wedge, Biggs, and Terra pushed it towards Figaro and the Returners once Doma fell.

Nikeah: Briefly conquered by Figaro, it has since been granted autonomy, though Figaro maintains a 99-year lease on the port. WIth an excellent harbor and a trade hub, Nikeah maintains more wealth than anywhere besides Narshe. Ships from Nikeah monopolize trade between Figaro and Doma, and even links up with Jidoor.

Jidoor: Self-proclaimed richest city on the map, its apparent wealth is sustained by day laborers from neighboring Zozo, and as such, Jidoor is only a very small elite. Owzer reigns as mayor, and has fastidiously avoided any entanglements with the larger nations, acting instead as a neutral banking authority. Runs significant smuggling operations through Zozo as Figaro and the Empire start buidling naval superiority.

Thamasa: Secluded village in the far east, it maintains magic away from the sight of all other nations. Although rumors persist, they are generally not heeded as the Empire focused its attentions elsewhere. History has been stable.


Minor Cities

South Figaro: Small Village annexed by King Roni. Home of Republican movement, which initially opposed both the Empire and Figaro. After King Edgar made a deal with its leader, Banon, the organization changed its name to the Returners and was given safe passage to the Kolts Mountains.

Mobliz: Small, rural village. Informally protected by the Kingdom of Doma, but not of major interest except as a stop on the sparse trade routes to Thamasa.

Kohlingen: Figaro's colony in the west after the desert travel was perfected, Kohlingen is the woolly frontier of the world, despite its generally pleasant village look. Home to kooks, gamblers, treasure hunters, assassins and ranconteurs, Kohlingen was put on the map after Setzer and Daryl stole the world's only airships: a joint project of the Empire (the Blackjack) and Figaro (the Falcon). Imperial anger after some inopportune comments by Prince Edgar led to a raid shortly after, but the Empire ultimately gave up its claim on Kohlingen and paid an indemnity to Figaro for the latters neutrality in its war with Doma.

Albrook: First an ally of the Republic, than a subject state of the Empire, Albrook was taken over by General Leo shortly after Gestahl's coup. Leo was born in Albrook, and was influential enough in the town to take it without a fight.

The only true port on the Southern continent, it connects the Empire to rest of the world.

Maranda: Small town conquered by General Celes. Traditional source of footsoldiers for the Republic.

Tzen: Conquered by Kefka after the coup, Tzen has generally been the closest city to Vector and had considerable influence over the Republic. As such, it has been brutalized with the massacre of the Senate.



Thoughts?

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I hear the jury's still out on...science.

That's it, you people have stood in my way long enough! I'm going to clown college!

I like this, please keep it up.

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Soul wrought of Terra infintum, I am here. I am Heaven's Dark Salvation

I had a lot of fun reading this.

Republic, Senate- Star Wars.

I'm just kidding. In fact, on the topic I started earlier about the Blitz, I was going to post my personal backstory, and mine is sort of like yours, about the overthrow and all. I like your explanation of each city too. I believe Narshe is the richest city, followed closely by Nikeah, since Nikeah is a port city, and port cities are normally very wealthy. I could see an alliance between Narshe and Nikeah because coal and other raw minerals would be imported and exported through Nikeah's ports.

I could see the Empire being about thirty years old. The ambitious Gestahl wanted to explore the powers of magic, and Kefka probably tempted him to rebel.

I don't think that Setzer and Daryll would have stolen airships. I think that the Empire used up almost all of its money to create Magitek and build up its army. Airships in the world of Final Fantasy VI take a lot of money to construct, and since all of the money is tied up in the military, few people are wealthy. Only the people of Jidoor have the resources to buy an airship, but they really do not care.

You should visit Returnergames.com's page on FFVI. They have a lot of stuff like this. Maybe you can get some more ideas.

This post has been edited by BlitzSage on 20th December 2006 00:27

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Praise Be To Helix!

I wasn't basing the Empire's establishment on Star Wars, but I think we have the same source material. Generally speaking, the Republic is based mostly on Republican Rome - not the most stable place in the world. The details of Gestahl's rise aren't so much based on Caesar's, though, as instead on Hitler - when Kefka has Terra torch some troops, it's the equivalent of the Reichstag fire. Espers standing in for Communists, of course.

As for Setzer and Daryll, I was thinking of Zaphod Beeblebrox stealing the Heart of Gold - it's tricky to get the only airships in the world into the hands of a couple of ranconteurs (well, one and one ranconteuse).

Also, I really didn't put together how much neat stuff happens in Kohlingen - it's got that batty old man who keeps Rachael alive, based on its proximity to Daryll's tomb, I'm guessing it was her and Setzer's home base, Locke, the treasure hunter spent some time there, and Shadow stops by on his travels. That's a lot of misfits in one town.

Anyway, I'll flesh it out more shortly. I'm still struggling to justify the Figaro/Imperial alliance that Edgar talks about - I wish I didn't have to corrupt his parents to make it happen.

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I hear the jury's still out on...science.

That's it, you people have stood in my way long enough! I'm going to clown college!

Wow, nice work.

I eagerly await your history of Zozo.

This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 20th December 2006 16:58

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Quick question - if I were to do a series, would this be an appropriate forum? Should I move it over to Your Creations? I'm not certain.

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I hear the jury's still out on...science.

That's it, you people have stood in my way long enough! I'm going to clown college!

This probably should already BE in your creations. A mod will probably move it shortly.

It's always intresting to see what people make for thier own backstory. Though personally I prefer expansion of a world, this still expands on what you know in game in some significant ways.

This post has been edited by Del S on 20th December 2006 17:38

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"Only the dead have seen the end of their quotes being misattributed to Plato."
-George Santayana

"The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here..."
-Abraham Lincoln, prior to the discovery of Irony.

I like most of it, didn't quite agree with the hole "stealing airships" with setzer, i like to think he daryl and made them. Good back story on the empire though.

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"You know that feeling you get when you're on a merry go 'round, and you want to jump off to make the spinning stop, but you know it'll suck when you land? I feel like that all the time"- Keno

"I stab my girl until I fall down"
-Yukari
Do you like Horny Bunnies?

The Roman Empire/ Hitler- like take is pretty good. I could see Gestahl being the leader of the republic, but Kefka influencing him to use Magitek. Like Hitler, he makes himself dictator and eventually emperor. In my back story, Kefka was born in Thamasa, so he knew all about magic, but he was emotionally unstable. He ran away and went under the tutelage of Gestahl. He used his knowledge of magic to entice Gestahl. The republic and Figaro were allies, but as Gestahl began his mission to revive magic, the alliance was shattered, so Kefka used his trusty poison to assassinate the king. Edgar, knowing that Sabin would rush into a war with the Empire, rigged the coin toss so that Sabin could go and learn the martial art of Blitz, and Figaro could enter a secret alliance with the Returners.

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Praise Be To Helix!

This was really fun to read. I have been a fan of FF6 since it first came out for SNES, but never before had I considered the political workings of that world. I had always imagined Figaro as being a world power, but I'd always thought that those freaky technological advancements (tunneling castle?) only came about after Edgar the mechanic got a hold of the kingdom

So, how do you figure that Doma has an embassy in Thamasa?

And about the Empire's link to our world's history: Am I the only person who thinks the imperial soldiers' uniforms look suspiciously like the uniforms of Nazi Germany? Or have I been staring at sprites for too long?

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My FF6 project can be found here, y'all.

By BLITZSAGE

Quote

Republic, Senate- Star Wars.

I'm just kidding. In fact, on the topic I started earlier about the Blitz, I was going to post my personal backstory, and mine is sort of like yours, about the overthrow and all. I like your explanation of each city too. I believe Narshe is the richest city, followed closely by Nikeah, since Nikeah is a port city, and port cities are normally very wealthy. I could see an alliance between Narshe and Nikeah because coal and other raw minerals would be imported and exported through Nikeah's ports.

I could see the Empire being about thirty years old. The ambitious Gestahl wanted to explore the powers of magic, and Kefka probably tempted him to rebel.

I don't think that Setzer and Daryll would have stolen airships. I think that the Empire used up almost all of its money to create Magitek and build up its army. Airships in the world of Final Fantasy VI take a lot of money to construct, and since all of the money is tied up in the military, few people are wealthy. Only the people of Jidoor have the resources to buy an airship, but they really do not care.

You should visit Returnergames.com's page on FFVI. They have a lot of stuff like this. Maybe you can get some more ideas.

Hey, your right, it is kinda like Star Wars. And yea, pretty good idea.


That was really good and all. Naming all the cities and Governments and Political stuff. I never really even thought of that.

This post has been edited by Anh on 26th December 2006 12:17