History of Hwasong

Mars Before and During World War Three (2069-2140)

In the mid 21st century, Valles Marineris was chosen as the site for the first Mars colony and eventual nexus of the Terrformation project. Melas Colony was established in 2069 under the A Century To Mars initiative, in the heart of present day Hwasong. It was not the perfect location for habitation, but neither was any other location on Mars.
Some of the prime variables considered were low altitude (for increased air pressure), ease of access to water ice, and warm, mild weather for eventual liquid water proliferation. Hellas Planitia had by far the lowest altitude, but difficult access to water in substantial quantities. Boreal plains like Chryse and Utopia Planitia had the best access to water, but harsh and frigid seasons. Marineris was the only region that came close to satisfying all conditions. Access to water certainly wasn't easy, but the extensive canyons and valleys seemed promising for rigging up a water transport network with a little geoengineering.
Melas Colony grew as more scientists and terraforming specialists arrived, and work began across Valles Marineris to carve out canals and tunnels to one day move polar melt water and condensation from the Utopia Ice Mines. This all continued even after the outbreak of World War Three in 2115 cut the Mars colony off from Earth. If anything, the war emboldened the Martian Colonists to speed up their efforts under the prospect that they might be the last hope of humanity.
Unfortunately most of these colonists would not live to see the fruits of their efforts. Tragedy struck Melas Colony, killing hundreds and leaving the rest with limited air and food after an explosion irreparably crippled the life support system in 2123. Much like the legendary survivors on Luna, the remaining Martian colonists had to make a difficult choice for the survival of the group, which they believed might be the last of humanity.
With the help of the colony's advanced AI, the colonists were able to develop a plan that could keep the colony running past the point in time where their stock of genetically modified embryos could survive in the open air and live off of flora and fauna cultivated outdoors. This plan called for the hundred survivors to cull themselves down to two. It left little room for error.
The survivors chosen were Dr. Hana Song, a Korean bioengineer who could manage botany and raising the genetically modified humans, and a French mechanical engineer named Mathieu Joubert who could maintain the colony and oversee the autonomous terraforming equipment. Accepting this decision was hard for everyone, even the two chosen to live. Some did not accept euthanasia willingly, and protested that rescue might still come, but there was still no communication from Earth. If anyone was left on Earth, they didn't know or didn't care about the fate of Melas Colony.
Most of the survivors were eventually able to work up to it for the sake of humanity's survival. They'd set off in a rover toward their favorite Martian vista or seek comfort in the embrace of a loved one for one last time. Remarkably, some of the terraformers kept working at remote outposts to their last breath. Some chose cyanide pills or poison laced drinks, while others simply waited for their air to run out. A few bodies were later discovered outside without helmets or pressure suits, leading to the conclusion that a handful of the survivors sought death by exposure. Anthropologists have speculated, with a hint of romanticism, that they wanted to experience the true Mars in its brutal inhospitality, even if for a fleeting moment.
Just a few years after the culling, Matthieu died in 2127 from an illness sustained while working outside the colony. Hana became the sole living human on Mars. Through her grief, she pressed on, intent to see her mission through or die trying.

The First Children of Mars (2141-2162)

In late 2140, the colony AI informed Hana that terraforming processes had entered their final phase. The Martian atmosphere and climate might be tolerable for genetically modified beings in a few years‘ time. It was the first good news she'd heard in over a decade. She hurried to begin unfreezing and incubating a batch of the genetically modified human embryos stored in the colony. The artificial gestation took approximately ten months to complete, and in 2141, the first generation of Native Martians were born.
In 2149, a second generation was introduced to stagger population growth once it was clear the process worked. For the last twenty-one years of her life, Hana raised the Martians, teaching the as much as she could about how to survive. She did this while juggling her other roles of maintaining the colony's systems and tending to the needs of both her children and the fledgling Martian ecosystem. During this time, some native Martians claim Hana had children of her own.
DNA records from this time have not been found, so these claims cannot be independently verified. On top of any emotional or psychological desire to pass on one's genes, increasing the diversity of the new Martian genepool would be a reasonable decision from a scientific standpoint. If Hana did have any offspring, they were likely artificially gestated or delivered through IVF surrogacy.
Some of her alleged descendants claim their parentage was natural. Given that Dr. Song was already 66 years old when the first generation was born, this claim strains credibility. In all likelihood these are exaggerations to increase the legitimacy of their primacy as the heirs of the Mother of Mars.
Hana's health declined over time. By 2150 her age and the physiological stresses of Mars had sapped her of her strength and energy, and she began handing off her responsibilities to her apprentices among the first generation. Some time later, she spent almost all of her time in the classroom, a full time teacher desperate to pass on as much knowledge as she could in what little time she had left. Some time after 2160, she became completely bedridden, tended to by the natives closest to her. In 2162, Dr Hana Song, age 87, died peacefully in her sleep. Her dozens of children, whether adopted or biological, mourned for the only parent any of them ever knew.

The Schism of Hwasong (2163-2190)

Alone in the universe, the Native Martians had to fend completely for themselves. Despite Hana's best efforts, the Martians had not learned nearly enough to operate as a modern society. In some areas, such as agriculture and mechanical maintenance, the Martians excelled or did as well as anyone could be expected to with their limited resources. In other areas, like history or computer science, they remembered little of what Hana taught. In general, those skills which best helped the Martians in their daily fight for survival, they remembered. Anything unnecessary was quickly forgotten.
The resulting Martian society regressed into a tribal agrarian lifestyle resembling a preindustrial terran society that farmed, hunted, and lived off of the land. Yet their unique upbringing made them different from their terran counterparts, as they had certain technical skills and special knowledge expected of a scientists and tradespeople. They could skillfully drive rovers and command drones like any explorer, but they couldn't develop new programs or build new equipment.
Over time, familial ties and kinship became a source of division among the Martians. By 2165, a dispute over who should be their “Dooktar,” the colony's guide and leader, in Hana's absence boiled over. The disagreement began not long after her death, with different groups deferring to different leaders, but as more pressing decisions faced the colony, the argument reached a breaking point.
The factions held a final council in late 2165, and each side argued the case for their leader. Those claiming to be Hana's direct descendants, who called themselves the ChaSong-ai, believed leadership was their birthright. Two other groups were led by some of the Martians who had been Hana's best students and had become the old woman's closest confidants. They each claimed separately that Hana had personally told them she believed they should lead the colony after she passed.
One of these factions was led by [GM], the chief botanist among the native Martians. She believed she was most in tune with Hana's desires and inclinations. [GM] thought she could best continue to grow Mars into a viable ecosystem.
The other of the confidants was [ASD] who actually had been appointed administrator of Melas Colony when Hana became bedridden. Until her death, he had to run all of his decisions by her, and even helped transcribe the Dictates of Hana which served as a pseudo-constitution for the new Martian society. Now he believed it was natural he continue acting in the role Hana had appointed for him. Others argued he was at best destined to be second in command, as he had been as Hana's proxy.
A fourth group, who called themselves the Followers of The Twelve, had a strong reverence for the original twelve Martian colonists who landed in 2069. Their interest grew from Hana's own reverence of that team, which she talked of at great length. Though that team had a mission commander, many of their major decisions fell to a direct deliberation and voting process. Even when Mars grew and the twelve became department heads and administrators, their bond to each other allowed them to hold council on important matters. The Followers of the Twelve believed they should continue the practice and have a council of twelve dooktars, with an administrator as executive of the council's will.
Days of deliberation only ended in deadlock. [ASD] and [GM] had seemingly joined forces against the others, and began corroborating each other's claims about Hana. The others saw this as nothing more than a desperate power grab. The four parties scattered to different ends of Melas Colony some time in January of 2166. This became known as The Schism or The First Schism.
Though Melas Colony was large enough for the groups to live apart with their own territory, certain resources such as food and water supplies forced encounters. The tensions between the groups quickly turned some of these encounters violent. Fighting escalated as the factions struggled over ownership of the key resources, fashioning makeshift weapons.
The fighting ended with ASD and GM in control of the food, water, and power, albeit separately. The strategic stalemate forced the two into negotiations that resulted in a jointly ruled Melas Colony with GM running long term affairs and planning while ASD would handle emergencies, conflicts, and other immediate problems. Without access to critical resources and outnumbered by the new alliance, the other factions faced defeat. Their members either changed sides or followed their leaders into self imposed exile outside of Melas, living entirely off the land.
ASD and GM ruled Melas together for nearly a decade. They grew close in those years, and even married to formalize the bond between their two factions. In that time the other tribes also grew, though much slower without the resources and luxuries of Melas.
Eventually, ASD and GM had a falling out in both their personal and professional lives. Around 2175, GM divorced ASD, the first such case in Martian history. Their resentment of each other made governing Melas a delicate affair, with neither wanting to hold audience with the other. The two undermined each other whenever possible, frustrating subordinates with contradictory orders.
In 2177 GM publicly accused ASD of being unfit for leadership. She pointed to his rash decision making, combativeness, and growing paranoia, even going so far as to cite examples from their personal life. ASD claimed his paranoia was well founded, given this attack on his character. Indeed, GM seemingly had turned most of the tribal leadership against him well before her public accusation.
ASD mustered his most loyal warriors and other supporters to defend his honor, but quickly realized he was outnumbered and outmaneuvered. He left Melas with his entourage, raiding supplies from the emergency stockpiles -- stockpiles he created -- as he went. These provisions would help ASD's tribe establish a new homestead faster than their predecessors. ASD and more than fifty followers set off for Noctis Labyrinthus to establish a fortified home in the natural lava tubes and man-made tunnels there. Before he left, he vowed revenge.
By the last decade of the 22nd century, there were more than seven hundred native Martians split among seven tribes. These tribes lived as far west as Noctis, as far east as the shores of the Coprates Sea, and as far north as Ophir and Candor Chasmas.

The Tribes Unite (2191-2193)

In mid July 2191, life forever changed for the Native Martians. A ship like the ones from Hana's stories descended from the sky and landed outside Melas. Though the exact causes are in dispute, one thing is certain: the encounter between Prodigal One and the inhabitants of Melas ended in disaster. The entire expedition was wiped out by the Martians within 24 hours of their arrival.
It took weeks for news to reach the tribes beyond Melas due to their isolation. Many did not believe the stories relayed by excited traders, as Hana had seemed certain Earth was gone. By 2192, GM arranged for a tribal council to be held at Melas, the first such meeting since the Schism. All attended except for ASD and his clan.
The Tribal Council discussed the implications of other humans beyond their tribes and what to do when, not if, more arrived. Unfortunately old grudges prevented the Tribes from agreeing to any unilateral action. Any discuss of increasing military preparedness raised concerns that it would make tribal relations more volatile and lead to intertribal war. Some even accused GM of orchestrating the whole thing to consolidate power, despite seeing the remains of Prodigal One with their own eyes.
One particular dividing line was the religious factional dispute between the Followers of the Twelve and those who deified Hana as their sole spiritual patron. The insults traded over disrespect for Hana and The Twelve threatened to turn the council into a brawl.
The tribal council ended without any meaningful resolution to their concerns about Earth. The only thing they all agreed to was reconvening the council should more offworlders arrive. A year later, that condition would be met.
TASA's Task Force Plymouth landed in Candor Chasma in late September 2193. The TASA Marines encountered a small tribe while exploring a cave network near their base, Camp Kipling. In the confusion, fighting broke out which resulted in three Marine deaths and the near-eradication of the tribe. The survivors fled to Melas Colony to warn the other tribes of the new threat. The Tribal Council was reconvened, this time with ASD in attendance.
For the first time in twenty-five years, the leaders of all seven tribes were present at Melas. The religious strife between the Children of Mars, the Followers of the Twelve and others were deferred because of the danger posed by these invaders. The tribes agreed to unite as one and drive the foreigners from their planet. Internal struggle would have only served to weaken the Martians, so all disputes were to be formally deferred until the invaders were defeated. All tribes would be allowed access to the Melas Colony, regardless of religious affiliation, so that families would be easier to defend.
ASD scoffed at the idea of unity, especially not with his ex partner, GM. He agreed to truce, but refused to contribute to a united front against the foreigners. “I would gladly watch them grind you into dust,” he told GM, by one account.
GM meanwhile, understood the threat they faced. A tribe of two dozen reduced to four in a single battle was unheard of, made even worse by the accounts of nightmarish weapons that “spit metal spikes with a deafening roar like an angry chimera.” She knew that they didn't stand a chance without ASD's warriors and his martial expertise.
ASD was amused to see how frightened and desperate GM was. He soon realized, however, that anything that made her scared enough to beg for his help was a grave threat indeed. Conflicted, he left the council early without agreeing to help.
According to his tribe's accounts, ASD had to see the enemy for himself. He set out to scout the TASA camp from above. The Marines supposedly took shots at him from half a kilometer away, tearing up the rocks around him. He survived unharmed, but shaken and angered. Both official TASA records and skeptics among the Martian tribes call this story into question. Some posit that the account is mostly true, but ASD did not risk scouting the Marines himself. His men may have claimed they were fired upon, even if they weren't engaged by the TASA Marines.
Regardless, ASD returned to Melas late in 2193 and demanded to meet alone with GM. Distrustful but desperate, she agreed to meet with one bodyguard a piece. During that meeting which lasted almost two days, the pair begrudgingly came to an agreement, which they presented to the council.
GM agreed to defer leadership to ASD during the course of the war, on the condition he relinquished power after the war to her and the other tribal Dooktars. The other tribes did not fully trust ASD, though neither did GM as she made the provision that ASD would not be able to order their warriors to take action against their fellow Martians, and furthermore no Martian would be permitted to kill another under penalty harsh penalty including banishment.
With the other tribal leaders placated, the Native Martians officially entered into their pact, calling themselves the United Tribal Confederation of Hwasong. This would be the first time the term Hwasong would be used for the Martian community.
Each tribe raised their own warband of prospective fighters, mostly men. By the end of 2193 they had achieved a strength of more than six hundred warriors, encompassing more than half of the total population. ASD raised four hundred of these fighters into an army for a daring assault on Camp Kipling while the rest would stay to defend Melas.

The First Martian War (2194-2208)

On the night of January 6th, ASD's army launched a surprise attack on the Marines' Camp Kipling. The Martians gained the element of surprise by using undiscovered tunnel networks to make their approach on the camp. They attacked from both the high and low ground, inflicting several casualties as the Marines roused at the sounds of their sentries' gunfire. The attack was a resounding defeat for the ASD and the Native Martians. Though the Martians were able to breach the camp and kill 40 Marines (wounding dozens more), the Marines' advanced weaponry quickly turned the tide of battle, even in close quarters. The majority of the Martian attackers were killed. Those that could not retreat were captured. The survivors returned to Melas Colony to tend to their wounded and prepare for a counterattack.
ASD was wounded by gunfire during the assault, and his pride was wounded by the defeat. The Confederation started to doubt his leadership but other traumatized survivors of the battle affirmed that they were outmatched despite a perfectly laid ambush. The Martian tribes painfully learned that they could not fight the invaders in a frontal assault. They switched to a defensive posture, preparing for a counterattack which did not come. Eventually they began carrying out small ambushes on Marine patrols that ventured to close to Melas or other tribal territory.
The Marines released a few prisoners as a token of goodwill and to offer a message of truce. They were given a portable communication terminal to use if they wished to discuss peace. Upon returning to Melas, the other Martians were initially distrustful of their returned brethren. They were even more distrustful of the Terrans' technology, smashing the communication terminal for fear it might be a weapon or trick of some sort.
In October 2195, a civilian expedition of doctors, linguists, diplomats, and scientists established a camp on the north bank of the Mariner Sea, roughly halfway between Melas Colony and Camp Kipling. The year 2196 largely saw a slow and tenuous movement towards peace as Native Martians reluctantly began visiting the Aid Camp where fresh water, food, and medical treatment was offered as a gesture of goodwill. A few isolated skirmishes punctuated the progress, but none were significant enough to break down the dialogue. Towards the end of 2196, a meeting between the Envoys and the Tribes' Dooktars took place just outside of the Melas Colony, whereupon the Native Martians agreed to allow the envoys to collect the remains of the Prodigal One expedition and whatever they could salvage from the ship. In exchange all prisoners would be released from TASA custody except for those who had voluntarily chosen to visit Earth.
In 2197, conflict on Earth would lead to a drastic change to the situation on Mars. A brief conflict between the Pacific Asia Coalition and the African Union over lunar mining rights spurred the PAC into launch a clandestine mission to Mars. Under the belief that the PAC intended to seize Melas for themselves, TASA ordered their Marines to preempt the invasion by securing Melas Colony. On December 26th, 2197, the TASA Marines entered Melas under cover of night, hoping to use surprise to drive the natives out with minimal bloodshed.
Unfortunately the Martians were not willing to give up their home so easily, and the Tribal Coalition had long prepared for a close quarters fight in Melas. The night turned bloody for both sides, killing half of either population in a single night of fighting. Among the dead was ASD. The proud war leader had fought to defend the colony despite his injuries, redeeming him in the eyes of many.
By December 27th, the Martians were routed from Melas, fleeing into tunnels and caves toward their scattered villages and old terraforming outposts. Those tribes that only ever inhabited Melas had to seek refuge with the tribes they once cast out, or forge new territory of their own. The PAC ultimately redirected their expedition towards Utopia Planitia, intending to claim the Water Mining operation there as a strategic resource. Melas had indeed been their goal, but seizing it now would have potentially caused another World War.
Low intensity conflict between the Martians and the Marines continued for the next few years. In 2202, the African Union established Hellas Colony, which in turn established a settlement on the eastern end of Valles Marineris. Much like the earlier Aid Camp, which was closed before the Battle of Melas, the Marineris settlement of Fungua Mkono (Open Arms) was designed to help the native Martians and mend relations. The AU used their own security this time to dissociate from the Martians’ enemies. Despite announcing their open door policy for the Native Martians, it would take two years for any of the Martian tribes to accept the offer.

Reconciliation and Division (2205-2208)

In 2205 another Tribal Council was held at a cave in Ius Chasma, discussing the path forward. Martian emissaries who had spent time in Fungua Mkono proposed holding a peace conference there. This began a new cleavage in Martian society which manifested in two new factions. AU reports at the time labelled these two factions the Reconciliators and the Adamants.
The Reconciliators were those who wanted an end to hostilities as quick as possible. Among them were war weary Martians, members of smaller tribes on the verge of elimination, and those who had visited Fungua Mkono. The emissaries, who had seen that Terran society had much more to offer than bloodshed were convinced that a negotiated resolution was the only way to survive. The Adamants saw this as appeasement and capitulation to the foreigners.
The Adamants were those who preferred to continue fighting. ASD’s followers were chief among these, as were many of the other Children of Mars. For most, their goal was the removal of the foreign troops from their sacred ancestral home. They would negotiate peace only if the foreigners pulled out of Melas and other Hwasong territory. The most extreme Adamants would only settle for the removal of all Terran presence from Mars, which put them at odds with the Reconciliators who saw this goal as unrealistic.
GM, as the new supreme Dooktar following ASD’s death, had the most important vote. After hearing the sides argue their case, she finally agreed they should attend peace talks, but that the return of Melas would be the absolute minimum of what they would be willing to accept. This seemed to placate most of the Adamants, who agreed to the terms. Each tribe would send their Dooktar or another representative depending on their concerns about capture.
Tensions were high at the peace talks at Fungua Mkono in 2206. A delegation of twenty Martian representatives and their retinue of aides and guards arrived at the outpost, opposite an army of litigators, linguists, and diplomats from the interested Terran parties. Represented at the talks were TASA military officers, representatives of TASA alliance member nations, the PAC, and the AU along with the other Hellas Colony sponsors. Several corporations that had investments in Mars pre-terraforming were also present to advocate for the return of their property. Presiding over the meeting, the team at Fungua Mkono and the Most Mira Council took on the role of mediators.
After an unproductive first day of talks, the mediators drastically reduced the number of representatives allowed to be present from each Terran organization. The rest would observe from outside the room via telepresence and advise their compatriots over earpiece communicators. Having the room down to a 50:50 ratio seemed to put the Martians at ease enough to begin discussing terms.
TASA officials seemed eager to put the conflict to bed. At home, Operation Plymouth had become a sore spot, politically, especially after the fighting at Melas Colony. As several nations had been able to establish colonies on Mars without further attack, their original mission had been fulfilled. There was no more reason to stick around.
TASA agreed to turn over Melas Colony in the short term, and pull out of Valles Marineris in the long term. They agreed to an exchange of prisoners and remains. TASA also agreed to recognize the Tribal Confederation as a sovereign entity in order to prevent the PAC or any other organization from forcibly occupying Melas or other Native Martian territory to annex it permanently.
The corporations present at the meeting vehemently protested, as they felt they were being forced to turn over their invested resources to squatters. They demanded compensation for their lost resources at a minimum, many also demanding interest. The Most Mira Council argued that expecting compensation from Hwasong and the Native Martians was unrealistic given their insular commodity barter economy utterly incompatible with Terran economies. Some corporations then demanded the MMC foot the bill.
The more nimble corps adapted to the situation at hand. They began negotiating trade deals with the Native Martians, either collectively or with specific tribal leaders, reinvigorating competition and conflict among the Tribes. Some companies sought to exploit mineral resources, while others looked to cultivate Martian agriculture for export to other colonies on Mars and even off world. In particular, a mysterious narcotic substance known as black root seemed ripe for exploitation for the more unscrupulous investors. Black root was highly potent, highly addictive, and fairly easy to cultivate on Mars (and impossible to grow elsewhere). Most notably, black root was too new to have been sanctioned by any government.
It was easy for investors to entice the Martians, financially speaking. Their currency was essentially a system of vouchers for potable water, against which all other goods and services were measured for worth. Prospective investors need only ship in pallets and tanks of fresh water, or even industrial grade water purifiers, to make a Martian business partner water rich. As these deals played out over the next few years, the Hwasongi economy suffered hyperinflation to an extent that forced a reexamination of their economic system.
The next few years also saw TASA make good on their word, first by pulling out of Melas in late 2207. The last Marines to leave held a solemn ceremony to honor the lives lost in the battle for Melas. Less than an hour after their rovers departed, the Martians poured into Melas by the hundreds. The Adamants, who had observed the Marines’ ceremony from afar, took the effort to trample the ground where the Marines had stood.
Melas had become even more dilapidated while under the Marines care, though not for lack of trying. The fighting had worsened an already fragile system, and the few engineers the Marines had brought lacked the prior knowledge or specialized training the Martians relied on to keep their home running. Entire wings had been closed off due to air or contaminant leaks. The water levels in the subterranean sections of the colony had doubled. Several structures that had been bombed or grenades into near collapse were precariously propped up by welded on supports. The Adamants grew furious.
Melas had about half of the liveable space and resources as before, while the Native Martians had surpassed their population at the time of the battle. The now cramped corridors of Melas once again became a point of contention between the tribes. Individuals and groups vied for control of the colony, first through political and economic maneuvering, then through violence.
With the truce declared and TASA on their way out, the unifying cause that led to Martian unification was gone. Old grudges resurfaced and new rivalries formed over post-conflict ideological disputes and resources control. TASA and AU intelligence reports at the time estimated between 15 and 24 distinct tribes and factions by the first few months of 2208.
Many of the Reconciliators, especially those who had spent considerable time among the Terrans in Fungua Mkono, abhorred the new wave of conflict and division sweeping Melas and Hwasong. They left Melas and began settling Eastward, in and around Fungua Mkono. There they grew closer to Terran society, learning Terran languages and adopting aspects of the Terran societies represented at Hellas. The leaders in Hwasong grew disgusted at the Martians who chose to fraternize with the foreigners, and moved to excommunicate their Eastern brethren that May. The exiles seemed all too happy to distance themselves from the chaos plaguing Hwasong, and formed their own nation of Eosong.

United Tribes of Hwasong (2209 - 2218)

TASA avoided any part in the Hwasong crisis, as did most of the international community. Only the corporate interests meddled in the conflict, arming and funding whichever side they believed would deliver a stable and profitable Hwasong. Nevertheless, when TASA finally closed Camp Kipling in early 2209, a group of Adamants staged an attack on the departing Marines. The Adamants fired wildly from a distance with captured firearms and makeshift projectile weapons, inflicting no casualties during the attack. The Adamants, however, returned to Melas claiming a victorious rout of the foreigners, garnering them support from other Adamant leaning tribes.
GM was the strongest unifying force during the years of renewed conflicts, maintaining control over most of Melas and negotiating with the other tribes individually to secure their membership in her post-war coalition. She stressed the precariousness of their standing within the interplanetary community, and the need to put forth an air of legitimacy. Those who aligned with her pledged their support for the United Tribes of Hwasong, a government she had devised based around the Tribal Council as a governing parliament of sorts.
GM's most ardent rivals saw her government as nothing more than a power grab, and swore opposition. They cited the terms of the original confederation, which had been designed to last only as long as the threat from Earth remained. Now, it sermed, she wanted to force the other tribes to kowtow to her authority for good, despite her efforts to deemphasize the role of the the supreme dooktar in an attempt to garner more support.
In late 2209, GM was ambushed and assassinated outside the central Melas market on her way to meet with ASD's former followers. GM's eldest son SGM assumed her mantle as Dooktar of the tribe and as supreme Dooktar of Hwasong. His self-appointment drew criticism, but his strong will and religious devotion won him fans among the Adamants and the most reverent devotees to Hana's will.
SGM was a diligent student of both The Edicts of Hana and the Nascentist proselytizers who visited Hwasong from Luna. He was largely seen as responsible for incorporating the idea of Hana's will being a facet of Anna's Nascentism into Martian theology. It was perhaps easier for a man who grew up after Hana had passed to believe her to be an incarnation of Anna, the mother of all Synthad Humans. In 2211 SGM would make Nascentism the official religion of the United Tribes of Hwasong with majority Council approval.
SGM assumed a martial attitude following the assassination of his mother. He carried himself like his father, ASD, inspiring those who wanted another war Dooktar to import strong leadership and force errant tribes into submission. SGM vowed a campaign of vengeance and unification. He swore to bring HE's murderers to justice, and gave the holdout tribes an ultimatum: come into the fold or face permanent banishment from Melas and the Tribal Union. His words were backed by guns that had been procured by corporate partners and Nascentist donors, giving him an edge over the melee weapons and bows of other tribes.
ASD's tribe had been wary of GM, but quickly warmed up to SGM, the son of their patriarch who also had his fiery spirit. They eagerly joined his cause and quickly turned over the assassins. The six attackers apparently came from a small splinter faction of the ASD Tribe that distrusted GM and did not want to see their clan subordinated to her once again. After a trial before the entire tribal council, SGM found all six assassins guilty. He executed them and banished their families, who would go on to seek refuge in Eosong. NOTE: Some historians and analysts have speculated that the ASD faction was entirely complicit in GM's assassination, possibly to hurry along SGM's rise to power. Some have even asserted that SGM himself was a co-conspirator in his mother's death.
By 2210 all of the Native Martian tribes had either been brought into the United Tribes of Hwasong or had been forced into exile. Those forced out had either moved East to Eosong or West into Noctis Labyrinthus. That same year, the last TASA Marines would depart Mars from Viktoria Spaceport.
SGM remained In power until 2216, during which time Hwasong experiences tremendous growth. Internal efforts and foreign investments helped develop Hwasong‘s infrastructure. Without active conflict, the Native Martian population boomed, as per their genetic predisposition. Genetic Engineers from Nascentist nations on Luna even helped restore the Artificial Gestation systems in Melas.
Access to the tanks became a priority for each tribe to grow their numbers, necessitating governmental regulation to prevent disputes. In the years before those regulations were put in place, SGM ensured the majority of the artificial births belonged to his kin, increasing their majority rule once the next generation came of age. By the time of the Pacific War on Earth, the Native Martians of Hwasong numbered in the tens of thousands, mostly youths.
Hwasongi households resembled daycare centers more than nuclear families, but this was not unusual to them. Hana's mass parentage was their first and best example of child rearing. Neighboring Eosong (now a province of Hellas) experienced similar growth, though cultural and genealogical mixing with the Terrans made their boom less extreme.
Throughout the latter half of 2216, SGM's health deteriorated. The cause of his poor health was a closely guarded state secret, but the culprit was most likely either complications from the SAHB Flu or the side effects of prolonged Black Root abuse. Whatever the cause, it strongly impacted his ability to lead. SGM became frail, lethargic, and irritable. His decision making grew erratic and extreme.
With the council's support, he ordered a crackdown on the “heretic” tribes holding out in Noctis Labyrinthus, annexing the region by force despite the standing “live and let live” approach. The Noktis Tribes fought back, turning the rivers red with blood. Weeks after, he reprimanded the military commanders who spilled blood when they took Noctis. The commanders were confused, as they believed they had only carried out his orders to the best of their ability. Strangely, SGM seemed less concerned about the loss of life and more concerned about the dead Noktis heathens tainting the Melas sea with their unclean blood.
A month later, SGM likewise motioned to forcibly reclaim their “lost and misguided” Eosong brethren, but the council refused to back this suicidal move that would undoubtedly pull them into another war with Terra. The rest of the council, concerned by his behavior, met in secret with his family. All parties agreed he was currently unfit to lead and had to be taken out of his role. SGM grew outraged at the betrayal, but he didn't have the energy to fight back with anything more than barbed insults.
SGM was placed under bed rest and seen by Lunaric doctors. His condition worsened, but he surpassed initial prognoses that he wouldn't last to the end of the 2217. At the next opposition, SGM was evacuated to Luna where the doctors might have access to better medical resources. He was last seen being flown to the dark side of the moon.
In SGM's place, his tribe nominated his only son GSGM as Dooktar. The trend of GM's descendants taking up the role of Supreme Dooktar continued almost as an unspoken tradition. Yet there were strong misgivings among the other Dooktars, all older and vastly more experienced than GSGM. These concerns were not entirely unfounded.
GSGM did not have his father's knack for politics or warfare, and had not been groomed for the role. He proved to be a weak and indecisive leader for his brief reign. During votes and debates he seemed to simply back the majority position at the time. Clever Dooktars learned they could manipulate GSGM into supporting their measures with little effort. Ultimately this resulted in an even more erratic and ineffectual government than in his father's waning years.
Under pressure by foreign investors and concerned followers, the Tribal Council voted unanimously to remove GSGM in April of 2218. He did not fight this motion, and if anything seemed relieved to be free of the burden of leadership. Though not politically savvy, he was not dull, and he understood if he fought the decision he would likely be removed by force.

Turmoil and The Second Reign (2219 - 2225)

The provisions for a peaceful transition of power had not been clearly established. Almost every Dooktar on the council nominated themselves. The process of deliberation over the potential candidates was difficult and time consuming. Hwasong lacked a head of state for three months. Eventually a new ruler was chosen from the ASD tribe, but his attempts to advance his tribe's interests at the cost of all others led to his assassination.
Five other Supreme Dooktars rose and fell in quick succession, the longest reigning for almost a single Martian year (less than two Earth years). Two including NASD were assassinated, one was forced into exile, one died of old age, and two more were deposed by the council after a no confidence vote.
Hwasong seemed to be on the verge of fracturing once again. The economy has stagnated and crime and unemployment were extremely high. The foreign investors who had instigated the rise and fall of half a dozen different leaders now moved to back their preferred side in the impending civil war.
As the Tribal Council met one last time in the waning months of 2223 to try to name a new Supreme Dooktar, an unexpected visitor entered the council hall, wearing an immaculately white Oojibog. In dramatic fashion, SGM pulled back his hood and declared his intention to reign once more.
SGM had just returned from Luna. He was visibly older, but otherwise in full physical health. He seemed to have most of his faculties back as he spoke to the council at great length about the moral obligation to remain united as Hana's children and as the vanguard of Nascent humanity. The council was moved by his speech, and voted almost unanimously to support his return to power.
SGM had grown even more religious during his recovery on Luna. He spent most of his time praying with Lunaric clerics and studying scripture. He even claimed to have met Anna herself, bearing special instructions for the Children of Mars.
Within days of returning to power, he imposed new edicts governing the conduct of Hwasongi men and women. He brought in more Lunaric and Darksider influence to Hwasongi culture. He oversaw a return to positive population growth, even personally managing the use of the gestation tanks with brand new SAHB gene sequences he brought from Luna.
As a part of his new fundamentalist stance, SGM became obsessed with the reunification of all Native Martians. What little tolerance he'd once had for other Nascent denominations and fringe religions had vanished, which made those minorities feel unwelcome. Even more unwelcome were the “hybrids” born of Martian and Terran lineage. Though already exceedingly rare in Hwasong, he moved to have the hybrid “aberrations” euthanized and their parents jailed for crimes against Nascentism.
The hybrids that caught wind of this edict fled to Eosong. They did not feel safe, however, as SGM appeared to be mobilizing Hwasong to invade Eosong. At the end of 2225, SGM made good on his rhetoric to reunite the Native Martians by any means necessary. Waiting until Mars was past opposition, he sent his army into Eosong Province.
The Hellas Security Forces responded quickly, anticipating the invasion, but Hwasong had the numbers and resources to surge through Coprates Chasma and over the highlands into Ganges and Eos Chasmas. As people across the Earth rang in a new year, SGM's army stormed Fungua Mkono, the capital of Eosong Province. The Second Martian War had begun.

The Second Martian War (2226)

The sponsors of Hellas Colony, especially the African Union had long been wary of the PAC presence to their North. The AU anticipated a power move by their principal economic and territorial rival on Mars, as evident by their actions when Mars was rediscovered. The AU kept a contingent of troops stationed in Hellas to counter an invasion, and ever since the Pacific War they maintained a quick reaction force no further than half an astronomical unit from Mars at any given time.
SGM seemed to have overlooked this fact in his plan to take advantage of orbital periods to delay Terran response. The AU Military garrison, poised for a war with a technological peer, quickly pivoted to meet the primitive Hwasongi Army and tribal militias. Both sides achieved tactical victories in the chaotic terrain, but the African forces and their Eosongi militias held too many advantages, regaining control of Fungua by early March.
The 10,000 strong Hwasongi force suffered more than a thousand dead and a total rout by season's end, inflicting half as many casualties on the Hellic and African forces. Most of the African troops killed were not even lost to war wounds, but rather asphyxiation, hypoxia, hypothermia, and other forms of exposure. The AU Space Force also demoralized the Hwasongi forces by carrying out controversial orbital bombardments and aerial bombings of Hwasongi cities and towns.
In the last week of fighting, African Union intelligence tracked the location of SGM, who led his troops into battle like his father before him. They mounted a frontal assault on his base in the highlands near Fungua Mkono. The assault was a diversion, meant to draw away the bulk of the Hwasongi forces into the valley. Once the trap was sprung, AU Commandos dropped in on his hideout by Skyhopper and captured the Supreme Dooktar of Hwasong.
With their leadership in turmoil, Hwasong entered into negotiations with Hellas and their patrons in June of 2226. The outcome was the Treaty of Fungua Mkono, which made clear distinctions on the boundary between Hwasong and Hellas Colony in the form of the Pradesh Line. Hwasong's envoys agreed to respect Hellic sovereignty and not attack or foment an insurgency of any kind in Eosong Province.
SGM would never agree to such terms in good faith. His rhetoric of divine providence rested on the idea of reuniting the tribes. Unfortunately for him, he spent the duration of the negotiations in an African Union holding cell. The AU, recognizing his influence, declined to release him until well after the conclusion of negotiations. They justified keeping him by claiming to have a trial in the works over war crimes and genocide allegations for SGM's targeting of hybrids. *********** The AU were able to make Cancelling the trial and releasing the Supreme Dooktar had been one of the AU's main concessions.
By the time Hwasong had secured SGM's release, many of the people had lost confidence in him. His promises of a great empire on Mars were dashed when his righteous troops had been defeated by a genetically inferior force with superior technology. When SGM set foot in Hwasong late in 2226, the Tribal Council asked for him to abdicate. Furiously, SGM declared he would do no such thing. He launched into a heated tirade, berating the other Dooktars for betraying him, betraying their principles, and betraying Hana. His ochre face turned purple with anger, SGM stormed off into the halls of Melas.

Consolidation of Power (2226-2229)

SGM ventured to every corner of Melas that evening, telling every sympathetic ear to gather in the central atrium of the original Melas complex in a week. He told everyone to spread the word to as many as they could, even sent messengers beyond Melas to raise support in the far reaches of Hwasongi territory. Many of the veterans of the war with Hellas and Africa were still loyal, and likewise disgruntled with the submission to the foreigners’ demands. Religious leaders and zealots also came to see the message of their returned prophet.
When the time came, SGM addressed nearly a thousand gathered supporters, publically airing his grievances with the council and the way they managed Hwasong in his absence. He blamed them for the loss of the war, calling the council indecisive, self-interested, and unfaithful to Hana’s will. He told the gathered crowd that the council should be ashamed to have given up on his cause, and that Hana had no love for those who strayed from the path to humanity’s future. He whipped the crowd into a frenzy and told them he had been divinely inspired to clean house and return Hwasong to glory.
SGM’s loyalists swept through Melas, arresting every member of the council they could find. A few that put up resistance were killed in the resulting struggle. Three that were out of Melas at the time managed to escape into exile in Eosong. A fourth was apprehended by SGM loyalists in her hometown of Kandoor Dosee. The remaining fourteen Dooktars of the Tribal Council were brought into the council hall, where many times before they had decided the fate of the nation. Now SGM and a panel of religious leaders sat over them to pass judgement.
After listing the charges against each Dooktar, SGM presented them with a choice: swear fealty to his supreme authority as the righteous ruler of Hwasong, or face a trial that may end in their exile or even execution. Most agreed, with only two refusing allegiance out of a sense of honor or their own convictions. The trials would be held before the end of that year, away from the public eye. Their outcomes were announced in the Melas Atrium. Both were to be exiled, as SGM worried an execution might push their tribes into action out of a sense of revenge.
SGM’s coup against his own council was time sensitive. His supporters were in the minority at the time, though their passion and fervor gave him a temporary advantage. He knew that if the proceedings dragged on too long, dissenters would be able to mount a counterattack, and there would be civil war and an end to his reign. For the tribes now lacking Dooktars, SGM met with lower Village Dooktars and other influential tribal and religious leaders to quickly find a loyal replacement.
With the Tribal Council entirely subordinated, SGM was free to reshape the country in his image. He rewrote the Hwasongi constitution to formalize his autocracy and consolidate power. In order to drive home the idea of one united people rather than a confederation of tribes, he renamed the country to the United Hwasong Nation in 2227. He introduced a new flag for a new nation, and adopted a national anthem for the first time in Hwasong's history. Citizenship and government institutions became more formalized.
SGM moved to make Hwasong more independent, cutting ties with non-nascentist corporations and nations, seizing and nationalizing their assets. He maintained ties with Nascentist investors, but ownership rights were renegotiated to make Hwasong an equal partner.
Despite these revisions, Hwasong stagnated. Though their economy could now stand independently, the lost investments meant Hwasong wouldn't see growth between 2226 and 2227. Though most of Hwasong likely agreed with SGM’s policies in principle, the higher cost of living through taxes and tariffs at the market left ordinary Hwasongi people destitute and disgruntled. Voices of dissent grew louder across the country, and even religious leaders began to lose faith in the aging ruler.
A small uprising in rural Noktis and Ovar Provinces signaled to SGM that his control was beginning to slip. He dispatched his army, led by loyalist commanders, to bring the tribesmen back into line. A Dooktar from the ChaSong-ai, NS, urged SGM to reconsider his approach, in part to stand up for his tribesmen in Ovar. It was the first time a dooktar stood up to SGM since his takeover. Following their argument, SGM pushed NS into exile and appointed a more agreeable member of the ChaSong-ai in his stead.
SGM recognized that his power was slipping. His loyalists were always in the minority, but as time drew on, his detractors were becoming more emboldened. In an effort to reinvigorate support, SGM announced a pilgrimage to Luna. There he would seek an audience with Anna/Hana for spiratual guidance. He would also visit other Nascentist countries to see their way of doing things.
At the end of 2227, SGM departed Mars on a private flight with most of his advisors and staff. SGM appointed a maternal cousin, FAH, to a new post of “Administrator of Hwasong” to oversee the country in his absence. This new assignment was modeled after Hana’s appointment of ASD as Administrator of Melas Colony. Over time, the position of Administrator came to resemble the position of Prime Minister in old constitutional monarchies, with the Supreme Dooktar as King or Queen.
In early 2229, SGM fell ill while visiting Port Eden. Lunaric doctors once again rushed to his aid and spirited him back to the dark side of the moon for treatment. When news of SGM’s hospitalization reached Hwasong, a group of conspirators sprung into action. The uprising began in [City III] in Kopratiz Province on the Eastern end of Hwasong. NS returned from exile in Eosong, spirited across the border by sympathizers. He took center stage in [City III] and personally took charge of the revolt there.
With SGM absent, the army crumbled, most deserting and some even joining the revolt. HK, the leader of a group of outlaws in Ovar Province seized on the weakened government troops distracted by the coup forces in Kopratiz. In April of 2229, he entered Melas from the unprotected Northwest and claimed the city after a brief skirmish with loyalist militias and remnants of the Army.
HK was unaffiliated with the coup conspirators in [City III], who planned to install NS as Supreme Dooktar. Instead, HK appointed himself as Supreme Dooktar and ousted SGM’s Administrator and supporters. He dissolved the Tribal Council, but kept the Tribal Dooktars under house arrest to prevent them from organizing support against him.
HK’s reign lasted three weeks and three days, the shortest reign of any Hwasongi ruler. The last three days he spent under siege by the coup forces who had finally marched on Melas. NS’s fighters, bolstered by many Army defectors, had the means to take the city, but neither side wanted to subject Melas to more bloodshed. Instead, NS negotiated HK’s abdication with a promise of amnesty, living out his days in a comfortable cell at SPZ Prison. All of these events reportedly took place while SGM was still unconscious.

The Rise of the Scions (2229-2233)

The Tribal Council took two weeks to reconvene after the upheaval. After a brief deliberation, they named NS as the new Supreme Dooktar. NS had been already been acting in the role, but the consent of the Council formalized his reign as the legitimate ruler of Hwasong. NS, as a self proclaimed descendant of Hana, carried a significant amount of clout among Hwasong’s faithful, or at least among those who did not consider his claim an affront. His role in overthrowing SGM and later HK helped to garner support with the Dooktars who did not necessarily believe in his divine lineage.
One of NS’s first moves was to alter the fabric of the role of Supreme Dooktar. He kept most of SGM’s autocratic power in place, but formalized the role of Administrator as the chief executive of the Hwasong government. He also formally adopted the title of “Scion”, entwining the rulership of Hwasong with his supposed divine lineage. Like the Crown Princes and Princesses of ancient monarchies, NS established a line of succession, dubbed the “Ordinal Scions”. He would be the first Scion, his younger brother the Second Scion, his eldest daughter the Third Scion and so on until he ran out of siblings, cousins, and descendants.
On top of these changes, NS introduced reforms overturning many of SGM’s strict edicts. He kept Nascentism as Hwasong’s national religion, but opened up tolerances towards other sects and denominations. He also began upgrading Hwasong’s infrastructure and education system, establishing the first university of Hwasong in 2231. NS was wary of moving to quickly in his reforms, lest he invoke the wrath of religious fundamentalists in the rural areas. Nonetheless, he faced accusations of “Terranizing” the country, especially in regards to introducing non-Nascentist schools.
NS also moved to reform and modernize the Army that had been left ragged and disorganized after the coup. His role as a General in the Second Martian War gave him the necessary experience and the trust of his subordinates. The defeat at the hands of the Hellas forces also served as motivation to prepare the Hwasongi military for the next great conflict.
In other ways, NS continued some of SGM’s oppressive practices. In particular, he held a deep hatred for hybrids and continued the crackdown against undesirable genetic “abberations”. Under NS, the hybrids who lived in Hwasong remained second class citizens with reports of unchecked brutality by neighboring tribes and families in the countryside. These acts ranged from vandalism and beatings, to property seizure and in some cases rape and murder. NS’s government turned a blind eye to these attacks, if not outright sanctioning or participating in them.
NS’s most controversial act, however, came at the beginning of his reign, when he apparently reneged on his promise of amnesty for HK. Members of NS’s interior ministry executed HK, his brother, and aides in secret and disposed of the bodies in an unmarked mass grave. News of the apparent betrayal would remain the subject of rumor and speculation as members of HK’s tribe were repeatedly denied the opportunity to visit him in custody. Other prisoners at SPZ Prison testified that they never saw HK once. NS’s government eventually had to admit to the execution in late 2232.
In late 2233, NS and his brother were visiting the first graduating class of Melas University. During the ceremony, a student shot and killed NS and his brother, the Second Scion. The assassin, a Hybrid of partial Yutopian ancestry, was quickly apprehended. In short order, the assassin was tortured and executed, as were members of his immediate family and other associates who were labeled as co conspirators in the assassination plot. Both the Hybrids and HK’s supporters hailed the assassin as a martyr.