Kingdom of Atlas
The Kingdom of Atlas (formerly the Kingdom of Mantle) is one of the four Kingdoms of Remnant and the dominant military and technological force on the planet. It is located on the continent of Solitas and is home to Atlas Academy,for which it is named.
Structure
Atlas is a unitary state where the boundaries between the government, the military and the Huntsman Academy it hosts are practically nonexistent. While the other Kingdoms limit the influence of the Academy and Military to matters of defense, these institutions regularly dictate all domestic policy. While no longer a command economy like its predecessor state, Mantle, Atlas has been critiqued, particularly in recent years, for cronyism and kickbacks to large corporations and military contractors such as the Schnee Dust Company, Braires Arms and Charon Industries, practicing protectionist policies at the expense of the common citizen. The government is headquartered at the campus of Atlas Academy, with its bureaucratic and military facilities a stones throw from the Academy. All local authorities are under the complete control of the Atlesian Council and High Command and can be overruled on any issue at any time.
Culture
Atlas is a highly stratified and militarized Kingdom. Its predecessor state, the Kingdom of Mantle, was infamous for its repression of artistic expression as a means of controlling the population- even after the reforms of the Vytal Treaty its architecture and manner of dress is largely utilitarian, though the City of Atlas has imported some of the high culture from its historic ally, Mistral. Residents of Atlas tend to favor the colors white, blue, red and purple in their attire, and the climate controlled floating city allows for lighter and less insulated clothing, typically in a formal or semi formal style. Those in more menial positions, particularly in Mantle and outer territories, wear less flattering and more practical clothing, such as heavy coats, in more muted and earthy tones, which hid the dirt and stains that come with their life and support the less complete protection of their cities' heating systems. Atlesians of all backgrounds are comparatively heavy drinkers, with the upper classes favoring wine while the lower classes gravitate towards ales and beers- liquors and spirits of varying quality are spread across the socioeconomic spectrum. This high rate of alcoholism and related complications has raised alarm in some corners as a burgeoning public health crisis, but most Atlesians are happy to ignore it.
Atlesians are often stereotyped as humorless, cold and and arrogant. Their culture does place a heavy emphasis on order and regimentation, and frowns on public displays of emotion or weakness. But it is more accurate to say that Atlesian culture is reserved- emotions are not shared with strangers or acquaintances but close friends and family- small expressions of affection are often given more weight and a philosophy of tough love is widespread. A dry, sarcastic wit is highly esteemed, and subtle jibes and backhanded compliments are often exchanged between strangers.
Atlas maintains the largest standing army in Remnant and military style organization pervades most of its other institutions.
History
The Kingdom of Atlas was formed around Atlas Academy, formerly known as Alsius Academy, and is the succesor state to the Kingdom of Mantle. The military junta was disbanded after their defeat in the Great War, and the Grand Army of Mantle was crippled in the demilitarization of the treaty. Alsius Academy, one of the four Huntsmen Academies, tasked with much of the Kingdom's defense, with the intention of filling the vacuum of the old regime. Alsius Academy had been created on an experimental floating island, hypothetically maintained by constant supplies of gravity dust, although secretly levitated using the Relic of Creation. This was meant to symbolically emphasize the separation between the Kingdom and the Academy, but it instead created a situation where Alsius towered over all other institutions in Mantle- the superior defensive location led to many wealthy residents, research institutions and corporate headquarters to relocating to the grounds of Alsius Academy, which was rapidly transforming into a city in its own right.
While the growing divide between the wealthier residents of Alsius and the poorer residents of Mantle caused substantial political friction, an economic boom lasting from roughly 20 AGW-40 AGW would paper over many of these differences and pave the way for a formal changing of the guard. Businessmen such as the famed adventurer Nicholas Schnee were pioneering new methods of locating, processing and manufacturing dust and dust products. Mantle had long been more advanced than the other Kingdoms in dust manipulation and the relaxation of international tensions as a result of the Vytal Treaty allowed for researchers all around the world to converge upon the Kingdom to learn and expand upon the old Mantleian secrets. Spearheaded by the Headmaster of Alsius Academy, these efforts were encouraged, and the Council of Mantle offered many incentives for these temporary residents to become permanent, with most of them settling in the growing city around Alsius. As more and more people flocked to the growing center of innovation and industry, and without the strict regulation of births practiced by the old regime, the Kingdom would become more dependent upon trade to feed its expanding population, remilitarizing and deploying its forces to escort the growing convoys between the Kingdoms. The Council also offered extraordinarily low tax rates to any large corporation that relocated its headquarters to the Kingdom, to the chagrin of some of the other Kingdoms and many of the residents of Mantle. By 32 AGW, the political center of gravity had shifted so completely that the Kingdom of Mantle was dissolved and reconstituted as the Kingdom of Atlas
Atlas was intimately joined to the Academy of the same name, where its capital city and administrative apparatus was centered, and its government and military began exerting increasing pressure on the students of Atlas to integrate into its military via the Atlesian Special Operatives Unit. In 45 AGW The Huntsmen Association considering formally condemning this practice, but the measure fell shy by just one vote, in one of the most controversial decisions that body has ever made. The decision was made even more controversial by the presence of several Atlesians on the Board, including the Chairman at the time, Nicholas Schnee, with many critics claiming that Atlas had provided generous financial donations and the priority use of the newly constructed CCT System as a bribe.
Tensions with the growing population of Faunus migrant workers led to increased state restrictions and segregationist polices, to a great extent than anywhere else in Remnant, making Atlas one of the centers of conflict and key players in the The Faunus Rights Revolution. Atlas would disproportionately contribute money and troops to crushing the rebellion, and the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Fort Castle would lead to a total revamp of their military doctrine and posture. While Atlas was party to the Treaty of Kuo Kuana, which ended the war in 59 AGW, they boycotted the 29th Vytal Festival on the grounds that relocating the event to The Cheifdom of Menagerie was illegitimate. Consequently, Atlas's right to host the 30th Vytal Festival was revoked.
In the aftermath of the war, then First Lieutenant James Ironwood would become a rising star politically- the Officer Corps had been decimated in the Faunus Rights Revolution and Ironwood rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming the commander of the Atlesian Special Operatives Unit in 70 AGW and Supreme Commander of the Atlesian Military in 75. His dual appointment as Headmaster of Atlas Academy created some controversy, as it awarded him 2 out of 5 votes on Atlas's council, making him unquestionably the most powerful man in the Kingdom.
Demography and Population
Population : 32,459,807 (80 AGW)
Atlas has a population of over 32 million people, with roughly 35% residing in the City of Atlas, 60% residing in Mantle, and the remaining 5% dispersed in outposts in the outer territories. The life expectancy at birth is 68.85 years, though it varies widely by settlement. Those in the City of Atlas on average have a life expectancy of 75 years, while in Mantle that number is 67 and in the outer territories the life expectancy is 48, with the most hazardous areas coming in well below that. The median age of residents of the Kingdom is 34.7 years.
The population is 95.8% Human and 4.2% Faunus, with Faunus being concentrated in Mantle and the outer territories.
Territories
The heartland of the Kingdom of Atlas is the plains and tundra of central and coastal Solitas, with the overwhelming majority of its population in the twin cities of Atlas and Mantle, just south of the Olympic Mountain Range.
It has outposts scattered across the tundra, primarily mining dust and other minerals, though some limited animal husbandry of hardy Solitas livestock exists as well. Fishing outposts along the southern coasts are also maintained, with the port at Fort Castle being especially important for international trade by sea.
Military
Foreign Relations
Atlas has close relations with Mistral, as the two Kingdoms have been historically allies, going back nearly a century before the Great War. Elite Atlesians and Mistrali often intermingle and Mistrali arts and culture are held in high esteem.
Atlas has become increasingly dependent upon the Kingdom of Vale to feed its rapidly growing population in the frigid tundra, and has actively sought to warm relations between the two Kingdoms for decades. Trade between the two countries is vital to both their economies, though their alliance has proved flightier than the alliance with Mistral.
The people of Vacuo dislike Atlas more than any of the other Kingdoms, as a legacy of Mantle's ruthless policies occupying parts of the region and enslaving much of its population. Never the less, as the Council of Vacuo only controls a few square blocks of the capital city, Atlas has decided that its government can be safely ignored. When they need to handle issues with Vacuo the Atlesians typically reach out to Shade Academy.
Relations with Menagerie are often tense, as many Atlesian corporations utilize Faunus labor under poor conditions for low pay, and lingering tensions from The Faunus Rights Revolution remain the elephant in the room. That and the fact that racial attitudes to the Faunus in Atlas remain strained at the best of times.
Agriculture & Industry
Atlas is at the forefront of the world in dust manipulation, aviation, communication, robotics and prosthetics. Atlas was founded around Atlas Academy and the Kingdom prides itself on being a center of science and industry.
The largest companies in the world, such as The Schnee Dust Company, Braires Arms, Charon Industries and Hyperion Shipping are headquartered in Atlas, and many of them have extensive government contracts. The Atlesian economy is sometimes described as monopolistic, cronyist and unfavorable to newcomers.
Atlas has virtually no arable land. Before the Vytal Treaty it relied on trade with Mistral and expensive domestic greenhouses to feed itself. Now such things are completely unfeasible, especially when the broadened and more luxurious diet of the Atlesian Elite is taken into account. It relies on trade with the other Kingdoms to sustain itself.
Trade & Transport
Atlas imports food, primarily though Vale and to a lesser extent Mistral, and exports dust, refined metals and technology. Some observers believe that Atlas's large military is partially motivated by a need to defend its trade lines- the entire continent of Solitas does not have the resources to feed even a quarter of the Kingdom's modern population.
Heavy cargo is often transported by ship to and from foreign ports, such as the City of Vale, Pantyros and Argus, and then transported by rail networks to other inland settlements. Light and high value cargo is often carried by airship.
Education
75% of the Atlesian population has completed secondary education and the Kingdom has a 98% literacy rate, though this varies widely across settlements. 42% of the adult residents of Atlas have a post-secondary education, while among the population of Mantle that number stands at 5%.
Infrastructure
Atlas possesses the Relic of Creation in its Academy Vault, which allows for its capital city to float over a mile off the ground, though a large amount of gravity dust is credited publicly as the reason. The City of Atlas Because of the harsh conditions of Solitas, it is impossible to survive on the surface unshielded for long periods of time, with temperatures regularly dropping below 30 degrees Celsius at night during the winter and rarely exceeding freezing for all but a few months during the summer.
The Kingdom of Atlas
Founding Date
May 11th, 32 AGW
Capital
Predecessor Organization
Demonym
Atlesian
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Democracy, Representative
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
(Ⱡ) Lien
Legislative Body
Council of Atlas
Subsidiary Organizations
Population: 32,459,807 (80 AGW)
Land Area: 288,000 sq. miles
Notable Institutions
Atlas Academy
Atlesian Military
Schnee Dust Company
Braires Arms
