The Kingdom of Mistral
Introduction
Mistral was once a major power but since it's defeat in the Great War, it's been slowly losing territory as Atlas and the SDC buy up large chunks of the Kingdom while it's own authority continues to decline. Increasingly criminal enterprises mean more and more within the kingdom and despite it's beautiful appearance, Mistral is still incredibly laden with issues. Despite that Slavery is outlawed, the Kingdom exports nearly all of it's Faunus and Human prisoners to SDC work camps where only a minority of humans escape and no Faunus ever leave their sentence. Discrimination is still a issue and in many of it's settlements, Faunus can't be seen outside at night or they'll be lynched. Still progress is very slowly being made. After the fall of Beacon, General Gold of Atlas has been pushing the Kingdom to make certain reforms and since the War free expression and Freedom loving ideals has returned to the Kingdom. In a lot of ways, Mistral is trying to heal from the sins of the past but is imperfect and in many ways still extremely racist. It's treatment of the White Fang is worse then any Kingdom, often leading to continually escalatory steps from the whitefang an d even more against them. The Black Fang have a presence in the Kingdom but the White Fang is still very much in control. To make matters worse, Corruption has never been higher and Mistral has become extremely ineffective at self governance.Government
Mistral runs an Oligarchic System that keeps the same few Noble families in power and have been in power since the Great War, including Leonardo Lionspride. The only figure of some integrity throughout the government. Mistral's government is highly corrupt and is often bought out by Criminal Syndicates, major companies and foreign powers. This has led to long term stagnation and there is very little hope for change, ironically the best hope for Change is the Atlas General, General Gold whom is appointed as the Kingdom's protector. However even he cannot stop the government from selling land to Atlas and the SDC. No one really has any faith in the government but the government isn't really tyrannical either...if you aren't Faunus that is.Spoilers:
After the events at Haven Academy, the Mistral Government is replaced by General Gold and highly influenced by Whitecliffe to become the world's 3rd Democracy. Mistral undergoes a difficult transition period from a Oligarchy to a Democracy, focusing on Anti Crime and stabilization initiatives. Gold's Atlas forces become the Government's official enforcement. The Government is laden with Human and Faunus Rights abuses and extreme court corruption but many remark that Mistral's government is slightly better then before. Faunus and Human rights are starting to improve with Black Fang leader Adria Wright getting a council seat via Snap Elections in Mistral's first election. Supremacy is obviously still a problem but there is hope now.Economy
Mistral has the 3rd highest GDP in the world and that's against Vacuo, which isn't much of a competition. Still despite the Dodgy economy, there is still a decent number of jobs but Crime pays much better then legitimate work. It has decent trade but is noted for it's sweat shops and mass cheap labour which makes it a popular spot for foreign companies like the SDC to base in and then work people for below minimum wage for inhuman hours. It also makes a huge profit from it's tourist industry who come to enjoy the asian-esq aesthetics and culture of Mistral. It also has a unique architecture that also gets it a lot of visitors. With the only major Academy on the continent, many hunters end up training in Haven, giving it a huge bonus in profits that help keep it afloat. Another major export is Stallite, a powerful material that is super effective at bouncing damage. Many secretive and unethical mining companies are paid by the SDC to acquire this material for the Company. In fact the high number of Valleys, rivers and mountains leaves a lot of opportunities for mining with a fair few Dust veins to mine as well. Being the Crime capital, Mistral gets a cut off spice trade and basically sanctions it. There is also a lot of Raiders in the kingdom including the Branwen Tribe and the Raider Coalition. Though in recent years the Branwen tribe has mostly de-escalated their violence and focuses more on spice trade while other Raiders continue their raiding of rural targets, slowing Mistral's economic growth.Spoilers
After the events of Haven Academy, minor economic reforms are put in place that are designed to improve labour laws and reduce corporate extortion of the lower classes. Organized crime is embattled but progress is slow. After the Death of Lil Miss Malachite at the hands of Cinder Fall and Neopolitian. Organized crime turns in on it's self begins the Kingdom's bloodiest Gang war. The Gang war causes the Mistral police to be reformed and cleaned of most corruption over the years. Eventually causing the downfall of Mistral's Criminals Underworld. Raiders eventually decline and the Kingdom eventually begins it's long recovery after a century of decay. Haven Academy is eventually fully restored and soon becomes the 2nd best Hunters Academy in the World.Military
The Mistral Police and Haven Academy is the Kingdom's only form of Militarized force, after the war. Mistral was forced to de-arm after the war. The Mistral Police have a decent arsenal that's supplied by a series of Mistral based weapons manufacturers. It's cities also has a National Guard that is more of a militia in time of crisis. A less official force is Mistral's Private Military Companies but they normally fight for the highest bidder instead of the Nation. The SDC PMCs and Atlas is mainly responsible for the Kingdom's security with General Gold being it's most selfless defender. The White Fang are also incredibly strong here, having a wide array of weapons on their own and protect their own settlements and communities while attacking those outside of them.Spoilers
After the events of Haven, Gold's Forces begin pulling out and Whitecliffe's military moves in over the years. Whitecliffe steadily integrates Mistral into it's Republic and Mistral makes it's contributions to the Whitecliffe military. The Mistral Police also steadily get better however still has a issue with how they treat Faunus. Whitecliffe makes measured but successful moves to reduce this.Demographics
Mistral as a Kingdom, even with parts of it now missing, has the largest population in the entire world. Known for it's sprawling metropolises and massive factories that almost all of the world's businesses and basically supply depend on. Though Whitecliffe has no stakes in it's economy, it often sends it's businesses over to show off how their system works, in hopes of inspiring change. Around 1.602 Billion people live in Mistral with most of them living in the cities, others in a minority but still many compared to other kingdoms live in rural areas in villages and small/big towns. There is a sizable Faunus Minority here which often gives groups like the White Fang a lot of recruits. Information also flows fast here but by limited networks meaning large numbers of the population can be fed propaganda without any meaningful ways to contradict it. Cities are often coated in neon lights, endless advertisements and have multiple buildings layered upon each other much like real life Shanghai but with a odd mix of European and Asian styles. Due to the high population, public institutions and welfare is sorely lacking. If you're poor you are pretty much doomed if you don't have a community or family looking out for you.Culture
Because it encompasses such a large area, Mistral has a very diverse range of lifestyles and cultures within its borders. The Mistrali have built their culture and technology around the geography and natural resources of the continent. The Mistrali are linked by their common respect for nature, particularly the sea and sky. Notably, Mistral has the most spices of any Kingdom in Remnant. Argus acts as the major trading center between the continents of Anima and Solitas. It is one of the largest non-capital cities in all of Remnant and has the largest military base outside the Kingdom of Atlas. Due to this, the soldiers stationed were not recalled by James Ironwood before closing the borders. Mistral's populace is divided into two distinct classes. The Mistrali upper classes are world-renowned for their contributions to high society, such as architecture, theater and fashion. Haven Academy also had luxurious dorm rooms for its students compared to the other academies in Remnant. The lower classes are equally well known for other reasons However, the lower classes are of considerable ill-repute, composed of unsavory characters like thieves and assassins from all across Remnant who have come to Mistral to remain undetected. Mistral is also home to the largest black market in Remnant, where the services of assassins and even corrupt Huntsmen can be bought in the Kingdom if one has the funds to do so. The large distances involved make outlying settlements like Wind Path and Kuchinashi harder for the council to govern, contributing to this corruption and making these settlements ideal hiding spots for those on the fringes of society. Prior to the Great War, practices such as slavery and suppression of the arts were allowed in Mistral due to following the example of its ally Mantle. However, the emperor of Mistral still allowed the arts to thrive in the capital only. Following the end of the Great War and the dissolution of the monarchy, these practices were made illegal. The Mistral Trading Company is a Dust refining company similar to the Schnee Dust Company situated in Mistral that has branches located in Kingdom's like Vacuo. It helped drain the Kingdom of its Natural resources of Dust and has abandoned those refineries located there, one of which was later taken over and used by The Crown as an underground fighting ring. Another mining company that recently was stationed in Kuchinashi was the Pastel Mining Company, led by a man named Javi Pastel until his death. Pastel became interested in the magical artifacts left throughout the ruins close to the city and planned on becoming rich by selling them. He also transported items from all over Remnant including Sabyrs from Solitas that eventually broke free from his hidden facility under his estate in Kuchinashi. Before he could sell them however, one of the criminal gangs in the city murdered him and planned to take all of his artifacts for themselves. The White Fang stationed in the Kingdom seems to have the most influence over the other branches throughout Remnant, with the Throne Room for the High leader being located here as well. Spider is the most powerful crime syndicate known to operate in the city of Mistral, in which they seem to primarily deal in brokering a web of information. Spiders became the new theme for the group, with every member receiving a tattoo of the spider emblem on their bodies and the symbol being used to mark hideouts and territory. Cinder Fall uses the spiders' resources to locate where Ruby's Group are headed after the Battle of Haven, trading information for Lien. Prior to Lionheart's demise, Lil' Miss Malachite was the second most powerful person in the city of Mistral, and has since ascended to the first. They were aligned with Lady Browning's Preparatory Academy For Girls and the Harmony Club, who operated in Vale. The Hana Guild, or simply the Hana, is a crime family in Mistral located in Kuchinashi, originally known for dealing narcotics. It's an old and powerful family, and their sigil is a flower with blade-like petals. Their leader is a man named Vermillion Raddock, who recently came into charge approximately two years before the start of RWBY. Under his leadership, they have also begun dealing weapons as well. Another crime organization in the city, the Wave, was known for being a relatively newer organization which dealt in stolen goods, such as high tech Atlas Military developments, and similar merchandise. Their leader was a woman named Lemon until her death. They were rivals to the Hana Guild, and employed corrupt Huntsmen such as Team SMMK for their needs until their destruction. The Wave were allies of Spider. The Black Sheep are another known crime family, residing in Kuchinashi's Upper Cliffs. The Skillful is a tavern in Kuchinashi known for being where all the major decisions of the city are made. It also doubles as a stopping point to hire Huntsmen and for Huntsmen to rest, being infamous for being the place to find illegal activities or to hire people to do so. The Hearth is a guild of thieves and assassins that recently returned to Kuchinashi led by a woman named Abigail Pyre until her death. The Mouse and Parrot was a criminal organization which rivaled Spider years before the start of the series. It is lead by a man named Paul Parrot, who is the third person to lead his organization, having killed his uncle who'd previously overthrown Paul's grandfather. At one point, the Parrot (as it is shortened) entered war with Spider, and after a week-long feud, found that it'd lost. Members included Badger, a thug who'd been killed during a conflict with Roman Torchwick, and Jack Plum, a rival of Lil' Miss who had connections to corrupt councilman. The Huntsman Kingdom Accord is an act that protects the Huntsmen of Mistral with some legal support. Source: https://rwby.fandom.com/wiki/MistralAs Green as Emeralds and as Bright as the Sun
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Capital
Alternative Names
The Fallen Empire, The Crumbling Kingdom, Lost Glory, Land of Blooms
Demonym
Mistralites
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Lien
Subsidiary Organizations
Related Professions
Neighboring Nations
Allies of Desperation
Mistral has few friends, even though Whitecliffe isn't happy with Mistrals' segregation policies and open embracing of the SDC. Whitecliffe continues to offer aid and support to the struggling Kingdom, providing humanitarian support to the impoverished and helping with security.
Their Counter Terrorist Operations is met with mixed reactions however.
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