Soviet Union: Communism and super spies!
India: Thugee, ace pilots and a floating city!
Tibet: Monasteries, kung-fu and yetis!
China: Mystical crime syndicate, Hong Kong and ghosts!
Japan: Japanese government, ninjas, Yakuza and oni!
Southeast Asia: A civilization under the waves (but not Atlantis)!
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or the U.S.S.R, is a giant
country headed by the Russian Communist Party.
The USSR is somewhat of an odd duck in terms of alliances. At times,
they back the allied forces (showing by their recent joining of the League
of Nations), but other times they support the rising danger of Italy and
Germany. The country's leader, Joseph Stalin, is secretive in most of his
plans.
The states of the USSR all share common languages, as well as
holding up the ideas of Communism, which exalts the ruler over the worker
and champions the needs of the many. Besides this strange idea of
government, the USSR has one of the largest armies in the world, known as
the Red Army (and sometimes Stalin's Sickle). It's composed of thousands of
soldiers with access to tanks, planes, artillery and even more dangerous
weapons.
The USSR itself is an extremely hostile country in terms of
geography; everything that is not frozen is only frozen half the time. The
landscape is rough, rugged and mostly barren. Bears, moose, foxes and wolves
prowl the frozen wastes, and parts of the country could be considered the
North Pole.
Probably the most hostile area in the USSR is Serbia, which is
located on the east coast of Russia. The land is almost permanently frozen,
with animal and plant life being extremely scarce. However, hidden amongst
the ice and blizzards is the training grounds for a specialized branch of
the Red Army, known as Stalin's Hammer. These almost 300 soldiers train in
survival techniques, hand-to-hand combat, infiltration, sabotage,
assassination, and mastery of arms. They are modern super soldiers, and they
are trained by Catherine Burishkov, a deadly female assassin that reports
directly to Stalin himself. The only people who know the purpose of these
soldiers are Burishkov and Stalin, with even the soldiers themselves often
being in the dark.
India
India is a large country full of ancient mysteries. It has spawned
many eastern religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, which are now the
majority religions in eastern Asia.
India is another one of the numerous countries in the grasps of
British colonialism. While this does offer them chances at higher education
and other opprotunities, their rights are still supressed. India is
extremely poor and overpopulated, though it is full of spirit. A strong
independence movement has formed recently, led by a peaceful and passive man
named Mohandus Ghandi.
India is also one of the oldest civilizations in the world. Certain
Hindu temple ruins are even older than the Pyramids, and Hinduism is
entwined into everyday life. People worship at holy places all over the
country, including the extremely holy (and extremely polluted) Ganges River.
India is mostly composed of flat plains and the occassional desert,
but the northern edge of the country is extremely mountainous. In these
mountains lies the headquarters of the famous Garuda's Children, an
organization that collects all the world's greatest pilots in one place.
Some people believe that this base is a hoax, though, and that the real base
is suspended in the middle of the sky like a cloud.
Though Hinduism is a mostly peaceful religion, it does have some
dangerous sects. One of these is the Thugee, a cult though to be
exterminated long ago. Worshippers of the death god Kali, these murderous
heathens have had a swell in numbers, and many locals are scared for their
lives.
Tibet
Tibet is by far the most mountainous regions in Asia. The entire
country is situated on the Himalaya mountain range, which is the tallest
mountain range on Earth.
The Himalayas are an extremely dangerous place. They are extremely
cold and isolated, with hardly breathable air at high altitudes. Abandoned
monastaries and temples abound, along with sightings of the abominable
snowman, commonly known as the Yeti.
Very little is known about the Tibetan people. Most are of Chinese
or Mongolian heritage, but they have supposedly lived on that land longer
than their supposed ancestors. They are peaceful, and they follow the way of
Buddha. Tibet holds one of the largest monk schools in Asia, known as the
Gentle Lotus Academy. Not only will students learn the concepts of inner
peace, patience and tenacity, they will become disciplined in martial
artistry to the point of it being almost supernatural.
China
China is currently in a giant upheavel. One of their holdings,
Manchuria, has recently been captured by Japan, and a large portion of the
country has plunged into a civil war between the Republic of China and the
Communist Party of China.
Outside of all the current military strife, China is a rural country
who is desperately trying to reach the heights of industrialization. The
rural populace is heavily religious and superstitious; they often report
sightings of ghosts and demons amongst their farms and temples. These claims
have recently been escalating, so perhaps there is a certain vailidity to
them.
Not all of China is rural, however; several cities are just as
advanced as European or North American cities. One in particular is Hong
Kong, which many describe as the jewel on China's crown. It is a huge city
that mixes western and eastern culture together. However, like most major
cities, it is ridden with crime. The largest gang is known as the Jade Fist,
a ruthless band of thugs who specialize in the opium trade, prostitution and
human trafficing. Many of the members are trained martial artists, and the
higher ups are extremely wise mystics. The Jade Fists have many allies with
other criminal organizations, but they are completely antagonistic towards
the Yakuza of Japan.
Japan
Japan was once a docile and isolationist state, but it has recently
done an about face to have more expansionist policies. Recently, they have
been taking over many smaller Asian islands, as well as invading and
capturing Manchuria. They have also made clear their alliance with Germany,
which could make for a potentially lethal combination.
The Japanese government is secretive and ruthless, traits descended
from the shogunates of old. They send secret operatives, sometimes known as
ninjas, to infiltrate and gather intelligence on enemies. Japan is a country
full of rigid honor and respect, but that does not mean they will forego
subversive deeds in order to gain that respect.
Aside from the government, the other major threat in Japan is the
Yakuza, a very old and dangerous criminal organization. Much like the Jade
Fist, they specialize in prostitution and opium trade, as well as illegal
gambling and fishing practices. The Yakuza are very well protected, as many
of their high ranking members hold a place in Japanese government. This also
means that the Yakuza's will is strong in policies.
Many Japanese citizens fear for their life, and they often whisper
of the Yakuza actually being Oni, great horned demons from ancient Japanese
myth. Oni tattoos are common amongst the Yakuza, and some have displayed
inhuman acts of strength and energy, so perhaps these whispers are not
unfounded.
Southeast Asia
The region of Southeast Asia is a pretty large mixing pot of
cultures. Largely composed of strings of islands such as Indonesia and the
Phillipines, these countries have been exposed to Buddhism, Hinduism and
Islam, and are a mix of races from all over Asia. Most countries still make
a living off of fishing and trade, but not much else.
Very little is actually known about what the region was like before
Islamist traders came upon the islands hundreds of years ago. Ruins lie
within the various jungles, but many are barren. An interesting point,
though, is that some of these ruins have extremely accurate maps of the
region, but the depicted landmasses are much, much larger. In fact, these
landmasses would now be covered up by the sea. Is the 'real' civilization of
Southeast Asia hidden beneath the waves? If so, what mysteries could it
hold? Some say that it has always existed, and that people still live and
thrive beneath the waves.
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