I'm not about to go all political on you. However, something I heard about that really tickled my fancy. Not so much for the act itself - I think it's symbolic more than anything. I'm talking about the petition for secession that has gathered signatures in all fifty states. Don't believe me? Read it here. It's more than "a few" people... And from both sides of the aisle (some want to leave, and some want others to leave).
Yes, I chuckled too.
Though I'm fairly certain there are a few of you out there who believe in it, stop. It won't happen.
But that's not why I'm here. This blog is not about politics... Well not "real-world" politics at least. That's just too sad...
However, in a setting where politics play such an important role, like NeoExodus. What would a secessionist movement be like in NeoExodus and what how would they go about accomplishing their goals?
A little background on myself, I was born and raised in Montréal, in the Canadian province of Québec. Yes, the province that voted to secede from Canada in 1980 (60% no) and 1995 (50.5% no). I've been a supporter of the cause for many years (though recently, I cannot support the political party that promotes it - it is too radical). My interest in history has led me to study a number of similar attempts at breaking away from another nation.
So as you can see, I have a wider interest in this. And just my luck: NeoExodus allows me to engage in these "what ifs" - of course changing the situation and the actors - but still the exercise is there...
If you read the NeoExodus Campaign Setting, you will quickly realize that there is one group that is clearly set up as a separatist group, seeking a return of the Cardosian Kingdom independent of the Dominion, Protectorate and the Janus Horde.
Let's examine four major factor that would play big in the equation.
Economic
One can never overlook the economic factor. Becoming a sovereign nation requires means for the nation to sustain itself. This means maintaining roads, maintaining and expanding military installations, and maintaining order and public safety. Another factor is population. Population will affect revenues but also the amount of resources a new lord must obtain to maintain his control.
Military
Military and public service is essential to any fledgling nation. Not only are nearby nation likely to try and test out the "new guy", but in a fantasy setting, there are threats that need to be handled. Adventurers can help (and it creates a lot of adventure possibilities), but they cannot be relied on to provide a permanent force.
Then one must factor the existing population, both as a basin of recruit for the army and public services. Protection is more difficult on a sparse, separated population than on dense, tightly packed population.
Political
The leanings of the leaders matters little, what DOES matter is that there is a clearly identifiable leadership. Whether this is a bishop, king or general, the important thing is for the common folk to be able to put a face on the new leader. This has the disadvantage of giving the opposition a target, but can clearly serve as a catalyst for the movement.
Social/Cultural
Finally, there is always something Socio-cultural that must serve as a focus for the change. People don't change their lives, government and religion without some major impetuous.
The one common thread of all successful revolution is that they started when things went REALLY bad. The French Revolution, the Cuban Revolution all happens win time when things were not going well. Hope is a nice buzz word, but it means very little when you have nothing to feed your kids or when you're out of a job and the taxman comes. Successful revolutions all start from the ground-up (grassroots movements).
Next week, I'll move on to NeoExodus and why I started this thread... The original post was just too long, so I cut it into two.
JP
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