| HARRY POTTER AND THE WORLD OF DARKNESS an Alternate World of Darkness Setting by Ge'azhal Zocrith Part Three |
| The English Ministry of Magic To Project Cleanslate This organization is one of many European magical agencies...it sets the laws and governs UK magi. The legislative council is a parlimentary system, with the Minister at the minister's desk and advising him are the two chambers... the Geographical chamber ( based on population) and the Chamber of Houses (Each house with over a certain number of people gets a seat. You don't meet the quota and you sit under Ex Misc with the rest of the children.) This is just one example of Hermetic governments. In France, there is a system that is more complex, more anal retentive, more annoying, and...well... more french Every one of these smaller groups reports to the ESHO (NOT ESHU) The European Society for Hermetic Order This system, based on the British system, comprises the bulk of the Order of Hermes. Each country has a seat in one Chamber (the geographical one) and each house has a Big Seat, occupied by the Primi, in the other chamber. Magus Rex, the equivalent of the Prime minister, is the overall referee in this mad-house. On to america... Ah, America. Land of Promise. Land of Freedom. Land of WAR. America is composed of three regions, bordered by the Canadian hermetics to the north and the iron grip of the Catholics to the south. The Freehold Colonies The Freehold colonies, also known as the early American States, stretches all the way to the appalachians and in some areas borders on the Mississippi. Composed mostly of Hermetics and druids (forming a new house, which I haven't named yet). They have a strange system of government, based on the Town hall. It hasn't changed much, and is generally more of a loose confederation of magi than a government. They provide three basic services... Oath-keeping, mail, and policing. They also maintain the Salem Institute, which On the opposite side side of the continent, the west coast is controlled by an entirely different group: The Wu Lung Beaurocracy of Heaven - American Branch With Chinese Immigrant labor came Chinese Immigrant Mages. They flourished in the new land, making pacts with local spirits and setting up shop. In Chinatowns across the west, Wong's House of Tea have them a front. They now dominate the West, and are quite liberal...so long as you register, do not inform the natives that you are able to cast magic, and don't blow up any property of a Wu Lung Beaurocrat, you're fine. Break the rules, however, or pop a spell off after your month-long leeway from registration and BAM -- paradox appears. In the west is the Wu Lung's own Academy,as well as a fledgeling Hermetic school... Called Gimblecroft. It's a third rate school, and most west coast Hermetics send their kids off to another school, be it Salem, Pyroma, Or even far off Hogwarts. Gimblecroft is allowed to exist because of a loophole in the beaurocracy...and is constantly inspected for any sort of insurectionist purpose. Flambeau are not allowed near the school for this reason. Once you get into the Deserts, however, you find... The Warzone The Warzone... Is just that. from the Western Deserts to the swamps on Old Man River's banks, there is no overall governing body. In hidden valleys lie the the Natives' glens, protected by enchantments simmilar to the ones that hide Hogwarts. There are a LOT more Amerindians than most people think...and many are magically active. The only thing that stops them from taking the Warzone for their own is a tendency to fight amongst themselves as much as they fight the Flambeau of Pyroma and the US government's project Clean Slate. Clean Slate originated when a Veriditus craft exploded not too far from New Mexico. The Army analyzed the remains, determined that the only solution to the problem of a flying disk flying (without engines, motor, or wings) was magic...that and the two people they tortured until death. They found that Magic was real. And they didn't like it one bit. Mages existed. They posed a potential threat greater than the hidden indians or the Church's miracle warriors ever did. They must be exterminated. To accomplish this goal, the CleanSlate generals decided to work from the Center of the map outwards, starting near kansas and clearing outwards. They lost two hundred men at Pyroma the first time, and sixty at an attack on an unidentified location that raised high alarms. In order to develop better tactics, the military turned to AI... which have since developed themselves (litterally) to the Tenth Iteration..... And are now cranking out supertech like Hardsuits, plasma weapons...and the like. They're armed, dangerous, and ignorant of the true power most wizards hold. They've managed some small success, but are now trying to hold what territory they have wilst they find better methods. UTAH The Nephites control Utah, and police the borders of the state as if any magi might corrupt the souls of the innocent mormons within. They fry any wizard on sight, and indian scalps cover a wall on one guard post. The US Military has noticed the nephites, but since they tend to keep to themselves, they are not seen as the priority that...oh... say the two hundred potential nuklear weapons sitting in the clasrooms of Pyroma are. The Southwest The Southwest is where the hardest fighting is. Pyroma sits astide Texas, but the tentacles of the Mexican Inquesition reach far into the old territories through the mission networks set down four hundred years ago. The natives fight sometimes, but hold their own...and are willing to put differences aside to stop the church or the army from finding a Hidden valley... if only to resume hostilities once the larget threat is gone. |