Imagine a world where the Great War, better known as the First World War never happened. Instead of plunging into senseless war among kings and queens, the European Monoaches instead continued to strengthen their alliance with one another. By the influence of a charismatic bishop, those in Europe's center slowly stopped relying on bloodlines, to instead form alliances through a shared religion.
Doing that was easy; many of Europe's countries held the same belief system and tweaked those straying away could easily be changed. It was only a matter of time and carefully chosen words by the charismatic bishop, more countries came to join this growing leadership of the church. This new alliance, which brought safety and stability, something the starting to die out Monarchy failed to grant their subjects. The Church preached answers to something a lot of people struggled to find; a place to belong in this terrifying huge world. The Church gave them an answer, and people took it, thankful they no longer needed to walk through life blindly.
The Church quickly grew into a world power and in a matter of years, it held control over most of Europe. Although this relatively young world power lacked military strength, the Church made up for its strong economy and followers. Russia and America weren't troubled by the Church, though, for this large religion hadn't made any move to pick a fight with them. America left it alone, while Russia at times got into conflicts with the Church because countries under its control were trying to shift side due to the opportunities it offered. Still, the frozen lands' world power considered the Church more a nuisance than an actual threat. That was what the Church wanted, the formed counsel had learned from past wars not to be hasty, and although they all wanted to rid the world of these heathens, they had to demonstrate patience.
Europe's world power would continue to form allies with the surrounding countries, strengthening their community throughout the holy book and correct those trying to stir up needless drama.
This sort of peace was welcomed by the people living in either of these three world powers, though those part of the Chuch wanted the two others gone and quietly wished for war. They kept the peace for years, but as tension grew among people of the Church, their hatred against these great sinners of America and Russia soon got too much and so, the council declared war.
Starting with Russia, a country that has tried to keep people from converting and accept their embosom.
Russia was more than happy to go to war with the Church, believing in the country's strength and the people's loyalty towards the Tsar. But this Monarch failed to realize that their generations of negligence have weakened their country but also at how the Church has been doing things meant that everyone under their rule, every man and woman shared their philosophy in the nature of daemon. The truth that when their manifestation of the souls settles into a single shape during a person's adolescents, it reveals who they are and whatever shape the daemon took would determent the soon to be adult what their purpose in life. That the moment the Settling has come to a child, this child should be treated as an adult and shown what their role in society should be.
This belief made life easier for people, and for many, it has always been part of their life. The Church teachings didn't harm anyone; it helped people figure out their role in life by these teachings. In many ways, it allowed people to know where they would of best use for the world just by looking at their daemon settled form. If a dog, they would suit best as a servant or a soldier, A snake; the person would be best as a spy or cunning businessman, a cat and this person was the best option as a designer or sociology. A person with a bird - depending on the species would either become a tracker or someone knowing exactly how to communicate with their voice.
A child might not like at the start that their daemon will settle into, but over time they will accept that is just how it is and will come to appreciate whatever form their daemon take.
Russia didn't care much about that philosophy, the Tsar was much more interested in claiming more lands.
However, unlike the war you from our world, where Germany, Italy, and Japan fought against several countries such as France, the USA, and Russia. They lost because they spread themselves out too much and got themselves surrounded by each side. In this world, the war ended much differently. The lack of the first war and the Church cleverly creating allies, used the now united countries to give Russia's Tsar a fight they would never forget.
France, a country that has become a powerful alliance for the Church, sent troops' into Russia, but even with the disheartened Russian soldiers, the Church's troops couldn't break through the enemy line and the war started to stretch out.
America's people barely bothered themselves with the conflict on the other side of the Atlantic. Two incredible wealthy brothers didn't spare a second thought on what happened in the world either. They were much busier waging their own war. They started by how their dead father shared his wealth and lands to them so that it was like the father wanted these two brothers to fight and fight they did.
It was set for the third brother to fight over this wealth and lands as well. But he was smart enough to realize it wouldn't get him anywhere in life, and quickly realized the waste of time that whole inheritance was. He left his part of the will to his brothers and went to Europe in search of his wealth.
This third brother ended up joining the Church, although not much of a believer, did agree with the Church's philosophy and therefore agreed to be baptized. It opened several doors for him, and the man, always ready to take hold when the opportunity appeared. He started working alongside the Church military, and with his incredible brain, the Church army got weapons that turned the tide of this four-year-long war. The council allowed the third brother to rise in ranks, for even though he wasn't a believer, they all knew this man was a great asset and worth keeping close.
That choice served them well, for this man; Grey Mann was the one who went out and made an agreement to a massive military society, one equivalent of the Spartan people in our world.
These people were called Tatarian: warriors at heart that knew little else but conquest.
The Tartarian did not live by the same religion as the Church, but with Grey's silver tongue, they agreed that if they aided the Church, that world power would not only allow them large chunks of Russia's lands, a chance they wouldn't waste, but the Church promised to leave their culture alone. An opportunity they wouldn't waste.
The Tartarian went to war with Russiam, and since they had a lot of experience in conquering people in the harsh winter, they weren't slowed down and gave the Church army the needed force to finally break into Russian's capital and in the end win the war. As promised, the Tartar's were allowed to occipy large parts of Russia and keep their culture, and even though the Church didn't appreciate such freedom, they could see the potential of having such a bloodthirsty people on their side.
With Russia defeated, the Church no longer had to worry about getting attacked from that front, allowing the council to turn their full attention on the world power past the great ocean. The United States of America, the final world power that stood in their way of world domination.
Fear grew in America; everyone knew war was coming and braced themselves for the conflict looming at the horizon.
Few didn't pay this impending war any mind. Two of them were Grey Mann's brothers. They were too busy pitting their nine mercenaries in their personal war against one another. All in an attempt to claim the lands and factories their father left them.
It didn't take long before war came to America, but other than getting annoyed about the two world powers armies ended up destroying some of their factories, the two brothers didn't give the outside world their attention. They were more focused on conquering the lands of their father with their own little army.
War raged for almost a whole decade, both the brothers and the world powers war was at a standstill.
And once again, Grey Mann stepped in to put a stop to it. First, he dealt with his two brothers; they died as they lived. Squabbling over petty arguments and being utterly oblivious to their surroundings. With them gone, Grey hired the mercenaries, and they agreed with a large amount of cash he offered them.
He used this new secret army to infiltrate and assassinate any higher-ranked people, destroying America from within.
The American's were strong, but an army without a leader meant nothing. With the assassination of the president and his top generals, the whole thing started to break down. The great power of the United States of America could not overpower the European world power and, in the end, lost the war. But unlike the Russian people who just wanted the war to end so their lives could improve. Like when they fought away from Brytain's rule, the Americans refused to submit to the Church's way of life and even without their leaders, the people kept up the fight.
It did not take long for the Church to shift its tactic in subduing the country to use America as an example.
The military was swift in retribution against those that refused to submit to their new rulers. Any man of Congress, any general who refused to promise their loyalty to the Church, was executed. Those civilians set on stay as a true patriotic American would mysteriously disappear, never to be seen again. Fear soon became greater than the people's want for freedom, and over time, the country's people submitted to their new rulers' will.
When certain that the USA was completely crippled, the Church allowed France and Denmark to claim America as their new colony. For France, this price was from the many soldiers the country sent to war for the Church. For Denmark, the constant flow of supplies and engineers that kept their tanks running on the battlefield. Like with Grey, the Church made sure to graciously reward powerful allies and in turn, ensures they would stay loyal to the Church.
Denmark and France took the lands given to them, and as the Church planned, it ensured a strong loyalty in these two countries.
The upper part of America's states became New France and the middle became New Denmark. Everything that was American, their history, country pride, and even their language was taken from this once great country's citizens. Thus the USA was no more. Only a few books handpicked by the Church and stories told in secret rooms would remain to remind people of what happened to those who would dare to oppose the Church.
Texas and Mexico weren't touched as the people from there have been smart enough not to stirr up a fight they knew they couldn't win. Thus the benevolent Church left the only remnants of a once-great power alone, however, did enforce their laws and belief onto these two countries. Texas and Mexico reluctantly submitted to those demands, having no wish to disappear from history like the rest of America.
With the fall of USA and Russia. The Church had free reigns spreading how they believe was the best way of life and no one dared to stop them.
Well, almost no one. During the war, a resistance sprung up very suddenly. At first, it was treated like any other resistance, small and more of a nuisance than a threat, but it quickly became apparent that this resistance wasn't like the others. This group had mastered the guerilla warfare and even after the Great War's end, this resistance kept harassing the Church's military and were very good at it. They became a thorn in the Church's side and much to that world power's chagrin, would continue being so for the next one hundred years.
No one knows how this resistance started, except the nine people who were the first resistance members. All people knew these men were very good at their job and inspired many people to take up arms against the Church. First, it was the remnants of American, later people oppressed by the Church's laws.
This resistance group spread like wildfire the Church could not contain as more and more people joined the ranks and kept on sabotaging the Church's plans.
It got so bad; it forced the world power to create an army made to fight this growing thorn bush. This army soon got known as the Magisterium and it would do anything to stop this fire of the resistance members— or terrorists as the Magisterium and most people would call them.
The founders gave the world any reason calling them that, for they weren't kidding around. They destroyed and slaughtered anyone connected to the Church— which was everything at that time. They showed no mercy and the followers went along with this brutality, granting them a fear people would hold decades ahead.
Grey's daughter found the founders of this resistance, she thought their demise would be the end of the opposition but like weed, it had grown bigger than those nine men. New and better people took the mantle of leadership among the resistance. Still, the Magisterium had no way of knowing who they were among this growing army of common people which since its creation had destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed countless Church followers.
People feared them, but those who hoped for a future where the Church did not have a say what they should believe. Dictate over their role in life. They supported this resistance and prayed for their victory. The resistance held many names, but only one suited this crazily brave organization. One every member of its rank would proudly declare their association if caught by the enemy whenever they would defeat the Church or get eliminated like so many before them.
They would continue to be the Brothers and Sisters of Team Fortress Resistance.