Settings
Introduction
This alternate gritty and grimdark Remnant is based our real life 1980s-1990s. The plot and primary aesthetics are directly inspired by the synthwave/retrowave classics of Drive and Hotline Miami series. The secondary aesthetics are based on Mother Russia Bleeds; Resistance series; Wargame: 1991 mod of Wargame: Red Dragon; and various Osprey Publishing books. The story is told by an unreliable narrator based on Neopolitan's unstable mental conditions. There will thus be many surreal encounters. However, the general worldview still follows a semi-realistic approach. Most canon RWBY characters will thus receive age, physical and weapon readjustments. Some will also have name, fashion, relationship, background and occupation changes to better fit their historical/game/movie inspirations. For a better reading experience regarding various alterations, this chapter will be dedicated as an introductive setting page for fundamental basics.
Worldview
Inspired by Strangereal of the Ace Combat series, this alternate Remnant was highly identical to our Earth in the 1980s-1990s. Therefore, companies like Volkswagen, Grumman and Zastava Arms existed. People still used conventional gunpowder weapons and fossil fuel powered machines. The so-called Scrolls were just retro mobile phones like Nokia Cityman 100 and Motorola International 3200; Bullheads were tiltrotors like Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey. The First Humanity and Magic did not exist in this universe. Faunus were also not yet created. There were no Huntsmen or Huntresses and their combat institutes were replaced by elite military academies. People spoke "English" but wrote in different scripts/alphabets. Vacuo and Menagerie did not exist as factions since they were wasteland and habitats of Grimms.
DUSTs were mysterious eldritch living minerals that could be extracted and refined as AURAs - injectable combat serums which altered Human genetic codes to provide "superpowers" called SEMBLANCEs. Each individual could only inject a single syringe of AURA and receive a one-off but random genetic modification, thus processing one stochastic but unique SEMBLANCE. However, continuous usage of such superpowers would result in severe mental disorders like mania, paranoia, psychosis and addictions. Such technology was invented by the Special Research Projects Regiment (SRPR) of the Valean League Armed Forces in 1968 to significantly boost infantry combat capabilities. AURAs were further popularised worldwide as standard military combat drugs in 1975.
Religion
God of Light was the sole creator of Remnant and Humanity who was simply addressed as "God". God's religion was called Luxianity (based on Christianity but with hardcore anthropocentrism) and worshippers were addressed as Luxianitians. Its sacred religious texts were a gargantuan scripture collection known as the Codex (based on the Bible). It was the only rightful religion for Humanity by nature and creation. All those who denied and rejected it were insane heretics doomed for eternal damnation. However, the Great Schism occurred in 1204 as the religion was separated into 2 hostile rival Churches. The first was Katolicka Church and their beliefs were called Katolickaism (based on Roman Catholicism). It was led by the Pope and its followers were called Katholikians. The second was the Pravoslavna Church and their beliefs were called Pravoslavnay (based on Eastern Orthodoxy). It was led by the Patriarch and its followers were called Pravoslavnaians. Ozma was a universally venerated pre-Schism Saint (based on John of Damascus) and had no connection to Ozpin.
"God" of Darkness was commonly known as the "Arch-blasphemer", this self-proclaimed deity and the creator of Grimm was originally the true God's Cherub. He rebelled due to hubris and saviour complex, deeming God to be an incompetent fool that hindered the ultimate Human evolution. This led to the apocalyptic War In Heaven which shattered the Moon during the process. The rebels were ultimately defeated and banished to Hell after a Loyalist Pyrrhic victory. However, the Arch-blasphemer still remotely controlled Grimms to attack Humans. Through the twisted sense of love, duty and justice; he wholeheartedly believed that Humanity must suffer first in order to reach its true potential. The Arch-blasphemer's secret cult/cabal was called the Primaeval Truth and its followers were addressed as Enlighteners. They aimed to ascend all Humanity with horrific but powerful body mutations - a species of ultimate transhumans free from the weak husk and the enslavement from the God of Light. Salem was the first mortal follower of the Arch-blasphemer and was thus granted immortality as the ultimate reward.
Recent History
The Socialist Federal Republic of Anima (based on Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) was formed by Socialist Republic of Mistral (based on Serbia) and Socialist Republic of Argus (based on Croatia) in 1945. However, internal ethnic tension between the Mistralians and Argusians skyrocketed throughout the years regarding cultural differences; economic, territorial, administrative and political disputes. They ultimately evolved into full blown military conflicts and the brutal Anima Civil War (based on Yugoslav Wars) broke out between the 2 sub-factions on 31-3-1981. War crimes like genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass wartime rape were rampant. The Valean League and Atlesian Union stayed "neutral" during the War but secretly intervened to maximise their political gains. The Anima Civil War ended with a draw on 1-6-1991 due to complete resource depletion from both sides. On 27-8-1991, Socialism was abolished and the Socialist Federal Republic of Anima was formally disintegrated. 2 new successor states - Republic of Mistral and Republic of Argus were established from their previous ashes. Unfortunately, they also inherited the bankruptcy caused by the decade-long civil war, resulting in collective nationwide economic depression. The main storyline proceeded to start on 4-10-1992.
Contemporary Factions In 1992
Valean League
The nation was based on the United States of America with 1980s-1990s synthwave/retrowave aesthetics. The Valean script was the standard English alphabet. The capital city of Vale was based on Miami. The League had no state religion as it promoted religious freedom. The Valean League Armed Forces were based on the US Deck from Wargame: 1991 mod of Wargame: Red Dragon. Other supplementary references included Osprey Publishing books of "Panama 1989-90" and "US Army Rangers 1989-2015 Panama to Afghanistan". The League's flag was basically the flag of South Carolina, except the crescent has additional broken fragments.
Atlesian Union
The state was based on the European Union before 1995. The Atlesian alphabet was a mixture of Beneventan script and Lombardic capitals. The capital city of Atlas was based on Rome. It was also the permanent headquarters of the Katolicka Church and the residence of the Pope. However, there was no state religion as the secular government protected religious freedom. The Atlesian Union Armed Forces were based on the UK, France, West Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Netherlands Decks from Wargame: 1991 mod of Wargame: Red Dragon. Other supplementary references included Osprey Publishing books of "NATO Armies Today/NATO Armies 1949-87". The Atlesian flag was basically the flag of the European Union but with only 13 stars. Medieval Atlas was based on Early Renaissance Western Europe. Its military took reference from the Osprey Publishing book of "Renaissance Armies in Italy 1450-1550".
Republic of Mistral
This newly formed nation was based on the Republic of Serbia in the 1990s. The Mistrali script was the Serbian Cyrillic alphabet. The state religion was Pravoslavnay. The capital city of Mistral was based on Belgrade. It was also the permanent headquarters of the Pravoslavna Church and the residence of the Patriarch. The Mistrali Armed Forces were based on the Yugoslavia Deck from Wargame: 1991 mod of Wargame: Red Dragon. Other supplementary references included Osprey Publishing books of "The Yugoslav Wars (1): Slovenia & Croatia 1991-95" and "The Yugoslav Wars (2): Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia 1992-2001". The Mistrali state flag was basically the flag of Surdulica, except the original white twelve-petaled rose in the middle was replaced by a huge golden double headed eagle. Medieval Mistral was based on the Late Medieval Balkan Byzantine Commonwealth of Eastern Roman, Serbian and Second Bulgarian Empire. They shared identical aesthetics due to mutual influence. Its military took reference from the Osprey Publishing books of "Byzantine Armies AD 1118–1461", "Hungary and the fall of Eastern Europe 1000-1568"; and the Tsardom of Serbia from Tsardoms: Total War mod for Medieval 2: Total War.
Republic of Argus
This newly formed state was based on the Republic of Croatia in the 1990s. The Argusian alphabet was the Glagolitic script. The state religion was Katolickaism. The capital city of Argus was based on Dubrovnik. The Argusian Armed Forces were based on the same references of the contemporary Mistrali military. Their state flag was basically the same as the flag of Dubrovnik, except it has light blue fields instead of white. Medieval Argus was based on Italian Maritime republics in Dalmatia, particularly the Republic of Ragusa. Its military took reference from the Osprey Publishing book "The Venetian Empire 1200-1670".
Main Characters
Milunka "Neopolitan" Dragaš
Milunka was born in 1961. She was from Toplika, a village south of Kuchinashi in the Socialist Republic of Mistral within the Socialist Federal Republic of Anima. Milunka joined the Haven Military Academy in 1979 and injected AURA to receive her Overactive Imagination SEMBLANCE. She graduated with highest honour in 1983 and immediately entered the Anima Civil War in direct combat. Milunka was appointed as a Second Lieutenant of the 73rd Parachute Brigade - one of the most elite special forces of the entire Remnant. She received the call-sign/code-name "Neopolitan", an intentional and humorous misspelling based on her Neapolitan ice cream-like hair and eye colour. On 21-5-1991, an enemy artillery strike sent Neopolitan straight into a coma. She woke up 2 months later, only to find that the war had already ended and the shards of fragmentation artillery shells completely mutilated her vocal cord. The Armed Forces of the newly reformed Republic of Mistral diagnosed Neapolitan as permanently mute and thus unable to perform military duties. She received medical and honourable discharges at the rank of Major on 2-10-1991. Unfortunately, severe PTSD and mental disorder from SEMBLANCE overuse during combat had made Neopolitan a psychotic sociopath. She failed to fit in civilian life due to extreme violent tendencies and frequent hallucinations. The nationwide economic depression greatly reduced the state pensions which further worsened her financial difficulties. Luckily, Neopolitan's older cousin Roman "Torchwick" Dragaš offered her a hitman job in the foreign capital city of Vale. The unemployed veteran accepted with a grain of salt. By the start of Chapter 1 (4-10-1992), Neopolitan was 31 years old and stood at 166 cm tall. Her hairstyle was the same as her canon Volumes 2-6 counterpart but shortened to lower shoulder blade length. She had lived in Vale City for 3 months under the alias "Neo Politan".
Roman "Torchwick" Dragaš
Roman was born in 1953. He was from Kuchinashi in the Socialist Republic of Mistral within the Socialist Federal Republic of Anima. Unlike his younger cousin Milunka "Neopolitan" Dragaš, Roman did not "officially" serve in the military so he did not inject AURA and thus had no SEMBLANCE. He left his homeland at 18 and arrived at the foreign capital city of Vale in 1971. He ventured into the local underground network and enjoyed a very successful criminal career in money laundering, illegal gambling, drug dealing and heisting. To prevent potential danger against his family, Roman used "Torchwick" as his surname-alias in Valean League. During the Anima Civil War, he smuggled food, sanctioned goods and weapons to help his compatriots. Roman also founded the atrocious paramilitary unit Mistrali Volunteer Guard with his own resources. He did not directly command the unit but worked as its chief administrator and supplier. Roman deeply cared about Neopolitan. When he learned about his dear little cousin's post-war trauma and hardships, he instantly offered her a well-paid hitman job in Vale, believing it to be the perfect relief for Neopolitan's violent tendencies. By the start of Chapter 1, Roman was 39 years old.
Jaune Arbogastes d'Arc
Jaune was born in 1954 and was 38 years old by the start of Chapter 1. He was the handsome and courageous father of Sidonius Remigius d'Arc.
Sidonius Remigius d'Arc
Sidonius was born in 1982 and was 10 years old by the start of Chapter 1. He was the adorable, smart but nerdy son of Jaune Arbogastes d'Arc.