Mefhor Canon Bloc is an Roleplaying Bloc of NationStates, consisting of Mefpan, Horizont, Gigaverse and The Soviet Lunar State (and to much lesser extent: Neo Byzantine Empire and Oaledonia).
The premise is basically if the regimes of said roleplayers interact on the political stage. Throw in Schizo Tech. And some realism. Or not - it all depends on the nation in question.
Imagine, if you will, a world not unlike our own. The entirety of history developed almost entirely as we know it; World War Two ended with the victory of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, the Cold War was won by the West and the world has endured the first years of the early 21st century and the troubles it had in store for it. Or did it?
Enter the year 2013 - and things begin to change dramatically. A revolt of Greeks in modern Turkey that were never expelled in the aftermath of World War One ends up spiraling into an all-out revolution that, due to sluggish reactions by the West and outright support from other powers including Mefpan, a former German-British island colony somewhere south of India, succeeds in toppling the government and leads to the restoration of the Roman Empire. Soon after, it begins its reconquest of what it considers its legitimate territory, at first restricting itself to the Middle East and the Balkans.
Then, the already-fragile structure of the European Union is struck and shattered by a joint assault of Byzantine and Mefpanian forces to the South and North of Europe, heralding the beginning of the end for the old world - Northwestern Europe, heavily engaged in combat in the Austrian alps, falls quickly to an unexpected naval invasion conducted with submarines. America, in the meantime, is more than busy in an attempt to ward off an invasion by the Mugen Tengoku / Holy Japonian Empire - a resurgent Japan. Likewise, Russia loses its easternmost port as it, too, is far too busy trying to fight off a Japonian invasion to defend its eastern frontier.
A short time later, the world experiences its next shock: The world, already stricken with war, learns that the Third Reich never fell - it only fled to Antarctica to lick its wounds for its eventual return - and it did, only a short time after the subjugation of Europe - with the blessing of Mefpan's government, which willingly turned over Germany and various surrounding territories in the aftermath of a most unfortunate incident involving a colonial governor.
If that wasn't enough, the Reich soon reported having made contact with a remnant of the Soviet Union in a most unlikely place - the Moon. Just like the other nations, they, too, were planning to take revenge upon the world they believed to have betrayed them.
Currently, we write the year 2014 and the lid is closing on the Old World's coffin: Representatives of these nations gather to discuss the future fate of the world in order to avoid a planet-spanning war for dominance that would lead only to their doom.
The spirit of Man is crushed and trampled upon. Entire peoples turn into puppets and chess pieces for a greater game. Old beliefs are shaken and done away with as the now-dominant powers unveil their greatest achievements in all fields and annihilate long thought valid scientific theories.
Dozens of gambits intertwine, hundreds of plots collide, thousands of plans are drawn up. Where does it lead?
This Roleplay contains examples of:
- Action Girl: All characters coming from Mefpan seem to be cute/beautiful girls who can kick ass, and a large portion of the Reich's cast is this as well.
- Airstrip One: Area 4 (China) and Area 6 (the United States).
- All Monks Know Kung-Fu: The Japonian ones. Justified, since East Asia is under their control, and the regime is eager to teach people how to defend themselves.
- All Nations Are Superpowers:
- Double subverted with Mefpan, which has the least territory but is quite powerful. Mefpan is actually in control of a reasonably large subterranean area, the normal inaccessibility of which means an abundance of usable resources, in part fueling its war machine.
- Alternate History: It was perfectly normal until 2008, when things changed. Howard T. Ackerman, a Japonian puppet, is the Democratic winner of the 2012 Presidential elections. He then proceeds to slowly hand the United States over to the Tengoku before dying a "Karmic Death".
- Animeland: The Tengoku. All that's missing are fantasy creatures walking the city streets. Sakahara and The Tennou will take care of that.
- Anti-Magic:
- Emeline Knightsbridge and her trusty armor, made from a special kind of steel.
- Sakahara and The Tennou, being Physical Gods, can easily repel magic.
- Anyone Can Die: Somewhat averted. Unless it involves the Tengoku, in which case the chance is 50 / 50.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Basically, if you work for the governments of the Tengoku, Mefpan or the Fourth Reich, your asskicking ability is probably top-notch.
- Authority in Name Only: The Japonian Tennou, for all reasons and purposes, is a figurehead ruler, whose powers in every fields are behind that of the Supreme Shogun. Justified, since the latter is a Physical God much stronger than the former.
- Babies Ever After: Sakahara and his couple of twins.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Tama Mokuji does not kill anyone unless provoked, Sakahara violently proved it through the Space Station Incident, while Hisoka Murakami learns it from Sakahara.
- Bittersweet Ending: To "Bittersweet Melancholy". The Japonian Civil War ended, the Colony Drop is stopped, and the Monster of the Week is defeated, only for Sakahara to lose the single person he cares about the most; as well as the Murakami siblings losing their Cool Old Guy single father. Also came as The Reveal about the Japonian Space Station project and secretive colonization of Mars. The "sweet" part is Babies Ever After.
- Black-and-Grey Morality: The totalitarian regimes ruling the world are no angels, but there are darker forces working behind the scene.
- Bread and Circuses: You'd be surprised that such oppressive totalitarian regimes like the Reich or the Tengoku manage to make it into a New World Order without much incident.
- Break Her Heart to Save Her: Sakahara's initial solution to his Harem after losing his sister. It didn't last – credits to The Tennou.
- Break the Cutie: Several. Viktoria von Hartmann and Sakahara being prominent examples.
- Card-Carrying Villain / Dystopia Justifies the Means: The Tennou. Subverted when he claimed that he has good intentions.
- Celibate Hero: Played straight by Sakahara for fear of Cartwright Curse. Subverted once he realized it will solve nothing.
- Chainsaw Good: Sakahara, when he feels particularly Yandere.
- Characterization Marches On: Originally only a mild faction based off the Empire of the Rising Sun, the Mugen Tengoku then evolves to slowly catch up with Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany, then exceed the sum of both. It's now either a very dark shade of grey or even A Lighter Shade of Black.
- Church Militant: The Imperial Cult of the Tengoku. For a minor religion, its adherents are comparable to Acolytes with guns and katanas. They are so similar to the Acolytes they even do the summoning in Canis Latinicus.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Supreme Shogun Sakahara shows up most of the time dressed in black. Faction-wise, the Tengoku is Gold, the Reich is Green, the Union is Red, Mefpan is Blue, the Neo Byzantine Empire is Purple and Oaledonia is Azure.
- Commie Nazis: The Reich, which makes "National Socialism" seems more like "Nationalist Socialism".
- Crapsaccharine World: Lives in totalitarian regimes are all comfortable (with perhaps the exception of the Byzantine regime) as long as you do nothing wrong.
- Crapsack Only by Comparison: Because there are no more truly free regimes left in the world, it's hard to say which one is Crapsack and which one is not.
- Crapsack World: So you have an Imperial Japanese regime that makes Nazi Germany cringe in comparison, a Nazi German Reich that has reformed itself to be much more left-wing (but still totalitarian) in nature, a faux-matriarchy of Magical Cloudcuckoolanders, a Byzantine Empire that has taken over Vatican, Jerusalem and Mecca that goes on to oppressing everyone not following the Roman Pagan religion, a Soviet Union that is... no different from the former Soviet Union, and a Cloudcuckoolander faux-Commonwealth. What could possibly go wrong?
- Cruel and Unusual Death:
- Anakin Murakami, who jumped in the way of a villain, thus shredded and burnt like paper, allowing his son enough time to deal a critical hit.
- Sakahara likes handing this out, especially to those who wronged his loved ones.
- Dark and Troubled Past:
- Sakahara is a Physical God without a childhood, having suffered millennia of torment and loneliness before getting his sister back in his life just to lose her again.
- Viktoria von Hartmann is suffering from a bad case of Split Personality, and has always mourned the loss of her sister - until she came back; but Vicky is still suffering from the Enemy Within scenario.
- The Tennou counts - if only he didn't consider his parents' deaths a blessing later on.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Sakahara, coated in black, is an Affably Evil Noble Demon.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Sakahara's sister was a casualty in the war. His reaction? Singlehandedly stop the entire Rebellion and defeated a fellow Eldritch Abomination all in one Unstoppable Rage.
- Distant Finale: Not a Finale per se, but we eventually find out that the Führerin will become Empress of the Imperium of Mars 40,000 years into the future.
- Doomsday Device: For an Assimilation Plot during the Japonian Civil War.
- Eunuchs Are Evil: Averted by the Tengoku. It straight-up gender-bends those who might potentially become Eunuchs, and forces them to be subservient.
- Expy:
- Sakahara is basically a cross between Lelouch Vi Britannia and Zero. Appropriately, both of whom are named Zero at one time or another.
- The Tennou is Light Yagami if he chose to wear Scary Shiny Glasses, sport wild black Anime Hair and instead of getting the Death Note, gets a similar Geass that functions disturbingly like how a Diclonius fights.
- Alternatively, Sakahara is Kel'Thuzad [[spoiler: to The Tennou's Arthas. The latter became a completely different person after lusting for vengeance, and the former is his twisted friend.
- Li Yamada is Li Xingke without tuberculosis.
- Angelika Kautz appears just like Shana.
- Failed Future Forecast: So apparently, from 2008 onwards, the world changed from perfectly normal like in our world, slowly gets itself owned by a handful of totalitarian regimes.
- Fascist, but Inefficient: Averted. The Tengoku and the Reich both seem very efficient.
- Fate Worse than Death: The Tengoku. If you'll so much as commit a crime, you will probably be put in jars of green goo in a state of hibernation for genetic study, turned into cute girls and used as means to produce more "members of the perfect humanity", along with other punishments best left to your imagination.
- On a personal level, The Tennou, Sakahara, Wilhelmina von Wagnerberg, and perhaps Tsuya Mokuji, are the specialists in the fields of physical or psychological torment.
- For Happiness: One of the secondary principles of the Tengoku and the Reich. Unfortunately, the latter seems to be more focused on Greater Goals.
- Generican Empire: The Mugen Tengoku. Subverted by its other name, Holy Japonian Empire.
- A God Am I: The Tennou. He is, by all means, a Physical God.
- Greater-Scope Villain: It's hinted that an even larger threat than the Tennou is looming.
- Happiness in Slavery:
- The Tengoku invokes this on its populace, with great success.
- On a personal level, Sakahara's slaves don't complain.
- Hated Hometown: Li Yamada is basically the second Wang Jingwei of China. Subverted when we learn he's been completely brainwashed. Before he adopted "Yamada" in his name, he despised the idea of working for the Tengoku despite being part of the Revolution.
- I Have Many Names: It's eventually revealed that Shinji Sakahara is a fake name. Izanagi is the real identity of the Japonian Supreme Shogun.
- Improbable Age: Sakahara is 26, Erika is 25, Führerin Viktoria is 23, Theodora is around 21, The Tennou is 21, Tsuya is 20, Tama-chan is 17... among others. Actually an inverted trope for most of them. Sakahara is Izanagi – synonymous with the fact that his age cannot be read within a normal human's lifetime. The Tennou comes from an entirely different place, and might as well be a few million of years old. Tsuya and Tama are 120 and 117, respectively; but even they lie about their age.
- Instant Death Bullet: Pistols with these are carried by the Tennou, Sakahara, and Wilhelmina.
- Irony: Mefpan, a state that fought against both Nazi Germany and to an extent, Imperial Japan, is now actively aiding regimes that are both their successors and both far outmatch their predecessors in comparison.
- Inter-Service Rivalry:
- With the Reich having so many different armed organizations, there ought to be some.
- Averted by the Tengoku, since the highest military officers are either clones of The Tennou and/or Sakahara, mind-controlled, or both.
- Kids Are Cruel:
- Not so much kids anymore, but The Tennou and Viktoria von Hartmann count. The latter of which is a case of Enemy Within.
- Averted with the normal children. Including Sakahara's twins.
- Lensman Arms Race: What seems to be going on between the Superpowers. Subverted because they're doing so for peaceful purposes, or to defend against theoretical extraterrestrial aliens.
- Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: Combines this with modern warfare, you get the Imperial Japonian military. Combine THAT with magic, you get the highest-ranking officers.
- Mad Scientist:
- Kuro Ishii is a case of Evilutionary Biologist and a minor Dragon to The Tennou.
- Martyrdom Culture: The Imperial Japonian military, while discouraging Stupid Sacrifice, is otherwise the most blatant example with all the fanatical soldiers. Probably inverted if Psionics is involved.
- Mayfly–December Romance: Eventually, Sakahara's romantic life may become this. If he doesn't use Psionics to fix things.
- Meaningful Name:
- Hideki Minamoto. It gets worse from there.
- Men Are the Expendable Gender:
- Averted by the Tengoku (i.e. killing off Mrs. Murakami and Izanami, though the latter might be a case of Put on a Bus).
- The Men in Black:
- Few people know how Japonian agencies work. They just know that they do work, are very effective, and it's best not to ask questions.
- Mighty Glacier: At first glance, Emeline Knightsbridge. She then proves herself to be fairly mobile and deadly.
- Mildly Military: The Tengoku, for artistic reasons.
- Mini-Mecha: The Tengoku pioneered its use in open warfare against the United States.
- The Mole: President Howard T. Ackerman. He's an Artificial Human and a Person of Mass Destruction at the same time.
- More than Mind Control:
- The Tengoku's way of applying Psionics.
- One of Sakahara's use of Psionics.
- Mukokuseki: Lampshaded by the title "Mukokuseki Utopia" of the Tengoku.
- Nazi Gold:
- The Fourth Reich, much more successful than the Third Reich partly with the aid of what might as well be the Second Japanese Empire, plays this straight.
- The way the Tengoku... appropriates, uses and keeps massive stockpiles of gold is very similar in nature.
- Ninja Maid: Rumor has it that Sakahara has several.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: By 2012 (in this world), there are no world leaders with real-life names.
- Nuclear Weapons Taboo: Played straight by the Tengoku with the TOTALITY Defense System, effectively developed to neutralize all incoming nuclear attacks. Perhaps also used by Mefpan. Probably averted by other nations.
- Officer and a Gentleman: How Japonian Shoguns are expected to behave. Double subverted with lower Imperial officers, who are polite every time, even when gang-raping under Imperial orders.
- One Person, One Power: Some more versatile than others. Sakahara is an aversion – he alone has multiple.
- Person of Mass Destruction: Many people. Howard T. Ackerman is a literal example.
- Quit Your Whining: Sakahara to Hisoka Murakami, when the former lost his dearest person and the latter, along with his little sister, was mourning his recently-deceased father. Proves just how much of The Stoic he is.
- Rage Against the Heavens: Before the New World Order is assembled, it's heavily implied that Sakahara and The Tennou both come from an entirely different reality and have killed their variation of Gods. Sakahara is hinted to be a rank under them.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Sakahara was given one in the Civil War, during his Roaring Rampage of Revenge on the Space Station. He proceeded to counter it with a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown, before giving the dying villain his own "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
- Relationship Upgrade: The Murakami siblings, from closer-than-usual siblings to tentative couple, after the Japonian Civil War.
- Rescue Romance: The Murakami siblings, when Hisoka saved his sister Kotori from zombies.
- The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized: The so-called "Absolute Revolution" in East Asia, a mysterious event that led to the creation of a regime that is on par with Oceania in the amount of terror and secretiveness.
- Royal Harem: Sakahara, the Supreme Shogun of the Tengoku, is rumored to have at least 500 consorts.
- Saintly Church: The imperial cult of the Tengoku claims to be one, although its political affiliation with the Imperial regime makes it a questionable statement.
- Samurai: The Tengoku has both samurai and Western knights.
- Scary Shiny Glasses: The Tennou, when he's not in his Light Is Not Good Impossibly Cool Imperial Attire.
- Scenery Gorn: Former United States. Especially Washington D.C. More specifically, the White House.
- Schizo Tech: A fair mix between fantasy and post-modern.
- Screw Destiny: Sakahara is a firm believer in this. Though he was kicked hard when he lost his sister, he still stands up and gives fate the middle finger.
- Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: There is basically no constitution in the Tengoku, the Tennou and the Supreme Shogun are the absolute rulers. Local constitutions in provinces can be created, however.
- Shout-Out:
- The last US President's name is Howard T. Ackerman. Appropriately, he's The Mole of Imperial Japan.
- The title "Supreme Shogun" is the title given to the player at the end of the same game's campaign for the Empire of the Rising Sun.
- You would expect that Holy Japonian Empire is a name based on a very similar regime.
- Space-Filling Empire: The whole world is under the grip of several superpowers: The Mugen Tengoku (North America and a prominent portion of South America, large parts of Asia, the Northern part of Great Britain and North London, the Western portion of Europe and most of Scandinavia, Central Africa, South Africa and Madagascar, effectively most of the Pacific Ocean), the Neo Byzantine Empire (North and East Africa, the Middle East and Southern Europe), the Soviet Union (a shrunken Soviet Union – without Eastern Siberia and Eastern Europe), the Fourth Reich (most of the rest of the world), Oaledonia (New Zealand) and Mefpan (with its own archipelago). The Hollow Earth theory is true in this world, which means the map covers only the surface world.
- State Sec:
- The Tengoku has several very secretive ones.
- Token Evil Teammate: While none of the regimes depicted seems too angelic, the Tengoku is especially nasty when it comes to Evil.
- Transforming Mecha: The Tengoku is working on them.
- Truce Zone: Usually, anywhere even remotely close to Emeline Knightsbridge. She's been trained to protect neutral ground to uphold peaceful negotiations at all costs, considers it her job and she takes it very seriously.
- Unwanted Harem: Subverted. Sakahara probably wants it, and has sworn to protect its members.
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What Could Have Been: "Bittersweet Melancholy" was originally intended to be a bit lengthy and dramatic. Due to the roleplayers' laziness, it didn't happen. It didn't stop the ending from being revealed, however. - World of Silence: The Tennou originally planned it. Then the appearance of other states calmed him down somewhat.
- You Are a Credit to Your Race: "Honorary Japonians", which, in The Tennou's mind, seems to be synonymous with "Honorary Human".
- Young Conqueror: Most of the cast. Subverted, since they're all Older Than They Look.
