Setting of the Unified Governorates of Benacia

This article was written from an out-of-character perspective and might break the fourth, fifth, and even sixth wall.

The Unified Governorates, as a setting, combines the:

• The dynamism of Britain in the 1970's;
• The openness of 1950's East Germany
• The managerial competence of the Russian state in the 21st Century.

Architectural aesthetic:

• Brutalist
• Gothic
• Industrial

Notable aspects of civil society include:

• A high degree of regimentation;
• Enforced religious conformity;
• An ideological one-party state (Humanism) whose influence is present at every level of governance;
• Mandatory guild enrolment;
• Numerous, competing, and hostile law enforcement agencies, public order forces, security services, and secret police, reporting to different, numerous, competing, and hostile sources of authority;
  • (Commission for the Panopticon, Corps of the Gentlemen-at-Cudgels, General Inspectorate of Benacia Command, Legatine College for Domestic Investigation, Legatine College for the Inspection of Guilds, Worshipful Guild of the Sacred Carnifices)
• Pubs, violent sports, and "paradise districts" as outlets for popular frustration and discontent;
• Ubiquitous surveillance, both discrete and overt;
• Points-based rationing system.

Technology-levels in the UGB most closely resemble those of a mid-to-late 20th century centrally-planned economy of the Eastern Bloc variety, with a heavy emphasis on resource extraction and heavy industry:

• Armaments manufacturing centred around the Autonomous Bailiwick of Mishagrad;
• Metallurgical enterprises concentrated around Gloomburg;
• Hydrocarbons (natural gas) extraction focused on the Governorate of Lachdolor
• The UGB relies heavily upon partners within the Benacian Union and the Raspur Pact for essential advanced components, microprocessors, modern synthetic materials, that would be beyond the means of domestic academia and industry to affordably develop or mass produce. The contributions of the Sovereign Confederation are integral to the functioning of the Benacian Data Network and the Panopticon Nexus. Vehicles and armaments from UGB arsenals are typically filled with components sourced from Floria, Natopia, New Alexandria, and Shireroth.

Languages spoken in the UGB:

• Praeta, by the military and ruling classes;
• Istvanistani, the everyday language of instruction and commerce;
• Other minority languages, such as Babkhi, Elw and Laqs/Lach, are tolerated where they are used sparingly by loyalist populations;
• Many other languages, particularly those spoken by the indigenous populations of the former United Isles, are spoken only by subjects without merit who have been deprived of liberties and protections under law.