Gaiaterra: Elysea's Conflict/Diplomatic Relationships

Alliance
The two factions regard each other as allies, exchange values and culture, are friendly to each other, and consider merging their armies, or at least always fight together. Currently, this only exists between the major political factions, with alliances with a differant political faction (like the Aquilans with the Neutral Guardians Of Gaiaterra) is rare. There may one day be a chance for alliances between major factions, however...

Peace
The two factions work strongly together, exchange values and culture, are friendly to each othe,r and do not attack each other. They often fight together or at least for the same goals. A good example are the Protectorate to most of the Guardians.

Neutral
The two factions do not work together, nor against each other, and do not attack each other either. They keep out of the other's business. The best example are the Order, who observe the other factions but do not attack them (at least not often and not in an obvious way).

Hostile
The two factions mistrust each other and are in a state of crisis towards each other. Spy games are a daily matter and either faction has the finger on the button to start a war. The best example is the Horde, who are in a state of hostility towards all other factions.

War
Full-scale war between the factions. Soldiers and material are used to eradicate the enemy by all means and forces are getting mobilized for attacks. The risk of one or the other side launching a WMD is high as well. The best example is the Conglomerate, being at war with seven Guardian and Destroyer factions at the same time.

Unknown
The relationship between the factions is unknown or nonexistent, likely because one faction has little to no intelligence about the other. The Scrin, who are unknown to everyone else, are the best example.

N/A - Not available
The relationship a faction would have to itself, which is not possible, but has to be defined in a table system nonetheless.

Cantha
''The following is a transcript of a personal interview with Ming Wong, a journalist, concerning the clan's relationships. Many of these have been omitted from the public due to controversial, if honest, opinions.''

Federation
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Alliance:
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ADI:
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Protectorate:
"I, no. The clans don't trust them. And to say that we're angry for the Guardians letting them join us is an understatement. They might preach about honor and fairness but they are quick to drop it when convenient, say what you will of the millies but at least they will evacuate every civilian before they bombard an area with desolator defoliant, whereas the Protectorate happily massacre a city of civilians celebrating a holiday just to demoralize them. And, despite their grand contributions, they have never once apologized for their action to the clans, and by proxy, the Luresians, and will deny any claims of it. Ask any clan about the Protectorate atrocities during the colonial era and you will hear many. From the Lotus who were used as glorified magical batteries, the Wolf who had to work in dangerous mines under horrid conditions, the Dragons who were dying under horrible factory slave labor, and as for the serpent, I can still vividly remember and tell you my grandmother's story of how she was a 'comfort woman' to those bastards."

Republic:
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Empire:
"Their... Unique. While they are powerful they also lack control. They will use a hammer no matter how small the problem or how inefficent the it is, and has a rather large distrust of everyone, and they hate the Protectorate above all, though they hide it well. And I wouldn't blame them for that, from what I heard from my relatives in the Empire the Protectorates did some horrible atrocities to them, and the less said about unit 731 the better, and they did suffer rather traumatic battles such as the MLA bombing their capital to the bloody battles they fought with the Voshkod. But I'm starting to feel that they are using this anger towards the pains caused by these factors as excuses to wallow in their hatred and lash out, rather than reflect and grow from it. And I fear that if they refuse to let go of this hatred, it will consume them, likely by the same nuclear weaponry that devastated Embry."

Community:
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Voshkod:
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Brotherhood:
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MLA:
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Horde:
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Collective:
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Encantadia:
"Traitors. While I do understand the reason why they chose to join the Voshk. I still can't understand why they chose to join a side that conquers and rule under brutality."

Scrin:
"Robots alien invaders? What is up with people and overactive imaginations?"

Conglomerate:
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Coalition:
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Minuteman:
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Syndicate:
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Heralds:
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Order:
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Legion:
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Voshkod
The following is a transcript of the Voshkod press interviewing General Viktor Zubarov concerning the state's position on its numerous enemies.

Federation
"Hypocrites. They accuse us of insane aggression and wanting to conquer the entire world while they wink and smile and flood the world with their talk of capitalism and freedom. They dare call us tyrants as they crushed the Southern Continent in the name of "freedom"? Ha! You see, the Guardian are much like pigs. They may be fat and noisy and smell bad, but they will feast on anything that is presented to them and consume everything in sight. I'm not saying the Guardians taste good when smoked over a hickory fire, of course, but I believe you get the picture, comrade. We fight the Guardians not for the sake of fighting, but for the sake of survival. They will flood the world unless we stop them."

Alliance:
"Poor, deluded fools. They think their nations are still independent? They truly believe the Alliance is not slowly absorbing their states into a greater collective? They fight in wars that their nations normally would never enter, and die in lands that they had never heard of before? Our conscripts fight proudly for the Union, for they are all members of the party, and understand the sacrifices required of them. Do these soldiers even comprehend the fact that they are being sent against their oldest allies in Embry? Do their commanders not see the threat in this?"

ADI:
""

Protectorate:
"Bad as the Guardians are, I call the Protectorate worse. Although they are at least funny. So entertaining to watch them babble about honor and glory and a warrior's code when their first act was to massacre a quiet fishing village at night on New Year's and do so with deception and stealth. Then they butchered the people of Odessa and burned that city to the ground with their monster. No, comrade. The knife ears are neither honorable nor glorious nor would they know a warrior if one shot them dead. The Union is not safe from the knife ears and their ilk, nor will it be so until the nation surrender. If they insist on death before dishonor, so much the better."

Republic:
""

Empire:
""

Community:
"I, no. The clans don't trust them. And to say that we're angry for the Guardians letting them join us is an understatement. They might preach about honor and fairness but they are quick to drop it when convenient, say what you will of the millies but at least they will evacuate every civilian before they bombard an area with desolator defoliant, whereas the Protectorate happily massacre a city of civilians celebrating a holiday just to demoralize them. And, despite their grand contributions, they have never once apologized for their action to the clans, and by proxy, the Luresians, and will deny any claims of it. Ask any clan about the Protectorate atrocities during the colonial era and you will hear many. From the Lotus who were used as glorified magical batteries, the Wolf who had to work in dangerous mines under horrid conditions, the Dragons who were dying under horrible factory slave labor, and as for the serpent, I can still vividly remember and tell you my grandmother's story of how she was a 'comfort woman' to those bastards."

Voshkod:
"Glorious socialism, the mighty Motherland, and so on and so forth. But I don't think that's what you're interested in. Comrade, let me speak plainly. We are besieged on all fronts. The Guardians wish to make us like them. The Collective wishes to conquer us. The Minutemen wish to destroy us. The Syndicate wishes to buy us out. We have many enemies and few friends. Not the way it should be, but here we are. Comrade, we must put plans of invasion and the offensive war on hold. War has now become a question of our very survival against enemies beyond counting, within, and without. Perhaps in the future, we will again march on the offensive, but first, we must survive."

Brotherhood:
""

MLA:
""See what religion can do to people? I have read their Elune, and it is indeed a beautifully written piece of Kalimdor literature. Yet these sad men and women, these desperate fanatics take it up as a holy cause? They believe that their own are so easily expendable as to be thrown into battles they have no chance of winning? And they dare use innocent civilians as a defense? Were it my choice, they would be dealt with by letting the full might of the Voshkod Army loose on them. That would show them the folly of their ways.""

Horde:
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Collective:
""

Encantadia:
"This is where communism is born, comrade. Not out of a lust for power, or the dreams of madmen. These revolutionaries will show the Guardians that a man cannot be oppressed forever. They fight with weapons that are nearly obsolete, yet they continue to score victory after victory. I have met some of these Encantadians, including the Sang'gres, and they range from simple farmers to the soldiers loyal to Queen Minea. They are what true socialism is, of the people binding themselves together and fighting for each other. Let the Guardians have their southeast Canthan lackeys. We shall have the resolve of the Encantadians."

Scrin:
"What is it with the world today and blasted robots from space?! It's just another Protectorate trick, of course, but there are times I wonder why history seems to have it in for Voshkod..."

Conglomerate:
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Coalition:
""

Minuteman:
"Ah, now this is entertainment! As a matter of fact, I think we should support these new Minutemen as much as we can! With Embry destroyed in the Civil War, the Guardians lose much of their manpower and industrial power while gaining a new enemy across the Atlantic. Yes, the Minutemen are no more friendly to us than they are to the Guardians, but there is a saying: the enemy of my enemy is a problem for later, but in the meantime, they might be useful. I think the Minutemen might be very useful indeed, comrade. They won't see it that way, of course, but long-term thinking has never been the Minutemen' defining attribute, and many of their elements are palatable to our tastes."

Syndicate:
"Look upon them well, comrade. Look upon them and see what we are sworn to fight against, what Oelde and Engels, and Robb all spoke of ending. They are capitalism incarnate. They are not merely corrupt, but corruption itself. They infect and consume and destroy anything and everything in their path. Comrade, these are not people but a plague coming for us all. Yet when their blight dares taint the glorious Motherland, it is stopped and isolated and slain. We will not let it end at our borders, either. The Lumeris Syndicate and all it represents must not simply be defeated, they must be annihilated."

Heralds:
"The Scion station in Ascalia keeps reporting about some bizarre ritual cult of some sort. Frankly, they are not my concern, and they should not concern you either, comrade. There is nothing newsworthy about them."

Order:
"Bah! You would have me believe that wild-eyed fanatics with crossbows and blackpowder are a threat to the glorious Union? Hah! Let the people revere whatever fetishes they desire, so long as it serves the state! Should they take up arms against the state in the name of their god, they will be crushed like any other rebellion. I have heard these stories of steam-powered machines and clockwork, and think them the products of an overactive imagination. Really, comrade? Steam and clockwork and crossbows are the best you can come up with as a daydream?"

Legion:
""

Grey Steel Order
''Lady Maria once met with one of the enigmatic Triumvirate who lead the Order and asked them of other powers. These are the answers she recalls, more words than any Triumvirate has ever spoken before or since.''

Federation:
"None can deny their courage or intentions. The Aquilans truly do want to make the world a happier place. Their warriors are brave and leaders skilled. Yet they build their houses on sand, not stone. They are so enamored of the future and what could be that they forget the value of the past and the importance of asking whether you should, not merely if you can. Already the people of Embry strain against the yoke of 'progress'. They will not be the last, and it will be interesting to see what the Aquilans do when they realize that their 'progress' enriches the body and the mind, but not the soul."

Alliance:
""

ADI:
""

Protectorate:
"A soulless realm of soulless people. In the Protectorate exist the worst of the Aquilans and the Voshkod, wedded in an unholy union of idolatry and arrogance. There is much to be admired about the Katsuragi people. Their feats are truly impressive, and their history is such fertile ground for birthing people to do good. Yet the Protectorate is a hollow, empty thing. They are so very much like Valyria in its days of glory, and like Valyria, their days of ruin are not far off. We need not speed up the process. The Protectoratewill destroy itself as is its nature, and we shall make sure that something better rises from the ruins."

Republic:
""

Empire:
"There is little of note to say about the Empire itself. They are yet another corrupt, totalitarian military-led state that glories in the oppression of its own people. The interesting element is their alliance with the Guardians. The Elsword Empire represents almost everything the Guardians profess to hate, yet are welded to them by virtue of who their enemies are. It is little wonder that the Guardians work frantically to forget the nature of the viper they have invited into their home. The Guardians are strong, but they are brittle. There is little reason for us to intervene for now, but the Empire might be an interesting wedge to drive into the Allies should it prove necessary."

Community:
""

Voshkod:
"A religion more than a nation. Communism, the people, the Motherland, whatever label you care to give the Voshkod idol. It is a jealous god, commanding that thou shalt have no other gods before it. In a way, they are more like us than they would ever care to admit. The Guardians will never truly defeat the Voshkod, I think because they fail to see that the Voshkod is as much a thing of faith as it is of politics, and the Voshkod spirit is a devout one. Much as they would deride us as nothing but a dangerous cult, I cannot help but respect them and regret that they chose idolatry rather than true faith."

Brotherhood:
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MLA:
"Howling barbarians attempting to justify their wanton destruction of civilization and sacred things is hardly a new development to history. Most of the Goths who sacked Antiva claimed to be Christian, and the MLA's deeds and connection to Elune is no different. The only significance these misguided zealots possess is that they know we exist and may call untoward attention from the other powers whose ankles they have bitten."

Horde:
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Collective:
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Encantadia:
"I wish there was something we could realistically do for the Encantadian people. They truly do want freedom and respite from the horrors of war but have become a pawn in the games of the Guardians and Voshkod. It may seem hypocritical to condemn those powers for doing so, but they are far more heavy-handed at the age-old game than we, to the point of defeating the purpose of using them. Unfortunately, there is little room for us to work in Encantadia. You do not stick your hand into an inferno unless you are certain it will be worth it, and there is little certain about Encantadia save that it is dangerous. Perhaps when this storm passes we will be able to do something about and for the Encantadians, but that time has not yet come."

Scrin:
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Conglomerate:
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Coalition:
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Minutemen:
"Brave. Resourceful. Reckless. Three words that have often been used to describe the survivors of Embry, and suit this rebellion as well. Contrary to what you might think, we had no hand in its birth. True, we certainly expected it, but it needed no assistance. It will be interesting to see what happens, I think if this rebellion endures. It cannot stay confined to the archipelagoes alone. However, that is not why it demands careful observation. The Minutemen are focused on a short-term goal. There is a much longer game at work, and the Minuteman may be pieces on the board for one of the other players. We will play them too if we must, but until and unless that becomes necessary, I find a bowl of popcorn the most appropriate response to their conflict with the Aquilans and Voshkod."

Syndicate:
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Heralds:
"The Cult has been physically diminished over the centuries, but the Chamber Militant's war against the Cult has never been anything more than a sideshow. The Cult, as a relevant force, is not a group of men and equipment. It is an idea. That idea is chaos and destruction as worthy ends in and of themselves, a vain belief that small and insignificant people and what are ultimately only their own petty, selfish desires matter in the end and will be rewarded by possibly literal deus ex machina. Few things are harder to kill than an idea, particularly one that rationalizes the worst impulses of mankind. People don't really want to believe that it's wrong to hurt someone else, and will flock to any cause that lets them wallow in their sin. The Heralds offers this and more. Fighting the Heralds is not, and never has been, a contest of muscle and fire. It is a war of ideas. To know that the Heralds exists at all is to allow it to survive."

Order:
"Ours is a thankless task. None outside the Order will ever know the burdens we bear or the vigil we keep. The world will never mourn our dead or celebrate our victories. Such is the nature of our foe that true, lasting victory is perhaps not even possible. We are hunted, we are feared, and our role in keeping Elysea people safe will never be acknowledged. Yet we will persevere. We do not need the thanks or praise of an empty people obsessed with the material. In the shadows, we still protect Elysea's flock even as they wander and stray and forget. In the shadows, we fight and die in an endless vigil against shadows darker still. And you ask why we do it? So that the innocent may sleep soundly in their beds, unaware of the darker things we keep at bay."

Legion:
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Lumeris Syndicate
The following is a recording of a meeting between Anton Boyanovsky, the Principate of the Atlantis Sprawl, and an unidentified second party with whom Brian appears to have had something of a mentor relationship with.

Federation:
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Alliance:
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ADI:
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Protectorate:
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Republic:
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Empire:
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Community:
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Voshkod:
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Brotherhood:
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MLA:
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Horde:
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Collective:
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Encantadia:
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Scrin:
"Humanity is a resilient species. We have managed to avoid destroying ourselves so far, though the Horde now seem bent on changing that record, and there is a spark of goodness and righteousness in even the most twisted of human beings. Yet there are older things than mankind, and I cannot guess what role they play in Elysea plan. A layman would call them aberrant things, abominations, and horrors. And even that layman would realize that those words are just labels for something he dares not understand. To attempt to understand such things is to invite madness, and not even I dare try. Humans, for good and ill, are intrinsically aware of how small and impermanent we are in this world. What I fear is that things that are not human, and not aware of how limited their own existence in God's plan is, will open doors never meant to be opened. Doors that may not be possible to shut."

Conglomerate:
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Coalition:
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Minuteman:
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Syndicate:
"Ah, what can I say of the Syndicate that you have not heard before? They are corrupt, decadent, and so on and so forth. All of that is of course true, but it is only the tip of the iceberg. Ugly as the public face of the Syndicate is, it is only a mask for something far worse. The "Lumeris Syndicate" is only the current guise of a threat that stretches back further than the Guardians would ever think to look, and its true face is far more dangerous than a mere morally bankrupt megacorporation. I will tell you this: horrific as the satyrs, cheerleading toting weapons, Tau battlesuits and hector armors and men o' war are, the true horror of this entity wears a far more deceptive mask. It is how it has survived this long. And we shall not rest until the beast is slain."

Heralds:
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Order:
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Legion:
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Aristocracy of Encantadia
Minea, the queen of the Aristocracy, was asked by a Voshkod official to provide some insight into the opinions of Encantadia on the world at large.

Federation:
"Hypocrites, the lot of them. They claim to speak for democracy, freedom, and the modern way, but they support a backwards and corrupt government that firebombs innocents and destroys entire villages when they hear so much as the simplest rumors that we are present. They are also a group of push-button soldiers, relying too much on their equipment rather than soldiery. I have nothing but scorn for them and would drink to the day when communism sweeps over their lands."

Alliance:
"The Hawkes, mainly the Orlesians, those men that took the price of our nation back in the past (Lore incomplete)"

ADI:
""

Protectorate:
"The Katsuragi talk of honor, of bravery, of the warrior code. They are also filthy liars. I remember their invasion of our lands and their brutal oppression. They were as bad as the dogs in Lireo and don't even have the decency to be incompetent as well. I remember full well how they treated us, and the death they brought. They are a war-mongering menace who butchered millions for the dreams of a madman. One day, when the Guardians are forced from Encantadia, the Protectorate should be made to pay and on that day all their machines won't be enough to save them."

Republic:
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Empire:
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Community:
"Pigs, dogs, swine, any insult you can think of goes for them. They are butchers and murderers serving fat cats and landlords who couldn't be trusted to run a chicken farm, never mind our nation. That we must fight our brothers and sisters to end the threat of these capitalist pigs is heart-breaking, but the methods they will use to stop our revolution sickens me. If only they could see who they were fighting for, then we could all be brothers and sisters again."

Voshkod:
"The Voshkods! They are our greatest friends in the world. They too were attacked by the entire world for simply wishing to live a life free from oppression, but overcame that and founded the start of the revolution sweeping the world. They give us money, they give us guns and tanks, and ask for nothing in return. They were attacked by two opponents but managed to gain ground and liberate half of Eorzea. I salute them, worthy friends of Encantadia!"

Brotherhood:
""

MLA:
"I hate them. Everything I hear of them, everything I see about them makes me hate them more. They claim to fight for freedom but their leaders only seek to replace one group of fat cats with a more rapacious group of fat cats. Their men are filled with lies and sent out to die, slaughtering the people they claim to be liberating just to create a barbarous class system that seeks to bring all the world under their book. It is a good thing that they are neither good soldiers nor advanced, for their vision is of nothing less than a burned world. Liberation army, what a joke! And to think people have the gall to compare them to us!"

Horde:
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Collective:
""

Encantadia:
"We are freedom fighters in the purest sense of the word. We know hardship unlike the Aquilans, yet we don't seek to bring new oppression like those in the Askaira. We are the people who are tired of being bled dry for those who never did their fair share. We are the people who want to see our country as one. We are the people who will serve as a shining example of the communist way. We are the Krait that strikes silently and leaves a painful death, and the farm that offers sustenance to the village that is our country. We are the Encantadians, and we will be heard."

Scrin:
"Your map says the reports of this "extraterrestial" all have them far away from Encantadia... if they're actually real anyway."

Conglomerate:
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Coalition:
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Minuteman:
"See how hollow the Aquilan cause is? Some drunkards crying because their milk was slightly spoiled are met with a fist to the face. The Embry are spoiled children who have never known a day of hardship or what oppression really is. But every day the Confederates grow in strength, is a day that the Aquilans must put more money, more soldiers into fighting them, and less into fighting us, bringing us a little closer to freedom. They are mewling infants, but they are useful infants."

Syndicate:
"Disgusting dogs and bankers who would destroy all the hard earnings of the people so that the fat cats can grow even richer than they already are are nothing new. One group of milk drinking rich kids is the same as the next."

Heralds:
""

Order:
"I remember some of the Sigmarite missionaries occasionally babbling nonsense under their breath about cults, but this 'Order' you describe to me from these reports... Steam and clockwork? Pfft. Even if they were great in stature, such weaponry isn't worth worrying about. No, I think I'll worry about more real opponents."

Legion:
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Scrin
The following is a decrypted log salvage by an ADI team after eliminating what seems to be a scouting party of robots

Federation:
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Alliance:
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ADI:
"Unlike the other factions faced this army seems to be the only one who knows us, since our scouting parties landed these soldiers have been trying to find and eliminate us, I highly advise we eliminate them before the fleet arrives. Threat assessment: HIGH"

Protectorate:
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Republic:
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Empire:
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Community:
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Voshkod:
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Brotherhood:
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MLA:
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Horde:
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Collective:
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Encantadia:
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Scrin:
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Conglomerate:
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Coalition:
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Minuteman:
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Syndicate:
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Heralds:
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Order:
""

Legion:
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