BoB in the 21st Century

[clyde85]

Being a big fan of the Back of Beyond setting, and after being inspired by reading the League of Extraordinary Kriegspielers many adventures, I've come up with my own story and spin on this wonderfully colorful war-gaming setting. I've updated the time period to the year 20?? and have come up with a colorful cast characters and powers with conflicting ambitions vying for control. I wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the modern warfare section but I thought that since you gentleman, and especially Ignatieff's writing for the League, (and a healthy dose of pushing from my friends) are what finally inspired me to sit down and type it all for the first time, I thought I'd let this be the first place I make it public.

With you permission of course        

[marianas_gamer]

Looking forward to this.
LB

[FramFramson]

Easy enough to imagine some sort of chaotic, silliness-filled war between a couple of the Ex-Russian central Asian *stans, so sure! Why not?

[clyde85]

Sorry for the delay but it was 2 o'clock in the morning here in China and I sorta passed out  . The game is a home brew D10 based system, intended for squad to company level skirmish. I'll break the story up in to several posts.


                                            The Fall of Stanstanistan


   The fall of Stanstanistan, formerly “The Greater Central Asian Republic” is a tragic story. The Republic was born out of the chaos and collapse of the Soviet union. During the breakup of the Soviet state, the leaders of the central Asian S.S.R.'s saw the situation as a great opportunity. They pushed forward with an idea called “Pan-post-soviet unity”. It was an idea to create a great state out of all the minorities who had suffered repression under the Soviet system. If successful, the system and state would have rivaled the former Soviet Union in size, population, and natural resources. The most prominent leader behind this was a visionary named Ibin Tink-in. Known to his colleges as “honest Ib” he was a political renegade and dissident leader during the days of the Soviet Union and would have gotten more attention from the authorities had he not lived in such a backwater. He was a charismatic and popular leader and the natural choice to become president of “The Greater Central Asian Republic”. President Tink-in led the Republic for nearly 5 years until his assassination in December of 1995. The conspirators, a group known as “the Decemberists”, carried out the attack on President Tink-in and his cabinet during a treaty signing celebration. The plotters were a grab-bag of peoples and personalities. Some were minor government members looking to rise to power, others were ethnic minorities looking of independence, some were criminals looking to make a dishonest buck, others had more nefarious motives, and some just wanted to make really whinny and annoying rock music.  
   Whatever their reasons the group was successful in killing President Tink-in and his cabinet. However after the successful assassination, the conspirators couldn't figure out what to do next. They fell apart in to petty arguing, local rivalries, and competing ambition. Many of the plotters were unprepared to take the next step and take over the country as they simply didn't think they would actually pull it off. Given the diverse and contradictory nature of the plotters, it's a wonder they didn't destroy themselves in the first place. That would come later.
   The death of President Tink-in spelled the end for “The Greater Central Asian Republic” and its ideology of “Pan-post-soviet unity”. Without the strong and inspired leadership of “honest Ib” the country collapsed in to chaos and anarchy. Many of the former Decemberists tried to fill the power vacuum they created, but any who did were later assassinated themselves, to a man. The country broke up in to a confusing mess of petty warlords, local power barons, drug cartels, organized crime syndicates, mafia families, tribal leaders, ethnic independence movements, heavily armed and heavily autonomous nomadic groups,  religious fanatics, and terrorist organizations. This incomprehensible miasma of groups was made worse by the rise of President Vladimir Putin in 2000. His anti-corruption campaign and attacks on the Russian mafia lead many of the worst elements of Russian corruption and crime to flee into the Republics territory. So what once had been “The Greater Central Asian Republic” became known as “Stanstanistan”, the world largest failed state, it is less a formal name of a country and more a geographical expression.

Geography
   Stanstanistan makes up a truly massive area and were it a formal state it would be one of the largest in the world. It stretches from the Caspian sea in the west, to the borders of China and Mongolia in the east. From the foothill of the Ural mountains and Siberia in the north, to the borders of Turkey and Iran in the south. It's climate ranges from near permafrost to arid deserts, lush green river valleys to dizzyingly high mountain peaks, and large tracks of flat monotonous steppe land.
   Stanstanistan is also a storehouse of natural resources. It has great timber fields that sit idle. Mines full of coal, silver, and other valuable mineral resourcers sit unused and unexploited. Huge tracks of farmland, with enriched soil, sit untilled and unmanned, with the potential to feed millions. There is even talk of a massive oil reserve that sits untapped, and could keep the worlds oil driven economy going for years.
   The infrastructure is eclectic to put it nicely and a complete disaster to put it realistically. Some areas have been well maintained and have kept up the Soviet era roads and highways, while others have let nature take its course and what were once great boulevards and expressways are now little more then dirt pathways. One major artery of transportation that still runs is what is known as the Eurasian Land Bridge Rial Network, or the Silk Road as it's known locally. It was one of President Tink-in's initiatives, a massive rail network that would carry goods and resources from the Orient to the West through Stanstanistan. The plan attracted several prominent investors, namely the Chinese government, who strongly supported it. This would have been a great triumph and the hallmark of “honest Ib's” presidency, had he lived long enough to see it completed. The Chinese government continued to invest in the project after the government collapsed, just as much out of national pride as practical usage, and brokered deals with whoever owned whatever region the rail line was pushing through, and dealt swiftly, brutally, and clandestinely with any local leaders who got in the way.

[clyde85]

The Major Players

The Good

The Tribal Alliance:
   In the south of Stanstanistan, around the city of Dushanbe, is the territory known as the Tribal Alliance. This area is led by the progressive King, and friend of the West, Aziz Ibrahim. King Ibrahim's family traces it's lineage back to the great Emir of Bukhara. This was one of the last states of Central Asia to maintain its independence from the Russian Empire, only being annexed by the Russians in the late 19th century. During the Russian revolution of 1917 Bukhara became independent once again and was led of King Ibrahim's grandfather. The Soviet victory over the Whites in the civil war led to Bukhara being crushed and reabsorbed in to the burgeoning U.S.S.R. The royal family fled to Afghanistan where they were welcomed in to the court of it's king as “Royal Cousins”. This is where King Aziz was born and lived for a time. The king was very impressed with how Afghanistan blended modern secularism with traditionalist values, especially growing up in the country in the 60's and 70's. During the Soviet invasion Aziz was away in the U.K. at collage He quickly finished his studies, and rushed home to help support the Kings government. In the end, he remained a loyal support of the Afghan royalist cause, despite the outcome of the war.
   When the Soviet Union collapsed and “The Greater Central Asian Republic” was proclaimed, Aziz saw this as an opportunity to return to his ancestral homeland. He crossed the border and offered his services to the government. President Tink-in was happy to have Aziz in the country, having worked with him during his dissident days. The President gave Aziz the title of Emir, as his grandfather had held, and sent him to govern the area around Dushanbe. The population welcomed Emir Aziz as most were ethnic Bukharans, either emigrating there or having been forcibly relocated to the region by Joseph Stalin in the 30's. Emir Ibrahim enjoyed much success in governing his territory and was awarded for his efforts with the title of “model governor” and his province being named the “model province” for the rest of Stanstanistan to follow.
   When the government collapsed in 1995 Emir Aziz worked hard to hold his province together. He created a personal network and alliances with other local leaders to maintain the progress that had created and keep peace in the region. This was largely successful and actually expanded the Emir's domain. As the chaos and violence worsened many other local leaders and people flocked to Aziz's growing alliance. A year later, at a great council held in Dushanbe, the alliance was formalized and Aziz was elected to become King of what is now known as the Tribal Alliance. King Ibrahim's rule has been one of peace and progress, with the King attempting to recreate that blend of modern secularism and traditionalist value he remembered from his childhood in Afghanistan.
   The population is largely behind the King and supportive of his regime. In an interesting turn, those territories farther away from King Ibrahim's power base at Dushanbe tend to be more loyal. As these regions joined the Alliance later, their people experienced the chaos and violence of the fall of Stanstanistan and appreciate all that King Ibrahim has done for them. Make no mistake, this is no Democracy, and the King's power is absolute. However King Ibrahim rules with wisdom and intelligence, knowing when and where to use his powers. The fringe of the Alliance's territory is what is known as the Nomadic Zone. It is an area largely populated by nomadic herding families who have no interest in being part of any formal state. They are heavily armed and heavily autonomous. The herdsmen are mostly friendly towards King Ibrahim and call upon him from time to time to act as an impartial mediator when problems arise between families. His fairness and wisdom and incorruptibility in these dealing is where the King received his most valued and favorite title, The King Solomon of Central Asia.
   The King's peaceful and progressive policies attracted attention and then support from the western powers, eager the help stabilize the region. The King fostered a strong alliance between his country and the United Kingdom, having attended university there in his youth. The British were eager to help the King hold onto power. To maintain the balance of power in the Alliance, each member must send a tithe of men to the King each year who are then sent to be trained by British military. Any officers are sent to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. As such the Alliance's military is one of the best trained and led in the Stanstanistan region. Though small, this force is completely armed and equipped to British Military standards, having been giving equipment left over from the Cold War. This Alliance army is equipped with a fleet of British Lynx helicopters, and can be completely and rapidly deployed to any crisis within the territory. While other Alliance members keep small military formations of their own in their territories, none come close to the power and efficiency of what is called the Royal Alliance Military. The local armies act as a reserve and constabulary force for the outlying regions of the Alliance.
   After establishing ties with the British, the rest of NATO, and the US were quick to follow in offering aid to the Alliance, both military and financial. This has created a prosperous economy and a healthy standard of living for the people of the Alliance. The military aid, in the form of foreign military bases in the country, have allowed the King to focus his attention to rooting out infiltrators from the chaotic rest of Stanstanistan, keeping the peace and stabilizing his kingdom. Western intelligence sources, The Alliances own sources, and the friendship with local nomads keeps the king well informed of what's happening in region and makes it easy for him to identify potential threats to himself, the Alliance, and the region as a whole.

The West:
   With the United Kingdom leading the way, the Western powers have been quick to support and aid the Tribal Alliance in their struggle for peace and stability in the region. Since establishing ties with the King, the United Kingdom, the United States, and NATO, have all built military bases in the Alliance's territory. An attempt was made around the year 2000 to have the Alliance formally recognized as a sovereign nation and join the UN. However certain elements with in the UN, led mostly by a resurgent Russian Federation, blocked this move. As a result, the Western powers have had to content themselves with an “informal acknowledgment” of the Alliances sovereignty, though this has limited the amount of formal military support to few elite formations.
   As such, the United States has sent elements the Marine Corps to man their base in the region and carry out missions in support of the Regime and to undermine Russian ambition in the region. The United Kingdom has sent a Regiment of veteran Regulars the region, their mission being one of training and friendship with the Alliances government and military. NATO has also built and operates a base in the region, nominally in support of  US and British efforts, but also as a training ground for their more elite formations, such as the French Foreign Legion, and the Bundeswher's Oberkommando. The Western powers are also the most technologically advanced and are eager to use the region as a testing ground for their newest “toys”.
   While allies, at times the Western powers will have competing and contradictory objectives. Add into this the Alliances own ambition, and the will of the King and you get a situation that can be almost as confusing as the rest of Stanstanistan. While intelligence forces from the varying powers will compete for resources and engage in small “turf wars”, if any major threat to their allies or the region as a whole is uncovered, the West is quick to unite and do whatever is necessary to protect each other, the Alliance, the King, and if need be, the free World.

[clyde85]

The Bad

Dirka-Dirkastan Insurgency
   Sitting in direction opposition to the Alliance and to King Ibrahim's enlightened rule are the nebulous force of Dirka-Dirkastan. Led by the despotic “Grand Dirk”, an evil and violent man, the forces of Dirka-Dirkastan look to create chaos across Stanstanistan and the world. Blending religious zealotry with a heavy dose of criminal activity and general cruelty, the Grand Dirk would love nothing more then to see the Tribal Alliance destroyed, the West driven from the area, and his power to go unchecked across region. As such, Dirka-Dirkastan is not a formal state but an Insurgency that controls large tracks of Stanstanistan. The Insurgency seeks to spread their rule across Stanstanistan, and use it's people and resources as a base to create global chaos and anarchy. 
   To achieve this goal the Dirkastani Insurgency engages in guerrilla warfare and general terrorism. They send sleeper agents in to rival territories and attempt to create terrorist cells wherever they can. The Insurgency will do anything that creates chaos and fear of them in the region. The network of operatives and assassins that work for the Dirkistani insurgency covers the region from end to end. It is said that behind any criminal act in Stanstanistan and least one Dirkastani agent must be involved, if it was successful, there must be two. The Insurgency has ties to several major criminal organizations and terrorist groups around the world.
   The Insurgency is equipped with whatever they can get their hands on. Through its underworld and criminal activity, the Insurgency is able to equip a large force of fighting men willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause Dirkastani dominance. They also tend to have an eclectic bunch of weapons and gear, mostly outdated second hand Soviet equipment but every once and while they manage to get their hands on a gem of modern weaponry. As a formal military the Dirka-Dirkastan Insurgency is no match for any other power in the region. However, they are very good at fighting more powerful opponents Asymmetrically, favoring ambushes, booby traps, and hit and run tactics.
   While much is known about the Insurgency and their tactics, what worries people the most is what is unknown. Dirkastani agents seems to be everywhere, but know one seems to know where they operate from. Exactly which tracts of land are safe to pass through and which are held in the name of Great Dirka-Dirkstan, are unknown, most only discovering the answer when insurgents open fire on them. The greatest mystery of the Dirka-Dirkastan Insurgency is just who the Grand Dirk is? Some say he is just a local tribal leader with delusions of grandeur. Others think he is former KGB agent acting on Moscow's behalf. Some think the Grand Dirk is not one man but a group of med, a cabal of violent former gulag inmates looking to repay the injustice they suffered in life on the rest of the world. One story has it that the Grand Dirk is actually woman, who got carried away impersonating a man in order to survive in an Islamic-fundamentalist state. Whoever the Grand Dirk is, what is not in doubt is the power he wields, the brutality he has shown, the violence he is capable, and the willingness to do whatever it take to achieve the Insurgency's goals, whatever that might be.       

The Green Zone
   In the far north there is a thin strip of territory that runs the length of Stanstanistan's northern border and is generally called, the green zone, which centers around the city of Petropavlovsk. This region is formally known as South Sibirsky and is a treaty territory of the Russian Federation. During the breakup of the Soviet Union, when The Greater Central Asian Republic was being formed, the people of South Sibirsky were not happy. The region was to become part of the Republic, but the people in it would not have it. Since the population is nearly 100% ethnic Russians, they were not happy at the thought of being torn away from their beloved motherland. Patriotism, and a fear of reprisals from the ethnic minorities they had long ruled over, led the people of South Sibirsky to rise up in rebellion against the Republics government. The fact that their territory also held large portions of the trans-Siberian rail network are largely thought to be a coincidence. For several years the people fought a skilled guerrilla war against the Republics forces, until the Russian government stepped in to mediate. The treaty led to the creation of South Sibirsky as a sort of autonomous region/ political no mans land. South Sibirsky is led by a governor, and has a small police for to maintain law and order.    
        But for the treaty and the formal title, South Sibirsky is a Russian Oblast in everything but name. It is the main base of operation of all Russian activity in Stanstanistan. The Russian government stepped in to help the region in order to maintain some presence in the area. At the time Russia itself was in chaos and unable to do much to influence events in their own country much less a place like Stanstanistan. Looking to the future, Russia's leaders knew they needed to exploit this situation for sooner or later they would want to reassert their influence in the region, thought none knew when, or if, Russia itself would ever be stable enough to do so. However, much sooner rather than later, with the aid of petrol-dollars, Russia finds herself resurgent and looking to gain control over here former “backyard”.   
    While the treaty with the Republic forbids the Russian Federation from sending any of its regular forces in to South Sibirsky, it hasn't stopped the Russian government from sending several formations of their elite troops. The Vozdushno-desantnye Voyska, the VDV, or the Russian Airborne Assault Corps is a separate branch of the armed forces, and they are not considered part of the regular forces of the Federation. The VDV use the region to train, and perfect the tactics they learned during the Soviet-Afghan war. SpetsNaz forces are also known to operate several bases in the region, for whatever secretive purposes, and work with the VDV.
   Along side these formations are the forces of the Russian SFB, GRU, and other state security and intelligence agencies. They are tasked with keeping Moscow abreast of the ever changing situation in Stanstanistan. Making sure that any threats to their plans are stamped out and the region remains ripe for the taking.  All work together to carry out the Kremlin's orders in the hopes of seeing the region rejoin the Russian state.

[clyde85]

The Odd

Fraplapistan S.S.R.
   In the West of Stanstanastan sits the Fraplapi S.S.R.. The Fraplapistan S.S.R. is a bit of an oddity in the region and given that Stanstanistan is awash with confusing and odd forms of governance, this statement really says a lot about the Fraplapi S.S.R.. Fraplapistan began life as a sub-section of a larger central Asian S.S.R. that made up the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Fraplapistan's communist party planned to remain loyal to the General Sectary and the Politburo in Moscow. The proclamation of Independence of the Greater Central Asian Republic threw the Fraplapistan Communist party in to chaos, as their province would make up most of the western border of the new republic. The chairman of the Fraplapi communist party, Chairman Buggeroff, came out and loudly proclaimed his provinces loyalty to the larger Russian Soviet Federative Socialist  Republic, and promised that the Fraplapistan Soviet Socialist Republic would wipe out the counter-revolutionary upstarts of the Central Asian Republic.
   What followed is know as the Fraplapi war, as the Fraplapistan S.S.R. fought for the right to remain as a loyal Soviet Socialist Republic to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Over the next three years the Red Army in Fraplapistan (as military units in the Fraplapi S.S.R. are called) fought viciously to defend their borders, and crush any and all of the “counter revolutionary white forces” of the Republic. Though using Cold War ear equipment and Soviet tactics that dated back to World War 2, The Red Army in Fraplapistan was eventually victorious, the victory having just as much to do with the fact that their opponent, The Greater Central Asian republic, were using the same equipment and tactics, and the Republic had bigger problems to deal with.
   The Fraplapistan S.S.R. won the war and the right to remain as a member republic to the U.S.S.R. . The only problem with this was that once they had won, the nation they were fighting to remain a part of no longer existed. Undeterred, the Communist party of Fraplapistan loudly proclaimed victory over the “counter-revolutionary white forces” in Central Asia, and said this was a prelude to the eventual revival of the U.S.S.R. as a whole. This claim was made over 20 years ago.
   So the Fraplapistan S.S.R. has existed as a subordinate republic to a non-existent larger state. As such, they have no foreign policy of their own, and relations with other nations remain difficult. The F.S.S.R. was able to survive the collapse of the surrounding state with ease, however this left them more isolated then before. Interestingly enough, as the sole surviving republic of the Soviet Union, the Fraplapi S.S.R. is allowed to use the web domain .SU for the nations half dozen government controlled websites. As the last remaining part of the U.S.S.R. the Fraplapi government has revived some of the more oppressive measures of the Soviet state, including the recreation of the N.K.V.D. Internal security agency and has reimposed the commissars into it's military hierarchy. As such, the Fraplapistan S.S.R. exists as a land out of time, having advanced little since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.      
   In the meantime, the Fraplapi S.S.R. has gone on to be mildly successful by the regions standards. Their insistence on remaining as part of the U.S.S.R. has created a market for long out of print Soviet era goods and labels, which are actively sought after by foreign collectors and nostalgic Russians and citizens of the former Soviet bloc. Utilizing their control of the old Soviet web domain has allowed the S.S.R.'s government to turn this in to a booming business. On top of this niche market, the Fraplapi S.S.R. is the last remaining country in the world capable of creating the famous Yugo cars of the 1970's and 80's. Apparently, before the collapse of the U.S.S.R. there was a plan in place to expand production of the Yugo, and although the Soviet state didn't survive to see it through, the necessary components were in place for the Fraplapi to finish the project. These projects, and access to the Caspian sea, have created a stable, if less the prosperous, economy for the Fraplapastan S.S.R.
   The Military of Fraplapistan has changed little since the late 80's. In keeping with Red Army traditions, the army is comprised of mass conscripts who are led by the previous years surviving conscripts. The Red Army in Fraplapistan consists of three divisions (the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, Fraplapistan Rifles) most of which are half strength, with the 3rd Fraplapistan Rifle Division being the most active, and kept at about 2/3 strength. There is one elite division in the Red Army in Fraplapistan, the Guards Mechanized Rifle Division. This unit is comprised of two brigades of elite fully mechanized infantry, a brigade of artillery, and a fully armored brigade. That the mechanized and armored aspects of the division are comprised of the out-dated BMP-2 transports and old Soviet T-72 main battle tanks, do not detract from the formations effectiveness in battle. The Fraplapi also posses the only functional independent air-force in the region. Again, their equipment is made up of dated Soviet aircraft, mostly the Mig-29, a handful of Mig-33's and Hind-D attack helicopters, but this still gives them a massive advantage over their less organized local rivals.              
       The Fraplapistan S.S.R.'s over all goals in the region are somewhat confusing. They claim to be fighting to preserve the Soviet Union, though it no longer exists. The claim to be fighting against the “white Russian counter revolution” though the S.S.R. has worked with Moscow in the past. The S.S.R. Has claimed to be working to unite the region under their control, though most military operations outside of the Fraplapi's immediate sphere of influence have gotten bogged down in Stanstanistans usual confusing mess of shifting alliances and back-stabbing. The Fraplapastan S.S.R. sits in the western third of Stanstanistan, one of the most powerful local forces in the area.  



The East Turkestan Secure Border Zone
   The far eastern border of Stanstanistan runs the length of the Chinese province of Xinjiang, also known as East Turkestan. In the early days of the Greater Central Republic, the border with China was seen as a great advantage to the fledgling state. It was hoped by it's leaders that trade and other benefits could be gained by working closely with Beijing. This hope seemed to be coming to fruition when the Chinese government became the largest investor the Eurasian Land Bridge Rail Network Initiative, or the Silk Road as it has come to be known. After the collapse of the Republic and the descent of the region in to chaos and anarchy, Beijing began to eye Stanstanistan with increasing worry. The leadership in China feared that the chaos would spill over into their distant province of Xinjiang. They also feared that local belief in Beijing's distance would lead to the rise of powerful dissident movements that would exploit the lawlessness of Stanstanistan to organize, marshal strength, and carry out attacks against Chinese power in the province.
   In response to these fears, the Chinese government in the early 2000's began to create “The East Turkestan Secure Border Zone”. The Border Zone is a strip of territory several miles inside the Stanstanistan border that is occupied and run by the Peoples Liberation Army. The Border Zone runs the length of the western edge of Chinese territory and was created to “ensure the security and safety of the Chinese people and to protect Chinese sovereignty from lawless and banditry”, or so the official proclamation from Beijing read.
   The border Zone is heavily guarded, with miles of barbed wire fencing, check points, guard houses, and military bases all on the Stanstanistan side of the border. Many of the PLA formations in the region are regarded as “class A”, meaning the best lead, equipped, and supported forces China has. This is not true everywhere along the border, with most of the daily work and garrisoning being carried out by local auxiliaries, or “class B” troops. Most surprising is the presence of several elite Zhong Jun, or Central Army, units in the region, meaning that the PLA is capable of carrying out “delta force style” actions and is no mere garrison force. What is not to be understated is the size of the Chinese force ready to be deployed if deemed necessary by Beijing. The PLA is the only armed force in the region capable of deploying multiple divisions to deal with it's problems. The PLA has become increasingly modern, and like it's Western counter-parts, is eager to test this new found strength on the proving grounds of Stanstanistan.              
   The Peoples Republic of China's rise to economic and military prominence in the 21st century has lead Beijing to look for places to expand it's influence and flex it's military muscle. With all of the Old worlds powers already having a foothold in Stanstanistan, China is looking to show them what she is capable of, and remind them that their time of prominence in world affairs is nearing its end.

[clyde85]

Let me apologize now for the poor spelling and grammar mistakes, I know I am in desperate need of a proof reader.

[Ignatieff]

Huzzah!  Splendid.

[clyde85]

Huzzah!  Splendid.

I consider that high praise coming from you 

I had a friend read this and he told me to try again but read it out loud to myself as I typed. Upon reflection, I am fairly embarrassed having posted what amounts to a rough draft at best here. I do appreciate all who took the time to read this and I hope to do better with this in the future.   

[Hamilkar]

Its all good, we greatly appreciate the creativity and effort.  Splendid background narrative.  Cant wait to read the rest!!!