Amazon (or Amazonian) Society/Nation in T2K/Merc2000?

[Schone23666]

In another thread I think it was briefly talked about the possibility of an Amazon (or Amazonian) based society or nation in T2K or Merc2000. In T2k it could arise out of any region where central authority has broken down (almost everywhere), in Merc2000 it might take a bit more work, but could pop up in a region where civil war/anarchy/ethnic strife/etc. has again brought down the central authority in the area (North Africa, the Balkans, etc.).

What would be the aims of the Amazon Nation? It's authority/government makeup (mostly likely composed mostly of women one would assume)? Would it attempt to pattern itself after, or claim legitimacy to the historical Amazons? Would it espouse New Age/Pagan worship, specifically of the Greek deity Artemis or Roman deity Diana? What would their military/militia look like, and how would they interact with any neighboring government remnants/marauders/merchants/mercenaries/warlords/refugees/etc.?

Also, how much of a spoiler could they be in the global equation? Depending on how "canon" (yes, I know, always a touchy subject) you want to run a T2k or Merc2000 game, would they be a relatively small enclave, or could they be a bit of a surprise that turns into another faction that, say, begins to compete with Milgov, Civgov and New America in the North American region for authority and resources? Milgov and Civgov might find their hands full with the rise of New America only to find NA getting creamed by the sudden arrival of these "Amazons". Perhaps the Amazons had their own plans prior to the impending Apocalypse like Carl Hughes did? If so, how would Milgov/Civgov treat this new Amazon faction? The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but for how long?

So...any thoughts? Ideas?

[Targan]

In the Twilight:2300 timeline Argentina eventually helps to create the Inca Republic out of Ecuador, Peru and later Colombia. The groundwork is laid by the results of the First, Second and Third Rio Plata Wars during the 22nd Century, but I think it's entirely feasible that the idea and/or the roots of the Inca Republic started with a similar breakaway state being founded during the Twilight War.

[Apache6]

The Asgarda: Ukraine’s warrior women (Adopted from November 6, 2013, article by Serena Kutchinsky - The Asgarda are a real group in our time line. This is not cannon, but I don't think it violates any canon either).

The Asgarda are a group of modern day warrior women, who claim to be descended from the Amazons. Originally armed with a variety of hand weapons, and dressed in fantasy warrior costumes, they were Girl Guides with attitude, combining an idealized amazon culture, Ukrainian martial arts, and national culture. In the Eastern regions of Ukraine a lot of women were known for warrior features: pride, braveness, firmness, strength of beliefs, strong-will…. During the Twilight War they acquired much more modern weapons, and were able to contest, often in uncommon way, Soviet rule in a portion of the Ukraine.

The story of the Asgarda being descendants of the mythological Amazon warriors originated from their founders vision. According to their founder Olympics martial arts Gold Medal champion, Katerina Tarnosvka, 34 (in 1996), Scythian Amazons once roamed parts of what is now Ukraine, mainly by the Black Sea. She is adamant that the spirit of these ancient female warriors is in her genes and that it’s her duty to empower women so that they can give birth to a new generation of Ukrainian warriors.
This conflicts with the opinion of Natalia Lavrinkeo, the senior woman of the Committee of the Ukrainian Socialist Republic. Natalia believes the movement was a brand created by the nationalist political party. The myth about their Amazonian heritage was devised, and successful, in attracting more women to a movement whose real purpose is to promote Ukrainian culture and history. The Asgarda’s dedication to enforcing the role of women as powerful members of Ukrainian society, including their roles as wives and mothers, albeit powerful ones trained in martial arts, put them at odds with the traditional, and heavily patriarchal communist state.

Prior to the war, the organization held the status of an athletic club. The Asgarda were a women’s only sports club who spent their summers living in the remote Carpathian Mountains Ukraine, training to fight. One Communist Party official criticized the organization, saying: ‘they skirted the lines between a dojo, a nunnery, and a political cult.” A high level patron, Ms Lavrinkeo, protected them from scrutiny.

Photos from before the war show the women, some as young as 15, posing with weapons, kneeling in prayer, and training in martial arts. They wear an interesting mix of modern clothes, traditional Ukrainian folk garb, and Xena-esque leather costumes. Their course of study blended modern and traditional martial skills, they spend as much time with Ak-74s and RPGs as they did with knives and axes. They idolized Yulia Tymoshenko, the leader of the "Fatherland" party and a key figure in the Orange Revolution, who was slain by Soviet assassins in 1996.

The Asgarda are fiercely patriotic, their leader Katerina, has the Ukrainian national symbol tattooed across her arm. Their mission statement is “harmonious development of girls through martial arts.” The summer camps included training in all their country’s national traditions and customs including how to prepare for public holidays—it’s accepted that women will led every aspect of these celebrations.
Why was the Ukraine such a center for feminist revolution? Why it might look like the Ukraine was a hot bed of girl power, it’s not that simple. The Asgarda were always a veiled nationalist movement. During the war, while they are anti Soviet, they wanted nothing to do with NATO. They have rejected communism, but they are advocates of a maternalistic socialism.

They grew to power in an environment where the majority of men in the Ukraine had been mobilized. Five cohorts of youths had been drafted and sent off to war. Their fathers were recalled and sent off to replace formations destroyed in far off Chinese, Norwegian, Iranian and even American cities (two of the MRR sent to Alaska were largely composed of ethnic Ukrainians). With the best of their men sent off, and many lost, the men remaining, often ethnically Russian and empowered Communists took advantage of the situation. Incidents of domestic abuse were very high among women in the Ukraine, fuelling the growth of a women’s movement. The Ukraine was always a tough place to be a woman. Many available jobs are hard labor, more suitable for men. With the men at war, the women wear forced to take up the slack, further empowering the ‘women’s movement.’

The Asgarda initially voiced support for the Soviet war effort, and even provided volunteer militias to protect the local infrastructure and ensure the harvest. Beginning in 1998, they increasing supported resistance and draft dodgers, feeling that the Russians, under the Guise of the USSR, were intentionally bleeding the Ukraine Nation of its best and brightest men. In 1999, Soviet Administrators, were shocked at the reports that 88% of the men from the year group for the draft had died due to the plague. While disease had truly killed as many as 40% of the population, the Asgarda, had infiltrated the medical administration and fudged the numbers.

In 2000, Col Ivan Sturgeon, came with an NKVD Motor Rifle Regiment to enforce the 2000 draft. The GRU had uncovered the misinformation, though not its origins. He had orders to draft 20000 men. The NKVD, were ardent communist, who were used to having great power. They acted arrogantly and took what they wanted, seeing opponents as Pro-NATO. Sexual abuse of prisoners was a significant problem. The Asgarda who taught girls to defend themselves, could not abide by this and took aggressive, though unconventional actions.

False intelligence was feed to the NKVD, sometimes through pillow talk,
leading to heavy combat between the NKVD and the last loyal Soviet forces in the region, resulting in the destruction of a Soviet Air Army (with almost no functional aircraft) and the 9th Strategic Rocket Regiment. The NKVD attacked viciously against the “Forest Brothers” a relatively small band of marauders who the Asgarda wanted wiped out do to their tendency to rape.
While on campaign the Asgarda, willingly guarded the NKVDs rear areas. After being bleed by these actions, the NKVD returned victoriously to their barracks. Three days after they returned, and the Asgarda was assured of the location of all the units, the Asgarda hosted to a feast. During this feast, a political prisoner, detonated a series of hidden explosive charges in the “officers club” decapitating the Regiment. The Soldiers who were mostly drunk found themselves surrounded by women, many using their heavy weapons against them.

Those who fought were killed. Several hundred were captured, and tried by an Asgarda Court Martial. Those found guilty of rape were castrated, those who survived the procedure were sold as slaves. If found guilty of other crimes (about 80% were) they were condemned to slavery. Others who surrendered pledged their allegiance to the Asgarda.

Two days later, Natalia Lavrinkeo was elected as Matriarch of the Ukraine (though they never controlled all of the Ukraine). Her occasional lover Katerina Tanoaks, inaugurated her. Katerina and the Asgarda, executed a victory parade, modeled after the Soviet May Day Parades. 8000 Asgarda soldiers, armed to the teeth, including modern weapons such as T-72 tanks and BMP-2s demonstrated the strength. It should be noted that nearly 25% of this force were male volunteers. When Lavrinkeo took the podium she was dressed in a traditional costume with ponytail and an embroidered white dress. Tarnouska, fully armed, used a bull-horn to swear her in. Some of her words included “The time has come to honor the Way of the Goddess." she says. Their dream had been realized, a world where women could live freely, as she imagined the Amazon tribes had. She continued: “Glory to you, Mistress, Glory to the Asgarda, Glory to the Amazons!" Her announcement was met by cheers from the Asgarda, and most of the general population. While others, joyful that they had overthrown their Soviet Masters, worried about what would come.

The Agarda found themselves in charge of a significant portion of the Ukraine. The fact that they had seized three nuclear tipped ballistic missiles from the 9th Strategic Rocket Regiment (one of the Nuclear Weapons Officers was an ethnic Estonian woman who defected with nearly 30 personnel), ensured that they were left alone by the Soviets after 2000. In what came to be known as Asgardian Ukraine, only woman were allowed to vote. Petty criminals were often condemned to slavery. Rape convictions resulted in castration, and eunuchs became fairly common after the war. Ethnic Ukranian men were treated well, but due to the War were rare. Ethnic Russian males, if they did not flee, almost invariably were enslaved, most being used as labor in industry. Dean Herbaut, the French journalist won the Kodak Critics Prize in 2009 for his story about the Asgarda, printed in English as Rebirth of the Amazons. He is famous for his austere images that chronicle the challenges, suffering, compassion and strength of the Asgarda as they tried to rebuild a utopia in a war devastated area. The region they controlled was peacefully rejoined the Ukraine in 2029, but many of the unique traditions, including female only suffrage, survived.

[waiting4something]

The Twilight 2000 module City of Angels did have a all female gang called the Seal Beach Girls. Just saying.

[.45cultist]

Any U.S. college, college town has a possible cadre for such a movement on a smaller scale. Perhaps started to counter rapine as society splintered and they filled a vacuum. Or they could be military wives and widows like in T2K 1st module "Gateway to the Spanish Main".

[unkated]

You're right it isn't canon...

But I like it :)

Bravo!

I like it enough that if I ran 2300AD, it would be worth including as a footnote that

a) Russians have a phrase they use on their children that if they don't behave at night, the shrieking Asgarda will come for them.

b) Fellow soldiers from other nations joke about eunuchs in arms, literal 'ballbuster' girlfriends, and 'soldiers of the Matriarch' to get a rise out of Ukrainian soldiery. The soldiers are in turn prideful of their traditions and mildly embarassed - as anyone would be held to facts 300 years in their past (do Virginians still avoid work to hunt for gold, or do they all live on tobacco plantations?).

Uncle Ted

[Adm.Lee]

Darn, now I want to include the Asgarda in my game. Re: Ukraine, where would you put them in relation to Bear's Den (Lwow area)? Perhaps around Kiev or another city?

Personally, I could see some village (or college town) developing a matriarchy out of loss of manpower and/or in retaliation to attacks on women by men.

[unkated]

Look for a current MTV video called Bad Girls.


This Amazonian talk did just inspire a Merc:2000 campaign idea (or perhaps Dark Conspiracy):

- Leaders from all fields are being killed - politicians, military, financiers, corporate leaders, media stars. All male.

- Probably, the first noticed leaders have something in common - perhaps a financier and a corporate leader related through a business deal, or a business deal tied to a government contract. But then other murders where no connection can be tied - national or international opponents, rivals.

No ideological or financial commonality can be found. Except that they are all male.

The methods used are as varied as the targets - explsoions, long range snipings, close-in attacks, poisoned food...

Basically, a fanatic Amazonian society has decided to remove male leaders. These will not be necessarily replaced by female leaders, but will remove a male (the replacement leader may be removed later). Done in DC, there is no Dark power component - just women fed up with men screwing up the world....

Uncle Ted

[John Farson]

Thanks to Fury Road, whenever I come across the word 'Amazon' I think of the Vuvalini.:p;):D:cool:

[Schone23666]

Good stuff here Apache6, nice job! If I had to nitpick I'd check over again for some grammatical corrections, but this was good!

I could actually see this happening in a few other regions besides just the Ukraine....and then, assuming these different "Amazonian tribes" get in touch and stay in communication with each other and begin to coordinate their efforts, what if they were to unite and form an "Amazon Republic/Nation/Empire etc."?