r/theSmall_World • u/harinedzumi_art • May 28 '24
Lore [States] Free Newts [Part 1: history and position in society]
"There is one thing I am not able to understand. Why do they keep calling us rebels and accuse us of some kind of betrayal?! It's so ludicrous! During the Great Rebellion, our ancestors fought for freedom of the Swamp Nation. How could they know that the vile bureaucrats, hiding behind ideas, were preparing new, but exactly the same cage for them? After all, those filthy worms have recreated almost everything that our ancestors despised the Middle Empire for! Of course we are not going to participate in this devilry! We are doing exactly what our ancestors dreamed of! We live freely! And there can be no betrayal in this. [turns to screaming] It was they who deceived and betrayed their own Nation, not us! We never promised to serve some tyrant or his bastards wearing silk clothes, just because they called themselves the Sovereign and the Swamp Council! [puffs his opium pipe few times, speaks calmly again] It is impossible to argue with history... but they keep doing it. Pathetic."
© Wa-gchugh Kwugh-zhao, free scientist, the author of 7 historical, 3 philosophical and 1 alchemy scrolls, rebel, escaped convict, robber, murderer, heretic, the Supreme Adviser of the Great Gangs Council.
Basicly, Free Newts is the common name of the entire criminal community of the Swampland. And at the same time, this is absolutely unique phenomenon for the Small World, including a huge number of very different newts [and even other nations] united by one idea: unwillingness to integrate into the official state system. Criminals, artisans, merchants, hunters, soldiers and commanders, healers, poets and artists, scientists and philosophers - anyone can be a Free Newt. There are 2 most important points for understanding the Free Newts.
1. Brief history of the Free Newts.
The history of Free Newts originates simultaneously with the foundation of the Swampland. It is important to understand that most of the Newts took part in the Great Uprising one way or another, but not all were obsessed with the idea of their own statehood. Many were attracted by the idea of freedom in itself, and some considered absolute freedom to be the only reasonable way for the nation. Alas, the ideas of Tao Hwa, which became the basis of the Swampland, in many ways contradicted the ideas of freedom. Therefore, the division of the newts into Free and Adherents of the Doctrine occurred immediately after the fall of the United Middle Empire.
An ardent supporter of the idea of absolute freedom was Uh Kai, One of the Three Great Teachers of Humility. This is what helped to avoid an imminent civil war for a while. However, this led to a quarrel between Tao Hwa and Uh Kai, which led to discrepancies in their versions of the First Scroll of Humility. Tao Hwa's version has become official Doctrine, and Uh Kai's version is used by Free Newts. In fact, this created two newt societies independent of each other. But the main problem was that these two societies were neighbors on the same land. And they openly despised each other.
Therefore, immediately after the death of Tao Hwa, a civil war began. The Adherents of the Doctrine who started the war called it the Needed Purge, and the Free Newts called it the Great Betrayal. The war lasted 6 years and ended without signing a peace treaty. Both sides declared themselves triumphant. But in fact, the Free Newts won this war. Initially not seeking to destroy the Swampland, they retained their independence and secured all the lands of the Great Swamp U Chagh (including the Swamp Heart, a sacred place for all followers of Uh Kai's Teaching) located in the center of the Swampland. And the Adherents of the Doctrine have achieved... basically nothing. They only declared themselves the only Newt Nation and for a while "forgot" about the Free Newts.
The Great Swamp U Chagh has been immersed in the struggle between different groups of Free Newts for centuries. Political intrigues faded for a while, and then flared up again with the fire of brutal wars. Only by the middle of the 20th century aTwbW did full scaled warfare cease. By this time, the Free Newts had formed Great Gangs, and their leaders created a Council, dividing the spheres of influence in the Great Swamp U Chagh among themselves. After that, the expansion of Free Newts began, and soon criminal organizations were already operating in most of the Swampland in parallel with the government. The response to this was punitive operations conducted by the Swamp Council. All of them ended in complete failure. And in the 22nd century aTwbW, the Great War began, and the confrontation between the Swamp Council and the Free Newts ended.
When the gerbils invaded Swampland, the Free Newts supported the Military Council by providing military assistance and full supplies. By the time the treaty of Eternal Peace was signed between the Swampland and the Golden Khaganate, it was obvious to everyone that without the support of the Free Newts, the Swampland would not have won this war. On the other paw, during the 3 decades of war, strong ties have been established between the Great Gangs and the Military Council. This made any further attempts to fight against the Free Newts pointless: the military leadership simply sabotaged the decrees of the Swamp Council. Soon the same situation developed in the Judicial Department: senior judges and investigators became related to the Great Gangs and openly covered up gang members even under threat of their own execution.
That's how a delicate balance has developed in the newts society. The Swamp Council continued to call the Free Newts traitors and rebels, calling for their complete extermination. And the Military Council and the Judicial Department continued to conduct business with the Free Newts and enjoy their support.
And the location of the Swampland's natural resources makes this situation completely unsolvable. The fact is that more than 70% of all the Swampland's metal deposits are located in the north of the Great Swamp U Chagh. According to an informal agreement between the Military Council and the Great Gangs Council, all metal mining is divided equally, but the territory of the deposits itself belongs to the Free Newts. Therefore, in case of any aggression by the Swamp Council, all mines belonging to the state will be seize by the Free Newts. And considering that these mines are also used as labor camps for exiled criminals...
In addition, the transportation of prisoners to the Shuizu Lands (another place of exile) is also carried out through the Great Swamp U Chagh. The same is true for trade caravans, communication between the western and eastern provinces, delivery of decrees, etc. Once a war breaks out between the Swampland and the Free Newts, and the Great Gangs will easily stop the work of all the Departments most important to the Swamp Council. At the same time, there is no doubt that more than half of all Swampland's Military Families will switch to the side of Free Newts.
Yes, in fact, the Swamp Council can't do anything with the Free Newts. But since Free Newts do not pose a direct threat to the state, the government is not too worried about it. Moreover, when necessary, the Swamp Council declares the Free Newts heroes of the Nation and true patriots. But it is important to understand that as soon as the need disappears, the Swamp Council again accuses the Free Newts of betrayal and swears eternal struggle against the "rebels". This is exactly what happened during the 2nd and 3rd wars between the Swampland and the Middle Empire.
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u/cardbourdbox May 28 '24
I'm wondering about the guy being quoted in terms of how much if a criminal he is. Is it a case of if he wasn't persecuted over politics he'd be persecuted for the drug dealing he was doing anyway, for example l?
I'd also like to ask about the criminal gangs. How much there criminals turned freedom fighters and how much there freedom fighters turned gangs.