The United Nations changed more than any one country. When the world needed a unified voice, the only body that could provide the voice was the UN. It rapidly shifted from its previous toothless role to a real government, coordinating and directing the resources of its member nations. When military forces lost touch with their own chains of command, they were often found by UN troops and brought into the fold.
In 2020, the UN offered the only stable rule of law in most of the world. Most individual nations were in disarray and relied heavily on the UN for direction. These nations resisted the inevitable, but by 2025, three-quarters of the Earth’s countries signed the Constitution of the United Nations, ratifying it as the true world government.
The United Nations has, predictably, followed the democratic republic model exemplified by the United States of America and many European countries. While some of the non-European member nations oppose this structure, it has proven to be the most stable of the various options.
The United Nations military is the largest in the world, supported by levies from its member nations. The UN military is divided into three main branches, the Army, the Fleet, and the Navy. The Army handles ground operations, the Fleet deals with air and space operations, and the Navy deals with water operations.
While the United Nations is indeed the most stable government in the world, it is still on shaky ground. Many of the member nations are not comfortable giving up any degree of sovereignty, while others will often trade support for a particular policy for concession and freedom from certain UN laws.
Another source of contention is the Moebius Circle, which officially serves an advisory role to the Executive branch. The raw power and potential of the Circle troubles many, including those who nominally have authority over it. It's quite certain that the Moebius Circle stretches the official bounds of its responsibilities and authority.
Continents
Africa
A year before the Hammer struck, Africa had been embroiled in a war that was
sweeping the majority of the continent. The fighting had been the culmination
of decades of tribal war, revolutions, and age-old hatreds between one country
and another. In early 2017, this fighting ended suddenly after a so-called "wave
of peace" rolled through Africa and several surrounding continents.
For the following year, Africa's nations tentatively found answers other than
violence. When the Terv'anar struck, Africa was the site of their first ground
landing. While that initial assault was repulsed, later attacks destroyed Cairo,
Johannesburg, Nairobi, and other major cities. Most of Africa's peoples retreated
to the jungles, deserts, and savannahs. They were given direction by Ghost Dancers
and Bete in how to protect themselves.
Terv'anar troops soon learned that making progress into the wilds of Africa was costly, with little gain. They kept to the cities and left the bulk of the continent alone.
Fighting together against the invaders, relying on each other for survival, and bolstered by their lingering insight into one another, Africa’s populace formed deep bonds. Most of their age-old prejudices were overcome.
These bonds remained after the war. As the African nations reformed, they consulted with each other to an incredible degree. By the time the United Nations was ratified, there were already efforts to create a similar unified leadership for Africa. In 2027, the United Nations officially recognized the government of the United African Nations.
The UAN encompasses all nations on the continent except for Egypt, Libya, and Morocco. The UAN protects its wildlife and its massive natural resources. The use of such resources is strictly monitored, and has lately branched into another direction. In the past decade, research firms have sprung up around Africa to investigate biological technology. Currently the UAN is on the forefront of biotech research.
The Middle East
This region has long been in turmoil. The Israeli Incident in 2004 devastated
Jerusalem and weakened Israel. The Arab nations, surprisingly, responded with
shock at the use of a tactical nuclear weapon in lands they wanted for their
own. For a few years, the fighting seemed to be at an end. The peace did not
last. Israeli commandos struck against their Arab neighbors while Iran and Iraq
renewed their war. A covert joint strike by U.S. and British forces removed
the remaining nuclear warheads from Israel in 2009, just months before Syrian
troops breached the silos. While the warheads had been taken, enough remained
of the Israeli nuclear program to give Jordan and Syria a leg up in developing
their own weapons. Iran and Iraq’s war grew tragic in 2012 with the use
of biological weapons. Temporary truce after temporary truce kept the region
from erupting in an all-out war, but the fighting always started again.
Things were coming to a head in 2017, with many intelligence experts around the world fearing a nuclear, chemical or biological exchange that would soon boil out of the Middle East. The entire region was on the verge of total war. Then came the "wave of peace" emanating from Africa. In the wake of this event, real peace treaties were discussed. Hundreds of weapons of mass destruction were destroyed, often by their own armies.
Tensions still rose and flared at times, but the worst of the violence seemed to have passed. Then came the Hammer of Stars. Terv’anar troops hit the area hard at first, with surprising lack of resistance. But they soon learned why no one ever sat easily in the Middle East. Former terrorists, now under the banner of "freedom fighters," made the Terv’anar pay for every day they remained in the Middle East. Arabs and Jews worked together with frightening effectiveness to push the aliens out of their lands. They had such success that most of the Terv’anar ground forces were already preparing for retreat by the end of the war.
The memory of this cooperation has given the region a lasting peace. As always, there are those who wish to settle old scores, but the combined influences of the UN’s diplomatic corps, the watchful eye of the United African Nations and the implicit threat of China, it is doubtful these countries will war with each other again.
Ruins: Cairo, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Baghdad, Tehran, Riadyh, Tel Aviv.
Antarctica
Antarctica’s few sparsely populated research stations were not enough to
attract the attention of the Terv’anar. Many refugees came here from South
America and Australia, most of them dying in the frigid conditions. Some managed
to build shelters and even improvise solar-powered hydroponics. By the end of
the war, several thousand people were eking out a marginal existence.
Over the years, these hardy few claimed the entire continent as their own, and turned their shelters into a small completely enclosed settlement they named Persistence. So far, the United Nations has not decided if they should officially recognize their claims. Technically, Persistence exists in violation of 20th-century international agreements, but few governments wish to tear down a people who have shown such perseverance.
Asia
The two great nations of Asia were hit hard by the Terv’anar. Russia’s
largest cities were occupied, and China barely managed to recover its capital,
Beijing. China ended the war with a stronger military than its neighbors, and
so it dictated the future of Asia. The rebuilt the empire once destroyed by
the British and called it Chung Kuo, the Middle Kingdom.
The Chinese claimed the other Southeast Asian countries as part of Chung Kuo but permitted them a reasonable degree of independence. This smoothed over ruffled feathers and made the citizenry of other lands to look forward to Chinese rule. The Chinese had learned the lessons of history. They borrowed from Americans and others, leading with economic power and military protection rather than with an iron fist. By the next decade, Chung Kuo no longer conquered nations, they were petitioning to join of their own free will.
Russia is technically the largest state in the empire, but has been given the greatest amount of individual freedom. China watches its Russian interests, especially as the country rebuilds its former centers of power. But the Chinese also knows that Russians are not easy to rule, so they make their influence as subtle as possible. Russian freedom fighters can be found in the vast wilds of the country, but they have little popular support. The Chinese have brought greater economic prosperity to this country than has been seen for seventy-five years.
China itself has turned its resources to scientific advancement, providing many recent innovations in astrophysics, aerospace transportation, and applications of physics. They have found another source of influence in the recent worldwide popularity of Taoist and Buddhist religions. Many new converts travel to the Empire to seek enlightenment.
Japan has been badly shattered by the war, and is unable to effectively rebuild. Tokyo is considered one of the three worst urban wastelands in the world. Its people are holding on stubbornly, and seek protection from both China and the United States. Both countries have sent troops to this land, which is a source of much strife between the two.
Meanwhile, India has transformed into a capitalist empire. Advances in agricultural technology have turned the country into one of the breadbaskets of the world. At the same time, they have made agreements with many corporations cheap labor and manufacturing. The Indians have avoided becoming part of Chung Kuo and has passed laws to make it a capitalist’s dream. The UN wants to make sure the Indian labor laws are fair, but is hamstrung by wanting to keep China from having total control of Asia.
Ruins: Mumbai, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Osaka, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Omsk, Vladivostok, Bangkok, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City.
Australia
During the Hammer War, many fled to the open spaces of Australia. While the
country did not have much military strength, its resources were easy to diversify,
and the frontier spirit of the Australians helped them survive.
Several technomantic researchers used Australia’s vast Outback to hide their labs, investigating the secrets of Terv’anar technology. Some say that human technological progress skipped fifty years in the Outback. The mystics protected these labs, but in the latter months of the war, the Hammer hunted for the research stations. Most of the scientists ran to nearby China, taking their discoveries with them. Others went to North America. Terv’anar forces occupied several of the labs, and were still hiding in the Outback as late as two years after the war.
In recent years Australian citizens have discovered each other again. A hundred new communities had sprung up across the country, with dozens more in the initial stages of settlement. These scattered town pushed the envelope of reliable telecommunications. Soon all of Australia was blanketed by a tight web of cellular towers and fiber-optics lines. This telecommunications boom even extended into the world of hypertech options, and the most advanced communications firms have set up offices in Sydney and Melbourne. The first official tachyon-burst transmitter dominates the landscape outside Perth, with a second one being built near Canberra.
With their advancements in telecommunications, Australia became a natural center of media companies. The New World Union has moved its world headquarters to an undisclosed location in Queensland. Most of the world’s largest media organizations are based in New South Wales. Last year more shows and movies were produced in Australia than any other country.
Ruins: Brisbane, Perth.
Europe
When the Hammer of Stars attacked Earth, the two most prominent sources of organized
resistance came from the United States and the European nations. The Hammer’s
response was to focus their assault on these lands. Most European nations lost
at least one major city, and some lost two or three. The individual countries,
long held victim to ancient divisiveness, came together. They stopped identifying
themselves only as French or Serb or Greek and used the name "Europeans."
The European Union had been a barely-functional attempt to create a unified economic cooperative. Now it was a union in fact. The EU pooled their resources and inventiveness and mounted a powerful response to the Terv’anar. They took back some territory and launched offensives against ground and space-borne Hammer forces. Only the USA fought as hard as the European Union.
Europe suffered a greater loss than even during the Bubonic Plague. Yet Europe reacted to this disaster in much the same way it responded to the Plague. Culture and art is growing by leaps and bounds. The survivors have worked hard to rebuild their cities, and both London and Paris may be reopened in the next few years. These days the term "European" is synonymous with indomitability and passion.
Tellingly, the loudest voices for unity and renewal in the United Nations are those of the European members.
Ruins: London (being reclaimed), Paris (being reclaimed), Dublin, Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, Geneva, Warsaw, Sarajevo, Athens, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona.
North America
No country was battered more, suffered more assaults, or lost more cities during
the Hammer War than the United States of America. Yet no country fought more
fiercely or had more victories than the USA. With the mightiest military in
the world, the US was able to keep the Terv’anar from overrunning them.
It was a very near thing at times. The Lattice of Destiny’s base of operations
in Kansas City was the only city to repel an invasion, but many more cities
were lost. But even while the US military pulled back from New York or Chicago,
they now had sitting targets to strike in return.
Despite the damage suffered by the US, or perhaps because of it, the country has made great strides in rebuilding. US soldiers were the backbone of the UN’s forces at the end of the war, and most of the military advances that defeated the Terv’anar were developed here. Once the Hammer was defeated, the US stumbled. Its citizens had held together when faced with a common foe, but afterward the shattering of their country wounded them deeply. The US had lost most of its financial and industrial centers, and the government existed more in theory than fact for a few years.
A grateful UN was the primary reason the US did not vanish entirely. It devoted what resources it could into maintaining the surviving cities, and in 2025 put its administration in Philadelphia to give the country an additional boost. In return, the US made certain the UN had the second-most advanced and well-trained military in the world.
True to form, the US did not stay down for long. By the beginning of 2030, it had finally gotten back on its feet and was becoming a major world power, although not as financially strong as China or the UAN. Its military was no longer the largest in the world, but it was definitely the most advanced, surpassing even the UN, which relied on the US for research.
The US also had two other unexpected resources. The first was the sheer number of willworkers and other paranormals in the country. For some reason, North America had the largest percentage of the world’s paranormal population. These paranormals kept those who would take advantage of the US’ weakness at bay. They also contributed to improving the nations’ finances and scientific advances. With their help, the US was again one of the most scientifically-prolific countries in the world.
The second resource was its neighboring countries, Canada and Mexico, which were both badly damaged by the Hammer of the Stars. These lands had vast natural resources but not the financial wherewithal to use them, and almost no military might of their own. During the war, the three countries worked together for mutual defense; Canada and Mexico supplied the materials, the US supplied the defense. After the war, Canada kept some measure of autonomy, but Mexico became a US protectorate. Amazingly, both of these countries seem happy with this state of affairs.
North America still has many problems. It has the most, and largest, ruined urban areas in the world, primarily in the US borders. Vast amounts of money and effort are being turned to reclaim some of these areas, most notably Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. Washington has finally been rehabilitated, and the US Capitol was moved from Philadelphia to here in the past year. The Moebius Circle has transformed their Operation Branch base into their world headquarters. The U.S. says that the rebirth of D.C. is just a sign for how the country itself will rise from the ashes.
Ruins: Toronto, Montreal, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco (being rebuilt), St. Louis, New Mexico City, Mazatlan, Cancun.
South America
Even before the Hammer War, this continent was wracked with decades of economic
collapse and political instability. After the False Armageddon, many South American
countries retreated into an isolationist stance. Several of these were little
more than primitive kingdoms, despite their modern trappings. Only Brazil showed
economic and political progress.
When the Hammer came, South America was ignored at first. The militaries of the South American countries were relatively small, and the governments did not offer clear support to the cause. For the first two months, many natives believed that their isolationism would keep them safe.
They were wrong. The Terv’anar conquered the continent, only facing organized resistance in Brazil, the Andes mountains and the Amazon jungle. In a month’s time, the Terv’anar were occupying the capitals of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. They often conducted hunts for sport through the land.
Then the resistance came. The Bete of the Amazon led bands of guerillas in fighting the Hammer. Brazil’s allies around the world managed to send troops and arms into the country, which soon ended up in the hands of the freedom fighters. Many people retreated to their ancient ways while fighting the invaders, and paranormal beings appeared every day to help the battle.
At the end of the war, the UN helped restore some of the former governments, although many existed only on paper. Almost half of the continent’s population had retreated to the mountains and jungles, refusing to acknowledge any modern government. Brazil remained the center of stability, and Argentina and Chile both have suggested forming a unified South America, called Sudamerica, similar to the USA or UAN. Other South American countries are considering this proposal, wanting an end to decades of uncertainty.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are now dozens of little kingdoms scattered through the continent, no more advanced than the Incans had been, although they are willing to use the most modern weapons they can obtain. The Bete of the Amazon have been bringing some of these neo-primitive tribes under their protection, and have entered talks with the Moebius Circle about creating their own country, to be recognized by the UN.
The burgeoning Sudamerica is looking for unique ways to exploit its resources, and recently has made strides in biotech and environmental sciences.
Ruins: Buenos Aries, Santiago, Medellin, Sao Paolo, La Paz.