The last bastion of advanced science in the realm, threatened by the decay of its vital technology The island nation known as the Bright Republic is an anomaly in the realm. It alone of all the heritor nations has been able to maintain sophisticated technological resources in the wake of the Shattering. Jealously-guarded etheric energy nodes route power to Republican devices and industry while reinforcing the celestial engines that allow the operation of these advanced devices. Without the nearby influence of these building-sized nodes, their magnetic rifles, electric cars, and advanced telecommunications devices are so much intricate scrap. Most Republic technology is roughly on par with modern First World Earth, albeit with etherically-derived magnetic and electrical forces replacing internal combustion. Some prototypes are capable of much more, though these usually require customized magical support and cannot be mass-produced. A few items are even enchanted to function off the island, though these are prohibitively expensive treasures reserved for the wealthy elite. The natives of the Bright Republic are keenly aware of the limits of their fifty-odd etheric nodes. Immigration is ruthlessly restricted to the wealthy or the well-connected, though criminal organizations are known to be able to get people past the shore monitoring stations for an exorbitant price. Most foreigners crave a place, as even the most impoverished Republic citizen enjoys a lifestyle on par with the modern First World inhabitant, with advanced plumbing, potent pharmaceuticals, cheap televisions, and an island-wide computing network. Unfortunately, the etheric nodes are decaying. Much of the Republic’s enormous industrial base is dedicated to manufacturing the rapidly-consumed spare parts for the nodes, and the demand is only increasing. Great sums of precision-tooled parts and goods are sold to the traders of other nations in exchange for vital raw materials that cannot be found on the island, but more and more of this bounty is being burnt up or consumed just to keep the nodes in operation. The Republic’s theotechnicians cannot replace these nodes should they fail or be destroyed by sabotage. The Republic’s government is unequal to the situation. The current president is a puppet for bureaucratic interests, and the various departments of the government struggle over control of the several hundred regional councilors elected to the island’s Grand Council. Each is concerned with gaining more influence and power, and in the shadow of their conflict several powerful criminal organizations and amoral business concerns are seeking their own advantage. Beneath the rosy facade of republican democracy and dutiful public service, almost anything can be bought or permitted if the right functionaries are paid off. It’s tacitly understood that senior bureaucrats are above the law unless they manage to anger a sufficient number of their peers. The public only dimly understands their danger, and worries about the nodes are dismissed as crankishness. Most citizens are concerned chiefly with a new car, a new television show, a new dance club, or a new profit opportunity. Those who do know the truth are divided between the idealistic upholders of the nation and the ruthless souls who mean only to profit by the coming disaster. A few even look to the Godbound for salvation from their impending downfall. Population Twelve million, most in urban areas focused around the nodes Government President Elaina Wright, a pleasant nullity who serves as a sock puppet for the major bureaucratic departments of her government. Three hundred Councilors on the Grand Council are tacitly divided up among other businesses and organizations. Problems The etheric nodes are gradually wearing out, and the Republic doesn’t have the ability to repair them with existing resources. Representative democracy is a thin facade behind which criminal groups, bureaucratic departments, and major corporations fight. Other nations resent and envy the Republic’s wealth, and know the island depends on their trade in raw materials. Names The Republic is a polyglot population drawn from almost all the other nations of the realm, with corresponding naming conventions. Those mercenary agents hired through the Special Resources Department, a clearinghouse for elite or supernatural operatives, take code names of their choice. Some of them show up on TV shows or in comics dedicated to their exploits. Background Concepts Mercenary operative hired through the Special Resources Department, Secretly-crusading bureaucrat, Gutter punk rebel, High-tech engineer, Social celebrity, Entertainment star, Clean cop, Foreign dock worker, Gang legbreaker, Private investigator