Ford Otome

To be an Otome is to be violent. Very violent.

A game based upon the Mai Otome anime and manga. System currently in prototype stage courtesy of Shrike.

Note that the only biology and physiology texts allowed in this game are those published before 2006.

Mai Otome: Blue Sky Liberation

Introduction

On the distant world of Arl, the ultimate weapon is not a gun or a bomb or any machine.

The ultimate weapon is a woman.

Z-type HiME nanotechnology - noocytes able to rewrite the quantum metric and materialise photons as solid matter. Its true origins are shrouded in myth. Perhaps it is a component of some awful interstellar weapon. Perhaps it is the blood of God. In any case, its exact makeup and even its exact capabilities are beyond the ability of modern science to determine. What is known that when these miraculous nanomachines colonise an appropriate host, the host takes on equally miraculous abilities. Able to freely manipulate the metric altering properties of Z-type dust, the host is seemingly able to violate the laws of conservation and manifest matter and energy seemingly from thin air.

'Appropriate host' here means 'female'. By some quirk, these nanomachines are allergic to prostate-specific antigen, a glycoprotein found only in males ACCORDING TO THE SCIENCE OF THE YEAR 2006 and present in male ejaculate. The introduction of PSA into a woman's body will inoculate a woman against the Z-type dust; as such, a further requirement of wielding this ultimate power is virginity. At the very least there is an impression that these abilities are tied to a woman's virtue. It is perhaps for this reason that women hosting this nanotechnology are called 'Otome'.

The real power of any given country is tied up in its Otome. Their individual destinies drive the prestige of nations, their people and their leaders. In Zipang there is a saying: one sword keeps another in the sheath. The awesome power of Otome is enough to bring down civilisation, and the presence of Otome in the service of various superpowers keeps the world in balance and at peace ... even if that balance is uneasy and that peace false.

Otome

One part idol, one part officer of state, one part intercontinental independent cruising anti-landmass strategic superweapon. Possessing supranormal abilities than cannot be replicated by even the most advanced cybernetic technology, Otome represent the true military power of any given nation. Though not invincible, using conventional military forces to defeat a full realised Otome, a Meister, is typically a waste of resources. It is the skill of individual Meister Otome that determine who Arl's superpowers are; those nations without Otome are strictly speaking at the mercy of the nations that do employ them.

There are several aspects to any given Otome. The first is the Otome herself. It is not enough to be injected with the Z-type dust, though this is the vital technological aspect. Unlike a machine, or even a cyborg, the power of an Otome is built from her skills as a person. Popular media has created an image of the Otome as the soft-spoken, elegant maid that happens to possess power than can literally change the shape of countries, but this is just an image created by vapid celebrity culture. While it is true that etiquette is an aspect of an Otome's training, the reality is that this is just a small aspect. Typically selected in their early teens on the basis of intellectual and athletic brilliance, an Otome is extensively educated in languages, world politics, the hard and soft sciences, international law, history, military tactics and strategy etc, while being trained for physical combat. Even those women who do not subsequently go on to serve as Meister Otome will typically possess the skills to eventually excel in any given position in the public or private sector.

The second is, as mentioned, the Z-type nanomachines. Taking hold after a few days and fully developed after one year, even in a dormant state the dust provides numerous advantages. The average first year Coral Otome, usually only fourteen years old, can finish a 100m sprint in 8 seconds, jump a 3m bar from a standing start and curl the kind of weight that a strong man might bench press. Exceptional Otome have been known to be able to fight evenly with high end combat cyborgs without activating their nanomachines.

The nanomachines themselves are managed and regulated by the Generable Enigmatic Matrix, or GEM. Set in a special piercing of the ear and resembling a precious stone, the GEM is an infinitely fuzzy hypercomputer which interprets the commands and subconscious of the Otome and manifests them through the Z-type nanomachines. The GEM also forms the basis of the Contract system, where the activation of an Otome's powers lies in the hands of another (usually the leader of a nation, or some other important officer of state). For every Meister GEM, there exists a twin containing the activation permissions for the Z-type dust linked to a particular GEM. The owner of this GEM is called a Master, and the Contract cannot be broken without extremely specialised technology and expertise. Otherwise, only death can revoke a Contract. Additionally, an Otome and Master are linked, with Masters experiencing sympathetic pain if their Otome is injured, and if one dies then so does the other.

On activation, an Otome is able to materialise higher-order matter from photons, creating their Robe and, if they wish, their Element. A 'Robe' is a battle uniform incorporating suites of e-war, defensive, offensive and propulsive technology, and is emblematic of the Otome generally. While Coral and Pearl Otome -students - make use of largely identical Robes, Meister GEMs are all essentially unique - passed down from Otome to Otome and incorporating subconscious design changes recorded by the GEM. Typically all Robes incorporate a varying number of prehensile ribbons or coat tails that can act as additional limbs or as cutting tools, and all Robes feature distinctive ring-like protrusions around the wrists and ankles as part of the propulsion system. Otherwise the appearance of a Meister Robe is incredibly varied (and infinitely merchandisable). An 'Element' is a higher-order matter weapon unique to each GEM, and essentially unique between each Meister Otome. There is seemingly no limit to the forms an Element can take - swords, spears, axes, staves, energy cannons, tennis rackets. Almost anything. An Otome typically only has a single Element, though it is not uncommon for Elements to be able to change size or shape. For most Otome, their Element is their ultimate weapon.

A Meister Otome has fully realised her metric altering powers and cannot be matched by even the most powerful cyborgs. Meister Otome can reach orbit under their own power, throw an aircraft carrier, flatten a mountain range, catch lasers, shift individuals out of the spacetime continuum, duplicate themselves and more besides. They carry the dreams of nations. Their power and grace and at times idiosyncratic personalities have made them beloved of people the world over. In return for shouldering the burden of safeguarding the peace of the world, of having to face off against mentors, sisters, even former girlfriends, an Otome is made famous and adored. But even this can be hollow consolation: adoration can become obsession, and simple attempts to live life can create scandals. More than one Otome has tried pursuing an intimate relationship with a man and found that once adoring fans have become raving lunatics.

The responsibility inherent in being a Meister Otome is immense, the pressure can be grinding and at times it can be lonely and thankless. More than anything else, an Otome must be prepared for these hardships. It is for that purpose that Galleria Academy exists.

Galleria Academy

The world's top school, dedicated to the education of Otome as well as being the absolute authority on the technology behind their creation. Though located in the territory of the of the Valley of the Wind, itself a member of the United Aurelian Emirates, Galleria Academy is not attached to any nation and politically neutral, and has been since its founding. In addition to her duties as the head of the faculty, the sitting Principal must also manage the politics inherent in providing nations of the world with their Meisters, as well as being something of a mediator on the world stage. However, Galleria's first and foremost role is the raising of Otome.

A six year course open to girls at least aged thirteen, Galleria Academy provides largely unrivaled academic instruction in everything from pure maths to pure ethics, combined with an 'athletic department' that wouldn't be unusual as part of special forces training. The student body is split into a junior half - the Coral Otome - and a senior half - the Pearl Otome - with three years in each half. This split is part of an elder-sister/younger-sister mentoring dynamic which is almost iconic of Otome itself. In their second year, Coral Otome are assigned to a Pearl Otome and expected to act as a 'room attendent': at minimum a Coral has to keep her "onee-sama's" room tidy and manage her laundry, but is generally expected to obey directions and commands. In return, the Pearl has to provide instruction, advice, protection and even financial support. If a room attendant transgresses the rules, or comes into conflict with other students or members of the faculty, then their elder must intercede on their behalf. For the most part this relationship persists even after graduation, and forms part of the 'beneath the surface' aspect of international relations.

The nature of this bond differs between people. For some, the arrangement is almost a professional one. For others, it is a substitute for a lost mother. Sometimes these relationships are intimate. It would be whitewashing to say that they were never abusive. As a general rule they are close bonds built upon mutual respect (and at least a little adoration). In principle this kind of socialisation is a part of teaching responsibility to peers and dependents.

As mentioned, Coral Otome are the junior half at Galleria Academy. For the most part, these first three years are about building the foundation of a strong Otome and bringing out the latent abilities in students. In their first year, Corals are still adjusting to the Z-type nanomachines, and will typically reject GEMs: the exception are the 'entry level' Coral GEMs which, in addition to not being particularly taxing are designed to help acclimatise the body to Robe usage. Coral Robes are not capable of flight, have limited electronic and offensive capabilities, but relatively exaggerated defensive abilities. Like Pearl Otome, a Coral's Element is a staff. There are no known Coral Robe variants. Though even the strongest Coral could not possibly defeat a Pearl, let alone a Meister, their strength is nothing to dismiss.

Pearl Otome, in comparison, are about polishing the skills gained as Corals. The difference between a Pearl GEM and a Meister GEM in terms of raw power is not as great as the difference between a Coral and a Pearl. Though Pearl GEMs do not have the same extreme variation that Meister GEMs do, they have more or less the same basic capabilities: as such, the underlying theme behind the education of Pearls is not so much 'learning to be an Otome' but rather 'becoming a Meister Otome'. The distinction is fine, but important. Pearls are trusted to protect and mediate on behalf of their Corals, and so in order to graduate they must cultivate responsibility, leadership and wisdom. Though the emphasis is not taken away from traditional instruction, it is the chaos of normal school life which is, in its own way, most instructive. The top three Pearls of the year form the Trias, essentially a student council which liaises with the faculty on behalf of the students, and which liaises with the students on behalf of the faculty. The Trias maintain a great deal of authority within the school, and for the most part disciplinary issues are rarely escalated to the staff.

The Galleria Academy campus itself is built on, in and around a component of the interstellar colony ship Eltreum, which first brought humans to Arl so many generations ago. The campus has extraterritorial status and is, on its own, essentially a military superpower. Though staunchly neutral, Galleria possesses the only system on Arl capable of authorising a GEM without a normal Contract. It is this system that allows the student body and the faculty staff to use their Robes without a Master: most prominent among these masterless Otome are the Five Columns. The Five Columns are exceptional Meisters that serve as Galleria's limbs should any situation call for force - it is unknown for the Principal to not be one of the Columns. All faculty members and Pearls in their final year are able to authorise their own activations at will in any location. First and second year Pearls are able to authorise on Galleria grounds, while Coral Otome need the authorisation of staff or certain Pearls.

Geography

Through the vast, distributed lens of the Extrasolar Obersvation Agency's primary telescope, the planet Arl looked depressingly ordinary - but depressingly ordinary made it a suitable target for colonisation. Its differences seemed insubstantial. The thicker air and preponderance of shallower seas wouldn't pose particular issues for human settlement. The somewhat different chemical composition of the atmosphere could be adapted to with minimal self modification. When the Eltreum arrived on Arl, it discovered a natural environment more spectacular and beautiful than even Earth in its prime. The thicker air scattered more light: over the sand the noon sky was gold cream, tinting to jade over rainforests and pale turquoise over seas. The high floating clouds glowed like coals in the reflected light of the setting sun; refracted sunlight around the horizon and the nearby nebulae made the night a carnival. An unspoiled world to be treasured.

Aurellia

The Aurellian continent was the site of first landfall and the cradle of Arlian civilisation. A relatively hot, dry part of the world in the south, dominated by a number of spectacular deserts where the sand flows like molten silver hued in red and gold. Though very beautiful to look at, it is difficult land in which to make a home, and the oases around which settlements have grown into nations were not sufficient to support the needs of a diverse colonisation effort. Most of the population of the continent is concentrated in glitzy, cosmopolitan cities relying heavily on technological intervention. The continent is largely dominated by three distinct desert regions, the Empty Quarter, which is Arl's largest desert, the Sayhad and the Lut, which is the second largest concentration of salt in the world.

Aesthetically Aurellia corresponds to the Middle East, if it wasn't obvious.

Wind

The Emirate of the Valley of the Wind is the original settlement on Arl. Its great age, and the fact that a component of the Eltreum is within its territory, has meant that Wind has played a significant role in many notable episode of history: the most notable being its involvement in ending the Seven Days of Fire and employing the first Otome. The Valley of the Wind for which the Emirate is named is an anomalous geographical feature: an incredibly lush region located in the midst of the Empty Quarter. Surrounded on both sides by the tallest mountains in the region, the Valley is favoured by a regular cool breeze which makes it remarkably liveable given its location: the average recorded temperature in the Emirate is some fifteen degrees below the rest of the UAE. It is a popular travel destination, and its artificial exclusivity has allowed it to largely fuel its economy through rates and service based industries. The administration is careful to milk the fact that Galleria Academy is present on its territory.

Unlike most members of the UAE, Wind's monarchy maintains both executive and legislative power, though traditionally it's been something of a soft touch and has immense stability as a political system. The current monarch is Princess Izanami Blan fon Wind. Wind is militarily unimportant, but largely considered unassailable due to the presence of Galleria. Though the school is politically neutral, it has been known to intervene in defence of the Valley. Strictly speaking, Wind only has one Otome: the Lofty Crimson Jade.

United Aurellia Emirates

A loose federation of nine of the smaller emirates on the continent. It is a politically complex arrangement of absolute monarchies creating a federal front for the purposes of international relations. In truth it is something of a military alliance in order to avoid annexation by Cardair; between them, the states of the UAE have twelve Otome, enough to keep even Cardair in check. The member states of the UAE are fantastically rich but a widening gap between rich and poor is driving growing political instability, even in Wind. Workers' rights groups are gaining international attention. There are some tensions between the UAE and Levant, due to Levant's open support for democratisation groups within the UAE. The member states of the UAE are progressive and liberal mostly up until the point where it is suggested that the emirs step down, and some have expressed concern about the treatment of some prominent republicans.

Levant

The Republic of Levant is a coastal nation running the length of the north of Aurellia. Often considered to be Arl's most vibrant democracy. Previously an emirate, Levant's peaceful transition to representative government is the great Aurellian success story, and its possession of the richest resource deposits on the continent has made it the wealthiest nation on Arl. It currently possesses no Otome, though it does possess a number of heirloom Meister GEMs. Politically, Levant is a prominent proponent of Otome disarmament. Recent tensions with the Cardair Empire have been the impetus for a scholarship program that has sent a number Levantine girls to Galleria.

Cardair

The Imperial Trinity of Cardair, Rossia and Trulio, or simply the Cardair Empire, is one of the largest nations in the world. On their own, Cardair and Trulio are the two largest nations on the Aurellian continent, and Rossia is one of the largest on the Xillian continent. Having unified through a byzantine series of marriage pacts in order to provide a front against the Erusean Union centuries previously, Cardair has flourished into a serious military and economic superpower. Already culturally distinct, further cross-cultural exchange has resulted in a nation which is quite distinct from the rest of Aurellia. While the states to the west are more leisurely, as a matter of policy Cardair rejects excess and celebrity culture. Even its many Otome are expected to maintain a sense of aloof, professional decorum. The Cardairan aristocracy and government is typically stereotyped as being incredibly rigid, which isn't too far from the truth. Despite this, Cardair has pioneered coffee culture, and has the highest number of coffee shops per capita in the entire world.

It is almost impossible to track the members of the three imperial families and how they intersect. The almost omnipresent civil service seemingly exists simply to keep manage the marriages which keep Cardair's government ticking over. Currently, Cardair has no sitting Emperor and is in a transitional state as a member of one of the three families is selected to be Argos XXVI. The sitting regent is, as tradition dictates, the Excel Elegance White Onyx, personal Otome of the Emperor.

Xillia

Located to the east of Aurellia. The two continents are separated Rossian Strait, which has since been bridged by the Cardairan imperial capital, Argos. Lush and mountainous, Xillia is typified as being fairly mysterious and more than a little insular. That's the popular impression in any case. Despite its uneven geography, Xillia is an agricultural marvel and has allowed for an explosive level of population growth relative to other parts of Arl.

Zipang

Inhabiting a chain of islands to the very far east, Zipang is a relatively isolationist nation with an unusual power sharing arrangement. While nominally Zipang is ruled by the Tenno, in reality that position is most symbolic, and real administrative power rests in the hands of the Shogun, essentially a military dictator, and his bakufu. Within the bakufu, the most prominent clans are Minamoto, Genji, Heike and Fujiwara. Traditionally only the Minamoto can become Shogun, but the power of the Otome rest in the hands of these families in a delicate balance. As a sovereign of peace, the Tenno has never held a Contract, and the Imperial Household of Zipang regularly speaks out against the theory of mutually assured destruction. Regardless, the large clans still pursue Contracts in an attempt to garner influence within Zipang.

Even relative to the rest of Xillia, Zipang is incredibly mountainous and has concentrated the majority of its large cities in very tightly delineated areas. Much of Zipang is pristine.

Taiyuan

The largest nation on Xillia, dominating its central parts and much of the east coast. The dynasty of the Huangdi has persisted for almost as long as the emirs of Wind, and it has been a major fixture in world politics since before the Seven Days of Fire. Unlike in Zipang, the Huangdi possesses absolute power, and all administration of Taiyuan stems directly from the throne. The nobility, such that it is, is made up of 'scholar-bureaucrats', landed gentry that have passed the grueling imperial examinations. Taiyuan is a sleeping giant on paper. The most populous nation on Arl and a wealth of so far untapped resources means that it could be a military superpower to rival even the Aries Republic, but traditionally it has only possessed a relatively small number of Otome, and the nature of its society means that most daughters tend to strive for the imperial examinations over Galleria Academy.

Âu Lạc

Located on a peninsula extending north into the Mare Imbrium. A small, lively kingdom with an open character which is a little unusual in comparison to other Xillian nations. In contrast with its relatively pacifistic political stances and agreeable international relations, Âu Lạc is widely believed to possess Arl's most elite and skilled military, and it has historically defeated a series of invaders that on paper were much more powerful. This is despite its military expenditures being a relatively minuscule portion of the national budget, on top of Âu Lạc itself being relatively poor.

The relatively lack of wealth has caused non-trivial numbers of people to seek a life elsewhere, often within the supposed lands of opportunity to the west, such as the UAE.

Aries

A large continent to west of Aurellia

Nazca

The continent to the north of Aurellia, on the other side of Mare Nubium. It remains the core bastion of aristocracy on Arl, and in the aftermath of the Seven Days of Fire it was the Nazcan states who had political primacy. A number of quite serious wars have, over time, eroded their importance. They have recently formed the 'nazcazone', an economic pact that has standardised currency across all states, and is intended to foster international investment, development and growth. Mostly temperate ranging towards the mediterranean in the southern half, Nazca was considered a prime location for early colonisation, and competition in those days for the hospitable real estate was fierce.

Belka

The Belkan Imperial Federation is, and has been, the largest nation in Nazca for several centuries. Until the rise of the democracies in the west and east, its power was almost without equal across all of Arl, and even today it remains a military superpower and the beating heart of the nazcazone. On paper, Belka is an electoral monarchy, with the kaiser selected by vote of the eleven Elector Princes, but in practice the eldest Hohenzollern child is always elected. Though historically 'Belka' was in fact a patchwork of over a hundred different fiefdoms and principalities, it has since developed a remarkably unified national character that is instantly recognisable based on sheer bombast. While it is easy to stereotype most Belkans as deliriously Prussian, its rural populations are regularly described in travel guides as 'charming'. It has a remarkable beer culture. Belkan cuisine is best described as 'extremely heavy'.

Belka employs the most Otome of any Nazcan state, and has been the centrepiece of three different major wars.

Anjou

The Republic of Anjou, formerly the Sun Kingdom of Anjou, is Belka's eternal rival and variously one of the most powerful nation states in the world. Though an absolute monarchy for many centuries, it is currently in the grip of a citizens' revolution. As such, it occupies an unusual place in international relations. By all accounts the Sun King and all his apparati have been totally deposed, and the Republican Directory is in control, yet the revolution continues. Though it is currently unclear as to the exact circumstances, it would appear that the Revolution had the tacit approval of Anjou's Otome - accounts suggest that the Sun King attempted to suppress the initial wave using their unmatched power, and they simply refused. The Contracts that existed prior to the revolution are currently in limbo, as a number of Masters have fled the country in response to rising violence and radicalisation within the various committees - most notoriously the Committee of Public Safety, which is rapidly growing in power. So far, no Masters have been extradited to Anjou.

Most Anjou students at Galleria Academy were there on aristocratic money, which rapidly dried up as the Revolution took hold. The Directory has since made a point of providing scholarships to each student. It is without a doubt true that these Republican Scholarships are an olive branch to the faculty, an attempt to secure the technical expertise which allows for a Contract to be revoked.

Artai

The Grand Duchy of Artai is a nation in the northernmost parts of the continent, where Nazca's forests and hills give way to taiga and cliffs. Once a military superpower, its fortunes have faded after a disastrous venture with Belka into world domination; it currently possesses no Otome, and has not for almost a hundred years. Those hundred years have been characterised by small minded leaders, but the current Grand Duke, the teenaged Bel Gran Dai Artai, is more ambitious and is seeking to revitalise his nation's standing. At the core of this is a number of very expensive scholarships to send girls to Galleria.

The harsh land of Artai has bred a hardy people with little in the way of pretensions, but for some Artai is a prison with very little hope left. Though the new Grand Duke is ambitious and not content to let the whole nation fall into total ignominy, there is a portion of the population that sees this as too little, too late.

Helvetica

Located amongst the Alps in the east of Nazca, and stretching down to the coast of the Mare Serenitatis, the Confederation Helvetica is Nazca's most notable democracy and home to all the foremost international banks. It has been said that half the world's money has passed through Helvetican banks, and it's not too far from the truth. The creation of the nazcazone has proven to be immensely lucrative for Helvetica. Helvetica is staunchly neutral when it comes to armed conflict, and is a proponent of Otome disarmament: the few Otome employed within Helvetica work for international humanitarian organisations.

Firenze

Firenze is the most prosperous city-state in Appenninica and one of the wealthiest on the entire continent. A well-known cultural and Nazcan financial hub, the establishment of the nazcazone has brought significant changes to the nature of banking between Nazcan countries; these changes have hit Firenze where it hurts, and compromised its long-standing rivalry with Helvetica. There is no central government as such in Firenze, and most nations on the peninsula follow its model. Rather, it is run through the agreements and treaties of the aristocratic banking families, and so who is 'ruling' at any one time is a matter for the markets.

Venesia

The Most Serene Republic of Venesia, or 'la Serenìsima' to its inhabitants, is one of the city-states on the Appenninican Penisula - though considering the nature of Venesia itself, it might be more correct to say that it is a city-state on the Mare Serenitatis. The spectacular capital is a floating wonderland, and like most Appenninican city-states is heavily reliant on trade and culture to fuel its prominence. With Anjou currently in the grip of political upheaval, the stage is set for an all out fashion war between Venesia, Firenze, Milano and others - a war which Venesia has been slow to adopt.

Venesians often take great pride in their bizarre, vaguely republican system, claiming that by maintaining the stabilising influence of the aristocracy it excises the weaknesses of democracy. The reality is that many decisions are made arbitrarily by Collegio - an association of ten patricians - and then retroactively assumed to have been made in accordance with the various checks and balances. About the only aspect of Venesian politics that makes any sense is its executive, the Doge, who is the only officer of state that can legally make Contracts with Otome. The sitting Doge is limited by a number of quite extensive regulations intended to ensure transparency and accountability: most commentators agree that these are the most effective in the world. The nature of the Doge is causing Venesia to fall behind in the burgeoning Appenninican fashion war.