Carbon Copy of the American Empire: Nation of Etharia

Geopolitics are background noise in Arcane Elemental Academy. But Etharia, the equivalent of the American Empire, still rears its ugly head.

If you want geopolitical conflict at the global level, check out my Renegades Epic shared universe, and knock yourself out. But in Arcane Elemental Academy, you’ll hear whispers of the strong central government that Etharia boasts, and how it spreads its interests worldwide in the name of humanitarianism and democracy.

So much, those in its military ranks, for the most part, think Etharia’s foreign adventurism’s a force for good. But what else would you expect from a group of people brought up through its bureaucratic “education” system designed to shove imperial propaganda down its students’ throats?

That’s what makes the Arcane Elemental Academy and the Northern Region so unique. They don’t teach propaganda, but real education. And they do so as a service. Not through coercion disguised as a right, which you see in both Etharia’s and our own public education system.

At home in our world, public and mainstream private schools indoctrinate the nation’s youth with propaganda to fuel the American Empire. They may shift gears on fringe issues, like creation vs. evolution, whether kids should be forced to read Alphabet Mafia-friendly work, or learn about the public sector’s dogmas on climate change.

But they won’t dare to challenge the empire. Take that same concept, and funnel it into mainstream Etharian schools.

Arcane Elemental Academy bucks Etharian propaganda

Know why so many Etharians hate the Northern Region? And do you know why Etharian news networks, schools, politicians, athletes, and celebrities smear it as “an exploitive place specializing in massive cash grabs?”

Etharia is scared. Just like in our world, when cracks seep through the Establishment’s foundation, they launch smear campaigns. They gaslight, censor, deplatform, and shadowban dissent.

The Etharians can’t argue with points Northerners make, so it’s easier to insult and shut them out. It’s easy to label them “fascist.” Not because those in the Northern Region are remotely fascist, but because of the negative connotations people associate with the term fascist, or fascism.

As in our world, people spreading that lie around Etharia like a California wildfire don’t have the slightest clue of what fascism is. If they did, they’d need to choose another word or phrase to describe the thriving anarcho-capitalist society in the Northern Region. As for our world, the same goes for places like Prospera, which is often smeared as “modern-day colonialism.”

The Etharians are looking for an excuse to use force

This might be the biggest foreshadowing bomb I’ve dropped yet, hidden in the depths of a profile piece like Etharia. When you compare a nation to the American Empire, with one region all but formally declaring secession, you know trouble’s brewing.

But the Etharians need a pretext, especially with the deep state and shadow government you’ll learn about toward the end of Book I, The Arcane Prophecy, controlling Etharia. They also need prep time to take on moguls like Ukko Sharpe.

Still, the Etharians are smart, and their shadow government is smarter. They follow the good old code: Don’t attack them. Set the stage so you provoke them into firing the first shot, then play that victim card that’ll fool almost everyone and garner support.

Want to know a secret? You’ll gain insight on that shadow government in the first three chapters of The Arcane Prophecy, and you’ll never know it unless you got a good eye. Up for the challenge? Check out those first three chapters now, and see if you can spot it.

Check out The Arcane Elemental Academy Hub for more in-depth profiles.