Encyclopædia Strangereal

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From Above

Spring 2009

Quarterly Publication "FROM ABOVE"

Photography: DAVID CAMERON

​Cover Photo: Sand Island (Osean Territory)

Sand Island

A solitary island floating near the border. Osean territory. A detachment sent by the Osean military provides surveillance of its territorial airspace and waters. This island is designated as a national wildlife conservation area by the Osean Ministry of the Interior. [1]

Karaska Region [2]

Within the sprawling verdant and magnificent scenery lies a town formed around an engineering college that  has stood since ancient times. This region is well known as a tourist spot due to its mineral-rich wells and many health resorts.

November City

Called "Mile City" due to being located on highlands 1 mile above sea level. Prospering following the discovery of gold and silver mines, it became a city centered on commerce, industry, and tourism. In the center of the city is a giant stadium that can hold 70,000 people.

Yuke Mountain Range [3]

A mountain range that cuts across the eastern side of Yuktobania. The summit, surpassing 8000 meters, is subject to harsh weather conditions above wind force 10. As such, there still exists many untouched areas.

Bastok Peninsula

Located in the southeastern region of Yuktobania and jutting out towards the Pacific Ocean, Bastok Peninsula is in close proximity to the equatorial high temperature and humidity zone. Being as such, there are many trees growing rampant near the coastline. Due to being located closest to Osean territory, this has also become one of Yuktobania's defense positions.

Jilachi Desert

The green circles that can been seen in the central Yuktobanian desert are central pivot irrigation systems that uses underground water veins. The radius of the arm reaches 2 kilometers. Utilizing their abundant energy as an oil producing country, this is perhaps a symbol of large scale collective agriculture.

Payavlenie Ravine

Covering northern Yuktobania, the Payavlenie Ravine is complexly formed by steep cliffs. As this is a metamorphic rock zone where continental collision took place, there exists a mining operation for many types of ores here.

Bana City

The college town of Bana City, located in the southeastern regions of the continent is well known for its history of being the capital from which Osea originated, as well as being the host to many research institutions and cultural facilities. The river flowing through the center of the city is spanned by a number of bridges, connecting the old town and new city.

Glubina Region

While this region is subject to Mediterranean, humid subtropical, and west coast oceanic climates, it also holds traits of inland climate at the same time due to many mountainous areas. Winter average temperature is around 0 degrees, at night it is a frozen land where the temperature cools down to as much as minus 20 degrees, inhibiting human settlement. [4]

Translation Notes

[1] 内務省 is Japan's Meiji-era Home Ministry, however the same kanji is used for America's Department of the Interior (アメリカ合衆国内務省​).  The more modern rendering of Japan's Ministry of Home Affairs is 自治省.  Interior/Home Affair Ministries generally handle a broad range of functions similar to the US Departments of Homeland Security and Justice, however the US Department of the Interior largely regulates the use of federally-owned land, similar to the Osean agency described here.

[2] カラスカ can be translated as either "Kalaska" or "Karaska".  Kalaska could refer to the Italian town of Calasca, but Karaska is a small village in Poland.

[3] It is unclear whether the text is using Yuke in a possessive form or as a proper name for the mountains.  The latter is supported by the labeling on the ancient map wallpaper, but contradicted by the in-game name of the Vladimir Mountains.

[4] It is not specified whether this is Celsius or Fahrenheit.

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ISAF Bulletin

September 24, 2006

Few people in history can legitimately claim the title of hero. However, the successes of Mobius 1 in the recent Continental War are such that no other name is worthy. His way of fighting was an inspiration to all ISAF units, and the plane known and feared by the Erusean military as “The Ribbon” once again dances in the sky of Usea. A resistance movement centered around officers of the Erusean Air Force, called Free Erusea, has strengthened by the day. Although the old Erusean government did not have a formal military alliance with the Union of Yuktobanian Republics or the Republic of Anea, mutual aid activities concerning arms trade have been observed. This strength culminated in an attack on a military factory under ISAF control, where they stole numerous weapons. Taking these factors into consideration, ISAF determined there exists a large scale terror network and decided to launch a suppression operation. Free Erusea has spread across the continent, but we will begin sweeping them up. As of September 24th, Mobius 1 has commenced this mission, and tales of his inspiring victories are already being told.

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Our Science: Gigantic Age

August 2004 - Summer Special Issue

Science and technologies that developed out of the circumstances of their time are now shaping those circumstances for themselves. The cold war gave birth to many different concepts and programs, and in turn they’ve begun to serve as vital framework for a world that now walks the path of reconciliation.

The Age of Titans has arrived.

MASS DRIVER / BASSET SPACE CENTER

This mass driver station constructed on the Osean continent along the equator was built jointly by both Osea and Yuktobania to further their “Permanent Space Station Construction Program,” held up as a foothold towards the normalization of their diplomatic relations following the end of the cold war. It is a large, curving structure, serving to launch objects into orbit using a linear accelerator (a comparatively low cost means of ferrying payloads by the applied use of electromagnetic force) stretching 12km long, instead of primarily by means of solid fuel rockets. The payloads are almost wholly unmanned due to strong acceleration forces, but it’s also possible to ferry personnel by using the SSTO shuttle’s rockets.

ARKBIRD

A High-Atmosphere Mobile Spacecraft operated by Osea. Born of the SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative) program in the ‘80s, it was changed over to be part of the Osea-Yuktobania international space development program after the end of the cold war. It was constructed jointly by the two. Rather than returning to ground, it has maintained a continuous orbit since entering service, making use of SSTO (Single Stage to Orbit) shuttles to ferry supplies and personnel. For this reason it’s technically classified as a satellite, but its ability to make large changes to its orbit by descending into the upper stratosphere means that this is no ordinary space platform; it maintains a high degree of freedom.

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Front Line Special Issue: The Federal Warbirds

April 2004

The Osean Federation and the Union of Yuktobanian Republics, separated on opposing ends of the ocean. These two superpowers have always regarded each other as the "potential enemy" and have raced for arms expansion and global influence. The same line of evolving strategies that led to the development of ICBMs and SDI has brought about great tension across the world. After the last great war, the two countries went on the path of improving diplomatic relations with economic activities and cultural exchange being the primary focuses. However, due to ideological differences, social movements within and conflicts between the two nations' allies have not disappeared. The establishment of a new world order for this era is needed.

Osean Federation

Form of Government: Presidency, Federation

Head of State: Vincent Harling

Capital City: Oured

Positioned at the center of the North Osean continent, it is one of the federations that has adopted capitalism, democracy, and republicanism. It has many allied countries and shoulders the responsibility of playing the central role between them.

Union of Yuktobanian Republics

Form of Government: Republican, Federation

Head of State: Seryozha V. Nikanor

Capital City: Cinigrad

West of the Ceres Ocean and located on the northeastern side of the Verusan continent, this Federal Republic is also the largest country in the world in terms of landmass. Even among the great powers it stands out, boasting exceptional military strength.

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The Graphic Color of the World Special: Craters

April 10, 2003

It’s been four years since Ulysses arrived in our solar system. This asteroid fell to earth in countless fragments, leaving countless scars across the world. However, today many people dedicate their lives indefatigably to raising awareness for reconstruction, and everywhere their will is beginning to take form.

​At the same time it seems as though the craters, which themselves speak witness to this seminal tragedy, are themselves inexorably changing. A curtain is falling on an era, and perhaps this will bring change to many people’s lives as well. However, we must learn from this reality. Meteorite impacts are an astronomical event which will continue in perpetuity, and we must look towards when the same thing may happen again.

Anderson Crater

60 miles south of North Point, from which Anderson Crater can be seen. The eastern side of Newfield Island suffered a great amount of destruction due to the meteorite responsible for the crater impacting the center of the island, taking a scoop out of it. However, thanks to a mountain range running from north to south through the center of the island, the western side did not take the same amount of damage as the east. Against all odds, an airfield exists there to this day.

​In recent years, you can see efforts to fill the crater and reclaim the eastern side of the island, but as one would expect in this land which has felt the impact of wartime so strongly, there has currently been little progress. Furthermore, with the Geological Survey Society raising protests against filling the crater, the road to reconstruction is long.

Krasinski Crater

The meteorites of Ulysses have left their scars on the majestic landscape and beauty of Mount Shezna as well. It is a crater bearing the name of the astronomer Dr. Romanov Krasinski, measuring 1.7km in diameter. The meteorite hit the mountain upon whose face the crater appears as it fell to earth, but not being able to halt the meteorite’s power, it left a long mark tearing up the ground at the foot of the mountain. Further, the heat generated by the impact melted the perpetual snows of the surrounding area, and to this day water vapor has been confirmed rising from its center.

Mackenzie Crater

The Faith Park [1] area where the Mackenzie Crater is located is a mesa rising out of the rocky landscape. [2] Researchers surmise that with no erosion from rainfall due to precipitation being historically extremely rare in the area, it will remain for many tens of thousands of years longer than the other craters in the region.

The possibility of reliable solar power generation had been a focus since before Ulysses due to the region’s long daylight hours from being near the equator, and one can see the many solar panels which have been constructed. Construction of a test power plant utilizing the crater for the tower focusing method seems to have carried on.

Goldberg Crater

Goldberg Crater is one of the largest of the Ulysses asteroid craters piercing our earth. Measuring about 8.4km in diameter, scientists are analyzing whether the force of the impact was weakened and the magnitude of its scale lessened due to its point of impact being the desert, in spite of the large size of the meteorite which fell.

​As a result of the impact digging into the ground, it is said that water from an underground source flowing under the surface of the desert is bleeding into the center of the crater. However, it is predicted that in the not so distant future, it will dry up much like the Irsali River flowing from east to west of it.

Ryker Crater

Ryker Crater is famous for the secondary disasters of the meteorite impacts more than it is for simply existing. The impact of the meteorite created crustal movement in the already weak terrain throughout the region, causing the coastline of Erusea’s capital city of Farbanti to be flooded. Even while suffering from that catastrophe, the Erusean government did not relocate, continuing to keep it as their capital. As Ryker Crater was formed in the ocean, erosion has been intense, and it is thought that eventually the last traces will fade away.

Translation Notes

[1] Phonetically "Face Park," official AC04 English translation used instead.

[2] Original text includes an explanation of the word "mesa" because it is an English loanword.