Nation/v2
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
The basic idea behind the founding of Nation is that homo sapiens and a particular offshoot of it are in fact two different species. As such, the offshoot is not beholden to the social, moral or political constructs erected by the baseline. In order to come into their own, these so-called Evolved (or Mutants as seen from the Sapiens perspective) need to 'get out of the house' their forebears built and find their own destiny away from them. Right now that destiny lies among the stars. In something both grand and terrifying, a massive space station closer to the Moon than to earth itself. The work of one man's genius and dedication to his cause. The work of one man's unfathomable power:
Nation
The most basic goal of Nation is to provide a haven for Mutants. Some might simply never have adapted to Sapiens society, others may have but find it chafing nonetheless. Their abilities will always make them stand out, for better or worse. While some Evolved may enjoy the thought of Sapiens reverence, others would rather live among equals or even betters than waste away as a divinity among mortals. Nation is their port of call then. Their promised home and family.
In the long run however, the station will never support the predicted spikes in Evolved birth rates around the globe. In the long run, Nation will need its own resources. Its own food, its own steel... its own land. The word for the future is Lebenraum, the word is Zion. The station itself cannot ever support the population to come. Nation will have to look towards earth to find dominion for its chosen people.
Meanwhile, the station also serves as a staging ground for various enterprises. Some members of Nation are simply looking out for their fellow Evolved, descending from above like angels of wrath to deal with purported bigots such as the Malta Group. Others have more materialistic motivations, realizing the need to keep a massive piece of high-tech space flotsam operational. A third faction might simply care to remind Sapiens that they may be the dominant species by numbers, but that any number of Evolved equals Force Majeure.
Socially, Nation is a strange beast. At base, all of the Evolved belong to the same large family. After a fashion, the powers that be even discourage smaller family units than the whole of Mutantdom. Children are encouraged to find teachers outside their family, the healthy and young are encouraged to spread their seed around or receive such from many sources. All in an effort to eliminate the dividing lines that may stand between a single Evolved and the whole of Nation.
By the same token, social circles do not align by background or even type of ability (even though Nation's more scientifically minded residents have uncovered a great deal about the vectors of evolved talents). The only thing that defines the people of Nation beyond being evolved is intent. Most of the active populous belong to one form or another of social Circle. Circles can have very narrow goals such as improving air conditioning in the habitation wing, or very broad ones such as the defense of Evolved anywhere, at any time. All it takes is for a few otherwise unaffiliated respected citizens to get together and formulate their agenda, and they shall have a voice in the congregation deciding the station's course.
In truth, any interest group can form a circle and choose one from among their number to represent their needs. In practice, there is a lot of behind the scenes politicking going on. Mere votes of majority are looked down upon as crude at best. Instead, the governing organs of Nation prefer to discuss matters until everyone with a stake in it and many without are satisfied. Which does not mean that everyone is contrary for the sake of it. At the core of Nation is the idea of working together. Those men and women in charge simply do not feel that it should keep them from realizing more closely-defined dreams.
As time went by, Circles have begun to develop personal iconographies and manners to distinguish themselves from one another. The Nation of today is essentially a tribal society, with tribes defined around which dreams exactly they chase and how they mean to go about realizing them. The only things jutting out above this tribal layer is a short list of universally respected elders and the Evolved Princess Sychosis who is at least nominally heir to and lady of all of Nation.
