収束ゾーンでのライフ: Life in the Convergence Zone

What’s interesting about this article in Meduza on what Russia is about to start teaching – what really pokes at my brain about it – is that this is…

How do I explain this?

This is Russia teaching something I’m going to call highly evocative of literal fascist civilisational theory from back when fascism bothered to have theory.

They’re going with a mildly updated version of the old Nazi concept of racially-based civilisational cores mapped (kinda sorta) to continents, where one dominant “race” rules their continent (or more here, really, sphere of influence) with an iron fist, subjugating everyone else and everyone who deviates.

(You’ll note there are still seven areas in this new mapping even if they are not continental. Fash and numerology, what can I say?)

But yeah, it really is some old 1920s Fash horseshit. Which shouldn’t be surprising, I mean, Putin’s main advisors are all authoritarian and some of them literally call themselves fascist, and one in particular has written extensively on how the only thing wrong with German fascism under the Nazis was that Germans did it, and not Russians.

The spheres they picked are somewhat interesting, partly for who is included as a ruling civilisation. Russia heads of the list, of course, with China, The Evil Decadent West (naturally), the Arabic world, India – but also their friend Iran and their own Far East, that last being the north Asian territories that the Russian Empire colonised in the 18th and 19th centuries. For a long time, those regions had a fair degree of autonomy, and while I don’t know what it’s like these days, it’s still interesting seeing that paid a rather meaningful degree of… dare I say respect? Perhaps. Perhaps respect. I don’t know enough about Russian politics to say.

But what’s even more interesting is who is not included in any form. I suppose Latin America might be thrown in with the Evil Decadent West, what with being heavily Catholic. Still, that has to sting a bit in, oh, places like Cuba.

I would even more like to hope that their allies in sub-Saharan Africa will note this list does not include them at all. And good luck explaining that.

I would like to hope that not being seen as a civilisation might… be noted. Because, well. The people who have formed this programme have spent a good amount of time on it, and they’re being very, very clear about what they think, and even more, what they want the next few generations of the “Russian World” to think.

Posted via Solarbird{y|z|yz}, Collected.

We started this one literally two and a half years ago. Two and a half years ago. Having it out at last is just... holy fuck. It's out.

Overwatch - or what is left of it - is at war with the Gods of Oasis. Russia is in a parallel war with itself, Katya Volskaya's government against the popular uprising led by the Aleksandra Zaryanova, the Goddess of Russia. As winter sets in, Zarya's March to Moscow has slowed to a crawl.

Overwatch Dolphin 102 - carrying Brigitte and Lúcio flight back to Germany from Watchpoint Nepal - has experienced a major malfunction just north of the Russia-Kazakhstan border.

Now, the consequences unfold.

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict
Edda 19: Quartz-Eyed Brigitte, and Lúcio, His Eyes Like Mirrors and Smoke
solarbird and bzarcher

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict is a continuance of The Arc of Ascension, The Arc of Creation, and In the Beginning, there was an Armourer and a Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow the story as it appears, please subscribe to the series.

Katya Volskaya's government in Russia has destroyed the omnium Koschei, and held their own against the Gods of Oasis. But with Jesse McCree having upset a precarious balance, Lena, Hana, and Sombra have intervened in Russia's rising civil war, and the fragile peace between Overwatch and Oasis has been shattered.

In a time that once did happen, there was a crusade of the gods - a campaign of vengeance and of blood, unrelenting, and merciless.

But what if it didn't have to happen?

What if it could all be... undone?

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict
Apocrypha 1: All That Which Must Be Undone
solarbird and bzarcher

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict is a continuance of The Arc of Ascension, The Arc of Creation, and In the Beginning, there was an Armourer and a Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow the story as it appears, please subscribe to the series.

Katya Volskaya's government in Russia has destroyed the omnium Koschei, and held their own against the Gods of Oasis. But with Jesse McCree having upset a precarious balance, Lena, Hana, and Sombra have intervened in Russia's rising civil war. Now, what little stability Overwatch had managed to maintain seems on the verge of disintegration...

...as Lena Oxton needs her mother's help to sort out what had been from what could be, now.

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict
Fragment s17,1: What happened before, and what happens next
solarbird and bzarcher

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict is a continuance of The Arc of Ascension, The Arc of Creation, and In the Beginning, there was an Armourer and a Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow the story as it appears, please subscribe to the series.

Katya Volskaya's government in Russia has destroyed the omnium Koschei, and held their own against the Gods of Oasis. But with Jesse McCree having upset a precarious balance, Lena, Hana, and Sombra have intervened in Russia's rising civil war. Now, what little stability Overwatch had managed to maintain seems on the verge of disintegration...

...as around the globe, the different factions prepare for what they are now certain must come.

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict
Fragment e18,2: away from the wolfpack, but into the den of a bear
solarbird and bzarcher

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict is a continuance of The Arc of Ascension, The Arc of Creation, and In the Beginning, there was an Armourer and a Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow the story as it appears, please subscribe to the series.

Katya Volskaya's government in Russia has destroyed the omnium Koschei, and held their own against the Gods of Oasis. With no point to additional fighting, the overt war has paused. But covertly, the conflict carries on. The gods, after all, still have a plan, and will do what is needed - one way, or another.

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict
Saga 15: Pebbles in Motion
solarbird and bzarcher

Zarya's march is underway, and everyone from Moscow to Taipei is trying to figure out how it's happening - and what happens next.

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict is a continuance of The Arc of Ascension, The Arc of Creation, and The Armourer and the Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow the story as it appears, please subscribe to the series.

Holy crap, have I really not been posting updates here? But I compose them here! Before I post them to Tumblr! What the fuck?

But I don't see them on my journal, so... I guess not?! Here's one of a few short-version updates to get them online here!

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The Arc of Conflict, Fragment s13,2: What [Must] We [Must] Do
Since the Tsars, power has flowed from Moscow, and Russians have obeyed. But now, as Moscow demands that the Vishkar developments and all influences of the “Gods” be purged, more and more question - Why?

Alliances, it has been said, are at their weakest on the brink of defeat, and on the brink of victory. After defeating the China Sea omnium, the gods of Oasis offered their help to Russia, to defeat their own Siberian threat, and Russia accepted that offer - but made additional secret plans of their own.

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict
Edda 14e: it's always personal
solarbird and bzarcher

Hana Song attempted to game the propaganda war between Oasis and Russia, but she drastically misjudged how far Katya Volskaya would go to secure victory. Now the Gods need a miracle...

...and they just might have one.

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict is a continuance of The Arc of Ascension, The Arc of Creation, and The Armourer and the Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow the story as it appears, please subscribe to the series.

Alliances, it has been said, are at their weakest on the brink of defeat, and on the brink of victory. After defeating the China Sea omnium, the gods of Oasis offered their help to Russia, to defeat their own Siberian threat, and Russia accepted that offer - but made additional secret plans of their own.

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict
Edda 14d: Whispers of an Avalanche
solarbird and bzarcher

The last desperate efforts to preserve the peace. The rush to get the innocent out of harm’s way. The final snowflakes that land on the mountain.

Of Gods and Monsters: The Arc of Conflict is a continuance of The Arc of Ascension, The Arc of Creation, and The Armourer and the Living Weapon. It will be told in a series of eddas, sagas, interludes, fragments, texts, and cantos, all of which serve their individual purposes. To follow the story as it appears, please subscribe to the series.