Russia is a country bordering the east of Europe.
Russia has less parahumans and less structured organization than most, so it tends to respond to Endbringer or S-Class threats with military strength more than most other national players.
History
Scion stopped the Cold War.
With the end of the war, there was widespread destitution (one out of every five people had been employed as part of the military/war.). There was a bigger backlash against parahumans than elsewhere, as a result of Scion's actions and perceptions of parahuman vs. communism. Where the C.U.I. achieved total control over their parahumans, Russia set something of a parahuman vs. human structure in place. Parahumans that might have been mundane elsewhere were driven to extremes by the hatred and persecution.
When the witch hunting was active, Red Gauntlet formed as a band of friends and family with powers, attempting to survive. They gained power, gained strength, and gained leverage. Initially serving the Russian government as the precursor to what would be the Elitnaya, Red Gauntlet was bought out by the Eritreans in the second Eritrean War for Liberation, and thereafter settled into a role as mercenaries. Red Gauntlet's ability to accept or refuse jobs currently cements it as a deciding factor or power in the political discourse. The daughter of one of the founding members, Rukavitsa, presently leads. She was arguably the catalyst for the group's formation, she's romanticized and beloved in Russian culture, and her group is hated by local government.
The economic reforms that crippled Russia in Aleph's 90s were made to work by a parahuman in government in Bet, and this did a lot to pacify authorities and shift the 'us vs. them' mentality. In the end, the military adopted parahumans to better fight other parahumans, then absorbed them into the greater structure.
Overall, Russia has suffered more at the hands of Endbringers and S-Class threats than most, and it was the lack of faith in the government's ability to protect the people (and the aftermath of losing Moscow) that led to the fall of the U.S.S.R. and rise of other forces.[1]
Residents
Russian leaders tacitly encourage infighting among their elite troops, the Elitnaya Armiya, to prevent them taking over. Parahumans who aren't members of the military or Red Gauntlet are usually forced to join the Dno (underworld.)
According to Tanya Engalychev, Russians tend to view American parahumans as similar to the CUI - pushy and looking for control.[2]
Before coming to rest in Mordovia, Sleeper was mobile and wandered around in Russia.[3]
References
- ↑ There isn't a Russian equivalent to the PRT. If you were moving forward with that, it'd be pretty much pure fanfiction.
In-setting, Scion stopped the Cold War. With the end of the war, there was widespread destitution (one out of every five people had been employed as part of the military/war.). There was perhaps a bigger backlash against parahumans than elsewhere, as a result of Scion's actions and perceptions of parahuman vs. communism. Where the C.U.I. achieved total control over their parahumans, Russia set something of a parahuman vs. human structure in place. Parahumans that might have been mundane elsewhere were driven to scary extremes by the hatred and persecution.
The economic reforms that crippled Russia in Aleph's 90s were made to work by a parahuman in government in Bet, and this did a lot to pacify authorities and shift the 'us vs. them' mentality. In the end, the military adopted parahumans to better fight other parahumans, then absorbed them into the greater structure.
You thus have three groups at play.
Elitnaya Armiya - The Army's elite. Think Metal Gear - trained soldiers supported by scary superhumans, as part of Russia's military-industrial complex. The mentality is highly adversarial; these aren't parahumans who play nice with other parahumans, and this includes them not cooperating with other members of the Elitnaya. There's a lot of politicking and backstabbing going on behind the scenes (to the point that Russia is almost divided in four), and each member of the Elitnaya maintains ties to certain sub-factions, individuals and interests. Favor is curried, and virtually every mission the Elitnaya are mobilized to involves hidden motivations and sub-goals in service of sponsors and secret masters (human, not Master). Put two of these guys on the same mission, and their interests may collide. Keep in mind, these guys got their start being used to hunt other parahumans. The relationship is largely 'shoot identified parahumans on sight', or, in the case of Elitnaya vs. Elitnaya, waiting until they're in private before orchestrating one another's murders. This is actively curried by the people in power, as it means the parahumans can't band together to control society, overtly or otherwise, as it is in America.
Red Gauntlet (Krasnaya Perchatka) - The only group in Russia where people work together. They're mercenaries, and depending on the lens one uses to view the situation, you could say they're really the ones in power in Russia. When the witch hunting was active, Red Gauntlet formed as a band of friends and family with powers, attempting to survive. They gained power, gained strength, and gained leverage. Initially serving the Russian government as the precursor to what would be the Elitnaya, Red Gauntlet was bought out by the Eritreans in the second Eritrean War for Liberation, and thereafter settled into a role as mercenaries. Where things are otherwise balanced, Red Gauntlet's ability to accept or refuse jobs basically cements it as a deciding factor or power in the political discourse. The daughter of one of the founding members, Rukavitsa, presently leads. She was arguably the catalyst for the group's formation, she's romanticized and beloved in Russian culture, her group is hated by local government, and while she hears out any argument, she'll ultimately make the calls that Red Gauntlet follows.
Dno - The Underworld, includes the various Bratva. The unwritten rules in Russia's underworld are different - parahumans don't fight parahumans. Only the Elitnaya and foreign powers are fair game (and are the ultimate reason for the rule - if you fight amongst yourselves, you're too weak to stop the Elitnaya). This makes for strangely honorable scenarios where two parahumans might come across one another in a firefight and call a temporary ceasefire, or completely ignore one another. Those who've survived within the Dno are generally smart, merciless, and scary. When new parahumans show up, they're brought before a group, tested, and if they prove worthy, are freed to join whomever. Those that fail, refuse to join a group or who are deemed too damaged are liable to be executed.
I guess you could say there's a fourth group - the other individuals who couldn't be rounded up, tested, or recruited.
Overall, Russia has suffered more at the hands of Endbringers and S-Class threats than most, and it was the lack of faith in the government's ability to protect the people (and the aftermath of losing Moscow) that led to the fall of the U.S.S.R. and rise of other forces. It has less parahumans and less structured organization than most, so it tends to respond to Endbringer or S-Class threats with military strength more than most other national players.
Russia leverages the Elitnaya and sometimes Red Gauntlet to participate in conflicts around Europe and Asia, and the military-industrial complex is, well, it's not thriving, but it's not failing either. - Private message by Wildbow, archived on Spacebattles - ↑ The way she pronounces with, the subtle error in word choice. She’s English-speaking Russian, not Russian-ethnic American.
“I am. The good guys,” Auroch says.
“Back home, they think very little with a American superheroes. Like China, the bullies. The thugs. Sneakier than China, but still trying to push a way in.”
“Do I look like a thug?” - PRT Quest p67 - ↑ Sleeper roams, but primarily Russia. - Comment by Wildbow on Drone 23.5