The World of Megazoic
In the Late Cretaceous Period, the global climate was much hotter, and there were no permanent ice caps, thus sea levels were around 300 feet higher than the modern day. Areas like the middle of North America, most of Europe, the Sahara Desert, and the Middle East were completely underwater, and the continents were in vastly different positions. North and South America were not yet connected, Australia and Antarctica were fused together, the Atlantic Ocean was much narrower, and India and Madagascar had only recently broken apart.
Because of all these geographic differences from the human era, dinosaur nations did not always align to the continents like those of humans. West Africa was part of the Laurasian Empire, with the shallow sea dividing the continent providing the border to the Gondwanian Republic. Madagascar and India were part of one nation, the Yndonia Republic, while parts of southern Australia belonged to the industrial nation of Antacros. Trade routes, especially naval ones, were easy to navigate with the higher sea levels; trading between Laurasia and Yndonia only required traversing through the Tethys Sea. And because of the primarily warmer climate and lack of permanent ice, cities in the Antacros Federation and the upper Laurasian Empire still comfortably housed large populations, with the only the most southern parts of Antacros too inhospitable for most dinosaurs.
All of the different nations had their own focus in the global economy, and most of them had a rather stable alliance with each other. Some seceded from others either early in dinosaur civilization or relatively recently, but many of their borders had remained unchanged for thousands of years. The biggest event that shifted political borders was the rise and fall of the Order of Ellumytra, an early global superpower. More information on that, as well as details of the various nations, below.
THE LAURASIAN EMPIRE
The current dominant power of the dinosaur world, the Laurasian Empire spans most of modern day North America and Europe and a tiny fraction of Asia. As an imperial monarchy, it has had many notable Emperors and Empresses throughout its history. Emperor Khaxeron, the founder of the Laurasia Corps, ruled about two hundred years before the events of Megazoic. The current leader, Empress Mikowan, has ruled for eighteen years, and has helped the empire maintain control during the war against the Tyranneon Kingdom.
There are a number of reasons for Laurasia's dominance over the other countries, one of which is that its military force, the Laurasia Corps, is the most versatile of all the nations. While other countries' armed forces are more specialized, focusing heavily on either artillery, navy, or elite troops, the Laurasia Corps goes for a "fluent in all, master of none" approach. Each member of a Laurasia Corps squad has their own specialty, and when joined with the other members they form a strategic, well-purposed unit. While their guns might not have as much punch as the Amazona Knights, and their Juggernauts (long-necked dinosaurs with artillery strapped to their backs) might not shoot as far as Ostrol howitzers, the multi-purpose approach has given them an overall stronger military might.
Another reason is its early secession from the Order of Ellumytra. While the Order started out as a force for good, it gradually devolved into a corrupt dictatorship, but their power was immeasurable enough that most of the world didn't stop them. The Laurasian Empire was the first major secession, deciding that they had enough of the Order. By losing a huge chunk of world power, the Order started to decline, until most of it faded into history, and Laurasia filled the leftover niche of the dominant superpower.
THE TYRANNEON KINGDOM
The newest faction in the dinosaur world, the Tyranneon Kingdom spans the western half of Canada and the state of Alaska. Fifteen years ago, a Laurasian Triceratops named Tyraeno uncovered some advanced technology, and quickly gained followers that built powerful shields, generators, thrusters and weapons with the tech. Realizing the potential threat, Empress Mikowan banned Laurasian civilian usage of this technology, which angered Tyraeno and his followers. In retaliation, they seceded from Laurasia and called themselves the Tyranneon Kingdom, with Tyraeno and his family (including his young Suchomimus son Dranax) appointed as the royal line.
The potential for power with this advanced tech consumed the Tyranneon citizens, and the kingdom immediately declared war on Laurasia. Thanks to the rigorous efforts of the Laurasia Corps and King Tyraeno deliberately taking his time, not much progress has been made by either side, even with fifteen years of war. Empress Mikowan, however, knows the current bloodlessness of the conflict won't last forever. All the war needs is one spark to go from cold to hot.
THE GONDWANIAN REPUBLIC
An older nation repurposed for the modern era, the Gondwanian Republic spans central Africa and nearly the entire continent of Asia. Thousands of years ago, a Gondwanian dinosaur named Ellumytra discovered a vault of arcane, evil power in this nation, which terrified her at first. However, as she drew in this power, she learned how to subdue it, enhancing her willpower and inner resolve. With this knowledge, she founded an order. Through resisting this evil power, one could strengthen the good within.
This faction became known as the Order of Ellumytra, and for centuries it prospered, becoming a global force for good. Alas, long after Ellumytra’s death, the evil powers within the vault seduced the Order. They became a brutal dictatorship, conquering the world, enforcing their language, and ruling with iron claws for fifty terrible years. Eventually, Laurasia seceded, wanting to free its citizens from the Order’s newly-formed wrath, an event which sparked the Order’s downfall.
Soon after, Gondwana fell in disarray. Some of its citizens continued to teach Ellumytra’s methods, using its great power on a smaller scale to avoid the same mistakes as the Order. These dinosaurs formed the Ellumytran Knights, confining the vault’s power to a select few participants, and creating new enforcers of good to help the world. Still, even with the Knights’ protection, Gondwana needed to restructure itself. The government became a republic, forgoing the traditional monarchies of most other nations to keep the power in the citizens’ claws. Now, the Gondwanian Republic sits comfortably with the rest of the world; a peaceful country once again.
THE AMAZONA KINGDOM
A nation of order, functionality, and collaboration, the Amazona Kingdom encompasses the entirety of South America, an island continent at this point in Earth’s history. When dinosaurs first became civilized, they collaborated with each other to build a collective intelligence, and Amazon is the finest example of this.
So far away from other continents, the first developed cities on this continent could not rely on other nations for immediate assistance. In this period of their history, dinosaurs only had slow-moving ships and dirigibles, making frequent travel in and out of Amazona impractical. Thus, the dinosaurs there had to work together, strengthening each other, and reaching a level of synchronization undreamt of by the rest of the world.
Nowhere is this harmony more apparent than in Amazona’s military. The Amazona Guard’s squads enact specific, calculated formations in battle, maximizing the advantages of each soldiers’ size, strength, and weaponry. As well as combat, Amazona excels at science and engineering, more than most other nations. Sevalor Industries, perhaps the world’s greatest technological innovator, is based in Amazona’s capital city of Nexalos.
THE YNDONIA REPUBLIC
The world’s finest seafarers, the Yndonian Republic spans India and Madagascar. Millions of years prior, they were a small island continent, but have now broken apart, and continue to drift as the eons go by. Eventually, India will collide with Asia and form the Himalayan Mountains, millions of years after the reign of dinosaurs.
With the inner continent overrun by thick swamp, Yndonia’s biggest cities are situated on the coast. Therefore, naval power has become their primary focus, much more than other nations. They’ve learned to train marine reptiles, even the biggest mosasaurs, something no other country could dream of achieving. With their harpoons, their battleships, and their gleefulness in combat, the Yndonians are some of the finest allies any soldier could ask for. Even in land battles, they give it their all.
THE ZALONDU KINGDOM
Not every nation focuses on conflict. Situated in New Zealand, a new continent at this period of Earth’s history, the Zalondu Kingdom prefers the more rural lifestyle. With millions of acres of open fern prairies, Zalondu grows crops, raises lizards and fish, and overall provides most of the agricultural resources for the rest of the world.
Of course, without a military at all, Zalondu would become a prime target for any enemy faction, especially with how many other nations depend on its imports. Thus, Zalondu employs militia—citizens who have volunteered for combat—when the time calls for it. Plus, anyone foolish enough to attack Zalondu would face the wrath of the rest of the world, happy to give military aid to defend their generous farmers.
THE ANTACROS FEDERATION
The most southern of the nations, the Antacros Federation encompasses all of Antarctica and a tiny fraction of southern Australia. At this point in the geological timeline, the two continents are one, and will not break apart for millions of years. Only the tip of Antarctica hits the South Pole, rather than the center as in modern times. This, along with a much warmer global climate, makes the area far less inhospitable than the barren tundra familiar to humans. With the lack of permanent ice caps, trees and ferns cover the landscape, as plentiful as any jungle.
In the endless light of summer, Antacros is warm and humid. With such a long daytime, Antacros holds some of the best solar farms in the world, able to convert the sun’s rays into bountiful energy. Hundreds of power stations make use of this light, manned by Antacros’s specialized engineers. However, once winter hits, the country is shrouded in darkness, with frigid temperatures comparable to modern Antarctica. Despite this, the output of their stations generated in the summer more than makes up for it, keeping Antacros at the top of the world’s power suppliers.
OSTROL
A smaller civic sate, Ostrol spans ninety percent of modern-day Australia. Like their neighbors in the Antacros Federation, Ostrol’s citizens are mostly hardy engineers, making use of the numerous natural resources on their shared continent. Unlike Antacros, however, Ostrol focuses on war and conflict, perhaps a bit too much.
Their primary focus is artillery, oversized and overequipped to blow up everything in their path. With so much uncivilized wilderness, Ostrol engineers spend most of their day blowing up the land with their latest artillery designs, getting creative with the various functions they can install into their weapons. They profit on other nation’s conflicts, selling their weapons to anyone who needs them. Because of this, Ostrol is usually viewed as a loose cannon on the global front, but they always have the back of their allies, accompanying them in battle with big smiles on their snouts.
KALIHAROS
Bathed in constant tropical heat, Kaliharos is located the south side of Africa. It is a nation of endless fern savannahs and gigantic red-hued rocks, and is often considered the most beautiful place in the world. With so much available sunlight, and a long dry season with little cloud cover, the scientists of Kaliharos have exploited it to create some of the most advanced and experimental tech in the world.
Within the cauldrons of their numerous Luminal Forges, the dinosaurs of Kaliharos specialize in hard light. They bend photons to their will, manipulating the molecules to form solid structures of pure light. Out of thin air, they can conjure any tool or weapon they might need, after building its blueprints in their laboratories. Because of this, Kaliharos is a feared presence on the battlefield. With them on the front, no enemy knows what to expect.