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This section surveys assorted organizations across Terra. Tower Mountains makes bio-medical products, mainly researching Originium's effect on organisms and supplying Oripathy medication to Pioneers and militaries; it faces rumors of human experiments and accusations regarding its medicines, yet states keep partnering with it. After the Barron Mine Incident of 1083, its PR department ran an astroturfing campaign redirecting public anger toward a fictional evil tech company. The Maylander Foundation, established by Maylander Selene after the war with Victoria, is a non-profit NGO influencing Columbia's charity, education, environmental protection, and policy, though few employees know its true nature. Shuzhou Tea House, a rare newcomer in southern Yan, survived when the young heir sold new canned noon tea flavors promoted through the family's story. In Acahualla, Sargon, the semi-official Inam Committee oversees trade, promotes exchange, and prevents illegal jungle exploitation; it has imported large quantities of Minos marble for unknown purposes.
Rostov Industries, from a minor Ursine noble house, handles large-scale engineering and works with outsiders, solving problems unique to Ursus. Kazimierz's Rose Paper Union dominates news media, prioritizing reader interest over accuracy. Volvort Kochinski, Columbia's most powerful corporation, grew from a weapons workshop, profited from the Revolutionary War, and is never penalized despite rumors of grey-zone operations. Leithanien's Atelier Schmidt, founded by Graf Ebersdorf Schmidt, makes prestigious Originium instruments, contacting buyers so they "know" each instrument. MountainDash Logistics, founded by Eurill Pides, keeps a low profile while dominating Lungmen logistics; in Yan its WindDash Movers is famous.
The Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences, founded in 737 from a 730 natural philosophy association, grants five Academician positions yearly and is now sponsored by Parliament after the King until 1072. Yan's Ji Estate Palace Academy educates talent for the bureaucracy regardless of background. Wilhelm University (founded 812) is one of Guttenberg's Big Three. Trimounts University (1012), Columbia's first, split into factions in 1030, spawning two institutions.
Pizzeria Martino, once Siracusa's premiere famiglia restaurant, now adapts menus abroad. HydeBro rose and fell when its founders' crimes surfaced. Mama John's dominates Columbian food and beyond. Słoma Food Company leads Kazimierz's food market, entangled with Mieszko Group after a 1098 leak. Coffee Plain sells coffee and, notably, weapons in Dossoles. Mieszko Group grew from nomadic city construction into a conglomerate. Monster Siren Records publishes artists across Terra with creative freedom.
Tower Mountains makes bio-medical products, focusing on allergies and infectious diseases, and has recently expanded into neurological diseases. It researches the effect of Originium on organisms and is the exclusive Oripathy medication supplier for Pioneers and the military in several states. Rumors accuse it of human Originium experiments, extracting Oripathy medicine from Originium monsters, or offering placebos, but governments and militaries keep their partnerships. After the Barron Mine Incident of 1083, its PR department ran an astroturfing conspiracy campaign redirecting public anger toward an ambiguous stereotype. Today the public consumes its products while decrying a fictional evil tech company based on Beachbrella in movies—perhaps its greatest achievement.
After the war with Victoria, Maylander Selene, the Founding Father of the Federation, declined a government position and established the Maylander Foundation to protect Columbia's citizens' welfare. The non-profit NGO has profoundly influenced charity, education, environmental production, and policy making. Affiliates include the Child Rights Protection Foundation, Catastrophe Relief Fund, Historical Association, and Technological Development Association. It has provided social services for decades while keeping a modest profile; only a few employees have an inkling of its true nature.
In southern Yan's tea-producing regions, the newcomer Shuzhou Tea House is exceptional. It began as a roadside tea stall in Shangshu. By the grandson's generation, keeping it afloat grew difficult, so he explored new production methods, selling new flavors of canned noon tea and betting his fortune on a campaign depicting the family's journey from stall to tea house to beverage factory. The campaign and flavors were an instant hit with Shangshu's young people.
Modern economic activity in Acahualla, Sargon, dates from the lord ameer's territory (1099—). The semi-official Inam Committee is the region's sole trade association, overseeing and promoting the flow of goods among settlements, promoting external trade, and preventing illegal exploitation of the jungle—a bold mandate challenging local sensibilities. It has imported extraordinary quantities of marble from Minos over the past two years for unknown purposes.
Rostov Industries of Ursus specializes in large-scale engineering such as mining platform construction and nomadic city plate maintenance. Founded by a minor noble house that went into business after the Great Riot, it survived the Chernobog-Lungmen Incident and the loss of its headquarters and largest client. It is one of few Ursine enterprises willing to work with outsiders, the go-to for foreign corporations struggling in Ursus.
The Rose Paper Union is a leading Kazimierzian publisher expanded into intercity net portals and digital publications; a studio under its banner produced the hit game Super Smash Knights. Once criticized for misleading publications, it now controls over half the Kazimierzian news industry across 172 news media; an insider publicly stated that "the desire for truth is a fictional construct," an idea gaining traction among radical students.
Volvort Kochinski, perhaps Columbia's most powerful corporation, began as a weapon workshop founded by Kazimierzians and grew into a behemoth spanning military, civilian manufacturing, security, and finance. It supplied the bulk of Columbian military weapons during the Revolutionary War and profited greatly. Rumors of grey-zone operations exist, but it stays cautious, the government turns a blind eye, and it has never been penalized.
Atelier Schmidt is Leithanien's foremost Originium equipment maker, famous for instruments etched with the designer's name and year, whose use signals respect on important occasions. It believes each instrument has a personality the musician must understand, so the maker contacts the buyer before delivery. Founder Ebersdorf Schmidt, a renowned opera orchestrator created Graf for his musical contributions, saw market equipment as "shoddy" and transformed his manor into a workshop, producing his first work after seven years. It supplies the Reichsorchester and exports abroad; despite low output from its single-plant policy, orders rise steadily.
MountainDash Logistics, founded and led by Eurill Pides, spans Terra from Lungmen to Siesta. Pides has close ties with Emperor of Penguin Logistics. Its pragmatic style contrasts with Penguin's flamboyance; despite dominating Lungmen logistics, it keeps a low profile. In Yan, its WindDash Movers may be even better known.
The Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences, founded in 737, promotes science and recognizes outstanding scientists. It began as an association of natural philosophy founded by fifteen scientists in Londinium in 730; by royal decree it became the Royal Academy with the King as sponsor and protector until 1072, after which Parliament became provisional sponsor. Its Academicians—five granted yearly—are Victoria's highest academic achievement; a head fellow is elected annually.
The Ji Estate Palace Academy in Changji, birthplace of the people-centric philosophy and of Yan's modern humanities and social sciences, accepts students regardless of background. Unlike the Tianshi Bureaus' elite specialists, it supplies steady talent to Yan's bureaucracy, revolutionized education by recruiting across Yan, and fostered a culture of respect for knowledge.
Wilhelm Herzog Guttenberg University, founded in 812, is Guttenberg's second-oldest university after Guttenberg University (794). Its four colleges across 27 spires—Originium Studies, Law, Natural Science, and History and Letters—are prestigious. Together with the "Big Three," it has made Guttenberg Terra's leading academic center.
Trimounts University, Columbia's first university (1012), created opportunities for educated immigrants. Factionalism erupted in 1030; in 1032, fed-up faculty founded the Trimounts Institute of Technology, renowned for physics and mathematics, and the Columbia School of Art and Design, prestigious in architecture and photography.
Pizzeria Martino began as a high-class restaurant of Famiglia Conte, the go-to place for Siracusan families hosting guests. After the Contes fell, new owners went affordable, created the pizza-man logo, and sponsored the cartoon "Martino Brothers." It now spans every Siracusan city and has footholds abroad, taking liberties like Victoria's open-face fries pizza and Yan's chili fowlbeast pizza.
HydeBro is a business tragedy: Leo and Val Hyde rose to become leading Columbian building materials suppliers with close government ties, until a prosecutor's investigation exposed their illegal and violent acts; the brothers were imprisoned and their empire carved up by rivals.
Mama John's, a best-selling Columbian donut brand, spans raw ingredients through desserts and often covers all three daily meals. Beyond its '80s slogan of "taking over every dinner table in Columbia," its logo now appears on furniture and TVs.
Słoma Food Company, one of Kazimierz's largest farming, forestry, and livestock conglomerates, leads the foodstuff market and sponsors sports and entertainment, including the 24th Kazimierz Major. A leaked internal document revealed its ties to Mieszko Group, leaving both embroiled in PR and legal battles.
Coffee Plain of Dossoles, Bolívar, is known Terra-wide for coffee beans, powder, and derived foods. Its slogan "Stay awake through overtime with REAL caffeine!" met mixed reception, yet sales climbed 15% each quarter of 1098—the Coffee Plain Mystery. It is also a significant Dossoles weapons supplier.
Mieszko Group, headquartered in Kazimierz, spans finance, insurance, Originium industry, military industry, and nomadic city construction. Mieszko Industries, founded by Roman Mieszko, delivered three nomadic cities as Kazimierz's reparations after the Tenth Ursus-Kazimierz War (1062), then absorbed many small and mid-sized enterprises.
Monster Siren Records, one of the largest music publishers of the 11th century, is present across nearly all inhabited Terra, and was said to have run the Iberian blockade seeking a legendary a cappella group. From pop idols to heavy metal, it stays on music's cutting edge, responsible for many developments in the field.
CHAPTER 6.9
EPIGRAPH
In addition to the organizations highlighted in this chapter, there are many more of significance that I have noted in my travels. I have compiled a brief overview here.
Tower Mountains is a maker of bio-medical products, focusing on allergies and infectious diseases. It has expanded its portfolio to neurological diseases in recent years. The effect of Originium on organisms remains Tower Mountains' main area of research. It is the exclusive Oripathy medication supplier for Pioneers and the military in several states, and there have long been rumors of human Originium experiments. Tower Mountains has been accused of extracting Oripathy medicine from horrible Originium monsters, or offering placebos with no real effect, but state governments and militaries have maintained their partnerships with Tower Mountains.
The Barron Mine Incident in 1083 was a major credibility crisis for Tower Mountains. Rather than standard damage control, Tower Mountains' PR department engaged in an extensive conspiracy theory astroturfing campaign, distracting the public from their failure, and redirecting the anger and fear directed at Tower Mountains towards an ambiguous stereotypical image. Today, the public consumes Tower Mountains health products, while decrying a fictional evil tech company based on Beachbrella that appears in numerous movies—perhaps Tower Mountains' greatest achievement.
TOWER MOUNTAINS
■ The Tower Mountains logo.
Following the conclusion of the war with Victoria, Maylander Selene, hailed as the Founding Father of the Federation, declined the offer of a leadership position in the new Columbian government, instead establishing the Maylander Foundation, with the mission of protecting the welfare of the citizens of Columbia. The non-profit NGO has had a profound impact on Columbia, and its influence can be felt everywhere from charity to education to environmental production to policy making. Its affiliates include humanitarian organizations such as the Maylander Child Rights Protection Foundation and Maylander Catastrophe Relief Fund, and associations that support education and research, such as the Maylander Historical Association and the Maylander Technological Development Association. For decades, the Maylander Foundation has provided a wide range of social services for Columbia, while keeping a relatively modest profile. Most of the Foundation's employees and volunteers are proud of their work, with only a few having an inkling of the true nature of the organization that they serve.
Maylander • Foundation SINCE 1019
■ Maylander Foundation's logo.
Tea houses with more than a hundred years of history are a common sight in the tea-producing regions of southern Yan, and it is exceeding rare for a newcomer like the Shuzhou Tea House to find a footing. Shuzhou started as a tiny roadside tea stall in Shangshu. From father to son and again, it was always the family's dream to establish themselves as a tea house, making and selling their own tea. By the grandson's generation, however, it was becoming more and more difficult to keep the tea house afloat. The young heir began exploring the drinks market beyond tea and new production methods to save the tea house. Eventually, he made the bold decision to sell new flavors of canned noon tea, putting his entire fortune into an aggressive promotion campaign, depicting Shuzhou Tea House's journey from grandfather to father to son, from tea stall to tea house to beverage factory. The unique promotional campaign and new flavors were an instant hit with the young people of Shangshu.
With their attractive packaging and wide selection of flavors, Shuzhou Tea House's canned noon tea started a new trend of tea collection and tasting amongst Shangshu's younger generation. Not even the most diehard fan could tolerate the Lemon Fin Mint flavor, though.
Modern economic activity is a recent development in Acahualla, Sargon, directly attributable to the establishment of the lord ameer's territory in Acahualla (1099—). The semi-official Inam Committee, named after the local lord ameer herself, is Acahualla's sole trade association. The Committee recently announced its mission to oversee and promote the flow of goods throughout Acahualla's settlements, promoting trade and exchange between Acahualla and other regions, and preventing illegal exploitation of the jungle by outside forces. Considering Acahualla's demographics, this is a bold organizational mandate that challenges local sensibilities, and demonstrates the lord ameer and her people's determination to change the current state of the jungles.
Of particular interest is the fact that the organization has imported extraordinary quantities of marble from Minos over the past two years, for purposes that are as yet unknown.
Inam's tribe is the Inam Committee, and the Inam Committee's logo is the symbol of Inam's tribe.
Based in Ursus, Rostov Industries' main business is large-scale engineering projects such as mining platform construction and nomadic city plate maintenance. The House of Rostov was a minor Ursine noble house that went into business after the Great Riot. Rostov Industries was built upon astute judgment of current events, allowing the company to survive the Chernobog-Lungmen Incident, and the loss of both their headquarters and their largest client.
The company is one of the few Ursine enterprises that is willing to work with outsiders. It has become the go-to for foreign corporations that are struggling to make leeway in Ursus. It is an open secret that Rostov Industries' operations encompasses more than just engineering; they are experts at solving certain problems that only occur in Ursus. As such, the House of Rostov enjoys a certain status in the realm of business.
GLEBE MINING PLATFORM
Rostov Industries has brought the Glebe Mining Platform out of retirement as a cost-cutting measure following the blow of the Chernobog-Lungmen Incident.
The Rose Paper Union is one of Kazimierz's leading publishers. In recent years, it has expanded its operations beyond traditional publishing, providing intercity net portal services and digital publications. The hit action game Super Smash Knights was produced by a studio under the Rose Paper Union banner.
Once criticized for its misleading and error-filled publications, the Rose Paper Union has taken over half of the Kazimierzian news industry and reshaped the entire sector. Today, anything that could catch the interest of readers will pass for news. One industry insider has even publicly stated that “the desire for truth is a fictional construct”, an idea that has gained traction amongst more radical students.
Today, the Rose Paper Union controls 172 news media, including The Central Journal, The Red Wine, and Kawalerielki Sports, and is in pole position to influence the minds of Kazimierzians.
■ Kazimierz has an extensive news media. Her citizens are free to choose which version of the truth to believe. Or, do they actually have a choice at all?
Volvort Kochinski is one of Columbia's most influential corporations, perhaps her most powerful. It began as a weapon workshop founded by a few Kazimierzians; over the course of a century, it has taken root in the soil of Columbia, growing a massive network of branches that have reached beyond the military realm, into domains such as civilian manufacturing, security, and finance, becoming a true business behemoth. This is the extent of most people's understanding of the company.
Volvort Kochinski provided the bulk of the Columbian military's weapons and equipment during the Columbian Revolutionary War. Volvort Kochinski profited greatly from the war and its aftermath, giving the company a massive advantage in its post-war development.
Volvort Kochinski makes an easy profit through simple business logic, without having to worry about interference from the outside. There are occasional rumors about Volvort Kochinski operating in grey zones, but the company is always cautious about its activities, and the government turns a blind eye to any potential illegal activity. As such, the company has never been penalized.
■ Volvort Kochinski's logo.
The family-owned Atelier Schmidt is the foremost Originium equipment maker in Leithanien, famous for its Originium instruments. Using original Atelier Schmidt instruments, etched with the designer's name and year, is considered a sign of respect for important occasions. Atelier Schmidt believes that each instrument has its own personality, requiring the musician to understand it in order to unleash its true power. Therefore, the maker of the instrument in question contacts the buyer prior to delivery, and stays in touch to help the buyer come to "know" the instrument.
Atelier Schmidt was founded by Ebersdorf Schmidt, a renowned opera orchestrator, who was created Graf for his contributions to the development of music in Leithanien. He did not stop there, however. To Graf Schmidt, the instrument is just as important as the caster, and ultimate beauty is only possible when man and instrument are truly one whole. He saw the "shoddy" Originium Arts equipment on the market as an insult to that pursuit of perfection. He transformed his manor into a workshop, experimenting with various materials, and produced his first work seven years later.
Today, Atelier Schmidt is the official supplier of the Reichsorchester (Imperial Orchestra of Leithanien), exporting its products abroad as international trade increased. The Atelier has begun to produce Originium equipment for other fields in recent years. Despite low production numbers, a result of its policy of keeping all production in a single plant, orders have continued to increase steadily. Customers, without exception, agree that the wait is worthwhile when they put their hands on an Atelier Schmidt product for the first time.
ATELIER SCHMIDITS EST. 1022
Atelier Schmidt's logo at the time of its founding(top), and its modern logo (bottom). Atelier Schmidt holds to the tradition of handmade craftsmanship, even in this era of mass production. The changes to Atelier Schmidt's logo show that they are far from inflexible, however. In a sense, they are the ultimate trend-setter: There is nothing more fashionable than bespoke craftsmanship in Leithanian high society.
The international logistical network of MountainDash Logistics can be found all across Terra, from Lungmen to Siesta. Founder Eurill Pides is also the company's president and CEO. He has close ties with Emperor of Penguin Logistics, and is a key figure in Lungmen's business sector.
MountainDash Logistics's pragmatic, no-nonsense style stands in stark contrast to Penguin Logistics's carefree flamboyance. The company keeps a low profile, despite its dominance in the Lungmen logistics market. Their staff have a knack for showing up when they are least expected, winning contracts that will later prove highly lucrative. Across Terra, MountainDash Logistics often gives the impression of a "familiar stranger", one that is low-key yet omnipresent, only ever showing a small portion of its true capabilities.
In Yan, MountainDash Logistics's short-distance bulk transport services have become the leading choice for people moving homes. There, WindDash Movers is perhaps even more well-known than MountainDash Logistics.
MountainDash Logistics's logo.
The Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences is a research organization sponsored by the Victorian government, founded in 737. Its mission is to promote scientific development and recognize outstanding scientists. The Royal Academy of Sciences is under direct appointment by the King of Victoria.
The Royal Academy of Sciences began as an association of natural philosophy, founded by fifteen scientists in Londinium in 730. It was the most prominent of the many associations frequented by sages of the day (a Victorian caste we would generally associate with scientists today). By royal decree, the association of natural philosophy was renamed the Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences, and the King became its sponsor and protector. The King remained the sponsor of the Royal Academy of Sciences until 1072. After 1072, Parliament became the provisional sponsor.
Members of the Royal Victorian Academy of Sciences are called Academicians, the highest academic achievement of Victoria. Five academicians are granted each year to recognize researchers who have made outstanding contributions to science. The Royal Academy of Sciences has no chancellor; a head fellow is elected each year to preside over important projects.
Located in Changji, the Ji Estate Palace Academy is one of Yan's most important institutions of higher education. Known as the House of Knowledge of the East, it was where the people-centric school of philosophy came into being, and the genesis of Yan's modern humanities and social science studies. It accepts students without regard to their background, nurturing generation after generation of scholars who seek to make a difference for the people. "Our Hearts Be the Realm, Our Goals Be the People" is their creed.
Compared to the Tianshi Bureaus, which produce a small number of elite specialists, the mission of the Academy is to provide a steady influx of talent for Yan's sprawling bureaucracy. It ushered in a revolution for Yan's education by breaking from the restrictions of geography, recruiting outstanding students and teachers from all across Yan. As a result, education in Yan became more than just a local matter; it changed the way that government institutions recruited new civil servants, and fostered a culture of respect for knowledge and lifelong learning in Yan society.
Wilhelm Herzog Guttenberg University, colloquially known as Wilhelm University, was founded by Markgrafen Wilhelm and Herzog in Guttenberg in 812. It is the second-oldest university in Guttenberg after Guttenberg University, founded in 794, and one of the oldest universities in the Core nations.
With a rich academic tradition fostered over four centuries of history, Wilhelm
University has four colleges spread across 27 spires: The College of Originium Studies, the College of Law, the College of Natural Science, and the College of History and Letters. All four colleges are amongst the most prestigious in its field, and Wilhelm University was the first to introduce a number of new disciplines, including the Faculty of Applied Language and Faculty of Tonality. The Wilhelm University, Guttenberg University, and Kurfürst Erich University, known as the Big Three of Guttenberg, have transformed Guttenberg into Terra's leading academic center, attracting countless students and scholars each year.
The founding of Trimounts University, Columbia's first university, in 1012 created employment and research opportunities for highly-educated immigrants, and opened a window to the future for the newborn nation. Trimounts University's scholars come from various backgrounds and educational systems, resulting in a wide range of teaching and research styles, and its fair share of intense debates. This fostered a highly active research environment, but also sowed the seeds of discord.
Full-fledged factionalism broke out in 1030. Starting with the faculty, the school split along ideological lines into several factions, with very little interaction between different factions. The Trimounts Institute of Technology and the Columbia School of Art and Design were founded in 1032 by faculty members who left Trimounts University, fed up with the infighting. The Trimounts Institute of Technology is renowned for its physics and mathematics departments, while the Columbia School of Art and Design's architecture and photography majors are the most prestigious in Columbia.
Pizzeria Martino began as a high-class restaurant owned by Famiglia Conte, whose don was a fanatic gourmand. This made Pizzeria Martino the go-to destination for the famiglie of Siracusa to host important guests, even when they were at war with the Contes.
Pizzeria Martino changed hands following the fall of the Contes, going in a more affordable direction. Taking up an imaginative business strategy, the new owners designed the iconic pizza-man logo, and sponsored the children's cartoon "Martino Brothers", which has since become a household name. Today, Pizzeria Martino can be found in every city in Siracusa, and it has also gained a solid foothold in neighboring countries.
The Siracusans have a love-hate relationship with the restaurant. Pizzeria Martino sells authentic Siracusan pizza in Siracusa, but it has taken bold liberties with its menu abroad, including the open-face fries pizza in Victoria, and the chili fowlbeast pizza in Yan.
Pizzeria Martino's logo, made famous by the cartoon series. The upward-curving mustache shows that it is the younger of the Martino Brothers.
The building materials company HydeBro is a curious tragedy of the business sector. Building their fortune from scratch, Leo and Val Hyde rose quickly in the intensely competitive Columbian business sector. They soon became one of Columbia's leading building materials suppliers, fostering a close partnership with the Columbian government. In its heyday, HydeBro had branches all over Columbia, their uniformed employees found everywhere.
Yet HydeBro's fall came just as quickly as its rise. Soon after the brothers came under investigation by a local prosecutor, the illegal and violent acts they had committed during their rise came to light. The brothers were thrown in prison, their myth shattered, leaving their empire to be carved up by rivals. In the end, HydeBro was just one more drop in the great lake of Columbia's businesses.
HydeBro's logo.
Mama John's is a household name in Columbia. As one of Columbia's best-selling donut brands, it claims to export 20,000 tonnes of tea leaves to Victoria annually. Its logo is a common sight in the restaurants of Columbia, its products encompassing everything from raw ingredients and seasonings to desserts and snacks. It is not unusual for Mama John's to be involved in all three daily meals for the average Columbian.
But Mama John's has bigger dreams than their '80s TV slogan of "taking over every dinner table in Columbia". Their operations have expanded considerably in the past decade or so. Today, the familiar logo can be seen not only on the dinner table, but also on furniture, TVs and other places, sailing with the great cargo ships to the frontier and the rest of Terra.
The Mama John's logo has become such a ubiquitous symbol of Columbian dining that some children actually believe the name of ketchup's mother is John.
Mama John's voucher. Insignificant accessories in Columbia, the ticket to a day of developed industrial luxury in Bolivar.
Słoma Food Company is a household name in Kazimierz, and one of her largest farming, forestry, and livestock conglomerates. It is Kazimierz's market leader in foodstuff, including vegetables, fruits, processed staple foods, livestock and poultry products, dairy products, drinks, seasonings, packaged meals, instant soups, amongst others. It is also an important supplier of wood, fuel, and leather. Słoma Food Company has begun to dip its toes into sports and entertainment; the 24th Kazimierz Major that Słoma sponsored went on without a hitch, while 24 Nights in the GKT, a TV show that Słoma had invested in, was also a modest commercial success.
The processing platform leakage in 1098 did not significantly impact Słoma, at first. However, the leak of an internal document, which Słoma claims was the act of a rival, revealed the complex threads that tie Słoma to Mieszko Group, an industrial giant. The two companies are still embroiled in the PR and legal quagmire that arose from the incident.
The word Słoma means hay or animal feed in Kazimierzian, making Słoma-branded burdenbeast feed an endless source of jokes on the Kazimierzian intercity net.
The Słoma Food Company logo.
Coffee Plain is a coffee cultivation and processing company based in Dossoles, Bolívar, known throughout Terra for its coffee beans, coffee powder, and coffee-derived foods. It is known for the variety of its flavors, and the Siracusan Sentiment product line has carved out a decent share in Siracusa's own domestic market.
Coffee Plain has adopted the slogan in recent years—"Stay awake through overtime with REAL caffeine!" The slogan met with mixed reception when first released. Coffee Plain's sales have climbed steadily, seeing a gain of 15% each quarter in 1098. This mystifying result is known as the Coffee Plain Mystery.
Coffee Plain is also a significant weapons supplier in Dossoles.
Collecting all of Coffee Plain's labels does not grant you any superpowers. Except in Dossoles.
Headquartered in Kazimierz, Mieszko Group's business spans the fields of financial, insurance, Originium industry, military industry, and nomadic city construction. Some of its affiliate companies include Mieszko Industries, Mieszko Electronics, Mieszko Construction, and Mieszko Pharmaceutical.
Kazimierz was required to deliver three nomadic cities with twenty-five or more plates as reparations following her defeat in the Tenth Ursus-Kazimierz War in 1062. The project went to Roman Mieszko's newly founded Mieszko Industries. After the cities were delivered, Mieszko remained in business as a company with extensive experience in nomadic city construction. Over the next few decades, Mieszko Industries absorbed numerous small- and mid-sized enterprises in various fields, expanding its business as it did so. It grew from a single company to a massive conglomerate with more than a dozen affiliates.
Though its current name is Mieszko Group, Kazimierzians often call it by its previous names Mieszko Industries or the Mieszko Industrial Group.
■ The Mieszko Comp Security, a new form of business that only Kazimierzians understand. There have also been many Kazimierzians who lost a fortune without fully comprehending how.
Monster Siren Records, one of the largest music publishers of the 11th century, has a presence in almost every inhabited region of Terra. Bold and radical in its strategy, the company was said to have run the Iberian blockade in search of a legendary a cappella group.
■ Monster Siren Records' logo.
MSR's portfolio includes legendary artists and bands such as Emperor, D.D.D., and AUS, a number of professional orchestras, dozens of idol groups and bands, and countless other musicians. Creative freedom is a major reason why many artists have chosen MSR. If Emperor wants to have a gun in the rhythm section, he has it, as long as he foots the bill for the bullets himself.
From pop idol singers to heavy metal, from classical symphony to futuristic digital music, the scope of MSR's portfolio is mind-boggling. It is constantly on the cutting edge of music, responsible for many developments in the field.
■ The music that MSR has published encompasses a wide range of languages, periods, and styles, making it a living history of Terran music.