Gunta

Gunta is the breadbasket of the FTSR; in fact, to some extent, it’s the breadbasket of Scande as well. Gunta is the smallest of the five cities; in fact, until a decade before the Great War, it was nothing more than a primitive tribal village. It was by the order of Empress Salynae that the land of the Gunta tribe was seized, and the city of Guntz built. During the Ticonderan Civil War, the Gunta seized control of of the city, but the assassination of their leader, Zandergun, by a Cadre agent named Ash, brought them to the negotiation table with the Federation. The Gunta were granted some land, money, and representation in the municipal government in exchange for their allegiance to the fledgling FTSR. The name of the city was changed to Gunta out of respect to the nuances of the Gunta language.

The Gunta are a peaceful and spiritual people who generally prefer to live off the land and are uncomfortable with modern technology. They are willing to adapt to the use of machines and synthetics when necessary, but generally regard them with distrust, feeling that such things weaken the bond between the soul and nature. The Gunta are known to be solemn and patient; revenge is anathema to their culture. Many of their ways are kept secret from outsiders. Gunta handcrafted quilts are sold on the black market and make great conversation pieces in the capitalist nations of the Web.

During the bloody civil war that left Ticondera divided among four nations, Zandergun sought independence for the Gunta, taking control of the city of Guntz and renaming it Zal Gunta, meaning Nation of the Gunta. The Collective needed the city and especially its farmland for the Federation it was trying to build... Zandergun's death had been a simple job, two bullets to the temple and one to the heart, but the aftermath still troubled [Ash]. In accordance with Gunta traditions, his guards and followers solemnly laid down their weapons and prepared for Zandergun's funeral, even as he stood there holding a smoking pistol. No one spoke to him or made eye contact with him; it was as if he were merely a ghost. Why the Gunta made no move towards retribution he did not know, but the fairly successful negotiations that followed brought the Gunta into the Federation and left the city name at "Gunta".