This is part two of my article regarding what, I believe, the outcome of the major conflicts on Rifts Earth will be. This second part covers most of the Eastern Hemisphere (Africa and Australia will be covered, hopefully, in Part Three). I will, hopefully, give some information regarding the outcome of major conflicts in the Phase World and Wormwood dimensions (Phase World being the most prominent). Read and and enjoy...

Japan

Republic of Japan/Oni
Japan is another tough call. Little is mentioned of a conflict, except that the Oni view the Republic of Japan as their main opposition to the conquest of Japan. The Oni, however, are inferior in numbers and technology. Unfortunately, they are significantly stronger, and more powerful through their natural abilities. The Oni's natural abilities will cause problems for the Republic of Japan's foot soldiers, but will eventually be defeated by the mechanized units, with minimal casualties to the Republic.

Russia

All of these conflicts between Warlords will certainly not take place until after all of Russia has been purged of the demons that plague the lands, which could take decades, if not centuries. Once Russia has been purged, the differences between Warlords will be addressed, causing titanic battles of those involved. Eventually, one side (there will most certainly be alliances) will emerge victorious and a Czar chosen.

Kolodenko vs. Orloff/Sokolov
In all likelihood, Kolodenko will, eventually, emerge from this conflict the victor. Why? First of all, he holds the "high ground," with much of his Sphere located within the Caucasus Mountains, or the foothills nearby. Secondly, Kolodenko is great friends with most of the Cossack tribal leaders, leading to the very real possibility betrayal from within the borders of the Orloff and Sokolov Spheres, severely hurting both of the Warlord's spheres. Additionally, Kolodenko is educated and well-versed in the use of guerilla tactics and psychological warfare. He already has Sokolov seeing his hand in every unfortunate event.

Though Orloff and Sokolov themselves are likely to survive (power mad, yes; stupid, no), they will eventually lose their entire Camp to Kolodenko along with their lands. Should Orloff and Sokolov survive, they are likely to form a resistance against Kolodenko, though when is difficult to predict (they might actually die of old age before this war actually comes to pass).

Romanov vs. Seriyev
Eventually, to further his own power, Seriyev is bound to betray Sonya, as surprised as she will be. This will, most likely, cause the downfall of the Romanov Camp. This will earn Seriyev the enmity of Kolodenko, to be certain, and possibly other Warlords.

My reasons for believe Seriyev will be the victor is based, in large part, on the fact that Sonya trusts him far too much. Though Seriyev has some feelings for her, it is stated in World Book 17 (p.52), that he will betray her if it serves his purposes. Seriyev also has his dirty little fingers in criminal operations all over Russia (Kolodenko is even investigating this rumor) and has the resources to win over soldiers from other Camps (causing a large number of betrayals, much to the annoyance of the other Warlord).

Orloff/Sokolov vs. the Sovietski
This conflict will probably not get into full swing for a few reasons. The first is that Sonya Romanov (at the very least) will oppose the conflict and would quickly step in. If Romanov were to step in and place herself in a position for utter defeat, it is likely that Kolodenko would quickly come to her aid. Thus, these two Warlord Spheres must be dealt with first, and it is unlikely that Orloff and Sokolov would win in the end.

However, for speculation purposes, I'll include my thoughts anyway. Orloff and Sokolov, unfortunately, do not stand much of a chance in an all out war against the Sovietski. The Sovietski, like their ancestors, are masters of armored warfare and would be able to walk over the Warlord Camps' cyborgs (their foot soldiers would present little opposition, though the use of mine fields and mini-missile launchers could win the Warlords a couple battles).

Despite the Warlords' relatively high level of technology when if comes to bionics and cybernetics, they are unlikely to be able to match the might of the Sovietski tanks. A simple fact is that the Soviets have always built superior tanks (World Book 18, p.157, as well as many history books about the Russian military).

Burgasov Dissenters vs. Burgasov
Many people who survived the annihilation of the Kahzmyr Sphere joined bandit gangs and criminal groups and continue to raid Burgasov villages and troops. Should it come to war (and it probably will, eventually), the dissenters are likely to be defeated. They are highly unorganized, too few in number, and would simply be unable to unite themselves against Burgasov in any way that would cause any significant amount of harm (perhaps a few hundred to a thousand troops will be annihilated, but that is a fraction of Burgasov's army).

A Return to Glories Past…
In the end, the Russian humans will have their country back. Unfortunately, it will be at a great cost. The demons will still be at their borders, the hordes having taken over much of the Orient (China, Mongolia, etc.). The most likely Czar of Russia, once it has been restored (a task that will take years, probably several decades) will be the Kolodenko sphere (whether it is Kolodenko himself or one of his successors, is difficult to say, since it is unknown how long Kolodenko will live). Kolodenko, after Warlord Romanov's defeat at the hands of Seriyev, will begin to methodically defeat the remaining Warlord Camps, working his way, first, northward by rolling over Sokolov and Orloff through the continued use of guerilla tactics and the added advantage of insurrection from within Sokolov's own camp (the Cossacks).

To defeat Orloff, Kolodenko will use the added troops he will gain from defeating Sokolov and use similar tactics on Orloff (though some variation will probably be necessary, the psychological warfare will still probably be used) despite the fact that it may take a decade to finally defeat Orloff. Once Orloff has been defeated, Kolodenko will ally himself with the Sovietski and sandwich Seriyev, defeating him rather quickly (probably in about five to seven years).

Once these three Warlords have been dealt with, Kolodenko will attempt to peacefully negotiate for an alliance with the other warlords. Burgasov, a warrior at heart, is most likely to refuse and will be defeated (probably not killed) in a battle with the, now much more powerful, Kolodenko sphere. Alekseyevna is likely to follow a similar path as Burgasov, but will concede once he realizes the futility of his actions. It is at this time (after the defeat of the remaining Warlords) that Kolodenko will declare himself Czar, despite the Sovietski's protests (which may lead to another war in which Kolodenko will be defeated, but not destroyed, by the Sovietski war machine).

If war does not occur between the Sovietski and the expansive Warlord sphere, then an alliance is sure to be struck, with both declaring sovereignty. Once this has been achieved, any remaining demons within the new Russian nation, will be quickly exterminated and the borders between the nation and demon-infested China will be fortified.

South America

Not many conflicts are touched upon in South America, despite the fact that it was here that the Cataclysm began.

The Empire of the Sun vs. the Arkhon Freehold
The Empire of the Sun is most likely to win, eventually. This is especially true should they ally themselves with the Megaversal Legion (not likely, but a possibility). The Empire of the Sun has magic and the ability to use the Nazca Line Drawings again. Should the war come down to drawn battle lines rather than raids and counter-raids (South America Two, p.71), these Drawings will most certainly be used, should the Empire begin to see the losing side of the war, wiping out the Arkhon Citadels that make up the Freehold.

Cordoba vs. Santiago
Cordoba will win this conflict through the sheer size of their fighting force. When comparing mechanized units, you should note that Santiago has only 500 active Glitter Boy units. Despite my praise of this unit previously, they will be overrun quite easily by the thousands of "Toro" power armor units employed by Cordoba. In addition, Cordoba has a superior number of infantry and the troops are more highly trained than the Santiago troops, which consist of a small standing army and the Citizens Militia.

Cordoba vs. the Achilles Republic
Unfortunately, Cordoba will, again, easily win this conflict. The Achilles Republic's technology level is only equal to 20th Century Earth. This is greatly inferior to Cordoba. Though the Achilles Republic will, most likely, be rolled over by the Cordoban Regime, many are likely to escape as most will quickly realize that they cannot win. Where they escape is anyone's guess, though some (those with the ability to travel as far) will probably leave for Lone Star and others for various regions of South America. A few might join up with the New Navy (though it will be difficult) and others may find their way to other continents, but most will remain in either North or South America.

England

There are no conflicts truly alluded to in Rifts: England. The only potential conflict that I noticed in my refresher read would arise should the truth be discovered about Mrrlyn, Arr'thuu, Guinevere, and The Lady of the Lake. Though Arr'thuu may know nothing of his being used as a pawn, he will most certainly be killed if his true lineage is revealed.

Prrcyvel, who is already aware of the truth, will most likely be the one who reveals the truth. If he continues to interfere, Mrrlyn is quite likely to engage Prrcyvel in battle, at which time Prrcyvel will take advantage of the situation and show the true nature of Mrrlyn to the people of New Camelot. Prrcyvel is likely to only be saved by the intervention of Galahad, who also has his suspicions regarding Mrrlyn and will quickly jump into the battle once he recognizes Mrrlyn as an extension of the Zllyphan intelligence.

Once Mrrlyn and the other extensions have been defeated (probably within a few years of the Campaign of Unity, around 108 or 109 PA), a search for the true and rightful heir to the throne of New Camelot.

Note: What follows are my opinions on what could be an awesome outcome. I have based the following on the Lady Pendragon comics (an AWESOME series, by the way) by Image Comics. After reading the first few issues, I was reminded of a very cool, very interesting alternate timeline for Rifts England, one that stayed closer to the Arthurian legend.

Galahad will sit on the throne, temporarily, while Prrcyvel searches for the true heir, and the true Merlin. Eventually, Prrcyvel will come across a single woman defending the northern borders against the Fomorians. It is this woman who is heir to the throne of Camelot. Prrcyvel will return, and she will be crowned queen. Unfortunately, a new menace will arise, in the reincarnated form of Mordred and Morgana (two other figures left out of Rifts England) through another attempt by Zllyphan to come to Rifts Earth (this time through actual human vessels). What happens from here can be anything.

Article Written By:  Thoth
30 July 1999