Tobal is a human planet notable for having multiple Ground Zero sites. Many R&D organizations have constructed their facilities on the planet to study the artifacts from such sites in hopes of recovering lost technology. Since most of Tobal's Ground Zeroes seem to be from the Innovation Empire, it can be surmised that Tobal used to be a march of the Empire acting as a bastion against Beast incursions. The remains of the eleventh homonculus, Eve Zail, is interned in the 4th Ground Zero in Tobal, leading some to believe that the planet was her realm.
Robert Nelson explains the negative effects of the AE-Knights conflict in Tobal
Tobal is politically unstable as it lacks a unified planetary government. Instead different competing states are in conflict against each other through proxy wars brought about by the deliberate maneuverings of AE and Knight Order. The planet has so far survived four major Beast attacks, all of which involved either an EX-Type Zero or a Blue Flower, or both.
In CC 431, the planet achieved unification after a devastating Beast attack by a Blue Flower of Beasts Queen E-34. The Tobal Union (TU) was then established through a revolutionary fervor and immediately declared independence from foreign influences. Within the same year, the nascent government collapsed from another devastating Beast attack that left it to be occupied briefly by the anti-Knights AE faction until the arrival of the Alternative League (AL) who expelled the AE and propped-up a puppet TU government. A state of civil war currently consumes the planet.
The story of Another Episode-2 A Village Where You Are is set on Tobal.
History[]
First Battle of Tobal[]
The battlefield where Sion Zail fought Hyperion is forever condemned as uninhabitable
- Main article: First Battle of Tobal
The First Battle of Tobal was a simultaneous Beast attack on Tobal's surface and on its moon, Vine, by EX-Type Zeroes Hyperion and Rabbit respectively. The Knight Order took command of the battle and prioritized the barren moon over the populated planet due to Vine's Ground Zero which contains the mobile fortress Mnemeion. To justify its decision, the evaluation of Hyperion was lowered to B-Class despite the fact that its threat level was equal to Rabbit's A-Class. The Knight Order deployed a special subjugation force composed mainly of Zail Knights for this task. Top Sword Sion Zail requested to be a detached force deployed to Tobal instead in order to save its people. The request was given special dispensation by the field commander respecting Sion's choice to sacrifice herself for others but frowned upon by the Zail Council of Elders. Both Hyperion and Rabbit were suppressed.
Second Battle of Tobal[]
- Main article: Second Battle of Tobal
Tobal's surface after the Blue Flower attack
The Second Battle of Tobal was a Blue Flower attack as part of Beast Queen E-34's campaign for human extermination. As the Knights were entirely committed to the Arin Recovery Campaign, there were no available forces to assist Tobal in its defense save for Cross Society agent Leny and recently reactivated Cold Heroes Sion Zail and Original Chimera. The Blue Flower wrecked havoc and destruction on the planet causing massive geographical changes - major continents of Tobal were sunk to the ocean. Eventually the Blue Flower was suppressed but its falling debris also brought about devastating consequences of erosion on the remaining landmasses. The unified planetary government, Tobal Union, was created in its wake.
Third Battle of Tobal[]
The damaged Mnemeion crashed on Tobal. The World Tree's flowers can be seen orbiting Vine
- Main article: Third Battle of Tobal
The Third Battle of Tobal was a Beast attack continuing E-34's war against humans and an extension of the previous battle. It can be analyzed as the ultimate consequence of several key human actions:
- Knight Order/Leny advancing their interests in Tobal regardless of its consequences for the population;
- Robert Nelson getting fed up by the Knight Order's interventions and establishing the revolutionary Tobal Union which expels the Knight Order by framing Sion Zail;
- Lieutenant General Tinie spearheading the support of anti-Knights AE faction to TU in exchange for the fallen Blue Flower core and Mnemeion;
- Van Nelson leading a major terrorist raid on the Space Elevator to rescue Sion that exhausted much of TU's military forces;
- Miliaria attacking Tinie's camp which damaged the control of the Blue Flower core/Mnemeion; and finally
- Sion Zail ignoring the fleeing EX-Type Two Chatterbox during the previous battle who now returned to initiate another attack on Tobal.
The battle ended as a pyrrhic victory for humans but the Tobal Union was already too expended to recover and eventually collapsed. The AE then occupied the planet, took over the government, and imposed martial law.
Tobal Civil War[]
- Main article: Tobal Civil War
The Tobal Civil War is an on-going human conflict in Tobal between the official Tobal Union government (which is now under foreign control) and the Tobal Independence Committee - an armed pro-independence revolutionary group who are from the original Tobal Union government of President Nelson. The civil war started as an armed resistance to AE's military occupation of Tobal. The Alternative League then intervened on humanitarian grounds to cease the civil war although their real objective was to seize the Central Committee of the anti-Knights AE faction which had now gathered in their new headquarters in Tobal. The official TU government then shifted from being a puppet of AE to AL. The civil war still continues.
Government[]
Pre-unification[]
Lian's 4th Ground Zero on the planet surface is leased to PPP
Lian's 7th Ground Zero on Vine is leased to Knight Order
Tobal was deliberately left politically divided by the AE and Knight Order to monopolize the Ground Zeroes scattered throughout the planet. Before the formation of the Tobal Union, there exists several competing states/countries that are either aligned with the AE or Knights such as:
Lian[]
The Republic of Lian is a domestic superpower that is aligned with the Knights. It notably had a long-standing rivalry with Utah leading to intermittent wars between the two. Lian won the most recent Utah-Lian War and imposed severe sanctions. The Lian government is a unitary presidential constitutional republic. President Billy and his father before him were the leaders of the country for the longest time. Lian's territory encompasses several Ground Zeroes thus the Knights has a strategic interest in supporting the ruling government and maintaining a pro-Knights popular opinion. The Lian government hosts several Knights and PPP R&D facilities as well as the IAN School of Engineering. By sheer chance, the Blue Flower missed the continent of Lian during the Second Battle of Tobal.
Former President Billy's rebellion
General Robert Nelson replaced President Billy through an election after the Second Battle of Tobal. Billy withdrew to Karin Island and attempted to restore himself into power by mounting a rebellion using sympathetic military units and civilian supporters. Nelson however used the Mnemeion's gravity device to destroy Billy's gathered forces and sink Karin Island. President Nelson then dissolved the Lian government to form the Tobal Union.
Utah[]
Remains of Utah landmass
The Republic of Utah is a domestic superpower that is aligned with the AE. Lian was its rival and Utah citizens have a deep-seated hatred of Lian made worse when their country lost the most recent Utah-Lian War. Utah then had to endure severe sanctions on top of war reparations. At the Second Battle of Tobal, the continent of Utah sank to the ocean due to the Blue Flower attack. This ensued mass exodus to the only continent miraculously spared which is Lian.
Others[]
Remains of Epirin landmass
- Epirin - a state that was destroyed by the Blue Flower during the Second Battle of Tobal. Rhea Zail died here while helping rescue and evacuation efforts.
Tobal Union[]
The Tobal Union (TU) is the unified planetary government of Tobal established by President Robert Nelson of the Republic of Lian in keeping with his revolutionary, pan-Tobalist agenda. The establishment of the TU is seen as a reaction to the aftermath of the Second Battle of Tobal in CC 431. The new government aimed to reject outside interference and achieve true independence. To this end, Nelson negatively portrayed the Knights, specifically Sion Zail, to confiscate their properties/technologies and attain the ability to fight Beasts. The Knight Order and their related entities were then expelled from the planet. An agreement for cooperation between the TU and the anti-Knights AE faction was brokered by President Nelson. In exchange for providing access to some Ground Zeroes and lost technologies, the AE would not interfere with Tobal's internal affairs and would provide protection. The Tobal Union effectively collapsed in the aftermath of the Third Battle of Tobal.
AE Rule[]
AE's reconstruction efforts as part of its humanitarian aid to Tobal
After the Third Battle, Tobal was in complete chaos and destruction. The anti-Knights AE faction then forcibly entered Tobal with a massive fleet under the pretense of providing humanitarian aid. Nelson commented that the AE fleet merely hid behind Vine during the whole battle to seize claiming victory. While actual reconstruction efforts were made for civilian welfare, much of the work was made to turn Tobal into the anti-Knights faction's HQ and bastion.
Dissident TU factions, disillusioned with the AE's help, launched an armed rebellion to restore their eroding independence. The anti-Knights faction then declared martial law as an emergency measure. TU then briefly became an AE puppet until the arrival of the Knights-led Alternative League under Dry Leonhard. AE's occupation prompted the Tobal Civil War between the AE occupiers and the Nelson-inspired Tobal Independence Committee aiming for complete independence. AL later used this as a casus belli to launch an intervention for the liberation of Tobal.
AL Rule[]
AL arriving to intervene in the Tobal Civil War for "humanitarian purposes"
The Alternative League (AL) arrived in Tobal with a huge fleet to launch a surprise mopping-up operation against the anti-Knight AE faction. A single newly commissioned space warship designed by Ruin Company decimated the whole AE fleet with the Python System. The AL then assumed supervision over Tobal and continued the imposition of martial law. The Tobal Union still exists but is merely a puppet government of the AL. The civil war continues but this time between the AL-recognized TU government and the TU secessionists.
Military[]
Pre-unification[]
Due to its domestic political situation, the collective military of Tobal before unification was largely more for human warfare than countering Beasts. Lian and Utah were the domestic superpowers of Tobal and received cutting edge technology from Knight Order and AE respectively to be used in their wars against each other. The latter two competing entities have a vested interest in these proxy wars as it was a means to field test their new weaponry and to simulate a post-Beast scenario wherein in an open AE-Knights conflict would be inevitable. Due to this, Tobal has amassed advanced technology and defense-related articles that are unique compared to other planets and only indigenous to Tobal. Even Dry Leonhard was impressed by the collective military capacity of Tobal.
Tobal Union[]
With the expulsion of the Knights, the Tobal Union prioritized the creation of a replacement force than can equally slay Beasts effectively. President Nelson then contracted his son, Ray Nelson, disgraced Deputy Director of Central Order's R&D Department, to create the means to do so and the Raven Suits were created. The suit's armor can provide adequate protection from Beasts and its related armament components can destroy armored vehicles. Being modular, the suits can also immediately change equipment mid-battle to adapt as necessary. The Raven Suits however revolved around special lances that channel the power of Mysteltein - the suit itself was only to optimize a user's ability to wield the lance. The Double Zero Spear was the effective anti-Beast weaponry that can replace Knights and match their AB Swords. The Raven Suits were used by elite special units who were deployed for anti-Beast and anti-Knights operations. Aside from the Raven Units, Tobal Union unified all armed forces of pre-unified Tobal into one military body. This gave TU a very sizeable force that can guarantee its independence.
After the Third Battle of Tobal, the effectiveness of the Raven Suits substantially decreased due to the lost of Mysteltein. Without it, the Double Zero Spears were rendered useless in battle. Much of the elite Raven Units were then totally wiped out during the battle along with TU's conventional military. As such, the Tobal Union was left powerless to stop AE's and subsequently, AL's takeover. The Knights have since appropriated the Raven Suits but discarded the Double Zero Spears for its ineffectiveness.
Notable Locations[]
Vine[]
Rabbit attacks Vine. The 7th Ground Zero is visible
Vine is the moon orbiting Tobal. A special Knights suppression team composed exclusively of Zails fought the A-Rank EX-Type Zero Rabbit in Vine during the First Battle of Tobal in CC 400. It was used as the primary base of operations of AE after the declaration of independence of Tobal Union in CC 431. Lieutenant General Tinie attempted to reactivate Mnemion from Vine by transplanting the Blue Flower core from the Second Battle of Tobal into it.
The main fleet of the Anti-Knights AE faction hid behind Vine during the whole Third Battle of Tobal.
Notable features on Vine:
- 7th Ground Zero that is actually a derelict Innovation Empire shipyard used during the Great War before the Empire's collapse. It contained the inactive Mnemeion. It was somehow acquired by Lian and then leased to the Knight Order.
- A hidden Knights facility overseeing the 7th Ground Zero; later used by Leny with the Original Chimera to recuperate from Second Battle of Tobal and to observe the events in Tobal.
Sion's Town[]
Sion's town was an unnamed suburb on the outskirts near IAN School. It was seemingly impoverished but still lively. The town was founded by Sion Zail after the First Battle of Tobal and was thereafter built and expanded by her "uncles" who took residence in the town. Sion wished for the town to be an ideal place with no conflicts where people can settle, have families, and live in peace, harmony, and fulfillment. Unfortunately, the town was devastated during the Third Battle of Tobal. After the battle, Mio Nelson assisted in rebuilding the town again in memory of her lost friends. The rebuilt town became a highly urbanized city. The new colony being established in Planet Sion was supposed to reflect Sion's town.
When Sion entered into IAN School to spend her remaining days as a normal girl, she was provided residence in the town. She also became the unofficial town idol. Airi was Sion's neighbor.
Space Elevator[]
Tobal Space Elevator attacked by terrorists
A space elevator that connects Tobal's surface to an orbiting satellite station. The surface end of the elevator is somewhere in Lian. The Tobal Union had Sion Zail imprisoned midway the elevator. The elevator was then raided by a terrorist group composed of Van Nelson, certain IAN School faculty and staff members, and enhanced veterans from the First Battle of Tobal ("Sion's uncles"), to rescue Sion. Leny supported her apprentice, Van, as it would complete her mission of reducing TU's effective fighting strength without risking the covert presence of Cross Society in Tobal. Due to TU's forces being tied down by the raid, EX-Type Two Chatterbox evaded detection and was able to infiltrate the volcanic burial ground of Hyperion deep underground Tobal's surface to resurrect him as Hyperion Repair. Chatterbox also infiltrated Lieutenant General Tinie's camp where she took control of the reactivated Mnemeion. Mnemeion later destroyed the space elevator in what would be the first acts of the Third Battle of Tobal. The elevator's fall caused destruction on the surface below.
Geographic Landmarks[]
Karin Island under attack
- Volcano - After the First Battle of Tobal, Hyperion's corpse was left inside a volcano. The extreme conditions of the magma acted as a preserving agent to the durable body of Hyperion. The core of the Blue Flower on Bados Island planted roots deep underground that stretched for 300km searching for Hyperion.
- Utah Desert - A desert of Utah. It was apparently destroyed during the Second Battle of Tobal along with the whole continent. The Raven Suits trespassed into Utah and were covertly tested here under the supervision of General Robert Nelson of Lian.
- Bados Island - A large island with a rugged mountain range on one end and a large plain extending from the other end to the center. The island is a territory of Lian. The core of the Blue Flower that attacked Tobal fell on Bados Island and was retrieved by anti-Knights AE faction's Lieutenant General Tinie with permission from Lian's General Nelson and Senator Dokin. The apparent sparseness of the island is presumed to be caused by the collision impact of the core and its subsequent erosion.
- Karin Island - An island of Lian that hosted Dalton Base. Former President Billy withdrew to this island to gather his supporters for a rebellion. The whole island was sunk by Mnemeion's gravity device.
Structural Landmarks[]
Darian Under-Base destroyed
Trin Base destroyed
- Madison Bridge - A suspension bridge on the outskirts of the Lian border that connects the country physically to an unnamed country. It is the only access point to traverse from one country to the other in that area as there is a deep valley in between the steep ridgelines that denote the border limits. President Billy authorized an airstrike to destroy the bridge. Officially, it was to prevent terrorists from taking advantage of mass confusion and panic to infiltrate Lian but the actual reason was to prevent refugees from other countries to swarm in.
- Darian Base - An underground military base. It was the first military installation destroyed by the Blue Flower during the Second Battle of Tobal.
- Dalton Base - A Lian military base in Karin Island that was garrisoned by pro-Knights and pro-President Billy soldiers. It supported Billy's rebellion to restore himself into power against Robert Nelson. The base was destroyed along with the whole island by Mnemeion's gravity device.
- Trin Base - A TU military facility located somewhere on Tobal. Its warship shelter can even accommodate the most modern space warships. Dry Leonhard intended to make use of the base for the Alternative League once they occupy Tobal but it was destroyed by Leny during Cross Society's clandestine raids to screen AL's invasion during the Tobal Civil War by saturating AE's capacity to respond to multiple attacks.