Terva
The ungoverned terrorist group defending Ananan rights
Terva is a recognised terrorist organisation in Magnus Prime. Its numbers are mainly composed of Ananans. However, humans and Magis who share their values are also welcome. Terva claims to be the oldest resistance group in the world. Although their values vary depending on the faction, they ultimately fight for Ananan rights.
Structure and Entry
One of the most challenging aspects the authorities face in policing Terva is its lack of structure. While there have been many Ananans over the years that the authorities have claimed to be 'leaders' of Terva, because Terva has no central governance, no one has been able to verify their command. This lack of governance also makes it hard for the authorities to ascertain who is a terrorist. Even other Ananans don't know if someone is Terva or not.
To join Terva is very easy. There is no application, and no requirement to join an existing faction or find another member to sponsor your entry. There are many who, on a personal level, will say they are Terva but never commit any act of terrorism in their lives. As such, most members of Terva operate independently. If it is a group, they usually decide as a group before beginning that they will represent their idea of the values of Terva. It is very rare to have a faction that is more than five in number.
I didn't wake up one day and decide I would be Terva. They killed my boyfriend, see, they killed him right before me, and that was all I needed. I took my spade and I hit the guard, and when he was down, I cut that bastard's head off. I didn't first sit down and craft some manifesto and establish what values I stood for. I just saw something wrong, and I fixed it. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things wrong with this world.
Terva is, by nature, chaotic, which is its success, and failure
Values
Not all Ananans are looking to achieve the same aim. Because of their non-centralised approach, Terva have never been successful.
Some of the most common aims include:
- Full inclusion into Favontille society
- Maintained isolationism
- Protected culture status
- Emancipation for everyone
- More job opportunities
- Emancipation for Ananans only
- Expulsion of all Favontilles and return to Marterra
- Revenge
- Sexual freedom
Modus Operandi
There is no recognised method of operation for Terva terrorists. The authorities have concluded, as a result, that any Ananan willing to use magic in the open and expose their power must be a terrorist and a threat. Some common methods include:
- Assassination
- Riots
- Destruction of property
- Unprejudiced killing of civilians
- Ignatans changing into full form and running into crowds
The majority of Ananans don't agree with Terva at all, believing the best way is to live in harmony. Others might not agree with their actions because they don't share the same aim, but will defend it, calling Terva an ideology. Occasionally, two Terva factions will fight with each other if their views oppose, but this will only occur if they become aware of each other's existence, and that only happens normally if a greater power in the background puts them in contact with each other.
You want to be Terva? You want to run around, harming people, killing them, in some crazy belief that this will make them respect you?
If you want to be Terva, you need to show people how to live. You need to be a beacon of hope, to live honourably and to make life honourable. Show them the joys of being you and living your life, and then you'll succeed.
Without a common goal, Terva regularly fails
Funding
Terva occasionally receives support, though this almost always comes from members of the faction they’re affiliated with. Funding from external sources does occur, but it’s uncommon and typically only happens after a Terva faction has drawn attention by committing a terrorist act. For example, after Queen Adelaide’s assassination, the attack was widely attributed to Terva, and the country of Enwa claimed to have funded it, leading to war. It was later revealed that they only began financing Terva after the fact, seeking out potential members and supplying them with money to disrupt Favont’s infrastructure.
Funding is rare, the big money comes from external sources playing the world stage
In the book
Masive spoiler alert!!The Terva we meet in the book is initially made up of Dacoran Arabada and his younger brother, Stefan. They were working in the mines until Stefan witnessed his boyfriend being killed by guards, for which he retaliated by cutting the guard's head with a spade. Dacoran seized the moment, declaring the act was for Terva, and the two escaped, leaving a bloody riot behind them.
They eventually arrive in Stright, an area of Esprite, where they by chance meet Aidan, a half-Ananan student to whom they are distantly related. Aidan takes them in, posing as their owner to outsiders, and funds their actions as his way of supporting Terva. Dacoran and Stefan later rescue Mala, another Ananan who has escaped her master. Together, they destroy a power station and several statues in the city.
Mala later learns that Magan, a former classmate, is now employed by Princess Listelle and sees a chance to infiltrate. She secures a position as a housemaid in his house.
Dacoran is tipped off that Princess Listelle will be dining at a particular restaurant. Mala confirms this, but unknown to her, Listelle cancels and gives the reservation to her assistant, Pearl Lightly. Dacoran kills the assistant, but is immediately arrested and later executed. Aidan, appalled, expels Stefan from his home. Stefan goes to the palace to get Mala so they can escape, but Magan sees him and recognises him as Dacoran's brother. He realises he was deceived and that Mala was part of Terva, so he tells her to run.
Days later, Magan has the SDA catch up with them and gives them the assignment of freeing a group of slaves from a violent owner. Magan then brings them to Osya, where he declares himself their new handler. From now on, he will house and fund them, identify their targets, and the level of action they can take. Anything more, and he will expose them. Unbeknownst to them, their branch of Terva now serves his purposes.
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