Atlas (kingdom)

Atlas is a kingdom said to be part of some kind of region known as Mantle, in the far northern continent of Remnant. Like all the kingdoms, Atlas is governed by a ruling council to represent the people and their needs.

It is first mentioned by Sun Wukong in "Black and White", when he states that there was a large Schnee Dust Company shipment coming into Vale from there. It is the location of the Schnee Dust Company headquarters.

History
Around eighty years before the events of RWBY, Atlas was engaged in a Great War against the other four kingdoms – Vacuo, Vale and Mistral. After years of bloodshed, the four kingdoms signed a truce on the island of Vytal. The end of the Great War led to a period of peace for all four kingdoms. The newfound peace was celebrated with the Vytal Festival, a biennial event where the people of Remnant gather to celebrate their unity and diversity, in which the kingdom of Atlas continues to participate.

Technology
The kingdom is known for its innovation and far-reaching technological achievements, having developed, and then gifted the Cross Continental Transmit system to the rest of the world after the Great War, allowing for communication between the four kingdoms.

Other technological advances spearheaded by the kingdom of Atlas include great strides in the field of robotics. Penny, the first artificial being capable of producing Aura, was also built with assistance from the Atlesian military, as revealed in "Painting the Town...".

Atlas is also a primary producer of Dust, and the Schnee Dust Company's main headquarters is located in the kingdom.

Armed Forces


The kingdom's armed forces are made up of an organized body known as the Atlesian military, which is regarded as the world's strongest military power. Atlas has always supported the idea of the removal of men from the dangers of the battlefield, thus a large component of their forces is made up of android soldiers, such as the Atlesian Knight-200, designed to replace the standard Atlesian Knight-130 security model used by Remnant for the past several years.

They do however understand that many situations still require a human presence, with human soldiers still serving among their forces, and in conjunction with the Schnee Dust Company have also introduced piloted mechanized battle-suits known as the Atlesian Paladin-290.



Along with their army, the kingdom also boasts an impressive air-fleet, able to field several large airships and a heavy escort of smaller fighter-transports, which can provide tactical fire support for its ground forces. This domination of the skies allows the Atlesian military to respond and deploy its troops to face potential threats in quick succession.

The Atlesian airforce and android ground forces displayed their impressive strength by defending Vale from a marauding force of Grimm forces in the episode "Breach".

General James Ironwood is a prominent leader of the military, possessing wealth and power comparable to Ozpin. His agenda appears to be the maintenance of security; however, his methods of doing so, described as "shows of power", bring him into conflict with Ozpin. He also expresses doubt that "children", the Huntsmen-in-training of Beacon Academy, would be able to win a war. Winter Schnee is also a member of the armed forces of Atlas, and she is shown to be under Ironwood's authority.

Due to the performance of his forces during the Grimm invasion of Vale, following the events of "Breach", the Vale council made General Ironwood the head of security for the Vytal Festival. During the festival, many Atlesian androids and soldiers can be seen patrolling the grounds.

The kingdom's forces were also referenced in "Welcome to Beacon", depicted as a playable force in the tabletop, Remnant: The Game. One of the units mentioned in the game is the Atlesian air-fleet. Yang Xiao Long also comments that most of the Atlesian troops are "probably androids".

Academy


The headmaster of Atlas' academy is Ironwood, who is also a military commander. Unlike Vale, Atlas' academy is not an entity separate from the kingdom's government.

Students from Atlas' Huntsmen academy wear white long-sleeved shirts with gray pocket-vest jackets on top. These are accompanied by a pair of white dress gloves and a dark-gray tie. Male students wear long white trousers, while female students wear gray leggings and knee-high black boots.

Notable People

 * James Ironwood
 * Weiss Schnee
 * Winter Schnee
 * Penny

Trivia

 * Its name is likely a reference to Atlas, a Titan in Greek mythology who was punished for opposing the Olympians by being made to hold up the sky for all eternity. It could also be a reference to Atlas as a large map, similar in symbolism to other Academy names such as Beacon Academy and Signal Academy.
 * In the World of Remnant episode "Vytal Festival Tournament", the kingdom is represented by the color white.