Atlas (kingdom)


 * For the Huntsman academy of the same name, see Atlas Academy.

Atlas, formerly known as Mantle, is a kingdom located 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.

The Huntsman academy of Atlas is known as Atlas Academy. Unlike most kingdoms, Atlas' government, military, and the Academy function as a single entity.

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
Early settlers came to the icy continent of Solitas in order to begin a new civilization. Its harsh climates and great mountain ranges helped to suppress the threat of the Grimm, but it also proved difficult for the population to grow. Humanity adapted, however, by using Dust in tandem with advanced technology developed much more quickly than the rest of the world, creating what came to be known then as the Kingdom of Mantle. Their advancements in Dust-empowered technology and weaponry allowed Mantle to expand and devote more territory to mining and research, including the area beside the kingdom's combat school, Alsius Academy.

Around eighty years before the events of RWBY, the Kingdom of Mantle and the other three kingdoms – Vacuo, Vale and Mistral – were engaged in a Great War against one another. 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.

Following the end of the Great War, four new academies were created in each of the four kingdoms to train Huntsmen, warriors trained specifically to fight the Grimm. The academy of Alsius, possibly established before the war, was renamed to "Atlas Academy". In an attempt to give back to its citizens, Mantle applied many of the techniques and technologies used in the war to enhance the campus, expanding the school grounds and even securing the surrounding areas. Along with the eventual establishment of the military and research facilities, as well as their merging with the government and academy, the original capital of Mantle was overshadowed. It was then the Kingdom presumably became synonymous with both the military and the Huntsman academy, being renamed to Atlas.

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.

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

Other technological advances spearheaded by the kingdom of Atlas include great strides in the field of robotics. Robots built for combat include the Atlesian Knight-130, supplied by Atlas to the rest of Remnant for several years. Penny Polendina, the first artificial being capable of producing Aura, was also built with assistance from the Atlesian military, as revealed in "Painting the Town...".

However, some of the Kingdom's scientific research into the nature and composition Aura takes it into more morally questionable areas. Their research has yielded experimental technology that is capable of "capturing" Aura from a person and transferring it to something or someone else. The existence of this technology is highly classified, but many of those who do know of it see it as unnatural and wrong. Regardless, this technology may play a key part in preventing the power of the Maidens from falling into the wrong hands, or could work in the completely opposite manner.

Military
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. Human soldiers are seen wearing a uniform that includes metal body armor and helmets that conceal the top their faces. They are seen wielding a variety of weapons including rifles, pistols and swords.

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".

Military Technology


Atlas has always supported the idea of the removal of men from the dangers of the battlefield, thus a large component of their significant military force is made up of android soldiers, such as the Atlesian Knight-200, designed to replace the standard Atlesian Knight-130 security model. The androids were heavily networked, routed through the large carrier airships used by the airfleet; destruction of all such ships in the area leads to a full shutdown of all automated units.

The Atlesian military understands 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. Although designed to operate in as piloted units, they can also be remotely and independently operated, functioning in the same way as the smaller Knight units.

Following the hijacking of all his artificial troops during the Battle of Beacon, the highly automated nature of the Atlesian military was called into question.

Airfleet


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". However, they were unprepared to fight an evenly matched air engagement, and were quickly overwhelmed by a single captured ship during the Battle of Beacon.

Leadership
General James Ironwood is a prominent leader of the military, as well as the headmaster of the academy. 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.

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.

Special Operatives Unit
The Atlesian military's Special Operatives unit is known to recruit graduate Huntsmen and Huntresses from Atlas Academy. This practice has drawn criticism, as Huntsmen were initially intended to be free from allegiance to a specific kingdom, and the practice also involved pressuring of the graduates and trainees. Qrow Branwen makes reference to "Specialists", which may be a title for members of the unit.

One such member is Winter Schnee, who appears to report directly to General Ironwood.

Atlesian Military

 * James Ironwood
 * Winter Schnee

Schnee Dust Company

 * Weiss' Father
 * Weiss Schnee

Atlas Academy

 * Penny Polendina
 * Ciel Soleil
 * Flynt Coal
 * Neon Katt

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.
 * As of Volume 3, the kingdom is represented by the color white in the World of Remnant episodes.