World of Remnant
Starting in Volume 2, world-building episodes were aired that form part of the mini-series known as the World of Remnant.The Volume 4 episodes are narrated by Qrow, the trusted confidant of Professor Ozpin, who narrates the Volume 3 World of Remnant episodes.
The episodes are: Vale, Mistral, Atlas, Vacuo, Between Kingdoms, Faunus, Schnee Dust Company and The Great War.
In General
- Lemony Narrator: The Volume 4 segments are done by Qrow, who brings his sarcasm, pauses to swig from his alcohol flask and doesn't hesitate to make personal judgements on the history or people he's talking about.
Vale
"Nice place to raise a family, if you're into that sort of thing."
"In the grand scheme of things, Vale's pretty well guarded. Rests on the north-eastern end of the world's largest continent, Sanus. Like most successful kingdoms, Vale's survival over the years can mostly be attributed to prime real estate."
— Qrow Branwen
An introduction to the Kingdom of Vale.
This episode first aired as the first episode of Volume 4, and so before The Next Step.
- Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Every Kingdom and its associated continent is shown on the map with a specific colour: Vale and eastern Sanus are green; Mistral and Anima are blue; Atlas and Solitas are white; Vacuo and western Sanus are orange; Menagerie and its settlements are yellow, which reveals that there are yellow Faunus settlements outside Menagerie. The mysterious western continent is red, as are the settlements that so briefly appear on it.
- Continuity Nod: Qrow mentions that there have been attempts to expand Vale beyond the mountains, and the map shows Grimm arms rising from the ground to demolish a city that's been built in the mountains. The existence and terrible fate of Mountain Glenn is a plot point in Volume 2.
- Hufflepuff House: Vale has good geographic defences and a gentle climate. As a result, its citizens just get on with their lives without worrying too much about the survival issues that exist outside the kingdom. This means the kingdom has quite a bland and 'normal' feel to it, when compared to the quirkier kingdoms elsewhere in the setting.
- Urban Ruins: Qrow mentions that all attempts to try and extend Vale beyond its mountain borders have been colossal failures. The map, which has been faithfully popping up cities as Qrow has described the layout of the kingdom, suddenly displays a large city in the mountains that is abruptly attacked by Grimm arms and collapses into smoke-filled ruins.
Mistral
"There's plenty of places to hide in Mistral."
"Of the four Kingdoms, Mistral has the most controlled territory, meaning you'll find a wider variety of ecosystems and lifestyles. Trust me, this place has something for everyone, for better or worse."
— Qrow Branwen
An introduction to the Kingdom of Mistral.
This episode first aired as the second episode of Volume 4, and so before The Next Step.
- Black Market: Mistral is home to the biggest black market on the planet. People can barter for anything here, from seeking things that are hard to find to arranging for people to be assassinated. The only limits to what you can obtain is defined by the amount of money you're able, or willing, to pay.
- The City Narrows: Mistral is known for its architecture, artisan culture and high society. However, underneath all that lies a darker part of the city, where the poor and criminals dwell. The dark side of Mistral is as infamous as its high society is famous.
- Drinking on Duty: Qrow is supposed to be teaching about Mistral, but he opens the segment drinking before getting back to where he was in the narration.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Mistral is distinctly Asian, taking inspiration from a range of different Asian countries and cultures. There is a particularly strong Japanese and Chinese influence.
- Hypocrite: When Mantle came to believe that repressing the arts would keep them safe from the Grimm, their ally, Mistral, selectively enforced that repression in the outer territories, while keeping things much the same in the inner territories where the rich resided. Qrow comments that Mistral is full of jerkasses.
- Wretched Hive: Mistral is described as such: while it does have a booming economy, the Kingdom is so large that much of it is impossible to police.
Atlas
"Mantle was old news – and the Kingdom of Atlas was born."
"Atlas is Remnant's youngest and, arguably, most successful kingdom. But it's a bit of a special case. See, before the Great War, there was no Atlas – there was Mantle."
— Qrow Branwen
An introduction to the Kingdom of Atlas.
This episode first aired as the third episode of Volume 4, and so before The Next Step.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: A combination of America and European nations, Atlas has a young history, heavily linked to the last major war. It has a strong military tradition and is a world leader in technology and science, having advanced quickly as a result of innovation during the Great War.
- Grim Up North: The continent of Solitas, home to Mantle and Atlas, is a harsh, frozen land with few natural resources, that required technological innovation to overcome; even the Grimm struggle to survive. It trades heavily with Anima, whose own northern region is also frozen tundra.
- Had to Be Sharp: The people of Atlas developed their advanced technology simply because it was either that, or freeze to death.
- Out of the Frying Pan: So many human settlements were being destroyed by the Grimm that humans felt desperate enough to begin settling Solitas because it was too cold for the Grimm to survive. They had to innovate Dust-based heating technology fast just to survive.
- Please Select New City Name: Apparently, the Kingdom of Atlas used to be known as the Kingdom of Mantle. However, as the civilization grew and evolved, it became more centered around its Academy and the city that sprouted up around it, leading to its name being changed and capital moved.
Vacuo
"If you can survive here, then you're welcome here."
"Now, if there's one Kingdom that's had it harder than the people of Mantle, it's Vacuo, the last of the four great Kingdoms. The western end of Sanus is a barren and desolate wasteland. Long ago, before man went and ruined everything, it was a paradise."
— Qrow Branwen
An introduction to the Kingdom of Vacuo.
This episode first aired as the fourth episode of Volume 4, before The Next Step
- The Apocalypse Brings Out the Best in People: Vacuo is a ruined remnant of what it once was and people have to struggle just to survive. There are barely any laws in place, and the few that exist are maintained by Shade Academy rather than the Council. There's only one rule that matters in Vacuo: if you can survive, you're welcome. Because they're in the same boat, people who survive in Vacuo have a mutual respect for each other. This means that the human/Faunus racism that exists elsewhere on the planet is almost non-existent here.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Vacuo is vaguely reminiscent of the Middle East, Egypt, and other exploited areas (or at least a stereotype of such places). It used to be a thriving paradise but was both complacent and decadent; Mistral and Mantle thought it wouldn't be able to defend itself and its Dust mines against their combined might. The final, and most devastating, campaign in the entire Great War occurred there, and Vacuo still hasn't recovered, eighty years later.
- Green Aesop: The paradise that used to exist in Vacuo was destroyed by years of human conflict and unrestricted mining caused ecological disasters that have changed Vacuo for the worst. Qrow talks about how the oasis is now almost indistinguishable from the surrounding desert and people live in makeshift homes, such as tents. Resources are now scarce and Grimm attacks are common, forcing people to live their lives on the move. It wasn't until the aftermath of the Great War that a government was finally established. By then, it was too late: these days, the people of Vacuo do what's best for them.
- Misery Builds Character: Vacuo used to be a paradise before it was destroyed by warfare and exploitation of its natural resources, and now the population are nomadic, resources are scarce, and Shade Academy is the only real source of order in the country. As a result, Vacuo's residents have a deep respect for each other since they figure anyone who can survive Vacuo is welcome there, and it's the only one of the four kingdoms to have no prejudice against Faunus; during the Great War, their leader is implied to have been a female Faunus.
- No Poverty: The ancient culture of Vacuo had everything they needed to live a good life. From geographic defences to the world's largest deposit of Dust and large amounts of natural resources, everyone who lived there was able to kick back and enjoy themselves.
- Small, Secluded World: The desert of Vacuo has always been harsh, but there was originally an unusual oasis at the heart of the desert. If anyone could actually survive crossing the desert to find it, they could live there quite happily. Due to the harshness of the desert surrounding it, this oasis community was mostly cut off from the rest of the world. It meant that, as the rest of the world developed and advanced, this community got left behind.
- Utopia: The oasis community that originally existed at the heart of the desert had everything it could have wanted. Plenty of water, thick jungle environments that were bursting with natural resources, and the largest deposit of Dust the world has ever known. People lived a life of luxury and peace here until the rest of the world came to plunder what they had, and paradise was destroyed.
- We Have Become Complacent: The people of Vacuo kicked back and enjoyed their life while the rest of the world had to work hard to overcome obstacles and therefore advanced their cultures. When the rest of the world decided to target Vacuo's resources, the locals found they had no defence. Because they hadn't found it necessary to advance to survive their world, they had ignored what the rest of the world was doing until it was too late to save themselves. Qrow describes it as living a life of 'complacency' and states that 'complacency breeds weakness'.
Between Kingdoms
"It goes about as well as you'd think."
"You might ask: with the wilderness being so dangerous, why not just live in the big cities? Well, that life isn't meant for everyone. These small towns are founded by people that have a problem with the Kingdoms. Or don't want to deal with the Kingdom's problems. Or maybe just enjoy the simpler life and would rather take their chances in the wild than in a Kingdom."
— Qrow Branwen
What life is like for people who live outside the Kingdoms.
This episode first aired between Of Runaways and Stowaways and Family.
- Bandit Clan: It's not just Grimm that live in the wilds, tribes of bandit roam the landscape as well. That means anyone looking to establish a homestead or village outside the kingdom has more than just Grimm to worry about. Bandits never linger in the towns they hit; where they go, the Grimm always follow.
- Civilization Destroyer: It is possible for towns and villages to survive a bandit attack, but it's impossible to survive them without extensive negative emotions being left in their wake. A bandit attack therefore always attracts the Grimm, destroying the beleagured society completely. Its occurence is so likely, bandit clans are usually nomadic to ensure they don't become victims of their own activities.
- Settling the Frontier: People very often don't want to live in the kingdoms: they don't want the kingdom's problems, the kingdoms have problems with them, they want a different way of life. Whatever the reason, they're willing to enter the wilderness to build a new way of life from scratch, even if it means having to deal with Grimm and bandits.
- Wild Wilderness: There isn't a lot of civilisation outside the kingdoms because the Grimm dominate the planet on land, in the air and in the sea. When villages and towns do crop up, they often don't last long because they don't have enough protection from the Grimm. As a result, there's a world of adventure outside the kingdoms for people who want to go in search of it.
Faunus
"You can only push and prod people so much before they reach a tipping point."
"Scientists are still scratching their heads when it comes to... well, a lot about the Faunus. But science isn't the real problem, it's how we all get along. Or, in this case, how we don't."
— Qrow Branwen
An introduction to the Faunus and their history, and their connection to the human race.
This episode first aired between Family and Menagerie.
- Brain Bleach: Qrow mentions that he once saw a lizard-tailed Faunus regrow said tail after it was chopped off, and that he apparently tried to use alcohol to forget it and failed.
- Fantastic Ghetto: The Faunus were given Menagerie after the Great War, which seemed like compensation for their efforts. In reality, it was the kind of back-handed gift that is more a curse to shut someone up than a genuine offer. The problem is, it was easy to oppress Faunus when they were too scattered to fight back. Menagerie brought them together and organized them, resulting in the White Fang.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Menagerie is established in the main series as the counterpart to Australia, mainly due to the fact it's two-thirds desert and teeming with especially dangerous wildlife. Humans even set the island aside for Faunus then coerced them to settle there - and stay there, out of humanity's way. This is parallel to Australia's history as an English penal colony and the way the Stolen Generations of Indigenous Australians were treated for decades, both in terms of racial abuse and confinement to designated areas.
- Hollywood Genetics: Qrow explains that two Faunus of the same breed will produce a baby of that breed. A child of a human and a Faunus could be either human or a Faunus of their parent's type, but Qrow implies that it might take time for some Faunus traits — such as sharp teeth — to manifest, so even the parents might not know for a while if their child is human or Faunus. However, if two Faunus of different types produce a child, that child could be any type of Faunus; it's completely random. Qrow finds it amusing just how confused scientists are over Faunus genetics.
Schnee Dust Company
"Jacques Schnee doesn't care about people. He cares about winning."
"People appreciate a man who's willing to stick his neck out for them, and it's how the Schnee Dust Company earned the business of every Kingdom in Remnant."
— Qrow Branwen
An introduction to the Schnee Dust Company (SDC) and its impact on the world of Remnant as a megacorporation that has become a global power player.
This episode first aired between Tipping Point and Punished.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Qrow states that Jacques Schnee cares only for profit. As a result, he doesn't care about his workers or the people of Mantle and Atlas. He only cares about winning.
- Disease by Any Other Name: Nicholas was forced to retire and hand over his company to his son-in-law because he had an illness that was caused by years of working in the Dust mines. In real life, coal mines were notorious for giving miners Coalworker's Pneumoconiosis
or "Black Lung". Although the Remnant disease isn't given a name, the conditions associated with Dust mining are shown to be very similar to those for coal mining. - Foil: Nicholas was a miner's son, who trained in combat and educated himself to better both himself and Mantle's fortunes; he led dangerous expeditions and risked himself to protect his men. He was a beloved family man who built the company from scratch into a global company renowned for quality and trust. Jacques married into the family solely to obtain control of the company, using shady business practices and aggressive PR to get away with exploiting workers, driving rivals out of business and maximising profit. He worsened Mantle's fortunes, and forces his family to remain with him even at the cost of their own happiness.
- Honest Corporate Executive: Nicholas Schnee worked extremely hard to obtain the skills required to locate and develop Dust mining to reverse Mantle's post-war economic decline. With his combat skills, he personally led the expeditions, and risked his life to protect the men under his command. He was a highly respected man and, when the company started becoming successful, it quickly gained a reputation for quality and affordability, triggering an industrial renaissance. Anything stamped with the Schnee logo was therefore highly trusted.
- MegaCorp: The Schnee Dust Company dominates the Dust industry. Mines all over the world belong to the SDC, and everyone who buys Dust, buys SDC Dust. Under Nick's leadership, it built up a reputation for honesty, integrity and quality. Under Jacques' leadership, those aspects are losing their shine; while the company's become even more powerful under him, it's on the back of poor working conditions and a reputation for cut-throat business practices.
- Metaphorically True: Qrow notes that, from a certain point of view, Jacques' assertion that he was the best man to take over the SDC was truthful; under his leadership, the company has expanded into a global megacorporation with a near-total monopoly on Dust mining, processing and sales. However, he has sacrificed the company's soul by using unethical means such as slave labor and dangerous working conditions to reach the top, leaving the Schnees' good name in rather murky waters.
- Prospector: Nicholas established his company with expeditions into the wilds of Remnant, using his skills as a soldier and his experience as a miner to locate new Dust veins. His hard work paid off, and his company became famous for its quality Dust at reasonable prices.
- Red Is Heroic: The honest warrior and businessman, Nicholas, is depicted with a brown silhouette and red scarf. However, the Schnee family is usually associated with white, which is used for Jacques, his wife and Weiss in this episode. The modern family has a reputation for ruthless business dealings and unethical labour practices, but Nicholas forged a reputation as a compassionate leader who looked after his men and worked hard to lift Mantle out of poverty.
- Scarf of Asskicking: The episode depicts a heroic figure with a billowing red scarf. Nicholas was an accomplished soldier and Huntsman, personally overseeing dangerous expeditions and exploring potential Dust mines. His hands-on approach earned him considerable respect, and helped in establishing the Schnee Dust Company as a global brand. That legacy of heroism inspired his granddaughter, Weiss, to follow in his footsteps and become a Huntress.
- Self-Made Man: Nick was the son of a Dust miner who became a soldier. He went to combat class and voraciously studied anything he didn't know. Determined to help restore the ailing Kingdom of Mantle's fortunes, he used these skills and what little he inherited from his father to arrange Dust expeditions, seeking out untapped Dust seams. When he finally succeeded, the company he set up snowballed into a global monopoly because he ensured a quality product at an affordable price that people came to trust and value highly.
- Terminally Dependent Society: Humanity depends on Dust for fuel, technology and fighting the Grimm; with no alternative fuel source, Dust is extremely valuable and gives the SDC a very lucrative monopoly that keeps the world dependent on it. Nicholas went searching for global Dust deposits because Mantle's economy and living conditions were suffering due to Mantle's depleting mines. Discovering new deposits lifted Mantle back out of poverty until Jacques took over, plunging Mantle into a prison of exploitative working conditions to maximise company profits.
The Great War
"Historians will tell you most of these stories are nothing but grandiose hyperbole."
"The Great War. What a terrible name for such a horrible time in history. Though the war itself lasted around ten years, the century leading up to it was filled with so much tension, you might as well lump 'em together."
— Qrow Branwen
How the Great War began and ended, what life was like on Remnant during the period, and the continuing impact it has on the modern world.
This episode first aired between Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back and Kuroyuri.
- Beware the Nice Ones: The King of Vale objected to exploitation and slave labour, even trying to peacefully share land when Mistral started settling Sanus. Once war broke out, being threatened by Mistral and Mantle made Vacuo choose what they thought was the better side. The war ended in Vacuo when the King of Vale took to the front line, raining down such devastation that every kingdom submitted their crowns — including his own ally, Vacuo. He refused world domination in favour of world peace, but Vacuo still hasn't recovered eighty years later.
- The Emperor: Mistral was ruled by an Emperor who was responsible for most of the tension that triggered the Great War. With the help of its trading partner, Mantle, the Mistral Emperor conquered Anima, selectively enforcing Mantle's decree of suppressing the population's emotions as a way to fight the Grimm, and engaging in practices such as exploiting the people and using slave labour. When the Emperor decided to expand into Sanus, clashes with Vale began. This triggered the Great War, with Mistral and Mantle trying to conquer Vale. Only when they tried to force Vacuo to supply them with Dust for their own good, did Vacuo decide that they needed to be stopped — entering the war on Vale's side.
- Enemy Mine: During the Great War, the four kingdoms were all fighting: Vale and Vacuo versus Mistral and Mantle. However, Grimm attacks became so problematic as a result of global warfare that the armies were forced to stop fighting, call a temporary truce, and ally together to defeat them.
- Great Offscreen War: This episode details the events that led up to the war and what happened during the war itself. It lasted for ten years after a century of extreme tension, and was Mantle and Mistral versus Vale and Vacuo. It ended eighty years before the show begins and only ended then due to the devastating loss of life during the Vacuo Campaign. The war's conclusion led to a global peace treaty, the formation of the Huntsman Academies, the founding of Menagerie, and an end to the Vale kingship. However, Vacuo's landscape and resources have never recovered.
- National Weapon: Vale's Hunters and soldiers are generally depicted with straight swords and shields, Vacuo's with machetes and polearms, Mistral's with bows and Dust magic, and Atlas/Mantle's with various Firearms.
- Neutral No Longer: Vacuo had originally kept out of the Great War, as Mistral and Mantle had both had a presence there for years already, and promised to leave Vacuo out of it if they didn't interfere, but when the other two started pressuring Vacuo to join them, they felt that the two other Kingdoms planned to take them out when Vale was gone. Thus, they did what they thought was the logical choice, push the other two out of Vacuo and tell Vale they had their backs.
- One-Man Army: The king of Vale during the Great War. In the Vacuo Campaign, he completely destroyed his enemies in such a way that legends were made of him, and the leaders of the other kingdoms offered him their entire kingdoms to make him stop. He refused the offer, and forced the kingdoms to sign a peace treaty, ending the war, setting up the modern government structures and creating the Huntsman Academies.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: The King of Vale during the period leading up to the Great War did his best to keep the peace between the groups from Mistral and Vale settling the same areas, and personally led the defense of the Vacuo Dust Mines against the Mistral and Mantle forces. He ended the war and created the global peace treaty that restructured global governments and founded the Huntsman Academies.
