The coronation of Nicholas II was marred by the Khodynka Tragedy, a mass stampede in which thousands perished. This, his uninspired attitude, and a clear hostility to the Duma, had marked him as a reactionary well before he took the throne. Soon after in December, supported by the majority of the Army's officers, Nicholas II proclaimed the Edict of Autocracy, and dissolved the Duma. Popular revolts were met with gunfire, and the press was soon silenced. During the next nine years, the Tsar's power was once more consolidated, and Russia's vibrant culture and industry withered. Nicholas II made a grave miscalculation, however, and began the Russo-Japanese War which would prove to be his political downfall.

The 37mm PaK 36 made up Germany's first modern, mass-produced anti-tank gun. It is a quick-firing piece with similar capabilities to its contemporaries. However, the Germans in particular made much use of their 37mm cannons (in the form of the 3.7cm KwK 36) as the main cannon of many light tank designs. Due to improvements in armour design, by mid-war the 3.7cm weapon was entirely obsolete against T-34s and other similar Soviet designs. Thousands were sold off post-war.

Melbourne de jure does not have a city government, but the Melbourne Syndicate fills that gap. It takes on the role of a "state" through a network of workers' councils, formed by the representatives or many unions and syndicates. Because of this, Melbourne is what's known as a council republic. It is de facto more powerful than its predecessor government, but lacks the political leverage that the former had. In fact, many people outside of Melbourne don't actually like the fact that it exists at all, especially Oceanyka's right-wing. The syndicate's industrial specialty is in shipbuilding, since it staffs and maintains the Bass Strait Complex in which the Red Navy is headquartered.

The Dark Ages are one of Oceanyka's most tragic historical events, lasting from the year 35 CE (the Fall of Mir, the Imperial Capital) until the 11th century. It is characterised by a lack, and even regression, of technological, cultural and scientific progress. During this period, organised states rarely exceeded the size of a duchy, while nomadic lifestyles gained popularity. Aboriginal populations saw a rapid migration to the fertile western coasts, far from the invading Ferozen. The Austronesians, who with their excellent seamanship had previously traded with Oceanyka's coastal kingdoms, increasingly began to fear, evade and isolate Australia. To top it all off, this period saw at least five major epidemics, known as the Great Pestilences, in which millions of Oceanykans perished. It took almost a millennium for Aboriginals, whose culture and religion was largely tied to the land, to rebuild their civilisation; similarly the previously tribal and semi-nomadic Ferozen took their time creating a sedentary, orderly social organisation. Eventually Oceanyka transitioned into the Early Middle Ages, owing largely to trade and diplomacy with Malay states, beginning with the Oceanykan Involvement in the Chola Invasion of Srivijaya.

Beta-class Unidentified Creatures, commonly known in Oceanykan folklore as Mindbreakers, are highly anomalous humanoid creatures of unknown origin. They are nocturnal stalkers, inducing sleep paralysis in their prey from a distance. As these creatures do not apparently require sustenance, the reasoning behind this behaviour is not yet understood. This form of paralysis can also affect those who are awake from up to 15 metres away. Mindbreakers are completely covered by a shroud of metamaterial particles which allows them to move almost in partial invisibility during daytime, appearing as darkened human-shaped blobs with reddish eyes. These metamaterial particles are extremely dangerous, as they can quickly dissolve most metal alloys, not to mention organs and skin. At a distance of about two meters, the shroud becomes easier to see through, revealing an otherwordly visage which usually results in panic, psychosis, mental breakdown and uncontrolled vomiting. Dead individuals will dissolve into a soup of human cells.