The Citadel Protocol exists to decouple administrative transitions from the civilian population. All violent geopolitical disputes are strictly limited to Command Compounds.
The Command Compound: A geographically and digitally isolated facility representing the "Keys to the City."
Stake-to-Scale Ratio: Compound size and technical Tier (1-3) are proportional to the GDP and strategic importance of the contested territory.
Omni-Sensing Infrastructure: Compounds are instrumented with blast-resistant 360° cameras, acoustic triangulation, and LIDAR mapping. This data is fed directly to the Arbiter to eliminate the "Fog of War."
Neutrality is maintained through a 3-Nation Arbiter Panel, selected at the onset of any challenge.
Selection: The Invader chooses one nation, the Defender chooses a second, and those two agree on a third neutral lead.
Victory Conditions:
The Frontal Assault: Capture of the Administrative Vault via combat.
The Silent Capture: Capture via bribery, hacking, or black-ops. Preserving the facility's integrity results in a Clean Win Bonus.
The 6-Hour Rule: A group must maintain total control of the Vault for 6 consecutive hours to trigger a sovereignty transfer.
War is treated as a Strategic Investment with mandatory reconstruction insurance.
Combatant Caps: Fixed slots for personnel (e.g., 200 vs. 200) prevent "Zerg Rush" or attrition-based victories.
The Reconstruction Tithe: All material support (tanks, drones, ammunition) incurs an Impact Fee paid into a Compound Repair Fund held by the Arbiter.
Sponsor-Mentor Mandate: Third-party nations or insurgents must prove "Managerial Competency." The supporting Arbiter nation is legally and financially liable for the city's stability during the first 90 days of the new regime.
7-Day Supervised Handover:
Days 1–4: The losing team manages the city under Arbiter Live Audit. No policy changes or "Logic Bombs" allowed.
Day 5: The physical "Switch" of personnel occurs.
Anti-Sabotage Lien: Any "Scorched Earth" destruction of the city or compound results in a triple-cost debt lien against the loser’s national treasury.
90-Day Peace Shield: A mandatory lockout period follows every switch. No new challenges can be issued, allowing the winner to stabilize and the loser to regroup and rearm.
Combatants are Licensed Professionals, not instruments of hate.
Non-Animosity: Personal cruelty or dehumanization is a Tier 1 Ethical Breach.
The Serum First Rule: Prioritize non-lethal disablement (sleeping serums/tranquilizers).
Lethal Mercy: Lethal force must be fast-acting or low-pain.
Medical Parity: Wounded enemies must be stabilized and treated with the same care as allies or handed to Arbiter medical drones.
Hostage Neutrality: Captured personnel are processed by the Arbiter and repatriated during the Handover. They cannot be used as shields.
The Protocol is protected by Collective Existential Deterrence.
Article 5 Trigger: Any attack on a civilian population or bypass of the compound triggers a global military response. The rogue nation is declared an "Enemy of the Protocol."
Digital & Logistical Isolation: Rogue states are severed from global banking (SWIFT), GPS, and the internet.
Legacy Weapon (Nuclear) Defensive Stake:
Nations may retain WMDs only as a terminal deterrent against illegal, large-scale conventional invasions of their borders.
Offensive use or use within a Compound match triggers immediate Article 5 neutralization.
The Citadel Protocol ensures that the "Game of Sovereignty" is never-ending but contained. If a group is a poor manager, they will lose the next challenge. If they are a poor defender, they will lose their compound. The city remains intact, and the cycle of human progress continues.
"I fight for the Asset, not for the Grave. I respect the Code, for the Code protects the City."