Arknights

Arknights take place in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic, science fiction/high fantasy world known as Terra.

Terra as a planet is similar, if not identical, to Earth, including having an oxygen atmosphere, a more-or-less identical gravity and atmospheric pressure, and carbon-based lifeforms. Even Homo sapiens of Earth will have no issue living on it if they are somehow brought into Terra, as attested in Operation Originium Dust. Much of its geography and climate are similar to that of Earth as well, albeit being more arid filled with many unhospitable place, a phenomenon similar to that of the Permian era in Earth's geological period. Terra also orbits a Sun-like star and has two natural satellites collectively known as the "Twin Moons" in various folklore.

However, what sets Terra apart from Earth is its hidden threats that could easily wipe out its civilizations. To start with, the planet is filled with Catastrophes – cataclysmic natural disasters, forcing much of the Terrans to adopt a nomadic way of life through nomadic cities instead of a sedentary one. A crystalline substance known as Originium is left behind at the site of Catastrophes and is widely used as a source of energy and the catalyst for magic-like Originium Arts. But at the same time, it is capable of causing a terminal disease known as Oripathy from direct or prolonged exposure. This terminal disease, its unstable geopolitics, and finally many otherworldly threats beyond their known world are responsible for much of Arknights' rather bleak tone.

As of the current events of Arknights, much of Terra still remains uncharted and unexplored. These charted areas encompass various landmasses with different biomes.

Terra appears to be located on a massive supercontinent. As a matter of fact, much of the land is covered by arid deserts. However, temperate and fertile regions do occur in areas near the bodies of water. Specifically, central Terra where Victoria locates is the most fertile one. A mountain range runs from northern Kazimierz, passing through the mountain basin that forms Kjerag, to the endless Sargonian desert. A giant inland sea called the Cluster Sea is located between southern Victoria, northern Iberia, the Siestan peninsula, to the Acahuallan region, creating sub-tropical and wet tropical biomes. Surprisingly, there is also a mysterious subterranean region which the majority of the Durin race inhabits, and it remains at large uncharted territory to the average Terran.

So far, very little information is given concerning Terra's "great beyond," with two regions acting as the borders between Terra's civilized world and terra incognita: the Foehn Hotlands in Sargon and the Infy Icefield, colloquially named the Northland, in Sami and Ursus. Beyond the Icefield is a mysterious, continental-sized, crater-like region that is currently unexplored by the Terrans.

Most of Terra's oceans are found on the southern part of the continent, notably south of Iberia and Yan, where Aegir is located. The southern coastlines have been drastically altered since the destructive tsunamis caused by the Silence of Iberia that flooded much of the region. Beside the south, there are coastlines in north of Bolívar and east of Higashi. And because of the awkward geographical isolation and the landlocked status of most countries, the concept of ocean is alien to most non-Aegir Terrans.

Terra is predominantly inhabited by various races known as the Ancients, an amalgamation of humanoids with animal features and completely anthropomorphic animals. Other than the Ancients, Terra is also inhabited by Elders who are the previous ruling class of Terra. The Terran races have an extraordinary strength that could easily outmatch Homo sapiens of Earth thanks to their unique racial traits, and they also have different anatomy that requires extensive medical studies to fully comprehend. Aside from the Ancients and Elders, there are god-like beings known as Feranmuts like those who once ruled over Yan, eldritch demons inhabiting the northern tundra and southern desert, and the Seaborn from the abyss of the vast ocean.

The flora and fauna of Terra are fairly similar to our world with some notable stark differences. Terra's notable fauna includes: Canine "hounds", Large gastropods known as "Originium slugs", Crustacean "metal crabs" and "gloompincers", Badger-like "sand beasts", Arachnid "rock spiders"

Terra also have umbrella terms for animals acting as analogues of Earth animals: Burdenbeast: Beasts of burden, Cystybeast: Dairy animals (e.g. Earth cows), Fangbeast: Carnivorous animals, Fowlbeast: Poultry, Scalebass/Fins: Fishes, Shells: Crustaceans and shellfishes, Tuskbeast: Large carnivorous animals

Long ago in the forgotten past, perhaps a few millennia ago, there existed a highly advanced previous civilization with extraordinary technologies. Notably, this previous civilization was a space-faring one that mastered many space-related technologies such as planetary construction, hyperspace travel, terraforming, and most importantly, the construction of an artificial satellite that could potentially be one of its "Twin Moons." On the other hand, this civilization is hinted to be an alien one, potentially being a space colony on the homeland of the Teekaz/Sarkaz and the Feranmuts, but this still remains unclear and unconfirmed. Unfortunately, this civilization was wiped out by a mysterious disaster originating from outer space without a single trace remaining.

The current Terran civilization was born from the ashes of the previous civilization.

Politics

Most of Terra's political bodies are ruled by monarchs and oligarchs who have been in power for generations. The situation is similar to the pre-World War I era where empires expand their territories without checking due to the scarcity of diplomatic talks; the Battle of the Four Emperors is the closest moment to an outright world war. Nevertheless, there are many institutions, whether official or private, that attempt to establish a worldwide peacekeeping system such as Laterano's Legati and other non-governmental organizations not only to aid common folk who are ignored by the governments, but also to prevent Terra from falling into a destructive mess. The current internal turmoil also forces Terran nations to completely ignore many hidden threats beyond the borders of their civilizations, especially the threats of the Seaborn and the eldritch demons in the south and the north respectively.

Nation-states

Terra is divided into many nation-states, often being parallels to those in our world, or rather, amalgamated cultures which do not belong to merely one country or time period, but several at once – the most notable example being the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican and Middle Eastern influences of Sargon.

Science and technology

Due to the planetary disaster that befell Terra millenia ago, there is an enormous technological gap between the current era and the previous era, with present-day Terrans having no memory regarding it. While Terra's current technological level is similar to that of Earth, it is more advanced to a limited extent. Just like their forebearers, the Terrans can achieve many marvelous engineering such as A.I.-controlled robots, UAVs and UGVs, and especially gigantic nomadic cities and steam-powered power armors. But there are also many crucial developments that are far behind time due to many circumstances, most notably shipbuilding and nautical exploration due to the Seaborn's presence.

Terra notably have different chemical and geological makeup, thus they do not have some of Earth's chemical formulae and compounds, most notably those that would be necessary to fashion simple gunpowder.

Weaponry

In regards to warfare, cold weaponry (swords, spears, shields, bows, crossbows, etc.) are used most of the time along with the enhancement of giant military landships playing similar role to naval warships. Firearms and explosives do exist, but unlike Earth ones, they are Originium-based; Terran firearms use Originium Arts as the operating mechanism and fires Originium projectiles, making it more of a "magic wand" that fires bullets – which, from an Arts standpoint, are disposable Arts projectile wands themselves. On the other hand, Terran explosives use compositions that are derived from Originium.

As the result, firearms are a rarity in Terra – more so than explosives – with handguns being more common than long guns (e.g. rifles, shotguns, (sub)machine guns) that are almost exclusively used by the Sankta who have a native predisposition to the Arts required for firearms, calling them "patron firearms". Some non-Sankta such as several Blacksteel operatives also use firearms, but they are noted to be different from the Sankta's guardian guns and notably expensive, being reverse-engineered replicas inferior to Sankta firearms.

Astronomy

The Terrans lack some astrological technologies taken for granted in Earth due to both their disinterest and their disabilities in exploring outer space. In fact, the skies of Terra has been frequently stated to be a "fake existence" that hides many mysteries, and the development of astronomy and aerodynamics in Terra is nearly non-existent. It is implied that Terra's sky have veiled the space and making it difficult for the Terrans to observe celestial bodies.[12] Because of this, Iberian sailors did not rely on celestial navigation prior to their contact with Aegir where they overcame this obstacle through alternative methods such as lighthouses and ship signals. For some reasons, any high-altitude aircraft and spacecraft that tries to fly past Terra's troposphere always crash, making spaceflight impossible for the Terrans.

It is unknown what the "fake sky" really is, which could be metaphorical (e.g. industrial and light pollutions, unstable geopolitics, underdeveloped studies and research) or literal (e.g. extraterrestrial threats, planetary hazards). Recent events implied that Terra's "fake sky" is a literal one, but its nature (whether Terra's Van Allen radiation belt being more intense than Earth's, Terra's sun emitting stronger UV radiation than Earth's sun, or an actual barrier left by previous civilizations) remains unclear.

Culture

Many of the Terran cultures are almost identical with Earth's, including Chinese elements in Yan such as celebrating Spring Festival and ancestral veneration, British influence in Victoria as in their literatures and social manners, and Columbian pop culture that is identical to the American one. There also exists similar religious faiths like those being parallel with Shintoism and Buddhism, or similar religious or universal festival like Christmas and the Sauin as the Halloween.

In present days, the Victorian culture is the most prominent one that are widely accepted and practiced by the Terrans, but a long time ago, it was dominated by the Gaulish one prior to its annihilation. Other cultures remain influential as well such as Yanese poetry and idioms, Ursus's militarism, and Higashi's comic and samurai traditions, though some are starting to lose its position due to political stability as in the case of the Iberian ones.

Terra uses a dating system that is exactly identical to the Gregorian calendar aside from a different year count; the Main Theme is set during Terran Year 1096 ~ 1098.

Appearing as a black, semi-transparent crystalline mineral (although it has been occasionally seen in other colors like blue or gold), Originium can be found at sites of Catastrophes in large quantities, and is believed to play a role in causing them. Unlike other crystalline minerals, Originium grows and metastasizes naturally in the wild, and can even assimilate with organic matter if given the opportunity. Originium is also quite unstable, volatilizing into gaseous particles over time, being highly flammable when in a liquid state, and exhibiting highly explosive properties when stimulated enough. However, contrary to what one might believe, Originium is not actually radioactive.

Originium has a high energy yield, and as such, became a valuable resource ever since it was discovered in the ancient times. By the time Arknights take place, the proliferation of Originium had brought a technological revolution to Terra, with virtually all technology being powered by the substance. Notably, Originium allows the use of various forms of "magic" known as Originium Arts to aid the user in daily life as well as more violent applications. Processing Originium ore and similar natural substances into useful products has become an essential part of modern industry. Most valuable of all such Originium products is the Originite Prime - highly refined pure Originium serving as the main energy source throughout the world.

However, Originium is not without its dangers, since as mentioned above, Originium can gradually assimilate into a living organism's blood and cells, which is treated as a "disease" named Oripathy. Many unfortunate Terrans have fallen into Oripathy since the advent of Originium, and these people, often called Infected, were hated and discriminated against by the rest of the Terrans. Furthermore, Originium assimilation may cause varying degrees of genetic mutations depending on the organism.

Back in the ancient days, the usage of Originium was mainly focused on Arts. The invention of Originium engines and Arts units ushered in an industrial revolution across Terra. Especially since its immense energy could power mega-sized nomadic cities to flee from Catastrophes, its industrial usage has been so wide, from as big as nomadic city engines to as small as a battery and even plastic covers and bulb, that there is simply no safer, controllable, alternative energies (i.e, petroleum, hydraulic, geothermal, nuclear energy) that could replace Originium despite its hazardous traits.

While Originium is indeed hazardous, it has been stated that the mineral is the "source" of all Terran lives that shapes them into their present forms. It could either be a metaphorical sense with civilizations revolving around Originium technologies such as nomadic cities or a literal sense in which all Terran lives were "influenced" by the said mineral biologically.

Oripathy is a progressive, terminal "disease" in the world of Arknights, caused by direct or prolonged exposure to Originium. Individuals with Oripathy are referred to as the "Infected".

Oripathy usually starts within a few days after initial contact with Originium particles from raw (unprocessed) sources, such as Originium shards, ingots and Originium particles in the air. The Infected will begin to exhibit hardened skin on the site of contact, which will then turn dark and start to rise in elevation similar to a regular scab. After a few more days, the Infected will often experience internal burns and the blackened spot will continue to harden to the point of crystallization like that of Originium crystals, which becomes the tell-tale sign of Oripathy, and is typically preceded by lesions in the shape of radiating lines on their outer skin. As such, Oripathy is comparable to cancers in our world, at least superficially.

Further contact with Originium and overusing Originium Arts are the main factors which accelerates the progress of Oripathy.

The crystallization will continue to spread through the Infected's body, causing pain and discomfort and inhibiting their ability to respirate and properly intake and distribute nutrition, eventually causing organ failures which are fatal to the Infected. Upon the Infected's death, their body will eventually start to disintegrate in a similar way to spontaneous combustion as the crystals on their body start to glow, leaving behind a dust of Originium particles that could cause secondary Oripathy infections if the Infected's body is not isolated properly. In some cases, the Originium crystals inside the Infected can be destabilized upon death, causing an explosive chain reaction which turns the Infected into a "living bomb".

It is commonly believed that Oripathy is infectious and can spread through physical contact with the Infected, although recent studies suggest that person-to-person Oripathy transmission is unlikely. It is possible that Oripathy can be congenitally transmitted. However, it is not known to be a consistent trait, and whether or not all children of Infected parents are both with Oripathy.

A common misconception is that Oripathy also improves the Infected's affinity towards Originium Arts, although this is generally not the case; even most Infected individuals are incapable of using Arts and Oripathy has no effect on one's Arts potential. Some Infected even have their Arts potential weakened instead of strengthened. The Infected, however, are able to use Arts without a catalyst (e.g. staves) at the cost of worsening their Oripathy, as mentioned above.

The Ancients of Terra, especially those of the Sarkaz race, are highly vulnerable to Oripathy.

As Terran society has been highly dependent on Originium since ancient times, Oripathy can be found in all Terran countries and territories – thus making it a pandemic.

Stages

The severity of one's Oripathy is measured through how much the Originium particles have assimilated with the Infected's cells (Cell-Originium Assimilation) and the density of Originium particles in every liter of the Infected's blood (Blood Originium-Crystal Density). Using this method, Oripathy is divided into three stages: I (early), II (mid), and III (late). However, the characteristics of each stage often overlap with each other, as seen with Cliffheart and Franka whose blood Originium-crystal densities are 0.28 and 0.34 u/L, respectively, yet are considered to be nearing stage II.

Treatment

So far there is no known cure for Oripathy, although Rhodes Island is actively trying to find one. This, however, seems an unlikely prospect as the Originium particles are assimilated into the Infected's cells and blood thus making the particles impossible to filter out from the healthy cells/blood without killing the Infected. R.I., at least, has developed certain treatments which can slow or impede the progress of an active (and only active) Oripathy infection. The damaged parts of the Infected's body can also be treated with conventional methods (i.e. removing the Originium crystals from the body). Oripathy has a near-100% mortality rate, with a select few managing to retard or even halt their Oripathy's progress, though the condition itself remains.

Infection monitor

As part of R.I.'s requirement, the Infection monitor is installed onto every operator regardless of Oripathy or not. It acts as a device to trace their medical condition and a limiter to stop their excessive use of Arts. The Infection monitor is a device that all Rhodes Island operators are required to wear, regardless of Infection status. It is visible in the character artwork of most Operators. The device appears as a a shiny, black ring, or bracelet with light blue X-shaped highlights, likely luminescent. It logically serves to keep track of their Originium levels to track the stage of Oripathy, or immediately detect first signs of Infection. The device is designed in accordance with the their measurements, taken upon entering Rhodes Island's employ. Given that some operators wear it over clothing, or on areas of their body and external appendages which likely means no direct cutaneous contact, it is entirely possible that the device is capable of detecting the quantity of Originium in an operator's body from a distance. The monitor can be customized according to the patient's condition, and could also act as a limiter to stop one's excessive use of Originium Arts.

Social effects

The Infected are ostracized and persecuted by much of Terran society because they pose a health risk to the non-Infected. The risk itself has been highly exaggerated in many areas thanks to various misinformation spread about Oripathy – mostly due to political motivations. This is especially prominent in countries such as Ursus where the Infected are subject to forced labor in gulag-like Originium mines which only worsens their Oripathy, and in Leithanien where an Infected whose Oripathy reaches a certain limit is euthanized.

As a result, a seemingly endless cycle of hatred between the Infected and the non-Infected has dominated Terra for centuries and continues to this day. Many have attempted to break the cycle through both peaceful and violent means. The most recent dichotomy of peaceful and violent activism is between R.I. who seek a more rational, moderate approach to mitigating the Infected's suffering and Reunion who adopt a radical method: delivering retribution for the Infected's plight on the non-infected in Terran society instead.

In the world of Arknights, Infected is an epithet used to refer to individuals who are suffering from Oripathy. It may be used as a derogatory term in certain cases. The Infected are very common in Terra, owing to the fact that Originium, the prime cause of Oripathy, plays an important role in the Terran industry and technology. The Terrans hold a deeply rooted hatred towards the Infected ever since the ancient times, causing them to suffer a widespread, systemic discrimination. Exactly what gives birth to such hatred remains unknown, but this possibly stems from the misconception that Oripathy is contagious (though in reality, person-to-person Oripathy transmission is highly unlikely) that was exaggerated over the years.

The treatment of the Infected varies by the country, with the following being the worst:

• Ursus is infamous for its persecution onto the Infected in various pogroms carried by the Imperial Army such as concentration camps, bloody purge, and extermination onto them upon discovery. The matter worsens as they are scapegoated by the government to distract the public from its failures in military campaigns and power struggle within the palace. Such persecution eventually leads to the rise of Infected militant groups like Reunion that used violence against the oppressive authorities. Chernobog was one of the many areas in Ursus that saw the worst treatment against the Infected, with people even cheering amidst anti-Infected pogroms around the city.
  
• It is implied that Yan treats the Infected harshly as well, though to a much lesser degree, such as being segregated from the public in the name of health concern and forbidding them to wander around freely without permission. Their harsh treatment can also be seen by the fact that the Yan emissaries visiting Lungmen, particularly their leader Leizi, held a prejudiced view towards the Infected. Their presence was also why Wei Yenwu ordered the Infected in Lungmen's slums to be purged.
• The Infected in Victoria are promised to have "human rights" by the nobles, but in actual practice, they are heavily exploited in which they work exceeding standard working hours. They are also forcefully confined into quarantine zones, regardless of age and gender, with non-Infected who hide the Infected facing severe punishments. Treatment of Infected varies in different places as well. For example, the city of Caladon is planning to decrease their working hours for not more than fourteen hours and welcomes other Infected elsewhere to settle and work. This policy, however, could be seen as an action of taking the bread out of the mouths of the local non-Infected community.
• In Kazimierz, Infected knights participating in the Kazimierz Major are segregated through an institution known as "Infected Participation System" where they are forced to take part in bloodsport against gloompincers and often one another, and even such system was implemented only after the grand victory of the Blood Knight. Other Infected are forced to live in underground ghettoes waiting to be exploited or purged by authorities such as the Armorless Union.
• Columbia, at first glance, is famous for its lack of discrimination towards the Infected who are supposedly treated equally to the non-Infected. However, such is just a façade that, in reality, is meant to exploit them for its rising industries and eventually its expansionist policies. Infected migrants have to earn the Columbian citizenship through their contribution as workers, which means that the Infected are seen as cheap labor in Columbia.[8] It could arguably be seen, however, in a way, as a mutually beneficial system for both sides. In truth, companies seem to exploit the Infected with the promise of emancipation and medical treatment, though, in reality, these tend to be lies. The Columbian corporation Mama John's provides their Infected workers with "Oripathy suppressants" that are nothing more than painkillers and analgesics that merely hide the symptoms of Oripathy and do nothing to actually cure or slow down the disease. There is also a "premium insurance policy" which offers them health insurances and medications. However, this comes with an expensive cost that not everyone is able to afford. Otherwise, they will be sent to a nearby Infected treatment zone which, just like other nations' quarantine zones, is part of the country's systematic segregations where they are forced to live in restricted areas and slums. As a matter of fact, most Columbian Infected prefer to choose to live as frontier pioneers in the westernmost wasteland where their freedom is not restricted at the cost of their own danger facing numerous natural threats.
• For a long time, the Infected in Leithanien were treated as mere tributes for the Kurfürsten in order to maintain the nation's supremacy on Arts, and many of them ended up becoming their "lab rats" for their Arts. Even non-Infected were forced by the authorities to contact Oripathy whenever the "supplies" depleted. The situation worsened drastically during the reign of the Witch King through his tyrannical rule onto his subjects. After the ascension of the Twin Empresses, many of these customs were seen as barbaric as the Witch King himself, and new laws were enacted to protect the Infected and improve their living conditions. Still, traces of the old days could be found everywhere such as forcing the Infected to live in quarantine zones and even implementing mandatory order of euthanasia for those whose Oripathy reaches a certain stage.

Some Terran countries, however, treat the Infected better (or rather, not as bad) than the above:

• Any Lateran who becomes Infected for various reasons will be banished from the country while retaining the Lateran citizenship and rights. Infected Laterans can even return to their homeland under certain extraordinary circumstances.
• The Infected in Minos are seemingly not discriminated/segregated, as they can participate in the Hymnoi Wisdom. The only exception to this is for the Minoan Twelve Hero cult, where the position within its clergy is only open to non-Infected. If a priest or priestess of the hero cult were found to be Infected, they will face demotion.
• While Rim Billiton does not directly persecute the Infected, they are faced with unaffordable medical care and consistently denied employment.
  
• While most Sargonian lords neglect the Infected and let them die a slow, painful death, not all of them do. Some, notably the Tulla family, will quarantine the Infected in specifically designated "Infected quarters" and provide them with medical treatment.
  
• The tribes in the jungles of eastern Sargon, however, have no knowledge about Oripathy whatsoever, which they simply see it as a "stone disease." As the result, discrimination/persecution against the Infected in the jungle tribes is literally non-existent.
  
• Kjerag does not discriminate the Infected as well thanks to their primitive society and their religion, and Infected Kjeragians are not quarantined or banished and could even live a normal life like others. However, with the increasing industralization conducted by the Silverash family, there is fear that such peace might be broken due to possible Originium pollution, leading to the opposition from the conservative Browntails and Paleroches.

It is, however, an important thematic of Arknights' storytelling that the countries that do not outright persecute the Infected are more than likely "whitewashing" their prejudice and concealing some other form of exploitation of the Infected. The harsh treatment faced by the Infected is the main contributor to the bleakness of Arknights' setting, although it is also very frequently pointed out that strife and oppression does not stop at the Infected, and the specter of Oripathy is only one of Terra's many problems.

The majority of Infected who suffered from the Terrans' prejudice have become distrustful and embittered towards the non-Infected, with some even harboring deep feelings of vindication, that led to them using violent methods to liberate the Infected from misery, as attested by the existence of Reunion. Some Infected, however, choose to seek for non-violent methods to end their suffering, with Rhodes Island being the most notable of them.

Catastrophe is an umbrella term for cataclysmic natural disasters in the world of Arknights.

Natural disasters of many types, from earthquakes to meteor impacts, occur much more frequently on Terra than on Earth and are referred to as "Catastrophes" since such occurrences are cataclysmic in scale under the Terrans' perspective — often far worse than the natural disasters on Earth. Despite its many forms, all Catastrophe leaves behind dangerous active Originium crystals, polluting the area. Due to the threat of Catastrophes, most modern cities on Terra are Nomadic cities - capable of moving its structures and inhabitants safely away from Catastrophe when necessary.

Terra's technology and Catastrophe Messengers at least allow a more-or-less accurate prediction of when and where a Catastrophe will occur, giving the nomadic settlements an opportunity to relocate before the Catastrophe strikes, lessening the damage it causes. Errors do occur from time to time, however, which could have devastating consequences as seen with Chernobog in Episode 01 and Wolumonde during the events of Twilight of Wolumonde.

Even if the predictions are accurate, evacuating a nomadic city away from the coming Catastrophe is no easy feat. Most activities would have to be put on hold, evacuation routes need to be planned, power needs to be redistributed to essential systems such as those that ensure safe separation and re-connection of the city plates. If all the preparations are complete but the Catastrophe does not arrive as forecasted, none other than the Catastrophe Messengers themselves would be blamed for the costly disruptions.

Although the Originium fragments left behind by Catastrophe can be collected and processed into useful materials, such fragments are very dangerous, likely to infect anyone who made contact with them unprotected.

A Catastrophe Messenger is an individual responsible for observing, analyzing, and studying Catastrophes to learn more about their nature, including their forecasting and mitigation. This makes Catastrophe Messengers' service highly sought after, especially by nation-states and organizations to improve their preparations for the otherwise unpredictable Catastrophes.

Catastrophe Messengers are also known for establishing and maintaining Contingency Contract, an organization providing communication systems and interfaces between willing participants, intended to be used to coordinate humanitarian efforts in high-pressure operations that necessitate efficient tactical and logistical support.

According to Ayerscarpe, Contingency Contract is nothing more but a platform that offers up bounties and sets goals to be accomplished, meaning that despite fashioning itself as a humanitarian organization, C.C. may connect mercenaries and hitmen and their clients and may not scrutinize every contract passed under its systems, and the otherwise well-regulated organization has been affected by corruption to some extent.