Caïran Republic
As I stand on the walls of Oath, looking at the bay, I feel like on the shoulder of a giant ... sleepingCaïra, officially the Elective Morchic Republic of Caïra, is a country situated on the southwest of Amana, west of the Ridge, south of the Falwind mountains, north of the Asahi river and east of the Starbed Mountains. It was formed under the last executive order of the former Caïran Empire. It is bordered by other former territories of the empire. It is considered by most foreign nations as the rightful successor state to the empire of the same name. This is challenged by the Abarlelle United Kingdoms to their north, which separated from the republic at its formation. The territory was first settled by many cultures during the Age of Settlement by halflings in the Aelbarrow valley. Elves and humans predomminantly settled part of the land later. Caïra is separated in 4 major region, the center region includes the capital, Oath, and divides the Aelbarrow in two, taking the eastern side up to the Ridge. The South is administered from Bridgeford and includes the holy city Meyarth. It is the smallest territory of the republic, stretching fromt he Asahi river to the middle point between Bridgeford and Chilham. The third region is the West region, administered from Chilham, it is the largest one. It takes the other half of the valley and continues until it reaches the Starbed Mountains. Due to the harsh environment of the mountains, there is no definitive western border to the republic, most agreeing it ends somewhere in the mountain range. The fourth and last region is the North, administered from Alderborough. It covers the rest of the territory north of Chilham to the Falwind mountains. It also reaches all the way east to the border with Azaya. While it is slighty smaller in area then the west region, the north as the longest straight line across. Caïra is a prosperous and influencial nation. Their economy is mixed and healthy with strong internal trade as well as vast international exports. Their currency is used in many other nations around them. Recently, Caïra has been victim of a surprise war. The powerful nation has been surprised to find their armies unable to stop a force that was never considered able to pass their defenses. This invasion was called the Red Velvet war and left Caïra under partial occupation by the theocratic Rayahd Holy Empire. During the war, Bridgeford was captured and Meyarath's defence was breach. While Meyarath could not be occupied by the force sent to it, the city was sacked and many temples of the holy cities were pillaged and burned. These two event is what motivated an early peace treaties from the leaders in Oath, fearing the losses a continued war would cause as they were now completly on the backfoot. Concessions were made on religion participation in the public domain. The crown was also removed from power, placing a council of governers to administer the judicial power of the republic and siets were appropriated for emissaries from Rayahd. The republic would continue to exist and govern itself on most aspects but they were forced into being part of the empire. Their millitary was reduced, taxes were adjusted and lands were leased to the foreign millitary to establish bases from which they continued their campaign of conquest westward.
Structure
The republic is described as a constitutional bi-elective jurist monarchy. The powers are shared between the High and Low chambers and the Crown. Both chambers hold legislative and executive power. Law written by one needs to be ratified by the other to be passed as laws. Through this process, laws are bounced back and forth between them, ammended, deals are made to pass one in exchange for another and so on. Each chamber is equivalent in power. Political parties are not permitted in the chambers but inevitably, groups of like minded individuals associates in broad political movements. Terms last 6 years and votes are taken at the same time as tax forms. A code is given to every citizen that links their vote and tax form. This code makes the votes not possible to identify by taxation workers of the state. Taxation is taken every 3 years, which makes each chamber being voted alternatively. Public records of the votes are available in the local town halls where they are counted. These show the citizen code, not the name, so you can identify yourself and verify the vote you placed went to the right place.
The high chamber is made of lords. To be a candidate of that chamber you must have reported a certain amount of property value and income in your taxes of the last 15 years. To be elligible to vote for candidates of this chamber, the taxes were also needed to show a certain level of wealth. This chamber holds 61 positions spread around the historical noble familly grounds.
The low chamber is made of commoners and anyone is free to be a candidate in it. While it is still necessary to pay taxes to have a vote for this chamber, any amount of tax is enouch to place a vote. The chamber is made of 243 members spread across electoral district trying to place simillar population into each of them.
Sometimes, in tense periods, the chambers can be deadlocked as neither want to cooperate. In these times, the first step is to hold a concealed vote on the blocking matters. If this doesnt resolve things or cannot be held because of the type of issue, the Crown may call a joint chamber where both will have to vote together and votes only win with a supermajority of two thirds. In this joint chamber, the weight of the vote of a high chamber member is counted as 4 votes of the lower one. This forces compromises to be found. If this is also not an option, the final step is to have the Crown take back the power of the chambers temporarily to resolve the issue. This is done only in drastic situations. In these cases a council of jurists is put in place to supervise the Crown and ensure it is only acting on the minimum issues required to fix the deadlock. An additionnal time limit is placed after which the power is automaticaly restaured to the chambers. Additionally, if both chambers can pass votes on the issue while it is worked on by the Crown, the power is immediatly given back and whatever the Crown was implementing with the legislative and executive power is scrapped.
In normal time, the Crown is only responsible of the judicial power. The Crown chooses the judge for each level and acts as the final arbiter of the law. It keeps checks and balances on the chambers by verifying the constitutionality of the laws passed and setting precedent for the interpretation of those. The crown also acts as leader to foreign nations and diplomat. During time of war, the Crown also holds the highest position of the millitary, though they do not allocate funds, as this, like anything else budget related is, controled by the chambers.
During the Rayahd occupation following the Red velvet war, both chambers were working with a third party. This was the Rayahd council, which held veto and agenda power over both chambers.
Culture
The republic follows in the cultural footsteps of the empire it was prior. There is still a quiet but deep patriotism and profound sense of civil duty in the population. People are expected to serve the nation when asked. Participation in political events and the democratic system has taken roots even in the more uneducated citizens. Literacy is maintained quite high at around 85% of the population. As the change to a democratic system was voluntarily given to the people by the Crown, it has created a great amount of respect for both the system and the Crown. Being inheritor of the large Caïran Empire, there is a sense of glory in the memories, but also pain of the loss of greatness. This becomes apparent in the old tradition maintained with great devotion even when their purpose is long passed.
Great work of architecture remixing old styles of the empires are often adapted to the newer purpose of buildings, statues and painting depicting old legends of the empire are still often created. Far from the culture being stagnant, many artists also feel free to explore new and different ways to express themselves.
Communities are strong in the republic, many small organisations will often be formed to support and make sure everyone lives to the maximum potential they can. This may involve raising community funds to help support talents within them, placing people in contacts with one another or forming guard watches.
Philosophy of the scholars tends to work in social duties theories as an individual necessity. Individual are thrusted to work and develop in the environnement that suits them best for their talents. It is seen strange to push people into roles that do not fit their skills and natural interest, arguing instead that they should find the best wya to use those for the greater good. Doing so, a form of individualism is pushed through the community to have people find themselves and allowing a social fluidity.
Women and men hold an equal status in society and the same is true for any races. Private slavery is outlawed, but the state still uses slavery as a sentence for the highest crimes. Queer people are not discriminated and it is understood culturally that some people like different things then others. It is still sometime seen as something childish or priviliged to want a life with a partner where making a familly is harder, as most people rely on their children during their old age to take care of them. This however very rarely impacts people in discriminatory ways.
Ressources
The republic is still a very wealthy nation from the inheritance of the centralisation the Empire did in its central regions. Oath, the capital, is still the largest city in the world by population and economy. The republic has well maintained roads and harbors to ease the transportation between the many cities on its territory.
Caira owns a commercial and military navy. The commercial ships are rented to companies, while the military patrols the Asanagi sea for anti-piracy mission. In addition, Caïra fields 5 army groups and a few more specialized units. Each of the four regions has their own army (Central, Bridgeford, Chillham, Alderborough) and a fifth one is based in Oath with the purpose of being the main foreign force in case of conflict. Some of the specialized units are the Cabals, Engineers, Tunnelers, Specters and Foresters. These all focus on a special form of skills that the main armies do not possess in large or well trained capacities.
Caïra kept the coinage from the Empire. The Caïran gold coin became the de facto trading currency to which others are compared to. The Empire Mints in Meyarath and the Royal Caïran Coin House handle the amount created and distribution of the currency.
Caïra owns publicly many residential buildings in Oath and Bridgeford. Both cities were hit by living spaces crisis during the age of war, where people seeked refuge in the walls of the core cities of the Empire. At the time, the Empire built public buildings for the civilians to be placed. The republic inherited those as well, keeping the system of public residence for those needing cheap shelter. Those are generally small simple appartments stacked together in a highly efficient manner but offering minimum ammenities. About 15% of Oath's and 20% of Bridgeford's population are housed in these buildings.
Most cities had defenses built for them if they were considered at risk of invasion during the Empire days. Oath, Meyarath and Bridgeford are both boasting very strong walls and castles. Chillham was also given proper defenses when goblins started a long campaign of raids on that region.
The Republic also kept the Mage Colleges organisations from the Empire. They have the largest one in Oath, and other significant colleges in Meyarath and Bridgeford. These provide education to those who can afford it beyond the basic trainings courses offered in the social centers. The Republic regularly give grants to those who prove themselves talented in specific fields in exchange for a public work mandate after their graduation. These colleges, while being called Mage Colleges, are teaching more then just magic. Engineering, arts, social study, philosophy, math, biology and any other field of studies are observed as well.
The land is protected at the borders and in different critical points inside the territory with many fortresses. These act also as policing stations, making sure the laws are observed around them. Many also contain reserves of strategic ressources, like gold or magical componants to be used in case of shortage. These fortresses, like the walls of the cities, are defended by strong permanant garrisons. Fast reload ballistas and trebuchet are mounted on the defenses. Other means of defense, like boiling oil or controled avalanches, can also be prepared depending on the terrain and situation of each individual fortress.
Histoire
The republic was born out of the mind of Emperor Kialar Pellessaria following a very short war that ousted his brother from the throne. The last few rulers before him had all distabilized the shrinking empire. Seing the problems of the system as it was, he worked for years on expending the democratic aspect of the nation. It eventually evolved to the dual chamber system. The start of the republic immediatly hit a hard wall as the north was taken by noble rebels, angry at the reform that would have them submit to democratic votes. At the time, democracy was seen as something a bit dirty, associated to the commoners of society. While the democratic shift was the final nail, rebellion and insatisfaction was already present in the nobles that were growing stronger and stronger agaisnt the Crown everyday. The population largely supported the reform. They were also very angry at the previous failings of the systems. When the nobles rose up, they could not find support in the population, and instead rallied north where they could sway the smaller people and impose rule by might of their private forces. They legitimated themselves by claiming that the Emperor was commiting treason against the Empire and was acting against the constitution. They claimed that the throne should be given to the next in line, which they brought at Abarlelle. A brutal civil war ended with the north becoming an independantly ruled territory, but both them and Caïra still claim to be the sole country. During that civil war, the south also seized independance, corrupted by warlords that saw an oppurtunity to strike a wounded nation.
The following years were really hard on the Republic. People felt shame for the loss of the greatness of past. The Republic nevertheless quickly prospered, trade and healthy democracy changing the social net and economy. The army was rebuilt and Caïra retook a center role as a major power in the world.
The republic rebuilt and knew a time of great economic prosperity. The treaty of Meyarath brought back the city into the Cairan state, the ancestor's alliance renewd old diplomatic routes with the west in the Kadaran empire and liberal market brought a new wave of mercantile opportunities. Jumping from the economic activity, the millitary was also newly invigorated. Caira intervienned in a few local conflicts and fought in regionnal skirmishes in the Faadali forest and the Sunburn plains.
At this time, Caira was now a strange anomally. A strong democracy like there it was never seen prior int he world. This inspired movements in various region of the world. Int he west those were silenced relatively fast due to the strong control and relative prosperity of the systems in place. To their south it was different. The democracy experiment of the Cairan republic struck hard int he heart of the poor people. Many nations in Roxana region fought civil wars over these ideals. Many of these nations also banding togheter with Abarlelle Kingdom to try to destabilize the republic. This resulted in a few crisis, but nothing really substancial. A few decades later these attacks ceased for the most parts.
In 2274 CC the Abarlelle United Kingdom seized Varsenne using political machination and a quick millitary operation under the guise of stabilization. Their troops never retreated and Varsenne was absorbed into the Cairan's rival as a new kingdom of the empire. Varsenne was meant as a neutral buffer zone between the two. After this coup, Caira mobilized at the border, recommissionned old forts and dug trenches ready for an invasion. The invasion never came, at most a few skirmishes happened.
The Red Velvet war was a slap in the face of the Republic. The Rayahd armies attacked faster and stronger then any generals had anticipated. When Bridgeford fell and Meyarath's walls were breached, the republic sued for peace. The negociations were long but ended with a partial surrender from Caïra. They would allow oversight of their governement and military and would allow Bridgeford to be partially occupied. Twenty six years later, Aberlelle did a coup in the northen region of the republic, Alderborough. While Abarlelle tried to anex the region, a strong resistance established itself and eventually beat the army sieging an important fortress. Following this decisive battle, the province became independant, not willing to rejoin an occupied republic. Little less then a month later, intervention of Rayahd in Oath lead to a rebellion movement against the foreign power. This started when a ship of the theocracy was set on fire in the harbor.
Démographie et Population
The lands forming the Caira Republic contains the section of the Empire that was still mostly humans. While they form the larger ethnic compsition of the state, it is not a majority. All race can be found in significant numbers just in Oath. Oath is home to the largest population of gnomes anywhere in the world. When looking at the rest of the territory, Meyarath and Bridgeford also accomodate widely different races from anywhere in the world. The north, namely Chillham and Alderborough are less diverse and more filled of humans isntead up to Alderborugh where humans form a majority of the population with orcs as the second most present in the region.
The river side region has the largest population center, in order, Oath, Meyarath and Bridgeford. The republic population is densest there but the Aelbarrow valley is far from sparse too. Countless villages aggregate around farmers familly and trade routes. Caira has some of the largest population in the world, dwarfing their northen and suthern neighbors. Latest census reported around 38 million citizens.
Militaire
The Cairan millitary is divided in 5 armiy groups and many specialized organisations.
The first army is based in the center region with their headquarters also doubling as the whole millitary main base of opperation. The forteress is north of Oath called Caleid Urth. It is a massive start forteress rebuilt after the Seond Inquisition to house the central command of the millitary. The first army is made of the largest home defence and is made up of 300 000 soldiers with around 80 000 in active duty at anytime. The rest can be raise in less then 5 days from the surrounding villages that were specifically founded to house the proffessionnal army.
The second army is based in Bridgeford and also has around 350 000 soldiers. Responsible for the defense of the south from Meyarath and Bridgeford, it was the most impacted by the Rayahd invasion.
The third army is charged with a dual task of being the interior defense away from the borders but also as the masters of logistics. They are meant to support and join with the first, second or fourth army whenever an invading forcemight prove too strong for any to defend by themselves. They are the most decentralized of the five armies, distributing material and personnel armongst plenty of fortifications in the Aelbarrow Valley. The leadership is based in Chilham. The third army counts around 150 000 soldiers
The Fourth army is guarding the northen border with Abarlelle. Their leading seath siege in Caleid Khana, a strategic fortress placed next to on of the two roads passing next to the Flawinf mountians from the north to the south. Originally it was fortified against goblins and orcish raiders. It was used as a base for horseman to patrol the lands that at the time were perfect for criminal to hide and ambush traders. After the civil war that formed Abarlelle, the forteress received massive upgrades and became the center of the fourth army. Their numbers are counted at around 250 000
The fifth army is a smaller organisation during time of peace.maintained with slelleton crews. It is normally the invading force when direct action has to be taken abroad by the republic. In time of peace, it employs 20 000 professionnals mostly in intelligence services. Duringtime of war, it can grow to be larger then any other armies, regularly tranfing troops from them to the fifth army. The average historically has been 650 000 soldiers but the highest it reached was 1 100 000 soldiers during the Kadaran crown crisis.
The irregular organisation of the republic are legacies of the empire and constitutionnal decrees forbid he creation of new ones. These do not repport to the governement in the same ways the army has to. They have their own hierachy and leaders. With treaties and perpetual contracts, precises rules of engagement and integration to the traditionnal millitary structures were established.
The Santcified Serate Cabals, called commonely as jsut the cabals form the backbone of magic infantry and artellery of the republic. It is the largest remaining arcane millitary corp after the Dominion ceased to exist. They claim to be the direct descendent group formed by the apostle of Serate during the age of myths. They uphold a particular form of worship for Serate that diverged from the mainline religious teaching. They became a permanant fixure of Caira under the leadershpi of Ophelia de Greyhawk.
Engineers Carly Works is a private expert group that are the main builders of fortifications for the republic. They were founded by Carlyenne De Ironbear.
Special Departement of Tunnelers was created for the original purpose of helping the developpement of the Oath subterenean canals. During a small war they were requisiitionned for sapping the foundations of fortifications. They got more and more contract with the millitary now they are the foremost artellery and siege experts of the Cairan millitary.
Specters is the name of a splinter group from a shadow guild devoted to Vatara. They stepped out of shadow during the age of war and became a seperate organisation for offensive intels and foreign special operation that Caira wants to avoid being directly related to, like assassination and kidnapping of foreign officials.
Pearlglow Company is a band of mercenary that now oversee maritime privateering contracts. Themselves a significant navy they act under the protection of Caira, plundering foreign ships under anonymous banners.
Citizen Martial League is a citizen organised levy organisation aimed at facilitating the raising of levies in Caira. Levies have not been used in hundreds of years and the group is greatly on the decline. They are rebranding themsleves toward millices and civilian peacekeepers.
Foresters Partisan union is a recon formation. They train the millitary in survival tactics and operate in harsh environment helping the millitary to have eyes on different region and mapping terrain for approach or exploitation.
Niveau Technologique
Caira has access to advance machinery that offer great precision in the manifacturing secotrs. The ability to create intricate gears and low tollerance pieces for complex apparatus lets them still a world leader in those fields. A lot of production methods and matrial science is being recovered from the forgotten pools of knowledge of the Dominion of Magic. Same is true of the arcane, with the foreign oversight removed from the wizards of the mage colleges, new advancement were made into retrieve some of the most impactful spells that were lost in the age of war. Inventors of many kinds are also hard at work finding other solutions for the problems that those lost spells have left empty. Artificial light through electricity is on the verge of practicality, interest in electromagnitism has never been so high and fluid dynamics secret are unreaveled by the days. Some form of steam engine are used to help pumping waters in or out of the canals in Oath, the large suspension bridge of Bridgeford is studied to recover the knowledge of the material composite that the Dominion usedto make it possible and new optiimisation in the steel production in Meyarath make available for the first time the construction of large scale building with steel frame since half a millenia. Caira like many other nations around them are experiencing the start of a new scientifict revolution certain to change the world again.
Religion
All religion are protected by law in Caira. The most present faith is the one of the Pantheon of the Nines. Meyarath is the center of the faith and holy city of the believers. Most towns and village will have multipurpose tmeples for the nine deity of the pantheon and larger city will usually have temples for other religion as well. The Pantheon of the Nines is intricatly tied to many governemental institution and public places. For exemple, the large arena in Oath is made and maintained by the Garad temple and the largest library in the reaalm, also in Oath, it integrated with the Morada temple. Efforts wre made to decouple some institution, but mostly failed due to the sheer amount of fusiion between those in some sectors. The governing bodies are none the less kept independant form any temple or religion and faith bias is at least on the book made illegal. Influence of the pantheon and their morals has deeply impacted the developpement of the nation.
Relations Extérieures
The currnt foreign relation are complicated to put on paper now. They are currently under partial occupation from the Rayahd Holy Empire making any other foreign relations difficult.
They have a cold animosity with Abarlelle to their north, still having unresolved claims with each other sovereinety. Due to the past as the Empire, many other foreign nations in the west see the republic as a weird mix of gratitude for the legacy but also grievences for the opression of a foreign nation controling them. Relations are always tinted in history and old treaties. The south of the border had closed all relations with the republic after warlords claimed the lands and fought an independance war on the republic. They were quickly overthorwn and conquered by the Rayahd Holy Empire shortly after and since has had forced commercial relation with the republic.The republic also inherited the hitoric friction the Empire and the High Elves had for centuries over borders that neither of them still hold now. The tension and historic conflict still taint the relations to the worse.
Laws
The core laws have been kept of the legal system of the empire but slowly rewritten and updated for the new social environment. A mojer reform did had to be written to encompass the new responsability and rights limits of the crown. The authorities and regulations of the chambers and a new constition were drafted and then placed as law as the last act of executive power of the Empire crown.
The core laws outline the individual rightss and equality of all sentient being on the republic soil. Slavery is outlawed expect as a form of sentence. Fruds are heavily punished, some of the largest even ending in death penality. Executions are rare, but when they happen it is the responsability of the crown to apply and execute the sentence.
There is a public officce of copyright pattent. These are set to make public and centralised way to buy rgiths for use and developpement. It is illegal to privatise the rights sharing and anything not placed in the public copyright reccords are not considered protected by the law. The value of a copyright is entirely decided by the bureau of creative commons. The fee paid is shared 72.34% to the creator and the state takes the rest as taxes. Complains and challange for copyrigths infringement must be made by the copyright holder at their own cost. If they win the challange they are paid back those cost by the state and then the loosing defender must also pay the winning party sums at least equal to the lost value incured by the infringement. Many exception exist to what constitute an infrigement and if no value was lost to the owner of such copyrights then there is no reason to sue for infringement.
Agriculture et Industrie
The Aelbarrow valley is one of the most fertile land on Aea. This valley represent the backbone of the growth that Caira leverage to become a global empire. It produces enormous quantity of food which allows Caira to export to all their neighbors. It also grows hemp and other plants used for pproduction of goods. Tetile and cotton represent large exports as well. To the west of the Valley is the Grey Woods. This region is exploited for lumber around Chilham and shipped south on the Westflow river. The north around Alderborough is rich in minerals and metals. These are also exploited in small regionnal village then exported south on the same river. On the south of the valley, large population center of Meyarth, Bridgeford and Oath us the materials in factories to produce tranformed goods. The nation is self reliant on most ressources except spices, copper, glass and horses.
Commerce et Transport
The Asahi river represent the most important trading lane for Caira, allowing trade to flow West to East easily. From this large river, ships and reac hthe sea or can instead go further inland to rac hharbors of other large trading partners like Kadara. The Westflow river flows north to south and is the back bone of the internal logistic for the republic, allowing the ressources of the north region to be tranformed into products in the larger population center of the south. Most trade is done in the Cairan Coin, the coin themselves something being the object of the trade. The selling of currency to other kingdom represent a very valluable trade for the republic.For anywhere the river cannot take people, large road networks have been constructed across the realm. These are often patroled for bandit and are kept in good enough state in most part. Direction are often verified and corected with simplifed maps marking how to get around in the most important crossroads.Public shelters and rest area are built to accomodate the longer streach of roads without setlements in the north east.
Éducation
Caira has a litteracy rate of around 80%. A mandate of public education was instaured in 2130 that ask for all children of age 6 to 11 to attend classes at social centers.Those that show promise are offered further education in academies and potentially a mage college. The inital education focuses mainly on maths and writing. Once student are admitted to academies, they can start exploring subject like history, art, culture, alchemy, physic and engineering. Classes are separeted by aptitude tests rather then ages. Aptitude test are taken every session and serve to asses the leve lof knowledge. Results of the tests dictates what level of class you are assign to. There are 7 levels of basic education. Academies follow a simillar system, but separete eac hsubject branch into different classes that need to have the test of the prior one passed to attend to. NOte that it is not required to have attended the class to try a test to qualify yourself for one, so individuals with prior knowledge are allowed to skip lessons they can prove to already have mastered.
Aeternitas per Sapientiam
Date de Fondation
2192 CC , 7th, Moon of Snow
Type
Geopolitical, Republic
Capitale
Noms Alternatifs
Caïra
Predecessor Organization
Gentilé
Caïran
Founders
Système Gouvernemental
Monarchy, Elective
Structure de Pouvoir
Federation
Système Économique
Mixed economy
Gazetteer
Aelbarrow Valley
Asahi River
Ridge
Falwinf Mountains
Religion d'état
Localisation
Langues Officielles
Territoires Contrôlés
Nations Voisines
Commentaires