Althraxia (/Al-thrayk-sha/ or /Al-thrayk-see-ya/)
History and Government
The marshlands of modern Althraxia hold a network of city-states which strike a pleasant balance between cosmopolitanism and rural charm. Once, the denizens of these marshes held up a proud empire - the first on the Kcalsbury Continent, and among the first to maintain strong elements of democracy. Still today, these elements persist in the rule of the Citizen Senate, a coalition of elected noble representatives from across the nation with a nominated potentate at its head. Prior to its republican period, Althraxia stretched across the Savirree Valley as one land under an Emperor and, later, under a military ruler known as a Demagogue. As early as the Age of Blood, Althraxia's domains stretched throughout all of the Border Kingdoms up through Sylla and well into the West Marches. While it did not develop a system of writing until its emergence amongst the Gults to its east, it brought stability and civilization to the tribes of the Savirree Valley and beyond. This multi-cultural empire cycled through periods of prosperity and tension as various governments held, in turn, policies of tolerance, integration, and - at times - annihilation towards the minorities of the empire. Eventually, a breaking point was reached due to the invasion of the dragonflights in The Dragon Wars. This saw Emperor Petros II die without an heir, sending the great empire into a total collapse. The ensuing instability and lack of leadership saw the lands of the Savirree Valley fracture between various warlords vying for control, with entire territories changing hands day-by-day. Stability eventually returned to the Savirree Valley after a seizure of power by Martin the Subjugator, a general in the Althraxian army who had wielded the mythical sword Haldun-Kur against the dragons. Martin became the first of the Demagogues, and his rule saw the reintegration of the Savirree Valley back into Althraxian hands. The title of Demagogue passed to Martin's highest-ranking general following his death, and a period of three hundred years ensued throughout which the Demagogues ruled under such succession principles. This period ended with the return of the Kingsbane Drake and the death or abdication of several successive Demagogues, the last of which was Petr the Harsh. Following this, the territory of the empire fractured between a Triumvirate of ambitious generals; Althraxia proper in the north, Orthetia in the western Savirree and the West Marches, and Coszabea in the eastern Savirree. This period of war was among Althraxia's most brutal. It ended when the dragonflights mysteriously turned away from Althraxia, after which the Triumvirate gave way to a federation of three republics presided over by the three ruling generals in the regions Althraxia had previously been divided into. These republics did not last long, as another blow came with the most major migrations of the Thalgor westward, marking another bloody tide of destruction and violence across the battered empire. Amidst this struggle, the general of Orthetia was slain in battle, and the general of Coszabea drowned within the Savirree River under mysterious circumstances. With two of the three republics razed and pillaged, the last of the Triumvirate attempted to reform the empire beneath a single republican banner represented by the Citizen Senate, naming himself the nation's Potentate. These attempts would be doomed to pyrrhic successes, at best. The West March Wars would last several hundred years, continuing to reign destruction upon the peoples of the Savirree Valley, simultaneously fueling desperation and hatred for the relatively prosperous north. The intervention of the The Protectorate-Commonwealth in support of national independence movements (particularly in Cadisia further distanced any hopes of the empire's revival, as did the formal break-away of Adaetha, which served as something of a domino to other separatists. The final blow occurred with the independence of Erthania, forced upon Althraxia due to the destruction of the West March Wars. Today, the upper-class of representatives within the nation's city-states still dream of glory and speak of pan-Zivan brotherhood, but it is little more than a distant dream. Still, dreams can sometimes manifest into reality; Althraxia has long been accused of sponsoring conflict between the rebellious nobles of Cadisia and exploiting the cirses of Erthania, and while it denies official wrong-doing, there are certainly those within its borders that actively fund and sympathize with such efforts to make the empire whole again.Cities
Althrace
Althrace lays upon the shores of Lake Althrax, a bustling and cosmopolitan city to which most of the nation's trade flows. Althrace has attracted migrants from lands all over the Border Kingdoms and the Protectorate-Commonwealth for ages, and it has attracted Syllan refugees since the nation's fall to the undead. At the same time, it maintains a somewhat rural feel to it: it is built upon marshy lands, surrounded by farms, and maintains a distinctly old-world architecture untouched by the spread of industrialization. It's viewed as a pleasant get-away town across the southern Kcalsbury Continent, though it does struggle with poverty and shortages on a regular basis due to Althraxia's continued struggles with decline. Althrace houses about 200,000 people and features universities and mage's colleges that rival some of its neighbors, making it the cultural and educational center of Althraxia.Geography
The geography of modern Althraxia is largely homogeneous: it is a marshy, icky land with thick wooded forests. The Althraxians are remarkably conservative in their exploitation of these woods, a fact which can be attributed to a constant conflict between the nation's guild-based economy and its elected political body. The Althraxian Forest has thus survived largely intact with only minor logging operations cutting at its edges. Lake Althrax and the Savirree River are the center of most of Althraxia's city-states, making the nation more of a thin line of civilization rather than what its broad borders may suggest. Still, this thin line has masterfully-constructed roads and river barges which make movement through the nation fast and simple. Many Althraxians have moved to living within the woods throughout the centuries, a phenomenon sometimes critiqued by detractors as "decivilization." Despite such criticism, the process continues, and many find their place in small, voluntary villages or Fey communities. Althraxia's border with Sylla is divided by the Adamantine Wall, a structure mythologically said to predate the establishment of the Althraxian Empire itself. Some lands beyond the wall remain officially Althraxian, seized during The Wall War, for they had important fertile farmlands and mines. Today, these lands are largely possessed by Sylla, save for a few military forward posts maintained by the Althraxian military. They are thus colloquially known as the nation's Northern Front.Resources
Fish are the staple food of the Althraxians, though small-scale farms exist along the banks of the Savirree River and make up an increasingly larger amount of the food supply. Peanuts and cilantro grow especially well on these farms, and Althraxia competes with the other Border Kingdoms for the export of these resources. Aside from this, Althraxia is known for his artisanal works. The nation has staunchly opposed industrialization and protected its skilled workers' rights to labor, leading to high-quality craftsman and artists of all kinds. Their products are highly-valued by nobles throughout the world, especially within the Kcalsbury Continent.Ethnicities
The dominant culture in Althraxia refers to itself as Althraxians, which have inhabited its lands even before the establishment of the empire. Due to the imperial period, however, much of Althraxia's population has intermixed with Sygultaz and Zivas. About a third of the population identifies as one of these other cultures, though nobody can claim to be pure-blooded of any of them.Diplomacy
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"Empire of Fallen Flags"
Adjectives: Althraxian
National Animal: Pandalope
National Instrument: Hurdy-Gurdy
Ethnicities: Althraxians, Ziva-Cadir, Ziva-Adaxa, Sygultaz, Ziva-Orthsco, Ziva-Phrastrana
Languages: Human Common (Modern Gultic), Holothetic (Modern Althraxian), Sygultic
Capital: Althrace
Ruler: Citizen Senate, Potentate Xavier
Government: Confederation of City-States
Hallmarks: Proud history, calm backwoods, multiculturalism, artisanship and guild economics
Characteristics: Independent, joyful, relaxed, pragmatic
National Animal: Pandalope
National Instrument: Hurdy-Gurdy
Ethnicities: Althraxians, Ziva-Cadir, Ziva-Adaxa, Sygultaz, Ziva-Orthsco, Ziva-Phrastrana
Languages: Human Common (Modern Gultic), Holothetic (Modern Althraxian), Sygultic
Capital: Althrace
Ruler: Citizen Senate, Potentate Xavier
Government: Confederation of City-States
Hallmarks: Proud history, calm backwoods, multiculturalism, artisanship and guild economics
Characteristics: Independent, joyful, relaxed, pragmatic